The Mirage of Truth

Fact-checkers have grown recently, facing the decline of journalism and the acceleration of disinformation flows on the internet. Due to the recent scholarly attention to these journalistic outlets, some authors have pointed to diverse critics such as the political bias and the low impact of fact-checking initiatives. In line with the research approaching the weaponization of disinformation in politics, this chapter reflects on the instrumentalization of verifying practices as a fact to consider when studying fact-checking. The investigation applies a combined methodology to compare Bendita and Maldita initiatives. While the latter is internationally recognized as an entity of fact-checking, the second one arises as an imitation of it and lacks recognition and scholarly attention. Conclusions suggest that fact-checking implies more complex activities than refuting specific facts, while alt-right positions can instrumentalize fact-checking for political objectives. The authors call for the importance of definitions that exclude this type of misuse of verification.

CNTF enhances aerobic glycolysis and anabolic activities in degenerating retinas

Ciliary neurotrophic factor (CNTF) has potent neuroprotective activity in retinal degeneration animal models, yet the cellular mechanisms underlying its broad neuronal survival effects remain unclear. Here, we investigated the impact of CNTF on retinal metabolism in a mouse model of human retinitis pigmentosa. CNTF treatment resulted in improved mitochondrial morphology in mutant rod photoreceptors, but also led to reduced oxygen consumption and suppression of respiratory chain complex activities. Metabolomics analyses detected significantly higher levels of ATP and the energy currency phospho-creatine post CNTF exposure. In addition, CNTF-treated retinas contained elevated glycolytic metabolites and showed increased expression of genes and active enzymes of the glycolytic pathway. Metabolomics analyses also revealed increased TCA cycle products, lipid biosynthetic pathway intermediates, nucleotides, and amino acids, indicating an overall CNTF-dependent augmentation of anabolic activities. Moreover, CNTF treatment restored the key antioxidant glutathione to the wild type level in the degenerating retina. Taken together, these results demonstrate that CNTF profoundly impacts the metabolic status of degenerating retinas by promoting aerobics glycolysis and anabolism, enhancing energy supply, and restoring redox homeostasis. Our study thus reveals important cellular mechanisms underlying CNTF-mediated neuroprotection and provides novel insight for the on-going CNTF clinical trials treating blinding diseases.

Human Segmentation and Tracking Survey on Masks for MADS Dataset

Human segmentation and tracking often use the outcome of person detection in the video. Thus, the results of segmentation and tracking depend heavily on human detection results in the video. With the advent of Convolutional Neural Networks (CNNs), there are excellent results in this field. Segmentation and tracking of the person in the video have significant applications in monitoring and estimating human pose in 2D images and 3D space. In this paper, we performed a survey of many studies, methods, datasets, and results for human segmentation and tracking in video. We also touch upon detecting persons as it affects the results of human segmentation and human tracking. The survey is performed in great detail up to source code paths. The MADS (Martial Arts, Dancing and Sports) dataset comprises fast and complex activities. It has been published for the task of estimating human posture. However, before determining the human pose, the person needs to be detected as a segment in the video. Moreover, in the paper, we publish a mask dataset to evaluate the segmentation and tracking of people in the video. In our MASK MADS dataset, we have prepared 28 k mask images. We also evaluated the MADS dataset for segmenting and tracking people in the video with many recently published CNNs methods.

What Are the Boundaries to the Expansion of Digital Labour Platforms? Understanding Uberization through a Cognitive Sustainability Lens

While digital labour platforms are booming, their ability to constitute a sustainable alternative to the managerial firm and to salaried work is questionable. To date, this debate has been approached mainly from legal or political angles, and the organizational sustainability of such platforms remains underexplored. We respond to calls to study more specifically the cognitive capabilities of platforms by mobilizing knowledge-based theories of the firm. We contribute to the literature in three ways: (1) we introduce the concept of ‘cognitive sustainability’, which we define as the capacity to ensure the integration, conservation and creation of knowledge; (2) we develop a set of propositions aimed at identifying the activities that platforms are most likely to carry out in a cognitively sustainable way; (3) we argue for the possibility of an increased hybridization of digital labour platforms to perform complex activities. Mobilizing knowledge-based theories of the firm to explore new objects such as platforms and taking such hybridization processes into account adds to this body of literature by extending its application domain and taking a more dynamic perspective.

Teachers’ Perceptions of Using Drama- and Other Action-Based Methods in Language Education

This article examines teachers’ perceptions of the use of drama- and other action-based methods in teaching a foreign or second language in Finland. Prior research reveals that much foreign language teaching is textbook-based and does not utilize the target language effectively. International research on drama- and action-based methods shows that these instructional techniques are beneficial to student learning and language acquisition. The data for this study were collected through an online questionnaire with closed and open questions and analyzed inductively with content analysis. The findings indicate that a majority of the participants (n=130) used action-based methods regularly. Teachers used these methods because they believed they improve student learning, increase motivation, and liven up lessons. However, teachers lacked training in action-based methods and some also felt there is no time for these methods in busy schedules. Using drama methods was much less common than other action-based methods, such as different word games with movement. The findings show that although textbooks provide ideas for dramatized reading of texts, teachers found most activities online or made them up themselves. Drama and other action-based methods should be incorporated into teacher education and language textbooks so that teachers would gain confidence and competence in using them and have easy access to different, even more complex activities.

Cortex: Topography and Organization

The cerebral cortex is involved in various simple and complex activities. It consists of layers of neuronal cell bodies (ie, gray matter) that are organized into gyri (convolutions).The cortex can be divided into functional components in several ways. Various schemes are based on function, cytoarchitecture, topography, or Brodmann areas. The terminology can be confusing because the same area of cortex could be designated by several names. For instance, Brodmann area 17 is also called the primary visual cortex, the striate cortex, and the calcarine cortex. Brodmann designated 52 regions of the cerebral cortex according to cytoarchitecture.

«Healthy organizations»: the essence, main ways and methods of promoting mental health of staff

Introduction. The intense work of Ukrainian organizations, as a result their complex activities, increased competition, socio-economic crisis, and the COVID-19 pandemic, commands organizations' close attention to the mental health of their staff. This requires, in particular, the study of foreign approaches to solving this problem, one of which is the concept of «healthy organizations».Aim. Based on the analysis of relevant foreign literature, to determine the essence of «healthy organizations»and their main ways and methods of promoting staff's mental health.Results. Having analyzed the relevant foreign literature, the author determines the aims of «healthy organizations»and their main activities to promote staff's mental health (choosing staff's positive mental health as an organization’s priority and value; formation of the culture of «openness»to discuss mental health problems in the organization; respect for all groups of workers, including those with mental problems, etc.). The methods of «healthy organizations»to promote staff's mental health include, in part, different types of interventions at different organizational management levels (individual, group, organizational, inter-organizational). The author emphasizes the importance of multilevel interventions.Conclusions.The introduction of the concept of «healthy organizations»in Ukrainian organizations, given the peculiarities of their functioning in the socio-economic and organizational conditions, can help maintain and improve staff's mental health.

Influence of the technical level of production on the possibility of manufacturing of new products

A methodological approach to assessing the influence of the technical level of production on the possibility of manufacturing of new products is considered. An integral indicator of the technical level is proposed, which is determined on the basis of an analysis of the potential effectiveness of the work performed by the organization throughout all stages of the product life cycle. Keywords: new products, technical level of production, methodology of complex activities. [email protected]

A Systematized Review on Rationale and Experience to Develop Advanced Logistics Center System in Vietnam

Logistics is the activity of optimizing the storage, two-way transportation of resources, finance, information... from supplier to warehouse, through the production process, factories, warehouses, wholesalers, retailers and consumers. In essence, logistics are activities serving the production and circulation of goods born and associated with businesses' production for hundreds of years. Logistics is increasingly developing at a higher level, including more diversified and complex activities specialized in an independent service industry. It is a new issue of the world economy that has attracted businesses and governments' special attention from the last decades of the 20th century to the present. The research on investment in building a port logistics center is in line with the world trend of improving service quality. It creates added value for goods through the port, so most major ports focus on planning and building super large logistics centers. This article focuses on systematizes and supplements some theoretical issues about logistics and logistics centers. At the same time, they evaluated the research on models of developing logistics centers in some countries worldwide, thereby giving lessons for Vietnam.

DJ-1 attenuates the glycation of mitochondrial complex I and complex III in the post-ischemic heart

DJ-1 is a ubiquitously expressed protein that protects cells from stress through its conversion into an active protease. Recent work found that the active form of DJ-1 was induced in the ischemic heart as an endogenous mechanism to attenuate glycative stress—the non-enzymatic glycosylation of proteins. However, specific proteins protected from glycative stress by DJ-1 are not known. Given that mitochondrial electron transport proteins have a propensity for being targets of glycative stress, we investigated if DJ-1 regulates the glycation of Complex I and Complex III after myocardial ischemia–reperfusion (I/R) injury. Initial studies found that DJ-1 localized to the mitochondria and increased its interaction with Complex I and Complex III 3 days after the onset of myocardial I/R injury. Next, we investigated the role DJ-1 plays in modulating glycative stress in the mitochondria. Analysis revealed that compared to wild-type control mice, mitochondria from DJ-1 deficient (DJ-1 KO) hearts showed increased levels of glycative stress following I/R. Additionally, Complex I and Complex III glycation were found to be at higher levels in DJ-1 KO hearts. This corresponded with reduced complex activities, as well as reduced mitochondrial oxygen consumption ant ATP synthesis in the presence of pyruvate and malate. To further determine if DJ-1 influenced the glycation of the complexes, an adenoviral approach was used to over-express the active form of DJ-1(AAV9-DJ1ΔC). Under I/R conditions, the glycation of Complex I and Complex III were attenuated in hearts treated with AAV9-DJ1ΔC. This was accompanied by improvements in complex activities, oxygen consumption, and ATP production. Together, this data suggests that cardiac DJ-1 maintains Complex I and Complex III efficiency and mitochondrial function during the recovery from I/R injury. In elucidating a specific mechanism for DJ-1’s role in the post-ischemic heart, these data break new ground for potential therapeutic strategies using DJ-1 as a target.