bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Divergence With Gene Flow and Contrasting Population Size Blur the Species Boundary in Cycas Sect. Asiorientales, as Inferred From Morphology and RAD-Seq Data
Authors: Chang Jui-Tse , Chao Chien-Ti , Nakamura Koh , Liu Hsiao-Lei , Luo Min-Xin , Liao Pei-Chun
Published: May 2022

The divergence process of incipient species is fascinating but elusive by incomplete lineage sorting or gene flow. Species delimitation is also challenging among those morphologically similar allopatric species, especially when lacking comprehensive data.Cycassect.Asiorientales, comprised ofC. taitungensisandC. revolutain the Ryukyu Archipelago and Taiwan, diverged recently with continuous gene flow, resulting in a reciprocal paraphyletic relationship. Their previous evolutionary inferences are questioned from few genetic markers, incomplete sampling, and incomprehensive morphological comparison by a long-term taxonomic misconception. By whole range sampling, this study tests the geographic mode of speciation in the two species ofAsiorientalesby approximate Bayesian computation (ABC) using genome-wide single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs). The individual tree was reconstructed to delimit the species and track the gene-flow trajectory. With the comparison of diagnostic morphological traits and genetic data, the allopatric speciation was rejected. Alternatively, continuous but spatially heterogeneous gene flow driven by transoceanic vegetative dispersal and pollen flow with contrasting population sizes blurred their species boundary. On the basis of morphological, genetic, and evolutionary evidence, we synonymized these twoCycasspecies. This study highlights not only the importance of the Kuroshio Current to species evolution but also the disadvantage of using species with geographically structured genealogies as conservation units.
Plant Allometric Growth Enhanced by the Change in Soil Stoichiometric Characteristics With Depth in an Alpine Meadow Under Climate Warming
Authors: Xu Manhou , Zhao Zitong , Zhou Huakun , Ma Li , Liu Xiaojiao
Published: May 2022

The effects of global warming have warmed the climate of the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau (QTP) leading to changes in plant growth and soil nutrients in the alpine meadows. However, few studies have addressed the effects of warming on plant allometric growth and soil stoichiometry in these meadows on a long-term scale. Therefore, the effects of soil stoichiometry on plant allometric growth remain unclear under long-term warming in the alpine meadows. This study adopted infrared radiators to conduct an 8-year warming experiment in a permafrost region on the QTP starting in 2010, and surveyed growth indices of the plant community during the growing season. Soil organic carbon (C), total nitrogen (N), and total phosphorus (P) in an alpine meadow were measured. We initially learned that the aboveground part of the alpine meadow vegetation in the warming treatment changed from an isometric to an allometric growth pattern while the allometric growth pattern of the belowground part was further strengthened. Second, the contents of soil C, N, and P decreased at the 0–20 cm depth and increased at the 20–30 cm depth in warming. The ratios of soil C:N, C:P, and N:P showed increasing trends at different soil depths with artificial warming, and their amplitudes increased with soil depths. Warming promoted the migration of soil stoichiometric characteristics of C, N, and P to deep soil. Finally, the correlations of plant growth with soil stoichiometric characteristics were weakened by warming, demonstrating that the downward migration of soil stoichiometric characteristics to deep soil in warming had effects on the growth of vegetation in the alpine meadow. It concludes that the change in soil stoichiometric characteristics with soil depths promotes plant allometric growth in the alpine meadow under climate warming.
Identification and Characterization of Arthrobacter nicotinovorans JI39, a Novel Plant Growth-Promoting Rhizobacteria Strain From Panax ginseng
Authors: Jiang Yun , Song Yu , Jiang Chengyang , Li Xiang , Liu Tingting , Wang Jiarui , Chen Changqing , Gao Jie
Published: May 2022

A bacterial strain JI39 that had plant growth-promoting traits was isolated from the rhizosphere soil of Panax ginseng. It had the ability to produce high indole-3-acetic acid (13.1 μg/ml), phosphate solubilization (164.2 μg/ml), potassium solubilization (16.1 μg/ml), and nitrogen fixation. The strain JI39 was identified to be Arthrobacter nicotinovorans based on morphological, physiological, and biochemical traits and through 16S rDNA sequence analysis. The optimal culture environment for strain growth was 1.0% NaCl, 30°C, pH 6.0, and without UV irradiation. The strain can produce cellulase and protease. The strain JI39 can significantly promote the growth of ginseng. After ginseng seeds were treated with 3 × 108 CFU/ml of JI39 bacterial suspension, the shoot's length was significantly increased by 64.61% after 15 days. Meanwhile, the fresh weight of 2-year-old ginseng roots was significantly increased by 24.70% with a treatment by the 108 CFU/ml bacterial suspension after 150 days in the field. The gene expression of phenylalanine ammonia-lyase (PAL), β-1.3 glucanase (β-1,3-GA), chitinase (CHI), superoxide dismutase (SOD), and peroxidase (POD) of ginseng was upregulated, and it also can improve the soil urease, phosphatase, invertase, and catalase activity. In conclusion, the bacterial strain JI39 could efficiently promote the growth of ginseng and has the potential to be a good microbial fertilizer for ginseng.
Realization of Lodging Tolerance in the Aromatic Grass, Cymbopogon khasianus Through Ploidy Intervention
Authors: Vimala Yerramilli , Lavania Umesh Chandra , Singh Madhavi , Lavania Seshu , Srivastava Sarita , Basu Surochita
Published: May 2022

Artificial polyploidy that brings about increase in cell size confers changes in histo-morphology leading to altered phenotype, causing changes in physiological attributes and enhanced concentration of secondary metabolites. The altered phenotype is generally a manifestation of tissue hardiness reflected as robust plant type. Based on a case study undertaken on an industrially important grass,Cymbopogon khasianus(2n= 60) valued for its citral rich essential oil, here we report that the artificial polyploidy not only brings about enhancement in concentration of essential oil but also facilitates lodging tolerance. The latter is contributed by ploidy mediated changes that occur to the cells and tissues in various plant organs by way of increased wall thickening, tissue enhancement and epidermal depositions that enable robust features. An exhaustive illustrated account covering various micro-/macro-morphological, skeletal and histochemical features constituting growth and development vis-a-vis ploidy mediated changes is presented highlighting the novelties realized on account of induced polyploidy.
Children Born of Rebel Captivity: Politics and Practices of Integration in Uganda
Authors: Kiconco Allen
Published: May 2022

Many studies have documented and analyzed the Lord's Resistance Army (LRA) forced conjugal association patterns and practices (“forced marriage”). However, the focus has been on the experiences of abducted girls forced to serve as conjugal partners to commanders (“forced wives”). The experiences of children born as a result of these relationships are under-investigated. Receptor communities in northern Uganda are assumed to be places of hope, comfort, and protection for these children. However, they can also be hostile, leaving the children in precarious and vulnerable situations. This article draws from ethnographic fieldwork in the Acholi region and interviews with formerly abducted mothers focusing on their children's integration processes and experiences. It argues that return is not integration, as it often coincides with further exclusion and alienation. In Uganda's patriarchal and patrilineal social systems, children with no paternal lineage are viewed as of lower status. Stigmatization facing children born of the LRA captivity condemns them to this status, consequently excluding them from mainstream society. Findings show that stigma remains central to the life experiences of these children several years after the end of the conflict in 2006. Their persistent stigmatization is linked to broader discriminatory socio-cultural and patriarchal ideas and practices.
Infant-Directed Speech From a Multidimensional Perspective: The Interplay of Infant Birth Status, Maternal Parenting Stress, and Dyadic Co-regulation on Infant-Directed Speech Linguistic and Pragmatic Features
Authors: Spinelli Maria , Lionetti Francesca , Garito Maria Concetta , Shah Prachi E. , Logrieco Maria Grazia , Ponzetti Silvia , Cicioni Paola , Di Valerio Susanna , Fasolo Mirco
Published: May 2022

Infant-directed speech (IDS), the particular form of spontaneous language observed in interactions between parents and their infants, is a crucial aspect of the mother-infant interaction and an index of the attunement of maternal linguistic input to her infant communicative abilities and needs during dyadic interactions. The present study aimed to explore linguistic and pragmatic features of IDS during mother-infant interactions at 3-month of infant age. The effects of infant (birth status: preterm vs. full-term birth), maternal (perceived parenting stress) and dyadic (dyadic co-regulation) factors on IDS were explored. Results evidenced few differences between the groups on IDS linguistic characteristics. Moreover, observing the interaction of birth status and dyadic co-regulation, full-term mothers varied their IDS pragmatic features according to the quality of co-regulation while preterm mothers did not. Parenting stress was associated to specific linguistic IDS features independently from the birth status. Findings are discussed underling implications for the study of preterm dyads interactions and the importance to consider the interplay of several factors in affecting the quality of IDS.
Informal Earth Education: Significant Shifts for Environmental Attitude and Knowledge
Authors: Baierl Tessa-Marie , Johnson Bruce , Bogner Franz X.
Published: May 2022

Environmental education aims to affect environmental knowledge and attitude to ultimately induce pro-environmental behavior. Based on 247 upper elementary school students, we tested the impact of an outdoor-based earth education program on environmental knowledge and attitude with a pre-post design. Both outcome measures were Rasch scales. Environmental knowledge is a composite of 27 system, action, and effectiveness knowledge items, and environmental attitude is a composite of 13 evaluative statements and 11 self-reported behaviors about nature preservation. Our analysis revealed gains in environmental knowledge and attitude. The convergence between knowledge and attitude increased significantly from pre- to post-program, and attitude played a significant role in knowledge acquisition.
Teaching Reform to the Biology Major During the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Study of the Method of Teaching Industrial Innovation and Entrepreneurial Talents
Authors: Liu Zhe , Wang Jingwei , Liang Zhiming , An Hongbo , Li Liyang , Zang Zhongjing , Li Jing , Xi Yang , Han Tong , Liu Shaobin , Jin Cheng-Hao
Published: May 2022

The biology major has developed rapidly in recent years. Biology is a science that penetrates every aspect of human life and is one of the core majors in most agricultural colleges and universities. However, many teachers lack practical experience in the subject. To overcome this problem, in recent years, we have been trying to introduce new reforms into our teaching. This article provides some insight into the way that biology majors have been reformed, which will help educators in agricultural colleges and universities. At present, teachers implement the “Industrial Innovation and Entrepreneurship Talent Cultivation” (IIETC) model, but it is not clear whether this helps biology majors to master the course and improve their practical skills. In this study, the IIETC model is outlined, and the academic achievement and satisfaction of students taught under the IIETC model are assessed. A T-test is used to examine potential differences between IIETC and traditional teaching models. In-depth interviews and questionnaires were given to two groups of students who followed different teaching models as part of an exploratory study. The aim was to explore how effective IIETC is at helping biology majors master the course and improve students’ wellbeing. Our results show that compared with traditional teaching methods, the IIETC model has a significant positive impact on the academic performance and happiness of biology students. Students trained under the IIETC model were more active and scored more highly in their final exams. They were more likely to feel that they had achieved success and happiness through the course (P = 0.03). The outcomes of this research reveal a novel teaching reform that improved students’ enthusiasm for innovation and entrepreneurship during the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. The effects are very encouraging and deserve further exploration and expansion in future work.
The Association Between Physical Activity and Mathematical Achievement Among Chinese Fourth Graders: A Moderated Moderated-Mediation Model
Authors: Zhou Jing , Liu Hongyun , Wen Hongbo , Wang Xiuna , Wang Yehui , Yang Tao
Published: May 2022

This study explored the association between out-of-school physical activity (PA) and mathematical achievement in relation to mathematical anxiety (MA), as well as the influence of parents’ support for their children’s physical activity on this association, to examine whether parental support for physical activity affects mental health and academic performance. Data were collected from the responses of 22,509 (52.9% boys) children in Grade 4 from six provinces across eastern, central, and western China who completed the mathematics component and the physical education and health component of the national-level education quality assessment. A moderated moderated-mediation model was tested using PROCESS v3.4 and SPSS v19.0, with socioeconomic status, school location, and body mass index as controlled variables. Out-of-school physical activity had a positive effect on children’s mathematical achievement, and math anxiety partially mediated this association. The indices of conditional moderated mediation through the parental support of both girls and boys were, respectively, significant, indicating that children can benefit from physical activity, and that increased perceived parental support for physical activity can alleviate their children’s math anxiety and improve their mathematics, regardless of gender. However, gender differences were observed in the influence of parental support for physical activity on anxiety: Although girls’ math anxiety levels were significantly higher, the anxiety levels of girls with high parental support were significantly lower than those of boys with low parental support.
Work-From-Home During COVID-19 Lockdown: When Employees’ Well-Being and Creativity Depend on Their Psychological Profiles
Authors: Michinov Estelle , Ruiller Caroline , Chedotel Frédérique , Dodeler Virginie , Michinov Nicolas
Published: May 2022

With the COVID-19 pandemic, governments implemented successive lockdowns that forced employees to work from home (WFH) to contain the spread of the coronavirus. This crisis raises the question of the effects of mandatory work from home on employees’ well-being and performance, and whether these effects are the same for all employees. In the present study, we examined whether working at home may be related to intensity, familiarity with WFH, employees’ well-being (loneliness at work, stress, job satisfaction, and work engagement) and creativity (‘subjective’ and ‘objective’). We also examined whether the psychological profile of employees, combining preference for solitude and associated personality variables from the Big Five, may influence the effects of WFH. The data were collected via an online survey from November 13th to December 15th 2020 among 946 employees from various organizations during the second lockdown in France. In addition to identifying two distinctive psychological profiles for employees having to WFH, results revealed that those with a “Solitary” profile reported higher loneliness at work, higher levels of stress, and lower levels of job satisfaction and work engagement than those with an “Affiliative” profile. It was also found that employees with a “Solitary” profile perceived themselves as less creative and produced objectively fewer ideas than individuals with an “Affiliative” profile. The present study suggests the necessity to distinguish the profiles of teleworkers and to offer a stronger support for the less affiliative employees when working from home.
Future Teleworking Inclinations Post-COVID-19: Examining the Role of Teleworking Conditions and Perceived Productivity
Authors: Weber Clara , Golding Sarah E. , Yarker Joanna , Lewis Rachel , Ratcliffe Eleanor , Munir Fehmidah , Wheele Theresa P. , Häne Eunji , Windlinger Lukas
Published: May 2022

Organisations have implemented intensive home-based teleworking in response to global COVID-19 lockdowns and other pandemic-related restrictions. Financial pressures are driving organisations to continue intensive teleworking after the pandemic. Understanding employees’ teleworking inclinations post COVID-19, and how these inclinations are influenced by different factors, is important to ensure any future, more permanent changes to teleworking policies are sustainable for both employees and organisations. This study, therefore, investigated the relationships between the context of home-based teleworking during the pandemic (pandemic-teleworking conditions), productivity perceptions during home-based teleworking, and employees’ future teleworking inclinations (FTI) beyond the pandemic. Specifically, the study examined whether pandemic-teleworking conditions related to the job, and the physical and social environments at home, influenced employees’ FTI, and if perceptions of improved or reduced productivity mediated these relationships. Data were collected during April and May 2020 with a cross-sectional online survey of teleworkers (n = 184) in Germany, Switzerland, the United Kingdom, and other countries during the first COVID-19 lockdowns. Reported FTI were mixed. Most participants (61%) reported wanting to telework more post-pandemic compared to before the pandemic; however, 18% wanted to telework less. Hierarchical multiple regression analysis revealed that some teleworking conditions (job demands and work privacy fit) were positively associated with FTI. Other teleworking conditions (specifically, job change, job control, home office adequacy, and childcare) were not associated with FTI. Perceived changes in productivity mediated the relationship between work privacy fit and FTI. Findings highlight the role of work privacy fit and job demands in influencing pandemic productivity perceptions and teleworking inclinations post-pandemic. Results raise questions about the suitability and sustainability of home-based teleworking for all staff. As organisations plan to increase the proportion of teleworking post-pandemic, this study suggests there is a need to support employees who perceived their productivity to be poor while home-working during the pandemic.
Predicting College Students’ Adoption of Technology for Self-Directed Learning: A Model Based on the Theory of Planned Behavior With Self-Evaluation as an Intermediate Variable
Authors: Tzeng Sy-Yi , Lin Kuen-Yi , Lee Chih-Yu
Published: May 2022

Many studies assume a significant relationship between intention and behavior. However, the data do not always support this assumption. This study used a modified version of social cognitive theory with self-evaluations as an intermediate variable to explore and resolve the problems associated with applying the theory of planned behavior to explain students’ adoption of technology for self-directed learning. We surveyed 285 college students who enrolled in an e-book publishing course using multifaceted technological learning tools. We found that, as an intermediate variable, self-evaluation enhanced the influence of intentions on behavior and improved the accuracy of predictions of college students’ adoption of technology for self-directed learning. Students’ attitudes and perceived behavioral control were important factors influencing their adoption of technology for self-directed learning through their effects on intention; subjective norms were not important in this respect.
Text Reading Fluency and Text Reading Comprehension Do Not Rely on the Same Abilities in University Students With and Without Dyslexia
Authors: Brèthes Hélène , Cavalli Eddy , Denis-Noël Ambre , Melmi Jean-Baptiste , El Ahmadi Abdessadek , Bianco Maryse , Colé Pascale
Published: May 2022

Developmental dyslexia is a specific learning condition characterized by severe and persistent difficulties in written word recognition, decoding and spelling that may impair both text reading fluency and text reading comprehension. Despite this, some adults with dyslexia successfully complete their university studies even though graduating from university involves intensive exposure to long and complex texts. This study examined the cognitive skills underlying both text reading comprehension and text reading fluency (TRF) in a sample of 54 university students with dyslexia and 63 university students without dyslexia, based on a set of tests adapted for an adult population, including listening comprehension, word reading, pseudoword reading (i.e., decoding), phonemic awareness, spelling, visual span, reading span, vocabulary, non-verbal reasoning, and general knowledge. The contribution of these skills to text reading fluency and text reading comprehension was examined using stepwise multiplicative linear regression analyses. As far as TRF is concerned, a regression model including word reading, pseudoword reading and spelling best fits the data, while a regression model including listening comprehension, general knowledge and vocabulary best fits the data obtained for text reading comprehension. Overall, these results are discussed in the light of the current literature on adults with dyslexia and both text reading fluency and text reading comprehension.
Olfaction and Executive Cognitive Performance: A Systematic Review
Authors: Challakere Ramaswamy Vasudeva Murthy , Schofield Peter William
Published: May 2022

Objective tests of olfaction are widely available to aid in the assessment of olfaction. Their clearest role is in the characterization of olfactory changes, either reported by or suspected in a patient. There is a rapidly growing literature concerned with the association of olfactory changes with certain neuropsychiatric conditions and the use of olfactory testing to supplement conventional assessments in clinical and research practice is evolving. Neural pathways important for olfactory processing overlap extensively with pathways important for cognitive functioning, and especially those important for executive functioning, many of which are concentrated in the frontal lobes. Previous work has identified associations between performance on certain olfactory tests (most frequently olfactory identification) and executive functioning and behavioral measures (e.g. of impulsivity). More recently, similar associations have also been identified in non-clinical samples, raising new questions as to the utility of olfactory test scores as proxy measures for non-olfactory phenomena. In this systemic review, we sought to identify studies, both clinical and non-clinical, that investigated the associations of olfaction with performance on tasks sensitive to frontal lobe functioning. Our search criteria led to the identification of 70 studies published in English. We examined in detail and tabulated the data from these studies, highlighted each study's key findings, and critically evaluated these studies. We use the results of this review to reflect on some of the current and future challenges concerning the use of olfactory testing in clinical neuropsychiatric practice and research and speculate on the potential benefits of administering phonemic fluency in combination with olfactory testing to enhance its predictive value.
A New Conceptual Framework for Teacher Identity Development
Authors: Pishghadam Reza , Golzar Jawad , Miri Mir Abdullah
Published: May 2022

Teacher identity has evolved from a core, inner, fixed, linear construct to a dynamic, multifaceted, context-dependent, dialogical, and intrinsically related phenomenon. Since little research has provided an inclusive framework to study teacher identity construction, this article proposes a novel conceptual framework that includes the following components: mirrors of power, discourse, the imagination of reality, investment, emotioncy, and capital. The above core constituents have been discussed thoroughly to trigger significant insights about teacher identity development.
Intelligent Aging Home Control Method and System for Internet of Things Emotion Recognition
Authors: Wu Xu , Zhang Qian
Published: May 2022

To solve a series of pension problems caused by aging, based on the emotional recognition of the Internet of Things, the control method and system research of smart homes are proposed. This article makes a detailed analysis and research on the necessity, feasibility, and how to realize speech emotion recognition technology in smart families, introduces the definition and classification of emotion, and puts forward five main emotions to be recognized in speech emotion recognition based on smart family environment. Then, based on this, it analyses the acquisition methods of emotional speech data. On this premise, this article discusses and analyses the related problems of voice data acquisition in smart homes, such as the voice characteristics and acquisition methods, puts forward three rules for voice text design, and determines the relatively suitable hybrid recording acquisition method applied in a smart home environment. At the same time, the design and establishment process of intelligent family emotional speech database is described in detail. The related problems of feature extraction in speech emotion recognition are studied. Starting from the definition of feature extraction, this article expounds on the necessity of feature extraction in the process of recognition and analyses the characteristics of the speech signals. For the specific environment of the smart family, the speech signal required to be processed needs to be close to the auditory characteristics of the human ears, and the speech signal contains enough information. Finally, the Mel frequency cepstrum coefficient (MFCC) is selected as the feature parameter applied in this article, and the extraction process of MFCC is introduced in detail.
Towards a Holistic Understanding of Musician’s Focal Dystonia: Educational Factors and Mistake Rumination Contribute to the Risk of Developing the Disorder
Authors: Détári Anna , Egermann Hauke
Published: May 2022

Musicians’ Focal Dystonia (MFD) is a task-specific neurological movement disorder, affecting 1–2% of highly skilled musicians. The condition can impair motor function by creating involuntary movements, predominantly in the upper extremities or the embouchure. The pathophysiology of the disorder is not fully understood, and complete recovery is extremely rare. While most of the literature views the condition through a neurological lens, a handful of recent studies point out certain psychological traits and the presence of adverse playing-related experiences and preceding trauma as possible contributors to the onset. The nature and the frequency of these factors, however, are under-researched. The present quasi-experimental study aimed to compare musicians with and without MFD in terms of the frequency of various adverse psychosocial and psychological factors to explore their contribution to the onset of the condition. Professional musicians with MFD (n = 107) and without MFD (n = 68) were recruited from online platforms, musicians’ unions, and organisations to fill out a survey. The survey was based on two previously conducted interview studies and included the Student-Instructor Relationship Scale (SIRS), the Mistake Rumination Scale (MRS), the Trauma History Screen, and self-constructed questions about the received music education, early success, and personal experiences. To identify potential risk factors, independent samples t-tests were conducted and found that there are significant differences in musicians with and without MFD in terms of mistake rumination, early success, and the received music education. A logistic regression showed that six factors contributed to the construct to various extents; we observed a significant model [χ2(80) = 22.681, p < 0.001], which predicted 71.2% of the cases correctly. This exploratory study shows that psychological and psychosocial factors might play a role in the development of MFD. Understanding these in more detail could inform preventative strategies and complement the current therapeutic approaches to support this vulnerable population better.
A Study on the Influencing Factors of Consumers' Purchase Intention During Livestreaming e-Commerce: The Mediating Effect of Emotion
Authors: Zhou Rong , Tong Lei
Published: May 2022

With the deep popularity of mobile Internet, the “eyeball economy” is more active than ever. Driven by powerful modern media, livestreaming, as a new form of attracting public attention to obtain economic benefits, is worth studying its influence path on consumers. Based on the technology acceptance model and the mediating effect of emotion, this study constructs the consumer influencing factor model of livestreaming e-commerce. The research model and related hypotheses are verified by SPSS and linear multiple regression models. The research found that emotional trust and perceived emotional value could be regarded as mediating variables to stimulate consumers' purchase intention in livestreaming e-commerce. They have a full mediating effect on product and atmosphere and a partial mediating effect on homogeneity and promotion, which identifies that online celebrity's homogeneity, and sales promotion could influence consumers' purchase intention through the partial mediating role of emotional trust and perceived emotional value, while product and atmosphere induced by emotional contagion could exert influence on consumers' purchase intention through the full mediating effect of emotional trust and perceived emotional value.
Heart-Focused Anxiety Affects Behavioral Cardiac Risk Factors and Quality of Life: A Follow-Up Study Using a Psycho-Cardiological Rehabilitation Concept
Authors: Schmitz Christoph , Wedegärtner Sonja Maria , Langheim Eike , Kleinschmidt Judit , Köllner Volker
Published: May 2022

Background

Heart-focused anxiety (HFA) raises the risk for adverse outcomes in patients with heart disease. Despite this great importance, it is rarely assessed in clinical practice. Three dimensions are commonly defined in the context of HFA: heart-related fear, avoidance, and attention. The impact of these aspects on cardiac risk factors is essentially unclear. In this study, we investigated the relationship between HFA and behavioral cardiac risk factors as well as health-related quality of life (HRQoL), which represent important treatment outcomes of inpatient psycho-cardiological rehabilitation.

Methods

A prospective observational design was used to examine 238 rehabilitation inpatients with comorbidity of cardiac disease and psychiatric disorder. We assessed HFA using the Cardiac Anxiety Questionnaire (CAQ), HRQoL using the SF-12 Health Survey, exercise capacity using the 6-minute walk test, and smoking behavior, respectively at admission (t0) and discharge (t1). Physical activity was assessed at t0 and in a follow-up survey 6 months after discharge (t2) using the International Physical Activity Questionnaire (IPAQ). Multiple regression models were used to analyze the predictive value of HFA for the outcome variables at t0, t1, and t2, adjusted for socio-demographic factors and depression. Predictive values for changes over time were evaluated by the regressor variable approach.

Results

Exercise capacity and physical activity were negatively predicted by baseline heart-related avoidance, both cross-sectionally and prospectively. Avoidance at t1 also negatively predicted long-term changes over time in physical activity at t2. Total HFA and the subcomponent avoidance negatively predicted physical HRQoL both cross-sectionally and prospectively. Mental HRQoL was cross-sectionally predicted by heart-focused attention at t0, and prospectively predicted by total HFA and by avoidance. Regarding changes in the course of rehabilitation, baseline avoidance negatively predicted improvement in physical HRQoL during rehabilitation. Concerning smoking behavior, no associations with HFA were found.

Conclusions

HFA is a relevant inhibiting factor for the achievement of therapy goals in psycho-cardiological rehabilitation such as health behavior and HRQoL. Heart-related avoidance in particular, has a negative impact on exercise capacity, physical activity, and self-reported physical health. Its prospective negative predictive value for physical activity and physical health underlines the relevance of HFA for psycho-cardiological interventions.
Female Firefighter Work-Related Injuries in the United States and Canada: An Overview of Survey Responses
Authors: Pawer Samantha , Turcotte Kate , Desapriya Ediriweera , Zheng Alex , Purewal Amanat , Wellar Alyssa , Kunz Kenneth , Garis Len , Thomas Larry S. , Pike Ian
Published: May 2022

Objectives

This study explored how demographic characteristics, life experiences, and firefighting experiences have an impact on work-related injuries among female firefighters, and described events surrounding such work-related injuries.

Methods

This online survey was available from June 2019 to July 2020. Questions related to demographic characteristics, life experiences, firefighting experiences, and work-related injuries. Descriptive analyses characterized variables by the presence or absence of work-related injury, injury severity, job assignment, and country of residence.

Results

There were 1,160 active female firefighter survey respondents from the US and Canada, 64% of whom reported having at least one work-related injury. US respondents made up 67% of the total but 75% of the injured sample. Injured respondents were older, had been in the fire service longer, and had a greater number of fires and toxic exposures than non-injured respondents. Heavier weight, tobacco use, and alcohol consumption were more common among injured respondents. The two most common contributing factors to work-related injuries were human error and firefighter fatigue. Among respondents who reported an injury-related time loss claim, 69% were wearing protective equipment when injured, and 9% of the injuries directly resulted in new policy implementation.

Conclusions

These findings can help inform resource allocation, and development of new policies and safety protocols, to reduce the number of work-related injuries among female firefighters.
Changes in Corporate Social Responsibility Efficiency in Chinese Food Industry Brought by COVID-19 Pandemic—A Study With the Super-Efficiency DEA-Malmquist-Tobit Model
Authors: Chen Zhiting , Zhu Wenzhong , Feng Hainuo , Luo Houwei
Published: May 2022

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has brought about a significant and far-reaching impact on the world's business environment, corporations, and individuals. In the face of the general shortage of funds caused by the pandemic, assuming corporate social responsibility (CSR) is a problem for every enterprise manager. In the recent years, as corporate social responsibility (CSR) has become a hot topic globally, many enterprises have chosen to incorporate social responsibility into their development strategies. The food industry is a basic industry related to people's livelihood, especially in the pandemic. Its social responsibility efficiency deserves our attention. This article takes 17 sample enterprises whose CSR performance between 2012 and 2020 in China and reports are above the industry level as examples. Constructing the super-efficiency data envelopment analysis (DEA)-Malmquist-Tobit model explores the social responsibility efficiency of these enterprises. It analyzes the pandemic's impact on CSR efficiency. The results show that COVID-19 has promoted the social responsibility efficiency of the sample enterprises in the food industry. Besides, the level of technical efficiency and technological progress in the food industry is relatively high. Still, most enterprises are below the industry's average level. Before the outbreak of the pandemic, the size of enterprises is the key factor affecting the efficiency of CSR. After then, the listing years of enterprises then become the key factor.
Visual Analysis of Uterine Adhesion Research Based on CiteSpace: Bibliometric Analysis From 2006 to 2021
Authors: Ding Dou-Dou , Zuo Man-Zhen , Zhou Quan , He Ze-Xian
Published: May 2022

Background

Intrauterine adhesionis caused by a variety of reasons, such as damage of the endometrial basal layer, adhesion or occlusion of the uterine cavity or cervix in different degrees. Seriously endangering women's physical and mental health.

Objective

The purpose of this paper is to analyze the research development of intrauterine adhesions in recent 15 years, explore the future development direction, and promote the development of this field.

Methods

With intrauterine adhesions and Ashman's syndrome as the theme, the related literatures from January 2006 to July 2021 in the Web of Science were searched, and the visual atlas was analyzed by CiteSpace software.

Results

A total of 644 literatures were included. The key words related to intrauterine adhesion mainly include adhesion, pregnancy, expression, intrauterine adhesions, women, adhesion molecule, diagnosis, activation, hysteroscopy and fertility, etc. Six clusters were obtained by keywords analysis, involving hysteroscopy, placenta, office hysteroscopy, uterus and laparoscopy. Co-occurrence of keywords shows that the research focus in recent years is on endometrial repair and regeneration.

Conclusions

Through the bibliometric analysis of WOS research on intrauterine adhesions in recent 15 years, the comprehensive analysis of countries, institutions, authors and keywords is obtained, which has a clear guiding significance for guiding the future development of intrauterine adhesions.
A New Three-Dimensional Empirical Reconstruction Model Using a Stochastic Optimization Method
Authors: Zhu Xun , Cohen Ian J. , Mauk Barry H. , Nikoukar Romina , Turner Drew L. , Torbert Roy B.
Published: May 2022

Motivated by MMS mission observations near magnetic reconnection sites, we have developed a new empirical reconstruction (ER) model of the three-dimensional (3D) magnetic field and the associated plasma currents. Our approach combines both the measurements from a constellation of satellites and a set of physics-based equations as physical constraints to build spatially smooth distributions. This ER model directly minimizes the loss function that characterizes the model-measurement differences and the model departures from linear or nonlinear physical constraints using an efficient stochastic optimization method by which the effects of random measurement errors can be effectively included. Depending on the availability of the measured parameters and the adopted physical constraints on the reconstructed fields, the ER model could be either slightly over-determined or under-determined, yielding nearly identical reconstructed fields when solved by the stochastic optimization method. As a result, the ER model remains valid and operational even if the input measurements are incomplete. Two sets of new indices associated respectively with the model-measurement differences and the model departures are introduced to objectively measure the accuracy and quality of the reconstructed fields. While applying the reconstruction model to observations of an electron diffusion region (EDR) observed by NASA’s Magnetospheric Multiscale (MMS) mission, we examine the relative contributions of the errors in the plasma current density arising from random measurement errors and linear approximations made in application of the curlometer technique. It was found that the errors in the plasma current density calculated directly from the measured magnetic fields using a linear approximation were mostly contributed from the nonlinear configuration of the 3D magnetic fields.
Flashing Lights, Dark Shadows, and Future Prospects of the Current European Legislation for a Better Traceability and Animal Health Requirements for Movements of Small Animal Germinal Products
Authors: Pugliese Michela , Monti Salvatore , Biondi Vito , Marino Gabriele , Passantino Annamaria
Published: May 2022

Recently, there has been an increasing movement of germinal products of dogs (Canis lupus familiaris) and cats (Felis silvestris catus) between the Member States. Therefore, Europe laid down and harmonized rules on the marking of straws and other packages containing germinal products [Commission Delegated Regulation (EU) 2020/686]. Given that germinal products' movement may increase the risk of infectious disease spread, requirements regarding animal health have been revised focusing on control of rabies and echinococcosis, although there are new emerging diseases that may require, even locally, specific requirements. For this reason, veterinarians, operators, and official veterinarians are involved in different phases of the process. Because non-veterinary operators can operate in all phases, they should have a limited role in collecting germinal products, especially for feline species. Veterinarians, instead, should have a main role in the health evaluation of donors, in collecting germ cells with medical techniques and in depositing sperm and embryos with endoscopic or surgical methods. The official veterinarians are the main ones responsible for the application of the rules. This paper aims to provide an overview of the European legislative framework regarding the newly delegated regulation on germinal products in small animals (dogs and cats), highlighting some of the benefits and critical aspects regarding its functioning.
Propagation of an RNA Bacteriophage at Low Host Density Leads to a More Efficient Virus Entry
Authors: Laguna-Castro Mara , Lázaro Ester
Published: May 2022

The successful spread of a virus in a specific ecological niche is largely determined by host availability. The lower the host density, the longer the virus spends in the external environment between successive infections, thus increasing its probability of degradation due to physical and chemical variables, which ultimately could lead to its extinction. Nevertheless, the high error rate of viral replication, particularly in the case of RNA viruses, can lead to the emergence and subsequent selection of mutants that increase their probability of transmission under unfavorable conditions. This fact could cause some containment measures, such as those based on restriction of contacts, to have unexpected consequences that it is important to analyze. Whereas it is quite difficult to implement this kind of studies during the spread of real epidemics, evolution experiments carried out with controlled variables in the lab can be very useful to unveil regularities in virus behavior that allow to anticipate difficulties. In this work we have carried out an evolution experiment in which the bacteriophage Qβ, a virus with an RNA genome, has been propagated at different host densities under conditions that prevent the selection of defense mechanisms in the bacteria. Our results show that there is a minimal host concentration that separates sustained propagation from extinction. After a certain number of generations, all lineages propagated at suboptimal host concentration selected a mutation in the minor capsid protein whose phenotypic effect was to enhance the entry of the virus into the cell. Although it is difficult to extrapolate our findings to more complex situations, they show the need to carry out an exhaustive monitoring of viral evolution when measures based on confinements or physical barriers that limit transmission are applied.
Peripheral T-Cell Lymphomas: Therapeutic Approaches
Authors: Sibon David
Published: May 2022

Peripheral T-cell lymphomas (PTCLs) are a heterogeneous group of rare neoplasms of mature T cells or natural killer (NK) cell. PTCLs usually have an aggressive course and a poor outcome. In recent years, significant progress has been made in the knowledge of the molecular lymphomagenesis of PTCLs, and through the development of new, more specific therapeutic molecules, one can hope in the coming years for more personalized medicine and improved patient prognosis. This review aims to provide an up-to-date overview of the current therapeutic approaches in nodal PTCLs.
Effects of Vacuum-Stirring Purification Process on Al-6Mg Alloy Melt
Authors: Li Shilin , Bai Yuelong , Zhang Zhifeng , Jiang Long
Published: May 2022

Aiming for hydrogen and oxidation easily produced in the melting process of Al-Mg alloys, three processes, including non-vacuum static melt treatment, non-vacuum rotary-injection purification and vacuum-stirring purification, were used to purify the Al-6Mg alloy melt. The hydrogen content and inclusion content were studied by means of the solid-state hydrogen measurement method, reduced pressure test method, FESEM and EDS. The results show that the purification effect of vacuum-stirring purification is better than that of the non-vacuum static melt treatment and non-vacuum rotary-injection purification. The hydrogen content of the melt decreases from 0.48 mL/100 gAl in the non-vacuum static treatment, to 0.32 mL/100 gAl in the non-vacuum rotary-injection purification process and to 0.10 mL/100 gAl in the vacuum-stirring purification process. The inclusion content of the melt decreases from 2.6% in the non-vacuum static treatment to 0.69% in the non-vacuum rotary-injection purification process, and to 0.39%, in the vacuum-stirring purification process.
Creation of a Hydrodynamic Digital Model of a Laboratory Core Experiment of Surfactant Polymer Impact on Oil Recovery, in Order to Determine Parameters for Further Full-Scale Simulation
Authors: Cheremisin Alexander , Lompik Vasiliy , Spivakova Margarita , Kudryashov Alexey , Karseka Kiryl , Mityurich Denis , Podnebesnykh Alexander
Published: May 2022

The work aimed to solve the problem of determining, validating, and transferring model parameters of flooding using chemical enhanced oil recovery (EOR) from a core experiment to a full-scale hydrodynamic model. For this purpose, a digital hydrodynamic model describing the process of oil displacement by the surfactant and polymer solution on the core is created and the digital model is matched to achieve convergence with the historical data. This approach allows the uncertainties associated with the limited number of experiments to be removed to fully describe the parameters of the chemical surfactant polymer flooding model and form a database that could subsequently be replicated at various field sites, having the composition of reservoir fluids and distribution of rock composition in the core material as the basis. Besides, the digital model allows for verification of physical and chemical properties of surfactants and polymers, values of the adsorption of chemical agents on rocks, and the behavior of relative permeability in the hydrodynamic model of EOR before making predictions on the full-scale model and to improve the quality of forecast cases.