bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The effect of anti-frustration ability on academic frustration among Chinese undergraduates: A moderated mediating model
Authors: Wu Minru , Huang Hua , Fu Yuanshu , Zhang Xudong
Published: February 2023

Background

With the ongoing push to improve the quality of talent in all professions, academic pressure on undergraduates is gradually increasing, leading to students feeling increasingly frustrated by academic stressors. As it becomes more widespread, the resulting issue of academic frustration is attracting public attention.

Aim

The current study explored the relationship between undergraduate anti-frustration ability (AFA) on their academic frustration (AF), focusing specifically on the roles played by core competence (CC) and coping style (CS) in this relationship.

Methods

Our sample comprised 1,500 undergraduate students from universities in China. Data collection made use of the Ability to Anti-Frustration Ability Questionnaire, the Academic Frustration Questionnaire, the Core Competence Questionnaire, and the Simple Coping Style Questionnaire.

Results

The results showed that: (1) AFA negatively predicted the AF of undergraduates, with CC mediating this relationship and (2) CS had a moderating effect on the relationship between CC and AF. We concluded that students who employ positive CS may be more successful in alleviating their AF to a larger extent, with the mediation of CC.

Interpretation

The results revealed the mechanism of AFA on AF, which will help schools consider and guide students’ skills and abilities, both academically and personally.
Translation and cultural adaptation of the HELPS Reading Fluency Program into Brazilian Portuguese: A report of systematic adaptation processes and initial evidence of efficacy
Authors: Martins Maíra Anelli , Begeny John C. , Capellini Simone Aparecida
Published: February 2023

Introduction

Across multiples languages, research demonstrates the important relationship between reading fluency and comprehension. Put simply, a fluent reader has greater attention and memory resources to use higher-order functions in reading, resulting in better comprehension of text. Some reading fluency interventions have shown positive results in improving students’ text reading fluency and comprehension; however, this research has predominantly been conducted with English-speaking students. For instance, until this report, a comprehensive search revealed only one prior study that evaluated an intervention strategy designed to improve students’ reading fluency in Brazilian Portuguese and no prior studies evaluated an intervention program with that population of students.

Methods

The main goals of this two-part project were to (a) systematically translate, culturally adapt, and pilot test the Helping Early Literacy with Practice Strategies (HELPS) reading fluency program for use in Brazilian Portuguese (referred to as, HELPS-PB); and (b) conduct a preliminary quasi-experimental study of the HELPS-PB program with 23 students in grades 3 to 5 who needed a reading fluency intervention.

Results and Discussion

This report documents the processes and successful adaptation of existing English- and Spanish-versions of HELPS into a new HELPS-PB program. It also offers preliminary evidence showing that students receiving HELPS-PB significantly improved their text reading fluency comparted to students in a control group. Implications for research, practice, and the adaptation of reading fluency programs into other languages are discussed.
A proof-of-concept study exploring the effects of impulsivity on a gamified version of the stop-signal task in children
Authors: Gallagher Ruth , Kessler Klaus , Bramham Jessica , Dechant Martin , Friehs Maximilian A.
Published: February 2023

This proof-of-concept study provides an appraisal of a remotely administered gamified Stop-Signal Task (gSST) for future use in studies using child sample. Performance on the standard Stop-Signal (SST) task has been shown previously to differentiate attention-deficit-hyperactivity-disorder groups from controls. As is the case with the SST, it was envisaged that those with greater impulsivity would perform worse than those with lower levels of impulsivity in the gSST. The potential advantage of the gSST is that it could be perceived as less monotonous than the original SST and has the potential to provide higher data quality in child samples, however future research will need to be conducted to determine this. The gSST was administered remotely via video chat to 30 child participants within a community sample aged 8–12 to investigate the effect of ADHD symptoms and intrinsic motivation on gSST performance. Qualitative data was collected based on feedback from participants to gain insight into how the gSST was received by participants. A positive correlation was observed between impulsive/hyperactivity and gSST performance, however there was insufficient evidence to suggest that impulsivity predicted performance. With regards to accuracy, results suggested that impulsivity level significantly predicted the rate of go-omission errors. No relationships were observed between intrinsic motivation inventory (IMI) subscales and performance or IMI and impulsivity. Nevertheless, mean IMI scores were overarchingly high for each of the IMI subscales, suggesting that regardless of performance and/or level of impulsive behaviour, the child sample obtained in this study demonstrated high levels of intrinsic motivation, which was supported by the predominantly positive subjective feedback provided by the child participants. The present study provides some evidence based on quantitative and qualitative results for the efficacy of gSST for use with children. Future research with a larger sample of children is warranted to examine how performance on the SST and gSST compare/differ.
Neural mechanisms of musical structure and tonality, and the effect of musicianship
Authors: Jiang Lei , Zhang Ruiqing , Tao Lily , Zhang Yuxin , Zhou Yongdi , Cai Qing
Published: February 2023

Introduction

The neural basis for the processing of musical syntax has previously been examined almost exclusively in classical tonal music, which is characterized by a strictly organized hierarchical structure. Musical syntax may differ in different music genres caused by tonality varieties.

Methods

The present study investigated the neural mechanisms for processing musical syntax across genres varying in tonality – classical, impressionist, and atonal music – and, in addition, examined how musicianship modulates such processing.

Results

Results showed that, first, the dorsal stream, including the bilateral inferior frontal gyrus and superior temporal gyrus, plays a key role in the perception of tonality. Second, right frontotemporal regions were crucial in allowing musicians to outperform non-musicians in musical syntactic processing; musicians also benefit from a cortical-subcortical network including pallidum and cerebellum, suggesting more auditory-motor interaction in musicians than in non-musicians. Third, left pars triangularis carries out online computations independently of tonality and musicianship, whereas right pars triangularis is sensitive to tonality and partly dependent on musicianship. Finally, unlike tonal music, the processing of atonal music could not be differentiated from that of scrambled notes, both behaviorally and neurally, even among musicians.

Discussion

The present study highlights the importance of studying varying music genres and experience levels and provides a better understanding of musical syntax and tonality processing and how such processing is modulated by music experience.
The influence of the COVID-19 pandemic on work connectivity behavior
Authors: Liu Yingyan , Zhang Zaisheng , Zhao Heng , Liu Li
Published: February 2023

Introduction

Based on event system theory, this study analyzed the influence of the event strength of major public health outside the organization on work connectivity behavior.

Methods

The study collected data from 532 employees on their psychological status and working style during the COVID-19 pandemic through an online questionnaire survey.

Results

The results show that driven by financial risk perception, female employees are more willing to pay work connectivity behavior than male employees and unmarried employees are more willing to pay work connectivity behavior than married employees. The risk perception of employees aged 28–33 has the greatest impact on workplace behavior. The impact of financial risk perception on behavior of employees without children is much higher than that of employees with children. The influence of financial risk perception and social risk perception on their behavior of employees with master’s degree is much higher than that of health risk perception, but the workplace behavior of employees with doctor’s degree is mainly affected by health risk perception.

Discussion

The novelty of the Corona Virus Disease event has a negative influence on work connectivity duration. The criticality, disruption of the Corona Virus Disease event has a positive influence on work connectivity duration. The criticality of the Corona Virus Disease event has a positive influence on work connectivity frequency. Employees’ social risk perception, financial risk perception and health risk perception has a positive influence on the work connectivity duration and work connectivity frequency.
The global prevalence of autism spectrum disorder: A three-level meta-analysis
Authors: Talantseva Oksana I. , Romanova Raisa S. , Shurdova Ekaterina M. , Dolgorukova Tatiana A. , Sologub Polina S. , Titova Olga S. , Kleeva Daria F. , Grigorenko Elena L.
Published: February 2023

Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is one the most disabling developmental disorders, imposing an extremely high economic burden. Obtaining as accurate prevalence estimates as possible is crucial to guide governments in planning policies for identification and intervention for individuals with ASD and their relatives. The precision of prevalence estimates can be heightened by summative analyses of the data collected around the world. To that end, we conducted a three-level mixed-effects meta-analysis. A systematic search of the Web of Science, PubMed, EMBASE, and PsycINFO databases from 2000 up to 13 July 2020 was performed, and reference lists of previous reviews and existing databases of prevalence studies were screened. Overall, 79 studies were included in the analysis of ASD and 59–in the analysis of previously existing relevant diagnoses: 30 for Autistic Disorder (AD), 15 for Asperger Syndrome (AS), and 14 for Atypical Autism (AA) and Pervasive Developmental Disorder - Not Otherwise Specified (PDD-NOS); these research reports covered the period from 1994 to 2019. Pooled prevalence estimates were 0.72% (95% CI = 0.61–0.85) for ASD, 0.25% (95% CI = 0.18–0.33) for AD, 0.13% (95% CI = 0.07–0.20) for AS, and 0.18% (95% CI = 0.10–0.28) for the combined group of AA and PDD-NOS. Estimates were higher (1) for the studies that used records-review surveillance rather than other designs; (2) in North America compared with other geographical regions; and (3) in high-income compared with lower-income countries. The highest prevalence estimates were registered in the USA. There was an increase in autism prevalence estimates over time. The prevalence was also significantly higher for children aged between 6 and 12 years compared to children under the age of 5 and over the age of 13 years.

Systematic review registration

https://www.crd.york.ac.uk/prospero/display_record.php?ID=CRD42019131525, identifier CRD42019131525.
Qualitative and quantitative analysis of self-reported sensory issues in individuals with neurodevelopmental disorders
Authors: Wada Makoto , Hayashi Katsuya , Seino Kai , Ishii Naomi , Nawa Taemi , Nishimaki Kengo
Published: February 2023

Introduction

Individuals with neurodevelopmental disorders, such as autism spectrum disorder (ASD), attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), and specific learning disorders (SLD) have various types of sensory characteristics.

Methods

This study investigated sensory issues in individuals with neurodevelopmental disorders using a web-based questionnaire for qualitative and quantitative analysis, categorized the contents of their three most distressful sensory issues, and evaluated their order of priority.

Results

Auditory problems were reported as the most distressing sensory issue among the participants. In addition to auditory problems, individuals with ASD frequently reported more tactile problems, and individuals with SLD reported more visual problems. Among the individual sensory issues, in addition to aversion to sudden, strong, or specific stimuli, some participants reported confusions regarding multiple stimuli presenting concurrently. Additionally, the sensory issues related to foods (i.e., taste) was relatively more common in the minor group.

Conclusion

These results suggest that the diversity of sensory issues experienced should be carefully considered when aiding persons with neurodevelopmental disorders.
Impairment of GABA inhibition in insomnia disorders: Evidence from the peripheral blood system
Authors: Xiang Ting , Liao Jiwu , Cai Yixian , Fan Mei , Li Congrui , Zhang Xiaotao , Li Hongyao , Chen Yushan , Pan Jiyang
Published: February 2023

Aim

To explore the change characteristics and related factors of various indexes of GABAergic system in peripheral blood of patients with insomnia disorder.

Methods

In this study, a total of 30 patients who met the DSM-5 diagnostic criteria for insomnia disorder and 30 normal controls were included. All subjects had a structured clinical interview with the Brief International Neuropsychiatric Disorder Interview, and PSQI was used to evaluate the sleep status of the subjects. Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) was used to detect serum γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA), and RT-PCR was used to detect GABAA receptor α1 and α2 subunit mRNA. All data were statistically analyzed using SPSS 23.0.

Results

Compared with the normal control group, the mRNA levels of GABAA receptor α1 and α2 subunits in the insomnia disorder group were significantly lower, but there was no significant difference in the serum GABA levels between the two groups. And in the insomnia disorder group, there was no significant correlation between the GABA levels and the mRNA expression levels of α1 and α2 subunits of GABAA receptors. Although no significant correlation was found between PSQI and serum levels of these two subunit mRNAs, its component factors sleep quality and sleep time were negatively correlated with GABAA receptor α1 subunit mRNA levels, and daytime function was inversely correlated with GABAA receptor α2 subunit mRNA levels.

Conclusion

The inhibitory function of serum GABA in patients with insomnia may be impaired, and the decreased expression levels of GABAA receptor α1 and α2 subunit mRNA may become a reliable indicator of insomnia disorder.
Case report: Rapid symptom resolution of a mixed affective state with high-frequency repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation
Authors: Beydler Emily M. , Katzell Lauren , Schmidt Lauren , Carr Brent R. , Holbert Richard C.
Published: February 2023

Introduction

Bipolar major depressive episodes with mixed features are diagnosed in patients who meet the full criteria for a major depressive episode exhibiting three additional concurrent symptoms of hypomania or mania. Up to half of patients with bipolar disorder experience mixed episodes, which are more likely to be treatment-refractory than pure depression or mania/hypomania alone.

Case

We present a 68-year-old female with Bipolar Type II Disorder with a four-month medication-refractory major depressive episode with mixed features referred for neuromodulation consultation. Previous failed medication trials over several years included lithium, valproate, lamotrigine, topiramate, and quetiapine. She had no history of treatment with neuromodulation. At the initial consultation, her baseline Montgomery-Asberg Depression Rating Scale (MADRS) was moderate in severity at 32. Her Young Mania Rating Scale (YMRS) was 22, with dysphoric hypomanic symptoms consisting of heightened irritability, verbosity and increased rate of speech, and decreased sleep. She declined electroconvulsive therapy but elected to receive repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS).

Interventions

The patient underwent repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) with a Neuronetics NeuroStar system, receiving nine daily sessions over the left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC). Standard settings of 120% MT, 10 Hz (4 sec on, 26 sec off), and 3,000 pulses/session were used. Her acute symptoms showed a brisk response, and at the final treatment, her repeat MADRS was 2, and YMRS was 0. The patient reported feeling “great,” which she defined as feeling stable with minimal depression and hypomania for the first time in years.

Conclusion

Mixed episodes present a treatment challenge given their limited treatment options and diminished responses. Previous research has shown decreased efficacy of lithium and antipsychotics in mixed episodes with dysphoric mood such as the episode our patient experienced. One open-label study of low-frequency right-sided rTMS showed promising results in patients with treatment-refractory depression with mixed features, but the role of rTMS in the management of these episodes is largely unexplored. Given the concern for potential manic mood switches, further investigation into the laterality, frequency, anatomical target, and efficacy of rTMS for bipolar major depressive episodes with mixed features is warranted.
Effectiveness of health literacy interventions on anxious and depressive symptomatology in primary health care: A systematic review and meta-analysis
Authors: Magallón-Botaya Rosa , Méndez-López Fátima , Oliván-Blázquez Bárbara , Carlos Silva-Aycaguer Luis , Lerma-Irureta David , Bartolomé-Moreno Cruz
Published: February 2023

Background

Affective disorders are a debilitating and very prevalent problem throughout the world. Often these are associated with the onset of comorbidities or a consequence of chronic diseases. Anxiety and depression are associated with poor social and personal relationships, compromised health. We aimed to synthesize evidence from studies measuring the impact of a health literacy (HL) intervention on the improvement of affective disorders.

Methods

For this systematic review and meta-analysis, we searched PubMed/MEDLINE, Embase, Web of Science, Ibecs, Cuiden, Scielo, Science Direct and Dialnet for exclusively randomized controlled trial studies (RCTs) published between 1 Jan 2011, and 31 May 2022. The search terms employed were “health literacy,” “health knowledge,” “anxiety,” “anxiety disorder,” “depression,” “depressive disorder,” and “adult.” The risk of bias assessment was performed using the Cochrane Collaboration Revised Risk of Bias tool (RoB2). We conducted random-effects meta-analyses and explored heterogeneity using meta-regression and a stratified survey.

Results

Of 2,863 citations found through the initial screening, 350 records were screened by the title and abstract for their themes and relevance. Finally, nine studies complied with the inclusion criteria for the meta-analysis. 66.66% of studies (n = 6) were rated as having a low risk of bias and 33.33% (n = 3) were judged to raise some concerns. The health literacy interventions were associated with −1.378 reduction in depression and anxiety questionnaires scores [95% CI (−1.850, −0.906)]. Low mood disorder scores are associated with better mental health and wellbeing.

Conclusion

Our findings demonstrate that an HL intervention in relation to the symptoms associated with affective disorders improves the emotional state of patients in PHC, with a moderately positive effect in reducing depression and anxiety.
Factors of the policy process influencing Health in All Policies in local government: A scoping review
Authors: Lilly Kara , Kean Bridie , Hallett Jonathan , Robinson Suzanne , Selvey Linda A.
Published: February 2023

Objectives

This review aimed to identify factors in the policymaking environment that influence a Health in all Policies approach in local government, how these vary across different municipal contexts, and the extent that theories of the policy process are applied.

Methods

A scoping review was conducted to include sources published in English, between 2001 and 2021 in three databases, and assessed for inclusion by two blind reviewers.

Results

Sixty-four sources were included. Sixteen factors of the policy process were identified, expanding on previously reported literature to include understanding and framing of health, use of evidence, policy priority, and influence of political ideology. Eleven sources applied or referred to theories of the policy process and few reported findings based on different local government contexts.

Conclusion

There are a range of factors influencing a Health in All Policies approach in local government, although a limited understanding of how these differ across contexts. A theory-informed lens contributed to identifying a breadth of factors, although lack of explicit application of theories of the policy process in studies makes it difficult to ascertain meaningful synthesis of the interconnectedness of these factors.
Effectiveness of online caries management platform in children's caries prevention: A randomized controlled trial
Authors: Yan Siqi , Luo Song , Yang Xiaoxia , He Lidan , Chen Xinyi , Que Guoying
Published: February 2023

Purpose

To construct an online caries management platform and evaluate its efficacy in children's caries prevention based on caries risk.

Methods

The study participants were second-grade pupils. The caries risk assessment tool (CAT) was used to grade caries risk for all participants, who were randomly divided into the experimental (114 pupils) and control (111 pupils) groups. The experimental group used the Internet for caries management, while the control group was managed by traditional lecturing in classroom. The caries status of each surface of the first permanent molars was recorded. The basic information and oral health knowledge, attitude, and behaviors of participants were collected by questionnaire. One year later, outcome data were collected. Pearson's chi-squared test was used to analyze the caries risk assessment items and oral health behaviors. The Mann-Whitney U-test was used to analyze the decayed-missing-filled surfaces (DMFS) index, plaque index, and scores of oral health knowledge and attitude. P < 0.05 was considered statistically significant. This study was available on the website of Chinese Clinical Trials Register (No: MR-44-22-012947).

Results

After 1 year, the oral health knowledge score was improved by 20.58% (P < 0.001) in the experimental group and 6.02% in the control group. The plaque index was improved by 49.60% (P < 0.001) in the experimental group and 21.01% in the control group. The DMFS index increased in both groups but there were no significant differences (P = 0.608). The experimental group had a better improvement effect in caries risk assessment items than the control group, including “whether the frequency of eating sugary snacks or drinks between meals is more than 3 times/day” (P = 0.033) and the use of fluoridated toothpaste (P = 0.020). The experimental group was better than the control group in reported oral health behaviors, including frequency of eating sweets before sleep (P = 0.032), brushing time (P = 0.001), and the filled rate (proportion of FS in DMFS) of first permanent molars (P = 0.003).

Conclusions

The online caries management platform showed more advantages than traditional lecturing in improving oral health knowledge and behaviors (oral hygiene practice, sugar consumption behavior, and medical treatment behavior). This platform provides a reliable implementation path for the occurrence and continuous improvement of oral health-related behaviors.
Impact of the COVID-19 epidemic on medical product imports from china from outbreak to stabilization: Monthly panel data regression and instrumental variable test
Authors: Pu Yuanjie , Xu Aidi , Wang Hang , Qian Fangbin
Published: February 2023

This study conduct regressions of panal data with OLS and test with IV, empirically examines the COVID-19 epidemic's impact on the import of medical products from China from the perspective of the importing countries, exporting country, and other trading partners, and analyzes the inter-temporal impact across different product categories. The empirical results reveal that, in importing countries, the COVID-19 epidemic increased the import of medical products from China. In China, as an exporting country, the epidemic inhibited the export of medical products; by contrast, for other trading partners, it promoted the import of medical products from China. Among them, key medical products were most affected by the epidemic, followed by general medical products and medical equipment. However, the effect was generally found to wane after the outbreak period. Additionally, we focus on how political relations shape China's medical product export pattern and how the Chinese government is using trade means to improve external relations. In the post-COVID-19 era, countries should prioritize the stability of supply chains for key medical products and actively engage in international cooperation on health governance to further combat the epidemic.
Spatiotemporal trends in neonatal, infant, and child mortality (1990–2019) based on Bayesian spatiotemporal modeling
Authors: Wang Shaobin , Ren Zhoupeng , Liu Xianglong
Published: February 2023

Background

Neonatal mortality rate (NMR), infant mortality rate (IMR), and child mortality rate (CMR) show a huge difference across countries, which has been posing challenges for public health policies and medical resource allocation.

Methods

Bayesian spatiotemporal model is applied to assess the detailed spatiotemporal evolution of NMR, IMR, and CMR from a global perspective. Panel data from 185 countries from 1990 to 2019 are collected.

Results

The continuously decreasing trend of NMR, IMR, and CMR indicated a great improvement in neonatal, infant, and child mortality worldwide. Further, huge differences in the NMR, IMR, and CMR still exist across countries. In addition, the gap of NMR, IMR, and CMR across the countries presented a widening trend from the perspective of dispersion degree and kernel densities. The spatiotemporal heterogeneities demonstrated that the decline degree among these three indicators could be observed as CMR > IMR > NMR. Countries such as Brazil, Sweden, Libya, Myanmar, Thailand, Uzbekistan, Greece, and Zimbabwe showed the highest values of b1i, indicating a weaker downward trend compared to the overall downward trend in the world.

Conclusions

This study revealed the spatiotemporal patterns and trends in the levels and improvement of NMR, IMR, and CMR across countries. Further, NMR, IMR, and CMR show a continuously decreasing trend, but the differences in improvement degree present a widening trend across countries. This study provides further implications for policy in newborns, infants, and children's health to reduce health inequality worldwide.
Missing data in multi-omics integration: Recent advances through artificial intelligence
Authors: Flores Javier E. , Claborne Daniel M. , Weller Zachary D. , Webb-Robertson Bobbie-Jo M. , Waters Katrina M. , Bramer Lisa M.
Published: February 2023

Biological systems function through complex interactions between various ‘omics (biomolecules), and a more complete understanding of these systems is only possible through an integrated, multi-omic perspective. This has presented the need for the development of integration approaches that are able to capture the complex, often non-linear, interactions that define these biological systems and are adapted to the challenges of combining the heterogenous data across ‘omic views. A principal challenge to multi-omic integration is missing data because all biomolecules are not measured in all samples. Due to either cost, instrument sensitivity, or other experimental factors, data for a biological sample may be missing for one or more ‘omic techologies. Recent methodological developments in artificial intelligence and statistical learning have greatly facilitated the analyses of multi-omics data, however many of these techniques assume access to completely observed data. A subset of these methods incorporate mechanisms for handling partially observed samples, and these methods are the focus of this review. We describe recently developed approaches, noting their primary use cases and highlighting each method's approach to handling missing data. We additionally provide an overview of the more traditional missing data workflows and their limitations; and we discuss potential avenues for further developments as well as how the missing data issue and its current solutions may generalize beyond the multi-omics context.
Identity and research ethos in Indigenous-to-Indigenous planning research
Authors: Thompson-Fawcett Michelle
Published: February 2023

As a member of an Indigenous community myself, my research is necessarily undertaken through an emancipatory Indigenist methodological approach. Indigenous methodologies seek to deconstruct Western paradigms of investigation and understandings that perpetuate the invalidation of Indigeneity, and instead attempt to constitute paradigms centred on Indigenous worldviews. However, Indigenous researchers often work with communities that are not their own. In my case, I have collaborated in a small amount of research with Indigenous groups outside of my own country. But, the majority of my research has been with New Zealand Māori communities other than my own. Key for me, has been the development of personal strategies aimed at keeping me culturally safe in my research with other Indigenous communities, while being secure in my own Indigenous identity. I seek to be culturally respectful in the space of others - safeguarding local Indigenous research sovereignty.
Soft-body dynamics induces energy efficiency in undulatory swimming: A deep learning study
Authors: Li Guanda , Shintake Jun , Hayashibe Mitsuhiro
Published: February 2023

Recently, soft robotics has gained considerable attention as it promises numerous applications thanks to unique features originating from the physical compliance of the robots. Biomimetic underwater robots are a promising application in soft robotics and are expected to achieve efficient swimming comparable to the real aquatic life in nature. However, the energy efficiency of soft robots of this type has not gained much attention and has been fully investigated previously. This paper presents a comparative study to verify the effect of soft-body dynamics on energy efficiency in underwater locomotion by comparing the swimming of soft and rigid snake robots. These robots have the same motor capacity, mass, and body dimensions while maintaining the same actuation degrees of freedom. Different gait patterns are explored using a controller based on grid search and the deep reinforcement learning controller to cover the large solution space for the actuation space. The quantitative analysis of the energy consumption of these gaits indicates that the soft snake robot consumed less energy to reach the same velocity as the rigid snake robot. When the robots swim at the same average velocity of 0.024 m/s, the required power for the soft-body robot is reduced by 80.4% compared to the rigid counterpart. The present study is expected to contribute to promoting a new research direction to emphasize the energy efficiency advantage of soft-body dynamics in robot design.
Implementing circular economy and sustainability policies in Rwanda: Experiences of Rwandan manufacturers with the plastic ban policy
Authors: Ogutu Moses Onyango , Akor Jackson , Mulindwa Mike Ssempa , Heshima Olexa , Nsengimana Christian
Published: February 2023

Despite the rise of plastic waste regulation and rising trends in the adoption of circular economy (CE) policies globally, investigations of their impact on businesses remain limited. Research on adoption of CE policies in Africa is particularly limited despite African countries leading the uptake of plastic ban laws and CE-related policies. This paper examines how the 10-R principles of CE feature in Rwanda's sustainability policies, and provides the experiences of Rwandan manufacturers following the implementation of the plastic ban. A qualitative review of key environmental sustainability policies in Rwanda shows alignment to different levels of 10-R principles of the circular economy. Meanwhile, field interviews with leading manufacturers comprising producers and users of single-use plastics in Rwanda indicate that businesses have faced internal and external challenges complying with the plastic ban and CE-related policies. These challenges range from limited capital to acquire new industrial technology, lack of expertise to develop circular business models, lack of alternative packaging to plastics, to loss in market competition since Rwanda's competitors in the international market still use cheap plastic packaging. Consequently, our findings indicate that insufficient government support such as lack of finance and capacity development to develop new business models, ambiguous regulatory framework, and inadequate stakeholder consultations impedes business uptake of CE and other sustainability policies. In addition to providing policy and managerial implications, we conclude by underscoring the importance of continued collaboration between government in terms of regulation, innovation from businesses, and consumer actions, in tackling environmental challenges caused by plastic waste and implementation of CE and other green policies.
Art as therapy in virtual reality: A scoping review
Authors: Hadjipanayi Christos , Banakou Domna , Michael-Grigoriou Despina
Published: February 2023

This scoping review focuses on therapeutic interventions, which involve the creation of artworks in virtual reality. The purpose of this research is to survey possible directions that traditional practices of art therapy and therapeutic artmaking could take in the age of new media, with emphasis on fully immersive virtual reality. After the collection of papers from online databases, data from the included papers were extracted and analyzed using thematic analysis. The results reveal that virtual reality introduces novel opportunities for artistic expression, self-improvement, and motivation for psychotherapy and neurorehabilitation. Evidence that artmaking in virtual reality could be highly beneficial in therapeutic settings can be found in many aspects of virtual reality, such as its virtuality, ludicity, telepresence capacity, controlled environments, utility of user data, and popularity with digital natives. However, deficiencies in digital literacy, technical limitations of the current virtual reality devices, the lack of tactility in virtual environments, difficulties in the maintenance of the technology, interdisciplinary concerns, as well as aspects of inclusivity should be taken into consideration by therapy practitioners, researchers, and software developers alike. Finally, the reported results reveal implications for future practice.
What Are Variable Stars and Why Do We Observe Them?
Authors: Kafka Stella
Published: February 2023

Stars are an important part of the universe, and they considered the “engines” of cosmic evolution, because they create all the elements heavier than hydrogen and helium—the very elements that make up us and the world we live in. While the brightness of most stars appears steady, by using telescopes or even binoculars the brightness of some stars can be seen to change. These are called variable stars. Researching variable stars is important because the information from these stars helps scientists to understand the properties of all stars as well as the nature of the universe. This article will explain what variable stars are, what we can learn from them, and how even non-professionals, including you, can help to collect data on variable stars that might help astronomers to better understand our universe.
How Can Nature Protect People Against Sea-Level Rise?
Authors: van Hespen Rosanna , van Bijsterveldt Celine E. J. , Camargo Carolina M. L. , Stoorvogel Marte M. , Bouma Tjeerd J.
Published: February 2023

Almost one third of people on Earth live near the coast where they are at risk from floods. Coastal areas are often protected from flooding by human-built flood-protection structures, like dikes and seawalls. Now that Earth’s climate is changing, sea-level rise and storms are becoming more intense and frequent, which increases the risk of flooding. Therefore, we need to develop bigger flood-defense structures to stay safe from flooding. However, this is very expensive. Is there an alternative? It may sound surprising, but nature can help us out. Around the world, ecosystems like mangrove forests, salt marshes, and coral reefs can help to protect our coasts from flooding. They can contribute to greener, more natural, biodiverse coasts, and make living along Earth’s coastlines safer and more sustainable. Using these natural systems is called nature-based flood defense. In this article, we explain how it works.
Psychiatrization, assertions of epistemic justice, and the question of agency
Authors: Russo Jasna
Published: February 2023

Thus far, the concept of epistemic injustice in the context of psychiatry has been discussed more widely by clinical academics than by authors with personal experience of psychiatrization. It is from the latter perspective that I critique the practice of attributing testimonial injustice solely to the “stigma against mental illness”, and point to psychiatric diagnosing itself as a principal enabler and re-producer of this form of injustice. In relation to hermeneutical justice, I take a closer look at initiatives seeking to incorporate (collective) first-person knowledge into the epistemic systems that currently dominate mental-health service provision and research. Highlighting the incompatibility of psychiatric knowledge claims with first-person ways of knowing, I discuss some of the issues and challenges involved in achieving epistemic justice for psychiatrized people and advancing our collective knowledge base. Finally, I turn to the questions of identity and agency in these processes.
Charting the solar cycle
Authors: Chapman S. C.
Published: February 2023

Sunspot records reveal that whilst the Sun has an approximately 11 year cycle of activity, no two cycles are of the same duration. Since this activity is a direct driver of space weather at Earth, this presents an operational challenge to quantifying space weather risk. We recently showed that the Hilbert transform of the sunspot record can be used to map the variable cycle length onto a regular “clock” where each cycle has the same duration in Hilbert analytic phase. Extreme geomagnetic storms rarely occur within the quiet part of the cycle which is a fixed interval of analytic phase on the clock; there is a clear active-quiet switch-off and quiet-active switch-on of activity. Here we show how the times of the switch-on/off can be determined directly from the sunspot time-series, without requiring a Hilbert transform. We propose a method-charting-that can be used to combine observations, and reports of societal impacts, to improve our understanding of space weather risk.
Effects of anaerobic and respiratory adaptation of Lacticaseibacillus casei N87 on fermented sausages production
Authors: Camprini Lucia , Pellegrini Michela , Comi Giuseppe , Iacumin Lucilla
Published: February 2023

Lacticaseibacillus casei N87 was used as starter culture for the production of fermented sausages. The strain was cultivated in anaerobic (A) and respiratory (growth in presence of oxygen and supplementation with haeme and menaquinone in the growth medium; R) conditions. Control without the starter culture inoculation and with the addition of 150 mg/kg of nitrate was also included. The effect on physico-chemical parameters (pH, Aw, weight loss, and color), microbial population, volatilome, proteolysis as well as the survival of the strain was evaluated during 90 days of ripening. Q-PCR and DGGE-PCR analyses demonstrated the ability of the strain used in this study to adapt to this environment and carry out the sausage's fermentation process. The inoculation of the strain did not have any effect on the Aw values, which decreased similarly in the different samples whereas the pH was lower in A samples (5.2) and the weight loss in R samples (2.5% less than the others). The color parameters of the samples inoculated with the starter cultures were comparable to those of the control added with nitrate. The concentration of aldehydes that usually are identified as marker of oxidation processes was similar in the samples inoculated with the starter cultures adapted under respiratory conditions and in the control. On the contrary, a higher level was detected in the samples inoculated with the starter cultivated under anaerobic conditions. The proteolysis that occurred during the ripening indicates the differentiation of the A samples from the others. Nonetheless, the volatile profiles of the inoculated fermented sausages were similar. The study demonstrated that aerobic adaptation of Lcb. casei N87 starter culture gave similar color parameters and amounts of aldehydes in sausages fermentations without nitrate compared to conventional fermentations with nitrate.
Cone-beam breast CT-guided surface location facilitates breast-conserving surgery in breast cancer patients with extensive calcifications: A pilot study
Authors: Sun Ya , He Ni , Ye Feng , Zhou Chunyan , Wu Yaopan , Xie Chuanmiao , Tang Jun
Published: February 2023

Background

Extensive malignant-appearing calcifications have traditionally been considered a contraindication for breast-conserving surgery. The evaluation of calcifications largely depends on mammography, which is limited by tissue superimposition and is unable to reveal spatial information about extensive calcifications. Three-dimensional imaging modality is needed to reveal the architecture of extensive calcifications. In the present study, a novel cone-beam breast CT-guided surface location technique was investigated to facilitate breast-conserving surgery in breast cancer patients with extensive malignant breast calcifications.

Methods

Biopsy-proved early breast cancer patients with extensive malignant-appearing breast calcifications were included. A patient will be considered suitable for breast-conserving surgery if the spatial segmental distribution of calcifications is found by 3D images of cone-beam breast CT. Then, the margins of the calcifications were located in contrast-enhanced cone-beam breast CT images. Next, skin markers were located using radiopaque materials, and cone-beam breast CT was reperformed to confirm the accuracy of surface location. During breast-conserving surgery, lumpectomy was performed according to the previous surface location, and an intraoperative specimen x-ray was applied to double-check that the entire lesion was removed. Margin assessment was made for both intraoperative frozen section and postoperative pathology examination.

Results

From May 2019 to Jun 2022, 11 eligible breast cancer patients in our institution were included. Breast-conserving surgery was performed successfully in all patients using the surface location approach mentioned before. All patients achieved negative margins and satisfied cosmetic results.

Conclusion

This study proved the feasibility of cone-beam breast CT-guided surface location for facilitating breast-conserving surgery in breast cancer patients with extensive malignant breast calcifications.
Unruptured anterior Inferior cerebellar artery aneurysm following stereotactic irradiation for vestibular schwannoma: Case report and literature review
Authors: Lu Denghui , Ping Haoda , Wei Chen , Fang Wei , Zhang Yunze , Wu Yingxi , Xue Yafei , Wang Bao , Qu Yan , Zhao Tianzhi
Published: February 2023

Background

The clinical features and therapeutic measures of vestibular schwannoma (VS) radiation-related aneurysm (RRA) have not been well described. We reported the first VS RRA case admitted for acute anterior inferior cerebella artery (AICA) ischemic symptoms. Literature was reviewed to present the research fruits about VS RRAs, and some therapeutic advices were given.

Materials and methods

A 54-year-old woman who had undergone GKS 10 years previously for a right VS was admitted to our hospital in 2018 because of sudden onset of severe vertigo and vomiting, accompanied with unsteady gait. During tumor resection, a dissecting aneurysm arose from the main trunk of AICA was encountered accidently within the tumor. The aneurysm was successfully treated with direct clip ligation, sparing the parent vessel. Data about this case were combined with those of other 11 radiation-related AICA aneurysm cases retrieved from the current literature. The following parameters were evaluated: Age, Sex, Diagnostic method, Location of aneurysm, Age of radiotherapy (Years)/Latency, Rupture, x-ray dosage, Type of radiotherapy, History of surgical resection of VS, Aneurysm Type, Morphology, Number, Treatment, Operative complications, Sequela, Outcome. VS RRAs mainly occurred in women (75%) with a median age of 62.5 years and were mainly located on AICA. Ruptured aneurysms accounted for 75.0% of the total cases. This paper reported the first VS case admitted with acute AICA ischemic symptoms. Cases with sacciform-like, irregular and fusiform-shaped aneurysms accounted for 50.0%, 25.0% and 25.0% of the total, respectively. After surgical treatment, 75.0% patients recovered, except for 3 patients who developed new ischemic consequence.

Conclusion

Patients should be informed of the risk of RRAs after receiving radiotherapy for VS. In these patients, RRAs should be suspected when subarachnoid hemorrhage or AICA ischemic symptoms occurred. Active intervention should be conducted considering the high instability and bleeding rate of VS RRAs.