bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Sociodemographic Factors and Depressive Symptoms Among Cardiac Nurses: A Cross-Sectional Study
Authors: Larysz Anna , Uchmanowicz Izabella
Published: August 2021

Background: The nursing profession is predisposed toward depressed mood and depressive symptoms. The multidirectionality and intensity of stressors in the nurses' occupational environment are of great significance in this respect. The study aimed to evaluate the impact of selected sociodemographic factors on depressive symptoms among cardiac nurses.

Methods: This cross-sectional study included 336 cardiac nurses (302 women and 34 men) and was conducted between December 2019 and September 2020 in four hospital cardiac units in Wroclaw, Poland. Sociodemographic data were collected using a self-developed survey. The following standardized instruments were used for the study outcomes: Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9) and Beck Depression Inventory (BDI).

Results: The study among cardiac nurses showed mild depression in 11.61%, moderate depression in 5.06%, and severe depression in 2.68%. Linear regression models showed that significant (p < 0.05) predictors of the PHQ-9 score included (1) higher occupational education (bachelor's degree), graduation “only” from medical high school or “other” education; (2) work experience of 16–20 years; (3) living in a relationship; (4) living in a rural area. Linear regression models showed that significant (p < 0.05) predictors of the BDI score included (1) higher occupational education (bachelor's degree); (2) graduation “only” from medical high school or “other” education; (3) living in a relationship.

Conclusions: Depressive symptoms are a significant problem among Polish cardiac nurses. The prevalence of depressive symptoms is affected by the education level, employment form, marital status, and place of residence.
Visual Expression of Emotion in Dynamic 3D Painting System Based on Emotion Synthesis Model
Authors: Cheng Shenghe
Published: August 2021

Emotion is a unique ability possessed by human beings as advanced creatures. Emotions give people a unique physical and mental experience. Assigning emotions to computer systems is one of the latest topics in artificial intelligence research. The purpose is to allow machines to achieve natural coordination between humans and computers. This article focuses on the visual expression of emotion in the dynamic three-dimensional painting system, creating an intelligent painting system and realizing a good user experience. In this paper, the discrete method is used to qualitatively analyze emotions, and the continuous method is used to quantify basic emotions, and emotional modeling and emotional quantitative analysis are proposed to realize quantitative analysis of emotions. Combining these two methods, a comprehensive method is proposed, which uses a continuous method to quantify the basic emotions of each discrete dimension, and finally superimposes them into a comprehensive emotional synthesis model. Emotion modeling is the basis of emotion visualization. Borrowing the relationship between emotion synthesis model and visual emotion elements, this article puts forward the concept of qualitative and quantitative visual emotion elements, and expounds that the multidimensional superposition of visual emotion elements makes dynamic three-dimensional painting system emotions. The experimental results in this article show that the emotional visualization scheme of 100 samples is tested by quantitative statistical methods to demonstrate its effectiveness. Starting from 5 points of concern, the emotion visualization method discussed in this article can indeed convey or suggest a certain positive emotion (the average value of experience, transitivity, and infectiousness > 2.5, and the variance is close to 0), but we also found this recognition at the same time The degree is not high enough, and individual differences are large (mean value < 2.5, variance close to 1). This can indicate that different subjects have different feelings and evaluations of this emotional visualization. As long as the difference is within a reasonable range, this emotional visualization also has practical value, and has the ability to convey or suggest emotions.
Cannabis, Impaired Driving, and Road Safety: An Overview of Key Questions and Issues
Authors: Brands Bruna , Di Ciano Patricia , Mann Robert E.
Published: August 2021

The road safety impact of cannabis has been a topic of much discussion and debate over the years. These discussions have been revitalized in recent years by initiatives in several jurisdictions to legalize non-medical cannabis. Canada became the second country to legalize non-medical cannabis use in October, 2018, preceded by Uruguay in December 2013. Road safety concerns were key issues in the Canadian government's deliberations on the issue. In this paper, we identify several key questions related to the impact of cannabis on road safety, and provide a consideration of the relevant literature on these questions. These questions cover several perspectives. From an epidemiological perspective, perhaps the central question is whether cannabis use contributes to the chances of being involved in a collision. The answer to this question has evolved in recent years as the ability to conduct the relevant studies has evolved. A related question is the extent to which cannabis plays an important role in road safety, and recent research has made progress in estimating the collisions, injuries, and deaths that may be attributed to cannabis use. Several questions relate to the behavioral and pharmacological effects of cannabis. One central question is whether cannabis affects driving skills in ways that can increase the chances of being involved in a collision. Another important question is whether the effects of the drug on the driving behavior of medical users is similar to, or different from, the effects on non-medical users and whether there are sex differences in the pharmacological and behavioral effects of cannabis. Other important questions are the impact of tolerance to the effects of cannabis on road safety as well as different routes of administration (e.g., edibles, vaped). It remains unclear if there is a dose-response relationship of cannabis to changes in driving. These and other key questions and issues are identified and discussed in this paper.
Maternal Bonding in Early Infancy Predicts Childrens' Social Competences in Preschool Age
Authors: Joas Jens , Möhler Eva
Published: August 2021

Background:There are many studies on mother-child-bonding with little theoretical doubt that better bonding may have a positive effect on further social development. However, there is hardly any empirical evidence. In particular, there is a lack prospective longitudinal studies.

Methods:As part of a longitudinal study, bonding was assessed in a community sample of 97 healthy mothers using the Postpartum Bonding Questionnaire (PBQ) 6 weeks after birth of their child. Social competencies in the offspring were assessed using the Self- and Other-oriented Social Competencies (SOCOMP) at 5.5 years of age. A potential correlation between bonding and social competencies was tested using Spearman Rank Correlation.

Results:Retention rate over 5.5 years was 77.23%. Lower Maternal Bonding Impairment Scores 6 weeks postnatally were positively related to childrens' social competences at 5.5 years of age.

Conclusion:The present data confirm a positive and long-term influence of bonding on social skills and provide further evidence of the importance of parent child bonding for child development in general. This result should give reason to further investigate this relationship in depth, causally and at later points in time.
Effectiveness of Resilience Interventions on Psychosocial Outcomes for Persons With Neurocognitive Disorders: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis
Authors: Wang Ying , Chi Iris , Zhan Yuning , Chen Wenjang , Li Tongtong
Published: August 2021

Background: Neurocognitive disorders, such as mild cognitive impairment (MCI), dementia, and Alzheimer's disease, not only harm people's cognitive function but also lead to negative emotions, poor quality of life (QOL), and unsatisfactory level of well-being. Resilience can be defined as a dynamic and amendable process, which maintains or improves life satisfaction and quick recovery from own dilemma. However, no meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials (RCTs) has thus far examined the effectiveness of resilience interventions among persons with neurocognitive disorders, and the results of RCTs were inconsistent. This systematic review aimed to assess the effectiveness of resilience interventions on psychosocial outcomes among persons with neurocognitive disorders.

Methods: Nine electronic Chinese and English databases (the Cochrane Library, PsycINFO, Web of Science, PubMed, Medline, Eric, JSTOR, CNKI, and WANGFANG) were searched through April 2021. Only RCTs were included, and the quality of the included studies was assessed by the Cochrane “Risk of Bias” tool. Meta-analysis was carried out on psychosocial outcomes, and heterogeneity was investigated by subgroup and sensitivity analysis. RevMan 5.4 was used for meta-analysis.

Results: Fourteen RCT studies were identified, representing a total of 2,442 participants with neurocognitive disorders. The risk of bias was high or unclear for most included studies in the domains of allocation concealment, blinding participants, and interventionists. Meta-analysis showed that heterogeneity was low or moderate. There were significant differences in favor of resilience interventions compared with control on the outcome of QOL, using the Quality of Life-Alzheimer Disease scale (QOL-AD) [I2 = 36%, standardized mean difference (SMD) = 0.14, 95% CI (0.02, 0.26), p = 0.02], and no significant differences on depression, using the Cornell Scale for Depression in Dementia (CSDD) [I2 = 41%, SMD = −0.14, 95% CI (−0.34, 0.05), p = 0.16], and neuropsychiatric symptoms using the Neuropsychiatric Inventory Questionnaire (NPI-Q) [I2 = 62%, SMD = −0.10, 95% CI (−0.37, −0.16), p ≤ 0.46].

Conclusions: Resilience interventions had a significant benefit on QOL but no significant benefit on depression and neuropsychiatric behavioral symptoms. More evidence is needed to answer questions about how to implement resilience interventions and how to evaluate their effectiveness.
Khat Use Patterns, Associated Features, and Psychological Problems in a Khat-Treatment-Seeking Student Sample of Jimma University, Southwestern Ethiopia
Authors: Hassen Mekdem Tesfamichael , Soboka Matiwos , Widmann Marina , Keller Lucas , Zeller Anja C. , Büchele Natascha , Barnewitz Eva , Yitayih Yimenu , Schiller Sabine , Senger Jael , Adorjan Kristina , Odenwald Michael
Published: August 2021

Background: Khat (Catha edulis) is a traditionally used substance in African and Arab countries that contains the amphetamine-like alkaloid cathinone. Khat use among Ethiopian students is a growing concern. This study aims to describe khat use, psychological problems, and motivation to change and to determine associated factors of khat use among students from Jimma University seeking psychological assistance.

Methods: In a cross-sectional study, a sample of 717 students from Jimma University, southwestern Ethiopia, who seek assistance to reduce khat use were recruited. The study used Amharic and Afaan Oromoo language versions of common psychological instruments and employed them as part of a comprehensive tablet computer-delivered self-report assessment battery, comprising the SRQ-20, the PCL-5, the LEC-5, the AUDIT, and the SOCRATES-khat. In addition, socio-demographic, economic variables, and functioning problems due to severe mental disorders were assessed. The analysis relied on the data of the 575 included participants and used clinical cut-off values to describe this treatment-seeking sample and hierarchical regression models to determine variables associated with khat use.

Results: The sample showed high khat use in the past month (M = 31.55 bundles, SD = 28.53, on M = 15.11 days, SD = 8.54); 17.0% showed highly problematic use. The sample was extremely burdened with comorbid psychiatric problems: 21.6% reported functioning problems due to past mental disorders, 60.2% scored above the cut-off for current common mental disorders, 37.9% screened positive for PTSD, and 47.1% reported hazardous alcohol use. Small to medium intercorrelations between variables were detected, and in hierarchical regression models, higher motivation to change khat use was associated with higher use of the substance.

Conclusions: This study clearly shows the need to develop research instruments, screening methods, and assistance services for khat-using students at Jimma University. Study participants' high mental health burden shows the need for targeted intervention programs that go beyond brief interventions for khat use. Furthermore, the study highlights challenges for implementing such services: the barriers to utilization for females and khat users without comorbid mental health problems.
Moderate-to-Vigorous Physical Activity Is Associated With Cardiorespiratory Fitness Among Primary Schoolchildren Living in Côte d'Ivoire, South Africa, and Tanzania
Authors: Gerber Markus , Ayekoé Serge A. , Beckmann Johanna , Bonfoh Bassirou , Kouassi Kouadio Benal , Gba Bomey Clément , Traoré Sylvain G. , Coulibaly Jean T. , Daouda Dao , du Randt Rosa , Finda Marceline F. , Minja Elihaika G. , Gall Stefanie , Mollel Getrud J. , Lang Christin , Long Kurt Z. , Masanja Honorati , Müller Ivan , Nqweniso Siphesihle , Okumu Fredros O. , Probst-Hensch Nicole , Pühse Uwe , Steinmann Peter , Walter Cheryl , Utzinger Jürg
Published: August 2021

Background: Physical inactivity and low cardiorespiratory fitness (CRF) are independent cardiovascular risk factors among children, but have rarely been investigated concurrently in sub-Saharan Africa. The purpose of this study was to compare physical activity (PA) and CRF of primary schoolchildren living in Côte d'Ivoire (CI), South Africa (ZA), and Tanzania (TZ), to test sex- and age-related differences, and to examine whether PA and CRF are associated with each other.

Methods: Baseline data from an ongoing cluster-randomized controlled trial were used, including 499 children from CI (Taabo, 49% girls, M = 8.0 ± 1.6 years), 1,074 children from ZA (Gqeberha, 49% girls, M = 8.3 ± 1.4 years), and 593 children from TZ (Ifakara, 51% girls, M = 9.4 ± 1.7 years). PA was assessed by accelerometry and CRF by a 20 m shuttle-run test. The data were analyzed using multi-/univariate analyses of variance and mixed linear models.

Results: Most children met recommendations put forward by the World Health Organization for moderate-to-vigorous PA (MVPA) and achieved high CRF scores. In CI, 89.6% of the children met MVPA recommendations (boys: 91.7%, girls: 87.4%), whereas this rate was 76.9% in ZA (boys: 91.0%, girls: 62.4%), and 93.8% in TZ (boys: 95.5%, girls: 92.0%). Children from TZ had the highest CRF and MVPA levels, followed by children from CI and ZA. Boys had higher MVPA levels than girls, whereas girls engaged in more sedentary behavior. Sex differences were strongest in ZA. Sedentary behavior and MVPA were higher among older schoolchildren compared to their younger peers. Higher MVPA, but not sedentary behavior, was associated with better CRF.

Conclusions: In all three settings, higher levels of MVPA were associated with higher CRF scores. Nevertheless, children living in the most urbanized setting (such as observed in ZA) were physically less active and had lower CRF than peers living in more rural areas (such as observed in CI and TZ). Particularly for girls, urbanization might increase the risk for insufficient MVPA, which may have negative effects on their CRF, thus negatively influencing health and well-being at later age.
Information Retrieval Using Machine Learning for Biomarker Curation in the Exposome-Explorer
Authors: Lamurias Andre , Jesus Sofia , Neveu Vanessa , Salek Reza M. , Couto Francisco M.
Published: August 2021

Objective: In 2016, the International Agency for Research on Cancer, part of the World Health Organization, released the Exposome-Explorer, the first database dedicated to biomarkers of exposure for environmental risk factors for diseases. The database contents resulted from a manual literature search that yielded over 8,500 citations, but only a small fraction of these publications were used in the final database. Manually curating a database is time-consuming and requires domain expertise to gather relevant data scattered throughout millions of articles. This work proposes a supervised machine learning pipeline to assist the manual literature retrieval process.

Methods: The manually retrieved corpus of scientific publications used in the Exposome-Explorer was used as training and testing sets for the machine learning models (classifiers). Several parameters and algorithms were evaluated to predict an article’s relevance based on different datasets made of titles, abstracts and metadata.

Results: The top performance classifier was built with the Logistic Regression algorithm using the title and abstract set, achieving an F2-score of 70.1%. Furthermore, we extracted 1,143 entities from these articles with a classifier trained for biomarker entity recognition. Of these, we manually validated 45 new candidate entries to the database.

Conclusion: Our methodology reduced the number of articles to be manually screened by the database curators by nearly 90%, while only misclassifying 22.1% of the relevant articles. We expect that this methodology can also be applied to similar biomarkers datasets or be adapted to assist the manual curation process of similar chemical or disease databases.
Hortonian Scaling of Coupled Hydrological and Biogeochemical Responses Across an Intensively Managed River Basin
Authors: Yang Soohyun , Bertuzzo Enrico , Borchardt Dietrich , Rao P. Suresh C.
Published: August 2021

Structural and functional attributes across fractal river networks have been characterized by well-established and consistent hierarchical, Hortonian scaling patterns. In most of the global river basins, spatial patterns of human settlements also conform to similar hierarchical scaling. However, emergent spatial hierarchical patterns and scaling of heterogeneous anthropogenic nutrient loads over a river basin are less known. As a case study, we examined here a large intensely managed river basin in Germany (Weser River; 46K km2; 8M population). Archived data for point-/diffuse-sources of total Phosphorus (Ptot) input loads were combined with numerical and analytical model simulations of coupled hydrological and biogeochemical processes for in-stream Ptotremoval at the network scale. We find that Ptotinput loads scale exponentially over stream-orders, with the larger scaling constant for point-source loads from urban agglomerations compared to those for diffuse-source contributions from agricultural and forested areas. These differences in scaling patterns result from hierarchical self-organization of human settlements, and the associated clustering of large-scale, altered land-cover. Fraction of Ptotloads removed through in-stream biogeochemical processes also manifests Hortonian scaling, consistent with predictions of an analytical model. Our analyses show that while smaller streams are more efficient in Ptotremoval, in larger streams the magnitude of Ptotloads removed is higher. These trends are consistent with inverse scaling of nutrient removal rate constant with mean discharge, and downstream clustering of larger cumulative input loads. Analyses of six nested sub-basins within the Weser River Basin also reveal similar scaling patterns. Our findings are useful for projecting likely water-quality spatial patterns in similar river basins in Germany, and Central Europe. Extensions and generalizations require further examination of diverse basins with archetype spatial heterogeneities in anthropogenic pressures and hydroclimatic settings.
The Application of Preoperative Three-Dimensional Reconstruction Visualization Digital Technology in the Surgical Treatment of Hepatic Echinococcosis in Tibet
Authors: Zhang Jun , DAWA  , Suolang Duojie , Lei Yanming , Wang Jiayun , Basang Dunzhu
Published: August 2021

Objective: The present study aims to explore the application value of three-dimensional (3D) reconstruction technology in the preoperative evaluation of patients with complicated hepatic echinococcosis in Tibet.

Methods: A total of 200 patients with complicated hepatic echinococcosis, admitted to our hospital between May 2019 and December 2020, who underwent radical hepatectomy, were enrolled in the present study. The patients were randomly divided into a preoperative computer tomography group and a preoperative 3D reconstruction group. According to the imaging results, a surgical plan was formulated. A comparison was made between the two groups of the coincidence rate of the surgical plan and intraoperative and postoperative complications.

Results: The patients with hepatic echinococcosis who underwent 3D visualization reconstruction before surgery had a high compliance rate with the surgical plans and the operating time, the number of cases with blood flow blockage, the blood flow blockage time, intraoperative hemorrhage, and postoperative biliary fistulas were significantly lower.

Conclusion: The application of preoperative 3D visualization reconstruction in patients with complicated hepatic echinococcosis in Tibet could effectively improve surgical safety.
Efficacy and Safety of Neoadjuvant Targeted Therapy vs. Neoadjuvant Chemotherapy for Stage IIIA EGFR-Mutant Non-small Cell Lung Cancer: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis
Authors: Chen Dong , Jin Zixian , Zhang Jian , Xu Congcong , Zhu Kanghao , Ruan Yuhang , Zhang Bo , Chen Baofu , Shen Jianfei
Published: August 2021

Purpose: The role of targeted therapy in the neoadjuvant field of stage IIIA epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) mutation-positive non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) is still controversial. We sought to evaluate the efficacy and safety of neoadjuvant targeted therapy (NTT) with neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NCT) used as a benchmark comparator.

Methods: A systematic search was conducted in four databases (Pubmed, Cochrane Library, Embase, CNKI) for eligible studies on NTT published before October 2020. The primary endpoints were overall survival (OS), progression-free survival (PFS), objective response rate (ORR), and grade 3/4 adverse events (AEs). Statistical analysis and bias assessment were performed by RevMan 5.3.

Results: A total of 319 patients, including 3 randomized controlled trials and 2 non-randomized controlled trials, were included in the meta-analysis. Perform the second subgroup analysis after excluding 2 non-randomized controlled trials. The meta-analysis reveals that, for EGFR mutation-positive stage IIIA NSCLC patients, compared with NCT, NTT can significantly increase ORR (relative risk [RR]:1.70, 95% confidence interval [CI]:1.35–2.15; subgroup-RR:1.56, 95% CI 1.23–2.0) and significantly reduce grade 3/4 AEs (RR:0.5, 95% CI 0.34–0.75; subgroup-RR: 0.53, 95% CI 0.26–1.08). The OS of the NTT arm is slightly higher, but the difference is not significant (hazards ratio [HR]: 0.74, 95% CI: 0.43–1.27; subgroup-HR: 0.64 95% CI 0.40–1.03). No difference in PFS was found (HR: 0.81, 95% CI 0.27–2.44).

Conclusion: In neoadjuvant setting, targeted therapy has a definitive effect on patients with EGFR mutation-positive stage IIIA NSCLC and is even better than chemotherapy in terms of toxicity and tumor response rate.

Systematic Review Registration: PROSPERO, identifier CRD42021221136.
Hermeneutica y Constructivismo en psicoterapia
Authors: Villegas Manuel
Published: August 2021

El constructivismo es un movimiento intelectual reciente, llamado a configurarse el paradigma epistemologico del siglo XXI.
Perspectiva constructivista del realismo depresivo: implicaciones para la teoría y terapia cognitivas
Authors: Haaga David A. H. , Beck Aaroon T.
Published: August 2021

La teoria cognitiva de la depresion(Ben k. 1967) ‹Muestra que el depresivo mantiene su pensamiento negativopese a la muestra de evidencias que lo contradicen , debido a que disiorsiona eI feedback que recibe del ambiente, percibiéndolo mas negativo de lo que en realidad es. La investigacion que recibe pone en entredicho esta hipotesis,sugiriendo en cambio que los depresivos pueden  ser realistas si la percepcion de circunstancias vitales ,genuinamente son negativas, mientras que los no depresivos  son los que mantienen un pensamiento optimista no realista. El debate sobre esta teoria se ha realizado  dentro de un encuadre metateorico  realista en la que conceptualiza a la realidad objetiva  como algo externo a lo que percibe . En este articulo ampliaremos el debate mediante el examen de las implicaciones de la teroia constructivista sobre los conceptos de realismo depresivo versus distorsion o sesgo depresivo. Finalmente veremos las implicaciones de este debate para la teoria de la terapia cognitiva de la depresion.
El tratamiento de la depresión y el proceso de cambio afectivo
Authors: Safran Jeremy D.
Published: August 2021

En este articulo se examinan los distintos procesos depresivos como las distinciones  de los sistemas de comportamiento . De acuerdo , a la terapia cognitiva  se  da respuesta a la situacion, las secuencias depresivas cognitivo - afectivas, en asociacion con la autocritica, el procesamiento emocional de trabajo , se discute la forma de intervencion desde una perspectiva emocional.
Comprensión y tratamiento del síndrome depresivo desde la perspectiva sistemica
Authors: Vella Gaspare , Loriedo Camillo
Published: August 2021

Se sugiere una hipotesis sobre las dinamicas familiares del trastorno depresivo. Se proponen algunos principios generales para la intervencion .
La dimension relacional de las depresiones
Authors: Linares Juan Luis
Published: August 2021

Desde una perspectiva sistemica que tiende a relacionar el concepto de psicopatologia como un fenomeno especifico , relacionado con los diversos tipos de apego y parentalidad que determinan los diferentes estadios de equilibrio o desequilibrio psiquico y relacional .
Resultados de una psicoterapia existencial / humanista : un tributo a Rollo May
Authors: Bugental James F. T.
Published: August 2021

La psicoterapia ayuda al paciente en su avance hacia la expansion de su propio mundo.
Un enfoque constructivista-cognitivo de la terapia cognitiva
Authors: Rosen Hugh
Published: August 2021

Este arttculo se basa en gran medida en el constructivismo piagetiano. es decir sigue una perspectiva constructivista-evolutiva. Si bien este enfoque tiene muchos puntos en comun con otros modelos constructivistas, también se caracteriza por poseer  rasgos propios. La aplicacion de la orientacion constructivista aqui descrita se relaciona directamente con el modelo de terapia cognitiva de Beck, aunque gran parte de lo que se dice resulta relevante también para otros enfoques terapéuticos y para la psicoterapia en general.
Psicopatologia evolutiva de las significaciones individuales
Authors: Joyce-Moniz Luis
Published: August 2021

La lectura evolutiva de la psicopatologia se ha llevado a cabo a varios niveles, aunque no esta relacionado o integrado. La presente refIeccion incide sobre alguna de ellas. relacionandolas con los sindromes o trastornos del humor/afecto, la ansiedad y  los trastornos de personalidad.

De este modo consideraremos en primer lugar las posibilidades de una continuidad/discontinuidad de los sintomas actitudinales y emocionales entre la psicopatologia de la infancia y de la edad adulta, lo que plantea, inevitablemente, la cuestion del determinismo de una sobre la otra, o la de su relativa independencia.

Posteriormente se examine la continuidad/discontinuidad de los sintomas cognitivos y, mds en particular,  de los significados individuales, lo que plantea no solo la cuestion de la relacion entre cognicion y afecto, sino  de la competicion entre significados y del dominio de unos sobre otros en ciertos niveles de desarrollo.

Como introduccion  a  unn  psicologia evolutiva  de  las significaciones se  propone un modelo dialéctico con cinco niveles de significacion , relativos a algunos sindromes afectivos y  ansiogenos y principalmente, a los trastornos  de personalidad.
Sustainability and EU Road Transport Carbon Emissions from Consumption of Diesel and Gasoline in 2000 and 2018
Authors: Bhat Arshad , Ordóñez Garcia Javier
Published: August 2021

To accomplish the 1.5 °C and 2 °C climate change targets, the European Union (EU) has set up several policy initiatives. Within the EU, the carbon emissions of the road transport sector from the consumption of diesel and gasoline are constantly rising. (1) Background: due to road transport policies, diesel and gasoline use within the EU is increasing the amount of carbon in the atmosphere and adding to climate risks. (2) Methods: sustainability analysis used was based on the method recommended by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. (3) Results: to meet its road transport requirements, the EU produces an estimated 0.237–0.245 billion tonnes of carbon per year from its total consumption of diesel and gasoline. (4) Conclusion: if there is no significant reduction in diesel and gasoline carbon emissions, there is a real risk that the EU’s carbon budget commitment could lapse and that climate change targets will not be met. Sustainability analysis of energy consumption in road transport sector shows the optimum solution is the direct electrification of road transport.
High Spatial and Temporal Resolution Bistatic Wind Lidar
Authors: Wilhelm Paul , Eggert Michael , Hornig Julia , Oertel Stefan
Published: August 2021

The high-resolution bistatic lidar developed at the Physikalisch-Technische Bundesanstalt (PTB) aims to overcome the limitations of conventional monostatic lidar technology, which is widely used for wind velocity measurements in wind energy and meteorology applications. Due to the large measurement volume of a combined optical transmitter and receiver tilting in multiple directions, monostatic lidar generally has poor spatial and temporal resolution. It also exhibits large measurement uncertainty when operated in inhomogeneous flow; for instance, over complex terrain. In contrast, PTB’s bistatic lidar uses three dedicated receivers arranged around a central transmitter, resulting in an exceptionally small measurement volume. The coherent detection and modulation schemes used allow the detection of backscattered, Doppler shifted light down to the scale of single aerosols, realising the simultaneous measurement of all three wind velocity components. This paper outlines the design details and theory of operation of PTB’s bistatic lidar and provides an overview of selected comparative measurements. The results of these measurements show that the measurement uncertainty of PTB’s bistatic lidar is well within the measurement uncertainty of traditional cup anemometers while being fully independent of its site and traceable to the SI units. This allows its use as a transfer standard for the calibration of other remote sensing devices. Overall, PTB’s bistatic lidar shows great potential to improve the capability and accuracy of wind velocity measurements, such as for the investigation of highly dynamic flow processes upstream and in the wake of wind turbines.
Advantages of the Incorporation of Luffa-Based Activated Carbon to Titania for Improving the Removal of Methylene Blue from Aqueous Solution
Authors: Boumad Souad , Infantes-Molina Antonia , Barroso-Martín Isabel , Moretti Elisa , Rodríguez-Castellón Enrique , Román-Martínez María del Carmen , Lillo-Ródenas María Ángeles , Bouchenafa-Saib Naima
Published: August 2021

This research aims to study the possible improvement of methylene blue (MB) removal from aqueous solution by hybrid adsorbent-catalysts (AdsCats) prepared through the incorporation of activated carbon derived from Luffa cylindrica fibers (LAC) to TiO2 photocatalysts. LAC with a specific surface area of 1170 m2/g was prepared by chemical activation with phosphoric acid at 500 °C. TiO2/LAC composites with 70 and 90 wt.% Degussa P25 titania content were prepared. The materials were characterized by N2 physical adsorption, XRD, FTIR, and XPS. The AdsCats displayed a very good dispersion of TiO2 over LAC, a surface area of close to 200 or 400 m2/g, depending on the composition, and high crystallinity, showing the presence of anatase and rutile phases. MB removal was studied in two different scenarios: under UV-light after reaching adsorption equilibrium, and under UV-light once the liquid effluent and the AdsCats were in contact. The MB removal by LAC has proved to be very efficient, highlighting the predominant role of adsorption over photodegradation. The prepared AdsCats have also been compared with their components. The results showed that TiLAC hybrids have superior photocatalytic performance than P25, showing TiLAC-7/3 90% MB removal with respect to the initial concentration just after 30 min of UV light irradiation for both studied scenarios.
Post-Cyclic Mechanical Behaviors of Undisturbed Soft Clay with Different Degrees of Reconsolidation
Authors: Lu Yuan , Chen Jian , Huang Juehao , Feng Libo , Yu Song , Li Jianbin , Ma Chao
Published: August 2021

Soft soil is often subjected to cyclic loading such as that imposed during storms, under traffic, or in an earthquake. Furthermore, the cyclic-loading-induced excess pore water pressure can be partially dissipated after cyclic loading. Thus, different reconsolidation processes should be considered. A series of static and dynamic triaxial tests were conducted on undisturbed soft soil to determine the post-cyclic mechanical behavior thereof, such as the variation of undrained shear strength, the development of excess pore water pressure, and the evolution of effective stress path. The effects of consolidated confining pressure, cyclic stress ratio, and degree of reconsolidation were analyzed. Results show that the trend of all stress–strain curves is similar under different conditions. The effect of the degree of reconsolidation is such that, with increasing the degree of reconsolidation, the shear strength is enhanced. Meanwhile, compared with undrained shear strength without cyclic loading, the shear strength after cyclic loading with full reconsolidation is increased. These factors also have a significant effect on the undrained shear strength: the greater both the confining pressure and cyclic stress ratio are, the higher the undrained shear strength. A positive excess pore water pressure is always observed during post-cyclic shearing process, irrespective of different factors. The S-shaped effective stress paths under different test conditions are observed and cross the critical state line. The microstructures of undisturbed soil and post-cyclic specimens with different degrees of reconsolidation were quantitatively investigated. Besides that, the degree of influence of different factors on the post-cyclic undrained strength was analyzed. Based on the test results, the undrained shear strength with cyclic load-history was well predicted by existing models.
Evaluation of Linearization Methods for Control of the Pendubot
Authors: Parulski Paweł , Bartkowiak Patryk , Pazderski Dariusz
Published: August 2021

The aim of this paper is to test the usefulness of a new approach based on partial feedback linearization to control the Pendubot. The control problem stated in the article is to stabilize the Pendubot in the upright position. In particular, properties of the closed-loop system and the zero dynamics are investigated and illustrated by results of simulations. Next, the performance of a hybrid-like controller in the case of input saturation is evaluated by conduction extensive simulation trails. The experimental results suggest that the considered control methodology can be successfully applied for a real system.
The Past, Present and Future in Tube- and Paper-Based Colorimetric Gas Detectors
Authors: Kawamura Koji , Miyazawa Kazumasa , Kent Lloyd
Published: August 2021

Colorimetric gas detectors have been widely applied in many fields such as environmental sciences, industrial hygiene, process control, forensic science and indoor air quality monitoring. They have a history of about 100 years and include devices such as gas detector tubes and paper-based gas detectors. The sensitivity and selectivity of the colorimetric gas detector are relatively high compared to other types of gas detectors such as semiconductor, catalytic combustion and electrochemical gas detectors. Detection of gas concentration can be performed by the naked eye in some colorimetric gas detectors. These methods do not require an electrical power source and are simple, so they are suitable for field operations. This review introduces the history and provides a general overview of the development in the research of colorimetric gas detectors. Recently, the sensitivity and selectivity of colorimetric gas detectors have improved. New materials such as enzymes or particles with a large surface area have been utilized to improve selectivity and sensitivity. Moreover, new gas detectors without toxic materials have been developed to reduce the environmental load. At present, there is a rapid development of IoT sensors in many industrial fields, which might extend the applications of colorimetric gas detectors in the near future.
The Representation of D-Invariant Polynomial Subspaces Based on Symmetric Cartesian Tensors
Authors: Jiang Xue , Cui Kai
Published: August 2021

Multivariate polynomial interpolation plays a crucial role both in scientific computation and engineering application. Exploring the structure of the D-invariant (closed under differentiation) polynomial subspaces has significant meaning for multivariate Hermite-type interpolation (especially ideal interpolation). We analyze the structure of a D-invariant polynomial subspace Pn in terms of Cartesian tensors, where Pn is a subspace with a maximal total degree equal to n,n≥1. For an arbitrary homogeneous polynomial p(k) of total degree k in Pn, p(k) can be rewritten as the inner products of a kth order symmetric Cartesian tensor and k column vectors of indeterminates. We show that p(k) can be determined by all polynomials of a total degree one in Pn. Namely, if we treat all linear polynomials on the basis of Pn as a column vector, then this vector can be written as a product of a coefficient matrix A(1) and a column vector of indeterminates; our main result shows that the kth order symmetric Cartesian tensor corresponds to p(k) is a product of some so-called relational matrices and A(1).
Integrated Green Process for the Extraction of Red Grape Pomace Antioxidant Polyphenols Using Ultrasound-Assisted Pretreatment and β-Cyclodextrin
Authors: Alibante Aggeliki , Lakka Achillia , Bozinou Eleni , Chatzilazarou Arhontoula , Lalas Stavros , Makris Dimitris P.
Published: August 2021

Winemaking is a process that generates a large volume of solid waste biomass, which is currently under extensive investigation as a bioresource of precious polyphenolic compounds. These substances are retrieved from vinification side streams principally by deploying solid–liquid extraction methods. In this frame, the present investigation had as objective the development of an alternative, green extraction process for polyphenols, through integration of ultrasonication as a pretreatment stage, and subsequent extraction with aqueous β-cyclodextrin. Polyphenol recovery from red grape pomace (RGP) was shown to be significantly enhanced by ultrasonication pretreatment, and the use of β-cyclodextrin effectively boosted the aqueous extraction. Under optimized conditions, established by response surface methodology, the maximum yield in total polyphenols was 57.47 mg GAE g−1 dm, at 80 °C, requiring a barrier of 10.95 kJ mol−1. The extract produced was significantly enriched in catechin and quercetin, compared to the aqueous extract, exhibiting also increased antiradical activity. These findings highlighted the value of the process developed for targeted recovery of certain polyphenols and the preparation of task-specific extracts.
Structure and Dynamics of Zika Virus Protease and Its Insights into Inhibitor Design
Authors: Li Qingxin , Kang Congbao
Published: August 2021

Zika virus (ZIKV)—a member of the Flaviviridae family—is an important human pathogen. Its genome encodes a polyprotein that can be further processed into structural and non-structural proteins. ZIKV protease is an important target for antiviral development due to its role in cleaving the polyprotein to release functional viral proteins. The viral protease is a two-component protein complex formed by NS2B and NS3. Structural studies using different approaches demonstrate that conformational changes exist in the protease. The structures and dynamics of this protease in the absence and presence of inhibitors were explored to provide insights into the inhibitor design. The dynamic nature of residues binding to the enzyme cleavage site might be important for the function of the protease. Due to the charges at the protease cleavage site, it is challenging to develop small-molecule compounds acting as substrate competitors. Developing small-molecule compounds to inhibit protease activity through an allosteric mechanism is a feasible strategy because conformational changes are observed in the protease. Herein, structures and dynamics of ZIKV protease are summarized. The conformational changes of ZIKV protease and other proteases in the same family are discussed. The progress in developing allosteric inhibitors is also described. Understanding the structures and dynamics of the proteases are important for designing potent inhibitors.
Soluble Guanylate Cyclase Stimulator Vericiguat Enhances Long-Term Memory in Rats without Altering Cerebral Blood Volume
Authors: Nelissen Ellis , Argyrousi Elentina K. , Van Goethem Nick P. , Zhao Fuqiang , Hines Catherine D. G. , Swaminath Gayathri , Gerisch Michael , Hueser Joerg , Sandner Peter , Prickaerts Jos
Published: August 2021

Vascular cognitive impairment (VCI) is characterized by impairments in cerebral blood flow (CBF), endothelial function and blood–brain barrier (BBB) integrity. These processes are all physiologically regulated by the nitric oxide (NO)-soluble guanylate cyclase (sGC)-cGMP signaling pathway. Additionally, cGMP signaling plays an important role in long-term potentiation (LTP) underlying memory formation. Therefore, targeting the NO-sGC-cGMP pathway may be a therapeutic strategy for treating VCI. Hence, in this study we investigated whether sGC stimulator vericiguat has potential as a cognitive enhancer. The effects of vericiguat on long-term memory were measured in rats using an object location task. Due to the low brain-penetrance of vericiguat found in this study, it was investigated whether in the absence of BBB limitations, vericiguat enhanced hippocampal plasticity using an ex vivo memory acquisition-like chemical LTP model. Finally, peripheral effects were measured by means of blood pressure and cerebral blood volume. Vericiguat successfully enhanced long-term memory and increased hippocampal plasticity via enhanced translocation of α-amino-3-hydroxy-5-methyl-4-isoxazole propionic acid (AMPA) receptors to the cell membrane, while blood pressure and cerebral blood volume were unaltered. Although the memory enhancing effects in this study are likely due to peripheral effects on the cerebral microvasculature, sGC stimulation may provide a new therapeutic strategy for treating VCI, especially when BBB integrity is reduced.
Linking Immunity with Genomics in Sarcomas: Is Genomic Complexity an Immunogenic Trigger?
Authors: van Oost Siddh , Meijer Debora M. , Kuijjer Marieke L. , Bovée Judith V. M. G. , de Miranda Noel F. C. C.
Published: August 2021

Sarcomas comprise a collection of highly heterogeneous malignancies that can be grossly grouped in the categories of sarcomas with simple or complex genomes. Since the outcome for most sarcoma patients has barely improved in the last decades, there is an urgent need for improved therapies. Immunotherapy, and especially T cell checkpoint blockade, has recently been a game-changer in cancer therapy as it produced significant and durable treatment responses in several cancer types. Currently, only a small fraction of sarcoma patients benefit from immunotherapy, supposedly due to a general lack of somatically mutated antigens (neoantigens) and spontaneous T cell immunity in most cancers. However, genomic events resulting from chromosomal instability are frequent in sarcomas with complex genomes and could drive immunity in those tumors. Improving our understanding of the mechanisms that shape the immune landscape of sarcomas will be crucial to overcoming the current challenges of sarcoma immunotherapy. This review focuses on what is currently known about the tumor microenvironment in sarcomas and how this relates to their genomic features. Moreover, we discuss novel therapeutic strategies that leverage the tumor microenvironment to increase the clinical efficacy of immunotherapy, and which could provide new avenues for the treatment of sarcomas.
The Ups and Downs of STAT Inhibition in Acute Myeloid Leukemia
Authors: Moser Bernhard , Edtmayer Sophie , Witalisz-Siepracka Agnieszka , Stoiber Dagmar
Published: August 2021

Aberrant Janus kinase-signal transducer and activator of transcription (JAK-STAT) signaling is implicated in the pathogenesis of acute myeloid leukemia (AML), a highly heterogeneous hematopoietic malignancy. The management of AML is complex and despite impressive efforts into better understanding its underlying molecular mechanisms, survival rates in the elderly have not shown a substantial improvement over the past decades. This is particularly due to the heterogeneity of AML and the need for personalized approaches. Due to the crucial role of the deregulated JAK-STAT signaling in AML, selective targeting of the JAK-STAT pathway, particularly constitutively activated STAT3 and STAT5 and their associated upstream JAKs, is of great interest. This strategy has shown promising results in vitro and in vivo with several compounds having reached clinical trials. Here, we summarize recent FDA approvals and current potential clinically relevant inhibitors for AML patients targeting JAK and STAT proteins. This review underlines the need for detailed cytogenetic analysis and additional assessment of JAK-STAT pathway activation. It highlights the ongoing development of new JAK-STAT inhibitors with better disease specificity, which opens up new avenues for improved disease management.
Color-Coded Droplets and Microscopic Image Analysis for Multiplexed Antibiotic Susceptibility Testing
Authors: Jeong Yunjin , Jang Haewook , Kang Junwon , Nam Juhong , Shin Kyoungseob , Kwon Sunghoon , Choi Jungil
Published: August 2021

Since the discovery of antibiotics, the emergence of antibiotic resistance has become a global issue that is threatening society. In the era of antibiotic resistance, finding the proper antibiotics through antibiotic susceptibility testing (AST) is crucial in clinical settings. However, the current clinical process of AST based on the broth microdilution test has limitations on scalability to expand the number of antibiotics that are tested with various concentrations. Here, we used color-coded droplets to expand the multiplexing of AST regarding the kind and concentration of antibiotics. Color type and density differentiate the kind of antibiotics and concentration, respectively. Microscopic images of a large view field contain numbers of droplets with different testing conditions. Image processing analysis detects each droplet, decodes color codes, and measures the bacterial growth in the droplet. Testing E. coli ATCC 25922 with ampicillin, gentamicin, and tetracycline shows that the system can provide a robust and scalable platform for multiplexed AST. Furthermore, the system can be applied to various drug testing systems, which require several different testing conditions.