bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Influence of Photon Beam and Motor Vibrations on At-Wavelength X-Ray Speckle Scanning Metrology
Authors: Tian Naxi , Jiang Hui , Xue Lian , Xie Jianan
Published: April 2022

Speckle scanning metrology is an effective tool to determine the X-ray wave front error in synchrotron radiation. By measuring wave front radii of curvature, X-ray optics can be high-precision aligned and adaptive optics can be used for compensating these wave front errors to pursue an aberration-free wave front. Photon beam and motor vibrations are the major limitations in characterizing the beam performances. An analytical model is presented in this article to reveal the influences of photon beams and motor vibrations on the measurements of the wave front radii of curvature. It is worth noting that the influence of low-frequency vibration is oscillatory and thus the selection of sampling frequency is strongly related. The experimental results verify the model and reveal the main dependency of the experimental deviations on the amplitude and frequency of vibrations.
The Effect of Nudging in Promoting the Consumption of Organic Fruits and Vegetables
Authors: Weimer Kerstin , Ahlström Richard , Esteves Francisco
Published: April 2022

A field study collecting behavioral data was conducted to investigate effects of behavioral interventions, commonly known as nudges, in promoting the consumption of organic fruits and vegetables. Consumption, both organically and conventionally produced fruits and vegetables, was measured in a grocery store during 4 days (1 day every other week) where consumers were exposed to informational messages in combination with either emotional images or social norm messages. Measurements of daily consumption without exposure to nudges were carried out during four other days (1 day every other week, alternated with the nudging days). The results showed no effect of the nudging strategy; instead, it pointed to the importance of the price as a determinant of buying decisions. Buying ecological alternatives was associated with lower price differences between the ecological and non-ecological alternatives. We conclude that combined nudges and collected psychological data from participants may contribute to more successful nudging interventions. Some political measures in balancing the price difference between organically and conventionally produced products might also be interesting strategies in order to promote the consumption of organic fruits and vegetables.
Rapid Automatized Naming as a Universal Marker of Developmental Dyslexia in Italian Monolingual and Minority-Language Children
Authors: Carioti Desiré , Stucchi Natale , Toneatto Carlo , Masia Marta Franca , Broccoli Martina , Carbonari Sara , Travellini Simona , Del Monte Milena , Riccioni Roberta , Marcelli Antonella , Vernice Mirta , Guasti Maria Teresa , Berlingeri Manuela
Published: April 2022

Rapid Automatized Naming (RAN) is considered a universal marker of developmental dyslexia (DD) and could also be helpful to identify a reading deficit in minority-language children (MLC), in which it may be hard to disentangle whether the reading difficulties are due to a learning disorder or a lower proficiency in the language of instruction. We tested reading and rapid naming skills in monolingual Good Readers (mGR), monolingual Poor Readers (mPR), and MLC, by using our new version of RAN, the RAN-Shapes, in 127 primary school students (from 3rd to 5th grade). In line with previous research, MLC showed, on average, lower reading performances as compared to mGR. However, the two groups performed similarly to the RAN-Shapes task. On the contrary, the mPR group underperformed both in the reading and the RAN tasks. Our findings suggest that reading difficulties and RAN performance can be dissociated in MLC; consequently, the performance at the RAN-Shapes may contribute to the identification of children at risk of a reading disorder without introducing any linguistic bias, when testing MLC.
A Scoping Review of Flow Research
Authors: Peifer Corinna , Wolters Gina , Harmat László , Heutte Jean , Tan Jasmine , Freire Teresa , Tavares Dionísia , Fonte Carla , Andersen Frans Orsted , van den Hout Jef , Šimleša Milija , Pola Linda , Ceja Lucia , Triberti Stefano
Published: April 2022

Flow is a gratifying state of deep involvement and absorption that individuals report when facing a challenging activity and they perceive adequate abilities to cope with it (EFRN, 2014). The flow concept was introduced by Csikszentmihalyi in 1975, and interest in flow research is growing. However, to our best knowledge, no scoping review exists that takes a systematic look at studies on flow which were published between the years 2000 and 2016. Overall, 252 studies have been included in this review. Our review (1) provides a framework to cluster flow research, (2) gives a systematic overview about existing studies and their findings, and (3) provides an overview about implications for future research. The provided framework consists of three levels of flow research. In the first “Individual” level are the categories for personality, motivation, physiology, emotion, cognition, and behavior. The second “Contextual” level contains the categories for contextual and interindividual factors and the third “Cultural” level contains cultural factors that relate to flow. Using our framework, we systematically present the findings for each category. While flow research has made progress in understanding flow, in the future, more experimental and longitudinal studies are needed to gain deeper insights into the causal structure of flow and its antecedents and consequences.
Parental Burnout Assessment (PBA) in Different Hispanic Countries: An Exploratory Structural Equation Modeling Approach
Authors: Manrique-Millones Denisse , Vasin Georgy M. , Dominguez-Lara Sergio , Millones-Rivalles Rosa , Ricci Ricardo T. , Abregu Rey Milagros , Escobar María Josefina , Oyarce Daniela , Pérez-Díaz Pablo , Santelices María Pía , Pineda-Marín Claudia , Tapia Javier , Artavia Mariana , Valdés Pacheco Maday , Miranda María Isabel , Sánchez Rodríguez Raquel , Morgades-Bamba Clara Isabel , Peña-Sarrionandia Ainize , Salinas-Quiroz Fernando , Silva Cabrera Paola , Mikolajczak Moïra , Roskam Isabelle
Published: April 2022

Parental burnout is a unique and context-specific syndrome resulting from a chronic imbalance of risks over resources in the parenting domain. The current research aims to evaluate the psychometric properties of the Spanish version of the Parental Burnout Assessment (PBA) across Spanish-speaking countries with two consecutive studies. In Study 1, we analyzed the data through a bifactor model within an Exploratory Structural Equation Modeling (ESEM) on the pooled sample of participants (N = 1,979) obtaining good fit indices. We then attained measurement invariance across both gender and countries in a set of nested models with gradually increasing parameter constraints. Latent means comparisons across countries showed that among the participants’ countries, Chile had the highest parental burnout score, likewise, comparisons across gender evidenced that mothers displayed higher scores than fathers, as shown in previous studies. Reliability coefficients were high. In Study 2 (N = 1,171), we tested the relations between parental burnout and three specific consequences, i.e., escape and suicidal ideations, parental neglect, and parental violence toward one’s children. The medium to large associations found provided support for the PBA’s predictive validity. Overall, we concluded that the Spanish version of the PBA has good psychometric properties. The results support its relevance for the assessment of parental burnout among Spanish-speaking parents, offering new opportunities for cross-cultural research in the parenting domain.
Handball Training and Competition With Facemasks in Galicia: The FISICOVID-DXTGALEGO Protocols Experience
Authors: Rico-Díaz Javier , Río-Rodríguez Dan , Gómez-Varela Joaquín , Martín-Acero Rafael
Published: April 2022

Objective

COVID-19 caused a complete stop in non-professional sports. The use of face masks for team sports is not a widely used measure in non-professional sports. The study aimed to evaluate the perception about using the mask and the adaptation difficulties related to training and competition in team sports following the FISICOVID-DXTGALEGO protocol.

Methods

Seven hundred eighty-seven handball players from the Galician Handball Federation were followed during their return to participation after months of confinement through an electronic questionnaire of perception and experience on the use of a mask.

Results

There is an excellent adaptation to the mask in training and competition with medium and high correlations. The 86,41% of players reported an adaptation to the mask in 3 weeks with a three times a week training frequency. The negative opinion on the mask was drastically reduced (-66.86%) after use. The 80,44% of players considered the use of a mask as an essential measure to resume competitions.

Conclusions

It is very feasible to adapt to training and compete with a mask (hygienic or surgical) in a short period. The use of a mask following these protocols changed previous opinions on the disadvantages of the mask during training and competition.
Mindfulness Affects the Level of Psychological Distress in Patients With Lung Cancer via Illness Perception and Perceived Stress: A Cross-Sectional Survey Study
Authors: Tian Xu , Tang Ling , Yi Li-Juan , Qin Xiao-Pei , Chen Gui-Hua , Jiménez-Herrera Maria F.
Published: April 2022

Purpose

The aims of the study were first to investigate the association between illness perception and psychological distress and second to determine whether mindfulness affects psychological distress via illness perception and perceived stress in patients with lung cancer.

Methods

Among 300 patients with lung cancer who participated in this cross-sectional study, 295 patients made valid responses to distress thermometer (DT), the Five Facet Mindfulness Questionnaire (FFMQ), the Brief Illness Perception Questionnaire (B-IPQ), and the Perceived Stress Scale (PSS) between January and July 2021. The possible pathways of mindfulness affecting psychological distress were analyzed based on the structural equation modeling analysis.

Results

A total of 24.4% patients with lung cancer had DT > 4. Illness perception (β = 0.17, p = 0.002) and perceived stress (β = 0.23, p < 0.001) had a direct effect on psychological distress. Mindfulness had a direct effect on illness perception (β = −0.16, p = 0.006) and mindfulness indirectly influenced psychological distress (β = −0.04, p = 0.009) through affecting illness perception alone or simultaneously affecting both the illness perception and perceived stress in patients with lung cancer.

Conclusion

Lung cancer suffered from varying levels of psychological distress. Mindfulness may alleviate psychological distress by reducing the level of illness perception and perceived stress. We suggest developing a comprehensive factor model to clarify potential mechanisms of mindfulness on psychological distress due to the very low effect of mindfulness on psychological distress via illness perception and perceived stress.
Modeling Psychometric Relational Data in Social Networks: Latent Interdependence Models
Authors: Hu Bo , Templin Jonathan , Hoffman Lesa
Published: April 2022

In the current paper, we propose a latent interdependence approach to modeling psychometric data in social networks. The idea of latent interdependence is adopted from social relations models (SRMs), which formulate a mutual-rating process by both dyad members’ characteristics. Under the framework of the latent interdependence approach, we introduce two psychometric models: The first model includes the main effects of both rating-sender and rating-receiver, and the second model includes a latent distance effect to assess the influence from the dissimilarity between the latent characteristics of both sides. The latent distance effect is quantified by the Euclidean distance between both sides’ trait scores. Both models use Bayesian estimation via Markov chain Monte Carlo. How accurately model parameters were estimated was evaluated in a simulation study. Parameter recovery results showed that all parameters were accurately recovered under most of the conditions investigated. As expected, the accuracy of model estimation was significantly improved as network size grew. Also, through analyzing empirical data, we showed how to use the estimates of model parameters to predict the latent weight of connections among group members and rebuild either a univariate or multivariate network at a latent trait level. Finally, we discuss issues regarding model comparison and offer suggestions for future studies.
Predicting Personality and Psychological Distress Using Natural Language Processing: A Study Protocol
Authors: Jang Jihee , Yoon Seowon , Son Gaeun , Kang Minjung , Choeh Joon Yeon , Choi Kee-Hong
Published: April 2022

Background

Self-report multiple choice questionnaires have been widely utilized to quantitatively measure one’s personality and psychological constructs. Despite several strengths (e.g., brevity and utility), self-report multiple choice questionnaires have considerable limitations in nature. With the rise of machine learning (ML) and Natural language processing (NLP), researchers in the field of psychology are widely adopting NLP to assess psychological construct to predict human behaviors. However, there is a lack of connections between the work being performed in computer science and that of psychology due to small data sets and unvalidated modeling practices.

Aims

The current article introduces the study method and procedure of phase II which includes the interview questions for the five-factor model (FFM) of personality developed in phase I. This study aims to develop the interview (semi-structured) and open-ended questions for the FFM-based personality assessments, specifically designed with experts in the field of clinical and personality psychology (phase 1), and to collect the personality-related text data using the interview questions and self-report measures on personality and psychological distress (phase 2). The purpose of the study includes examining the relationship between natural language data obtained from the interview questions, measuring the FFM personality constructs, and psychological distress to demonstrate the validity of the natural language-based personality prediction.

Methods

Phase I (pilot) study was conducted to fifty-nine native Korean adults to acquire the personality-related text data from the interview (semi-structured) and open-ended questions based on the FFM of personality. The interview questions were revised and finalized with the feedback from the external expert committee, consisting of personality and clinical psychologists. Based on the established interview questions, a total of 300 Korean adults will be recruited using a convenience sampling method via online survey. The text data collected from interviews will be analyzed using the natural language processing. The results of the online survey including demographic data, depression, anxiety, and personality inventories will be analyzed together in the model to predict individuals’ FFM of personality and the level of psychological distress (phase 2).
Comparison of Two Approaches to Enhance Self-Esteem and Self-Acceptance in Chinese College Students: Psychoeducational Lecture vs. Group Intervention
Authors: Qian Yi , Yu Xinnian , Liu Fulian
Published: April 2022

Objective

Self-esteem and self-acceptance are not only basic features but also influential factors of mental health. The present study aimed at assessing the effects of psychoeducational lecture and group intervention on self-esteem and self-acceptance in Chinese college students.

Methods

A total of 149 Chinese college students who participated in a mental health course were randomly class-based assigned into the psychoeducational lecture group (n = 62) and the self-focused intervention group (n = 87). The lecture group received 6-session psychoeducational lectures on overview of mental health, campus adaptation, stress adjustment, self-understanding, emotion management, and interpersonal relationships. The self-focused intervention group was treated with self-related group activities involving aspects of self-knowledge, self-feeling, and self-regulation for six sessions. Pre- and post-intervention measurements were taken with Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale and Self-Acceptance Questionnaire for both groups.

Results

Self-esteem significantly increased in both groups after six sessions. However, the enhancement of self-acceptance was more robust for the self-focused intervention group than the psychoeducational lecture group.

Conclusion

The psychoeducational lecture and self-focused intervention were effective approaches to improve self-esteem for Chinese college students. With respect to self-acceptance, self-focused group intervention might have a more prominent effect.
The ParentingWell Practice Approach: Adaptation of Let’s Talk About Children for Parents With Mental Illness in Adult Mental Health Services in the United States
Authors: Nicholson Joanne , Heyman Miriam , English Kelly , Biebel Kathleen
Published: April 2022

Background

Despite the importance of family and parent-focused practice, there has been a dearth of research on interventions for parents with mental illness. This paper describes the process and outcome of adapting an evidence-based intervention, Let’s Talk about Children (LTC), in the context of adult mental health services in Massachusetts, United States.

Methods

Specific objectives included: (1) to specify the core components, functions, and principles of LTC essential to adapting the intervention (i.e., program theory), (2) to consider contextual factors related to the new setting; (3) to pre-test the adapted materials with diverse practitioners; and (4) to compile the program model and materials (i.e., the practice profile) for use by adult mental health service providers in Massachusetts. The Adaptation Team included individuals with expertise in psychiatric rehabilitation and clinical care, policymaking, program development and research, and parents. Activities occurred between 2015–2019 and included: (1) consulting with experts to specify the core elements and theory behind the selected intervention (i.e., with the LTC purveyor and international experts); (2) consulting with key stakeholders for input regarding the Massachusetts target population and context to inform adaptations (i.e., individual and group key informant interview sessions); (3) pretesting the initial adapted materials (i.e., training and coaching sessions with adult mental health practitioners); and (4) using feedback to refine and compile the final intervention manual (i.e., the ParentingWell Practice Profile). Participants reflected diverse, oftentimes multiple roles and perspectives, including those of parents with mental illness, adult children, and family members.

Results

ParentingWell is practitioner- and setting-agnostic, addresses parenting across the lifespan, fits into the routine workflow, and builds on practitioners’ existing skills. Eight themes emerged, which were translated into four core elements (engage, explore, plan, access and advocate) consistent with Self-Determination Theory and four underlying principles (trauma-informed, strengths-based, family-focused, culturally sensitive) in keeping with the LTC model. The ParentingWell Practice Profile operationalizes each core element and addresses the underlying principles.

Conclusion

ParentingWell makes talking about parenting and family experiences a routine part of the therapeutic conversation with adults with mental illness. Future research will test the adaptation, implementation, and impact of ParentingWell.
Delivering Remote Measurement-Based Care in Community Addiction Treatment: Engagement and Usability Over a 6-Month Clinical Pilot
Authors: Hallgren Kevin A. , Cohn Eliza B. , Ries Richard K. , Atkins David C.
Published: April 2022

Objective

Measurement-based care (MBC) is an evidence-based practice in which patients routinely complete standardized measures throughout treatment to help monitor clinical progress and inform clinical decision-making. Despite its potential benefits, MBC is rarely used in community-based substance use disorder (SUD) treatment. In this pilot study, we evaluated the feasibility of incorporating a digital and remotely delivered MBC system into SUD treatment within a community setting by characterizing patients’ and clinicians’ engagement with and usability ratings toward the MBC system that was piloted.

Methods

A pilot study was conducted with 30 patients receiving SUD treatment and eight clinicians providing SUD treatment in a large, publicly funded addiction and mental health treatment clinic. Services as usual within the clinic included individual psychotherapy, case management, group therapy, peer support, and medication management for mental health and SUD, including buprenorphine. Patients who enrolled in the pilot continued to receive services as usual and were automatically sent links to complete a 22-item questionnaire, called the weekly check-in, via text message or email weekly for 24 weeks. Results of the weekly check-in were summarized on a clinician-facing web-based dashboard. Engagement was characterized by calculating the mean number of weekly check-ins completed by patients and the mean number times clinicians logged into the MBC system. Ratings of the MBC system’s usability and clinical utility were provided by patients and clinicians.

Results

Patient participants (53.3% male, 56.7% white, 90% Medicaid enrolled) completed a mean of 20.60 weekly check-ins (i.e., 85.8% of the 24 expected per patient). All but one participating clinician with a patient enrolled in the study logged into the clinician-facing dashboard at least once, with an average of 12.20 logins per clinician. Patient and clinician ratings of usability and clinical utility were favorable: most patients agreed with statements that the weekly check-in was easy to navigate and aided self-reflection. All clinicians who completed usability questionnaires agreed with statements indicating that the dashboard was easy to navigate and that it provided meaningful information for SUD treatment.

Conclusions

A digital and remotely delivered MBC system can yield high rates of patient and clinician engagement and high ratings of usability and clinical utility when added into SUD treatment as usual. The success of this clinical pilot may be attributable, in part, to the user-centered design processes that were used to develop and refine the MBC system that was piloted. Future efforts may focus on strategies to test whether MBC can be sustainably implemented and offers clinical benefits to patients in community SUD treatment settings.
Relation Between Unconjugated Bilirubin and Peripheral Biomarkers of Inflammation Derived From Complete Blood Counts in Patients With Acute Stage of Schizophrenia
Authors: Xu Haiting , Wei Yanyan , Zheng Lina , Zhang Hua , Luo Tangren , Li Hongjuan , Ma Jinbao , Chen Jingxu
Published: April 2022

Background

Inflammation and oxidative stress are the major leading hypothetical causes of schizophrenia. Unconjugated bilirubin (UCB) is an efficient endogenous plasma antioxidant. Inflammation is closely linked to oxidative stress. The relationship between UCB and inflammatory markers should be paid close attention in schizophrenia acute stage. In this paper, combined UCB and inflammatory markers were evaluated for their capability in predicting schizophrenia in the acute stage to find an easy and effective indicator to identify acute schizophrenia.

Methods

A total of 6,937 acute schizophrenia patients and 6,404 healthy controls (HCs) were enrolled. UCB and peripheral biomarkers of inflammation derived from complete blood counts (CBC) were investigated in the subjects with acute schizophrenia, and the results were compared with HCs. Simultaneously, Spearman test was employed to assess the correlation between the variables, while logistic regression was adopted to determine the combined equation and receiver operating characteristic curve was used to evaluate the combined value of UCB and peripheral biomarkers of inflammation derived from CBC to predict schizophrenia in the acute stage.

Results

The study indicates that white blood cells, neutrophil, monocyte, mean platelet volume (MPV), red cell distribution width (RDW), neutrophil/lymphocyte ratio (NLR), and monocyte/lymphocyte ratio (MLR) have significantly increased in schizophrenia (p < 0.05 for all), while platelet, lymphocyte, and platelet/lymphocyte ratio (PLR) in schizophrenia have significantly decreased (p < 0.05 for all). UCB exhibits negative correlation with MPV significantly (r = 0.121, p < 0.001), and no correlation with neutrophil and monocyte. The correlations between UCB and other peripheral biomarkers of inflammation derived from CBC are very weak. MPV, RDW, NLR, MLR, PLR, and UCB were taken as independent variables for a logistic regression analysis. The model was as follows:

Logit (P1)=-6.141+0.827 MPV+5.613 MLR-0.005 PLR-0.346 UBC.

The combination demonstrates better effectiveness in predicting schizophrenia in the acute stage (AUC 0.831, 95% CI 0.825 to 0.837).

Conclusion

UCB has a protective effect on acute stage of schizophrenia, which is weak and indirect by affecting the proinflammatory processes. Our findings suggest that a combination of MLR, MPV, PLR, and UBC could be used to predict acute stage of schizophrenia.
Effectiveness of De-Escalation in Reducing Aggression and Coercion in Acute Psychiatric Units. A Cluster Randomized Study
Authors: Celofiga Andreja , Kores Plesnicar Blanka , Koprivsek Jure , Moskon Miha , Benkovic Dominik , Gregoric Kumperscak Hojka
Published: April 2022

Objective

Most guidelines for the management of aggressive behavior in acute psychiatric patients describe the use of de-escalation as the first-choice method, but the evidence for its effectiveness is inconsistent. The aim of the study was to assess the effect of verbal and non-verbal de-escalation on the incidence and severity of aggression and the use of physical restraints in acute psychiatric wards.

Methods

A multi-center cluster randomized study was conducted in the acute wards of all psychiatric hospitals in Slovenia. The research was carried out in two phases, a baseline period of five consecutive months and an intervention period of the same five consecutive months in the following year. The intervention was implemented after the baseline period and included training in verbal and non-verbal de-escalation techniques for the staff teams on experimental wards.

Results

In the baseline study period, there were no significant differences in the incidence of aggressive behavior and physical restraints between the experimental and control groups. The incidence rates of aggressive events, severe aggressive events, and physical restraints per 100 treatment days decreased significantly after the intervention. Compared to the control group, the incidence rate of aggressive events was 73% lower in the experimental group (IRR = 0.268, 95% CI [0.221; 0.342]), while the rate of severe events was 86% lower (IRR = 0.142, 95% CI [0.107; 0.189]). During the intervention period, the incidence rate of physical restraints due to aggression in the experimental group decreased to 30% of the rate in the control group (IRR = 0.304, 95% CI [0.238; 0.386]). No reduction in the incidence of restraint used for reasons unrelated to aggression was observed. After the intervention, a statistically significant decrease in the severity of aggressive incidents (p < 0.001) was observed, while the average duration of restraint episodes did not decrease.

Conclusion

De-escalation training is effective in reducing the incidence and severity of aggression and the use of physical restraints in acute psychiatric units.

Clinical Trial Registration

[www.ClinicalTrials.gov], identifier [NCT05166278].
Research on Pathogenic Hippocampal Voxel Detection in Alzheimer's Disease Using Clustering Genetic Random Forest
Authors: Liu Wenjie , Cao Luolong , Luo Haoran , Wang Ying
Published: April 2022

Alzheimer's disease (AD) is an age-related neurological disease, which is closely associated with hippocampus, and subdividing the hippocampus into voxels can capture subtle signals that are easily missed by region of interest (ROI) methods. Therefore, studying interpretable associations between voxels can better understand the effect of voxel set on the hippocampus and AD. In this study, by analyzing the hippocampal voxel data, we propose a novel method based on clustering genetic random forest to identify the important voxels. Specifically, we divide the left and right hippocampus into voxels to constitute the initial feature set. Moreover, the random forest is constructed using the randomly selected samples and features. The genetic evolution is used to amplify the difference in decision trees and the clustering evolution is applied to generate offspring in genetic evolution. The important voxels are the features that reach the peak classification. The results demonstrate that our method has good classification and stability. Particularly, through biological analysis of the obtained voxel set, we find that they play an important role in AD by affecting the function of the hippocampus. These discoveries demonstrate the contribution of the voxel set to AD.
Ameliorative Effect of Oxytocin on FBN1 and PEPCK Gene Expression, and Behavioral Patterns in Rats' Obesity-Induced Diabetes
Authors: Elnagar Asmaa , El-Dawy Khalifa , El-Belbasi Hussein I. , Rehan Ibrahim F. , Embark Hamdy , Al-Amgad Zeinab , Shanab Obeid , Mickdam Elsayed , Batiha Gaber E. , Alamery Salman , Fouad Samer S. , Cavalu Simona , Youssef Mohammed
Published: April 2022

Amelioration of hyperinsulinemia and insulin resistance associated with obesity is a cardinal target for therapeutics. Therefore, we investigated the relation of Fibrilln-1 (FBN1) mRNA expression and hepatic phosphoenolpyruvate caboxykinase (PEPCK) enzyme to the ameliorative impact of oxytocin on obesity-induced diabetes, suggesting glycogenolysis markers in diabetic models. Four groups of forty male Wistar rats were formed (n = 10): a control group fed basal diet and intraperitoneal injections of saline; an oxytocin-injected group; a diet-induced obese group fed a high-fat/high-sugar diet and injected with saline; a diet-induced obese group injected with oxytocin. Depending on blood glucose levels, obese groups were further sub-grouped into prediabetic, and diabetic rats, with 5 rats each, at the ninth and the 16th week of the feeding period, respectively. FBN1 expression and PEPCK activity were determined using the qPCR technique and some biochemical parameters (glycemic, lipid profile, kidney, and liver functions) were determined using kits. Obese groups showed an elevation of brain FBN1 expression, high serum lipid profile, high glucose level, and a deleterious impact on liver and kidney functions. Obese groups showed the stimulator effect of the PEPCK enzyme and time-dependent pathological changes in renal and hepatic tissues. The motor activities were negatively correlated with FBN1 gene expression in prediabetic and diabetic rats. In addition to our previous review of the crucial role of asprosin, here we showed that oxytocin could ameliorate obesity-induced diabetes and decrease FBN1 gene expression centrally to block appetite. Oxytocin caused decreases in PEPCK enzyme activity as well as glycogenolysis in the liver. Therefore, oxytocin has a potential effect on FBN1 expression and PEPCK enzyme activity in the obesity-induced diabetic-rat model.
Grassroots and Youth-Led Climate Solutions From The Gambia
Authors: Bonell Ana , Badjie Jainaba , Jammeh Sariba , Ali Zakari , Hydara Muhammed , Davies Adesina , Faal Momodou , Ahmed Aliyu Nuhu , Hand William , Prentice Andrew M. , Murray Kris A. , Scheelbeek Pauline
Published: April 2022

Climate change and environmental degradation are among the greatest threats to human health. Youth campaigners have very effectively focused global attention on the crisis, however children from the Global South are often under-represented (sometimes deliberately) in the dialogue. In The Gambia, West Africa, the impacts of climate change are already being directly experienced by the population, and this will worsen in coming years. There is strong government and community commitment to adapt to these challenges, as evidenced by The Gambia currently being the only country on target to meet the Paris agreement according to the Nationally Determined Contributions, but again children's voices are often missing—while their views could yield valuable additional insights. Here, we describe a “Climate Change Solutions Festival” that targeted and engaged school children from 13 to 18 years, and is to our knowledge, the first peer-to-peer (and student-to-professional) learning festival on climate change solutions for students in The Gambia. The event gave a unique insight into perceived climate change problems and scalable, affordable and sometimes very creative solutions that could be implemented in the local area. Logistical and practical methods for running the festival are shared, as well as details on all solutions demonstrated in enough detail to be duplicated. We also performed a narrative review of the most popular stalls to explore the scientific basis of these solutions and discuss these in a global context. Overall, we find extremely strong, grass-roots and student engagement in the Gambia and clear evidence of learning about climate change and the impacts of environmental degradation more broadly. Nevertheless, we reflect that in order to enact these proposed local solutions further steps to evaluate acceptability of adoption, feasibility within the communities, cost-benefit analyses and ability to scale solutions are needed. This could be the focus of future experiential learning activities with students and partnering stakeholders.
A Micro-Level Analysis of Physiological Responses to COVID-19: Continuous Monitoring of Pregnant Women in California
Authors: Jimah Tamara , Kehoe Priscilla , Borg Holly , Pimentel Pamela , Rahmani Amir , Dutt Nikil , Guo Yuqing
Published: April 2022

Continuous monitoring of perinatal women in a descriptive case study allowed us the opportunity to examine the time during which the COVID-19 infection led to physiological changes in two low-income pregnant women. An important component of this study was the use of a wearable sensor device, the Oura ring, to monitor and record vital physiological parameters during sleep. Two women in their second and third trimesters, respectively, were selected based on a positive COVID-19 diagnosis. Both women were tested using the polymerase chain reaction method to confirm the presence of the virus during which time we were able to collect these physiological data. In both cases, we observed 3–6 days of peak physiological changes in resting heart rate (HR), heart rate variability (HRV), and respiratory rate (RR), as well as sleep surrounding the onset of COVID-19 symptoms. The pregnant woman in her third trimester showed a significant increase in resting HR (p = 0.006) and RR (p = 0.048), and a significant decrease in HRV (p = 0.027) and deep sleep duration (p = 0.029). She reported experiencing moderate COVID-19 symptoms and did not require hospitalization. At 38 weeks of gestation, she had a normal delivery and gave birth to a healthy infant. The participant in her second trimester showed similar physiological changes during the 3-day peak period. Importantly, these changes appeared to return to the pre-peak levels. Common symptoms reported by both cases included loss of smell and nasal congestion, with one losing her sense of taste. Results suggest the potential to use the changes in cardiorespiratory responses and sleep for real-time monitoring of health and well-being during pregnancy.
Prevalence and Drivers of COVID-19 Vaccine Booster Hesitancy Among German University Students and Employees
Authors: Attia Sameh , Mausbach Katharina , Klugar Miloslav , Howaldt Hans-Peter , Riad Abanoub
Published: April 2022

COVID-19 booster hesitancy (VBH) is a serious public health challenge which acts simultaneously with the waning vaccine-elicited immunity and the emerging viral variants to prolong the pandemic interval. Therefore, this study aimed to evaluate the prevalence of COVID-19 VBH among a highly educated subset of the German population and to explore the potential demographic, anamnestic, and psychosocial determinants of this problem. A cross-sectional survey-based study was conducted in December 2021 among German university students and employees to evaluate their attitudes toward COVID-19 vaccine booster (VB) doses. The study used a self-administered questionnaire that was developed and disseminated digitally, and the questionnaire inquired about participants' demographic characteristics, COVID-19-related anamnesis, COVID-19 vaccine-related anamnesis, and psychosocial predictors of COVID-19 VBH. A total of 930 participants were recruited, of which 608 (65.4%) were students, 682 (73.3%) were females, and their mean age was 29.08 ± 10.93 years. Fifty-five participants (5.9%) had been previously infected by COVID-19 and the vast majority of infections happened before the first vaccine dose. Over 95% of the participants had received at least one vaccine dose, and the most commonly administered vaccine was BNT162b2. The overall COVID-19 VB acceptance was satisfactory (87.8%) and induced by various altruistic promoters, e.g., family health protection, community health protection, and patients' health protection. The students (86.3%), the previously infected participants (76.4%), the participants who did not receive primer doses of COVID-19 vaccines (2.5 %), and those who were hospitalized (40%) and sought medical care/treatment after receiving primer doses (86.8%) were less likely to accept COVID-19 VB compared to the employees (90.7%), the participants who were not previously infected (88.6%) and those who received primer dose (91.7%), and the participants who were not hospitalized (92%) nor sought medical care/treatment after primer doses (92.9%), respectively. The perceived effectiveness of COVID-19 VB against severe illness (adjusted odds ratio “AOR”: 47.65–95% confidence interval “CI”: 23.65–96.49), symptomatic infection (AOR: 9.87–95% CI: 5.20–18.71), community transmission (AOR: 5.34–95% CI: 3.00–9.49) and emerging variants (AOR: 19.12–95% CI: 10.57–34.55) were key predictors for COVID-19 VB acceptance; therefore, it needs to be highlighted in vaccine messaging. In addition, the perceived safety of COVID-19 VB and ethical dilemmas of vaccine justice need to be addressed publicly.
Deep Data Analysis-Based Agricultural Products Management for Smart Public Healthcare
Authors: Yan Wenjing , Zhang Zesheng , Zhang Qingchuan , Zhang Ganggang , Hua Qiaozhi , Li Qiao
Published: April 2022

Agricultural is an indispensably public healthcare industry for human beings at any time and smart management of it is of great significance. Since substantial technical advance relies on long-term efforts and continuous progress, reasonably scheduling the distribution of agricultural products acts as a key aspect of smart public healthcare. The most intuitive factor affecting the distribution of agricultural products is its dynamic price. Forecasting price fluctuations in advance can optimize the distribution of agricultural products and pave the way to smart public healthcare. Most researchers study the prices of various agricultural products separately, without considering the interaction of different agricultural products in the time dimension. This study introduces a typical deep learning model named graph neural network (GNN) for this purpose and proposes deep data analysis-based agricultural products management for smart public healthcare (named GNN-APM for short). The highlight of GNN-APM is to take latent correlations among multiple types of agricultural products into consideration when modeling evolving rules of price sequences. A case study is set up with the use of real-world data of the agricultural products market. Simulative results reveal that the designed GNN-APM functions well.
TB-Net: A Tailored, Self-Attention Deep Convolutional Neural Network Design for Detection of Tuberculosis Cases From Chest X-Ray Images
Authors: Wong Alexander , Lee James Ren Hou , Rahmat-Khah Hadi , Sabri Ali , Alaref Amer , Liu Haiyue
Published: April 2022

Tuberculosis (TB) remains a global health problem, and is the leading cause of death from an infectious disease. A crucial step in the treatment of tuberculosis is screening high risk populations and the early detection of the disease, with chest x-ray (CXR) imaging being the most widely-used imaging modality. As such, there has been significant recent interest in artificial intelligence-based TB screening solutions for use in resource-limited scenarios where there is a lack of trained healthcare workers with expertise in CXR interpretation. Motivated by this pressing need and the recent recommendation by the World Health Organization (WHO) for the use of computer-aided diagnosis of TB in place of a human reader, we introduce TB-Net, a self-attention deep convolutional neural network tailored for TB case screening. We used CXR data from a multi-national patient cohort to train and test our models. A machine-driven design exploration approach leveraging generative synthesis was used to build a highly customized deep neural network architecture with attention condensers. We conducted an explainability-driven performance validation process to validate TB-Net's decision-making behavior. Experiments on CXR data from a multi-national patient cohort showed that the proposed TB-Net is able to achieve accuracy/sensitivity/specificity of 99.86/100.0/99.71%. Radiologist validation was conducted on select cases by two board-certified radiologists with over 10 and 19 years of experience, respectively, and showed consistency between radiologist interpretation and critical factors leveraged by TB-Net for TB case detection for the case where radiologists identified anomalies. The proposed TB-Net not only achieves high tuberculosis case detection performance in terms of sensitivity and specificity, but also leverages clinically relevant critical factors in its decision making process. While not a production-ready solution, we hope that the open-source release of TB-Net as part of the COVID-Net initiative will support researchers, clinicians, and citizen data scientists in advancing this field in the fight against this global public health crisis.
The Role of the Oral Immune System in Oropharyngeal Candidiasis-Facilitated Invasion and Dissemination of Staphylococcus aureus
Authors: Pasman Raymond , Krom Bastiaan P. , Zaat Sebastian A. J. , Brul Stanley
Published: April 2022

Candida albicansandStaphylococcus aureusaccount for most invasive fungal and bacterial bloodstream infections (BSIs), respectively. However, the initial point of invasion responsible forS. aureusBSIs is often unclear. Recently,C. albicanshas been proposed to mediateS. aureusinvasion of immunocompromised hosts during co-colonization of oral mucosal surfaces. The status of the oral immune system crucially contributes to this process in two distinct ways: firstly, by allowing invasiveC. albicansgrowth during dysfunction of extra-epithelial immunity, and secondly following invasion by some remaining function of intra-epithelial immunity. Immunocompromised individuals at risk of developing invasive oralC. albicansinfections could, therefore, also be at risk of contracting concordantS. aureusBSIs. Considering the crucial contribution of both oral immune function and dysfunction, the aim of this review is to provide an overview of relevant aspects of intra and extra-epithelial oral immunity and discuss predominant immune deficiencies expected to facilitateC. albicansinducedS. aureusBSIs.
Why Are Scientists Interested in Marine Sponges and Their Bacteria?
Authors: Dias Gabriel Rodrigues , de Carvalho Marianna Machado , Freitas-Silva Jéssyca , Laport Marinella Silva
Published: April 2022

When you think of sponges, what comes to your mind? Some people might think of bath, kitchen, or makeup sponges. In reality, those objects are all based on ancient living creatures found in aquatic environments, called marine sponges. These animals have bodies full of holes and live attached to a surface. Sadly, marine sponges are at risk of disappearing forever, because of the pollution of the oceans. Scientists discovered that various bacteria live inside sponges. These bacteria produce substances that can help sponges to get stronger and to thrive even in very polluted places. But what is even more interesting is that these substances can be used to improve human health and the health of the environment. Yet, we know little about the potential of this tiny and magnificent world. So, the research must continue!
Benign Pancreatic Neurofibroma with Malignant Imaging Features: A Case Report and Literature Review
Authors: Song Ling , Jiang Zhenpeng , Cui Jian , Gao BinYang , Luo Yan
Published: April 2022

Pancreatic neurofibroma is a very rare benign neurogenic tumor unrelated to neurofibromatosis type 1 (NF-1). As the volume increases, it has the risk of malignant transformation. The surgical prognosis of pancreatic neurofibroma is good, but its preoperative imaging features are very similar to those of malignant tumors, which may affect the formulation of treatment plans. This article reports a case of giant neurofibroma of the pancreas with contrast-enhanced ultrasound (CEUS) as one of the diagnostic methods and discusses the tumor’s preoperative clinical features, laboratory examinations, and imaging features.
Screening of Genes Related to Growth, Development and Meat Quality of Sahan Crossbred F1 Sheep Based on RNA-Seq Technology
Authors: Song Yali , Zhang Quanwei , Shi Jinping , Fu Lingjuan , Cheng Shuru
Published: April 2022

This study aimed to identify genes related to sheep growth, development and meat quality. Small-tailed Han sheep (STH), and small-tailed Han sheep and Suffolk crossbred F1 (STH×SFK), were selected to determine the growth performance, slaughter performance, and meat quality. The longissimus dorsi muscle was selected for transcriptome sequencing, and the target gene was screened based on bioinformatics analysis; real-time fluorescent quantitative PCR (RT-PCR) and western blotting (WB) were conducted to verify the target gene. Locations of genes in tissues were confirmed via immunofluorescence. The results showed that the pre-slaughter live weight, bust circumference, slaughter performance, and marbling score of the STH×SFK population were significantly higher than those of the STH population (P < 0.01). Sequencing results showed that 560 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were identified in the STH×SFK population, of which 377 exhibited up-regulated and 183 exhibited down-regulated expression levels. GO annotation revealed that DEGs could be classified into 13 cell components, 10 molecular functions, and 22 biological processes. The KEGG enrichment analysis showed that DEGs were mainly enriched in the Rap1 signaling pathway, Ras signaling pathway, and other pathways related to growth and meat quality. Based on the GO and KEGG analyses, four candidate genes related to sheep growth and meat quality, namely myostain (MSTN), interferon-related developmental regulator 1 (IFRD1), peroxisome proliferator activator receptor delta (PPARD), and myosin light chain 2 (MLC2 or MYL2), were screened. The expression levels of genes and proteins were verified via RT-PCR and WB, and the results were consistent with the trend of transcriptome sequencing. Immunofluorescence results showed that IFRD1 was expressed in the cytoplasm and nucleus, and MYL2 was expressed in the cytoplasm. This study revealed the mechanism of gene regulation of sheep growth and development at the molecular level and provided a theoretical basis for studying sheep genetics and breeding.