bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Analyzing an Appropriate Blend of Face-to-Face, Offline and Online Learning Approaches for the In-Service Vocational Teacher’s Training Program
Authors: Asghar Muhammad Zaheer , Afzaal Muhammad Naeem , Iqbal Javed , Sadia Hafiza Amina
Published: August 2022

Blended learning approaches are considered as the most viable for the delivery of training to remote areas and accessing learners at a mass level. Blended learning is a combination of different learning approaches to facilitate the learners’ needs. The National Vocational and Technical Training Commission (NAVTTC) conducted an in-service vocational teachers’ training program through blended learning approaches in Pakistan. This study aimed to find the appropriate blend of face-to-face, online, and offline learning approaches for the training of in-service teachers in Pakistan. A mixed methods research approach was adopted. A survey collected data from 781 in-service vocational teachers who participated in training programs through blended learning approaches. The ANOVA test was applied to find the difference of the training participants’ attitude toward different modes of learning. It was found that trainees had more positive attitude toward a face-to-face learning approach than online and the online learning approach than offline learning. Semi-structured interviews were also conducted with training participants, admission and placement officers, and principals. They also endorsed that face-to-face learning approaches must be given more weight than online, and the online approach should have more weight than the offline approach. This study has practical implications for technical education and vocational training (TVET) institutes in developing countries such as Pakistan to design blended learning approaches for the training of in-service vocational teachers. Future research may be conducted on the effectiveness of in-service vocational education teachers through blended learning.
Advances in Technologies for Boron Removal from Water: A Comprehensive Review
Authors: Liu Xiaowei , Xu Congjin , Chen Peng , Li Kexin , Zhou Qikun , Ye Miaomaio , Zhang Liang , Lu Ye
Published: August 2022

Boron overabundance in aquatic environment raises severe concerns about the environment and human health because it is toxic to various crops and induces many human and animal diseases with long-term consequences. In response to the boron pollution of water resources and the difficulty of eliminating boron from water for production and living purposes, this article summarizes the progress in research on boron removal technology, addressing the following aspects: (1) the reasons for the difficulty of removing boron from water (boron chemistry); (2) ecological/biological toxicity and established regulations; (3) analysis of different existing processes (membrane processes, resin, adsorption, chemical precipitation, (electric) coagulation, extraction, and combined methods) in terms of their mechanisms, effectiveness, and limitations; (4) prospects for future studies and possible improvements in applicability and recyclability. The focus of this paper is thus to provide a comprehensive summary of reported deboronation processes to date, which will definitely identify directions for the development of boron removal technology in the future.
Work-Related Smartphone Use at Night and Job Satisfaction: Testing a Moderated Mediation Model of Emotional Exhaustion and Organizational Dehumanization
Authors: Cheung Francis
Published: August 2022

Work-related smartphone use at night has attracted substantial research attention. Surprisingly, its impact on employees’ job satisfaction is mixed. Based on the stressor–strain–outcome model, this study aims to examine whether emotional exhaustion mediates the relationship between work-related smartphone use at night and job satisfaction. Furthermore, the role of organizational dehumanization in moderating the relation between work-related smartphone use and emotional exhaustion, and the association between emotional exhaustion and job satisfaction, was examined. A total of 372 participants reported on two online surveys. Bivariate correlation results showed that work-related smartphone use was positively related to emotional exhaustion but there was no significant association between work-related smartphone use and job satisfaction. Moderated mediation analysis results suggested that organizational dehumanization (T1) did not interact with work-related smartphone use at night (T1) in predicting emotional exhaustion (T1). However, organizational dehumanization (T1) interacted with emotional exhaustion (T1) in predicting job satisfaction (T2), in which individuals who perceived higher organizational dehumanization reported lower job satisfaction under higher emotional exhaustion. The limitations and implications of this study are also discussed in this paper.
Carbon Neutrality in the Middle East and North Africa: The Roles of Renewable Energy, Economic Growth, and Government Effectiveness
Authors: Kong Chuimin , Zhang Jijian , Ntarmah Albert Henry , Kong Yusheng , Zhao Hong
Published: August 2022

Carbon neutrality is a 21st-century priority area, with the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) countries making significant investments in renewable energy and climate mitigation initiatives to attain it. However, carbon neutrality research in the MENA region is under-developed, particularly when considering the roles of renewable energy, economic growth, and effectiveness of government. To address this gap, this research investigates the roles of renewable energy, economic growth, and government effectiveness toward the MENA region’s carbon neutrality goal. We implemented heterogeneous and second-generation panel data techniques that are resilient to cross-sectional dependency and slope heterogeneity to panel data spanning 16 MENA countries from 1996 to 2018. We discovered that MENA data are cross-sectionally dependent, heterogeneous, and cointegrated. We found that government effectiveness and renewable energy bring carbon neutrality closer, but economic growth initially delays it. We detected Environmental Kuznets Curve (EKC) in the MENA region, specifically in the High-Income Countries. Although there were signs of EKC in the Middle-Income Countries, this was not significantly validated. Finally, we found a one-way causal link from government effectiveness and renewable energy to carbon neutrality but a feedback mechanism between economic growth and carbon neutrality in the MENA region. As a result of these findings, it is recommended that the MENA region’s policymakers prioritize renewable energies and improve the effectiveness of government to drive economic growth toward the carbon neutrality goal.
Comparative Effectiveness and Safety of Concomitant Treatment with Chuna Manual Therapy and Usual Care for Whiplash Injuries: A Multicenter Randomized Controlled Trial
Authors: Kim Byung-Jun , Park A-La , Hwang Man-Suk , Heo In , Park Sun-Young , Cho Jae-Heung , Kim Koh-Woon , Lee Jun-Hwan , Ha In-Hyuk , Park Kyoung-Sun , Hwang Eui-Hyoung , Shin Byung-Cheul
Published: August 2022

Objectives: We aimed to compare the effectiveness and safety of Chuna manual therapy combined with usual care to those of usual care alone for treating whiplash injuries. Design: A two-arm, parallel, assessor-blinded, multicenter pragmatic randomized clinical trial. Setting: Three hospitals in Korea. Participants: Overall, 132 participants between 19 and 70 years of age, involved in traffic accidents and treated at three hospitals in Korea, >2 but <13 weeks prior to enrollment, with neck pain consistent with whiplash-associated disorder grades I and II and a numeric rating scale score ≥5 were included. Interventions: Participants were equally and randomly allocated to the Chuna manual therapy and usual care (n = 66) or usual care (n = 66) groups and underwent corresponding treatment for three weeks. Primary and secondary outcome measures: The primary outcome was the number of days to achieve a 50% pain reduction. Secondary outcomes included areas under the 50% numeric rating scale reduction curve: pain, disability, quality of life, and safety. Results: The Chuna manual therapy + usual care group (23.31 ± 21.36 days; p = 0.01) required significantly fewer days to achieve 50% pain reduction compared to the usual care group (50.41 ± 48.32 days; p = 0.01). Regarding pain severity, functional index, and quality of life index, Chuna manual therapy and usual care were more effective than usual care alone. Safety was acceptable in both groups. Conclusions: In patients with subacute whiplash injury, Chuna manual therapy showed a rapid rate of recovery, high effectiveness, and safety.
Smoking Habits and Workplace Health Promotion among University Students in Southern Italy: A Cross-Sectional Pilot Investigation
Authors: Garzillo Elpidio Maria , Monaco Maria Grazia Lourdes , Corvino Anna Rita , Giardiello Alessia , Arnese Antonio , Napolitano Francesco , Di Giuseppe Gabriella , Lamberti Monica
Published: August 2022

The study aimed to investigate the tobacco smoking prevalence, habits and awareness among a cohort of healthcare students from a university hospital in southern Italy and the associations with socio-demographic determinants. A secondary outcome was to estimate the educational needs to receive information on smoking-related risk factors. Five hundred and forty-nine students completed a self-administered questionnaire (180 male and 369 female, average age 25 yo, ±5.9 SD), enrolled from October 2018 to November 2019 at the University of Naples ‘Luigi Vanvitelli’, and the collected data were analysed by descriptive and inferential statistical analysis. The sample’s prevalence of current smokers was 25.3%, without a significant sex difference. The multiple logistic regression model showed the link between smoking habits and alcoholic beverage consumption (p < 0.001) and living with smokers (p = 0.003). The enrolled cohort does not seem to need more information about the risks of cigarette smoking (p = 0.028). The data analysis and the comparison with the current literature allowed the authors to hypothesise a training model to be adopted within a workplace health promotion programme managed by an occupational physician. This model included targeted training for smoking dissuasion, focusing on sex and gender, cohabitant’s influence, and combined addiction management. Further research will focus on the effectiveness of these proposed models.
Emotional Intelligence and Its Relationship to Basic Psychological Needs: A Structural Equation Model for Student Athletes
Authors: Mercader-Rubio Isabel , Ángel Nieves Gutiérrez , Ruiz Nieves Fátima Oropesa , Carrión Martínez José Juan
Published: August 2022

This paper analyses the relationship between emotional intelligence (attention, clarity and repair) and motivational mediators (relationships, autonomy and perceived competence) of students of different degrees related to physical activity and sports science. A structural equation model was estimated with a sample of university students. The results of the model are representative of this case study only and are not very generalizable due to the sample size. In any case, the results obtained show that emotional intelligence predicts the satisfaction of psychological needs for autonomy and competence in student athletes. Therefore, these demonstrations point to a relationship between both variables and highlight the importance of addressing this type of content in university classrooms in order to increase the positive effects on the psychosocial development and personal well-being of students.
The Most Common Handball Injuries: A Systematic Review
Authors: Vila Helena , Barreiro Andrea , Ayán Carlos , Antúnez Antonio , Ferragut Carmen
Published: August 2022

Handball is a team sport involving a great physical demand from its practitioners in which a high number of injuries occur, affecting individual and collective performance. Knowledge of the injuries is of great importance for their prevention. The objective of the present study was to identify, locate and compare the most frequent injuries and injury mechanisms in handball practice. It was carried out following the Preferred Informed Item for Systematic Reviews and Meta-analysis (PRISMA) guidelines. The source of data collection was direct consultation of the PubMed and Medline databases. Several keywords were used for the documentary retrieval, and the quality of the studies that were selected was evaluated. Of the 707 studies retrieved, only 27 were considered appropriate for the review, and quality scores were obtained that ranged from 10 to 26 points, out of a maximum of 28. The most frequent injuries in handball players are located in the lower limbs (thigh, knee and ankle), and in the shoulder in the upper limbs. Regarding the playing position, the players who play over the 6-m line are the most affected by injuries, while the women players have a higher probability of injury. Most injuries occur during competition.
Sports Participation and Anti-Epidemic: Empirical Evidence on the Influence of Regular Physical Activity on the COVID-19 Pandemic in Mainland China
Authors: Lin Ruofei , Hu Xiaoli , Chen Shijun , Huang Junpei
Published: August 2022

This study aims to investigate the effects and influencing mechanisms of regular physical activity (RPA) on the COVID-19 pandemic. Daily data from 279 prefecture-level cities in mainland China were collected from 1 January to 17 March 2020. A two-way fixed-effects model was used to identify the causal relationship between physical activity and COVID-19, while also considering factors such as patterns of human behavior and socioeconomic conditions. The instrumental variable (IV) approach was applied to address potential endogeneity issues for a more accurate causal identification, and the mediating effect model was applied to examine the mechanisms of the influence of physical activity on the epidemic. We found that regular physical activity significantly improves individual immunity, which, in turn, leads to a reduction in the probability of being infected with COVID-19. Furthermore, we investigated the heterogeneity of the influence, finding that the negative impact of physical activity on the pandemic is more pronounced in the absence of adequate medical resources, strong awareness of prevention among residents, and fully implemented public health measures. Our results provide empirical evidence for the mechanisms of influence of physical activity on the pandemic. We would suggest that not only should physical activity be actively practiced during the pandemic, but also long-term regular exercise habits should be consciously cultivated to improve the ability of the individual immune system to better cope with sudden outbreaks of emerging infectious diseases.
How Do Non-Agricultural Employment and Regional Selection Affect Farmers’ Domestic Sewage Discharge Behavior? Empirical Evidence from Rural China
Authors: Ju Haiqin , Chen Jia , Xu Jingwen , Zhang Hongxiao
Published: August 2022

In many countries, along with rising rural labor transfer, the problem of rural domestic sewage discharge is becoming increasingly serious due to labor shortages in the villages. It is urgent to solve the environment pollution and health problems of residents which is caused by the massive discharge of domestic sewage in rural areas. Based on the survey data collected from Nanjing Agricultural University in 2020, this paper employs the ordered probit model and the CMP method, to empirically test the impact of non-agricultural employment and regional choice on farmers’ domestic sewage discharge behavior and the moderating effect of environmental cognition and the social network. The results show that: (1) There is a significantly positive correlation between non-agricultural employment and farmers’ sewage treatment behavior. (2) Environmental cognition significantly improves the participation of urban non-agricultural employment farmers in sewage treatment, and the social network has a significant role in promoting the adoption of sewage treatment behavior of local non-agricultural employment farmers. (3) Further heterogeneity analysis results show that the inhibitory effect of urban non-agricultural employment on random sewage discharge is more pronounced than that of local non-agricultural employment. Therefore, in order to effectively solve the problem of rural domestic sewage discharge, it is necessary to actively guide the sewage discharge behavior of non-agricultural employment households, strengthen the social network interaction within the village, and increase the publicity for sewage discharge knowledge.
A CAST-Based Analysis of the Metro Accident That Was Triggered by the Zhengzhou Heavy Rainstorm Disaster
Authors: Zhao Jiale , Yang Fuqiang , Guo Yong , Ren Xin
Published: August 2022

Emergency management research is used to deal with the increasing number of extreme weather threats in urban areas. This paper uses causal analysis based on systems theory (CAST) to review the subway water ingress accident and the government’s emergency management actions in Zhengzhou, Henan Province, during the heavy rainstorm disaster on 20 July 2021. The aims of this article are to establish safety control structures at both the enterprise level and the government level, and to systematically analyze the problems in emergency management in Zhengzhou City. Our analysis found that the construction of disaster prevention facilities restricted emergency management. Therefore, we suggest that enterprises and governments not only pay attention to emergency management, but also to the construction of disaster prevention facilities. This article also points out that the system of chief executive responsibility that is implemented in China is becoming a double-edged sword in emergency management. Our study makes recommendations for enhancing the capacities of emergency management, points out the shortcomings of the existing emergency management structure, and provides knowledge gained for future emergency management research.
Differences in Prevalence and Associated Factors of Underweight and Overweight/Obesity among Bangladeshi Adults by Gender: Analysis of a Nationally Representative Survey
Authors: Gupta Rajat Das , Haider Shams Shabab , Eusufzai Sumaiya Zabin , Hoque Apu Ehsanul , Siddika Nazeeba
Published: August 2022

The objective of this study was to find the differences in prevalence and associated factors of underweight and overweight/obesity among Bangladeshi adults by gender, using the nationally representative Bangladesh Demographic and Health Survey 2017–2018 data. To identify the factors associated with underweight and overweight/obesity in both genders, multilevel multivariable logistic regression was conducted. The prevalence of underweight was 19.79% and 15.49% among males and females, respectively. The prevalence of overweight/obesity was 32.67% and 45.60% among males and females, respectively. Among both genders, participants with the highest likelihood of overweight/obesity were aged 30–49 years and 50–69 years, had the highest educational attainment up to primary and secondary level, resided in a household that belonged to the middle, richer, or richest wealth quintiles, and were currently married. On the other hand, among both genders, increased educational attainment and wealth index were inversely associated with being underweight. Health promotion programs in Bangladesh should focus on these high-risk groups to address the burden of underweight and overweight/obesity.
Factors Affecting Employees Work Engagement in Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises
Authors: Li Weng , Jahan Yasmin , Kawai Madoka , Fukushima Yasuko , Kazawa Kana , Moriyama Michiko
Published: August 2022

Background: Improving the labor productivity of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) is essential because of the aging population and predicted reduction in the labor force. Therefore, it is necessary to ensure that employees are in good health to work for long times. In this regard, the purpose of the study is to investigate the relationship between work engagement (WE) and related variables among SME employees. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted using the baseline data of the prospective cohort study, which included 377 employees from three SMEs headquartered in Hiroshima Prefecture, Japan. Results: A multiple regression analysis was performed to see the associations between Utrecht Work Engagement Scale (UWES) scores and other variables. Significant associations were found with job satisfaction, age, health literacy (HL), and quality of sleep (all, p < 0.05). Additionally, there was a statistically significant difference observed in WE, quality of sleep, concern for own body, job satisfaction, and family life satisfaction (all, p < 0.001) with respect to high and low HL levels. Conclusions: The results of this study reveal that while implementing health and productivity management in SMEs to increase WE, it is best to concentrate on raising HL, job satisfaction, and sleep quality. To increase generalizability, further research could be conducted with more SMEs companies.
Pollution Levels and Risk Assessment of Heavy Metals in the Soil of a Landfill Site: A Case Study in Lhasa, Tibet
Authors: Zhou Peng , Zeng Dan , Wang Xutong , Tai Lingyu , Zhou Wenwu , Zhuoma Qiongda , Lin Fawei
Published: August 2022

As an important ecological security barrier in China, the ecological environment of Tibet has aroused widespread concern domestically and overseas. Landfills are a major solid waste treatment approach in Tibet but also cause severe environmental pollution. To date, there are no studies related to the pollution risk of landfills in Tibetan areas. This study investigated the pollution levels, ecological risk, health risk, and possible pollution sources of eight heavy metals in the soils around a landfill site in Lhasa, Tibet. The results indicated that the concentrations of heavy metals in soil were relatively low, only cadmium (Cd), arsenic (As), copper (Cu), chromium (Cr), zinc (Zn), nickel (Ni), and lead (Pb) were 1–2 times higher than the corresponding background value. The values of the single pollution index and geo-accumulation index show that the study area is most seriously polluted by Cd and As. Based on the Nemerow pollution index and the pollution load index, over 83.3% and 8.33% of soil sampling sites had light and moderate contamination levels. According to the results of potential ecological risk evaluation, the potential ecological risk of heavy metals in soil was very low, and only one out of the 72 sampling sites exhibited considerable ecological risk. Cd, As, and mercury (Hg) served as the dominant ecological risk contributors and contributed over 45.0%, 14.1%, and 18% of the ecological risk. The results of the health risk evaluation showed that adults have a higher risk of cancer (1.73 × 10−5), while the non-carcinogenic risk for adults was low. Waste disposal activities and construction activities have a significant influence on soil heavy metal concentrations, causing a higher pollution level in the southeast part of the landfill site in Lhasa.
Stress, Burnout, Anxiety and Depression among Teachers: A Scoping Review
Authors: Agyapong Belinda , Obuobi-Donkor Gloria , Burback Lisa , Wei Yifeng
Published: August 2022

Background: Worldwide, stress and burnout continue to be a problem among teachers, leading to anxiety and depression. Burnout may adversely affect teachers’ health and is a risk factor for poor physical and mental well-being. Determining the prevalence and correlates of stress, burnout, anxiety, and depression among teachers is essential for addressing this public health concern. Objective: To determine the extent of the current literature on the prevalence and correlates of stress, burnout, anxiety, and depression among teachers. Method: This scoping review was performed using the PRISMA-ScR (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses extension for Scoping Reviews). Relevant search terms were used to determine the prevalence and correlates of teachers’ stress, burnout, anxiety, and depression. Articles were identified using MEDLINE (Medical Literature Analysis and Retrieval System Online), EMBASE (Excerpta Medica Data Base), APA PsycINFO, CINAHL Plus (Cumulative Index of Nursing and Allied Health Literature), Scopus Elsevier and ERIC (Education Resources Information Center). The articles were extracted, reviewed, collated, and thematically analyzed, and the results were summarized and reported. Results: When only clinically meaningful (moderate to severe) psychological conditions among teachers were considered, the prevalence of burnout ranged from 25.12% to 74%, stress ranged from 8.3% to 87.1%, anxiety ranged from 38% to 41.2% and depression ranged from 4% to 77%. The correlates of stress, burnout, anxiety, and depression identified in this review include socio-demographic factors such as sex, age, marital status, and school (organizational) and work-related factors including the years of teaching, class size, job satisfaction, and the subject taught. Conclusion: Teaching is challenging and yet one of the most rewarding professions, but several factors correlate with stress, burnout, anxiety, and depression among teachers. Highlighting these factors is the first step in recognizing the magnitude of the issues encountered by those in the teaching profession. Implementation of a school-based awareness and intervention program is crucial to resolve the early signs of teacher stress and burnout to avoid future deterioration.
Developing Graph Convolutional Networks and Mutual Information for Arrhythmic Diagnosis Based on Multichannel ECG Signals
Authors: Andayeshgar Bahare , Abdali-Mohammadi Fardin , Sepahvand Majid , Daneshkhah Alireza , Almasi Afshin , Salari Nader
Published: August 2022

Cardiovascular diseases, like arrhythmia, as the leading causes of death in the world, can be automatically diagnosed using an electrocardiogram (ECG). The ECG-based diagnostic has notably resulted in reducing human errors. The main aim of this study is to increase the accuracy of arrhythmia diagnosis and classify various types of arrhythmias in individuals (suffering from cardiovascular diseases) using a novel graph convolutional network (GCN) benefitting from mutual information (MI) indices extracted from the ECG leads. In this research, for the first time, the relationships of 12 ECG leads measured using MI as an adjacency matrix were illustrated by the developed GCN and included in the ECG-based diagnostic method. Cross-validation methods were applied to select both training and testing groups. The proposed methodology was validated in practice by applying it to the large ECG database, recently published by Chapman University. The GCN-MI structure with 15 layers was selected as the best model for the selected database, which illustrates a very high accuracy in classifying different types of rhythms. The classification indicators of sensitivity, precision, specificity, and accuracy for classifying heart rhythm type, using GCN-MI, were computed as 98.45%, 97.89%, 99.85%, and 99.71%, respectively. The results of the present study and its comparison with other studies showed that considering the MI index to measure the relationship between cardiac leads has led to the improvement of GCN performance for detecting and classifying the type of arrhythmias, in comparison to the existing methods. For example, the above classification indicators for the GCN with the identity adjacency matrix (or GCN-Id) were reported to be 68.24%, 72.83%, 95.24%, and 92.68%, respectively.
Ergonomic Factors That Impact Job Satisfaction and Occupational Health during the SARS-CoV-2 Pandemic Based on a Structural Equation Model: A Cross-Sectional Exploratory Analysis of University Workers
Authors: Ramos-García Víctor Manuel , López-Leyva Josué Aarón , Ramos-García Raúl Ignacio , García-Ochoa Juan José , Ochoa-Vázquez Iván , Guerrero-Ortega Paulina , Verdugo-Miranda Rafael , Verdugo-Miranda Saúl
Published: August 2022

This paper presents a structural equation model to determine the job satisfaction and occupational health impacts concerning organizational and physical ergonomics, using (as a study) objective unionized workers from the University of Sonora, South Campus, as an educational enterprise, during the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic. The above is a key element of an organizational sustainability framework. In fact, there exists a knowledge gap about the relationship between diverse ergonomic factors, job satisfaction, and occupational health, in the educational institution’s context. The method used was a stratified sample of workers to which a job satisfaction–occupational health questionnaire was applied, consisting of 31 items with three-dimensional variables. As a result, the overall Cronbach’s Alpha coefficient was determined, 0.9028, which is considered adequate to guarantee reliability (i.e., very high magnitude). Therefore, after the structural equation model, only 12 items presented a strong correlation, with a good model fit of 0.036 based on the root mean square error of approximation, 1.09 degrees of freedom for the chi-square, 0.9 for the goodness of fit index, and a confidence level of 95%. Organizational and physical factors have positive impacts on job satisfaction with factor loads of 0.37 and 0.53, respectively, and p-values of 0.016 and 0.000, respectively. The constructs related to occupational health that are considered less important by the workers were also determined, which would imply a mitigation strategy. The results contribute to the body of knowledge concerning the ergonomic dimensions mentioned and support organizational sustainability improvements in educational institutions and other sectors.
Distribution of Radionuclides and Radiological Health Assessment in Seih-Sidri Area, Southwestern Sinai
Authors: Alharshan Gharam A. , Kamar Mohamed S. , Lasheen El Saeed R. , Ene Antoaneta , Uosif Mohamed A. M. , Awad Hamdy A. , Issa Shams A. M. , Zakaly Hesham M. H.
Published: August 2022

The current contribution goal is to measure the distribution of the radionuclide within the exposed rock units of southwestern Sinai, Seih-Sidri area, and assess the radiological risk. Gneisses, older granites, younger gabbro, younger granites, and post granitic dikes (pegmatites) are the main rock units copout in the target area. Radioactivity, as well as radiological implications, were investigated for forty-three samples from gneisses (seven hornblende biotite gneiss and seven biotite gneiss), older granites (fourteen samples), and younger granites (fifteen samples of syenogranites) using NaI (Tl) scintillation detector. External and internal hazard index (Hex, Hin), internal and external level indices (Iα, Iγ), absorbed dose rates in the air (D), the annual effective dose equivalent (AED), radium equivalent activity (Raeq), annual gonadal dose (AGDE), excess lifetime cancer risk (ELCR), and the value of Upper Continental Core 232Th/238U mass fractions were determined from the obtained values of 238U, 232Th and 40K for the examined rocks of Seih-Sidri area. The average 238U mg/kg in hornblende biotite gneiss and biotite gneiss, older granites, and syenogranites is 2.3, 2.1, 2.7, and 8.4 mg/kg, respectively, reflecting a relatively higher concentration of uranium content in syenogranites. The results suggest that using these materials may pose risks to one’s radiological health.
Cross-Sectional Associations of Self-Reported Social/Emotional Support and Life Satisfaction with Smoking and Vaping Status in Adults
Authors: Xie Zidian , Cartujano-Barrera Francisco , Cupertino Paula , Li Dongmei
Published: August 2022

This study aimed to examine the cross-sectional association of self-reported social/emotional support and life satisfaction with smoking/vaping status in US adults. The study included 47,163 adult participants who self-reported social/emotional support, life satisfaction, and smoking/vaping status in the 2016 and 2017 BRFSS national survey data. We used multivariable weighted logistic regression models to measure the cross-sectional association of self-reported social/emotional support and life satisfaction with smoking/vaping status. Compared to never users, dual users and exclusive smokers were more likely to have low life satisfaction, with an adjusted odds ratio (aOR) = 1.770 (95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.135, 2.760) and an aOR = 1.452 (95% CI: 1.121, 1.880) respectively, especially for the age group 18–34. Exclusive cigarette smokers were more likely to have low life satisfaction compared to ex-smokers (aOR = 1.416, 95% CI: 1.095, 1.831). Exclusive cigarette smokers were more likely to have low social/emotional support (aOR = 1.193, 95% CI: 1.030, 1.381) than never users, especially those aged 65 and above. In addition, exclusive cigarette smokers were more likely to have low social/emotional support than ex-smokers, with an aOR = 1.279 (95% CI: 1.097, 1.492), which is more pronounced among the age group 18–34, as well as 65 and above. Our results suggest that life satisfaction and social/emotional support may play important roles in smoking and vaping, which should be incorporated into behavioral interventions to reduce tobacco use.
Prevalence of Static Balance Impairment and Associated Factors of University Student Smartphone Users with Subclinical Neck Pain: Cross-Sectional Study
Authors: Wah Saw Wah , Chatchawan Uraiwan , Chatprem Thiwaphon , Puntumetakul Rungthip
Published: August 2022

The aim of this study was to assess the prevalence of static balance impairment in university student smartphone users with subclinical neck pain and identify the associated risk factors. Because of rapid and widespread smartphones use, and the subsequent effect on neck pain in university students, it is essential to determine the prevalence of balance impairment and associated factors in this population. Simple random sampling was completed among eighty-one participants in this cross-sectional study. A self-reported questionnaire, fitted precisely for smartphone users, was used prior to clinical assessment by the Balance Error Scoring System. Both simple and multiple logistic regressions were used to analyze the prevalence of static balance impairment and associated factors. The prevalence of static balance impairment in university student smartphone users with subclinical neck pain was 74.07% (95% CI: 64.32 to 83.82). The significant risk factors were “daily smartphone use ≥ 4 h’’ (AOR: 19.24 (95% CI 4.72 to 78.48) p = 0.000), “≥4 years of smartphone use” (AOR: 5.01 (95% CI 1.12 to 22.38) p = 0.035), and “≥7 neck disability index score’’ (AOR: 12.91 (95% CI 2.24 to 74.45) p = 0.004). There was a high prevalence of static balance impairment in university smartphone users with subclinical neck pain. University student smartphone users with subclinical neck pain who met at least one of the risk factors should realize their static balance impairment.
Effect of Dietary Intervention Designed with Behavior Change Wheel on Compliance with Dietary Control in Women with Gestational Diabetes Mellitus: Study Protocol for a Randomized Controlled Trial
Authors: Xu Jingqi , Wu Yuanyuan , Zou Zhijie , Chen Xiaoli
Published: August 2022

Background and Purpose: Previous studies have shown that women with GDM can benefit from following dietary recommendations, which are based on food exchange serving (FES) and glycemic load (GL), but compliance with dietary recommendations in women with GDM is not ideal. Therefore, the aim of this paper is to design a dietary intervention program based on behavior change wheel (BCW) to affect GDM women’s compliance with FES based on GL, and to compare the effects of this dietary intervention program versus general dietary management on compliance with dietary recommendations, improving maternal glucose metabolism, and reducing adverse pregnancy outcomes in women with GDM. Methods: This paper is a methodological description of a two-arm randomized controlled trial. In this study, eligible women with GDM will be recruited and divided into the control group (n = 30) and the intervention group (n = 30). Women with GDM will respectively receive general dietary management (control group) and dietary intervention designed with BCW (intervention group) until after delivery. Information about pregnant women will be collected through questionnaires or prenatal and delivery records. Conclusion: This randomized controlled trial is designed specifically for women with GDM to achieve effective blood glucose control by strengthening GDM women’s compliance with dietary recommendations. If this dietary intervention designed with BCW proves to be effective, then BCW may deserve to be applied to more areas of self-management in women with GDM.
Earnings Management and Annual Report Readability: The Moderating Effect of Female Directors
Authors: Shauki Elvia R. , Oktavini Eva
Published: August 2022

The purpose of this study is to examine the influence of earnings management on the readability of annual reports while also examining the moderating role of a female director. In particular, the readability of a company’s annual report will be seen from the management perspective using the FOG index on the annual reports of companies listed on the Indonesia Stock Exchange during 2015–2018 (excluding the financial sector), with a total sample of 996. This research confirms that companies that conduct earnings management can make complex company annual reports that are difficult to read as these companies tend to hide earnings management practices. Thus, the users of annual reports will find it difficult to identify these practices. This study confirms the mathematical theory of communication that annual reports are a communication tool for companies and, therefore, must be free from financial manipulation such as earnings management because this action will give a bad signal. Moreover, the moderating effect of female directors was not proven. This implies that female directors in Indonesia had not been able to moderate the readability of annual reports; one possibility might be due to the composition of female directors, which was relatively small.
Web Mapping and Real–Virtual Itineraries to Promote Feasible Archaeological and Environmental Tourism in Versilia (Italy)
Authors: Luppichini Marco , Noti Valerio , Pavone Danilo , Bonato Marzia , Ghizzani Marcìa Francesco , Genovesi Stefano , Lemmi Francesca , Rosselli Lisa , Chiarenza Neva , Colombo Marta , Picchi Giulia , Fontanelli Andrea , Bini Monica
Published: August 2022

The Versilia plain (NW Italy) experiences forms of tourism that are mainly limited to the beach area and concentrated in the summer season. The area is rich in cultural and natural heritage, not yet adequately enhanced. The presence of four local archaeological museums and a natural park offers a great opportunity to favour feasible archaeological and environmental tourism. The aim of this study is to use a holistic methodology to improve a different type of tourism in the study area. We propose a consilient multidisciplinary approach based on geological, biological and archaeological data in order to enhance the cultural and natural heritage of the Versilia plain. We have based our study on the reconstruction of palaeoenvironment maps showing the evolution of the territory and used them as a leitmotiv to link the archaeological museums and the natural park. We define real and virtual itineraries to create a synergy between the most important archaeological and natural sites and museums. It is possible to promote a different type of tourism in the study area by decreasing human impact and creating a relationship between the fragmented natural and archaeological heritage. Palaeoenvironment maps and real and virtual itineraries can be consulted with the aid of a web application, more specifically web mapping, developed with free and open-source libraries. The web mapping also contains other geological, geomorphological and archaeological datasets, which allow to understand the evolution of the environment and the cultural and natural heritage of the study area. The dataset available on the web mapping is also downloadable.
Pattern Recognition and Segmentation of Administrative Boundaries Using a One-Dimensional Convolutional Neural Network and Grid Shape Context Descriptor
Authors: Yang Min , Huang Haoran , Zhang Yiqi , Yan Xiongfeng
Published: August 2022

Recognizing morphological patterns in lines and segmenting them into homogeneous segments is critical for line generalization and other applications. Due to the excessive dependence on handcrafted features in existing methods and their insufficient consideration of contextual information, we propose a novel pattern recognition and segmentation method for lines, based on deep learning and shape context descriptors. In this method, a line is divided into a series of consecutive linear units of equal length, termed lixels. A grid shape context descriptor (GSCD) was designed to extract the contextual features for each lixel. A one-dimensional convolutional neural network (1D-U-Net) was constructed to classify the pattern type of each lixel, and adjacent lixels with the same pattern types were fused to obtain segmentation results. The proposed method was applied to administrative boundaries, which were segmented into components with three different patterns. The experiments showed that the lixel classification accuracy of the 1D-U-Net reached 90.42%. The consistency ratio was 92.41%, when compared with the manual segmentation results, which was higher than either of the two existing machine learning-based segmentation methods.
Crystal Structure of the Recombination Mediator Protein RecO from Campylobacter jejuni and Its Interaction with DNA and a Zinc Ion
Authors: Lee Su-jin , Oh Han Byeol , Yoon Sung-il
Published: August 2022

Homologous recombination is involved in repairing DNA damage, contributing to maintaining the integrity and stability of viral and cellular genomes. In bacteria, the recombination mediator proteins RecO and RecR are required to load the RecA recombinase on ssDNA for homologous recombination. To structurally and functionally characterize RecO, we determined the crystal structure of RecO from Campylobacter jejuni (cjRecO) at a 1.8 Å resolution and biochemically assessed its capacity to interact with DNA and a metal ion. cjRecO folds into a curved rod-like structure that consists of an N-terminal domain (NTD), C-terminal domain (CTD), and Zn2+-binding domain (ZnD). The ZnD at the end of the rod-like structure coordinates three cysteine residues and one histidine residue to accommodate a Zn2+ ion. Based on an extensive comparative analysis of RecO structures and sequences, we propose that the Zn2+-binding consensus sequence of RecO is CxxC…C/HxxC/H/D. The interaction with Zn2+ is indispensable for the protein stability of cjRecO but does not seem to be required for the recombination mediator function. cjRecO also interacts with ssDNA as part of its biological function, potentially using the positively charged patch in the NTD and CTD. However, cjRecO displays a low ssDNA-binding affinity, suggesting that cjRecO requires RecR to efficiently recognize ssDNA for homologous recombination.
Human MIKO-1, a Hybrid Protein That Regulates Macrophage Function, Suppresses Lung Fibrosis in a Mouse Model of Bleomycin-Induced Interstitial Lung Disease
Authors: Kotani Takuya , Ikemoto Masaki , Matsuda Shogo , Masutani Ryota , Takeuchi Tohru
Published: August 2022

Although interstitial lung disease (ILD) is a life-threatening pathological condition that causes respiratory failure, the efficiency of current therapies is limited. This study aimed to investigate the effects of human MIKO-1 (hMIKO-1), a hybrid protein that suppresses the abnormal activation of macrophages, on murine macrophage function and its therapeutic effect in a mouse model of bleomycin-induced ILD (BLM-ILD). To this end, the phenotype of thioglycolate-induced murine peritoneal macrophages co-cultured with hMIKO-1 was examined. The mice were assigned to normal, BLM-alone, or BLM + hMIKO-1 groups, and hMIKO-1 (0.1 mg/mouse) was administered intraperitoneally from day 0 to 14. The mice were sacrificed on day 28, and their lungs were evaluated by histological examination, collagen content, and gene expression levels. hMIKO-1 suppressed the polarization of murine macrophages to M2 predominance in vitro. The fibrosis score of lung pathology and lung collagen content of the BLM + hMIKO-1 group were significantly lower than those in the BLM-alone group. The expression levels of TNF-α, IL-6, IL-1β, F4/80, and TIMP-1 in the lungs of the BLM + hMIKO-1 group were significantly lower than those in the BLM-alone group. These findings indicate that hMIKO-1 reduces lung fibrosis and may be a future therapeutic candidate for ILD treatment.
Chrysin-Induced G Protein-Coupled Estrogen Receptor Activation Suppresses Pancreatic Cancer
Authors: Lim Hyun Kyung , Kwon Hee Jung , Lee Ga Seul , Moon Jeong Hee , Jung Joohee
Published: August 2022

Pancreatic cancer (PC) has a high mortality rate due to its poor prognosis and the possibility of surgical resection in patients with the disease. Importantly, adjuvant chemotherapy is necessary to improve PC prognosis. Chrysin, a natural product with anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, and anticancer properties, has been studied for several years. Our previous study demonstrated that chrysin induced G protein-coupled estrogen receptor (GPER) expression and regulated its activity in breast cancer. Herein, we investigated whether chrysin-induced GPER activation suppresses PC progression in MIA PaCa-2 cells and a xenograft model. To determine its mechanism of action, cytotoxicity and clonogenic assays, a FACS analysis, and Western blotting were performed. Furthermore, the delay in tumor growth was evaluated in the MIA PaCa-2-derived xenograft model. Tumor tissues were investigated by Western blotting, immunohistochemistry, and a proteomic analysis. Chrysin caused cell cycle arrest and significantly decreased cell viability. Following co-treatment with chrysin and 17β-estradiol, the inhibitory effect of chrysin on cell proliferation was enhanced. In the xenograft model, chrysin and G1 (a GPER agonist) significantly delayed tumor growth and reduced both Ki-67 (a proliferation marker) and c-Myc expressions in tumor tissues. The proteomic analysis of tumor tissues identified that rho-associated coiled-coil containing protein kinase 1 (ROCK1), transgelin 2 (TAGLN2), and FCH and Mu domain containing endocytic adaptor 2 (FCHO2) levels were significantly reduced in chrysin-treated tumor tissues. High ROCK1, TAGLN2, and FCHO2 expressions were indicative of low overall PC survival as found using the Kaplan–Meier plotter. In conclusion, our results suggest that chrysin suppresses PC progression through the activation of GPER and reductions in ROCK1, TAGLN2, and FCHO2 expressions.