bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The Establishment and Practice of Pharmacy Care Service Based on Internet Social Media: Telemedicine in Response to the COVID-19 Pandemic
Authors: Li Huibo , Zheng Siqian , Li Da , Jiang Dechun , Liu Fang , Guo Wei , Zhao Zhenying , Zhou Yanfei , Liu Jingting , Zhao Rongsheng
Published: October 2021

Objective: For patients with chronic diseases requiring long-term use of medications who are quarantined at home, the management of medication therapy during the COVID-19 pandemic is a problem that pharmacists urgently need to discuss and solve. The study aims to establish and launch a telepharmacy framework to implement pharmaceutical care during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Methods: To establish a remote pharmacy service model based on a medication consultation service platform under the official account of the “Beijing Pharmacists Association” on the social software WeChat app, obtain the medication consultation records from February 28 to April 27, 2020, during the worst period of the epidemic in China, and to perform a statistical analysis of the information about the patients seeking consultation, consultation process, content and follow-up results.

Results: The medication consultation service system and telepharmacy service model based on social software were established in February 2020. The “Cloud Pharmacy Care” platform had 1,432 views and 66 followers and completed 39 counseling cases in 2 months. Counseling was available for patients of all ages. Of the 39 cases, 82.05% of patients were young and middle-aged. During the COVID-19 pandemic, the long-term medication usage problems of patients with chronic disease were effectively addressed using “Cloud Pharmacy Care”. In the consultation, 35 cases (89.7%) were related to the use of medicines or health products, and 4 cases (10.3%) involved disease state management and the use of supplements. The top five drug-related issues included the selection of medications, the dosage and usage of drugs, medications for special populations, medication therapy management of chronic diseases, and adverse drug reactions. All consultations were completed within 4 h, with a positive review rate of 97.4%.

Conclusion: During the COVID-19 pandemic, a remote pharmacy service “Cloud Pharmacy Care” based on the social software WeChat app was quickly constructed and applied to solve the medication-related problems of patients and the public during home quarantining. The significance of the study lies in the timely and interactive consultation model helps to carry out medication therapy management for chronically ill patients and improves patients’ medication compliance, improves medical quality, and plays a positive role in promoting the popularization of safe medication knowledge.
Persisting Effects of Ayahuasca on Empathy, Creative Thinking, Decentering, Personality, and Well-Being
Authors: Kiraga Maggie K. , Mason Natasha L. , Uthaug Malin V. , van Oorsouw Kim I.M. , Toennes Stefan W. , Ramaekers Johannes G. , Kuypers Kim P. C.
Published: October 2021

Background: Naturalistic and placebo-controlled studies have suggested that ayahuasca, a traditional Amazonian beverage, could be helpful in the treatment of psychopathologies like depression and anxiety disorders by changing otherwise disturbed cognitive and emotional processes. To better understand its full therapeutic potential, one way is to study the effects on processes like flexible thinking, empathy, and well-being, which are normally compromised in stress-related psychopathologies.

Materials and Methods: Volunteers attending ayahuasca ceremonies were asked to complete a test battery at three separate occasions: baseline, the morning after, and 1 week after the ceremony. We included the constructs of creative thinking (measured by Picture Concept Test), empathy (Multifaceted Empathy Test), satisfaction with life (Satisfaction with Life Scale), decentering (Experiences Questionnaire), and personality (Big Five Inventory) into the test battery. Additionally, the psychedelic experience was quantified with the Persisting Effects Questionnaire, the Ego Dissolution Scale, and Visual Analogue Scales.

Results: In total, 43 attendees (males = 22; females = 21) completed parts of the baseline assessment, 20 (males = 12; females = 8) completed assessments in the morning after the ceremony, and 19 (males = 14; females = 5) completed assessments at the 1-week follow-up. At one and 7 days post-ceremony, cognitive empathy, satisfaction with life, and decentering increased, while divergent thinking (Fluency corrected for Originality) decreased, when compared to baseline. Implicit emotional empathy increased at 1-week follow-up, whereas ratings of the trait neuroticism decreased.

Conclusion: The study suggests that a single ingestion of ayahuasca in a social setting is associated with enhancement of subjective well-being, an enhanced ability to take an objective and non-judging stance towards the self (decentering), and the ability to correctly recognize emotions in others, compared to baseline, lasting up to 1 week post-ceremony. To understand the therapeutic potential related to these effects, further research with clinical populations is needed in which these effects can be assessed, including its link with therapeutic outcomes. Together, this will increase our understanding of the effectiveness and breadth of future therapeutic options.
The Efficacy of Triptolide in Preventing Diabetic Kidney Diseases: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis
Authors: Liang Dongning , Mai Hanwen , Ruan Fangyi , Fu Haiyan
Published: October 2021

Ethnopharmacological Relevance: Triptolide (TP), the primary biologically active ingredient of Tripterygium wilfordii Hook F (TWHF), possesses the potential to solve the shortcomings of TWHF in treating diabetic kidney disease (DKD) in the clinic.

Aim of the Study: We conducted a meta-analysis to evaluate the efficacy of TP in treating DKD and offer solid evidence for further clinical applications of TP.

Materials and Methods: Eight databases (CNKI, VIP, CBM, WanFang, PubMed, Web of Science, EMBASE, and Cochrane library) were electronically searched for eligible studies until October 17, 2020. We selected animal experimental studies using TP versus renin–angiotensin system inhibitors or nonfunctional liquids to treat DKD by following the inclusion and exclusion criteria. Two researchers independently extracted data from the included studies and assessed the risk of bias with the Systematic Review Centre for Laboratory Animal Experimentation Risk of Bias tool. Fixed-effects meta-analyses, subgroup analyses, and meta-regression were conducted using RevMan 5.3 software. Inplasy registration number: INPLASY2020100042.

Results: Twenty-six studies were included. Meta-analysis showed that TP significantly reduced albuminuria (14 studies; standardized mean difference SMD: −1.44 [−1.65, −1.23], I2 = 87%), urine albumin/urine creatinine ratio (UACR) (8 studies; SMD: –5.03 [–5.74, −4.33], I2 = 84%), total proteinuria (4 studies; SMD: –3.12 [–3.75, −2.49], I2 = 0%), serum creatinine (18 studies; SMD: –0.30 [–0.49, −0.12], I2 = 76%), and blood urea nitrogen (12 studies; SMD: –0.40 [–0.60, −0.20], I2 value = 55%) in DKD animals, compared to the vehicle control. However, on comparing TP to the renin–angiotensin system (RAS) inhibitors in DKD treatment, there was no marked difference in ameliorating albuminuria (3 studies; SMD: –0.35 [–0.72, 0.02], I2 = 41%), serum creatinine (3 studies; SMD: –0.07 [–0.62, 0.48], I2 = 10%), and blood urea nitrogen (2 studies; SMD: –0.35 [–0.97, 0.28], I2 = 0%). Of note, TP exhibited higher capacities in reducing UACR (2 studies; SMD: –0.66 [–1.31, −0.01], I2 = 0%) and total proteinuria (2 studies; SMD: –1.18 [–1.86, −2049], I2 = 0%). Meta-regression implicated that the efficacy of TP in reducing DKD albuminuria was associated with applied dosages. In addition, publication bias has not been detected on attenuating albuminuria between TP and RAS inhibitors after the diagnosis of DKD.

Systematic Review Registration:https://clinicaltrials.gov/, identifier INPLASY2020100042
Waves Generated by Electron Beam in a Crater-Shaped Flux Rope
Authors: Dokgo Kyunghwan , Hwang Kyoung-Joo , Burch James L. , Yoon Peter H.
Published: October 2021

Understanding the nature and characteristics of high-frequency waves inside a flux rope may be important as the wave-particle interaction is important for charged-particle energization and the ensuing dissipation process. We analyze waves generated by an electron beam in a crater-shaped magnetic flux rope observed by MMS spacecraft on the dawnside tailward magnetopause. In this MMS observation, a depression of magnetic field, or a crater, of ∼100 km is located at the center of the magnetic flux rope of ∼650 km. There exist parallel and perpendicular electrostatic wave modes inside the depression of the magnetic field at the center of the flux rope, and they are distinguished by their locations and frequencies. The parallel mode exists at the center of the magnetic depression and its power spectrum peaks below Fce (electron cyclotron frequency). In contrast, the perpendicular mode exists in the outer region associated with the magnetic depression, and its power spectrum peaks near Fce. The linear analysis of kinetic instability using a generalized dispersion solver shows that the parallel mode can be generated by the electron beam of 5,000 km/s. They can thermalize electrons ≲100 eV effectively. However, the generation mechanism of the perpendicular mode is not clear yet, which requires further study.
Application of Magnetic Resonance Imaging in Liver Biomechanics: A Systematic Review
Authors: Seyedpour Seyed M. , Nabati Mehdi , Lambers Lena , Nafisi Sara , Tautenhahn Hans-Michael , Sack Ingolf , Reichenbach Jürgen R. , Ricken Tim
Published: October 2021

MRI-based biomechanical studies can provide a deep understanding of the mechanisms governing liver function, its mechanical performance but also liver diseases. In addition, comprehensive modeling of the liver can help improve liver disease treatment. Furthermore, such studies demonstrate the beginning of an engineering-level approach to how the liver disease affects material properties and liver function. Aimed at researchers in the field of MRI-based liver simulation, research articles pertinent to MRI-based liver modeling were identified, reviewed, and summarized systematically. Various MRI applications for liver biomechanics are highlighted, and the limitations of different viscoelastic models used in magnetic resonance elastography are addressed. The clinical application of the simulations and the diseases studied are also discussed. Based on the developed questionnaire, the papers' quality was assessed, and of the 46 reviewed papers, 32 papers were determined to be of high-quality. Due to the lack of the suitable material models for different liver diseases studied by magnetic resonance elastography, researchers may consider the effect of liver diseases on constitutive models. In the future, research groups may incorporate various aspects of machine learning (ML) into constitutive models and MRI data extraction to further refine the study methodology. Moreover, researchers should strive for further reproducibility and rigorous model validation and verification.
Telling the Seasons Underground: The Circadian Clock and Ambient Temperature Shape Light Exposure and Photoperiodism in a Subterranean Rodent
Authors: Flôres Danilo E. F. L. , Jannetti Milene G. , Improta Giovane C. , Tachinardi Patricia , Valentinuzzi Veronica S. , Oda Gisele A.
Published: October 2021

Living organisms anticipate the seasons by tracking the proportion of light and darkness hours within a day—photoperiod. The limits of photoperiod measurement can be investigated in the subterranean rodents tuco-tucos (Ctenomys aff. knighti), which inhabit dark underground tunnels. Their exposure to light is sporadic and, remarkably, results from their own behavior of surface emergence. Thus, we investigated the endogenous and exogenous regulation of this behavior and its consequences to photoperiod measurement. In the field, animals carrying biologgers displayed seasonal patterns of daily surface emergence, exogenously modulated by temperature. In the laboratory, experiments with constant lighting conditions revealed the endogenous regulation of seasonal activity by the circadian clock, which has a multi-oscillatory structure. Finally, mathematical modeling corroborated that tuco-tuco’s light exposure across the seasons is sufficient for photoperiod encoding. Together, our results elucidate the interrelationship between the circadian clock and temperature in shaping seasonal light exposure patterns that convey photoperiod information in an extreme photic environment.
Contour-Based Detection and Quantification of Tar Spot Stromata Using Red-Green-Blue (RGB) Imagery
Authors: Lee Da-Young , Na Dong-Yeop , Góngora-Canul Carlos , Baireddy Sriram , Lane Brenden , Cruz Andres P. , Fernández-Campos Mariela , Kleczewski Nathan M. , Telenko Darcy E. P. , Goodwin Stephen B. , Delp Edward J. , Cruz C. D.
Published: October 2021

Quantifying symptoms of tar spot of corn has been conducted through visual-based estimations of the proportion of leaf area covered by the pathogenic structures generated by Phyllachora maydis (stromata). However, this traditional approach is costly in terms of time and labor, as well as prone to human subjectivity. An objective and accurate method, which is also time and labor-efficient, is of an urgent need for tar spot surveillance and high-throughput disease phenotyping. Here, we present the use of contour-based detection of fungal stromata to quantify disease intensity using Red-Green-Blue (RGB) images of tar spot-infected corn leaves. Image blocks (n = 1,130) generated by uniform partitioning the RGB images of leaves, were analyzed for their number of stromata by two independent, experienced human raters using ImageJ (visual estimates) and the experimental stromata contour detection algorithm (SCDA; digital measurements). Stromata count for each image block was then categorized into five classes and tested for the agreement of human raters and SCDA using Cohen's weighted kappa coefficient (κ). Adequate agreements of stromata counts were observed for each of the human raters to SCDA (κ = 0.83) and between the two human raters (κ = 0.95). Moreover, the SCDA was able to recognize “true stromata,” but to a lesser extent than human raters (average median recall = 90.5%, precision = 89.7%, and Dice = 88.3%). Furthermore, we tracked tar spot development throughout six time points using SCDA and we obtained high agreement between area under the disease progress curve (AUDPC) shared by visual disease severity and SCDA. Our results indicate the potential utility of SCDA in quantifying stromata using RGB images, complementing the traditional human, visual-based disease severity estimations, and serve as a foundation in building an accurate, high-throughput pipeline for the scoring of tar spot symptoms.
Identification and Application of BhAPRR2 Controlling Peel Colour in Wax Gourd (Benincasa hispida)
Authors: Ma Lianlian , Liu Zhengguo , Cheng Zhikui , Gou Jiquan , Chen Jieying , Yu Wenjin , Wang Peng
Published: October 2021

Peel color is an important factor affecting commodity quality in vegetables; however, the genes controlling this trait remain unclear in wax gourd. Here, we used two F2genetic segregation populations to explore the inheritance patterns and to clone the genes associated with green and white skin in wax gourd. The F2and BC1trait segregation ratios were 3:1 and 1:1, respectively, and the trait was controlled by nuclear genes. Bulked segregant analysis of both F2plants revealed peaks on Chr5 exceeding the confidence interval. Additionally, 6,244 F2plants were used to compress the candidate interval into a region of 179 Kb; one candidate gene,Bch05G003950(BhAPRR2), encoding two-component response regulator-like proteinArabidopsispseudo-response regulator2 (APRR2), which is involved in the regulation of peel color, was present in this interval. Two bases (GA) present in the coding sequence ofBhAPRR2in green-skinned wax gourd were absent from white-skinned wax gourd. The latter contained a frameshift mutation, a premature stop codon, and lacked 335 residues required for the protein functional region. The chlorophyll content andBhAPRR2expression were significantly higher in green-skinned than in white-skinned wax gourd. Thus,BhAPRR2may regulate the peel color of wax gourd. This study provides a theoretical foundation for further studies of the mechanism of gene regulation for the fruit peel color of wax gourd.
Integrated Analysis of the Transcriptome and Metabolome Reveals Genes Involved in Terpenoid and Flavonoid Biosynthesis in the Loblolly Pine (Pinus taeda L.)
Authors: Mao Jipeng , Huang Linwang , Chen Manyu , Zeng Weishan , Feng Zhiheng , Huang Shaowei , Liu Tianyi
Published: October 2021

Loblolly pine (Pinus taeda L.) is an important tree for afforestation with substantial economic and ecological value. Many metabolites with pharmacological activities are present in the tissues of P. taeda. However, the biosynthesis regulatory mechanisms of these metabolites are poorly understood. In the present study, transcriptome and metabolome analyses were performed on five tissues of P. taeda. A total of 40.4 million clean reads were obtained and assembled into 108,663 unigenes. These were compared with five databases, revealing 39,576 annotated unigenes. A total of 13,491 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were observed in 10 comparison groups. Of these, 487 unigenes exhibited significantly different expressions in specific tissues of P. taeda. The DEGs were explored using Gene Ontology and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes metabolic pathway analysis. We identified 343 and 173 candidate unigenes related to the biosynthesis of terpenoids and flavonoids, respectively. These included 62 R2R3-MYB, 30 MYB, 15 WRKY, seven bHLH, seven ERF, six ZIP, five AP2, and one WD40 genes that acted as regulators in flavonoid and/or terpenoid biosynthesis. Additionally, metabolomics analysis detected 528 metabolites, among which 168 were flavonoids. A total of 493 differentially accumulated metabolites (DAMs) were obtained in 10 comparison groups. The 3,7-Di-O-methyl quercetin was differentially accumulated in all the comparison groups. The combined transcriptome and metabolome analyses revealed 219 DEGs that were significantly correlated with 45 DAMs. Our study provides valuable genomic and metabolome information for understanding P. taeda at the molecular level, providing a foundation for the further development of P. taeda-related pharmaceutical industry.
Exogenous Abscisic Acid Mediates Berry Quality Improvement by Altered Endogenous Plant Hormones Level in “Ruiduhongyu” Grapevine
Authors: Li Jiajia , Liu Boyang , Li Xiangyi , Li Dongmei , Han Jiayu , Zhang Ying , Ma Chao , Xu Wenping , Wang Lei , Jiu Songtao , Zhang Caixi , Wang Shiping
Published: October 2021

Abscisic acid (ABA) plays a key role in fruit development and ripening in non-climacteric fruit. A variety of metabolites such as sugars, anthocyanins, fatty acids, and several antioxidants, which are regulated by various phytohormones, are important components of fruit quality in grape. Here, grape cultivar “Ruiduhongyu” was used to investigate the relationship between endogenous phytohormones and metabolites associated to grape berry quality under exogenous ABA treatment. 500 mg/L ABA significantly improved the appearance parameters and the content of many metabolites including sugar, anthocyanin, and other compounds. Exogenous ABA also increased the contents of ABA, auxin (IAA), and cytokinins (CTKs), and transcription level of ABA biosynthesis and signaling related genes in fruit. Furthermore, a series of genes involved in biosynthesis and the metabolite pathway of sugars, anthocyanins, and fatty acids were shown to be significantly up-regulated under 500 mg/L ABA treatment. In addition, Pearson correlation analysis demonstrated that there existed relatively strong cooperativities in the ABA/kinetin (KT)-appearance parameters, ABA/IAA/KT-sugars, ABA/indolepopionic acid (IPA)/zeatin riboside (ZR)-anthocyanins, and gibberellin 3 (GA3)/methyl jasmonate (MeJA)-fatty acids, indicating that 13 kinds of endogenous phytohormones induced by ABA had different contributions to the accumulation of quality-related metabolites, while all of them were involved in regulating the overall improvement of grape fruit quality. These results laid a primary foundation for better understanding that exogenous ABA improves fruit quality by mediating the endogenous phytohormones level in grape.
Extracting Summary Statistics of Rapid Numerical Sequences
Authors: Rosenbaum David , Glickman Moshe , Usher Marius
Published: October 2021

We examine the ability of observers to extract summary statistics (such as the mean and the relative-variance) from rapid numerical sequences of two digit numbers presented at a rate of 4/s. In four experiments (total N = 100), we find that the participants show a remarkable ability to extract such summary statistics and that their precision in the estimation of the sequence-mean improves with the sequence-length (subject to individual differences). Using model selection for individual participants we find that, when only the sequence-average is estimated, most participants rely on a holistic process of frequency based estimation with a minority who rely on a (rule-based and capacity limited) mid-range strategy. When both the sequence-average and the relative variance are estimated, about half of the participants rely on these two strategies. Importantly, the holistic strategy appears more efficient in terms of its precision. We discuss implications for the domains of two pathways numerical processing and decision-making.
Predictors of Burnout Among Physicians: Evidence From a National Study in Portugal
Authors: Marques-Pinto Alexandra , Moreira Sérgio , Costa-Lopes Rui , Zózimo Nídia , Vala Jorge
Published: October 2021

The aims of this research on burnout among physicians were threefold, (1) to characterize the burnout symptoms’ prevalence among Portuguese physicians, (2) to test the hypothesis that organizational demands and resources add, on top of other factors, to the explanatory level of burnout; and (3) to explore the predictors of organizational demands and resources. Data collection was conducted online at the national level in Portugal, with 9,176 complete replies and a response rate of 21%. Predictors stemming from theoretical models of an intra-individual, occupational, organizational, and socio-psychological nature were measured using an online/paper survey. Results were analyzed through a significantly modified version of the Maslach Burnout Inventory (MBI) after transformations to address the fit of this measure in this sample. Results show that 66% of physicians have high levels of emotional exhaustion, 33% high levels of depersonalization, and 39% high levels of decrease of personal accomplishment. Moreover, a first set of hierarchical multiple regression models with burnout symptoms reveals that organizational resources, demands of the relationship with the patients and of work schedule are consistently important predictors of emotional exhaustion and depersonalization on top of other theoretically relevant predictors. A second set of regression models with the organizational-level variables shows that, aside from organizational variables, other context variables, like procedural justice and teamwork, have the most substantial predictive value. These results highlight the importance of recognizing physicians’ burnout as a phenomenon that is predicted by a wide variety of factors, but also the importance of attending to the particular role of circumstancial factors that may be addressed in future interventions.
Teacher Satisfaction in Relationships With Students and Parents and Burnout
Authors: Pedditzi Maria Luisa , Nonnis Marcello , Nicotra Eraldo Francesco
Published: October 2021

In the educational field, the role of the support component of the teacher-student relationship is well known, while the role of the teacher-student relationship on teacher burnout is a more current field of investigation. Several studies on the sources of burnout have recently focused on job satisfaction and teacher-student satisfaction. However, the role of teacher-parent satisfaction is still little explored in this field. Moreover, in the Italian school context, students’ seniority and educational level require further investigation, as the average age of teachers is particularly high compared to their European colleagues. The present study aims to examine in a sample of 882 Italian teachers the presence of burnout and differences in teacher-student and teacher-parent satisfaction between primary (students aged 6–10years) and lower secondary (students aged 11–13years) teachers. A further objective is to test whether teacher-student and teacher-parent satisfaction and seniority can be significant predictors of burnout. Teachers completed the Job Satisfaction Scale (MESI) and the MBI-Educators Survey and the data were then processed using MANOVA and multiple linear regression analysis. The results revealed that 8.2% of the teachers suffered from burnout and lower secondary teachers showed the highest levels of emotional exhaustion, depersonalisation and reduced personal accomplishment. Predictors of emotional exhaustion were job dissatisfaction and seniority, and predictors of depersonalisation were job dissatisfaction and teacher-student dissatisfaction. Finally, predictors of personal accomplishment were also teacher-parent satisfaction and teacher-student satisfaction. The implications of these findings for practice and research are discussed in this article.
Maternal Stress, Depression, and Attachment in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit Before and During the COVID Pandemic: An Exploratory Study
Authors: Manuela Filippa , Barcos-Munoz Francisca , Monaci Maria Grazia , Lordier Lara , Camejo Maricé Pereira , De Almeida Joana Sa , Grandjean Didier , Hüppi Petra S. , Borradori-Tolsa Cristina
Published: October 2021

The main aim of the present study was to investigate the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on the mothers’ postnatal depression, stress, and attachment during their stay in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU). Twenty mothers of very premature infants born before 32weeks of gestational age were recruited at the Geneva University Hospital between January 2018 and February 2020 before the COVID-19 pandemic started. Mothers were screened for postnatal depression after their preterm infant’s birth (Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale, EPDS), then for stress (Parental Stressor Scale: Neonatal Intensive Care Unit, PSS:NICU), and attachment (Maternal Postnatal Attachment Scale, MPAS) at infant’s term-equivalent age. Data were compared with 14 mothers recruited between November 2020 and June 2021 during the COVID-19 pandemic. No significant differences were found in the scores for depression, stress, and attachment between the two groups. However, a non-statistically significant trend showed a general increase of depression symptoms in mothers during the COVID-19 pandemic, which significantly correlated to the attachment and stress scores. Moreover, the PSS:NICU Sights and Sounds score was significantly positively correlated with EPDS scores and negatively with the MPAS score only in the During-COVID group. To conclude, we discussed a possible dampened effect of the several protective family-based actions that have been adopted in the Geneva University Hospital during the health crisis, and we discussed the most appropriate interventions to support parents in this traumatic period during the COVID-19 pandemic.
The Contagion Effect of Compensation Regulation: Evidence From China
Authors: Shao Jun , Zhou Haiyan , Gong Na , Zhang Junzi
Published: October 2021

To shed light on whether and how firms changed compensation practices in response to a shift in the environment in which they operated, we examine whether there is contagion effect of executive compensation regulation on state-owned enterprises (SOEs) in the emerging market of China. Specifically, we investigate whether firms not directly affected by the changing regulatory environment nonetheless changed executive compensation in response to the actions of the directly affected firms, which is called contagion effect. We further examine the specific contagion mechanisms and the economic consequences of regulation on compensation. We find that the regulation has a significant effect on compensation gap in central SOEs and a contagion effect on local SOEs but not for non-SOEs. Within SOEs, there is an intra-industry contagion effect of compensation regulation but not an intra-region effect. Further, central SOEs and local SOEs experience reduced firm performance after the compensation regulations, but not the non-SOEs; indicating that the compensation regulation does not have favorable economic consequences for both the directly affected central SOEs and the indirectly affected local SOEs.
Medical Comorbidities in 181 Patients With Bipolar Disorder vs. Schizophrenia and Related Psychotic Disorders: Findings From a Single-Center, Retrospective Study From an Acute Inpatients Psychiatric Unit
Authors: Mariano Antonella , Di Lorenzo Giorgio , Jannini Tommaso B. , Santini Riccardo , Bertinelli Emanuela , Siracusano Alberto , Niolu Cinzia
Published: October 2021

Introduction: Medical comorbidities (MCs) represent a significant burden in terms of more frequent hospitalizations and overall lower life expectancy among people with severe mental disorders, such as schizophrenia and related psychotic disorders (SZ) and bipolar disorder (BD). The present article aims to compare the prevalence of MCs and to examine the associated characteristics as marital status, job occupation, level of education, and living arrangements, between BD and SZ patients.

Methods: One-hundred-eight-one patients with MCs (85/47% had BD and 96/53% had SZ) were recruited retrospectively from the Acute Inpatients Psychiatry Unit of Policlinico Tor Vergata, Rome, between January-2017 and December-2020. MCs were: cardiovascular diseases (CVD), bacterial infections, mycoses, viral diseases, neoplasms, musculoskeletal, respiratory tract, urological and male genital, gynecological, neurological, gastrointestinal, metabolic syndrome, nutritional, and metabolic diseases.

Results: BD had more MC than SZ (36.2 vs. 28.2%, respectively, p = 0.04). CVD and metabolic MC were more common among BD (51.8 vs.34.4%; 51.8 vs.35.3%; p = 0.018; p = 0.039; respectively), while viral diseases were more frequent in SZ (13.5 vs.3.5%, p = 0.035). Hypertension was common in both psychiatric illnesses (81.8% BD vs. 65.6% SZ, p = 0.18). Obesity was the most frequent metabolic disease in both BD and SZ (75% BD vs. 73.5% SZ, p = 0.91), followed by diabetes mellitus (52.3% BD vs. 55.9% SZ, p = 0.93), metabolic syndrome (54.5% BD vs. 47.1% SZ, p = 0.67) and dysthyroidism (47.7% BD vs. 25.7% SZ, p = 0.093). After performing a binary logistic regression analysis, only two MCs showed a statistically significant association: patients with SZ had an OR of 2.01 [CI 95% (1.00–4.01)] for CVD compared to BD; on the other hand, patients with BD had an OR of 16.57 [CI 95% (3.58–76.77)] for gynecological diseases compared to SZ patients.

Conclusions: MCs are common among people with severe mental illness, especially CVD and metabolic diseases, highlighting the need for a more collaborative relationship between general medical providers and psychiatrists.
R&D Investments, Debt Capital, and Ownership Concentration: A Three-Way Interaction and Lag Effects on Firm Performance in China's Pharmaceutical Industry
Authors: Su Chih-Yi , Guo Yao-Ning , Chai Kuang-Cheng , Kong Wei-Wei
Published: October 2021

The existing literature has yet to provide consistent evidence on the relationship between R&D investments and firm performance. The current study attempted to fill this gap in the literature by examining the effect of lag structure and the moderating role of financial governance, in terms of debt capital and ownership concentration, on the returns of R&D. Analyzing a sample of China's pharmaceutical firms from 2009 to 2018, we found that the effect of R&D upon growth begins in the second year after R&D spending and increases thereafter. There exists a vigorous debate about the choice between debt and ownership structure. To fill this gap, we proposed a three-way interactive effect. The results suggest that firms that invest heavily in R&D may achieve their highest performance when the use of debt capital and the extent of ownership concentration are both low. This study contributes to the R&D investments and financial governance literature by reconciling previous mixed evidence about the returns of R&D and the debt–equity choices on R&D investment decisions.
Flipping the ICF: Exploring the Interplay of Theory and the Lived Experience to Reconsider Physical Activity in Community-Dwelling People With Multiple Sclerosis
Authors: Stennett Andrea Marjorie , De Souza Lorraine H. , Norris Meriel
Published: October 2021

People with multiple sclerosis (MS) report lower physical activity levels and are at a risk of becoming sedentary. As such, they are at an increased risk of developing secondary health conditions associated with inactivity. This is of major public health concern. Attempts to improve the physical activity levels in people with MS remain a challenge for health professionals. One key reason might be the lack of understanding about the meanings people with MS ascribe to exercise and physical activity. This paper draws on the key findings of a three-phased interconnected mixed methods sequential explanatory study to examine the meanings of exercise and physical activity from the perspectives of people with MS and health professionals. Phase 1 used a four-round Delphi questionnaire to scope and determine the consensus of priorities for exercise and physical activity and the reasons why people with MS (N = 101) engaged in these activities. Phase 2 used face-to-face semistructured interviews of people with MS (N = 16) to explore the meanings ascribed to exercise and physical activity. Phase 3 explored the perceptions of physiotherapists (N = 14) about exercise and physical activity using three focus groups. Using the International Classification of Functioning, Disability, and Health as a theoretical framework to underpin this study, the authors discuss the key factors, for example, emphasis on the contextual factors, that drive decision making around exercise and physical activity participation in people with MS and explore the clinical implications to health professionals.
Personalizing HRI in Musical Instrument Practicing: The Influence of Robot Roles (Evaluative Versus Nonevaluative) on the Child’s Motivation for Children in Different Learning Stages
Authors: Song Heqiu , Barakova Emilia I. , Markopoulos Panos , Ham Jaap
Published: October 2021

Learning to play a musical instrument involves skill learning and requires long-term practicing to reach expert levels. Research has already proven that the assistance of a robot can improve children’s motivation and performance during practice. In an earlier study, we showed that the specific role (evaluative role versus nonevaluative role) the robot plays can determine children’s motivation and performance. In the current study, we argue that the role of the robot has to be different for children in different learning stages (musical instrument expertise levels). Therefore, this study investigated whether children in different learning stages would have higher motivation when assisted by a robot in different supporting roles (i.e., evaluative role versus nonevaluative role). We conducted an empirical study in a real practice room of a music school with 31 children who were at different learning stages (i.e., beginners, developing players, and advanced players). In this study, every child practiced for three sessions: practicing alone, assisted by the evaluative robot, or assisted by the nonevaluative robot (in a random order). We measured motivation by using a questionnaire and analyzing video data. Results showed a significant interaction between condition (i.e., alone, evaluative robot, and nonevaluative robot) and learning stage groups indicating that children in different learning stage groups had different levels of motivation when practicing alone or with an evaluative or nonevaluative robot. More specifically, beginners had higher persistence when practicing with the nonevaluative robot, while advanced players expressed higher motivation after practicing with a robot than alone, but no difference was found between the two robot roles. Exploratory results also indicated that gender might have an interaction effect with the robot roles on child’s motivation in music practice with social robots. This study offers more insight into the child-robot interaction and robot role design in musical instrument learning. Specifically, our findings shed light on personalization in HRI, that is, from adapting the role of the robot to the characteristics and the development level of the user.
Hand-Object Interaction: From Human Demonstrations to Robot Manipulation
Authors: Carfì Alessandro , Patten Timothy , Kuang Yingyi , Hammoud Ali , Alameh Mohamad , Maiettini Elisa , Weinberg Abraham Itzhak , Faria Diego , Mastrogiovanni Fulvio , Alenyà Guillem , Natale Lorenzo , Perdereau Véronique , Vincze Markus , Billard Aude
Published: October 2021

Human-object interaction is of great relevance for robots to operate in human environments. However, state-of-the-art robotic hands are far from replicating humans skills. It is, therefore, essential to study how humans use their hands to develop similar robotic capabilities. This article presents a deep dive into hand-object interaction and human demonstrations, highlighting the main challenges in this research area and suggesting desirable future developments. To this extent, the article presents a general definition of the hand-object interaction problem together with a concise review for each of the main subproblems involved, namely: sensing, perception, and learning. Furthermore, the article discusses the interplay between these subproblems and describes how their interaction in learning from demonstration contributes to the success of robot manipulation. In this way, the article provides a broad overview of the interdisciplinary approaches necessary for a robotic system to learn new manipulation skills by observing human behavior in the real world.
Social Barriers for the Use of Available and Accessible Public Green Spaces
Authors: Noël Charlotte , Landschoot Lisa Van , Vanroelen Christophe , Gadeyne Sylvie
Published: October 2021

Background: Our living environment impacts on our health and wellbeing. The physical and mental benefits of interaction with nature and the ecosystem are well-established in literature. From a public health perspective, it is thus crucial that people make use of public green spaces (PGSs) in urban areas. Therefore, it is important to understand why they are potentially under-used.

Methods: In this research, we identified social barriers that prevent the (full) use of PGSs in the Brussels Capital Region (BCR). We applied a qualitative research methodology. Insights were generated through 51 individual face-to-face in-depth interviews with a group of PGS users diversified in terms of age, gender, migration background, and socioeconomic situation. Questions were open-ended, and the interview guide was semi-structured.

Results: Our research identified three social barriers for the use of available and accessible PGSs: (1) perceived dangers due to bad precedents, the presence of socially frightening elements, or a lack of social control, (2) not feeling in place because of the dominance of a specific group of users or because of community perceptions, and (3) not fulfilling one's social needs. These barriers were different in their manifestations (barriers to go—barriers to stay—barriers for integral use) and resulted in a differential degree of PSG-use. We distinguished three different dimensions of the completeness or integrality (understood as full or optimal use) by which PGSs are used; the spatial integrality (using all the different parts of the PGS), the temporal integrality (using PGSs at all moments of the day), and the social integrality of PGS use (without any restriction concerning social interaction).

Conclusions: While there are many benefits associated with PGSs, a continuous social evaluation of these physical places might generate social barriers resulting in a decline of their use, a more superficial use, or even in complete avoidance. Both the social context and social needs of individuals result in specific social barriers.
Electron Microbursts Induced by Nonducted Chorus Waves
Authors: Chen Lunjin , Zhang Xiao-Jia , Artemyev Anton , Zheng Liheng , Xia Zhiyang , Breneman Aaron W. , Horne Richard B.
Published: October 2021

Microbursts, short-lived but intense electron precipitation observed by low-Earth-orbiting satellites, may contribute significantly to the losses of energetic electrons in the outer radiation belt. Their origin is likely due to whistler mode chorus waves, as evidenced by a strong overlap in spatial correlation of the two. Despite previous efforts on modeling bursty electron precipitation induced by chorus waves, most, if not all, rely on the assumption that chorus waves are ducted along the field line with zero wave normal angle. Such ducting is limited to cases when fine-scale plasma density irregularities are present. In contrast, chorus waves propagate in a nonducted way in plasmas with smoothly varying density, allowing wave normals to gradually refract away from the magnetic field line. In this study, the interaction of ducted and nonducted chorus waves with energetic electrons is investigated using test particle simulation. Substantial differences in electron transport are found between the two different scenarios, and resultant electron precipitation patterns are compared. Such a comparison is valuable for interpreting low Earth-orbiting satellite observations of electron flux variation in response to the interaction with magnetospheric chorus waves.
Toward Zero Hunger Through Coupled Ecological Sanitation-Agriculture Systems
Authors: Ryals Rebecca , Bischak Elena , Porterfield Katherine K. , Heisey Steven , Jeliazovski Julie , Kramer Sasha , Pierre Suzanne
Published: October 2021

Ecological sanitation (EcoSan) systems capture and sanitize human excreta and generate organic nutrient resources that can support more sustainable nutrient management in agricultural ecosystems. An emerging EcoSan system that is implemented in Haiti and several other contexts globally couples container-based household toilets with aerobic, thermophilic composting. This closed loop sanitation system generates organic nutrient resources that can be used as part of an ecological approach to soil nutrient management and thus has the potential to contribute to Sustainable Development Goals 2 (zero hunger), 6 (clean water and sanitation for all), and 13 (climate change solutions). However, the role of organic nutrient resources derived from human excreta in food production is poorly studied. We conducted a greenhouse experiment comparing the impact of feces-derived compost on crop production, soil nutrient cycling, and nutrient losses with two amendments produced from wastewater treatment (pelletized biosolids and biofertilizer), urea, and an unfertilized control. Excreta-derived amendments increased crop yields 2.5 times more than urea, but had differing carry-over effects. After a one-time application of compost, crop production remained elevated throughout all six crop cycles. In contrast, the carry-over of crop response lasted two and four crop cycles for biosolids and biofertilizer, respectively, and was absent for urea. Soil carbon concentration in the compost amended soils increased linearly through time from 2.0 to 2.5%, an effect not seen with other treatments. Soil nitrous oxide emissions factors ranged from 0.3% (compost) to 4.6% (biosolids), while nitrogen leaching losses were lowest for biosolids and highest for urea. These results indicate that excreta-derived compost provides plant available nutrients, while improving soil health through the addition of soil organic carbon. It also improved biogeochemical functions, indicating the potential of excreta-derived compost to close nutrient loops if implemented at larger scales. If captured and safely treated through EcoSan, human feces produced in Haiti can meet up to 13, 22, and 11% of major crop needs of nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium, respectively.
Heuristic and Hierarchical-Based Population Mining of Salmonella enterica Lineage I Pan-Genomes as a Platform to Enhance Food Safety
Authors: Gomes-Neto Joao Carlos , Pavlovikj Natasha , Cano Carmen , Abdalhamid Baha , Al-Ghalith Gabriel Asad , Loy John Dustin , Knights Dan , Iwen Peter C. , Chaves Byron D. , Benson Andrew K.
Published: October 2021

The recent incorporation of bacterial whole-genome sequencing (WGS) into Public Health laboratories has enhanced foodborne outbreak detection and source attribution. As a result, large volumes of publicly available datasets can be used to study the biology of foodborne pathogen populations at an unprecedented scale. To demonstrate the application of a heuristic and agnostic hierarchical population structure guided pan-genome enrichment analysis (PANGEA), we used populations of S. enterica lineage I to achieve two main objectives: (i) show how hierarchical population inquiry at different scales of resolution can enhance ecological and epidemiological inquiries; and (ii) identify population-specific inferable traits that could provide selective advantages in food production environments. Publicly available WGS data were obtained from NCBI database for three serovars of Salmonella enterica subsp. enterica lineage I (S. Typhimurium, S. Newport, and S. Infantis). Using the hierarchical genotypic classifications (Serovar, BAPS1, ST, cgMLST), datasets from each of the three serovars showed varying degrees of clonal structuring. When the accessory genome (PANGEA) was mapped onto these hierarchical structures, accessory loci could be linked with specific genotypes. A large heavy-metal resistance mobile element was found in the Monophasic ST34 lineage of S. Typhimurium, and laboratory testing showed that Monophasic isolates have on average a higher degree of copper resistance than the Biphasic ones. In S. Newport, an extra sugE gene copy was found among most isolates of the ST45 lineage, and laboratory testing of multiple isolates confirmed that isolates of S. Newport ST45 were on average less sensitive to the disinfectant cetylpyridimium chloride than non-ST45 isolates. Lastly, data-mining of the accessory genomic content of S. Infantis revealed two cryptic Ecotypes with distinct accessory genomic content and distinct ecological patterns. Poultry appears to be the major reservoir for Ecotype 1, and temporal analysis further suggested a recent ecological succession, with Ecotype 2 apparently being displaced by Ecotype 1. Altogether, the use of a heuristic hierarchical-based population structure analysis that includes bacterial pan-genomes (core and accessory genomes) can (1) improve genomic resolution for mapping populations and accessing epidemiological patterns; and (2) define lineage-specific informative loci that may be associated with survival in the food chain.