bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
An appraisal of Brazilian private health plan operators’ economic-financial conditions: a note on finance and regulation
Authors: Rocha Carlos Henrique , Silva Gladston Luiz da , Britto Paulo Augusto Pettenuzzo de 
Published: January 2022

Objective: This study aims to evaluate the economic-financial performance of Brazilian private health plan operators and investigate possible sources of relative variations in the studied indicators. The article also discusses the question of regulation based on an economic-financial analysis of the regulated entities.
Methodology: this is an empirical, analytical study with analysis and inference based on secondary data. The methodological base of the article is comprised of standardized economic-financial indicators, indicators adapted to the operational specificities of private healthcare plan operators and multiple range tests. The database in panel form was elaborated using information published by the National Private Healthcare Regulatory Agency and refers to a sample containing the fourteen largest health plan operators in activity in Brazil.
Results: It is concluded that the health plan operators are well-situated in economic-financial terms and that the form of corporate organization, the relative size of the market and the operators’ regional markets have a significant influence on their performance. It is considered opportune to discuss whether the current regulatory model for private health provision in Brazil is adequately fulfilling its declared objective of ensuring the continuity of service while charging reasonably modest rates.
Study contributions: the study contributes by showing how a relatively simple technique can benefit not only the regulatory process but also the evaluation of the regulation itself. It further contributes by revealing that the healthcare plan operators in Brazil are in a good situation in economic-financial terms thereby raising the question as to whether the current regulatory model for private health provision in Brazil is adequately fulfilling its declared objective of ensuring the continuity of service while charging reasonably modest rates.
Disclosure analysis of leases in financial statements of non-cyclical consumer companies: a study considering IFRS 16
Authors: Silva Ícaro Luiz de Sousa , Gonzales Alexandre , Santos Fernando de Almeida 
Published: January 2022

Purpose: This article then aims to ascertain the level of accounting disclosure required under the IFRS 16 in publicly traded companies in B3, more precisely in the non-cyclical consumer segment.
Methodology: With a qualitative method, an analysis is made of the information provided in the financial statements of the target companies of the study on leasing operations.
Results: It is concluded that, until now, the vast majority of companies have not yet adapted to the level of disclosure exposed in the new technical standard, disclosing little more than half of the items arranged, generating a concern for the lack of information that may be key, with room for improvement in this regard.
Contributions of the Study: The results of the present study contribute to the understanding of the application of accounting disclosure on leasing operations in Brazil, in light of the recent entry of the new regulation that brought new items for disclosure compared to the previous standard.
Impacts on the efficiency of public expenditure in the fundamental education of São Paulo cities through the expenditure element categories
Authors: Machado Gabriel Santana , Crozatti Jaime , Moraes Vinicius Macedo de , Oliveira Bianca de , Silva Carlos Eduardo de Oliveira 
Published: January 2022

Purpose: This study aims to measure the impact of public spending on basic education in São Paulo cities on the efficiency of public educational expenditure.
Method: The calculation of the efficiency is based on the Data Envelopment Analysis (DEA), having as input the public expenditures in education in the years 2014 to 2017 and output the municipal score of Prova Brasil 2017. The measurement of the impact of public expenditures on efficiency is based on the technique of Multiple Linear Regression (MLR) by Ordinary Least Squares (OLS), having as explanatory variables educational expenses classified as wages, purchases, travel, interest and permanent materials, and variable response efficiency index of public expenditure.
Results: From the statistical models of MLR different regression coefficients were obtained, which estimate the change in the efficiency index of public expenditure when the expenditure is increased or withdrawn. The results expressed that there is a negative correlation between all categories of the expenditure element and the efficiency of public educational spending in the period from 2014 to 2017.
Contributions of the Study: This study, in a pioneering way, adopts the budget accounting classification of the categories of the element of the expense, thus approaching the study of the efficiency of the closest possible object to which the classification of the expenditure refers.
The efficiency of Brazilian railway system: an application of Data Envelopment Analysis
Authors: Brum Maria Cecilia da Silva , Alves Tiago Wickstrom 
Published: January 2022

Purpose: To analyze the technical efficiency of Brazilian railway companies.
Methodology: The technical efficiency of Brazilian railway companies was analyzed through Data Envelopment Analysis (DEA), using the window analysis approach, and considering the Variable Returns of Scale model. The study examined eight companies during a five-year period, which totalizes 90% of the railway passengers in that timespan. The main inputs and outputs of railway systems referred in the international literature were used as variables.
Results: Only railway companies classified as large can be considered technically efficient. Among them, São Paulo’s metro system was the only one that remained efficient throughout the years analyzed. Medium-sized companies were inefficient in all years of the sample, showing the necessity to reduce their inputs by an average of 19% in order to become technically efficient. The inclusion of financial variable as an input did not significantly change the efficiency indexes assessed. The study reveals the prevalence of increasing returns to scale in the Brazilian railway system.
Contributions of the Study: This study identifies potential improvements for the companies considered inefficient and reveals they are medium-sized and state-owned, with high-cost financing from government resources. It is also a benchmark for further research on the topic, given the importance of identifying the effect of funding transport operations with government resources on companies’ efficiency. In this context, considering this study identifies the prevalence of increasing returns to scale in the Brazilian railway system, it contributes to the analysis of public policies associated with population access to this means of transportation, as constant returns to scale suggests that production increase, which has the number of carried passengers as the main variable, can generate benefits for the companies in terms of efficiency.
Nanotech-based Food: An Initiative for Alternative Pharmaceuticals
Authors: Shende Pravin , Trivedi Riddhi 
Published: January 2022

Abstract:
Nanotechnology opens many avenues in the food sector and offers applications associated
with food production, processing, cultivation, and packaging. Nanofood employs nanotechniques
like nano-encapsulation to conjugate various phytochemicals, antioxidants, probiotics,
minerals, vitamins, etc., into nanovehicles. Food fortification strategies are implemented to incorporate
nano-processed substances. Nanofood is mostly used for improving health and as a supplementation
in various diseases ranging from liver diseases to neurodegenerative disorders. Here, we
focus on recent studies that exhibit comparable results for nanofood and conventional medicines,
subsiding the limitations of traditional therapies. Nanofood holds the potential for the management
of various health problems and can be used as an alternative to medicine in clinical conditions, like
cancers and inflammatory bowel disease. With further advances in nanotechnology and expansion
in the scope of the current nanofood industry, in addition to proper regulations set in place,
nanofood may offer a wide variety of advantages in terms of safety, long-term stability, etc.
Anti-Degenerative Effect of Melatonin on Intervertebral Disc: Protective Contribution against Inflammation, Oxidative Stress, Apoptosis, and Autophagy
Authors: Hemati Karim , Pourhanifeh Mohammad Hossein , Fatemi Iman , Hosseinzadeh Azam , Mehrzadi Saeed 
Published: January 2022

Abstract:Intervertebral disc (IVD) degeneration is a leading cause of lower back pain. Although the etiology of IVD degeneration (IVDD) is unclear, excessive oxidative stress, inflammation and apoptosis, and disruption of autophagy play an important role in the pathogenesis of IVDD. Therefore, finding a solution to mitigate these processes could stop or reduce the development of IVDD. Melatonin, a powerful antioxidant, plays an important role in regulating cartilage tissue hemostasis. Melatonin inhibits the destruction of the extracellular matrix (ECM) of the disc. Melatonin preserves ECM contents, including sox-9, aggrecan, and collagen II through inhibiting matrix degeneration enzymes such as MMP-13. These protective effects may be mediated by the inhibition of oxidative stress, inflammation and apoptosis, and regulation of autophagy in IVD cells.
The Role of High Mobility Group Box 1 (HMGB1) in Neurodegeneration:
A Systematic Review
Authors: Shaikh Mohd. Farooq , Ikram Fathimath Zaha , Arulsamy Alina , Retinasamy Thaarvena 
Published: January 2022

Background:
High mobility group box 1 (HMGB1) protein is a damage-associated molecular
pattern (DAMP) that plays an important role in the repair and regeneration of tissue injury. It
also acts as a pro-inflammatory cytokine through the activation of toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4) and
receptor for advanced glycation end products (RAGE), to elicit the neuroinflammatory response.
HMGB1 may aggravate several cellular responses, which may lead to pathological inflammation
and cellular death. Thus, there have been a considerable amount of research into the pathological
role of HMGB1 in diseases. However, whether the mechanism of action of HMGB1 is similar in all
neurodegenerative disease pathology remains to be determined.

Objective:
Therefore, this systematic review aimed to critically evaluate and elucidate the role of
HMGB1 in the pathology of neurodegeneration based on the available literature.

Methods:
A comprehensive literature search was performed on four databases; EMBASE, PubMed,
Scopus, and CINAHL Plus.

Results:
A total of 85 articles were selected for critical appraisal, after subjecting to the inclusion
and exclusion criteria in this study. The selected articles revealed that HMGB1 levels were found
elevated in most neurodegeneration except in Huntington’s disease and Spinocerebellar ataxia,
where the levels were found decreased. This review also showcased that HMGB1 may act on distinctive
pathways to elicit its pathological response leading to the various neurodegeneration processes/
diseases.

Conclusion:
While there have been promising findings in HMGB1 intervention research, further
studies may still be required before any HMGB1 intervention may be recommended as a therapeutic
target for neurodegenerative diseases.
Effects of Coupled-/soluble-Copper, Generating from Copper-doped
Titanium Dioxide Nanotubes on Cell Response
Authors: Yang Ping , Gao Pengyu , Luo Xiao , Yin Benli , Jiao Zhisha , Piao JunJi , Zhao Ansha 
Published: January 2022

Background:
Endothelialization in vitro is a very common method for surface modification
of cardiovascular materials. However, mature endothelial cells are not suitable because of the difficulty
in obtaining and immunogenicity.

Methods:
In this work, we determined the appropriate amount of copper by constructing a copperloaded
titanium dioxide nanotube array that can catalyze the release of nitric oxide, compared the effects
of coupled-/soluble-copper on stem cells, and then induced stem cells to differentiate into endothelial
cells.

Results:
The results showed that it had a strong promotion effect on the differentiation of stem cells
into endothelial cells, which might be used for endothelialization in vitro.

Conclusions:
SEM and EDS results prove that a high content of copper ions are indeed doped onto the
surface of nanotubes with small amounts of Cu release. The release of NO confirms that the release of
several samples within a period of time is within the physiological concentration.
Fabrication and Characterization of Carbon Nanofibers Coated Expandable
Thermoplastic Microspheres-Based Polymer Composites
Authors: Jones Wanda , Sapkota Bedanga , Simpson Brian , Hassan Tarig A. , Jeelani Shaik , Rangari Vijaya 
Published: January 2022

Background:
Thermoplastic expandable microspheres (TEMs) are spherical particles
that consist of a polymer shell encapsulating a low boiling point liquid hydrocarbon that acts as the
blowing agent. When TEMs are heated at 80-190 °C, the polymer shell softens, and the hydrocarbon
gasifies, causing the microspheres to expand, leading to an increase in volume and decrease in
density. TEMs are used in food packaging, elastomeric cool roof coatings, shoe soles, fiber and paper
board, and various applications in the automotive industry. It is noted that TEMs are known by
their brand name ‘Expancel’, which is also used to refer TEMs in this paper.

Objective:
The objective of this work was to develop and characterize forms prepared from TEMs
with/without carbon nanofibers (CNFs) coatings to study the effect of CNFs on structural, thermal,
and mechanical properties.

Method:
Sonochemical method was used to coat TEMs with various weight percentages (1, 2, and
3%) of CNF. Neat foam (without CNF) and composite foams (TEMs coated with various wt.% of
CNF) were prepared by compression molding the TEMs and TEMs-CNF composites powders.
Thermal and mechanical properties of the neat and composite foams were investigated.

Result:
The mechanical properties of the composite foam were notably improved, which is exhibited
by a 54 % increase in flexural modulus and a 6% decrease in failure strain with the TEMs-(2
wt.% CNF) composite foam as compared to the neat foam. Improvement in thermal properties of
composite foam was demonstrated by a 38% increase in thermal stability at 800ºC with the TEMs-(
1 wt.% CNF) composite foam as compared to the neat foam. However, no change in the glass
transition of TEMs was observed with the CNF coating. SEM-based analysis revealed that CNFs
were well dispersed throughout the volume of the TEMs matrix, forming a strong interface.

Conclusions:
Straightforward sonochemical method successfully triggered efficient coating of
TEMs with CNFs, resulting in a strong adhesion interface. The mechanical properties of composite
foams increased up to 2% of CNFs coating and then decreased with the higher coating, presumably
due to interwoven bundles and aggregation of CNFs, which might have acted as critical flaws to initiate
and propagate cracking. Thermal properties of foams increased with the CNFs coating while
no change in glass transition temperature was observed due to coating.
Challenges, Trends and Solutions for Communication Networks and
Cyber-Security in Smart Grid
Authors: Ali Qutaiba I. , Alsharbaty Firas S. 
Published: January 2022

Abstract:
Power grid is one of the most important manifestations of the modern civilization and the engine of it where it is described as a digestive system of the civil life. It is a structure has three main functions: generation, transmission lines, distribution. This concept was appropriate for a century. However, the beginning of the twenty-first century brought dramatic changes on different domains: media, human growth, economic, environmental, political, and technical etc. Smart grid is a sophisticated structure including cyber and physical bodies hence it reinforces the sustainability, the energy management, the capability of integration with microgrids, and exploiting the renewable energy resources. The quantum leap of smart grid is related to the advanced communication networks that deal with the cyber part. Moreover, the communication networks of smart grid offer attractive capabilities such as monitoring, control, and protection at the level of real time. The wireless communication techniques in integration frame are promised solution to compensate the requirements of smart grid designing such as wireless local area networks, worldwide interoperability for microwave access, long term evolution, and narrowband- internet of things. These technologies could provide high capacity, flexibility, low-cost maintenance for smart grid. However, the multi-interfaces in smart grid may exploit by persons or agencies to implement different types of cyber-attacks may lead to dangerous damage. This research paper reviews the up-to-date researches in the field of smart grid to handle the new trends and topics in one frame in order to offer integration vision in this vital section. It concentrates on the section of communication networks the mainstay of smart grid. This paper discusses the challenging and requirements of adopting the wireless communication technologies and delves deeply into literature review to devise and suggest solutions to compensate the impairments efficiently. Moreover, it explores the cyber security that representing the real defiant to implement the concept of smart grid safely.
Use of Virtual Reality in the Reduction of Pain After the Administration of Vaccines Among Children in Primary Care Centers: Protocol for a Randomized Clinical Trial
Authors: de la Cruz Herrera Mercedes , Fuster-Casanovas Aïna , Miró Catalina Queralt , Cigarrán Mensa Mireia , Alcántara Pinillos Pablo , Vilanova Guitart Isabel , Grau Carrión Sergi , Vidal-Alaball Josep 
Published: January 2022

Background
Pain and anxiety caused by vaccination and other medical procedures in childhood can result in discomfort for both patients and their parents. Virtual reality (VR) is a technology that is capable of entertaining and distracting the user. Among its many applications, we find the improvement of pain management and the reduction of anxiety in patients undergoing medical interventions.

Objective
We aim to publish the protocol of a clinical trial for the reduction of pain and anxiety after the administration of 2 vaccines in children aged 3 to 6 years.

Methods
We will conduct a randomized, parallel, controlled clinical trial with 2 assigned groups. The intervention group will wear VR goggles during the administration of 2 vaccines, while the control group will receive standard care from a primary care center for the procedure. Randomization will be carried out by using the RandomizedR computer system—a randomization tool of the R Studio program. This trial will be an open or unblinded trial; both the subjects and the investigators will know the assigned treatment groups. Due to the nature of the VR intervention, it will be impossible to blind the patients, caregivers, or observers. However, a blind third-party assessment will be carried out. The study population will include children aged 3 to 6 years who are included in the patient registry and cared for in a primary care center of the region of Central Catalonia. They will receive the following vaccines during the Well-Child checkup: the triple viral+varicella vaccine at 3 years of age and the hepatitis A+diphtheria-tetanus-pertussis vaccine at 6 years of age.

Results
The study is scheduled to begin in January 2022 and is scheduled to end in January 2023, which is when the statistical analysis will begin. As of March 2022, a total of 23 children have been recruited, of which 13 have used VR during the vaccination process. In addition, all of the guardians have found that VR helps to reduce pain during vaccination.

Conclusions
VR can be a useful tool in pediatric procedures that generate pain and anxiety.

International Registered Report Identifier (IRRID)
PRR1-10.2196/35910
North American Borders in Comparative Perspective during COVID Times
Authors: Correa-Cabrera Guadalupe , Konrad Victor 
Published: January 2022

After the partial closure of the Canada-U.S. and Mexico-U.S. borders due to the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, and considering a new vision of border management that has been evolving since 1994, the face of North American borders is changing today. The future of the Canada-U.S. border will essentially differ from that of the Mexico-U.S. border. The first one might become more tenuous, while the border that divides Mexico and the United States will be probably fortified. Such a divergence is directly connected to the structural inequalities that characterize this region magnified by the pandemic. The present article examines North American borders in comparative perspective during COVID times. This comparative exercise focuses on four main thematic areas: trade, human mobility/migration, security and public health.
Efek Fermentasi Basah Menggunakan Kultur Saccharomyces cerevisiae Terhadap Sifat Kimia dan Sensori Kopi Robusta (Coffea canephora)
Authors: Larassati Dyah Putri , Kustyawati Maria Erna , Sartika Dewi , AS Suharyono 
Published: January 2022

High levels of caffeine in Robusta coffee beans can be reduced by Wet coffee fermentation. Saccharomyces cerevisiae an excellent hydrolytic enzyme producer has important role in food fermentation. This study aims to determine the interaction between the addition of Saccharomyces cerevisiae and fermentation time on the chemical and sensory properties of the coffee produced. This research was conducted using a complete randomized block design factorial with two factors. The first factor is was the coffee fermentation time (T) consisting of four levels, 12(T1), 24(T2), 36(T3) and 48(T4) hours. The second factor was the addition of Saccharomyces cerevisiae culture consisting of three levels, without the addition of culture (S0), addition of 1% S. cerevisiae culture (S1), and the addition of 3% S. cerevisiae culture (S2). Further data analysis was done by using the Orthogonal Polynomial test. The best results in this study was the addition of 1% Saccharomycess cerevisiae and 48 hours of fermentation time producing the ground coffee with a water content of 6.43%, an ash content of 4.49%, a taste score of 3.17 (rather typical of coffee), a score aroma of 2.83 (somewhat typical of coffee), overall acceptance of 3.00 (somewhat typical of coffee), caffeine content of 23463.58 mg / kg and chlorogenic acid of 31769.80 mg. It can be concluded that S.cerevisiae cultured in wet coffee fermentation reduced the caffeine level of Robusta coffee and was a potential culture used for wet coffee fermentation. Keywords: coffee fermentation, fermentation time, Robusta, Saccharomyces cerevisiae