bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Comprehensive Evaluation of Quality Traits of Hovenia acerba Germplasm Resources in Fujian Province
Authors: Yang Zhijian , Chen Hui , Lin Chaimei , Sun Jindian , Wen Wenling , Zhu Xiangjin , El-Kassaby Yousry A. , Feng Jinling
Published: January 2023

Hovenia acerba is a precious medicinal and edible tree. We assessed the genetic variation of H. acerba quality traits and conducted a comprehensive germplasm resource evaluation to provide a theoretical basis for breeding edible, medicinal, and edible/medicine combination varieties. We evaluated 31 H. acerba germplasm resources, including 12 infructescence and 8 fruit quality traits using correlation, principal component, and cluster analyses. The results showed that there were significant differences in all quality traits, with an average coefficient of variation greater than 0.20, an average genetic diversity greater than 1.80, and an average repeatability greater than 0.90. The average genetic variation and repeatability of quality traits in infructescence were higher than fruit. Infructescence K, Ca, Mn, Mg, and reducing sugar contents are important indicators in evaluating infructescence and fruit quality traits, and infructescence K, Mg, and reducing sugar contents are also quality innovation indices of H. acerba germplasms. Tannin, protein, and soluble sugar were the most suitable quality components for screening, followed by reducing sugar, starch, fat, total saponins, and total flavones. According to principal component factor scores and cluster analysis results, specific genotypes were selected as breeding materials for infructescence protein, tannin, flavone, reductive sugar, fruit tannin, fat, flavonoid, saponin, protein, and starch. The correlation analysis with environmental factors showed that the total amount of applied water could influence H. acerba infructescence and fruit quality. In conclusion, the variability of H. acerba germplasm resources was rich, and selection potential is large, which is beneficial to germplasm quality innovation and breeding.
Classification of Complicated Urban Forest Acoustic Scenes with Deep Learning Models
Authors: Zhang Chengyun , Zhan Haisong , Hao Zezhou , Gao Xinghui
Published: January 2023

The use of passive acoustic monitoring (PAM) can compensate for the shortcomings of traditional survey methods on spatial and temporal scales and achieve all-weather and wide-scale assessment and prediction of environmental dynamics. Assessing the impact of human activities on biodiversity by analyzing the characteristics of acoustic scenes in the environment is a frontier hotspot in urban forestry. However, with the accumulation of monitoring data, the selection and parameter setting of the deep learning model greatly affect the content and efficiency of sound scene classification. This study compared and evaluated the performance of different deep learning models for acoustic scene classification based on the recorded sound data from Guangzhou urban forest. There are seven categories of acoustic scenes for classification: human sound, insect sound, bird sound, bird–human sound, insect–human sound, bird–insect sound, and silence. A dataset containing seven acoustic scenes was constructed, with 1000 samples for each scene. The requirements of the deep learning models on the training data volume and training epochs in the acoustic scene classification were evaluated through several sets of comparison experiments, and it was found that the models were able to achieve satisfactory accuracy when the training sample data volume for a single category was 600 and the training epochs were 100. To evaluate the generalization performance of different models to new data, a small test dataset was constructed, and multiple trained models were used to make predictions on the test dataset. All experimental results showed that the DenseNet_BC_34 model performs best among the comparison models, with an overall accuracy of 93.81% for the seven acoustic scenes on the validation dataset. This study provides practical experience for the application of deep learning techniques in urban sound monitoring and provides new perspectives and technical support for further exploring the relationship between human activities and biodiversity.
Ecosystem Service Evaluation and Multi-Objective Management of Pinus massoniana Lamb. Plantations in Guangxi, China
Authors: Mo Rongjian , Wang Yongqi , Dong Shulong , Ma Jiangming , Mo Yanhua
Published: January 2023

Research on forest ecosystem service (ES) assessments is currently a topic of much interest in forest ecology combined with geography. Forests are the mainstay of terrestrial ecosystems and provide a wide range of welfare supports for humans. Pinus massoniana (PM) Lamb. is a major silvicultural timber species in southern China and plays an important role in meeting domestic timber demand as well as providing ESs. The assessment of the ESs of PM plantation forests is beneficial for their sustainable management. In this study, we used the woody biomass method, the InVEST water content model and the USLE, a generalized soil loss equation model to assess the values of four Ess, including wood supply, carbon sequestration and oxygen release, water conservation, and soil conservation, in PM plantations in the Guangxi Paiyangshan Forest Farm, which is a national PM seed base. A spectral clustering method was used to identify the ecosystem service clusters (i.e., partitions) in the case study area, and certain strategies were provided for different partitions to form a management strategy for the sustainable management of PM plantation forest ecosystems. This study showed that the value of each ES per hectare in the northern tropical pine plantation, ranked from the largest to the smallest, was water conservation; carbon sequestration and oxygen release; wood supply; and soil conservation, with the values of the wood supply in addition to carbon sequestration and oxygen release per hectare increasing with the age of the plantation. Based on the different service characteristics within the service clusters, the northern tropical PM plantation area was divided into wood supply, ecological nourishment and ecological restoration areas, which can focus more on wood supply and ecological nourishment.
Hazop Analysis of a Bioprocess for Polyhydroxyalkanoate (PHA) Production from Organic Waste: Part A
Authors: Lauri Roberto , Incocciati Emma , Pietrangeli Biancamaria , Tayou Lionel Nguemna , Valentino Francesco , Gottardo Marco , Majone Mauro
Published: January 2023

The number of bioprocesses for the circular economy of organic waste has grown in recent years. Implementation of new processes and technologies should consider occupational health and safety issues from the initial design stages. Among the process hazards analysis techniques, HAZard and OPerability (HAZOP) methodology is widely used for studying both the process’s hazards and their operability problems, by exploring the effects of any deviations from design conditions. In the present study, a modified version of HAZOP methodology has been applied to a three-steps process developed at pilot scale in the Treviso municipal wastewater treatment plant in order to produce polyhydroxyalkanoate (PHA) as the final high value product. This paper shows the results of HAZOP analysis applied to the first process step (acidogenic fermentation) aimed at volatile fatty acids production. The analysis has been applied to the process conditions corresponding to the maximum PHA content in the biomass. The HAZOP study results showed that this methodology allowed a comprehensive exploration of conventional chemical engineering process hazards and biological hazards. Final piping and instrumentation diagrams (P&IDs) for acidogenic fermentation have been designed, identifying all prevention measures aimed at managing the hazard and operability issues. The P&ID shows the interconnection of equipment and the instrumentation required for controlling the process.
Morpho-Molecular Discordance? Re-Approaching Systematics of Cambeva (Siluriformes: Trichomycteridae) from the Guaratuba-Babitonga-Itapocu Area, Southern Brazil
Authors: Costa Wilson J. E. M. , Feltrin Caio R. M. , Mattos José Leonardo O. , Dalcin Roger H. , Abilhoa Vinicius , Katz Axel M.
Published: January 2023

A recent field inventory focusing on catfishes of the trichomycterine genus Cambeva detected the occurrence of two morphotypes, C. barbosae and C. cubataonis, in the Guaratuba-Babitonga-Itapocu area (GBIA) of southern Brazil, reporting some discordance with results of coalescent-based approaches for species delimitation that indicated different estimates of species number. Contrastingly, based on examination of characters taken from the external morphology and osteology, we here recognised six species of Cambeva in GBIA: C. cf. botuvera, a polymorphic and geographically widespread species; C. cubataonis, endemic to the Rio Cubatão do Norte; and four new species, two endemic to the Rio Itapocu basin, one endemic to the Baía de Babitonga system and one endemic to the Baía de Guaratuba system. We performed a molecular phylogenetic analysis indicating that Cambeva comprises three major clades, the alpha-, beta- and gama-clades, with C. cf. botuvera and a clade comprising C. cubataonis and three new species belonging to the beta-clade and another new species belonging to the gama-clade. We concluded that species here recognised are not in fact incongruent with results of that recent study when taxa are correctly identified by a representative sample of morphological characters, highlighting the importance of osteological characters for delimiting trichomycterine species.
Identification and Characterization of GYS and GSK3β Provides Insights into the Regulation of Glycogen Synthesis in Jinjiang Oyster Crassostrea ariakensis
Authors: Wang Yan , Liu Zhihong , Chen Xi , Zhou Liqing , Sun Xiujun , Yu Tao , Wang Xiaomei , Zheng Yanxin , Wu Biao
Published: January 2023

Glycogen, a stored form of glucose, is an important form of energy for aquatic shellfish, contributing to the flavor and quality of the oyster. The glycogen synthase (GYS) and glycogen synthase kinase 3β (GSK3β) are two major enzymes in the glycogenesis. However, the information of the two genes in the Jinjiang oyster Crassostrea ariakensis remains limited. In this study, we identified the genes of GYS and GSK3β and further explored their function in the glycogen synthesis of C. ariakensis. The GYS and GSK3β were distributed in all tested tissues, and high expression of GYS and glycogen content were detected in the gonad, labial palp, hepatopancreas, and mantle, while the high expression of GSK3β was observed in the gill and adductor muscle. The expression of GYS was positively correlated with the glycogen content, while GSK3β was negatively correlated. Additionally, knockdown of GSK3β using RNAi decreased the GYS expression, revealing the negative regulatory effect of GSK3β on GYS. These findings enrich the research data of GSK3β and GYS involved in glycogen synthesis, providing valuable information for further research on the function of GSK3β and GYS in the glycogen synthesis process of oyster.
Physiological and Transcriptomic Response of Asiatic Hard Clam Meretrix meretrix to the Harmful Alga Heterosigma akashiwo
Authors: Ji Nanjing , Xu Mingyang , Wang Junyue , Li Junjia , Liu Shishi , Yin Xueyao , Shen Xin , Cai Yuefeng
Published: January 2023

The ichthyotoxic raphidophyte Heterosigma akashiwo is associated with harmful algal blooms (HABs). Although the influence of H. akashiwo on fish has been reported, little is known of its effects on other marine organisms, such as shellfish. In this study, the physiological and transcriptomic responses of the Asiatic hard clam Meretrix meretrix to H. akashiwo were investigated. The results showed that clam survival was not influenced by H. akashiwo (at a concentration of 2 × 104 cells/mL), and M. meretrix eliminated the alga effectively after 48 h in co-culture. H. akashiwo did not alter the antioxidant capacity of the clams. However, 544 unigenes were found to be differentially expressed between the control and H. akashiwo-treated clams. Interestingly, the significant up-regulation of lysosome-related genes and transport proteins suggested remodeling of the clam metabolism possibly for digestion of H. akashiwo. In summary, our results indicate that the clam M. meretrix can effectively feed on H. akashiwo, and intensification of shellfish farming may be helpful to control and mitigate H. akashiwo blooms.
Simulating the Effects of Temperature and Food Availability on True Soles (Solea spp.) Early-Life History Traits: A Tool for Understanding Fish Recruitment in Future Climate Change Scenarios
Authors: Sardi Adriana E. , Moreira José M. , Omingo Lisa , Cousin Xavier , Bégout Marie-Laure , Manchado Manuel , Marn Nina
Published: January 2023

Research on recruitment variability has gained momentum in the last years, undoubtedly due to the many unknowns related to climate change impacts. Knowledge about recruitment—the process of small, young fish transitioning to an older, larger life stage—timing and success is especially important for commercial fish species, as it allows predicting the availability of fish and adapting fishing practices for its sustainable exploitation. Predicting tools for determining the combined effect of temperature rise and food quality and quantity reduction (two expected outcomes of climate change) on early-life history traits of fish larvae are valuable for anticipating and adjusting fishing pressure and policy. Here we use a previously published and validated dynamic energy budget (DEB) model for the common sole (Solea solea) and adapt and use the same DEB model for the Senegalese sole (S. senegalensis) to predict the effects of temperature and food availability on Solea spp. early life-history traits. We create seven simulation scenarios, recreating RCP 4.5 and 8.5 Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) scenarios and including a reduction in food availability. Our results show that temperature and food availability both affect the age at metamorphosis, which is advanced in all scenarios that include a temperature rise and delayed when food is limited. Age at puberty was also affected by the temperature increase but portrayed a more complex response that is dependent on the spawning (batch) period. We discuss the implications of our results in a climate change context.
Catch Estimates and Species Composition of Recreational Fishing in Israel
Authors: Frid Ori , Gavriel Tal , Ben-Ari Yigael , Weinberger Adi , Yancovich-Shalom Hagar , Belmaker Jonathan
Published: January 2023

Recreational fishing is common around the Mediterranean Sea. The number of recreational fishers is growing, and they are using increasingly efficient fishing techniques. However, fisher activity is heterogeneous, both temporally and spatially, making it very difficult to determine this sector’s fishing pressure and annual yields. Therefore, estimates of annual yields and ecological effects of this fishing sector are limited. In this study, we undertook an extensive survey designed to document and quantify recreational fishing patterns across the Israeli Mediterranean shoreline. We comprehensively quantified recreational fishing using three complementary strategies: (1) ground surveys, including interviews with anglers on the coast, (2) personalized phone interviews, and (3) aerial surveys by helicopter. These methods were used to calculate annual recreational yield and to estimate species and size composition, which were then compared to the commercial fishing catch. We found that a recreational catch makes up between 10%-37% of the total annual fishing yields, which is similar to estimates from other regions of the Mediterranean. We also found that non-indigenous species are among the most common species in recreational catch and have become a significant part of local fishery yields. Recreational angling from the coast targets smaller, reef associated species compared to recreational fishers at sea. We identified 23 species common to both recreational fishing and commercial fishing, over which conflicts between fishing sectors may arise. These results can be used to more accurately manage Israeli fisheries and can provide a baseline against which to compare future changes in a region under the threats of climate change, biological invasions, and growing human pressure.
Combination of Riprap and Submerged Vane as an Abutment Scour Countermeasure
Authors: Fathi Abazar , Zomorodian S. M. Ali , Zolghadr Masih , Chadee Aaron , Chiew Yee-Meng , Kumar Bimlesh , Martin Hector
Published: January 2023

Scour is one of the main causes of hydraulic structural failures. The present experimental study examines the use of riprap, submerged vanes, and a combination of these for scour reduction around vertical walls and spill-through abutments under clear-water conditions. Specifically, the influence of placing riprap stones with different apron shapes (geometry) and/or a group of submerged vanes of constant height and length on abutment scour was examined. The main aim is to propose the optimum apron geometry and placement of submerged vanes to (1) reduce edge failure at vertical walls and spill-through abutments; and (2) prevent shear failure at the spill-through abutment (no shear failure is observed around the vertical wall abutment). The results show that using ripraps for scour protection is more effective than submerged vanes. However, the highest reduction in scour depth was achieved when a combination of riprap and submerged vanes was used together. This arrangement can reduce the maximum clear-water scour depth by up to 54% and 39% with vertical walls and spill-through abutments, respectively. Furthermore, selecting appropriate apron scale ratios reduces the required riprap volume by up to 46% and 31% for the vertical wall and spill-through abutment, respectively. In addition, the installation of vanes increased the riprap stability and reduced edge failure in both abutments tested. Finally, using riprap aprons with proper scales ratios at the downstream side of the spill-through abutment also prevents shear failure in this zone.
Practical Implementation of the Comprehensive Geriatric Assessment to Optimise Care for Older Adults with Cancer
Authors: Tack Laura , Schofield Patricia , Boterberg Tom , Chandler Rebecca , Parris Christopher N. , Debruyne Philip R.
Published: January 2023

Whilst cancer remains a very serious health problem at any stage, cancer combined with increasing age creates an even more challenging situation for health care providers [...]
Three-Dimensional Digitization of Archaeological Sites—The Use Case of the Palace of Knossos
Authors: Pervolarakis Zacharias , Zidianakis Emmanouil , Katzourakis Antonis , Evdaimon Theodoros , Partarakis Nikolaos , Zabulis Xenophon , Stephanidis Constantine
Published: January 2023

Modern digitization technologies have created an increasing number of possibilities for capturing the physical dimensions and appearance of archaeological artifacts and sites in 3D. The usage of such data is usually targeted to the research, study, and documentation of our cultural heritage. At the same time, the increasing quality of the produced digitizations has opened new possibilities for the further exploitation of digitization outcomes in a wider context than initially expected. A pioneer in this direction was the gaming industry, where photogrammetry has been recently employed to achieve extreme photorealism. Of course, challenges still exist, especially when digitization accuracy is of importance, such as in the case of large-scale archaeological sites. Further challenges regard the need to combine indoor and outdoor scenes that pose requirements in the selection of the appropriate digitization modalities and post-processing strategies. In more detail, the challenges relate to the appropriate usage of existing technologies, organization issues in terms of digitization visits, the combination and registration of data, data acquisition, and data processing methodologies, etc. In this paper, we demonstrated a methodology for the digitization of archaeological sites that can be used for creating digital assets suitable for various scenarios including research, education, and entertainment.
Identification of a Monosomic Alien Chromosome Addition Line Responsible for the Purple Color Trait in Heading Chinese Cabbage
Authors: Xin Xiaoyun , Zhang Deshuang , Zhao Hong , Su Tongbing , Zhao Xiuyun , Wang Weihong , Li Peirong , Yu Yangjun , Wang Jiao , Yu Shuancang , Zhang Fenglan
Published: January 2023

Purple heading Chinese cabbage has become popular in recent years due to its attractive color and health benefits. However, purple varieties remain rare, and the regulation mechanism of anthocyanin accumulation in Chinese cabbage is still largely unknown. By introducing the purple color trait from Brassica juncea, a new purple heading Chinese cabbage cultivar (18M-245) was generated with deep purple leaves at both the seedling and adult stages. Anthocyanin accumulation in 18M-245 increased when grown at low temperatures. FISH and genotyping results showed that the purple trait was caused by an alien chromosome addition line derived from the Brassica B genome. The LDOX coding gene BjuB014115 from the addition line was highly expressed in 18M-245, consistent with the results of anthocyanin accumulation. Meanwhile, several MYB and bHLH transcriptional factors from the Brassica A genome were found to directly bind to the promoter of BjuB014115, suggesting that interactions between the Brassica A and B genomes are involved in the regulatory network of anthocyanin biosynthesis in Chinese cabbage. Our results provide new insights into the regulation mechanism of anthocyanin biosynthesis in purple heading Chinese cabbage.
Tomato Leaf Disease Classification via Compact Convolutional Neural Networks with Transfer Learning and Feature Selection
Authors: Attallah Omneya
Published: January 2023

Tomatoes are one of the world’s greatest valuable vegetables and are regarded as the economic pillar of numerous countries. Nevertheless, these harvests remain susceptible to a variety of illnesses which can reduce and destroy the generation of healthy crops, making early and precise identification of these diseases critical. Therefore, in recent years, numerous studies have utilized deep learning (DL) models for automatic tomato leaf illness identification. However, many of these methods are based on a single DL architecture that needs a high computational ability to update these hyperparameters leading to a rise in the classification complexity. In addition, they extracted large dimensions from these networks which added to the classification complication. Therefore, this study proposes a pipeline for the automatic identification of tomato leaf diseases utilizing three compact convolutional neural networks (CNNs). It employs transfer learning to retrieve deep features out of the final fully connected layer of the CNNs for more condensed and high-level representation. Next, it merges features from the three CNNs to benefit from every CNN structure. Subsequently, it applies a hybrid feature selection approach to select and generate a comprehensive feature set of lower dimensions. Six classifiers are utilized in the tomato leaf illnesses identification procedure. The results indicate that the K-nearest neighbor and support vector machine have attained the highest accuracy of 99.92% and 99.90% using 22 and 24 features only. The experimental results of the proposed pipeline are also compared with previous research studies for tomato leaf diseases classification which verified its competing capacity.
Long-Term Survivors in a Cohort of People Living with HIV Diagnosed between 1985 and 1994: Predictive Factors Associated with More Than 25 Years of Survival
Authors: Cosentino Federica , Marino Andrea , Anile Laura , Moscatt Vittoria , Gussio Maria , Boscia Vincenzo , Bruno Roberto , Nunnari Giuseppe , Pulvirenti Alfredo , Privitera Grete Francesca , Cacopardo Bruno Santi , Ceccarelli Manuela , Celesia Benedetto Maurizio
Published: January 2023

Although the mortality rate among individuals diagnosed during the pre-Highly Active Antiretroviral Treatment era has been substantial, a considerable number of them survived. Our study aimed to evaluate the prevalence of HIV long-term survivors in a cohort of People Living with HIV diagnosed between 1985 and 1994 and to speculate about potential predictive factors associated to long survival. This is a retrospective single-center study. Subjects surviving more than 300 months (25 years) from HIV diagnosis were defined as Long Term Survivors. Overall, 210 subjects were enrolled. More than 75.24% of the included people living with HIV were males, with a median age of 28 years (IQR 25–34). The prevalent risk factors for HIV infection were injection drug use (47.62%), followed by unprotected sex among heterosexual individuals (23.81%). Ninety-three individuals (44.29%) could be defined as LTS with a median (IQR) survival of 333 (312–377) months. A hazard ratio of 12.45 (95% CI 7.91–19.59) was found between individuals who were exposed to Highly Active AntiRetroviral Treatment (HAART) and individuals who were not, with the latter being at greater risk of death. The availability and accessibility of effective antiretroviral therapy for people living with HIV remain the cornerstone of survival.
The Predictive Role of Quantity and Quality Language-Exposure Measures for L1 and L2 Vocabulary Production among Immigrant Preschoolers in Italy
Authors: Bello Arianna , Ferraresi Paola , Caselli Maria Cristina , Perucchini Paola
Published: January 2023

In this study, we investigated the lexical ability in L1 and L2 of 60 immigrant children who were 37 to 62 months old and exposed to minority languages (L1) and Italian (L2). Using the MacArthur–Bates Communicative Development Inventories, we measured children’s vocabulary production in L1 and L2. From interviews, we collected data on quantitative language exposure (parental input, child output, length of exposure to L2 at preschool, and parental oral fluency) and qualitative home-language exposure (HLE) practices (active, play, and passive) in L1 and L2. We conducted stepwise regression analyses to explore which factors predicted children’s vocabulary production in L1 and L2. The child’s chronological age and parental education were not predictors of vocabulary production. L2 parental input, L1 child output, and L1 HLE-active practices explained 42% of the variance in children’s L1 vocabulary production. L2 child output and L2 HLE-active practices explained 47% of the variance in children’s L2 vocabulary production, whereas length of L2 exposure in preschool was a predictor only when we included quantitative language-exposure factors in the model. The effects of the quantity and quality of language exposure on lexical ability among preschool immigrant children are discussed.
Topical Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy Versus Local Ozone Therapy in Healing of Venous Leg Ulcers
Authors: Pasek Jarosław , Szajkowski Sebastian , Travagli Valter , Cieślar Grzegorz
Published: January 2023

Background: the treatment of venous leg ulcers still poses a difficult interdisciplinary medical problem. The aim of this study was to compare the therapeutic efficacy of local hyperbaric oxygen therapy with local ozone therapy in the treatment of venous leg ulcers. Materials: this study included 114 patients; 60 males (52.63%) and 54 females (47.36%) of ages ranging between 39 and 88 years (mean age: 68.9 ± 9.8 years) with venous leg ulcers, who underwent topical hyperbaric oxygen therapy (group I) and local ozone therapy (group II). In each of the study groups, the patients underwent 30 therapeutic procedures lasting 30 min each. The progress in wound healing was evaluated by computerized planimetry, and the intensity of pain was assessed with the use of the Visual Analogue Scale (VAS). Results: in both groups of treated patients, a statistically significant (p = 0.000001) reduction in the area of treated ulcers was achieved. In group I, the wound area decreased by an average of 69.67 ± 22.52%, from 7.55 ± 2.99 cm2 to 2.78 ± 2.43 cm2, and in group II, by an average of 41.33 ± 21.31%, from 7.36 ± 2.82 cm2 to 4.62 ± 2.76 cm2. In both groups of patients, a statistically significant (p = 0.000001) reduction in the intensity of pain ailments was observed: in group I, by an average of 0.55 ± 0.54 points, and in group II, by an average of 2.33 ± 0.82 points on the VAS scale. Conclusions: local hyperbaric oxygen therapy and local ozone therapy cause a statistically significant reduction in the surface area of venous leg ulcers as well as in the intensity of pain. Better results were observed after the application of local hyperbaric oxygen therapy procedures.
Effects of an App-Based Intervention Program to Reduce Substance Use, Gambling, and Digital Media Use in Adolescents and Young Adults: A Multicenter, Cluster-Randomized Controlled Trial in Vocational Schools in Germany
Authors: Pietsch Benjamin , Arnaud Nicolas , Lochbühler Kirsten , Rossa Monika , Kraus Ludwig , Gomes de Matos Elena , Grahlher Kristin , Thomasius Rainer , Hanewinkel Reiner , Morgenstern Matthis
Published: January 2023

Vocational students are a risk group for problematic substance use and addictive behaviors. The study aim was to evaluate the effects of an app-based intervention on tobacco, e-cigarettes, alcohol, and cannabis use as well as gambling and digital media-related behaviors in the vocational school setting. A total of 277 classes with 4591 students (mean age 19.2 years) were consecutively recruited and randomized into an intervention (IG) or waitlist control group (CG). Students from IG classes received access to an app, which encouraged a voluntary commitment to reduce or completely abstain from the use of a specific substance, gambling, or media-related habit for 2 weeks. Substance use, gambling, and digital media use were assessed before and after the intervention in both groups with a mean of 7.7 weeks between assessments. Multi-level logistic regression models were used to test group differences. Intention-to-treat-results indicated that students from IG classes had a significantly larger improvement on a general adverse health behavior measure compared to CG (OR = 1.24, p = 0.010). This difference was mainly due to a significantly higher reduction of students’ social media use in the IG (OR = 1.31, p < 0.001). Results indicate that the app “Meine Zeit ohne” is feasible for the target group and seems to have a small but measurable impact on students’ health behavior.
Correlation between UV Index, Temperature and Humidity with Respect to Incidence and Severity of COVID 19 in Spain
Authors: Pérez-Gilaberte Juan Blas , Martín-Iranzo Natalia , Aguilera José , Almenara-Blasco Manuel , de Gálvez María Victoria , Gilaberte Yolanda
Published: January 2023

Background: Various studies support the inverse correlation between solar exposure and Coronavirus SARS-CoV-2 infection. In Spain, from the Canary Islands to the northern part of the country, the global incidence of COVID-19 is different depending on latitude, which could be related to different meteorological conditions such as temperature, humidity, and ultraviolet index (UVI). The objective of the present work was to analyze the association between UVI, other relevant environmental factors such as temperature and humidity, and the incidence, severity, and mortality of COVID-19 at different latitudes in Spain. Methods: An observational prospective study was conducted, recording the numbers of new cases, hospitalizations, patients in critical units, mortality rates, and annual variations related to UVI, temperature, and humidity in five different provinces of Spain from January 2020 to February 2021. Results: Statistically significant inverse correlations (Spearman coefficients) were observed between UVI, temperature, annual changes, and the incidence of COVID-19 cases at almost all latitudes. Conclusion: Higher ultraviolet radiation levels and mean temperatures could contribute to reducing COVID-19 incidence, hospitalizations, and mortality.
How COVID-19 Pandemic Has Influenced Public Interest in Foods: A Google Trends Analysis of Italian Data
Authors: Maugeri Andrea , Barchitta Martina , Perticone Vanessa , Agodi Antonella
Published: January 2023

Controversy exists about the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on dietary habits, with studies demonstrating both benefits and drawbacks of this period. We analyzed Google Trends data on specific terms and arguments related to different foods (i.e., fruits, vegetables, legumes, whole grains, nuts and seeds, milk, red meat, processed meat, and sugar-sweetened beverages) in order to evaluate the interest of Italian people before and during the COVID-19 pandemic. Joinpoint regression models were applied to identify the possible time points at which public interest in foods changed (i.e., joinpoints). Interestingly, public interest in specific food categories underwent substantial changes during the period under examination. While some changes did not seem to be related to the COVID-19 pandemic (i.e., legumes and red meat), public interest in fruit, vegetables, milk, and whole grains increased significantly, especially during the first lockdown. It should be noted, however, that the interest in food-related issues returned to prepandemic levels after the first lockdown period. Thus, more efforts and ad hoc designed studies should be encouraged to evaluate the duration and direction of the COVID-19 pandemic’s influence.
Can Assessment of Rheological Properties of Whole Blood and Plasma Be Useful in the Diagnosis of Tinnitus? A Pilot Study
Authors: Marcinkowska-Gapińska Anna , Maciejewska Barbara , Majewska Anna , Kawałkiewicz Weronika , Urbaniak-Olejnik Marta , Loba Wawrzyniec , Stieler Olgierd , Komar Dariusz , Kubisz Leszek , Karlik Michał , Hojan-Jezierska Dorota
Published: January 2023

Tinnitus is a sensation of ringing in the ears in the absence of any physical source in the environment. Between 9–35% of adults experience some form of tinnitus. Common causes of tinnitus include noise, head injury, ototoxic substances, as well as disorders of blood and blood vessels. Vascular causes include: head—neck tumours, turbulent blood flow, problems with blood supply and inner ear cell damage. The aspect of rheology in terms of tinnitus has not been described yet. In the present study, which comprised 12 patients aged 30 to 74 years presenting with tinnitus, rheological properties of whole blood and plasma were assessed. All the subjects underwent audiological and neurological evaluation. The Quemada model was used to describe the variability of red blood cell shape, as well as their tendency to form aggregates. On the basis of the experimental study, statistically different results of haemorheological measurements were observed in the evaluated group in comparison to a reference group.
Multilevel Governance and Control of the COVID-19 Pandemic in the Democratic Republic of Congo: Learning from the Four First Waves
Authors: Kashiya Yves , Ekofo Joel , Kabanga Chrispin , Agyepong Irene , Van Damme Wim , Van Belle Sara , Mukinda Fidele , Chenge Faustin
Published: January 2023

The COVID-19 pandemic continues to impose a heavy burden on people around the world. The Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) has also been affected. The objective of this study was to explore national policy responses to the COVID-19 pandemic in the DRC and drivers of the response, and to generate lessons for strengthening health systems’ resilience and public health capacity to respond to health security threats. This was a case study with data collected through a literature review and in-depth interviews with key informants. Data analysis was carried out manually using thematic content analysis translated into a logical and descriptive summary of the results. The management of the response to the COVID-19 pandemic reflected multilevel governance. It implied a centralized command and a decentralized implementation. The centralized command at the national level mostly involved state actors organized into ad hoc structures. The decentralized implementation involved state actors at the provincial and peripheral level including two other ad hoc structures. Non-state actors were involved at both levels. These ad hoc structures had problems coordinating the transmission of information to the public as they were operating outside the normative framework of the health system. Conclusions: Lessons that can be learned from this study include the strategic organisation of the response inspired by previous experiences with epidemics; the need to decentralize decision-making power to anticipate or respond quickly and adequately to a threat such as the COVID-19 pandemic; and measures decided, taken, or adapted according to the epidemiological evolution (cases and deaths) of the epidemic and its effects on the socio-economic situation of the population. Other countries can benefit from the DRC experience by adapting it to their own context.
Exploring the Coordination and Spatial–Temporal Characteristics of the Tourism–Economy–Environment Development in the Pearl River Delta Urban Agglomeration, China
Authors: Pang Xueru , Zhou Yuquan , Zhu Yiting , Zhou Chunshan
Published: January 2023

The rise of mass tourism has encouraged rapid economic growth; meanwhile, the eco-environmental system has come under increasing pressure. To achieve sustainable development, it is critical to deeply explore the relationship and evolution characteristics between three subsystems: tourism, the economy, and the eco-environment. This study aims to develop a more comprehensive indicator system for evaluating the coupling coordination degree (CCD) of the tourism–economy–environment (TEE) system using statistical data from nine cities in the Pearl River Delta (PRD) urban agglomeration from 2010 to 2019. We investigated the spatial–temporal evolution characteristics and driving forces of the TEE system in the PRD using the CCD model and the geo-detector model. The research results show the following: (1) The comprehensive benefits of the TEE system have increased steadily over the past 10 years, whereas the benefits of the eco-environment subsystem have fluctuated and been relatively unstable. (2) Spatially, in terms of tourism development, the eastern regions of the PRD are more developed than the western regions, and the regions with the greatest tourism benefits have gradually shifted to the northeastern regions of the PRD. Economic development presented an imbalanced but relatively stable spatial pattern. Guangzhou and Shenzhen have been the two most economically developed cities over the past 10 years. The eco-environment development has fluctuated over time, revealing a spatial pattern of cities with low environmental benefits in the center and cities with high eco-environmental benefits in the surrounding regions. (3) The PRD’s TEE system has become more integrated, moving from moderate disorder to a model of high-quality coordinated development, demonstrating a spatial pattern in which the cities of high development coordination are located near the Pearl River Estuary, and the coordination decreases the further away they are from the estuary. (4) The major driving factors of heterogeneous TEE coordination development include eco-environment protection, opening-up policies, education investment, technological innovation level, and the regional economic development level. The results are expected to effectively promote economic, tourism, and environmental improvement in the PRD, as well as to provide policy recommendations for coordinated TEE development in other similar urban agglomerations.
Risk Perception, Perceived Government Coping Validity, and Individual Response in the Early Stage of the COVID-19 Pandemic in China
Authors: Xu Tao , Shao Mengyuan , Liu Ruiquan , Wu Xiaoqin , Zheng Kai
Published: January 2023

As a major crisis event, the COVID-19 pandemic has affected the global economy, threatened the lives of the public, and caused varying degrees of impact on the public. Previous studies have shown that risk perception and government response had different impacts on the public, but they revealed more about the independent impact of risk perception and government response on the public. This study will comprehensively consider the impacts of these two factors on the behavior of the public in the early stage of the epidemic. We analyzed data from an online survey in the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic in China and categorized individual behaviors into three dimensions: entertainment and travel, work, and the stockpile of supplies. In addition, we defined the risk perception variables by two dimensions: knowledge of the epidemic itself and knowledge of the consequences of the epidemic. At the same time, we used an exploratory factor analysis to construct the variable of perceived government coping validity and then adopted the ordinal logit model for analysis. The results showed that in terms of entertainment and travel, people would not be affected even if they fully understood the epidemic itself; once they were aware of the negative social consequences of the epidemic, people would suspend entertainment and travel to prevent the spread of the virus. As for work or employment, people would not stop working or employment even if they realized the infectivity and harmfulness of the disease and its social consequences. Furthermore, fear of COVID-19 and the perception of uncontrolled COVID-19 significantly positively affected people’s material stockpiling behavior. These results indicate that different risk perceptions had different effects on individual responses, and individual behaviors reflected different coping logics. In addition, the government’s effective response to the epidemic would significantly reduce the negative impacts of the epidemic on the three dimensions of people’s responses. These conclusions have certain policy implications for preventing and responding to outbreaks in other countries.
The Influence of Climate on Flourishing and Motivational Outcomes for U.S. Masters Swimmers
Authors: Fry Mary D. , Wineinger Troy O. , Long Haiying , Guivernau Marta , Gano-Overway Lori A. , Iwasaki Susumu
Published: January 2023

The climate in which older adults exercise and participate in sport may play a role in promoting a lifetime commitment to exercising. However, little research has examined the relationship of caring (C) and task-involving (TI) climates, motivation, and well-being with respect to older adult athletes. The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between Masters swimmers’ perceptions of the climate, effort, enjoyment, and flourishing as well as explore the mediating effects of effort and enjoyment on the relationship between climate and flourishing. U.S. Masters swimmers (n = 294; Mage = 63.57 years; 84.40% White) with 1–80 years of swimming experience (M = 34.54 years) participating in coach-led programs completed an online survey. The results of latent variable, multiple-mediator analyses via structural equation modeling revealed two important contributions to the literature: (1) when Masters swimmers perceived that they were in C and TI climates, they were more likely to report higher levels of effort and greater enjoyment and flourishing; (2) the Masters swimmers’ effort levels directly influenced their flourishing, mediating the relationship between climates and flourishing. This research has important implications for practice and policy, as U.S. Masters Swimming appears to be a fruitful avenue for promoting an enjoyable physical activity that can be experienced throughout a lifetime.
The Role of Lifestyle on Adherence to Treatment in a Sample of Patients with Unipolar and Bipolar Depression
Authors: Benatti Beatrice , Girone Nicolaja , Conti Dario , Cocchi Maddalena , Achilli Francesco , Leo Silvia , Putti Gianmarco , Bosi Monica , Dell’Osso Bernardo
Published: January 2023

Introduction: Poor adherence to treatment is currently stated to be one of the causes of depression relapse and recurrence. The aim of the present study is to assess potential differences in terms of clinical and lifestyle features related to adherence to treatment in a sample of patients with unipolar and bipolar depression. Methods: One hundred and eight patients with a diagnosis of unipolar or bipolar depressive episode were recruited from January 2021 to October 2022. Adherence to psychopharmacological treatment was assessed using the clinician rating scale. Descriptive and association analyses were performed to compare subgroups based on adherence to treatment. Results: Lower levels of adherence to treatment were associated with fewer years of education, work impairment, manic prevalent polarity lifetime, and greater comorbidity with alcohol and drug abuse. The majority of patients with positive adherence did not report any hospitalization and involuntary commitment lifetime. Conclusions: Patients with a positive treatment adherence showed significant differences in terms of lifestyle and clinical features compared to non-adherent patients. Our results may help to identify patients more likely to have poor medication adherence, which seem to lead to a worse disease course and quality of life.
The Mental Health of Poles during the COVID-19 Pandemic
Authors: Hoffmann Karolina , Kopciuch Dorota , Bońka Aleksandra , Michalak Michał , Bryl Wiesław , Kus Krzysztof , Nowakowska Elżbieta , Zaprutko Tomasz , Ratajczak Piotr , Paczkowska Anna
Published: January 2023

Background: The SARS-Cov-2 pandemic has had a profound impact on all aspects of life in the global population, causing above other, psychological problems. Aims: The objective of this study was to evaluate the mental health of the Poles during the COVID-19 pandemic. Methods: A prospective, cross-sectional web-based survey design was adopted. The study horizon was from 1 June 2021, to 31 December 2021. An anonymous, standardized questionnaire was disseminated electronically by means of social media among Polish adults. The following tests were performed: Depression, Anxiety, and Stress Scale (DASS-21), and the Insomnia Severity Index (ISI). Results: A total of 1306 individuals completed the survey. Of the participants, 77.79% were female at a mean age of 34.89 ± (14.79), 62.25% had higher education, and 56.43% were employed. The prevalence of depression, anxiety, stress, and sleep disturbances in this sample were as follows: 50.38%, 43.49%, 61.26%, and 44.74%, respectively. Poor self-estimated health status, the presence of comorbidities, and regular use of nicotine significantly increased the risk of any of the analyzed psychiatric symptoms and sleep disorders. The depression level was significantly associated with age, living alone, health status, and the use of nicotine. Moreover, the level of anxiety was significantly associated with age and health status. The level of stress depended on gender, age, health status, use of nicotine, and being vaccinated against SARS-CoV-2. Sleep disturbances depended on age, health status, the presence of comorbidities, and regular use of drugs. Conclusions: The Polish population manifested numerous psychological symptoms during the COVID-19 pandemic. There is a need to afford psychological support to them and ensure their mental health.