bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Relationship of PIEZO1 and PIEZO2 vascular expression with diabetic neuropathy
Authors: Garcia-Mesa Yolanda , Cabo Roberto , González-Gay Mario , García-Piqueras Jorge , Viña Eliseo , Martínez Irene , Cobo Teresa , García-Suárez Olivia
Published: November 2023

Introduction: Diabetic distal symmetric polyneuropathy (DDSP) is the most prevalent form of diabetic peripheral neuropathy, and 25% of patients develop pain in their toes. DDSP is associated with increased cutaneous microvessel density (MVD), reduced skin blood flow, endothelial dysfunction, and impaired fluid filtration with vasodilation. The Piezo family of mechanosensitive channels is known to be involved in the control of vascular caliber by converting mechanical force into intracellular signals. Furthermore, Piezo2 is particularly involved in peripheral pain mechanisms of DDSP patients. To date, very little is known about the number, structure, and PIEZO expression in cutaneous blood vessels (BVs) of individuals with DDSP and their relation with pain and time span of diabetes.

Methods and results: We studied microvessels using endothelial markers (CD34 and CD31) and smooth cell marker (α-SMA) by indirect immunohistochemical assay in sections of the glabrous skin of the toes from patients and controls. MVD was assessed through CD34 and CD31 immunoreaction. MVD determined by CD34 is higher in short-term DDSP patients (less than 15 years of evolution), regardless of pain. However, long-term DDSP patients only had increased BV density in the painful group for CD31. BVs of patients with DDSP showed structural disorganization and loss of shape. The BVs affected by painful DDSP underwent the most dramatic structural changes, showing rupture, leakage, and abundance of material that occluded the BV lumen. Moreover, BVs of DDSP patients displayed a Piezo1 slight immunoreaction, whereas painful DDSP patients showed an increase in Piezo2 immunoreaction.

Discussion: These results suggest that alterations in the number, structure, and immunohistochemical profile of specific BVs can explain the vascular impairment associated with painful DDSP, as well as the temporal span of diabetes. Finally, this study points out a possible correlation between increased vascular Piezo2 immunostaining and pain and decreased vascular Piezo1 immunostaining and the development of vasodilation deficiency.
Plant–plant interactions vary greatly along a flooding gradient in a dam-induced riparian habitat
Authors: Ying Liu , Yanfeng Wang , Wenzhou Wu , Zhi Ding , Maohua Ma , Ping Huang , Shengjun Wu , Yanjing Lou
Published: November 2023

Plant–plant interactions under extreme environmental stress are still controversial. The stress gradient hypothesis (SGH) proposes that facilitation prevails under extreme environmental stresses, while an alternative view states that facilitation collapses or even switches back to competition at the extreme end of stress gradients. However, how the relationship between plant–plant interaction and periodic extreme flooding stress varies and its underlying mechanism are still unclear in a dam-regulated riparian ecosystem. We established a controlled experiment using two dominant species pairs (Cynodon dactylon–Cyperus rotundus and C. dactylon–Xanthium sibiricum) in the water level fluctuating zone of the Three Gorges Dam to examine their growth responses to the periodic extreme flooding stress. The results showed that as flooding stress increased, the competitive effect of C. dactylon on X. sibiricum shifted to facilitation, whereas the effect of X. sibiricum on C. dactylon maintained a strong inhibition. The plant height of X. sibiricum was the most important driver of the interaction between X. sibiricum and C. dactylon along the flooding gradient. The net effect of C. dactylon on C. rotundus shifted from neutral to negative, and the inhibitory effect of C. rotundus on C. dactylon became stronger at the extreme end of flooding stress. The root biomass of the two species was the key trait regulating their interaction with increasing flooding stress. Overall, the SGH was partially supported along our periodic extreme flooding stress gradient. Aboveground resource (light) might be the dominant factor driving the response of the interaction between annual plants and perennial clonal plants to periodic flooding stress, whereas belowground resource (water and nutrients) was probably the dominant factor for perennial clonal plants. Our study will help to further understand the environmental responses of plant–plant relationships and their regulatory mechanism, and the succession of riparian plant communities under extreme environmental changes, providing a basic theoretical basis and data support for the ecological restoration and management of riparian wetland vegetation.
Paradoxical leadership and well-being in turbulent times: a time-lagged study
Authors: Stynen Dave , Semeijn Judith
Published: November 2023

Introduction

Paradoxical leadership has recently been put forward as an approach to leadership that may transcend the inherent contradictions in contemporary organizational and personnel management. Empirical research on its potential role for bolstering employee well-being remains scarce. This study investigated whether paradoxical leadership positively impacts employee well-being, which is operationalized as employees’ job, career and life satisfaction. We rely on sense-making theory to investigate whether such effects are mediated by the mitigation of employee job insecurity perceptions.

Methods

Convenience sampling techniques were used to collect longitudinal survey data between March and September 2021. In total 287 workers provided usable data. Their ages ranged from 18 to 67 years and were active in various organizations in the Netherlands. Validated measures were used to assess paradoxical leadership, job insecurity, job, career, and life satisfaction. A time-lagged path analysis in Mplus 7.0 was conducted to investigate relationships.

Results

The results suggest that paradoxical leadership is positively related to job, career and life satisfaction over time. The relationships between paradoxical leadership and job and career satisfaction are partially mediated by the mitigation of perceived job insecurity.

Discussion

Paradoxical leadership plays a role in fostering worker well-being in these turbulent times. Paradoxical leaders may also help their followers to reframe and better deal with challenging working conditions. Despite the longitudinal data design, an additional data-wave would allow for more stringent testing of the proposed mediation effect, and due to convenience sampling generalization of findings is limited.
Second-generation antipsychotics and metabolic syndrome: a role for mitochondria
Authors: Mortimer Katherine R. H. , Katshu Mohammed Zia Ul Haq , Chakrabarti Lisa
Published: November 2023

Psychosis is a known risk factor for developing metabolic syndrome (MetS). The risk is even greater in patients who are taking second-generation antipsychotics (SGAs). SGAs exacerbate metabolic abnormalities and lead to a 3-fold increased risk of severe weight gain, type 2 diabetes, and cardiovascular disease in patients. Mitochondrial dysfunction is a hallmark of MetS. Mitochondria process glucose and fatty acids into ATP. If these processes are impaired, it can result in dyslipidaemia, hyperglycaemia and an imbalance between nutrient input and energy output. This leads to increased adiposity, insulin resistance and atherosclerosis. It is unclear how SGAs induce MetS and how mitochondria might be involved in this process. It has been found that SGAs impair cellular glucose uptake in liver, dysregulating glucose and fatty acid metabolism which leads to an accumulation of glucose and/or lipids and an increase reactive oxygen species (ROS) which target mitochondrial proteins. This affects complexes of the electron transport chain (ETC) to reduce mitochondrial respiration. While there is a suggestion that SGAs may interact with a variety of processes that disrupt mitochondrial function, some of the results are conflicting, and a clear picture of how SGAs interact with mitochondria in different cell types has not yet emerged. Here, we outline the current evidence showing how SGAs may trigger mitochondrial dysfunction and lead to the development of MetS.
Does WeChat use intensity influence Chinese college students' mental health through social use of WeChat, entertainment use of WeChat, and bonding social capital?
Authors: Xia Mengfan , Liu Jing
Published: November 2023

Background

Previous research notes that the usage of WeChat is significantly related to individuals' mental health, but the underlying mechanism is still not completely discovered. The present study aimed to explore the sequential mediating roles of WeChat use motivations and bonding social capital on the effects of WeChat use intensity on mental health in Chinese college students.

Method

The present study adopted an online survey with a total of 487 Chinese college students. Correlation analysis and serial mediation analysis were measured by process regarding the hypothesis.

Results

The study presented findings indicating that WeChat use intensity had both direct and indirect impacts on the levels of life satisfaction and loneliness experienced by college students in China. Specifically, the utilization of WeChat for social motivation and entertainment motivation was found to have a suppressive effect on the relationship between the intensity of WeChat usage and individuals' life satisfaction. The association between the intensity of WeChat usage and mental health outcomes (life satisfaction and loneliness) was found to be mediated by bonding social capital. Furthermore, the association between the intensity of WeChat usage and mental health was found to be mediated by the sequential mediation effects of using WeChat for social motivation and bonding social capital, as well as the sequential mediation effects of using WeChat for entertainment motivation and bonding social capital.

Conclusion

Our findings provide implications for policymakers and social workers regarding renovating the perceptions of the relationships between WeChat use intensity and overall mental health. Specifically, practical online activities and services of SNSs are recommended to be designed for meeting social and recreational gratifications and boosting bonding social capital, which in turn promotes psychological wellbeing.
Healthy eating habits and a prudent dietary pattern improve Nanjing international students’ health-related quality of life
Authors: Walker Anita Nyarkoa , Weeto Makhala Mary , Priddy Christiana Babymay , Yakubu Salimata , Zaitoun Margaret , Chen Qianfeng , Li Bohan , Feng Yucong , Zhong Yuxia , Zhang Yuandie , Wei Tao , Bafei Solim Essomandan Clémence , Feng Qing
Published: November 2023

Purpose

Low-quality dietary practices, such as fast food consumption and skipping meals, deteriorate the quality of life. However, the available studies on diet and health-related quality of life (HRQoL) used matrices not specific to nutrition. Moreover, how diet affects the HRQoL of international students in China is unknown. Therefore, using a cross-sectional study, the effect of dietary patterns and habits on the HRQoL of international students in Nanjing, China, was examined.

Methods

The researchers collected dietary data using a food frequency questionnaire (FFQ) from February to March 2022. Then, the Food Benefit Assessment (FBA) was used to access HRQoL. Finally, the effect of eating habits and dietary patterns on HRQoL was explored using multilinear regression.

Results

Approximately 454 responses were obtained, with the responses mostly from male subjects (56.4%) and those aged 26 years and above (75.6%). The quality of life according to the food consumed was about average for all the constructs except for aesthetics and disease prevention, as 65.8% skipped meals, particularly breakfast (47.8%). Furthermore, three dietary patterns were identified: prudent, Western, and animal protein patterns. Consequently, by skipping breakfast, vitality (β = −2.362, p = 0.04), wellbeing (β = −3.592, p = 0.007), digestive comfort (β = −4.734, p = 0.008), and disease prevention (β = −5.071, p = 0.031) were all reduced. However, consuming at least three meals daily enhanced vitality (β = 2.254, p = 0.003) and disease prevention (β = 4.441, p = 0.019). Furthermore, aesthetics (β = 4.456, p = 0.05), physical appearance (β = 5.927, p = 0.003), and vitality (β = 3.323, p = 0.009) were also significantly increased by healthy dietary patterns. However, a more Westernized diet led to frequent snacking (β = −4.631, p = 0.032), a decline in wellbeing (β = −5.370, p < 0.001), and discomfort with digestion (β = −5.101, p = 0.01). Finally, increased frequency of snacking (β = −6.036, p = 0.012), a decrease in wellbeing (β = −4.494, p = 0.004), digestive comfort (β = −9.940, p < 0.001), physical appearance (β = −4.926, p = 0.027), and disease prevention (β = −5.835, p = 0.043) were all associated with an increase in animal protein patterns.

Conclusion

This research indicates that healthy eating habits and patterns positively impact international students’ HRQoL. Therefore, the appropriate authorities should advise students to consume healthy foods regularly to improve their HRQoL.
Accuracy of artificial intelligence model for infectious keratitis classification: a systematic review and meta-analysis
Authors: Sarayar Randy , Lestari Yeni Dwi , Setio Arnaud A. A. , Sitompul Ratna
Published: November 2023

Background

Infectious keratitis (IK) is a sight-threatening condition requiring immediate definite treatment. The need for prompt treatment heavily depends on timely diagnosis. The diagnosis of IK, however, is challenged by the drawbacks of the current “gold standard.” The poorly differentiated clinical features, the possibility of low microbial culture yield, and the duration for culture are the culprits of delayed IK treatment. Deep learning (DL) is a recent artificial intelligence (AI) advancement that has been demonstrated to be highly promising in making automated diagnosis in IK with high accuracy. However, its exact accuracy is not yet elucidated. This article is the first systematic review and meta-analysis that aims to assess the accuracy of available DL models to correctly classify IK based on etiology compared to the current gold standards.

Methods

A systematic search was carried out in PubMed, Google Scholars, Proquest, ScienceDirect, Cochrane and Scopus. The used keywords are: “Keratitis,” “Corneal ulcer,” “Corneal diseases,” “Corneal lesions,” “Artificial intelligence,” “Deep learning,” and “Machine learning.” Studies including slit lamp photography of the cornea and validity study on DL performance were considered. The primary outcomes reviewed were the accuracy and classification capability of the AI machine learning/DL algorithm. We analyzed the extracted data with the MetaXL 5.2 Software.

Results

A total of eleven articles from 2002 to 2022 were included with a total dataset of 34,070 images. All studies used convolutional neural networks (CNNs), with ResNet and DenseNet models being the most used models across studies. Most AI models outperform the human counterparts with a pooled area under the curve (AUC) of 0.851 and accuracy of 96.6% in differentiating IK vs. non-IK and pooled AUC 0.895 and accuracy of 64.38% for classifying bacterial keratitis (BK) vs. fungal keratitis (FK).

Conclusion

This study demonstrated that DL algorithms have high potential in diagnosing and classifying IK with accuracy that, if not better, is comparable to trained corneal experts. However, various factors, such as the unique architecture of DL model, the problem with overfitting, image quality of the datasets, and the complex nature of IK itself, still hamper the universal applicability of DL in daily clinical practice.
Surveillance of antimicrobial resistance in the United Arab Emirates: the early implementation phase
Authors: Thomsen Jens , Abdulrazzaq Najiba M. , AlRand Hussain ,   The UAE AMR Surveillance Consortium
Published: November 2023

Introduction

National surveillance of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is an important public health function. Published national AMR surveillance data from the Middle East/North Africa (MENA) region is scarce. This paper describes the early implementation phase of establishing AMR surveillance in the United Arab Emirates (UAE).

Materials and methods

Building on the existing AMR surveillance system in the Emirate of Abu Dhabi, and adopting the WHO-GLASS methodology, the UAE Ministry of Health and Prevention (MOHAP) established the national AMR Surveillance program in 2015, in collaboration with regional health authorities and healthcare providers. Main objectives of this program are to (a) set AMR surveillance standards, (b) collect and analyze AMR surveillance data for common bacterial and fungal infections, (c) report on AMR levels and trends in the UAE, (d) strengthen local and national capacity for AMR surveillance, and (e) support AMR prevention and control strategies in the UAE. AMR surveillance data is collected through a network of 317 surveillance sites (including 84 hospitals and 233 centers/clinics), and 45 microbiology labs across all seven Emirates of the UAE.

Results

Surveillance of antimicrobial resistance has been successfully established since 2010 in the UAE. A national AMR surveillance protocol has been developed, adopting the WHO GLASS protocol. Extensive capacity-building and training activities have strengthened the local and national capacity for AMR surveillance. Between 2010 and 2021, a network of 317 surveillance sites and 45 laboratories have reported a total of 1,277,080 isolates from 662,065 non-duplicate patients to the national level. AMR data is reported annually by MOHAP through a National AMR surveillance report. National AMR data is utilized for informing the development of standard treatment guidelines at national level.

Conclusion

National surveillance of antimicrobial resistance has been successfully established in the United Arab Emirates, allowing to monitor levels and trends of antimicrobial resistance for common bacterial and fungal pathogens, and detecting emerging resistance. The availability of such national AMR surveillance data allows for the first time to inform the development of national standard treatment guidelines for empiric treatment of common bacterial and fungal infections in the UAE.
Construction and evaluation of China older-adult care service smart supply chain system
Authors: Dai You-Yu , Liu Guanlong , Sun Long
Published: November 2023

Introduction

As the aging of the population continues to deepen, the pressure on social pensions is gradually increasing, and the issue of assistance has become a problem that must be solved. With the development of science and technology, people’s living standard is constantly improving. The older-adult care services expected by the older-adult are wider than meeting the basic daily needs of individuals. The current industry should also consider combining modern science and technology with the older-adult care service industry to serve older-adult better and enable older-adult care service providers to move towards the service needs that make people happier and healthier. This research is about constructing and evaluating China’s older-adult care services smart supply chain.

Methods

Based on the research results of previous scholars, this paper divides the Sun construction of the smart supply chain of China endowment service into four aspects: policy aspect, economic aspect, social aspect, and technical aspect; the four significant elements are divided into the first-level indicators, and 16 second-level indicators are divided under the first-level indicators. The importance and satisfaction of each evaluation index were obtained by distributing questionnaires to the managers who study the supply chain and the employees who are related to the old-age service.

Results and discussion

After the reliability analysis, the importance-performance analysis (IPA) quadrant analysis chart of the evaluation index was constructed using importance-performance analysis. The index of creating a smart supply chain system for China’s old-age service is given priority, the supply chain system of China’s old-age care service is further improved, and the social security of China’s old-age service is enlarged.
Health-related quality of life and recovery capital among recovery residents taking medication for opioid use disorder in Texas
Authors: Obekpa Elizabeth O. , McCurdy Sheryl A. , Schick Vanessa , Markham Christine M. , Gallardo Kathryn R. , Wilkerson Johnny Michael
Published: November 2023

Background

Recovery from opioid use disorder (OUD) includes improvements in health-related quality of life (HRQOL) and is supported by recovery capital (RC). Little is known about RC and HRQOL among recovery residents taking medication for OUD. We described HRQOL and RC and identified predictors of HRQOL.

Methods

Project HOMES is an ongoing longitudinal study implemented in 14 recovery homes in Texas. This is a cross-sectional analysis of data from 358 participants’ on HRQOL (five EQ-5D-5L dimensions—mobility, self-care, usual activities, pain/discomfort, and anxiety/depression) and RC (Assessment of Recovery Capital scores) collected from April 2021 to June 2023. Statistical analyses were conducted using T-, Chi-squared, and Fisher’s exact tests.

Results

Most participants were 35 years/older (50.7%), male (58.9%), non-Hispanic White (68.4%), heterosexual (82.8%), and reported HRQOL problems, mainly anxiety/depression (78.4%) and pain/discomfort (55.7%). Participants who were 35 years/older [mean (SD) = 42.6 (7.3)] were more likely to report mobility and pain/discomfort problems than younger participants. Female participants were more likely to report pain/discomfort problems than male participants. Sexual minorities were more likely to report anxiety/depression problems than heterosexual participants. Married participants and those in committed relationships were more likely to report problems conducting self-care than single/never-married participants. Comorbid conditions were associated with mobility, pain/discomfort, and usual activities problems. Most participants reported high social (65.4%), personal (69.0%), and total (65.6%) RC. Low personal RC was associated with mobility (aOR = 0.43, CI = 0.24–0.76), self-care (aOR = 0.13, CI = 0.04–0.41), usual activities (aOR = 0.25, CI = 0.11–0.57), pain/discomfort (aOR = 0.37, CI = 0.20–0.68), and anxiety/depression (aOR = 0.33, CI = 0.15–0.73) problems. Low total RC was associated with problems conducting self-care (aOR = 0.20, CI = 0.07–0.60), usual activities (aOR = 0.43, CI = 0.22–0.83), pain/discomfort problems (aOR = 0.55, CI = 0.34–0.90), and anxiety/depression (aOR = 0.20, CI = 0.10–0.41) problems. Social RC was not associated with HRQOL.

Conclusion

Personal and total RC and comorbid conditions predict HRQOL. Although the opioid crisis and the increasing prevalence of comorbidities have been described as epidemics, they are currently being addressed as separate public health issues. Our findings underscore the importance of ensuring residents are provided with interprofessional care to reduce the burden of comorbidities, which can negatively impact their OUD recovery. Their RC should be routinely assessed and enhanced to support their recovery and improve HRQOL.
Lessons learned from the Alberta Border Testing Pilot Program
Authors: Kersen Jaling , Scory Tayler D. , Akeju Oluwasefunmi , Weaver Robert G. , Barnieh Lianne , Ronksley Paul E. , Leal Jenine , Blue Dean , O’Neill Erin , Campbell David J. T. , Tonelli Marcello , Lunney Meaghan
Published: November 2023

Background

During the Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic, countries implemented border control and quarantine measures to reduce transmission. The Alberta Border Testing Pilot Program (ABTPP) allowed international travellers entering Alberta to reduce their quarantine period following two negative COVID-19 tests. We evaluated participant experiences with the ABTPP and implementation.

Method

We used a parallel convergent mixed-methods design to explore participant experiences through electronic web-based questionnaires (n = 21,089; n = 13,839) and semi-structured telephone interviews (n = 30). We evaluated implementation through three staff focus groups (n = 11). We analysed questionnaires using descriptive statistics and analysed interviews using inductive and deductive thematic analysis. We deductively coded focus group data using the 2009 Consolidated Framework for Implementation Research (CFIR).

Results

Questionnaires indicated minimal issues with registration forms (91.7%), symptom reports (95.5%), and COVID-19 testing (95.7%). Most respondents (95.1%) expressed willingness to participate in the ABTPP again. Interviews revealed three themes related to participant experience: program efficiency, clarity of information, and requisite effort. Focus groups identified key implementation facilitators including the single health information system, strong stakeholder partnerships, and good communication across partnerships. Barriers included program complexity, implementation timeline, and evolving external context.

Discussion

Participants reported high satisfaction with the ABTPP. Border testing programs should have high efficiency, require low effort, and use messaging that is clear and consistent. The effective implementation of border testing programs may be facilitated by strong leadership, adaptability, automated components, good communication, and simple technology. Learnings from participants and staff may help improve the implementation of border control programs for future pandemics or other emergencies.

Conclusions

The ABTTP was a novel border control measure during the COVID-19 pandemic. Our evaluation of both participant and staff experiences demonstrated high levels of traveller satisfaction and identified areas for improvement that can inform the development of future border control measures.
The fight for power: historical women’s movements of Russia and Great Britain in comparison
Authors: Hinterhuber Eva Maria , Günther Jana
Published: November 2023

In the second half of the 19th century, women began to organize worldwide to achieve the goal of gender equality. National women’s movements emerged and were followed somewhat later by the first transnational political mobilization of women on a larger scale. The range of topics that were on the national and international agenda included, alongside the access to education and the enforcement of equal civil rights, as well as the fight for political participation, with the women’s right to vote taking center stage.1 The political, social, and cultural contexts, in which women raised their voices, varied. On the national level, female activists often had conflicting positions and their strategies reflected a wide spectrum; the chosen forms and the course of the protest, on the other hand, showed similarities.
Relación entre la tipología familiar y la comunicación en el autoconcepto de adolescentes de 15 a 17 años
Authors: Siguenza Wilson Guillermo , Jiménez-Silva Gabriela Stefania
Published: November 2023

Los integrantes de la familia interactúan y se relacionan entre sí y con la sociedad en general, siendo significativo el tipo de comunicación que se ejerce dentro y el autoconcepto de sus integrantes. Este estudio exploró la relación entre la tipología familiar y la comunicación en el autoconcepto de 50 adolescentes de bachillerato de 15 a 17 años, de la ciudad de Loja-Ecuador. Para ello, se utilizaron la escala de comunicación Padres-Adolescentes (PACS) de Barnes y Olson y el cuestionario de Autoconcepto Forma 5 (AF-5) de García y Musitu. Los resultados revelaron correlaciones positivas y significativas entre la comunicación de grado de franqueza y el autoconcepto familiar, autoconcepto físico y autoconcepto social en las familias nucleares. Además, de una correlación significativa e inversa entre la magnitud de problemas de la comunicación y el autoconcepto familiar. En las familias monoparentales se evidenciaron correlaciones significativas entre el grado de franqueza de la comunicación y el autoconcepto familiar y el autoconcepto académico-laboral. Asimismo, se observó una correlación negativa entre la magnitud de problemas de la comunicación y el autoconcepto familiar. Las familias extensas presentaron correlaciones positivas entre la comunicación franca y el autoconcepto, aunque no significativas. Se concluye que el tipo de familia se relaciona con la comunicación, debido a que si es abierta y franca se asocia positivamente con el autoconcepto saludable de los adolescentes lo que respalda la importancia de considerar estos factores en el estudio de personas perteneciente a este grupo etario.
Concertación de capital público y privado como política fiscal para la solución de los problemas de ineficiencia dinámica
Authors: Urdaneta-Montiel Armando José , Zambrano-Morales Ángel Alberto
Published: November 2023

La investigación estuvo orientada a analizar la concertación de capital público y privado, como política fiscal para resolver los problemas de ineficiencia dinámica en la economía. El estudio se ubica dentro del marco epistemológico cualitativo, el paradigma interpretativo. El tipo de investigación es analítico, sustentado en un diseño documental y retrospectivo. Se utilizaron, como fuentes de información, 25 artículos científicos de la base de datos de Scopus, relacionados con el tema de la concertación de capital público y privado, y el problema de ineficiencia dinámica de la economía, con investigaciones actualizadas en esta materia a nivel internacional, aspectos que, entre otros, delimitaron los criterios de inclusión. Para el procesamiento de los datos se utilizó la técnica de análisis de contenido, de la cual emergieron los códigos, temas y subtemas, que permitieron comprender la problemática a través del manejo de experiencias en esta materia. Se destaca al respecto, la necesidad de analizar las consecuencias de la falta de adaptación y ajuste continuo en las decisiones económicas del gasto público, así como el impacto de la colaboración entre ambos sectores en proyectos de interés social. La concertación de capital público y privado plantea desafíos en términos de gobernanza, gestión de riesgos, transparencia y rendición de cuentas. La meta es lograr resultados eficientes y efectivos en la provisión de bienes y servicios públicos, asegurando el beneficio de la sociedad mediante una mejor asignación de fondos públicos.
Evaluación de la gestión competitiva de la mediana empresa de la provincia de El Oro mediante la NTE INEN 2537
Authors: Bazarán-Rueda Julecxi Jacqueline , Pardo-Asanza Fernando Alberto , Campuzano-Vásquez John Alexander
Published: November 2023

En Ecuador, no se observan trabajos que se enfoquen en medir la competitividad empresarial en medianas empresas partiendo de una norma técnica como sustento; hecho que sí se observa en Colombia, un país competidor del Ecuador en varios sectores de exportación. Por esta razón, el objetivo es evaluar la gestión y nivel competitivo de las medianas empresas mediante la identificación de los principales indicadores de competitividad que sirvan para el diseño de un instrumento de evaluación y mejora en el nivel empresarial en medianas empresas de acuerdo con la NTE INEN 2537, norma que se aproxima a la normativa colombiana para empresas que buscan medir su competitividad evaluando los procesos de dirección, operativos y de apoyo. Se realizó una investigación de índole descriptivo con enfoque mixto a través del manejo de información obtenida en la encuesta en escala de Likert con un muestreo no probabilístico por conveniencia de las medianas empresas orenses para realizar un análisis de componentes principales categóricos en IBM SPSS 26. Los principales resultados indican que el instrumento obtenido puede mejorarse al determinar fuertes ponderaciones en un conjunto reducido de variables, presentando mejores indicadores de cumplimiento y de mayor impacto. Concluyendo, que los principales constructos identificados en el modelo de competitividad son criterios potenciales para la evaluación, diseño y gestión competitiva empresarial.
Satisfacción estudiantil con las clases remotas y competencias del docente en tiempos de pandemia
Authors: Cruz-Neyra Lidia Luz , Mendoza-Ramírez Arturo Jaime , Merino-Berríos Luis Salomón , Gutiérrez-Gutiérrez Juan Zenón
Published: November 2023

El objetivo del estudio fue determinar cómo se relaciona la satisfacción del servicio educativo con las competencias del docente en el contexto de desarrollo de asignaturas de forma remota, en tiempos de pandemia. Participaron 291 estudiantes de la Facultad de Ciencias Sociales y Humanidades de una universidad pública, previo consentimiento informado a quienes se les aplicaron dos cuestionarios uno para obtener información de satisfacción de la calidad del servicio educativo y otro para medir la percepción de las competencias del docente en el desarrollo de sus asignaturas en la modalidad remota. Los datos fueron sometidos a tratamiento estadístico a través de la correlación de Rho de Spearman para evaluar la asociación entre las dos variables, revelando una significativa asociación entre la satisfacción estudiantil y las competencias de los docentes en el desarrollo de sus clases remotas, con coeficiente de correlación de 0,709 (p-valor >0.01). Lo mismo sucede cuando se analiza cada una de las dimensiones de la calidad educativa con las competencias del docente en el desarrollo de las asignaturas. En conclusión, existe asociación positiva significativa de las variables satisfacción de la calidad del servicio educativo y competencias del docente, desde la percepción del estudiante en un contexto remoto, así la satisfacción del estudiante es explicada en gran parte por las competencias de sus docentes.
La didáctica y el desarrollo del pensamiento crítico en los procesos de enseñanza-aprendizaje
Authors: Mosquera-Murillo Carmen Rosa , Ospina-Orejarena Bellanire
Published: November 2023

La investigación planteó la necesidad de valorar el nivel del pensamiento crítico y uso de la didáctica en los procesos de enseñanza-aprendizaje con los estudiantes de primaria de una institución educativa de Barrancabermeja en Colombia durante el año 2020. El estudio corresponde al enfoque cualitativo y diseño hermenéutico fenomenológico, que buscó explorar, describir y comprender situaciones teniendo en cuenta las vivencias de los participantes para descubrir elementos en común. Para el desarrollo de la investigación se trabajó con individuos que aceptaron participar en el contexto de la pandemia y que los investigadores tenían acceso, se utilizó una entrevista semiestructurada y una lista de cotejo a una muestra de 10 estudiantes y 3 docentes de la institución educativa; los ítems estaban dirigidos al logro de los dominios a los que hacía referencia las categorías indagadas. Se concluye que, el nivel de pensamiento de los estudiantes de primaria se encuentra en desarrollo, pues, aún presentan dificultades para argumentar con claridad sus ideas; de la misma forma, los docentes comprenden que en las acciones pedagógicas deben hacer desde las áreas que orientan mayor énfasis en textos contextualizados, con el fin de que los estudiantes encuentren significados ocultos que les generen mayores inquietudes y, a la vez, promuevan el desarrollo de  habilidades de pensamiento crítico.
Liderazgo en empresas del sector camaronero de Ecuador para sostenimiento de labores de producción y comercialización
Authors: Eras-Agila Rosana de Jesús , Acuña-Ortigoza Marianela , Tellez-Pérez Anisleydi , Bourne-Gastezzi Carlos
Published: November 2023

En acuacultura, el camarón ha logrado mantener su nivel internacional, pese a riesgos provenientes de factores naturales, económicos durante la producción. Los directivos empresariales deberán tener habilidades para aprovechar oportunidades, como mantener la atención plena y optimismo en el personal involucrado en la organización. Un nivel de liderazgo con actitud proactiva sería fundamental, involucrar acciones innovadoras enmarcadas en la cultura organizacional. Este estudio, tiene como finalidad analizar el liderazgo en empresas del sector camaronero de Ecuador, para sostenimiento de labores de producción y comercialización, se construye bajo un enfoque cuantitativo, no experimental, analítica, mediante estudios de documentos especializados y aprobados por la comunidad científica, organismos involucrados en el área productiva, entes de control económico, se aplicó encuesta a empresarios de la actividad camaronera en el periodo 2021-2022. De acuerdo con la literatura revisada, se ha identificado que el liderazgo transformacional tiene efecto positivo en las organizaciones. La influencia del liderazgo en el sector camaronero incide en el sostenimiento de las labores productivas, sin embargo, resulta que actualmente el 24% es más caro producir camarón que dos años anteriores. A pesar de que, durante el 2022 ha existido un incremento en libras del 26% frente al 24% del año 2021, los ingresos económicos en el año 2022 fueron del 31% frente al 41% en el año 2021, generando un decremento de 10 puntos del recurso económico. Amerita entonces, un nivel de liderazgo visionario y estratégico con decisiones y acciones enfocadas al sostenimiento económico, productivo, orientado a mejorar la comercialización en mercados internacionales.
Comprehensive Growth Index (CGI): A Comprehensive Indicator from UAV-Observed Data for Winter Wheat Growth Status Monitoring
Authors: Tang Yuanyuan , Zhou Yuzhuang , Cheng Minghan , Sun Chengming
Published: November 2023

Crop growth monitoring plays an important role in estimating the scale of food production and providing a decision-making basis for agricultural policies. Moreover, it can allow understanding of the growth status of crops, seedling conditions, and changes in a timely manner, overcoming the disadvantages of traditional monitoring methods such as low efficiency and inaccuracy. In order to realize rapid and non-destructive monitoring of winter wheat growth status, this study introduced an equal weight method and coefficient of variation method to construct new comprehensive growth indicators based on drone images and measured data obtained from field experiments. The accuracy of the indicators in evaluating the growth of winter wheat can be judged by the construction, and the effects of different machine learning methods on the construction of indicators can be compared. Correlation analysis and variable screening were carried out on the constructed comprehensive growth indicators and the characteristic parameters extracted by the drone, and the comprehensive growth index estimation model was constructed using the selected parameter combination. Among them, when estimating the comprehensive growth index (CGIavg), the optimal model at the jointing stage is the support vector regression (SVR) model: R2 is 0.77, RMSE is 0.095; at the booting stage, the optimal model is the Gaussian process regression (GPR) model: R2 is 0.71, RMSE is 0.098; at the flowering stage, the optimal model is the SVR model: R2 is 0.78, RMSE is 0.087. When estimating the comprehensive growth index based on the coefficient of variation method (CGIcv), the optimal model at the jointing stage is the multi-scale retinex (MSR) model: R2 is 0.73, RMSE is 0.084; at the booting stage, the optimal model is the GPR model: R2 is 0.74, RMSE is 0.092; at the flowering stage, the optimal model is the SVR model, R2 is 0.78: RMSE is 0.085. The conclusion shows that the method of constructing the comprehensive growth index is superior to the function of a single parameter to some extent, providing a new way for wheat growth monitoring and process management.
Influence of Interannual Climate Conditions on the Composition of Olive Oil from Centenarian Olive Trees
Authors: Bortoluzzi Leticia , Casal Susana , Cruz Rebeca , Peres António M. , Baptista Paula , Rodrigues Nuno
Published: November 2023

In recent years, occurrences of heat waves and drought have become increasingly frequent, highlighting the undeniable impact of climate change. The rise in temperatures and decline in rainfall have had severe repercussions on olive trees’ behavior and olive oil production. This study aims to evaluate the effects of two-year climate variations on olive oils from centenarian olive trees situated in the Côa Valley region of Northern Portugal. A selection of 25 centenarian plants was made, and the climate influence on fatty acid content, tocopherols, individual phenols, oxidative stability, and antioxidant activity was assessed over two consecutive years. During the second year of the study, a significant variation (p-value < 0.05) in the proportion of palmitic acid was observed, which increased from 12.9% to 13.6%. Conversely, stearic and arachidic acids exhibited a decrease from 2.7% to 2.3% and from 0.37% to 0.35%, respectively. Analysis of the oils revealed a noteworthy difference (p-value < 0.05) in the concentration of β-tocopherol. The concentration of oils derived from hydroxytyrosol and tyrosol significantly decreases (p-value < 0.005) during the second year. Additionally, significant differences (p-value < 0.005) were observed in the total phenol content and the percentage of ABTS inhibition, both of which decreased in the second year. These findings reinforce the notion that climatic conditions play a key role in shaping the composition of olive oils.
Phytogenics in Ginger, Origanum vulgare, and Syzygium aromaticum and Their Potential as a Feed Additive against Clostridium perfringens in Broiler Production
Authors: Valdez Gilmour , Shyur Lie-Fen , Wang Sheng-Yang , Chen Shuen-Ei
Published: November 2023

Necrotic enteritis is a devastating disease in chickens mainly caused by Clostridium perfringens—particularly, Net-B toxin-producing strains. In order to combat necrotic enteritis in broiler production, natural growth promoters, as well as anti-inflammatory and non-antibiotic remedies, were developed for anti-microbial resistance due to its status as a global pandemic. Herein, phytogenic ginger, wild marjoram, and cloves were reviewed as potential alternatives to antibiotics for their anti-microbial functions. These phytogenics contain active ingredients that efficiently modulate the immune response and improve intestinal morphology and overall growth performance, even under stress and infection conditions. Most of the beneficial effects can be attributed to their anti-inflammatory functions, primarily the inhibition of the NF-κB and MAPK pathways. Phytogenics and their active ingredients represent potential substitutes for antibiotic growth promoters, further serving as anti-microbial remedies in the treatment of birds with infections.
Atomic Layer Deposition of Antibacterial Nanocoatings: A Review
Authors: Nazarov Denis , Kozlova Lada , Rogacheva Elizaveta , Kraeva Ludmila , Maximov Maxim
Published: November 2023

In recent years, antibacterial coatings have become an important approach in the global fight against bacterial pathogens. Developments in materials science, chemistry, and biochemistry have led to a plethora of materials and chemical compounds that have the potential to create antibacterial coatings. However, insufficient attention has been paid to the analysis of the techniques and technologies used to apply these coatings. Among the various inorganic coating techniques, atomic layer deposition (ALD) is worthy of note. It enables the successful synthesis of high-purity inorganic nanocoatings on surfaces of complex shape and topography, while also providing precise control over their thickness and composition. ALD has various industrial applications, but its practical application in medicine is still limited. In recent years, a considerable number of papers have been published on the proposed use of thin films and coatings produced via ALD in medicine, notably those with antibacterial properties. The aim of this paper is to carefully evaluate and analyze the relevant literature on this topic. Simple oxide coatings, including TiO2, ZnO, Fe2O3, MgO, and ZrO2, were examined, as well as coatings containing metal nanoparticles such as Ag, Cu, Pt, and Au, and mixed systems such as TiO2-ZnO, TiO2-ZrO2, ZnO-Al2O3, TiO2-Ag, and ZnO-Ag. Through comparative analysis, we have been able to draw conclusions on the effectiveness of various antibacterial coatings of different compositions, including key characteristics such as thickness, morphology, and crystal structure. The use of ALD in the development of antibacterial coatings for various applications was analyzed. Furthermore, assumptions were made about the most promising areas of development. The final section provides a comparison of different coatings, as well as the advantages, disadvantages, and prospects of using ALD for the industrial production of antibacterial coatings.
Shear Strength Analysis and Slope Stability Study of Straight Root Herbaceous Root Soil Composite
Authors: Wang Bingyu , Wang Shijie
Published: November 2023

The instability of bare slopes is a prevalent concern. The root system of herbaceous vegetation enhances the shear strength of shallow slope soil. This study investigated the mechanism of the root-soil system as well as the effects of different influencing factors on the shear strength of the soil and slope stability. In particular, indoor experiments were conducted on rootless undisturbed soil (RUS) and undisturbed soil with a root system (USRS) using a triaxial compression apparatus to analyze the slope stability of composite soil with a Tagetes erecta root system. Significance tests and correlation analysis of the factors affecting shear performance were conducted. The slope reinforcement effect by the plant root system was simulated under 24 working conditions using the MIDAS finite element method. The results revealed the influence of the root content, moisture content, and stress on the shear strength of USRS, as well as the contribution degree and influence of these variables on the slope stability. Both RUS and USRS exhibited strain hardening during shearing. A strong negative (positive) correlation was observed between the internal friction angle (φ) (cohesion (c)) of the USRS and the root content (moisture content). The maximum deviatoric stress during shear failure of the USRS was 1.29 times higher than that of the RUS. Moreover, the root content was positively correlated with the slope safety coefficient and the slope of the line under different working conditions, whereas the slope angle was negatively correlated with the slope safety coefficient. The reinforcement effect by the root system resulted in a 11.2% increase in the safety coefficient and the improved stability of slopes with an angle larger than 1.5%. The findings of this study provide new insights into shallow slope stability in practical slope protection projects.
Ad-RuLer: A Novel Rule-Driven Data Synthesis Technique for Imbalanced Classification
Authors: Zhang Xiao , Paz Iván , Nebot Àngela , Mugica Francisco , Romero Enrique
Published: November 2023

When classifiers face imbalanced class distributions, they often misclassify minority class samples, consequently diminishing the predictive performance of machine learning models. Existing oversampling techniques predominantly rely on the selection of neighboring data via interpolation, with less emphasis on uncovering the intrinsic patterns and relationships within the data. In this research, we present the usefulness of an algorithm named RuLer to deal with the problem of classification with imbalanced data. RuLer is a learning algorithm initially designed to recognize new sound patterns within the context of the performative artistic practice known as live coding. This paper demonstrates that this algorithm, once adapted (Ad-RuLer), has great potential to address the problem of oversampling imbalanced data. An extensive comparison with other mainstream oversampling algorithms (SMOTE, ADASYN, Tomek-links, Borderline-SMOTE, and KmeansSMOTE), using different classifiers (logistic regression, random forest, and XGBoost) is performed on several real-world datasets with different degrees of data imbalance. The experiment results indicate that Ad-RuLer serves as an effective oversampling technique with extensive applicability.