bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Dance Movement Therapy for Clients With a Personality Disorder: A Systematic Review and Thematic Synthesis
Authors: Kleinlooh S. T. , Samaritter R. A. , van Rijn R. M. , Kuipers G. , Stubbe J. H
Published: March 2021

Background: People with a personality disorder (PD) suffer from enduring inflexible patterns in cognitions and emotions, leading to significant subjective distress, affecting both self and interpersonal functioning. In clinical practice, Dance Movement Therapy (DMT) is provided to clients with a PD, and although research continuously confirms the value of DMT for many populations, to date, there is very limited information available on DMT and PD. For this study, a systematic literature review on DMT and PD was conducted to identify the content of the described DMT interventions and the main treatment themes to focus upon in DMT for PD.

Methods: A systematic search was conducted across the following databases: EMBASE, MEDLINE, PubMed, WEB OF SCIENCE, PsycINFO/OVID, and SCOPUS following the PRISMA guidelines. The Critical Appraisal Skills Programme for qualitative studies was used to rank the quality of the articles. The Oxford Center for Evidence-based Medicine standards were applied to determine the hierarchical level of best evidence. Quantitative content analysis was used to identify the intervention components: intended therapeutic goals, therapeutic activities leading to these goals, and suggested therapeutic effects following from these activities. A thematic synthesis approach was applied to analyze and formulate overarching themes.

Results: Among 421 extracted articles, four expert opinions met the inclusion criteria. Six overarching themes were found for DMT interventions for PD: self-regulation, interpersonal relationships, integration of self, processing experiences, cognition, and expression and symbolization in movement/dance. No systematic descriptions of DMT interventions for PD were identified. A full series of intervention components could be synthesized for the themes of self-regulation, interpersonal relationships, and cognition. The use of body-oriented approaches and cognitive strategies was in favor of dance-informed approaches.

Conclusions: Dance movement therapists working with PD clients focus in their interventions on body-related experiences, non-verbal interpersonal relationships, and to a lesser extent, cognitive functioning. A methodological line for all intervention components was synthesized for the themes of self-regulation, interpersonal relationships, and cognition, of importance for developing systematic intervention descriptions. Future research could focus on practitioners' expertise in applying DMT interventions for PD to develop systematic intervention descriptions and explore the suitability of the identified themes for clinical application. Clients' experiences could offer essential insights on how DMT interventions could address PD pathology and specific PD categories.
Mitigating Effect of Psychological Capital on Employees’ Withdrawal Behavior in the Presence of Job Attitudes: Evidence From Five-Star Hotels in Malaysia
Authors: Yan Zhen , Mansor Zuraina D. , Choo Wei C. , Abdullah Abdul R.
Published: March 2021

High turnover rate is one of the striking features of the hotel industry and one of the most significant challenges. High turnover rate causes substantial costs for recruitment, selection and training in hotels, on the other hand, it also leads to negative consequences such as the decline of organizational performance and service quality. Thus, it is necessary to search for the root causes of turnover and put forward solutions. This study was designed to examine the impact of psychological capital (PsyCap), organizational commitment (OC), and job satisfaction (JS) on turnover intention among hotel employees. Additionally, it aimed to test the mediating roles of job satisfaction (JS) and organizational commitment (OC). The data were obtained from 228 hotel customer-contact employees with a time lag of two weeks in three waves in Kuala Lumpur based on convenience sampling. A series of structural equation modeling analyses were utilized to investigate hypothesized relationships. The results reveal that there exists a significant and negative impact of PsyCap on employees’ turnover intention and this correlation is partially mediated through two job attitudes. That is to say, to retain hotel talents, five-star hotel management should take proper measures to help employees obtain and maintain positive psychological resources such as PsyCap, on the other hand, how to cultivate positive job attitudes and strengthen their sense of identification and belonging for their organizations is supposed to be more focused on.
Adverse Childhood Experiences and Early Maladaptive Schemas as Predictors of Cyber Dating Abuse: An Actor-Partner Interdependence Mediation Model Approach
Authors: Celsi Laura , Paleari F. Giorgia , Fincham Frank D.
Published: March 2021

The increasing role that new technologies play in intimate relationships has led to the emergence of a new form of couple violence, cyber dating abuse, especially among adolescents and young adults. Although this phenomenon has received increased attention, no research has investigated predictors of cyber dating abuse taking into account the interdependence of the two partners. The study examines adverse childhood experiences (abuse, neglect, and witnessed intimate partner violence) and early maladaptive schemas (emotional deprivation and abandonment) as possible predictors of young adults’ perpetrated and suffered cyber dating abuse. Adopting a dyadic approach, mediational models in which adverse childhood experiences were assumed to be related to individual and partner’s cyber dating abuse through individual early maladaptive schemas were tested. 134 couples completed online self-reports of the variables of interest, including a bidimensional measure of cyber dating abuse assessing pressure-aggression and control-monitoring. Actor-partner interdependence mediation model analyses were conducted. Results indicated that the emotional deprivation schema mediated the association between adverse childhood experiences and cyber dating abuse, whereas the abandonment schema did not. Specifically, more frequent experiences of emotional abuse and physical neglect during childhood were indirectly related to increased likelihood of perpetrating cyber dating pressure-aggression as well as of perpetrating and suffering cyber dating control-monitoring in both males and females. These associations were mediated by a stronger internalization of the emotional deprivation schema and were supported by both self-reported and partner-reported data. Also, a strong and direct association was found between childhood exposure to intimate partner violence by the opposite-sex parent and cyber dating pressure-aggression by females or control-monitoring by both males and females. These findings help to clarify the potential negative effects of specific adverse childhood experiences and early maladaptive schemas on the tendency to perpetrate and suffer cyber abuse in romantic relationships. The implications for prevention and treatment programs are noted and avenues for future research are described.
Perceived Autobiographical Coherence Predicts Depressive Symptoms Over Time Through Positive Self–Concept
Authors: Hallford David John , Ricarte Jorge Javier , Hermans Dirk
Published: March 2021

The coherence of autobiographical memories plays an important role in psychological well-being, as borne out by recent studies. This study aimed to advance this understanding by assessing whether coherence predicted depressive symptoms over time in adults. Further, it aimed to specify mediators through which this association might occur, namely psychological resources of self-esteem self-efficacy, meaning in life, and optimism. A sample of 160 participants (M age = 26.4, SD = 3.2, 58.1% women) completed surveys at three time-points spaced 1 week apart. The surveys contained measures of the perceived coherence of life stories and autobiographical memories, psychological resources, and depressive symptoms. The results of a path analysis model, controlling for depressive symptoms at baseline, indicated that perceived causal coherence was the only unique predictor of later depressive symptoms, and that this occurred through positive self-concept, represented by self-esteem and self-efficacy. Limitations of the study include no examination of cultural background as a moderating factor and the short time-intervals. Overall, the findings provide further evidence that the perception of how events have unfolded and impacted on one's life and sense of self is particularly important in mitigating depressive symptoms. It extends on our understanding by showing this occurs through changes in self-concept.
The Negative Association Between Positive Psychological Wellbeing and Loss Aversion
Authors: Koan Ibuki , Nakagawa Takumi , Chen Chong , Matsubara Toshio , Lei Huijie , Hagiwara Kosuke , Hirotsu Masako , Yamagata Hirotaka , Nakagawa Shin
Published: March 2021

When making decisions, people tend to overweigh the impact of losses compared to gains, a phenomenon known as loss aversion (LA). A moderate amount of LA may be adaptive as it is necessary for protecting oneself from danger. However, excessive LA may leave people few opportunities and ultimately lead to suboptimal outcomes. Despite frequent reports of elevated LA in specific populations such as patients with depression, little is known about what psychological characteristics are associated with the tendency of LA. Based on the neurobiological studies of LA, we hypothesized that positive psychological wellbeing may be negatively associated with people's tendency of LA. In the present study, we set out to test this hypothesis in a sample of young adults. We evaluated LA using a decision-making task in which subjects were asked to decide whether to accept or reject a series of coin-toss gambles. Our results revealed that individuals with more advanced personal growth as assessed by the Ryff's Psychological Well-being Inventory showed reduced LA. To our knowledge, this is the first report demonstrating an association between positive psychological wellbeing and LA. These findings suggest that personal growth might be employed as interventional targets for correcting excessive LA in vulnerable populations.
The Validation and Further Development of the Multidimensional Cognitive Load Scale for Physical and Online Lectures (MCLS-POL)
Authors: Andersen Martin S. , Makransky Guido
Published: March 2021

Cognitive load theory (CLT) has been widely used to help understand the process of learning and to design teaching interventions. The Cognitive Load Scale (CLS) developed by Leppink and colleagues has emerged as one of the most validated and widely used self-report measures of intrinsic load (IL), extraneous load (EL), and germane load (GL). In this paper we investigated an expansion of the CLS by using a multidimensional conceptualization of the EL construct that is relevant for physical and online teaching environments. The Multidimensional Cognitive Load Scale for Physical and Online Lectures (MCLS-POL) goes beyond the CLS's operationalization of EL by expanding the EL component which originally included factors related to instructions/explanations with sub-dimensions including EL stemming from noises, and EL stemming from both media and devices within the environment. Through three studies, we investigated the reliability, and internal and external validity of the MCLS-POL using the Partial Credit Model, Confirmatory Factor Analysis, and differences between students either attending a lecture physically or online (Study 2 and 3). The results of Study 1 (N = 250) provide initial evidence for the validity and reliability of the MCLS-POL within a higher education sample, but also highlighted several potential improvements which could be made to the measure. These changes were made before re-evaluating the validity and reliability of the measure in a new sample of higher education psychology students (N = 140, Study 2), and psychological testing students (N = 119, Study 3). Together the studies provide evidence for a multidimensional conceptualization cognitive load and provide evidence of the validity, reliability, and sensitivity of the MCLS-POL and provide suggestions for future research directions.
Babyface: Performance and Installation Art Exploring the Feminine Ideal in Gendered Machines
Authors: Ladenheim Kate , LaViers Amy
Published: March 2021

Representations of gender in new technologies like the Siri, Pepper, and Sophia robotic assistants, as well as the commodification of features associated with gender on platforms like Instagram, inspire questions about how and whether robotic tools can have gender and what it means to people if they do. One possible response to this is through artistic creation of dance performance. This paper reports on one such project where, along the route to this inquiry, creation of machine augmentation – of both the performer and audience member – was necessary to communicate the artistic ideas grappled with therein. Thus, this article describes the presentation ofBabyface, a machine-augmented, participatory contemporary dance performance. This work is a reaction to feminized tropes in popular media and modern technology, and establishes a parallel between the ways that women and machines are talked about, treated, and – in the case of machines – designed to look and behave. This paper extends prior reports on the creation of this piece and its accompanying devices to describe extensions with audience member participation, and reflect on the responses of these audience members. These fabricated elements alongside the actions of the performer and a soundscape that quotes statements made by real “female” robots create an otherwordly, sad cyborg character that causes viewers to question their assumptions about and pressures on the feminine ideal.
Investigating Tissue Mechanics in vitro Using Untethered Soft Robotic Microdevices
Authors: Parreira Raquel , Özelçi Ece , Sakar Mahmut Selman
Published: March 2021

This paper presents the design, fabrication, and operation of a soft robotic compression device that is remotely powered by laser illumination. We combined the rapid and wireless response of hybrid nanomaterials with state-of-the-art microengineering techniques to develop machinery that can apply physiologically relevant mechanical loading. The passive hydrogel structures that constitute the compliant skeleton of the machines were fabricated using single-step in situ polymerization process and directly incorporated around the actuators without further assembly steps. Experimentally validated computational models guided the design of the compression mechanism. We incorporated a cantilever beam to the prototype for life-time monitoring of mechanical properties of cell clusters on optical microscopes. The mechanical and biochemical compatibility of the chosen materials with living cells together with the on-site manufacturing process enable seamless interfacing of soft robotic devices with biological specimen.
Spots and Flares in Hot Main Sequence Stars Observed by Kepler, K2, and TESS
Authors: Balona Luis A.
Published: March 2021

About 22,000 Kepler stars, 7,000 K2 stars, and nearly 60,000 TESS stars from sectors 1–24 have been classified according to variability type. A large proportion of stars of all spectral types appear to have periods in their light curves consistent with the expected rotation periods. A previous analysis of A- and late B-type stars suggests that these stars are indeed rotational variables. In this paper we have accumulated data to show that rotational modulation is present in about 30–40% of A- and B-type stars. A search for flares in TESS A- and B-type stars resulted in the detection of 102 flares in 57 stars. Analysis of flare energies show that the source of the flares cannot be a cool dwarf companion nor a F/G giant. The realization that a considerable fraction of A- and B-type stars are active indicates that a revision of current concepts regarding hot star envelopes is required.
Agro-Industrial Residues: Eco-Friendly and Inexpensive Substrates for Microbial Pigments Production
Authors: Lopes Fernanda Cortez , Ligabue-Braun Rodrigo
Published: March 2021

Many commodities are abundantly produced around the world, including soybean, corn, rice sugarcane, cassava, coffee, fruits, and many others. These productions are responsible for the generation of enormous amounts of daily residues, such as cassava and sugarcane bagasses, rice husk, and coffee peel. These residues are rich sources for renewable energy and can be used as substrates for industrial interest products. Microorganisms are useful biofactories, capable of producing important primary and secondary metabolites, including alcohol, enzymes, antibiotics, pigments, and many other molecules. The production of pigments was reported in bacteria, filamentous fungi, yeasts, and algae. These natural microbial pigments are very promising because synthetic colorants present a long history of allergies and toxicity. In addition, many natural pigments present other biological activities, such as antioxidant and antimicrobial activities, that are interesting for industrial applications. The use of inexpensive substrates for the production of these metabolites is very attractive, considering that agro-industrial residues are generated in high amounts and usually are a problem to the industry. Therefore, in this article we review the production of microbial pigments using agro-industrial residues during the current decade (2010–2020), considering both submerged and solid state fermentations, wild-type and genetically modified microorganisms, laboratorial to large-scale bioprocesses, and other possible biological activities related to these pigments.
High Phosphorus Acquisition and Allocation Strategy Is Associated with Soybean Seed Yield under Water- and P-Limited Conditions
Authors: Feng Yun-Yin , He Jin , Jin Yi , Li Feng-Min
Published: March 2021

Both water stress and P deficit limit soybean seed yield, but the effects of water regimes and P application rates, their interaction on P status, acquisition, and partitioning, and their roles in yield performance have not been well-studied. Two soybean genotypes (Huangsedadou (HD) and Zhonghuang 30 (ZH)) with contrasting seed yield and root dry weight (DW) were used to investigate the P status, P acquisition, P partitioning, and yield formation under two water regimes (well-watered (WW) and cyclic water stress (WS)) and three P rates (0 (P0), 60 (P60), and 120 (P120) mg P kg−1 dry soil). The results show that increased P and water supply increased the seed yield, shoot and root DW and P concentrations and accumulations in different organs. Cultivar ZH had a significantly higher seed yield than HD at P60 and P120 under WS and at P0 under WW, but a lower seed yield at P60 and P120 under WW. Cultivar ZH had a significantly higher P harvest index and P acquisition efficiency, but a significantly lower shoot and root DW than HD. The interaction between water treatments and P rates had significant effects on leaf and stem P concentration. Cultivar ZH had significantly lower P partitioning to leaves and stems but significantly higher P partitioning to seeds than HD. The seed yield was positively correlated with leaf and seed P accumulations and P acquisition efficiency under WS. We conclude that (1) adequate water supply improved the P mobilization from leaves and stems at maturity, which may have improved the seed yield; and (2) the high P acquisition efficiency is coordination to high P partition to seeds to produce a high seed yield under water- and P-limited conditions.
Chinese Public Attitudes towards, and Knowledge of, Animal Welfare
Authors: Carnovale Francesca , Jin Xiao , Arney David , Descovich Kris , Guo Wenliang , Shi Binlin , Phillips Clive J. C.
Published: March 2021

Food-producing animals make up the majority of animals that humans manage globally, and China has been a major producer and exporter of animal products since the late 1990s. The opinions of the population in China regarding animal welfare are not as well understood as those in Europe. In China, animal welfare as a societal concern is still at an early stage of development. This survey of Chinese attitudes aimed to understand consumer knowledge of and behaviour towards animal welfare, and to determine whether harnessing consumer interests may be a potential future influence on the development of high-welfare agricultural production. Most participants were not aware of the meaning of animal welfare, but the number of those that were aware was higher than reported previously. The welfare of wild animals was rated particularly important compared to other animals. The links between welfare and the taste and/or safety of food were considered to be important, and Chinese consumers reported a willingness to pay more for food from animals produced in good welfare conditions, although the quality of the food was considered more important than the animal suffering. A large majority of the respondents reported that there should be legislation protecting animals and certification of welfare on farms, that animals on farms should be provided with enjoyable experiences and that transportation times should be minimised. Furthermore, most respondents reported that animals should be stunned before slaughter. We conclude that animal welfare is of importance to the Chinese consumer, in particular because of its connection to food quality.
Indigenous Slaughter Techniques: Effects on Meat Physico-Chemical Characteristics of Nguni Goats
Authors: Mdletshe Zwelethu Mfanafuthi , Chimonyo Michael , Mapiye Cletos
Published: March 2021

To improve goat meat quality in rural communities, it is important to evaluate the effects of indigenous slaughter methods used by resource-limited farmers when performing traditional ceremonies on the meat physico-chemical characteristics. The current study assessed the effects of the meat physico-chemical characteristics of Nguni goats slaughtered with the transverse neck incision (TNI), suprasternal notch piercing (SNP) and the under shoulder blade piercing at the chest floor point of elbow (CFP) to the direction of the heart methods. Thirty Nguni weathers were randomly assigned to three slaughter treatments (10 goats/treatment). Musculus longissimus thoracis et lumborum (LTL) was sampled at post-mortem for physico-chemical characteristic measurements. Meat from wethers slaughtered with the SNP method had greater ultimate pH values than meat from wethers slaughtered with TNI and CFP slaughter methods. Wethers slaughtered with the SNP method had lower meat redness (a*), yellowness (b*), and chroma (C*) values than those slaughtered with TNI and CFP slaughter methods. Goat slaughter method did not affect meat drip loss, water holding capacity, cooking loss and shear force. Overall, Nguni wethers slaughtered with the TNI and CFP methods produced chevon with fresher meat appearance than those slaughtered using the SNP method.
Processing Matters in Nutrient-Matched Laboratory Diets for Mice—Microbiome
Authors: Wenderlein Jasmin , Böswald Linda F. , Ulrich Sebastian , Kienzle Ellen , Neuhaus Klaus , Lagkouvardos Ilias , Zenner Christian , Straubinger Reinhard K.
Published: March 2021

The composition of the microbiome is subject to the host’s diet. In commercial laboratory mouse diets, different physical forms of the same diets are available, containing—according to their labels—identical ingredients and nutrient compositions. However, variations in nutrient composition and starch gelatinization due to production processes and their impact on digestibility have been described. In this study, a total of 48 C57BL/J6 mice were assigned to two equal groups and were fed diets (produced with different processes—extruded vs. pelleted) for eight weeks in two biological replicates. At the end of the experiment, samples were collected from five different gastrointestinal regions, including the stomach, small intestine, cecum, large intestine, and an extracorporeal region (feces), and the microbiome was analyzed with 16S rRNA gene amplicon sequencing. The replicates in both experiments differed significantly in their relative abundances of Muribaculaceae species. Furthermore, the gastrointestinal content of pellet-fed mice contained larger numbers of Lactobacillus species. These results indicate that starch gelatinization and ingredient composition significantly influence microbial makeup. In conclusion, different feed processing methods may affect fundamental digestive and metabolic processes, impacting animal experiments and biasing microbiome data.
Smart Feeding Unit for Measuring the Pecking Force in Farmed Broilers
Authors: Seber Rogério Torres , Moura Daniella Jorge de , Lima Nilsa Duarte da Silva , Nääs Irenilza de Alencar
Published: March 2021

Feeding is one of the most critical processes in the broiler production cycle. A feeder can collect data of force signals and continuously transform it into information about birds’ feed intake and quickly permit more agile and more precise decision-making concerning the broiler farm’s production process. A smart feeding unit (SFU) prototype was developed to evaluate the broiler pecking force and average feed intake per pecking (g/min). The prototype consisted of a power supply unit with a data acquisition module, management software connected to a computer for data storage, and a video camera to verify the pecking force during signal processing. In the present study, seven male Cobb-500 broilers were raised in an experimental chamber to test and commission the prototype. The prototype consisted of a feeding unit (feeder) with a data acquisition module (amplifier), with real-time integration for testing and intuitive operation with Catman Easy software connected to a computer to obtain and store data from signals. The sampling of average feed intake per pecking per broiler (g) was conducted during the first minute of feeding, subtracting the amount of feed provided per the amount of feed consumed, including the count of pecking in the first minute of feeding. An equation was used for estimating the average feed intake per pecking per broiler (g). The results showed that the average broiler pecking force was 1.39 N, with a minimum value of 0.04 N and a maximum value of 7.29 N. The average feed intake per pecking (FIP) was 0.13 g, with an average of 173 peckings per minute. The acquisition, processing, and classification of signals in the pecking force information were valuable during broilers’ feeding. The smart feeding unit prototype for broilers was efficient in the continuous assessment of feed intake and can generate information for estimating broiler performance.
How Is Wildlife Affected by the COVID-19 Pandemic? Lockdown Effect on the Road Mortality of Hedgehogs
Authors: Łopucki Rafał , Kitowski Ignacy , Perlińska-Teresiak Magdalena , Klich Daniel
Published: March 2021

Globally, wildlife is affected by unprecedented changes related to the COVID-19 pandemic. In this paper, the lockdown effect on the traffic-related mortality in hedgehogs in an urban area was studied. Comparing the pre-pandemic (2018 and 2019) and pandemic (2020) years, we showed that hedgehog roadkill levels during the lockdown period were over 50% lower (which means a decrease greater than the decrease in road traffic in the same period measured by the number of accidents or the average number of vehicles per day). Based on literature data, we showed that this may mean at least tens of thousands of hedgehogs have survived on a national scale. We report the need to start intensive research on the possible demographic and genetic effects of this unique phenomenon. We also ask how stable the effect of the COVID-19 pandemic will be on wildlife and whether the lockdown (which is an anthropause) may reverse the negative trends in the decline in the number of wild species, including hedgehogs.
Topical Application of Lidocaine and Bupivacaine to Disbudding Wounds in Dairy Calves: Safety, Toxicology and Wound Healing
Authors: Sheil Meredith , Chambers Michael , Polkinghorne Adam , Sharpe Brendan
Published: March 2021

Tri-Solfen® is a combination topical anaesthetic and antiseptic solution containing lidocaine, bupivacaine, adrenaline and cetrimide. Applied to wounds, it is reported to reduce the pain experienced by calves following thermocautery disbudding. While lidocaine and bupivacaine are widely used in medicine, conflicting data exist on the impact of these compounds when applied directly to the surgical wound. To investigate the safety of Tri-Solfen® applied to thermocautery disbudding wounds of calves, experiments were performed to measure (i) the safety of Tri-Solfen® (including in overdose situations); and (ii) the impact of Tri-Solfen® application at recommended doses on disbudding wound healing under field conditions. Haematological, biochemical and urinalysis parameters did not show clinically significant differences between placebo and Tri-Solfen® groups (1×, 3× and 5× dose). No adverse health impacts were reported. Histopathological analysis of wounds noted a reduction in bacterial colonies in Tri-Solfen®-treated wounds. Under field conditions, no negative impacts on wound healing were noted. Conversely, there was reduced incidence of abnormal wounds, with an associated trend toward improved average daily gain at days 11–12 in Tri-Solfen®-treated animals. These data are considered to support the safety of topical anaesthesia, as formulated in Tri-Solfen®, to the thermocautery disbudding wound in calves.
Genomic Characterization of Antimicrobial Resistance in Food Chain and Livestock-Associated Salmonella Species
Authors: Mthembu Thobeka P. , Zishiri Oliver T. , El Zowalaty Mohamed E.
Published: March 2021

The rising trend of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) by foodborne bacteria is a public health concern as these pathogens are easily transmitted to humans through the food chain. Non-typhoid Salmonella spp. is one of the leading foodborne pathogens which infect humans worldwide and is associated with food and livestock. Due to the lack of discovery of new antibiotics and the pressure exerted by antimicrobial resistance in the pharmaceutical industry, this review aimed to address the issue of antibiotic use in livestock which leads to AMR in Salmonella. Much attention was given to resistance to carbapenems and colistin which are the last-line antibiotics used in cases of multi drug resistant bacterial infections. In the present review, we highlighted data published on antimicrobial resistant Salmonella species and serovars associated with livestock and food chain animals. The importance of genomic characterization of carbapenem and colistin resistant Salmonella in determining the relationship between human clinical isolates and food animal isolates was also discussed in this review. Plasmids, transposons, and insertion sequence elements mediate dissemination of not only AMR genes but also genes for resistance to heavy metals and disinfectants, thus limiting the therapeutic options for treatment and control of Salmonella. Genes for resistance to colistin (mcr-1 to mcr-9) and carbapenem (blaVIM-1, blaDNM-1, and blaNDM-5) have been detected from poultry, pig, and human Salmonella isolates, indicating food animal-associated AMR which is a threat to human public health. Genotyping, plasmid characterization, and phylogenetic analysis is important in understanding the epidemiology of livestock-related Salmonella so that measures of preventing foodborne threats to humans can be improved.
Reproductive Seasonality Affects In Vitro Embryo Production Outcomes in Adult Goats
Authors: Souza-Fabjan Joanna M.G. , Correia Lucas F.L. , Batista Ribrio I.T.P. , Locatelli Yann , Freitas Vicente J.F. , Mermillod Pascal
Published: March 2021

Reproductive seasonality may have a considerable influence on the efficiency of assisted reproductive technologies in seasonal species. This study evaluated the effect of season on cleavage, blastocyst rates and quality of in vitro produced (IVP) goat embryos. In total, 2348 cumulus–oocyte complexes (COCs) were recovered from slaughterhouse ovaries and subjected to the same IVP system throughout 1.5 years (49 replicates). The odds ratio (OR) among seasons was calculated from values of cleavage and blastocyst rates in each season. Cleavage rate was lower (p < 0.05) in spring (anestrus), in comparison with either autumn (peak of breeding season) or summer, while the winter had intermediate values. Furthermore, lower OR of cleavage was observed in spring. Blastocyst formation rate (from initial number of COCs) was higher (p < 0.05) in autumn (52 ± 2.5%) when compared with the other seasons (combined rates: 40 ± 1.9%). Moreover, its OR was higher (p < 0.05) in autumn compared to all other seasons and impaired in the spring compared to winter (OR: 0.54) and summer (OR: 0.48). Embryo hatchability and blastocyst cell number were similar (p > 0.05) among seasons. In conclusion, the breeding season leads to improved oocyte developmental competence, resulting in higher cleavage and blastocyst yield, whereas embryo quality remained similar throughout the years.
A Cell-Free Screen for Bacterial Membrane Disruptors Identifies Mefloquine as a Novel Antibiotic Adjuvant
Authors: Podoll Jessica , Olson Justin , Wang Wei , Wang Xiang
Published: March 2021

Antibacterial discovery efforts have lagged far behind the need for new antibiotics. An approach that has gained popularity recently is targeting bacterial phospholipid membranes. We leveraged the differences between bacterial and mammalian phospholipid compositions to develop a high-throughput screen that identifies agents that selectively disrupt bacterial membranes while leaving mammalian membranes intact. This approach was used to screen 4480 compounds representing a subset of the Maybridge HitFinderTM V.11 Collection and the Prestwick Chemical Drug Library®. The screen identified 35 “positives” (0.8% hit rate) that preferentially damage bacterial model membranes. Among these, an antimalarial compound, mefloquine, and an aminoglycoside, neomycin, were identified. Further investigation of mefloquine’s activity against Staphylococcus aureus showed that it has little antibiotic activity on its own but can alter membrane fluidity, thereby potentiating a β-lactam antibiotic, oxacillin, against both methicillin-susceptible and methicillin-resistant S. aureus. This study indicates that our cell-free screening approach is a promising platform for discovering bacterial membrane disruptors as antibacterials antibiotic adjuvants.
Dynamic Disturbance and Error Analysis of Flexible Support System for Large Optical Mirror Processing
Authors: Jin Zujin , Cheng Gang , Xu Shichang , Gu Wei
Published: March 2021

To improve the accuracy of a flexible support system (FSS) used for optical mirror processing, the influence of air content in the working medium and ambient temperature change on the FSS is analyzed and studied. First, the disturbance model of the FSS and single support cylinder affected by different air contents in the working medium and ambient temperature is established, and the mapping relationship between the influencing factors and the affected factors is analyzed. Then, the effects of ambient temperature change on volume, support height, and support pressure for different air contents are simulated and analyzed separately. The results of the simulation obtained show that when the working medium is mixed with different volume fractions of air and the ambient temperature changes, upper and lower chamber volumes, support rigidity, and support height of the support cylinder are also changed. Finally, an experimental study of pressure changes in the upper and lower chambers, support height, and support rigidity changes at different ambient temperatures and air contents are carried out. By measuring the support height, support pressure, and support rigidity error, the effectiveness of the established mathematical disturbance model of FSS is further verified. It not only provides a theoretical basis for improving the support accuracy of the FSS but also provides a foundation for the application of the FSS in the processing stage of large optical mirrors.
Damage Evolution Analysis in a “Spaghetti” Bridge Model Using the Acoustic Emission Technique
Authors: Rojo Tanzi Boris Nahuel , Sobczyk Mario , Becker Tiago , Segovia González Luis Alberto , Vantadori Sabrina , Iturrioz Ignacio , Lacidogna Giuseppe
Published: March 2021

This paper applies the Acoustic Emission (AE) Technique to analyze the damage process in a one-meter span bridge model that was built from spaghetti sticks during a loading test. The AE signals are analyzed in terms of four coefficients that are evaluated as predictors of structure failure, with frequency variation appearing to be the strongest indicator of instability. The AE data are also compared to theoretical predictions that are given by the Bundle Model, confirming that underlying general patterns in damage processes are highly influenced by the geometric distribution of the structure and the loading pattern that is applied to it.
Head–Neck Cancer Delineation
Authors: Lo Faso Enrico Antonio , Gambino Orazio , Pirrone Roberto
Published: March 2021

Head–Neck Cancer (HNC) has a relevant impact on the oncology patient population and for this reason, the present review is dedicated to this type of neoplastic disease. In particular, a collection of methods aimed at tumor delineation is presented, because this is a fundamental task to perform efficient radiotherapy. Such a segmentation task is often performed on uni-modal data (usually Positron Emission Tomography (PET)) even though multi-modal images are preferred (PET-Computerized Tomography (CT)/PET-Magnetic Resonance (MR)). Datasets can be private or freely provided by online repositories on the web. The adopted techniques can belong to the well-known image processing/computer-vision algorithms or the newest deep learning/artificial intelligence approaches. All these aspects are analyzed in the present review and comparison among various approaches is performed. From the present review, the authors draw the conclusion that despite the encouraging results of computerized approaches, their performance is far from handmade tumor delineation result.
Sound-Absorbing and Thermal-Insulating Properties of Cement Composite Based on Recycled Rubber from Waste Tires
Authors: Svoboda Jakub , Dvorský Tomáš , Václavík Vojtěch , Charvát Jakub , Máčalová Kateřina , Heviánková Silvie , Janurová Eva
Published: March 2021

This article describes an experimental study aimed at investigating the potential use of recycled rubber granulate from waste tires of fractions 0/1 and 1/3 mm in cement composites as a 100% replacement for natural aggregates. The use of waste in the development and production of new building materials represents an important aspect for the sustainability and protection of the environment. This article is focused on the sound-absorbing and thermal-insulating properties of experimental cement composites based on recycled rubber from waste tires. The article describes the grain characteristics of recycled rubber, sound absorption capacity, thermal conductivity and strength characteristics. The results of this research show that the total replacement of natural aggregate with recycled rubber in cement composites is possible. Replacing natural aggregate with recycled rubber has significantly improved the thermal and acoustic properties of the prepared cement composites, however, at the same time; there was also the expected decrease in the strength characteristics due to the elasticity of rubber.
A Novel Multi-Criteria Sorting Model Based on AHP-Entropy Grey Clustering for Dealing with Uncertain Incoming Core Quality in Remanufacturing Systems
Authors: Mustajib Mohamad Imron , Ciptomulyono Udisubakti , Kurniati Nani
Published: March 2021

Remanufacturing is a key pillar of a circular economy and helps in recovering used products by extending their life cycle via remanufacturing them into new products. A vital aspect in a remanufacturing system is the quality assessment of incoming worn-out products (cores) prior to remanufacturing to ensure that non-conforming cores are discarded at an early stage in order to avoid unnecessary processing. Therefore, quality sorting plays an important role in core acquisition for remanufacturing systems when attempting to mitigate uncertain incoming core quality as an immediate solution. The main problem is that it is difficult to acquire the important information required to decide on the sorting of incoming cores, such as the core quality. The data are also commonly limited, not always available, or inaccurate. Grey systems are powerful methods in decision making when handling uncertainty with small data. In this paper, we consider the usefulness of grey systems for handling uncertain quality information for sorting incoming cores in a remanufacturing system. For this reason, we propose a multi-criteria quality sorting model based on an analytical hierarchy process (AHP)-entropy model that is coupled with grey clustering using possibility functions. The quality criteria for sorting the incoming cores are considered according to the technological, physical, and usage conditions. To demonstrate the practical contribution of this research, a case study of the quality sorting problem with a heavy-duty equipment remanufacturer is presented. The proposed model consistently classifies the quality of used hydraulic cylinders into two grey classes.
[99mTc]Tc-Sestamibi Bioaccumulation Can Induce Apoptosis in Breast Cancer Cells: Molecular and Clinical Perspectives
Authors: Urbano Nicoletta , Scimeca Manuel , Bonfiglio Rita , Mauriello Alessandro , Bonanno Elena , Schillaci Orazio
Published: March 2021

The aim of this study was to investigate the possible role of [99mTc]Tc-Sestamibi in the regulation of cancer cell proliferation and apoptosis. To this end, the in vivo values of [99mTc]Tc-Sestamibi uptake have been associated with the in-situ expression of both Ki67 and caspase-3. For in vitro investigations, BT-474 cells were incubated with three different concentrations of [99mTc]Tc-Sestamibi: 10 µg/mL, 1 µg/mL, and 0.1 µg/mL. Expression of caspase-3 and Ki67, as well as the ultrastructure of cancer cells, was evaluated at T0 and after 24, 48, 72, and 120 h after [99mTc]Tc-Sestamibi incubation. Ex vivo data strengthened the known association between sestamibi uptake and Ki67 expression. Linear regression analysis showed a significant association between sestamibi uptake and the number of apoptotic cells evaluated as caspase-3-positive breast cancer cells. As concerning the in vitro data, a significant decrease of the proliferation index was observed in breast cancer cells incubated with a high concentration of [99mTc]Tc-Sestamibi (10 µg/mL). Amazingly, a significant increase in caspase-3-positive cells in cultures incubated with 10 µg/mL [99mTc]Tc-Sestamibi was observed. This study suggested the possible role of sestamibi in the regulation of pathophysiological processes involved in breast cancer.
Effect of Limb-Specific Resistance Training on Central and Peripheral Artery Stiffness in Young Adults: A Pilot Study
Authors: Kim Minyoung , Lee Ruda , Kang Nyeonju , Hwang Moon-Hyon
Published: March 2021

This study aimed to investigate the effect of limb-specific resistance training on arterial stiffness in young adults. Twenty-four participants were randomly assigned to three groups: upper-limb resistance training (n = 8 (URT)), lower-limb resistance training (n = 8 (LRT)), and control group (n = 8 (CON)). Both URT and LRT groups performed the limb-specific resistance training at 70–80% of one-repetition maximum twice a week for 8 weeks. The aortic pulse wave velocity and augmentation index (AIx) were measured by the SphygmoCor XCEL to assess central artery stiffness. Peripheral artery stiffness was evaluated by brachial to radial artery pulse wave velocity (ArmPWV) and femoral to posterior tibial artery pulse wave velocity (LegPWV) using Doppler flowmeters. URT significantly reduced AIx (4.7 ± 3.0 vs. 0.3 ± 2.9%, pre vs. post, P = 0.01), and ArmPWV presented a tendency to decrease following URT (10.4 ± 0.3 vs. 8.6 ± 0.8 m/s, pre vs. post, P = 0.06). LRT showed no negative influence on central and peripheral artery stiffness. Changes in serum triglyceride and leg lean body mass after resistance training were significantly associated with changes in AIx and LegPWV, respectively. URT is beneficial in decreasing central artery wave reflection and may help to improve local peripheral artery stiffness even in healthy young adults.
Designing and Analyzing 3D-Printed Personal Steering Controller for Outdoor Electric-Powered Wheelchair Users: A Randomized Controlled Trial on Stroke Patients
Authors: Heo Seoyoon , Choi Wansuk
Published: March 2021

While the physical conditions of stroke patients are diverse, the joystick-type steering controller of the electric-powered wheelchair (EPW) is almost the same, making the user uncomfortable and not fully utilizing the function of the wheelchair. The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of the EPW steering controller, specifically the so-called joystick type (3DSC; 3D-printed steering controller, conventional steering controllers; CSC), on surface electromyography (sEMG), Wheelchair Skills Test 4.2 (WST), and QUEST 2.0. The participants were 23 hemiplegic stroke patients (14 males and 9 females) (range 40–65 years) recruited from multi-center process. The 3DSC manufacturing process used a scanner (Precision Laser Probe SLP-500) and a modelling program (SOLIDWORKS 2015). The CSC users’ muscle activities were generally higher than those of the 3DSC users in both males and females (p < 0.05). WST total performance score of CSC is statistically significantly lower than those of 3DSC for both males (3DSC = 49.28 ± 2.19; CSC = 42.85 ± 4.31) (z = −3.935; p < 0.05) and females (3DSC = 48.17 ± 0.44; CSC = 41.11 ± 0.78) (z = −1.910; p < 0.05). QUEST 2.0 scores in CSC (male = 2.40 ± 0.70; female = 2.11 ± 0.78) were significantly lower than those of 3DSC (male = 3.50 ± 0.85; female = 2.90 ± 0.51) in effectiveness categories (p < 0.05). We suggest that 3DSC contributes to reducing the user’s muscle activities and raising the scores of WST performance and QUEST.
A Compensatory Fuzzy Logic Model in Technical Trading
Authors: Rodríguez-Cándido Norma P. , Espin-Andrade Rafael A. , Solares Efrain , Pedrycz Witold
Published: March 2021

This work presents a novel approach to prediction of financial asset prices. Its main contribution is the combination of compensatory fuzzy logic and the classical technical analysis to build an efficient prediction model. The interpretability properties of the model allow its users to incorporate and consider virtually any set of rules from technical analysis, in addition to the investors’ knowledge related to the actual market conditions. This knowledge can be incorporated into the model in the form of subjective assessments made by investors. Such assessments can be obtained, for example, from the graphical analysis commonly performed by traders. The effectiveness of the model was assessed through its systematic application in the stock and cryptocurrency markets. From the results, we conclude that when the model shows a high degree of recommendation, the actual financial assets show high effectiveness.