bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Mitigation strategies of public–private partnership (PPP) barriers in Palestinian construction projects
Authors: Mousa Kawther , Zhang Zhenglian , Sumarliah Eli 
Published: March 2023

PurposeThe scarcity of literature related to the PPP (public-private partnership) barriers in construction projects within war areas, and hence the dearth of information to deliver viable and effective strategies to those barriers, are the primary causes for the failures of PPP schemes in such areas, particularly in Palestine. Financial and non-financial investments are more problematic in war zones than non-war nations and may escalate barrier for projects' success. The investigation purposes to discover proper answers to the barriers of PPP infrastructure schemes and highlight the execution of barrier reactions.Design/methodology/approachSpecialists were asked to deliver approaches to alleviate 21 barriers and recommend the period needed for applying them. Later, the relevance of alleviation events was examined through prioritization according to the results attained from three elements, i.e. the impact of every barrier and the strategy's viability and efficacy.FindingsWhile the most unfavorable barrier was finalized to be the unfeasibility of delivering physical security, the most valid answer was associated with the lack of government cohesiveness and responsibility to perform its duties. The discovered barriers are typical within warring nations, but the paper concentrated on Palestine.Originality/valueThis study is an initial effort to examine PPP barriers in Palestinian infrastructure projects. The presented strategies can be applied as a novel set for barrier reaction improvement in occupied nations such as Palestine. Moreover, the results can develop the usage of PPP and enhance the barrier sharing in this scheme.
Adopting quality management (QM) principles in managing facilities management service delivery
Authors: Myeda Nik Elyna , Chua Shirley Jin Lin , Aqillah Nur Syafiqatul 
Published: March 2023

PurposeThis paper aims to assess the quality management (QM) principles in facilities management (FM) service delivery for office buildings. This is to create a quality culture that will enhance the performance of FM service delivery towards meeting the users' requirements and needs.Design/methodology/approachThis study adopts a quantitative methodology via a questionnaire survey for the data collection. In total, 24.41% of respondents from the registered FM companies in Malaysia attended the survey. SPSS 27.0 was used to interpret the collected data, which were then reviewed through descriptive and inferential analysis.FindingsThe study signifies that customer focus, leadership, improvement, evidence-based decision-making and relationship management indicate positive connections with FM service delivery in ensuring a cost-effective working process and meeting both user requirements and legal and regulatory corporate compliance. There are 18 elements of strategic, people and structural barriers that may hinder the implementation of QM in the FM service delivery. Correspondingly, the five main key enablers suggested being teamwork and participation, leadership, continuous improvement, process management and resources and competency development-based enablers.Research limitations/implicationsThe study was conducted during the pandemic crisis with limited access and response from participants. However, this in-depth study was still able to synthesize the imperative QM practice in FM among FM practitioners in Malaysia.Originality/valueThis study provides insight into the implementation of QM principles to cultivate a quality culture that will enhance the performance and productivity in FM service delivery specifically for office buildings in Malaysia. Prior to this study, there was a lack of research pertaining to these two themes: QM and FM.
Exploring how institutional trajectories and political controversies influence policymaking for SE: the case of Norway
Authors: Sætre Hilde Svrljuga , Hauge Hans Abraham 
Published: March 2023

Purpose
This study aims to analyse how top-level policymakers across the political left-right spectrum in a social-democratic welfare state understand social enterprise (SE), its relation to existing welfare institutions and their intentions of policymaking towards SE.

Design/methodology/approach
This study conducted in-depth interviews explicitly focused on SE with policymakers at the national level in Norway. The informants collectively represented most political parties in Norway’s Parliament in 2017–2021. Data were analysed using a historical institutional perspective.

Findings
Centre-right wing policymakers predominantly consider SE as commercial enterprises not requiring specific policies. Left wing policymakers prefer that SEs operate like voluntary organizations and advocate policies preventing extraction of profit and competition with public service providers. Hence, policymakers positioned SE within an overarching political debate on the privatization of welfare services. They expressed little interest in developing policies aimed at strengthening SE opportunity structures.

Research limitations/implications
Policy inaction impedes recognition of SEs as different from commercial and voluntary organizations, as well as their ability to compete for tenders. Thus, SE will likely remain a rather marginal phenomenon in Norway. Further research is needed to establish whether and how Norway’s universal welfare state inhibits social entrepreneurship on the society-wide level.

Originality/value
This article details how SE is understood within a social democratic welfare regime and the likely consequences thereof for SEs. It contributes with new knowledge of why policymakers may be reluctant to develop policy dedicated to further SE, across different political party affiliations. To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this is the first study in Norway to analyse how existing institutions and political controversies influence how policymakers at the national level approach SE.
Efficacy and safety of baricitinib treatment for moderate to severe atopic dermatitis in real‐world practice in Japan
Authors: Hagino Teppei , Saeki Hidehisa , Fujimoto Eita , Kanda Naoko 
Published: March 2023

AbstractThe authors evaluated the efficacy and safety of baricitinib, a Janus kinase 1/2 inhibitor, for atopic dermatitis (AD) in real‐world practice. From August 2021 to September 2022, 36 patients aged ≥15 years with moderate to severe AD were treated with oral baricitinib 4 mg/day plus topical corticosteroids. Baricitinib improved clinical indexes; the percent reduction at weeks 4 and 12 was a median of 69.19% and 69.98% for the Eczema Area and Severity Index (EASI), 84.52% and 76.33% for the Atopic Dermatitis Control Tool, and 76.39% and 64.58% for Peak Pruritus Numerical Rating Score, respectively. The achievement rate of EASI 75 was 38.89% and 33.33% at weeks 4 and 12, respectively. The percent reduction of EASI in the head and neck, upper limbs, lower limbs, and trunk was 56.9%, 68.3%, 80.7%, and 62.5% at week 12, respectively, with a significant difference between the head and neck versus the lower limbs. Baricitinib decreased thymus and activation‐regulated chemokine, lactate dehydrogenase, and total eosinophil count at week 4. Baseline EASI of the head and neck negatively correlated with percent reduction of EASI at week 4, while baseline EASI of the lower limbs positively correlated with percent reduction of EASI at week 12. Treatment‐emergent adverse events included elevation of creatine phosphokinase (11.1%), herpes labialis (5.6%), furuncle (8.3%), and exacerbation of AD (1%), without serious treatment‐emergent adverse events. In this real‐world study, baricitinib was well tolerated for patients with AD and achieved therapeutic effects comparable to those in clinical trials. High baseline EASI of the lower limbs might predict good treatment response at week 12, while high baseline EASI of the head and neck might predict poor treatment response at week 4 in baricitinib treatment for AD.
Diagnostic spectrum and therapeutic efficiency in teledermatology–Results of the largest cohort study to date
Authors: Lindemann Hanna , Bonetzki Tim , Frank Jorge 
Published: March 2023

AbstractTimely and comprehensive dermatological care is a major challenge. Digitized medical consultation offers a possibility to overcome this problem. Here, we studied the diagnostic spectrum and treatment success in teledermatology in the largest cohort to date. Over 12 months, 21 725 individuals received a diagnosis and therapeutic advice using the asynchronous image‐text method. In the context of quality management, 1802 individuals (~10%) of both sexes with a mean age of 33.7 years (SD 15.36) received a follow‐up 3 months after the initial consultation to assess the treatment outcome. Of these, 81.2% did not require a face‐to‐face consultation. Therapeutic efficiency could be ascertained in 83.3% of the patients, whereas 10.9% did not improve, and 5.8% did not provide an information on the course of therapy. Teledermatology is a useful tool in digitalized medicine and complements the classical in‐person dermatological examination, as shown by the high degree of treatment efficacy in this study. Although face‐to‐face consultations can not and should not be completely substituted by teledermatology it reflects a significant contribution to patient care and justifies the further expansion of digital structures in dermatological care.
Detection of a temporal salient object benefits from visual stimulus‐specific adaptation in avian midbrain inhibitory nucleus
Authors: WANG Jiangtao , RAO Xiaoping , HUANG Shuman , WANG Zhizhong , NIU Xiaoke , ZHU Minjie , WANG Songwei , SHI Li 
Published: March 2023

AbstractFood and predators are the most noteworthy objects for the basic survival of wild animals, and both are often deviant in both spatial and temporal domains and quickly attract an animal's attention. Although stimulus‐specific adaptation (SSA) is considered a potential neural basis of salient sound detection in the temporal domain, related research on visual SSA is limited and its relationship with temporal saliency is uncertain. The avian nucleus isthmi pars magnocellularis (Imc), which is central to midbrain selective attention network, is an ideal site to investigate the neural correlate of visual SSA and detection of a salient object in the time domain. Here, the constant order paradigm was applied to explore the visual SSA in the Imc of pigeons. The results showed that the firing rates of Imc neurons gradually decrease with repetitions of motion in the same direction, but recover when a motion in a deviant direction is presented, implying visual SSA to the direction of a moving object. Furthermore, enhanced response for an object moving in other directions that were not presented ever in the paradigm is also observed. To verify the neural mechanism underlying these phenomena, we introduced a neural computation model involving a recoverable synaptic change with a “center‐surround” pattern to reproduce the visual SSA and temporal saliency for the moving object. These results suggest that the Imc produces visual SSA to motion direction, allowing temporal salient object detection, which may facilitate the detection of the sudden appearance of a predator.
Latest Neogene Paleoclimate Variation in Yunnan, Southwest China, Revealed by Fossil Leaf Physiognomy
Authors: DAI Jing , CHEN Weizhao , HUANG Liang , ZHANG Yi'nan 
Published: March 2023

AbstractYunnan Province, located in the southeastern margin of the Tibetan Plateau, can provide important information on how climate change was influenced by global cooling. However, its variation patterns in temperature and precipitation during the latest Neogene are not well‐understood. Based on the 357 specimens assigned to 31 morphotypes of plant fossils from the upper Pliocene Ciying Formation in Yiliang County, Yunnan Province, Southwest China, paleoclimate was estimated by Leaf Margin Analysis and Climate Leaf Analysis Multivariate Program. Compared to the present climate, the mean annual temperature and coldest month temperature have not changed significantly since the late Pliocene, whereas the warmest month temperature has decreased significantly. All precipitation‐related parameters have decreased, particularly winter precipitation. Combined with the climatic data of the same period in other areas of Yunnan, the western and eastern Yunnan has shown a similar pattern in temperature variation since the late Pliocene except for central Yunnan; whereas the variation in precipitation does not follow a common law except for a consistent decrease in winter precipitation. Our study reinforced the fact that under the background of global cooling and intensified monsoon systems, different areas of Yunnan exhibit different climatic responses to these changes because of their topographic heterogeneities.
Economic policy uncertainty, corporate investment decisions and stock price crash risk: Evidence from China
Authors: Jing Zhongbo , Lu Shiyu , Zhao Yang , Zhou Jun 
Published: March 2023

AbstractWe examine the relationship between economic policy uncertainty (EPU) and stock price crash risk via the corporate investment in Chinese listed firms. Results show that higher EPU is associated with lower crash risk. Firms increase financial asset holdings and reduce overinvestment when EPU rises, leading to lower future crash risk. State‐owned enterprises (SOEs) and firms with lower management incentives tend to reduce overinvestment, whereas non‐SOEs tend to increase financial asset holdings. Thus, firms tend to be cautious in their investments when EPU is high, which reduces crash risk. Our study provides new insights into the validity of the Lucas critique in China.
A national cohort study to investigate the association between ethnicity and the provision of care in obstetric anaesthesia in England between 2011 and 2021
Authors: Bamber J. H. , Goldacre R. , Lucas D. N. , Quasim S. , Knight M. 
Published: March 2023

SummaryThere is evidence that ethnic inequalities exist in maternity care in the UK, but those specifically in relation to UK obstetric anaesthetic care have not been investigated before. Using routine national maternity data for England (Hospital Episode Statistics Admitted Patient Care) collected between March 2011 and February 2021, we investigated ethnic differences in obstetric anaesthetic care. Anaesthetic care was identified using OPCS classification of interventions and procedures codes. Ethnic groups were coded according to the hospital episode statistics classifications. Multivariable negative binominal regression was used to model the relationship between ethnicity and obstetric anaesthesia (general and neuraxial anaesthesia) by calculating adjusted incidence ratios for the following: differences in maternal age; geographical residence; deprivation; admission year; number of previous deliveries; and comorbidities. Women giving birth vaginally and by caesarean section were considered separately. For women undergoing elective caesarean births, after adjustment for available confounders, general anaesthesia was 58% more common in Caribbean (black or black British) women (adjusted incidence ratio [95%CI] 1.58 [1.26–1.97]) and 35% more common in African (black or black British) women (1.35 [1.19–1.52]). For women who had emergency caesarean births, general anaesthesia was 10% more common in Caribbean (black or black British) women (1.10 [1.00–1.21]) than British (white) women. For women giving birth vaginally (excluding assisted vaginal births), Bangladeshi (Asian or Asian British), Pakistani (Asian or Asian British) and Caribbean (black or black British) women were, respectively, 24% (0.76 [0.74–0.78]), 15% (0.85 [0.84–0.87]) and 8% (0.92 [0.89–0.94]) less likely than British (white) women to receive neuraxial anaesthesia. This observational study cannot determine the causes for these disparities, which may include unaccounted confounders. Our findings merit further research to investigate potentially remediable factors such as inequality of access to appropriate obstetric anaesthetic care.
Causal association of cardiovascular disease with erectile dysfunction: a two‐sample bidirectional Mendelian randomization analysis
Authors: Ye Miaoyong , Chen Jiaxing , Ma Jianxiong , Wang Junwei , Zhang Cunming , Chen Baijun , Wu Zhongbiao , Zhao Fan , Ma Lan 
Published: March 2023

AbstractBackgroundThe association between cardiovascular diseases (CVD), including ischemic stroke (IS), heart failure (HF), myocardial infarction (MI), and coronary heart disease (CHD), and erectile dysfunction (ED) remains unclear from observational studies.ObjectivesWe explored the potential bidirectional association between CVD and ED by Mendelian randomization (MR).MethodsData from genome‐wide association studies for CVD in individuals with European ancestry were obtained from several databases, with 1,711,875–977,323 participants, while that for ED included 223,805 participants. We conducted univariate MR (UVMR), inverse variance‐weighting (IVW), weighted median, MR‐Egger, and multivariate MR (MVMR) analyses to explore the bidirectional causal effects between CVD and ED.ResultsUVMR indicated that IS (odds ratios [OR] = 1.34, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.08–1.21, P = 0.007), HF (OR = 1.36, 95% CI 1.07–1.74, P = 0.013), and CHD (OR = 1.15, 95% CI 1.09–1.18, P = 0.022) were associated with ED. By MVMR, IS estimates remained significant after accounting for combining single nucleotide polymorphisms from CVDs (OR = 1.42, 95%CI: 1.13–1.79, P = 0.002). Moreover, the effect of a genetic susceptibility to IS on ED was not mediated by type 2 diabetes or triglycerides; that of HF was not mediated by type 2 diabetes, and that of CHD was not mediated by body mass index. Bidirectional analyses showed that genetic susceptibility to ED did not confer any increased CVD risk.ConclusionsOur results, based on MR, indicated that genetic susceptibility to IS, HF, and CHD was causally associated with ED. These findings can inform prevention and intervention strategies for ED in IS, HF, and CHD patients.
Evodiamine inhibits malignant progression of ovarian cancer cells by regulating lncRNA‐NEAT1/miR‐152‐3p/CDK19 axis
Authors: Mao Meiya , Zheng Xiaojiao , Sheng Yuehua , Chai Jinghan , Ding Huiqing 
Published: March 2023

AbstractEvodiamine (EVO) has been demonstrated to promote apoptosis of ovarian cancer cells, and upregulate miR‐152‐3p level in colorectal cancer. Here, we explore part of the network mechanism of EVO and miR‐152‐3p in ovarian cancer. The bioinformatics website, dual luciferase reporter assay, and quantitative real‐time polymerase chain reaction were applied to analyze the network among EVO, lncRNA, miR‐152‐3p, and mRNA. The effect and mechanism of EVO on ovarian cancer cells were determined using cell counting kit‐8, flow cytometry, TUNEL, Western blot, and rescue experiments. As a result, EVO dose‐dependently attenuated cell viability, induced G2/M phase arrest and apoptosis, promoted miR‐152‐3p level (4.5‐ or 2‐fold changes), and inhibited expressions of NEAT1 (0.225‐ or 0.367‐fold changes), CDK8 (0.625‐ or 0.571‐fold changes), and CDK19 (0.25‐ or 0.147‐fold changes) in OVCAR‐3 and SKOV‐3 cells. In addition, EVO decreased Bcl‐2 expression, but increased the expressions of Bax and c‐caspase‐3. NEAT1 targeted miR‐152‐3p which bound to CDK19. The impacts of EVO on cell viability, cycle, apoptosis, and apoptosis‐related proteins were partially reversed by miR‐152‐3p inhibitor, NEAT1 overexpression, or CDK19 overexpression. Furthermore, miR‐152‐3p mimic offset the effects of NEAT1 or CDK19 overexpression. The role of NEAT1 overexpression in the biological phenotype of ovarian cancer cells was counteracted by shCDK19. In conclusion, EVO attenuates ovarian cancer cell progression via the NEAT1‐miR‐152‐3p‐CDK19 axis.
Inhibition of mammalian target of rapamycin complex 1 in the brain microvascular endothelium ameliorates diabetic Aβ brain deposition and cognitive impairment via the sterol‐regulatory element‐binding protein 1/lipoprotein receptor‐associated protein 1 signaling pathway
Authors: Jiang Gege , Long Zhenzhen , Wang Yaoling , Wang Yaofeng , Xue Ping , Chen Minfang , Yang Kang , Li Wei 
Published: March 2023

AbstractAimsMammalian target of rapamycin complex 1 (mTORC1) is highly activated in diabetes, and the decrease of low‐density lipoprotein receptor‐associated protein 1 (LRP1) in brain microvascular endothelial cells (BMECs) is a key factor leading to amyloid‐β (Aβ) deposition in the brain and diabetic cognitive impairment, but the relationship between them is still unknown.MethodsIn vitro, BMECs were cultured with high glucose, and the activation of mTORC1 and sterol‐regulatory element‐binding protein 1 (SREBP1) was observed. mTORC1 was inhibited by rapamycin and small interfering RNA (siRNA) in BMECs. Betulin and siRNA inhibited SREBP1, observed the mechanism of mTORC1‐mediated effects on Aβ efflux in BMECs through LRP1 under high‐glucose conditions. Constructed cerebrovascular endothelial cell‐specific Raptor‐knockout (Raptorfl/+) mice to investigate the role of mTORC1 in regulating LRP1‐mediated Aβ efflux and diabetic cognitive impairment at the tissue level.ResultsmTORC1 activation was observed in HBMECs cultured in high glucose, and this change was confirmed in diabetic mice. Inhibiting mTORC1 corrected the reduction in Aβ efflux under high‐glucose stimulation. In addition, high glucose activated the expression of SREBP1, and inhibiting of mTORC1 reduced the activation and expression of SREBP1. After inhibiting the activity of SREBP1, the presentation of LRP1 was improved, and the decrease of Aβ efflux mediated by high glucose was corrected. Raptorfl/+ diabetic mice had significantly inhibited activation of mTORC1 and SREBP1, increased LRP1 expression, increased Aβ efflux, and improved cognitive impairment.ConclusionInhibiting mTORC1 in the brain microvascular endothelium ameliorates diabetic Aβ brain deposition and cognitive impairment via the SREBP1/LRP1 signaling pathway, suggesting that mTORC1 may be a potential target for the treatment of diabetic cognitive impairment.
Targeting electroencephalography for alcohol dependence: A narrative review
Authors: Zhang Huiwen , Yao Jiahui , Xu Cheng , Wang Chengyu 
Published: March 2023

AbstractBackgroundElectroencephalography (EEG)‐based electrophysiological techniques have made progress in diagnosing and treating alcohol dependence in recent years.AimsThe article reviews the latest literature in this field.Materials and methodsAlcohol dependence, which is common and prone to relapsing, poses a serious threat to individuals, families, and society. At present, the objective detection methods for alcohol dependence in clinic are not enough. As electrophysiological techniques developed in psychiatry, some researches on EEG‐based monitoring methods are of great significance in the diagnosis and treatment of alcohol dependence.DiscussionAs electrophysiological techniques developed in psychiatry, some researches on EEG‐based monitoring methods such as resting electroencephalography (REEG), event‐related potentials (ERP), event‐related oscillations (ERO), and polysomnography (PSG), was reported.ConclusionIn this paper, the status of electrophysiological researches on EEG in alcoholics are reviewed in detail.