bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Velocity Prediction Based on Vehicle Lateral Risk Assessment and Traffic Flow: A Brief Review and Application Examples
Authors: Li Lin , Coskun Serdar , Wang Jiaze , Fan Youming , Zhang Fengqi , Langari Reza
Published: June 2021

Forecasting future driving conditions such as acceleration, velocity, and driver behaviors can greatly contribute to safety, mobility, and sustainability issues in the development of new energy vehicles (NEVs). In this brief, a review of existing velocity prediction techniques is studied from the perspective of traffic flow and vehicle lateral dynamics for the first time. A classification framework for velocity prediction in NEVs is presented where various state-of-the-art approaches are put forward. Firstly, we investigate road traffic flow models, under which a driving-scenario-based assessment is introduced. Secondly, vehicle speed prediction methods for NEVs are given where an extensive discussion on traffic flow model classification based on traffic big data and artificial intelligence is carried out. Thirdly, the influence of vehicle lateral dynamics and correlation control methods for vehicle speed prediction are reviewed. Suitable applications of each approach are presented according to their characteristics. Future trends and questions in the development of NEVs from different angles are discussed. Finally, different from existing review papers, we introduce application examples, demonstrating the potential applications of the highlighted concepts in next-generation intelligent transportation systems. To sum up, this review not only gives the first comprehensive analysis and review of road traffic network, vehicle handling stability, and velocity prediction strategies, but also indicates possible applications of each method to prospective designers, where researchers and scholars can better choose the right method on velocity prediction in the development of NEVs.
A Novel Framework to Study the Role of Ground and Fumed Silica Fillers in Suppressing DC Erosion of Silicone Rubber Outdoor Insulation
Authors: Alqudsi Alhaytham Y. , Ghunem Refat A. , David Eric
Published: June 2021

This paper investigates the effect of ground and fumed silica fillers on suppressing DC erosion in silicone rubber. Fumed silica and ground silica fillers are incorporated in silicone rubber at different loading levels and comparatively analyzed in this study. Outcomes of the +DC inclined plane tracking erosion test indicate a better erosion performance for the fumed silica filled composite despite having a lower thermal conductivity compared to the ground silica composite. Results of the simultaneous thermogravimetric and thermal differential analyses are correlated with inclined plane tracking erosion test outcomes suggesting that fumed silica suppresses depolymerization and promotes radical based crosslinking in silicone rubber. This finding is evident as higher residue is obtained with the fumed silica filler despite being filled at a significantly lower loading level compared to ground silica. The surface residue morphology obtained, and the roughness determined for the tested samples of the composites in the dry-arc resistance test indicate the formation of a coherent residue with the fumed silica filled composite. Such coherent residue could act as a barrier to shield the unaffected material underneath the damaged surface during dry-band arcing, thereby preventing progressive erosion. The outcomes of this study suggest a significant role for fumed silica promoting more interactions with silicone rubber to suppress DC erosion compared to ground silica fillers.
PAH and POP Presence in Plastic Waste and Recyclates: State of the Art
Authors: Conesa Juan A. , Nuñez Samuel S. , Ortuño Núria , Moltó Julia
Published: June 2021

The presence of different pollutants in recycled plastics is reviewed in this article. The desirable circular economy of plastics should be linked to the availability of clean recycled plastics with a non-significant and small to nil amount of substances of concern. Different researchers found polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs), such as brominated flame retardants (BFRs), pesticides, dioxins and furans (PCDD/Fs and PBDD/Fs) in plastic recyclates. This represents an added difficulty to the effective recycling process of plastics that reduces the demand for energy and materials, in addition to posing a great environmental danger since they represent a vector of accumulation of the contaminants that will finally appear in the most unexpected products. Life Cycle Analysis of the plastic wastes recycling process indicates a great saving of energy, water and CO2 emissions.
Life Cycle Energy and Environmental Assessment of the Thermal Insulation Improvement in Residential Buildings
Authors: Cusenza Maria Anna , Gulotta Teresa Maria , Mistretta Marina , Cellura Maurizio
Published: June 2021

The refurbishment of the building stock is a key strategy towards the achievement of the climate and energy goals of the European Union. This study aims at evaluating the energy and environmental impacts associated with retrofitting a residential apartment to improve its vertical envelope thermal insulation. Two insulation materials, stone wool and cellulose fibers, are compared. The life cycle assessment methodology is applied assuming 1 m2 of retrofitted vertical envelope as functional unit. Moreover, to estimate the net energy and environmental benefits achievable in the retrofitted scenario compared with the non-retrofitted one, a second analysis is performed in which the system boundaries are expanded to include the building operational phase, and 1 m2 of walkable floor per year is assumed as reference. The results show that the use of cellulose fibers involve lower impacts in most of the assessed categories compared to stone wool, except for abiotic resource depletion. In detail, the use of cellulose fibers allows to reduce the impact on climate change up to 20% and the consumption of primary energy up to 10%. The evaluation of the net energy and environmental benefits shows the effectiveness of the retrofit energy policies.
Investigating the Role of Restoration Plantings in Introducing Disease—A Case Study Using Phytophthora
Authors: Donald Flora , Purse Bethan V. , Green Sarah
Published: June 2021

Translocating plants to natural habitats is a long-standing conservation practice but is growing in magnitude to deliver international targets to mitigate climate change and reverse biodiversity loss. Concurrently, outbreaks of novel plant pests and pathogens are multiplying with increased global trade network connectivity and larger volumes of imported plants, raising concerns that restoration plantings may act as introductory disease pathways. We used UK common juniper, subject since ~1995 to conservation plantings and now experiencing significant mortality from the non-native pathogen Phytophthora austrocedri Gresl. & E. M. Hansen, as an example species to explore the availability of monitoring data that could be used to assess disease risks posed by planting. We compiled spatial records of juniper planting including qualitative data on sources of planting material, propagation settings and organization types that managed planting projects. We found that juniper planting activity expanded every decade since 1990 across the UK and while not all planting resulted in outbreaks, 19% of P. austrocedri detections were found within 2 km of a known planting. We highlight the scale and diversity of organizations raising and planting juniper, as well as the lack of source material traceability, and suggest that cross-sector collaboration and changes in practice are required to reduce the risks of pathogen introduction posed by restoration planting.
Processing and Extraction of Seasonal Tree Physiological Parameters from Stem Radius Time Series
Authors: Knüsel Simon , Peters Richard L. , Haeni Matthias , Wilhelm Micah , Zweifel Roman
Published: June 2021

Radial stem size changes, measured with automated dendrometers at intra-daily resolution, offer great potential to link environmental conditions with tree physiology at the seasonal scale. Such measurements need to be time-aligned, cleaned of outliers and shifts, gap-filled and analysed for reversible (water-related) and irreversible (growth-related) fractions to obtain physiologically meaningful data. Therefore, comprehensive tools are needed for reproducible data processing and analytics of dendrometer data. Here we present a transparent method, compiled in the R package treenetproc, to turn raw dendrometer data into clean, physiologically interpretable information, i.e., stem growth, tree water deficit, growth phenological phases, mean daily shrinkage and their respective timings. The removal of errors is facilitated by additional functions and supported with graphical visualizations. To ensure reproducible data handling, the processing parameters and induced changes to the raw data are documented in the output and, thus, are a step towards a standardized processing of automatically measured stem radius time series. We discuss examples, such as the seasonality of growth or the dependence of growth on atmospheric and soil drought. The presented growth and water-related physiological variables at high temporal resolution offer novel physiological insights into the seasonally varying responses of trees to changing environmental conditions.
LncRNA FENDRR Expression Correlates with Tumor Immunogenicity
Authors: Munteanu Maria Cristina , Sethuraman Sri Nandhini , Singh Mohit Pratap , Malayer Jerry , Ranjan Ashish
Published: June 2021

FENDRR (Fetal-lethal non-coding developmental regulatory RNA, LncRNA FOXF1-AS1) is a recently identified tumor suppressor long non-coding (LncRNA) RNA, and its expression has been linked with epigenetic modulation of the target genes involved in tumor immunity. In this study, we aimed to understand the role of FENDRR in predicting immune-responsiveness and the inflammatory tumor environment. Briefly, FENDRR expression and its relationship to immune activation signals were assessed in murine cell lines. Data suggested that tumor cells (e.g., C26 colon, 4T1 breast) that typically upregulate immune activation genes and the MHC class I molecule exhibited high FENDRR expression levels. Conversely, tumor cells with a generalized downregulation of immune-related gene expression (e.g., B16F10 melanoma) demonstrated low to undetectable FENDRR levels. Mechanistically, the modulation of FENDRR expression enhanced the inflammatory and WNT signaling pathways in tumors. Our early data suggest that FENDRR can play an important role in the development of immune-relevant phenotypes in tumors, and thereby improve cancer immunotherapy.
A Literature-Derived Knowledge Graph Augments the Interpretation of Single Cell RNA-seq Datasets
Authors: Doddahonnaiah Deeksha , Lenehan Patrick , Hughes Travis , Zemmour David , Garcia-Rivera Enrique , Venkatakrishnan A. , Chilaka Ramakrishna , Khare Apoorv , Kasaraneni Akhil , Garg Abhinav , Anand Akash , Barve Rakesh , Thiagarajan Viswanathan , Soundararajan Venky
Published: June 2021

Technology to generate single cell RNA-sequencing (scRNA-seq) datasets and tools to annotate them have advanced rapidly in the past several years. Such tools generally rely on existing transcriptomic datasets or curated databases of cell type defining genes, while the application of scalable natural language processing (NLP) methods to enhance analysis workflows has not been adequately explored. Here we deployed an NLP framework to objectively quantify associations between a comprehensive set of over 20,000 human protein-coding genes and over 500 cell type terms across over 26 million biomedical documents. The resultant gene-cell type associations (GCAs) are significantly stronger between a curated set of matched cell type-marker pairs than the complementary set of mismatched pairs (Mann Whitney p = 6.15 × 10−76, r = 0.24; cohen’s D = 2.6). Building on this, we developed an augmented annotation algorithm (single cell Annotation via Literature Encoding, or scALE) that leverages GCAs to categorize cell clusters identified in scRNA-seq datasets, and we tested its ability to predict the cellular identity of 133 clusters from nine datasets of human breast, colon, heart, joint, ovary, prostate, skin, and small intestine tissues. With the optimized settings, the true cellular identity matched the top prediction in 59% of tested clusters and was present among the top five predictions for 91% of clusters. scALE slightly outperformed an existing method for reference data driven automated cluster annotation, and we demonstrate that integration of scALE can meaningfully improve the annotations derived from such methods. Further, contextualization of differential expression analyses with these GCAs highlights poorly characterized markers of well-studied cell types, such as CLIC6 and DNASE1L3 in retinal pigment epithelial cells and endothelial cells, respectively. Taken together, this study illustrates for the first time how the systematic application of a literature-derived knowledge graph can expedite and enhance the annotation and interpretation of scRNA-seq data.
Drugging the Undruggable: Advances on RAS Targeting in Cancer
Authors: Molina-Arcas Miriam , Samani Amit , Downward Julian
Published: June 2021

Around 20% of all malignancies harbour activating mutations in RAS isoforms. Despite this, there is a deficiency of RAS-targeting agents licensed for therapeutic use. The picomolar affinity of RAS for GTP, and the lack of suitable pockets for high-affinity small-molecule binding, precluded effective therapies despite decades of research. Recently, characterisation of the biochemical properties of KRAS-G12C along with discovery of its ‘switch-II pocket’ have allowed development of effective mutant-specific inhibitors. Currently seven KRAS-G12C inhibitors are in clinical trials and sotorasib has become the first one to be granted FDA approval. Here, we discuss historical efforts to target RAS directly and approaches to target RAS effector signalling, including combinations that overcome limitations of single-agent targeting. We also review pre-clinical and clinical evidence for the efficacy of KRAS-G12C inhibitor monotherapy followed by an illustration of combination therapies designed to overcome primary resistance and extend durability of response. Finally, we briefly discuss novel approaches to targeting non-G12C mutant isoforms.
Effects of Vegetation Restoration on Soil Erosion on the Loess Plateau: A Case Study in the Ansai Watershed
Authors: Wei Hui , Zhao Wenwu , Wang Han
Published: June 2021

Large-scale vegetation restoration greatly changed the soil erosion environment in the Loess Plateau since the implementation of the “Grain for Green Project” (GGP) in 1999. Evaluating the effects of vegetation restoration on soil erosion is significant to local soil and water conservation and vegetation construction. Taking the Ansai Watershed as the case area, this study calculated the soil erosion modulus from 2000 to 2015 under the initial and current scenarios of vegetation restoration, using the Chinese Soil Loess Equation (CSLE), based on rainfall and soil data, remote sensing images and socio-economic data. The effect of vegetation restoration on soil erosion was evaluated by comparing the average annual soil erosion modulus under two scenarios among 16 years. The results showed: (1) vegetation restoration significantly changed the local land use, characterized by the conversion of farmland to grassland, arboreal land, and shrub land. From 2000 to 2015, the area of arboreal land, shrub land, and grassland increased from 19.46 km2, 19.43 km2, and 719.49 km2 to 99.26 km2, 75.97 km2, and 1084.24 km2; while the farmland area decreased from 547.90 km2 to 34.35 km2; (2) the average annual soil erosion modulus from 2000 to 2015 under the initial and current scenarios of vegetation restoration was 114.44 t/(hm²·a) and 78.42 t/(hm²·a), respectively, with an average annual reduction of 4.81 × 106 t of soil erosion amount thanks to the vegetation restoration; (3) the dominant soil erosion intensity changed from “severe and light erosion” to “moderate and light erosion”, vegetation restoration greatly improved the soil erosion environment in the study area; (4) areas with increased erosion and decreased erosion were alternately distributed, accounting for 48% and 52% of the total land area, and mainly distributed in the northwest and southeast of the watershed, respectively. Irrational land use changes in local areas (such as the conversion of farmland and grassland into construction land, etc.) and the ineffective implementation of vegetation restoration are the main reasons leading to the existence of areas with increased erosion.
Parental Beliefs and Actual Use of Corporal Punishment, School Violence and Bullying, and Depression in Early Adolescence
Authors: Chen Ji-Kang , Pan Zixin , Wang Li-Chih
Published: June 2021

Prior studies on adverse outcomes of parental corporal punishment on children have focused on examining one of two broad domains of parental corporal punishment: parental beliefs or actual use. Recently, researchers have argued that parental belief and actual use of corporal punishment should work jointly to contribute to children’s depression and involvement in school violence. Yet, studies supporting this proposition are lacking. This study examined the indirect link from parental attitudes towards corporal punishment to children’s depression and school violence involvement through actual use of corporal punishment. Four hundred and thirty-three elementary school students and their parents in Taiwan participated in this study. The results indicate that positive parental attitudes towards corporal punishment do not predict children’s depression and involvement in school violence. However, parental attitudes towards corporal punishment had significant indirect relationships with depression and involvement in school violence through the actual use of corporal punishment. These findings applied to both genders. This study supports the proposition that parental attitudes and the actual use of corporal punishment could work together to predict children’s depression and school violence. Future intervention programs for decreasing children’s depressive symptoms and involvement in school violence might need to tackle corporal punishment in the family.
Analyzing Twitter Data to Evaluate People’s Attitudes towards Public Health Policies and Events in the Era of COVID-19
Authors: Tsai Meng Hsiu , Wang Yingfeng
Published: June 2021

Policymakers and relevant public health authorities can analyze people’s attitudes towards public health policies and events using sentiment analysis. Sentiment analysis focuses on classifying and analyzing text sentiments. A Twitter sentiment analysis has the potential to monitor people’s attitudes towards public health policies and events. Here, we explore the feasibility of using Twitter data to build a surveillance system for monitoring people’s attitudes towards public health policies and events since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic. In this study, we conducted a sentiment analysis of Twitter data. We analyzed the relationship between the sentiment changes in COVID-19-related tweets and public health policies and events. Furthermore, to improve the performance of the early trained model, we developed a data preprocessing approach by using the pre-trained model and early Twitter data, which were available at the beginning of the pandemic. Our study identified a strong correlation between the sentiment changes in COVID-19-related Twitter data and public health policies and events. Additionally, the experimental results suggested that the data preprocessing approach improved the performance of the early trained model. This study verified the feasibility of developing a fast and low-human-effort surveillance system for monitoring people’s attitudes towards public health policies and events during a pandemic by analyzing Twitter data. Based on the pre-trained model and early Twitter data, we can quickly build a model for the surveillance system.
Lifestyle Interventions to Improve Glycemic Control in Adults with Type 2 Diabetes Living in Low-and-Middle Income Countries: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials (RCTs)
Authors: O’Donoghue Grainne , O’Sullivan Cliona , Corridan Isabelle , Daly Jennifer , Finn Ronan , Melvin Kathryn , Peiris Casey
Published: June 2021

Alongside glucose lowering therapy, clinical guidelines recommend lifestyle interventions as cornerstone in the care of people living with type 2 diabetes (T2DM). There is a specific need for an up-to-date review assessing the effectiveness of lifestyle interventions for people with T2DM living in low-and-middle income countries (MICs). Four electronic databases were searched for RCTs published between 1990 and 2020. T2DM, lifestyle interventions, LMICs and their synonyms were used as search terms. Data codebooks were developed and data were extracted. Narrative synthesis and meta-analysis were conducted using random effects models to calculate mean differences (MD) and standardized mean differences (SMD) and 95% confidence intervals (CI). Of 1284 articles identified, 30 RCTs (n = 16,670 participants) met the inclusion criteria. Pooled analysis revealed significant improvement in HBA1c (MD −0.63; CI: −0.86, −0.40), FBG (SMD −0.35; CI: −0.54, −0.16) and BMI (MD −0.5; CI: −0.8, −0.2). In terms of intervention characteristics, those that included promoted self-management using multiple education components (e.g., diet, physical activity, medication adherence, smoking cessation) and were delivered by healthcare professionals in a hospital/clinic setting were deemed most effective. However, when interpreting these results, it is important to consider that most included studies were evaluated as being of low quality and there was a significant amount of intervention characteristics heterogeneity. There is a need for further well-designed studies to inform the evidence base on which lifestyle interventions are most effective for glycemic control in adults with T2DM living in LMICs.
Lack of Zika Virus and Other Recognized Flaviviruses among the Mosquito Vectors during and Post the Hajj Mass Gathering
Authors: Yezli Saber , Yasir Muhammad , Yassin Yara , Almazrua Afnan , Al-Subhi Tagreed , Othman Norah , Omar Abdiasiis , Abdoon Abdelmohsin , Elamin Yousif , Abuzaid Abuzaid , Bafaraj Turki , Alzahrani Hassen , Almahmoodi Sameer , Alzahrani Hussam , Bieh Kingsley , Alotaibi Badriah , Khan Anas , Alzahrani Mohammed , Azhar Esam I.
Published: June 2021

Makkah city, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA), contains many of the world’s mosquito vectors of parasitic and arboviral disease and is the site of the Hajj mass gathering. As such there is a risk of exportation and globalization of vector-borne viruses, including the re-emerging Zika virus (ZIKV). There was international concern regarding the introduction of ZIKV to KSA and potential international spread of the virus following the 2016 Hajj which took place few days after the Rio summer Olympics at the height of the ZIKV pandemic. We aimed to detect flaviviruses, including ZIKV, circulating among mosquito hosts in the city of Makkah during and post the 2016 Hajj pilgrimage. Mosquitos (adults and larvae) were sampled from 15 sites in Makkah city during and post the 2016 Hajj and identified to species by morphological keys. Mosquitos were pooled according to date of collection, location, and species. A Pan-Flaviviruses RT-PCR assay that enables identification of 51 flaviviruses species and three tentative species was used to detect flavivirus RNA directly from mosquito homogenates. Between the 10 September and 6 October 2016, 9412 female mosquitos were collected. Of these, 81.3% were Aedes aegypti, 18.6% were Culex species, and 0.1% were Anopheles species. Of the total 493 mosquito pools generated, 242 (49%) were positive by the Pan-Flaviviruses primer set. Sequence analysis revealed that none of the mosquitos carried a pathogenic flavivirus, including ZIKV, but were infected with a novel insect-specific flavivirus. We found no pathogenic flaviviruses circulating in Makkah city during and post the 2016 Hajj and no evidence of introduction of ZIKV through the pilgrimage. Enhanced vector-borne diseases surveillance, prevention, and control are crucial in KSA especially during international mass gatherings such as the annual Hajj to prevent outbreaks and the spread of viruses with epidemic and pandemic potentials.
Physical Behaviours in Brazilian Office Workers Working from Home during the COVID-19 Pandemic, Compared to before the Pandemic: A Compositional Data Analysis
Authors: Brusaca Luiz Augusto , Barbieri Dechristian França , Mathiassen Svend Erik , Holtermann Andreas , Oliveira Ana Beatriz
Published: June 2021

Work from home has increased greatly during the COVID-19 pandemic, and concerns have been raised that this would change physical behaviours. In the present study, 11 Brazilian office workers (five women, six men; mean [SD] age 39.3 [9.6] years) wore two triaxial accelerometers fixed on the upper back and right thigh continuously for five days, including a weekend, before COVID-19 (September 2019), and again while working at home during COVID-19 (July 2020). We determined time used in five behaviours: sedentary, standing, light physical activity (LPA), moderate-to-vigorous activity (MVPA), and time-in-bed. Data on these behaviours were processed using Compositional Data Analysis, and behaviours observed pre-COVID19 and during-COVID19 were compared using repeated-measures MANOVA. On workdays during-COVID19, participants spent 667 min sedentary, 176 standing, 74 LPA, 51 MVPA and 472 time-in-bed; corresponding numbers pre-COVID were 689, 180, 81, 72 and 418 min. Tests confirmed that less time was spent in bed pre-COVID19 (log-ratio −0.12 [95% CI −0.19; −0.08]) and more time in MVPA (log-ratio 0.35, [95% CI 0.08; 0.70]). Behaviours during the weekend changed only marginally. While small, this study is the first to report objectively measured physical behaviours during workdays as well as weekends in the same subjects before and during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Effects of Feedback on Students’ Motor Skill Learning in Physical Education: A Systematic Review
Authors: Zhou Yulan , Shao Wei De , Wang Lijuan
Published: June 2021

Objectives: Feedback is an essential factor that may affect students’ motor skill learning during physical education (PE) classes. This review aimed to (1) systematically examine the evidence for the effectiveness of feedback on students’ skill learning during PE classes and (2) summarize the evidence for the effects of feedback elements (i.e., format and content). Methods: A systematic search was conducted on seven electronic databases to identify studies that explored the effects of feedback on student learning during PE classes. Twenty-three studies were selected, and the study quality was evaluated using the Physiotherapy Evidence Database scale. The levels of evidence were determined with the best evidence synthesis. Results: Strong evidence indicates the effectiveness of feedback intervention on students’ skill learning compared with those who received no feedback. Limited evidence was found for the effect of visual feedback compared with verbal feedback. There were mixed results for the effectiveness of information feedback compared with praise or corrective feedback. Conclusion: The current evidence suggests that feedback is useful for skill learning during PE classes. Emergent questions still need to be addressed, such as those regarding the efficiency of using different formats and contents for feedback delivery to enhance motor skill learning during PE classes.
Population Mobility Trends, Deprivation Index and the Spatio-Temporal Spread of Coronavirus Disease 2019 in Ireland
Authors: Madden Jamie M. , More Simon , Teljeur Conor , Gleeson Justin , Walsh Cathal , McGrath Guy
Published: June 2021

Like most countries worldwide, the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) has adversely affected Ireland. The aim of this study was to (i) investigate the spatio-temporal trend of COVID-19 incidence; (ii) describe mobility trends as measured by aggregated mobile phone records; and (iii) investigate the association between deprivation index, population density and COVID-19 cases while accounting for spatial and temporal correlation. Standardised incidence ratios of cases were calculated and mapped at a high spatial resolution (electoral division level) over time. Trends in the percentage change in mobility compared to a pre-COVID-19 period were plotted to investigate the impact of lockdown restrictions. We implemented a hierarchical Bayesian spatio-temporal model (Besag, York and Mollié (BYM)), commonly used for disease mapping, to investigate the association between covariates and the number of cases. There have been three distinct “waves” of COVID-19 cases in Ireland to date. Lockdown restrictions led to a substantial reduction in human movement, particularly during the 1st and 3rd wave. Despite adjustment for population density (incidence ratio (IR) = 1.985 (1.915–2.058)) and the average number of persons per room (IR = 10.411 (5.264–22.533)), we found an association between deprivation index and COVID-19 incidence (IR = 1.210 (CI: 1.077–1.357) for the most deprived quintile compared to the least deprived). There is a large range of spatial heterogeneity in COVID-19 cases in Ireland. The methods presented can be used to explore locally intensive surveillance with the possibility of localised lockdown measures to curb the transmission of infection, while keeping other, low-incidence areas open. Our results suggest that prioritising densely populated deprived areas (that are at increased risk of comorbidities) during vaccination rollout may capture people that are at risk of infection and, potentially, also those at increased risk of hospitalisation.
Emergency Department Referral for Hospice and Palliative Care Differs among Patients with Different End-of-Life Trajectories: A Retrospective Cohort Study
Authors: Shen Victor Wei-Che , Yang Che , Lai Li-Ling , Chen Ying-Ju , Huang Hsien-Hao , Tsai Shih-Hung , Hsu Teh-Fu , Yen David Hung-Tsang
Published: June 2021

Emergency units have been gradually recognized as important settings for palliative care initiation, but require precise palliative care assessments. Patients with different illness trajectories are found to differ in palliative care referrals outside emergency unit settings. Understanding how illness trajectories associate with patient traits in the emergency department may aid assessment of palliative care needs. This study aims to investigate the timing and acceptance of palliative referral in the emergency department among patients with different end-of-life trajectories. Participants were classified into three end-of-life trajectories (terminal, frailty, organ failure). Timing of referral was determined by the interval between the date of referral and the date of death, and acceptance of palliative care was recorded among participants eligible for palliative care. Terminal patients had the highest acceptance of palliative care (61.4%), followed by those with organ failure (53.4%) and patients with frailty (50.1%) (p = 0.003). Terminal patients were more susceptible to late and very late referrals (47.4% and 27.1%, respectively) than those with frailty (34.0%, 21.2%) and with organ failure (30.1%, 18.8%) (p < 0.001, p = 0.022). In summary, patients with different end-of-life trajectories display different palliative care referral and acceptance patterns. Acknowledgement of these characteristics may improve palliative care practice in the emergency department.
Childhood Personality Assessment Q-Sort (CPAP-Q): A Clinically and Empirically Procedure for Assessing Traits and Emerging Patterns of Personality in Childhood
Authors: Fortunato Alexandro , Tanzilli Annalisa , Lingiardi Vittorio , Speranza Anna Maria
Published: June 2021

Background: Despite increasing research confirming the existence of childhood personalities, which are recognizable from a developmental perspective, controversies over the possibility to assess personality in childhood have continued. The purpose of this study was to provide initial data on the validation of the Childhood Personality Assessment Q-Sort (CPAP-Q), a clinician report instrument that can be employed to evaluate children’s personalities and address the gap in the field of emerging personality in children classification. Method: A sample of 135 clinicians completed the CPAP-Q to assess the personality features of 135 children (ages 4–11) who had been in their care between two and 12 months. The clinicians completed a clinical questionnaire to collect information on them, the children, and their families, as well as the Child Behavior Checklist (CBCL), to evaluate the children’s behavioral problems and social competencies. Results: Q-factor analysis identified seven specific emerging personality patterns: psychological health, borderline/impulsive, borderline/dysregulated, schizoid, inhibited/self-critical, obsessive, and dysphoric/dependent. These patterns revealed good levels of validity and reliability. Conclusions: These findings are preliminary, but seem to support the possibility of evaluating emerging personality patterns in childhood and their developmental pathways that may lead to personality disorders in adolescence and adulthood. The CPAP-Q promises to significantly contribute to less explored research areas and encourage systematic studies of children assessment, promoting best practices for individualized diagnoses.
Perceived Neighborhood Environment Associated with Sarcopenia in Urban-Dwelling Older Adults: The Korean Frailty and Aging Cohort Study (KFACS)
Authors: Seo Yuri , Kim Miji , Shin Hyungeun , Won Changwon
Published: June 2021

Sarcopenia is associated with adverse health outcomes among older individuals. However, little is known about its association with neighborhood environmental factors. We explored the relationship between sarcopenia and perceived neighborhood environmental factors among community-dwelling older adults aged 70–84 years. We analyzed 1778 participants (mean age of 75.9 ± 3.8 years; 54.0% women) who lived in urban areas and underwent dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry from the Korean Frailty and Aging Cohort Study. Sarcopenia was defined according to the Asian Working Group for Sarcopenia 2019 definition. Perceived neighborhood environmental factors were assessed using the Environmental Module of the International Physical Activity Questionnaire (IPAQ-E). In the multivariate analysis, compared to the fifth quintile of the IPAQ-E score, the odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) for sarcopenia in the first, second, third, and fourth quintiles were 2.13 (1.40–3.24), 1.72 (1.12–2.64), 1.75 (1.15–2.66), and 1.62 (1.06–2.47), respectively. These neighborhood environmental characteristics were linked with an increased likelihood of sarcopenia: no public transportation access (OR = 2.04; 95% CI = 1.19–3.48), poor recreational facilities access (OR = 1.39; 95% CI = 1.01–1.90), absence of destination (OR = 1.53; 95% CI = 1.06–2.20), many hill hazards (OR = 1.36; 95% CI = 1.03–1.78), and lack of traffic safety (OR = 1.35; 95% CI = 1.02–1.78). Thus, better neighborhood environmental strategies may help prevent sarcopenia among urban-dwelling older adults.
Learning Experience of Baccalaureate Nursing Students with Challenge-Based Learning in Hong Kong: A Descriptive Qualitative Study
Authors: Tang Anson Chui Yan , Chow Meyrick Chum Ming
Published: June 2021

Nursing education has recently adopted challenge-based learning (CBL) to enhance nursing students’ competency in the 21st-century healthcare environment. Previous studies have not yet fully explored nursing students’ perceptions of CBL. This descriptive qualitative study aimed to investigate the learning experience of first-year baccalaureate nursing students engaging with CBL. Videotaped focus group interviews were conducted in a tertiary education institution in Hong Kong, China. The participants recruited for the study included ten Year 1 nursing students enrolled in a public health course delivered using CBL over the study period. The participants included four female and six male students. Five themes were identified: facilitation by teachers, familiarity with CBL, team communication, facilitating metacognitive development, and the application of theories into actual practices. The findings shed light on the potential application of CBL in nursing training as it can foster students’ metacognition, an important attribute for the modern-day workforce. Facilitating theoretical application into practice implies that CBL helps to fill the theory–practice gap that has long been a persistent issue in nursing training. Nonetheless, students encountered frustrating obstacles throughout the learning process, including ineffective group communication, unfamiliarity with the CBL process, and insufficient facilitation by teachers. Better preparation on the part of both teachers and students is critical to ensure that nursing students are gaining optimal benefits from the CBL process.
Precarious Employment and Increased Incidence of Musculoskeletal Pain among Wage Workers in Korea: A Cross-Sectional Study
Authors: Park Sungjin , Lee June-Hee
Published: June 2021

The number of precarious workers is increasing globally, and precarious employment is becoming a public concern in terms of workers’ health. However, sufficient research on precarious employment and its impact on musculoskeletal pain (MSP) is lacking. This study aimed to investigate the relationship between precarious employment and the risk of MSP among Korean wage workers. After merging the data from the 4th and 5th Korean Working Conditions Surveys, 59,644 wage workers were analyzed. The control group comprised full-time permanent workers, and precarious employment was defined as workers involved in temporary or daily employment, or part-time workers. The outcome variable was the summed number of MSP in three anatomical sites (back, neck and upper limb, lower limb). Zero-inflated negative binomial analyses were selected to estimate the odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) between precarious employment and MSP. In adjusted models with age, sex, educational level, income level, weekly working hours, and occupation, precarious employment was significantly associated with an increased risk of both MSP (OR 1.66 95% CI 1.56–1.77) and work-related MSP (OR 1.18 95% CI 1.11–1.25). Given the job insecurity and health inequity associated with precarious employment, special attention on precarious workers’ health is needed.
Improving Depressive Symptoms through Personalised Exercise and Activation (IDEA): Study Protocol for a Randomised Controlled Trial
Authors: García-Estela Aitana , Angarita-Osorio Natalia , Alonso Sandra , Polo Maria , Roldán-Berengué Maria , Messaggi-Sartor Monique , Mur-Mila Estanislao , Vargas-Puertolas Laura , Pérez Víctor , Duarte Esther , Colom Francesc
Published: June 2021

Individuals who suffer from depressive symptoms experience a substantial impact on psychosocial functioning, physical health, mortality, and quality of life. In the search for therapeutic strategies, exercise has been found to play a relevant part in its treatment. However, the promotion of exercise entails adherence difficulties that arose out of the tendency towards sedentarism led by symptomatology. Personalised exercise plans on top of usual care have the potential to enhance behavioural changes and mental health. The present study aims at evaluating the changes in functioning deriving from a blended intervention merging a psychological intervention with a personalised exercise programme based on medical assessment. We will conduct a three-arm randomised controlled trial in which 172 participants suffering from mild–moderate depressive symptoms will be allocated to Intervention A (personalised exercise group programme + app with motivational messages), B (personalised exercise group programme + app with no motivational messages) or control group (app with no motivational messages). Data regarding global functioning, well-being, symptoms, physical activity, and exercise capacity will be collected at baseline, 4, 12, and 36 weeks. The results of this trial will provide information about whether this physical activity support programme may be efficient for improving mental and physical health outcomes. Trial registration: ClinicalTrials.gov NCT04857944 (accessed on 15 April 2021). Registered April 2021.
SARS-CoV-2: An Overview of Virus Genetics, Transmission, and Immunopathogenesis
Authors: Farrag Mohamed A. , Amer Haitham M. , Bhat Rauf , Hamed Maaweya E. , Aziz Ibrahim M. , Mubarak Ayman , Dawoud Turki M , Almalki Sami G , Alghofaili Fayez , Alnemare Ahmad K. , Al-Baradi Raid Saleem , Alosaimi Bandar , Alturaiki Wael
Published: June 2021

The human population is currently facing the third and possibly the worst pandemic caused by human coronaviruses (CoVs). The virus was first reported in Wuhan, China, on 31 December 2019 and spread within a short time to almost all countries of the world. Genome analysis of the early virus isolates has revealed high similarity with SARS-CoV and hence the new virus was officially named SARS-CoV-2. Since CoVs have the largest genome among all RNA viruses, they can adapt to many point mutation and recombination events; particularly in the spike gene, which enable these viruses to rapidly change and evolve in nature. CoVs are known to cross the species boundaries by using different cellular receptors. Both animal reservoir and intermediate host for SARS-CoV-2 are still unresolved and necessitate further investigation. In the current review, different aspects of SARS-CoV-2 biology and pathogenicity are discussed, including virus genetics and evolution, spike protein and its role in evolution and adaptation to novel hosts, and virus transmission and persistence in nature. In addition, the immune response developed during SARS-CoV-2 infection is demonstrated with special reference to the interplay between immune cells and their role in disease progression. We believe that the SARS-CoV-2 outbreak will not be the last and spillover of CoVs from bats will continue. Therefore, establishing intervention approaches to reduce the likelihood of future CoVs spillover from natural reservoirs is a priority.
Visual Disfunction due to the Selective Effect of Glutamate Agonists on Retinal Cells
Authors: Milla-Navarro Santiago , Diaz-Tahoces Ariadna , Ortuño-Lizarán Isabel , Fernández Eduardo , Cuenca Nicolás , Germain Francisco , de la Villa Pedro
Published: June 2021

One of the causes of nervous system degeneration is an excess of glutamate released upon several diseases. Glutamate analogs, like N-methyl-DL-aspartate (NMDA) and kainic acid (KA), have been shown to induce experimental retinal neurotoxicity. Previous results have shown that NMDA/KA neurotoxicity induces significant changes in the full field electroretinogram response, a thinning on the inner retinal layers, and retinal ganglion cell death. However, not all types of retinal neurons experience the same degree of injury in response to the excitotoxic stimulus. The goal of the present work is to address the effect of intraocular injection of different doses of NMDA/KA on the structure and function of several types of retinal cells and their functionality. To globally analyze the effect of glutamate receptor activation in the retina after the intraocular injection of excitotoxic agents, a combination of histological, electrophysiological, and functional tools has been employed to assess the changes in the retinal structure and function. Retinal excitotoxicity caused by the intraocular injection of a mixture of NMDA/KA causes a harmful effect characterized by a great loss of bipolar, amacrine, and retinal ganglion cells, as well as the degeneration of the inner retina. This process leads to a loss of retinal cell functionality characterized by an impairment of light sensitivity and visual acuity, with a strong effect on the retinal OFF pathway. The structural and functional injury suffered by the retina suggests the importance of the glutamate receptors expressed by different types of retinal cells. The effect of glutamate agonists on the OFF pathway represents one of the main findings of the study, as the evaluation of the retinal lesions caused by excitotoxicity could be specifically explored using tests that evaluate the OFF pathway.
Transcriptome Profiling of m6A mRNA Modification in Bovine Mammary Epithelial Cells Treated with Escherichia coli
Authors: Li Ting , Lin Changjie , Zhu Yifan , Xu Haojun , Yin Yiya , Wang Chaohao , Tang Xin , Song Tongxing , Guo Aizhen , Chen Yingyu , Hu Changmin
Published: June 2021

Mastitis is a common disease in dairy cows that is mostly caused by E. coli, and it brings massive losses to the dairy industry. N6-Methyladenosine (m6A), a methylation at the N6 position of RNA adenine, is a type of modification strongly associated with many diseases. However, the role of m6A in mastitis has not been investigated. In this study, we used MeRIP-seq to sequence the RNA of bovine mammary epithelial cells treated with inactivated E. coli for 24 h. In this in vitro infection model, there were 16,691 m6A peaks within 7066 mRNA transcripts in the Con group and 10,029 peaks within 4891 transcripts in the E. coli group. Compared with the Con group, 474 mRNAs were hypermethylated and 2101 mRNAs were hypomethylated in the E. coli group. Biological function analyses revealed differential m6A-modified genes mainly enriched in the MAPK, NF-κB, and TGF-β signaling pathways. In order to explore the relationship between m6A and mRNA expression, combined MeRIP-seq and mRNA-seq analyses revealed 212 genes with concomitant changes in the mRNA expression and m6A modification. This study is the first to present a map of RNA m6A modification in mastitis treated with E. coli, providing a basis for future research.
miR-373-3p Regulates Invasion and Migration Abilities of Trophoblast Cells via Targeted CD44 and Radixin
Authors: Lee Hyun-Jung , Lim Seung Mook , Jang Hee Yeon , Kim Young Ran , Hong Joon-Seok , Kim Gi Jin
Published: June 2021

Preterm labor (PTL) is one of the obstetric complications, and is known to be associated with abnormal maternal inflammatory response and intrauterine inflammation and/or infection. However, the expression of specific miRNAs associated with PTL is not clear. In this study, we performed combination analysis of miRNA array and gene array, and then selected one miRNA (miR-373-3p) and its putative target genes (CD44 and RDX) that exhibited large expression differences in term and PTL placentas with or without inflammation. Using qRT-PCR and luciferase assays, we confirmed that miR-373-3p directly targeted CD44 and RDX. Overexpression of miR-373-3p reduced the migration and invasion of trophoblast cells, while inhibition of miR-373-3p restored the migration and invasion abilities of trophoblast cells. Finally, we validated the expression of miR-373-3p and its target genes in clinical patients’ blood. miR-373-3p was increased in PTL patients’ blood, and was the most expressed in PTL patients’ blood with inflammation. In addition, by targeting the miR-373-3p, CD44 and RDX was decreased in PTL patients’ blood, and their expression were the lowest in PTL patients’ blood with inflammation. Taken together, these findings suggest that miR-373-3p and its target genes can be potential biomarkers for diagnosis of PTL.