Search

This survey aimed to acquire and generate significant information on coffee cultivation in high and low elevations to support agriculture during climate change. This survey dataset helps understand coffee cultivation in highland and lowland areas with diverse climates and environmental conditions for coffee researchers to use this data to improve cultivation and production techniques. In the business scope, this dataset provides a critical vision on the value proposition of the coffee business to maintain conservation and wealth creation of the coffee chain. Similarly, coffee chains can use this data as an example to assess sustainability and carbon literacy. The structured interviews and field trips were conducted at coffee plantations in southern and northern Thailand. The transcript results were manually coded for thematic analysis. This dataset offers insights into anthropogenic plant migration and plant distribution for researchers and academics to use as a valuable resource and good reference in agricultural and biodiversity research. Today, agriculture faces many challenges, such as climate change, water shortage, and improper land management. This information on coffee cultivation at high and low altitudes may help others grow crops in ever-changing climates., Competing Interests: The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper. The generative AI writing app is not used for writing., (© 2024 The Author(s).)

In osteoarthritis (OA), extracellular matrix (ECM) digestion by cartilage-degrading enzymes drives cartilage destruction and generates ECM fragments, such as proteoglycan aggrecan (PG) peptides. PG peptides have been shown to induce immunological functions of chondrocytes. However, the role of PG peptides in stimulating catabolic mediators from chondrocytes has not been investigated. Therefore, we aim to determine the effects and its mechanism by which PG peptides induce chondrocytes to produce catabolic mediators in OA. Human chondrocytes were stimulated with IFNγ and various PG peptides either (i) with or (ii) without TLR2 blockade or (iii) with Lactobacillus species-conditioned medium (LCM), a genus of bacteria with anti-inflammatory properties. Transcriptomic analysis, cartilage-degrading enzyme production and TLR2-intracellular signaling activation were investigated. Chondrocytes treated with PG peptides p16-31 and p263-280 increased expression levels of genes associated with chondrocyte hypertrophy, cartilage degradation and proteolytic enzyme production. TLR2 downstream signaling proteins (STAT3, IkBα and MAPK9) were significantly phosphorylated in p263-280 peptide-stimulated chondrocytes. MMP-1 and ADAMTS-4 were significantly reduced in p263-280 peptides-treated condition with TLR2 blockade or LCM treatment. Phosphorylation levels of IkBa, ERK1/2 and MAPK9 were significantly decreased with TLR2 blockade, but only phosphorylation levels of MAPK9 was significantly decreased with LCM treatment. Our study showed that PG peptide stimulation via TLR2 induced cartilage-degrading enzyme production via activation of MAPK, NFκB and STAT3 pathways., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

SMEs are generally recognised as financial contributors to regional economic development. Despite the enormous contributions of digital SMEs to sustainable economic growth and regional development have not yet been reported. This paper assesses and models SME businesses to gain a digital business status and model. These days, visualising economic growth is challenging and powerful to identify business performance and realise sustainable regional development. This research analyses empirical data obtained from a poultry business to form a standard model for implementing a new SME digital business model and status. This standard model is a guideline to measure the other SME businesses and productions. Localisation of the SDGs was analysed using thematic analysis. Mathematical computation is used to visualise virtual economic growth geographically. Hence, our digital business model and status demonstrated business performance, management, and economic growth., Competing Interests: The authors declare the following financial interests/personal relationships which may be considered as potential competing interests:The authors declare no conflict of interest, no personal relationships, and no financial interests that have influenced the research reported in this paper., (© 2024 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.)

Objectives: In knee osteoarthritis (OA), macrophages are the most predominant immune cells that infiltrate synovial tissues and infrapatellar fat pads (IPFPs). Both M1 and M2 macrophages have been described, but their role in OA has not been fully investigated. Therefore, we investigated macrophage subpopulations in IPFPs and synovial tissues of knee OA patients and their correlation with disease severity, examined their transcriptomics, and tested for factors that influenced their polarization., Methods: Synovial tissues and IPFPs were obtained from knee OA patients undergoing total knee arthroplasty. Macrophages isolated from these joint tissues were characterized via flow cytometry. Transcriptomic profiling of each macrophage subpopulations was performed using NanoString technology. Peripheral blood monocyte-derived macrophages (MDMs) were treated with synovial fluid and synovial tissue- and IPFP-conditioned media. Synovial fluid-treated MDMs were treated with platelet-rich plasma (PRP) and its effects on macrophage polarization were observed., Results: Our findings show that CD11c+CD206+ macrophages were predominant in IPFPs and synovial tissues compared to other macrophage subpopulations (CD11c+CD206-, CD11c-CD206+, and CD11c-CD206- macrophages) of knee OA patients. The abundance of macrophages in IPFPs reflected those in synovial tissues but did not correlate with disease severity as determined from Mankin scoring of cartilage destruction. Our transcriptomics data demonstrated highly expressed genes that were related to OA pathogenesis in CD11c+CD206+ macrophages than CD11c+CD206-, CD11c-CD206+, and CD11c-CD206- macrophages. In addition, MDMs treated with synovial fluid, synovial tissue-conditioned media, or IPFP-conditioned media resulted in different polarization profiles of MDMs. IPFP-conditioned media induced increases in CD86+CD206+ MDMs, whereas synovial tissue-conditioned media induced increases in CD86+CD206- MDMs. Synovial fluid treatment (at 1:8 dilution) induced a very subtle polarization in each macrophage subpopulation. PRP was able to shift macrophage subpopulations and partially reverse the profiles of synovial fluid-treated MDMs., Conclusion: Our study provides an insight on the phenotypes and genotypes of macrophages found in IPFPs and synovial tissues of knee OA patients. We also show that the microenvironment plays a role in driving macrophages to polarize differently and shifting macrophage profiles can be reversed by PRP., Competing Interests: The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2024 Hengtrakool, Leearamwat, Sengprasert, Wongphoom, Chaichana, Taweevisit, Ngarmukos, Tanavalee, Palaga and Reantragoon.)

Osteoarthritis (OA) is one of the most common degenerative joint diseases leading to disability in the end stage. Although intra-articular triamcinolone acetonide (TA) is one of the OA treatments that have been widely used, the side effects of such corticosteroids are still controversial. Intra-articular hyaluronic acid (HA) injection is another therapeutic option for patients with OA who do not want to use corticosteroids because of their side effects. However, the difference between the histological features associated with TA and HA in the treatment of OA remains unclear. Thus, the present study aimed to compare the histological effects of TA and HA on the cartilage of patients with knee OA. In the current study, 31 patients diagnosed with grade 3-4 knee OA on the Kellgren-Lawrence radiographic grading scale were separated into three groups: TA (n=12); HA (n=7) and untreated group (n=12). Histological examination of the whole articular cartilages of the patients was performed with hematoxylin and eosin and Alcian staining, as well as using a TUNEL assay. Clinical data such as cartilage thickness, structural and component deterioration, proteoglycan levels, apoptosis and empty lacunae were compared between the three groups. The results showed a high level of deterioration in both TA and HA groups but not in the untreated group, although the thickness of cartilage in the HA group was lower compared with that in the TA and untreated groups. The proteoglycan levels in the TA group were lower compared with those in the HA group. Moreover, the number of empty lacunae in the HA group was higher compared with that in the TA group, while no difference in apoptosis was found between TA and HA groups. A significant difference was not found in the histological staining between TA and HA groups. On the other hand, a significant difference was found in cartilage deterioration between the medial and lateral sides in these groups. TA and HA groups showed comparable histological results. TA injection is cheaper and easier but has more adverse effects for patients with knee OA than HA injection. Therefore, orthopaedists should select TA or HA based on the economic and specific needs of patients., Competing Interests: The authors declare that they have no competing interests., (Copyright: © Charnwichai et al.)

Background: The standard radiographic view for diagnosing acromioclavicular joint (ACJ) dislocations is the Zanca view of both shoulders to assess superior displacement of the distal clavicle by measuring the coracoclavicular distance (CCD) and comparing it with the uninjured shoulder; however, there is no consensus on a gold standard for diagnostic measures to classify acute ACJ injuries., Purpose: To compare the CCD from an upright chest radiograph with a standard Zanca view of both shoulders in patients with an ACJ dislocation., Study Design: Cohort study (diagnosis); Level of evidence, 3., Methods: We reviewed the records of 70 patients with an ACJ dislocation between 2010 and 2021 who had both an upright chest radiograph and a Zanca view. An ACJ dislocation was classified as low grade (Rockwood types 1-3) or high grade (Rockwood type 5). The CCD was measured on the upright chest radiograph and the Zanca view by 2 independent reviewers, and the percentage of the CCD difference compared with the unaffected side (ΔCCD) was calculated and compared between the upright chest radiograph and the Zanca view. Interrater and intrarater reliability were determined using the intraclass correlation coefficient., Results: Included were 70 patients (55 male and 15 female; mean age, 46 years). There were 29 patients (41.43%) with a low-grade injury and 41 patients (58.57%) with a high-grade injury. In the overall analysis, the ΔCCD on the upright chest radiograph and Zanca view was significantly different (130.25% ± 88.42% vs 152.69% ± 106.56%, respectively; mean difference, 22.44% [95% CI, 2.40% to 42.48%]; P = .029). The subgroup analysis revealed that the ΔCCD on the upright chest radiograph and Zanca view was significantly different for patients with a low-grade injury (60.71% ± 25.79% vs 91.46% ± 68.54%, respectively; mean difference, 30.76% [95% CI, 7.18% to 54.33%]; P = .012) but not different for patients with a high-grade injury (179.45% ± 83.87% vs 196.00% ± 107.97%, respectively; mean difference, 16.56% [95% CI, -14.06% to 47.18%]; P = .281). The intraclass correlation coefficients for the ΔCCD measurements indicated good to excellent interrater and intrarater reliability., Conclusion: The study findings indicated that upright chest radiography can be used as a diagnostic screening tool for high-grade ACJ dislocations, but not for low-grade ACJ injuries, compared with the Zanca view., Competing Interests: The authors declared that there are no conflicts of interest in the authorship and publication of this contribution. AOSSM checks author disclosures against the Open Payments Database (OPD). AOSSM has not conducted an independent investigation on the OPD and disclaims any liability or responsibility relating thereto., (© The Author(s) 2023.)

Juvenile xanthogranuloma (JXG) is a cutaneous form of non-Langerhans cell histiocytosis, primarily affecting children. The lesion is presumed to originate from either macrophages or dermal dendritic cells. JXG can rarely present as an isolated intracranial lesion and, in contrast to the dismal outcome of patients with systemic disease, cranial JXG has been shown to carry a more favorable prognosis. Here, we report for the first time 3 pediatric cases of JXG with a BRAF V600E mutation, 2 with intracranial lesions and 1 with cranial lesions. Although these intracranial/cranial lesions have been referred to as JXG, they likely differ from cutaneous JXG in both the clinical features and BRAF status. It may be more appropriate to classify intracranial/cranial JXG in the same group as Langerhans cell histiocytosis and Erdheim-Chester disease, which also have a BRAF V600E mutation. Further study of BRAF status in a larger series of JXG is warranted., (Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Background: To investigate the correlation between left coronary bifurcation angle and coronary stenosis as assessed by coronary computed tomography angiography (CCTA)-generated computational fluid dynamics (CFD) analysis when compared to the CCTA analysis of coronary lumen stenosis and plaque lesion length with invasive coronary angiography (ICA) as the reference method., Methods: Thirty patients (22 males, mean age: 59±6.9 years) with calcified plaques at the left coronary artery were included in the study with all patients undergoing CCTA and ICA examinations. CFD simulation was performed to analyze hemodynamic changes to the left coronary artery models in terms of wall shear stress, wall pressure and flow velocity, with findings correlated to the coronary stenosis and degree of bifurcation angle. Calcified plaque length was measured in the left coronary artery with diagnostic value compared to that from coronary lumen and bifurcation angle assessments., Results: Of 26 significant stenosis at left anterior descending (LAD) and 13 at left circumflex (LCx) on CCTA, only 14 and 5 of them were confirmed to be >50% stenosis at LAD and LCx respectively on ICA, resulting in sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value (PPV) and negative predictive value (NPV) of 100%, 52%, 49% and 100%. The mean plaque length was measured 5.3±3.6 and 4.4±1.9 mm at LAD and LCx, respectively, with diagnostic sensitivity, specificity, PPV and NPV being 92.8%, 46.7%, 61.9% and 87.5% for extensively calcified plaques. The mean bifurcation angle was measured 83.9±13.6º and 83.8±13.3º on CCTA and ICA, respectively, with no significant difference (P=0.98). The corresponding sensitivity, specificity, PPV and NPV were 100%, 78.6%, 84.2% and 100% based on bifurcation angle measurement on CCTA, 100%, 73.3%, 78.9% and 100% based on bifurcation angle measurements on ICA, respectively. Wall shear stress was noted to increase in the LAD and LCx models with significant stenosis and wider angulation (>80º), but demonstrated little or no change in most of the coronary models with no significant stenosis and narrower angulation (<80º)., Conclusions: This study further clarifies the relationship between left coronary bifurcation angle and significant stenosis, with angulation measurement serving as a more accurate approach than coronary lumen assessment or plaque lesion length for determining significant coronary stenosis. Left coronary bifurcation angle is suggested to be incorporated into coronary artery disease (CAD) assessment when diagnosing significant CAD., Competing Interests: Conflicts of Interest: The authors have no conflicts of interest to declare.

The purpose of the study was to investigate the hemodynamic effect of stent struts (wires) on renal arteries in patients with abdominal aortic aneurysms (AAAs) treated with suprarenal stent-grafts. Two sample patients with AAA undergoing multislice CT angiography pre- and postsuprarenal fixation of stent-grafts were selected for inclusion in the study. Eight juxtarenal models focusing on the renal arteries were generated from the multislice CT datasets. Four types of configurations of stent wires crossing the renal artery ostium were simulated in the segmented aorta models: a single wire crossing centrally, a single wire crossing peripherally, a V-shaped wire crossing centrally, and multiple wires crossing peripherally. The blood flow pattern, flow velocity, wall pressure, and wall shear stress at the renal arteries pre- and post-stent-grafting were analyzed and compared using a two-way fluid structure interaction analysis. The stent wire thickness was simulated with a diameter of 0.4, 1.0, and 2.0 mm, and hemodynamic analysis was performed at different cardiac cycles. The interference of stent wires with renal blood flow was mainly determined by the thickness of stent wires and the type of configuration of stent wires crossing the renal ostium. The flow velocity was reduced by 20-30% in most of the situations when the stent wire thickness increased to 1.0 and 2.0 mm. Of the four types of configuration, the single wire crossing centrally resulted in the highest reduction of flow velocity, ranging from 21% to 28.9% among three different wire thicknesses. Wall shear stress was also dependent on the wire thickness, which decreased significantly when the wire thickness reached 1.0 and 2.0 mm. In conclusion, our preliminary study showed that the hemodynamic effect of suprarenal stent wires in patients with AAA treated with suprarenal stent-grafts was determined by the thickness of suprarenal stent wires. Research findings in our study are useful for follow-up of patients treated with suprarenal stent-grafts to ensure long-term safety of the suprarenal fixation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This special issue addresses the impact of COVID-19 on entrepreneurship. It builds on insights shared at the dedicated session – supported by the Hungarian Academy of Sciences' Post-COVID research grant (MTA PC-II-17/1/2022) – of the 2nd Danube Cup Conference in Belgrade in November 2023, featuring three papers presented there, along with four additional contributions. The goal of this issue is to advance scholarly understanding of post-COVID dynamics in entrepreneurship and share valuable findings with a broad academic audience. To provide a comprehensive overview of current research on this topic, we include an umbrella review examining the COVID-19 crisis' impact on small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) from 2020 to 2024. Drawing on 26 systematic literature reviews identified through Scopus, Google Scholar, and Elicit, this review captures key challenges, strategies, and emerging trends affecting SMEs. Major research themes identified include resilience, supply chain management, digitalization, crisis management, and the financial impact of COVID-19. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Coronary arteries serve a crucial purpose in the circulatory system as they supply blood to the human heart, a highly oxidative organ. As the blood flows through these arteries, the constituents of blood such as proteins and fatty acid molecules may start depositing on the arterial lining. These depositions narrow down the arteries and obstruct the blood flow to the heart. This phenomenon is termed as atherosclerosis, responsible for coronary artery disease, a leading cause of death globally. The progression of disease is affected by coronary hemodynamics which strongly depends on the geometrical complexities such as branching and tapering, and the associated parameters such as curvature and tortuosity. These geometrical parameters vary across the population and are affected by factors such as dietary habits, gender, lifestyle and genetics. Technological advancements in the past few decades have resulted in emergence of patient-specific computational fluid dynamics (CFD) modelling as an important tool in cardiovascular engineering and technology. Patient-specific CFD modelling utilises the clinically obtained patient-specific geometrical and boundary condition data to model the flow and gain an insight in the detailed hemodynamic behaviour, calculate different parameters which can be used as biomarkers and assess different treatment options. In this article, we provide a brief overview of the human coronary circulation and typical steps involved in patient-specific modelling. Further, the studies on patient-specific coronary hemodynamics are extensively reviewed and a perspective on future trends is provided. We believe that the article will serve as a beginner's guide for the researchers working in this emerging area. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Wind energy being a free source of energy is becoming popular over the past decades and is being studied extensively. Integration of wind turbines is now being expanded to urban and offshore settings in contrast to the conventional wind farms in relatively open areas. The direct installation of wind turbines poses a potential risk, as it may result in financial losses in scenarios characterized by inadequate wind resource availability. Therefore, wind energy availability analysis in such urban environments is a necessity. This research paper presents an in‐depth investigation conducted to predict the exploitable wind energy at four distinct locations within Nottingham, United Kingdom. Subsequently, the most suitable location, Clifton Campus at Nottingham Trent University, is identified where a comprehensive comparative analysis of power generation from eleven different wind turbine models is performed. The findings derived from this analysis suggest that the QR6 wind turbine emerges as the optimal choice for subsequent experimental investigations to be conducted in partnership with Nottingham Trent University. Furthermore, this study explores the selection of an appropriate probability density function for assessing wind potential considering seven different distributions namely, Gamma, Weibull, Rayleigh, Log‐normal, Genextreme, Gumbel, and Normal. Ultimately, the Weibull probability distribution is selected, and various methodologies are employed to estimate its parameters, which are then ranked using statistical assessments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Numerical models that simulate the behaviors of the coronary arteries have been greatly improved by the addition of fluid-structure interaction (FSI) methods. Although computationally demanding, FSI models account for the movement of the arterial wall and more adequately describe the biomechanical conditions at and within the arterial wall. This offers greater physiological relevance over Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) models, which assume the walls do not move or deform. Numerical simulations of patient-specific cases have been greatly bolstered by the use of imaging modalities such as Computed Tomography Angiography (CTA), Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI), Optical Coherence Tomography (OCT), and Intravascular Ultrasound (IVUS) to reconstruct accurate 2D and 3D representations of artery geometries. The goal of this study was to conduct a comprehensive review on CFD and FSI models on coronary arteries, and evaluate their translational potential. Methods: This paper reviewed recent work on patient-specific numerical simulations of coronary arteries that describe the biomechanical conditions associated with atherosclerosis using CFD and FSI models. Imaging modality for geometry collection and clinical applications were also discussed. Results: Numerical models using CFD and FSI approaches are commonly used to study biomechanics within the vasculature. At high temporal and spatial resolution (compared to most cardiac imaging modalities), these numerical models can generate large amount of biomechanics data. Conclusions: Physiologically relevant FSI models can more accurately describe atherosclerosis pathogenesis, and help to translate biomechanical assessment to clinical evaluation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This review comprehensively covers the development of viable unmanned underwater vehicles based on their technical capabilities, in particular those designed to conduct research exploration in underwater ecosystems and address environmental issues through analysis of coral reef vulnerability. The most important elements to be obtained are in situ data samples for analysis and characterization, supported by molecular biomarkers and marine ecology indicators. The following aspects are considered in this study: first, the geographic distribution of coral reefs for the study of marine ecology and molecular biological approaches for the detection of biomarkers to evaluate the vulnerability of coral reefs are detailed; then, the technologies currently available for the study of coral reefs are briefly described, ranging from large-scale capture to local-scale capture directly in the study region, taking advantage of remote sensing systems assisted by aerial technologies, marine vehicles, and artificial intelligence for the mapping, monitoring, and management of coral reefs as well as the characterization of their vulnerability; following this, existing marine vehicle technologies are generally explained, including a categorical description and an updated and highlighted list of innovative and robust marine vehicles that have been used in coral reef applications; the technical capabilities of such vehicle throughout the missions they have been subjected to are presented based on bibliographic references; finally, this review promotes multidisciplinary work to integrate the developments in the associated knowledge areas in order to obtain synergies in the face of challenges related to the massive scale of coral reef degradation worldwide. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The research aims to analyze risk management in the adoption of Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP). ERP currently widely used, however limited research focus on risk management adoption regarding technological and information system. Digital transformation encourages SMEs to adopt information technology to streamline business processes, especially ERP. Through a comprehensive investigation involving 85 SME owners, the study focuses on ERP risk management. The analysis is conducted by identifying, mapping, and assessing severity. Additionally, data is analyzed using a neural network to explain the satisfaction level of ERP adoption. The research identifies several key risk factors, including vendor stability, data security, system downtime, and inadequate support. Based on research result, risk management underscores the need for robust encryption protocols, access controls, and regular security audits to mitigate the risks of data breaches, unauthorized access, and the compromise of critical business data. The research is reliable in illustrating ERP adoption risks, with a 98.3% correct prediction rate. The novelty of this research lies in its identification and mapping of risk factors in ERP adoption for SMEs, serving as an alternative reference for determining information technology improvements. The research suggests prioritizing thorough due diligence when selecting an ERP vendor and establishing clear and comprehensive Service Level Agreements. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, we investigate plaques located at the left coronary bifurcation. We focus on the effect that the resulting changes in wall shear stress (WSS) and wall pressure stress gradient (WPSG) have on atherosclerotic progress in coronary artery disease. Coronary plaques were simulated and placed at the left main stem and the left anterior descending to produce >50% narrowing of the coronary lumen. Computational fluid dynamics analysis was carried out, simulating realistic physiological conditions that show the in vivo cardiac haemodynamic. WSS and WPSG in the left coronary artery were calculated and compared in the left coronary models, with and without the presence of plaques during cardiac cycles. Our results showed that WSS decreased while WPSG was increased in coronary side branches due to the presence of plaques. There is a direct correlation between coronary plaques and subsequent WSS and WPSG variations based on the bifurcation plaques simulated in the realistic coronary models.