bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Geographic Variation in Social Vocalizations of the Great Himalayan Leaf-Nosed Bat, Hipposideros armiger: Acoustic Overflow Across Population Boundaries
Authors: Lin Aiqing , Feng Jiang , Kanwal Jagmeet S.
Published: July 2022

Bat populations employ rich vocal repertoires for social communication in addition to emitting sound pulses for echolocation. Acoustic parameters of echolocation pulses can vary with the context in which they are emitted, and also with the individual and across populations as a whole. The acoustic parameters of social vocalizations, or “calls”, also vary with the individual and context, but not much is known about their variation across populations at different geographic locations. Here, we leveraged the detailed acoustic classification of social vocalizations available for the Great Himalayan leaf-nosed bat,Hipposideros armiger, to examine geographic variation in five commonly emitted simple syllable types. We hypothesized that individuals within geographically dispersed populations communicate using spectrographically similar constructs or “syllable types”. We also examined whether call syllables vary discordantly with the correlation pattern observed for echolocation pulses across those same geographic regions. Furthermore, we postulated that the acoustic boundaries of a syllable type are not uniquely constrained to its variation within a particular population of the same subspecies. To test our hypotheses, we obtained recordings of social calls ofH. a. armigerfrom nine locations within the oriental region. These locations were consolidated into five geographic regions based on previously established region-specific differences in the peak frequency of echolocation pulses. A multivariate cluster analysis established that unlike echolocation pulses, syllable types exhibit a relatively large variance. Analysis of this variance showed significant differences in Least Squares Means estimates, establishing significant population-level differences in the multiparametric means of individual syllable types across geographic regions. Multivariate discriminant analysis confirmed the presence of region-specific centroids for different syllable constructs, but also showed a large overlap of their multiparametric boundaries across geographic regions. We propose that despite differences in the population-specific core construct of a syllable type, bats maximize acoustic variation across individuals within a population irrespective of its overflow and overlap with other populations.
The importance of taking ART appropriately in children and adolescents with HIV-1 to reach the highest capacity of immune function later in life
Authors: Sandgaard Katrine Schou , Gkouleli Triantafylia , Attenborough Teresa , Adams Stuart , Gibbons Deena , Holm Mette , Eisen Sarah , Baxendale Helen , De Rossi Anita , Pahwa Savita , Chain Benny , Gkazi Athina S. , Klein Nigel
Published: July 2022

Current antiretroviral therapy (ART) guidelines recommend treating all children with HIV-1 infection. This has changed from the broader use of ART to treat children to improve morbidity and minimise mortality. However, prior to current recommendations, not everyone with HIV-1 received timely treatment. What happens to the paediatric immune system when HIV-1 replication is not appropriately supressed remains unclear. 11 samples from adolescents with HIV-1 on ART and uninfected controls in the UK, aged 12–25 years, were examined; overall, adolescents with CD4+counts > 500/μl and a viral load < 50 copies/ml were compared with adolescents with CD4+counts < 500/μl and a viral load > 50 copies/ml at time of sampling. Measurements of thymic output were combined with high throughput next generation sequencing and bioinformatics to systematically organize CD4+and CD8+T cell receptor (TCR) repertoires. TCR repertoire diversity, clonal expansions, TCR sequence sharing, and formation of TCR clusters in HIV-1 infected adolescents with successful HIV-1 suppression were compared to adolescents with ineffective HIV-1 suppression. Thymic output and CD4+T cell numbers were decreased in HIV-1 infected adolescents with poor HIV-1 suppression. A strong homeostatic TCR response, driven by the decreased CD4+T cell compartment and reduced thymic output was observed in the virally uncontrolled HIV-1-infected adolescents. Formation of abundant robust TCR clusters and structurally related TCRs were found in the adolescents with effective HIV-1 suppression. Numerous CD4+T cell numbers in the virally controlled adolescents emphasize the importance of high thymic output and formation of robust TCR clusters in the maintenance of HIV-1 suppression. While the profound capacity for immune recovery in children may allow better opportunity to deal with immunological stress, when ART is taken appropriately, this study demonstrates new insights into the unique paediatric immune system and the immunological changes when HIV-1 replication is ongoing.
Coordinated innate and T-cell immune responses in mild COVID-19 patients from household contacts of COVID-19 cases during the first pandemic wave
Authors: Aiello Alessandra , Grossi Adriano , Meschi Silvia , Meledandri Marcello , Vanini Valentina , Petrone Linda , Casetti Rita , Cuzzi Gilda , Salmi Andrea , Altera Anna Maria , Pierelli Luca , Gualano Gina , Ascoli Bartoli Tommaso , Castilletti Concetta , Agrati Chiara , Girardi Enrico , Palmieri Fabrizio , Nicastri Emanuele , Di Rosa Enrico , Goletti Delia
Published: July 2022

Objective

To better define the immunopathogenesis of COVID-19, the present study aims to characterize the early immune responses to SARS-CoV-2 infection in household contacts of COVID-19 cases. In particular, innate, T- and B-cell specific responses were evaluated over time.

Methods

Household contacts of COVID-19 cases screened for SARS−CoV−2 infection by nasopharyngeal swab for surveillance purposes were enrolled (T0, n=42). Of these, 28 subjects returned for a follow-up test (T1). The innate response was assessed by detecting a panel of soluble factors by multiplex-technology in plasma samples. Cell-mediated response was evaluated by measuring interferon (IFN)-γ levels by ELISA in plasma harvested from whole-blood stimulated with SARS−CoV−2 peptide pools, including spike (S), nucleocapsid (N) and membrane (M) proteins. The serological response was assessed by quantifying anti-Receptor-Binding-Domain (RBD), anti-Nucleocapsid (N), whole virus indirect immunofluorescence, and neutralizing antibodies.

Results

At T0, higher levels of plasmatic IFN-α, IL-1ra, MCP-1 and IP-10, and lower levels of IL-1β, IL-9, MIP-1β and RANTES were observed in subjects with positive swab compared to individuals with a negative one (p<0.05). Plasmatic IFN-α was the only cytokine detectable in subjects with positive SARS-CoV-2 swabs with high accuracy for swab score positivity (0.93, p<0.0001). Among subjects with positive swabs, significant negative correlations were found among the RT-PCR cycle threshold values reported for genes S and N and IFN-α or IP-10 levels. At T0, the IFN-γ T-cell specific response was detected in 50% (5/10) of subjects with positive swab, while anti-RBD/anti-N antibodies showed a positivity rate of 10% (1/10).

At T1, the IFN-γ T-cell specific response was detected in most of the confirmed-infection subjects (77.8%, 7/9), whereas the serological response was still observed in a minority of them (44.4%, 4/9). Overall, the swab test showed a moderate concordance with the T-cell response (78.6%, k=0.467), and a scarce concordance with the serological one (72.9%, k=0.194).

Conclusions

Plasmatic IFN-α and the IFN-γ T-cell specific response appear early even in the absence of seroconversion, and show a greater positivity rate than the serological response in household contacts with positive swab.
Belimumab in childhood systemic lupus erythematosus: A review of available data
Authors: Chen Feng , Zheng Ying , Chen Xinying , Wen Zhanfa , Xu Youjia , Yang Jinghua , Xu Kaisi
Published: July 2022

Introduction

Childhood systemic lupus erythematosus (cSLE) is a complex multisystem autoimmune disease. In 2019, belimumab was approved for the clinical treatment for cSLE, making it the only biological agent approved for cSLE children aged 5 and older in 60 years.

Objective

To review emerging evidence on belimumab in cSLE published up to April 2022, so as to provide information for clinical decision-making.

Method

A comprehensive search of relevant publications up to the date of April 2022 in PUBMED, EMBASE, WOS, COCHRANE, ClinicalTrials.gov, CBM, CNKI and WANFANG was performed using the following criteria: (a) English and Chinese language studies; (b) RCT studies, cohort studies, or case-control studies; (c) patients with age <18; (d) Observational studies or case series studies contain more than 5 patients. All relevant literature was independently screened and reviewed by at least two reviewers and the obtained literature data were extracted and reviewed by two authors.

Results

Five publications met the inclusion/exclusion criteria for cSLE: one randomized controlled trial, one retrospective cohort study, and three case series. There was a high degree of heterogeneity among several studies, and the availability of baseline and outcome data provided was uneven.

Conclusion

At present, there is a lack of high-quality clinical trials of belimumab in the treatment of cSLE. Based on the current research, it is believed that the use of belimumab can inhibit cSLE activity, reduce the dose of corticosteroids and immunosuppressants, and delay kidney damage. Also it shows clinical benefit in alleviating symptoms of monogenic cSLE refractory to standard therapy. More studies are urgently needed to validate the clinical efficacy of belimumab in cSLE and to evaluate its long-term safety in pediatric populations to promote evidence-based practice.
Genome characterization and comparative analysis among three swimming crab species
Authors: Liu Ming , Ge Shanshan , Bhandari Shivish , Fan Chunlei , Jiao Yu , Gai Chunlei , Wang Youhong , Liu Hongjun
Published: July 2022

In this study we sequenced the genomes of three economically important swimming crabs Portunus trituberculatus, Charybdis japonica, and Callinectes sapidus using the next-generation sequencing approach and made a basic assembly. The genomes of the three species are characterized with high heterozygosity (>1.2%) and high repeat content (>50%). Genome comparative analysis revealed 40 long conserved fragments (>5,000 bp) among the three species, most of them are involved in cardiac-related biological process. Relative higher genome similarity was found between P. trituberculatus and C. japonica that are belong to different subfamilies, compared to that between P. trituberculatus and C. sapidus which are from the same subfamily. It is inconsistent with their phylogenetic evolutionary trees inferred from previous mitochondrial DNA coding fragments and a conserved ANK2 protein fragment from this study. We speculated that the high genome similarity between P. trituberculatus and C. japonica might be attributed to their same inhabit range in which the genome is subject to the same environment selection, and the inconsistence between genome similarity and phylogenetic relationship is caused by the different evolutionary rates of coding DNA and non-coding DNA under environment selection.
Trophic ecology of largehead hairtail Trichiurus japonicus in the South Sea of Korea revealed by stable isotope and stomach content analyses
Authors: Shin Donghoon , Park Tae Hee , Lee Chung-Il , Jeong Jae Mook , Lee Seung-Jong , Kang Sukyung , Park Hyun Je
Published: July 2022

Largehead hairtail (Trichiurus japonicus) is one of the most commercially important fishes in the western North Pacific. To identify the dietary changes across ontogeny and seasons, we investigated its stomach contents and stable isotope signatures (δ13C and δ15N) in the South Sea of Korea. The index of relative importance revealed that the dietary composition of largehead hairtail consisted mainly of Pisces (1.6%–84.8%) and Euphausiacea (3.0%–93.0%). However, the proportions of dietary items differed by season and anal length (ALs), suggesting a trophic adaptability response to seasonal food availability and size-related trophic variation, respectively. Our isotopic results showed that the largehead hairtail is placed intermediately between pelagic and benthic fishes and was more13C and15N-depleted than other carnivorous fishes, suggesting a high consumption of pelagic species. Similarly, seasonal variations were observed in the δ13C and δ15N values of the largehead hairtails (PERMANOVA,p=0.001). Interestingly, their δ13C values in spring decreased significantly with ALs (r2= 0.594,p< 0.001), suggesting an ontogenetic change due to the increased proportion of Euphausiacea to the nutrition of largehead individuals during this specific season. Based on a combination of stomach contents and stable isotope signatures, overall results provide new insights into the feeding characteristics of the largehead hairtail, which improves our understanding of its trophic ecology depending on season and body size.
Experimental Study of Ultra-Large Jacket Offshore Wind Turbine under Different Operational States Based on Joint Aero-Hydro-Structural Elastic Similarities
Authors: Huan Caiyun , Lu Dongzhe , Zhao Shengxiao , Wang Wenhua , Shang Jin , Li Xin , Liu Qingquan
Published: July 2022

The jacket substructure is generalized for offshore wind farms in the southeastern offshore regions of China. The dynamic characteristics and coupling mechanisms of jacket offshore wind turbines (OWTs) have been extensively investigated using numerical simulation tools. However, limited dynamic model tests have been designed and performed for such types of OWTs. Therefore, the coupling mechanisms of jacket OWTs that are determined using numerical methods require further validation based on experimental tests. Accordingly, an integrated scaled jacket OWT physical test model is designed in this study. It consists of a scaled rotor nacelle assembly (RNA) and support structure model. For the scaled RNA model, a redesigned blade model is adopted to ensure the similarity of the aerodynamic thrust loads without modifying the scaled test winds. Auxiliary scaled drivetrain and blade pitch control system models are designed to simulate the operational states of a practical OWT. The scaled model of the OWT support structure is fabricated on the basis of the joint hydro-structural elastic similarities. A sensor arrangement involving a three-component load cell and acceleration sensors is used to record the OWT thrust loads and model motions, respectively. Then, dynamic model tests under typical scaled wind fields are implemented. Furthermore, the coupling mechanisms of the OWT model under various test winds are investigated using the wavelet packet method, and the influences of inflow winds, operational states, and mechanical strategies are introduced.
Integrated Study of New Faunal Assemblages Dominated by Gastropods at Three Vent Fields Along the Mid-Atlantic Ridge: Diversity, Structure, Composition and Trophic Interactions
Authors: Sarrazin Jozée , Cathalot Cécile , Laes Agathe , Marticorena Julien , Michel Loïc N. , Matabos Marjolaine
Published: July 2022

To date, two main vent faunal assemblages have been described on active sulfide edifices along the northern Mid-Atlantic Ridge (nMAR): one dominated by bathymodiolin mussels in low temperature areas and the other dominated by alvinocaridid shrimp in warmer habitats. In this study, we describe the ecology of new types of assemblage, dominated by gastropods, that are recurrent in several nMAR vent fields, from ~830 m to 3500 m depth. We assessed and compared the composition, abundance, diversity and trophic niche of these assemblages from three vent fields (Menez Gwen, Lucky Strike and Snake Pit) and characterized their habitats in terms of key environmental conditions. These assemblages, first seen during the Momarsat cruise in 2012 at the Lucky Strike vent field, were investigated during several subsequent cruises. They appear to be widespread along the nMAR, forming two distinct assemblages, one dominated by Lepetodrilus atlanticusat the shallowest vent field Menez Gwen, and the other by Peltospira smaragdina at the other investigated fields. Our data seem to indicate that these gastropods dominate an intermediate habitat at MAR vents and may play an important ecological role in these communities.
Weight change and fracture risk in patients with diabetic kidney disease: A nationwide population-based study
Authors: Kim Chang Seong , Choi Hong Sang , Bae Eun Hui , Ma Seong Kwon , Kim Bongseong , Han Kyung-Do , Kim Soo Wan
Published: July 2022

Background

The increased risk of fracture has been associated with weight loss in patients with diabetes or chronic kidney disease. However, the relationship between weight changes over time and fracture risk in patients with diabetic kidney disease is still unknown.

Methods

A total number of 78,922 patients with diabetic kidney disease, aged ≥ 40 years, were selected using the Korean National Health Insurance Service database, between 2009 and 2012. They were followed up until the end of 2018. Weight change was defined as the difference in body weight from the index year to 2 years later. Weight changes were then divided into five categories, ranging from weight loss of ≥10% to weight gain of ≥10%.

Results

Fractures were identified in 9,847 patients with diabetic kidney disease, over a median follow-up of 5.2 years. The risk of composite fracture of the vertebral, hip, or other sites increased as the weight change increased. Specifically, patients with ≥10% weight loss (hazard ratio [HR], 1.286; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.184–1.398) and ≥10% weight gain (HR, 1.198; 95% CI, 1.080–1.330) showed a higher HR compared to those with ≤ 5% weight change after adjusting for several confounding factors. Higher HR of vertebral and hip fractures was also seen with increased weight loss or gain. In particular, patients with ≥10% weight loss showed the highest HR for hip fractures (HR, 1.738; 95% CI, 1.489–2.028).

Conclusions

Both weight loss and weight gain increase the risk of fracture in patients with diabetic kidney disease. Therefore, patients with diabetic kidney disease who experience weight changes should be made aware of the risk of fracture.
The pathophysiology of motor fatigue and fatigability in multiple sclerosis
Authors: Patejdl Robert , Zettl Uwe K.
Published: July 2022

Multiple Sclerosis (MS) is a heterogeneous immune mediated disease of the central nervous system (CNS). Fatigue is one of the most common and disabling symptom of MS. It interferes with daily activities on the level of cognition and motor endurance. Motor fatigue can either result from lesions in cortical networks or motor pathways (“primary fatigue”) or it may be a consequence of detraining with subsequent adaptions of muscle and autonomic function. Programmed exercise interventions are used frequently to increase physical fitness in MS-patients. Studies investigating the effects of training on aerobic capacity, objective endurance and perceived fatigability have yielded heterogenous results, most likely due to the heterogeneity of interventions and patients, but probably also due to the non-uniform pathophysiology of fatigability among MS-patients. The aim of this review is to summarize the current knowledge on the pathophysiology of motor fatigability with special reference to the basic exercise physiology that underlies our understanding of both pathogenesis and treatment interventions.
CGRP and Migraine: What Have We Learned From Measuring CGRP in Migraine Patients So Far?
Authors: Kamm Katharina
Published: July 2022

The multi-functional neuropeptide calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP) plays a major role in the pathophysiology of migraine. The detection of elevated CGRP levels during acute migraine headache was the first evidence of the importance of the peptide. Since then, elevated CGRP levels have been detected not only during spontaneous and experimentally induced migraine attacks but also interictally. However, the detection of CGRP in peripheral blood shows conflicting results. In this respect, alternative detection methods are needed and have been already proposed. This article summarizes what we have learned from studies investigating CGRP in jugular and peripheral blood and reviews the latest state of research concerning the detection of CGRP in saliva and tear fluid as well as their contribution to our understanding of migraine pathophysiology.
Prognostic value of the controlling nutritional status score in patients with myelodysplastic syndromes
Authors: Chen Qiuni , Chen Kankan , Wang Sumei , Zhang Lijuan , Shi Yuye , Tao Shandong , He Zhengmei , Wang Chunling , Yu Liang
Published: July 2022

Background

Myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS) are a heterogeneous spectrum of clonal hematopoietic disorders with varying degrees of cytopenia and morphologic dysplasia. The controlling nutritional status (CONUT) score, an easy-to-use tool for assessing the nutritional status, was reported as an independent prognostic factor in cancer patients. However, its role in patients with MDS is unclear.

Objective

We aimed to explore the impact of CONUT score on the prognosis of patients with MDS, which is of great significance for clinical treatment.

Methods

A total of 121 patients with MDS were analyzed. The CONUT score was calculated prior to therapy. The bio-informatics tool X-tile was used to define the CONUT score and the threshold of 4 points was determined to predict the prognosis. Patients were divided into CONUTlow and CONUThigh groups, and the characteristics were compared between two groups.

Results

Results show that CONUTlow was associated with better overall survival (OS) than CONUThigh patients (Median OS, 30.20 vs. 19.63 months, p = 0.0003). However, there were no statistical differences in progression-free survival (PFS) between the two groups (p = 0.2683). Results of univariate and multivariate COX proportional hazard analysis adjusted for bone marrow blasts level, platelet count, International Prognostic Scoring System (IPSS) scores, gender, and hemoglobin (Hb) level showed that the CONUT score was useful in the evaluation standard of OS of MDS (hazard ratio (HR) 2.297, 95% CI 1.441–3.663, p < 0.001).

Conclusions

The CONUT, as a novel immuno-nutritional biomarker, may be useful in predicting the OS of MDS.
Production and Optimization of Conjugated Linoleic and Eicosapentaenoic Acids by Bifidobacterium lactis in Cold-Pressed Soybean Cake
Authors: Azari Samin Rafi , Hojjatoleslamy Mohammad , Mousavi Zeinab E. , Kiani Hossein , Jalali Sayed Mohammad Ali
Published: July 2022

Background and Purpose

In regard to the biosynthesis of conjugated linoleic acid (CLA) and eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) by some bacteria, the objective of this study was to evaluate the efficiency of solid-state fermentation based on soybean pressed cake (SPC) to produce CLA and EPA by Bifidobacterium lactis. The objective of this study was to evaluate the efficiency of solid-state fermentation based on SPC to produce CLA and EPA by B. lactis.

Methods

Process conditions including humidity, inoculation level, and temperature parameters were optimized by adopting the response surface methodology (RSM) method (response surface method) and the design expert software. Accordingly, a homogeneous SPC paste substrate at 60, 70, and 80% humidity was prepared with different inoculation levels at 30, 37, and 44°C to assess the strain behavior. The introduced SPC consisted of 60% humidity, 2% inoculation level at 37°C, and 60% humidity, and 4% inoculation level at 30 and 44°C; it also included 6% inoculation level at 37°C, 70% humidity at 2% inoculation level, at 30 and 44°C, and 4% inoculation level at 37°C. Also, SPC with 80% humidity at 2% and 4% inoculation levels, and at 30 and 44°C was obtained. To confirm the accuracy of the conditions, an experiment was conducted according to the defined requirements.

Results

The results were compared with the predicted data, which showed a significant difference. Under optimized conditions, with an inoculation level of 4% on the SPC medium with 70% humidity and at 37°C, B. lactis strains could yield 9cis-, 11 trans-linoleic and eicosapentaenoic at 0.18 and 0.39% of the total fatty acids.

Conclusion

So, the potential benefits of using SPC as an inexpensive substrate for the commercial production of CLA and EPA should be noted.
Sedentary behavior and cardiovascular disease risk: An evolutionary perspective
Authors: Higgins Simon , Pomeroy Alexander , Bates Lauren C. , Paterson Craig , Barone Gibbs Bethany , Pontzer Herman , Stoner Lee
Published: July 2022

A ubiquitous aspect of contemporary societies is sedentary behavior (SB), defined as low intensity activities in a seated, reclined, or supine posture. Leading public health agencies, including the World Health Organization, have recognized the strong association between SB and poor health outcomes, particularly cardiovascular disease. However, while public health agencies have begun to advocate for “reductions” in SB, the current US guidelines are typically vague and non-specific. There is good reasoning behind this non-committal advocacy—there is limited mechanistic and clinical evidence to support policy development. To guide SB policy development, it is important to first consider the origins and evolution of SB, including the following: 1) is SB really a novel/contemporary behavior? i.e., how has this behavior evolved? 2) how did our ancestors sit and in what contexts? 3) how does SB interact with 24-hour activity behaviors, including physical activity and sleep? 4) what other historical and contemporary facets of life interact with SB? and 5) in what context do these behaviors occur and how might they provide different evolutionarily novel stressors? This perspective article will synthesize the available evidence that addresses these questions and stimulate discussion pertaining to the lessons that we can learn from an historical and evolutionary perspective. Last, it will outline the gaps in current SB interruption literature that are hindering development of feasible SB reduction policy.
Enhancing engineering ethics education (EEE) for green intelligent manufacturing: Implementation performance evaluation of core mechanism of green intelligence EEE
Authors: Yin Shi , Zhang Nan
Published: July 2022

The characteristics of green intelligent (GI) engineering ethics emphasize the necessity of GI engineering ethics education (EEE). The ethics education of GI engineering is in the development stage, and it is urgent to fully understand the significance of evaluating the development of GI EEE. Only based on the GI manufacturing situation system to understand the implementation status of the core education of EEE can we objectively grasp the improvement space of GI EEE. In this study, the corresponding indicators were selected from three dimensions of cultivation education, collaborative education, and situational education to form the element community of evaluation indicators. The fuzzy analytic hierarchy process and the fuzzy comprehensive evaluation method were used to empirically evaluate the implementation of the key mechanism of GI EEE. The results are as follows. (1) The key education of GI EEE includes cultivation education of micro dimension, collaborative education of medium dimension, and situational education of macro dimension. (2) The most important education is to strengthen the ethics education of GI engineering in the training process of college students. The coordination of GI EEE is becoming more and more important, and the integration and construction are the important pursuit of GI EEE. (3) The cultivation education, collaborative education, and situational education of GI EEE are all at a general level. (4) There is not only a gap between theory and practice in GI EEE but also insufficient attention to localization and coordination issues. The willingness of the government to participate in the ethical education of GI engineering is very insufficient. The optimized space of training education includes teaching cases and full-cycle ethical education.
Word reading skills in autism spectrum disorder: A systematic review
Authors: Vale Ana Paula , Fernandes Carina , Cardoso Susana
Published: July 2022

A growing body of research suggests that children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) are at risk of reading and learning difficulties. However, there is mixed evidence on their weaknesses in different reading components, and little is known about how reading skills characterize in ASD. Thereby, the current study aimed to systematically review the research investigating this function in children with ASD. To this purpose, we reviewed 24 studies that compared (1) children with ASD and children with typical development (TD) in word and nonword reading performance, (2) children with ASD and normative data of word and nonword reading tests, and (3) the results obtained by children with ASD in word and nonword reading tests. Most of the comparisons (62%) contrasting the reading performance of children with ASD and children with TD did not find significant differences between groups in both word and nonword reading. However, all the comparisons that reported standardized results showed that children with ASD had scores that fell within population norms. Regarding the third comparison of interest, about 54% of the studies presented data for both word and nonword reading, but only one study tested the difference between them and showed that children with ASD had higher levels of word than of nonword reading. Despite these results, the heterogeneous and small samples do not allow to draw sound conclusions regarding the strategies that children with ASD use to read words. As consequence, the nature of reading difficulties presented by children with ASD are still unknown, requiring future research conducted with larger and well-characterized samples of ASD and TD, using homogeneous specific tasks designed to assess word reading strategies.
School nurses’ experiences of health-promoting work to prevent stress in Swedish adolescents
Authors: Persson Louise , Rahr Charlotta , Garmy Pernilla , Einberg Eva-Lena
Published: July 2022

Aim

To investigate school nurses’ experiences of health-promoting work to prevent stress in Swedish adolescents.

Materials and methods

Swedish school nurses (n = 225) responded to a web survey with open-ended questions. The results were subjected to a qualitative content analysis.

Results

Six categories were identified from the analysis: (1) Knowledge of body and soul, (2) Identifying stress and ill health, (3) Collaborative working within/outside school, (4) Make yourself (i.e., school nurses) visible to the students, (5) Support students’ learning, and (6) Tools for stress management. One of the most important themes in preventing and counteracting stress in school-aged children and adolescents was promoting healthy living habits. That school nurses were easily accessible and visible were important for them to identify stress as early as possible. The close collaboration with the school health care team and building relationships with the students were emphasized. The stress in adolescents was largely linked to schoolwork and performance anxiety. To counteract this, the dialogue with the teachers was important to increase their knowledge of mental health problems and stress and influence the scheduling of school exams.

Conclusion

The study contributes to increased knowledge in the field and provides concrete strategies for how school nurses can work to counteract stress in students.
Shared and distinct patterns of dynamical degree centrality in bipolar disorder across different mood states
Authors: Sun Fuping , Liu Zhening , Yang Jun , Fan Zebin , Xi Chang , Cheng Peng , He Zhong , Yang Jie
Published: July 2022

Background

Previous studies have probed the brain static activity pattern in bipolar disorder across different states. However, human intrinsic brain activity is time-varying and dynamic. There is a lack of knowledge about the brain dynamical pattern in bipolar disorder across different mood states.

Methods

This study used the dynamical degree centrality (dDC) to investigate the resting-state whole-brain dynamical pattern voxel-wise in a total of 62 bipolar disorder [28 bipolar depression (BD), 13 bipolar mania (BM), 21 bipolar euthymia (BE)], and 30 healthy controls (HCs). One-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) was applied to explore the omnibus differences of the dDC pattern across all groups, and Pearson’s correlation analysis was used to evaluate the relationship between the dDC variability in detected regions with clinical symptom severity.

Results

One-way ANOVA analysis showed the omnibus differences in the left inferior parietal lobule/middle occipital gyrus (IPL/MOG) and right precuneus/posterior cingulate cortex (PCUN/PCC) across all groups. The post hoc analysis revealed that BD showed decreased dDC in the IPL/MOG compared with all other groups, and both BD and BM exhibited decreased dDC in the PCUN/PCC compared with BE and HCs. Furthermore, correlation analysis showed that the dDC variability of the IPL/MOG and PCUN/PCC negatively correlated with the depression symptom levels in all patients with bipolar disorder.

Conclusion

This study demonstrated the distinct and shared brain dynamical pattern of the depressive, manic, and euthymia states. Our findings provide new insights into the pathophysiology of bipolar disorder across different mood states from the dynamical brain network pattern perspective.
Factors and optimizations of healthcare workers' perception in alternative care facilities
Authors: Wang Hao , Luo Peng , Wu Yimeng , Zeng Xianqi
Published: July 2022

Background

Diverse measures have been carried out worldwide to establish Alternative Care Facilities (ACFs) for different ends, such as receiving, curing or isolating patients, aiming to cope with tremendous shock in the urban medical system during the early passage of the COVID-19 epidemic. Healthcare workers always felt anxious and stressed during multiple major public health emergencies in medical facilities. Some active measures to improve healthcare workers' perceptions, such as temporary training, workflow improvement, and supplementary facilities, were proved insufficient in several past public health emergencies. Therefore, this study aims to analyze the contributing factors of the healthcare workers' perceptions of the ACFs in this pandemic, which can help find an innovative path to ensure their health, well-being and work efficiency.

Method

This paper conducted semi-structured in-depth interviews with the world's first batch of healthcare workers who have worked in ACFs through a qualitative study based on Grounded Theory. The healthcare workers interviewed from Heilongjiang, Shandong, Fujian, and Hubei provinces, have worked in one of the four different ACFs built in Wuhan. The results are obtained through the three-level codes and analyses of the interview recordings.

Results

The factors affecting the perception of healthcare workers in ACFs during the epidemic situation can be summarized into five major categories: individual characteristics, organization management, facilities and equipment, space design, and internal environment. The five major categories affecting the composition of perception can be further divided into endogenous and exogenous factors, which jointly affect the perception of healthcare workers in ACFs. Among them, individual characteristics belong to endogenous factors, which are the primary conditions, while other categories belong to exogenous factors, which are the decisive conditions.

Conclusion

This paper clarifies factors affecting the perception of healthcare workers in ACFs and analyzes the mechanism of each factor. It is posited that the passive strategies are a promising solution to protect healthcare workers' health, improve their work efficiency, and help reduce the operation stress of ACFs. We should train multidisciplinary professionals for future healthcare and enhance collaborations between healthcare workers and engineers. To sum up, this paper broadens new horizons for future research on the optimization of ACFs and finds new paths for alleviating healthcare workers' adverse perceptions of ACFs.
Incubation period of wild type of SARS-CoV-2 infections by age, gender, and epidemic periods
Authors: Achangwa Chiara , Park Huikyung , Ryu Sukhyun
Published: July 2022

Background

The incubation period of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is estimated to vary by demographic factors and the COVID-19 epidemic periods.

Objective

This study examined the incubation period of the wild type of SARS-CoV-2 infections by the different age groups, gender, and epidemic periods in South Korea.

Methods

We collected COVID-19 patient data from the Korean public health authorities and estimated the incubation period by fitting three different distributions, including log-normal, gamma, and Weibull distributions, after stratification by gender and age groups. To identify any temporal impact on the incubation period, we divided the study period into two different epidemic periods (Period-1: 19 January−19 April 2020 and Period-2: 20 April−16 October 2020), and assessed for any differences.

Results

We identified the log-normal as the best-fit model. The estimated median incubation period was 4.6 (95% CI: 3.9–4.9) days, and the 95th percentile was 11.7 (95% CI: 10.2–12.2) days. We found that the incubation period did not differ significantly between males and females (p = 0.42), age groups (p = 0.60), and the two different epidemic periods (p = 0.77).

Conclusions

The incubation period of wild type of SARS-CoV-2 infection during the COVID-19 pandemic 2020, in South Korea, does not likely differ by age group, gender and epidemic period.
Mental health problems and needs of frontline healthcare workers during the COVID-19 pandemic in Spain: A qualitative analysis
Authors: Mediavilla Roberto , Monistrol-Mula Anna , McGreevy Kerry R. , Felez-Nobrega Mireia , Delaire Audrey , Nicaise Pablo , Palomo-Conti Santiago , Bayón Carmen , Bravo-Ortiz María-Fe , Rodríguez-Vega Beatriz , Witteveen Anke , Sijbrandij Marit , Turrini Giulia , Purgato Marianna , Vuillermoz Cécile , Melchior Maria , Petri-Romão Papoula , Stoffers-Winterling Jutta , Bryant Richard A. , McDaid David , Park A-La , Ayuso-Mateos José Luis ,   RESPOND Consortium
Published: July 2022

Background

Healthcare workers (HCWs) from COVID-19 hotspots worldwide have reported poor mental health outcomes since the pandemic's beginning. The virulence of the initial COVID-19 surge in Spain and the urgency for rapid evidence constrained early studies in their capacity to inform mental health programs accurately. Here, we used a qualitative research design to describe relevant mental health problems among frontline HCWs and explore their association with determinants and consequences and their implications for the design and implementation of mental health programs.

Materials and methods

Following the Programme Design, Implementation, Monitoring, and Evaluation (DIME) protocol, we used a two-step qualitative research design to interview frontline HCWs, mental health experts, administrators, and service planners in Spain. We used Free List (FL) interviews to identify problems experienced by frontline HCWs and Key informant (KI) interviews to describe them and explore their determinants and consequences, as well as the strategies considered useful to overcome these problems. We used a thematic analysis approach to analyze the interview outputs and framed our results into a five-level social-ecological model (intrapersonal, interpersonal, organizational, community, and public health).

Results

We recruited 75 FL and 22 KI interviewees, roughly balanced in age and gender. We detected 56 themes during the FL interviews and explored the following themes in the KI interviews: fear of infection, psychological distress, stress, moral distress, and interpersonal conflicts among coworkers. We found that interviewees reported perceived causes and consequences across problems at all levels (intrapersonal to public health). Although several mental health strategies were implemented (especially at an intrapersonal and interpersonal level), most mental health needs remained unmet, especially at the organizational, community, and public policy levels.

Conclusions

In keeping with available quantitative evidence, our findings show that mental health problems are still relevant for frontline HCWs 1 year after the COVID-19 pandemic and that many reported causes of these problems are modifiable. Based on this, we offer specific recommendations to design and implement mental health strategies and recommend using transdiagnostic, low-intensity, scalable psychological interventions contextually adapted and tailored for HCWs.
NLP4NLP+5: The Deep (R)evolution in Speech and Language Processing
Authors: Mariani Joseph , Francopoulo Gil , Paroubek Patrick , Vernier Frédéric
Published: July 2022

This paper aims at analyzing the changes in the fields of speech and natural language processing over the recent past 5 years (2016–2020). It is in continuation of a series of two papers that we published in 2019 on the analysis of the NLP4NLP corpus, which contained articles published in 34 major conferences and journals in the field of speech and natural language processing, over a period of 50 years (1965–2015), and analyzed with the methods developed in the field of NLP, hence its name. The extended NLP4NLP+5 corpus now covers 55 years, comprising close to 90,000 documents [+30% compared with NLP4NLP: as many articles have been published in the single year 2020 than over the first 25 years (1965–1989)], 67,000 authors (+40%), 590,000 references (+80%), and approximately 380 million words (+40%). These analyses are conducted globally or comparatively among sources and also with the general scientific literature, with a focus on the past 5 years. It concludes in identifying profound changes in research topics as well as in the emergence of a new generation of authors and the appearance of new publications around artificial intelligence, neural networks, machine learning, and word embedding.
Movement characteristics during customized exergames after total knee replacement in older adults
Authors: Janhunen Maarit , Löppönen Antti , Walker Simon , Punsár Taavi , Katajapuu Niina , Cheng Sulin , Paloneva Juha , Pamilo Konsta , Luimula Mika , Korpelainen Raija , Jämsä Timo , Heinonen Ari , Aartolahti Eeva
Published: July 2022

Introduction

There is limited understanding of how older adults can reach kinematic goals in rehabilitation while performing exergames and conventional exercises, and how similar or different the kinematics during exergaming are when compared with conventional therapeutic exercise with similar movement. The aim of this study was to describe the movement characteristics performed during exercise in custom-designed exergames and conventional therapeutic exercises among patients who have undergone unilateral total knee replacement (TKR). In addition, the secondary aim was to assess the relation of these exercise methods, and to assess participants' perceived exertion and knee pain during exergaming and exercising.

Materials and methods

Patients up to 4 months after the TKR surgery were invited in a single-visit exercise laboratory session. A 2D motion analysis and force plates were employed to evaluate movement characteristics as the volume, range, and intensity of movement performed during custom-designed knee extension-flexion and weight shifting exergames and conventional therapeutic exercises post TKR. The perceived exertion and knee pain were assessed using the Borg Rating of Perceived Exertion and Visual Analog Scale, respectively.

Results

Evaluation of seven patients with TKR [age median (IQR), 65 (10) years] revealed that the volume and intensity of movement were mostly higher during exergames. Individual goniometer-measured knee range of motion were achieved either with exergames and conventional therapeutic exercises, especially in knee extension exercises. The perceived exertion and knee pain were similar after exergames and conventional therapeutic exercises.

Conclusions

During custom-designed exergaming the patients with TKR achieve the movement characteristics appropriate for post-TKR rehabilitation without increasing the stress and pain experienced even though the movement characteristics might be partly different from conventional therapeutic exercises by the volume and intensity of movement. Physical therapists could consider implementing such exergames in rehabilitation practice for patients with TKR once effectiveness have been approved and they are widely available.
The treatment practices for anterior urethral strictures in China: A case-based survey
Authors: Hou Changhao , Lin Jiahao , Gu Yubo , Yuan Wei , Wang Zeyu , Xiu Xianjie , Fu Qiang , Song Lujie
Published: July 2022

Objective

To investigate the treatment concept of Chinese urologists for anterior urethral strictures based on actual cases.

Methods

A self-designed case-based questionnaire was distributed to the members of Official WeChat account of Learning Union from March 19, 2020, to April 10, 2020. Questionnaires requested respondents' demographic information and responses to five cases of anterior urethral stricture: short obliterative bulbar urethral stricture caused by straddle injury (Case 1), idiopathic bulbar urethral stricture after failure of multiple endoscopic therapy (Case 2), iatrogenic long penile urethral stricture (Case 3), lichen sclerosis-related urethral stricture (Case 4), and anterior urethral stricture in indwelling catheter after multiple failure of endoscopic surgery (Case 5). Data was described by frequency and percentage.

Results

A total of 1,267 valid anonymous questionnaires were received. Urethroplasty was recommended more frequently than endoscopic surgery (Case 1: 47.8% vs. 32.8%,Case 2: 42.5% vs. 33.8%, Case 3: 36.1% vs. 26.7%). Referrals patients to other urologists engaged in urethral repair and reconstruction account for a high portion of the treatment (Case 1:18.4%, Case 2:23.1%, Case 3:36.5%, Case 4:27.7%,Case 5:9.3%). Excision and primary anastomosis urethroplasty (EPA) was preferred for treatment of Case 1 (42.5%). For Case 2, the most popular choice was EPA (30.6%). Although the patient has a history of failure in endoscopic surgery, 33.8% of urologists continue to choose endoscopic surgery. For Case 3, 20.0% of urologists would perform oral mucosal urethroplasty. Surprisingly, 5.9% chose EPA. For Case 4, 37.3% of urologists selected meatotomy, 30.4% suggested that glans and urethral biopsies should be performed. 21.0% chose to use steroid ointment after surgery. For Case 5, 26.3% of the respondents believed that urethrography should be performed after removing catheter more than one week, if the urine is obstructed during the period, performing cystostomy firstly.

Conclusions

In China, the concept of urethroplasty is more widely accepted than endoscopic surgery for the treatment of anterior urethral strictures. The concept of referral has been widely formed among Chinese urologists. Better understanding of the comprehensive treatment of lichen sclerosis related anterior urethral stricture and the principle of urethral rest should be strengthened.