bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
The role of artificial intelligence and blockchain technologies in sustainable tourism in the Middle East
Authors: Kashem Mohammad Abul , Shamsuddoha Mohammad , Nasir Tasnuba , Chowdhury Asma Akter 
Published: December 2022

PurposeThis paper reviews the role of two significant smart technologies, artificial intelligence (AI) and blockchain technology (BT) in achieving sustainable tourism success. Such changes will maintain consistent tourism growth in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region by improving environmental, social and economic sustainability.Design/methodology/approachThis study uses a qualitative approach focusing on AI and blockchain-based adaptations towards sustainability in technology-driven platforms, particularly in the tourism sector. However, this study is conceptualized with Day's (1989) IMRAD (introduction, methods, results and discussion) framework and Hall's (2012) suggestions. This reinforced the structure of this article by the preferred reporting items for systematic reviews and meta-analyses (PRISMA) concept. In addition, the entire study proceeds by way of accentuating the research question.FindingsThe potential of these technologies (AI and blockchain) can internalize a win-win situation for economic prosperity and sustainable conservation of environmental resources. Even though, apathy among potential tourists (of traditional mass tourism) can be revived under sustainable tourism in the region through smart technology. Replacing traditional practices and policies with innovative technologies can reduce the adverse effect on environmental and cultural resources.Originality/valueThis research justifies the potential for AI and blockchain to balance economy-oriented tourism and sustainability-prone technologically advanced tourism as a caustic issue for the MENA region. Indeed, this study has revitalized and transformed the less eventful margins of leading cultural-heritage-based tourism into sustainable profitability with concerns over diversity, socio-economic conditions, economic recession and burgeoning geopolitical instability.
Silkworm pupae derivatives as source of high value protein intended for pasta fortification
Authors: Piazza Laura , Ratti Simona , Girotto Francesca , Cappellozza Silvia 
Published: December 2022

AbstractSilkworm (Bombyx mori) pupae are recognized as novel nutritionally valuable food. Their use in pasta‐making was considered with the intention of repositioning spaghetti shaped pasta supplemented with silkworm derivatives (10%db) as a valuable product in sustainable diets besides upcycling a side stream from the silk industry. The principal objective of this study was to assess the cooking quality (i.e., imbibition kinetics, cooking loss) and texture of pasta supplemented with defatted silkworm powder or with its aqueous protein extract, which enabled to reduce the content of indigestible components supplying a similar protein intake. Pasta was produced on lab‐scale, dried, and tested for chemical composition, mechanical properties before and during cooking, cooking behavior in terms of hydration kinetics, starch gelatinization, and cooking quality indexes. The structural roles on pasta protein network played by silkworm powder and proteins extract were investigated. The former behaves as a structural thickener while the second provides a steric hindrance effect with consequent different cooking performances. With regards to the fortified pasta perceived quality, a high level in total color difference (ΔE) was measured (ΔE > 6). However, after fortification agents’ addition, pasta color became closer to that of the whole wheat pasta already known by consumers. Structure fragility increased. The energy at break of the “extract pasta” was about one‐third of the control (0.849 N*mm). Silkworm powder addition led to the highest pasta optimal cooking time (376 s) and the slowest imbibition rate (0.0001 s−1). After fortification, pasta had an almost doubled cooking loss than control pasta (2.97 ± 0.18 g/100gdb).Practical ApplicationSilkworm pupae flour can be easily applied for pasta fortification in order to increase the protein daily intake of people in an easy and practical way.
Chemical characterization of yellow‐orange and purple varieties of Opuntia ficus‐indica fruits and thermal stability of their betalains
Authors: Carreón‐Hidalgo Juan Pablo , Román‐Guerrero Angélica , Navarro‐Ocaña Arturo , Gómez‐Linton Darío R. , Franco‐Vásquez Diana Carolina , Franco‐Vásquez Adrián Marcelo , Arreguín‐Espinosa Roberto , Pérez‐Flores Laura J. 
Published: December 2022

AbstractBetalains are plant pigments with biological properties and can be used instead of synthetic colorants to confer color and functional properties to foods. The objective of this work was to carry out the chemical characterization of two varieties of prickly pear of Opuntia ficus‐indica, one of yellow‐orange coloration (Mandarina) and the other of purple coloration (Vigor), through measurements of chemical parameters and color in pulp, antioxidant activity, total phenolic compounds, and betalain content. Considering the thermolability of betalains and their potential applications in food, the thermal stability and activation energy of betacyanins from Vigor variety and betaxanthins from the Mandarina variety were also evaluated and compared with those from beetroot, the main source of betalains. Results for chemical characterization agreed with previous prickly pear reports of other regions, while the thermal degradation kinetics of betalains showed a first‐order degradation pattern with respect to time and temperature treatment. Betacyanins from Vigor prickly pear showed similar thermal stability to those from beetroot, which was reflected in similar values of activation energy, while betaxanthins from Mandarina prickly pear showed a higher stability, and therefore a higher activation energy, than those from beetroot. Based on the results, the prickly pear varieties used in this study can be considered as a good source of betalains with potential applications in food and, in addition, the methodology for the evaluation of thermostability can be used to compare the stability of betalains from different sources in a temperature range of 50–90°C.Practical ApplicationThe varieties of prickly pear used in this study can be considered a good source of red‐purple and yellow‐orange easily extractable pigments. In addition, we report a methodology that can be used for the evaluation of the thermal stability of these pigments and to compare this stability between different plant sources. Gaining knowledge on betalain thermal stability will make it possible to propose specific applications, for example, in processed foods requiring different pigment stabilities.
The survival after discontinuation of EGFR‐TKIs due to intolerable adverse events in patients with EGFR‐mutated non–small cell lung cancer
Authors: Chang John Wen‐Cheng , Chang Ching‐Fu , Huang Chen‐Yang , Yang Cheng‐Ta , Kuo Chih‐Hsi Scott , Fang Yueh‐Fu , Hsu Ping‐Chih , Wu Chiao‐En 
Published: December 2022

AbstractBackgroundEpidermal growth factor receptor‐tyrosine kinase inhibitors (EGFR‐TKIs) are standard treatments for advanced non–small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients harboring the EGFR mutation. Patients experiencing intolerable adverse events (AEs) would discontinue EGFR‐TKIs. This study aimed to evaluate the impact of intolerable AEs and subsequent treatment on the survival of patients who discontinued EGFR‐TKIs.PatientsThe data of advanced NSCLC patients treated with EGFR‐TKIs as frontline treatment at Chang Gung Memorial Hospitals from June 2014 to March 2018 were retrospectively reviewed.ResultsA total of 2190 patients were enrolled and treated with frontline EGFR‐TKIs. In August 2021, 114 (5.2%) patients experienced intolerable AEs requiring discontinuation of EGFR‐TKIs. The time median of EGFR‐TKIs discontinuation was 2.56 months. Age >65 years, females, body weight, and body surface area were associated with the occurrence of intolerable AEs for patients treated with afatinib. Patients experiencing skin/paronychia/mucositis and abnormal liver function test had favorable survivals results. Patients who received subsequent EGFR‐TKIs treatment, experienced better progression‐free survival (PFS), total PFS (from frontline line EGFR‐TKIs), and overall survival (OS) compared to patients receiving chemotherapy or no treatment. Patients undergoing subsequent EGFR‐TKIs had better total PFS (median, 14.9 vs. 11.3 months, p = 0.013) and OS (median, 31.3 vs. 20.1 months, p = 0.001) than patients who did not discontinue because of AEs. Favorable OS was validated by propensity score matching.ConclusionPatients experiencing intolerable AEs during EGFR‐TKI treatment should consider switching to an alternative EGFR‐TKI, which increase the survival results as compared to those patients who did not experience intolerable AEs.
Failure to account for behavioral variability significantly compromises accuracy in indirect population monitoring
Authors: Wessling E. G. , Surbeck M. 
Published: December 2022

AbstractIndirect wildlife population surveying largely depends upon counts of artifacts of behavior (e.g., nests or dung). Likelihood to encounter these artifacts is derived from both artifact production and decay, and variability in production behavior is considered to contribute minimally to inaccuracy in wildlife estimation. Here, we demonstrate how ignoring behavioral variability leads to significant population misestimation, using an example of an endangered ape, the bonobo (Pan paniscus). Until now, a single estimate of nest construction rate has been used to extrapolate bonobo densities, assumed to be broadly representative of bonobo sign production behavior. We estimated nest construction rates across seasons and social groups at the Kokolopori Bonobo Reserve, Democratic Republic of the Congo, and find nest construction rates in bonobos to be highly variable across populations as well as seasonal within populations. Failure to account for this variability led to degradation in the accuracy of bonobo population density estimates, accounting for a likely overestimation of bonobo numbers by 34%, and at worst as high as 80%. With this example, we demonstrate that failure to account for inter‐ and intrapopulation behavioral variation compromises the ability to estimate both relative and absolute wildlife abundances. We argue that variation in sign production is but one of the several potential ways that behavioral variability can affect conservation monitoring, should be measured across contexts whenever possible, and must be considered in population estimation confidence intervals. With increasing attention to behavioral variability as a potential tool for conservation, conservationists must also account for the impact that behavioral variability can have upon wildlife population estimation. Our results underline the importance of observational research to wildlife monitoring schemes as a critical component of conservation management. We discuss the avenues through which behavioral variability is likely to impact wildlife monitoring accuracy and precision and propose potential approaches for accounting for behavioral variability in wildlife monitoring.
First‐trimester glycosylated hemoglobin (HbA1c) and maternal characteristics in the prediction of gestational diabetes: An observational cohort study
Authors: Amylidi‐Mohr Sofia , Lang Cheryl , Mosimann Beatrice , Fiedler Georg M. , Stettler Christoph , Surbek Daniel , Raio Luigi 
Published: December 2022

AbstractIntroductionThis study aimed to investigate the extent to which gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) can be predicted in the first trimester by combining a marker of growing interest, glycosylated hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c), and maternal characteristics.Material and methodsThis observational study was conducted in the outpatient obstetric department of our institution. The values of HbA1c and venous random plasma glucose were prospectively assessed in the first trimester of pregnancy. We determined maternal characteristics that were independent predictors from the regression analysis and calculated areas under the receiver‐operating curves by combining the maternal age, body mass index, previous history of GDM, and first‐degree family history for diabetes mellitus. Moreover we investigated the predictive capability of HbA1c to exclude GDM. Patients with a first‐trimester HbA1c level of 6.5% (48 mmol/mol) or more were excluded. The study was registered at ClinicalTrials.gov ID: NCT02139254.ResultsWe included 785 cases with complete dataset. The prevalence of GDM was 14.7% (115/785). Those who developed GDM had significantly higher HbA1c and random plasma glucose values (p < 0.0001 and p = 0.0002, respectively). In addition, they had a higher body mass index, were more likely to have a history of GDM and/or a first‐degree family history of diabetes. When these maternal characteristics were combined with the first‐trimester HbA1c and random plasma glucose the combined area under the receiver operating characteristics curve was 0.76 (95% CI 0.70–0.81).ConclusionsOur results indicate that HbA1c and random plasma glucose values combined with age, body mass index, and personal and family history, allow the identification of women in the first trimester who are at increased risk of developing GDM.
Healthspan extension, completeness of life and justice
Authors: Masny Michal 
Published: December 2022

AbstractRecent progress in geroscience holds the promise of significantly slowing down or even reversing ageing and age‐related diseases, and thus increasing our healthspans. In this paper, I offer a novel argument in favour of developing such technology and making it unconditionally available to everyone. In particular, I argue that justice requires that each person be provided with sufficient opportunities to have a ‘complete life’, that many people currently lack such opportunities, and that we would substantially improve the status quo by giving them access to anti‐ageing technology.
Formal description of Phytophthora novae‐guineae sp. nov., a Clade 5 species
Authors: Arentz Frans 
Published: December 2022

AbstractDuring a systematic survey for Phytophthora in forest and agricultural soils in Papua New Guinea, carried out in the 1970 s and 1980s, two Clade 5 species, identified as P. heveae and P. castaneae, were recovered. Subsequent genetic analysis of two of the isolates that had been identified as P. castaneae confirmed that these isolates were distinct and represented a new species, tentatively named Phytophthora sp. "novaeguineae", a nomen nudum as there is no formal description. Based on data collected during the systematic survey, the species is now formally described as P. novae‐guineae.
Building public trust in national assessment: The example of China'sNAEQ
Authors: Smith William , Xu Xiao 
Published: December 2022

AbstractAfter eight years of piloting, China's National Assessment of Education Quality (NAEQ) was administered for the first time in 2015. The NAEQ was introduced during the country's transition from exam‐oriented to quality‐oriented education. The public, in particular parents and students, were required to subscribe to this reorientation. To ensure public support, the government introduced a range of strategies to communicate the objective of the NAEQ and how the public was expected to engage with it and trust the assessment. This study reviewed policy documents, press releases, government administrative documents, and media coverage from the Chinese Ministry of Education to explore strategies used by the government to raise the public's trust in the NAEQ. A total of 169 documents, spanning from the assessment's initial development in 2007 to 2020, were included. Findings identify three main areas of effort to increase public trust in the national assessment: (1) highlighting similarities between the NAEQ and PISA—an assessment that holds high public trust, (2) demonstrating that the NAEQ is an internationally respected assessment, and (3) specifying how the NAEQ aligns with broader aims of quality‐oriented education in China.
Task‐based functional magnetic resonance imaging prediction of postsurgical cognitive outcomes in temporal lobe epilepsy: A systematic review, meta‐analysis, and new data
Authors: Crow Andrew J. D. , Thomas Alisha , Rao Yash , Beloor‐Suresh Ashithkumar , Weinstein David , Hinds Walter A. , Tracy Joseph I. 
Published: December 2022

AbstractTask‐based functional magnetic resonance imaging (tfMRI) has developed as a common alternative in epilepsy surgery to the intracarotid amobarbital procedure, also known as the Wada procedure. Prior studies have implicated tfMRI as a comparable predictor of postsurgical cognitive outcomes. However, the predictive validity of tfMRI has not been established. This preregistered systematic review and meta‐analysis (CRD42020183563) synthesizes the literature predicting postsurgical cognitive outcomes in temporal lobe epilepsy (TLE) using tfMRI. The PubMed and PsycINFO literature databases were queried for English‐language articles published between January 1, 2009 and December 31, 2020 associating tfMRI laterality indices or symmetry of task activation with outcomes in TLE. Their references were reviewed for additional relevant literature, and unpublished data from our center were incorporated. Nineteen studies were included in the meta‐analysis. tfMRI studies predicted postsurgical cognitive outcomes in left TLE ( = −.27, 95% confidence interval [CI] = −.32 to −.23) but not right TLE ( = −.02, 95% CI = −.08 to .03). Among studies of left TLE, language tfMRI studies were more robustly predictive of postsurgical cognitive outcomes ( = −.27, 95% CI = −.33 to −.20) than memory tfMRI studies ( = −.27, 95% CI = −.43 to −.11). Further moderation by cognitive outcome domain indicated language tfMRI predicted confrontation naming ( = −.32, 95% CI = −.41 to −.22) and verbal memory ( = −.26, 95% CI = −.35 to −.17) outcomes, whereas memory tfMRI forecasted only verbal memory outcomes ( = −.37, 95% CI = −.57 to −.18). Surgery type, birth sex, level of education, age at onset, disease duration, and hemispheric language dominance moderated study outcomes. Sensitivity analyses suggested the interval of postsurgical follow‐up, and reporting and methodological practices influenced study outcomes as well. These findings intimate tfMRI is a modest predictor of outcomes in left TLE that should be considered in the context of a larger surgical workup.
The attack on share buybacks
Authors: DeAngelo Harry 
Published: December 2022

AbstractCorporate share buybacks are under attack, mainly from the political left, but also to some degree from the right. Critics advocate increasing the tax on buybacks in the hope of inducing firms to invest more and in ways that benefit workers. This attack on buybacks reflects a misunderstanding of basic (textbook‐level) finance principles. The approach advocated by critics will backfire at growth‐stage firms, which will invest less, not more, because a payout‐tax increase will reduce the supply of equity infusions. At mature firms that are generating ample free cash flow, managers can easily evade the (unattractive‐for‐shareholders) real investments that critics desire by investing retained cash in financial assets. Buyback critics should recognise that punishing cash payouts per se would be counterproductive, and should focus instead on making a case for legislation that creates incentives that directly promote the specific behaviours they desire.
Warming reshapes the invertebrate predation pressure on the plankton community
Authors: Devkota Nischal , Salis Romana K. , Hansson Lars‐Anders 
Published: December 2022

Abstract

Climate change stressors, including warming and heatwaves, can alter plankton composition and dominance patterns in temperate shallow lakes, which can disrupt ecosystem function and curtail ecosystem services. Understanding how these alterations could take place under future climates is therefore important.

To understand such changes, we performed a year‐long mesocosm experiment with controls reflecting present temperature conditions and a treatment reflecting a future climate change scenario, including heatwaves of 5–8°C above ambient water temperatures.

In the warmer conditions, the predatory invertebrate Mesostoma, exerted a strong top‐down control on Daphnia, resulting in a switch in herbivore dominance to Ceriodaphnia in contrast to the controls where Daphnia remained dominant. A complementary predation experiment revealed that Mesostoma fed at a higher rate on Daphnia than on Ceriodaphnia and cyclopoid copepods. Cyclopoids were the least affected taxon but showed tendencies to sustain populations longer into the winter at elevated temperatures. Moreover, both total algal and cyanobacteria biomass increased with warming.

Our experiments suggest that predator–prey dynamics may alter plankton community composition and dominance patterns in a warmer climate because thermophilic predatory invertebrates have the potential to induce cascading food‐chain effects and alter the herbivore dominance patterns in lake zooplankton. This may have implications for the algal population dynamics and overall ecosystem function and processes in shallow lakes.
Pinch force generation during scaling by dental professionals: A systematic review
Authors: Suedbeck Jessica R. , Ludwig Emily A. 
Published: December 2022

AbstractObjectiveThe objective of this review was to examine the impact of instrument designs on pinch force generation during scaling by dental professionals.MethodsThree databases were utilized from September 2019 to November 2021 in addition to hand‐searching specific journals and reference lists. Research articles that examined pinch force generation in dental professionals during scaling with manual instruments only were included. Bias was assessed in the individual articles.ResultsSix research articles were included with sample populations that varied from 12 to 24 participants. Four articles evaluated instrument designs in relation to pinch force generation during scaling by dental professionals. Two articles evaluated the clinicians' experience levels and the impact on pinch force generation. Results of three articles revealed instruments with large diameters and low weights produced the least amount of pinch force (p < 0.05). Additionally, two articles found instruments with a round, tapered shape produced less pinch force and instrument handles made of silicone produced higher pinch strength post‐scaling (p < 0.05). One study indicated instrument designs associated with modified scaling techniques may reduce thumb and index finger pinch force (p < 0.05).ConclusionThe findings from this review indicate weak evidence for instrument choices to reduce pinch force during scaling. Dental professionals should consider lightweight and large diameter instruments for manual scaling. Clinicians may also want to consider round, tapered handles and instrument designs with modified scaling techniques. This systematic review further identified the need for clinical research studies with rigorous research designs that examine the ergonomic impacts of instrument designs.