bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Mobile Brain Imaging to Examine Task-Related Cortical Correlates of Reactive Balance: A Systematic Review
Authors: Purohit Rudri , Bhatt Tanvi
Published: November 2022

This systematic review examined available findings on spatial and temporal characteristics of cortical activity in response to unpredicted mechanical perturbations. Secondly, this review investigated associations between cortical activity and behavioral/biomechanical measures. Databases were searched from 1980–2021 and a total of 35 cross-sectional studies (31 EEG and 4 fNIRS) were included. Majority of EEG studies assessed perturbation-evoked potentials (PEPs), whereas other studies assessed changes in cortical frequencies. Further, fNIRS studies assessed hemodynamic changes. The PEP-N1, commonly identified at sensorimotor areas, was most examined and was influenced by context prediction, perturbation magnitude, motor adaptation and age. Other PEPs were identified at frontal, parietal and sensorimotor areas and were influenced by task position. Further, changes in cortical frequencies were observed at prefrontal, sensorimotor and parietal areas and were influenced by task difficulty. Lastly, hemodynamic changes were observed at prefrontal and frontal areas and were influenced by task prediction. Limited studies reported associations between cortical and behavioral outcomes. This review provided evidence regarding the involvement of cerebral cortex for sensory processing of unpredicted perturbations, error-detection of expected versus actual postural state, and planning and execution of compensatory stepping responses. There is still limited evidence examining cortical activity during reactive balance tasks in populations with high fall-risk.
The Absence of Permanent Sensorineural Hearing Loss in a Cohort of Children with SARS-CoV-2 Infection and the Importance of Performing the Audiological “Work-Up”
Authors: Malesci Rita , Rizzo Davide , Del Vecchio Valeria , Serra Nicola , Tarallo Giuseppe , D’Errico Domenico , Coronella Valentina , Bussu Francesco , Lo Vecchio Andrea , Auletta Gennaro , Franzè Annamaria , Fetoni Anna Rita
Published: November 2022

Background: Currently, the novel coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2) causes an acute respiratory illness named COVID-19 and is a controversial risk factor for hearing loss (HL). Herein, we aim to describe the associated symptoms and to evaluate hearing function in the COVID-19 pediatric population. Methods: A retrospective cross-sectional observational study was carried out on 37 children who contracted COVID-19 infection with no previous audio-vestibular disorders. Clinical data on the infections were collected, and an audiological assessment of all affected children was performed by using different diagnostic protocols according to their age. Results: Fever, upper respiratory and gastrointestinal manifestations were common presentations of infection. Audiological function was normal in 30 (81.08%) children, while 7 children showed an increased hearing threshold: 6 (16.21%) had transient conductive hearing loss (CHL) due to middle ear effusion and normalized at the follow-up and 1 had sensorineural hearing loss (SNHL). A single child was affected by bilateral SNHL (2.7%); however, he underwent a complete audiological work-up leading to a diagnosis of genetic HL due to a MYO6 gene mutation which is causative of progressive or late onset SNHL. Conclusions: HL needs to be considered among the manifestations of COVID-19 in children, nevertheless, we found cases of transient CHL. The onset of HL during or following COVID-19 infection does not eliminate the indication for maintaining audiological surveillance and audiological work-ups, including genetic diagnosis, to avoid the risk of mistaking other causes of HL.
III–V Microwires with Reversed Ridge Waveguides Selectively Grown on Pre-Patterned Si Substrates
Authors: Yang Zhengxia , Zhou Xuliang , Yang Wenyu , Wang Menqi , Yu Hongyan , Zhang Yejin , Pan Jiaoqing
Published: November 2022

To construct functional photonic integrated circuits, an efficient and compact laser is expected to be incorporated into the complementary metal–oxide–semiconductor platform. Monolithic integration of III–V lasers on pre-patterned Si substrates by the aspect ratio trapping method is a promising solution. Here, microwires with reversed ridge waveguides (RRWs) on pre-patterned Si substrates were reported. By metal–organic chemical vapor deposition, high-quality InP microwires with RRWs were obtained, and InGaAs/InGaAsP multi-quantum-well structures with InGaAsP separate confinement hetero structure (SCH–MQW) were successfully achieved. The SCH–MQW structure was buried in the InP microwire, which was beneficial for transferring the heat generated in the active region. The micron size also contributes to the efficiency of thermal diffusion. Further, simulation results showed that the metal absorption loss could be less than 4 dB/cm by properly controlling the contact area between metal electrodes and microwires. This proposed structure opens up an alternative pathway for electrically driven III–V lasers seamlessly interfaced with Si-photonics.
Diversity and Benefits of Arbuscular Mycorrhizae in Restored Riparian Plantations
Authors: Pagano Marcela Claudia , Correa Eduardo J. Azevedo , Lugo Mónica A. , Duarte Neimar F.
Published: November 2022

Due to the increasing use of vegetation for fuel wood, cattle, agriculture, and due to population pressure that negatively affects biodiversity values, more plantations are needed to obtain a permanent vegetal cover. Attention has been paid to microbial interactions (arbuscular mycorrhizae (AM)) for management and inoculation. To evaluate the benefits of inoculation, the root colonization of inoculated seedlings, soil aggregation, and arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) diversity were examined by two field treatments (fertilized with organic matter (OM) vs. fertilized with natural rock phosphate (P)). The preserved and experimental areas presented higher AMF spore number and richness (nine species) than the degraded areas. The addition of OM or P did not improve root colonization by AMF; however, it was a guarantee for a successful restoration as, in the restored fields, a high soil aggregation was found, in addition to a high root colonization, spore number, and richness of AMF. However, the undisturbed site presented the more prominent values. This study showed that AMF are important components in riparian areas, and it brings information for inoculant production in ecological restoration using mixed plantations, contributing to the establishment of mycorrhizal vegetation and soil aggregation that not only benefit AM plants, but also allow non-host plants in degraded areas.
Efficacy of Killing Large Carnivores to Enhance Moose Harvests: New Insights from a Long-Term View
Authors: Miller Sterling D. , Person David K. , Bowyer R. Terry
Published: November 2022

We analyzed harvest data to test hypotheses that nearly 4 decades of effort to reduce abundance of brown bears (Ursus arctos), black bears (U. americanus) and gray wolves (Canis lupus) in an 60,542 km2 area in south-central Alaska (Game Management Unit [GMU] 13) was positively correlated with moose (Alces alces) harvests in some time-lagged fashion. Predator-reduction efforts were progressively more aggressive over decades (both de facto and officially designated predator control) and did not have clear starting points which complicated our post hoc analyses. We documented no positive correlations (p > 0.05) between harvests of brown and black bears and subsequent moose harvests for any time lag. Moose harvest was negatively correlated with the previous years’ wolf harvest, but the relationship was weak (correlation = −0.33, p < 0.05). Consequently, we reject our hypotheses that harvest of predators was positively correlated with moose harvests. We also observed no differences in mean moose harvests during periods of officially designated wolf control (2005–2020) and a previous period (p > 0.50). We recommend that predator reductions designed to improve hunter harvests of moose be conducted within a research framework that will permit improved interpretations of results and the implementation of an adaptive-management approach to achieve management objectives.
A Multimodal Approach in the Treatment of Persistent Post-COVID
Authors: Romeyke Tobias
Published: November 2022

Background: Many patients suffer from the consequences of a COVID infection. The so-called long or post-COVID syndrome affects the quality of life of patients and can lead to severe physical impairments. There are currently no suitable therapies for the treatment of long/post-COVID. Case presentation: A 49-year-old patient with post-COVID was admitted to a specialized clinic to carry out a multimodal therapy approach in the event of a therapy-resistant course. In addition to pronounced fatigue, sleep disorders, inner restlessness, and depression were seen in the patients’ high levels of suffering. A naturopathic complex therapy including systemic whole-body hyperthermia was carried out. Well-being and physical well-being were recorded using the visual analog scale, and depression was recorded using the Patient Health Questionnaire Depression (PHQ-D). There was close monitoring of the vital parameters, and an evaluation of the therapy result was performed. Discussion and Conclusion: The implementation of a naturopathic complex therapy including systemic whole-body hyperthermia was able to significantly improve the mental state, physical well-being, and mood of the patient. Since there are still no evidence-based therapy recommendations for the treatment of long/post-COVID, clinical research is called upon to intensively deal with this topic and to examine treatment concepts.
Numerical Simulation of Roughness Effects of Ice Accretion on Wind Turbine Airfoils
Authors: Yassin Khaled , Kassem Hassan , Stoevesandt Bernhard , Klemme Thomas , Peinke Joachim
Published: November 2022

One of the emerging problems in modern computational fluid dynamics is the simulation of flow over rough surfaces. A good example of these rough surfaces is wind turbine blades with ice formation on its leading edge. Instead of resolving the airflow field using a fine computational grid near the wall, rough wall functions (RWFs) can be used to model the flow behavior in case of the presence of roughness. This work aims to investigate the performance of state-of-the-art RWFs to show which of these models can provide the most accurate results with the lowest computational cost possible. This aim is achieved by comparing coefficients of lift and pressure resulting from CFD simulations with wind tunnel results of an airfoil with actual ice profiles collected from the site. The RWFs are used to simulate airflow field over the airfoil profiles with ice profile attached to its leading edge using OpenFOAM CFD framework. The comparison of the numerical simulations and the wind tunnel measurements showed that the Colebrook RWF provided the best agreement between simulation and experimental results while using about 20% of the number of cells used with smooth RWF.
Speed Control of Magnetic Drive-Trains with Pole-Slipping Amelioration
Authors: Liao Xiaowen , Bingham Chris , Smith Tim
Published: November 2022

The paper introduces new techniques to reduce the potential for pole-slipping induced by control systems and presents a low-cost pole-slipping detection and recovery scheme for magnetic drive-trains (MDTs). For the first time, the paper shows that a combination of electromagnetic and load-torque excitations which individually are not greater than the maximum coupling torque can initiate pole-slipping. For applications where acceleration feedback is unavailable, the motor-side inertia is virtually increased with a tracking differentiator to provide feedback of acceleration. Subsequently, controller design and parameter optimization are discussed. Experimental measurements on a custom test facility verify the presented principles that low-bandwidth controller designs with low inertia ratios can accommodate a wider range of on-load startup torque and load-torque disturbances without pole-slipping. To address overload issues, a pole-slipping detection method based on the kurtosis of electromagnetic torque and a recovery strategy based on converting the state of pole-slipping into that of on-load startup are presented. Experimental results demonstrate that detecting slip anomalies without load-side information, and recovery from pole-slipping without auxiliary mechanical devices are both feasible.
Comparison of Gasoline Engine Exhaust Emissions of a Passenger Car through the WLTC and RDE Type Approval Tests
Authors: Andrych-Zalewska Monika , Chlopek Zdzislaw , Merkisz Jerzy , Pielecha Jacek
Published: November 2022

The article presents a comparison of exhaust emission test results from a passenger car with a spark-ignition engine examined with the WLTC (Worldwide Harmonized Light-Duty Vehicles Test Cycle) test, which was carried out on a chassis dynamometer, and examined with a RDE (Real Driving Emissions) test, which was conducted in real vehicle operating conditions. The exhaust emissions and the emitted particle number in the individual phases of both tests were determined. Large disparities were found in the results of the two tests. The cold start-up had a particularly significant impact on the test results in the case of the WLTC test. This impact is much greater than in the RDE test, mainly due to the fact that the RDE test is much longer than the WLTC test. Moreover, the engine load in the RDE test was greater than in the WLTC test. As a result of the conducted analyses, it was postulated that the research should be continued in stochastic conditions for the vehicle speed function, e.g., in the implementation of the speed function determined for the real conditions of the vehicle operation.
Modulatory Effect of Limosilactobacillus fermentum grx08 on the Anti-Oxidative Stress Capacity of Liver, Heart, and Kidney in High-Fat Diet Rats
Authors: Qu Hengxian , Zhang Longfei , Liu Xiaoxiao , Liu Yang , Mao Kaidong , Shen Guiqi , Wa Yunchao , Chen Dawei , Huang Yujun , Chen Xia , Gu Ruixia
Published: November 2022

To explore the modulating effect of Limosilactobacillus fermentum (L. fermentum) grx08 on anti-oxidative stress in the liver, heart, and kidney of high-fat diet in rats, a low-fat diet as a control and a high-fat diet was used to induce oxidative stress injury in rats. L. fermentum grx08 and its heat-inactivated bacteria were used to intervene. The results showed that the high-fat diet had caused oxidative stress injury in the liver, heart, and kidney of rats. L. fermentum grx08 significantly reduced the serum levels of liver, heart, and kidney injury markers (ALT, AST, LDH, CK-MB, UA, and Crea), while restoring the balance of lipid metabolism in the liver. It also enhanced the activity of antioxidant enzymes such as GSH-Px in the liver, heart, and kidney, scavenging NO radicals and reducing the content of MDA, a product of lipid peroxidation, which can regulate the anti-oxidative stress capacity of the liver, heart, and kidney to varying degrees. Among them, L. fermentum grx08 showed better modulating effect on kidney anti-oxidative stress, followed by liver, and the weakest modulating effect on heart. At the same time, L. fermentum grx08 heat-inactivated bacteria also had a partial modulatory effect as well as a similar effect profile to that of live bacteria.
Effects of the Addition of Dendrobium officinale on Beer Yeast Fermentation
Authors: Chen Xiaolu , Li Linqiu , Yang Hailong , Zhou Huabin
Published: November 2022

Dendrobium officinale is a precious Chinese medicinal plant that is rich in polysaccharides, flavonoids, polyphenols, and other bioactive ingredients, and has a variety of biological activities. To explore the effects of D. officinale on the growth and metabolism of Saccharomyces cerevisiae, different concentrations (0, 10, 30, 50, and 100 g/L) of fresh D. officinale were added to the wort during the fermentation. The amount of yeast, alcohol content, reducing sugars, total acidity, pH, CO2 loss, and foam height were analyzed. Meanwhile, the glucose uptake, cell viability, key enzyme activity of yeast, total phenolics, antioxidant activity, volatile compounds, and consumer acceptance of brewed samples were also analyzed. The results showed that the growth and metabolism of yeast could be promoted by a suitable dosage of D. officinale but were inhibited at high dosage (100 g/L). The addition of D. officinale increased the activities of glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase and alcohol dehydrogenase, while the highest concentration of D. officinale (100 g/L) decreased the glucose uptake and cell activity of the yeast. The contents of total phenolics and esters, along with the scavenging activity against ABTS radicals, were increased, indicating that the antioxidant activity and aromatic characteristics of beer would be improved by the addition of D. officinale.
Comparison of the Chemical Properties of Pineapple Vinegar and Mixed Pineapple and Dragon Fruit Vinegar
Authors: Boondaeng Antika , Kasemsumran Sumaporn , Ngowsuwan Kraireuk , Vaithanomsat Pilanee , Apiwatanapiwat Waraporn , Trakunjae Chanaporn , Janchai Phornphimon , Jungtheerapanich Sunee , Niyomvong Nanthavut
Published: November 2022

Pineapples are a tropical fruit with high nutritional value and high vitamin and sugar contents. In this study, low-grade pineapples were fermented to produce vinegar using surface culture fermentation (SCF), which involved the addition of dragon fruit juice, to compare the quality and antioxidant activity of different preparations of vinegar. The highest acetic acid concentration (7.35%) was obtained from pineapple vinegar after 20 days of incubation. Vinegar made from mixed pineapple and dragon fruit juice without peel and vinegar with pineapple and dragon fruit juice with peel had acetic acid concentrations of up to 6.20% and 4.50%, respectively. The mixed-fruit vinegar of pineapple and dragon fruit juice with peel displayed the highest antioxidant activity at 210.74 µg/g TE, while no significant difference was found between the other two vinegars (189.52 vs. 187.91 µg/L TE). Notably, the volatile compounds detected in the vinegars were alcohols and esters, which may contribute to the distinct aroma. Overall, the addition of dragon fruit juice with peel to pineapple vinegar increased the phenolic content and antioxidant activity; however, fermentation was slightly slower than that of the other two test materials.
A Novel Endo-Polygalacturonase from Penicillium rolfsii with Prebiotics Production Potential: Cloning, Characterization and Application
Authors: Hao Meng-Jie , Wu Dan , Xu Yan , Tao Xiu-Mei , Li Ning , Yu Xiao-Wei
Published: November 2022

In this study, a potential producer of prebiotics, a novel endo-polygalacturonase pePGA from Penicillium rolfsii BM-6, was successfully expressed in Komagataella phaffii, characterized and applied to produce pectic oligosaccharides. The optimum temperature and pH of pePGA were 60 °C and 6.0. The purified recombinant enzyme showed a good pH stability and was stable from pH 3.5 to 8.0. The Km, Vmax and kcat values of pePGA were 0.1569 g/L, 12,273 μmol/min/mg and 7478.4 s−1, respectively. More importantly, pePGA-POS, the pePGA hydrolysis products from commercial pectin, had good prebiotic and antibacterial activities in vitro. The pePGA-POS was able to significantly promote the growth of probiotics; meanwhile, the growth of Escherichia coli JM109, Staphylococcus aureus and Bacillus subtilis 168 was effectively inhibited by pePGA-POS. In addition, pePGA-POS also had the DPPH radical scavenging capacity. These properties of pePGA-POS make pePGA attractive for the production of prebiotics.
Semi-Local Convergence of Two Derivative-Free Methods of Order Six for Solving Equations under the Same Conditions
Authors: Argyros Ioannis K. , Argyros Christopher I. , John Jinny Ann , Jayaraman Jayakumar
Published: November 2022

We propose the semi-local convergence of two derivative-free, competing methods of order six to address non-linear equations. The sufficient convergence criteria are the same, making a direct comparison between them possible. The existing convergence technique uses the standard Taylor series approach, which requires derivatives up to order seven. The novelty and originality of our work lies in the fact that in contrast to previous research works, our convergence theorems only demand the first derivative. In addition, formulas for determining the region of uniqueness for solution, convergence radii, and error estimations are suggested. Such results cannot be found in works relying on the seventh derivatives. As a consequence, we are able to broaden the utility of these productive methods. The confirmation of our convergence findings through application problems brings this research to a close.
Characterizing Agent Behavior in Revision Games with Uncertain Deadline
Authors: Wang Zhuohan , Hao Dong
Published: November 2022

Revision game is a very recent advance in dynamic game theory and it can be used to analyze the trading in the pre-opening stock market. In such games, players prepare actions that will be implemented at a given deadline, before which they may have opportunities to revise actions. For the first time, we study the role of the deadline in revision games, which is the core component that distinguishes revision games from classic games. We introduce the deadline distribution into revision game model and characterize the sufficient and necessary condition for players’ strategies to constitute an equilibrium. The equilibrium strategy with respect to the deadline uncertainty is given by a simple differential equation set. Governed by this differential equation set, players initially fully cooperate, and the cooperation level decreases as time progresses. The uncertainty has a great impact on players’ behavior. As the uncertainty increases, players become more risk averse, in the sense that they prefer lower mutual cooperation rate rather than higher payoff with higher uncertainty. Specifically, they will not stay in full cooperation for a long time, while after they deviate from the full cooperation, they adjust their plans more slowly and cautiously. The deadline uncertainty can improve the competition and avoid collusion in games, which could be utilized for auction design and pre-opening stock market regulations.
Peptide-Based Supramolecular Hydrogels as Drug Delivery Agents: Recent Advances
Authors: Oliveira Carlos B. P. , Gomes Valéria , Ferreira Paula M. T. , Martins José A. , Jervis Peter J.
Published: November 2022

Supramolecular peptide hydrogels have many important applications in biomedicine, including drug delivery applications for the sustained release of therapeutic molecules. Targeted and selective drug administration is often preferential to systemic drug delivery, as it can allow reduced doses and can avoid the toxicity and side-effects caused by off-target binding. New discoveries are continually being reported in this rapidly developing field. In this review, we report the latest developments in supramolecular peptide-based hydrogels for drug delivery, focusing primarily on discoveries that have been reported in the last four years (2018–present). We address clinical points, such as peptide self-assembly and drug release, mechanical properties in drug delivery, peptide functionalization, bioadhesive properties and drug delivery enhancement strategies, drug release profiles, and different hydrogel matrices for anticancer drug loading and release.
Door to Disposition Key Performance Indicator in Three Saudi Arabian Hospitals’ Emergency Departments during COVID-19 Pandemic
Authors: Almana Ranya S. , Alharbi Abeer
Published: November 2022

Objective: The COVID-19 pandemic impacted health systems and Emergency Departments (ED) services worldwide. This study attempts to assess the impact of COVID-19 on the performance of the emergency department during COVID-19 in three hospitals in Riyadh city, Saudi Arabia. Methods: Ada’a data was used for this retrospective cohort study. The hospitals included in this study were: a 300-bed maternity and children’s hospital; a 643-bed general hospital; and a 1230-bed tertiary hospital. All patients who visited the ED in the time period from September 2019 to December 2021 were included. The outcome variable was the Door to Disposition (DTD) which estimates the percentage of patients seen within 4 h from Door to Disposition. A two-way ANOVA test was used to examine the differences in the outcome variable by hospital and by the phase of COVID-19. Results: Both hospital and the phase of COVID-19 were significantly different in terms of the percentage of patients seen within four hours in the ED (DTD) (p-value < 0.05). On average, the DTD percentages dipped slightly in the early phase of COVID-19 (64.0% vs. 69.8%) and jumped sharply in the later phase (73.6%). Additionally, the average DTD score for the maternity and pediatric hospital (87.6%) was sharply higher than both general and tertiary hospitals (63.2%, and 56.5%, respectively). Conclusion: COVID-19 led to a significant drop in emergency department services performance in the early stage of the pandemic as patients spent more time at the ED. However, for the designated COVID-19 hospital, the ED performance improved as more patients spent less than 4 h at the ED in the early stages of COVID-19. This is a clear indication that careful planning and management of resources for ED services during a pandemic is effective.
The Benefits and Challenges of Virtual Education for Interprofessional Teams in a Post-COVID Environment
Authors: Champagne-Langabeer Tiffany
Published: November 2022

There have been a series of disruptions in the healthcare environment since 2019, starting with the global pandemic [...]
Comparison between Ultrasonic Bath and Sonotrode Extraction of Phenolic Compounds from Mango Peel By-Products
Authors: Aznar-Ramos María José , Razola-Díaz María del Carmen , Verardo Vito , Gómez-Caravaca Ana María
Published: November 2022

Phenolic compounds present in mango peel byproducts have been reported to have several beneficial health properties. In this study, we carried out an optimization of phenolic compounds using ultrasound-assisted extraction via ultrasonic bath and sonotrode. To optimize the variables of extraction, a Box–Behnken design was used to evaluate the best conditions to obtain high total phenolic compound extraction and high antioxidant activity evaluated by different methods (DPPH, ABTS, and FRAP). The optimal ultrasonic bath conditions were 45% ethanol, 60 min, and 1/450 ratio sample/solvent (w/v) whereas optimal sonotrode conditions were 55% ethanol, 18 min, and 65% amplitude. The extracts obtained at the optimal conditions were characterized by HPLC–ESI-TOF-MS. A total of 35 phenolic compounds were determined and, to our knowledge, several of them were tentatively identified for the first time in mango peel. The samples were composed mainly by phenolic acids derivatives, specifically of galloylglucose and methylgallate, which represented more than 50% of phenolic compounds of mango peel byproducts. In conclusion, sonotrode is a valuable green technology able to produce enriched phenolic compound extracts from mango peel byproducts that could be used for food, nutraceutical, and cosmeceutical applications.
Relative Cleanability and Sanitization of Blueberry Mechanical Harvester Surfaces
Authors: Holland Renee M. , Dunn Laurel L. , Chen Jinru , Gazula Himabindu , Oliver Jonathan E. , Scherm Harald
Published: November 2022

Berry crops are increasingly being harvested mechanically to reduce labor costs, but there is a lack of research on best practices for cleaning and sanitizing of mechanical harvesters to maintain proper food hygiene. Laboratory experiments were conducted with surface coupons cut from materials commonly used on blueberry harvesters, including polyethylene, high-density polyethylene, aluminum, extruded polycarbonate, acetal plastic, and stainless steel. Surfaces differed in their hydrophobicity and surface roughness, ranging from 0.04 µm for polycarbonate to 1.57 µm for acetal plastic. The relative cleanability of the surface coupons was assessed by determining the removal of an applied mock soil (dried blueberry puree) in a rinsing-shaking assay with distilled water at room temperature. Results showed that the amount of soil removed increased over time according to a negative exponential function, from 29.6% at 30 s to 40.3% at 240 s rinse time. Compared with the time effect, the differences in soil removal among surfaces were relatively small. The addition of cleaning agents and detergents did not improve soil removal, and the only treatment that removed significantly more soil than the water control was heated (50 °C) distilled water. In sanitization assays, three representative microorganisms were allowed to attach to surface coupons, then exposed to three different sanitizers (0.25% bleach with 200 ppm free-chlorine sodium hypochlorite, 0.30% SaniDate 5.0, or 1.0% No-Rinse Food Contact Cleaner Sanitizer). There was no significant surface effect on microbial reductions following sanitizer treatment. For Bacillus amyloliquefaciens, none of the sanitizers significantly reduced population densities below the water control. In contrast, surface populations of Rhodoturula mucilaginosa and Epicoccum nigrum were reduced significantly by all three sanitizers, with SaniDate (23.0% hydrogen peroxide + 5.3% peroxyacetic acid) resulting in the greatest reduction.
Risk Factors and Individual Protection Measures for COVID-19 in Federal Police Officers
Authors: Dias Jefferson Aparecido , Chagas Eduardo Federighi Baisi , Detregiachi Cláudia Rucco Penteado , Serva Fernanda Mesquita , Biteli Piero , Mendes Claudemir Gregório , Xavier Elídia Fabiana de Souza , Jorge Carlos Francisco Bitencourt , Zutin Tereza Lais Menegucci , Santos Mateus Cezar dos , Buchaim Daniela Vieira , Buchaim Rogério Leone
Published: November 2022

The coronavirus of severe acute respiratory syndrome 2 (SARS-CoV-2), known as COVID-19, has spread rapidly around the world, leading to social detachment and the home office replacing face-to-face work. The performance of police officers faces limitations to the new requirements while recognizing the need to ensure health and quality of life. Thus, the present study aimed to verify the panorama of the spread of COVID-19 among federal police officers by analyzing the presence of symptoms, individual protection measures (IPM), and suspect screening measures (SSM). For this, data were collected through a questionnaire customized for this situation and measurements of clinical data from 56 federal police officers in the municipality of Marília (São Paulo, Brazil) were performed. The mean value of the body mass index (27.2 ± 5.4 kg/m2) suggests overweight and obesity, in addition to the presence of hypertension at 16.1%, diabetes at 3.6%, asthma at 3.6%, and obesity at 25%, which represents an important risk of complications for COVID-19. The use of a mask is the most frequent IPM (96.4%) and most of the sample has used a cloth or home mask (90.9%). However, 47.3% have not performed the correct cleaning of the masks and 5.5% have not taken any care with mask hygiene. In conclusion, although the IPM was adopted by most of the research participants, some did not adopt important measures such as wearing a mask, which can increase the risk of contamination and contagion due to the work environment and routine. The highest risk factors observed were obesity and hypertension, but even in these conditions, the absence of important IPMs was still verified.
Job Satisfaction: Knowledge, Attitudes, and Practices Analysis in a Well-Educated Population
Authors: Montuori Paolo , Sorrentino Michele , Sarnacchiaro Pasquale , Di Duca Fabiana , Nardo Alfonso , Ferrante Bartolomeo , D’Angelo Daniela , Di Sarno Salvatore , Pennino Francesca , Masucci Armando , Triassi Maria , Nardone Antonio
Published: November 2022

Job satisfaction has a huge impact on overall life quality involving social relationships, family connection and perceived health status, affecting job performances, work absenteeism and job turnover. Over the past decades, the attention towards it has grown constantly. The aim of this study is to analyze simultaneously knowledge, attitudes, and practices toward job satisfaction in a general population in a large metropolitan area. The data acquired from 1043 questionnaires—administered to subjects with an average age of 35.24 years—revealed that only 30% is satisfied by his job. Moreover, among all the tested sample, 12% receive, or often receive intimidation by their superior, and 23% wake up unhappy to go to work. Marital status and having children seem to be an important factor that negatively influences job satisfaction through worst behaviours. The multiple linear regression analysis shows how knowledge is negatively correlated to practices; although this correlation is not present in a simple linear regression showing a mediation role of attitudes in forming practices. On the contrary, attitudes, correlated both to knowledge and practices, greatly affect perceived satisfaction, leading us to target our proposed intervention toward mindfulness and to improve welfare regulation towards couples with children.
Role of Occupational Health Services in Planning and Implementing of Staff COVID-19 Vaccination Clinic: A Tertiary Hospital Experience in Singapore
Authors: Lim See Ming , Chan Hwang Ching , Santosa Amelia , Quek Swee Chye , Liu Eugene Hern Choon , Somani Jyoti
Published: November 2022

Context: Healthcare workers all over the world were prioritized for vaccination against COVID-19 in view of the high-risk nature of their job scopes when vaccines were first available in late 2020. Vaccine hesitancy was an important problem to tackle in order to achieve a high vaccination rate, especially for vaccines that were developed using mRNA technology. We aimed to use the ‘3Cs’ model to address vaccine hesitancy to ensure maximal uptake of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine among healthcare workers in a tertiary hospital in Singapore. Methods: Various measures were used to reduce the confidence, complacency, and convenience barriers. The staff vaccination clinic was on-site and centralized, with appointments given in advance to ensure vaccine availability and to reduce wait time, providing convenience to staff. Direct and repeated communications with the staff via multiple channels were used to address vaccine safety and efficacy so as to promote confidence in the vaccines and overcome complacency barriers. To further encourage staff to get vaccinated, staff were allowed time off for vaccination when at work. Staff with a high risk of exposure to COVID-19 or those caring for immunocompromised patients were prioritized to take the vaccines first. The collection of data on adverse events was via on-site monitoring and consultation at Occupational Health Clinic (OHC). Results: Nearly 80% of staff had completed vaccination when the vaccination exercise ended at the end of March 2021. With the loosening of the contraindications to vaccination over time, staff vaccination rates reached 89.3% in early July and nearly 99.9% by the end of the year. No major or serious vaccine-related medication or administration errors were reported. No staff had anaphylaxis. Conclusions: By using the ‘3Cs’ model to plan out the vaccination exercise, it is possible to achieve a high vaccination rate coupled with effective and customized communications. This multi-disciplinary team approach can be adapted to guide vaccination efforts in various settings in future pandemics.
The Role of Maternal Grandmothers’ Childcare Provision for Korean Working Adult Daughters
Authors: Jeon Sesong , Walker Katie
Published: November 2022

Despite the Korean government’s investment in childcare facilities for dual-earner households, maternal grandmothers are increasingly taking on the responsibility of caring for their grandchildren. This trend is examined in the current research. While many studies have been conducted on grandparents’ experiences providing childcare for their grandchildren, significantly less research has been conducted on adult daughters’ experiences with their mothers’ childcare provision. This study utilized the concepts of intergenerational solidarity and a life-course approach to understand the experiences of 24 working adult daughters in Korea (ages 30–43) whose mothers provide childcare. Three major themes were identified following a grounded theory approach: gratitude vs. guilt, dependence vs. independence, and closeness vs. disagreement. The results indicated that adult daughters were found to have ambivalence toward their mothers, reflecting the lack of alternative options for childcare. The results from this study suggest that not only improving the quality of public childcare services, but also diversifying services to reflect the needs of dual-income families.
mHealth-Supported Hearing Health Training for Early Childhood Development Practitioners: An Intervention Study
Authors: du Plessis Divan , Mahomed-Asmail Faheema , le Roux Talita , Graham Marien Alet , de Kock Tersia , van der Linde Jeannie , Swanepoel De Wet
Published: November 2022

(1) Hearing health training and promotion is a priority for early childhood development (ECD) practitioners, but training opportunities are limited, especially in low- and middle-income countries (LMIC). mHealth (mobile health) has the potential to deliver scalable ear and hearing training to ECD practitioners. (2) This study investigated the effect of an mHealth training intervention program for ECD practitioners to improve knowledge and perceptions of hearing health in young children. An experimental one-group, pre-post-test study included ECD practitioners working with children between birth and 6 years old across 31 neighbouring communities in the Western Cape Province, South Africa. Hearing health training was provided using WhatsApp messages that encompassed infographics and voice notes. Knowledge and perceptions regarding hearing and hearing-related problems in children were surveyed pre-training, directly post training, and 6 months post training. (3) ECD practitioners (N = 1012) between 17 and 71 years of age received the mHealth training program and completed both the pre-and post-training surveys. Overall, knowledge scores indicated a significant improvement from pre- to post training (Z = −22.49; p < 0.001). Six-month post-training knowledge scores were sustained. Content analysis of ECD practitioners’ application of the training information 6 months post training indicated improved awareness, practical application, better assistance for hearing problems, and widespread advocacy. (4) The mHealth training program supports improved knowledge and perceptions of ECD practitioners regarding hearing health for young children. With improved knowledge scores maintained 6 months post training, mHealth hearing health training is an effective intervention. An mHealth training program for ECD practitioners provides a scalable, low-cost intervention for primary and secondary prevention in childhood hearing loss, especially in LMICs.
The Prevalence of Menstrual Cycle Disorders in Female Athletes from Different Sports Disciplines: A Rapid Review
Authors: Gimunová Marta , Paulínyová Alexandra , Bernaciková Martina , Paludo Ana Carolina
Published: November 2022

The aim of this study was to rapidly review the literature on the prevalence of menstrual disorders in female athletes from different sports modalities. Articles were searched in the Web of Science and PubMed database in May 2022. A total of 1309 records were identified, and 48 studies were included in the final stage. The menstrual disorders described in the included studies were primary (in 33% of included studies) and secondary amenorrhea (in 73% of included studies) and oligomenorrhea (in 69% of included studies). The prevalence of menstrual disorders among the studies ranged from 0 to 61%. When data were pooled according to discipline (mean calculation), the highest prevalence of primary amenorrhea was found in rhythmic gymnastics (25%), soccer (20%) and swimming (19%); for secondary amenorrhea in cycling (56%), triathlon (40%) and rhythmic gymnastics (31%); and oligomenorrhea in boxing (55%), rhythmic gymnastics (44%) and artistic gymnastics (32%). Based on the results of this review, the study supports the literature of the higher prevalence of menstrual disorders in gymnastics and endurance disciplines. However, team sports modalities such as volleyball and soccer also presented a considerable percentage of menstrual disorders compared to the general population. It reinforces the importance of coaches and physicians paying attention to athletes’ menstrual cycle as the occurrence of menstrual disorders can be associated with impairment on some health components.
Clinically Meaningful Change in 6 Minute Walking Test and the Incremental Shuttle Walking Test following Coronary Artery Bypass Graft Surgery
Authors: Sheraz Suman , Ayub Humera , Ferraro Francesco V. , Razzaq Aisha , Malik Arshad Nawaz
Published: November 2022

The 6-min walk test (6MWT) and incremental shuttle walk test (ISWT) are widely used measures of exercise tolerance, which depict favorable performance characteristics in a variety of cardiac and pulmonary conditions. Both tests are valid and reliable method of assessing functional ability in cardiac rehabilitation population. Several studies have calculated the minimal clinically important difference (MCID) of these exercise tests in different populations. The current study aims to estimate MCID of 6MWT and ISWT in patients after Coronary artery bypass graft (CABG) surgery. In this descriptive observational study, nonprobability purposive sampling technique was used to assess 89 post CABG patients. The participants performed the 6MWT and ISWT along with vital monitoring on third, fifth and seventh post operative days. The data was with calculation of 6MWT and ISWT MCID through distribution and anchor-based methods. Results showed significant improvement (p < 0.001) in 6MWT as well as in ISWT after seven days of in-patient cardiac rehabilitation. The minimal detectable difference of 6MWT determined by the distribution-based method was 36.11 whereas MCID calculated by Anchor based method was 195 m. The minimal detectable difference of ISWT determined by the distribution-based method was 9.94 whereas MCID calculated by Anchor based method was 42.5 m. In conclusion our results will assist the future researchers and clinicians to interpret clinical trials as well as to observe the clinical course of post operative cardiac patients.
Can Digital Finance Promote Peak Carbon Dioxide Emissions? Evidence from China
Authors: Wu Mao , Guo Jiayi , Tian Hongzhi , Hong Yuanyuan
Published: November 2022

This paper uses Chinese provincial panel data from 2011 to 2019, measures CO2 emissions of provinces in China using the IPCC method, and explores the impact of digital finance on CO2 emissions through the SAR model and SDM. Empirical study shows that digital finance significantly reduces CO2 emissions. Digital finance reduces CO2 emissions by promoting energy industrial structure transformation and spreads to surrounding areas through spillover effects, contributes to increasing green patents granted and thus reduces regional CO2 emissions, advances the green technological progress and therefore inhibits CO2 emissions, but reduces the green technological progress in surrounding areas and increases CO2 emissions due to the siphon effect. With the development of digital finance itself, the higher the level of financial regulation, green development and the green finance index, the better the effect of digital finance on CO2 emission reduction. Additionally, digital finance significantly reduces CO2 emissions in the south of China.
Trauma-Informed Design of Supported Housing: A Scoping Review through the Lens of Neuroscience
Authors: Owen Ceridwen , Crane James
Published: November 2022

There is growing recognition of the importance of the design of the built environment in supporting mental health. In this context, trauma-informed design has emerged as a new field of practice targeting the design of the built environment to support wellbeing and ameliorate the physical, psychological and emotional impacts of trauma and related pathologies such as Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). With high levels of prevalence of PTSD among people escaping homelessness and domestic violence, a priority area is the identification and application of evidence-based design solutions for trauma-informed supported housing. This study sought to examine the scope of existing evidence on the relationship between trauma, housing and design and the correlation of this evidence with trauma-informed design principles, and to identify gaps and opportunities for future research. In response to the commonly articulated limitations of the evidence-base in built environment design research, we combined a scoping review of literature on trauma, housing and design with insights from neuroscience to focus and extend understanding of the opportunities of trauma-informed design. We found that while limited in scope, there is strong alignment between existing evidence and the principles of trauma-informed design. We also identify three areas of future research related to the key domains of safety and security; control; and enriched environments.
Accuracy of Machine Learning Classification Models for the Prediction of Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus: A Systematic Survey and Meta-Analysis Approach
Authors: Olusanya Micheal O. , Ogunsakin Ropo Ebenezer , Ghai Meenu , Adeleke Matthew Adekunle
Published: November 2022

Soft-computing and statistical learning models have gained substantial momentum in predicting type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) disease. This paper reviews recent soft-computing and statistical learning models in T2DM using a meta-analysis approach. We searched for papers using soft-computing and statistical learning models focused on T2DM published between 2010 and 2021 on three different search engines. Of 1215 studies identified, 34 with 136952 patients met our inclusion criteria. The pooled algorithm’s performance was able to predict T2DM with an overall accuracy of 0.86 (95% confidence interval [CI] of [0.82, 0.89]). The classification of diabetes prediction was significantly greater in models with a screening and diagnosis (pooled proportion [95% CI] = 0.91 [0.74, 0.97]) when compared to models with nephropathy (pooled proportion = 0.48 [0.76, 0.89] to 0.88 [0.83, 0.91]). For the prediction of T2DM, the decision trees (DT) models had a pooled accuracy of 0.88 [95% CI: 0.82, 0.92], and the neural network (NN) models had a pooled accuracy of 0.85 [95% CI: 0.79, 0.89]. Meta-regression did not provide any statistically significant findings for the heterogeneous accuracy in studies with different diabetes predictions, sample sizes, and impact factors. Additionally, ML models showed high accuracy for the prediction of T2DM. The predictive accuracy of ML algorithms in T2DM is promising, mainly through DT and NN models. However, there is heterogeneity among ML models. We compared the results and models and concluded that this evidence might help clinicians interpret data and implement optimum models for their dataset for T2DM prediction.