bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Effect of physical exercise on sleep quality of college students: Chain intermediary effect of mindfulness and ruminative thinking
Authors: Ye Jun , Jia Xuemei , Zhang Junjie , Guo Kelei
Published: September 2022

The Physical Exercise Rating Scale, Mindfulness Attention Awareness Scale (MAAS), Ruminative Thinking Scale (RRS), and Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) are used to conduct the questionnaire among a sample of 1,006 college students (average age = 19.95 years, SD = 1.86 years) to figure out whether there is any correlation between physical exercise and sleep quality in college students as well as how the mechanism of mindfulness and ruminative thinking plays a role in them. For data analysis, the Harman single-factor test was used; for the common method deviation test, Pearson’s correlation analysis, and the mediating effect tested by using the bootstrap method were carried out. Results: (1) Overall, 34% (PSQI ≥ 8) of college students’ sleep quality is poor. (2) The PSQI is positively correlated with ruminative thinking, while both are negatively correlated with the level of physical exercise and mindfulness; the level of physical exercise is positively correlated with the level of mindfulness. (3) Physical exercise can significantly negatively predict sleep quality (β = −0.08, P < 0.05), significantly positively predict mindfulness (β = 0.12, P < 0.001), and significantly negatively predict ruminative thinking (β = −0.07, P < 0.05). When participate in physical exercise, mindfulness, and ruminative thinking enter the regression equation at the same time, only mindfulness and ruminative thinking can predict sleep quality(β = −0.15, P < 0.001) significantly negatively predicted sleep quality and ruminative thinking (β = 0.22, P < 0.001) significantly positively predicted sleep quality, while physical exercise (β = −0.04, P > 0.05) had no significant predictive effect on sleep quality. (4) After controlling for age and gender, physical exercise appears to have an impact on sleep quality of college students through the independent intermediary role of mindfulness and ruminative thinking and the chain intermediary role of mindfulness and ruminative thinking, with a total mediating effect value of −0.007. This study reveals the relationship between physical exercise and sleep quality, as well as its mechanism, thus guiding college students to actively participate in physical exercise. It also provides corresponding suggestions to improve sleep quality as well as physical and mental health in college students.
The relationship between flow experience and teaching well-being of university music teachers: The sequential mediating effect of work passion and work engagement
Authors: Wang Xiaoxiao
Published: September 2022

Objective

The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship between work passion and work engagement among university music teachers in flow experience and teaching well-being.

Methods

Three hundred forty-three university music teachers were tested by using the Flow State Scale, Teacher Well-Being Scale, Work Passion Scale, and Work Engagement Scale.

Results

University music teachers’ flow experience can predict teaching well-being (β = 0.248,p < 0.001). University music teachers’ flow experience has an indirect impact on teaching well-being through work passion (β = 0.257,p = 0.005), and university music teachers’ flow experience has an indirect impact on teaching well-being through work engagement (β = 0.144,p = 0.018). In addition, work passion and work engagement play a chain-mediating role between university music teachers’ flow experience and teaching well-being (β = 0.134,p = 0.001).

Conclusion

Work passion and work engagement play a sequential mediating role between university music teachers’ flow experience and teaching well-being.
Hierarchical and nested associations of suicide with marriage, social support, quality of life, and depression among the elderly in rural China: Machine learning of psychological autopsy data
Authors: Chen Xinguang , Mo Qiqing , Yu Bin , Bai Xinyu , Jia Cunxian , Zhou Liang , Ma Zhenyu
Published: September 2022

Objectives

To identify mechanisms underpinning the complex relationships between influential factors and suicide risk with psychological autopsy data and machine learning method.

Design

A case-control study with suicide deaths selected using two-stage stratified cluster sampling method; and 1:1 age-and-gender matched live controls in the same geographic area.

Setting

Disproportionately high risk of suicide among rural elderly in China.

Participants

A total of 242 subjects died from suicide and 242 matched live controls, 60 years of age and older.

Measurements

Suicide death was determined based on the ICD-10 codes. Influential factors were measured using validated instruments and commonly accepted variables.

Results

Of the total sample, 270 (55.8%) were male with mean age = 74.2 (SD = 8.2) years old. Four CART models were used to select influential factors using the criteria: areas under the curve (AUC) ≥ 0.8, sensitivity ≥ 0.8, and specificity ≥ 0.8. Each model included a lead predictor plus 8–10 hierarchically nested factors. Depression was the first to be selected in Model 1 as the lead predictor; After depression was excluded, quality of life (QOL) was selected in Model 2; After depression and QOL were excluded, social support was selected in Model 3. Finally, after all 3 lead factors were excluded, marital status was selected in Model 4. In addition, CART demonstrated the significance of several influential factors that would not be associated with suicide if the data were analyzed using the conventional logistic regression.

Conclusion

Associations between the key factors and suicide death for Chinese rural elderly are not linear and parallel but hierarchically nested that could not be effectively detected using conventional statistical methods. Findings of this study provide new and compelling evidence supporting tailored suicide prevention interventions at the familial, clinical and community levels.
Behavioral sleep medicine—The need for harmonization of clinical best practice outcome measures in children and adolescents with intellectual or developmental disabilities and restless sleep
Authors: Silvestri Rosalia , Ipsiroglu Osman S.
Published: September 2022

In behavioral medicine, sleep disorders, insomnia in particular, may be considered comorbidities and precipitating factors to intellectual or developmental disabilities (IDD). Nevertheless, sleep alterations have often been neglected in favor of daytime features and symptoms, albeit simple behavioral nighttime observations may disclose hypermotor features that characterize restless sleep. The root of most hypermotor restlessness is linked to central iron deficiency. The latter is often exacerbated by vitamin D deficiency (VDD), which interferes with both dopaminergic and serotonergic mechanisms. In this way, an imbalance affecting daytime behavior and mood is created. Several sleep-related motor disorders such as bruxism, periodic and aperiodic leg movements, Restless Legs Syndrome (RLS), and Restless Sleep Disorder (RSD) are commonly seen in Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) and Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD). However, they are rarely diagnosed and often overlooked in affected children and adolescents. As a result, not only are these disorders not adequately addressed therapeutically, but their symptoms may be worsened by the side-effects of drugs used to contain disruptive daytime behavior, such as antipsychotics and antidepressants. In children with IDDs, obesity, inactivity and metabolic effects of antipsychotics often lead to Sleep Disordered Breathing (SDB), which is currently understood as an inflammatory state leading to “hyperactive” lethargy and further alterations of the hypoxic chain and vitamin D levels. Endorsing simple routine blood tests, including inflammatory markers such as C-reactive protein, ferritin, transferrin, and vitamin D levels, may favorably complement caregiver observations and ambulatory sleep recordings, leading to a sleep disorder diagnosis and consequent therapy. In fact, the treatment of SDB, RLS, and RSD has been copiously demonstrated to favorably impact vigilance, behavior, social competence, and academic skills in healthy and, to a greater extent, in IDD children. Thus, consulting and deliberating the root causes of functional and categorical diagnoses within a clinical framework may engender a more precise diagnosis and further benefit pediatric daytime and nighttime management of hyperactive behaviors.
The effects of naltrexone on retention in treatment and being opioid-free in opioid-dependent people: A systematic review and meta-analysis
Authors: Zangiabadian Moein , Golmohammadi Saeid , Nejadghaderi Seyed Aria , Zahmatkesh Mohammad Mahdi , Nasiri Mohammad Javad , Sadeghian Majid
Published: September 2022

Background

Opioid dependency is a chronic relapsing disorder for which different therapeutically interventions have been developed. Naltrexone is a non-selective opioid antagonist that can be utilized for maintenance therapy in opioid dependency. In this systematic review, we aimed to evaluate the effects of naltrexone on retention in treatment and being opioid-free.

Methods

We systematically searched PubMed and EMBASE databases up to February 5, 2022, using the following keywords: “Naltrexone,” “Substance abuse,” “Drug abuse,” “Opiate-related disorder,” and “Opioid dependence.” Studies that included opiate-dependent individuals who were treated with naltrexone and assessed retention in treatment or being opioid-free were included. Two authors independently used the Cochrane risk-of-bias tool for quality assessment. A random effect model in Comprehensive Meta-Analysis software was used for the conduction of the meta-analysis. We performed subgroup analysis to evaluate the effects of naltrexone types on outcomes.

Results

Eighteen studies, including 2,280 participants met our inclusion criteria. The duration of treatment ranged from 21 days to 24 months. The retention in treatment with naltrexone was 63% higher than controls (odds ratio (OR): 1.64 [95% confidence interval (CI), 0.78–3.44]. The OR for being opioid-free was 1.63 (95% CI, 0.57–4.72). Injectable naltrexone was significantly effective on retention in treatment (OR 1.86; 95% CI, 1.17–2.98).

Conclusions

We found that naltrexone could be useful for retention in treatment and being opioid-free, however, the findings were not significant. Further high-quality and large-scale observational studies are recommended.
Individual prediction of hemispheric similarity of functional connectivity during normal aging
Authors: Zhang Yingteng
Published: September 2022

In the aging process of normal people, the functional activity pattern of brain is in constant change, and the change of brain runs through the whole life cycle, which plays a crucial role in the track of individual development. In recent years, some studies had been carried out on the brain functional activity pattern during individual aging process from different perspectives, which provided an opportunity for the problem we want to study. In this study, we used the resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (rs-fMRI) data from Cambridge Center for Aging and Neuroscience (Cam-CAN) database with large sample and long lifespan, and computed the functional connectivity (FC) values for each individual. Based on these values, the hemispheric similarity of functional connectivity (HSFC) obtained by Pearson correlation was used as the starting point of this study. We evaluated the ability of individual recognition of HSFC in the process of aging, as well as the variation trend with aging process. The results showed that HSFC could be used to identify individuals effectively, and it could reflect the change rule in the process of aging. In addition, we observed a series of results at the sub-module level and find that the recognition rate in the sub-module was different from each other, as well as the trend with age. Finally, as a validation, we repeated the main results by human brainnetome atlas (BNA) template and without global signal regression, found that had a good robustness. This also provides a new clue to hemispherical change patterns during normal aging.
Expression of CXCR4 on CD4+ T cells predicts body composition parameters in female adolescents with anorexia nervosa
Authors: Freff Jana , Bröker Lisa , Leite Dantas Rafael , Schwarte Kathrin , Bühlmeier Judith , Kraft Isabelle , Hinney Anke , Buhlmann Ulrike , Arolt Volker , Dannlowski Udo , Romer Georg , Baune Bernhard T. , Hebebrand Johannes , Föcker Manuel , Alferink Judith
Published: September 2022

Anorexia nervosa (AN) is a severe eating disorder characterized by excessive weight loss and lack of recognition of the seriousness of the current low body weight. Individuals with AN frequently exhibit an enhanced inflammatory state and altered blood levels of cytokines and chemokines. However, the expression of chemokine receptors in AN and the association with body composition parameters and treatment effects are still unknown. In this study, we examined the expression of CCR4, CCR6, CXCR3, and CXCR4 on peripheral blood T cells in female adolescents with AN before (T0, n = 24) and after 6 weeks of multimodal therapy (T1, n = 20). We also investigated their value to predict body mass index (BMI) and fat mass index (FMI) at baseline. Using multi-parameter flow cytometry, we found increased expression of CCR4, CXCR3, and CXCR4, but not CCR6, on CD4+ T cells in AN at T0 when compared to healthy controls (HC, n = 20). At T1, CXCR3 and CXCR4 expression decreased in AN. We found a close link between CCR4, CCR6 and CXCR4 expression and the adolescent mental health status in the study cohort as determined by the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ). Specifically, CXCR4 expression correlated positively with emotional symptoms and peer relationship problems, as well as with the total sum score of the SDQ. In addition, CXCR4 expression on CD4+ T cells was a significant predictor of BMI and FMI in female adolescents. Our findings that CXCR4 expression on T cells is altered in adolescents with AN and predicts body composition parameters in adolescents suggest an impact of this chemokine receptor in the pathogenesis of AN.
Suicide resilience: A concept analysis
Authors: Wang Xinlu , Lu Zhongqiu , Dong Chaoqun
Published: September 2022

Objective

Suicide resilience is gaining increasing attention from researchers because of its potential role in preventing suicide. However, it has not been clearly analyzed, and there are various meanings and terms regarding this issue. The purpose of this analysis, therefore, was to conceptualize the concept of suicide resilience.

Methods

Walker and Avant's method of concept analysis was used to identify the antecedents, attributes, and consequences of suicide resilience. The literature was searched using PubMed, PsychINFO, Embase, Web of Science, CINAHL, CNKI, and WanFang databases with no limitation on publication date. The search included peer-reviewed journal articles and dissertations related to suicide resilience published in English or Chinese.

Results

52 articles were identified to provide information for this concept analysis. Five defining attributes of suicide resilience were identified: social support, coping strategies, psychological capital, meaning in life, and sense of responsibility. Antecedents of suicide resilience were high suicide risk events, and consequences of suicide resilience were keeping vulnerable individuals stay away from or overcoming suicidality.

Conclusions

The result of the analysis provided a more clear definition of suicide resilience. The identified defining attributes, antecedents, and consequences can be further tested and used to develop potential interventions. Future research is needed and will help to advance our understanding of the scope.
Alterations of cerebellar white matter integrity and associations with cognitive impairments in schizophrenia
Authors: Chang Xuebin , Jia Xiaoyan , Wang Yulin , Dong Debo
Published: September 2022

“Cognitive dysmetria” theory of schizophrenia (SZ) has highlighted that the cerebellum plays a critical role in understanding the pathogenesis and cognitive impairment in SZ. Despite some studies have reported the structural disruption of the cerebellum in SZ using whole brain approach, specific focus on the voxel-wise changes of cerebellar WM microstructure and its associations with cognition impairments in SZ were less investigated. To further explore the voxel-wise structural disruption of the cerebellum in SZ, the present study comprehensively examined volume and diffusion features of cerebellar white matter in SZ at the voxel level (42 SZ vs. 52 controls) and correlated the observed alterations with the cognitive impairments measured by MATRICS Consensus Cognitive Battery. Combing voxel-based morphometry (VBM) and diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) methods, we found, compared to healthy controls (HCs), SZ patients did not show significant alteration in voxel-level cerebellar white matter (WM) volume and tract-wise and skeletonized DTI features. In voxel-wise DTI features of cerebellar peduncles, compared to HCs, SZ patients showed decreased fractional anisotropy and increased radial diffusivity mainly located in left middle cerebellar peduncles (MCP) and inferior cerebellar peduncles (ICP). Interestingly, these alterations were correlated with overall composite and different cognitive domain (including processing speed, working memory, and attention vigilance) in HCs but not in SZ patients. The present findings suggested that the voxel-wise WM integrity analysis might be a more sensitive way to investigate the cerebellar structural abnormalities in SZ patients. Correlation results suggested that inferior and MCP may be a crucial neurobiological substrate of cognition impairments in SZ, thus adding the evidence for taking the cerebellum as a novel therapeutic target for cognitive impairments in SZ patients.
Effects of synthetic cannabinoids on psychomotor, sensory and cognitive functions relevant for safe driving
Authors: Orazietti Vasco , Basile Giuseppe , Giorgetti Raffaele , Giorgetti Arianna
Published: September 2022

Recreational use of Synthetic Cannabinoids (SCs), one of the largest groups of New Psychoactive Substances (NPS), has increased globally over the past few years. Driving is a structured process requiring the cooperation of several cognitive and psychomotor functions, organized in different levels of complexity. Each of these functions can be affected when Driving Under the Influence (DUI) of SCs. In order to reduce the likelihood of SC-related road accidents, it is essential to understand which areas of psychomotor performance are most affected by these substances, as well as the severity of impairment. For this purpose, a multiple database- literature review of recent experimental studies in humans and animals regarding the psychomotor effects of SCs has been performed. Despite the many limitations connected to experimental studies on humans, results showed a consistency between animal and human data. SCs appear to impair psychomotor performance in humans, affecting different domains related to safe driving even at low doses. Cases of DUI of SC have been repeatedly reported, although the exact prevalence is likely to be underestimated due to current analytical and interpretative issues. For this reason, an accurate physical examination performed by trained and experienced personnel has a primary role in recognizing signs of impairment in case of strong suspicion of SC consumption. The identification of a suspected case should be followed by reliable laboratory examination.
A bibliometric analysis of the study of urban green spaces and health behaviors
Authors: Zhang Sining , Li Xiaopeng , Chen Zhanglei , Ouyang Yu
Published: September 2022

Urban green space can supply a range of ecosystem services and general health benefits for people. This paper reviewed and analyzed 607 papers related to urban green space and health behaviors from 2002 to 2021 in the Web of Science core collection by using Citespace 6.1.R2 software. The scientifically bibliometric analysis and visual analysis were conducted to analyze the basic characteristics, literature co-citation analysis, research hotspots, and frontier trends. The findings show that 11 co-citation clusters indicate the research intellectual base. Also, 19 main keywords with a high frequency and 20 main keywords with a high centrality were extracted. Burst detection analysis reveals three research frontier trends: the correlation between urban green space and health behavior; the driving and impact factors; and the study of environmental justice and social equity. This paper aims to systematically review the progress and basic situation of urban green spaces and health behaviors research around the world, which helps to gain a comprehensive understanding of this field, as well as provide value and references for subsequent research.
Activities of daily living and its influencing factors for older people with type 2 diabetes mellitus in urban communities of Fuzhou, China
Authors: Jie Jin-Hua , Li Dan , Jia Li-Na , Chen Yifeng , Yang Yan , Zheng Bailing , Wu Chuancheng , Liu Baoying , Xu Rongxian , Xiang Jianjun , Zhuang Hai-Lin
Published: September 2022

Background

Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) is an independent risk factor for functional limitations among the older population. The predicted increase in T2DM cases combined with the ongoing rapidly aging population may further burden the already overloaded healthcare system and aggravate the loss of economic self-sufficiency. This study aimed to investigate the activities of daily living (ADL) and its influencing factors on older people with T2DM, and to provide implications for the development and improvement of community nursing services in the context rapidly aging population in China.

Methods

From March 2019 to June 2020, we conducted a cross-sectional questionnaire survey among older T2DM patients in Fuzhou, using a multi-stage cluster sampling approach. Functional status was measured by the Lawton ADL scale. Stata “nptrend” test was used to examine the trend of ordinal variables on ADL. Non-conditional logistic regression was used to identify factors affecting ADL limitations.

Results

A total of 2016 questionnaires were received, with a response rate of 96%. 12.4% of participants suffered from varying degrees of functional impairment. ADL limitations increased with age. More comorbidities were associated with a greater risk of developing functional limitations in ADLs. the following sub-groups were more likely to suffer from ADL impairment: those aged 70 and over years (OR = 1.99, 95%CI 1.77–2.56), living in an aged care house or with spouse/children (OR = 2.31, 95%CI 1.25–4.26), low monthly income (OR = 1.49, 95%CI 1.28–1.64), without health insurance (OR = 1.82, 95%CI 1.40–2.40), tight family expenses (OR = 1.95, 95%CI 1.42–2.69), having stroke (OR = 6.70, 95%CI 2.22–20.23) or malignant tumor (OR = 4.45, 95%CI 1.27–15.53), irregular eating habit (OR = 2.55, 95%CI 2.23–2.92), smoking (OR = 1.40, 95%CI 1.22–1.60), sedentary lifestyle (OR = 2.04, 95%CI 1.46–2.85), lack of physical exercise (OR = 1.35, 95%CI 1.19–1.53), sleeping difficulty (OR = 1.25, 95%CI 1.10–1.42), and lack of family support (OR = 1.19, 95%CI 1.10–1.29).

Conclusion

Older adults (≥70 years) with T2DM had a high prevalence of functional limitations across a range of daily living tasks, which not only affect individual life of quality but also present a huge burden on the family, health services system, and the whole society. Identified factors associated with ADL limitations may provide useful information for targeted nursing practice and health promotion.
Instrument referral criteria for PlusoptiX and SureSight based on 2021 AAPOS guidelines: A population-based study
Authors: Yan Qi , Li Rui , Qian YingXiao , Lin Xiao , Zhu Hui , Wang Yue , Zhao Xiaoyan , Zhang Xiaohan , Sun Qigang , Hao Qingfeng , Tong Haohai , Zhu Yue , Li Zhitong , Zhu Yan , Liu Hu , Huang Dan
Published: September 2022

Objective

The study aims to assess two refractive instrument-based methods of vision screening (SureSight and PlusoptiX) to detect refractive amblyopia risk factors (ARFs) and significant refractive errors in Chinese preschool children and to develop referral criteria according to the 2021 AAPOS guidelines.

Methods

Eye examinations were conducted in children aged 61 to 72 months (n = 1,173) using a PlusoptiX photoscreener, SureSight autorefractor, and cycloplegic retinoscopy (CR). The Vision Screening Committee of AAPOS's preschool vision screening guidelines from 2021 were adopted for comparison. Paired t-test analysis and Bland–Altman plots were used to assess the differences and agreement between the PlusoptiX photoscreener, SureSight autorefractor, and CR. In addition, the validity of the cut-off values of the several ARFs measured with the SureSight and PlusoptiX was estimated using receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves and compared to the age-based 2021 AAPOS examination failure levels.

Results

A total of 1,173 children were tested with comprehensive eye examinations. When the referral numbers based on the 2013 (43/3.67%) and 2021 (42/3.58%) AAPOS guidelines were compared, significant differences between the values of astigmatism (72.09 vs. 52.38%) and anisometropia (11.63 vs. 38.10%) were found. The 95% limits of agreement (LOA) of the spherical value and the cylindrical value between PlusoptiX and CR were 95.08 and 96.29%. It was 93.87 and 98.10% between SureSight and CR. Considering refractive failure levels, the ROC curves obtained the optimal cut-off points. However, the PlusoptiX and the SureSight showed lower efficiency in hyperopia (Youden index, 0.60 vs. 0.83) and myopia (Youden index, 078 vs. 0.93), respectively. After adjusting the above cut-off points, the optimized NES (Nanjing Eye Study) referral criteria for myopia, hyperopia, astigmatism, and anisometropia were –0.75, 1.25, –1.0, and 0.5 with PlusoptiX and –1.25, 2.75, –1.5, and 0.75 with SureSight.

Conclusions

SureSight and PlusoptiX showed a good correlation with CR and could effectively detect refractive ARFs and visually significant refractive errors. There were obvious advantages in detecting hyperopia using SureSight and myopia using PlusoptiX. We proposed instrumental referral criteria for age-based preschool children based on AAPOS 2021 guidelines.
Anticipatory threat responses mediate the relationship between mindfulness and anxiety: A cross-sectional study
Authors: Xu Yuanyuan , Huang Wenqiang , Yan Xiaofan , Lu Fang , Li Min
Published: September 2022

Increasing research has shown that mindfulness-based interventions can effectively alleviate anxiety; however, the underlying neural mechanism has not yet been elucidated. Recent studies suggest that abnormal and excessive anticipatory responses to unpredictable threats play an important role in anxiety symptoms. Mindfulness refers to the non-judgmental awareness of the present moment's real experience, which is antithetical to the future-oriented thinking processes involved in anxiety-oriented cognition and its corresponding emotion regulation tactics. Thus, mitigating anticipatory threat responses may be a potential mechanism by which mindfulness alleviates anxiety. This study aimed to detect the possible mediating effects of anticipatory threat responses on the relationship between mindfulness and anxiety. A total of 35 trait-anxious (TA) individuals and 36 low-anxious (LA) individuals were recruited to participate in the predictable and unpredictable threat test. Self-reported intolerance of uncertainty (IU) and electroencephalographic responses to uncertainty were recorded. TA individuals reported more IU and less mindfulness, and exhibited significantly higher late positive potential (LPP) and longer reaction time (RT) than LA individuals in the unpredictable negative threat condition. In addition, there were significant mediating effects of the LPP amplitude and RT in the uncertain threats on the relationship between mindfulness and anxiety. The data from this study verified that mitigating anticipatory threat responses (including self-reported IU, behavioral RT, and LPP amplitude) might be the potential mechanism by which mindfulness alleviates anxiety. These findings may have practical implications for the development and optimization of mindfulness treatments for anxiety.
Multiscale dimensions of county-level disparities in opioid use disorder rates among older Medicare beneficiaries
Authors: Yang Tse-Chuan , Shoff Carla , Choi Seung-won Emily , Sun Feinuo
Published: September 2022

Background

Opioid use disorder (OUD) among older adults (age ≥ 65) is a growing yet underexplored public health concern and previous research has mainly assumed that the spatial process underlying geographic patterns of population health outcomes is constant across space. This study is among the first to apply a local modeling perspective to examine the geographic disparity in county-level OUD rates among older Medicare beneficiaries and the spatial non-stationarity in the relationships between determinants and OUD rates.

Methods

Data are from a variety of national sources including the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services beneficiary-level data from 2020 aggregated to the county-level and county-equivalents, and the 2016–2020 American Community Survey (ACS) 5-year estimates for 3,108 contiguous US counties. We use multiscale geographically weighted regression to investigate three dimensions of spatial process, namely “level of influence” (the percentage of older Medicare beneficiaries affected by a certain determinant), “scalability” (the spatial process of a determinant as global, regional, or local), and “specificity” (the determinant that has the strongest association with the OUD rate).

Results

The results indicate great spatial heterogeneity in the distribution of OUD rates. Beneficiaries' characteristics, including the average age, racial/ethnic composition, and the average hierarchical condition categories (HCC) score, play important roles in shaping OUD rates as they are identified as primary influencers (impacting more than 50% of the population) and the most dominant determinants in US counties. Moreover, the percentage of non-Hispanic white beneficiaries, average number of mental health conditions, and the average HCC score demonstrate spatial non-stationarity in their associations with the OUD rates, suggesting that these variables are more important in some counties than others.

Conclusions

Our findings highlight the importance of a local perspective in addressing the geographic disparity in OUD rates among older adults. Interventions that aim to reduce OUD rates in US counties may adopt a place-based approach, which could consider the local needs and differential scales of spatial process.
Excavating the social representations and perceived barriers of organ donation in China over the past decade: A hybrid text analysis approach
Authors: Zhang Zizhong , Jin Jing , Luo Chen , Chen Anfan
Published: September 2022

Background

Organ donation has been claimed as a prosocial behavior to prolong the recipient's life and deliver great love. However, the supply-demand ratio of organs in China is highly unbalanced. Being entangled with multiple factors derived from individual and supra-individual levels, organ donation in China is important but sensitive. Previous scholars usually depended on obtrusive approaches to explore the facilitators and hindrances of organ donation, which is hard to discover genuine perceptions toward organ donation. Besides, relatively limited scholarly attention has been paid to what hampers organ donation in China.

Objective

We intended to excavate the diversified social representations and perceived barriers to organ donation in China over the past decade.

Method

Two kinds of text analysis methods—semantic network analysis and conventional content analysis, were applied to 120,172 posts from ordinary users on the Sina Weibo platform to address the research questions.

Results

Regarding social representations, the “hope, understanding, and acceptance” of organ donation was the most pronounced one (34% of the whole semantic network), followed by “family story” (26%), “the procedure of organ donation in NGOs” (15%), “the practical value of organ donation” (14%), and “organ donation in the medical context” (11%). Regarding perceived barriers, a four-layer framework was constructed, including (1) the individual level, mainly about the fear of death and postmortem autopsy; (2) the familial level, which refers to the opposition from family members; (3) the societal level, which alludes to distrust toward medical institutions and the general society; (4) the cultural level, which covers religious-cultural concerns about fatalism.

Conclusion

In concordance with prior works on social representations regarding organ donation, the current study also uncovered the coexistence of antithetical representations about organ donation—the longing for survival and the fear of death. This representation pair serves as the foundation of Chinese people's ambivalence. Besides, family-related narratives were dispersed over various representations, demonstrating the critical position of family support in organ donation. Moreover, the four-layer framework concerning donation barriers affords a reference for future empirical studies. The practical implications of this work are further discussed.
Deep Q-network for social robotics using emotional social signals
Authors: Belo José Pedro R. , Azevedo Helio , Ramos Josué J. G. , Romero Roseli A. F.
Published: September 2022

Social robotics represents a branch of human-robot interaction dedicated to developing systems to control the robots to operate in unstructured environments with the presence of human beings. Social robots must interact with human beings by understanding social signals and responding appropriately to them. Most social robots are still pre-programmed, not having great ability to learn and respond with actions adequate during an interaction with humans. Recently more elaborate methods use body movements, gaze direction, and body language. However, these methods generally neglect vital signs present during an interaction, such as the human emotional state. In this article, we address the problem of developing a system to turn a robot able to decide, autonomously, what behaviors to emit in the function of the human emotional state. From one side, the use of Reinforcement Learning (RL) represents a way for social robots to learn advanced models of social cognition, following a self-learning paradigm, using characteristics automatically extracted from high-dimensional sensory information. On the other side, Deep Learning (DL) models can help the robots to capture information from the environment, abstracting complex patterns from the visual information. The combination of these two techniques is known as Deep Reinforcement Learning (DRL). The purpose of this work is the development of a DRL system to promote a natural and socially acceptable interaction among humans and robots. For this, we propose an architecture, Social Robotics Deep Q-Network (SocialDQN), for teaching social robots to behave and interact appropriately with humans based on social signals, especially on human emotional states. This constitutes a relevant contribution for the area since the social signals must not only be recognized by the robot but help him to take action appropriated according to the situation presented. Characteristics extracted from people’s faces are considered for extracting the human emotional state aiming to improve the robot perception. The development and validation of the system are carried out with the support of SimDRLSR simulator. Results obtained through several tests demonstrate that the system learned satisfactorily to maximize the rewards, and consequently, the robot behaves in a socially acceptable way.
Gender norms and ideologies about adolescent sexuality: A mixed-method study of adolescents in communities, south-eastern, Nigeria
Authors: Agu Ifunanya Clara , Mbachu Chinyere Ojiugo , Ezenwaka Uchenna , Eze Irene , Ezumah Nkoli , Onwujekwe Obinna
Published: September 2022

Background

Sexual and reproductive health choices and behaviors of adolescents are shaped by gender norms and ideologies which are grounded in cultural beliefs. This study examined the perspectives of adolescents about the influence of gender norms and ideologies on sexuality.

Methods

A cross-sectional study was undertaken in three urban and three rural communities in south-eastern Nigeria using quantitative and qualitative research methods. A modified cluster sampling procedure was used to select respondents. Data were collected from 1,057 adolescents and twelve focus group discussions with unmarried adolescents aged 13 to 18 years. For the quantitative data, univariate, bivariate and probit regression analyses were performed using Stata while the thematic framework approach was used to analyze qualitative data.

Results

The dominant beliefs among adolescents are that: it is wrong for unmarried adolescents to have sex (86.4%); unmarried adolescents should abstain from sex (89.3%); consent should be obtained before sexual intercourse (89.1%); it is a girl's responsibility to ensure she does not get pregnant (66.5%), and sex should be initiated by boys (69.6%). Gender (boy or girl) was a predictor of belief in premarital abstinence (t-value = −3.88), belief that premarital sexual intercourse is acceptable provided contraceptive is used (t-value = 3.49, CI 1.14–0.49), belief that premarital sexual intercourse is wrong (t-value = −2.24) and, belief that sex should be initiated by boys only (t-value = −4.37). Adolescent boys were less likely to believe in pre-marital abstinence and less likely to believe that pre-marital sex among adolescents is wrong compared to girls. They were also more likely to believe adolescents can have sex provided contraceptive is used compared to girls. Qualitative findings revealed adolescents' beliefs that girls feel shy initiating sex and that boys experience more urge for sex hence, boys were perceived to be responsible for initiating sex. Both boys and girls experience pressure to have sex however, boys were described to experience more pressure from peers to have sex. Peer-to-peer communication, quest for material possessions and low socioeconomic conditions contribute to peer pressure to engage in sex.

Conclusion

Adolescents' beliefs about sexuality underline the need to contextualize interventions to address these norms and ideologies.
My dealings with the aurora borealis
Authors: Haerendel Gerhard
Published: September 2022

Two important decisions on my career path had the consequence that, after a quarter century of experimentation with barium plasma clouds, I was directing my research more and more towards physics of the auroral borealis. The combination of ground-based optical and radar observations and two national satellite missions were our means to deepen the understanding of the plasma physics background of the aurora, especially of discrete auroral arcs. Our contributions are put in perspective with the global research in this field by a quick run through the major steps in the exploration of the physics of the aurora. Although by the end of the 20th century all key ingredients for the understanding of auroral arcs were available, the present state leaves many open questions, foremost with respect to the true generators processes and the overall flow of momentum and energy. Some of these questions I tried to address during my retirement years.
Athletes with high knee abduction moments show increased vertical center of mass excursions and knee valgus angles across sport-specific fake-and-cut tasks of different complexities
Authors: Bill Kevin , Mai Patrick , Willwacher Steffen , Krosshaug Tron , Kersting Uwe G.
Published: September 2022

Young female handball players represent a high-risk population for anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injuries. While the external knee abduction moment (KAM) is known to be a risk factor, it is unclear how cutting technique affects KAMs in sport-specific cutting maneuvers. Further, the effect of added game specificity (e.g., catching a ball or faking defenders) on KAMs and cutting technique remains unknown. Therefore, this study aimed: (i) to test if athletes grouped into different clusters of peak KAMs produced during three sport-specific fake-and-cut tasks of different complexities differ in cutting technique, and (ii) to test whether technique variables change with task complexity. Fifty-one female handball players (67.0 ± 7.7 kg, 1.70 ± 0.06 m, 19.2 ± 3.4 years) were recruited. Athletes performed at least five successful handball-specific sidestep cuts of three different complexities ranging from simple pre-planned fake-and-cut maneuvers to catching a ball and performing an unanticipated fake-and-cut maneuver with dynamic defenders. A k-means cluster algorithm with squared Euclidean distance metric was applied to the KAMs of all three tasks. The optimal cluster number of koptimal = 2 was calculated using the average silhouette width. Statistical differences in technique variables between the two clusters and the tasks were analyzed using repeated-measures ANOVAs (task complexity) with nested groupings (clusters). KAMs differed by 64.5%, on average, between clusters. When pooling all tasks, athletes with high KAMs showed 3.4° more knee valgus, 16.9% higher downward and 8.4% higher resultant velocity at initial ground contact, and 20.5% higher vertical ground reaction forces at peak KAM. Unlike most other variables, knee valgus angle was not affected by task complexity, likely due to it being part of inherent movement strategies and partly determined by anatomy. Since the high KAM cluster showed higher vertical center of mass excursions and knee valgus angles in all tasks, it is likely that this is part of an automated motor program developed over the players' careers. Based on these results, reducing knee valgus and downward velocity bears the potential to mitigate knee joint loading and therefore ACL injury risk.
Case report: Fluoroscopic-assisted closed reduction and minimally invasive femoral capital physeal fracture repair in four calves
Authors: Loyd Avery F. , Tatarniuk Dane M. , Naiman Jaron H. , Merkatoris Paul T. , Troy Jarrod R.
Published: September 2022

Objective

To describe a minimally invasive osteosynthesis (MIO) femoral capital physeal fracture (FCPF) repair technique using multiple smooth Steinmann pins in four calves.

Study design

Case series.

Animal

Four calves (< 60 days of age).

Methods

Medical records at a single referral hospital were searched for calves that had minimally invasive osteosynthesis (MIO) femoral capital physeal fracture (FCPF) repair performed using multiple Steinmann pins between 2020 and 2021. Calves receiving alternative repair, euthanasia without repair, or > 60 days of age were excluded. Medical records were reviewed together the following information: inciting FCPF cause, patient signalment, clinical sign duration pre-admission, history of dystocia, and any pre-admission treatment. Preoperative parameters collected included packed cell volume (PCV), serum total solids (TS), additional bloodwork when available, peripheral blood glucose, antimicrobial therapy, and analgesic medications. Preoperative coxofemoral radiographic images of all calves were obtained.

Results/outcome

Four calves were presented with severe hind limb lameness from varying etiologies. FCPF was diagnosed in all calvesviaradiograph. All FCPFs were repaired with an MIO repair technique using multiple Steinmann pins. Intraoperative fracture reduction and fixation were deemed appropriate by the attending surgeon with the use of fluoroscopy. Postoperatively, all calves retained normal weight bearing and were ambulating. One calf died postoperatively due to an unrelated comorbidity (severe bronchopneumonia and hyperkalemia). The three remaining calves survived to hospital discharge and were ambulating normally with an adequate range of motion at the time of discharge. Long-term follow-up reports were available for two cases, which revealed long-term survival at 210- and 146-days. Owners reported good ambulation, and one of the calves was placed in the show ring and was performing. However, one calf was lost to long-term follow-up.

Conclusion

MIO FCPF repair with multiple Steinmann pins, previously described in small animal species, can be implemented for FCPF repair in young calves.

Clinical impact

This case series provides a foundation for minimally invasive osteosynthesis technique translation to large animal juveniles and reports an alternative MIO technique for capital physeal closed fracture repair in calves.
Polypharmacology-based approach for screening TCM against coinfection of Mycoplasma gallisepticum and Escherichia coli
Authors: Bao Jiaxin , Wang Yuan , Wang Shun , Niu Dong , Wang Ze , Li Rui , Zheng Yadan , Ishfaq Muhammad , Wu Zhiyong , Li Jichang
Published: September 2022

Natural products and their unique polypharmacology offer significant advantages for finding novel therapeutics particularly for the treatment of complex diseases. Meanwhile, Traditional Chinese Medicine exerts overall clinical benefits through a multi-component and multi-target approach. In this study, we used the previously established co-infection model of Mycoplasma gallisepticum and Escherichia coli as a representative of complex diseases. A new combination consisting of 6 herbs were obtained by using network pharmacology combined with transcriptomic analysis to reverse screen TCMs from the Chinese medicine database, containing Isatdis Radix, Forsythia Fructus, Ginkgo Folium, Mori Cortex, Licorice, and Radix Salviae. The results of therapeutic trials showed that the Chinese herbal compounds screened by the target network played a good therapeutic effect in the case of co-infection. In summary, these data suggested a new method to validate target combinations of natural products that can be used to optimize their multiple structure-activity relationships to obtain drug-like natural product derivatives.
Analysis of supplemental wildlife feeding in Mississippi and environmental gastrointestinal parasite load
Authors: Huang Miranda H. J. , Demarais Steve , Brookshire W. Cooper , Strickland Bronson K.
Published: September 2022

Wildlife species are host to a variety of gastrointestinal parasites (GIPs). Artificially concentrating animals may increase the risk of disease spread due to increased GIP load and associated environmental load. Supplemental feeding of deer is common among hunters and known to concentrate animals, but there is limited knowledge of how it affects GIP environmental load. GIP load was compared between ecologically-equivalent pairs of sites in Mississippi with and without year-round supplemental feeding (average distance between pairs = 147 m). During May-August in 2019 and 2020, feces from white-tailed deer and raccoons were collected and examined for the presence of nematodes, coccidia, Giardia spp., Cryptosporidium spp., and Baylisascaris procyonis. On average, fed sites had 8 more deer (241% increase) and 2 more raccoon fecal piles (540% increase) than unfed sites. Average parasite loads for individual fecal samples did not differ between fed and unfed sites, but the greater number of deer and raccoon fecal piles at fed sites (p < 0.0001) produced 231% and 308% greater environmental loads of nematodes and coccidia, respectively. Spin feeders, the only feeder type that distributed feed on the ground, had 326% more coccidia in feces on average compared to other feeder types (p < 0.03). These results show that supplemental feeding of white-tailed deer, especially with spin feeders, increases environmental loads of GIP and the potential for transmission of parasitic diseases.