bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
From kitchen to clinic: Pharmacotherapeutic potential of common spices in Indian cooking in age-related neurological disorders
Authors: Norouzkhani Narges , Karimi Arian Ghannadi , Badami Negar , Jalalifar Erfan , Mahmoudvand Behnaz , Ansari Arina , Pakrou Sariyarighan Neda , Alijanzadeh Dorsa , Aghakhani Sara , Shayestehmehr Reza , Arzaghi Mohammadreza , Sheikh Zahra , Salami Yasaman , Marabi Mohammad Hesam , Abdi Amir , Deravi Niloofar
Published: November 2022

Aging is described as an advanced time-related collection of changes that may negatively affect with the risk of several diseases or death. Aging is a main factor of several age-related neurological disorders, including neurodegenerative diseases (Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease, and dementia), stroke, neuroinflammation, neurotoxicity, brain tumors, oxidative stress, and reactive oxygen species (ROS). Currently available medications for age-related neurological disorders may lead to several side effects, such as headache, diarrhea, nausea, gastrointestinal (GI) diseases, dyskinesia, and hallucinosis. These days, studies on plant efficacy in traditional medicine are being conducted because herbal medicine is affordable, safe, and culturally acceptable and easily accessible. The Indian traditional medicine system called Ayurveda uses several herbs and medicinal plants to treat various disorders including neurological disorders. This review aims to summarize the data on the neuroprotective potential of the following common Indian spices widely used in Ayurveda: cumin (Cuminum cyminum (L.), Apiaceae), black cumin (Nigella sativa (L.), Ranunculaceae), black pepper (Piper nigrum (L.), Piperaceae), curry leaf tree (Murraya koenigii (L.), Spreng Rutaceae), fenugreek (Trigonella foenum-graecum (L.), Fabaceae), fennel (Foeniculum vulgare Mill, Apiaceae), cardamom (Elettaria cardamomum (L.) Maton, Zingiberaceae), cloves (Syzygium aromaticum (L.) Merr. & L.M.Perry, Myrtaceae), and coriander (Coriandrum sativum (L.), Apiaceae) in age-related neurological disorders.
Prediction of live birth in vitrified-warmed 1PN-derived blastocyst transfer: Overall quality grade, ICM, TE, and expansion degree
Authors: Wang Tiantian , Si Jiqiang , Wang Bian , Yin Mingru , Yu Weina , Jin Wei , Lyu Qifeng , Long Hui
Published: November 2022

Background: Numerous studies have reported that transfer of blastocysts derived from monopronuclear (1PN) zygotes achieved live births. However, the potential value of morphology grading for the prediction of 1PN blastocyst viability is unclear, and the blastocyst selection criterion for successful pregnancy has not been set up yet. The aim of this study is to assess the ability of the blastocyst morphology grading system based on three parameters, namely, inner cell mass (ICM), trophectoderm (TE), and expansion degree and to predict outcomes of a cycle with single 1PN blastocyst transfer.

Methods: A total of 266 vitrified-warmed 1PN-derived blastocyst transfer cycles for IVF treatment at Shanghai Ninth People’s Hospital between 2007 and 2020 were included. The study was performed on single blastocyst transfers. Electronic records of patients were retrospectively analyzed. In the current study, the blastocysts were classified into three groups: “good,” 3-6AA, 3-6AB, 3-6BA; “medium,” 3-6BB, 3-6AC, 3-6CA; and “poor,” 3-6BC, 3-6CB, 3-6CC. The basal characteristics, embryo grading, and clinical outcomes were compared between the three groups. The association of morphology parameters with pregnancies and live births was analyzed. Logistic regression was adopted to set up a prediction model of live births.

Results: Transfer of the good-quality blastocysts achieved significant higher pregnancies (biochemical pregnancy: 59%; clinical pregnancy: 56.4%, and live birth 48.7%) than those in the group of the medium (biochemical pregnancy: 59%; clinical pregnancy: 49.6%; live birth: 40.4%) or poor-quality (biochemical pregnancy: 38.4%; clinical pregnancy: 34.9%; live birth: 26.7%) blastocysts (p < 0.05). There was a significant association between ICM and live birth. A prediction model of live births involving ICM, TE, and expansion degree was set up.

Conclusion: In 1PN transfer cycles, a higher overall blastocyst quality is shown to correlate most strongly with optimal pregnancy and live birth outcomes. The selection of high-quality blastocysts for transfer should consider the ICM score first. The prediction model of live births based on ICM, TE, and expansion degree may help predict successful pregnancy in 1PN single-blastocyst transfer cycles.
Assessing performance and stability of yellow rust resistance, heat tolerance, and agronomic performance in diverse bread wheat genotypes for enhancing resilience to climate change under Egyptian conditions
Authors: Megahed Eman M. A. , Awaad Hassan A. , Ramadan Ismail E. , Abdul-Hamid Mohamed I. E. , Sweelam Abdallah A. , El-Naggar Doaa R. , Mansour Elsayed
Published: November 2022

Yellow rust and heat stress adversatively impact the growth and production of bread wheat in particular under rising adverse environmental conditions. Stability of grain yield is a pivotal purpose of plant breeders to improve wheat production and ensure global food security especially under abrupt climate change. The objective of this study was to assess the performance and stability of diverse bread wheat genotypes for yellow rust resistance, heat stress, and yield traits. The studied genotypes were evaluated in two different locations under two sowing dates (timely and late sowing) during two growing seasons. The obtained results displayed significant differences among the tested locations, sowing dates, and genotypes for most measured traits. The yellow rust measurements evaluated under the field conditions including final rust severity (FRS), the average coefficient of infection (ACI), and area under disease progress curve (AUDPC) revealed that Giza-171, Misr-1, Gemmeiza-12, Shandweel-1, Sids-13, Line-1, Line-2, and Line-55 had better resistance. Based on heat sensitivity measurements, Line-1 and Line-2 followed by Line-35, Shandweel-1 and Line-55 were classified as more tolerant to heat stress compared with the remaining genotypes. The genotypes Line-55, Gemmeiza-12, Giza-171, Line-1, Line-2, and Misr-1 were able to maintain acceptable agronomic performance under timely and late sowing dates in all evaluated environments. Different statistical procedures were employed to explore the adaptability and stability of tested genotypes i.e., joint regression, stratified ranking, Wricke's Ecovalence values, cultivar superiority, additive main effects, and multiplicative interaction (AMMI), AMMI stability value, and genotype plus genotype-by-environment interaction (GGE). The applied stability parameters were quite similar for describing the stability of the evaluated wheat genotypes. The results indicated that Gemmeiza-12, Giza-171, Sids-12, Sids-13, Misr-1 Shandweel-1, Line-1, Line-2, and Line-55 were desirable and stable. The heatmap and hierarchical clustering were exploited for dividing the evaluated bread wheat genotypes into different clusters based on yellow rust resistance measurements, heat tolerance indices, and agronomic performance. Line-1 and Line-2 had the best performance for all rust resistance, heat tolerance, and agronomic performance followed by Giza-171, Line-55, Line-35, Gemmeiza-12, Shandweel-1, Misr-1, and Sids-13. In conclusion, our findings provide evidence of utilizing promising genotypes in rust resistance, heat tolerance, and agronomic performance in breeding programs for improving wheat grain yield stability mainly under climate change.
Identification of plant leaf diseases by deep learning based on channel attention and channel pruning
Authors: Chen Riyao , Qi Haixia , Liang Yu , Yang Mingchao
Published: November 2022

Plant diseases cause significant economic losses and food security in agriculture each year, with the critical path to reducing losses being accurate identification and timely diagnosis of plant diseases. Currently, deep neural networks have been extensively applied in plant disease identification, but such approaches still suffer from low identification accuracy and numerous parameters. Hence, this paper proposes a model combining channel attention and channel pruning called CACPNET, suitable for disease identification of common species. The channel attention mechanism adopts a local cross-channel strategy without dimensionality reduction, which is inserted into a ResNet-18-based model that combines global average pooling with global max pooling to effectively improve the features’ extracting ability of plant leaf diseases. Based on the model’s optimum feature extraction condition, unimportant channels are removed to reduce the model’s parameters and complexity via the L1-norm channel weight and local compression ratio. The accuracy of CACPNET on the public dataset PlantVillage reaches 99.7% and achieves 97.7% on the local peanut leaf disease dataset. Compared with the base ResNet-18 model, the floating point operations (FLOPs) decreased by 30.35%, the parameters by 57.97%, the model size by 57.85%, and the GPU RAM requirements by 8.3%. Additionally, CACPNET outperforms current models considering inference time and throughput, reaching 22.8 ms/frame and 75.5 frames/s, respectively. The results outline that CACPNET is appealing for deployment on edge devices to improve the efficiency of precision agriculture in plant disease detection.
COVID-induced 3  weeks’ treatment delay may exacerbate breast cancer patient’s psychological symptoms
Authors: Wang Yijia , Yang Yuqing , Yan Changjiao , Ma Wen , Yang Jixin , Wei Hongliang , Li Nanlin
Published: November 2022

The delayed access to cancer treatment due to the outbreak of COVID-19 pandemic posed a unique challenge to breast cancer patients and caused a significant level of mental distress among them. In the current research, we examined the psychological impacts of COVID on a subpopulation of breast cancer patients from a hospital in Shaanxi province of China using Symptom Checklist-90-R (SCL-90-R). Participants were 195 breast cancer patients at the outpatient clinic of Xijing hospital, Xi’an, Shaanxi Province, China. We found that a treatment delay of more than 3 weeks may exacerbate breast cancer patients’ psychological symptoms, such as somatization, obsessive–compulsive disorder, interpersonal sensitivity, depression, hostility, phobic anxiety, paranoid ideation, and psychoticism, whereas a short-term delay of less than 3 weeks is less likely to have a significant effect on one’s mental well-being. Additionally, breast cancer survivors, especially those at more advance stages, tend to experience more elevated psychological symptoms with longer treatment delay, and whose treatments continues to be delayed reported stronger psychological symptoms than individuals whose treatment are resumed, regardless of treatment type.
Integrating intercultural activities into teaching Mandarin for international students in China
Authors: Liu Na
Published: November 2022

This study explores the intercultural activities in teaching Mandarin to international students in China. A sample of five Mandarin teachers with rich experience in teaching international students within Chinese universities. Data were collected through classroom observation, teachers’ interviews and reflective journals and analyzed through thematic analysis using the framework of Byram’s notion of intercultural competence in language teaching and learning. The results show that intercultural activities can effectively promote Mandarin teaching for international students. The findings also suggest Mandarin teachers can provide more opportunities for international students to share their values and opinions and adopt more activities to teach cultural knowledge. Accordingly, recommendations on preparing intercultural competence are concluded and put forward, which might support future teaching.
Testing the validity and reliability of the Matching Familiar Figures Test-2021: An updated behavioral measure of reflection–impulsivity
Authors: Viator Ralph E. , Wu Yi-Jing , Viator Allison S.
Published: November 2022

The Matching Familiar Figures Test (MFFT) is a well-known and extensively used behavioral measure of reflection-impulsivity. However, the instrument has several deficiencies, including images designed for school-age children in the United States during the 1960s. Most importantly, an adult version of the instrument is currently unavailable and the lack of a single repository for the images raises questions regarding the MFFT’s validity and reliability. We developed a 21st century version of the MFFT using images that are familiar to adults and reside in a freely accessible repository. We conducted two studies examining validity and reliability issues. In Study 1, participants interacting with the MFFT-2021, versus those interacting with the original MFFT20, spent more time on the task, took more time in making their first response, and were more likely to complete the task without errors, even though the average number of errors was higher than the comparison group. The coherence of these results is evidence of convergent validity. Regarding predictive validity, the MFFT-2021 remained a reliable predictor of rational thinking, such that participants who demonstrated more reflection (less impulsivity) tended to avoid rational thinking errors. Also, performance on the MFFT-2021 predicted higher quality judgments in processing job characteristic cues with embedded interactions, a form of configural information processing. We also found evidence of concurrent validity: performance on the MFFT-2021 differed in a predictable manner for participants grouped by their performance on the Cognitive Reflection Test. In Study 2, we tested discriminant validity by comparing participant performance on the MFFT-2021 to their performance on the Information Sampling Task (IST), another behavioral measure of reflection-impulsivity used in studies of psychopharmacological and addiction behaviors. For our participants (undergraduate business students), we found that the MFFT was a stronger predictor of performance on rational thinking tasks, and, contrary to prior studies, our exploratory factor analysis identified separate factors for the MFFT-2021 and the IST, supporting discriminant validity, indicating that these two instruments measure different subtypes of reflection-impulsivity.
Resilience against radicalization and extremism in schools: Development of a psychometric scale
Authors: Eldor David S. , Lindholm Karine , Chavez Maria H. , Vassanyi Sander , Badiane Michelle O. I. , Yaldizli Kemal , Frøysa Petter , Haugestad Christian A. P. , Kunst Jonas R.
Published: November 2022

Practitioners, policymakers, and researchers alike have argued that the school environment can be both a risk and resilience factor for radicalization and extremism among youth, but little research has tested this directly. Against this background and using a cultural and community psychological approach, we developed a scale to measure resilience against radicalization and extremism in schools focusing on factors that can strengthen social cohesion. A total of 334 school pupils from mostly urban areas in Norway were recruited for this research, of which 233 passed an attention check and were retained for analyses. Participants completed a larger set of items that were derived from theory and the experiences of practitioners and were intended to measure resilience to radicalization and extremism. Exploratory factor analysis identified three dimensions: (1) the perception that the school treats pupils equally no matter their social backgrounds, (2) the perception of the school and its employees as attentive and proactive in meeting pupils’ anger resulting from social and political issues, and (3) the presence of mutual respect. In regression analyses, the equality dimension predicted lower extremist intentions and radicalization as well as four out of five extremism risk factors (i.e., lower anomie, symbolic and realistic threats, and relative deprivation). Mutual respect showed no significant effect, whereas school attentiveness positively predicted three risk factors as well as radicalism intentions and violent intentions, suggesting that such attentiveness may be a response to these issues. In sum, the findings indicate that resilience against extremism in schools may be nurtured especially by creating an egalitarian school environment. Our study provides the first scale assessing such resilience in schools, which can be further tested and developed in future research.
City-scale assessment of long-term air quality impacts on the respiratory and cardiovascular health
Authors: Šulc Libor , Gregor Petr , Kalina Jiří , Mikeš Ondřej , Janoš Tomáš , Čupr Pavel
Published: November 2022

Background

The impact of the urban environment on human health is a contemporary subject of environmental research. Air pollution is often considered a leading environmental driver. However, a plethora of other factors within the urban exposome may be involved. At the same time, the resolution of spatial data is also an important facet to consider. Generally, systematic tools for accurate health risk assessment in the urban environment are missing or are not implemented.

Methods

The long-term impact of air quality (PM10, PM2.5, NO2, benzene, and SO2) on respiratory and cardiovascular health was assessed with a log-linear model. We used the most accurate health data in high city scale spatial resolution over the period 2010 to 2018. Selected external exposome parameters were also included in the analysis.

Results

Statistically significant associations between air pollution and the health of the urban population were found. The strongest association was between benzene and the incidence of bronchitis in the adult population [RR 1.552 95% CI (1.415–1.704) per 0.5 μg/m3 change in benzene concentration]. A similar relation was observed between NO2 and the same health condition [RR 1.483 95% CI (1.227–1.792) per 8.9 μg/m3 of change in NO2]. Other weaker associations were also found between asthma in children and PMs, NO2, or benzene. Cardiovascular-related hospitalizations in the general population were linked with NO2 [RR 1.218 95% CI (1.119–1.325) per 9.7 μg/m3 change in NO2]. The remaining pollutants were slightly less but still significantly associated with cardiovascular-related hospitalizations.

Conclusion

Our findings are mostly highly statistically significant (p ≤ 0.001) and are in line with current literature on the adverse effects of air pollution on the human population. The results highlight the need for continual improvements in air quality. We propose the implementation of this approach as a systematic tool for the investigation of possible health risks over a long period of time. However, further research involving other variables is an essential step toward understanding the complex urban exposome and its implications for human health. An increase in data spatial resolution is especially important in this respect as well as for improving city health risk management.
Comparison of cycle threshold values of the Cobas HPV test and viral loads of the BMRT HPV test in cervical cancer screening
Authors: Yang Qing , Du Hui , Qu Xinfeng , Dai Wenkui , Gui Liming , Li Changzhong , Wang Chun , Guo Chunlei , Zhang Yi , Wei Lihui , Belinson J. L. , Wu Ruifang
Published: November 2022

Objective

To validate the HPV viral loads that are reflected by the cycle threshold values of Cobas4800 as the viral load indicators by verifying the consistency of the viral loads per unit (10,000 cells) from the BMRT assay.

Methods

The analysis is based on data from the Chinese Multi-Center Screening Trial (CHIMUST). The cases included in the analysis are all positive for physician-collected hrHPV on SeqHPV and/or Cobas4800 or negative for hrHPV but abnormal in cytology (≥LSIL), and some cases selected by nested case-control randomization from those negative for physician-collected hrHPV and cytology. With HPV testing results and relevant Ct values from Cobas4800 available, we tested the entire sample set with the BMRT HPV testing assay and analyzed their agreement with Cobas4800, followed by a comparison of the CtV from Cobas4800 and viral loads (lg) from BMRT by lesion grade.

Results

We included 4,485 women (mean age: 45.4 years) in the study, and 4,290 had complete data. The consistency of genotypes from Cobas4800 and BMRT for hrHPV, HPV-16, HPV-18, and 12-HPV pools was 94.9% (4070/4290, Kappa = 0.827), 99.1% (4251/4290, Kappa = 0.842), 99.6% (4,273/4,290, Kappa = 0.777), and 95.3% (4,089/4,290, Kappa = 0.821), respectively. Further analysis shows that any inconsistency between the two assays is likely among samples with comparatively lower viral loads. When analyzing per lesions of CIN2+ and CIN3+, the CtV from Cobas4800 and VL (lg) from BMRT are highly correlated inversely and follow the linear regression for HPV16 and 12-HPV pool (Pearson's or Spearman's correlation coefficient (r): In CIN3+, r HPV16 = −0.641, P < 0.001; r 12−HPVpool = −0.343, P = 0.109; In CIN2+, r HPV16 = −0.754, P < 0.001; r 12−HPVpool = −0.429, P < 0.001).

Conclusion

The CtV from Cobas4800 and the viral loads (lg) of per unit cells from the BMRT are well correlated for lesion grading when tested on physician-collected samples. Cobas-CtV is worthy of further study for clinical application.
Assessing the effect of BTEX on blood and spirometry parameters staff in a petroleum refinery
Authors: Jalilian Samad , Sabzalipour Sima , Mohammadi Rouzbahani Maryam , Rajabzadeh Ghatrami Ebrahim , Ibrahimy Ghavamabadi Leila
Published: November 2022

This study aimed to investigate the impact of BTEX compound on blood and spirometry parameters of staff in the Abadan petroleum refinery (Iran). In 80 staff was examined in terms of BTEX exposure (40 exposed and 40 non-exposed). In this study, the air sampling was carried out according to the NIOSH 1,501 method and an automated hematology analyzer was used to analyze all blood samples to evaluate blood parameters and using a Micro Direct automated computerized spirometer. Spss20 software was used to interpret the performance. According to the obtained results, total BTEX concentrations with the recommended standard level showed that, toluene, ethylbenzene, and xylenes, concentrations in Abadan Oil Refining Company Workers' breathing zone were lower than the TLV-TWA recommended by ACGIH. However, the average concentration of benzene was higher than the allowable limit. Therefore, in this study the effect of benzene on the blood and respiratory parameters of the workers was evaluated, the comparison of the blood and respiratory parameters between the groups of exposed and unexposed workers did not reveal any statistical difference between the groups (p > 0.001). The results showed no statistically significant connection between mean blood and spirometry parameters and benzene exposure. Also, based on results the effect of benzene problems needs to be prevented in employees with adequate engineering and management controls and periodic inspection.
A call to ban the sale of tobacco products
Authors: Su Zhaohui , McDonnell Dean , Cheshmehzangi Ali , Ahmad Junaid , Šegalo Sabina , da Veiga Claudimar Pereira
Published: November 2022

Tobacco is both toxic and addictive. Mounting evidence shows that tobacco use has a detrimental impact on almost every aspect of human health, causing or worsening deadly public health crises from the cancer epidemic to the COVID-19 pandemic. However, while tobacco use is a threat to both personal and public health, it continues to surge across the world, especially in China and other low- and middle-income countries. To this end, this article argues in favor of using a ban on the sale of all tobacco products as a practical solution to the global tobacco use epidemic. It is our hope that insights provided by our work will inspire swift policy actions in countries such as China and beyond to curb the tide of rising tobacco consumption, so that populations around the world could be better shielded from the pervasive and long-lasting damage that tobacco products cause or compound.
Does public health policy quality foster state innovation capacity? Evidence from a global panel data
Authors: Ji Xiaoyi , Gao Ling , Liu Huan , He Shengyu , Zhu Baoqing , Chow Cheng , Chen Jieqiong , Lu Zhipeng , Li Li
Published: November 2022

The design and implementation of public health policy may shape state innovation capacity with governance effectiveness, political stability, and government integrity. Previous studies, however, failed to incorporate these relationships simultaneously. This study aims to combine two distinct scholarships to examine whether the quality of policies in the public health sector contributes to state innovation capacity. We extracted data from the WHO international health regulatory dataset covering the WHO Member States between 2010 and 2017 to investigate the relationship (N = 145). Our fixed-effects models and regression discontinuity design (RDD) suggest a positive impact of public health policy quality on state innovation capacity. There are several contributions to the study of the relationship between public health and innovation in this study. Firstly, it fills a theoretical void concerning the relationship between policy development and implementation in the public health sector and country-specific innovations. Second, it provides an empirical quantitative analysis of policy quality in the public health sector. Third, this study contributes evidence that public health plays an important role in fostering state innovation beyond urbanization, investment in science and technology, and foreign trade. Furthermore, our quasi-experimental evidence found that this mechanism may be significant only between the more politically stable countries and the most politically stable countries. These contributions have empirical implications for governments across the world that seek to balance public health and innovation capacity in the context of the post-pandemic era.
“As protective gear began to run low, guidance on protection became looser” - Healthcare workers' perspectives on infection prevention and control during the COVID-19 pandemic
Authors: Aulanko Ida , Nikuri Petra , Oksanen Lotta , Oksanen Sampo , Lahdentausta Laura , Pietiäinen Milla , Paju Susanna , Kivimäki Anne , Pussinen Pirkko , Geneid Ahmed , Sanmark Enni
Published: November 2022

Objectives

The COVID-19 pandemic has posed several risk factors to healthcare workers' (HCWs') emotional distress. The purpose of the study was to enhance understanding of the experiences and feelings of HCWs during the COVID-19 pandemic, with specific reference to infection prevention and control (IPC) practices and guidance, focusing on the quality and availability of personal protective equipment (PPE), guidelines, and management. With a qualitative approach, we aimed to enable a wider narrative; to gain a more detailed understanding related to PPE use and identify experiences that can be overlooked in forced-choice questionnaires.

Methods

An online questionnaire was conducted among HCWs of the City of Helsinki and Helsinki University Hospital between 12.6.2020 and 5.4.2021. Altogether 1,580 HCWs participated in the study, from whom 579 shared 1,666 free-text responses. These responses were analyzed qualitatively, and the results were combined with statistical data on the participants' working conditions and backgrounds.

Results

We identified problems in PPE availability and changing guidelines as factors causing the most distress in the participants. Regarding availability, running out of masks and respirators emerged as the most worrying issue, and inadequate PPE was associated with the excessive workload (OR 1.51, CI 95% 1.01–2.25). The results also highlight the importance of transparent and clear communication regarding IPC instructions and guidance, and clear IPC guidance was associated with better levels of reported recovery from work (OR 1.51, CI 95% 1.06–2.14).

Conclusions

Our study highlights the importance of adequate PPE provision, transparent communication, clear guidance, and supportive supervisory work in this ongoing pandemic and potential new ones. We suggest more rigorous preparation, with crisis communication planning and emergency storage of PPE.
Association between school bullying victimization and self-harm in a sample of Chinese children and adolescents: The mediating role of perceived social support
Authors: Che Yusan , Lu Jin , Fang Die , Ran Hailiang , Wang Sifan , Liang Xuemeng , Sun Hao , Peng Junwei , Chen Lin , Xiao Yuanyuan
Published: November 2022

Background

Studies indicated that bullying victimization (BV) is an important risk factor for self-harm in children and adolescents. However, it is unclear whether perceived social support significantly mediates this association. This study aimed to examine the association between BV and self-harm, with a particular focus on the mediating role of perceived social support.

Methods

A population-based cross-sectional study of 4,627 Chinese students aged from 10 to 17 years was conducted in southwestern China Yunnan province. A two-stage simple random cluster sampling method was used to choose study subjects. The adjusted associations between school BV, perceived social support, and self-harm were examined by using the multivariate logistic regression models. The mediation of perceived social support in the association between BV and self-harm was evaluated by using a path model.

Results

After controlling potential covariates, BV was associated with a prevalence of increased self-harm, with an adjusted odds ratio of 1.90 (95% CI: 1.57, 2.32). Among all sources of perceived social support, only parental support played a prominent mediating role in the association between BV and self-harm, accounting for 20.73% of the explained variance. The mediation of parental support was comparable between boys and girls. As for different types of bullying victimization, path analyses indicated that only the association between physical victimization and self-harm was significantly mediated by parental support.

Conclusion

Our study results highlighted the promising interventional benefit of parental support in BV-associated self-harm risk for children and adolescents. For victims of bullying, especially physical bullying, promoting parental support might be effective in reducing self-harm risk. Longitudinal studies are warranted to further corroborate these findings.
Calcite dissolving bacteria from peanut (Arachis hypogaea) pegging zone influences soil calcium level
Authors: Peper Alan , Brenneman Timothy , Yang Li
Published: November 2022

Microbial communities play critical roles in mobilizing soil nutrition and, consequentially, shaping plant growth and stress responses. Soluble calcium in the pegging zone is essential for peanut yield. Calcium starvation may lead to seed abortion and increased incidence of disease, such as pod rot. Currently, gypsum or lime are often used to supplement calcium in the pegging zone. Calcite Dissolving Bacteria (CDB) can dissolve poorly soluble calcite into Ca2+ thus making it available to plants. Here, we report the isolation and characterization of CDB from a peanut field in Tifton, Georgia. We identified 65 CDB isolates, representing 15 unique strains belonging to 10 different genera. When applied to field soil, most of these CDB survived only several days. However, a synthetic community of CDB strains increased soluble calcium levels when applied to field soil. We also found that CDB abundancy was negatively associated with a soluble calcium level in soil. In summary, we conclude that CDB has the capacity to influence calcium availability in soil, and the abundance of CDB in a bacterial community dynamically respond to soil calcium levels.
COVID-19 made it harder to access period products: The effects of a pandemic on period poverty
Authors: Hunter Emily , Palovick Kirstin , Teni Mintesnot T. , Sebert Kuhlmann Anne
Published: November 2022

Background

Prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, a few studies started to highlight the extent of period poverty in the U.S., especially among low-income women and girls. Preliminary data documenting the effects of the pandemic, subsequent economic downturn, and closure of schools and businesses on menstrual hygiene management are now emerging.

Objective

This study explores the relationship between the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic and period poverty among a nationally representative sample of U.S. adults.

Methods

Cross-sectional, secondary analyses of a 2021 nationwide, self-administered, online panel survey used weighted logistic regressions to assess the relationship between the COVID-19 pandemic making it more difficult to access products and missing work due to a lack of products. Responses from 1,037 menstruating individuals age 18–49 were included.

Results

Overall, 30% of the sample indicated the COVID-19 pandemic made it more difficult to access period products, 29% struggled to purchase period products in the past year, and 18% missed work due to a lack of period products. Those who identified as Hispanic (aOR 2.06 95% CI 1.29–3.29) and had children under 18 (aOR 15.3 95% CI 1.03–2.26) were more likely to indicate that the pandemic made it harder to access period products. Subsequently, those who indicated that the pandemic made it more difficult to access period supplies were more likely to report missing work due to a lack of period products in the past 12 months (aOR 4.32 95% CI 4.69–6.94).

Discussion

The COVID-19 pandemic exacerbated period poverty, especially among those in the U.S. who struggle with accessibility and affordability of products. Future pandemic response planning should consider period products as a basic need for vulnerable households. In addition, policies that increase the affordability and accessibility of period products for all should help reduce menstruation-related absenteeism from work.
Untangling effects of proteins as stabilizers for foam films
Authors: Gräff Kevin , Stock Sebastian , Mirau Luca , Bürger Sabine , Braun Larissa , Völp Annika , Willenbacher Norbert , von Klitzing Regine
Published: November 2022

Foam film’s properties have a high impact on the properties of the macroscopic foams. This work focusses on protein stabilized foam films. The direct comparison of three different proteins with a concentration normalized to the protein surface enables to distinguish between electrostatic, steric and network stabilization effects. In order to untangle those effects, we study and compare two globular proteins (β − lactoglobulin, BLG, and bovine serum albumin, BSA) and a disordered, flexible protein (whole casein, CN) at low ionic strengths with varying solution pH. Image intensity measurement as a recently developed image analysis method in this field allows to record spatially resolved disjoining pressure isotherms in a Thin Film Pressure Balance (TFPB). This reveals insights into the structure formation in inhomogeneous protein films. As a novel method we introduce tracking inhomogeneities (features) which enables the measurement of interfacial mobility and stiffness of foam films. Around the isoelectric point (IEP), Newton Black Films (NBF) form which are stable for the globular proteins while they are unstable for the disordered flexible one. This difference in film stability is explained by different characteristics of the network structures which is supported by findings in the bulk and at the surface of the respective protein solutions.
Knowing the rules can effectively enhance plastic waste separation on campus
Authors: Uehara Takuro , Asari Misuzu , Sakurai Ryo
Published: November 2022

Although proper plastic waste separation is critical to efficient disposal, people do not always comply with designated rules, possibly resulting from a lack or misunderstanding of the correct rules related to local variability. Accordingly, this study aimed to understand how learning the plastic waste separation rules changed college students' behavior on campus, besides how said knowledge spreads across campuses. To evaluate the impact, quasi-experiments were conducted from May to July 2022, including a hybrid of before–after and treatment–control designs. The treatment group included college students at a university in Japan (N = 295 and 188 for the first and second surveys, respectively); the control group also included college students in the same region (N = 395 and 219 for the first and second surveys, respectively). Before learning the rules, 12.8% of the treatment group followed the correct rules. After acquiring the rules, this number increased to 38.3%. The difference-in-differences analysis verified its statistically significant improvement over the control group. Structural equation models based on the theory of planned behavior before and after learning the rules revealed that the intention–behavior gap was bridged by the learning, indicating limitations due to a lack of knowledge. The best–worst scaling showed that habits should be targeted to further improve separation behaviors; whereas an egocentric network analysis demonstrated that knowledge spread among peers, albeit to a limited extent. In summary, this study revealed that knowing designated rules is a simple but effective approach to enhancing plastic waste separation in a certain context.
Water policy, politics, and practice: The case of Kitui County, Kenya
Authors: Koehler Johanna , Nyaga Cliff , Hope Rob , Kiamba Pauline , Gladstone Nancy , Thomas Mike , Mumma Albert , Trevett Andrew
Published: November 2022

The devolution of governance to county level in Kenya provides a window for innovation in water policy and practice, critical to improving water security in rural areas where almost half of households lack basic water services. In rural Kitui County, Kenya, a number of projects supported by different funders have served as policy experiments over the past 10 years. We apply an action-oriented knowledge framework to explore the kinds of knowledge that have been produced in the course of these interventions and reflect on what kinds of knowledge are contributing to institutional change and how they are contributing to sustainability in the rural water sector. Actionable recommendations for the further development of county-level water policy include: First, ensure local ownership of the policy-making process whilst enabling appropriate technical and legal support; second, take long timeframes of institutional change into account in donor programming; third, establish water, sanitation and hygiene forums bringing diverse actors within the sector together to build cohesion, facilitate knowledge exchange, enable collaborative learning, and deliver collective action.
Exploring Jordanian women's resistance strategies to domestic violence: A scoping review
Authors: Alsawalqa Rula Odeh , Alrawashdeh Maissa N. , Sa'deh Yara Abdel Rahman , Abuanzeh Amal
Published: November 2022

Despite there being an abundant gender and social science research on domestic violence (DV) in Jordan, particularly during the COVID-19 pandemic, there is limited understanding and knowledge of women's resistance strategies to DV. To fill this gap, this study conducted a scoping review to synthesize and analyze 11 articles published in English-language scholarly journals between 2001 and 2021 by following the PRISMA-ScR guidelines. The databases of the University of Jordan Library, Dar Almandumah, PsycINFO, PubMed, Google Scholar, and Scopus were searched in December 2021. Our review found no scientific articles that primarily discussed Jordanian women's resistance to DV and explicate it as a secondary aim within the context of screening for the causes, consequences, and prevalence of DV. Therefore, while a few articles implicitly conceptualized women's resistance in the context of the patriarchal structure—either as tactics of physical, social, economic survival, and to protect their family and honor, or as consequences of DV—no article provided an explicit definition of this concept. The articles also deliberated on 12 resistance strategies that women use to deal with DV; predominant among them are daily resistance, activities hidden for immediate and de facto gains (e.g., to avoid beatings, divorce and family disintegration, the decision to keep their children, and maintaining economic stability). The most common strategies are silence and not seeking help, reporting to family members or friends, seeking legal and social advice, and reporting to the police or healthcare provider.
Methodological reflections on artistically illustrating ethnographic text from a study of sport pedagogy in youth detention: Ethics, affect, and description
Authors: Roe Daniel , Bäckström Åsa
Published: November 2022

While there is a burgeoning body of literature on visual methods in ethnography, including drawing and illustration as method for collecting and exploring data, little has been written about how artistic illustrations can be used as a representational method for finished ethnographic texts. Based on an illustrated ethnography–a PhD thesis on sport pedagogy in youth detention–this paper explores what artistic illustrations can do for representations of ethnographic texts. An important starting point of the paper is that artistic illustrations are purpose-full–they can be used strategically to highlight some details over others, thus making it possible for researchers to selectively accomplish several aims when it comes to representation. Particularly, we focus on ethical, affective, and descriptive purposes for using artistic illustrations when publishing research on sport in total institutions. We present selected illustrations from the thesis together with analytical and procedural commentary to shed light on some strategic thinking behind the production of the illustrations. Finally, we conclude with some reflections on the methodology and discuss some further considerations for illustrating ethnographic texts in terms of benefits, risks, and possibilities.
The McKissock's technique in reduction mammaplasty: A comparative study of outcomes and complications in 211 consecutive patients
Authors: Messana Francesco , Grigatti Martina , Budini Valentina , Ricci Federico , Brambullo Tito , Bassetto Franco , Vindigni Vincenzo
Published: November 2022

Reduction mammaplasty is one of the most popular plastic surgery procedures requested by patients. The areola holding flap can be sculpted using a variety of methods that have evolved over time dependent on vascularity. Our institution has always employed the vertical bipedicle technique proposed by Mckissock, and we still favor it over other methods for larger breasts. In this study, we examined the case-study data from the Padua University Hospital's Unit of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery from January 2009 to December 2021. The rate of complications among patients who received breast reduction using the McKissock technique and all other procedures carried out at our facility was compared. We identified 90 postoperative problems in all (affecting 42.65% of the patients) and categorized them using the Clavien Dindo system. The groups were comparable in age, BMI, and follow-up time. Similar findings emerged from the study of the single groups' complication rate. The statistical analysis did not reveal any appreciable variation in total complications or scar quality across groups. Therefore, in order to guarantee NAC survival, a stable shape, and a full upper pole, we think it is preferable to bind more than one pedicle in cases of very large breasts. Based on the results of our experience, we also recommend the McKissock approach as the first option for patients with large and ptotic breasts, particularly those who have undergone bariatric surgery and need a full upper pole and a stable outcome.
Modified low-dose second window indocyanine green technique improves near-infrared fluorescence image-guided dermatofibrosarcoma protuberans resection: A randomized control trial
Authors: Cui Lei , Wang Gao F. , Li Xin , Song Yu Q. , Pu Wen W. , Zhang De K. , Jiang Wei Q. , Kou Ya Q. , Tan Zhao Q. , Tao Ran , Han Yan , Han Yu D.
Published: November 2022

Objective

Conventional second window indocyanine green (SWIG) technique has been widely attempted in near-infrared fluorescence (NIRF) imaging for intraoperative navigation of tumor radical resection. Nevertheless, the overuse of indocyanine green (ICG) led to an increased risk of drug lethal allergy and high medical cost. This prospective study was to explore clinical application of modified low-dose SWIG technique in guiding dermatofibrosarcoma protuberans (DFSPs) radical resection.

Method

Patients with DFSPs were randomly assigned to control and experimental group. The ICG was injected intravenously 24 h before surgery, at a dose of 3.5 mg/kg in the control group and 25 mg/patient in the experiment group, respectively. Intraoperative NIRF imaging included serial views of gross tumor, tumor bed and cross-sectional specimen.

Results

Although NIRF imaging of gross tumor and tumor bed in the experimental group demonstrated similar sensitivity and negative predictive value, the specificity and positive predictive value were obviously higher compared to control group. The tumor-to-background ratios of cross-sectional specimens in the experimental group was significantly higher than in the control group (P = 0.000). Data in both groups displayed that there was a positive correlation of tumor size in cross-sections between integrated histopathologic photomicrographs and NIRF imaging of specimen views (P = 0.000). NIRF imaging of cross-sectional specimens had a significant decrease in time cost, and an increase in the ability of examining more surgical margins (P = 0.000).

Conclusion

This is the first study to demonstrate that a low-dose SWIG technique could improve the accuracy of near-infrared fluorescence image-guided dermatofibrosarcoma protuberans resection.

Clinical Trial Registration: ChiCTR2100050174; date of registration: August 18, 2021 followed by “retrospectively registered”
The prevalence of bovine mastitis-associated Staphylococcus aureus in China and its antimicrobial resistance rate: A meta-analysis
Authors: Wang Kuan , Cha Jinlong , Liu Kai , Deng Jianming , Yang Bowen , Xu Hui , Wang Juyu , Zhang Limei , Gu Xiaolong , Huang Cuiqin , Qu Weijie
Published: November 2022

In this study, to optimize the Staphylococcus aureus control program, a meta-analysis was conducted to investigate the epidemiology and antimicrobial resistance (AMR) profile of S. aureus-associated bovine mastitis in China from 2000 to 2020. A total of 33 publications from PubMed, Google Scholar, and China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI) database were included in our research, among which nine publications included the AMR test. The pooled prevalence of S. aureus was 36.23%, and subgroup analysis revealed that the prevalence dropped from 2000–2010 to 2011–2020, which shows that China is on the right track. The pooled AMR rate indicate isolates were most resistant to β-lactams (50.68%), followed by quinolones (36.23%), macrolides (34.08%), sulfonamides (32.25%), tetracyclines (27.83%), aminoglycosides (26.44%), lincosamides (23.39%), and amphenicol (10.33%). Both the pooled prevalence and AMR of S. aureus in China are higher than those in Western countries, such as Germany, Belgium, Ireland, and the United States—countries with a long animal husbandry history and good management. Thus, there is still room to improve the treatment of S. aureus-associated bovine mastitis in China.