bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The Russia-Ukraine war, soaring food prices, and the Turkish economy: insights from computable general equilibrium
Authors: Ozturk Ozcan , Faizi Bushra
Published: August 2023

The ongoing war between Russia and Ukraine has led to considerable human suffering and raised concerns regarding the potential implications for the global economy. Türkiye, as a neighboring country and a major player in the region, maintains close ties with Ukraine and Russia and heavily relies on agricultural imports from both countries making it susceptible to market shocks caused by the war. In this research paper, we examine the economic impact of war-induced soaring food prices on the Turkish economy using a Computable General Equilibrium (CGE) model, which is a widely used tool for simulating the effects of shocks and policy changes on a country’s economy. We considered two utility functions with varying elasticity parameters to explore both micro-level and macro-level impacts of the price shock, encompassing household demand, industrial production, price and trade dynamics, income, investment, and welfare implications. The findings reveal significant effects on agricultural imports of crops (wheat, maize, barley, rice, and cereal grains), fruit and vegetables, and oil products, leading to an increase in both import and domestic prices, resulting in food inflation in the country. Additionally, the findings show that while the trade balance for the agricultural sector improved, the services, manufacturing, and forestry sectors have experienced an increased trade deficit. Furthermore, the war has caused a decline in foreign direct investment flowing into the country. Finally, the war-led price shock resulted in an estimated income loss of 0.2 or 0.8 percent of real GDP depending on the utility function, and a significant welfare loss. Based on these findings, several policy recommendations were discussed. The findings of the study highlight the importance of considering the interplay between food prices and micro and macroeconomic indicators.
The change pattern of CSR ecological strategy of trees and seedlings during different succession stages in tropical lowland rainforests
Authors: Wen Yabo , Chen Chen , Sun Tianxu , Yang Yuwei , Han Xuejiao , He Baohui , Lu Xinghui
Published: August 2023

Monitoring changes to growth-survival strategies is beneficial during plant growth and development to understand the dynamics of community succession. We measured key leaf traits and calculated competition, stress-tolerance, and ruderals ecological strategy scores for trees and seedlings in different successional stages in tropical lowland rain forests. We analyzed functional trait patterns and CSR strategies with plant growth and development through the different succession stages. We found that trees used strategies that were shifted from S/CS and CS strategies to CS/CSR strategies along the succession. However, seedlings maintained the use of the S/CSR strategy. Seedlings showed lower leaf dry matter content, higher specific leaf area, and their leaf area was relatively conservative. We also observed that the functional traits of seedlings and large trees showed basically consistent changes through each succession stage. Using the standard deviation of C-, S-, and R-scores, we found that the ecological strategy width of trees is smaller, while seedlings have a wider range of ecological strategies. Together, this information can be used to define plant succession changes with functional plant trait changes using different CSR ecological strategies in tropical rainforests that are a threated due to human activities. The research results provide scientific basis for understanding the strategic change of plant growth and predicting the direction of forest function succession, and also provide theoretical support for the management of tropical lowland rainforest in China.
Integrated analysis revealing a novel stemness-metabolism-related gene signature for predicting prognosis and immunotherapy response in hepatocellular carcinoma
Authors: Wang Yuxin , Wan Xueshuai , Du Shunda
Published: August 2023

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is a malignant lethal tumor and both cancer stem cells (CSCs) and metabolism reprogramming have been proven to play indispensable roles in HCC. This study aimed to reveal the connection between metabolism reprogramming and the stemness characteristics of HCC, established a new gene signature related to stemness and metabolism and utilized it to assess HCC prognosis and immunotherapy response. The clinical information and gene expression profiles (GEPs) of 478 HCC patients came from the Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) and the Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA). The one-class logistic regression (OCLR) algorithm was employed to calculate the messenger ribonucleic acid expression-based stemness index (mRNAsi), a new stemness index quantifying stemness features. Differentially expressed analyses were done between high- and low-mRNAsi groups and 74 differentially expressed metabolism-related genes (DEMRGs) were identified with the help of metabolism-related gene sets from Molecular Signatures Database (MSigDB). After integrated analysis, a risk score model based on the three most efficient prognostic DEMRGs, including Recombinant Phosphofructokinase Platelet (PFKP), phosphodiesterase 2A (PDE2A) and UDP-glucuronosyltransferase 1A5 (UGT1A5) was constructed and HCC patients were divided into high-risk and low-risk groups. Significant differences were found in pathway enrichment, immune cell infiltration patterns, and gene alterations between the two groups. High-risk group patients tended to have worse clinical outcomes and were more likely to respond to immunotherapy. A stemness-metabolism-related model composed of gender, age, the risk score model and tumor-node-metastasis (TNM) staging was generated and showed great discrimination and strong ability in predicting HCC prognosis and immunotherapy response.
Antibodies against angiotensin II receptor type 1 and endothelin A receptor are increased in COVID-19 patients
Authors: Miedema Jelle R. , Janssen Matthijs L. , Thüsen Jan von der , Endeman Henrik , Langerak Anton W. , Hellemons Merel E. , van Nood Els , Peeters Bas W. A. , Baart Sara J. , Schreurs Marco W. J.
Published: August 2023

Background

Increased titers of autoantibodies targeting the G-protein-coupled receptors angiotensin II type 1 receptor (AT1R) and endotelin-1 type A receptor (ETAR) are associated with severe coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) infection. The aim of this study was to determine whether 1) these antibodies are specifically related to COVID-19 disease pathogenesis or increased during any severe respiratory illness, 2) if they are formed during illness, and 3) if they correlate with inflammatory markers or long-term symptoms.

Methods

Antibodies against AT1R, ETAR, and antinuclear antibodies (ANAs) were measured in n=40 prospectively enrolled COVID-19 patients and n=207 COVID-19 patients included in a biobank. Clinical and laboratory findings were prospectively and retrospectively assessed in both cohorts, and results were combined for analysis. The presence of auto-antibodies against AT1R or ETAR in peripheral blood was compared between hospitalized patients with COVID-19 and controls (n=39). Additionally, AT1R and ETAR titers were compared between patients with an unfavorable disease course, defined as intensive care admission and/or death during hospital admission (n=121), to those with a favorable disease course (n=126). A subset of intubated patients with severe COVID-19 were compared to intubated patients with acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) due to any other cause.

Results

Significantly increased AT1R and ETAR antibody titers were found in COVID-19 patients compared to controls, while titers were equal between favorable and unfavorable COVID-19 disease course groups. On ICU, intubated patients with COVID-19 had significantly increased AT1R and ETAR titers compared to patients with ARDS due to any other cause. The titers did not correlate with baseline inflammatory markers during admission or with diffusion capacity, cognitive impairment, or fatigue measured at 3 months follow-up.

Conclusions

In patients hospitalized for COVID-19, antibodies against AT1R and ETAR are increased compared to controls and patients with ARDS due to other causes than COVID-19. The baseline antibody titers do not correlate with inflammatory markers or long-term symptoms in this study.
Viral Immune signatures from cerebrospinal fluid extracellular vesicles and particles in HAM and other chronic neurological diseases
Authors: Pleet Michelle L. , Welsh Joshua A. , Stack Emily H. , Cook Sean , Johnson Dove-Anna , Killingsworth Bryce , Traynor Tim , Clauze Annaliese , Hughes Randall , Monaco Maria Chiara , Ngouth Nyater , Ohayon Joan , Enose-Akahata Yoshimi , Nath Avindra , Cortese Irene , Reich Daniel S. , Jones Jennifer C. , Jacobson Steven
Published: August 2023

Background and objectives

Extracellular vesicles and particles (EVPs) are released from virtually all cell types, and may package many inflammatory factors and, in the case of infection, viral components. As such, EVPs can play not only a direct role in the development and progression of disease but can also be used as biomarkers. Here, we characterized immune signatures of EVPs from the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) of individuals with HTLV-1-associated myelopathy (HAM), other chronic neurologic diseases, and healthy volunteers (HVs) to determine potential indicators of viral involvement and mechanisms of disease.

Methods

We analyzed the EVPs from the CSF of HVs, individuals with HAM, HTLV-1-infected asymptomatic carriers (ACs), and from patients with a variety of chronic neurologic diseases of both known viral and non-viral etiologies to investigate the surface repertoires of CSF EVPs during disease.

Results

Significant increases in CD8+ and CD2+ EVPs were found in HAM patient CSF samples compared to other clinical groups (p = 0.0002 and p = 0.0003 compared to HVs, respectively, and p = 0.001 and p = 0.0228 compared to MS, respectively), consistent with the immunopathologically-mediated disease associated with CD8+ T-cells in the central nervous system (CNS) of HAM patients. Furthermore, CD8+ (p < 0.0001), CD2+ (p < 0.0001), CD44+ (p = 0.0176), and CD40+ (p = 0.0413) EVP signals were significantly increased in the CSF from individuals with viral infections compared to those without.

Discussion

These data suggest that CD8+ and CD2+ CSF EVPs may be important as: 1) potential biomarkers and indicators of disease pathways for viral-mediated neurological diseases, particularly HAM, and 2) as possible meditators of the disease process in infected individuals.
Could anthropic pressures drive the burrowing behavior of sandy beaches species? An investigation on Atlantorchestoidea brasiliensis (Amphipoda: talitridae)
Authors: Abude Rayane R. S. , Ribeiro Yuri S. F. , Augusto Matheus , Cabrini Tatiana M. B.
Published: August 2023

Animal behavior represents the connection between individuals and their environment. Environmental conditions on sandy beaches determine the presence, demographic characteristics, and life history of benthic macrofaunal species. The expression of agile behaviors on sandy beaches is a key factor given the rapid environmental changes. Atlantorchestoidea brasiliensis is a sandhopper crustacean, a bioindicator for sandy beach quality, which usually builds burrows along the intersections of wet and dry sand. This study aimed to evaluate differences in the burial depth of A. brasiliensis in regions with and without anthropogenic interactions. We hypothesize that the sandhopper buries further deep on beaches with greater human interference as a behavioral adaptation to avoid direct human interaction. Samples of the A. brasiliensis burrows and data on their burial depths were collected from four beaches in Rio de Janeiro, two with free access to people and two with restricted access. Environmental variables were determined and their influence on burial depth was tested using a Generalized Linear Model. Generalized Additive Models were used to test the occurrence of individuals at each burial depth in the two beach situations. No clear relationship was observed between the environmental variables and burial depth whereas, deeper burials were observed only on free access beaches. The results obtained substantiate the initial hypothesis. The present study is thus an initial step towards further research on changes in the pattern of animal behavior induced by direct anthropogenic pressures on sandy beaches.
Evaluating Atlantic bluefin tuna harvest strategies that use conventional genetic tagging data
Authors: Carruthers Thomas R. , Huynh Quang C. , Lauretta Matthew V. , Preece Ann L. , Butterworth Douglas S. , Hordyk Adrian R. , Taylor Nathan G.
Published: August 2023

An individual tagging model was implemented within the spatial, seasonal, multi-stock, multi-fleet operating models of the peer-reviewed Management Strategy Evaluation (MSE) framework for Atlantic bluefin tuna to evaluate the benefits of a harvest strategy that utilizes conventional gene tagging. A multi-year Brownie estimator was developed to test the accuracy and precision of exploitation rate estimates arising from gene tagging programs with various scenarios for spatial release distribution, release numbers and fishery exploitation rates. Harvest strategies that used the Brownie estimator were tested to evaluate yield and resource conservation performance relative to idealized management using perfect information. For the eastern stock, releasing 1,000 fish throughout the Atlantic and genotyping 27% of all landed fish at an estimated cost of US$2M was sufficient to obtain estimates of exploitation rate with a coefficient of variation of 20%. For the western stock, the same precision in exploitation rate estimates required the release of 1,300 fish and genotyping rate of 35% at an estimated cost of US$2.5M. Harvest strategies using the gene tagging data provided expected yield and resource conservation performance that was not substantially lower than a harvest strategy assuming using perfect information regarding vulnerable biomass. Reducing the number of releases most strongly affected the worst-case ‘lower-tail’ outcomes for West area yield and eastern stock biomass. Conventional gene tagging harvest strategies offer a promising basis for calculating management advice for Atlantic bluefin tuna that may be cheaper, simpler, and more robust than the current conventional stock assessment paradigm.
DOA estimation of underwater acoustic co-frequency sources for the coprime vector sensor array
Authors: Chen Xiao , Zhang Hao , Gao Yong , Wang Zhen
Published: August 2023

A coprime array with fewer sensors can achieve the same resolution as a uniform linear array. However, when detecting co-frequency targets, there can be prominent false alarms due to overlaps between the main and grating lobes of subarrays. This study proposes a direction-of-arrival (DOA) estimation method to obtain the co-frequency target directions from high grating lobes. The method utilizes joint processing of sound pressure and vibration velocity data from vector hydrophones of a coprime vector hydrophone array and designs joint-cross terms (JCTs) using channel combinations. Based on JCTs, we establish a characteristic data point identification algorithm. The method in this paper can stably and accurately acquire co-frequency target directions from high grating lobes without decoherence operation. Simulation results demonstrate that the proposed algorithm achieves accurate DOA estimation even with reduced signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) and fewer data points. Additionally, a sea experiment confirms the rationality and efficiency of the proposed algorithm, providing new ideas for co-frequency source detection using coprime vector sensor arrays.
An initial spatial conflict analysis for potential deep-sea mining of marine minerals in U.S. Federal Waters
Authors: González Ortiz Adrián A. , Robbins Christopher S. , Morris James A. , Cooley Sarah R. , Davies Jeremy , Leonard George H.
Published: August 2023

Demand for critical minerals is projected to double or even triple by 2030 as the global energy and transportation sectors transition away from fossil fuels toward renewable energy. This anticipated demand raises interest in new critical mineral resources, including marine minerals, to supplement future supplies. While the environmental benefits of transitioning to green energy are many, there are inherent environmental costs. In this study, we compiled broad-scale datasets of prominent environmental features and human uses within four deep ocean regions of the U.S. Exclusive Economic Zone where marine minerals are predicted to occur, called prospective regions: they are the Blake Plateau, the Hawaiian Islands, Offshore California, and the Gulf of Alaska. We generated a normalized metric to score regions based on the co-occurrence of either environmental or human use variables within hexagonal grid cells, allowing us to assess the occurrence intensity and spatial patterns of environmental and/or human use variables within each region. Driven by the presence of threatened species and total species richness, the Blake Plateau and the Hawaiian Islands have the highest environmental occurrence scores, followed by Offshore California and the Gulf of Alaska. Offshore California is the busiest shipping region, followed by the Blake Plateau, the Gulf of Alaska and Hawaiian Islands, and subsea cables are densest in Offshore California, followed by Gulf of Alaska and Hawaiian Islands. The Gulf of Alaska has the largest reported fisheries landings. The sensitivities of biota and human uses to mining are highest for benthic or sessile species and infrastructure on or near ferromanganese crusts or manganese nodules that would be directly and physically altered through crust extraction or nodule removal. This study illustrates the usefulness of comprehensive, spatially explicit risk assessments to inform deep sea mining management and minimize ecological harm and human use conflicts. We assert that the relatively straightforward GIS-based methodology tested here can be applied and iterated upon elsewhere.
Individual and combined associations of alanine aminotransferase and hemoglobin with metabolic syndrome in the elderly in Qingdao, China
Authors: Liu Li , Shao Yuhan , Feng Enqiang , Shao Zhugang , Xing Dongming
Published: August 2023

Background and aims

Combined associations of alanine aminotransferase (ALT) and hemoglobin (Hb) with metabolic syndrome (MetS) have not been assessed yet. The current study investigated the independent and combined relationships between ALT, Hb, and MetS in the elderly.

Methods

The 37,966 elderly participants aged 65 years and older were recruited from community centers in Qingdao, China. The sampled elderly population visited the health centers once a year where they were offered a free health checkup. Based on a combination of ALT and Hb levels categorized by tertile, participants were grouped into nine groups (Group 1–9). Logistic regression models were used to analyze the individual and combined associations of ALT and Hb with MetS.

Results

ALT and Hb were both independently related to MetS in both genders. With the elevation of ALT or Hb levels, risks for MetS and its components increased. Compared to the reference group (the 1st tertiles of both ALT and Hb levels), respective odds ratio of combined ALT and Hb for MetS in Group 2–9 ranged from 1.32–3.38 and 1.14–2.31 in men and women after adjusting for age, sex, education, married status, current smoking, current drinking, physical activity, and diet habit.

Conclusion

ALT and Hb were both independently related to MetS and its components. Combined ALT and Hb levels could increase risks of MetS and its components than an elevation in ALT or Hb alone.
ETU-Net: efficient Transformer and convolutional U-style connected attention segmentation network applied to endoscopic image of epistaxis
Authors: Chen Junyang , Liu Qiurui , Wei Zedong , Luo Xi , Lai Mengzhen , Chen Hongkun , Liu Junlin , Xu Yanhong , Li Jun
Published: August 2023

Epistaxis is a typical presentation in the otolaryngology and emergency department. When compressive therapy fails, directive nasal cautery is necessary, which strongly recommended operating under the nasal endoscope if it is possible. Limited by the operator's clinical experience, complications such as recurrence, nasal ulcer, and septum perforation may occur due to insufficient or excessive cautery. At present, deep learning technology is widely used in the medical field because of its accurate and efficient recognition ability, but it is still blank in the research of epistaxis. In this work, we first gathered and retrieved the Nasal Bleeding dataset, which was annotated and confirmed by many clinical specialists, filling a void in this sector. Second, we created ETU-Net, a deep learning model that smartly integrated the excellent performance of attention convolution with Transformer, overcoming the traditional model's difficulties in capturing contextual feature information and insufficient sequence modeling skills in picture segmentation. On the Nasal Bleeding dataset, our proposed model outperforms all others models that we tested. The segmentation recognition index, Intersection over Union, and F1-Score were 94.57 and 97.15%. Ultimately, we summarized effective ways of combining artificial intelligence with medical treatment and tested it on multiple general datasets to prove its feasibility. The results show that our method has good domain adaptability and has a cutting-edge reference for future medical technology development.
Influence of online collaborative learning on social network and academic performance of medical students: lessons learned from the COVID-19 pandemic
Authors: Zhou Yan , Xu Xiaoming , Schönrock-Adema Johanna , Brouwer Jasperina , Bos Nicolaas A. , Diemers Agnes D.
Published: August 2023

Introduction

The social distancing restrictions due to the COVID-19 pandemic have changed students’ learning environment and limited their social interactions. Therefore, the objective of this study was to investigate the influence of the social distancing restrictions on students’ social networks, wellbeing, and academic performance.

Methods

We performed a questionnaire study in which 102 students participated before and 167 students during the pandemic. They completed an online questionnaire about how they formed their five peer social networks (study-related support, collaboration, friendship, share information, and learn-from) out-of-class. We performed social network analysis to compare the sizes, structures, and compositions of students’ five social networks before and during the pandemic, between first- and second-year students, and between international and domestic students. Additionally, we performed Kruskal–Wallis H test to compare students’ academic performance before and during the pandemic. We performed thematic analysis to answers for two open-end questions in the online questionnaire to explore what difficulties students encountered during the COVID-19 pandemic and what support they needed.

Results

The results showed that the size of students’ social networks during the pandemic was significantly smaller than before the pandemic. Besides, the formation of social networks differed between first- and second-year students, and between domestic and international students. However, academic performance did not decline during the COVID-19 pandemic. Furthermore, we identified three key areas in which students experienced difficulties and needed support by thematic analysis: social connections and interactions, learning and studying, and physical and mental wellbeing.

Conclusion

When institutions implement learning with social distancing, such as online learning, they need to consider changes in students’ social networks and provide appropriate support.
In vitro fermentation properties of magnesium hydride and related modulation effects on broiler cecal microbiome and metabolome
Authors: Hu Heng , Zhu He , Yang Haiyan , Yao Wen , Zheng Weijiang
Published: August 2023

Magnesium hydride (MGH), a highly promising hydrogen-producing substance/additive for hydrogen production through its hydrolysis reaction, has the potential to enhance broiler production. However, before incorporating MGH as a hydrogen-producing additive in broiler feed, it is crucial to fully understand its impact on microbiota and metabolites. In vitro fermentation models provide a fast, reproducible, and direct assessment tool for microbiota metabolism and composition. This study aims to investigate the effects of MGH and coated-magnesium hydride (CMG) on fermentation characteristics, as well as the microbiota and metabolome in the culture of in vitro fermentation using cecal inocula from broilers. After 48 h of incubation, it was observed that the presence of MGH had a significant impact on various factors. Specifically, the content of N-NH3 decreased, while the total hydrogen gas and total SCFAs increased. Furthermore, the presence of MGH promoted the abundance of SCFA-producing bacteria such as Ruminococcus, Blautia, Coprobacillus, and Dysgonomonas. On the other hand, the presence of CMG led to an increase in the concentration of lactic acid, acetic acid, and valeric acid. Additionally, CMG affected the diversity of microbiota in the culture, resulting in an enrichment of the relative abundance of Firmicutes, as well as genera of Lactobacillus, Coprococcus, and Eubacterium. Conversely, the relative abundance of the phylum Proteobacteria and pathogenic bacteria Shigella decreased. Metabolome analysis revealed that MGH and CMG treatment caused significant changes in 21 co-regulated metabolites, primarily associated with lipid, amino acid, benzenoids, and organooxygen compounds. Importantly, joint correlation analysis revealed that MGH or CMG treatments had a direct impact on the microbiota, which in turn indirectly influenced metabolites in the culture. In summary, the results of this study suggested that both MGH and coated-MGH have similar yet distinct positive effects on the microbiota and metabolites of the broiler cecal in an in vitro fermentation model.
Drug sensitivity and genome-wide analysis of two strains of Mycoplasma gallisepticum with different biofilm intensity
Authors: Ma Xiaoyan , Wang Li , Yang Fei , Li Jidong , Guo Lei , Guo Yanan , He Shenghu
Published: August 2023

Mycoplasma gallisepticum (MG) is one of the major causative agents of chronic respiratory diseases in poultry. The biofilms of MG are highly correlated to its chronic infection. However data on genes involved in biofilm formation ability are still scarse. MG strains with distinct biofilm intensity were screened by crystal violet staining morphotyped and characterized for the drug sensitivity. Two MG strains NX-01 and NX-02 showed contrasted ability to biofilm formation. The biofilm formation ability of NX-01 strain was significantly higher than that of NX-02 strain (p < 0.01). The drug sensitivity test showed that the stronger the ability of MG stain to form biofilms, the weaker its sensitivity to 17 antibiotic drugs. Moreover, putative key genes related to biofilm formation were screened by genome-wide analysis. A total of 13 genes and proteins related to biofilm formation, including ManB, oppA, oppD, PDH, eno, RelA, msbA, deoA, gapA, rpoS, Adhesin P1 precursor, S-adenosine methionine synthetase, and methionyl tRNA synthetase were identified. There were five major discrepancies between the two isolated MG strains and the five NCBI-published MG strains. These findings provide potential targets for inhibiting the formation of biofilm of MG, and lay a foundation for treating chronic infection.
Rapid review of factors influencing dietary behaviors in Fiji
Authors: Boxer Benjamin , Trübswasser Ursula , Lesi Viola , Naika Asaeli , Dahal Pradiumna , Sagan Sonya , Joshi Kshitij , Irache Ana , Singh Pragya , Nand Devina , Kama Ateca , Deo Alvina , Goudet Sophie
Published: August 2023

Introduction

In Fiji, multiple burdens of malnutrition including undernutrition, overweight/obesity, and micronutrient deficiencies coexist at the individual, household, and population levels. The diets of children, adolescents, and adults are generally unhealthy. The objective of this review was to understand how the dietary behaviors of children, adolescents, and women in Fiji are influenced by individual, social, and food environment factors.

Methods

This rapid review was conducted to synthesize existing evidence, identify research gaps in the evidence base, and make recommendations for future research. The Cochrane Rapid Reviews Methods and the updated guideline for reporting systematic reviews were used. The search strategy for this rapid review was based on the Population Context Outcome [P(E)CO] framework, including search terms for population (children, adolescents, and adults), context (Fiji), and outcome (dietary behaviors). Searches were conducted in PubMed, Scopus, PsycINFO, and Google Scholar.

Results

The 22 studies included in this review identified different factors influencing dietary behaviors in Fiji. Individual preferences for processed and imported foods, especially of younger generations, and social dynamics, especially gender norms and social pressure, to serve meat and overeat appeared to be prominent in driving dietary habits. The ongoing nutrition transition has led to increasing availability and affordability of ultra-processed and fast foods, especially in urban areas. Concerns about food safety and contamination and climate change and its effect on local food production also appear to influence dietary choices.

Discussion

This review identified different dynamics influencing dietary behaviors, but also research gaps especially with regard to the food environment, calling for an integrated approach to address these factors more systemically.
Global burden of esophageal cancer attributable to smoking: a systematic analysis for the Global Burden of Disease Study 2019
Authors: Wu Shilong , Jiang Wenfa , Li Jiufei , Wu Zeqin , Xu Chenyang , Xie Ning
Published: August 2023

Background

Epidemiological trends of esophageal cancer attributable to smoking remain unclear. This study aimed to estimate the spatiotemporal trends of the esophageal cancer burden attributable to smoking to assist in global esophageal cancer prevention and smoking cessation.

Methods

Data on esophageal cancer attributable to smoking were obtained from the Global Burden of Disease Study 2019. The number and age-standardized rates of esophageal cancer mortality (ASMR) and disability-adjusted life years (ASDR) were analyzed by age, sex, and location. Joinpoint regression analysis was used to analyze the temporal trends of esophageal cancer burden attributable to smoking over 30 years.

Results

In 2019, the number of global esophageal cancer deaths and disability-adjusted life years (DALYs) attributable to smoking was approximately 203,000 and 475 million, respectively. The global esophageal cancer deaths and DALYs due to smoking were approximately 1.5-fold increased from 1990 to 2019, but the corresponding ASMR and ASDR had decreased. The heaviest burden occurred in East Asia, Mongolia, and the middle socio-demographic index (SDI) region. The male-to-female ratio was approximately 12.7 in the esophageal cancer deaths and DALYs and was approximately 14.3 in the ASMR and ASDR. The heaviest burden appeared in the 60–74 years age group. The estimated annual percentage change (EAPC) in ASMR was highly negatively associated with ASMR in 1990 (ρ = −0.41, p < 0.001) and SDI in 2019 (ρ = −0.29, p < 0.001).

Conclusion

Despite reductions in ASMR and ASDR, the esophageal cancer burden attributable to smoking remains heavy, especially in middle SDI regions. Active tobacco control can reduce esophageal cancer burden.
Shaping success: clinical implementation of a 3D-printed electron cutout program in external beam radiation therapy
Authors: Schulz Joseph B. , Gibson Clinton , Dubrowski Piotr , Marquez Caroline M. , Million Lynn , Qian Yushen , Skinner Lawrie , Yu Amy S.
Published: August 2023

Purpose

The integration of 3D-printing technology into radiation therapy (RT) has allowed for a novel method to develop personalized electron field-shaping blocks with improved accuracy. By obviating the need for handling highly toxic Cerrobend molds, the clinical workflow is significantly streamlined. This study aims to expound upon the clinical workflow of 3D-printed electron cutouts in RT and furnish one year of in-vivo dosimetry data.

Methods and materials

3D-printed electron cutouts for 6x6 cm, 10x10 cm, and 15x15 cm electron applicators were designed and implemented into the clinical workflow after dosimetric commissioning to ensure congruence with the Cerrobend cutouts. The clinical workflow consisted of four parts: i) the cutout aperture was extracted from the treatment planning system (TPS). A 3D printable cutout was then generated automatically through custom scripts; ii) the cutout was 3D-printed with PLA filament, filled with tungsten ball bearings, and underwent quality assurance (QA) to verify density and dosimetry; iii) in-vivo dosimetry was performed with optically stimulated luminescence dosimeters (OSLDs) for a patient’s first treatment and compared to the calculated dose in the TPS; iv) after treatment completion, the 3D-printed cutout was recycled.

Results

QA and in-vivo OSLD measurements were conducted (n=40). The electron cutouts produced were 6x6 cm (n=3), 10x10 cm (n=30), and 15x15 cm (n=7). The expected weight of the cutouts differed from the measured weight by 0.4 + 1.1%. The skin dose measured with the OSLDs was compared to the skin dose in the TPS on the central axis. The difference between the measured and TPS doses was 4.0 + 5.2%.

Conclusion

The successful clinical implementation of 3D-printed cutouts reduced labor, costs, and removed the use of toxic materials in the workplace while meeting clinical dosimetric standards.
Partial cystectomy for bladder squamous cell carcinoma with a 10-year follow-up: a case report
Authors: Yin Na , Zhao Wei , He Tao , Li Tingchao , Lei Xu , He Hao , Long Zongmin , Wang Yan
Published: August 2023

Squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) of the bladder is a rare malignancy of the urinary system. It is prone to invasion and metastasis in the early stage and has a poor prognosis. This case reports a 65-year-old female patient with SCC of the bladder who was free of disease recurrence and metastasis 10 years after partial cystectomy (PC) combined with left ureteral reimplantation. The treatment plan and admission of this patient were retrospectively analyzed in order to provide some reference significance for the treatment plan for the SCC of the bladder.
Perioperative brain injury marker concentrations in neonatal open-heart surgery: a prospective observational study
Authors: Jungner Åsa , Lennartsson Finn , Björkman-Burtscher Isabella , Blennow Kaj , Zetterberg Henrik , Ley David
Published: August 2023

Neonates with critical congenital heart defects undergoing open-heart surgery on cardiopulmonary bypass circulation are at risk for white matter brain injury. This article reports on pre- and postoperative plasma concentrations of brain injury markers glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP), neurofilament light (NfL) and Tau, and their respective associations with white matter lesions detected on postoperatively performed brain MRI. Forty term newborns with isolated critical congenital heart defects were included in a prospective observational study. Brain injury marker plasma concentrations were determined prior to surgery and at postoperative days 1, 2 and 3. Brain magnetic resonance imaging was performed pre- and postoperatively. Concentrations of brain injury markers were analysed using ultrasensitive single molecule array technology. Absolute pre- and postoperative plasma biomarker concentrations, and postoperative concentrations adjusted for preoperative concentrations were used for subsequent analysis. Plasma concentrations of GFAP, NfL and Tau displayed a well-defined temporal trajectory after neonatal cardiopulmonary bypass circulation. GFAP and Tau reached peak concentrations at postoperative day 2 (median concentrations 170.5 and 67.2 pg/ml, respectively), whereas NfL continued to increase throughout the study period (median concentration at postoperative day 3 191.5 pg/ml). Adjusted Tau at postoperative day 2 was significantly higher in infants presenting with white matter lesions on postoperative MRI compared to infants without white matter injury.
Dynamics analysis of the two-layer complex propagation network with individual heterogeneous decreased behavior
Authors: Tian Yang , Tian Hui , Zhu Xuzhen , Cui Qimei
Published: August 2023

Due to the differences in society stratum, personal profession, and social acceptability, information propagation can be impacted by the contact capabilities of individuals. Importantly, we found that with the changes in individual psychology, their response to a phenomenon will gradually weaken. This phenomenon is called heterogeneous decreased behavior and applied in the fields of economics, sociology, and ecology. In the social network, people show a gradually decreasing degree of interest for information, named individual heterogeneous decreased behavior (IHDB). We structure a two-layer network model to describe individual behavioral contact and propose a threshold function to represent IHDB. Meanwhile, we use partition theory to explain the information propagation mechanism. Through experiments, it is demonstrated that there is a continuous information outbreak in the ultimate adoption size when individuals exhibit a positive IHDB. However, when individuals exhibit a passive IHDB, there is a discontinuous information outbreak in the ultimate adoption size. Eventually, our experiments show that the theoretical analysis coincides with the results of the simulations.
Exploring the optimal impact force for chronic skeletal muscle injury induced by drop-mass technique in rats
Authors: Ge Haiya , Wang Zhengming , Yang Zongrui , Shi Jinyu , Lu Jiehang , Wang Yuanyuan , Li Zhengyan , Du Guoqing , Shen Zhibi , Zhan Hongsheng
Published: August 2023

Introduction:Skeletal muscle injuries are widespread in sports, traffic accidents and natural disasters and some of them with poor prognoses can lead to chronic skeletal muscle damage in the clinic. We induced a chronic skeletal muscle injury by controlling time and contusion force using an acute blunt trauma model that will help us better comprehend the pathological features of chronic skeletal muscle injury.

Methods:Several levels of injury were induced by repeatedly striking in 5, 10, and 15 times the gastrocnemius muscle from the same height with 200 g weights. After injury, the markers of muscle injury were assessed at 2 and 4 weeks by serum elisa. Electron microscopy, histologic and immunohistochemical staining, and mRNA analysis were used to evaluate the ultrastructure, inflammation, extracellular matrix decomposition, and anabolism of injured muscle in 2 and 4 weeks.

Results:All three different kinetic energies can result in skeletal muscle injuries. However, the injured skeletal muscles of rats in each group could not recover within 2 weeks. After 4 weeks, tissue self-repair and reconstruction caused the damage induced by 5 J kinetic energy to almost return to normal. In contrast, damage induced by 10 J kinetic energy displayed slight improvement compared to that at 2 weeks. Despite this, collagen fibers on the surface of the tissue were disorganized, directionally ambiguous, and intertwined with each other. Myofilaments within the tissue were also arranged disorderly, with blurry and broken Z-lines. Damage caused by 15 J kinetic energy was the most severe and displayed no improvements at 4 weeks compared to 2 weeks. At 4 weeks, IL-1β, IL-6, Collagen I, and Collagen III, MMP2 expressions in the 10 J group were lower than those at 2 weeks, showing a tendency towards injury stabilization.

Conclusion:After 4 weeks of remodeling and repair, the acute skeletal muscle injury model induced by 10 J kinetic energy can stabilize pathological manifestations, inflammatory expression, and extracellular matrix synthesis and catabolism, making it an appropriate model for studying chronic skeletal muscle injuries caused by acute injury.
Are “outsiders” in? Exploring the impact of outsourced workers’ perceived insider status and job value status on job performance
Authors: Yang Jean Fan , Shi Wei , Chen Erica Wen , Luo Ben Nanfeng , Zhao Jenny Zejun , Yin Zhechen , Tao Jiaqi
Published: August 2023

Introduction

Outsourcing, one of the nonstandard employment forms, has been increasingly popular with a wide variety of industries and employers. However, much less is known about its consequences at the employee level, especially relative to standard-employed colleagues. Drawing on social categorization theory and the human resource architecture model, the study was to investigate how outsourced (vs. standard) employment form impacts employees’ perceived insider status and then job performance, as well as the moderating role of job value status.

Methods

To examine these effects, we collected two-wave and multi-source questionnaires from a sample of 147 outsourced employees, 279 standard employees, and their immediate supervisors. And interviews with 31 employees, their supervisors, and human resources personnel provided further support for our findings.

Results

The results showed that relative to standard employees, outsourced employees were lower in perceived insider status and indirectly worse in job performance. Furthermore, both the comparative effects were stronger among core-status than peripheral-status employees.

Discussion

Our study contributes to outsourcing and widely nonstandard employment literature, bringing the research focus from employers to outsourced employees’ psychological and behavioral consequences. Also, we extended literature on the human resource architecture, through a deeper investigation on the issue of employment form-job value status (mis)matching as well as its impacts on employees.
The role of individual differences in resistance to persuasion on memory for political advertisements
Authors: Miller Stuart S. , Hutson John P. , Strain Megan L. , Smith Tim J. , Palavamäki Maria , Loschky Lester C. , Saucier Donald A.
Published: August 2023

When people see political advertisements on a polarized issue they take a stance on, what factors influence how they respond to and remember the adverts contents? Across three studies, we tested competing hypotheses about how individual differences in social vigilantism (i.e., attitude superiority) and need for cognition relate to intentions to resist attitude change and memory for political advertisements concerning abortion. In Experiments 1 and 2, we examined participants’ intentions to use resistance strategies to preserve their pre-existing attitudes about abortion, by either engaging against opposing opinions or disengaging from them. In Experiment 3, we examined participants’ memory for information about both sides of the controversy presented in political advertisements. Our results suggest higher levels of social vigilantism are related to greater intentions to counterargue and better memory for attitude-incongruent information. These findings extend our understanding of individual differences in how people process and respond to controversial social and political discourse.
Socio-emotional skills profiles and their relations with career exploration and perceived parental support among 8th grade students
Authors: Gamboa Vítor , Rodrigues Suzi , Bértolo Filipa , Marcelo Beatriz , Paixão Olímpio
Published: August 2023

Socio-emotional skills can play a crucial role in students career development. This study used a person-centered approach to explore socio-emotional skills (curiosity, optimism, empathy, sociability, and responsibility) profiles among 8° grade students (N = 310). We also explored the relations of these profiles with career exploration (self and environmental), perceived parental support (emotional support, instrumental assistance, career-related modeling, and verbal encouragement) and school achievement. Using Latent Profile Analysis (LPA), four distinct profiles emerged that differed in terms of level and shape, namely: Other and Task oriented profile, Socio-emotional Adaptive profile, Socio-emotional non-Adaptive profile, Self- Oriented profile. Our results show that the “Socio-emotional Adaptive” profile can be clearly differentiated from the “Socio-emotional non-Adaptive” profile given the higher values it presents regarding all the variables in study. However, the differences between the “Other and Task Oriented” profile and “Self-Oriented” profile (intermediate profiles) were analyzed and discussed from qualitative point-of-view and adopting an exploratory approach. Overall, the findings of this study indicate that socio-emotional profiles have the potential to account for variations in career behaviors and academic performance. These results provide valuable insights for the development and implementation of career-oriented interventions targeted at 8th grade students and their immediate relational environments.
The impact of resilience on the mental health of military personnel during the COVID-19 pandemic: coping styles and regulatory focus
Authors: Cao Fei , Li Juan , Xin Wei , Yang Zhibing , Wu Di
Published: August 2023

Military personnel encountered multiple stressful events during the COVID-19 lockdown. Reducing non-combat attrition due to mental disorders is crucial for military morale and combat effectiveness. Grounded in stress theory and regulatory focus theory, this study investigates the influence of resilience on military personnel’s mental health; coping style and regulatory focus are considered potential mediators and moderators, respectively. We conducted a routine psychological assessment on 1,110 military personnel in China. The results indicate that: (1) resilience has a negative impact on the psychological symptoms of military groups; (2) mature and mixed coping styles in military personnel mediate the association between resilience and psychological symptoms; and (3) regulatory focus predominance has a negative moderating effect on mature coping styles’ effects on psychological symptoms. Furthermore, this study supports previous findings that resilience and mental health are interrelated; it demonstrates that military personnel can effectively reduce negative psychological symptoms by improving their resilience level and adopting mature coping styles under stressful situations. The current study presents interventional insights regarding coping styles and mental health from a self-regulatory perspective during the COVID-19 pandemic.