bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Dynamic Modelling and Advanced Process Control of Power Block for a Parabolic Trough Solar Power Plant
Authors: Al-Maliki Wisam Abed Kattea , Hadi Auday Shaker , Al-Khafaji Hussein M. H. , Alobaid Falah , Epple Bernd
Published: December 2021

A fundamental task in the dynamic simulation of parabolic trough power plants (PTPP) is to understand the behavior of the system physics and control loops in the presence of weather variations. This study provides a detailed description of the advanced controllers used in the power block (PB) of a 50 MWel parabolic trough power plant (PTPP). The PB model is achieved using APROS software based on the actual specifications of the existing power plant. To verify the behaviour of the PB model, a comparison between the simulated results and given real data is documented depending on a previous study, and the results indicate a reasonable degree of correspondence. The purpose of this study is to create reference models for the PB. Thereby, developers and engineers will have a better understanding of the state of the art of advanced control loops in these power plants. Moreover, these types of models can be used to specify the most suitable mode of operation for the power plant. In addition, this study gives an overview of dynamic simulation for the design, optimisation and development of power blocks in parabolic trough power plants.
Thermophoresis and Brownian Effect for Chemically Reacting Magneto-Hydrodynamic Nanofluid Flow across an Exponentially Stretching Sheet
Authors: Arshad Mubashar , Hussain Azad , Hassan Ali , Haider Qusain , Ibrahim Anwar Hassan , Alqurashi Maram S. , Almaliki Abdulrazak H. , Abdussattar Aishah
Published: December 2021

This comparative research investigates the influence of a flexible magnetic flux and a chemical change on the freely fluid motion of a (MHD) magneto hydrodynamic boundary layer incompressible nanofluid across an exponentially expanding sheet. Water and ethanol are used for this analysis. The temperature transmission improvement of fluids is described using the Buongiorno model, which includes Brownian movement and thermophoretic distribution. The nonlinear partial differential equalities governing the boundary layer were changed to a set of standard nonlinear differential equalities utilizing certain appropriate similarity transformations. The bvp4c algorithm is then used to tackle the transformed equations numerically. Fluid motion is slowed by the magnetic field, but it is sped up by thermal and mass buoyancy forces and thermophoretic distribution increases non-dimensional fluid temperature resulting in higher temperature and thicker boundary layers. Temperature and concentration, on the other hand, have the same trend in terms of the concentration exponent, Brownian motion constraint, and chemical reaction constraint. Furthermore, The occurrence of a magnetic field, which is aided by thermal and mass buoyancies, assists in the enhancement of heat transmission and wall shear stress, whereas a smaller concentration boundary layer is produced by a first-order chemical reaction and a lower Schmidt number.
Three Layered Architecture for Driver Behavior Analysis and Personalized Assistance with Alert Message Dissemination in 5G Envisioned Fog-IoCV
Authors: Alowish Mazen , Shiraishi Yoshiaki , Mohri Masami , Morii Masakatu
Published: December 2021

The Internet of connected vehicles (IoCV) has made people more comfortable and safer while driving vehicles. This technology has made it possible to reduce road casualties; however, increased traffic and uncertainties in environments seem to be limitations to improving the safety of environments. In this paper, driver behavior is analyzed to provide personalized assistance and to alert surrounding vehicles in case of emergencies. The processes involved in this research are as follows. (i) Initially, the vehicles in an environment are clustered to reduce the complexity in analyzing a large number of vehicles. Multi-criterion-based hierarchical correlation clustering (MCB-HCC) is performed to dynamically cluster vehicles. Vehicular motion is detected by edge-assisted road side units (E-RSUs) by using an attention-based residual neural network (AttResNet). (ii) Driver behavior is analyzed based on the physiological parameters of drivers, vehicle on-board parameters, and environmental parameters, and driver behavior is classified into different classes by implementing a refined asynchronous advantage actor critic (RA3C) algorithm for assistance generation. (iii) If the driver’s current state is found to be an emergency state, an alert message is disseminated to the surrounding vehicles in that area and to the neighboring areas based on traffic flow by using jelly fish search optimization (JSO). If a neighboring area does not have a fog node, a virtual fog node is deployed by executing a constraint-based quantum entropy function to disseminate alert messages at ultra-low latency. (iv) Personalized assistance is provided to the driver based on behavior analysis to assist the driver by using a multi-attribute utility model, thereby preventing road accidents. The proposed driver behavior analysis and personalized assistance model are experimented on with the Network Simulator 3.26 tool, and performance was evaluated in terms of prediction error, number of alerts, number of risk maneuvers, accuracy, latency, energy consumption, false alarm rate, safety score, and alert-message dissemination efficiency.
Legendre Spectral Collocation Technique for Advection Dispersion Equations Included Riesz Fractional
Authors: Al-Shomrani Mohamed M. , Abdelkawy Mohamed A.
Published: December 2021

The advection–dispersion equations have gotten a lot of theoretical attention. The difficulty in dealing with these problems stems from the fact that there is no perfect answer and that tackling them using local numerical methods is tough. The Riesz fractional advection–dispersion equations are quantitatively studied in this research. The numerical methodology is based on the collocation approach and a simple numerical algorithm. To show the technique’s performance and competency, a comprehensive theoretical formulation is provided, along with numerical examples.
Associations of Single-Nucleotide Polymorphisms in Slovenian Patients with Acute Central Serous Chorioretinopathy
Authors: Kiraly Peter , Zupan Andrej , Matjašič Alenka , Mekjavić Polona Jaki
Published: December 2021

Central serous chorioretinopathy (CSC) is a chorioretinal disease that usually affects the middle-aged population and is characterised by a thickened choroid, retinal pigment epithelium detachment, and subretinal fluid with a tendency towards spontaneous resolution. We investigated 13 single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in 50 Slovenian acute CSC patients and 71 healthy controls in Complement Factor H (CFH), Nuclear Receptor Subfamily 3 Group C Member 2 (NR3C2), Cadherin 5 (CDH5) Age-Related Maculopathy Susceptibility 2 (ARMS2), TNF Receptor Superfamily Member 10a (TNFRSF10A), collagen IV alpha 3 (COL4A3) and collagen IV alpha 4 (COL4A4) genes using high-resolution melt analysis. Statistical calculations revealed significant differences in genotype frequencies for CFH rs1329428 (p = 0.042) between investigated groups and an increased risk for CSC in patients with TC (p = 0.040) and TT (p = 0.034) genotype. Genotype–phenotype correlation analysis revealed that CSC patients with CC genotype in CFH rs3753394 showed a higher tendency for spontaneous CSC episode resolution at 3 months from the disease onset (p = 0.0078), which could indicate clinical significance of SNP testing in CSC patients. Bioinformatics analysis of the non-coding polymorphisms showed alterations in transcription factor binding motifs for CFH rs3753394, CDH5 rs7499886 and TNFRSF10A rs13278062. No association of collagen IV polymorphisms with CSC was found in this study.
Life-Threatening Necrotizing Pneumonia with Panton–Valentine Leukocidin-Producing, Methicillin-Sensitive Staphylococcus aureus in a Healthy Male Co-Infected with Influenza B
Authors: Larsen Sara Agnete Hjort , Kyhl Kasper , Baig Sharmin , Petersen Andreas , av Steinum Marita Reginsdóttir , Clemmensen Sissal , Jensen Elin , á Steig Torkil , Gaini Shahin
Published: December 2021

A previously healthy male was rushed into a hospital critically ill with confusion, sepsis, and acute respiratory distress syndrome only 43 h after having a normal chest X-ray and with blood samples showing only minimally elevated C-reactive protein. Two days earlier, the patient had returned to his home country, the Faroe Islands, from a 10-day work trip aboard a Scandinavian ship in Colombia. The diagnosis turned out to be an influenza B infection and necrotizing pneumonia with Panton–Valentine leukocidin (PVL)-producing methicillin-sensitive Staphylococcus aureus (MSSA). It was influenza season in Colombia but not in the Faroe Islands. The frequency of MSSA with PVL-encoding genes among pediatric infection patients is very low in the Kingdom of Denmark and Faroe Islands and very high in Colombia, and the frequency generally varies highly by region. The patient in this case now suffers severe sequelae from the infection. With this case, we would like to remind clinicians of this rare but severe condition. PVL-producing S. aureus pneumonia should be considered in critically ill, previously healthy patients, especially during influenza season and if the patient has been traveling in countries with high frequencies of PVL-producing S. aureus.
Depression, Anxiety and Stress on Caregivers of Persons with Dementia (CGPWD) in Hong Kong amid COVID-19 Pandemic
Authors: Fong Tommy Kwan-Hin , Cheung Teris , Chan Wai-Chi , Cheng Calvin Pak-Wing
Published: December 2021

Background: Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) contributed to increasing prevalence of depressive symptoms and other psychological repercussions, particularly in the disease population in Hong Kong. Nonetheless, the caregiver burden of caregivers of persons with dementia (CGPWD), has been under-investigated. Aims: This study examined the psychological impact and its correlates on the CGPWD in Hong Kong amid the COVID-19 outbreak. Methods: CGPWD referred from rehabilitation clinics and online seminar were used to recruit participants to complete an online questionnaire by the end of the second-wave of the COVID-19 outbreak (June 2021). To be eligible, either full-time or part-time CGPWD, aged 18 or above, can understand Cantonese, currently reside in Hong Kong and offering care to PWD for at least one year, were recruited. Those CGPWD diagnosed with any type of psychiatric disorder were excluded from this study. The Chinese Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale (CES-D), Perceived Stress Scale (PSS-10), Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD-7), Zarit Burden Interview (ZBI-22), and Nonattachment Scale (NAS-7) were used to measure participants’ depression, perceived stress, anxiety symptoms, caregiver burden and wisdom in subjective feelings of internal stress. The modified Medical Outcomes Study Social Support Survey (mMOS-SS) and the SARS Appraisal Inventory (SAI) were also administered to measure participants’ perceived support and coping efficacy. Follow-up responses were gathered by the end of third-wave outbreak (October 2021). Results: A total of 51 CGPWD participated, of which, 33 (64.7%) suffered from probable depression (CES-D score ≥ 16). Participants also showed a significant increase in depression symptom scores at the three-month follow-up period (t = 2.25, p = 0.03). CGPWD with probable depression had less non-attachment awareness and higher scores in anxiety, stress, caregiving burden, and coronavirus impact (all p < 0.05) than those without. Conclusions: High prevalence of depressive symptoms was noted among our CGPWD sample and these symptoms seemed to worsen substantially. Contingent online mental health support should be prioritized to those CGPWD to reduce psychiatric morbidity and the global disease burden.
Core-Proteomics-Based Annotation of Antigenic Targets and Reverse-Vaccinology-Assisted Design of Ensemble Immunogen against the Emerging Nosocomial Infection-Causing Bacterium Elizabethkingia meningoseptica
Authors: Idrees Muhammad , Noorani Muhammad Yasir , Altaf Kalim Ullah , Alatawi Eid A. , Aba Alkhayl Faris F. , Allemailem Khaled S. , Almatroudi Ahmad , Ali Khan Murad , Hamayun Muhammad , Khan Taimoor , Ali Syed Shujait , Khan Abbas , Wei Dong-Qing
Published: December 2021

Elizabethkingia meningoseptica is a ubiquitous Gram-negative emerging pathogen that causes hospital-acquired infection in both immunocompromised and immunocompetent patients. It is a multi-drug-resistant bacterium; therefore, an effective subunit immunogenic candidate is of great interest to encounter the pathogenesis of this pathogen. A protein-wide annotation of immunogenic targets was performed to fast-track the vaccine development against this pathogen, and structural-vaccinology-assisted epitopes were predicted. Among the total proteins, only three, A0A1T3FLU2, A0A1T3INK9, and A0A1V3U124, were shortlisted, which are the essential vaccine targets and were subjected to immune epitope mapping. The linkers EAAK, AAY, and GPGPG were used to link CTL, HTL, and B-cell epitopes and an adjuvant was also added at the N-terminal to design a multi-epitope immunogenic construct (MEIC). The computationally predicted physiochemical properties of the ensemble immunogen reported a highly antigenic nature and produced multiple interactions with immune receptors. In addition, the molecular dynamics simulation confirmed stable binding and good dynamic properties. Furthermore, the computationally modeled immune response proposed that the immunogen triggered a strong immune response after several doses at different intervals. Neutralization of the antigen was observed on the 3rd day of injection. Conclusively, the immunogenic construct produces protection against Elizabethkingia meningoseptica; however, further immunological testing is needed to unveil its real efficacy.
Low Bone Mineral Density and Calcium Levels as Risks for Mortality in Patients with Self-Discontinuation of Anti-Osteoporosis Medication
Authors: Hsu Chun-Sheng , Chang Shin-Tsu , Cheng Yuan-Yang , Lee Hsu-Tung , Chen Chih-Hui , Deng Ya-Lian , Hsu Chiann-Yi , Chen Yi-Ming
Published: December 2021

Bone mass density (BMD) has been used universally in osteoporosis diagnosis and management. Adherence to anti-osteoporosis medication is related to mortality risk. This study aimed to investigate the relationship between mortality and low BMD of the femoral neck and vertebra among patients self-discontinuing anti-osteoporosis medication. Between June 2016 and June 2018, this single-center retrospective study recruited 596 participants who self-discontinued anti-osteoporosis medication. Patients were categorized into four groups by BMD of the right femoral neck and lumbar spine. Occurrence and causes of mortality were obtained from medical records. Independent risk factors and the five-year survival of various levels of BMD were analyzed by Cox regression and the Kaplan–Meier survival analysis. BMD value and serum calcium level were significantly lower in the mortality group (p < 0.001). Compared to the reference, the adjusted hazard ratio (HR) for all-cause mortality in patients with lower BMD of both the lumbar spine and femoral neck was 3.03. The five-year cumulative survival rate was also significantly lower (25.2%, p < 0.001). A low calcium level was also associated with mortality (HR: 0.87, 95% CI: 0.76–0.99, p = 0.033). In conclusion, lower BMD and calcium levels were associated with higher mortality risk in patients with poor adherence. Hence, patients self-discontinuing anti-osteoporosis medication should be managed accordingly.
Vitamin D and Depressive Symptoms in Adults with Multiple Sclerosis: A Scoping Review
Authors: Concerto Carmen , Rodolico Alessandro , Ciancio Alessia , Messina Christian , Natale Antimo , Mineo Ludovico , Battaglia Fortunato , Aguglia Eugenio
Published: December 2021

Background. Vitamin D deficiency has been correlated with Multiple Sclerosis (MS) risk and disease activity. There is some controversy as to whether vitamin D could have an impact on depressive symptoms in people with MS (pwMS). The aim of this scoping review was to evaluate the association between vitamin D status and depressive symptoms in pwMS. Methods. We searched databases to include studies published up to March 2021 to provide an overview of the available evidence on the correlation between vitamin D status and depressive symptoms in pwMS. The eligibility criteria were as follows: studies evaluating the use of vitamin D measurement on depressive symptoms in patients suffering from MS, including randomized and non-randomized studies; studies written in English; and studies exploring an adult population over the age of 18. Results. Eleven studies met our inclusion criteria: two of them were abstracts only; the majority were cross-sectional studies; two were prospective longitudinal studies; one was a retrospective cohort study; and one was a randomized placebo-controlled trial (RCT). Of the eleven studies selected, seven showed a potential correlation between low vitamin D levels and depressive symptoms. Conclusion. Future RCT studies should include patients with greater severity of depressive symptoms and should consider confounding factors such as sun exposure and seasonal variation of vitamin D.
Acute Stress in Health Workers during Two Consecutive Epidemic Waves of COVID-19
Authors: Jáuregui Renaud Kathrine , Cooper-Bribiesca Davis , Martínez-Pichardo Elizabet , Miguel Puga José A. , Rascón-Martínez Dulce M. , Sánchez Hurtado Luis A. , Colin Martínez Tania , Espinosa-Poblano Eliseo , Anda-Garay Juan Carlos , González Diaz Jorge I. , Cardeña Etzel , Avelar Garnica Francisco
Published: December 2021

The COVID-19 pandemic has provoked generalized uncertainty around the world, with health workers experiencing anxiety, depression, burnout, insomnia, and stress. Although the effects of the pandemic on mental health may change as it evolves, the majority of reports have been web-based, cross-sectional studies. We performed a study assessing acute stress in frontline health workers during two consecutive epidemic waves. After screening for trait anxiety/depression and dissociative experiences, we evaluated changes in acute stress, considering resilience, state anxiety, burnout, depersonalization/derealization symptoms, and quality of sleep as cofactors. During the first epidemic wave (April 2020), health workers reported acute stress related to COVID-19, which was related to state anxiety. After the first epidemic wave, acute stress decreased, with no increase during the second epidemic wave (December 2020), and further decreased when vaccination started. During the follow-up (April 2020 to February 2021), the acute stress score was related to bad quality of sleep. However, acute stress, state anxiety, and burnout were all related to trait anxiety/depression, while the resilience score was invariant through time. Overall, the results emphasize the relevance of mental health screening before, during, and after an epidemic wave of infections, in order to enable coping during successive sanitary crises.
Women Runners in China: Constraints Negotiation Process of Serious Leisure
Authors: Zhou Wenting , Qiu Yajun , Tian Haibo , Xu Jiao
Published: December 2021

The constraint negotiation process is a prominent part of serious leisure, and leisure-oriented women runners in China may behave differently in this process. An adjusted model was proposed to examine the constraint negotiation process of serious leisure for women runners. An online questionnaire was conducted that contained 239 valid samples measuring the participation, intrinsic motivation, constraints and negotiation of women runners. The structure of variables was confirmed based on the good results of reliability and validity test. Then the structural equation modeling results showed that constraints had a negative impact and negotiation had a positive impact on participation. Negotiation acts on constraints to reduce their negative perception. Furthermore, intrinsic motivation has a significant positive effect on negotiation. There are high intrinsic motivation and fewer constraints reporting for women runners under high negotiation in serious leisure. The results provide additional explanation for the serious leisure participation of women runners. Future research should integrate women’s life experiences to better understand the behavior revealed in this study.
Farmland Transfers in China: From Theoretic Framework to Practice
Authors: Ou Menglin , Gong Jian
Published: December 2021

Land transformation in agriculture is a crucial global issue for food safety and regional sustainable development. In the context of Chinese rural revitalization strategy, farmland transfer has become an increasingly engaging area of focus for those in a broad range of fields. In this paper, we make a comprehensive review of land transformation in agriculture through literature analysis. Farmland transfers in China were characterized as five dimensions: public policy, market mechanisms, influencing factors, optimization of spatial distribution, and practical results. Meanwhile, we shed light on limitations of the theories and methodologies for farmland transfers in previous studies, and propose the highlights of farmland transfers in China in the future: (1) refining the theoretical systems of farmland transfer under the background of transformations, (2) optimizing land use configuration for farmland transfers within the context of national strategic decisions, (3) developing the land use model supported by big data for understanding farmland transformation; (4) enhancing the comprehensive analysis and interdisciplinary application perspective for farmland transfer issues.
An Overview on How Exercise with Green Tea Consumption Can Prevent the Production of Reactive Oxygen Species and Improve Sports Performance
Authors: Nobari Hadi , Saedmocheshi Saber , Chung Linda H. , Suzuki Katsuhiko , Maynar-Mariño Marcos , Pérez-Gómez Jorge
Published: December 2021

Free radicals are reactive products that have multiple effects on the human body. Endogenous and exogenous antioxidants manage the overproduction of free radicals. However, an imbalance between free radicals and antioxidant factors causes oxidative stress. Exercise and physical activity are factors that increase oxidative stress and disrupts the body’s homeostasis. Intensity and duration of training, training characteristics, and fitness level can have positive or negative effects on oxidative stress. Green tea consumption is recommended for the prevention of a variety of diseases, health maintenance, and weight loss. The effectiveness of green tea is primarily due to the presence of catechins and polyphenols, specifically (–)-epigallocatechin-3-gallate, which has antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties based on clinical and animal studies. This review investigates the effect of green tea exercise and their interactive effects on free radicals and sports improvement.
Spanish Validation of the Emotional Reactions to Challenging Behaviours Scale in Employees Working with People Exhibiting Intellectual Disabilities
Authors: Montañés Muro Pilar , Chinchilla Hernández Francisco Lucas , Manzano García Guadalupe , Bianchi Renzo
Published: December 2021

The Emotional Reactions to Challenging Behaviours Scale (ERCBS) was designed to evaluate the emotional states of support staff facing challenging behaviours from recipients. Employees working with People Exhibiting Intellectual Disability (PEIDs) are exposed to challenging behaviours. Exposure to challenging behaviours can affect the occupational well-being of these employees. It is thus important for investigators to have instruments assessing employees’ emotional reactions to challenging behaviours reliably and validly. In this study, we translated the ERCBS into Spanish and inquired into the psychometric and structural properties of the adapted instrument. We relied on a sample of 232 employees working with PEIDs. Confirmatory factor analysis indicated that the ERCBS was best modelled as a two-factor measure involving a negative emotion factor and a positive emotion factor. The two factors were highly correlated (0.547), suggesting that a distinction between “emotional” and “non-emotional” individuals might be relevant when using the ERCBS. Alpha and omega reliabilities were satisfactory. ERCBS scores did not differ between men and women. ERCBS scores correlated negatively with participants’ age and years of service with PEIDs. Our study suggests that the Spanish version of the ERCBS can be used to assess emotional reactions to challenging behaviours among employees working with PEIDs.
SARS-CoV-2 Aerosol Transmission Indoors: A Closer Look at Viral Load, Infectivity, the Effectiveness of Preventive Measures and a Simple Approach for Practical Recommendations
Authors: Kriegel Martin , Hartmann Anne , Buchholz Udo , Seifried Janna , Baumgarte Sigrid , Gastmeier Petra
Published: December 2021

There is uncertainty about the viral loads of infectious individuals required to transmit COVID-19 via aerosol. In addition, there is a lack of both quantification of the influencing parameters on airborne transmission and simple-to-use models for assessing the risk of infection in practice, which furthermore quantify the influence of non-medical preventive measures. In this study, a dose–response model was adopted to analyze 25 documented outbreaks at infection rates of 4–100%. We show that infection was only possible if the viral load was higher than 108 viral copies/mL. Based on mathematical simplifications of our approach to predict the probable situational attack rate (PARs) of a group of persons in a room, and valid assumptions, we provide simplified equations to calculate, among others, the maximum possible number of persons and the person-related virus-free air supply flow necessary to keep the number of newly infected persons to less than one. A comparison of different preventive measures revealed that testing contributes the most to the joint protective effect, besides wearing masks and increasing ventilation. In addition, we conclude that absolute volume flow rate or person-related volume flow rate are more intuitive parameters for evaluating ventilation for infection prevention than air exchange rate.
Association of Psychological Resilience with All-Cause and Cardiovascular Mortality in a General Population in Italy: Prospective Findings from the Moli-Sani Study
Authors: Ghulam Anwal , Bonaccio Marialaura , Costanzo Simona , Gialluisi Alessandro , Santonastaso Federica , Di Castelnuovo Augusto , Cerletti Chiara , Donati Maria Benedetta , de Gaetano Giovanni , Gianfagna Francesco , Iacoviello Licia ,   on behalf of the Moli-Sani Study Investigators
Published: December 2021

Psychological resilience (PR) is the capacity to adapt positively in face of adversity. Its role as an independent protective factor has been acknowledged in recent years. We aimed to test the association of PR with all-cause and cardiovascular disease (CVD) mortality in a general adult population. We performed longitudinal analyses on 10,406 CVD-free individuals from the Moli-Sani cohort (follow up = 11.2 year). PR was assessed by the 25-item Connor and Davidson resilience scale. PR factors were identified through polychoric factor analysis. Associations with mortality were tested using multivariable Cox regressions. Higher levels of PR were associated with reduced all-cause mortality in a model including sex and age (HR = 0.78; 95%CI 0.62–1.00). The association decreased after inclusion of socioeconomic, clinical, and behavioral factors into the model (HR = 0.80; 95%CI 0.62–1.03). No relation was observed with cardiovascular mortality in the fully adjusted model (HR = 0.89; 95%CI 0.56–1.39). An inverse association of Factor 1 (reflecting positive acceptance of change) with all-cause mortality (HR = 0.89; 95%CI 0.82–0.98; p value = 0.01) was found. However, at a borderline non-significant way, PR predicts all-cause mortality in a general population of Italian adults. This is supported by the findings demonstrating a significant association between the PR’s domain reflecting a positive acceptance of change and all-cause mortality.
The Behaviour of Home Advantage during the COVID-19 Pandemic in European Rink Hockey Leagues
Authors: Arboix-Alió Jordi , Trabal Guillem , Buscà Bernat , Peña Javier , Arboix Adrià , Hileno Raúl
Published: December 2021

The primary purpose of the present study was to compare the home advantage (HA) and the home team performance in the most relevant European rink hockey leagues (Spanish, Portuguese and Italian), considering the presence or absence of spectators in the competition venues due to the effect of COVID-19 restrictions. The sample was composed of 1665 rink hockey matches (654 from the Spanish league, 497 from the Portuguese league, and 514 from the Italian league) played between the 2018–2019 and 2020–2021 seasons. The HA and match variables comparisons were established using several negative binomial regression models. Results showed that the effect of HA did not disappear despite playing without spectators but decreased from 63.99% to 57.41% (p = 0.002). Moreover, the comparison of the match variables showed that playing with spectators benefited local teams’ performance, especially in the Portuguese and Italian leagues. Playing with spectators favoured local team performance in rink hockey matches, which is more evident in some analysed leagues. However, as HA does not disappear entirely without spectators, it is necessary to study other relevant performance factors that are not directly or indirectly attributable to crowd behaviour in rink hockey performance analyses.
Epidural Steroid Injections for Low Back Pain: A Narrative Review
Authors: Carassiti Massimiliano , Pascarella Giuseppe , Strumia Alessandro , Russo Fabrizio , Papalia Giuseppe Francesco , Cataldo Rita , Gargano Francesca , Costa Fabio , Pierri Michelangelo , De Tommasi Francesca , Massaroni Carlo , Schena Emiliano , Agrò Felice Eugenio
Published: December 2021

Low back pain represents a significant socioeconomic burden. Several nonsurgical medical treatments have been proposed for the treatment of this disabling condition. Epidural steroid injections (ESIs) are commonly used to treat lumbosacral radicular pain and to avoid surgery. Even though it is still not clear which type of conservative intervention is superior, several studies have proved that ESIs are able to increase patients’ quality of life, relieve lumbosacral radicular pain and finally, reduce or delay more invasive interventions, such as spinal surgery. The aim of this narrative review is to analyze the mechanism of action of ESIs in patients affected by low back pain and investigate their current application in treating this widespread pathology.
Transformational Leadership and Employee Job Satisfaction: The Mediating Role of Employee Relations Climate and the Moderating Role of Subordinate Gender
Authors: Chen Chiyin , Ding Xinyi , Li Jiachen
Published: December 2021

Scholars have paid extensive attention to transformational leadership for decades. However, existing studies still lack ample discussions on the underlying mechanism and boundary conditions of its influence on employee job satisfaction. This study proposed a moderated mediation model based on social exchange theory. We collected survey data from 211 frontline employees to verify our hypotheses. The results showed that transformational leadership was positively associated with employee job satisfaction via the mediation role of the perceived employee relations climate. Furthermore, the relationship between transformational leadership and the employee relations climate, as well as the indirect relationship between the two, was demonstrated to be more significant for male employees. This study offered a new account of the mechanisms of transformational leadership and clarified a boundary condition for its effectiveness.
Subjective Well-Being among Parents of Children with Special Educational Needs in Hong Kong: Impacts of Stigmatized Identity and Discrimination under Social Unrest and COVID-19
Authors: Ye Frank Tian-Fang , Sin Kuen-Fung , Gao Xiaozi
Published: December 2021

The COVID-19 pandemic and social unrest have posed a unique set of challenges to Hong Kong. During these two social events, parents of children with special educational needs (SEN) who were already experiencing caregiving pressure, likely coped with additional stressors; they were at a higher risk of mental health problems. A pre-registered, cross-sectional survey study was carried out among 234 Hong Kong parents of children with SEN, investigating the associations of stigmatized identity, perceived discrimination, and subjective well-being under the impact of these social events. Utilizing the Bayesian modelling, we found that highly self-stigmatized parents not only perceived more daily-life discriminating behaviors against them, but also reported having higher distress, more negative emotions, and lower life satisfaction. A higher perceived impact of social events and more discrimination were also associated with lower well-being. Additionally, stigmatized identity, perceived discrimination, and perceived impact of social events demonstrated unique associations with well-being variables, indicating they were substantial stressors. The study called out for public attention to the mental health conditions among parents of children with SEN and other disadvantaged groups in society.
Regeneration of Post-Agricultural Brownfield for Social Care Needs in Rural Community: Is There Any Transferable Experience?
Authors: Klusáček Petr , Charvátová Klára , Navrátil Josef , Krejčí Tomáš , Martinát Stanislav
Published: December 2021

In the 21st century, rural communities face many challenges, including implications of dynamic population aging, a lack of social care services, and the occurrence of abandoned post-agricultural brownfields. This paper is methodologically based on the findings derived from a set of qualitative in-depth interviews with the key rural stakeholders, explores the decisive factors and limits, accelerators, and barriers governing successful regeneration of the post-agricultural brownfield in the post-socialist environment. We are using the case of the regeneration project of a large-scale former communist agricultural cooperative, located in Vranovice, the Czech Republic, to illuminate how complex and challenging the redevelopment of a post-agricultural brownfield into a social care facility for elderly people is. A wide agreement among the experts in the field of community development exists that this regeneration project can serve as a model example for other rural municipalities that are sharing similar local development issues. Our findings illustrate how important and challenging at the same time are the matters of good governance, the active and long-term participation of stakeholders in the regeneration project, and the real-life introduction of the public–private partnership concept, particularly in immensely transforming the post-socialist countryside.
A Randomized, Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled Clinical Trial of a Mouthwash Containing Glycyrrhiza uralensis Extract for Preventing Dental Caries
Authors: Kim Yu-Rin , Nam Seoul-Hee
Published: December 2021

This study sought to confirm the effect of using a mouthwash containing Glycyrrhiza uralensis extract for oral health management by investigating changes in the pH of dental plaque and bacteria that cause dental caries. A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study was conducted on 60 subjects categorized in either the Glycyrrhiza uralensis extract gargle group (n = 30) or the saline gargle group (n = 30). Scaling was conducted in order to ensure the homogeneity of the oral environment, while gargling was performed once daily before the subjects went to bed for 5 days based on the group. Caries activity was assessed using the Cariview test, while detection of the bacteria that cause dental caries was confirmed using microbiological analysis. All clinical measurements and evaluations were conducted by two trained dental hygienists under the supervision of a dentist. Based on the analysis of dental caries activity and dental caries-causing bacteria, the Glycyrrhiza uralensis extract gargle group showed a clear decrease in bacteria compared to the saline gargle group. Glycyrrhiza uralensis extract demonstrated no risk of tooth demineralization. It also showed excellent antibacterial activity through inhibition and effective reduction of bacteria that cause dental caries. Therefore, the mouthwash containing Glycyrrhiza uralensis extract is an effective oral care product suitable for use as an effective dental caries prevention agent.
Habitat Segregation Patterns of Container Breeding Mosquitos: The Role of Urban Heat Islands, Vegetation Cover, and Income Disparity in Cemeteries of New Orleans
Authors: de Jesús Crespo Rebeca , Rogers Rachel Elba
Published: December 2021

Aedes aegypti and Aedes albopictus are important pathogen-carrying vectors that broadly exhibit similar habitat suitability, but that differ at fine spatial scales in terms of competitive advantage and tolerance to urban driven environmental parameters. This study evaluated how spatial and temporal patterns drive the assemblages of these competing species in cemeteries of New Orleans, LA, applying indicators of climatic variability, vegetation, and heat that may drive habitat selection at multiple scales. We found that Ae. aegypti was well predicted by urban heat islands (UHI) at the cemetery scale and by canopy cover directly above the cemetery vase. As predicted, UHI positively correlate to Ae. aegypti, but contrary to predictions, Ae. aegypti, was more often found under the canopy of trees in high heat cemeteries. Ae. albopictus was most often found in low heat cemeteries, but this relationship was not statistically significant, and their overall abundances in the city were lower than Ae. aegypti. Culex quinquefasciatus, another important disease vector, was also an abundant mosquito species during the sampling year, but we found that it was temporally segregated from Aedes species, showing a negative association to the climatic variables of maximum and minimum temperature, and these factors positively correlated to its more direct competitor Ae. albopictus. These findings help us understand the mechanism by which these three important vectors segregate both spatially and temporally across the city. Our study found that UHI at the cemetery scale was highly predictive of Ae. aegypti and strongly correlated to income level, with low-income cemeteries having higher UHI levels. Therefore, the effect of excessive heat, and the proliferation of the highly competent mosquito vector, Ae. aegypti, may represent an unequal disease burden for low-income neighborhoods of New Orleans that should be explored further. Our study highlights the importance of considering socioeconomic aspects as indirectly shaping spatial segregation dynamics of urban mosquito species.
Enzyme Inhibitors: The Best Strategy to Tackle Superbug NDM-1 and Its Variants
Authors: Li Xiaoting , Zhao Dongmei , Li Weina , Sun Jichao , Zhang Xiuying
Published: December 2021

Multidrug bacterial resistance endangers clinically effective antimicrobial therapy and continues to cause major public health problems, which have been upgraded to unprecedented levels in recent years, worldwide. β-Lactam antibiotics have become an important weapon to fight against pathogen infections due to their broad spectrum. Unfortunately, the emergence of antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) has severely astricted the application of β-lactam antibiotics. Of these, New Delhi metallo-β-lactamase-1 (NDM-1) represents the most disturbing development due to its substrate promiscuity, the appearance of variants, and transferability. Given the clinical correlation of β-lactam antibiotics and NDM-1-mediated resistance, the discovery, and development of combination drugs, including NDM-1 inhibitors, for NDM-1 bacterial infections, seems particularly attractive and urgent. This review summarizes the research related to the development and optimization of effective NDM-1 inhibitors. The detailed generalization of crystal structure, enzyme activity center and catalytic mechanism, variants and global distribution, mechanism of action of existing inhibitors, and the development of scaffolds provides a reference for finding potential clinically effective NDM-1 inhibitors against drug-resistant bacteria.
ceRNA Network of lncRNA/miRNA as Circulating Prognostic Biomarkers in Non-Hodgkin Lymphomas: Bioinformatic Analysis and Assessment of Their Prognostic Value in an NHL Cohort
Authors: Fernandes Mara , Marques Herlander , Teixeira Ana Luísa , Medeiros Rui
Published: December 2021

Research has been focusing on identifying novel biomarkers to better stratify non-Hodgkin lymphoma patients based on prognosis. Studies have demonstrated that lncRNAs act as miRNA sponges, creating ceRNA networks to regulate mRNA expression, and its deregulation is associated with lymphoma development. This study aimed to identify novel circulating prognostic biomarkers based on miRNA/lncRNA-associated ceRNA network for NHL. Herein, bioinformatic analysis was performed to construct ceRNA networks for hsa-miR-150-5p and hsa-miR335-5p. Then, the prognostic value of the miRNA–lncRNA pairs’ plasma levels was assessed in a cohort of 113 NHL patients. Bioinformatic analysis identified MALAT1 and NEAT1 as hsa-miR-150-5p and has-miR-335-5p sponges, respectively. Plasma hsa-miR-150-5p/MALAT1 and hsa-miR335-5p/NEAT1 levels were significantly associated with more aggressive and advanced disease. The overall survival and progression-free survival analysis indicated that hsa-miR-150-5p/MALAT1 and hsa-miR335-5p/NEAT1 pairs’ plasma levels were remarkably associated with NHL patients’ prognosis, being independent prognostic factors in a multivariate Cox analysis. Low levels of hsa-miR-150-5p and hsa-miR-335-5p combined with high levels of the respective lncRNA pair were associated with poor prognosis of NHL patients. Overall, the analysis of ceRNA network expression levels may be a useful prognostic biomarker for NHL patients and could identify patients who could benefit from more intensive treatments.
Neutral Dissociation of Pyridine Evoked by Irradiation of Ionized Atomic and Molecular Hydrogen Beams
Authors: Wasowicz Tomasz J.
Published: December 2021

The interactions of ions with molecules and the determination of their dissociation patterns are challenging endeavors of fundamental importance for theoretical and experimental science. In particular, the investigations on bond-breaking and new bond-forming processes triggered by the ionic impact may shed light on the stellar wind interaction with interstellar media, ionic beam irradiations of the living cells, ion-track nanotechnology, radiation hardness analysis of materials, and focused ion beam etching, deposition, and lithography. Due to its vital role in the natural environment, the pyridine molecule has become the subject of both basic and applied research in recent years. Therefore, dissociation of the gas phase pyridine (C5H5N) into neutral excited atomic and molecular fragments following protons (H+) and dihydrogen cations (H2+) impact has been investigated experimentally in the 5–1000 eV energy range. The collision-induced emission spectroscopy has been exploited to detect luminescence in the wavelength range from 190 to 520 nm at the different kinetic energies of both cations. High-resolution optical fragmentation spectra reveal emission bands due to the CH(A2Δ→X2Πr; B2Σ+→X2Πr; C2Σ+→X2Πr) and CN(B2Σ+→X2Σ+) transitions as well as atomic H and C lines. Their spectral line shapes and qualitative band intensities are examined in detail. The analysis shows that the H2+ irradiation enhances pyridine ring fragmentation and creates various fragments more pronounced than H+ cations. The plausible collisional processes and fragmentation pathways leading to the identified products are discussed and compared with the latest results obtained in cation-induced fragmentation of pyridine.
First Report of Crown Gall of Kiwifruit (Actinidia deliciosa) Caused by Agrobacterium fabacearum in China and the Establishment of Loop-Mediated Isothermal Amplification Technique
Authors: He Linan , Shi Jinqiao , Zhao Zhibo , Ran Fei , Mo Feixu , Long Youhua , Yin Xianhui , Li Wenzhi , Chen Tingting , Chen Jia
Published: December 2021

Kiwifruit is moderately sweet and sour and quite popular among consumers; it has been widely planted in some areas of the world. In 2019, the crown gall disease of kiwifruit was discovered in the main kiwifruit-producing area of Guizhou Province, China. This disease can weaken and eventually cause the death of the tree. The phylogeny, morphological and biological characteristics of the bacteria were described, and were related to diseases. The pathogenicity of this species follows the Koch hypothesis, confirming that A. fabacearum is the pathogen of crown gall disease of kiwifruit in China. In this study, Loop-mediated isothermal amplification (LAMP) analysis for genome-specific gene sequences was developed for the specific detection of A. fabacearum. The detection limit of the LAMP method is 5 × 10−7 ng/μL, which has high sensitivity. At the same time, the amplified product is stained with SYBR Green I after the reaction is completed, so that the amplification can be detected with the naked eye. LAMP analysis detected the presence of A. fabacearum in the roots and soil samples of the infected kiwifruit plant. The proposed LAMP detection technology in this study offers the advantages of ease of operation, visibility of results, rapidity, accuracy and high sensitivity, making it suitable for the early diagnosis of crown gall disease of kiwifruit.
AICAR Protects Vascular Endothelial Cells from Oxidative Injury Induced by the Long-Term Palmitate Excess
Authors: Samsonov Mikhail V. , Podkuychenko Nikita V. , Khapchaev Asker Y. , Efremov Eugene E. , Yanushevskaya Elena V. , Vlasik Tatiana N. , Lankin Vadim Z. , Stafeev Iurii S. , Skulachev Maxim V. , Shestakova Marina V. , Vorotnikov Alexander V. , Shirinsky Vladimir P.
Published: December 2021

Hyperlipidemia manifested by high blood levels of free fatty acids (FFA) and lipoprotein triglycerides is critical for the progression of type 2 diabetes (T2D) and its cardiovascular complications via vascular endothelial dysfunction. However, attempts to assess high FFA effects in endothelial culture often result in early cell apoptosis that poorly recapitulates a much slower pace of vascular deterioration in vivo and does not provide for the longer-term studies of endothelial lipotoxicity in vitro. Here, we report that palmitate (PA), a typical FFA, does not impair, by itself, endothelial barrier and insulin signaling in human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVEC), but increases NO release, reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation, and protein labeling by malondialdehyde (MDA) hallmarking oxidative stress and increased lipid peroxidation. This PA-induced stress eventually resulted in the loss of cell viability coincident with loss of insulin signaling. Supplementation with 5-aminoimidazole-4-carboxamide-riboside (AICAR) increased endothelial AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) activity, supported insulin signaling, and prevented the PA-induced increases in NO, ROS, and MDA, thus allowing to maintain HUVEC viability and barrier, and providing the means to study the long-term effects of high FFA levels in endothelial cultures. An upgraded cell-based model reproduces FFA-induced insulin resistance by demonstrating decreased NO production by vascular endothelium.