bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Analyzing Intention to Purchase Brand Extension via Brand Attribute Associations: The Mediating and Moderating Role of Emotional Consumer-Brand Relationship and Brand Commitment
Authors: Bian Weijun , Yan Gong
Published: July 2022

The aim of this study is to investigate the drivers of brand extension attributes and its impact on intention to purchase brand extensions mediated by emotional consumer-brand relationship (ECBR). Data was collected from Chinese university students with the help of questionnaire. Structure equation modeling was applied with the help of AMOS to analyze collected data. Results depict that brand attribute association has significant impact on intention to purchase luxury brands extension. Results further explain that emotional consumer-brand relationship mediates the relationship between brand attribute associations and purchase intention of brand extensions. Furthermore, results indicate that brand commitment moderates the relationship between brand attribute associations, emotional consumer-brand relationship and intention to purchase brand extensions. This study provides an intensive knowledge of the association that exists between the intent to buy luxury brands’ extension and ECBR. This study focuses on the heart versus mind distinction, which is integral to the research on the relationship between consumers and brands. This study provides useful insights to brand managers to use strategies that enhance the bond between emotional and cognitive factors customers associate with a particular brand. Luxury brand managers ought to balance emotionality and rationality to create and capitalize on unique associations with customers.
Integrating Automatic Speech Recognition Technology Into Vocabulary Learning in a Flipped English Class for Chinese College Students
Authors: Jiang Michael Yi-Chao , Jong Morris Siu-Yung , Wu Na , Shen Bin , Chai Ching-Sing , Lau Wilfred Wing-Fat , Huang Biyun
Published: July 2022

Although the automatic speech recognition (ASR) technology is increasingly used for commercial purposes, its impact on language learning has not been extensively studied. Underpinned by the sociocultural theory, the present work examined the effects of leveraging ASR technology to support English vocabulary learning in a tertiary flipped setting. A control group and an experimental group of college students participated in a 14-week study. Both groups had their English classes in a flipped fashion, but the experimental group was assigned with ASR-assisted oral tasks for pre-class self-learning. The pre- and post-intervention in-class task performance of both groups was audio-recorded and transcribed for data analysis. The triadic complexity-accuracy-fluency (CAF) framework was adopted to evaluate the participants' vocabulary learning. The between- and within-subjects effects were examined mainly through procedures of MANCOVA and mixed-design repeated measures ANCOVA. Results showed that on all the metrics of lexical complexity and speed fluency, the experimental group outperformed the control group, and had significant growth over time. On the other hand, the control group only improved significantly overtime on the G-index. On lexical accuracy, there was no significant difference between the two groups, and the within-subjects effect was not significant for either group. The findings lent some support to Skehan's Trade-off Hypothesis and discussions were conducted regarding the triarchic CAF framework.
Self-organized criticality as a framework for consciousness: A review study
Authors: Walter Nike , Hinterberger Thilo
Published: July 2022

Objective

No current model of consciousness is univocally accepted on either theoretical or empirical grounds, and the need for a solid unifying framework is evident. Special attention has been given to the premise that self-organized criticality (SOC) is a fundamental property of neural system. SOC provides a competitive model to describe the physical mechanisms underlying spontaneous brain activity, and thus, critical dynamics were proposed as general gauges of information processing representing a strong candidate for a surrogate measure of consciousness. As SOC could be a neurodynamical framework, which may be able to bring together existing theories and experimental evidence, the purpose of this work was to provide a comprehensive overview of progress of research on SOC in association with consciousness.

Methods

A comprehensive search of publications on consciousness and SOC published between 1998 and 2021 was conducted. The Web of Science database was searched, and annual number of publications and citations, type of articles, and applied methods were determined.

Results

A total of 71 publications were identified. The annual number of citations steadily increased over the years. Original articles comprised 50.7% and reviews/theoretical articles 43.6%. Sixteen studies reported on human data and in seven studies data were recorded in animals. Computational models were utilized inn = 12 studies. EcoG data were assessed inn = 4 articles, fMRI inn = 4 studies, and EEG/MEG inn = 10 studies. Notably, different analytical tools were applied in the EEG/MEG studies to assess a surrogate measure of criticality such as the detrended fluctuation analysis, the pair correlation function, parameters from the neuronal avalanche analysis and the spectral exponent.

Conclusion

Recent studies pointed out agreements of critical dynamics with the current most influencing theories in the field of consciousness research, the global workspace theory and the integrated information theory. Thus, the framework of SOC as a neurodynamical parameter for consciousness seems promising. However, identified experimental work was small in numbers, and a heterogeneity of applied analytical tools as a surrogate measure of criticality was observable, which limits the generalizability of findings.
Action-Shapers and Their Neuro-Immunological Foundations
Authors: Paans Otto , Ehlen Boukje
Published: July 2022

Not all our intentions translate into actions, as our capacity to act may be influenced by a variety of mental and biochemical factors. In this article, we present a comprehensive account of how neuro-immunological processes affect our intentional abilities and our capacity to act. We do so by extending the theory of thought-shapers (TTS) through the notion of action-shapers and combining this theory with the essential embodiment thesis (EE). This thesis about the mind-body relation says that human minds are necessarily and completely embodied. Action-shapers dynamically constitute the action-space of individuals, affecting their capacity to take action or to select one course of action over another. We highlight the effects and interactions of neuro-immunological effective processes in the body to demonstrate how they shape the action-space. In this article, we consider neuro-immunological effective processes that influence the gut-brain axis, chronic stress, high levels of sugar intake, the amygdala and the effects of prolonged stress. We investigate the effects of these processes on the perception and on the capacity to form intentions and act on them. We conclude the paper by providing a concise account of action-shapers, in which we attempt to summarize the line of argumentation and provide suggestions for further research.
Addressing Filicide in Ghana: Linking Cultural Understanding With the Law Against Filicide. Does the Law Work?
Authors: Abdullah Alhassan , Frederico Margarita , Mensah Felix , Bentum Hajara , Wang Yihang , Asare Jennifer Litela
Published: July 2022

Introduction

Consistent with international promulgation on the criminalization of filicide, Ghana’s Children’s Act 1998 (560) and the Criminal Justice Act criminalizes any form of torture against children. Yet, perpetrators of filicide in Ghana may go unpunished due to the beliefs in cultural norms that justify filicide acts. The cultural narratives of filicide can impede on the application and effectiveness of the laws of filicide.

Method

The study employed a vignette approach to explore the views of 19 adults, who were parents between 69 years of age and 30 years of age, in rural and urban Ghana on the laws of filicide in Ghana and filicide intervention measures. The interviewees were provided with narratives on two different vignettes (developed based on real life cases), followed by semi-structured questions to probe the narratives. The interviews were analyzed following Fraser’s narrative thematic analysis procedure.

Results

The study identifies the association between cultural beliefs and the communities’ understanding of the concept of filicide. Though community members are aware of the criminalization of filicide acts, the majority of them were not informed about the laws against filicide in Ghana. Addressing filicide cases within the community was the most preferred option for the participants, as they believe that some children, termed “spirit children” (SC), deserve to be killed. Resorting to spiritual intervention from concoction men emerged as the normative pathway to obtain community approval for filicide. Police interventions were considered necessary in non-spiritual related filicides. Community members were only prepared to cooperate with the law in filicide cases if the filicide act has no connection with spirituality.

Conclusion

The study adds to understanding of the concept of filicide outside western societies. The importance of intensive community campaigns against filicide acts, and norms that support filicide acts, has relevance for all counties.
Emotional Contagion: Research on the Influencing Factors of Social Media Users' Negative Emotional Communication During the COVID-19 Pandemic
Authors: Lu Dan , Hong Dian
Published: July 2022

During the epidemic, social media platforms were frequently used by users to express and spread negative emotions. Under emotional contagion, individual emotions gradually generalized into group emotions. At the same time, the public could not regulate their emotions and lacked access to release them rationally. This study explores the factors influencing the negative emotions' communication among social media users during the COVID-19 epidemic from the perspective of emotion contagion theory to discover the psychological mechanisms among the public. The questionnaire was tested for reliability and validity and then distributed online on Chinese social media platforms, and the data collected were statistically analyzed. The findings show that there are significant differences in negative emotional communication in social media among different age groups; the seven dimensions of deindividuation, risk perception, group identity, group efficacy, event stimulation, event publicness, and emotion contagion all have significant positive effects on users' negative emotional communication. This study aims to raise public awareness of negative emotions and promote the reconstruction and recovery of public mental health in the epidemic era.
The Working Alliance Inventory's Measurement Properties: A Systematic Review
Authors: Paap Davy , Karel Yasmaine H. J. M. , Verhagen Arianne P. , Dijkstra Pieter U. , Geertzen Jan H. B. , Pool Grieteke
Published: July 2022

Measurement properties of the Working Alliance Inventory (WAI) and its various translations and adaptations for specific target groups have been investigated for over 30 years. No systematic review analyzing studies on measurement properties of the WAI has been conducted to date. COnsensus-based Standards for the selection of health Measurements INstruments (COSMIN) were developed for conducting high-quality systematic reviews on measurement properties in a transparent and standardized way. Aim of this study was to systematically review studies on measurement properties of the WAI, and its adapted versions, within psychotherapy, and other healthcare contexts using COSMIN criteria. PsycINFO, Medline, and EMBASE were searched (1989–2021). In all phases of the review procedure, study selection, data extraction, risk of bias assessment, rating of the quality of measurement properties, and rating of the quality of evidence for measurement properties, disagreement between reviewers was resolved by discussion. Results on validity, internal structure, reliability, construct validity, and responsiveness were analyzed. In total 66 studies were included. In most studies, evidence for measurement properties was according to COSMIN criteria, insufficient, lacking, or conflicting. Content validity was rated insufficient because neither patients nor healthcare professionals were involved in the development and validation process. Hence evidence for content validity of the WAI is unknown. Conflicting evidence was found for structural validity. Evidence for internal consistency could not be established. Limited evidence was found for inter-rater reliability and convergent validity. Conflicting evidence was also found for test-retest reliability and divergent validity. COSMIN criteria exposed persistent problems in validation studies of the WAI. These findings may indicate that measurement properties of the WAI are not up to current standards, or that COSMIN criteria may be less appropriate for assessing measurement properties of the WAI, or it could indicate both. The results of this systematic review suggest that WAI outcomes should be interpreted with caution and further research is needed regarding the content validity and hypotheses development. For the future, the theoretical framework underlying the measurement of the working alliance needs to be studied in psychotherapy and other health contexts, and tested in methodologically sound studies.

Systematic Review Registration

https://www.crd.york.ac.uk/PROSPERO/, identifier CRD42019051428.
EFL teachers’ motivational complexity and dynamics during collaborative action research
Authors: Zheng Hongying , Huan Tingting
Published: July 2022

Collaborative action research (CAR) is a process that brings about changes to teachers in social situations as the result of collaboration. The adoption of complexity theory, accordingly enables the examination of teachers’ motivation during the CAR from a complex and dynamic perspective, while the inclusion of self-determination theory (SDT) highlights the trajectory of teachers’ self-development. Aiming to reveal EFL teachers’ motivational complexity and dynamics during the CAR, this study investigated six EFL teachers’ motivation by conducting semi-structured interviews, observations, and reflective writings. The results indicate that EFL teachers’ motivation in the context of the CAR is complex and dynamic, which cannot be simply divided into intrinsic and extrinsic motivation. The dynamic interaction between the teachers’ psychological self and the contexts further leads to different trajectories of motivational change. Moreover, as an important source of “perturbations” promoting the teachers’ motivational change, the CAR accumulates all the possible support for teachers to meet their psychological needs in terms of competence, autonomy, and relatedness. The findings provide insights into EFL teachers’ motivation and offer useful suggestions for teachers’ professional development.
Direct comparisons between hypnosis and meditation: A mini-review
Authors: Penazzi Gabriele , De Pisapia Nicola
Published: July 2022

Hypnosis and meditation share phenomenological and neurophysiological features, and their comparison is a topic of growing interest in the scientific literature. In this article, we review a classification of these two kinds of non-ordinary states of consciousness, and discuss the studies that directly compare them. Some findings seem to suggest that hypnosis and meditation are distinct phenomena, while others underline their similarities, but experiments that directly contrast them are still scarce and no consensus has been reached yet. While this comparison could give us fundamental insights into central issues concerning the role of attention, metacognition and executive control in the study of consciousness, it is clear that we are still at the early stages of this research.
The role of leptin in indirectly mediating “somatic anxiety” symptoms in major depressive disorder
Authors: Zhu Yue , Wei Yange , Duan Jia , Li Jianing , Zhang Ran , Sun Jiaze , Wang Pengshuo , Liu Zhuang , Lv Jing , Wei Shengnan , Jiang Xiaowei , Wang Fei , Tang Yanqing
Published: July 2022

Background

Leptin is a multifunctional hormone secreted from adipose tissue, which plays a core role in regulating energy intake and expenditure. Evidence has demonstrated that leptin receptors are located in brain areas involved in emotional processing, and major depressive disorder (MDD) is characterized by dysfunction of emotional processing. Taken together, these features suggest that leptin may play a potential role in the pathophysiology of MDD. However, the precise roles of leptin in modulating depressive symptoms in MDD remain unclear.

Methods

Participants [18 drug-naïve MDD patients, 15 unaffected first-degree relatives of MDD patients (FDR-MDD), and 40 healthy controls] completed clinical assessments and provided blood samples for measurement of leptin levels. We evaluated the effect of leptin on clinical status (MDD or FDR-MDD) and symptomatic dimensionalities of MDD using mediation analysis.

Results

We found that leptin was increased in MDD patients and this only predicted “somatic anxiety” symptoms. Furthermore, leptin was a significant and indirect mediator of the association between clinical status (MDD or FDR-MDD) and “somatic anxiety” symptoms.

Conclusion

Our finding that leptin was a significant and indirect mediator of clinical status (MDD or FDR-MDD) and “somatic anxiety” symptoms suggests that leptin may indirectly affect somatic depressive symptoms in MDD. Our findings may provide a theoretical basis for novel clinical interventions in MDD.
Personality traits influence the effectiveness of hypomania checklist-32 in screening for bipolar disorder
Authors: Wang Qiang , Sui Aiping , Gong Lin , Chattun Mohammad Ridwan , Han Ruichen , Cao Qiuyun , Shen Diwen , Zhang Yuzhe , Zhao Peng
Published: July 2022

Background

It is clinically challenging to distinguish bipolar disorder (BD) from major depressive disorder (MDD) in the early stages. While the hypomania checklist-32 (HCL-32) is a proper auxiliary tool that is useful to differentiate between BD and MDD, there is currently no standard cut-off value. The variations in HCL-32 cut-off values could potentially be influenced by personality traits. Therefore, the aim of this study is to explore the effect of personality traits on the screening performance of HCL-32.

Methods

In this retrospective cross-sectional study, 168 patients with BD or MDD were evaluated with the Eysenck Personality Questionnaire (EPQ) and HCL-32. The associations between demographic data, diagnosis and clinical rating scales were analyzed.

Results

Diagnosis was not associated with extraversion but was related to neuroticism. HCL-32 scores in typical extraverted patients were higher in contrast to atypical extraverted patients. The best cut-off value for BD recognition of typical and atypical extraversion groups were 15 and 12.5, respectively. In patients with MDD, HCL-32 score of typical neuroticism was higher than the atypical type, but there was no difference in patients with BD. In typical neuroticism, there was no difference in HCL-32 scores between patients with MDD and BD. But among atypical neurotic patients, HCL-32 scores of BD were higher compared to MDD, with a cut-off value of 14.5.

Limitations

This study had a small sample size.

Conclusion

HCL-32 scores were affected by personality traits, with higher scores for typical extraversion and neuroticism. Clinicians should also consider the patients’ personality traits when referring to HCL-32 scores, so as to increase the recognition rate of BD and eliminate false positives.
Non-linear association between Mediterranean diet and depressive symptom in U.S. adults: A cross-sectional study
Authors: Fan Yaohua , Zhao Lijun , Deng Zhiyuan , Li Mengzhu , Huang Zifeng , Zhu Meiling , Xu Wenhua
Published: July 2022

The Mediterranean diet (MED), a dietary pattern rich in fruits and vegetables, whole grains, legumes, nuts, fish, and olive oil, has anti-oxidative and anti-inflammatory effects. Although some data suggest that MED adherence is associated with decreased manifestation of depressive symptoms, it remains necessary to further analyze this apparent non-linear association as well as the influence of different factors on the relationship between MED and depression. Here, we investigated associations between the alternate MED (aMED) score and depressive symptom via multivariate logistic regression, weighted generalized additive (GAM) and two-step linear regression models, analyzing data from the 2005–2018 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES). The most important factor relevant to aMED score that contributed to the prevalence of depressive symptom was assessed using random forest. Furthermore, we examined whether the relationship between aMED score and depressive symptom differs by age, race, sex, socioeconomic variables, lifestyle- and health-related variables, and chronic medical conditions, via subgroup analyses. A total of 19,477 participants (20–80 years of age) were included in this cross-sectional study. In crude and adjusted (1–5) multivariate logistic regression models, increased aMED score was noted to associate with non-depressive status, as defined using the Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (P < 0.05). Data analyses via GAM and two-piecewise linear regression revealed a non-linear association between aMED and depressive symptom, which had an inflection point of 3. Random forest results revealed that vegetable score contributes greatest to the relationship between aMED and depressive symptom. Subgroup analyses revealed that aMED score is significantly negatively related with depressive symptom in most different populations (P < 0.05) with the exception of high annual income, diabetes, borderline blood glucose level and Parkinson's disease (PD) (P > 0.05). In conclusion, we observed a non-linear association between aMED score and depressive symptom. Further studies are needed to validate our results.
Case report: Non-response to fluoxetine in a homozygous 5-HTTLPR S-allele carrier of the serotonin transporter gene
Authors: Stäuble Céline K. , Meier Rebecca , Lampert Markus L. , Mikoteit Thorsten , Hatzinger Martin , Allemann Samuel S. , Hersberger Kurt E. , Meyer zu Schwabedissen Henriette E.
Published: July 2022

We report the case of a 50-year-old male with major depressive disorder (MDD) to illustrate the challenge of finding effective antidepressant pharmacotherapy and the role that the patient’s genetic makeup may play. Recent treatment attempts before clinic admission included venlafaxine and fluoxetine. Venlafaxine was discontinued due to lack of response, and subsequently switched to fluoxetine based on pharmacogenotyping of the P-glycoprotein transporter (P-gp, encoded by ABCB1) by the outpatient psychiatrist. Despite steady state serum levels within the therapeutic range, the patient did not benefit from fluoxetine either, necessitating admission to our clinic. Here a clinical pharmacist-led medication review including additional pharmacogenetic (PGx) analysis resulted in the change of the antidepressant therapy to bupropion. Under the new regimen, established in the in-patient-setting, the patient remitted. However, based on the assessed pharmacokinetics-related gene variants, including CYPs and ABCB1, non-response to fluoxetine could not be conclusively explained. Therefore, we retrospectively selected the serotonin transporter (SERT1, encoded by SLC6A4) for further genetic analysis of pharmacodynamic variability. The patient presented to be a homozygous carrier of the short allele variant in the 5-HTTLPR (S/S) located within the SLC6A4 promoter region, which has been associated with a reduced expression of the SERT1. This case points out the potential relevance of panel PGx testing considering polymorphisms in genes of pharmacokinetic as well as pharmacodynamic relevance.
Determinants of Double Burden of Malnutrition Among School Children and Adolescents in Urban Dhaka: A Multi-Level Analyses
Authors: Tariqujjaman Md. , Sheikh Sifat Parveen , Smith George , Hasan A. M. Rumayan , Khatun Fatema , Kabir Ashraful , Rashid Md. Harunor , Rasheed Sabrina
Published: July 2022

Background

Bangladesh faces a double burden of malnutrition, with a rising prevalence of overweight and obesity among children and adolescents parallel to existing undernutrition.

Objective

The current study was designed to assess the determinants of double burden of malnutrition among urban school children and adolescents from Dhaka, Bangladesh.

Methods

A cross-sectional survey was conducted among 2,690 students from 14 schools in Dhaka city from January to June 2018. Anthropometric measurements were taken during school hours, and self-administered questionnaires were sent to the parents. We performed multi-level multiple logistic regression analyses to assess the determinants of underweight, overweight, and obesity.

Findings

The prevalence of overweight (33%) and obesity (23%) was highest among children and adolescents from high tuition schools but the prevalence of underweight (4%) was lowest compared to those from low (underweight 19%, overweight 17%, and obesity 6%) and medium (underweight 18%, overweight 15%, and obesity 6%) tuition schools. Children and adolescents from high-tuition schools had higher odds of being overweight/ obese (AOR: 2.92; 95% CI: 1.90, 4.49). Parental NCDs and overweight were negatively associated with underweight but positively associated with overweight and obesity among children and adolescents. Lack of physical activity inside schools was positively associated (AOR: 1.26; 95% CI: 1.02, 1.55) with overweight and obesity among school children and adolescents.

Conclusion

Our results point to opportunities in and outside schools to address the rising prevalence of underweight, overweight, and obesity among urban school children and adolescents.
Area Deprivation and COVID-19 Incidence and Mortality in Bavaria, Germany: A Bayesian Geographical Analysis
Authors: Manz Kirsi Marjaana , Schwettmann Lars , Mansmann Ulrich , Maier Werner
Published: July 2022

Background

Area deprivation has been shown to be associated with various adverse health outcomes including communicable as well as non-communicable diseases. Our objective was to assess potential associations between area deprivation and COVID-19 standardized incidence and mortality ratios in Bavaria over a period of nearly 2 years. Bavaria is the federal state with the highest infection dynamics in Germany and demographically comparable to several other European countries.

Methods

In this retrospective, observational ecological study, we estimated the strength of associations between area deprivation and standardized COVID-19 incidence and mortality ratios (SIR and SMR) in Bavaria, Germany. We used official SARS-CoV-2 reporting data aggregated in monthly periods between March 1, 2020 and December 31, 2021. Area deprivation was assessed using the quintiles of the 2015 version of the Bavarian Index of Multiple Deprivation (BIMD 2015) at district level, analyzing the overall index as well as its single domains.

Results

Deprived districts showed higher SIR and SMR than less deprived districts. Aggregated over the whole period, the SIR increased by 1.04 (95% confidence interval (95% CI): 1.01 to 1.07, p = 0.002), and the SMR by 1.11 (95% CI: 1.07 to 1.16, p < 0.001) per BIMD quintile. This represents a maximum difference of 41% between districts in the most and least deprived quintiles in the SIR and 110% in the SMR. Looking at individual months revealed clear linear association between the BIMD quintiles and the SIR and SMR in the first, second and last quarter of 2021. In the summers of 2020 and 2021, infection activity was low.

Conclusions

In more deprived areas in Bavaria, Germany, higher incidence and mortality ratios were observed during the COVID-19 pandemic with particularly strong associations during infection waves 3 and 4 in 2020/2021. Only high infection levels reveal the effect of risk factors and socioeconomic inequalities. There may be confounding between the highly deprived areas and border regions in the north and east of Bavaria, making the relationship between area deprivation and infection burden more complex. Vaccination appeared to balance incidence and mortality rates between the most and least deprived districts. Vaccination makes an important contribution to health equality.
Generative Models of Brain Dynamics
Authors: Ramezanian-Panahi Mahta , Abrevaya Germán , Gagnon-Audet Jean-Christophe , Voleti Vikram , Rish Irina , Dumas Guillaume
Published: July 2022

This review article gives a high-level overview of the approaches across different scales of organization and levels of abstraction. The studies covered in this paper include fundamental models in computational neuroscience, nonlinear dynamics, data-driven methods, as well as emergent practices. While not all of these models span the intersection of neuroscience, AI, and system dynamics, all of them do or can work in tandem as generative models, which, as we argue, provide superior properties for the analysis of neuroscientific data. We discuss the limitations and unique dynamical traits of brain data and the complementary need for hypothesis- and data-driven modeling. By way of conclusion, we present several hybrid generative models from recent literature in scientific machine learning, which can be efficiently deployed to yield interpretable models of neural dynamics.
Application of Gestational Blood Glucose Control During Perinatal Period in Parturients with Diabetes Mellitus: Meta-Analysis of Controlled Clinical Studies
Authors: Wang Tingting , Zhang Wei
Published: July 2022

Background

Gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) is a common metabolic disorder. Hyperglycemia may cause gestational hypertension, increase the probability of infection, abnormal embryonic development, and increase the abortion rate. Oral hypoglycemic drugs may be another effective means of blood glucose control in addition to insulin injection. We included controlled clinical studies for meta-analysis to understand the effect of oral hypoglycemic drugs in gestational diabetes.

Methods

The databases were searched with the keywords “Glycemic control” & “gestational diabetes”: Embase (January, 2000–August, 2021), Pubmed (January, 2000–August, 2021), Web of Science (January, 2000–August, 2021), Ovid (January, 2000–August, 2021), and ClinicalTrials.org to obtain the randomized controlled trial (RCT) literatures related to the treatment of gestational diabetes with oral hypoglycemic drugs, after screening, the R language toolkit was used for the analysis.

Results

A total of 10 articles with a total of 1,938 patients were included, 7 studies used metformin as an hypoglycemic agent. Meta-analysis showed that oral metformin had no significant difference in fasting blood glucose levels after the intervention compared with insulin injection [MD = −0.35, 95%CI(−0.70,1.40), Z = 0.66, P = 0.51], with no significant difference in postprandial blood glucose levels after intervention [MD = −2.20, 95%CI(−5.94,1.55), Z = −1.15, P = 0.25], and no statistical difference in glycosylated hemoglobin [MD = 0.10, 95%CI(−0.17,−0.04), Z = −0.94, P = 0.31]. Metformin was more conducive to reducing maternal weight during pregnancy than insulin [MD = −1.55, 95%CI(−2.77,−0.34), Z = −2.5, P = 0.0123], metformin reduced the abortion rate compared with insulin [RR = 0.81, 95%CI(0.63,1.05), Z = −2.61, P = 0.015], and reduced cesarean section rate [RR = 0.66, 95%CI(0.49,0.90), Z = −3.95, P = 0.0001].

Discussion

The application of oral hypoglycemic drug metformin in blood glucose control of gestational diabetes can play a hypoglycemic effect equivalent to insulin and can control the weight of pregnant women, reduce the rate of abortion and cesarean section, and improve pregnancy outcomes.
Dealing With Stress in Cats: What Is New About the Olfactory Strategy?
Authors: Zhang Lingna , Bian Zhaowei , Liu Qingshen , Deng Baichuan
Published: July 2022

Domestic cats are descended from solitary wild species and rely heavily on the olfaction system and chemical signals for daily activities. Cats kept as companion animals may experience stress due to a lack of predictability in their physical or social environment. The olfactory system is intimately connected to the brain regions controlling stress response, thus providing unique opportunities for olfactory strategies to modify stress and related behavioral problems in cats. However, the olfactory intervention of stress in cats has been mainly focused on several analog chemical signals and studies often provide inconsistent and non-replicable results. Supportive evidence in the literature for the potentially effective olfactory stimuli (e.g., cheek and mammary gland secretions, and plant attractants) in treating stress in cats was reviewed. Limitations with some of the work and critical considerations from studies with natural or negative results were discussed as well. Current findings sometimes constitute weak evidence of a reproducible effect of cat odor therapy for stress. The welfare application of an olfactory stimulus in stress alleviation requires a better understanding of its biological function in cats and the mechanisms at play, which may be achieved in future studies through methodological improvement (e.g., experiment pre-registration and appropriate control setting) and in-depth investigation with modern techniques that integrate multisource data. Contributions from individual and environmental differences should be considered for the stress response of a single cat and its sensitivity to olfactory manipulation. Olfactory strategies customized for specific contexts and individual cats can be more effective in improving the welfare of cats in various stressful conditions.
Effect of Public Space on Collective Action for Rural Waste Management and the Mediating Effects of Social Capital
Authors: Xu Zengwei , Miao Shanshan
Published: July 2022

Public spaces enhance social interactions and contacts, yet few scholars have linked public spaces to the governance of commons for rural waste management. We thus explore the direct and mediated effects of public spaces on collective action for rural waste management. The research was conducted in the Jiangsu Province of Eastern China by interviewing 290 farmers from 9 different counties. The individual dataset was collected from the measurement of public space, social capital and collective action for rural waste management. Public space characteristics include scale, entering frequency and accessibility. A structural equation modelling approach was employed to analyse the path and relationship of these variables. The results show that public space has a direct and positive effect on collective action for rural waste management, which could be attributed to the specific dimensions of scale, entering frequency and accessibility. We also find that social capital positively mediates the relationship between public spaces and collective action. This study highlighted the importance of public space use to rural environmental governance. Social capital is recommended to promote the collective action for rural waste management. The results contribute to the literature on public space research and imply that public space should be considered by policymakers to enhance environmental development and rural revitalisation.
DELAYED HEADING DATE3, Encoding a Heat Shock Transcription Factor, Delays Flowering Time and Improves Yield in Rice (Oryza sativa L.)
Authors: Liu Tianzhen , Zhang Huan , Zhou Liang , Zhang Xin , Zhou Chunlei , Li Shuai , Cheng Zhijun , Guo Xiuping , Zhu Shanshan , Wan Jianmin
Published: July 2022

Heading date is an essential agronomic trait that affects adaptability and yield in rice (Oryza sativa). HSFs (heat shock transcription factors) are a type of transcription factor that responds to environmental stress in organisms. The relationship between the heading date and HSFs has been seldom reported so far. Here, we identified a new heat shock transcription factor, named DELAYED HEADING DATE3 (DHD3), which can significantly delay the heading date by about 14 days and provide improvements of about 77% potential yield in rice. DHD3 protein is localized in the nucleus and has weak transactivation activity. DHD3 delays the heading date by significantly suppressing Hd3a and RFT1 expression under long-day (LD) and short-day (SD) conditions. Furthermore, the low-temperature condition greatly enhances the delay effect of DHD3 on the heading date (from 16.1% to more than 89.3%). We propose that DHD3 may involve the temperature-regulated signaling pathway of flowering time in rice and has the potential to improve crop yield.
Growth Performance, Carcass Characteristics and Economic Viability of Nguni Cattle Fed Diets Containing Graded Levels of Opuntia ficus-indica
Authors: Nyambali Ayanda , Mndela Mthunzi , Tjelele Tlou , Mapiye Cletos , Strydom Phillip , Raffrenato Emiliano , Dzama Kennedy , Muchenje Voster , Mkhize Ntuthuko
Published: July 2022

Given the severe droughts caused by global warming, smallholder beef cattle farmers are faced with serious forage and feed scarcity. This becomes worse for resource-poor farmers who cannot afford commercial feeds. It is therefore crucial to assess the use of low-cost alternative feed resources to supplement free-range beef cattle and ensure sustainable livestock production in ways that stimulate free-range beef farmers’ participation in mainstream beef market. In an attempt to improve free-range beef cattle herds and explore the economic viability of utilizing Opuntia ficus-indica (spineless cactus) cladodes as a supplementary feed, we investigated the impact of cactus diets on animal growth performance and carcass characteristics of Nguni cattle heifers. Four dietary treatments were randomly assigned to thirty-two heifers aged 24 months, weighing, on average, 172.20 ± 27.10 kg, with each dietary treatment replicated to eight individually penned heifers for 90 days. The dietary treatments were control diet (pasture-based energy + protein sources), 10% cactus diet, 20% cactus diet and commercial diet (crop-based energy and commercial protein source). The energy concentration of the control diet was 9.35 MJ/Kg DM and the cactus was included on dry matter basis during formulation of compound diets. Thus, cactus was administered in a dry rather than wet form. The animals were confined in feeding pens 24/7 without access to pasture, with feed and water provided ad libitum. The heifers fed commercial and control diets attained significantly (p < 0.05) higher dry matter intake, average daily gains, fat thickness, carcass conformation scores and lower feed conversion ratio than those fed cactus diets. However, the final body weight gains and carcass weights, rib-eye muscle area and meat pH45min and 24h were comparable (p > 0.05) between heifers fed cactus diets and those fed commercial and control diets. The 10 and 20% cactus diets had greater gross margins (p < 0.05) of $17.47 and $18.62, respectively, than the other diets, due largely to reduced total variable costs. The comparability of carcass traits of heifers fed cactus diets and those fed non-cactus diets as well as higher economic returns from cactus inclusion warrants the use of cactus diets, particularly during drought when commercial feed prices rise.
Developing Visual-Assisted Decision Support Systems across Diverse Agricultural Use Cases
Authors: Htun Nyi-Nyi , Rojo Diego , Ooge Jeroen , De Croon Robin , Kasimati Aikaterini , Verbert Katrien
Published: July 2022

Decision support systems (DSSs) in agriculture are becoming increasingly popular, and have begun adopting visualisations to facilitate insights into complex data. However, DSSs for agriculture are often designed as standalone applications, which limits their flexibility and portability. They also rarely provide interactivity, visualise uncertainty and are evaluated with end-users. To address these gaps, we developed six web-based visual-assisted DSSs for various agricultural use cases, including biological efficacy correlation analysis, water stress and irrigation requirement analysis, product price prediction, etc. We then evaluated our DSSs with domain experts, focusing on usability, workload, acceptance and trust. Results showed that our systems were easy to use and understand, and participants perceived them as highly performant, even though they required a slightly high mental demand, temporal demand and effort. We also published the source code of our proposed systems so that they can be re-used or adapted by the agricultural community.
Biochar-Based Fertilizer Improved Crop Yields and N Utilization Efficiency in a Maize–Chinese Cabbage Rotation System
Authors: Zhao Huan , Xie Tingting , Xiao Houjun , Gao Ming
Published: July 2022

Optimizing fertilization strategies is crucial for obtaining high crop yields and efficient N utilization. This study aimed to understand the potential increase in crop yield and the N utilization efficiency under biochar-based fertilizer (BF) in a maize–Chinese cabbage rotation system. Biochar-based slow-release fertilizer (BF) is an important nutrient-efficient management strategy. The yields and growth-related traits of the crops, N utilization efficiency, quality, and dynamic changes in soil inorganic N in a maize-cabbage rotation system were investigated in a pot experiment under three N fertilizer application strategies in 2019–2020; the maize stage included (1) zero-N fertilizer, i.e., control (N 0 g pot−1); (2) NPK (N 5.25 g pot−1); and (3) BF (N 5.25 g pot−1). The Chinese cabbage stage included (1) zero-N fertilizer, i.e., control (N 0 g pot−1); (2) NPK (N 6.25 g pot−1); and (3) BF (N 6.25 g pot−1). Compared with the CK and NPK treatments, the BF treatment had the highest average maize and Chinese cabbage yields at 86.99 g plant−1 and 498.88 g plant−1, respectively. BF improved the plant height, stem diameter, and ear height of maize and the leaf length, leaf width, and leaf number of Chinese cabbage, as well as increased the N utilization efficiency of maize and cabbage. BF increased the starch content of maize grain and the amino acid, sugar, and vitamin C contents of cabbage. In the critical growth stages of maize and Chinese cabbage, BF application increased the content of soil inorganic N, which coincided with the nutrient requirements in the critical growth stages of the crops. Overall, BF is an effective method to improve crop yield and N utilization in the maize–Chinese cabbage rotation systems and is a fertilization strategy with broad applicability prospects.
Eco-Efficiency Analysis to Improve Environmental Performance of Wheat Production
Authors: Mohammadi Ali , Venkatesh G. , Eskandari Samieh , Rafiee Shahin
Published: July 2022

Though increasing food supply in order to meet the rising demand for nutrition is a global social imperative, reducing the dependence on imports of essential food commodities is both an economic and a geo-political imperative for national governments. However, in light of the Sustainable Development Goals, although Zero Hunger (SDG2) and Good Health and Well-Being (SDG3) can be ensured within a country when the inhabitants are well-nourished and staple food items remain affordable to one and all, oftentimes, there are trade-offs in the process, with the environmental dimensions—SDGs 13 (Climate action), 14 (Life below water) and 15 (Life on Land). In this paper, using a combination of Environmental-Life Cycle Assessment (E-LCA) and Data Envelopment Analysis (DEA), the authors have evaluated the eco-efficiency of 169 wheat cultivation systems in the Golestan province in the north of Iran. Benchmarking performance based on the best-performing wheat farms and optimizing (decreasing essentially) the consumption of resources, will enable an average reduction of between 10% and 16% in global warming, acidification, eutrophication, and non-renewable energy usage of the wheat cultivation systems in the case study region. The authors recommend the use of this combination not only for wheat cultivation in other regions of the world, but also for other agricultural systems.
Protecting Steppe Birds by Monitoring with Sentinel Data and Machine Learning under the Common Agricultural Policy
Authors: López-Andreu Francisco Javier , Hernández-Guillen Zaida , Domínguez-Gómez Jose Antonio , Sánchez-Alcaraz Marta , Carrero-Rodrigo Juan Antonio , Atenza-Juárez Joaquin Francisco , López-Morales Juan Antonio , Erena Manuel
Published: July 2022

This paper shows the work carried out to obtain a methodology capable of monitoring the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) aid line for the protection of steppe birds, which aims to improve the feeding and breeding conditions of these species and contribute to the improvement of their overall biodiversity population. Two methodologies were initially defined, one based on remote sensing (BirdsEO) and the other on Machine Learning (BirdsML). Both use Sentinel-1 and Sentinel-2 data as a basis. BirdsEO encountered certain impediments caused by the land’s slope and the crop’s height. Finally, the methodology based on Machine Learning offered the best results. It evaluated the performance of up to 7 different Machine Learning classifiers, the most optimal being RandomForest. Fourteen different datasets were generated, and the results they offered were evaluated, the most optimal being the one with more than 150 features, including a time series of 8 elements with Sentinel-1, Sentinel-2 data and derived products, among others. The generated model provided values higher than 97% in metrics such as accuracy, recall and Area under the ROC Curve, and 95% in precision and recall. The methodology is transformed into a tool that continuously monitors 100% of the area requesting aid, continuously over time, which contributes positively to optimizing the use of administrative resources and a fairer distribution of CAP funds.
Effect of Image Segmentation Thresholding on Droplet Size Measurement
Authors: Cerruto Emanuele , Manetto Giuseppe , Privitera Salvatore , Papa Rita , Longo Domenico
Published: July 2022

Droplet size spectrum is a key factor in pesticide application because it affects the biological efficacy of a treatment in terms of target coverage, environmental impact in terms of evaporation, drift and run-off, and operator’s safety in terms of inhalation and dermal exposure. Droplet measurement methods based upon image analysis have to face the “binarization” or “segmentation” process, by which the objects of interest (the droplets) are extracted from the background. Segmentation is carried out by choosing appropriate threshold values, mostly based on the operator’s experience. In this study, images of droplets of an air induction nozzle TVI 8002 at four pressures (0.3, 0.5, 1.0, and 1.5 MPa) were obtained using the liquid immersion method. Each image was processed multiple times, firstly by using a “reference” threshold value based on the operator’s experience and then by using 11 different threshold values, chosen in the range of around ±5% of the reference threshold and based upon the average gray level of the image. For each threshold value, the corresponding spray parameters (volumetric diameters, mean diameters, Sauter diameters, and numeric diameters) were analyzed. The results showed that spray parameters had a statistically significant linear trend with respect to the threshold values in most cases. However, in absolute terms, variations were almost always less than 1.0% of reference values. This result allows considering the image acquisition system used in the present study as an automatic tool able to select the threshold according to the gray level of the image, making the whole segmentation process faster, more objective, and less dependent on the operator’s experience.