bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
On the potential of drug repurposing in dysphagia treatment: New insights from a real-world pharmacovigilance study and a systematic review
Authors: Battini Vera , Rocca Sara , Guarnieri Greta , Bombelli Anna , Gringeri Michele , Mosini Giulia , Pozzi Marco , Nobile Maria , Radice Sonia , Clementi Emilio , Schindler Antonio , Carnovale Carla , Pizzorni Nicole
Published: March 2023

Background: Polypharmacy is common in patients with dysphagia. Routinely used drugs may influence swallowing function either improving or worsening it. We aimed to explore the potential effects of three commonly used drug classes on dysphagia and aspiration pneumonia through a systematic review and a real-world data analysis to probe the possibility of drug repurposing for dysphagia treatment.

Material and Methods: Five electronic databases were searched. Studies on adults at risk for dysphagia, treated with Dipeptidyl-Peptidase IV Inhibitors (DPP-4i), Adrenergic Beta-Antagonists (beta-blockers), or Angiotensin-Converting Enzyme Inhibitors (ACEi), and reporting outcomes on dysphagia or aspiration pneumonia were included. A nested case/non-case study was performed on adverse events recorded in the FDA Adverse Event Reporting System (FAERS) on patients >64 years. Cases (dysphagia or aspiration pneumonia) were compared between patients only treated with Levodopa and patients who were concomitantly treated with the drugs of interest.

Results: Twenty studies were included in the review (17 on ACEi, 2 on beta-blockers, and 1 on DPP-4i). Contrasting findings on the effects of ACEi were found, with a protective effect mainly reported in Asian studies on neurological patients. Beta-blockers were associated with a reduced dysphagia rate. The study on DPP-4i suggested no effect on dysphagia and an increased risk of aspiration pneumonia. The FAERS analysis showed a reduction of the risk for dysphagia/aspiration pneumonia with ACEi, beta-blockers, and DPP-4i.

Conclusion: Our study explores the potential drug repurposing of ACEi, beta-blockers and DPP-4i in neurological patients with dysphagia to improve swallowing function and reduce aspiration pneumonia risk. Future randomized controlled studies should confirm these results and clarify the underlying mechanisms of action.
Sorafenib increases cytochrome P450 lipid metabolites in patient with hepatocellular carcinoma
Authors: Leineweber Can G. , Rabehl Miriam , Pietzner Anne , Rohwer Nadine , Rothe Michael , Pech Maciej , Sangro Bruno , Sharma Rohini , Verslype Chris , Basu Bristi , Sengel Christian , Ricke Jens , Schebb Nils Helge , Weylandt Karsten-H. , Benckert Julia
Published: March 2023

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is a leading cause of cancer death, and medical treatment options are limited. The multikinase inhibitor sorafenib was the first approved drug widely used for systemic therapy in advanced HCC. Sorafenib might affect polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA)-derived epoxygenated metabolite levels, as it is also a potent inhibitor of the soluble epoxide hydrolase (sEH), which catalyzes the conversion of cytochrome-P450 (CYP)-derived epoxide metabolites derived from PUFA, such as omega-6 arachidonic acid (AA) and omega-3 docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), into their corresponding dihydroxy metabolites. Experimental studies with AA-derived epoxyeicosatrienoic acids (EETs) have shown that they can promote tumor growth and metastasis, while DHA-derived 19,20-epoxydocosapentaenoic acid (19,20-EDP) was shown to have anti-tumor activity in mice. In this study, we found a significant increase in EET levels in 43 HCC patients treated with sorafenib and a trend towards increased levels of DHA-derived 19,20-EDP. We demonstrate that the effect of sorafenib on CYP- metabolites led to an increase of 19,20-EDP and its dihydroxy metabolite, whereas DHA plasma levels decreased under sorafenib treatment. These data indicate that specific supplementation with DHA could be used to increase levels of the epoxy compound 19,20-EDP with potential anti-tumor activity in HCC patients receiving sorafenib therapy.
Two-stage frequency compensation for Doppler shift on BPSK transceiver with LDPC codes for free-space optical communication systems
Authors: Meng Jiacheng , Wei Tingting , Wang Yufei , Bai Zhaofeng , Wu Junxia , Gao Duorui , Xie Zhuang , Zheng Yunqiang , Nie Wenchao , Wei Sentao , Wang Wei , Xie Xiaoping
Published: March 2023

The deployment of low earth orbits is seen as a promising way of enlarging data capacities as well as high data rates. Catering to these interests, optical communication presents possible ways of larger bandwidth than microwave communication. The current generation of mainstream communication systems are classified as coherent systems and incoherent systems, and in particular, coherent systems have received more attention owing to their high receiving sensitivity. This study investigates a digital coherent transceiver, based on binary phase-shift keying technology. As coherent demodulation will be affected by considering the Doppler shift effect in digital demodulation, Doppler shift of ± GHz can be compensated by adopting a two-stage frequency offset compensation. Moreover, by leveraging a fast filtering algorithm a considerable amount of resource consumption is saved in its engineering implementation, and its sensitivity can be significantly enhanced via a high-speed parallel error-correction codec based on low-density parity-check technology.
Hypothyroidism impairs development of the gastrointestinal tract in the ovine fetus
Authors: Young Rhian , Lewandowska Dominika , Long Emily , Wooding F. B. Peter , De Blasio Miles J. , Davies Katie L. , Camm Emily J. , Sangild Per T. , Fowden Abigail L. , Forhead Alison J.
Published: March 2023

Growth and maturation of the fetal gastrointestinal tract near term prepares the offspring for the onset of enteral nutrition at birth. Structural and functional changes are regulated by the prepartum rise in cortisol in the fetal circulation, although the role of the coincident rise in plasma tri-iodothyronine (T3) is unknown. This study examined the effect of hypothyroidism on the structural development of the gastrointestinal tract and the activity of brush-border digestive enzymes in the ovine fetus near term. In intact fetuses studied between 100 and 144 days of gestation (dGA; term ∼145 days), plasma concentrations of T3, cortisol and gastrin; the mucosal thickness in the abomasum, duodenum, jejunum and ileum; and intestinal villus height and crypt depth increased with gestational age. Removal of the fetal thyroid gland at 105–110 dGA suppressed plasma thyroxine (T4) and T3 concentrations to the limit of assay detection in fetuses studied at 130 and 144 dGA, and decreased plasma cortisol and gastrin near term, compared to age-matched intact fetuses. Hypothyroidism was associated with reductions in the relative weights of the stomach compartments and small intestines, the outer perimeter of the intestines, the thickness of the gastric and intestinal mucosa, villus height and width, and crypt depth. The thickness of the mucosal epithelial cell layer and muscularis propria in the small intestines were not affected by gestational age or treatment. Activities of the brush border enzymes varied with gestational age in a manner that depended on the enzyme and region of the small intestines studied. In the ileum, maltase and dipeptidyl peptidase IV (DPPIV) activities were lower, and aminopeptidase N (ApN) were higher, in the hypothyroid compared to intact fetuses near term. These findings highlight the importance of thyroid hormones in the structural and functional development of the gastrointestinal tract near term, and indicate how hypothyroidism in utero may impair the transition to enteral nutrition and increase the risk of gastrointestinal disorders in the neonate.
Untargeted metabolomics unravel serum metabolic alterations in smokers with hypertension
Authors: Shen Yang , Wang Pan , Yang Xinchun , Chen Mulei , Dong Ying , Li Jing
Published: March 2023

Background: Cigarette smoking is an important environmental risk factor for cardiovascular events of hypertension (HTN). Existing studies have provided evidence supporting altered gut microbiota by cigarette smoking, especially in hypertensive patients. Metabolic biomarkers play a central role in the functional potentials of the gut microbiome but are poorly characterized in hypertensive smokers. To explore whether serum metabolomics signatures and compositions of HTN patients were varied in smokers, and investigate their connecting relationship to gut microbiota, the serum metabolites were examined in untreated hypertensive patients using untargeted liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC/MS) analysis.

Results: A dramatic difference and clear separation in community features of circulating metabolomics members were seen in smoking HTN patients compared with the non-smoking controls, according to partial least squares discrimination analysis (PLS-DA) and orthogonal partial least squares discrimination analysis (OPLS-DA). Serum metabolic profiles and compositions of smoking patients with HTN were significantly distinct from the controls, and were characterized by enrichment of 12-HETE, 7-Ketodeoxycholic acid, Serotonin, N-Stearoyl tyrosine and Deoxycholic acid glycine conjugate, and the depletion of Tetradecanedioic acid, Hippuric acid, Glyceric acid, 20-Hydroxyeicosatetraenoic acid, Phenylpyruvic acid and Capric acid. Additionally, the metabolome displayed prominent functional signatures, with a majority proportion of the metabolites identified to be discriminating between groups distributed in Starch and sucrose metabolism, Caffeine metabolism, Pyruvate metabolism, Glycine, serine and threonine metabolism, and Phenylalanine metabolic pathways. Furthermore, the observation of alterations in metabolites associated with intestinal microbial taxonomy indicated that these metabolic members might mediate the effects of gut microbiome on the smoking host. Indeed, the metabolites specific to smoking HTNs were strongly organized into co-abundance networks, interacting with an array of clinical parameters, including uric acid (UA), low-denstiy lipoprotein cholesterol (LDLC) and smoking index.

Conclusions: In conclusion, we demonstrated disparate circulating blood metabolome composition and functional potentials in hypertensive smokers, showing a linkage between specific metabolites in blood and the gut microbiome.
The effects of preventive aerobics mix on body composition in healthy adult women
Authors: Špirtović Omer , Čaprić Ilma , Stanković Mima , Đorđević Dušan , Murić Benin , Kahrović Izet , Mujanović Rifat , Mekić Raid , Katanić Borko , Jelaska Igor , Sporiš Goran
Published: March 2023

The aim of this research was to determine the influence of a 12-week program of aerobics mix on the parameters of body composition in healthy adult women. The research has been performed in a sample of 64 women participants, and it is divided into two groups, an experimental group (E), made of 34 women participants (age 32 ± 1.8 years), and a control one (C), made of 30 women participants (age 33 ± 0.5 years). Their anthropometric and body composition were evaluated using the following respective parameters: body height, body weight, body fat percentage, muscle mass percentage, skinfold–back (KNL), skinfold–upper arm (KNN), skinfold–stomach (KNT), and skinfold–thigh (KNNK). After mix aerobics realization, among the women of the E group, there is a reduction of body mass by −2.5% and waist size by −3.39%, while muscle mass increased by 2.26%. With all skinfolds within the participants of the E group, there is a statistically important gained reduction of p < 0.05 at the final measuring, compared with the initial one (upper arm −21.10%, stomach −14.36%, back −20.58%, and upper leg −13.98%). The reduction of body mass percentage was −10.59%, and that of body mass index was −2.5%. Based on the gained results, it can be concluded that the mix program was efficient in the reduction of the subcutaneous fat tissue and visceral fat and also influential on the increase of muscle mass.
Cutting corners: The impact of storage and DNA extraction on quality and quantity of DNA in honeybee (Apis mellifera) spermatheca
Authors: Moškrič Ajda , Pavlin Anja , Mole Katarina , Marinč Andraž , Bubnič Jernej , Opara Andreja , Kovačić Marin , Puškadija Zlatko , Uzunov Aleksandar , Andonov Sreten , Dahle Bjørn , Prešern Janez
Published: March 2023

The purpose of our study was to investigate methods of short-term storage that allow preservation, transport and retrieval of genetic information contained in honeybee queen’s spermatheca. Genotyping of the honeybee colony requires well ahead planned sample collection, depending on the type of data to be acquired. Sampling and genotyping of spermatheca’s content instead of individual offspring is timesaving, allowing answers to the questions related to patriline composition immediately after mating. Such procedure is also cheaper and less error prone. For preservation either Allprotect Tissue Reagent (Qiagen) or absolute ethanol were used. Conditions during transportation were simulated by keeping samples 6–8 days at room temperature. Six different storing conditions of spermathecas were tested, complemented with two DNA extraction methods. We have analysed the concentration of DNA, RNA, and proteins in DNA extracts. We also analysed how strongly the DNA is subjected to fragmentation (through amplification of genetic markers ANT2 and tRNAleu-COX2) and whether the quality of the extracted DNA is suitable for microsatellite (MS) analysis. Then, we tested the usage of spermatheca as a source of patriline composition in an experiment with three instrumentally inseminated virgin queens and performed MS analysis of the extracted DNA from each spermatheca, as well as queens’ and drones’ tissue. Our results show that median DNA concentration from spermathecas excised prior the storage, regardless of the storing condition and DNA extraction method, were generally lower than median DNA concentration obtained from spermathecas dissected from the whole queens after the storage. Despite the differences in DNA yield from the samples subjected to different storing conditions there was no significant effect of storage method or the DNA extraction method on the amplification success, although fewer samples stored in EtOH amplified successfully in comparison to ATR storing reagent. However, we recommend EtOH as a storing reagent due to its availability, low price, simplicity in usage in the field and in the laboratory, and capability of good preservation of the samples for DNA analysis during transport at room temperature.
Overview of the structure and function of the dopamine transporter and its protein interactions
Authors: Nepal Binod , Das Sanjay , Reith Maarten E. , Kortagere Sandhya
Published: March 2023

The dopamine transporter (DAT) plays an integral role in dopamine neurotransmission through the clearance of dopamine from the extracellular space. Dysregulation of DAT is central to the pathophysiology of numerous neuropsychiatric disorders and as such is an attractive therapeutic target. DAT belongs to the solute carrier family 6 (SLC6) class of Na+/Cl− dependent transporters that move various cargo into neurons against their concentration gradient. This review focuses on DAT (SCL6A3 protein) while extending the narrative to the closely related transporters for serotonin and norepinephrine where needed for comparison or functional relevance. Cloning and site-directed mutagenesis experiments provided early structural knowledge of DAT but our contemporary understanding was achieved through a combination of crystallization of the related bacterial transporter LeuT, homology modeling, and subsequently the crystallization of drosophila DAT. These seminal findings enabled a better understanding of the conformational states involved in the transport of substrate, subsequently aiding state-specific drug design. Post-translational modifications to DAT such as phosphorylation, palmitoylation, ubiquitination also influence the plasma membrane localization and kinetics. Substrates and drugs can interact with multiple sites within DAT including the primary S1 and S2 sites involved in dopamine binding and novel allosteric sites. Major research has centered around the question what determines the substrate and inhibitor selectivity of DAT in comparison to serotonin and norepinephrine transporters. DAT has been implicated in many neurological disorders and may play a role in the pathology of HIV and Parkinson’s disease via direct physical interaction with HIV-1 Tat and α-synuclein proteins respectively.
California poppy (Eschscholzia californica), the Papaveraceae golden girl model organism for evodevo and specialized metabolism
Authors: Becker Annette , Yamada Yasuyuki , Sato Fumihiko
Published: March 2023

California poppy or golden poppy (Eschscholzia californica) is the iconic state flower of California, with native ranges from Northern California to Southwestern Mexico. It grows well as an ornamental plant in Mediterranean climates, but it might be invasive in many parts of the world. California poppy was also highly prized by Native Americans for its medicinal value, mainly due to its various specialized metabolites, especially benzylisoquinoline alkaloids (BIAs). As a member of the Ranunculales, the sister lineage of core eudicots it occupies an interesting phylogenetic position. California poppy has a short-lived life cycle but can be maintained as a perennial. It has a comparatively simple floral and vegetative morphology. Several genetic resources, including options for genetic manipulation and a draft genome sequence have been established already with many more to come. Efficient cell and tissue culture protocols are established to study secondary metabolite biosynthesis and its regulation. Here, we review the use of California poppy as a model organism for plant genetics, with particular emphasis on the evolution of development and BIA biosynthesis. In the future, California poppy may serve as a model organism to combine two formerly separated lines of research: the regulation of morphogenesis and the regulation of secondary metabolism. This can provide insights into how these two integral aspects of plant biology interact with each other.
Burkholderia gladioli strain KJ-34 exhibits broad-spectrum antifungal activity
Authors: Yang Chunnan , Wang Zhihui , Wan Jiangxue , Qi Tuo , Zou Lijuan
Published: March 2023

Introduction

Plant pathogens are one of the major constraints on worldwide food production. The antibiotic properties of microbes identified as effective in managing plant pathogens are well documented.

Methods

Here, we used antagonism experiments and untargeted metabolomics to isolate the potentially antifungal molecules produced by KJ-34.

Results

KJ-34 is a potential biocontrol bacterium isolated from the rhizosphere soil of rice and can fight multiple fungal pathogens (i.e. Ustilaginoidea virens, Alternaria solani, Fusarium oxysporum, Phytophthora capsica, Corynespora cassiicola). The favoured fermentation conditions are determined and the fermentation broth treatment can significantly inhibit the infection of Magnaporthe oryzae and Botryis cinerea. The fermentation broth suppression ratio is 75% and 82%, respectively. Fermentation broth treatment disrupted the spore germination and led to malformation of hyphae. Additionally, we found that the molecular weight of antifungal products were less than 1000 Da through semipermeable membranes on solid medium assay. To search the potentially antifungal molecules that produce by KJ-34, we used comparative and bioinformatics analyses of fermentation broth before and after optimization by mass spectrometry. Untargeted metabolomics analyses are presumed to have a library of antifungal agents including benzoylstaurosporine, morellin and scopolamine.

Discussion

These results suggest that KJ-34 produced various biological control agents to suppress multiple phytopathogenic fungi and showed a strong potential in the ecological technologies of prevention and protection.
Cropformer: A new generalized deep learning classification approach for multi-scenario crop classification
Authors: Wang Hengbin , Chang Wanqiu , Yao Yu , Yao Zhiying , Zhao Yuanyuan , Li Shaoming , Liu Zhe , Zhang Xiaodong
Published: March 2023

Accurate and efficient crop classification using remotely sensed data can provide fundamental and important information for crop yield estimation. Existing crop classification approaches are usually designed to be strong in some specific scenarios but not for multi-scenario crop classification. In this study, we proposed a new deep learning approach for multi-scenario crop classification, named Cropformer. Cropformer can extract global features and local features, to solve the problem that current crop classification methods extract a single feature. Specifically, Cropformer is a two-step classification approach, where the first step is self-supervised pre-training to accumulate knowledge of crop growth, and the second step is a fine-tuned supervised classification based on the weights from the first step. The unlabeled time series and the labeled time series are used as input for the first and second steps respectively. Multi-scenario crop classification experiments including full-season crop classification, in-season crop classification, few-sample crop classification, and transfer of classification models were conducted in five study areas with complex crop types and compared with several existing competitive approaches. Experimental results showed that Cropformer can not only obtain a very significant accuracy advantage in crop classification, but also can obtain higher accuracy with fewer samples. Compared to other approaches, the classification performance of Cropformer during model transfer and the efficiency of the classification were outstanding. The results showed that Cropformer could build up a priori knowledge using unlabeled data and learn generalized features using labeled data, making it applicable to crop classification in multiple scenarios.
The effects of perspective taking primes on the social tuning of explicit and implicit views toward gender and race
Authors: Skorinko Jeanine Lee McHugh , DiGiovanni Craig , Rondina Katherine , Tavares Amy , Spinney Jennifer , Kobeissi Mariam , Lacera Luisa Perez , Vega Daniel , Beatty Paul , John Melissa-Sue , Doyle Aidan
Published: March 2023

The current research aims to investigate whether perspective taking influences social tuning, or the alignment of one’s self-views, explicit attitudes, and/or implicit attitudes with those of an interaction partner. In six different experiments, participants believed they would interact with a partner to complete a task. Prior to this ostensible interaction, participants were given a perspective taking mindset prime, or not, and information about their ostensible interaction partners views. Participants then completed attitude measures related to the partner’s perceived views. Experiments 1a, 1b, and 2 examined whether perspective taking with an ostensible interaction partner who endorses gender traditional (or non-traditional) views align their self-views with this partner, including implicit self-views (Experiment 2). Experiments 3–5 investigated whether perspective taking leads to social tuning for egalitarian racial attitudes, including when the partner’s expectations of how others will be and when the participant learns their ostensible IAT score at the beginning of the session. We predicted perspective takers would be more likely to social tune their explicit and implicit attitudes to the attitudes of their interaction partner than non-perspective takers. Across all experiments, perspective takers were more likely to social tune their self-views and explicit attitudes than non-perspective takers. However, social tuning never occurred for implicit attitudes. Thus, future research is needed to understand why perspective taking does not influence the tuning of implicit attitudes, but other motivations, like affiliative and epistemic, do.
Are you really smiling? Display rules for emojis and the relationship between emotion management and psychological well-being
Authors: Liu Moyu
Published: March 2023

Display rules specify socially appropriate facial expressions in a given situation. However, managing emotions for such a social adaption sometimes leads to deleterious psychological outcomes. Given that people nowadays rely on emojis to express emotions online, the present study investigated (1) whether display rules exist in emoji communications and (2) how emotion management using emojis is associated with psychological well-being. Prior studies have demonstrated the effects of context on the frequency of emoji use. However, the intensity and type of expression may differ, even if emojis are used at the same frequency. The current study thus investigated whether emotional expressions and the types of emojis used are adjusted to contexts similar to facial displays. As many as 1,289 Japanese participants typed emojis in response to Internet chats and reported the intensity of their emotional expressions. The contexts of the chats varied depending on the target of use, the emotional value of contexts, and private or public settings. The results showed that, similar to facial displays, individuals expressed emotions through emojis more with those closely related, more in positive contexts than in negative contexts, and more in private than in public contexts. When the expressions were intense, individuals used emojis consistent with the emotional value of the context. Upon attenuating the expressions, this study found that individuals tended to use euphemistic emojis and sent smiling emojis in negative contexts to manage the expressions. Moreover, expressing emotions with emojis was associated with subjective well-being, whereas managing emotions with emojis was weakly associated with depressive symptoms. Together, this study indicates the existence of display rules for emojis, calling for future research on the psychological impact of online emotion norms.
The construct of cuteness: A validity study for measuring content and evoked emotions on social media
Authors: Golonka Ewa M. , Jones Kelly M. , Sheehan Patrick , Pandža Nick B. , Paletz Susannah B. F. , Rytting C. Anton , Johns Michael A.
Published: March 2023

Social media users are often exposed to cute content that evokes emotional reactions and influences them to feel or behave certain ways. The cuteness phenomenon in social media has been scarcely studied despite its prevalence and potential to spread quickly and affect large audiences. The main framework for understanding cuteness and emotions related to cuteness outside of social media is baby schema (having juvenile characteristics), which triggers parental instincts. We propose that baby schema is a necessary but not sufficient component of explaining what constitutes cuteness and how people react to it in the social media context. Cute social media content may also have characteristics that evoke approach motivations (a desire to interact with an entity, generally with the expectation of having a positive experience) that can manifest behaviorally in sharing and other prosocial online behaviors. We developed and performed initial validation for measures in social media contexts of: (1) cute attributes that encompass both baby schema and other proposed cuteness characteristics (the Cuteness Attributes Taxonomy, CAT) and (2) the emotional reactions they trigger (Heartwarming Social Media, HSM). We used the Kama Muta Multiplex Scale (KAMMUS Two), as previously validated measure of kama muta (an emotion akin to tenderness; from Sanskrit, “moved by love”) as a measure of emotional reaction to cute stimuli and the dimension Cute Content of the Social Media Emotions Annotation Guide (SMEmo-Cute Content) as a developed measure of gestalt cute content to help validate our newly developed measures. Using 1,875 Polish tweets, our results confirmed that cute social media content predicted a kama muta response, but not all KAMMUS Two subscales were sensitive to cute content, and that the HSM measure was a better indicator of the presence of cute content. Further, the CAT measure is an effective means of categorizing cute attributes of social media content. These results suggest potential differences between in-person, online, and social media experiences evoking cute emotional reactions, and the need for metrics that are developed and validated for use in social media contexts.
Impact of academic cheating and perceived online learning effectiveness on academic performance during the COVID-19 pandemic among Pakistani students
Authors: Malik Aamir Abbas , Hassan Mehdi , Rizwan Muhammad , Mushtaque Iqra , Lak Tauqeer Ahmed , Hussain Mussarat
Published: March 2023

Objective

The study was conducted to examine academic cheating behaviors and perceived online effectiveness on academic performance during the period of COVID-19 among schools, colleges, and university students in Pakistan.

Methodology

A cross-sectional research design was used in the current study. Convenience sampling was used to collect the data. The study included a total sample of N = 8,590 students, with males (n = 3,270, 38%) and females (n = 5,320, 61%) participating. The data was divided into three categories: high schools (n = 1,098, 12.7%), colleges (n = 4,742, 55.2%), and universities (n = 2,570, 32.1%). School students had an average age of (M = 15, SD = 4.65), college students had an average age of (M = 20, SD = 5.64), and university students had an average age of (M = 24, SD = 5.01).

Result

The results indicated that 60% of students admitted to cheating during online exams most of the time; 30% of students admitted to cheating at least once during an online exam. The study found that students (from high school, college, and university) obtained higher grades in online exams as compared to physical exams. Furthermore, significant gender differences were found on the scales of online learning effectiveness in school, college, and university students (t = 2.3*, p = 0.05 vs. t = 4.32**, p = 0.000 vs. t = −3.3*, p = 0.04). Similarly, on the scale of academic performance, students have significant gender differences. Multivariate regression analysis confirms that students’ 26% academic performance was increased due to cheating (F (2, 8,588) = 16.24, p = 0.000). Students believe online learning is effective because academic grades are easily obtained.

Conclusion

Cheating is more common and easier in online courses, according to more than half of respondents, and they take advantage of this. Academicians are heavily encouraged to develop morality and ethics in their students so that their institutions can produce ethical professionals for the educational community.
Concerns, perceived impact, practices, preventive measures, and stress among healthcare workers during COVID-19 pandemic in Malaysia
Authors: Pahrol Muhammad Alfatih , Ismail Rohaida , Mohamad Nadia , Lim Yin Cheng , Muhamad Robat Rosnawati , Rajendiran Sakshaleni , Syed Abu Thahir Syahidiah , Abdul Shakor Ameerah Su'ad , Ramly Nurfatehar , Shaharudin Rafiza
Published: March 2023

Introduction

Healthcare workers (HCWs) have been continually exposed to patients with COVID-19 and are at higher risk of contracting the disease. Their psychological health is important for overall wellbeing and productivity, which could lead to a reduction in human errors during the pandemic crisis. This study aimed to measure the level of concerns, work practices, adequacy of preventive measures among HCWs, and the impacts on their life and work, including mental health status during the second wave of the COVID-19 pandemic in Malaysia.

Methods

An online questionnaire was distributed randomly to 1,050 HCWs from the Ministry of Health facilities in the Klang Valley who were involved directly in managing or screening COVID-19 cases from May to August 2020. The questionnaire was divided into five domains, which were concerns, impact on life and work, practice, perceived adequacy of preventive measures, and Revised Impact of Event Scale (IES-R). Logistic regression was used to identify sociodemographic predictors of the five domains.

Results

A total of 907 respondents (86.4%) participated in this survey. Approximately half of the respondents had a low concern (50.5%), most of them had a good practice (85.1%), with 67.5% perceiving there were adequate preventive measures, and they perceived the outbreak had a low impact (92%) on their life and work. From the IES-R domain, 18.6% of respondents potentially suffered from post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).

Conclusion

During the second wave of the COVID-19 outbreak in Malaysia, HCWs practiced high levels of precautions and preventive measures because they were aware of the risk of infection as an occupational hazard. With the adequate implementation of policy and control measures, the psychological wellbeing of the majority HCWs remained well and adequately supported.
Workplace health in anesthesia team: A qualitative study in Iran
Authors: Khalafi Ali , Sarvi Sarmeydani Nooshin , Adarvishi Sara
Published: March 2023

Background

All anesthesia providers, including nurse anesthetists and anesthesiologists work in a stressful environment with diverse tasks. The profession is characterized by high workload, both dependent and independent job descriptions, and unpredictable conditions. This study was designed and conducted to explain the factors affecting the workplace health of Iranian anesthesia teams.

Methods

Twenty anesthesia team members including nurse anesthetists and anesthesiologists from 7 different hospitals were enrolled in this phenomenological research. The data were collected in 2022. Semi-structured interviews were used for data collection, and the transcripts were analyzed using qualitative content analysis.

Findings

The most notable theme emerging from the data which was found to affect workplace health was consistency of anesthesia team. Other themes derived from the data included team tranquility and physical well-being.

Conclusion

The participants' emphasis was more on behavioral and managerial factors affecting workplace health, and desirable interpersonal cooperation to create a suitable work environment for them was more prominent. These findings can raise the awareness of chief nurse anesthetists and planners to provide more effective teamwork, modify the job description structure, and reduce staff conflicts.
Interactive effects of depth and differential irrigation on soil microbiome composition and functioning
Authors: Naylor Dan , Naasko Katherine , Smith Montana , Couvillion Sneha , Nicora Carrie , Trejo Jesse , Fransen Steven , Danczak Robert , McClure Ryan , Hofmockel Kirsten S. , Jansson Janet K.
Published: March 2023

Two factors that are well-known to influence soil microbiomes are the depth of the soil as well as the level of moisture. Previous works have demonstrated that climate change will increase the incidence of drought in soils, but it is unknown how fluctuations in moisture availability affect soil microbiome composition and functioning down the depth profile. Here, we investigated soil and wheatgrass rhizosphere microbiomes in a single common field setting under four different levels of irrigation (100%, 75%, 50%, and 25%) and three depths (0-5 cm, 5-15 cm, and 15-25 cm from the surface). We demonstrated that there is a significant interactive effect between depth and irrigation, where changes in soil moisture more strongly affect soil microbiomes at the surface layer than at deeper layers. This was true for not only microbiome community composition and diversity metrics, but also for functional profiles (transcriptomic and metabolomic datasets). Meanwhile, in rhizosphere communities the influence of irrigation was similar across the different depths. However, for the ‘Alkar’ wheatgrass cultivar, the rhizosphere microbial communities responded more strongly to changes in irrigation level than did the communities for the ‘Jose’ cultivar rhizosphere. The lessened response of deeper soil microbiomes to changes in irrigation may be due to higher incidence of slow-growing, stress-resistant microbes. These results demonstrate that the soil microbiome response to moisture content is depth-dependent. As such, it will be optimal for soil microbiome studies to incorporate deeper as well as surface soils, to get a more accurate picture of the soil microbiome response to stress.
Extending system dynamics modeling using simulation decomposition to improve the urban planning process
Authors: Yeomans Julian Scott , Kozlova Mariia
Published: March 2023

Urban planning often involves decision-making under highly uncertain circumstances. System dynamics and multi-agent modeling frameworks are commonly employed to model the social phenomena in this type of urban planning. However, because the outputs from these approaches are regularly characterized as a function of time, the majority of studies in this modeling domain lack appropriate sensitivity analysis. Consequently, important insights into model behavior are frequently overlooked. Monte Carlo simulation has been used to incorporate uncertain features in urban planning with the outputs displayed as probability distributions. Recently simulation decomposition (SimDec) has been used to enhance the visualization of the cause-effect relationships of multi-variable combinations of inputs on the corresponding simulated outputs. SimDec maps each output value of a Monte Carlo simulation on to the multivariable groups of inputs or scenarios from which it originated. By visually projecting the subdivided scenarios onto the overall output, SimDec can reveal previously unidentified influences between the various combinations of inputs on to the outputs. SimDec can be generalized to any Monte Carlo method with insignificant computational overhead and is, therefore, extendable to any simulated urban planning analysis. This study demonstrates the efficacy of adapting SimDec for the sensitivity analysis of urban dynamics modeling on a paradigmatic simplified version of Forrester's Urban Dynamics- URBAN1 model. SimDec reveals complexities in model behavior that are not, and can not be, captured by standard sensitivity analysis methods and highlights, in particular, the intricate joint effect of immigration and outmigration on system development.
Epitope mapping of SARS-CoV-2 spike protein differentiates the antibody binding activity in vaccinated and infected individuals
Authors: Felbinger Nathaniel , Trudil David , Loomis Lawrence , Ascione Richard , Siragusa Gregory , Haba Seiji , Rastogi Shruti , Mucci Aidan , Claycomb Mark , Snowberger Sebastian , Luke Brian , Francesconi Stephen , Tsang Shirley
Published: March 2023

Previous studies have attempted to characterize the antibody response of individuals to the SARS-CoV-2 virus on a linear peptide level by utilizing peptide microarrays. These studies have helped to identify epitopes that have potential to be used for diagnostic tests to identify infected individuals. The immunological responses of individuals who have received the two most popular vaccines available in the US, the Moderna mRNA-1273 or the Pfizer BNT162b2 mRNA vaccines, have not been characterized. We aimed to identify linear peptides of the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein that elicited high IgG or IgA binding activity and to compare the immunoreactivity of infected individuals to those who received both doses of either vaccine by utilizing peptide microarrays. Our results revealed peptide epitopes of significant IgG binding among recently infected individuals. Some of these peptides are located near variable regions of the receptor binding domains as well as the conserved region in the c-terminal of the spike protein implicated in the high infectivity of SARS-CoV-2. Vaccinated individuals lacked a response to these distinct markers despite the overall antibody binding activity being similar.
Perceived Causes of Career Plateau in the Public Service
Authors: Darling Sean , Cunningham Barton
Published: March 2023

The purpose of this paper was to develop a better understanding of the causes of career plateau in the public service, focusing on 67 people who we determined to be career plateaued. Our interviews identified examples of incidents describing successes and interruptions in careers in developing an overall picture of the reasons for people being plateaued. We identified ten themes, which were grouped into three areas: deficiencies in experience, skills and education (four themes); competition skills (four themes); and perceptions of favoritism and discrimination (two themes). In addition to feeling plateaued because of the inability to demonstrate experience, education, and knowledge, many people offered examples of being plateaued because of the lack of interviewing skills or evidence of favoritism and discrimination. Those who are plateaued because of favoritism or discrimination verbalize feelings of disgust and frustration and illustrate a tendency to become less engaged with their work. We think that the negative impacts of favoritism or systemic discrimination have important implications because they are likely to have an impact on employees and their engagement in their work and life. However, as our results are based a sample of 67 government employees in the Canadian public service, they require verification in other settings.
The Brother–Sister Sibling Dyad as a Pathway to Gender-Based Violence Prevention: Engaging Male Siblings in Family-Strengthening Programs in Humanitarian Settings
Authors: Koris Andrea , Giuffrida Monica , Anderson Kristine , Shalouf Hana , Saley Ibrahim , Marei Ahmad , Seff Ilana , Deitch Julianne , Stark Lindsay
Published: March 2023

Household violence poses a significant threat to the physical and mental health of adolescent girls. In conflict-affected communities, increased stresses to safety, security, health, and livelihoods may heighten this risk. While it is widely evidenced that the caregiver-child relationship can increase or protect against girls’ risk of violence, less is known about the role of male siblings. Sibling Support for Adolescent Girls in Emergencies (SSAGE) used whole-family support programming to synchronously engage adolescent girls, their male siblings, and their caregivers in conflict-affected communities in Jordan and Niger, using gender-transformative approaches to explore the impacts of gender norms, power, and violence and encourage support and emotional connection. We conducted qualitative research activities, including focus group discussions, participatory group activities, and in-depth, paired, and key informant interviews with 469 SSAGE participants and program facilitators to explore SSAGE’s impact on the male-female sibling dyad in both settings. The multi-stakeholder team used a collaborative thematic analysis approach to identify emergent themes. Findings suggest that the inclusion of male siblings in family strengthening programs may have a positive impact on factors related to girls’ protection, with research participants discussing decreased perpetration of physical and verbal violence by male siblings, increased equity in household labor between siblings, and improved trust and mutual support among siblings. These changes were facilitated by improved communication and interrogation of positive gender identities. In humanitarian settings, interventions that support more gender-transformative, egalitarian, and emotionally effective relationships between male-female siblings can work towards improving girls’ protective assets. More research on the impact of this relationship on girls’ experience of immediate and long-term experience of violence is needed. In settings where gender power dynamics among male-female siblings are less salient, other relationship dyads should be explored.
Inhibition of Nickel (II) Mobility in Theobroma cacao L. Seedlings Using Zeolite 5A
Authors: Alca-Ramos Yacu Vicente , Checca-Huaman Noemi-Raquel , Arévalo-Gardini Enrique , Arévalo-Hernández Cesar O. , Ramos-Guivar Juan A.
Published: March 2023

In search of efficient solutions for the treatment of contaminated soils and in favor of the sustainable development of agriculture, this work aimed at developing an efficient method that helps to directly overcome the contamination by nickel in soils and Theobroma cacao L. seedlings. In this study, the genotypes ICS-39, CCN-51, and TSH-1188, which are high-yielding varieties in South America, were studied. The compound used as an adsorbent was commercial zeolite 5A. The zeolite 5A and soil samples were analyzed by X-ray diffraction, Raman microscopy, chemical analysis, electron microscopy techniques, and atomic absorption spectroscopy. This last technique was used for quantitative determination of Ni concentrations in seedlings. Zeolite 5A presented a high adsorption efficiency (95%) among the studied cacao genotypes, making this material a viable adsorbent and inhibitor agent of Ni. In addition, zeolite 5A was found to be not chemically harmful to the plant morphology (root and height), as demonstrated using statistical analysis. Finally, the Ni mechanism was described based on zeolite 5A physicochemical properties, suggesting that this material has remarkable soil remediation application.
Effects of Tillage and Sowing Methods on Soil Physical Properties and Corn Plant Characters
Authors: Wang Ying , Yang Sen , Sun Jian , Liu Ziguang , He Xinmiao , Qiao Jinyou
Published: March 2023

In the northeast plains of China, the intensive utilization of agricultural soils has been a persistent issue, and finding ways to utilize soil resources efficiently and sustainably through a scientifically-driven management system has become a crucial challenge for agricultural production. Conservation tillage is a crucial technology for sustainable agriculture. Currently, plow and rotary tillage are the dominant methods used in Mollisols, but there is limited information on the effects of different conservation tillage practices in this region. The objective of this study was to investigate the short-term impact of tillage and sowing methods on soil physical properties and corn plant growth and to examine the relationship between soil physical properties and plant characteristics during various stages of growth. This study consisted of four tillage and sowing methods: plow tillage and precision seeder sowing (PTS), rotary tillage and precision seeder sowing (RTS), no-tillage and no-tillage seeder sowing (NTS), and no-tillage and precise sowing in stubble field (STS) (all four treatments involved total straw return). The results indicated that the soil penetration resistance (SPR) in the 10–40 cm soil layer under the PTS treatment was significantly lower (by 11.9% to 18%) compared to the other treatments (p < 0.05). On average, the soil moisture content in the NTS treatment was 2.7% and 1.4% higher than that of the PTS and RTS treatments. Additionally, soil temperature was 5.6% to 8.6% lower under the STS treatment compared to the other treatments during late corn growth. The RTS treatment also significantly reduced the bulk density of surface soil. High SPR impeded early crop growth but did not impact mid-crop development, while low soil temperature was one of the main factors affecting late corn growth and development as temperatures decreased. Based on the comparisons, we found that the short-term implementation of conservation tillage did not result in a significant decrease in corn yield. We believe that the short-term implementation of NTS tillage sowing practices in Mollisol regions is a feasible option.