bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Comparison of Potent Odorants in Traditional and Modern Types of Chinese Xiaoqu Liquor (Baijiu) Based on Odor Activity Values and Multivariate Analyses
Authors: Chen Shuang , Tang Jie , Fan Shanshan , Zhang Jun , Chen Shenxi , Liu Yuancai , Yang Qiang , Xu Yan
Published: October 2021

Predominant odorants in modern and traditional types of Chinese xiaoqu liquor (Baijiu) were identified and compared by the combined use of gas chromatography−olfactometry, odor activity values (OAVs), and multivariate analyses. A total of 79 aroma compounds were identified in a typical modern type xiaoqu Baijiu (M) and a typical traditional type xiaoqu Baijiu (T), 42 of them had OAV > 1 in both M and T samples. The main differences between the two samples were obtained for the concentration of 23 aroma-active compounds. A total of 22 samples made by different brewing processes were analyzed to confirm the differences. Partial least squares discriminant analysis confirmed that 20 compounds could be used as potential markers for discrimination between modern type xiaoqu Baijiu and traditional type xiaoqu Baijiu. Their difference in content is between 1.5 and 17.9 times for modern type xiaoqu Baijiu and traditional type xiaoqu Baijiu. The results showed the aroma characteristics of modern and traditional type xiaoqu Baijiu clearly and comprehensively, which will provide guidance for modern Baijiu quality control and evaluation.
Effects of Breaking Methods on the Viscosity, Rheological Properties and Nutritional Value of Tomato Paste
Authors: Gao Ruiping , Wu Zhen , Ma Qian , Lu Zhiqiang , Ye Fayin , Zhao Guohua
Published: October 2021

Ultrasound-assisted processing has potential application advantages as an emerging technology for preparing tomato paste. This work explored the influence of ultrasound break at 22 °C (US-Break-22) and 65 °C (US-Break-65) on the viscosity, rheological properties and nutritional values of newly prepared tomato paste, compared with traditional thermal break at 65 °C (Break-65) and 90 °C (Break-90). Results showed that the US-Break-65 paste had the largest apparent viscosity, yield stress, consistency coefficient, solid-like nature, and large amplitude oscillatory shear behavior, followed by the US-Break-22 paste, Break-90 paste, and Break-65 paste. Based on the results of the pectin-related enzymes, particle size, and serum pectin of the pastes, it was revealed that the above-mentioned properties were mainly determined by the particle size and pectin content in their serum. The level of ascorbic acid followed the order of US-Break-22 paste > US-Break-65 paste > Break-65 paste > Break-90 paste. The level of total carotenoids followed the order of US-Break-22 paste ≈ US-Break-65 paste > Break-90 paste ≈ Break-65 paste. The level of total cis-carotenoids followed the order of US-Break-65 paste > US-Break-22 paste > Break-90 paste > Break-65 paste. The level of phenolics and antioxidant activities followed the same order of US-Break-22 paste > US-Break-65 paste > Break-90 paste > Break-65 paste. Overall, the viscosity, rheological properties and nutritional values of the tomato pastes prepared by US-Break-65 and US-Break-22 were significantly higher than those prepared by Break-65 and Break-90. Therefore, ultrasound assisted processing can prepare high quality tomato paste and can be widely implemented in the tomato paste processing industry.
Overview of Rapid Detection Methods for Salmonella in Foods: Progress and Challenges
Authors: Wang Minglu , Zhang Yilun , Tian Fangyuan , Liu Xiaoyu , Du Shuyuan , Ren Guocheng
Published: October 2021

Salmonella contamination in food production and processing is a serious threat to consumer health. More and more rapid detection methods have been proposed to compensate for the inefficiency of traditional bacterial cultures to suppress the high prevalence of Salmonella more efficiently. The contamination of Salmonella in foods can be identified by recognition elements and screened using rapid detection methods with different measurable signals (optical, electrical, etc.). Therefore, the different signal transduction mechanisms and Salmonella recognition elements are the key of the sensitivity, accuracy and specificity for the rapid detection methods. In this review, the bioreceptors for Salmonella were firstly summarized and described, then the current promising Salmonella rapid detection methods in foodstuffs with different signal transduction were objectively summarized and evaluated. Moreover, the challenges faced by these methods in practical monitoring and the development prospect were also emphasized to shed light on a new perspective for the Salmonella rapid detection methods applications.
What Are the Effects of Short Video Storytelling in Delivering Blockchain-Credentialed Australian Beef Products to China?
Authors: Cao Shoufeng , Foth Marcus , Powell Warwick , McQueenie Jock
Published: October 2021

Short videos have become the most-liked medium for Chinese consumers to learn about a brand’s products or services. This paper assesses how short video storytelling shapes Chinese consumers’ perceptions towards blockchain-credentialed Australian beef and their willingness to pay (WTP). A controlled experiment with a one-minute short video was implemented in an online survey. Respondents in the treatment group watched the video before filling out the survey, whereas respondents in the control group did not. The paper analyses and compares the empirical results from local (n = 76) and foreign (n = 27) consumers. Results illustrate that the short video, as part of our food communications, positively shapes consumer perception towards meat quality, labelling and traceability trust of Australian beef but has only slight or even negative effects on WTP. This could be due to the short video offering consumers a sense of supply chain visibility but not delivering the right messages to meet their expectation of blockchain credentials. Furthermore, short video storytelling effects vary among consumers with different socio-economic characteristics. Our results posit that short video storytelling can be a useful tool in communicating blockchain-credentialed food products but require the design of a tailor-made storytelling experience for diverse consumers.
DNA Methylation of Pig FUT3 Promoter Alters mRNA Expression to Regulate E. coli F18 Susceptibility
Authors: Wu Zhengchang , Shi Dongfeng , Jin Jian , Fan Hairui , Bao Wenbin , Wu Shenglong
Published: October 2021

Post-weaning diarrhea (PWD) is frequently associated with E. coli F18 infections in piglets. However, the underlying molecular mechanism concerning the resistance of E. coli F18 in local weaned piglets in China is not clearly understood. In the present study, by a comparative analysis of the transcriptome, a-1,3-fucosyltransferase (FUT3) was evaluated as a key candidate correlated with resistance to E. coli F18 in Sutai and Meishan piglets. Functional analysis demonstrated that FUT3 acts as a key positive regulator of E. coli F18 susceptibility in newly food accustomed piglets. However, the core promoter of FUT3 was present at −500–(−206) bp (chr.2: g.73171117–g.73171616), comprising of 9 methylated CpG sites. Among these, the methylation levels of the two CpG sites (mC-3, mC-5) located in HIF1A and Sp1 transcription factor (TF) considerably associated with mRNA expression of FUT3 (p < 0.05). Our findings indicated that the methylation of mC-3 and mC-5 sites has certain inhibitory effect on FUT3 expression and promotes the resistance of E. coli F18 in piglets. The underlined study may explore FUT3 as a new candidate target in E. coli F18 infection in Chinese local weaned piglets.
A Cold-Shock Protein from the South Pole-Dwelling Soil Bacterium Arthrobacter sp. Confers Cold Tolerance to Rice
Authors: Kim So Young , Kim Joung Sug , Cho Woosuk , Jun Kyong Mi , Du Xiaoxuan , Kim Kyung Do , Kim Yeon-Ki , Lee Gang-Seob
Published: October 2021

Low temperature is a critical environmental factor restricting the physiology of organisms across kingdoms. In prokaryotes, cold shock induces the expression of various genes and proteins involved in cellular processes. Here, a cold-shock protein (ArCspA) from the South Pole-dwelling soil bacterium Arthrobacter sp. A2-5 was introduced into rice, a monocot model plant species. Four-week-old 35S:ArCspA transgenic rice plants grown in a cold chamber at 4 °C survived for 6 days. Cold stress significantly decreased the chlorophyll content in WT plants after 4 days compared with that in 35S:ArCspA transgenic plants. RNA-seq analysis was performed on WT and 35S:ArCspA transgenic rice with/without cold stress. GO terms such as “response to stress (GO:0006950)”, “response to cold (GO:0009409)”, and “response to heat (GO:0009408)” were significantly enriched among the upregulated genes in the 35S:ArCspA transgenic rice under normal conditions, even without cold-stress treatment. The expression of five cold stress-related genes, Rab16B (Os11g0454200), Rab21 (Os11g0454300), LEA22 (Os01g0702500), ABI5 (Os01 g0859300), and MAPK5 (Os03g0285800), was significantly upregulated in the transgenic rice compared with the WT rice. These results indicate that the ArCspA gene might be involved in the induction of cold-responsive genes and provide cold tolerance.
Advances and Challenges in Palaeoenvironmental Studies Based on Oxygen Isotope Composition of Skeletal Carbonates and Phosphates
Authors: Wierzbowski Hubert
Published: October 2021

Oxygen isotopes are widely used in palaeoenvironmental and palaeoclimatic studies as they record variations in the precipitation temperature of biogenic carbonates and phosphates. Problems associated with the preservation state of fossils, selection of the proper temperature equation, vital effects occurring during biomineralization, habitat effects of organisms as well as salinity, bathymetry and water circulation changes limit, however, the applicability of oxygen isotopes to reconstruction of ancient environmental settings. The progress of oxygen isotope studies, temperature calculations and ambiguities of the isotope record are discussed in this paper. The same applies to the methods of retrieving reliable temperature signals and the record of water chemistry changes based on well-preserved calcareous and phosphatic fossils. Sometimes neglected importance of sedimentological and faunistic data associated with sea-level changes and salinity variations is emphasised as an important tool for refinement of the temperature trends of epeiric sedimentary basins. In addition, published case datasets and new laboratory techniques, including micro-area and clumped isotope analyses, are presented to demonstrate examples and prospective ways of extension of the scope of palaeoenvironmental research. The provided information may be used in discussion and a critical review of published oxygen isotope data and their palaeoenvironmental interpretations.
Tidal Flood Risk on Salt Farming: Evaluation of Post Events in the Northern Part of Java Using a Parametric Approach
Authors: Nirwansyah Anang Widhi , Braun Boris
Published: October 2021

Tidal flood risk threatens coastal urban areas and their agriculture and aquaculture, including salt farming. There is, therefore, an urgency to map and portray risk to reduce casualties and loss. In the floodplain of Cirebon, West Java, where salt farming dominates the landscape, this type of flooding has frequently occurred and disrupted the local economy. Based on two recorded events in 2016 and 2018 as benchmarks, this paper formulates an innovative approach to analyze tidal flood risk in salt farming areas. Our study considers the fundamental concepts of hazard and vulnerability, then uses selective parameters for evaluation in an Analytical Hierarchical Process (AHP)-based Geographic Information System. The analytical process includes weighting criteria judged by experts and uses the resulting values to define the spatial characteristics of each salt parcel. Our high-resolution simulations show that the two flood events in 2016 and 2018 affected almost all salt production areas, particularly in the eastern, middle, and western parts of the Cirebon floodplain, although to very different degrees. The study also uses a physical-based approach to validate these results. The damage estimates show a strong positive correlation for economic loss (r = 0.81, r = 0.84). Finally, the study suggests that our multi-methods approach to assessing tidal flood risk should be considered in disaster mitigation planning and integrated coastal zone management in salt farming areas.
Sinkhole Stability in Elliptical Cavity under Collapse and Blowout Conditions
Authors: Shiau Jim , Keawsawasvong Suraparb , Chudal Bishal , Mahalingasivam Kiritharan , Seehavong Sorawit
Published: October 2021

Road subsidence and sinkhole failures due to shallow cavities formed by defective water main have increased in recent decades and become one of the important research topics in geotechnical engineering. The present paper numerically studies the stability and its associated failure mechanism of ellipse-shaped cavity above defective water mains using the finite element limit analysis technique. For a wide range of geometrical parameters, the pressure ratio method is used to formulate the stability solutions in both blowout and collapse scenarios. Even though there is no published solution for elliptical cavities under blowout failure conditions, the obtained numerical results are compared with available circular solutions. Several conclusions are drawn based on the failure mechanism study of the various ellipse shape transformations in this study, whilst design charts and equations proposed for practical uses.
Left Ventricular Systolic Impairment after Pediatric Cardiac Surgery Assessed by STE Analysis
Authors: Cantinotti Massimiliano , Marchese Pietro , Scalese Marco , Medino Paola , Jani Vivek , Franchi Eliana , Vitali Pak , Santoro Giuseppe , Viacava Cecilia , Assanta Nadia , Kutty Shelby , Koestenberger Martin , Giordano Raffaele
Published: October 2021

Background: Speckle-tracking echocardiography (STE) has gained increasing value in the evaluation of congenital heart diseases (CHD); however, its use in pediatric cardiac surgery is limited. Aim: To evaluate left ventricular (LV) systolic impairment after biventricular pediatric cardiac surgery by STE strain (ε) analysis. Methods: We prospectively enrolled 117 children undergoing cardiac surgery for CHD. Echocardiography was performed at four different times: pre-operatively, 12–36 h (Time 1), 3–5 days (Time 2), and 6–8 days (Time 3). Images were obtained in the 4-2-and 3 apical chamber’s views to derive LV global and regional (basal/mid/apical) ε values. Results: At different postoperative times, we performed 320 examinations in 117 children (mean age: 2.4 ± 3.9, range: 0–16 years); 117 age-matched healthy children served as controls. All global, basal, and mid LVε values decreased after surgery; the lowest values being at Time 1 (p < 0.0001), which increased thereafter. At discharge, all global, basal, and mid LVε values remained lower than in pre-operative and healthy children (p < 0.05). Instead, apical segments (lowest at baseline) increased after surgery (p < 0.0001) but remained lower compared to controls. LV ejection fraction (LVEF) decreased at Time 1 (p = 0.0004) but promptly recovered to Time 2 and normalized at Time 3. Conclusions: STE ε analysis revealed a significant LV systolic impairment after surgery with amelioration thereafter but incomplete normalization at discharge. Base-apex differences emerged with apical segments that, contrary to all the other regions, showed relative hypercontractility after surgery. The slower recovery of LVε values compared to LVEF suggests that STE ε analysis may be more accurate for the follow-up of mild LV post-surgical impairment.
Biosensing Technology to Track Adherence: A Literature Review
Authors: Dukes Cody K. , Sheaffer Elizabeth A.
Published: October 2021

Tracking adherence can be a useful means of identifying opportunities to provide educational intervention to nonadherent patients. The aim of this study was to evaluate the ability of biosensing technology to track medication adherence. Searches of PubMed and Ovid IPA were conducted. The criteria for inclusion were studies that tracked and reported ingestion events. Studies that did not track ingestion events were excluded from this review. Titles and abstracts were assessed for relevance, and full-text reviews were performed on all potentially relevant studies. References from the studies retrieved from the literature searches were assessed for additional applicable articles. Overall, ingestion events were detected 91.3% of the time, with many of the failed detections being related to patients not using or inappropriately using the system. In the studies that looked at the latency time, the overall mean time to detection by the wearable sensor was between 1.1 and 5.1 min. With medication nonadherence being a persistent problem in healthcare, biosensing technology presents an innovative approach to tracking adherence. The technology has been shown to be accurate in its ability to track actual medication use in patients. It has also been shown to detect ingestions with a minimal delay after administration. Accessibility may be an issue with this technology in the future, and further studies may be necessary to access the viability of biosensing technology.
Decoupling of Elderly Healthcare Demand and Expenditure in China
Authors: Yang Shangguang , Wang Danyang , Li Wenhui , Wang Chunlan , Yang Xi , Lo Kevin
Published: October 2021

This study examined the changing trajectory and factors that influenced the health and medical expenditure of the Chinese elderly population over the past two decades. Based on the Chinese Longitudinal Healthy Longevity Survey (CLHLS) from 1998 to 2018, inferential and multiple linear regression models were constructed. The key finding is that China has experienced a decoupling of healthcare demand (HCD) and healthcare expenditure (HCE) since around 2014, when HCE began to decline despite the fact that HCD continued to rise. This is a promising sign, suggesting that the government’s health insurance policy is working. Furthermore, participating in health insurance schemes can significantly reduce the elderly’s HCD and HCE, demonstrating that health insurance can effectively affect the elderly’s decision to seek medical treatment and improve their health condition. We also found that age, region, basic old-age insurance, and care by the government and institutions were significant factors that influenced the healthcare demand and expenditure of the elderly population.
Effect of Foliar Supplied PGRs on Flower Growth and Antioxidant Activity of African Marigold (Tagetes erecta L.)
Authors: Sadique Sadia , Ali Muhammad Moaaz , Usman Muhammad , Hasan Mahmood Ul , Yousef Ahmed F. , Adnan Muhammad , Gull Shaista , Nicola Silvana
Published: October 2021

Marigold is one of the commercially exploited flowering crops that belongs to the family Asteraceae. The production of economical yield and better quality of marigold flowers requires proper crop management techniques. Crop regulation is an important technique to make the marigold production profitable. This can be done by adopting application of plant growth regulators (PGRs). The present study was designed to investigate the effect of PGRs on flowering and antioxidant activity of two cultivars of African marigold (Tagetes erecta L.) viz. “Pusa Narangi Gainda” (hereinafter referred to as Narangi) and “Pusa Basanthi Gainda” (hereafter referred to as Basanthi). Plants were sprayed with abscisic acid (ABA), N-acetyl thiazolidine (NAD), gibberellic acid (GA3), salicylic acid (SA), indole-3-butyric acid (IBA) and oxalic acid (OA) at the concentrations of 100, 150, 250, 300 and 800 mg·L−1, each. Results revealed that the plants treated with 500–600 mg·L−1 IBA exhibited maximum increase in floral diameter (34–51%). The use of 500–550 mg·L−1 IBA exhibited maximal enhancement in flower fresh weight (21–92%). The exogenously applied OA significantly (p ≤ 0.05) improved flower dry weight, total phenolic contents, total flavonoid contents and reducing power ability of marigold plants. Overall, “Narangi” performed better than “Basanthi”, in terms of flowering and antioxidant activity. Conclusively, the results suggest that foliar application of PGRs favors flowering and antioxidant activity of African marigold.
Preliminary Findings of New Citrus Rootstocks Potentially Tolerant to Foot Rot Caused by Phytophthora
Authors: Aparicio-Durán Lidia , Arjona-López Juan M. , Hervalejo Aurea , Calero-Velázquez Rocío , Arenas-Arenas Francisco J.
Published: October 2021

Phytophthora spp. are one the most common soil-borne pathogens in citrus crops, in which Phytophthoranicotianae and P. citrophthora are the most relevant species, causing disease problems worldwide, such as foot rot and gummosis of the trunk, branch canker, brown rot of fruit, feeder root rot in orchards, and seedling damping-off in nurseries. Phytophthora-tolerant citrus rootstocks are essential for its control and for the success of the citrus industry. The aim of this study was to determine the susceptibility of new citrus rootstocks with low HLB incidence to Phytophthora diseases. Thus, plants of several commercial and new citrus rootstocks originating in different breeding programs were inoculated with an isolate of P. nicotianae. Thirty days post inoculation (DPI), the damage of lesion length in stem was measured for each plant. These results displayed a different susceptibility response to the damage caused by P. nicotianae among the citrus rootstocks tested. Thus, eleven new citrus rootstocks (B11R3T25, B11R5T25, B11R5T49, B11R5T60, B11R5T64, N40R1T18, N40R1T19, N40R3T25, WGFT + 50-7, UFR-6, and CL-5146), which have not been previously studied against Phytophthora diseases, improved the tolerance effect of Carrizo citrange. Our findings provide useful information for citrus growers on rootstock selection to address incidence problems caused by Phytophthora spp.
Implementation of the EIRA 3 Intervention by Targeting Primary Health Care Practitioners: Effectiveness in Increasing Physical Activity
Authors: Contreras-Martos Sara , Leiva Alfonso , Sanchez Álvaro , Motrico Emma , Bellón Juan , Aldecoa Landesa Susana , Magallón-Botaya Rosa , Casajuana-Closas Marc , Zabaleta-del-Olmo Edurne , Bolíbar Bonaventura , Maderuelo José-Ángel , Llobera Joan
Published: October 2021

The World Health Organization (WHO) estimated that physical inactivity (PI) is responsible for 20 to 30% of all non-communicable diseases. We aimed to analyze the effectiveness of a multiple health behavior change (MHBC) intervention to increase physical activity (PA) in patients 45 to 75 years old who had at least 2 of 3 unhealthy behaviors (tobacco use, reduced fruit and vegetable consumption, and insufficient PA). The MHBC intervention is based on the Transtheoretical Model and the conceptual framework of the “5 A’s” and includes an individually tailored intervention, group sessions, and the use of community resources. We included 3062 participants, 1481 in the intervention group and 1581 in the control group. After 12 months, there were no differences in PA intensity measured by metabolic_equivalent_of_task_minutes/week (adjusted mean difference: 284.093, 95% CI: −298.24, 866.42) nor in the proportion of participants who increased PA levels to moderate or high (OR: 1.02, 95% CI: 0.85, 1.23; p = 0.822), and no differences in blood pressure, weight loss, or waist circumference. We found an increased proportion of patients in the intervention group who followed the WHO recommendations for PA (OR: 1.29; 95% CI: 1.04, 1.60; p = 0.02). We concluded that the intervention did not lead to a significant increase in PA.
What Factors Predict the Use of Coercive Food Parenting Practices among Mothers of Young Children? An Examination of Food Literacy, Disordered Eating and Parent Demographics
Authors: Norton Lyza , Parkinson Joy , Harris Neil , Hart Laura M.
Published: October 2021

Parents have the most significant influence on the development of young children’s eating patterns. Understanding what parental factors best predict specific negative feeding practices is important for designing preventive interventions. We examined the relationship between parents’ use of coercive food parenting practices (pressure to eat and restriction) and parents’ disordered eating, food literacy, Body Mass Index (BMI) and socio-economic status (SES). Adult mothers, with a mean age of 33 years, at least one child aged between 6 months and 5 years and living in Australia (n = 819) completed an online questionnaire. Regression models were used to examine predictors of pressure to eat and restriction, respectively. Although the amount of variance accounted for by the models was small, maternal eating disorder symptoms were found to be the most important predictor of coercive food parenting practices. This finding has implications for early nutrition education, which has traditionally focused heavily on nutrition literacy. Parental disordered eating may be a more important preventive target and thus including behavioral strategies for positive feeding practices may better assist mothers in promoting positive eating habits with their children, rather than traditional approaches that aim to increase nutrition literacy.
Effects of Performing Applied Muscle Tension during Recovery after Phlebotomy in Young, First-Time Donors: A Pilot Study
Authors: Cheung Cara H. Y. , Khaw May L. , Leung Wan Shun , Tam Shing Yau , Chu Chui Yee , Lee Cheuk Kwong , Lee Shara W. Y.
Published: October 2021

Vasovagal reaction (VVR) compromises donor safety and reduces the subsequent return rates. Performing applied muscle tension (AMT) during phlebotomy may reduce the incidence of VVR. However, the effectiveness of performing AMT after phlebotomy to reduce delayed VVR remains unclear. With ethics approval, 12 young, first-time donors (YFTD) were recruited to study the effects on stroke volume (SV), cardiac output (CO) and systemic vascular resistance (SVR) while performing AMT from needle insertion to end of recovery. Measurements from 12 matched control YFTD were used for comparison. Pre-donation anxiety and VVR severity were assessed. Compared to controls, donors who performed AMT had higher SV (Control: 57 mL vs. AMT: 69 mL, p = 0.045), higher CO (Control: 3.7 L·min−1 vs. AMT: 5.2 L·min−1, p = 0.006) and lower SVR (Control: 1962 dyn·s·cm−5 vs. AMT: 1569 dyn·s·cm−5, p = 0.032) during mid-phlebotomy. During recovery, the AMT group retained higher SV, higher CO and lower SVR than the control, but not reaching statistical significance. Practicing AMT during recovery resulted in sustained haemodynamic improvements beyond the donation period, despite the reduction in delayed VVR was insignificant compared to the control group. A larger sample size is needed to validate the effectiveness of performing AMT after donation to mitigate delayed VVR.
Interest of a Joint Use of Two Diagnostic Tools of Burnout: Comparison between the Oldenburg Burnout Inventory and the Early Detection Tool of Burnout Completed by Physicians
Authors: Leclercq Céline , Braeckman Lutgart , Firket Pierre , Babic Audrey , Hansez Isabelle
Published: October 2021

Most research on burnout is based on self-reported questionnaires. Nevertheless, as far as the clinical judgement is concerned, a lack of consensus about burnout diagnosis constitutes a risk of misdiagnosis. Hence, this study aims to assess the added value of a joint use of two tools and compare their diagnostic accuracy: (1) the early detection tool of burnout, a structured interview guide, and (2) the Oldenburg burnout inventory, a self-reported questionnaire. The interview guide was tested in 2019 by general practitioners and occupational physicians among 123 Belgian patients, who also completed the self-reported questionnaire. A receiver operating characteristic curve analysis allowed the identification of a cut-off score for the self-reported questionnaire. Diagnostic accuracy was then contrasted by a McNemar chi-squared test. The interview guide has a significantly higher sensitivity (0.76) than the self-reported questionnaire (0.70), even by comparing the self-reported questionnaires with the interviews of general practitioners and occupational physicians separately. However, both tools have a similar specificity (respectively, 0.60–0.67), except for the occupational physicians’ interviews, where the specificity (0.68) was significantly lower than the self-reported questionnaire (0.70). In conclusion, the early detection tool of burnout is more sensitive than the Oldenburg burnout inventory, but seems less specific. However, by crossing diagnoses reported by patients and by physicians, they both seem useful to support burnout diagnosis.
Changes in Alcohol Consumption during the COVID-19 Pandemic Are Dependent on Initial Consumption Level: Findings from Eight European Countries
Authors: Rossow Ingeborg , Bartak Miroslav , Bloomfield Kim , Braddick Fleur , Bye Elin K. , Kilian Carolin , López-Pelayo Hugo , Mäkelä Pia , Moan Inger Synnøve , Moskalewicz Jacek , Petruzelka Benjamin , Rogalewicz Vladimír , Manthey Jakob
Published: October 2021

Evidence suggests that changes in alcohol consumption during the first months of the COVID-19 pandemic were unevenly distributed over consumer groups. We investigated possible inter-country differences in how changes in alcohol consumption are contingent on initial consumption (before or at the start of the pandemic), and how changes in consumption translate into possible changes in the prevalence of heavy drinking. We used data from the European Survey on Alcohol use and COVID-19 (ESAC) conducted in Czechia, Denmark, Finland, Germany, Norway, Poland, Spain, and the UK (N = 31921). Past-year alcohol consumption and changes in consumption were measured by AUDIT-C. Drinking habits were compared according to percentiles of pre-pandemic consumption levels, below versus above the 90th percentile. Across countries, drinkers in the highest 10% for pre-pandemic consumption increased their drinking during the pandemic, whereas absolute changes among those initially drinking below this level were modest. The percentage of people reporting >28 alcohol units/week increased significantly in seven of eight countries. During the first months of the COVID-19 pandemic, alcohol consumption in the upper decile of the drinkers increased as did the prevalence of heavy drinkers, in contrast with a declining consumption in other groups in the sample.
COVID-19 and the Change in Lifestyle: Bodyweight, Time Allocation, and Food Choices
Authors: Li Xiaolei , Li Jian , Qing Ping , Hu Wuyang
Published: October 2021

We analyze the dynamic changes in individuals’ lifestyle during the COVID-19 outbreak and recovery period through a survey of 1061 Chinese households. Specifically, we are interested in individuals’ bodyweight, time allocation and food choices. We find that COVID-19 is associated with weight gain, less time spent on exercise and more time on entertainment. The proportion of online food purchase and snack purchases also shows an upward trend. This study provides useful implications on the impact of COVID-19 and its associated lockdowns on individuals’ lifestyle and offers foresights for countries in different stages of the pandemic. It explains how encouraging exercise, managing new food purchase venues, and reducing the intake of unhealthy food such as snacks may also need to be considered in dealing with the aftermath of COVID-19.
Age and Cultural Differences in Recognitions of Emotions from Masked Faces among Koreans and Americans
Authors: Kang Jungsuk , Kang Seonwoo , Jeong Eunbyeol , Kim Eun-Ho
Published: October 2021

This study investigates age and cultural differences in the negative effects of senders’ wearing masks on receivers’ readabilities of senders’ facially expressed emotions in interpersonal interactions. An online experiment was thus conducted with Koreans and Americans aged over 20 years. Based on sampling quotas by nationality, age group and gender, Korean (n = 240) and American (n = 273) participants were recruited from panel members of a Korean research company and Amazon’s Mechanical Turk via email and the website, respectively. The participants played receiver roles to infer senders’ facially expressed emotions presented in photos in the experiment. They judged emotions facially expressed by the senders without masks and with masks are shown in photos. The results revealed that the senders’ wearing masks reduced the readabilities of the senders’ facially expressed anger among participants aged 30–49 years more than among participants aged 20–29 years. The senders’ wearing masks decreased the readabilities of the senders’ facially expressed fear for participants in their 50’s more than for participants in their 20’s. When the senders wore masks, the readabilities of the senders’ facially expressed happiness dropped among participants aged over 60 years more than among participants aged 20–49 years. When senders wore masks, American participants’ readabilities of disgust, fear, sadness and happiness expressed in the senders’ faces declined more than Korean participants’ readabilities of those emotions. The implications and limitations of these findings are discussed.
A Survey of Potentially Pathogenic-Incriminated Arthropod Vectors of Health Concern in Botswana
Authors: Buxton Mmabaledi , Buxton Malebogo Portia , Machekano Honest , Nyamukondiwa Casper , Wasserman Ryan John
Published: October 2021

Arthropod vectors play a crucial role in the transmission of many debilitating infections, causing significant morbidity and mortality globally. Despite the economic significance of arthropods to public health, public knowledge on vector biology, ecology and taxonomic status remains anecdotal and largely unexplored. The present study surveyed knowledge gaps regarding the biology and ecology of arthropod vectors in communities of Botswana, across all districts. Results showed that communities are largely aware of individual arthropod vectors; however, their ‘potential contribution’ in disease transmission in humans, livestock and wildlife could not be fully attested. As such, their knowledge was largely limited with regards to some aspects of vector biology, ecology and control. Communities were strongly concerned about the burden of mosquitoes, cockroaches, flies and ticks, with the least concerns about fleas, bedbugs and lice, although the same communities did not know of specific diseases potentially vectored by these arthropods. Knowledge on arthropod vector control was mainly limited to synthetic chemical pesticides for most respondents, regardless of their location. The limited knowledge on potentially pathogen-incriminated arthropod vectors reported here has large implications for bridging knowledge gaps on the bio-ecology of these vectors countrywide. This is potentially useful in reducing the local burden of associated diseases and preventing the risk of emerging and re-emerging infectious diseases under global change.
Clinical Concept Extraction with Lexical Semantics to Support Automatic Annotation
Authors: Abbas Asim , Afzal Muhammad , Hussain Jamil , Ali Taqdir , Bilal Hafiz Syed Muhammad , Lee Sungyoung , Jeon Seokhee
Published: October 2021

Extracting clinical concepts, such as problems, diagnosis, and treatment, from unstructured clinical narrative documents enables data-driven approaches such as machine and deep learning to support advanced applications such as clinical decision-support systems, the assessment of disease progression, and the intelligent analysis of treatment efficacy. Various tools such as cTAKES, Sophia, MetaMap, and other rules-based approaches and algorithms have been used for automatic concept extraction. Recently, machine- and deep-learning approaches have been used to extract, classify, and accurately annotate terms and phrases. However, the requirement of an annotated dataset, which is labor-intensive, impedes the success of data-driven approaches. A rule-based mechanism could support the process of annotation, but existing rule-based approaches fail to adequately capture contextual, syntactic, and semantic patterns. This study intends to introduce a comprehensive rule-based system that automatically extracts clinical concepts from unstructured narratives with higher accuracy and transparency. The proposed system is a pipelined approach, capable of recognizing clinical concepts of three types, problem, treatment, and test, in the dataset collected from a published repository as a part of the I2b2 challenge 2010. The system’s performance is compared with that of three existing systems: Quick UMLS, BIO-CRF, and the Rules (i2b2) model. Compared to the baseline systems, the average F1-score of 72.94% was found to be 13% better than Quick UMLS, 3% better than BIO CRF, and 30.1% better than the Rules (i2b2) model. Individually, the system performance was noticeably higher for problem-related concepts, with an F1-score of 80.45%, followed by treatment-related concepts and test-related concepts, with F1-scores of 76.06% and 55.3%, respectively. The proposed methodology significantly improves the performance of concept extraction from unstructured clinical narratives by exploiting the linguistic and lexical semantic features. The approach can ease the automatic annotation process of clinical data, which ultimately improves the performance of supervised data-driven applications trained with these data.
Prevalence of Listeria monocytogenes and Salmonella spp. in Different Ready to Eat Foods from Large Retailers and Canteens over a 2-Year Period in Northern Italy
Authors: Castrica Marta , Andoni Egon , Intraina India , Curone Giulio , Copelotti Emma , Massacci Francesca Romana , Terio Valentina , Colombo Silvia , Balzaretti Claudia Maria
Published: October 2021

This study aims to give an overview of the prevalence of Listeria monocytogenes and Salmonella spp. in 9727 samples (2996 for L. monocytogenes and 6731 for Salmonella spp.) from different categories of ready-to-eat (RTE) foods, collected over 2 years from 28 large retailers and 148 canteens in the regions of northern Italy. The RTE samples were classified into two groups according to the preparation methods: (i) multi-ingredient preparations consisting of fully cooked food ready for immediate consumption, or with minimal further handling before consumption (Group A), and (ii) multi-ingredient preparations consisting of cooked and uncooked food, or preparations consisting of only raw ingredients (Group B). L. monocytogenes and Salmonella spp. were investigated in both of these categories. The overall prevalence of L. monocytogenes and Salmonella spp. was 0.13% and 0.07%, respectively. More specifically, L. monocytogenes was found in 0.04% of 2442 analysed RTE food samples belonging to group A and in 0.54% of 554 samples belonging to group B. Furthermore, 0.03% of 5367 RTE food samples from group A and 0.21% of 1364 samples from group B tested positive for Salmonella spp. In conclusion, the results obtained in this study can provide a significant contribution to L. monocytogenes and Salmonella spp. risk analysis in RTE foods.
A Preliminary Study of Pre-Season Taekwondo Preparation Strategy: Personal Isolation Training Effect for Elite Athletes
Authors: Sung Yu-Chi , Yang Yi-Zhen , Chang Che-Chia , Chou Chun-Chung
Published: October 2021

Background: The global coronavirus disease pandemic (COVID-19) has had a considerable impact on athletic competition and team sports training. Athletes have been forced to train alone at home. However, the isolation training model effects are still unknown. Purpose: This study compared the effects of personal isolation training (PIT) and detraining (DT) on specific sport performances (flexibility, power, reaction time, acceleration, and aerobic capacity) and body composition in elite taekwondo athletes. Methods: Eleven elite taekwondo athletes were recruited as voluntary subjects. Athletes were randomly paired by weight into the personal isolation training group (PIT group: N = 5, age: 21.2 ± 0.4 years, BMI: 22.2 ± 0.8 kg/m2) or detraining group (DT group: N = 6, age: 19.8 ± 0.3 years, BMI: 23.1 ± 1.0 kg/m2). All subjects performed the same training content prior to the pre-test (T1). When the pre-test was completed, all subjects underwent 12 weeks of PIT or DT. Athletes were then administrated the post-test (T2). The athlete’s sport performances and body composition were measured to compare the differences between the two groups (PIT and DT) and two phases (T1 and T2). Results: There were no significant differences in kicking reaction time and flexibility in both groups (p > 0.05). The PIT showed significant improvements in 10 m (10M) sprint performance (p < 0.05), and displayed a progress trend in Abalakov jump performance. In addition, the PIT resulted in a better change response in 10M sprint performance (PIT: −4.2%, DT: +2.1%), aerobic endurance performance (PIT: −10.2%, DT: −18.4%), right arm muscle mass (PIT: +2.9%, DT: −3.8%), and trunk muscle mass (PIT: +2.2%, DT: −1.9%) than DT (p < 0.05). The fat mass percentage showed a negative change from T1 to T2 in both groups (p < 0.05). Conclusions: PIT showed a trend toward better body composition (arm and trunk muscle) and sport performances (10M sprint and aerobic capacity) compared to DT. This finding may provide information on the effectiveness of a personal isolation training model for optimal preparation for taekwondo athletes and coaches. It may also serve as a useful and safe guideline for training recommendations during the coronavirus disease (COVID-19).
Coping and Life Satisfaction in Colombian Older Adults
Authors: Reyes Maria-Fernanda , Satorres Encarnación , Delhom Iraida , Bueno-Pacheco Alexandra , Meléndez Juan C.
Published: October 2021

Background. Effective coping strategies facilitate older adults’ optimal adaptation and contribute to their well-being. Problem-focused strategies are associated with active styles and enhance well-being. This study analyzes the role of coping strategies in Colombian older adults’ subjective well-being (SWB) using structural equation modelling. Additionally, Confirmatory Factor Analyses of the Life Satisfaction Scale and Coping Strategies Questionnaires are performed. Method. A cross-sectional study is conducted with 455 Colombian older adults, ranging from 65 to 92 years old. Results. The results show that problem-focused coping has a positive effect on SWB, whereas emotion-focused coping has a negative effect on SWB. Conclusions. This article highlights the relationship between effective coping and life satisfaction by showing that problem-focused coping strategies are adaptative and enhance well-being during aging.
Self-Efficacy Mediates Acculturation and Respite Care Knowledge of Immigrant Caregivers
Authors: Kuo Shu-Fen , Chen I-Hui , Huang Tsai-Wei , Miao Nae-Fang , Peters Kath , Chung Min-Huey
Published: October 2021

Past studies have shown that acculturation and self-efficacy can affect respite care knowledge, which are notable issues among immigrant caregivers due to the rapid increasing aging family members. The aim of this study was to investigate relationships among acculturation, self-efficacy, and respite care knowledge in immigrant caregivers, and to determine the mediating effects of self-efficacy on the relationship between acculturation and respite care knowledge. A cross-sectional design was used. We enrolled 134 female immigrant caregivers who had married Taiwanese men and lived with care recipients who used LTC services. Based on Baron and Kenny’ mediating analytic framework, multiple regression and Sobel tests were used to examine whether self-efficacy mediated the relationship between acculturation and respite care knowledge. The findings showed that after controlling for confounding factors, acculturation and self-efficacy separately affected respite care knowledge (B = 0.229, standard error (SE) = 0.084; B = 0.123, SE = 0.049, respectively). Acculturation had a positive impact on respite care knowledge through self-efficacy (B = 0.181, SE = 0.084). Therefore, self-efficacy partially mediated the effect of acculturation on respite care knowledge, and accounted for 20.9% of the total mediating effect in this study. Acculturation predicted immigrant caregiver’ respite care knowledge partially through self-efficacy. The association between acculturation and respite care knowledge was partially mediated by immigrant caregivers’ self-efficacy. As a result, it was proposed that boosting self-efficacy could increase and drive immigrant caregivers’ respite care knowledge. To assist this population in obtaining enough resources, targeted educational programs to promote immigrant caregivers’ self-efficacy should be designed and implemented. Furthermore, health care practitioners should be aware of the relevance of immigrant caregivers’ acculturation.
Effectiveness of a Self-Fitting Tool for User-Driven Fitting of Hearing Aids
Authors: Debevc Matjaž , Žmavc Mark , Boretzki Michael , Schüpbach-Wolf Martina , Roeck Hans-Ueli , Khan Alamgir , Koubatis Andrew , Jezernik Sašo , Kožuh Ines
Published: October 2021

Hearing aids can be effective devices to compensate for age- or non-age-related hearing losses. Their overall adoption in the affected population is still low, especially in underdeveloped countries in the subpopulation experiencing milder hearing loss. One of the major reasons for low adoption is the need for repeated complex fitting by professional audiologists, which is often not completed for various reasons. As a result, self-fitting procedures have been appearing as an alternative. Key open questions with these digital tools are linked to their effectiveness, utilized algorithms, and achievable end-results. A digital self-fitting prototype tool with a novel quick four-step fitting workflow was evaluated in a study on 19 individuals with moderate hearing loss. The tool was evaluated in a double-blinded, randomized study, having two study aims: comparing traditional audiological fitting with the new self-fitting tool, which can also be used as a remote tool. The main reported results show moderately high usability and user satisfaction obtained during self-fitting, and quasi-equivalence of the performance of the classical audiological fitting approach. The digital self-fitting tool enables multiple sessions and easy re-fitting, with the potential to outperform the classical fitting approach.
Capillaroscopic Evidence of Microvascular Damage in Volleyball Players
Authors: Sirufo Maria Maddalena , Catalogna Alessandra , Raggiunti Martina , De Pietro Francesca , Galeoto Giovanni , Bassino Enrica Maria , Ginaldi Lia , De Martinis Massimo
Published: October 2021

Volleyball players experience repetitive stress that involves their hands and, in particular, their fingers. Literature reports that repetitive trauma can lead to local vascular abnormalities, such as reduced capillarization and lower resting blood flow. These anomalies could be related to the presence of dysfunctional endothelium. The aim of this study is to correlate the capillaroscopic findings by nailfold video capillaroscopy (NVC) to volleyball practice in order to early detect possible anomalies and perform an adequate follow-up to avoid damages that could negatively affect sport practice and the players’ health status. In this study, 38 subjects were enrolled, 19 volleyball players and 19 healthy non-players as a comparison group. In almost all the players, we found capillaroscopic alterations of the “aspecific pattern” type without substantial gender differences. We may assume that the repeated traumas involving players’ fingers can negatively modify their microcirculation. Based on these observations, it could be a desirable clinical practice to screen professional volleyball players with NVC in order to implement preventive strategies aimed at protecting the health of athletes.