bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Numerical Hydromagnetic Thermal Mechanism in Chemically Reacting Fluid Over a Radiative Melting UPHSR With Resistive Heating
Authors: M. Alharbi Khalid Abdulkhaliq , Adnan  , Tag-Eldin Elsayed , F. Yassen Mansour , Ahmed Naveed , Khan Umar
Published: August 2022

Heat transport over an upper paraboloid horizontal surface of revolution (UPHSR) has attracted much interest of the researchers and aero dynamists. The flow of fluid around the pointed surface of rocket, bullets, bonnet, and fighting aircrafts exhibits flows in which engineering parameters like shear stresses and Nusselt number significantly contributed. Therefore, the study of fluid comprising heat generation/absorption, Lorentz forces, and chemical reaction over a radiative UPHSR is conducted. The basic constitutive relations are transformed into dimensionless version via similarity variables and tackled numerically. The temperature β(η) extensively intensifies under stronger dissipation effects (Ec). Furthermore, Prandtl, Biot, and thermal radiations effects are observed to be of huge significance in the analysis of heat transfer. The concentration of the fluid decays for optimum Sc and γ over a UPHSR. The local rate of mass (−ϕ′(0)) and temperature (−β′(0)) effectively increases for Bi and Sc, respectively.
Physicists, non physical topics, and interdisciplinarity
Authors: Galam Serge
Published: August 2022

Defining interdisciplinary physics today requires first a reformulation of what is physics today, which in turn calls for clarifying what makes a physicist. This assessment results from my 40-year journey arguing and fighting to build sociophysics. My view on interdisciplinary physics has thus evolved jumping repeatedly to opposite directions before settling down to the following claim: today physics is what is done by physicists who handle a problem the “physicist’s way”. However the training of physicists should stay restricted to inert matter. Yet adding a focus on the universality of the physicist approach as a generic path to investigate a topic. Consequently, interdisciplinary physics should become a cabinet of curiosities including an incubator. The cabinet of curiosities would welcome all one shots papers related to any kind of object provided it is co-authored at least by one physicist. Otherwise the paper should uses explicitly technics from physics. In case a topic gets many papers, it would be moved to the incubator to foster the potential emergence of a new appropriate subfield of physics. A process illustrated by the subsection social physics in Frontiers in physics.
Effects of torso mesh density and electrode distribution on the accuracy of electrocardiographic imaging during atrial fibrillation
Authors: Molero Rubén , González-Ascaso Ana , Hernández-Romero Ismael , Lundback-Mompó David , Climent Andreu M. , Guillem María S.
Published: August 2022

Introduction: Electrocardiographic Imaging (ECGI) allows computing the electrical activity in the heart non-invasively using geometrical information of the patient and multiple body surface signals. In the present study we investigate the influence of the number of nodes of geometrical meshes and recording ECG electrodes distribution to compute ECGI during atrial fibrillation (AF).

Methods: Torso meshes from 100 to 2000 nodes heterogeneously and homogeneously distributed were compared. Signals from nine AF realistic mathematical simulations were used for computing the ECGI. Results for each torso mesh were compared with the ECGI computed with a 4,000 nodes reference torso. In addition, real AF recordings from 25 AF patients were used to compute ECGI in torso meshes from 100 to 1,000 nodes. Results were compared with a reference torso of 2000 nodes. Torsos were remeshed either by reducing the number of nodes while maximizing the overall shape preservation and then assigning the location of the electrodes as the closest node in the new mesh or by forcing the remesher to place a node at each electrode location. Correlation coefficients, relative difference measurements and relative difference of dominant frequencies were computed to evaluate the impact on signal morphology of each torso mesh.

Results: For remeshed torsos where electrodes match with a geometrical node in the mesh, all mesh densities presented similar results. On the other hand, in torsos with electrodes assigned to closest nodes in remeshed geometries performance metrics were dependent on mesh densities, with correlation coefficients ranging from 0.53 ± 0.06 to 0.92 ± 0.04 in simulations or from 0.42 ± 0.38 to 0.89 ± 0.2 in patients. Dominant frequency relative errors showed the same trend with values from 1.14 ± 0.26 to 0.55 ± 0.21 Hz in simulations and from 0.91 ± 0.56 to 0.45 ± 0.41 Hz in patients.

Conclusion: The effect of mesh density in ECGI is minimal when the location of the electrode is preserved as a node in the mesh. Torso meshes constructed without imposing electrodes to constitute nodes in the torso geometry should contain at least 400 nodes homogeneously distributed so that a distance between nodes is below 4 cm.
Circadian clock disruptions link oxidative stress and systemic inflammation to metabolic syndrome in obstructive sleep apnea patients
Authors: Li Xiaoming , Liu Xuejian , Meng Qiu , Wu Xinhao , Bing Xin , Guo Na , Zhao Xuening , Hou Xiaozhi , Wang Baowei , Xia Ming , Li Hui
Published: August 2022

Objectives: Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is an independent risk factor for metabolic syndrome (MetS). Recent studies have indicated that circadian clock genes were dysregulated in OSA. In addition, it is clear that the impairment of circadian clocks drives the progression of MetS. Therefore, we hypothesized that circadian rhythm disruption links OSA with MetS.

Methods: A total of 118 participants, who underwent polysomnography (PSG) and were diagnosed as healthy snorers (control, n = 29) or OSA (n = 89) patients based on the apnea–hypopnea index (AHI), were enrolled in the present study. General information, anthropometric data, blood biochemical indicators, clock gene expressions, and levels of oxidative and inflammatory indicators were collected, determined, and compared in all the participants.

Results: We found that Brain and muscle aryl hydrocarbon receptor nuclear translocator-like protein 1 (Bmal1) and Differentiated embryo chondrocyte 1 (Dec1) were upregulated, while Period 1 (Per1) was reduced in OSA patients. In addition, these changing trends were closely associated with the hypoxia indicator of AHI and have a significant impact on the presence of MetS components, such as hyperglycemia (Dec1 and Per1, p < 0.05 and 0.001, respectively), hypertension (Bmal1 and Dec1, p < 0.001 and 0.01, respectively), hyperlipidemia (Dec1, p < 0.01), and obesity (Dec1, p < 0.05). Notably, expressions of Dec1 correlated with IR and predicted the presence of MetS in OSA patients. Finally, we also observed that Dec1 expression was interrelated with levels of both oxidative indicators and inflammatory biomarkers (IL-6) in OSA.

Conclusion: This study concluded that circadian clock disruptions, especially Dec1, link OSA with MetS in an oxidative and inflammatory-related manner. Circadian clock Dec1 can be used as a specific biomarker (p < 0.001) and therapeutic target in OSA combined with Mets patients.
What do we actually know about exosomal microRNAs in kidney diseases?
Authors: Li Qianyu , Zhang Zhiping , Yin Min , Cui Cancan , Zhang Yucheng , Wang Yali , Liu Feng
Published: August 2022

There are several types of kidney diseases with complex causes. If left untreated, these diseases irreversibly progress to end-stage renal disease. Thus, their early diagnosis and targeted treatment are important. Exosomes—extracellular vesicles released by a variety of cells—are ideal carriers for DNA, RNA, proteins, and other metabolites owing to their bilayer membranes. Studies have shown that almost all renal cells can secrete exosomes. While research on exosomal microRNAs in the context of renal diseases begun only recently, rapid progress has been achieved. This review summarizes the changes in exosomal microRNA expression in different kidney diseases. Thus, it highlights the diagnostic and prognostic value of these exosomal microRNAs. Further, this review analyzes their roles in the development of different kidney diseases, guiding research on molecular mechanisms and therapeutic strategies.
Protections of transcription factor BACH2 and natural product myricetin against pathological cardiac hypertrophy and dysfunction
Authors: Jiang Xueli , Cao Mengying , Wu Jian , Wang Xiaolin , Zhang Guoping , Yang Chunjie , Gao Pan , Zou Yunzeng
Published: August 2022

Pathological hypertrophic myocardium under consistent adverse stimuli eventually can cause heart failure. This study aims to explore the role of BACH2, a member of the basic region leucine zipper transcription factor family, in cardiac hypertrophy and failure. Transverse aortic constriction surgery was operated to induce cardiac hypertrophy and failure in mice. BACH2 was overexpressed in mice through tail vein injection of AAV9-Bach2. Mice with systemic or cardiac-specific knockdown of Bach2 were adopted. Neonatal rat ventricular myocytes (NRVMs) were isolated and infected with lentivirus to overexpress Bach2 or transfected with siRNA to knock down Bach2. Our data showed that overexpression of BACH2 ameliorated TAC-induced cardiac hypertrophy and failure in mice and decreased isoproterenol (ISO)-triggered myocyte hypertrophy in NRVMs. Systemic or cardiac-specific knockdown of Bach2 worsened the cardiac hypertrophy and failure phenotype in mice. Further assays showed that BACH2 bound to the promotor region of Akap6 at the -600 to -587 site and repressed its expression, which functioned as a crucial scaffold for cardiac hypertrophy and failure signaling pathways. Small molecular natural product library screening suggested that myricetin could up-regulate expression of Bach2 and simultaneously suppress the transcriptional levels of hypertrophic marker genes Bnp and Myh7. Further studies showed that myricetin exerted a BACH2-dependent protective effect against cardiac hypertrophy in vivo and in vitro. Taken together, our findings demonstrated that BACH2 plays a crucial role in the regulation of cardiac hypertrophy and failure and can be a potential therapeutic target in the future.
Exploring the mechanism of action of dapansutrile in the treatment of gouty arthritis based on molecular docking and molecular dynamics
Authors: Cao Jun-Feng , Xingyu Yang  , Li Xiong  , Wu Mei , Chen Shengyan , Xu Hengxiang , Gong Yunli , Zhang Lixin , Zhang Qilan , Zhang Xiao
Published: August 2022

Purpose: Dapansutrile is an orally active β-sulfonyl nitrile compound that selectively inhibits the NLRP3 inflammasome. Clinical studies have shown that dapansutrile is active in vivo and limits the severity of endotoxin-induced inflammation and joint arthritis. However, there is currently a lack of more in-depth research on the effect of dapansutrile on protein targets such as NLRP3 in gouty arthritis. Therefore, we used molecular docking and molecular dynamics to explore the mechanism of dapansutrile on NLRP3 and other related protein targets.

Methods: We use bioinformatics to screen active pharmaceutical ingredients and potential disease targets. The disease-core gene target-drug network was established and molecular docking was used for verification. Molecular dynamics simulations were utilized to verify and analyze the binding stability of small molecule drugs to target proteins. The supercomputer platform was used to measure and analyze the binding free energy, the number of hydrogen bonds, the stability of the protein target at the residue level, the radius of gyration and the solvent accessible surface area.

Results: The protein interaction network screened out the core protein targets (such as: NLRP3, TNF, IL1B) of gouty arthritis. Gene ontology (GO) and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) analysis revealed that gouty arthritis mainly played a vital role by the signaling pathways of inflammation and immune response. Molecular docking showed that dapansutrile play a role in treating gouty arthritis by acting on the related protein targets such as NLRP3, IL1B, IL6, etc. Molecular dynamics was used to prove and analyze the binding stability of active ingredients and protein targets, the simulation results found that dapansutrile forms a very stable complex with IL1B.

Conclusion: We used bioinformatics analysis and computer simulation system to comprehensively explore the mechanism of dapansutrile acting on NLRP3 and other protein targets in gouty arthritis. This study found that dapansutrile may not only directly inhibit NLRP3 to reduce the inflammatory response and pyroptosis, but also hinder the chemotaxis and activation of inflammatory cells by regulating IL1B, IL6, IL17A, IL18, MMP3, CXCL8, and TNF. Therefore, dapansutrile treats gouty arthritis by attenuating inflammatory response, inflammatory cell chemotaxis and extracellular matrix degradation by acting on multiple targets.
Determination of spectral resolutions for multispectral detection of apple bruises using visible/near-infrared hyperspectral reflectance imaging
Authors: Baek Insuck , Mo Changyeun , Eggleton Charles , Gadsden S. Andrew , Cho Byoung-Kwan , Qin Jianwei , Chan Diane E. , Kim Moon S.
Published: August 2022

This study demonstrates a method to select wavelength-specific spectral resolutions to optimize a line-scan hyperspectral imaging method for its intended use, which in this case was visible/near-infrared imaging-based multiple-waveband detection of apple bruises. Many earlier studies have explored important aspects of developing apple bruise detection systems, such as key wavelengths and image processing algorithms. Despite the endeavors of many, development of a real-time bruise detection system is not yet a simple task. To overcome these problems, this study investigated selection of optimal wavelength-specific spectral resolutions for detecting bruises on apples by using hyperspectral line-scan imaging with the Random Track function for non-contiguous partial readout, with two experimental parts. The first part identified key-wavelengths and the optimal number of key-wavelengths to use for detecting low-, medium-, and high-impact bruises on apples. These parameters were determined by principal component analysis (PCA) and sequential forward selection (SFS) with four classification methods. The second part determined the optimal spectral resolution for each of the key-wavelengths by selecting and evaluating 21 combinations of exposure time and key-wavelength bandwidths, and then selecting the best combination based on the bruise detection accuracies achieved by each classification method. Each of the four classification methods was found to have a different optimized resolution for high accuracy bruise detection, and the optimized resolutions also allowed for use of shorter exposure times. The results of this work can be used to help develop multispectral imaging systems that provide rapid, cost-effective post-harvest processing to identify bruised apples on commercial processing lines.
Absolute and relative quantitation of amylase/trypsin-inhibitors by LC-MS/MS from wheat lines obtained by CRISPR-Cas9 and RNAi
Authors: Geisslitz Sabrina , Islam Shahidul , Buck Lukas , Grunwald-Gruber Clemens , Sestili Francesco , Camerlengo Francesco , Masci Stefania , D’Amico Stefano
Published: August 2022

Quantitation of wheat proteins is still a challenge, especially regarding amylase/trypsin-inhibitors (ATIs). A selection of ATIs was silenced in the common wheat cultivar Bobwhite and durum wheat cultivar Svevo by RNAi and gene editing, respectively, in order to reduce the amounts of ATIs. The controls and silenced lines were analyzed after digestion to peptides by LC-MS/MS with different approaches to evaluate changes in composition of ATIs. First, a targeted method with stable isotope dilution assay (SIDA) using labeled peptides as internal standards was applied. Additionally, four different approaches for relative quantitation were conducted, in detail, iTRAQ labeled and label free quantitation (LFQ) combined with data dependent acquisition (DDA) and data independent acquisition (DIA). Quantitation was performed manually (Skyline and MASCOT) and with different proteomics software tools (PLGS, MaxQuant, and PEAKS X Pro). To characterize the wheat proteins on protein level, complementary techniques as high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) and gel electrophoresis were performed. The targeted approach with SIDA was able to quantitate all ATIs, even at low levels, but an optimized extraction is necessary. The labeled iTRAQ approach revealed an indistinct performance. LFQ with low resolution equipment (IonTrap) showed similar results for major ATIs, but low abundance ATIs as CM1, were not detectable. DDA measurements with an Orbitrap system and evaluation using MaxQuant showed that the relative quantitation was dependent on the wheat species. The combination of manual curation of the MaxQuant search with Skyline revealed a very good performance. The DIA approach with analytical flow found similar results compared to absolute quantitation except for some minor ATIs, which were not detected. Comparison of applied methods revealed that peptide selection is a crucial step for protein quantitation. Wheat proteomics faces challenges due to the high genetic complexity, the close relationship to other cereals and the incomplete, redundant protein database requiring sensitive, precise and accurate LC-MS/MS methods.
Influences of split application and nitrification inhibitor on nitrogen losses, grain yield, and net income for summer maize production
Authors: Ren Baizhao , Ma Zhentao , Zhao Bin , Liu Peng , Zhang Jiwang
Published: August 2022

The application of nitrogen (N) fertilizer combined with nitrification inhibitor is considered to be one of the effective strategies to improve N efficiency and reduce N loss. While the chemical and physical properties of nitrapyrin (CP) in fertilizers have been evaluated to increase N efficiency, a lack of comprehensive evaluation of the effects of adding CP on summer maize yield, environmental benefits and economic income under different fertilization methods. In this study, two fertilization methods were used: split-N application and one-time basal N fertilizer before sowing. The comprehensive effects of N fertilizer with CP on N loss (NH3 volatilization, NO3– leaching, and N2O emissions), N efficiency, yield and profit under two N application methods were explored. Results showed that under the two N application methods, N fertilizer with CP treatment increased the N efficiency and yield (+3.4%∼+5.7%), significantly reduced the soil NO3–-N content and N2O emissions, while increased NH3 volatilization. Especially, the increase amplitude of NH3 was much less than the decrease amplitude of N2O induced by adding CP. Although split-N application could achieve higher yield and N efficiency, N2O emissions and NH3 volatilization also increased. However, the T1 + N (one-time basal N fertilizer before sowing mixed with CP) achieved the same yield level as T2 treatment (split-N application). Taking agronomic, economic and environmental benefits into consideration, one-time basal N fertilizer before sowing mixed with CP could ensure the target yield, increase economic benefits, maintain soil N content, and reduce N losses. Therefore, optimizing N management is essential to the sustainable development of agriculture.
Impact of corporate governance and CEO remuneration on bank capitalization strategies and payout decision in income shocks period
Authors: Xiang Hangqin , Shaikh Erum , Tunio Muhammad Nawaz , Watto Waqas Ahmad , Lyu Yiqing
Published: August 2022

The purpose of this research is to explore corporate governance and CEO remuneration with banks capitalization strategies and payout policy within the Pakistani banking context. Data were obtained from the financial statements of scheduled banks listed on the Pakistan stock exchange from 2005 to 2020. The findings of the research study revealed that corporate governance mechanisms that promote the bank's shareholders' interests are linked to low capitalization strategies. The size of the board of directors has a significant impact on the capitalization of banks. Banks' capitalization techniques are also adversely correlated with effective board size. The shareholder benefits from low capitalization. Corporate governance is positively related with banking sector instability, as seen by this negative correlation. Bank capitalization strategies have a significant impact on CEO remuneration. In the event of an income shock, dividend payout is essential. Banking sector payout policies are negatively related with corporate governance. In the event of a negative income shock, financial institutions reduce dividends. As a result, it has been argued that effective corporate governance benefits shareholders by reducing capitalization tactics and limiting financial institutions' aggressive payouts.

JEL classification

G21, G30, G32, G35.
A contingency perspective of pro-organizational motives, unethical pro-organizational behavior, and organizational citizenship behavior
Authors: Cheng Ken , Hu Panpan , Guo Limin , Wang Yifei , Lin Yinghui
Published: August 2022

Although the effects of pro-organizational motives on pro-organizational behaviors [i.e., unethical pro-organizational behavior (UPB) and organizational citizenship behavior (OCB)] and their boundaries have been explored to some extent, extant studies are rather piecemeal and in need of synthesis and extension. Based on prior motivational research on pro-organizational behaviors, we developed a comprehensive contingent model in which moral identity and impression management motives would moderate the links between pro-organizational motives, UPB, and OCB. Adopting a time-lagged design, we collected data from 218 salespeople in an internet technology service company in China. Results showed that pro-organizational motives were positively related to UPB and OCB. Moral identity weakened the impact of pro-organizational motives on UPB but strengthened the influence of pro-organizational motives on OCB. Furthermore, we found that impression management motives strengthened the effects of pro-organizational motives on UPB and OCB, and the interaction of impression management motives and pro-organizational motives was stronger on UPB than on OCB. Theoretical and practical implications, limitations, and future directions are discussed.
Impact of internet usage on consumer impulsive buying behavior of agriculture products: Moderating role of personality traits and emotional intelligence
Authors: Jie Wei , Poulova Petra , Haider Syed Arslan , Sham Rohana Binti
Published: August 2022

E-commerce has led to a significant increase in internet purchases. The marketing sector is very competitive these days, and marketers have a difficult task: understanding the behavior of their customers. Strategic marketing planning relies heavily on consumer behavior since the consumer acts as the user, buyer, and payer in that process. Consumers’ behavior changes in response to shifts in the factors that influence it. The purpose of this research is to show how Internet usage influence on consumer impulsive buying behavior of agriculture products through moderating role personality traits and emotional intelligence in China organic market. The data gathered in three months from January to March 2022, due to COVID-19 pandemic data was gathered through an online survey questionnaire sent by Chinese social media platforms including WeChat and an email address. The PLS-SEM technique and the SmartPLS software version 3.2.8 were used for data analyses. The result revealed that internet usage positively and significantly influences consumer impulsive buying behavior. Also, both moderator personality trait and emotional intelligence positively and significantly moderate the relationship between internet usage and consumer impulsive buying behavior. Lastly, theoretical and practical implications, and future directions were discussed.
Sandwich teaching improved students' critical thinking, self-learning ability, and course experience in the Community Nursing Course: A quasi-experimental study
Authors: Cai Xiaoyan , Peng Mingmei , Qin Jieying , Zhou Kebing , Li Zhiying , Yang Shuai , Yan Fengxia
Published: August 2022

The youngest generation of students prefers a more active learning style. Sandwich teaching may suit their learning style by alternating between active individual learning and passive collective learning. Sandwich teaching has been rarely applied to the Community Nursing Course for nursing students, and its teaching effects on this course remain unclear. This study applied Sandwich teaching to the Community Nursing Course for Chinese nursing undergraduates and investigated its effects on students' critical thinking, self-learning ability, course experience, and academic performance. This is a quasi-experimental study with 72 Chinese nursing undergraduates. Students receiving traditional teaching were enrolled in the control group (n = 36), and those who received Sandwich teaching were recruited into the experimental group (n = 36). Both groups received the 12-week, 90-min Community Nursing Course. Our main outcome variable, including students' critical thinking, self-learning ability, and course experience, was assessed by specific questionnaire. The paired t-tests were applied to compare the differences of the same group in the pre-test and the post-test, and the independent-sample t-tests were used to compare the differences between the two groups. We observed that nursing students' critical thinking ability and self-learning ability were significantly improved after receiving Sandwich teaching. Students' course experience of Sandwich teaching was significantly better than that of traditional teaching. The final exam score in the experimental group was not significantly higher than that in the control group. These results suggest that Sandwich teaching in Community Nursing Course improved Chinese nursing undergraduates' critical thinking, self-learning ability, and course experience, but failed in improving academic performance.
Service staff encounters with dysfunctional customer behavior: Does supervisor support mitigate negative emotions?
Authors: Xiao Biyan , Liang Cuijing , Liu Yitong , Zheng Xiaojing
Published: August 2022

Dysfunctional customer behavior is common in service settings. For frontline employees, negative encounters can cause short-term despondency or have profound, long-term psychological effects that often result in both direct and indirect costs to service firms. Existing research has explored the influence of dysfunctional customer behavior on employee emotions, but it has not fully investigated the psychological mechanism through which customer misbehavior transforms into employee responses. To maintain service quality and employee well-being, it is important to understand the impact of customer misconduct on employee emotions and its effect on subsequent service behavior. To assess the process through which dysfunctional customer behavior manifests as negative emotions in frontline service employees, and the influence of negative employee emotions on their prosocial service behavior, we surveyed 185 frontline banking service employees. We sought information on service employee experiences, attitudes, and feelings regarding dysfunctional customer behaviors, the perceived level of supervisor support, and employee prosocial service behavior intentions. Structural equation modeling and hierarchical linear modeling were used for statistical analysis and hypothesis verification. Results indicate that dysfunctional customer behavior has a positive relationship with bank service employee negative emotions and a negative influence on employee prosocial service behavior. The study found that negative emotions fully mediated the relationship between dysfunctional customer behavior and prosocial service behavior. The moderating role that perceived supervisor support plays on the relationships between dysfunctional customer behavior and negative emotion was also investigated. The results show that perceived supervisor support moderates the relationship between dysfunctional customer behavior and negative employee emotions. Finally, the study provides bank managers with effective strategies to assist frontline employees to manage and deter dysfunctional customer behavior, and presents employees with internal recovery strategies when encountering dysfunctional customer behavior.
Emotional dysregulation as trans-nosographic psychopathological dimension in adulthood: A systematic review
Authors: Carmassi Claudia , Conti Lorenzo , Gravina Davide , Nardi Benedetta , Dell'Osso Liliana
Published: August 2022

Introduction

Emotional dysregulation (ED) is characterized by inappropriate emotional reactions related to environmental or cognitive stimuli. In most recent years, increasing interest has been devoted to its definition and detection across mental disorders for its detrimental role progressively highlighted in both neurodevelopment and adult mental disorders, with implications on the severity of clinical manifestations. The aim of this systematic review was to evaluate and gather the scientific evidence about ED in adult psychiatric population to elucidate the concept of ED as trans-nosographic entity.

Methods

The electronics databases PubMed, Scopus and Web of Science was reviewed to identify studies in accordance with the PRISMA guidelines; at the end of the selection process a total of 29 studies (N = 709; N = 658; N = 1,425) was included. All studies included assessed the presence of ED symptoms, by means of a validate scale in adult (>18 years of age), in clinically diagnosed patients as well as healthy control participants.

Results

Our results suggest ED as a trans-diagnostic factor across multiple mental disorders, such as bipolar disorder, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, autism spectrum disorder, personality disorders; a better definition of this concept could be helpful to interpret and clarify many clinical cases and improve their diagnostic and therapeutic management.
Pathway linking health information behaviors to mental health condition during the COVID-19 infodemic: A moderated mediation analysis
Authors: Zhang Thomas Hongjie , Tham Jen Sern , Waheed Moniza , Kim Jeong-Nam , Jeong Jae-Seon , Chang Peng Kee , Ahmad Abdul Mua'ti@Zamri
Published: August 2022

Background

The COVID-19 outbreak is no longer a pure epidemiological concern but a true digital infodemic. Numerous conflicting information and misinformation occupy online platforms and specifically social media. While we have lived in an infodemic environment for more than 2 years, we are more prone to feel overwhelmed by the information and suffer from long-term mental health problems. However, limited research has concentrated on the cause of these threats, particularly in terms of information processing and the context of infodemic.

Objective

This study proposed and tested moderated mediation pathways from two types of health information behaviors (social media engagement and interpersonal communication) on information overload and mental health symptoms—long-term stress.

Methods

We conducted a cross-sectional online survey between May and June of 2021 among the Malaysian public. The final sample size was 676 (N = 676). A conceptual model was built to guide the data analysis. We conducted structural equation modeling (SEM), moderation and mediation analyses to examine each direct pathway, moderating and mediating effects.

Results

According to the pathway analysis, we found that, during the infodemic period, engaging COVID-19 information on social media positively associated with information overload, but interpersonal communication was negatively related to it. As the proximal outcome, there was also a positive association between information overload and the final outcome, perceived stress. The moderation analysis only reported one significant interaction: risk perception weakened the association between social media engagement and information overload. A conditional indirect effect was demonstrated and the indirect associated between social media engagement and perceived stress mediated through information overload was further moderated by COVID-19 risk perception.

Conclusion

This research offers new grounds for understanding health information behaviors and their consequences in the COVID-19 infodemic. We particularly highlighted the distinct functions of health information behaviors in causing information overload, as well as the importance of personal health belief in this process. Our proposed model contributes to the strategies of developing health messaging strategies that may be utilized by public health researchers and health educators in the future.
Variable stiffness locomotion with guaranteed stability for quadruped robots traversing uneven terrains
Authors: Zhao Xinyuan , Wu Yuqiang , You Yangwei , Laurenzi Arturo , Tsagarakis Nikos
Published: August 2022

Quadruped robots are widely applied in real-world environments where they have to face the challenges of walking on unknown rough terrains. This paper presents a control pipeline that generates robust and compliant legged locomotion for torque-controlled quadruped robots on uneven terrains. The Cartesian motion planner is designed to be reactive to unexpected early and late contacts using the estimated contact forces. Moreover, we present a novel scheme of optimal stiffness modulation that aims to coordinate desired compliance and tracking performance. It optimizes joint stiffness and contact forces coordinately in a quadratic programming (QP) formulation, where the constraints of non-slipping contacts and torque limits are imposed as well. In addition, the issue of stability under variable stiffness control is solved by imposing a tank-based passivity constraint explicitly. We finally validate the proposed control pipeline on our quadruped robot CENTAURO in experiments on uneven terrains and, through comparative tests, demonstrate the improvements of the variable stiffness locomotion.
A novel immersive virtual reality environment for the motor rehabilitation of stroke patients: A feasibility study
Authors: Fregna Giulia , Schincaglia Nicola , Baroni Andrea , Straudi Sofia , Casile Antonino
Published: August 2022

We designed and implemented an immersive virtual reality (VR) environment for upper limb rehabilitation, which possesses several notable features. First, by exploiting modern computer graphics its can present a variety of scenarios that make the rehabilitation routines challenging yet enjoyable for patients, thus enhancing their adherence to the therapy. Second, immersion in a virtual 3D space allows the patients to execute tasks that are closely related to everyday gestures, thus enhancing the transfer of the acquired motor skills to real-life routines. Third, in addition to the VR environment, we also developed a client app running on a PC that allows to monitor in real-time and remotely the patients’ routines thus paving the way for telerehabilitation scenarios. Here, we report the results of a feasibility study in a cohort of 16 stroke patients. All our patients showed a high degree of comfort in our immersive VR system and they reported very high scores of ownership and agency in embodiment and satisfaction questionnaires. Furthermore, and notably, we found that behavioral performances in our VR tasks correlated with the patients’ clinical scores (Fugl-Meyer scale) and they could thus be used to assess improvements during the rehabilitation program. While further studies are needed, our results clearly support the feasibility and effectiveness of VR-based motor rehabilitation processes.
Adaptive robot climbing with magnetic feet in unknown slippery structure
Authors: Lee Jee-eun , Bandyopadhyay Tirthankar , Sentis Luis
Published: August 2022

Firm foot contact is the top priority of climbing robots to avoid catastrophic events, especially when working at height. This study proposes a robust planning and control framework for climbing robots that provides robustness to slippage in unknown environments. The framework includes 1) a center of mass (CoM) trajectory optimization under the estimated contact condition, 2) Kalman filter–like approach for uncertain environment parameter estimation and subsequent CoM trajectory re-planing, and 3) an online weight adaptation approach for whole-body control (WBC) framework that can adjust the ground reaction force (GRF) distribution in real time. Though the friction and adhesion characteristics are often assumed to be known, the presence of several factors that lead to a reduction in adhesion may cause critical problems for climbing robots. To address this issue safely and effectively, this study suggests estimating unknown contact parameters in real time and using the evaluated contact information to optimize climbing motion. Since slippage is a crucial behavior and requires instant recovery, the computation time for motion re-planning is also critical. The proposed CoM trajectory optimization algorithm achieved state-of-art fast computation via trajectory parameterization with several reasonable assumptions and linear algebra tricks. Last, an online weight adaptation approach is presented in the study to stabilize slippery motions within the WBC framework. This can help a robot to manage the slippage at the very last control step by redistributing the desired GRF. In order to verify the effectiveness of our method, we have tested our algorithm and provided benchmarks in simulation using a magnetic-legged climbing robot Manegto.
Integration of Arthrospira platensis (spirulina) into the brewing process to develop new beers with unique sensory properties
Authors: Beisler Nino , Sandmann Michael
Published: August 2022

Microalgae, and particularly the cyanobacterium Arthrospira platensis (spirulina), have attracted much attention due to their wide range of uses. The potential use of spirulina in food is mainly driven by its high content of macro and micronutrients including proteins, γ-linolenic acid, sulfated polysaccharides, minerals, vitamins, and the natural pigment phycocyanin. Despite these potential benefits, spirulina is still not widely used in the food industry due to numerous technological challenges during manufacturing or specific sensory issues in the final product. This research deals with the feasibility of integrating spirulina into the brewing process to create a tasty beer with high consumer acceptance. In the novel recipes, 5% (w/w) of the malt was replaced by spirulina powder. The first part of the study investigated inclusion at different time points throughout manufacturing of a reference beer style (mild pale ale). Compared to the control, alcoholic fermentation was slightly influenced by cyanobacterial biomass but resulted in a beer with a typical beer-like character. Sensory evaluations including a simple descriptive test, a popularity analysis, and Just-About-Right-Questions, indicated a complex alteration in the sensory properties. This includes a dominant algal taste that disturbs the character of the pale ale beers but also a deep blue color of the beer, if spirulina was included during the wort cooling phase. Based on these results, another set of beers with a higher original extract concentration and increased hop dosages was produced. These beers had a high popularity (6.0 original TESTSCORE; 7.12 and 6.64 optimized TESTSCORE), and also exhibited a deep blue color due to the natural pigment phycocyanin from spirulina. Further, bitterness and algal taste was rated by most of the panelists to be “just right” and the simple descriptive test indicated “sweetness” as important attribute which was not expected for this hoppy beer style.
Characterization of carotenoids double-encapsulated and incorporate in functional stirred yogurt
Authors: Soliman Tarek Nour , Nasser Sahar A.
Published: August 2022

Carrot industry processing outputs 50% waste from raw materials; this waste contains polyphenols and carotenoids, which are a significant natural source of pro-vitamin A. Also, yogurt's high consumption globally allows for designing a new functional product. So the goal is to enhance the functionality of fortified stirred yogurt by incorporating carotenoid beads. The carotenoids were extracted from carrot waste using ultrasonication. Then nanoemulsion carotenoids incorporating with alginate to produce beads by extrusion technique. Measurement of carotenoid stability to nanoemulsion and beads. Manufactured five treatments of orange-flavored stirred yogurt and investigated its physicochemical properties, LAB survival, viscosity, and sensory acceptability. Findings – Carrot waste extract had about 44.75 ± 3.15 mg/g of β-carotene. The mean particle size of the nanoemulsion decreased with the increasing carotenoid addition (0.5%, 1%, and 1.5%) of carrot waste extract. The mean diameters of the alginate beads with nanoemulsions were 1.498 ± 0.245, 1.654 ± 0.310, and 1.792 ± 0.454 mm, respectively. The highest chemical stability of carotenoids showed with the alginate beads after Storage at 55°C to 14 days, compared with free or nanoemulsion carotenoids. Yogurt's physicochemical properties, viscosity, and LAB count improve when double-encapsulated carotenoids are added. Carotenoid double-encapsulation appeared to have a high ability to protect carotenoids from degradation and the ability to be applied in dairy and pharmaceutical products. Also, the resultant stirred yogurt with carotenoids-loaded beads gave carotenoids high stability and sensory acceptability.
Effects of gestational low dose perfluorooctanoic acid on maternal and “anxiety-like” behavior in dams
Authors: Merrill Alyssa K. , Conrad Katherine , Marvin Elena , Sobolewski Marissa
Published: August 2022

Pregnancy is a unique critical window with nearly ubiquitous exposure to low concentrations of endocrine disrupting chemicals, such as per- and poly-fluoroalkyl substances (PFAS). Human and animal research suggests that PFAS compounds disrupt hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis function, with some evidence of altered “anxiety-like” behavior, but little is known about the potential effects on maternal mental health following exposures during pregnancy. Evaluating the consequences of gestational PFAS exposures on maternal health is essential, because approximately 1 in 10 women experience postpartum depression, often with increased anxiety. To address this gap, dams were exposed to a low dose, 0.1 mg/kg, of perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) from gestational day 0 to birth. Maternal behavior was then observed from postnatal days 5–9, and “anxiety-like” behavior was measured using open field spontaneous locomotor behavior and elevated plus maze following weaning. No difference was observed in the litter size or sex of offspring. Gestational PFOA exposure altered maternal behavior. Despite similar nursing durations, PFOA dams spent more time nursing in a flat posture and on their side, and less time in kyphosis. Despite significantly quicker first contact, PFOA dams did not return pups to the nest quicker, indicating reduced retrieval latency. At weaning, dams displayed increased “anxiety-like” behaviors in the elevated plus maze with a significantly higher mean duration in the closed arms and reduced choice frequency with significantly lower number of entries in the closed and open arms. PFOA dams showed reductions in ambulatory movement across the session. Pregnancy exposure to PFOA altered both maternal and “anxiety-like” behavior in dams. Additional assays focused on depression-associated behaviors, such as forced swim, anhedonia, and social preference, will further delineate behavioral mechanisms. Further research on the effects of environmental contaminant exposures during pregnancy should investigate how co-exposures to other risk factors, such as stress, may enhance behavioral toxicity. Understanding how environmental contaminant exposure during pregnancy effects maternal depression-associated, and/or “anxiety-like” behavior is necessary for the public health protection of women.
Different creep compound feed formulations for new born piglets: influence on growth performance and health parameters
Authors: Badaras Sarunas , Ruzauskas Modestas , Gruzauskas Romas , Zokaityte Egle , Starkute Vytaute , Klupsaite Dovile , Mockus Ernestas , Klementaviciute Jolita , Vadopalas Laurynas , Zokaityte Gintare , Dauksiene Agila , Bartkevics Vadims , Bartkiene Elena
Published: August 2022

The aim of this study was to compare the influence of different compositions of creep compound feed (CCF) (C-I – control group; TG-II – a CCF containing wheat bran extruded and fermented with L. paracasei; TG-III – a creep compound feed containing sugar beet pulp) on the piglets' growth performance, blood parameters, fecal microbial profile and physicochemical characteristics. Moreover, the fecal volatile compound (VC) profile was analyzed as a possible chemical marker related to changes in the fecal microbial profile and physicochemical characteristics. A 21-day experiment was conducted using 1-day-old 300 Large White/Norwegian Landrace piglets. The highest body weight (at the 21st day) was found in piglets of the TG-III group, and both treated groups showed lower feed conversion ratios. At the end of the experiment, significantly higher lactobacillus counts in the feces of both treated groups were found, and a correlation between fecal textural hardness and the lactobacillus count was established (r = 0.475). Significant correlations of piglets' individual fecal VC with microbiological parameters and fecal pH were established [lactobacilli with 3-n-nonadecanol-1; enterobacteria with butyric acid <2-methyl->; pentanoic acid, 4-methyl-; eicosene(E)-, etc.]. It can be concluded that local material could be successfully incorporated into CCF preparation without impairing animal metabolism.
Artificial Intelligence Algorithms for Treatment of Diabetes
Authors: Rashid Mudassir M. , Askari Mohammad Reza , Chen Canyu , Liang Yueqing , Shu Kai , Cinar Ali
Published: August 2022

Artificial intelligence (AI) algorithms can provide actionable insights for clinical decision-making and managing chronic diseases. The treatment and management of complex chronic diseases, such as diabetes, stands to benefit from novel AI algorithms analyzing the frequent real-time streaming data and the occasional medical diagnostics and laboratory test results reported in electronic health records (EHR). Novel algorithms are needed to develop trustworthy, responsible, reliable, and robust AI techniques that can handle the imperfect and imbalanced data of EHRs and inconsistencies or discrepancies with free-living self-reported information. The challenges and applications of AI for two problems in the healthcare domain were explored in this work. First, we introduced novel AI algorithms for EHRs designed to be fair and unbiased while accommodating privacy concerns in predicting treatments and outcomes. Then, we studied the innovative approach of using machine learning to improve automated insulin delivery systems through analyzing real-time information from wearable devices and historical data to identify informative trends and patterns in free-living data. Application examples in the treatment of diabetes demonstrate the benefits of AI tools for medical and health informatics.