bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Integrating RNA-seq and scRNA-seq to explore the mechanism of macrophage ferroptosis associated with COPD
Authors: Fan Pengbei , Zhang Yige , Ding Shenao , Du Zhixin , Zhou Chunyu , Du Xiaodan
Published: March 2023

Aims: Our study focused on whether macrophages ferroptosis is associated with the pathogenesis of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) or not.

Main methods: We first identified macrophage module genes by weighted gene co-expression network analysis (WGCNA) in RNA sequencing (RNA-seq) date from COPD, and then identified macrophage marker genes by comprehensive analysis of single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq) data from COPD macrophages. There were 126 macrophage marker genes identified, and functional enrichment analyses indicated that ferroptosis pathway genes were significantly enriched. Secondly, we identified eight macrophage ferroptosis related genes and based on these eight genes, we performed co-expression analysis and drug prediction. Thirdly, two biomarkers (SOCS1 and HSPB1) were screened by the least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (LASSO), random forest (RF), and support vector machine-recursive feature elimination (SVM-RFE) and established an artificial neural network (ANN) for diagnosis. Subsequently, the biomarkers were validated in the dataset and validation set. These two biomarkers were then subjected to single gene-gene set enrichment analysis (GSEA) and gene set variation analysis (GSVA) analysis, and the ceRNA network was constructed. Finally, we carried out molecular validation with COPD models in vitro for cell counting kit-8 (CCK8) experiments, Western blot and quantitative real-time PCR (qRT-PCR) analysis and transmission electron microscopy (TEM).

Key findings: This study revealed the vital role of macrophage ferroptosis in COPD, and novel biomarkers (SOCS1 and HSPB1) may be involved in the pathogenesis of COPD by regulating macrophage ferroptosis.

Significance: Taken together, our results suggest that targeting SOCS1 and HSPB1 could treat COPD by inhibiting macrophage ferroptosis.
An evolutionary game study on the cooperation behavior of the “government, banks, and guarantee institutions” in financing guarantee for China’s new agricultural entities
Authors: Zhang Jingjing , Mei Zhu , Zhang Fan , Zhou QiaoMei
Published: March 2023

“Government, bank, and guarantee institution” cooperative financing guarantee (hereinafter referred to as the cooperation mechanism) is an important way to alleviate the financing difficulties of China’s new agricultural entities and raise the credit line of bank financing. In order to find an effective way for the improvement of low-level equilibrium in the actual operation of the cooperation mechanism, this study builds a three-party evolutionary game model using the local government, banks, and agricultural guarantee institutions, with incomplete information on all partners of the cooperation mechanism as the study object. This model focuses on the weak activeness, strong dependence, poor cooperation effect, lower credit line of guarantee, and other specific problems. Moreover, this study analyzes the equilibrium solution of this model and extracts the significant factors affecting the positive cooperation behaviors of the three parties (government, banks, and guarantee institutions) in the view of interest realization. Analog simulation is performed to explore the key conditions for truly alleviating the financing risks of new agricultural entities, thus helping improve the operation quality of the cooperation mechanism. According to the study results, the focus of “government, bank, and guarantee institution” cooperation should be shifted from post risk sharing to prior risk identification. Specifically, the government should further share high-quality information affiliated with farmland management rights and reflecting the status of risks; guide banks and agricultural guarantee institutions should share the cost of risk identification, accelerate the acquisition of higher information transformation value, and prevent the “free rider problem.” In the last part, policies are recommended in four aspects, including risk information sharing, risk identification quality improvement, risk identification cost sharing, and risk information value transformation, which have practical guiding significance for the sustainable development of “government, bank, and guarantee institution” financing guarantee for China’s new agricultural entities.
The causal effect of physical activity intensity on COVID-19 susceptibility, hospitalization, and severity: Evidence from a mendelian randomization study
Authors: Zhang Xing , Zhang Xinyue , Feng Siyuan , Li Hansen
Published: March 2023

The protection of physical activity (PA) against COVID-19 is a rising research interest. However, the role of physical activity intensity on this topic is yet unclear. To bridge the gap, we performed a Mendelian randomization (MR) study to verify the causal influence of light and moderate-to-vigorous PA on COVID-19 susceptibility, hospitalization, and severity. The Genome-Wide Association Study (GWAS) dataset of PA (n = 88,411) was obtained from the UK biobank and the datasets of COVID-19 susceptibility (n = 1,683,768), hospitalization (n = 1,887,658), and severity (n = 1,161,073) were extracted from the COVID-19 Host Genetics Initiative. A random-effect inverse variance weighted (IVW) model was carried out to estimate the potential causal effects. A Bonferroni correction was used for counteracting. The problem of multiple comparisons. MR-Egger test, MR-PRESSO test, Cochran’s Q statistic, and Leave-One-Out (LOO) were used as sensitive analysis tools. Eventually, we found that light PA significantly reduced the risk of COVID-19 infection (OR = 0.644, 95% CI: 0.480–0.864, p = 0.003). Suggestive evidence indicated that light PA reduced the risks of COVID-19 hospitalization (OR = 0.446, 95% CI: 0.227 to 0.879, p = 0.020) and severe complications (OR = 0.406, 95% CI: 0.167–0.446, p = 0.046). By comparison, the effects of moderate-to-vigorous PA on the three COVID-19 outcomes were all non-significant. Generally, our findings may offer evidence for prescribing personalized prevention and treatment programs. Limited by the available datasets and the quality of evidence, further research is warranted to re-examine the effects of light PA on COVID-19 when new GWAS datasets emerge.
Quantitative assessment of biceps brachii muscle stiffness by using Young’s modulus–Angle curve during passive stretching in stroke patients
Authors: Zhang Xinpei , Zhang Li , Sun Yang , Li Tao , Zhou Mouwang
Published: March 2023

Purpose: This study aims to use shear wave elastography (SWE) to dynamically describe the characteristics of biceps brachii muscle stiffness during passive stretching in healthy participants, investigate changes in the Young’s modulus–angle curve under various states of muscle tone in stroke patients, and develop a new method for measuring muscle tone quantitatively.

Methods: In total, 30 healthy volunteers and 54 stroke patients were evaluated for elbow flexor muscle tone on both sides using passive motion examination and were divided into groups based on their muscle tone status. The real-time SWE video of the biceps brachii and the Young’s modulus data were recorded during the passive straightening of the elbow. The Young’s modulus–elbow angle curves were created and fitted using an exponential model. The parameters yielded from the model were subjected to further intergroup analysis.

Results: The repeatability of the Young’s modulus measurement was generally good. During passive elbow extension, the Young’s modulus of the biceps brachii steadily increased as muscle tone increased, and it increased faster when the modified Ashworth scale (MAS) score got higher. The exponential model’s fitness was generally good. The curvature coefficient was significantly different between the MAS 0 group and the hypertonia groups (MAS 1, 1+, and 2 groups).

Conclusion: The passive elastic characteristics of the biceps brachii are consistent with the exponential model. The Young’s modulus–elbow angle curve of the biceps brachii changes in distinct ways depending on the muscle tone status. SWE can be used to quantify muscular stiffness during passive stretching as a new way of muscle tone evaluation, allowing for quantitative muscle tone evaluation and mathematical assessment of muscle mechanical properties in stroke patients.
Transcriptomic analysis of pea plant responses to chitooligosaccharides’ treatment revealed stimulation of mitogen-activated protein kinase cascade
Authors: Kozyulina Polina Yu. , Pavlova Olga A. , Kantsurova (Rudaya) Elizaveta S. , Bovin Andrey D. , Shirobokova Svetlana A. , Dolgikh Aleksandra V. , Dymo Alina M. , Dolgikh Elena A.
Published: March 2023

Since chitooligosaccharides (COs) are water-soluble, biodegradable and nontoxic compounds, their application may be considered as a promising plant-protecting agent. However, the molecular and cellular modes of action of COs are not yet understood. In this study, transcriptional changes in pea roots treated with COs were investigated via RNA sequencing. Pea roots treated with the deacetylated CO8-DA at low concentration (10-5 М) were harvested 24 h after treatment and their expression profiles were compared against medium-treated control plants. We observed 886 differentially expressed genes (fold change ≥ 1; p-value < 0.05) 24 h after treatment with CO8-DA. Gene Ontology term over-representation analysis allowed us to identify the molecular functions of the genes activated in response to CO8-DA treatment and their relation to biological processes. Our findings suggest that calcium signaling regulators and MAPK cascade play a key role in pea plant responses to treatment. Here we found two MAPKKKs, the PsMAPKKK5 and PsMAPKKK20, which might function redundantly in the CO8-DA-activated signaling pathway. In accordance with this suggestion, we showed that PsMAPKKK knockdown decreases resistance to pathogenic Fusarium culmorum fungi. Therefore, analysis showed that typical regulators of intracellular signal transduction pathways involved in triggering of plant responses via CERK1 receptors to chitin/COs in Arabidopsis and rice may also be recruited in legume pea plants.
Aggressiveness and mycotoxin profile of Fusarium avenaceum isolates causing Fusarium seedling blight and Fusarium head blight in UK malting barley
Authors: Inbaia Safieddin , Farooqi Arifa , Ray Rumiana V.
Published: March 2023

Introduction

Fusarium avenaceum causing Fusarium seedling blight (FSB) and Fusarium head blight (FHB) on barley is associated with economic losses of crop yield and quality, and the accumulation of mycotoxins including the enniatins (ENNs) A, A1, B and B1. Although F. avenaceum is the main producer of ENNs, studies on the ability of isolates to cause severe Fusarium diseases or produce mycotoxins in barley are limited.

Methods

In this work, we investigated the aggressiveness of nine isolates of F. avenaceum to two cultivars of malting barley, Moonshine and Quench, and defined their ENN mycotoxin profiles in in vitro and in planta experiments. We assessed and compared the severity of FSB and FHB caused by these isolates to disease severity by F. graminearum, F. tricinctum and F. poae. Quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction and Liquid Chromatography Tandem Mass Spectrometry assays were used to quantify pathogen DNA and mycotoxin accumulation, respectively, in barley heads.

Results

Isolates of F. avenaceum were equally aggressive to barley stems and heads and caused the most severe FSB symptoms resulting in up to 55% reductions of stem and root length. Fusarium graminearum caused the most severe FHB disease, followed by the isolates of F. avenaceum with the most aggressive F. avenaceum isolates capable of causing similar bleaching of barley heads as F. avenaceum. Fusarium avenaceum isolates produced ENN B as the predominant mycotoxin, followed by ENN B1 and A1 in vitro. However, only the most aggressive isolates produced ENN A1 in planta and none produced ENN A or beauvericin (BEA) either in planta or in vitro.

Discussion

The capacity of F. avenaceum isolates to produce ENNs was related to the accumulation of pathogen DNA in barley heads, whilst FHB severity was related to the synthesis and accumulation of ENN A1 in planta. Cv. Moonshine was significantly more resistant than Quench to FSB or FHB, caused by any Fusarium isolate, and to the accumulation of pathogen DNA, ENNs or BEA. In conclusion, aggressive F. avenaceum isolates are potent ENN producers causing severe FSB and FHB with ENN A1 requiring further investigation as potential virulence factor for F. avenaceum in cereals.
Physical activity and academic procrastination in Chinese college students: The serial mediating roles of physical self-perceptions and self-esteem
Authors: Ren Kai , Chen Xing , Zhang Yanni , Sun Fang , Peng Fan
Published: March 2023

Studies have demonstrated that physical activity (PA) is negatively associated with academic procrastination. However, there is limited research on the mechanism underlying this relationship. This study aims to explore the relationship between PA and academic procrastination by investigating the roles of physical self-perceptions and self-esteem. 916 college students (650 females;Meanage = 19.11,SDage = 1.04) participated in the study. Participants completed the Physical Activity Rating Scale-3, the Physical Self-Perceptions Profile, the Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale, and the Academic Procrastination Questionnaires. Descriptive statistics, Pearson’s correlation, and mediating effect analysis were carried out using SPSS 25.0. The results showed that (a) PA, physical self-perceptions, and self-esteem were negatively correlated with academic procrastination, (b) self-esteem mediated the association between PA and academic procrastination, and (c) physical self-perceptions and self-esteem sequentially mediated the association between PA and academic procrastination. These findings have deepened our understanding on the relationship between PA and academic procrastination, highlighting important approaches to deal with academic procrastination.
Body social models of disability: Examining enactive and ecological approaches
Authors: Jurgens Alan
Published: March 2023

Autistic philosopher and neurodiversity proponent Robert Chapman (2021) argues that disability may be best understood by utilizing an ecological functional model where the focus is on the intersection and overlaps between relational contributions to collectives and group functioning with individual functionality. This presents an alternative to both social-relational models of disability advocated by other neurodiversity proponents and the orthodox medical model of disability. While enactivists such as Michelle Maiese and Juan Toro, Julian Kiverstein and Erik Rietveld have also offered relational models of disability that challenge the orthodox medical model, I argue that unlike the ecological functional model, these enactivist models remain problematically committed to an individualist methodology. Drawing on what Miriam Kyselo has labeled the body social problem, I show that the enactivist models not only face theoretical issues, but also practical issues in terms of their recommended intervention strategies for disability. I argue that for these reasons, if enactivists want a relational model of disability, then they should adopt both a neurodiversity paradigm approach and Chapman’s ecological functional model.
The Mental Models Training App: Enhancing verbal reasoning through a cognitive training mobile application
Authors: Cortes Robert A. , Weinberger Adam B. , Green Adam E.
Published: March 2023

Introduction

Reasoning is a complex form of human cognition whose nature has long been debated. While a number of neurocognitive mechanisms for deductive reasoning have been offered, one of the most prominent accounts is Mental Model Theory (MMT). According to MMT, humans are able to manipulate and represent information for reasoning and problem solving by leveraging the brain’s evolved visuospatial resources. Thus, when solving deductive reasoning problems, reasoners build “mental models” of the essential pieces of information conveyed in the premises, with their relations to each other represented spatially—even when the information contained within a reasoning problem is not intrinsically spatial. Crucially, taking a spatially-based approach, such as building mental models, supports higher accuracy on deductive reasoning problems. However, no study has empirically tested whether explicitly training this mental modeling ability leads to improved deductive reasoning performance.

Method

Therefore, we designed the Mental Models Training App, a cognitive training mobile application which requires participants to complete increasingly difficult reasoning problems while using an external mental modeling tool. In this preregistered study (https://osf.io/4b7kn), we conducted a between-subjects experiment (N = 301) which compared the Mental Models Training App to 3 distinct control conditions in order to examine which specific components (if any) of the training were causally responsible for improved reasoning performance.

Results

Results demonstrate that, when compared to a passive control condition, the Mental Models Training App led to improvements in adults’ verbal deductive reasoning performance both during and after the training intervention. However, contrary to our preregistered hypotheses, the training-induced improvements were not significantly larger than the effects of the active control conditions—one which included adaptive practice of the reasoning problems, and one which included adaptive practice as well as a spatial alphabetization control task.

Discussion

Therefore, while the present results demonstrate the ability of the Mental Models Training App to enhance verbal deductive reasoning, they do not support the hypothesis that directly training participants mental modeling ability yields improved performance beyond the effects of adaptive practice of reasoning. Future research should examine the long-term effects of repeated usage of the Mental Models Training App, as well as transfer effects to other forms of reasoning. Finally, we present the Mental Models Training App as a free mobile application available on the Apple App store (https://apps.apple.com/us/app/mental-models-training/id1664939931), in the hope that this translational research may be utilized by the general public to improve their reasoning ability.
Effects of a nurse-led structured home visiting program on quality of life and adherence to treatment in hemodialysis patients
Authors: Pooresmaeil Mina , Iranpour Sohrab , Aghamohammadi Masoumeh
Published: March 2023

Purpose

This study aimed to determine the effects of a nurse-led structured home visit program on quality of life and adherence to treatment in patients undergoing hemodialysis.

Methods

The study was quasi-experimental research in which 62 hemodialysis patients referred to Bu Ali hospital in Ardabil participated in two groups: Intervention (n = 31) and control (n = 31). The intervention included a structured and planned home visit program that was performed in five stages over 3 months. Data collection tools were a demographic information form, Kidney Disease Quality of Life Short Form (KDQOL–SF™) and End Stage Renal Disease Adherence Questionnaire (ESRD_AQ) which were completed by patients before, at the end of the first, second, and third month of intervention. SPSS v20 software and descriptive and analytical tests (Chi-square, t-test, ANOVA and repeated measure) were used for data analysis.

Findings

Examining demographic characteristics showed that there is a negative and significant relationship between age and quality of life scores (P = 0.004), that is, with increasing age, the quality of life score decreases, but other demographic characteristics did not have a significant relationship with quality of life scores and adherence to treatment (P > 0.05).

Also, the results showed that in the intervention and control groups, during the study, the scores of quality of life and adherence to treatment increased significantly, and this increase was significantly higher in the intervention group than in the control group (P < 0.001).

The scores of quality of life and adherence to treatment increased significantly both during the study in each group separately and between groups during the study (P < 0.001).

Conclusions

According to the significant improvement in quality of life and adherence to treatment in patients following a home-visiting program during 3 months, these interventions can be utilized to improve quality of life and adherence to treatment of patients undergoing hemodialysis.

Practice implications

Home visiting programs significantly improve the level of knowledge of patients undergoing hemodialysis and their family members, through their involvement in the care process. Having said that, it seems plausible to implement home visits in the standard care plans of hemodialysis patients.
Does exercise participation promote happiness?: Mediations and heterogeneities
Authors: Li Chao , Ning Guangjie , Xia Yuxin
Published: March 2023

This paper uses a nationally representative and large-scale dataset from China to empirically examine the relationship between exercise participation and happiness. To address the problem of reverse causality between the two factors, the instrumental variable (IV) approach is used to deal with endogeneity to some extent. It is demonstrated that higher frequencies of exercise participation are positively related to happiness. Findings also demonstrate that physical exercise could significantly decrease depressive disorders, improves self-rated health conditions and reduces the frequency of health problems affecting people's work and life. At the same time, all of above health factors significantly influence subjective wellbeing. When these health variables are included in regressions, the correlation between exercise participation and happiness declines. This confirms that physical activity helps to improve happiness by enhancing mental and overall health conditions. In addition, results show that physical activities are more prominently related to happiness for male, older and unmarried individuals and those living in rural areas, lacking social security and with higher levels of depression as well as lower socioeconomic status. Furthermore, a series of robustness checks are carried out and exercise participation's positive role in improving happiness is further confirmed using different happiness measures and instrumental variables, various IV models, as well as penalized machine learning methods and placebo tests. With the increasing emphasis of improving happiness as an important goal in the global public health policy, findings of this paper have important policy implications for enhancing subjective wellbeing.
COVID-19 and unfavorable changes in mental health unrelated to changes in physical activity, sedentary time, and health behaviors among Swedish adolescents: A longitudinal study
Authors: Nyberg Gisela , Helgadóttir Björg , Kjellenberg Karin , Ekblom Örjan
Published: March 2023

Background

The COVID-19 pandemic has had major impact on the daily lives of adolescents. This study examined whether mental health outcomes had changed over the pandemic, and if such changes were related to changes in physical activity (PA), sedentary time, sleep, screen time, and participation in organized sports.

Materials and methods

In this longitudinal study, data were collected in autumn 2019 with follow-up measurements in spring 2021. In total, 558 schools were invited and 34 schools around Stockholm with a variation in socioeconomic background were included. Physical activity and sedentary time were measured for seven consecutive days by accelerometry (Actigraph). Anxiety, health-related quality of life (HRQoL), psychosomatic health, stress, sleep duration, screen time, and organized sports participation were self-reported in questionnaires. Linear models were applied to estimate associations between changes in mental health outcomes and exposures.

Results

From the baseline sample of 1,139 participants, 585 (55% girls), mean (SD) age 14.9 (0.3) years, participated in the follow-up. Between 2019 and 2021, there was a decrease in HRQoL [mean difference −1.7 (−2.3, −1.2), p < 0.001], increase in psychosomatic health problems [mean difference 1.8 (1.3, 2.3), p < 0.001], and an increase in the number of participants with high stress [from 94 (28%) to 139 (42%), p < 0.001]. Weekly light PA and sleep duration decreased and weekly sedentary time and screen time increased unrelated to changes in mental health outcomes. An increase in sleep duration during weekdays was significantly related to both a decrease in anxiety (B = −0.71, CI: −1.36, −0.06) and an increase in HRQoL (B = 1.00, CI: 0.51, 1.49).

Conclusion

During the COVID-19 pandemic, mental health appears to have been impaired in Swedish adolescents, but unrelated to changes in PA, sedentary time, screen time, or participation in organized sports. However, increased sleep duration on weekdays was related to less anxiety and better HRQoL. The results may help policy makers and other stakeholders comprehend the differential effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on mental health outcomes and help guiding the planning of policy actions.

Trial registration

ISRCTN15689873.
Age and cohort trends in disability among Chinese older adults
Authors: Pan Chaoping , Cao Na , Kelifa Mohammedhamid Osman , Luo Shuren
Published: March 2023

Objective

This study aimed to examine age and cohort trends in disability among Chinese older adults and explore the disablement process factors that may explain the cohort trends in disability.

Methods

This study used data from five waves of the Chinese Longitudinal Healthy Longevity Survey (CLHLS). A hierarchical logistic growth model was used to analyze the A–P–C effects and the contributors of cohort trends.

Results

ADL, IADL, and FL among Chinese older adults showed increasing age and cohort trends. FL was more likely to result in IADL disability than ADL disability. Among the disablement process factors, gender, residence, education, health behavior, disease, and family income contributed to most of the cohort trends in disability.

Conclusions

As older adults face increasing disability trends, it is necessary to distinguish age and cohort trends and develop more effective interventions according to relative contributors to prevent disability among them.
Determining cancer stage at diagnosis in population-based cancer registries: A rapid scoping review
Authors: Pung Li , Moorin Rachael , Trevithick Richard , Taylor Karen , Chai Kevin , Garcia Gewerc Cristiana , Ha Ninh , Smith Stephanie
Published: March 2023

Introduction

Population-based cancer registries are the main source of data for population-level analysis of cancer stage at diagnosis. This data enables analysis of cancer burden by stage, evaluation of screening programs and provides insight into differences in cancer outcomes. The lack of standardised collection of cancer staging in Australia is well recognised and is not routinely collected within the Western Australia Cancer Registry. This review aimed to explore how cancer stage at diagnosis is determined in population-based cancer registries.

Methods

This review was guided by the Joanna-Briggs Institute methodology. A systematic search of peer-reviewed research studies and grey literature from 2000 to 2021 was conducted in December 2021. Literature was included if peer-reviewed articles or grey literature sources used population-based cancer stage at diagnosis, and were published in English between 2000 and 2021. Literature was excluded if they were reviews or only the abstract was available. Database results were screened by title and abstract using Research Screener. Full-texts were screened using Rayyan. Included literature were analysed using thematic analysis and managed through NVivo.

Results

The findings of the 23 included articles published between 2002 and 2021 consisted of two themes. (1) “Data sources and collection processes” outlines the data sources used, as well as the processes and timing of data collection utilised by population-based cancer registries. (2) “Staging classification systems” reveals the staging classification systems employed or developed for population-based cancer staging, including the American Joint Committee on Cancer's Tumour Node Metastasis and related systems; simplified systems classified into localised, regional, and distant categories; and miscellaneous systems.

Conclusions

Differences in approaches used to determine population-based cancer stage at diagnosis challenge attempts to make interjurisdictional and international comparisons. Barriers to collecting population-based stage at diagnosis include resource availability, infrastructure differences, methodological complexity, interest variations, and differences in population-based roles and emphases. Even within countries, disparate funding sources and funder interests can challenge the uniformity of population-based cancer registry staging practices. International guidelines to guide cancer registries in collecting population-based cancer stage is needed. A tiered framework of standardising collection is recommended. The results will inform integrating population-based cancer staging into the Western Australian Cancer Registry.
Gay, Lesbian, and Bisexual (LGB) peoples' leadership self-effectiveness: The roles of internalized sexual stigma, LGB positive identity, and traditional masculinity
Authors: Salvati Marco , Sari Tunahan , Pellegrini Valerio , De Cristofaro Valeria
Published: March 2023

Grounded in the theoretical frameworks of the minority stress model and the model of positive identity in sexual minority people, the current research contributes to fill a gap in the previous literature, investigating the relationships among leadership self-effectiveness, internalized sexual stigma, positive identity, and adherence to traditional masculinity of gay, lesbian, and bisexual (LGB) individuals. Through a correlational study (N = 449), we collected data from 229 gay/bisexual men (51%) and 220 lesbian/bisexual women (49%). We hypothesized that lower internalized sexual stigma, higher LGB positive identity, and higher adherence to traditional masculinity were associated to higher self-perceived effectiveness. The interactive relationships among the variables, including participants' gender, were investigated from an exploratory perspective. The hypotheses were tested through two moderated regression models and the results confirmed that participants with lower internalized sexual stigma and higher LGB positive identity were more likely to perceive themselves as potential effective leaders. Also, the results showed a significant interaction between participants' gender and traditional masculinity score suggesting that high adherence to traditional masculinity was a significant predictor of self-perceived effectiveness only for gay/bisexual men, but not for lesbian/bisexual women. This research contributes to provide both confirmation and novel insights into the key role of relevant factors impacting on LGB people's leadership self-effectiveness, which might contribute to preserve the gay glass ceiling effect. The presence of antidiscrimination policies in organizations not only might reduce reports of discrimination but also enhance LGB employees' positive sense of self, which is a critical aspect to emerge as a leader.
Extensive spinal epidural abscess caused by Staphylococcus epidermidis: A case report and literature review
Authors: Pi Yang-wei , Gong Yan , Jiang Jia-jia , Zhu De-jin , Tong Yue-xin , Jiang Li-ming , Zhao Dong-xu
Published: March 2023

Background

Extensive spinal epidural abscess (SEA) is an exceptional and threatening condition that requires prompt recognition and proper management to avoid potentially disastrous complications. We aimed to find key elements of early diagnosis and rational treatments for extensive SEA.

Case presentation

A 70-year-old man complained of intense pain in the cervical-thoracic-lumbar spine that radiated to the lower extremity. Laboratory test results revealed a marked increase in all indicators of infection. The spinal magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) revealed a ventral SEA extending from C2 to L4. Owing to the patient's critical condition, laminectomy, drainage, and systemic antibiotic therapy were administered. And the multidrug-resistant Staphylococcus epidermidis was detected in the purulent material from this abscess.

Results

Postoperative MRI revealed diminished epidural abscess, and the clinical symptoms were dramatically and gradually relieved after two rounds of surgery and systemic antibiotic therapy involving the combination of ceftriaxone, linezolid, and rifampicin.

Conclusions

A comprehensive emergency assessment based on neck or back pain, neurological dysfunctions, signs of systemic infection, and MRI are important for early diagnosis of extensive SEA. Further, the combination of laminectomy, drainage, and systemic antibiotic therapy may be a rational treatment choice for patients with SEA, especially for extensive abscess or progressive neurological dysfunction.
Pancreatic duplication cyst misdiagnosed as distal pancreatic tumor: A case report and surgical approach
Authors: Zain Lara , Sweity Raghad , Alshawwa Khaled , Bannoura Sami , Jaber Bashar , Abu-Zaydeh Omar
Published: March 2023

Enteric duplication cysts (EDCs) are a benign and uncommon congenital malformation, with a nonspecific and extremely variable clinical presentation. EDCs associated with the pancreas are called pancreatic duplication cysts (PDCs). They are especially rare and can present with recurrent abdominal pain or even severe pancreatitis. These cysts often get confused with pancreatic neoplasms or pseudocysts, thus posing diagnostic and surgical challenges. Here, we report a case of a 20-year-old male patient with a 14-year history of recurrent abdominal pain and many hospital admissions, who had several imaging studies revealing a persistent focal heterogeneous lesion affecting the tail of the pancreas, surrounding a small pseudocyst. An ultrasound (U/S) guided biopsy was avoided due to the location of the mass. Surgical resection was carried out for the suspicion of malignancy and final pathology report showed benign findings while revealing that what was thought to be a pseudocyst turned out to be a gastric-type PDC, and after reviewing the available literature, we encountered 16 similar cases regarding misdiagnosing PDCs. We conclude that PDCs are very rare and have a variable clinical presentation as well as a likelihood of being confused with other pancreatic neoplasms. Therefore, PDCs need a high index of suspicion to avoid recurrent hospital admissions and unnecessary procedures due to the fact that sometimes a simple cystectomy is adequate.
Neurobiologiczne uwarunkowania nauki języków obcych
Authors: Prizel-Kania Adriana
Published: March 2023

This article covers the issues relating to the cerebral organisation of speech functions and the neurobiological foundations of the processing of linguistic information, and identifies the individual factors that play a crucial role in the process of learning a foreign language. With regard to neuropsychological considerations, special attention is given to the importance of cerebral hemisphere asymmetry. Insight into the biomedical foundations of language processing and the processes that condition language acquisition should be of interest to those involved in teaching foreign languages. The data discussed in the article are sourced from publications and research in speech-language pathology, a subfield of applied linguistics relying on clinical data and findings on the neurobiological aspects of linguistic communication.
Detectron2 for Lesion Detection in Diabetic Retinopathy
Authors: Chincholi Farheen , Koestler Harald
Published: March 2023

Hemorrhages in the retinal fundus are a common symptom of both diabetic retinopathy and diabetic macular edema, making their detection crucial for early diagnosis and treatment. For this task, the aim is to evaluate the performance of two pre-trained and additionally fine-tuned models from the Detectron2 model zoo, Faster R-CNN (R50-FPN) and Mask R-CNN (R50-FPN). Experiments show that the Mask R-CNN (R50-FPN) model provides highly accurate segmentation masks for each detected hemorrhage, with an accuracy of 99.34%. The Faster R-CNN (R50-FPN) model detects hemorrhages with an accuracy of 99.22%. The results of both models are compared using a publicly available image database with ground truth marked by experts. Overall, this study demonstrates that current models are valuable tools for early diagnosis and treatment of diabetic retinopathy and diabetic macular edema.
Electromyography Gesture Model Classifier for Fault-Tolerant-Embedded Devices by Means of Partial Least Square Class Modelling Error Correcting Output Codes (PLS-ECOC)
Authors: Sarabia Pablo , Araujo Alvaro , Sarabia Luis Antonio , Ortiz María de la Cruz
Published: March 2023

Surface electromyography (sEMG) plays a crucial role in several applications, such as for prosthetic controls, human–machine interfaces (HMI), rehabilitation, and disease diagnosis. These applications are usually occurring in real-time, so the classifier tends to run on a wearable device. This edge processing paradigm imposes strict requirements on the complexity classifier. To date, research on hand gesture recognition (GR) based on sEMG uses discriminant classifiers, such as support vector machines and neural networks. These classifiers can achieve good precision; they cannot detect when an error in classification has happened. This paper proposes a novel hand gesture multiclass model based on partial least square (PLS) class modelling that uses an encoding matrix called error correcting output codes (ECOC). A dataset of eight different gestures was classified using this method where all errors were detected, proving the feasibility of PLS-ECOC as a fault-tolerant classifier. Considering the PLS-ECOC model as a classifier, its accuracy, precision, and F1 are 87.5, 91.87, and 86.34%, respectively, similar to those obtained by other authors. The strength of our work lies in the extra information provided by the PLS-ECOC that allows the application to be fault tolerant while keeping a small-size model and low complexity, making it suitable for embedded real-time classification.
Unsupervised Transformer-Based Anomaly Detection in ECG Signals
Authors: Alamr Abrar , Artoli Abdelmonim
Published: March 2023

Anomaly detection is one of the basic issues in data processing that addresses different problems in healthcare sensory data. Technology has made it easier to collect large and highly variant time series data; however, complex predictive analysis models are required to ensure consistency and reliability. With the rise in the size and dimensionality of collected data, deep learning techniques, such as autoencoder (AE), recurrent neural networks (RNN), and long short-term memory (LSTM), have gained more attention and are recognized as state-of-the-art anomaly detection techniques. Recently, developments in transformer-based architecture have been proposed as an improved attention-based knowledge representation scheme. We present an unsupervised transformer-based method to evaluate and detect anomalies in electrocardiogram (ECG) signals. The model architecture comprises two parts: an embedding layer and a standard transformer encoder. We introduce, implement, test, and validate our model in two well-known datasets: ECG5000 and MIT-BIH Arrhythmia. Anomalies are detected based on loss function results between real and predicted ECG time series sequences. We found that the use of a transformer encoder as an alternative model for anomaly detection enables better performance in ECG time series data. The suggested model has a remarkable ability to detect anomalies in ECG signal and outperforms deep learning approaches found in the literature on both datasets. In the ECG5000 dataset, the model can detect anomalies with 99% accuracy, 99% F1-score, 99% AUC score, 98.1% recall, and 100% precision. In the MIT-BIH Arrhythmia dataset, the model achieved an accuracy of 89.5%, F1 score of 92.3%, AUC score of 93%, recall of 98.2%, and precision of 87.1%.
Flexoelectric Effect of Ferroelectric Materials and Its Applications
Authors: Tian Dongxia , Jeong Dae-Yong , Fu Zhenxiao , Chu Baojin
Published: March 2023

The flexoelectric effect, which exists in all dielectrics, is an electromechanical effect that arises due to the coupling of strain gradients (or electric field gradients) with electric polarization (or mechanical stress). Numerous experimental studies have demonstrated that ferroelectric materials possess a larger flexoelectric coefficient than other dielectric materials; thus, the flexoelectric response becomes significant. In this review, we will first summarize the measurement methods and magnitudes of the flexoelectric coefficients of ferroelectric materials. Theoretical studies of the flexoelectric coefficients of ferroelectric materials will be addressed in this review. The scaling effect, where the flexoelectric effect dramatically increases when reducing the material dimension, will also be discussed. Because of their large electromechanical response and scaling effect, ferroelectric materials offer vast potential for the application of the flexoelectric effect in various physical phenomena, including sensors, actuators, and transducers. Finally, this review will briefly discuss some perspectives on the flexoelectric effect and address some pressing questions that need to be considered to further develop this phenomenon.
Dynamic Optimization of Greenhouse Tomato Irrigation Schedule Based on Water, Fertilizer and Air Coupled Production Function
Authors: Lei Hongjun , Lian Yingji , Du Jun , Pan Hongwei , Li Xiaohong , Li Daoxi , Jin Cuicui , Xiao Zheyuan , Hou Yiran
Published: March 2023

A vegetable water production function has been one of the most significant parameters to improve the use efficiency and economic benefit of agricultural water in the greenhouse. Meanwhile, aerated irrigation unlocks the high yield potential for greenhouse crop production. Thus, water, fertilizer and air coupled production function is proposed for the optimization of the irrigation scheme during the greenhouse tomato growth period. Two seasons of greenhouse tomato experiments were conducted under aerated subsurface drip irrigation (ASDI). There were three nitrogen application rates (N1, 120 kg ha−1; N2, 180 kg ha−1; N3, 240 kg ha−1) and three aeration rates with dissolved oxygen (DO) in irrigation water (A2, 15 mg L−1; A3, 40 mg L−1 and A1, 5 mg L−1 in the non-aeration treatment) in the first crop season, while three irrigation rates of soil moisture content (W1, 50–60% field capacity; W2, 60–70% field capacity; W3, 70–80% field capacity) and two aeration rates with DO in irrigation water (25 mg L−1 and 5 mg L−1) in the second crop season. The potential yield function of tomato was constructed, and the water sensitivity index was resolved. The production function of greenhouse tomato under water, fertilizer, and air coupled irrigation was established based on the Jensen function. The water allocation scheme under multiple irrigation quotas was optimized by the dynamic programming (DP) method. The results showed that with the elapse of crop growth stages, the cumulative curve of the water sensitivity index showed an S-shaped curve, which first rose slowly and then fast, and eventually tended to be stable. The optimized irrigation increased the yield by 4.25% averagely compared with the irrigation method of fixed moisture content interval, while the crop yield in the optimized ASDI increased by 26.13% compared with non-aeration treatment. In summary, the optimal combination was the aeration rate DO of 24.55mg L−1 in irrigation water and nitrogen application rate of 281.43 kg ha−1, and the irrigation quota of 420 mm. The net yield increased by 11,012 USD ha−1 in a single crop season when compared with the non-aeration treatment. The results would provide a reference method for the optimization of technical parameters of water—fertilizer—air coupled irrigation.
A Composite Index Measuring Adoption of Conservation Agriculture among Maize and Soybean Farmers in Québec
Authors: Takam Fongang Guy Martial , Guay Jean-François , Séguin Charles
Published: March 2023

Conservation agriculture (CA) has appeared in America since 1970 as an alternative practice to conventional tillage to limit soil degradation. Despite its expansion around the world, socioeconomic analyses of its adoption, as well as its impact on agricultural yields, still suffer from imperfect identification of CA adopters. The present study therefore proposes a new composite index for measuring the adoption of CA among maize and soybean farmers in the province of Québec, Canada. A model of partial adoption of CA both at parcel and farm levels is developed to build the composite index; and experts’ judgements and the Analytical Hierarchy Process are used for weight elicitation of principles of CA. Data from 144 maize and soybean farmers are also used to assess the level of adoption of CA in Québec. The new composite index improves on the measure of adoption of conservation agriculture, as it can be used to discriminate among farmers according to the level of adoption of principles of CA. Indeed, the new composite index shows that 77.08%, 21.53% and 1.39% of maize and soybean farmers, respectively, are partial adopters, full adopters and non-adopters of CA, whereas the traditional binary indicator indicates that 83.33% and 16.67% of maize and soybean farmers, respectively, are adopters and non-adopters of CA. The results also show that many maize and soybean farmers (38.89%) have shown a certain flexibility in the adoption of CA.
Dietary Frankincense (Boswellia serrata) Oil Modulates the Growth, Intestinal Morphology, the Fatty Acid Composition of Breast Muscle, Immune Status, and Immunoexpression of CD3 and CD20 in Broiler Chickens
Authors: Amer Shimaa A. , Gouda Ahmed , Saleh Gehan K. , Nassar Arwa H. , Abdel-Warith Abdel-Wahab A. , Younis Elsayed M. , Altohamy Dalia E. , Kilany Maha S. , Davies Simon J. , Omar Anaam E.
Published: March 2023

This investigation explored the impact of dietary frankincense resin oil (FO) on growth performance parameters, intestinal histomorphology, fatty acid composition of the breast muscle, and the immune status of broilers. We allotted 400, three-day-old, male chicks (Ross 308 broiler) into four treatment groups (ten replicates/group; ten chicks/replicate). They were fed a basal diet with different concentrations of FO (0, 200, 400, and 600 mg kg−1). FO supplementation increased the overall body weight (BW) and body weight gain (BWG) by different amounts, linearly improving the feed conversion ratio with the in-supplementation level. Total feed intake (TFI) was not affected. Growth hormones and total serum protein levels also linearly increased with the FO level, while albumin was elevated in the FO600 group. Moreover, total globulins increased linearly in FO400 and FO600 treatment groups. Thyroxin hormone (T3 and T4) levels increased in all FO treatment groups without affecting glucose and leptin serum values. Different concentrations of FO supplementation in the diet increased the activities of Complement 3, lysozyme, and interleukin 10 levels in the serum. Dietary FO in broilers increased the total percentage of n-3 and n-6 fatty acids. It also increased the ratio of n-3 to n-6 linearly and quadratically. Additionally, FO supplementation led to the upregulation of immune clusters of differentiation 3 and 20 (CD3 and CD20) in the spleen, along with improving most of the morphometric measures of the small intestine. In conclusion, FO up to 600 mg kg−1 as a feed additive in broiler chicken production is valuable for promoting their growth, intestinal histomorphology, and immune status along with enriching breast muscle with polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA).