bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The association between serum lipid profile and the prostate cancer risk and aggressiveness
Authors: Suh Jungyo , Shin Teak Jun , You Dalsan , Jeong In Gab , Hong Jun Hyuk , Kim Choung-Soo , Ahn Hanjong
Published: May 2023

Purpose

This study aims to evaluate the association of serum lipid profile on prostate cancer (PC) risk and aggressiveness.

Methods

Men who underwent prostate biopsy between January 2005 and December 2015 were retrospectively analyzed. The association between lipid profile and the risk, stage, and Gleason grade group (GG) of the PC were investigated. Sensitivity analysis was conducted using univariate and multivariate quantile analysis for lipide profile on the risk and stage of PC.

Results

Of the 1740 study populations, 720 men (41.4%) were diagnosed as PC. From multivariate logistic regression analysis, age, prostate specific antigen, triglyceride (odds ratio (OR):1.05, confidence interval (CI):1.03-1.07, p-value<0.001) significantly increased PC risk, while total cholesterol (OR:0.96, CI:0.92-0.99, p-value=0.011) significantly decreased the PC risk. The increase of serum triglyceride increased the risk of both of locally advanced (OR:1.03, CI:1.00-1.07, p-value=0.025) and metastatic PC (OR:1.14, CI:1.04-1.25, p-value=0.004). The increase of serum triglyceride increased the risk of GG2-3 (OR:1.03, CI:1.00-1.06, p-value=0.027) and GG4-5 (OR:1.04, CI:1.01-1.08, p-value=0.027). Univariate quartile analysis founded serum triglyceride increasing risk of locally advanced disease than organ confined disease. (OR: 1.00, 1.25, 2.04, 4.57 for 1st, 2nd, 3rd and 4th quartile, p-value<0.001). Adjusted multivariate quartile analysis confirmed statistically significant increasing PC risk of triglyceride (OR: 1.00, 1.25, 2.04, 4.57 for 1st, 2nd, 3rd and 4th quartile, p-value<0.001).

Conclusions

This study findings suggested increased in triglyceride level increased the risk PC. Increased in triglyceride level also associated with aggressive presentation of PC, with higher stage and GG.
The relationship between the Hippo signaling pathway and bone metastasis of breast cancer
Authors: Han Qinyu , Qiu Shi , Hu Huiwen , Li Wenjing , Dang Xiangguo , Li Xiangqi
Published: May 2023

Bone is the most common site of metastasis from breast cancer, which is the most prevalent cancer affecting women globally. Bone metastasis from breast cancer severely affects the quality of life of patients and increases mortality. The molecular mechanisms of metastasis, colonization, and proliferation of breast cancer cells in bone are complex and involve the interaction between breast cancer cells and the bone microenvironment. However, the precise mechanism is not clear at present. In recent years, the Hippo signaling pathway has attracted much attention due to its important role in regulating the expression of major effector molecules during tumor development. In particular, studies have found that the mutation and aberrant expression of the core components of the Hippo signaling pathway affect breast cancer cell migration and invasion, indicating that this pathway plays a role in bone metastasis, although the molecular mechanism of this pathway in breast cancer metastasis has not been fully elucidated. In this review, we discuss the function of the Hippo signaling pathway, introducing its role in breast cancer metastasis, especially bone metastasis of breast cancer, so as to lay a solid theoretical foundation for further research and for the development of effective targeted therapeutic agents.
The detailed classification of the interlobar artery and the artery crossing intersegmental planes in the right upper lobe
Authors: Li Zhikai , Kong Yuhong , Li Bowen , Lv Wenfa , Zhang Xiaopeng
Published: May 2023

Background

With the prevalence of three-dimensional computed tomography bronchography and angiography (3D-CTBA) and the development of anatomical segmentectomy, several studies have analyzed the branching patterns of peripheral segmental arteries in the right upper lobe (RUL). Nevertheless, the detailed classification of the branching patterns of the interlobar artery and the artery crossing intersegmental planes remains unknown. Thus, we conducted a retrospective study to analyze the variations of the interlobar artery and the artery crossing intersegmental planes in the RUL using 3D-CTBA.

Materials and methods

A total of 600 patients with ground-glass opacity (GGO) who had undergone 3D-CTBA preoperatively at Hebei General Hospital between September 2020 and September 2022 were used for the retrospective study. We reviewed the anatomical variations of the RUL arteries in these patients using 3D-CTBA images.

Results

The branching patterns of the RUL artery were classified into the following four categories: trunk superior (Tr. sup), Tr. sup + interlobar artery, Tr. sup + trunk inferior (Tr. inf), and Tr. sup + Tr. inf + interlobar artery. The branching patterns of the interlobar artery were subclassified into four subtypes: posterior ascending artery (A. pos), anterior ascending artery (A. ant), A. pos + A. ant, and ascending artery (A. asc). The artery crossing intersegmental planes contains two types: type A, anterior subsegmental artery crossing intersegmental planes (AX1b); type B, recurrent artery crossing intersegmental planes (AX. rec).

Conclusion

The variation types of blood vessels in the RUL are complex. This study explored the detailed classification of the interlobar artery and the artery crossing intersegmental planes. It can help thoracic surgeons understand the anatomy variations, accurately locate lesions before surgery, and effectively plan surgeries.
A quinazoline derivative suppresses B cell hyper-activation and ameliorates the severity of systemic lupus erythematosus in mice
Authors: Zhang Gan , Yang Fan , Li Juan , Chen Shan , Kong Yuhang , Mo Chunfen , Leng Xiao , Liu Yang , Xu Ying , Wang Yantang
Published: May 2023

Background: Aberrant autoreactive B cell responses contribute to the pathogenesis of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). Currently, there is no safe and effective drug for intervention of SLE. Quinazoline derivative (N4-(4-phenoxyphenethyl)quinazoline-4,6-diamine, QNZ) is a NF-κB inhibitor and has potent anti-inflammatory activity. However, it is unclear whether QNZ treatment can modulate B cell activation and SLE severity.

Methods: Splenic CD19+ B cells were treated with QNZ (2, 10, or 50 nM) or paeoniflorin (200 μM, a positive control), and their activation and antigen presentation function-related molecule expression were examined by flow cytometry. MRL/lpr lupus-prone mice were randomized and treated intraperitoneally with vehicle alone, 0.2 mg/kg/d QNZ or 1 mg/kg/d FK-506 (tacrolimus, a positive control) for 8 weeks. Their body weights and clinical symptoms were measured and the frequency of different subsets of splenic and lymph node activated B cells were quantified by flow cytometry. The degrees of kidney inflammation and glycogen deposition were examined by hematoxylin and eosin (H&E) and PAS staining. The levels of serum autoantibodies and renal IgG, complement C3 deposition were examined by ELISA and immunofluorescence.

Results: QNZ treatment significantly inhibited the activation and antigen presentation-related molecule expression of B cells in vitro. Similarly, treatment with QNZ significantly mitigated the SLE activity by reducing the frequency of activated B cells and plasma cells in MRL/lpr mice.

Conclusion: QNZ treatment ameliorated the severity of SLE in MRL/lpr mice, which may be associated with inhibiting B cell activation, and plasma cell formation. QNZ may be an excellent candidate for the treatment of SLE and other autoimmune diseases.
Chaihu Shugan San ameliorated cognitive deficits through regulating gut microbiota in senescence-accelerated mouse prone 8
Authors: Li Zhiyue , Zeng Qiang , Hu Shengquan , Liu Zhanyan , Wang Shuting , Jin Yu , Li Limin , Ou Hanlin , Wu Zhengzhi
Published: May 2023

Background: Traditional Chinese medicines exhibit promising preventive effects on Alzheimer’s disease. Chaihu Shugan San (CSS) is a well-known traditional herbal formula whose several kinds of ingredients have the potential of ameliorating Alzheimer’s disease. The present study aimed to evaluate the effects of CSS on the microbiota–gut–brain axis and cognitive deficits of senescence-accelerated mouse prone 8 (SAMP8) mice as well as investigate the underlying mechanisms.

Methods: Thirty 5-month-old SAMP8 mice were randomly divided into the model group (SAMP8), CSS low-dose treatment group (CSSL), and CSS high-dose treatment group (CSSH). Ten SAMR1 mice were used as the normal control, and ten SAMP8 mice treated with donepezil were used as the positive control of cognitive function. CSS was orally administrated to SAMP8 mice for 8 weeks. The Morris water maze test was used to evaluate cognitive function. Histological staining was used to observe neuronal injury and Aβ deposition. Transmission electron microscopy was used to observe the synaptic ultrastructure. 16S rRNA gene analysis was performed to measure the changes in intestinal microbiota.

Results: The results showed that CSS significantly improved the learning function and memory deficits of aged SAMP8 mice in the Morris water maze examination. CSS ameliorated neuronal injury, synaptic injuries, and Aβ deposition in the brain of SAMP8 mice. In addition, CSS also significantly improved microbiota composition in terms of elevating Lactobacillus reuteri and decreasing Staphylococcus xylosus in the feces of aged SAMP8 mice.

Conclusion: These findings suggested that CSS might have a preventive potential for cognitive deficits in aging through regulating gut microbiota, which paved the way for the application of CSS for prevention and therapeutic purposes for mild cognitive impairment as well as Alzheimer’s disease.
Integrated transcriptome and metabolome analysis to investigate the mechanism of intranasal insulin treatment in a rat model of vascular dementia
Authors: Tang Liang , Wang Yan , Gong Xujing , Xiang Ju , Zhang Yan , Xiang Qin , Li Jianming
Published: May 2023

Introduction: Insulin has an effect on neurodegenerative diseases. However, the role and mechanism of insulin in vascular dementia (VD) and its underlying mechanism are unknown. In this study, we aimed to investigate the effects and mechanism of insulin on VD.

Methods: Experimental rats were randomly assigned to control (CK), Sham, VD, and insulin (INS) + VD groups. Insulin was administered by intranasal spray. Cognitive function was evaluated using the Morris's water maze. Nissl's staining and immunohistochemical staining were used to assess morphological alterations. Apoptosis was evaluated using TUNEL-staining. Transcriptome and metabolome analyses were performed to identify differentially expressed genes (DEGs) and differentially expressed metabolites (DEMs), respectively.

Results: Insulin significantly improved cognitive and memory functions in VD model rats (p < 0.05). Compared with the VD group, the insulin + VD group exhibited significantly reduced the number of Nissl's bodies numbers, apoptosis level, GFAP-positive cell numbers, apoptosis rates, and p-tau and tau levels in the hippocampal CA1 region (p < 0.05). Transcriptomic analysis found 1,257 and 938 DEGs in the VD vs. CK and insulin + VD vs. VD comparisons, respectively. The DEGs were mainly enriched in calcium signaling, cAMP signaling, axon guidance, and glutamatergic synapse signaling pathways. In addition, metabolomic analysis identified 1 and 14 DEMs between groups in negative and positive modes, respectively. KEGG pathway analysis indicated that DEGs and DEMs were mostly enriched in metabolic pathway.

Conclusion: Insulin could effectively improve cognitive function in VD model rats by downregulating tau and p-tau expression, inhibiting astrocyte inflammation and neuron apoptosis, and regulating genes involved in calcium signaling, cAMP signaling, axon guidance, and glutamatergic synapse pathways, as well as metabolites involved in metabolic pathway.
Mushroom body output neurons MBON-a1/a2 define an odor intensity channel that regulates behavioral odor discrimination learning in larval Drosophila
Authors: Mohamed Abdulkadir , Malekou Iro , Sim Timothy , O'Kane Cahir J. , Maait Yousef , Scullion Benjamin , Masuda-Nakagawa Liria M.
Published: May 2023

The sensitivity of animals to sensory input must be regulated to ensure that signals are detected and also discriminable. However, how circuits regulate the dynamic range of sensitivity to sensory stimuli is not well understood. A given odor is represented in the insect mushroom bodies (MBs) by sparse combinatorial coding by Kenyon cells (KCs), forming an odor quality representation. To address how intensity of sensory stimuli is processed at the level of the MB input region, the calyx, we characterized a set of novel mushroom body output neurons that respond preferentially to high odor concentrations. We show that a pair of MB calyx output neurons, MBON-a1/2, are postsynaptic in the MB calyx, where they receive extensive synaptic inputs from KC dendrites, the inhibitory feedback neuron APL, and octopaminergic sVUM1 neurons, but relatively few inputs from projection neurons. This pattern is broadly consistent in the third-instar larva as well as in the first instar connectome. MBON-a1/a2 presynaptic terminals innervate a region immediately surrounding the MB medial lobe output region in the ipsilateral and contralateral brain hemispheres. By monitoring calcium activity using jRCamP1b, we find that MBON-a1/a2 responses are odor-concentration dependent, responding only to ethyl acetate (EA) concentrations higher than a 200-fold dilution, in contrast to MB neurons which are more concentration-invariant and respond to EA dilutions as low as 10–4. Optogenetic activation of the calyx-innervating sVUM1 modulatory neurons originating in the SEZ (Subesophageal zone), did not show a detectable effect on MBON-a1/a2 odor responses. Optogenetic activation of MBON-a1/a2 using CsChrimson impaired odor discrimination learning compared to controls. We propose that MBON-a1/a2 form an output channel of the calyx, summing convergent sensory and modulatory input, firing preferentially to high odor concentration, and might affect the activity of downstream MB targets.
Optogenetic control of gut movements reveals peristaltic wave-mediated induction of cloacal contractions and reactivation of impaired gut motility
Authors: Shikaya Yuuki , Inaba Masafumi , Tadokoro Ryosuke , Utsunomiya Shota , Takahashi Yoshiko
Published: May 2023

Gut peristalsis, recognized as a wave-like progression along the anterior-posterior gut axis, plays a pivotal role in the transportation, digestion, and absorption of ingested materials. The embryonic gut, which has not experienced ingested materials, undergoes peristalsis offering a powerful model for studying the intrinsic mechanisms underlying the gut motility. It has previously been shown in chicken embryos that acute contractions of the cloaca (an anus-like structure) located at the posterior end of the hindgut are tightly coupled with the arrival of hindgut-derived waves. To further scrutinize the interactions between hindgut and cloaca, we here developed an optogenetic method that produced artificial waves in the hindgut. A variant form of channelrhodopsin-2 (ChR2(D156C)), permitting extremely large photocurrents, was expressed in the muscle component of the hindgut of chicken embryos using Tol2-mediated gene transfer and in ovo electroporation techniques. The D156C-expressing hindgut responded efficiently to local pulses of blue light: local contractions emerge at an ectopic site in the hindgut, which were followed by peristaltic waves that reached to the endpoint of the hindgut. Markedly, the arrival of the optogenetically induced waves caused concomitant contractions of the cloaca, revealing that the hindgut-cloaca coordination is mediated by signals triggered by peristaltic waves. Moreover, a cloaca undergoing pharmacologically provoked aberrant contractions could respond to pulsed blue light irradiation. Together, the optogenetic technology developed in this study for inducing gut peristalsis paves the way to study the gut movement and also to explore therapeutic methodology for peristaltic disorders.
Grain yield and quality performances of different late-season rice cultivars in response to experimental warming in subtropical China
Authors: Yang Taotao , Tan Xueming , Huang Shan , Pan Xiaohua , Zeng Yongjun , Zhang Jun , Cheng Shanmei , Zeng Yanhua
Published: May 2023

Introduction

Climate warming has pronounced effects on rice production in China. However, late-seasons rice cultivars are diverse in double rice cropping systems, and the actual responses in grain yield and quality of different late-season rice cultivars to climate warming are still unclear.

Methods

A two-year field warming experiment was conducted by using free-air temperature increase facilities with three widely-planted late-season rice cultivars, including Taiyou398 (TY, short growth duration indica hybrid rice), Jiuxiangnian (JXN, long growth duration indica inbred rice), and Yongyou1538 (YY, long growth duration indica-japonica hybrid rice) in a double rice cropping system in subtropical China.

Results

Warming (1.9–2.0°C) had no significant effects on the grain yields of TY and JXN, but significantly decreased that of YY by 4.8% relative to ambient treatment due to a reduction of spikelet number. Compared to ambient treatment, the head rice yields of TY and YY did not change while that of JXN increased by 6.3% under warming conditions. Warming significantly increased the head rice rates of JXN and YY by 6.6% and 7.8%, and the chalky grain rates of TY, JXN, and YY by 79.1%, 21.6%, and 7.6%, respectively. Under warming conditions, the amylose content of JXN and YY decreased significantly by 7.5% and 8.8%, and the setback of three cultivars decreased significantly by an average of 41.5%.

Conclusion

Warming could improve the milling and eating qualities of long growth duration late-season rice (JXN and YY) and increase or maintain their head rice yield, even though decreased the grain yield of indica-japonica hybrid rice (YY). These results will provide a better understanding for the selection of suitable late-season rice cultivars under future climate warming conditions.
Anthocyanin metabolic engineering of Euphorbia pulcherrima: advances and perspectives
Authors: Lozoya-Gloria Edmundo , Cuéllar-González Fernando , Ochoa-Alejo Neftalí
Published: May 2023

The range of floral colors is determined by the type of plant pigment accumulated by the plant. Anthocyanins are the most common flavonoid pigments in angiosperms; they provide a wide range of visible colors from red-magenta to blue-purple, products of cyanidin and delphinidin biosynthesis, respectively. For the floriculture industry, floral color is one of the most important ornamental characteristics for the development of new commercial varieties; however, most plant species are restricted to a certain color spectrum, limited by their own genetics. In fact, many ornamental crops lack bluish varieties due to the lack of activity of essential biosynthetic enzymes for the accumulation of delphinidin. An example is the poinsettia (Euphorbia pulcherrima Willd. ex Klotzsch), the ornamental plant symbol of Christmas and native to Mexico. Its popularity is the result of the variety of colors displayed by its bracts, a kind of modified leaves that accumulate reddish pigments based mainly on cyanidin and, to a lesser extent, on pelargonidin. The commercial success of this plant lies in the development of new varieties and, although consumers like the typical red color, they are also looking for poinsettias with new and innovative colors. Previous research has demonstrated the possibility of manipulating flower color through metabolic engineering of the anthocyanin biosynthesis pathway and plant tissue culture in different ornamental plant species. For example, transgenic cultivars of flowers such as roses, carnations or chrysanthemums owe their attractive bluish colors to a high and exclusive accumulation of delphinidin. Here, we discuss the possibilities of genetic engineering of the anthocyanin biosynthetic pathway in E. pulcherrima through the introduction of one or more foreign delphinidin biosynthetic genes under the transcriptional control of a pathway-specific promoter, and the genome editing possibilities as an alternative tool to modify the color of the bracts. In addition, some other approaches such as the appropriate selection of the cultivars that presented the most suitable intracellular conditions to accumulate delphinidin, as well as the incorporation of genes encoding anthocyanin-modifying enzymes or transcription factors to favor the bluish pigmentation of the flowers are also revised.
Everyday non-partisan fake news: Sharing behavior, platform specificity, and detection
Authors: Shephard Mark P. , Robertson David J. , Huhe Narisong , Anderson Anthony
Published: May 2023

Concern over the impact of fake news on major socio-political events is growing. The use of deliberate misinformation is thought to have played a role in the outcome of the UK EU referendum, the 2016 US presidential election, and in the effectiveness of COVID-19 public health messaging. As a result, recent research has tended to focus on hyper-partisan (e.g., US politics; Democrat/Republican), person specific (e.g., Hillary Clinton/Donald Trump) content that incorporates emotive and hyperbolic language. However, in this study, we focus on an alternative form of fake news, across a variety of topics (e.g., Crime, Immigration, and Health), that avoids these characteristics, and which may therefore be more pervasive and difficult to detect. In a three-part study, we examined participants sharing intentions for fake news (including platform preference; Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and WhatsApp), their ability to explicitly detect fake news, and whether individual differences on psychological measures of critical thinking ability, rational thinking, and emotional stability predict sharing behavior and detection ability. The results show that even our well-informed sample (political science students) were not immune to the effects of fake news, some issues (e.g., health and crime) were more likely to be shared than others (e.g., immigration), and on specific platforms (e.g., Twitter, Facebook). In addition, we show that individual differences in emotional stability appears to be a key factor in sharing behavior, while rational thinking aptitude was key to fake news detection. Taken together, this study provides novel data that can be used to support targeted fake news interventions, suggesting possible news topic, sharing behavior, and platform specific insights. Such interventions, and implications for government policy, education, and social media companies are discussed.
Coherence, not conditional meaning, accounts for the relevance effect
Authors: Bourlier Maxime , Jacquet Baptiste , Lassiter Daniel , Baratgin Jean
Published: May 2023

Missing-link conditionals like “If bats have wings, Paris is in France” are generally felt to be unacceptable even though both clauses are true. According to the Hypothetical Inferential Theory, this is explained by a conventional requirement of an inferential connection between conditional clauses. Bayesian theorists have denied the need for such a requirement, appealing instead to a requirement of discourse coherence that extends to all ways of connecting clauses. Our experiment compared conditionals (“If A, C”), conjunctions (“A and C”), and bare juxtapositions (“A. C.”). With one systematic exception that is predicted by prior work in coherence theory, the presence or absence of an inferential link affected conditionals and other statement types in the same way. This is as expected according to the Bayesian approach together with a general theory of discourse coherence.
Associations between parental well-being and early learning at home before and during the COVID-19 pandemic: observations from the China Family Panel Studies
Authors: Dong Shuyang , Rao Nirmala
Published: May 2023

Background

COVID-19-related lockdowns and preschool closures resulted in many young children spending all their time at home. Some parents had to manage child care while working from home, and increased demands may have led them to experience considerable stress. Evidence indicates that among parents with young children, those who had pre-existing mental and physical conditions adapted less well than other parents. We considered associations between parental well-being and the home learning environment for young children.

Method

We leveraged data from the nationally representative China Family Panel Studies. We analyzed longitudinal data collected before (2018) and during (2020) the pandemic. Participants were parents of 1,155 preschoolers (aged 3–5 years in 2020). Moderated mediation models were conducted. Maternal and paternal psychological well-being, depression, physical health, and physical illness in 2018 and 2020 were predictors. The frequency of marital and intergenerational conflicts in 2020 were mediators. Primary caregiver-reported engagement in home learning activities and family educational expenditure and parent-reported time spent on child care in 2020 were outcome variables. The number of COVID-19 cases in each province 3 months before the 2020 assessment was the moderator. Child, parental, and household characteristics and urbanicity were covariates.

Results

Controlling for covariates, improvements in parental psychological well-being predicted more home learning activities and increases in paternal depression predicted less time spent by fathers on child care. Negative changes in maternal physical health predicted less family educational expenditure and mothers spending more time on child care. Family conflicts mediated the association between maternal physical illness in 2018 and family educational expenditure. The number of COVID-19 cases in a province (i) was positively associated with mothers spending more time on child care, (ii) moderated the association of improvements in maternal physical health and mothers spending less time on child care, and (iii) moderated the association of family conflicts and more family educational expenditure.

Conclusion

The findings indicate that decreased parental psychological and physical well-being foretells reductions in monetary and non-monetary investment in early learning and care at home. Regional pandemic risk undermines maternal investment in early learning and care, especially for those with pre-existing physical conditions.
Facing financial barriers to healthcare: patient-informed adaptation of a conceptual framework for adults with a history of cancer
Authors: Biddell Caitlin B. , Waters Austin R. , Angove Rebekah S. M. , Gallagher Kathleen D. , Rosenstein Donald L. , Spees Lisa P. , Kent Erin E. , Planey Arrianna Marie , Wheeler Stephanie B.
Published: May 2023

Background

Cancer-related financial hardship is associated with negative clinical outcomes, which may be partially explained by cost-related delayed or forgone care in response to financial barriers. We sought to understand patient experiences facing financial barriers to medical care following a cancer diagnosis.

Methods

We conducted virtual, semi-structured interviews in Fall 2022 with 20 adults with a history of cancer who had experienced cancer-related financial hardship in the prior year. We used template analysis within a pragmatic paradigm, combining constructivist and critical realist theoretical perspectives, to analyze interview transcripts and adapt an existing conceptual framework of financial barriers to care.

Results

The majority of interviewees identified as women (70%), non-Hispanic white (60%), and reported an annual household income of <$48,000 (60%). As interviewees sought to overcome financial barriers, they described substantial frustration at the limitations and complexities of United States health and social care systems, resulting in a reliance on a fragmented, uncertain resource landscape. The administrative burden resulting from bureaucratic systems and the advocacy responsibilities required to navigate them ultimately fell on interviewees and their caregivers. Thus, participants described their ability to overcome financial barriers as being influenced by individual and interpersonal factors, such as social support, comfort asking for help, time, prior experience navigating resources, and physical and mental health. However, participants noted health system organizational factors, such as whether all new patients proactively met with a social worker or financial navigator, as having the potential to lessen the administrative and financial burden experienced.

Conclusion

We present an adapted conceptual framework outlining multi-level factors influencing patient experiences coping with financial barriers to medical care. In addition to influencing whether a patient ultimately delays or forgoes care due to cost, financial barriers also have the potential to independently affect patient mental, physical, and financial health.
Taking a nuanced look at adolescent technology use and negative affect: the protective role of preparedness
Authors: McFarland Sean , Tan Tse Yen , De France Kalee , Hoffmann Jessica D.
Published: May 2023

Adolescents are online more than any other age group, with the majority of their time on social media. Increases in technology use among adolescents have heightened conversations regarding its effects on their negative affect. There have been mixed findings regarding the relationship between technology use and adolescent negative affect; some studies present a negative association or no association, and some show a positive association. To clarify this relationship, we propose moving away from asking only how much adolescents use technology to asking how and what they use it for. We employed the Multidimensional Healthy Technology Use and Social Media Habits Scale (MTECH) and adapted forms of the Positive and Negative Affect Schedule (PANAS) in a sample of 7,234 middle and high school students to assess the extent to which students feel prepared to use technology safely and successfully and whether this impacts the association between the amount of various types of technology they use and their negative affect. We conducted eight moderated regression analyses that, in some models, revealed preparedness had a protective role in the association between technology use and negative affect. In these models, at all levels of technology use, adolescents with higher levels of preparedness experienced lower levels of negative affect than their peers; however, in some instances, this effect was diminished for those using technology with high frequency. These findings support the notion that the association between technology and negative affect is not best modeled as a direct relationship, and instead that we must consider important moderators of this complex association.
External validation of the parental attitude about childhood vaccination scale
Authors: Ghazy Ramy Mohamed , Elkhadry Sally Waheed , Abdel-Rahman Suzan , Taha Sarah Hamed N. , Youssef Naglaa , Elshabrawy Abdelhamid , Ibrahim Sarah Assem , Al Awaidy Salah , Al-Ahdal Tareq , Padhi Bijaya Kumar , Fadl Noha
Published: May 2023

Introduction

Internal validation techniques alone do not guarantee the value of a model. This study aims to investigate the external validity of the Parental Attitude toward Childhood Vaccination (PACV) scale for assessing parents’ attitude toward seasonal influenza vaccination.

Methods

Using a snowball sampling approach, an anonymous online questionnaire was distributed in two languages (English and Arabic) across seven countries. To assess the internal validity of the model, the machine learning technique of “resampling methods” was used to repeatedly select various samples collected from Egypt and refit the model for each sample. The binary logistic regression model was used to identify the main determinants of parental intention to vaccinate their children against seasonal influenza. We adopted the original model developed and used its predictors to determine parents’ intention to vaccinate their children in Libya, Lebanon, Syria, Iraq, Palestine, and Sudan. The area under the curve (AUC) indicated the model’s ability to distinguish events from non-events. We visually compared the observed and predicted probabilities of parents’ intention to vaccinate their children using a calibration plot.

Results

A total of 430 parents were recruited from Egypt to internally validate the model, and responses from 2095 parents in the other six countries were used to externally validate the model. Multivariate regression analysis showed that the PACV score, child age (adolescence), and Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) vaccination in children were significantly associated with the intention to receive the vaccination. The AUC of the developed model was 0.845. Most of the predicted points were close to the diagonal line, demonstrating better calibration (the prediction error was 16.82%). The sensitivity and specificity of the externally validated model were 89.64 and 37.89%, respectively (AUC = 0.769).

Conclusion

The PACV showed similar calibration and discrimination across the six countries. It is transportable and can be used to assess attitudes towards influenza vaccination among parents in different countries using either the Arabic or English version of the scale.
Image–text coherence and its implications for multimodal AI
Authors: Alikhani Malihe , Khalid Baber , Stone Matthew
Published: May 2023

Human communication often combines imagery and text into integrated presentations, especially online. In this paper, we show how image–text coherence relations can be used to model the pragmatics of image–text presentations in AI systems. In contrast to alternative frameworks that characterize image–text presentations in terms of the priority, relevance, or overlap of information across modalities, coherence theory postulates that each unit of a discourse stands in specific pragmatic relations to other parts of the discourse, with each relation involving its own information goals and inferential connections. Text accompanying an image may, for example, characterize what's visible in the image, explain how the image was obtained, offer the author's appraisal of or reaction to the depicted situation, and so forth. The advantage of coherence theory is that it provides a simple, robust, and effective abstraction of communicative goals for practical applications. To argue this, we review case studies describing coherence in image–text data sets, predicting coherence from few-shot annotations, and coherence models of image–text tasks such as caption generation and caption evaluation.
Semi-analytical inversion modelling of Chlorophyll a variability in the U.S. Virgin Islands
Authors: Ali K. Adem , Flanagan D. C. , Brandt M. E. , Ortiz J. D. , Smith T. B.
Published: May 2023

Coral reef health in the U.S. Virgin Islands (USVI) is in decline due to land-based sources of pollution associated with watershed development and global climate change. Water quality is a good indicator of stress in these nearshore environments as it plays a key role in determining the health and distribution of coral reef communities. Conventional water quality assessment methods based on in situ measurements are both time consuming and costly, and they lack the spatial coverage and temporal resolution that can be achieved using satellite remote sensing techniques. Water quality parameters (WQPs) such as Chlorophyll a (Chl-a), can be studied remotely using models that account for the inherent optical properties (IOPs) of the water. In this study, empirical based standard ocean color algorithm (OC4) and two semi-analytical algorithms, the Garver–Siegel–Maritorena (GSM) and the Generalized Inherent Optical Properties (GIOP) model, were evaluated in retrieving Chl-a in the nearshore waters of the USVI. GSM and GIOP were also evaluated for modeling inherent optical properties such as absorption coefficient of phytoplankton (aph (443)). Analysis of the results from each model using a field database from six cruises during May/June and December between 2016 and 2018, showed that the OC4 performed poorly with R2 of 0.14 and RMSE = 0.15. Effects of suspended particulates and benthic reflectance most likely contributed to the poor performance of the algorithm. GSM is a slightly better estimator for aph (443) and Chl-a (R2 = 0.55, RMSE = 0.04; R2 = 0.60, RMSE = 0.09) than GIOP (R2 = 0.52, RMSE = 0.05; R2 = 0.17, RMSE = 0.15). Performance of the semi-analytical models are limited in estimating particulate back scattering (bbp (443)) also due to the benthic albedo effects in the shallow waters. The calibrated GSM model was applied to Landsat 8 OLI satellite imagery spanning 2016–2018 to develop a time series of the spatial changes in Chl-a concentrations in the coastal waters of the USVI. The Landsat GSM Chl-a model produced promising results of R2 = 0.45, RMSE = 0.07, in an environment where signal-to-noise ratio is significantly low.
Agents of (un)sustainability: democratising universities for the planetary crisis
Authors: McGeown Calum , Barry John
Published: May 2023

As producers and gatekeepers of knowledge, and as providers of education and training, our universities play a key role in the reproduction of unsustainability. This article finds that they are, as currently organised, therefore complicit in frustrating and delaying action to address the planetary crisis. However, as highly resourced and influential institutions, they have an inherently transformative potential, should their resources and activities be redirected towards progressive social and ecological ends, which challenge rather than support the unsustainable status quo. This means that, as workers within these institutions, academics and researchers are faced with a choice: to be agents of this reproduction or to be advocates and activists for change. We argue for the latter. In doing so, we seek to build on the analysis and demands of emergent movements such as Fossil Free Research, Faculty for a Future and Scientist Rebellion in making the case for universities to show leadership on listening to the very science they produce on the planetary emergency, and act accordingly. Employing a green political economy critical analysis, the article suggests that, if they are to contribute to societal transformation, universities themselves must undergo transformations that explicitly and systematically reorient academic practices around social and ecological protection and priorities. Building on these findings, it lays out a series of normative and practical arguments for a broad programme of democratisation around three pillars of academic practise: (1) Research, (2) Education and (3) Outreach and engagement. However, any such processes will of course be difficult, especially given the wider neoliberal political and political economy context within which universities operate, as well as a conservative institutional culture which disincentivises dissent from “business as usual”. In the discussion that follows, we therefore anticipate and argue that advancing such transformative and innovative changes will initially involve individuals or small groups of academics willing to go beyond “academia as usual”.
“I just had the feeling that the interval training is more beneficial”: young adults' subjective experiences of physical fitness and the role of training modes
Authors: Gropper Hannes , John Jannika M. , Sudeck Gorden , Thiel Ansgar
Published: May 2023

Objective

Compelling evidence has shown that high-intensity interval training (HIIT) is associated with substantial increases in physical fitness. However, little is known about whether and how individuals experience these adaptations over time. The purpose of this study is, therefore, to explore how physically inactive young adults subjectively experience physical fitness and its development as they start to exercise and how these experiences relate to different intensity domains (i.e., moderate and severe) as well as to training modes [i.e., HIIT and moderate intensity continuous training (MICT)] and their sequential administration (i.e., HIIT–MICT and MICT–HIIT).

Methods

Thirty-one inactive participants completed a 15-week two-period sequential exercise intervention in which they first trained for six weeks in a HIIT or a MICT group and subsequently switched training modes. Interviews using the biographical mapping method were conducted at the end of the intervention to assess participants’ exercise- and fitness-related experiences over the past weeks. To assess experiential patterns, we conducted a reflexive thematic analysis.

Results

We developed three themes that represent the temporal and processual character of starting to exercise after a prolonged period of inactivity: (1) Inactive young adults are not all the same when starting to exercise; (2) Developing physical fitness is a multi-faceted and individual experience; and (3) Feeling physically fit (or not) fosters large-scale effects.

Conclusion

Our results show that, in retrospect, participants mostly deemed HIIT to be more effective than MICT. Our findings also emphasize that physical fitness is a complex and subjective experience that manifests in various ways over time. The idiosyncrasy of physical fitness experiences reiterates the necessity for individually tailored exercise prescriptions instead of one-size-fits-all approaches.
Associations of Obesity With Growth and Puberty in Children: A Cross-Sectional Study in Fuzhou, China
Authors: Zhang Ying , Yuan Xin , Yang XiaoHong , Lin XiangQuan , Cai ChunYan , Chen ShiJun , Ai ZhuanZhuan , ShangGuan HuaKun , Wu WenYong , Chen RuiMin
Published: May 2023

Objectives: To investigate the associations of obesity with growth and puberty in children.

Methods: From November 2017 to December 2019, height, weight, and Tanner stages of 26,879 children aged 3–18 years in Fuzhou, China were assessed.

Results: The obese group was significantly taller than the non-obese group after age 4 years for both genders, yet there was no significant difference in height between obese and non-obese group after 15.5 years old for boys and 12.5 years old for girls. The inflection points of significant growth deceleration in obese and non-obese groups were 14.4 and 14.6 years old for boys, and 11.8 and 12.8 years old for girls, respectively. The proportions of testicular development in boys with obesity and non-obesity were 7.96% and 5.08% at 8.5–8.9 years old, respectively, while the proportions of breast development in girls were 17.19% and 3.22% at age 7.5–7.9 years old, respectively.

Conclusion: Children with obesity were taller in early childhood, earlier onset of puberty and earlier cessation of growth than children with non-obesity of the same age. However, there was sex dimorphism on the effect of obesity on the incidence of precocious puberty.
Factors Affecting Risk Management in Industrial Companies in Jordan
Authors: Abu Kwaik Nadia , Sweis Rateb , Allan Baraa , Sweis Ghaleb
Published: May 2023

This study aims to identify and rank the critical factors affecting risk management from the perspective of top and Lower Management in Jordanian industrial companies. Based on a rigorous literature review, critical factors affecting risk management are factors related to (1) flexibility and adaptation in the economic environment; (2) company characteristics; (3) external audit quality; (4) government rules and regulations; (5) top management and the board of directors; (6) organizational structure; (7) internal audit effectiveness; (8) trust; (9) human resources efficiency and training (10); communications (11); information technology (12); and the company’s culture. Quantitative research methods were used. A questionnaire was developed and distributed to a random sample of senior managers of industrial companies in Jordan. Kendall and Mann–Whitney tests, RII, and EFA were used to analyze the acquired data. The results show that all discussed factors have an effect on risk management, and there is no difference between top and Lower Management’s opinions regarding the ranking of the importance of those factors on risk management. This study provides an original perspective on the concept of risk management and the factors that impact it. These findings have important implications for Jordanian industrial companies’ decision makers. Companies should apply the results to their strategies and policies to reduce risks.
Soil–Plant Interaction Mediated by Indigenous AMF in Grafted and Own-Rooted Grapevines under Field Conditions
Authors: Biasi Rita , Brunori Elena , Vanino Silvia , Bernardini Alessandra , Catalani Alessia , Farina Roberta , Bruno Antonio , Chilosi Gabriele
Published: May 2023

Plant–soil biota represent a unique living system crucial for improving crops’ adaptation to climate change. In vineyards, plant–soil relations are mediated by rootstock–scion interaction, with grafted vines being the main plant material employed in vineyard planting. The interaction between two deeply different biological systems such as Vitis vinifera sativa and the American Vitis species may modify vines’ adaptation to abiotic stress. The aim of this study was to investigate the physiological response (chlorophyll content—CHL; stomatal conductance—gs) of grafted and ungrafted vines and assess the involvement of Arbuscular Mycorrhizal Fungi (AMF) in this response. In two vineyards located in Central Italy, the presence of AMF was assessed in the roots of grafted and ungrafted cv ‘Aleatico’ vines. The morphological traits of AMF and root mycorrhizal colonization differed in the grafted and ungrafted vines. Under limited climate conditions, ungrafted vines showed better leaf resilience traits (high CHL and gs values) and larger AMF storage organs (vesicles). On the other hand, the grafted ones—which are more sensitive to climate conditions (lower gs and CHL)—involved AMF colonization strategies (greater abundance of arbuscoles and mycorrhizal colonization potential) linked to the improved uptake and transport of water from the bulk soil to the vine. Taken together, these findings highlight different mycorrhizal colonization strategies and storage behaviors in grafted and ungrafted vineyards and with respect to different physical and chemical soil traits.
The Influence of Cold-Pressed Linseed Cake Supplementation on Fatty-Acid Profile and Fat-Soluble Vitamins of Cows’ Milk in an Organic Production System
Authors: Puppel Kamila , Gołębiewski Marcin , Slósarz Jan , Kunowska-Slósarz Małgorzata , Solarczyk Paweł , Grodkowski Grzegorz , Kostusiak Piotr , Grodkowska Kinga , Madras-Majewska Beata , Sakowski Tomasz
Published: May 2023

The aim of the study was to determine the effect of linseed cake supplementation during the winter period as a factor influencing the level of some bioactive components (milk composition, fatty-acid profile, and fat-soluble vitamins) in the milk fat fraction in cows kept on an organic farm. Forty multiparous (second and third lactation) Holstein–Friesian cows were selected that had 81 ± 12 days in milk and produced 15.08 ± 1.20 kg of milk/day. Two groups were created for the experiment: control (CTL; n = 20) and experimental (LC; n = 20). The experiment was divided into two periods: an initial period lasting 7 days in which the experimental group was habituated to the new supplement in their diet; the proper experimental phase, lasting 6 weeks, in which the cows in the experimental group received an individual daily dose of linseed cake (300 g/day/cow). Linseed cake supplementation had a positive impact on the levels of bioactive components (fatty-acid profile and fat-soluble vitamins) in the milk fat fraction. At the end of the trial, the concentration of C18:2 cis9 trans11, C18:1 trans11, α-retinol, α-tocopherol, and total antioxidant status increased 1.59-, 1.94-, 3.12-, 3.38-, and 3.09-fold, respectively, relative to the control levels. The use of linseed cake in winter on organic farms makes it possible to increase the antioxidant potential of milk, thereby eliminating the disparity in the quality of milk from the summer season compared to the winter season.