Geographical Location Research Articles

Characteristics of sialolithiasis in Israel, a big-data retrospective study of 5100 cases.

The aim of this study was to identify risk factors for sialolithiasis patients using a large community and hospital-based cohort. A retrospective case-control study was conducted on 20,396 individuals, including 5100 sialolithiasis patients and 15,296 matched controls. Demographics and laboratory data were obtained from electronic medical records. Statistical analyses were performed to identify significant differences between the two groups. A p-value of <0.05 was considered significant. Sialolithiasis was more prevalent in women, with a mean age at diagnosis of 55.75 years. Several geographic location variables emerged as risk factors for sialolithiasis including Israeli birth, higher socioeconomic communities, and specific areas of residency. Tobacco smoking (odds ratio = 1.46) was a significant risk factor. Low high-density lipoprotein levels, elevated triglycerides, and elevated amylase levels were associated with sialolithiasis. This study provides valuable insights into the demographic and laboratory characteristics of sialolithiasis patients, indicating that area of residency and lifestyle factors contribute to the risk of developing sialolithiasis. The findings may contribute to a better understanding of the disease and the development of preventative measures or early diagnostics tools.

Sex and human papillomavirus in oropharyngeal cancer: A systematic review and meta-analysis

IntroductionWhile the presence of human papillomavirus (HPV) is known to affect the outcomes of oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma (OPSCC), there is a significant gap in research regarding the potential sex-based differences. This systematic review-metanalysis (SR-MA) aims to evaluate if sex is a prognostic factor in HPV-associated OPSCC. MethodsA systematic review and meta-analysis was performed. COCHRANE Library, CINAHL, PubMed, and Scopus were searched for English-language articles from 1966 to October 2023. Studies with multivariable analysis of overall survival (OS) based on sex were included. Adjusted hazard ratios (aHRs) with a 95 % confidence interval (CI) were presented for the reported outcome. A meta-analysis of single means, proportions, and aHRs with a 95 % CI was conducted. ResultsThis SR-MA included 24 studies (n = 101,574). The proportion of female patients was 16.6 % [15.4 %–17.8 %]. A meta-analysis of all included studies with OS showed no significant difference in survival between male and female patients. In US-based studies, no significant difference in OS is observed between male and female patients. International studies reported a better OS for female patients (aHR = 0.68, 95 % CI, 0.48–0.95). ConclusionThis meta-analysis suggests that sex does not represent a significant prognostic factor for patients affected by HPV associated OPSCC. When stratified by geographic location, findings suggests that female patients from the US with HPV OPSCC have similar OS than male patients but in international studies it suggests male patients have worse OS.

ПРИНЦИПОВ ТЕРРИТОРИАЛЬНОГО РАСПРЕДЕЛЕНИЯ ТНК ПОСРЕДСТВОМ АНАЛИЗА ЭКОНОМИЧЕСКИХ ПОКАЗАТЕЛЕЙ ГЛОБАЛЬНОМ УРОВНЕ

This article aims to identify the main regional distribution trends and changes in the global TNCs 'activity structures. A systematic approach and comparative analysis are used to conduct the research. The addition of additional tools are mathematical statistical, graphical, and cartographic methods. Based on the Fortune Global 500 list for the years 2019 to 2023, this study is based. In the course of writing the article, it was discovered that the main factors that TNCs have today are related to, among others, their turnover and popularity as well as their geographic location, particularly in the "second" and "third" world countries. It is worth noting that Chinese corporations also showed active activity and took leading positions in the TNC ratings. This fact confirms that the total number of Chinese TNCs is larger than US TNCs. It is worth taking into account that TNCs in China and the USA make up more than half of all TNCs according to this list. Digital technologies are the main stimulus for the development of the sectoral economy. The impact of the coronavirus on the activities of TNCs was examined. It has been established that there has been a significant redistribution of positions in the ranking of the world's largest TNCs. A reduction in sales volumes of TNCs has been recorded throughout the world, this was especially reflected in the heavy industry.

Latvian municipal budget expenditures on transport infrastructure and production in the context of improving the local economy

The article aims to study Latvian municipal budget expenditures on transport infrastructure and production in the context of improving the local economy. The authors hypothesize that the comparative priority of municipal budget expenditures on two items is determined by the state of the local economy; in municipalities with a more developed economy it is ‘transport’ rather than ‘production’ budget expenses that are more likely to improve the local economy, and in municipalities with a less developed economy – vice versa. The authors tested the hypothesis based on data for 2021 and 2022 (the time after the reform of the territorial-administrative structure of Latvia) for 43 Latvian municipalities using various methods of statistical analysis. The results show that the comparative priorities in Latvian municipal budget expenditures are determined not by the state of the local economy, but rather by the geographical (or geopolitical/geoeconomical) location of the municipality. As a result of this, Latvian municipalities are grouped into territorial clusters, using the agglomeration effect from the concentration of transport infrastructure or production. Over the past year, there has been a tendency towards ‘transport-production’ economic restructuring of the territory of Latvia, the reasons for which may be geopolitical situation in the Eastern Europe.

Factors contributing to the (un)fulfilment of employment aspirations of recent Chilean university graduates

ABSTRACT The benefits of growth in university enrolments are contingent on the articulation of university expansion with changes in other areas, particularly the economy. The costs of a mismatch are felt at the societal level, but especially by individual graduates. This article describes problems faced by professionals in one country that has experienced very rapid expansion of higher education in a highly privatised market economy. While not uniformly generalisable to other countries, the results are illustrative of what can occur. The study is based on subjective information provided by Chilean university graduates who have recently sought employment. The graduates’ narratives can be aligned along three major dimensions of dissatisfaction: labour force entry; earnings; and working conditions. The themes are linked and combine to describe a difficult transition from university to work in a context of low salaries and unstable and uncertain employment. Among factors contributing to unfulfilment of aspirations are the graduates’ social capital and socioeconomic status, the geographic location of the job, the university from which they graduated, and activities while a student. Unsynchronised expansion of different social institutions can reduce social equity and cohesion.

Between Political Strife and National Science: COVID-19 Vaccines on the Main Brazilian TV newscast

ABSTRACT Brazil ranks second worldwide in COVID-19 deaths. In this country, television is the most popular means of mass communication, and 95.5% of Brazilian homes have a TV set. During the coronavirus pandemic, Brazilians considered TV news the most reliable source of information about COVID-19. In this context, we examined the coverage of vaccines, between 2020 and 2021, on the main Brazilian TV newscast – Jornal Nacional. We identified 1,173 reports on vaccination in the digital collection of this news show, which we analyzed based on six dimensions that systematize the following: general characteristics of the news, approach to vaccination, framing the news, general handling of the topic, actors and geographic location of the study and/or the immunization campaign on the agenda. The reports evinced a mostly positive attitude towards vaccines, emphasizing the political strategies and public policies adopted in COVID-19 vaccine development. National science gained prominence in the coverage. The most common news sources were institutions and/or representatives of the executive branch, and scientists were the voices most present in the reports. Just over half of the reports discussed the topic using visual aids, but only a few explained scientific concepts pertaining to the vaccine.

Quality, Textural, Bioactive, Molecular and Chromatographic Characterization of Citrus Pseudolimon from Different Geographical Locations in India

Quality, Textural, Bioactive, Molecular and Chromatographic Characterization of Citrus Pseudolimon from Different Geographical Locations in India

BMScope: A scoping review to chart the evolving clinical study landscape in brain and leptomeningeal metastasis.

Recent studies have challenged the notion that patients with brain metastasis (BM) or leptomeningeal metastasis (LM) should be excluded from systemic therapy clinical trials. This scoping study summarises the BM/LM clinical studies published between 2010 and 2023. MEDLINE, CINAHL, CAB Abstracts, PsycINFO, Cochrane Library, HINARI, International Pharmaceutical Abstracts, PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science, and EMBASE electronic databases were searched on 21 June 2021. An updated search was performed on 21 February 2023. Eligible studies should involve investigation of a therapeutic intervention in solid tumour patients with BM and/or LM and a reported patient outcome. Extracted study-level data, included study type, publication date, geographical location, number of BM/LM patients in study, primary tumour type and type of therapeutic intervention. 4921 unique studies were eligible for analysis. The key finding is that BM/LM clinical research is expanding globally, both observational studies and clinical trials. Despite the shift over time towards a higher proportion of systemic therapy trials, the majority still do not include patients with symptomatic disease and lack reporting of BM/LM specific endpoints. Globally, there has been a trend to more international collaboration in BM/LM clinical studies. This analysis of the BM/LM literature charts the evolving landscape of studies involving this previously excluded population. Given the increasing clinical research activity, particularly involving late-stage systemic therapy trials, it is imperative that due consideration is given to the intracranial activity of new investigational agents. Wider adoption of standardised reporting of intracranial-specific endpoints will facilitate evaluation of relative intracranial efficacy.

Integrated triboelectric nanogenerator and radiative cooler for all-weather transparent glass surfaces

Sustainable energies from weather are the most ubiquitous and non-depleted resources. However, existing devices exploiting weather-dependent energies are sensitive to weather conditions and geographical locations, making their universal applicability challenging. Herein, we propose an all-weather sustainable glass surface integrating a triboelectric nanogenerator and radiative cooler, which serves as a sustainable device, harvesting energy from raindrops and saving energy on sunny days. By systematically designing transparent, high-performance triboelectric layers, functioning as thermal emitters simultaneously, particularly compatible with radiative cooling components optimized with an evolutionary algorithm, our proposed device achieves optimal performance for all-weather-dependent energies. We generate 248.28 Wm−2 from a single droplet with an energy conversion ratio of 2.5%. Moreover, the inner temperature is cooled down by a maximum of 24.1 °C compared to pristine glass. Notably, as the proposed device is realized to provide high transparency up to 80% in the visible range, we are confident that our proposed device can be applied to versatile applications.

Experimental development of a method of short and medium-term photovoltaic generation forecasting using multivariate statistics and mathematical modeling

Uncertainties in photovoltaic solar energy production can make it challenging to dispatch energy into the electricity grid. Although photovoltaic generation storage solves this problem, a forecasting of the photovoltaic solar energy produced is necessary to control the energy injected into the grid. This article aims to develop the probabilistic methodology Reduced-Rank Regression (RRR) for forecasting photovoltaic generation in the short and medium terms. The RRR methodology forecasting uses the generation data of a grid-connected photovoltaic system. The proposed RRR model is simple, easy to access and apply, and does not use irradiance data. The model developed uses the multivariate statistical analysis technique. A advantage is that with a correlation with the performance indices of photovoltaic solar energy systems, the proposed method can be applied in any geographical location on the planet and with different photovoltaic solar energy systems. The application of the RRR methodology requires two searches/inputs. The first input is weather forecast data obtained from a weather forecasting platform, and the second is actual historical data on photovoltaic generation at the site where the method was developed. The proposed method was compared with the persistence method. Using a horizon of 1–10 h, the average monthly root mean square error for the RRR ranged from 7.3 % to 50.1 %. For the persistence method, the average monthly root mean square error ranged from 15.1 % to 65.0 %. Therefore, with the horizon of 24 h, the average monthly root mean square error for the RRR ranged from 4.5 % to 43.2 %. For the persistence method, the average monthly root mean square error ranged from 11.5 % to 75.0 %. We show experimentally that our method is competitive with the state-of-the-art in terms of obtaining photovoltaic generation forecasting without using solar radiation data.

Histopathological and phylogenetic description of an Amazonian cnidaria microparasite Myxobolus rousseauxii n. sp. infecting the gill arches of Brachyplatystoma rousseauxii (Siluriformes)

From genus Myxobolus, cnidarians of Myxozoa class, is well known for infecting economically important fish species and, as result, relevant losses in aquaculture production can be observed. They are present in a big range of fish in its natural habitat, including the migratory Brachyplatystoma rousseauxii catfish. This study aimed is to develop an integrative characterization of a new species of Myxobolus, located in B. rousseauxii's gills. To accomplish this, 30 specimens of B. rousseauxii catfish were collected from Mosqueiro Island in Pará, Brazil; necropsied and analyzed for morphology, histology and molecular characteristics. Cysts with conjunctival capsule development made up of fibroblasts were observed at the gill arches; such proliferation caused bone tissue loss and cartilage compression. The cysts contained Myxobolus myxospores measuring 9.9 μm of length and 9.6 μm of width, whereas polar capsules were 5.4 μm long and 3.4 μm wide, with 8 to 9 coils of polar tubules. Phylogenetic analyses revealed that new species were included in a subclade alongside species from the same geographic location and infection site that infect Siluriformes fish. Morphological and molecular differences revealed that Myxobolus spp. parasite-host associations through histopathology supporting the designation of a new M. rousseauxii n. sp. species in B. rousseauxii, a commercially important fish.

European farmhouse brewing yeasts form a distinct genetic group

The brewing industry is constantly evolving, driven by the quest for novel flavours and fermentation characteristics that cater to evolving consumer preferences. This study explores the genetic and phenotypic diversity of European farmhouse yeasts, traditionally used in rural brewing practices and maintained outside of pure culture industrial yeast selection. We isolated landrace brewing yeast strains from diverse geographical locations across Europe, including Norway, Lithuania, Latvia, and Russia, and also included African farmhouse brewing strains from Ghana. Our genomic analysis using long-read and short-read whole genome sequencing uncovered a genetically distinct group that diverges from industrial brewing yeasts. This group, which is closely related to ale brewing strains, is preliminarily named the ‘European Farmhouse’ group and shows greater predicted admixture from Asian fermentation strains. Through genomic and phenotypic analyses, including flavour metabolite analysis via headspace gas chromatography-mass spectrometry, sugar metabolite analysis via high-performance liquid chromatography, and wort fermentation analysis, we found a broad spectrum of fermentation capabilities, from rapid and efficient fermentation to unique aroma and flavour compound profiles, potentially offering novel traits for brewing applications. This study highlights the importance of preservation of brewing cultural heritage knowledge and resources including yeast cultures.Key points• A large set of geographically diverse farmhouse brewing strains were characterized• Norwegian and Baltic farmhouse brewing strains form a distinct genetic group• Farmhouse strains show considerable diversity in fermentation and flavour formation

Urban green total factor energy efficiency and its decomposition under a multidimensional heterogeneity framework: a case study of the Yellow River Basin, China.

Assessing and monitoring the green total factor energy efficiency (GTFEE) of cities while considering technology heterogeneity is crucial for the development of energy-conservation and emission-reduction policies. Considering that the heterogeneity of production technologies encompasses several dimensions, this paper proposes a 3E3S (Economy-Environment-Energy-Society-Science-Space) heterogeneity framework and integrates it with the improved meta-frontier global SBM-undesirable to analyze GTFEE and its decomposition. Empirical analysis of cities in the Yellow River Basin of China (YRBC) highlights the following: (1) The 3E3S heterogeneity framework facilitates the classification of all cities into three distinct groups, a finding that contrasts significantly with previous outcomes documented in the literature that relied solely on criteria such as geographic location. (2) The three groups identified under the meta-frontier exhibit substantial energy-saving potentials of 24.49%, 35.17%, and 52.46%, respectively. Additionally, there are spatiotemporal variations in GTFEE, with cities located in the central part of YRBC, particularly those in Shanxi province, demonstrating poor GTFEE performance. (3) The decomposition analysis of GTFEE indicates that technological progress plays a pivotal role in enhancing GTFEE on the whole, albeit with varying approaches for improving GTFEE depending on individual cities.

Public Perceptions of the Australian Health System During COVID-19: Findings From a 2021 Survey Compared to Four Previous Surveys.

This study examines the perceptions of the Australian public canvassed in 2021 during the COVID-19 pandemic about their health system compared to four previous surveys (2008, 2010, 2012 and 2018). In 2021, a nationwide online survey was conducted with a representative sample of Australians (N = 5100) recruited via market research panels. The results were compared to previous nationwide Australian survey samples from 2018 (N = 1024), 2012 (N = 1200), 2010 (N = 1201) and 2008 (N = 1146). The survey included questions consistent with previous polls regarding self-reported health status and overall opinions of, and confidence in, the Australian health system. There was an increase in the proportion of respondents reporting positive perceptions at each survey between 2008 and 2021, with a significantly higher proportion of respondents expressing a more positive view of the Australian healthcare system in 2021 compared to previous years (χ2(8, N = 9645) = 487.63, p < 0.001). In 2021, over two-thirds of respondents (n = 3949/5100, 77.4%) reported that following the COVID-19 pandemic, their confidence in the Australian healthcare system had either remained the same (n = 2433/5100, 47.7%) or increased (n = 1516/5100, 29.7%). Overall, respondents living in regional or remote regions, younger Australians (< 45 years) and women held less positive views in relation to the system. In 2021, the most frequently identified area for urgent improvement was the need for more healthcare workers (n = 1350/3576, 37.8%), an area of concern particularly for Australians residing in regional or remote areas (n = 590/1385, 42.6%). Irrespective of disruptions to the Australian healthcare system caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, Australians' perceptions of their healthcare system were positive in 2021. However, concerns were raised about inadequate workforce capacity and the cost of healthcare, with differences identified by age groups and geographical location. Health consumer representatives from the Consumers Health Forum of Australia contributed to the co-design, deployment, analysis and interpretation of the results of this survey. J.A. and L.W. from the Consumers Health Forum of Australia contributed to the development of the paper.

The association between governance mechanisms and engagement in commercialisation and entrepreneurship of Romanian public research institutes

This study investigates the connection between the governance structure of a public research institute (PRI) and its inclination towards entrepreneurship and patenting, in the form of spin-offs and granted patents, in Romania, an emerging economy. Employing a combination of negative binomial and Firth logistic regressions, the research examines the links between the composition of the board of directors (BD) and PRI’s knowledge and technology transfer (KTT) and entrepreneurial efforts over a period of eleven years (2012–2022). The results show that gender diversity in the BD does not impact the establishment of new firms and patenting. Moreover, the likelihood of spin-off creation in female-led PRIs is lower than in male-led ones, while the general director’s gender has minimal impact on the patenting process. On the other hand, BD diversity in terms of external directors, namely the industry representatives, strongly influences the entrepreneurial orientation of the PRI. The same connection is shown with the existence of technology transfer offices. Scientific excellence is slightly complementary with patenting. Finally, geographic location has a weak mixed effect on the creation of spin-offs and patenting. Our paper contributes to the industrial organisational literature, which has not paid enough attention to the role of research institutes in science commercialisation, especially in emerging economies.

Exploring chemical markers and identifying phenolic markers using a metabolomics strategy and chemometrics to study the different origins of defatted Coix seed

Coix seed, a prevalent medicinal and food-homologous plant, is extensively consumed in Asia. It has various pharmacological properties, such as anti-inflammatory and anticancer effects. Coix seed oil, as its main component, is widely produced. However, during the industrial production process of Coix seed oil, substantial byproducts are produced, namely, defatted Coix seeds, which are also worth researching. Currently, it remains unclear whether there will be differences in defatted Coix seeds obtained from different geographical locations, with previous studies reporting that phenolic compounds in defatted Coix seeds have a significant utilization value. In this study, firstly, the TPC and TFC of samples collected in three temperature zones were detected. Subsequently, UPLC-Q-TOF/MS was used to analyze the samples, and a metabolomics data processing strategy and chemometric analysis method were established. We have confirmed the presence of flavonoids and phenolic compounds in 30 batches of Coix seed from different temperature zones in China, and concluded that the overall quality of Coix seed from different batches is relatively stable. With the established strategy, 12 characteristic chemical markers were identified, and 5 valuable phenolic chemical markers were selected for distinguishing the origin of Coix seed and evaluating the quality of defatted Coix seed. Among them, proanthocyanidin A2 has the highest content in defatted Coix seed in subtropical regions, while the content of caffeic acid, naringin, rutin, and chlorogenic acid decreases from north to south. The strategy proposed in this study may provide some basis for the quality control and rational use of defatted Coix seeds.

Unpacking the pursuit of happiness: Being concerned about happiness but not aspiring to happiness is linked with negative meta-emotions and worse well-being.

Previous work suggests that sometimes the more people value happiness, the less happy they are. For whom and why is this the case? To answer these questions, we examined a model of happiness pursuit that disentangles two previously conflated individual differences related to valuing happiness. The first individual difference operates at the strength of the value itself and involves viewing happiness as a very important goal (i.e., aspiring to happiness). The second individual difference occurs later in the process of pursuing happiness and involves judging one's levels of happiness (i.e., concern about happiness). This model predicts that aspiring to happiness is relatively innocuous. Conversely, being concerned about happiness leads people to judge their happiness, thereby infusing negativity (i.e., negative meta-emotions) into potentially positive events, which, in turn, interferes with well-being. We tested these hypotheses using cross-sectional, daily-diary, and longitudinal methods in student and community samples, collected between 2009 and 2020, which are diverse in gender, ethnicity, age, and geographic location (Ntotal = 1,815). In Studies 1a and 1b, aspiring to happiness and concern about happiness represented distinct individual differences. In Study 2, concern about happiness (but not aspiring to happiness) was associated with lower well-being cross-sectionally and longitudinally. In Study 3, these links between concern about happiness and worse well-being were partially accounted for by experiencing greater negative meta-emotions during daily positive events. These findings suggest that highly valuing happiness is not inherently problematic; however, concern and judgment about one's happiness can undermine it. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved).

Evaluation of Potassium-40 and Uranium-238 Activities and Radiological Risk in Missour, Morocco Soils Using Gamma Spectrometry

The objective of this study is to assess natural activity in soil to estimate potential radiological risks for the population. Given that soil is inherently radioactive and can reach hazardous levels, it is crucial to determine the activities of radionuclides such as Potassium-40 and Uranium-238 descendants at different depths and geographical positions. For this work, gamma spectrometry method was employed to analyze soil samples collected at three different positions in the Missour region. Each position was sampled at five different depths, spaced 5 cm apart, resulting in a total of 15 samples. The activity of Potassium-40 and Uranium238 descendants in the soil was accurately assessed using Lvis software, enabling the estimation of radiological doses.

LAPOD, Latin-American Paleomagnetic Online Database: an online interface to access paleomagnetic data from Latin America

We present the Latin-American Paleomagnetic Online Database (LAPOD), which includes an online tool for consulting and visualizing paleomagnetic data. This platform allows users to search, filter, and query over 2000 paleomagnetic data entries from locations across Latin America, including North America (Mexico and the Southwestern USA), Central America, and South America. Paleomagnetic data has been pre-validated for geographic locations and ages, enhancing its reliability for users.The platform features a robust database engine with up to 26 filters, allowing users to perform queries with high precision and avoiding data duplication, and to download data in various formats for personal use. It also offers graphical visualization of some data directly on screen. Color indicators are used to indicate data quality and magnetic polarity. All data included in LAPOD are properly referenced to their original authors, with links to the original published articles.LAPOD is proposed as a community-driven platform, allowing users to contribute their data and provide comments on their own and others' data. This fosters discussion about the reliability of paleomagnetic data and finally enhances our knowledge of the Earth's magnetic field in the region. This collaborative approach supports the development of new regional models of paleosecular variation with improved reliability. It may be repeated for other regions in the world, and ultimately lead to improved global field models. To access the platform, please visit: https://paleomagnetismo.org/pmagdb/

Towards equitable AI in oncology.

Artificial intelligence (AI) stands at the threshold of revolutionizing clinical oncology, with considerable potential to improve early cancer detection and risk assessment, and to enable more accurate personalized treatment recommendations. However, a notable imbalance exists in the distribution of the benefits of AI, which disproportionately favour those living in specific geographical locations and in specific populations. In this Perspective, we discuss the need to foster the development of equitable AI tools that are both accurate in and accessible to a diverse range of patient populations, including those in low-income to middle-income countries. We also discuss some of the challenges and potential solutions in attaining equitable AI, including addressing the historically limited representation of diverse populations in existing clinical datasets and the use of inadequate clinical validation methods. Additionally, we focus on extant sources of inequity including the type of model approach (such as deep learning, and feature engineering-based methods), the implications of dataset curation strategies, the need for rigorous validation across a variety of populations and settings, and the risk of introducing contextual bias that comes with developing tools predominantly in high-income countries.