bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
A cognitive evaluation and equity-based perspective of pay for performance on job performance: A meta-analysis and path model
Authors: Chen Yuyao , Zhang Zhengtang , Zhou Jinfan , Liu Chuwei , Zhang Xia , Yu Ting
Published: January 2023

Pay for performance, as one of the most important means of motivating employees, has attracted the attention of many scholars and managers. However, controversy has continued regarding whether it promotes or undermines job performance. Drawing on a meta-analysis of 108 independent samples (N = 71,438) from 100 articles, we found that pay for performance was positively related to job performance. That pay for performance had a more substantial positive effect on task performance than contextual performance in workplace settings. From the cognitive evaluation perspective, we found that pay for performance enhanced employees' task performance and contextual performance by enhancing intrinsic motivation and weakened task performance and contextual performance by increasing employee pressure. From the equity perspective, our results indicated that the relationship between pay for performance and task performance was partially mediated by employee perceptions of distributive justice and procedural justice, with distributive justice having a more substantial mediating effect than procedural justice. However, the relationship between pay for performance and contextual performance was only partially mediated by procedural justice. Further tests of moderating effects indicated that the varying impacts of pay for performance are contingent on measures of pay for performance and national culture. The findings contributed to understanding the complex mechanisms and boundary conditions of pay-for-performance's effects on job performance, which provided insights for organizations to maximize its positive effects.
Art therapy practices in museum education: A mini review
Authors: Wei Zhizi , Zhong Chaofang , Gao Yunteng
Published: January 2023

This article reviews the potential functions and approaches of museum education in alleviating psychological anxiety, particularly the psychological anxiety experienced by adolescents during the COVID-19 pandemic. We outline the main forms of museum education, highlighting how it supports the potential functions of art therapy for psychological anxiety. Thereafter, we review the representative research on museum art therapy practice for different populations to invite discussion, dialogue, and awareness of future directions for museum education and suggest gaps in the research that require further study.
Functional timing or rhythmical timing, or both? A corpus study of English and Mandarin duration
Authors: Wang Chengxia , Xu Yi , Zhang Jinsong
Published: January 2023

It has been long held that languages of the world are divided into rhythm classes so that they are either stress-timed, syllable-timed or mora-timed. It is also known for a long time that duration serves various informational functions in speech. But it is unclear whether these two kinds of uses of duration are complementary to each other, or they are actually one and the same. There has been much empirical research that raises questions about the rhythm class hypothesis due to lack of evidence of the suggested isochrony in any language. Yet the alleged cross-language rhythm classification is still widely taken for granted and continues to be researched. Here we conducted a corpus study of English, an archetype of a stress-timed language, and Mandarin, an alleged syllable-timed language, to look for evidence of at least a tendency toward isochrony when much of the informational use of duration is controlled for. We examined the relationship between segment and syllable duration and the relationship of syllable and phrase duration in the two languages. The results show that in English syllables are largely incompressible to allow stress-timing because segment duration is inflexible to allow variable syllable duration beyond its functional use. Surprisingly, Mandarin does show a small tendency toward both equal syllable duration and equal phrase duration. Additionally, the duration of pre-boundary syllables in English increases linearly with break index, whereas in Mandarin, the duration increase stops after break index 2, which is accompanied by the insertion of silent pauses. We conclude, therefore, timing and duration in speech are predominantly used for encoding information rather being controlled by a rhythmic principle, and the residual equal-duration tendency in the two languages examined here show exactly the opposite patterns from the predictions of the rhythm class hypothesis.
Measuring optimal psychological states: Proposal of two brief versions to measure flow and clutch in athletes
Authors: Sánchez Vara Alejandro , Chamorro José L. , Moreno Castellanos Ruben , Alcaraz Saul
Published: January 2023

Background

The study of sports experiences with high levels of performance has led to the observation of two psychological states categorized as optimal, denominated flow and clutch. The objective of this study is to design and validate two brief scales version to measure flow and clutch.

Methods

Following the MIMO (Maximum Information, Minimum Discomfort) protocol, three studies are carried out: In Study 1, we developed the short versions of the questionnaires based on theory-driven and data-driven criteria; in Study 2, we used quantitative criteria to validate the short versions; and in Study 3, we checked the final version of each scale to observe their statistical validity and their relation to other variables.

Results

The new short flow scale is made up of seven items, while the clutch scale is made up of five items. Throughout the three studies, evidence is provided of the internal consistency, invariance of the measurement models and content validity, validity related to the responding process and validity in relation to other variables.

Conclusion

This study provides two short versions to evaluate flow and clutch, which will help to continue advancing in the study of optimal psychological states in sport.
Awareness of age-related change in very different cultural-political contexts: A cross-cultural examination of aging in Burkina Faso and Germany
Authors: Schönstein Anton , Schlomann Anna , Wahl Hans-Werner , Bärnighausen Till
Published: January 2023

Combining recent developments in research on personal views on aging (VoA) and a cross-country comparative approach, this study examined awareness of age-related change (AARC) in samples from rural Burkina Faso and Germany. The aims of this study were (1) to examine for an assumed proportional shift in the relationship between gains/losses toward more losses as predicted by life span psychology; (2) to estimate the association between AARC dimensions and subjective age; and (3) to examine the association between health variables and AARC. A cross-sectional method involving a large, representative sample from rural Burkina Faso that included participants aged 40 and older (N = 3,028) and a smaller convenience sample of German respondents aged 50 years and older (N = 541) were used to address these questions. A proportional shift toward more AARC-losses was more clearly observable in the sample from Burkina Faso as compared to the German reference. In both samples, subjective age was consistently more strongly related to AARC-losses than to AARC-gains. Within the sample from Burkina Faso, differential associations of AARC-gains and AARC-losses to health variables could be shown. In conclusion, the findings support key tenets of life span psychology including that age-related gains occur even late in life and that a shift toward more losses occurs with increasing age. Also, feeling subjectively younger may indeed be more strongly guided by lowered negative aging experiences than by increased positive ones.
Risk factors for violent behaviors in patients with schizophrenia: 2-year follow-up study in primary mental health care in China
Authors: Huang Zhuo-Hui , Wang Fei , Chen Zi-Lang , Xiao Yao-Nan , Wang Qian-Wen , Wang Shi-Bin , He Xiao-Yan , Migliorini Christine , Harvey Carol , Hou Cai-Lan
Published: January 2023

Objective

The consequences and impact of violent behavior in schizophrenia are often serious, and identification of risk factors is of great importance to achieve early identification and effective management.

Methods

This follow-up study sampled adult patients with schizophrenia in primary mental health care in a rural area of southern China, in which 491 participants completed a comprehensive questionnaire at baseline and the 2-year follow-up. Sociodemographic, clinical and psychological assessment data were collected from all participants. Paired sample T-Tests and the McNemar Test were performed to examine changes over the follow-up period. Generalized Estimating Equations (GEE) were used to analyze the risk factors for violent behavior.

Results

The results showed that about two in five community-dwelling patients with schizophrenia reported violent behavior in the past year. At follow-up, participants were significantly less employed, had more times of hospitalization, more psychotropic medication, and severer depressive symptoms, but had better health-related quality of life than at baseline. Use of clozapine and better insight into medication decreased the possibility of violent behavior, while more severe positive symptoms, insomnia, as well as use of second-generation antipsychotics other than clozapine, antidepressants and mood stabilizers increased the possibility of violent behavior.

Conclusions

Risk evaluation, prevention and management of violence in patients with schizophrenia are demanded in primary mental health care.
“Crisis” or “opportunity”? COVID-19 pandemic's impact on environmentally sound invention efficiency in China
Authors: Wei Xuan , Liu Ranran , Lin Zhouzhou
Published: January 2023

Introduction

The environmentally sound invention (ESI) is a “bridge” between environmental sound technologies (ESTs) and green productions. This study investigates the COVID-19 pandemic's impact on ESI efficiency using a multi-methods model in three stages.

Methods

The ESI efficiency is measured using the Slack-Based Measure (SBM) method in the first stage. By excluding the environmental effect of the pandemic on each province using the stochastic frontier analysis (SFA) model's results in the second stage, this study compares the ESI efficiency change with or without the influence of the pandemic in the third stage.

Results

The results show that the pandemic can be a “crisis” in the short term, but an “opportunity” in the long term. First, the SBM efficiency results in the first stage show a decrease in the number of the average efficient provinces in which the pandemic is more severe during 2020-2021. Second, results of the spatial Tobit and SFA models provide evidence that the COVID-19 pandemic negatively impacts the ESI efficiency during 2020, this impact is decreasing in 2021, and this impact has a spatial diffusion effect.

Discussion

Based on these results, this study discussed the theoretical and political implications. This paper enriches the knowledge of ESTs research and development by proposing a three-stage approach with multi-methods to investigate the influence of the pandemic's impact on ESI efficiency.
Health-related quality of life and its association with socioeconomic status and diet diversity in Chinese older adults
Authors: Zhang Chichen , Zhang Jiachi , Xiao Shujuan , Shi Lei , Xue Yaqing , Zheng Xiao , Benli Xue , Chen Yiming , Li Xinru , Kai Yan , Liu Yuxi , Zhou Guangqing
Published: January 2023

Objectives

The study aimed at examining the combined association of socioeconomic status (SES) and diet diversity (DD) with health-related quality of life (HRQoL) and exploring whether DD played a mediating role in the relationship between varied SES and HRQoL among Chinese older persons.

Method

A multi-stage random sampling method was conducted in Shanxi Province of China, with 3,250 older adults participating in this cross-sectional survey. SES was divided into groups by quartiles and DD by means, and these variable groups were combined in pairs to generate a total of eight combinations. The PROCESS macro developed by Hayes was employed for the simple mediation analysis.

Results

Compared with the reference group (those with both high SES and high DD), older adults who were classified to have lower SES or DD had elevated odds of having worse HRQoL: low SES/ low DD (OR = 1.65, 95% CI 1.41–2.92); low SES/ high DD (OR = 1.45, 95% CI 1.17–1.80); middle low SES/ low DD (OR = 1.43, 95% CI 1.24–1.65); middle low SES/ high DD (OR = 1.23, 95% CI 1.03–1.47); upper high SES/ low DD (OR = 1.41, 95% CI 1.21–1.65); and high SES/ low DD (OR = 1.30, 95%CI 1.10–1.53). The mediation analysis revealed that DD mediated the relationship between SES and HRQoL (B=0.011, 95% CI 0.008–0.013), with its indirect effects accounting for 39.29% of the total effects.

Conclusions

These findings highlighted the role of DD as a mediator of the relationship between SES and HRQoL. As DD could be protective, modifiable, and easy for older adults to understand and implement, village clinics and community health stations should work collaboratively to design proper DD intervention measures for better HRQoL.
Coronavirus disease 2019: Repeated immersion of chlorine-containing disinfectants has adverse effects on goggles
Authors: Zhang Xiao-bo , Wei Yu-ling , Zhao Gang , He Mei , Sun Jun , Zeng Wen
Published: January 2023

Introduction

During COVID-19, some front-line personnel experienced varying degrees of eye discomfort due to the use of goggles repeatedly disinfected with chlorine-containing disinfectant.

Methods

The eye damage information of 276 front-line personnel who used goggles in a hospital from October 1, 2021, to December 1, 2021, was collected by filling out a questionnaire. To study the effect of chlorinated disinfectants on goggles, we immersed the goggles in the same volume of water and chlorinated disinfectant buckets. We tested the light transmittance, color and texture, and airtightness of the goggles at different times (1, 3, 12, 24, 36, 48, 60, 72, 96, 120, 144, 168, 192, 216, 240, and 268 h). In addition, we detected where chlorinated disinfectant remained in the goggles by using disinfectant concentration test paper.

Results

60 (21.82%) people experienced dry eyes, stinging pain, photophobia and tearing, conjunctival congestion, eyelid redness, and swelling. After treatment or rest, the patient's ocular symptoms were significantly relieved within 3 days. With the extension of disinfection time, the light transmission of the lenses gradually decreased, and the light transmission reduced when immersion occurred at 216 h. After 72 h of disinfection, the color of the goggle frame began to change to light yellow, the texture gradually became hard and brittle, and the color became significantly darker at 268 h of disinfection. The airtightness of the goggles began to decrease after 168 h of disinfection, the airtightness decreased substantially at 268 h, and the shape changed significantly. In addition, the concentration test paper results show that the disinfection solution mainly resides in the goggle frame seam and goggles' elastic bands' bundle.

Conclusions

Repeated chlorine disinfectant disinfection will reduce the effectiveness of goggles protection and damage front-line personnel's eye health.
Assessing perceptions of resilience: The understanding from network analysis
Authors: Liu Rong , Duan Wenjie
Published: January 2023

Introduction

Previous studies have yet to reach a consensus on the construct of resilience perception, and how to enhance the effect of resilience intervention remains an urgent issue. In this consideration, this study examines the fundamental construct of resilience. It provides insight into the critical prevention goal for resilience intervention by utilizing the latest methods of psychological network analysis.

Methods

The sample is the graduate students enrolled in September 2021. Participants completed (1) the Connor-Davidson Resilience Scale, (2) the University of Washington Resilience Scale-8 Item, (3) the Brief Resilience Scale, and (4) the Resilience Scale for Adults, each representing different orientations of resilience.

Results

The network analysis grants greater clarity to the resilience perception as a dynamic system that interacts between an individual's tendency to intrinsic capacity and response to external resources. This study has shown that a positive perception of external social resources is the most important for individuals' resilience cognition; the effect of resilience intervention can be achieved more quickly by changing the individual's sense of hope.

Discussion

Based on the results, a psychometric instrument that integrates different orientations of resilience concepts and is based on time-varying needs to be developed.
Emotional distress and risk of dental caries: Evaluating effect modification by chronic conditions among low-income African American caregivers in Detroit, Michigan
Authors: Lim Sungwoo , Tellez Marisol , Ismail Amid I.
Published: January 2023

Background/aim

Limited research has been conducted regarding the association between mental illness and dental caries. We studied the impact of emotional distress on current and new dental caries among low-income African-American caregivers in Detroit, Michigan and if this association was mediated by poor oral hygiene and sugar consumption and modified by a chronic health condition.

Methods

Data came from Detroit Dental Health Project, a prospective cohort study of low-income African American caregivers and their children. We focused on baseline (n = 1,021) and 4-year follow-up participants (n = 614). Dental caries were assessed using the International Caries Detection and Assessment System. The study outcomes included two baseline caries outcomes (counts of non-cavitated lesions, baseline counts of cavitated lesions) and two outcomes of new caries over 4 years (new cavitated lesions and new non-cavitated lesions). The exposure was emotional distress. We performed multivariable quasi-Poisson regression analysis to test the association between emotional distress and caries. We tested effect modification by stratifying data by chronic health conditions and performed causal mediation analysis to test an indirect effect of oral hygiene and sugar consumption.

Results

Ninety six percent of the caregivers were female, and their average age was 28 years old. Thirteen percent reported emotional distress at baseline. After accounting for potential confounding, emotional distress was positively associated with cavitated lesions at baseline (IRR = 1.36, 95% CI = 1.08, 1.70). Among those with a chronic health condition, stronger association was observed (IRR = 1.73, 95% CI = 1.27, 2.35). After 4 years, those with emotional distress and chronic health conditions had an increased risk of developing non-cavitated carious lesions (IRR = 1.41, 95% CI = 1.06, 1.88). Poor oral hygiene explained 51% of the association between emotional distress and baseline cavitated lesions (natural indirect effect = 1.16, 95% CI = 1.02, 1.33), but there was no evidence for an indirect effect of sugar consumption.

Conclusion

In this group of young, African-American caregivers with low socioeconomic status, dental caries was associated with emotional distress. This association was explained by poor oral hygiene and strengthened among those who reported a chronic health condition.
Factors influencing sustainable employment of persons with acquired brain injury (ABI) or spinal cord injury (SCI): A qualitative study evaluating the perspective of health and work professionals
Authors: Finger Monika E. , Karcz Katarzyna , Schiffmann Barbara , Staubli Stefan , Hund-Georgiadis Margret , Escorpizo Reuben
Published: January 2023

Background

The number of persons with acquired brain injury (ABI) or spinal cord injury (SCI) who leave the labor market early despite successfully return to work post-injury, demonstrates the challenge for them to remain employed. Evidence on how enabling and hindering factors influence daily work across the lifespan and how they affect employment-related services is scarce. Professionals directly involved in work integration can add to this evidence through their experiential knowledge.

Purpose

To identify and explore the factors that enable or hinder sustainable employment for persons with ABI or SCI from the perspective of health and work professionals.

Methods

We conducted 23 semi-structured interviews with professionals in Switzerland, directly involved in work reintegration and retention of persons with ABI or SCI. Interviews were transcribed verbatim and thematically analyzed.

Results

Participants identified three main themes related to the concept of “sustainable employment”. First,the value and impact of initial work integration; an early, multidisciplinary, person-centered work integration, with the early involvement of employers is ideal. A good match between the worker and the workplace is sought. Second,critical factors for long-term sustainable work: the main risks for persons with ABI are changing supervisors, workplace restructuring and the introduction of new technologies, while deteriorating health and the occurrence of secondary health problems are the greatest risk for persons with SCI. Third,the relevance of knowledge, experience and attitudes of professionals; Knowledge of the consequences of an ABI or SCI, the legal basis and the social security process, and the attitude of professionals towards the injured worker were considered important.

Conclusions

From the professional's perspective, enabling and hindering factors for sustainable employment in the long-term are fundamentally very similar for persons with ABI and SCI. But different physical, mental and neuropsychological effects call for individually adapted measures. While persons with SCI primarily require ongoing medical care, conscious management of changes in the workplace is critical for persons with ABI. For both groups, an easily accessible counseling and support service should be established for work-threatening problems in the long-term. Furthermore, diagnosis-specific training programs for professionals of employment-related services and disability management should be developed.
A method to benchmark the balance resilience of robots
Authors: Monteleone Simone , Negrello Francesca , Grioli Giorgio , Catalano Manuel G. , Bicchi Antonio , Garabini Manolo
Published: January 2023

Robots that work in unstructured scenarios are often subjected to collisions with the environment or external agents. Accordingly, recently, researchers focused on designing robust and resilient systems. This work presents a framework that quantitatively assesses the balancing resilience of self-stabilizing robots subjected to external perturbations. Our proposed framework consists of a set of novel Performance Indicators (PIs), experimental protocols for the reliable and repeatable measurement of the PIs, and a novel testbed to execute the protocols. The design of the testbed, the control structure, the post-processing software, and all the documentation related to the performance indicators and protocols are provided as open-source material so that other institutions can replicate the system. As an example of the application of our method, we report a set of experimental tests on a two-wheeled humanoid robot, with an experimental campaign of more than 1100 tests. The investigation demonstrates high repeatability and efficacy in executing reliable and precise perturbations.
Learning from the past to deal with the future: Using different knowledges to ensure food security in the Tsá Tué biosphere reserve (Northwest Territories, Canada)
Authors: Spring Andrew , Neyelle Michael , Bezha Walter , Simmons Deborah , Blay-Palmer Alison
Published: January 2023

The community of Délı̨nę, located in the UNESCO Tsá Tué Biosphere Reserve, is experiencing the impacts of climate change on the lands surrounding Great Bear Lake, in Northwest Territories, Canada. These impacts are limiting the community's ability to access the land to support their food system, which depends on harvesting traditional foods. This article details a participatory action research approach, driven by the community, that used on-the-land activities, workshops, community meetings and interviews to develop a community food security action plan to deal with the uncertainties of a changing climate on the food system. Data was analyzed using the Community Capitals Framework (CCF) to describe the complex nature of the community's food system in terms of available or depleting capitals, as well as how the impacts of climate change affect these capitals, and the needs identified by the community to aid in adaptation. For Délı̨nę, the theme of self-sufficiency emerged out of concerns that climate change is negatively impacting supplies from the south and that building and maintaining both social and cultural capital are key to achieving food security in an uncertain future. Learning from the past and sharing Traditional Knowledge1was a key element of food security planning. However, other types of knowledge, such as research and monitoring of the health of the land, and building capacity of the community through training, were important aspects of adaptation planning in the community. This knowledge, in its many forms, may assist the community in determining its own direction for achieving food security, and offers a glimpse into food sovereignty in Northern regions.
Effect of the Magnetorheological Damper Dynamic Behaviour on the Rail Vehicle Comfort: Hardware-in-the-Loop Simulation
Authors: Jeniš Filip , Kubík Michal , Michálek Tomáš , Strecker Zbyněk , Žáček Jiří , Mazůrek Ivan
Published: January 2023

Many publications show that the ride comfort of a railway vehicle can be significantly improved using a semi-active damping control of the lateral secondary dampers. However, the control efficiency depends on the selection of the control algorithm and the damper dynamic behaviour, i.e., its force rise response time, force drop response time and force dynamic range. This paper examines the influence of these parameters of a magnetorheological (MR) damper on the efficiency of S/A control for several control algorithms. One new algorithm has been designed. Hardware-in-the-loop simulation with a real magnetorheological damper has been used to get close to reality. A key finding of this paper is that the highest efficiency of algorithms is not achieved with a minimal damper response time. Furthermore, the force drop response time has been more important than the force rise response time. The Acceleration Driven Damper Linear (ADD-L) algorithm achieves the highest efficiency. A reduction in vibration of 34% was achieved.
Plant-Growth-Promoting Rhizobacteria Improve Germination and Bioactive Compounds in Cucumber Seedlings
Authors: Pérez-García Laura-Andrea , Sáenz-Mata Jorge , Fortis-Hernández Manuel , Navarro-Muñoz Claudia Estefanía , Palacio-Rodríguez Rubén , Preciado-Rangel Pablo
Published: January 2023

Plant-growth-promoting rhizobacteria (PGPR) increase the germination percentage and the vigor of seeds, thus determining aspects for the efficient production of seedlings and the prompt establishment of crops in the field. In this study, the effect of the biopriming of rhizobacteria was evaluated: Bacillus cereus (KBEndo4P6), Acinetobacter radioresistens (KBEndo3P1), Pseudomonas paralactis (KBEndo6P7), and Sinorhizobium meliloti (KBEkto9P6) on some parameters such as the percentage of germination and vigor and the germination index, among others, as well as the synthesis of phytocompounds in the seeds of Cucumis sativus L. biopriming seeds significantly improved germination, the germination index, the vigor, the plumule and the radicle length, in addition to an increase in phytochemical compounds. The rhizobacteria KBEndo3P1 increased the germination percentage by 20%, the germination index by 50%, and the seed vigor by 60%, as well as the length of the radicle by 11%, and the plumule by 48% compared to the control, and the total phenols and antioxidants increased by 9% and 29%, respectively. Biopriming with plant-growth-promoting rhizobacteria increases germination, which allows for the possibility of more outstanding production of seedlings and a greater length of the radicle, thus increasing the efficiency in the processes of water and nutrient absorption and improving its establishment in the field. In addition, the production of phytocompounds enhances their response against any type of stress, making them a viable alternative in sustainable agriculture to increase cucumber yield.
MAFFN_YOLOv5: Multi-Scale Attention Feature Fusion Network on the YOLOv5 Model for the Health Detection of Coral-Reefs Using a Built-In Benchmark Dataset
Authors: Rajan Sivamani Kalyana Sundara , Damodaran Nedumaran
Published: January 2023

Coral-reefs are a significant species in marine life, which are affected by multiple diseases due to the stress and variation in heat under the impact of the ocean. The autonomous monitoring and detection of coral health are crucial for researchers to protect it at an early stage. The detection of coral diseases is a difficult task due to the inadequate coral-reef datasets. Therefore, we have developed a coral-reef benchmark dataset and proposed a Multi-scale Attention Feature Fusion Network (MAFFN) as a neck part of the YOLOv5’s network, called “MAFFN_YOLOv5”. The MAFFN_YOLOv5 model outperforms the state-of-the-art object detectors, such as YOLOv5, YOLOX, and YOLOR, by improving the detection accuracy to 8.64%, 3.78%, and 18.05%, respectively, based on the mean average precision (mAP@.5), and 7.8%, 3.72%, and 17.87%, respectively, based on the mAP@.5:.95. Consequently, we have tested a hardware-based deep neural network for the detection of coral-reef health.
Retrospective Study of T Cell Leukaemia (Large Granular Lymphocyte Variant) in Dogs Associated with Suspected Immune-Mediated Cytopaenia(s) in the Absence of Peripheral Lymphocytosis
Authors: Capasso Angelo , Villers Elizabeth , Elliott James , Ilchyshyn Nic , Hopkins Ian , Sanchez Ferran Valls , Verganti Sara
Published: January 2023

Canine chronic large granular lymphocyte (LGL) leukaemia is commonly characterised by moderate to marked lymphocytosis but not neutropaenia. In humans, LGL leukaemia is often associated with autoimmune disorders, including immune-mediated cytopaenias (mainly neutropaenia). This presentation is rare in dogs. The aim of this retrospective study was to describe the clinical characteristics, treatments, and outcomes of dogs with chronic LGL leukaemia with suspected immune-mediated cytopaenia. Six dogs with a median age of 4.5 years (range 2–8 years) were included in the study. The most common presenting signs were pyrexia and lethargy. All dogs had severe neutropaenia (median neutrophil count 0.07 × 109/L), three had thrombocytopaenia (median platelet count 66 × 109/L), and one had anaemia (HCT 0.32 L/L). In all dogs, bone marrow cytology revealed infiltration of granular T lymphocytes; PARR analysis confirmed clonality in four, and bone marrow flow cytometry identified CD3+ CD8+ neoplastic cells in two cases. All patients received systemic chemotherapy, and the cytopaenias resolved after 1–19 weeks. Two dogs were euthanised 133 and 322 days after diagnosis, two were lost to follow-up after 224 and 357 days, and two were alive at 546 and 721 days. A subset of LGL leukaemia in dogs is associated with immune-mediated cytopaenia and has a unique clinical presentation.
Antibiotic Resistance in Patients with Cystic Fibrosis: Past, Present, and Future
Authors: Perikleous Evanthia P. , Gkentzi Despoina , Bertzouanis Aris , Paraskakis Emmanouil , Sovtic Aleksandar , Fouzas Sotirios
Published: January 2023

Patients with cystic fibrosis (CF) are repeatedly exposed to antibiotics, especially during the pulmonary exacerbations of the disease. However, the available therapeutic strategies are frequently inadequate to eradicate the involved pathogens and most importantly, facilitate the development of antimicrobial resistance (AMR). The evaluation of AMR is demanding; conventional culture-based susceptibility-testing techniques cannot account for the lung microenvironment and/or the adaptive mechanisms developed by the pathogens, such as biofilm formation. Moreover, features linked to modified pharmaco-kinetics and pulmonary parenchyma penetration make the dosing of antibiotics even more challenging. In this review, we present the existing knowledge regarding AMR in CF, we shortly review the existing therapeutic strategies, and we discuss the future directions of antimicrobial stewardship. Due to the increasing difficulty in eradicating strains that develop AMR, the appropriate management should rely on targeting the underlying resistance mechanisms; thus, the interest in novel, molecular-based diagnostic tools, such as metagenomic sequencing and next-generation transcriptomics, has increased exponentially. Moreover, since the development of new antibiotics has a slow pace, the design of effective treatment strategies to eradicate persistent infections represents an urgency that requires consorted work. In this regard, both the management and monitoring of antibiotics usage are obligatory and more relevant than ever.
Evidence of Self-Association and Conformational Change in Nisin Antimicrobial Polypeptide Solutions: A Combined Raman and Ultrasonic Relaxation Spectroscopic and Theoretical Study
Authors: Tryfon Afrodite , Siafarika Panagiota , Kouderis Constantine , Kaziannis Spyridon , Boghosian Soghomon , Kalampounias Angelos G.
Published: January 2023

The polypeptide Nisin is characterized by antibacterial properties, making it a compound with many applications, mainly in the food industry. As a result, a deeper understanding of its behaviour, especially after its dissolution in water, is of the utmost importance. This could be possible through the study of aqueous solutions of Nisin by combining vibrational and acoustic spectroscopic techniques. The velocity and attenuation of ultrasonic waves propagating in aqueous solutions of the polypeptide Nisin were measured as a function of concentration and temperature. The computational investigation of the molecular docking between Nisin monomeric units revealed the formation of dimeric units. The main chemical changes occurring in Nisin structure in the aqueous environment were tracked using Raman spectroscopy, and special spectral markers were used to establish the underlying structural mechanism. Spectral changes evidenced the presence of the dimerization reaction between Nisin monomeric species. The UV/Vis absorption spectra were dominated by the presence of π → π* transitions in the peptide bonds attributed to secondary structural elements such as α-helix, β-sheets and random coils. The analysis of the acoustic spectra revealed that the processes primarily responsible for the observed chemical relaxations are probably the conformational change between possible conformers of Nisin and its self-aggregation mechanism, namely, the dimerization reaction. The activation enthalpy and the enthalpy difference between the two isomeric forms were estimated to be equal to ΔH1* = 0.354 ± 0.028 kcal/mol and ΔH10 = 3.008 ± 0.367 kcal/mol, respectively. The corresponding thermodynamic parameters of the self-aggregation mechanism were found to be ΔH2* = 0.261 ± 0.004 kcal/mol and ΔH20 = 3.340 ± 0.364 kcal/mol. The effect of frequency on the excess sound absorption of Nisin solutions enabled us to estimate the rate constants of the self-aggregation mechanism and evaluate the isentropic and isothermal volume changes associated with the relaxation processes occurring in this system. The results are discussed in relation to theoretical and experimental findings.
Evaluation of the Antimicrobial Capacity of Bacteria Isolated from Stingless Bee (Scaptotrigona aff. postica) Honey Cultivated in Açai (Euterpe oleracea) Monoculture
Authors: Silva Iago Castro da , Conceição Eveson Oscar Almeida , Pereira Daniel Santiago , Rogez Hervé , Muto Nilton Akio
Published: January 2023

Many antimicrobial compounds have been seeking to protect the human body against pathogenic microbial infections. In recent times, there has been considerable growth of pathogens resistant to existing drugs due to the inappropriate use of antibiotics. In the present study, bacteria isolated from the honey of stingless bees native to the Amazon called Scaptotrigona aff. postica and Apis mellifera were used to determine their potential antimicrobial properties and characterize the medium cultivated with isolated bacteria. The results showed inhibition of nine isolates. Among these isolates, SCA12, SCA13, and SCA15 showed inhibitory activity similar to that of vancomycin, which was used as a positive control. The SCA13 strain obtained the best results with antimicrobial extract against the tested pathogens; the species was identified as Enterococcus faecalis, and its lyophilized extract was characterized by temperature, pH, and trypsin, in which they showed antimicrobial activity. This work shows that bacteria isolated from the stingless bee honey, Scaptotrigona aff. postica, have the potential to produce antimicrobial substances.
An Interplay between Oxidative Stress (Lactate Dehydrogenase) and Inflammation (Anisocytosis) Mediates COVID-19 Severity Defined by Routine Clinical Markers
Authors: Alonso-Bernáldez Marta , Cuevas-Sierra Amanda , Micó Víctor , Higuera-Gómez Andrea , Ramos-Lopez Omar , Daimiel Lidia , Dávalos Alberto , Martínez-Urbistondo María , Moreno-Torres Víctor , Ramirez de Molina Ana , Vargas Juan Antonio , Martinez J. Alfredo
Published: January 2023

Viral infections activate the innate immune response and the secretion of inflammatory cytokines. They also alter oxidative stress markers, which potentially can have an involvement in the pathogenesis of the disease. The aim of this research was to study the role of the oxidative stress process assessed through lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) on the severity of COVID-19 measured by oxygen saturation (SaO2) and the putative interaction with inflammation. The investigation enrolled 1808 patients (mean age of 68 and 60% male) with COVID-19 from the HM Hospitals database. To explore interactions, a regression model and mediation analyses were performed. The patients with lower SaO2 presented lymphopenia and higher values of neutrophils-to-lymphocytes ratio and on the anisocytosis coefficient. The regression model showed an interaction between LDH and anisocytosis, suggesting that high levels of LDH (>544 U/L) and an anisocytosis coefficient higher than 10% can impact SaO2 in COVID-19 patients. Moreover, analysis revealed that LDH mediated 41% (p value = 0.001) of the effect of anisocytosis on SaO2 in this cohort. This investigation revealed that the oxidative stress marker LDH and the interaction with anisocytosis have an important role in the severity of COVID-19 infection and should be considered for the management and treatment of the oxidative phenomena concerning this within a precision medicine strategy.
Evaluation of the Efficacy of Antioxidant Extract from Lemon By-Products on Preservation of Quality Attributes of Minimally Processed Radish (Raphanus sativus L.)
Authors: Zappia Angela , Spanti Angelica , Princi Rossella , Imeneo Valeria , Piscopo Amalia
Published: January 2023

The aim of this work was to enhance the use of a food-grade antioxidant extract obtained from lemon processing byproducts (peel, pulp and seeds) to extend the shelf life of minimally processed radishes. The extract (LPE) was previously characterized in terms of total phenolic (6.75 ± 0.34 mg GAE g−1 d.w.) and flavonoid content (2.04 ± 0.09 mg CE g−1 d.w.) and antioxidant activity, and eriocitrin and hesperidin were identified as the most prevalent phenolic compounds by a UHPLC system. The effects of different dipping aqueous solutions (UCR, DRa, DRb) and alginate-based edible coating formulations (CRc, CRd) with and without the antioxidant extract were studied on the quality parameters of minimally processed radishes, characterized regarding their microbiological and physicochemical characteristics for up to 14 days at 3 °C. The coating formulated with LPE delayed the radish respiration process, as well as resulting in less color variation (ΔE < 3) and reduced mesophilic aerobic count values (4.49 ± 1.43 log CFU g−1), proving the effectiveness of LPE as a value-added ingredient in developing post-harvest strategies to prolong the shelf life of minimally processed vegetables. Indeed, coated samples without the extract showed a clear development of rotting, which led to the end of their shelf life on their 7th day of storage.
The Regulatory Effect of Phytochemicals on Chronic Diseases by Targeting Nrf2-ARE Signaling Pathway
Authors: He Wen-Jiang , Lv Cheng-Hao , Chen Zhong , Shi Meng , Zeng Chao-Xi , Hou De-Xing , Qin Si
Published: January 2023

Redox balance is essential to maintain the body’s normal metabolism. Once disrupted, it may lead to various chronic diseases, such as diabetes, neurodegenerative diseases, cardiovascular diseases, inflammatory diseases, cancer, aging, etc. Oxidative stress can cause or aggravate a series of pathological processes. Inhibition of oxidative stress and related pathological processes can help to ameliorate these chronic diseases, which have been found to be associated with Nrf2 activation. Nrf2 activation can not only regulate the expression of a series of antioxidant genes that reduce oxidative stress and its damage, but also directly regulate genes related to the above-mentioned pathological processes to counter the corresponding changes. Therefore, targeting Nrf2 has great potential for the prevention or treatment of chronic diseases, and many natural phytochemicals have been reported as Nrf2 activators although the defined mechanisms remain to be elucidated. This review article focuses on the possible mechanism of Nrf2 activation by natural phytochemicals in the prevention or treatment of chronic diseases and the regulation of oxidative stress. Moreover, the current clinical trials of phytochemical-originated drug discovery by targeting the Nrf2-ARE pathway were also summarized; the outcomes or the relationship between phytochemicals and chronic diseases prevention are finally analyzed to propose the future research strategies and prospective.
Doxorubicin-Loaded Iron Oxide Nanoparticles Induce Oxidative Stress and Cell Cycle Arrest in Breast Cancer Cells
Authors: Hernandes Elisa Parcero , Lazarin-Bidóia Danielle , Bini Raquel Dosciatti , Nakamura Celso Vataru , Cótica Luiz Fernando , de Oliveira Silva Lautenschlager Sueli
Published: January 2023

Cancer is one of the most common diseases nowadays and derives from the uncontrollable growth of a single cell. Magnetic nanoparticles (NpMag) offer various possibilities for use in the biomedical area, including drug delivery mediated by magnetic fields. In the current study, we evaluated the in vitro effects of iron-oxide magnetic nanoparticles conjugated with the antitumor drug doxorubicin (Dox) on human breast cancer cells. Our results revealed that magnetic nanoparticles with Dox (NpMag+Dox) induce cellular redox imbalance in MCF-7 cells. We also demonstrate that iron-oxide nanoparticles functionalized with Dox induce oxidative stress evidenced by DNA damage, lipid peroxidation, cell membrane disruption, and loss of mitochondria potential. As a result, NpMag+Dox drives MCF-7 cells to stop the cell cycle and decrease cell migration. The association of NpMg+Dox induced a better delivery of Dox to MCF cells, mainly in the presence of a magnetic field, increasing the death of MCF cells which might reduce the toxicity for healthy cells providing a better efficacy for the treatment. Thus, iron-oxide nanoparticles and doxorubicin conjugated may be candidate for anticancer therapy.
Design and Development of a Relational Database Management System (RDBMS) with Open Source Tools for the Processing of Data Monitored in a Set of Photovoltaic (PV) Plants
Authors: Trillo-Montero David , Cosano-Lucena Samuel , Gonzalez-Redondo Miguel , Luna-Rodriguez Juan Jesus , Santiago Isabel
Published: January 2023

The objective of this work has been to implement an orderly, accessible, fast and space-saving storage system that allows the transfer to a Relational Database Management System (RDBMS) of all the data corresponding to the monitoring of a set of photovoltaic (PV) systems whose behaviour is to be analysed. The RDBMS consists of a series of linked databases, enabling all PV system information to be stored, and it is scalable so it can be expanded depending on the number of installations to be studied. The data recorded in the plants are found in a large number of very disaggregated files, and with different measured parameters, different formats, nomenclatures, or units of measurement, so the developed system is responsible for homogenising all the information for storage. For this purpose, a procedure has been developed to carry out the automatic transfer of all the data recorded in their corresponding databases. In addition, in this work, a web application called S·lar 2 has been developed to facilitate selective access to all the data once stored in the corresponding tables. This application, which is connected to the designed databases, allows the storage and management of the information coming from the PV plants, in order to determine, among other things, the operation mode of each of the components of these facilities. Using the data already organised, it has also been possible to establish a system for comparing the production of inverters within the same plant in order to have a tool that allows the quick and visual detection of possible deviations between them and thus detect malfunctions in any of the components. The whole procedure has been carried out using free software, such as Maria DB and Python.
Enhancing the Fatigue of Mechanical Systems Such as Dispensers Entrenched on Generalized Life-Stress Models and Sample Sizes
Authors: Woo Seongwoo , O’Neal Dennis L. , Matvienko Yury G. , Mebrahtu Gezae
Published: January 2023

To lengthen the life of a mechanical system, parametric accelerated life testing (ALT) is recommended as an established way to help identify structural imperfections and reduce fatigue-related failures. It involves (1) a parametric ALT scheme, (2) fatigue design, (3) ALTs with alterations, and (4) an estimate of whether design(s) achieve the BX lifetime. The application of a quantum-transported time to failure prototype and a sample size expression is also suggested. The improvements in the reliability of a water dispenser made of stainless steel or polypropylene (PP) in a bottom-mount domestic refrigerator was used as a case study. In the first ALT, the hinge and front corner of the dispensing system was cracked. The water dispenser lever was altered by increasing the thickness of its ribs and fillets. In the second ALT, the altered dispensing lever system cracked because there was an insufficient thickness in its front corner for impact loading. The critical design factors for improving reliability were corner fillet rounding and rib thickening in a dispenser lever. As there were no difficulties in the third ALT, the dispenser life was verified to have a B1 life of 10 years.