bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Preclinical Evidence of Berberine on Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Animal Studies
Authors: Ren Sichen , Ma Xiao , Wang Ruilin , Liu Honghong , Wei Ying , Wei Shizhang , Jing Manyi , Zhao Yanling
Published: September 2021

As lifestyle and diet structure impact our health, non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is prevalent all over the world. Some phytomedicines containing berberine (BBR) have been extensively used for centuries in Ayurvedic and traditional Chinese medicine. The goal of this systematic review is to investigate the preclinical evidence of BBR on NAFLD models. The following relevant databases, including Web of Science, PubMed, the Cochrane Library, and Embase, were retrieved from inception to May 2021. The content involved BBR on different animal models for the treatment of NAFLD. The SYstematic Review Center for Laboratory animal Experimentation (SYRCLE) Animal Experiment Bias Risk Assessment Tool was used to assess the methodological quality and RevMan 5.4 software was used to conduct the meta-analysis based on the Cochrane tool. A total of 31 studies involving 566 animals were included, of which five models and five animal breeds were reported. The results showed that TC, TG, ALT, AST, HDL-C, LDL-C, FBG, FINS, and FFA in the group treated with BBR were significantly restored compared with those in the model group. HOMA-IR had a significant downward trend, but the result was not significantly different (P = 0.08). The subgroup analysis of the different models and different animal breeds indicated that BBR could ameliorate the aforementioned indicator levels, although some results showed no significant difference. Finally, we summarized the molecular mechanisms by which berberine regulated NAFLD/NASH, mainly focusing on activating the AMPK pathway, improving insulin sensitivity and glucose metabolism, regulating mitochondrial function, reducing inflammation and oxidative stress, regulating cell death and ER stress, reducing DNA methylation, and regulating intestinal microenvironment and neurotoxicity. The preclinical evidence suggested that BBR might be an effective and promising drug for treating NAFLD/NASH. In addition, further studies with more well-designed researches are needed to confirm this conclusion.
Similarity Analysis of Alarm Sequences by a Shuffling Method
Authors: Lin Yifan , Wang Shengfeng , Wu Ye , Xiao Jinghua
Published: September 2021

Modern telecommunication systems produce large amounts of alarm messages, and alarm management is vital for telecommunication systems’ high-quality performance. Building functional networks by observing the pair similarity between time series is a useful way to filter and reduce alarm messages. Because of the coexistence of positive and negative correlations among telecommunication devices, most of the similarity measures have troubles in computing the complex correlations. In this paper, we propose an index of measuring how much two-alarm series deviate from the uncorrelated situation to detect the correlation of both sides. Synthetic sequences verify our method. Furthermore, we apply our method to analyze telecommunication devices’ alarm correlation in a province of China. Our index of pair similarities is capable of measuring other discrete event data.
A Hypothesis: The Interplay of Exercise and Physiological Heterogeneity as Drivers of Human Ageing
Authors: Lazarus Norman R. , Harridge Stephen D. R.
Published: September 2021

As the inherent ageing process affects every facet of biology, physiology could be considered as the study of the healthy human ageing process. Where biological health is affected by lifestyle, the continual and continuing interaction of this process with physical activity and other lifestyle choices determine whether the ageing trajectory is toward health or disease. The presentation of both these states is further modified in individuals by the interaction of inherent physiological heterogeneity and the heterogeneity associated with responses and adaptions to exercise. The range of heterogeneity in healthy physiology is circumscribed by the necessity to conform to that of the human species. Our hypothesis is that, when sufficient exercise is present, these multiple interactions appear to produce an ageing profile that, while functional ability is in decline, remains synchronous, coherent, and integrated throughout most of life. In the absence of sufficient physical activity, physiology over time is gradually deteriorating toward the production of a lifestyle disease. Here, the ageing process, interacting with individual physiological heterogeneity, probably determines the age of presentation of a disease as well as the order of presentation of subsequent diseases. In this article, we discuss this hypothesis and related concepts in the context of the trajectory of healthy and non-healthy human ageing.
AdipoRon Promotes the Osseointegration of Dental Implants in Mice With Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus
Authors: Huang BoRui , Bi Wei , Sun Yang , Li Ruixue , Wu Xingwen , Yu Youcheng
Published: September 2021

AdipoRon is an oral active synthetic small molecule with biological functions similar to adiponectin (APN). It is an APN receptor agonist that can improve insulin resistance and glucose intolerance. However, the role of AdipoRon in bone metabolism and related molecular mechanisms remains to be investigated. To explore the effect of AdipoRon on bone absorption and bone integration of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) mice with implants, we established surgery-induced model of osseointegration of dental implantation in T2DM mice of C57BL/6 db/db and normal mice homologous to diabetic mice. Micro-CT was used to analyze the femurs with the implant in the mice to detect the bone mass, H&E, and tartrate-resistant acid phosphatase (TRAP), and Safranin O-fast green staining was performed to analyze the bone formation and bone resorption. Bone integration-related markers as Rankl, bone morphogenetic protein 2 (BMP2), osteoprotegerin (OPG), osteopontin (OPN), and runt-related transcription factor 2 (Runx2) were also measured using immunohistochemistry. Our results indicated that diabetic mice showed a lower bone mass and decreased the osteoblast differentiation. AdipoRon attenuated diabetes-impaired bone volume (BV)/total volume (TV), trabecular thickness (Tb.Th), trabecular number (Tb.N), trabecular separation (Tb.Sp), and bone integration-related markers variation and promoted bone hyperplasia as well as repressed the osteoclast formation, especially in diabetic mice. AdipoRon may improve the osseointegration of dental implants in mice with T2DM by promoting osteogenesis and inhibiting bone resorption, and AdipoRon may serve as a promising oral strategy to improve the osseointegration ability of patients with diabetes.
Mating, but Not Male Accessory Gland Products, Changes Female Response to Olfactory Cues in Anastrepha Fruit Flies
Authors: Córdova-García Guadalupe , Sirot Laura , Abraham Solana , Díaz-Fleischer Francisco , Flores-Estevez Norma , López-Ortega Maurilio , Pérez-Staples Diana
Published: September 2021

Copulation and/or ejaculate components can alter female physiological state and female post-mating behavior. The objective of the present study was to determine if copulation and male reproductive accessory gland products (MAGs) modify the behavior of femaleAnastrepha ludens(Loew) andAnastrepha obliqua(Macquart; Diptera: Tephritidae) in response to two stimuli: male-emitted pheromone and oviposition host volatiles. Olfactometry studies revealed that mated females of bothA. ludensandA. obliquahave a stronger response for host volatiles compared to unmated females, which have a stronger response for male pheromone. We also examined olfactory responses of females mated to testectomized males who could transfer MAGs but not sperm. In both species, MAGs alone did not cause the change in the olfactory response observed after copulation, unlike what has been found inCeratitis capitata(Wiedemann). Females mated to testectomized males responded equally to the male sex pheromone or to host volatiles, thus suggesting that the whole ejaculate is needed to elicit the complete behavioral switch in olfactory response. The function of MAGs is still unknown in these two pests of economic importance. The response for host volatiles by mated females has implications for the development of baits and traps that should preferably attract and target this population.
Serine Supplementation Alleviates Doxorubicin-Induced Oxidative Damage in Skeletal Muscle of Mice
Authors: Chen Jingqing , Zhou Xihong , Jia Hai , Wu Zhenlong
Published: September 2021

Muscle weakness affects physical activity and quality of life of patients. Serine, a nutritionally non-essential amino acid has been reported to enhance protein synthesis and implicate in biosynthesis of multiple bioactive molecules. It remains unknown whether it can protect mice against oxidative stress-induced muscles weakness. This study was conducted to test the hypothesis that serine administration alleviates doxorubicin-induced oxidative damage in skeletal muscle of mice. Mice pre-treated with or without serine were intraperitoneally injected with either doxorubicin or equal volume of saline. Reactive oxygen species (ROS) accumulation, activity of antioxidant enzymes, oxidation product of protein, DNA, and lipid, activity of mitochondrial complex, and protein level of nuclear-factor-erythroid-2-related factor 2 (NRF2)/constitutive-androstane-receptor (CAR) signaling in skeletal muscle of mice were determined. Compared with the control, doxorubicin exposure led to oxidative damage as shown by increased ROS accumulation, decreased activity of antioxidant enzymes, and enhanced oxidative product of protein, DNA, and lipid in the skeletal muscle of mice. These effects of doxorubicin were associated with increased activity of complex I and reduced glutathione. Interestingly, doxorubicin-induced oxidative damage was alleviated by serine administration. Further study showed that the beneficial effect of serine was associated with enhanced NRF2/CAR signaling. Our result showed that serine attenuated doxorubicin-induced muscle weakness in mice. Serine supplementation might be a nutritional strategy to improve the function of skeletal muscle in patients exposed to doxorubicin.
Liver Zonation – Revisiting Old Questions With New Technologies
Authors: Cunningham Rory P. , Porat-Shliom Natalie
Published: September 2021

Despite the ever-increasing prevalence of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), the etiology and pathogenesis remain poorly understood. This is due, in part, to the liver’s complex physiology and architecture. The liver maintains glucose and lipid homeostasis by coordinating numerous metabolic processes with great efficiency. This is made possible by the spatial compartmentalization of metabolic pathways a phenomenon known as liver zonation. Despite the importance of zonation to normal liver function, it is unresolved if and how perturbations to liver zonation can drive hepatic pathophysiology and NAFLD development. While hepatocyte heterogeneity has been identified over a century ago, its examination had been severely hindered due to technological limitations. Recent advances in single cell analysis and imaging technologies now permit further characterization of cells across the liver lobule. This review summarizes the advances in examining liver zonation and elucidating its regulatory role in liver physiology and pathology. Understanding the spatial organization of metabolism is vital to further our knowledge of liver disease and to provide targeted therapeutic avenues.
GmPGL2, Encoding a Pentatricopeptide Repeat Protein, Is Essential for Chloroplast RNA Editing and Biogenesis in Soybean
Authors: Feng Xingxing , Yang Suxin , Zhang Yaohua , Zhiyuan Cheng , Tang Kuanqiang , Li Guang , Yu Hui , Leng Jiantian , Wang Qingyu
Published: September 2021

Chloroplast biogenesis and development are highly complex processes requiring interactions between plastids and nuclear genomic products. Pentatricopeptide repeat (PPR) proteins play an essential role in the development of chloroplasts; however, it remains unclear how RNA editing factors influence soybean development. In this study, a Glycine max pale green leaf 2 mutant (Gmpgl2) was identified with decreased chlorophyll contents. Genetic mapping revealed that a single-nucleotide deletion at position 1949 bp in the Glyma.05g132700 gene in the Gmpgl2 mutant, resulting in a truncated GmPGL2 protein. The nuclear-encoded GmPGL2 is a PLS-type PPR protein that localizes to the chloroplasts. The C-to-U editing efficiencies of rps16, rps18, ndhB, ndhD, ndhE, and ndhF were reduced in the Gmpgl2 mutant. RNA electrophoresis mobility shift assay (REMSA) analysis further revealed that GmPGL2 binds to the immediate upstream sequences at RNA editing sites of rps16 and ndhB in vitro, respectively. In addition, GmPGL2 was found to interact with GmMORF8, GmMORF9, and GmORRM6. These results suggest that GmPGL2 participates in C-to-U RNA editing via the formation of a complex RNA editosome in soybean chloroplasts.
An Integrated Approach for the Efficient Extraction and Solubilization of Rice Microsomal Membrane Proteins for High-Throughput Proteomics
Authors: Nguyen Truong Van , Gupta Ravi , Annas Dicky , Yoon Jinmi , Kim Yu-Jin , Lee Gi Hyun , Jang Jeong Woo , Park Kang Hyun , Rakwal Randeep , Jung Ki-Hong , Min Cheol Woo , Kim Sun Tae
Published: September 2021

The preparation of microsomal membrane proteins (MPs) is critically important to microsomal proteomics. To date most research studies have utilized an ultracentrifugation-based approach for the isolation and solubilization of plant MPs. However, these approaches are labor-intensive, time-consuming, and unaffordable in certain cases. Furthermore, the use of sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) and its removal prior to a mass spectrometry (MS) analysis through multiple washing steps result in the loss of proteins. To address these limitations, this study introduced a simple micro-centrifugation-based MP extraction (MME) method from rice leaves, with the efficacy of this approach being compared with a commercially available plasma membrane extraction kit (PME). Moreover, this study assessed the subsequent solubilization of isolated MPs in an MS-compatible surfactant, namely, 4-hexylphenylazosulfonate (Azo) and SDS using a label-free proteomic approach. The results validated the effectiveness of the MME method, specifically in the enrichment of plasma membrane proteins as compared with the PME method. Furthermore, the findings showed that Azo demonstrated several advantages over SDS in solubilizing the MPs, which was reflected through a label-free quantitative proteome analysis. Altogether, this study provided a relatively simple and rapid workflow for the efficient extraction of MPs with an Azo-integrated MME approach for bottom-up proteomics.
Assessment of Total Fat and Fatty Acids in Walnuts Using Near-Infrared Hyperspectral Imaging
Authors: Nogales-Bueno Julio , Baca-Bocanegra Berta , Hernández-Hierro José Miguel , Garcia Raquel , Barroso João Mota , Heredia Francisco José , Rato Ana Elisa
Published: September 2021

“Persian” walnut (Juglans Regia L.) is one of the most consumed tree nuts in the world. It is rich in several bioactive compounds, with polyunsaturated and monounsaturated fatty acids (PUFA and MUFA) appearing at high concentrations. Walnut consumption protects against cardiovascular, carcinogenic, and neurological disorders. The fatty acid profile has usually been determined by gas chromatography, a reliable and robust tool, but also complex, polluting, and time consuming. In this study, near infrared hyperspectral imaging has been used for the screening of total fat, MUFA, PUFA, saturated, and individual fatty acids in walnuts. Five different walnuts varieties have been considered and modified partial least square (MPLS) regressions have been performed. The SEs of prediction (SEP) in external validation (ranged from 2.12% for PUFA to 13.08% for MUFA) suggest that hyperspectral imaging can be a reliable tool for controlling these parameters in a simple, non-destructive and environmentally friendly way.
Functional Characterization of Pembrolizumab Produced in Nicotiana benthamiana Using a Rapid Transient Expression System
Authors: Phakham Tanapati , Bulaon Christine Joy I. , Khorattanakulchai Narach , Shanmugaraj Balamurugan , Buranapraditkun Supranee , Boonkrai Chatikorn , Sooksai Sarintip , Hirankarn Nattiya , Abe Yoshito , Strasser Richard , Rattanapisit Kaewta , Phoolcharoen Waranyoo
Published: September 2021

The striking innovation and clinical success of immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) have undoubtedly contributed to a breakthrough in cancer immunotherapy. Generally, ICIs produced in mammalian cells requires high investment, production costs, and involves time consuming procedures. Recently, the plants are considered as an emerging protein production platform due to its cost-effectiveness and rapidity for the production of recombinant biopharmaceuticals. This study explored the potential of plant-based system to produce an anti-human PD-1 monoclonal antibody (mAb), Pembrolizumab, in Nicotiana benthamiana. The transient expression of this mAb in wild-type N. benthamiana accumulated up to 344.12 ± 98.23 μg/g fresh leaf weight after 4 days of agroinfiltration. The physicochemical and functional characteristics of plant-produced Pembrolizumab were compared to mammalian cell-produced commercial Pembrolizumab (Keytruda®). Sodium dodecyl sulfate polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE) and western blot analysis results demonstrated that the plant-produced Pembrolizumab has the expected molecular weight and is comparable with the Keytruda®. Structural characterization also confirmed that both antibodies have no protein aggregation and similar secondary and tertiary structures. Furthermore, the plant-produced Pembrolizumab displayed no differences in its binding efficacy to PD-1 protein and inhibitory activity between programmed cell death 1 (PD-1) and programmed cell death ligand 1 (PD-L1) interaction with the Keytruda®. In vitro efficacy for T cell activation demonstrated that the plant-produced Pembrolizumab could induce IL-2 and IFN-γ production. Hence, this proof-of-concept study showed that the plant-production platform can be utilized for the rapid production of functional mAbs for immunotherapy.
Plant Variety Selection Using Interaction Classes Derived From Factor Analytic Linear Mixed Models: Models With Independent Variety Effects
Authors: Smith Alison , Norman Adam , Kuchel Haydn , Cullis Brian
Published: September 2021

A major challenge in the analysis of plant breeding multi-environment datasets is the provision of meaningful and concise information for variety selection in the presence of variety by environment interaction (VEI). This is addressed in the current paper by fitting a factor analytic linear mixed model (FALMM) then using the fundamental factor analytic parameters to define groups of environments in the dataset within which there is minimal crossover VEI, but between which there may be substantial crossover VEI. These groups are consequently called interaction classes (iClasses). Given that the environments within an iClass exhibit minimal crossover VEI, it is then valid to obtain predictions of overall variety performance (across environments) for each iClass. These predictions can then be used not only to select the best varieties within each iClass but also to match varieties in terms of their patterns of VEI across iClasses. The latter is aided with the use of a new graphical tool called an iClass Interaction Plot. The ideas are introduced in this paper within the framework of FALMMs in which the genetic effects for different varieties are assumed independent. The application to FALMMs which include information on genetic relatedness is the subject of a subsequent paper.
Explaining Variation in Parents' and Their Children's Stress During COVID-19 Lockdowns
Authors: Toppe Theo , Stengelin Roman , Schmidt Louisa S. , Amini Naiera , Schuhmacher Nils
Published: September 2021

The coronavirus pandemic poses a substantial threat to people across the globe. In the first half of 2020, governments limited the spread of virus by imposing diverse regulations. These regulations had a particular impact on families as parents had to manage their occupational situation and childcare in parallel. Here, we examine a variation in parents' and children's stress during the lockdowns in the first half of 2020 and detect the correlates of families' stress. Between April and June 2020, we conducted an explorative online survey among n = 422 parents of 3- to 10-year-old children residing in 17 countries. Most participants came from Germany (n = 274), Iran (n = 70), UK (n = 23), and USA (n = 23). Parents estimated their own stress, the stress of their own children, and various information on potential correlates (e.g., accommodation, family constellation, education, community size, playtime for children, contact with peers, media consumption, and physical activity). Parents also stated personal values regarding openness to change, self-transcendence, self-enhancement, and conservation. The results indicate a substantial variation in the stress levels of families and their diverse reactions to regulations. Media consumption by children commonly increased in comparison to the time before the pandemic. Parents raising both pre-school- and school-aged children were at a particular risk of experiencing stress in response to regulations. Estimated stress and reactions varied with the age of children and the personal values of parents, suggesting that such variables need to be considered when implementing and evaluating regulations and supporting young families in the current and future pandemic.
Rationing of Nursing Care and Patient Safety
Authors: Witczak Izabela , Rypicz Łukasz , Karniej Piotr , Młynarska Agnieszka , Kubielas Grzegorz , Uchmanowicz Izabella
Published: September 2021

Background: Nursing care has a significant impact on patient safety, which affects clinical outcomes, patients’ satisfaction with the care received and nursing personnel’s satisfaction with the care provided. This study aimed to determine the extent of nursing care rationing and its relationship with patient safety including identification of the specific reasons.

Methods: This cross-sectional study involved 245 nurses and was performed between April–June 2019 in four hospitals in Wrocław, Poland. The standardized and relevant research tools such as Hospital Survey on Patient Safety Culture (HSOPSC) and the Perceived Implicit Rationing of Nursing Care (PIRNCA) were used. The data was submitted to hierarchical multiple regression analysis. The study was approved by the Bioethics Committee and was followed with the STROBE guidelines.

Results: The PIRNCA scores were negatively correlated with the HSOPSC subscales, which indicates that more frequent rationing of nursing care was associated with lower levels of patient safety parameters. It was shown that the highest level of unfinished nursing care was associated with decreases in patient safety factors linked with supervisor manager expectations actions promoting safety (rs = −0.321, p < 0.001), teamwork within hospital units (rs = −0.377, p < 0.001), feedback and communication about error (rs = −0.271, p < 0.001), teamwork across hospital units (rs = −0.221, p < 0.01), and hospital handoffs transitions (rs = −0.179, p < 0.01). Moreover, the strongest association was observed between the PIRNCA scores with patient safety grade (rs = 0.477, p < 0.001). Also, the PIRNCA scores among the internal unit were significantly higher than in the intensive care and surgical units.

Conclusion: Our study indicated the presence of nursing care rationing. Regarding patient safety, we found insufficient numbers of medical personnel and excessive personnel workload for providing safe care to patients, a lack of transparency in handling adverse event reports and analyses, and a lack of cooperation between hospital units regarding patient safety.
Predicting Deviant Behaviors in Sports Using the Extended Theory of Planned Behavior
Authors: Kang Sangwook , Kim Inwoo , Lee Keunchul
Published: September 2021

The purpose of the present study is to examine the deviant behaviors of young athletes the using extended theory of planned behavior (TPB) and impulsivity. About 536 middle and high school athletes in South Korea answered a set of questionnaires that measured their attitude, subjective norms, perceived behavioral control, intention, ethical obligation, and impulsivity. Structural equation model (SEM) analysis revealed that the extended TPB model is adequate to explain deviant behaviors in sports. Further, the underlying intentions that motivate the deviant behaviors of athletes in sports were significantly predicted by perceived behavioral control and moral obligation. Findings also suggested that the intention for deviant behaviors in sports more readily manifests as an actual act when the impulsivity scores are high. Theoretical contributions and practical implications are addressed in the Discussion section.
The Relationship Between Childhood Emotional Abuse and Processing of Emotional Facial Expressions in Healthy Young Men: Event-Related Potential and Behavioral Evidence
Authors: Liu Yutong , Peng Huini , Wu Jianhui , Duan Hongxia
Published: September 2021

Background: Individuals exposed to childhood maltreatment present with a deficiency in emotional processing in later life. Most studies have focused mainly on childhood physical or sexual abuse; however, childhood emotional abuse, a core issue underlying different forms of childhood maltreatment, has received relatively little attention. The current study explored whether childhood emotional abuse is related to the impaired processing of emotional facial expressions in healthy young men.

Methods: The emotional facial processing was investigated in a classical gender discrimination task while the event-related potentials (ERPs) data were collected. Childhood emotional abuse was assessed by a Childhood Trauma Questionnaire (CTQ) among 60 healthy young men. The relationship between the score of emotional abuse and the behavioral and the ERP index of emotional facial expression (angry, disgust, and happy) were explored.

Results: Participants with a higher score of childhood emotional abuse responded faster on the behavioral level and had a smaller P2 amplitude on the neural level when processing disgust faces compared to neutral faces.

Discussion: Individuals with a higher level of childhood emotional abuse may quickly identify negative faces with less cognitive resources consumed, suggesting altered processing of emotional facial expressions in young men with a higher level of childhood emotional abuse.
Identification and Adoption of Themes in The Big Bang Theory Sitcom to Foster Academic Cultural Competencies of Doctoral Students in English for Academic Conversation Classroom
Authors: Lasekan Olusiji
Published: September 2021

The primary purpose of this study is to identify academic cultural themes in the popular television sitcom The Big Bang Theory in order to enhance doctoral students’ awareness and acquisition of Ph.D. competencies through formalized and explicit instruction. The secondary aim is to assess the impact of the selected academic themes on doctoral students’ acquisition of Ph.D. competencies in an English for Academic Conversation (EAC) classroom. Drawing upon the concept of thematic learning instruction, a qualitative research method involving six clusters of Ph.D. competency reference framework developed by Durette and others was adopted to identify the academic cultural themes depicted by the sitcom’s main characters. This is followed by evaluating the effectiveness of an EAC course in fostering learners’ Ph.D. competencies using selected identified academic cultural themes. The result showed that the sitcom’s main characters demonstrate the personal and professional skills commonly possessed by a competent academic as an individual or group. This is evidenced as all the thirty-four identified skills traverse the six clusters of Ph.D. competencies devised by Durette and colleagues in 2016. Also, the impact assessment results revealed that the course fostered learners’ Ph.D. competencies as they shared knowledge, past experience, and action plans of every selected academic theme. This work contributes to existing knowledge of doctoral competencies vital to promoting competency-based Ph.D. programs in higher education.
Stakes of Knowing the Truth: A Motivational Perspective on the Popularity of a Controversial Scientific Theory
Authors: Morisseau Tiffany , Branch T. Y. , Origgi Gloria
Published: September 2021

The aim of this article is to provide a different perspective on people's beliefs regarding controversial scientific information. We emphasize that, although people generally aim at getting a fair representation of reality, accuracy about scientific issues only matters to the extent that individuals perceive it as useful to achieve their own goals. This has important consequences in terms of how anti-science attitudes as well as epistemically questionable beliefs must be interpreted, which has consequences for addressing misinformation. We argue that most people who endorse scientific misinformation are not truly interested in its accuracy, and rather that plausibility at face value often suffices when it is meant to be used for social purposes only. We illustrate this view with the example of hydroxychloroquine, which was considered as potential treatment for Covid-19, and which has been the subject of much media hype and public concern, particularly in France.
Smartphone Use and Psychological Well-Being Among College Students in China: A Qualitative Assessment
Authors: Dai Cheng , Tai Zixue , Ni Shan
Published: September 2021

Background: Problematic smartphone use is widespread, and college-age youth faces an especially high risk of its associated consequences. While a promising body of research has emerged in recent years in this area, the domination of quantitative inquiries can be fruitfully and conceptually complemented by perspectives informed through qualitative research. Toward that end, this study aimed to interrogate the myriad behavioral, attitudinal, and psychological tendencies as a side effect of college students’ engagement with the smartphone in their everyday lived experience through in-depth interviews.

Methods: We recruited 70 participants from seven college campuses hailing from different geographic regions in China, and conducted semi-structured in-depth virtual interviews via WeChat in November and December 2020. Subjective experiences, personal narratives and individual perceptions in the context of routine interaction with the smartphone were thematically analyzed through a reiterative process in an effort to detect prevailing threads and recurring subthemes.

Results: The smartphone has established a pervasive presence in college students’ everyday life. Time-based use characteristics generated a typology of four distinct user groups: hypo-connected antagonists, balanced majority, hyper-connected enthusiasts, and indulgent zealots. Habitual usage falls on predictable patterns matched onto temporal, locale-based and contextual cues and triggers. Students’ dependency relationships with the smartphone have both functional and emotional dimensions, as prominently manifested in occasions of detachment from the device. Self-regulatory effort in monitoring and limiting use is significantly impacted by mental focus and personal goal setting. Perspectives from our qualitative data suggest the need for taking into account a variety of contextual cues and situational factors in dissecting psychological and emotional outcomes of smartphone use and abuse.
Embodying Bounded Rationality: From Embodied Bounded Rationality to Embodied Rationality
Authors: Petracca Enrico
Published: September 2021

Views of embodied cognition vary in degree of radicalism. The goal of this article is to explore how the range of moderate and radical views of embodied cognition can inform new approaches to rationality. In this exploration, Herbert Simon's bounded rationality is taken for its complete disembodiedness as a reference base against which to measure the increasing embodied content of new approaches to rationality. We use the label “embodied bounded rationality” to explore how moderate embodiment can reform Simon's bounded rationality while, on the opposite side of the embodied spectrum, the label “embodied rationality” is employed to explore how radical embodiment can more deeply transform the idea of what is rational. In between the two poles, the labels “body rationality” and “extended rationality” are introduced to explore how also intermediate embodiment can fruitfully inform the research on rationality.
Toward a Biological, Psychological and Familial Approach of Eating Disorders at Onset: Case-Control ANOBAS Study
Authors: Sepúlveda Ana Rosa , Moreno-Encinas Alba , Martínez-Huertas José Angel , Anastasiadou Dimitra , Nova Esther , Marcos Ascensión , Gómez-Martínez Sonia , Villa-Asensi José Ramón , Mollejo Encarna , Graell Montserrat
Published: September 2021

Eating disorders (ED) are considered as heterogeneous disorders with a complex multifactor etiology that involves biological and environmental interaction.

Objective: The aim was to identify specific ED bio-psychological-familial correlates at illness onset.

Methods: A case-control (1:1) design was applied, which studied 50 adolescents diagnosed with ED at onset (12–17 years old) and their families, paired by age and parents’ socio-educational level with three control samples (40 with an affective disorder, 40 with asthma, and 50 with no pathology) and their respective families. Biological, psychological, and familial correlates were assessed using interviews, standardized questionnaires, and a blood test.

Results: After performing conditional logistic regression models for each type of variable, those correlates that showed to be specific for ED were included in a global exploratory model (R2 = 0.44). The specific correlates identified associated to the onset of an ED were triiodothyronine (T3) as the main specific biological correlate; patients’ drive for thinness, perfectionism and anxiety as the main psychological correlates; and fathers’ emotional over-involvement and depression, and mothers’ anxiety as the main familial correlates.

Conclusion: To our knowledge, this is the first study to use three specific control groups assessed through standardized interviews, and to collect a wide variety of data at the illness onset. This study design has allowed to explore which correlates, among those measured, were specific to EDs; finding that perfectionism and family emotional over-involvement, as well as the T3 hormone were relevant to discern ED cases at the illness onset from other adolescents with or without a concurrent pathology.
Examining the Impostor-Profile—Is There a General Impostor Characteristic?
Authors: Ibrahim Fabio , Münscher Johann-Christoph , Herzberg Philipp Yorck
Published: September 2021

The Impostor-Profile (IPP) is a six-dimensional questionnaire measuring the Impostor Phenomenon facets. This study aims to test (a) the appropriateness of a total score, (b) measurement invariance (MI) between gender, (c) the reliability of the IPP, and (d) the convergent validity of the IPP subscales. The sample consisted of N = 482 individuals (64% female). To identify whether the scales of the IPP form a total score, we compared four models: (1) six correlating subscales, (2) a general factor model, (3) a second-order model with one second-order factor and six first-order factors, and (4) a bifactorial model with six group factors. The bifactorial model obtained the best fit. This supports the assumption of a total impostor score. The inspection of structural validity between gender subgroups showed configural, metric, and partial scalar MI. Factor mean comparisons supported the assumption that females and males differ in latent means of the Impostor Phenomenon expressions. The omega coefficients showed sufficient reliability (≥0.71), except for the subscale Need for Sympathy. Overall, the findings of the bifactor model fit and construct validity support the assumption that the measurement through total expression is meaningful in addition to the theoretically formulated multidimensionality of the Impostor Phenomenon.
Why Not All the Powerful Abuse? The Competitive Effects of Psychological Distance and Self-Control
Authors: Huang Caiyun , Tian Siyu
Published: September 2021

Building on the social distance theory of power, this study proposed the positive and negative mechanisms of power and their impacts on abusive supervision from the competitive perspectives of psychological distance and self-control. The boundary effects of independent self-construal were also analyzed. The hypotheses of this study were tested through questionnaires and an experimental study design. The Study 1 data were collected from 422 supervisors and subordinates from five private enterprises and one state-owned enterprise in Eastern China. Study 2, on the other hand, was conducted through a scenario-based experiment in which 180 part-time master of business administration (MBA) students from a university in Eastern China participated. All data were tested using polynomial regression analysis and a bootstrapping appraisal. The results revealed that (1) the relationship between power and abusive supervision is not significant; (2) psychological distance mediates the relationship between power and abusive supervision, with high power leading to higher psychological distance, which, in turn, strengthens abusive supervision; (3) self-control mediates the relationship between power and abusive supervision, with high power leading to higher self-control, which, in turn, weakens abusive supervision; (4) the mediating effect of psychological distance is stronger, and the mediating effect of self-control is weaker when independent self-construal is high rather than low. At the end of this study, the theoretical and practical implications are discussed.
Effectiveness of Body Psychotherapy. A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis
Authors: Rosendahl Sophie , Sattel Heribert , Lahmann Claas
Published: September 2021

Despite the growing relevance and applicability of elements based on and derived from the embodied mind paradigm, body psychotherapy (BPT) appears not to be a well-established treatment option. This might be due to a lack of proof for its efficacy. We searched electronic databases (Pubmed MEDLINE, PsycInfo, and PSYNDEX) for randomized controlled trials (RCTs) examining predefined BPT interventions. A total of 2,180 references were screened, of which 113 studies were scrutinized in detail and 18 RCTs finally included. The observed effect size (ES) demonstrated medium effects of BPT on primary outcomes psychopathology and psychological distress. In case of significant statistical heterogeneity, exploratory subgroup analyses revealed diagnosis and the degree of control group activity as noteworthy moderators. For secondary outcomes, evidence was scarce, and an improvement could be demonstrated only for coping abilities. The identified evidence indicates that BPT is beneficial for a wide spectrum of psychic suffering. There is a strong need for high-quality studies with bigger samples and for well-defined diagnostic entities to underpin its effectiveness.
Excessive Daytime Sleepiness in Depression and Obstructive Sleep Apnea: More Than Just an Overlapping Symptom
Authors: Zhang Danwei , Zhang Zhen , Li Huihua , Ding Kaimo
Published: September 2021

Excessive daytime sleepiness (EDS) is a significant public health concern, with obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) being a common cause, and a particular relationship exists with the severity of depression. A literature search on OSA, depression, and EDS was performed in PubMed. The chosen evidence was limited to human studies. Available evidence was systematically reviewed to ascertain the association of EDS with depression and OSA according to the general population and some specific population subgroups. In addition, effectiveness of continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) was analyzed as a standard therapy for improving EDS and depression in patients with OSA. In the general population, patients with OSA, and some other subpopulations, the review contributed to: (1) delineating the prevalence of EDS; (2) substantiating the relationship of EDS and depression; (3) presenting the relationship between EDS and OSA; and (4) revealing that the duration of CPAP is crucial for its therapeutic effects in improving EDS and depressive symptoms in patients with OSA.
Catastrophic Health Expenditure Associated With Frailty in Community-Dwelling Chinese Older Adults: A Prospective Cohort Analysis
Authors: Fan Lijun , Hou Xiang-Yu , Liu Yingyan , Chen Sunan , Wang Qian , Du Wei
Published: September 2021

Background: Catastrophic health expenditure (CHE) represents a key indicator for excessive financial burden due to out-of-pocket (OOP) healthcare costs, which could push the household into poverty and is highly pronounced in households with members at an advanced age. Previous studies have been devoted to understanding the determinants for CHE, yet little evidence exists on its association with frailty, an important geriatric syndrome attracting growing recognition. We thus aim to examine the relationship between frailty and CHE and to explore whether this effect is moderated by socioeconomic-related factors.

Methods: A total of 3,277 older adults were drawn from two waves (2011 and 2013) of the China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study (CHARLS). CHE was defined when OOP healthcare expenditure exceeded a specific proportion of the capacity of the household to pay. Frailty was measured following the Fried Phenotype (FP) scale. Mixed-effects logistic regression models were employed to assess the longitudinal relationship between frailty and CHE, and stratification analyses were conducted to explore the moderation effect.

Results: The incidence of CHE among Chinese community-dwelling older adults was 21.76% in 2011 and increased to 26.46% in 2013. Compared with non-frail individuals, prefrail or frail adults were associated with higher odds for CHE after controlling for age, gender, residence, education, marriage, income, health insurance, smoking, drinking, and comorbidity (prefrail: odds ratio (OR) = 1.32, 95%CI = 1.14–1.52; frail: OR = 1.67, 95%CI = 1.13–2.47). Three frailty components including weakness, exhaustion, and shrinking contributed to a significantly increased likelihood of CHE (all p < 0.05), while the other two components including slowness and inactivity showed a non-significant effect (all p > 0.05). Similar effects from frailty on CHE were observed across socioeconomic-related subgroups differentiated by gender, residence, education, household income, and social health insurance.

Conclusions: Frailty is a significant predictor for CHE in China. Developing and implementing cost-effective strategies for the prevention and management of frailty is imperative to protect households from financial catastrophe.
Sentiment Analysis of Students’ Feedback in MOOCs: A Systematic Literature Review
Authors: Dalipi Fisnik , Zdravkova Katerina , Ahlgren Fredrik
Published: September 2021

In recent years, sentiment analysis (SA) has gained popularity among researchers in various domains, including the education domain. Particularly, sentiment analysis can be applied to review the course comments in massive open online courses (MOOCs), which could enable instructors to easily evaluate their courses. This article is a systematic literature review on the use of sentiment analysis for evaluating students’ feedback in MOOCs, exploring works published between January 1, 2015, and March 4, 2021. To the best of our knowledge, this systematic review is the first of its kind. We have applied a stepwise PRISMA framework to guide our search process, by searching for studies in six electronic research databases (ACM, IEEE, ScienceDirect, Springer, Scopus, and Web of Science). Our review identified 40 relevant articles out of 440 that were initially found at the first stage. From the reviewed literature, we found that the research has revolved around six areas: MOOC content evaluation, feedback contradiction detection, SA effectiveness, SA through social network posts, understanding course performance and dropouts, and MOOC design model evaluation. In the end, some recommendations are provided and areas for future research directions are identified.
Which One? Choosing Favorite Robot After Different Styles of Storytelling and Robots’ Conversation
Authors: Velentza Anna-Maria , Fachantidis Nikolaos , Pliasa Sofia
Published: September 2021

The influence of human-care service robots in human–robot interaction is becoming of great importance, because of the roles that the robots are taking in today’s and future society. Thus, we need to identify how humans can interact, collaborate, and learn from social robots more efficiently. Additionally, it is important to determine the robots’ modalities that can increase the humans’ perceived likeness and knowledge acquisition and enhance human–robot collaboration. The present study aims to identify the optimal social service robots’ modalities that enhance the human learning process and level of enjoyment from the interaction and even attract the humans’ attention to choosing a robot to collaborate with it. Our target group was college students, pre-service teachers. For this purpose, we designed two experiments, each one split in two parts. Both the experiments were between groups, and human participants had the chance to watch the Nao robot performing a storytelling exercise about the history of robots in a museum-educational activityviavideo annotations. The robot’s modalities were manipulated on its body movements (expressive arm and head gestures) while performing the storytelling, friendly attitude expressions and storytelling, and personality traits. After the robot’s storytelling, participants filled out a knowledge acquisition questionnaire and a self-reported enjoyment level questionnaire. In the second part, we introduce the idea of participants witnessing a conversation between the robots with the different modalities, and they were asked to choose the robot with which they want to collaborate in a similar activity. Results indicated that participants prefer to collaborate with robots with a cheerful personality and expressive body movements. Especially when they were asked to choose between two robots that were cheerful and had expressive body movements, they preferred the one which originally told them the story. Moreover, participants did not prefer to collaborate with a robot with an extremely friendly attitude and storytelling style.