bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The role of e-health literacy and some cognitive factors in adopting protective behaviors of COVID-19 in Khalkhal residents
Authors: Rezakhani Moghaddam Hamed , Ranjbaran Soheila , Babazadeh Towhid
Published: July 2022

Background

Several vaccines have recently been generated and are being utilized to prevent COVID-19 mortality. Although the disease is causing many fatalities worldwide, preventative practices should be prioritized, even if vaccines are available. Therefore, this study aimed to identify the role of e-health literacy and some cognitive factors in adopting protective behaviors against COVID-19 in Khalkhal residents.

Methods

In the present cross-sectional study we recruited 380 people aged 18–65 according to cluster sampling from September 2021 to December 2021 in Khalkhal County, Iran. Reliable and validated tools were applied to data collection, including the eHealth Literacy Scale (eHEALS) in Persian and the Cognitive factors assessment questionnaire based on the Health Belief Model (HBM). Data were analyzed using Chi-square, one-way ANOVA, independent samples t-test, and bivariate correlation. The predictors were also determined using hierarchical linear regression analysis.

Results

The average age of the participants was 35.26 ± 11.51 years. The regression analysis implied that gender (p-value = 0.032), education level (p-value = 0.001), occupational status (p-value = 0.002), income (p-value = 0.001), and marriage (p-value = 0.001) had statistically significant associations with e-HL. Additionally, education level (p-value = 0.001), occupational status (p-value = 0.001), income (p-value = 0.001), and marriage (p-value = 0.002) revealed statistically significant associations with COVID-19 preventive behaviors. Approximately 16.5% of the variation in the COVID-19 protective behaviors is explained by the cognitive factors and the demographic variables. Overall, demographic, cognitive, and e-HL variables were able to explain roughly 35.5% of the variation in COVID-19 protective behaviors. Furthermore, self-efficacy was the strongest predictor of protective behaviors (β = 0.214).

Conclusions

HBM constructs successfully predicted the role of e-health literacy and some cognitive factors in adopting COVID-19 protective behaviors. People with high socioeconomic levels were better at e-health literacy and COVID-19 protective behaviors during the pandemic. Moreover, applying approaches to adopting COVID-19 protective behaviors is essential, especially in low socioeconomic status (SES) groups.
Effects of mental fatigue on technical performance in soccer players: A systematic review with a meta-analysis
Authors: Sun He , Soh Kim Geok , Mohammadi Alireza , Wang Xuanji , Bin Zuchang , Zhao Zijian
Published: July 2022

Background

Mental fatigue largely influences technical performance in soccer, including offensive and defensive skills. However, these effects on technical performance among the soccer players have not yet been aggregated to be assessed systematically.

Objective

The purpose of the review was to evaluate the impact of mental fatigue on soccer players' overall technical skills.

Methods

Drawing on Web of Science, PubMed, Scopus, and EBSCOhost (CENTRAL and SPORTDicus), an in-depth search was conducted. PICOS established the eligibility criteria to select the studies as follows: (i) population—healthy soccer players; (ii) intervention—involving any mental-fatigue-prompted protocol; (iii) comparison—control conditions (active or passive without inducing mental fatigue); (iv) outcomes—technical performance (offensive and defensive skill); and (v) study design—randomized controlled trials.

Results

A total of eight studies were qualified for inclusion in the systematic literature review. Overall, the results indicate that mental fatigue had significant effects on technical skills, including offensive and defensive skills. Specifically, there were significant effects on errors (ES = 0.977; p < 0.001), number of tackles (ES = −0.739; p = 0.005), and the percentage of successful tackles (ES = −0.628; p = 0.022), while there were no significant effects on the number of passes (ES = 0.240; p = 0.328), the percentage of accurate passing (ES = −0.008; p = 0.985), and the number of successful passes (ES = −0.322; p = 0.217).

Conclusion

Overall, a significant effect of mental fatigue on the technical performance (e.g., tackles and errors) of soccer players was detected, while no significant effects on passing skills were detected. Future studies may consider investigating technical performance together with other important results (e.g., decision-making skills or internal load).

Systematic Review Registration

https://inplasy.com/inplasy-2022-2-0008/, Inplasy protocol 202220008.
Global Trade Pattern of Medical Devices and China's Trade Position: Based on Data From 2001 to 2020
Authors: Hu Hao , Wang Xiaoping , Zhou Haiyan , Jin Zhuang , Wei Shaobin
Published: July 2022

To depict the evolution of the global trade of medical devices, this study analyzes the spatiotemporal evolution characteristics of global and China's trade patterns of medical devices from 2001 to 2020 based on data from the World Bank and United Nations Commodity Trade Statistics Database, and thereby investigates the status quo of global and China's medical device trade, as well as changes in China's position in the global medical device trade. The findings are as follows. First, the total global trade volume of medical devices is generally on the rise, showing closer network connections. Despite some changes in trade position, the core countries in the global medical device trade network are relatively fixed. The intermediate position of core trading countries has been weakened on the whole, whereas exporting countries have generally assumed an enhanced central position. Communities with geographical proximity have been formed in the global medical device trade network, including two large communities, the Asian-European countries and the Pacific Rim countries, and one small community, the South American countries. Second, with its rapidly growing trade volume of medical devices with other countries, China has now become the fourth largest medical device trading country in the world. Its number of import and export partners has remained relatively stable and continued to increase. Its export markets are relatively concentrated, and a tripartite pattern of import sources has been formed. China has established extensive interdependent relations and almost no one-way dependent relations in the medical device trade. Among its major trading partners for medical devices, the interdependence of China with developed countries/regions, such as European and American countries and Japan, has generally deepened.
Incorporating Urban Drainage System Resilience in Public Policies for a City in a Developing Country—Colombia
Authors: Galarza-Molina Sandra , Torres-Lozada Patricia , Galvis-Castaño Alberto
Published: July 2022

Scientific studies have shown that conventional practices on urban drainage management are not sustainable. Resilience has emerged to manage and protect socio-ecological and socio-technical systems. This paper reviews how urban drainage system resilience has been incorporated effectively into public policies worldwide to make recommendations for a city in a developing country. To this end, we carried out literature reviews to identify key actions that other countries have implemented and determine the policy baseline at the national level for Colombia. These findings were used to formulate recommendations for incorporating resilience in national Public Policies, which were validated during a workshop with experts. At the national level, we evidenced pathways to update public policies, involving a multi-step local and national activities process. A pilot project using the Santiago de Cali Resilience Strategy was proposed to implement the initial findings and identify actions by the stakeholder group. The process can be monitored and improved to be replicated in other areas.
Fecal Microbial Changes in Response to Finishing Pigs Directly Fed With Fermented Feed
Authors: Tang Xiaopeng , Zhang Kai , Xiong Kangning
Published: July 2022

The present study investigated the effects of fermented complete feed (FCF) on fecal microbial composition during the grower-finisher period. A total of 20 pigs (Duroc × Landrace × Yorkshire, 48.74± 1.49 kg) were divided randomly into two groups: the CN group (pigs fed with a basal diet) and the FCF group (pigs fed with FCF). After a 60-day trial period, 3 pigs with middle-weight from each treatment were selected for fecal sampling and fecal microbiota analysis. The results showed that the FCF significantly increased operational taxonomic units (OUT) numbers, alpha diversity (Simpson index and Shannon index), and beta diversity, which means that FCF increased the fecal microbiota diversity. At the phylum level, the abundance of Tenericutes, Spirochaetae, Verrucomicrobia, and Cyanobacteria were changed in pigs fed with FCF; and at the genus level, the abundance of Christensenellaceae_R-7_group, Treponema_2, Ruminococcaceae_UCG-005, Prevotellaceae_UCG-003, Phascolarctobacterium, Roseburia, and Prevotella_9 were changed in pigs fed with FCF. The linear discriminant analysis effect size (LEfSe) analysis showed that Roseburia and Prevotella_9 genera were increased, while Tenericutes phyla and Streptococcus, Christensenellaceae_R-7_group, and Lactobacillus genera were decreased in the FCF group compared to the CN group. Phylogenetic Investigation of Communities by Reconstruction of Unobserved States (PICRUSt) results predicted that the relative abundance of infectious diseases: parasitic associated genes, xenobiotics biodegradation, and metabolism-associated genes were significantly reduced in the FCF group when compared with the CN group, and the relative abundance of signal transduction associated genes, amino acid metabolism-related genes, and replication and repair associated genes were significantly higher in the FCF group when compared with the CN group. In addition, the relative abundance of transport and catabolism-associated genes, membrane transport-associated genes, and biosynthesis of other secondary metabolite-associated genes tended to be higher in the FCF group when compared with the CN group; and the relative abundance of immune diseases associated genes tended to be lower in the FCF group when compared with the CN group. In conclusion, the FCF influenced the alpha and beta diversity of the fecal microbiota of pigs.
Mental Health Inequities Amid the COVID-19 Pandemic: Findings From Three Rounds of a Cross-Sectional Monitoring Survey of Canadian Adults
Authors: Jenkins Emily K. , Slemon Allie , Richardson Chris , Pumarino Javiera , McAuliffe Corey , Thomson Kimberly C. , Goodyear Trevor , Daly Zachary , McGuinness Liza , Gadermann Anne
Published: July 2022

Objectives: Adverse mental health impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic are well documented; however, there remains limited data detailing trends in mental health at different points in time and across population sub-groups most impacted. This paper draws on data from three rounds of a nationally representative cross-sectional monitoring survey to characterize the mental health impacts of COVID-19 on adults living in Canada (N = 9,061).

Methods: Descriptive statistics were used to examine the mental health impacts of the pandemic using a range of self-reported measures. Multivariate logistic regression models were then used to quantify the independent risks of experiencing adverse mental health outcomes for priority population sub-groups, adjusting for age, gender, and survey round.

Results: Data illustrate significant disparities in the mental health consequences of the pandemic, with inequitable impacts for sub-groups who experience structural vulnerability related to pre-existing mental health conditions, disability, LGBTQ2+ identity, and Indigenous identity.

Conclusion: There is immediate need for population-based approaches to support mental health in Canada and globally. Approaches should attend to the root causes of mental health inequities through promotion and prevention, in addition to treatment.
Temporary Work, Permanent Strain? Personal Resources as Inhibitors of Temporary Agency Workers’ Burnout
Authors: Ferreira Pedro , Gomes Sofia
Published: July 2022

Temporary workers already represent a relevant percentage of the total workforce in several European countries. This type of employment is usually associated with more precarious contractual and working conditions. This situation can lead to several negative outcomes in terms of workers’ physical and mental health. According to Job Demands-Resources (JD-R), the precarious situation of temporary workers can reduce the number of available resources and lead to mental health problems. This research aims to examine the importance of personal resources—in the form of resilience—with burnout and its three dimensions (emotional exhaustion, depersonalization, and personal fulfillment), as a consequence of the job strain generated by this employment. The empirical study follows a quantitative, correlational, and cross-sectional approach. A sample of 2050 individuals participated in the study. Responses were collected through an online questionnaire for Portuguese temporary workers in March 2021. The questionnaire was sent to active temporary workers registered in temporary agencies The hypotheses established through a structural model were tested by the Partial Least Square method. The results show that resilience, as a personal resource, is related to the three dimensions of burnout (emotional exhaustion, depersonalization, and personal fulfillment). As such, personal resources can be considered an important aspect to take into account when managing temporary agency workers’ burnout levels. Theoretically, this research contributes to understanding the role of personal resources, especially resilience as an important inhibitor of negative effects on workers’ mental health, such as burnout. Empirically, this study contributes to the discussion of the mental health challenges of temporary agency workers, reinforcing the importance of developing strategies to strengthen personal resources as a way to improve mental health.
Spatio-Temporal Disposition of Micronutrients in Green Bean Grown in Sandy Mulching Soils
Authors: Llanderal Alfonso , Garcia-Caparros Pedro , Contreras Juana Isabel , Lao María Teresa , Segura María Luz
Published: July 2022

Currently, there is no information available about the spatio-temporal distribution of micronutrients in sandy mulching soils widely used in the southeast of Spain; therefore, in this experiment, we aimed to characterize the spatio-temporal distribution of micronutrients in the wet bulb zone in two sand-mulched soils. Four different factors were considered over the experiment: (a) soil model, (b) time sampling, (c) distance from the emitter, and (d) depth. Each soil was divided into four blocks and the soil sample per block was composed of 20 subsamples. The micronutrient concentration was determined in each soil sample through atomic absorption spectrometry determinations. To establish the relationship between factors, a multifactor ANOVA test analysis was conducted. The results obtained reported a higher micronutrient concentration in the soil profile than in the sand layer. Moreover, in the soil profile, there was a decrease in micronutrient concentration in distance for Fe (from 10.4 to 7.9 mg kg−1), Zn (from 4.0 to 3.5 mg kg−1), Mn (from 23.9 to 16.2 mg kg−1), and Cu forms (from 2.5 to 1.5 mg kg−1). Moreover, there was a decrease in micronutrients with depth for Fe (from 10.5 to 8.0 mg kg−1), Zn (from 4.0 to 3.7 mg kg−1), Mn (22.0 to 17.2 mg kg−1), and Cu (from 2.1 to 1.7 mg kg−1). Higher micronutrient concentration after green bean crop harvest was related to the highest organic matter content, with the following values for Fe (12.3 mg kg−1), Zn (4.0 mg kg−1), Mn (23.6 mg kg−1), and Cu (2.0 mg kg−1) in the soil profile. The fertigation management of the crop did not modify the micronutrient concentrations in distance in the sand layer due to the reduced exchange capacity of the sand with micronutrients.
Space Comparison of Agricultural Green Growth in Agricultural Modernization: Scale and Quality
Authors: Huang Tingting , Xiong Bin
Published: July 2022

Promoting agricultural green growth has become an indispensable key content to speed up the process of agricultural modernization, has become a necessary prerequisite to achieve common prosperity of the rural people, and has become the basic practice of implementing people-centered development thought in the stage of high-quality development. Many researchers have studied the problems, level measurement and route choice of the growth of agriculture. However, there have been few studies on how to promote the agricultural green growth from the perspective of agricultural modernization, and how to combine the green agricultural GDP with the agricultural green total factor productivity (GTFP). To address this research inadequacy, in this paper, we focus on the time and space comparison of green agricultural GDP, agricultural GTFP, and their source decomposition, and summarize and discuss the key factors affecting agricultural GTFP. The results show that the share of output value of green agriculture in Tongren City is relatively high within the region of the province, and there is a large temporal and spatial difference between the change of agricultural GTFP and agricultural technology utilization efficiency and agricultural technology progress. At the same time, the improvement of economic development level can significantly promote the rise of agricultural GTFP, agricultural technology utilization efficiency, and agricultural technology progress. On balance, our results compare green agricultural GDP, agricultural GTFP, and their source decomposition in time and space, and reveals their evolution law and development trend from the perspective of high-quality development of agricultural modernization. In this way, we can provide an empirical basis and decision-making reference for accelerating the high-quality development of agricultural modernization.
10-Hydroxy-trans-2-decenoic Acid, a New Potential Feed Additive for Broiler Chickens to Improve Growth Performance
Authors: Zhang Yuxin , Geng Shixia , Di Yuting , Sun Yongbo , Liu Ying , Li Juntao , Zhang Liying
Published: July 2022

The purposes of this study were to explore the potential possibility of 10-hydroxy-trans-2-decenoic acid (10-HDA) use in feeding broiler chickens. A total of 216 healthy 1-day-old chicks were divided into 2 treatments at random (diets supplemented with 0 or 40 mg/kg 10-HDA, respectively) with 6 replicates of 18 birds each, and were then reared for 42 days. The results found that a diet supplemented with 10-HDA significantly increased average daily gain of broiler chickens in d 22~42 and d 0~42. Compared with the control group, dietary inclusion of 10-HDA markedly increased the serum concentrations of immunoglobulin (Ig) G at d 21, as well as IgM and interleukin (IL)-10 at d 42, while decreasing the levels of tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α at d 21, as well as IL-6, TNF-α, and IL-1β at d 42. Furthermore, broiler chickens fed a diet with 10-HDA had a higher (p < 0.05) serum activity of superoxide dismutase at d 42. Additionally, serum malondialdehyde content also decreased notably at d 21 and d 42. These results made it clear that 10-HDA increased the growth performance of broiler chickens, possibly by enhancing immune function and antioxidant capacity.
Antimicrobial Resistance Pattern of Escherichia coli Isolates from Small Scale Dairy Cattle in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania
Authors: Azabo Rogers R. , Mshana Stephen E. , Matee Mecky I. , Kimera Sharadhuli I.
Published: July 2022

In Tanzania, information on antimicrobial resistance in small-scale dairy cattle is scarce. This cross-sectional study was conducted to determine the different levels and pattern of antimicrobial resistance (AMR), in 121 Escherichia coli isolated from rectal swab of 201 apparently healthy small-scale dairy cattle in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania. Isolation and identification of E. coli were carried out using enrichment media, selective media, and biochemical tests. Antimicrobial susceptibility testing was carried out using the Kirby–Bauer disk diffusion method on Mueller-Hinton agar (Merck), according to the recommendations of Clinical and Laboratory Standards Institute (CLSI). Resistance was tested against ampicillin, gentamicin, chloramphenicol, trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole, tetracycline, nalidixic acid, ciprofloxacin and cefotaxime. Resistance to almost all antimicrobial agents was observed. The agents to which resistance was demonstrated most frequently were ampicillin (96.7%), cefotaxime (95.0%), tetracycline (50.4%), trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole (42.1%) and nalidixic acid (33.1%). In this case, 20 extended-spectrum beta-lactamases (ESBLs) producing E. coli were identified. 74.4% (90/121) of the isolates were Multidrug resistant (MDR), ranging from a combination of three to 8 different classes. The most frequently observed phenotypes were AMP-SXT-CTX with a prevalence of 12.4%, followed by the combination AMP-CTX with 10.7% and TE-AMP-CTX and NA + TE + AMP + CTX with 8.3% each. The high prevalence and wide range of AMR calls for prudent antimicrobial use.
Genome-Wide Association Study of Body Weight Trait in Yaks
Authors: Wang Jiabo , Li Xiaowei , Peng Wei , Zhong Jincheng , Jiang Mingfeng
Published: July 2022

The yak is the largest meat-producing mammal around the Tibetan Plateau, and it plays an important role in the economic development and maintenance of the ecological environment throughout much of the Asian highlands. Understanding the genetic components of body weight is key for future improvement in yak breeding; therefore, genome-wide association studies (GWAS) were performed, and the results were used to mine plant and animal genetic resources. We conducted whole genome sequencing on 406 Maiwa yaks at 10 × coverage. Using a multiple loci mixed linear model (MLMM), fixed and random model circulating probability unification (FarmCPU), and Bayesian-information and linkage-disequilibrium iteratively nested keyway (BLINK), we found that a total of 25,000 single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) were distributed across chromosomes, and seven markers were identified as significantly (p-values < 3.91 × 10−7) associated with the body weight trait,. Several candidate genes, including MFSD4, LRRC37B, and NCAM2, were identified. This research will help us achieve a better understanding of the genotype–phenotype relationship for body weight.
Thermoregulatory Response of Blackbelly Adult Ewes and Female Lambs during the Summer under Tropical Conditions in Southern Mexico
Authors: Ruiz-Ortega Maricela , García y González Ethel Caterina , Hernández-Ruiz Pedro Enrique , Pineda-Burgos Blanca Celia , Sandoval-Torres Mario Alberto , Velázquez-Morales José Vicente , Rodríguez-Castillo José del Carmen , Rodríguez-Castañeda Elsa Lysbet , Robles-Robles José Manuel , Ponce-Covarrubias José Luis
Published: July 2022

High environmental temperatures cause heat stress in ewes, resulting in thermoregulatory problems. In this study, the thermoregulatory responses of Blackbelly adult ewes (G1, n = 14) and female lambs (G2, n = 7), during the summer under tropical conditions, in southern Mexico were analyzed. Different physiological variables and skin temperatures (ST) of the ewes were recorded. Breathing frequency (BF) values were similar between groups at 116.73 ± 33.598 bpm (G1) and 113.661 ± 34.515 bpm (G2) (p > 0.05). In the case of skin elasticity (SE), there were no significant differences between the time of day and the age of the ewes (p > 0.05). Significant differences were observed between groups for BF, rectal temperature (RT), and heart rate (HR) values (p < 0.05). All ST values, for both groups, were significantly higher during the afternoon (p < 0.001). In general, all Blackbelly adult ewes and female lambs during the summer present severe heat stress conditions as a result of an increase in physiological constants and ST. It is concluded that all ewes thermoregulate body temperature by modifying different physiological variables to counteract the effect of heat stress.
Factors Involved in Endothelial Dysfunction Related to Angiogenic Disbalance and Oxidative Stress, in Women at High Risk of Term Pre-Eclampsia
Authors: Santoyo Jean Michell , Noguera José Antonio , Avilés Francisco , Delgado Juan Luis , de Paco-Matallana Catalina , Pérez Virginia , Hernández Isabel
Published: July 2022

Oxidative and inflammatory stress, angiogenic imbalance, and endothelial dysfunction are pathophysiological mechanisms occurring in pre-eclampsia (PE) that may persist over time and predispose women to a higher risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD) in the future. However, there is little evidence on the vascular function of women at risk of PE who have not developed the disease. The main objective of this research is to study factors and biomarkers involved in endothelial dysfunction related to oxidative stress, angiogenic disbalance, and inflammation in women at high risk of term PE who do not develop the disease. An observational, analytical, retrospective, and descriptive study was carried out in a selected sample of 68 high-risk and 57 non-risk of term PE participants in the STATIN study (FFIS/2016/02/ST EUDRACT No: 2016-005206-19). A significant increase in mean arterial pressure (MAP) levels and oxidative stress biomarkers (uric acid, homocysteine, and total serum antioxidant capacity) was found. Biomarkers of inflammation (interleukin-6 and growth differentiation factor 15) and endothelial function (asymmetric dimethylarginine) were significantly elevated in the group at risk of pre-eclampsia. A significative dependence relationship was also established between MAP and interleukin-6 and uric acid. These results suggest that women at high risk of term PE may represent pregnancies with pre-existing maternal risk factors for CVD, manifested by the own cardiovascular overload of pregnancy. A better understanding of maternal cardiovascular function in pregnancy would allow the improved prediction of CVD late in life in women.
Walnut Intake Interventions Targeting Biomarkers of Metabolic Syndrome and Inflammation in Middle-Aged and Older Adults: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials
Authors: Mateș Letiția , Popa Daniela-Saveta , Rusu Marius Emil , Fizeșan Ionel , Leucuța Daniel
Published: July 2022

Biomarkers of metabolic syndrome and inflammation are pathophysiological predictors and factors of senescence and age-related diseases. Recent evidence showed that particular diet components, such as walnuts rich in antioxidant bioactive compounds and with a balanced lipid profile, could have positive outcomes on human health. A systematic search in PubMed, EMBASE, Cochrane Library, Scopus, and ClinicalTrials.gov databases was performed to retrieve randomized controlled trials published from the beginning of each database through November 2021, reporting on the outcomes of walnut consumption over 22 metabolic syndrome and inflammatory markers in middle-aged and older adults. The search strategy rendered 17 studies in the final selection, including 11 crossover and 6 parallel trials. The study revealed that walnut-enriched diets had statistically significant decreasing effects for triglyceride, total cholesterol, and LDL cholesterol concentrations on some inflammatory markers and presented no consequences on anthropometric and glycemic parameters. Although further studies and better-designed ones are needed to strengthen these findings, the results emphasize the benefits of including walnuts in the dietary plans of this age group.
A Statistical Approach to Violin Evaluation
Authors: Malvermi Raffaele , Gonzalez Sebastian , Antonacci Fabio , Sarti Augusto , Corradi Roberto
Published: July 2022

Comparing violins requires competence and involves both subjective and objective evaluations. In this manuscript, vibration tests were performed on a set of 25 violins, both historical and new. The resulting bridge admittances were modeled in the low and mid-frequency ranges through a set of objective features. Once projected into the new representation, the bridge admittances of three historical violins made by Stradivari and a famous reproduction revealed high similarity. PCA highlighted the importance of signature mode frequencies, bridge hill behavior, and signature mode amplitudes in distinguishing different violins.
Seepage Characteristics Study of Single Rough Fracture Based on Numerical Simulation
Authors: Wang Shidong , Zhang Qing , Zhao Li , Jin Yi , Qian Jiazhong
Published: July 2022

Fracture seepage is an important aspect of groundwater research, but due to the closure of fractures and the randomness of wall surface roughness, it is a challenge to carry out relevant research. Numerical simulation serves as a good way to solve this problem. As such, the water flow in single fracture with different shapes and densities of roughness elements (various bulges/pits on fracture wall surfaces) on wall surface was simulated by Fluent software. The results show that, in wider rough fractures, the flow rate mainly depends on fracture aperture, while, in narrow and close rough fracture medium, the surface roughness of fracture wall is the main factor of head loss of seepage; there is a negative power exponential relation between the hydraulic gradient index and the average fracture aperture, i.e., with increase of rough fracture aperture, both the relative roughness of fracture and the influence of hydraulic gradient decrease; in symmetrical-uncoupled rough fractures, there is a super-cubic relation between the discharge per unit width and average aperture; the rough fracture permeability coefficient K is not a constant which is affected by the scale effect and the density of roughness elements. Results found provide further understanding of rough fracture seepage.
Suspension Control and Characterization of a Variable Damping Magneto-Rheological Mount for a Micro Autonomous Railway Inspection Car
Authors: Shiao Yaojung , Huynh Tan-Linh
Published: July 2022

This paper aims to present a suspension control strategy for a semi-active mount with variable damping utilizing a smart magneto-rheological fluid (MRF), which will be applied in a micro autonomous railway inspection car as a primary suspension to protect the inspection equipment from the large suspension vibration on rails. We proposed a new multi-pole structure design for a semi-active magneto-rheological mount (MR mount) that can provide both a high damping force and a wide damping force band. Firstly, the mathematical model of MR mount dynamics was derived; secondly, a skyhook control strategy was developed for the MR mount; and finally, a dynamic simulation problem using Matlab software was constructed to evaluate the performance of the MR mount. The dynamic simulation results showed that the proposed MR mount using a skyhook control strategy showed greater vibration isolation performance compared to conventional passive mounts. In particular, the absolute displacement, velocity, and acceleration of the detector device were reduced by 83.33%, 77%, and 70%, respectively. The suspension vibration transmitted to the inspection device also decreased significantly, compared to input oscillation (i.e., un-sprung mass oscillation). Specifically, the suspension vibration reduced by a half at the excitation frequency of 2-fold the natural frequency and by greater magnitudes at higher excitation frequencies.
Evaluating Gas Emissions from Different Feed Cropping Systems in the North China Plain: A Two-Year Field Measurement
Authors: Liao Wenhua , Liu Chunjing , Zhang Xinxing , Wang Shanshan , Fan Yujing , Gao Zhiling
Published: July 2022

The cultivation of silage crops is encouraged to enhance the connection between crop and livestock production in the North China Plain (NCP). A field experiment was designed to evaluate the ammonia (NH3), nitrous oxide (N2O), and methane (CH4) emissions of five silage cropping systems, including triticale-summer maize (Tr-SuM), triticale-spring maize (Tr-SpM), triticale-double forage maize (Tr-DFM), double forage maize (DFM), and winter wheat-summer maize (WW-SuM), as well as their biomass- and crude protein-scaled emission intensities, with respect to NH3 and greenhouse gas (GHG). The annual nitrogen (N) emissions through NH3, N2O, and CH4 emissions of these systems were 13.43–23.77 kg ha−1 (4.2–5.6% of N fertilizer input), 3.43–4.56 kg ha−1 (0.75–1.08% of N fertilizer input) and 2.10–2.85 kg ha−1, respectively. The total GHG emissions of these systems was dominated by the contributions of N2O. Ranking these systems according to their biomass and crude protein production gave Tr-DFM > DFM > WW-SuM > Tr-SuM and Tr-SpM, their partial factor productivity was in the order of Tr-DFM > WW-SuM > Tr-SuM and Tr-SpM > DFM, and the order of their emission intensity was DFM > Tr-SuM > Tr-DFM > WW-SuM > Tr-SpM. In conclusion, the Tr-DFM needs to be further investigated for its suitability in the NCP, owing to its superior productivity and moderate emission intensities.
Origin of Moisture for the Precipitation Produced by the Exceptional Winter Storm Formed over the Gulf of Mexico in March 1993
Authors: Coll-Hidalgo Patricia , Pérez-Alarcón Albenis , Gimeno Luis
Published: July 2022

On 12–15 March 1993, a severe winter storm (SC93) formed over the Gulf of Mexico, affecting the Caribbean Islands and the eastern coast of the United States (US) and Canada with a notable amount of precipitation, snow and severe local storms. In this study, we investigate the origin of the precipitation generated by SC93 by applying a widely used Lagrangian moisture source diagnostic method. Our findings revealed that most of the moisture came from the western North Atlantic Ocean, the Caribbean Sea and the Gulf of Mexico. Moreover, the eastern US and Mexico acted as notable terrestrial moisture sources. Overall, the moisture contribution from the oceanic origin was higher than the terrestrial counterpart, and the moisture sources progressively shifted northward as the storm moved. In addition, the moisture uptake mainly occurred in the cyclone–anticyclone interaction region.
Long-Term COVID-19 Restrictions in Italy to Assess the Role of Seasonal Meteorological Conditions and Pollutant Emissions on Urban Air Quality
Authors: Gualtieri Giovanni , Brilli Lorenzo , Carotenuto Federico , Vagnoli Carolina , Zaldei Alessandro , Gioli Beniamino
Published: July 2022

A year-round air quality analysis was addressed over four Italian cities (Milan, Turin, Bologna, and Florence) following the outbreak of the Coronavirus 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. NO2, O3, PM2.5, and PM10 daily observations were compared with estimations of meteorological variables and observations of anthropogenic emission drivers as road traffic and heating systems. Three periods in 2020 were analysed: (i) the first (winter/spring) lockdown, (ii) the (spring/summer) partial relaxation period, and (iii) the second (autumn/winter) lockdown. During the first lockdown, only NO2 concentrations decreased systematically (and significantly, between −41.9 and −53.9%), mainly due to the drastic traffic reduction (−70 to −74%); PM2.5 varied between −21 and +18%, PM10 varied between −23 and +9%, and O3 increased (up to +17%). During the partly relaxation period, no air quality issues were observed. The second lockdown was particularly critical as, although road traffic significantly reduced (−30 to −44%), PM2.5 and PM10 concentrations dramatically increased (up to +87 and +123%, respectively), mostly due to remarkably unfavourable weather conditions. The latter was confirmed as the main driver of PM’s most critical concentrations, while strong limitations to anthropogenic activity—including traffic bans—have little effect when taken alone, even when applied for more than two months and involving a whole country.
Feasibility of Ultrasound Attenuation Imaging for Assessing Pediatric Hepatic Steatosis
Authors: Song Kyungchul , Son Nak-Hoon , Chang Dong Ryul , Chae Hyun Wook , Shin Hyun Joo
Published: July 2022

We investigated the feasibility of ultrasound attenuation imaging (ATI) for assessing pediatric hepatic steatosis. A total of 111 children and adolescents who underwent liver ultrasonography with ATI for suspected hepatic steatosis were included. Participants were classified into the normal, mild, or moderate–severe fatty liver group according to grayscale US findings. Associations between clinical factors, magnetic resonance imaging proton density fat fraction, steatosis stage and ATI values were evaluated. To determine the cutoff values of ATI for staging hepatic steatosis, areas under the curve (AUCs) were analyzed. Factors that could cause measurement failure with ATI were assessed. Of 111 participants, 88 had successful measurement results. Median ATI values were significantly increased according to steatosis stage (p < 0.001). Body mass index (BMI) was a significant factor for increased ATI values (p = 0.047). To differentiate fatty liver from normal liver, a cutoff value of 0.59 dB/cm/MHz could be used with an AUC value of 0.853. To differentiate moderate to severe fatty liver from mild fatty liver, a cutoff value of 0.69 dB/cm/MHz could be used with an AUC value up to 0.91. ATI can be used in children as an effective ultrasonography technique for quantifying and staging pediatric hepatic steatosis.
Hepatitis C Virus Infection and Intrinsic Disorder in the Signaling Pathways Induced by Toll-Like Receptors
Authors: Redwan Elrashdy M. , Aljadawi Abdullah A. , Uversky Vladimir N.
Published: July 2022

In this study, we examined the interplay between protein intrinsic disorder, hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection, and signaling pathways induced by Toll-like receptors (TLRs). To this end, 10 HCV proteins, 10 human TLRs, and 41 proteins from the TLR-induced downstream pathways were considered from the prevalence of intrinsic disorder. Mapping of the intrinsic disorder to the HCV-TLR interactome and to the TLR-based pathways of human innate immune response to the HCV infection demonstrates that substantial levels of intrinsic disorder are characteristic for proteins involved in the regulation and execution of these innate immunity pathways and in HCV-TLR interaction. Disordered regions, being commonly enriched in sites of various posttranslational modifications, may play important functional roles by promoting protein–protein interactions and support the binding of the analyzed proteins to other partners such as nucleic acids. It seems that this system represents an important illustration of the role of intrinsic disorder in virus–host warfare.
Mitochondria Transfer from Adipose Stem Cells Improves the Developmental Potential of Cryopreserved Oocytes
Authors: Kankanam Gamage Udayanga Sanath , Hashimoto Shu , Miyamoto Yuki , Nakano Tatsuya , Yamanaka Masaya , Koike Akiko , Satoh Manabu , Morimoto Yoshiharu
Published: July 2022

Although it is not a well-established technology, oocyte cryopreservation is becoming prevalent in assisted reproductive technologies in response to the growing demands of patients’ sociological and pathological conditions. Oocyte cryopreservation can adversely affect the developmental potential of oocytes by causing an increase in intracellular oxidative stresses and damage to the mitochondrial structure. In this study, we studied whether autologous adipose stem cell (ASC) mitochondria supplementation with vitrified and warmed oocytes could restore post-fertilization development that decreased due to mitochondrial damage following cryopreservation. ASC mitochondria showed similar morphology to oocytes’ mitochondria and had a higher ATP production capacity. The vitrified-warmed oocytes from juvenile mice were supplemented with ASC mitochondria at the same time as intracellular sperm injection (ICSI), after which we compared their developmental capacity and the mitochondria quality of 2-cell embryos. We found that, compared to their counterpart, mitochondria supplementation significantly improved development from 2-cell embryos to blastocysts (56.8% vs. 38.2%) and ATP production in 2-cell embryos (905.6 & 561.1 pmol), while reactive oxygen species levels were comparable. With these results, we propose that ASC mitochondria supplementation could restore the quality of cryopreserved oocytes and enhance the embryo developmental capacity, signifying another possible approach for mitochondrial transplantation therapy.
Molecular Basis of Rare Diseases Associated to the Maturation of Mitochondrial [4Fe-4S]-Containing Proteins
Authors: Camponeschi Francesca , Ciofi-Baffoni Simone , Calderone Vito , Banci Lucia
Published: July 2022

The importance of mitochondria in mammalian cells is widely known. Several biochemical reactions and pathways take place within mitochondria: among them, there are those involving the biogenesis of the iron–sulfur (Fe-S) clusters. The latter are evolutionarily conserved, ubiquitous inorganic cofactors, performing a variety of functions, such as electron transport, enzymatic catalysis, DNA maintenance, and gene expression regulation. The synthesis and distribution of Fe-S clusters are strictly controlled cellular processes that involve several mitochondrial proteins that specifically interact each other to form a complex machinery (Iron Sulfur Cluster assembly machinery, ISC machinery hereafter). This machinery ensures the correct assembly of both [2Fe-2S] and [4Fe-4S] clusters and their insertion in the mitochondrial target proteins. The present review provides a structural and molecular overview of the rare diseases associated with the genes encoding for the accessory proteins of the ISC machinery (i.e., GLRX5, ISCA1, ISCA2, IBA57, FDX2, BOLA3, IND1 and NFU1) involved in the assembly and insertion of [4Fe-4S] clusters in mitochondrial proteins. The disease-related missense mutations were mapped on the 3D structures of these accessory proteins or of their protein complexes, and the possible impact that these mutations have on their specific activity/function in the frame of the mitochondrial [4Fe-4S] protein biogenesis is described.
Tumor Budding Is an Independent Prognostic Factor in Pancreatic Adenocarcinoma and It Positively Correlates with PD-L1 Expression on Tumor Cells
Authors: Pęksa Rafał , Kunc Michał , Czapiewski Piotr , Piątek Michał , Hać Stanisław , Radecka Barbara , Biernat Wojciech
Published: July 2022

Pancreatic adenocarcinoma is one of the leading causes of cancer-related death in developed countries. Only 15% of patients are candidates for radical surgery, and adequate prognostication may guide proper postsurgical management. We aimed to retrospectively assess the prognostic significance of the immunohistochemical expression of immune checkpoint receptors (PD-L1 and VISTA), markers of systemic inflammation, thrombosis in the tumor area, and the tumor budding in the group of 107 patients diagnosed with pancreatic adenocarcinoma in a single center. The high expression of PD-L1 on tumor cells (TCs) was associated with worse overall survival (OS, p = 0.041, log-rank). On the contrary, high PD-L1 or VISTA on tumor-associated immune cells (TAICs) was correlated with better OS (p = 0.006 and p = 0.008, respectively, log-rank). The joint status of PD-L1 on TCs and TAICs stratified patients into three prognostic groups. The cases with high-grade budding were characterized by higher PD-L1 expression on TCs (p = 0.008) and elevated systemic inflammatory markers. Moreover, budding was identified as the independent prognostic factor in multivariate Cox regression analysis (HR = 2.87; 95% CI = 1.75–4.68; p < 0.001). To conclude, the pattern of PD-L1 and VISTA expression was associated with survival in univariate analysis. Tumor budding accurately predicts outcomes in pancreatic cancer and should be incorporated into routine histopathological practice.
The Hypertensive Effect of Amphotericin B-Containing Liposomes (Abelcet) in Mice: Dissecting the Roles of C3a and C5a Anaphylatoxins, Macrophages and Thromboxane
Authors: Őrfi Erik , Hricisák László , Dézsi László , Hamar Péter , Benyó Zoltán , Szebeni János , Szénási Gábor
Published: July 2022

Liposomal amphotericin B (Abelcet) can cause infusion (anaphylactoid) reactions in patients whose mechanism is poorly understood. Here, we used mice to investigate the role of complement (C) receptors and the cellular sources of vasoactive mediators in these reactions. Anesthetized male NMRI and thromboxane prostanoid receptor (TP) or cyclooxygenase-1 (COX-1)-deficient and wild type C57Bl6/N mice were intravenously injected with Abelcet at 30 mg/kg. Mean arterial blood pressure (MABP) and heart rate (HR) were measured. In untreated mice, Abelcet caused a short (15 min) but large (30%) increase in MABP. C depletion with cobra venom factor (CVF) and inhibition of C5a receptors with DF2593A considerably prolonged, while C3aR inhibition with SB290157 significantly decreased the hypertensive effect. Likewise, the hypertensive response was abolished in COX-1- and TP-deficient mice. CVF caused a late hypertension in TP-deficient mice. Both macrophage depletion with liposomal clodronate and blockade of platelet GPIIb/IIIa receptors with eptifibatide prolonged the hypertensive effect. The early phase of the hypertensive effect is COX-1- and TP-receptor-dependent, partly mediated by C3aR. In contrast, the late phase is under the control of vasoactive mediators released from platelets and macrophages subsequent to complement activation and C5a binding to its receptor.
Exploring Orientation Invariant Heuristic Features with Variant Window Length of 1D-CNN-LSTM in Human Activity Recognition
Authors: Barua Arnab , Fuller Daniel , Musa Sumayyah , Jiang Xianta
Published: July 2022

Many studies have explored divergent deep neural networks in human activity recognition (HAR) using a single accelerometer sensor. Multiple types of deep neural networks, such as convolutional neural networks (CNN), long short-term memory (LSTM), or their hybridization (CNN-LSTM), have been implemented. However, the sensor orientation problem poses challenges in HAR, and the length of windows as inputs for the deep neural networks has mostly been adopted arbitrarily. This paper explores the effect of window lengths with orientation invariant heuristic features on the performance of 1D-CNN-LSTM in recognizing six human activities; sitting, lying, walking and running at three different speeds using data from an accelerometer sensor encapsulated into a smartphone. Forty-two participants performed the six mentioned activities by keeping smartphones in their pants pockets with arbitrary orientation. We conducted an inter-participant evaluation using 1D-CNN-LSTM architecture. We found that the average accuracy of the classifier was saturated to 80 ± 8.07% for window lengths greater than 65 using only four selected simple orientation invariant heuristic features. In addition, precision, recall and F1-measure in recognizing stationary activities such as sitting and lying decreased with increment of window length, whereas we encountered an increment in recognizing the non-stationary activities.