bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Elucidation of the Mechanism of Action of Ginseng Against Acute Lung Injury/Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome by a Network Pharmacology-Based Strategy
Authors: Ding Qi , Zhu Wenxiang , Diao Yirui , Xu Gonghao , Wang Lu , Qu Sihao , Shi Yuanyuan
Published: January 2021

Acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) is a complex cascade that develops from acute lung injury (ALI). Ginseng can be used to treat ALI/ARDS. Studies have shown that some of ingredients in ginseng had anti-inflammation, antioxidative, and immune regulation effects and can protect alveolar epithelial cells in mice. However, the potential targets, biological processes, and pathways related to ginseng against ALI/ARDS have not been investigated systematically. We employed network pharmacology, molecular docking, and animal experiments to explore the therapeutic effects and underlying mechanism of action of ginseng against ALI/ARDS. We identified 25 compounds using ultrahigh-performance liquid chromatography Q-Orbitrap mass spectrometry and their 410 putative targets through database analyses. Sixty-nine of them were considered to be key targets of ginseng against ALI/ARDS according to overlapping with ALI/ARDS-related targets and further screening in a protein–protein interaction (PPI) network. The phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase-protein kinase B (PI3K-AkT) and mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) pathways were recognized to have critical roles for ginseng in ALI/ARDS treatment. Signal transducer and activator of transcription (STAT) 3, vascular endothelial growth factor A (VEGFA), fibroblast growth factor (FGF) 2, phosphatidylinositol-4,5-bisphosphate 3-kinase catalytic subunit alpha (PIK3CA), MAPK1, and interleukin (IL) 2 were the top six nodes identified by analyses of a compound–target-pathway network. Molecular docking showed that most of the ingredients in ginseng could combine well with the six nodes. Ginseng could reduce the pathologic damage, neutrophil aggregation, proinflammatory factors, and pulmonary edema in vivo and inhibit the PI3K-Akt signaling pathway and MAPK signaling pathway through downregulating expressions of STAT3, VEGFA, FGF2, PIK3CA, MAPK1, and IL2. Our study provides a theoretical basis for ginseng treatment of ALI/ARDS.
A Potential Role of the Renin-Angiotensin-System for Disturbances of Respiratory Chemosensitivity in Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome and Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome
Authors: Hülsmann Swen , Khabbazzadeh Sepideh , Meissner Konrad , Quintel Michael
Published: January 2021

Acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) represents an acute diffuse inflammation of the lungs triggered by different causes, uniformly leading to a noncardiogenic pulmonary edema with inhomogeneous densities in lung X-ray and lung CT scan and acute hypoxemia. Edema formation results in “heavy” lungs, inducing loss of compliance and the need to spend more energy to “move” the lungs. Consequently, an ARDS patient, as long as the patient is breathing spontaneously, has an increased respiratory drive to ensure adequate oxygenation and CO2 removal. One would expect that, once the blood gases get back to “physiological” values, the respiratory drive would normalize and the breathing effort return to its initial status. However, in many ARDS patients, this is not the case; their respiratory drive appears to be upregulated and fully or at least partially detached from the blood gas status. Strikingly, similar alteration of the respiratory drive can be seen in patients suffering from SARS, especially SARS-Covid-19. We hypothesize that alterations of the renin-angiotensin-system (RAS) related to the pathophysiology of ARDS and SARS are involved in this dysregulation of chemosensitive control of breathing.
A Proposed Concept for Defective Mitophagy Leading to Late Stage Ineffective Erythropoiesis in Pyruvate Kinase Deficiency
Authors: van Vuren Annelies Johanna , van Beers Eduard Johannes , van Wijk Richard
Published: January 2021

Pyruvate kinase deficiency (PKD) is a rare congenital hemolytic anemia caused by mutations in the PKLR gene. Here, we review pathophysiological aspects of PKD, focusing on the interplay between pyruvate kinase (PK)-activity and reticulocyte maturation in the light of ferroptosis, an iron-dependent process of regulated cell death, and in particular its key player glutathione peroxidase 4 (GPX4). GPX4 plays an important role in mitophagy, the key step of peripheral reticulocyte maturation and GPX4 deficiency in reticulocytes results in a failure to fully mature. Mitophagy depends on lipid oxidation, which is under physiological conditions controlled by GPX4. Lack of GPX4 leads to uncontrolled auto-oxidation, which will disrupt autophagosome maturation and thereby perturb mitophagy. Based on our review, we propose a model for disturbed red cell maturation in PKD. A relative GPX4 deficiency occurs due to glutathione (GSH) depletion, as cytosolic L-glutamine is preferentially used in the form of α-ketoglutarate as fuel for the tricarboxylic acid (TCA) cycle at the expense of GSH production. The relative GPX4 deficiency will perturb mitophagy and, subsequently, results in failure of reticulocyte maturation, which can be defined as late stage ineffective erythropoiesis. Our hypothesis provides a starting point for future research into new therapeutic possibilities, which have the ability to correct the oxidative imbalance due to lack of GPX4.
The Deep Evolutionary Relationships of the Morphologically Heterogeneous Nolinoideae (Asparagaceae) Revealed by Transcriptome Data
Authors: Meng Ran , Luo Li-Ying , Zhang Ji-Yuan , Zhang Dai-Gui , Nie Ze-Long , Meng Ying
Published: January 2021

The subfamily Nolinoideae of Asparagaceae is an extremely morphologically heterogeneous group, which is comprised of seven lineages, formerly known as Eriospermaceae, Polygonateae, Ophiopogoneae, Convallarieae, Ruscaceae s.s., Dracaenaceae, and Nolinaceae from different families or even orders. Their drastically divergent morphologies and low level of molecular resolution have hindered our understanding on their evolutionary history. To resolve reliable and clear phylogenetic relationships of the Nolinoideae, a phylogenetic study was conducted based on transcriptomic sequencing of 15 species representing all the seven lineages. A dataset containing up to 2,850,331 sites across 2,126 genes was analyzed using both concatenated and coalescent methods. Except for Eriospermum as outgroup, the transcriptomic data strongly resolved the remaining six lineages into two groups, one is a paraphyletic grade including the woody lineages of dracaenoids, ruscoids, and nolinoids and a monophyletic herbaceous clade. Within the herbaceous group, the Ophiopogoneae + Theropogon is sister to a clade that is composed of Convallarieae and the monophyletic Polygonateae. Our work provides a first robust deep relationship of the highly heterogeneous Nolinoideae and paves the way for further investigations of its complex evolution.
Proximal and Distal Parts of Sweetpotato Adventitious Roots Display Differences in Root Architecture, Lignin, and Starch Metabolism and Their Developmental Fates
Authors: Singh Vikram , Zemach Hanita , Shabtai Sara , Aloni Roni , Yang Jun , Zhang Peng , Sergeeva Lidiya , Ligterink Wilco , Firon Nurit
Published: January 2021

Sweetpotato is an important food crop globally, serving as a rich source of carbohydrates, vitamins, fiber, and micronutrients. Sweetpotato yield depends on the modification of adventitious roots into storage roots. The underlying mechanism of this developmental switch is not fully understood. Interestingly, storage-root formation is manifested by formation of starch-accumulating parenchyma cells and bulking of the distal part of the root, while the proximal part does not show bulking. This system, where two parts of the same adventitious root display different developmental fates, was used by us in order to better characterize the anatomical, physiological, and molecular mechanisms involved in sweetpotato storage-root formation. We show that, as early as 1 and 2 weeks after planting, the proximal part of the root exhibited enhanced xylem development together with increased/massive lignin deposition, while, at the same time, the distal root part exhibited significantly elevated starch accumulation. In accordance with these developmental differences, the proximal root part exhibited up-regulated transcript levels of sweetpotato orthologs of Arabidopsis vascular-development regulators and key genes of lignin biosynthesis, while the distal part showed up-regulation of genes encoding enzymes of starch biosynthesis. All these recorded differences between proximal and distal root parts were further enhanced at 5 weeks after planting, when storage roots were formed at the distal part. Our results point to down-regulation of fiber formation and lignification, together with up-regulation of starch biosynthesis, as the main events underlying storage-root formation, marking/highlighting several genes as potential regulators, providing a valuable database of genes for further research.
Dissecting the Genotypic Variation of Growth Responses to Far-Red Radiation in Tomato
Authors: Ji Yongran , Ouzounis Theoharis , Schouten Henk J. , Visser Richard G. F. , Marcelis Leo F. M. , Heuvelink Ep
Published: January 2021

The recent development of light-emitting diodes (LEDs) and their application in modern horticulture stimulated studies demonstrating that additional far-red (FR) radiation (700–800 nm) increases plant dry mass. This effect of FR has been explained by improved photosynthesis and/or plant architecture. However, the genotypic variation in this response is largely unknown. Here, we aim to explore and explain the genotypic variation in growth responses to additional FR. We expected the genotypic variation in the responses of plant dry mass to additional FR. Further, we hypothesized that a significant improvement of both net assimilation rate (NAR) and leaf area ratio (LAR) is responsible for a strong dry mass increase under additional FR, while some genotypes respond only marginally or even negatively in NAR or LAR under FR, thus resulting in a weak FR effect on plant dry mass. To test these hypotheses, we grew 33 different tomato genotypes for 21 days with 0, 25, or 100 μmol m–2 s–1 of FR added to a common white + red LED background lighting of 150 μmol m–2 s–1. Genotypes responded similarly with respect to plant height, stem dry mass, and shoot:root ratio; i.e., they all increased with increasing FR. However, the response of total plant dry mass varied among genotypes. We categorized the genotypes into three groups (strongly, moderately, and weakly responding groups) based on their relative response in total plant dry mass to FR. Growth component analysis revealed that the strongly responding genotypes increased strongly in NAR rather than LAR. The weakly responding genotypes, however, showed a substantial increase in LAR but not NAR. The increase in LAR was due to the increase in specific leaf area. Leaf mass fraction, which is the other component of LAR, decreased with FR and did not differ between groups. In conclusion, tomato genotypes that increased strongly in NAR in response to FR were able to achieve a more substantial increase in dry mass than did other genotypes. This is the first study to explain the differences in growth responses of a large number of tomato genotypes toward FR in their light environment.
Modification of the Sensory Profile and Volatile Aroma Compounds of Tomato Fruits by the Scion × Rootstock Interactive Effect
Authors: Jukić Špika Maja , Dumičić Gvozden , Brkić Bubola Karolina , Soldo Barbara , Goreta Ban Smiljana , Vuletin Selak Gabriela , Ljubenkov Ivica , Mandušić Marija , Žanić Katja
Published: January 2021

Sensory quality is of increasing importance to consumer decisions in choosing a product, and it is certainly an important factor in repurchasing in terms of meeting the necessary aroma quality and taste properties. To better understand the effects of rootstocks and scions on fruit quality, the sensory profile and volatile aroma composition of the fruits of hydroponically grown tomato plants were evaluated. Experiments were established using the tomato cultivars Clarabella and Estatio as scions during two spring-summer seasons. In both experiments, the scion plants were self-grafted or grafted onto rootstocks of cultivars Arnold, Buffon, Emperador, and Maxifort, with the exception that in experiment 1, the Estatio scion was not grafted onto Buffon. The scions and rootstocks caused differences in observed sensory properties in both experiments. For most of the sensory traits, interaction effects between scion and rootstock were observed. Compared to those obtained from self-grafted Clarabella, the fruits obtained from Clarabella grafted onto Buffon in the first experiment and Clarabella grafted onto Arnold in the second experiment were sweeter by one measurement unit. The contents of seven aldehydes, six alcohols, five terpenes and two ketones were determined. A lower accumulation of total aldehydes, 22–45%, due to lower amounts of pentanal, (E)-2-heptanal and (E,E)-2,4-decadienal, was found in the fruits from plants where Estatio was rootstock compared with the other rootstocks treatments. Clarabella as a rootstock increased (Z)-3-hexenal + (E)-2-hexenal accumulation from 35 to 65%. Grafting Clarabella onto the tested rootstocks led to a change in the composition of volatile compounds, while differences between the combinations with Estatio as a scion were generally not recorded. Fruits from self-grafted Clarabella had higher (Z)-3-hexenal + (E)-2-hexenal concentrations than did fruits from Clarabella grafted onto Arnold (for 54%) and Emperador (for 68%), and in the second experiment, grafting onto all commercial rootstocks reduced (Z)-3-hexenal + (E)-2-hexenal concentrations, from 25 to 74%, compared to those from self-grafted Clarabella. Higher (+)-2-carene and (−)-caryophyllene oxide concentrations were attained in plants in which Clarabella was grafted onto Maxifort (by 56%) and plants in which Estatio was grafted onto Arnold (by 36%) compared to self-grafted plants. This study showed the possibility of altering the composition of volatile aroma compounds and sensory properties of tomato fruits by the use of grafting techniques.
Responses of Litter Decomposition and Nutrient Dynamics to Nitrogen Addition in Temperate Shrublands of North China
Authors: Zhang Jianhua , Li He , Zhang Hufang , Zhang Hong , Tang Zhiyao
Published: January 2021

Plant litter decomposition is a crucial ecosystem process that regulates nutrient cycling, soil fertility, and plant productivity and is strongly influenced by increased nitrogen (N) deposition. However, the effects of exogenous N input on litter decomposition are still poorly understood, especially in temperate shrublands, which hinders predictions of soil C and nutrient dynamics under the context of global change. Temperate shrub ecosystems are usually N-limited and particularly sensitive to changes in exogenous N input. To investigate the responses of Vitex negundo and Spiraea trilobata litter decomposition to N addition, we conducted a field experiment in Vitex- and Spiraea-dominated shrublands located on Mt. Dongling in Beijing, North China. Four N treatment levels were applied: control (N0; no N addition), low N (N1; 20 kg⋅N⋅ha–1⋅year–1), moderate N (N2; 50 kg⋅N⋅ha–1⋅year–1), and high N (N3; 100 kg⋅N⋅ha–1⋅year–1). The litter decomposition in V. negundo was faster than that in S. trilobata, which may be due to the differences in their nutrient content and C/N ratio. N addition increased the amount of remaining N in the two litter types but had no effect on the remaining mass, C, or P. Nitrogen treatment did not affect the litter decomposition rates (k) of either litter type; i.e., N addition had no effect on litter decomposition in temperate shrublands. The neutral effect of N addition on litter decomposition may be primarily explained by the low temperatures and P limitation at the site as well as the opposing effects of the exogenous inorganic N, whereby exogenous N inhibits lignin degradation but promotes the decomposition of readily decomposed litter components. These results suggest that short-term N deposition may have a significant impact on N cycling but not C or P cycling in such shrub ecosystems.
Collective Protest and Expressive Action Among University Students in Hong Kong: Associations Between Offline and Online Forms of Political Participation
Authors: Reichert Frank
Published: January 2021

Youth have often been described as politically apathetic or disengaged, particularly with respect to more conventional forms of participation. However, they tend to prefer non-institutionalized modes of political action and they may express themselves on the Internet. Young people have also been recognized as having a “latent preparedness” to get politically active when needed. This paper reports forms of offline and online participation adopted by young adults in Hong Kong who were surveyed shortly before the anti-extradition bill social movement of 2019 and 1 year later. The results tentatively suggest that young adults may not be very active in politics when they do not perceive the need to bring about change. However, they are involved in expressive activities and on the Internet more broadly, and ready to turn their latent participation into concrete political participation when they are dissatisfied with government actions and believe it is their responsibility to act against laws perceived to be unjust. Cross-sectional and cross-lagged panel analyses show that youth’s participation in offline political activities is associated with their online participation. Positive effects of past experiences in each mode on participation in offline and online political activities show the mobilizing potential of social media and provide support for the reinforcement hypothesis, though previous participation in offline activities appears as a better predictor of political participation when compared with prior participation on the Internet.
The “Muscles of the Psyche”: From Body Literacy to Emotional Literacy
Authors: Vulcan Maya
Published: January 2021

Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a neuro-developmental condition, which requires a multi-disciplinary matrix of treatments, including functional, educational, and emotional interventions. The latter mode of treatment entails particular difficulties, inasmuch as the core deficits of this condition seem to challenge the very premises of traditional psychotherapy. Reciprocity, verbal, and symbolic expression and inter-subjective dynamics are often difficult to attain with clients diagnosed with ASD, and emotional treatment thus often turns out to be a frustrating process, which may well elicit questions as to the efficacy of psychotherapeutic emotional interventions. These core challenges, described in the literature, become particularly acute in view of the increasing number of clients diagnosed on the autistic spectrum in recent years, and the growing need for qualified therapists who have trained for working specifically with this condition. It seems, therefore, that it is high time for systematic research into the lived experience of therapists working with these clients in order to attain a better clinical and theoretical understanding of the condition itself and broaden the range of effective interventions. This study, informed by a phenomenological-hermeneutic approach which guided both the collection of data and its subsequent analysis, aims to address these issues by exploring the particular challenges faced by therapists in this field, the questions that come up in the process, modes of personal and professional coping, and the insights elicited by the therapeutic encounter. The research consisted of in-depth interviews with 28 practicing therapists from a broad range of clinical orientations, including dance/movement, arts, music, and drama therapists, clinical psychologists, and clinical social workers. The essential themes that emerged from the participants’ responses and the analysis of the findings lend support to theoretical and developmental approaches, which focus on the primacy and the foundational role of the concrete body in inter-subjective relationships and in the therapeutic process, and indicate the potential efficacy of somatic and kinetic interventions. The clinical implications of this study are thus highly relevant to the training and support of therapists working with ASD, who should be encouraged to develop greater receptivity to non-verbal modes of interaction in the therapeutic process.
A Semi-supervised Learning-Based Diagnostic Classification Method Using Artificial Neural Networks
Authors: Xue Kang , Bradshaw Laine P.
Published: January 2021

The purpose of cognitive diagnostic modeling (CDM) is to classify students' latent attribute profiles using their responses to the diagnostic assessment. In recent years, each diagnostic classification model (DCM) makes different assumptions about the relationship between a student's response pattern and attribute profile. The previous research studies showed that the inappropriate DCMs and inaccurate Q-matrix impact diagnostic classification accuracy. Artificial Neural Networks (ANNs) have been proposed as a promising approach to convert a pattern of item responses into a diagnostic classification in some research studies. However, the ANNs methods produced very unstable and unappreciated estimation unless a great deal of care was taken. In this research, we combined ANNs with two typical DCMs, the deterministic-input, noisy, “and” gate (DINA) model and the deterministic-inputs, noisy, “or” gate (DINO) model, within a semi-supervised learning framework to achieve a robust and accurate classification. In both simulated study and real data study, the experimental results showed that the proposed method could achieve appreciated performance across different test conditions, especially when the diagnostic quality of assessment was not high and the Q-matrix contained misspecified elements. This research study is the first time of applying the thinking of semi-supervised learning into CDM. Also, we used the validating test to choose the appropriate parameters for the ANNs instead of using typical statistical criteria.
Music Listening Predicted Improved Life Satisfaction in University Students During Early Stages of the COVID-19 Pandemic
Authors: Krause Amanda E. , Dimmock James , Rebar Amanda L. , Jackson Ben
Published: January 2021

Quarantine and spatial distancing measures associated with COVID-19 resulted in substantial changes to individuals’ everyday lives. Prominent among these lifestyle changes was the way in which people interacted with media—including music listening. In this repeated assessment study, we assessed Australian university students’ media use (i.e., listening to music, playing video/computer games, watching TV/movies/streaming videos, and using social media) throughout early stages of the COVID-19 pandemic in Australia, and determined whether media use was related to changes in life satisfaction. Participants (N= 127) were asked to complete six online questionnaires, capturing pre- and during-pandemic experiences. The results indicated that media use varied substantially throughout the study period, and at the within-person level, life satisfaction was positively associated with music listening and negatively associated with watching TV/videos/movies. The findings highlight the potential benefits of music listening during COVID-19 and other periods of social isolation.
Stress Influences the Effect of Obsessive-Compulsive Symptoms on Emotion Regulation
Authors: Ferreira Sónia , Couto Beatriz , Sousa Mafalda , Vieira Rita , Sousa Nuno , Picó-Pérez Maria , Morgado Pedro
Published: January 2021

Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) is associated with emotion regulation impairments, namely the frequent use of maladaptive strategies such as suppression and the decreased use of reappraisal strategies. Additionally, these patients exhibit elevated stress levels. Since stress exposure affects emotion regulation abilities, stress might influence the relationship between obsessive-compulsive symptoms and emotion regulation. In this study, we explored the effects of stress and obsessive-compulsive symptoms on emotion regulation in a sample of healthy and OCD individuals. We used self-reported psychometric scales to measure stress levels, obsessive-compulsive symptoms, and emotion reappraisal and suppression skills. We applied multiple regression and mediation analyses. Our results demonstrated that increased reappraisal scores were associated with higher suppression scores. Additionally, elevated stress values predicted increased scores for suppression and decreased scores for reappraisal. Furthermore, the reappraisal abilities resulted from a combination of a direct effect of obsessive-compulsive symptoms and an indirect effect of obsessive-compulsive symptoms mediated by stress. The reliance on suppression strategies and the difficulty in using reappraisal approaches are explained by stress levels and are not directly explained by obsessive-compulsive symptoms. This study highlights the necessity of targeting stress in current therapy-based treatments for OCD.
Psychological Resilience, Mental Health, and Inhibitory Control Among Youth and Young Adults Under Stress
Authors: Afek Anat , Ben-Avraham Rina , Davidov Alexander , Berezin Cohen Noa , Ben Yehuda Ariel , Gilboa Yafit , Nahum Mor
Published: January 2021

Psychological resilience allows one to cope successfully with adversities occurring during stressful periods, which may otherwise trigger mental illness. Recent models suggest that inhibitory control (IC), the executive control function which supports our goal-directed behavior and regulates our emotional response, may underlie resilience. However, the ways in which this is manifested during stressful situations in real life is still unclear. Here, we examined the relationship between IC, psychological resilience, psychological distress, and anxiety among 138 female and male participants in a stressful situation: during their initial combat training in the military. Using a mobile app, we assessed IC using emotional and non-emotional variations of the Go/No-Go task. Psychological resilience, psychological distress, and anxiety were assessed using mobile versions of self-report questionnaires. We found that psychological resilience is significantly correlated with non-emotional IC (r = 0.24, p < 0.005), but not with emotional IC; whereas, psychological distress and anxiety are correlated with emotional IC (r = −0.253, p < 0.005 and r = −0.224, p < 0.01, for psychological distress and anxiety, respectively), but not with non-emotional IC. A regression model predicting emotional IC confirmed non-emotional IC and distress as unique contributors to the variance, but not psychological distress. In addition, associations between psychological distress and emotional IC were found only for female participants. Collectively, the results clarify the link between IC, resilience, and mental health in real-life stressful situations, showing separate mechanisms of IC involved in resilience on the one hand, and mental health on the other hand. These results have implications for building mobile resilience interventions for youth and young adults facing stressful situations.
Brain Age Prediction With Morphological Features Using Deep Neural Networks: Results From Predictive Analytic Competition 2019
Authors: Lombardi Angela , Monaco Alfonso , Donvito Giacinto , Amoroso Nicola , Bellotti Roberto , Tangaro Sabina
Published: January 2021

Morphological changes in the brain over the lifespan have been successfully described by using structural magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in conjunction with machine learning (ML) algorithms. International challenges and scientific initiatives to share open access imaging datasets also contributed significantly to the advance in brain structure characterization and brain age prediction methods. In this work, we present the results of the predictive model based on deep neural networks (DNN) proposed during the Predictive Analytic Competition 2019 for brain age prediction of 2638 healthy individuals. We used FreeSurfer software to extract some morphological descriptors from the raw MRI scans of the subjects collected from 17 sites. We compared the proposed DNN architecture with other ML algorithms commonly used in the literature (RF, SVR, Lasso). Our results highlight that the DNN models achieved the best performance with MAE = 4.6 on the hold-out test, outperforming the other ML strategies. We also propose a complete ML framework to perform a robust statistical evaluation of feature importance for the clinical interpretability of the results.
Nowcasting and Forecasting the Spread of COVID-19 and Healthcare Demand in Turkey, a Modeling Study
Authors: Arslan Seyma , Ozdemir Muhammed Yusuf , Ucar Abdullah
Published: January 2021

Background: This study aims to estimate the total number of infected people, evaluate the effects of NPIs on the healthcare system, and predict the expected number of cases, deaths, hospitalizations due to COVID-19 in Turkey.

Methods: This study was carried out according to three dimensions. In the first, the actual number of infected people was estimated. In the second, the expected total numbers of infected people, deaths, hospitalizations have been predicted in the case of no intervention. In the third, the distribution of the expected number of infected people and deaths, and ICU and non-ICU bed needs over time has been predicted via a SEIR-based simulator (TURKSAS) in four scenarios.

Results: According to the number of deaths, the estimated number of infected people in Turkey on March 21 was 123,030. In the case of no intervention the expected number of infected people is 72,091,595 and deaths is 445,956, the attack rate is 88.1%, and the mortality ratio is 0.54%. The ICU bed capacity in Turkey is expected to be exceeded by 4.4-fold and non-ICU bed capacity by 3.21-fold. In the second and third scenarios compliance with NPIs makes a difference of 94,303 expected deaths. In both scenarios, the predicted peak value of occupied ICU and non-ICU beds remains below Turkey's capacity.

Discussion: Predictions show that around 16 million people can be prevented from being infected and 94,000 deaths can be prevented by full compliance with the measures taken. Modeling epidemics and establishing decision support systems is an important requirement.
Associating the Change in New COVID-19 Cases to GDP per Capita in 38 European Countries in the First Wave of the Pandemic
Authors: Pardhan Shahina , Drydakis Nick
Published: January 2021

COVID-19 has affected all countries globally. We explore associations between the change in new COVID-19 registered cases per million population and various macroeconomic and well-being indicators in 38 European countries over a 2-month period (1st April-31st May 2020). A statistically significant (p = 0.002) negative association was estimated between the change in new COVID-19 cases and GDP per capita, after controlling for key health determinants including public expenditure on health, life expectancy, smoking tobacco and sanitation. The country with the highest GDP per capita in Europe (i.e., Luxemburg) was found to experience the lowest change in new COVID-19 cases within the time period whilst the opposite was found for countries with lower GDP per capita (i.e., Ukraine, Bulgaria, and Romania). The outcomes of this study indicate that, in the first wave of the pandemic in Europe, a country's GDP per capita might be associated with a lower rate of new COVID-19 cases. The study concludes by suggesting that in European regions a country's economic performance should be a critical health priority for policy makers.
Care Deficiencies and Super-Organization of American Nursing Homes in Hospital Referral Region
Authors: Pittman Tyler
Published: January 2021

Super-organization has been associated with worse care quality in nursing homes. Previous research on the chain ownership of American nursing homes excluded government facilities in public-private partnerships, and focused on corporate entities. This longitudinal study proposes a novel method of demarcating the latent ownership networks of for-profit, government and non-profit nursing homes in the United States through use of open data and social network analysis. Facility characteristics and care quality measures were analyzed from an ecological cohort of 9,001 American nursing homes that had a registered organization for owner, and were reimbursed through Medicare or Medicaid. Information was obtained from the Nursing Home Compare open datasets at five semi-annual processing dates from March 2016 to March 2018. Ownership networks of American nursing homes were constructed using the exact legal name of registered organizations. As hospital discharge is a routine admission source of nursing home residents, hospital referral region was actualized to demarcate focal area. Utilizing Bayesian hierarchical models, the association between nursing home super-organization in hospital referral region (inferred by degree-based centrality and Herfindahl-Hirschman Index) to scope of cited care deficiencies (denoted by Total Weighted Health Survey Score) was explored. The percentage of nursing homes having super-organization increased from 56.8 to 56.9% over the 2-year period. During this interval, the mean size of nursing home ownership group in hospital referral region increased from 3.11 to 3.23 facilities. Overall, super-organization in hospital referral region was not associated with care deficiencies in American nursing homes. However, being part of an ownership group with more facilities was beneficial for care quality among nursing homes with super-organization.
Bioinoculants as Promising Complement of Chemical Fertilizers for a More Sustainable Agricultural Practice
Authors: Scagliola Marina , Valentinuzzi Fabio , Mimmo Tanja , Cesco Stefano , Crecchio Carmine , Pii Youry
Published: January 2021

Plant Growth Promoting Rhizobacteria (PGPR) represent a heterogeneous group of bacteria, which have been characterized for their ability to influence the growth and the fitness of agricultural plants. In the quest of more sustainable practices, PGPR have been suggested as a valid complement for the agronomical practices, since they can influence several biochemical and molecular mechanisms related to the mineral nutrients uptake, the plant pathogens suppression, and the phytohormones production. Within the present work, three bacterial strains, namely Enterobacter asburiae BFD160, Pseudomonas koreensis TFD26, and Pseudomonas lini BFS112, previously characterized on the basis of distinctive PGPR traits, were tested to evaluate: (i) their persistence in soil microcosms; (ii) their effects on seeds germination; (iii) their possible influence on biochemical and physiological parameters related to plant growth, fruit quality, and plant nutrient acquisition and allocation. To these aims, two microcosms experiments featuring different complexities, i.e., namely a growth chamber and a tunnel, were used to compare the effects of the microbial inoculum to those of chemical fertilization on Cucumis sativus L. plants. In the growth experiment, the Pseudomonas spp. induced positive effects on both growth and physiological parameters; TFD26, in particular, induced an enhanced accumulation of mineral nutrients (Fe, Ca, Mn, Ni, Zn) in plant tissues. In the tunnel experiment, only P. koreensis TFD26 was selected as inoculum for cucumber plants used in combination or in alternative to a chemical fertilizer. Interestingly, the inoculation with TFD26 alone or in combination with half-strength chemical fertilizer could induce similar (e.g., Ca accumulation) or enhanced (e.g., micronutrients concentration in plant tissues and fruits) effects as compared to plants treated with full-strength chemical fertilizers. Overall, the results hereby presented show that the use of PGPR can lead to comparable, and in some cases improved, effects on biochemical and physiological parameters of cucumber plants and fruits. Although these data are referred to experiments carried out in controlled condition, though different from an open filed cultivation, our observations suggest that the application of PGPR and fertilizers mixtures might help shrinking the use of chemical fertilization and potentially leading to a more sustainable agricultural practice.
Effects of Mesobiliverdin IXα-Enriched Microalgae Feed on Gut Health and Microbiota of Broilers
Authors: Chang Cheng-Wei T. , Takemoto Jon Y. , Chang Pei-En , AlFindee Madher N. , Lin Yuan-Yu
Published: January 2021

Gut inflammatory bowel diseases (IBDs) links to animal medicinal feed and antibiotic-resistance are fueling major economic impacts in the agricultural livestock industry. New animal feeds that promote livestock gut health and control of IBDs without antibiotics are needed. This study investigates the effects of mesobiliverdin IXα (MBV)-enriched microalgae spirulina extracts on the growth performance, blood parameters, intestinal morphology, and gut microbiota of broilers. A total of 288 1-day-old broiler chicks (Arbor Acres) were randomly allotted to six dietary treatments (4 pens/treatment and 12 birds/pen). The dietary treatments comprised a basal diet as control (CON), basal diet plus 0.05 and 0.1% microalgae extract as low and high dose, respectively (SP1 and SP2), basal diet plus 0.05 and 0.1% MBV-enriched microalgae extract as low and high dose, respectively (MBV-SP1 and MBV-SP2), and basal diet plus 0.1% amoxicillin (AMX). All treated animals showed no significant differences in live weight, average daily gain, and feed efficiency compared to control animals. Histological examination showed that AMX treatment decreased the villi lengths of the duodenum and ileum below control villi length (P < 0.05) while MBV-SP1 and particularly MBV-SP2 increased villi lengths in the duodenum, jejunum, and ileum above AMX -treatment lengths (P < 0.05). The Firmicutes/Bacteroidetes ratio increased in the cecum of broilers fed AMX (P < 0.05) while SP2, MBV-SP1, and MBV-SP2-fed animals showed (in order) increasing ratios up to the AMX level. The abundance of bacterial species of the genus Lactobacillus increased in MBV-SP1 and MBV-SP2-fed groups including a striking increase in Lactobacillus salivarius abundance with MBV-SP2 (P < 0.05). Feeding MBV-SP1 and MBV-SP2 decreased the level of pro-inflammatory cytokine IL-6 in plasma of broilers to a greater extent than SP1 and SP2. These results reveal that MBV-enriched microalgae extracts improve the intestinal health and beneficial microflora composition of broilers.
Particle Swarm Optimization Based on a Novel Evaluation of Diversity
Authors: Zhou Haohao , Wei Xiangzhi
Published: January 2021

In this paper, we propose a particle swarm optimization variant based on a novel evaluation of diversity (PSO-ED). By a novel encoding of the sub-space of the search space and the hash table technique, the diversity of the swarm can be evaluated efficiently without any information compression. This paper proposes a notion of exploration degree based on the diversity of the swarm in the exploration, exploitation, and convergence states to characterize the degree of demand for the dispersion of the swarm. Further, a disturbance update mode is proposed to help the particles jump to the promising regions while reducing the cost of function evaluations for poor particles. The effectiveness of PSO-ED is validated on the CEC2015 test suite by comparison with seven popular PSO variants out of 12 benchmark functions; PSO-ED achieves six best results for both 10-D and 30-D.
Design and Psychometric Properties of the BAtSS: A New Tool to Assess Attitudes towards Bats
Authors: Pérez Beatriz , Álvarez Boris , Boso Alex , Lisón Fulgencio
Published: January 2021

Despite the benefits that bats offer the ecosystem, these animals are feared and attacked. The COVID-19 pandemic has aggravated this situation. Today there is an urgent need to address the human-bat conflict to develop conservation policies. Understanding peoples’ attitudes towards bats are critical for this process. This study aimed to design the Bats Attitudes Standard Scale (BAtSS) and to analyze its psychometric properties. We developed an initial version of the scale in which we established the content validity; we analyzed the items and structure in a pilot sample. In the next phase, we examined psychometric properties in a sample of 1639 Chileans. The final BAtSS consists of 34 Likert-type items configured in an oblique-hierarchical structure of four factors (scientistic, positivistic, negativistic, and myths) and three facets (emotional negativistic, behavioral negativistic, and cognitive negativistic). It presents adequate internal consistency, and the analysis of concurrent validity confirms the scale’s capacity to discriminate between groups. Women and participants with a lower level of education are more negativistic and less positivistic. People with a higher level of education have a less mythological view of bats. We also analyzed the items under the assumptions of item response theory (IRT).
Changes in Honeybee Behavior Parameters under the Influence of the E-Field at 50 Hz and Variable Intensity
Authors: Migdał Paweł , Murawska Agnieszka , Bieńkowski Paweł , Berbeć Ewelina , Roman Adam
Published: January 2021

EM-fields come from both natural and anthropogenic sources. This study aimed to investigate changes in honeybee behavior parameters under the influence of an electric field at 50 Hz and variable intensity. Bees were exposed for 1 h, 3 h, or 6 h to the following artificial E-field intensities: 5.0 kV/m, 11.5 kV/m, 23.0 kV/m, or 34.5 kV/m. Bees in the control group were under the influence of an E-field <2.0 kV/m. Six basic behaviors were selected for bee observation (walking, grooming, flight, stillness, contact between individuals, and wing movement). Our research shows the impact of bee exposure time on behavioral change within groups. Exposure for 3 h caused a decrease in the time that bees spent on behaviors and in the number of occurrences. After 6 h, the parameters increased within the groups, as was the case with 1 h exposure. This may indicate that there is a behavioral barrier that allows the pattern to normalize for some time.
Performance and Meat Quality of Intrauterine Growth Restricted Pigs
Authors: Matyba Piotr , Florowski Tomasz , Dasiewicz Krzysztof , Ferenc Karolina , Olszewski Jarosław , Trela Michał , Galemba Gilbert , Słowiński Mirosław , Sady Maria , Domańska Dominika , Gajewski Zdzisław , Zabielski Romuald
Published: January 2021

Intrauterine growth restricted (IUGR) pigs are characterized by high perinatal mortality and dysfunction of internal organs, adipose, and muscle tissues. However, little is known about the post-weaning performance and meat quality of the IUGR pigs. The aim of this study was to compare normal pigs and pigs with IUGR from birth until slaughter, also with respect to their meat quality. Pigs with the IUGR achieved lower slaughter weight but did not differ significantly from normal pigs in terms of their meat content. The IUGR did not negatively affect the culinary quality of the obtained meat, including its content of basic chemical components and energy value, as well as hardness, chewiness, cohesiveness, elasticity, and penetration force. The meat of the IUGR pigs, when compared to the meat of normal pigs, was characterized by higher pH, lower EC (Electrical Conductivity) and drip loss; it was also tenderer and obtained higher scores in sensory evaluation of taste, smell, and general desirability. Therefore, such raw material can be appreciated by the consumers and can be used for the production of culinary portions similarly to the raw material obtained from normal pigs.
Outcomes and Complications in a Case Series of 39 Total Laparoscopic Prophylactic Gastropexies Using a Modified Technique
Authors: Giaconella Veronica , Grillo Riccardo , Giaconella Roberto , Properzi Roberto , Gialletti Rodolfo
Published: January 2021

Laparoscopic-assisted, laparoscopic, and endoscopic gastropexy techniques have been proven successful in recent years. Thanks to minimal invasiveness, low morbidity, and fast recovery, total laparoscopic gastropexy techniques have been gaining popularity. The objective of this study was to describe the use of a modified minimally invasive technique to perform prophylactic gastropexy in dogs. A case series study of 39 client-owned dogs was undertaken from June 2019 to August 2020. Each dog underwent total laparoscopic prophylactic gastropexy using a simple continuous barbed suture line and two laparoscopic needle holders without incising the seromuscular layer of the stomach and the abdominal wall. Surgical time, the number of stitches, and the length of suture were recorded. Telephone checks, owner questionnaires, and ultrasonographic exams were used to evaluate the effectiveness of the procedure after surgery. The median gastropexy surgical time was 12 min (range 4–30 min), and the median length of the suture line was 3 cm (range 2–4 cm). The last follow-up check was carried out 9 months (mean, range 3–14 months) after surgery, and all ultrasonographic exams (n = 29) showed an intact gastropexy. Intraoperative and postoperative complications were noted. This total laparoscopic gastropexy technique was found to be safe, fast, simple, and with a low morbidity rate. It appears to be a new alternative to other methods of prophylactic gastropexy; however, further research in this area is warranted.
Micro-Computed Tomography Analysis of Subchondral Bone Regeneration Using Osteochondral Scaffolds in an Ovine Condyle Model
Authors: Flaherty Taylor , Tamaddon Maryam , Liu Chaozong
Published: January 2021

Osteochondral scaffold technology has emerged as a promising therapy for repairing osteochondral defects. Recent research suggests that seeding osteochondral scaffolds with bone marrow concentrate (BMC) may enhance tissue regeneration. To examine this hypothesis, this study examined subchondral bone regeneration in scaffolds with and without BMC. Ovine stifle condyle models were used for the in vivo study. Two scaffold systems (8 mm diameter and 10 mm thick) with and without BMC were implanted into the femoral condyle, and the tissues were retrieved after six months. The retrieved femoral condyles (with scaffold in) were examined using micro-computed tomography scans (micro-CT), and the micro-CT data were further analysed by ImageJ with respect to trabecular thickness, bone volume to total volume ratio (BV/TV) ratio, and degree of anisotropy of bone. Statistical analysis compared bone regeneration between scaffold groups and sub-set regions. These results were mostly insignificant (p < 0.05), with the exception of bone volume to total volume ratio when comparing scaffold composition and sub-set region. Additional trends in the data were observed. These results suggest that the scaffold composition and addition of BMC did not significantly affect bone regeneration in osteochondral defects after six months. However, this research provides data which may guide the development of future treatments.
Automatic Detection of Cracks in Asphalt Pavement Using Deep Learning to Overcome Weaknesses in Images and GIS Visualization
Authors: Chun Pang-jo , Yamane Tatsuro , Tsuzuki Yukino
Published: January 2021

The crack ratio is one of the indices used to quantitatively evaluate the soundness of asphalt pavement. However, since the inspection of pavement requires much labor and cost, automatic inspection of pavement damage by image analysis is required in order to reduce the burden of such work. In this study, a system was constructed that automatically detects and evaluates cracks from images of pavement using a convolutional neural network, a kind of deep learning. The most novel aspect of this study is that the accuracy was recursively improved through retraining the convolutional neural network (CNN) by collecting images which had previously been incorrectly analyzed. Then, study and implementation were conducted of a system for plotting the results in a GIS. In addition, an experiment was carried out applying this system to images actually taken from an MMS (mobile mapping system), and this confirmed that the system had high crack evaluation performance.