bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Influence of Augmented Probabilistic Information on Defensive Motor Behaviors of 1 vs. 1 Basketball Play
Authors: Luis del Campo Vicente , Hernández Escudero Santiago , Morenas Martín Jesús , Esteves Pedro Tiago
Published: June 2021

In this study we assessed the contribution of augmented probabilistic information on the motor behavior of novice defenders during 1 vs. 1 basketball play. More specifically, we aimed to investigate the influence of different probabilities of attacks to the basket (Level 1: High-probability of a single attack action; Level 2: Equal probability of two attack actions; Level 3: No-probability of an attack) on defensive reactions and their efficacy. Twenty-six novice participants volunteered and were assigned into three groups, based on their reaction time performance. Each participant performed 10 trials defending against typical basket attacks on a standard basketball court. Three experimental groups were primed regarding the probabilities of two forms of attack, either shooting at the basket or dribbling-past the defender (Group 1: 80% vs 20%; Group 2: 50% vs 50%; Group 3: No-probability of attack). Participants reacted earlier and with greater accuracy in the high-probability condition (80% vs 20%), than in the remaining conditions. We found that, in absence of kinematic information about their opponents, novice basketball players may have relied on the prior information we provided regarding an opponents’ preferred actions during 1 vs. 1 basketball play. The provision of probabilistic information could be used as a training strategy to guide the defensive motor behaviors of novice basketball players when facing their counterparts in ball possession by favoring the use of anticipatory information to react earlier and successfully to the opponents’ actions.
Contribution of an Educational Phase to Stress Inoculation of Speech Anxiety
Authors: Jaremko Matt E. , Hadfield Rob , Walker William E.
Published: June 2021

A study is described in which students anxious about speeches were treated by variations of stress inoculation training. The purpose of the experiment was to evaluate the contribution of an educational phase to the training. Three treatment groups received either the educational phase only, the skills phase only, or both. These were compared with a no-treatment control group. The education-only group was the only group to improve significantly on self-reported anxiety measured before giving a public speech. The education-only and combination group improved on self-reported self-efficacy as a speaker. All groups improved on behavioral ratings of anxiety. Discussion focuses on the apparent potency of using an educational model in the treatment of anxiety. Future research is suggested for delineating the conditions under which education is a powerful ingredient.
Progressive Figure Drawings in the Developmental Assessment of Mentally Retarded Psychotics
Authors: Kay Stanley R.
Published: June 2021

A Progressive Figure Drawing Test was assembled to delineate level of perceptual-motor development in patients with both developmental and psychiatric disorders. 63 mentally retarded psychotic adults were evaluated by this procedure and other measures of intellectual, social, and psychiatric functioning. The test's reliability and developmental hierarchy were supported, and significant differentiation among grades of retardation was noted. Strong correlates were obtained with the other developmentally based tests while its associations with indices of psychosis were significantly weaker or inconsequential. The findings suggested that this procedure may separate cognitive subnormality from abnormality related to psychosis. It was proposed that developmental assessment may provide a crucial perspective for clinical evaluation and research into mental retardation and psychosis.
Anorexia Treatment Based on Extinction of a Taste Aversion: An Addendum to Bernstein and Borson (1986)
Authors: Baum Morrie
Published: June 2021

The speculative theorizing of Bernstein and Borson, that anorexia in man can be due to conditioned taste aversions, is reviewed. Animal studies demonstrating hastened extinction of taste aversions by behavioral procedures are discussed, suggesting an analogous treatment in man.
Addiction Time and Intellectual Impairment in Heroin Users
Authors: Cipolli Carlo , Galliani Ivan
Published: June 2021

Rorschach test scores for male heroin users and nonusers ( ns = 15 each) were compared, to ascertain whether use of heroin influences intellectual impairment (as measured by such indicators of intellectual functioning as F+% and W+% responses). While the results show intellectual impairment to be greater in heroin users than in nonusers, the parametric and nonparametric indicators do not consistently show more marked impairment in long-term (4 to 5 yr. of addiction) than in short-term users (1 to 2 yr.). While intellectual functioning clearly seems influenced by heroin use, further research is required to ascertain the effect of the length of use either by comparing test and retest scores over a substantial interval or by matching samples including subjects with even longer careers of addiction.
Attribution of Blame in Incest among Mental Health Professionals
Authors: Doughty D. L. , Schneider H. G.
Published: June 2021

Attribution of blame was examined in three samples differing in education and experience (38 undergraduates, 31 graduate students, 37 MA clinicians). 106 subjects completed the Jackson Incest Blame Scale, which yields four blame factors, situation, victim, society, and offender. The four factor scores were analyzed using 2 (sex) X 3 (education) analysis of variance. Attribution of blame decreased as a function of more education. The blame scores of men were significantly higher than those of women on all factors except offender. The percentage of graduate students and clinicians indicating a history of sexual abuse fell in the upper range of estimates of incidence. Individuals with histories of abuse differed only on their attribution of blame to situational factors.
A Short Sensation-Seeking Scale
Authors: Madsen Daniel B. , Das Ajit K. , Bogen Iver , Grossman Eugene E.
Published: June 2021

Four studies examined the reliability and validity of a short form of Zuckerman's Sensation Seeking Scale. The short form demonstrated high retest reliability ( r = .78), correlated with drug- and sex-related behavior to the same extent as longer forms, gave higher scores for men than for women (as do the longer forms), and correlated .78 with Form V. The short form provides a reliable and valid measure of sensation seeking for use when time constraints preclude use of a longer form.
Family Environments of Children with School Behavior Problems
Authors: Searight H. Russell , Searight Priscilla R. , Scott Ellen
Published: June 2021

The Family Environment Scale was administered to 46 mothers whose children exhibited behavior problems at school and who had been referred for psychoeducational evaluation. When scores were compared with the norms for both nondistressed and distressed families, significant differences were noted on nine and five of the 10 subscales. Such findings suggest that this sample exhibits family environments that are more structured than those of the normative group and not as disturbed as those of the distressed group. Minimal subscale differences were found among three different recommended educational placements. Means and standard deviations for the three groups and the entire sample are provided.
Construction and analysis of a three-channel numerical control ring-spinning system for segment colored yarn
Authors: Sun Xianqiang , Cui Peng , Xue Yuan
Published: June 2021

At present, there have been a significant number of studies of segment colored yarn, and the majority of these studies have made considerable progress, which has made the types and styles of segment colored yarn more abundant. However, the problem that exists in the segment colored yarn is its relatively few kinds of color, which greatly limits its flexibility and diversity in commercial applications. To address the above problems, a multi-channel computer numerical control (CNC) ring-spinning machine was developed, and a digital spinning mechanism with online regulation of the forming linear density and blending ratio was constructed through the developed three-channel drafting mechanism and its driving and controlling system; the spinning mechanism of segment colored yarn using the time-varying three-channel drafting ratio to the spinning time-varying three-colored fiber blending ratio was established by implementing a coupling algorithm for co-drafting of multi-channel roving; the forming process and algorithm of segment colored yarn, which is used to solve the blending ratio of three colored fibers and the drafting ratio of three-channel roving based on segment color, was constructed through the digital color mixing model and the design of segment color of yarn. According to the above mechanism, three rovings with two color combinations of cyan, magenta, yellow and cyan, magenta, black were used to design and spin segment colored yarns with three, five and seven colors, respectively. By testing and analyzing the linear density, twist, unevenness, surface hairiness and tensile properties of the segment colored yarn, it is proved that the timing control of the three-channel drafting ratio based on CNC ring spinning can achieve the timing control of the blending ratio of the three colored fibers, which is beneficial to the spinning of segment colored yarn with color segment distribution.
Feasibility and efficacy of ghost ileostomy in typhoid ileal perforations: A prospective observational study
Authors: Shukla Prabhat , Somashekar Uday , Thakur Dileep S , Kothari Reena , Sharma Dhananjaya
Published: June 2021

Loop ileostomy is commonly performed for typhoid ileal perforations as temporary faecal diversion. This is associated with several stoma-related complications and also requires further surgery for its closure. Thus, we were prompted to conduct a prospective observational study on the safety, feasibility and efficacy of ghost ileostomy in typhoid ileal perforations. After dealing with the perforation, a ghost ileostomy was performed in 10 selected patients with favourable circumstances; otherwise, a conventional loop ileostomy was performed in 19 patients. The two groups were comparable (p > 0.05) for morbidity and mortality except for stoma-related complications, seen only in the loop ileostomy group. Body weight was better preserved in the ghost ileostomy group. One patient in the ghost ileostomy group required conversion to loop ileostomy owing to signs of intra-peritoneal suture leak, without any detriment to outcome. Our study shows safety, feasibility and efficacy of ghost ileostomy in selected patients with typhoid ileal perforations, thus avoiding loop ileostomy in one-third of patients.
Incidence of Olfactory Dysfunction and Associated Factors: A Nationwide Cohort Study From South Korea
Authors: Chung Hyo Jin , Lim Hyun Seon , Lee Kyuin , Choi Hyun Seung , Jeong Junhui , Shin Hyang Ae , Kim Chang-Hoon , Chang Jung Hyun
Published: June 2021

Objectives:

Olfactory dysfunction, a reduced or complete loss of the ability to smell, is gaining attention because of its substantial impact on an individual’s quality of life and the possibility that it is an important sign of underlying disease. However, olfactory dysfunction is underdiagnosed in the general population due to diagnostic difficulty and unpredictable prognosis. This study aimed to evaluate the prevalence of clinically diagnosed olfactory dysfunction in South Korea by using well-organized, nationwide, population-based cohort data, and the associations between olfactory dysfunction and risk of neurodegenerative disorders.

Methods:

We investigated the Korean National Health Insurance Service–National Sample Cohort for patients diagnosed with olfactory dysfunction according to the International Classification of Diseases. Annual and overall incidence and prevalence of olfactory dysfunction during 2003 to 2013 and patient characteristics were analyzed. Based on those identified patients who were later diagnosed with neurodegenerative disorder, hazard ratios (HRs) of sociodemographic factors and comorbidities associated with neurodegenerative disorder were evaluated using a Cox proportional hazard regression model.

Results:

In total, 6296 patients were clinically diagnosed with olfactory dysfunction during the study period (524.67 patients/year). The prevalence increased annually and was higher in female patients. The incidence of neurodegenerative disorders among patients with olfactory dysfunction was 4.2% within the study period. Multivariate cox regression analysis of the patients (n = 249) revealed that diabetes mellitus (HR = 1.976) and depression (HR = 2.758) were significant risk factors.

Conclusions:

Olfactory dysfunction is underdiagnosed in South Korea, but it is clinically important considering the possibility of presymptom of neurodegenerative disorders. In clinical practice, we should consider its association with neurodegenerative disorders and possibly other systemic conditions.
Effects of omega-3 supplementation on muscle damage after resistance exercise in young women: a randomized placebo-controlled trial
Authors: Loss Letícia Chisini , Benini Diane , de Lima-e-Silva Felipe Xavier , Möller Gabriella Berwig , Friedrich Luiza Rissi , Meyer Elisabeth , Baroni Bruno Manfredini , Schneider Cláudia Dornelles
Published: June 2021

Background:

Omega-3 is a nutritional strategie that have been used to recover muscles from exercise-induced muscle damage in a preventive perspective.

Aim:

To verify whether omega-3 (ω-3) supplementation after a session of resistance exercise facilitates muscle recovery in women undergoing a balanced diet.

Methods:

This clinical trial was registered under the number NCT02839525. Thirty healthy women (22.2 ± 3.3 years) participated in this double-blinded, placebo-controlled trial. They were randomly distributed into ω-3 ( n=15) and placebo ( n=15) groups. They ingested ω-3 fish oil (3200 mg/day) or placebo (olive oil) at the dinner after the exercise bout (10 sets of 10 unilateral eccentric contractions in a knee extension chair), as well as at lunch for the three subsequent days. In addition, both groups followed a balanced diet along the four days. Muscle soreness and maximal isometric and isokinetic voluntary contractions were assessed immediately before, and 24, 48, and 72 hours after the resistance exercise.

Main findings:

There was no significant group-time interaction for any outcome. Participants presented increased levels of muscle soreness and reduced muscle strength capacity along the three days after exercise. There was no difference between placebo and ω-3 groups.

Conclusion:

Supplementation of ω-3 fish oil for three days after resistance exercise provided no additional benefits compared to placebo supplementation on recovery of healthy young women following a balanced diet.
Task space adaptation via the learning of gait controllers of magnetic soft millirobots
Authors: Demir Sinan O. , Culha Utku , Karacakol Alp C. , Pena-Francesch Abdon , Trimpe Sebastian , Sitti Metin
Published: June 2021

Untethered small-scale soft robots have promising applications in minimally invasive surgery, targeted drug delivery, and bioengineering applications as they can directly and non-invasively access confined and hard-to-reach spaces in the human body. For such potential biomedical applications, the adaptivity of the robot control is essential to ensure the continuity of the operations, as task environment conditions show dynamic variations that can alter the robot’s motion and task performance. The applicability of the conventional modeling and control methods is further limited for soft robots at the small-scale owing to their kinematics with virtually infinite degrees of freedom, inherent stochastic variability during fabrication, and changing dynamics during real-world interactions. To address the controller adaptation challenge to dynamically changing task environments, we propose using a probabilistic learning approach for a millimeter-scale magnetic walking soft robot using Bayesian optimization (BO) and Gaussian processes (GPs). Our approach provides a data-efficient learning scheme by finding the gait controller parameters while optimizing the stride length of the walking soft millirobot using a small number of physical experiments. To demonstrate the controller adaptation, we test the walking gait of the robot in task environments with different surface adhesion and roughness, and medium viscosity, which aims to represent the possible conditions for future robotic tasks inside the human body. We further utilize the transfer of the learned GP parameters among different task spaces and robots and compare their efficacy on the improvement of data-efficient controller learning.
Bidirectional Longitudinal Relationships between Maternal Psychological Control and Bullying/Victimization among Father-Absent Left-Behind Children in China
Authors: Wu Wei , Ding Wan , Xie Ruibo , Tan Deqin , Wang Die , Sun Binghai , Li and Weijian
Published: June 2021

The topic of school bullying has become an important issue over the world. Being in disadvantaged situations of fathers’ absence, prior research suggested that left-behind children (LBC) with absent fathers in China are more vulnerable to get involved in school bullying (bullying or being bullied). In addition, fathers’ absence brings much pressure to single stay-at-home mothers, leading to more maternal psychologically controlling parenting. Following a three-wave longitudinal design, this study aimed to examine the developmental relationship between maternal psychological control and father-absent LBC’s bullying/victimization as well as its mechanism. A total of 348 father-absent LBC aged 7–11 years in China completed a battery of questionnaires at three-time points. The results indicated that there are reciprocal effects between maternal psychological control and father-absent LBC’s bullying/victimization. Specifically, maternal psychological control at T1 predicted father-absent LBC’s victimization at T2; children’s victimization at T2 predicted maternal psychological control at T3; maternal psychological control predicted later children’s bullying perpetration stably from T1 to T2 and from T2 to T3; children’s bullying at T2 predicted maternal psychological control at T3. Two vicious circles happened in the above relationships. Current findings highlight the stronger effects of mothers’ negative parenting on children’s school bullying, which bring inspiration for future family education and school intervention.
Comparison of the Maxwell model and a simplified physical model for a railway yaw damper in damping characteristics and vehicle stability assessment
Authors: Huang Caihong , Zeng Jing
Published: June 2021

The Maxwell damper model has been adopted in the simulation of railway vehicle dynamics for a long time and became a basic force element in the multi-body dynamics software. The main purpose of this article is to investigate the predictive accuracy of this model for a railway yaw damper in damping characteristics and vehicle stability assessment. To achieve this objective, a simplified physical damper model was developed for comparisons, which is accurate and at the same time presents low computational costs, being able to be adopted in the multi-body dynamics model of a railway vehicle to speed up the numerical simulations. It was suitably validated in the damper rig test, and simulation results for those two damper models were compared with measured data. Results showed that the traditional Maxwell model of this typical yaw damper cannot accurately describe its dynamic behaviors, while the simplified physical model can accurately reproduce the complex behavior of the actual damper system with a high computational efficiency. Comparisons of vehicle dynamics relevant to vehicle stability were then carried out, by integrating the Maxwell model and the simplified physical model presented in this work into a multi-body dynamics model of a high-speed train in China. It was found that the Maxwell model can reproduce the phenomenon of carbody instability accurately if an appropriate value of the dynamic stiffness is set in the Maxwell model. In the simulation of bogie instability, the Maxwell model overestimates the dynamic damping of this typical yaw damper, and as a result it leads to large errors in stability calculations.
Afro-Colombian internal migration and participatory music: Ethnically and politically charged religious festivals in Bogota
Authors: Rojas Juan S.
Published: June 2021

This paper reports an analysis of the roles of music performance in traditional patron saint celebrations from Afro-Colombian communities originally from the Pacific region but who currently live in the capital city of Bogotá. Since the late 1980s, a group of Afro-Colombian cultural leaders have used local traditional expressive cultural practices to construct social cohesion and a sense of collectivity among Afro-Colombians in the city. Here, I argue that the performative, expressive, and affective aspects inherent in Afro-Colombian patron saint celebrations can enable the potential of this transplanted practice for constructing ethnic identity and civic participation, thus catering to the needs of migrants and forcibly displaced people. Looking specifically at the case of the Virgin of Atocha saint wake in Bogotá, I discuss how several musicking, semiotic, and communicative techniques can be identified as facilitating social cohesion and cooperative behavior among participants. In this regard, creating an atmosphere overflowing with carefully selected social, expressive, cultural, and religious stimuli, as well as the idea of active participation, enables deep affective experiences that have an impact on elastic processes of identity construction and resignification of space and territory.
Prediction of Human-Plasmodium vivax Protein Associations From Heterogeneous Network Structures Based on Machine-Learning Approach
Authors: Suratanee Apichat , Buaboocha Teerapong , Plaimas Kitiporn
Published: June 2021

Malaria caused by Plasmodium vivax can lead to severe morbidity and death. In addition, resistance has been reported to existing drugs in treating this malaria. Therefore, the identification of new human proteins associated with malaria is urgently needed for the development of additional drugs. In this study, we established an analysis framework to predict human- P. vivax protein associations using network topological profiles from a heterogeneous network structure of human and P. vivax, machine-learning techniques and statistical analysis. Novel associations were predicted and ranked to determine the importance of human proteins associated with malaria. With the best-ranking score, 411 human proteins were identified as promising proteins. Their regulations and functions were statistically analyzed, which led to the identification of proteins involved in the regulation of membrane and vesicle formation, and proteasome complexes as potential targets for the treatment of P. vivax malaria. In conclusion, by integrating related data, our analysis was efficient in identifying potential targets providing an insight into human-parasite protein associations. Furthermore, generalizing this model could allow researchers to gain further insights into other diseases and enhance the field of biomedical science.
The stability of interaction channels between tourism and financial development in 10 top tourism destinations: Evidence from a Fourier Toda-Yamamoto estimator
Authors: Menegaki Angeliki N , Tiwari Aviral Kumar
Published: June 2021

Our article investigates the dynamic interlinkages between financial development, tourism development and economic growth in the top 10 tourism destination countries. The knowledge of which series has a causal power to predict tourism can inform policy making about which country needs marketing support and additional investment for its tourism growth. Moreover, results will throw light on which countries are assisted by their ex ante economic and financial development and can thus evolve into a tourism hub through the aid of the general economic development characterizing a country and/or a flourishing financial environment. Our study has employed a battery of cointegration and Granger-causality methods, which prove the robustness of our results. Specifically, we rely on the augmented mean group estimator and the novel Fourier Toda-Yamamoto (FTY)-based Granger-causality test, whose advantage lies in taking into account sharp and smooth structural breaks and resilient to cross-sectional dependence. The FTY reveals that the tourism-led growth hypothesis is confirmed for the United States, Italy, the United Kingdom, and Russia, while economic growth Granger-causes tourism development in the United States only. The financial development growth hypothesis in confirmed only for Spain and the United Kingdom, while economic growth Granger causes financial development in the United States, Italy, the United Kingdom, and Russia.
Patient characteristics associated with the successful transition to virtual care: Lessons learned from the first million patients
Authors: Zachrison Kori S , Yan Zhiyu , Sequist Thomas , Licurse Adam , Tan-McGrory Aswita , Erskine Alistair , Schwamm Lee H
Published: June 2021

Introduction

The increased use of telehealth to maintain ambulatory care during the COVID-19 pandemic had potential to exacerbate or diminish disparities in access to care.

Objective

The purpose of this study was to describe patient characteristics associated with successful transition from in-person to virtual care, and video vs audio-only participation.

Methods

This was a retrospective analysis of electronic health record data from all patients with ambulatory visits from 1 October 2019–30 September 2020 in a large integrated health system in the Northeast USA. The outcome of interest was receipt of virtual care, and video vs audio-only participation. We matched home addresses with census-tract level area social vulnerability index (SVI) and Internet access. Among ambulatory care patients, we used logistic regression to identify characteristics associated with virtual participation. Among virtual participants, we identified characteristics associated with video vs audio-only visits.

Results

Among 1,241,313 patients, 528,542 (42.6%) were virtual participants. Relative to in-person only, virtual participants were older, more often English-proficient and with activated patient portal. Characteristics associated with virtual participation included patients with: only behavioural health visits, COVID patients, highest quartile of visit frequency, and multiple visit types. Characteristics associated with video participation (relative to audio-only) included being younger and patients with: only behavioural health visits, highest quartile of visit frequency, non-Hispanic black race, limited English proficiency and inactivated portal account.

Discussion

In our regional healthcare system, the transition to virtual care during COVID was vital for continued access to care, but substantial inequity remained. Without audio-only visits, access to care would have been even more limited for our most vulnerable patients.
Determination of fracture toughness of an adhesive in civil engineering and interfacial damage analysis of carbon fiber reinforced polymer–steel structure bonded joints
Authors: Yang Yongming , Zhao Jun , Zhang Shishun , Marques EAS , Carbas RJC , Machado JJM , da Silva LFM
Published: June 2021

Carbon fiber reinforced polymer–steel structural bonded joints are often subject to mixed-mode loading i.e. coupling action of normal and shear stress occurs in the joints. In this paper, an experimental approach based on fracture mechanics was adopted to obtain the fracture toughness (GΙC and GΙΙC) of an adhesive currently employed in civil engineering applications, with the corresponding pure cohesive models verified by numerical results. Furthermore, feasibility of the mixed-mode cohesive model for the current adhesive was validated through comparison of numerical and experimental results of carbon fiber reinforced polymer–steel single-lap joints. Finally, based on the validated mixed-mode cohesive model, the interfacial damage of carbon fiber reinforced polymer–steel beam joints was analyzed using the finite element method, accounting for the long-term degradation that can occur in the joint materials i.e. carbon fiber reinforced polymer and adhesive. The work in this paper can provide some useful data such as the fracture properties of the adhesive and shed some light on the design optimization of carbon fiber reinforced polymer–steel structure joints as well as the estimation of its long-term interfacial behavior when in service in civil engineering applications.
Prevention of Sex-Based Harassment in K–12 Schools
Authors: Cunningham Nancy J. , Sowell Shaun M.
Published: June 2021

Student sex-based harassment has a negative impact on individual students and on the school environment. This review of the literature describes the evolution of sex-based harassment from elementary through high school, clarifies the relationship between bullying and sex-based harassment, and summarizes the research-based system and individual factors that support the development of such harassment in schools. Based on the research, we recommend the adoption of a comprehensive planning process for prevention that addresses the factors that reinforce student sex-based harassment and supports the school’s bullying prevention efforts. School counselors can advocate for and play a leadership role in both developing and implementing a school-wide plan that includes needs assessment and evaluation. We offer suggestions for system-wide and individual interventions for school personnel and Tier 1–3 prevention and problem-solving interventions for students to support a healthy school environment free of sex-based harassment.
Investor Sentiment, Idiosyncratic Risk, and Stock Price Premium: Evidence From Chinese Cross-Listed Companies
Authors: Li Yuan , Zhang Yu
Published: June 2021

We investigate whether idiosyncratic risk and investor sentiment play important roles in the price disparity between China A-shares and H-shares. To build the investor sentiment indices and decompose them into different fragments for both markets, we use both principal component analysis (PCA) and partial least squares (PLS) approaches. We further look at how idiosyncratic risk affects stock mispricing and how it deals with investor sentiment. We find that the price premium of A-shares over H-shares is strongly linked to the sentiment differential. We also discover that idiosyncratic risk has a major effect on the price premium of cross-listed companies. Moreover, a larger sentiment differential reinforces the impact of idiosyncratic risk on the price disparity. The above results remain robust after controlling for other economic factors.
Delimiting cryptic species within the brown-banded bamboo shark, Chiloscyllium punctatum in the Indo-Australian region with mitochondrial DNA and genome-wide SNP approaches
Authors: Fahmi  , Tibbetts Ian R. , Bennett Michael B. , Dudgeon Christine L.
Published: June 2021

Background

Delimiting cryptic species in elasmobranchs is a major challenge in modern taxonomy due the lack of available phenotypic features. Employing stand-alone genetics in splitting a cryptic species may prove problematic for further studies and for implementing conservation management. In this study, we examined mitochondrial DNA and genome-wide nuclear single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in the brown-banded bambooshark, Chiloscyllium punctatum to evaluate potential cryptic species and the species-population boundary in the group.

Results

Both mtDNA and SNP analyses showed potential delimitation within C. punctatum from the Indo-Australian region and consisted of four operational taxonomic units (OTUs), i.e. those from Indo-Malay region, the west coast of Sumatra, Lesser Sunda region, and the Australian region. Each OTU can be interpreted differently depending on available supporting information, either based on biological, ecological or geographical data. We found that SNP data provided more robust results than mtDNA data in determining the boundary between population and cryptic species.

Conclusion

To split a cryptic species complex and erect new species based purely on the results of genetic analyses is not recommended. The designation of new species needs supportive diagnostic morphological characters that allow for species recognition, as an inability to recognise individuals in the field creates difficulties for future research, management for conservation and fisheries purposes. Moreover, we recommend that future studies use a comprehensive sampling regime that encompasses the full range of a species complex. This approach would increase the likelihood of identification of operational taxonomic units rather than resulting in an incorrect designation of new species.
High prevalence of osteoporosis in patients undergoing spine surgery in China
Authors: Mo Xiaoyi , Zhao Shengli , Wen Zhenxing , Lin Wei , Chen Zhipeng , Wang Zhiyun , Huang Chen , Qin Jie , Hao Jie , Chen Bailing
Published: June 2021

Background

With the increase in life expectancy, a large number of patients with osteoporosis (OP) are undergoing spine surgery, which may adversely affect the surgical success rate. The prevalence of OP varies in different regions, and no data are available that represent the prevalence of OP among Chinese patients over 50 years of age who are undergoing spine surgery. It was the first multicenter study to assess OP in these patients. Aiming to obtain comprehensive data, this study combined bone mineral density (BMD) measurements and visual radiography assessment (VRA) to analyze the prevalence of OP in patients aged > 50 years who underwent spine surgery.

Methods

Data from 1,856 patients aged over 50 years undergoing spine surgery who resided in northern, central, and southern China were reviewed between 2018 and 2019. Based on the perioperative BMD and X-ray data, we calculated the prevalence of OP in this special population according to sex, age, and spine degenerative disease.

Results

A total of 1,245 patients (678 females and 567 males) were included in the study. The prevalence of OP diagnosed by BMD was 52.8 % in females and 18.7 % in males. When we combined with BMD and VRA, the prevalence of OP increased from 52.8 to 65.9 % in females and from 18.7 to 40.6 % in males. Although OP was more severe in females than in males, a significant difference in the rate of vertebral fracture (VF) was not observed between females and males with a normal BMD and osteopenia (females vs. males: aged 50–59 years, P = 0.977; 60–69 years, P = 0.302; >70 years, P = 0.172). Similarly, no significant difference in the vertebral fracture rate was observed within different age groups of patients with a normal BMD and osteopenia (females: P = 0.210; males, P = 0.895). The incidence of OP in patients with degenerative scoliosis was higher than that in the remaining patients (females: 63.6 % vs. 42.4 %, P = 0.018; males: 38.9 % vs. 13.8 %, P = 0.004).

Conclusions

A high prevalence of OP was identified in patients aged > 50 years undergoing spine surgery, especially in patients whose primary diagnosis was degenerative scoliosis. BMD and VRA evaluations should be included in the clinical routine for these patients prior to surgery.
Comprehensive analysis of suppressor of cytokine signaling proteins in human breast Cancer
Authors: Sun Mingyu , Tang Chuangang , Liu Jun , Jiang Wenli , Yu Haifeng , Dong Fang , Huang Caiguo , Rixiati Youlutuziayi
Published: June 2021

Background

Abnormal expression of suppressor of cytokine signaling (SOCS) proteins regulates tumor angiogenesis and development in cancers. In this study, we aimed to perform a comprehensive bioinformatic analysis of SOCS proteins in breast invasive carcinoma (BRCA).

Methods

The gene expression, methylation level, copy number, protein expression and patient survival data related to SOCS family members in BRCA patients were obtained from the following databases: Oncomine, The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA), Genotype-Tissue Expression (GTEx), Human Protein Atlas (HPA), Gene Expression Profiling Interactive Analysis (GEPIA), PCViz, cBioPortal and Kaplan-Meier plotter. Correlation analyses, identification of interacting genes and construction of regulatory networks were performed by functional and pathway enrichment analyses, weighted gene coexpression network analysis (WGCNA) and gene set enrichment analysis (GSEA).

Results

Data related to 1109 BRCA tissues and 113 normal breast tissue samples were extracted from the TCGA database. SOCS2 and SOCS3 exhibited significantly lower mRNA expression levels in BRCA tissues than in normal tissues. BRCA patients with high mRNA levels of SOCS3 (p < 0.01) and SOCS4 (p < 0.05) were predicted to have significantly longer overall survival (OS) times. Multivariate analysis showed that SOCS3 was an independent prognostic factor for OS. High mRNA expression levels of SOCS2 (p < 0.001), SOCS3 (p < 0.001), and SOCS4 (p < 0.01), and a low expression level of SOCS5 (p < 0.001) were predicted to be significantly associated with better recurrence-free survival (RFS). Multivariate analysis showed that SOCS2 was an independent prognostic factor for RFS. Lower expression levels of SOCS2 and SOCS3 were observed in patients with tumors of more advanced clinical stage (p < 0.05). Functional and pathway enrichment analyses, together with WGCNA and GSEA, showed that SOCS3 and its interacting genes were significantly involved in the JAK-STAT signaling pathway, suggesting that JAK-STAT signaling might play a critical role in BRCA angiogenesis and development. Western blot results showed that overexpression of SOCS3 inhibited the activity of the JAK-STAT signaling pathway in vitro.

Conclusions

SOCS family proteins play a very important role in BRCA. SOCS3 may be a prognostic factor and SOCS2 may be a potential therapeutic target in breast cancer.
Incidence of PTSD and generalized anxiety symptoms during the first wave of COVID-19 outbreak: an exploratory study of a large sample of the Italian population
Authors: Brivio Eleonora , Oliveri Serena , Guiddi Paolo , Pravettoni Gabriella
Published: June 2021

Background

During the COVID-19 pandemic, between March and May 2020, in Italy, people were asked to shelter in place and most had to put their life on hold, while news of the spread of the virus constantly were broadcasted. The change in habits and the potential exposure to a dangerous virus can be categorized as a catastrophic event, which are usually traumatic and therefore have psychological consequences for the people involved.

Objective

Assuming the COVID-19 pandemic as a possible traumatic event, this study aims to explore the contingent behavioural and psychological impact of COVID-19 spread and related lockdown on the Italian general population, through measuring anxiety and post-traumatic stress symptoms .

Methods

An ad hoc-survey was set up for the this exploratory research, including the standardized Italian versions of the Impact of Event Scale Revised (IES-R) and the Generalized Anxiety Scale (GAD-7), and ad hoc items concerning behavioural reactions due to the pandemic spread and related mass quarantine. Participants were recruited across convenient web-based and mobile app channels using a snowball sampling technique. Data was collected from March 25th to May 1st, 2020.

Participants

One-thousand one hundred and ninety-five individuals (851 women and 342 men) completed 60% or more of the survey and were considered for analyses. Mean age was 40 years (s.d. = 14.948). Participants resided in 78 Italian provinces (out of 107 territorial divisions), with 25.7% residing in the Milan province and 9.2% from the Monza and Brianza provinces, closest to the epicentre of the Italian outbreak.

Results

During the worst months of the first wave of the Pandemic, the Italian population suffered high level of distress (GAD-7 m = 6.89, s.d. = 5.08; IER-R mean score = 27.86, s.d. 17.46), respectively indicating mild presence of anxiety symptoms, and high levels of PTSD symptoms. Gender seems to be a discriminating variable with women scoring significantly higher than man, both for anxiety symptoms (H (1) = 82.91, p < .001) and all dimensions of PTSD symptoms (intrusion H (1) = 71.23, p < .001, avoidance H (1) = 61.28, p < .001), and hyperarousal (H (1) = 67.348, p < .001). People from Generations Y and Z show to be at higher risk of developing PTSD (V = .746, F (3,1041) =1017.19, p = .001) and GAD symptoms (F (3,1041) = 5.113, p = .002) than older generations.

Conclusions

Gender and generation appeared to be the most consistent risk factor for higher levels of generalized anxiety and PTSD symptoms in the current pandemic. Other variables – such as information seeking behaviours, parental and marriage status, chronic conditions – yielded less consistent evidence. Results indicate the need of including psychological interventions as a standard tool during the emergency management of a catastrophic events such as a pandemic.
Prevalence and factors associated with major depression among female sex workers in post-conflict Gulu district: a cross-sectional study
Authors: Ouma Simple , Tumwesigye Nazarius Mbona , Ndejjo Rawlance , Abbo Catherine
Published: June 2021

Background

Female sex workers operating in conflict-affected settings could be at a much greater risk of major depression. However, the epidemiology of major depression in this population remains understudied. We aimed to determine the prevalence and the factors associated with major depression among FSWs in the post-conflict Gulu district in Northern Uganda.

Methods

We conducted a cross-sectional study among 300 randomly selected adult female sex workers in Gulu. We utilized a pre-tested semi-structured questionnaire, embedded with MINI 7.0.0, to gather information from each participant through face-to-face interviews. We collected data on socio-demographic characteristics, sex-work-related characteristics, alcohol and drug use, HIV status, and major depression. Then, data were entered into EPI INFO 7 and analyzed using logistic regression with the aid of STATA 14.0.

Results

The mean age (SD) of the study participants was 26.4 (± 6) years, 57.7% attained primary education, 51.7% never married, and 42.1% were living with HIV. The prevalence of major depression among FSWs in the district was 47.7%. In addition, the majority of the FSWs with major depression (91.0%) had either severe (50.4%) or moderate (40.6%) depressive symptoms. Independently, life stress (adjusted OR = 10.8, 95%CI: 5.67–20.57), living with HIV (adjusted OR = 2.25, 95%CI: 1.25–4.05), verbal abuse (adjusted OR = 2.27, 95%CI: 1.27–4.08), and older age (adjusted OR = 1.06, 95%CI: 1.01–1.12) all showed positive associations with major depression. Conversely, provision of sexual services from clients’ homes (adjusted OR = 0.50, 95%CI: 0.25–0.97), use of a non-barrier modern family planning method (adjusted OR = 0.44, 95%CI: 0.24–0.82), and daily intake of alcohol (adjusted OR = 0.50, 95%CI: 0.28–0.88) all showed negative associations with major depression.

Conclusions

There is a high prevalence of major depression among female sex workers in post-conflict Gulu. The high prevalence of major depression underscores the need for government and development partners to urgently and adequately address the mental health needs of female sex workers.
DPARD: rationale, design and initial results from the Dutch national diabetes registry
Authors: Bak Jessica C. G. , Mul Dick , Serné Erik H. , de Valk Harold W. , Sas Theo C. J. , Geelhoed-Duijvestijn Petronella H. , Kramer Mark H. H. , Nieuwdorp Max , Verheugt Carianne L.
Published: June 2021

Background

Treatment of diabetes mellitus has majorly improved over the past century, however, the disease burden is high and its prevalence still expanding. Further insight in the diabetes population is imperative to improve the quality of diabetes care by enhancement of knowledge-based diabetes management strategies. To this end, in 2017 a Dutch nationwide consortium of diabetologists, paediatric endocrinologists, and diabetes patients has founded a national outpatient diabetes care registry named Dutch Pediatric and Adult Registry of Diabetes (DPARD). We aim to describe the implementation of DPARD and to provide an overview of the characteristics of patients included during the first 2 years.

Methods

For the DPARD cohort with long-term follow-up of observational nature, hospital data are gathered directly from electronic health records and securely transferred and stored. DPARD provides weekly updated clinical information on the diabetes population care on a hospital-level benchmarked against the national average.

Results

Between November 2017 and January 2020, 20,857 patients were included from 8 (11%) Dutch hospitals with a level of care distribution representative of all diabetic outpatients in the Netherlands. Among patients with known diabetes type, 41% had type 1 diabetes, 51% type 2 diabetes, and 8% had diabetes due to other causes. Characteristics of the total patient population were similar to patients with unknown diabetes classification. HbA1c levels decreased over the years, while BMI levels showed an increase over time.

Conclusions

The national DPARD registry aims to facilitate investigation of prevalence and long-term outcomes of Dutch outpatients with diabetes mellitus and their treatment, thus allowing for quality improvement of diabetes care as well as allowing for comparison of diabetes care on an international level.
Mechanical force system of double key loop with finite element analysis
Authors: Liu Jiali , Zhang Duanqiang , Xu Linyu , Cai Senxin , Guo Jinquan , Chen Jiang , Su Jiehua
Published: June 2021

Background

The mechanics of double key loop (DKL) are not well defined, and this finite element study was designed to explore its force system.

Methods

A simplified 3-dimensional finite element model of single and double key loops with an archwire between the lateral incisor and second premolar was established in Ansys Workbench 17.0. Activation in Type-1 (retraction at the distal end), Type-2 (retraction at the distal key) and Type-3 (Type-2 plus ligation between keys) was simulated. The vertical force, load/deflection ratio and moment/force ratio of stainless-steel and titanium-molybdenum alloy (TMA) loops were calculated and compared.

Results

The double key loop generated approximately 40% of the force of a single key loop. Type-2 loading of DKL showed a higher L/D ratio than Type-1 loading with a similar M/F ratio. Type-3 loading of DKL showed the highest M/F ratio with a similar L/D ratio as single key loop. The M/F ratio in Type-3 loading increased with the decreasing of retraction force. The DKL of TMA produced approximately 40% of the force and moment compared with those of SS in all loading types. When activated at equal distances below 1 mm, the M/F ratios of SS and TMA DKL with equal preactivation angles were almost the same.

Conclusion

The M/F ratio on anterior teeth increases with the preactivation angle and deactivation of DKL. The M/F ratio at a certain distance of activation mainly depends on the preactivation angle instead of the wire material. TMA is recommended as a substitute for SS in DKL for a lower magnitude of force.