bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Patients with advanced pancreatic and biliary cancer appear vulnerable to SARS-CoV-2 Omicron variant: An observational study during the COVID-19 outbreak in Shanghai
Authors: Han Tao , Chen Lujun , Gu Jia , Wu Shen , Maihemuti Maiweilan , Yang Jue , Wang Hao , Wu Jun , Zhang Yue , Cong Yun , Wang Jiening , Chen Tingsong
Published: March 2023

Background

The COVID-19 pandemic has spread rapidly across the globe. Cancer patients have a higher risk of severe infections and associated mortality than the general population. However, the lethal effect of Omicron-variant affection on advanced pancreatic and biliary cancer patients is still not clear. Herein, we designed an observational study to shed light on the influence of the Omicron variant on this so-called “King of Cancer” and improve management of these patients with COVID-19 in the future.

Methods

Omicron-infected patients with advanced pancreatic and biliary cancer were enrolled from 15 April to 31 May 2022. Four groups were set up in this study: Group 1, Omicron-infected cancer patients (N = 4); Group 2, non-infected cancer patients (N = 4); Group 3, infected non-cancer-afflicted subjects (N = 4); Group 4, non-infected non-cancer-afflicted subjects (N = 4). On Days 0, 7, and 14 after infection, the blood samples were collected dynamically from all subjects. The primary endpoints were disease severity and survival.

Results

At the endpoint of this observational study, Patient Nos. 2, 3, and 4 died separately on Days 11, 25, and 13 after viral infection. All of them had advanced cancer, with a death rate of up to 75%. Group 1 presented an overall T-cell exhaustion status compared with other groups. Group 1 had obviously lower T-cell populations and higher B-cell percentages and CD4+T/CD8+T ratios (P <0.05). Time-course cytokine monitoring results showed that IL-1β was significantly decreased in Group 1 (P <0.05) and generally kept at a low level without obvious fluctuation. IL-6 was markedly increased in infected cancer patients (P <0.01) but remained at a low level and had no apparent change during the whole infection process in non-cancer-afflicted subjects. Furthermore, several inflammatory parameter indexes indicated a tight association of Omicron infection with the disease course and prognosis of Omicron-infected cancer patients.

Conclusions

Advanced pancreatic and biliary cancer patients with Omicron infection have severe symptoms and poor outcomes. More attention, protective measures, and routine healthcare services should be recommended to these vulnerable populations in clinical practice during the pandemic in the foreseeable future.
Lynch syndrome cancer vaccines: A roadmap for the development of precision immunoprevention strategies
Authors: Sei Shizuko , Ahadova Aysel , Keskin Derin B. , Bohaumilitzky Lena , Gebert Johannes , von Knebel Doeberitz Magnus , Lipkin Steven M. , Kloor Matthias
Published: March 2023

Hereditary cancer syndromes (HCS) account for 5~10% of all cancer diagnosis. Lynch syndrome (LS) is one of the most common HCS, caused by germline mutations in the DNA mismatch repair (MMR) genes. Even with prospective cancer surveillance, LS is associated with up to 50% lifetime risk of colorectal, endometrial, and other cancers. While significant progress has been made in the timely identification of germline pathogenic variant carriers and monitoring and early detection of precancerous lesions, cancer-risk reduction strategies are still centered around endoscopic or surgical removal of neoplastic lesions and susceptible organs. Safe and effective cancer prevention strategies are critically needed to improve the life quality and longevity of LS and other HCS carriers. The era of precision oncology driven by recent technological advances in tumor molecular profiling and a better understanding of genetic risk factors has transformed cancer prevention approaches for at-risk individuals, including LS carriers. MMR deficiency leads to the accumulation of insertion and deletion mutations in microsatellites (MS), which are particularly prone to DNA polymerase slippage during DNA replication. Mutations in coding MS give rise to frameshift peptides (FSP) that are recognized by the immune system as neoantigens. Due to clonal evolution, LS tumors share a set of recurrent and predictable FSP neoantigens in the same and in different LS patients. Cancer vaccines composed of commonly recurring FSP neoantigens selected through prediction algorithms have been clinically evaluated in LS carriers and proven safe and immunogenic. Preclinically analogous FSP vaccines have been shown to elicit FSP-directed immune responses and exert tumor-preventive efficacy in murine models of LS. While the immunopreventive efficacy of “off-the-shelf” vaccines consisting of commonly recurring FSP antigens is currently investigated in LS clinical trials, the feasibility and utility of personalized FSP vaccines with individual HLA-restricted epitopes are being explored for more precise targeting. Here, we discuss recent advances in precision cancer immunoprevention approaches, emerging enabling technologies, research gaps, and implementation barriers toward clinical translation of risk-tailored prevention strategies for LS carriers. We will also discuss the feasibility and practicality of next-generation cancer vaccines that are based on personalized immunogenic epitopes for precision cancer immunoprevention.
Therapeutic potential of bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells in cyclophosphamide-induced infertility
Authors: Ibrahim Dalia , Abozied Nadia , Abdel Maboud Samar , Alzamami Ahmad , Alturki Norah A. , Jaremko Mariusz , Alanazi Maram Khalil , Alhuthali Hayaa M. , Seddek Asmaa
Published: March 2023

Cancer is a deadly disease characterized by abnormal cell proliferation. Chemotherapy is one technique of cancer treatment. Cyclophosphamide (CYP) is the most powerful chemotherapy medication, yet it has serious adverse effects. It is an antimitotic medicine that regulates cell proliferation and primarily targets quickly dividing cells, and it has been related to varying levels of infertility in humans. In the current study, we assessed the biochemical, histological, and microscopic evaluations of testicular damage following cyclophosphamide administration. Further, we have explored the potential protective impact of mesenchymal stem cell (MSCs) transplantation. The biochemical results revealed that administration of cyclophosphamide increased serum concentrations of follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) and luteinizing hormone (LH), while it decreased serum concentrations of free testosterone hormone (TH), testicular follicle-stimulating hormone, luteinizing hormone, and free testosterone hormone concentrations, testicular total antioxidant capacity (TAC), and testicular activity of superoxide dismutase (SOD) enzyme. The histology and sperm examinations revealed that cyclophosphamide induced destruction to the architectures of several tissues in the testes, which drastically reduced the Johnsen score as well as the spermatogenesis process. Surprisingly, transplantation of mesenchymal stem cell after cyclophosphamide administration altered the deterioration effect of cyclophosphamide injury on the testicular tissues, as demonstrated by biochemical and histological analysis. Our results indicated alleviation of serum and testicular sex hormones, as well as testicular oxidative stress markers (total antioxidant capacity and superoxide dismutase activity), and nearly restored the normal appearance of the testicular tissues, Johnsen score, and spermatogenesis process. In conclusion, our work emphasizes the protective pharmacological use of mesenchymal stem cell to mitigate the effects of cyclophosphamide on testicular tissues that impair the spermatogenesis process following chemotherapy. These findings indicate that transferring mesenchymal stem cell to chemotherapy patients could significantly improve spermatogenesis.
Effects of 1-methyl-1, 2, 3, 4-tetrahydroisoquinoline on a diabetic neuropathic pain model
Authors: Tokhi Ahmed , Ahmed Zainab , Arif Mehreen , Rehman Naeem Ur , Sheibani Vahid , Sewell Robert D. E. , Rauf Khalid
Published: March 2023

Background: Neuropathy is a prevalent and debilitating complication of poorly managed diabetes, contributing towards poor quality of life, amputation risk, and increased mortality. The available therapies for diabetic neuropathic pain (DPN) have limitations in terms of efficacy, tolerability and patient compliance. Dysfunction in the peripheral and central monoaminergic system has been evidenced in various types of neuropathic and acute pain. The objective of the present study was to investigate 1-methyl 1, 2, 3, 4-tetrahydroisoquinoline (1MeTIQ), an endogenous amine found in human brain with a known neuroprotective profile, in a model of streptozotocin (STZ) induced neuropathic pain.

Methods: Diabetic neuropathy in male BALB/c mice was induced by intraperitoneal injection of a single dose of STZ (200 mg/kg). Upon development of DPN after 4 weeks, mice were investigated for mechanical allodynia (von Frey filament pressure test) and thermal hyperalgesia (tail immersion test). Ondansetron (1.0 mg/kg i.p.), naloxone (3.0 mg/kg i.p.) and yohimbine (2.0 mg/kg i.p.) were used to elucidate the possible mechanism involved. Postmortem frontal cortical, striatal and hippocampal tissues were dissected and evaluated for changes in levels of dopamine, noradrenaline and serotonin using High-Performance Liquid Chromatography (HPLC) with UV detection.

Results: Acute administration of 1MeTIQ (15–45 mg/kg i.p.) reversed streptozotocin-induced diabetic neuropathic static mechanical allodynia (von Frey filament pressure test) and thermal hyperalgesia (tail immersion test), these outcomes being comparable to standard gabapentin. Furthermore, HPLC analysis revealed that STZ-diabetic mice expressed lower concentrations of serotonin in all three brain regions examined, while dopamine was diminished in the striatum and 1MeTIQ reversed all these neurotransmitter modifications. These findings suggest that the antihyperalgesic/antiallodynic activity of 1MeTIQ may be mediated in part via supraspinal opioidergic and monoaminergic modulation since they were naloxone, yohimbine and ondansetron reversible.

Conclusion: It was also concluded that acute treatment with 1MeTIQ ameliorated STZ-induced mechanical allodynia and thermal hyperalgesia and restored brain regionally altered serotonin and dopamine concentrations which signify a potential for 1MeTIQ in the management of DPN.
Lung function measurements in preclinical research: What has been done and where is it headed?
Authors: Ahookhosh Kaveh , Vanoirbeek Jeroen , Vande Velde Greetje
Published: March 2023

Due to the close interaction of lung morphology and functions, repeatable measurements of pulmonary function during longitudinal studies on lung pathophysiology and treatment efficacy have been a great area of interest for lung researchers. Spirometry, as a simple and quick procedure that depends on the maximal inspiration of the patient, is the most common lung function test in clinics that measures lung volumes against time. Similarly, in the preclinical area, plethysmography techniques offer lung functional parameters related to lung volumes. In the past few decades, many innovative techniques have been introduced for in vivo lung function measurements, while each one of these techniques has their own advantages and disadvantages. Before each experiment, depending on the sensitivity of the required pulmonary functional parameters, it should be decided whether an invasive or non-invasive approach is desired. On one hand, invasive techniques offer sensitive and specific readouts related to lung mechanics in anesthetized and tracheotomized animals at endpoints. On the other hand, non-invasive techniques allow repeatable lung function measurements in conscious, free-breathing animals with readouts related to the lung volumes. The biggest disadvantage of these standard techniques for lung function measurements is considering the lung as a single unit and providing only global readouts. However, recent advances in lung imaging modalities such as x-ray computed tomography and magnetic resonance imaging opened new doors toward obtaining both anatomical and functional information from the same scan session, without the requirement for any extra pulmonary functional measurements, in more regional and non-invasive manners. Consequently, a new field of study called pulmonary functional imaging was born which focuses on introducing new techniques for regional quantification of lung function non-invasively using imaging-based techniques. This narrative review provides first an overview of both invasive and non-invasive conventional methods for lung function measurements, mostly focused on small animals for preclinical research, including discussions about their advantages and disadvantages. Then, we focus on those newly developed, non-invasive, imaging-based techniques that can provide either global or regional lung functional readouts at multiple time-points.
Bilateral index, power, force, and velocity during bench press with different loads in male handball players
Authors: González-Ramírez Andrés , Torres Carol , Magallanes Carlos , Fábrica Carlos Gabriel
Published: March 2023

Bilateral index for upper limbs was determined for maximal force, speed and power in 18 male handball players. Variables were individually assessed with a functional electromechanical dynamometer during unilateral and bilateral bench press push-off for 40%, 60%, and 75% of the maximal isometric force. Limb dominance (symmetry indices) and load effects in the bilateral index were analysed. Bilateral index showed a bilateral deficit for power (range = −8.50 to −41.48) and velocity (range = −11.15 to −38.41), that increases with the load (p < 0.05). For maximum force, a bilateral facilitation (range = 2.26–5.57), which did not vary significantly as a function of load, was observed. Symmetry indices showed no association with the bilateral index (40% load: r = 0.45, 60% load: r = 0.05, 75% load: r = 0.39). These results contribute to understanding the phenomenon; however, individual-to-individual observation reflects that caution should be kept when assessing an individual athlete. In conclusion, bilateral deficit or facilitation for bench press depends on the variable considered, whereas its magnitude depends on the load. Moreover, limb dominance does not affect it. This finding must be regarded as a general trend, but a different situation may occur during the assessment of a particular athlete.
Full-length RNA sequencing reveals the mechanisms by which an TSWV–HCRV complex suppresses plant basal resistance
Authors: Gui Min , Hu Huaran , Jia Zhiqiang , Gao Xue , Tao Hongzheng , Li Yongzhong , Liu Yating
Published: March 2023

Viruses deploy numerous strategies to infect plants, typically by forming complexes with another virus, leading to more efficient infection. However, the detailed plant responses to viral infection and the underlying mechanisms of co-infection remain unclear. Previously, we found that tomato spotted wilt orthotospovirus (TSWV) and Hippeastrum chlorotic ringspot orthotospovirus (HCRV) could infect plants in the field by forming a complex. In this study, we found that TSWV infected tobacco (Nicotiana benthamiana) plants in cooperation with HCRV, leading to a more efficient infection rate of both viruses. We then used the in-depth full-length transcriptome to analyze the responses of N. benthamiana to complex infection by TSWV–HCRV (TH). We found that infection with individual TSWV and HCRV triggered plant defense responses, including the jasmonic acid signaling pathway, autophagy, and secondary metabolism. However, TH co-infection could not trigger and even suppress some genes that are involved in these basal resistance responses, suggesting that co-infection is advantageous for the virus and not for the plants. Typically, the TH complex inhibits NbPR1 expression to suppress tobacco resistance. Moreover, the TH complex could alter the expression of microRNAs (miRNAs), especially novel-m0782-3p and miR1992-3p, which directly interact with NbSAM and NbWRKY6 and suppress their expression in tobacco, leading to downregulation of NbPR1 and loss of resistance in tobacco to TSWV and HCRV viruses. Overall, our results elucidated the co-infection mechanisms of TH in tobacco by deploying the miRNA of plants to suppress plant basal resistance and contributed to developing a novel strategy to control crop disease caused by this virus complex.
Estimating the rice nitrogen nutrition index based on hyperspectral transform technology
Authors: Yu Fenghua , Bai Juchi , Jin Zhongyu , Zhang Honggang , Yang Jiaxin , Xu Tongyu
Published: March 2023

Background and objective

The rapid diagnosis of rice nitrogen nutrition is of great significance to rice field management and precision fertilization. The nitrogen nutrition index (NNI) based on the standard nitrogen concentration curve is a common parameter for the quantitative diagnosis of rice nitrogen nutrition. However, the current NNI estimation methods based on hyperspectral techniques mainly focus on finding a better estimation model while ignoring the relationship between the critical nitrogen concentration curve and rice hyperspectral reflectance.

Methods

This study obtained canopy spectral data using unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) hyperspectral remote sensing and determined the rice critical nitrogen concentration curve and NNI. Taking the spectrum at critical nitrogen concentration as the standard spectrum, the original spectral reflectance and logarithmic spectral reflectance data were transformed by the difference method, and the features of the spectral data were extracted by a Autoencoder. Finally, the NNI inversion models of rice based on Extreme Learning Machine (ELM) and Bald Eagle Search-Extreme Learning Machine (BES-ELM) were constructed by taking the feature bands of four spectral extractions as input variables.

Results

1) from the feature extraction results of the self-encoder, simple logarithmic or difference transformation had little effect on NNI estimation, and logarithmic difference transformation effectively improved the NNI estimation results; 2) the estimation model based on the logarithmic difference spectrum and BES-ELM had the highest estimation accuracy, and the coefficient of determination (R2) values of the training set and verification set were 0.839 and 0.837, and the root mean square error (RMSE) values were 0.075 and 0.073, respectively; 3) according to the NNI, the samples were divided into a nitrogen-rich group (NNI ≥ 1) and nitrogen-deficient group (NNI < 1).

Conclusion

The logarithmic difference transformation of the spectrum can effectively improve the estimation accuracy of the NNI estimation model, providing a new approach for improving NNI estimation methods based on hyperspectral technology.
Temperature influences glyphosate efficacy on glyphosate-resistant and -susceptible goosegrass (Eleusine indica)
Authors: Guo Wenlei , Zhang Chun , Wang Siwei , Zhang Taijie , Tian Xingshan
Published: March 2023

Glyphosate has been widely used to control Eleusine indica and other weeds in South China for many years. Among the most troublesome weeds in South China, E. indica can remain alive all year round. However, the influence of temperature on glyphosate efficacy on E. indica, especially under days with fluctuating temperature, is unknown. This study evaluated the influence of two temperature regimes on glyphosate efficacy on glyphosate-resistant (R) and -susceptible (S) E. indica biotypes. Plants of the R and S biotypes were cultivated under two temperature regimes (high: 30°C/20°C day/night; low: 20°C/15°C day/night). Dose-response experiments showed improved efficacy of glyphosate at the low temperature compared with that at the high temperature for both biotypes. Based on the LD50 values, the R biotype was 8.9 times more resistant to glyphosate than the S biotype at the high temperature; however, the resistance index (R/S) decreased to 3.1 at the low temperature. At 4 days after glyphosate application, shikimic acid accumulation was greater at the low temperature than at the high temperature in plants of both biotypes, and the increase was higher in plants of the R biotype than in the S biotype. At a sublethal glyphosate dose (R: 400 g ai ha−1; S: 200 g ai ha−1), plants grown at the low temperature showed a strong decrease in leaf chlorophyll content and Fv/Fm value compared with those of plants grown at the high temperature and the untreated control. At 3 days after treatment, glyphosate absorption was similar between biotypes at the high temperature, but absorption decreased to 64.9% and 53.1% at the low temperature for the R and S biotypes, respectively. For both biotypes, glyphosate translocation from the leaf to the remainder of the plant was reduced at the low temperature compared with that at the high temperature. No differences in glyphosate translocation were observed between biotypes within each temperature regime. This is the first report on the effect of temperature on glyphosate efficacy on E. indica, and provides important insights for glyphosate application and resistance management.
Visual and cognitive functioning among older adults with low vision before vision rehabilitation: A pilot study
Authors: Aubin Gabrielle , Phillips Natalie , Jaiswal Atul , Johnson Aaron Paul , Joubert Sven , Bachir Vanessa , Kehayia Eva , Wittich Walter
Published: March 2023

Introduction

The occurrence of age-related vision changes is inevitable. However, some of these changes can become pathological. Research indicates that vision and hearing loss is correlated with age-related cognitive decline, and with a higher risk of developing dementia due to Alzheimer’s disease. Low vision rehabilitation could possibly be a protective factor against cognitive decline, as it provides the clients with compensatory strategies to overcome their visual deficits.

Objectives and hypothesis

The aim of this pilot study was to assess correlations between visual and cognitive functions in older adults referred for low vision rehabilitation. We hypothesized that more severe impairment of visual acuity and contrast sensitivity would be correlated with more advanced levels of cognitive impairment. The second objective was to examine which of these correlations would remain significant once established variables that influence cognition are statistically removed (e.g., age, education).

Methods

Thirty-eight older adults (age range: 66–97 years old) with a visual impairment (acuity <20/70) were recruited before the onset of their low vision rehabilitation. They underwent vision (reading acuity, reading speed, contrast sensitivity), hearing (audiogram, speech-in-noise perception) and cognitive (global cognition, memory, executive functions) testing, and demographic information was obtained.

Results and discussion

Correlations among global cognition and visual aid use, memory and reading speed, memory and contrast sensitivity, memory, and visual aid use, and between executive functions and contrast sensitivity were significant. Correlations between contrast sensitivity and memory, as well as between global cognition and visual aid use remained significant after controlling for age and education. The present study is relevant to clinicians who are assessing the cognitive status of older adults, such as neuropsychologists, because it highlights the importance of considering low vision when administering neuropsychological tests, especially to persons who have not yet received rehabilitation for their visual impairment.
The association between information and communication technologies, loneliness and social connectedness: A scoping review
Authors: Petersen Berkley , Khalili-Mahani Najmeh , Murphy Caitlin , Sawchuk Kim , Phillips Natalie , Li Karen Z. H. , Hebblethwaite Shannon
Published: March 2023

Older adults are at a higher risk of loneliness, compared to other demographics. The use of Internet Communication and Technologies (ICTs) among older adults is steadily increasing and given ICTs provide a means of enhancing social connectedness suggests they may have positive effects on reducing loneliness. Therefore, the aim of this scoping review was to examine the research that explores how ICTs may be implicated in mitigating loneliness and increasing social connectedness among older adults. After the examination of 54 articles, we identified three major themes within the literature: (1) ICTs were associated with a reduction in loneliness and increase in wellbeing. (2) ICTs promoted social connectedness by facilitating conversations. (3) Factors such as training, self-efficacy, self-esteem, autonomy, and the design/features, or affordances, of ICTs contribute toward the associations between ICT use and wellbeing. The heterogeneity of methodologies, statistical reporting, the small sample sizes of interventional and observational studies, and the diversity of the experimental contexts underline the challenges of quantitative research in this field and highlights the necessity of tailoring ICT interventions to the needs and contexts of the older users.
Do college entrance examination admission characteristics influence students’ college satisfaction? Evidence from China
Authors: Huang Yifan , Huang Miao , Wang Huijuan , Chen Zhaojun , Liu Xinqiao
Published: March 2023

Students’ college satisfaction is an important part of measuring the quality of college teaching. The admission of college entrance exam is the first step for college students to enter colleges and corresponding majors. Whether they affect students’ college satisfaction after enrollment is related to the formulation and adjustment of college admission strategies and training methods. This paper is based on data from students in colleges in Beijing enrolled in the fall of 2006 and 2008 and adopts propensity score matching to analyze the influence of the admitted characteristics of college entrance exams, such as whether they were accepted by their first choice. We also further explored the heterogeneity. The empirical results show that whether the student was admitted to the first-choice college has a significant positive impact on overall satisfaction and academic and nonacademic satisfaction, while whether the student was admitted to the first-choice major has no significant impact on nonacademic satisfaction. In addition, making an independent major choice has a positive effect on the improvement of overall satisfaction and academic satisfaction, and the impact on overall satisfaction is even greater than that of being admitted to the first-choice major. The impact of the admission characteristics of college entrance examinations on the satisfaction of students in liberal arts and science and students of different types of colleges and universities presents different characteristics.
In English Medium Instruction you can walk and chew gum
Authors: Han ZhaoHong
Published: March 2023

In English Medium Instruction (EMI), one of the biggest challenges is reportedly the teachers’ own lack of English language proficiency. Helping teachers to improve their proficiency while learning about pedagogy is critical to achieving reasonable success in EMI. This article is contextualized in an English language teacher education program conducted in Tunisia. Specifically, I zoom in on a training task that had trainees reading an academic textbook and posting takeaways on an asynchronous platform over a four-week period. The corpus, comprising 50 journal entries produced by five teacher trainees, was analyzed, first using automated tools for natural language processing and then through human coding, for a combination of quantitative and qualitative perspectives, and with a view to deriving a comprehensive understanding of learning as manifested on multiple levels - psychological, cognitive, and linguistic. Results show impressive learning gains both in content and language. I conclude by discussing the findings and implications for EMI.
Social media use for coping with stress and psychological adjustment: A transactional model of stress and coping perspective
Authors: Sun Xiaobei , Li Benjamin J. , Zhang Heng , Zhang Guanwen
Published: March 2023

Introduction

The psychological well-being of individuals has become an essential issue during the global pandemic. As a pervasive activity for individuals to pull through COVID-19, social media use may play a role in psychological well-being. Drawing on the transactional model of stress and coping, the current study investigated the relationships between COVID-19-related stressors and the use of social media to facilitate specific coping strategies. We further investigated how social media coping strategies impact users’ psychological adjustment.

Methods

We collected the data from 641 quarantined residents through a two-wave survey that was conducted in two cities in China during government-mandated lockdowns.

Results

The results showed that perceived COVID-19 stress was related to the intensity of social media use for problem-focused coping, socioemotional coping, and mental disengagement. In addition, individuals’ psychological adjustment was positively associated with social media use for socioemotional coping and mental disengagement while negatively related to problem-focused coping. Age was also found to be a moderator of the relationship between socioemotional coping and psychological adjustment.

Discussion

To relieve pandemic-related stress, individuals can actively utilize social media to implement various coping strategies. However, coping activities with social media may not always induce psychological benefits. By revealing the different levels of psychological adjustment among social media users with specific coping strategies, the current research enriched the literature on the effects of social media use on mental health. Findings from this study suggest the need for the prudent use of social media to cope with public health crises.
Why art? The role of arts in arts and health
Authors: Vickhoff Björn
Published: March 2023

This article is an answer to a report called “What is the evidence on the role of the arts in improving health and well-being?” The authors conclude that the arts have an impact on mental and physical health. Yet, the question of the role of the arts remains unanswered. What is and what is not an art effect? Recently,embodiedtheory has inspired articles on the perception of art. These articles have not yet received attention in the field of Arts and Health. Scholars in psychosomatic medicine have argued for an approach based on recent work in enactive embodied theory to investigate the connection between the body and the mind. The present article examines how key concepts in this theory relate to art. This leads to a discussion of art in terms of empathy—the relation between the internal state of the artist and the internal state of the beholder. I exemplify with a conceptual framework of musical empathy. Implications for health are addressed.
Meta-analysis of structural and functional brain alterations in internet gaming disorder
Authors: Niu Xiaoyu , Gao Xinyu , Zhang Mengzhe , Yang Zhengui , Yu Miaomiao , Wang Weijian , Wei Yarui , Cheng Jingliang , Han Shaoqiang , Zhang Yong
Published: March 2023

Background

Many neuroimaging studies have reported abnormalities in brain structure and function in internet gaming disorder (IGD). However, the findings were divergent. We aimed to provide evidence-based evidence of structural and functional changes in IGD by conducting a meta-analysis integrating these studies quantitatively.

Method

A systematic search was conducted in PubMed, ScienceDirect, Web of Science, and Scopus from January 1, 2010 to October 31, 2021, to identify eligible voxel-based morphometry (VBM) and functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) studies. Brain alternations between IGD subjects and healthy controls (HCs) were compared using the anisotropic seed-based d mapping (AES-SDM) meta-analytic method. Meta-regression analysis was used to investigate the relationship between gray matter volume (GMV) alterations and addiction-related clinical features.

Results

The meta-analysis contained 15 VBM studies (422 IGD patients and 354 HCs) and 30 task-state fMRI studies (617 IGD patients and 550 HCs). Compared with HCs, IGD subjects showed: (1) reduced GMV in the bilateral anterior/median cingulate cortex, superior/inferior frontal gyrus and supplementary motor area; (2) hyperactivation in the bilateral inferior frontal gyrus, precentral gyrus, left precuneus, right inferior temporal gyrus and right fusiform; (3) hypoactivation in the bilateral lingual and the left middle frontal gyrus; and (4) both decreased GMV and increased activation in the left anterior cingulate. Furthermore, Meta-regression revealed that GMV reduction in left anterior cingulate were positively correlated with BIS-11 score [r = 0.725, p = 0.012(uncorrected)] and IAT score [r = 0.761, p = 0.017(uncorrected)].

Conclusion

This meta-analysis showed structural and functional impairments in brain regions related to executive control, cognitive function and reward-based decision making in IGD. Furthermore, multi-domain assessments captured different aspects of neuronal changes in IGD, which may help develop effective interventions as potential therapeutic targets.
Immunological routine laboratory parameters at admission influence the improvement of positive symptoms in schizophrenia patients after pharmacological treatment
Authors: Skalniak Anna , Krzyściak Wirginia , Śmierciak Natalia , Szwajca Marta , Donicz Paulina , Kozicz Tamas , Pilecki Maciej
Published: March 2023

Introduction

The standard care of schizophrenia patients is based on the assessment of their psychotic behavior, using interview-based, subjective scales that measure symptoms severity. We aimed at defining easily accessible and inexpensive blood-derived clinical diagnostic parameters that might serve as objective markers in the prediction of the effects of pharmacological treatment of schizophrenia patients.

Methods

A total of 40 patients with schizophrenia diagnosis according to ICD 10 during psychotic decompensation were included in the study. Blood-based biochemical parameters, BMI and interview-based medical scales of symptom severity were determined – all at admission and after 12 weeks of standard pharmacological treatment.

Results

The drops in scale values were correlated with clinical parameters. All scale changes after treatment were dependent on the value of the given scale at admission, with higher initial values leading to larger drops of the values after treatment. Models based on those correlations were significantly improved when immune and metabolism parameters were included. C4 complement and C-reactive protein (CRP) level at admission were predictive of changes in Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS) subscales related to significant disruption of thought processes, reality testing and disorganization. The pharmacological treatment-driven changes in scales representing negative symptoms were correlated with markers of the patients’ thyroid status and metabolism.

Discussion

We show that objective markers can be obtained by testing immune and metabolic parameters from the patients’ blood and may be added at a low cost to the standard care of schizophrenia patients in order to predict the outcome of pharmacological treatment.
Abbreviated version of Penn State Worry Questionnaire for Chinese adolescents: Age, gender and longitudinal invariance
Authors: Xie Shan-Shan , Xiao Hui-Wen , Lin Rong-Mao
Published: March 2023

The abbreviated version of Penn State Worry Questionnaire (PSWQ-A) has been widely used to assess worry. However, its measurement invariance has been not yet warranted. With a cross-sectional and a longitudinal sample of Chinese adolescents (N1 = 1,329, N2 = 408), this study examined age, gender, and longitudinal invariance of PSWQ-A. Results supported strict invariance, including configural, metric, scalar, and error level, across gender and age in the cross-sectional sample; strict longitudinal measurement invariance was also supported in the longitudinal sample. This study suggests the application of the PSWQ-A in measuring adolescent worry and a basis for comparisons of different populations and occasions for worry.
Role of uric acid as a biomarker of cognitive function in schizophrenia during maintenance period
Authors: Yuan Zelin , Liu Huamin , Zhang Xiaochun , He Yong , Gu Shanyuan , Mo Dan , Wang Shaoli , Huang Zhiwei , Wu Keyi , Zhou Rui , Zhong Qi , Huang Yining , Cao Bifei , Chen Haowen , Wu Xianbo
Published: March 2023

Background

Previous studies involving uric acid (UA) in some specialized disease populations have found that high UA is associated with enhanced patient function. The mechanism to explain this association may be that UA, an important antioxidant, exerts neuroprotective effects. Patients with schizophrenia (SCZ) have severe oxidative stress abnormalities, and cognitive impairment is a major obstacle to their rehabilitation. Only few studies have been conducted on UA and cognitive impairment in SCZ. This study aims to clarify the relationship between UA and cognitive impairment and explore whether UA could be used as a potential biological marker of cognition in SCZ during maintenance period.

Methods

A total of 752 cases of SCZ during maintenance period from Baiyun Jingkang Hospital were included. Cognition was measured using the Mini-Mental State Examination scale. UA was measured using the Plus method. The participants were grouped on the basis of UA to evaluate the association of cognition with low-normal (3.50–5.07 mg/dL for men, 2.50–4.19 mg/dL for women), middle-normal (5.07–6.39 mg/dL for men, 4.19–5.18 mg/dL for women), high-normal (6.39–7.00 mg/dL for men, 5.18–6.00 mg/dL for women), and high (>7.00 mg/dL for men, >6.00 mg/dL for women) levels of UA. Multiple logistic regression and linear regression models and restricted cubic spline (RCS) were utilized to evaluate the relationship.

Results

Uric acid was positively associated with cognitive function. Subgroup analyses showed that high UA was associated with enhanced cognition in participants with low anticholinergic cognitive burden (ACB).

Conclusion

Uric acid may be used as a simple objective biological indicator to assess cognition in SCZ during maintenance period.
Willingness to pay for social health insurance in Ethiopia: A systematic review and meta-analysis
Authors: Bayked Ewunetie Mekashaw , Toleha Husien Nurahmed , Chekole Beletu Berihun , Workneh Birhanu Demeke , Kahissay Mesfin Haile
Published: March 2023

Background

Ethiopia plans to introduce social health insurance with the aim of giving recipients high-quality, long-term universal health care. It was anticipated to be fully operational in 2014. However, due to strong opposition from public employees, the implementation has been delayed multiple times. As a result, more and more studies have been conducted to collect evidence about the issue. However, there is no national pooled evidence regarding the willingness to pay for the scheme. Thus, this review aimed to evaluate the willingness to pay for social health insurance and associated factors in Ethiopia.

Methods

On September 1, 2022, database searches were conducted on Scopus, Hinari, PubMed, Google Scholar, and Semantic Scholar. Based on this search, 19 studies were included in the review. The risk of bias for the included studies was assessed using Joana Briggs Institute checklists. The data were extracted using Microsoft Excel. RevMan-5 was used to conduct the meta-analysis. The effect estimates assessed were the odds ratios at a p-value <0.05 with a 95% CI using the random effect model.

Results

The pooled willingness to pay for social health insurance was 42.25% and was found to be affected by sociodemographic, health and illness status, health service related factors, awareness or knowledge level, perception or attitude toward the scheme, and factors related to the scheme. The pooled result showed that the willingness of participants to pay for the scheme was 16% less likely (OR = 0.84; 95% CI: 0.52–1.36). When the outlier was unchecked, the willingness to pay became 42% less likely (OR = 0.58; 95% CI: 0.37–0.91). The lowest willingness to pay for the scheme was in the Oromia region, while the highest was in Harar. Professionally, teachers were 7.67 times more likely to pay for the scheme (OR = 3.22; 95% CI: 1.80–5.76) than health professionals (OR = 0.42; 95% CI: 0.19–0.93).

Conclusion

The willingness to pay for social health insurance was low, <50%, particularly among health professionals, which urges the Ethiopian health insurance service to deeply look into the issue.
Endocrine disrupting chemicals: A promoter of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease
Authors: Chen Yajie , Wang Yang , Cui Ziqiang , Liu Wenpeng , Liu Baowang , Zeng Qiang , Zhao Xin , Dou Jian , Cao Jinglin
Published: March 2023

Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is the most prevalent liver disorder. With the improvement in human living standards, the prevalence of NAFLD has been increasing in recent years. Endocrine-disrupting chemicals (EDCs) are a class of exogenous chemicals that simulate the effects of hormones in the body. There has been growing evidence regarding the potential effects of EDCs on liver health, especially in NAFLD. This paper aims to summarize the major EDCs that contribute to the growing burden of NAFLD and to raise public awareness regarding the hazards posed by EDCs with the objective of reducing the incidence of NAFLD.
Contemporary pedagogy? The use of theory in practice: An evidence-informed perspective
Authors: Taylor Robin D. , Taylor Jamie , Ashford Michael , Collins Rosie
Published: March 2023

Utilizing cognitive psychology as a foundation, this paper offers a deeper consideration of contemporary theoretical influences on coaching pedagogy. Countering recent dichotomies suggested between pedagogic approaches, we reintroduce key findings from the cognitive tradition and their implications for practice which coaches may find useful. Using cognitive load, novice and expert differences, desirable difficulty, and fidelity, we suggest that the lines drawn between different “pedagogies” may not be as sharp as suggested. Instead, we suggest that coaches avoid defining themselves as being aligned to a specific pedagogical or paradigmatic stance. We conclude by advocating for research informed practice, absent of strict theoretical boundaries and instead, considering contemporary pedagogy as drawing on the needs of the context, the experience of the coach and the best available evidence.
An integrated system for the management of environmental data to support veterinary epidemiology
Authors: Mazzucato Matteo , Marchetti Giulio , Barbujani Marco , Mulatti Paolo , Fornasiero Diletta , Casarotto Claudia , Scolamacchia Francesca , Manca Grazia , Ferrè Nicola
Published: March 2023

Environmental and climatic fluctuations can greatly influence the dynamics of infectious diseases of veterinary concern, or interfere with the implementation of relevant control measures. Including environmental and climatic aspects in epidemiological studies could provide policy makers with new insights to assign resources for measures to prevent or limit the spread of animal diseases, particularly those with zoonotic potential. The ever-increasing number of technologies and tools permits acquiring environmental data from various sources, including ground-based sensors and Satellite Earth Observation (SEO). However, the high heterogeneity of these datasets often requires at least some basic GIS (Geographic Information Systems) and/or coding skills to use them in further analysis. Therefore, the high availability of data does not always correspond to widespread use for research purposes. The development of an integrated data pre-processing system makes it possible to obtain information that could be easily and directly used in subsequent epidemiological analyses, supporting both research activities and the management of disease outbreaks. Indeed, such an approach allows for the reduction of the time spent on searching, downloading, processing and validating environmental data, thereby optimizing available resources and reducing any possible errors directly related to data collection. Although multitudes of free services that allow obtaining SEO data exist nowadays (either raw or pre-processed through a specific coding language), the availability and quality of information can be sub-optimal when dealing with very small scale and local data. In fact, some information sets (e.g., air temperature, rainfall), usually derived from ground-based sensors (e.g., agro-meteo station), are managed, processed and redistributed by agencies operating on a local scale which are often not directly accessible by the most common free SEO services (e.g., Google Earth Engine). The EVE (Environmental data for Veterinary Epidemiology) system has been developed to acquire, pre-process and archive a set of environmental information at various scales, in order to facilitate and speed up access by epidemiologists, researchers and decision-makers, also accounting for the integration of SEO information with locally sensed data.
A Scheduling Solution for Robotic Arm-Based Batching Systems with Multiple Conveyor Belts
Authors: Nielsen Kasper Gaj , Sung Inkyung , El Yafrani Mohamed , Kılıç Deniz Kenan , Nielsen Peter
Published: March 2023

In this study, we tackle a key scheduling problem in a robotic arm-based food processing system, where multiple conveyors—an infeed conveyor that feeds food items to robotic arms and two tray lane conveyors, on which trays to batch food items are placed—are implemented. The target scheduling problem is to determine what item on an infeed conveyor belt is picked up by which robotic arm at what position, and on which tray the picked up item will be placed. This problem involves critical constraints, such as sequence-dependent processing time and dynamic item and tray positions. Moreover, due to the speed of the infeed conveyor and latency in the information about entering items into the system, this scheduling problem must be solved in near real time. To address these challenges, we propose a scheduling solution that first decomposes the original scheduling problem into sub-problems, where a sub-problem formulated as a goal program schedules robotic arms only for a single tray. The performance of the proposed solution approach is then tested under a simulation environment, and from the experiments, the proposed approach produces acceptable performance.
Research on Consumer Perception Regarding Wine Products and Wine Tourism in the Republic of Moldova
Authors: Guțan Viorica , Șavga Larisa , Zugravu Constanta Laura , Bucur Diana , Zugravu Gheorghe Adrian
Published: March 2023

Traditions of vine cultivation and wine production have been formed in Moldova over centuries. According to folk traditions, wine is an integral part of any event organized by the locals. Wine tourism is a particularly significant sector for the country’s economy. Although it only emerged at the end of the 20th century, it is growing in importance every year. To contribute to this area of scientific discourse, a study on consumers’ perception of wine products and wine tourism in the Republic of Moldova was conducted. The main respondents who participated in the survey were citizens of the country, but respondents from Romania and Ukraine also participated. The results obtained indicate that wine products are consumed by the majority of the respondents participating in the survey and that wine tourism has continuity in its development and is of clear interest among citizens. The diversity of the tourist offers of the wineries and the recreational areas in which they are located are of course of particular importance when selecting a wine tour.