bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
How Adolescents and Adults Learn About Changes in the Trustworthiness of Others Through Dynamic Interaction
Authors: Li Siying , Hao Xinmin , Mei Yueqi , Cheng Yinyi , Sun Nan , Qu Chen
Published: August 2021

Whether to trust or distrust another individual is a complex interpersonal challenge, especially when such individuals behave inconsistently. It is still unclear as to how individuals learn and adapt to fluctuations in the trustworthiness of others and how this process changes from adolescence to adulthood. To address these issues, we implemented repeated rounds of a trust game within the context of a complicated and changeable interpersonal environment. Specifically, adolescents and adults played the role of trustors who had to decide whether to invest money in two anonymous partners carrying the risk of no reciprocation. Unbeknownst to participants, these two partners had different trustworthiness profiles: one partner initially yielded a higher initial return rate (70%) while the other initially yielded a lower initial return rate (30%). Crucially, over repeated rounds, these two partners gradually changed their responses to the point where, finally, return rates were both neutral (50%). Results indicated that all participants showed less updating in the negative direction in response to good-to-neutral partners while more updating in the positive direction in response to the bad-to-neutral partner. Compared to adults, this behavioral disparity in responses to good-to-neutral and bad-to-neutral partners was less pronounced in adolescents. Based on the computational modeling approach, the potential mechanisms underlying their behavioral patterns were revealed: the higher learning rate promoted flexible adaptions in participants to untrustworthy trustees as they changed to neutral. The less pronounced distinction between good-to-neutral and bad-to-neutral partners in adolescents was related to their lower learning rate. Overall, our study extends the understanding of trust behavior to a fluctuating social context and highlights the role of social learning in social emotion and interaction.
Meaning Making in a Retirement Migrant Community: Religion, Spirituality, and Social Practices of Daily Lives
Authors: Spännäri Jenni , Laceulle Hanne
Published: August 2021

Meaning in life has also been seen as crucial to well-being, and especially, in later life. This study focused on the social complexity of meaning making processes and the role of religion and spirituality in them, by finding out the following: (1) How are meaning-making practices connected with religion and spirituality for Finnish retirement migrants of the boomer generation? (2) What does the role of religion and spirituality in meaning-making practices teach us about the relationship between individual and social aspects of meaning making? This was done by examining a particular group of older persons: Finnish retirement migrants aged 60 or over in Costa del Sol, Spain. The material for this study consists of 58 texts (written correspondence, dataset 1, year 2009), 10 semi-structured interviews (dataset 2, year 2011), and 30 completed online surveys with open-ended questions (dataset 3, year 2019). Key findings include that religion and spirituality are present in the lives of our informants in a variety of ways, playing a significant role in their meaning making, and that they appear as intertwined and not so easy to separate. A variety of religious and non-religious forms of spirituality exist in this population, and all of these forms can be relevant factors in meaning making. Also, the engagement in meaning making, contrary to what has been suggested in some of the literature about meaning in later life, not only occurs in response to confrontations with health issues, death, or other major life events. Instead, we found that meaning making occurs as a process that is often inherent to daily activities which may seem “trivial,” but in fact turn out to be important sources of purpose, values, and connectedness. Contrary to the dominant modern ideal of the authentic, self-sufficient human agent, which is based on a problematically atomistic and individualistic anthropology, for our respondents, their authentic subject position is embedded in the social practices of their daily lives, which nourish their individual spirituality and are vital to making meaning.
Challenges of College Students’ Ideological and Political and Psychological Education in the Information Age
Authors: He Xiaoqing , Dong Xiangrong , Liu Li , Zou Yulin
Published: August 2021

The purpose of the study is to analyze the current situation of ideological and political education and psychological education of college students, and explore the challenges faced by these two kinds of education in the information age. First, different research methods, such as literature research, questionnaire survey, and interdisciplinary research, are used to investigate and study the current situation of ideological and political education and psychological education of college students. Second, the survey data are analyzed to reveal the challenges they have encountered. The results show that there are many problems in ideological and political education, which need to be improved and strengthened. The Internet has a strong attraction for college students, but the purpose of getting online of many college students is not clear. Although it plays an important role in improving teaching quality by helping college students establish correct attitudes toward their study, values, life, and society, ideological and political education lack strong pertinence and effectiveness due to the professionalism of the teachers. And the negative impact of network information on ideological and political education of college students is also obvious. About 11.4% of the respondents believe that network information affects their physical and mental health. About 8.4% of the respondents believe that harmful information on the network is easy to induce students to behave wrongly. About 41% believe that computer games distract them from learning, which indicates that the negative impact of network information on college students cannot be underestimated, and it is imperative to strengthen the ideological and political education of college students. The research provides a useful reference for the ideological and political and psychological education in the information environment and helps to solve the problem in the ideological and political education and psychological education of college students.
Child Adjustment During COVID-19: The Role of Economic Hardship, Caregiver Stress, and Pandemic Play
Authors: Thibodeau-Nielsen Rachel B. , Palermo Francisco , White Rachel E. , Wilson Alaina , Dier Shannon
Published: August 2021

The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) led to many lifestyle changes and economic hardships for families with young children. Previous research on risk and resilience highlights that children's adjustment to family hardships is influenced by caregiver stress, but individual child behaviors and characteristics may protect children from negative outcomes. Interestingly, many children have been reported to incorporate COVID-19 themes in their pretend play. Theory suggests children may do so to cope with pandemic-related stress, but no empirical studies have explored this possibility. The purpose of this study was to understand the process by which COVID-19 economic hardships experienced by a family were related to children's emotional well-being and development and to investigate how this process may vary as a function of children's engagement in pandemic-related pretend play. Caregivers (N = 99; mostly high earning families) of preschoolers ages 3–6 years (51% girls, 82% White) living in the United States participated in an online survey at two time points during the pandemic. Result revealed that COVID-19 economic hardships were related to increased caregiver stress, which, in turn, was associated with children's emotional distress and poorer self-regulation. However, engaging in pandemic-related pretend play appeared to protect children's well-being by weakening the adverse association between caregivers' stress and children's emotional distress. Thus, addressing caregiver stress levels and allowing children an outlet to cope with challenges through pretend play could have crucial protective effects on early development and well-being during times of crisis.
Identification of Major Psychiatric Disorders From Resting-State Electroencephalography Using a Machine Learning Approach
Authors: Park Su Mi , Jeong Boram , Oh Da Young , Choi Chi-Hyun , Jung Hee Yeon , Lee Jun-Young , Lee Donghwan , Choi Jung-Seok
Published: August 2021

We aimed to develop a machine learning (ML) classifier to detect and compare major psychiatric disorders using electroencephalography (EEG). We retrospectively collected data from medical records, intelligence quotient (IQ) scores from psychological assessments, and quantitative EEG (QEEG) at resting-state assessments from 945 subjects [850 patients with major psychiatric disorders (six large-categorical and nine specific disorders) and 95 healthy controls (HCs)]. A combination of QEEG parameters including power spectrum density (PSD) and functional connectivity (FC) at frequency bands was used to establish models for the binary classification between patients with each disorder and HCs. The support vector machine, random forest, and elastic net ML methods were applied, and prediction performances were compared. The elastic net model with IQ adjustment showed the highest accuracy. The best feature combinations and classification accuracies for discrimination between patients and HCs with adjusted IQ were as follows: schizophrenia = alpha PSD, 93.83%; trauma and stress-related disorders = beta FC, 91.21%; anxiety disorders = whole band PSD, 91.03%; mood disorders = theta FC, 89.26%; addictive disorders = theta PSD, 85.66%; and obsessive–compulsive disorder = gamma FC, 74.52%. Our findings suggest that ML in EEG may predict major psychiatric disorders and provide an objective index of psychiatric disorders.
Determinants of Physical Health Self-Management Behaviours in Adults With Serious Mental Illness: A Systematic Review
Authors: Coventry Peter A. , Young Ben , Balogun-Katang Abisola , Taylor Johanna , Brown Jennifer V. E. , Kitchen Charlotte , Kellar Ian , Peckham Emily , Bellass Sue , Wright Judy , Alderson Sarah , Lister Jennie , Holt Richard I. G. , Doherty Patrick , Carswell Claire , Hewitt Catherine , Jacobs Rowena , Osborn David , Boehnke Jan , Siddiqi Najma
Published: August 2021

Behavioural interventions can support the adoption of healthier lifestyles and improve physical health outcomes, but it is unclear what factors might drive success of such interventions in people with serious mental illness (SMI). We systematically identified and reviewed evidence of the association between determinants of physical health self-management behaviours in adults with SMI. Data about American Association of Diabetes Educator's Self-Care Behaviours (AADE-7) were mapped against the novel Mechanisms of Action (MoA) framework. Twenty-eight studies were included in the review, reporting evidence on 104 determinant-behaviour links. Beliefs about capabilities and beliefs about consequences were the most important determinants of behaviour, especially for being physically active and healthy eating. There was some evidence that emotion and environmental context and resources played a role in determining reducing risks, being active, and taking medications. We found very limited evidence associated with problem solving, and no study assessed links between MoAs and healthy coping. Although the review predominantly identified evidence about associations from cross-sectional studies that lacked validated and objective measures of self-management behaviours, these findings can facilitate the identification of behaviour change techniques with hypothesised links to determinants to support self-management in people with SMI.

Systematic Review Registration: PROSPERO, registration CRD42018099553.
Group Testing for SARS-CoV-2 Allows for Up to 10-Fold Efficiency Increase Across Realistic Scenarios and Testing Strategies
Authors: Verdun Claudio M. , Fuchs Tim , Harar Pavol , Elbrächter Dennis , Fischer David S. , Berner Julius , Grohs Philipp , Theis Fabian J. , Krahmer Felix
Published: August 2021

Background: Due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, demand for diagnostic testing has increased drastically, resulting in shortages of necessary materials to conduct the tests and overwhelming the capacity of testing laboratories. The supply scarcity and capacity limits affect test administration: priority must be given to hospitalized patients and symptomatic individuals, which can prevent the identification of asymptomatic and presymptomatic individuals and hence effective tracking and tracing policies. We describe optimized group testing strategies applicable to SARS-CoV-2 tests in scenarios tailored to the current COVID-19 pandemic and assess significant gains compared to individual testing.

Methods: We account for biochemically realistic scenarios in the context of dilution effects on SARS-CoV-2 samples and consider evidence on specificity and sensitivity of PCR-based tests for the novel coronavirus. Because of the current uncertainty and the temporal and spatial changes in the prevalence regime, we provide analysis for several realistic scenarios and propose fast and reliable strategies for massive testing procedures.

Key Findings: We find significant efficiency gaps between different group testing strategies in realistic scenarios for SARS-CoV-2 testing, highlighting the need for an informed decision of the pooling protocol depending on estimated prevalence, target specificity, and high- vs. low-risk population. For example, using one of the presented methods, all 1.47 million inhabitants of Munich, Germany, could be tested using only around 141 thousand tests if the infection rate is below 0.4% is assumed. Using 1 million tests, the 6.69 million inhabitants from the city of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, could be tested as long as the infection rate does not exceed 1%. Moreover, we provide an interactive web application, available at www.group-testing.com, for visualizing the different strategies and designing pooling schemes according to specific prevalence scenarios and test configurations.

Interpretation: Altogether, this work may help provide a basis for an efficient upscaling of current testing procedures, which takes the population heterogeneity into account and is fine-grained towards the desired study populations, e.g., mild/asymptomatic individuals vs. symptomatic ones but also mixtures thereof.

Funding: German Science Foundation (DFG), German Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF), Chan Zuckerberg Initiative DAF, and Austrian Science Fund (FWF).
A Modern Genotoxicity Testing Paradigm: Integration of the High-Throughput CometChip® and the TGx-DDI Transcriptomic Biomarker in Human HepaRG™ Cell Cultures
Authors: Buick Julie K. , Williams Andrew , Meier Matthew J. , Swartz Carol D. , Recio Leslie , Gagné Rémi , Ferguson Stephen S. , Engelward Bevin P. , Yauk Carole L.
Published: August 2021

Higher-throughput, mode-of-action-based assays provide a valuable approach to expedite chemical evaluation for human health risk assessment. In this study, we combined the high-throughput alkaline DNA damage-sensing CometChip® assay with the TGx-DDI transcriptomic biomarker (DDI = DNA damage-inducing) using high-throughput TempO-Seq®, as an integrated genotoxicity testing approach. We used metabolically competent differentiated human HepaRG™ cell cultures to enable the identification of chemicals that require bioactivation to cause genotoxicity. We studied 12 chemicals (nine DDI, three non-DDI) in increasing concentrations to measure and classify chemicals based on their ability to damage DNA. The CometChip® classified 10/12 test chemicals correctly, missing a positive DDI call for aflatoxin B1 and propyl gallate. The poor detection of aflatoxin B1 adducts is consistent with the insensitivity of the standard alkaline comet assay to bulky lesions (a shortcoming that can be overcome by trapping repair intermediates). The TGx-DDI biomarker accurately classified 10/12 agents. TGx-DDI correctly identified aflatoxin B1 as DDI, demonstrating efficacy for combined used of these complementary methodologies. Zidovudine, a known DDI chemical, was misclassified as it inhibits transcription, which prevents measurable changes in gene expression. Eugenol, a non-DDI chemical known to render misleading positive results at high concentrations, was classified as DDI at the highest concentration tested. When combined, the CometChip® assay and the TGx-DDI biomarker were 100% accurate in identifying chemicals that induce DNA damage. Quantitative benchmark concentration (BMC) modeling was applied to evaluate chemical potencies for both assays. The BMCs for the CometChip® assay and the TGx-DDI biomarker were highly concordant (within 4-fold) and resulted in identical potency rankings. These results demonstrate that these two assays can be integrated for efficient identification and potency ranking of DNA damaging agents in HepaRG™ cell cultures.
Mining Employees Safety and the Application of Information Technology in Coal Mining: Review
Authors: Yang Li , Birhane Getnet Engeda , Zhu Junqi , Geng Jichao
Published: August 2021

Background: Though the introduction of modern safer underground coal mining methods and automation, mine accidents still cause loss of lives, time, and money. This paper aims to analyze in detail the causes of safety and environmental issues in the coal mining industry, as well as the impact of IoT on coal mining.

Method: A systematic review was conducted. A comprehensive search involving Web of Science, Google Scholar, Scopus, and Science direct databases was conducted using a combination of the following keywords: mining accidents, coal mining injuries, human error in mining, intelligent mining, etc. The inclusion criteria: (1) the study was published between January 2000 and June 2020; (2) the participants were coal mining employees/coal mining accidents and accidents were work-related; (3) the study focused on identifying causes of coal mining safety issues or accidents, factors that influence unsafe behaviors and accidents in coal mining, coal mining rescue management, coal mining rescue plan, coal mining environmental impact, mining information technology, intelligent mining; (4) the study was published in a refereed journal; (5) the study was written in English. In this paper, articles were retained if they were original studies.

Results: A total of 59 papers were reviewed in detail. Safety issues in coal mining and the impact of IoT were identified and categorized into three main factors: general safety issues, environmental factors, and mining information technology. Recently, the coal mines had become mechanized and automated leading to improved safety, productivity, and cost. However, Human factors such as lack of appropriate skill, lack of experience, perceptual error, and unsafe behaviors, as well as lack of detailed emergency rescue plan were the leading causes of coal mining injuries. Furthermore, abandoned mining sites' carbon emission is greater than active sites.

Conclusion: The study recommends further research to be conducted using different psychological models to understand human factors and design effective safety management systems. And the environmental impact of abandoned mining sites should be given due attention.
Adherence to COVID-19 Appropriate Behavior Among Respiratory Therapists: A Cross-Sectional Study in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
Authors: Al Khathlan Noor , Padhi Bijaya Kumar
Published: August 2021

Background:Adherence to novel coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) appropriate behavior plays a crucial element in the management of the infections of COVID-19. Despite the importance of transmission-reducing behaviors among healthcare professionals, there is a lack of literature in this area of research explicitly relating to respiratory therapists (RTs). Therefore, it is essential to assess the adherence level to COVID-19 transmission-reducing behaviors among the RTs in Saudi Arabia.

Methods:A web-based online survey was conducted using questions based on the risk assessment guidelines of WHO. A random representative sample of RTs (N= 215) residing in Saudi Arabia was recruited for the study. Descriptive and inferential statistics were computed using STATA software. Logistic regression analysis was used to identify key factors that are associated with adherence to COVID-19 appropriate behavior among the study participants.

Results:Of the 215 participants, 59.5% were aged between 26 and 35 years, and 40.9% were women. Most (85.5%) participants had a bachelor's degree while 12.0% had a master's degree. About 56.2% of RTs provided direct care to a confirmed patient of COVID-19 during the study periods. The study showed 80.9% of RTs in Saudi Arabia adhered to personal protective equipment (PPE) at the workplace and 65.0% at home. Moreover, the findings of the study indicated that senior RTs (with >5 years of experience) demonstrated a higher adherence level to the guidelines than RTs with <5 years of experience. High-risk perception [aOR:2.32; 95% CI: 1.09–3.27], and work history of <5 years [aOR:2.00; 95% CI: 1.14–3.15], were found to be the strongest predictors in explaining the adherence to appropriate behavior among the RTs at the workplace. Whereas the high-risk perception [aOR:2.32; 95% CI: 1.09–3.27] and being married [aOR:1.85; 95% CI: 1.08–3.82] were found to be the strongest predictors at home.

Conclusion:Adherence (“Always” or “Most times”) to COVID-19 appropriate behavior was found to be high at hospital settings among the study participants. However, the same practice was found to be inconsistence in non-healthcare settings among the RTs. Considering the paramount role of COVID-19 appropriate behavior in reducing the transmissions the policy focus, therefore, needs to be on creating a well-spread behavior change communication that is curtailing the adoption of appropriate behavior in the non-healthcare settings.
Is My Cough a Cold or Covid? A Qualitative Study of COVID-19 Symptom Recognition and Attitudes Toward Testing in the UK
Authors: Mowbray Fiona , Woodland Lisa , Smith Louise E. , Amlôt Richard , Rubin G. James
Published: August 2021

Objective: Key to reducing the spread of COVID-19 in the UK is increased use of the NHS Test and Trace (NHSTT) system. This study explored one of the main issues that determine whether people engage with NHSTT, how people understand symptoms that may indicate the presence of COVID-19 and that should trigger a request for a test.

Methods: In this qualitative study, a series of semi-structured telephone interviews were conducted with 40 people (21 members of the general population, 19 students). There was nearly an equal split between male and female participants in both samples. Data were collected between 30 November and 11 December 2020 and explored using thematic analysis. There was substantial similarity in responses for both populations so we combined our results and highlighted where differences were present.

Results: Participants generally had good knowledge of the main symptoms of COVID-19 (high temperature, new, persistent cough, anosmia) but had low confidence in their ability to differentiate them from symptoms of other illnesses. Attribution of symptoms to COVID-19 was most likely where the symptoms were severe, many symptoms were present, symptoms had lasted for some time and when perceived risk of exposure to infection was high due to previous contact with others. Participants felt encouraged to engage in testing where symptoms were present and had persisted for several days, though, many had concerns about the safety of testing centres and the accuracy of test results. Students had mixed feelings about mass asymptomatic testing, seeing it as a way to access a more normal student experience, but also a potential waste of resources.

Conclusions: This study offers novel insights into how people attribute symptoms to COVID-19 and barriers and facilitators to engaging with NHSTT. Participants had positive views of testing, but there is a need to improve not just recognition of each main symptom, but also understanding that even single, mild symptoms may necessitate a test rather than a “wait and see” approach, and to address concerns around test accuracy to increase testing uptake.
Modelling and Control of a 2-DOF Robot Arm with Elastic Joints for Safe Human-Robot Interaction
Authors: Tuan Hua Minh , Sanfilippo Filippo , Hao Nguyen Vinh
Published: August 2021

Collaborative robots (or cobots) are robots that can safely work together or interact with humans in a common space. They gradually become noticeable nowadays. Compliant actuators are very relevant for the design of cobots. This type of actuation scheme mitigates the damage caused by unexpected collision. Therefore, elastic joints are considered to outperform rigid joints when operating in a dynamic environment. However, most of the available elastic robots are relatively costly or difficult to construct. To give researchers a solution that is inexpensive, easily customisable, and fast to fabricate, a newly-designed low-cost, and open-source design of an elastic joint is presented in this work. Based on the newly design elastic joint, a highly-compliant multi-purpose 2-DOF robot arm for safe human-robot interaction is also introduced. The mechanical design of the robot and a position control algorithm are presented. The mechanical prototype is 3D-printed. The control algorithm is a two loops control scheme. In particular, the inner control loop is designed as a model reference adaptive controller (MRAC) to deal with uncertainties in the system parameters, while the outer control loop utilises a fuzzy proportional-integral controller to reduce the effect of external disturbances on the load. The control algorithm is first validated in simulation. Then the effectiveness of the controller is also proven by experiments on the mechanical prototype.
American Foulbrood in the Czech Republic: ERIC II Genotype of Paenibacillus Larvae Is Prevalent
Authors: Biová Jana , Bzdil Jaroslav , Dostálková Silvie , Petřivalský Marek , Brus Jan , Carra Elena , Danihlík Jiří
Published: August 2021

American foulbrood (AFB) is a dangerous disease of honeybees (Apis mellifera) caused by the spore-forming bacterium Paenibacillus larvae. According to the ERIC (enterobacterial repetitive intergenic consensus) classification, five genotypes are distinguished, i.e., I, II, III, IV, and V, which differ in their virulence and prevalence in colonies. In the Czech Republic, AFB prevalence is monitored by the State Veterinary Administration; however, the occurrence of specific P. larvae genotypes within the country remains unknown. In this study, our aim was to genotype field P. larvae strains collected in the Czech Republic according to the ERIC classification. In total, 102 field isolates from colonies with AFB clinical symptoms were collected from various locations in the Czech Republic, and the PCR genotypization was performed using ERIC primers. We confirmed the presence of both ERIC I and II genotypes, while ERIC III, IV, and V were not detected. The majority of samples (n = 82, 80.4%) were identified as ERIC II, while the ERIC I genotype was confirmed only in 20 samples (19.6%). In contrast to other European countries, the ERIC II genotype is predominant in Czech honeybee colonies. The ERIC I genotype was mostly detected in border regions close to Poland, Slovakia, and Austria.
Effects of Andrographolide on Mouse Intestinal Microflora Based on High-Throughput Sequence Analysis
Authors: Wu Haigang , Wu Xian , Huang Li , Ruan Chongmei , Liu Jinni , Chen Xiaoqing , Liu Jicheng , Luo Houqing
Published: August 2021

The intestinal flora is a micro-ecosystem that is closely linked to the overall health of the host. We examined the diversity and abundance of intestinal microorganisms in mice following the administration of andrographolide, a component of the Chinese medical herb Andrographis paniculata. Administration of andrographolide produces multiple beneficial effects including anti-inflammatory, antiviral and antibacterial effects but whether it directly influences the gut microbiota is not known. This study investigated whether the oral administration of andrographolide influences the intestinal microbiota and was compared with amoxicillin treatment as a positive control and water only as a negative control. We examined 21 cecal samples and conducted a high-throughput sequencing analysis based on V3-V4 variable region of the 16S rDNA genes. We found that the diversity and abundance of mouse gut microbiota decreased in direct proportion with the amoxicillin dose whereas andrographolide administration did not affect intestinal microbial community structure. The composition of intestinal microbes following andrographolide treatment was dominated by the Firmicutes while Bacteroidetes dominated the amoxicillin treatment group compared with the negative controls. Specifically, the f__Lachnospiraceae_ Unclassified, Lachnospiraceae_ NK4A136_group and Ruminococcaceae_ UCG-014 were enriched with andrographolide administration while Bacteroides, Klebsiella and Escherichia-Shigella significantly increased in the amoxicillin test groups. Amoxicillin administration altered the microbial community composition and structure by increasing the proportion of pathogenic to beneficial bacteria whereas andrographolide administration led to increases in the proportions and abundance of beneficial bacteria. This study provides a theoretical basis for finding alternatives to antibiotics to decrease bacterial resistance and restore intestinal floral imbalances.
Effects of Combined Supplementation of Macleaya cordata Extract and Benzoic Acid on the Growth Performance, Immune Responses, Antioxidant Capacity, Intestinal Morphology, and Microbial Composition in Weaned Piglets
Authors: Wang Fang , Yin Yexin , Yang Mei , Chen Jiashun , Fu Chenxing , Huang Ke
Published: August 2021

Because the use of antibiotics is forbidden, piglets experience a considerable weanling stress, resulting in increased incidence of diarrhea and death. Macleaya cordata extract or benzoic acid have anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, and antimicrobial activities that makes them potential antibiotic alternatives. The objective of this study was to evaluate the potential effects of feed supplemented with Macleaya cordata extract and benzoic acid on growth performance, immunity, antioxidant capacity, intestinal morphology, and microflora in weaned piglets. Twenty-four weaned piglets [Duroc × (Large White × Landrace)] 28 days of age and weighing 8.41 ± 0.13 kg were randomly divided in equal numbers (n = 8) into three groups fed a basal diet (CON), CON + 20 mg/kg flavomycin + 50 mg/kg quinocetone (AGP), or CON + 50 mg/kg Macleaya cordata extract + 1,000 mg/kg benzoic acid (MB). Compared with the CON diet, dietary MB or AGP increased the final weight and average daily gain, and reduced feed efficiency and the diarrhea rate (P < 0.05). Compared with the CON diet, MB supplementation increased serum superoxide dismutase (SOD activity) and decreased malondialdehyde (MDA) content (P < 0.05). Serum interleukin (IL)-10 IgA and IgM were higher (P < 0.05) in MB-fed piglets than in CON-fed piglets. Piglets fed the MB diet had greater villus height and villus height to crypt depth ratio (VC) in the duodenum, villus height in the ileum, and lower crypt depth in the jejunum than did piglets given the CON diet (P < 0.5). Piglets in the MB group had increased concentrations of acetate, propionate, butyrate, and total short-chain fatty acids in the ileum or cecum compared with the CON and AGP groups (P < 0.05). Streptococcus proportion was lower in the MB than in the AGP group. Dietary MB increased the Lactobacillus and decreased Escherichia-Shigella populations compared with the CON group (P < 0.05). The study results indicate that MB can be used to replace AGP as a feed supplement for weaned piglets.
Vasculogenic Mimicry Formation Predicts Tumor Progression in Oligodendroglioma
Authors: Xie Jing , Kong Xue , Wang Wei , Li Yuan , Lin Mengyu , Li Heng , Chen Jingjing , Zhou Wenchao , He Jie , Wu Haibo
Published: August 2021

Vasculogenic mimicry (VM) has been identified as an important vasculogenic mechanism in malignant tumors, but little is known about its clinical meanings and mechanisms in oligodendroglioma. In this study, VM-positive cases were detected in 28 (20.6%) out of 136 oligodendroglioma samples, significantly associated with higher WHO grade, lower Karnofsky performance status (KPS) scores, and recurrent tumor (p < 0.001, p = 0.040, and p = 0.020 respectively). Patients with VM-positive oligodendroglioma had a shorter progress-free survival (PFS) compared with those with VM-negative tumor (p < 0.001), whereas no significant difference was detected in overall survival (OS) between these patients. High levels of phosphorylate serine/threonine kinases Ataxia-telangiectasia mutated (pATM) and phosphorylate Ataxia-telangiectasia and Rad3-Related (pATR) were detected in 31 (22.8%) and 34 (25.0%), respectively out of 136 oligodendroglioma samples. Higher expressions of pATM and pATR were both associated with a shorter PFS (p < 0.001 and p < 0.001). VM-positive oligodendroglioma specimens tended to exhibit higher pATM and pATR staining than VM-negative specimens (rs = 0.435, p < 0.001 and rs = 0.317, p < 0.001). Besides, Hypoxia-inducible factor-1α (HIF1α) expression was detected in 14(10.3%) samples, correlated with higher WHO grade and non-frontal lobe (p = 0.010 and p = 0.029). However, no obvious connection was detected between HIF1α expression and VM formation (p = 0.537). Finally, either univariate or multivariate analysis suggested that VM was an independent unfavorable predictor for oligodendroglioma patients (p < 0.001, HR = 7.928, 95%CI: 3.382–18.584, and p = 0.007, HR = 4.534, 95%CI: 1.504–13.675, respectively). VM is a potential prognosticator for tumor progression in oligodendroglioma patients. Phosphorylation of ATM and ATR linked to treatment-resistance may be associated with VM formation. The role of VM in tumor progression and the implication of pATM/pATR in VM formation may provide potential therapeutic targets for oligodendroglioma treatment.
Property-Based Semantic Similarity Criteria to Evaluate the Overlaps of Schemas
Authors: Huang Lan , Zhao Yuanwei , Wang Bo , Zhang Dongxu , Zhang Rui , Das Subhashis , Bocca Simone , Giunchiglia Fausto
Published: August 2021

Knowledge graph-based data integration is a practical methodology for heterogeneous legacy database-integrated service construction. However, it is neither efficient nor economical to build a new cross-domain knowledge graph on top of the schemas of each legacy database for the specific integration application rather than reusing the existing high-quality knowledge graphs. Consequently, a question arises as to whether the existing knowledge graph is compatible with cross-domain queries and with heterogenous schemas of the legacy systems. An effective criterion is urgently needed in order to evaluate such compatibility as it limits the quality upbound of the integration. This research studies the semantic similarity of the schemas from the aspect of properties. It provides a set of in-depth criteria, namely coverage and flexibility, to evaluate the pairwise compatibility between the schemas. It takes advantage of the properties of knowledge graphs to evaluate the overlaps between schemas and defines the weights of entity types in order to perform precise compatibility computation. The effectiveness of the criteria obtained to evaluate the compatibility between knowledge graphs and cross-domain queries is demonstrated using a case study.
Data Mining Algorithms for Smart Cities: A Bibliometric Analysis
Authors: Kousis Anestis , Tjortjis Christos
Published: August 2021

Smart cities connect people and places using innovative technologies such as Data Mining (DM), Machine Learning (ML), big data, and the Internet of Things (IoT). This paper presents a bibliometric analysis to provide a comprehensive overview of studies associated with DM technologies used in smart cities applications. The study aims to identify the main DM techniques used in the context of smart cities and how the research field of DM for smart cities evolves over time. We adopted both qualitative and quantitative methods to explore the topic. We used the Scopus database to find relative articles published in scientific journals. This study covers 197 articles published over the period from 2013 to 2021. For the bibliometric analysis, we used the Biliometrix library, developed in R. Our findings show that there is a wide range of DM technologies used in every layer of a smart city project. Several ML algorithms, supervised or unsupervised, are adopted for operating the instrumentation, middleware, and application layer. The bibliometric analysis shows that DM for smart cities is a fast-growing scientific field. Scientists from all over the world show a great interest in researching and collaborating on this interdisciplinary scientific field.
An Efficient Geometric Search Algorithm of Pandemic Boundary Detection
Authors: Zhang Zhanhao , Huang Qifan
Published: August 2021

We consider a scenario where the pandemic infection rate is inversely proportional to the power of the distance between the infected region and the non-infected region. In our study, we analyze the case where the exponent of the distance is 2, which is in accordance with Reilly’s law of retail gravitation. One can test for infection but such tests are costly so one seeks to determine the region of infection while performing few tests. Our goal is to find a boundary region of minimal size that contains all infected areas. We discuss efficient algorithms and provide the asymptotic bound of the testing cost and simulation results for this problem.
R&D and Innovation Collaboration between Universities and Business—A PLS-SEM Model for the Spanish Province of Huelva
Authors: García-Machado Juan J. , Sroka Włodzimierz , Nowak Martyna
Published: August 2021

In the last decade we have witnessed a growing amount of interest for developing better ‘exchange’ between universities, research centres and technology parks and companies, governments and other institutions. The biggest aim of those projects is, on the one hand, to make sure that valuable research does not stay hidden in the ivory tower of academia, and, on the other, that there are clear indications for what kinds of solutions are needed in the market. Due to the lack of empirical research in the topic, the focus of this paper is to establish and explain which factors determine the demand for technological services and how they can contribute to the promotion of greater university–business collaboration in R&D and innovation. To achieve that goal, we applied the PLS-SEM (Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modelling) method in order to create a theoretical model, which was then verified through the application of the CTA (Confirmatory Tetrad Analysis) with the purpose of evaluating whether the specification of the chosen measurement model based on the theoretical rationale was supported by data. The test run was performed on 96 companies from the Spanish region of Huelva. It showed that only four of the considered factors, namely influence of the environment, market conditions, technology adoption decision and economic characteristics of the company, constituted 65.76% of the variance of the endogenous latent Demand for Technological Services. We believe that thanks to the proposed model and its adaptivity, it is possible to design relevant policies and undertakings aimed at promoting the research-business collaboration at the regional, national and international levels.
Can Trust Motivate Farmers to Purchase Natural Disaster Insurance? Evidence from Earthquake-Stricken Areas of Sichuan, China
Authors: Bao Xueling , Zhang Fengwan , Deng Xin , Xu Dingde
Published: August 2021

Natural disasters cause great losses of property and life in many areas of China. However, rural residents do not always insure themselves against these losses. Measuring the correlation between trust and farmers’ behavior related to the purchasing of natural disaster insurance is of great significance to the implementation of natural disaster insurance pilot programs and insurance systems in China. This article analyzes data from a survey of 327 households in four districts and counties of Sichuan Province, China, that were affected by the Wenchuan and Lushan earthquakes. According to the relevant theories of trust, trust was divided into three dimensions: authority trust, collective trust, and relationship trust. Then a technology acceptance model was built, and PLS-SEM was used to comprehensively analyze the correlation between different dimensions of trust and farmers’ insurance purchase behavior. The results show that (1) only relationship trust was directly and significantly positively correlated with insurance purchasing behavior. Although there was no direct significant correlation between authoritative trust or collective trust and buying behavior, relationship trust was found to indirectly affect buying behavior. (2) Younger farmers and those with higher incomes are more likely to buy disaster insurance if they live in a disaster-threat zone, have experienced disasters, and are risk averse. We then discuss the correlations between farmers’ trust and natural disaster insurance purchasing in areas threatened by earthquake disasters. This provides a policy inspiration for the promotion of disaster insurance and the construction of insurance systems in China.
Sentinel-2 Imagery Monitoring Vine Growth Related to Topography in a Protected Designation of Origin Region
Authors: Tassopoulos Dimitrios , Kalivas Dionissios , Giovos Rigas , Lougkos Nestor , Priovolou Anastasia
Published: August 2021

Remote sensing satellite platforms provide accurate temporal and spatial information useful in viticulture with an increasing interest in their use. This study aims to identify the possibilities of freely available and with frequent revisit time Sentinel-2 satellites, to monitor vine growth at regional scale on a vine-growing Protected Designation of Origin (PDO) zone during the growing season of the year 2019. This study aims to: (i) investigate through several Vegetation Indices (VIs) the vine growth differences across the zone and relations with topographic parameters; (ii) identify VIs that best recognize differences on subzones of different climatic conditions; (iii) explore the effectiveness of the Sentinel-2 data monitoring management applications. A total of 27 vineyards were selected for field and satellite data collection. Several VIs have been calculated per vineyard from a 20-date time series dataset. VIs showed high negative correlation with topographic parameter of elevation on the flowering stage. The analysis of variance between the VIs of the subzones showed that these regions have statistically significant differences, that most VIs can expose on the flowering and harvest stage, and only Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) and VIs using Red-Edge bands during the veraison period. Sentinel-2 data show great effectiveness on monitoring management applications (tillage and trimming).
The Impact of Weaning Stress on Gut Health and the Mechanistic Aspects of Several Feed Additives Contributing to Improved Gut Health Function in Weanling Piglets—A Review
Authors: Upadhaya Santi-Devi , Kim In-Ho
Published: August 2021

Newly weaned pig encounters psychosocial, physical, and nutritional stressors simultaneously when their immune system is not fully developed. These stressors have a cumulative effect on the immune response that contributes to the post-weaning growth lag which is characterized by depression in feed intake, reduced or negative growth rates, and increased susceptibility to pathogens in the first 24 to 48 h post-weaning. Consequently, the intestinal integrity, and digestive and absorptive capacity are impaired, and there is an increase in intestinal oxidative stress. It also causes the shifts in the taxonomic and functional properties of intestinal microbiome abruptly, thereby adversely affecting the health and performance of animals. It has been suggested that the effects of weaning stress on immune functions, intestinal barrier functions, and nervous system function in early weaned pigs extends into adulthood. The inclusion of different types of feed additives into the diet have been reported to alleviate the negative effects of weaning stress. The objective of this paper was to provide an overview on how the weaning stress affects gut health and the impact it has on production efficiencies, as well as the mechanistic aspects of several feed additives applied in reducing the weaning associated gut health problems and performance inefficiencies.
Supplementing the Diet of Dairy Goats with Dried Orange Pulp throughout Lactation: II Effect on Milk Fatty Acids Profile, Phenolic Compounds, Fat-Soluble Vitamins and Antioxidant Capacity
Authors: Delgado-Pertíñez Manuel , Martín-García Ignacio , Mena Yolanda , Zarazaga Luis Ángel , Guzmán José Luis
Published: August 2021

Although dried orange pulp (DOP) as a short-term dietary supplementation has been proven an effective substitute for cereals in goat diets–without impairing milk quality–there have been no studies considering its use over the full lactation period. This study evaluated replacing cereal with DOP in goat diets for the full 180-day lactation period on milk’s fatty acid (FA) and antioxidant composition. Payoya goats were assigned to three diet groups: a control group consuming a commercial concentrate with alfalfa hay as forage; a DOP40 or DOP80 group, wherein 40% or 80% of the cereal in the concentrate was replaced by DOP. The α-tocopherol and phenolic compounds levels and the antioxidant capacity in the milk increased as the DOP percentage increased. Including DOP might improve the FA indices of milk in the context of human health, especially when included at the end of lactation because it contributes to reducing the thrombogenicity index and increasing both the monounsaturated/saturated FA and polyunsaturated/saturated FA indices and the amounts of indispensables α-C18:3 n-3 and C18:2 n-6 cis. Ultimately, DOP presents a plausible alternative to cereals in the diet of goats throughout lactation to improve the nutritional milk quality, especially the healthy antioxidant capacity.