bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Concept of Health in Opinions of Patients Diagnosed with Hepatitis C
Authors: Sierpińska Lidia Elżbieta
Published: January 2023

Objectives:The aim of this study was assessment of the value of health in opinions of patients with chronic hepatitis C.Methods:The study was conducted among 220 patients infected with HCV by the diagnostic survey method using the Health Criteria List (LHC) and the proprietary questionnaire.Results:Patients infected with HCV evaluated their health status mainly as mediocre – 50.9%. Older respondents significantly more rarely defined being healthy as "being employed, having various interests," and "feeling well." For males, health meant "eating properly," whereas for females – it was "experiencing no physical complaints." Respondents who had higher education understood health mainly as "having skills of solving own problems." Those married significantly more often mentioned "experiencing no physical complaints." Rural inhabitants significantly more frequently considered that being healthy meant "being able to associate well with others," compared to urban inhabitants.Conclusions:Valuation of health by patients infected with HCV depends on age, gender, level of education, place of residence, marital status, and duration of the disease. Arrangement according to rank allowed establishing what 'being healthy' means for patients with hepatitis C, and to what extent health is identified with goal, state, feature, and process.
Implicaciones sociales de la irrupción del Big Data y la robótica: un análisis prospectivo en docentes hispanoamericanos
Authors: Rumiche Chávarry Rocío del Pilar , Matas Terrón Antonio , Ríos Ariza José Manuel , Chunga Chinguel Gerardo Raúl
Published: January 2023

Big Data is one of the most socially disruptive technologies, along with artificial intelligence. Numerous studies have shown that, through the development and implementation of these tools in education, it is possible to achieve one of the "old aspirations", which is the personalisation of education. This exploratory study focuses on finding out, through an ad hoc questionnaire, the social vision of South American teachers, working at different educational levels, of some social and future aspects of Big Data, artificial intelligence and robots to see to what extent their opinion coincides with the advantages and problems expressed in scientific research on these topics. A non-probabilistic sample of 283 teachers was collected. The descriptive statistical analyses show that the majority of teachers think similarly to what is expressed in the research, and this will influence their decision-making and the explicit and hidden curriculum.

El Big Dataes una de las tecnologías socialmente más disruptiva junto a la inteligencia artificial. Numerosos estudios han permeado en el profesorado que, a través del desarrollo e implementación de estas herramientas en la educación, se puede ir logrando una de las “viejas aspiraciones” que es la personalización de la educación. Este estudio exploratorio se centra en conocer, a través de un cuestionario elaborado ad hoc, la visión social de docentes sudamericanos, que trabajan en distintos niveles educativos, de algunos aspectos sociales y de futuro del Big Data, inteligencia artificial y robots para ver en qué medida su opinión coinciden con las ventajas y problemáticas que se expresan en las investigaciones científicas sobre estos temas. Se recopiló una muestra no probabilística de 283 docentes. Los análisis estadísticos descriptivos evidencian que la mayoría del profesorado piensa de forma similar a lo expresado en las investigaciones, y ello influirá en sus tomas de decisiones y en el currículum explícito y oculto.
Análisis de la autopercepción de la competencia digital docente en la formación inicial de maestros y maestras
Authors: Marimon-Martí Marta , Romeu Teresa , Usart Mireia , Ojando Elena Sofía
Published: January 2023

The current educational context demands digital competence from teachers as one of the key factors to guide the process of teaching and learning in a digital society. It thus becomes necessary to identify first-year university students’ competence, in order to design training that allows its development, not only at an instrumental level, but, above all, with a marked methodological character. The main aim of this research is to analyze and compare in terms of gender and degree, the perception that first-year students of Education in Catalonia and Andorra have about their level of teacher digital competence (TDC), as a means for a formative assessment method that allows future teachers to reflect on the development of this competence. A descriptive and comparative analysis with a quantitative, non-experimental and transectional approach and a post-hoc design was carried out, in which 1558 first-year students of the Bachelor’s degrees in Education from the Catalan and Andorran universities answered to a questionnaire during the 2020-21 academic year. The findings show that, in general, participants show a high self-perception of their teacher digital competence, assessing themselves more competent in ethical aspects, communication and use of digital resources and applications, while they feel less capable in aspects related to pedagogical design, evaluation and the use of digital technologies for learning.

El contexto educativo actual configura una nueva competencia digital de los docentes como factor clave para dar respuesta a las formas de enseñar y de aprender en un mundo cada vez más digital. Se hace necesario identificar los conocimientos de los estudiantes de recién ingreso a la universidad, con el fin de diseñar una formación que permita el desarrollo de esta competencia, no sólo a nivel instrumental, sino, sobre todo, con un marcado carácter metodológico. El objetivo de esta investigación es analizar la percepción que tienen los estudiantes de primer curso de los grados de Educación de Cataluña y Andorra sobre su nivel de competencia digital docente, y estudiar posibles diferencias por género y titulación, como parte del proceso de diagnóstico y autoevaluación formativa de futuros maestros. Se realizó un estudio de corte cuantitativo, no-experimental y transeccional de diseño post-hoc y análisis descriptivo y comparativo, en el que participaron 1558 estudiantes de primer curso de los Grados en Educación de las universidades catalanas y andorrana del curso 2020-21, que respondieron a un cuestionario de autopercepción. Los resultados señalan que globalmente los estudiantes tienen una autopercepción alta de su competencia digital docente, valorándose más competentes en aspectos éticos, de comunicación y de uso de recursos y aplicaciones, y menos capacitados en aspectos vinculados con el diseño pedagógico, la evaluación y el uso de las tecnologías digitales para el aprendizaje.
reto de la Educación en Emprendimiento en la Universidad: percepciones del estudiantado de Educación
Authors: Peña Hita Mª Ángeles , Pegalajar Palomino María del Carmen , Montes Merino Ana Mª
Published: January 2023

Entrepreneurship education is a reality in higher education institutions, although it does not reach all students in the same way. Students of Education Degrees do not generally consider this option as a career option at the end of their university education. This paper analyzes the perceptions of these students on the entrepreneurial phenomenon, as well as their job expectations after their university studies. This is a quantitative, descriptive-correlational research, based on the survey technique using questionnaire (n=886). The results obtained indicate that these students have a good concept of entrepreneurs, although the data confirm that entrepreneurship and self-employment are not considered by the group analyzed a major option for accessing the labor market. However, there is an increase in the possibilities of entrepreneurship among students in their final years, who are close to entering the labor market. The limited professional expectations of this group stand out, centered mainly on joining public educational centers through a competitive examination. This reinforces the need to continue working on the entrepreneurial phenomenon in these students, since the efforts made by universities do not reach all students equally.

La educación en emprendimiento es una realidad en los centros de Educación Superior, aunque no llega del mismo modo a todo el alumnado. Los estudiantes de los Grados en Educación no contemplan, de forma general, esta opción como salida profesional al finalizar su formación universitaria. El presente trabajo analiza las percepciones de estos estudiantes sobre el fenómeno emprendedor, así como sus expectativas laborales tras su paso por las aulas universitarias. Se trata de una investigación cuantitativa, de carácter descriptiva-correlacional, basada en la técnica de la encuesta a través de un cuestionario (n=886). Los resultados obtenidos indican que este alumnado posee un buen concepto sobre los emprendedores, aunque los datos confirman que el emprendimiento y el autoempleo no se contemplan por el colectivo analizado como una opción mayoritaria de acceso al mercado laboral. No obstante, se observa un aumento en las posibilidades de emprendimiento en estudiantes de los últimos cursos, que tienen cercana su salida al mercado laboral. Destacan las limitadas expectativas profesionales de este colectivo, centrada mayoritariamente en la incorporación a los centros educativos públicos mediante un concurso-oposición. Esto afianza la necesidad de seguir trabajando el fenómeno emprendedor en estos estudiantes, pues los esfuerzos llevados a cabo por las universidades no llegan por igual a todo el alumnado.
Factors Determining the Market Value of Football Players on the Example of Ekstraklasa
Authors:   Uniwersytet Ekonomiczny w Poznaniu, Polska, Leksowski Łukasz
Published: January 2023

The aim of the study is to answer the question of what factors determine the market value of players and what is their impact on the market valuation of players in Ekstraklasa clubs. Using linear regression, the parameters of the models determining the impact of individual exogenous variables on the market value of footballers in Ekstraklasa clubs were determined. The results of the analysis indicate a significant, positive relationship between the market value of players and the results of clubs in national and international competitions. The expenses on transfers of Ekstraklasa clubs turned out to be negatively correlated with the market valuation of players. Moreover, expenses on salaries and revenues turned out to be positively correlated with the market value of the players in Ekstraklasa clubs. An important factor that has a significant impact on the value of players is also their age. The most valuable players are players with experience at the highest level of competition, who at the same time have many years of professional football career ahead of them. In order to correctly assess the market value of footballers, many factors that could potentially affect their valuation should be taken into account. The business model used by Ekstraklasa clubs is significantly different from those of the leading European leagues, especially those belonging to the top league. The most effective way to find a player with high market value is to invest in the development of young, talented Polish players with high sales potential. The article is an extension of the research on the factors determining the market value of footballers, taking into account many variables that have not been fully verified so far. The study also distinguishes the time span, covering 15 seasons of the Ekstraklasa. A comprehensive approach allows for identifying the main trends in shaping the Polish football market.
Image Crisis of an Entire Industry – Case Study of the Polish Escape Room Market
Authors:   Wydział Zarządzania Uniwersytetu Warszawskiego, Dusińska Oliwia
Published: January 2023

In January 2019, a fire broke out in one of the escape rooms in Koszalin, Poland. That tragic event caused an image crisis for the entire industry. This article is an analysis of the crisis, its course, the parties involved in the conflict and the actions they implemented. The results of the keyword research of press publications show that there has been a significant deterioration in the image of the industry and the way it was presented in the media. Escape rooms – previously equated with great fun – suddenly became symbols of death, danger and putting profit above safety. The image rebuilding phase continues. It should also be followed by the phase of drawing conclusions for the future – both among escape rooms and other developing but comparatively fragmented sectors.
W poszukiwaniu statusu międzynarodowego: brazylijskie akty ekologicznego wandalizmu
Authors: Sawicka Monika
Published: January 2023

Niniejszy artykuł, wpisujący się w nurt badań nad polityką zagraniczną państwa, ma na celu analizę powiązań działań podejmowanych przez brazylijskie władze szczebla federalnego na rzecz ochrony środowiska (z naciskiem na inicjatywy podejmowane w celu zahamowania zmian klimatu) po 2019 roku, z międzynarodowym statusem Brazylii. Wykorzystując kategorię teoretyczną statusu i strategii poszukiwania statusu autorka pracy twierdzi, że dychotomiczna wizja brazylijskich władz, przeciwstawiająca sobie rozwój społecz-no-gospodarczy i ochronę środowiska, wraz z inicjatywami przyczyniającymi się do niszczenia zasobów naturalnych państwa oraz brakiem aktywizmu na szczeblu międzynarodo-wym osłabiły pozycję Brazylii na arenie międzynarodowej.
Becoming Real to Oneself: Emerson, Thoreau, Hawthorne
Authors: Fruzińska Justyna
Published: January 2023

This paper focuses on three American Romantic writers: Emerson, Thoreau, and Hawthorne, examining the problem of ghostliness or life not fully lived present in their works. The point of departure for the present discussion is Arnold Weinstein\’s analysis of Hawthorne’s short story “Wakefield,” suggesting that the main goal of its protagonist is an attempt to become real to himself. This paper finds similar issues to the ones tackled by Hawthorne in the essays by R.W. Emerson and H.D. Thoreau, and argues that the method applied by Wakefield, which is looking at one’s life from a distance, is also present in the two Transcendentalists’ writings, though often as a danger rather than a wished-for solution of the problem.
Changes in wild ungulate populations in Aragon, Spain between 2001 and 2010
Authors: González Jorge , Herrero Juan , Prada Carlos , Marco Javier
Published: January 2023

To update the information on the distributions of wild ungulates in Aragon, Spain, populations were surveyed based on questionnaires sent to rangers of the Government of Aragon. The data were analyzed in two five-year periods: 2001-2005 and 2006-2010. Our analysis was based on the 242 and 278 questionnaires, corresponding approximately with 80-90% answers that were analyzed in 2006 and 2011, respectively. The survey documented the presence/absence of up to eight wild ungulate species within a UTM 10x10 km grid on maps that were specific to the counties in which the rangers worked. In 2006-2010, wild boar Sus scrofa was the most widely distributed species as it occurred in all of the grid blocks. Roe deer Capreolus capreolus were documented in 89% of the grid blocks, Iberian wild goat Capra pyrenaica in 37%, red deer Cervus elaphus in 31%, Pyrenean chamois Rupicapra p. pyrenaica in 10%, feral goat Capra hircus in 8%, fallow deer Dama dama in 3%, and mouflon Ovis aries in 0.3%. The Pyrenees had the highest and the Middle Ebro Valley had the lowest diversity of ungulates. In the Iberian System, diversity was intermediate. Overall, the distribution of ungulates increased 21% between the two periods. Feral goat populations expanded the most (111%), although Iberian wild goat (61%), roe deer (50%), and red deer (4%) also expanded. The range of wild boar populations remained stable, but the ranges of chamois and fallow deer populations were reduced 6%. By 2010, typically, in most block grids three or more species of wild ungulates coexist. We recommend that ungulate populations in Aragon be surveyed at least every five years.
Australian Secondary Schools and the Teacher Crisis: Understanding Teacher Shortages and Attrition
Authors: Caudal Sandra
Published: January 2023

The current teacher shortages in Australia are crippling the education sector. Schools have great difficulties in recruiting teachers and retaining the existing workforce. An unmanageable workload is to blame for teacher attrition as well as unsafe working conditions, high stress and
burnout. The only way out of this crisis is a significant alleviation of the workload, and a review of the education system that mirrors the realities of a changing world.
Acoustic agglomeration characteristics of fine solid particles under effect of additional droplets
Authors: Zhao Hao , Wu Zhi-Hao , Hu Xiao-Hong , Fan Feng-Xian , Su Ming-Xu ,   School of Energy and Power Engineering, University of Shanghai for Science and Technology, Shanghai 200093, China,   Shanghai Key Laboratory of Multiphase Flow and Heat Transfer in Power Engineering, Shanghai 200093, China
Published: January 2023

Agglomeration of fine solid particles under the excitation of external acoustic field has potential applications in the field of ultra-low emission of combustion pollutants. It is expected that the performance of particle agglomeration can be improved by adding large sized liquid droplets. According to the dynamic process of acoustic agglomeration, including the particle motion, collision, agglomeration and rebound, a model of acoustic agglomeration for gas-liquid-solid three phase system with coexistence of liquid droplets and solid particles in gas phase is developed by using the direct simulation Monte Carlo (DSMC) method. Using this model, numerical simulations are performed to investigate the process and performance of acoustic agglomeration of fine solid particles under the effect of additional droplets. The numerical results are compared with experimental data, and the proposed model is validated. On this basis, the dynamic behaviors of acoustic agglomeration of fine particles in the case with additional droplets are explored. Furthermore, the influences of the diameter and number concentration of additional droplets on the performance of acoustic agglomeration of fine particles are examined. The results show that rapid agglomeration among the solid fine particles and additional droplets can be achieved by adding droplets into the acoustic field, yielding large sized liquid-solid mixed-phase particles. In this process, the agglomeration efficiency of fine particles increases significantly. It is also found that the diameter and number concentration of additional droplets are important factors that affect the acoustic agglomeration of fine particles. The agglomeration efficiency of fine particles rises, while the magnitude of increase tends to decrease with the droplet diameter and number concentration increasing. The research results can provide both theoretical basis for modeling the agglomeration process of complex particle systems and method guidance for achieving the ultra-low emission of fine particles from combustion sources.
Solving complex nonlinear problems based on gradient-optimized physics-informed neural networks
Authors: Tian Shi-Fang , Li Biao ,   School of Mathematics and Statistics, Ningbo University, Ningbo 315211, China
Published: January 2023

In recent years, physics-informed neural networks (PINNs) have attracted more and more attention for their ability to quickly obtain high-precision data-driven solutions with only a small amount of data. However, although this model has good results in some nonlinear problems, it still has some shortcomings. For example, the unbalanced back-propagation gradient calculation results in the intense oscillation of the gradient value during the model training, which is easy to lead to the instability of the prediction accuracy. Based on this, we propose a gradient-optimized physics-informed neural networks (GOPINNs) model in this paper, which proposes a new neural network structure and balances the interaction between different terms in the loss function during model training through gradient statistics, so as to make the new proposed network structure more robust to gradient fluctuations. In this paper, taking Camassa-Holm (CH) equation and DNLS equation as examples, GOPINNs is used to simulate the peakon solution of CH equation, the rational wave solution of DNLS equation and the rogue wave solution of DNLS equation. The numerical results show that the GOPINNs can effectively smooth the gradient of the loss function in the calculation process, and obtain a higher precision solution than the original PINNs. In conclusion, our work provides new insights for optimizing the learning performance of neural networks, and saves more than one third of the time in simulating the complex CH equation and the DNLS equation, and improves the prediction accuracy by nearly ten times.
Transformer-based deep learning for predicting protein properties in the life sciences
Authors: Chandra Abel , Tünnermann Laura , Löfstedt Tommy , Gratz Regina
Published: January 2023

Recent developments in deep learning, coupled with an increasing number of sequenced proteins, have led to a breakthrough in life science applications, in particular in protein property prediction. There is hope that deep learning can close the gap between the number of sequenced proteins and proteins with known properties based on lab experiments. Language models from the field of natural language processing have gained popularity for protein property predictions and have led to a new computational revolution in biology, where old prediction results are being improved regularly. Such models can learn useful multipurpose representations of proteins from large open repositories of protein sequences and can be used, for instance, to predict protein properties. The field of natural language processing is growing quickly because of developments in a class of models based on a particular model—the Transformer model. We review recent developments and the use of large-scale Transformer models in applications for predicting protein characteristics and how such models can be used to predict, for example, post-translational modifications. We review shortcomings of other deep learning models and explain how the Transformer models have quickly proven to be a very promising way to unravel information hidden in the sequences of amino acids.
Transcriptomic differences between bleached and unbleached hydrozoan Millepora complanata following the 2015-2016 ENSO in the Mexican Caribbean
Authors: Hernández Elizárraga Víctor H. , Olguín-López Norma , Hernández-Matehuala Rosalina , Caballero-Pérez Juan , Ibarra-Alvarado César , Rojas-Molina Alejandra
Published: January 2023

The 2015-2016 El Niño-southern oscillation or “ENSO” caused many M. complanata colonies that live in the Mexican Caribbean to experience extensive bleaching. The purpose of this work was to analyze the effect of bleaching on the cellular response of M. complanata, employing a transcriptomic approach with RNA-seq. As expected, bleached specimens contained a significantly lower chlorophyll content than unbleached hydrocorals. The presence of algae of the genera Durusdinium and Cladocopium was only found in tissues of unbleached M. complanata, which could be associated to the greater resistance that these colonies exhibited during bleaching. We found that 299 genes were differentially expressed in M. complanata bleached colonies following the 2015-2016 ENSO in the Mexican Caribbean. The differential expression analysis of bleached M. complanata specimens evidenced enriched terms for functional categories, such as ribosome, RNA polymerase and basal transcription factors, chaperone, oxidoreductase, among others. Our results suggest that the heat-shock response mechanisms displayed by M. complanata include: an up-regulation of endogenous antioxidant defenses; a higher expression of heat stress response genes; up-regulation of transcription-related genes, higher expression of genes associated to transport processes, inter alia. This study constitutes the first differential gene expression analysis of the molecular response of a reef-forming hydrozoan during bleaching.
Potato bacterial wilt in Ethiopia: history, current status, and future perspectives
Authors: Tessema Gebrehanna Lemma , Seid Hussen Ebrahim
Published: January 2023

Background

Potato is an essential food staple and a critical tuber crop for rural livelihoods in Ethiopia, where many pathogenic pests are threatening production. Bacterial wilt, also known as brown rot of potato, ranks among the diseases that most affect many potato farmers in Ethiopia and the disease losses dramatically threatening the vibrant potato sector even in the highlands of the country where it has been uncommon so far.

Methodology

To devise a strategy towards boosting potato productivity in Ethiopia where food insecurity is most prevalent, production constraints should be investigated and properly addressed. Hence, we have used existing reviews and reports on the subjects, such as textbooks, and proceeding and conference abstracts in Plant Protection Society of Ethiopia; Web of Science; Google Scholar; Research Gate and CIP’s database to document most relevant information on the occurrence, distribution, and disease management of bacterial wilt in Ethiopia.

Results

Provision of comprehensive information on potato bacterial wilt occurrence, distribution, and management techniques are crucial for potato growers, researchers and stakeholders engaged on potato industry. In this review, we provided insights on the history, status, and future perspectives of potato bacterial wilt in Ethiopia.

Conclusions

Awareness of potato bacterial wilt and integrated disease management approaches could bring a fundamental impact to the farming community mostly to smallholder farmers in developing countries. This document compiled such imperative information targeting bacterial wilt management techniques to ensure food security.
Patterns and controlling factors of soil carbon sequestration in nitrogen-limited and -rich forests in China—a meta-analysis
Authors: Ngaba Mbezele Junior Yannick , Uwiragiye Yves , Zhou Jianbin
Published: January 2023

Soil organic carbon (SOC) management has the potential to contribute to climate change mitigation by reducing atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO2). Understanding the changes in forest nitrogen (N) deposition rates has important implications for C sequestration. We explored the effects of N enrichment on soil carbon sequestration in nitrogen-limited and nitrogen-rich Chinese forests and their controlling factors. Our findings reveal that N inputs enhanced net soil C sequestration by 5.52–18.46 kg C kg−1 N, with greater impacts in temperate forests (8.37–13.68 kg C kg−1 N), the use of NH4NO3 fertilizer (7.78 kg Ckg−1 N) at low N levels (<30 kg Ckg−1 N; 9.14 kg Ckg−1 N), and in a short period (<3 years; 12.95 kg C kg−1 N). The nitrogen use efficiency (NUE) varied between 0.24 and 13.3 (kg C kg−1 N) depending on the forest type and was significantly controlled by rainfall, fertilizer, and carbon-nitrogen ratio rates. Besides, N enrichment increased SOC concentration by an average of 7% and 2% for tropical and subtropical forests, respectively. Although soil carbon sequestration was higher in the topsoil compared to the subsoil, the relative influence indicated that nitrogen availability strongly impacts the SOC, followed by dissolved organic carbon concentration and mean annual precipitation. This study highlights the critical role of soil NUE processes in promoting soil C accumulation in a forest ecosystem.
Analysing the SPAD dynamics of water-stressed vs. well-watered sesame (Sesamum indicumL.) accessions and establishing their relationship with seed yield
Authors: Pallavolu Lora Anusha , Pasala Ratnakumar , Kulasekaran Ramesh , Pandey Brij Bihari , Virupaksham Umamahesh , Perika Sandhyarani
Published: January 2023

Background

The chlorophyll content is susceptible to deficit moisture stress and may affect the plant yield. Leaf chlorophyll content is directly related to tolerance and higher productivity under deficit moisture stress (WS). The SPAD meter is an excellent tool for rapid analysis of crop chlorophyll content. Therefore, establishing a relationship between leaf chlorophyll content and seed yield is crucial in sesame, particularly under deficit moisture stress.

Methods

Seeds of 37 sesame genotypes with checks were used in this study. These genotypes were mostly landraces, adapted to different agro-ecological zones in India. The selected genotypes were evaluated under well water (WW) and deficit moisture stress (WS) conditions. The SPAD readings were recorded ten (10) times each at every seven days intervals from the juvenile/first bud (30–35 days after sowing) to ripening/ physiological maturity (95–100 days after sowing) stage. This study aimed to identify the association between leaf SPAD readings (recorded at 7-days interval) and seed yield of sesame genotypes.

Results

The analysis of variance revealed the presence of significant variation in SPAD readings due to treatment (WW and WS), genotypes, and their interaction effects. The SPAD readings at all stages were positively correlated with seed yield in both WW and WS. High values of correlation coefficients were observed at 52 (r: 0.672) and 59 (r: 0.655) DAS under WS; whereas at 59 (r: 0.960), 66 (r: 0.972) and 73 (r: 0.974) DAS under WW at one percent significance level (p < 0.01), which coincided with the mid-bloom stage of the sesame crop. The best-fit multiple regression model revealed that the dependence of sesame seed yield is significantly influenced by SPAD reading at 52 DAS under WS and 59 to 73 DAS under WW. Both these models provide a good fit with the chi-squared test, which compares the predicted and observed yield.
Prevalence and risk factors of COVID-19-related generalized anxiety disorder among the general public in China: a cross-sectional study
Authors: Xia Yi , Wang Qi , Shi Lushaobo , Shi Zengping , Chang Jinghui , Xu Richard , Miao Huazhang , Wang Dong
Published: January 2023

Objective

This study aimed to estimate the prevalence of generalized anxiety disorder in China during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic and identify its associated factors.

Methods

A cross-sectional study was conducted among the general population in China from March 16 to April 2, 2020. The participants were recruited using stratified random sampling. Data on demographic characteristics and COVID-19 related factors were obtained using self-administered questionnaires. The anxiety score was measured based on the Chinese version of the Generalized Anxiety Disorder 7-item Scale (GAD-7).

Results

The study comprised 10,824 participants, of which 37.69% had symptoms of anxiety. The risk factors for anxiety symptoms included poor self-reported health (OR = 1.672, p < 0.001), chronic diseases (OR = 1.389, p < 0.001), and quarantine (OR = 1.365, p < 0.001), while participants’ perceptions that COVID-19 would be controlled was a protective factor (OR = 0.774, p < 0.001). The interactions between quarantine and self-reported health (p < 0.001), as well as between perceptions of COVID-19 and self-reported health (p < 0.001) were found to have a significant effect on GAD-7 scores.

Conclusions

Self-reported health status, chronic diseases, quarantine, and perceptions of COVID-19 were significantly associated with GAD-7 scores, indicating that mental health interventions are urgently needed during pandemics, especially for high-risk groups.
Acteoside alleviates UUO-induced inflammation and fibrosis by regulating the HMGN1/TLR4/TREM1 signaling pathway
Authors: Mao Yan , Yu Jiali , Da Jingjing , Yu Fuxun , Zha Yan
Published: January 2023

Purpose

Acteoside (Act), a phenylethanoid compound that was first isolated from mullein, has been widely used for the investigation of anti-inflammatory and anti-fibrotic effect. However, the mechanism of Act against unilateral ureteral obstruction (UUO)-mediated renal injury is largely unknown. Therefore, this study aimed to explore the effects of Act on UUO rats and possible mechanisms.

Methods

A total of 20 Sprague-Dawley (SD) rats were divided randomly into three groups (n ≥ 6): (i) sham-operated group (Sham); (ii) UUO group (UUO+Saline); and (iii) UUO + Act 40 mg/kg/day, (UUO+Act); Continuous gavage administration for 2 weeks postoperatively, while the rats in Sham and UUO+saline groups were given equal amounts of saline. All rats were sacrificed after 14 days, the urine and blood samples were collected for biochemical analysis, the renal tissues were collected for pathological staining and immunohistochemistry. Correlations between individual proteins were analyzed by Pearson correlation analysis.

Results

The results of renal function indexes and histopathological staining showed that Act could improve renal function by reducing serum creatinine, blood urea nitrogen and urine protein at the same time, Act could alleviate renal inflammation and fibrosis. In addition, the results of immunohistochemistry showed that Act could reduce the expression of inflammation and kidney injury-related proteins F4/80, Mcp-1, KIM-1 proteins, as well as the expression of fibrosis-related protein α-SMA and β-catenin. More importantly, Act can also reduce the expression of HMGN1, TLR4 and TREM-1 proteins.

Conclusion

These data demonstrate that Act can ameliorate UUO-induced renal inflammation and fibrosis in rats probably through triggering HMGN1/TLR4/TREM-1 pathway.
Cabotagem brasileira: avaliação do segmento de carga conteinerizada
Authors: Silveira Júnior Aldery , Nunes Rafael Rabelo , De Jesus Bruna Silva , Arcanjo Jéssica Arruda , Dos Santos Josélio Vieira , dos Santos Natália Givisiez
Published: January 2023

O Brasil apresenta condições favoráveis à utilização do transporte aquaviário, cujo potencial para navegação é elevado em função das características geográficas do território nacional. O trabalho desenvolvido objetivou avaliar o segmento de carga conteinerizada da cabotagem brasileira, sob a ótica dos usuários. A metodologia utilizada foi a multicritério de apoio à decisão (MCDA). Para tanto, elaborou-se um modelo multicritério de avaliação com o apoio de uma equipe de especialistas em cabotagem. A avaliação global atingiu a nota 6,0, o que demonstra uma certa insatisfação dos usuários com os serviços que lhe são prestados pelas empresas brasileiras de navegação.
How to perform a simultaneous optimization with several response variables
Authors: Cardoso Ronald Palandi , Reis José Salvador da Motta , Silva Dayana Elizabeth Werderits , De Barros José Glenio Medeiros , Sampaio Nilo Antonio de Souza
Published: January 2023

A problem facing the product development community is developing simultaneous solutions of response variables (to several properties) that depends on a number of independent variables or sets of responses. Harrington, among others, addressed this problem and presented a desirability function with a functional approach. Derringer and Suich altered their approach and illustrated how multiple variables can be transformed into a convenience function. This work redid the calculation performed by them using another software and made a comparative discussion of the results found.
From Thought to Text: How an Endovascular Brain-Computer Interface Could Help Patients With Severe Paralysis Communicate
Authors: Abbasi Jennifer , Suran Melissa
Published: January 2023

This Medical News article discusses a recent clinical trial of a brain-computer interface implanted through the vascular system.
Transcriptome Profiling of Immune Cell Types in Peripheral Blood Reveals Common and Specific Pathways Involved in the Pathogenesis of Myositis‐Specific Antibody‐Positive Inflammatory Myopathies
Authors: Sugimori Yusuke , Iwasaki Yukiko , Takeshima Yusuke , Okubo Mai , Kobayashi Satomi , Hatano Hiroaki , Yamada Saeko , Nakano Masahiro , Yoshida Ryochi , Ota Mineto , Tsuchida Yumi , Nagafuchi Yasuo , Shimane Kenichi , Yoshida Ken , Kurosaka Daitaro , Sumitomo Shuji , Shoda Hirofumi , Yamamoto Kazuhiko , Okamura Tomohisa , Fujio Keishi
Published: January 2023

Objective

Idiopathic inflammatory myopathies (IIM) demonstrate characteristic clinical phenotypes depending on the myositis‐specific antibody (MSAs) present. We aimed to identify common or MSA‐specific immunological pathways in different immune cell types from peripheral blood by transcriptome analysis.

Methods

We recruited 33 patients with IIM who were separated into the following groups: 15 patients with active disease at onset and 18 with inactive disease under treatment. All patients were positive for MSAs: anti–melanoma differentiation‐associated gene 5 (MDA5) antibody (Ab) in 10 patients, anti‐Mi‐2 Ab in 7, and anti‐aminoacyl‐transfer RNA synthetase (ARS) Ab in 16. The patients were compared with 33 healthy controls. Twenty‐four immune cell types sorted from peripheral blood were analyzed by flow cytometry, RNA sequencing, and differentially expressed gene analysis combined with pathway analysis.

Results

The frequencies of memory B cell types were significantly decreased in active patients, and the frequency of plasmablasts was prominently increased in active patients with anti‐MDA5 Ab in comparison with healthy controls. The expression of type I interferon (IFN)‐stimulated genes of all immune cell types was increased in the active, but not inactive, patients. Endoplasmic reticulum stress‐related genes in all IIM memory B cells and oxidative phosphorylation‐related genes in inactive IIM double negative B cells were also increased, suggesting prominent B cell activation in IIM. Furthermore, active patients with anti‐MDA5 Ab, anti‐Mi‐2 Ab, or anti‐ARS Ab were distinguished by IFN‐stimulated and oxidative phosphorylation‐related gene expression in plasmablasts.

Conclusion

Unique gene expression patterns in patients with IIM with different disease activity levels and MSA types suggest different pathophysiologies. Especially, B cells may contribute to common and MSA‐specific immunological pathways in IIM.
Dopamine‐Integrated Nanointerface between Fibrillar Matrix and Hydrophilic Nanohydroxyapatite Regulates Immune Microenvironment to Boost Endogenous Bone Regeneration
Authors: Li Xing , Li Zhulian , Wang Peilei , Lu Gonggong , Tong Lei , Liu Quanying , Chen Yafang , Lin Jiangli , Luo En , Liang Jie , Jiang Qing , Fan Yujiang , Zhang Xingdong , Sun Yong
Published: January 2023

Driving endogenous bone regeneration by cell‐ and factor‐free biomaterials is the most ideal repair strategy. Herein, hybrid interleaved scaffold (HDSH) with nanosized interfacial integration is assembled by organic/inorganic interactive bonding at the nanoscale. With the help of transcriptome and proteome analysis, the regenerative mechanism of this scaffold is elaborated at the molecular level, which confirms that this strategy recreates a suitable immune microenvironment (anti‐inflammatory and M2‐polarizing) and drives functional cell and cytokine adhesion, as well as inchoate vascularization. It greatly enhances endogenous stem cell recruitment, and subsequently initiates robust vasculogenesis and osteogenesis. Significant bony reconstitution in the rabbit cranial defect model (Φ = 10 mm) is observed after 12 weeks, which realizes completely new bone coverage and 79% breaking load strength relative to the natural cranium. By enhancing nano‐sized functional interfacial integration, this strategy can provide effective guidance for developing highly bioactive bone‐regenerative implants.
Microphysiological Drug‐Testing Platform for Identifying Responses to Prodrug Treatment in Primary Leukemia
Authors: Gökçe Furkan , Kaestli Alicia , Lohasz Christian , de Geus Martina , Kaltenbach Hans‐Michael , Renggli Kasper , Bornhauser Beat , Hierlemann Andreas , Modena Mario
Published: January 2023

Despite increasing survival rates of pediatric leukemia patients over the past decades, the outcome of some leukemia subtypes has remained dismal. Drug sensitivity and resistance testing on patient‐derived leukemia samples provide important information to tailor treatments for high‐risk patients. However, currently used well‐based drug screening platforms have limitations in predicting the effects of prodrugs, a class of therapeutics that require metabolic activation to become effective. To address this issue, a microphysiological drug‐testing platform is developed that enables co‐culturing of patient‐derived leukemia cells, human bone marrow mesenchymal stromal cells, and human liver microtissues within the same microfluidic platform. This platform also enables to control the physical interaction between the diverse cell types. Herein, it is made possible to recapitulate hepatic prodrug activation of ifosfamide in their platform, which is very difficult in traditional well‐based assays. By testing the susceptibility of primary patient‐derived leukemia samples to the prodrug ifosfamide, sample‐specific sensitivities to ifosfamide in primary leukemia samples are identified. The microfluidic platform is found to enable the recapitulation of physiologically relevant conditions and the testing of prodrugs including short‐lived and unstable metabolites. The platform holds great potential for clinical translation and precision chemotherapy selection.
Photoreaction Boosting Phosphorescence Cascade Energy Transfer Based on Cucurbit[8]Uril Biaxial Polypseudorotaxane
Authors: Xing Wen‐Wen , Wang Hui‐Juan , Liu Zhixue , Yu Zhen‐Hai , Zhang Heng‐Yi , Liu Yu
Published: January 2023

Cascade energy capturers based on supramolecular assembly have recently generated great research interest in the field of luminescent materials. Herein is reported a cucurbit[8]uril (CB[8])‐encapsulated coumarin‐bridged phenylpyridinium salt (G) to form biaxial polypseudorotaxane (G⊂CB[8]), which not only induces the phosphorescence of the guest G, but also activates the photodimerization of coumarin functional group in the CB[8] cavity (G‐dimer⊂CB[8]) to further boost its phosphorescence emission, extending the phosphorescence lifetime from 271.3 to 430.3 µs and the quantum yield from 5.1% to 25.7% in aqueous solution. After co‐assembly with amphiphilic calixarene (SC4AD), the supramolecular biaxial polypseudorotaxane G‐dimer⊂CB[8] is changed to the nanoparticle. Compared with the alone G‐dimer⊂CB[8], the phosphorescence intensity of G‐dimer⊂CB[8]@SC4AD is significantly enhanced with the phosphorescence lifetime extending to 2.11 ms. Subsequently, by doping commercial dye rhodamine B (RhB) in the G‐dimer⊂CB[8]@SC4AD assembly, an ultrahighly efficient phosphorescence‐harvesting energy transfer process occurs with an energy transfer efficiency (ΦET) of 72.3% and an antenna effect of 396.8. Furthermore, the cascaded room temperature phosphorescence harvesting system is constructed via introducing the secondary near‐infrared (NIR) acceptors Nile blue or Cy5 in the G‐dimer⊂CB[8]@SC4AD:RhB system, which possesses a good biocompatibility and is successfully applied to NIR delayed fluorescence targeted imaging in HeLa cell.
A Space‐Dependent ‘Enzyme‐Substrate’ Type Probe based on ‘Carboxylesterase‐Amide Group’ for Ultrafast Fluorescent Imaging Orthotopic Hepatocellular Carcinoma
Authors: Wen Ying , Jing Ning , Zhang Min , Huo Fangjun , Li Zhuoyu , Yin Caixia
Published: January 2023

Fast and selective fluorescence imaging for a biomarker to related‐disease diagnosis remains a significant challenge due to complex physical environment. Human carboxylesterase (CE) is expected to be a potential biomarker of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) to improve the accuracy of diagnosis. However, existing probes for CE has slow response rate and low selectivity. Herein, the amide group is selected as CE‐responsive sites based on the “substrate‐hydrolysis enzymatic reaction” approach. From a series of off–on probes with leave groups in the amide unit, probe JFast is screened with the optimal combination of rapid response rate and high selectivity toward CE. JFast requires only 150 s to reach the maximum fluorescence at 676 nm in the presence of CE and free from the interference of other esterase. Computational docking simulations indicate the shortest distance between the CE and active site of JFast. Cell and in vivo imaging present that the probe can turn on the liver cancer cells and tumor region precisely. Importantly, JFast is allowed to specifically image orthotopic liver tumor rather than metastatic tumor and distinguish human primary liver cancer tissue from adjacent ones. This study provides a new tool for CE detection and promotes advancements in accurate HCC diagnosis.
The relationship between case–control differential gene expression from brain tissue and genetic associations in schizophrenia
Authors: Clifton Nicholas E. , Schulmann Anton ,   Schizophrenia Working Group of the Psychiatric Genomics Consortium, Holmans Peter A. , O'Donovan Michael C. , Vawter Marquis P.
Published: January 2023

Large numbers of genetic loci have been identified that are known to contain common risk alleles for schizophrenia, but linking associated alleles to specific risk genes remains challenging. Given that most alleles that influence liability to schizophrenia are thought to do so by altered gene expression, intuitively, case–control differential gene expression studies should highlight genes with a higher probability of being associated with schizophrenia and could help identify the most likely causal genes within associated loci. Here, we test this hypothesis by comparing transcriptome analysis of the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex from 563 schizophrenia cases and 802 controls with genome‐wide association study (GWAS) data from the third wave study of the Psychiatric Genomics Consortium. Genes differentially expressed in schizophrenia were not enriched for common allelic association statistics compared with other brain‐expressed genes, nor were they enriched for genes within associated loci previously reported to be prioritized by genetic fine‐mapping. Genes prioritized by Summary‐based Mendelian Randomization were underexpressed in cases compared to other genes in the same GWAS loci. However, the overall strength and direction of expression change predicted by SMR were not related to that observed in the differential expression data. Overall, this study does not support the hypothesis that genes identified as differentially expressed from RNA sequencing of bulk brain tissue are enriched for those that show evidence for genetic associations. Such data have limited utility for prioritizing genes in currently associated loci in schizophrenia.
Visible‐Light Induced Oxidative Annulation of Enamides to 2,4,5‐Trisubstituted Oxazole Skeletons
Authors: Wang Dan‐Ning , Lin Qi , Wang Xun , Zhang Keyuan , Duan Xin‐Hua , Liu Le
Published: January 2023

A novel approach to various trisubstituted oxazoles (28 examples, up to 88% yield) has been developed via 9H‐thioxanthen‐9‐one (TX) mediated oxidative annulation of N‐acetyl enamide under visible light irradiation in the presence of BF3 ⋅ Et2O (2.0 equiv) and 40 mol% of PhNO2. This metal‐free procedure features high atom and step economy, green and mild conditions and broad substrate scope.