bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Science and Math Interest and Gender Stereotypes: The Role of Educator Gender in Informal Science Learning Sites
Authors: McGuire Luke , Monzavi Tina , Hoffman Adam J. , Law Fidelia , Irvin Matthew J. , Winterbottom Mark , Hartstone-Rose Adam , Rutland Adam , Burns Karen P. , Butler Laurence , Drews Marc , Fields Grace E. , Mulvey Kelly Lynn
Published: March 2021

Interest in science and math plays an important role in encouraging STEM motivation and career aspirations. This interest decreases for girls between late childhood and adolescence. Relatedly, positive mentoring experiences with female teachers can protect girls against losing interest. The present study examines whether visitors to informal science learning sites (ISLS; science centers, zoos, and aquariums) differ in their expressed science and math interest, as well as their science and math stereotypes following an interaction with either a male or female educator. Participants (n = 364; early childhood, n = 151, Mage = 6.73; late childhood, n = 136, Mage = 10.01; adolescence, n = 59, Mage = 13.92) were visitors to one of four ISLS in the United States and United Kingdom. Following an interaction with a male or female educator, they reported their math and science interest and responded to math and science gender stereotype measures. Female participants reported greater interest in math following an interaction with a female educator, compared to when they interacted with a male educator. In turn, female participants who interacted with a female educator were less likely to report male-biased math gender stereotypes. Self-reported science interest did not differ as a function of educator gender. Together these findings suggest that, when aiming to encourage STEM interest and challenge gender stereotypes in informal settings, we must consider the importance of the gender of educators and learners.
Everyday Language Exposure Shapes Prediction of Specific Words in Listening Comprehension: A Visual World Eye-Tracking Study
Authors: Ito Aine , Sakai Hiromu
Published: March 2021

We investigated the effects of everyday language exposure on the prediction of orthographic and phonological forms of a highly predictable word during listening comprehension. Native Japanese speakers in Tokyo (Experiment 1) and Berlin (Experiment 2) listened to sentences that contained a predictable word and viewed four objects. The critical object represented the target word (e.g., /sakana/;fish), an orthographic competitor (e.g., /tuno/;horn), a phonological competitor (e.g., /sakura/;cherry blossom), or an unrelated word (e.g., /hon/;book). The three other objects were distractors. The Tokyo group fixated the target and the orthographic competitor over the unrelated objects before the target word was mentioned, suggesting that they pre-activated the orthographic form of the target word. The Berlin group showed a weaker bias toward the target than the Tokyo group, and they showed a tendency to fixate the orthographic competitor only when the orthographic similarity was very high. Thus, prediction effects were weaker in the Berlin group than in the Tokyo group. We found no evidence for the prediction of phonological information. The obtained group differences support probabilistic models of prediction, which regard the built-up language experience as a basis of prediction.
Beliefs and Risk Perceptions About COVID-19: Evidence From Two Successive French Representative Surveys During Lockdown
Authors: Attema Arthur E. , L’Haridon Olivier , Raude Jocelyn , Seror Valérie ,   The COCONEL Group
Published: March 2021

Background

The outbreak of COVID-19 has been a major interrupting event, challenging how societies and individuals deal with risk. An essential determinant of the virus’ spread is a series of individual decisions, such as wearing face masks in public space. Those decisions depend on trade-offs between costs (or benefits) and risks, and beliefs are key to explain these.

Methods

We elicit beliefs about the COVID-19 pandemic during lockdown in France by means of surveys asking French citizens about their belief of the infection fatality ratio (IFR) for COVID-19, own risk to catch the disease, risk as perceived by others, and expected prevalence rate. Those self-assessments were measured twice during lockdown: about 2 weeks after lockdown started and about 2 weeks before lockdown ended. We also measured the quality of these beliefs with respect to available evidence at the time of the surveys, allowing us to assess the calibration of beliefs based on risk-related socio-demographics. Finally, comparing own risk to expected prevalence rates in the two successive surveys provides a dynamic view of comparative optimism with respect to the disease.

Results

The risk perceptions are rather high in absolute terms and they increased between the two surveys. We found no evidence for an impact of personal experience with COVID-19 on beliefs and lower risk perceptions of the IFR when someone in the respondent’s family has been diagnosed with a disease. Answers to survey 1 confirmed this pattern with a clear indication that respondents were optimistic about their chances to catch COVID-19. However, in survey 2, respondents revealed comparative pessimism.

Conclusion

The results show that respondents overestimated the probabilities to catch or die from COVID-19, which is not unusual and does not necessarily reflect a strong deviation from rational behavior. While a rational model explains why the own risk to catch COVID-19 rose between the two surveys, it does not explain why the subjective assessment of the IFR remained stable. The comparative pessimism in survey 2 was likely due to a concomitant increase in the respondents’ perceived chances to catch the disease and a decreased expected prevalence rate.
Improving Debt Literacy by 2/3 Through Four Simple Infographics Requires Numeracy and Not Focusing on Negatives of Debt
Authors: Porzak Robert , Cwynar Andrzej , Cwynar Wiktor
Published: March 2021

Borrowing behavior may be more resistant to formal educational treatments than other financial behaviors. In order to study the process and results of infographics-based debt education, we used eye tracking technology (SMI RED 500 Hz) to monitor the oculomotor behavior of 108 participants (68 females) aged 18 to 60 who were shown 4 infographics. The study used an experimental design with repeated measures and an internal comparison group. We also used scales of debt literacy and a set of information literacy scales: numerical, graph, and linguistic. The results confirm that short-term infographics-based debt education can improve debt literacy significantly. The difference in processing the educational contents that were not known to participants before the educational session suggests that participants with better information literacy make more considerable debt literacy progress. Specifically, we found that numerical literacy is a significant mediator of debt education results, depending on the initial level of debt literacy; this relation is moderated by the focus of visual attention on negatives of debt. We found no significant relationship between debt literacy education results and those of graph and linguistic literacy.
Preservice and Inservice Teachers' Noticing of Explicit Instruction for Self-Regulated Learning Strategies
Authors: Michalsky Tova
Published: March 2021

Contemporary theories of learning and instruction as well as a large body of research have pinpointed the benefits of effective self-regulated learning (SRL) for students' academic achievements, yet research findings indicate that teachers' actual promotion of students' SRL strategies and students' actual use of such strategies are less common than expected. To extend the investigation of how and when teachers' expertise develops regarding SRL instruction practices in authentic classrooms, the current study compared preservice vs. inservice teachers' “noticing” of explicit SRL teaching behaviors in videotaped classroom vignettes. Preservice teachers in a university teacher training program (N= 296) and inservice elementary, junior high, and high school teachers (N= 305) were presented with six online video cases accompanied by questions about the videotaped teachers' instruction of SRL planning, monitoring, and evaluation strategies. The results suggested that, overall, both preservice and inservice teachers failed to notice the expert teachers' explicit SRL teaching. Furthermore, their noticing ability failed to increase over the career span, with growing teaching experience. Thus, targeted instruction is recommended during both preservice training and inservice development programs to promote all teachers' application of evidence-based explicit SRL teaching strategies.
Implicit Learning of True and False Belief Sequences
Authors: Ma Qianying , Heleven Elien , Funghi Giulia , Pu Min , Baetens Kris , Deroost Natacha , Van Overwalle Frank
Published: March 2021

To investigate whether people can implicitly learn regularities in a social context, we developed a new implicit sequence learning task combining elements from classic false belief and serial reaction time tasks. Participants learned that protagonists were offered flowers at four locations. The protagonists' beliefs concerning the flowers were true or false, depending on their orientation, respectively, toward the scene (so that the flowers could be seen) or away from it. Unbeknown to the participants, there was a fixed belief-related sequence involving three dimensions (identity of the two protagonists, true-false belief orientation held by the protagonists, and flower location as believed by the protagonists). Participants had to indicate as fast as possible where the flowers were located (Experiment 1), or how many flowers were given (Experiment 2) according to the protagonists. Experiment 1 combined perceptual and motor processes (as both the belief-related sequence and motor responses referred to location), whereas Experiment 2 unconfounded the sequence and motor responses, allowing to investigate pure perceptual implicit learning. For reasons of comparison, two non-social conditions were created in Experiment 2 by replacing the protagonists with two non-social objects—colored cameras or shapes. Results revealed significant implicit sequence learning of all belief-related dimensions in Experiment 1, and of true-false belief orientation in Experiment 2, even without a motor confound. Importantly, there were faster reaction times and stronger sequence learning effects in the social than in the non-social conditions. The present findings demonstrate for the first time that people are able to implicitly learn belief-related sequences.
The Strengths and Barriers Recovery Scale (SABRS): Relationships Matter in Building Strengths and Overcoming Barriers
Authors: Best David , Sondhi Arun , Brown Lorna , Nisic Mulka , Nagelhout Gera E. , Martinelli Thomas , van de Mheen Dike , Vanderplasschen Wouter
Published: March 2021

There is a well-established relationship between isolation and both morbidity and mortality in the context of addiction recovery, yet the protective effects of intimate and familial relationships have not been adequately assessed. The current paper uses the European Life In Recovery database to assess the association between relationship status and living with dependent children on recovery capital of people in recovery from drug addiction, operationalised by the Strengths And Barriers Recovery Scale (SABRS). The study participants were drawn from the REC-PATH study and supplemented by a second sample recruited by the Recovered Users Network (RUN) across various European countries, resulting in a combined sample of 1,313 individuals completing the survey, primarily online. The results show that, in recovery, those who are married or co-habiting reported significantly greater recovery strengths and fewer barriers to recovery, and reported greater gains in recovery capital across their recovery journeys. Similar associations are found for participants who have dependent children living with them. There is also some indication that this association is stronger for female than for male participants. Finally, having more people that one can rely on and a greater proportion of people in recovery in the social network are both linked to greater recovery capital and greater self-reported growth in recovery capital. We conclude that this study provides further evidence in favour of a “social cure” in recovery, in which close familial ties are associated with stronger recovery resources.
Resting State Functional Connectivity Biomarkers of Treatment Response in Mood Disorders: A Review
Authors: Taylor Joseph J. , Kurt Hatice Guncu , Anand Amit
Published: March 2021

There are currently no validated treatment biomarkers in psychiatry. Resting State Functional Connectivity (RSFC) is a popular method for investigating the neural correlates of mood disorders, but the breadth of the field makes it difficult to assess progress toward treatment response biomarkers. In this review, we followed general PRISMA guidelines to evaluate the evidence base for mood disorder treatment biomarkers across diagnoses, brain network models, and treatment modalities. We hypothesized that no treatment biomarker would be validated across these domains or with independent datasets. Results are organized, interpreted, and discussed in the context of four popular analytic techniques: (1) reference region (seed-based) analysis, (2) independent component analysis, (3) graph theory analysis, and (4) other methods. Cortico-limbic connectivity is implicated across studies, but there is no single biomarker that spans analyses or that has been replicated in multiple independent datasets. We discuss RSFC limitations and future directions in biomarker development.
Mental Distress and Psychological Disorders Related to COVID-19 Mandatory Lockdown
Authors: Kakaje Ameer , Fadel Ammar , Makki Leen , Ghareeb Ayham , Al Zohbi Ragheed
Published: March 2021

Background: Lockdown restrictions due to COVID-19 have affected many people's lifestyles and ability to earn a living. They add further distress to the lives of people in Syria, who have already endured 9 years of war. This study evaluates distress and the major causes of concerns related to COVID-19 during the full lockdown.

Methods: Online questionnaires were distributed using SPTSS, K10, and MSPSS which were used with other demographic, war- and COVID-19-related questions that were taken from The (CRISIS) V0.1 Adult Self-Report Baseline Form.

Results: Our sample included 5,588 with the mean age of 26.84 ± 7.815 years. Of those, only one case of COVID-19 was confirmed. Over 42.7% had two or more positive PTSD symptoms, 42.6% had moderate or severe mental disorder, but only 14.9% had low social support. Higher PTSD and K10 scores overall were seen in female participants and with most of war variables (P < 0.05). Relationships with the partner being negatively affected and distress from a decline in ability to work and provide food were the most prominent.

Conclusions: The indirect effects of COVID-19 are far more than that of the pathogen itself. A reduced ability to earn and to provide food were the main concerns indicated in this study. Relationships deteriorated in participants with high K10 and PTSD scores who also had more symptoms and used more hypnotics in the last four weeks. Smoking patterns were not related to K10 and PTSD. Social support played a role in reducing stress, but when relationships were affected, lower support was observed.
A Study of Patient Preferences for the Treatment of Non–small Cell Lung Cancer in Western China: A Discrete-Choice Experiment
Authors: Liu Fei , Hu Haiyao , Wang Jing , Chen Yingyao , Hui Sun , Hu Ming
Published: March 2021

Background: Non–small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) is the most common histologic type of lung cancer, accounting for 70–85% of all lung cancers. It has brought a heavy burden of disease and financial cost to families, society, and the nation of China. Patients have differing preferences for treatment because of their varying physical conditions and socioeconomic backgrounds, which ultimately affects the choice of treatment as well as treatment outcomes. For better and sustained health outcomes, it is vital to understand patients' preferences. We can then provide medical services to match these preferences and needs rather than basing treatment on our clinical viewpoints alone.

Objectives: The aim of this study was to elicit patient preferences for treatment using a discrete-choice experiment and to explore the value/importance that patients place on the different attributes of treatment in order to provide a basis for clinical decision making and patient health management.

Methods: The study was conducted with NSCLC patients from three typical hospitals in southwestern China. After identifying patient-relevant treatment attributes via literature review and qualitative semi structured interviews, a discrete-choice experiment (DCE) including seven patient-relevant attributes was conducted using a fractional factorial SAS design. The empiric data analyses of patients were performed using mixed logit models.

Results: NSCLC patients (N = 202) completed a survey via a face-to-face interview. Among the seven attributes, the following were considered important: progression-free survival, disease control rate, cost, weakness/fatigue, and nausea/vomiting; mode of administration and rash were considered less important. A clear preference for an increase in progression-free survival and disease control rate was demonstrated. Compared with 5 months of progression-free survival, respondents were willing to pay more (19,860 RMB) for 11 months of progression-free survival (coef.: 0.687). Compared with a 60% rate of disease control, respondents were willing to pay more (19,940 RMB) for a 90% rate of disease control (coef.: 0.690).

Conclusions: This study demonstrates the value of DCEs in determining patient preferences for the treatment of NSCLC. The results indicate that not only efficacy factors (such as progression-free survival and disease control rate) were considered but also other factors (such as side effects and treatment costs) and trade-offs between attributes were held to be important. These results are in accord with expectations and can provide evidence for more effective and efficient treatment results. Furthermore, the current results can increase benefits if the presented therapies can be designed, assessed, and chosen based on patient-oriented findings.
Temporal Soil Bacterial Community Responses to Cropping Systems and Crop Identity in Dryland Agroecosystems of the Northern Great Plains
Authors: Ouverson Tindall , Eberly Jed , Seipel Tim , Menalled Fabian D. , Ishaq Suzanne L.
Published: March 2021

Industrialized agriculture results in simplified landscapes where many of the regulatory ecosystem functions driven by soil biological and physicochemical characteristics have been hampered or replaced with intensive, synthetic inputs. To restore long-term agricultural sustainability and soil health, soil should function as both a resource and a complex ecosystem. In this study, we examined how cropping systems impact soil bacterial community diversity and composition, important indicators of soil ecosystem health. Soils from a representative cropping system in the semi-arid Northern Great Plains were collected in June and August of 2017 from the final phase of a 5-year crop rotation managed either with chemical inputs and no-tillage, as a USDA-certified organic tillage system, or as a USDA-certified organic sheep grazing system with reduced tillage intensity. DNA was extracted and sequenced for bacteria community analysis via 16S rRNA gene sequencing. Bacterial richness and diversity decreased in all farming systems from June to August and was lowest in the chemical no-tillage system, while evenness increased over the sampling period. Crop species identity did not affect bacterial richness, diversity, or evenness. Conventional no-till, organic tilled, and organic grazed management systems resulted in dissimilar microbial communities. Overall, cropping systems and seasonal changes had a greater effect on microbial community structure and diversity than crop identity. Future research should assess how the rhizobiome responds to the specific phases of a crop rotation, as differences in bulk soil microbial communities by crop identity were not detectable.
Histopathological Classification of Canine Cutaneous Round Cell Tumors Using Deep Learning: A Multi-Center Study
Authors: Salvi Massimo , Molinari Filippo , Iussich Selina , Muscatello Luisa Vera , Pazzini Luca , Benali Silvia , Banco Barbara , Abramo Francesca , De Maria Raffaella , Aresu Luca
Published: March 2021

Canine cutaneous round cell tumors (RCT) represent one of the routine diagnostic challenges for veterinary pathologists. Computer-aided approaches are developed to overcome these restrictions and to increase accuracy and consistency of diagnosis. These systems are also of high benefit reducing errors when a large number of cases are screened daily. In this study we describe ARCTA (Automated Round Cell Tumors Assessment), a fully automated algorithm for cutaneous RCT classification and mast cell tumors grading in canine histopathological images. ARCTA employs a deep learning strategy and was developed on 416 RCT images and 213 mast cell tumors images. In the test set, our algorithm exhibited an excellent classification performance in both RCT classification (accuracy: 91.66%) and mast cell tumors grading (accuracy: 100%). Misdiagnoses were encountered for histiocytomas in the train set and for melanomas in the test set. For mast cell tumors the reduction of a grade was observed in the train set, but not in the test set. To the best of our knowledge, the proposed model is the first fully automated algorithm in histological images specifically developed for veterinary medicine. Being very fast (average computational time 2.63 s), this algorithm paves the way for an automated and effective evaluation of canine tumors.
Two-Phase Flow Phenomena in Gas Turbine Compressors with a Focus on Experimental Investigation of Trailing Edge Disintegration
Authors: Schlottke Adrian , Weigand Bernhard
Published: March 2021

Two-phase flow in gas turbine compressors occurs, for example, at heavy rain flight condition or at high-fogging in stationary gas turbines. The liquid dynamic processes are independent of the application. An overview on the processes and their approach in literature is given. The focus of this study lies on the experimental investigation of the trailing edge disintegration. In the experiments, shadowgraphy is used to observe the disintegration of a single liquid rivulet with constant liquid mass flow rate at the edge of a thin plate at different air flow velocities. A two side view enables calculating droplet characteristics with high accuracy. The results show the asymptotic behavior of the ejected mean droplet diameters and the disintegration period. Furthermore, it gives a detailed insight into the droplet diameter distribution and the spreading of the droplets perpendicular to the air flow.
Optimum Sowing Window and Yield Forecasting for Maize in Northern and Western Bangladesh Using CERES Maize Model
Authors: Choudhury Apurba Kanti , Molla Md. Samim Hossain , Zahan Taslima , Sen Ranjit , Biswas Jatish Chandra , Akhter Sohela , Ishtiaque Sheikh , Ahmed Faruque , Maniruzaman Md. , Hossain Md. Belal , Sarker Parimal Chandra , Dessoky Eldessoky S. , Hassan Mohamed M. , Hossain Akbar
Published: March 2021

Determination of the optimum sowing window not only can improve maize yield significantly but also can fit maize in the existing cropping pattern. To get the advantages of sowing maize at the optimum time, a study was designed and carried out at the research field of Bangladesh Agricultural Research Institute, Rangpur, Bangladesh during 2015–2017. Another aim of the study was to forecast the yield of maize for the northern and western regions of Bangladesh using the CERES-Maize model. The study considered 5 November, 20 November, 5 December, 20 December, and 5 January as sowing dates for maize to identify the optimum sowing window. Three hybrid maize varieties, viz., BARI Hybrid Maize-9 (BHM-9), NK-40, and Pioneer30V92 were used. The study was laid out in a split-plot design, assigning the sowing dates in the main plot and the varieties in the sub-plot. To forecast the yield, the daily weather data of 2017 were subjected to run the model along with thirty years (1986–2015) of weather data. The genetic coefficients of the tested maize varieties were obtained through calibration of the model by using the observed field data of 2015–2016 and through validation by using the data of 2016–2017. The seasonal analysis was done using the DSSAT CERES-Maize model to confirm the experimental findings for optimizing the sowing window for maize at the northern region (Rangpur) of the country and subsequently adjusted the model for the western region (Jashore). The model performances were satisfactory for crop phenology, biomass, and grain yield. The NRMSE for anthesis was 0.66% to 1.39%, 0.67% to 0.89% for maturity date, 1.78% to 3.89% for grain yield, and 1.73% to 3.17% for biomass yield. The optimum sowing window for maize at the Rangpur region was 5 November to 5 December and 5 to 20 November for the Jashore region. The CERES-Maize model was promising for yield forecasting of the tested maize varieties. It gave a realistic yield forecast at approximately 45 days prior to the harvest of all the tested varieties. The study results are expected to be useful for both the farmers and the policy planners to meet up the future maize demands.
Bioconversion Process of Barley Crop Residues into Biogas—Energetic-Environmental Potential in Spain
Authors: Morales-Polo Carlos , Cledera-Castro María del Mar , Revuelta-Aramburu Marta , Hueso-Kortekaas Katia
Published: March 2021

Barley fields reach 1.7 million hectares in Spain, of which 320,000 are used to produce malt, generating 450,000 tons of crop residue from barley intended for malt production. One way to treat this waste in an environmentally sound, energy-sustainable and economically cost-effective manner is anaerobic digestion. The biogas generated can be used as fuel and as a renewable source of energy (providing a solution to the energy supply problem from an environmental point of view). It has been shown that, when treated along with sludge from a Upflow Anaerobic Sludge Blanket (UASB) reactor, the crop malt residue produces about 1604 NmL of biogas per 100 g; with a content in methane of 27.486%. The development of the process has been studied with a novel indicator, hydrogen generation, and it has been determined that the process takes place in two phases. It has been demonstrated that this solution is beginning to be energy-efficient and therefore to produce energy for external uses in regions that have at least 6000 hectares of planted barley. At best, it can be considered, in a given region, the equivalent of a 115 MW power plant. It could supply energy to 10 thousand homes per year. Therefore, it is considered an energy-efficient solution that com-plies with the Sustainable Development Goals #1, #7, #10, #12 and #13. It guarantees access to energy in isolated areas or with supply problems, and results in a 55.4% reduction in emissions of equivalent-CO2 (which equals 38,060 tons of equivalent-CO2 in Spain).
Seasonal Variations in the Gut Fungal Communities of Hooded Crane (Grus monacha) at Wintering and Stopover Sites in China
Authors: Mahtab Nazia , Zhou Lizhi , Zhang Fengling , Wang Wei
Published: March 2021

The “gut fungal microbiome” maintains the immune system, homeostasis, and various physiological functions of an organism. Different factors shape and affect gut fungal diversity and community composition, such as environment, habitat type, food resources, and seasons during migration. Wild birds amid migration are exposed to different habitats with different environments, available food resources, and seasons, which may substantially impact their gut fungal community composition and diversity. The hooded crane (Grus monacha) is a known migratory bird that migrates over long distances and is exposed to varied habitats with different environments and food types. We investigated the differences in gut fungal diversity and community composition between wintering and stopover sites amid three migratory seasons. We deduced the gut fungal pathogenic diversity and community composition during winter, fall, and spring by using high throughput sequencing (Illumina Mi-seq), and the internal transcribed region 2 (ITS2) was examined. Samples were collected from Shengjin Lake in the winter and Lindian during the fall and spring. The dominant fungal phyla found across the three seasons were Ascomycota, Basidiomycota, Zygomycota, and Rozellomycota. The gut fungal alpha diversity showed significant shifts during winter at the wintering site compared with the fall and spring seasons at the stopover site. The fungal community composition exhibited a significant change across the three seasons (ANOSIM p = 0.001). The results also demonstrated that the diversity and relative abundance of potential pathogens also showed divergence in winter compared to fall and spring. This study provides the basis for understanding the discrepancy in gut fungal diversity and community composition during migratory seasons at both wintering and stopover grounds. It also suggests that conservation measures should be applied to the conservation of hooded cranes and other wild birds, as the risk of cross-infection increases during seasonal migration.
Particulate Matter and Associated Metals: A Link with Neurotoxicity and Mental Health
Authors: Potter Nicole A. , Meltzer Gabriella Y. , Avenbuan Oyemwenosa N. , Raja Amna , Zelikoff Judith T.
Published: March 2021

Particulate air pollution (PM) is a mixture of heterogenous components from natural and anthropogenic sources and contributes to a variety of serious illnesses, including neurological and behavioral effects, as well as millions of premature deaths. Ultrafine (PM0.1) and fine-size ambient particles (PM2.5) can enter the circulatory system and cross the blood–brain barrier or enter through the optic nerve, and then upregulate inflammatory markers and increase reactive oxygen species (ROS) in the brain. Toxic and neurotoxic metals such as manganese (Mn), zinc (Zn), lead (Pb), copper (Cu), nickel (Ni), and barium (Ba) can adsorb to the PM surface and potentially contribute to the neurotoxic effects associated with PM exposure. Epidemiological studies have shown a negative relationship between exposure to PM-associated Mn and neurodevelopment amongst children, as well as impaired dexterity in the elderly. Inhaled PM-associated Cu has also been shown to impair motor performance and alter basal ganglia in schoolchildren. This paper provides a brief review of the epidemiological and toxicological studies published over the last five years concerning inhaled PM, PM-relevant metals, neurobiology, and mental health outcomes. Given the growing interest in mental health and the fact that 91% of the world’s population is considered to be exposed to unhealthy air, more research on PM and PM-associated metals and neurological health is needed for future policy decisions and strategic interventions to prevent public harm.
Atmosphere Driven Mass-Balance Sensitivity of Halji Glacier, Himalayas
Authors: Arndt Anselm , Scherer Dieter , Schneider Christoph
Published: March 2021

The COupled Snowpack and Ice surface energy and mass balance model in PYthon (COSIPY) was employed to investigate the relationship between the variability and sensitivity of the mass balance record of the Halji glacier, in the Himalayas, north-western Nepal, over a 40 year period since October 1981 to atmospheric drivers. COSIPY was forced with the atmospheric reanalysis dataset ERA5-Land that has been statistically downscaled to the location of an automatic weather station at the Halji glacier. Glacier mass balance simulations with air temperature and precipitation perturbations were executed and teleconnections investigated. For the mass-balance years 1982 to 2019, a mean annual glacier-wide climatic mass balance of −0.48 meters water equivalent per year (m w.e. a−1) with large interannual variability (standard deviation 0.71 m w.e. a−1) was simulated. This variability is dominated by temperature and precipitation patterns. The Halji glacier is mostly sensitive to summer temperature and monsoon-related precipitation perturbations, which is reflected in a strong correlation with albedo. According to the simulations, the climate sensitivity with respect to either positive or negative air temperature and precipitation changes is nonlinear: A mean temperature increase (decrease) of 1 K would result in a change of the glacier-wide climatic mass balance of −1.43 m w.e. a−1 (0.99 m w.e. a−1) while a precipitation increase (decrease) of 10% would cause a change of 0.45m w.e. a−1 (−0.59 m w.e. a−1). Out of 22 circulation and monsoon indexes, only the Webster and Yang Monsoon index and Polar/Eurasia index provide significant correlations with the glacier-wide climatic mass balance. Based on the strong dependency of the climatic mass balance from summer season conditions, we conclude that the snow–albedo feedback in summer is crucial for the Halji glacier. This finding is also reflected in the correlation of albedo with the Webster and Yang Monsoon index.
FOXP3 and GATA3 Polymorphisms, Vitamin D3 and Multiple Sclerosis
Authors: Scazzone Concetta , Agnello Luisa , Lo Sasso Bruna , Salemi Giuseppe , Gambino Caterina Maria , Ragonese Paolo , Candore Giuseppina , Ciaccio Anna Maria , Giglio Rosaria Vincenza , Bivona Giulia , Vidali Matteo , Ciaccio Marcello
Published: March 2021

Background: Regulatory T cells (Tregs) alterations have been implicated in the pathogenesis of Multiple Sclerosis (MS). Recently, a crucial role of the X-Linked Forkhead Box P3 (FoxP3) for the development and the stability of Tregs has emerged, and FOXP3 gene polymorphisms have been associated with the susceptibility to autoimmune diseases. The expression of Foxp3 in Tregs is regulated by the transcription factor GATA binding-protein 3 (GATA3) and vitamin D3. The aim of this retrospective case-control study was to investigate the potential association between FOXP3 and GATA3 genetic variants, Vitamin D3, and MS risk. Methods: We analyzed two polymorphisms in the FOXP3 gene (rs3761547 and rs3761548) and a polymorphism in the GATA3 gene (rs3824662) in 106 MS patients and 113 healthy controls. Serum 25(OH)D3 was also measured in all participants. Results: No statistically significant genotypic and allelic differences were found in the distribution of FOXP3 rs3761547 and rs3761548, or GATA3 rs3824662 in the MS patients, compared with controls. Patients that were homozygous for rs3761547 had lower 25(OH)D3 levels. Conclusions: Our findings did not show any association among FOXP3 and GATA3 SNPs, vitamin D3, and MS susceptibility.
Levels of Lipid Parameters in Children with Arterial Ischemic Stroke and Headache: Case-Control Study and Meta-Analysis
Authors: Sarecka-Hujar Beata , Sordyl Joanna , Małecka-Tendera Ewa , Kopyta Ilona
Published: March 2021

Background: Abnormalities in levels of lipid parameters are one of the main causes of cardiovascular and cerebrovascular disease in adults. There are limited data on the role of disturbances of lipid metabolism in the etiopathogenesis of arterial ischemic stroke (AIS) in children and the results provided are ambiguous. The aim of the study was to compare the levels of lipid parameters (total cholesterol [TC], triglycerides [TG], high-density lipoprotein [HDL] and low-density lipoprotein [LDL]) between children with AIS, children with headache and healthy children. In addition, we performed meta-analysis of available data on lipid parameters in young patients with AIS. Methods: We retrospectively analyzed 218 children hospitalized between 2002 and 2018 in the Upper-Silesian Child’s Health Center (n = 82 children with AIS, n = 45 children with headache, n = 91 healthy children) with available data on lipid levels, i.e., TC, TG, and HDL. The levels of LDL, non-HDL cholesterol, and a very-low density lipoprotein (VLDL) were calculated. The ratios of TC/HDL, TG/HDL and LDL/HDL were also assessed. Data between cases and controls were analyzed using STATISTICA 13.0 whereas meta-analysis was performed with RevMan version 5.4 software. Results: Children with headache were significantly older than children with AIS (p = 0.001). Ten percent of children with AIS had posterior stroke. The mean TC level was significantly higher in the AIS children than in controls or in children with headache. Mean TG and VLDL levels were significantly different between all groups (p < 0.001 each). The hypertriglyceridemia was more prevalent in AIS children than in children with headache (39% vs. 13%, OR = 4.16 95% CI 1.58–10.94, p = 0.004). Similarly, the frequency of dyslipidemia was higher in children with AIS compared to children with headache (38% vs. 22%, OR = 2.13 95% CI 0.93–4.89, p = 0.078). The meta-analysis was conducted based on data from 4 studies (3 studies published previously plus the results we obtained in the present case-control analysis) with total number of 236 young patients with AIS and 272 healthy controls. Significant Standard Mean Difference (SMD) was found in triglycerides level between young patients with AIS and controls (0.78 95%CI 0.30–1.26 p = 0.002). Conclusions: Lipid abnormalities, especially levels of triglycerides, seem to be of particular importance in children with AIS, as confirmed in meta-analysis. The results of the present study may be a significant contribution to the further research on the role of lipid metabolism disorders in the development of childhood stroke.
The Arabic Version of the Cohen Perceived Stress Scale: Factorial Validity and Measurement Invariance
Authors: Ali Amira Mohammed , Hendawy Amin Omar , Ahmad Ohoud , Al Sabbah Haleama , Smail Linda , Kunugi Hiroshi
Published: March 2021

University students experience high levels of stress due to university transition, academic commitments, and financial matters. Higher stress perceptions along with limited coping resources endanger mental health for a considerable number of students and may ruin their performance. The current study evaluated the psychometric properties of the Cohen Perceived Stress Scale (10 items), PSS-10, in a sample of 379 female Emeriti students. Exploratory factor analysis resulted in two factors with eigenvalues of 3.88 and 1.19, which explained 60.6% of the variance. Confirmatory factor analysis revealed good model fits of two correlated factors (Comparative Fit Index (CFI) = 0.962, Tucker–Lewis Index (TLI) = 0.950, standardized root-mean-square residual (SRMR) = 0.0479, and root mean-square error of approximation (RMSEA) = 0.067). Internal consistency of the PSS-10 and its positive and negative subscales was acceptable (coefficient α = 0.67, 0.79, and 0.86, respectively). Multigroup analysis revealed that the PSS-10 holds invariance across different groups of age, marital status, and financial status (average monthly expenditure). Convergent and concurrent validity tests signify the importance of considering scores of subscales of the PSS-10 along with its total score.
Lights Out: Examining Sleep in Children with Vision Impairment
Authors: Hayton Jessica , Marshall Jessica , Dimitriou Dagmara
Published: March 2021

Sleep is crucial for development across cognitive, physical, and social-emotional domains. Sleep quality and quantity impact domains of daytime functioning, attainment, and global development. Previous work has explored sleep profiles in typically developing children and children with developmental disorders such as Down syndrome and Williams Syndrome, yet there is a complete absence of published work regarding the sleep profiles of children with vision impairment aged 4–11 years. This is the first known study that examines the sleep profiles in children with vision impairment (n = 58) in comparison to 58 typically developing children (aged 4–11 years) in the UK. Sleep was measured using the Childhood Sleep Habits Questionnaire (CSHQ; parental report), actigraphy and sleep diaries. Results showed group differences in subjective CSHQ scores but not objective actigraphy measures. Surprisingly, the findings revealed disordered sleep (namely, poor sleep quantity) in both groups. Discordance between CSHQ and actigraphy measures could represent heightened awareness of sleeping problems in parents/caregivers of children with vision impairment. The implications of this study extend beyond group comparison, examining disordered sleep in ‘typically developing’ children, exploring the potential role of light perception and the importance of sleep quality and quantity in both groups.
Aesthetic Preference for Glossy Materials: An Attempted Replication and Extension
Authors: Silvia Paul J. , Rodriguez Rebekah M. , Cotter Katherine N. , Christensen Alexander P.
Published: March 2021

The psychology of art and aesthetics has a long-standing interest in how low-level features, such as symmetry, curvature, and color, affect people’s aesthetic experience. Recent research in this tradition suggests that people find glossy, shiny objects and materials more attractive than flat, matte ones. The present experiment sought to replicate and extend research on the attractiveness of images printed on glossy and flat paper. To control for several possible confounding factors, glossiness was manipulated between-person and varied with methods that held constant factors like weight, color quality, and resolution. To extend past work, we explored art expertise and Openness to Experience as potential moderators. A sample of 100 adults viewed landscape photographs on either high-gloss photo paper or on identical paper in which a flat, matte spray finish had been applied. Ratings of attractiveness showed weak evidence for replication. People rated the glossy pictures as more attractive than the matte ones, but the effect size was small (d = −0.23 [−0.62, 0.16]) and not statistically significant. Attractiveness ratings were significantly moderated, however, by individual differences in the aesthetic appreciation facet of Openness to Experience. When aesthetic appreciation was high, people found the images attractive regardless of condition; when it was low, people strongly preferred the glossy images over the matte ones, thus showing the classic glossiness effect. We conclude with some methodological caveats for future research.
sp2 Carbon Stable Radicals
Authors: Sheka Elena F.
Published: March 2021

sp2 Nanocarbons such as fullerenes, carbon nanotubes, and graphene molecules are not only open-shell species, but spatially extended, due to which their chemistry is quite specific. Cogently revealed dependence of the final products composition on size and shape of the carbons in use as well as on the chemical prehistory is accumulated in a particular property—the stabilization of the species’ radical efficiency, thus providing the matter of stable radicals. If the feature is highly restricted and rarely available in ordinary chemistry, in the case of sp2 nanocarbons it is just an ordinary event providing, say, tons-in-mass stable radicals when either producing such widely used technological products as carbon black or dealing with deposits of natural sp2 carbons such as anthracite, shungite carbon, and other. Suggested in the paper is the consideration of stable radicals of sp2 nanocarbons from the standpoint of spin-delocalized topochemistry. Characterized in terms of the total and atomically partitioned number of effectively unpaired electrons as well as of the distribution of the latter over carbon atoms and described by selectively determined barriers of different reactions exhibiting topological essence of intermolecular interaction, sp2 nanocarbons reveal a peculiar topokinetics that lays the foundation of the stability of their radical properties.
Dopamine: The Neuromodulator of Long-Term Synaptic Plasticity, Reward and Movement Control
Authors: Speranza Luisa , di Porzio Umberto , Viggiano Davide , de Donato Antonio , Volpicelli Floriana
Published: March 2021

Dopamine (DA) is a key neurotransmitter involved in multiple physiological functions including motor control, modulation of affective and emotional states, reward mechanisms, reinforcement of behavior, and selected higher cognitive functions. Dysfunction in dopaminergic transmission is recognized as a core alteration in several devastating neurological and psychiatric disorders, including Parkinson’s disease (PD), schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and addiction. Here we will discuss the current insights on the role of DA in motor control and reward learning mechanisms and its involvement in the modulation of synaptic dynamics through different pathways. In particular, we will consider the role of DA as neuromodulator of two forms of synaptic plasticity, known as long-term potentiation (LTP) and long-term depression (LTD) in several cortical and subcortical areas. Finally, we will delineate how the effect of DA on dendritic spines places this molecule at the interface between the motor and the cognitive systems. Specifically, we will be focusing on PD, vascular dementia, and schizophrenia.
Antidepressant Screening Demonstrated Non-Monotonic Responses to Amitriptyline, Amoxapine and Sertraline in Locomotor Activity Assay in Larval Zebrafish
Authors: Suryanto Michael Edbert , Audira Gilbert , Uapipatanakul Boontida , Hussain Akhlaq , Saputra Ferry , Siregar Petrus , Chen Kelvin H.-C. , Hsiao Chung-Der
Published: March 2021

Antidepressants are well-known drugs to treat depression and major depressive disorder for humans. However, the misuse and abuse of antidepressants keep increasing with several side effects reported. The aim of this study was to assess the potential adverse effects of 18 antidepressants by monitoring zebrafish larval locomotor activity performance based on the total distance traveled, burst movement count, and total rotation count at four dark-light intercalated phases. In general, zebrafish larvae displayed sedative effects after antidepressant exposure by showing a significant reduction in all of the locomotor activity-related endpoints. However, three antidepressants i.e., amitriptyline, amoxapine, and sertraline were able to trigger a significantly high locomotor activity in zebrafish larvae during the light cycle. These differences might be due to the pharmacologic differences among the antidepressants. In addition, since each antidepressant possesses a different dosage range from the other, overdoses of these antidepressants might also be the causes of these differences. Furthermore, based on these results, a further study was conducted to observe the effect of these three antidepressants in lower concentrations. From the results, biphasic effects in terms of zebrafish larval locomotor activity were demonstrated by these drugs. Even though further studies are still required to validate the mechanism, these findings indicate that these antidepressants might share a common mechanism responsible for their effects on zebrafish larval locomotor activity although there were some differences in potency of these effects.