bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Vitellogenin receptor transports the 30K protein LP1 without cell-penetrating peptide, into the oocytes of the silkworm, Bombyx mori
Authors: Xu Yinying , Shen Guanwang , Wu Jinxin , Mao Xueqin , Jia Linbang , Zhang Yan , Xia Qingyou , Lin Ying
Published: January 2023

Vitellogenin receptors (VgRs) transport vitellogenin (Vg) into oocytes, thereby promoting egg growth and embryonic development. VgRs recognize and transport multiple ligands in oviparous animals, but their role in insects is rarely reported. In this study, we investigated whether Bombyx mori VgR (BmVgR) binds and transports lipoprotein-1 (BmLP1) and lipoprotein-7 (BmLP7) of the 30 kDa lipoproteins (30 K proteins), which are essential for egg formation and embryonic development in B. mori. Protein sequence analysis showed BmLP7, similar to reported lipoprotein-3 (BmLP3), contains the cell-penetrating peptides and Cysteine position, while BmLP1 has not. Assays using Spodoptera frugiperda ovary cells (sf9) indicated the direct entry of BmLP7 into the cells, whereas BmLP1 failed to enter. However, co-immunoprecipitation (Co-IP) assays indicated that BmVgR could bind BmLP1. Western blotting and immunofluorescence assays further revealed that over-expressed BmVgR could transport BmLP1 into sf9 cells. Co-IP assays showed that SE11C (comprising LBD1+EGF1+OTC domains of BmVgR) or SE22C (comprising LBD2+EGF2+OTC domains of BmVgR) could bind BmLP1. Over-expressed SE11C or SE22C could also transport BmLP1 into sf9 cells. Western blotting revealed that the ability of SE11C to transport BmLP1 might be stronger than that of SE22C. In the vit mutant with BmVgR gene mutation (vit/vit), SDS-PAGE and western blotting showed the content of BmLP1 in the ovary, like BmVg, was lower than that in the normal silkworm. When transgenic with hsp70 promoter over-expressed BmVgR in the vit mutant, we found that the phenotype of the vit mutant was partly rescued after heat treatment. And contents of BmLP1 and BmVg in vit mutant over-expressed BmVgR were higher than in the vit mutant. We conclude that BmVgR and its two repeat domains could bind and transport BmLP1 into the oocytes of the silkworm, besides BmVg. These results will provide a reference for studying the molecular mechanism of VgR transporting ligands in insects.
Prior knowledge auxiliary for few-shot pest detection in the wild
Authors: Wang Xiaodong , Du Jianming , Xie Chengjun , Wu Shilian , Ma Xiao , Liu Kang , Dong Shifeng , Chen Tianjiao
Published: January 2023

One of the main techniques in smart plant protection is pest detection using deep learning technology, which is convenient, cost-effective, and responsive. However, existing deep-learning-based methods can detect only over a dozen common types of bulk agricultural pests in structured environments. Also, such methods generally require large-scale well-labeled pest data sets for their base-class training and novel-class fine-tuning, and these significantly hinder the further promotion of deep convolutional neural network approaches in pest detection for economic crops, forestry, and emergent invasive pests. In this paper, a few-shot pest detection network is introduced to detect rarely collected pest species in natural scenarios. Firstly, a prior-knowledge auxiliary architecture for few-shot pest detection in the wild is presented. Secondly, a hierarchical few-shot pest detection data set has been built in the wild in China over the past few years. Thirdly, a pest ontology relation module is proposed to combine insect taxonomy and inter-image similarity information. Several experiments are presented according to a standard few-shot detection protocol, and the presented model achieves comparable performance to several representative few-shot detection algorithms in terms of both mean average precision (mAP) and mean average recall (mAR). The results show the promising effectiveness of the proposed few-shot detection architecture.
A comprehensive review on acquisition of phenotypic information of Prunoideae fruits: Image technology
Authors: Liu Xuan , Li Na , Huang Yirui , Lin Xiujun , Ren Zhenhui
Published: January 2023

Fruit phenotypic information reflects all the physical, physiological, biochemical characteristics and traits of fruit. Accurate access to phenotypic information is very necessary and meaningful for post-harvest storage, sales and deep processing. The methods of obtaining phenotypic information include traditional manual measurement and damage detection, which are inefficient and destructive. In the field of fruit phenotype research, image technology is increasingly mature, which greatly improves the efficiency of fruit phenotype information acquisition. This review paper mainly reviews the research on phenotypic information of Prunoideae fruit based on three imaging techniques (RGB imaging, hyperspectral imaging, multispectral imaging). Firstly, the classification was carried out according to the image type. On this basis, the review and summary of previous studies were completed from the perspectives of fruit maturity detection, fruit quality classification and fruit disease damage identification. Analysis of the advantages and disadvantages of various types of images in the study, and try to give the next research direction for improvement.
Effects of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi on plant growth and herbivore infestation depend on availability of soil water and nutrients
Authors: Wang Minggang , Wang Zhongbin , Guo Mingjie , Qu Laiye , Biere Arjen
Published: January 2023

Introduction

Fitness of plants is affected by their symbiotic interactions with arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF), and such effects are highly dependent on the environmental context.

Methods

In the current study, we inoculated the nursery shrub species Artemisia ordosica with AMF species Funneliformis mosseae under contrasting levels of soil water and nutrients (diammonium phosphate fertilization), to assess their effects on plant growth, physiology and natural infestation by herbivores.

Results

Overall, plant biomass was synergistically enhanced by increasing soil water and soil nutrient levels. However, plant height was surprisingly repressed by AMF inoculation, but only under low water conditions. Similarly, plant biomass was also reduced by AMF but only under low water and nutrient conditions. Furthermore, AMF significantly reduced leaf phosphorus levels, that were strongly enhanced under high nutrient conditions, but had only minor effects on leaf chlorophyll and proline levels. Under low water and nutrient conditions, specific root length was enhanced, but average root diameter was decreased by AMF inoculation. The negative effects of AMF on plant growth at low water and nutrient levels may indicate that under these conditions AMF inoculation does not strongly contribute to nutrient and water acquisition. On the contrary, the AMF might have suppressed the direct pathway of water and nutrient absorption by the plant roots themselves despite low levels of mycorrhizal colonization. AMF inoculation reduced the abundance of the foliar herbivore Chrysolina aeruginosa on plants that had been grown on the low nutrient soil, but not on high nutrient soil. Fertilization enhanced the abundance of this herbivore but only in plants that had received the high water treatment. The lower abundance of the herbivore on AMF plants could be related to their decreased leaf P content. In conclusion, our results indicate that AMF negatively affect the growth of Artemisia ordosica but makes them less attractive to a dominant herbivore.

Discussion

Our study highlights that plant responses to AMF depend not only on the environmental context, but that the direction of the responses can differ for different components of plant performance (growth vs. defense).
Analysis of Arabidopsis non-reference accessions reveals high diversity of metabolic gene clusters and discovers new candidate cluster members
Authors: Marszalek-Zenczak Malgorzata , Satyr Anastasiia , Wojciechowski Pawel , Zenczak Michal , Sobieszczanska Paula , Brzezinski Krzysztof , Iefimenko Tetiana , Figlerowicz Marek , Zmienko Agnieszka
Published: January 2023

Metabolic gene clusters (MGCs) are groups of genes involved in a common biosynthetic pathway. They are frequently formed in dynamic chromosomal regions, which may lead to intraspecies variation and cause phenotypic diversity. We examined copy number variations (CNVs) in four Arabidopsis thaliana MGCs in over one thousand accessions with experimental and bioinformatic approaches. Tirucalladienol and marneral gene clusters showed little variation, and the latter was fixed in the population. Thalianol and especially arabidiol/baruol gene clusters displayed substantial diversity. The compact version of the thalianol gene cluster was predominant and more conserved than the noncontiguous version. In the arabidiol/baruol cluster, we found a large genomic insertion containing divergent duplicates of the CYP705A2 and BARS1 genes. The BARS1 paralog, which we named BARS2, encoded a novel oxidosqualene synthase. The expression of the entire arabidiol/baruol gene cluster was altered in the accessions with the duplication. Moreover, they presented different root growth dynamics and were associated with warmer climates compared to the reference-like accessions. In the entire genome, paired genes encoding terpene synthases and cytochrome P450 oxidases were more variable than their nonpaired counterparts. Our study highlights the role of dynamically evolving MGCs in plant adaptation and phenotypic diversity.
Co-contamination by heavy metal and organic pollutant alters impacts of genotypic richness on soil nutrients
Authors: Huang Lin , Yao Si-Mei , Jin Yu , Xue Wei , Yu Fei-Hai
Published: January 2023

Co-contamination by heavy metal and organic pollutant may negatively influence plant performance, and increasing the number of genotypes for a plant population may reduce this negative effect. To test this hypothesis, we constructed experimental populations of Hydrocotyle vulgaris consisting of single, four or eight genotypes in soils contaminated by cadmium, cypermethrin or both. Biomass, leaf area and stem internode length of H. vulgaris were significantly lower in the soil contaminated by cypermethrin and by both cadmium and cypermethrin than in the soil contaminated by cadmium only. A reverse pattern was found for specific internode length and specific leaf area. In general, genotypic richness or its interaction with soil contamination did not influence plant growth or morphology. However, soil nutrients varied in response to soil contamination and genotypic richness. Moreover, plant population growth was positively correlated to soil total nitrogen, but negatively correlated to total potassium and organic matter. We conclude that co-contamination by cadmium and cypermethrin may suppress the growth of H. vulgaris population compared to contamination by cadmium only, but genotypic richness may play little role in regulating these effects.
The effect of selective exposure on agenda diversity: An experimental analysis of high-choice media environments and issue consensus
Authors: Wagner John K.
Published: January 2023

In the age of the high-choice media environment, there is less and less consensus over America's most important problem. Over the last two decades, several studies have demonstrated that agenda diversity—the degree of disagreement over the most important issue—has grown drastically in the U.S. Despite the importance of public consensus in the policy process and for representation, we lack a causal understanding of the mechanisms underpinning changes in agenda diversity. This paper hypothesizes that selective exposure causes greater agenda diversity, as individuals avoid news on issues they are less interested in. This study leverages an experiment (N = 433) to investigate the effect of varying levels of selectivity in the media environment on individual-level agenda diversity. Results support the notion that a media environment that allows for selective exposure compared to forced exposure more typical of the broadcast-era results in higher agenda diversity. These findings support the theory that rising levels of media selectivity contribute to a rise in agenda diversity. The implications of an increasingly diverse national agenda are discussed.
Hybrid World War and the United States–China rivalry
Authors: Merino Gabriel E.
Published: January 2023

The proposal of the article is to advance on the concept of Hybrid World War and to relate it to the conflict between the United States and China in the present historical-spatial transition of the world system. The concept of Hybrid World War is developed in contrast to that of the New Cold War, and in relation to the characteristics acquired by the world capitalist system from 1970 to 1980 as a transnational system of production, trade, and finance, the dynamics of strategic competition in the crisis of the unipolar globalist order, and the characteristics of the rise of China and its significance, different from that of the USSR. From this conceptual framework, the United States-China rivalry is observed, analyzing: the systemic tension between unipolarism and multipolarism, the central dispute in Asia Pacific, and the development of a war on all fronts or unrestricted.
The role of entrepreneurial education in determining actual entrepreneurial behavior: Does TESOL amplified communication apprehension matter?
Authors: Shen Jianwen , Huang Xuebin
Published: January 2023

Since the impression of innovation is at the fundamental of commercial standing, therefore, Industries estimate innovation as their competitive advantage. Resultantly, industries devote a lot of resources understanding the versatile and dynamic nature of innovations and also keep on progressing innovation techniques and strategies. To meet the objectives of the study, we collected data from the students studying in Chinese universities. A survey questionnaire was designed to collect data from university students who were part of the TESOL program. A total of 224 valid questionnaires were used to proceed with the analysis, where descriptive statistics were calculated using SPSS 21, while hypothesis testing was carried out using Mplus 8. Results revealed the facts that both formal and informal education significantly predicted entrepreneurial behavior, while entrepreneurial intention was also found to mediate the relationship between formal and informal education and entrepreneurial behavior. Similarly, as per prediction, TESOL amplified communication apprehension also significantly moderated the relationships of formal and informal education with entrepreneurial behavior.
The impact of value co-creation on consumer citizenship behavior: Based on consumer perspective
Authors: Yang Jialiang , Ren Jifan , Zhao Meihui , Chen Haoyu , Wang Huihan
Published: January 2023

This research investigated the value co-creation behaviors in livestreaming platforms and the internal mechanism of perceived value on consumer value co-creation behavior on the short-video platform TikTok. This research selected the Tiktok platform as the research object, and uses structural equation model to analyze consumer data. The results indicated that consumer-perceived value mediates the relationship between consumer engagement and citizenship behaviors. In addition, short-video platforms exhibit significant community attributes, and interactive behavior forms the primary part of consumer engagement that enhances the perceived value. Consumers join short-video platforms to look for communities that interest them. Consumers’ responses generate the perceived value. Thus, it enhances consumers’ intentions to continue using a particular service, which then increases the likelihood of citizenship behavior. This study also found that consumers’ creative behavior in short-video platforms embodies social and functional values. This suggested that consumers of livestreaming and short-video platforms such as TikTok tend to seek social recognition by sharing their opinions or daily lives. The examination of the mediating role of perceived value on the relationship between consumer engagement behavior and citizenship behavior revealed that perceived value significantly mediated the relationship between consumer engagement behavior and citizenship behavior. This provided evidence of the fact that consumers usually actively participate on the platform by uploading content and sharing their creations, with the motivation to generate significant social impact and gain the recognition of others. Firstly, TikTok’s consumers deeply engage on platforms in which their cognitive messages are integrated into the platform through interacting with others, browsing, and creating short videos. Secondly, TikTok provides a channel with high level of interactivity that facilitates social interaction among strangers. Video uploaders and fans develop positive interactive relationships. Thirdly, TikTok viewers may become video providers at some point; the act of co-creation creates economic value for the platform and generates emotional, functional, and social values for its consumers.
When do toddlers point during mealtime?: Pointing in the second year of life in everyday situations
Authors: Kasuya Jun , Nonaka Tetsushi
Published: January 2023

The present study aimed to gain insight into the development of the infant’s awareness of others’ attention that takes place in everyday contexts. We examined the relation between the toddler’s pointing, the toddler’s visual attention to the caregiver, and the context of the action of the caregiver in the same child-caregiver dyads at two time points (13 and 17 months of age) during lunchtime at a Japanese daycare center, in which toddlers ate lunch with the help of caregivers. Specifically, we focused on the question of whether the timing of the toddler’s pointing reflected the ongoing context of the action of the caregiver, based on the analysis of what the caregiver was doing when a toddler exhibited pointing behavior. Our analysis revealed several interrelated results. First, the toddler’s pointing behavior was related to the visual exploration of the face of the caregiver at 17 months of age, which was not obvious at 13 months of age. Second, toddlers were more likely to point when the caregivers were just looking at them without being engaged in other salient goal-directed activities. Third, toddlers were less likely to exhibit pointing behavior when the caregivers were manipulating objects or feeding the toddlers. Taken together, the results suggested that toddlers were increasingly aware of the dynamic context of social partner’s engagement, differentiating the right time to modulate the attention of others by pointing in everyday situations. The present study supplemented the existing knowledge about pointing and the development of shared intentionality based on controlled experiments by providing a description of the context in which toddlers tend to point in the naturalistic situation of lunchtime within a specific cultural setting during the second year of life.
Multifactorial structure of cognitive assessment tests in the UK Biobank: A combined exploratory factor and structural equation modeling analyses
Authors: Ciobanu Liliana G. , Stankov Lazar , Ahmed Muktar , Heathcote Andrew , Clark Scott Richard , Aidman Eugene
Published: January 2023

Introduction

The UK Biobank cognitive assessment data has been a significant resource for researchers looking to investigate predictors and modifiers of cognitive abilities and associated health outcomes in the general population. Given the diverse nature of this data, researchers use different approaches – from the use of a single test to composing the general intelligence score,g, across the tests. We argue that both approaches are suboptimal - one being too specific and the other one too general – and suggest a novel multifactorial solution to represent cognitive abilities.

Methods

Using a combined Exploratory Factor (EFA) and Exploratory Structural Equation Modeling Analyses (ESEM) we developed a three-factor model to characterize an underlying structure of nine cognitive tests selected from the UK Biobank using a Cattell-Horn-Carroll framework. We first estimated a series of probable factor solutions using the maximum likelihood method of extraction. The best solution for the EFA-defined factor structure was then tested using the ESEM approach with the aim of confirming or disconfirming the decisions made.

Results

We determined that a three-factor model fits the UK Biobank cognitive assessment data best. Two of the three factors can be assigned tofluid reasoning (Gf)with a clear distinction betweenvisuospatial reasoningandverbal-analytical reasoning. The third factor was identified as aprocessing speed (Gs)factor.

Discussion

This study characterizes cognitive assessment data in the UK Biobank and delivers an alternative view on its underlying structure, suggesting that the three factor model provides a more granular solution thangthat can further be applied to study different facets of cognitive functioning in relation to health outcomes and to further progress examination of its biological underpinnings.
Stress and coping strategies of families of pediatric solid organ transplant recipients in times of pandemic
Authors: Forner-Puntonet Mireia , Gisbert-Gustemps Laura , Castell-Panisello Eudald , Larrarte Mauricio , Quintero Jesús , Ariceta Gema , Gran Ferran , Iglesias-Serrano Ignacio , Garcia-Morán Annabella , Español-Martín Gemma , Ibañez-Jimenez Pol , Ramos-Quiroga Josep Antoni
Published: January 2023

Objective

Pediatric solid organ transplantation (SOT) is a chronic condition that impacts the whole family system. The objective of this study is to evaluate psychopathology, family stress, and coping strategies in families of SOT recipients compared to families of healthy children and adolescents. Moreover, it analyzes if the stress related to the COVID-19 pandemic has had an additional impact on these families.

Methods

The sample was recruited between May and July 2021, during the fourth and fifth wave of the pandemic in Spain. It consisted of 102 families, 51 with a pediatric recipient who had undergone a SOT (liver, kidney, heart, or lung) and 51 healthy controls, matched by child age and gender. A primary caregiver from each family answered an online sociodemographic questionnaire and different tests to evaluate family stress, depression, anxiety, coping strategies, and effects of the pandemic on the family.

Results

Caregivers were mostly mothers (89.2%). Families of SOT recipients showed greater anxiety (U = 863.5, p = 0.003) and more total stress, stress related to childcare (t = −2.043; p = 0.045), and parent–child interaction stress (U = 355.5, p = 0.015). SOT families used more avoidance strategies, specifically denial (U = 889.5; p = 0.010) and abandonment of coping efforts (U = 1,013; p = 0.047), more religious strategies (U = 792.5; p = 0.031), and fewer social support coping strategies (t = 2.098; p = 0.038). No differences were found between groups in terms of exposure, impact, and distress more than 1 year after the start of the pandemic.

Conclusion

SOT families showed clinical levels of anxiety, more parent–child interaction stress, more difficulties in taking care of their child, more avoidance and religious strategies, and less use of social support strategies, even 4 years after transplantation. The pandemic did not have an additional differential effect on SOT families. Caregivers of SOT patients can benefit from psychological interventions focused on parents’ mental health, parent–child connectedness, skill building, and social support aid groups, with attention to multiculturalism and promoting a better balance between caregivers. There is a need for family interventions that are maintained over time. Strategies that offer this support to families through digital resources can facilitate adjustment to chronic illness, especially in pandemic times.
Different personality factors drive work and non-work creativity
Authors: Shaw Amy , Yu Qi
Published: January 2023

This study examined whether creativity at work and outside of work had the same (or different) Big Five personality antecedents. Results revealed that although self-reported personal creativity outside of the workplace was related to the Openness to Experience trait only, supervisor-rated work creativity was associated with Openness, Extraversion, and Conscientiousness, and that after controlling for the effects of Extraversion and Conscientiousness, Openness did not contribute incremental validity in predicting work creativity, whereas when the impact of Openness was controlled for, Extraversion and Conscientiousness incrementally contributed to the prediction. Therefore, the study supported that while creativity was consistently driven by Openness across settings, the predictive effects of other traits (i.e., Extraversion and Conscientiousness) on creativity varied in work and non-work environments. Study limitations and implications for research and practices are discussed.
The association among teacher-student relationship, subjective well-being, and academic achievement: Evidence from Chinese fourth graders and eighth graders
Authors: Zhou Da , Liu Shuting , Zhou Hao , Liu Jian , Ma Yue
Published: January 2023

This study compared the teacher-student relationship, subjective well-being, and academic achievement between fourth graders and eighth graders, and examined whether and how subjective well-being played a mediating role concerning teacher-student relationship and academic achievement across the two grades. The participants included 19,845 fourth graders and 11,691 eighth graders from a city in central China. The findings indicated that (1) compared with eighth graders, fourth graders reported significantly higher mean scores in the teacher-student relationship, subjective well-being, and academic achievements; (2) a positive teacher-student relationship can promote students’ academic achievement both directly and indirectly through subjective well-being across the two groups; (3) The mediating effect of subjective well-being accounted for 42.8% of the total effects between teacher-student relationship and academic achievement for fourth graders, which was higher than that for eighth graders (22.7%). Limitations and future directions are elaborated.
Imprisonment following discharge from mental health units: A developing trend in New Zealand
Authors: Skipworth Jeremy , Garrett Nick , Pillai Krishna , Tapsell Rees , McKenna Brian
Published: January 2023

Introduction

Contemporary models of care for people with mental disorders continue to shift to community-based care, requiring fewer inpatient mental health beds, shorter inpatient lengths of stay, and less use of coercion. It has been suggested that some mentally unwell people, whose behavior can no longer be safely contained in overstretched mental health units where seclusion and restraint are discouraged, are now left to the criminal justice system to manage. It is unclear whether the risk of imprisonment following discharge from a mental health unit has increased over recent years.

Methods

A quantitative, retrospective cohort study design was used to investigate any association between an acute inpatient mental health service admission in Aotearoa (New Zealand), and referral to a prison mental health team within 28 days of hospital discharge, from 2012 to 2020. Data were extracted from the national mental health dataset managed by the Ministry of Health.

Results

Risk of imprisonment within 28 days of inpatient discharge increased over the study period. People experiencing this outcome were more likely to be younger, male, of Mâori or Pacific ethnicity, presenting with substance use and psychotic disorders who were aggressive or overactive, and were subject to coercive interventions such as seclusion and compulsory treatment during their admission.

Discussion

We concluded that contemporary models of less coercive predominantly community based mental health care may be increasingly reliant on the criminal justice system to manage aggressive and violent behavior driven by mental illness. It is argued from a human rights perspective that mental health inpatient units should retain the capacity to safely manage this type of clinical presentation.
A multimodal machine learning system in early screening for toddlers with autism spectrum disorders based on the response to name
Authors: Zhu Feng-lei , Wang Shi-huan , Liu Wen-bo , Zhu Hui-lin , Li Ming , Zou Xiao-bing
Published: January 2023

Background

Reduced or absence of the response to name (RTN) has been widely reported as an early specific indicator for autism spectrum disorder (ASD), while few studies have quantified the RTN of toddlers with ASD in an automatic way. The present study aims to apply a multimodal machine learning system (MMLS) in early screening for toddlers with ASD based on the RTN.

Methods

A total of 125 toddlers were recruited, including ASD (n = 61), developmental delay (DD, n = 31), and typical developmental (TD, n = 33). Procedures of RTN were, respectively, performed by the evaluator and caregiver. Behavioral data were collected by eight-definition tripod-mounted cameras and coded by the MMLS. Response score, response time, and response duration time were accurately calculated to evaluate RTN.

Results

Total accuracy of RTN scores rated by computers was 0.92. In both evaluator and caregiver procedures, toddlers with ASD had significant differences in response score, response time, and response duration time, compared to toddlers with DD and TD (all P-values < 0.05). The area under the curve (AUC) was 0.81 for the computer-rated results, and the AUC was 0.91 for the human-rated results. The accuracy in the identification of ASD based on the computer- and human-rated results was, respectively, 74.8 and 82.9%. There was a significant difference between the AUC of the human-rated results and computer-rated results (Z = 2.71, P-value = 0.007).

Conclusion

The multimodal machine learning system can accurately quantify behaviors in RTN procedures and may effectively distinguish toddlers with ASD from the non-ASD group. This novel system may provide a low-cost approach to early screening and identifying toddlers with ASD. However, machine learning is not as accurate as a human observer, and the detection of a single symptom like RTN is not sufficient enough to detect ASD.
The association between fatty acid quality indices and quality of life among overweight and obese women: A cross-sectional study
Authors: Rasaei Niloufar , Daneshzad Elnaz , Soveid Neda , Clark Cain C. T. , Mirzaei Khadijeh
Published: January 2023

Background

Reduced quality of life (QOL) is a major public health challenge affecting the global population. Fatty acid quality indices (FAQIs) are novel determinants of QOL and may impact various aspects of QOL. Prior research has established a significant link between dietary habits and QOL. However, the association between FAQIs and specific dimensions of QOL has not been established. Therefore, we aimed to investigate the association between FAQIs and QOL in overweight and obese women.

Methods

In total, 378 adult overweight or obese women participated in this cross-sectional study. Several anthropometric indices, systolic and diastolic blood pressure, and biochemical factors were measured using standard protocols. Dietary intake was assessed using a validated and reliable semi-quantitative food frequency questionnaire (the FFQ, 147 items). The cholesterol–saturated fat index (CSI) and the ratio of omega-6/omega-3 (N6/N3) essential fatty acids consumed were employed as FAQIs. The SF-36 questionnaire was administered to measure QOL. Linear logistic regression was used, in the form of raw and adjusted models, to evaluate the associations between FAQIs and QOL.

Results

The study sample consisted of 279 participants for whom ω-6/ω-3 ratio was measured and 378 participants for whom CSI was measured. The mean (±SD) age of participants was 36.65 ± 9.07 years. Linear logistic regression, with adjustment for potential confounders, such as age, energy intake, body mass index, employment, and thyroid status, indicated that ω-6/ω-3 intake ratio was negatively and marginally significantly associated with general health (β = −139.94, 95% CI: [−286.54, 6.66]; p = 0.061) and physical role limitations (β= −337.68, 95% CI: [−679.99, 1.61]; p = 0.051). A significant negative association was observed between ω-6/ω-3 intake ratio and social functioning (β = −247.54, 95% CI: [−458.14, −36.94]; p = 0.021), which indicates that obese and overweight women with a higher ω-6/ω-3 intake ratio obtained lower scores on social functioning.

Conclusions

It was found that FAQI scores were negatively associated with certain QOL measures among overweight and obese Iranian women, suggesting that a higher consumption of fatty acids, especially trans and saturated fatty acids, may be associated with lower QOL.
Sexual health indicators for the United States: Measuring progress and documenting public health needs
Authors: Ford Jessie V. , Ivankovich Megan B. , Coleman Eli
Published: January 2023

Introduction

Today, we are facing increased and continued adverse sexual health outcomes in the United States, including high post-COVID-19 pandemic rates of sexually transmitted infections (STIs). For the past 20 years, there have been calls for a national health strategy and a more comprehensive sexual health approach to address the myriad of persistent sexual health problems in this country. Employing a sexual health approach requires shifting from a longstanding, stigmatizing focus on morbidity toward a holistic and integrated focus on health rather than disease. While strategies are being implemented by multisectoral stakeholders, it is also important to establish a core set of indicators that broadly describe the state of sexual health in the U.S. and allow for measurement across time. The development of a comprehensive scorecard with key sexual health indicators has been proposed by other entities (e.g., Public Health England, World Health Organization), but such an attempt has not been made in the U.S.

Methods

A review of national U.S. surveys and surveillance systems with items related to sexual health was conducted for years 2010–2022 to develop an inventory of existing data that yield national estimates for potential indicators of sexual health.

Results

We selected 23 sexual health indicators in four broad domains including: (1) knowledge; communication and attitudes (five indicators); (2) behaviors and relationships (four indicators); (3) service access and utilization (seven indicators); and (4) adverse health outcomes (seven indicators). Recent data for each indicator are provided.

Discussion

A growing body of evidence shows the positive effects of moving away from a morbidity focus toward an integrated, health-promoting approach to sexual health. Yet, not much has been done in terms of how we implement this national shift. We argue that measurement and monitoring are key to future change. We envision these core sexual health indicators would be published in the form of an index that is publicly available and updated frequently. These sexual health indicators could be used for ongoing monitoring, and to guide related research, programming, and policy development to help promote sexual health in coming years.
The pooled estimate of the total fertility rate in sub-Saharan Africa using recent (2010–2018) Demographic and Health Survey data
Authors: Tesfa Desalegn , Tiruneh Sofonyas Abebaw , Gebremariam Alemayehu Digssie , Azanaw Melkalem Mamuye , Engidaw Melaku Tadege , Kefale Belayneh , Abebe Bedilu , Dessalegn Tsion , Tiruneh Mulu
Published: January 2023

Background

Even though the total fertility rate (TFR) has decreased significantly over the past decades in many countries, it has remained stable in sub-Saharan African (SSA) countries. However, there is variation among the sub-regions and inhabitants of SSA. Therefore, this study aimed to conduct a meta-analysis of demographic and health surveys (DHS) to estimate the pooled level of TFR in SSA and to depict sub-regional and inhabitant differences.

Methods

The data source for this study was the standard Demographic and Health Survey datasets of 33 sub-Saharan African countries, accessed through www.meaasuredhs.com between 2010 and 2018. The point estimate of the total fertility rate with its corresponding standard error in each sub-Saharan African country was estimated using the DHS.rates R package. Using the point estimate of the TFR with the standard error of each country, the pooled estimate of the TFR was generated by the metan STATA command.

Results

The study comprised 1,324,466 live births in total. The pooled estimate of sub-Saharan Africa's overall fertility rate was five children per woman (95% CI: 4.63–5.37). Consequently, the pooled estimate of total fertility for people living in urban and rural areas was 3.90 (95% CI: 3.60–4.21) and 5.82 (95% CI: 5.43–6.21) children per woman, respectively. In sub-group analysis, the pooled estimates of the TFR for the East African, Central African, Southern African, and West African regions, respectively, were 4.74, 5.59, 3.18, and 5.38 children per woman. Total fertility rates were greater in low-income nations (5.45), lower-middle-income countries (4.70), and high-middle-income countries (3.80).

Conclusions

SSA has a relatively high total fertility rate. The regions of West and Central Africa have the highest overall fertility rate. The fertility rate is higher in countries with a large rural population and low income. Strategies should be developed to address this public health concern, especially in rural Central and Western Africa.
Understanding the motivational mechanisms behind the usage frequency of ride-hailing during COVID-19 pandemic
Authors: Ling Shuai , Jia Yunqi , Yuan Xuemin , Dong Hongming , Zhang Tianjing
Published: January 2023

Introduction

This study aimed to explore the factors influencing people's utilization of ride-hailing services, particularly in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Methods

A two-stage survey was conducted among the same group of passengers pre and post COVID-19 pandemic, resulting in a total of 670 valid samples. Exploratory factor analysis (EFA) was applied to the data, followed by the ordered probit and ordered logit models to identify the motivational factors behind passengers' frequency of using ride-hailing.

Results

The findings indicated that trust and loyalty were the most influential factors in determining passengers' frequency of using ride-hailing services. However, passengers' perception of the COVID-19 pandemic did not have a significant effect on the frequency of using ride-hailing.

Discussion

This research provides empirical evidence and policy implications for understanding people's usage of the ride-hailing services in the context of public-health emergency.
The social value of a PASI 90 or PASI 100 response in patients with moderate-to-severe plaque psoriasis in Spain
Authors: Maravilla-Herrera Paulina , Merino María , Alfonso Zamora Santiago , Balea Filgueiras Jesús , Carrascosa Carrillo José Manuel , Delgado Sánchez Olga , Dolz Sinisterra Francisco , García-Ruiz Antonio , Herranz Pinto Pedro , Manfredi Antonio , Martínez Olmos José , Morales de los Ríos Luna Paloma , Puig Lluís , Ros Sandra , Hidalgo-Vega Álvaro
Published: January 2023

Introduction

Psoriasis is a chronic disease involving the skin, which significantly impacts the quality of life. Disease severity and treatment efficacy (i.e., response) are assessed through the Psoriasis Area and Severity Index (PASI). A PASI 75 response, i.e., an improvement of at least 75% with respect to the baseline PASI score, has traditionally been used as a therapeutic benchmark in clinical trials. Therapeutic advances have made PASI 90 or PASI 100 responses possible in most patients treated with some biologics. A greater response may generate social value beyond clinical outcomes that would benefit both patients and society.

Methods

A 1-year economic model was applied to estimate the impact of having a PASI 75, PASI 90, or PASI 100 response in four areas of analysis (quality of life, activities of daily living, work productivity, and out-of-pocket expenditures) and the social value of having a PASI 90 or PASI 100 response in comparison with a PASI 75 response. A mixed-methods approach based on the scientific literature, a focus group with patient, and an advisory committee with psoriasis stakeholders was used. The model included three different scenarios: having a PASI 90 vs a PASI 75 response; a PASI 100 vs a PASI 90 response; and a PASI 100 vs a PASI 75 response. A sensitivity analysis was included.

Results

The annual economic impact per patient with moderate-to-severe plaque psoriasis having a PASI 75 response was estimated at Ł 6,139, mainly related to labour productivity losses and quality of life reductions. Having a PASI 90 or a PASI 100 response would reduce this impact to €3,956 or €1,353, respectively. Accordingly, the social value of having a PASI 90 instead of a PASI 75 response was estimated at €2,183, and €4,786 with a PASI 100 response.

Discussion

A PASI 90 or PASI 100 response would have a lower economic impact and a greater social value than a PASI 75 response for patients with moderate-to-severe plaque psoriasis.
Highly varying concepts and capacities of forensic mental health services across the European Union
Authors: Salize Hans Joachim , Dressing Harald , Fangerau Heiner , Gosek Pawel , Heitzman Janusz , Markiewicz Inga , Meyer-Lindenberg Andreas , Stompe Thomas , Wancata Johannes , Piccioni Marco , de Girolamo Giovanni
Published: January 2023

Introduction

There is wide variation in the processes, structures and treatment models for dealing with mentally disordered offenders across the European Union. There is a serious lack of data on population levels of need, national service capacities, or treatment outcome. This prevents us from comparing the different management and treatment approaches internationally and from identifying models of good practice and indeed what represents financial efficiency, in a sector that is universally needed.

Methods

From March 2019 till January 2020 we surveyed forensic psychiatric experts from each European Union Member State on basic concepts, service capacities and indicators for the prevalence and incidence of various forensic psychiatric system components. Each expert completed a detailed questionnaire for their respective country using the best available data.

Results

Finally, 22 EU Member States and Switzerland participated in the survey. Due to the frequent lack of a clear definition of what represented a forensic psychiatric bed, exact numbers on bed availability across specialized forensic hospitals or wards, general psychiatric hospitals or prison medical wards were often unknown or could only be estimated in a number of countries. Population-based rates calculated from the survey data suggested a highly variable pattern of forensic psychiatric provision across Europe, ranging from 0.9 forensic psychiatric beds per 100,000 population in Italy to 23.3 in Belgium. Other key service characteristics were similarly heterogeneous.

Discussion

Our results show that systems for detaining and treating mentally disordered offenders are highly diverse across European Union Member States. Systems appear to have been designed and reformed with insufficient evidence. Service designers, managers and health care planners in this field lack the most basic of information to describe their systems and analyse their outcomes. As a basic, minimum standardized national reporting systems must be implemented to inform regular EU wide forensic psychiatry reports as a prerequisite to allow the evaluation and comparison of the various systems to identify models of best practice, effectiveness and efficiency.
Reduced serum 25(OH)D is closely related to bronchial mucus plug formation in children with mycoplasma pneumonia: A prospective cohort study
Authors: Kun Jiang , Silei Yan , Sun Chao , Wenyan Huang
Published: January 2023

Background

The relationship between vitamin D nutritional status and the formation of bronchial mucus plugs (BMPs) is unclear. The aims of the current study were to investigate associations between serum 25(OH)D levels, serum inflammatory factors, and clinical characteristics in children with mycoplasma pneumonia (MPP), and to summarize the risk factors for BMPs in children with MPP.

Methods

Clinical data from 175 children with MPP were collected and analyzed, the children were divided into a BMP group and a non-BMP group. Serum 25(OH)D levels, IL-8, and various inflammatory factors were compared in the two groups. Associations between 25(OH)D levels and IL-8, various inflammatory factors, and clinical characteristics were analyzed, and the diagnostic value of serum 25(OH)D levels was assessed.

Results

Serum 25(OH)D level was significantly lower in the BMP group (p < 0.05). Serum IL-8 level, percentages of neutrophils, and some inflammatory factors were significantly higher in the BMP group (p < 0.05). Serum 25(OH)D level was negatively correlated with IL-8, neutrophil percentage, various inflammatory factors (all p < 0.05). It was also associated with lobular infection, pleural effusion, mechanical ventilation, and mycoplasma 2,063/2,064 mutation (all p < 0.05). In multivariate regression analysis 25(OH)D [odds ratio (OR) 0.98, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.97–0.99, p = 0.003], IL-8 (OR 1.02, 95% CI 1.00–1.04, p = 0.002), polylobular infection (OR 1.75, 95% CI 1.17–2.64, p = 0.007), and MP DNA copies (OR 0.98, 95% CI 1.04–1.01, p = 0.022) were independent risk factors for BMPs, and the area under the curve value was 0.915 (95% CI 0.895–0.935). If the serum 25(OH)D level was <50 nmol/L, the respective percentages for sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value, and negative predictive value were 97, 81, 78.9, and 97.6%.

Conclusions

Vitamin D deficiency is common in children with MPP, and 25(OH)D levels are closely associated with inflammatory factors and disease severity in children. The serum 25 (OH) D level of MPP children with BMPs was lower than that of children without BMPs. Serum 25(OH)D can be used as a marker for the diagnosis of MPP in children with BMPs.