bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Biliary Atresia: A Complex Hepatobiliary Disease with Variable Gene Involvement, Diagnostic Procedures, and Prognosis
Authors: Sergi Consolato M. , Gilmour Susan
Published: January 2022

The diagnosis of biliary atresia is still terrifying at the 3rd decade of the 21st century. In a department of neonatal intensive care unit, parents and physicians face a challenge with a jaundiced baby, who may or may not have a surgically correctable hepatopathy. The approach has been systematically evaluated, but the etiology remains ambiguous. The study of families with recurrent biliary atresia has been undertaken at a molecular level. The primary interest with this disease is to identify the etiology and change the treatment from symptomatic to curative. The occurrence of this obstructive cholangio-hepatopathy in well-known genetic syndromes has suggested just coincidental finding, but the reality can be more intriguing because some of these diseases may have some interaction with the development of the intrahepatic biliary system. Several genes have been investigated thoroughly, including ADD3 and GPC1 shifting the interest from viruses to genetics. In this review, the intriguing complexities of this hepatobiliary disease are highlighted.
Monitoring and Evaluation: The Foundation for Lake and Reservoir Management
Authors: Thornton Jeffrey A. , Harding William R. , Slawski Thomas M. , Lin Hebin
Published: January 2022

In this paper, we review the evolution of environmental monitoring, from its earliest days of exploration and increasing understanding of ecosystems and environment through the development of models and similar tools, to the current application of monitoring to assess project achievements. We note that information gathered through environmental monitoring is critical in evaluating the applicability of models and the accuracy of remotely-sensed information, and supporting the role of citizen science in the acquisition of environmental data. As monitoring increasingly is applied to project management, we identify the nexus between environmental and project management as needing to have purpose; observing that the purpose of monitoring evolves over time. This evolution is supported by the evaluation or assessment of the data—environmental and management related—over time, making monitoring and evaluation foundational for sound environmental management, restoration, protection, conservation, and understanding of ecosystem values.
The Barriers and Facilitators to the Use of Lifestyle Apps: A Systematic Review of Qualitative Studies
Authors: Shabir Habiba , D’Costa Matthew , Mohiaddin Zain , Moti Zaeem , Rashid Hamza , Sadowska Daria , Alam Benyamin , Cox Benita
Published: January 2022

Background: Mobile-health applications are revolutionising the way healthcare is being delivered. However, current research focusses on apps aimed at monitoring of conditions rather than the prevention of disease. Healthcare apps that prevent disease can be classified as lifestyle apps (LAs) and encompass mindfulness, exercise, and diet apps. In order for widespread implementation of these apps, perspectives of the user must be taken into consideration. Therefore, this systematic literature review identifies the barriers and facilitators to the use of LAs from a user’s perspective. Objective: To both identify the facilitators to the use of LAs from a user perspective as well as identify the barriers to the use of LAs from a user perspective. Methods: A systematic literature review was conducted following PRISMA guidelines. Qualitative articles focussed on a healthy non-diseased population were obtained. Two independent researchers coded the articles, and themes were identified. Results: Our results found that there were five barriers and five facilitators to app use. The facilitators included (1) motivational aspects to the user, (2) effective marketing and communication, (3) user-centred design and content, (4) humanising technology, and (5) accessibility. The five barriers identified were (1) a non-conducive, (2) poor marketing and branding, (3) controlling and invasive, (4) disengaging content, and (5) inaccessibility. Conclusions: By overcoming the barriers of LAs and encouraging the facilitators found, users are more likely to engage with this method of health promotion. Future research must be conducted on the barriers and facilitators to development and distribution of apps in order for LAs to be implemented in widespread healthcare practice.
An Innovative Infrastructure Based on Shape-Adaptive RIS for Smart Industrial IoTs
Authors: Wang Jiazheng , Fu Xiuhua , Peng Rongqun , Kadoch Michel
Published: January 2022

Industrial Internet of Things (IoTs) applications will have higher demands in terms of system capacity and wireless transmission performance in the future. Reconfigurable intelligent surfaces (RIS) for the wireless transmission environment reconstruction is currently a research hotspot in the field of wireless communication. In this paper, RIS is applied to industrial IoTs scenarios, and an innovative infrastructure based on shape-adaptive RIS suitable for smart industrial IoTs is proposed. Based on the many advantages of RIS, the proposed infrastructure can meet the significant demands of industrial IoTs in terms of network coverage, system capacity, transmission rate, and communication security. Further, in order to achieve flexible RIS phase adjustment in wider ranges, in this paper, a shape-adaptive RIS mechanism is proposed to regulate RIS-reflected waves in the shape domain, which can be achieved by scalable RIS unit sizes and macroscopically changeable physical shapes. This mechanism can reduce the requirements for RIS-controller and artificial-unit design and expand the spatial distribution of reflected beams, whereas this is difficult to achieve by conventional regulations in the spatial, time, and frequency domains. The simulation results show that, in terms of system-coverage probability, the system performance of RIS is better than that of general communication systems, and the performance of the deformable RIS-based system is the best. In terms of channel gain, the performance of the deformable RIS is related to its surface size. Moreover, the path loss caused by the long-distance transmission of wireless signals can be compensated for by increasing the RIS surface area.
A Fourth Order Numerical Scheme for Unsteady Mixed Convection Boundary Layer Flow: A Comparative Computational Study
Authors: Nawaz Yasir , Arif Muhammad Shoaib , Shatanawi Wasfi , Ashraf Muhammad Usman
Published: January 2022

In this paper, a three-stage fourth-order numerical scheme is proposed. The first and second stages of the proposed scheme are explicit, whereas the third stage is implicit. A fourth-order compact scheme is considered to discretize space-involved terms. The stability of the fourth-order scheme in space and time is checked using the von Neumann stability criterion for the scalar case. The stability region obtained by the scheme is more than the one given by explicit Runge–Kutta methods. The convergence conditions are found for the system of partial differential equations, which are non-dimensional equations of heat transfer of Stokes first and second problems. The comparison of the proposed scheme is made with the existing Crank–Nicolson scheme. From this comparison, it can be concluded that the proposed scheme converges faster than the Crank–Nicolson scheme. It also produces less relative error than the Crank–Nicolson method for time-dependent problems.
A Time-Series Self-Supervised Learning Approach to Detection of Cyber-physical Attacks in Water Distribution Systems
Authors: Mahmoud Haitham , Wu Wenyan , Gaber Mohamed Medhat
Published: January 2022

Water Distribution System (WDS) threats have significantly grown following the Maroochy shire incident, as evidenced by proofed attacks on water premises. As a result, in addition to traditional solutions (e.g., data encryption and authentication), attack detection is being proposed in WDS to reduce disruption cases. The attack detection system must meet two critical requirements: high accuracy and near real-time detection. This drives us to propose a two-stage detection system that uses self-supervised and unsupervised algorithms to detect Cyber-Physical (CP) attacks. Stage 1 uses heuristic adaptive self-supervised algorithms to achieve near real-time decision-making and detection sensitivity of 66% utilizing Boss. Stage 2 attempts to validate the detection of attacks using an unsupervised algorithm to maintain a detection accuracy of 94% utilizing Isolation Forest. Both stages are examined against time granularity and are empirically analyzed against a variety of performance evaluation indicators. Our findings demonstrate that the algorithms in stage 1 are less favored than those in the literature, but their existence enables near real-time decision-making and detection reliability. In stage 2, the isolation Forest algorithm, in contrast, gives excellent accuracy. As a result, both stages can collaborate to maximize accuracy in a near real-time attack detection system.
Collection and Utilization of Indoor Environmental Quality Information Using Affordable Image Sensing Technology
Authors: Lee Joosang , Woo Deok-Oh , Jang Jihoon , Junghans Lars , Leigh Seung-Bok
Published: January 2022

Incorporating Internet of Things (IoT) technology into the operation of buildings is expected to generate immense synergy, thereby saving energy and improving occupant comfort by overcoming the limitations of the existing system. Preventing operations in the absence of occupants can save energy, and the occupants’ preferred operating temperature should be used as the control set-point rather than the nominal temperature. In this study, IoT technology and image sensors are used to rapidly detect indoor environment changes, and a method is proposed to utilize air quality and thermal comfort as the control set-points. A real-time ventilation control algorithm is proposed based on the CO2 concentration calculated according to the number of occupants. To check the thermal comfort level, the real-time operating temperature estimated from the surface temperature data of the infrared array sensor is reflected in the comfort zone defined by the American Society of Heating, Refrigerating, and Air-Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE). The deficiencies in indoor environment conditions caused by the temporal and spatial lag of sensors in the old system are minimized using IoT technology, which also facilitates wireless communications. The image sensors can be used for multiple purposes based on various interpretations of the image information obtained.
Microarthropods Living on the Endemic Tree Zelkova abelicea (Ulmaceae) with Particular Attention to Collembola Diversity
Authors: Gwiazdowicz Dariusz J. , Skarżyński Dariusz , Fazan Laurence , Fragnière Yann , Ghosn Dany , Kozlowski Gregor , Kuźmiński Robert , Remoundou Ilektra , Zawieja Bogna
Published: January 2022

Zelkova abelicea is an endemic tree species growing in several localities in the mountainous regions of Crete, Greece. To date, the microarthropod species associated with this tree species have not been identified. Since Z. abelicea populations are isolated and fragmented, it was hypothesized that the characteristics of microarthropod assemblages, particularly in the case of springtails (Collembola), would vary and differ among localities. Moreover, rare microarthropod species that colonize microhabitats not included in previous studies on Zelkova trees were expected to be recorded. Samples were collected from the bark and twigs of Z. abelicea at eight localities in all main mountain ranges. Among the collected material, Collembola were the most numerous (10,285), followed by Acari (2237) and representatives of Psocoptera (422). The obtained material and statistical analyses showed that the arthropod assemblages differed considerably at each experimental site, with the most distinct assemblage characteristics observed at the Gerakari site on Mt. Kedros in central Crete. The most numerous specimens were species of Collembola: Xenylla maritima (3844), Xenylla sp. 2 (maritima complex) (3364) and Xenylla sp. 1 (maritima complex) (2631). A total of 33 Collembola species were recorded, of which 19 had not been previously reported in Crete. Among them, 11 species were likely new to science and will be the subject of separate taxonomic studies.
The Impact of Forest Fertilization on the Ecological Quality of Two Hemiboreal Streams
Authors: Ozoliņš Dāvis , Karklina Ilze , Skuja Agnija , Uzule Linda , Kokorite Ilga , Medne-Peipere Madara , Lazdiņš Andis
Published: January 2022

The present study aimed to detect any changes in concentrations of nutrients and evaluate the impact on the quality of two hemiboreal streams that collect a discharge from two fertilized Scots pine stands. In 2017, nitrogen-containing mineral fertilizer was spread in pine stands on mineral soil located near the first stream. In 2018, potassium containing wood ash was spread in pine stands on organic soil near the second stream. From 2017 to 2020, surveys of physico-chemical parameters, diatoms, macrophytes, and macroinvertebrates were performed to determine the possible effects of fertilization on the ecological quality of the streams. A control site upstream of the fertilized forest stand and a treatment site downstream of the fertilized forest stand was monitored at each stream. Water quality indices, chemical parameters of surface water, and indicator species analysis showed no short-term impact of forest soil improvement with wood ash and ammonium nitrate. We found no clear patterns before and after the fertilization events in both streams, although we did observe inter- and intra-annual differences in aquatic biota and stream ecological quality mainly caused by local environmental factors.
Beneficial Effects of Jujube Juice Fermented by Lactobacillus plantarum NXU19009 on Acute Alcoholic Liver Injury in Mice
Authors: Liu Huiyan , Xin Shihua , Lu Ranran , Fang Haitian , Yang Xiaoping , Neo Yun Ping
Published: January 2022

Red jujube (Ziziphus jujuba Mill.) is an important fruit that has the concomitant function of both medicine and food. It has been proven to be rich in various bioactive components. In the present study, jujube juice was fermented by Lactobacillus plantarum NXU19009 to enhance the flavor and nutritional benefits. Its potential for the prevention and treatment of acute alcohol induced-liver injury in mice was examined in this study. The results showed that the administration of the fermented jujube juice along with alcohol significantly decreased (p < 0.01) the liver indices, as well as the levels of alanine aminotransferase (ALT), aspartate aminotransferase (AST), alcohol dehydrogenase (ADH), total triglyceride (TG), total cholesterol (TC), and liver malondialdehyde (MDA) in the serum. In contrast, the levels of liver superoxide dismutase (SOD) and glutathione (GSH) in mice administered with fermented jujube juice were found to increase significantly (p < 0.01). Furthermore, the administration of fermented jujube juice in mice was found to alter their intestinal microbiota and an improvement was observed based on the results obtained in the histopathology examination. Therefore, Jujube juice fermented by Lactobacillus plantarum NXU19009 protects against liver injury and may prove to be an effective supplement to attenuate acute alcoholic liver injury.
DA-GAN: Dual Attention Generative Adversarial Network for Cross-Modal Retrieval
Authors: Cai Liewu , Zhu Lei , Zhang Hongyan , Zhu Xinghui
Published: January 2022

Cross-modal retrieval aims to search samples of one modality via queries of other modalities, which is a hot issue in the community of multimedia. However, two main challenges, i.e., heterogeneity gap and semantic interaction across different modalities, have not been solved efficaciously. Reducing the heterogeneous gap can improve the cross-modal similarity measurement. Meanwhile, modeling cross-modal semantic interaction can capture the semantic correlations more accurately. To this end, this paper presents a novel end-to-end framework, called Dual Attention Generative Adversarial Network (DA-GAN). This technique is an adversarial semantic representation model with a dual attention mechanism, i.e., intra-modal attention and inter-modal attention. Intra-modal attention is used to focus on the important semantic feature within a modality, while inter-modal attention is to explore the semantic interaction between different modalities and then represent the high-level semantic correlation more precisely. A dual adversarial learning strategy is designed to generate modality-invariant representations, which can reduce the cross-modal heterogeneity efficiently. The experiments on three commonly used benchmarks show the better performance of DA-GAN than these competitors.
Trend Lines and Japanese Candlesticks Applied to the Forecasting of Wind Speed Data Series
Authors: Guilizzoni Manfredo , Maldonado Eizaguirre Paloma
Published: January 2022

One of the most critical issues for wind energy exploitation is the high variability of the resource, resulting in very difficult forecasting of the power that wind farms can grant. A vast literature has therefore been devoted to wind speed and wind power quantitative forecasting, using different techniques. The widely used statistical and learning models that are based on a continuation in the future of the series’ past behaviour offer a performance that may be much less satisfactory when the values suddenly change their trend. The application to wind speed data of two techniques usually employed for the technical analysis of financial series–namely support and resistances identification and candlestick charts–is investigated here, with the main aim to detect inversion points in the series. They are applied to wind speed data series for two locations in Spain and Italy. The proposed indicators confirm their usefulness in identifying peculiar behaviours in the system and conditions where the trend may be expected to change. This additional information offered to the forecasting algorithms may also be included in innovative approaches, e.g., based on machine learning.
Identification of a Four-Gene Signature Associated with the Prognosis Prediction of Lung Adenocarcinoma Based on Integrated Bioinformatics Analysis
Authors: Wu Yuan , Yang Lingge , Zhang Long , Zheng Xinjie , Xu Huan , Wang Kai , Weng Xianwu
Published: January 2022

Lung adenocarcinoma (LUAD) is often diagnosed at an advanced stage, so it is necessary to identify potential biomarkers for the early diagnosis and prognosis of LUAD. In our study, a gene co-expression network was constructed using weighted gene co-expression network analysis (WGCNA) in order to obtain the key modules and genes correlated with LUAD prognosis. Four hub genes (HLF, CHRDL1, SELENBP1, and TMEM163) were screened out using least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (LASSO)–Cox regression analysis; then, a prognostic model was established for predicting overall survival (OS) based on these four hub genes..Furthermore, the prognostic values of this four-gene signature were verified in four validation sets (GSE26939, GSE31210, GSE72094, and TCGA-LUAD) as well as in the GEPIA database. To assess the prognostic values of hub genes, receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves were constructed and a nomogram was created. We found that a higher expression of four hub genes was associated with a lower risk of patient death. In a training set, it was demonstrated that this four-gene signature was a better prognostic factor than clinical factors such as age and stage of disease. Moreover, our results revealed that these four genes were suppressor factors of LUAD and that their high expression was associated with a lower risk of death. In summary, we demonstrated that this four-gene signature could be a potential prognostic factor for LUAD patients. These findings provide a theoretical basis for exploring potential biomarkers for LUAD prognosis prediction in the future.
Microglia Influence Neurofilament Deposition in ALS iPSC-Derived Motor Neurons
Authors: Allison Reilly L. , Adelman Jacob W. , Abrudan Jenica , Urrutia Raul A. , Zimmermann Michael T. , Mathison Angela J. , Ebert Allison D.
Published: January 2022

Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a fatal neurodegenerative disease in which upper and lower motor neuron loss is the primary phenotype, leading to muscle weakness and wasting, respiratory failure, and death. Although a portion of ALS cases are linked to one of over 50 unique genes, the vast majority of cases are sporadic in nature. However, the mechanisms underlying the motor neuron loss in either familial or sporadic ALS are not entirely clear. Here, we used induced pluripotent stem cells derived from a set of identical twin brothers discordant for ALS to assess the role of astrocytes and microglia on the expression and accumulation of neurofilament proteins in motor neurons. We found that motor neurons derived from the affected twin which exhibited increased transcript levels of all three neurofilament isoforms and increased expression of phosphorylated neurofilament puncta. We further found that treatment of the motor neurons with astrocyte-conditioned medium and microglial-conditioned medium significantly impacted neurofilament deposition. Together, these data suggest that glial-secreted factors can alter neurofilament pathology in ALS iPSC-derived motor neurons.
Differential Gene Expression Analysis of SoCBL Family Calcineurin B-like Proteins: Potential Involvement in Sugarcane Cold Stress
Authors: Zhang Bao-Qing , Song Xiu-Peng , Zhang Xiao-Qiu , Huang Yu-Xin , Liang Yong-Jian , Zhou Shan , Yang Cui-Fang , Yang Li-Tao , Huang Xing , Li Yang-Rui
Published: January 2022

Sugarcan e is a major crop for sugar and biofuel production and is cultivated in tropical and subtropical areas worldwide. Sugarcane growth is constrained because of winter’s low-temperature stress, and cold resistance is an important limitation in sugarcane growth enhancement. Therefore, in this study, we identified a gene involved in the low-temperature stress response of sugarcane. Calcineurin B-like (CBL) protein is a calcium signal receptor involved in the cold stress response. Five sugarcane CBL genes were cloned, sequenced, and named SoCBL1, SoCBL3, SoCBL5, SoCBL6, and SoCBL9. The protein sequences of these genes were analyzed. The calculated molecular weight of these proteins was 24.5, 25.9, 25.2, 25.6, and 26.3 kD, respectively. Subcellular localization analysis revealed that SoCBL1, SoCBL3, SoCBL6, and SoCBL9 were situated in the cytoplasm, while SoCBL5 was present in mitochondria. Secondary structure analysis showed that these five CBL proteins had similar secondary structures. Conserved domain analysis displayed that each sugarcane CBL protein contained three conserved EF domains. According to the self-expanding values of the phylogenetic tree, the CBL gene family was divided into four groups. The CBL1 and CBL9 genes were classified into one group, illustrating that these two genes might possess a similar function. The expression analysis of the SoCBL gene under low temperatures showed that SoCBL3 and SoCBL5 were affected significantly, while SoCBL1 and SoCBL9 were less affected. These results demonstrate that the CBL genes in sugarcane have similar characteristics and present differences in genetic diversity and gene expression response to low temperatures. Therefore, these genes might be novel candidates for fighting cold stress in sugarcane.
Geographic Variation in Migratory Grasshopper Recruitment under Projected Climate Change
Authors: Humphreys John M. , Srygley Robert B. , Branson David H.
Published: January 2022

Climate change is expected to alter prevailing temperature, precipitation, cloud cover, and humidity this century, thereby modifying insect demographic processes and possibly increasing the frequency and intensity of rangeland and crop impacts by pest insects. We leveraged ten years of migratory grasshopper (Melanoplus sanguinipes) field surveys to assess the response of nymph recruitment to projected climate conditions through the year 2040. Melanoplus sanguinipes is the foremost pest of grain, oilseed, pulse, and rangeland forage crops in the western United States. To assess nymph recruitment, we developed a multi-level, joint modeling framework that individually assessed nymph and adult life stages while concurrently incorporating density-dependence and accounting for observation bias connected to preferential sampling. Our results indicated that nymph recruitment rates will exhibit strong geographic variation under projected climate change, with population sizes at many locations being comparable to those historically observed, but other locations experiencing increased insect abundances. Our findings suggest that alterations to prevailing temperature and precipitation regimes as instigated by climate change will amplify recruitment, thereby enlarging population sizes and potentially intensifying agricultural pest impacts by 2040.
Boosting Polyamines to Enhance Shoot Regeneration in Potato (Solanum tuberosum L.) Using AgNO3
Authors: Adly Walaa M. R. M. , Mazrou Yasser S. A. , EL-Denary Mohammad E. , Mohamed Mahasen A. , Abd El-Salam El-Sayed T. , Fouad Ahmed S.
Published: January 2022

Advancements in shoot regeneration systems support biotechnology-based tools used in the genetic improvement of plant crops. This study aims to enhance shoot regeneration in potatoes by boosting polyamine content by adding AgNO3 to the shoot regeneration medium (MS medium supplemented with 30 g L−1 sucrose, 100 mg L−1 myoinositol, and 2.25 BA mg L−1). Five concentrations of AgNO3 (2, 4, 6, 8, and 10 mg L−1) were used in addition to a control. The effect of AgNO3 on regeneration assumed a more or less concentration-dependent bell-shaped curve peaking at 4 mg L−1. Enhancements in shoot regeneration were attributed to the known role of AgNO3 as an ethylene action blocker in addition to improvements in polyamine accumulation without an increase in H2O2 content, lipid peroxidation, or DNA damage. The uncoupling of shoot regeneration and polyamine content recorded at high AgNO3 concentrations can be attributed to the consumption of polyamines to counteract the synchronized oxidative stress manifested by increases in H2O2 content, lipid peroxidation, and DNA damage.
QTL Mapping of Resistance to Bacterial Wilt in Pepper Plants (Capsicum annuum) Using Genotyping-by-Sequencing (GBS)
Authors: Chae Soo-Young , Lee Kwanuk , Do Jae-Wahng , Hong Sun-Cheul , Lee Kang-Hyun , Cho Myeong-Cheoul , Yang Eun-Young , Yoon Jae-Bok
Published: January 2022

Bacterial wilt (BW) disease, which is caused by Ralstonia solanacearum, is one globally prevalent plant disease leading to significant losses of crop production and yield with the involvement of a diverse variety of monocot and dicot host plants. In particular, the BW of the soil-borne disease seriously influences solanaceous crops, including peppers (sweet and chili peppers), paprika, tomatoes, potatoes, and eggplants. Recent studies have explored genetic regions that are associated with BW resistance for pepper crops. However, owing to the complexity of BW resistance, the identification of the genomic regions controlling BW resistance is poorly understood and still remains to be unraveled in the pepper cultivars. In this study, we performed the quantitative trait loci (QTL) analysis to identify genomic loci and alleles, which play a critical role in the resistance to BW in pepper plants. The disease symptoms and resistance levels for BW were assessed by inoculation with R. solanacearum. Genotyping-by-sequencing (GBS) was utilized in 94 F2 segregating populations originated from a cross between a resistant line, KC352, and a susceptible line, 14F6002-14. A total of 628,437 single-nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) was obtained, and a pepper genetic linkage map was constructed with putative 1550 SNP markers via the filtering criteria. The linkage map exhibited 16 linkage groups (LG) with a total linkage distance of 828.449 cM. Notably, QTL analysis with CIM (composite interval mapping) method uncovered pBWR-1 QTL underlying on chromosome 01 and explained 20.13 to 25.16% by R2 (proportion of explained phenotyphic variance by the QTL) values. These results will be valuable for developing SNP markers associated with BW-resistant QTLs as well as for developing elite BW-resistant cultivars in pepper breeding programs.
Assessment of the Breeding Potential of a Set of Genotypes Selected from a Natural Population of Akebia trifoliata (Three–Leaf Akebia)
Authors: Guan Ju , Fu Peng , Wang Xianshu , Yu Xiaojiao , Zhong Shengfu , Chen Wei , Yang Hao , Chen Chen , Yang Huai , Luo Peigao
Published: January 2022

Akebia trifoliata (three-leaf akebia) has long been used as a medicinal herb and has the potential to be used in diverse ways, especially as a fruit crop. However, efforts to domesticate and cultivate new varieties for commercial use are only in their infancy. Here, we evaluated the genetic diversity of 29 genotypes, which were previously selected from a natural population consisting of 1447 genotypes and exhibiting high resistance to fungal diseases and a smooth peel of A. trifoliata using 85 genome-specific single sequence repeat (SSR) markers. We also characterized variation in 19 phenotypic traits and nutritional components. Large variation in phenotypic traits and nutritional components was observed, especially in vitamin C, seed/pulp, and fruit color. Correlation analyses revealed that many phenotypic traits and nutritional components were significantly correlated. A principal component analysis identified five principal components, which explained 83.2% of the total variation in the data. The results of the SSR analysis revealed that 80 of the 85 SSR markers were polymorphic; the total number of alleles amplified was 532. The expected heterozygosity was 0.672, and Shannon’s information index was 1.328. A Ward dendrogram and unweighted pair group method with arithmetic mean dendrogram revealed high diversity among the 29 genotypes and suggested that the measured morphological and nutritional traits were genetically independent of disease resistance and texture traits, as well as SSR marker loci. Finally, our results suggest that additional rounds of selection from the selected population, despite its small size, could be effective for the development of new A. trifoliata fruit cultivars.
Tomato (Solanum lycopersicum L.) Genotypes Respond Differently to Long-Term Dry and Humid Heat Stress
Authors: Ayenan Mathieu Anatole Tele , Danquah Agyemang , Hanson Peter , Asante Isaac Kwadwo , Danquah Eric Yirenkyi
Published: January 2022

Tomato production in coastal areas in West Africa is constrained by heat stress. There is currently limited empirical evidence on the extent of the effect of heat stress on tomato yield in the sub-region. In this study, we assessed the effects of heat stress on yield and yield components among 16 tomato genotypes with varying heat tolerance status and explored the potential of stress tolerance indices to identify heat tolerant genotypes. The experiments were conducted under three temperature and humidity regimes, namely optimal season (28.37/23.71 °C and 71.0/90.4% day/night), long-term mild and humid (greenhouse, 30.0/26.2 °C and 77.6/97.2%), and long-term mild and dry (open field, 31.50/28.88 °C and 66.72/77.82%) heat stress (HS). All genotypes exhibited significantly higher fruit set percentage, fruit number per plant, fruit weight, and fruit weight per plant in the optimal season compared to both heat stress conditions. In general, the genotypes demonstrated higher performance under dry HS (i.e., HS in open field HSO) than humid HS (i.e., HS in greenhouse HSG). Fruit set decreased by 71.5% and 68.3% under HSG and HSO, respectively, while a reduction of 75.1% and 50.5% occurred in fruit weight per plant under HSG and HSO, respectively. The average sum of ranks values from nine stress tolerance indices and fruit weight per plant (used as proxy trait of yield) identified CLN2498D, CLN3212C, CLN1621L, and BJ01 as heat tolerant under HSG and BJ01, BJ02, Fla.7171, and P005 as heat tolerant under HSO. Fruit weight per plant under long-term heat stress (Ys) and optimal growing conditions (Yp) were suitable to select high performing genotypes under HSO, HSG, and optimal conditions while relative stress index, yield stability index, yield index, stress susceptibility index, and harmonic mean were suitable to select heat tolerant genotypes under either HSG or HSO. Our findings shed light on the extent of the effect of HS on tomato production in the off-season in coastal areas in West Africa and provide new insight concerning the heat tolerance status of the evaluated tomato genotypes.
COVID-19 mRNA Vaccination Mimicking Heart Attack in a Healthy 56-Year-Old Physician
Authors: Xinias Ioannis , Mavroudi Antigoni , Theodorou Georgios-Theofilos , Roilidis Ioannis
Published: January 2022

We report our experience regarding a 56-year-old physician who developed severe symptoms mimicking a heart attack a few days after receiving the second dose of the new mRNA vaccine of Pfizer-BioNTech for COVID-19 protection. The patient is a healthy individual with no comorbidities and a normal clinical and laboratory profile. Five days after receiving the second dose on his left shoulder, he manifested sudden, severe pain on the whole left arm which lasted for about one hour, gradually intensifying and migrating to the chest and presenting as severe angina or heart attack. All work-up, however, was negative, with no evidence of ischemic heart attack or myocarditis. Severe acute symptoms lasted for about 20 h and completely resolved after 36 h. Although myocarditis as a potential side effect of the vaccine with associated heart pain has been identified, chest pain mimicking heart attack with otherwise normal workup has not been reported. Physicians must consider this likely rare and self-resolving symptom in order to increase awareness and prevent themselves and their patients from increased anxiety and unnecessary laboratory investigations.
Factors Associated with Quit Interest and Quit Attempts among Young Adult JUUL Users
Authors: Alalwan Mahmood A. , Singer Jill M. , Roberts Megan E.
Published: January 2022

Despite reports suggesting young people are interested in quitting e-cigarettes, little work has examined predictors of quit outcomes. This study aimed to identify factors associated with quit outcomes among JUUL e-cigarette users in a longitudinal sample of young adults. We assessed undergraduate past-30-day JUUL users during autumn 2018 (N = 225); Our outcomes included short-term quit attempts and interest (spring 2019), and long-term quit attempts (spring 2020). We used logistic regression to examine the associations between our outcomes and JUUL use characteristics, other tobacco use, and sociodemographic factors. Findings indicated 76% of users were interested in quitting JUUL, and more than 40% reported a quit attempt. Quit outcomes were not related to sociodemographics. Short-term quit outcomes were more likely among freshmen and less likely among recent cigarillo users. Heavy JUUL users were more likely to report short- and long-term quit attempts, but JUUL device owners were less likely to report short- and long-term quit attempts. Higher nicotine dependence reduced the likelihood of a long-term quit attempt. There is a need for policy level actions that address tobacco control among this population. Findings suggest a range of unique factors that can inform such policies and programs to curb young adult e-cigarette use.
Air Pollution and Cognitive Impairment across the Life Course in Humans: A Systematic Review with Specific Focus on Income Level of Study Area
Authors: Chandra Mina , Rai Chandra Bhushan , Kumari Neelam , Sandhu Vipindeep Kaur , Chandra Kalpana , Krishna Murali , Kota Sri Harsha , Anand Kuljeet Singh , Oudin Anna
Published: January 2022

Cognitive function is a crucial determinant of human capital. The Lancet Commission (2020) has recognized air pollution as a risk factor for dementia. However, the scientific evidence on the impact of air pollution on cognitive outcomes across the life course and across different income settings, with varying levels of air pollution, needs further exploration. A systematic review was conducted, using Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) Guidelines to assess the association between air pollution and cognitive outcomes across the life course with a plan to analyze findings as per the income status of the study population. The PubMed search included keywords related to cognition and to pollution (in their titles) to identify studies on human participants published in English until 10 July 2020. The search yielded 84 relevant studies that described associations between exposure to air pollutants and an increased risk of lower cognitive function among children and adolescents, cognitive impairment and decline among adults, and dementia among older adults with supportive evidence of neuroimaging and inflammatory biomarkers. No study from low- and middle-income countries (LMICs)was identified despite high levels of air pollutants and high rates of dementia. To conclude, air pollution may impair cognitive function across the life-course, but a paucity of studies from reLMICs is a major lacuna in research.
Barriers and Facilitators to the Implementation of a Personalized Breast Cancer Screening Program: Views of Spanish Health Professionals
Authors: Laza-Vásquez Celmira , Hernández-Leal María José , Carles-Lavila Misericòrdia , Pérez-Lacasta Maria José , Cruz-Esteve Inés , Rué Montserrat ,   on behalf of the DECIDO Group
Published: January 2022

This study explored the barriers and facilitators to the implementation of a risk-based breast cancer screening program from the point of view of Spanish health professionals. A cross-sectional study with 220 Spanish health professionals was designed. Data were collected in 2020 via a web-based survey and included the advantages and disadvantages of risk-based screening and barriers and facilitators for the implementation of the program. Descriptive statistics and Likert scale responses analyzed as category-ordered data were obtained. The risk-based screening was considered important or very important to reduce breast cancer mortality and promote a more proactive role for women in breast cancer prevention, to increase coverage for women under 50 years, to promote a breast cancer prevention strategy for women at high risk, and to increase efficiency and effectiveness. Switching to a risk-based program from an age-based program was rated as important or very important by 85% of participants. As barriers for implementation, risk communication, the workload of health professionals, and limited human and financial resources were mentioned. Despite the barriers, there is good acceptance, and it seems feasible, from the perspective of health professionals, to implement a risk-based breast cancer screening program in Spain. However, this poses a number of organizational and resource challenges.
Intraoral Scanners in Orthodontics: A Critical Review
Authors: Christopoulou Isidora , Kaklamanos Eleftherios G. , Makrygiannakis Miltiadis A. , Bitsanis Ilias , Perlea Paula , Tsolakis Apostolos I.
Published: January 2022

Background: The use of digital technology has exponentially increased over recent years. Intraoral scanners, especially, have gained traction within orthodontics. The objective of the present review is to investigate the available evidence to create an up-to-date presentation of various clinical aspects of intraoral scanners in orthodontics. Methods: Search without restrictions in seven databases (Pubmed, CENTRAL, Cochrane Reviews, Scopus, Web of Science, Clinical Trials, Proquest) since inception, and hand searching until October 2020, were conducted. Results: The majority of studies were either cross-over or parallel group studies. The accuracy and reproducibility of intraoral scanners, in comparison to conventional methods, were investigated in several studies, with controversial results. The duration of the procedure did not report any clear outcome in favor of any method. Patients seem to prefer intraoral scanning, even though numerous studies point out the importance of operators’ experience and skills. Conclusions: Despite the innovations that intraoral scanners have brought in orthodontic clinical practice, there are still some challenges and limitations in their use. The majority of existing limitations may be overcome with experience and good clinical skills. More high-quality studies need to be conducted so that clinicians can have a clear image of this new technology.
Driving Performance Evaluation of Shuttle Buses: A Case Study of Hong Kong–Zhuhai–Macau Bridge
Authors: Lv Ming , Shao Xiaojun , Li Chimou , Chen Feng
Published: January 2022

The risky behaviours of bus drivers are of great concern to public health and environmental sustainability, especially for the buses operated between cities. With this in mind, the present study examined the distribution of risky behaviours among bus drivers, and the contributing factors to risky performance. To achieve this, 1648 records of GPS trajectory data and 8281 records of advance warning message data from Hong Kong–Zhuhai–Macau Bridge shuttle buses were obtained. The temporal and spatial distribution of risky behaviours was analysed. A random parameters negative binomial model was developed to further investigate the relationship between speed-related factors and risky behaviours. The results indicated that the warning of safety distance, lane departure, forward collision, and distraction were more likely to occur on weekdays. The period between 14 and 16 o’clock obtained the highest frequency of safety distance and lane departure warnings. Regarding the model estimation results, indicators reflecting average speed, acceleration, and number of trips per day showed a statistically significant impact on safety distance and lane departure warnings. Also, the acceleration of bus drivers showed a mixed impact on lane departure warnings. Corresponding implications were discussed according to the findings to reduce the frequency of risky behaviours in shuttle bus operations.
Mental Health during COVID-19 Pandemic: The Role of Optimism and Emotional Regulation
Authors: Krifa Imen , van Zyl Llewellyn Ellardus , Braham Amel , Ben Nasr Selma , Shankland Rebecca
Published: January 2022

In light of different challenges associated with the COVID-19 pandemic, university students are considered a particularly vulnerable population to mental health and study engagement issues. The first years at university represent a crucial period for students and are associated with an increase in mental health problems, particularly in healthcare studies. This study aimed (1) to document the current levels of mental health and study engagement among healthcare students in Tunisia, and (2) to investigate the relationships between emotional regulation, optimism, study engagement and common mental health problems (stress, anxiety and depression) among this population. A cross-sectional, electronic survey-based research design was used to draw a sample of 366 health care students from a University in Tunisia. Participants mostly reported mild (34.7%) or moderate (44.3%) levels of depression, moderate (44.7%) or severe (33.6%) levels of anxiety, average (50.8%) or mild (33.8%) levels of stress, and high levels of study engagement (>85%). Through structural equation modelling, the results showed that emotional regulation negatively affected stress, anxiety, and depression. Optimism partially mediated the relationship between emotional regulation, anxiety and depression and fully mediated the relationship between emotional regulation and study engagement. The findings indicated a high prevalence of psychological distress among healthcare university students in Tunisia, and specific protective factors that may be targeted to reduce mental health problems.
Identification of Silent Myocardial Ischemia in Patients with Long-Term Type 1 and Type 2 Diabetes
Authors: Rokicka Dominika , Bożek Anna , Wróbel Marta , Nowowiejska-Wiewióra Alicja , Szymborska-Kajanek Aleksandra , Stołtny Tomasz , Gąsior Mariusz , Strojek Krzysztof
Published: January 2022

(1) Background: This study aimed to analyze epidemiological data to identify risk factors for silent myocardial ischemia in patients with long-term type 1 and type 2 diabetes. (2) Methods: An analysis was performed on 104 patients with long-term type 1 and type 2 diabetes who had not previously been diagnosed with cardiovascular disease. During hospitalization, patients were subjected to a standard ECG exercise test on a treadmill. If the test could not be performed or the result was uncertain, a pharmacological exercise test with dobutamine was performed. In the case of a positive exercise ECG test or a positive dobutamine test, the patient underwent coronary angiography. (3) Results: Atherosclerotic lesions were found in 24 patients. Patients with silent ischemia were significantly older and had a lower mean left ventricular ejection fraction and a higher incidence of carotid atherosclerosis. The presence of microvascular complications did not increase the risk of silent ischemia. (4) Conclusions: Silent heart ischemia is more common in type 2 than type 1 diabetes. Predisposing factors include older age, coexistence of carotid atherosclerosis, lower left ventricular ejection fraction, and smoking in patients with type 1 diabetes. Concomitant microvascular complications are not a risk factor.
Mental Health Problems among Young People—A Scoping Review of Help-Seeking
Authors: Westberg Katrin Häggström , Nyholm Maria , Nygren Jens M. , Svedberg Petra
Published: January 2022

Young people’s mental health is a public health priority, particularly as mental health problems in this group seem to be increasing. Even in countries with supposedly good access to healthcare, few young people seek support for mental health problems. The aim of this study was twofold, firstly to map the published literature on young people’s experiences of seeking help for mental health problems and secondly to validate whether the Lost in Space model was adaptable as a theoretical model of the help-seeking process described in the included articles in this scoping review. A scoping review was conducted in which we searched for literature on mental health help-seeking with a user perspective published between 2010 and 2020 in different databases. From the 2905 studies identified, we selected 12 articles for inclusion. The review showed how young people experience unfamiliarity and insecurity with regard to issues related to mental health and help-seeking. A strong wish for self-reliance and to safe-guard one’s own health were consistent among young people. Support structures were often regarded as inaccessible and unresponsive. There was a high level of conformity between the model on help-seeking and the analysed articles, reinforcing that help-seeking is a dynamic and psychosocial process.