bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Decreased Plasma Levels of Growth Differentiation Factor 11 in Patients With Schizophrenia: Correlation With Psychopathology and Cognition
Authors: Yang Zhao-xi , Zhan Jin-qiong , Xiong Jian-wen , Wei Bo , Fu Yong-hui , Liu Zhi-peng , Tu Ya-ting , Yang Yuan-jian , Wan Ai-lan
Published: December 2020

Schizophrenia is linked with abnormal neurodevelopment, on which growth differentiation factor 11 (GDF-11) has a great impact. However, a direct evidence linking GDF-11 to the pathophysiology of schizophrenia is still lacking. The current study aimed to investigate the relationship between plasma GDF-11 levels and both psychopathological symptoms and cognitive function in schizophrenia. Eighty-seven schizophrenia patients and 76 healthy controls were enrolled in the present study. The symptomatology of schizophrenia was evaluated using the Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS). Cognitive function was assessed by Repeatable Battery for the Assessment of Neuropsychological Status (RBANS) including twelve neurocognitive tests in five aspects of cognitive function. Plasma GDF-11 levels were determined by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). We found that plasma levels of GDF-11 were significantly lower in schizophrenia patients relative to healthy controls. Correlation analysis showed significant negative correlations between the GDF-11 levels and the PANSS total score, the positive symptoms score, the negative symptoms score or the general score. Additionally, positive associations were observed between plasma GDF-11 levels and the visuospatial/constructional, attention, immediate memory, or delayed memory in patients. Partial correlation analysis showed that these correlations were still significant after adjusting for age, gender, education years, body mass index, duration of illness, and age of onset except for the visuospatial/constructional and attention index. Multiple regression analysis revealed that GDF-11 was an independent contributor to the immediate memory, delayed memory and RBANS total score in patients. Collectively, the correlations between plasma GDF-11 and psychopathological and cognitive symptoms suggest that abnormal GDF-11 signaling might contribute to schizophrenic psychopathology and cognitive impairments and GDF-11 could be a potential and promising biomarker for schizophrenia.
The Use of Neuroscience and Psychological Measurement in England's Court of Protection
Authors: McWilliams Andrew , Fleming Stephen M. , David Anthony S. , Owen Gareth
Published: December 2020

The 2005 Mental Capacity Act of England and Wales provides a description in statute law of a test determining if a person lacks “mental capacity” to take a particular decision and describes how the “best interests” of such a person should be determined. The Act established a new Court of Protection (CoP) to hear cases related to the Act and to rule on disputes over mental capacity. The court gathers a range of evidence, including reports from clinicians and experts. Human rights organisations and others have raised concerns about the nature of assessments for incapacity, including the role of brain investigations and psychometric tests.

Aim: Describe use and interpretation of structured measures of psychological and brain function in CoP cases, to facilitate standardisation and improvement of practices, both in the courtroom and in non-legal settings.

Method: Quantitative review of case law using all CoP judgments published until 2019. The judgments (n = 408) were read to generate a subset referring to structured testing (n = 50). These were then examined in detail to extract the nature of the measurements, circumstances of their use and features of interpretation by the court.

Results: The 408 judgments contained 146 references to structured measurement of psychological or brain function, spread over 50 cases. 120/146 (82.2%) referred to “impairment of mind or brain,” with this being part of assessment for incapacity in 58/146 (39.7%). Measurement referred on 25/146 (17.1%) occasions to “functional decision-making abilities.” Structured measures were used most commonly by psychiatrists and psychologists. Psychological measurements comprised 66.4% of measures. Neuroimaging and electrophysiology were presented for diagnostic purposes only. A small number of behavioural measures were used for people with disorders of consciousness. When assessing incapacity, IQ and the Mini-Mental-State Examination were the commonest measures. A standardised measure of mental capacity itself was employed just once. Judges rarely integrated measurements in their capacity determinations.

Conclusion: Structured testing of brain and psychological function is used in limited ways in the Court of Protection. Whilst there are challenges in creating measures of capacity, we highlight an opportunity for the neuroscience community to improve objectivity in assessment, inside and outside the courtroom.
A Soft Five-Fingered Hand Actuated by Shape Memory Alloy Wires: Design, Manufacturing, and Evaluation
Authors: Simone Filomena , Rizzello Gianluca , Seelecke Stefan , Motzki Paul
Published: December 2020

This work presents a novel five-fingered soft hand prototype actuated by Shape Memory Alloy (SMA) wires. The use of thin (100 μm diameter) SMA wire actuators, in conjunction with an entirely 3D printed hand skeleton, guarantees an overall lightweight and flexible structure capable of silent motion. To enable high forces with sufficiently high actuation speed at each fingertip, bundles of welded actuated SMA wires are used. In order to increase the compliance of each finger, flexible joints from superelastic SMA wires are inserted between each phalanx. The resulting system is a versatile hand prototype having intrinsically elastic fingers, which is capable to grasp several types of objects with a considerable force. The paper starts with the description of the finger hand design, along with practical considerations for the optimal placement of the superelastic SMA in the soft joint. The maximum achievable displacement of each finger phalanx is measured together with the phalanxes dynamic responsiveness at different power stimuli. Several force measurement are also realized at each finger phalanx. The versatility of the prototype is finally demonstrated by presenting several possible hand configurations while handling objects with different sizes and shapes.
Pilot Study on the Reliability of the Coach's Eye: Identifying Talent Throughout a 4-Day Cadet Judo Camp
Authors: Roberts Alexandra H. , Greenwood Daniel , Humberstone Clare , Raynor Annette J.
Published: December 2020

A typical assumption found in talent identification literature is that different coaches, given the same athletes and circumstances, will identify the same subset of athletes as “talented”. However, while coaches play a major role during talent identification in practical sport settings, there is limited empirical research exploring the processes which underpin this. The purpose of this study was to explore the reliability of “the coach's eye” during the assessment of talent in a group of athletes. Specifically, this project compared inter-coach agreement between nine judo coaches (ages 35.8 ± 10.6 years) with varying levels of experience (12.9 ± 8.9 years) in the evaluation of 24 talented cadet judo athletes (13–15 years) at seven timepoints throughout a 4-day development training camp. Without discussion of their scores with other coaches, coaches provided a single score representing each athlete's “potential for future performance” on an 11-point Likert scale at each timepoint. Scores from each coach were converted into rankings from 1 to 24 to create a normalized scale to facilitate comparison of athletes. Based on their rankings at each timepoint, athletes were placed into one of three evenly distributed groups (high, medium, and low rank). Inter-coach agreement at each timepoint was determined by the number of coaches who ranked each athlete in the same group, categorized at three levels: 50, 75 or 100% agreement. Overall results showed that at completion of the camp, coaches reached 100% agreement on only two athletes, both of whom were in the high rank group. When inter-coach agreement was set at 50%, 15 athletes (62.5%) were placed into like groups. The first timepoint at which coaches were able to differentiate between the majority of athletes was Timepoint 3 (end of day 2). The findings suggest that, in isolation, coaches do not agree on the talent or potential of athletes. This indicates that the “coach's eye” is subjective and variable, and, given the same context, there is poor inter-coach agreement in the identification of talented athletes. In turn, these findings may have significant implications for both future talent identification research and athlete selection processes by sport organizations.
Molecular Characteristics and Pathogenicity of Porcine Epidemic Diarrhea Virus Isolated in Some Areas of China in 2015–2018
Authors: Yu Linyang , Liu Yanling , Wang Shuangyun , Zhang Leyi , Liang Pengshuai , Wang Lei , Dong Jianguo , Song Changxu
Published: December 2020

Since 2010,Porcine epidemic diarrhea virus(PEDV) has caused severe diarrhea disease in piglets in China, resulting in large economic losses. To understand the genetic characteristics of the PEDV strains that circulated in some provinces of China between 2015 and 2018, 375 samples of feces and small intestine were collected from pigs and tested. One hundred seventy-seven samples tested positive and the PEDV-positive rate was 47.20%. A phylogenetic tree analysis based on the entire S gene showed that these strains clustered into four subgroups, GI-a, GI-b, GII-a, and GII-b, and that the GII-b strains have become dominant in recent years. Compared with previous strains, these strains have multiple variations in the SP and S1-NTD domains and in the neutralizing epitopes of the S protein. We also successfully isolated and identified a new virulent GII-b strain, GDgh16, which is well-adapted to Vero cells and caused a high mortality rate in piglets in challenge experiments. Our study clarifies the genetic characteristics of the prevalent PEDV strains in parts of China, and suggests that the development of effective novel vaccines is both necessary and urgent.
Modeling the Effect of COVID-19 Lockdown on Mobility and NO2 Concentration in the Lombardy Region
Authors: Piccoli Andrea , Agresti Valentina , Balzarini Alessandra , Bedogni Marco , Bonanno Riccardo , Collino Elena , Colzi Filippo , Lacavalla Matteo , Lanzani Guido , Pirovano Guido , Riva Federico , Riva Giuseppe Maurizio , Toppetti Anna Maria
Published: December 2020

Recent observation and modeling-based studies have shown how air quality has been positively affected by the containment measures enforced due to the COVID-19 outbreak. This work aims to analyze Lombardy’s NO2 atmospheric concentration during the spring lockdown. The region of Lombardy is known for having the largest number of residents in Italy and high levels of pollution. It is also the region where the first European confinement measures were imposed by the Italian government. The modeling suite composed of CAMx (Comprehensive Air Quality Model with Extensions) and WRF (Weather Research and Forecasting model) provides the setting to compare the atmospheric NO2 concentration from mid-February to the end of March with a business as usual situation. The main interest in this work is to investigate the response of NO2 atmospheric concentration to increasingly reduced road traffic. We can simulate, for the first time, a real circumstance of progressively reduced mobility, as well as validating it with measured air quality data. Focusing on the city of Milan, we found that the decrease in NO2 concentration reflects progressively reduced traffic contraction. In the case of a large traffic abatement (71%), the concentration level is reduced by one third. We also find that industrial activities have a relevant impact on NO2 atmospheric concentration, especially in the provinces of Brescia and Bergamo. This study provides an overview of how incisive policies must be implemented to achieve the set environmental targets and protect human health.
Does Human Touch Facilitate Object Categorization in 6-to-9-Month-Old Infants?
Authors: Kadlaskar Girija , Waxman Sandra , Seidl Amanda
Published: December 2020

Infants form object categories in the first months of life. By 3 months and throughout the first year, successful categorization varies as a function of the acoustic information presented in conjunction with category members. Here we ask whether tactile information, delivered in conjunction with category members, also promotes categorization. Six- to 9-month-olds participated in an object categorization task in either a touch-cue or no-cue condition. For infants in the touch-cue condition, familiarization images were accompanied by precisely-timed light touches from their caregivers; infants in the no-cue condition saw the same images but received no touches. Only infants in the touch-cue condition formed categories. This provides the first evidence that touch may play a role in supporting infants’ object categorization.
Improving Visual Function after Mild Traumatic Brain Injury Using a Vision Therapy Program: Case Reports
Authors: Möller Mona-Lisa , Melkas Susanna , Johansson Jan
Published: December 2020

This case report describes the outcome of vision therapy for three patients who were referred to therapy due to visual symptoms after mild traumatic brain injury (MTBI). The criterion for inclusion was a high score (>21p) on the Convergence Insufficiency Symptom Survey (CISS) scale. The vision therapy program (VTP) included both face-to-face sessions and home-based tasks. Cases #1 and #2 had a substantial CISS scale evaluation improvement, and case #2 normalized the CISS scale score from 36 to 19. All patients agreed that vision therapy helped them understand their own vision and changes in their vision, which helped their overall recovery after MTBI. Rehabilitation professionals have an important role in screening for vision impairments and treating functional vision challenges after mild traumatic brain injury.
Child Trauma Experiences and Dissociative Symptoms in Women with Eating Disorders: Case-Control Study
Authors: Rabito-Alcón María F. , Baile José I. , Vanderlinden Johan
Published: December 2020

Background: many people with different diagnoses, including eating disorders, have suffered traumatic experiences in childhood. Method: a case-control study was performed. The objective of this study was to evaluate the presence of child trauma and dissociative symptoms in people with eating disorders and compare the results obtained with a control group. Participants were administered the Mini International Neuropsychiatric Interview (MINI) and the Structured Clinical Interview for Personality Disorders (SCID-II) to confirm diagnostic criteria and explore possible comorbidities. Traumatic experiences in childhood were evaluated with the Child Trauma Questionnaire in its abbreviated version (CTQ-SF), psychoform dissociation was measured with the Scale of Dissociative Experiences (DES-II) and somatoform dissociation with the Somatoform Dissociation Scale (SDQ-20). Results: women with eating disorders reported a greater severity and higher prevalence of child trauma than the control group. Significant differences were found by groups in dissociative symptoms. Conclusions: our results, in a Spanish sample, confirm the findings of previous studies.
Engaging Parents in Analgesia Selection and Racial/Ethnic Differences in Analgesia Given to Pediatric Patients Undergoing Urologic Surgery
Authors: Lo Carl , Ross Patrick A. , Le Sang , Kim Eugene , Keefer Matthew , Rosales Alvina
Published: December 2020

Background: Family-centered care aims to consider family preferences and values in care delivery. Our study examines parent decisions regarding anesthesia type (caudal regional block or local anesthesia) among a diverse sample of children undergoing urologic surgeries. Differences in anesthesia type were examined by known predictors of health disparities, including child race/ethnicity, parental English proficiency, and a proxy for household income. Methods: A retrospective review of 4739 patients (including 25.4% non-Latino/a White, 8.7% non- Latino/a Asians, 7.3% non-Latino/a Black, 23.1% Latino/a, and 35.4% others) undergoing urologic surgeries from 2016 to 2020 using univariate and logistic regression analyses. Results: 62.1% of Latino/a parents and 60.8% of non-Latino/a Black parents did not agree to a regional block. 65.1% of Spanish-speaking parents with limited English Proficiency did not agree to a regional block. Of parents from households below poverty lines, 61.7% did not agree to a caudal regional block. In regression analysis, Latino/a and non- Latino/a Black youth were less likely to receive caudal regional block than non- Latino/a White patients. Conclusions: We found disparities in the use of pediatric pain management techniques. Understanding mechanisms underlying Latino/a and non- Latino/a Black parental preferences may help providers reduce these disparities.
Strong Coupling between Tamm and Surface Plasmons for Advanced Optical Bio-Sensing
Authors: Balevičius Zigmas
Published: December 2020

The total internal reflection ellipsometry method was used to analyse the angular spectra of the hybrid Tamm and surface plasmon modes and to compare their results with those obtained using the conventional single SPR method. As such type of measurement is quite common in commercial SPR devices, more detailed attention was paid to the analysis of the p-polarization reflection intensity dependence. The conducted study showed that the presence of strong coupling in the hybrid plasmonic modes increases the sensitivity of the plasmonic-based sensors due to the reduced losses in the metal layer. The experimental results and analysis of the optical responses of three different plasmonic-based samples indicated that the optimized Tamm plasmons ΔRp(TP) and optimized surface plasmons ΔRp(SP) samples produce a response that is about five and six times greater than the conventional surface plasmon resonance ΔRp(SPR) in angular spectra. The sensitivity of the refractive index unit of the spectroscopic measurements for the optimized Tamm plasmon samples was 1.5 times higher than for conventional SPR, while for wavelength scanning, the SPR overcame the optimized TP by 1.5 times.
Study on the Behavior of BOPP Film Treated by Corona Discharge
Authors: Ding Liping , Zhang Xiaoyong , Wang Yanqing
Published: December 2020

Corona discharge is widely used as a good surface pretreatment method for polymer materials. In this work, the attenuated total reflectance Fourier transform infrared spectrometry (ATR-FTIR), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), scanning electronic microscopy (SEM), and atomic force microscopy (AFM) were used to investigate the behavior of biaxially oriented polypropylene (BOPP) film treated by corona discharge. The possibly involved chemical reactions during the corona treatment process under atmosphere components were systematically summarized. This work lays a theoretical basis for improving the performance of BOPP films and expanding their application fields.
A Compendium of Chemical Class and Use Type Open Access Databases
Authors: Heinemann Niklas , Bub Sascha , Wolfram Jakob , Stehle Sebastian , Petschick Lara L. , Schulz Ralf
Published: December 2020

With an ever-increasing production and registration of chemical substances, obtaining reliable and up to date information on their use types (UT) and chemical class (CC) is of crucial importance. We evaluated the current status of open access chemical substance databases (DBs) regarding UT and CC information using the “Meta-analysis of the Global Impact of Chemicals” (MAGIC) graph as a benchmark. A decision tree-based selection process was used to choose the most suitable out of 96 databases. To compare the DB content for 100 weighted, randomly selected chemical substances, an extensive quantitative and qualitative analysis was performed. It was found that four DBs yielded more qualitative and quantitative UT and CC results than the current MAGIC graph: The European Bioinformatics Institute DB, ChemSpider, the English Wikipedia page, and the National Center for Biotechnology Information (NCBI). The NCBI, along with its subsidiary DBs PubChem and Medical Subject Headings (MeSH), showed the best performance according to the defined criteria. To analyse large datasets, harmonisation of the available information might be beneficial, as the available DBs mostly aggregate information without harmonising them.
Brain and Muscle: How Central Nervous System Disorders Can Modify the Skeletal Muscle
Authors: Dalise Stefania , Azzollini Valentina , Chisari Carmelo
Published: December 2020

It is widely known that nervous and muscular systems work together and that they are strictly dependent in their structure and functions. Consequently, muscles undergo macro and microscopic changes with subsequent alterations after a central nervous system (CNS) disease. Despite this, only a few researchers have addressed the problem of skeletal muscle abnormalities following CNS diseases. The purpose of this review is to summarize the current knowledge on the potential mechanisms responsible for changes in skeletal muscle of patients suffering from some of the most common CSN disorders (Stroke, Multiple Sclerosis, Parkinson’s disease). With this purpose, we analyzed the studies published in the last decade. The published studies show an extreme heterogeneity of the assessment modality and examined population. Furthermore, it is evident that thanks to different evaluation methodologies, it is now possible to implement knowledge on muscle morphology, for a long time limited by the requirement of muscle biopsies. This could be the first step to amplify studies aimed to analyze muscle characteristics in CNS disease and developing rehabilitation protocols to prevent and treat the muscle, often neglected in CNS disease.
Molecular Imaging of Brain Tumor-Associated Epilepsy
Authors: Juhász Csaba , Mittal Sandeep
Published: December 2020

Epilepsy is a common clinical manifestation and a source of significant morbidity in patients with brain tumors. Neuroimaging has a pivotal role in neuro-oncology practice, including tumor detection, differentiation, grading, treatment guidance, and posttreatment monitoring. In this review, we highlight studies demonstrating that imaging can also provide information about brain tumor-associated epileptogenicity and assist delineation of the peritumoral epileptic cortex to optimize postsurgical seizure outcome. Most studies focused on gliomas and glioneuronal tumors where positron emission tomography (PET) and advanced magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) techniques can detect metabolic and biochemical changes associated with altered amino acid transport and metabolism, neuroinflammation, and neurotransmitter abnormalities in and around epileptogenic tumors. PET imaging of amino acid uptake and metabolism as well as activated microglia can detect interictal or peri-ictal cortical increased uptake (as compared to non-epileptic cortex) associated with tumor-associated epilepsy. Metabolic tumor volumes may predict seizure outcome based on objective treatment response during glioma chemotherapy. Advanced MRI, especially glutamate imaging, can detect neurotransmitter changes around epileptogenic brain tumors. Recently, developed PET radiotracers targeting specific glutamate receptor types may also identify therapeutic targets for pharmacologic seizure control. Further studies with advanced multimodal imaging approaches may facilitate development of precision treatment strategies to control brain tumor-associated epilepsy.
Modeling Spectral Properties in Stationary Processes of Varying Dimensions with Applications to Brain Local Field Potential Signals
Authors: Sundararajan Raanju R. , Frostig Ron , Ombao Hernando
Published: December 2020

In some applications, it is important to compare the stochastic properties of two multivariate time series that have unequal dimensions. A new method is proposed to compare the spread of spectral information in two multivariate stationary processes with different dimensions. To measure discrepancies, a frequency specific spectral ratio (FS-ratio) statistic is proposed and its asymptotic properties are derived. The FS-ratio is blind to the dimension of the stationary process and captures the proportion of spectral power in various frequency bands. Here we develop a technique to automatically identify frequency bands that carry significant spectral power. We apply our method to track changes in the complexity of a 32-channel local field potential (LFP) signal from a rat following an experimentally induced stroke. At every epoch (a distinct time segment from the duration of the experiment), the nonstationary LFP signal is decomposed into stationary and nonstationary latent sources and the complexity is analyzed through these latent stationary sources and their dimensions that can change across epochs. The analysis indicates that spectral information in the Beta frequency band (12–30 Hertz) demonstrated the greatest change in structure and complexity due to the stroke.
Students’ Personality Contributes More to Academic Performance than Well-Being and Learning Approach—Implications for Sustainable Development and Education
Authors: Moreira Paulo , Pedras Susana , Pombo Paula
Published: December 2020

The present study aimed to describe the predictive role of personality dimensions, learning approaches, and well-being in the academic performance of students. In total, 602 students participated in this cross-sectional study and completed a set of questionnaires assessing personality, learning approach, and well-being. Two indexes were calculated to assess affective and non-affective well-being. The results partially support the hypotheses formulated. Results revealed that personality temperament and character dimensions, deep learning approach, and affective well-being were significant predictors of academic performance. A deep approach to learning was a full and partial mediator of the relationship between personality and academic performance. The results improve the understanding of the differential contribution of personality, type of learning approach, and type of well-being to academic performance. Comprehending that personality is the strongest predictor of academic performance, after controlling the type of learning approach and the type of well-being, informs school policies and decision-makers that it is essential to encourage personality development in adolescents to improve academic performance. These results also have implications for educational policies and practices at various levels, including an emphasis on the role of well-being as an educational asset. Understanding the links between personality, well-being, and education is essential to conceptualize education as a vital societal resource for facing current and future challenges, such as sustainable development.
Effects of Inflow Condition on RANS and LES Predictions of the Flow around a High-Rise Building
Authors: Vita Giulio , Salvadori Simone , Misul Daniela Anna , Hemida Hassan
Published: December 2020

An increasing number of engineering applications require accurate predictions of the flow around buildings to guarantee performance and safety. This paper investigates the effects of variations in the turbulent inflow, as predicted in different numerical simulations, on the flow pattern prediction around buildings, compared to wind tunnel tests. Turbulence characteristics were assessed at several locations around a model square high-rise building, namely, above the roof region, at the pedestrian level, and in the wake. Both Reynolds-averaged Navier–Stokes (RANS, where turbulence is fully modelled) equations and large-eddy simulation (LES, where turbulence is partially resolved) were used to model an experimental setup providing validation for the roof region. The performances of both techniques were compared in ability to predict the flow features. It was found that RANS provides reliable results in regions of the flow heavily influenced by the building model, and it is unreliable where the flow is influenced by ambient conditions. In contrast, LES is generally reliable, provided that a suitable turbulent inflow is included in the simulation. RANS also benefits when a turbulent inflow is provided in simulations. In general, LES should be the methodology of choice if engineering applications are involved with the highly separated and turbulent flow features around the building, and RANS provides reliable information when regions of high wind speed and low turbulence are investigated.
To Float or Not to Float? Internal Migration of Skilled Laborers in China
Authors: Zheng Yanqiao , Zhang Xiaoqi , Dai Qiwen , Zhang Xing
Published: December 2020

This paper uses data from job-recruiting platforms to study the distribution patterns and migration destination choices of a skilled internal migrant population. We find that, in most first-tier cities and most emerging second-tier cities, more than half of the skilled jobseekers do not hold local household registration. The most important finding of this paper is the heterogeneity of attributes prioritizations between intra- and inter- provincial migrants. Intra-provincial skilled migrants put more value on employment opportunities than on amenity attributes, while their inter-provincial counterparts prioritize amenity over employment aspects.
Cost of Care and Pattern of Medical Care Use in the Last Year of Life among Long-Term Care Insurance Beneficiaries in South Korea: Using National Claims Data
Authors: Boo Sunjoo , Lee Jungah , Oh Hyunjin
Published: December 2020

In Korea, a substantial proportion of long-term care insurance (LTCI) beneficiaries die within 1 year of seeking the benefit. This study was conducted to evaluate the pattern of medical care use and care cost during the last year of life among Korean LTCI beneficiaries between 2009 and 2013 using the national claims data. The National Health Insurance’s Senior (NHIS-Senior) cohort was used for this retrospective study. The participants were LTCI beneficiaries aged 65 or over as of 2008 who died between 2009 and 2013 (N = 30,433). Medical costs during the last year of life were highest for those who used both medical care services and long-term care (LTC) services and increased as death approached. About half of the participants were hospitalized at the time of death. The use of LTC services at the time of death increased from 13.0 to 22.8%, while those who died at home decreased from 34 to 20%. This study suggests that the use of LTC services did not reduce medical costs by substituting unnecessary inpatient hospitalization. Quality of dying should be considered one of the goals of older adult care, and provisions should be made for palliative care at home or LTC facilities.
An Analysis of Rural Households’ Earthquake-Resistant Construction Behavior: Evidence from Pingliang and Yuxi, China
Authors: Wu Manqing , Wu Guochun
Published: December 2020

Due to the lack of earthquake-resistant rural houses, small and medium earthquakes caused massive casualties in rural China. In 2004, China began implementing the Earthquake Rural Housing Safety Project Policy (ERHSPP) to reduce earthquake losses, mainly promoting the adoption of earthquake-resistant structures in rural residents’ self-built houses through subsidies, training of construction craftsmen, and provision of earthquake-resistant housing drawings. We conducted a field survey, collecting 1169 rural households in Pingliang, Gansu Province, and 1501 rural households in Yuxi, Yunnan Province, China. We studied Earthquake-Resistant Construction Behaviors (E-RCB) by the logistic and the ordered logistic regression models. Results show that government housing subsidy promotes E-RCB of rural households; E-RCB was affected by ERHSPP, positively correlated with economic status and housing earthquake damage; E-RCB was negatively correlated with structure danger, house age, and earthquake experience; and housing earthquake damage, not earthquake experience, strikingly promoted E-RCB in rural China. The results could provide suggestions in communication risk strategies for the government. We suggest the local government should promote local acceptable disaster propaganda, provide hierarchical housing subsidies, pay attention to housing seismic supervision, publish earthquake-resistant housing design drawings, and conduct more earthquake-resistant technical training for rural craftsmen.
Contact Screening for Healthcare Workers Exposed to Patients with COVID-19
Authors: Coppeta Luca , Somma Giuseppina , Ippoliti Lorenzo , Ferrari Cristiana , D’Alessandro Iacopo , Pietroiusti Antonio , Trabucco Aurilio Marco
Published: December 2020

In China and Italy, many cases of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) have occurred among healthcare workers (HCWs). Prompt identification, isolation and contact tracing of COVID-19 cases are key elements in controlling the COVID-19 pandemic. The aim of this study was to evaluate the rate of Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection among HCWs exposed to patients with COVID-19 in relation to the main determinants of exposure. To assess the risk of exposure, we performed active symptom monitoring in 1006 HCWs identified as contacts of COVID19 cases. The presence of symptoms was statistically associated with a positive nasopharyngeal swab result. Only one subject was asymptomatic at the time of positive test. These data suggest that clinical history may help in the selection of subjects to be investigated by means of reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) in the case of a shortage of diagnostic resources. We found that close contact (within 2 m for 15 min or more) was not statistically related to contagion. Regarding the use of personal protective equipment (PPE), only the use of facial masks was inversely related to the chance of becoming infected (p < 0.01). In conclusion, our data show that unprotected contacts between HCWs should be considered a major route of HCW contagion, suggesting that the use of facial masks should be implemented even in settings where known patients with COVID-19 are not present.
Is It Possible to Find Something Positive in Being Confined Due to COVID-19? Implications for Well-Being
Authors: Merino M. Dolores , Oliver-Hernández Coral , Vallellano M. Dolores , Mateo Inmaculada
Published: December 2020

In relation to COVID-19, little research has focused on the study of variables that affect well-being during this pandemic. The purpose of this research is twofold: (1) to find out if people experiencing a quarantine are able to appreciate any positive aspects of it, and to analyze how these responses are categorized and (2) to check if there are differences in levels of well-being according to these categories. There were 243 representative participants of the Spanish population according to sex, age, and educational level. The methodology was mixed, qualitative for the first objective and quantitative for the second. The first used the Thematic Network, while the second used logistic regression. From the qualitative analysis, three major categories were extracted: intrinsic orientation, extrinsic orientation, and empty orientation. The quantitative results showed a clear advantage in well-being for the intrinsically oriented group. The group of intrinsic orientation presented a better coping ability while the group of extrinsic orientation was as little adaptive as the group of empty orientation. Recommendations are extracted from the results.
Aerosol Release by Healthy People during Speaking: Possible Contribution to the Transmission of SARS-CoV-2
Authors: Eiche Thomas , Kuster Martin
Published: December 2020

Our research aimed to review the potential risk of infection by SARS-CoV-2. We used an excerpt of a data set generated in May 2020 for reviewing the SARS-CoV-2 prevention concept of orchestras, singers and actors. People were sampled for droplet release for one-hour activities using a Grimm spectrometer covering a spectrum of 1 to 32 µm diameter. We estimated the number of “quanta” in the exhaled liquid from viral concentrations of 106 to 1011/mL, based on the Human Infective Dose 50 of 218 viral particles. We employed the Wells–Riley equation to estimate the risk of infection in typical meeting rooms for a one-hour meeting of 2, 4 and 6 people observing a 2 m distance. The four participating adults released a mean of 1.28 nLm3 while breathing, 1.68 nL/m3 while speaking normally, and two adults released a mean of 4.44 nL/m3 while talking with a raised voice. The combination of 50% breathing, 45% talking normally and 5% speaking with a raised voice increased the risk of infection above 5% for a one-hour meeting of two people. The result is based on 6 quanta released, corresponding to an initial virus concentration of 1000/nL (109/mL) in the fluid of the upper respiratory tract. Our data confirm the importance of using facemasks in combination with other measures to prevent transmission of SARS-CoV-2 at the workplace.
Impact of Decreased Night Work on Workers’ Musculoskeletal Symptoms: A Quasi-Experimental Intervention Study
Authors: Lee Hye-Eun , Choi Min , Kim Hyoung-Ryoul , Kawachi Ichiro
Published: December 2020

A possible association between night shift work and musculoskeletal disorder has been suggested. This study aimed to evaluate the impact of decreased night work on musculoskeletal pain. Difference-in-difference estimation was used to compare changes in musculoskeletal pain between shift workers (N = 122) and non-shift workers (N = 170) in a manufacturing company before and after the introduction of a new shift system eliminating overnight work. Musculoskeletal pain was measured by a questionnaire asking if workers had symptoms in specific body parts, including the neck, shoulder, arm/elbow, wrist/hand, back, and leg/foot, over the past year. Generalized estimating equation models were used to estimate changes in pre- versus post-intervention musculoskeletal pain rates between the treated and control group. In the difference-in-difference (DID) models, prevalence of musculoskeletal pain for shoulder (−10.3%), arm (−12.9%), all sites combined (−9.2%), and upper extremity combined (−14.8%) showed significant decreases from pre- to post-intervention among the treated group (shift workers) compared to the control group (non-shift workers) after controlling for age and weekly working hours. Decreasing night work was related to improvement in musculoskeletal pain in shift workers.
The Impact of Social Support on Public Anxiety amidst the COVID-19 Pandemic in China
Authors: Ao Yibin , Zhu Hao , Meng Fanrong , Wang Yan , Ye Gui , Yang Linchuan , Dong Na , Martek Igor
Published: December 2020

The recent coronavirus outbreak has captured worldwide attention. This study investigated the anxiety of the Chinese public and its relationship with social support during the early stage of the COVID-19 pandemic, thereby providing empirical support for interventions on improving the public’s mental health. On the basis of an online questionnaire survey conducted on 10–18 February 2020, this study shows that 19.8%, 68.5%, and 11.1% of the respondents suffered mild anxiety, moderate anxiety, and severe anxiety, respectively. Significant differences are reported in state anxiety between people with different household incomes. There are significant differences in trait anxiety and state anxiety between different social support groups. Social support and trait anxiety are negatively correlated. Social support and state anxiety are negatively correlated. Social support affects state anxiety both directly and indirectly (through the mediation of trait anxiety). Therefore, during the COVID-19 pandemic, increasing public support for society can effectively reduce public anxiety.
Buccal Bone Changes Around First Permanent Molars and Second Primary Molars after Maxillary Expansion with a Low Compliance Ni–Ti Leaf Spring Expander
Authors: Lanteri Valentina , Cavagnetto Davide , Abate Andrea , Mainardi Eleonora , Gaffuri Francesca , Ugolini Alessandro , Maspero Cinzia
Published: December 2020

Background: Vestibular bone thickness changes and dento-alveolar buccal tipping of second primary molars and of first molars after maxillary expansion performed with a slow maxillary expansion protocol was investigated. Methods: Twenty patients (mean age 7.3 ± 0.9 years old; 9 male and 11 female) were treated according to the Leaf Expander protocol. Buccal alveolar bone thickness (BT), buccal alveolar bone height (BH), inter-dental angle (TIP), and inter-molar width (IW) regarding first molars and second primary molars were calculated before and after expansion on cone beam computed tomography (CBCT) images. Descriptive statistics and paired t-tests were used to assess changes between the pre-treatment and post-treatment measurements. Results: Bone thickness vestibular to second primary molars and intermolar width of both teeth were the only variables that showed statistically significant changes. Conclusions: It appears that buccal bone thickness vestibular to first molars was not significantly reduced after maxillary expansion with the Leaf Expander. The clinical use of a slow maxillary expander with Ni–Ti springs appears efficient and safe in in the correction of maxillary hypoplasia during mixed dentition.
Tobacco Use and Treatment among Cancer Survivors
Authors: Enyioha Chineme , Warren Graham W. , Morgan Glen D. , Goldstein Adam O.
Published: December 2020

Tobacco use is causally associated with the risk of developing multiple health conditions, including over a dozen types of cancer, and is responsible for 30% of cancer deaths in the U [...]
Boredom Proneness and Self-Control as Unique Risk Factors in Achievement Settings
Authors: Mugon Jhotisha , Boylan James , Danckert James
Published: December 2020

The state of boredom arises when we have the desire to be engaged in goal pursuit, but for whatever reason we cannot fulfil that desire. Boredom proneness is characterized by both frequent and intense feelings of boredom and is an enduring individual difference trait associated with a raft of negative outcomes. There has been some work in educational settings, but relatively little is known about the consequences of boredom proneness for learning. Here we explored the unique contributions of boredom proneness, self-control and self-esteem to undergraduate self-reported higher grade point average (GPA). Within educational settings, prior research has shown self-control and self-esteem to be associated with better academic performance. In contrast, boredom proneness is associated with lower levels of self-control and self-esteem. Our analyses replicate those previous findings showing that self-control acts as a positive predictor of GPA. Importantly, we further demonstrated, for the first time, that boredom proneness has a unique contribution to GPA over and above the contribution of self-control, such that as boredom proneness increases, GPA decreases. We discuss potential mechanisms through which boredom proneness may influence academic performance.
Weather and Aggressive Behavior among Patients in Psychiatric Hospitals—An Exploratory Study
Authors: Lickiewicz Jakub , Piotrowicz Katarzyna , Hughes Patricia Paulsen , Makara-Studzińska Marta
Published: December 2020

Background: The number of meteoropaths, or people negatively affected by weather conditions, is rising dramatically. Meteoropathy is developing rapidly due to ever poorer adaptations of people to changes in weather conditions. Strong weather stimuli may not only exacerbate symptoms in people with diseases of the cardiovascular and respiratory systems but may also induce aggressive behavior. Researchers have shown that patients suffering from mental illnesses are most vulnerable to changes in the weather and postulate a connection between the seasons and aggressive behavior. Methods: The goal of the study was to analyze the relationship between coercive measures and weather factors. The researchers identified what meteorological conditions prevailed on days with an increased number of incidents of aggressive behavior leading to the use of physical coercion towards patients in a psychiatric hospital in Poland. In order to determine the impact of weather conditions on the frequency at which physical coercion measures were used, the hospital’s “coercion sheets” from 1 January 2015 to 31 March 2017 were analyzed. The data were correlated with meteorological data. In order to determine the relationship between the occurrence of specific weather conditions and the number of coercive interventions (N), researchers utilized Spearman’s rank correlation analysis together with two-dimensional scatter diagrams (dependency models), multiple regression, stepwise regression, frequencies, and conditional probability (%). Results: Lower barometric pressure and foehn wind increased aggressive behavior in patients that led to coercive measures. For temperature (positive correlation) and humidity (negative correlation), there was a poor but statistically significant correlation. Conclusions: Monitoring weather conditions might be useful in predicting and preventing aggression by patients who are susceptible to weather changes
A Parent-Implemented Language Intervention for Late Talkers: An Exploratory Study on Low-Risk Preterm and Full-Term Children
Authors: Zuccarini Mariagrazia , Suttora Chiara , Bello Arianna , Aceti Arianna , Corvaglia Luigi , Caselli Maria Cristina , Guarini Annalisa , Sansavini Alessandra
Published: December 2020

Parent-implemented language interventions have been used for children with expressive language delays, but no study has yet been carried out using this intervention for low-risk preterm children. The current study examined the effect of a parent-implemented dialogic book reading intervention, determining also whether the intervention differently impacted low-risk preterm and full-term children. Fifty 31-month-old late talkers with their parents participated; 27 late talkers constituted the intervention group, and 23 constituted the control group. The overall results indicated that more children in the intervention group showed partial or full recovery of their lexical expressive delay and acquired the ability to produce complete sentences relative to the control group. Concerning full-term late talkers, those in the intervention group showed a higher daily growth rate of total words, nouns, function words, and complete sentences, and more children began to produce complete sentences relative to those in the control group. Concerning low-risk preterm late talkers, children in the intervention group increased their ability to produce complete sentences more than those in the control group. We conclude that a parent-focused intervention may be an effective, ecological, and cost-effective program for improving expressive lexical and syntactic skills of full-term and low-risk preterm late talkers, calling for further studies in late talkers with biological vulnerabilities.