bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
New Targeted Therapies and Combinations of Treatments for Cervical, Endometrial, and Ovarian Cancers: A Year in Review
Authors: Gheorghe Adelina Silvana , Dumitrescu Elena Adriana , Komporaly Isabela Anda , Mihăilă Raluca Ioana , Lungulescu Cristian Virgil , Stănculeanu Dana Lucia
Published: April 2022

This review of the meaningful data from 2021 on cervical, endometrial, and ovarian cancers aims to provide an update of the most clinically relevant studies presented at important oncologic congresses during the year (the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) Annual Meeting, the European Society for Medical Oncology (ESMO) Congress and the Society of Gynecologic Oncology (SGO) Annual Meeting). Despite the underlying existence of the COVID-19 pandemic, the last year has been notable in terms of research, with significant and promising advances in gynecological malignancies. Several major studies reporting the effects of innovative therapies for patients with cervical, endometrial, and ovarian cancers might change the medical practice in the future.
Assessment of Maxillary Molars Interradicular Septum Morphological Characteristics as Criteria for Ideal Immediate Implant Placement—The Advantages of Cone Beam Computed Tomography Analysis
Authors: Pavlovic Zlata Rajkovic , Milanovic Pavle , Vasiljevic Milica , Jovicic Nemanja , Arnaut Aleksandra , Colic Djurdjina , Petrovic Marijana , Stevanovic Momir , Selakovic Dragica , Rosic Gvozden
Published: April 2022

The aim of this study was to evaluate the interradicular septum bone morphometric characteristics using cone beam computed tomography (CBCT) images, as well as to establish quantitative shortcuts to allow clinicians to make a faster and more reliable plan for immediate implant placement in the maxillary molars area. This retrospective quantitative study was conducted on CBCT images obtained from 100 patients. The morphometric analysis of the maxillary molars region was based on the parameters obtained on the sagittal and axial slices. The analysis performed on sagittal slices showed that the first maxillary molars had a wider interradicular septum when compared to the second molars, but the septum height in the first molars was significantly below the height in the second maxillary molars. The axial CBCT slices analysis showed that both interradicular septum perimeter and surface area were significantly more pronounced in the first than in the second maxillary molars. The interradicular furcation angle significantly correlated with the surface area (positively) and septum height (negatively) for both molars. The results of this study may recommend CBCT image analysis as a useful tool in predefining the circumstances that can allow for substantially better planning of immediate implant placement procedures in the region of maxillary molars.
The Relationship between Professional Environmental Factors and Teacher Professional Development in Israeli Schools
Authors: Hilel Anat , Ramírez-García Antonia
Published: April 2022

(1) Background: This paper examines the elements essential to effective teacher professional development (TPD) and the relationship between various professional environmental factors (professional learning community perceptions, self-efficacy, professional identity, principal’s transformation leadership patterns), TDP in primary education schools, and TDP prediction. (2) Methods: Data were collected during the 2020 school year from 412 teachers in primary education schools in five Israeli districts. The professional learning community, self-efficacy, professional identity, transformation leadership patterns, and TPD scales were used to collect data. Descriptive statistics, Pearson moment-product correlation, and multiple regression analysis were used for data analysis. (3) Results: Overall, participants’ TPD was high (4.12 ± 0.83). Statistically significant correlations were observed between TPD and four independent variables (0.41–0.64; p < 0.0001). No significant associations were seen between TPD and work-related characteristics. TPD differences were observed in participants with different educational levels (F = 4.63; p = 0.003). Higher TPD levels were predicted by perceptions of the principal’s transformation leadership patterns, self-efficacy, the professional learning community, and education (F-ratio = 57.85; adjusted R2 = 0.50; p < 0.001). Conclusions: The present study attests to the importance of the school principal’s leadership patterns for TPD, alongside the contribution of self-efficacy, professional learning community, and professional identity.
A Five Convolutional Layer Deep Convolutional Neural Network for Plant Leaf Disease Detection
Authors: Pandian J. Arun , Kanchanadevi K. , Kumar V. Dhilip , Jasińska Elżbieta , Goňo Radomír , Leonowicz Zbigniew , Jasiński Michał
Published: April 2022

In this research, we proposed a Deep Convolutional Neural Network (DCNN) model for image-based plant leaf disease identification using data augmentation and hyperparameter optimization techniques. The DCNN model was trained on an augmented dataset of over 240,000 images of different healthy and diseased plant leaves and backgrounds. Five image augmentation techniques were used: Generative Adversarial Network, Neural Style Transfer, Principal Component Analysis, Color Augmentation, and Position Augmentation. The random search technique was used to optimize the hyperparameters of the proposed DCNN model. This research shows the significance of choosing a suitable number of layers and filters in DCNN development. Moreover, the experimental outcomes illustrate the importance of data augmentation techniques and hyperparameter optimization techniques. The performance of the proposed DCNN was calculated using different performance metrics such as classification accuracy, precision, recall, and F1-Score. The experimental results show that the proposed DCNN model achieves an average classification accuracy of 98.41% on the test dataset. Moreover, the overall performance of the proposed DCNN model was better than that of advanced transfer learning and machine learning techniques. The proposed DCNN model is useful in the identification of plant leaf diseases.
On the Reuse of a Matching Network for IoT Devices Operating at 900 MHz Embedding Antenna Boosters
Authors: Gui Jaime , Andújar Aurora , Anguera Jaume
Published: April 2022

The Internet of Things (IoT) is evolving rapidly, enabling more new applications than ever before. Some radio systems in the IoT space used to connect things with things operate at the 863–928 MHz frequency band (e.g., LoRa, ISM). IoT wireless devices at 900 MHz need an efficient antenna to send data into the cloud, and ensure range and long battery life. Moreover, the antenna should be easy to use across different device sizes. In this regard, antenna booster technology is proposed, which relies on a tiny element called an antenna booster, able to excite radiation currents on the ground plane of the IoT device. The antenna booster in this paper is only 12 mm × 3 mm × 2.4 mm (height), representing only ~λ/30 at 863 MHz. Such an antenna booster is reactive across the 863–928 MHz frequency range and, thus, a matching network is needed. The paper first proposes a matching network on a 120 mm × 60 mm ground plane. Afterward, an analysis is carried out to find the set of different ground plane sizes where the same matching network as the one used for the 120 mm × 60 mm ground plane can be reused, ensuring an S11 < −6 dB. The goal is to find a map representing a cluster of ground planes where the same antenna system can be used (the same antenna booster and the same matching network) to simplify the design of IoT devices embedding antenna boosters. The analysis is addressed using MoM (Method of Moments) electromagnetic software (IE3D) and validated through measurements. Results indicate that a broad set of device sizes can reuse the same matching network with the same antenna booster, thus, simplifying and accelerating the design of IoT devices since no adjustment is needed on the antenna system.
Channel-Attention-Enhanced LSTM Neural Network Decoder and Equalizer for RSE-Based Optical Camera Communications
Authors: Ling Peng , Li Maolin , Guan Weipeng
Published: April 2022

In an RGB-LED-based optical camera communication system, it is an essential goal to have better performance in the data rate and BER. However, in a higher symbol rate, due to the conventional sampling algorithm, the deterioration of transmission performance brought by the inter-symbol interference and inter-channel interference is significant. Innovatively, in this paper, the sub-image obtained by a captured frame of received video is encoded by a channel-attention-Net-based encoder to generate a descriptor without existing sampling methods. Moreover, we propose an LSTM-based equalizer to decode the descriptor and mitigate transmission performance deterioration. Utilizing the long-short-term memory of an LSTM unit, an equalizer not only can reduce bit error rates but also increase the data rate. The experimental results show that at a symbol rate of 46 kbaud/s, a record-high data rate at 44.03 kbit/s is achieved under random data transmission while still meeting the pre-forward error correction requirement.
Lattice Relaxation Forward Negative Coulomb Drag in Hopping Regime
Authors: Liu Dongyang , Wang Jiawei , Bi Chong , Li Mengmeng , Lu Nianduan , Chen Zhekai , Li Ling
Published: April 2022

Quasi-particle formed by electron and the dressed deformed lattice is important to accurately interpret the properties of various disordered/amorphous materials. However, a unified understanding of the drag effect, in particular the negative Coulomb drag in hopping systems, remains an open challenge. This work proposes a theoretic framework to account for both positive and negative Coulomb drag in dual-1D-hopping systems by considering both the electron-electron correlation and the electron-phonon correlation. It is found that lattice relaxation in the active line of the hopping system may give rise to an inverse energetic pumping force in the passive line, causing negative Coulomb drag. The mobility of the negative coulomb drag can approach the scale of 10−5cm2V−1s−1, especially at low temperature, high carrier-density, and narrow inter-spacing separation. More intriguingly, the positive drag could be recovered by varying the energy fluctuation and suppressing the electron-phonon interactions, but with a much lower magnitude. Our work could serve as a universal model for the Coulomb drag effect in the hopping system.
Theory and Experiment of Pulse Wave Rectifier with High Efficiency
Authors: Xiao Bozhong , Yang Xuexia
Published: April 2022

In this paper, the pulse wave (PW) rectifier of the Schottky diode is theoretically analyzed using the microwave equivalent circuit. It is found that the duty cycle of PW is inversely proportional to the load resistance of the rectifier when the amplitude of the input pulse is the same. Therefore, a stable high-efficiency rectifier can be designed by changing the value of the load resistance when the duty cycles are different. A grounded coplanar waveguide (GCPW) rectifier for the pulse wave is designed to verify this rule. The rectifier is simulated by ADS software and verified by the measurements. When the duty cycle of PW varies from 0.01 to 1 and the input pulse amplitude is stable at the operation frequency of 2.38 GHz, the measured rectifying efficiency can be maintained at the peak efficiency of 76.1% by adjusting the load resistance. However, when the input signal of the rectifier is the continuous wave (CW), the rectifying efficiency is only 3.9% at the same input power amplitude. The proposed rectifier has a simple structure so that it can obtain a high efficiency and has a compact size of 0.22λ0 × 0.11λ0. It can be a good candidate for simultaneous wireless information and power transmission (SWIPT) for low-power electronic devices in the Internet of Things (IoT).
Identifying the Determinants of Crude Oil Market Volatility by the Multivariate GARCH-MIDAS Model
Authors: Chuang O-Chia , Yang Chenxu
Published: April 2022

Many macro-level variables have been used in forecasting crude oil price volatility. This article aims to identify which variables have the greatest impact and give more accurate predictions. The GARCH-MIDAS model with variable selection enables us to incorporate many variables in a single model. By combining the log-likelihood function with adaptive lasso penalty, three most informative determinants have been identified, namely, macroeconomic uncertainty, financial uncertainty and default yield spread. Out-of-sample results show that using these three variables significantly improves prediction accuracy compared to baseline models. However, the variables widely studied by other scholars, such as the supply and demand of crude oil, industrial production index, etc., were not selected, indicating that the impact of these variables may be overestimated. When studying crude oil price volatility, macroeconomic and financial market uncertainties can be used as effective predictors for investors and market analysts. Crude oil market participants should focus on macroeconomic and financial market uncertainties to make risk management more efficient.
Tracing and Evaluating Life-Cycle Carbon Emissions of Urban Multi-Energy Systems
Authors: Zhou Xiaoming , Sang Maosheng , Bao Minglei , Ding Yi
Published: April 2022

With the acceleration of urbanization, urban multi-energy systems (UMESs) generate more and more carbon emissions, causing severe environmental issues. The carbon generated by UMESs includes not only emissions from the consumption of fossil fuels for electricity generation during operation phases, but also those from the transportation, extraction, and recycling of materials during construction phases. Meanwhile, as carbon emissions are delivered with the energy flow among devices in the UMES, they are distributed differently across devices. Under this background, analyzing the carbon emissions of UMESs considering different life-cycle phases (i.e., operation and construction) and carbon flow characteristics is essential for carbon reduction and environmental protection. Considering that, a novel framework for tracing and evaluating life-cycle carbon emissions of UMESs is proposed in this paper. Firstly, the carbon emission models of different devices in UMESs, including energy sources and energy hub (EH), are established considering both the construction and operation phases. On this basis, the carbon flow matrixes of EHs coupled with the energy flow model are formulated to trace the distribution of life-cycle carbon emissions in UMESs. Moreover, different evaluation indices including the device carbon distribution factor (DCDF) and consumer carbon distribution factor (CCDF) are proposed to quantify the carbon emissions of devices and consumers in UMESs. The case study results based on a typical test UMES are presented to verify the effectiveness of the proposed framework. The analysis results of the test system show that about 60% of carbon emissions are delivered to electricity loads and the construction-produced carbon emissions of energy sources and EH devices account for nearly 35% of total carbon emissions at some periods.
Enhanced Phenazine-1-Carboxamide Production in Pseudomonas chlororaphis H5△fleQ△relA through Fermentation Optimization
Authors: Cui Jiajia , Wang Wei , Hu Hongbo , Zhang Hongyan , Zhang Xuehong
Published: April 2022

Phenazine-1-carboxamide (PCN) is effective to control many plant pathogens, and improving PCN production would be of great significance in promoting its development as a biopesticide. This study was conducted to improve the PCN production of Pseudomonas chlororaphis H5△fleQ△relA through fermentation optimization in both shake flask and bioreactor. The PCN production of H5△fleQ△relA was improved from 2.75 ± 0.23 g/L to 5.51 ± 0.17 g/L by medium optimization in shake flask using Plackett-Burman design, the path of steepest ascent experiment and central composite design. Then, PCN production reached 8.58 ± 0.25 g/L through optimizing pH in 1 L bioreactor. After pH optimization, the transcriptional levels of ccoO_2 and ccoQ_2 genes related to microbial aerobic respiration were significantly upregulated, and the relative abundance of 3-oxo-C14-HSL was significantly enhanced 15-fold, and these changes were vital for cell activity and metabolites production. Furthermore, the PCN production reached 9.58 ± 0.57 g/L after optimization of the fed-batch fermentation strategy in 1 L bioreactor. Finally, the fermentation scale-up of the optimal medium and optimal feeding strategy were conducted in 30 L bioreactor at the optimal pH, and their PCN production reached 9.17 g/L and 9.62 g/L respectively, which were comparable to that in 1 L bioreactor. In this study, the high PCN production was achieved from the shake-flask fermentation to 30 L bioreactor, and the optimal feeding strategy improved PCN production in bioreactor without increasing total glycerol compared with in shake flask. It provides promising pathways for the optimization of processes for the production of other phenazines.
A target Capture Probe Set Useful for Deep- and Shallow-Level Phylogenetic Studies in Cactaceae
Authors: Romeiro-Brito Monique , Telhe Milena Cardoso , Amaral Danilo Trabuco , Franco Fernando Faria , Moraes Evandro Marsola
Published: April 2022

The molecular phylogenies of Cactaceae have enabled us to better understand their systematics, biogeography, and diversification ages. However, most of the phylogenetic relationships within Cactaceae major groups remain unclear, largely due to the lack of an appropriate set of molecular markers to resolve its contentious relationships. Here, we explored the genome and transcriptome assemblies available for Cactaceae and identified putative orthologous regions shared among lineages of the subfamily Cactoideae. Then we developed a probe set, named Cactaceae591, targeting both coding and noncoding nuclear regions for representatives from the subfamilies Pereskioideae, Opuntioideae, and Cactoideae. We also sampled inter- and intraspecific variation to evaluate the potential of this panel to be used in phylogeographic studies. We retrieved on average of 547 orthologous regions per sample. Targeting noncoding nuclear regions showed to be crucial to resolving inter- and intraspecific relationships. Cactaceae591 covers 13 orthologous genes shared with the Angiosperms353 kit and two plastid regions largely used in Cactaceae studies, enabling the phylogenies generated by our panel to be integrated with angiosperm and Cactaceae phylogenies, using these sequences. We highlighted the importance of using coalescent-based species tree approaches on the Cactaceae591 dataset to infer accurate phylogenetic trees in the presence of extensive incomplete lineage sorting in this family.
The Effectiveness of Learning to Use HMD-Based VR Technologies on Nursing Students: Chemoport Insertion Surgery
Authors: Jung Ae-Ri , Park Eun-A
Published: April 2022

Background: The purpose of this study was to develop a mobile head mounted display (HMD)-based virtual reality (VR) nursing education program (VRP), and to evaluate the effects on knowledge, learning attitude, satisfaction with self-practice, and learning motivation in nursing students. Methods: This was a quasi-experimental study using a nonequivalent control group pretest-posttest design to evaluate the effects of HMD-based VRP on nursing students. A Chemoport insertion surgery nursing scenario was developed with HMD-based VRP. The experimental group consisting of 30 nursing students underwent pre-debriefing, followed by VRP using HMD and debriefing. The control group, consisting of 30 nursing students, underwent pre-debriefing, followed by self-learning using handouts about Chemoport insertion surgery procedures for 30 min, and debriefing. Results: The experimental group that underwent HMD-based VRP showed significantly improved post-intervention knowledge on operating nursing (p = 0.001), learning attitude (p = 0.002), and satisfaction (p = 0.017) compared to the control group. Sub-domains of motivation, attention (p < 0.05), and relevance (p < 0.05) were significantly different between the two groups, post-intervention. Conclusions: HMD-based VRP of Chemoport insertion surgery is expected to contribute to knowledge, learning attitude, satisfaction, attention, and relevance in nursing students.
Diagnostic Yield of Cardiac Magnetic Resonance in Athletes with and without Features of the Athlete’s Heart and Suspected Structural Heart Disease
Authors: Małek Łukasz A. , Miłosz-Wieczorek Barbara , Marczak Magdalena
Published: April 2022

Cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR) is a second-line imaging test in cardiology. Balanced enlargement of heart chambers called athlete’s heart (AH) is a part of physiological adaptation to regular physical activity. The aim of this study was to evaluate the diagnostic utility of CMR in athletes with suspected structural heart disease (SHD) and to analyse the relation between the coexistence of AH and SHD. We wanted to assess whether the presence of AH phenotype could be considered as a sign of a healthy heart less prone to development of SHD. This retrospective, single centre study included 154 consecutive athletes (57 non-amateur, all sports categories, 87% male, mean age 34 ± 12 years) referred for CMR because of suspected SHD. The suspicion was based on existing guidelines including electrocardiographic and/or echocardiographic changes suggestive of abnormality but without a formal diagnosis. CMR permitted establishment of a new diagnosis in 66 patients (42%). The main diagnoses included myocardial fibrosis typical for prior myocarditis (n = 21), hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (n = 17, including 6 apical forms), other cardiomyopathies (n = 10) and prior myocardial infarction (n = 6). Athlete’s heart was diagnosed in 59 athletes (38%). The presence of pathologic late gadolinium enhancement (LGE) was found in 41 patients (27%) and was not higher in athletes without AH (32% vs. 19%, p = 0.08). Junction-point LGE was more prevalent in patients with AH phenotype (22% vs. 9%, p = 0.02). Patients without AH were not more likely to be diagnosed with SHD than those with AH (49% vs. 32%, p = 0.05). Based on the results of CMR and other tests, three patients (2%) were referred for ICD implantation for the primary prevention of sudden cardiac death with one patient experiencing adequate intervention during follow-up. The inclusion of CMR into the diagnostic process leads to a new diagnosis in many athletes with suspicion of SHD and equivocal routine tests. Athletes with AH pattern are equally likely to be diagnosed with SHD in comparison to those without AH phenotype. This shows that the development of AH and SHD can occur in parallel, which makes differential diagnosis in this group of patients more challenging.
Effects of a Short-Term Slackline Training Program on Energy Expenditure and Balance in Healthy Young Adults: A Preliminary Report of a Randomized Controlled Trial
Authors: Rutkowski Sebastian , Wrzeciono Adam , Czech Oliver , Rutkowska Anna , Szczegielniak Jan
Published: April 2022

The development of technology and a fast-paced lifestyle has caused a significant decrease in physical activity, especially among young people. These worrying trends can be countered by the use of attractive forms of physical recreation, including the increasingly popular slackline. The aim of this study was to evaluate energy expenditure during slackline training and to analyze changes in dynamic and static balance parameters after supervised slackline training sessions. The study enrolled 28 healthy volunteers (14 men and 14 women aged 21–25) who were randomly divided into two groups: experimental and passive control. The energy expenditure level was the primary outcome and was assessed using the SenseWear Armband. Each participant underwent an initial and final balance assessment using two selected protocols on the Balance Master platform. The intervention lasted 5 days, with 15 min of supervised training per day. The average energy expenditure expressed in MET was 6.0 (±0.7) MET per training session. An analysis of the results regarding static and dynamic balance showed that the group participating in slackline training significantly improved stability on foam surfaces with their eyes open (p < 0.003), as well as tandem walk speeds (p < 0.05), both with small effect sizes. The results suggested that slackline training has the potential to produce significant positive effects on general health statuses following the World Health Organization’s (WHO) recommendations on physical activity. The significant improvement in task-specific balance suggests that slackline training could become an important element of the prevention and rehabilitation of many injuries.
When Big Data Backfires: The Impact of a Perceived Privacy Breach by Pharmaceutical E-Retailers on Customer Boycott Intention in China
Authors: Liu Rong , Yang Jiawei , Wu Jifei
Published: April 2022

The objective of this study was to explore the impact of a perceived privacy breach by pharmaceutical e-retailers on customer boycott intention, especially the mediating role of emotional violation and the moderating effect of customer previous trust. Data were collected via a questionnaire survey of 335 customers of pharmaceutical e-retailers from China. Our research results showed that a perceived privacy breach by a pharmaceutical e-retailer had no direct effect on customer boycott intention; a perceived privacy breach positively affected emotional violation; emotional violation led to customer boycott intention; emotional violation played a mediating role in the relationship between a perceived privacy breach and customer boycott intention; and customer previous trust positively moderated the mediating effect of emotional violation.
Agile Leadership and Perceived Career Success: The Mediating Role of Job Embeddedness
Authors: Akkaya Bulent , Panait Mirela , Apostu Simona Andreea , Kaya Yesim
Published: April 2022

Agile leadership is an important managerial function in which responsiveness and innovation appear to be essential elements for the long-term development and success of any business. The world has become increasingly volatile, uncertain, complex, and ambiguous (VUCA) during and post COVID-19. Managers are required to possess agile leadership to facilitate their employees’ successful careers. Therefore, this study aims to find out the relationship between agile leadership and career success by examining the mediation of job embeddedness in healthcare organizations. The descriptive research design and survey method were employed in this study. The data were collected by using three scales from healthcare employees in healthcare organizations in Turkey. Hypotheses were tested using structural equation modelling (SEM). The data were analysed by using SPSS and AMOS programs. The findings of this study showed that agile leadership behaviours enhance career success. Moreover, the relationship between agile leadership and career success is mediated by job embeddedness. The role of agile leadership in promoting employees’ career success has rarely been studied in the literature. This is one of the first studies to examine the effect of agile leadership on career success along with the mediating role of job embeddedness. Healthcare managers have faced many critical challenges at their workplace during the COVID-19 pandemic. Through the lens of managing efficient healthcare organizations in many contexts, this research sheds some important light on the association between agile leadership, career success, and job embeddedness. Managers with high agility levels used strategies such as group decision making, problem solving, effective internal and external communication, and adaptation to uncertain environment in order to increase their career success.
Bibliometric and Density Visualisation Mapping Analysis of Domestic Violence in Australia Research Output 1984–2019
Authors: Charlton Chloe , Mani Ravishankar Ram , Chinnappan Sasikala , Balaraman Ashok Kumar , Muthusamy Thangavel , Paranjothy Chitraabaanu , Suresh Deepa , Krishnan Sunil , Lokhotiya Kartik , Kodiveri Muthukaliannan Gothandam , Baxi Siddhartha , Jayaraj Rama
Published: April 2022

Domestic violence is highly prevalent in Australia and has serious and complex impacts. This study aimed to analyse research outputs on domestic violence in Australia from the period of 1984 to 2019. Articles relevant to domestic violence in Australia that met specified inclusion criteria were retrieved using the Scopus database. Bibliometric analysis of the output was conducted to examine trends in publications. A trend of an increase in publications relating to domestic violence in Australia over time was identified, with the majority published in institutions located in densely populated capital cities. Significant diversity was found in the subject matter of highly cited articles, reflecting the far-reaching impacts of domestic violence. The increase in social attention to domestic violence over time was reflected in an increase in publications. Future research would benefit from examining trends in the reporting of domestic violence, and analysing the effectiveness of interventions for perpetrators and victims.
Changes in Macrozoobenthos Community after Aquatic Plant Restoration in the Northern Venice Lagoon (IT)
Authors: Oselladore Federica , Bernarello Valentina , Cacciatore Federica , Cornello Michele , Boscolo Brusà Rossella , Sfriso Adriano , Bonometto Andrea
Published: April 2022

Responses of the macrozoobenthic community to an ecological restoration activity in the northern Venice lagoon were studied, within the scope of the project LIFE SEagrass RESTOration aimed at recreating aquatic phanerogam meadows largely reduced in recent decades. Transplants were successful in almost all project areas. Macrozoobenthos was sampled in eight stations before (2014) and after (2015, 2016, 2017) transplanting activities. An increase in abundance and fluctuations in richness and univariate ecological indices (Shannon’s, Margalef’s, Pielou’s indices) resulted during the years. Comparing non-vegetated and vegetated samples in 2017, every index except Pielou’s increased in the latter. Multivariate analysis (hierarchical cluster analysis, MDS, PERMDISP, SIMPER) grouped samples by localization rather than years, with differences between stations due to the abundance of common species. In 2017, results were also grouped by the presence or absence of aquatic plants, with differences in the abundance of grazer and filter-feeding species. Results of ecological index M-AMBI depicted conditions from moderate to good ecological status (sensu Dir.2000/60/EC) with similar fluctuations, as presented by univariate indices from 2014 to 2017. Responses of the macrozoobenthic community were more evident when comparing vegetated and non-vegetated samples, with the vegetated areas sustaining communities with greater abundance and diversity than non-vegetated samples, thus demonstrating the supporting function of aquatic plants to benthic communities.
A Machine Learning Classifier for Predicting Stable MCI Patients Using Gene Biomarkers
Authors: Lin Run-Hsin , Wang Chia-Chi , Tung Chun-Wei
Published: April 2022

Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is a neurodegenerative disorder with an insidious onset and irreversible condition. Patients with mild cognitive impairment (MCI) are at high risk of converting to AD. Early diagnosis of unstable MCI patients is therefore vital for slowing the progression to AD. However, current diagnostic methods are either highly invasive or expensive, preventing their wide applications. Developing low-invasive and cost-efficient screening methods is desirable as the first-tier approach for identifying unstable MCI patients or excluding stable MCI patients. This study developed feature selection and machine learning algorithms to identify blood-sample gene biomarkers for predicting stable MCI patients. Two datasets obtained from the Alzheimer’s Disease Neuroimaging Initiative (ADNI) database were utilized to conclude 29 genes biomarkers (31 probes) for predicting stable MCI patients. A random forest-based classifier performed well with area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC) values of 0.841 and 0.775 for cross-validation and test datasets, respectively. For patients with a prediction score greater than 0.9, an excellent concordance of 97% was obtained, showing the usefulness of the proposed method for identifying stable MCI patients. In the context of precision medicine, the proposed prediction model is expected to be useful for identifying stable MCI patients and providing medical doctors and patients with new first-tier diagnosis options.
Integrating Youth Perspectives: Adopting a Human Rights and Public Health Approach to Climate Action
Authors: Gasparri Giulia , Tcholakov Yassen , Gepp Sophie , Guerreschi Asia , Ayowole Damilola , Okwudili Élitz-Doris , Uwandu Euphemia , Sanchez Iturregui Rodrigo , Amer Saad , Beaudoin Simon , Sato Mayumi
Published: April 2022

Climate change is a multidimensional issue that affects all aspects of society, including public health and human rights. Climate change is already severely impacting people’s health and threatening people’s guaranteed fundamental rights, including those to life, health, self-determination, and education, among others. Across geographical regions, population groups and communities who are already marginalized due to age, gender, ethnicity, income, and other socioeconomic factors, are those who are disproportionately affected by climate impacts despite having contributed the least to global emissions. Although scholars have been calling for a human rights-based approach and a health perspective to climate action, the literature looking at this multidisciplinary intersection is still nascent, and governments have yet to implement such intersectoral policies. This commentary begins to reflect on the relationship between climate change, human rights, and public health from the perspective of young people engaged in climate action and discourse at the national and international levels. It presents a way forward on what we, as youth climate advocates and researchers, believe is a priority to bring intersectoral integration of human rights and public health approaches to climate change to fruition. First, scholars and practitioners should examine and support youth-led climate interventions that tackle human rights and public health violations incurred by the climate crisis. Second, participatory approaches to climate change must be designed by working synergistically with climate-vulnerable groups, including children and young people, practitioners and scholars in public health and human rights sectors to holistically address the social, health, and environmental impacts of the climate crisis and root causes of injustice. Finally, we recommend more holistic data collection to better inform evidence-based climate policies that operationalize human rights and public health co-benefits.
Patient-Reported Outcome Measures on Oral Hygiene, Periodontal Health, and Treatment Satisfaction of Orthodontic Retention Patients up to Ten Years after Treatment—A Cross-Sectional Study
Authors: Salvesen Barbro Fostad , Grytten Jostein , Rongen Gunnar , Vandevska-Radunovic Vaska
Published: April 2022

Background: This cross-sectional study evaluated patient-reported outcome measures (PROMs) on (1) oral hygiene, (2) periodontal health, (3) retainer failure, (4) orthodontic treatment satisfaction, and (5) outcome satisfaction in orthodontic retention patients. The purpose of the study was to evaluate whether orthodontic retention treatment is associated with patient-reported outcome measures on oral hygiene, periodontal health, and treatment satisfaction. Methods: A ten-item questionnaire on the five PROMs was conducted among 211 consecutive retention patients up to ten years following orthodontic treatment. Linear regression models were computed to detect possible associations between the PROMs and retention treatment or patient characteristics. Results: The presence of a fixed lingual retainer was not associated with the reduced ability to perform oral hygiene, self-perceived periodontal health, or orthodontic outcome satisfaction. Older patients were more content with the orthodontic treatment result (p < 0.05). Patients with fixed lingual retainers in the mandible were less satisfied with the course of orthodontic treatment (p < 0.05). Smokers more often reported gingival bleeding (p < 0.05). Females reported increased gingival recessions (p < 0.05) and perceived their teeth as longer than before treatment (p < 0.05). Longer orthodontic treatment duration corresponded to retainer failure (p < 0.05). Conclusions: In general, long-term orthodontic retention patients were satisfied with orthodontic treatment. These patients reported the satisfactory ability to perform adequate oral hygiene and periodontal health, and they communicated a high degree of treatment and outcome contentment. However, patients with a retainer in the mandible were less satisfied with orthodontic treatment.
The Prevalence of Cardiometabolic Health Risk Factors among Airline Pilots: A Systematic Review
Authors: Wilson Daniel , Driller Matthew , Johnston Ben , Gill Nicholas
Published: April 2022

Background: The occupational demands of professional airline pilots such as shift work, work schedule irregularities, sleep disruption, fatigue, physical inactivity, and psychological stress may promote adverse outcomes to cardiometabolic health. This review investigates the prevalence of cardiometabolic health risk factors for airline pilots. Methods: An electronic search was conducted utilizing PubMed, MEDLINE (via OvidSP), CINAHL, PsycINFO, SPORTDiscus, CENTRAL, and Web of Science for publications between 1990 and February 2022. The methodological quality of included studies was assessed using two quality assessment tools for cross-sectional and clinical trial studies. The prevalence of physiological, behavioral, and psychological risk factors was reported using descriptive analysis. Results: A total of 48 studies derived from 20 different countries, reviewing a total pooled sample of 36,958 airline pilots. Compared with general population estimates, pilots had a similar prevalence for health risk factors, yet higher sleep duration, lower smoking and obesity rates, less physical activity, and a higher overall rate of body mass index >25. Conclusions: The research reported substantial prevalence >50% for overweight and obesity, insufficient physical activity, elevated fatigue, and regular alcohol intake among pilots. However, the heterogeneity in methodology and the lack of quality and quantity in the current literature limit the strength of conclusions that can be established. Enhanced monitoring and future research are essential to inform aviation health practices and policies (Systematic Review Registration: PROSPERO CRD42022308287).
A Retrospective, Single-Centre Study on the Learning Curve for Liver Tumor Open Resection in Patients with Hepatocellular Cancers and Intrahepatic Cholagangiocarcinomas
Authors: Banas Bartlomiej , Kolodziejczyk Piotr , Czerw Aleksandra , Banas Tomasz , Kotwas Artur , Richter Piotr
Published: April 2022

Background: Liver resections have become the first-line treatment for primary malignant tumors and, therefore, are considered a core aspect of surgical training. This study aims to evaluate the learning curve for the safety of open hemihepatectomy procedures for patients suffering from hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) or intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma (ICC). Methods: This single tertiary center retrospective analysis includes 81 consecutive cases of right or left hemihepatectmy. A cumulative sum (CUSUM) control chart was used to investigate the learning curve. Results: The CUSUM curve for operative time and blood loss level peaked at the 29th and 30th case, respectively. The CUSUM curve for minor adverse effects (mAEs) and severe adverse effects (sAEs) showed a downward slope after the 27th and 36th procedures; the curve, however, remained within the acceptable range throughout the entire study. Conclusion: When performing open hemihepatectomies in patients with HCC and ICC, the stabilization of the operative time and intraoperative blood loss level are gained earlier than sAEs risk reduction.
Females with Eating Disorders and Urinary Incontinence: A Psychoanalytic Perspective
Authors: Ng Qin Xiang , Lim Yu Liang , Loke Wayren , Chee Kuan Tsee , Lim Donovan Yutong
Published: April 2022

Eating disorders (EDs) are complicated mental illnesses with significant treatment resistance and dropout rates. For successful treatment, it is important for clinicians to better understand the patients’ narrative and their lived experiences. A thorough psychodynamic understanding of patients’ childhood attachment and primary relationships, personality traits and mental processes is, therefore, crucial for managing patients with ED. Interestingly, several studies have observed an association between functional urinary symptoms and individuals with ED. EDs such as anorexia nervosa are associated with an increased risk of all urinary symptoms, and functional incontinence was also more common in extreme female athletes with low energy availability and with disordered eating. There is, however, a dearth of literature describing this relationship, and the underlying mechanisms remain remote. In this paper, we present a psychoanalytic approach to the presence of urinary symptoms in females with EDs. We hypothesize that these symptoms are tied to specific traits or characteristics of ED patients, namely the overarching need for control, a pathological strive for perfection and the self-denial of basic bodily urges. This is discussed in relation to psychopathological processes, development and personality factors commonly seen in patients with ED.
Comparison of Two Diet and Exercise Approaches on Weight Loss and Health Outcomes in Obese Women
Authors: Lockard Brittanie , Mardock Michelle , Oliver Jonathan , Byrd Mike , Simbo Sunday , Jagim Andrew , Kresta Julie , Baetge Claire , Jung Yanghoon , Koozehchian Majid , Khanna Deepesh , Rasmussen Chris , Kreider Richard
Published: April 2022

Aim: To compare the efficacy of two popular weight loss approaches on weight loss, body composition, and markers of health in sedentary obese women. Methods: In total, 51 sedentary women (age 34.5 ± 7.7 yrs.; weight 90.0 ± 14.5 kg; BMI 34.0 ± 5.1 kg/m2; 46.5 ± 7.0% fat) were matched and randomized to participate in the Weight Watchers® Momentum™ (WW) or Curves® (CV) Fitness and Weight Management program for 16 weeks. Participants in the WW group (n = 27) were provided a point-based diet program, received weekly progress checks and counseling, and were encouraged to exercise. Participants in the CV group (n = 24) followed a menu-based higher protein/low-fat diet (1200 kcal/d) for 1 week; 1500 kcal/d diet for 3 weeks; and 2000–2500 kcals/d for 2 weeks that was repeated three times (except the last segment) while participating in a supervised circuit-style resistance training program (3 d/wk). A general linear model (GLM) with repeated measures was used to analyze data and are presented as mean changes from baseline (mean [UL, LL]). Results: Supervised CV training resulted in greater amounts of vigorous and total physical activity. After 16 weeks, both groups lost weight (WW −6.1 [−7.8, −4.6], CV −4.9 [−6.2, −3.2] kg, p = 0.264). Participants in the CV group observed greater reductions in fat mass (WW −2.9 [−6.7, −0.2], CV −6.4 [−9.2, −3.6] kg, p = 0.081) and increases in lean mass (WW −2.5 [−4.3, −0.7], CV 1.3 [−0.6, 3.2] kg, p = 0.005) resulting in more favorable changes in percent body fat (WW −1.4 [−4.1, 1.2], CV −4.7 [−7.5, −1.8]%, p = 0.098). Both groups observed improvements in peak aerobic capacity and muscular endurance, although bench press lifting volume was greater in the CV group. Those in the CV group experienced a greater increase in HDLc and reduction in the CHL–HDLc ratio and triglycerides. Conclusion: Both interventions promoted weight loss and improvements in fitness and markers of health. The CV program, which included supervised resistance training and higher protein diet menus, promoted greater fat loss, increases in lean mass, and improvements in percent body fat and blood lipids. Trial Registration: clinicaltrials.gov, #NCT04372771, registered retrospectively 1 May 2020.
Victims of Known and Unknown Cyberstalkers: A Questionnaire Survey in an Italian Sample
Authors: Begotti Tatiana , Ghigo Mariano Alex , Acquadro Maran Daniela
Published: April 2022

Cyberstalking is a behavior in which an individual, group, or organization uses information technology to harass one or more people, with possible consequences for the victims. The purpose of this study was to analyze the effects of cyberstalking in terms of physical and emotional consequences, depression, anxiety symptoms, attitudes toward telling of cyberstalking experiences, and coping strategies, comparing young adult victims of known cyberstalkers with those harassed by strangers. A self-administered questionnaire was completed by 689 individuals. Of these, 242 victims were included in the analysis: 115 victims of unknown (UC) and 127 of known cyberstalkers (KC). The results emphasize that victims of KC more often reported fatigue as a physical symptom and sadness and lack of trust in others as emotional symptoms. In addition, scores for depressive symptoms and anxiety did not differ significantly between the two groups, whereas significantly higher scores for trait anxiety were found among victims of KC. Finally, victims of KC were significantly more inclined to use alcohol and drugs, reduce social contact with friends, buy a weapon, and try to reason with the cyberstalker, while victims of UC were more inclined to block online contact and ask a social network administrator to intervene. Implications of the findings were discussed, such as the need to intervene immediately and to promote victims’ ability to seek help.
Increasing Access to Cultural Heritage Objects from Multiple Museums through Semantically-Aware Maps
Authors: Portalés Cristina , Casanova-Salas Pablo , Sevilla Javier , Sebastián Jorge , León Arabella , Samper Jose Javier
Published: April 2022

Geographical information is gaining new momentum as an analysis and visualization tool for collections of cultural objects. It provides all kinds of users with new opportunities to contextualize and understand these objects in ways that resemble our ordinary spatially-located experience and to do so better than textual narratives. The SeMap project has built an online resource that shows more than 200,000 cultural objects through spatiotemporal maps, thus enabling new experiences and perspectives around these objects. Data come from the CER.ES repository and were created by a network of more than 100 Spanish museums. This article explains the refinement of the data provided by the repository, mostly by adding a semantic structure thanks to the CIDOC-CRM ontology, and by simplifying the exceedingly complex terminologies employed in the original records. Particular attention is paid to the methods for geolocating the information, as well as adding temporal filters (among others) to user queries. The functionalities, interface, and technical requirements are also explored at length.
Metal Complexes in Diagnosis and Therapy
Authors: Tesauro Diego
Published: April 2022

The use of metal complexes for health and healing has been in use for over the last several millennia and perhaps longer [...]