bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Parental Involvement and Life Satisfaction in Early Adolescence
Authors: Salgado Mauricio , González Luis , Yáñez Alejandra
Published: February 2021

Early adolescence is a developmental stage that comprises some basic interactional processes with parents, which can be described as gaining autonomy while maintaining relatedness. Studying how maternal and paternal involvement influence the life satisfaction of sons and daughters during early adolescence is especially important while seeking to understand the challenges of this developmental stage. In this paper, we investigate the differential effects of maternal and paternal involvement, as assessed by sons and daughters, on their life satisfaction during early adolescence. We use a unique survey conducted in Chile, The National Survey on Student Trajectories and Transitions, focusing on a subsample of 497 early adolescents attending 5th to 8th grade (60% female, M age = 12.42, SD = 1.18). Our findings indicate that both paternal and maternal involvement are positively correlated with the life satisfaction of adolescents. We also find that the gender of adolescents moderates the effect of maternal involvement, so daughters (but not sons) who deemed the involvement of their mothers to be more positive reported greater life satisfaction. More positive paternal involvement correlates with greater life satisfaction for sons and daughters. We discuss some mechanisms that might bring about these differences.
Beyond Looking for the Rewarded Target: The Effects of Reward on Attention in Search Tasks
Authors: Walle Annabelle , Druey Michel D.
Published: February 2021

One puzzling result in training-test paradigms is that effects of reward-associated stimuli on attention are often seen in test but not in training. We focus on one study, where reward-related performance benefits occur in the training and which was discussed contentiously. By using a similar design, we conceptually replicated the results. Moreover, we investigated the underlying mechanisms and processes resulting in these reward-related performance benefits. In two experiments, using search tasks and having participants perform the tasks either with or without individually adjusted time pressure, we disentangled the mechanisms and processes contributing to the reward-related benefits. We found evidence that not only search efficiency is increased with increasing reward, but also that non-search factors contribute to the results. By also investigating response time distributions, we were able to show that reward-related performance effects increased as search time increased in demanding tasks but not in less demanding tasks. Theoretical implications of the results regarding how reward influences attentional processing are discussed.
Exploring the Influential Factors on Readers' Continuance Intentions of E-Book APPs: Personalization, Usefulness, Playfulness, and Satisfaction
Authors: Liu Hehai , Shao Mingming , Liu Xiaohong , Zhao Li
Published: February 2021

With the rapid development of mobile devices, users can now read on the screen. Electronic reading (e-reading) has become a common reading style with the growth in online learning or electronic learning (e-learning). E-book applications (APPs) are widely developed and applied for reading on a screen. However, it is difficult for readers to change their reading habits or preference from paper-printed books to digital devices. The study of readers' continuance intention to use e-book APPs is the first step to improving e-reading. This study focuses on the influential factors on undergraduates' continuance intention of e-book APPs, which analyzed and summarized the literature related to the electronic book (e-book) applications (APPs) and undergraduates' continuous intention, combined with the characteristics of the e-book APPs, introduced relevant theories and variables, and established the factors that influence undergraduates' continuous intention of using e-book APPs. On this basis, the paper analyzed the relationship between various influencing factors and their influence on continuous intention. A model composed of five hypotheses was constructed to test the factors influencing undergraduates' continuous intention in e-book APPs. The results indicated that of all research variables, satisfaction is the most important factor that affects continuous intention; Perceived usefulness and perceived playfulness have an indirect effect on continuous intention through satisfaction; personalization has direct effects on perceived usefulness and perceived playfulness, so it also has an indirect effect on continuous intention. The findings of the study will be helpful for designers and developers of e-book APPs and provide e-book APP suggestions for readers as well.
The Effects of the Fear of Missing Out on People's Social Networking Sites Use During the COVID-19 Pandemic: The Mediating Role of Online Relational Closeness and Individuals' Online Communication Attitude
Authors: Gioia Francesca , Fioravanti Giulia , Casale Silvia , Boursier Valentina
Published: February 2021

Forced isolation induced by COVID-19 pandemic dramatically impacted individuals' well-being, reducing the opportunities for social encounters, consequently resulting in a greater use of social media in order to maintain social relationships. Although the range of friend-related activities appeared to be severely constrained during quarantine, the Fear of Missing Out (FoMO) needs to be carefully examined, especially in relation to problematic social networking site use (PSNSU). Indeed, FoMO might enhance individuals' need to stay connected and communicate with other people, leading to PSNSU, in order to face the fear of being invisible in the world of social media in circumstances of physical isolation. The present study sought to evaluate the predictive role of FoMO on PSNSU during the COVID-19 pandemic, testing the mediating effect of online relational closeness and online communication attitude. A total of 487 Italian adults (59.3% women), aged between 18 and 70 years (mean age = 29.85 years; SD = 9.76), responded to an online survey during the period of COVID-19 pandemic lockdown in Italy. The survey included self-report measures assessing perceived FoMO, online communication attitude, relational closeness with online friends, and PSNSU. Participants declared they spent significantly more time social networking during the pandemic, particularly women. The total model accounted for a significant amount of variance in participants' PSNSU [R2 = 0.54; F(9, 447) = 58.285, p < 0.001). Despite the other people's social rewarding experiences had been drastically reduced by the lockdown, findings showed a direct effect of FoMO on PSNSU. Moreover, FoMO had an effect on online communication attitude and online relational closeness, although only online communication attitude predicted, in turn, PSNSU. Conversely, relational closeness on social networking sites did not predict PSNSU. The present study suggests that, during COVID-19 lockdown, FoMO levels may have strengthened attitudes toward online communication, which, in turn, may have put some individuals at risk of PSNSU.
Glutamate- and GABA-Modulated Connectivity in Auditory Hallucinations—A Combined Resting State fMRI and MR Spectroscopy Study
Authors: Weber Sarah , Hjelmervik Helene , Craven Alexander R. , Johnsen Erik , Kroken Rune A. , Løberg Else-Marie , Ersland Lars , Kompus Kristiina , Hugdahl Kenneth
Published: February 2021

Background: Auditory verbal hallucinations (AVH) have been linked to aberrant interhemispheric connectivity between the left and the right superior temporal gyrus (STG), labeled the interhemispheric miscommunication theory. The present study investigated if interhemispheric miscommunication is modulated at the neurochemical level by glutamate (Glu) and gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) concentrations in temporal and prefrontal lobe areas, as proposed by the theory.

Methods: We combined resting-state fMRI connectivity with MR spectroscopy (MRS) in a sample of 81 psychosis patients, comparing patients with high hallucination severity (high-AVH) and low hallucination severity (low-AVH) groups. Glu and GABA concentrations were acquired from the left STG and the anterior cingulate cortex (ACC), an area of cognitive control that has been proposed to modulate STG functioning in AVH.

Results: Functional connectivity showed significant interaction effects between AVH Group and ACC-recorded Glu and GABA metabolites. Follow-up tests showed that there was a significant positive association for Glu concentration and interhemispheric STG connectivity in the high-AVH group, while there was a significant negative association for GABA concentration and interhemispheric STG connectivity in the low-AVH group.

Conclusion: The results show neurochemical modulation of STG interhemispheric connectivity, as predicted by the interhemispheric miscommunication hypothesis. Furthermore, the findings are in line with an excitatory/inhibitory imbalance model for AVH. By combining different neuroimaging modalities, the current results provide a more comprehensive insight into the neural correlates of AVH.
Prevalence of Sleep Disturbances and Sleep Quality in Chinese Healthcare Workers During the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis
Authors: Xia Lei , Chen Changhao , Liu Zhiqiang , Luo Xiangfen , Guo Chunyan , Liu Zhiwei , Zhang Kai , Liu Huanzhong
Published: February 2021

Objectives: Healthcare workers (HWs) experienced high levels of work stress during the COVID-19 pandemic, leading to a high risk of sleep disturbances. This meta-analysis aimed to explore the prevalence of sleep disturbances and sleep quality in Chinese HWs during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Methods: English (PubMed, EMBASE, PsycINFO, Web of Science, and the Cochrane Library) and Chinese databases (WanFang, Chinese National Knowledge Infrastructure, and SinoMed) were systematically and independently searched for relevant studies published from December 1, 2019, to May 20, 2020. The pooled prevalence of sleep disturbances and sleep quality were calculated using a random-effects model.

Results: A total of 17 studies involving 12,682 Chinese HWs were included in the meta-analysis. The pooled prevalence of sleep disturbances in Chinese HWs was 45.1% (95% CI: 37.2–53.1%). We found that the prevalence of sleep disturbances varied among frontline, infected, and non-frontline HWs (Q = 96.96, p < 0.001); females and males (Q = 9.10, p = 0.003); studies using different assessment instruments (Q = 96.05, p < 0.001); and studies with different sample sizes (Q = 5.77, p = 0.016) and cut-off values (Q = 62.28, p < 0.001). The pooled mean total score of the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) was 9.83 (95% CI: 8.61–11.04). HWs in Wuhan had a higher total PSQI score than those in other regions (Q = 9.21, p = 0.002).

Conclusion: Sleep disturbances were common in Chinese HWs during the COVID-19 pandemic, particularly in frontline and infected HWs. Our results indicate the heavy mental health burden on HWs during the COVID-19 pandemic in China and can provide other countries with valuable information to assist HWs during the crisis.
To Unfold the Immigrant Paradox: Maltreatment Risk and Mental Health of Racial-Ethnic Minority Children
Authors: Zhang Liwei , Bo Ai , Lu Wenhua
Published: February 2021

Children of immigrants are often considered to be at increased risk of mental health problems due to families' immigration-related stress and perceived discrimination and prejudice from the host country. However, many studies found them to have better developmental outcomes than children with native-born parents in the U.S. This study aims to unfold this paradoxical phenomenon using data from a population-based cohort of children born in large U.S. cities. Specifically, we investigated differences in mental health outcomes between children of immigrants and those with native-born parents, stratified by children's race-ethnicity. We also explored the mediating role of child maltreatment risk in the association of parental nativity status and race-ethnicity with children's mental health. Our findings supported the immigrant paradox, with better self-reported and parent-reported internalizing and externalizing outcomes in Hispanic and Black children of immigrants than their same race-ethnicity peers and White children of native-born. Such immigrant-native variations were partially explained by parents' physically and psychologically abusive behaviors. Hispanic and Black children with immigrant parents were less likely to be physically or psychologically abused than their peers of native-born at ages 4–5, which translated into mental health advantages of children of immigrants at age 9. Our findings shed light on future research to further clarify the mechanism underlying different parenting practices between same race-ethnicity immigrants and native-born families so that culturally responsive interventions can be developed to safeguard racial-ethnic minority children's mental health.
UAV-UGV-UMV Multi-Swarms for Cooperative Surveillance
Authors: Stolfi Daniel H. , Brust Matthias R. , Danoy Grégoire , Bouvry Pascal
Published: February 2021

In this paper we present a surveillance system for early detection of escapers from a restricted area based on a new swarming mobility model called CROMM-MS (Chaotic Rössler Mobility Model for Multi-Swarms). CROMM-MS is designed for controlling the trajectories of heterogeneous multi-swarms of aerial, ground and marine unmanned vehicles with important features such as prioritising early detections and success rate. A new Competitive Coevolutionary Genetic Algorithm (CompCGA) is proposed to optimise the vehicles’ parameters and escapers’ evasion ability using a predator-prey approach. Our results show that CROMM-MS is not only viable for surveillance tasks but also that its results are competitive in regard to the state-of-the-art approaches.
Black Hole Science With the Laser Interferometer Space Antenna
Authors: Sesana Alberto
Published: February 2021

The author reviews the scientific potential of the Laser Interferometer Space Antenna (LISA), a space-borne gravitational wave (GW) observatory to be launched in the early 30s. Thanks to its sensitivity in the milli-Hz frequency range, LISA will reveal a variety of GW sources across the Universe, from our Solar neighborhood potentially all the way back to the Big Bang, promising to be a game changer in our understanding of astrophysics, cosmology, and fundamental physics. This review dives in the LISA Universe, with a specific focus on black hole science, including the formation and evolution of massive black holes in galaxy centers, the dynamics of dense nuclei and formation of extreme mass ratio inspirals, and the astrophysics of stellar-origin black hole binaries.
Fungal Protein – What Is It and What Is the Health Evidence? A Systematic Review Focusing on Mycoprotein
Authors: Derbyshire Emma J. , Delange Joanne
Published: February 2021

Mycoprotein is a protein-rich fungal-derived sustainable food source that was first discovered in the early 1960's. Since then, a sizeable body of research has investigated the health benefits of mycelium protein. Given this, the present publication aims to systematically review the effects of mycoprotein on human health. A literature search of human studies was conducted using PubMed Central, ClinicalTrials.Gov, Google Scholar and a manual search. Sixteen controlled trials, totaling 432 participants were included – of these 5 studies reported total cholesterol, 5 reported on energy intake, 7 on insulin levels, 8 on glucose levels and 4 studied protein response. Risk of bias showed that 7 studies were good quality although heterogeneity was apparent between studies. Results showed that acute mycoprotein ingestion was associated with reduced total cholesterol levels, particularly amongst those with hyperlipidemia. Evidence was less conclusive for effects on blood glucose and insulin levels. Mycoprotein also appears to be a promising bioavailable source of essential amino acids that could induce muscle protein synthesis. Overall, given growing interest in sustainable proteins and accruing health evidence for mycoprotein, firmer embedment with food-based dietary guidelines is now worthy of consideration.
The Future of Transhumants' Sustainable Resource Use in Bhutan: Pressures and Policies
Authors: Namgay Kuenga , Millar Joanne E. , Black Rosemary S.
Published: February 2021

Cattle and yaks in Bhutan are mainly managed in a transhumance system, grazing common pooled resources. This is, however, changing due mainly to policy changes and development pressure. The unequal land policies now restrict mobility for cattle-based transhumance by agro-pastoralists although it is expected to remain the same for the yak-based pastoralists. Essential public infrastructures also are being built in the common pooled resources, thus reducing the grazing areas for cattle and yaks alike. This study uses qualitative interview and focus group discussions in conjunction with administrative data and policy documents to understand the forces that increasingly lead to the decline of transhumance and see how it might change the grazing landscape and socialscape in the future. The study finds that grazing in the future will likely transform from an extensive to a semi-intensive system with smaller herd sizes for cattle-based agro-pastoralists. This is being achieved through interventions implemented by the livestock department, promoting crossbreeding with European dairy breeds. Transhumant herder turned sedentary smallholder farmers are fast adopting a sedentary lifestyle. This is changing not only the landscapes from grazing in large expanses of forest and open meadows to restricted semi-intensively managed smallholder farms with a possible impact on biodiversity. Crossbreds of European dairy cattle are fast replacing indigenous siri cattle of theBos indicustype. Yak-based transhumance is expected to continue with favorable policies and other opportunities, including collection of the highly priced caterpillar fungus,Cordyceps sinensis. The socialscapes are fast changing for both highlanders as well as mid and lowland herders. Many of these places inhabited by herders are now connected by motorable roads, shortening their travel time to the nearest health facilities or shops from days to hours.
“The Innovation Imperative”: The Struggle Over Agroecology in the International Food Policy Arena
Authors: Anderson Colin R. , Maughan Chris
Published: February 2021

As the gravity of the global social and ecological crises become more apparent, there is a growing recognition of the need for social transformation. In this article, we use a combination of narrative case study and discourse analysis to better understand how transformative concepts, such as agroecology, are shaped as they as they enter mainstream discursive arenas. We probe the different characteristics of the “innovation frame” and how they qualify and give meaning to agroecology. Our case study narrates the recent emergence of agroecology in the UN space and its relationship to the discursive frame of innovation. We then undertake a systematic discourse analysis of comments provided in an online consultation process on the “Agroecology and Other Innovations” report by the 2019 High-Level Panel of Experts (HLPE) in the World Committee on Food Security. We examine how different actors positioned themselves vis-a-vis the innovation frame and we analyse the discursive strategies used to advance particular political agendas. Our analysis reveals three primary sub-frames within the innovation frame (Evidence; Technology; Rights) which were deployed by both proponents and detractors of agroecology. We focus on the notion of social agency, and its different presentations, within the three sub-frames which raises a number of problematics of the innovation frame, not only for agroecology, but for sustainability transformations more widely.
Disruption of Dense Granular Protein 2 (GRA2) Decreases the Virulence of Neospora caninum
Authors: Dong Jingquan , Zhang Nan , Zhao Panpan , Li Jianhua , Cao Lili , Wang Xiaocen , Li Xin , Yang Ju , Zhang Xichen , Gong Pengtao
Published: February 2021

Neospora caninumcauses abortions in cattle and nervous system dysfunction in dogs. Dense granular proteins (GRAs) play important roles in virulence; however, studies on NcGRA functions are limited. In the present study, multiple methods, including site-directed mutagenesis; CRISPR/Cas9 gene editing; Western blotting; quantitative polymerase chain reaction; confocal microscopy; plaque, invasion, egress, and replication assays; animal assays of survival rate and parasite burden; and hematoxylin–eosin staining, were used to characterize the NcGRA2 protein, construct an NcGRA2 gene disruption (ΔNcGRA2) strain, and explore its virulencein vivoandvitro. The results showed that NcGRA2 shared 31.31% homology with TgGRA2 and was colocalized with NcGRA6 at the posterior end of tachyzoites and the intravacuolar network of parasitophorous vacuoles (PVs). Cell fractionation analysis showed that NcGRA2 behaved as a transmembrane and membrane-coupled protein. The ΔNcGRA2 strain was constructed by coelectroporation of the NcGRA2-targeting CRISPR plasmid (pNc-SAG1-Cas9:U6-SgGRA2) and DHFR-TS DNA donor and verified at the protein, genome, and transcriptional levels and by immunofluorescence localization analysis. Thein vitrovirulence results showed that the ΔNcGRA2 strain displayed smaller plaques, similar invasion and egress abilities, and slower intracellular growth. Thein vivovirulence results showed a prolonged survival time, lower parasite burden, and mild histopathological changes. Overall, the present study indicates that NcGRA2, as a dense granular protein, forms the intravacuolar network structure of PVs and weakensN. caninumvirulence by slowing proliferation. These data highlight the roles of NcGRA2 and provide a foundation for research on other protein functions inN. caninum.
Wykładniki sarmatyzmu we frazeologii dawniej i dziś – na przykładzie utworów Wacława Potockiego i frazeologizmów współczesnych.
Authors: Sornat Katarzyna
Published: February 2021

The insuffi cient number of studies dedicated to the phraseology of works
by Wacław Potocki (1621–1696) encouraged the author to examine this area
of the Sarmatian writer’s oeuvre. This paper presents the outcome of a lexical
and semantic analysis of 40 idioms excerpted from three representative works
by the poet: Ogród nie plewiony (Unweeded Garden), Moralia (Morals), and
Transakcja wojny chocimskiej (Transaction of the Hotin War). Based on the
adopted material sample, an attempt was made to identify the characteristics of
Sarmatism, a cultural formation of the Commonwealth the main representative
of which was W. Potocki. To this end, the collected expressions and phrases were
classifi ed by three thematic fi elds that were signifi cant for the sociolect of the
nobility (, , ). An important complementation of
the analysis of the Baroque phraseology is tracking it until modern times. The
conducted comparative research of the lexical resources of the Polish language
in its two distant periods showed that, despite the over three hundred years
between the examined materials, the sarmatisation of language has still been
a significant component of the Polish culture.
Praca jako pojęcie kontrowersyjne w internetowych debatach Polaków: lingwistyczna rekonstrukcja modeli poznawczych (na materiale wypowiedzi z lat 2015–2019)
Authors: Szczepankowska Irena
Published: February 2021

The observations presented in this paper fall within the confi nes of a plan
covering a broader scope of research on the key notions underlying the
constitution and polarisation of the Polish economic discourse on popular
web portals. The idealised cognitive models (ICMs) of “work”, actualised in the
discourse, are subject to a linguistic reconstruction and the methodological
principle consists in an analysis of semantic profi les of the key symbol and
recurrent collocations as well as the standard phrases invoking the identifi ed
central notion. The divergent views on the operation of the economy presented
by two distinctive groups of discourse participants: advocates and critics of
capitalism provide an important interpretative framework determining the
diverse profi ling of the category “work” in the online debate. The controversy of
the notion manifests itself also in the fact that the two contradictory cognitive
models built around it are composed not only of the axioms accepted by a given
group but also of the ones it ascribes to their opponents.
Uwagi o modelach derywowania współczesnych polskich rzeczowników odprzymiotnikowych.
Authors: Wiśniewski Marek
Published: February 2021

The conducted analyses showed that adjectival nouns are coined based on
8 out of 15 derivational models. Word formation patterns with a formative affixal
paradigm component are employed.
Współczesna polska paremiografia dla dzieci.
Authors: Szpila Grzegorz
Published: February 2021

The aim of this paper is a comprehensive examination of the contemporary
collections and dictionaries of Polish proverbs for the young audience. The
abundance of such publications in Poland enables the author to have a close
look at numerous issues related to paremiography itself as well as the youngest
readers. The paper analyses the content of the collections and dictionaries with
a special focus on the selection of proverbs, the presentation of their semantics
and pragmatics, their arrangement in the books and the illustration of their
usage. The analysis reveals many differences between the collections regarding
the number of items, their typology, the description of their meanings and use
as well as the illustrative content. The paper suggests integrating the description
of the contemporary proverb dictionaries for children with educational material
with an eye to describing the ways in which proverbs are presented, explained
and taught.
Number of Financial Indicators as a Factor of Multi-Criteria Analysis via the TOPSIS Technique: A Municipal Case Study
Authors: Vavrek Roman , Bečica Jiří , Papcunová Viera , Gundová Petra , Mitríková Jana
Published: February 2021

Multi-criteria analysis is a decision-making and efficiency assessment tool for application in both the private and public sectors. Its application is preceded by the selection of suitable indicators and a homogenous set of variants, as well as suitable methods based on the nature of the input data. The goal of the submitted research is to highlight the importance of selecting suitable indicators using a case study assessment of the financial health of a municipality—more precisely, the efficiency of management of this municipality. Four key indicators, thirty-two homogenous subjects, and one multi-criteria analysis method were identified in this study based on the theoretical foundations of the specific issue. These elements were processed into a total of 14 variants depending on the number of assessed indicators. Then, these results were subjected to statistical verification alongside verification using the Jaccard index. Based on the acquired results, we highlight the need for correct and expert identification of the relevant sets of alternatives (the criteria matrix) and expert discussion, which should precede the selection of the assessed indicators and objectify this selection process as much as possible. Assessment based on a low number of indicators was shown to be insufficient, highly variable, and diverse, and these differences were partially eliminated as the number of assessed indicators increased.
A Numerical and Experimental Investigation of the Convective Heat Transfer on a Small Helicopter Rotor Test Setup
Authors: Samad Abdallah , Villeneuve Eric , Morency François , Volat Christophe
Published: February 2021

In-flight icing affects helicopter performance, limits its operations, and reduces safety. The convective heat transfer is an important parameter in numerical icing simulations and state-of-the-art icing/de-icing codes utilize important computing resources when calculating it. The BEMT–RHT and UVLM–RHT offer low- and medium-fidelity approaches to estimate the rotor heat transfer (RHT). They are based on a coupling between Blade element momentum theory (BEMT) or unsteady vortex lattice method (UVLM), and a CFD-determined heat transfer correlation. The latter relates the Frossling number (Fr) to the Reynolds number (Re) and effective angle of attack (αEff). In a series of experiments carried out at the Anti-icing Materials International Laboratory (AMIL), this paper serves as a proof of concept of the proposed correlations. The objective is to propose correlations for the experimentally measured rotor heat transfer data. Specifically, the Frx is correlated with the Re and αEff in a similar form as the proposed CFD-based correlations. A fixed-wing setup is first used as a preliminary step to verify the heat transfer measurements of the icing wind tunnel (IWT). Tests are conducted at α = 0°, for a range of 4.76 × 105 ≤ Re ≤ 1.36 × 106 and at 10 non-dimensional surface wrap locations − 0.62 ≤ (S/c) ≤ + 0.87. Later, a rotor setup is used to build the novel heat transfer correlation, tests are conducted at two pitch angles ((θ) = 0° and 6°) for a range of rotor speeds (500 RPM ≤ (Ω) ≤ 1500 RPM), three different radial positions ((r/R) = 0.6, 0.75 and 0.95), and 0 ≤ S/c ≤ + 0.58. Results indicate that the fixed-wing Frx at the stagnation point was in the range of literature experimental data, and within 8% of fully turbulent CFD simulations. The FrAvg also agrees with CFD predictions, with an average discrepancy of 1.4%. For the rotor, the Ω caused a similar increase of Frx for the tests at θ = 0° and those at θ = 6°. Moreover, the Frx behavior changed significantly with r/R, suggesting the αEff had a significant effect on the Frx. Finally, the rotor data are first correlated with Rem (at each S/c) for θ = 0° to establish the correlation parameters, and a term for the αEff is then added to also account for the tests at θ = 6°. The correlations fit the data with an error between 2.1% and 14%, thus justifying the use of a coupled approach for the BEMT–RHT and UVLM–RHT.
Exploring the Effect of Climate Factors on SNPs within FHA Domain Genes in Eurasian Arabidopsis Ecotypes
Authors: Aldwairi Tamer , Chevalier David J. , Perkins Andy D.
Published: February 2021

The rapid developments in high-throughput sequencing technologies have allowed researchers to analyze the full genomic sequence of organisms faster and cheaper than ever before. An important application of such advancements is to identify the impact of single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) on the phenotypes and genotypes of the same species by discovering the factors that affect the occurrence of SNPs. The focus of this study is to determine whether climate factors such as the main climate, the precipitation, and the temperature affecting a certain geographical area might be associated with specific variations in certain ecotypes of the plant Arabidopsis thaliana. To test our hypothesis we analyzed 18 genes that encode Forkhead-Associated domain-containing proteins. They were extracted from 80 genomic sequences gathered from within 8 Eurasian regions. We used k-means clustering to separate the plants into distinct groups and evaluated the clusters using an innovative scoring system based upon the Köppen-Geiger climate classification system. The methods we used allow the selection of candidate clusters most likely to contain samples with similar polymorphisms. These clusters show that there is a correlation between genomic variations and the geographic distribution of those ecotypes.
Chemical and Sensory Characterization of Nine Spanish Monovarietal Olive Oils: An Emphasis on Wax Esters
Authors: Diarte Clara , Romero Agustí , Romero María Paz , Graell Jordi , Lara Isabel
Published: February 2021

Olive oil is an essential part of the so-called “Mediterranean diet”, purportedly one of the healthiest gastronomic traditions in the world. The wax content in olive oil is regulated under European Union directives, and it is used as a purity parameter for extra-virgin and virgin olive oils. The wax profile may also help the characterization of monovarietal olive oils. In this study, monovarietal oils were extracted from the fruits of nine native Spanish olive varieties (‘Arbequina’, ‘Argudell’, ‘Empeltre’, ‘Farga’, ‘Manzanilla’, ‘Marfil’, ‘Morrut’, ‘Picual’ and ‘Sevillenca’), and their chemical and sensory attributes were determined. Total wax content in oil was cultivar-dependent and ranged widely between 26 (‘Manzanilla’) and 144 mg kg−1 (‘Arbequina’), while it was negligible in ‘Picual’ oil. The wax ester fraction was comprised largely of phytol-containing diterpene esters, with phytyl vaccinate and phytyl arachidate being the most common components of this non-polar fraction in all nine olive oils assessed. A direct relationship between phytyl esters and the sensory perception of “ripe fruit” notes was also observed.
Investigating Combined Drought- and Heat Stress Effects in Wheat under Controlled Conditions by Dynamic Image-Based Phenotyping
Authors: Abdelhakim Lamis Osama Anwar , Rosenqvist Eva , Wollenweber Bernd , Spyroglou Ioannis , Ottosen Carl-Otto , Panzarová Klára
Published: February 2021

As drought and heat stress are major challenges for crop productivity under future climate changes, tolerant cultivars are highly in demand. This study investigated the potential of existing Nordic wheat genotypes to resist unfavorable conditions. Four genotypes were selected based on their heat sensitivity (heat-sensitive: LM19, SF1; heat-tolerant: LM62, NS3). At the tillering stage, the plants were subjected to four treatments under controlled conditions: control, drought, heat and combined drought and heat stress. The morpho-physiological performance was quantified during the early and late phase of stress, as well as the recovery phase. We applied an integrative image-based phenotyping approach monitoring plant growth dynamics by structural Red Green Blue (RGB) imaging, photosynthetic performance by chlorophyll fluorescence imaging and transpiration efficiency by thermal infrared imaging. The results demonstrated that the selected genotypes were moderately affected in their photosynthetic efficiency and growth under drought stress, whereas heat and combined stress caused rapid reductions in photosynthesis and growth. Furthermore, drought stress had a major impact on canopy temperature. The NS3 genotype was the most robust genotype, as indicated by its improved response under all stress treatments due to its relatively small biomass. However, the genotypes showed different tolerance to individual and combined stress.
The Integration of Shade-Sensitive Annual Crops in Musa spp. Plantations in South Kivu, Democratic Republic of Congo
Authors: Ntamwira Jules , Ocimati Walter , Kearsley Elizabeth , Safari Nancy , Bahati Liliane , Amini Daniel , Lubobo Antoine Kanyenga , Waswa Boaz , Blomme Guy
Published: February 2021

Small-holder banana fields are often intercropped with various annual crops to optimize land-use in East and Central Africa, a practice severely constrained by light availability under the banana canopy. Light availability is not a major constraint in newly established banana fields, giving a window of opportunity to target light-demanding annual crops before shifting to more shade-tolerant crops. This study investigated the performance of climbing and bush beans and the vegetable amaranth in banana fields with varying shade levels across three sites in the South Kivu province, DR Congo. These crops were selected for their highly nutritious and good market value and the added benefit of nitrogen fixation for the legumes. We show that both grain legumes and vegetable amaranth can achieve reasonable yields during a first annual cropping season in newly established banana fields, irrespective of the plant density. Declines in yield occurred during a second cropping season in more densely spaced banana fields (2 × 2 m and 2 × 3 m). A greater decline occurred in amaranth and its cultivation should be limited to the first annual cropping season or to less dense banana fields. The legumes could be extended to a second cropping season with reasonable yield. Significant variability in amaranth and legumes performance was observed across sites, with rapid yield declines occurring under more fertile soil conditions due to fast banana growth/canopy formation and under more vigorous cultivars. The choice of banana spacing will need to be tailored to the banana cultivar, soil conditions and the farmers’ objectives.
Measurement of Enteric Methane Emissions by the SF6 Technique Is Not Affected by Ambient Weather Conditions
Authors: Moate Peter J. , Pryce Jennie E. , Marett Leah C. , Garner Josie B. , Deighton Matthew H. , Ribaux Brigid E. , Hannah Murray C. , Wales William J. , Williams S. Richard O.
Published: February 2021

Despite the fact that the sulphur hexafluoride (SF6) tracer technique was developed over 25 years ago to measure methane production from grazing and non-housed animals, no studies have specifically investigated whether ambient wind speed, temperature, relative humidity and rainfall influence the accuracy of the method. The aim of this research was to investigate how these weather factors influence the measurement of enteric methane production by the SF6 technique. Six different cohorts of dairy cows (40 per cohort) were kept outdoors and fed a common diet during spring in 3 consecutive years. Methane production from individual cows was measured daily over the last 5 days of each 32-day period. An automated weather station measured air temperature, wind speed, relative humidity and rainfall every 10 min. Regression analyses were used to relate the average daily wind speed, average daily temperature, average daily relative humidity and total daily rainfall measurements to dry matter intake, average daily methane production and methane yield of each cohort of cows. It was concluded that the modified SF6 technique can be used outdoors during a range of wind speeds, ambient temperatures, relative humidities and rainfall conditions without causing a significant effect on the measurement of methane production or methane yield of dairy cows.
New Evaluation of Postovulatory Follicle Degeneration at High-Temperature Regimes Refines Criteria for the Identification of Spawning Cohorts in the European Anchovy (Engraulis encrasicolus)
Authors: Ferreri Rosalia , Barra Marco , Gargano Antonella , Aronica Salvatore , Bonanno Angelo , Genovese Simona , Rumolo Paola , Basilone Gualtiero
Published: February 2021

Accurate stock assessment estimates of fish resources are essential in fishery management. Wide fluctuations in abundance arising from variations in reproductive success are characteristic of many marine fish populations, including multiple spawner species. The proportion of females spawning per day is crucial in the application of egg production methods for spawning biomass evaluation and, usually, is assessed by postovulatory follicle (POF) method. Describing each degeneration stage of POF based upon its histological features allows for obtaining an aging key for postovulatory follicles. The commercially valuable European anchovy (Engraulis encrasicolus) was selected as a case study, which breeds during the summer in temperate waters (24 °C–25 °C). A collection of ovary slides, sampled in the central Mediterranean Sea during the spawning peak, provided a 24 h cycle coverage. These observations allowed us to evaluate the duration of each POF stage at water temperature experienced by anchovy in the study area. Present results demonstrated the POF degeneration progress at a faster rate than reported by previous investigations, carried out in cooler oceanic waters. Furthermore, the present study displayed the presence of two anchovy spawning cohorts sampled along a 24-h cycle. Therefore, this study not only provides useful insight for more accurate POF degeneration evaluation in temperate waters, but also suggests that current estimates should be complemented with validation studies according to different temperature regimes.
Arginine Alters miRNA Expression Involved in Development and Proliferation of Rat Mammary Tissue
Authors: Zhou Gang , Xu Qiaoyun , Wu Feifan , Wang Mengzhi , Chen Lianmin , Hu Liangyu , Zhao Jingwen , Loor Juan J. , Zhang Jun
Published: February 2021

This study was designed to determine the effects of dietary arginine on development and proliferation in rat mammary tissue through changes in miRNA profiles. Twelve pregnant Wistar rats were allocated randomly to two groups. A basal diet containing arginine or the control diet containing glutamate on an equal nitrogen basis as the arginine supplemented diet were used. The experiment included a pre-experimental period of four days before parturition and an experimental period of 17 days after parturition. Mammary tissue was collected for histology, RNA extraction and high-throughput sequencing analysis. The greater mammary acinar area indicated that arginine supplementation enhanced mammary tissue development (p < 0.01). MicroRNA profiling indicated that seven miRNA (miR-206-3p, miR-133a-5p, miR-133b-3p, miR-1-3p, miR-133a-3p, miR-1b and miR-486) were differentially expressed in response to Arginine when compared with the glutamate-based control group. In silico gene ontology enrichment and KEGG pathway analysis revealed between 240 and 535 putative target genes among the miRNA. Further verification by qPCR revealed concordance with the differential expression from the sequencing results: 17 of 28 target genes were differentially expressed (15 were highly expressed in arginine and 2 in control) and 11 target genes did not have significant difference in expression. In conclusion, our study suggests that arginine may potentially regulate the development of rat mammary glands through regulating miRNAs.
Chylopericardium Effusion in a Lac Alaotra Bamboo Lemur (Hapalemur alaotrensis)
Authors: Bagardi Mara , Bassi Jessica , Stranieri Angelica , Rabbogliatti Vanessa , Gioeni Daniela , Magnone William , Pigoli Claudio
Published: February 2021

An 11-year-old female Hapalemur alaotrensis was evaluated following a history of dyspnea of 15 days’ duration. Thoracic radiography performed by the referring veterinarian revealed a large cardiac silhouette and dorsal deviation of the trachea. Heart sounds were muffled. Echocardiographic findings were indicative of severe pericardial effusion without cardiac tamponade. No pleural effusion was identified. A computed tomography (CT) exam confirmed the presence of severe pericardial effusion and allowed identification of a parenchymatous mediastinal lesion sited at the level of the left hemithorax. To delineate the thoracic duct, lymphoCT was also performed by injection of iodinated contrast medium in the perianal subcutaneous tissue. Pericardiocentesis yielded a considerable amount of effusion with chylous biochemical and cytological properties. A diagnosis of chylopericardium with absence of pleural effusion was made. Initially, the chylopericardium was managed conservatively with two centesis and oral treatment with prednisolone. Medical treatment did not result in complete resolution of effusion and clinical signs; therefore, subtotal pericardiectomy and thoracic duct ligation were recommended. After the second pericardiocentesis, the subject died and the pericardiectomy could not be performed. To the authors’ knowledge, this is the first report of the development of chylopericardium in a Hapalemur alaotrensis.
Prevalence and Characterization of Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus from Community- and Hospital-Associated Infections: A Tertiary Care Center Study
Authors: Preeja Puthiya Purayil , Kumar Sanath H. , Shetty Veena
Published: February 2021

The community-associated methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (CA-MRSA) has become increasingly prevalent in both community and hospital settings. The aim of this study was to determine the prevalence, molecular characteristics and antibiotic resistance profiles of CA-MRSA from community- and hospital-associated infections in a tertiary care hospital in Mangalore, India. Of 520 S. aureus isolates, 362 were from inpatients (IP) and 158 were from outpatients (OP). One-hundred and thirty-two MRSA isolates obtained from 94 inpatients and 38 outpatients with complete clinical details were further analyzed. Of these, 81 (61.4%) were CA-MRSA (IP-47.9%, OP-94.7%) and 51 (38.6%) were HA-MRSA (IP-52.1%, OP-5.3%). All (100%) MRSA isolates were mecA gene positive. SCCmec typing identified SCCmec type IV (50.6%) and SCCmec type V (66.7%) in CA-MRSA, while SCCmec type I (41.2%), SCCmec type III (19.6%), SCCmec type IV (31.4%) and SCCmec type V (25.5%) were detected in HA-MRSA isolates. The Panton–Valentine Leukocidin (PVL) gene was found in 70.4% of CA-MRSA, 43.1% of HA-MRSA with SCCmec type IV and SCCmec type V, and in 7.8% of true HA-MRSA. The antibiotic resistance profiles were determined by the disc diffusion method. Resistance to cefoxitin was used to identify MRSA. A significant difference (p < 0.05) was observed between CA-MRSA and HA-MRSA with respect to resistance against cephalexin, cefotaxime, levofloxacin, linezolid and teicoplanin. CA-MRSA was predominantly resistant to ciprofloxacin (86.4%), erythromycin (66.7%), ofloxacin (49.4%), cefotaxime (44.4%), gentamicin (40.7%) and clindamycin (40.7%), while HA-MRSA showed resistance against ciprofloxacin (80.4%), erythromycin (80.1%), cefotaxime (70.6%),ofloxacin (58.8%), clindamycin (47.1%) and levofloxacin (41.2%).This study reports the prevalence of CA-MRSA in community and hospital settings and the possibility of multidrug-resistant CA-MRSA replacing HA-MRSA in hospitals. The observations from our study emphasize the need for urgent measures to manage this emerging crisis in healthcare settings.
4-Class MI-EEG Signal Generation and Recognition with CVAE-GAN
Authors: Yang Jun , Yu Huijuan , Shen Tao , Song Yaolian , Chen Zhuangfei
Published: February 2021

As the capability of an electroencephalogram’s (EEG) measurement of the real-time electrodynamics of the human brain is known to all, signal processing techniques, particularly deep learning, could either provide a novel solution for learning but also optimize robust representations from EEG signals. Considering the limited data collection and inadequate concentration of during subjects testing, it becomes essential to obtain sufficient training data and useful features with a potential end-user of a brain–computer interface (BCI) system. In this paper, we combined a conditional variational auto-encoder network (CVAE) with a generative adversarial network (GAN) for learning latent representations from EEG brain signals. By updating the fine-tuned parameter fed into the resulting generative model, we could synthetize the EEG signal under a specific category. We employed an encoder network to obtain the distributed samples of the EEG signal, and applied an adversarial learning mechanism to continuous optimization of the parameters of the generator, discriminator and classifier. The CVAE was adopted to adjust the synthetics more approximately to the real sample class. Finally, we demonstrated our approach take advantages of both statistic and feature matching to make the training process converge faster and more stable and address the problem of small-scale datasets in deep learning applications for motor imagery tasks through data augmentation. The augmented training datasets produced by our proposed CVAE-GAN method significantly enhance the performance of MI-EEG recognition.