bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Circulatory Shock among Hospitalized Patients for Salicylate Intoxication
Authors: Petnak Tananchai , Thongprayoon Charat , Kaewput Wisit , Qureshi Fawad , Boonpheng Boonphiphop , Vallabhajosyula Saraschandra , Bathini Tarun , Mao Michael A. , Lertjitbanjong Ploypin , Cheungpasitporn Wisit
Published: January 2021

Background: This study aimed to evaluate the risk factors for circulatory shock and its impact on outcomes in patients hospitalized for salicylate intoxication. Methods: We used the National Inpatient Sample to identify patients hospitalized primarily for salicylate intoxication from 2003–2014. Circulatory shock was identified based on hospital diagnosis code for any type of shock or hypotension. We compared clinical characteristics, in-hospital treatments, outcomes, and resource use between patients with and without circulatory shock associated with salicylate intoxication. Results: Of 13,805 hospital admissions for salicylate intoxication, circulatory shock developed in 484 (4%) admissions. Risk factors for development of circulatory shock included older age, female sex, concurrent psychotropic medication overdose, anemia, congestive heart failure, volume depletion, rhabdomyolysis, seizure, gastrointestinal bleeding, and sepsis. Circulatory shock was significantly associated with increased odds of any organ failure and in-hospital mortality. Length of hospital stay and hospitalization cost was significantly higher in patients with circulatory shock. Conclusion: Approximately 4% of patients admitted for salicylate intoxication developed circulatory shock. Circulatory shock was associated with worse clinical outcomes and increased resource use.
A Study of Integrated Signal and Power Transfer for Compact Isolated SiC MOSFET Gate-Drivers
Authors: Garcia Jorge , Saeed Sarah , Gurpinar Emre , Castellazzi Alberto
Published: January 2021

This work discusses a novel set of alternate implementations of isolated gate driver circuits for power electronic transistors. The proposed topologies for the driver have been designed specifically for SiC power MOSFET. Three different solutions are discussed, all of them providing the required gate turn-on and turn-off command signal with galvanic isolation, but also supplying power to the secondary side of the driver by means of magnetic transformers. The resulting solutions, all of them implemented with simple circuitry, enable the integration of the driver into the power cell, allowing for theoretical higher power density values in the final system. The principle of operation of the different solutions is discussed, and then the main relevant implementation details are presented. After that, the operation of the circuits is demonstrated experimentally, by testing a set of prototypes of these drivers. This provides a comprehensive design example that assesses the feasibility of the proposed solutions. Finally, the main results of the performance of the three gate drivers, on an SiC MOSFET-based prototype are presented and compared.
Development of Decision Support Software for Deep Learning-Based Automated Retinal Disease Screening Using Relatively Limited Fundus Photograph Data
Authors: Lee JoonHo , Lee Joonseok , Cho Sooah , Song JiEun , Lee Minyoung , Kim Sung Ho , Lee Jin Young , Shin Dae Hwan , Kim Joon Mo , Bae Jung Hun , Song Su Jeong , Sagong Min , Park Donggeun
Published: January 2021

Purpose—This study was conducted to develop an automated detection algorithm for screening fundus abnormalities, including age-related macular degeneration (AMD), diabetic retinopathy (DR), epiretinal membrane (ERM), retinal vascular occlusion (RVO), and suspected glaucoma among health screening program participants. Methods—The development dataset consisted of 43,221 retinal fundus photographs (from 25,564 participants, mean age 53.38 ± 10.97 years, female 39.0%) from a health screening program and patients of the Kangbuk Samsung Hospital Ophthalmology Department from 2006 to 2017. We evaluated our screening algorithm on independent validation datasets. Five separate one-versus-rest (OVR) classification algorithms based on deep convolutional neural networks (CNNs) were trained to detect AMD, ERM, DR, RVO, and suspected glaucoma. The ground truth for both development and validation datasets was graded at least two times by three ophthalmologists. The area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC), sensitivity, and specificity were calculated for each disease, as well as their macro-averages. Results—For the internal validation dataset, the average sensitivity was 0.9098 (95% confidence interval (CI), 0.8660–0.9536), the average specificity was 0.9079 (95% CI, 0.8576–0.9582), and the overall accuracy was 0.9092 (95% CI, 0.8769–0.9415). For the external validation dataset consisting of 1698 images, the average of the AUCs was 0.9025 (95% CI, 0.8671–0.9379). Conclusions—Our algorithm had high sensitivity and specificity for detecting major fundus abnormalities. Our study will facilitate expansion of the applications of deep learning-based computer-aided diagnostic decision support tools in actual clinical settings. Further research is needed to improved generalization for this algorithm.
Improvement of Identity Recognition with Occlusion Detection-Based Feature Selection
Authors: Jang Jaeyoon , Yoon Ho-Sub , Kim Jaehong
Published: January 2021

Image-based facial identity recognition has become a technology that is now used in many applications. This is because it is possible to use only a camera without the need for any other device. Besides, due to the advantage of contactless technology, it is one of the most popular certifications. However, a common recognition system is not possible if some of the face information is lost due to the user’s posture or the wearing of masks, as caused by the recent prevalent disease. In some platforms, although performance is improved through incremental updates, it is still inconvenient and inaccurate. In this paper, we propose a method to respond more actively to these situations. First, we determine whether an obscurity occurs and improve the stability by calculating the feature vector using only a significant area when the obscurity occurs. By recycling the existing recognition model, without incurring little additional costs, the results of reducing the recognition performance drop in certain situations were confirmed. Using this technique, we confirmed a performance improvement of about 1~3% in a situation where some information is lost. Although the performance is not dramatically improved, it has the big advantage that it can improve recognition performance by utilizing existing systems.
Parametric Study on the Adjustability of the Syngas Composition by Sorption-Enhanced Gasification in a Dual-Fluidized Bed Pilot Plant
Authors: Hafner Selina , Schmid Max , Scheffknecht Günter
Published: January 2021

Finding a way for mitigating climate change is one of the main challenges of our generation. Sorption-enhanced gasification (SEG) is a process by which syngas as an important intermediate for the synthesis of e.g., dimethyl ether (DME), bio-synthetic natural gas (SNG) and Fischer–Tropsch (FT) products or hydrogen can be produced by using biomass as feedstock. It can, therefore, contribute to a replacement for fossil fuels to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. SEG is an indirect gasification process that is operated in a dual-fluidized bed (DFB) reactor. By the use of a CO2-active sorbent as bed material, CO2 that is produced during gasification is directly captured. The resulting enhancement of the water–gas shift reaction enables the production of a syngas with high hydrogen content and adjustable H2/CO/CO2-ratio. Tests were conducted in a 200 kW DFB pilot-scale facility under industrially relevant conditions to analyze the influence of gasification temperature, steam to carbon (S/C) ratio and weight hourly space velocity (WHSV) on the syngas production, using wood pellets as feedstock and limestone as bed material. Results revealed a strong dependency of the syngas composition on the gasification temperature in terms of permanent gases, light hydrocarbons and tars. Also, S/C ratio and WHSV are parameters that can contribute to adjusting the syngas properties in such a way that it is optimized for a specific downstream synthesis process.
A Multi-Timescale Bilinear Model for Optimization and Control of HVAC Systems with Consistency
Authors: Nie Zelin , Gao Feng , Yan Chao-Bo
Published: January 2021

Reducing the energy consumption of the heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) systems while ensuring users’ comfort is of both academic and practical significance. However, the-state-of-the-art of the optimization model of the HVAC system is that either the thermal dynamic model is simplified as a linear model, or the optimization model of the HVAC system is single-timescale, which leads to heavy computation burden. To balance the practicality and the overhead of computation, in this paper, a multi-timescale bilinear model of HVAC systems is proposed. To guarantee the consistency of models in different timescales, the fast timescale model is built first with a bilinear form, and then the slow timescale model is induced from the fast one, specifically, with a bilinear-like form. After a simplified replacement made for the bilinear-like part, this problem can be solved by a convexification method. Extensive numerical experiments have been conducted to validate the effectiveness of this model.
Microwave Wireless Power Transfer System Based on a Frequency Reconfigurable Microstrip Patch Antenna Array
Authors: Wang Haiyue , Deng Lianwen , Luo Heng , Du Junsa , Zhou Daohan , Huang Shengxiang
Published: January 2021

The microwave wireless power transfer (MWPT) technology has found a variety of applications in consumer electronics, medical implants and sensor networks. Here, instead of a magnetic resonant coupling wireless power transfer (MRCWPT) system, a novel MWPT system based on a frequency reconfigurable (covering the S-band and C-band) microstrip patch antenna array is proposed for the first time. By switching the bias voltage-dependent capacitance value of the varactor diode between the larger main microstrip patch and the smaller side microstrip patch, the working frequency band of the MWPT system can be switched between the S-band and the C-band. Specifically, the operated frequencies of the antenna array vary continuously within a wide range from 3.41 to 3.96 GHz and 5.7 to 6.3 GHz. For the adjustable range of frequencies, the return loss of the antenna array is less than −15 dB at the resonant frequency. The gain of the frequency reconfigurable antenna array is above 6 dBi at different working frequencies. Simulation results verified by experimental results have shown that power transfer efficiency (PTE) of the MWPT system stays above 20% at different frequencies. Also, when the antenna array works at the resonant frequency of 3.64 GHz, the PTE of the MWPT system is 25%, 20.5%, and 10.3% at the distances of 20 mm, 40 mm, and 80 mm, respectively. The MWPT system can be used to power the receiver at different frequencies, which has great application prospects and market demand opportunities.
Impact of Pilot Injection on Combustion and Emission Characteristics of a Low-Speed Two-Stroke Marine Diesel Engine
Authors: Liang Xingyu , Liu Ziyang , Wang Kun , Wang Xiaohui , Zhu Zhijie , Xu Chaoyang , Liu Bo
Published: January 2021

Low-speed two-stroke marine diesel engines dominate the modern global long-distance transportation market; with the increasingly stringent regulations, the combustion and emissions of these engines is gaining intense interest. The primary objective of the present study was to understand the effects of air-fuel mixing by pilot injection strategy on the combustion and emission characteristics of the marine diesel engines through a numerical study. Specifically, a computational fluid dynamic (CFD) model was established and validated by experimental data for a typical low-speed two-stroke marine diesel engine. The combustion parameters under different stages were analyzed, including mean in-cylinder temperature and pressure, indicated thermal efficiency (ITE), indicated specific fuel consumption (ISFC), and distribution of fuel-air mixture. Results indicated that, due to the premixing effect, the pilot injection produced unburned soot from the main injection’s ignition as well as decrease the intervals between the middle and final stages of combustion, thus raising the in-cylinder temperature. The interaction between the reduction of soot particles resulted from the increased temperature, and the decrease of the stage intervals led to lower overall boundary heat loss, which improved the effective thermal efficiency. The pilot injection timing and quality, respectively, showed quadratic and linear impact modes on engine performance and emissions.
Non-Native Earthworms Invade Forest Soils in Northern Maine, USA
Authors: Puhlick Joshua J. , Fernandez Ivan J. , Wason Jay W.
Published: January 2021

Non-native earthworms can cause abrupt changes in forest ecosystems by altering soil properties and depleting or redistributing soil carbon (C) stocks. The forests of Northern Maine are often perceived as having winters that are too harsh to support earthworm populations and that earthworms are restricted to more southerly regions. In this study, we report the discovery of European earthworms at two research sites in Northern Maine. At one site, earthworms were only found across a portion of the forest, and the median organic (O) horizon C stock in the area with earthworms was 34% less than that of areas without earthworms. At a second site, earthworms were found across the entire 60-ha forest and the median O horizon C stock was 39% less than that of a similar forest without earthworms. Consistent with reports from other regions, areas with earthworms had no or minimal eluvial (E) horizons, while earthworm-free locations always had E horizons. Earthworm presence was always associated with a topsoil (A) horizon, reflecting mechanical mixing and organic matter processing by earthworms. This is one of the first reports of non-native earthworm presence in Northern Maine forests and monitoring changes in soil C will be important for determining rates of C sequestration in these forests. Warmer winter temperatures, particularly winter minimums, and greater annual precipitation will likely increase the success of new earthworm introductions across Northern Maine forests. Management actions that limit the transport of earthworms into earthworm-free areas should be carefully evaluated to minimize the potential for new introductions.
A Luminescence-Based Human TRPV1 Assay System for Quantifying Pungency in Spicy Foods
Authors: Matsuyama Minami , Terada Yuko , Yamazaki-Ito Toyomi , Ito Keisuke
Published: January 2021

The quantitation of pungency is difficult to achieve using sensory tests because of persistence, accumulation, and desensitization to the perception of pungency. Transient receptor vanilloid 1 (TRPV1), which is a chemosensory receptor, plays a pivotal role in the perception of many pungent compounds, suggesting that the activity of this receptor might be useful as an index for pungency evaluation. Although Ca2+-sensitive fluorescence dyes are commonly used for measuring human TRPV1 (hTRPV1) activity, their application is limited, as foods often contain fluorescent substances that interfere with the fluorescent signals. This study aims to design a new pungency evaluation system using hTRPV1. Instead of employing a fluorescent probe as the Ca2+ indicator, this assay system uses the luminescent protein aequorin. The luminescence assay successfully evaluated the hTRPV1 activity in foods without purification, even for those containing fluorescent substances. The hTRPV1 activity in food samples correlated strongly with the pungency intensity obtained by the human sensory test. This luminescence-based hTRPV1 assay system will be a powerful tool for objectively quantifying the pungency of spicy foods in both laboratory and industrial settings.
RBM20-Associated Ventricular Arrhythmias in a Patient with Structurally Normal Heart
Authors: Vakhrushev Yuriy , Kozyreva Alexandra , Semenov Andrey , Sokolnikova Polina , Lubimtseva Tamara , Lebedev Dmitry , Smolina Natalia , Zhuk Sergey , Mitrofanova Lubov , Vasichkina Elena , Kostareva Anna
Published: January 2021

RBM20 (RNA-binding motif protein 20) is a splicing factor targeting multiple cardiac genes, and its mutations cause cardiomyopathies. Originally, RBM20 mutations were discovered to cause the development of dilated cardiomyopathy by erroneous splicing of the gene TTN (titin). Titin is a giant protein found in a structure of the sarcomere that functions as a molecular spring and provides a passive stiffness to the cardiomyocyte. Later, RBM20 mutations were also described in association with arrhythmogenic right ventricular cardiomyopathy and left ventricular noncompaction cardiomyopathy. Here, we present a clinical case of a rare arrhythmogenic phenotype and no structural cardiac abnormalities associated with a RBM20 genetic variant of uncertain significance.
Sensory Processing Sensitivity and Compassion Satisfaction as Risk/Protective Factors from Burnout and Compassion Fatigue in Healthcare and Education Professionals
Authors: Pérez-Chacón Manuela , Chacón Antonio , Borda-Mas Mercedes , Avargues-Navarro María
Published: January 2021

The study analyzes sensory processing sensitivity and the compassion satisfaction as risk/protective factors against burnout and compassion fatigue, during the first period of the COVID-19 health emergency. A sample of 1566 Spanish adult healthcare (n = 694) and education (n = 872) professionals was evaluated. An ad hoc questionnaire for sociodemographic data, and the highly sensitive person scale (HSPS), Maslach burnout inventory (MBI) and professional quality of life scale (ProQOL-vIV) were administered. Burnout and compassion fatigue were observed in the healthcare and education professionals, where personal realization and depersonalization were higher in healthcare and compassion fatigue in education. The protective role of compassion satisfaction was confirmed, as was sensory processing sensitivity as a risk factor, except for its low sensory threshold dimension, which positively influenced personal realization. The findings of this study demonstrate the presence of burnout and compassion fatigue in healthcare and education professionals, displaying compassion fatigue as an emerging psychosocial risk in education, which was made more severe under the conditions of study, which is at the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic. The importance of incorporating adequate management strategies for high sensitivity, empathy and compassion satisfaction in prevention programs is emphasized.
Effects of Behavioral Risk Factors and Social-Environmental Factors on Non-Communicable Diseases in South Korea: A National Survey Approach
Authors: Jeong Nam Jeong , Park Eunil , del Pobil Angel P.
Published: January 2021

Non-communicable diseases (NCDs) are one of the major health threats in the world. Thus, identifying the factors that influence NCDs is crucial to monitor and manage diseases. This study investigates the effects of social-environmental and behavioral risk factors on NCDs as well as the effects of social-environmental factors on behavioral risk factors using an integrated research model. This study used a dataset from the 2017 Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey. After filtering incomplete responses, 5462 valid responses remained. Items including one’s social-environmental factors (household income, education level, and region), behavioral factors (alcohol use, tobacco use, and physical activity), and NCDs histories were used for analyses. To develop a comprehensive index of each factor that allows comparison between different concepts, the researchers assigned scores to indicators of the factors and calculated a ratio of the scores. A series of path analyses were conducted to determine the extent of relationships among NCDs and risk factors. The results showed that social-environmental factors have notable effects on stroke, myocardial infarction, angina, diabetes, and gastric, liver, colon, lung, and thyroid cancers. The results indicate that the effects of social-environmental and behavioral risk factors on NCDs vary across the different types of diseases. The effects of social-environmental factors and behavioral risk factors significantly affected NCDs. However, the effect of social-environmental factors on behavioral risk factors was not supported. Furthermore, social-environmental factors and behavioral risk factors affect NCDs in a similar way. However, the effects of behavioral risk factors were smaller than those of social-environmental factors. The current research suggests taking a comprehensive view of risk factors to further understand the antecedents of NCDs in South Korea.
Effects of Meditation on Mental Health and Cardiovascular Balance in Caregivers
Authors: Díaz-Rodríguez Lourdes , Vargas-Román Keyla , Sanchez-Garcia Juan Carlos , Rodríguez-Blanque Raquel , Cañadas-De la Fuente Guillermo Arturo , De La Fuente-Solana Emilia I.
Published: January 2021

Background: Caring for a loved one can be rewarding but is also associated with substantial caregiver burden, developing mental outcomes and affecting happiness. The aim of this study was to determine the effects of a four-week, 16-h presential meditation program on physiological and psychological parameters and vagal nerve activity in high-burden caregivers, as compared to a control group. Methods: A non-randomized repeated-measures controlled clinical trial was conducted. Results: According to the ANCOVA results, the global happiness score (F = 297.42, p < 0.001) and the scores for all subscales were significantly higher in the experimental group than in the control group at 5 weeks. Anxiety levels were also significantly reduced in the experimental group (F = 24.92, p < 0.001), systolic (F = 16.23, p < 0.001) and diastolic blood (F = 34.39, p < 0.001) pressures, and the resting heart rate (F = 17.90, p < 0.05). HRV results revealed significant between-group differences in the HRV Index (F = 8.40, p < 0.05), SDNN (F = 13.59, p < 0.05), and RMSSD (F = 10.72, p < 0.05) in the time domain, and HF (F = 4.82 p < 0.05)) in the frequency domain, which were all improved in the experimental group after the meditation program. Conclusions: Meditation can be a useful therapy to enhance the mental health and autonomic nervous system balance of informal caregivers, improving symptoms of physical and mental overload.
Correlation between Isotherms and Isodoses in Breast Cancer Radiotherapy—First Study
Authors: Plaza Dominika , Baic Agnieszka , Lange Barbara , Stanek Agata , Ślosarek Krzysztof , Kowalczyk Anna , Cholewka Armand
Published: January 2021

The study is focused on correlation of isotherms derived from thermal images with an isodoses describing treatment plan for patients with breast cancer treated by radiotherapy. The irradiated area covered the part of the body after mastectomy. The study included patients diagnosed with breast cancer who were qualified for radiotherapy treatment. All patients were monitored during each treatment week during the entire radiotherapy process. The measurements were made under strictly defined conditions. In the treatment planning system (TPS), the specific plan was created for each patient. Spatial dose distribution in the patient’s body was obtained and presented by the isodoses (lines connecting points with the same dose values). The following areas from the treatment planning system were plotted on the thermograms: target (tumor area) and isodose: 45 Gy, 40 Gy, 30 Gy, 20 Gy and 10 Gy. The obtained results indicated a high correlation between magnitude of the dose represented as the isodose and the temperature of the treated skin. Moreover, preliminary analysis showed a repeatable increase of the mean temperature in the irradiated area during the treatment.
Psychometric Properties of the Malay-Language Quality of Life Enjoyment and Satisfaction Scale: A Confirmatory Study on Malaysian Children
Authors: Ibrahim Mohamad Fadil , Kuan Garry , Hashim Hairul Anuar , Hamzah Nurul Azuar , Kueh Yee Cheng
Published: January 2021

The objective of this study was to validate the translated Malay version of the Quality of Life Enjoyment and Satisfaction Questionnaire (Q-LES-Q-M) scale among Malaysian primary school children using the confirmatory factor analysis (CFA). The Q-LES-Q-M measures the level of enjoyment and satisfaction experienced with relation to physical health, feelings, homework, and leisure. The participants were 607 Malay students, 240 (39.5%) boys and 367 (60.5%) girls, with an age range from 10 to 11 years old. The original version of the Q-LES-Q was translated into the Malay language by forward to backward translation procedures with consideration for the local culture and suitable vocabulary for primary school students. The participants then completed the Q-LES-Q-M. CFA was performed using Mplus 8 software. Using CFA, the initial model did not result in a good data fit. Further analysis of the CFA suggested some changes to the model to improve the fit indices. Model modification included the deletion of three problematic items and co-varying some error items. This resulted in improved fit indices and 40 items remained in the final model. The final model showed good reliability based on two indicators of composite reliability (CR) and Cronbach’s alpha (CA). The factors with their CR and CA were physical activity (CR = 0.857, CA = 0.854), feelings (CR = 0.808, CA = 0.813), homework (CR = 0.837, CA = 0.837) and leisure (CR = 0.742, CA = 0.737). The final measurement consists of 40 items. The retained items were deemed suitable for Malay primary school children. The revised Q-LES-Q-M with 40 items is suitable for measuring the levels of children’s involvement in determining the enjoyment and satisfaction of learning and physical activity.
The Relationship between the Family Functioning of Individuals with Drug Addiction and Relapse Tendency: A Moderated Mediation Model
Authors: Zeng Xiaoqing , Tan Chuyi
Published: January 2021

To explore the relationship between family functioning, psychological capital, life history strategy, and relapse tendency of individuals with drug addiction, 842 individuals with drug addiction completed a questionnaire. The results showed that (1) there was a significant negative correlation between the family functioning of individuals with drug addiction and their relapse tendency; (2) psychological capital played an intermediary role between family functioning and relapse tendency; and (3) life history strategy regulated the mediating effect of psychological capital. The results of this study suggest that family members should collaborate with drug addiction treatment centers and participate in the education and treatment process to help reduce drug relapse tendency. Increasing the psychological capital and self-efficacy of individuals with drug addiction through group psychological counseling and psychological education courses could also reduce drug relapse tendency.
Correlates of a Positive Parenting Experience in Prison
Authors: Carretero-Trigo Miryam , Carcedo Rodrigo J. , Fernández-Rouco Noelia
Published: January 2021

The two goals of this study were: (1) to explore the relationship of a parent’s experience in prison in combination with a range of characteristics relating to the parent in prison, to the children, and to the caregiver, and (2) to explore the role of sex and nationality in this relationship. A total of 202 parents in prison (99 men and 103 women; 106 Spanish and 96 foreigners) participated in this study. To maximize the understanding of the questions, in-person interviews were conducted to collect answers to the questionnaire. The findings particularly highlight the importance of the role of the primary caregiver in ensuring that the parent in prison has a positive parenting experience during incarceration. More specifically, the parent in prison reports a better parenting experience when they perceive the primary caregiver as a link between themselves and their children in a positive way. This finding points to the importance of intervention and research on this relationship in order to enhance parental satisfaction and the relationship between the imprisoned parent and their children, as well as the family’s resilience during parental imprisonment.
Climate Change in the Arctic—The Need for a Broader Gender Perspective in Data Collection
Authors: Rautio Arja , Kukarenko Natalia , Nilsson Lena Maria , Evengard Birgitta
Published: January 2021

Climate change in the Arctic affects both environmental, animal, and human health, as well as human wellbeing and societal development. Women and men, and girls and boys are affected differently. Sex-disaggregated data collection is increasingly carried out as a routine in human health research and in healthcare analysis. This study involved a literature review and used a case study design to analyze gender differences in the roles and responsibilities of men and women residing in the Arctic. The theoretical background for gender-analysis is here described together with examples from the Russian Arctic and a literature search. We conclude that a broader gender-analysis of sex-disaggregated data followed by actions is a question of human rights and also of economic benefits for societies at large and of the quality of services as in the health care.
Exploring the Role of Personal Demands in the Health-Impairment Process of the Job Demands-Resources Model: A Study among Master Students
Authors: Zeijen Marijntje E. L. , Brenninkmeijer Veerle , Peeters Maria C. W. , Mastenbroek Nicole J. J. M.
Published: January 2021

Research shows that students experience substantial levels of burnout during their studies. This study explores the role of personal demands on students’ well-being. After providing a conceptualization of personal demands, we examined the role of personal demands in the Job Demands-Resources (JD-R) model. Based on the Transactional Model of Stress, we hypothesized that students with high personal demands experience more burnout symptoms because they perceive more elements in their study as demanding (i.e., mediation hypothesis). At the same time, we hypothesized that the associations between study demands and burnout might be stronger for students with high versus low personal demands (i.e., moderation hypothesis). In order to test both hypotheses, we collected data from 578 master students. The data were analyzed with latent moderation and mediation analyses in Mplus. The results showed that students’ personal demands predicted burnout symptoms via the perception of study demands. Personal demands did not moderate the relationship between study demands and burnout. The findings of the present study expand the JD-R model by indicating that personal demands relate to burnout symptoms via the perception of study demands. Theoretical and practical implications are discussed.
Social Support, Health Literacy and Depressive Symptoms among Medical Students: An Analysis of Mediating Effects
Authors: Zhong Yaqin , Schroeder Elizabeth , Gao Yuexia , Guo Xiaojun , Gu Yuanyuan
Published: January 2021

Depressive symptoms are prevalent in university students and may impair their social, educational, and economic transition into adulthood. Identifying the factors that determine depressive symptoms is crucial for the design of effective policy interventions. This study aims to examine the associations between health literacy and depressive symptoms among medical students, and to evaluate the effect of different types of social support as a potential mediator. A cross-sectional survey of medical students was conducted through convenience sampling in East China. Associations between variables were explored using OLS and the mediation effect was estimated using the Karlson, Holm and Breen method. A total of 746 valid questionnaires were collected. The prevalence of depressive symptoms among the sample was 32.4%. Higher health literacy levels and social supports were significantly associated with lower levels of depressive symptoms. Social support partially mediated the association between health literacy and depressive symptoms, accounting for a 54.03% of the total effect size. These findings suggest that interventions for medical student mental wellbeing could improve health literacy. Whilst family support reflects greatest impact, Universities can also lead and innovate novel interventions for this critical stage of life. Future research can extend this study by exploring the dynamic interactions between health literacy, depressive symptoms, and other sources of social support. Comparisons of these findings across the different regions of China and in other university subject disciplines are also warranted.
Adverse Birth Outcomes Due to Exposure to Household Air Pollution from Unclean Cooking Fuel among Women of Reproductive Age in Nigeria
Authors: Roberman Jamie , Emeto Theophilus I. , Adegboye Oyelola A.
Published: January 2021

Exposure to household air pollution (HAP) from cooking with unclean fuels and indoor smoking has become a significant contributor to global mortality and morbidity, especially in low- and middle-income countries such as Nigeria. Growing evidence suggests that exposure to HAP disproportionately affects mothers and children and can increase risks of adverse birth outcomes. We aimed to quantify the association between HAP and adverse birth outcomes of stillbirth, preterm births, and low birth weight while controlling for geographic variability. This study is based on a cross-sectional survey of 127,545 birth records from 41,821 individual women collected as part of the 2018 Nigeria Demographic and Health Survey (NDHS) covering 2013–2018. We developed Bayesian structured additive regression models based on Bayesian splines for adverse birth outcomes. Our model includes the mother’s level and household characteristics while correcting for spatial effects and multiple births per mother. Model parameters and inferences were based on a fully Bayesian approach via Markov Chain Monte Carlo (MCMC) simulations. We observe that unclean fuel is the primary source of cooking for 89.3% of the 41,821 surveyed women in the 2018 NDHS. Of all pregnancies, 14.9% resulted in at least one adverse birth outcome; 14.3% resulted in stillbirth, 7.3% resulted in an underweight birth, and 1% resulted in premature birth. We found that the risk of stillbirth is significantly higher for mothers using unclean cooking fuel. However, exposure to unclean fuel was not significantly associated with low birth weight and preterm birth. Mothers who attained at least primary education had reduced risk of stillbirth, while the risk of stillbirth increased with the increasing age of the mother. Mothers living in the Northern states had a significantly higher risk of adverse births outcomes in 2018. Our results show that decreasing national levels of adverse birth outcomes depends on working toward addressing the disparities between states.
Burnout and Depression in Portuguese Healthcare Workers during the COVID-19 Pandemic—The Mediating Role of Psychological Resilience
Authors: Serrão Carla , Duarte Ivone , Castro Luísa , Teixeira Andreia
Published: January 2021

During the COVID-19 pandemic, healthcare workers (HCW) have been exposed to multiple psychosocial stressors. Resilience might protect employees from the negative consequences of chronic stress. The aim of this study was to explore the mediating role of resilience in the relationship between depression and burnout (personal, work-related, and client-related). A cross-sectional study was performed using an online questionnaire distributed via social networks. A survey was conducted comprising standardized measures of resilience (Resilience Scale-25 items), depression (subscale of Depression Anxiety Stress Scales-21 items), and burnout (Copenhagen Burnout Inventory Scale-19 items). A total of 2008 subjects completed the survey, and a hierarchical regression model was estimated for each burnout dimension. The results revealed that depression had not only a directed effect on personal, work- and client-related burnout, but also an indirect small effect on it through resilience. Psychological resilience played a partial mediating role between depression and all burnout dimensions. This partial mediation suggests that there may be other possible variables (e.g., social connection, self-compassion, gratitude, sense of purpose) that further explain the associations.
Multiple Health Risk Factors in Vocational Education Students: A Systematic Review
Authors: Atorkey Prince , Byaruhanga Judith , Paul Christine , Wiggers John , Bonevski Billie , Tzelepis Flora
Published: January 2021

Health risk factors such as tobacco smoking, inadequate fruit intake, inadequate vegetable intake, risky alcohol consumption, physical inactivity, obesity, anxiety and depression often commence during adolescence and young adulthood. Vocational education institutions enrol many students in these age groups making them an important setting for addressing multiple health risk factors. This systematic review examined (i) co-occurrence of health risk factors, (ii) clustering of health risk factors, and (iii) socio-demographic characteristics associated with co-occurrence and/or clusters of health risks among vocational education students. MEDLINE, PsycINFO, EMBASE, CINAHL and Scopus were searched to identify eligible studies published by 30 June 2020. Two reviewers independently extracted data and assessed methodological quality using the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute Quality Assessment Tool. Five studies assessed co-occurrence and three studies clustering of health risks. Co-occurrence of health risk factors ranged from 29–98% and clustering of alcohol use and tobacco smoking was commonly reported. The findings were mixed about whether gender and age were associated with co-occurrence or clustering of health risks. There is limited evidence examining co-occurrence and clustering of health risk factors in vocational education students. Comprehensive assessment of how all these health risks co-occur or cluster in vocational education students is required.
Neurodevelopmental Outcomes at 18 Months of Corrected Age for Late Preterm Infants Born at 34 and 35 Gestational Weeks
Authors: Nakasone Ruka , Fujioka Kazumichi , Kyono Yuki , Yoshida Asumi , Kido Takumi , Suga Shutaro , Abe Shinya , Ashina Mariko , Nishida Kosuke , Tanimura Kenji , Yamada Hideto , Nozu Kandai , Iijima Kazumoto
Published: January 2021

To date, the difference in neurodevelopmental outcomes between late preterm infants (LPI) born at 34 and 35 gestational weeks (LPI-34 and LPI-35, respectively) has not been elucidated. This retrospective study aimed to evaluate neurodevelopmental outcomes at 18 months of corrected age for LPI-34 and LPI-35, and to elucidate factors predicting neurodevelopmental impairment (NDI). Records of all LPI-34 (n = 93) and LPI-35 (n = 121) admitted to our facility from 2013 to 2017 were reviewed. Patients with congenital or chromosomal anomalies, severe neonatal asphyxia, and without developmental quotient (DQ) data were excluded. Psychomotor development was assessed as a DQ using the Kyoto Scale of Psychological Development at 18 months of corrected age. NDI was defined as DQ < 80 or when severe neurodevelopmental problems made neurodevelopmental assessment impossible. We compared the clinical characteristics and DQ values between LPI-34 (n = 62) and LPI-35 (n = 73). To elucidate the factors predicting NDI at 18 months of corrected age, we compared clinical factors between the NDI (n = 17) and non-NDI (n = 118) groups. No significant difference was observed in DQ values at 18 months of corrected age between the groups in each area and overall. Among clinical factors, male sex, intraventricular hemorrhage (IVH), hyperbilirubinemia, and severe hyperbilirubinemia had a higher prevalence in the NDI group than in the non-NDI group, and IVH and/or severe hyperbilirubinemia showed the highest Youden Index values for predicting NDI. Based on the results of this study, we can conclude that no significant difference in neurodevelopmental outcomes at 18 months of corrected age was observed between LPI-34 and LPI-35. Patients with severe hyperbilirubinemia and/or IVH should be considered to be at high risk for developing NDI.
Unpaid Caregiving and Labor Force Participation among Chinese Middle-Aged Adults
Authors: Chai Huamin , Fu Rui , Coyte Peter C.
Published: January 2021

Unpaid family caregivers must consider the economic trade-off between caregiving and paid employment. Prior literature has suggested that labor force participation (LFP) declines with caregiving intensity, but no study has evaluated this relationship by accounting for the presence of both kinks and discontinuities. Here we used respondents of the China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study baseline survey who were nonfarming, of working age (aged 45–60) and had a young grandchild and/or a parent/parent-in-law. For women and men separately, a caregiving threshold-adjusted probit model was used to assess the association between LFP and weekly unpaid caregiving hours. Instrumental variables were used to rule out the endogeneity of caregiving hours. Of the 3718 respondents in the analysis, LFP for men was significantly and inversely associated with caregiving that involved neither discontinuities nor kinks. For women, a kink was identified at the caregiving threshold of eight hrs/w such that before eight hours, each caregiving hour was associated with an increase of 0.0257 in the marginal probability of LFP, but each hour thereafter was associated with a reduction of 0.0014 in the marginal probability of LFP. These results have implications for interventions that simultaneously advance policies of health, social care and labor force.
Strength and Speed Profiles Based on Age and Sex Differences in Young Basketball Players
Authors: Mancha-Triguero David , García-Rubio Javier , Gamonales José M. , Ibáñez Sergio J.
Published: January 2021

Team sports are in continuous evolution, and physical performance is acquiring greater importance in the game. The assessment of physical fitness is the most reliable method for knowing if the athlete’s physical fitness is appropriate. Therefore, the objectives of this research were to identify profiles of physical-physiological demands with different specific tests of physical fitness related to the maximum strength of the lower body and speed. Moreover, some differences based on the sex and age of the players were identified. One hundred and forty-nine basketball players were analyzed (men n = 103 vs. women n = 46, weight: 74.74 ± 11.65 kg vs. 56.89 ± 3.71 kg, height: 184.66 ± 11.67 vs. 164 ± 4 and BMI: 21.7 ± 0.83 vs. 21.6 ± 0.90). The players performed an Abalakov test, a multi-jump test, and a repeat sprint ability test. Each player was equipped with a WIMU PRO device, and photoelectric cells were used. A MANOVA was performed to discover the differences between ages, and a t-test was used regarding sex. The results showed significant differences based on age and sex in variables related to time and Player Load/min (p < 0.001). The variables related to steps (contact, step, flight) also showed significant differences as a function of age (p < 0.001) and sex (p < 0.05). The multi-jump test showed differences based on age (p < 0.05 except in between jumps), but not on sex. These results confirm the importance of working together on lower body strength and speed skills. In addition, the planning of the work on these abilities must be individualized and according to the characteristics of the athlete.
PM2.5 Estimation and Spatial-Temporal Pattern Analysis Based on the Modified Support Vector Regression Model and the 1 km Resolution MAIAC AOD in Hubei, China
Authors: Chen Nengcheng , Yang Meijuan , Du Wenying , Huang Min
Published: January 2021

The satellite-retrieved Aerosol Optical Depth (AOD) is widely used to estimate the concentrations and analyze the spatiotemporal pattern of Particulate Matter that is less than or equal to 2.5 microns (PM2.5), also providing a way for the related research of air pollution. Many studies generated PM2.5 concentration networks with resolutions of 3 km or 10 km. However, the relatively coarse resolution of the satellite AOD products make it difficult to determine the fine-scale characteristics of PM2.5 distributions that are important for urban air quality analysis. In addition, the composition and chemical properties of PM2.5 are relatively complex and might be affected by many factors, such as meteorological and land cover type factors. In this paper, an AOD product with a 1 km spatial resolution derived from the Multi-Angle Implementation of Atmospheric Correction (MAIAC) algorithm, the PM2.5 measurements from ground sites and the meteorological data as the auxiliary variable, are integrated into the Modified Support Vector Regression (MSVR) model that proposed in this paper to estimate the PM2.5 concentrations and analyze the spatiotemporal pattern of PM2.5. Considering the relatively small dataset and the somewhat complex relationship between the variables, we propose a Modified Support Vector Regression (MSVR) model that based on SVR to fit and estimate the PM2.5 concentrations in Hubei province of China. In this paper, we obtained Cross Correlation Coefficient (R²) of 0.74 for the regression of independent and dependent variables, and the conventional SVR model obtained R² of 0.60 as comparison. We think our MSVR model obtained relatively good performance in spite of many complex factors that might impact the accuracy. We then utilized the optimal MSVR model to perform the PM2.5 estimating, analyze their spatiotemporal patterns, and try to explain the possible reasons for these patterns. The results showed that the PM2.5 estimations retrieved from 1 km MAIAC AOD could reflect more detailed spatial distribution characteristics of PM2.5 and have higher accuracy than that from 3 km MODIS AOD. Therefore, the proposed MSVR model can be a better method for PM2.5 estimating, especially when the dataset is relatively small.
Delphinidin Increases the Sensitivity of Ovarian Cancer Cell Lines to 3-bromopyruvate
Authors: Pieńkowska Natalia , Bartosz Grzegorz , Furdak Paulina , Sadowska-Bartosz Izabela
Published: January 2021

3-Bromopyruvic acid (3-BP) is a promising anticancer compound. Two ovary cancer (OC) cell lines, PEO1 and SKOV3, showed relatively high sensitivity to 3-BP (half maximal inhibitory concentration (IC50) of 18.7 and 40.5 µM, respectively). However, the further sensitization of OC cells to 3-BP would be desirable. Delphinidin (D) has been reported to be cytotoxic for cancer cell lines. We found that D was the most toxic for PEO1 and SKOV3 cells from among several flavonoids tested. The combined action of 3-BP and D was mostly synergistic in PEO1 cells and mostly weakly antagonistic in SKOV3 cells. The viability of MRC-5 fibroblasts was not affected by both compounds at concentrations of up to 100 µM. The combined action of 3-BP and D decreased the level of ATP and of dihydroethidium (DHE)-detectable reactive oxygen species (ROS), cellular mobility and cell staining with phalloidin and Mitotracker Red in both cell lines but increased the 2’,7’-dichlorofluorescein (DCFDA)-detectable ROS level and decreased the mitochondrial membrane potential and mitochondrial mass only in PEO1 cells. The glutathione level was increased by 3-BP+D only in SKOV3 cells. These differences may contribute to the lower sensitivity of SKOV3 cells to 3-BP+D. Our results point to the possibility of sensitization of at least some OC cells to 3-BP by D.