bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Vulnerabilidade em saúde na região de fronteira e Habilidades Sociais de adolescentes
Authors: Corrêa Rafael , Neufeld Carmen Beatriz , Gaspar de Matos Margarida , De Almeida Ana María
Published: February 2023

Introdução: A vulnerabilidade em saúde de adolescentes em região de fronteira tem recebido destaque em pesquisas na área de educação e saúde pública, auxiliando na identificação e influências na alteração de comportamentos e relacionamentos nessa faixa etária, campo que as habilidades sociais tem demonstrado evidências no enfrentamento dessa problemática. O estudo buscou analisar a associação da vulnerabilidade em saúde na região de fronteira e as habilidades sociais de adolescentes, a fim de fundamentar futuras estratégias de prevenção e promoção de saúde. Métodos: Estudo de coorte transversal realizado com 722 adolescentes matriculados em escolas públicas na cidade de Foz do Iguaçu. A relação da vulnerabilidade com as Habilidades Sociais  foi analisada no grupo  geral e estratificada por gênero. O Teste Chi-quadrado e a Regressão Logística Binomial foram usados. Resultados: Demonstrou-se uma associação entre fatores de risco em saúde e as habilidades sociais de adolescentes, sendo relevantes: 1) O consumo de álcool, sentimento de solidão e envolvimento em brigas com o auto-controle; 2) Indicadores mais amplos de saúde sexual com as habilidades sociais; 3) O bullying, regulação parental com a empatia, e por fim  4) A atividade física, regulação parental com a desenvoltura social. Conclusões: O estudo demonstra a associação entre o repertório de habilidades sociais e a vulnerabilidade em saúde de adolescentes em região de fronteira, apontando evidências de programas para instrumentalizar futuras pesquisas, sendo assim o estudo indica: (i) Considerar a caracterização da vulnerabilidade em saúde apresentada neste estudo na região de fronteira entre Brasil, Paraguay e Argentina e a influência no repertório de habilidades sociais de adolescentes; (ii) Conduzir futuras pesquisas e intervenções em habilidades sociais considerando as intervenções e tecnologias que apresentam melhor evidência científica.
The Impact of Social Media Marketing, Perceived Quality and Brand Awareness on Consumer’s Brand Loyalty in Pakistan
Authors: Khan Feryal , Mehmood Ansa , Talat Amina
Published: February 2023

This research aimed to examine how social media marketing (SMM) affects brand loyalty of consumers of clothing brands. Furthermore, role of brand awareness and perceived quality as the mediators affecting the relationship between social media marketing and brand loyalty was also explored. Convenient sampling technique was used on a sample of 202 adults (men = 88, women = 114) who had shopped from a branded clothing store from three different shopping malls in Lahore, Pakistan. Their age range was 21 to 50 years with an income level of PKR75, 000 or above. Self-report measures included Consumers' Attitude towards SMM (Kim & Ko, 2012), Brand Loyalty (Lau & Lee, 1999), Brand Awareness (Yoo et al., 2000) and Perceived Quality (Yoo & Donthu, 2001). SMM was found to be positively linked to brand loyalty. Moreover, the positive association between social media marketing and brand loyalty was mediated by consumers' brand awareness and perceived quality. Present findings suggest that brand managers should be mindful of the advantages, values and benefits they provide to the consumers in their social media campaigns in order to increase consumer loyalty to their brand.
Development and Validation of the Professional Self-Fulfilment Questionnaire
Authors: Kokun Oleg
Published: February 2023

The aim of this study was to develop a method for assessing professional self-fulfilment. The research comprised of three stages. In the first stage, the content of the personal self-fulfilment and professional self-fulfilment was defined. Five main attributes of internal professional self-fulfilment and five main attributes of external professional self-fulfilment were determined, which together formed the overall structure of professional self-fulfilment Questionnaire. In the second stage, the 30-item Ukrainian-version of the Professional Self-Fulfilment Questionnaire (PSFQ) was developed, which provided quantitative indicators for assessing an individual’s professional self-fulfilment, levels of internal and external professional self-fulfilment and manifestations of 10 basic attributes of professional self-fulfilment. In the third stage, the PSFQ was standardised and validated; the sample consisted of 368 (120 men; 248 women) Ukrainian-speaking respondents of different age groups and professions. The PSFQ had high internal consistency (α = .90) and competitive validity. Practical implications of the PSFQ are discussed.
Work-Family Conflict and Employee Wellbeing: Examining the Buffering Effects of Workplace Provided Family-Friendly Resources
Authors: Javed Uzma
Published: February 2023

This study examines the moderating effect of two family-friendly resources available in the workplace such as family friendly practices (FFP) and family supportive supervisor (FSS) on the relationship between work-family conflict and employee wellbeing. The data was collected from 297 frontline sales employees working for four major insurance companies in Pakistan. Each employee received a hard copy of the questionnaire with a cover letter outlining the goals and voluntary nature of the study. Hierarchical regression analysis was performed to analyze the collected data and test the proposed hypotheses. Findings suggest that FFP and FSS were linked to lower levels of depression and anxiety, and higher levels of job satisfaction and organization commitment. FFP buffer the impact of WIF and FIW on depression. FSS buffer the impact of WIF and FIW on depression, anxiety, job satisfaction, and organization commitment. It is important to focus on both formal (i.e. FFP) and informal (i.e. FSS) family-friendly resources when designing an intervention program for enhancing employee wellbeing.
Relationship Between Bird Communities and Environmental Changes in Tandung Village, Tinambung District, Polewali Mandar Regency, West Sulawesi Province
Authors: Putera Alexander Kurniawan Sariyanto , Phika Ainnadya Hasan  , Muhammad Rizaldi Trias Jaya Putra Nurdin
Published: February 2023

Indonesia's coastal region is known for its richness and diverse natural resources. However, the region is experiencing a transformation from mangrove ecosystems to the traditional pond cultures. This was happening in West Sulawesi that could damage the ecosystem in the long term, especially for the bird community. This study aims to inventory bird species in the bird community on the coast of Tandung Village, Tinambung District, Polewali Mandar Regency, West Sulawesi Province. In addition, we also study the bird community structure, find out the correlation among the bird communities, and the environmental condition during the inventory. In this study, we used a fixed-radius point count method to record birds. Field guide titled Burung-burung Pulau Paparan Sunda dan Wallacea di Kepulauan Indonesia was used to identify the species of observed birds. The results showed that of the 27 species recorded, there are 5 species with a high relative abundance, such as Egretta garzetta, Himantopus leucocephalus, Actitis hypoleucos, Ardeola speciosa, and Calidris ruficollis. Only H. leucocephalus is identified as a protected bird by the Indonesian government, while Calidris ruficollis is protected internationally as its conservational status (Near Threatened). The diversity index is moderate level, but it is decreasing day by day of observation, followed by the dominance index, evenness, and species richness. A high correlation between the two bird communities with two adjacent days of observation indicates similarity composition of community structure with different temporal scales and similar spatial scales. The map of environmental conditions shows changing weather in the period of observation sequentially from bright sky to cloudy and heavy rain and back to the normal bright sky at the last period of observation. The response of the bird community to the condition was by flying away when the weather is cloudy and rainy so that may decrease the diversity.
Stature and mitigation systems affect the risk of leg injury in vehicles attacked under the body by explosive devices
Authors: Rebelo Eduardo A , Grigoriadis Grigoris , Carpanen Diagarajen , Bull Anthony M. J. , Masouros Spyros
Published: February 2023

A finite-element (FE) model, previously validated for underbody blast (UBB) loading, was used here to study the effect of stature and of mitigation systems on injury risk to the leg. A range of potential UBB loadings was simulated. The risk of injury to the leg was calculated when no protection was present, when a combat boot (Meindl Desert Fox) was worn, and when a floor mat (IMPAXXTM), which can be laid on the floor of a vehicle, was added. The risk of injury calculated indicates that the floor mat provided a statistically significant reduction in the risk of a major calcaneal injury for peak impact speeds below 17.5 m/s when compared with the scenarios in which the floor mat was not present. The risk of injury to the leg was also calculated for a shorter and a taller stature compared to that of the nominal, 50th percentile male anthropometry; shorter and taller statures were constructed by scaling the length of the tibia of the nominal stature. The results showed that there is a higher risk of leg injury associated with the short stature compared to the nominal and tall statures, whereas the leg-injury risk between nominal and tall statures was statistically similar. These findings provide evidence that the combat boot and the floor mat tested here have an attenuating effect, albeit limited to a range of possible UBB loads. The effect of stature on injury has implications on how vehicle design caters for all potential anthropometries and indeed gender, as women, on average, are shorter than men. The results from the computational simulations here complement laboratory and field experimental models of UBB, and so they contribute to the improvement of UBB safety technology and strategy.
Influence of the North American dipole on the Atlantic warm pool
Authors: Chao Jinghua , Fan Guangzhou , Ding Ruiqiang , Zhong Quanjia , Wen Tao
Published: February 2023

Using the observational data, the Coupled Model Intercomparison Project phase 6 (CMIP6) models and the numerical experiment, this study examines the influence of the North American dipole (NAD) on the Atlantic warm pool (AWP). The results show that a strong positive (negative) phase of the winter NAD tends to inhibit (favor) the development of AWP in its area and depth in subsequent months. As opposed to the North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO), the NAD plays a more pivotal role in influencing the AWP due to its effectiveness in forcing the tropical North Atlantic (TNA) SST variability, which means that AWP variability may be more of a lagging response to NAD atmospheric forcing than a lagging response to NAO atmospheric forcing. Additional analysis indicates that the winter NAD-like atmospheric signal may be stored in the following AWP, thus markedly influencing the TNA precipitation and air temperature in summer. It is speculated that the AWP may act as a bridge linking winter NAD to the following summer precipitation and air temperature in the TNA region.
Impact of telemedicine on glycemic control in type 2 diabetes mellitus during the COVID-19 lockdown period
Authors: Al-Mutairi Abrar M. , Alshabeeb Mohammad A. , Abohelaika Salah , Alomar Fadhel A. , Bidasee Keshore R.
Published: February 2023

Background

The lockdown at the start of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic in Saudi Arabia (March 2020 to June 2020) shifted routine in-person care for patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) to telemedicine. The aim of this study was to investigate the impact telemedicine had during this period on glycemic control (HbA1c) in patients with T2DM

Methods

4,266 patients with T2DM were screened from five Ministry of National Guard Health Affairs hospitals in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Age, gender, body mass index (BMI), HbA1c (before and after the COVID-19 lockdown), duration of T2DM, comorbidities and antidiabetic medications data were obtained. Mean and standard deviation of differences in HbA1c were calculated to assess the impact of telemedicine intervention. Correlations between clinically significant variances (when change in the level is ≥0.5%) in HbA1c with demographics and clinical characteristic data were determined using chi square test.

Results

Most of the participants were Saudis (97.7%) with 59.7% female and 56.4% ≥60 years of age. Obesity was 63.8%, dyslipidemia 91%, and hypertension 70%. Mean HbA1c of all patients slightly rose from 8.52% ± 1.5% before lockdown to 8.68% ± 1.6% after lockdown. There were n=1,064 patients (24.9%) whose HbA1c decreased by ≥0.5%, n =1,574 patients whose HbA1c increased by ≥0.5% (36.9%), and n =1,628 patients whose HbA1c changed by <0.5% in either direction (38.2%). More males had significant improvements in glycemia compared to females (28.1% vs 22.8%, p<0.0001), as were individuals below the age of 60 years (28.1% vs 22.5%, p<0.0001). Hypertensive individuals were less likely than non-hypertensive to have glycemic improvement (23.7% vs 27.9%, p=0.015). More patients on sulfonylureas had improvements in HbA1c (42.3% vs 37.9%, p=0.032), whereas patients on insulin had higher HbA1c (62.7% vs 56.2%, p=0.001). HbA1c changes were independent of BMI, duration of disease, hyperlipidemia, heart and kidney diseases.

Conclusion

Telemedicine was helpful in delivering care to T2DM patients during COVID-19 lockdown, with 63.1% of patients maintaining HbA1c and improving glycemia. More males than females showed improvements. However, the HbA1c levels in this cohort of patients pre- and post-lockdown were unsatisfactorily high, and may be due to in part lifestyle, age, education, and hypertension.
C-reactive protein levels could be a prognosis predictor of prostate cancer: A meta-analysis
Authors: Zhou Kechong , Li Chao , Chen Tao , Zhang Xuejun , Ma Baoluo
Published: February 2023

Background

The relationship between the C-reactive protein (CRP) and prognosis in prostate cancer (PCa) has been widely discussed over the past few years but remains controversial.

Material and methods

In our meta-analysis, we searched 16 reliable studies in the PubMed, Embase, and Cochrane Library databases. Otherwise, we have successfully registered on the INPLASY. We also performed random- and fixed-effects models to evaluate the hazard ratio (HR) and 95% confidence interval (CI), respectively.

Result

The result of our meta-analysis shows that elevated CRP levels were related to worse overall survival (OS) (HR = 1.752, 95% CI = 1.304–2.355, p = 0.000), cancer-specific survival (CSS) (HR =1.823, 95%CI = 1.19-2.793, P = 0.006), p = 0.026), and progression-free survival (PFS) (HR = 1.663, 95% CI = 1.064–2.6, p = 0.026) of PCa patients. There was significant heterogeneity, so we performed a subgroup analysis according to the staging of the disease and found the same result. Furthermore, the heterogeneity was also reduced, and no statistical significance.

Conclusion

Our study shows that the level of CRP could reflect the prognosis of prostate cancer patients. We find that PCa patients with high levels of CRP often have worse OS, CSS, and PFS, although the stages of the patients’ disease are different. More studies are needed to verify this idea.
Analysis of TMT heterogeneity and IPO underpricing of listed companies in the low carbon economy sector: Evidence from China’s stock market
Authors: Zhou Xiaohua , Feng Guan , Ren Yong
Published: February 2023

Introduction: Issuance pricing is an important part of the operation of the securities market. Its pricing is directly related to the interests of issuers, investors and underwriters, as well as the regulatory and resource allocation functions of the securities issuance market. When the industry expectations vary greatly, the company has greater TMT heterogeneity. When the market expectation gap expands, the possibility of risk conversion increases. IPO underpricing occurs in stocks of developed countries, developing countries and emerging countries. Because the issuer and the underwriter investors have different information, for example, the information advantage of the underwriter will bring risks to investors when purchasing IPO shares. IPO underpricing is a compensation for the risks brought by information asymmetry.

Methods: At present, little attention has been paid to how the value of listed companies affects the underpricing of intellectual property. This paper will fill in this gap and empirically study the impact of management ability of senior management team on IPO underpricing. Therefore, starting from the Chinese stock market, this paper studies the evidence of vertical parallel executives, heterogeneity of senior management team and IPO underpricing.

Results: The average values of NCSKEW (C1) and DUVOL (C2) were −0.301 and −0.203, respectively, which were close to the descriptive statistics of the study.

Discussion: The dependent variable data in this paper has certain reliability. The minimum value of NCSKEW is −0.361 and the maximum value is 0.392, indicating that the fragmentation risk of different stocks is relatively high.
Characterization of the microenvironment in different immune-metabolism subtypes of cervical cancer with prognostic significance
Authors: Lai Wujiang , Liao Jinrong , Li Xiaoxuan , Liang Peili , He Liqing , Huang Keke , Liang Xiaomei , Wang Yifeng
Published: February 2023

Introduction: Immune cell infiltration and metabolic reprogramming may have great impact on the tumorigenesis and progression of malignancies. The interaction between these two factors in cervical cancer remains to be clarified. Here we constructed a gene set containing immune and metabolism related genes and we applied this gene set to molecular subtyping of cervical cancer.

Methods: Bulk sequencing and single-cell sequencing data were downloaded from the Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) database and Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) database respectively. Immune and metabolism related genes were collected from Immport and Kyoto encyclopedia of genes and genomes (KEGG) database respectively. Unsupervised consensus clustering was performed to identify the molecular subtypes. Cibersort was applied to evaluate the immune cells infiltration status. Differential expression analysis and Gene set enrichment analysis (GSEA) were performed to characterize the molecular pattern of different subtypes. Multivariate Cox regression analysis was used for prognosis prediction model construction and receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve was used for performance evaluation. The hub genes in the model were verified in single-cell sequencing dataset and clinical specimens. In vitro experiments were performed to validate the findings in our research.

Results: Three subtypes were identified with prognostic implications. C1 subgroup was in an immunosuppressive state with activation of mitochondrial cytochrome P450 metabolism, C2 had poor immune cells infiltration and was characterized by tRNA anabolism, and the C3 subgroup was in an inflammatory state with activation of aromatic amino acid synthesis. The area under the ROC curve of the constructed model was 0.8, which showed better performance than clinical features. IMPDH1 was found to be significantly upregulated in tumor tissue and it was demonstrated that IMPDH1 could be a novel therapeutic target in vitro.

Discussion: In summary, our findings suggested novel molecular subtypes of cervical cancer with distinct immunometabolic profiles and uncovered a novel therapeutic target.
Comparison of paravertebral block vs. general anesthesia for percutaneous nephrolithotomy: A retrospective study
Authors: Fei Miaomiao , Qin Wendong , An Guanghui , Li Dujian , Li Cheng , Xiong Lize
Published: February 2023

Background

General anesthesia is used in the majority of patients undergoing percutaneous nephrolithotomy. To reduce the general anesthesia-related risks and complications, this study evaluated the efficacy and safety of the paravertebral block as a novel and alternative anesthetic method for percutaneous nephrolithotomy.

Methods

This was a retrospective study. A total of 198 patients under percutaneous nephrolithotomy were included. Among them, 76 patients received paravertebral block and 122 received general anesthesia. Patients’ characteristics, surgical outcomes, anesthetic outcomes, and perioperative complications and the visual analog scale (VAS) were recorded to evaluate the efficacy and safety of paravertebral block compared with general anesthesia. Intergroup differences of the parameters were analyzed using an independent t-test and χ2-tests appropriate.

Results

Seventy-six patients who underwent paravertebral block completed the surgery successfully, three patients were supplemented with propofol for discomfort during ureteroscopy, and two patients were supplemented with remifentanil for incomplete nerve blockade. Patients who underwent paravertebral block had a higher American Society of Anesthesiologists grade and heart function grade, including patients with contraindications to general anesthesia. Intraoperative and postoperative adverse events and the anesthesia costs were less in patients who underwent paravertebral block. VAS pain scores during the postoperative period in patients who underwent paravertebral block were lower than those in patients who underwent general anesthesia without the use of patient-controlled intravenous analgesia.

Conclusion

In this retrospective study, paravertebral block was found to be effective and safe in providing intraoperative anesthesia for percutaneous nephrolithotomy, and had less adverse events and anesthesia costs. Paravertebral block is an attractive alternative anesthesia for patients at increased risk of comorbidities following general or neuraxial anesthesia.
Identification of quorum sensing-regulated Vibrio fortis as potential pathogenic bacteria for coral bleaching and the effects on the microbial shift
Authors: Sun Xiaohui , Li Yan , Yang Qian , Zhang Han , Xu Nuo , Tang Zheng , Wu Shishi , Jiang Yusheng , Mohamed Hala F. , Ou Danyun , Zheng Xinqing
Published: February 2023

Coastal pollution, global warming, ocean acidification, and other reasons lead to the imbalance of the coral reef ecosystem, resulting in the increasingly serious problem of coral degradation. Coral bleaching is often accompanied by structural abnormalities of coral symbiotic microbiota, among which Vibrio is highly concerned. In this study, Vibrio fortis S10-1 (MCCC 1H00104), isolated from sea cucumber, was used for the bacterial infection on coral Seriatopora guttatus and Pocillopora damicornis. The infection of S10-1 led to coral bleaching and a significant reduction of photosynthetic function in coral holobiont, and the pathogenicity of V. fortis was regulated by quorum sensing. Meanwhile, Vibrio infection also caused a shift of coral symbiotic microbial community, with significantly increased abundant Proteobacteria and Actinobacteria and significantly reduced abundant Firmicutes; on genus level, the abundance of Bacillus decreased significantly and the abundance of Rhodococcus, Ralstonia, and Burkholderia–Caballeronia–Paraburkholderia increased significantly; S10-1 infection also significantly impacted the water quality in the micro-ecosystem. In contrast, S10-1 infection showed less effect on the microbial community of the live stone, which reflected that the microbes in the epiphytic environment of the live stone might have a stronger ability of self-regulation; the algal symbionts mainly consisted of Cladocopium sp. and showed no significant effect by the Vibrio infection. This study verified that V. fortis is the primary pathogenic bacterium causing coral bleaching, revealed changes in the microbial community caused by its infection, provided strong evidence for the “bacterial bleaching” hypothesis, and provided an experimental experience for the exploration of the interaction mechanism among microbial communities, especially coral-associated Vibrio in the coral ecosystem, and potential probiotic strategy or QS regulation on further coral disease control.
P2X7 receptor-activated microglia in cortex is critical for sleep disorder under neuropathic pain
Authors: Li Tingting , Gao Yunling , He Mengying , Gui Zhu , Zhao Bingchu , Cao Yue , Chen Ting , Zhu Jinpiao , Wang Jie , Zhong Qi , Zhang Zongze
Published: February 2023

Neuropathic pain (NP) is associated with sleep disturbances, which may substantially influence the quality of life. Clinical and animal studies demonstrated that neurotransmitter is one of the main contributors to cause sleep disturbances induced by NP. Recently, it was reported that P2X7 receptors (P2X7R) are widely expressed in microglia, which serves crucial role in neuronal activity in the pain and sleep-awake cycle. In this study, we adopted the chronic constriction injury (CCI) model to establish the progress of chronic pain and investigated whether P2X7R of microglia in cortex played a critical role in sleep disturbance induced by NP. At electroencephalogram (EEG) level, sleep disturbance was observed in mice treated with CCI as they exhibited mechanical and thermal hypersensitivity, and inhibition of P2X7R ameliorated these changes. We showed a dramatic high level of P2X7R and Iba-1 co-expression in the cortical region, and the inhibition of P2X7R also adversely affected it. Furthermore, the power of LFPs in ventral posterior nucleus (VP) and primary somatosensory cortex (S1) which changed in the CCI group was adverse after the inhibition of P2X7R. Furthermore, inhibition of P2X7R also decreased the VP-S1 coherence which increased in CCI group. Nuclear magnetic resonance demonstrated inhibition of P2X7R decreased glutamate (Glu) levels in thalamic and cortical regions which were significantly increased in the CCI mice. Our findings provide evidence that NP has a critical effect on neuronal activity linked to sleep and may built up a new target for the development of sleep disturbances under chronic pain conditions.
Case Report: Defect repair post-resection of cervical tracheal granular cell tumor by cervical anterior banded myofascial flap: A case study and literature review
Authors: Liu Zhu , Li Zhendong
Published: February 2023

Objective

A case of cervical tracheal granular cell tumor (CTGCT) is reported together with a discussion on the clinical manifestation, diagnosis, and treatment of CTGCT. Additional cases of tumors in the tracheal membrane are also discussed. A simple and viable tracheal reconstruction method was proposed. The research design involves a case report and literature review.

Methods

Twenty-four case reports on cervical GCT with complete clinical data were identified, with a specific focus on cases involving surgical treatment of tumors in the cervical tracheal membrane.

Results

Twenty-eight reports of GCT in the cervical trachea and six reports on cervical tracheal membrane tumors were identified. The clinical data of a middle-aged Asian woman with a cervical GCT was also discussed.

Conclusion

Cervical GCT is a rare disease, and tracheal resection is a reasonable treatment for cervical tracheal GCT. The proposed procedure is a simple and feasible method for reconstruction of the cervical tracheal membrane defect using a double-pedicled banded myofascial flap.
Weight management recommendations for youth with Down syndrome: Expert recommendations
Authors: Ptomey Lauren T. , Oreskovic Nicolas M. , Hendrix James A. , Nichols Dominica , Agiovlasitis Stamatis
Published: February 2023

Youth with Down syndrome (DS) have a higher prevalence of overweight and obesity compared to the general youth population. Due to physiological and cognitive differences observed in youth with DS, weight management recommendations developed for the general population, may not be suitable for youth with DS. However, there are no recent recommendations for weight management in youth with DS. A workgroup of clinicians and researchers with extensive experience working with youth with DS came together to give clinicians and families guidance for weight management in youth with DS. Recommendations were developed by the workgroup via a methodical, deliberative process. After the initial development of the recommendations, they were shared with an expert review panel and caregivers who rated the strength of the recommendation and strength of the evidence. The workgroup moved forward the recommendations which the review panels rated as strong. Eight recommendations were developed which focused on screening for overweight and obesity, screening for health conditions that may impact dietary intake and physical activity, screening for feeding difficulties, setting appropriate recommendations for dietary intake and physical activity, and well as prevention and treatment of overweight and obesity using evidence-based strategies. These recommendations can be implemented by clinicians working with youth with Down syndrome as well as the family, school, and other relevant entities.
Ex vivo tumor dissection followed by kidney autotransplantation in bilateral wilms tumor
Authors: Zhong Zhihai , Jiang Hong , Chen Huadong , Wu Chenglin , Wang Yuanqi , Zhang Zhichong , Li Jun , Liu Juncheng
Published: February 2023

Introduction

Successful management of bilateral Wilm's tumor (BWT) involves a radical resection while preserving enough normal kidney tissue. Nephron-sparing surgery often results in an R1/R2 resection with a high recurrence rate in children with huge or multiple tumors, or tumors proximity to the renal hilum. In contrast, kidney autotransplantation can completely resect the tumor while maintaining homeostasis and preserving the patient's healthy kidney tissues.

Methods

We summarized the clinical data of 8 synchronous BWT patients who underwent kidney autotransplantation at the First Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-sen University from 2018 to 2020. Ex vivo tumor resection and kidney autotransplantions were performed on 11 kidneys. The baseline characteristics, perioperative management, and survival status were reported.

Results

Nephron-sparing surgeries were performed on 5 kidneys in vivo. Among all the 8 patients, six of them (75%) received staged operation and the other 2 patients (25%) received single-stage operation. No residual tumors were found on the postoperative imaging in all the 8 patients. In total, 6 (75%) patients occurred complications after the autotransplantation, among which, 2 (33.3%) patients had complication of Clavien-Dindo grade IIIa, and 4 (66.7%) patients had complication of grade < 3. During the 38 months of follow-up, 87.5% (7/8) of patients were tumor-free survival with normal renal function. One patient died from renal failure without tumor recurrence.

Discussion

Therefore, our study indicated that autologous kidney transplantation can be an option for patients with complex BWT if the hospital's surgical technique and perioperative management conditions are feasible.
Effects of astaxanthin on microRNA expression in a rat cardiomyocyte anoxia-reoxygenation model
Authors: Zhang Xinxin , Xu Min , Cai Shuilin , Chen Bei , Lin Hetong , Liu Zhiyu
Published: February 2023

Introduction: The protective effects of astaxanthin against myocardial ischemia-reperfusion injuries are well documented, although the mechanisms are not defined.

Methods: The anoxia-reoxygenation injury model was established after astaxanthin treated H9c2 cells for 24 h. Cell viability, lactate dehydrogenase, oxidative stress level and western blot were tested. Secondly, measured the effects of astaxanthin pretreatment on microRNA expression in a rat myocardial cell anoxia-reoxygenation injury model.

Results: After anoxia-reoxygenation injury, in a dose dependent manner, astaxanthin increased cell viability, superoxide dismutase and glutathione peroxidase activity, decreased lactate dehydrogenase and malondialdehyde levels, downregulated protein expression of caspase-3, caspase-8, nuclear factor erythroid-2-related factor 2 and heme oxygenase-1, and upregulated the Bcl-2/Bax ratio. High-throughput sequencing and qPCR showed that microRNAs rno-miR-125b-5p and rno-let-7c-1-3p were differentially expressed (|log2| ≥ 0.585, q < 0.1) between the normal, anoxia-reoxygenation, and astaxanthin (1.25 μM) groups. Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes and GO Gene ontology pathway enrichment analyses showed that TNF signaling, axon guidance, NF-κB signaling pathway, and other pathways displayed differentially expressed microRNA target genes associated with myocardial injuries.

Discussion: These results suggested that thetarget genes of rno-miR-125b-5p were enriched in inflammation and apoptosis-related signaling pathways. Also, the results imply that simultaneous targeting of these related signaling pathways could significantly prevent myocardial anoxia-reoxygenation injury in the presence of astaxanthin.
Deep resilience: An evolutionary perspective on calcification in an age of ocean acidification
Authors: Gold David A. , Vermeij Geerat J.
Published: February 2023

The success of today’s calcifying organisms in tomorrow’s oceans depends, in part, on the resilience of their skeletons to ocean acidification. To the extent this statement is true there is reason to have hope. Many marine calcifiers demonstrate resilience when exposed to environments that mimic near-term ocean acidification. The fossil record similarly suggests that resilience in skeletons has increased dramatically over geologic time. This “deep resilience” is seen in the long-term stability of skeletal chemistry, as well as a decreasing correlation between skeletal mineralogy and extinction risk over time. Such resilience over geologic timescales is often attributed to genetic canalization—the hardening of genetic pathways due to the evolution of increasingly complex regulatory systems. But paradoxically, our current knowledge on biomineralization genetics suggests an opposing trend, where genes are co-opted and shuffled at an evolutionarily rapid pace. In this paper we consider two possible mechanisms driving deep resilience in skeletons that fall outside of genetic canalization: microbial co-regulation and macroevolutionary trends in skeleton structure. The mechanisms driving deep resilience should be considered when creating risk assessments for marine organisms facing ocean acidification and provide a wealth of research avenues to explore.
Effects of imidacloprid-induced hormesis on the development and reproduction of the rose-grain aphid Metopolophium dirhodum (Hemiptera: Aphididae)
Authors: Li Xinan , Li Yaping , Zhu Xun , Li Xiangrui , Cheng Dengfa , Zhang Yunhui
Published: February 2023

Field populations of insect pests are affected by sub-lethal doses of insecticides, leading to hormesis. Imidacloprid is a neonicotinoid insecticide widely used to control various sucking insect pests, including aphids. In this study, the effects of sub-lethal concentrations of imidacloprid on the life table traits of the rose-grain aphid Metopolophium dirhodum (Walker) were evaluated on parental and first filial generations. The results showed that sub-lethal concentrations of imidacloprid significantly reduced the fecundity, adult longevity, and reproductive period of M. dirhodum in parental generation (F0). However, the imidacloprid-induced hormetic effects on development and reproduction were detected in the F1 generation. These hormetic effects were indicated by significantly higher adult longevity, fecundity, survival rate, intrinsic and finite rates of increase, and net reproductive rate of first filial generation (F1) of M. dirhodum. Our finding indicated that the application of sub-lethal concentrations of imidacloprid inhibited parental generation (F0), but it significantly stimulated the population growth of filial generation (F1) in the M. dirhodum. The results support the inclusion of insecticides in integrated pest management programs for managing wheat aphids.
Measuring reading behavior in large-scale assessments and surveys
Authors: Locher Franziska Maria , Philipp Maik
Published: February 2023

Large amounts of studies have shown that reading behavior is an important aspect for the development of students’ reading skills. The construct reading behavior as examined in large-scale assessments and surveys within the field of empirical educational research is operationalized through a wide range of reading and reading-related aspects (e.g., reading time, reading frequency, print exposure, reading engagement, book genre preferences, knowledge of authors or book titles) and a broad array of measurement methods are used. The approaches to measure the same variable – namely reading behavior – differ fundamentally from each other, while at the same time, a clear concept that would help to classify the used measurement instruments and to interpret them in relation to the superordinate construct of reading behavior is missing. Therefore, the present article aims to give an overview of methods to measure reading behavior within the context of large-scale assessments and surveys, and to discuss how they were implemented. Finally, we make some suggestions on how it might be possible to relate the applied measurement approaches to each other, especially in terms of their content and theoretical relationship to the overarching construct of reading behavior.
Dynamical systems in computational psychiatry: A toy-model to apprehend the dynamics of psychiatric symptoms
Authors: Gauld Christophe , Depannemaecker Damien
Published: February 2023

Introduction

These last years, scientific research focuses on the dynamical aspects of psychiatric disorders and their clinical significance. In this article, we proposed a theoretical framework formalized as a generic mathematical model capturing the heterogeneous individual evolutions of psychiatric symptoms. The first goal of this computational model based on differential equations is to illustrate the nonlinear dynamics of psychiatric symptoms. It offers an original approach to nonlinear dynamics to clinical psychiatrists.

Methods

In this study, we propose a 3+1 dimensions model (x, y, z + f) reproducing the clinical observations encountered in clinical psychiatry with: a variable modeling environmental noise (z) on the patient's internal factors (y) with its temporal specificities (f) and symptomatology (x). This toy-model is able to integrate empirical or simulated data from the influence of perceived environmental over time, their potential importance on the internal and subjective patient-specific elements, and their interaction with the apparent intensity of symptoms.

Results

Constrained by clinical observation of case formulations, the dynamics of psychiatric symptoms is studied through four main psychiatric conditions were modeled: i) a healthy situation, ii) a kind of psychiatric disorder evolving following an outbreak (i.e., schizophrenia spectrum), iii) a kind of psychiatric disorder evolving by kindling and bursts (e.g., bipolar and related disorders); iv) and a kind of psychiatric disorder evolving due to its high susceptibility to the environment (e.g., spersistent complex bereavement disorder). Moreover, we simulate the action of treatments on different psychiatric conditions.

Discussion

We show that the challenges of dynamical systems allow to understand the interactions of psychiatric symptoms with environmental, descriptive, subjective or biological variables. Although this non-linear dynamical model has limitations (e.g., explanatory scope or discriminant validity), simulations provide at least five main interests for clinical psychiatry, such as a visualization of the potential different evolution of psychiatric disorders, formulation of clinical cases, information about attracting states and bifurcations, or the possibility of a nosological refinement of psychiatric models (e.g., staging and symptom network models).
Leveraging item-level accuracy and reaction time to address ceiling effects in the measurement of inhibitory control in preschool-aged children
Authors: Willoughby Michael T. , Camerota Marie , King Katherine Merseth , Nduku Tabitha , Piper Benjamin
Published: February 2023

Preschool-aged children’s performance on inhibitory control tasks is typically represented by the overall accuracy of their item responses (e.g., mean proportion correct). However, in settings where children vary widely in age or ability level, inhibitory control tasks are susceptible to ceiling effects, which undermine measurement precision. We have previously demonstrated a general approach for scoring inhibitory control tasks that combines item-level accuracy and reaction-time information to minimize ceiling effects. Here, we extend that approach by incorporating additional item-level reaction time data from an adjunct (simple reaction time) task. We contrast three approaches for scoring inhibitory control tasks, two of which rely exclusively on item accuracy information and a third which also considers item reaction time information. We demonstrate the impacts of these different approaches to scoring with two inhibitory control tasks that were included in a recent evaluation of the Red Light, Purple Light intervention in preprimary classrooms in Nairobi County, Kenya. We limited our study to children who met inclusion criteria at pre-test (N = 418; 51% male; mean age = 4.8 years) or post-test (N = 386; 51% male; mean age = 4.8 years). Children’s performance on individual inhibitory control tasks was strongly correlated regardless of the scoring approach (rs = 0.73–0.97 across two tasks). However, the combined accuracy and reaction time scores eliminated ceiling effects that were common when only accuracy information was used. The combined accuracy and reaction time models also distinguished item-level RT into inhibitory control and processing speed components, which are distinct constructs. Results are discussed with respect to the challenges and nuances of the estimation and interpretation of inhibitory control task scores with children of varied ages and ability levels.
Widespread passive acoustic monitoring reveals spatio-temporal patterns of blue and fin whale song vocalizations in the Northeast Pacific Ocean
Authors: Pearson Emma J. , Oestreich William K. , Ryan John P. , Haver Samara M. , Gedamke Jason , Dziak Robert P. , Wall Carrie C.
Published: February 2023

The NOAA-NPS Ocean Noise Reference Station Network (NRS) is a passive acoustic monitoring effort to record the low-frequency (<2 kHz) sound field throughout the U.S. Exclusive Economic Zone. Data collection began in 2014 and spans 12 acoustic recording locations. To date, NRS datasets have been analyzed to understand spatial variation of large-scale sound levels, however, assessment of specific sound sources is an area where these datasets can provide additional insights. To understand seasonal patterns of blue whale,Balaenoptera musculus, and fin whale,B. physalus, sound production in the eastern North Pacific Ocean, this study explored data recorded between 2014 and 2020 from four NRS recording sites. A call index (CI) was used to quantify the intensity of blue whale B calls and fin whale 20 Hz pulses. Diel and seasonal patterns were then determined in the context of their migratory patterns. Most sites shared similar patterns in blue whale CI: persistent acoustic presence for 4–5 months starting by August and ending by February with a CI maximum in October or November. Fin whale patterns included persistent acoustic presence for 5–7 months starting by October and ending before April with a CI maximum between October and December. The diel patterning of blue whale song varied across the sites with the Gulf of Alaska, Olympic Coast, Cordell Bank, and Channel Islands (2014–2015) exhibiting a tendency towards nighttime song detection. However, this diel pattern was not observed at Channel Islands (2018–2020). Fin whale song detection was distributed evenly across day and night at most recording sites and months, however, a tendency toward nighttime song detection was observed in Cordell Bank during fall, and Gulf of Alaska and Olympic Coast during spring. Understanding call and migration patterns for blue and fin whales is essential for conservation efforts. By using passive acoustic monitoring and efficient detection methods, such as CI, it is possible to process large amounts of bioacoustic data and better understand the migratory behaviors of endangered marine species.
Deep learning techniques for the localization and classification of liquid crystal phase transitions
Authors: Dierking Ingo , Dominguez Jason , Harbon James , Heaton Joshua
Published: February 2023

Deep Learning techniques such as supervised learning with convolutional neural networks and inception models were applied to phase transitions of liquid crystals to identify transition temperatures and the respective phases involved. In this context achiral as well as chiral systems were studied involving the isotropic liquid, the nematic phase of solely orientational order, fluid smectic phases with one-dimensional positional order and hexatic phases with local two-dimensional positional, so-called bond-orientational order. Discontinuous phase transition of 1st order as well as continuous 2nd order transitions were investigated. It is demonstrated that simpler transitions, namely Iso-N, Iso-N*, and N-SmA can accurately be identified for all unseen test movies studied. For more subtle transitions, such as SmA*-SmC*, SmC*-SmI*, and SmI*-SmF*, proof-of-principle evidence is provided, demonstrating the capability of deep learning techniques to identify even those transitions, despite some incorrectly characterized test movies. Overall, we demonstrate that with the provision of a substantial and varied dataset of textures there is no principal reason why one could not develop generalizable deep learning techniques to automate the identification of liquid crystal phase sequences of novel compounds.
Effective haptic feedback type for robot-mediated material discrimination depending on target properties
Authors: Takahashi Minami , Nagano Hikaru , Tazaki Yuichi , Yokokohji Yasuyoshi
Published: February 2023

Haptic feedback enables material perceptionviaremote robotics. Both force and vibration information are essential for haptic feedback, and it is important to understand their applicability in different situations. In this study, the relationship between the effective type of haptic feedback and target properties in robot-mediated material discrimination was investigated. A remote-control system including a force presentation device and a wearable vibrotactile display was constructed. In the first experiment, the discrimination performance of material hardness was compared between two types of feedback, force and hybrid (vibrotactile and force) conditions. The results show that both feedback systems allow statistically-significant discrimination of the stimuli, and a significant difference in correct-answer rates between the two feedback conditions was not observed. This indicates that the force system was effective for hardness discrimination, and that there was no superimposed effect of the hybrid system. In the second experiment, the discrimination performance of material roughness was compared between three types of feedback (force, vibrotactile, and hybrid). The results indicate that the rate of correct responses for hybrid feedback condition are significantly higher than those for the force condition. This suggests that hybrid feedback is effective for roughness discrimination. Therefore, the effective type of feedback depends on the properties of target materials, and the superimposed effect of hybrid feedback was only observed in roughness discrimination. These findings play an important role in selecting the best feedback method for a given situation or constructing multiple feedback methods that achieve high discrimination performance.