bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Independent and joint effects of sleep duration and sleep quality on suboptimal self-rated health in medical students: A cross-sectional study
Authors: Ding Pan , Li Jinyong , Chen Huajian , Zhong Chongzhou , Ye Xiaoli , Shi Hongying
Published: October 2022

Objective

Studies on the association between sleep behavior and health often ignored the confounding effects of biorhythm-related factors. This study aims to explore the independent and joint effects of sleep duration and sleep quality on suboptimal self-rated health (SRH) in medical students.

Methods

Cross-sectional study. Proportional stratified cluster sampling was used to randomly recruit students from various medical specialties at a medical university in eastern China. Our questionnaire mainly included information on basic demographic characteristics, SRH, sleep behavior, and biorhythm-related factors. The independent and joint effects of sleep duration and sleep quality on suboptimal SRH were assessed by logistic regression after controlling for potential confounders.

Results

Of 1,524 medical students (mean age = 19.9 years, SD = 1.2 years; 59.1% female), 652 (42.8%) had suboptimal SRH. Most medical students (51.5%) slept for 7 h/night, followed by ≥8 (29.1%) and ≤ 6 h (19.4%). After adjusting for basic demographic characteristics and biorhythm-related factors, compared with students who slept for ≥8 h/night, the adjusted ORs (95%CI) for those who slept 7 and ≤ 6 h/night were 1.36 (1.03, 1.81) and 2.28 (1.60, 3.26), respectively (P < 0.001 for trend); compared with those who had good sleep quality, the adjusted ORs (95%CI) for those who had fair and poor sleep quality were 4.12 (3.11, 5.45) and 11.60 (6.57, 20.46), respectively (P < 0.001 for trend). Further, compared with those who slept for ≥8 h/night and good sleep quality, those who slept ≤ 6 h and poor sleep quality had the highest odds of suboptimal SRH (OR 24.25, 95%CI 8.73, 67.34).

Conclusions

Short sleep and poor sleep quality were independently and jointly associated with higher odds of suboptimal SRH among medical students.
Normative reference data for body composition in healthy indigenous populations on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau
Authors: Li Wenhui , Li Xin , Huang Ting , Chen Ying , Zhang Hailong , Dai Hongliang , Wen Youfeng
Published: October 2022

Body composition represents an important aspect of physical fitness and has received increasing attention in recent years. The present study was designed and conducted to provide reference values for age-, sex-, and altitude-specific body composition for healthy indigenous Tibetan adults living on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, which has not yet been studied. A cross-sectional survey was conducted among 2,356 healthy Tibetan adults (1,433 females and 923 males) living on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau for generations. The body composition of the participants was measured by bioelectrical impedance analysis (BIA). The measurements included weight, basal metabolic rate (BMR), fat-free mass (FFM), skeletal muscle mass (SMM), protein mass (PM), bone mass (BM), fat mass (FM), percentage of body fat (PBF), subcutaneous fat mass (SFM), visceral fat mass (VFM), total body water (TBW), intracellular water (ICW), and extracellular water (ECW). Overall, males had greater FFM, SMM, PM, BM, and water mass, whereas females were high in fat mass. Participants from plains generally had higher body composition values, and PM, BM, FM and body water values decreased with increasing altitude, with the lowest values found in >4,000 m Shigatse. FFM, SMM, PM, and BM tended to decrease with increasing age, whereas fat mass and ECW tended to increase with increasing age. This study provides the first normative reference data of body composition for healthy indigenous individuals on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau. These datasets are important for future research related to body composition. A considerable decrease in body composition values in > 4,000 m-altitude areas suggested that body composition cutoff values should be established by altitude. Age-, sex-, and altitude-specific alterations in body composition values also inform the prevention and amendment of abnormal body composition changes and resultant health complications.
The validation of culturally appropriate scales to assess the family health climate in a multi-ethnic Asian population
Authors: Ho Yi-Ching Lynn , Chew Mary Su-Lynn , Ho Clement Zhong-Hao , Latib Aisyah Binte , Lee Vivian Shu-Yi , Lin Gladis Jing , Thumboo Julian , Doshi Kinjal
Published: October 2022

Background

The Family Health Climate (FHC) is a family environment attribute postulated to influence the health behaviors of family members. It can be measured by domain scales for physical activity (FHC-PA) and nutrition (FHC-NU), which have been validated and used to identify health climate patterns in families in Western populations. To extend the use of the scales to Asian settings, this study aimed to adapt and validate the instruments for use in the multi-ethnic population of Singapore, accounting for language and cultural differences.

Methods

In Part A (n = 40) to adapt the scales for the Singapore population, we performed cognitive interviews, face validity testing and pre-testing of the instruments (n = 40). Besides English, the scales were translated into Chinese and Malay. In Part B (n = 400), we performed exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses respectively on two random samples. We also tested for item discriminant validity, internal consistency reliability, construct validity, and measurement invariance.

Results

The findings from the cognitive interviews in Part A led to scale adaptations to accommodate cultural and linguistic factors. In Part B, EFA on Sample I resulted in a three-factor model for the PA scale (accounting for 71.2% variance) and a four-factor model for the NU scale (accounting for 72.8% variance). CFA on Sample II indicated acceptable model fits: FHC-PA: χ2 = 192.29, df = 101, p < 0.001, χ2/df = 1.90; SRMR = 0.049; RMSEA = 0.067; CFI = 0.969; TLI = 0.963; FHC-NU: χ2 = 170.46, df = 98, p < 0.001, χ2/df = 1.74; SRMR = 0.036; RMSEA = 0.061; CFI = 0.967; TLI = 0.960. The scores of family members demonstrated significant agreement on the FHC-PA (Sg) [ICC(2, 2) = 0.77] and FHC-NU (Sg) [ICC(2, 2) = 0.75] scales. Findings suggest good evidence for item discriminant validity, internal consistency reliability, construct validity, and measurement invariance. Short versions of the scales were also developed.

Conclusion

We adapted, translated and validated the scales for assessing the health climate of families in Singapore, including the development of short versions. The results showed good psychometric properties and the constructs had significant relationships with health behaviors and routines. Improving our understanding of family influences on individual health behavior will be important in developing multi-level strategies for health promotion and chronic disease prevention.
The association between serum soluble Klotho and chronic kidney disease among us adults ages 40 to 79 years: Cross-sectional study
Authors: Zhang Zilong , Zhou Xianghong , Deng Linghui , Jin Kun , Xiong Xingyu , Su Xingyang , Qiu Shi , Yang Lu
Published: October 2022

Background

Chronic kidney disease (CKD) is diagnosed in more than 26 million U.S. people, which increases the risk of many adverse events. α-Klotho was reported to have potential effects on kidney function. The purpose of this study was to investigated whether CKD prevalence is associated with α-Klotho levels in the U.S. people aged 40–79 years.

Methods

Thirteen thousand five hundred eighty-nine participates in the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey 2007–2016 aged 40–79 with information of Klotho and kidney function were included. The association between CKD and Klotho was calculated using multivariate linear or logistic regression models with adjustment of several possibly confounding variables. Subgroup analyses stratified by age, BMI, and diabetes mellitus were conducted. The non-linear relationship between Klotho and dependent variables with a non-normality of residues was assessed using smooth curve fitting and the segmented regression (also known as piece-wise regression) models.

Results

Among 13,589 participants, the median of Klotho levels was 803.10 pg/mL, mean eGFR of all participants was 86.96 (SD = 19.88) mL/min/1.73 m2, and CKD was diagnosed in 20.11% of them (N = 2733). In the fully adjusted model, eGFR was positively associated with Klotho (β = 5.14, 95%CI 4.13-6.15, p < 0.001), while CKD was negatively associated with Klotho (stage ≧ 1, OR = 0.62, 95% CI 0.50–0.76, p < 0.001; stage ≧ 3, OR = 0.31, 95% CI 0.24–0.41, p < 0.001). The non-linear relationship showed that occurrence of CKD stage> 1 and albuminuria were negatively associated with Klotho when Klotho smaller than turning point (for whether CKD stage> 1, turning point K = 6.85, Klotho < K, OR = 0.44, p < 0.001; for albuminuria, turning point K = 6.84, Klotho < K, OR = 0.59, p < 0.001).

Conclusion

Serum soluble Klotho levels were positively associated with eGFR and negatively associated with the prevalence of CKD, especially in elderly, obese, and diabetic patients.
Understanding heterogeneity of investor sentiment on social media: A structural topic modeling approach
Authors: Ji Rongjiao , Han Qiwei
Published: October 2022

Investors nowadays post heterogeneous sentiments on social media about financial assets based on their trading preferences. However, existing works typically analyze the sentiment by its content only and do not account for investor profiles and trading preferences in different types of assets. This paper explicitly considers how investor sentiment about financial market events is shaped by the relative discussions of different types of investors. We leverage a large-scale financial social media dataset and employ a structural topic modeling approach to extract topical contents of investor sentiment across multiple finance-specific factors. The identified topics reveal important events related to the financial market and show strong heterogeneity in the social media content in terms of compositions of investor profiles, asset categories, and bullish/bearish sentiment. Results show that investors with different profiles and trading preferences tend to discuss financial markets with heterogeneous beliefs, leading to divergent opinions about those events regarding the topic prevalence and proportion. Moreover, our findings may shed light on the mechanism that underlies the efficient investor sentiment extraction and aggregation while considering the heterogeneity of investor sentiment across different dimensions.
Spatial microscopic modeling of collective movements in multi-robot systems: Design choices and calibration
Authors: Baumann Cyrill , Martinoli Alcherio
Published: October 2022

Despite the strong increase in available computational power enabling an unprecedented level of realism in simulation, modeling robotic systems at higher abstraction level remains crucial to efficiently design robot controllers and analyze their properties. This is especially true for multi-robot systems, with their high computational complexity due to the numerous interactions among individual robots. While multiple contributions in the literature have proposed approaches leading to highly abstracted and therefore computationally efficient models, often such abstractions have been obtained with strong assumptions on the underlying spatiality of the system behavior (e.g., well-mixed system, diffusive system). In this work, we address the modeling of an arbitrary collective movement involving the displacement of a robot ensemble along a certain trajectory overlapped with continuous interactions among the robotic members. Without loss of generality, we have focused our modeling effort on a flocking case study, as a prominent and well-known example of collective movement. We investigate our case study at the microscopic level while leveraging a more faithful submicroscopic model (implemented through a high-fidelity robotic simulator) as ground-truth. More specifically, we illustrate multiple choices for designing and calibrating such microscopic models, so that their faithfulness with the underlying submicroscopic model of the same physical system is preserved. Such effort has produced concrete implementations of three different microscopic models for the same case study, all taking into account the spatiality of the collective movement. We find that all three microscopic models produce quantitatively accurate estimations for our flocking case study. As they rely on different underlying assumptions and modeling techniques, the choice between them is a trade-off between the computational cost, the modeling effort, the metrics considered to evaluate their faithfulness, and the subsequent usage (e.g., control design, system property analysis, control code prototyping).
Sensors and “The internet of biochemical things”
Authors: Florea Larisa , Diamond Dermot
Published: October 2022

In this perspective article, we consider the pathway biochemical sensing will take as the huge businesses underpinning Big Data and the Internet of Things seek new layers of highly valuable information to integrate into our increasingly digitised world. Up to now, the complexity of biochemical sensing has limited its inclusion in a manner similar to more reliable and lower cost technologies based on physical transducers. At its core, this complexity arises from the fundamental need for biochemical sensors to interact intimately at the molecular level with one or more specific components (analytes) in samples that are often highly complex and hostile to the sensors. This limits the functional lifetime of biochemical sensors to at best days or weeks or most commonly single use, making long-term embedded use-models developed for Internet of Things applications beyond reach. Nevertheless, even single use sensors can lead to “big data”, if used in large enough scale (e.g., COVID-19 diagnostics), and progress in continuous is beginning to make headway towards longer-term use models in health and environmental monitoring. New concepts exploiting advanced materials and biomimetic concepts offer opportunities to further extend the lifetime of biochemical sensing devices.
Predicting CME arrival time through data integration and ensemble learning
Authors: Alobaid Khalid A. , Abduallah Yasser , Wang Jason T. L. , Wang Haimin , Jiang Haodi , Xu Yan , Yurchyshyn Vasyl , Zhang Hongyang , Cavus Huseyin , Jing Ju
Published: October 2022

The Sun constantly releases radiation and plasma into the heliosphere. Sporadically, the Sun launches solar eruptions such as flares and coronal mass ejections (CMEs). CMEs carry away a huge amount of mass and magnetic flux with them. An Earth-directed CME can cause serious consequences to the human system. It can destroy power grids/pipelines, satellites, and communications. Therefore, accurately monitoring and predicting CMEs is important to minimize damages to the human system. In this study we propose an ensemble learning approach, named CMETNet, for predicting the arrival time of CMEs from the Sun to the Earth. We collect and integrate eruptive events from two solar cycles, #23 and #24, from 1996 to 2021 with a total of 363 geoeffective CMEs. The data used for making predictions include CME features, solar wind parameters and CME images obtained from the SOHO/LASCO C2 coronagraph. Our ensemble learning framework comprises regression algorithms for numerical data analysis and a convolutional neural network for image processing. Experimental results show that CMETNet performs better than existing machine learning methods reported in the literature, with a Pearson product-moment correlation coefficient of 0.83 and a mean absolute error of 9.75 h.
Ion alfvén velocity fluctuations and implications for the diffusion of streaming cosmic rays
Authors: Beattie James R. , Krumholz Mark R. , Federrath Christoph , Sampson Matt L. , Crocker Roland M.
Published: October 2022

The interstellar medium (ISM) of star-forming galaxies is magnetized and turbulent. Cosmic rays (CRs) propagate through it, and those with energies from ∼ GeV − TeV are likely subject to the streaming instability, whereby the wave damping processes balances excitation of resonant ionic Alfvén waves by the CRs, reaching an equilibrium in which the propagation speed of the CRs is very close to the local ion Alfvén velocity. The transport of streaming CRs is therefore sensitive to ionic Alfvén velocity fluctuations. In this paper we systematically study these fluctuations using a large ensemble of compressible MHD turbulence simulations. We show that for sub-Alfvénic turbulence, as applies for a strongly magnetized ISM, the ionic Alfvén velocity probability density function (PDF) is determined solely by the density fluctuations from shocked gas forming parallel to the magnetic field, and we develop analytical models for the ionic Alfvén velocity PDF up to second moments. For super-Alfvénic turbulence, magnetic and density fluctuations are correlated in complex ways, and these correlations as well as contributions from the magnetic fluctuations sets the ionic Alfvén velocity PDF. We discuss the implications of these findings for underlying “macroscopic” diffusion mechanisms in CRs undergoing the streaming instability, including modeling the macroscopic diffusion coefficient for the parallel transport in sub-Alfvénic plasmas. We also describe how, for highly-magnetized turbulent gas, the gas density PDF, and hence column density PDF, can be used to access information about ionic Alfvén velocity structure from observations of the magnetized ISM.
Oblique lateral interbody fusion stand-alone vs. combined with percutaneous pedicle screw fixation in the treatment of discogenic low back pain
Authors: Wang Weiheng , Xiao Bing , Wang Haotian , Qi Junqiang , Gu Xin , Yu Jiangming , Ye Xiaojian , Xu Guohua , Xi Yanhai
Published: October 2022

Objective

Oblique lateral interbody fusion (OLIF) has unique advantages in the treatment of discogenic low back pain (DBP). However, there are few studies in this area, and no established standard for additional posterior internal fixation. The purpose of this study was to investigate the efficacy of OLIF stand-alone vs. combined with percutaneous pedicle screw fixation (PPSF) in the treatment of DBP.

Methods

This retrospective case-control study included forty patients. All patients were diagnosed with DBP by discography and discoblock. Perioperative parameters (surgery duration, blood loss, and muscle damage), complications, Visual analog scale (VAS), and Oswestry Disability Index (ODI) were assessed. Imaging data including cage subsidence, cage retropulsion, fusion rate, and adjacent spondylosis degeneration (ASD) were analyzed.

Results

There were 23 patients in the OLIF stand-alone group and 17 patients in the OLIF + PPSF group. The mean surgery duration, blood loss, and muscle damage in the OLIF stand-alone group were significantly better than those in the OLIF + PPSF group (P < 0.05). However, there was no significant difference in the average hospitalization time between the two groups (P > 0.05). There was no significant difference in the VAS and ODI scores between the two groups before surgery (P > 0.05), and VAS and ODI scores significantly improved after surgery (P < 0.05). The VAS and ODI scores in the OLIF stand-alone group were significantly better than those in the OLIF + PPSF group at 1 month (P < 0.05), While there was no significant difference between the two groups at 12 months and last follow up (P > 0.05). At the last follow-up, there was no significant difference in cage subsidence, fusion rate, ASD and complication rate between the two groups (P > 0.05).

Conclusion

OLIF stand-alone and OLIF + PPSF are both safe and effective in the treatment of DBP, and there is no significant difference in the long-term clinical and radiological outcomes. OLIF stand-alone has the advantages of surgery duration, blood loss, muscle damage, and early clinical effect. More clinical data are needed to confirm the effect of OLIF stand-alone on cage subsidence and ASD. This study provides a basis for the clinical application of standard DBP treatment with OLIF.
Multimodality imaging differentiation of pancreatic neuroendocrine tumors and solid pseudopapillary tumors with a nomogram model: A large single-center study
Authors: Hu Hai-Feng , Li Zheng , Chen Ke , Liu Meng-Qi , Ye Zeng , Chen Xue-min , Zhang Yue , Yu Xian-Jun , Xu Xiao-Wu , Ji Shun-Rong
Published: October 2022

Background

Pancreatic neuroendocrine tumors (pNETs) and solid pseudopapillary tumors (SPTs) are two of the most common pancreatic neoplasms with different treatment procedures. However, the broad heterogeneity of pNETs and SPTs in clinical manifestations and radiological features often confuse the presurgical discrimination in clinical practice, and the clinical and molecular differentiation of the two tumors remains elusive to date. We presume that a large and comprehensive study into the multimodality features of pNETs and SPTs is necessary for precise clinical management.

Methods

We collected and analyzed the clinicopathological information and multimodality features of nonfunctional pNET and SPT patients, for a total of 631 cases from 2006 to 2021. Univariate analysis of imaging features, including contrast-enhanced computed tomography (CT), magnetic resonance imaging, endoscopic ultrasound (EUS) and nuclear medicine imaging, and clinical characteristics was performed, and CT features and clinical information were integrated to establish a nomogram model.

Results

We recruited 354 nonfunctional pNET and 277 SPT patients in our cohort. Regarding demographic information, pNET patients had a lower female percentage (55.4% vs. 72.9%), smaller tumor size (2.8 vs. 4.8 cm), and older age (53.4 vs. 35.3 years). In CT imaging and EUS, pNETs tended to appear as solid and homogenous lesions with strong enhancement intensity. Multifocal lesions, duct dilation, and lymph node (LN) enlargement were more likely to be observed in pNETs, while calcification was more common in SPT lesions. On positron emission tomography (PET)/CT, pNETs exhibited significant sensitivity to somatostatin receptor scintigraphy (SRS), with positive rates of 81.4% and 95% on 99mTc-HYNIC-TOC and 68Ga-DOTATATE PET/CT, respectively, while SPTs were all negative on SRS. Multivariate analysis identifies tumor size, age, enhancement intensity, calcification, and LN enlargement as statistically significant variables.

Conclusions

Compared to SPT patients, pNET patients exhibit an older age and smaller tumor size. CT manifestations of strong intensity, LN enlargement, and no calcification could indicate a higher possibility of pNET. Meanwhile, the similarity in the immunohistochemical profile indicates that the two tumors could potentially develop from the same origin.
A retrospective study on the efficacy and safety of bone cement in the treatment of endplate fractures
Authors: Zhao Zhijian , Deng Lei , Hua Xi , Liu Haojun , Zhang Hao , Jia Xuejun , Wei Rushuai , Liu Mingming , Lv Nanning
Published: October 2022

Background

Endplate fractures is an important factor affecting the curative effect of percutaneous kyphoplasty for spinal fracture. The purpose of this study is to investigate the effect of sealing endplate fracture with bone cement on minimally invasive treatment of spinal fracture.

Methods

A total of 98 patients with osteoporotic vertebral fractures combined with endplate fractures treated with bone cement surgery in our hospital were retrospectively analyzed. They were grouped according to whether bone cement was involved in the endplate fractures. Group A: bone cement was not only distributed in the fractured vertebral body, but also dispersed into the endplate fractures. Group B: bone cement was confined to the fractured vertebra but did not diffuse into the cracks of the endplate. The basic information, imaging changes of the fractured vertebral body, VAS score, ODI score, bone cement distribution and postoperative complications of the two groups were analyzed and compared.

Results

The height of the injured vertebra and the kyphotic Cobb angle in the two groups were significantly improved after surgery, but the anterior height of the vertebra in group B was lower than that in group A and the kyphotic Cobb angle was higher than that in group A at the last follow-up (P < 0.05). VAS score and ODI score in 2 groups were significantly improved after operation (P < 0.05), but the VAS score and ODI score in group A were lower than those in group B at the last follow-up (P < 0.05). The incidence of bone cement leakage and adjacent vertebral fracture in group A was higher than that in group B (P < 0.05).

Conclusion

Diffusion of bone cement into the cracks of the endplate may also restore and maintain the height of the injured vertebra, relieve pain and restore lumbar function. However, diffusion of bone cement into the cracks of the endplate can increase the incidence of cement leakage and adjacent vertebral fractures.
Role of phytobiotics in relieving the impacts of Aeromonas hydrophila infection on aquatic animals: A mini-review
Authors: Abdul Kari Zulhisyam , Wee Wendy , Mohamad Sukri Suniza Anis , Che Harun Hasnita , Hanif Reduan Mohd Farhan , Irwan Khoo Martina , Van Doan Hien , Wen Goh Khang , Seong Wei Lee
Published: October 2022

Aeromonas hydrophila is a ubiquitous bacterium with various hosts that causes mass mortality in farm-raised fish species and significant economic losses. The current antibiotic treatment is ineffective in controlling this bacterium infection in aquaculture species. Therefore, an evaluation of potential phytobiotics is needed to find an alternative antimicrobial agent to reduce the over-reliance on antibiotics in aquaculture and safeguard public and environmental health. Furthermore, the rise in antibiotic resistance cases among pathogenic bacteria indicates an urgent need for new fish and shellfish health management solutions. In this context, phytobiotics applications in aquaculture can be defined as any medicinal plant-based antimicrobial agent used in fish and shellfish health management. This review will focus on the impacts of Motile Aeromonas Septicemia (MAS) due to A. hydrophila in aquaculture, the potential of phytobiotics in enhancing the tolerance of aquaculture species against MAS and the combination of phytobiotics with other antimicrobial and therapeutic agents against MAS.
Metabolic fingerprinting of dogs with idiopathic epilepsy receiving a ketogenic medium-chain triglyceride (MCT) oil
Authors: Berk Benjamin Andreas , Ottka Claudia , Hong Law Tsz , Packer Rowena Mary Anne , Wessmann Annette , Bathen-Nöthen Andrea , Jokinen Tarja Susanna , Knebel Anna , Tipold Andrea , Lohi Hannes , Volk Holger Andreas
Published: October 2022

Consumption of medium-chain triglycerides (MCT) has been shown to improve seizure control, reduce behavioural comorbidities and improve cognitive function in epileptic dogs. However, the exact metabolic pathways affected by dietary MCT remain poorly understood. In this study, we aimed to identify changes in the metabolome and neurotransmitters levels relevant to epilepsy and behavioural comorbidities associated with the consuming of an MCT supplement (MCT-DS) in dogs with idiopathic epilepsy (IE). Metabolic alterations induced by a commercial MCT-DS in a population of 28 dogs with IE were evaluated in a 6-month multi-centre, prospective, randomised, double-blinded, controlled cross-over trial design. A metabolic energy requirement-based amount of 9% MCT or control oil was supplemented to the dogs' stable base diet for 3 months, followed by the alternative oil for another 3 months. A validated, quantitative nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy platform was applied to pre- and postprandially collected serum samples to compare the metabolic profile between both DS and baseline. Furthermore, alterations in urinary neurotransmitter levels were explored. Five dogs (30%) had an overall reduction in seizure frequency of ≥50%, and were classified as MCT-responders, while 23 dogs showed a ≤50% reduction, and were defined as MCT non-responders. Amino-acid metabolism was significantly influenced by MCT consumption compared to the control oil. While the serum concentrations of total fatty acids appeared similar during both supplements, the relative concentrations of individual fatty acids differed. During MCT supplementation, the concentrations of polyunsaturated fatty acids and arachidonic acid were significantly higher than under the control oil. β-Hydroxybutyric acid levels were significantly higher under MCT supplementation. In total, four out of nine neurotransmitters were significantly altered: a significantly increased γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA) concentration was detected during the MCT-phase accompanied by a significant shift of the GABA-glutamate balance. MCT-Responders had significantly lowered urinary concentrations of histamine, glutamate, and serotonin under MCT consumption. In conclusion, these novel data highlight metabolic changes in lipid, amino-acid and ketone metabolism due to MCT supplementation. Understanding the metabolic response to MCT provides new avenues to develop better nutritional management with improved anti-seizure and neuroprotective effects for dogs with epilepsy, and other behavioural disorders.
Acute and chronic viruses mediated by an ectoparasite targeting different developmental stages of honeybee (Apis mellifera and Apis cerana) brood
Authors: Lin Zheguang , Zhang Nan , Wang Zhi , Zhuang Mingliang , Wang Qi , Niu Defang , Page Paul , Wang Kang , Niu Qingsheng , Ji Ting
Published: October 2022

The health of the western honeybee, Apis mellifera, the most crucial pollinator, has been challenged globally over the past decades. An ectoparasitic mite, Varroa destructor, together with the viruses it vectored, is generally regarded as the vital pathogenic agent. Although the poor health status of A. mellifera compared to its eastern counterpart, Apis cerana, has been broadly identified, the underlying mechanism remains poorly understood and comparison between susceptible and resistant hosts will potentially ameliorate this predicament. Here, we investigated the impacts of two widespread viruses—deformed wing virus type A (DWV-A) and Israeli acute paralysis virus (IAPV), mediated by V. destructor mite, on the capped developing honeybee brood, in the absence of adult workers, of A. mellifera and A. cerana, with positive and negative controls. Our results demonstrated that the endogenous viruses imposed limited damage on the hosts even if the brood was wounded. In contrast, the exogenous viruses introduced by ectoparasites triggered variable mortality of the infested brood between host species. Intriguingly, death causes of both honeybee species presented a similar trend: the acute IAPV generally causes morbidity and mortality of late larvae, while the chronic DWV-A typically leads to brood mortality during and after pupation. Notably, the susceptible immature A. cerana individuals, supported by higher observed mortality and a lower virus tolerance, serve the interests of the colony and foster the overall survival of a resistant honeybee superorganism. These results improve our understanding of the interactions between viruses carried by ectoparasites and their developing hosts, and the novel insight of weak individuals fostering strong colonies may promote breeding efforts to mitigate the indefensible colony losses globally.
Canine brucellosis in three littermates, case report
Authors: Graham Lindsey T. , Vitale Samantha N. , Foss Kari D. , Hague Devon W. , Anderson Kimberly M. , Maddox Carol W.
Published: October 2022

Three adult littermates were diagnosed withBrucella canis, twoof which were diagnosed with discospondylitis. The first littermate, a 2-year-old spayed-female Labrador Retriever, was evaluated for progressive episodes of cervical pain, lethargy, reported circling to the right, and a right-sided head tilt. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of the cervical spine revealed changes consistent with discospondylitis at C6-C7. MRI of the brain was unremarkable and cerebrospinal fluid analysis was declined.Brucellaspp. was isolated from aerobic and Brucella blood cultures. PCR performed on the isolate identifiedBrucella canisand indirect fluorescent antibody (IFA) testing forBrucella canisalso confirmed the species. Patient #1 was treated with doxycycline and marbofloxacin for 1 year. Clinical signs returned 2-years after diagnosis. Following the diagnosis of patient #1, a known littermate (patient #2) was tested forBrucella canis. Patient #2 was 2 years old and asymptomatic at the time of diagnosis. Aerobic andBrucellaspp. cultures, PCR, and IFA were obtained and were diagnostic forBrucella canis. A 6-month course of marbofloxacin and doxycycline was implemented. The patient remained PCR positive following 4 months of treatment and repeat cultures were planned following 6 months of treatment; however, the patient was lost to follow-up. A third littermate (patient #3) was identified by the family of patient #1. Patient #3 was evaluated at 18 months of age for a 6-month history of progressive lumbosacral pain. Spinal radiographs revealed discospondylitis of the C3-C4, T12-T13, and L7-S1 vertebral endplates. Computed tomography (CT) of the lumbosacral spine was also consistent with discospondylitis at L7-S1.Brucella canisserologic testing consisting of rapid slide agglutination test, 2ME-rapid slide agglutination test, and cytoplasmic agar gel immunodiffusion was positive. Enrofloxacin was administered for 7 months and was discontinued thereafter based on radiographic evidence of healing and resolution of clinical signs. AlthoughBrucella canisis not a rare disease in dogs, the documentation of two out of three adult littermates with associated discospondylitis is an interesting feature. In addition, this report highlights available diagnostic and treatment options, as each patient was managed differently based on clinical signs and the preference of the managing clinician.
Stocking density, restricted trough space, and implications for sheep behaviour and biological functioning
Authors: Mayes Bonnie T. , Tait L. Amy , Cowley Frances C. , Morton John M. , Doyle Brendan P. , Arslan Muhammad A. , Taylor Peta S.
Published: October 2022

Stocking density and trough space allowance can potentially impact sheep welfare during live export voyages. The aim of this study was to assess the welfare implications for sheep housed at five allometric stocking densities, with either unrestricted or restricted trough space allowance. Merino wethers (n = 720) were housed in 40 pens of 18 heads for 18 days. Two 5-min continuous focal animal observations (n = 3/pen) were conducted on days 3, 5, 11, and 17. Scan sampling of standing and lying behaviours were conducted on the same days at hourly intervals. Live weights and immune cell counts were quantified at the start and end of the experiment, as well as faecal glucocorticoid metabolites (FGCMs), which were also assessed on days 6 and 12. Focal animals housed at higher stocking densities spent less time lying during one of the continuous observation periods, but no important effects on the overall number of animals lying or on the synchronicity of lying were evident. The scan sampling results indicated that the expression of some preferred lying positions was impaired at high stocking densities, and that high stocking densities also resulted in increased agonistic social interactions and displacement events at the start of the trial. There was a slight reduction in day 18 live weights for animals housed at higher stocking densities, but FGCM concentrations and immune cell counts were essentially unaffected. Trough space had no important effects on day 18 live weight, FGCM concentrations, or immune cell counts, and had limited effects on sheep behaviour. The lack of important impacts on biological fitness traits suggests that the behavioural responses observed were sufficient in allowing sheep to cope with their environment. However, we provide evidence that the provision of additional space is beneficial in reducing the time it takes for animals to adapt to their environment and to facilitate the expression of some preferred lying positions. While designed to emulate certain conditions relevant during live export voyages, some factors that may induce stress during this mode of transport were not present such as heat and ocean swell, so the conclusions must be interpreted in the context of the experimental conditions.
Real-Time Analysis of Predictors of COVID-19 Infection Spread in Countries in the European Union Through a New Tool
Authors: Balogh Aniko , Harman Anna , Kreuter Frauke
Published: October 2022

Objectives: Real-time data analysis during a pandemic is crucial. This paper aims to introduce a novel interactive tool called Covid-Predictor-Tracker using several sources of COVID-19 data, which allows examining developments over time and across countries. Exemplified here by investigating relative effects of vaccination to non-pharmaceutical interventions on COVID-19 spread.

Methods: We combine >100 indicators from the Global COVID-19 Trends and Impact Survey, Johns Hopkins University, Our World in Data, European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control, National Centers for Environmental Information, and Eurostat using random forests, hierarchical clustering, and rank correlation to predict COVID-19 cases.

Results: Between 2/2020 and 1/2022, we found among the non-pharmaceutical interventions “mask usage” to have strong effects after the percentage of people vaccinated at least once, followed by country-specific measures such as lock-downs. Countries with similar characteristics share ranks of infection predictors. Gender and age distribution, healthcare expenditures and cultural participation interact with restriction measures.

Conclusion: Including time-aware machine learning models in COVID-19 infection dashboards allows to disentangle and rank predictors of COVID-19 cases per country to support policy evaluation. Our open-source tool can be updated daily with continuous data streams, and expanded as the pandemic evolves.
The revival of the celebration of the Siberian Day in Tyumen (Features and problems of translation the intangible heritage)
Authors:   Tyumen, Russia, Kalinina N.Yu.
Published: October 2022

The article deals with the features and problems of translation the intangible heritage on the example of Siberian Day in Tyumen. In 2011 the creators of the Ermak Timofeevich’s organization revived the holiday in the Tyumen region, which was established in Russia about 150 years ago. The organisers have implemented the modern forms of contact with the youth and developed interest to the history and culture of their region. The children's creative competition “You, Siberia, my hands will embrace” — is the main event of Siberian Day in Tyumen. Siberian Day creates a direction for positive sociocultural processes for the each Siberian, not depending on ethnocultural, political, confessional affiliation. To sum up the 11-year history of the holiday, we can note its important educational role. The success of the project is confirmed by the constant significant growth in the number of participants in the competition (from 180 to 3000), benefactors and numerous positive reviews.
Using Mealworms (Arthropoda: Tenebrionidae) to Prepare Rat Skeleton
Authors: SELVİLER SİZER Sedef , KURT Semih , ONUK Burcu , KABAK Murat
Published: October 2022

In anatomy, various methods such as boiling, maceration, and dissection are used to prepare the skeleton. However, while the existing methods are used in the skeleton preparation stage of small animals, the integrity of the skeleton is impaired, and there are difficulties in the reassembly of the bones. For this reason, it is planned to create small animal skeletons without loss and damage by using mealworms. In the study, 1100 mealworms (Arthropoda: Dermestidae) with a total weight of approximately 110 grams and three rat carcasses with a weight of approximately 177 grams were used. To observe the carcass cleaning performance of the mealworms, the initial weight and final weight of the carcass were measured with a precision scale. It was observed that on days of 3rd-5th, the meat on the rib was eaten and the ribs appeared. The vertebral column became more evident in the 6th-8th days. In the 6th-9th days, the ribs were completely cleared, and the extremity bones were visible. The skull and extremities were evident in all their details between the 9th-12th days. At the end of the 15th day, it was determined that mealworms had completely exposed the rat skeleton. As a result, in this study, it was observed that approximately 1100 mealworms consumed 159 g of meat in 15 days, resulting in a lossless and undamaged rat skeleton. In addition, the advantages and disadvantages of creating small animal skeleton using mealworms were determined in this study.
La gamificación en el aprendizaje de la matemática en la Educación Básica Regular
Authors: Guisvert Espinoza Roxana Nelly , Lima Cucho Lida Ivonne
Published: October 2022

La educación, frente a los contextos actuales, busca que el docente cumpla un rol de artífice y motivador de aprendizajes de una forma dinámica y lúdica, asimismo, es urgente que esté especialmente preparado en el uso de los nuevos medios pertenecientes a las TIC que ha traído el siglo XXI. En tal sentido, el presente artículo tuvo como objetivo analizar los beneficios de la gamificación como estrategia para la enseñanza del área de matemática en estudiantes de la Educación Básica Regular. Se empleó una metodología de revisión bibliográfica y se analizaron 29 estudios. La literatura seleccionada determinó que la aplicación de la gamificación mejora la formación en la matemática, además, estimula y motiva al estudiante a seguir aprendiendo de una manera didáctica e independiente, apelando a una herramienta tecnológica ampliamente asimilada por los nativos digitales.
Characterization of Collagen from the Swimbladder of Catfish (Tachysurus maculatus)
Authors: ROSE C.
Published: October 2022

Collagen was isolated from swimbladder tissue of Tachysurus maculatus by acid extraction. Electrophoresis on SOS-PAGE showed that the a1 and '¼ chains are present in the molar ratio of 2:1. Chromatography on CM-cellulose, in addition to confirming the chain composition, showed the presence of reduced amounts of the crosslinked dimers 011 and 012 after the collagen was denatured. Thus, the native collagen molecule in this study has the formula, (a1)2a2 and corresponds to a Type I collagen. Molecular sieve chromatography gave an elution profile similar to rat tail tendon (RTT) collagen. Amino acid composition showed a higher content of Met and lower content of OH-Pro than mammalian collagen. The shrinkage temperature (T,) of the swimbladder tissue was 54.6°C. The single peak obtained around T1 by hydrothermal isometric tension (HIT) measurements indicated the presence of only heat-labile cross-links.
Domestication of Crustaceans
Authors: PULLIN R.S.V.
Published: October 2022

At least 60 species of crustaceans are farmed experimentally or commercially, mostly in the tropics and subtropics where species maturation times are shorter than in temper­ate climates. Over 50 species are kept by aquarists, and several, especially Artemis spp., are widely used as live foods for rearing fish and aquatic invertebrates. However, there has been far less application of genetics in crustacean farming than in finfish and mollusc farming, and very few crustaceans can be regarded as domesticated. The exceptions are a few disease-resistant and selectively-bred strains of farmed penaeid shrimps, color variants of some freshwater crayfish, and selected strains of Artemia franciscana. This is likely to change, but efforts to domesticate crustacean species are often hampered by the technical challenges of closing complex life cycles and coping with aggressive behavior in captivity. This applies particularly to marine species such as lobsters and crabs. The development of domesticated breeds can contribute to making crustacean farming more productive, more profitable and, when feasible, less environmentally damaging. New breeding goals are being set for farmed penaeid shrimps, e.g. faster growth, disease resistance and tolerance to environmental stress. It may also be preferable to breed in captivity some species of crustaceans for the aquarium trade, rather than exploiting wild populations. Realizing all these possibilities will require a major research effort.
Linguagens, interação e autismo
Authors: Cruz Fernanda Miranda da , Perissinoto Jacy , Tamanaha Ana Carina
Published: October 2022

Este é o volume 4 da Coleção Educação e Saúde, uma iniciativa de docentes, discentes e pesquisadores, credenciados no Programa de Pós- Graduação em Saúde e Educação na Infância e na Adolescência (PPGESIA), da Universidade Federal de São Paulo (UNIFESP). O presente volume intitulado Linguagens, Interação Social e Autismo traduz algumas pesquisas, intervenções, projetos, percursos formativos e parcerias produzidos no interior de dois grupos de pesquisa da UNIFESP dedicados à investigação sobre o autismo, a saber, o Grupo de Pesquisa Interação, Cognição e Multimodalidade (InCoMul), do Laboratório de Linguagem e Cognição (LabLinC) e o Núcleo de Investigação Fonoaudiológica em Linguagem de Crianças e Adolescentes com Transtorno do Espectro do Autismo (NIFLINC-TEA).
Barriers and facilitators to healthy eating and physical activity of office-based workers in New Zealand
Authors:   , Manawaduge Silva Prasadie Rashmini
Published: October 2022

The high rate of global mortality due to obesity has encouraged researchers to identify the major factors associated with the increased prevalence of obesity and other non-communicable diseases. Unhealthy eating and physical inactivity are major contributors to morbidity and premature death. The working population spends the majority of their waking hours in the workplace and the workplace setting has been identified as an ideal environment to improve healthy eating and physical activity of workers. While many occupations and community settings have been researched, little is known about office-based workers' eating behaviour and physical activity level in the workplace. The primary goal of this research is therefore to explore the barriers and facilitators that New Zealand office-based workers face in terms of healthy eating and physical activity in the workplace. This research used a mixed methodology; a combination of quantitative and qualitative methods to answer the research questions. A total of 106 office-based workers in New Zealand completed the questionnaire and of these participants, 13 participated for the semi-structured interviews. Descriptive statistics have primarily been used to analyse the quantitative data while thematic analysis was used to analyse the qualitative data. The quantitative survey results indicated that the majority of office-based workers' workplace fruit intake is in line with the New Zealand health recommendations. Notably, their sweets intake in the workplace is higher than the general health recommendations. In terms of physical activities, the majority of the office-based workers' occupation does not involve any vigorous-intensity or moderate-intensity activity during their work time and their sitting time is seven to eight hours in the workplace. The qualitative interview results discovered that excessive workload, work stress, nature of work, organisational culture, unavailability of healthy food options in the workplace, and lack of encouragement from management were the main barriers to healthy eating and physical activity in the workplace. To promote healthy eating and physical activity in the workplace, the research recommends that the management should streamline the physical environment of the workplace by cultivating a positive organisational health climate by reducing workload, increasing work flexibility, providing compulsory breaks for stretching and exercise, longer lunchtimes for walking groups or fitness classes and increasing the availability of healthy food options in the workplace.