bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Cardiovascular and Gas Exchange Effects of Individualized Positive End-Expiratory Pressures in Cats Anesthetized With Isoflurane
Authors: Machado Marcela L. , Soares Joao H. N. , Pypendop Bruno H. , Aguiar Antonio J. A. , Braun Christina , Motta-Ribeiro Gabriel C. , Jandre Frederico C.
Published: May 2022

Objectives

To compare the effects of four levels of end-expiratory pressure [zero (ZEEP) and three levels of positive end-expiratory pressure (PEEP)] on the cardiovascular system and gas exchange of cats anesthetized with isoflurane and mechanically ventilated for 3 h with a tidal volume of 10 ml/kg.

Study Design

Prospective, randomized, controlled trial.

Animals

Six healthy male neutered purpose-bred cats.

Methods

Anesthesia was induced with isoflurane and maintained at 1.3 minimum alveolar concentration. PEEP of maximal respiratory compliance (PEEPmaxCrs) was identified in a decremental PEEP titration, and cats were randomly ventilated for 3 h with one of the following end-expiratory pressures: ZEEP, PEEPmaxCrsminus 2 cmH2O (PEEPmaxCrs−2), PEEPmaxCrs, and PEEPmaxCrsplus 2 cmH2O (PEEPmaxCrs+2). Cardiovascular and gas exchange variables were recorded at 5, 30, 60, 120, and 180 min (T5 to T180, respectively) of ventilation and compared between and within ventilation treatments with mixed-model ANOVA followed by Dunnet's and Tukey's tests (normal distribution) or Friedman test followed by the Dunn's test (non-normal distribution). Significance to reject the null hypothesis was consideredp< 0.05.

Results

Mean arterial pressure (MAP—mmHg) was lower in PEEPmaxCrs+2[63 (49–69); median (range)] when compared to ZEEP [71 (67–113)] at T5 and stroke index (ml/beat/kg) was lower in PEEPmaxCrs+2(0.70 ± 0.20; mean ± SD) than in ZEEP (0.90 ± 0.20) at T60. Cardiac index, oxygen delivery index (DO2I), systemic vascular resistance index, and shunt fraction were not significantly different between treatments. The ratio between arterial partial pressure and inspired concentration of oxygen (PaO2/FIO2) was lower in ZEEP than in the PEEP treatments at various time points. At T180, DO2I was higher when compared to T5 in PEEPmaxCrs. Dopamine was required to maintain MAP higher than 60 mmHg in one cat during PEEPmaxCrsand in three cats during PEEPmaxCrs+2.

Conclusion

In cats anesthetized with isoflurane and mechanically ventilated for 3 h, all levels of PEEP mildly improved gas exchange with no significant difference in DO2I when compared to ZEEP. The PEEP levels higher than PEEPmaxCrs−2caused more cardiovascular depression, and dopamine was an effective treatment. A temporal increase in DO2I was observed in the cats ventilated with PEEPmaxCrs. The effects of these levels of PEEP on respiratory mechanics, ventilation-induced lung injury, as well as in obese and critically ill cats deserve future investigation for a better understanding of the clinical use of PEEP in this species.
Impact of Delaying Irrigation on Wilting, Seed Yield, and Other Agronomic Traits of Determinate MG5 Soybean
Authors: Ravelombola Francia , Acuña Andrea , Florez-Palacios Liliana , Wu Chengjun , Harrison Derrick , deOliveira Maria , Winter Joshua , DaSilva Marcos , Roberts Trenton , Henry Christopher , Grignola Fernando , Shakiba Ehsanollah , Mozzoni Leandro
Published: May 2022

Soybean production in the U.S. Mid-South relies heavily on irrigation with 85% of soybean surfaces irrigated in Arkansas. Reduction in irrigation due to water quantity restrictions will significantly affect soybean seed yield, making variety selection increasingly important. The objective of the study was to assess if irrigation onsets at different reproductive stages affect wilting, seed yield, and key agronomic traits on determinate maturity group 5 (MG 5) soybean. One-hundred sixty-five F4-derived populations of recombinant inbred lines with determinate growth habit, similar maturity, and contrasting wilting potential were planted in an augmented strip-plot design in four environments as a single replicate. Four irrigation onsets were applied at R1 (initiation flower), R2 (full bloom), R3 (initiation pod), and R4 (full pod) using an atmometer. Results indicated significant differences in wilting and yield but no significant differences in maturity, protein, oil concentration, and 100-seed weight across different irrigation onsets. There was no significant difference between the fast and slow wilting genotypes across different irrigation onsets for each trait. Allowable depletions measured in this study indicated that both fast and slow wilting soybean genotype determinate MG5 can tolerate high allowable depletion with no significant yield penalty at R3 growth stage in silt loam soil.
Comparison of Piperacillin and Tazobactam Pharmacokinetics in Critically Ill Patients with Trauma or with Burn
Authors: Selig Daniel J. , Akers Kevin S. , Chung Kevin K. , Kress Adrian T. , Livezey Jeffrey R. , Por Elaine D. , Pruskowski Kaitlin A. , DeLuca Jesse P.
Published: May 2022

Critical illness caused by burn and sepsis is associated with pathophysiologic changes that may result in the alteration of pharmacokinetics (PK) of antibiotics. However, it is unclear if one mechanism of critical illness alters PK more significantly than another. We developed a population PK model for piperacillin and tazobactam (pip-tazo) using data from 19 critically ill patients (14 non-burn trauma and 5 burn) treated in the Military Health System. A two-compartment model best described pip-tazo data. There were no significant differences found in the volume of distribution or clearance of pip-tazo in burn and non-burn patients. Although exploratory in nature, our data suggest that after accounting for creatinine clearance (CrCl), doses would not need to be increased for burn patients compared to trauma patients on consideration of PK alone. However, there is a high reported incidence of augmented renal clearance (ARC) in burn patients and pharmacodynamic (PD) considerations may lead clinicians to choose higher doses. For critically ill patients with normal kidney function, continuous infusions of 13.5–18 g pip-tazo per day are preferable. If ARC is suspected or the most stringent PD targets are desired, then continuous infusions of 31.5 g pip-tazo or higher may be required. This approach may be reasonable provided that therapeutic drug monitoring is enacted to ensure pip-tazo levels are not supra-therapeutic.
Effective Multi-Frame Optical Detection Algorithm for GEO Space Objects
Authors: Dai Yuqi , Zheng Tie , Xue Changbin , Zhou Li
Published: May 2022

The limited resource of Geostationary Earth Orbit (GEO) is precious and most telecommunication, weather and navigational satellites are placed in this orbit. In order to guarantee the safety and health of active satellites, advanced surveillance and warning of unknown space targets such as space debris are crucial. However, space object detection still remains a very challenging problem because of the weak target characteristics and complex star background. To solve this problem, we conduct a deep-learning-based framework called PP-YOLOv2 for single-frame object detection and design a post-processing algorithm named CFS for further candidate filtration and supplement. First, we transform the label information and generate the according bounding boxes to train the PP-YOLOv2 detector to extract candidate coordinates for each frame. Then, the CFS technique is designed as an effective post-processing procedure to obtain the eventual prediction results. Experiments were conducted over a dataset from the Kelvins SpotGEO challenge, which demonstrate the effectiveness and the comparable detection performance of our proposed pipeline. Finally, the deployment results on NVIDIA Jetson Nano show that the proposed method has a competitive application prospect for a space target monitoring system.
A Description Logic Based Ontology for Knowledge Representation in Process Planning for Laser Powder Bed Fusion
Authors: Li Zuyu , Huang Meifa , Zhong Yanru , Qin Yuchu
Published: May 2022

Laser powder bed fusion (LPBF) provides a rapid and cost-effective solution for fabricating metallic parts with near full density and high precision, strength, and stiffness directly from metallic powders. In LPBF, process variables are widely recognised as fundamental factors that have important effect on the quality of the built parts. However, activity of designing process variables for LPBF, i.e., process planning for LPBF, still heavily depends on knowledge from domain experts. This necessitates a knowledge base that enables the capture, representation, inference, and reuse of existing knowledge. In this paper, a description logic (DL) based ontology for knowledge representation in process planning for LPBF is presented. Firstly, a set of top-level DL entities and specific DL entities and semantic web rule language (SWRL) rules for part orientation, support generation, model slicing, and path planning are created to construct the ontology. The application of the ontology is then illustrated via process planning on an LPBF part. Finally, the benefits of the ontology are demonstrated through a few examples. The demonstration results show that the ontology has rigorous computer-interpretable semantics, which provides a semantic enrichment model for LPBF process planning knowledge and enables automatic consistency checking of the ontology, knowledge reasoning on the ontology, and semantic query from the ontology. This would lay solid foundation for development of a process planning tool with autonomous decision-making capability.
Environmental Factors Affecting Feather Taphonomy
Authors: Schweitzer Mary Higby , Zheng Wenxia , Equall Nancy
Published: May 2022

The exceptional preservation of feathers in the fossil record has led to a better understanding of both phylogeny and evolution. Here we address factors that may have contributed to the preservation of feathers in ancient organisms using experimental taphonomy. We show that the atmospheres of the Mesozoic, known to be elevated in both CO2 and with temperatures above present levels, may have contributed to the preservation of these soft tissues by facilitating rapid precipitation of hydroxy- or carbonate hydroxyapatite, thus outpacing natural degradative processes. Data also support that that microbial degradation was enhanced in elevated CO2, but mineral deposition was also enhanced, contributing to preservation by stabilizing the organic components of feathers.
Skeletal Muscle and COVID-19: The Potential Involvement of Bioactive Sphingolipids
Authors: Meacci Elisabetta , Pierucci Federica , Garcia-Gil Mercedes
Published: May 2022

SARS-CoV-2 virus infection is the cause of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), which is still spreading over the world. The manifestation of this disease can range from mild to severe and can be limited in time (weeks) or persist for months in about 30–50% of patients. COVID-19 is considered a multiple organ dysfunction syndrome and the musculoskeletal system manifestations are beginning to be considered of absolute importance in both COVID-19 patients and in patients recovering from the SARS-CoV-2 infection. Musculoskeletal manifestations of COVID-19 and other coronavirus infections include loss of muscle mass, muscle weakness, fatigue or myalgia, and muscle injury. The molecular mechanisms by which SARS-CoV-2 can cause damage to skeletal muscle (SkM) cells are not yet well understood. Sphingolipids (SLs) represent an important class of eukaryotic lipids with structural functions as well as bioactive molecules able to modulate crucial processes, including inflammation and viral infection. In the last two decades, several reports have highlighted the role of SLs in modulating SkM cell differentiation, regeneration, aging, response to insulin, and contraction. This review summarizes the consequences of SARS-CoV-2 infection on SkM and the potential involvement of SLs in the tissue responses to virus infection. In particular, we highlight the role of sphingosine 1-phosphate signaling in order to aid the prediction of novel targets for preventing and/or treating acute and long-term musculoskeletal manifestations of virus infection in COVID-19.
Technical Approaches to the Recycling of Reclaimed Asphalt Pavement into Aggregate and Binder
Authors: Akatsu Kengo , Kanou Yousuke , Akiba Shouichi
Published: May 2022

Approximately 99% of reclaimed asphalt pavement (RAP) has been recycled in Japan in recent years. However, the deterioration in quality of repeatedly recycled RAP cannot be prevented through existing methods, nor can sustainability be guaranteed. In addition, it is challenging to procure virgin aggregate and binder. Therefore, to ensure the quality and supply of future recycled hot-mix asphalt, it is necessary to explore sustainable recycling technologies. This study examined the advantages and disadvantages of the technical approaches to the recycling of RAP into aggregate and binder. We develop a recycling technology (separate recycling technologies) that uses hot water to separate and restore aggregate and binders to their initial condition from RAPs. The quality of the aggregate, recovered by the hot water rubbing method at 80 °C and 90 °C, fully satisfies the standard values for virgin aggregate at all temperatures. The aged binders, reacting through a hydrothermal decomposition method (hydropyrolysis), with a reaction temperature of 300–350 °C and a reaction time of 0–15 min, tend to have a significantly improved effect. These results confirm that both the hydrothermal rubbing and hydropyrolysis methods could be beneficial options for establishing separate recycling technologies for RAP.
Improving the Reliability of Literature Reviews: Detection of Retracted Articles through Academic Search Engines
Authors: Pastor-Ramón Elena , Herrera-Peco Ivan , Agirre Oskia , García-Puente María , Morán José María
Published: May 2022

Nowadays, a multitude of scientific publications on health science are being developed that require correct bibliographic search in order to avoid the use and inclusion of retracted literature in them. The use of these articles could directly affect the consistency of the scientific studies and could affect clinical practice. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the capacity of the main scientific literature search engines, both general (Gooogle Scholar) and scientific (PubMed, EMBASE, SCOPUS, and Web of Science), used in health sciences in order to check their ability to detect and warn users of retracted articles in the searches carried out. The sample of retracted articles was obtained from RetractionWatch. The results showed that although Google Scholar was the search engine with the highest capacity to retrieve selected articles, it was the least effective, compared with scientific search engines, at providing information on the retraction of articles. The use of different scientific search engines to retrieve as many scientific articles as possible, as well as never using only a generic search engine, is highly recommended. This will reduce the possibility of including retracted articles and will avoid affecting the reliability of the scientific studies carried out.
Chitosan/Gold Nanoparticles Nanocomposite Film for Bisphenol A Electrochemical Sensing
Authors: Almeida Leandro A. , Rodrigues Bruno V. M. , Balogh Debora T. , Sanfelice Rafaela C. , Mercante Luiza A. , Frade-Barros Amanda F. , Pavinatto Adriana
Published: May 2022

Bisphenol A (BPA) is considered an endocrine-disrupting compound and can cause toxicological effects, even at low doses. The development of sensitive and reliable sensors that would allow the detection of such contaminant is highly pursued. Herein, we report an electrochemical sensing strategy based on a simple and low-cost nanocomposite film sensor platform for BPA detection. The platform was developed by modifying a fluorine-doped tin oxide (FTO) electrode with layer-by-layer (LbL) films of chitosan (Chi) and gold nanoparticles functionalized with a polythiophene derivative (AuNPs:PTS). The growth of the Chi/AuNPs:PTS LbL films was monitored by UV–Vis spectroscopy. Electrochemical characterization revealed that the three-bilayer film exhibited the highest electrocatalytic performance and differential-pulse voltammetry (DPV) measurements demonstrated that the modified electrode was suitable for BPA detection through a quasi-reversible and adsorption-controlled electrochemical oxidation and reduction process. The developed sensor exhibited a linear response range from 0.4 to 20 μmol L−1, with a detection limit of 0.32 μmol L−1. The sensor showed good reproducibility with relative standard deviations of 2.12% and 3.73% to intra- and inter-electrode, respectively. Furthermore, the platform demonstrated to be suitable to detect BPA in real water samples, as well as selective for BPA detection in solutions with 100-fold excess of common interfering compounds.
Research on Coded Excitation Using Kasami Sequence in the Long Rail Detection Based on UGW
Authors: Yao Wenqing , Yang Yuan , Wei Xiaoyuan
Published: May 2022

For a broken rail detection system based on ultrasonic guided waves (UGW), the multimodal and dispersion characteristics of UGW degrade signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) and range resolution. To improve the SNR of the received signals and range resolution, the coded excitation based on Kasami sequences is presented in this work. Utilizing a PSpice model of piezoelectric ultrasonic transducers, as well as conducting field tests based on the pitch–catch mechanism, it is shown that encoded UGW signals can increase the SNRG (the gain of SNR) by 6.29 dB. The main lobe width of the coded excitation is mainly determined by the number of carrier cycles and the carrier waveform, and the size of the side lobes is mainly determined by the number of coding bits. To quickly identify the corresponding transmissions at the receivers, a peak detection algorithm is shown. It is based on bandpass filter, triangle filter and Hilbert transform. Its accuracy and effectiveness are validated by using some field tests under different distances. It can be concluded that the shown adaptive peak algorithm has strong robustness and immunity to noise.
Cooperative Control of a Steam Reformer Solid Oxide Fuel Cell System for Stable Reformer Operation
Authors: Qin Hongchuan , Deng Zhonghua , Li Xi
Published: May 2022

Solid oxide fuel cells (SOFCs) have complex characteristics, including a long time delay, strong thermoelectrical coupling, and multiple constraints. This leads to multiple control objectives, such as efficiently controlling the power output of the stack and considering the temperature constraints of multiple high-temperature components. Dealing with multiple objectives at the same time brings challenges to the design of SOFC system control. Based on the verified high-precision system model and aiming to achieve fast response, high efficiency, and thermal management, this paper first designs a generalized predictive controller (GPC) to realize the global optimization of the system. Then, through the actual test of the individual reformer, the reformer characteristics are analyzed, the standby controller to control the reformer temperature is designed, and the thermoelectric cooperative controller is constricted with the GPC. The results show that while fast power tracking, high efficiency, and multiple temperature constraints are realized by the controller, the temperature and methane conversion rate (MCR) of the reformer are stably controlled, providing a basis for further practical experiments of the SOFC system.
A 2DCNN-RF Model for Offshore Wind Turbine High-Speed Bearing-Fault Diagnosis under Noisy Environment
Authors: Yang Shujie , Yang Peikun , Yu Hao , Bai Jing , Feng Wuwei , Su Yuxiang , Si Yulin
Published: May 2022

The vibration signals for offshore wind-turbine high-speed bearings are often contaminated with noises due to complex environmental and structural loads, which increase the difficulty of fault detection and diagnosis. In view of this problem, we propose a fault-diagnosis strategy with good noise immunity in this paper by integrating the two-dimensional convolutional neural network (2DCNN) with random forest (RF), which is supposed to utilize both CNN’s automatic feature-extraction capability and the robust discrimination performance of RF classifiers. More specifically, the raw 1D time-domain bearing-vibration signals are transformed into 2D grayscale images at first, which are then fed to the 2DCNN-RF model for fault diagnosis. At the same time, three procedures, including exponential linear unit (ELU), batch normalization (BN), and dropout, are introduced in the model to improve feature-extraction performance and the noise immune capability. In addition, when the 2DCNN feature extractor is trained, the obtained feature vectors are passed to the RF classifier to improve the classification accuracy and generalization ability of the model. The experimental results show that the diagnostic accuracy of the 2DCNN-RF model could achieve 99.548% on the CWRU high-speed bearing dataset, which outperforms the standard CNN and other standard machine-learning and deep-learning algorithms. Furthermore, when the vibration signals are polluted with noises, the 2DCNN-RF model, without retraining the model or any denoising process, still achieves satisfying performance with higher accuracy than the other methods.
Medium- and Long-Term Trading Strategies for Large Electricity Retailers in China’s Electricity Market
Authors: Lu Ting , Zhang Weige , Wang Yunjia , Xie Hua , Ding Xiaowei
Published: May 2022

In the rapid promotion of China’s electricity spot market, a large number of electricity retailers and large consumers participate in power trading, of which medium- and long-term power trading accounts for a large proportion. In the electricity spot market, the previous medium- and long-term transactions need to be closely combined with the current spot market transaction settlement rules. This paper analyzes the trading strategy of large retailers in the power market. In order to effectively reduce the total electricity cost, it is necessary to optimize the medium- and long-term transactions based on three aspects: electricity quantity and benchmark price decisions of medium- and long-term contracts, the daily electricity decomposition method in the day-ahead (DA) market, and the daily load curve decomposition strategy. According to load history characteristics that are extracted by the X12 method, daily electricity is decomposed from the medium- and long-term electricity quantity in the DA market. This paper introduces three methods of decomposing the daily load curve and proves that the particle swarm algorithm is the best method for effectively minimizing the cost in the DA market. Through analyzing the total electricity cost change pattern, we prove that the basic component of decision making is the relative relationship between the electricity price of medium- and long-term contracts and the equivalent kWh price of medium- and long-term electricity in the DA market, which is determined by the decomposition daily curve method. If the equivalent kilowatt-hour price obtained by the decomposition method in the DA market is greater than the electricity price of medium- and long-term contracts, the larger the electrical energy of medium- and long-term contracts, the lower the costs. Based on the above principles, electricity retailers can carry out planning for medium- and long-term transactions, as well as the decomposition and declaration of the daily electricity quantities and daily load curves.
Study of a Gas Turbine Cycle to Boost the Autonomy of Electric Cars
Authors: Najib Joelle , Nemer Maroun , Bouallou Chakib
Published: May 2022

The greenhouse gas emissions from the transportation sector are the primary cause of climate change. As a result, many studies have developed new powertrains with reduced CO2 emissions for the automotive industry. The gas turbine cycle coupled to an alternator is an autonomy booster for series hybrid electric vehicles. Many gas turbine configurations are proposed in the literature to obtain the highest cycle efficiency. This paper suggests a new architecture offering higher efficiency than all the previous cycles. The two-step methodology consists at first of a sensibility analysis using VBA and Refprop to determine the optimal operating conditions in terms of higher efficiency. The selected cycle consists of two compression stages with an intercooler, a combustion chamber, a cooled hot pressure turbine, an uncooled low-pressure turbine, and a recuperator. The efficiency of this design reaches 51.39%, which approximately matches the designs compared in the literature, but is more compact because it does not require a second combustion chamber.
Profiling of Primary Metabolites and Volatiles in Apricot (Prunus armeniaca L.) Seed Kernels and Fruits in the Context of Its Different Cultivars and Soil Type as Analyzed Using Chemometric Tools
Authors: Farag Mohamed A. , Ramadan Nehal S. , Shorbagi Mohamed , Farag Nermeen , Gad Haidy A.
Published: May 2022

The goal of this study was to assess nutrient primary metabolites and aroma determinants in Prunus armeniaca L. fruits and seed kernels grown in Egypt represented by its different cultivars and agricultural conditions i.e., two different soil types (muddy versus sandy). Two techniques were employed to assess non-volatile and volatile metabolites using gas chromatography mass-spectrometry (GC-MS) post silylation, and headspace solid-phase micro-extraction (HS-SPME) coupled GC-MS, respectively. A total of 36 peaks belonging to sugars, fatty acids/esters and organic acids were identified by GC–MS in various apricot fruits and seed kernels cultivars. Glucose and sucrose were enriched in apricot fruits compared to the seed kernels. A total of 70 volatiles were identified, with lactones, alcohols and esters representing the main classes of apricot volatiles accounting for its discrete aroma. (E)-Anethole, β-ionone, γ-decanolactone and methyl palmitate were the major peaks contributing to the discrimination between various fruit cultivars and providing novel insight on apricot metabolome.
Self-Esteem Is Independent Factor and Moderator of School-Related Psychosocial Determinants of Life Satisfaction in Adolescents
Authors: Lábiscsák-Erdélyi Zsuzsa , Veres-Balajti Ilona , Somhegyi Annamária , Kósa Karolina
Published: May 2022

Our aim was to investigate the impact of the school psychosocial environment, including students’ general attitude towards the school, perception of support from teachers and classmates as well as individual psychosocial factors including self-esteem and loneliness on life satisfaction (LS). Four repeated cross-sectional online questionnaire surveys were carried out between 2011 and 2014, inviting all students in one Hungarian high school. Health status and behaviour were assessed by the Hungarian version of the HBSC questionnaire. Results from the surveys were pooled for analysis (N = 3310 students). Heteroskedastic regression estimating robust variance was used to identify potential determinants of LS. Family wealth perceived to be well-off, self-esteem, and being perceived as a good student were identified to be the most important significant positive contributing factors of LS. Perceived good relations with classmates and teachers and an overall positive attitude to school had smaller but still significant positive effects on LS. Self-esteem was a significant moderator for the effect of perceived difficulty of schoolwork, relation with classmates, and gender. This paper shows that self-esteem is not only an independent factor but also a modifier of some school-related variables on LS. The complex interplay among school-related and individual potential determinants of LS should be taken into account in future research by controlling for their interactions.
The Interaction Effect of Parental Rejection and Oxytocin Receptor Gene Polymorphism on Depression: A Cross-Cultural Study in Non-Clinical Samples
Authors: Senese Vincenzo Paolo , Shinohara Kazuyuki , Venuti Paola , Bornstein Marc H. , Rosanio Vittorio , Nasti Carla , Neoh Michelle Jin-Yee , Maresca Marzia , Esposito Gianluca
Published: May 2022

Parental rejection has been consistently empirically implicated in a wide array of developmental, behavioural and psychological problems worldwide. However, the interaction effect between parental rejection in childhood and the oxytocin receptor genotype on psychological adjustment has yet to be investigated. The present study aimed to investigate gene–environment interaction effects between parental rejection (maternal and paternal) and oxytocin receptor (OXTR) gene polymorphisms (rs53576 and rs2254298) on depressive symptoms in adults in different cultural contexts. Adults from Italy and Japan (N = 133, age = 18–27 years, females = 68) were preliminarily genotyped and then completed the Parental Acceptance-Rejection Questionnaire for mothers and fathers and the Beck Depression Inventory. Hierarchical multiple regression analysis showed that paternal rejection was related to self-reported depression and that the effect of parental rejection was moderated by OXTR gene polymorphisms and nationality. Among Italians, OXTR rs2254298 A-carriers showed resilience to negative early parental care, whereas among Japanese, OXTR rs53576 non-A-carriers showed resistance to negative early paternal care. These findings align with expected relations between perceived acceptance–rejection and an individual’s psychological adjustment, as proposed by interpersonal acceptance–rejection theory, and indicate the need for future studies adopting a multicultural and multilevel approach to better understand how the effects of parental rejection extend into adulthood.
Effects of Aroma Foot Massage on Sleep Quality and Constipation Relief among the Older Adults Living in Residential Nursing Facilities
Authors: Kang Jung-In , Lee Eun-Hye , Kim Hyeon-Young
Published: May 2022

This study focused on the effects of aroma foot massage on sleep quality and constipation relief among older adult residents in nursing facilities. This research used a non-equivalent control group and a quasi-experimental design. The participants included 40 older adults aged ≥70 years residing in two nursing facilities in Seoul City. The aroma foot massage nursing intervention consisted of a preparation stage using jojoba carrier (aroma recipe) oil and lavender oil, an aroma foot massage stage, and a finishing stage. Sleep quality scores after the experiment increased by 3.72 at post-test (M = 38.44) compared to pre-test (M = 34.72), which confirmed that sleep quality improved significantly following intervention in the experimental group as compared to the control group (F = 14.45, p = 0.001). Furthermore, the frequency of defecation in the experimental group was significantly higher than that in the control group (Z = −3.93, p < 0.001). Similarly, the constipation assessment scores decreased at post-test significantly by 2.39 in the experimental group as compared to the control group (F = 17.87, p < 0.001). These results confirm that aroma foot massage is an effective nursing intervention for alleviating constipation symptoms and improving sleep quality. Therefore, we recommend that aroma foot massage be used as a complementary intervention in combination with drug-based treatment to improve sleep quality and relieve the constipation symptoms experienced by older adults living in nursing facilities.
Does Mobile Internet Use Affect the Loneliness of Older Chinese Adults? An Instrumental Variable Quantile Analysis
Authors: Guo Zenghua , Zhu Boyu
Published: May 2022

Based on the 2018 China Family Panel Studies (CFPS) data, we empirically analyze the effect, heterogeneity, quantile differences and influencing mechanisms of mobile Internet use on loneliness in the elderly. The study found that the loneliness of the elderly who used mobile Internet was 33.1% lower than that of the elderly who did not use the mobile Internet The study also passed the robustness test. There is heterogeneity in the effect of mobile Internet use on loneliness among the elderly of different ages, educational levels and marital status. Among them, the use of mobile Internet has a significant alleviating effect on the loneliness of the 60–70-year-old elderly, those of junior high school education level and below, and the elderly with a partner. The quantile regression analysis showed that the elderly group with a high level of loneliness benefited more from the use of mobile Internet. Mediation analysis further showed that mobile Internet use can improve parent–child relationship, increase offline interactions with children, and reduce children’s tangible support, which we interpret as a potential mechanism for mobile Internet use to alleviate loneliness in the elderly.
Use of an Elevated Avenue for Leisure-Time Physical Activity by Adults from Downtown São Paulo, Brazil
Authors: Rodrigues Eduardo Quieroti , Garcia Leandro Martin Totaro , Ribeiro Evelyn Helena Corgosinho , Barrozo Ligia Vizeu , Bernal Regina Tomie Ivata , Andrade Douglas Roque , Barbosa João Paulo dos Anjos Souza , Nunes Ana Paula de Oliveira Barbosa , Fermino Rogério César , Florindo Alex Antonio
Published: May 2022

Leisure-time physical activity (LTPA) is associated with access and use of public open spaces. The President João Goulart Elevated Avenue, currently denominated Minhocão, is a facility for leisure activities that is open for people during the night and weekends. The aim of this study was to examine if the prevalence of LTPA among individuals living in the surroundings of Minhocão is different according to proximity to, and use of, the facility. We conducted a cross-sectional study with cluster sampling with people aged ≥18 years who lived in households up to 500 m, and between 501 m and 1500 m of Minhocão. The survey was conducted between December 2017 and March 2019 using an electronic questionnaire. We conducted a bivariate analysis and Poisson regression to examine possible differences in LTPA according to the proximity of residences and use of Minhocão. The analysis used post-stratification weights. A total of 12,030 telephone numbers of people were drawn (≤500 m = 6942; and >500 m to ≤1500 m = 5088). The final sample included 235 residents who returned the questionnaires. There was a higher prevalence of individuals engaging in at least 150 min per week of LTPA among users than non-users (Prevalence Ratio = 2.19, IC95% 1.66 to 2.90), independently of sex, age, education, the distance of houses to nearest accesses and number of barriers. The main five barriers related to the usage of the Minhocão were safety issues in and around the Minhocão, rainy weather, lack of vegetation, and lack of facilities. People who used the park had higher prevalence of all types of LTPA than non-users. The results can serve to inform government decision-making on the future of Minhocão.
High Performance Work Systems, Justice, and Engagement: Does Bullying Throw a Spanner in the Works?
Authors: Baillien Elfi , Salin Denise , Bastiaensen Caroline V. M. , Notelaers Guy
Published: May 2022

High performance work systems (HPWS) have typically been shown to positively influence employee attitudes and well-being. Research in the realm of HPWS has, in this respect, established a clear connection between these systems and employee engagement through organizational justice. In this study, we analyzed if being bullied affects this relationship. Using reasoning from Affective Events Theory (AET), we expected that the positive association between HPWS and engagement through perceptions of organizational justice is impaired by experiences of workplace bullying. Moreover, we expected a remaining direct effect between HPWS and engagement, also attenuated by bullying. Our results in a sample of service workers in Finland (n = 434) could not support the moderating role of bullying in the indirect effect. Workplace bullying did, however, impair the remaining direct relationship indicating it disrupts the positive effect of HPWS on engagement. In all, whereas HPWS were found to be beneficial for not bullied respondents, it was associated with decreased engagement for the bullied. Our findings further underscore the importance of preventing bullying in our workplaces, as it may significantly alter the outcomes of positively intended HR practices into an undesired result.
Persistence of Adverse Drug Reaction-Related Hospitalization Risk Following Discharge
Authors: Schmid Olive , Bereznicki Bonnie , Peterson Gregory Mark , Stankovich Jim , Bereznicki Luke
Published: May 2022

This retrospective cohort study analyzed the administrative hospital records of 91,500 patients with the aim of assessing adverse drug reaction (ADR)-related hospital admission risk after discharge from ADR and non-ADR-related admission. Patients aged ≥18 years with an acute admission to public hospitals in Tasmania, Australia between 2011 and 2015 were followed until May 2017. The index admissions (n = 91,550) were stratified based on whether they were ADR-related (n = 2843, 3.1%) or non-ADR-related (n = 88,707, 96.9%). Survival analysis assessed the post-index ADR-related admission risk using (1) the full dataset, and (2) a matched subset of patients using a propensity score analysis. Logistic regression was used to identify the risk factors for ADR-related admissions within 90 days of post-index discharge. The patients with an ADR-related index admission were almost five times more likely to experience another ADR-related admission within 90 days (p < 0.001). An increased risk persisted for at least 5 years (p < 0.001), which was substantially longer than previously reported. From the matched subset of patients, the risk of ADR-related admission within 90 and 365 days more than doubled in the patients with an ADR-related index admission (p < 0.0001). These admissions were often attributed to the same drug class as the patients’ index ADR-related admission. Cancer was a major risk factor for ADR-related re-hospitalization within 90 days; other factors included heart failure and increasing age.
Metabolism and DNA Adduct Formation of Tobacco-Specific N-Nitrosamines
Authors: Li Yupeng , Hecht Stephen S.
Published: May 2022

The tobacco-specific N-nitrosamines 4-(N-nitrosomethylamino)-1-(3-pyridyl)-1-butanone (NNK) and N′-nitrosonornicotine (NNN) always occur together and exclusively in tobacco products or in environments contaminated by tobacco smoke. They have been classified as “carcinogenic to humans” by the International Agency for Research on Cancer. In 1998, we published a review of the biochemistry, biology and carcinogenicity of tobacco-specific nitrosamines. Over the past 20 years, considerable progress has been made in our understanding of the mechanisms of metabolism and DNA adduct formation by these two important carcinogens, along with progress on their carcinogenicity and mutagenicity. In this review, we aim to provide an update on the carcinogenicity and mechanisms of the metabolism and DNA interactions of NNK and NNN.
Solvent Vibrations as a Proxy of the Telomere G-Quadruplex Rearrangements across Thermal Unfolding
Authors: Libera Valeria , Bianchi Federico , Rossi Barbara , D’Amico Francesco , Masciovecchio Claudio , Petrillo Caterina , Sacchetti Francesco , Paciaroni Alessandro , Comez Lucia
Published: May 2022

G-quadruplexes (G4s) are noncanonical forms of DNA involved in many key genome functions. Here, we exploited UV Resonance Raman scattering to simultaneously explore the vibrational behavior of a human telomeric G4 (Tel22) and its aqueous solvent as the biomolecule underwent thermal melting. We found that the OH stretching band, related to the local hydrogen-bonded network of a water molecule, was in strict relation with the vibrational features of the G4 structure as a function of temperature. In particular, the modifications to the tetrahedral ordering of the water network were strongly coupled to the DNA rearrangements, showing changes in temperature that mirrored the multi-step melting process of Tel22. The comparison between circular dichroism and Raman results supported this view. The present findings provide novel insights into the impact of the molecular environment on G4 conformation. Improving current knowledge on the solvent structural properties will also contribute to a better understanding of the role played by water arrangement in the complexation of G4s with ligands.
The Velvet Protein UvVEA Regulates Conidiation and Chlamydospore Formation in Ustilaginoidea virens
Authors: Yu Mina , Yu Junjie , Cao Huijuan , Pan Xiayan , Song Tianqiao , Qi Zhongqiang , Du Yan , Huang Shiwen , Liu Yongfeng
Published: May 2022

Rice false smut, caused by Ustilaginoidea virens, is a serious disease of rice worldwide, severely reducing the quantity and quality of rice production. The conserved fungal velvet proteins are global regulators of diverse cellular processes. We identified and functionally characterized two velvet genes, UvVEA and UvVELB, in U. virens. The deletion of these genes affected the conidiation of U. virens but had no effect on the virulence of this pathogen. Interestingly, the ΔUvVEA mutants appeared in the form of smaller false smut balls with a reduced number of chlamydospores compared with the wide-type strains. In addition, the deletion of UvVEA affected the expression of some transmembrane transport genes during chlamydospore formation and rice false smut balls development. Furthermore, the ΔUvVEA mutants were shown to be defective in the utilization of glucose. These findings proved the regulatory mechanism underlying the formation of rice false smut balls and chlamydospores and provided a basis for the further exploration of the mechanism of these processes.
Assessment of Function Limitations in People with Chronic Kidney Disease for Implementation in Clinical Practice
Authors: Koufaki Pelagia
Published: May 2022

Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD) is a global health problem and a significant contributor to mortality, morbidity and disability from non-communicable diseases (NCD). The current consensus amongst researchers in the field of renal rehabilitation and healthcare practitioners involved in the management of people with CKD, is that physical dysfunction and inactivity are severe and prevalent in all ages and CKD stages compared to normative data. The negative impact of CKD on independence is cumulative, and health interventions and policies should target prevention of deterioration of kidney function and its consequences for physical frailty, disability and ultimately, quality of life. Accurate and feasible assessment of physical function is key for supporting the clinical implementation of current clinical care management guidelines. This overview, therefore, presents the rationale and some key scientific evidence to support the recommendation of physical function measurement tools that reflect function limitations for immediate implementation in clinical practice. Measurement property characteristics of the proposed measurement tools are also summarised in order to support health and exercise professionals in selecting the right tool and in interpreting and evaluating the measured outcomes.
Quantifying the Spatial Fragmentation Pattern and Its Influencing Factors of Urban Land Use: A Case Study of Pingdingshan City, China
Authors: Yue Li , Zhao Hongbo , Xu Xiaoman , Gu Tianshun , Jia Zeting
Published: May 2022

In the context of rapid urbanization, the phenomenon of spatial fragmentation in Chinese inland central cities is significant. The scientific measurement and evaluation of urban spatial fragmentation are conducive to its transformation, advancement, and sustainable development. Based on the fractal dimension index and Shannon index, this study measures urban spatial fragmentation in terms of form and function, respectively. In addition, multi-scale geographic weighted regression (MGWR) is used to study the influencing factors of spatial fragmentation. The conclusions are as follows: ① the measurement results of spatial form fragmentation and functional fragmentation of urban built-up areas are consistent. The fragmentation degree of the new urban area (new urban district and high-tech district) is higher than that of the old urban areas, and the urban space fragmentation degree around railways and rivers is high. The urban space fragmentation degree of coal resource concentrated distribution areas in the north is lower. The cold spot area of the fragmentation phenomenon appears in the old urban area, and the hot spot area is in the new urban area and along the railway. ② The positive influencing factors of urban spatial fragmentation in Pingdingshan city are the NDVI and the distance from CBD. The negative influencing factor is the number of bus stops per unit area. The DEM and population density have no significant impact on urban fragmentation in Pingdingshan city. ③ Among the variables with significance, its influence has a certain spatial heterogeneity. The spatial scale from small to large is the number of bus stops per unit area, NDVI, and the distance from CBD. The degree of urban fragmentation is very sensitive to the number of bus stops per unit area and the impact scale is quite small. The spatial impacts of the NDVI and the distance from CBD are relatively stable. This study provides a reference and basis for the spatial development of built-up areas of inland central cities and promotes the transformation, advancement, and sustainable development of inland central cities.
Thermodynamic Factors That Drive Sequence-Specific DNA Binding of Designed, Synthetic Minor Groove Binding Agents
Authors: Paul Ananya , Farahat Abdelbasset A. , Boykin David W. , Wilson W. David
Published: May 2022

Ken Breslauer began studies on the thermodynamics of small cationic molecules binding in the DNA minor groove over 30 years ago, and the studies reported here are an extension of those ground-breaking reports. The goals of this report are to develop a detailed understanding of the binding thermodynamics of pyridine-based sequence-specific minor groove binders that have different terminal cationic groups. We apply biosensor-surface plasmon resonance and ITC methods to extend the understanding of minor groove binders in two directions: (i) by using designed, heterocyclic dicationic minor groove binders that can incorporate a G•C base pair (bp), with flanking AT base pairs, into their DNA recognition site, and bind to DNA sequences specifically; and (ii) by using a range of flanking AT sequences to better define molecular recognition of the minor groove. A G•C bp in the DNA recognition site causes a generally more negative binding enthalpy than with most previously used pure AT binding sites. The binding is enthalpy-driven at 25 °C and above. The flanking AT sequences also have a large effect on the binding energetics with the -AAAGTTT- site having the strongest affinity. As a result of these studies, we now have a much better understanding of the effects of the DNA sequence and compound structure on the molecular recognition and thermodynamics of minor groove complexes.
Physical-Mechanical Properties of Peat Moss (Sphagnum) Insulation Panels with Bio-Based Adhesives
Authors: Morandini Marco Claudius , Kain Günther , Eckardt Jonas , Petutschnigg Alexander , Tippner Jan
Published: May 2022

Rising energy and raw material prices, dwindling resources, increased recycling, and the need for sustainable management have led to growth in the smart materials sector. In recent years, the importance and diversity of bio-based adhesives for industrial applications has grown steadily. This article focuses on the production and characterization of insulation panels consisting of peat moss and two bio-based adhesives. The panels were pressed with tannin and animal-based resins and compared to panels bonded with urea formaldehyde. The physical–mechanical properties, namely, thermal conductivity (TC), water vapor diffusion resistance, modulus of rupture (MOR), modulus of elasticity (MOE), internal bond (IB), compression resistance (CR), water absorption (WA) and thickness swelling (TS) were measured and analyzed. The results show that the insulation effectiveness and mechanical stability of moss panels bound with tannin and animal glue are comparable to standard adhesives used in the composite industry.