bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Non-Uniform Self-Gating in 2D Lung Imaging
Authors: Metze Patrick , Frantz Hanna , Straubmüller Fabian , Speidel Tobias , Stumpf Kilian , Beer Meinrad , Rottbauer Wolfgang , Rasche Volker
Published: March 2022

Purpose: To adapt the non-uniform Self-Gating (nuSG) method and compare it to established self-gating approaches for lung imaging in uniform and highly irregular respiratory patterns.

Methods: Six healthy volunteers underwent free breathing lung MRI using a radial tiny golden angle ultrashort echo-time sequence. Acquisitions were performed with the volunteer breathing as uniformly as possible and with a deliberately non-uniform respiratory pattern. The acquired data was reconstructed with the nuSG method, previously introduced for cardiac imaging and imaging of the temporomandibular joint (TMJ) and compared to established k-space based and image-based self-gating approaches. Residual motion blur, SNR and functional values were assessed and compared to reference breath-hold acquisitions.

Results: nuSG is capable of reconstructing high-quality images for uniform and non-uniform breathing patterns and is furthermore capable of resolving motion in cases where additional motion is superimposed or no clear motion surrogate exists. Derived functional values do not differ significantly from other image-based gated reconstructions - and in the case of non-uniform respiratory patterns replicate the reference BH values.

Conclusion: Image based approaches are computationally more demanding but yield better results in all aspects. In scenarios with a direct surrogate for respiratory motion (i.e. the lung-liver interface) the extraction of a one-dimensional navigator is sufficient. When there is no direct surrogate for the motion of the target structure available (e.g., considerable through-plane motion or a different source of motion), the two-dimensional correlation-based measure used in nuSG is able to track the motion more accurately.
Lipids as Regulators of Cellular Senescence
Authors: Hamsanathan Shruthi , Gurkar Aditi U.
Published: March 2022

Lipids are key macromolecules that perform a multitude of biological functions ranging from maintaining structural integrity of membranes, energy storage, to signaling molecules. Unsurprisingly, variations in lipid composition and its levels can influence the functional and physiological state of the cell and its milieu. Cellular senescence is a permanent state of cell cycle arrest and is a hallmark of the aging process, as well as several age-related pathologies. Senescent cells are often characterized by alterations in morphology, metabolism, chromatin remodeling and exhibit a complex pro-inflammatory secretome (SASP). Recent studies have shown that the regulation of specific lipid species play a critical role in senescence. Indeed, some lipid species even contribute to the low-grade inflammation associated with SASP. Many protein regulators of senescence have been well characterized and are associated with lipid metabolism. However, the link between critical regulators of cellular senescence and senescence-associated lipid changes is yet to be elucidated. Here we systematically review the current knowledge on lipid metabolism and dynamics of cellular lipid content during senescence. We focus on the roles of major players of senescence in regulating lipid metabolism. Finally, we explore the future prospects of lipid research in senescence and its potential to be targeted as senotherapeutics.
Delayed Senescence and Marketability Index Preservation of Blackberry Fruit by Preharvest Application of Chitosan and Salicylic Acid
Authors: Martínez-Camacho Joel Ernesto , Guevara-González Ramón Gerardo , Rico-García Enrique , Tovar-Pérez Erik Gustavo , Torres-Pacheco Irineo
Published: March 2022

Blackberry fruits are appreciated as a source of nutrients and compounds related to benefit human health. However, they are highly perishable and very susceptible to decay factors. Current methods to improve and maintain blackberry quality are limited in use because of the fruit's fragile physical properties. Regarding these properties, it has been reported that the activities of certain enzymes are linked to senescence and fruit softening processes. This study was aimed to assess the effect of salicylic acid (SA) and chitosan (COS) as preharvest treatments on the physiology related to improving fruit conservation and preserving the marketability index of blackberry fruit. The preharvest treatments were foliar sprayed on blackberry plants at different concentrations. The activities of enzymes superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT), phenylalanine ammonia-lyase (PAL), and polygalacturonase (PG) were measured. Total soluble solids (TSS), titratable acidity (TA), TSS/TA ratio, and marketability index (MI) were analyzed after 144 h of storage. The application of 3 mM of SA and 0.25% of COS treatments preserved the MI of blackberries by reducing leakage, red drupelet reversion (RDR), and mycelium presence in the fruit. SA application increased SOD, CAT, and PAL activities. Our results also showed that SA and COS preharvest treatments modified the activity of the cell wall degrading enzyme PG, which might play a role in improving the shelf life and resistance to decay factors of blackberry fruit without any significant effects on physicochemical properties like TSS, TA, and the TSS/TA ratio.
Ecosystem Coupling and Ecosystem Multifunctionality May Evaluate the Plant Succession Induced by Grazing in Alpine Meadow
Authors: Wang Yingxin , Wu Zhe , Wang Zhaofeng , Chang Shenghua , Qian Yongqiang , Chu Jianmin , Jia Zhiqing , Zhou Qingping , Hou Fujiang
Published: March 2022

Most alpine meadow on the Tibetan Plateau are at different stages of community succession induced by grazing practices. Quantifying the succession sequence and assessing the dynamics of plant composition, ecosystem coupling, and multifunctionality across successional stages are essential for reasonable restoration of degraded alpine meadow. Here, we selected areas with different grazing disturbance histories and used them as a space series (i.e., space-for-time substitution) to study the community succession. Our work quantified the plant succession sequence of alpine meadow induced by grazing with plant functional group approach. The plant succession sequence is from the tall sedge community with erect growth to the short undesirable toxic forbs community with prostrate growth. Ecosystem coupling, ecosystem multifunctionality and their relationships were all the lowest in Stage 4. Compared to Stage 4, the ecosystem multifunctionality index increased in Stages 1, 2, and 3 by 102.6, 89.8, and 207.6%, respectively; the extent of ecosystem coupling increased by 20.0, 16.8, and 21.2%, respectively. Our results indicated that the driving factors of ecosystem coupling and ecosystem multifunctionality were soil factor individual in early successional stage to plant-soil simultaneously in late successional stage. Our results also highlighted the importance of toxic weeds during the late stage of degraded succession and suggest that the expansion of toxic plants is a consequence of their greater suitability from a successional perspective. The findings of this study would provide valuable guidance for optimizing the management and restoration practice of alpine meadow.
Regulation of WOX11 Expression Represents the Difference Between Direct and Indirect Shoot Regeneration
Authors: Liu Jiong Hui , Dong Wan Chen , Fei Fang Fang , Li Xiao Tong , Zhang Xiao Hang , Zhou Yangyan , Zhang Xian Sheng , Sang Ya Lin , Cheng Zhi Juan
Published: March 2022

Somatic cells of higher plants possess the remarkable ability to regenerate new individuals via reestablishing apical meristems. Reconstitution of shoot meristem is the vital process and is required for application of plant biotechnology. Under in vitro culture condition, shoot meristem can be formed directly or indirectly, depending on the absence or presence of callus as the intermediate status. However, the difference of regulatory mechanisms between the two regeneration types remains unknown. In this study, we established a bi-directional system in which shoots regenerated directly from lateral root primordia (LRP) and indirectly from hypocotyl-derived callus simultaneously. The results based on this system revealed that regulation of WOX11 expression represents the difference between the two regeneration types in two aspects. Firstly, number of founder cells expressing WOX11 is tightly associated with regeneration types. Relatively more founder cells gave rise to callus and produce larger meristem, whereas less founder cells produce LRP that regenerate smaller meristem. Secondly, non-CG DNA methylation specifically regulated WOX11 transcription in LRP and promoted direct shoot regeneration, but had no influence on indirect regeneration. The results provide new insights for understanding the regulatory mechanisms of cell fate transition during de novo organogenesis.
Nurse Adaptability and Post-traumatic Stress Disorder Symptoms During the COVID-19 Pandemic: The Effects of Family and Perceived Organizational Support
Authors: Cockerham Mona , Beier Margaret E. , Branson Sandy , Boss Lisa
Published: March 2022

Objective

To examine the effect of family and perceived organizational support on the relationship between nurse adaptability and their experience with COVID-related PTSD (post-traumatic stress disorder) symptoms in frontline nurses working on COVID-19 units.

Background

Proximity to and survival of life-threatening events contribute to a diagnosis of PTSD, which is characterized by avoidance of reminders of trauma, intrusive thoughts, flashbacks of events, sleep disturbances, and hypervigilance. Using the job-demands and resource model, we examined the effect of adaptability, family support, and perceived organizational support on PTSD symptoms for nurses during the COVID-19 pandemic. Specifically, we tested whether perceptions of environmental supports—i.e., family and organizational support—moderated the relationship between nurse adaptability and COVID-related PTSD symptoms.

Methods

A sample of frontline nurses working on COVID-19 units during the COVID-19 pandemic in Texas (N= 277) participated in this cross-sectional, observational study. Frontline Nurses reported demographic information and completed surveys designed to measure adaptability, perceived organizational support, family support, and COVID-related PTSD symptoms.

Results

Adaptability was significantly positively correlated (medium effects) to perceived organizational and family support (r= 0.51 and 0.56, respectively,p< 0.01). Adaptability and perceived organizational support were also negatively correlated with COVID-related PTSD symptoms (medium effects). Adaptability was negatively correlated with COVID-related PTSD symptoms, supporting Hypothesis 1 (r= −0.43,p< 0.01). Perceived organizational support was also significantly negatively correlated with COVID-19-related PTSD symptoms (r= −0.30,p< 0.01). Family support was not significantly correlated with COVID-related PTSD but was positively related to experiencing COVID-related PTSD after other variables were accounted for.

Conclusion

Findings suggest that individual adaptability and organizational support may reduce PTSD severity in frontline nurses working during a crisis; however, family support may increase PTSD symptoms. We provide suggestions for strengthening individual adaptability and healthcare leadership including remaining highly engaged to show support by providing rapid communication, remaining calm during difficult circumstances, and maintaining a consistent, physical presence during difficult times. Moreover, our results suggest additional support for nurses with families to adapt to crisis.
Impact of Self-Concept, Self-Imagination, and Self-Efficacy on English Language Learning Outcomes Among Blended Learning Students During COVID-19
Authors: Chen Ruihua , Iqbal Javed , Liu Yanghe , Zhu Mengmei , Xie Yi
Published: March 2022

The purpose of the present study was to explore the direct influence of self-concept and self-imagination on English language learning outcomes (ELLO). Furthermore, this study examined the mediating role of self-efficacy in the relationship between self-concept, self-imagination, and ELLO. A survey questionnaire of 21 items was used in this study. We distributed the questionnaire through QR code and collected the data from 2,517 participants who enrolled in blended learning courses at the undergraduate level in Chinese universities. The relationship among the variables was measured through SmartPLS-SEM 3.3.3 (partial least squares structural equation modeling). The outcomes of the present study indicated a direct, positive, and significant connection of self-concept, self-imagination, and self-efficacy with ELLO. Looking at indirect influences, self-concept and self-imagination, positive and significant, influence ELLO through self-efficacy. Thus, self-efficacy was indicated to play a mediating role between self-concept, self-imagination and ELLO. We can conclude that self-concept, self-imagination, and self-efficacy are the main predictors of ELLO in blended learning courses during the pandemic. Additionally, self-concept and self-imagination along with the intervening role of self-efficacy, play a more effective role in improving ELLO. Moreover, this study provided some useful, practical implications, and future research directions.
Sex and Population Drive Interindividual Variations in a Cognitive Task Across Three Populations of Wild Zebrafish
Authors: Daniel Danita K. , Bhat Anuradha
Published: March 2022

Animal personality refers to the consistency of variation in behavior among individuals which may be the driving force behind variations in complex behaviors as well. Individual personality could predict how well an organism would perform in behavior and cognition related tasks, as well as survive and thrive in its environment. Therefore, we would expect inter-individual variations in many behaviors, which would persist even if habituation to the experimental setup occurs, which generally results in convergence of behavior (i.e., the difference between individuals becomes less pronounced). Our study used wild-caught zebrafish (Danio rerio) from three natural habitats with differing ecological regimes, to understand how consistency and repeatability in specific traits such as boldness, exploration, and spatial ability varies across and within populations even when habituation causes change in behavior. We found that the extent of individual variation differs between populations, with dynamic habitats showing similar repeatability. This indicates that habitat conditions are important drivers of individual variation in addition to other factors, such as sex or size of individuals within populations. Although we found that sex and size played an important role within some populations for some behaviors, in others, the variation was likely caused by other factors (for example, ecological factors such as vegetation and/or resource availability), for which we have not accounted. This study underlines the importance of studying inter-individual differences as the phenomenon that underpins multiple behavioral traits and explains the possible role of environmental and inherent factors that drive these differences.
Parental Participation in the Environment: Scale Validation Across Parental Role, Income, and Region
Authors: Jia Fanli , Sorgente Angela , Yu Hui
Published: March 2022

Parental participation has gained significant attention in environmental psychology, which has revealed a need for an instrument that can measure parental participation with children regarding environmental issues. The present study met this need by validating the parental participation in the environment (PPE) scale. This process began with 45 Chinese parents participating in an individual interview and group discussions, which helped generate a list of eighteen parent-child environmental activities. The activities were then modified and validated in the current study with a diverse group of 969 parents recruited from six major Chinese cities. Both score structure evidence and generalizability evidence were obtained within this sample, and psychometric tests suggested a single factor construct with nine items. Once the PPE scale was revised, it showed measurement invariance across the parent who responded to the items (mother vs. father), across the child’s primary caregiver (mother vs. father vs. grandparent), across the family’s living region (North China vs. South China), as well as across the family’s income group. Finally, evidence based on relations to other variables showed a relationship among parents’ PPE, pro-environmental behavior, and connectedness with nature. As a result, the study provided a novel measure to assess pro-environmental socializationviaparental participation.
Improving the Emotional Distress and the Experience of Hospitalization in Children and Adolescent Patients Through Animal Assisted Interventions: A Systematic Review
Authors: Correale Cinzia , Borgi Marta , Collacchi Barbara , Falamesca Chiara , Gentile Simonetta , Vigevano Federico , Cappelletti Simona , Cirulli Francesca
Published: March 2022

Introduction

Animal Assisted Interventions (AAIs) are increasingly common in pediatric care settings as a means to promote the physical, mental, and emotional well-being of hospitalized children and adolescents.

Objectives

The aim of this work was to review published studies implementing AAIs in hospital settings and to assess the effects of AAIs on the biobehavioral response to stress and pain, social behavior, quality of life and level of satisfaction with hospitalization in children and adolescents. Stress and burden, quality of life, mood and level of satisfaction with hospitalization in parents/caregivers as well as stress and burden, perception of the work environment and job satisfaction in hospital staff were also reviewed.

Methods

All published studies reporting quantitative assessments were systematically searched using PubMed, Scopus, ProQuest and Web of Science databases in accordance with PRISMA guidelines. The aim was to identify studies examining the effects of AAIs on behavioral, psychological and physiological responses to stress in children and adolescents (0–18 years) formally admitted to a hospital for a stay, as well as in those undergoing a visit for treatments or medical examinations.

Results

Of the 350 studies screened, 21 were eligible for inclusion. Most of them focused on stress, pain, and anxiety reduction in pediatric patients, and used both physiological parameters and behavioral and psychological observations/scales. All studies employed dogs. Results show the potential of AAIs to reduce anxiety and behavioral distress in pediatric patients while acting on physiological measures associated with arousal.

Conclusion

Although further, more rigorous studies are still needed, the findings of this review may have implications for clinical practices suggesting appropriate planning of AAIs by pediatric healthcare professionals.

Systematic Review Registration

[https://www.crd.york.ac.uk/prospero/display_record.php?RecordID=178993], identifier [CRD42020178993].
Embodied Prevention
Authors: Kempermann Gerd
Published: March 2022

Evidence-based recommendations for lifestyles to promote healthy cognitive aging (exercise, education, non-smoking, balanced diet, etc.) root in reductionistic studies of mostly physical measurable factors with large effect sizes. In contrast, most people consider factors like autonomy, purpose, social participation and engagement, etc. as central to a high quality of life in old age. Evidence for a direct causal impact of these factors on healthy cognitive aging is still limited, albeit not absent. Ultimately, however, individual lifestyle is a complex composite of variables relating to both body and mind as well as to receiving input and generating output. The physical interventions are tied to the more subjective and mind-related aspects of lifestyle and wellbeing in the idea of the “embodied mind,” which states that the mind is shaped by and requires the body. The causality is reciprocal and the process is dynamic, critically requiring movement: the “embodied mind” is a “embodied mind in motion.” Hiking, playing musical instruments, dancing and yoga are examples of body–mind activities that assign depth, purpose, meaning, social embedding, etc. to long-term beneficial physical “activities” and increase quality of life not only as delayed gratification. The present motivational power of embodied activities allows benefiting from the side-effects of late-life resilience. The concept offers an access point for unraveling the mechanistic complexity of lifestyle-based prevention, including their neurobiological foundations.
Characterizing the Neural Correlates of Response Inhibition and Error Processing in Children With Symptoms of Irritability and/or Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder in the ABCD Study®
Authors: Lee Ka Shu , Xiao Jingyuan , Luo Jiajun , Leibenluft Ellen , Liew Zeyan , Tseng Wan-Ling
Published: March 2022

Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), characterized by symptoms of inattention and/or hyperactivity and impulsivity, is a neurodevelopmental disorder associated with executive dysfunctions, including response inhibition and error processing. Research has documented a common co-occurrence between ADHD and pediatric irritability. The latter is more characterized by affective symptoms, specifically frequent temper outbursts and low frustration tolerance relative to typically developing peers. Shared and non-shared neural correlates of youths with varied profiles of ADHD and irritability symptoms during childhood remain largely unknown. This study first classified a large sample of youths in the Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development (ABCD) study at baseline into distinct phenotypic groups based on ADHD and irritability symptoms (N = 11,748), and then examined shared and non-shared neural correlates of response inhibition and error processing during the Stop Signal Task in a subset of sample with quality neuroimaging data (N = 5,948). Latent class analysis (LCA) revealed four phenotypic groups, i.e., high ADHD with co-occurring irritability symptoms (n = 787, 6.7%), moderate ADHD with low irritability symptoms (n = 901, 7.7%), high irritability with no ADHD symptoms (n = 279, 2.4%), and typically developing peers with low ADHD and low irritability symptoms (n = 9,781, 83.3%). Latent variable modeling revealed group differences in the neural coactivation network supporting response inhibition in the fronto-parietal regions, but limited differences in error processing across frontal and posterior regions. These neural differences were marked by decreased coactivation in the irritability only group relative to youths with ADHD and co-occurring irritability symptoms and typically developing peers during response inhibition. Together, this study provided initial evidence for differential neural mechanisms of response inhibition associated with ADHD, irritability, and their co-occurrence. Precision medicine attending to individual differences in ADHD and irritability symptoms and the underlying mechanisms are warranted when treating affected children and families.
Social Support and Spiritual Well-Being of Patients With Esophageal Cancer Aged Over 50 Years: The Mediating Role of Rumination
Authors: Li Jingran , Xue Liang , Pan Hailong
Published: March 2022

Background

Spiritual well-being plays an important role in helping patients cope with disease. Previous studies have investigated the association between social support and spiritual well-being, whereas few studies have explored the relationship in patients with esophageal cancer (EC), and the mechanisms behind this pathway have not been thoroughly examined.

Objective

This study aimed to explore the relationship between social support and spiritual well-being of Chinese patients with EC aged over 50 years and to analyze whether the relationship was mediated by rumination.

Methods

A cross-sectional survey was conducted with 197 EC patients. Participants completed the general information questionnaire, the Functional Assessment of Chronic Illness Therapy–Spiritual Scale, the Chinese Event Related Rumination Inventory, and the Perceived Social Support Scale (PSSS).

Results

Results demonstrated that social support of patients with EC aged over 50 years was positively correlated with spiritual well-being and deliberate rumination and negatively correlated with intrusive rumination; spiritual well-being was positively associated with deliberate rumination and negatively correlated with intrusive rumination. The effect of social support on spiritual well-being was partially mediated by deliberate rumination and intrusive rumination.

Conclusions

The findings suggest that interventions directed toward enhancing social support and deliberate rumination and reducing the level of intrusive rumination may help patients with EC aged over 50 years improve spiritual well-being.
Concept of the Munich/Augsburg Consortium Precision in Mental Health for the German Center of Mental Health
Authors: Falkai Peter , Koutsouleris Nikolaos , Bertsch Katja , Bialas Mirko , Binder Elisabeth , Bühner Markus , Buyx Alena , Cai Na , Cappello Silvia , Ehring Thomas , Gensichen Jochen , Hamann Johannes , Hasan Alkomiet , Henningsen Peter , Leucht Stefan , Möhrmann Karl Heinz , Nagelstutz Elisabeth , Padberg Frank , Peters Annette , Pfäffel Lea , Reich-Erkelenz Daniela , Riedl Valentin , Rueckert Daniel , Schmitt Andrea , Schulte-Körne Gerd , Scheuring Elfriede , Schulze Thomas G. , Starzengruber Rudolf , Stier Susanne , Theis Fabian J. , Winkelmann Juliane , Wurst Wolfgang , Priller Josef
Published: March 2022

The Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF) issued a call for a new nationwide research network on mental disorders, the German Center of Mental Health (DZPG). The Munich/Augsburg consortium was selected to participate as one of six partner sites with its concept “Precision in Mental Health (PriMe): Understanding, predicting, and preventing chronicity.” PriMe bundles interdisciplinary research from the Ludwig-Maximilians-University (LMU), Technical University of Munich (TUM), University of Augsburg (UniA), Helmholtz Center Munich (HMGU), and Max Planck Institute of Psychiatry (MPIP) and has a focus on schizophrenia (SZ), bipolar disorder (BPD), and major depressive disorder (MDD). PriMe takes a longitudinal perspective on these three disorders from the at-risk stage to the first-episode, relapsing, and chronic stages. These disorders pose a major health burden because in up to 50% of patients they cause untreatable residual symptoms, which lead to early social and vocational disability, comorbidities, and excess mortality. PriMe aims at reducing mortality on different levels, e.g., reducing death by psychiatric and somatic comorbidities, and will approach this goal by addressing interdisciplinary and cross-sector approaches across the lifespan. PriMe aims to add a precision medicine framework to the DZPG that will propel deeper understanding, more accurate prediction, and personalized prevention to prevent disease chronicity and mortality across mental illnesses. This framework is structured along the translational chain and will be used by PriMe to innovate the preventive and therapeutic management of SZ, BPD, and MDD from rural to urban areas and from patients in early disease stages to patients with long-term disease courses. Research will build on platforms that include one on model systems, one on the identification and validation of predictive markers, one on the development of novel multimodal treatments, one on the regulation and strengthening of the uptake and dissemination of personalized treatments, and finally one on testing of the clinical effectiveness, utility, and scalability of such personalized treatments. In accordance with the translational chain, PriMe’s expertise includes the ability to integrate understanding of bio-behavioral processes based on innovative models, to translate this knowledge into clinical practice and to promote user participation in mental health research and care.
Which Contributes to Clinical Performance: Academic Output or Person–Environment Fit?
Authors: Dong Minye , Xiao Yuyin , Shi Chenshu , Zeng Wu , Wu Fan , Li Guohong
Published: March 2022

Background

The measures put in place by health authorities to ensure the professionalism of doctors are important. Hospitals in China have included academic outputs in the promotion criteria to incentive medical clinicians to engage in scientific research so that to improve job performance (JP). However, such practice disproportionally focuses on academic outputs but ignores the force of needs fulfilled brought by intrinsic incentive. This study aims to discuss the realistic problem regarding the promotion mechanism and the potential drivers to clinical JP.

Methods

This study was based on multi-source data collection on clinical performance from electric medical record (EMR), person-environment (P–E) fit from the survey, and academic output from personnel files of ward clinicians (n = 244) of general public hospitals who sought for career progression in Shanghai in 2020. Independent-Sample t-test and chi-square test were used for comparison of two sample means or constituent ratio between promoted and not promoted clinicians. Linear multilevel regression was conducted to examine the relationship between clinical performance and academic outputs and P–E fit.

Results

Clinicians who were promoted were more productive in producing academic outputs than those who were not (t = −5.075, p < 0.001). However, there was no difference in clinical performance between the two groups (t = −1.728 to 0.167, p > 0.05). The regression showed that academic outputs were not related to clinical performance, while higher P–E fit was associated with the improvement of various clinical performances.

Conclusion

This study shows that P–E fit plays a more important role in facilitating clinical performance than academic performance and highlights the importance of intrinsic motivation of clinicians in achieving clinical performance.
The Role of Psychological Capital and Work Engagement in Enhancing Construction Workers' Safety Behavior
Authors: Saleem Muhammad Shoaib , Isha Ahmad Shahrul Nizam , Yusop Yuzana Mohd , Awan Maheen Iqbal , Naji Gehad Mohammed Ahmed
Published: March 2022

Objectives

Construction is one of the unsafe industrial sectors, causing a considerable amount of harm to its workforce and organizations globally. Only a handful of research evidence has been found evaluating individuals' cognitive and engagement-related constructs to improve occupational safety. Psychological Capital (PsyCap) can have a promising impact on construction workers' psychological health, possibly leading to positive performance. Limited studies have tested PsyCap and work engagement regarding safety specifically in the context of the construction industry, with non-harmonious findings.

Methods

The proposed framework was assessed through the structural equation modeling (SEM) technique along with bootstrapping for mediation analysis. Responses were collected from different states of Malaysia from 345 construction workers. PsyCap dimensions (hope, efficacy, resilience, and optimism) were measured in connection with safety compliance and safety participation, with the mediating role of work engagement.

Results

According to findings, hope, optimism, and work engagement have a positive and significant impact on safety compliance. Also, hope, self-efficacy, resilience, optimism, and work engagement have a positive and significant impact on safety participation. Further, self-efficacy and optimism both have a positive impact on work engagement.

Conclusions

PsyCap can be a possible predictor for work engagement, which may enhance safety-related behavior. PsyCap should be treated as a multidimensional instrument to enhance occupational safety. In-depth deliberation is needed by the organization while applying PsyCap to enhance employees' work engagement as well as safety behavior. Practical interventions based on interactive training are proposed to enhance construction industry safety. Other industries can also adapt suitable dimension(s) of PsyCap to safety behavior improvements.
Using Multivariate Imputation by Chained Equations to Predict Redshifts of Active Galactic Nuclei
Authors: Gibson Spencer James , Narendra Aditya , Dainotti Maria Giovanna , Bogdan Malgorzata , Pollo Agnieszka , Poliszczuk Artem , Rinaldi Enrico , Liodakis Ioannis
Published: March 2022

Redshift measurement of active galactic nuclei (AGNs) remains a time-consuming and challenging task, as it requires follow up spectroscopic observations and detailed analysis. Hence, there exists an urgent requirement for alternative redshift estimation techniques. The use of machine learning (ML) for this purpose has been growing over the last few years, primarily due to the availability of large-scale galactic surveys. However, due to observational errors, a significant fraction of these data sets often have missing entries, rendering that fraction unusable for ML regression applications. In this study, we demonstrate the performance of an imputation technique called Multivariate Imputation by Chained Equations (MICE), which rectifies the issue of missing data entries by imputing them using the available information in the catalog. We use the Fermi-LAT Fourth Data Release Catalog (4LAC) and impute 24% of the catalog. Subsequently, we follow the methodology described in Dainotti et al. (ApJ, 2021, 920, 118) and create an ML model for estimating the redshift of 4LAC AGNs. We present results which highlight positive impact of MICE imputation technique on the machine learning models performance and obtained redshift estimation accuracy.
Improved Walking Through an Aperture in a Virtual Environment Transfers to a Real Environment: Introduction of Enriched Feedback and Gradual Increase in Task Difficulty
Authors: Suda Yuki , Fukuhara Kazunobu , Sato Kazuyuki , Higuchi Takahiro
Published: March 2022

Virtual reality (VR) could be used to set up a training protocol to improve one's collision-avoidance behavior. In our previous study, we developed a VR system for training older individuals to walk through an aperture in a manner that is both safe (i.e., no collision) and efficient (i.e., no exaggerated behavior to ensure collision avoidance). In the present study, we made several modifications to the VR system in terms of enriched feedback (vibratory stimulation for virtual collisions and the addition of positive feedback for successful trials) and gradual increase in task difficulty during training to strengthen the skill transfer. Nineteen older adults (74.4 ± 5.3 years of age) and 21 younger adults (25.1 ± 5.0 years of age) participated. They were randomly assigned to one of two training groups: the intervention group (older: n = 10; younger: n = 10) or the control group (older: n = 11; younger: n = 9). The experiment consisted of pre- and post-training tests in a real environment and training in a VR environment. During training, participants held a horizontal bar while stepping in place as if a VR image on the screen were moving in response to their stepping. Participants in the intervention group tried to pass a narrow aperture without collision while attempting to minimize their body rotation to avoid collision as much as possible. The criterion upon which the collision-avoidance behavior was regarded as successful became incrementally more demanding as participants successfully met the previous criterion. Participants in the control group passed through a very wide aperture, so that collision-avoidance behavior was unnecessary. A comparison between pre- and post-training test performances showed that, for both older and younger adults in the intervention group, the spatial margins became significantly smaller, while the success rate remained unchanged. For those in the control group, neither the spatial margin nor the success rate was improved. These results suggest that the three modifications made for the VR system contributed to improvement of the system and helped participants transfer the behavior learned from the VR environment to real walking.
Balancing Outcome vs. Urgency in Modern Liver Transplantation
Authors: Dancs Peter T. , Saner Fuat H. , Benkö Tamas , Molmenti Ernesto P. , Büchter Matthias , Paul Andreas , Hoyer Dieter P.
Published: March 2022

Background

Current allocation mechanisms for liver transplantation (LT) overemphasize emergency, leading to poorer longtime outcomes. The utility was introduced to recognized outcomes in allocation. Recently, Molinari proposed a predictive outcome model based on recipient data.

Aims

The aims of this study were to validate this model and to combine it with the utility to emphasize outcome in allocation.

Methods

We retrospectively analyzed 734 patients who were transplanted between January 2010 and December 2019. Points were assigned as in Molinari's model and the score sum was correlated with observed 90-day mortality. The utility was calculated as the product of 1-year survival times 3-month mortality on the waiting list. The weighting of different compounds was introduced, and utility curves were calculated. Model for End-Stage Liver Disease (MELD) scores according to maximal utility were determined.

Results

In total, 120 patients (16.3%) had died within 90 days after LT. Higher MELD score, obesity, and hemodialysis prior to LT were confirmed risk factors. Overall survival was 83.8 and 77.4% after 90 days and 12 months, respectively. General utility culminated at MELD scores >35 in the overall population. Emphasizing the outcome shifted the maximal utility to lower MELD scores depending on Molinari scores.

Conclusions

Emphasizing outcome, at least in certain recipient risk categories, might improve the longtime outcomes and might be integrated into allocation models.
Rising Food Prices and Farming Households Food Insecurity during the COVID-19 Pandemic: Policy Implications from SouthWest Nigeria
Authors: Omotayo Abiodun Olusola , Omotoso Abeeb Babatunde , Daud Saidat Adebola , Omotayo Oluwadara Pelumi , Adeniyi Babatunde Afeez
Published: March 2022

The government’s lockdown and restriction measures on the COVID-19 pandemic adversely altered livelihoods, commodity/food prices as well as food security status in Nigeria, especially for rural farming households. A multistage sampling technique was used to collect data from 480 rural farming households across three selected states of the SouthWest geopolitical zone of Nigeria. This research entailed rapid evaluation of the determining factors of rising food expenditure, implications for food security as well as households’ coping strategies during the COVID-19 pandemic. A structured questionnaire was used to obtain data that were analyzed using the following descriptive and inferential statistics: double-logarithmic analysis, Foster–Greer–Thorbecke (FGT) and probit regression analysis. The results showed that 60% of respondents were married, mean years spent in school was 17, mean age was 49 years, household size was 7 people and monthly income less than $200. The FGT model results for head count ratio showed that 78% of households were food insecure. The depth of food insecurity and severity before COVID-19 were 18.4% and 9.9% respectively, and 27.1% and 13.0% during the pandemic. The double-logarithmic regression revealed that household income, size, age and occupation significantly influenced the household’s food expenditure. Probit regression showed that households’ income, size, amount spent on food, and the household’s head, gender and educational level influenced its food security status. The research concluded that food security was indeed influenced by the COVID-19 pandemic among rural farming households in Nigeria. Intervention policies are needed to promote and enable sustainable livelihoods to eradicate hunger and food insecurity due to high food prices and high household sizes in relation to their low average income to enable rural farming households to economically recover and have the capacity to sustain themselves against future shocks.
Integration of Long Non-Coding RNA and mRNA Profiling Reveals the Mechanisms of Different Dietary NFC/NDF Ratios Induced Rumen Development in Calves
Authors: Li Jichao , Xue Mingming , Zhang Liyang , Li Lanjie , Lian Hongxia , Li Ming , Gao Tengyun , Fu Tong , Tu Yan
Published: March 2022

The aim of the present study was to explore the effects of dietary non-fibrous carbohydrate to neutral detergent fiber (NFC/NDF) ratios on rumen development of calves, and to investigate the mechanisms by integrating of lncRNA and mRNA profiling. Forty-five weaned Charolais hybrid calves [body weight = 94.38 ± 2.50 kg; age = 70 ± 2.69 d] were randomly assigned to 1 of 3 treatment groups with different dietary NFC/NDF ratios: 1.10 (H group), 0.94 (M group) and 0.60 (L group), respectively. The ventral sac of the rumen was sampled for morphological observation and transcriptional sequencing. The average daily gain of calves in the high NFC/NDF ratio group was significantly higher than that in other groups (p < 0.05). Papillae width was largest in high NFC/NDF ratio group calves (p < 0.05). Identified differentially expressed genes that were significantly enriched in pathways closely related to rumen epithelial development included focal adhesion, Wingless-int signaling pathway, thyroid hormone signaling pathway, regulation of actin cytoskeleton and cGMP-PKG signaling pathway. The lncRNA-mRNA network included XLOC_068691 and MOAB, XLOC_023657 and DKK2, XLOC_064331 and PPP1R12A which we interpret to mean they have important regulatory roles in calve rumen development. These findings will serve as a theoretical basis for further analysis of the molecular genetic mechanism of dietary factors affecting rumen development in calves.
Numerical Evaluation of Fatigue Crack Growth of Structural Steels Using Energy Release Rate with VCCT
Authors: Busari Yusuf O. , Manurung Yupiter H. P. , Leitner Martin , Shuaib-Babata Yusuf L. , Mat Muhd F. , Ibrahim Hassan K. , Simunek David , Sulaiman Mohd Shahar
Published: March 2022

This research presents the numerical evaluation of fatigue crack growth of structural steels S355 and S960 based on Paris’ law parameters (C and m) that are experimentally determined with a single edge notched tension (SENT) specimen using optical and crack gauge measurements on an electromotive resonance machine at constant amplitude load. The sustainable technique is replacing destructive, time-consuming and expensive approaches in structural integrity. The crack propagation is modelled using the 3D finite element method (FEM) with adaptive remeshing of tetrahedral elements along with the crack initiator elements provided in simulation software for crack propagation based on linear elastic fracture mechanics (LEFM). The stress intensity is computed based on the evaluation of energy release rates according to Irwin’s crack closure integral with applied cyclic load of 62.5 MPa, 100 MPa and 150 MPa and stress ratios of R = 0 and 0.1. In order to achieve optimized mesh size towards load cycle and computational time, mesh and re-mesh sensitivity analysis is conducted. The results indicate that the virtual crack closure technique VCCT-based 3D FEM shows acceptable agreement compared to the experimental investigation with the percentage error up to 7.9% for S355 and 12.8% for S960 structural steel.
Assessment of Climate-Driven Variations in Malaria Transmission in Senegal Using the VECTRI Model
Authors: Fall Papa , Diouf Ibrahima , Deme Abdoulaye , Sene Doudou
Published: March 2022

Several vector-borne diseases, such as malaria, are sensitive to climate and weather conditions. When unusual conditions prevail, for example, during periods of heavy rainfall, mosquito populations can multiply and trigger epidemics. This study, which consists of better understanding the link between malaria transmission and climate factors at a national level, aims to validate the VECTRI model (VECtor borne disease community model of ICTP, TRIeste) in Senegal. The VECTRI model is a grid-distributed dynamical model that couples a biological model for the vector and parasite life cycles to a simple compartmental Susceptible-Exposed-Infectious-Recovered (SEIR) representation of the disease progression in the human host. In this study, a VECTRI model driven by reanalysis data (ERA-5) was used to simulate malaria parameters, such as the entomological inoculation rate (EIR) in Senegal. In addition to the ERA5-Land daily reanalysis rainfall, other daily rainfall data come from different meteorological products, including the CPC Global Unified Gauge-Based Analysis of Daily Precipitation (CPC for Climate Prediction Center), satellite data from the African Rainfall Climatology 2.0 (ARC2), and the Climate Hazards InfraRed Precipitation with Station data (CHIRPS). Observed malaria data from the National Malaria Control Program in Senegal (PNLP/Programme National de Lutte contre le Paludisme au Senegal) and outputs from the climate data used in this study were compared. The findings highlight the unimodal shape of temporal malaria occurrence, and the seasonal malaria transmission contrast is closely linked to the latitudinal variation of the rainfall, showing a south–north gradient over Senegal. This study showed that the peak of malaria takes place from September to October, with a lag of about one month from the peak of rainfall in Senegal. There is an agreement between observations and simulations about decreasing malaria cases on time. These results indicate that the southern area of Senegal is at the highest risk of malaria spread outbreaks. The findings in the paper are expected to guide community-based early-warning systems and adaptation strategies in Senegal, which will feed into the national malaria prevention, response, and care strategies adapted to the needs of local communities.
Circulating Levels of the Cardiovascular Biomarkers ST2 and Adrenomedullin Predict Outcome within a Randomized Phase III Lung Cancer Trial (RASTEN)
Authors: Gezelius Emelie , Bendahl Pär-Ola , Gallo Widet , de Oliveira Kelin Gonçalves , Ek Lars , Bergman Bengt , Sundberg Jan , Melander Olle , Belting Mattias
Published: March 2022

Cardiovascular comorbidity is common in small cell lung cancer (SCLC) and may significantly affect treatment tolerability and patient outcome. Still, there are no established biomarkers for objective and dynamic assessment as a tool for improved treatment decisions. We have investigated circulating levels of midregional-pro-adrenomedullin (MR-proADM), midregional-pro-atrial-natriuretic peptide (MR-proANP), copeptin (surrogate for vasopressin) and suppression-of-tumorigenicity-2 (ST2), all known to correlate with various aspects of cardiovascular function, in a SCLC cohort (N = 252) from a randomized, controlled trial (RASTEN). For all measured biomarkers, protein levels were inversely associated with survival, particularly with ST2 and MR-proADM, where the top versus bottom quartile was associated with an adjusted hazard ratio of 2.40 (95% CI 1.44–3.98; p = 0.001) and 2.18 (95% CI 1.35–3.51; p = 0.001), respectively, in the entire cohort, and 3.43 (95% CI 1.73–6.79; p < 0.001) and 3.49 (95% CI 1.84–6.60; p < 0.001), respectively, in extensive disease patients. A high combined score of MR-proADM and ST2 was associated with a significantly reduced median OS of 7.0 months vs. 14.9 months for patients with a low combined score. We conclude that the cardiovascular biomarkers MR-proADM and ST2 strongly correlate with survival in SCLC, warranting prospective studies on the clinical utility of MR-proADM and ST2 for improved, individualized treatment decisions.