bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Evaluation of Four Commonly Used DNA Barcoding Loci for Ardisia Species Identification
Authors: Xiong Chao , Sun Wei , Wu Lan , Xu Ran , Zhang Yancheng , Zhu Wenjun , J. H. E. , Panjwani  , Liu Zhiguo , Zhao Bo
Published: April 2022

Ardisia plants have been used as medicinal plants for a long time in China. Traditional techniques such as morphological, microscopic, and chemical identification methods all have limitations in the species identification of Ardisia. For the sake of drug safety, four DNA barcodes (psbA-trnH, ITS, rbcL, and matK) were assessed for Chinese Ardisia plants using a total of 121 individuals from 33 species. Four criteria (The success rates of PCR amplification, DNA barcoding gap, DNA sequence similarity analysis and NJ tree clustering analysis) were used to evaluate the species identification ability of these four DNA barcodes. The results show that ITS had the highest efficiency in terms of PCR and sequencing and exhibited the most apparent inter- and intra-specific divergences and the highest species identification efficiency. There was no significant increase in species identification after combining the three cpDNA fragments with the ITS fragment. Considering the cost and experimental effectiveness, we recommend ITS as the core barcode for identifying Chinese Ardisia plants.
Tourists’ Health Risk Threats Amid COVID-19 Era: Role of Technology Innovation, Transformation, and Recovery Implications for Sustainable Tourism
Authors: Li Zhenhuan , Wang Dake , Abbas Jaffar , Hassan Saad , Mubeen Riaqa
Published: April 2022

Technology innovation has changed the patterns with its advanced features for travel and tourism industry during the outbreak of COVID-19 pandemic, which massively hit tourism and travel worldwide. The profound adverse effects of the coronavirus disease resulted in a steep decline in the demand for travel and tourism activities worldwide. This study focused on the literature based on travel and tourism in the wake global crisis due to infectious virus. The study aims to review the emerging literature critically to help researchers better understand the situation. It valorizes transformational affordance, tourism, and travel industries impacts posed by the virus COVID-19. The study proposed a research model on reviving the international tourism activities post COVID-19 pandemic to gain sustainable development and recovery. The scholars have debated seeking the best possible ways to predict a sustainable recovery of travel, tourism, and leisure sectors from the devastating consequences of coronavirus COVID-19. In the first phase, the study describes how the current pandemic can become transformational opportunities. It debates the situation and questions related to the emergence of the COVID-19 outbreak. The present research focuses on identifying fundamental values, organizations, and pre-assumptions related to travel and tourism revival and help academia and researchers to a breakthrough in initiating the frontiers based on research and practice. This study aims at exploring the role of technological innovation in the crisis management of COVID-19 tourism impacts, tourists’ behavior, and experiences. The travel and tourism industry’s main stakeholders include tourism demand and organizations that manage tourists’ destinations and policymakers. They have already experienced the stages of responses, recovery, and resetting tourism recovery strategies. The study provides valuable insight into the coronavirus consequences on travel and tourism and practical implications for global tourism and academic research revitalization.
Self-Control Capacity Moderates the Effect of Stereotype Threat on Female University Students’ Worry During a Math Performance Situation
Authors: Bertrams Alex , Lindner Christoph , Muntoni Francesca , Retelsdorf Jan
Published: April 2022

Stereotype threat is a possible reason for difficulties faced by girls and women in the fields of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics. The threat experienced due to gender can cause elevated worry during performance situations. That is, if the stereotype that women are not as good as men in math becomes salient, this stereotype activation draws women’s attention to task-irrelevant worry caused by the fear of conforming to the negative stereotype. Increased worry can reduce cognitive resources, potentially leading to performance decrements. We argue that such worry is more pronounced immediately after an unrelated self-control demand, which is assumed to temporarily decrease people’s self-control exertion over their attention and stream of thought (i.e., relatively low self-control capacity). This prediction was examined in an experiment conducted with 102 participating university students enrolled in courses in which math plays a crucial role. After the manipulation of self-control capacity (low vs. high), stereotype threat was induced for the female students, but not the male students. Then, the students were asked to report their thoughts during a math performance situation (i.e., written thought protocols) three times. Multiple-group autoregressive path models revealed that when self-control capacity was relatively low, female compared with male students reported more intense worry in the initial two thought protocols. In contrast, in the relatively high self-control capacity condition, female and male students did not differ significantly in their reported worry at any time. These results expand on previous findings, suggesting that threat effects depend on definable situational self-control conditions.
A Generative View of Rationality and Growing Awareness†
Authors: Felin Teppo , Koenderink Jan
Published: April 2022

In this paper we contrast bounded and ecological rationality with a proposed alternative, generative rationality. Ecological approaches to rationality build on the idea of humans as “intuitive statisticians” while we argue for a more generative conception of humans as “probing organisms.” We first highlight how ecological rationality’s focus on cues and statistics is problematic for two reasons: (a) the problem of cue salience, and (b) the problem of cue uncertainty. We highlight these problems by revisiting the statistical and cue-based logic that underlies ecological rationality, which originate from themisapplicationof concepts in psychophysics (e.g., signal detection, just-noticeable-differences). We then work through the most popular experimental task in the ecological rationality literature—the city size task—to illustrate how psychophysical assumptions have informally been linked to ecological rationality. After highlighting these problems, we contrast ecological rationality with a proposed alternative, generative rationality. Generative rationality builds on biology—in contrast to ecological rationality’s focus on statistics. We argue that in uncertain environments cues are rarely given or available for statistical processing. Therefore we focus on the psychogenesis of awareness rather than psychophysics of cues. For any agent or organism, environments “teem” with indefinite cues, meanings and potential objects, the salience or relevance of which is scarcely obvious based on their statistical or physical properties. We focus on organism-specificity and the organism-directed probing that shapes awareness and perception. Cues in teeming environments are noticed when they serve as cues-for-something, requiring what might be called a “cue-to-clue” transformation. In this sense, awareness toward a cue or cues is actively “grown.” We thus argue that perception might more productively be seen as thepresentationof cues and objects rather than theirrepresentation. This generative approach not only applies to relatively mundane organism (including human) interactions with their environments—as well as organism-object relationships and their embodied nature—but also has significant implications for understanding the emergence of novelty in economic settings. We conclude with a discussion of how our arguments link with—but modify—Herbert Simon’s popular “scissors” metaphor, as it applies to bounded rationality and its implications for decision making in uncertain, teeming environments.
Determinants of Major Choice and Academic Expectations: Testing a Prediction Model Across Gender
Authors: Alfonso Sonia , Diniz António M. , Conde Angeles , García-Señorán Mar
Published: April 2022

With this study, we aim to test the predictive relationships between determinants of major choice (DMC) and academic expectations (AEs) and to analyze gender differences, using six items of the Determinants of Major Choice Scale and the Academic Perceptions Questionnaire to assess AEs. A convenience sample of Portuguese (n = 839) and Spanish (n = 1,001) first-year students (age-range = 17–23 years), mostly composed of women (56.9%, n = 1,047), was selected from two public universities. The invariance of the multivariate regression model with latent variables of the effect of DMC on AEs, with determinants linked to Personal Characteristics (PCs; e.g., capacities) and Mediating Agents (MAs; e.g., parents) as AE predictors, was tested across gender with LISREL. The invariance test of the multivariate regression model across gender fit the data well and revealed an equivalence of slopes between women and men, which allows a unique interpretation of the model’s predictive relationships for both genders. We also found statistically significant predictive relationships of PCs for six AE factors and MAs for five AE factors. The results showed theoretical relationships with the self-determination theory. At a practical level, they indicated the importance of PCs and MAs to design AE intervention programs in Higher Education (HE) institutions.
“I Kind of Want to Want”: Women Who Are Undecided About Becoming Mothers
Authors: Donath Orna , Berkovitch Nitza , Segal-Engelchin Dorit
Published: April 2022

This study focuses on women who define themselves as being undecided about becoming mothers. It addresses the question of how these women navigate their lives between two main conflicting cultural directives and perceptions: pronatalism and familism entwined in perception of linear time on one hand; and individualism and its counterpart, the notion of flexible liquid society, on the other. The research is based on group meetings designated for these women, which were facilitated by the first author. Ten women participated in the study—of whom, most were heterosexual, half were single, and half were partnered. Data were collected using (1) questionnaires completed during individual interviews that preceded the group encounter; (2) transcripts of the discussions held during the ten group sessions; and (3) questions regarding the status of the women’s doubts about motherhood asked 4 years after participating in the group. Our findings expand the existing typology of women’s reproductive decision-making, and demonstrate how categories that are commonly perceived as binary intersect when one challenges the rigid classifications of “active decisions” and “passive decisions”; “motherhood” and “non-motherhood,” and “want to be a mother” and “do not want to be a mother.” The findings also suggest that after becoming mothers, women can change their maternal status from “non-mother” to “mother,” yet still continue to view themselves as indecisive regarding motherhood. Based on our findings, we will argue that while indecisiveness about motherhood derives from individualized neoliberal rhetoric, it simultaneously undermines that same rhetoric and contradicts the injunction to “know, to decide, to strive.” It opposes the expectation in post-feminist discourse, that women will make choices about their bodies and exert them, while also opposing the pronatalist rhetoric, and the temporal linear discourse positing that women should “move forward” toward motherhood along with the ticking of the “biological clock.” Whereas some women sought to resolve their indecisiveness, other women found that the indecisiveness leaves all options open in a manner that expands their boundaries of autonomy in a society that seeks to limit it.
A Comparative Study of Regional Homogeneity of Resting-State fMRI Between the Early-Onset and Late-Onset Recurrent Depression in Adults
Authors: Sun Ji-fei , Chen Li-mei , He Jia-kai , Wang Zhi , Guo Chun-lei , Ma Yue , Luo Yi , Gao De-qiang , Hong Yang , Fang Ji-liang , Xu Feng-quan
Published: April 2022

Background

Neurobiological mechanisms underlying the recurrence of major depressive disorder (MDD) at different ages are unclear, and this study used the regional homogeneity (ReHo) index to compare whether there are differences between early onset recurrent depression (EORD) and late onset recurrent depression (LORD).

Methods

Eighteen EORD patients, 18 LORD patients, 18 young healthy controls (HCs), and 18 older HCs were included in the rs-fMRI scans. ReHo observational metrics were used for image analysis and further correlation of differential brain regions with clinical symptoms was analyzed.

Results

ANOVA analysis revealed significant differences between the four groups in ReHo values in the prefrontal, parietal, temporal lobes, and insula. Compared with EORD, the LORD had higher ReHo in the right fusiform gyrus/right middle temporal gyrus, left middle temporal gyrus/left angular gyrus, and right middle temporal gyrus/right angular gyrus, and lower ReHo in the right inferior frontal gyrus/right insula and left superior temporal gyrus/left insula. Compared with young HCs, the EORD had higher ReHo in the right inferior frontal gyrus/right insula, left superior temporal gyrus/left insula, and left rolandic operculum gyrus/left superior temporal gyrus, and lower ReHo in the left inferior parietal lobule, right inferior parietal lobule, and left middle temporal gyrus/left angular gyrus. Compared with old HCs, the LORD had higher ReHo in the right fusiform gyrus/right middle temporal gyrus, right middle temporal gyrus/right angular gyrus, and left rolandic operculum gyrus/left superior temporal gyrus, and lower ReHo in the right inferior frontal gyrus/right insula. ReHo in the right inferior frontal gyrus/right insula of patients with LORD was negatively correlated with the severity of 17-item Hamilton Rating Scale for Depression (HAMD-17) scores (r = −0.5778, p = 0.0120).

Conclusion

Adult EORD and LORD patients of different ages have abnormal neuronal functional activity in some brain regions, with differences closely related to the default mode network (DMN) and the salience network (SN), and patients of each age group exhibit ReHo abnormalities relative to matched HCs.

Clinical Trial Registration

[http://www.chictr.org.cn/], [ChiCTR1800014277].
Romantic Attachment, Internalized Homonegativity, and Same-Sex Intimate Partner Violence Perpetration Among Lesbian Women in Italy
Authors: Tognasso Giacomo , Trombetta Tommaso , Gorla Laura , Ramon Shulamit , Santona Alessandra , Rollè Luca
Published: April 2022

Same-Sex Intimate Partner Violence (SSIPV) among lesbian women has been underestimated until few decades ago. While the association between romantic attachment and SSIPV has been widely demonstrated, mechanisms that mediate this association and the complex relationships between romantic attachment, SSIPV, and SSIPV-specific risk factors have not been adequately investigated to date. The current study assessed the influence of romantic attachment on SSIPV perpetration among lesbian women, exploring the mediating role of internalized homonegativity within this association. Three hundred and twenty-five Italian lesbian women with a mean age of 30 years were recruited and completed the following self-report measures: the Experiences in Close Relationships-Revised (ECR-R), the Measure of Internalized Sexual Stigma, and the Revised Conflict Tactics Scale Short Form. The results showed a positive association between attachment anxiety, and general and psychological SSIPV perpetration. Similarly, attachment avoidance was positively related with general, psychological, and physical SSIPV perpetration. The association between romantic attachment, and general and psychological SSIPV was partially mediated by internalized homonegativity. These findings have theoretical implications and provide valuable information to implement services and interventions tailored for SSIPV, to date scarce and not effective.
Development and Testing of the Curiosity in Classrooms Framework and Coding Protocol
Authors: Jirout Jamie J. , Zumbrunn Sharon , Evans Natalie S. , Vitiello Virginia E.
Published: April 2022

Curiosity is widely acknowledged as a crucial aspect of children’s development and as an important part of the learning process, with prior research showing associations between curiosity and achievement. Despite this evidence, there is little research on the development of curiosity or on promoting curiosity in school settings, and measures of curiosity promotion in the classroom are absent from the published literature. This article introduces the Curiosity in Classrooms (CiC) Framework coding protocol, a tool for observing and coding instructional practices that support the promotion of curiosity. We describe the development of the framework and observation instrument and the results of a feasibility study using the protocol, which gives a descriptive overview of curiosity-promoting instruction in 35 elementary-level math lessons. Our discussion includes lessons learned from this work and suggestions for future research using the developed observation tool.
The Impact of Artificial Intelligence on Firm Performance: An Application of the Resource-Based View to e-Commerce Firms
Authors: Chen Donghua , Esperança José Paulo , Wang Shaofeng
Published: April 2022

The application of artificial intelligence (AI) technology has evolved into an influential endeavor to improve firm performance, but little research considers the relationship among artificial intelligence capability (AIC), management (AIM), driven decision making (AIDDM), and firm performance. Based on the resource-based view (RBV) and existing findings, this paper constructs a higher-order model of AIC and suggests a research model of e-commerce firm AIC and firm performance. We collected 394 valid questionnaires and conducted data analysis using partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM). As a second-order variable, AIC was formed by three first-order variables: basic, proclivity, and skills. AIC indirectly affects firm performance through creativity, AIM, and AI-driven decision making. Firm creativity, AIM, and AIDDM are essential variables between AIC and firm performance. Innovation culture (IC) positive moderates the relationship between firm creativity and AIDDM as well as the relationship between AIDDM and firm performance. Environmental dynamism (ED) positive mediates the connection between AIM and AIDDM. Among the control variables, firm age negatively affects firm performance, and employee size does not. This study helps enterprises leverage AI to improve firm performance, achieve a competitive advantage, and contribute to theory and management practice.
Human Resource Practices for Corporate Social Responsibility: Evidence From Korean Firms
Authors: Bang Se-Rin , Choi Myeong-Cheol , Ahn Ji-Young
Published: April 2022

Human resource management (HRM) in managing environmental, social, governance (ESG), or corporate social responsibility (CSR) initiatives has been recently raised. Yet, little attention has been paid to integrating CSR and HRM. Our primary goal was to identify how and whether certain HR practices are critical for developing employee capability to operate in firms with active CSR initiatives. We first examine the impact of external CSR activities on firm-level work outcomes. Moreover, we attempt to identify a choice of particular HR practices that could be aligned with external CSR activities. We then empirically examine how each HR practice interacts with external CSR activities that influence employee retention and labor productivity. Using three longitudinal datasets conducted by the government-sponsored research institution over 154 publicly traded Korean firms for five waves of survey years, the results show that external CSR has a limited impact on employee retention and labor productivity. However, when external CSR activities are combined with a specific set of HR practices, including person-organization fit-based selection, performance-based pay, extensive investment of training and development, and employee suggestion program, the impact of external CSR on employee work outcomes is more substantial. The results indicate that external CSR and a particular set of HR practices as internal CSR can be complementary and generate a positive interaction on creating sustainable human capabilities.
Environmental Regulation, Environmental Decentralization, and Enterprise Environmental Protection Investment: Evidence From China
Authors: Liu Li , Ren Guangqian , He Banghua , Zheng Minna
Published: April 2022

The microeconomic behavior of enterprises is influenced by the government system and its policies. In this article, we investigate how environmental regulation and environmental decentralization affect enterprise environmental protection investment using the data of China's listed companies from 2009 to 2020 and examine the effect of environmental decentralization on the relationship between environmental regulation and environmental protection investment. First, we find that there is a “U-shaped” relationship between environmental regulation and enterprise environmental protection investment. Second, the estimation results indicate that environmental decentralization can promote enterprise environmental protection investment. Finally, we further provide evidence to show that environmental decentralization has a negative moderating impact on the relationship between environmental regulation and enterprise environmental protection investment. Accordingly, the conclusion of this study is helpful to optimize the environmental decentralization management system, reasonably guide the local government behavior, alleviate the contradiction between environmental protection and economic development, and promote the green transformation of economic development mode.
A Nomogram for Predicting Cancer-Specific Survival in Children With Wilms Tumor: A Study Based on SEER Database and External Validation in China
Authors: Tan Xiaojun , Wang Jinkui , Tang Jie , Tian Xiaomao , Jin Liming , Li Mujie , Zhang Zhaoxia , He Dawei
Published: April 2022

Background

Wilms tumor (WT) is the most common tumor in children. We aim to construct a nomogram to predict the cancer-specific survival (CSS) of WT in children and externally validate in China.

Methods

We downloaded the clinicopathological data of children with WT from 2004 to 2018 in the SEER database. At the same time, we used the clinicopathological data collected previously for all children with WT between 2013 and 2018 at Children's Hospital of Chongqing Medical University (Chongqing, China). We analyzed the difference in survival between the patients in the SEER database and our hospital. Cox regression analysis was used to screen for significant risk factors. Based on these factors, a nomogram was constructed to predict the CSS of children with WT. Calibration curve, concordance index (C-index), the area under the receiver operating curve (AUC) and decision curve analysis (DCA) was used to evaluate the accuracy and reliability of the model.

Results

We included 1,045 children with WT in the SEER database. At the same time, we collected 112 children with WT in our hospital. The Kaplan-Meier curve suggested that children in China with WT had a higher mortality rate than those in the United States. Cox regression analysis revealed that age, lymph node density (LND), and tumor stage were significant prognostic factors for the patients in the SEER database. However, the patients in our hospital only confirmed that the tumor stage and the number of positive regional lymph nodes were significant factors. The prediction model established by the SEER database had been validated internally and externally to prove that it had good accuracy and reliability.

Conclusion

We have constructed a survival prognosis prediction model for children with WT, which has been validated internally and externally to prove accuracy and reliability.
Identification of a Four-Gene Metabolic Signature to Evaluate the Prognosis of Colon Adenocarcinoma Patients
Authors: Zheng Yang , Wu Rilige , Wang Ximo , Yin Chengliang
Published: April 2022

Background

Colon adenocarcinoma (COAD) is a highly heterogeneous disease, thus making prognostic predictions uniquely challenging. Metabolic reprogramming is emerging as a novel cancer hallmark that may serve as the basis for more effective prognosis strategies.

Methods

The mRNA expression profiles and relevant clinical information of COAD patients were downloaded from public resources. The least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (LASSO) Cox regression model was exploited to establish a prognostic model, which was performed to gain risk scores for multiple genes in The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) COAD patients and validated in GSE39582 cohort. A forest plot and nomogram were constructed to visualize the data. The clinical nomogram was calibrated using a calibration curve coupled with decision curve analysis (DCA). The association between the model genes' expression and six types of infiltrating immunocytes was evaluated. Apoptosis, cell cycle assays and cell transfection experiments were performed.

Results

Univariate Cox regression analysis results indicated that ten differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were related with disease-free survival (DFS) (P-value< 0.01). A four-gene signature was developed to classify patients into high- and low-risk groups. And patients with high-risk exhibited obviously lower DFS in the training and validation cohorts (P < 0.05). The risk score was an independent parameter of the multivariate Cox regression analyses of DFS in the training cohort (HR > 1, P-value< 0.001). The same findings for overall survival (OS) were obtained GO enrichment analysis revealed several metabolic pathways with significant DEGs enrichment, G1/S transition of mitotic cell cycle, CD8+ T-cells and B-cells may be significantly associated with COAD in DFS and OS. These findings demonstrate that si-FUT1 inhibited cell migration and facilitated apoptosis in COAD.

Conclusion

This research reveals that a novel metabolic gene signature could be used to evaluate the prognosis of COAD, and targeting metabolic pathways may serve as a therapeutic alternative.
A Survey of Robotic Systems for Nursing Care
Authors: Nieto Agraz Celia , Pfingsthorn Max , Gliesche Pascal , Eichelberg Marco , Hein Andreas
Published: April 2022

An increase of the aging population with a decrease in the available nursing staff has been seen in recent years. These two factors combined present a challenging problem for the future and has since become a political issue in many countries. Technological advances in robotics have made its use possible in new application fields like care and thus it appears to be a viable technological avenue to address the projected nursing labor shortage. The introduction of robots in nursing care creates an active triangular collaboration between the patient, nurse, and robot, which makes this area significantly different from traditional human–robot interaction (HRI) settings. In this review, we identify 133 robotic systems addressing nursing. We classify them according to two schemes: 1) a technical classification extended to include both patient and nurse and 2) a novel data-derived hierarchical classification based on use cases. We then analyze their intersection and build a multidimensional view of the state of technology. With this analytical tool, we describe an observed skew of the distribution of systems and identify gaps for future research. We also describe a link between the novel hierarchical use case classification and the typical phases of nursing care from admission to recovery.
How Marine Heatwaves Impact Life in the Ocean
Authors: Beaudin Élise , Bracco Annalisa
Published: April 2022

Heatwaves are long periods of hotter-than-usual weather. They happen both on land and in the ocean. In the ocean, these hot periods are called marine heatwaves. Marine heatwaves can be deadly for marine life such as fish, seabirds, and corals. In the past decade, marine heatwaves have become more frequent, and more intense. Every marine heatwave is harmful to marine ecosystems. Marine heatwaves happen all around the world, from the Pacific Ocean to the Atlantic Ocean to the Mediterranean Sea. Climate scientists predict that, in the future, marine heatwaves will last longer and be more frequent, which will inevitably create more problems for marine life and humans. Therefore, we need to better understand why marine heatwaves occur and how they impact life in the ocean.
Evaluation of Surgical Treatment Effect on Idiopathic Normal Pressure Hydrocephalus
Authors: Sun Ran , Ning Haibo , Ren Ning , Xing Xiuying , Chen Xuejiao , Li Guihua , Li Xin , Chen Lei
Published: April 2022

Background:

We aimed to observe the long-term effectiveness and safety of the ventriculoperitoneal (VP) shunt in treating idiopathic normal pressure hydrocephalus (iNPH).

Methods

A total of 65 patients with iNPH were retrospectively analyzed. All the patients were treated with VP shunt and the clinical efficacy was assessed using follow-up questionnaire, the Modified Rankin Scale (mRS), and iNPH grading scale (iNPHGS) after operation.

Results

The mean mRS and iNPHGS scores were 1.18 ± 0.83 points and 2.98 ± 1.96 points, respectively, which were statistically significantly different from those before operation [(2.89 ± 0.92) points and (6.49 ± 2.30) points, respectively]. Besides, the patients were divided into the non-improvement group (n = 8, 12.3%), the improvement group (n = 16, 24.6%), and the marked improvement group (n = 41, 63.1%) based on the preoperative and postoperative mRS scores and the total effective rate of the VP shunt was 87.7%. Next, seven patients with negative cerebrospinal fluid tap test (tap test) received the active VP shunt and the score on walking disorder was 2.71 ± 0.76 points before operation and 1.86 ± 0.90 points after operation, showing a statistically significant difference. Moreover, 12 (18.4%) patients had complications after operation, among whom 5 (7.7%) patients manifested ameliorated symptoms after replacing shunt tube and receiving anti-infection treatment, but 3 (4.6%) patients showed no alleviation following pressure adjustment due to advanced age and multiple complications. Six (9.2%) cases of death were recorded during follow-up and only 1 (1.5%) case of sudden death occurred within 2 weeks after operation. In addition, it was found through more than 5 years of follow-up after operation that 12 out of the 23 (52.2%) patients had a good effect at 5 years after operation, 1 (4.3%) patient had been confined to bed due to advanced age and pulmonary infection, and 1 (4.3%) patient died of pulmonary infection and heart failure.

Conclusion

The VP shunt is effective in treating iNPH and it results in a preferable long-term prognosis.
A Transformative (r)Evolution of the Research on Agriculture through Fostering Human-Nature Connectedness—A Special Issue Editorial
Authors: Vicente-Vicente José Luis , Quintas-Soriano Cristina , López-Rodríguez María D.
Published: April 2022

More and more people live in cities [...]
System Design and Validation of a Wireless Sensor Monitoring System in Silage
Authors: Bauerdick Josef J. , Spiekers Hubert , Bernhardt Heinz
Published: April 2022

Silages have become the main feed for ruminants and biogas production and are often stored in large stacks. When a silo is filled, a plastic cover is laid out and fermentation begins. From this moment, the entire silo becomes a black box for farmers: if any spoilage due to air breaches takes place, it often will only be recognized when the stack is opened and massive losses have already occurred. In the present work, a wireless sensor monitoring system for silage stacks is designed that shall detect changes in the silage environment until feedout and can therefore enable the farmer to prevent biomass losses. The nail-shaped node design offers elevated feed safety opportunities and can be easily removed before feedout. For data transmission, LoRaWAN is used in combination with a hardware-based timer. The sensor nodes are able to endure the full extent of a silage stack storage period in a full-scale silage test of approximately 40 weeks without battery shortage. The resulting measurements show that CO2, O2, relative humidity and temperature sensors at the silage surface can detect changes within the silage environment due to air breach. Temperatures in stable regions beneath 40 cm can be detected and give information about long-term stability.
Unmanned Aircraft Systems as a Powerful Tool to Detect Fine-Scale Spatial Positioning and Interactions between Waterbirds at High-Tide Roosts
Authors: Castenschiold Johan H. Funder , Bregnballe Thomas , Bruhn Dan , Pertoldi Cino
Published: April 2022

The surveillance of behavioral interactions between individuals in bird populations is important to understand social dynamics and explain distribution patterns caused by competition for food and space. For waterbirds, little is known about interactions between individuals at high-tide roosts. In the present study, we used surveying with unmanned aircraft systems (UASs) to provide enhanced information on previously hidden aspects of the highly dynamic communities of roosting waterbirds in the non-breeding season. Fine-scale density estimations, derived from aerial photos obtained with UASs, were used as a measure to explain intra- and inter-species interactions for 10 selected waterbird species on a major roost site in the Danish Wadden Sea. Uniquely defined density distributions were detected, which, to some degree, were dependent on species and species size, with smaller waders exhibiting densely packed flocks (e.g., dunlin Calidris alpina and golden plover Pluvialis apricaria), whereas larger species, such as ducks and geese (Anatidae) exhibited lower densities. Multi-species flocks were observed to occur frequently (31.9%) and generally resulted in lower densities than single-species flocks for each of the species involved. Furthermore, it has been demonstrated that UAS aerial photos can be used both to assess positions for roosting waterbirds and to classify habitats (i.e., mudflats, vegetated areas, waterline, and flooded areas) during high-tide. This facilitated the collection of precise data for temporal habitat choices for individual species when using the studied roost site. Our study highlights UAS surveys as an effective tool to gather hitherto unobtainable data for individual occurrences of roosting waterbirds on a spatiotemporal scale.
Temocillin: Applications in Antimicrobial Stewardship as a Potential Carbapenem-Sparing Antibiotic
Authors: Lupia Tommaso , De Benedetto Ilaria , Stroffolini Giacomo , Di Bella Stefano , Mornese Pinna Simone , Zerbato Verena , Rizzello Barbara , Bosio Roberta , Shbaklo Nour , Corcione Silvia , De Rosa Francesco Giuseppe
Published: April 2022

Temocillin is an old antibiotic, but given its particular characteristics, it may be a suitable alternative to carbapenems for treating infections due to ESBL-producing Enterobacterales and uncomplicated UTI due to KPC-producers. In this narrative review, the main research question was to summarize current evidence on temocillin and its uses in infectious diseases. A search was run on PubMed using the terms (‘Temocillin’ [Mesh]) AND (‘Infection’ [Mesh]). Current knowledge regarding temocillin in urinary tract infection, blood-stream infections, pneumonia, intra-abdominal infections, central nervous system infections, skin and soft tissues infections, surgical sites infections and osteoarticular Infections were summarized. Temocillin retain a favourable profile on microbiota and risk of Clostridioides difficile infections and could be an option for treating outpatients. Temocillin may be a valuable tool to treat susceptible pathogens and for which a carbapenem could be spared. Other advantages in temocillin use are that it is well-tolerated; it is associated with a low rate of C. difficile infections; it is active against ESBL, AmpC, and KPC-producing Enterobacterales; and it can be used in the OPAT clinical setting.
Characterization of Mutations in DNA Gyrase and Topoisomerase IV in Field Strains and In Vitro Selected Quinolone-Resistant Mycoplasma hyorhinis Mutants
Authors: Li Jun , Wei Yanna , Wang Jia , Li Yao , Shao Guoqing , Feng Zhixin , Xiong Qiyan
Published: April 2022

Mycoplasma hyorhinis is ubiquitous in swine, and it is a common pathogen of swine that causes polyserositis, arthritis, and maybe pneumonia. Fluoroquinolones are effective antimicrobials used for the treatment of mycoplasmal infection. However, a decrease in fluoroquinolones susceptibility in mycoplasma was observed. The molecular mechanisms have been studied in many mycoplasma species, while the mechanism in M. hyorhinis is still unknown. This study aimed to illustrate the in vitro development of fluoroquinolone resistance in M. hyorhinis and unveil the resistance mechanisms in both in vitro selected mutants and field strains. Seven ciprofloxacin-sensitive M. hyorhinis isolates were chosen to induce the fluoroquinolone resistance in vitro, and the point mutations in the quinolone resistance-determining regions (QRDRs) were characterized. The substitutions first occurred in ParC, resulting in a 2- to 8-fold increase in resistance, followed by additional mutations in GyrA and/or ParE to achieve a 32-fold increase. The mutations occurred in hot spots of QRDRs, and they were diverse and variable, including five in ParC (Ser80Phe, Ser80Tyr, Phe80Tyr, Glu84Gly, and Glu84Lys), four in GyrA (Ala83Val, Ser84Pro, Asp87Tyr, and Asp87Asn) and one in ParE (Glu470Lys). Target mutations in field strains were observed in the ParC (Ser80Phe, Ser81Pro, and Glu84Gln) of isolates with MICCIP = 2 μg/mL. This study characterized the point mutations in the QRDRs of M. hyorhinis and could be useful for the rapid detection of fluoroquinolone resistance in M. hyorhinis field isolates.
Hydroxysafflor Yellow A Blocks HIF-1α Induction of NOX2 and Protects ZO-1 Protein in Cerebral Microvascular Endothelium
Authors: Li Yi , Liu Xiao-Tian , Zhang Pei-Lin , Li Yu-Chen , Sun Meng-Ru , Wang Yi-Tao , Wang Sheng-Peng , Yang Hua , Liu Bao-Lin , Wang Mei , Gao Wen , Li Ping
Published: April 2022

Zonula occludens-1 (ZO-1) is a tight junction protein in the cerebrovascular endothelium, responsible for blood–brain barrier function. Hydroxysafflor yellow A (HSYA) is a major ingredient of safflower (Carthamus tinctorius L.) with antioxidative activity. This study investigated whether HSYA protected ZO-1 by targeting ROS-generating NADPH oxidases (NOXs). HSYA administration reduced cerebral vascular leakage with ZO-1 protection in mice after photothrombotic stroke, largely due to suppression of ROS-associated inflammation. In LPS-stimulated brain microvascular endothelial cells, HSYA increased the ratio of NAD+/NADH to restore Sirt1 induction, which bound to Von Hippel–Lindau to promote HIF-1αdegradation. NOX2 was the predominant isoform of NOXs in endothelial cells and HIF-1α transcriptionally upregulated p47phox and Nox2 subunits for the assembly of the NOX2 complex, but the signaling cascades were blocked by HSYA via HIF-1α inactivation. When oxidate stress impaired ZO-1 protein, HSYA attenuated carbonyl modification and prevented ZO-1 protein from 20S proteasomal degradation, eventually protecting endothelial integrity. In microvascular ZO-1 deficient mice, we further confirmed that HSYA protected cerebrovascular integrity and attenuated ischemic injury in a manner that was dependent on ZO-1 protection. HSYA blocked HIF-1α/NOX2 signaling cascades to protect ZO-1 stability, suggestive of a potential therapeutic strategy against ischemic brain injury.
Effect of Water Supplementation on Oxidant/Antioxidant Activities and Total Phenol Content in Growing Olives of the Morisca and Manzanilla Varieties
Authors: Garrido Inmaculada , Hernández Marcos , Llerena José Luis , Espinosa Francisco
Published: April 2022

The objective of this work was to analyse, using a time series analysis, the effect of water regime for two cultivars at three stages of ripeness, during three consecutive years. Fruit and oil yield; O2− production and NADH oxidation activities; polyphenol oxidase (PPO), superoxide dismutase (SOD) and peroxidase (POX) activities; total phenols, flavonoid and phenylpropanoid glycoside content; and total antioxidant capacity (FRAP) were determined. All these parameters were found to depend on variety, irrigation and year. The results showed that the fruit and oil yields were strongly dependent on both irrigation and variety. The DW/FW ratio was practically constant during ripening, with small variety-dependent changes due to irrigation. Total amino acid and protein contents increased with ripening, with a close dependence on variety but not on irrigation. The SOD and POX activities appeared closely related, and related to the NADH oxidation and the amount of O2−. The evolution of phenols and FRAP during ripening was complementary to that of NADH oxidation, O2− production as well as SOD and POX activities. The determining factors of the SOD, POX and PPO activities were the variety and the ripening; the determining factor of the yield, ROS production, total phenols and antioxidant capacity was the water regime. Inverse correlations were observed between maximum temperature and total phenols (−0.869), total flavonoids (−0.823), total PPGs (−0.801) and FRAP (−0.829); and between DW/FW and irrigation (−0.483). The remaining significant correlations were positive.
Valorization of Onion Waste by Obtaining Extracts Rich in Phenolic Compounds and Feasibility of Its Therapeutic Use on Colon Cancer
Authors: Paesa Mónica , Nogueira Danielle Pires , Velderrain-Rodríguez Gustavo , Esparza Irene , Jiménez-Moreno Nerea , Mendoza Gracia , Osada Jesús , Martin-Belloso Olga , Rodríguez-Yoldi María Jesús , Ancín-Azpilicueta Carmen
Published: April 2022

In this study, the total phenolic content, the antioxidant and antiproliferative activities of onion waste extracts were characterized. Some phenolic compounds present in the extracts were also identified and quantified by HPLC-DAD. Additionally, an in-silico analysis was performed to identify the phenolic compounds with the highest intestinal absorption and Caco-2 permeability. The onion extract possessed a high amount of phenolic compounds (177 ± 9 mg/g extract) and had an effective antioxidant capacity measured by ABTS, FRAP and DPPH assays. Regarding the antiproliferative activity, the onion extracts produced cell cycle arrest in the S phase with p53 activation, intrinsic apoptosis (mitochondrial membrane potential modification) and caspase 3 activation. Likewise, onion waste increased intracellular ROS with possible NF-kB activation causing a proteasome down regulation. In addition, the extracts protected the intestine against oxidative stress induced by H2O2. According to the in-silico analysis, these results could be related to the higher Caco-2 permeability to protocatechuic acid. Therefore, this study provides new insights regarding the potential use of these types of extract as functional ingredients with antioxidant and antiproliferative properties and as medicinal agents in diseases related to oxidative stress, such as cancer. In addition, its valorization would contribute to the circular economy.
Augmented Reality and Virtual Reality in Dentistry: Highlights from the Current Research
Authors: Fahim Sidra , Maqsood Afsheen , Das Gotam , Ahmed Naseer , Saquib Shahabe , Lal Abhishek , Khan Abdul Ahad Ghaffar , Alam Mohammad Khursheed
Published: April 2022

Many modern advancements have taken place in dentistry that have exponentially impacted the progress and practice of dentistry. Augmented reality (AR) and virtual reality (VR) are becoming the trend in the practice of modern dentistry because of their impact on changing the patient’s experience. The use of AR and VR has been beneficial in different fields of science, but their use in dentistry is yet to be thoroughly explored, and conventional ways of dentistry are still practiced at large. Over the past few years, dental treatment has been significantly reshaped by technological advancements. In dentistry, the use of AR and VR systems has not become widespread, but their different uses should be explored. Therefore, the aim of this review was to provide an update on the contemporary knowledge, to report on the ongoing progress of AR and VR in various fields of dental medicine and education, and to identify the further research required to achieve their translation into clinical practice. A literature search was performed in PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science, and Google Scholar for articles in peer-reviewed English-language journals published in the last 10 years up to 31 March 2021, with the help of specific keywords related to AR and VR in various dental fields. Of the total of 101 articles found in the literature search, 68 abstracts were considered suitable and further evaluated, and consequently, 33 full-texts were identified. Finally, a total of 13 full-texts were excluded from further analysis, resulting in 20 articles for final inclusion. The overall number of studies included in this review was low; thus, at this point in time, scientifically-proven recommendations could not be stated. AR and VR have been found to be beneficial tools for clinical practice and for enhancing the learning experiences of students during their pre-clinical education and training sessions. Clinicians can use VR technology to show their patients the expected outcomes before the undergo dental procedures. Additionally, AR and VR can be implemented to overcome dental phobia, which is commonly experienced by pediatric patients. Future studies should focus on forming technological standards with high-quality data and developing scientifically-proven AR/VR gadgets for dental practice.
Optimized Parameter Search Approach for Weight Modification Attack Targeting Deep Learning Models
Authors: Echeberria-Barrio Xabier , Gil-Lerchundi Amaia , Orduna-Urrutia Raul , Mendialdua Iñigo
Published: April 2022

Deep neural network models have been developed in different fields, bringing many advances in several tasks. However, they have also started to be incorporated into tasks with critical risks. That worries researchers who have been interested in studying possible attacks on these models, discovering a long list of threats from which every model should be defended. The weight modification attack is presented and discussed among researchers, who have presented several versions and analyses about such a threat. It focuses on detecting multiple vulnerable weights to modify, misclassifying the desired input data. Therefore, analysis of the different approaches to this attack helps understand how to defend against such a vulnerability. This work presents a new version of the weight modification attack. Our approach is based on three processes: input data clusterization, weight selection, and modification of the weights. Data clusterization allows a directed attack to a selected class. Weight selection uses the gradient given by the input data to identify the most-vulnerable parameters. The modifications are incorporated in each step via limited noise. Finally, this paper shows how this new version of fault injection attack is capable of misclassifying the desired cluster completely, converting the 100% accuracy of the targeted cluster to 0–2.7% accuracy, while the rest of the data continues being well-classified. Therefore, it demonstrates that this attack is a real threat to neural networks.