bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Whole or Defatted Sesame Seeds (Sesamum indicum L.)? The Effect of Cold Pressing on Oil and Cake Quality
Authors: Melo Diana , Álvarez-Ortí Manuel , Nunes Maria Antónia , Costa Anabela S. G. , Machado Susana , Alves Rita C. , Pardo José E. , Oliveira Maria Beatriz P. P.
Published: September 2021

Whole sesame seeds and sesame oil, which is obtained after cold pressing the seeds, are foodstuffs globally consumed due to their nutritional characteristics. The press cake that remains from the oil extraction process can be ground to form a defatted flour that can be incorporated into the human diet, contributing to the valorisation of this product. The nutritional comparison between the whole seeds and the press cake reveals the potential of this by-product to be incorporated in the formulation of diverse foodstuff, since it is richer than the seeds in proteins (30%) and fibre (25%) and still contains a proportion of oil (32%) with a fatty acid pattern characterized by the abundance of unsaturated fatty acids. The protein fraction of both the seeds and the cake shows a balanced composition regarding amino acid composition, with all the essential amino acids included. On the other hand, the oil obtained by cold pressing is shown as a high-quality oil, where the predominant fatty acids are oleic (42.66%) and linoleic (41.25%), which are essential fatty acids because they are not synthetised in the organism and must be obtained through the diet. In addition, it is rich in vitamin E, especially in γ-tocopherol, that was the main isomer found. Regarding these results, all products (sesame seeds, oil and press cake) are components suitable to be included in a healthy diet.
Exogenous Melatonin Reduces Lignification and Retains Quality of Green Asparagus (Asparagus officinalis L.)
Authors: Boonsiriwit Athip , Lee Myungho , Kim Minhwi , Itkor Pontree , Lee Youn Suk
Published: September 2021

Asparagus (Asparagus officinalis L.) is highly perishable because of its high respiration rate, which continues after harvesting and leads to weight loss, increased hardness, color change, and limited shelf life. Melatonin is an indoleamine that plays an important role in abiotic stress. This study was designed to investigate the effects of melatonin on the quality attributes of green asparagus during cold storage. Green asparagus was soaked in a melatonin solution (50, 100, and 200 μM) for 30 min and then stored at 4 °C under 90% relative humidity for 25 days. The results indicated that melatonin treatment delayed the post-harvest senescence of asparagus and maintained high chlorophyll and vitamin C levels. Melatonin treatment hindered phenylalanine ammonia-lyase and peroxidase activities and reduced lignin content, thereby delaying the increase in firmness. Moreover, melatonin treatment enhanced catalase and superoxide dismutase activities, leading to reduced hydrogen peroxide content. These results indicate that melatonin treatment can be used to maintain the post-harvest quality and prolong the shelf life of green asparagus.
Qualitative Study on Solutions of a Hadamard Variable Order Boundary Problem via the Ulam–Hyers–Rassias Stability
Authors: Benkerrouche Amar , Souid Mohammed Said , Etemad Sina , Hakem Ali , Agarwal Praveen , Rezapour Shahram , Ntouyas Sotiris K. , Tariboon Jessada
Published: September 2021

In this paper, the existence, uniqueness and stability of solutions to a boundary value problem of nonlinear FDEs of variable order are established. To do this, we first investigate some aspects of variable order operators of Hadamard type. Then, with the help of the generalized intervals and piecewise constant functions, we convert the variable order Hadamard FBVP to an equivalent standard Hadamard BVP of the fractional constant order. Further, two fixed point theorems due to Schauder and Banach are used and, finally, the Ulam–Hyers–Rassias stability of the given variable order Hadamard FBVP is examined. These results are supported with the aid of a comprehensive example.
On the Operator Method for Solving Linear Integro-Differential Equations with Fractional Conformable Derivatives
Authors: Turmetov Batirkhan Kh. , Usmanov Kairat I. , Nazarova Kulzina Zh.
Published: September 2021

The methods for constructing solutions to integro-differential equations of the Volterra type are considered. The equations are related to fractional conformable derivatives. Explicit solutions of homogeneous and inhomogeneous equations are constructed, and a Cauchy-type problem is studied. It should be noted that the considered method is based on the construction of normalized systems of functions with respect to a differential operator of fractional order.
Modelling Automation–Human Driver Handovers Using Operator Event Sequence Diagrams
Authors: Stanton Neville A. , Brown James W. , Revell Kirsten M. A. , Clark Jed , Richardson Joy , Langdon Pat , Bradley Mike , Caber Nermin , Skrypchuk Lee , Thompson Simon
Published: September 2021

This research aims to show the effectiveness of Operator Event Sequence Diagrams (OESDs) in the normative modelling of vehicle automation to human drivers’ handovers and validate the models with observations from a study in a driving simulator. The handover of control from automation to human operators has proved problematic, and in the most extreme circumstances catastrophic. This is currently a topic of much concern in the design of automated vehicles. OESDs were used to inform the design of the interaction, which was then tested in a driving simulator. This test provided, for the first time, the opportunity to validate OESDs with data gathered from videoing the handover processes. The findings show that the normative predictions of driver activity determined during the handover from vehicle automation in a driving simulator performed well, and similar to other Human Factors methods. It is concluded that OESDs provided a useful method for the human-centred automation design and, as the predictive validity shows, can continue to be used with some confidence. The research in this paper has shown that OESDs can be used to anticipate normative behaviour of drivers engaged in handover activities with vehicle automation in a driving simulator. Therefore, OESDs offer a useful modelling tool for the Human Factors profession and could be applied to a wide range of applications and domains.
Regular Bardeen Black Holes in Anti-de Sitter Spacetime versus Kerr Black Holes through Particle Dynamics
Authors: Narzilloev Bakhtiyor , Rayimbaev Javlon , Abdujabbarov Ahmadjon , Ahmedov Bobomurat
Published: September 2021

In this work, test particle dynamics around a static regular Bardeen black hole (BH) in Anti-de Sitter spacetime has been studied. It has been shown for neutral test particles that parameters of a regular Bardeen black hole in Anti-de Sitter spacetime can mimic the rotation parameter of the Kerr metric up to the value a≈0.9 providing the same innermost stable circular orbit (ISCO) radius. We have also explored the dynamics of magnetized particles with a magnetic dipole moment around a magnetically charged regular Bardeen black hole in Anti-de Sitter spacetime. As a realistic astrophysical scenario of the study, we have treated neutron stars orbiting a supermassive black hole (SMBH), in particular, the magnetar PSR J1745-2900 orbiting Sgr A* with the parameter β=10.2, as magnetized test particles. The magnetized particles dynamics shows that the parameter β, negative values of cosmological constant and magnetic charge parameter of the central BH cause a decrease in the ISCO radius. We have compared the effects of the magnetic charge of the Bardeen BH with the spin of rotating Kerr BH and shown that magnetic charge parameter can mimic the spin in the range a/M≃(0,0.7896) when Λ=0 at the range of its values g/M≃(0,0.648).
The Potential of Tufa as a Tool for Paleoenvironmental Research—A Study of Tufa from the Zrmanja River Canyon, Croatia
Authors: Barešić Jadranka , Faivre Sanja , Sironić Andreja , Borković Damir , Lovrenčić Mikelić Ivanka , Drysdale Russel N. , Krajcar Bronić Ines
Published: September 2021

Tufa is a fresh-water surface calcium carbonate deposit precipitated at or near ambient temperature, and commonly contains the remains of macro- and microphytes. Many Holocene tufas are found along the Zrmanja River, Dalmatian karst, Croatia. In this work we present radiocarbon dating results of older tufa that was found for the first time at the Zrmanja River near the Village of Sanaderi. Tufa outcrops were observed at different levels, between the river bed and up to 26 m above its present level. Radiocarbon dating of the carbonate fraction revealed ages from modern, at the river bed, up to 40 kBP ~20 m above its present level. These ages fit well with the hypothesis that the Zrmanja River had a previous surface connection with the Krka River, and changed its flow direction toward the Novigrad Sea approximately 40 kBP (Marine Isotope Stage 3). Radiocarbon AMS dating of tufa organic residue yielded a maximum conventional age of 17 kBP for the highest outcrop position indicating probable penetration of younger organic material to hollow tufa structures, as confirmed by radiocarbon analyses of humin extracted from the samples. Stable carbon isotope composition (δ13C) of the carbonate fraction of (−10.4 ± 0.6)‰ and (−9.7 ± 0.8)‰ for the Holocene and the older samples, respectively, indicate the autochthonous origin of the carbonate. The δ13C values of (−30.5 ± 0.3)‰ and (−29.6 ± 0.6)‰ for organic residue, having ages <500 BP and >5000 BP, respectively, suggest a unique carbon source for photosynthesis, mainly atmospheric CO2, with an indication of the Suess effect in δ13C during last centuries. The oxygen isotopic composition (δ18O) agrees well with deposition of tufa samples in two stages, the Holocene (−8.02 ± 0.72‰) and “old” (mainly MIS 3 and the beginning of MIS 2) (−6.89 ± 0.34‰), suggesting a ~4 °C lower temperature in MIS 3 compared to the current one.
Forecast of the COVID-19 Epidemic Based on RF-BOA-LightGBM
Authors: Li Zhe , Hu Dehua
Published: September 2021

In this paper, we utilize the Internet big data tool, namely Baidu Index, to predict the development trend of the new coronavirus pneumonia epidemic to obtain further data. By selecting appropriate keywords, we can collect the data of COVID-19 cases in China between 1 January 2020 and 1 April 2020. After preprocessing the data set, the optimal sub-data set can be obtained by using random forest feature selection method. The optimization results of the seven hyperparameters of the LightGBM model by grid search, random search and Bayesian optimization algorithms are compared. The experimental results show that applying the data set obtained from the Baidu Index to the Bayesian-optimized LightGBM model can better predict the growth of the number of patients with new coronary pneumonias, and also help people to make accurate judgments to the development trend of the new coronary pneumonia.
A Report Card on Prevention Efforts of COVID-19 Deaths in US
Authors: Shanmugam Ramalingam , Fulton Lawrence , Ramamonjiarivelo Zo , Betancourt José , Beauvais Brad , Kruse Clemens Scott , Brooks Matthew S.
Published: September 2021

COVID-19 (otherwise known as coronavirus disease 2019) is a life-threatening pandemic that has been combatted in various ways by the government, public health officials, and health care providers. These interventions have been met with varying levels of success. Ultimately, we question if the preventive efforts have reduced COVID-19 deaths in the United States. To address this question, we analyze data pertaining to COVID-19 deaths drawn from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). For this purpose, we employ incidence rate restricted Poisson (IRRP) as an underlying analysis methodology and evaluate all preventive efforts utilized to attempt to reduce COVID-19 deaths. Interpretations of analytic results and graphical visualizations are used to emphasize our various findings. Much needed modifications of the public health policies with respect to dealing with any future pandemics are compiled, critically assessed, and discussed.
Older Seniors during the COVID-19 Pandemic—Social Support and Oral Health-Related Quality of Life
Authors: Weber Sophia , Hahnel Sebastian , Nitschke Ina , Schierz Oliver , Rauch Angelika
Published: September 2021

The coronavirus disease (COVID-19) has greatly affected all parts of private life and led to social distancing and self-isolation. Limited social support for older or frail people might have led to decreased oral health and its related quality of life. The current study aimed to investigate the social support of older seniors and self-perceived oral health-related quality of life (OHRQoL) over the course of the COVID-19 pandemic. Questionnaires were sent to all patients of the Dental Clinic of the University of Leipzig (Germany) aged 75, 80, or 85 years (n = 1228) at the end of February 2021. Besides demographic characteristics and care level, an adapted German version of the ENRICHD Social Support Inventory (ESSI-D) and the German Oral Health Impact Profile-14 (OHIP-14) were included. The response rate was 35.7% (n = 439). Twelve replies were not included in the data analysis as participants had either no interest, were cognitively impaired, or did not match the required age group. Analysis of ESSI-D revealed low social support for 13.2% (n = 53/403) of the seniors. No statistically significant impact of assigned care level on low social support was identified. Seniors with an assigned care level (CLyes) presented higher OHIP-14 sum scores (CLno/CLyes 6.43/10.12; p < 0.001). This was also true for six of the seven OHIP-14 domains, except for functional limitation. Regarding seniors with an assigned care level, a weak positive correlation was identified for sum scores of the ESSI-D and the OHIP-14 (r = 0.29). Despite the COVID-19 pandemic, older seniors reported high self-perceived social support. As seniors with an assigned care level revealed more impaired OHRQoL and a correlation with lower social support, special attention should be given to this vulnerable and frail group in times of a pandemic. When restrictions may minimize access to dental treatment and might negatively influence the oral health of older seniors, health care programs should offer more individual options for dental/medical appointments.
Three Points of View for the Drawing Adoration of the Magi by Leonardo da Vinci
Authors: Apollonio Fabrizio Ivan , Foschi Riccardo , Gaiani Marco
Published: September 2021

This contribution to the literature presents an in-depth analysis of the scene drawn by Leonardo da Vinci in the preparatory drawing, Adoration of the Magi, dated 1481, that is now housed at the Département des Arts Graphiques du Musée du Louvre in Paris, France. This analysis focuses on the architectural elements and highlights how the drawing discloses three distinct vanishing points/centers of vision: one for the classical architecture to the left of the scene, one for the Nativity hut, and one for the structure with stairs. If we consider the structures as belonging to the same 2D projected space, at least two must be depicted out of square; conversely, if we consider them as straight, standard structures, they cannot belong to the same 2D projected space. Given this assumption, we propose, on the one hand, some variations of the scene where the structures are straightened and projected according to only one of the viewpoints at a time; on the other hand, a set of variants of the scene are presented, considering the out-of-square structures. The scenes are generated by applying inverse perspective projections. These results prompt a discussion on possible reasons why Leonardo made these conscious or unconscious “formal errors”.
Reliability Analysis of Rainwater Harvesting Tanks for Irrigation Use in Greenhouse Agriculture
Authors: Londra Paraskevi A. , Kotsatos Ioannis-Eleftherios , Theotokatos Nikolaos , Theocharis Achilleas T. , Dercas Nicholas
Published: September 2021

Rainwater harvesting is an ancient water management practice that has been used to cover potable and non-potable water needs. In recent years, this practice is adopted as a promising alternative and sustainable source of water to meet irrigation needs in agriculture in arid and semi-arid regions. In the present study, a daily water balance model was applied to investigate the size of rainwater tanks for irrigation use in greenhouse begonia and tomato cultivation in two regions of Greece with significant greenhouse areas. For the application of the water balance model, daily rainfall depth values of a 12-year time series (2008–2020) from representative rainfall stations of the study areas were used, as well as the daily water needs of the crops. The greenhouse roof was assumed to be the water collection area of the rainwater harvesting system with values ranging from 1000 to 10,000 m2. The analysis of the results showed that in the case of the begonia crop, the covered tanks ranged from 100 to 200 m3 per 1000 m2 greenhouse area with a reliability coefficient that ranged from 65 to 72%, respectively, to meet the water needs of plants. Further increase of the reliability coefficient was carried out with disproportionately large volumes of tanks. In the case of the tomato crop, covered tank volumes ranged from 100 to 290 m3 per 1000 m2 of greenhouse area, and had a reliability coefficient of 90% to 100%, respectively, while uncovered tanks had a maximum reliability coefficient of 91% for a critical tank volume of 177 m3 per 1000 m2 of greenhouse area and decreased for any further increase of tank volume.
Personality Traits and the Sense of Self-Efficacy among Nurse Anaesthetists. Multi-Centre Questionnaire Survey
Authors: Kwiatosz-Muc Magdalena , Kotus Marzena , Aftyka Anna
Published: September 2021

Introduction: Anaesthesia and intensive care units are specific workplaces. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the level of the sense of self-efficacy and the intensification of personality traits in a group of nurse anaesthetists and to develop a regression model explaining the sense of self-efficacy. Method: The population of the questionnaire survey included nurse anaesthetists from five hospitals in south-eastern Poland. The NEO-FFI was used in assessing their personality traits. The general self-efficacy scale was employed for the self-efficacy assessment. A total of 143 correctly filled surveys were analyzed. Results: The respondents typically perceived their own self-efficacy level as upper moderate. The nurse anaesthetists participating in the study revealed a tendency to high scores in conscientiousness and extraversion, and low scores related to neuroticism. The persons characterized by high conscientiousness, extraversion and openness to experience revealed a tendency to high scores related to the sense of self-efficacy. The relationship between personality traits and experiencing the nuisance of selected stressful job factors was demonstrated. Regression analysis showed that conscientiousness and extraversion are most closely related to the sense of self-efficacy. Conclusions: It seems to be beneficial to implement occupational consulting for nurses, who are starting their work or/and taking into consideration working in anesthesiology and intensive care units. The importance of personality traits and self- efficacy in relation with well-being of medical personnel needs deeper investigations.
Processing Cycle Efficiency to Monitor the Performance of an Intelligent Tube Preparation System for Phlebotomy Services
Authors: Wu Ming-Feng , Li Jen-Ying , Lin Yu-Hsuan , Huang Wei-Chang , He Chi-Chih , Wang Jiunn-Min
Published: September 2021

Background: The waiting time (WT) for a phlebotomy is directly related to patient satisfaction with a health service. However, the processing time varies widely depending on the type of patients. Monitoring of the WT alone may not enable an effective evaluation of the lean performance of the medical staff for patients with different characteristics. The objective of this study was to use process cycle efficiency (PCE) to assess the performance of an intelligent tube preparation system (ITPS) which automatically labeled test tubes and conducted patient rerouting for phlebotomy services, and to interpret the WT during peak hours. Methods: Three time periods were used. The baseline period was from 1 July to 31 July 2014. Phase 1 was after the establishment of the ITPS, with patients ≥80 years old being rerouted. In phase 2, patients ≥78 years old were rerouted. Those data were recorded with a calling system and ITPS, respectively. Results: PCE was significantly improved from 12.9% at baseline to 51.1% (p < 0.001) in phase 1 and 53.0% (p < 0.001) in phase 2. The WT of 16.9 min at baseline was reduced to 3.8 min in phase 1 (p < 0.001), and 3.6 min in phase 2 (p < 0.001). Moreover, the results showed that a WT < 10 min was consistent with a PCE ≥ 25%. Conclusions: Establishing an ITPS for phlebotomy can significantly increase PCE and shorten the WT. Furthermore, the PCE ≥ 25% could be a good assessment reference for the management of appropriate human resources for phlebotomy services, although it is a complex parameter.
Occupational Noise Exposure and Incidence of High Fasting Blood Glucose: A 3-Year, Multicenter, Retrospective Study
Authors: Kim Seunghan , Yun Byungyoon , Lee Seunghyun , Kim Changyoung , Sim Juho , Cho Ara , Oh Yeonsuh , Lee Jiho , Yoon Jinha
Published: September 2021

The role of hazardous occupational noise exposure on the development of prediabetes is not well researched. We aimed to elucidate exposure to hazardous occupational noise as an independent risk factor for high fasting blood glucose (FBG). Participants exposed/non-exposed to occupational noise were recruited from the Common Data Model cohorts of 2013/2014 from two centers and were followed-up for 3 years. Multivariate time-dependent Cox proportional hazard models were used to estimate hazard ratios (HRs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) and were adjusted for various covariates. Pooled HRs were calculated. Among the 43,858 participants of this retrospective cohort study, 37.64% developed high FBG. The mean (standard deviation) age in the cohort was 40.91 (9.71) years. In the fully adjusted models, the HRs of high FBG in the two centers were 1.35 (95% CI: 1.24–1.48) and 1.22 (95% CI: 1.17–1.28), and the pooled HR was 1.28 (95% CI: 1.16–1.41). A Kaplan–Meier plot of high FBG incidence by occupational noise exposure showed significant results (p < 0.001). We found that occupational noise exposure is significantly associated with high FBG. Preventing exposure to hazardous noise in the work environment may help reduce the risk for prediabetes among workers.
Worldwide Research Trends on Solar-Driven Water Disinfection
Authors: Ballesteros Menta , Brindley Celeste , Sánchez-Pérez José Antonio , Fernández-Ibañez Pilar
Published: September 2021

“Ensure access to water for all”, states Goal 6 of the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals. This worldwide challenge requires identifying the best water disinfection method for each scenario. Traditional methods have limitations, which include low effectiveness towards certain pathogens and the formation of disinfection byproducts. Solar-driven methods, such as solar water disinfection (SODIS) or solar photocatalysis, are novel, effective, and financially and environmentally sustainable alternatives. We have conducted a critical study of publications in the field of water disinfection using solar energy and, hereby, present the first bibliometric analysis of scientific literature from Elsevier’s Scopus database within the last 20 years. Results show that in this area of growing interest USA, Spain, and China are the most productive countries in terms of publishing, yet Europe hosts the most highly recognized research groups, i.e., Spain, Switzerland, Ireland, and UK. We have also reviewed the journals in which researchers mostly publish and, using a systematic approach to determine the actual research trends and gaps, we have analyzed the capacity of these publications to answer key research questions, pinpointing six clusters of keywords in relation to the main research challenges, open areas, and new applications that lie ahead. Most publications focused on SODIS and photocatalytic nanomaterials, while a limited number focused on ensuring adequate water disinfection levels, testing regulated microbial indicators and emerging pathogens, and real-world applications, which include complex matrices, large scale processes, and exhaustive cost evaluation.
Childhood Socioeconomic Position, Adult Educational Attainment and Health Behaviors: The Role of Psychological Capital and Health Literacy
Authors: Massar Karlijn , Kopplin Natalie , Schelleman-Offermans Karen
Published: September 2021

Socioeconomic circumstances during childhood and adulthood are known to negatively affect health promoting behaviors. On the other hand, psychological capital (PsyCap) and health literacy are positively associated with these lifestyle behaviors. We, therefore, reasoned that PsyCap and health literacy might “buffer” the negative influences of socioeconomic circumstances on health-promoting behaviors. Method: We measured subjective childhood socioeconomic position (SEP) and adult educational attainment (as a proxy for adult socioeconomic circumstances), health literacy, PsyCap, and health behaviors (fruits and vegetables consumption, exercise, and sweets and cookies consumption) in a sample of N = 150 individuals (mean age 34.98 years, 66.7% female). Results: Bootstrapped mediation analyses including PsyCap and health literacy as parallel mediators revealed that: (I) The relationship between childhood SEP and (a) fruits and vegetables consumption and (b) exercise was mediated by PsyCap, and (II) the relationship between adult educational attainment and (a) fruits and vegetables consumption and (b) exercise was mediated by PsyCap and health literacy. We found no significant effects for consumption of sweets and cookies. Conclusion: These results suggest that larger studies are warranted that confirm the potential of PsyCap and health literacy in mitigating the negative effects of lower SEP on health behaviors and health outcomes.
Heterogeneity of Modern Contraceptive Use among Urban Slum and Nonslum Women in Kinshasa, DR Congo: Cross-Sectional Analysis
Authors: Akilimali Pierre Z. , Tran Nguyen-Toan , Gage Anastasia J.
Published: September 2021

Urban populations have been increasing at an alarming rate, with faster growth in urban slums than that in nonslums over the past few decades. We examine the association between slum residence and the prevalence of contraceptive use among women of reproductive age, and assess if the effect was modified by household wealth. We conducted cross-sectional analysis comprising 1932 women in slums and 632 women in nonslums. We analyzed the moderating effect through an interaction between household wealth and neighborhood type, and then conducted stratified multivariable logistic-regression analysis by the type of neighborhood. Fewer women living in nonslum neighborhoods used modern methods compared to those living in slum neighborhoods. Within slum neighborhoods, the odds of using modern contraceptive methods were higher among women visited by community health workers than among those who had not been visited. Parity was one of the strong predictors of modern contraceptive use. Within nonslum neighborhoods, women from the wealthiest households were more likely to use modern contraceptives than those from the poorest households. Household wealth moderated the association between the type of neighborhood and modern contraceptive use. The study findings suggested heterogeneity in modern contraceptive use in Kinshasa, with a surprisingly higher contraceptive prevalence in slums.
Predictive Strength of Contextual and Personal Variables in Soccer Players’ Goal Orientations
Authors: Iglesias-Martínez Enrique , Roces-García Jorge , Méndez-Alonso David
Published: September 2021

Psychological variables, such as perceived motivational climate, goal orientation, self-determined motivation, and personality, have an influence on sports success performance. This study aimed to examine the relationships among a set of psychological variables (perceived motivational climate, goal orientation, self-determined motivation, and personality) in male and female footballers. Participants were 167 footballers (106 male, 61 female), aged 12 to 26, competing with clubs in the Spanish Football League. They all took four questionnaires aimed at evaluating motivational climate, goal orientations, self-determined motivation, and personality. The analyses of correlation and regression showed statistically significant relations among the variables. Neuroticism and psychoticism negatively relate to mastery motivational climate, the best predictor of self-determined motivation. It was concluded that contextual variables carry more weight in predicting goal orientations and self-determined motivation among participant footballers.
Psychometric Properties of the 34-Item Short-Form Supportive Care Need Survey (SCNS-SF34) Scale in the Malaysian Cancer Healthcare Context
Authors: Azman Nizuwan , Thien Lei Mee , Abdullah Mohammad Farris Iman Leong , Mohd Shariff Noorsuzana
Published: September 2021

(1) Background: This study aimed to assess the psychometric properties of the Malay version of SCNS-SF34 among Malaysian cancer patients. (2) Methods: This cross-sectional study involved 171 cancer patients. Data were collected using the structured five-factor survey via telephone call or face-to-face interviews. The internal reliability and the construct validity of SCNS-34M were analysed using principal component analysis with varimax rotation. (3) Results: The health system and information need (HSI) was the domain with the highest mean score (2.73 ± 0.88), followed by patient care and support needs (2.16 ± 0.90), as well as physical and daily living needs (1.99 ± 0.98). The confirmatory factor analysis indicated a moderate model fit for RMSEA with 0.070, TLI = 0.911 and CFI = 0.924. (4) Conclusions: The SCNS-SF34M was found to be a conceptually applicable and culturally appropriate scale in measuring the supportive care for cancer patients within the Malaysian context.
Delayed Discharge for Non-Clinical Reasons in Hip Procedures: Differential Characteristics and Opportunity Cost
Authors: Pellico-López Amada , Fernández-Feito Ana , Cantarero David , Herrero-Montes Manuel , Cayón-De Las Cuevas Joaquín , Parás-Bravo Paula , Paz-Zulueta María
Published: September 2021

Delayed discharge for non-clinical reasons shares common characteristics with hip procedures. We sought to quantify the length of stay and related costs of hip procedures and compare these with other cases of delayed discharge. A cross-sectional study was conducted at a public hospital in Spain (2007–2015) including 306 patients with 6945 days of total stay and 2178 days of prolonged stay. The mean appropriate stay was 15.58 days, and the mean prolonged stay was 7.12 days. The cost of a prolonged stay was €641,002.09. The opportunity cost according to the value of the hospital complexity unit was €922,997.82. The mean diagnostic-related groups’ weight was 3.40. Up to 85.29% of patients resided in an urban area near the hospital (p = 0.001), and 83.33% were referred to a long-stay facility for functional recovery (p = 0.001). The proportion of patients with hip procedures and delayed discharge was lower than previous reports; however, their length of stay was longer. The cost of prolonged stay could account for 21.17% of the total. Compared with the remaining cases of delayed discharge, the appropriate stay was shorter in hip procedures, with a profile of older women living in an urban area close to the hospital and referred to a long-stay center for functional recovery.
Long-Term Assessment of Surface Water Quality in a Highly Managed Estuary Basin
Authors: Moncada Angelica M. , Melesse Assefa M. , Vithanage Jagath , Price René M.
Published: September 2021

Anthropogenic developments in coastal watersheds cause significant ecological changes to estuaries. Since estuaries respond to inputs on relatively long time scales, robust analyses of long-term data should be employed to account for seasonality, internal cycling, and climatological cycles. This study characterizes the water quality of a highly managed coastal basin, the St. Lucie Estuary Basin, FL, USA, from 1999 to 2019 to detect spatiotemporal differences in the estuary’s water quality and its tributaries. The estuary is artificially connected to Lake Okeechobee, so it receives fresh water from an external basin. Monthly water samples collected from November 1999 to October 2019 were assessed using principal component analysis, correlation analysis, and the Seasonal Kendall trend test. Nitrogen, phosphorus, color, total suspended solids, and turbidity concentrations varied seasonally and spatially. Inflows from Lake Okeechobee were characterized by high turbidity, while higher phosphorus concentrations characterized inflows from tributaries within the basin. Differences among tributaries within the basin may be attributed to flow regimes (e.g., significant releases vs. steady flow) and land use (e.g., pasture vs. row crops). Decreasing trends for orthophosphate, total phosphorus, and color and increasing trends for dissolved oxygen were found over the long term. Decreases in nutrient concentrations over time could be due to local mitigation efforts. Understanding the differences in water quality between the tributaries of the St. Lucie Estuary is essential for the overall water quality management of the estuary.
The Effect of Perceived Supervisor–Subordinate Congruence in Honesty on Emotional Exhaustion: A Polynomial Regression Analysis
Authors: Do Jae-Heon , Kang Seung-Wan , Choi Suk Bong
Published: September 2021

Do subordinates unequivocally prefer honest superv =isors? This study investigates whether congruence in supervisor–subordinate honesty has a positive effect on lowering the emotional exhaustion experienced by subordinates. For the research data, a two-part survey with a one-month time interval was conducted among office workers, and 409 responses were collected. These were empirically analyzed using polynomial regression analysis and response surface analysis, instead of the common methodology based on difference values used in past studies on the fit between a person and their environment. The analysis results confirmed that supervisor–subordinate congruence in honesty has a negative relationship with subordinates’ emotional exhaustion and supervisor–subordinate congruence at higher levels of honesty will have stronger negative relationships with emotional exhaustion. This study expands the intrapersonal context of the existing research on supervisors’ honesty to the interpersonal context and empirically demonstrates the effect of honesty congruence. It also discusses its theoretical and practical implications as well as limitations, and it provides suggestions for future studies.
Users’ Intention to Continue Using Online Mental Health Communities: Empowerment Theory Perspective
Authors: Liu Jingfang , Wang Jiayu
Published: September 2021

Introduction: Online mental health communities may provide new opportunities for rehabilitation for people with mental illness, so it is important to understand the factors that influence the continued use of online mental health communities by people with mental illness. Methods: From the perspective of empowerment, based on the theory of health self-efficacy and expectation confirmation, this study explored the mediating role of health self-efficacy and expectation confirmation in the empowerment process of patients in online mental health communities and users’ intention to continue using online mental health communities. To verify this model, we obtained 272 valid questionnaires. The SmartPLS 3.0 software was selected for model construction and empirical analysis. Results: Health self-efficacy completely mediates the relationship between the empowerment process (i.e., emotional support, information support, helping others and sharing experiences) and users’ intention to continue using an online mental health community. Expectation confirmation partially mediates the relationship between the empowerment process (i.e., information support and finding recognition) and users’ intention to continue using an online mental health community. Conclusion: The empowerment process is the main predictor of user health self-efficacy and expectation confirmation. This study has certain theoretical and practical significance for online mental health community research.
Scaling Up a Community-Based Exercise Program for Women in Difficult Life Situations in Germany—The BIG Project as a Case-Study
Authors: Herbert-Maul Annika , Abu-Omar Karim , Streber Anna , Majzik Zsuzsanna , Hefele Jeanette , Dobslaw Stephanie , Werner Hedi , Wolf Alexandra , Reimers Anne K.
Published: September 2021

Scaling up community-based participatory research (CBPR) remains challenging. This case-study reports on how, and under which conditions, a CBPR project aiming at promoting exercise among socially disadvantaged women (BIG) scaled up at four project sites. As part of BIG, researchers support city administrations in implementing a participatory project to reach socially disadvantaged women for exercise. The case study was conducted in winter 2020 in southern Germany and is based on a co-creative process involving city administrators and researchers. Following Kohl and Cooley’s scaling up dimensions, scaling up BIG was investigated at the four sites using a mixed-method approach. Course registrations and offers were analysed, and qualitative interviews (n = 4) with administrative staff members were conducted and analysed using content analysis. The geographical coverage of exercise classes, the addressed groups, and the utilisation of participatory methods by city administrations are described. All four sites managed to scale-up project activities. Three of the four sites reported that further growth of the project was no longer possible due to limited resources. All sites attempted to reach a larger number of, and more diverse, women. One site managed to scale-up the use of participatory methods within the city administration. The following important facilitators for scaling up CBPR projects were reported: advertisements tailored to the needs of the addressed women, utilising participatory approaches, and equipping project coordinators with sufficient resources.
Effects of Combined Resistance and Aerobic Training on Arterial Stiffness in Postmenopausal Women: A Systematic Review
Authors: Manojlović Marko , Protić-Gava Branka , Maksimović Nebojša , Šćepanović Tijana , Poček Sunčica , Roklicer Roberto , Drid Patrik
Published: September 2021

The aim of this systematic review was to investigate the effects of combined resistance and aerobic exercise on arterial stiffness in postmenopausal women. Two databases, PubMed and Google Scholar were searched to identify relevant studies. The methodological quality was assessed with the Physiotherapy Evidence Database (PEDro) scale. Only seven studies met the eligibility criteria, and their outcomes were presented. Four studies demonstrated the effects of combined resistance and aerobic training, while three showed the effectiveness of exercise with both training components, aerobic and resistance. In all studies, arterial stiffness was measured by brachial–ankle pulse wave velocity (baPWV). Participants were middle-aged or older postmenopausal women of various health statuses (hypertensive, with comorbidities or healthy). The results unequivocally show that combined training reduces arterial stiffness. The most important finding of this review paper is that the applied type of exercise decreased baPWV in the range of 0.6–2.1 m/s. Moreover, combined resistance and aerobic exercise for 12 weeks, performed three times a week for about 60 min per training session, at a moderate intensity (40–60% HRR or HRmax), may be clinically meaningful to the cardiovascular system. In conclusion, we can say that combined resistance and aerobic training, or exercise with resistance and aerobic components, have important health implications for the prevention of cardiovascular disease and the maintenance or improvement of health in middle-aged and older postmenopausal women with different health conditions.
Sell Winners and Buy Losers? The Impact of Familiarity on Individual Investors’ Decision-Making: Experimental Results
Authors: Zhdanov Vladislav , Simonov Artem
Published: September 2021

Purpose: This article analyzes the influence of familiarity bias on respondents’ decision-making process, using results from online experiments. Design/methodology/approach: A total of 255 research participants from post-Soviet countries completed 510 online tests that were presented in the form of investment games. In the games, the respondents were allowed to sell, buy, or hold two types of asset portfolios: familiar and unfamiliar assets. Findings: Holders of portfolios with familiar assets were 1.34 times more likely to be persistent in selling winners and holding losers and 1.10 times more likely to be persistent in buying fallen assets than holders of unfamiliar portfolios. Moreover, respondents who managed familiar assets tended to generate terminal result distributions with a kurtosis that was 27.8% higher than the distributions of those managing unfamiliar assets. Originality: Several academic studies have examined familiarity bias, the disposition effect, the positive feedback trading of individual investors, and risk-seeking trading; however, they investigated these topics separately. In the current study, we therefore created an online experiment to identify new aspects of investor behavior.
OGT Protein Interaction Network (OGT-PIN): A Curated Database of Experimentally Identified Interaction Proteins of OGT
Authors: Ma Junfeng , Hou Chunyan , Li Yaoxiang , Chen Shufu , Wu Ci
Published: September 2021

Interactions between proteins are essential to any cellular process and constitute the basis for molecular networks that determine the functional state of a cell. With the technical advances in recent years, an astonishingly high number of protein–protein interactions has been revealed. However, the interactome of O-linked N-acetylglucosamine transferase (OGT), the sole enzyme adding the O-linked β-N-acetylglucosamine (O-GlcNAc) onto its target proteins, has been largely undefined. To that end, we collated OGT interaction proteins experimentally identified in the past several decades. Rigorous curation of datasets from public repositories and O-GlcNAc-focused publications led to the identification of up to 929 high-stringency OGT interactors from multiple species studied (including Homo sapiens, Mus musculus, Rattus norvegicus, Drosophila melanogaster, Arabidopsis thaliana, and others). Among them, 784 human proteins were found to be interactors of human OGT. Moreover, these proteins spanned a very diverse range of functional classes (e.g., DNA repair, RNA metabolism, translational regulation, and cell cycle), with significant enrichment in regulating transcription and (co)translation. Our dataset demonstrates that OGT is likely a hub protein in cells. A webserver OGT-Protein Interaction Network (OGT-PIN) has also been created, which is freely accessible.
Novel Nitrogen-Based Chalcone Analogs Provoke Substantial Apoptosis in HER2-Positive Human Breast Cancer Cells via JNK and ERK1/ERK2 Signaling Pathways
Authors: Rizeq Balsam , Gupta Ishita , Kheraldine Hadeel , Elkhalifa Dana , Al-Farsi Halema F. , Moustafa Ala-Eddin Al , Khalil Ashraf
Published: September 2021

Natural chalcones possess antitumor properties and play a role as inducers of apoptosis, antioxidants and cytotoxic compounds. We recently reported that novel nitrogen chalcone-based compounds, which were generated in our lab, have specific effects on triple-negative breast cancer cells. However, the outcome of these two new compounds on human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2)-positive breast cancer remains nascent. Thus, we herein investigated the effects of these compounds (DK-13 and DK-14) on two HER2-positive breast cancer cell lines, SKBR3 and ZR75. Our data revealed that these compounds inhibit cell proliferation, deregulate cell-cycle progression and significantly induce cell apoptosis in both cell lines. Furthermore, the two chalcone compounds cause a significant reduction in the cell invasion ability of SKBR3 and ZR75 cancer cells. In parallel, we found that DK-13 and DK-14 inhibit colony formation of both cell lines in comparison to their matched controls. On the other hand, we noticed that these two compounds can inhibit angiogenesis in the chorioallantoic membrane model. The molecular pathway analysis of chalcone compounds exposed cells revealed that these compounds inhibit the expression of both JNK1/2/3 and ERK1/2, the major plausible molecular pathways behind these events. Our findings implicate that DK-13 and DK-14 possess effective chemotherapeutic outcomes against HER2-positive breast cancer via the ERK1/2 and JNK1/2/3 signaling pathways.
Transcriptome and Resequencing Analyses Provide Insight into Differences in Organic Acid Accumulation in Two Pear Varieties
Authors: Li Qionghou , Qiao Xin , Jia Luting , Zhang Yuxin , Zhang Shaoling
Published: September 2021

Fruit acidity is one of the main determinants of fruit flavor and a target trait in fruit breeding. However, the genomic mechanisms governing acidity variation among different pear varieties remain poorly understood. In this study, two pear varieties with contrasting organic acid levels, ‘Dangshansuli’ (low-acidity) and ‘Amute’ (high-acidity), were selected, and a combination of transcriptome and population genomics analyses were applied to characterize their patterns of gene expression and genetic variation. Based on RNA-seq data analysis, differentially expressed genes (DEGs) involved in organic acid metabolism and accumulation were identified. Weighted correlation network analysis (WGCNA) revealed that nine candidate TCA (tricarboxylic acid)-related DEGs and three acid transporter-related DEGs were located in three key modules. The regulatory networks of the above candidate genes were also predicted. By integrating pear resequencing data, two domestication-related genes were found to be upregulated in ‘Amute’, and this trend was further validated for other pear varieties with high levels of organic acid, suggesting distinct selective sweeps during pear dissemination and domestication. Collectively, this study provides insight into organic acid differences related to expression divergence and domestication in two pear varieties, pinpointing several candidate genes for the genetic manipulation of acidity in pears.
Viral Induced Protein Aggregation: A Mechanism of Immune Evasion
Authors: Muscolino Elena , Luoto Laura-Marie , Brune Wolfram
Published: September 2021

Various intrinsic and extrinsic factors can interfere with the process of protein folding, resulting in protein aggregates. Usually, cells prevent the formation of aggregates or degrade them to prevent the cytotoxic effects they may cause. However, during viral infection, the formation of aggregates may serve as a cellular defense mechanism. On the other hand, some viruses are able to exploit the process of aggregate formation and removal to promote their replication or evade the immune response. This review article summarizes the process of cellular protein aggregation and gives examples of how different viruses exploit it. Particular emphasis is placed on the ribonucleotide reductases of herpesviruses and how their additional non-canonical functions in viral immune evasion are closely linked to protein aggregation.