bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
A Cross-Sectional, Questionnaire-Based Survey on Air Infection Control among Romanian People
Authors: Saveanu Catalina Iulia , Zetu Irina Nicoleta , Scheuleac Alexandra , Saveanu Alexandra Ecaterina , Romanec Cristian Liviu
Published: September 2022

(1) Background: Infection control should be one of the main objectives in the comprehensive medical approach. (2) Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted from June–July 2022. A questionnaire including 22 questions with multiple answers was applied online to 202 subjects selected at random. The questionnaire collected data on the subjects’ knowledge about protective measures against airborne infections. For this study, a descriptive statistic was performed. Pearson’s Chi-square test was used for data comparison. (3) Results: Only 61.39% (124) of the subjects consider that protective equipment is mandatory for the dental team, 40.10% (81) know to a very large extent and 44.06% (89) to a large extent that when talking, a respiratory infection can be transmitted. A rather large percentage of the subjects take into account the cost of the protective mask to a very large extent 39.60% (80). Only 30.20% (61) of the subjects would vaccinate to a very large extent and 24.75% (50) to a large extent against micro-organisms transmitted by air p > 0.05. (4) Conclusions: Most people know the aspects related to air decontamination, the priority being the promotion of control methods of airborne infections, and it is necessary to improve the level of knowledge on a large scale within the population.
Dynamic Response of Surface Water Temperature in Urban Lakes under Different Climate Scenarios—A Case Study in Dianchi Lake, China
Authors: Duan Haimei , Shang Chunxue , Yang Kun , Luo Yi
Published: September 2022

Lake surface water temperature is a fundamental metabolic indicator of lake ecosystems that affects the exchange of material and energy in lake ecosystems. Estimating and predicting changes in lake surface water temperature is crucial to lake ecosystem research. This study selected Dianchi Lake, a typical urban lake in China, as the research area and used the Air2water model combined with the Mann-Kendall mutation statistical method to analyze the temporal and spatial variation in the surface water temperature of Dianchi Lake under three climate models. The research results show that, under the RCP 5-8.5 scenario model, the surface water temperature change rate for Dianchi Lake from 2015 to 2100 would be 0.28 ℃/10a, which was the largest change rate among the three selected scenarios. The rate of change during 2015–2100 would be 9.33 times higher than that during the historical period (1900–2014) (0.03 °C/10a). Against the background of Niulan River water diversion and rapid urbanization, the surface water temperature of Dianchi Lake experienced abrupt changes in 1992, 2016, 2017, and 2022. Against the background of urbanization, the impact of human activities on the surface water temperature of urban lakes will become greater.
International Portuguese Nurse Leaders’ Insights for Multicultural Nursing
Authors: Teixeira Gisela , Lucas Pedro , Gaspar Filomena
Published: September 2022

Cultural diversity among patients and healthcare workers in the Portuguese healthcare organizations will increasingly challenge nurse managers to develop favorable nursing work environments and to improve culturally congruent care. Aim: This study aimed to identify nurse managers’ interventions that improve favorable nursing work environments in multicultural nursing teams and culturally congruent care for patients, based on Portuguese nurse leaders’ experience in international settings. Methods: A qualitative and exploratory study was conducted as the first stage of a sequential exploratory mixed study design. A convenience sample of Portuguese nurses with leadership experience of multicultural teams was recruited to participate in one focus group. Qualitative data were recorded and transcribed for content analysis. Text segments were organized into themes and categories with the support of the qualitative software IRaMuTeQ. Results: Nurse managers’ interventions, such as adapting the leadership style, thanking nurses for their work, adjusting the unit to attend to patients’ worship practices, and supporting foreign nurses in learning the local language, were categorized into three main themes and five categories—transcultural nursing leadership assumptions, capitalizing nurses, improving culturally congruent care, team problems and strategies, and improving effective communication. Conclusions: These findings corroborate international studies, advocate for capable nurse managers to lead in a globalized world, and are suitable to develop a transcultural nursing leadership questionnaire.
A Proposed Method of Converting Gait Speed and TUG Test in Older Subjects
Authors: Kostka Joanna , Sosowska Natalia , Guligowska Agnieszka , Kostka Tomasz
Published: September 2022

Sarcopenia is one of the most important health problems in advanced age. In 2019, the European Working Group of Sarcopenia in Older People (EWGSOP) updated the operational diagnostic criteria for identification of people with sarcopenia (EWGSOP2). Among the two proposed low performance measures of sarcopenia are gait speed and the Timed Up and Go (TUG) test. Usage of any of those tools requires recalculation for the second one for eventual comparisons. The simple linear regression has been used for such comparisons in several previous studies, but the appropriateness of such an approach has not been verified. The aim of this study is to find the most appropriate model describing the relationship between these two popular measures of physical function. The study was performed in 450 consecutive outpatients of the Geriatric Clinic of the Medical University of Lodz, Poland, aged 70 to 92 years who volunteered to participate in the study. The TUG test and gait speed at 4 m to assess physical function were used. Different alternative models were compared to obtain the highest R-squared values. A Reciprocal-Y model (R-squared = 71.9%) showed the highest performance, followed by a Logarithmic-Y square root-X model (R-squared = 69.3%) and a Reciprocal-Y square root-X model (R-squared = 69.1%). The R-squared for the linear model was 49.5%. For the selected reciprocal model, the correlation coefficient was 0.85 and the equation of the fitted model was: Gait speed (m/s) = 1/(−0.0160767 + 0.101386 × TUG). In conclusion, in independent community-dwelling older adults, the relationship between gait speed and the TUG test in older subjects is nonlinear. The proposed reciprocal model may be useful for recalculations of gait speed or TUG in future studies.
Efficacy of Mouth Rinses and Nasal Spray in the Inactivation of SARS-CoV-2: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of In Vitro and In Vivo Studies
Authors: Idrees Majdy , McGowan Bridget , Fawzy Amr , Abuderman Abdulwahab Ali , Balasubramaniam Ramesh , Kujan Omar
Published: September 2022

Severe acute respiratory syndrome-coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) is a global and evolving pandemic associated with heavy health and financial burdens. Considering the oral cavity as the major reservoir for SARS-CoV-2, a systematic review and meta-analysis were conducted to assess the efficacy of mouth rinses and nasal sprays in reducing the salivary viral load of SARS-CoV-2. All in vivo and in vitro studies that assessed the virucidal efficacy of mouth rinses and nasal sprays against SARS-CoV-2 and were published in the English language from December 2019 to April 2022 were considered for analyses. Special Medical Subject Headings terms were used to search Pubmed, Scopus, Embase Ovid, and Web of Science databases. The toxicological data reliability assessment tool (ToxRToool) was used to assess the quality of the included studies. Thirty-three studies (11 in vivo and 22 in vitro) were deemed eligible for inclusion in this analysis. Results of the pooled data showed that povidone-iodine is the most efficacious intervention in vivo in terms of reducing the SARS-CoV-2 salivary viral load, followed by chlorhexidine. The mean difference in the viral load was 86% and 72%, respectively. Similarly, povidone-iodine was associated with the highest log10 reduction value (LRV) in vitro, followed by cetylpyridinium chloride, (LRV = 2.938 (p < 0.0005) and LRV = 2.907 (p = 0.009), respectively). Povidone-iodine-based oral and nasal preparations showed favourable results in terms of reducing SARS-CoV-2 viral loads both in vivo and in vitro. Considering the limited number of patients in vivo, further studies among larger cohorts are recommended.
Spatiotemporal Patterns in pCO2 and Nutrient Concentration: Implications for the CO2 Variations in a Eutrophic Lake
Authors: Xu Jie , Zhou Zheng , Chen Jie , Zhuo Haihua , Ma Jie , Liu Yunbing
Published: September 2022

Lakes are considered sentinels of terrestrial environmental change. Nevertheless, our understanding of the impact of catchment anthropogenic activities on nutrients and the partial pressure of carbon dioxide (pCO2, an important parameter in evaluating CO2 levels in water) is still restrained by the scarcity of long-term observations. In this study, spatiotemporal variations in nutrient concentrations (total nitrogen: TN, total phosphorus: TP, nitrate: NO3−–N, and ammonium: NH4+–N) pCO2 in Taihu Lake were analyzed from 1992 to 2006, along with the gross domestic product (GDP) and wastewater discharge (WD) of its catchment. The study area was divided into three zones to characterize spatial heterogeneity in water quality: the inflow river mouth zone (Liangxi River and Zhihugang River), transition zone (Meiliang Bay), and central Taihu Lake, respectively. It is abundantly obvious that external nutrient inputs from the catchment have a notable impact on the water parameters in Taihu Lake, because nutrient concentrations and pCO2 were substantially higher in the inflow river mouth zone than in the open water of Meiliang Bay and central Taihu Lake. The GDP and WD of Taihu Lake’s catchment were significantly and positively correlated with the temporal variation in nutrient concentrations and pCO2, indicating that catchment development activities had an impact on Taihu Lake’s water quality. In addition, pCO2 was negatively correlated with chlorophyll a and the saturation of dissolved oxygen, but positively correlated with nutrient concentrations (e.g., TN, TP, and NH4+–N) in inflow river mouth zone of Taihu Lake. The findings of this study reveal that the anthropogenic activities of the catchment not only affect the water quality of Taihu Lake but also the CO2 concentrations. Consequently, catchment effects require consideration when modeling and estimating CO2 emissions from the extensively human-impacted eutrophic lakes.
Association between Childhood Exposure to Family Violence and Telomere Length: A Meta-Analysis
Authors: Chen Xiao Yan , Lo Camilla K. M. , Chan Ko Ling , Leung Wing Cheong , Ip Patrick
Published: September 2022

The aims of this meta-analysis were to examine the association between childhood exposure to family violence and telomere length and the moderating variables that influence this association. Relevant works published on or before 1st September 2022 were identified through a search in five major databases in English and 19 articles (N = 18,977) finally met the inclusion criteria. A meta-analysis was conducted to compute the pooled effect size (correlation; r), and moderator analyses were performed using a random effects meta-analytic model. The studies yielded a significant inverse association between childhood exposure to family violence and telomere length, with a small effect size (r = −0.038, 95% CI [−0.070, −0.005], p = 0.025). Furthermore, the strength of this association was stronger in studies examining the co-occurrence of multiple types of violence than in those examining just one type (Q = 8.143, p = 0.004). These findings suggested that victims’ telomere length may be negatively influenced by childhood exposure to family violence and that such impairment appears to be stronger for those who are exposed to multiple types of violence. Future studies are necessary to examine the moderating and mediating factors underlying the association between childhood exposure to family violence and telomere length.
Relationship between Entrepreneurship Education and Entrepreneurial Intention among College Students: A Meta-Analysis
Authors: Zhang Wenyi , Li Yixing , Zeng Qing , Zhang Minqiang , Lu Xiaozhong
Published: September 2022

Meta-analysis was used to investigate the impact of entrepreneurship education on college students’ entrepreneurial intention. Based on the rules of meta-analysis, 389 empirical studies were selected from more than 1000 entrepreneurship education-related documents. The current study processed and analyzed data from 36 records (including 24 journal articles, 11 master’s theses, and 1 doctoral thesis) with a total sample of 29,736 students. The results suggested that: (1) entrepreneurship education is positively associated with entrepreneurial intention; (2) national context differences among students have a significant and moderating effect on the relationship between entrepreneurship education and entrepreneurial intention. As compared to other countries, Chinese college students’ entrepreneurial intention is more strongly related with entrepreneurship education.
The “Forgotten Grievers”: The Impact of Pupil Suicide on Post-Trauma and Grief Symptoms in School Staff
Authors: Tiech Fire Noa , Gvion Yari , Alkalay Sarit , Zalsman Gil
Published: September 2022

Background: The suicide of a pupil impacts survivors greatly, but most studies on the subject do not consider school staff, and do not differentiate between the various professional domains. Our aim was to investigate the existence of differences in symptoms of complicated grief as well as post-trauma symptoms after a pupil’s suicide, among school staff in four domains: counsellors, psychologists, principals and home-room teachers. Method: Eighty-four staff members from schools that lost pupils to suicide within the past five years were assessed for symptoms of complicated grief and trauma. All reported their symptoms using self-report scales. Results: Principals and home-room teachers had significantly higher complicated grief and post-trauma symptoms. The main limitations of this study are that the data were collected via self-report questionnaires, which can introduce bias. Additionally, the sample is relatively small and comprises mainly women. Conclusions: School professionals in domains receiving less coping and crisis training, and those with supervisory responsibilities (principals and home-room teachers) show more symptoms of trauma and complicated grief after a pupil’s suicide, and require special attention. More preparatory training would surely benefit them and assist them in coping with such crises.
Spatio-Temporal Variation of Lung Cancer in Crete, 1992–2013. Economic or Health Crisis?
Authors: Sifaki-Pistolla Dimitra , Chatzea Vasiliki Eirini , Mechili Enkeleint A. , Koinis Filippos , Georgoulias Vassilis , Lionis Christos , Tzanakis Nikos
Published: September 2022

(1) Background: This is the first population-based study in Greece, with the aim to measure the changing trends of lung cancer (LC) and the associated risk factors before and after the economic crisis. Among the main objectives were the identification of LC hot spots and high-risk areas; (2) Methods: The study was conducted in Crete, the biggest island in Greece. Data (5057 LC cases) were collected from the Cancer Registry of Crete (CRC). The age-standardized incidence and mortality rates (ASIR, ASMR/100,000/year) were estimated, while additional indexes were used, including the adjusted Charlson’s comorbidity index (CCI%), the deprivation index (HPI-2), and the exposure to outdoor air pollution (OAP). The analysis was performed for two time periods (Period A: 1992–2008; Period B: 2009–2013); (3) Results: ASIR presented a significant increase during the economic crisis, while an even higher increase was observed in ASMR (Period A: ASMR = 30.5/100,000/year; Period B: ASMR = 43.8/100,000/year; p < 0.001). After 2009, a significant increase in the observed LC hot spots was identified in several sub-regions in Crete (p = 0.04). The risk of LC mortality increased even more for smokers (RR = 5.7; 95%CI = 5.2–6.3) and those living in highly deprived geographical regions (RR = 5.4; 95%CI = 5.1–5.8) during the austerity period. The multiple effect of LC predictors resulted in adjusted RRs ranging from 0.7 to 5.7 within the island (p < 0.05); (4) Conclusions: The increased LC burden after the onset of the economic crisis, along with a changing pattern of LC predictors stressed the urgent need of geographically oriented interventions and cancer control programs focusing on the most deprived or vulnerable population groups.
Diphenyl Diselenide Alleviates Tert-Butyl Hydrogen Peroxide-Induced Oxidative Stress and Lipopolysaccharide-Induced Inflammation in Rat Glomerular Mesangial Cells
Authors: Wang Xing , Huan Yi , Liu Shuainan , Li Caina , Cao Hui , Lei Lei , Liu Quan , Ji Wenming , Sun Sujuan , Huang Kaixun , Zhou Jun , Shen Zhufang
Published: September 2022

Hyperglycemia, oxidative stress, and inflammation play key roles in the onset and development of diabetic complications such as diabetic nephropathy (DN). Diphenyl diselenide (DPDS) is a stable and simple organic selenium compound with anti-hyperglycemic, anti-inflammatory, and anti-oxidative activities. Nevertheless, in vitro, the role and molecular mechanism of DPDS on DN remains unknown. Therefore, we investigated the effects of DPDS on tert-butyl hydrogen peroxide (t-BHP)-induced oxidative stress and lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced inflammation in rat glomerular mesangial (HBZY-1) cells and explored the underlying mechanisms. DPDS attenuated t-BHP-induced cytotoxicity, concurrent with decreased intracellular ROS and MDA contents and increased SOD activity and GSH content. Moreover, DPDS augmented the protein and mRNA expression of Nrf2, HO-1, NQO1, and GCLC in t-BHP-stimulated HBZY-1 cells. In addition, DPDS suppressed LPS-induced elevations of intracellular content and mRNA expression of interleukin (IL)-6, IL-1β and TNF-α. Furthermore, LPS-induced NFκB activation and high phosphorylation of JNK and ERK1/2 were markedly suppressed by DPDS in HBZY-1 cells. In summary, these data demonstrated that DPDS improves t-BHP-induced oxidative stress by activating the Nrf2/Keap1 pathway, and also improves LPS-induced inflammation via inhibition of the NFκB/MAPK pathways in HBZY-1 cells, suggesting that DPDS has the potential to be developed as a candidate for the prevention and treatment of DN.
Comparative Experimental Investigation of Biodegradable Antimicrobial Polymer-Based Composite Produced by 3D Printing Technology Enriched with Metallic Particles
Authors: Ahmed Waleed , Al-Marzouqi Ali H. , Nazir Muhammad Hamza , Rizvi Tahir A. , Zaneldin Essam , Khan Mushtaq
Published: September 2022

Due to the prevailing existence of the COVID-19 pandemic, novel and practical strategies to combat pathogens are on the rise worldwide. It is estimated that, globally, around 10% of hospital patients will acquire at least one healthcare-associated infection. One of the novel strategies that has been developed is incorporating metallic particles into polymeric materials that neutralize infectious agents. Considering the broad-spectrum antimicrobial potency of some materials, the incorporation of metallic particles into the intended hybrid composite material could inherently add significant value to the final product. Therefore, this research aimed to investigate an antimicrobial polymeric PLA-based composite material enhanced with different microparticles (copper, aluminum, stainless steel, and bronze) for the antimicrobial properties of the hybrid composite. The prepared composite material samples produced with fused filament fabrication (FFF) 3D printing technology were tested for different time intervals to establish their antimicrobial activities. The results presented here depict that the sample prepared with 90% copper and 10% PLA showed the best antibacterial activity (99.5%) after just 20 min against different types of bacteria as compared to the other samples. The metallic-enriched PLA-based antibacterial sheets were remarkably effective against Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli; therefore, they can be a good candidate for future biomedical, food packaging, tissue engineering, prosthetic material, textile industry, and other science and technology applications. Thus, antimicrobial sheets made from PLA mixed with metallic particles offer sustainable solutions for a wide range of applications where touching surfaces is a big concern.
Image Retrieval Algorithm Based on Locality-Sensitive Hash Using Convolutional Neural Network and Attention Mechanism
Authors: Luo Youmeng , Li Wei , Ma Xiaoyu , Zhang Kaiqiang
Published: September 2022

With the continuous progress of image retrieval technology, in the field of image retrieval, the speed of a search for a desired image from a great deal of image data becomes a hot issue. Convolutional Neural Networks (CNN) have been used in the field of image retrieval. However, many image retrieval systems based on CNN have a poor ability to express image features, resulting in a series of problems such as low retrieval accuracy and robustness. When the target image is retrieved from a large amount of image data, the vector dimension after image coding is high and the retrieval efficiency is low. Locality-sensitive hash is a method to find similar data from massive high latitude data. It reduces the data dimension of the original spatial data through hash coding and conversion, and can also maintain the similarity between the data. The retrieval time and space complexity are low. Therefore, this paper proposes a locality-sensitive hash image retrieval method based on CNN and the attention mechanism. The steps of the method are as follows: using the ResNet50 network as the feature extractor of the image, adding the attention module after the convolution layer of the model, and using the output of the network full connection layer to retrieve the features of the image database, then using the local-sensitive hash algorithm to hash code the image features of the database to reduce the dimension and establish the index, and finally measuring the features of the image to be retrieved and the image database to get the most similar image, completing the content-based image retrieval task. The method in this paper is compared with other image retrieval methods on corel1k and corel5k datasets. The experimental results show that this method can effectively improve the accuracy of image retrieval, and the retrieval efficiency is significantly improved. It also has higher robustness in different scenarios.
Automated GDPR Contract Compliance Verification Using Knowledge Graphs
Authors: Tauqeer Amar , Kurteva Anelia , Chhetri Tek Raj , Ahmeti Albin , Fensel Anna
Published: September 2022

In the past few years, the main research efforts regarding General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR)-compliant data sharing have been focused primarily on informed consent (one of the six GDPR lawful bases for data processing). In cases such as Business-to-Business (B2B) and Business-to-Consumer (B2C) data sharing, when consent might not be enough, many small and medium enterprises (SMEs) still depend on contracts—a GDPR basis that is often overlooked due to its complexity. The contract’s lifecycle comprises many stages (e.g., drafting, negotiation, and signing) that must be executed in compliance with GDPR. Despite the active research efforts on digital contracts, contract-based GDPR compliance and challenges such as contract interoperability have not been sufficiently elaborated on yet. Since knowledge graphs and ontologies provide interoperability and support knowledge discovery, we propose and develop a knowledge graph-based tool for GDPR contract compliance verification (CCV). It binds GDPR’s legal basis to data sharing contracts. In addition, we conducted a performance evaluation in terms of execution time and test cases to validate CCV’s correctness in determining the overhead and applicability of the proposed tool in smart city and insurance application scenarios. The evaluation results and the correctness of the CCV tool demonstrate the tool’s practicability for deployment in the real world with minimum overhead.
Anomaly Detection Approach in Industrial Control Systems Based on Measurement Data
Authors: Zhao Xiaosong , Zhang Lei , Cao Yixin , Jin Kai , Hou Yupeng
Published: September 2022

Anomaly detection problems in industrial control systems (ICSs) are always tackled by a network traffic monitoring scheme. However, traffic-based anomaly detection systems may be deceived by anomalous behaviors that mimic normal system activities and fail to achieve effective anomaly detection. In this work, we propose a novel solution to this problem based on measurement data. The proposed method combines a one-dimensional convolutional neural network (1DCNN) and a bidirectional long short-term memory network (BiLSTM) and uses particle swarm optimization (PSO), which is called PSO-1DCNN-BiLSTM. It enables the system to detect any abnormal activity in the system, even if the attacker tries to conceal it in the system’s control layer. A supervised deep learning model was generated to classify normal and abnormal activities in an ICS to evaluate the method’s performance. This model was trained and validated against the open-source simulated power system dataset from Mississippi State University. In the proposed approach, we applied several deep-learning models to the dataset, which showed remarkable performance in detecting the dataset’s anomalies, especially stealthy attacks. The results show that PSO-1DCNN-BiLSTM performed better than other classifier algorithms in detecting anomalies based on measured data.
Convolutional Neural Network Model Compression Method for Software—Hardware Co-Design
Authors: Jang Seojin , Liu Wei , Cho Yongbeom
Published: September 2022

Owing to their high accuracy, deep convolutional neural networks (CNNs) are extensively used. However, they are characterized by high complexity. Real-time performance and acceleration are required in current CNN systems. A graphics processing unit (GPU) is one possible solution to improve real-time performance; however, its power consumption ratio is poor owing to high power consumption. By contrast, field-programmable gate arrays (FPGAs) have lower power consumption and flexible architecture, making them more suitable for CNN implementation. In this study, we propose a method that offers both the speed of CNNs and the power and parallelism of FPGAs. This solution relies on two primary acceleration techniques—parallel processing of layer resources and pipelining within specific layers. Moreover, a new method is introduced for exchanging domain requirements for speed and design time by implementing an automatic parallel hardware–software co-design CNN using the software-defined system-on-chip tool. We evaluated the proposed method using five networks—MobileNetV1, ShuffleNetV2, SqueezeNet, ResNet-50, and VGG-16—and FPGA processors—ZCU102. We experimentally demonstrated that our design has a higher speed-up than the conventional implementation method. The proposed method achieves 2.47×, 1.93×, and 2.16× speed-up on the ZCU102 for MobileNetV1, ShuffleNetV2, and SqueezeNet, respectively.
Posyandu Application in Indonesia: From Health Informatics Data Quality Bridging Bottom-Up and Top-Down Policy Implementation
Authors: Faza Afina , Rinawan Fedri Ruluwedrata , Mutyara Kuswandewi , Purnama Wanda Gusdya , Ferdian Dani , Susanti Ari Indra , Didah Didah , Indraswari Noormarina , Fatimah Siti Nur
Published: September 2022

The community’s mother and child health (MCH) and nutrition problems can be overcome through evidence-based health policy. Posyandu is an implementation of community empowerment in health promotion strategies. The iPosyandu application (app) is one of the health informatics tools, in which data quality should be considered before any Posyandu health interventions are made. This study aims to describe and assess differences in data quality based on the dimensions (completeness, accuracy, and consistency) of the secondary data collected from the app in Purwakarta Regency in 2019–2021. Obstacles and suggestions for improving its implementation were explored. This research applies a mixed-method explanatory approach. Data completeness was identified as the number of reported visits of children under five per year. Data accuracy was analyzed using WHO Z-score anthropometry and implausible Z-score values. Data consistency was measured using Cronbach’s alpha coefficient, followed by qualitative research with focus group discussions, in-depth interviews, and field observation notes. The quantitative study results found that some of the data were of good quality. The qualitative research identified the obstacles experienced using the iPosyandu app, one of them being that there were no regulations governing the use of iPosyandu to bridge the needs of the government, and provided suggestions from the field to improve its implementation.
Differential Bacterial Community of Bee Bread and Bee Pollen Revealed by 16s rRNA High-Throughput Sequencing
Authors: Ghosh Sampat , Namin Saeed Mohamadzade , Jung Chuleui
Published: September 2022

We investigated the bacterial community of bee bread and bee pollen samples using an approach through 16 s rRNA high-throughput sequencing. The results revealed a higher bacterial diversity in bee bread than in bee pollen as depicted in taxonomic profiling, as well as diversity indices such as the Shannon diversity index (3.7 to 4.8 for bee bread and 1.1 to 1.7 for bee pollen samples) and Simpson’s index (>0.9 for bee bread and 0.4–0.5 for bee pollen). Principal component analysis showed a distinct difference in bacterial communities. The higher bacterial diversity in the bee bread than bee pollen could presumably be due to factors such as storage period, processing of food, fermentation, and high sugar environment. However, no effect of the feed (rapeseed or oak pollen patties or even natural inflow) was indicated on the bacterial composition of bee bread, presumably because of the lack of restriction of foraged pollen inflow in the hive. The diverse bacterial profile of the bee bread could contribute to the nutritional provisioning as well as enhance the detoxification process; however, a thorough investigation of the functional role of individual bacteria genera remains a task for future studies.
Botanical Gardens Are Local Hotspots for Urban Butterflies in Arid Environments
Authors: Prudic Kathleen L. , Cruz Terese Maxine P. , Winzer Jazmyn I. B. , Oliver Jeffrey C. , Melkonoff Natalie A. , Verbais Hank , Hogan Andrew
Published: September 2022

Urban areas are proliferating quickly around the globe often with detrimental impacts on biodiversity. Insects, especially pollinators, have also seen record declines in recent decades, sometimes associated with land use change such as urbanization, but also associated with climate changes such as increased aridity. How these various factors play out in attracting and sustaining species richness in a complex urban matrix is poorly understood. Urban botanical gardens may serve as important refugia for insect pollinators in arid regions due to reliable water availability for both plants and insects. Here, we use community science data on butterfly observations to evaluate if botanical gardens can be hotspots of biodiversity in the arid urban landscapes of the southwest US. We found butterfly richness and diversity were proportionally overrepresented in botanical gardens compared with the urban landscape they were embedded in. We conclude that biodiversity-friendly botanical gardens in urban arid regions can make a valuable contribution to pollinator conservation, in particular, in face of the continued aridification due to climate change.
Phat Queens Emerge Fashionably Late: Body Size and Condition Predict Timing of Spring Emergence for Queen Bumble Bees
Authors: Keaveny Ellen C. , Dillon Michael E.
Published: September 2022

For insects, the timing of many life history events (phenology) depends on temperature cues. Body size is a critical mediator of insect responses to temperature, so may also influence phenology. The determinants of spring emergence of bumble bee queens are not well understood, but body size is likely important for several reasons. In fall, queens accumulate energy stores to fuel overwinter survival. Accumulation of fat stores prior to and depletion of fat stores during overwintering are likely size-dependent: larger queens can accumulate more lipids and have lower mass-specific metabolic rates. Therefore, larger queens and queens in relatively better condition may have delayed depletion of energy stores, allowing for later spring emergence. To test whether timing of spring emergence is associated with body size and condition, we captured 295 Bombus huntii queens in Laramie, WY, during the 2020 and 2021 growing seasons, weighed them, and measured intertegular width (a size metric unaffected by variation in feeding and hydration state). Early emerging queens were smaller than later emerging queens across years. Mass relative to intertegular width increased as the season progressed suggesting, as predicted, that body condition influences the timing of spring emergence for these crucial pollinators.
Epidemiological and Clinical Features in Very Old Men and Women (≥80 Years) Hospitalized with Aortic Stenosis in Spain, 2016–2019: Results from the Spanish Hospital Discharge Database
Authors: Palacios-Fernandez Sergio , Salcedo Mario , Belinchon-Romero Isabel , Gonzalez-Alcaide Gregorio , Ramos-Rincón José-Manuel
Published: September 2022

(1) Background: The aging population poses challenges for hospital systems. Aortic stenosis is among the most frequent diseases in very old patients. The aim of this study was to describe gender and age differences in the clinical characteristics of very old patients hospitalized with aortic stenosis (AoS) in Spain from 2016 to 2019. (2): Methods: A retrospective observational study analyzing data from the national surveillance system for hospital data. Variables analyzed were age group, sex, length of stay, deaths, and comorbidity. (3) Results: The analysis included 46,967 discharges. Altogether, 7.6% of the admissions ended in death. The main reason for admission was heart failure (34.3%), and this increased with age (80–84 years: 26% versus 95–99 years: 56.6%; p < 0.001). The main treatment procedure was the transcatheter aortic valve replacement (12.7%), performed in 14.3% of patients aged 80–84 versus 0.5% in patients aged 95–99 (p < 0.001). In the multivariable analysis, women were admitted with more comorbidities (odds ratio [OR] 1.22, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.06–1.20). Mortality was similar, albeit women were admitted less for syncope (OR 0.83, 95% CI 0.74–0.93). Women also underwent fewer coronary catheterizations (OR 0.81, 95% CI 0.77–0.87) and echocardiograms (OR 0.96, 95% CI 0.94–0.98). (4) Conclusions: Aortic stenosis leads to a high number of hospital admissions. Women with AoS presented more heart failure and less cardiovascular pathology than men. Also, women are admitted with fewer episodes of syncope and have fewer ultrasounds and catheterizations.
COVID-19 Vaccines Adverse Reactions Reported to the Pharmacovigilance Unit of Beira Interior in Portugal
Authors: Amaro Carina , Monteiro Cristina , Duarte Ana Paula
Published: September 2022

Coronavirus disease 2019 is an acute respiratory disease caused by the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2. As the virus spreads rapidly, it has become a major public health emergency, which has led to rapid vaccines development. However, vaccines can present harmful and unintended responses, which must be notified to the National Pharmacovigilance System. The aim of this study is to characterize the adverse drug reactions (ADRs) of these vaccines notified in the region covered by the Regional Pharmacovigilance Unit (RPU) of Beira Interior, in Portugal, between 1 and 31 December 2020. During this period, 4 vaccines were administered: Comirnaty®, Spikevax®, Vaxzevria® and Jcovden®. The RPU of Beira Interior received 2134 notifications corresponding to 5685 ADRs, of which 20.34% (n = 434) of the notifications were considered serious reactions. Of these, 9.52% (n = 42) resulted in hospitalization and 0.45% (n = 2) resulted in death. Among the ADRs notified, reactions at or around the injection site, myalgia, headaches and pyrexia were the most commonly notified. Most ADRs were resolved within a few hours or days without sequelae. These ADRs are in accordance with clinical trials, the summary of product characteristics (SmPC) of each vaccine and ADR notifications from other countries. However, further studies are needed to confirm these results.
Educational Effects of Simulation and Non-Simulation Training in Airway Management according to Levels of the Kirkpatrick Model: A Systematic Review and Network Meta-Analysis
Authors: Ando Koichi , Ando Akane , Tanaka Akihiko , Koba Shinji , Sagara Hironori
Published: September 2022

There is insufficient validation of the effectiveness of simulation-based training (Sim) or non-simulation-based training (non-Sim) for teaching airway management to healthcare professionals within the literature. We thus conducted a network meta-analysis comparing the effectiveness of Sim, non-Sim, and no educational intervention (NI) for airway management. The primary endpoints were knowledge scores (KnS) and behavioral performance scores (BpS) corresponding to assessments at levels 2 and 3 of the Kirkpatrick model, respectively. Effect sizes were expressed as standardized mean differences (Std. MD) and 95% credible intervals (CrIs). Regarding KnS, the educational effects of Sim and non-Sim were significantly improved compared to those of NI (Std. MD [95% CI]: 1.110 [0.903–1.316] and 0.819 [0.209–1.429], respectively); there was no significant difference between Sim and non-Sim. The educational effect of Sim in BpS was significantly improved compared to that of non-Sim and NI (0.850 [0.015–1.691] and 0.660 [0.241–1.076]); there were no differences between non-Sim and NI. Surface under the cumulative rank curve values demonstrated that Sim ranked highest in efficacy for KnS and BpS. This study provides valuable information regarding the educational efficacy of Sim and non-Sim in airway management. Larger randomized controlled trials are needed to confirm these findings.
Circulating Profile of ECM-Related Proteins as Diagnostic Markers in Inflammatory Bowel Diseases
Authors: Komosinska-Vassev Katarzyna , Kałużna Aleksandra , Jura-Półtorak Agnieszka , Derkacz Alicja , Olczyk Krystyna
Published: September 2022

The aim of our research was to find new biomarkers that could be potentially used in the diagnosis, differentiation and monitoring of inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD). Since extracellular matrix (ECM) remodeling contributes to the pathological changes occurring in IBD, the serum profile of ECM-related proteins may reflect disease activity in the intestinal mucosa. Serum laminin (LM), fibronectin (FN) and gelatinase-associated lipocalin (NGAL) concentrations were determined in 51 patients with IBD before and after a year of treatment, as well as in 48 healthy individuals. A significant difference in serum concentration of FN (130,56 ± 52.87 vs. 287.93 ± 79.69, p < 0.001) and NGAL (133.34 ± 51.51 vs. 102.37.39, p < 0.05) between patients with ulcerative colitis (UC) and healthy individuals was found. In patients with Crohn’s disease (CD), serum concentrations of LM (1329.5 ± 389.36 vs. 1012.07 ± 260.85, p < 0.005) and NGAL (138.94 ± 51.31 vs. 102.65 ± 37.39, p < 0.05) were increased, while FN (89.26 ± 43.86 vs. 287.93 ± 79.69, p < 0.001) was decreased compared to healthy subjects. Moreover, a significant correlation was found between the Mayo score in patients with UC and the levels of NGAL (r = 0.49, p < 0.01) and LM (r = 0.035, p < 0.005), respectively. Another significant correlation was noted between the Crohn’s Disease Activity Index (CDAI) and LM (r = 0.49, p < 0.05) levels in CD group. The results presented in our studies indicate that ECM-related markers might be potential additional tools helpful in diagnosing IBD, differential diagnosis of UC and CD and monitoring the disease activity.
Forecasting Postoperative Delirium in Older Adult Patients with Fast-and-Frugal Decision Trees
Authors: Heinrich Maria , Woike Jan K. , Spies Claudia D. , Wegwarth Odette
Published: September 2022

Postoperative delirium (POD) is associated with increased complication and mortality rates, particularly among older adult patients. However, guideline recommendations for POD detection and management are poorly implemented. Fast-and-frugal trees (FFTrees), which are simple prediction algorithms, may be useful in this context. We compared the capacity of simple FFTrees with two more complex models—namely, unconstrained classification trees (UDTs) and logistic regression (LogReg)—for the prediction of POD among older surgical patients in the perioperative setting. Models were trained and tested on the European BioCog project clinical dataset. Based on the entire dataset, two different FFTrees were developed for the pre-operative and postoperative settings. Within the pre-operative setting, FFTrees outperformed the more complex UDT algorithm with respect to predictive balanced accuracy, nearing the prediction level of the logistic regression. Within the postoperative setting, FFTrees outperformed both complex models. Applying the best-performing algorithms to the full datasets, we proposed an FFTree using four cues (Charlson Comorbidity Index (CCI), site of surgery, physical status and frailty status) for the pre-operative setting and an FFTree containing only three cues (duration of anesthesia, age and CCI) for the postoperative setting. Given that both FFTrees contained considerably fewer criteria, which can be easily memorized and applied by health professionals in daily routine, FFTrees could help identify patients requiring intensified POD screening.
To Achieve a Bullseye: Factors Related to Corneal Refractive Therapy Orthokeratology Lens Toricity
Authors: Li Changfei , Zeng Li , Zhou Jiaqi , Wang Bingjie , Chen Zhi
Published: September 2022

This retrospective study investigated the toricity of dual-axis corneal refractive therapy (CRT) orthokeratology lenses and corneal parameters, including flat keratometry (FK), flat eccentricity (e), steep e, corneal astigmatism, and the difference in elevation at 8 mm chord length. We analyzed the right eyes of 143 adolescent patients who underwent ocular examinations, subjective refraction, and corneal topography before CRT lens fitting by trial lens evaluation. After orthokeratology treatment, all patients underwent a topography map with an intact plus power ring and decentration of <1 mm. The mean patient age was 10.7 ± 2.2 years old; 33% were male. The lens toricity range was 25–100 µm. Multiple linear regression analysis showed significant associations between CRT lens toricity and corneal astigmatism (β = 10.913, t = 3.012, p = 0.003) and the difference in elevation at 8 mm chord length (β = 0.681, t = 4.049, p < 0.001); no association was found between CRT lens toricity and FK, flat e, or steep e (all p > 0.05). Corneal astigmatism was positively associated with difference in elevation at 8 mm chord length (r = 0.743, p < 0.001, Pearson’s correlation), and corneal astigmatism and the difference in elevation at 8 mm chord length were positively associated with CRT lens toricity (r = 0.657 and r = 0.643, respectively; both p < 0.01, Spearman’s correlation). These results suggest that difference in elevation at 8 mm chord length can be used to conveniently estimate CRT lens toricity in clinical practice, using the equation Y (CRT lens toricity) = 1.02X (difference in elevation at 8 mm chord length) + 20.3.
Preparation of Nanochitin from Crickets and Comparison with That from Crab Shells
Authors: Kishida Kana , Mizuta Toshifumi , Izawa Hironori , Ifuku Shinsuke
Published: September 2022

Crickets are gaining worldwide attention as a nutrient source with a low environmental impact. We considered crickets as a new source of chitin raw material. Chitin isolated from crickets was successfully converted to nanochitin by pulverization. First, chitin was obtained from cricket powder in a 2.6% yield through a series of chemical treatments. Chitin identification was confirmed by FT-IR and 13C NMR. The chitin had an α-type crystal structure and a deacetylation degree of 12%. Next, it was pulverized in a disk mill to obtain nanochitin. Cricket nanochitin was of a whisker shape, with an average fiber width of 10.1 nm. It was larger than that of crab shells, while the hydrodynamic diameter and crystal size were smaller. Such differences in shape affected the physical properties of the dispersion. The transmittance was higher than that of crab nanochitin due to the size effect, and the viscosity was smaller. Moreover, the dry non-woven cricket nanochitin sheets were more densely packed, and their modulus and breaking strength were greater.
Zebrafish Slit2 and Slit3 Act Together to Regulate Retinal Axon Crossing at the Midline
Authors: Davison Camila , Bedó Gabriela , Zolessi Flavio R.
Published: September 2022

Slit-Robo signaling regulates midline crossing of commissural axons in different systems. In zebrafish, all retinofugal axons cross at the optic chiasm to innervate the contralateral tectum. Here, the mutant for the Robo2 receptor presents severe axon guidance defects, which were not completely reproduced in a Slit2 ligand null mutant. Since slit3 is also expressed around this area at the stage of axon crossing, we decided to analyze the possibility that it collaborates with Slit2 in this process. We found that the disruption of slit3 expression by sgRNA-Cas9 injection caused similar, albeit slightly milder, defects than those of the slit2 mutant, while the same treatment in the slit2−/−mz background caused much more severe defects, comparable to those observed in robo2 mutants. Tracking analysis of in vivo time-lapse experiments indicated differential but complementary functions of these secreted factors in the correction of axon turn errors around the optic chiasm. Interestingly, RT-qPCR analysis showed a mild increase in slit2 expression in slit3-deficient embryos, but not the opposite. Our observations support the previously proposed “repulsive channel” model for Slit-Robo action at the optic chiasm, with both Slits acting in different manners, most probably relating to their different spatial expression patterns.
Enhanced In Vitro Biocompatible Polycaprolactone/Nano-Hydroxyapatite Scaffolds with Near-Field Direct-Writing Melt Electrospinning Technology
Authors: Chen Zhijun , Liu Yanbo , Huang Juan , Wang Han , Hao Ming , Hu Xiaodong , Qian Xiaoming , Fan Jintu , Yang Hongjun , Yang Bo
Published: September 2022

Polycaprolactone (PCL) scaffold is a common biological material for tissue engineering, owing to its good biocompatibility, biodegradability and plasticity. However, it is not suitable for osteoblast adhesion and regeneration of bone tissue due to its non-biological activity, poor mechanical strength, slow degradation speed, smooth surface and strong hydrophobicity. To improve the mechanical properties and biocompatibility of PCL scaffold, the PCL/nHA scaffolds were prepared by melting and blending different proportions of nano-hydroxyapatite (nHA) with PCL by the near-field direct-writing melt electrospinning technology in this study. The morphology, porosity, mechanical properties and in vitro biocompatibility of the PCL/nHA scaffolds were studied. The results showed that when the proportion of nHA was less than or equal to 25%, PCL/nHA composite scaffolds were easily formed in which bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells proliferated successfully. When the proportion of nHA was 15%, the PCL/nHA composite scaffolds had excellent structural regularity, good fiber uniformity, outstanding mechanical stability and superior biocompatibility. The PCL/nHA composite scaffolds were ideal scaffold materials, which would broaden their applications for bone tissue engineering.