bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Modulation of Mind Wandering Using Monaural Beat Stimulation in Subjects With High Trait-Level Mind Wandering
Authors: Chaieb Leila , Krakau Sofie , Reber Thomas P. , Fell Juergen
Published: June 2022

Mind wandering (MW) refers to a state when attention shifts from the task at hand or current situation toward thoughts, feelings, and imaginations. This state is often accompanied by a decline in mood, and patients suffering from major depression exhibit more perseverative MW. Hence, although the directionality of the relationship between mood and MW is still under investigation, it may be useful to explore possible avenues to reduce MW. In an earlier pilot study, we investigated MW during auditory beat stimulation in healthy subjects using thought-probes during a sustained attention to response task (SART). We found evidence for reduced MW during monaural 5 Hz beats compared to silence, sine tones, and binaural 5 Hz beats. Moreover, the data tentatively suggested that this reduction was particularly pronounced in subjects with high levels of MW during silence. In the current study, we therefore asked whether MW can be reduced by monaural theta beats in subjects with high trait-levels of MW, as indicated by an online MW questionnaire. Preselected subjects performed a SART task with thought-probes assessing the propensity to mind wander, meta-awareness, and the temporal orientation of MW. Stimulation conditions comprised monaural theta beats, as well as silence (headphones on), and sine tones as control conditions. Our main hypothesis stating that the propensity to mind wander during monaural theta beats is reduced compared to both control conditions was only partly confirmed. Indeed, MW was significantly diminished during exposure to the theta beats compared to sine tones. However, reduced MW during theta beats versus silence was only observed in a subgroup using stricter inclusion criteria. Considering possible reasons for this outcome, our data suggest that the preselection procedure was suboptimal and that beat effects are modulated by the individual responses to auditory stimulation in general.
The Reproducibility Movement in Psychology: Does Researcher Gender Affect How People Perceive Scientists With a Failed Replication?
Authors: Ashburn-Nardo Leslie , Moss-Racusin Corinne A. , Smith Jessi L. , Sanzari Christina M. , Vescio Theresa K. , Glick Peter
Published: June 2022

The reproducibility movement in psychology has resulted in numerous highly publicized instances of replication failures. The goal of the present work was to investigate people’s reactions to a psychology replication failure vs. success, and to test whether a failure elicits harsher reactions when the researcher is a woman vs. a man. We examined these questions in a pre-registered experiment with a working adult sample, a conceptual replication of that experiment with a student sample, and an analysis of data compiled and posted by a psychology researcher on their public weblog with the stated goal to improve research replicability by rank-ordering psychology researchers by their “estimated false discovery risk.” Participants in the experiments were randomly assigned to read a news article describing a successful vs. failed replication attempt of original work from a male vs. female psychological scientist, and then completed measures of researcher competence, likability, integrity, perceptions of the research, and behavioral intentions for future interactions with the researcher. In both working adult and student samples, analyses consistently yielded large main effects of replication outcome, but no interaction with researcher gender. Likewise, the coding of weblog data posted in July 2021 indicated that 66.3% of the researchers scrutinized were men and 33.8% were women, and their rank-ordering was not correlated with researcher gender. The lack of support for our pre-registered gender-replication hypothesis is, at first glance, encouraging for women researchers’ careers; however, the substantial effect sizes we observed for replication outcome underscore the tremendous negative impact the reproducibility movement can have on psychologists’ careers. We discuss the implications of such negative perceptions and the possible downstream consequences for women in the field that are essential for future study.
Psychological Wellbeing of Diabetic Individuals, Prediabetics, and Non-diabetics: A Population-Based Study in Saudi Arabia
Authors: Aldossari Khaled K. , Shubair Mamdouh M. , Al-Ghamdi Sameer H. , Alduraywish Abdulrahman A. , Almeshari Alhanouf Abdullah , Alrasheed Abdullah A. , Aldahash Raed , Angawi Khadijah , Gaissi Anood , Alhumud Hana Abdullah , El-Metwally Ashraf
Published: June 2022

Background

The increased burden of diabetes affects the quality of life, including psychosocial problems. The study aims to compare the psychological well-being of individuals who are prediabetic, diabetic, or non-diabetic.

Methods

A cross-sectional exploratory study was conducted from January to June 2016 (n = 1,019) in Al Kharj, Saudi Arabia. After consent and questionnaires were filled out, trained staff took blood samples followed by anthropometry. Chi-squared tests, one-way ANOVA, and multiple linear regression analyses were conducted to examine the association between diabetes classes defined by HbA1c cut-off levels set by the American Diabetes Association (three categories), individual items, and total score in general health questionnaire (GHQ). An ROC curve was plotted for the total GHQ-12 score against HbA1c.

Findings

The mean GHQ score for psychological distress was significantly higher (F = 6.569, P = 0.038) in the diabetics (mean = 14.7) and the prediabetics (12.4) than in the non-diabetics (10.71). Four out of six positive GHQ items and three out of six negative GHQ items significantly differed among the three classes of diabetes. The adjusted multivariate analysis revealed that people with diabetes were most likely to report psychological distress compared to non-diabetics (unstandardized beta = 2.414; P = 0.037). The AUC examining the relationship between HBA1c and GHQ scores showed a moderate but statistically insignificant sensitivity/specificity of 0.643 (P = 0.23).

Conclusion

This study demonstrates that psychological wellbeing is substantially poorer among diabetic or prediabetic individuals than non-diabetic individuals. Future longitudinal studies are required to examine a plausible causal relationship between diabetes/prediabetes and psychological distress.
Exploring Teacher and Parent Perspectives on School-Based Masculinities in Relation to Mental Health Promotion
Authors: Wilson Michael J. , Gwyther Kate , Simmons Magenta , Swann Ray , Oliffe John L. , Casey Kate , Rice Simon M.
Published: June 2022

The capacity for boys’ and young men’s mental health promotion to actviashifting masculine norms that are linked to poor mental health outcomes, highlights the need to improve the extent to which school-based programs can promote mental health through leveraging more positive embodiments of masculinity. To-date, the perspectives of parents and teachers on such processes are understudied. This qualitative study presents teacher and parent views regarding adolescent masculinities and avenues for school-based developmental programming for boys and young men. In this study, 16 individual qualitative interviews were undertaken with 10 parents (six females, four males), and six teachers (three females, three males), recruited from an independent all-boys’ grammar school in Melbourne, Australia. Thematic analysis of parents’ and teachers’ perspectives indicated their perception of the role of context-dependent “public” and “private” masculinities, the influence of Australian masculinity norms, and the role of private boys’ school cultures in the development of adolescent masculinities. Additionally, strategies for development encompassed participants’ appetite for boys’ exposure to positive role models, in addition to consistent and relevant developmental programming to support positive masculinity development. Findings have implications for efforts to support prosocial masculine identity developmentviaschool-based initiatives, as an avenue to promoting mental health of boys and young men.
Does Citizen Engagement With Government Social Media Accounts Differ During the Different Stages of Public Health Crises? An Empirical Examination of the COVID-19 Pandemic
Authors: Zhang Wei , Yuan Hui , Zhu Chengyan , Chen Qiang , Evans Richard
Published: June 2022

Background

The COVID-19 pandemic has created one of the greatest challenges to humankind, developing long-lasting socio-economic impacts on our health and wellbeing, employment, and global economy. Citizen engagement with government social media accounts has proven crucial for the effective communication and management of public health crisis. Although much research has explored the societal impact of the pandemic, extant literature has failed to create a systematic and dynamic model that examines the formation mechanism of citizen engagement with government social media accounts at the different stages of the COVID-19 pandemic. This study fills this gap by employing the Heuristic-Systematic Model and investigating the effects of the heuristic clues including social media capital, information richness, language features, dialogic loop, and the systematic clue including content types, on citizen engagement with government social media across three different stages of the pandemic, employing the moderating role of emotional valence.

Methods

The proposed model is validated by scraping 16,710 posts from 22 provincial and municipal government micro-blog accounts in the Hubei province, China.

Results

Results show that the positive effects of social media capital on citizen engagement were observed at all stages. However, the effects of information richness, language features, dialogic loop, and content types, and the moderating effect of emotional valence, varied across the different pandemic development stages.

Conclusions

The findings provide suggestions for the further effective use of government social media, and better cope with crises. Government agencies should pay attention to the content and form of information shared, using technical means to analyze the information needs of citizens at different stages of public health emergencies, understanding the content most concerned by citizens, and formulating the content type of posts.
Evaluation of Women's Empowerment in a Community-Based Human Papillomavirus Self-Sampling Social Entrepreneurship Program (Hope Project) in Peru: A Mixed-Method Study
Authors: Shin Michelle B. , Garcia Patricia J. , Dotson Mary Elizabeth , Valderrama María , Chiappe Marina , Ramanujam Nimmi , Krieger Marlee , Ásbjörnsdóttir Kristjana , Barnabas Ruanne V. , Iribarren Sarah J. , Gimbel Sarah
Published: June 2022

Introduction

Understanding community women's relational and financial empowerment in social entrepreneurship could be the key to scaling up community-based human papillomavirus (HPV) self-sampling programs in low- and middle-income countries. The Hope Project, social entrepreneurship in Peru, trains women (Hope Ladies) to promote HPV self-sampling among other women in their communities. This study aims to evaluate the Hope Ladies' relational and financial empowerment after participating in the program.

Materials and Methods

We evaluated the Hope Ladies' experiences of empowerment in social entrepreneurship using a parallel convergent mixed methods design. The Hope Ladies participated in semi-structured in-depth interviews (n = 20) and an eight-questions five-point Likert scale survey that evaluated their relational (n = 19)/financial (n = 17) empowerment. The interview and the survey questions were developed using three empowerment frameworks: Kabeer's conceptual framework, International Center for Research on Women's economic empowerment indicators, and the Relational Leadership Theory. Deductive content analysis was used to evaluate the interviews with pre-determined codes and categories of empowerment. Descriptive statistics were used to analyze the survey results. Qualitative and quantitative data were integrated through a cross-case comparison of emergent themes and corresponding survey responses during the results interpretation.

Results

All Hope Ladies reported experiencing increased empowerment in social entrepreneurship. Interviews: The women reported challenges and improvement in three categories of empowerment: (1) resources (balancing between household and Hope Lady roles, recognition from the community as a resource, camaraderie with other Hope Ladies); (2) agency (increased knowledge about reproductive health, improved confidence to express themselves, and ability to speak out against male-dominant culture); and (3) achievement (increased economic assets, improved ability to make financial decisions, and widened social network and capital, and technology skills development). Survey: All (100%) agreed/totally agreed an increase in social contacts, increased unaccompanied visits to a healthcare provider (86%), improved confidence in discussing reproductive topics (100%), improved ability to make household decisions about money (57% pre-intervention vs. 92% post-intervention).

Conclusions

The Hope Ladies reported improved relational and financial empowerment through participating in community-based social entrepreneurship. Future studies are needed to elucidate the relationship between empowerment and worker retention/performance to inform the scale-up of HPV self-sampling social entrepreneurship programs.
Innovations in Medical Education During the COVID-19 Era and Beyond: Medical Students' Perspectives on the Transformation of Real Public Health Visits Into Virtual Format
Authors: Alzayani Salman , Alsayyad Adel , Al-Roomi Khaldoon , Almarabheh Amer
Published: June 2022

Background

At the College of Medicine and Medical Sciences (CMMS), Arabian Gulf University (AGU), Bahrain, the Public Health Program comprises two core components, namely, lectures and field visits (consumer products safety, communicable diseases control, and food safety). Digital transformation has innovated the medical educational activities during the COVID-19 pandemic where the real public health field visits were transformed into a virtual format. This study is aimed to examine the potential effect of converting the real public health field visit programs into a virtual format during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Methods

All medical students who have submitted online feedback evaluation forms upon completing the Public Health Program in the academic years 2019–2020 (180 students; before the COVID-19 pandemic) and 2020–2021 (167 students; during the COVID-19 pandemic) were included in the study, a total sample size of 347 responses. Independent samples t-test was employed to compare students' feedback on Public Health Program before and during the COVID-19 pandemic while the Pearson chi-square test was used for categorical data. A p-value of <0.05 was considered statistically significant.

Results

The mean score of students' satisfaction from the virtual program during the COVID-19 pandemic toward the consumer products safety and food safety field visits was significantly higher than that for students before the COVID-19 pandemic (the real field visits). However, there was no observed statistically significant difference for the Communicable Diseases Control visit. In addition, no significant differences were detected between the mean responses of male and female students toward all field visits, whether the feedback was provided before or during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Conclusion

Transformation of real public health field visits into virtual format is acceptable and applicable during the COVID-19 era and maybe beyond.
Modeling the Behavioral Response of Dentists to COVID-19 and Assessing the Perceived Impacts of Pandemic on Operative Dentistry Practices in Pakistan
Authors: Manzoor Syeda Afshan , Alomari Abdul-Hakeem
Published: June 2022

COVID-19 pandemic has affected dentistry in unprecedented ways. This study investigates the perceived effects of the pandemic on operative dentistry procedures and dentistry profession in Pakistan and the factors that determine the behavioral changes among dentists to adapt to the “new normal.” A Capability Opportunity Motivation-Behavioral model (COM-B) was utilized to investigate the factors that determine the behavior of dentists in Punjab, Pakistan to adhere to COVID-19 standard operating procedures (SOPs). Using social media, an online questionnaire was sent to operative dentistry professionals in Pakistan, and 312 responses were received. 81.4% of the respondents believed that the COVID-19 pandemic has severely affected the level of care provided to the patients, 66% were extremely worried about the risk of contagion during clinical practices, and more than 75% of the respondents opined that the pandemic has led to an increased emphasis on disinfection and oral hygiene instructions. The multiple regression model suggests that the behavior of Pakistani dentists to adhere to the COVID-19 SOPs is significantly affected by their Capabilities (β = 0.358) and Opportunities (β = 0.494). The study concluded that dentists in Punjab, Pakistan are concerned about the risk of contagion and report a serious concern about consequences such as financial loss and inappropriate care of patients. The current study results can feed the policymaking in Pakistan and other developing countries. Facilities and training to improve dentists' opportunities and capabilities can improve their ability to cope with the COVID-19 challenges.
First-Year College Students' Mental Health in the Post-COVID-19 Era in Guangxi, China: A Study Demands-Resources Model Perspective
Authors: Wei Changwu , Ma Yan , Ye Jian-Hong , Nong Liying
Published: June 2022

The post-COVID-19 era means that the COVID-19 is basically under control; however, the risk of the pandemic still affects people's work, study, and life, physically and psychologically. In this era, due to the more challenges first-year college students face, more attention should be paid to their mental health. An emerging study demands-resources (SD-R) model can explain the influencing mechanism of college students' mental health. This model suggests that study demands increase the risk of student burnout, which results in mental health problems; meanwhile, study resources reduce student burnout and increase student engagement, thus improving mental health. Based on the SD-R model, this study explores the impacts of time pressure, emotional exhaustion, perceived social support, and student engagement on mental health and provides adequate measures to reduce the risk of mental health problems among first-year students. Time pressure, perceived social support, emotional exhaustion, student engagement, and mental health scales were used to investigate 537 first-year students at three universities in Guangxi, China, of whom 290 (54%) were female, and 247 (46%) were male, and the average age was 18.97 ± 1.01. Results indicated that: (1) Moderate scores on time pressure and emotional exhaustion and slightly-above-the-median scores on perceived social support, student engagement, and mental health were found among first-year students in the post-COVID-19 era. (2) Time pressure had a positive relationship with emotional exhaustion and a negative relationship with mental health. (3) Perceived social support was negatively correlated with emotional exhaustion but positively correlated with student engagement, and thus improved mental health. Results of this study with a sample of first-year college students in China support the hypotheses based on the SD-R model. These findings suggest that increasing perceived social support and student engagement while decreasing time pressure and emotional exhaustion may promote mental health among first-year college students.
A Slippery Slope When Using an Evidence-Based Intervention Out of Context. How Professionals Perceive and Navigate the Fidelity-Adaptation Dilemma—A Qualitative Study
Authors: Zetterlund Johanna , von Thiele Schwarz Ulrica , Hasson Henna , Neher Margit
Published: June 2022

Introduction

Adaptations are often necessary to effectively translate evidence-based interventions (EBI) between contexts, but compliance with the EBIs' core components is still important, which is referred to as the fidelity–adaptation dilemma. In the sustainment phase of implementation, it is the professionals delivering the EBIs who are tasked with the decision-making regarding adaptations, but the currently used models and frameworks mostly focus on the initial phases of implementation. To better understand and guide professionals in using EBIs, there is a need to explore professionals' perceptions of the fidelity–adaptation dilemma. The aim of this study is consequently to explore how professionals perceive and navigate the fidelity–adaptation dilemma when using an EBI out of context.

Materials and Methods

Semi-structured interviews were held with 19 psychologists working in primary care. The interviews concerned EBIs in general and Cool Kids, an evidence-based parenting education program designed for children with anxiety that is now used for children with lower levels of anxiety in another setting. The data were analyzed using an inductive content analysis method.

Results

The analysis resulted in two themes: My standpoint regarding fidelity and adaptation is clear and Managing fidelity and adaptations is complicated. The first theme summarizes the professionals' perceptions of confidence for either favoring fidelity or adaptations, as well as reasons for why they made adaptations. For the second theme, the professionals expressed concern about sometimes meeting difficulties with the dilemma when following their original inclination and having second thoughts about the impact the adaptations have in practice.

Conclusion

The professionals generally had strong preferences regarding fidelity and adaptations, but neither preference prevented them from facing difficulties with the dilemma. The results point to a need for better information about possible adaptations from developers but also better support and guidance for professionals when implementing EBIs to ensure quality implementation and facilitate implementation. The results of this study can inform the design of support for professionals in managing the dilemma.
Accuracy of UAV Photogrammetry in Glacial and Periglacial Alpine Terrain: A Comparison With Airborne and Terrestrial Datasets
Authors: Groos Alexander R. , Aeschbacher Reto , Fischer Mauro , Kohler Nadine , Mayer Christoph , Senn-Rist Armin
Published: June 2022

Unoccupied Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) equipped with optical instruments are increasingly deployed in high mountain environments to investigate and monitor glacial and periglacial processes. The comparison and fusion of UAV data with airborne and terrestrial data offers the opportunity to analyse spatio-temporal changes in the mountains and to upscale findings from local UAV surveys to larger areas. However, due to the lack of gridded high-resolution data in alpine terrain, the specific challenges and uncertainties associated with the comparison and fusion of multi-temporal data from different platforms in this environment are not well known. Here we make use of UAV, airborne, and terrestrial data from four (peri)glacial alpine study sites with different topographic settings. The aim is to assess the accuracy of UAV photogrammetric products in complex terrain, to point out differences to other products, and to discuss best practices regarding the fusion of multi-temporal data. The surface geometry and characteristic geomorphological features of the four alpine sites are well captured by the UAV data, but the positional accuracies vary greatly. They range from 15 cm (root-mean-square error) for the smallest survey area (0.2 km2) with a high ground control point (GCP) density (40 GCPs km−2) to 135 cm for the largest survey area (>2.5 km2) with a lower GCP density (<10 GCPs km−2). Besides a small number and uneven distribution of GCPs, a low contrast, and insufficient lateral image overlap (<50–70%) seem to be the main causes for the distortions and artefacts found in the UAV data. Deficiencies both in the UAV and airborne data are the reason for horizontal deviations observed between the datasets. In steep terrain, horizontal deviations of a few decimetres may result in surface elevation change errors of several metres. An accurate co-registration and evaluation of multi-temporal UAV, airborne, and terrestrial data using tie points in stable terrain is therefore of utmost importance when it comes to the investigation of surface displacements and elevation changes in the mountains. To enhance the accuracy and quality of UAV photogrammetry, the use of UAVs equipped with multi-spectral cameras and high-precision positioning systems is recommended, especially in rugged terrain and snow-covered areas.
Interferon Alpha-Inducible Protein 27 Expression Is Linked to Disease Severity in Chronic Infection of Both HIV-1 and HIV-2
Authors: Palm Angelica A. , Veerla Srinivas , Lindman Jacob , Isberg Per-Erik , Johansson Emil , Biague Antonio , Månsson Fredrik , Norrgren Hans , Esbjörnsson Joakim , Medstrand Patrik , Jansson Marianne
Published: June 2022

Disease progression is slower in HIV-2, as compared with HIV-1 infection, in accordance with low or undetectable plasma viremia at viral setpoint. However, it is unclear why most HIV-2 infected individuals are still at risk of developing AIDS. To explore if specific host responses are linked to HIV disease severity, we have compared blood gene expression profiles between HIV seronegative and HIV-1, HIV-2 or dually HIV-1/HIV-2 infected individuals. In this study the gene encoding Interferon alpha-inducible protein 27 (IFI27) was found to be the most differentially expressed. Detailed expression analysis revealed significantly higher IFI27 expression in HIV infected individuals compared with seronegative individuals, irrespectively of HIV type. Moreover, IFI27 expression was higher in HIV-1 than in HIV-2 infected individuals. Multiple linear regression analysis, adjusting for age and sex, showed also that plasma viral load was the strongest predictor of IFI27 expression, followed by CD4% and HIV type. In line with this, IFI27 expression was found to be higher in HIV-2 viremic, compared with HIV-2 aviremic individuals. Still, HIV-2 aviremic individuals displayed elevated IFI27 expression compared with seronegative individuals. Furthermore, in HIV-2 infected individuals, IFI27 expression was also correlated with plasma markers previously linked to inflammation and disease progression in HIV infection. Taken together, our findings suggest that sustained elevation of type I interferon signaling, here reflected by elevated IFI27 expression in the chronic infection phase, is a key pathogenic feature of both HIV-1 and HIV-2.
Economic and Environmental Assessment of Olive Agroforestry Practices in Northern Greece
Authors: Tziolas Emmanouil , Ispikoudis Stefanos , Mantzanas Konstantinos , Koutsoulis Dimitrios , Pantera Anastasia
Published: June 2022

Preservation and promotion of agroforestry systems entails the ideology for more ecosystem services, additional biodiversity benefits and climate change mitigation. Furthermore, farmland and forest landscapes and the consequent benefits to the environment from their combination, enhance the importance of agroforestry systems towards sustainable environmental policies. Nevertheless, traditional agroforestry systems face significant adaptation problems, especially in the EU, due to continuous economic reforms and strict agri-environmental measures. In this context our main goal is to assess the current managerial framework of two agroforestry systems and more specifically the olive agroforestry practices in Northern Greece. The economic and environmental implications of four different production plans are highlighted following the Life Cycle Costing and the Life Cycle Assessment protocols. The production plans include the simultaneous cultivation of annual crops, such as vetch and barley, along with olive groves. Potential environmental impacts are depicted in CO2 equivalents, while the economic allocation of costs is divided in targeted categories (e.g., raw materials, labor, land rent, etc.). The results indicate significant deviations among the four production plans, with the combination of olive trees and barley being heavily dependent on fertilization. Furthermore, the open-spaced olive trees intercropped with a mixture of barley and commonly depicted the lowest CO2 eq. emissions, though the economic cost was significantly higher than the other agroforestry system intercropped with barley only. The authors suggest that the formulation of a decision support system for agroforestry systems should be taken into account in order to preserve current agroforestry systems.
The Role of Reactive Oxygen Species in the Rheumatoid Arthritis-Associated Synovial Microenvironment
Authors: Wang Xing , Fan Danping , Cao Xiaoxue , Ye Qinbin , Wang Qiong , Zhang Mengxiao , Xiao Cheng
Published: June 2022

Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is an inflammatory disease that begins with a loss of tolerance to modified self-antigens and immune system abnormalities, eventually leading to synovitis and bone and cartilage degradation. Reactive oxygen species (ROS) are commonly used as destructive or modifying agents of cellular components or they act as signaling molecules in the immune system. During the development of RA, a hypoxic and inflammatory situation in the synovium maintains ROS generation, which can be sustained by increased DNA damage and malfunctioning mitochondria in a feedback loop. Oxidative stress caused by abundant ROS production has also been shown to be associated with synovitis in RA. The goal of this review is to examine the functions of ROS and related molecular mechanisms in diverse cells in the synovial microenvironment of RA. The strategies relying on regulating ROS to treat RA are also reviewed.
Does Intestine Morphology Still Have Secrets to Reveal? A Proposal about the “Ghost” Layer of the Bowel
Authors: Cappello Francesco , Saguto Dario , Burgio Stefano , Paladino Letizia , Bucchieri Fabio
Published: June 2022

In this brief Opinion paper, the term “muco-microbiotic layer” is introduced to describe the innermost layer of the intestinal wall. This layer may contribute not only to the overall health of the bowel, but also to that of extraintestinal organs. Its constituents, in terms of soluble molecules and nanovesicles, need to be studied further. Moreover, one can hypothesize the existence of an analogous layer in other organs, such as the airways or some parts of the genital tracts. Further studies on it are needed.
Improved DeepSORT Algorithm Based on Multi-Feature Fusion
Authors: Liu Haiying , Pei Yuncheng , Bei Qiancheng , Deng Lixia
Published: June 2022

At present, the detection-based pedestrian multi-target tracking algorithm is widely used in artificial intelligence, unmanned driving cars, virtual reality and other fields, and has achieved good tracking results. The traditional DeepSORT algorithm mainly tracks multiple pedestrian targets continuously, and can keep the ID unchanged. The applicability and tracking accuracy of the algorithm need to be further improved during tracking. In order to improve the tracking accuracy of the DeepSORT method, we propose a novel algorithm by revising the IOU distance metric in the matching process and integrating Feature Pyramid Network (FPN) and multi-layer pedestrian appearance features. The improved algorithm is verified on the public MOT-16 dataset, and the tracking accuracy of the algorithm is improved by 4.1%.
Contribution of Model Organisms to Investigating the Far-Reaching Consequences of PRPP Metabolism on Human Health and Well-Being
Authors: Ugbogu Eziuche A. , Schweizer Lilian M. , Schweizer Michael
Published: June 2022

Phosphoribosyl pyrophosphate synthetase (PRS EC 2.7.6.1) is a rate-limiting enzyme that irreversibly catalyzes the formation of phosphoribosyl pyrophosphate (PRPP) from ribose-5-phosphate and adenosine triphosphate (ATP). This key metabolite is required for the synthesis of purine and pyrimidine nucleotides, the two aromatic amino acids histidine and tryptophan, the cofactors nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD+) and nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate (NADP+), all of which are essential for various life processes. Despite its ubiquity and essential nature across the plant and animal kingdoms, PRPP synthetase displays species-specific characteristics regarding the number of gene copies and architecture permitting interaction with other areas of cellular metabolism. The impact of mutated PRS genes in the model eukaryote Saccharomyces cerevisiae on cell signalling and metabolism may be relevant to the human neuropathies associated with PRPS mutations. Human PRPS1 and PRPS2 gene products are implicated in drug resistance associated with recurrent acute lymphoblastic leukaemia and progression of colorectal cancer and hepatocellular carcinoma. The investigation of PRPP metabolism in accepted model organisms, e.g., yeast and zebrafish, has the potential to reveal novel drug targets for treating at least some of the diseases, often characterized by overlapping symptoms, such as Arts syndrome and respiratory infections, and uncover the significance and relevance of human PRPS in disease diagnosis, management, and treatment.
Procoagulant Activity in Amniotic Fluid Is Associated with Fetal-Derived Extracellular Vesicles
Authors: Butov Kirill R. , Karetnikova Natalia A. , Pershin Dmitry Y. , Trofimov Dmitry Y. , Panteleev Mikhail A.
Published: June 2022

Procoagulant activity in amniotic fluid (AF) is positively correlated with phosphatidylserine (PS) and tissue factor (TF)-expressing(+) extracellular vesicles (EVs). However, it is unknown if pathological fetal conditions may affect the composition, phenotype, and procoagulant potency of EVs in AF. We sought to evaluate EV-dependent procoagulant activity in AF from pregnant people with fetuses with or without diagnosed chromosomal mutations. AF samples were collected by transabdominal amniocentesis and assessed for common karyotype defects (total n = 11, 7 healthy and 4 abnormal karyotypes). The procoagulant activity of AF was tested using a fibrin generation assay with normal pooled plasma and plasmas deficient in factors XII, XI, IX, X, V, and VII. EV number and phenotype were determined by flow cytometry with anti-CD24 and anti-TF antibodies. We report that factor-VII-, X-, or V-deficient plasmas did not form fibrin clots in the presence of AF. Clotting time was significantly attenuated in AF samples with chromosomal mutations. In addition, CD24+, TF+, and CD24+ TF+ EV counts were significantly lower in this group. Finally, we found a significant correlation between EV counts and the clotting time induced by AF. In conclusion, we show that AF samples with chromosomal mutations had fewer fetal-derived CD24-bearing and TF-bearing EVs, which resulted in diminished procoagulant potency. This suggests that fetal-derived EVs are the predominant source of procoagulant activity in AF.
Quality Assessment of Medicinal Plants via Chemometric Exploration of Quantitative NMR Data: A Review
Authors: Rebiai Abdelkrim , Seghir Bachir Ben , Hemmami Hadia , Zeghoud Soumeia , Amor Ilham Ben , Kouadri Imane , Messaoudi Mohammed , Pasdaran Ardalan , Caruso Gianluca , Sharma Somesh , Atanassova Maria , Pohl Pawel
Published: June 2022

Since ancient times, herbal medicines (HM) have played a vital role in worldwide healthcare systems. It is therefore critical that a thorough evaluation of the quality and control of its complicated chemical makeup be conducted, in order to ensure its efficacy and safety. The notion of HM chemical prints, which aim to acquire a full characterization of compound chemical matrices, has become one of the most persuasive techniques for HM quality evaluation during the last few decades. The link between NMR and chemometrics is discussed in this article. The chemometric latent variable technique has been shown to be extremely valuable in inductive studies of biological systems as well as in solving industrial challenges. The results of unsupervised data exploration utilizing main component analysis as well as the multivariate curve resolution, were various. On the other hand, many contemporary NMR applications in metabolomics and quality control are based on supervised regression or classification analyses.
Research on Energy Saving and Environmental Protection Management Evaluation of Listed Companies in Energy Industry Based on Portfolio Weight Cloud Model
Authors: Li Shanshan , Wang Yujie , Zheng Yuannan , Geng Jichao , Zhu Junqi
Published: June 2022

Under the background of the “carbon peaking and carbon neutrality” strategy, energy saving and environmental protection (ESEP) management has become one of the most important projects of enterprises. In order to evaluate the ESEP management level of listed companies in the energy industry comprehensively, this study puts forward the evaluation framework of “governance framework-implementation process-governance effectiveness” for ESEP management level. Based on the comprehensive collection and collating of related information reports (e.g., sustainable development reports) of listed energy companies from 2009 to 2018, the ESEP information was extracted, and the portfolio weight cloud model was used to evaluate the ESEP management status of listed energy companies in China. It is of great theoretical innovation and practical significance to promote the evolution of the economy from “green development” to “dark green development”. The results show that: (1) the number of SHEE information released by listed companies in the energy industry shows a steady increasing trend, but the release rate is low, and there are differentiation characteristics in different industries. (2) The ESEP management level of most listed companies in the energy industry is still at the low level, and only 17.19% (S = 65) of the sample companies are at the level of “IV level-acceptable” and “V level-claimable”. (3) In terms of governance framework-implementation process-governance effectiveness, B1-governance framework (Ex = 3.4451) and B2-implementation process (Ex = 2.9480) are relatively high, but B3-governance effectiveness (Ex = 2.0852) and B4-public welfare (Ex = 2.0556) are relatively low. The expectation of most ESEP evaluation indexes fluctuates between “III level-transition level” and “II Level-improvement level”. Finally, some suggestions are put forward to improve ESEP management levels.
The Online Parameter Identification Method of Permanent Magnet Synchronous Machine under Low-Speed Region Considering the Inverter Nonlinearity
Authors: Zhang Qiushi , Fan Ying
Published: June 2022

To realize the high-performance control of a servo system, parameter accuracy is very important for the design of the controller. Thus, the online parameter identification method has been widely researched. However, the nonlinearity of the inverter will lead to an increase in resistance identification error and the fluctuation of inductance identification results. Especially in the low-speed region, the influence of the inverter is more obvious. In this paper, an offline neural network is proposed considering the parasitic capacitance to identify the nonlinearity of the inverter. Based on the Kirchhoff equation in the static state of the motor, the nonlinear voltage equation is established, and the gradient direction of the weight coefficients has been re-derived. Using the gradient descent method, the identification error can converge to zero. Moreover, the d-axis voltage equation is established considering the nonlinearity of the inverter and an online adaptive observer was proposed. Based on the Lyapunov equation, the adaptive laws are derived. Further, the decoupling of the deadtime voltage and resistance voltage is realized by using the result of neural network identification. With the proposed algorithm, nonlinear identification of the inverter characteristics is realized, and the resistance and inductance identification accuracy in the low-speed region is improved. The effectiveness of the proposed methods is verified through experimental results.
Valorization of Wheat Bran by Three Fungi Solid-State Fermentation: Physicochemical Properties, Antioxidant Activity and Flavor Characteristics
Authors: Li Ningjie , Wang Songjun , Wang Tianli , Liu Rui , Zhi Zijian , Wu Tao , Sui Wenjie , Zhang Min
Published: June 2022

Three medicinal fungi were used to carry out solid-state fermentation (SSF) of wheat bran. The results showed that the use of these fungi for SSF significantly improved wheat bran’s nutritional properties including the extraction yield of soluble dietary fiber (SDF), total phenolic content (TPC), total flavonoid content (TFC), physical properties containing swelling capacity (SC) and oil absorption capacity (OAC), as well as antioxidant activities. Electronic nose and GC–MS analyses showed that fermented wheat bran had different volatiles profiles compared to unfermented wheat bran. The results suggest that SSF by medicinal fungi is a promising way for the high-value utilization of wheat bran.
Microstructure, Digestibility and Physicochemical Properties of Rice Grains after Radio Frequency Treatment
Authors: Zhang Zhenna , Zhang Bin , Zhu Lin , Zhao Wei
Published: June 2022

Radio frequency (RF) energy has been successfully applied to rice drying, sterilization, and controlling pests. However, the effects of RF treatment on the microstructure, physicochemical properties, and digestibility of rice have rarely been studied. This study investigated the alteration of a multiscale structure, pasting, rheology, and digestibility of rice grains after the RF treatment. A microstructure analysis demonstrated that the RF treatment caused starch gelatinization and protein denaturation in rice grains with an increasing treatment time. After the RF treatment, indica and japonica rice (IR and JR) remained as A-type crystals, with the formation of an amylose–lipid complex. In contrast, the crystalline structure of waxy rice (WR) was disrupted. The RF treatment led to a decrease in crystallinity and short-range ordered structures. However, the DSC results indicated that the RF treatment enhanced the To, Tp, and Tc of IR and JR. The RF treatment resulted in an increase in the resistant starch (RS) of IR and JR, thereby reducing the digestibility. In addition, the pasting profiles of IR and JR after RF treatment were reduced with the increase in treatment time, while the RF-treated WR showed an opposite trend. The storage modulus (G′) and loss modulus (G″) of all samples after the RF treatment obviously increased compared to the control.
Effect of Commercial Yeast Starter Cultures on Cabernet Sauvignon Wine Aroma Compounds and Microbiota
Authors: Wang Meiqi , Wang Jiarong , Chen Jiawei , Philipp Christian , Zhao Xiaoning , Wang Jie , Liu Yaqiong , Suo Ran
Published: June 2022

Commercial Saccharomyces cerevisiae plays an important role in the traditional winemaking industry. In this study, the correlation of microbial community and aroma compound in the process of alcohol fermentation of Cabernet Sauvignon by four different commercial starters was investigated. The results showed that there was no significant difference in the fermentation parameters of the four starters, but there were differences in microbial diversity among the different starters. The wine samples fermented by CEC01 had higher microbial abundance. GC-MS detected a total of 58 aromatic compounds from the fermentation process by the experimental yeasts. There were 25 compounds in the F6d variant, which was higher than in other samples. The PCA score plot showed that 796 and F15 yeast-fermented wines had similar aromatic characteristic compositions. According to partial least squares (PLS, VIP > 1.0) analysis and Spearman’s correlation analysis, 11, 8, 8 and 10 microbial genera were identified as core microorganisms in the fermentation of 796, CEC01, CECA and F15 starter, respectively. Among them, Leuconostoc, Lactobacillus, Sphingomonas and Pseudomonas played an important role in the formation of aroma compounds such as Ethyl caprylate, Ethyl caprate and Ethyl-9-decenoate. These results can help us to have a better understanding of the effects of microorganisms on wine aroma and provide a theoretical basis for improving the flavor quality of Cabernet Sauvignon wine.
Arabinogalactan Proteins: Focus on the Role in Cellulose Synthesis and Deposition during Plant Cell Wall Biogenesis
Authors: Lin Sue , Miao Yingjing , Huang Huiting , Zhang Yuting , Huang Li , Cao Jiashu
Published: June 2022

Arabinogalactan proteins (AGPs) belong to a family of glycoproteins that are widely present in plants. AGPs are mostly composed of a protein backbone decorated with complex carbohydrate side chains and are usually anchored to the plasma membrane or secreted extracellularly. A trickle of compelling biochemical and genetic evidence has demonstrated that AGPs make exciting candidates for a multitude of vital activities related to plant growth and development. However, because of the diversity of AGPs, functional redundancy of AGP family members, and blunt-force research tools, the precise functions of AGPs and their mechanisms of action remain elusive. In this review, we put together the current knowledge about the characteristics, classification, and identification of AGPs and make a summary of the biological functions of AGPs in multiple phases of plant reproduction and developmental processes. In addition, we especially discuss deeply the potential mechanisms for AGP action in different biological processes via their impacts on cellulose synthesis and deposition based on previous studies. Particularly, five hypothetical models that may explain the AGP involvement in cellulose synthesis and deposition during plant cell wall biogenesis are proposed. AGPs open a new avenue for understanding cellulose synthesis and deposition in plants.
Transcriptomic Analysis of the CM-334/P. capsici/N. aberrans Pathosystem to Identify Components in Plant Resistance and Resistance-Breaking Responses
Authors: Nabor-Romero Olivia , Rojas-Martínez Reyna Isabel , Zavaleta-Mejía Emma , Vega-Arreguin Julio , Ochoa-Martínez Daniel , Sánchez-Flores Alejandro , Romo-Castillo Mariana
Published: June 2022

Phytophthora capsici is an important pathogen worldwide because its spread affects pepper production globally. The “Criollo de Morelos” pepper 334 (CM-334) is resistant to P. capsici strains, regardless of the aggressiveness of the strain or the environmental conditions. However, when the nematode Nacobbus aberrans infects peppers, they lose this resistance by a process defined as “Resistance-breaking”. Breakdown of resistance results from a transcriptomic reconfiguration of the pepper that induces some defense genes, such as WRKY-a, POX, and EAS. The interest in identifying and describing the resistance process to P. capsici, and the breakdown that occurs by N. aberrans, has allowed us to establish a model in which we can analyze the modulation process in both scenarios and identify this transcriptomic modulation. The objective of the present work is to carry out a transcriptomic analysis that demonstrates the modulation of resistance and resistance-breaking processes. It would allow us to identify relevant genes in the early (12 h) and late (24 h) stages in these processes of the CM-334 pepper. Our findings demonstrate that modulation of resistance and resistance-breaking are independent processes that depend on the presence of both pathogens (P. capsici and N. aberrans) and that their timing modulation is dynamic.