Privacy-preserving Kruskal-Wallis test

Methodological and Statistical Considerations for Cross-Sectional, Case-Control, and Cohort Studies

Epidemiological studies are essential in medicine and public health as they help identify risk factors and causes of diseases. Additionally, they are key to planning, implementing, and evaluating health interventions aimed at preventing and controlling the spread of diseases. Among these studies, analytical observational studies, such as cross-sectional, case-control, and cohort studies, are the most used. The validity of their results largely depends on the robustness of the design, execution, and statistical analysis. Objective: The objective of this study is to examine the most common errors in the selection of methodological design and statistical tests in analytical observational studies and to provide recommendations to correct them. Methodology: A comprehensive review of the available literature on methodology in epidemiological observational studies was conducted, focusing on cross-sectional, case-control, and cohort studies. Common errors in the selection of designs and statistical tests were identified and analyzed. Results and Conclusions: Errors in the selection of methodological design and statistical tests are common in epidemiological observational studies. Based on the identified errors, a series of recommendations is provided to improve the selection of methodological design and statistical tests, thereby increasing the reliability of the results in cross-sectional, case-control, and cohort studies.

Riparian woody plant communities in the Romanian Carpathians: Species diversity and community structure of Salix and Hippophaë communities

Riparian woody plant communities, including shrubs and trees, are essential for maintaining biodiversity, protecting against floods, reducing erosion, and transporting nutrients. However, these habitats are greatly threatened by human activities, particularly agricultural land acquisition, and the introduction of invasive species. This study examined species diversity and interspecific association in riparian woody plant communities along rivers in the Romanian Carpathians. The study focused on communities of Salix purpurea, S. alba, and Hippophaë rhamnoides in mountain regions, with varying sampling efforts at different sites for each species. A total of 174 plant species were found, predominantly herbaceous (77.9%), followed by trees (11.6%) and shrubs (10.5%). While S. alba and S. purpurea communities show high species richness and abundance, S. alba has slightly higher diversity (H' ≈ 2.23, SD = 0.28) than S. purpurea (H' ≈ 1.69, SD = 0.42). Contrarily, significant differences exist between H. rhamnoides and S. alba communities in species richness (p = .007) and Shannon diversity (p = .004). PCA analysis elaborated on distinct distribution patterns of plant associations within habitats S. purpurea community, H. rhamnoides community, and S. alba community. Four invasive species (Oenothera biennis L. and Oxalis stricta L. in S. alba communities, Reynoutria sachalinensis Nakai in both S. purpurea and H. rhamnoides communities, and Erigeron canadensis L. in H. rhamnoides communities) were identified, as requiring conservation efforts. Hemicryptophytes dominate species richness, while microphanerophytes and megaphanerophytes significantly contribute to plant abundance. H. rhamnoides formed Hippophaë rhamnoides dunes (2160) Natura 2000 habitat, while S. alba created galleries within the 92A0 Salix alba and Populus alba habitat. In conclusion, the findings from this study highlight the importance of preserving riparian habitats because their value goes beyond local or regional considerations and extends to the global scale due to their unique characteristics.

Correlation among job-induced stress, overall well-being, and cardiovascular risk in Italian workers of logistics and distribution

Introduction

Work-related stress is an occupational risk that has been linked to the development of cardiovascular disease (CVD). While previous studies have explored this association in various work contexts, none have focused specifically on logistics and distribution personnel. These workers may be exposed to significant job stress, which potentially increases the risk of CVD.

Methods

In this study, we aimed to examine the relationship between work-related stress and cardiovascular risk in a sample of 413 healthy workers of a logistics and distribution company. To assess work-related stress and cardiovascular risk, we used the organisational well-being questionnaire proposed by the Italian National Anti-Corruption Authority, the Framingham Heart Study General Cardiovascular Disease (CVD) Risk Prediction Score and the WHO General Wellbeing Index (WHO-5).

Results

Our results revealed that individuals with low job support had a significantly higher CVD risk score and lower well-being index than those reporting high job support. Furthermore, workers with high-stress tasks showed higher well-being index scores than those with passive tasks. Approximately 58% of the subjects were classified as low CVD risk (CVD risk <10%), approximately 31% were classified as moderate risk (CVD risk between 10 and 20%) and 11% were considered high risk (CVD risk >20%). The overall median CVD risk for the population was moderate (6.9%), with individual scores ranging from 1 to 58%.

Discussion

Further analyses confirmed the protective effect of work support, also identifying physical inactivity, regular alcohol consumption and low educational level as factors contributing to an increased risk of CVD. Interestingly, factors such as job control and work support demonstrated a positive impact on psychological well-being. These results emphasise the importance of intervention strategies aimed at promoting health in the workplace. By addressing these combined factors, organisations can effectively reduce the risk of CVD and improve the general well-being of their workforce.

Regulation of effector gene expression as concerted waves in Leptosphaeria maculans: a two-player game

Effector genes, encoding molecules involved in disease establishment, are concertedly expressed throughout the lifecycle of plant-pathogenic fungi. However, little is known about how effector gene expression is regulated. Since many effector genes are located in repeat-rich regions, the role of chromatin remodeling in their regulation was recently investigated, notably establishing that the repressive histone modification H3K9me3, deposited by KMT1, was involved in several fungal species including Leptosphaeria maculans. Nevertheless, previous data suggest that a second regulatory layer, probably involving a specific transcription factor (TF), might be required. In L. maculans, a Dothideomycete causing stem canker of oilseed rape, we identified the ortholog of Pf2, a TF belonging to the Zn2Cys6 fungal-specific family, and described as essential for pathogenicity and effector gene expression. We investigated its role together with KMT1, by inactivating and over-expressing LmPf2 in a wild-type strain and a ∆kmt1 mutant. Functional analyses of the corresponding transformants highlighted an essential role of LmPf2 in the establishment of pathogenesis and we found a major effect of LmPf2 on the induction of effector gene expression once KMT1 repression is lifted. Our results show, for the first time, a dual control of effector gene expression.

Multi-omics analysis revealed the regulation mode of intratumor microorganisms and microbial signatures in gastrointestinal cancer

OBJECTIVE

Gastrointestinal cancer is one of the most common malignant tumors in the world, and its incidence rate is always high. In recent years, research has shown that microorganisms may play a broad role in the diagnosis, pathogenesis, and treatment of cancer.

METHODS

In this study, samples were first classified according to the microbial expression data of Gastrointestinal cancer, followed by functional enrichment and Immunoassay. In order to better understand the role of intratumor microorganisms in the prognosis, we screened gene signatures and constructed risk model through univariate cox and lasso regression and multivariable cox, then screened microbial signatures using zero-inflated model regression model and constructed risk index (RI), and finally predicted the immunotherapeutic effect of the risk model.

RESULTS

The results indicate that the composition of tumor microorganisms in the C3 subtype is closely related to tumor angiogenesis, and there is a significant difference in the proportion of innate and acquired immune cells between the C2 and C1 subtypes, as well as differences in the physiological functions of immune cells. There are significant differences in the expression of microbial signatures between high and low risk subtypes, with 9 microbial signatures upregulated in high risk subtypes and 15 microbial signatures upregulated in low risk subtypes. These microbial signatures were significantly correlated with the prognosis of patients. The results of immunotherapy indicate that immunotherapy for high-risk subtypes is more effective.

CONCLUSION

Overall, we analyze from the perspective of microorganisms within tumors, pointing out new directions for the diagnosis and treatment of cancer.

Membrane metalloendopeptidase (MME) is positively correlated with systemic lupus erythematosus and may inhibit the occurrence of breast cancer

BACKGROUND

Patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) have a lower risk of breast cancer (BRCA) than the general population. In this study, we explored the underlying molecular mechanism that is dysregulated in both diseases.

METHODS

Weighted gene coexpression network analysis (WGCNA) was executed with the SLE and BRCA datasets from the Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) website and identified the potential role of membrane metalloendopeptidase (MME) in both diseases. Then, Gene Ontology (GO) and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) enrichment analyses of related proteins and miRNAs were performed to investigate the potential molecular pathways.

RESULTS

WGCNA revealed that MME was positively related to SLE but negatively related to BRCA. In BRCA, MME expression was significantly decreased in tumor tissues, especially in luminal B and infiltrating ductal carcinoma subtypes. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis identified MME as a valuable diagnostic biomarker of BRCA, with an area under the curve (AUC) value equal to 0.984 (95% confidence interval = 0.976-0.992). KEGG enrichment analysis suggested that MME-related proteins and targeted miRNAs may reduce the incidence of BRCA in SLE patients via the PI3K/AKT/FOXO signaling pathway. Low MME expression was associated with favorable relapse-free survival (RFS) but no other clinical outcomes and may contribute to resistance to chemotherapy in BRCA, with an AUC equal to 0.527 (P value < 0.05).

CONCLUSIONS

In summary, MME expression was significantly decreased in BRCA but positively correlated with SLE, and it might reduce the incidence of BRCA in SLE patients via the PI3K/AKT/FOXO signaling pathway.

An Application of Machine Learning to Logistics Performance Prediction: An Economics Attribute-Based of Collective Instance

In this work, a machine learning application was constructed to predict the logistics performance index based on economic attributes. The prediction procedure employs both linear and non-linear machine learning algorithms. The macroeconomic panel dataset is used in this investigation. Furthermore, it was combined with the microeconomic panel dataset obtained through the data envelopment analysis method for evaluating financial efficiency. The procedure was implemented in six ASEAN member countries. The non-linear algorithm of an artificial neural network performed best on the complex pattern of a collective instance of these six countries, followed by the penalized linear of the Ridge regression method. Due to the limited amount of training data for each country, the artificial neural network prediction procedure is only applicable to the datasets of Singapore, Malaysia, and the Philippines. Ridge regression fits the Indonesia, Thailand and Vietnam datasets. The results provide precise trend forecasting. Macroeconomic factors are driving up the logistics performance index in Vietnam in 2020. Malaysia logistics performance is influenced by the logistics business's financial efficiency. The results at the country level can be used to track, improve, and reform the country's short-term logistics and supply chain policies. This can bring significant gains in national logistics and supply chain capabilities, as well as support for global trade collaboration, all for the long-term development of the region.

Efficacy of Yougui pill combined with Buzhong Yiqi decoction in alleviating the sexual dysfunction in female rats through modulation of the gut microbiota

CONTEXT

Yougui pill combined with Buzhong Yiqi decoction (YPBYD) is used to relieve sexual dysfunction in clinical practice.

OBJECTIVE

To investigate changes in microbial composition caused by sexual dysfunction and identify dominant bacteria related to YPBYD treatment.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Female Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly divided into four groups (n = 6): one group underwent Sham operation (Sham group), while three groups underwent ovariectomy (one model and two treatment groups). The ovariectomized (OVX) rats received oestradiol benzoate (250 µg/kg/week) or YPBYD (3.6 mL/d) via oral gavage for 4 weeks. Vaginal smear assay was performed; the serum levels of cyclic adenosine monophosphate (cAMP) and oestradiol (E2) were measured, followed by collection of stool samples for 16S rRNA sequencing.

RESULTS

After YPBYD treatment, the levels of E2 and cAMP in OVX rats significantly increased (E2: from 20.45 ± 1.60 ng/L to 24.38 ± 1.70 ng/L; cAMP: from 261.41 ± 9.21 pg/mL to 373.75 ± 17.37 pg/mL). OVX treatment decreased diversity of gut microbiota and YPBYD treatment restored gut microbiota composition. Compared with Sham group, the abundance of Romboutsia significantly increased, while those of Proteobacteria and Staphylococcus markedly decreased in OVX group (all p < 0.05); meanwhile, the abundance of these microbes showed an opposite trend after YPBYD treatment. These microbiotas were involved in tyrosine and tryptophan biosynthesis and fatty acid metabolism.

DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSIONS

These findings are the first to indicate YPBYD can alleviate female sexual dysfunction by modulating gut microbiota in OVX rats, which will help enhance the understanding on potential mechanism of YPBYD against sexual dysfunction.

Experts' opinions about lasting innovative technologies in City Logistics

The COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted the relevance of goods delivery in urban areas. However, this activity often generates negative environmental impact and several technologies have been proposed in recent years to reduce it, thus forming a complex innovation landscape characterized by different levels of maturity and effects on the City Logistics (CL) system. This complexity causes a deep uncertainty over the future of CL. This paper aims to tackle this uncertainty by forecasting the future of a set of CL technologies. A Delphi survey has been submitted to experts of this field to achieve a stable consensus over 33 projections related to 7 CL technologies for the year 2030. Results show that real-time data collection will help the coordination process between stakeholders, engendering an increased awareness over the value of using logistics data as well as its potential drawbacks. Moreover, experts share a positive attitude towards the expansion of Parcel Lockers, which should be monitored by public authorities to avoid a negative impact on land use. Finally, technologies such as drones and crowd-logistics have drawn the lowest level of consensus due to their lower level of maturity, which arouse the necessity to further explore several issues such as legal and technical barriers.

Hematologic evaluation of peripheral blood in Sprague Dawley rats by chronic exposure to aluminum chloride (AlCl3)

This study aimed to evaluate whether aluminum chloride (AlCl3) causes hematological changes in the peripheral blood of Sprague-Dawley (SD) rats. Five groups of female SD rats were intragastrically administered with 4 different concentrations of AlCl3 for 5 days a week for a total of 90 days. The aluminum concentration was determined via graphite furnace atomic absorption spectroscopy. Analysis of serum iron-kinetic profiles, blood cytometry outcomes, and blood smears of the blood samples. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and Raman spectroscopy were used to search for structural and ultrastructural changes, respectively. Blood aluminum concentration ranged 12.38-16.24 μg/L with no significant difference between experimental treatments. At the AlCl3 concentration of 40 mg Al/kg bw of rats/day, the mean ferritin value in the serum iron kinetic profile was 29.81±6.1 ng/mL, and this value showed a significant difference between experimental treatments. Blood cytometry revealed that there were 6.45-7.11×106 cells/μL erythrocytes, 8.91-9.32×103 cells/μL leukocytes, and 477.2-736.3×103 cells/μL platelets along with a hemoglobin of 37.38-41.93 g/dL and hematocrit level of 37.38-41.93%; the experimental treatments showed no significant differences. Erythrocyte structural analysis using SEM showed no differences between experimental treatments, whereas ultrastructural evaluation using Raman spectroscopy made it possible to identify the following bands: 741, 1123, 1350, 1578, and 1618 cm-1, which were respectively associated with the following vibrational modes and compounds: vibration of the tryptophan ring, asymmetric C-O-C stretching of glucose, C-H curve of tryptophan, C=C stretching of the heme group, and C-N stretching of the heme group, with no significant differences between experimental treatments. Therefore, AlCl3 administration does not induce ultrastructural changes in the erythrocyte membrane. This study revealed that serum ferritin concentration was the only parameter affected by AlCl3 exposure at 40 mg of Al/kg bw of rats/day.

A cuproptosis-related lncRNA signature identified prognosis and tumour immune microenvironment in kidney renal clear cell carcinoma

Kidney renal clear cell carcinoma (KIRC) is a heterogeneous malignant tumor with high incidence, metastasis, and mortality. The imbalance of copper homeostasis can produce cytotoxicity and cause cell damage. At the same time, copper can also induce tumor cell death and inhibit tumor transformation. The latest research found that this copper-induced cell death is different from the known cell death pathway, so it is defined as cuproptosis. We included 539 KIRC samples and 72 normal tissues from the Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) in our study. After identifying long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) significantly associated with cuproptosis, we clustered 526 KIRC samples based on the prognostic lncRNAs and obtained two different patterns (Cuproptosis.C1 and C2). C1 indicated an obviously worse prognostic outcome and possessed a higher immune score and immune cell infiltration level. Moreover, a prognosis signature (CRGscore) was constructed to effectively and accurately evaluate the overall survival (OS) of KIRC patients. There were significant differences in tumor immune microenvironment (TIME) and tumor mutation burden (TMB) between CRGscore-defined groups. CRGscore also has the potential to predict medicine efficacy.

Microbial and human transcriptional profiling of coronavirus disease 2019 patients: Potential predictors of disease severity

The high morbidity of patients with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) brings on a panic around the world. COVID-19 is associated with sex bias, immune system, and preexisting chronic diseases. We analyzed the gene expression in patients with COVID-19 and in their microbiota in order to identify potential biomarkers to aid in disease management. A total of 129 RNA samples from nasopharyngeal, oropharyngeal, and anal swabs were collected and sequenced in a high-throughput manner. Several microbial strains differed in abundance between patients with mild or severe COVID-19. Microbial genera were more abundant in oropharyngeal swabs than in nasopharyngeal or anal swabs. Oropharyngeal swabs allowed more sensitive detection of the causative SARS-CoV-2. Microbial and human transcriptomes in swabs from patients with mild disease showed enrichment of genes involved in amino acid metabolism, or protein modification via small protein removal, and antibacterial defense responses, respectively, whereas swabs from patients with severe disease showed enrichment of genes involved in drug metabolism, or negative regulation of apoptosis execution, spermatogenesis, and immune system, respectively. Microbial abundance and diversity did not differ significantly between males and females. The expression of several host genes on the X chromosome correlated negatively with disease severity. In this way, our analyses identify host genes whose differential expression could aid in the diagnosis of COVID-19 and prediction of its severity via non-invasive assay.

Application of a 'Recycling Exchange' instrument to compensate waste pickers in Brazil via a first payment for urban environmental services programme

This article presents an approach to compensate waste pickers in the informal sector of Minas Gerais state, Brazil, via a Payment for Urban Environmental Services (PUES) instrument, called 'Recycling Exchange'. The aim is to evaluate the effects of this instrument on the amount of waste diverted from landfill and reintroduced into the production chain, and to increase recognition of waste pickers' contributions to the state's economy. It was found that the 'Recycling Exchange' met the fundamental objectives of a PUES: the double social and economic benefits of the social inclusion of waste pickers in the execution of the public policy for solid waste management, and inducing (in the case of glass), ensuring and stabilising (plastic and paper) continuity of the activity of selling recyclables in times of wide price fluctuations for these recyclables. The instrument enhanced the provision of this environmental service and the positive externalities associated with recycling.

Characterization of Different Subtypes of Immune Cell Infiltration in Glioblastoma to Aid Immunotherapy

Glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) has been identified as a frequently occurring adult primary brain cancer that is highly aggressive. Currently, the prognostic outcome for GBM patients is dismal, even with intensive treatment, and the median overall survival (OS) is 14.6 months. Immunotherapy, which is specific at the cellular level and can generate persistent immunosurveillance, is now becoming a promising tool to treat diverse cancers. However, the complicated nature of the tumor microenvironment (TME) makes it challenging to develop anti-GBM immunotherapy because several cell types, cytokines, and signaling pathways are involved in generating the immunosuppressive environment. Novel immunotherapies can illustrate novel tumor-induced immunosuppressive mechanisms. Here, we used unsupervised clustering analysis to identify different subtypes of immune cell infiltration that actuated different prognoses, biological actions, and immunotherapy responses. Gene cluster A, with a hot immune cell infiltration phenotype, had high levels of immune-related genes (IRGs), which were associated with immune pathways including the interferon-gamma response and interferon-alpha response, and had low IDH1 and ATRX mutation frequencies. Gene cluster B, a cold immune cell infiltration subtype, exhibited a high expression of the KCNIP2, SCRT1, CPLX2, JPH3, UNC13A, GABRB3, ARPP21, DLGAP1, NRXN1, DLL3, CA10, MAP2, SEZ6L, GRIA2, and GRIA4 genes and a low expression of immune-related genes, i.e., low levels of immune reactivity. Our study highlighted the complex interplay between immune cell infiltration and genetic mutation in the establishment of the tumor immune phenotype. Gene cluster A was identified as an important subtype with a better prognosis and improved immunotherapy response.

Perception and adaptation of pastoralists to climate variability and change in Morocco's arid rangelands

Since the late 1970s, extensive livestock production in the high plateaus of Eastern Morocco, particularly of small ruminants, has been seriously threatened by climate change (CC). Negative impacts include reduction in rangeland forage production and water availability, increased poverty and inequality, and increased degradation of rangelands. Different categories of pastoralists have adopted different combinations of adaptation strategies, but the factors influencing adoption have not to date been investigated. This paper aims to identify the perceptions of pastoralists on CC, to analyze the adaptive responses of different wealth categories, and to determine the factors affecting the adoption of adaptation measures. The Mann-Kendall, Pettitt and Buishand tests and the standardized precipitation index were used to analyze the climate data. Data on adaptation were examined using the chi-square homogeneity test, Kruskal-Wallis test and binary logistic regression.

The observed climate trends perfectly corroborated pastoralists' perceptions of significant changes in their local climate since the 1970s: a considerable decrease in annual rainfall and an increase in temperature and frequency of droughts and high winds. There were significant differences (Chi square = 7.603, p = 0.022, df = 2) between small, medium and large pastoralists in the frequency adoption of adaptation strategies, especially between small and large pastoralists (U statistic = 16.000, p = 0.009). The distribution of most adaptation actions also differed significantly between these two groups. Wealthier pastoralists have adopted a greater range of strategies, while poorer pastoralists have less diverse adaptation portfolios, and are more likely to adopt less advantageous strategies such as casual labor. The adoption of adaptation practices was significantly influenced by equipment, educational level, household size, herd size, training received, CC perceptions and agroecological setting. Public interventions to improve the adaptive capacity of pastoralists in Morocco's arid rangelands should be geared towards addressing these determinants and should prioritise small-scale pastoralists.

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Pastoralists' perceptions of climate change accord with observed climate trends.

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The nature and number of pastoralists' adaptive responses vary by wealth.

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Poor herders are more likely to adopt problematic strategies such as casual labor.

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Pastoralists' adaptive responses are specific to local agro-ecological conditions.

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Perceptions, adaptations and socioeconomics are significantly correlated.

Selected Aspects of Corporate Social Responsibility in the Industry Related to the Production and Supply of Energy

The development of the economy is related not only to its benefits, but also its negative aspects. One of the negative impacts is the impact on the environment and society. Many types of industry and, in a narrower sense, of enterprises, adversely affect their surroundings. It is one of the many factors that has contributed to the growing popularity of the concept of corporate social responsibility (CSR). It is important to balance business and industry with the environment and community impacts. This study presents selected aspects of corporate social responsibility, such as society, the environment, and corporate governance in relation to the industry responsible for energy production and distribution. This group includes the energy sector (mining oil, gas, consumer fuels, and energy equipment and services), the materials sector (metallurgy and mining), as well as distribution (gas, electricity supply, independent energy producers, and renewable energy). The aim of the article was to present the level of implementation of the concept of corporate social responsibility in enterprises responsible for the production and supply of energy. The article uses the analysis of the literature and the statistical analysis showing the level of use of the described concept in the analysed entities. It was based on an analysis of 1904 companies from 41 countries around the world. The article presents the level of implementation of the concept of corporate social responsibility in selected sectors, divided into three areas: social, environmental, and corporate governance. In each of them, the analysis was performed with regard to the selected, most important factors. In addition, an analysis of the described industry, in relation to the others, is presented, which shows the level of use of individual CSR aspects. Thus, it shows which criteria are followed by enterprises in their activities and indicates the real areas of CSR impact on companies.

Digital mapping of a manual fabrication method for paediatric ankle-foot orthoses

Ankle–foot orthoses (AFOs) are devices prescribed to improve mobility in people with neuromuscular disorders. Traditionally, AFOs are manually fabricated by an orthotist based on a plaster impression of the lower leg which is modified to correct for impairments. This study aimed to digitally analyse this manual modification process, an important first step in understanding the craftsmanship of AFO fabrication to inform the digital workflows (i.e. 3D scanning and 3D printing), as viable alternatives for AFO fabrication. Pre- and post-modified lower limb plaster casts of 50 children aged 1–18 years from a single orthotist were 3D scanned and registered. The Euclidean distance between the pre- and post-modified plaster casts was calculated, and relationships with participant characteristics (age, height, AFO type, and diagnosis) were analysed. Modification maps demonstrated that participant-specific modifications were combined with universally applied modifications on the cast's anterior and plantar surfaces. Positive differences (additions) ranged 2.12–3.81 mm, negative differences (subtractions) ranged 0.76–3.60 mm, with mean differences ranging from 1.37 to 3.12 mm. Height had a medium effect on plaster additions (r_s = 0.35). We quantified the manual plaster modification process and demonstrated a reliable method to map and compare pre- and post-modified casts used to fabricate children's AFOs.

The Environmental Aspect in the Concept of Corporate Social Responsibility in the Energy Industry and Sustainable Development of the Economy

Sustainable development is now an important direction for the further development of all economies in the world. It is important to balance economic development with the impact on the environment and our planet. Another direction in the development of management sciences is the emergence of the concept of Corporate Social Responsibility, which considers this impact in three key aspects—economic, environmental and social—in terms of microeconomics. This concept gives companies specific guidelines and tools that minimize their negative impact on the environment. Reducing the negative impact of companies influences the environment and this is what is mainly associated with them. However, companies should also pay attention to internal consistency and caring for employees. Company practices such as the exploitation of people, including children, and injustice in the workplace are some of the factors that can be observed in less developed countries. The article focuses on the presentation of the environmental aspect in the context of the concept of corporate social responsibility. We analyzed individual sectors of the economy in terms of the environmental aspect, with particular emphasis on the energy industry. The study is based on a statistical analysis taking into account data from 1718 companies from all over the world. The aim of the article is to present the environmental aspect in the context of corporate social responsibility in the energy industry as a direction for sustainable development of the economy. The article is based on the analysis of the literature and databases presenting CSR, which was created on the basis of questionnaire research. The article shows which regions of the world are worse and which are better in terms of the environmental aspects of CSR. Conclusions on the main CSR guidelines for the environment are also presented. We analyzed factors such as environmental routines, policies and targets, implementation of environmental management systems, ISO 14001/EMAS certification, environmental reporting, environmental requirements inside the supply chain, the trend of GHG emissions and the trend of energy consumption for their environmental impact. The analysis was carried out on the basis of given regions of the world and individual sectors of the economy, especially the energy industry.

Polarimetric data-based model for tissue recognition

We highlight the potential of a predictive optical model method for tissue recognition, based on the statistical analysis of different polarimetric indicators that retrieve complete polarimetric information (selective absorption, retardance and depolarization) of samples. The study is conducted on the experimental Mueller matrices of four biological tissues (bone, tendon, muscle and myotendinous junction) measured from a collection of 157 ex-vivo chicken samples. Moreover, we perform several non-parametric data distribution analyses to build a logistic regression-based algorithm capable to recognize, in a single and dynamic measurement, whether a sample corresponds (or not) to one of the four different tissue categories.

The Use of Social Media and Its Impact on Shopping Behavior of Slovak and Italian Consumers during COVID-19 Pandemic

The coronavirus crisis hit the world and affected all aspects of our lives, including consumers’ habits, preferences, and shopping behaviors. The survey, which involved 937 respondents from two countries, examined how the pandemic affected shopping behavior and consumer preferences in Italy and Slovakia. This paper aims to explore the impact of social media on consumer behavior, more specifically, it examines the influence of social media on the preference of specific e-shops during the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic. Spearman’s rank correlation coefficient was used to determine a statistically significant relationship between the variables and the Mann–Whitney U test and the Kruskal–Wallis H test to assess the significance of differences between respondents in terms of demographic characteristics (residence, age, and gender). The results revealed the existence of statistically significant differences in the use of social media during the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic in terms of various demographic factors as well as a relatively weak relationship between the social media used and the purchase in the e-shop promoted on the social media.

Adaptive Equivalent Consumption Minimization Strategy for Hybrid Heavy-Duty Truck Based on Driving Condition Recognition and Parameter Optimization

The accurate determination and dynamic adjustment of key control parameters are challenges for equivalent consumption minimization strategy (ECMS) to be implemented in real-time control of hybrid electric vehicles. An adaptive real-time ECMS is proposed for hybrid heavy-duty truck in this paper. Three efforts have been made in this study. First, six kinds of typical driving cycle for hybrid heavy-duty truck are obtained by hierarchical clustering algorithm, and a driving condition recognition (DCR) algorithm based on a neural network is put forward. Second, particle swarm optimization (PSO) is applied to optimize three key parameters of ECMS under a specified driving cycle, including equivalent factor, scale factor of penalty function, and vehicle speed threshold for engine start-up. Finally, combining all the above two efforts, a novel adaptive ECMS based on DCR and key parameter optimization of ECMS by PSO is presented and validated through numerical simulation. The simulation results manifest that proposed adaptive ECMS can further improve the fuel economy of a hybrid heavy-duty truck while keeping the battery charge-sustainability, compared with ECMS and PSO-ECMS under a composite driving cycle.

A Week of Oral Terbinafine Pulse Regimen Every Three Months to Treat all Dermatophyte Onychomycosis

Terbinafine has proved to treat numerous fungal infections, including onychomycosis, successfully. Due to its liver metabolization and dependency on the cytochrome P450 enzyme complex, undesirable drug interaction are highly probable. Additionally to drug interactions, the treatment is long, rising the chances of the appearance of side effects and abandonment. Pharmacokinetic data suggest that terbinafine maintains a fungicidal effect within the nail up to 30 weeks after its last administration, which has aroused the possibility of a pulse therapy to reduce the side effects while treating onychomycosis. This study's goal was to evaluate the effectiveness of three different oral terbinafine regimens in treating onychomycosis due to dermatophytes. Sixty-three patients with onychomycosis were sorted by convenience in three different groups. Patients from group 1 received the conventional terbinafine dose (250 mg per day for 3 months). Group 2 received a monthly week-long pulse-therapy dose (500 mg per day for 7 days a month, for 4 months) and group 3 received a 500 mg/day dose for 7 days every 3 months, totaling four treatments. There were no statistical differences regarding the effectiveness or side effects between the groups. Conclusion: A quarterly terbinafine pulse regimen can be a possible alternative for treating onychomycosis caused by dermatophytes.

A HIPAA-compliant key management scheme with revocation of authorization

Patient control over electronic protected health information (ePHI) is one of the major concerns in the Health Insurance and Accountability Act (HIPAA). In this paper, a new key management scheme is proposed to facilitate control by providing two functionalities. First, a patient can authorize more than one healthcare institute within a designated time period to access his or her ePHIs. Second, a patient can revoke authorization and add new authorized institutes at any time as necessary. In the design, it is not required to re-encrypt ePHIs for adding and revoking authorizations, and the implementation is time- and cost-efficient. Consent exception is also considered by the proposed scheme.