bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Differential Effects of Exercise Programs on Neuregulin 4, Body Composition and Cardiometabolic Risk Factors in Men With Obesity
Authors: Saeidi Ayoub , Shishvan Sevda R. , Soltani Mohammad , Tarazi Fatemeh , Doyle-Baker Patricia K. , Shahrbanian Shahnaz , Mollabashi Shirin S. , Khosravi Nikoo , Laher Ismail , Moriarty Terence A. , Johnson Kelly E. , VanDusseldorp Trisha A. , Zouhal Hassane
Published: February 2022

Background

Neuregulin 4 (Nrg4) is an adipokine that is sensitive to energy expenditure and with a potential role in metabolic homeostasis and obesity. This study examined the effects of 12 weeks of three different exercise training protocols on Nrg4 levels, cardiometabolic risk factors, and body composition parameters in men with obesity.

Methods

Sixty adult men with obesity (Mean ± SD; age: 27.60 ± 8.4 yrs.; height: 168.4 ± 2.6 cm; weight: 96.7 ± 7.2 kg) were randomly allocated into four equal (n = 15) groups: High- Intensity Interval Training (HIIT), Circuit Resistance Training (CRT), Moderate Intensity Continuous Training (MICT) or a control group. The HIIT protocol involved six bouts of 3-min high-intensity exercise (90% VO2peak) followed by 3-min low-intensity exercise (50% VO2peak). The CRT group performed three circuits of resistance training, where each circuit included 11 exercises at 20% of one-repetition maximum (1RM) and 70% of VO2peak, and with a work-to-rest ratio of 2:1 (40-s exercise and 20-s rest) and 60-s recovery between circuits. The MICT group performed 36 min of exercise at 70% of VO2peak. All measurements were taken 72 h before and after the first and last training sessions.

Results

There were significant differences between the groups in fat-free mass (FFM), (effect size (ES): 0.78), fat mass (ES: 0.86), VO2peak (ES: 0.59), high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) (ES: 0.83), low-density lipoprotein (LDL-C) (ES: 0.79), total cholesterol (TC) (ES: 0.90), triglyceride (TG) (ES: 0.52) glucose (ES: 0.39), insulin (ES: 0.61), HOM-IR (ES: 0.91) and Nrg4 (ES: 0.98) (p < 0.05). There were no significant changes in very-low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (VLDL-C) (ES: 0.13) levels, or body weights (ES: 0.51) (p > 0.05). Levels of Nrg4 were negatively correlated with LDL-C, TC, TG, VLDL-C, glucose, insulin, HOMA-IR (p < 0.05) and positively with HDL-C (p < 0.05).

Conclusion

Our results suggest that HIIT and CRT protocols have greater effects than MICT protocol on Nrg4 levels, metabolic and cardiovascular risk factors, and body composition variables in men with obesity.
Integrated 16S rRNA Gene Sequencing and Metabolomics Analysis to Investigate the Important Role of Osthole on Gut Microbiota and Serum Metabolites in Neuropathic Pain Mice
Authors: Li Ruili , Wang Fan , Dang Shajie , Yao Minna , Zhang Wei , Wang Jingwen
Published: February 2022

Accumulating evidence suggests that neuropathic pain (NP) is closely connected to the metabolic disorder of gut microbiota, and natural products could relieve NP by regulating gut microbiota. The purpose of this study is to investigate the important regulatory effects of osthole on gut microbiota and serum metabolites in mice with chronic constriction injury (CCI). Mice’s intestinal contents and serum metabolites were collected from the sham group, CCI group, and osthole treatment CCI group. The 16S rRNA gene sequencing was analyzed, based on Illumina NovaSeq platform, and ANOVA analysis were used to analyze the composition variety and screen differential expression of intestinal bacteria in the three groups. Ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography-quadrupole time of flight-tandem mass spectrometry (UHPLC-Q-TOF-MS) was used for analyzing the data obtained from serum specimens, and KEGG enrichment analysis was used to identify pathways of differential metabolites in the treatment of neuralgia mice. Furthermore, the Pearson method and Cytoscape soft were used to analyze the correlation network of differential metabolites, gut microbiota, and disease genes. The analysis results of 16S rRNA gene sequencing displayed that Bacteroidetes, Firmicutes, and Verrucomicrobia were highly correlated with NP after osthole treatment at the phylum level. Akkermansia, Lachnospiraceae_unclassified, Lachnospiraceae_NK4A136_group, Bacteroides, Lactobacillus, and Clostridiales_unclassified exhibited higher relative abundance and were considered important microbial members at genus level in neuralgia mice. Serum metabolomics results showed that 131 metabolites were considered to be significantly different in the CCI group compared to the sham group, and 44 metabolites were significantly expressed between the osthole treatment group and the CCI group. At the same time, we found that 29 differential metabolites in the two comparison groups were overlapping. Integrated analysis results showed that many intestinal microorganisms and metabolites have a strong positive correlation. The correlation network diagram displays that 10 genes were involved in the process of osthole alleviating NP through a metabolic pathway and gut microbiota, including IGF2, GDAP1, MYLK, IL18, CD55, MIR331, FHIT, F3, ERBB4, and ITGB3. Our findings have preliminarily confirmed that NP is closely related to metabolism and intestinal microbial imbalance, and osthole can improve the metabolic disorder of NP by acting on gut microbiota.
Detecting de novo Hepatic Ketogenesis Using Hyperpolarized [2-13C] Pyruvate
Authors: Ragavan Mukundan , McLeod Marc A. , Rushin Anna , Merritt Matthew E.
Published: February 2022

The role of ketones in metabolic health has progressed over the past two decades, moving from what was perceived as a simple byproduct of fatty acid oxidation to a central player in a multiplicity of disease states. Previous work with hyperpolarized (HP) 13C has shown that ketone production can be detected when using precursors that labeled acetyl-CoA at the C1 position, often in tissues that are not normally recognized as ketogenic. Here, we assay metabolism of HP [2-13C]pyruvate in the perfused mouse liver, a classic metabolic testbed where nutritional conditions can be precisely controlled. Livers perfused with long-chain fatty acids or the medium-chain fatty acid octanoate showed no evidence of ketogenesis in the 13C spectrum. In contrast, addition of dichloroacetate, a potent inhibitor of pyruvate dehydrogenase kinase, resulted in significant production of both acetoacetate and 3-hydroxybutyrate from the pyruvate precursor. This result indicates that ketones are readily produced from carbohydrates, but only in the case where pyruvate dehydrogenase activity is upregulated.
The Role of Categorical Perception and Acoustic Details in the Processing of Mandarin Tonal Alternations in Contexts: An Eye-Tracking Study
Authors: Tu Jung-Yueh , Chien Yu-Fu
Published: February 2022

This study investigated the perception of Mandarin tonal alternations in disyllabic words. In Mandarin, a low-dipping Tone3 is converted to a high-rising Tone2 when followed by another Tone3, known as third tone sandhi. Although previous studies showed statistically significant differences in F0 between a high-rising Sandhi-Tone3 (T3) and a Tone2, native Mandarin listeners failed to correctly categorize these two tones in perception tasks. The current study utilized the visual-world paradigm in eye-tracking to further examine whether acoustic details in lexical tone aid lexical access in Mandarin. Results showed that Mandarin listeners tend to process Tone2 as Tone2 whereas they tend to first process Sandhi-T3 as both Tone3 and Tone2, then later detect the acoustic differences between the two tones revealed by the sandhi context, and finally activate the target word during lexical access. The eye-tracking results suggest that subtle acoustic details of F0 may facilitate lexical access in automatic fashion in a tone language.
Core Self-Evaluations Increases Among Chinese Employees: A Cross-Temporal Meta-Analysis, 2010–2019
Authors: Lin Xinqi , Luan Yuxiang , Zhao Guolong , Zhao Teng , Ding He
Published: February 2022

The purpose of this paper is to investigate the changes in core self-evaluation (CSE) scores among Chinese employees during 2010–2019. We conducted a cross-temporal meta-analysis including 50 studies (17,400 Chinese employees) to evaluate the relationship between the year of data collection and levels of CSE. We found that correlations between levels of CSE and year of data collection were strong and positive (r > 0.500). Regression results showed that the year of data collection could predict the CSE score when the mean sample age and sex ratio (%female) were controlled. In addition, CSE scores were positively related to GDP per capita and negatively related to the unemployment rate.
Completing a Sustained Attention Task Is Associated With Decreased Distractibility and Increased Task Performance Among Adolescents With Low Levels of Media Multitasking
Authors: Brand John , Lansigan Reina Kato , Thomas Natalie , Emond Jennifer , Gilbert-Diamond Diane
Published: February 2022

Objective

To assess distracted attention and performance on a computer task following completion of a sustained attention and acute media multitasking task among adolescents with varying self-reported usual media multitasking.

Methods

Ninety-six 13- to 17-year-olds played the video game Tetris following completion of a Go/No-go paradigm to measure sustained attention in the presence of distractors, an acute media multitasking, or a passive viewing condition. Adolescents completed the conditions on separate visits in randomized order. Sustained attention was measured within the Go/No-go task by measuring errors of omission. Distracted attention while playing the Tetris task was measured by computing eye tracking measures of attention (first fixation duration, cumulative fixation duration) to irrelevant distractor images that bordered the Tetris game. Participants also self-reported their daily media multitasking.

Results

The Go/No-go task revealed important qualitative differences in sustained attention among low and high usual media multitaskers. There was a uniform improvement in sustained attention among low usual media multitaskers, demonstrated by a consistent linear decrease in omission errors (β = −0.01; P < 0.05). Among high usual media multitaskers, there was initially a decrease in sustained attention (β = −0.01; P = 0.05) followed by an increase (β = 0.16; P < 0.001). Completing the Go/No-go task also statistically significantly reduced distractibility and increased performance while playing Tetris compared to the passive viewing condition, but only among those with low usual media multitasking (all Ps ≤ 0.05). There was a non-statistically significant trend that completing the acute media multitask increased subsequent distractibility and performance while playing Tetris among high media multitaskers.

Conclusion

In this sample of adolescents, practicing a sustained attention task reduces distractibility and improves task performance among those who have low levels of usual media multitasking.
Neural Responses to Reward and Punishment Stimuli in Depressed Status Individuals and Their Effects on Cognitive Activities
Authors: Li Yutong , Cheng Xizi , Li Yahong , Sui Xue
Published: February 2022

Individuals in depressed status respond abnormally to reward stimuli, but the neural processes involved remain unclear. Whether this neural response affects subsequent cognitive processing activities remains to be explored. In the current study, participants, screened as depressed status individuals and healthy individuals by Beck Depression Inventory and Hospital Anxiety Depression Scale, performed both a door task and a cognitive task. Specifically, in each trial, they selected one from two identical doors based on the expectations of rewards and punishments and received the rewarded or punished feedback, and then they performed a cognitive task in which they judged the correctness of a math equation. The neural responses of their choice in the door task were recorded. The results showed that when the two groups received punished feedback, their accuracy was significantly higher than they received rewarded feedback. Compared with the healthy group, the depressed status group spent more time completing cognitive tasks. Analysis of electroencephalography (EEG) data showed that the amplitude of RewP induced by rewarded feedback was larger than that induced by punished feedback, and the amplitude of RewP and fb-P3 induced by the depressed status group was smaller than that of the healthy group. The results of an order analysis showed that the main effects of group variable in fb-P3 and RewP appeared in the second half of the data, and the main effect of feedback type in RewP appeared in the first half of the data. The results showed that the neural response of individuals in depressed status to reward and punishment stimuli was weakened compared with healthy individuals and affected the subsequent cognitive processing to some extent. The effect of feedback appeared in the early stage and gradually decreased. The neural response of individuals in depressed status had a cumulative effect, and the differences appeared in the later stage. The results of this study support the emotional situation insensitive hypothesis, that is, individuals in depressed status are less sensitive to reward and punishment than healthy individuals.
‘Kindness by Post’: A Mixed-Methods Evaluation of a Participatory Public Mental Health Project
Authors: Wang Congxiyu , Pearce Eiluned , Jones Rebecca , Lloyd-Evans Brynmor
Published: February 2022

Background

Random acts of kindness can improve wellbeing. However, less is known about the impacts of giving and receiving acts of kindness with strangers on wellbeing and loneliness. Therefore, this study’s objectives were to evaluate a participatory public mental health project involving sending and receiving a card with goodwill messages, to understand how such acts of kindness influence wellbeing and loneliness, and to investigate the potential mechanisms underlying the project’s impacts.

Materials and Methods

This study was an analysis of anonymized service evaluation data collected in the ‘Kindness by Post’ (KBP) project in 2020. It used a mixed-methods single-group design and data from 289 participants. Changes in wellbeing, loneliness, sense of belonging and hope from baseline (12th–14th February) to follow-up (26th February–2nd March) were analyzed using linear or multinomial logistic regression. Regression models also examined the associations between changes in wellbeing and baseline loneliness or participation level. Free text responses about experiences and suggestions for the project were analyzed using thematic analysis.

Results

Participants had a small, but statistically significant improvement, in wellbeing equating to 0.21 standard deviations (95% CI: 0.12–0.30) after taking part in the project, as well as improvements in loneliness, sense of belonging and hope. How lonely a participant was at baseline and whether participants both sent and received a kindness card were not associated with improvements in wellbeing. In the qualitative analysis, a desire to help others emerged as the main motivator to take part in the card exchange. Participants reported enhanced personal fulfillment, leading to improvements in wellbeing. Receiving a card could make people feel special and cherished, which was reported to establish a sense of connection with others, with potential benefits for reducing loneliness.

Conclusion

This study provided preliminary evidence that the KBP project might improve wellbeing, loneliness, sense of belonging and hope. Sending a kindness card in this project played a predominant role in wellbeing enhancement, and receiving a kindness card could reduce loneliness. This study suggests that the KBP project can be replicated in more contexts in the future, and might improve wellbeing and loneliness in large communities.
Infamous Gaming: The Intergroup Bias of Non-gamers in the Chinese Marriage Market
Authors: Zhao Shuguang , Zhang Wenjian
Published: February 2022

The link between gaming and negative outcomes has been explored by previous research and has led to the widespread adverse attitude toward gaming (ATG) and gamers, especially from those who are unfamiliar with this activity. By implementing an audit study with gamers and non-gamers as participants (N = 1,280), we found that non-gamer participants rated gamers less as similar to their ideal marriage partners compared to non-gamers, while gamer participants did not differentiate between gamers and non-gamers in the ideal marriage partners similarity rating (IMPSR). The findings also revealed that the difference in IMPSR between gamer and non-gamer participants toward gamers was completely mediated by their ATG. These results imply that non-gamers consider gaming as an undesired characteristic, and this is due to the relatively negative attitude of non-gamers toward gaming. Current study provides a new perspective on exploring the effect of gaming by investigating the social interaction between gamers and non-gamers in real-world and suggests that the unfamiliarity of gaming can lead to the negative ATG, which may, ultimately, place gamers at a disadvantage in the context of mate selection.
Research on Corporate Social Responsibility Coordination of Three-Tier Supply Chain Based on Stochastic Differential Game
Authors: Yang Mingge , Yang Zhuo , Li Ying , Liang Xiaozhen
Published: February 2022

In the Internet era, consumers prefer products with the attributes of social responsibility. Supply chain enterprises strengthen corporate social responsibility (CSR) management for their own development. To improve CSR throughout the supply chain, it requires coordination and cooperation among the members of the supply chain. In this paper, we consider a three-tier supply chain system consisting of a supplier, a manufacturer, and a retailer and use stochastic differential game to study the CSR coordination of the supply chain. The following indicators are investigated under four decision situations, such as the optimal level of CSR effort for the supply chain members, the optimal value of profit for the supply chain members and the supply chain system, and the expectation and variance of CSR goodwill. Some important results are obtained. (i) Compared with decentralized decision-making, the optimal level of CSR effort increases for the supplier and the manufacturer under local alliance decision-making without cost sharing, whereas the optimal level of CSR effort remains unchanged for the retailer. (ii) Compared with local alliance decision-making without cost sharing, the optimal level of CSR effort remains unchanged for the supplier and the manufacturer under local alliance decision-making with cost sharing. When the sum of the marginal profit for the supplier and the manufacturer is greater than half of the marginal profit for the retailer, the optimal level of CSR effort increases for the retailer. (iii) Compared with local alliance decision-making with cost sharing, the optimal level of CSR effort increases for the supply chain members under overall alliance decision-making. (iv) From decentralized decision-making to local alliance decision-making without cost sharing, to local alliance decision-making with cost sharing, and then to overall alliance decision-making, the optimal value of profit increases for the supply chain members and the supply chain system. Also, the expectation and variance of CSR goodwill increase.
University Students Adjusting to COVID-19 Stressors: Exploratory and Confirmatory Factor Analyses of the COVID-19 Stressors Questionnaire
Authors: Yong Minglee , Suh Hanna
Published: February 2022

The psychological effects of COVID-19 have been documented in the past year, but scarce literature exists on the nature of COVID-19 stressors. Using a random split sample of 1199 young adult university students, results of exploratory factor analyses (EFA) identified a four-factor structure in the COVID-19 Stressors Questionnaire (C19SQ), which were labeled Resource Constraints, Social Restrictions, Future Uncertainty, and Health Concerns. This model was supported by a confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) when run on the other split sample of 1139 university students. Higher levels of COVID-19 stress were positively associated with anxiety and depressive symptoms and negatively associated with sleep duration, sleep quality, and the number of exercise days. COVID-19 stress also uniquely predicted poor university adjustment. This study demonstrated the link between COVID-19 stressors and mental and physical health symptoms, thus providing support for conceptualizing the psychological impact of the pandemic as adjustment problems for some individuals.
Social Media Efficacy in Crisis Management: Effectiveness of Non-pharmaceutical Interventions to Manage COVID-19 Challenges
Authors: Zhou Yunye , Draghici Anca , Abbas Jaffar , Mubeen Riaqa , Boatca Maria Elena , Salam Mohammad Asif
Published: February 2022

The new identified virus COVID-19 has become one of the most contagious diseases in human history. The ongoing coronavirus has created severe threats to global mental health, which have resulted in crisis management challenges and international concerns related to health issues. As of September 9, 2021, there were over 223.4 million patients with COVID-19, including 4.6 million deaths and over 200 million recovered patients reported worldwide, which has made the COVID-19 outbreak one of the deadliest pandemics in human history. The aggressive public health implementations endorsed various precautionary safety and preventive strategies to suppress and minimize COVID-19 disease transmission. The second, third, and fourth waves of COVID-19 continue to pose global challenges to crisis management, as its evolution and implications are still unfolding. This study posits that examining the strategic ripostes and pandemic experiences sheds light on combatting this global emergency. This study recommends two model strategies that help reduce the adverse effects of the pandemic on the immune systems of the general population. This present paper recommends NPI interventions (non-pharmaceutical intervention) to combine various measures, such as the suppression strategy (lockdown and restrictions) and mitigation model to decrease the burden on health systems. The current COVID-19 health crisis has influenced all vital economic sectors and developed crisis management problems. The global supply of vaccines is still not sufficient to manage this global health emergency. In this crisis, NPIs are helpful to manage the spillover impacts of the pandemic. It articulates the prominence of resilience and economic and strategic agility to resume economic activities and resolve healthcare issues. This study primarily focuses on the role of social media to tackle challenges and crises posed by COVID-19 on economies, business activities, healthcare burdens, and government support for societies to resume businesses, and implications for global economic and healthcare provision disruptions. This study suggests that intervention strategies can control the rapid spread of COVID-19 with hands-on crisis management measures, and the healthcare system will resume normal conditions quickly. Global economies will revitalize scientific contributions and collaborations, including social science and business industries, through government support.
The “Connectivome Theory”: A New Model to Understand Autism Spectrum Disorders
Authors: Zoccante Leonardo , Ciceri Marco Luigi , Gozzi Luigi Alberto , Gennaro Gianfranco Di , Zerman Nicoletta
Published: February 2022

The classical approach to autism spectrum disorders (ASD) is often limited to considering their neuro-functional aspects. However, recent scientific literature has shown that ASDs also affect many body systems and apparatuses such as the immune system, the sensory-motor system, and the gut-brain axis. The connective tissue, a common thread linking all these structures, may have a pathogenetic role in the multisystem involvement of ASD. Depending on its different anatomical sites, the connective tissue performs functions of connection and support; furthermore, it acts as a barrier between the external and internal environments, regulating the interchange between the two and performing immunological surveillance. The connective tissue shares a close relationship with the central nervous system, the musculoskeletal system and the immune system. Alterations in brain connectivity are common to various developmental disorders, including ASD, and for this reason here we put forward the hypothesis that alterations in the physiological activity of microglia could be implicated in the pathogenesis of ASD. Also, muscle hypotonia is likely to clinically correlate with an altered sensoriality and, in fact, discomfort or early muscle fatigue are often reported in ASDs. Furthermore, patients with ASD often suffer from intestinal dysfunctions, malabsorption and leaky gut syndrome, all phenomena that may be linked to reduced intestinal connectivity. In addition, at the cutaneous and subcutaneous levels, ASDs show a greater predisposition to inflammatory events due to the lack of adequate release of anti-inflammatory mediators. Alveolar-capillary dysfunctions have also been observed in ASD, most frequently interstitial inflammations, immune-mediated forms of allergic asthma, and bronchial hyper-reactivity. Therefore, in autism, altered connectivity can result in phenomena of altered sensitivity to environmental stimuli. The following interpretative model, that we define as the “connectivome theory,” considers the alterations in connective elements of common mesodermal origin located in the various organs and apparatuses and entails the evaluation and interpretation of ASDs through also highlighting somatic elements. We believe that this broader approach could be helpful for a more accurate analysis, as it is able to enrich clinical evaluation and define more multidisciplinary and personalized interventions.
Fear of Recurrence in Chinese Cancer Patients: Prevalence, Correlates, and Network Analysis
Authors: Luo Xian , Li Wengao , Chen Yu , Sun Hengwen , Humphris Gerry , Liu Ting , Zhang Jingying , Yang Yuan , Zhang Bin
Published: February 2022

Background

Fear of cancer recurrence (FCR) is a significant issue for most cancer patients. Until now, a detailed investigation of the structure of FCR and the interaction among its constituent elements is lacking. This study aims to investigate the phenomenon of FCR by means of network analysis in Chinese cancer patients.

Methods

This is a multi-center, cross-sectional study that included 996 cancer patients from southern China. All participants were assessed by the 7-item Chinese version Fear of Cancer Recurrence Scale (FCR-7). Multivariate logistic regression, and network analyses were conducted. Central symptoms (nodes) in the FCR network were identified.

Results

Among the 996 patients, 543 (54.52%) reported moderate FCR, and 137 (13.76%) reported high FCR. Chemotherapy (OR = 2.954, P = 0.016), and childhood severe illness experience (OR = 2.331, P = 0.016) were positively associated with high FCR, while higher monthly income (OR = 0.403, P = 0.046) was negative associated with high FCR. The node #FCR2 (Worried/anxious about recurrence) was the most central node within the FCR network (Strength = 1.190), while node #FCR6 (Examining for physical signs) was the least central node (Strength = 0.373). The edge FCR1-FCR2 (“Afraid”-“Worried/anxious”) was the thickest and most saturated edge in the network. After controlling for age and gender, an almost identical network was obtained with respect to edges magnitude and strength.

Conclusion

Fear of recurrence is a frequently reported issue among Chinese cancer patients. Patients with chemotherapy and childhood severe illness experience were more vulnerable and should be particularly monitored. Compared to behavioral component (i.e., body checking, overscreening and overtreatment) and cognitive component (i.e., intrusions), emotional component (i.e., worry/anxious) is more central to identify FCR and might be potential targets for further interventions.
Air Pollution and Household Medical Expenses: Evidence From China
Authors: Zhou Li , Zhong Qian , Yang Jingjing
Published: February 2022

By matching air quality index (AQI) data with the household data from China Family Panel Studies (CFPS), we identify the impact of air pollution on household medical expenses from a micro perspective. The results show that higher air pollution will increase household medical expenses and change household consumption structure. This effect is still significant after controlling for cities' relevant household and individual characteristics and economic characteristics. Under different educational backgrounds, income, hukou, gender, and other conditions, air pollution will significantly reduce medical spending. For those females in the urban areas with higher education backgrounds and higher income, the spending elasticity of air pollution is more significant than other corresponding groups. And air pollution will promote medical expenses through stronger individuals' environmental awareness, poor health conditions, bad emotional status, and positive risk aversion. Furthermore, we find that the impact of air pollution on healthcare spending remains significant after instrumental variables regression and geographical regression based on the Qinling Mountains-Huaihe River Line.
Energy Expenditure Estimation of Tabata by Combining Acceleration and Heart Rate
Authors: Yan Yiping , Chen Qingguo
Published: February 2022

Tabata training plays an important role in health promotion. Effective monitoring of exercise energy expenditure is an important basis for exercisers to adjust their physical activities to achieve exercise goals. The input of acceleration combined with heart rate data and the application of machine learning algorithm are expected to improve the accuracy of EE prediction. This study is based on acceleration and heart rate to build linear regression and back propagate neural network prediction model of Tabata energy expenditure, and compare the accuracy of the two models. Participants (n = 45; Mean age: 21.04 ± 2.39 years) were randomly assigned to the modeling and validation data set in a 3:1 ratio. Each participant simultaneously wore four accelerometers (dominant hand, non-dominant hand, right hip, right ankle), a heart rate band and a metabolic measurement system to complete Tabata exercise test. After obtaining the test data, the correlation of the variables is calculated and passed to linear regression and back propagate neural network algorithms to predict energy expenditure during exercise and interval period. The validation group was entered into the model to obtain the predicted value and the prediction effect was tested. Bland-Alterman test showed two models fell within the consistency interval. The mean absolute percentage error of back propagate neural network was 12.6%, and linear regression was 14.7%. Using both acceleration and heart rate for estimation of Tabata energy expenditure is effective, and the prediction effect of back propagate neural network algorithm is better than linear regression, which is more suitable for Tabata energy expenditure monitoring.
Evaluation of Neuro Images for the Diagnosis of Alzheimer's Disease Using Deep Learning Neural Network
Authors: A Ahila , M Poongodi , Hamdi Mounir , Bourouis Sami , Rastislav Kulhanek , Mohmed Faizaan
Published: February 2022

Alzheimer's Disease (AD) is a progressive, neurodegenerative brain disease and is an incurable ailment. No drug exists for AD, but its progression can be delayed if the disorder is identified at its initial stage. Therefore, an early analysis of AD is of fundamental importance for patient care and efficient treatment. Neuroimaging techniques aim to assist the physician in the diagnosis of brain disorders by using images. Positron emission tomography (PET) is a kind of neuroimaging technique employed to create 3D images of the brain. Due to many PET images, researchers attempted to develop computer-aided diagnosis (CAD) to differentiate normal control from AD. Most of the earlier methods used image processing techniques for preprocessing and attributes extraction and then developed a model or classifier to classify the brain images. As a result, the retrieved features had a significant impact on the recognition rate of previous techniques. A novel and enhanced CAD system based on a convolutional neural network (CNN) is formulated to address this issue, capable of discriminating normal control from Alzheimer's disease patients. The proposed approach is evaluated using the 18FDG-PET images of 855 patients, including 635 normal control and 220 Alzheimer's disease patients from the ADNI database. The result showed that the proposed CAD system yields an accuracy of 96%, a sensitivity of 96%, and a specificity of 94%, leading to splendid performance when related to the methods already in use that are specified in the literature.
HR1 Robot: An Assistant for Healthcare Applications
Authors: Vasco Valentina , Antunes Alexandre G. P. , Tikhanoff Vadim , Pattacini Ugo , Natale Lorenzo , Gower Valerio , Maggiali Marco
Published: February 2022

According to the World Health Organization1,2 the percentage of healthcare dependent population, such as elderly and people with disabilities, among others, will increase over the next years. This trend will put a strain on the health and social systems of most countries. The adoption of robots could assist these health systems in responding to this increased demand, particularly in high intensity and repetitive tasks. In a previous work, we compared a Socially Assistive Robot (SAR) with a Virtual Agent (VA) during the execution of a rehabilitation task. The SAR consisted of a humanoid R1 robot, while the Virtual Agent represented its simulated counter-part. In both cases, the agents evaluated the participants’ motions and provided verbal feedback. Participants reported higher levels of engagement when training with the SAR. Given that the architecture has been proven to be successful for a rehabilitation task, other sets of repetitive tasks could also take advantage of the platform, such as clinical tests. A commonly performed clinical trial is the Timed Up and Go (TUG), where the patient has to stand up, walk 3 m to a goal line and back, and sit down. To handle this test, we extended the architecture to evaluate lower limbs’ motions, follow the participants while continuously interacting with them, and verify that the test is completed successfully. We implemented the scenario in Gazebo, by simulating both participants and the interaction with the robot3. A full interactive report is created when the test is over, providing the extracted information to the specialist. We validate the architecture in three different experiments, each with 1,000 trials, using the Gazebo simulation. These experiments evaluate the ability of this architecture to analyse the patient, verify if they are able to complete the TUG test, and the accuracy of the measurements obtained during the test. This work provides the foundations towards more thorough clinical experiments with a large number of participants with a physical platform in the future. The software is publicly available in the assistive-rehab repository4 and fully documented.
Association Between Mental Health and Oral Health Status and Care Utilization
Authors: Tiwari Tamanna , Kelly Abigail , Randall Cameron L. , Tranby Eric , Franstve-Hawley Julie
Published: February 2022

Studies have shown that mental health and oral health may be correlated, with associations demonstrated between mental health problems and tooth loss, periodontal disease, and tooth decay. The COVID-19 pandemic had alarming implications for individuals' and communities' mental and emotional health. This study examined the associations between mental health status, oral health status, and oral healthcare utilization and highlighted the impact of COVID-19 on mental health. Additionally, this study examines specific sociodemographic factors that may amplify oral health disparities. A nationally representative survey was conducted to capture attitudes, experiences, and behaviors related to oral health, mental health, and unmet oral health needs. Eighteen percent of respondents were categorized as having poor mental health. Visiting the dentist in the last year was more common amongst individuals with good mental health. From the logistic regression model, mental health status, age group, race/ethnicity, education, and last dental visit were all significantly associated with of oral health status. Mental health status, age group, and income groups were all significantly associated with unmet oral health need. Future work should focus on the mental-oral health association, including determining ways to improve oral healthcare utilization and oral health status among people with poorer mental health.
Stem Cell Injection for Complex Refractory Perianal Fistulas in Crohn's Disease: A Single Center Initial Experience
Authors: Colombo Francesco , Cammarata Francesco , Baldi Caterina , Rizzetto Francesco , Bondurri Andrea , Carmagnola Stefania , Gridavilla Daniele , Maconi Giovanni , Ardizzone Sandro , Danelli Piergiorgio
Published: February 2022

From 30 to 70% of patients with Crohn's disease (CD) may develop perianal fistulas during their lifetime. The medical and surgical management of this complication is challenging, and its treatment still gives unsatisfactory results. However, recent studies on adipose-derived mesenchymal stem cells have proven their anti-inflammatory and immuno-modulatory potential, representing a new promising tool in the treatment of such stubborn disease. We report our initial experience with three patients who had recurrent perianal CD treated with local infiltration of stem cell darvadstrocel (Alofisel). All the patients had a long history of perianal disease refractory to multiple medical and surgical treatments. The preoperative workup included transperineal ultrasound (TP-US), pelvic MRI, and colonoscopy that ruled out active proctitis in all the patients. The post-treatment follow-up included clinical assessment at 1, 3, and 6 months with repeated MRI and TP-US at 6 months. At 6 months, 2 patients had a clinical response despite radiological persistence of fistula tracts, while one patient presented perianal fistula recurrence complicated by perianal abscess. Although our experience is limited to 3 patients and a short follow-up, our results confirm that darvadstrocel injection is a safe procedure, with a good clinical response in most of the patients, but that it apparently had no effect on the anatomical modification of the fistula tracts. Long-term results, with a rigorous assessment of anatomical lesions, are still needed to support the promising data of the literature.
Formation of Social Entrepreneurial Intention: A Qualitative Grounded Approach at the Base of the Pyramid
Authors: Claeyé Frederik , Boughattas Yosra , Tornikoski Erno T.
Published: February 2022

While there have been some attempts at investigating and theorizing social entrepreneurial action at the base of the economic pyramid, our understanding of the processes contributing to the formation of social entrepreneurial intention in contexts of extreme poverty remain limited. In this study, we aim to address this gap by providing a better understanding of the formation of social entrepreneurial intentions of youths at the base of the economic pyramid. Drawing on a qualitative grounded approach, we highlight the role of self-confidence, perceived self-efficacy and social ascension beliefs as important drivers in understanding the formation of social entrepreneurial intention of youths at the base of the pyramid. At a practical level, our study suggests that besides developing entrepreneurship-specific knowledge, support mechanisms should also pay attention to the development of different self-related beliefs of youths to enable the formation of social entrepreneurial intention at the base of the pyramid.
Seasonal Changes in Phosphorus in Soils and Vegetation of Vegetated Filter Strips in Cold Climate Agricultural Systems
Authors: Kieta Kristen A. , Owens Philip N. , Vanrobaeys Jason A. , Lobb David A.
Published: February 2022

Vegetated filter strips (VFS) are a best management practice, designed to reduce sediment and nutrient runoff to surface waters in agricultural landscapes. In cold climates, phosphorus (P) can be released from VFS vegetation when it undergoes freeze–thaw cycles, making their utility in these regions an area needing further study. Research in Manitoba, Canada, investigated temporal changes in soil P concentrations and potential P loss from VFS from 2015 to 2017. Soil, harvestable vegetation, and residue samples were collected within VFS and control strips, and soils were analysed for Olsen P and Total P (TP). Harvestable vegetation and residue samples were analysed for TP. Results showed increases in Olsen P each spring and reductions each fall in soils at all sites. There was substantial loss of TP from the harvestable vegetation samples at all sites from November 2016 to May 2017, but residues in the VFS and control sites had a lower loss of TP over the same period. Vegetation was shown to release P over the winter into surface soils, and harvestable vegetation released significantly more P than residue, potentially leading to P loss from soils through surface runoff or leaching. Thus, harvesting vegetation may be a suitable VFS management strategy in cold climates.
Impact of Temperature and Water on Seed Germination and Seedling Growth of Maize (Zea mays L.)
Authors: Khaeim Hussein , Kende Zoltán , Jolánkai Márton , Kovács Gergő Péter , Gyuricza Csaba , Tarnawa Ákos
Published: February 2022

Germination and seedling development are essential stages in a plant’s life cycle, greatly influenced by temperature and moisture conditions. The aim of this study was to determine maize (Zea mays L.) seeds’ germination and seedling development under various abiotic stresses. Eight different temperature levels, 5, 10, 15, 20, 25, 30, 35, and 40 °C, were used. Drought and waterlogging stresses were tested using 30 water levels based on one-milliliter intervals and as percentages of thousand kernel weight (TKW) at 20 and 25 °C. Seedling density and the use of antifungals were also examined. Temperature significantly affected germination duration and seedling growth, and 20 °C was found to be ideal with an optimal range of less than 30 °C. Germination occurred at 25% of the TKW. The optimal water range for seedling growth was higher and broader than the range for germination. Seed size assisted in defining germination water requirements and providing an accurate basis. The present research established an optimum water supply range of 150–325% of the TKW for maize seedling development. A total of 6 seeds per 9 cm Petri dish may be preferable over greater densities. The technique of priming seeds with an antifungal solution before planting was observed to have a better effect than applying it in the growth media.
Discovery of Major Quantitative Trait Loci and Candidate Genes for Fresh Seed Dormancy in Groundnut
Authors: Bomireddy Deekshitha , Gangurde Sunil S. , Variath Murali T. , Janila Pasupuleti , Manohar Surendra S. , Sharma Vinay , Parmar Sejal , Deshmukh Dnyaneshwar , Reddisekhar Mangala , Reddy Devarapalli Mohan , Sudhakar Palagiri , Reddy Bommu Veera Bhaskara , Varshney Rajeev K. , Guo Baozhu , Pandey Manish K.
Published: February 2022

Spanish bunch groundnut varieties occupy most of the cultivated area in Asia and Africa, and these varieties lack required 2-3 weeks of fresh seed dormancy (FSD) hampering kernel quality. Genomic breeding can help to improve commercial groundnut cultivars for FSD in a shorter time with greater precision. In this regard, a recombinant inbred line (RIL) population from the cross ICGV 02266 (non-dormant) × ICGV 97045 (dormant) was developed and genotyped with a 5 K mid-density genotyping assay. A linkage map was constructed with 325 SNP loci spanning a total map length of 2335.3 cM and five major QTLs were identified on chromosomes Ah01, Ah11, Ah06, Ah16 and Ah17. Based on differential gene expression using transcriptomic information from dormant (Tifrunner) and non-dormant (ICGV 91114) genotypes, histone deacetylases, histone-lysine N-methyltransferase, cytochrome P450, protein kinases, and ethylene-responsive transcription factor were identified as key regulators involved in the hormonal regulation of dormancy. Six Kompetitive Allele Specific PCR (KASP) markers were successfully validated in the diverse panel including selected RILs of the same population and germplasm lines. These validated KASP markers could facilitate faster breeding of new varieties with desired dormancy using marker-assisted early generation selection.
From the Lab to the Field: Combined Application of Plant-Growth-Promoting Bacteria for Mitigation of Salinity Stress in Melon Plants
Authors: Gopalakrishnan Vinoj , Burdman Saul , Jurkevitch Edouard , Helman Yael
Published: February 2022

Soil salinization is a major and increasing problem adversely impacting plant growth and crop production. Accordingly, coping with this problem has become a central topic in agriculture. In this study, we address this issue by evaluating the potential effectiveness of two bacterial species, Azospirillum brasilense and Paenibacillus dendritiformis, in enhancing growth and yield of melon and tomato plants under salinity stress. In vitro laboratory experiments indicated that these bacteria can efficiently colonize plant roots, and increase root length (25–33%) and root biomass (46–210%) of three melon plant varieties under saline stress. Similarly, greenhouse experiments showed that these bacteria significantly induced root (78–102%) and shoot weights (37–57%) of the three melon varieties irrigated with saline water. Tomato plants grown under the same conditions did not exhibit growth deficiency upon exposure to the saline stress and their growth was not enhanced in response to bacterial inoculation. Interestingly, saline-stressed melon plants inoculated with P. dendritiformis and A. brasilense exhibited lower total antioxidant activity compared to un-inoculated plants (80% vs. 60% of DPPH radical scavenging activity, respectively), suggesting that the inoculated plants experienced lower stress levels. These positive effects were further manifested by an increase of 16% in the crop yield of melon plants grown in the field under standard agricultural fertilization practices, but irrigated with saline water. Overall, these results demonstrate the beneficial effects of two plant-growth-promoting rhizobacteria, which can significantly alleviate the negative outcome of salt stress.