bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The Impact of Undergraduates’ Social Isolation on Smartphone Addiction: The Roles of Academic Anxiety and Social Media Use
Authors: Zeng Youlai , Zhang Jiahui , Wei Jiaxin , Li Shunyu
Published: November 2022

The COVID-19 pandemic has an adverse effect on the physical health of societies and individuals. One important concern is the effect of social isolation on the mental health of undergraduates, such as academic anxiety, smartphone addiction and other social psychological problems. The purpose of this study was to investigate associations among undergraduates’ social isolation in this special context, social media use for obtaining information about the COVID-19 pandemic (i.e., communicative and non-communicative), academic anxiety, and smartphone addiction. A cross-sectional survey was conducted from May to June in 2022 and a total of 388 undergraduates were included. The results showed significant positive associations between social isolation and smartphone addiction and academic anxiety. Furthermore, academic anxiety played a mediating role in the effect of social isolation on smartphone addiction, which was moderated by non-communicative social media use. Some theoretical and practical implications as well as research limitations are discussed.
Intergenerational Transmission of Obesity: Role of Education and Income
Authors: Dong Zhiwei , Wu Liping , Chen Yang , Lyulyov Oleksii , Pimonenko Tetyana
Published: November 2022

Based on the sixth round of the 2018 Chinese Household Income Project family income survey (CHIP) data, this study made use of the OLS estimation and transfer matrix method to measure and test the problem of obesity intergenerational transmission, analyze whether there is obesity intergenerational transmission as well as between urban and rural areas, gender, and the parental education level and income level on the suppression of the obesity intergenerational transmission effect. The empirical results draw the following main conclusions: obesity intergenerational transmission in Chinese families, the degree of parental obesity has a significant positive impact on the degree of offspring obesity; the higher the degree of parental obesity, the more it can promote the degree of obesity in the offspring. Moreover, the degree of obesity intergenerational transmission is heterogeneous in urban and rural areas and gender. At the same time, the degree of rural obesity intergenerational transmission is higher than that of urban areas, and the degree of male obesity intergenerational transmission is higher than that of women.
An Overview of Treatment Approaches for Octahydro-1, 3, 5, 7-tetranitro-1, 3, 5, 7-tetrazocine (HMX) Explosive in Soil, Groundwater, and Wastewater
Authors: Srivastava Varsha , Boczkaj Grzegorz , Lassi Ulla
Published: November 2022

Octahydro-1, 3, 5, 7-tetranitro-1, 3, 5, 7-tetrazocine (HMX) is extensively exploited in the manufacturing of explosives; therefore, a significant level of HMX contamination can be encountered near explosive production plants. For instance, up to 12 ppm HMX concentrations have been observed in the wastewater effluent of a munitions manufacturing facility, while up to 45,000 mg/kg of HMX has been found in a soil sample taken from a location close to a high-explosive production site. Owing to their immense demand for a variety of applications, the large-scale production of explosives has culminated in severe environmental issues. Soil and water contaminated with HMX can pose a detrimental impact on flora and fauna and hence, remediation of HMX is paramount. There is a rising demand to establish a sustainable technology for HMX abatement. Physiochemical and bioremediation approaches have been employed to treat HMX in the soil, groundwater, and wastewater. It has been revealed that treatment methods such as photo-peroxidation and photo-Fenton oxidation can eliminate approximately 98% of HMX from wastewater. Fenton’s reagents were found to be very effective at mineralizing HMX. In the photocatalytic degradation of HMX, approximately 59% TOC removal was achieved by using a TiO2 photocatalyst, and a dextrose co-substrate was used in a bioremediation approach to accomplish 98.5% HMX degradation under anaerobic conditions. However, each technology has some pros and cons which need to be taken into consideration when choosing an HMX remediation approach. In this review, various physiochemical and bioremediation approaches are considered and the mechanism of HMX degradation is discussed. Further, the advantages and disadvantages of the technologies are also discussed along with the challenges of HMX treatment technologies, thus giving an overview of the HMX remediation strategies.
Avoiding Real Harm but False Good: The Influence Mechanism of Political Relations on the Effectiveness of Environmental Regulation Policies
Authors: He Bin , Qi Mengzhen , Wang Ning , Zhang Zhenhua
Published: November 2022

In environmental authoritarian countries, environmental pollution control relies on government environmental regulation. Theoretically, the certainty and severity of environmental regulation are the key factors in achieving its political goals. According to regulatory space theory, an effective regulatory system needs regulatory power and resources. However, the effectiveness of regulation may be decreased by the desperate need for resources, and the regulated enterprises can also affect environmental regulation through their information advantage and social networks. This paper focuses on how local environmental regulation can be achieved under these conditions. The analysis is conducted from two perspectives: the deterrence effect of punishment and the political connections maintained by enterprises. An empirical test was conducted by analyzing the research data from the 12th China Private Enterprise Survey in 2016. The study found that the severity of punishment is a mediator of environmental regulation in the promotion of enterprises’ investment in pollution control, and that it is moderated by the political relationships of enterprise managers. Compared with counterparts that have a less substantial political network, enterprises with more political networks may feel more pressure from environmental regulation policies, which leads to higher pollution fines. However, the promotion effect of environmental fines on an enterprise’s investment in pollution control is weakened due to its political relationships, thus weakening the effectiveness of the punishment. This paper clarifies the mechanism through which political connections weaken the effect of environmental regulation: political connections encourage firms to avoid real harm and do false good. Regulation is supposed to use fines as an incentive to improve the environment, but politically connected companies are more willing to pay fines (doing false good), than to invest in cleaning up pollution (avoiding real harm).
Fistula in War-Torn Tigray: A Call to Action
Authors: Gesesew Hailay Abrha , Berhe Kenfe Tesfay , Gebretsadik Simon , Abreha Melaku , Haftu Mebrahtom
Published: November 2022

Fistula is roaring in the ongoing war on Tigray. The potential risk factors for fistula in the conflict zone include obstructed labour due to limited or absent maternal care services, a correlation between malnutrition-stunted growth and birth difficulties and trauma, and sexually transmitted infections (STIs) due to conflict-related sexual violence. As a call to action to mitigate the unimaginable suffering that women and girls are facing in the region, concerted international effort is needed to provide treatment, rehabilitation, and re-integration; secure peace and stability; rebuild the health-care system; and ensure perpetrators are held accountable.
Compliance with COVID-19 Prevention Measures in the Spanish Population during the New Normal: Will the Need for Greater Community Involvement Be One of the Lessons Learned?
Authors: Recio-Vivas Ana María , Mansilla-Domíngez José Miguel , Belzunegui-Eraso Ángel , Peña-Otero David , Díaz-Pérez David , Lorenzo-Allegue Laura , Font-Jiménez Isabel
Published: November 2022

Throughout the pandemic, national and international health authorities have called on the population to collaborate and contribute with their behavior to control the problem. The aim of this study is to analyze the implementation of the protective measures against COVID-19 and to determine the factors involved in their compliance. To respond to the objectives, a cross-sectional study was performed involving a total of 5560 individuals. An ad hoc online questionnaire was created and shared through social networks, scientific societies, and various health institutions. The probability of high or total compliance with the protective measures was higher in women (OR = 1.401) and as age increases, with an OR = 2.524 in the interval between 31 and 64 years old and an OR = 2.896 in the oldest interval (65 and over). This study shows the characteristics of the population that considers it more likely to be infected by SARS-CoV-2, thus adopting greater adherence to prevention measures. Knowing which factors are associated with adherence to protective measures is essential for establishing effective pandemic control measures. Our findings may be useful for designing future awareness campaigns adapted to different socio-demographic characteristics in settings affected by COVID-19.
Gender-Specific Significance of Peer Abuse during Childhood and Adolescence on Physical and Mental Health in Adulthood—Results from a Cross-Sectional Study in a Sample of Hospital Patients
Authors: Lampe Astrid , Nolte Tobias , Schmid Marc , Kampling Hanna , Kruse Johannes , Grote Vincent , Fischer Michael J. , Riedl David
Published: November 2022

Peer abuse (PA) is a widespread and gender-sensitive form of Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs). However, research on its influence on physical and mental health in adulthood remains scarce. The aim of this study was to investigate gender-specific associations between PA and physical and mental health in adulthood in a sample of general hospital patients. A cross-sectional study at the University Hospital of Innsbruck was conducted. Data on ACEs, physical and mental health were collected using self-report questionnaires. We compared patients with no ACEs, PA only, ACEs without PA, and ACEs with PA using gender-specific binary logistic regressions to investigate the association of PA with physical and mental health. A total of 2,392 patients were included in the analyses. Women reported more emotional PA (13.1% vs. 9.4%; p = 0.006), while men reported more physical PA (8.3% vs. 5.2%; p = 0.003). PA was associated with a higher likelihood for depression (OR = 2.6), somatization (OR = 2.1), as well as worse physical health (OR = 2.1) in women but not in men. This study is the first to present data on the gender-specific detrimental effect of PA on physical and mental health in adulthood. Especially for women, PA poses a significant health risk. Thus, we should be aware of these effects and offer adequate support for affected individuals.
An Intelligent Waste-Sorting and Recycling Device Based on Improved EfficientNet
Authors: Feng Zhicheng , Yang Jie , Chen Lifang , Chen Zhichao , Li Linhong
Published: November 2022

The main source of urban waste is the daily life activities of residents, and the waste sorting of residents’ waste is important for promoting economic recycling, reducing labor costs, and protecting the environment. However, most residents are unable to make accurate judgments about the categories of household waste, which severely limits the efficiency of waste sorting. We have designed an intelligent waste bin that enables automatic waste sorting and recycling, avoiding the extensive knowledge required for waste sorting. To ensure that the waste-classification model is high accuracy and works in real time, GECM-EfficientNet is proposed based on EfficientNet by streamlining the mobile inverted bottleneck convolution (MBConv) module, introducing the efficient channel attention (ECA) module and coordinate attention (CA) module, and transfer learning. The accuracy of GECM-EfficientNet reaches 94.54% and 94.23% on the self-built household waste dataset and TrashNet dataset, with parameters of only 1.23 M. The time of one recognition on the intelligent waste bin is only 146 ms, which satisfies the real-time classification requirement. Our method improves the computational efficiency of the waste-classification model and simplifies the hardware requirements, which contributes to the residents’ waste classification based on intelligent devices.
Delphi-Based Consensus to Determine Core Aspects of Post-Hip-Fracture Surgery Rehabilitation Based on the International Classification of Functioning, Disability, and Health
Authors: Lin Che-Li , Liao Chun-De , Lee Yu-Hao , Escorpizo Reuben , Liou Tsan-Hon , Huang Shih-Wei
Published: November 2022

A hip fracture is a major adverse event for older individuals that has extremely high rates of mortality and morbidity, specifically functional decline. Thus, effective post–hip fracture rehabilitation is crucial to enable patients to regain function and improve their quality of life. Most post–hip fracture rehabilitation programs focus only on physical functioning, but rehabilitation goals related to the quality of life, social participation, and environmental issues are also crucial considerations. This study aimed to develop a core set of considerations based on the International Classification of Functioning, Disability, and Health (ICF) for use as a reference in designing comprehensive rehabilitation programs for patients with hip fractures. For this purpose, we recruited 20 experts from related fields working at a university hospital to complete a three-round Delphi-based questionnaire. Before beginning this process, a literature review related to ICF category selection was conducted. Next, a 5-point Likert scale was employed to rate the importance of each proposed category, and Spearman’s rank correlation coefficient and semi-interquartile range indices were analyzed to rate the consensus status. Categories for the ICF core set of considerations for post-hip-fracture rehabilitation were chosen on the basis of a high level of consensus and a mean score of ≥4.5 in the third Delphi-based questionnaire round. After selection, the ICF core set comprised 34 categories, namely 15 for bodily functions, 5 for bodily structures, 13 for activities and participation, and 1 for environmental factors. The proposed post-hip-fracture rehabilitation ICF core set can serve as a reference for developing effective rehabilitation strategies and goal setting by interdisciplinary teams. However, further feasibility evaluation is recommended for individualized rehabilitation program design.
Attitudes and Difficulties Associated with Benzodiazepine Discontinuation
Authors: Takeshima Masahiro , Aoki Yumi , Ie Kenya , Katsumoto Eiichi , Tsuru Eichi , Tsuboi Takashi , Inada Ken , Kise Morito , Watanabe Koichiro , Mishima Kazuo , Takaesu Yoshikazu
Published: November 2022

Long-term use of benzodiazepine receptor agonists (BZDs) may depend on clinicians’ BZD discontinuation strategies. We aimed to explore differences in strategies and difficulties with BZD discontinuation between psychiatrists and non-psychiatrists and to identify factors related to difficulties with BZD discontinuation. Japanese physicians affiliated with the Japan Primary Care Association, All Japan Hospital Association, and Japanese Association of Neuro-Psychiatric Clinics were surveyed on the following items: age group, specialty (psychiatric or otherwise), preferred time to start BZD reduction after improvement in symptoms, methods used to discontinue, difficulties regarding BZD discontinuation, and reasons for the difficulties. We obtained 962 responses from physicians (390 from non-psychiatrists and 572 from psychiatrists), of which 94.0% reported difficulty discontinuing BZDs. Non-psychiatrists had more difficulty with BZD discontinuation strategies, while psychiatrists had more difficulty with symptom recurrence/relapse and withdrawal symptoms. Psychiatrists used more candidate strategies in BZD reduction than non-psychiatrists but initiated BZD discontinuation after symptom improvement. Logistic regression analysis showed that psychosocial therapy was associated with less difficulty in BZD discontinuation (odds ratio, 0.438; 95% confidence interval, 0.204–0.942; p = 0.035). Educating physicians about psychosocial therapy may alleviate physicians’ difficulty in discontinuing BZDs and reduce long-term BZD prescriptions.
Impact of Gut Dysbiosis on the Risk of Non-Small-Cell Lung Cancer
Authors: Wei Yu-Feng , Huang Ming-Shyan , Huang Cheng-Hsieh , Yeh Yao-Tsung , Hung Chih-Hsin
Published: November 2022

Background: The imbalance of gut microbiota, dysbiosis, is associated with various malignant diseases. This study aimed to identify the characteristics of gut microbiota in age-matched treatment-naïve non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients and healthy individuals to investigate possible gut-microbe-related pathways involved in the development of NSCLC. Methods: We enrolled 34 age-matched NSCLC patients and 268 healthy individuals. Hypervariable V3–V4 amplicons of 16S rRNA in freshly collected fecal samples were sequenced. Diversity, microbial composition, functional pathways, smoking history, and gut-microbe-related comorbidities were analyzed to assess the factors associated with the risk of NSCLC. Results: Microbial alpha diversity was decreased in the patients with NSCLC, and beta diversity was significantly different between the patients and controls (p < 0.001). After adjustments for sex, smoking history, hypertension, diabetes mellitus, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, and 11 abundant microbes with significant differences between the patients and controls, the enrichment of Anaerotruncus spp. and Bacteroides caccae was associated with an increased risk of NSCLC (p = 0.003 and 0.007, respectively). The areas under receiver operating characteristic curves were 71.4% and 66.9% for Anaerotruncus spp. and Bacteroides caccae, respectively (both p < 0.001). Furthermore, the abundance of Bacteroides caccae was positively correlated with steroid hormone biosynthesis (p < 0.001), N-glycan biosynthesis (p = 0.023), glycosaminoglycan degradation (p < 0.001), lipoic acid metabolism (p = 0.039), peroxisome (p < 0.001), and apoptosis (p < 0.001), but inversely related to glycerolipid metabolism (p < 0.001). Anaerotruncus spp. was positively associated with decreased biosynthesis of ansamycin only (p = 0.001). No overlapping signaling pathways were modulated by Bacteroides caccae or Anaerotruncus spp. Conclusions: Our results revealed that fecal Anaerotruncus spp. and Bacteroides caccae were abundant and may be associated with the risk of NSCLC regardless of sex, smoking history, and gut-microbe-related comorbidities. Further investigations on the mechanism underlying the potential association between gut dysbiosis and the development of NSCLC are warranted.
Comparison of Laparoscopic and Open Radical Cystectomy for Muscle-Invasive Bladder Cancer
Authors: Lisiński Janusz , Kienitz Jakub , Tousty Piotr , Kaczmarek Krystian , Lemiński Artur , Słojewski Marcin
Published: November 2022

The goal of the study was to compare laparoscopic and open radical cystectomy in treatment of muscle-invasive bladder cancer in the Department of Urology and Oncological Urology PUM in Szczecin. A total of 78 patients in the study group underwent laparoscopic cystectomy between 2016–2018, and 81 patients from the control group had open cystectomy between 2014–2016. Both groups were comparable in terms of age, stage, and concomitant diseases. The 3 year overall survival was comparable in both groups (37.7% for laparoscopy and 44.4% for open, p = 0.64). There was no difference in positive surgical margin rate. Lymph node yield during cystectomy was higher in open cystectomy (14 vs. 11.5, p = 0.001). Post-operative blood loss and transfusion rates were lower in laparoscopic cystectomy. Decrease in hemoglobin level was lower in laparoscopy (0.9 mmol/L, p < 0.001). Intraoperative transfusion rate was 11.8% in laparoscopy vs. 34.8% in open cystectomy (p = 0.002). Operation time, duration of hospitalisation, and time to full oral alimentation were comparable in both groups. Patients with BMI > 30 kg/m2 and those with pT3-T4 cancer in the laparoscopy group had less septic complications post-operatively. Patients with ASA score ≥ 3 from the laparoscopy group had fewer reoperations due to ileus. Laparoscopic cystectomy is less invasive and offers similar oncological outcomes to the open method. Patients benefit from less tissue trauma, less blood loss, and faster recovery. The presented results, as well as other publications, should encourage a wider use of this procedure in everyday urological practice.
Associations between Suicidal Ideation and Relatives’ Physical and Mental Health among Community Residents: Differences between Family Members and Lineal Consanguinity
Authors: Li Caifeng , Wei Zhen , Wang Yifan , Sun Long
Published: November 2022

(1) Background: Despite the verified relationship between relatives’ characteristics and individual suicidal ideation, few studies have discussed the role of family members and lineal consanguinity independently according to whether they live together with the individuals or not. (2) Methods: The data in this study were collected in November 2019 and identified rural adults over 18 years old in Shandong as the survey objects, with a total of 879 valid cases included in this survey. Logistic regression analysis was employed to examine the risk factors affecting adults’ suicidal ideation and differentiate the effects of a family member and lineal consanguinity’s physical and mental health. Relatives’ physical and mental health were estimated by three aspects: whether they were suffering from chronic diseases, mental illness, or alcoholism. (3) Results: The study showed that a family member’s physical (OR = 2.303, p < 0.01) and mental health (OR = 5.877, p < 0.05) was related to suicidal ideation, but the association between lineal consanguinities’ physical and mental health and suicidal ideation were not supported. People over 40 years old (OR = 6.528, p < 0.05), from only-child families (OR = 4.335, p < 0.01), with household indebtedness (OR = 2.992, p < 0.001), or difficulty falling asleep (OR = 3.165, p < 0.001) had risk factors of suicidal ideation. (4) Conclusions: The physical and mental health of individuals’ family members are related to their suicidal ideation, and their lineal consanguinities’ physical and mental health are not related to suicidal ideation. These findings imply the different associations between family environment, genetic factors, and suicidal ideation. Family members’ health should be considered as a factor to prevent and control suicidal behaviors, including suicidal ideation.
Clinical Characterization of the Three Waves of COVID-19 Occurring in Southern Italy: Results of a Multicenter Cohort Study
Authors: Pisaturo Mariantonietta , Russo Antonio , Pattapola Viraj , Astorri Roberta , Maggi Paolo , Numis Fabio Giuliano , Gentile Ivan , Sangiovanni Vincenzo , Rossomando Annamaria , Gentile Valeria , Calabria Giosuele , Pisapia Raffaella , Codella Alessio Vinicio , Masullo Alfonso , Iodice Valentina , Giolitto Giancarlo , Parrella Roberto , Dell’Aquila Giuseppina , Gambardella Michele , Di Perna Felicia , Coppola Nicola
Published: November 2022

Aims: To characterize patients hospitalized for COVID-19 in the three waves in Southern Italy. Methods: We conducted a multicenter observational cohort study involving seventeen COVID-19 Units in Campania, southern Italy: All adult (≥18 years) patients, hospitalized with a diagnosis of SARS-CoV-2 infection from 28 February 2020 to 31 May 2021, were enrolled. Results: Two thousand and fifteen COVID-19 hospitalized patients were enrolled; 392 (19%) in the first wave, 917 (45%) in the second and 706 (35%) in the third wave. Patients showed a less severe clinical outcome in the first wave than in the second and third waves (73%, 65% and 72%, respectively; p = 0.003), but hospitalization expressed in days was longer in the first wave [Median (Q1–Q3): 17 (13–25) v.s. 14 (9–21) and 14 (9–19), respectively, p = 0.001)] and also mortality during hospitalization was higher in the first wave than in the second and third waves: 16.6% v.s. 11.3% and 6.5%, respectively (p = 0.0001). Multivariate analysis showed that older age [OR: 1.069, CI (1046–1092); p = 0.001], a worse Charlson comorbidity index [OR: 1042, CI (1233–1594; p = 0.0001] and enrolment during the first-wave [OR: 1.917, CI (1.054–3.485; p = 0.033] were predictors of mortality in hospitalized patients. Conclusions: Improved organization of the healthcare facilities and the increase in knowledge of clinical and therapeutic management have contributed to a trend in the reduction in mortality during the three waves of COVID-19.
Palestinian Muslim College Students’ Attitudes to Mental Health Treatment: A Comparative Study
Authors: Abu-Ras Wahiba , Birani Amir , Suarez Zulema E. , Arfken Cynthia L.
Published: November 2022

This study examined the association between the degree of religiosity, combined with cultural beliefs, social stigmas, and attitudes towards mental-health treatment in two groups, who, despite having similar cultural and religious affiliation, have experienced different socio-political contexts: Palestinian Muslim college students living in the Occupied Palestinian Territory (OPT) and Israel. The study was guided by Tanhan and Young’s (2021) conceptual framework. Methods: A snowball recruitment strategy was applied, using a cross-sectional survey. A total sample size was 214 students, 105 from the OPT and 109 from Israel. Results indicate that students from the OPT (n = 105) did not differ from those living in Israel (n = 109) on religiosity using the Islamic Belief scale, or Attitudes Towards Mental Health treatment (F(1, 189) = 1.07, p = 0.30). However, students from the OPT had higher confidence in mental-health professionals (M = 15.33) than their counterparts (M = 14.59), and women had higher confidence (M = 16.03) than men (M = 13.90). The reliance on traditions for Muslim students over Western mental-health approaches is a critical factor in predicting the attitudes towards students’ mental problems and their chosen treatment. Sociopolitical context played a significant role in shaping attitudes toward mental-health providers.
Do Migration and Acculturation Impact Somatization? A Scoping Review
Authors: Barbati Antonello , Geraci Alessandro , Niro Fabiana , Pezzi Letizia , Sarchiapone Marco
Published: November 2022

Somatization is a phenomenon in which the individual experiences physical symptoms attributable to mental projections. It is a widely used term in common parlance to figuratively describe a stressful situation. Syndromes directly related to the mind have been described; pathologies are influenced by somatization. However, the extent of somatization is also related to social and cultural factors. In fact, each culture expresses varying levels of somatization characteristic of the country of origin. A disease can even manifest with different symptoms in different ethnic groups. The migration process arises from the need for change on the part of those who undertake it and culminates in the integration of the person in the host country. This process induces changes in the person of a psychological nature, which also affects somatization. In fact, the most integrated subjects show levels of somatization comparable to those of the host country. These considerations support the thesis that psychological changes are an integral part of health and can affect the development of organic and somatized pathologies.
Validation of Two Screening Tools for Detecting Delirium in Older Patients in the Post-Anaesthetic Care Unit: A Diagnostic Test Accuracy Study
Authors: Aldwikat Rami K. , Manias Elizabeth , Holmes Alex. , Tomlinson Emily , Nicholson Patricia
Published: November 2022

(1) Background: Delirium is a common complication among surgical patients after major surgery, but it is often underdiagnosed in the post-anaesthetic care unit (PACU). Valid and reliable tools are required for improving diagnoses of delirium. The objective of this study was to evaluate the diagnostic test accuracy of the Three-Minute Diagnostic Interview for Confusion Assessment Method (3D-CAM) and the 4A’s Test (4AT) as screening tools for detection of delirium in older people in the PACU. (2) Methods: A prospective diagnostic test accuracy study was conducted in the PACU and surgical wards of a university-affiliated tertiary care hospital in Victoria, Australia. A consecutive prospective cohort of elective and emergency patients (aged 65 years or older) admitted to the PACU were recruited between July 2021 and December 2021 following a surgical procedure performed under general anaesthesia and expected to stay in the hospital for at least 24 h following surgery. The outcome measures were sensitivity, specificity positive predictive value and negative predictive value for 3D-CAM and 4AT. (3) Results: A total of 271 patients were recruited: 16.2% (44/271) had definite delirium. For a diagnosis of definite delirium, the 3D-CAM (area under curve (AUC) = 0.96) had a sensitivity of 100% (95% CI 92.0 to 100.0) in the PACU and during the first 5 days post-operatively. Specificity ranged from 93% (95% CI 87.8 to 95.2) to 91% (95% CI 85.9 to 95.2) in the PACU and during the first 5 days post-operatively. The 4AT (AUC = 0.92) had a sensitivity of 93% (95% CI 81.7 to 98.6) in the PACU and during the first 5 days post-operatively, and specificity ranged from 89% (95% CI 84.6 to 93.1) to 87% (95%CI 80.9 to 91.8) in the PACU and during the first 5 days post-operatively. (4) Conclusions: The 3D-CAM and the 4AT are sensitive and specific screening tools that can be used to detect delirium in older people in the PACU. Screening with either tool could have an important clinical impact by improving the accuracy of delirium detection in the PACU and hence preventing adverse outcomes associated with delirium.
Risk-Oriented Efficiency Assessment within the Level of Capitalization for Financial Institutions: Evidence from Turkish Securities Firms
Authors: Cevikcan Gokben , Tas Oktay
Published: November 2022

Securities firms are the leading institutions that facilitate the flow of funds by performing key services both in primary and secondary markets. The assessment of the efficiency of these firms has become a contemporary major issue due to the increasingly intense competition, globalization, and innovation in capital markets. As part of the nature of the business environment for such firms, risk-taking behaviors play a key role in their efficiency. In addition, the level of capitalization has become a more critical tool to counterbalance risk and efficiency. Therefore, we aimed to assess the relationship between efficiency, risk, and the level of capitalization in a sample of Turkish securities by covering the detailed data of securities firms between 2004 Q1 and 2021 Q4. After employing a three-stage least-squares method in a panel-data framework, the empirical findings showed that there was a positive and significant relationship between the risk incentive and efficiency in the brokerage industry, which implied that firms can improve their efficiency through a more diversified portfolio. We further report that there was also a positive and significant relationship between securities firms’ risk incentives and capital that could be explained by the higher risky-asset ratio needed for larger amounts of capital to compensate for losses. These results have potentially important implications for the brokerage industry’s prudent supervision and underlined the importance of attaining long-term efficiency gains to support the development of capital markets.
Accrual Management and Firm-Specific Risk
Authors: Widianingsih Yuni Pristiwati Noer , Setiawan Doddy , Aryani Y. Anni , Gantyowati Evi
Published: November 2022

Firm-specific risk causes opinion differences on whether it relates to price informativeness or errors. The main difference is related to the disparity in information transparency. Therefore, this study tests the relationship between accrual management and firm-specific risk based on information transparency. It was conducted on firms listed on the Indonesia Stock Exchange from 2015 to 2019. The results showed that accrual management positively affects specific risks, which is strengthened by information asymmetry. These results indicate that accrual management has the potential to occur in environments with low transparency or high information asymmetry. Accrual management inhibits actual information, causing errors in stock price assessments that indicate firm-specific risk. This proves that firm-specific risk shows a price error. These results are consistent with previous studies that discretionary accruals can measure earnings quality by considering the firm’s fundamental factors reflected in how non-discretionary accruals affect firm-specific risk. This study shows that risk fluctuates depending on firm-specific information.
Chemistry towards Biology—Instruct: Snapshot
Authors: Hricovíni Miloš , Owens Raymond J. , Bak Andrzej , Kozik Violetta , Musiał Witold , Pierattelli Roberta , Májeková Magdaléna , Rodríguez Yoel , Musioł Robert , Slodek Aneta , Štarha Pavel , Piętak Karina , Słota Dagmara , Florkiewicz Wioletta , Sobczak-Kupiec Agnieszka , Jampílek Josef
Published: November 2022

The knowledge of interactions between different molecules is undoubtedly the driving force of all contemporary biomedical and biological sciences. Chemical biology/biological chemistry has become an important multidisciplinary bridge connecting the perspectives of chemistry and biology to the study of small molecules/peptidomimetics and their interactions in biological systems. Advances in structural biology research, in particular linking atomic structure to molecular properties and cellular context, are essential for the sophisticated design of new medicines that exhibit a high degree of druggability and very importantly, druglikeness. The authors of this contribution are outstanding scientists in the field who provided a brief overview of their work, which is arranged from in silico investigation through the characterization of interactions of compounds with biomolecules to bioactive materials.
The Potential of Antibiotics and Nanomaterial Combinations as Therapeutic Strategies in the Management of Multidrug-Resistant Infections: A Review
Authors: Adeniji Oluwaseun Ola , Nontongana Nolonwabo , Okoh Janet Chiyem , Okoh Anthony Ifeanyi
Published: November 2022

Antibiotic resistance has become a major public health concern around the world. This is exacerbated by the non-discovery of novel drugs, the development of resistance mechanisms in most of the clinical isolates of bacteria, as well as recurring infections, hindering disease treatment efficacy. In vitro data has shown that antibiotic combinations can be effective when microorganisms are resistant to individual drugs. Recently, advances in the direction of combination therapy for the treatment of multidrug-resistant (MDR) bacterial infections have embraced antibiotic combinations and the use of nanoparticles conjugated with antibiotics. Nanoparticles (NPs) can penetrate the cellular membrane of disease-causing organisms and obstruct essential molecular pathways, showing unique antibacterial mechanisms. Combined with the optimal drugs, NPs have established synergy and may assist in regulating the general threat of emergent bacterial resistance. This review comprises a general overview of antibiotic combinations strategies for the treatment of microbial infections. The potential of antibiotic combinations with NPs as new entrants in the antimicrobial therapy domain is discussed.
Polyenic Antibiotics and Other Antifungal Compounds Produced by Hemolytic Streptomyces Species
Authors: Bobek Jan , Filipová Eliška , Bergman Natalie , Čihák Matouš , Petříček Miroslav , Lara Ana Catalina , Kristufek Vaclav , Megyes Melinda , Wurzer Theresa , Chroňáková Alica , Petříčková Kateřina
Published: November 2022

Streptomyces are of great interest in the pharmaceutical industry as they produce a plethora of secondary metabolites that act as antibacterial and antifungal agents. They may thrive on their own in the soil, or associate with other organisms, such as plants or invertebrates. Some soil-derived strains exhibit hemolytic properties when cultivated on blood agar, raising the question of whether hemolysis could be a virulence factor of the bacteria. In this work we examined hemolytic compound production in 23 β-hemolytic Streptomyces isolates; of these 12 were soil-derived, 10 were arthropod-associated, and 1 was plant-associated. An additional human-associated S. sp. TR1341 served as a control. Mass spectrometry analysis suggested synthesis of polyene molecules responsible for the hemolysis: candicidins, filipins, strevertene A, tetrafungin, and tetrin A, as well as four novel polyene compounds (denoted here as polyene A, B, C, and D) in individual liquid cultures or paired co-cultures. The non-polyene antifungal compounds actiphenol and surugamide A were also identified. The findings indicate that the ability of Streptomyces to produce cytolytic compounds (here manifested by hemolysis on blood agar) is an intrinsic feature of the bacteria in the soil environment and could even serve as a virulence factor when colonizing available host organisms. Additionally, a literature review of polyenes and non-polyene hemolytic metabolites produced by Streptomyces is presented.
Celosia trigyna Linn (Cucurbitaceae) Annihilate Human Breast, Colon, and Lung Cancer Cells: Combination of Cheap Template for Anticancer Screening
Authors: Oluwasegun Adedokun , Ntungwe Epole , Bunyamin Ayinde , Saraiva Lucilia , Princiotto Salvatore , Rijo Patrícia
Published: November 2022

Celosia trigyna is a well-known vegetable used in the preparation of many indigenous soups in Southwestern Nigeria. The aim of this study was to evaluate the anticancer property of C. trigyna of crude and solvent fractions using antioxidant, cytotoxic bench-top bioassays, and cancer cell line experiments. Cytotoxicity was carried out using Raniceps ranninus, Saccharomyces cerevisiae, and Sorghum bicolor models, as well as cytotoxicity studies against human breast (MCF), colon (HCT116), and lung (H460) cancer cell lines; radical scavenging potential against DPPH was likewise performed. A concentration of nondependent cytotoxicity against S. cerevisiae was observed in CTA, with the lowest inhibition of organism growth at 31.2 µg/mL (26.40 ± 1.92%) and highest activity at 250 µg/mL (56.00 ± 2.12%). Concentration-dependent inhibition was observed in CTA with 84.80 ± 1.97% at 250 µg/mL, which is significantly different from values observed in DMSO (negative control) at 33.84 ± 1.03% at p < 0.01. Moreover, 100% motility of R. ranninus (tadpoles) was recorded for all concentrations (20–40 µg/mL) in CT and CTA, with significantly different p < 0.05 from values obtained for the vehicle (distilled water). Concentration-dependent DPPH radical scavenging potential was likewise noted both in CT and CTA at 20–100 µg/mL. The lowest inhibition was observed at 20 µg/mL (41.35% and 32.31%), while the highest was noted at 100 µg/mL (63.26% and 41.73%) for CT and CTA, respectively. CT showed cytotoxic effects against all cancer cell lines examined, with CTA exhibiting improved activity compared to CT against human lung (H460), breast (MCF-7), and colon (HCT116) cancer cell lines, with IC50 51.69 ± 5.13, 39.16 ± 9.21, and 38.52 ± 7.65, respectively. Findings from this research experimentally justify the ethnomedicinal claim of usage of C. trigyna in the treatment of cancer in southwestern Nigeria.
LED-Lidar Echo Denoising Based on Adaptive PSO-VMD
Authors: Peng Ziqi , Bai Hongzi , Shiina Tatsuo , Deng Jianglong , Liu Bei , Zhang Xian
Published: November 2022

LED (light-emitting diode)-lidar (light detection and ranging) has gradually been focused on by researchers because of its characteristics of low power, high stability, and safety to human eyes. However, LED-lidar systems are easily disturbed by background light noise. Echo signal denoising is an essential work that directly affects the measurement accuracy of the LED-lidar system. The traditional variational modal decomposition (VMD) method in lidar signal denoising relies on practical experience to optimize the critical parameters of quadratic penalty factor α and the number of intrinsic mode function (IMF) components K globally, which is hard to denoise effectively. For this problem, a denoising method based on VMD with the adaptive weighted particle swarm optimization (PSO) is proposed in this work. The PSO-VMD method adaptively adjusts the weight value ω for different lidar echo signals and optimizes of the parameters α and K globally. The LED-lidar echo signals are denoised by moving average, VMD, and PSO-VMD. Using the denoised echo signals, the range compensation waveforms and the extinction coefficients are derived. The results show that the PSO-VMD denoised echo signal has the highest R-square value of 0.9972 and the minimum standard deviation value of 5.7369, while the values of r-square and standard deviation of the echo signal denoised by moving average and VMD method are 0.9902, 9.7450, 0.9945, and 7.3588, respectively. The derived distance compensation waveforms and extinction coefficients based on the PSO-VMD denoising have better stability than those based on the moving average and VMD denoising.
Using Crypto-Asset Pricing Methods to Build Technical Oscillators for Short-Term Bitcoin Trading
Authors: Yang Zixiu , Fantazzini Dean
Published: November 2022

This paper examines the trading performances of several technical oscillators created using crypto-asset pricing methods for short-term bitcoin trading. Seven pricing models proposed in the professional and academic literature were transformed into oscillators, and two thresholds were introduced to create buy and sell signals. The empirical back-testing analysis showed that some of these methods proved to be profitable with good Sharpe ratios and limited max drawdowns. However, the trading performances of almost all methods significantly worsened after 2017, thus indirectly confirming an increasing financial literature that showed that the introduction of bitcoin futures in 2017 improved the efficiency of bitcoin markets.
Systematic Construction of Knowledge Graphs for Research-Performing Organizations
Authors: Chaves-Fraga David , Corcho Oscar , Yedro Francisco , Moreno Roberto , Olías Juan , De La Azuela Alejandro
Published: November 2022

Research-Performing Organizations (e.g., research centers, universities) usually accumulate a wealth of data related to their researchers, the generated scientific results and research outputs, and publicly and privately-funded projects that support their activities, etc. Even though the types of data handled may look similar across organizations, it is common to see that each institution has developed its own data model to provide support for many of their administrative activities (project reporting, curriculum management, personnel management, etc.). This creates obstacles to the integration and linking of knowledge across organizations, as well as difficulties when researchers move from one institution to another. In this paper, we take advantage of the ontology network created by the Spanish HERCULES initiative to facilitate the construction of knowledge graphs from existing information systems, such as the one managed by the company Universitas XXI, which provides support to more than 100 Spanish-speaking research-performing organizations worldwide. Our effort is not just focused on following the modeling choices from that ontology, but also on demonstrating how the use of standard declarative mapping rules (i.e., R2RML) guarantees a systematic and sustainable workflow for constructing and maintaining a KG. We also present several real-world use cases in which the proposed workflow is adopted together with a set of lessons learned and general recommendations that may also apply to other domains. The next steps include researching in the automation of the creation of the mapping rules, the enrichment of the KG with external sources, and its exploitation though distributed environments.
Deep Reinforcement Learning-Based iTrain Serious Game for Caregivers Dealing with Post-Stroke Patients
Authors: Maskeliunas Rytis , Damasevicius Robertas , Paulauskas Andrius , Ceravolo Maria Gabriella , Charalambous Marina , Kambanaros Maria , Pampoulou Eliada , Barbabella Francesco , Poli Arianna , Carvalho Carlos V.
Published: November 2022

This paper describes a serious game based on a knowledge transfer model using deep reinforcement learning, with an aim to improve the caretakers’ knowledge and abilities in post-stroke care. The iTrain game was designed to improve caregiver knowledge and abilities by providing non-traditional training to formal and informal caregivers who deal with stroke survivors. The methodologies utilized professional medical experiences and real-life evidence data gathered during the duration of the iTrain project to create the scenarios for the game’s deep reinforcement caregiver behavior improvement model, as well as the design of game mechanics, game images and game characters, and gameplay implementation. Furthermore, the results of the game’s direct impact on caregivers (n = 25) and stroke survivors (n = 21) in Lithuania using the Geriatric Depression Scale (GDS) and user experience questionnaire (UEQ) are presented. Both surveys had favorable outcomes, showing the effectiveness of the approach. The GDS scale (score 10) revealed a low number of 28% of individuals depressed, and the UEQ received a very favorable grade of +0.8.
CerealNet: A Hybrid Deep Learning Architecture for Cereal Crop Mapping Using Sentinel-2 Time-Series
Authors: Alami Machichi Mouad , El Mansouri Loubna , Imani Yasmina , Bourja Omar , Hadria Rachid , Lahlou Ouiam , Benmansour Samir , Zennayi Yahya , Bourzeix François
Published: November 2022

Remote sensing-based crop mapping has continued to grow in economic importance over the last two decades. Given the ever-increasing rate of population growth and the implications of multiplying global food production, the necessity for timely, accurate, and reliable agricultural data is of the utmost importance. When it comes to ensuring high accuracy in crop maps, spectral similarities between crops represent serious limiting factors. Crops that display similar spectral responses are notorious for being nearly impossible to discriminate using classical multi-spectral imagery analysis. Chief among these crops are soft wheat, durum wheat, oats, and barley. In this paper, we propose a unique multi-input deep learning approach for cereal crop mapping, called “CerealNet”. Two time-series used as input, from the Sentinel-2 bands and NDVI (Normalized Difference Vegetation Index), were fed into separate branches of the LSTM-Conv1D (Long Short-Term Memory Convolutional Neural Networks) model to extract the temporal and spectral features necessary for the pixel-based crop mapping. The approach was evaluated using ground-truth data collected in the Gharb region (northwest of Morocco). We noted a categorical accuracy and an F1-score of 95% and 94%, respectively, with minimal confusion between the four cereal classes. CerealNet proved insensitive to sample size, as the least-represented crop, oats, had the highest F1-score. This model was compared with several state-of-the-art crop mapping classifiers and was found to outperform them. The modularity of CerealNet could possibly allow for injecting additional data such as Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) bands, especially when optical imagery is not available.