bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Exploring Pediatric Nurses’ Perspectives on Their Work Environment, Work Attitudes, and Experience of Burnout: What Really Matters?
Authors: Buckley Laura , Berta Whitney , Cleverley Kristin , Widger Kimberley
Published: March 2022

Background

Pediatric nurses care for some of the most vulnerable patients in our healthcare system and are vulnerable to the impact of the stress of their work on their well-being. Burnout is a potential response to chronic interpersonal stressors and a negative work outcome linked to personal and professional consequences. A thorough understanding of the experience and factors associated with burnout in this population is an important part of developing interventions to mitigate or prevent this workplace outcome. Therefore, our study objectives were to: (1) explain and expand our understanding of pediatric critical care nurses experience of burnout in relation to their work environment and work engagement; (2) provide recommendations for nursing administrators to improve nurses’ work environment, work attitudes, and work outcomes.

Methods

A convenience sample of pediatric critical care nurses from a large pediatric quaternary care hospital in Ontario, Canada were invited to participate in this second phase of a sequential explanatory mixed-methods study. Semi-structured interviews were conducted, with and main themes and subthemes distilled through the method of interpretive description.

Results

A total of 18 PICU/CCCU/NICU nurses participated. Derived themes included the experience and identification of burnout, including its prevalence and elusiveness. Their experiences of quality of work-life included themes such as compensation, emotional support at work, respect, their professional identity, and spill over into home life. They discussed components of work engagement, including the work itself, investment into their growth and development, and the meaning of their work. The self-care subthemes included the importance of preparation and recovery, and the use of physical and mental separation as a preservation strategy. The participants’ recommendations for strategies to mitigate burnout were also summarized.

Conclusion

Burnout is a complex and regularly occurring experience for pediatric critical care nurses. Although the experience may be difficult to self-identify, the impacts on the individuals are profound. Further research and organizational support are needed to test practical and evidence-based interventions to improve the well-being of this population.
Honokiol Inhibits Atrial Metabolic Remodeling in Atrial Fibrillation Through Sirt3 Pathway
Authors: Liu Guang Zhong , Xu Wei , Zang Yan Xiang , Lou Qi , Hang Peng Zhou , Gao Qiang , Shi Hang , Liu Qi Yun , Wang Hong , Sun Xin , Liu Cheng , Zhang Peng , Liu Hua Dong , Dong Shao Hong
Published: March 2022

Background and Purpose: Atrial metabolic remodeling plays a critical role in the pathogenesis of atrial fibrillation (AF). Sirtuin3 (Sirt3) plays an important role in energy homeostasis. However, the effect of Sirt3 agonist Honokiol (HL) on AF is unclear. Therefore, the aim of this study is to determine the effect of HL on atrial metabolic remodeling in AF and to explore possible mechanisms.

Experimental Approach: irt3 and glycogen deposition in left atria of AF patients were examined. Twenty-one rabbits were divided into sham, P (pacing for 3 weeks), P + H treatment (honokiol injected with pacing for 3 weeks). The HL-1 cells were subjected to rapid pacing at 5 Hz for 24 h, in the presence or absence of HL and overexpression or siRNA of Sirt3 by transfection. Metabolic factors, circulating metabolites, atrial electrophysiology, ATP level, and glycogens deposition were detected. Acetylated protein and activity of its enzymes were detected.

Key Results: Sirt3 was significantly down-regulated in AF patients and rabbit/HL-1cell model, resulting in the abnormal expression of its downstream metabolic key factors, which were significantly restored by HL. Meanwhile, AF induced an increase of the acetylation level in long-chain acyl-CoA dehydrogenase (LCAD), AceCS2 and GDH, following decreasing of activity of it enzymes, resulting in abnormal alterations of metabolites and reducing of ATP, which was inhibited by HL. The Sirt3 could regulate acetylated modification of key metabolic enzymes, and the increase of Sirt3 rescued AF induced atrial metabolic remodeling.

Conclusion and Implications: HL inhibited atrial metabolic remodeling in AF via the Sirt3 pathway. The present study may provide a novel therapeutical strategy for AF.
Glucosamine as a Treatment for Osteoarthritis: What If It’s True?
Authors: Conrozier Thierry , Lohse Thomas
Published: March 2022

No disease-modifying treatments are currently available for osteoarthritis (OA). While many therapeutic approaches are now being investigated it is ethical to resort to alternative solutions as that we already possess. There are many reasons for thinking that, at sufficiently high doses, glucosamine (GlcN) sulphate possesses a clinically relevant effect on OA pain. Wide inter-individual variations in the symptomatic effects of GlcN are explained by the extreme variability of its bioavailability. In studies evaluating its structure-modifying effect, GlcN was more effective than placebo in reducing the rate of joint space narrowing in patients with knee OA. More recent data suggest that GlcN may be effective in the primary prevention of OA in sportsmen. There is no controversy concerning the safety of GlcN which does not differ to that of placebo. Several studies have recently revealed an unexpected effect of GlcN on cardiovascular mortality. After adjusting for confounding factors, the regular consumption of GlcN correlated with a 27% reduction in mortality and a 58% reduction in deaths from cardiovascular causes. These data confirm animal studies demonstrating a protective effect of GlcN against cancer and cardiovascular diseases due to modulation of the O-GlcNAcylation pathway. Disorders in O-GlcNAcylation are involved in diabetes, obesity and cancers, which all feature chronic low-grade inflammation (CLGI). By regulating CLGI, GlcN may be beneficial to the symptoms of OA, its outcome and to that of the concomitant chronic pathologies, making GlcN as a valuable candidate for the treatment of OA in patients with metabolic syndrome, diabetes or cardiovascular diseases.
Acute Kidney Injury and Drugs Prescribed for COVID-19 in Diabetes Patients: A Real-World Disproportionality Analysis
Authors: Zhou Yu , Li Jianbin , Wang Linyao , Zhu Xinyan , Zhang Meilian , Zheng Jiaping
Published: March 2022

Background: The information is relatively scarce regarding the occurrence of drug-induced acute kidney injury (AKI) when anti-coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) drugs are prescribed for patients with diabetes mellitus (DM).

Objective: The objective of this study was to evaluate a pharmacovigilance signal for AKI upon the use of common drugs prescribed for COVID-19 treatment, especially in patients with DM.

Methods: The FDA Adverse Event Reporting System (FAERS) database were used, and data from the first quarter of 2020 to the third quarter of 2021 were retrieved. A disproportionality analysis was performed to determine whether AKI was more frequently reported with anti-COVID-19 drugs compared to that with other drugs in different populations. Further, reporting odds ratios (RORs) and their 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were used to calculate disproportionality. Results: We identified 33,488 COVID-19 patients and 2397 COVID-19 patients with DM. AKI was the most frequent adverse drug reaction (ADR) reported in this patient population. The primary suspected drugs related to AKI in more than half of the reports (75.60%, 127/168) were four common anti-COVID-19 drugs (remdesivir, tocilizumab, hydroxychloroquine, and lopinavir/ritonavir). Compared with other drugs in the same time window, remdesivir and lopinavir/ritonavir were associated with an increased risk of AKI in all COVID-19 patients (ROR: 3.97, 95% CI: 3.51–4.50; ROR: 4.02, 95% CI: 3.11–5.19, respectively). In COVID-19 patients with DM, remdesivir was significantly associated with AKI (ROR: 5.65, 95% CI: 4.06–7.87); meanwhile, there was a new AKI signal associated with tocilizumab (ROR: 2.37, 95% CI: 1.19–4.72). After sensitivity analyses in COVID-19 patients with DM, consistent results for remdesivir were observed; however, the AKI signals for tocilizumab were unstable.

Conclusion: Our study confirmed the association of AKI with the usage of common anti-COVID-19 drugs (especially remdesivir and tocilizumab) in DM patients. These safety signals suggested more individualized treatments for COVID-19 patients with comorbidities. Cross-disciplinary collaborative is needed to improve current strategy of clinical treatment and develop new approaches to management.
Applications of Multi-Contrast Optical Coherence Tomography in Assessment of Dysplastic Nevi to Malignant Melanoma
Authors: Lai Pei-Yu , Shih Tai-Yu , Chang Chung-Hsing , Kuo Wen-Chuan
Published: March 2022

Melanoma is fatal for skin cancer. One of the essential predictive points in melanoma progression is the development of dysplastic nevi. This study observes subcutaneous blood vessels, lymphatic vessels, and skin thickness in a mouse model of dysplastic nevi in vivo through noninvasive, high-resolution, and multi-contrast optical coherence tomography (MCOCT). The subcutaneous microenvironment of the mice showed increased density of lymphatic vessels, dilated walls, and increased thickness of ears during the change of dysplastic nevi; and fragmentation of blood vessels at the later stage of the experimental period. Compared with conventional OCT only provides structure anatomy, MCOCT provides more extensive information for disease analysis and has the potential to detect progressive changes in dysplastic nevi.
Mechanical Ventilation in Pediatric and Neonatal Patients
Authors: Kollisch-Singule Michaela , Ramcharran Harry , Satalin Joshua , Blair Sarah , Gatto Louis A. , Andrews Penny L. , Habashi Nader M. , Nieman Gary F. , Bougatef Adel
Published: March 2022

Pediatric acute respiratory distress syndrome (PARDS) remains a significant cause of morbidity and mortality, with mortality rates as high as 50% in children with severe PARDS. Despite this, pediatric lung injury and mechanical ventilation has been poorly studied, with the majority of investigations being observational or retrospective and with only a few randomized controlled trials to guide intensivists. The most recent and universally accepted guidelines for pediatric lung injury are based on consensus opinion rather than objective data. Therefore, most neonatal and pediatric mechanical ventilation practices have been arbitrarily adapted from adult protocols, neglecting the differences in lung pathophysiology, response to injury, and co-morbidities among the three groups. Low tidal volume ventilation has been generally accepted for pediatric patients, even in the absence of supporting evidence. No target tidal volume range has consistently been associated with outcomes, and compliance with delivering specific tidal volume ranges has been poor. Similarly, optimal PEEP has not been well-studied, with a general acceptance of higher levels of FiO2 and less aggressive PEEP titration as compared with adults. Other modes of ventilation including airway pressure release ventilation and high frequency ventilation have not been studied in a systematic fashion and there is too little evidence to recommend supporting or refraining from their use. There have been no consistent outcomes among studies in determining optimal modes or methods of setting them. In this review, the studies performed to date on mechanical ventilation strategies in neonatal and pediatric populations will be analyzed. There may not be a single optimal mechanical ventilation approach, where the best method may simply be one that allows for a personalized approach with settings adapted to the individual patient and disease pathophysiology. The challenges and barriers to conducting well-powered and robust multi-institutional studies will also be addressed, as well as reconsidering outcome measures and study design.
Differences in Cardiac Output and Aerobic Capacity Between Sexes Are Explained by Blood Volume and Oxygen Carrying Capacity
Authors: Diaz-Canestro Candela , Pentz Brandon , Sehgal Arshia , Montero David
Published: March 2022

Whether average sex differences in cardiorespiratory fitness can be mainly explained by blood inequalities in the healthy circulatory system remains unresolved. This study evaluated the contribution of blood volume (BV) and oxygen (O2) carrying capacity to the sex gap in cardiac and aerobic capacities in healthy young individuals. Healthy young women and men (n = 28, age range = 20–43 years) were matched by age and physical activity. Echocardiography, blood pressures, and O2 uptake were measured during incremental exercise. Left ventricular end-diastolic volume (LVEDV), stroke volume (SV), cardiac output (Q), peak O2 uptake (VO2peak), and BV were assessed with precise methods. The test was repeated in men after blood withdrawal and reduction of O2 carrying capacity, reaching women’s levels. Before blood normalization, exercise cardiac volumes and output (LVEDV, SV, Q) adjusted by body size and VO2peak (42 ± 9 vs. 50 ± 11 ml⋅min–1⋅kg–1, P < 0.05) were lower in women relative to men. Blood normalization abolished sex differences in cardiac volumes and output during exercise (P ≥ 0.100). Likewise, VO2peak was similar between women and men after blood normalization (42 ± 9 vs. 40 ± 8 ml⋅min–1⋅kg–1, P = 0.416). In conclusion, sex differences in cardiac output and aerobic capacity are not present in experimental conditions matching BV and O2 carrying capacity between healthy young women and men.
Breath Tools: A Synthesis of Evidence-Based Breathing Strategies to Enhance Human Running
Authors: Harbour Eric , Stöggl Thomas , Schwameder Hermann , Finkenzeller Thomas
Published: March 2022

Running is among the most popular sporting hobbies and often chosen specifically for intrinsic psychological benefits. However, up to 40% of runners may experience exercise-induced dyspnoea as a result of cascading physiological phenomena, possibly causing negative psychological states or barriers to participation. Breathing techniques such as slow, deep breathing have proven benefits at rest, but it is unclear if they can be used during exercise to address respiratory limitations or improve performance. While direct experimental evidence is limited, diverse findings from exercise physiology and sports science combined with anecdotal knowledge from Yoga, meditation, and breathwork suggest that many aspects of breathing could be improved via purposeful strategies. Hence, we sought to synthesize these disparate sources to create a new theoretical framework called “Breath Tools” proposing breathing strategies for use during running to improve tolerance, performance, and lower barriers to long-term enjoyment.
The Multifaceted Neurotoxicity of Astrocytes in Ageing and Age-Related Neurodegenerative Diseases: A Translational Perspective
Authors: Bouvier David S. , Fixemer Sonja , Heurtaux Tony , Jeannelle Félicia , Frauenknecht Katrin B. M. , Mittelbronn Michel
Published: March 2022

In a healthy physiological context, astrocytes are multitasking cells contributing to central nervous system (CNS) homeostasis, defense, and immunity. In cell culture or rodent models of age-related neurodegenerative diseases (NDDs), such as Alzheimer’s disease (AD) and Parkinson’s disease (PD), numerous studies have shown that astrocytes can adopt neurotoxic phenotypes that could enhance disease progression. Chronic inflammatory responses, oxidative stress, unbalanced phagocytosis, or alteration of their core physiological roles are the main manifestations of their detrimental states. However, if astrocytes are directly involved in brain deterioration by exerting neurotoxic functions in patients with NDDs is still controversial. The large spectrum of NDDs, with often overlapping pathologies, and the technical challenges associated with the study of human brain samples complexify the analysis of astrocyte involvement in specific neurodegenerative cascades. With this review, we aim to provide a translational overview about the multi-facets of astrocyte neurotoxicity ranging from in vitro findings over mouse and human cell-based studies to rodent NDDs research and finally evidence from patient-related research. We also discuss the role of ageing in astrocytes encompassing changes in physiology and response to pathologic stimuli and how this may prime detrimental responses in NDDs. To conclude, we discuss how potentially therapeutic strategies could be adopted to alleviate or reverse astrocytic toxicity and their potential to impact neurodegeneration and dementia progression in patients.
Crucial Role of Stromal Interaction Molecule-Activated TRPC-ORAI Channels in Vascular Remodeling and Pulmonary Hypertension Induced by Intermittent Hypoxia
Authors: Castillo-Galán Sebastián , Riquelme Bárbara , Iturriaga Rodrigo
Published: March 2022

Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), a sleep breathing disorder featured by chronic intermittent hypoxia (CIH), is associate with pulmonary hypertension. Rats exposed to CIH develop lung vascular remodeling and pulmonary hypertension, which paralleled the upregulation of stromal interaction molecule (STIM)-activated TRPC-ORAI Ca2+ channels (STOC) in the lung, suggesting that STOC participate in the pulmonary vascular alterations. Accordingly, to evaluate the role played by STOC in pulmonary hypertension we studied whether the STOC blocker 2-aminoethoxydiphenyl borate (2-APB) may prevent the vascular remodeling and the pulmonary hypertension induced by CIH in a rat model of OSA. We assessed the effects of 2-APB on right ventricular systolic pressure (RVSP), pulmonary vascular remodeling, α-actin and proliferation marker Ki-67 levels in pulmonary arterial smooth muscle cells (PASMC), mRNA levels of STOC subunits, and systemic and pulmonary oxidative stress (TBARS) in male Sprague-Dawley (200 g) rats exposed to CIH (5% O2, 12 times/h for 8h) for 28 days. At 14 days of CIH, osmotic pumps containing 2-APB (10 mg/kg/day) or its vehicle were implanted and rats were kept for 2 more weeks in CIH. Exposure to CIH for 28 days raised RVSP > 35 mm Hg, increased the medial layer thickness and the levels of α-actin and Ki-67 in PASMC, and increased the gene expression of TRPC1, TRPC4, TRPC6 and ORAI1 subunits. Treatment with 2-APB prevented the raise in RVSP and the increment of the medial layer thickness, as well as the increased levels of α-actin and Ki-67 in PASMC, and the increased gene expression of STOC subunits. In addition, 2-APB did not reduced the lung and systemic oxidative stress, suggesting that the effects of 2-APB on vascular remodeling and pulmonary hypertension are independent on the reduction of the oxidative stress. Thus, our results supported that STIM-activated TRPC-ORAI Ca2+ channels contributes to the lung vascular remodeling and pulmonary hypertension induced by CIH.
Agrobacterium-Mediated Genetic Transformation of Embryogenic Callus in a Liriodendron Hybrid (L. Chinense × L. Tulipifera)
Authors: Li Meiping , Wang Dan , Long Xiaofei , Hao Zhaodong , Lu Ye , Zhou Yanwei , Peng Ye , Cheng Tielong , Shi Jisen , Chen Jinhui
Published: March 2022

A highly efficient genetic transformation system of Liriodendron hybrid embryogenic calli through Agrobacterium-mediated genetic transformation was established and optimized. The Agrobacterium tumefaciens strain EHA105, harboring the plasmid pBI121, which contained the ß-glucuronidase (GUS) gene and neomycin phosphotransferase II (npt II) gene under the control of the CaMV35S promoter, was used for transformation. Embryogenic calli were used as the starting explant to study several factors affecting the Agrobacterium-mediated genetic transformation of the Liriodendron hybrid, including the effects of various media, selection by different Geneticin (G418) concentrations, pre-culture period, Agrobacterium optical density, infection duration, co-cultivation period, and delayed selection. Transformed embryogenic calli were obtained through selection on medium containing 90 mg L−1 G418. Plant regeneration was achieved and selected via somatic embryogenesis on medium containing 15 mg L−1 G418. The optimal conditions included a pre-culture time of 2 days, a co-culture time of 3 days, an optimal infection time of 10 min, and a delayed selection time of 7 days. These conditions, combined with an OD600 value of 0.6, remarkably enhanced the transformation rate. The results of GUS chemical tissue staining, polymerase chain reaction (PCR), and southern blot analysis demonstrated that the GUS gene was successfully expressed and integrated into the Liriodendron hybrid genome. A transformation efficiency of 60.7% was achieved for the regenerated callus clumps. Transgenic plantlets were obtained in 5 months, and the PCR analysis showed that 97.5% of plants from the tested G418-resistant lines were PCR positive. The study of the Liriodendron hybrid reported here will facilitate the insertion of functional genes into the Liriodendron hybrid via Agrobacterium-mediated transformation.
Rapid Investigation of Functional Roles of Genes in Regulation of Leaf Senescence Using Arabidopsis Protoplasts
Authors: Doan Phan Phuong Thao , Kim Jin Hee , Kim Jeongsik
Published: March 2022

Leaf senescence is the final stage of leaf development preceding death, which involves a significant cellular metabolic transition from anabolism to catabolism. Several processes during leaf senescence require coordinated regulation by senescence regulatory genes. In this study, we developed a rapid and systematic cellular approach to dissect the functional roles of genes in senescence regulation through their transient expression in Arabidopsis protoplasts. We established and validated this system by monitoring the differential expression of a luciferase-based reporter that was driven by promoters of SEN4 and SAG12, early and late senescence-responsive genes, depending on effectors of known positive and negative senescence regulators. Overexpression of positive senescence regulators, including ORE1, RPK1, and RAV1, increased the expression of both SEN4- and SAG12-LUC while ORE7, a negative senescence regulator decreased their expression. Consistently with overexpression, knockdown of target genes using amiRNAs resulted in opposite SAG12-LUC expression patterns. The timing and patterns of reporter responses induced by senescence regulators provided molecular evidence for their distinct kinetic involvement in leaf senescence regulation. Remarkably, ORE1 and RPK1 are involved in cell death responses, with more prominent and earlier involvement of ORE1 than RPK1. Consistent with the results in protoplasts, further time series of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and cell death assays using different tobacco transient systems reveal that ORE1 causes acute cell death and RPK1 mediates superoxide-dependent intermediate cell death signaling during leaf senescence. Overall, our results indicated that the luciferase-based reporter system in protoplasts is a reliable experimental system that can be effectively used to examine the regulatory roles of Arabidopsis senescence-associated genes.
The Relationship Between Filial Piety and the Academic Achievement and Subjective Wellbeing of Chinese Early Adolescents: The Moderated Mediation Effect of Educational Expectations
Authors: Guo Xiaolin , Li Junjie , Niu Yingnan , Luo Liang
Published: March 2022

A successful student has been defined as one who not only performs well in academics but is also happy. Hence, how to promote adolescents’ academic success and wellbeing is an important issue with which researchers have been concerned. A few studies have explored the relationship of filial piety to the academic achievement or life satisfaction of Chinese adolescents. However, in view of the close relationship between the two outcomes, the unique effects of filial piety on academic achievement and subjective wellbeing and their underlying mechanisms need to be further clarified. Based on a sample of 677 students in Grade 6 (Mage = 12.24, SD = 0.36) and their parents in Beijing, China, this study examines how adolescents’ reciprocal filial piety (RFP) and authoritarian filial piety (AFP) are related to their academic achievement and subjective wellbeing. It also examines the mediating role of adolescents’ educational expectations in these relationships, and the moderating role of parents’ educational expectations in the relationships of adolescents’ filial piety to educational expectations and of adolescents’ educational expectations to academic achievement and subjective wellbeing. The results indicate that, when the two outcome factors are considered simultaneously, RFP is positively related to academic achievement and subjective wellbeing. In contrast, AFP is negatively related to academic achievement but not significantly related to subjective wellbeing. Moreover, adolescents’ educational expectations play a mediating role in the relationships of both RFP and AFP to academic achievement and subjective wellbeing. In addition, the positive effect of adolescents’ educational expectations on subjective wellbeing is stronger when mothers’ educational expectations are higher, supporting the moderating role of parents’ educational expectations. Our findings provide new insights into and implications for the moderated mediation mechanism underlying the links between filial piety and early adolescent development.
You Are Old, but Are You Out? Intergenerational Contact Impacts on Out-Group Perspective-Taking and on the Roles of Stereotyping and Intergroup Anxiety
Authors: Long Yanxi , Jiang Xinxin , Wang Yuqing , Zhou Xiaoyu , You Xuqun
Published: March 2022

Perspective-taking (PT) is an important ability to imagine the world from another’s point of view. Prior studies have shown that younger adults are more likely to consider the opinions of age-based in-group members relative to out-group members. However, the cause of this priority is still unknown. We conducted three independent studies to explore the effect of intergenerational contact on younger adults’ PT toward older adults and the possible roles of stereotyping and intergroup anxiety. A total of 192 college students completed the Perspective taking Scale in Study 1 after being primed with age-based intergroup relationships. The results indicated that younger adults found it more difficult to take the perspective of older adults than that of their peers. 200 college students completed the Prior Contact Scale, Intergroup Anxiety Scale, Negative Stereotype Scale, and PT Scale in Study 2. The results demonstrated that intergenerational contact improved PT toward older adults by disrupting negative stereotypes, and intergroup anxiety moderated this mediating relationship. A total of 215 college students completed the PT Scale in the context of imagining intergenerational contact in Study 3. Interestingly, imagined contact effectively increased younger adults’ ability to take older adults’ perspectives. The present research verifies that contact is important for influencing younger adults’ emotional (intergroup anxiety) and attitudinal (stereotyping) factors that are critical to improving younger adults’ ability to take older people’s perspectives. This is of great significance for developing harmonious intergenerational relationships.
Development and Study of Ezzence: A Modular Scent Wearable to Improve Wellbeing in Home Sleep Environments
Authors: Amores Judith , Dotan Mae , Maes Pattie
Published: March 2022

Ezzence is the first smartphone-controlled olfactometer designed for both day and night conditions. We discuss the design and technical implementation of Ezzence and report on a study to evaluate the feasibility of using the device in home-based sleep environments. The study results (N = 40) show that participants were satisfied with the device and found it easy to use. Furthermore, participants reported a significant improvement in sleep quality when using the device with scent in comparison to the control condition (p = 0.003), as well as better mood the following morning (p = 0.038) and shorter time to sleep onset (p = 0.008). The device is integrated with a wearable EEG and real-time sleep staging algorithm to release scent during specific sleep stages (N1, N2, N3, and REM), which is important for certain use cases (e.g., to study the effect of scent on REM dreams, or to improve memory consolidation with a re-exposure of scent during N2 and N3). Ezzence can be used for several applications, including those that require scent triggered day and night. They include targeted memory reactivation, longitudinal health treatments, therapy, and mental or physical exercises. Finally, this article proposes an interaction framework to understand relationships between scents and environments based on proxemic dimensions and passive or active interactions during sleep.
The Impact of Career Growth on Knowledge-Based Employee Engagement: The Mediating Role of Affective Commitment and the Moderating Role of Perceived Organizational Support
Authors: Jia-jun Zhu , Hua-ming Song
Published: March 2022

Based on social exchange theory and attribution theory, this paper explores the role of affective commitment and organizational support in the relationship between career growth and the engagement of knowledge workers. The results show that (1) career growth has a positive impact on knowledge workers’ organizational engagement; (2) career goal progress and professional ability development promote job engagement; (3) career growth has a positive effect on affective commitment, which in turn influences employee engagement; (4) affective commitment plays a mediating role in the effect of career growth on engagement; and (5) perceived organizational support positively moderates the relationship between career growth and affective commitment.
Acute Effects of High-Intensity Aerobic Exercise on Motor Cortical Excitability and Inhibition in Sedentary Adults
Authors: Hendy Ashlee M. , Andrushko Justin W. , Della Gatta Paul A. , Teo Wei-Peng
Published: March 2022

Transcranial magnetic stimulation studies have demonstrated increased cortical facilitation and reduced inhibition following aerobic exercise, even when examining motor regions separate to the exercised muscle group. These changes in brain physiology following exercise may create favorable conditions for adaptive plasticity and motor learning. One candidate mechanism behind these benefits is the increase in brain-derived neurotropic factor (BDNF) observed following exercise, which can be quantified from a venous blood draw. The aim of this study was to investigate changes in motor cortex excitability and inhibition of the upper limb, and circulating BDNF, following high-intensity interval training (HIIT) on a stationary bicycle. Nineteen sedentary adults participated in a randomized crossover design study involving a single bout of high-intensity interval cycling for 20 min or seated rest. Venous blood samples were collected, and transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) was used to stimulate the extensor carpi radialis (ECR), where motor evoked potentials (MEP) were recorded pre- and post-condition. Following exercise, there was a significant increase (29.1%, p < 0.001) in corticospinal excitability measured at 120% of resting motor threshold (RMT) and a reduction in short-interval cortical inhibition (SICI quantified as 86.2% increase in the SICI ratio, p = 0.002). There was a non-significant (p = 0.125) 23.6% increase in BDNF levels. Collectively, these results reflect a net reduction in gamma aminobutyric acid (GABA)ergic synaptic transmission and increased glutamatergic facilitation, resulting in increased corticospinal excitability. This study supports the notion that acute high-intensity exercise provides a potent stimulus for inducing cortical neuroplasticity, which may support enhanced motor learning.
The Ambivalent Students’ Cognition to Be English Teachers for Young Learners: A Longitudinal Study
Authors: Astutik Yuli , Setiawan Slamet , Anam Syafi’ul
Published: March 2022

This longitudinal study analyzed university students’ cognition in learning an English for young learners (EYL) course. A qualitative method was used to get the data from 28 students who took the tiered EYL courses, EYL 1, EYL 2, and EYL 3, at a private university by giving them open-ended questionnaires for three semesters, or one and a half years. Semi-structured interviews with those 28 students were also used as the triangulation data at the end of each semester. The findings indicate a very extreme change in pre-service teachers’ cognition, such as motivation, perception, and belief. At the end of their lecture, students initially interested in learning English for young learners did not want to become EYL teachers. On the other hand, students who enrolled in the EYL course for non-academic reasons wanted to have a profession as an EYL teacher after completing the EYL courses. It proves that students’ interest in teaching English to young learners and the length of time spent studying EYL teaching knowledge do not assure those pre-service teachers are increasingly convinced to have a teaching profession.
Relations Between L2 Proficiency and L1 Lexical Property Evaluations
Authors: Altın Elif , Okur Nurdem , Yalçın Esra , Eraçıkbaş Asude Firdevs , Aktan-Erciyes Aslı
Published: March 2022

The present study investigates the relations between L2-English proficiency and L1-Turkish lexical property evaluations. We asked whether L2 proficiency affects lexical properties, including imageability and concreteness ratings of 600 Turkish words selected from the Word Frequency Dictionary of Written Turkish. Seventy-two participants (L1-Turkish - L2-English) provided ratings of concreteness and imageability for 600 words on a 7-point scale. In order to assess their L2 proficiency, we administered Peabody Picture Vocabulary Test-IV (PPVT-IV). We divided categories into two subcategories as high and low for the frequency, concreteness, imageability, and age of acquisition (AoA). The relationship between these subcategories and imageability-concreteness was examined by mixed effects linear regression analyses. We found that L2 proficiency and imageability ratings were positively correlated and specifically, this positive association was evident for low-frequency words and later acquired words. Results are in line with the interaction of bilingual representation under the dual-coding theory which suggests that bilinguals develop an interconnected imaginal representation for two languages as opposed to separate verbal representations. As L2 proficiency increased, the imageability also increased. These findings have implications for literature investigating the relationship between L2 proficiency and linguistic outcomes. Additionally, findings point to the importance of considering the L2 proficiency of participants when lexical tasks that involve cue words or word lists are used.
Machine Learning-Based Analysis of Digital Movement Assessment and ExerGame Scores for Parkinson's Disease Severity Estimation
Authors: Mahboobeh Dunia J. , Dias Sofia B. , Khandoker Ahsan H. , Hadjileontiadis Leontios J.
Published: March 2022

Neurodegenerative Parkinson's Disease (PD) is one of the common incurable diseases among the elderly. Clinical assessments are characterized as standardized means for PD diagnosis. However, relying on medical evaluation of a patient's status can be subjective to physicians' experience, making the assessment process susceptible to human errors. The use of ICT-based tools for capturing the status of patients with PD can provide more objective and quantitative metrics. In this vein, the Personalized Serious Game Suite (PGS) and intelligent Motor Assessment Tests (iMAT), produced within the i-PROGNOSIS European project (www.i-prognosis.eu), are explored in the current study. More specifically, data from 27 patients with PD at Stage 1 (9) and Stage 3 (18) produced from their interaction with PGS/iMAT are analyzed. Five feature vector (FV) scenarios are set, including features from PGS or iMAT scores or their combination, after also taking into consideration the age of patients with PD. These FVs are fed into three machine learning classifiers, i.e., K-Nearest Neighbor (KNN), Support Vector Machines (SVM), and Random Forest (RF), to infer the stage of each patient with PD. A Leave-One-Out Cross-Validation (LOOCV) method is adopted for testing the classification performance. The experimental results show that a high (>90%) classification accuracy is achieved from both data sources (PGS/iMAT), justifying the effectiveness of PGS/iMAT to efficiently reflect the motor skill status of patients with PD and further potentiating PGS/iMAT enhancement with a machine learning a part to infer for the stage of patients with PD. Clearly, this integrated approach provides new opportunities for remote monitoring of the stage of patients with PD, contributing to a more efficient organization and set up of personalized interventions.
EFL Students’ Academic Buoyancy: Does Academic Motivation and Interest Matter?
Authors: Xu Xin , Wang Bin
Published: March 2022

The way students are treated by their teachers have been proven to play a paramount role in students’ performance. Either teachers’ academic buoyancy or academic motivation may change students’ mindset about learning a language, leading to facilitating this process or making it even more demanding than it seems. Considering that, it can be taken into account how important teachers’ academic buoyancy would be and its mediators such as academic motivation should draw precise attention to themselves. However, a few studies have been conducted about this pivotal role so far. To fill this gap, this review paper provides a glimpse at the underlying roles of academic buoyancy and academic motivation and interest. Furthermore, it presents the definitions and applications of each construct. Finally, some implications and future recommendations are put forward to enthusiastic scholars.
Gender Differences in Depressive and Anxiety Symptoms During the First Stage of the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Cross-Sectional Study in Latin America and the Caribbean
Authors: Herrera-Añazco Percy , Urrunaga-Pastor Diego , Benites-Zapata Vicente A. , Bendezu-Quispe Guido , Toro-Huamanchumo Carlos J. , Hernandez Adrian V.
Published: March 2022

Background

Previous studies have suggested that the pandemic impact on mental health could vary according to gender. We aimed to evaluate the gender influence in the prevalence of depressive and anxiety symptoms in Latin American and the Caribbean (LAC) countries in the first stage of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Methods

We conducted a secondary analysis employing the Facebook–COVID-19 Symptom Survey developed by the University of Maryland. We categorized gender as men, women, and non-binary. The outcomes were the presence of anxiety or depressive symptoms, measured with two adapted questions extracted from the Kessler Psychological Distress Scale (K10). We used generalized linear models from the Poisson family, considering the survey's complex sampling. We calculated crude and adjusted prevalence ratios (PR) with their 95% confidence intervals (95% CI) and explored interactions with gender using the adjusted Wald test.

Results

We included 1,338,320 adults from LAC countries; 48.0, 50.6, and 1.4% were men, women, and non-binary participants, respectively. The overall prevalence of anxiety or depressive symptoms was 44.8 and 46.6%, respectively. We found interactions between gender and the rest of the independent variables. In the non-binary group, the association between age and anxiety symptomatology was lost after an age of 55 years. Furthermore, whereas living in a town was associated with a lower prevalence of anxiety and depression symptomatology in men and women, this did not happen among non-binary individuals. Compliance with physical distancing was associated with a lower prevalence of anxiety and depression symptomatology among women (anxiety: PRa = 0.98; 95% CI = 0.97–0.99; p < 0.001, depression: PRa = 0.96; 95% CI = 0.95–0.97; p < 0.001) and only anxiety in non-binary participants (anxiety: PRa = 0.92; 95% CI = 0.88–0.98; p = 0.005). This was not evidenced among men participants (anxiety: PRa = 0.99; 95% CI = 0.96–1.01; p = 0.199, depression: PRa = 0.98; 95% CI = 0.96–1.00; p = 0.084). In addition, compliance with handwashing was associated with a higher prevalence of anxiety symptomatology among men (PRa = 1.06; 95% CI = 1.05–1.11; p < 0.001) and women participants (PRa = 1.03; 95% CI = 1.01–1.05; p = 0.016).

Conclusion

Approximately 4 out of 10 participants had anxiety or depressive symptoms. Women and non-binary gender people had more symptoms of anxiety or depression. The factors associated with these symptoms varied according to gender. It is essential to evaluate gender-related strategies to improve mental health during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Role Stress and Psychological Distress Among Chinese Nurses During the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Moderated Mediation Model of Social Support and Burnout
Authors: Xiao Yuting , Zhang Honghui , Li Qian , Xiao Shan , Dai Ting , Guo Jia , Yu Yu
Published: March 2022

Objective

Nurses are at high risk of psychological distress including stress, depression, and anxiety due to low personnel density and high work demand. Despite mounting evidence showing that role stress is a risk factor for nurses' psychological distress, the mediating and moderating mechanisms underlying this relationship are less known. This study tests the mediation effect of burnout in the association between role stress and psychological distress, and whether this mediation is moderated by social support.

Methods

A sample of 623 Chinese nurses were recruited from all hepatological surgery departments in Hunan Province and filled out an online questionnaire to collect data on socio-demographics, role stress, burnout, psychological distress, and social support. Mediation and moderation analyses were carried out in SPSS macro-PROCESS.

Results

Burnout partially mediated the positive association between role stress and psychological distress. Social support moderated the indirect effect of role stress on psychological distress via burnout, with the effect being stronger for nurses with low social support than those with high social support.

Conclusions

These findings demonstrated how role stress contributed to nurses' psychological distress both directly and indirectly through burnout, and how this indirect effect was moderated by social support. The results provide important practical implications for future prevention and intervention programs to improve nurses' mental health from multiple aspects such as decreasing role stress and burnout while increasing social support.
Real-Life Clinical Experience With Cariprazine: A Systematic Review of Case Studies
Authors: Csehi Réka , Dombi Zsófia Borbála , Sebe Barbara , Molnár Mária Judit
Published: March 2022

Background

The hierarchy of evidence coming from evidence-based medicine favors meta-analyses and randomized controlled trials over observational studies and clinical cases. Nonetheless, in the field of psychiatry, where conditions are much more complex, additional evidence coming from real-world clinical practice is necessary to complement data from these gold standards. Thus, in this systematic review, the aim is to summarize the evidence coming from clinical case reports regarding cariprazine, a third-generation antipsychotic drug that has been approved for the treatment of schizophrenia and bipolar I disorder with manic, depressive or mixed features in adults.

Methods

A systematic review was performed using Embase and Pubmed databases searching for English-language cases published in peer-reviewed journals between 2000 January and 2021 September with the following search terms: (cariprazin* OR “rgh-188” OR rgh188 OR vraylar OR reagila) AND (“case report*” OR “case report”/de OR “case stud*” OR “case study”/de OR “case seri*”).

Results

After the removal of duplicates, 49 articles were retrieved via the search, from which 22 were suitable for this review. These 22 articles encompassed 38 cases from which 71% described patients with schizophrenia, 16% patients with psychotic disorders, 5% patients with mood disorder and 8% described patients with other disorders such as Wernicke-Korsakoff syndrome, borderline personality disorder and obsessive-compulsive disorder with paranoid schizophrenia. The median age of patients was 31, and half of them were female. The majority of patients (76%) started cariprazine with 1.5 mg/day, and the most common maintenance dose was 4.5 mg/day (34%) and 3.0 mg/day (29%).

Conclusion

Cariprazine was found to be safe and effective in a wide range of psychiatric conditions with different symptom profiles from acute psychotic symptoms through addiction to negative and cognitive symptoms. The results are in-line with the established evidence from clinical trials, however, they also show how cariprazine can be successfully utilized for treating certain symptoms irrespective of the indication.
Does Environmental Information Disclosure Improve the Health Level of Middle-Aged and Old Residents? Evidence From China
Authors: Yu Xuan , Shen Weiteng , Lin Sen
Published: March 2022

Objective

The purpose of this study is to empirically examine the impact of environmental information disclosure on the health of middle-aged and old residents and investigate whether such disclosure can improve the health of middle-aged and old residents.

Methods

This study matches the data of the Pollution Information Transparency Index (PITI) and China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study in 2018 and uses the ordered logistic regression model to assess the impact of environmental information disclosure on the health of middle-aged and old residents. Furthermore, stepwise regression, ordinary least square, and ordered probit regression models are used for robustness tests. The IV-Ordered probit regression model solves the endogenous problem.

Results

Environmental information disclosure has a significant positive correlation with the health level of middle-aged and old residents. After the robustness test and endogenous problem handling, this conclusion still holds. Estimation results show that when PITI increases by 1 unit, the probability of improving the self-reported health level and actual health level of middle-aged and old residents increases by 1 and 0.87%, respectively. The impact of environmental information disclosure on the health of middle-aged and old residents also has significant regional heterogeneity. Specifically, the impact is mainly reflected in the central region of China.

Conclusion

Environmental information disclosure can improve the health of middle-aged and old residents. To improve the health of middle-aged and old residents, it is necessary to implement and enhance the environmental information disclosure system continuously. The anti-driving effect of environmental information disclosure on the treatment of environmental pollution must be intensified further, particularly focusing on the central region of China, where is more polluted and more concentrated than other regions.