bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Disconfirmation of Taste as a Measure of Trust in Brands: An Experimental Study on Mineral Water
Authors: Kokthi Elena , Thoma Ledia , Saary Reka , Kelemen-Erdos Aniko
Published: April 2022

The underlying factors of the purchase decision process of bottled mineral water have been a less studied area. The typically related attributes of consumer judgement in the case of low involvement can vary widely, ranging from price sensitivity to habits. However, assessing the role of brand reputation and trust from a sensory perception perspective is not a common approach. This paper examines the impact of trust on consumer value judgements for a frequently consumed beverage such as mineral water. Combining trust and sensory attributes with the Expectation–Disconfirmation Theory (EDT) framework provides insights into the weight of taste, trust and reputation in product evaluation. A tasting experiment was carried out using a representative systematic random sampling method. A mixed method was applied; EDT was used to analyze quantitative data and grounded theory methodology was performed in the case of qualitative data. Results indicate complete assimilation for the most preferred brand and negative contrast for less well-known brands. It can be stated that the applied methodology is suitable as a certain kind of trust measurement and also can function particularly well as a reinforcement and complement to other methodologies (e.g., neuromarketing methods). This study suggests that brand names positively influence value judgment. Origin bounded brands compared to imported brands can help companies mitigate trust issues in developing countries as they convey a particular reputation, which helps reinforce trust.
Risk–Benefit Assessment of an Increase in the Iodine Fortification Level of Foods in Denmark—A Pilot Study
Authors: Jakobsen Lea Sletting , Nielsen Josefine Ostenfeld , Paulsen Sophie Egesø , Outzen Malene , Linneberg Allan , Møllehave Line Tang , Christensen Tue , Ravn-Haren Gitte
Published: April 2022

Iodine deficiency is one of the most common nutritional disorders worldwide. In Denmark, the mandatory iodine fortification of salt of 13 ppm was introduced in 2000 to eradicate mild to moderate iodine deficiency and the fortification level was increased to 20 ppm in 2019. However, the optimal iodine intake is a narrow interval, and the risk of disease increases with intakes both below and above this interval. In this study, we quantified the risk–benefit balance in the Danish adult population by increasing the mandatory fortification level. We applied a risk–benefit assessment approach in which population-level iodine intakes before and after the increase in fortification were integrated with epidemiological evidence of the association between iodine nutrition status and risk of relevant diseases to estimate the number of cases caused or prevented and estimated health impact in terms of disability-adjusted life years (DALY). We estimated an overall beneficial health impact and prevention of 34.9 (95% UI: −51.6; −21.7) DALY per 100,000 adults in the population annually with the increase in fortification level. Prevention of low IQ in children due to maternal iodine deficiency was the primary contributor to overall health gain. The gain in healthy life years comes at the expense of extra cases of goiter due to iodine excess. Due to lack of data, hypo- and hyperthyroidism related to iodine status were not included. Neither were children as a population group. Because of this, as well as uncertainties inherent in the model and data used, results should be interpreted with caution. We argue that nation-specific, quantitative assessments of the public health impact of fortification programs provide transparent, evidence-based decision support. Future research should aim to enable the inclusion of all relevant health effects as well as children in the assessment.
Role of Lactic Acid Bacteria in Food Preservation and Safety
Authors: Zapaśnik Agnieszka , Sokołowska Barbara , Bryła Marcin
Published: April 2022

Fermentation of various food stuffs by lactic acid bacteria is one of the oldest forms of food biopreservation. Bacterial antagonism has been recognized for over a century, but in recent years, this phenomenon has received more scientific attention, particularly in the use of various strains of lactic acid bacteria (LAB). Certain strains of LAB demonstrated antimicrobial activity against foodborne pathogens, including bacteria, yeast and filamentous fungi. Furthermore, in recent years, many authors proved that lactic acid bacteria have the ability to neutralize mycotoxin produced by the last group. Antimicrobial activity of lactic acid bacteria is mainly based on the production of metabolites such as lactic acid, organic acids, hydroperoxide and bacteriocins. In addition, some research suggests other mechanisms of antimicrobial activity of LAB against pathogens as well as their toxic metabolites. These properties are very important because of the future possibility to exchange chemical and physical methods of preservation with a biological method based on the lactic acid bacteria and their metabolites. Biopreservation is defined as the extension of shelf life and the increase in food safety by use of controlled microorganisms or their metabolites. This biological method may determine the alternative for the usage of chemical preservatives. In this study, the possibilities of the use of lactic acid bacteria against foodborne pathogens is provided. Our aim is to yield knowledge about lactic acid fermentation and the activity of lactic acid bacteria against pathogenic microorganisms. In addition, we would like to introduce actual information about health aspects associated with the consumption of fermented products, including probiotics.
Rapid Detection of Carbendazim Residue in Apple Using Surface-Enhanced Raman Scattering and Coupled Chemometric Algorithm
Authors: Huang Xiaowei , Zhang Ning , Li Zhihua , Shi Jiyong , Tahir Haroon , Sun Yue , Zhang Yang , Zhang Xinai , Holmes Melvin , Zou Xiaobo
Published: April 2022

In order to achieve rapid and precise quantification detection of carbendazim residues, surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) combined with variable selected regression methods were developed. A higher sensitivity and greater density of “hot spots” in three-dimensional (3D) SERS substrates based on silver nanoparticles compound polyacrylonitrile (Ag-NPs @PAN) nanohump arrays were fabricated to capture and amplify the SERS signal of carbendazim. Four Raman spectral variable selection regression models were established and comparatively assessed. The results showed that the bootstrapping soft shrinkage-partial least squares (BOSS-PLS) method achieved the best predictive capacity after variable selection, and the final BOSS-PLS model has the correlation coefficient (RP) of 0.992. Then, this method used to detect the carbendazim residue in apple samples; the recoveries were 86~116%, and relative standard deviation (RSD) is less than 10%. The 3D SERS substrates combined with the BOSS-PLS algorithm can deliver a simple and accurate method for trace detection of carbendazim residues in apples.
On the Equivalence between Integer- and Fractional Order-Models of Continuous-Time and Discrete-Time ARMA Systems
Authors: Ortigueira Manuel Duarte , Magin Richard L.
Published: April 2022

The equivalence of continuous-/discrete-time autoregressive-moving average (ARMA) systems is considered in this paper. For the integer-order cases, the interrelations between systems defined by continuous-time (CT) differential and discrete-time (DT) difference equations are found, leading to formulae relating partial fractions of the continuous and discrete transfer functions. Simple transformations are presented to allow interconversions between both systems, recovering formulae obtained with the impulse invariant method. These transformations are also used to formulate a covariance equivalence. The spectral correspondence implied by the bilinear (Tustin) transformation is used to study the equivalence between the two types of systems. The general fractional CT/DT ARMA systems are also studied by considering two DT differential fractional autoregressive-moving average (FARMA) systems based on the nabla/delta and bilinear derivatives. The interrelations CT/DT are also considered, paying special attention to the systems defined by the bilinear derivatives.
Linearly Implicit High-Order Exponential Integrators Conservative Runge–Kutta Schemes for the Fractional Schrödinger Equation
Authors: Fu Yayun , Zheng Qianqian , Zhao Yanmin , Xu Zhuangzhi
Published: April 2022

In this paper, a family of high-order linearly implicit exponential integrators conservative schemes is constructed for solving the multi-dimensional nonlinear fractional Schrödinger equation. By virtue of the Lawson transformation and the generalized scalar auxiliary variable approach, the equation is first reformulated to an exponential equivalent system with a modified energy. Then, we construct a semi-discrete conservative scheme by using the Fourier pseudo-spectral method to discretize the exponential system in space direction. After that, linearly implicit energy-preserving schemes which have high accuracy are given by applying the Runge–Kutta method to approximate the semi-discrete system in temporal direction and using the extrapolation method to the nonlinear term. As expected, the constructed schemes can preserve the energy exactly and implement efficiently with a large time step. Numerical examples confirm the constructed schemes have high accuracy, energy-preserving, and effectiveness in long-time simulation.
ProGeo-Neo v2.0: A One-Stop Software for Neoantigen Prediction and Filtering Based on the Proteogenomics Strategy
Authors: Liu Chunyu , Zhang Yu , Jian Xingxing , Tan Xiaoxiu , Lu Manman , Ouyang Jian , Liu Zhenhao , Li Yuyu , Xu Linfeng , Chen Lanming , Lin Yong , Xie Lu
Published: April 2022

A proteogenomics-based neoantigen prediction pipeline, namely ProGeo-neo, was previously developed by our team to predict neoantigens, allowing the identification of class-I major histocompatibility complex (MHC) binding peptides based on single-nucleotide variation (SNV) mutations. To improve it, we here present an updated pipeline, i.e., ProGeo-neo v2.0, in which a one-stop software solution was proposed to identify neoantigens based on the paired tumor-normal whole genome sequencing (WGS)/whole exome sequencing (WES) data in FASTQ format. Preferably, in ProGeo-neo v2.0, several new features are provided. In addition to the identification of MHC-I neoantigens, the new version supports the prediction of MHC class II-restricted neoantigens, i.e., peptides up to 30-mer in length. Moreover, the source of neoantigens has been expanded, allowing more candidate neoantigens to be identified, such as in-frame insertion-deletion (indels) mutations, frameshift mutations, and gene fusion analysis. In addition, we propose two more efficient screening approaches, including an in-group authentic neoantigen peptides database and two more stringent thresholds. The range of candidate peptides was effectively narrowed down to those that are more likely to elicit an immune response, providing a more meaningful reference for subsequent experimental validation. Compared to ProGeo-neo, the ProGeo-neo v2.0 performed well based on the same dataset, including updated functionality and improved accuracy.
Activation of Esterase D by FPD5 Inhibits Growth of A549 Lung Cancer Cells via JAB1/p53 Pathway
Authors: Yao Wen , Yang Yuejun , Chen Xinpeng , Cui Xiaoling , Zhou Bangzhao , Zhao Baoxiang , Lin Zhaomin , Miao Junying
Published: April 2022

Esterase D (ESD) is widely distributed in mammals, and it plays an important role in drug metabolism, detoxification, and biomarkers and is closely related to the development of tumors. In our previous work, we found that a chemical small-molecule fluorescent pyrazoline derivative, FPD5, an ESD activator, could inhibit tumor growth by activating ESD, but its molecular mechanism is still unclear. Here, by using RNA interference (RNAi), andco-immunoprecipitation techniques, we found that ESD suppressed the nucleus exportation of p53 through reducing the interaction between p53 and JAB1. The protein level of p53 in the nucleus was upregulated and the downstream targets of p53 were found by Human Gene Expression Array. p53 inhibited the expression of CDCA8 and CDC20. Lastly, the cell cycle of A549 cells was arrested at the G0/G1 phase. Together, our data suggest that ESD inhibited the cancer cell growth by arresting the cell cycle of A549 cells via the JAB1/p53 signaling pathway. Our findings provide a new insight into how to inhibit the growth of lung cancer with the activation of ESD by FPD5.
PLOD Family: A Novel Biomarker for Prognosis and Personalized Treatment in Soft Tissue Sarcoma
Authors: Gong Siming , Schopow Nikolas , Duan Yingjuan , Wu Changwu , Kallendrusch Sonja , Osterhoff Georg
Published: April 2022

Despite various treatment attempts, the heterogenous group of soft tissue sarcomata (STS) with more than 100 subtypes still shows poor outcomes. Therefore, effective biomarkers for prognosis prediction and personalized treatment are of high importance. The Procollagen-Lysine, 2-Oxoglutarate 5-Dioxygenase (PLOD) gene family, which is related to multiple cancer entities, consists of three members which encode important enzymes for the formation of connective tissue. The relation to STS, however, has not yet been explored. In this study, data from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) and Genotype-Tissue Expression (GTEx) databases were used to analyze the role of PLOD1–3 in STS. It was found that an overexpression of PLOD family members correlates with poor prognosis, which might be due to an increased infiltration of immune-related cells in the tumor microenvironment. In STS, the expression of PLOD genes could be a novel biomarker for prognosis and a personalized, more aggressive treatment in these patients.
Computational Saturation Mutagenesis to Investigate the Effects of Neurexin-1 Mutations on AlphaFold Structure
Authors: Rhoades Raina , Henry Brianna , Prichett Dominique , Fang Yayin , Teng Shaolei
Published: April 2022

Neurexin-1 (NRXN1) is a membrane protein essential in synapse formation and cell signaling as a cell-adhesion molecule and cell-surface receptor. NRXN1 and its binding partner neuroligin have been associated with deficits in cognition. Recent genetics research has linked NRXN1 missense mutations to increased risk for brain disorders, including schizophrenia (SCZ) and autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Investigation of the structure–function relationship in NRXN1 has proven difficult due to a lack of the experimental full-length membrane protein structure. AlphaFold, a deep learning-based predictor, succeeds in high-quality protein structure prediction and offers a solution for membrane protein model construction. In the study, we applied a computational saturation mutagenesis method to analyze the systemic effects of missense mutations on protein functions in a human NRXN1 structure predicted from AlphaFold and an experimental Bos taurus structure. The folding energy changes were calculated to estimate the effects of the 29,540 mutations of AlphaFold model on protein stability. The comparative study on the experimental and computationally predicted structures shows that these energy changes are highly correlated, demonstrating the reliability of the AlphaFold structure for the downstream bioinformatics analysis. The energy calculation revealed that some target mutations associated with SCZ and ASD could make the protein unstable. The study can provide helpful information for characterizing the disease-causing mutations and elucidating the molecular mechanisms by which the variations cause SCZ and ASD. This methodology could provide the bioinformatics protocol to investigate the effects of target mutations on multiple AlphaFold structures.
Cats with Genetic Variants of AGXT2 Respond Differently to a Dietary Intervention Known to Reduce the Risk of Calcium Oxalate Stone Formation
Authors: Hall Jean A. , Panickar Kiran S. , Brockman Jeffrey A. , Jewell Dennis E.
Published: April 2022

This study was completed to evaluate a genotype-specific nutritional intervention for reducing the risk of calcium oxalate stone formation. Serum metabolomic profiles and genotypes of 445 cats in the colony at Hill’s Pet Nutrition, Inc (Topeka, KS, USA)were assessed in a genome-wide association study, and revealed an association between genetic variants of alanine-glyoxylate aminotransferase 2 (AGXT2) and 2-oxoarginine. The most significant single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNP) associated with 2-oxoarginine was at position chrA1:212069607, [G/A] (p < 3.687 × 10−17). This SNP explained approximately 15% of the variance in 2-oxoarginine concentrations. The distribution of genotype frequencies was 0.07 AA, 0.39 AG, and 0.54 GG, with a mean relative 2-oxoarginine concentration for each genotype of 0.45 AA, 0.92 AG, and 1.27 GG, indicating a subtractive effect of the minor allele (A). Serum concentrations of two AGXT2 substrates, symmetric/asymmetric dimethylarginines (SDMA/ADMA) and β-aminoisobutyrate (BAIB) were also strongly associated with SNP chrA1:212069607 (p < 1.43 × 10−12 and p < 2.30 × 10−14, respectively). These two AGXT2 substrates were increased with the minor allele (A), indicating that the variant of the AGXT2 gene results in decreased aminotransferase activity. Additionally, the lifetime history of stone incidence showed that cats with the AA variant of AGXT2 SNP had a 2.515× increased incidence of stones compared with cats having the GG variant (p = 0.019). In a subsequent study assessing AGXT2 genotypes, cats (n = 10 GG, 4 AG, 9 AA) were fed control or test food (containing betaine at 0.500%, and the botanicals green tea, fenugreek and tulsi at 0.25, 0.025, and 0.0015%, respectively) in a cross-over study design. Stone risk analysis was conducted on urine samples after feeding control or test food for 28 days each. A calcium oxalate titration test (COT) was performed to assess the amount of added Ox−2 (per L) required to initiate calcium oxalate crystal formation. Cats with the GG variant of the AGXT2 SNP required more added oxalate to initiate urine crystal formation after consuming test food compared with control food, indicating a decreased risk of oxalate crystal formation in GG cats. In addition, urine oxalate concentrations showed an overall effect of test food independent of genotype (p = 0.0009), which resulted in lower oxalate concentrations after consuming test food compared with control food. These data indicate that cats with the GG-specific variant of AGXT2 should benefit from a reduced risk of calcium oxalate stone formation after consuming a betaine and botanical dietary enhancement.
Development and Application of a Target Capture Sequencing SNP-Genotyping Platform in Rice
Authors: Lee Chaewon , Cheon Kyeong-Seong , Shin Yunji , Oh Hyoja , Jeong Young-Min , Jang Hoon , Park Yong-Chan , Kim Kyung-Yun , Cho Hang-Chul , Won Yong-Jae , Baek Jeongho , Cha Young-Soon , Kim Song-Lim , Kim Kyung-Hwan , Ji Hyeonso
Published: April 2022

The development of efficient, robust, and high-throughput SNP genotyping platforms is pivotal for crop genetics and breeding. Recently, SNP genotyping platforms based on target capture sequencing, which is very flexible in terms of the number of SNP markers, have been developed for maize, cassava, and fava bean. We aimed to develop a target capture sequencing SNP genotyping platform for rice. A target capture sequencing panel containing 2565 SNPs, including 1225 SNPs informative for japonica and 1339 SNPs informative for indica, was developed. This platform was used in diversity analysis of 50 rice varieties. Of the 2565 SNP markers, 2341 (91.3%) produced useful polymorphic genotype data, enabling the production of a phylogenetic tree of the 50 varieties. The mean number of markers polymorphic between any two varieties was 854. The platform was used for QTL mapping of preharvest sprouting (PHS) resistance in an F8 recombinant inbred line population derived from the cross Odae × Joun. A genetic map comprising 475 markers was constructed, and two QTLs for PHS resistance were identified on chromosomes 4 and 11. This system is a powerful tool for rice genetics and breeding and will facilitate QTL studies and gene mapping, germplasm diversity analysis, and marker-assisted selection.
Probabilistic Safety Analysis of the Liquefaction Hazard for a Nuclear Power Plant
Authors: Katona Tamás János , Karsa Zoltán
Published: April 2022

Liquefaction hazard safety is essential for operating nuclear power plants where the elimination of hazards via engineering measures is not practicable. For this, the core damage frequency should be evaluated via integration of the liquefaction hazard into the seismic probabilistic safety analysis. In the seismic probabilistic safety analysis, the maximum horizontal acceleration is used as the intensity measure and as the engineering demand parameter for a simple calculation of failure rates. According to the studies performed for the Paks Nuclear Power Plant, loss of emergency service water supply due to relative settlement of adjacent structures and structural and functional failures due to tilting are the dominating failure modes. To integrate these failure modes into a seismic probabilistic safety analysis, hazard and fragility should be evaluated as functions of properly identified intensity measures and engineering demand parameters, preferable the maximum horizontal acceleration. Since a generic procedure does not exist in nuclear practice, based on the analyses for the Paks Nuclear Power Plant, two practical options are proposed for integration of the liquefaction hazard into a seismic probabilistic safety analysis, and for the calculation of annual probability of failure of critical structures.
COVID-19 Vaccines and Restrictions: Concerns and Opinions among Individuals in Saudi Arabia
Authors: Meraya Abdulkarim M. , Salami Riyadh M. , Alqahtani Saad S. , Madkhali Osama A. , Hijri Abdulrahman M. , Qassadi Fouad A. , Albarrati Ayman M.
Published: April 2022

(1) Background: Recent studies in Saudi Arabia have indicated that a small proportion of the population is hesitant to receive COVID-19 vaccines due to uncertainty about their safety. The objective of this study was therefore to examine concerns about COVID-19 vaccines in Saudi Arabia; (2) Methods: This cross-sectional study surveyed Saudi residents aged 14 years and older. The online questionnaire consisted of the following sections: (1) demographics; (2) knowledge about COVID-19 vaccines and sources of information; (3) COVID-19 vaccines worry scale; and (4) opinions about restrictions placed on unvaccinated individuals in Saudi Arabia. An adjusted regression model was computed to examine the relationships between demographic factors and worry about COVID-19 vaccines. All analyses were stratified by age, with those aged 19 years and above considered adults and those aged younger than 19 years considered as adolescents; (3) Results: A total of 1002 respondents completed the survey. Of the study sample, 870 were aged ≥19 years and 132 were aged <19 years. Of the adults in the study sample, 52% either agreed or strongly agreed with the statement, “I am worried about the potential side effects of COVID-19 vaccinations in children”. Among adults, females demonstrated higher levels of worry about COVID-19 vaccines than males (β = 1.142; p = 0.004) in the adjusted analyses. A high percentage of the participants either disagreed or strongly disagreed with allowing unvaccinated individuals to enter malls, schools, universities or to live freely without restrictions; (4) Conclusions: A high proportion of individuals in Saudi Arabia are concerned about possible side effects of COVID-19 vaccines, and many believe that unvaccinated individuals should not be restricted from participating in public life. It is therefore crucial to provide easily accessible information on the safety of COVID-19 vaccines in order to accelerate vaccination and minimize hesitancy regarding any future vaccinations that may be necessary.
Bolsa Familia Program and Perinatal Outcomes: NISAMI Cohort
Authors: Lisboa Cinthia Soares , da Mota Santana Jerusa , de Cássia Ribeiro-Silva Rita , de Araújo Edna Maria , Lima da Silva Carlos Alberto , Barreto Mauricio Lima , Pereira Marcos , Santos Djanilson Barbosa dos
Published: April 2022

This study aimed to assess the impact of the Bolsa Familia Program on perinatal outcomes of pregnant women. A cohort study was conducted with pregnant women supported by prenatal services at 17 Family Health Units in Bahia, Brazil. A previously tested structured questionnaire, which has sociodemographic, economic, prenatal care, lifestyle, and nutritional variables, has been used to collect data. The outcomes included premature birth and low birth weight. A hierarchical conceptual model was constructed, and logistic regression analysis was performed. From a total of 1173 pregnant women, the identified average age was 25.44 years and 34.10% had pre-gestational overweight. The non-beneficiary pregnant women presented a 1.54 (95% CI = 0.46–5.09) times higher chance of giving birth to children with low weight and a 1.03 (95% CI = 95% CI = 0.53–2.00) times chance of premature birth when compared to the beneficiary group. In the multilevel model, some variables were statistically significant, such as age between 18 and 24 years (p = 0.003), age greater than or equal to 35 years (p = 0.025), family income (p = 0.008), employment status (p = 0.010), and maternal height (p = 0.009). The Bolsa Familia Program, as an integrated strategy of social inclusion and economic development, is suggested to exert a protective effect on the health of mother-concept binomial.
The Interaction between Serotonin Transporter Allelic Variation and Maternal Care Modulates Instagram Sociability in a Sample of Singaporean Users
Authors: Bonassi Andrea , Cataldo Ilaria , Gabrieli Giulio , Tandiono Moses , Foo Jia Nee , Lepri Bruno , Esposito Gianluca
Published: April 2022

Human social interactions ensure recognition and approval from others, both in offline and online environments. This study applies a model from behavioral genetics on Instagram sociability to explore the impact of individual development on behavior on social networks. We hypothesize that sociable attitudes on Instagram resulted from an interaction between serotonin transporter gene alleles and the individual’s social relationship with caregivers. We assess the environmental and genetic components of 57 Instagram users. The self-report questionnaire Parental Bonding Instrument is adopted to determine the quality of parental bonding. The number of posts, followed users (“followings”), and followers are collected from Instagram as measures of online social activity. Additionally, the ratio between the number of followers and followings (“Social Desirability Index”) was calculated to estimate the asymmetry of each user’s social network. Finally, buccal mucosa cell samples were acquired, and the polymorphism rs25531 (T/T homozygotes vs. C-carriers) within the serotonin transporter gene was examined. In the preliminary analysis, we identified a gender effect on the number of followings. In addition, we specifically found a gene–environment interaction on the standardized Instagram “Social Desirability Index” in line with our predictions. Users with the genotype more sensitive to environmental influences (T/T homozygotes) showed a higher Instagram “Social Desirability Index” than nonsensitive ones (C-carriers) when they experienced positive maternal care. This result may contribute to understanding online social behavior from a gene*environment perspective.
Cone-Beam Computed Tomography: A New Tool on the Horizon for Forensic Dentistry
Authors: Issrani Rakhi , Prabhu Namdeo , Sghaireen Mohammed Ghazi , Ganji Kiran Kumar , Alqahtani Ali Mosfer A. , ALJamaan Tamer Saleh , Alanazi Amal Mohammed , Alanazi Sarah Hatab , Alam Mohammad Khursheed , Munisekhar Manay Srinivas
Published: April 2022

Teeth and bones of calvarium are important structures from a forensic point of view, as they are extremely resilient to destruction or decomposition, even under temperature variations. Radiology is inevitably an important tool in forensic investigations. Maxillofacial radiology provides a considerable amount of information for the identification of remains and evidence in case of legal matters. The advent of cone-beam computed tomography (CBCT) in the arena of maxillofacial 3D imaging has contributed immensely to forensic science such as the age estimation through teeth, analysis of bite marks, determination of race and sex, etc. The advantages of accuracy in imaging the anatomy, digitized technology favoring easier comparison of records and storage of records for a longer period, cost reduction, dose reduction, and easier portability have made it an unavoidable adjunct in forensic investigations. The aim of this paper is to review and highlight the importance of CBCT in successful forensic identification and analysis. This review is written to address the various aspects of CBCT as a recently developed technology that may be very useful in some forensic contexts, based on searches for current studies in the literature using PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science, and Google Scholar databases, to identify studies published since inception to December 2021, with no language restriction. In conclusion, CBCT is an accessible 3D imaging technology with many applications, one of them being in forensic sciences.
Social Isolation in Older Adults: A Qualitative Study on the Social Dimensions of Group Outdoor Health Walks
Authors: Irvine Katherine N. , Fisher Daniel , Marselle Melissa R. , Currie Margaret , Colley Kathryn , Warber Sara L.
Published: April 2022

Physical distancing practices during the COVID-19 global pandemic contributed to a high degree of social isolation among older adults. To reduce loneliness and other ill effects of social isolation, public health experts recommended outdoor social gathering, with physical distancing. Adopting a case study approach, we explored how social aspects of group outdoor health walks (GOHWs) mitigate social isolation for older adults and improve individual social wellbeing. We used semi-structured interviews to understand the experiences of social isolation and social relationships in nine older (50–80 s) adults participating in a GOHW in Scotland, United Kingdom (UK). Verbatim transcripts were analysed through an iterative process of thematic analysis carried out by an interdisciplinary team of qualitative researchers from environmental psychology, medicine, and geography. Themes provide insight into the social dimensions of GOHWs, the mediating effects of social experiences, and the contribution these make to individual social wellbeing. GOHWs provide opportunities to be part of a group and attend to the needs of inexperienced or physically challenged individuals. Being part of the group walk fosters casual interpersonal interactions through spontaneous mixing during and after the walk. This programmatic structure counters loneliness, engenders pleasurable anticipation of regular contact with others, supports physical activity, and fosters group cohesion. These in turn contribute to individual social wellbeing, including expanding social networks, meaningful relationships, a sense of belonging, and acting on empathy for others. GOWHs may be beneficial for mitigation of social isolation as we emerge from the COVID-19 pandemic. Findings were used to propose a conceptual model to parse social constructs and inform selection or development of quantitative social measures for future studies of nature-based interventions such as GOHWs.
Comparison of Analytical Values D-Dimer, Glucose, Ferritin and C-Reactive Protein of Symptomatic and Asymptomatic COVID-19 Patients
Authors: Pérez-García Nerea , García-González Jessica , Requena-Mullor Mar , Rodríguez-Maresca Manuel , Alarcón-Rodríguez Raquel
Published: April 2022

Those infected by COVID-19 develop various kinds of complications with varying degrees of severity. For this reason, it is necessary to evaluate its analytical values to predict and reduce the risks and complications derived from this pathology. A cross-sectional study was carried out a population in Almeria (south-eastern Spain) who had a positive Polymerase Chain Reaction test result from 1 March 2020 to 30 November 2020. The study involved 4575 patients, with 1346 who were asymptomatic, 1653 mildly symptomatic (no hospitalisation needed) and 1576 severely symptomatic (symptomatic patients hospitalised). Laboratory values for D-dimer, glucose, serum ferritin, and C-reactive protein were analysed. The mean age of the participants in the study was 53.60 (16.89) years old. A total of 70.6% of the patients were symptomatic, of which 36.1% had mild symptoms. For all of the laboratory predictors analysed (D-dimer, glucose, serum ferritin, and C-reactive protein), it was found that severe alterations in the parameters were more frequent in severely symptomatic patients with statistically significant differences (p < 0.001), although these alterations also occurred in asymptomatic patients. Age correlated with analytical values (D-dimer, glucose, serum ferritin, and C-reactive protein) with statistically significant differences. Patients with severe symptoms presented alterations in the analytical values of D-dimer, glucose, serum ferritin, and C-reactive protein. Asymptomatic patients presented alterations in the analysed parameters, though with less frequency and severity than patients with severe symptoms.
The Influence of Frailty Syndrome and Dementia on the Convenience and Satisfaction with Oral Anticoagulation Treatment in Elderly Patients with Atrial Fibrillation
Authors: Lomper Katarzyna , Łoboz-Rudnicka Maria , Bańkowski Tomasz , Łoboz-Grudzień Krystyna , Jaroch Joanna
Published: April 2022

Background: The impact of frailty syndrome (FS) and dementia on the convenience and satisfaction with oral anticoagulation (OAC) treatment in atrial fibrillation (AF) patients is not well-known. Aim: Assessment the impact of FS and dementia on the convenience and satisfaction with OAC treatment in 116 elderly (mean age 75.2, SD = 8.2) patients with AF. Methodology: A self-administered questionnaire was used in the study to collect basic socio-demographic and clinical data. Tilburg Frailty Indicator (TFI) questionnaire was used to assess the presence of FS, Mini Mental State Examination (MMSE) to assess cognitive impairment (CI), The Perception of Anticoagulant Treatment Questionnaire Part 2 (PACT-Q2) to assess convenience and satisfaction with OAC treatment, and the Arrhythmia-Specific Questionnaire in Tachycardia and Arrhythmia (ASTA) to assess quality of life (QoL). Results: Multivariable analysis as a significant, negative predictor of the convenience and satisfaction domain showed the occurrence of dementia (β = −0.34; p < 0.001, β = −0.41; p < 0.001, respectively) and prior major bleeding (β = −0.30; p < 0.001, β = −0.33; p < 0.001, respectively). Analysis showed a significant relationship between convenience and satisfaction and the overall result of the ASTA (r = −0.329; p < 0.001, r = −0.372; p < 0.001, respectively). Conclusions: Elements of geriatric syndrome, such as FS and dementia, adversely affect treatment convenience and satisfaction with OAC treatment in AF. It has been shown that better convenience and satisfaction with OAC treatment translates into better QoL. There were no differences between satisfaction and convenience and the type of OAC treatment (vitamin K antagonists (VKA) vs. novel oral anticoagulants (NOAC).
Experiences of Older Adults with Frailty Not Completing an Advance Directive: A Qualitative Study of ACP Conversations
Authors: Wan Zoe , Chan Helen Y. L. , Chiu Patrick K. C. , Lo Raymond S. K. , Cheng Hui-Lin , Leung Doris Y. P.
Published: April 2022

Advance care planning (ACP) facilitates individuals to proactively make decisions on their end-of-life care when they are mentally competent. It is highly relevant to older adults with frailty because they are more vulnerable to cognitive impairment, disabilities, and death. Despite devoting effort to promoting ACP among them, ACP and advance directive completion rates remain low. This study aims to explore the experiences among frail older adults who did not complete an advance directive after an ACP conversation. We conducted a thematic analysis of audiotaped nurse-facilitated ACP conversations with frail older adults and their family members. We purposively selected ACP conversations from 22 frail older adults in the intervention group from a randomized controlled trial in Hong Kong who had ACP conversation with a nurse, but did not complete an advance directive upon completing the intervention. Three themes were identified: “Refraining from discussing end-of-life care”, “Remaining in the here and now”, and “Relinquishing responsibility over end-of-life care decision-making”. Participation in ACP conversations among frail older adults and their family members might improve if current care plans are integrated so as to increase patients’ motivation and support are provided to family members in their role as surrogate decision-makers.
The Impact of Ecological Civilization Construction on Environment and Public Health—Evidence from the Implementation of Ecological Civilization Demonstration Area in China
Authors: Zhang Zhifeng , Xu Haodong , Shan Shuangshuang , Lu Yuqi , Duan Hongyan
Published: April 2022

Faced with an increasingly tight resource supply, serious environmental pollution and degrading ecosystems, human beings are eager to reduce environmental pollution and promote public health. In this context, this paper takes the ecological civilization demonstration area (ECDA) established in China as a quasi-natural experiment to test whether ecological civilization construction (ECC) is an effective solution for the reduction of environmental pollution and improvement of public health. Based on the panel data of 31 provinces in China from 2009 to 2020, the study analyzes the impact of ECC on environmental quality and public health by employing a difference-in-difference model. The results show that ECDA has restrained environmental pollution and reduced the morbidity and mortality, which indicates that ECC effectively promotes environmental quality and public health. The effect of ECC is more pronounced in economically developed regions. In addition, ECC improves environmental quality through scale effects, structural effects, technology effects, and ecological conservation effects, while the positive effects of ECC on public health are driven by scale effects and ecological conservation effects only. Therefore, policymakers should support low-carbon production, promote the upgrade of industrial structures, and encourage enterprises to develop green technologies. Ecological protection projects such as afforestation and greening are necessary. Governments should initiate ecological civilization construction in economically developed regions and then gradually promote the policies in relatively poor areas.
Validity and Reliability of the Daily Activity Behaviours Questionnaire (DABQ) for Assessment of Time Spent in Sleep, Sedentary Behaviour, and Physical Activity
Authors: Kastelic Kaja , Šarabon Nejc , Burnard Michael D. , Pedišić Željko
Published: April 2022

Sleep, sedentary behaviour (SB), and physical activity are among key behavioural determinants of health. There is a need to evaluate questionnaires that capture movement behaviours across the full 24-h day. The aim of this study was to examine the measurement properties of the Daily Activity Behaviours Questionnaire (DABQ), a novel questionnaire (with a past seven-day recall period) for estimating the time spent in sleep, SB, light physical activity (LPA), and moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA) among adults. A sample of 126 adults was recruited. DABQ was administered to the participants on two occasions seven days apart to examine its test-retest reliability. The convergent validity of DABQ estimates was explored against activPAL4 accelerometer/inclinometer estimates. Intraclass correlation coefficients for absolute agreement and consistency between the times spent in sleep, SB, LPA, and MVPA estimated by DABQ in the test and re-test ranged from 0.59 to 0.69. Spearman’s correlations between the times spent in sleep, SB, LPA, and MVPA estimated by DABQ and activPAL4 ranged from 0.38 to 0.66. In terms of reliability and validity, DABQ is comparable with existing questionnaires; however, it has an important advantage of enabling a comprehensive assessment of all four 24-h movement behaviours. The measurement properties of DABQ make it suitable for large-scale epidemiological studies on 24-h movement behaviours.
Impact of New Bed Assignment Information System on Emergency Department Length of Stay: An Effect Evaluation for Lean Intervention by Using Interrupted Time Series and Propensity Score Matching Analysis
Authors: Yun Chih-Chien , Huang Sin-Jhih , Kuo Tsuang , Li Ying-Chun , Juang Wang-Chuan
Published: April 2022

A long waiting period for available beds in emergency departments (EDs) is the major obstacle to a smooth process flow in ED services. We developed a new bed assignment information system that incorporates current strategies and resources to ease the bottleneck in the service flow. The study’s purpose was to evaluate the effect of the lean intervention plan. We included 54,541 ED patient visits in the preintervention phase and 52,874 ED patient visits in the postintervention phase. Segmented regression analysis (SRA) was used to estimate the level and trend in the preintervention and postintervention phases and changes in the level and trend after the intervention. After the intervention, the weekly length of stay (LOS) for patient visits, admitted patient visits, and nonadmitted patient visits decreased significantly by 0.75, 2.82, and 0.17 h, respectively. The trendline direction for overall patient visits and nonadmitted patient visits significantly changed after the intervention. However, no significant change was noted for admitted patient visits, although the postintervention trend visually differed from the preintervention trend. The concept of lean intervention can be applied to solve various problems encountered in the medical field, and the most common approach, SRA, can be used to evaluate the effect of intervention plans.
Artificial Intelligence-Driven Intrusion Detection in Software-Defined Wireless Sensor Networks: Towards Secure IoT-Enabled Healthcare Systems
Authors: Masengo Wa Umba Shimbi , Abu-Mahfouz Adnan M. , Ramotsoela Daniel
Published: April 2022

Wireless Sensor Networks (WSNs) are increasingly deployed in Internet of Things (IoT) systems for applications such as smart transportation, telemedicine, smart health monitoring and fall detection systems for the elderly people. Given that huge amount of data, vital and critical information can be exchanged between the different parts of a WSN, good management and protection schemes are needed to ensure an efficient and secure operation of the WSN. To ensure an efficient management of WSNs, the Software-Defined Wireless Sensor Network (SDWSN) paradigm has been recently introduced in the literature. In the same vein, Intrusion Detection Systems, have been used in the literature to safeguard the security of SDWSN-based IoTs. In this paper, three popular Artificial Intelligence techniques (Decision Tree, Naïve Bayes, and Deep Artificial Neural Network) are trained to be deployed as anomaly detectors in IDSs. It is shown that an IDS using the Decision Tree-based anomaly detector yields the best performances metrics both in the binary classification and in the multinomial classification. Additionally, it was found that an IDS using the Naïve Bayes-based anomaly detector was only adapted for binary classification of intrusions in low memory capacity SDWSN-based IoT (e.g., wearable fitness tracker). Moreover, new state-of-the-art accuracy (binary classification) and F-scores (multinomial classification) were achieved by introducing an end-to-end feature engineering scheme aimed at obtaining 118 features from the 41 features of the Network Security Laboratory-Knowledge Discovery in Databases (NSL-KDD) dataset. The state-of-the-art accuracy was pushed to 0.999777 using the Decision Tree-based anomaly detector. Finally, it was found that the Deep Artificial Neural Network should be expected to become the next default anomaly detector in the light of its current performance metrics and the increasing abundance of training data.
Strength Training in Swimming
Authors: Wirth Klaus , Keiner Michael , Fuhrmann Stefan , Nimmerichter Alfred , Haff G. Gregory
Published: April 2022

This narrative review deals with the topic of strength training in swimming, which has been a controversial issue for decades. It is not only about the importance for the performance at start, turn and swim speed, but also about the question of how to design a strength training program. Different approaches are discussed in the literature, with two aspects in the foreground. On the one hand is the discussion about the optimal intensity in strength training and, on the other hand, is the question of how specific strength training should be designed. In addition to a summary of the current state of research regarding the importance of strength training for swimming, the article shows which physiological adaptations should be achieved in order to be able to increase performance in the long term. Furthermore, an attempt is made to explain why some training contents seem to be rather unsuitable when it comes to increasing strength as a basis for higher performance in the start, turn and clean swimming. Practical training consequences are then derived from this. Regardless of the athlete’s performance development, preventive aspects should also be considered in the discussion. The article provides a critical overview of the abovementioned key issues. The most important points when designing a strength training program for swimming are a sufficiently high-load intensity to increase maximum strength, which in turn is the basis for power, year-round strength training, parallel to swim training and working on the transfer of acquired strength skills in swim training, and not through supposedly specific strength training exercises on land or in the water.