bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Spina Bifida Occulta Is a Risk Factor for Spinal Cord Injury Without Fracture or Dislocation for Children Performing a Backbend During Dance
Authors: Liu Guoqing , Jiang Wei , Tang Xiang , Tan Shali , Zhang Mingqiang , Tao Liang , Xiao Nong , Chen Yuxia
Published: June 2022

Objective

This study aimed to explore the clinical features and outcomes of children with spinal cord injury (SCI) without fracture or dislocation.

Methods

The clinical data of children with SCI without fracture or dislocation in this retrospective study were collected in Chongqing, China (January 2010 to December 2021). We collected patient demographics at admission including age, gender, cause, level, and severity of the injury in admission and complications. Reports from radiologic imaging were reviewed to identify spina bifida occulta (SBO). Neurological function was evaluated using the American Spinal Injury Association (ASIA) Impairment Scale (AIS) for an SCI.

Results

A total of 74 children with SCI (male, 27%; female, 73%; male-to-female ratio, 1:2.7; average age, 5.7 years) were included. The main cause of injury was backbend during the dance (34 patients, 45.9%, including 2 patients who hugged back falling backward), followed by traffic accidents (17 patients, 23%). Children with backbend-related SCI were older than other children (6.9 vs. 4.9 years old, P < 0.001). When reviewing all radiological images, it was found that 20 (27%) patients with SCI had SBO. The proportion of SCI with SBO caused by backbend was considerably higher than those caused by non-backbend (41.2 vs. 15%, P = 0.012). The AIS were 22 (29.7%), 4 (5.4%), 8 (10.8%), 31 (41.9%), and 9 (12.2%) in A, B, C, D, and E, respectively. The prognosis was poorer in the backbend during dancing than other causes of injury (p = 0.003).

Conclusion

This study showed that backbend during the dance was the main cause of children's SCI without fracture or dislocation in Chongqing, China. The prognosis was poorer in those children than in other causes of injury. Meanwhile, we have established an association between SBO and SCI for children performing a backbend during the dance.
Obstructive Sleep Apnea and Cardiovascular Risk: The Role of Dyslipidemia, Inflammation, and Obesity
Authors: Zdravkovic Marija , Popadic Viseslav , Klasnja Slobodan , Milic Natasa , Rajovic Nina , Divac Anica , Manojlovic Andrea , Nikolic Novica , Lukic Filip , Rasiti Esma , Mircetic Katarina , Marinkovic Djordje , Nikolic Sofija , Crnokrak Bogdan , Lisulov Danica Popovic , Djurasevic Sinisa , Stojkovic Maja , Todorovic Zoran , Lasica Ratko , Parapid Biljana , Djuran Predrag , Brajkovic Milica
Published: June 2022

Introduction: The present study aimed to establish the role of lipid abnormalities and inflammatory markers for developing cardiovascular risk, as well as to address the importance of obesity as a common comorbidity in patients with obstructive sleep apnea (OSA).

Methods: The study was conducted as a prospective cohort study including 120 patients with newly diagnosed OSA between 2019 and 2020, at University Clinical Hospital Center “Bezanijska kosa”, Belgrade, Serbia. The diagnosis was established by polysomnography. In all patients, sociodemographic data, respiratory, lipid, and inflammatory parameters were collected and complete echocardiographic study and 24-h blood pressure monitoring were performed.

Results: The mean patient age was 55.7 ± 13.8 years. Study population was mostly male (70.0%) and obese (56.7%). At least 30 apneas or hypopneas per hour were present in 39.0% of patients. A strong positive correlation was found between OSA severity and BMI (r = 0.562, p < 0.001), both associated with lipid, inflammatory and respiratory parameters, and cardiovascular profile of patients with OSA (p < 0.05 for all). Echocardiographic study and 24-h blood pressure monitoring parameters were in turn correlated with lipid and inflammatory markers (p < 0.05 for all).

Conclusion: The results of this study support the important role of dyslipidemia and inflammation, as well as coexistence of obesity in the pathogenesis of numerous conditions linked with an increased risk of cardiovascular morbidity and mortality in patients with OSA.
Yi-Shen-Hua-Shi Granule Alleviates Adriamycin-Induced Glomerular Fibrosis by Suppressing the BMP2/Smad Signaling Pathway
Authors: Tan Zhuojing , Si Yachen , Yu Yan , Ding Jiarong , Huang Linxi , Xu Ying , Zhang Hongxia , Lu Yihan , Wang Chao , Yu Bing , Yuan Li
Published: June 2022

Focal segmental glomerulosclerosis (FSGS) is a common clinical condition with manifestations of nephrotic syndrome and fibrosis of the glomeruli and interstitium. Yi-Shen-Hua-Shi (YSHS) granule has been shown to have a good effect in alleviating nephrotic syndrome (NS) in clinical and in animal models of FSGS, but whether it can alleviate renal fibrosis in FSGS and its mechanism and targets are not clear. In this study, we explored the anti-fibrotic effect and the targets of the YSHS granule in an adriamycin (ADR)-induced FSGS model and found that the YSHS granule significantly improved the renal function of ADR-induced FSGS model mice and also significantly reduced the deposition of collagen fibers and the expression of mesenchymal cell markers FN, vimentin, and α-SMA in the glomeruli of ADR-induced FSGS mice, suggesting that the YSHS granule inhibited the fibrosis of sclerotic glomeruli. Subsequently, a network pharmacology-based approach was used to identify the potential targets of the YSHS granule for the alleviation of glomerulosclerosis in FSGS, and the results showed that the YSHS granule down-regulated the expressions of BMP2, GSTA1, GATS3, BST1, and S100A9 and up-regulated the expressions of TTR and GATM in ADR-induced FSGS model mice. We also proved that the YSHS granule inhibited the fibrosis in the glomeruli of ADR-induced FSGS model mice through the suppression of the BMP2/Smad signaling pathway.
PD-L1 Regulates Platelet Activation and Thrombosis via Caspase-3/GSDME Pathway
Authors: Li Yulong , Xin Guang , Li Shiyi , Dong Yuman , Zhu Yuda , Yu Xiuxian , Wan Chengyu , Li Fan , Wei Zeliang , Wang Yilan , Zhang Kun , Chen Qingqiu , Niu Hai , Huang Wen
Published: June 2022

Platelets play a central role in hemostasis and thrombosis, regulating the occurrence and development of thrombotic diseases, including ischemic stroke. Programmed death ligand 1 (PD-L1) has recently been detected in platelet, while the function of PD-L1 in platelets remain elusive. Our data reveal a novel mechanism for the role of PD-L1 on platelet activation and arterial thrombosis. PD-L1 knockout does not affect platelet morphology, count, and mean volume under homeostasis and without risk of bleeding, which inhibits platelet activation by suppressing outside-in-activation of integrin by downregulating the Caspase-3/GSDME pathway. Platelet adoptive transfer experiments demonstrate that PD-L1 knockout inhibits thrombosis. And the absence of PD-L1 improves ischemic stroke severity and increases mice survival. Immunohistochemical staining of the internal structure of the thrombus proves that PD-L1 enhances the seriousness of the thrombus by inhibiting platelet activation. This work reveals a regulatory role of PD-L1 on platelet activation and thrombosis while providing novel platelet intervention strategies to prevent thrombosis.
Evaluation of Postharvest Maturity Indices of Commercial Avocado Varieties Grown at Various Elevations Along Lebanon's Coast
Authors: Salameh Maya , Nacouzi Diana , Lahoud Georgette , Riachy Imad , El Kayal Walid
Published: June 2022

Avocado is known to be a climacteric fruit that must be harvested during the suitable physiological maturity stage to achieve the best edible characteristics and reach the required export standards. It is very hard to visually determine the optimum maturity phases in the different avocado varieties for harvesting, especially because of the limited changes in the external fruit morphology during the maturity phase and because the harvest season is extended throughout several months. Therefore, some laboratory analyses are very crucial to determine the best timing to harvest the fruit. The aim of this study was to evaluate the postharvest maturity indices over 3 harvest stages, mainly dry matter (DM), oil content (OC), fruit firmness, titratable acidity (TA), total soluble solid (TSS/Brix), and fruit weight in commercial avocado varieties in regard to different altitudes and agricultural practices. The varieties in this study were as follows: Hass, Lambhass, Ettinger, Fuerte, Pinkerton, Reed, and Horshim growing at different altitudes that ranged from 50 to 400 m in 7 different regions in Lebanon. Statistical comparison of maturity indices under different locations by variety and harvest stage was performed using one-way ANOVA as well as by principal component analysis (PCA). The results showed a high linear correlation between DM and OC over the different harvest stages. During the late harvest stage, the weight showed a negative correlation between fruit firmness and TSS. The minimum oil content % and dry matter % were recorded for Reed variety (8.2 DM and 9.7 OC%) and the highest oil content % and dry matter % were recorded for Fuerte variety (28.5 DM and 21.6 OC%). The data obtained during this study are used to achieve the best edible characteristics and export standards of commercial avocado varieties growing along the Lebanese coast.
Sphingolipid Long-Chain Base Phosphate Degradation Can Be a Rate-Limiting Step in Long-Chain Base Homeostasis
Authors: Lambour Benjamin , Glenz René , Forner Carmen , Krischke Markus , Mueller Martin J. , Fekete Agnes , Waller Frank
Published: June 2022

Sphingolipid long-chain bases (LCBs) are building blocks for membrane-localized sphingolipids, and are involved in signal transduction pathways in plants. Elevated LCB levels are associated with the induction of programmed cell death and pathogen-derived toxin-induced cell death. Therefore, levels of free LCBs can determine survival of plant cells. To elucidate the contribution of metabolic pathways regulating high LCB levels, we applied the deuterium-labeled LCB D-erythro-sphinganine-d7 (D7-d18:0), the first LCB in sphingolipid biosynthesis, to Arabidopsis leaves and quantified labeled LCBs, LCB phosphates (LCB-Ps), and 14 abundant ceramide (Cer) species over time. We show that LCB D7-d18:0 is rapidly converted into the LCBs d18:0P, t18:0, and t18:0P. Deuterium-labeled ceramides were less abundant, but increased over time, with the highest levels detected for Cer(d18:0/16:0), Cer(d18:0/24:0), Cer(t18:0/16:0), and Cer(t18:0/22:0). A more than 50-fold increase of LCB-P levels after leaf incubation in LCB D7-d18:0 indicated that degradation of LCBs via LCB-Ps is important, and we hypothesized that LCB-P degradation could be a rate-limiting step to reduce high levels of LCBs. To functionally test this hypothesis, we constructed a transgenic line with dihydrosphingosine-1-phosphate lyase 1 (DPL1) under control of an inducible promotor. Higher expression of DPL1 significantly reduced elevated LCB-P and LCB levels induced by Fumonisin B1, and rendered plants more resistant against this fungal toxin. Taken together, we provide quantitative data on the contribution of major enzymatic pathways to reduce high LCB levels, which can trigger cell death. Specifically, we provide functional evidence that DPL1 can be a rate-limiting step in regulating high LCB levels.
Identification of qGL3.5, a Novel Locus Controlling Grain Length in Rice Through Bulked Segregant Analysis and Fine Mapping
Authors: Wang Lan , Liu Yang , Zhao Haiyan , Zheng Yuebin , Bai Feng , Deng Sicheng , Chen Zhixiong , Wu Jinwen , Liu Xiangdong
Published: June 2022

Grain length (GL) directly affects the yield and quality of rice. Very few cloned GL-related genes are applied in production because their yield-increasing effects are not obvious, and the overall regulatory networks underlying the associated processes remain poorly understood. DNA samples from two bulk DNA pools (L-pool and S-pool) and their parents (KJ01 and Huaye 3) were subjected to high-throughput sequencing. Using bulked segregant analysis (BSA),qGL3.5was mapped to a 0.34-Mb “hotspot” region on chromosome 3 that contains 37 genes related to various traits. Then,qGL3.5was mapped to the genomic interval between the flanking markers M2 and M3 using 2786 BC4F2individuals. Because the region from B5 to B6 was not the associated region under BSA-seq analysis,qGL3.5was narrowed down to the interval between B6 and M3, which spanned 24.0-kb. Of all 37 genes with non-synonymous single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) between KJ01 and Huaye 3 based on BSA-seq analysis, only one complete annotated gene,ORF18(Gene ID:LOC_Os03g42790.1) was found.ORF18encodes an IBR-RING zinc-finger-related protein, with one really interesting new gene (RING) and two in between ring finger (IBR) domains. The knockout ofORF18derived from Huaye 3 using clustered, regularly interspaced, short palindromic repeat (CRISPR)/CRISPR-associated 9 (Cas9) editing technology increased the GL of the mutant by approximately 2.2 mm. The novel locusqGL3.5negatively regulated GL by promoting elongation of the longitudinal cell of the grain outer glume. These results provide a new genetic resource for rice grain shape breeding and a starting point for the functional characterization of the wild rice GL gene.
Cotton Yield Estimation Based on Vegetation Indices and Texture Features Derived From RGB Image
Authors: Ma Yiru , Ma Lulu , Zhang Qiang , Huang Changping , Yi Xiang , Chen Xiangyu , Hou Tongyu , Lv Xin , Zhang Ze
Published: June 2022

Yield monitoring is an important parameter to evaluate cotton productivity during cotton harvest. Nondestructive and accurate yield monitoring is of great significance to cotton production. Unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) remote sensing has fast and repetitive acquisition ability. The visible vegetation indices has the advantages of low cost, small amount of calculation and high resolution. The combination of the UAV and visible vegetation indices has been more and more applied to crop yield monitoring. However, there are some shortcomings in estimating cotton yield based on visible vegetation indices only as the similarity between cotton and mulch film makes it difficult to differentiate them and yields may be saturated based on vegetation index estimates near harvest. Texture feature is another important remote sensing information that can provide geometric information of ground objects and enlarge the spatial information identification based on original image brightness. In this study, RGB images of cotton canopy were acquired by UAV carrying RGB sensors before cotton harvest. The visible vegetation indices and texture features were extracted from RGB images for cotton yield monitoring. Feature parameters were selected in different methods after extracting the information. Linear and nonlinear methods were used to build cotton yield monitoring models based on visible vegetation indices, texture features and their combinations. The results show that (1) vegetation indices and texture features extracted from the ultra-high-resolution RGB images obtained by UAVs were significantly correlated with the cotton yield; (2) The best model was that combined with vegetation indices and texture characteristics RF_ELM model, verification set R2 was 0.9109, and RMSE was 0.91277 t.ha−1. rRMSE was 29.34%. In conclusion, the research results prove that UAV carrying RGB sensor has a certain potential in cotton yield monitoring, which can provide theoretical basis and technical support for field cotton production evaluation.
Social Interaction and Rate Effects in Models of Musical Synchronization
Authors: Bégel Valentin , Demos Alexander P. , Wang Michelle , Palmer Caroline
Published: June 2022

Important individual differences are observed in people’s abilities to synchronize their body movements with regular auditory rhythms. We investigate whether synchronizing with a regular auditory cue is affected by each person’s spontaneous production rate (SPR) and by hearing a partner’s synchronization in a social context. Musically trained and untrained participants synchronized their tapping with an auditory cue presented at different rates (their own SPR or their partner’s SPR) and in a Solo or Joint (turn-taking) condition. Linear and nonlinear oscillator models were fit to participants’ mean asynchronies (signed timing differences between the cued onsets and taps). In Joint turn-taking, participants’ synchrony was increased when the auditory signal was cued at the participant’s own SPR, compared with their partner’s SPR; in contrast, synchronization did not differ across rates in the Solo condition. Asynchronies in the Joint task became larger as the difference between partners’ spontaneous rates increased; the increased asynchronies were driven by the faster partner who did not slow down to match the rate of their slower partner. Nonlinear delay-coupled models (with time delay, coupling strength, and intrinsic frequency) outperformed linear models (intrinsic frequency only) in accounting for tappers’ synchronization adjustments. The nonlinear model’s coupling value increased for musically trained participants, relative to untrained participants. Overall, these findings suggest that both intrinsic differences in partners’ spontaneous rates and the social turn-taking context contribute to the range of synchrony in the general population. Delay-coupled models are capable of capturing the wide range of individual differences in auditory-motor synchronization.
Happy to Be a Boss? Cultural Moderators of Relationships Between Supervisory Responsibility and Job Satisfaction
Authors: Jaakson Krista , Ashyrov Gaygysyz
Published: June 2022

This paper addresses whether supervisory responsibility is a challenging job demand in the Job Demands-Resources (JD-R) model in different cultural contexts. We investigate how job satisfaction responds to a supervisory role with job control and selected cultural dimensions using a cross-cultural dataset of 14 countries with more than 43,000 adults using ordered logit regression models. We find that a supervisory role enhances job satisfaction and appears to be a challenging job demand. However, no studied cultural dimension, masculinity, power distance, individualism, or uncertainty avoidance, increases job satisfaction derived from this kind of responsibility. Our study indicates that there might be stereotypical assumptions about cultural dimensions concerning the job satisfaction of supervisors.
How Does the Accuracy of Children’s Number Representations Influence the Accuracy of Their Numerical Predictions?
Authors: Morris Bradley J. , Todaro Rachael , Arner Tracy , Roche Jennifer M.
Published: June 2022

Predictions begin with an extrapolation of the properties of their underlying representations to forecast a future state not presently in evidence. For numerical predictions, sets of numbers are summarized and the result forms the basis of and constrains numerical predictions. One open question is how the accuracy of underlying representations influences predictions, particularly numerical predictions. It is possible that inaccuracies in individual number representations are randomly distributed and averaged over during summarization (e.g., wisdom of crowds). It is also possible that inaccuracies are not random and lead to errors in predictions. We investigated this question by measuring the accuracy of individual number representations of 279 children ages 8–12 years, using a 0–1,000 number line, and numerical predictions, measured using a home run derby task. Consistent with prior research, our results from mixed random effects models evaluating percent absolute error (PAE; prediction error) demonstrated that third graders’ representations of individual numbers were less accurate, characterized by overestimation errors, and were associated with overpredictions (i.e., predictions above the set mean). Older children had more accurate individual number representations and a slight tendency to underpredict (i.e., predictions below the set mean). The results suggest that large, systematic inaccuracies appear to skew predictions while small, random errors appear to be averaged over during summarization. These findings add to our understanding of summarization and its role in numerical predictions.
Taking Decisions Too Seriously: Why Maximizers Often Get Mired in Choices
Authors: Luan Mo , Liu Zhengtai , Li Hong
Published: June 2022

Maximizing is a topic that has received significant attention from researchers and corporate organizations alike. Although extensive previous research has explored how maximizers behave in a decision scenario, a fundamental question remains about why they prefer a larger assortment regardless of whether the decisions are important or not. This study attempts to explore the underlying mechanism of this phenomenon. Four surveys were conducted, and participants from Mturk or Credamo online platforms were recruited (N= 922). The maximizing tendency was measured by either maximization scale or maximizing tendency scale, and perceived importance and preference for a large assortment were measured in different decision scenarios. Across four studies, we find that maximizers perceive the same decision as more important than satisficers (Study 1), and perceived importance serves as the mechanism underlying the maximizers’ preference for a large assortment (Study 2). In other words, in maximizers’ perceptions and interpretations, even seemingly trivial decisions are important enough to spend great effort on a large assortment. We additionally identified a boundary condition for the effect – cost salience (Studies 3a and 3b). These findings illustrate a pioneering empirical exploration of the difference in the way maximizers and satisficers perceive their decision importance and the reason for maximizers’ preference for a large assortment.
Emotional Labor in Teaching Chinese as an Additional Language in a Family-Based Context in New Zealand: A Chinese Teacher’s Case
Authors: Bao Chunrong , Zhang Lawrence Jun , Dixon Helen R.
Published: June 2022

New Zealand is a multilingual and multicultural society, where English, Maori, and the New Zealand sign language are designated as its official languages. However, some heritage languages (e.g., Chinese/Mandarin Chinese, French, German, Japanese, and Korean, among others) are also taught either within or outside the national education system. During the past decade, an increasing number of students have chosen Mandarin Chinese (hereafter “Chinese”) as an additional language (CAL) because of its fast-growing importance. To date, studies regarding CAL are mainly based on the mainstream Chinese programs (i.e., in schools or universities) or online platforms, with less attention paid to other types of teaching contexts (e.g., family-based and private tutoring contexts) where there also exist many potential challenges awaiting teachers. To fill in this gap, this study, based on a teaching program consisting of two families in New Zealand, explored the trajectories of a CAL teacher’s emotional labor for 47 weeks to understand how she managed her emotions when she taught the language as well as balanced the relationship among the three parties: the institution, the two families, and herself. Narrative inquiry was used as a methodological approach. The data involved written and spoken narratives. Using inductive and deductive thematic analysis, findings revealed her different understandings of the emotional labor in the two families, respectively, during the program. Further analysis of the data revealed some factors that impacted her emotional labor and how they impacted her teaching in a family-based context. We concluded our study with a discussion of the implications of these findings for teaching CAL in similar contexts.
Privacy Risk Perception of Online Medical Community Users Based on Deep Neural Network
Authors: Yin Pei , Zhang Jun , Yan Han , Zhao Jun , Wang Jing , Liang Chunmei
Published: June 2022

This paper studies the privacy risk perception of online medical community users based on deep neural network. Firstly, this paper introduces privacy protection based on deep neural network and users’ privacy risk perception in online medical community. Then, using the fuzzy neural network to deal with highly complex and nonlinear data, we can better obtain the accurate evaluation value, and use the improved gravity search optimization algorithm to optimize the fuzzy neural network evaluation model and improve the convergence puzzle of the model. Finally, using the experimental method of questionnaire survey, and the questionnaire is composed of three parts. The first part investigates the basic personal information of the subjects, including gender, age, educational background, physical condition, physical examination frequency, Internet use experience, long-term residence, etc.; The second part is the measurement items of each variable in the theoretical model, including nine variables: service quality, personalized service, reciprocal norms, result expectation, material reward, perceived risk, trust in doctors, trust in websites, and willingness to disclose health privacy information. The experimental results show that the correlation coefficient between the interaction items of personalized service and reciprocal norms on material reward is positive (β = 0.072, P < 0.01), and the correlation coefficient between sexual service and material reward was positive (β = 0.202, P < 0.01), then reciprocal norms positively regulate the relationship between personalized service and material reward.
Emotion in the Area of Entrepreneurship: An Analysis of Research Hotspots
Authors: Lu Xifeng , Xiong Yiyu , Lv Xingqun , Shan Biaoan
Published: June 2022

The application of emotion in economic management is gaining attention. As an important irrational factor, personal emotion often plays a significant role in business decision-making activities. In the field of entrepreneurship, emotion also plays a crucial role, and more and more scholars are focusing on this interdisciplinary issue. However, the current research on emotion in entrepreneurship is still fragmented, and there is an urgent need for a more scientific and systematic approach to comprehensively organize the literature in this field, so as to lay the foundation for researchers to further research on emotion in entrepreneurship. In this study, VOSviewer was used to analyze the existing literature, and the results showed that the current research on emotion in the field of entrepreneurship mainly focuses on five research themes, namely, emotion and college students' entrepreneurship, family emotion and entrepreneurship, the role of emotion in successful entrepreneurship, emotional problems under the influence of entrepreneurial failure, and entrepreneurial passion.
A Psychological Investigation of Selection Criteria for Learning Agents (Super Users) and Allocation of Responsibilities in the Implementation of Technological Change
Authors: Vaag Jonas R. , Sætren Gunhild B. , Halvorsen Thomas H. , Sørgård Stine D.
Published: June 2022

Purpose

In the introduction of new technologies into organizations, there has been an increasing trend to recruit and make use of the so-called “super users” to help ensure the future use of the technology in question. Little is known about the criteria that should ideally be considered in the selection of these super users, or about the best way to carve up the roles and responsibilities in this process between super users and middle management. In this study, we investigated (1) which criteria should be emphasized in the selection of super users, and (2) how middle management and super users understand and negotiate the responsibilities of their respective roles during implementation of technological change.

Methods

We conducted 10 individual semi-structured interviews and used thematic analysis of this data set to identify selection criteria, roles, and responsibilities.

Results

We found that the main selection criteria for super users should be: (1) availability and local knowledge, (2) technological skills, (3) pedagogical skills, and (4) proactiveness. The main roles and responsibilities that should be carved up between management and super users can be grouped into two overarching categories, each with several subcategories. Within theLearning culturecategory, the responsibilities are to (1) facilitate collective learning, (2) engage with criticism, and (3) promote collective sharing; and within theIndividual learningcategory, to (4) facilitate individual learning, (5) provide instrumental support, and (6) provide emotional support.

Discussion and Conclusion

Based on the findings, we propose a conceptual model of technological implementation and the construction of a culture of organizational learning, entitled ECo-System Of Learning in Organizations (ECSO-Learn); we additionally show how a learning agent (previously known as a super user) can be recruited to best fit into this model of long-term organizational learning.
Clinical Aspects of Manic Episodes After SARS-CoV-2 Contagion or COVID-19
Authors: Del Casale Antonio , Modesti Martina Nicole , Rapisarda Ludovica , Girardi Paolo , Tambelli Renata
Published: June 2022

As COVID-19 pandemic spread all over the world, it brought serious health consequences in every medical field, including mental health. Not only healthcare professionals were more prone to develop anxiety, depression, and stress, but the general population suffered as well. Some of those who had no prior history of a psychiatric disease developed peculiar symptoms following infection with SARS-CoV-2, mostly because of psychological and social issues triggered by the pandemic. People developed traumatic memories, and hypochondria, probably triggered by social isolation and stress. Infection with SARS-CoV-2 has influenced the mental health of psychiatric patients as well, exacerbating prior psychiatric conditions. In this review, we focus on analyzing those cases of mania in the context of bipolar disorder (BD) reported after COVID-19 disease, both in people with no prior psychiatric history and in psychiatric patients who suffered an exacerbation of the disease. Results have shown that COVID-19 may trigger a pre-existing BD or unmask an unknown BD, due to social and psychological influences (decreased social interaction, change in sleep patterns) and through biological pathways both (neuroinflammation and neuroinvasion through ACE-2 receptors expressed in the peripheral and central nervous systems (PNS and CNS respectively). No direct correlation was found between the severity of COVID-19 disease and manic symptoms. All cases presenting severe symptoms of both diseases needed specific medical treatment, meaning that they concur but are separate in the treatment strategy needed. This review highlights the importance of a now widespread viral disease as a potential agent unmasking and exacerbating bipolar mood disorder, and it can hopefully help physicians in establishing a rapid diagnosis and treatment, and pave the road for future research on neuroinflammation triggered by SARS-CoV-2.
Perception is Only Real When Shared: A Mathematical Model for Collaborative Shared Perception in Human-Robot Interaction
Authors: Matarese Marco , Rea Francesco , Sciutti Alessandra
Published: June 2022

Partners have to build a shared understanding of their environment in everyday collaborative tasks by aligning their perceptions and establishing a common ground. This is one of the aims of shared perception: revealing characteristics of the individual perception to others with whom we share the same environment. In this regard, social cognitive processes, such as joint attention and perspective-taking, form a shared perception. From a Human-Robot Interaction (HRI) perspective, robots would benefit from the ability to establish shared perception with humans and a common understanding of the environment with their partners. In this work, we wanted to assess whether a robot, considering the differences in perception between itself and its partner, could be more effective in its helping role and to what extent this improves task completion and the interaction experience. For this purpose, we designed a mathematical model for a collaborative shared perception that aims to maximise the collaborators’ knowledge of the environment when there are asymmetries in perception. Moreover, we instantiated and tested our model via a real HRI scenario. The experiment consisted of a cooperative game in which participants had to build towers of Lego bricks, while the robot took the role of a suggester. In particular, we conducted experiments using two different robot behaviours. In one condition, based on shared perception, the robot gave suggestions by considering the partners’ point of view and using its inference about their common ground to select the most informative hint. In the other condition, the robot just indicated the brick that would have yielded a higher score from its individual perspective. The adoption of shared perception in the selection of suggestions led to better performances in all the instances of the game where the visual information was not a priori common to both agents. However, the subjective evaluation of the robot’s behaviour did not change between conditions.
Social Support and Depressive Symptoms in the Context of COVID-19 Lockdown: The Moderating Role of Attachment Styles
Authors: Costa-Cordella Stefanella , Vivanco-Carlevari Anastassia , Rossi Alejandra , Arévalo-Romero Camilo , Silva Jaime R.
Published: June 2022

Objectives: COVID-19 sanitary measures (social distancing, school closures) have deeply impacted social life, support networks, and their protective role in mental health. The present study aims to understand how attachment styles influence the way individuals experience social support. Particularly, investigating its moderating role in the relationship between social support and depression.

Methods: An online survey was designed to clarify the role of adult attachment styles (ECR-S) in the perceived social support (MOSS) and self-reported depressive symptoms (BDI-SF) in the COVID-19 context.

Results: Positive social interactions was the most important dimension of social support for lower depression symptoms. Individuals attachment strategies have a moderating role in the relation between of social support and depression. Crucially, insecure attachment style wanes the positive impact of social support in depression.

Conclusion: Aligned with the existing literature, attachment security is an essential factor in our current understanding of relationships and mental health. Exploring specific and indivual attachment strategies might be a powerful tool to protect population’s mental healt.
Maximum Entropy Approach to Massive Graph Spectrum Learning with Applications
Authors: Granziol Diego , Ru Binxin , Dong Xiaowen , Zohren Stefan , Osborne Michael , Roberts Stephen
Published: June 2022

We propose an alternative maximum entropy approach to learning the spectra of massive graphs. In contrast to state-of-the-art Lanczos algorithm for spectral density estimation and applications thereof, our approach does not require kernel smoothing. As the choice of kernel function and associated bandwidth heavily affect the resulting output, our approach mitigates these issues. Furthermore, we prove that kernel smoothing biases the moments of the spectral density. Our approach can be seen as an information-theoretically optimal approach to learning a smooth graph spectral density, which fully respects moment information. The proposed method has a computational cost linear in the number of edges, and hence can be applied even to large networks with millions of nodes. We showcase the approach on problems of graph similarity learning and counting cluster number in the graph, where the proposed method outperforms existing iterative spectral approaches on both synthetic and real-world graphs.
Stress Factors in Multicultural Adolescents
Authors: Kim Mi-Jin , Park Jin-Hee , Kim Sung-Eun
Published: June 2022

This study aimed to identify the level of stress in teenagers from multicultural families in Korea and examine the factors influencing this stress. This cross-sectional study utilized the 15th (2019) Korea Youth Risk Bsehavior Web-based Survey. Of the 57,303 survey participants, 749 reported that their father, mother, or both parents were born outside of Korea. These 749 multicultural individuals were selected as study participants. We examined general characteristics (sex, grade, parental education level, academic performance level, foreign nationality, residence type, economic status, exposure to violence, and frequency of physical activity), health risk behaviors (sexual activity, drug use, and drinking), and mental health factors (sleep, depression, and presence of suicidal thoughts) to determine whether these factors may contribute to multicultural adolescent stress. Multicultural adolescents who reported insufficient sleep, depression, or suicidal thoughts were more likely to experience stress than those who did not report these factors. Moreover, participants with insufficient sleep were 3.73 times more likely to feel stress than those with good sleep. Among general characteristics, health risk behaviors, and mental health factors, mental health factors were observed to significantly predict an increase in multicultural adolescents’ stress levels. Considering the increase in the number of multicultural adolescents in Korea, it is important to address the difficulties they experience to provide appropriate interventional programs. Such programs should include techniques to help with the management of stress.
Runs of Homozygosity and Quantitative Trait Locus/Association for Semen Parameters in Selected Chinese and South African Beef Cattle
Authors: Modiba Mamokoma Cathrine , Nephawe Khathutshelo Agree , Wang Jun , Hlongwane Nompilo , Hadebe Khanyisile , Lu Wenfa , Mtileni Bohani
Published: June 2022

In this study, runs of homozygosity (ROH) and quantitative trait locus/association (QTL) for semen parameters in selected Chinese and South African beef cattle breed were estimated. The computed results showed 7516 ROH were observed between classes 0–5 Mb with no ROH observed in classes >40 Mb. Distribution of ROH showed high level of genomic coverage for ANG, NGU, CSI, and BEL breeds. Approximately 13 genomic regions with QTL were controlling sperm motility, sperm concentration, semen volume, sperm count, sperm head abnormalities, sperm tail abnormalities, sperm integrity, and percentage of abnormal sperm traits. Nine candidate genes, CDF9, MARCH1, WDR19, SLOICI, ST7, DOP1B, CFAF9, INHBA, and ADAMTS1, were suggested to be associated with above mentioned QTL traits. The results for inbreeding coefficient showed moderate correlation between FROH vs FHOM at 0.603 and high correlation between FROH 0–5 Mb 0.929, and lowest correlation for 0–>40 Mb 0.400. This study suggested recent inbreeding in CSI, BEL, ANG, BON, SIM, and NGU breeds. Furthermore, it highlighted varied inbreeding levels and identified QTL for semen traits and genes of association. These results can assist in implementation of genetic improvement strategies for bulls and provide awareness and proper guidelines in developing breeding programs.
Are Copy Number Variations within the FecB Gene Significantly Associated with Morphometric Traits in Goats?
Authors: Bi Yi , Wang Zhiying , Wang Qian , Liu Hongfei , Guo Zhengang , Pan Chuanying , Chen Hong , Zhu Haijing , Wu Lian , Lan Xianyong
Published: June 2022

The Booroola fecundity (FecB) gene is a major fertility-related gene first identified in Booroola sheep. Numerous studies have investigated whether the FecB gene is a major fecundity gene in goats or whether there are other genes that play a critical role in goat fertility. Nevertheless, little attention has been paid to the role of the FecB gene in the body morphometric traits of goats, despite the positive relationship discerned between litter size and growth. We identified five copy number variations (CNVs) within the FecB gene in 641 goats, including 318 Shaanbei white cashmere (SBWC) goats, 203 Guizhou Heima (GZHM) goats, and 120 Nubian goats, which exhibited different distributions among these populations. Our results revealed that these five CNVs were significantly associated with goat morphometric traits (p < 0.05). The normal type of CNV3 was the dominant type and displayed superior phenotypes in both litter size and morphometric traits, making it an effective marker for goat breeding. Consequently, LD blocks in the region of 10 Mb upstream and downstream from FecB and potential transcription factors (TFs) that could bind with the CNVs were analyzed via bioinformatics. Although no significant LD block was detected, our results illustrated that these CNVs could bind to growth-related TFs and indirectly affect the growth development of the goats. We identified potential markers to promote litter size and growth, and we offer a theoretical foundation for further breeding work.
Trust Management for Artificial Intelligence: A Standardization Perspective
Authors: Um Tai-Won , Kim Jinsul , Lim Sunhwan , Lee Gyu Myoung
Published: June 2022

With the continuous increase in the development and use of artificial intelligence systems and applications, problems due to unexpected operations and errors of artificial intelligence systems have emerged. In particular, the importance of trust analysis and management technology for artificial intelligence systems is continuously growing so that users who desire to apply and use artificial intelligence systems can predict and safely use services. This study proposes trust management requirements for artificial intelligence and a trust management framework based on it. Furthermore, we present challenges for standardization so that trust management technology can be applied and spread to actual artificial intelligence systems. In this paper, we aim to stimulate related standardization activities to develop globally acceptable methodology in order to support trust management for artificial intelligence while emphasizing challenges to be addressed in the future from a standardization perspective.
Traffic Noise Reduction Strategy in a Large City and an Analysis of Its Effect
Authors: Lee Hsiao Mun , Luo Wensheng , Xie Jinlong , Lee Heow Pueh
Published: June 2022

A noise reduction strategy was proposed for Panyu District of Guangzhou City based on its traffic noise map, which considered both road and railway traffic noise. Commercial software was applied to compute the noise maps with and without noise barriers based on the field traffic flow measurements. Noise compliance maps were further developed to assess the effects of noise barriers on the quality of the sound environment. The change in populations exposed to unhealthy traffic noise with noise barriers was calculated, and the group noise indicators Gdn and Gnight, which indicate the populations of highly annoyed and sleep-disturbed people, were evaluated. The results showed that the traffic noise level was significantly decreased after the implementation of noise barriers. It was predicted that with the strategy of applying suitable noise barriers, the overall areas under heavy noise pollution could be reduced by 24.5 and 24.3 km2 during daytime and nighttime, respectively. Meanwhile, the total areas that could meet the regulated standard for noise levels were increased by 97.4, and 66.9 km2, corresponding to compliance rate increments of 18.38% and 12.62%, respectively, in daytime and nighttime. The results further revealed that the installation of noise barriers could significantly reduce the population of highly annoyed people, while the reduction of the population experiencing sleep disturbances was insignificant.
Seepage Characteristics and Failure Prediction during the Complete Stress–Strain Process of Limestone under High Water Pressure
Authors: Bao Chunyan , Yin Yong , Tang Shibin , Jiang Annan , Li Hong
Published: June 2022

The seepage characteristics during the complete stress–strain process of limestone under high water pressure were simulated via an experimental study of limestone post-peak penetrating behavior, and an approach to predict the formation of the seepage channel, namely, acoustic emission positioning technology, is proposed. The results showed that (1) whether in the experiment or in the numerical simulation, the sudden drop in the stress–strain curve after peaking indicated the full formation of shear fractures and seepage paths. (2) By using acoustic emission positioning technology in the simulation, the entire stress–strain process of limestone, from microfracture initiation and compaction to transfixion, could be monitored to observe the dynamic and real-time development of the microfractures. (3) The combination of acoustic emission technology with seepage monitoring revealed the real-time location and growth direction of micro ruptures and predicted the depth of penetration. The developed approach can improve forecast accuracy for landslides involving a low-permeability rock mass with cracks. In this study, limestone post-peak seepage characteristics were analyzed, and a method to forecast the formation of rock seepage paths before transfixion is provided. This work could provide a reference and guiding elements for ensuring the safety of slopes with high internal water pressure.
Price Forecast for Mexican Red Spiny Lobster (Panulirus spp.) Using Artificial Neural Networks (ANNs)
Authors: Hernández-Casas Sergio , Beltrán-Morales Luis Felipe , Vargas-López Victor Gerardo , Vergara-Solana Francisco , Seijo Juan Carlos
Published: June 2022

The selling price is one of the essential variables in decision making for fishers regarding the catching of a fishing resource. In the case of the Pacific Mexican lobster fishery, the price uncertainty at the beginning of the season translates into the suboptimal utilization of this resource. This work aims to predict the export price of Mexican red lobster (Panulirus) in a fishing season using demand-related market variables including price, main competitors, main buyers, and product quantities exported/imported in the market. We used the monthly export price from 2006 to 2018 for the main importer, China. As a method for price forecasting, artificial neural networks (ANNs), with and without exogenous variables (NARX, NAR), were used as an autoregressive model, while the same information was analyzed with an ARIMAX model for comparative purposes. It was found that ANNs are a useful tool that yielded better predictive power when forecasting Mexican lobster export prices compared to ARIMAX models. The predictive power was evaluated by comparing the mean square errors (MSE) of 15 models. The MSE of ANNs (73.07) was lower than that of the four ARIMAX models (88.1). It is concluded that neural networks are a valuable tool for accurately predicting prices relative to real values, an aspect of great interest for application in fishery resource management.