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The Journal of Consumer Affairs 2022This article advances the riveting discussion on how this special issue contributes to the consumer well-being literature. Specifically, this article endeavors to...
This article advances the riveting discussion on how this special issue contributes to the consumer well-being literature. Specifically, this article endeavors to present an eclectic account of how the pandemics has had a lasting impact on the consumer well-being, its provenance and future research priorities for academics and practice. First, it briefly discusses the origin and relevance of the evolving issue of consumer well-being during pandemics. Second, it presents several directions for future research and third, it offers key insights for policymakers. It includes multiple research priorities that present vastly contrasting manifestations of consumer well-being. This article argues that future research will need to examine the drivers of consumer well-being during pandemics, the mechanisms that underlie the influence of pandemics on consumer well-being and the boundary conditions that accentuate/mitigate the influence of pandemic-induced factors.
PubMed: 35603324
DOI: 10.1111/joca.12445 -
Nature Communications Mar 2023Impact ejecta are important references to establish regional and global stratigraphy of planetary bodies. Canonical views advocate radial distributions of distal ejecta...
Impact ejecta are important references to establish regional and global stratigraphy of planetary bodies. Canonical views advocate radial distributions of distal ejecta with respect to the source crater, and their trajectories are significantly deflected on fast-rotating bodies. The Hokusai crater on Mercury formed a peculiar ray that features a hyperbola shape, and the sharp swerve of orientation was interpreted as a sign of a faster planetary rotation in the near past. Here, we show that this ray was not caused by a hypothesized larger Coriolis force, but due to abruptly-steepened ejection angles. Heterogeneous shock impedances of pre-impact impactor and/or target, such as topographic undulations, affect local propagation paths of shock and rarefaction waves, causing sudden changes of ejection angles. Distal ejecta with non-radial distributions are an inherent product of planetary impacts, and their unobvious provenances could mislead stratigraphic interpretations and hamper age estimations based on spatial densities of impact craters.
PubMed: 36859491
DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-36771-y -
Scientific Data Sep 2023The Ontology for Avida (OntoAvida) aims to develop an integrated vocabulary for the description of Avida, the most widely used computational approach for performing...
The Ontology for Avida (OntoAvida) aims to develop an integrated vocabulary for the description of Avida, the most widely used computational approach for performing experimental evolution using digital organisms-self-replicating computer programs that evolve within a user-defined computational environment. The lack of a clearly defined vocabulary makes some biologists feel reluctant to embrace the field of digital evolution. This integrated framework empowers biologists by equipping them with the necessary tools to explore and analyze the field of digital evolution more effectively. By leveraging the vocabulary of Avida, researchers can gain deeper insights into the evolutionary processes and dynamics of digital organisms. In addition, OntoAvida allows researchers to make inference based on certain rules and constraints, facilitate the reproducibility of in silico evolution experiments and trace the provenance of the data stored in avidaDB-an RDF database containing the genomes, transcriptomes, and phenotypes of more than a million digital organisms. OntoAvida is part of the Open Biological and Biomedical Ontologies (OBO Foundry) and is available at http://www.obofoundry.org/ontology/ontoavida.html .
PubMed: 37689762
DOI: 10.1038/s41597-023-02514-3 -
New Biotechnology Dec 2023AI development in biotechnology relies on high-quality data to train and validate algorithms. The FAIR principles (Findable, Accessible, Interoperable, and Reusable) and...
AI development in biotechnology relies on high-quality data to train and validate algorithms. The FAIR principles (Findable, Accessible, Interoperable, and Reusable) and regulatory frameworks such as the In Vitro Diagnostic Regulation (IVDR) and the Medical Device Regulation (MDR) specify requirements on specimen and data provenance to ensure the quality and traceability of data used in AI development. In this paper, a framework is presented for recording and publishing provenance information to meet these requirements. The framework is based on the use of standardized models and protocols, such as the W3C PROV model and the ISO 23494 series, to capture and record provenance information at various stages of the data generation and analysis process. The framework and use case illustrate the role of provenance information in supporting the development of high-quality AI algorithms in biotechnology. Finally, the principles of the framework are illustrated in a simple computational pathology use case, showing how specimen and data provenance can be used in the development and documentation of an AI algorithm. The use case demonstrates the importance of managing and integrating distributed provenance information and highlights the complex task of considering factors such as semantic interoperability, confidentiality, and the verification of authenticity and integrity.
Topics: Algorithms; Biotechnology; Artificial Intelligence
PubMed: 37758054
DOI: 10.1016/j.nbt.2023.09.006 -
Heliyon Sep 2022The Cretaceous and Neogene deposits from the Mamfe Basin consisting of sandstone, shale and claystone were studied using petrography, and major, traces and REEs analyses...
The Cretaceous and Neogene deposits from the Mamfe Basin consisting of sandstone, shale and claystone were studied using petrography, and major, traces and REEs analyses to address sediment source, environment setting, prevailing paleoclimate as well as tectonic regime of the basin. The angular to subangular shape of detrital grains reflects the mineralogical and textural immaturity of sediments and the proximity of the sediment supply source. Sedimentary rocks are composed of a significant number of lithic debris, organic matter, ostracods as well as subrounded heavy minerals referring to notable igneous and metamorphic rocks bordering the Mamfe Basin. The plots of major element ratios including iron oxide/potasium oxide (FeO/KO) against silicium oxide/aluminium oxide (SiO/AlO) combined with that of sodium oxide/potassium oxide (NaO/KO) compared to silicium oxide/aluminium oxide (SiO/AlO) are characteristic of greywacke and shale with few arkoses. The pronounced Eu negative anomaly of chondrite normalized REEs along with the plot of La/Th vs Hf and Co/Th vs La/Sc suggest that sediments are in general from felsic and intermediate source rock provenance, only subordinated contribution of mafic source. The negative anomaly of Yb suggests igneous fractionation under highly reducing conditions. The chemical index of alteration values of 47-70 combined with chemical index of weathering values of 0.6-84 suggest low to moderate weathering process of the sediment in the basin. This result is further confirmed by an index of chemical variability values of 0.6-100 and Zr/Sc ratio of 0.06-2.96. The REEs distribution displays a substantial content in LREE, low content in HREE and noticible proportion of (La/Yb) ratio (mean >9), poor (Gd/Yb) ratio in the Cross River Formation (mean <2) and slightly moderate (Gd/Yb) ratio in the other formations (mean >2). This result implies that sediments from the Ngeme, Nfaitok and Baso formations derived from post-Archean rocks. Geochemical paleoenvironmental proxies including Sr/Cu, Sr/Ba, Ga/Rb vs Sr/Cu and SiO vs KO + NaO+AlO are in favor of arid to semi-arid conditions during the deposition. Trace Elemental ratios such as Sr/Cu, Sr/Ba, V/Ni, U/Th, Ni/Co, V/Sc, and V/Cr values indicate a predominance of oxic conditions during deposition. In contrast, some authigenic pyrite, hematite, siderite and vivianite which are iron-rich minerals suggests episodic reducing conditions in the basin. The study provides a valuable information in evaluating sediments source, depositional environment, tectonic regime as well as the paleoclimatic conditions prevailing in the basin during the depositional period. The geochemistry of rocks of the Ngeme and Baso formations suggest passive continental margin setting and Ngeme, Nfaitok and Cross River formations suggest oceanic island Arc tectonic setting.
PubMed: 36097494
DOI: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2022.e10304 -
Knowledge and Information Systems May 2023In the era of massive sharing of information, the term social provenance is used to denote the ownership, source or origin of a piece of information which has been...
In the era of massive sharing of information, the term social provenance is used to denote the ownership, source or origin of a piece of information which has been propagated through social media. Tracking the provenance of information is becoming increasingly important as social platforms acquire more relevance as source of news. In this scenario, Twitter is considered one of the most important social networks for information sharing and dissemination which can be accelerated through the use of retweets and quotes. However, the Twitter API does not provide a complete tracking of the retweet chains, since only the connection between a retweet and the original post is stored, while all the intermediate connections are lost. This can limit the ability to track the diffusion of information as well as the estimation of the importance of specific users, who can rapidly become influencers, in the news dissemination. This paper proposes an innovative approach for rebuilding the possible chains of retweets and also providing an estimation of the contributions given by each user in the information spread. For this purpose, we define the concept of Provenance Constraint Network and a modified version of the Path Consistency Algorithm. An application of the proposed technique to a real-world dataset is presented at the end of the paper.
PubMed: 37361376
DOI: 10.1007/s10115-023-01878-7 -
Physiological Research Dec 2021Tribulus terrestris, L. (puncture vine) have been used as a folk medicine for five thousands of years, but its targets, effects, their mechanisms and application... (Review)
Review
Tribulus terrestris, L. (puncture vine) have been used as a folk medicine for five thousands of years, but its targets, effects, their mechanisms and application requires further studies. This paper reviews the provenance, constituents and properties of Tribulus terrestris, L., its general physiological and health effects, as well as the currently available knowledge concerning its influence on male and female reproductive processes and their dysfunctions. Analysis of the available publications demonstrated the influence of Tribulus terrestris on a wide spectrum of targets and physiological processe and disorders. In particular, Tribulus terrestris can be a stimulator of male and female reproductive processes at the level of central nervous system, sexual behaviour, pituitary and gonadal hormones and their receptors, gonadal functions (including ovarian follicullogenesis and spermatogenesis), improvement of the quality and quantity of gametes (at least of sperm) and fecundity. This ability of puncture vine is applicable for the improvement of man's sexual desire and sperm quality in vivo and in vitro, as well as of women's libido, activation of women's reproductive organs, fecundity, and treatment of infertility, especially that related to the polycystic ovarian syndrome.
Topics: Female; Humans; Libido; Male; Plant Extracts; Reproduction; Sexual Behavior; Tribulus
PubMed: 35199550
DOI: 10.33549/physiolres.934711 -
Animals : An Open Access Journal From... Jun 2023The illegal wildlife trade is a significant threat to global biodiversity, often targeting already threatened species. In combating the trade, it is critical to know the...
The illegal wildlife trade is a significant threat to global biodiversity, often targeting already threatened species. In combating the trade, it is critical to know the provenance of the traded animal or part to facilitate targeted conservation actions, such as education and enforcement. Here, we present and compare two methods, portable X-ray fluorescence (pXRF) and stable isotope analysis (SIA), to determine both the geographic and source provenance (captive or wild) of traded animals and their parts. Using three critically endangered, frequently illegally traded Philippine species, the Palawan forest turtle (), the Philippine cockatoo (), and the Philippine pangolin (), we demonstrate that using these methods, we can more accurately assign provenance using pXRF data (x¯ = 83%) than SIA data (x¯ = 47%). Our results indicate that these methods provide a valuable forensic tool that can be used in combating the illegal wildlife trade.
PubMed: 37443963
DOI: 10.3390/ani13132165 -
Frontiers in Pharmacology 2020The Celtic linguistic community dominated large spans of Central and Western Europe between 800 BC and 500 AD, but knowledge of their traditional medicine is very... (Review)
Review
The Celtic linguistic community dominated large spans of Central and Western Europe between 800 BC and 500 AD, but knowledge of their traditional medicine is very limited. Multiple progressive plant gains in Neolithic settlements along the Danube and up the Rhine valleys suggested that taxon diversity of gathered plants peaked at the Balkans and was subsequently reduced as crop and gathered plants packages were adopted and dispersed throughout Neolithic Europe. This process coincided with the Bronze Age migration of the R1b proto-Celtic tribes, and their herbal traditions were occasionally recorded in the classic Greco-Roman texts on herbal medicines. The provenance of Celtic (Gallic) healing methods and magical formulas as recorded by Pliny, Scribonius Largus, and Marcellus Empiricus can still be found in the first part of the medieval Welsh (Cymry) herbal manuscript (recipes 1-188). Although the majority of I recipes were based on the Mediterranean herbal tradition of Dioscorides and Macer Floridus, they preserved the unique herbal preparation signatures distinct from continental and Anglo-Saxon counterparts in increased use of whey and ashes as vehicles for formulation of herbal remedies. Six plants could be hypothetically attributed to the Celtic (Welsh) herbal tradition including foxglove ( L.), corn bellflower ( L.), self-heal ( L.), sharp dock ( Murray), water pimpernel ( L.), and river startip ( L.) This review provides initial evidence for traces of Celtic framework in the Welsh herbal tradition and warrants further investigations of bioactivity and clinical applications of the described plant leads.
PubMed: 32184721
DOI: 10.3389/fphar.2020.00105 -
Journal of Personalized Medicine Jun 2023This article aims to perform a Systematic Literature Review (SLR) to better understand the structures of different methods, techniques, models, methodologies, and... (Review)
Review
AIMS
This article aims to perform a Systematic Literature Review (SLR) to better understand the structures of different methods, techniques, models, methodologies, and technologies related to provenance data management in health information systems (HISs). The SLR developed here seeks to answer the questions that contribute to describing the results.
METHOD
An SLR was performed on six databases using a search string. The backward and forward snowballing technique was also used. Eligible studies were all articles in English that presented on the use of different methods, techniques, models, methodologies, and technologies related to provenance data management in HISs. The quality of the included articles was assessed to obtain a better connection to the topic studied.
RESULTS
Of the 239 studies retrieved, 14 met the inclusion criteria described in this SLR. In order to complement the retrieved studies, 3 studies were included using the backward and forward snowballing technique, totaling 17 studies dedicated to the construction of this research. Most of the selected studies were published as conference papers, which is common when involving computer science in HISs. There was a more frequent use of data provenance models from the PROV family in different HISs combined with different technologies, among which blockchain and middleware stand out. Despite the advantages found, the lack of technological structure, data interoperability problems, and the technical unpreparedness of working professionals are still challenges encountered in the management of provenance data in HISs.
CONCLUSION
It was possible to conclude the existence of different methods, techniques, models, and combined technologies, which are presented in the proposal of a taxonomy that provides researchers with a new understanding about the management of provenance data in HISs.
PubMed: 37373980
DOI: 10.3390/jpm13060991