bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The Relationship Between Perfectionism and Sports Ethics Among Young Athletes Based on Achievement Goal Theory
Authors: Sun Kaihong , Ji Tai
Published: March 2022

Exercise plays an important role in the process of socialization among young people and children by providing a context in which children can be exposed to the existing rules and values of society. However, the increasing news of unethical behaviors reported in competitive scenarios led the public to suspect the view “sports shape great characters.” To investigate the issue and explore potential influencing factors, the study examined the relationship among athletes’ perfectionism, achievement goals, and sports ethics based on the achievement goal theory. A total of 243 young athletes were recruited. The multidimensional perfectionism, achievement goals, and sports ethics were measured by a battery of questionnaires. A direct effect model that did not include mediation variables (achievement goals) and a mediation effect model that included mediation variables were analyzed by structural equation modeling (SEM). Results indicated that perfectionistic strivings may positively predict sports ethics, whereas perfectionistic concerns may negatively predict sports ethics. Mastery approach and mastery avoidance may positively predict sports ethics, whereas the performance approach and performance avoidance may negatively predict sports ethics. Achievement goals may partially mediate the relationship between perfectionism and sports ethics. Perfectionistic strivings may negatively predict sports ethics through performance approach and positively predict sports ethics through mastery approach. Perfectionistic concerns may negatively predict sports ethics through performance avoidance and positively predict sports ethics through mastery avoidance. To prevent athletes from using unethical behaviors, strategies should be developed to reduce perfectionistic concerns and increase their perfectionistic strivings.
Differences in Power Acquisition Between Only and Non-only Children: The Effects of Cooperative Orientation, Competitive Orientation, and Dependency on Parents
Authors: Rong Yan , Han Yulan , Dong Linping , Bi Huijuan
Published: March 2022

Drawing upon a developmental perspective, we investigated the differences in power acquisition (i.e., rank at work and leader role occupancy in university) between only and non-only children as well as the mediating role of cooperative and competitive orientations and the moderating role of dependency on parents. To test our hypotheses, we conducted two field studies in 155 part-time Master of Business Administration (MBA) students (Study 1) and 375 senior students (Study 2). Results showed that: (1) non-only children were more likely to achieve higher rank at work than only children; (2) only children were less likely than non-only children to acquire power in organizations because they scored lower in cooperative orientation; however, the mediating effect of competitive orientation was not significant; (3) the difference in cooperative orientation between only and non-only children was smaller when dependency on parents was high, whereas it became larger when dependency on parents was low. Our research contributes to the understanding of how family structure influences individual power acquisition.
Artificial Intelligence Inheriting the Historical Crisis in Psychology: An Epistemological and Methodological Investigation of Challenges and Alternatives
Authors: El Maouch Mohamad , Jin Zheng
Published: March 2022

By following the arguments developed by Vygotsky and employing the cultural-historical activity theory (CHAT) in addition to dialectical logic, this paper attempts to investigate the interaction between psychology and artificial intelligence (AI) to confront the epistemological and methodological challenges encountered in AI research. The paper proposes that AI is facing an epistemological and methodological crisis inherited from psychology based on dualist ontology. The roots of this crisis lie in the duality between rationalism and objectivism or in the mind-body rupture that has governed the production of scientific thought and the proliferation of approaches. In addition, by highlighting the sociohistorical conditions of AI, this paper investigates the historical characteristics of the shift of the crisis from psychology to AI. Additionally, we examine the epistemological and methodological roots of the main challenges encountered in AI research by noting that empiricism is the dominant tendency in the field. Empiricism gives rise to methodological and practical challenges, including challenges related to the emergence of meaning, abstraction, generalization, the emergence of symbols, concept formation, functional reflection of reality, and the emergence of higher psychological functions. Furthermore, through discussing attempts to formalize dialectical logic, the paper, based on contradiction formation, proposes a qualitative epistemological, methodological, and formal alternative by using a preliminary algorithmic model that grasps the formation of meaning as an essential ability for the qualitative reflection of reality and the emergence of other mental functions.
Why Are User-Generated Contents So Varied? An Explanation Based on Variety-Seeking Theory and Topic Modeling
Authors: Xiang Weilin , Ma Yongbin , Liu Dewen , Zhang Sikang
Published: March 2022

In online communities, such as Twitter, Facebook, or Reddit, millions of pieces of contents are generated by users every day, and these user-generated contents (UGCs) show a great variety of topics discussed that make the online community vivid and attractive. However, the reasons why UGCs show great variety and how a firm can influence this variety was unknown, which had been an obstacle to understanding and managing UGCs’ variety. This study fills these two gaps based on variety-seeking theory and topic modeling, which is a technique in machine learning. We extract, quantitatively, the topic of the UGCs using topic modeling and divide UGCs into two types: single topic and multiple topics. The user’s tendency to choose the type of UGC is used to measure variety-seeking behavior. We found that users have an intrinsic preference for variety when producing UGCs; the more single topic UGCs were produced in the past, the higher the probability of producing multiple topics UGC and the lower the probability of producing single topic UGC would be in the next, and vice versa. Furthermore, we discussed the effect of language/linguistic style matching (LSM) between firm feedbacks and UGCs on users’ variety-seeking tendencies in UGCs’ production. This study makes three contributions: (1) broadening variety-seeking theory to new behavior, that is content production behavior, and the results demonstrated that people would show a variety-seeking behavior in producing UGCs. (2) a new feasible method to measure the variety of UGCs by using topic modeling to extract the topics of UGCs and then measure the variety-seeking behavior in producing UGCs by analyzing the choice between single topic and multiple topics. (3) guidance for the firm to alter LSM of feedbacks to influence the variety of UGCs.
The Scoring Challenge of Emotional Intelligence Ability Tests: A Confirmatory Factor Analysis Approach to Model Substantive and Method Effects Using Raw Item Scores
Authors: Huyghe Veerle E. I. , Hovasapian Arpine , Fontaine Johnny R. J.
Published: March 2022

The internal structure of ability emotional intelligence (EI) tests at item level has been hardly studied, and if studied often the predicted structure did not show. In the present study, an a priori model for responses to EI ability items using Likert response scales with a Situational Judgement Test (SJT) format is investigated with confirmatory factor analysis. The model consists of (1) a target EI ability factor, (2) an acquiescence factor, which is a method factor induced by the Likert response scales, and (3) design-based error covariances, which are induced by the SJT format. It is investigated whether this a priori model can account for the observed associations between the raw item responses of the Components of Emotion Understanding Test-24 (CEUT-24). The CEUT-24 is a new test developed to assess emotion understanding, a key aspect of the EI ability construct, based on the componential emotion framework. The sample consisted of 1184 participants (15–22 years old) from four European countries (United Kingdom, Belgium, Germany, and Spain) speaking four different languages (English, Dutch, German and Spanish). Findings showed that the a priori model fitted the data well in all four languages. Furthermore, measurement invariance testing gave evidence for a well-fitting configural, metric, and partial scalar invariance model. The conclusion is that within a regular CFA framework using raw observed items responses, method factors (acquiescence response style and scenario induced variance) can be disentangled from the targeted EI ability factor.
How Does Employee–Organization Relationship Affect Work Engagement and Work Well-Being of Knowledge-Based Employees?
Authors: Che Yi , Zhu Jian , Huang Huawei
Published: March 2022

In the employment relationship, organizational factors are the main factors that affect employee behavior. Especially for knowledge-based workers, it is even more crucial for organizations to give enough attention to their individual needs. Based on Existence, Relatedness, and Growth (ERG) theory, this study constructs a moderated mediating model to explore how the impact of the employee–organization relationship (EOR) on work engagement (WE) and work well-being (WWB) of knowledge-based employees. In this study, existence–relatedness–growth need satisfaction (GNS) is used as a mediator and the perceived symbiotic relationship is used as a moderator. Data collected from 791 knowledge-based employees in higher education institutions from more than 20 provinces and cities in China are used to test the model. The results show that (1) EOR has significant positive effects on WE and WWB. (2) Need satisfaction for relatedness partially mediates the effects of EOR on WE and WWB. (3) Need satisfaction for growth mediates the effect of EOR on WE while the mediating role of need satisfaction for growth between EOR and WWB is unsupported. (4) The mediating role of need satisfaction for the existence of EOR on both WE and WWB is unsupported. (5) The perceived symbiotic relationship moderates the relationship between EOR and WE and WWB. The findings are of theoretical significance in expanding the research field of EOR and providing a basis for organizations to implement EOR strategies.
Written Language Production in Children With Developmental Language Disorder
Authors: Andreou Georgia , Aslanoglou Vasiliki
Published: March 2022

This study contributes to the cross-linguistic investigation of written language difficulties in children with DLD by reporting new findings from Greek-speaking individuals. Specifically, we investigate the writing performance of children with DLD and compare it to that of a group of typically developing (TD) children, matched for gender and chronological age. The specific orthographic properties of Greek, radically different from those of English, offer a unique opportunity to understand the nature of written language production in DLD. The participants of the study were 62 children, 31 with DLD and 31 TD. Both groups were asked to write a text on a special prompt they were given by the researcher and they were assessed in the total number of words used in text, in the proportion of incorrectly spelt words in text as well as in the use of verbs, nouns, content and function words. Also, the different words and the total number of main and subordinate clauses each of the participants used in their text were counted. The findings of the study showed that the written outputs of the DLD group were poorer in almost all measurements compared to those of their TD peers. We discuss our findings in relation to those reported by other languages, in particular English, and spell out the implications for assessing written language in children with DLD.
Temperament Types at Age 3 and Smartphone Overdependence at Age 10
Authors: Kim Yeon Ha
Published: March 2022

Few studies have addressed the longitudinal links between early temperament types and later problematic smartphone use. This study aims to identify children’s early temperament types at age 3 and to examine the link between the temperament types and smartphone overdependence at age 10. This study utilized a population-based data set presented by the Panel Study on Korean Children. Based on emotionality, activity, and sociability levels at age 3, children were clustered into similar temperament types. Links between the early temperament types and the risks of smartphone overdependence at age 10 were identified through analyses of covariances and binary logistic regressions. Three early temperament types were identified among Korean children: reactive (28.1%), sociable (37.2%), and cautious (34.8%). Children’s smartphone dependence at age 10 differed according to the temperament types identified at age 3. Compared to children with the sociable temperament type, children with the reactive type or the cautious type had an increased risk of smartphone overdependence. The link between temperament types at age 3 and smartphone overdependence at age 10 was meaningful. The cautious children were the most vulnerable group to the risk of smartphone overdependence. Temperament type identification in early years may be a useful measure for screening groups of children who are at risk for problematic smartphone use and need proactive interventions.
Anxiety, Boredom, and Burnout Among EFL Teachers: The Mediating Role of Emotion Regulation
Authors: Shen Guorong
Published: March 2022

Teachers’ emotions are explicitly and conceptually presented as part of an educational system that affects and is affected by learner upshots, namely, learners’ self-emotions, behaviors, and cognition since educators and learners are involved in the outcomes of the school setting. English as a foreign language (EFL) educators recurrently experience emotional damages during involvement in their profession as burnout, stress, boredom, and anxiety. EFL teachers need to regulate their emotions when facing a multivariate class environment that provides each learner with undeniable uniqueness. The subject of the relationship between emotion regulation and the teacher’s emotions is receiving increasing attention in research. EFL teachers should be provided with an emotional regulation strategy to have a positive learning-instructing effect in the entire school community as fun learning activities, energetic students, enthusiastic educators, and strong relationships between the board of education. To focus on the role of teachers’ emotion on the one hand and the mediator role of emotional regulation, on the other hand, the current study endeavored to review the role of emotional regulation strategies more intensely to decrease negative emotions. Finally, some educational suggestions of the study regarding the educators’ behaviors are pinpointed.
Perspective: Presuming Autistic Communication Competence and Reframing Facilitated Communication
Authors: Heyworth Melanie , Chan Timothy , Lawson Wenn
Published: March 2022

Debate surrounding the validity of the method of supported typing known as facilitated communication (FC) has been continuous since its inception in the 1990s. Views are polarized on whether FC can be considered an authenticated method for use by people with complex communication needs (CCN) or significant challenges in speech, language, and communication. This perspective article presents an analysis of the research arguing for—and against—the use of FC, combined with the lived experience knowledge of autistic adults who utilize FC, to rehabilitate its current standing as discredited and unevidenced. By considering extant qualitative and quantitative studies, as well as personal accounts of the use of this particular Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC) method, the authors argue that the current dismissal of FC is rooted in ableist and outdated approaches. FC research should be reconsidered and reconducted using current best practice autism research approaches, including coproduction and a presumption of autistic communication competence, to assess its validity as a potential AAC method for autistic individuals.
One Year Facing COVID. Systematic Evaluation of Risk Factors Associated With Mental Distress Among Hospital Workers in Italy
Authors: Bonzini Matteo , Comotti Anna , Fattori Alice , Cantù Filippo , Colombo Elisa , Tombola Valentina , Myslymi Eralda , Gatti Michele , Stucchi Giulia , Nava Carlo , Bordini Lorenzo , Riboldi Luciano , Brambilla Paolo
Published: March 2022

Introduction

Italy was the first Western country affected by the COVID-19 pandemic that still constitutes a severe challenge for healthcare workers (HCWs), with a deep impact on their mental health. Several studies confirmed that a considerable proportion of HCW developed adverse psychological impairment (PsI). To focus on preventive and rehabilitation measures, it is fundamental to identify individual and occupational risk factors. We systematically assessed possible PsI among all employees in a large university hospital in Italy, using validated psychometric scales in the context of occupational health surveillance.

Methods

In the period of July 2020 to July 2021, we enrolled 990 HCWs. For each subject, the psychological wellbeing was screened in two steps. The first-level questionnaire collected gender, age, occupational role, personal and occupational COVID-19 exposure, general psychological discomfort (GHQ-12), post-traumatic stress symptoms (IES-R), and anxiety (GAD-7). Workers showing PsI (i.e., test scores above the cutoff in at least one among GHQ-12, IES-R, and GAD-7) have been further investigated by the second-level questionnaire (psycho-diagnostic) composed by PHQ-9, DES-II, and SCL-90 scales. If the second-level showed clinically relevant symptoms, then we offered individual specialist treatment (third level).

Results

Three hundred sixteen workers (32%) presented signs of PsI at the first-level screening questionnaire. Women, nurses, and subjects engaged in the COVID-19 area and with an infected family member showed significantly higher PsI risk. PsI prevalence was strongly associated with the pandemic trend in the region but sensibly decreased after January 2021, when almost all workers received the vaccination. A proportion of subjects with PsI presented clinically relevant symptoms (second-level screening) on PHQ-9 (35%), DES (20%), and SCL-90 (28%). These symptoms were associated neither to direct working experience with patients with COVID-19 nor to COVID-19 experience in the family and seemed not to be influenced by the pandemic waves or workers vaccination.

Conclusions

The evaluation of psychological wellbeing of all hospital workers, directly or indirectly exposed to pandemic consequences, constitutes a unique condition to detect individual, occupational, and non-occupational risk factors for PsI in situations of high stress and/or disasters, as well as variables associated with symptom chronicization.
Characteristics of and Experience Among People Who Use Take-Home Naloxone in Skåne County, Sweden
Authors: Troberg Katja , Isendahl Pernilla , Blomé Marianne Alanko , Dahlman Disa , Håkansson Anders
Published: March 2022

Background

Opioid overdose related injury or death can be prevented by bystander naloxone administration. For naloxone to be present when and where overdoses occur, opioid prevention education and naloxone distribution (OPEND) must be established on a broad level. This is the 30-month follow-up of the first multi-site naloxone project in Sweden, implemented at 31 sites in the County of Skåne 2018.

Aim

To address participant characteristics and factors associated with returning for naloxone refill and with having used naloxone for overdose reversal. An additional aim was to describe self-reported reasons for naloxone refill and overdose experiences.

Methods

Data were collected during June 2018—December 2020 through questionnaires at baseline and upon naloxone refill of the initial and subsequent naloxone kit. Descriptive statistics was used to address participant characteristics, those returning for naloxone refill and reporting overdose reversal. Chi-2 test was used for variable comparison between groups. Factors associated with overdose reversals were examined by logistic regression analysis. Reasons for naloxone refill, overdose situation and management were presented descriptively.

Results

Among 1,079 study participants, 22% (n = 235) returned for naloxone refill, of which 60% (n = 140) reported a total of 229 overdose reversals. Reversals were more likely to be reported by participants trained at needle exchange programs (NEPs) [adjusted odds ratio (AOR) = 5.18, 95% Confidence interval (CI) = 3.38–7.95)], with previous experience of own (AOR = 1.63, 95% CI = 1.03–2.58) or witnessed (AOR = 2.12, 95% CI = 1.05–4.29) overdose, or who had used sedatives during the last 30 days before initial training (AOR = 1.56, 95% CI = 1.04–2.33). A majority of overdoses reportedly occurred in private settings (62%), where the victim was a friend (35%) or acquaintance (31%) of the rescuer.

Conclusion

Participants with own risk factors associated with overdose (e.g., injection use, concomitant use of benzodiazepines and previous experience of own overdose) were more likely to report administering naloxone for overdose reversal. Overdose management knowledge was high. The findings indicate that implementation of multi-site OPEND reaches individuals at particularly high risk of own overdose in settings with limited previous harm reduction strategies and favors a further scaling up of naloxone programs in similar settings.
Assessing the Mediating Role of Safety Communication Between Safety Culture and Employees Safety Performance
Authors: Naji Gehad Mohammed Ahmed , Isha Ahmad Shahrul Nizam , Alazzani Abdulsamad , Saleem Muhammad Shoaib , Alzoraiki Mohammed
Published: March 2022

The main purpose of this research was to investigate the mediating role of safety communication (SCO) in the relationship between safety culture (SC) and safety performance (SP) amongst employees in the petrochemical industry. Safety communication methods not only enhance working conditions but also have a positive impact on employee's behaviors and attitudes toward safety leading toward reduced incidents in the workplace environment. A stratified sampling method was followed to collect data in the petrochemical industry in Malaysia. Structural equation modeling (SEM) was utilized to analyze the hypothesized model, using data from 320 participants. The findings reveal that safety communication partially mediates the association between safety culture and safety performance. Further, safety culture was found to have a significant and positive effect on safety performance. This -study makes a significant theoretical contribution by providing empirical evidence on the direct and indirect relationship between safety culture and safety performance in the petrochemical industry.
Global Tendency and Frontiers of Research on Myopia From 1900 to 2020: A Bibliometrics Analysis
Authors: Shan Mengyuan , Dong Yi , Chen Jingyi , Su Qing , Wang Yan
Published: March 2022

Background:

Myopia is one of the most common causes of vision impairment in children and adults and has become a public health priority with its growing prevalence worldwide. This study aims to identify and evaluate the global trends in myopia research of the past century and visualize the frontiers using bibliometric analysis.

Methods

The literature search was conducted on the Web of Science for myopia studies published between 1900 and 2020. Retrieved publications were analyzed in-depth by the annual publication number, prolific countries and institutions, core author and journal, and the number of citations through descriptive statistics. Collaboration networks and keywords burst were visualized by VOSviewer and CiteSpace. Myopia citation network was visualized using CitNetExplorer.

Results

In total, 11,172 publications on myopia were retrieved from 1900 to 2020, with most published by the United States. Saw SM, from the National University of Singapore, contributed the most publications and citations. Investigative Ophthalmology & Visual Science was the journal with highest number of citations. Journal of Cataract and Refractive Surgery with the maximum number of publications. The top 10 cited papers mainly focused on the epidemiology of myopia. Previous research emphasized myopia-associated experimental animal models, while recent keywords include “SMILE” and “myopia control” with the stronger burst, indicating a shift of concern from etiology to therapy and coincided with the global increment of incidence. Document citation network was clustered into six groups: “prevalence and risk factors of myopia,” “surgical control of myopia,” “pathogenesis of myopia,” “optical interventions of myopia,” “myopia and glaucoma,” and “pathological myopia.”

Conclusions

Bibliometrics analysis in this study could help scholars comprehend global trends of myopia research frontiers better. Hundred years of myopia research were clustered into six groups, among which “prevalence and risk factors of myopia” and “surgical control of myopia” were the largest groups. With the increasing prevalence of myopia, interventions of myopia control are a potential research hotspot and pressing public health issue.
Physicians' Perspective on Vaccine-Hesitancy at the Beginning of Israel's COVID-19 Vaccination Campaign and Public's Perceptions of Physicians' Knowledge When Recommending the Vaccine to Their Patients: A Cross-Sectional Study
Authors: Gesser-Edelsburg Anat , Badarna Keywan Hiba
Published: March 2022

Because public healthcare workers (HCWs) are at the forefront of the battle against COVID-19, they must be able to provide vaccination information to their patients and respond to their anxieties and concerns. This research objectives were to (1) examine physicians' perceptions of how they received information about the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine, their attitudes toward hesitant colleagues, and their own knowledge and self-efficacy in communicating information to their patients, and (2) to examine the public's perceptions of physicians' knowledge when recommending the COVID-19 vaccine to their patients. At the beginning of the vaccination campaign, a survey examined the attitudes of physicians in the Israeli public healthcare system (n = 295) regarding the Pfizer vaccine. In addition, the attitudes of a representative sample (n = 500) of the Israeli adult population (age 18+) were examined through interviews. Most of the participating physicians (81%) reported they had already been vaccinated or intended to be vaccinated. When asked about their reasons for vaccine hesitancy, 27% cited concerns about long-term side effects and doubts about the vaccine's effectiveness in preventing contagion. They cited system pressure and departmental norms as explanations for their eventual compliance. Moreover, they saw the system as less tolerant of hesitant physicians, while they themselves tend to be more tolerant. The results of the survey of the public showed that mostly young people (under 44) who tend to be critical believe that physicians do not have sufficient knowledge to make recommendations about the COVID-19 vaccine. The findings indicate that the health system should employ complete transparency in conveying the advantages and disadvantages of the COVID-19 vaccine to physicians. The system should be more tolerant of physicians' worries and concerns and grant legitimacy to their reservations and misgivings. Moreover, medical studies should reinforce physicians' immunological knowledge regarding vaccinations so they can help their patients make informed decisions.
Dynamic Progress in Technological Advances to Study Lipids in Aging: Challenges and Future Directions
Authors: Gao Fangyuan , Tom Emily , Skowronska-Krawczyk Dorota
Published: March 2022

Lipids participate in all cellular processes. Diverse methods have been developed to investigate lipid composition and distribution in biological samples to understand the effect of lipids across an organism’s lifespan. Here, we summarize the advanced techniques for studying lipids, including mass spectrometry-based lipidomics, lipid imaging, chemical-based lipid analysis and lipid engineering and their advantages. We further discuss the limitation of the current methods to gain an in-depth knowledge of the role of lipids in aging, and the possibility of lipid-based therapy in aging-related diseases.
Neoadjuvant Systemic Therapy Prior to Radical Prostatectomy for Clinically Localized High-Risk Prostate Cancer
Authors: Perera Marlon , Beech Benjamin B. , De Jesus Escano Manuel , Gmelich Caroline , Yip Wesley , Boorjian Stephen A. , Eastham James A.
Published: March 2022

Radical prostatectomy (RP) remains a standard treatment option for clinically localized high-risk prostate cancer. While RP provides excellent local control, patients with high-risk disease remain at considerable risk for recurrence after surgery. Disease relapse may be the result of occult distant metastases or regional micrometastatic disease at the time of surgery. Accordingly, the role of systemic (neoadjuvant) therapy prior to RP has been investigated. Proposed neoadjuvant regimens: include monotherapy or combinations of chemotherapy, hormonal deprivation, and immunologic agents. Randomized trials using androgen deprivation have demonstrated improved pathologic outcomes, including pathologic downstaging and decreased risk of positive surgical margins, extracapsular extension, and seminal vesical invasion. However, these, albeit early, trials did not reliably demonstrate improved post-prostatectomy oncologic outcomes. More recent trials have evaluated novel combinations of chemo-hormonal therapy and immunologic based therapies. These studies are currently maturing and offer the promise, pending findings, of potentially informing future practice. In this review, we highlight the pathophysiologic basis and contemporary evidence for neoadjuvant therapy prior to RP for clinically localized high-risk prostate cancer.
Water Quality Characteristics of a Water Hyacinth Infested Tropical Highland Lake: Lake Tana, Ethiopia
Authors: Dersseh Minychl G. , Steenhuis Tammo S. , Kibret Aron A. , Eneyew Bantesew M. , Kebedew Mebrahtom G. , Zimale Fasikaw A. , Worqlul Abeyou W. , Moges Mamaru A. , Abebe Wubneh B. , Mhiret Demesew A. , Melesse Assefa M. , Tilahun Seifu A.
Published: March 2022

Nutrient enrichment from increased anthropogenic activities causes algal blooms and the proliferation of water hyacinth and other aquatic weeds. It is a recent phenomenon in developing nations where the link between water quality and water hyacinth infestation is not well studied. The objective of this study is to investigate the relationship between phosphorus, nitrogen, and chlorophyll-a on the distribution of water hyacinths in Lake Tana, located in the tropical highlands of Ethiopia. In this 3,000 km2 lake, water hyacinths have expanded from almost none to 25 km2 during the last 10 years. Water samples were taken near the four large rivers and at 27 nearshore stations. Samples were analyzed for total phosphorus, total nitrogen and chlorophyll-a. Our measurements were augmented with concentrations reported in the literature historically. Our results show that phosphorus concentration increased exponentially since the first measurements in 2003 from 0.01 mg P/l to near 1.8 mg P/l in 2020. Nitrogen concentrations increased from near zero at the end of the dry phase but remained nearly constant at around 2 mg total N/l after 2016. As a result, the ratio of nitrogen and phosphorus decreased in time, and the lake went from phosphorus to nitrogen limiting. Chlorophyll-a concentrations ranged from 0.3 to 104 μg/l. Water hyacinths appeared in the lake around 2010 after the nitrogen assimilation capacity of the lake was exceeded. They are found mainly in the northeastern part of Lake Tana, while nutrient concentrations are suitable for growing water hyacinths throughout the lake after 2010. Its location is mainly a consequence of lake circulation and wind direction. Minimum Chl-a concentrations were measured at locations with water hyacinths. Preventing future expansion of water hyacinth in Lake Tana is complicated but will require at minimum management practices that reduce the nitrogen and phosphorus loading from fertilizers applied in agriculture and prevent contributions from point sources.
The Water-Energy-Food Nexus Index: A Tool to Support Integrated Resource Planning, Management and Security
Authors: Simpson Gareth B. , Jewitt Graham P. W. , Becker William , Badenhorst Jessica , Masia Sara , Neves Ana R. , Rovira Pere , Pascual Victor
Published: March 2022

The call for measuring synergies and trade-offs between water, energy, and food is increasing worldwide. This article presents the development and application of a country-level index that has been calculated for 181 nations using open databases. Following an assessment of 87 water-, energy-, and food-related indicators, 21 were selected to constitute the Water-Energy-Food (WEF) Nexus Index. In this article, the WEF Nexus Index is utilized to assess the Southern African Development Community, where it demonstrates that food security is an area of concern, while the potential for beneficially exploiting water resources and energy projects exists in several countries. Water for agriculture could be achieved through the drought-proofing of rainfed agriculture and systematic irrigation development, with energy as the critical enabler. Neither the composite indicator nor the WEF nexus approach is the panacea that will solve all the significant development or environmental challenges facing humanity. However, they could contribute to integrated resource management and policy-making and are complementary to the Sustainable Development Goals. In this study, the methodology set out by the Joint Research Centre's Competence Center on Composite Indicators and Scoreboards has been followed. A set of visualizations associated with the WEF Nexus Index have been compiled in an interactive website, namely www.wefnexusindex.org.
Physical Activity Levels, Perceived Body Appearance, and Body Functioning in Relation to Perceived Wellbeing Among Adolescents
Authors: Sollerhed Ann-Christin , Fransson Johanna , Skoog JIsabelle , Garmy Pernilla
Published: March 2022

This study aimed to investigate self-reported physical activity levels, perceived body appearance, and body functioning in relation to perceived wellbeing among adolescents. A cross-sectional survey was performed in four upper secondary schools in one municipality in southern Sweden. Data were obtained from questionnaires completed by 1,491 adolescents (55.4% females; median age 16; range 15–17 years) during school hours. The participation rate was 71.4%. Logistic regression analyses were carried out with wellbeing as the dependent variable. The independent variables included gender, perceived family financial situation, perceived body appearance, perceived body function, and physical activity level. Perceived positive wellbeing was associated with being satisfied with their body's appearance (OR 3.4; CI 2.6–4.4) and function (OR 3.1; CI 2.2–4.2), being physically active three or more times per week (OR 1.5; CI 1.1–2.0), and a good perceived family financial situation (OR 3.3; CI 1.6–6.7). Gender was not significantly associated with wellbeing. A positive body image, which include both body appearance and body function, and high physical activity levels were significantly associated with wellbeing in adolescents, corroborating the importance of promoting physical activity among younger populations.
Drainage Tube Placement May Not Be Necessary During Endoscopic Thyroidectomy Bilateral Areola Approach: A Preliminary Report
Authors: Chen Yukai , Wang Chengchen , Bai Binglong , Ye Mao , Ma Junjie , Zhang Jingying , Li Zhiyu
Published: March 2022

Background

The endoscopic thyroidectomy bilateral areola approach (ETBAA) improved cosmetic outcomes significantly and is now widely applied. The usage of drainage tubes is controversial in conventional open thyroidectomy (COT), but studies about drainage placement decisions during ETBAA are still limited. This study aimed to determine the feasibility of having no drainage tube applied during ETBAA on patients with papillary thyroid carcinoma.

Methods

The clinical data of patients undergoing ETBAA from July 2018 to May 2021 was retrospectively collected. The patients were divided into two groups based on drain placement: no-drain and drain. The two groups were matched at a ratio of 1:1. Fifty-five patients from each group were finally included. Postoperative complications and follow-up data were compared between the two groups.

Results

No significant difference was observed between the two groups in the incidence of postoperative complications, including hemorrhage, surgical site infection, and subcutaneous seroma. Compared with the drain group, the operation time of the no-drain group was significantly shorter [(107.75 ± 24.59) min vs. (119.91 ± 34.05) min, P < 0.05]. The total and postoperative hospital stay was significantly shorter in the no-drain group [(2.40 ± 0.71) days vs. (4.78 ± 1.33) days, P < 0.001, (2.04 ± 0.19) days vs. (2.15 ± 0.36) days, P < 0.05], and the costs of surgical consumables were also significantly lower [(6,820.83 ± 164.29) CNY vs. (7,494.13 ± 216.7) CNY, P < 0.05]. The postoperative pain score of the no-drain group was significantly lower than the drain group [(1.58 ± 0.63) vs. (1.89 ± 0.76), P < 0.05].

Conclusions

No drainage applied during ETBAA on papillary thyroid carcinoma is safe and feasible. This practice does not increase the risk of postoperative complications, but it does shorten the operation time and hospital stay, as well as reduce medical costs. Furthermore, it alleviates the suffering of patients.
Estimation of Bait Uptake by Badgers, Using Non-invasive Methods, in the Perspective of Oral Vaccination Against Bovine Tuberculosis in a French Infected Area
Authors: Payne Ariane , Ruette Sandrine , Jacquier Mickaël , Richomme Céline , Lesellier Sandrine , Middleton Sonya , Duhayer Jeanne , Rossi Sophie
Published: March 2022

Although France is officially declared free of bovine tuberculosis (TB), Mycobacterium bovis infection is still observed in several regions in cattle and wildlife, including badgers (Meles meles). In this context, vaccinating badgers should be considered as a promising strategy for the reduction in M. bovis transmission between badgers and other species, and cattle in particular. An oral vaccine consisting of live Bacille Calmette–Guérin (BCG) contained in bait is currently under assessment for badgers, for which testing bait deployment in the field and assessing bait uptake by badgers are required. This study aimed to evaluate the bait uptake by badgers and determine the main factors influencing uptake in a TB-infected area in Burgundy, north-eastern France. The baits were delivered at 15 different setts located in the vicinity of 13 pastures within a TB-infected area, which has been subject to intense badger culling over the last decade. Pre-baits followed by baits containing a biomarker (Rhodamine B; no BCG vaccine) were delivered down sett entrances in the spring (8 days of pre-baiting and 4 days of baiting) and summer (2 days of pre-baiting and 2 days of baiting) of 2018. The consumption of the marked baits was assessed by detecting fluorescence, produced by Rhodamine B, in hair collected in hair traps positioned at the setts and on the margins of the targeted pastures. Collected hairs were also genotyped to differentiate individuals using 24 microsatellites markers and one sex marker. Bait uptake was estimated as the proportion of badgers consuming baits marked by the biomarker over all the sampled animals (individual level), per badger social group, and per targeted pasture. We found a bait uptake of 52.4% (43 marked individuals of 82 genetically identified) at the individual level and a mean of 48.9 and 50.6% at the social group and pasture levels, respectively. The bait uptake was positively associated with the presence of cubs (social group level) and negatively influenced by the intensity of previous trapping (social group and pasture levels). This study is the first conducted in France on bait deployment in a badger population of intermediate density after several years of intensive culling. The results are expected to provide valuable information toward a realistic deployment of oral vaccine baits to control TB in badger populations.
Seasonal Patterns: Bovine Trypanosomosis, Glossina pallidipes Density, and Infection in Rift Valleys of Gamo Zone, Southern Ethiopia
Authors: Seyoum Wasihun , Tora Ephrem , Kore Kokeb , Lejebo Firew
Published: March 2022

Bovine trypanosomosis is a parasitic disease causing serious economic losses in livestock productivity and agricultural development. The disease has been reported in different parts of Ethiopia. However, seasonal pattern of trypanosomosis, tsetse fly apparent density, and infection are very limited in the southern rift valley of the country, particularly in Gamo Zone. Therefore, the objective of this cross-sectional study design was to estimate seasonal prevalence of bovine trypanosomosis, assessing tsetse fly apparent density and its infection by trypanosomes. For the parasitological study, a total of 600 cattle (300 in each season) were sampled and assayed using the buffy coat technique. A total of 80 standard NGU traps were deployed around the watering and grazing areas for the entomological survey. An overall prevalence of trypanosomosis was 10.17% (61/600), of which 7.33% (22/300) and 13% (39/300) accounted for the dry and wet seasons, respectively. The prevalence of trypanosomosis was significantly higher during the wet season (OR = 2.47; p < 0.05), in black coat color (OR = 7.2, p < 0.05), and poor body-conditioned (OR = 3.15; p < 0.05) animals. Two species of trypanosomes, Trypanosoma congolense, 68.85% (42/61), and Trypanosoma vivax, 31.15% (19/61), were circulating in the area. The mean PCV value in infected animals (22.56 ± 4.61) was significantly lower than in non-infected animals (25.3 ± 4.75). Entomological result indicated that Glossina pallidipes (G. pallidipes) was the only species of tsetse found in the study area. Totally, 3,789 flies were caught of which 81.42% (3,085/3,789) belong to G. pallidipes and 18.58% (704/3,789) were other biting flies. The overall apparent density of G. pallidipes was 12.85 flies/trap/day (FTD). Relatively higher G. pallidipes/trap/day were caught in the wet season (13.64 F/T/D) than in the dry season (12.07F/T/D). Of the flies caught, 342 G. pallidipes were randomly selected and dissected. The overall proportion of G. pallidipes infection was 18.42% (63/342) of which 12.28% (21/171) and 24.56% (42/171) were accounted in the dry and wet seasons, respectively. Infection in G. pallidipes was significantly higher during the wet season (OR = 2.32; p < 0.05) and in park grazing areas (OR = 2.45; p < 0.05). In conclusion, trypanosomosis is the major challenge for cattle productivity in the district. So this study warrants the need for strengthening the vector and parasite control interventions in the area.
The Usefulness of Ozone-Stabilized Municipal Sewage Sludge for Fertilization of Maize (Zea mays L.)
Authors: Szostek Małgorzata , Kosowski Patryk , Szpunar-Krok Ewa , Jańczak-Pieniążek Marta , Matłok Natalia , Skrobacz Karol , Pieniążek Rafał , Balawejder Maciej
Published: March 2022

Sewage sludge generated in the wastewater treatment process is a waste material and a serious environmental nuisance. Due to its specific properties, the management and final disposal of sewage sludge is a considerable problem also in Poland. Ozonation of sewage sludge is the most commonly used process based on the use of oxidizing agents for stabilization of the waste. This process results in substantial reduction of the sludge volume and simultaneous production of small amounts of toxic by-products. Despite the effectiveness of ozone in sanitation and reduction of sludge amounts and in improvement of many parameters, still little is known about the use of ozonated sewage sludge for agricultural purposes, e.g., fertilization of arable crops. Therefore, the present study was an attempt to evaluate the effect of ozone-stabilized sewage sludge on maize development in initial stages of growth in pot experiment conditions. We analyzed the effect of ozone-stabilized sewage sludge in soil on dry matter yields of aboveground parts of maize. We also conducted physiological measurements of chlorophyll content, fluorescence, and exchange. Additionally, the content of macro- and microelements and toxic heavy metals in aboveground maize biomass was determined. The ozone-stabilized sewage sludge exerted a positive impact on all maize parameters in the initial stage of growth. Compared to the control, plants fertilized with this type of sludge were characterized by a 50% higher yield of aboveground biomass and over 80% higher content of chlorophyll. Furthermore, the content of most macro- and microelements in the aboveground biomass was generally higher in plants fertilized with the ozonated sludge than in plants from the other experimental variants. The chlorophyll fluorescence and gas exchange parameters in plants fertilized with ozonated sludge were improved. No excessive accumulation of Pb and Cd was detected. The present results have confirmed that ozone-stabilized sewage sludge can be used for cultivation of agricultural plants, as it improves utilization of deposited nutrients. The improved bioavailability of nutrients was associated with ozonation-induced initial degradation of organic matter and release of deposited plant nutrients.
Recovery Characteristics of Cry1Ac Endotoxin Expression and Related Physiological Mechanisms in Bt Transgenic Cotton Squares after High-Temperature Stress Termination
Authors: Liu Zhenyu , Wang Guixia , Zhang Zhongning , Zhang Chenxia , Li Hanjia , Wu Tianfan , Zhang Xiang , Chen Dehua
Published: March 2022

High-temperature stress reduces the endotoxin expression of the insecticidal gene (Cry1Ac) in transgenic Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) cotton and affects nitrogen metabolism. However, its effects on Cry1Ac endotoxin expression after high-temperature stress termination remain unclear. In order to investigate the effect of high-temperature stress on the expression of insecticidal proteins in Bt cotton squares, the conventional Sikang-1 cultivar and hybrid Sikang-3 cultivar were used as the experimental materials. The potted cotton plants in the squaring stage were moved to an artificial climatic chamber at 38 °C for 72 h and 96 h in 2017 and 2018, respectively, and plants were moved to the climate chamber where the control cotton plants were located (at 27 °C). Then, cotton squares were collected to measure the Bt protein concentration and nitrogen metabolism physiology at 0, 12, 24, 48, 72 and 96 h after high-temperature stress termination, respectively. The Cry1Ac endotoxin expression of the squares could be recovered to the corresponding control level and a longer recovery time was required as the high-temperature stress period increased. Therefore, the recovery degree of Cry1Ac endotoxin expression of cotton squares can be predicted according to the duration of high-temperature stress, which may provide a reference for the rational control of Helicoverpa armigera and related pests in cotton production.