bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Role of Adiponectin Receptor 1 in Promoting Nitric Oxide-Mediated Flow-Induced Dilation in the Human Microvasculature
Authors: Cohen Katie E. , Katunaric Boran , Schulz Mary E. , SenthilKumar Gopika , Young Micaela S. , Mace James E. , Freed Julie K.
Published: April 2022

Chronic administration of exogenous adiponectin restores nitric oxide (NO) as the mediator of flow-induced dilation (FID) in arterioles collected from patients with coronary artery disease (CAD). Here we hypothesize that this effect as well as NO signaling during flow during health relies on activation of Adiponectin Receptor 1 (AdipoR1). We further posit that osmotin, a plant-derived protein and AdipoR1 activator, is capable of eliciting similar effects as adiponectin. Human arterioles (80–200 μm) collected from discarded surgical adipose specimens were cannulated, pressurized, and pre-constricted with endothelin-1 (ET-1). Changes in vessel internal diameters were measured during flow using videomicroscopy. Immunofluorescence was utilized to compare expression of AdipoR1 during both health and disease. Administration of exogenous adiponectin failed to restore NO-mediated FID in CAD arterioles treated with siRNA against AdipoR1 (siAdipoR1), compared to vessels treated with negative control siRNA. Osmotin treatment of arterioles from patients with CAD resulted in a partial restoration of NO as the mediator of FID, which was inhibited in arterioles with decreased expression of AdipoR1. Together these data highlight the critical role of AdipoR1 in adiponectin-induced NO signaling during shear. Further, osmotin may serve as a potential therapy to prevent microvascular endothelial dysfunction as well as restore endothelial homeostasis in patients with cardiovascular disease.
Optical Fingerprints of Nematicity in Iron-Based Superconductors
Authors: Degiorgi Leonardo
Published: April 2022

Nematicity, which refers to a phase of broken rotational but preserved translational symmetry, is underlined by the appearance of anisotropic properties and leaves remarkable fingerprints in all measurable physical quantities upon crossing the structural tetragonal-orthorhombic transition at Ts in several iron-based materials. Here, we review part of our own broadband optical investigations, addressing the impact of nematicity on the charge dynamics, as a function of temperature and of tunable applied stress, the latter acting as an external symmetry breaking field. We shall first focus our attention on FeSe, which undergoes a nematic (structural) transition without any subsequent onset of magnetic ordering below Ts. FeSe thus provides an opportunity to study nematicity without the limitations due to the reconstruction of the Fermi surface because of the spin-density-wave collective state in the orthorhombic phase, typical for several other iron-based superconductors. Our data reveal an astonishing anisotropy of the optical response in the mid-infrared-to-visible spectral range, which bears testimony of an important polarization of the underlying electronic structure in agreement with angle-resolved-photoemission-spectroscopy results. Our findings at high energy scales support models for the nematic phase resting on an orbital-ordering mechanism, supplemented by orbital selective band renormalization. The optical results at energies close to the Fermi level furthermore emphasize scenarios relying on scattering by anisotropic spin-fluctuations and shed new light on the origin of nematicity in FeSe. Moreover, the composition at which the associated Weiss temperature of the nematic susceptibility extrapolates to zero is found to be close to optimal doping (i.e., in coincidence with the largest superconducting transition temperature), boosting the debate to what extent nematic fluctuations contribute to the pairing-mechanism and generally affect the electronic structure of iron-based superconductors. The present review then offers a discussion of our optical data on the optimally hole-doped Ba0.6K0.4Fe2As2. We show that the stress-induced optical anisotropy in the infrared spectral range is reversible upon sweeping the applied stress and occurs only below the superconducting transition temperature. These findings demonstrate that there is a large electronic nematicity at optimal doping which extends right under the superconducting dome.
Impact of Myocardial Energy Expenditure and Diastolic Dysfunction on One Year Outcome Patients With HFpEF
Authors: Wang Yu , Cao Yalan , Xiang Shuting , Liang Shunji , Yang Xiumei , Zhu Ning , Fang Weiyi , Yu Qin
Published: April 2022

Objective: To explore the correlation between characteristics of myocardial energy expenditure (MEE) and the degree of diastolic dysfunction in patients of heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF) and its clinical significance.

Methods: 125 consecutive patients diagnosed with HFpEF in the Department of Cardiology, Affiliated Zhongshan Hospital of Dalian University from January 2018 to October 2018 were enrolled. According to the degree of diastolic dysfunction, patients were divided into group A (8 ≤ E/e' ≤15) and group B (E/e'> 15), and MEE was calculated, patients finished 1-year clinical follow-up.

Results: The level of MEE in group A was significantly lower than that in group B (p < 0.05). During 1-year follow up, MEE over 3145.69 kcal/systole was associated with increased risk of death as compared to patients with MEE less 3145.69 kcal/systole, and in patients with MEE over 101.68 kcal/min than in patients with MEE less than 101.68 kcal/min.

Conclusion: There is a significant correlation between MEE and diastolic dysfunction and MEE over 3145.69 kcal/systole as well as MEE over 101.68 kcal/min are linked with increased risk of 1-year mortality in HFpEF.
Wood Nutrient-Water-Density Linkages Are Influenced by Both Species and Environment
Authors: Lira-Martins Demetrius , Quesada Carlos Alberto , Strekopytov Stanislav , Humphreys-Williams Emma , Herault Bruno , Lloyd Jon
Published: April 2022

Tropical trees store a large amount of nutrients in their woody tissues, thus triggering the question of what the functional association of these elements with other wood traits is. Given the osmotic activity of mineral elements such as potassium, sodium, and calcium, these elements should be strong candidates in mediating the water storing capacity in tropical trees. We investigated the role of wood nutrients in facilitating wood water storage in trees by using branch samples from 48 tropical tree species in South America and examined their associations with wood density (ρ). Wood density varied from 316 kg/m3 in Peru plots, where the soil nutrient status is relatively higher, to 908 kg/m3 in Brazil plots, where the nutrient availability is lower. Phosphorus content in wood varied significantly between plots with lowest values found in French Guiana (1.2 mol/m3) and plots with highest values found in Peru (43.6 mol/m3). Conversely, potassium in woody tissues showed a significant cross-species variation with Minquartia guianensis in Brazil showing the lowest values (8.8 mol/m3) and with Neea divaricata in Peru having the highest values (114 mol/m3). We found that lower wood density trees store more water in their woody tissues with cations, especially potassium, having a positive association with water storage. Specific relationships between wood cation concentrations and stem water storage potential nevertheless depend on both species’ identity and growing location. Tropical trees with increased water storage capacity show lower wood density and have an increased reliance on cations to regulate this reservoir. Our study highlights that cations play a more important role in tropical tree water relations than has previously been thought, with potassium being particularly important.
Tracking Ideal Varieties and Cropping Techniques for Agroecological Weed Management: A Simulation-Based Study on Pea
Authors: Colbach Nathalie , Felten Emeline , Gée Christelle , Klein Antony , Lannuzel Laura , Lecomte Christophe , Maillot Thibault , Strbik Florence , Villerd Jean , Moreau Delphine
Published: April 2022

Pea or Pisum sativum L. is a key diversification crop, but current varieties are not very competitive against weeds. The objective was to identify, depending on the type of cropping system and weed flora, (1) the key pea parameters that drive crop production, weed control and weed contribution to biodiversity, (2) optimal combinations of pea-parameter values and crop-management techniques to maximize these goals. For this, virtual experiments were run, using FLORSYS, a mechanistic simulation model. This individual-based 3D model simulates daily crop-weed seed and plant dynamics over the years, from the cropping system and pedoclimate. Here, this model was parameterized for seven pea varieties, from experiments and literature. Moreover, ten virtual varieties were created by randomly combining variety-parameter values according to a Latin Hypercube Sampling (LHS) plan, respecting parameter ranges and correlations observed in the actual varieties. A global sensitivity analysis was run, using another LHS plan to combine pea varieties, crop rotations and management techniques in nine contrasting situations (e.g., conventional vs. organic, no-till, type of weed flora). Simulated data were analyzed with classification and regression trees (CART). We highlighted (1) Parameters that drive potential yield and competitivity against weeds (notably the ability to increase plant height and leaf area in shaded situations), depending on variety type (spring vs. winter) and cropping system. These are pointers for breeding varieties to regulate weeds by biological interactions; (2) Rules to guide farmers to choose the best pea variety, depending on the production goal and the cropping system; (3) The trade-off between increasing yield potential and minimizing yield losses due to weeds when choosing pea variety and management, especially in winter peas. The main pea-variety rules were the same for all performance goals, management strategies, and analyses scales, but further rules were useful for individual goals, strategies, and scales. Some variety features only fitted to particular systems (e.g., delayed pea emergence is only beneficial in case of herbicide-spraying and disastrous in unsprayed systems). Fewer variety rules should be compensated by more management rules. If one of the two main weed-control levers, herbicide or tillage, was eliminated, further pea-variety and/or management rules were needed.
Unlocking Drought-Induced Tree Mortality: Physiological Mechanisms to Modeling
Authors: Li Ximeng , Xi Benye , Wu Xiuchen , Choat Brendan , Feng Jinchao , Jiang Mingkai , Tissue David
Published: April 2022

Drought-related tree mortality has become a major concern worldwide due to its pronounced negative impacts on the functioning and sustainability of forest ecosystems. However, our ability to identify the species that are most vulnerable to drought, and to pinpoint the spatial and temporal patterns of mortality events, is still limited. Model is useful tools to capture the dynamics of vegetation at spatiotemporal scales, yet contemporary land surface models (LSMs) are often incapable of predicting the response of vegetation to environmental perturbations with sufficient accuracy, especially under stressful conditions such as drought. Significant progress has been made regarding the physiological mechanisms underpinning plant drought response in the past decade, and plant hydraulic dysfunction has emerged as a key determinant for tree death due to water shortage. The identification of pivotal physiological events and relevant plant traits may facilitate forecasting tree mortality through a mechanistic approach, with improved precision. In this review, we (1) summarize current understanding of physiological mechanisms leading to tree death, (2) describe the functionality of key hydraulic traits that are involved in the process of hydraulic dysfunction, and (3) outline their roles in improving the representation of hydraulic function in LSMs. We urge potential future research on detailed hydraulic processes under drought, pinpointing corresponding functional traits, as well as understanding traits variation across and within species, for a better representation of drought-induced tree mortality in models.
Transcriptome and Small RNA Sequencing Reveal the Mechanisms Regulating Harvest Index in Brassica napus
Authors: Zhang Chao , Chang Wei , Li Xiaodong , Yang Bo , Zhang Liyuan , Xiao Zhongchun , Li Jiana , Lu Kun
Published: April 2022

Harvest index (HI), the ratio of harvested seed weight to total aboveground biomass weight, is an economically critical value reflecting the convergence of complex agronomic traits. HI values in rapeseed (Brassica napus) remain much lower than in other major crops, and the underlying regulatory network is largely unknown. In this study, we performed mRNA and small RNA sequencing to reveal the mechanisms shaping HI in B. napus during the seed-filling stage. A total of 8,410 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) between high-HI and low-HI accessions in four tissues (silique pericarp, seed, leaves, and stem) were identified. Combining with co-expression network, 72 gene modules were identified, and a key gene BnaSTY46 was found to participate in retarded establishment of photosynthetic capacity to influence HI. Further research found that the genes involved in circadian rhythms and response to stimulus may play important roles in HI and that their transcript levels were modulated by differentially expressed microRNAs (DEMs), and we identified 903 microRNAs (miRNAs), including 46 known miRNAs and 857 novel miRNAs. Furthermore, transporter activity-related genes were critical to enhancing HI in good cultivation environments. Of 903 miRNAs, we found that the bna-miR396–Bna.A06SRp34a/Bna.A01EMB3119 pair may control the seed development and the accumulation of storage compounds, thus contributing to higher HI. Our findings uncovered the underlying complex regulatory network behind HI and offer potential approaches to rapeseed improvement.
Natural Variation in Vitamin B1 and Vitamin B6 Contents in Rice Germplasm
Authors: Mangel Nathalie , Fudge Jared B. , Gruissem Wilhelm , Fitzpatrick Teresa B. , Vanderschuren Hervé
Published: April 2022

Insufficient dietary intake of micronutrients contributes to the onset of deficiencies termed hidden hunger—a global health problem affecting approximately 2 billion people. Vitamin B1 (thiamine) and vitamin B6 (pyridoxine) are essential micronutrients because of their roles as enzymatic cofactors in all organisms. Metabolic engineering attempts to biofortify rice endosperm—a poor source of several micronutrients leading to deficiencies when consumed monotonously—have led to only minimal improvements in vitamin B1 and B6 contents. To determine if rice germplasm could be exploited for biofortification of rice endosperm, we screened 59 genetically diverse accessions under greenhouse conditions for variation in vitamin B1 and vitamin B6 contents across three tissue types (leaves, unpolished and polished grain). Accessions from low, intermediate and high vitamin categories that had similar vitamin levels in two greenhouse experiments were chosen for in-depth vitamer profiling and selected biosynthesis gene expression analyses. Vitamin B1 and B6 contents in polished seeds varied almost 4-fold. Genes encoding select vitamin B1 and B6 biosynthesis de novo enzymes (THIC for vitamin B1, PDX1.3a–c and PDX2 for vitamin B6) were differentially expressed in leaves across accessions contrasting in their respective vitamin contents. These expression levels did not correlate with leaf and unpolished seed vitamin contents, except for THIC expression in leaves that was positively correlated with total vitamin B1 contents in polished seeds. This study expands our knowledge of diversity in micronutrient traits in rice germplasm and provides insights into the expression of genes for vitamin B1 and B6 biosynthesis in rice.
Does a Low-Cost Act of Support Produce Slacktivism or Commitment? Prosocial and Impression-Management Motives as Moderators
Authors: Moussaoui Lisa Selma , Blondé Jerome , Phung Tiffanie , Tschopp Kim Marine , Desrichard Olivier
Published: April 2022

Increase or decrease in subsequent action following a low-cost act of support for a cause can be predicted from both commitment theory and the slacktivism effect. In this paper, we report on three studies that tested type of motivation (prosocial vs. impression management) as a moderator of the effect of an initial act of support [wearing a badge (S1) and writing a slogan (S2 and 3)] has on support for blood donation. Small-scale meta-analysis performed on data from the three studies shows that activating prosocial motivation generally leads to greater support for the cause after an initial act of support compared to the control condition, while the effect from impression-management motivation can either be negative or null.
Representing Context in FrameNet: A Multidimensional, Multimodal Approach
Authors: Torrent Tiago Timponi , Matos Ely Edison da Silva , Belcavello Frederico , Viridiano Marcelo , Gamonal Maucha Andrade , Costa Alexandre Diniz da , Marim Mateus Coutinho
Published: April 2022

Frame Semantics includes context as a central aspect of the theory. Frames themselves can be regarded as a representation of the immediate context against which meaning is to be construed. Moreover, the notion of frame invocation includes context as one possible source of information comprehenders use to construe meaning. As the original implementation of Frame Semantics, Berkeley FrameNet is capable of providing computational representations of some aspects of context, but not all of them. In this article, we present FrameNet Brasil: a framenet enriched with qualia relations and capable of taking other semiotic modes as input data, namely pictures and videos. We claim that such an enriched model is capable of addressing other types of contextual information in a framenet, namely sentence-level cotext and commonsense knowledge. We demonstrate how the FrameNet Brasil software infrastructure addresses contextual information in both database construction and corpora annotation. We present the guidelines for the construction of two multimodal datasets whose annotations represent contextual information and also report on two experiments: (i) the identification of frame-evoking lexical units in sentences and (ii) a methodology for domain adaptation in Neural Machine Translation that leverages frames and qualia for representing sentence-level context. Experimental results emphasize the importance of computationally representing contextual information in a principled structured fashion as opposed to trying to derive it from the manipulation of linguistic form alone.
Feeling Safe and Nostalgia in Healthy Aging
Authors: Fleury Julie , Sedikides Constantine , Wildschut Tim , Coon David W. , Komnenich Pauline
Published: April 2022

The population of older adults worldwide is growing, with an urgent need for approaches that develop and maintain intrinsic capacity consistent with healthy aging. Theory and empirical research converge on feeling safe as central to healthy aging. However, there has been limited attention to resources that cultivate feeling safe to support healthy aging. Nostalgia, “a sentimental longing for one’s past,” is established as a source of comfort in response to social threat, existential threat, and self-threat. Drawing from extant theory and research, we build on these findings to position nostalgia as a regulatory resource that cultivates feeling safe and contributes to intrinsic capacity to support healthy aging. Using a narrative review method, we: (a) characterize feeling safe as a distinct affective dimension, (b) summarize the character of nostalgia in alignment with feeling safe, (c) propose a theoretical account of the mechanisms through which nostalgia cultivates feeling safe, (d) highlight the contribution of nostalgia to feeling safe and emotional, physiological, and behavioral regulatory capabilities in healthy aging, and (e) offer conclusions and direction for research.
The Future of Collaborative Human-Artificial Intelligence Decision-Making for Mission Planning
Authors: Kase Sue E. , Hung Chou P. , Krayzman Tomer , Hare James Z. , Rinderspacher B. Christopher , Su Simon M.
Published: April 2022

In an increasingly complex military operating environment, next generation wargaming platforms can reduce risk, decrease operating costs, and improve overall outcomes. Novel Artificial Intelligence (AI) enabled wargaming approaches, based on software platforms with multimodal interaction and visualization capacity, are essential to provide the decision-making flexibility and adaptability required to meet current and emerging realities of warfighting. We highlight three areas of development for future warfighter-machine interfaces: AI-directed decisional guidance, computationally informed decision-making, and realistic representations of decision spaces. Progress in these areas will enable development of effective human-AI collaborative decision-making, to meet the increasing scale and complexity of today’s battlespace.
Recover From Failure: Examining the Impact of Service Recovery Stages on Relationship Marketing Strategies
Authors: Gao Jie , Yao Lixia , Xiao Xiao , Li Peizhe
Published: April 2022

Purpose

Given the digital transformation of service businesses by providing online food services and the influence of online reviews on consumers’ purchasing decisions, this study examines how service recovery attributes in different stages influence relationship marketing strategies, i.e., relationship quality and customer loyalty after service failure. This study is built upon a revised service recovery cycle model by accounting for three stages and their corresponding attributes; whereon a conceptual stage model of service recovery is proposed. This conceptual stage model incorporates stages of service recovery, their respective attributes, and how they influence relationship marketing strategies.

Design/methodology/approach

An online marketing company was employed for data collection in 2019, which resulted in 301 valid responses. A Structural Equation Model (SEM) was conducted with all the data to test the relationships between the constructs. The individual measurement model was tested using the Exploratory Factor Analysis (EFA) and Confirmatory Factor Analysis (CFA). A structural model was estimated using AMOS to test all the hypotheses.

Findings

The findings demonstrate that the attributes (i.e., response speed, compensation) paired with the first two stages of service recovery can significantly influence consumer loyalty in a positive state. The findings also manifest the intermediary role that relationship quality has played in the association of service recovery and consumer loyalty, which implies that the food delivery businesses could attain a more comprehended relationship quality with consumers through active and timely compensatory service recovery consumer loyalty to the food businesses.

Originality/value

This study examines how these different stages of the service recovery cycle influence the decision-making of relationship marketing strategies (i.e., relationship quality, customer loyalty) on the prerequisite of service failure. This study aspires to expand the service recovery research by objectifying a conceptual stage model of service recovery, incorporating stages’ recovery attributes and how these recovery attributes reciprocally influence relationship quality and customer loyalty.
A Triple-Network Dynamic Connection Study in Alzheimer's Disease
Authors: Meng Xianglian , Wu Yue , Liang Yanfeng , Zhang Dongdong , Xu Zhe , Yang Xiong , Meng Li
Published: April 2022

Alzheimer's disease (AD) was associated with abnormal organization and function of large-scale brain networks. We applied group independent component analysis (Group ICA) to construct the triple-network consisting of the saliency network (SN), the central executive network (CEN), and the default mode network (DMN) in 25 AD, 60 mild cognitive impairment (MCI) and 60 cognitively normal (CN) subjects. To explore the dynamic functional network connectivity (dFNC), we investigated dynamic time-varying triple-network interactions in subjects using Group ICA analysis based on k-means clustering (GDA-k-means). The mean of brain state-specific network interaction indices (meanNII) in the three groups (AD, MCI, CN) showed significant differences by ANOVA analysis. To verify the robustness of the findings, a support vector machine (SVM) was taken meanNII, gender and age as features to classify. This method obtained accuracy values of 95, 94, and 77% when classifying AD vs. CN, AD vs. MCI, and MCI vs. CN, respectively. In our work, the findings demonstrated that the dynamic characteristics of functional interactions of the triple-networks contributed to studying the underlying pathophysiology of AD. It provided strong evidence for dysregulation of brain dynamics of AD.
Complicated Appendicitis Among Adults With and Without Disabilities: A Cross-Sectional Nationwide Study in South Korea
Authors: Yeob Kyoung Eun , Kim So Young , Park Jong Eun , Park Jong Hyock
Published: April 2022

Objective

Appendicitis is usually diagnosed based on a reliable set of signs and symptoms, and can be effectively treated with surgery, with low morbidity and mortality rates. However, appendicitis is often overlooked in vulnerable populations, including people with disabilities. This study compared 10-year trends of complicated appendicitis between South Koreans with a disability, according to disability severity and type, and those without disabilities

Methods

To identify cases of appendicitis, we used the DRG codes in the National Health Information Database of South Korea. Patients with appendicitis were classified in terms of severity based on the DRG codes. Age-standardized incidence rates were calculated for each year during 2008–2017 according to the presence, type, and severity of the disability. Factors associated with complicated appendicitis were examined by multivariate logistic regression using the most recent data (i.e., 2016–2017).

Results

The incidence of complicated appendicitis was higher in people with disabilities, especially those with severe disabilities (26.9 vs. 11.6%). This difference was particularly marked when considering those with a severe disability (aOR = 1.868, 95% CI:1.511–2.309), internal organ problems (aOR = 10.000, 95% CI:5.365–18.638) or a mental disability (aOR = 2.779, 95% CI:1.563–4.939).

Conclusions

The incidence of complicated appendicitis was higher in people with disability than in those without disability in all years. There was a substantial difference in the incidence of complicated appendicitis between the severe disability and non-disabled groups. Among the various disability types, the incidence of complicated appendicitis was highest for major internal organ problems, followed by intellectual or psychological disabilities. Our findings may be explained by barriers to healthcare access among people with disabilities, particularly those with a severe disability, internal organ problem, or mental disability.
Effect of Resistance Training Methods and Intensity on the Adolescent Swimmer's Performance: A Systematic Review
Authors: Guo Wei , Soh Kim Geok , Zakaria Noor Syamilah , Hidayat Baharuldin Mohamad Taufik , Gao Yongqi
Published: April 2022

Background

Resistance training has been widely used in various sports and improves competition performance, especially in swimming. Swimming performance is highly dependent on muscle strength, especially short distances. For adolescent athletes, the existing literature has bound to prove that resistance training is undoubtedly bound to improve swimmers' performance.

Objectives

This study adopts a systematic literature review to (1) examine the effects of resistance training on the performance of adolescent swimmers, and (2) summarize their training methods and intensity.

Methods

The literature search was undertaken in five international databases: the SCOUPS, PubMed, EBSCOhost (SPORTDiscus), CNKL, Web of Science. The searches covered documents in English and Chinese published until 30th December 2020. Electronic databases using various keywords related to “strength training” and “adolescent swimmers” were searched. Sixteen studies met the inclusion and exclusion criteria where the data was then systematically reviewed using the PRISMA guideline. Furthermore, the physical therapy evidence database (PEDro) scale was used to measure each study's scientific rigor.

Results

This review found that to improve the swimming performance of adolescents, two types of resistance training were used, specifically in water and on land, where both types of training can improve swimming performance. In addition, training with two types of resistance machines were better in the water than with one equipment. Resistance training can improve the swimming performance of adolescent swimmers at 50 m, 100 m, 200 m and 400 m distances. However, most studies only focused on the swimming performance at 50 m and 100 m lengths. A low-intensity, high-speed resistance training programme is recommended for adolescent swimmers to obtain the best training results.

Conclusion

Water or land resistance training can improve the swimming performance. Given that both types of exercises have their strengths and weaknesses, combining these methods may enhance the swimmers' performance. In addition, despite the starting and turning phases consuming up to one-third of the total swimming time for short distances, literature in this area is limited.

Systematic Review Registration

https://www.crd.york.ac.uk/prospero, identifier: CRD42021231510.
Estimation of Daily Ground-Received Global Solar Radiation Using Air Pollutant Data
Authors: Zhang Xinshuo , Zhang Mengli , Cui Yong , He Ying
Published: April 2022

Ground-received solar radiation is affected by several meteorological and air pollution factors. Previous studies have mainly focused on the effects of meteorological factors on solar radiation, but research on the influence of air pollutants is limited. Therefore, this study aimed to analyse the effects of air pollution characteristics on solar radiation. Meteorological data, air quality index (AQI) data, and data on the concentrations of six air pollutants (O3, CO, SO2, PM10, PM2.5, and NO2) in nine cities in China were considered for analysis. A city model (model-C) based on the data of each city and a unified model (model-U) based on national data were established, and the key pollutants under these conditions were identified. Correlation analysis was performed between each pollutant and the daily global solar radiation. The correlation between O3 and daily global solar radiation was the highest (r = 0.575), while that between SO2 and daily global solar radiation was the lowest. Further, AQI and solar radiation were negatively correlated, while some pollution components (e.g., O3) were positively correlated with the daily global solar radiation. Different key pollutants affected the solar radiation in each city. In Shenyang and Guangzhou, the driving effect of particles on the daily global solar radiation was stronger than that of pollutants. However, there were no key pollutants that affect solar radiation in Shanghai. Furthermore, the prediction performance of model-U was not as good as that of model-C. The model-U showed a good performance for Urumqi (R2 = 0.803), while the difference between the two models was not particularly significant in other areas. This study provides significant insights to improve the accuracy of regional solar radiation prediction and fill the gap regarding the absence of long-term solar radiation monitoring data in some areas.
Strengthening the Surveillance of Antimicrobial Resistance in India Using Integrative Technologies
Authors: Kaur Jasleen , Kaur Jasmine , Dhama Ajay Singh , Jindal Shelja , Walia Kamini , Singh Harpreet
Published: April 2022

Background:

The antimicrobial resistance (AMR) situation in India is alarming. In the absence of newer antibiotics, the best possible approach is to efficiently use the existing antimicrobials through surveillance of resistance. The data generated by AMR surveillance across the country has immense potential to drive policy decisions. However, this data is available in a variety of sources. It is imperative to have tools to integrate the data generated across the country into a single data repository.

Methods

An ensemble of tools (i-AMRSS, i-DIA, and i-AMRIT) have been designed and developed by the data management team at the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) to strengthen surveillance of antimicrobial resistance in India.

Results

The i-AMRSS is a web-based ICMR's AMR surveillance system, collecting data from tertiary care centers across the country and sending it to the one-stop data repository. The i-DIA is a web-based API that simplifies the AMR data interoperability by seamlessly importing most of the LIS / HIS data from CSV files into a central, one-stop data repository. The i-AMRIT is a standalone ICMR's AMR surveillance system using integrative technologies, collecting data from all the labs across the country and sending the lab-specific cumulative data to the one-stop data repository.

Discussion

The tools are being used in ICMR's AMR Network and have collected over 0.4 million patient records to date. The complete system is presently being used to capture human susceptibility testing data and can be extended for capturing data using the ‘One Health' approach. The authors plan to make the system compliant with FHIR standards to enable interoperability with other countries.
Multimorbidity Patterns in a National HIV Survey of South African Youth and Adults
Authors: Roomaney Rifqah Abeeda , van Wyk Brian , Cois Annibale , Pillay-van Wyk Victoria
Published: April 2022

Introduction

Information pertaining to multimorbidity is frequently informed by studies from high income countries and it is unclear how these findings relate to low and middle income countries, where the burden of infectious disease is high. South Africa has a quadruple burden of disease which includes a high HIV prevalence and a growing burden of non-communicable diseases. This study aimed to analyse the prevalence and patterns (disease classes or clusters) of multimorbidity in South Africa.

Methods

A secondary analysis of individuals over the age of 15 years who participated in the Fifth South African National HIV Prevalence, Incidence, Behavior and Communication Survey, 2017 (SABSSM 2017) was done. Six disease conditions were identified in the analysis (cancer, diabetes, heart disease, hypertension/high blood pressure, tuberculosis, and HIV). Chi-square tests were used to test for the differences in disease prevalence by sex. Common disease patterns were identified using a latent class analysis.

Results

The sample included 27,896 participants, of which 1,837 had comorbidity or multimorbidity. When taking population-weighting into account, multimorbidity was present in 5.9% (95% CI: 5.4–6.4) of the population The prevalence of multimorbidity tended to be higher among females and increased with age, reaching 21.9% in the oldest age group (70+). The analyses identified seven distinct disease classes in the population. The largest class was “Diabetes and Hypertension” (36.3%), followed by “HIV and Hypertension” (31.0%), and “Heart disease and Hypertension” (14.5%). The four smaller classes were: “HIV, Diabetes, and Heart disease” (6.9%), “TB and HIV” (6.3%), “Hypertension, TB, and Cancer” (2.8%), and “All diseases except HIV” (2.2%).

Conclusion

As the South African population continues to age, the prevalence of multimorbidity is likely to increase which will further impact the health care system. The prevalence of multimorbidity in the population was relatively low but reached up to 20% in the oldest age groups. The largest disease cluster was the combination of diabetes and hypertension; followed by HIV and hypertension. The gains in improving adherence to antiretrovirals amongst treatment-experienced people living with HIV, should be expanded to include compliance with lifestyle/behavioral modifications to blood pressure and glucose control, as well as adherence to anti-hypertension and anti-diabetic medication. There is an urgent need to improve the early diagnosis and treatment of disease in the South African population.
Inspired by Imagination: How Imagery Can Help You Be Better at Sport
Authors: Munroe-Chandler Krista J. , Muir Irene L. , Ely Frank O.
Published: April 2022

Have you ever pictured yourself scoring the game-winning goal or staying calm at a crucial point in a match or performance? If you answered yes to either of these, then you have used a mental skill called imagery. Imagery is creating (or recreating) situations in your mind. Many top athletes in the world use imagery to help them perform at their best. In fact, just like any physical skill, such as running or a tennis serve, imagery improves with practice. In this article, we explain how imagery works, suggest what to image, and explain when and where you can use imagery to improve sport performance.
Magnetic Fluctuations Associated With Small-Scale Magnetic Holes in the Martian Magnetosheath
Authors: Chen Yangjun , Wu Mingyu , Xiao Sudong , Du Aimin , Wang Guoqiang , Chen Yuanqiang , Pan Zonghao , Zhang Tielong
Published: April 2022

Small-scale magnetic holes are common magnetic structures with a spatial scale always smaller than one thermal proton gyroradius (ρi) in the turbulent planetary magnetosheath. However, the contribution of small-scale MHs to dissipating energy and transporting particles in turbulent plasmas is still unclear. In this work, we investigate magnetic fluctuations around small-scale MHs in the Martian magnetosheath and compute their spectral indices in the kinetic frequency range. Our statistical results show that the spectral index value gradually decreases from the bow shock to the induced magnetosphere boundary at the nightside of Mars. Small-scale MHs have an obvious influence on the spectral indices of the magnetic fluctuations by their high-frequency components. For most events, these MHs lead to a variation in the spectral index in the kinetic range, and such a variation can be very significant in more than 20% of events. Our results indicate that because of the existence of MHs, using the spectral index alone as a diagnostic sometimes is not enough convincing during the analysis of turbulence in planetary environments.
Vegetarian and Vegan Private Label Products as a Challenging Trend in Addressing the Customers Within Sustainable Food Consumption—A Case Study of Slovakia
Authors: Košičiarová Ingrida , Kádeková Zdenka , Šedík Peter , Smutka Ĺuboš
Published: April 2022

The meat consumption at the current level is highly unsustainable. Because of the problems that meat production causes to the environment, it is considered as one of the main problems. Vegetarian and vegan private label products represent a new challenging trend in addressing the customers within sustainable food consumption at affordable prices. The submitted paper aimed to find out whether Slovak consumers know and subsequently buy products of the private brand targeted on vegans and vegetarians, in which product categories they do so, how they perceive them and what attracts and discourages them. The research was carried out in the period from September to December 2020, when a total of 2,011 respondents from all over Slovakia took part. As we have focused only on consumers who know the product line of private labels targeted on vegans and vegetarians (product line of vegan and vegetarian products), we have further analyzed and interpreted only the answers of 978 respondents. For the need to obtain the main aim of the research, we have formulated four theoretical assumptions and five hypotheses, whose veracity was verified with the use of selected statistical methods and techniques processed out at statistical programs XL Stat, SAS Enterprise Guide 7.1. and SAS 9.4. The key finding of our research is, that even if it could be assumed that the products of this specific private label will be bought only by respondents from the vegan or vegetarian category, the opposite is true—the private label is known and bought by the respondents from the category “I eat everything,” which means that it is necessary to think about this product line, to wider it and continue in the improvement of its quality as this is what the customers want.
The Effect of Body Mass Index on Outcome Following Ambulatory High Ligation and Stripping for Lower Varicose Veins: A Prospective Cohort Study
Authors: Chen Chu Wen , Cai Yu T. , Wang Jia R. , Wu Zhou P. , Liu Yang , Huang Bing , Yang Yi , Yuan Ding , Ma Yu K. , Zhao Ji C.
Published: April 2022

Objectives

The effects of body mass index (BMI) on the outcome of high ligation and stripping (HLS) in an ambulatory center remain unclear. This study aims to investigate the outcomes of HLS in an ambulatory center based on BMI in the Chinese population.

Design

This was a prospective cohort study with mid-term follow-up.

Materials and Methods

170 eligible patients were included in the study and the data of Clinical, Etiology, Anatomy, and Pathophysiology (CEAP) classification, Venous Clinical Severity Score (VCSS), Visual Analogue Score (VAS), Aberdeen Varicose Veins Questionnaire (AVVQ), Quality of Recovery (QoR-15), and postoperative complications at predetermined time points were collected.

Results

A total of 170 patients (236 limbs) with a mean age of 53.87 ± 9.96 years (range, 24–80 years) and a mean BMI of 23.86 ± 2.96 kg/m2 were included. Of the group, 50.6% were women, and 66 patients received bilateral procedures. Through curve fitting, a BMI less than 28 and a BMI of 28 or higher were found to have a negative [−0.1 (−0.3, 0.1) 0.296] and positive [0.7 (0.2, 1.2) 0.006] relationship trend, respectively, with the improvement of VCSS at 6 weeks after surgery. Through smooth curve fitting, BMI was shown to have a negative relationship trend on the improvement of VCSS at 6 months after surgery. After multivariable risk adjustment for potential confounding factors, BMI was not found to be associated with the improvement of VCSS and AVVQ at 6 weeks after surgery, as well as the improvement of AVVQ at 6 months after surgery (all p-values >0.05). Six months after surgery, BMI was shown to have a negative relationship trend on the improvement of VCSS, and obese patients showed lower VCSS improvement than patients of normal BMI [−1.3 (−1.9, −0.7) <0.0001]. Six weeks after surgery, postoperative complications such as paresthesia were found to be significantly higher in the obese group than in the non-obese group (p < 0.05). At 6 months after surgery, the obese group showed significantly higher complications of the legs compared with the normal BMI group (p < 0.05).

Conclusions

Our results showed that obesity is a risk factor for prognosis and postoperative complications following ambulatory HLS.
The Prognostic Value of Multiple Systemic Inflammatory Biomarkers in Preoperative Patients With Non-small Cell Lung Cancer
Authors: Wang Kai , Zhao Qidi , Yan Tao , Guo Deyu , Liu Jichang , Wang Guanghui , Du Jiajun
Published: April 2022

Introduction

The preoperative inflammatory and nutrient status of the patient are closely correlated to the outcome of surgery-based treatment for non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). We aimed to investigate the prognostic value of inflammation and nutrient biomarkers in preoperative patients with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) by constructing a prognostic predictive model.

Methods

We retrospectively studied 995 patients with NSCLC who underwent surgery in the Shandong Provincial Hospital and randomly allocated them into the training and validation group with a ratio of 7:3. We then compared their prognostic performance and conducted univariate Cox analyses with several clinicopathological variables. Based on the performance of the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves and decision curves analysis (DCA), the prognostic model was optimized and validated.

Result

The median overall overall survival (OS) of patients was 74 months. Univariate Cox analysis indicated that fifteen inflammatory biomarkers were significantly correlated with OS (p < 0.100). Multivariate Cox analysis revealed that the model incorporating grade, age, stage, basophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (BLR, ≥0.00675 vs. < 0.00675) and albumin-to-globulin ratio (AGR, ≥1.40 vs. <1.40) showed the maximum area under the curve (AUC, 0.744). The C-index in the training and validation group was 0.690 and 0.683, respectively. The 3-year integrated discrimination improvement (IDI) compared to TNM (Tumor Node Metastasis) stage was 0.035 vs. 0.011 in the training and validation group, respectively.

Conclusions

Lower AGR, ANRI, and higher BLR were associated with a worse outcome for patients with NSCLC. We constructed a prognostic nomogram with risk stratification based on inflammatory and nutrient biomarkers. The discrimination and calibration abilities of the model were evaluated to confirm its validity, indicating the potential utility of this prognostic model for clinical guidance.
Immunization With Recombinant Haemonchus contortus Y75B8A.8 Partially Protects Local Crossbred Female Goats From Haemonchus contortus Infection
Authors: Tian Xiaowei , Lu Mingmin , Bu Yongqian , Zhang Yang , Aimulajiang Kalibixiati , Liang Meng , Li Charles , Yan Ruofeng , Xu Lixin , Song Xiaokai , Li Xiangrui
Published: April 2022

Haemonchus contortus Y75B8A.8 (Hc8) derived from H. contortus excretory–secretory (ES) products was identified as a functional inhibitor of goat interleukin 2 (IL-2). It may act as a vaccine candidate for the development of therapeutic strategies against H. contortus infection. In this research, recombinant Hc8 (rHc8) and goat anti-rHc8 polyclonal antibodies were employed to evaluate the protective capacities of Hc8 antigen against H. contortus infections via active and passive immunization trials, respectively. In both trials, local crossbred female goats aged 9–12 months old were randomly divided into three groups, five in each group, respectively. Parasitological examinations, including fecal egg counts (FEC), cumulative FEC (cFEC), and worm burdens, were performed. In addition, antibody levels in mucosal homogenate (MH) samples and hematological and immunological parameters were detected. In the passive trial, goats were intravenously immunized with 5 mg total IgG containing anti-rHc8 goat polyclonal antibodies. After twice immunization, compared with the challenged control group, cFEC was reduced by 39%. In addition, there was a 46% reduction of worm burdens compared with the challenged controls. In the active immunization trials, 500 μg of recombinant Hc8 protein was given subcutaneously twice to 9–12-month-old local crossbred female goats with a 2-week interval, resulting in the generation of high levels of antigen-specific circulating antibodies. Besides, cFEC and abomasal worm burden were reduced by 70 and 55%, respectively, compared with the challenged control group. In addition, immunized goats had higher mucosal homogenate IgA and hemoglobin levels than the challenged controls in both passive and active immunization trials. These preliminary results demonstrated the immunoprophylactic effects of Hc8 antigen and will inform new studies on ES proteins in developing subunit recombinant vaccines against H. contortus.