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The endothelial plasma membrane lipidome and its remodeling under hyperglycemia: an exploratory study
Get PDFIntroduction: At the interface between blood and blood vessels, the endothelial plasma membrane is the first point of contact to external stimuli, triggering the cascade of intracellular events responsible for proper vascular function. However, the endothelial plasma membrane lipidome and its remodeling in pathological conditions remain largely unknown. Methods: To address this gap, we present a comprehensive lipidomic analysis of cell-derived giant plasma membrane vesicles isolated from primary human umbilical vein endothelial cells cultured in vitro under normoglycemic conditions and their lipid remodeling in adaptation to hyperglycemia. Results: Using targeted mass spectrometry-based strategies, 251 lipids and 13 oxidized lipids from 20 subclasses were identified and quantified. Cholesterol accounted for almost half (45 mol%) of the membrane’s composition. In adaptation to hyperglycemia, the noticeable decrease in the total phospholipids extracted resulted in an increased cholesterol-to-phospholipid (Chol/PL) ratio, which is consistent with increased membrane stiffening. Several other lipid subclasses, namely, lysolipids, phosphatidylcholines, aminophospholipids, polyunsaturated sphingomyelins, and other polyunsaturated phospholipids, showed a decreasing trend. Oxysterols displayed a shift toward the predominance of enzymatic (tail-oxidized) in hyperglycemia, whereas truncated oxidized phosphatidylcholines (oxPC) with a terminal aldehyde moiety exhibited a decreasing trend, suggesting the formation of lipid–protein cross-linking modification. Discussion: The hyperglycemia-induced alterations provide insights into the endothelial membrane lipid environment and the biophysical dynamics that are likely to deregulate protein–lipid interactions involved in sugar and lipid metabolism. The high amount of Chol found in our work serves as the basis for future in silico simulations crucial for drug design and drug response evaluation
Adaptive Emergence of Platform Governance in Contexts of Underdeveloped Markets and Informality
Get PDFThis paper explores the dynamics of governance that underpin the survival of developed-context-informed digital platforms in contexts characterized by underdeveloped markets and informality. We argue that despite considerable research into various governance strategies that digital platform firms (DPFs) adopt to address formal institutional and market voids, there remains limited understanding of how DPFs respond to the constraining realities of informality in underdeveloped markets. We fill this lacuna by undertaking a qualitative case study of a ridesharing platform in a context fraught with market voids and informal practices that do not comply with the governing rules of the platform, yet are socially legitimized. Our findings reveal that governance in such contexts adaptively emerges from attending to and learning from the unfolding micro activities and behaviors of platform participants, which are enacted through the dynamic interplay of digital (changes involving the digital platform architecture) and nondigital (changes involving relational arrangements) responses. We discuss the implications of our findings for the theory and evolving discourse on digital platform governance
International country risk and tourism demand: A multidimensional analysis using a mixed-frequency global vector autoregressive model in the Asia-Pacific Region
No full textAlthough tourism's vulnerability to geopolitical and macroeconomic shocks is well-documented, existing research remains fragmented and overlooks the systemic interdependencies of country risks. This study integrates monthly country risk indices with quarterly tourism demand data to analyze risk spillovers across 12 Asia Pacific tourism markets. Using a novel mixed-frequency global vector autoregressive (MF-GVAR) methodology that incorporates trade, culture, and geography connections, this study reveals key insights. Trade dominates risk spillovers via exchange rates, while cultural factors influence tourism demand, thus necessitating multidimensional risk management. Risk transmission varies: financial risks are spread through trade, political risks through geography, and cultural links act indirectly. The COVID-19 pandemic directly hit tourism and GDP, bypassing price buffers. Australia and Hong Kong act as regional spillover hubs. Australia's influence stems from cultural and geographical ties, Hong Kong's from trade. Thus, Australia can promote cultural exchange to boost regional tourism resilience, Hong Kong can lead trade cooperation
Multi-Benford’s laws and the potential for tax irregularities: the case of FTSE 100 companies
Get PDFThis paper uses Benford’s laws, BLs, as an analytical framework to explore the financial data of FTSE 100 companies, explicitly examining tax-related information to identify potential accounting irregularities that could indicate fraud or data manipulation. We utilise data from Refinitiv EIKON, focusing on revenue, profit before taxes, income taxes, payable income taxes, and deferred taxes from 2014 to 2023. Our analysis employs various testing tools, including the chi-square, the mean absolute deviation, called MAD, and the z-test, examining three data sets: the first-digit, the second-digit, and the first-and-second-digit data set across five specified variables, in order to test the various BLs, i.e. BL1, BL2, and BL12, respectively. The results from the MAD test reveal that revenue and profit before taxes exhibit the most notable irregularities, leading us to reject the null hypothesis for BL1 and BL12. Importantly, findings from BL12 indicate that none of the analysed variables meet conformity levels. This implies that when adjustments are made to meet benchmark requirements in order to avoid scrutiny, compliance with BL12 regulations becomes more challenging. Consequently, irregularities are more apparent in the first-and-second-digit data set compared to using only the first- or second-digit data set. However, conclusions on conformity (or not) to BLs should take into account chronological correlations between digits. Yet, failure to adhere to BLs may indicate that the financial statements of FTSE 100 companies are susceptible to inconsistencies or irregularities, which could result in potential tax discrepancies and financial issues
3D Texture Analysis of the Corpus Callosum in T1-Weighted MR Images of Children with a Traumatic Brain Injury
Get PDFInvestigating traumatic brain injuries (TBI) in the developing brain is a challenging task. The superposition of an injury to the normal development trajectory can lead to brain impairments which are not obvious at diagnosis. T1-weighted MRI, acquired routinely post-injury, has the potential to better inform diagnosis, but is limited by qualitative assessment by radiologists. Using T1-weighted volume images, we investigated the use of three-dimensional texture analysis (TA) on regions of the corpus callosum (CC) in children with TBI and typically developing controls (TDCs) in conjunction with analysis of diffusion weighted image (DWI)-derived metrics. Nineteen TDCs and 37 participants with TBI were included in the study. T1 textural metrics were extracted from the splenium, genu and body of the CC and assessed for differences between the groups. Textural skewness was found to be significantly higher in children with TBI than TDCs in the body of the CC (t-test: p 0.6). Non-significant reductions in ADC were found between TBI and TDC groups in the body and the splenium of the CC. Interestingly, no differences were found between TDCs and the TBI sample using FA. The results suggest that TA can potentially be used to assess white matter integrity after paediatric TBI
Towards smarter concrete construction: A systematic review of monitoring technologies and sensing methods
No full textMonitoring the concrete construction process is essential for ensuring safety, quality, and efficiency during construction activities. While numerous sensing and monitoring techniques have been applied to individual stages such as pouring, vibration, setting, and crack development, existing studies largely address these stages in isolation, lacking an integrated perspective across the concrete construction process. This study presents a systematic literature review, conducted under PRISMA 2020 guidelines, synthesizing 140 journal articles retrieved from the Scopus database. The review systematically compares a wide range of sensing and monitoring technologies, including fiber optic sensors, piezoelectric-based methods, radio frequency identification (RFID), computer vision, acoustic emission, and Internet of Things (IoT) systems. These technologies are evaluated in terms of their application characteristics, advantages, limitations, and field suitability across three critical stages of concrete construction: (1) concrete construction support systems, (2) concrete before hardening, and (3) concrete post-hardening. Based on the systematic comparison results, three critical research gaps are identified: (1) cross-phase fragmentation and the absence of integrated process-chain monitoring across concrete construction stages, (2) limited interoperability and scalability of existing digital sensing ecosystems, and (3) insufficient robustness, energy autonomy, and calibration stability of sensors deployed under real construction-site conditions. Future research should focus on developing cross-phase, process-chain monitoring architectures, interoperable and scalable digital sensing ecosystems, and robust, energy-autonomous, and self-calibrating sensor systems to enable reliable, process-oriented, and predictive monitoring throughout the concrete construction process. This study is the first to systematically synthesize concrete construction monitoring and sensing technologies across different construction stages, providing a phase-dependent roadmap for integrated and process-oriented monitoring
An Interpretive Analysis of the UNCITRAL-UNIDROIT Model Law on Warehouse Receipts
Get PDFWarehouse receipts enable stored goods to be used as collateral or traded without the physical transfer of the goods. However, their legal treatment across countries varies widely, which impedes financing and trade. To address this, the United Nations Commission on International Trade Law and the International Institute for the Unification of Private Law jointly developed the Model Law on Warehouse Receipts, which was adopted in June 2024. This law provides a harmonized private law framework for the issuance, transfer, and enforcement of warehouse receipts. The law is neutral towards paper and electronic receipts, covering both, and defines the rights of holders and the obligations of warehouse operators, including negotiability, good faith acquisition, and security interests. Optional provisions enable jurisdictions that utilize dual documents, i.e., warehouse receipts and pledge bonds, to maintain this structure. This article interprets and critically discusses the harmonized rules of the Model Law, their alignment with electronic commerce standards, and its aim to enhance legal certainty, increase access to credit, reduce transaction costs, and support sustainable development in commodity trade and trade finance. The article also analyses the rationale for the Model Law, critically examines its key provisions, and discusses how effective implementation, alongside complementary regulations, warehouse licensing, and electronic registry systems, is essential for the law to deliver benefits such as improved financing for traders, reduced post-harvest losses, and greater food security. The Model Law is thus presented as a globally adaptable instrument capable of transforming warehouse receipt systems while accommodating diverse legal traditions
Culturally and politically embedded management controls in innovation transitions of PPPs: comparative cases from a developing economy
Get PDFWe explore how culturally and politically embedded management controls influence innovation transitions of Public-Private Partnerships (PPPs) in a developing economy. The study relies on the cultural political economy perspective of management controls. Data were collected through in-depth interviews with senior executives from three knowledge-based PPPs operating in telecommunications, power and energy, and high-tech research industries in Sri Lanka. We demonstrate how cultural political economy factors (e.g., semiotic and cultural; political and institutional; economic and structural) have influenced Western-led, formal management controls across various PPP models (e.g., labour, leadership, innovation, operational, market, neoliberal and bureaucratic controls), both enabling and obstructing the shift towards the state’s professed ‘knowledge-based economy’ discourse. Management controls within telecommunications-based PPPs tend to be receptive to political interference, often supported by powerful, party-based trade unions, and primarily focus on innovation to cater to the local market. In contrast to traditional norms, both energy- and high-tech PPPs leverage management controls to resist political interference, promoting a strong, market-oriented approach to knowledge-driven innovation. PPPs with solid professional and managerial backgrounds are more likely to initiate innovation transitions through bottom-up approaches, whereas PPPs with considerable state and political influence tend to be predominantly driven by both top-down and bottom-up approaches. Nevertheless, evidence indicates a dialectical relationship between top-down and bottom-up approaches in all PPPs. Cultural political economy redefines the complex interplay among the state’s knowledge-based economy discourse, the innovation transition in PPPs, management controls, and development priorities as a co-evolving, politically negotiated process rather than a linear policy implementation. Our findings suggest that the success or failure of implementing a knowledge-based economy state project through PPPs depends not only on political policy priorities but also on the interaction of political power, professional leadership and management controls in practice
International consensus on sports, exercise, and physical activity participation during post-operative interventions for Adolescent Idiopathic Scoliosis: An e-Delphi study
Get PDFIntroduction: Physiotherapists and surgeons have a significant role in promoting participation and offering a graded return to sports, exercise, and physical activity following spinal fusion in adolescent idiopathic scoliosis (AIS). However, there is a lack of evidence to guide post-operative rehabilitation and variability worldwide. This study aims to obtain consensus on 1) when it is safe and 2) how an individual with AIS might return to sports, exercise, and physical activity. Methods and analysis: An international electronic 3 round Delphi study was conducted and reported. Eligible expert surgeons or physiotherapists had either specific clinical or research experience in AIS. Round 1 included a series of open-ended questions, from which a series of statements were generated. Round 2 commenced with a summary of the existing literature for participants to review prior to rating statements on a 5-point Likert scale. Participants were also given the opportunity to make comments. Round 3 participants were asked to re-rate statements on the same 5-point Likert scale. Consensus was determined through content analysis of open comments >1 participant, for statements rated on the 5-point Likert >75% agreement (strongly agree or agree) were defined as having consensus, following round 3 Kendall’s coefficient of concordance was calculated to evaluate the strength of the agreement where >75% was achieved. Results: From 53 recruited participants (18 countries, 1 unknown), 41 responded to round 1, 32 to round 2, and 29 to Round 3 (14 surgeons, 15 physiotherapists). Round 1 generated 85 statements under 19 themes surrounding graded return to sports, rehabilitation milestones, philosophical approaches, and treatment modalities. Round 2 generated 56 statements, > 75% with seven split into two due to multiple concepts, yielding 63 statements across 9 themes with >75% agreement. Themes included overarching considerations of care, the MDT, physiotherapy treatment modalities, pre-operative care, inpatient stay, and post-operative rehabilitation phases 1, 2, 3, and 4. Round 2 open comments generated a further 22 statements. Round 3 generated 66 statements with >75% agreement across the same 9 themes. All round 3 statements demonstrated significance (p < 0.001) with moderate agreement (W = 0.5). A Wilcoxon Sum-rank result (p < 0.05) showed stability between rounds 2 and 3. An additional 5 recommendations were generated from round 3 open comments exploring types of post-operative exercise, provision of rehabilitation, timeframes and milestones, and MDT involvement. Conclusion: This Delphi study provides the first international consensus of 71 statements on return to sports, exercise, and physical activity following spinal fusion in AIS. However, further subgroup analysis demonstrated consensus among surgeons and divergence among physiotherapists highlighting the need for further exploration of these statements
Psychological Interventions for Women with Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS):A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Randomised and Non-Randomised Controlled Trials
Get PDFPolycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is an endocrine condition affecting 8–13% of reproductive-aged women globally. Psychological features of PCOS are often overlooked despite their association with mental health complications. This systematic review synthesises existing evidence of psychological interventions for women with PCOS. Database searches returned 4982 articles, of which 20 papers were eligible; 12 studies were meta-analysed. Compared to control, psychological interventions had statistically beneficial effects on change from baseline values for depression, PCOS-specific quality of life, general health, and body image. Significant improvements were found in all PCOS Questionnaire (PCOSQ) domains except acne, yet the importance of these differences in clinical practice was indeterminable. Despite statistical effects, the quality of evidence was judged as low/very-low due to between study heterogeneity, risk of bias, and imprecision in effect estimates. Future studies should focus on rigorously designed, well-reported trials, in order to address the uncertainty around the effectiveness of psychological interventions. The protocol of this systematic review was prospectively registered on the International Prospective Register of Systematic Reviews (PROSPERO: CRD42023472417)
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