bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Effects of Core Disgust and Moral Disgust on Moral Judgment: An Event-Related Potential Study
Authors: Tao Dan , Leng Yue , Huo Jiamin , Peng Suhao , Xu Jing , Deng Huihua
Published: June 2022

Core disgust is elicited by physical or chemical stimuli, while moral disgust is evoked by abstract violations of moral norms. Although previous studies have pointed out these two types of disgust can affect behavior and spatial dimensions of moral judgment, less is known about how moral and core disgust affect the temporal neural processing of moral judgment. In addition, whether moral and core disgust are only related to purity-based moral judgment or all kinds of moral judgment is still controversial. This study aimed to explore how core and moral disgust affect the neural processing of purity-based moral judgment by using affective priming and moral judgment tasks. The behavioral results showed that the severity of moral violation of non-purity ones is higher than purity ones. The event-related potentials (ERP) results mainly revealed that earlier P2 and N2 components, which represent the automatic moral processes, can differentiate neutral and two types of disgust rather than differentiating moral domain, while the later N450, frontal, and parietal LPP components, which represent the conflict detection and, later, cognitive processing can differentiate the purity and non-purity ones rather than differentiating priming type. Moreover, core and moral disgust priming mainly differed in the purity-based moral processing indexed by parietal LPP. Our findings confirmed that the disgusting effect on moral judgments can be explained within the framework of dual-process and social intuitionist models, suggesting that emotions, including core and moral disgust, played an essential role in the automatic intuition process. The later parietal LPP results strongly supported that core disgust only affected the purity-based moral judgment, fitting the primary purity hypothesis well. We show how these theories can provide novel insights into the temporal mechanisms of moral judgment.
Exploring L2 Engagement: A Large-Scale Survey of Secondary School Students
Authors: Wang Jing , Ying Bin , Liu Zhixin , Wei Rining
Published: June 2022

Engagement, a psychological individual difference variable with three facets (vigour, dedication and absorption), has recently attracted scholarly attention. Through a large-scale survey, we examined what we call ‘L2 engagement’ among 21,370 secondary school students in China, with an L2 engagement scale adapted from the Utrecht Work Engagement Scale (UWES)-student version. Factor analysis showed this scale to be empirically unidimensional with three highly intercorrelated facets and very high internal consistency; this contributes to our understanding of the conceptual challenges surrounding the construct of engagement (e.g., dimensionality) and the broader issue concerning the correspondence between empirical constructs and theoretical terms (e.g., engagement in our case). Hierarchical regression revealed that the selected sociobiographical variables (e.g., L2 proficiency) were linked to L2 engagement to varying degrees; adopting a more refined approach to gauge the unique contribution of a predictor to L2 engagement in hierarchical regression, we identified L2 proficiency, parental attention, study time and frequency of parental coaching as (very) important predictors for L2 engagement. We call for more studies to adopt our L2 engagement scale, a sufficiently valid and reliable instrument developed based on a large sample. We also propose a few future research directions (e.g., combining self-reports with other data sources).
The Relationship Between Psychological Quality Education and Mental Health Level of College Students by Educational Psychology
Authors: Xu Ruihong
Published: June 2022

To enable all college students to have positive psychological quality and sound personalities, their potential should be fully realized, and their comprehensive ability should be improved to adapt to society. Empirical research is carried out by means of questionnaires, and the relationship between psychological quality education and the mental health level of college students is studied through correlation analysis and regression analysis. Firstly, the problems existing in college students’ psychological quality education are summarized from the perspective of educational psychology through questionnaires. Secondly, the data of college students’ psychological quality education and mental health level are collected, and the general situation and the relationship between college students’ psychological quality education and mental health level are analyzed and discussed by processing the existing data. The research results show that 51% of college students think that psychological quality education is only needed when there is a psychological problem; 47% of college students believe that the current educational content of the school’s psychological quality education focuses on the prevention and solution of students’ psychological problems; 83% of the students consider that the psychological quality education currently carried out by the college still adopts the more traditional teaching methods such as classroom lectures, psychological counseling and special lectures. In the process of predicting college students’ mental health level, psychological resilience plays a significant role, which can predict 21.1% of variables. Psychological resilience and optimism can jointly predict 26.4% of variables. These contents broaden the research field of college students’ psychological quality education, enrich the related research on it, and provide a reference for the intervention of college students’ psychological health in school situations.
Influence of Multi-Role Interactions in Community Group-Buying on Consumers’ Lock-In Purchasing Intention From a Fixed Leader Based on Role Theory and Trust Transfer Theory
Authors: Wu Jingjing , Chen Yiwei , Pan Hao , Xu Anxin
Published: June 2022

Community group-buying platforms are increasingly relying on the interaction between the group-buying leader and consumers, thereby achieving the customer lock-in. In view of this, it is crucial to understand how the group-buying leader to establish a long-term transaction relationship with consumers. In this study, we construct a model based on the role theory and trust transfer theory, and identify two types of interactions of the group-buying leader (i.e., role interaction of merchant and role interaction of friend) and two types of consumer trust (i.e., community group-buying trust and interpersonal trust). Then, the mechanism that how different role interactions of the group-buying leader can be transformed into the lock-in purchasing intention of consumers is further clarified. By interviewing 430 consumers with community group-buying experience in the community through offline questionnaire, the research model has been proven to be effective. To be specific, both role interactions of the merchant and friend can impose a positive impact on interpersonal trust, which will also lead to the trust in community group-buying, and thus enhance the lock-in purchasing intension of consumers from a fixed leader. Overall, this study has made certain contributions to the study of customer relationship. In theory, this study further explains the explanation mechanism of the “acquaintance marketing” phenomenon. Moreover, this study adopts the role theory to analyze the differences of different role interactions of the group-buying leader in relationship quality and purchase decision making, and employs the trust transfer theory to expand the trust transfer effect from the interpersonal trust of the group-buying leader to the trust in community group-buying. In practice, this study provides a new perspective and practical reference for community group-buying enterprises and the group-buying leader on how to better manage customers and maintain a long-term and stable customer relationship.
An Exploratory Study on Corporate Governance From Neuro-Governance Lenses in the Malaysian Context
Authors: Ivascu Larisa , Pavel Codruta Daniela , Sarfraz Muddassar , Arulanandam Benedict Valentine , Tan Hong Yip
Published: June 2022

Our minds are powerful, creative, forceful, and strong, controlling our thinking and behaviors. A series of high-profile accounting and financial scandals have been revealed in the past few decades, and the Enron case was the most representative of them all. Corporate decision-makers have traditionally enjoyed high remunerations, compensations, and social status. Hence, the underlying rationales and motivation drivers that motivate managers to conduct unethical behaviors have always been a heightened concern. This research aims to delineate the narratives of corporate governance misconducts and the underlying rationales of these unethical behaviors. This study incorporates independent variables of neuro-accounting, neuroeconomics, neuro-ethics, and human nature using a qualitative methodology. From this study, the social norm of fairness showed that the human nature of greed and selfishness would motivate corporate decision-makers to engage in any exchange that could benefit themselves, although it is unethical and illegal. Second, neuroeconomics revealed that scarcity of economic resources, level of risks and uncertainties, and expected rewards could be the factors that motivate managers to conduct unethical behaviors, especially when their remunerations are tightly linked to company performances. Third, neuro-ethics shows that managers who lack moral values, have unstable emotions, and possess negative moral intuitions or personal assumptions could be more likely to pursue their interests at the cost of others. Lastly, neuro-governance also proved that self-benefits and financial incentives will usually be the priority and would be a motivating factor for misconduct.
Toward Economic Growth and Value Creation Through Social Entrepreneurship: Modelling the Mediating Role of Innovation
Authors: Wang Wenjie
Published: June 2022

The concept of social entrepreneurship emerged as a significant factor that contributes toward public welfare and prosperity. Recent studies showed that social entrepreneurship influences the economic growth and sustainability of the state. Therefore, the underlying aim of this study was to investigate the impact of social entrepreneurship on sustainable economic growth and value creation. This study also undertook to observe the mediating role of innovation in the relationship between social entrepreneurship and sustainable economic growth and between social entrepreneurship and value creation. A questionnaire technique was adopted to obtain data from 343 tour operators in China. The Smart-PLS software was used to analyze the data through the aid of a structural equation modelling (SEM) technique. The results revealed that social entrepreneurship has an effect on sustainable economic growth and value creation. The results also demonstrated that innovation has an effect on sustainable economic growth and value creation. Moreover, it was also observed that innovation mediated the relationship between social entrepreneurship and sustainable economic growth and between social entrepreneurship and value creation. Theoretically, this study made a valuable contribution by examining the impact of social entrepreneurship on sustainable economic growth and value creation and innovation as a mediator. In terms of practical implications, this study would certainly aid the policymakers to devise policies and strategies aim to encourage and promote social entrepreneurship. Moreover, future studies can introduce other mediating and moderating variables in order to gain a deeper insight into the phenomenon.
Attention for Emotion—How Young Adults With Neurodevelopmental Disorders Look at Facial Expressions of Affect
Authors: Bretthauer Jana , Canu Daniela , Thiemann Ulf , Fleischhaker Christian , Brauner Heike , Müller Katharina , Smyrnis Nikolaos , Biscaldi Monica , Bender Stephan , Klein Christoph
Published: June 2022

While Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) and Schizophrenia (SCZ) differ in many clinically relevant features such as symptomatology and course, they may also share genetic underpinnings, affective problems, deviancies in social interactions, and are all characterized by some kind of cognitive impairment. This situation calls for a joint investigation of the specifics of cognitive (dys-)functions of the three disorders. Such endeavor should focus, among other domains, on the inter-section of processing cognitive, affective and social information that is crucial in effective real-life interactions and can be accomplished when attentional preferences for human facial expressions of emotions is studied. To that end, attention to facial expressions of basic emotions was examined in young adults with ASD, ADHD, or SCZ in the present study. The three clinical groups were compared with an age-matched group of typically-developing participants (TD) during the free contemplation of five different facial emotions presented simultaneously, by varying identities, through the registration of eye movements. We showed, that dwell times and fixation counts differed for the different emotions in TD and in a highly similar way in ADHD. Patients with ASD differed from TD by showing a stronger differentiation between emotions and partially different attentional preferences. In contrast, the SCZ group showed an overall more restricted scanning behavior and a lack of differentiation between emotions. The ADHD group, showed an emotion-specific gazing pattern that was highly similar to that of controls. Thus, by analyzing eye movements, we were able to differentiate three different viewing patterns that allowed us to distinguish between the three clinical groups. This outcome suggests that attention for emotion may not tap into common pathophysiological processes and argues for a multi-dimensional approach to the grouping of disorders with neurodevelopmental etiology.
Validation of the 33-Item Hypomania Checklist-External Assessment in Screening Adolescents for Bipolar Disorder
Authors: Chen Xu , Cai Hong , Bai Wei , Sha Sha , Cheung Teris , Ungvari Gabor S. , Feng Yuan , Xiang Yu-Tao , Angst Jules
Published: June 2022

Background

Bipolar disorder (BD) is often misdiagnosed, leading to poor treatment outcomes. Thus, accurate assessment of BD is of great importance, including in BD adolescents. The aim of the study was to explore the psychometric properties of the 33-item Hypomania Checklist-External Assessment (HCL-33-EA) in depressed adolescents.

Methods

The study was conducted between March and November 2020 in Beijing, China. Depressed adolescents aged between 13 and 17 years (N = 260) with BD (N = 147) or major depressive disorder (MDD) (N = 113) diagnosed according to the International Classification of Diseases, Tenth Revision (ICD-10) were recruited. Patients’ hypomanic symptoms were assessed by their carers using the HCL-33-EA.

Results

The HCL-33-EA showed high internal consistency (Cronbach’s alpha = 0.82) with two factorial dimensions. The Receiver Operating Characteristic (ROC) curve analysis revealed an area under the ROC curve (AUC) value of 0.61 (95% confidence interval (CI): 0.54–0.67). The optimal cut-off score of 7 generated the best combination of sensitivity (0.81) and specificity (0.37) for discriminating between adolescents with BD and MDD.

Conclusion

The HCL-33-EA, with a two-factor structure, seems to be a useful tool for screening for BD in depressed adolescents. However, the high sensitivity and low specificity of the HCL-33-EA at the optimal cut-off value of 7 indicate that the HCL-33-EA needs to be further refined for young patients.
Influencing Factors of Students Aged 10–20 Non-participating in Home Physical Exercise During the COVID-19 Isolation Policy Period: A Cross-Sectional Study From China
Authors: Luo Lin , Zeng Xiaojin , Wu Yan , An Fei , Huang Jiahong , Yang Hao , Jiang Quanning , Ou Qiang , Du Jianjun , Song Naiqing
Published: June 2022

Background

A number of public health measures are required during the COVID-19 pandemic. To stop the spread of COVID-19, the Chinese government has adopted isolation policies, including closing non-essential businesses, public transportation and schools, moving students' face-to-face learning to online, and recommending the cancellation of all non-essential activities and outdoor activities. However, while this isolation strategy has reduced human-to-human transmission of COVID-19, it has led to dramatic changes in students' daily lives and learning styles, including reduced physical activity and increased sedentary time. Considering the potentially harmful effects of physical inactivity, this study hoped to explore the incidence and influencing factors of non-participation in home physical exercise among Chinese students aged 10–20 during the implementation of the COVID-19 isolation policy.

Methods

Through an online questionnaire platform, this study created an open-ended questionnaire (from March 1, 2020 to March 10, 2020) and distributed it to students in areas where isolation policies were enforced. The questionnaire was initially distributed by 10 recruited volunteers, and then the questionnaire was voluntarily forwarded and shared by the subjects or others, in a “snowball” way, to expand distribution. Finally, the survey data of 4,532 Chinese students aged 10–20 were collected. The incidence of respondents non-participating in home physical activity was determined using univariate analysis. Using odds ratios and 95% confidence intervals of a multivariate binary logistic regression model, factors influencing non-participation in home physical exercise were estimated.

Results

Among the sample students, the incidence rate of non-participating in home physical exercise was 25.86% (24.06–27.15%). Exercise intentions, exercise habits, self-assessed health, beliefs in physical health, family exercise, family exercise recommendations, home exercise conditions, school exercise guidance, and health education programs had a negative impact on students non-participating in home physical exercise. Academic performance and electronic product use had a positive effect on non-participating in home physical exercise.

Conclusions

A variety of forward leaning factors, enabling factors and demand factors have affected the occurrence of students” non-participating in home physical exercise. Future health isolation policies should take into account these influencing factors to reduce the occurrence of students” non-participating in home physical exercise and to promote students' independent participation in physical exercise.
A Latent Class Analysis of Student Eye Care Behavior: Evidence From a Sample of 6–17 Years Old in China
Authors: Li Mengying , Wang Wenjing , Zhu Boya , Tan Xiaodong
Published: June 2022

Purpose

To understand the latent classes and distribution of an adolescent eye care behavior, and to provide a basis for the formulation of appropriate adolescent vision health management interventions.

Methods

Information on eye behavior and eye health of primary and secondary school students in Wuhan was collected by multistage stratified cluster sampling. The latent class analysis (LCA) method was used to analyze the students' eye care behavior, and the latent class model (LCM) was built.

Results

A total of 6,130 students were enrolled in this study, of which 53.56% were males, aged from 6 to 17 years old, with an average age of 10.33 ± 2.60. The latent class results classified the adolescents' eye care behaviors into bad behaviors, moderate behaviors, and healthy behaviors. The model fitting results were as follows: Akaike Information Criterion (AIC) was 36,698.216, Bayesian Information Criterion (BIC) was 36,906.565, Adjusted Bayesian Information Criterion (aBIC) was 36,808.056, and entropy was 0.838.Compared with the healthy behaviors class, the bad behaviors class was more prevalent in high schools (p = 0.003), non-demonstration schools (p = 0.001), and most of this group had astigmatism (p = 0.002). The moderate behaviors class predominately consisted of females (p = 0.001), 15–17 years old (p = 0.005, 6~8 years old as the reference), from non-demonstration schools (p < 0.001), and most had myopia (p = 0.009).

Conclusion

There were differences in basic demographic characteristics, visual acuity development level, and family visual environment among different classes. In the management and intervention of an adolescent vision health, we should continue to promote the visual health management of adolescents based on visual monitoring and realize the early intervention and guidance of individuals in bad behaviors class.
CEA Systems: the Means to Achieve Future Food Security and Environmental Sustainability?
Authors: Cowan Nicholas , Ferrier Laura , Spears Bryan , Drewer Julia , Reay Dave , Skiba Ute
Published: June 2022

As demand for food production continues to rise, it is clear that in order to meet the challenges of the future in terms of food security and environmental sustainability, radical changes are required throughout all levels of the global food system. Controlled Environment Agriculture (CEA) (a.k.a. indoor farming) has an advantage over conventional farming methods in that production processes can be largely separated from the natural environment, thus, production is less reliant on environmental conditions, and pollution can be better restricted and controlled. While output potential of conventional farming at a global scale is predicted to suffer due to the effects of climate change, technological advancements in this time will drastically improve both the economic and environmental performance of CEA systems. This article summarizes the current understanding and gaps in knowledge surrounding the environmental sustainability of CEA systems, and assesses whether these systems may allow for intensive and fully sustainable agriculture at a global scale. The energy requirements and subsequent carbon footprint of many systems is currently the greatest environmental hurdle to overcome. The lack of economically grown staple crops which make up the majority of calories consumed by humans is also a major limiting factor in the expansion of CEA systems to reduce the environmental impacts of food production at a global scale. This review introduces the concept of Integrated System CEA (ISCEA) in which multiple CEA systems can be deployed in an integrated localized fashion to increase efficiency and reduce environmental impacts of food production. We conclude that it is feasible that with sufficient green energy, that ISCEA systems could largely negate most forms of environmental damage associated with conventional farming at a global scale (e.g., GHGs, deforestation, nitrogen, phosphorus, pesticide use, etc.). However, while there is plenty of research being carried out into improving energy efficiency, renewable energy and crop diversification in CEA systems, the circular economy approach to waste is largely ignored. We recommend that industries begin to investigate how nutrient flows and efficiencies in systems can be better managed to improve the environmental performance of CEA systems of the future.
The Short-Term Efficacy of Bikini Incision and Traditional Incision in Total Hip Replacement for Elderly Patients via the Direct Anterior Approach
Authors: Zhang Qingsong , Liu Bo , Zhao Binghao
Published: June 2022

Background

The study aimed to explore the short-term clinical efficacy of bikini incision and traditional incision in total hip replacement via the direct anterior approach.

Methods

The study enrolled 94 patients who underwent total hip replacement using the direct anterior approach between March 2018 and April 2020. They were assigned to the study group and the control group with 47 patients in each group using the random number table method. They received traditional incision and bikini incision, respectively. The operative time, intraoperative estimated blood loss, postoperative pain, length of hospital stay, incision healing, postoperative Harris score, and occurrences of complications were compared between the two groups.

Results

There was no statistically significant difference in operative time, incision length, and intraoperative estimated blood loss between the two groups (P > 0.05). The length of hospital stay was shorter in the study group than that of the control group, and the difference was statistically significant (P < 0.05). There was no statistically significant difference in pain severity between the two groups (P > 0.05). No incision infection occurred in either group. The study group had small scar areas and scar scores than the control group (P < 0.05). There was no statistically significant difference in Harris scores between the two groups at three and six months postoperatively (P > 0.05). The rate of lateral femoral cutaneous nerve injury was lower in the study group than that of the control group, and the difference was statistically significant (P < 0.05).

Conclusion

Bikini incision in total hip replacement via the direct anterior approach can shorten the length of hospital stay, promote incision healing, lower the incidence of complications, improve the prognosis, and promote recovery of patients, and it is worthy of being promoted for wide clinical use.
Safety and Toxicity Implications of Multifunctional Drug Delivery Nanocarriers on Reproductive Systems In Vitro and In Vivo
Authors: Ahmad Anas
Published: June 2022

In the recent past, nanotechnological advancements in engineered nanomaterials have demonstrated diverse and versatile applications in different arenas, including bio-imaging, drug delivery, bio-sensing, detection and analysis of biological macromolecules, bio-catalysis, nanomedicine, and other biomedical applications. However, public interests and concerns in the context of human exposure to these nanomaterials and their consequential well-being may hamper the wider applicability of these nanomaterial-based platforms. Furthermore, human exposure to these nanosized and engineered particulate materials has also increased drastically in the last 2 decades due to enormous research and development and anthropocentric applications of nanoparticles. Their widespread use in nanomaterial-based industries, viz., nanomedicine, cosmetics, and consumer goods has also raised questions regarding the potential of nanotoxicity in general and reproductive nanotoxicology in particular. In this review, we have summarized diverse aspects of nanoparticle safety and their toxicological outcomes on reproduction and developmental systems. Various research databases, including PubMed and Google Scholar, were searched for the last 20 years up to the date of inception, and nano toxicological aspects of these materials on male and female reproductive systems have been described in detail. Furthermore, a discussion has also been dedicated to the placental interaction of these nanoparticles and how these can cross the blood–placental barrier and precipitate nanotoxicity in the developing offspring. Fetal abnormalities as a consequence of the administration of nanoparticles and pathophysiological deviations and aberrations in the developing fetus have also been touched upon. A section has also been dedicated to the regulatory requirements and guidelines for the testing of nanoparticles for their safety and toxicity in reproductive systems. It is anticipated that this review will incite a considerable interest in the research community functioning in the domains of pharmaceutical formulations and development in nanomedicine-based designing of therapeutic paradigms.
Impacts of Nitrogen and Phosphorus Fertilization on Biomass, Polyphenol Contents, and Essential Oil Yield and Composition of Vitex negundo Linn
Authors: Peng Li-Chen , Ng Lean-Teik
Published: June 2022

Nutrient management has increasingly become important in producing quality medicinal plant materials. Vitex negundo is an important perennial medicinal plant widely distributed in tropical Asia and Africa. This study aimed to examine the effects of nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) fertilization on the biomass, polyphenol contents, and essential oil yield and composition in field cultivated V. negundo. Two field experiments were conducted; one was performed on three different rates of N fertilizer (50, 100, and 200 kg-N ha−1), and the other was on different P fertilizer rates (50, 100, and 200 kg-P ha−1), with their respective control groups receiving no fertilization under field conditions. The results showed that at 200 kg-P ha−1, V. negundo had the highest biomass and essential oil yield, the highest number of volatile components (45 compounds), and the content of bioactive ingredients (β-caryophyllene and eremophilene). Polyphenol contents were not significantly different between treatments. This study indicates that 200 kg-P ha−1 (NPK ratio of 1:2:1) treatment positively affects the yield of biomass, essential oils, and bioactive compounds in field cultivated V. negundo.
Stachys lavandulifolia Populations: Volatile Oil Profile and Morphological Diversity
Authors: Hassanpouraghdam Mohammad Bagher , Salimi Yadeghar , Morshedloo Mohammad Reza , Asadi Mohammad , Rasouli Farzad , Ercisli Sezai , Fidan Hafize , Muresan Crina Carmen , Marc Romina Alina
Published: June 2022

The morphological and essential oil diversity of Stachys lavandulifolia populations from the west and northwest of Iran were evaluated. The results showed a significant difference between the populations for nearly all the evaluated traits. The broadest variation ranges were recorded for the auxiliary shoot length, leaf length in the main branch, and the number of flowers in the inflorescences. Furthermore, cluster analysis divided 13 populations into four separate groups. GC/MS analysis verified the presence of 28 components comprising up to 94/4% of the oils. The dominant constituents were α-pinene (1.07–34.87%), (E)-caryophyllene (0.45–25.99%), germacrene D (3.36–20.61%), Δ-cadinene (2.82–19.90%), bicyclogermacrene (1.72–12.08%) α-terpineol (0–11.86%), α-muurolol (0.31–11.50%), p-cymene (0.67–9.67%), β-elemene (0.63–9.31%), and sabinene (0.32–6.29%). The results revealed that natural habitats and the related geo-climatological cues influenced morphological traits and oil composition. Considering the substantial environmental variations and the broad diversity, there would be a rich selection pool for the traits of interest. The populations are a step forward in the breeding programs for the highlighted essential oil constituents needed by the pharmaceutical and related industries. Furthermore, with the future comparative study of the populations from all Iranian territories and the neighboring countries, we will have a realistic idea of the coming conservational and exploitation programs.
Impacts of Protein from High-Protein Rice on Gelatinization and Retrogradation Properties in High- and Low-Amylose Reconstituted Rice Flour
Authors: Zhao Yitong , Dai Xianggui , Mackon Enerand , Ma Yafei , Liu Piqing
Published: June 2022

High-protein rice is nutritional, but its taste attributes are inferior to low-protein rice. Many documents correlate its taste attributes with its gelatinization and retrogradation properties. This study investigated the changes in gelatinization and retrogradation properties of low- and high-amylose reconstituted rice flour (RRF) added with different fractions of proteins extracted from high-protein rice. The addition of protein decreased the RVA (rapid viscosity analyzer) viscosity parameters of the RRF but increased the peak time. The high amylose fractions in the RRF mainly increased the parameters PV, FV, SB, and peak times, and scarcely affected the parameters BD and PaT. The interaction between amylose and protein determined the pasting temperature. Protein addition in RRF significantly decreased gelatinization enthalpies but increased the onset temperature (To) and peak temperature (Tp), while the amylose in RRF increased the gelatinization enthalpies, To and Tp. Protein additions decreased the gel hardness and the pore size, while the amylose increased the gel hardness but decreased pore size. Our findings may be potentially useful in breeding and cultivating high-protein rice.
The Hard Choice about Dry Pet Food: Comparison of Protein and Lipid Nutritional Qualities and Digestibility of Three Different Chicken-Based Formulations
Authors: Montegiove Nicolò , Calzoni Eleonora , Cesaretti Alessio , Pellegrino Roberto Maria , Emiliani Carla , Pellegrino Alessia , Leonardi Leonardo
Published: June 2022

Dry pet food, made of fresh meats and especially meat meals, represents one of the main types of complete food available on the market by virtue of its practicality and long shelf life. The kibble production process includes mixed thermal and mechanical treatments that help to improve the palatability and durability of the final product but may have undesirable effects on nutrient bioavailability and digestibility. An analysis of the protein and lipid content of different dry pet food formulations, together with an in vitro digestibility analysis, can reveal which formulation can provide a more nourishing diet for pets. In this study, a quantitative and qualitative analysis was performed on three different formulations of chicken-based dry pet food, consisting of fresh meats, meat meals, or a mix of these two. The soluble protein concentration was determined by the Bradford assay, while the crude protein content was assessed through the Kjeldahl method. Quadrupole time-of-flight liquid chromatography/mass spectrometry (Q-TOF LC/MS) was used to analyze the amino acid (AA) and lipid compositions. Finally, a gastric and small intestinal digestion simulation was used to determine the in vitro digestibility. The results show that dry pet food consisting only of chicken fresh meats has the highest content of soluble protein; it also contains more Essential AAs, Branched-Chain AAs, and Taurine, as well as a greater quantity of monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fatty acids. In addition, its in vitro digestibility was the highest, exceeding 90% of its dry weight, in agreement with the soluble protein content. These findings thus make the fresh-meat-based formulation a preferable choice as dry pet food.
Genome-Wide Association Study for Lactation Performance in the Early and Peak Stages of Lactation in Holstein Dairy Cows
Authors: Zare Mahsa , Atashi Hadi , Hostens Miel
Published: June 2022

This study aimed to detect genomic loci associated with the lactation performance during 9 to 50 days in milk (DIM) in Holstein dairy cows. Daily milk yield (MY), fat yield (FY), and protein yield (PY) during 9 to 50 DIM were recorded on 134 multiparous Holstein dairy cows distributed in four research herds. Fat- and protein-corrected milk (FPCM), fat-corrected milk (FCM), and energy-corrected milk (ECM) were predicted. The records collected during 9 to 25 DIM were put into the early stage of lactation (EARLY) and those collected during 26 to 50 DIM were put into the peak stage of lactation (PEAK). Then, the mean of traits in each cow included in each lactation stage (EARLY and PEAK) were estimated and used as phenotypic observations for the genome-wide association study. The included animals were genotyped with the Illumina BovineHD Genotyping BeadChip (Illumina Inc., San Diego, CA, USA) for a total of 777,962 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs). After quality control, 585,109 variants were analyzed using GEMMA software in a mixed linear model. Although there was no SNP associated with traits included at the 5% genome-wide significance threshold, 18 SNPs were identified to be associated with milk yield and composition at the suggestive genome-wide significance threshold. Candidate genes identified for milk production traits showed contrasting results between the EARLY and PEAK stages of lactation. This suggests that differential sets of candidate genes underlie the phenotypic expression of the considered traits in the EARLY and PEAK stages of lactation. Although further functional studies are needed to validate our findings in independent populations, it can be concluded that in any genomic study it should be taken into account that the genetic effects of genes related to the lactation performance are not constant during the lactation period.
Oxidative Stress in Calcific Aortic Valve Stenosis: Protective Role of Natural Antioxidants
Authors: Adhikari Radhika , Shiwakoti Saugat , Ko Ju-Young , Dhakal Bikalpa , Park Sin-Hee , Choi Ik Jun , Kim Hyun Jung , Oak Min-Ho
Published: June 2022

Calcific aortic valve stenosis (CAVS) is the most prevalent heart valvular disease worldwide and a slowly progressive disorder characterized by thickening of the aortic valve, calcification, and subsequent heart failure. Valvular calcification is an active cell regulation process in which valvular interstitial cells involve phenotypic conversion into osteoblasts/chondrocytes-like cells. The underlying pathophysiology is complicated, and there have been no pharmacological treatments for CAVS to date. Recent studies have suggested that an increase in oxidative stress is the major trigger of CAVS, and natural antioxidants could ameliorate the detrimental effects of reactive oxygen species in the pathogenesis of CAVS. It is imperative to review the current findings regarding the role of natural antioxidants in CAVS, as they can be a promising therapeutic approach for managing CAVS, a disorder currently without effective treatment. This review summarizes the current findings on molecular mechanisms associated with oxidative stress in the development of valvular calcification and discusses the protective roles of natural antioxidants in the prevention and treatment of CAVS.
Screening of the Supercritical Impregnation of Olea europaea Leaves Extract into Filaments of Thermoplastic Polyurethane (TPU) and Polylactic Acid (PLA) Intended for Biomedical Applications
Authors: Machado Noelia D. , Cejudo-Bastante Cristina , Goñi María L. , Gañán Nicolás A. , Casas-Cardoso Lourdes , Mantell-Serrano Casimiro
Published: June 2022

The leaves of Olea europaea as agricultural waste represent a convenient source of antioxidants. In combination with supercritical CO2 (scCO2), assisted impregnation is an interesting strategy for the preparation of biomedical devices with specific bioactivity. For this purpose, 3D-printable filaments of thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU) and polylactic acid (PLA) were employed for the supercritical impregnation of ethanolic olive leaves extract (OLE) for biomedical application. The extraction of OLE was performed using pressurized liquids. The effect of pressure (100–400 bar), temperature (35–55 °C), and the polymer type on the OLE impregnation and the swelling degree were studied including a morphological analysis and the measurement of the final antioxidant activity. All the studied variables as well as their interactions showed significant effects on the OLE loading. Higher temperatures favored the OLE loading while the pressure presented opposite effects at values higher than 250 bar. Thus, the highest OLE loadings were achieved at 250 bar and 55 °C for both polymers. However, TPU showed c.a. 4 times higher OLE loading and antioxidant activity in comparison with PLA at the optimal conditions. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report using TPU for the supercritical impregnation of a natural extract with bioactivity.
Oil Bodies Cream from Olive Paste: Extraction of a Functional Ingredient for Developing a Stable Food Emulsion
Authors: Itri Simona , Gallo Marianna , Orefice Carlo , Garella Isidoro , Di Domenico Marica , Vitali Serena , Stanzione Vitale , Grilli Simonetta , Ferraro Pietro , Nigro Roberto
Published: June 2022

Oil bodies (OBs) dispersed in an aqueous medium form a natural emulsion with high physical and microbiological stability. This work was focused on the development of a new protocol for extracting OBs from olive paste, through the extraction of an olive oil body cream (OOBC) with a yield of about 43% (wt/wt) in approximately 2 h. The proximate analysis revealed the presence of moisture, lipids and proteins as well as the contents of polyphenols and flavonoids, and the antioxidant powers were determined. The rheological and tribological performances of the OOBC were evaluated. Moreover, we measured a size distribution in the range of 0.7–1.7 m, by using a standard optical microscope. The results have demonstrated clearly that the OOBC extracted from the olive paste can be used as a functional and vegan ingredient in food emulsions.
Analysis of Motion Characteristics of Bionic Morphing Wing Based on Sarrus Linkages
Authors: Yun Zhong , Feng Yunhao , Tang Xiaoyan , Chen Long
Published: June 2022

The variant aircraft can flexibly change its shape to achieve the best sports performance under different flight environments and flight missions. Changing the shape of the wings is a major form of variant aircraft. In this paper, the kingfisher was selected as the bionic object to design a morphing wing. A three-stage lateral folding morphing wing based on Sarrus linkages was presented and applied to the construction of an underwater–aerial transmedia aircraft. The multi-body dynamics method was used to analyze the kinematic characteristics of the morphing wing and to optimize the design of the folding mechanism for the torque values of the hinges between the bottom links. The results showed that the optimized hinge torque value was reduced to 1.2085 N·m, and the lengths of the bottom two links were calculated to be 140 mm and 142 mm, respectively, based on the optimized results. Finally, a series of wing folding and unfolding motion experiments were conducted to prove that the mechanism enabled the span change smoothly, which verified the rationality of the design of this paper.
Power Train System Control of Electric Loader Based on Positive Flow System
Authors: Chen Qihuai , Cai Shaole , Li Xiong , Lin Tianliang
Published: June 2022

Energy conservation and emission reduction have drawn more and more attention in the world. Loaders are widely used in various earthworks. However, traditional loaders with high energy consumption and poor emission cannot meet the needs of sustainable development. Electric loaders can achieve zero emission by replacing the engine with the electric motor, which is considered to be one of the main trends in future development. However, the existing electric loader only uses the electric motor to simulate the operation of the engine without fully considering the characteristics of the hydraulic system, resulting in the inability to optimize the energy efficiency and control performance of the system. In this paper, an electric motor with excellent speed regulation was employed. A positive flow system based on variable speed for constant displacement pump was studied. The efficiency of the power train system was analyzed. The relationships of the opening area of the main valve core, the system demand flow, and the pilot pressure were studied. A variable speed control strategy based on the pilot pressure control was put forward. In order to verify the feasibility of the proposed system and control strategy, simulation and experiments were carried out. The results showed that the proposed system has better energy saving and maneuverability than the traditional constant flow system.
Evaluation of Urban Traffic Accidents Based on Pedestrian Landing Injury Risks
Authors: Shi Liangliang , Liu Ming , Liu Yu , Zhao Qingjiang , Cheng Kuo , Zhang Honghao , Fathollahi-Fard Amir M.
Published: June 2022

In comparison with vehicle-to-pedestrian collision, pedestrian-to-ground contact usually results in more unpredictable injuries (e.g., intracranial, neck, and abdominal injuries). Although there are many studies for different applications of such methods, this paper conducts an in-depth analysis of urban traffic pedestrian accidents. The effects of pedestrian rotation angle (PRA) and pedestrian facing orientation (PFO) on head and neck injury risk in a ground contact are investigated by the finite element numerical models and different probabilistic analyses. It goes without saying that this study provides a theoretical basis for the prediction and protection study of pedestrian ground contact injury risk. In our experiments, 24 pedestrian-to-ground simulations are carried out by the THUMS v4.0.2 model considering eight PRAs (0°, 45°, 90°, 135°, 180°, 225°, 270°, 315°, 360°) and three PFOs (x+, x−, y+). Each test was simulated with loading the average linear and rotational velocities that obtained from real-world pedestrian accidents at the pedestrian’s center of gravity. The results show that both PRAs and PFOs have significant impacts on head and neck injuries. Head HIC value caused by PRA 0–135° is much higher than that caused by PRA 180–315°. Neck injury risk caused by PRA 180° is the greatest one in comparison with other PRAs. The PRAs 90° and 270° usually induce a relatively lower neck injury risk. For PFO, the risk of head and neck injury was lower than PFOy+ and PFOx+ or PFOx−, which means PFOy+ was a safer landing orientation for both head and neck. The potential risk of head and neck injuries caused by the ground contact was strongly associated with the symmetry/asymmetric features of human anatomy.
Integration of Computer Vision and Convolutional Neural Networks in the System for Detection of Rail Track and Signals on the Railway
Authors: Petrović Aleksandar Dragan , Banić Milan , Simonović Miloš , Stamenković Dušan , Miltenović Aleksandar , Adamović Gavrilo , Rangelov Damjan
Published: June 2022

One of the most challenging technical implementations of today is self-driving vehicles. An important segment of self-driving is the ability of the computer to “see/detect” objects of interest at a distance which enables safe vehicle operation. An algorithm for the detection of railway infrastructure objects, namely, track and signals, is proposed in this paper to enable detection of signals which are relevant for the track the train is moving along. The algorithm integrates traditional computer vision (CV) algorithms, including Canny edge detection, Hough transform, and You Only Look Once (YOLO) algorithm, based on convolutional neural networks (CNNs). Each of the concepts (CV and CNNs) deals with a different object of detection which together form a unique system that aims to detect both the rails and the relevant signals. This approach ensures that the artificial intelligence (AI) system is “aware” of which route the signal belongs to. The reliability of the proposed algorithm in detection of a relevant signal, verified by the performed tests, is up to 99.7%. The metric method used for validation was intersection over union (IoU). The obtained value of IoU applied on the entire validation dataset exceeds 0.7. Calculated values of average precision and recall were 0.89 and 0.76, respectively. The algorithm created in this way solves the problem of detection of relevant signals along the train route, especially in multitrack scenarios such as stations and yards.