bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Endosphere Microbiome and Metabolic Differences Between the Spots and Green Parts of Tricyrtis macropoda Leaves
Authors: Wang Yan , Cheng Huyin , Chang Fan , Zhao Le , Wang Bin , Wan Yi , Yue Ming
Published: January 2021

Background

Plant leaves are important organs for photosynthesis and biological energy production. The leaves of Tricyrtis macropoda have an unusual spotted pattern. However, whether the spots of T. macropoda affect the plant microbiome and metabolites is unclear. In this study, we compared differences in the endosphere microbiome and plant metabolites in green parts and spots and the effects of spots on the photosynthesis of leaves.

Methods

16S/ITS sequences and metabolite spectra were obtained by high-throughput amplicon sequencing and ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography–high-resolution mass spectrometry, respectively. Changes in the diversity of the endophytic microbial community and metabolites were studied, and the effect of T. macropoda leaf spots on photosynthesis was examined by chlorophyll fluorescence.

Results

The results showed that the relative abundance of Cercospora fungi in the leaf spots of T. macropoda was significantly higher than that in the green parts (P < 0.05) while Colletotrichum fungi showed low abundance in the spots. Alkaloid and ketone metabolites were decreased in the green parts compared with the spots, and amino acids, organic acids, lipids, and other compounds were increased in the green parts compared with the spots. A combined analysis of microbial communities and metabolites showed a significant correlation between the endophytic fungal communities and metabolite production. The changes in these metabolites may cause changes in local leaf color. In addition, we found that the spot areas of T. macropoda can be photosynthetically normal.

Conclusion

This research showed the relationship between endophytic microorganisms and metabolites, and the findings advance our understanding of endophyte–plant interactions and provide a new direction for investigating the relationship between endophytes and phenotypes.
Detection of ESBL/AmpC-Producing and Fosfomycin-Resistant Escherichia coli From Different Sources in Poultry Production in Southern Brazil
Authors: Gazal Luís Eduardo de Souza , Medeiros Leonardo Pinto , Dibo Miriam , Nishio Erick Kenji , Koga Vanessa Lumi , Gonçalves Bruna Carolina , Grassotti Tiela Trapp , de Camargo Taiara Carolaine Leal , Pinheiro João Juliano , Vespero Eliana Carolina , de Brito Kelly Cristina Tagliari , de Brito Benito Guimarães , Nakazato Gerson , Kobayashi Renata Katsuko Takayama
Published: January 2021

This study discussed the use of antimicrobials in the commercial chicken production system and the possible factors influencing the presence of Extended-spectrum β-lactamase (ESBL)/AmpC producers strains in the broiler production chain. The aim of this study was to perform longitudinal monitoring of ESBL-producing and fosfomycin-resistant Escherichia coli from poultry farms in southern Brazil (Paraná and Rio Grande do Sul states) and determine the possible critical points that may be reservoirs for these strains. Samples of poultry litter, cloacal swabs, poultry feed, water, and beetles (Alphitobius sp.) were collected during three distinct samplings. Phenotypic and genotypic tests were performed for characterization of antimicrobial resistant strains. A total of 117 strains were isolated and 78 (66%) were positive for ESBL production. The poultry litter presented ESBL positive strains in all three sampled periods, whereas the cloacal swab presented positive strains only from the second period. The poultry litter represents a significant risk factor mainly at the beginning poultry production (odds ratio 6.43, 95% confidence interval 1–41.21, p < 0.05). All beetles presented ESBL positive strains. The predominant gene was blaCTX–M group 2, which occurred in approximately 55% of the ESBL-producing E. coli. The cit gene was found in approximately 13% of the ESBL-producing E. coli as AmpC type determinants. A total of 19 out of 26 fosfomycin-resistant strains showed the fosA3 gene, all of which produced ESBL. The correlation between fosA3 and blaCTX–M group 1 (blaCTX–M55) genes was significant among ESBL-producing E. coli isolated from Paraná (OR 3.66, 95% CI 1.9–9.68) and these genetic determinants can be transmitted by conjugation to broiler chicken microbiota strains. Our data revealed that poultry litter and beetles were critical points during poultry production and the presence of fosfomycin-resistant strains indicate the possibility of risks associated with the use of this antimicrobial during production. Furthermore, the genetic determinants encoding CTX-M and fosA3 enzymes can be transferred to E. coli strains from broiler chicken microbiota, thereby creating a risk to public health.
Cold Adaptation Mechanisms of a Snow Alga Chlamydomonas nivalis During Temperature Fluctuations
Authors: Peng Zhao , Liu Gai , Huang Kaiyao
Published: January 2021

Cold environments, such as glaciers and alpine regions, constitute unique habitats for organisms living on Earth. In these harsh ecosystems, snow algae survive, florish, and even become primary producers for microbial communities. How the snow algae maintain physiological activity during violent ambient temperature changes remains unsolved. To explore the cold adaptation mechanisms of the unicellular snow algaChlamydomonas nivalis, we compared its physiological responses to a model organism from the same genus,Chlamydomonas reinhardtii. When both cell types were exposed to a shift from 22°C to 4°C,C. nivalisexhibited an apparent advantage in cold tolerance overC. reinhardtii, asC. nivalishad both a higher growth rate and photosynthetic efficiency. To determine the cold tolerance mechanisms ofC. nivalis, RNA sequencing was used to compare transcriptomes of both species after 1 h of cold treatment, mimicking temperature fluctuations in the polar region. Differential expression analysis showed thatC. nivalishad fewer transcriptomic changes and was more stable during rapid temperature decrease relative toC. reinhardtii, especially for the expression of photosynthesis related genes. Additionally, we found that transcription inC. nivaliswas precisely regulated by the cold response network, consisting of at least 12 transcription factors and 3 RNA-binding proteins. Moreover, genes participating in nitrogen metabolism, the pentose phosphate pathway, and polysaccharide biosynthesis were upregulated, indicating that increasing resource assimilation and remodeling of metabolisms were critical for cold adaptation inC. nivalis. Furthermore, we identified horizontally transferred genes differentially expressed inC. nivalis, which are critical for cold adaptation in other psychrophiles. Our results reveal thatC. nivalisadapts rapid temperature decrease by efficiently regulating transcription of specific genes to optimize resource assimilation and metabolic pathways, providing critical insights into how snow algae survive and propagate in cold environments.
Characterization of Microbial Dynamics and Volatile Metabolome Changes During Fermentation of Chambourcin Hybrid Grapes From Two Pennsylvania Regions
Authors: Wang Hung Li , Hopfer Helene , Cockburn Darrell W. , Wee Josephine
Published: January 2021

Microbial diversity present on grapes in wineries, and throughout fermentation has been associated with important metabolites for final wine quality. Although microbiome-metabolome associations have been well characterized and could be used as indicators of wine quality, the impact of regionality on the microbiome and metabolome is not well known. Additionally, studies between microbiome and metabolome have been conducted on single species grape such asVitis viniferainstead of other species and interspecific hybrids. Although the Pennsylvania wine industry is relatively young compared to California, the industry has been experiencing rapid growth over the past decade and is expected to continue to grow in the future. Pennsylvania’s climate of cold winters and high levels of rainfall throughout the growing season favors cultivation of interspecific hybrid grapes such asVitis ssp.Chambourcin, one of the most commonly grown hybrid varieties in the state. Chambourcin is a prime candidate for studying the impact of regionality on microbiome-metabolome interactions as interspecific hybrid varieties could shape the future of winemaking. Here, we identify for the first time the regional distribution of microbial communities and their interactions with volatile metabolome during fermentation (0–20 days) by integrating high throughput Illumina sequencing (16S and ITS) and headspace-solid phase microextraction-gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. Analyzing 88 samples from nine wineries in the Central and East Pennsylvania regions, we observed high microbial diversity during early stages of fermentation (1–4 days) where non-Saccharomycesyeasts such asStarmerellaandAureobasidiumand non-Oenococcusbacteria,Sphingomonas, likely contribute to microbialterroirto the resulting wines. Furthermore, key differentiators between two regions in Pennsylvania, as identified by LEfSe analysis, include the fungal generaCladosporiumandKazachstaniaand the bacterial generaLactococcusandMicrobacterium. Moreover, 29 volatile fermentation metabolites were discriminated significantly (variable importance in projection > 1) between the two regions as shown by Partial Least Squares-Discriminant Analysis. Finally, Spearman’s correlation identified regional differences of microbial-metabolite associations throughout fermentation that could be used for targeted microbiome manipulation to improve wine quality and preserve regionality. In summary, these results demonstrate the microbial signatures during fermentation and differential microorganisms and metabolites further support impact of regionality on Chambourcin wines in Pennsylvania.
Temporal, Spatial, and Temperature Controls on Organic Carbon Mineralization and Methanogenesis in Arctic High-Centered Polygon Soils
Authors: Roy Chowdhury Taniya , Berns Erin C. , Moon Ji-Won , Gu Baohua , Liang Liyuan , Wullschleger Stan D. , Graham David E.
Published: January 2021

Warming temperatures in continuous permafrost zones of the Arctic will alter both hydrological and geochemical soil conditions, which are strongly linked with heterotrophic microbial carbon (C) cycling. Heterogeneous permafrost landscapes are often dominated by polygonal features formed by expanding ice wedges: water accumulates in low centered polygons (LCPs), and water drains outward to surrounding troughs in high centered polygons (HCPs). These geospatial differences in hydrology cause gradients in biogeochemistry, soil C storage potential, and thermal properties. Presently, data quantifying carbon dioxide (CO2) and methane (CH4) release from HCP soils are needed to support modeling and evaluation of warming-induced CO2and CH4fluxes from tundra soils. This study quantifies the distribution of microbial CO2and CH4release in HCPs over a range of temperatures and draws comparisons to previous LCP studies. Arctic tundra soils were initially characterized for geochemical and hydraulic properties. Laboratory incubations at −2, +4, and +8°C were used to quantify temporal trends in CO2and CH4production from homogenized active layer organic and mineral soils in HCP centers and troughs, and methanogen abundance was estimated frommcrAgene measurements. Results showed that soil water availability, organic C, and redox conditions influence temporal dynamics and magnitude of gas production from HCP active layer soils during warming. At early incubation times (2–9 days), higher CO2emissions were observed from HCP trough soils than from HCP center soils, but increased CO2production occurred in center soils at later times (>20 days). HCP center soils did not support methanogenesis, but CH4-producing trough soils did indicate methanogen presence. Consistent with previous LCP studies, HCP organic soils showed increased CO2and CH4production with elevated water content, but HCP trough mineral soils produced more CH4than LCP mineral soils. HCP mineral soils also released substantial CO2but did not show a strong trend in CO2and CH4release with water content. Knowledge of temporal and spatial variability in microbial C mineralization rates of Arctic soils in response to warming are key to constraining uncertainties in predictive climate models.
Curing of Cocoa Beans: Fine-Scale Monitoring of the Starter Cultures Applied and Metabolomics of the Fermentation and Drying Steps
Authors: Díaz-Muñoz Cristian , Van de Voorde Dario , Comasio Andrea , Verce Marko , Hernandez Carlos Eduardo , Weckx Stefan , De Vuyst Luc
Published: January 2021

Starter culture-initiated cocoa fermentation processes can be applied to improve the quality of cured cocoa beans. However, an accurate monitoring of the microbial strains inoculated in fresh cocoa pulp-bean mass to assess their contribution to the cocoa bean curing process is still lacking. In the present study, eight different cocoa fermentation processes were carried out with Trinitario cocoa in vessels in Costa Rica to assess the contribution of two candidate yeast starter culture strains, namely Saccharomyces cerevisiae IMDO 050523 and Pichia kudriavzevii IMDO 020508, inoculated in combination with Limosilactobacillus fermentum IMDO 0611222 and Acetobacter pasteurianus IMDO 0506386. A multiphasic approach, consisting of culture-dependent selective plating and incubation, rRNA-PCR-DGGE community profiling of agar plate washes, and culture-independent high-throughput amplicon sequencing, combined with a metabolite target analysis of non-volatile and volatile organic compounds (VOCs), was performed on samples from the fermentation and/or drying steps. The different starter culture mixtures applied effectively steered the cocoa fermentation processes performed. Moreover, the use of an amplicon sequence variant (ASV) approach, aligning these ASVs to the whole-genome sequences of the inoculated strains, allowed the monitoring of these inoculated strains and their differentiation from very closely related variants naturally present in the background or spontaneous fermentation processes. Further, traits such as malolactic fermentation during the fermentation step and acetoin and tetramethylpyrazine formation during the drying step could be unraveled. Finally, the yeast strains inoculated influenced the substrate consumption and metabolite production during all starter culture-initiated fermentation processes. This had an impact on the VOC profiles of the cured cocoa beans. Whereas the P. kudriavzevii strain produced a wide range of VOCs in the cocoa pulp, the S. cerevisiae strain mostly influenced the VOC composition of the cured cocoa beans.
Novel Subgroups in Subarachnoid Hemorrhage and Their Association With Outcomes—A Systematic Review and Meta-Regression
Authors: Wang Ming-Dong , Fu Qian-Hui , Song Ming-Jing , Ma Wen-Bin , Zhang John-H. , Wang Zhan-Xiang
Published: January 2021

Background and Purpose: Subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH) has long been classified into two main forms, aneurysmal SAH (aSAH) and non-aneurysmal SAH (naSAH), but the related risk factors for aSAH and naSAH are heterogeneous. Our objective was to determine the risk factors for SAH of known or unknown origin with respect to diagnostic evaluation in a large patient cohort. We sought to determine whether our classification system can further predict middle long-term stroke and death.

Methods: We performed a systematic review and meta-analysis to identify risk factors for each SAH subtype. The discovery phase analyzed 11 risk factors from case studies in the literature. Kruskal-Wallis, Cox regression, logistic regression, and Kaplan-Meier analyses were used to compare the two groups.

Results: A total of 14,904 (34.53%) male and 22,801 (52.84%) female patients were eligible for this study. At a median follow-up of 45.6 months, the 5-years overall survival was 97.768% (95% CI: 0.259–0.292) for aSAH patients and 87.904% (95% CI: 1.459–1.643) for naSAH patients. The 10-years survival rate was 93.870% (95% CI: 2.075–3.086) and 78.115% (95% CI: 2.810–3.156), respectively. Multi-risk factor subgroups showed significant intergroup differences. We identified eight risk factors (drugs, trauma, neoplastic, vessels lesion, inflammatory lesion, blood disease, aneurysm, peri-mesencephalic hemorrhage) using logistic regression, which were optimally differentiated among the aSAH [aSAH-S (AUC: 1), a-d-SAH (AUC: 0.9998), aSAH-T (AUC: 0.9199), aSAH-N (AUC: 0.9433), aSAH-V (AUC: 1), aSAH-I (AUC: 0.9954), a-bd-SAH (AUC: 0.9955)] and naSAH [na-pmSAH (AUC: 0.9979), na-ni-ivl-SAH (AUC: 1), na-t-SAH (AUC: 0.9997), na-ne-SAH (AUC: 0.9475), na-d-SAH (AUC: 0.7676)] subgroups. These models were applied in a parallel cohort, showing eight risk factors plus survival rates to predict the prognosis of SAH.

Conclusions: The classification of risk factors related to aSAH and naSAH is helpful in the diagnosis and prediction of the prognosis of aSAH and naSAH patients. Further validation is needed in future clinical applications.
Upregulation of Spinal ASIC1 and NKCC1 Expression Contributes to Chronic Visceral Pain in Rats
Authors: Li Yong-Chang , Tian Yuan-Qing , Wu Yan-Yan , Xu Yu-Cheng , Zhang Ping-An , Sha Jie , Xu Guang-Yin
Published: January 2021

Aims: To determine whether acid-sensing ion channel 1 (ASIC1)–sodium-potassium-chloride cotransporter 1 (NKCC1) signaling pathway participates in chronic visceral pain of adult rats with neonatal maternal deprivation (NMD).

Methods: Chronic visceral pain was detected by colorectal distension (CRD). Western blotting and Immunofluorescence were performed to detect the expression and location of ASIC1 and NKCC1. Whole-cell patch-clamp recordings were performed to record spinal synaptic transmission.

Results: The excitatory synaptic transmission was enhanced and the inhibitory synaptic transmission was weakened in the spinal dorsal horn of NMD rats. ASIC1 and NKCC1 protein expression in the spinal dorsal horn was significantly up-regulated in NMD rats. Incubation of Amiloride reduced the amplitude of mEPSCs. Incubation of Bumetanide (BMT) increased the amplitude of mIPSCs. Intrathecal injection of ASIC1 or NKCC1 inhibitors reversed the threshold of CRD in NMD rats. Also, Amiloride treatment significantly reversed the expression of NKCC1 in the spinal dorsal horn of NMD rats.

Conclusion: Our data suggest that the ASIC1-NKCC1 signaling pathway is involved in chronic visceral pain in NMD rats.
Neural Networks With Motivation
Authors: Shuvaev Sergey A. , Tran Ngoc B. , Stephenson-Jones Marcus , Li Bo , Koulakov Alexei A.
Published: January 2021

Animals rely on internal motivational states to make decisions. The role of motivational salience in decision making is in early stages of mathematical understanding. Here, we propose a reinforcement learning framework that relies on neural networks to learn optimal ongoing behavior for dynamically changing motivation values. First, we show that neural networks implementing Q-learning with motivational salience can navigate in environment with dynamic rewards without adjustments in synaptic strengths when the needs of an agent shift. In this setting, our networks may display elements of addictive behaviors. Second, we use a similar framework in hierarchical manager-agent system to implement a reinforcement learning algorithm with motivation that both infers motivational states and behaves. Finally, we show that, when trained in the Pavlovian conditioning setting, the responses of the neurons in our model resemble previously published neuronal recordings in the ventral pallidum, a basal ganglia structure involved in motivated behaviors. We conclude that motivation allows Q-learning networks to quickly adapt their behavior to conditions when expected reward is modulated by agent’s dynamic needs. Our approach addresses the algorithmic rationale of motivation and makes a step toward better interpretability of behavioral data via inference of motivational dynamics in the brain.
Irreversibility in Active Matter: General Framework for Active Ornstein-Uhlenbeck Particles
Authors: Dabelow Lennart , Eichhorn Ralf
Published: January 2021

Active matter systems are driven out of equilibrium by conversion of energy into directed motion locally on the level of the individual constituents. In the spirit of a minimal description, active matter is often modeled by so-called active Ornstein-Uhlenbeck particles an extension of passive Brownian motion where activity is represented by an additional fluctuating non-equilibrium “force” with simple statistical properties (Ornstein-Uhlenbeck process). While in passive Brownian motion, entropy production along trajectories is well-known to relate to irreversibility in terms of the log-ratio of probabilities to observe a certain particle trajectory forward in time in comparison to observing its time-reversed twin trajectory, the connection between these concepts for active matter is less clear. It is therefore of central importance to provide explicit expressions for the irreversibility of active particle trajectories based on measurable quantities alone, such as the particle positions. In this technical note we derive a general expression for the irreversibility of AOUPs in terms of path probability ratios (forward vs. backward path), extending recent results from [PRX 9, 021009 (2019)] by allowing for arbitrary initial particle distributions and states of the active driving.
Natural Is Not Always Better: The Varied Effects of a Natural Environment and Exercise on Affect and Cognition
Authors: Trammell Janet P. , Aguilar Shaya C.
Published: January 2021

The Attention Restoration Theory (ART) has been widely cited to account for beneficial effects of natural environments on affect and attention. However, the effects of environment and exercise are not consistent. In a within-subjects design, participants completed affective and cognitive measures that varied in attentional demands (memory, working memory, and executive function) both before and after exercise in a natural and indoor environment. Contrary to the hypotheses, a natural environment resulted in lower positive affect and no difference in negative affect compared to an indoor environment. A natural environment resulted in the most improvement for cognitive tasks that required moderate attentional demand: Trail Making Test A and Digit Span Forwards. As predicted, exercise resulted in improved affect and improved executive function (Trail Making Test B). There were no interactions between environment and exercise. These results suggest that ART cannot fully explain the influence of environment on affect and cognition.
Detecting and Preventing Defensive Reactions Toward Persuasive Information on Fruit and Vegetable Consumption Using Induced Eye Movements
Authors: Dijkstra Arie , Elbert Sarah P.
Published: January 2021

Objective: Persuasive messages regarding fruit and vegetable consumption often meet defensive reactions from recipients, which may lower message effectiveness. Individual differences in emotion regulation and gender are expected to predict these reactions. In the working memory account of persuasion, inducing voluntary eye movements during the processing of the auditory persuasive information might prevent defensiveness and thereby increase message effectiveness.

Methods: Participants in two independently recruited samples from the general population (n = 118 and n = 99) listened to a negatively framed auditory persuasive message advocating fruit and vegetable consumption. Half of them were asked to keep following a regularly moving stimulus on their screen with their eyes. At pretest, the individual differences of cognitive self-affirmation inclination (CSAI) and gender were assessed to predict defensive reactions.

Results: In Study 1, induced eye movements significantly increased self-reported consumption after 2 weeks when CSAI was low, but only in males, as indicated by a significant three-way interaction (p < 0.001). With negative self-evaluative emotions as dependent variable, this three-way interaction was also significant (p < 0.05), suggesting that induced eye movements prevented defensiveness in low CSAI males. Study 2 did not assess consumption but replicated the latter three-way interaction (p < 0.05).

Conclusion: The studies replicated our earlier findings regarding the moderating effects of individual differences in emotion regulation (i.e., CSAI) on persuasion, but they also revealed gender differences in persuasion that are related to the working memory. The working memory account of persuasion provides new theoretical as well as practical angles on persuasion to target individuals in persuasion to increase fruit and vegetable consumption.
Network Analysis of Competitive State Anxiety
Authors: Mullen Richard , Jones Eleri Sian
Published: January 2021

Competitive state anxiety is an integral feature of sports performance but despite its pervasiveness, there is still much debate concerning the measurement of the construct. Adopting a network approach that conceptualizes symptoms of a construct as paired associations, we proposed re-examining competitive state anxiety as a system of interacting components in a dataset of 485 competitive athletes from the United Kingdom. Following a process of data reduction, we estimated a network structure for 15 items from the modified Three Factor Anxiety Inventory using the graphical LASSO algorithm. We then examined network connectivity using node predictability. Exploratory graph analysis was used to detect communities in the network and bridge expected influence calculated to estimate the influence of items from one community to items in other communities. The resultant network produced a range of node predictability values. Community detection analysis derived three communities that corresponded with previous research and several nodes were identified that bridged these communities. We conclude that network analysis is a useful tool to explore the competitive state anxiety response and we discuss how the results of our analysis might inform the assessment of the construct and how this assessment might inform interventions.
Compassion As an Intervention to Attune to Universal Suffering of Self and Others in Conflicts: A Translational Framework
Authors: Ho S. Shaun , Nakamura Yoshio , Swain James E.
Published: January 2021

As interpersonal, racial, social, and international conflicts intensify in the world, it is important to safeguard the mental health of individuals affected by them. According to a Buddhist notion “if you want others to be happy, practice compassion; if you want to be happy, practice compassion,” compassion practice is an intervention to cultivate conflict-proof well-being. Here, compassion practice refers to a form of concentrated meditation wherein a practitioner attunes to friend, enemy, and someone in between, thinking, “I’m going to help them (equally).” The compassion meditation is based on Buddhist philosophy that mental suffering is rooted in conceptual thoughts that give rise to generic mental images of self and others and subsequent biases to preserve one’s egoism, blocking the ultimate nature of mind. To contextualize compassion meditation scientifically, we adopted a Bayesian active inference framework to incorporate relevant Buddhist concepts, including mind (buddhi), compassion (karuna), aggregates (skandhas), suffering (duhkha), reification (samaropa), conceptual thoughts (vikalpa), and superimposition (prapañca). In this framework, a person is considered a Bayesian Engine that actively constructs phenomena based on the aggregates of forms, sensations, discriminations, actions, and consciousness. When the person embodies rigid beliefs about self and others’ identities (identity-grasping beliefs) and the resulting ego-preserving bias, the person’s Bayesian Engine malfunctions, failing to use prediction errors to update prior beliefs. To counter this problem, after recognizing the causes of sufferings, a practitioner of the compassion meditation aims to attune to all others equally, friends and enemies alike, suspend identity-based conceptual thoughts, and eventually let go of any identity-grasping belief and ego-preserving bias that obscure reality. We present a brain model for the Bayesian Engine of three components: (a) Relation-Modeling, (b) Reality-Checking, and (c) Conflict-Alarming, which are subserved by (a) the Default-Mode Network (DMN), (b) Frontoparietal Network (FPN) and Ventral Attention Network (VAN), and (c) Salience Network (SN), respectively. Upon perceiving conflicts, the strengthening or weakening of ego-preserving bias will critically depend on whether the SN up-regulates the DMN or FPN/VAN, respectively. We propose that compassion meditation can strengthen brain regions that are conducive for suspending prior beliefs and enhancing the attunements to the counterparts in conflicts.
Stakeholder Recommendations to Increase the Accessibility of Online Health Information for Adults Experiencing Concussion Symptoms
Authors: Beaton M. Denise , Hadly Gabrielle , Babul Shelina
Published: January 2021

Background: Concussion is a global public health problem. In Canada, concussion is among the top five reasons for workplace time-loss. Concussion results in physical, cognitive, and/or emotional symptoms that temporarily worsen with physical and mental exertion, such as viewing electronic screens. The Internet is the primary source of consumer health information. Studies on the end-user needs of adults with brain injuries in regards to digital health technologies largely focus on informational content. There is little to no research on the accessibility of screen-based informational websites and smartphone applications among this population.

Objective: The aim of this research was to involve stakeholders in the design of a comprehensive educational resource to guide concussion recognition, recovery, and return-to-work, called the Concussion Awareness Training Tool for Workers and Workplaces (CATT WW). In order to ensure both relevant content and appropriate delivery of the information to the target groups, participants were asked whether adaptations could increase the accessibility of online health information for the general adult population experiencing concussion symptoms.

Methods: Data have been generated through semi-structured in-depth interviews and focus groups with participants from across British Columbia (BC): workers from various industries who were in the concussion recovery process or had returned to work (n = 31); and healthcare or workplace professionals who support concussion diagnosis, recovery, and return-to-work (n = 16). Data were analyzed using NVivo 12. Before commencing data collection, ethical permission was granted by the University of British Columbia Research Ethics Board (H18-00604), and approval was received from WorkSafeBC Research Services.

Results: Participants (n = 47) recommended twenty adaptations or supplements to electronic screen-based digital health technologies.

Conclusion: Given the high prevalence of concussion among the working adult population, the symptom exacerbation commonly caused by prolonged use of electronic screens, and the demand for online educational resources, these findings can guide clinicians, researchers, technology developers, employers, and occupational health and safety committees to further support adults in concussion recovery and return-to-work.
Cricothyrotomy Is Faster Than Tracheostomy for Emergency Front-of-Neck Airway Access in Dogs
Authors: Hardjo Sureiyan , Croton Catriona , Woldeyohannes Solomon , Purcell Sarah Leonie , Haworth Mark David
Published: January 2021

Objectives:In novice final year veterinary students, we sought to: (1) compare the procedure time between a novel cricothyrotomy (CTT) technique and an abbreviated tracheostomy (TT) technique in canine cadavers, (2) assess the success rate of each procedure, (3) assess the complication rate of each procedure via a damage score, (4) evaluate the technical difficulty of each procedure and (5) determine the preferred procedure of study participants for emergency front-of-neck access.

Materials and Methods:A prospective, cross-over, block randomised trial was performed, where veterinary students completed CTT and TT procedures on cadaver dogs. Eight students were recruited and performed 32 procedures on 16 dogs. A generalised estimating equation approach to modelling the procedure times was used.

Results:The procedure time was significantly faster for the CTT than the TT technique, on average (p< 0.001). The mean time taken to complete the CTT technique was 49.6 s (95% CI: 29.5–69.6) faster on average, with a mean CTT time of less than half that of the TT. When taking into account the attempt number, the procedure time for a CTT was 66.4 s (95% CI: 38.9–93.9) faster than TT for the first attempt, and for the second attempt, this was 32.7 s (95% CI: 15.2–50.2) faster, on average. The success rate for both procedures was 100% and there was no difference detected in the damage or difficulty scores (P= 0.13 and 0.08, respectively). Seven of eight participants preferred the CTT.

Clinical Significance:CTT warrants consideration as the primary option for emergency front-of-neck airway access for dogs.
Transcriptomic Profiling of Buffalo Spermatozoa Reveals Dysregulation of Functionally Relevant mRNAs in Low-Fertile Bulls
Authors: Paul Nilendu , Kumaresan Arumugam , Das Gupta Mohua , Nag Pradeep , Guvvala Pushpa Rani , Kuntareddi Channareddi , Sharma Ankur , Selvaraju Sellappan , Datta Tirtha Kumar
Published: January 2021

Although, it is known that spermatozoa harbor a variety of RNAs that may influence embryonic development, little is understood about sperm transcriptomic differences in relation to fertility, especially in buffaloes. In the present study, we compared the differences in sperm functional attributes and transcriptomic profile between high- and low-fertile buffalo bulls. Sperm membrane and acrosomal integrity were lower (P< 0.05), while protamine deficiency and lipid peroxidation were higher (P< 0.05) in low- compared to high-fertile bulls. Transcriptomic analysis using mRNA microarray technology detected a total of 51,282 transcripts in buffalo spermatozoa, of which 4,050 transcripts were differentially expressed, and 709 transcripts were found to be significantly dysregulated (P< 0.05 and fold change >1) between high- and low-fertile bulls. Majority of the dysregulated transcripts were related to binding activity, transcription, translation, and metabolic processes with primary localization in the cell nucleus, nucleoplasm, and in cytosol. Pathways related to MAPK signaling, ribosome pathway, and oxidative phosphorylation were dysregulated in low-fertile bull spermatozoa. Using bioinformatics analysis, we observed that several genes related to sperm functional attributes were significantly downregulated in low-fertile bull spermatozoa. Validation of the results of microarray analysis was carried out using real-time qPCR expression analysis of selected genes (YBX1, ORAI3, andTFAP2C). The relative expression of these genes followed the same trend in both the techniques. Collectively, this is the first study to report the transcriptomic profile of buffalo spermatozoa and to demonstrate the dysregulation of functionally relevant transcripts in low-fertile bull spermatozoa. The results of the present study open up new avenues for understanding the etiology for poor fertility in buffalo bulls and to identify fertility biomarkers.
La ley de Okun en Ecuador. Un análisis de cointegración, 2007-2019.
Authors: Ontaneda Jiménez Diego
Published: January 2021

El estudio analiza la ley de Okun para Ecuador durante 2007.I-2019.IV con dos metodologías de cointegración, el método de Johansen & Juselius (1990) y el enfoque Autorregresivo de Rezago Distribuido (ARDL) propuesto por Pesaran & Shin (1995) y Pesaran, Shin & Smith (2001) . Los resultados empíricos indican que en el largo plazo el desempleo tiene un efecto negativo, estadísticamente significativo sobre la producción. El análisis de cointegración señala que un punto porcentual adicional en la tasa de desempleo disminuye la producción en 2.06% en el caso del enfoque de Johansen & Juselius (1990) y de 2.09% con el enfoque ARDL. Los resultados indican una relación bidireccional entre la producción y el desempleo, y señalan que frente a fluctuaciones en el sistema, el efecto en el desempleo registra su nivel máximo en el quinto trimestre, mientras que el producto alcanza su punto máximo en el tercer trimestre.  Esto sugiere que los hacedores de política deben considerar el impulso de la producción como una estrategia clave para combatir el desempleo y el elevado costo de la desocupación en términos de producto, y que los efectos de las políticas que buscan promover la economía van a transmitirse a lo largo del tiempo.
Uso de las Tecnologías de Información y Comunicación en el aula: una aplicación del Teorema de Bayes.
Authors: Zambrano Farías Fernando José , Martínez Mayorga Robin Xavier , Sánchez Pacheco María Estefanía , Zambrano García José Fernando
Published: January 2021

La implementación y aplicación de las Tecnologías de la Información y Comunicación en la educación enfrenta aún muchos desafíos; consideradas como herramientas que dan soporte al proceso enseñanza-aprendizaje presencial, ofrecen excelentes escenarios para que su efectividad y eficacia mejoren la calidad de la educación superior. El objetivo de esta investigación es analizar cómo la aplicación de estas herramientas tecnológicas dentro del aula de clases mejora en el rendimiento académico promedio de los estudiantes que cursaron la materia de Matemáticas Financieras de la carrera de Administración de Empresas de la Universidad de Guayaquil en el periodo académico 2018 – 2019 ciclos I y II, para esto se hizo un análisis descriptivo de dos muestras independientes y una aplicación de la regla de Bayes. Los resultados que arrojó esta investigación concluyen que los estudiantes que acceden y aplican herramientas tecnológicas dentro del aula tienen un mejor rendimiento académico que aquellos estudiantes que no lo aplican.
Patrones matemáticos en los niveles de Inicial y Preparatoria: Análisis del currículo
Authors: Bojorque Iñegues Gina , Gonzales Prado Neli
Published: January 2021

El objetivo del presente estudio fue analizar el currículo ecuatoriano para subnivel Inicial II y Preparatoria, con un enfoque en patrones matemáticos, a la luz de la literatura internacional. La metodología empleada fue un análisis documental de dichos currículos enfocado en tres componentes, a decir, qué, cuándo y cómo enseñar. Los resultados del estudio demuestran que los currículos ecuatorianos para los niveles analizados incluyen, en general, patrones matemáticos simples de repetición, dejando menos evidente la presencia de patrones más complejos como son los patrones de crecimiento. Se encontró además que en los currículos no se incluye una secuencia clara a seguir para el trabajo con patrones, y que, si bien las recomendaciones metodológicas contempladas en los documentos curriculares sugieren diversas tareas para trabajar patrones, no se incluye la tarea de identificación de la unidad del patrón, la cual es fundamental para el desarrollo del pensamiento matemático del niño. De manera general, se concluye que, estos hallazgos apuntan a la necesidad de revisar el currículo nacional con miras a mejorar las competencias, en patrones en particular y en matemáticas en general, de los niños ecuatorianos desde los primeros años de escolaridad.
Diferencias Salariales y Segregación Ocupacional en el mercado laboral del Ecuador
Authors: Uriguen Aguirre Patricia Alexandra , Martínez Valarezo Josue Daniel , Carrión Ayala Vinicio Enrique
Published: January 2021

El propósito de este estudio es analizar la relación entre las diferencias salariales entre hombres y mujeres y la segregación ocupacional de género afecta a la misma, utilizando datos de clasificación ocupacional. Se examinan si existe una relación estadísticamente significativa entre el empleo y el tamaño de la parte inexplicable de la brecha salarial de género. La metodología se fundamenta con estimaciones que identifica las determinantes del ingreso laboral con el método de descomposición Oaxaca-Blinder (1973), mismo que permite examinar las diferencias en las brechas salariales de genero entre grupos ocupacionales, el análisis se basa en datos individuales de diez años (2010-2019) disponibles en Ecuador. Los resultados mencionan que no existe relación fuerte entre la segregación ocupacional y el tamaño de las diferencias inexplicables en los salarios. Las variables que explican este contraste son la edad, tipo título, título profesional, y estado civil. Las recomendaciones se basan en robustecer la participación y permanecía de las mujeres en el mercado laboral de igual forma mediante el cumplimiento de leyes y normativas existentes.
Estrategia metodológica basada en tecnologías de la información y comunicación en expresión oral del idioma inglés
Authors: Meneses Paucar Silvana , Medina-Chicaiza Patricio
Published: January 2021

La investigación tiene por objeto desarrollar una estrategia metodológica basada en las Tecnologías de la Información y Comunicación para la mejora de la expresión oral del idioma inglés, en estudiantes del nivel de básica superior entre 14 y 15 años de la zona urbana Latacunga – Ecuador. La metodología aplicada en la investigación se sustenta en la recopilación de información documental y bibliográfica indagada bajo la herramienta tecnológica Perish, los métodos son síntesis – análisis, inductivo – deductivo, con un diagnóstico en base a la técnica de observación directa y encuestas a docentes y estudiantes analizados, la confiabilidad de los instrumentos se realizó a través de Alpha de Cronbach, todo esto para alcanzar un conocimiento profundo acerca de las principales características del tema de estudio. Dentro de los resultados se propone una estrategia metodológica basada en las tecnologías de la información y comunicación con las siguientes fases: Diagnóstico, Planificación, Aplicación y Control, así también, se determina la importancia de la expresión oral en el entorno educativo como en otros contextos y la relevancia del uso de herramientas tecnológicas para establecer un aprendizaje dinámico, atractivo, acorde a las necesidades educativas de una población estudiantil actual.
La Competitividad como factor de crecimiento para las organizaciones
Authors: Díaz Muñoz Gabriel Alejandro , Quintana Lombeida María Dolores , Fierro Mosquera Daniel Gonzalo
Published: January 2021

La competitividad es una de las condiciones más valoradas y perseguidas por los directivos organizacionales quienes conscientes de la creciente demanda y expectativas de la clientela, cada vez más exigente y compleja, intentan sacar sus mejores armas de batalla para ocupar una posición privilegiada en el mercado y asegurar su permanencia a mediano y largo plazo. Esta investigación tiene el objetivo de brindar al lector un documento amigable y de fácil comprensión que permita entender la importancia que tiene la competitividad como factor de crecimiento para las organizaciones. Para ello, el documento inicia con una revisión bibliográfica cimentada en la teoría y perspectiva que diferentes autores tienen a acerca de la materia en cuestión y en lo posterior, mediante una metodología descriptiva, correlacional y cualitativa se realiza un análisis de las posturas de los autores citados a lo largo del texto relacionando temas como la competitividad y la estrategia empresarial, el liderazgo a través de la competitividad, la productividad como elemento determinante, factores que merman la competitividad, la globalización y la importancia del capital humano. En base al análisis realizado, se concluye señalando que la competitividad ha dejado de ser un concepto estático centrado en aspectos de naturaleza financiera, ahora se valora mucho el vínculo entre los activos de naturaleza intangible, calidad del recurso humano y motivación del personal, por ende, el liderazgo de la cúpula empresarial es un factor determinante y una de las razones por las que algunas organizaciones no pueden alcanzar los niveles de competitividad requeridos o deseables.
Políticas Públicas, su impacto en la Seguridad Ciudadana
Authors: Solís Tipian Martin Albino , Contreras Rivera Robert Julio , Sánchez Ramírez Luz Graciela
Published: January 2021

El objetivo principal de esta investigación fue analizar el impacto que las políticas públicas en la seguridad ciudadana, utilizando como unidad de análisis el distrinto de San Juan de Lurigancho, uno de los más populosos de la ciudad de Lima. Estudio con enfoque cualitativo, descriptivo y transversal. Se realizaron entrevistas estructuradas de profundidad a representantes municipales, dirignetes vecinales y miembros de la policía nacional; los resultados del análisis de estas entrevistas permitieron comprender que los entrevistados tienen la percepción que las políticas públicas no se desarrollan de manera eficiente lo que conlleva a problemas como la falta de personal policial lo que afecta directamente al nivel de seguridad ciudadana.
Aplicación de algoritmos etnomatemáticos en el aprendizaje significativo de estudiantes universitarios
Authors: Alarcón Anco Ronald Jesús , Flores de la Cruz Heyden Neil
Published: January 2021

El artículo presenta resultados del impacto de los algoritmos etnomatemáticos en el aprendizaje significativo de la matemática en los estudiantes universitarios en 2019. El estudio persiguió el propósito de determinar como la aplicación de los algoritmos etnomatemáticos afecta el aprendizaje significativo de la matemática. En él se verifica la aplicación frecuente de dichos algoritmos en las sesiones de aprendizaje puede mejorar significativamente el aprendizaje de la matemática, en estudiantes universitarios. Se aplicaron tres técnicas: observación, cuestionario y una ficha de entrevista aplicada a 25 estudiantes universitarios, aplicado en dos pruebas, una prueba preliminar y una prueba de cierre. Con resultados positivos, mostrados a través de los valores del estadístico T = 1.02 (primera hipótesis operacional) por lo que se acepta Hi y se rechaza Ho. Y en el estadístico, T = 0,09(tercera hipótesis operacional), que está en el área de aceptación, para lo cual aceptamos Hi y rechazamos Ho. Está comprobado estadísticamente que el uso de algoritmos etnomatemáticos influye  en el aprendizaje significativo de los estudiantes universitarios. Concluyéndose que los estudiantes universitarios desarrollan mejor sus habilidades lógicas y matemáticas utilizando algoritmos etnomatemáticos. Se deben profundizar estudios sobre el efecto que produce la aplicación de la etnomatemática como estrategia de enseñanza aprendizaje en la formación inicial docente a nivel de Escuelas Superiores y Universidades.
Modelo de gravedad de las exportaciones de cacao en grano del Ecuador
Authors: Vásquez Bernal Jorge V. , Tonon Ordóñez Luis B.
Published: January 2021

La presente investigación aplica un modelo de gravedad modificado a las exportaciones de cacao en grano del Ecuador con los principales países importadores del fruto, con la finalidad de determinar la influencia de variables económicas y comerciales, tanto internas como externas, en el flujo comercial en análisis. Se estimaron dos modelos de datos de panel mediante la metodología de efectos aleatorios. Los resultados de la investigación establecen que los modelos estimados son estadísticamente significativos, se contrastan con la teoría y establecen una alta influencia de los costos de comercio internacional en el flujo comercial estudiado.