bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Evaluation of Nutritional Composition of Pure Filamentous Fungal Biomass as a Novel Ingredient for Fish Feed
Authors: Karimi Sajjad , Mahboobi Soofiani Nasrollah , Mahboubi Amir , Ferreira Jorge A. , Lundh Torbjörn , Kiessling Anders , Taherzadeh Mohammad J.
Published: August 2021

The rapid growth of aquaculture and the lack of fish meal demand new sustainable ingredients. Although fungal biomass is found to be a promising sustainable fish feed supplementation candidate, the characteristics of this protein-rich source are closely influenced by the quality of the applied growth medium. In this work, the nutritional properties of pure filamentous fungal biomass provided from the cultivation of Aspergillus oryzae, Neurospora intermedia and Rhzopus oryzae were evaluated to assess their potential as alternative novel protein sources in fish feed. In this regard, fungal biomass yields of up to 0.19 ± 0.005 (g dry biomass/g substrate glucose) were obtained during submerged cultivation of fungal strains. The pure fungal biomass acquired could contain significant amounts of protein up to 62.2 ± 1.2% (w/w). The obtained protein had a high quality with notable inclusion of essential amino acids such as lysine, arginine, methionine and threonine with comparable concentrations to those of fish meal. Fungal biomass is mainly considered as protein source, however, entitlement of 6.9 ± 0.5, 4.0 ± 0.7 and 17.2 ± 1.1% (w/w) of lipids and ratio of polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) to saturated fatty acids (SFA) of 1.37:1, 1.74:1 and 1.47:1 in A. oryzae, N. intermedia and R. oryzae, respectively, signal health benefits for the fish. Considering the results, protein-rich pure fungal biomass with amino acid composition is greatly compatible with fish meal, and contains essential nutrients such as fatty acids and minerals. This pure biomass constitutes a promising sustainable alternative supplement to be introduced in fish feed industry.
Effects of Light Exposure, Bottle Colour and Storage Temperature on the Quality of Malvasia delle Lipari Sweet Wine
Authors: Arena Elena , Rizzo Valeria , Licciardello Fabio , Fallico Biagio , Muratore Giuseppe
Published: August 2021

The influence of light exposure, bottle color and storage temperature on the quality parameters of Malvasia delle Lipari (MdL) sweet wine were investigated. Wine samples bottled in clear-colored (colorless, green and amber) glass were stored under different artificial lighting conditions, in order to simulate the retail environment (one cool-white, fluorescent lamp) and to perform an accelerated test (four and six cool-white, fluorescent lamps). The storage temperature was kept constant (25 °C) for the first 90 days of the experiment and then samples were monitored for up to 180 days at higher temperatures (30, 35 and 40 °C). The principal enological parameters, total phenols, color, 5-hydroxymethylfurfural (HMF) and 2-furaldehyde (2F) contents were studied. The shelf-life test pointed out minimum variations of the basic chemical parameters, while the quality attributes most affected by lighting were color, together with HMF and 2F levels which, hence, can be considered as indicators of the severity of storage conditions.
Beneficial Effects of Holothuria leucospilota Polysaccharides on Fermentability In Vivo and In Vitro
Authors: Wang Wanting , Yuan Yiqiong , Cao Jun , Shen Xuanri , Li Chuan
Published: August 2021

This work aimed to investigate the in-vitro and in-vivo fermentation behaviors of Holothuria leucospilota Polysaccharides (HLP) and the impact on mouse liver antioxidant activity. HLP showed excellent fermentability during in vitro experiments, which was characterized by increased levels of total sugar consumption and short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs). During in vitro fecal fermentation, the fucose contents in the HLP fermentation products (0.174 mg/mL) were higher than those of xylose and galactosamine during the first three hours, and fucose disappeared after 24 h. The concentrations of the generated SCFAs increased to 111.13 mmol/mL after in-vitro fermentation at 48 h. After 28 days of oral administration, the SCFA contents that were detected in the feces of mice treated with high HLP doses were significantly higher than those in the feces of mice treated with lower doses and the normal group. In addition, histological observations demonstrated that HLP increased the number of goblet cells without causing hepatocellular injury. Moreover, the increased glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px) and superoxidase dismutase (SOD) activities and decreased malondialdehyde (MDA) contents in the mouse livers treated with HLP suggested the good performance of HLP with respect to liver antioxidants.
Combination of the Check-All-That-Apply (CATA) Method and Just-About-Right (JAR) Scale to Evaluate Korean Traditional Rice Wine (Yakju)
Authors: Lee Sanghyeok , Kwak Han Sub , Kim Sang Sook , Lee Youngseung
Published: August 2021

This study aimed to compare a variant of the check-all-that-apply (CATA) method, CATA with just-about-right (JAR) scales (CATA-JAR), with the CATA and rate-all-that-apply (RATA) methods for evaluating 12 Korean traditional rice wines (yakju). All consumers (n = 312) assessed each sample on a 9-point hedonic scale and were asked to fill out the CATA, RATA, or CATA-JAR questionnaire using a 5-point JAR scale. The frequency and percentage of terms with significant differences among CATA-JAR samples were significantly higher than those for the CATA method. The regression vector (RV) between the sample and term configurations of the three methods were all over 0.84, indicating that all methods were similar in terms of product and term usage. Regarding the stability of the sample configurations, CATA-JAR could derive a stable value with the lowest number of consumers (n = 25). For the CATA-JAR method, significant penalties for each attribute and product were successfully calculated using the t-test and bootstrapping technique, to identify any attribute detrimental to liking for each product. Overall, considering its better performance in discriminating products and stability, the CATA-JAR method may be used when comparing samples with subtle differences in attributes.
Genomic Variation Shaped by Environmental and Geographical Factors in Prairie Cordgrass Natural Populations Collected across Its Native Range in the USA
Authors: Guo Jia , Brown Patrick J. , Rayburn Albert L. , Butts-Wilmsmeyer Carolyn J. , Boe Arvid , Lee DoKyoung
Published: August 2021

Prairie cordgrass (Spartina pectinata Link) is a native perennial warm-season (C4) grass common in North American prairies. With its high biomass yield and abiotic stress tolerance, there is a high potential of developing prairie cordgrass for conservation practices and as a dedicated bioenergy crop for sustainable cellulosic biofuel production. However, as with many other undomesticated grass species, little information is known about the genetic diversity or population structure of prairie cordgrass natural populations as compared to their ecotypic and geographic adaptation in North America. In this study, we sampled and characterized a total of 96 prairie cordgrass natural populations with 9315 high quality SNPs from a genotyping-by-sequencing (GBS) approach. The natural populations were collected from putative remnant prairie sites throughout the Midwest and Eastern USA, which are the major habitats for prairie cordgrass. Partitioning of genetic variance using SNP marker data revealed significant variance among and within populations. Two potential gene pools were identified as being associated with ploidy levels, geographical separation, and climatic separation. Geographical factors such as longitude and altitude, and environmental factors such as annual temperature, annual precipitation, temperature of the warmest month, precipitation of the wettest month, precipitation of Spring, and precipitation of the wettest month are important in affecting the intraspecific distribution of prairie cordgrass. The divergence of prairie cordgrass natural populations also provides opportunities to increase breeding value of prairie cordgrass as a bioenergy and conservation crop.
Genetic Evaluation of Inpatient Neonatal and Infantile Congenital Heart Defects: New Findings and Review of the Literature
Authors: Helm Benjamin M. , Landis Benjamin J. , Ware Stephanie M.
Published: August 2021

The use of clinical genetics evaluations and testing for infants with congenital heart defects (CHDs) is subject to practice variation. This single-institution cross-sectional study of all inpatient infants with severe CHDs evaluated 440 patients using a cardiovascular genetics service (2014–2019). In total, 376 (85.5%) had chromosome microarray (CMA), of which 55 (14.6%) were diagnostic in syndromic (N = 35) or isolated (N = 20) presentations. Genetic diagnoses were made in all CHD classes. Diagnostic yield was higher in syndromic appearing infants, but geneticists’ dysmorphology exams lacked complete sensitivity and 6.5% of isolated CHD cases had diagnostic CMA. Interestingly, diagnostic results (15.8%) in left ventricular outflow tract obstruction (LVOTO) defects occurred most often in patients with isolated CHD. Geneticists’ evaluations were particularly important for second-tier molecular testing (10.5% test-specific yield), bringing the overall genetic testing yield to 17%. We assess these results in the context of previous studies. Cumulative evidence provides a rationale for comprehensive, standardized genetic evaluation in infants with severe CHDs regardless of lesion or extracardiac anomalies because genetic diagnoses that impact care are easily missed. These findings support routine CMA testing in infants with severe CHDs and underscore the importance of copy-number analysis with newer testing strategies such as exome and genome sequencing.
Application of Rock Weathering and Colonization by Biota for the Relative Dating of Moraines from the Arid Part of the Russian Altai Mountains
Authors: Ganyushkin Dmitrii A. , Lessovaia Sofia N. , Vlasov Dmitrii Y. , Kopitsa Gennady P. , Almásy László , Chistyakov Kirill V. , Panova Elena G. , Derkach Ekaterina , Alekseeva Anastasiya
Published: August 2021

For the Altai Mountains’ region, especially the arid southeastern part of the Russian Altai, the data on glacier fluctuations in the Pleistocene and Holocene are still inconsistent. The study area was the Kargy River’s valley (2288–2387 m a.s.l.), a location that is not currently affected by glaciation and the glacial history of which is poorly studied. Field observations and geomorphological mapping were used to reveal the configuration of Pleistocene moraines. The relative dating method was applied to define the degree of weathering as an indicator of age. Three moraine groups of different ages (presumably MIS 6, MIS 4, and MIS 2) were identified based on a detailed investigation of their morphological features and the use of relative dating approaches. The latter were primarily based on weathering patterns. Data on the rock mineralogy, porosity, and specificity of biological colonization as an agent of weathering were obtained for the moraine debris. The studied moraines were composed of fine-grained schist, in which the specific surface area and fractality (self-similarity) were more developed in the older moraine. The growth of biota (crustose lichen and micromycetes) colonizing the rock surface led to rock disintegration and the accumulation of autochthonous fragments on the rock surface. Despite the fact that the initial stage(s) of moraine weathering affected by biota was fixed, the correlation trends of biota activity and moraine ages were not determined.
Educational Needs of Nurses for Respiratory Communicable Infectious Disease Care: A Cross-Sectional Descriptive Study
Authors: Han Jeong-Won , Kang Ji-Soon , Park Jun-Hee
Published: August 2021

Clinical nurses have training needs related to the strategies for infection spread prevention. This study aimed to investigate the levels of importance of and performance in the various areas of care for communicable respiratory infections among clinical nurses and to determine the priority of educational needs. Hospitals in which a baseline survey could be conducted were considered, and nurses working in six hospitals that were designated as COVID-19 care centers in Korea were enrolled. The training needs for the care of patients with communicable respiratory infections were analyzed using Borich’s needs equation, and the locus for focus model. Among participants with prior COVID-19 patient care experience, according to Borich’s equation, the need score was the highest for “initial response to communicable respiratory infection”, followed by “management of aerosol-generating procedures in patients with communicable respiratory infection” and “reporting of patients with communicable respiratory infection and death of patient”. An item rated highly in both Borich’s equation and the locus for focus model among the participants with prior experience was “initial response to communicable respiratory infection”. Among participants without prior relevant experience, according to Borich’s equation, the need score was highest for “management of aerosol-generating procedures in patients with a communicable respiratory infection”, followed by “initial response to communicable respiratory infection” and “reporting of patients with communicable respiratory infection and death of patient”. None of the items were rated high in both Borich’s equation and the locus for focus model among participants without relevant prior experience.
Selection on BrFLC1 Is Related to Intraspecific Diversity of Brassica rapa Vegetables
Authors: Liu Jiahe , Cai Xu , Li Yufang , Chen Yue , Gao Baozhen , Lin Runmao , Liang Jianli , Wang Xiaowu , Wu Jian
Published: August 2021

Flowering time is important for Brassica rapa vegetables because premature bolting before harvest can lower yield and quality. FLOWERING LOCUS C (FLC) acts as a key repressor of flowering. In this study, we identified a nonsynonymous mutation at the 58th nucleotide of exon1 in BrFLC1 (named as Pe1+58 (A/C)) by screening resequencing data of 199 B. rapa accessions and verified this mutation as being related to flowering time variation. Strong linkage inheritance was detected between this locus and a previously reported splicing site mutation at intron 6 of BrFLC1 (Pi6+1 (G/A)), showing as co-occurrence of BrFLC1Pe1+58(A) and BrFLC1Pi6+1(G), named as haplotype H1: AG, or co-occurrence of BrFLC1Pe1+58(C) and BrFLC1Pi6+1(A), named as haplotype H2: CA. The frequency distribution of BrFLC1 haplotypes skewed to the haplotype H1 in turnip, broccoletto, mizuna, komatsuna, and taicai, while it was skewed to the haplotype H2 in caixin, pak choi, zicaitai, and wutacai. The frequencies of the two haplotypes were comparable in Chinese cabbage. This indicated that BrFLC1 haplotypes were related to B. rapa intraspecific diversification. Further analysis of a Chinese cabbage collection revealed that accessions from the spring ecotype preferred to keep H1: AG and almost all accessions from the summer ecotype were H2: CA. The early flowering haplotype of BrFLC1 was purified in summer Chinese cabbage, indicating that BrFLC1 had been strongly selected during genetic improvement of summer Chinese cabbages. A significant difference in flowering time of F2 individuals with the homologous BrFLC1Pi6+1(G) allele but different BrFLC1Pe1+58 (A/C) alleles, indicated that this locus had independent genetic effects on flowering time. The newly identified allelic diversity of BrFLC1 can be used for breeding of resistance to premature bolting in B. rapa vegetables.
Evidence for Multiple Origins of De Novo Formed Vascular Smooth Muscle Cells in Pulmonary Hypertension: Challenging the Dominant Model of Pre-Existing Smooth Muscle Expansion
Authors: Chu Xuran , Ahmadvand Negah , Zhang Jin-San , Seeger Werner , Bellusci Saverio , El Agha Elie
Published: August 2021

Vascular remodeling is a prominent feature of pulmonary hypertension. This process involves increased muscularization of already muscularized vessels as well as neo-muscularization of non-muscularized vessels. The cell-of-origin of the newly formed vascular smooth muscle cells has been a subject of intense debate in recent years. Identifying these cells may have important clinical implications since it opens the door for attempts to therapeutically target the progenitor cells and/or reverse the differentiation of their progeny. In this context, the dominant model is that these cells derive from pre-existing smooth muscle cells that are activated in response to injury. In this mini review, we present the evidence that is in favor of this model and, at the same time, highlight other studies indicating that there are alternative cellular sources of vascular smooth muscle cells in pulmonary vascular remodeling.
Association between Big Five Personality Traits and Participation in Cardiac Rehabilitation in Japanese Patients with Cardiovascular Disease: A Retrospective Cohort Study
Authors: Adachi Takuji , Tsunekawa Yuki , Matsuoka Akihito , Tanimura Daisuke
Published: August 2021

Cardiac rehabilitation (CR) remains underutilised, despite its established clinical benefit. A personality traits assessment may help promote CR implementation, as they are determinants of health-related behaviour. This study aimed to examine the association between the Big Five personality traits and outpatient CR participation in patients with cardiovascular disease (CVD) after discharge. This retrospective cohort study included 163 patients aged <80 years, who underwent inpatient CR when hospitalised for CVD. The Big Five personality traits (conscientiousness, neuroticism, openness, extraversion, and agreeableness) of each patient were evaluated at discharge, using the Japanese version of the Ten-Item Personality Inventory. We examined the relationship of each personality trait with non-participation in outpatient CR and dropout within three months, using logistic regression analysis. Out of 61 patients who initiated the outpatient CR, 29 patients dropped out, leaving us with 32 subjects. The logistic regression analysis results showed that high conscientiousness was associated with non-participation in CR. The primary reason for this was a lack of motivation. Conversely, low conscientiousness and high openness were predictors of dropout. This study suggests that the assessment of the Big Five personality traits, especially conscientiousness and openness, can help improve health communication with patients to promote outpatient CR participation after discharge.
Primary Care and Physical Literacy: A Non-Randomized Controlled Pilot Study to Combat the High Prevalence of Physically Inactive Adults in Austria
Authors: Holler Peter , Jaunig Johannes , Moser Othmar , Tuttner Silvia , Simi Helmut , Wallner Dietmar , Amort Frank Michael , van Poppel Mireille
Published: August 2021

The multidimensional concept of physical literacy is fundamental for lifelong physical activity engagement. However, physical literacy-based interventions are in their infancy, especially among adults. Therefore, the purpose of this pilot study was to assess the association of a physical literacy-based intervention with changes in self-reported physical literacy among inactive adults. A non-randomized controlled study (2 × 2 design) was conducted, comparing pre- vs. postintervention. Twenty-eight inactive healthy participants in the intervention group (89% female, 53 ± 10 years) entered a physical literacy-based intervention once weekly for 14 weeks. The non-treated control group consisted of 22 inactive adults (96% female, 50 ± 11 years). Physical literacy was evaluated with a questionnaire encompassing five domains: physical activity behavior, attitude/understanding, motivation, knowledge, and self-efficacy/confidence. ANOVA models were applied to evaluate changes by time and condition. Following the intervention, significant improvements were seen for overall physical literacy and in four out of five physical literacy domains, including physical activity behavior, attitude/understanding, knowledge, and self-efficacy/confidence (all p < 0.01, Cohen’s d = 0.38–0.83). No changes by time x condition were found for motivation. The physical literacy-based intervention applied in this study may be a promising approach to help inactive adults to adopt an active lifestyle.
Post-Lockdown Effects on Students’ Mental Health in Romania: Perceived Stress, Missing Daily Social Interactions, and Boredom Proneness
Authors: Dumitrache Liliana , Stănculescu Elena , Nae Mariana , Dumbrăveanu Daniela , Simion Gabriel , Taloș Ana Maria , Mareci Alina
Published: August 2021

The rapid spread of COVID-19 worldwide was accompanied by intense fears, confusion, worries, anger, and stress threatening people’s mental health. Unprecedented measures to slow down and prevent the transmission of COVID-19 have had various impacts on the population’s health behaviour and mental health. The main purpose of the present study is to investigate the lockdown’s effects on university students’ mental health in Romania. Based on a cross-sectional design, the survey data were collected from a sample of 722 participants (247 males; M = 21.1 years; SD ± 1.73). A path analysis was performed to verify the hypothesised direct and indirect effects included in the multiple mediation model. The findings showed a positive association between stress and boredom proneness, missing daily social interactions, spending more time on phone conversations, and the increasing interest in following news about the pandemic. The path analysis revealed an excellent fit between the proposed multiple mediation model and the sample data. Boredom proneness and missing daily social interactions both affected stress, directly and indirectly, through more time spent on phone conversations. In addition, it was found that the increased interest in following news about the pandemic mediated the relationship between boredom proneness and perceived stress. In terms of gender differences, our findings revealed that female students experienced significantly higher stress levels than male students, perceived to a greater extent the lack of daily social interactions, and spent more time on phone conversations. Overall, the findings further extend the empirical evidence on university students’ mental health in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic. Therefore, universities need to organise support programmes focused on developing university students’ coping strategies to maintain their mental health even in adverse contexts.
Environmental Health Risk Perception: Adaptation of a Population-Based Questionnaire from Latin America
Authors: Cortés Sandra , Burgos Soledad , Adaros Héctor , Lucero Boris , Quirós-Alcalá Lesliam
Published: August 2021

BACKGROUND: Environmental risk assessments and interventions to mitigate environmental risks are essential to protect public health. While the objective measurement of environmental hazards is important, it is also critical to address the subjective perception of health risks. A population’s perception of environmental health hazards is a powerful driving force for action and engagement in safety and health behaviors and can also inform the development of effective and more sustainable environmental health policies. To date, no instruments are available to assess risk perception of environmental health hazards in South America even though there are many concerning issues in the region, including mining. OBJECTIVE: We aimed to adapt and validate an environmental health risk perception questionnaire in a Chilean population affected by mining activity among other risks frequently reported in Latin American countries and included the collection of information on trust on public information sources. METHODS: We adapted an Australian risk perception questionnaire for validation in an adult population from a Chilean mining community. This adaptation included two blinded translations (direct, inverse), a pre-test study (n = 20) and a review by environmental health experts. Principal Component Analyses (PCA) was used to identify factors within major domains of interest. The Bartlett test of sphericity, Kaiser-Meyer-Olkin (KMO) measure and the Cronbach α test were used to assess the instrument’s validity and reliability. The instrument was pilot tested in 205 adults from a mining community in Chañaral. RESULTS: The final adapted questionnaire proved to be a good instrument to measure risk perception in a community chronically exposed to mining waste. For community risks, four factors explained 59.4% of the variance. “Global Issues” (30.2%) included air pollution, contamination of mining, ozone layer depletion and vector diseases. For personal risks, the first two components explained 59.5% of the variance, the main factor (36.7%) was “unhealthy behaviors within the household”. For trust in information, the first factor (36.2%) included as main sources “Media and authorities”. The Cronbach α ranged between 0.68 and 0.75; and the KMO test between 0.7 to 0.79 for community and personal risks and trust. CONCLUSIONS: The final questionnaire is a simple, reliable and useful instrument that can assist in evaluating environmental health risk perceptions in Latin American countries.
Students’ Intention of Visiting Urban Green Spaces after the COVID-19 Lockdown in China
Authors: Liu Jiayi , Peng Zhikai , Cai Xiaoxi , Peng You , Li Jiang , Feng Tao
Published: August 2021

This study addresses students’ perceptions of using urban green spaces (UGSs) after the easing of COVID-19 lockdown in China. We questioned whether they are still mindful of the risks from the outdoor gathering, or conversely, starting to learn the restoration benefits from the green spaces. Online self-reported surveys were distributed to the Chinese students aging from 14 to 30 who study in Hunan and Jiangsu Provinces, China. We finally obtained 608 complete and valid questionnaire forms from all participants. Their intentions of visiting UGSs were investigated based on the extended theory of planned behavior model. Structural equation modeling was employed to test the hypothesized psychological model. The results have shown good estimation performance on risk perception and perceived knowledge to explain the variances in their attitudes, social norms, and perceived behavior control. Among these three endogenous variables, the perceived behavior control owns the greatest and positive influence on the behavioral intention, inferring that controllability is crucial for students to make decisions of visiting green spaces in a post-pandemic context.
Effectiveness of New Tools to Define an Up-to-Date Patient Safety Risk Map: A Primary Care Study Protocol
Authors: Gens-Barberà Montserrat , Rey-Reñones Cristina , Hernández-Vidal Núria , Vidal-Esteve Elisa , Mengíbar-García Yolanda , Hospital-Guardiola Inmaculada , Palacios-Llamazares Laura , Satué-Gracia Eva María , Oya-Girona Eva Maria , Bejarano-Romero Ferran , Astier-Peña Maria Pilar , Martín-Luján Francisco
Published: August 2021

Background: Reducing incidents related to health care interventions to improve patient safety is a health policy priority. To strengthen a culture of safety, reporting incidents is essential. This study aims to define a patient safety risk map using the description and analysis of incidents within a primary care region with a prior patient safety improvement strategy organisationally developed and promoted. Methods: The study will be conducted in two phases: (1) a cross-sectional descriptive observational study to describe reported incidents; and (2) a quasi-experimental study to compare reported incidents. The study will take place in the Camp de Tarragona Primary Care Management (Catalan Institute of Health). In Phase 1, all reactive notifications collected within one year (2018) will be analysed; during Phase 2, all proactive notifications of the second and third weeks of June 2019 will be analysed. Adverse events will also be assessed. Phases 1 and 2 will use a digital platform and the proactive tool proSP to notify and analyse incidents related to patient safety. Expected Results: To obtain an up-to-date, primary care patient safety risk map to prioritise strategies that result in safer practices.
Prediction Models of Early Childhood Caries Based on Machine Learning Algorithms
Authors: Park You-Hyun , Kim Sung-Hwa , Choi Yoon-Young
Published: August 2021

In this study, we developed machine learning-based prediction models for early childhood caries and compared their performances with the traditional regression model. We analyzed the data of 4195 children aged 1–5 years from the Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey data (2007–2018). Moreover, we developed prediction models using the XGBoost (version 1.3.1), random forest, and LightGBM (version 3.1.1) algorithms in addition to logistic regression. Two different methods were applied for variable selection, including a regression-based backward elimination and a random forest-based permutation importance classifier. We compared the area under the receiver operating characteristic (AUROC) values and misclassification rates of the different models and observed that all four prediction models had AUROC values ranging between 0.774 and 0.785. Furthermore, no significant difference was observed between the AUROC values of the four models. Based on the results, we can confirm that both traditional logistic regression and ML-based models can show favorable performance and can be used to predict early childhood caries, identify ECC high-risk groups, and implement active preventive treatments. However, further research is essential to improving the performance of the prediction model using recent methods, such as deep learning.
The Impact of Social Network Site Addiction on Depression in Chinese Medical Students: A Serial Multiple Mediator Model Involving Loneliness and Unmet Interpersonal Needs
Authors: Gong Ruijie , Zhang Yinghuan , Long Rusi , Zhu Rui , Li Sicong , Liu Xinyi , Wang Suping , Cai Yong
Published: August 2021

The use of social network sites (SNSs) is inevitable in daily life. Everyone is likely to be addicted to SNSs, especially medical students. This study is aimed to assess the degree of SNS addiction and its relation to psychosocial factors such as depression, loneliness and unmet interpersonal needs among Chinese medical students. The cross-section survey was conducted from March to May in 2018 in Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine. Of the total 1067 participants, 33.18% had an SNS addiction, 87.7% of the participants used SNSs every day during last month and 53.42% of the participants used SNSs for at least an hour per day during the last week. SNS addiction is positively related with depression both directly and indirectly. The mediating roles of loneliness and unmet interpersonal needs on the relationship between SNS addiction and depression are significant. For the well-being of medical students, efforts should be taken to prevent them from becoming addicted to SNSs.
Evaluating Spatiotemporal Distribution of Residential Sprawl and Influencing Factors Based on Multi-Dimensional Measurement and GeoDetector Modelling
Authors: Zhang Linlin , Qiao Guanghui , Huang Huiling , Chen Yang , Luo Jiaojiao
Published: August 2021

Residential sprawl constitutes a main part of urban sprawl which poses a threat to the inhabitant environment and public health. The purpose of this article is to measure the residential sprawl at a micro-scale using a case study of Hangzhou city. An integrated sprawl index on each 1 km × 1 km residential land cell was calculated based on multi-dimensional indices of morphology, population density, land-use composition, and accessibility, followed by a dynamic assessment of residential sprawl. Furthermore, the method of GeoDetector modeling was applied to investigate the potential effects of location, urbanization, land market, and planning policy on the spatial variation of residential sprawl. The results revealed a positive correlation between CO2 emissions and residential sprawl in Hangzhou. There has been a remarkable increase of sprawl index on residential land cells across the inner suburb and outer suburb, and more than three-fifths of the residential growth during 2000–2010 were evaluated as dynamic sprawl. The rapid development of the land market and urbanization were noted to impact the spatiotemporal distribution of residential sprawl, as q-statistic values of population growth and land price ranked highest. Most notably, the increasing q-statistic values of urban planning and its significant interactions with other factors highlighted the effects of incremental planning policies. The study derived the policy implication that it is necessary to transform the traditional theory and methods of incremental planning.
Healthy Lifestyle and Academic Performance in Middle School Students from the Region of Aragón (Spain)
Authors: Sánchez-Hernando Beatriz , Antón-Solanas Isabel , Juárez-Vela Raúl , Gea-Caballero Vicente , Carboneres-Tafaner María Inmaculada , Ferrer-Gracia Elisa , Gállego-Diéguez Javier , Santolalla-Arnedo Iván , Gasch-Gallén Ángel
Published: August 2021

A healthy lifestyle is important to the present and future development and health of school age people. This study aims to analyze the relationship between daily lifestyle habits and academic performance in a sample of adolescents from the autonomous community of Aragon (Spain). We performed a cross-sectional study to analyze the lifestyle habits and academic performance of a total of 1745 7th and 8th grade middle school students during the academic year 2018–2019; the participants were selected from a random sample of 43 middle schools from the region of Aragon. The following data were collected through an anonymized, previously validated questionnaire: diet, sleep, physical activity, use of screens, use of toxic substances, and academic performance. We found a statistically significant association between all the lifestyle habits analyzed and academic performance (p < 0.001) in our sample. Based on our findings, we suggest that health promotion and education in healthy lifestyles should be integrated in middle school curricula to improve academic performance and, more importantly, to promote both present and future health outcomes of adolescents.
Vehicle Detection in Very-High-Resolution Remote Sensing Images Based on an Anchor-Free Detection Model with a More Precise Foveal Area
Authors: Li Xungen , Men Feifei , Lv Shuaishuai , Jiang Xiao , Pan Mian , Ma Qi , Yu Haibin
Published: August 2021

Vehicle detection in aerial images is a challenging task. The complexity of the background information and the redundancy of the detection area are the main obstacles that limit the successful operation of vehicle detection based on anchors in very-high-resolution (VHR) remote sensing images. In this paper, an anchor-free target detection method is proposed to solve the problems above. First, a multi-attention feature pyramid network (MA-FPN) was designed to address the influence of noise and background information on vehicle target detection by fusing attention information in the feature pyramid network (FPN) structure. Second, a more precise foveal area (MPFA) is proposed to provide better ground truth for the anchor-free method by determining a more accurate positive sample selection area. The proposed anchor-free model with MA-FPN and MPFA can predict vehicles accurately and quickly in VHR remote sensing images through direct regression and predict the pixels in the feature map. A detailed evaluation based on remote sensing image (RSI) and vehicle detection in aerial imagery (VEDAI) data sets for vehicle detection shows that our detection method performs well, the network is simple, and the detection is fast.
Computational Insight on the Interaction of Common Blood Proteins with Gold Nanoparticles
Authors: Tavanti Francesco , Menziani Maria Cristina
Published: August 2021

Protein interactions with engineered gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) and the consequent formation of the protein corona are very relevant and poorly understood biological phenomena. The nanoparticle coverage affects protein binding modalities, and the adsorbed protein sites influence interactions with other macromolecules and cells. Here, we studied four common blood proteins, i.e., hemoglobin, serum albumin, α1-antiproteinase, and complement C3, interacting with AuNPs covered by hydrophobic 11-mercapto-1-undecanesulfonate (MUS). We use Molecular Dynamics and the Martini coarse−grained model to gain quantitative insight into the kinetics of the interaction, the physico-chemical characteristics of the binding site, and the nanoparticle adsorption capacity. Results show that proteins bind to MUS−capped AuNPs through strong hydrophobic interactions and that they adapt to the AuNP surfaces to maximize the contact surface, but no dramatic change in the secondary structure of the proteins is observed. We suggest a new method to calculate the maximum adsorption capacity of capped AuNPs based on the effective surface covered by each protein, which better represents the realistic behavior of these systems.
Insulin Receptor Isoforms Differently Regulate Cell Proliferation and Apoptosis in the Ligand-Occupied and Unoccupied State
Authors: Massimino Michele , Sciacca Laura , Parrinello Nunziatina Laura , Scalisi Nunzio Massimo , Belfiore Antonino , Vigneri Riccardo , Vigneri Paolo
Published: August 2021

The insulin receptor (IR) presents two isoforms (IR-A and IR-B) that differ for the α-subunit C-terminal. Both isoforms are expressed in all human cells albeit in different proportions, yet their functional properties-when bound or unbound to insulin-are not well characterized. From a cell model deprived of the Insulin-like Growth Factor 1 Receptor (IGF1-R) we therefore generated cells exhibiting no IR (R-shIR cells), or only human IR-A (R-shIR-A), or exclusively human IR-B (R-shIR-B) and we studied the specific effect of the two isoforms on cell proliferation and cell apoptosis. In the absence of insulin both IR-A and IR-B similarly inhibited proliferation but IR-B was 2–3 fold more effective than IR-A in reducing resistance to etoposide-induced DNA damage. In the presence of insulin, IR-A and IR-B promoted proliferation with the former significantly more effective than the latter at increasing insulin concentrations. Moreover, only insulin-bound IR-A, but not IR-B, protected cells from etoposide-induced cytotoxicity. In conclusion, IR isoforms have different effects on cell proliferation and survival. When unoccupied, IR-A, which is predominantly expressed in undifferentiated and neoplastic cells, is less effective than IR-B in protecting cells from DNA damage. In the presence of insulin, particularly when present at high levels, IR-A provides a selective growth advantage.
Preclinical and Clinical Evidence of Therapeutic Agents for Paclitaxel-Induced Peripheral Neuropathy
Authors: Kawashiri Takehiro , Inoue Mizuki , Mori Kohei , Kobayashi Daisuke , Mine Keisuke , Ushio Soichiro , Kudamatsu Hibiki , Uchida Mayako , Egashira Nobuaki , Shimazoe Takao
Published: August 2021

Paclitaxel is an essential drug in the chemotherapy of ovarian, non-small cell lung, breast, gastric, endometrial, and pancreatic cancers. However, it frequently causes peripheral neuropathy as a dose-limiting factor. Animal models of paclitaxel-induced peripheral neuropathy (PIPN) have been established. The mechanisms of PIPN development have been elucidated, and many drugs and agents have been proven to have neuroprotective effects in basic studies. In addition, some of these drugs have been validated in clinical studies for their inhibitory PIPN effects. This review summarizes the basic and clinical evidence for therapeutic or prophylactic effects for PIPN. In pre-clinical research, many reports exist of neuropathy inhibitors that target oxidative stress, inflammatory response, ion channels, transient receptor potential (TRP) channels, cannabinoid receptors, and the monoamine nervous system. Alternatively, very few drugs have demonstrated PIPN efficacy in clinical trials. Thus, enhancing translational research to translate pre-clinical research into clinical research is important.
The Importance of Lipidomic Approach for Mapping and Exploring the Molecular Networks Underlying Physical Exercise: A Systematic Review
Authors: Latino Francesca , Cataldi Stefania , Carvutto Roberto , De Candia Michele , D'Elia Francesca , Patti Antonino , Bonavolontà Valerio , Fischetti Francesco
Published: August 2021

Maintaining appropriate levels of physical exercise is an optimal way for keeping a good state of health. At the same time, optimal exercise performance necessitates an integrated organ system response. In this respect, physical exercise has numerous repercussions on metabolism and function of different organs and tissues by enhancing whole-body metabolic homeostasis in response to different exercise-related adaptations. Specifically, both prolonged and intensive physical exercise produce vast changes in multiple and different lipid-related metabolites. Lipidomic technologies allow these changes and adaptations to be clarified, by using a biological system approach they provide scientific understanding of the effect of physical exercise on lipid trajectories. Therefore, this systematic review aims to indicate and clarify the identifying biology of the individual response to different exercise workloads, as well as provide direction for future studies focused on the body’s metabolome exercise-related adaptations. It was performed using five databases (Medline (PubMed), Google Scholar, Embase, Web of Science, and Cochrane Library). Two author teams reviewed 105 abstracts for inclusion and at the end of the screening process 50 full texts were analyzed. Lastly, 14 research articles specifically focusing on metabolic responses to exercise in healthy subjects were included. The Oxford quality scoring system scale was used as a quality measure of the reviews. Information was extracted using the participants, intervention, comparison, outcomes (PICOS) format. Despite that fact that it is well-known that lipids are involved in different sport-related changes, it is unclear what types of lipids are involved. Therefore, we analyzed the characteristic lipid species in blood and skeletal muscle, as well as their alterations in response to chronic and acute exercise. Lipidomics analyses of the studies examined revealed medium- and long-chain fatty acids, fatty acid oxidation products, and phospholipids qualitative changes. The main cumulative evidence indicates that both chronic and acute bouts of exercise determine significant changes in lipidomic profiles, but they manifested in very different ways depending on the type of tissue examined. Therefore, this systematic review may offer the possibility to fully understand the individual lipidomics exercise-related response and could be especially important to improve athletic performance and human health.
Genome-Wide Identification and Characterization of the Brassinazole-resistant (BZR) Gene Family and Its Expression in the Various Developmental Stage and Stress Conditions in Wheat (Triticum aestivum L.)
Authors: Kesawat Mahipal Singh , Kherawat Bhagwat Singh , Singh Anupama , Dey Prajjal , Kabi Mandakini , Debnath Debanjana , Saha Debanjana , Khandual Ansuman , Rout Sandeep , Manorama  , Ali Asjad , Palem Ramasubba Reddy , Gupta Ravi , Kadam Avinash Ashok , Kim Hyun-Uk , Chung Sang-Min , Kumar Manu
Published: August 2021

Brassinosteroids (BRs) play crucial roles in various biological processes, including plant developmental processes and response to diverse biotic and abiotic stresses. However, no information is currently available about this gene family in wheat (Triticum aestivum L.). In the present investigation, we identified the BZR gene family in wheat to understand the evolution and their role in diverse developmental processes and under different stress conditions. In this study, we performed the genome-wide analysis of the BZR gene family in the bread wheat and identified 20 TaBZR genes through a homology search and further characterized them to understand their structure, function, and distribution across various tissues. Phylogenetic analyses lead to the classification of TaBZR genes into five different groups or subfamilies, providing evidence of evolutionary relationship with Arabidopsis thaliana, Zea mays, Glycine max, and Oryza sativa. A gene exon/intron structure analysis showed a distinct evolutionary path and predicted the possible gene duplication events. Further, the physical and biochemical properties, conserved motifs, chromosomal, subcellular localization, and cis-acting regulatory elements were also examined using various computational approaches. In addition, an analysis of public RNA-seq data also shows that TaBZR genes may be involved in diverse developmental processes and stress tolerance mechanisms. Moreover, qRT-PCR results also showed similar expression with slight variation. Collectively, these results suggest that TaBZR genes might play an important role in plant developmental processes and various stress conditions. Therefore, this work provides valuable information for further elucidate the precise role of BZR family members in wheat.
Conditional Inactivation of Limbic Neuropeptide Y-1 Receptors Increases Vulnerability to Diet-Induced Obesity in Male Mice
Authors: Paterlini Silvia , Panelli Riccardo , Gioiosa Laura , Parmigiani Stefano , Franceschini Paolo , Bertocchi Ilaria , Oberto Alessandra , Bartolomucci Alessandro , Eva Carola , Palanza Paola
Published: August 2021

NPY and its Y1 cognate receptor (Y1R) have been shown to be involved in the regulation of stress, anxiety, depression and energy homeostasis. We previously demonstrated that conditional knockout of Npy1r gene in the excitatory neurons of the forebrain of adolescent male mice (Npy1rrfb mice) decreased body weight growth and adipose tissue and increased anxiety. In the present study, we used the same conditional system to examine whether the targeted disruption of the Npy1r gene in limbic areas might affect susceptibility to obesity and associated disorders during adulthood in response to a 3-week high-fat diet (HFD) regimen. We demonstrated that following HFD exposure, Npy1rrfb male mice showed increased body weight, visceral adipose tissue, and blood glucose levels, hyperphagia and a dysregulation of calory intake as compared to control Npy1r2lox mice. These results suggest that low expression of Npy1r in limbic areas impairs habituation to high caloric food and causes high susceptibility to diet-induced obesity and glucose intolerance in male mice, uncovering a specific contribution of the limbic Npy1r gene in the dysregulation of the eating/satiety balance.