bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Correlation between antioxidant and anticancer activity and phenolic profile of new Apulian table grape genotypes (V. Vinifera L.)
Authors: Milella Rosa Anna , De Rosso Mirko , Gasparro Marica , Gigante Isabella , Debiase Giambattista , Forleo Lucia Rosaria , Marsico Antonio Domenico , Perniola Rocco , Tutino Valeria , Notarnicola Maria , Velasco Riccardo , Flamini Riccardo
Published: January 2023

Grapes represent a significant source of phenolic compounds known for their health-promoting properties, such as antioxidant capacity on normal cells and prooxidant activity on tumor cells. The genotype highly affects the polyphenolic composition in grapes and, consequently, the nutritional quality of berries. This work aimed to characterize the phenolic composition, the antioxidant, and anticancer activity of grape skin extracts (GSEs) of nine new table grape genotypes selected from a breeding program to obtain new cultivars of seedless table grapes, well adapted to the climatic change and with higher nutraceutical properties. The grape polyphenolic profile was characterized by Ultra-High-Performance Liquid Chromatography/Quadrupole-Time of Flight mass spectrometry analysis. GSE antioxidant activity was determined by the ABTS, DPPH, and ORAC assays; GSE cell growth inhibition test was carried out in the Caco2 human cancer cell line. The nine GSEs showed different flavonoid and non-flavonoid profiles, and all possessed antioxidant activity, with the ‘Aika N.’, ‘Turese N.’, and ‘Egnatia N.’ the most active. As anticancer activity against the tested cancer cell line, ‘Daunia N.’ and ‘Apenestae N.’ showed the EC50 after 24 h of 35.60 µg/mL and 150.91 µg/mL, respectively. The relationship between polyphenolic profile and the antioxidant and anticancer activity of GSE was also investigated. Interestingly, among the different classes of polyphenolics, flavan-3-ols e proanthocyanidins showed the highest positive correlation with the anticancer activity of extracts. These findings can be helpful for the preparation of new extracts for the pharmaceutical and nutraceutical industry and geneticists working in vine breeding programs.
Natural deep eutectic solvents as a green extraction of polyphenols from spent coffee ground with enhanced bioactivities
Authors: García-Roldán Aitor , Piriou Léa , Jauregi Paula
Published: January 2023

Conventional extraction techniques are usually based on highly pollutant and/or flammable organic solvents. Therefore, alternative environmentally friendly extraction methods are of particular interest for the recovery of bioactive compounds for their application as food ingredients and/or nutraceuticals. Natural deep eutectic solvents (NADES) are a green and nontoxic attractive alternative to hydroalcoholic extraction. NADES media primarily depends on the intermolecular interactions (hydrogen bonding) among their components to form a eutectic mixture with a much lower final melting point than its individual components. Examples of natural deep eutectic NADES solvents include aqueous solutions (25%–50% water) of choline chloride, sugars, and polyols. This study aimed to investigate the application of two NADES, namely, betaine:triethylene glycol (Bet : TEG) and choline chloride:1,2-propanediol (Chol : Prop), as sustainable green solvents for the extraction of polyphenols from spent coffee ground (SCG), a by-product of coffee processing. In particular, the extraction yield and selectivity were evaluated and compared with conventional green extractions (hot water and a hydroalcoholic solution). In addition, the effect of NADES on the antioxidant and antimicrobial activity of the extracts was investigated. The main outcomes were as follows: (i) NADES were as effective as other conventional green solvents in the extraction of polyphenols with the added advantage of operating at milder temperature conditions, without flammable solvents and with sustainable and natural compounds; (ii) the antimicrobial activity of the NADES extracts was 10 times higher than that of the ethanolic and aqueous extracts. Given the low toxicity of NADES, they could be used as formulation aid for food ingredients.
β-1,4-Xylan backbone synthesis in higher plants: How complex can it be?
Authors: Anders Nadine , Wilson Louis Frederick Lundy , Sorieul Mathias , Nikolovski Nino , Dupree Paul
Published: January 2023

Xylan is a hemicellulose present in the cell walls of all land plants. Glycosyltransferases of the GT43 (IRX9/IRX9L and IRX14/IRX14L) and GT47 (IRX10/IRX10L) families are involved in the biosynthesis of its β-1,4-linked xylose backbone, which can be further modified by acetylation and sugar side chains. However, it remains unclear how the different enzymes work together to synthesize the xylan backbone. A xylan synthesis complex (XSC) has been described in the monocots wheat and asparagus, and co-expression of asparagus AoIRX9, AoIRX10 and AoIRX14A is required to form a catalytically active complex for secondary cell wall xylan biosynthesis. Here, we argue that an equivalent XSC exists for the synthesis of the primary cell wall of the eudicot Arabidopsis thaliana, consisting of IRX9L, IRX10L and IRX14. This would suggest the existence of distinct XSCs for primary and secondary cell wall xylan synthesis, reminiscent of the distinct cellulose synthesis complexes (CSCs) of the primary and secondary cell wall. In contrast to the CSC, in which each CESA protein has catalytic activity, the XSC seems to contain proteins with non-catalytic function with each component bearing potentially unique but crucial roles. Moreover, the core XSC formed by a combination of IRX9/IRX9L, IRX10/IRX10L and IRX14/IRX14L might not be stable in its composition during transit from the endoplasmic reticulum to the Golgi apparatus. Instead, potential dynamic changes of the XSC might be a means of regulating xylan biosynthesis to facilitate coordinated deposition of tailored polysaccharides in the plant cell wall.
Genome-wide analysis of the SBT gene family involved in drought tolerance in cotton
Authors: Dai Maohua , Zhou Na , Zhang Yue , Zhang Yuexin , Ni Kesong , Wu Zhenliang , Liu Liying , Wang Xiaoge , Chen Quanjia
Published: January 2023

The subtilisin-like proteases (SBTs) are a large family of serine peptidases that are unique to plants. Previous studies have shown that SBTs are associated with developmental processes and environmental responses. However, comprehensive identification and systematic analysis of the SBT family have not been conducted in cotton. We used bioinformatics methods to analyze the structural characteristics, phylogenetic relationships, gene structures, expression modes, evolutionary relationships, selection pressures and stress responses of SBT gene family members in upland cotton. In this study, we identified 120 and 112 SBTs in the tetraploid cotton species G. hirsutum and G. barbadense, while 67 and 69 SBTs were identified in the diploid species G. arboreum and G. raimondii, respectively; these SBTs were divided into five distinct subfamilies. We identified the SBT gene GhSBT27A, and explore its function through virus-induced gene silencing and transmission electron microscopy. These results suggested that the GhSBT27A gene was involved in the response to drought stress. These results lay a foundation for further study on the drought stress mechanism of cotton.
An evolutionary game analysis of supervision behavior in public-private partnership projects: Insights from prospect theory and mental accounting
Authors: Cheng Xiaotong , Cheng Min
Published: January 2023

Effective supervision is one of the important ways to ensure the smooth implementation of Public-Private Partnership (PPP) projects. To understand the characteristics of the decision-making behavior of the public and private sectors in the supervision of PPP projects and the influencing mechanisms of some factors, we combine prospect theory and mental accounting theory into the evolutionary game analysis. First, we use prospect theory to reflect the behavioral characteristics of game players when making decisions and classify the value function into a valence account and a cost account according to the mental accounting theory. Accordingly, we construct a payoff matrix based on prospect theory and mental accounting theory, and the system’s equilibrium state is analyzed. Then, based on numerical simulations, the influence of different parameters on the behavior of the public and private sectors is analyzed, and management suggestions for practical reference are put forward based on the simulation results. The results show that the greater the perceived cost of active behavior for the public and private sectors, the less likely they will take active behavior. Secondly, there is insufficient incentive for the private sector to fulfill contracts when the penalties for its opportunistic behavior are minor. Thirdly, increasing the cost reference points and decreasing the valence reference points will promote the public and private sectors to adopt active behavior. Fourth, the public sector and the private sector are more inclined to take active behavior when they need to bear more significant risk losses. This study provides new ideas for the analysis of the game players’ decision-making behaviors in the supervision of PPP projects and delivers a decision-making reference for reasonable supervision.
Methods for measuring egocentric distance perception in visual modality
Authors: Dong Bo , Chen Airui , Gu Zhengyin , Sun Yuan , Zhang Xiuling , Tian Xiaoming
Published: January 2023

Egocentric distance perception has been widely concerned by researchers in the field of spatial perception due to its significance in daily life. The frame of perception involves the perceived distance from an observer to an object. Over the years, researchers have been searching for an optimal way to measure the perceived distance and their contribution constitutes a critical aspect of the field. This paper summarizes the methodological findings and divides the measurement methods for egocentric distance perception into three categories according to the behavior types. The first is Perceptional Method, including successive equal-appearing intervals of distance judgment measurement, verbal report, and perceptual distance matching task. The second is Directed Action Method, including blind walking, blind-walking gesturing, blindfolded throwing, and blind rope pulling. The last one is Indirect Action Method, including triangulation-by-pointing and triangulation-by-walking. In the meantime, we summarize each method’s procedure, core logic, scope of application, advantages, and disadvantages. In the end, we discuss the future concerns of egocentric distance perception.
Match performance of football teams in different competition phases: Analysis on the data of eight consecutive seasons in the Chinese Super League
Authors: Li Pei , Zhong Shisheng , Chmura Paweł , Liu Hongyou
Published: January 2023

The study aims to quantify the variation in the physical and technical match performance of football teams in different months of a season in the Chinese Super League (CSL). Data of 1,899 matches in the seasons 2012–2019 of CSL collected by Amisco Pro® were analysed. The generalised mixed modelling was employed to estimate the per match mean values of six physical performance-related parameters and 16 technical performance-related parameters of CSL teams in every month of all the eight seasons. Results showed that: (1) the mean values of all the analysed physical performance-related parameters (total/sprint/HSR/MSR distance, sprint/HSR efforts) of CSL teams through a season were characterised like a ‘U’ shape, the highest value was observed in the beginning of season (March), then decreased gradually, reaching the lowest in August, and rebounded progressively from September to November; (2) the mean values of eight technical performance-related parameters (goals, shots, shot accuracy, individual possession, individual possession in the last third, crosses, cross accuracy and yellow cards) presented trivial changes through the whole season; (3) the number of passes, passes per shot, forward passes, and time in individual possession showed trivial changes from March to October, but showed a substantially increase in November (the last month of season); (4) Pass accuracy, forward pass accuracy, and the number of mean ball touches per individual possession substantially increased in June, July and August, whilst the number of challenges, ground challenges, air challenges, tackles and fouls all substantially decreased in these 3 months. These results could provide detailed information to help the practitioners choose the best training and match preparation strategy in the means of periodisation in different season phases.
Sexual identity fluidity, identity management stress, and depression among sexual minority adolescents
Authors: Srivastava Ankur , Hall William J. , Krueger Evan A. , Goldbach Jeremy T.
Published: January 2023

Introduction

Sexual identity is mutable and evolving, particularly during adolescence. Sexual identity fluidity could be stressful for some adolescents and may differ by birth-sex. Evidence suggests chronic stress can lead to negative mental health outcomes. However, it is unknown if these two processes (stress and depression) differ by sexual identity fluidity.

Methods

This paper studied time-sequential associations between identity management stress and depression over time by sexual identity fluidity, in a national longitudinal data from sexual minority adolescents (SMA) aged 14–17 years using a multigroup autoregressive cross-lagged model (n= 1077).

Results

In the sample, 40% of SMA reported at least one change in sexual identity over 18-month period. Greater number of cisgender females reported sexual identity fluidity compared to their male counterparts (46.9% vs. 26.6%). A temporal cross-lagged effect was reported between depression and identity management stress among cisgender females who reported fluidity in sexual identity; and no cross-lagged effect was reported among those females who did not report fluidity. However, among cisgender male sample depression predicted subsequent identity management stress, irrespective of their change sexual identity fluidity status.

Conclusion

Public health programs and practice must be responsive to the sexual identity fluidity processes among adolescents, with particular attention to minority stress and depression. In addition, our results indicate that sexual identity development and fluidity processes differ between cisgender females and males; and the nuances associated with these processes of change need further investigation.
Interpersonal synchrony when singing in a choir
Authors: Delius Julia A. M. , Müller Viktor
Published: January 2023

Singing in a choir has long been known to enhance well-being and protect mental health. Clearly, the experience of a uniquely harmonious social activity is very satisfying for the singers. How might this come about? One of the important factors positively associated with well-being is interpersonal action coordination allowing the choir to function as a whole. This review focuses on temporal coordination dynamics of physiological systems and/or subsystems forming part or the core of the functional substrate of choir singing. These coordination dynamics will be evaluated with respect to the concept of a superordinate system, or superorganism, based on the principles of self-organization and circular causality. We conclude that choral singing is a dynamic process requiring tight interpersonal action coordination that is characterized by coupled physiological systems and specific network topology dynamics, representing a potent biomarker for social interaction.
The relation between Self-Esteem and Productivity: An analysis in higher education institutions
Authors: Gómez-Jorge Fabiola , Díaz-Garrido Eloísa
Published: January 2023

Background

Due to the importance of academic training, allowing upward socioeconomic mobility, and being key to getting out of poverty, as indicated by the United Nations in its 2030 Agenda, investment in quality education is key. The objective of this study is to analyze the impact of Self-Esteem in the work environment on Teaching and Research Productivity within the field of higher education in Spain.

Method

The research is carried out among the teaching staff of the Rey Juan Carlos University of Madrid (Spain). A structured questionnaire was used to ask about Self-Esteem and Productivity. Data analysis is conducted using 272 valid questionnaires analyzed with R-commander software. The validity of the variables is analyzed to check the quality of the questionnaire. Linear regression analysis is used to examine the relationship between Self-Esteem and Productivity and is completed with ANOVA analysis to study the most significant differences between these variables.

Results

We identified a positive correlation between Self-Esteem and Productivity, where significant differences have been observed depending on the age and seniority of the teaching staff.

Conclusion

This research contributes positively to the achievement of Sustainable Development Goals 3 (SDG3) (Good Health and Wellbeing) and 4 (Quality Education), in addition to highlighting the importance of universities ensuring the Self-Esteem of their teachers, having a very positive impact on the education received by the students, on the quality and prestige of the teaching center, and society, increasing academic research and educational quality. Similarly, the results achieved can be extrapolated to other sectors.
Restaurant customers’ food leftover reduction intention derived from nature connection and biospheric values: A comparison between men and women
Authors: Kim Wansoo , Che Chen , Jeong Chul
Published: January 2023

As the COVID-19 pandemic extends over a long period of time, the World Food Programme (WFP) estimated that food insecurity would take place in the near future. Previous studies focused on various kinds of interventions for food waste prevention. Surprisingly, however, research tackling consumer attitudes and behaviors as a way to reduce food waste is still rare. To fill this gap in the literature, this study examined the antecedent roles of restaurant customers’ nature connection and biospheric values in fostering their food leftover reduction intention through environmental self-identity and sense of obligation to reduce food leftover. In addition, the moderating effects of gender were tested on all the relationships in our conceptual model. A quantitative approach with an online survey for restaurant customers was adopted. Structural equation modeling was adopted to analyze the data. Through confirmatory factor analyses, the adequate reliability and validity of the measures were established. All the relationships between the constructs were found to be significant, supporting the hypotheses. In other words, the restaurant customers’ nature connection and biospheric values were found to eventually induce the customers’ food leftover reduction intention. In addition, in terms of the moderating effect, the male customers’ nature connection more strongly increased their biospheric values than the female customers’ case. The findings of this study revealed how restaurant customers’ food leftover reduction intention is formed through their feeling of oneness with nature and biospheric values. Given that consumer behavior has been recognized as a major driver of restaurant food waste, the findings of this study provide useful insights to restauranteurs and policymakers for the health of society and people in it. It was especially true for men in that their feeling of oneness with nature significantly influences their biospheric values more than women’s.
Acceptance and commitment therapy in a psychiatric day hospital—A longitudinal naturalistic effectiveness trial
Authors: Rutschmann Ronja , Romanczuk-Seiferth Nina , Richter Christoph
Published: January 2023

Objectives

Despite the transdiagnostic approach and the good cross-professional applicability, only few studies have examined the effects of Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) in a naturalistic clinic setting. This study aims to help closing this gap by investigating the effects of ACT in a psychiatric day hospital during COVID pandemic. It was investigated whether psychopathological symptomology decreased, and quality of life and general functioning improved with the treatment. Additionally, longitudinal effects were tested.

Methods

Participants in this follow-up-design were 92 patients (64.1% female) of a psychiatric day hospital. Survey data of clinical symptoms, quality of life and global functioning were assessed at three time points (with admission, discharge, and 3 months after treatment). Differences between time points were tested using two-sided paired samples t-tests. Additionally, the reliability of change index (RCI) was calculated.

Results

From pre-treatment to post-treatment, symptomology decreased significantly (d = 0.82–0.99, p < 0.001), and global functioning as well as quality of life increased significantly (d = 0.42–1.19, p < 0.001). The effects remained relatively stable, with no significant change between post-treatment and follow-up. The difference between pre-treatment and follow-up was significant for clinical symptoms, physical and psychological wellbeing, and global quality of life (d = 0.43–0.76, p < 0.007).

Conclusion

The significant and sustained improvement in all measures indicates that patients are benefiting from the treatment. Since the trial was neither randomized nor controlled, effects have to be interpreted with caution. Possible influences of the pandemic are discussed.

Clinical trial registration

http://www.drks.de/DRKS00029992, identifier DRKS00029992.
No safe place for war survivors: War memory, event exposure, and migrants' psychological trauma
Authors: Ahmad Muhammad Sohail , Bukhari Zainab , Khan Sundas , Ashraf Imran , Kanwal Asma
Published: January 2023

The present study explores the concept of reenactment of known and unknown war trauma that may be unfamiliar to the readers while also opening up new discourses of understanding and empathy through the lens of Cathy Caruth's trauma theory by focusing on the novel A Land of Permanent Goodbyes by Atia Abawi. War fiction, such as Abawi's novel, highlights the concept of psychological trauma as a double wound (known as “outsiders” and unknown as “insiders”) through the textual analysis and characterization of characters by presenting their haunting pasts, present lives, and losses concerning traumatic events. The present study also recounts what the trauma of the unknown means to war-torn survivors by focusing on “trauma as double wounds” from three aspects: cause, effects, and recuperation. Finally, the study concludes with a new paradigm in which trauma is portrayed as a healer rather than a wound.
Predictors of self-care behaviors and glycemic control among patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus
Authors: Babazadeh Towhid , Lotfi Yosef , Ranjbaran Soheila
Published: January 2023

Aims

This study used the Extended Theory of Reasoned Action (ETRA) to predict self-care behaviors and HbA1c among patients with type 2 diabetes in Iran.

Materials and methods

A cross-sectional study was performed using a multistage random sample. A total of 240 patients with type 2 diabetes, who were referred to the diabetes healthcare centers in Chaldoran, participated in the research. Instruments consisting of standardized questionnaires were used based on the Extended Theory of Reasoned Action (ETRA) constructs and the summary scale of diabetes self-care behaviors measure.

Findings

The results of this study demonstrated that demographic variables explained ~ 7% (p-value = 0.23) and ETRA constructs 18% of the variance (p-value = 0.02) in behavioral intention, respectively. According to the hierarchical multiple linear regressions on self-care behaviors, demographic factors (p-value 0.001) dictated 45.7% of the variation of the self-care behavior, while knowledge, attitude, self-efficacy, and behavioral intention (p-value 0.001) accounted for 63.4% of the variance. The ETRA constructs, self-care practices, and demographic factors together account for almost 57% of the variation in the HbA1c. Self-care practices were the best indicator of HbA1c (β = −0.593).

Conclusion

ETRA constructs and self-care behavior can be the best determinants of HbA1c level in type 2 diabetes. This model is suggested to be applied in designing intervention programs to improve HbA1c in these groups of patients.
Consumer motivation for organic food consumption: Health consciousness or herd mentality
Authors: Wang Jiangbo , Xue Yefei , Liu Tingting
Published: January 2023

Whether health awareness is self-awareness or conformity awareness is a question worth discussing. Especially under the current trend of organic food consumption, whether it is driven by health consciousness or herd mentality is worth exploring. This is not only about the government's formulation of health policies for the industry (for example, paying more attention to health standards), but also about the sustainable development of organic food consumption (for example, suppliers highlighting their own health advantages). However, there is still little research in this area. Based on data from 1,658 respondents in four first-tier cities in China, this paper explores whether consumers are consuming organic food under health consciousness or herd mentality. This paper uses a logit model to explore the key causes of health consciousness or herd mentality, and uses a propensity score matching (PSM) method to measure the impact of health consciousness and herd mentality on organic food consumption, comparing the effects across age and education groups. The results show that: (1) Individual characteristics, family characteristics, health status, volition, social trust and market education significantly influenced consumers' health consciousness or herd mentality; (2) The main motivation for organic food consumption is health consciousness, but herd mentality plays a role of amplifying this effect.
Digital health literacy and subjective wellbeing in the context of COVID-19: A cross-sectional study among university students in Ecuador
Authors: Rivadeneira María F. , Salvador Carmen , Araujo Lorena , Caicedo-Gallardo José D. , Cóndor José , Torres-Castillo Ana Lucía , Miranda-Velasco María J. , Dadaczynski Kevin , Okan Orkan
Published: January 2023

Background

The COVID-19 pandemic has generated an avalanche of information, which, if not properly addressed, generates uncertainty and limits healthy decision-making. On the other hand, the pandemic has exacerbated mental health problems among young people and adolescents, causing a worsening of their wellbeing. Previous studies have found that digital health literacy has a positive impact on people's attitudes toward the disease. This study aimed to analyze the association between digital health literacy on COVID-19 with subjective wellbeing in university students.

Methods

A cross-sectional study was developed in 917 students from Ecuador. Subjective wellbeing was measured with the World Health Organization WellBeing Scale. Digital health literacy was assessed using the Spanish-translated version of the Digital Health Literacy Instrument adapted to the context of the COVID-19 pandemic. Bivariate and multivariate linear regressions were performed.

Results

Digital health literacy and subjective wellbeing proofed to be significantly higher among males and among students with higher social status. The association between digital health literacy and subjective wellbeing was significant; for each increase of one point in the digital health literacy scale, an average increase of 9.64 points could be observed on the subjective wellbeing scale (IC 95% 5.61 – 13.67, p-value <0.001). This correlation persisted after adjust by demographic and socioeconomic variables.

Conclusion

Improving digital health literacy in health would improve the subjective wellbeing of university students. It is suggested strengthen the digital health literacy through public and university policies that promote access, search skills and discernment of digital information. Socioeconomic and gender inequalities related to digital health literacy need to be further investigated.
Research on emergency management of global public health emergencies driven by digital technology: A bibliometric analysis
Authors: Wen Chao , Liu Wei , He Zhihao , Liu Chunyan
Published: January 2023

Background

The frequent occurrence of major public health emergencies globally poses a threat to people's life, health, and safety, and the convergence development of digital technology is very effective and necessary to cope with the outbreak and transmission control of public epidemics such as COVID-19, which is essential to improve the emergency management capability of global public health emergencies.

Methods

The published literatures in the Web of Science Core Collection database from 2003 to 2022 were utilized to analyze the contribution and collaboration of the authors, institutions, and countries, keyword co-occurrence analysis, and research frontier identification using the CiteSpace, VOSviewer, and COOC software.

Results

The results are shown as follows: (1) Relevant research can be divided into growth and development period and rapid development period, and the total publications show exponential growth, among which the USA, China, and the United Kingdom are the most occupied countries, but the global authorship cooperation is not close; (2) clustering analysis of high-frequency keyword, all kinds of digital technologies are utilized, ranging from artificial intelligence (AI)-driven machine learning (ML) or deep learning (DL), and focused application big data analytics and blockchain technology enabled the internet of things (IoT) to identify, and diagnose major unexpected public diseases are hot spots for future research; (3) Research frontier identification indicates that data analysis in social media is a frontier issue that must continue to be focused on to advance digital and smart governance of public health events.

Conclusion

This bibliometric study provides unique insights into the role of digital technologies in the emergency management of public health. It provides research guidance for smart emergency management of global public health emergencies.
Ethical issues of the use of AI-driven mobile apps for education
Authors: Klimova Blanka , Pikhart Marcel , Kacetl Jaroslav
Published: January 2023

Nowadays, artificial intelligence (AI) affects our lives every single day and brings with it both benefits and risks for all spheres of human activities, including education. Out of these risks, the most striking seems to be ethical issues of the use of AI, such as misuse of private data or surveillance of people's lives. Therefore, the aim of this systematic review is to describe the key ethical issues related to the use of AI-driven mobile apps in education, as well as to list some of the implications based on the identified studies associated with this research topic. The methodology of this review study was based on the PRISMA guidelines for systematic reviews and meta-analyses. The results indicate four key ethical principles that should be followed, out of which the principle of algorithmovigilance should be considered in order to monitor, understand and prevent the adverse effects of algorithms in the use of AI in education. Furthermore, all stakeholders should be identified, as well as their joint engagement and collaboration to guarantee the ethical use of AI in education. Thus, the contribution of this study consists in emphasizing the need for joint cooperation and research of all stakeholders when using AI-driven mobile technologies in education with special attention to the ethical issues since the present research based on the review studies is scarce and neglected in this respect.
Community health workers' involvement in mother–child care during the 1st year after birth, in Kaya health district, Burkina Faso: A contribution analysis
Authors: Tougri Halima , Compaoré Rachidatou , Ouédraogo Adja Mariam , Bila Blandine , Temmerman Marleen , Kouanda Séni
Published: January 2023

Introduction

Maternal and infant morbidity and mortality remain high in sub-Saharan Africa. However, actions to strengthen postpartum care are still weak and mainly limited to health facilities (HFs). In Kaya health district, Burkina Faso, community health workers (CHWs) were involved in mother and child care during the 1st year postpartum through home visits, outreach sessions and accompanying mothers to health facilities. The aim of this study was to assess the contribution of CHWs to postpartum women's attendance at the health facilities.

Methods

We conducted an effect assessment using Mayne and Lemire's contribution analysis framework. Qualitative and quantitative data were collected through project documents review and individual semi-structured interviews with key-informants.

Results

All the participants interviewed acknowledged that the number of women, who came to postpartum care, had increased since the implementation of the project activities. Postpartum consultation rates within the 1st week postpartum increased from 29% in 2011 to 80% in 2015 and from 19 to 50% within 6 weeks. Others interventions such as Performance based financing, Save The Children nutritional project and the health services component of Missed Opportunities in Mother and Infant Health (MOMI) were the alternative explanations.

Conclusions

CHWs involvement in women care contributed to improve their adherence to postpartum consultations in Kaya health district.
Feature alignment as a generative process
Authors: Farias Tiago de Souza , Maziero Jonas
Published: January 2023

Reversibility in artificial neural networks allows us to retrieve the input given an output. We present feature alignment, a method for approximating reversibility in arbitrary neural networks. We train a network by minimizing the distance between the output of a data point and the random output with respect to a random input. We applied the technique to the MNIST, CIFAR-10, CelebA, and STL-10 image datasets. We demonstrate that this method can roughly recover images from just their latent representation without the need of a decoder. By utilizing the formulation of variational autoencoders, we demonstrate that it is possible to produce new images that are statistically comparable to the training data. Furthermore, we demonstrate that the quality of the images can be improved by coupling a generator and a discriminator together. In addition, we show how this method, with a few minor modifications, can be used to train networks locally, which has the potential to save computational memory resources.
Preconception stress exposure from childhood to adolescence and birth outcomes: The impact of stress type, severity and consistency
Authors: Hipwell Alison E. , Fu Haoyi , Tung Irene , Stiller Ashley , Keenan Kate
Published: January 2023

The negative effects of prenatal stress on offspring health are well established, but there remains little understanding of the influence of stress prior to conception despite known effects on biological systems that are important for a healthy pregnancy. Furthermore, operational definitions of stress vary considerably, and exposure is often characterized via summed, ordinal scales of events. We hypothesized that type, severity, and consistency of preconception stress would be associated with birthweight and gestational age (GA) at birth. Data were drawn from a subsample of participants in the 21-year longitudinal Pittsburgh Girls Study (PGS, N = 2,450) that has followed women annually since childhood. Prior work in the PGS derived three domains of stress exposure between ages 7-17 years related to subsistence (e.g., resource strain, overcrowding), safety (e.g., community violence, inter-adult aggression), and caregiving (e.g., separation, maternal depression). We tested the effects of dimensions of preconception stress on birthweight and GA among offspring of 490 PGS participants who delivered at age 18 or older (n = 490; 76% Black, 20% White, 4% Multiracial). Our hypotheses were partially supported with results varying by stress type and severity and by infant sex. Severity of preconception exposure to subsistence stress was prospectively associated with lower offspring birthweight (B = −146.94, SE = 69.07, 95% CI = −282.66, −11.22). The association between severity of caregiving stress in childhood and adolescence and GA at birth was moderated by infant sex (B = 0.85, SE = .41, 95% CI = 0.04, 1.66), suggesting greater vulnerability to this type of stress for male compared to female infants. Exposure to safety stressors did not predict birth outcomes. Infants of Black compared with White mothers had lower birthweight in all models regardless of preconception stress type, severity or consistency. However, we observed no moderating effects of race on preconception stress-birth outcome associations. Demonstrating specificity of associations between preconception stress exposure and prenatal health has the potential to inform preventive interventions targeting profiles of exposure to optimize birth outcomes.
Life cycle assessment of a retail store aquaponic system in a cold-weather region
Authors: Elnour Mugahid , Haller Henrik , Martin Michael
Published: January 2023

Alternative food production technologies are being developed to meet the global increase in population and demand for a more sustainable food supply. Aquaponics, a combined method of vegetable and fish production, is an emerging technology that is widely regarded as sustainable. Yet, there has been limited research on its environmental performance, especially at a commercial scale. In this study, life cycle analysis (LCA) was used to assess the environmental impacts of food produced by an urban commercial aquaponic system located next to a retail store in a cold-weather region (Östersund, Sweden). The functional unit (FU) used is 1 kg of fresh produce, which includes cucumber (Cucumis sativus), tomatoes (Solanum Lycopersicum), and Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar). The system boundary is set from cradle to farm or retailer's gate due to the proximity of the aquaponic system to the retail store. Results were reported employing eight environmental impact categories, including global warming potential (GWP), marine eutrophication (MEU), and cumulative energy demand (CED). According to contribution analysis, the main hotspots of the system are electricity, CO2 enrichment, and heating. Potential areas to mitigate the impact of these parameters were highlighted in this study, including the establishment of symbiotic links to utilize urban waste and by-products. The impact per vegetable or fish produced was partitioned using energy and economic allocation and compared to other common cultivation methods. The yearly harvest from the aquaponic system was also compared to importing these food items from other European countries which showed lower annual greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions for the aquaponic system.
Why do people participate in grassroots sustainability initiatives? Different motives for different levels of involvement
Authors: Moser Stephanie , Bader Christoph
Published: January 2023

Grassroots sustainability initiatives experiment with alternative ways of consumption and are promising agents for fostering pro-environmental behavior change. However, sustainability initiatives depend on high levels of volunteering and collective action. With the present research we aimed to better understand why people participate in sustainability initiatives and whether doing so is an expression of a broader set of pro-environmental behaviors. We tested the predictive importance of various motivational factors derived from grassroots innovation research, the theory of planned behavior, and theories on collective action, using data from a cross-sectional factorial survey of participants in several sustainability initiatives in Switzerland (N = 180). Our results revealed different motivational patterns depending on the level of involvement. The intention to use services and offers of sustainability initiatives (low level of involvement) was best explained by favorable attitudes toward participation and perceived behavioral control, while the intention to volunteer for such initiatives (high level of involvement) was additionally based on strong social identity and a high belief in participative efficacy. Our results also revealed that participation in sustainability initiatives concurs with those other private-sphere pro-environmental behaviors that are most similar to the initiatives' activities. We conclude from our results that the divergence in motivational factors between users and volunteers might pose a challenge to the success of sustainability initiatives and therefore deserves greater attention in future research.
Institutional levels of water management in the Colorado River basin region: A macro-historical geographic review
Authors: Wescoat James L.
Published: January 2023

Complex water-stressed basins like the Colorado River in North America have multiple institutional levels of water management. Each institutional level is characterized by rules, organizations, and spatial jurisdictions that developed over decades to centuries to shape a dynamic multi-level system. After introducing the concept of institutional levels, and its relationship to geographic scales, this paper employs systematic bibliographic search methods to review their development in the Colorado River basin region. Results begin with the community level of water management from prehistoric Indian water cultures to early Hispanic water communities, 19th century water communities, and 20th century water organizations. Conflict among water communities shaped the state level of constitutional authority over water rights administration during the 19th century. Competition among states led in the 20th century to the interstate level of apportionment that often paralleled federal and tribal level water development policies, eventually leading to the international level of treaty relations between the U.S. and Mexico. This macro-historical geographic progression from institutions that were relatively small in size and early in time to those at higher levels and more recent in time offers insights into the multi-level institutional logic of the “law of the river” in the Colorado River basin region.
Short-segment fixation and transpedicular bone grafting for the treatment of thoracolumbar spine fracture
Authors: Luo Zhi-Wen , Liao Wei-Jie , Sun Bo-Lin , Wu Jia-Bao , Zhang Ning , Zhang Yu , Huang Shan-Hu , Liu Zhi-Li , Zhang Zhi-Hong , Liu Jia-Ming
Published: January 2023

Purpose

Thoracolumbar fracture is one of the most common fractures of spine. And short-segment posterior fixation including the fractured vertebra (SSPFI) is usually used for the surgical treatment of it. However, the outcomes of SSPFI for different types of thoracolumbar fractures are not clear, and whether it is necessary to perform transpedicular bone grafting is still controversial. This study was conducted to determine the clinical efficacy of SSPFI for the treatment of different types of single-level thoracolumbar fracture, and make clear what kind of fractures need transpedicular bone grafting during the surgery.

Methods

Patients with single-level thoracolumbar fracture undergoing SSPFI surgery between January 2013 and June 2020 were included in this study. The operative duration, intraoperative blood loss, anterior vertebral height ratio (AVHR) and anterior vertebral height compressive ratio (AVHC) of the fractured vertebra, local kyphotic Cobb angle (LKA), vertebral wedge angle (VWA) and correction loss during follow up period were recorded. Outcomes between unilateral and bilateral pedicle screw fixation for fractured vertebra, between SSPFI with and without transpedicular bone grafting (TBG), and among different compressive degrees of fractured vertebrae were compared, respectively.

Results

A total of 161 patients were included in this study. All the patients were followed up, and the mean follow-upped duration was 25.2 ± 3.1 months (6–52 months). At the final follow-up, the AVHR was greater, and the LKA and VWA were smaller in patients with bilateral fixation (6-screw fixation) than those with unilateral fixation (5-screw fixation) of AO type A3/A4 fractures (P < 0.001). The correction loss of AVHR, LKA and VWA in fractured vertebra were significantly great when preoperative AVHC was >50% (P < 0.05). For patients with AVHC >50%, the correction loss in patients with TBG were less than those without TBG at the final follow-up (P < 0.05).

Conclusions

SSPFI using bilateral fixation was more effective than unilateral fixation in maintaining the fractured vertebral height for AO type A3/A4 fractures. For patients with AVHC >50%, the loss of correction was more obvious and it can be decreased by transpedicular bone grafting.
Case report: Recombinant human epidermal growth factor gel plus kangfuxin solution in the treatment of aplasia cutis congenita in a case with Adams–Oliver syndrome
Authors: Yang Xiu-Fang , Shi Shang-Wen , Chen Kang
Published: January 2023

Background

Aplasia cutis congenita is a congenital disorder with the absence of skin, muscle and(or) bone. It usually affects the scalp. The presence of a large scalp defect can be potentially serious when complicated with hemorrhage and infection. Early healing of this condition is beneficial to improve the prognosis of infants.

Study case

A full-term newborn male was born with a round-shaped defect at the vertex of the scalp and skull (dimensions, 8 cm × 9 cm). The infant had a large deletion encompassing the 15.1 region of chromosome 15, including the DLL4 gene. Genetic testing was positive for Adams–Oliver syndrome (AOS). After two months of recombinant human epidermal growth factor gel combined with kangfuxin solution therapy, the skin defects of the scalp healed remarkably. The infant had regular follow-up appointments. At the age of 5 months, the defect became smaller, hairless, and showed good granulation tissue. At 2 years of age, the child's Gesell Developmental Schedules was 70.

Conclusion

Recombinant human epidermal growth factor gel combined with kangfuxin solution was a successful conservative treatment for an infant with a large scalp defect accompanied by AOS.