bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Redox-Sensitive VDAC: A Possible Function as an Environmental Stress Sensor Revealed by Bioinformatic Analysis
Authors: Karachitos Andonis , Grabiński Wojciech , Baranek Martyna , Kmita Hanna
Published: December 2021

Voltage-dependent anion-selective channel (VDAC) allows the exchange of small metabolites and inorganic ions across the mitochondrial outer membrane. It is involved in complex interactions that regulate mitochondrial and cellular functioning. Many organisms have several VDAC paralogs that play distinct but poorly understood roles in the life and death of cells. It is assumed that such a large diversity of VDAC-encoding genes might cause physiological plasticity to cope with abiotic and biotic stresses known to impact mitochondrial function. Moreover, cysteine residues in mammalian VDAC paralogs may contribute to the reduction–oxidation (redox) sensor function based on disulfide bond formation and elimination, resulting in redox-sensitive VDAC (rsVDAC). Therefore, we analyzed whether rsVDAC is possible when only one VDAC variant is present in mitochondria and whether all VDAC paralogs present in mitochondria could be rsVDAC, using representatives of currently available VDAC amino acid sequences. The obtained results indicate that rsVDAC can occur when only one VDAC variant is present in mitochondria; however, the possibility of all VDAC paralogs in mitochondria being rsVDAC is very low. Moreover, the presence of rsVDAC may correlate with habitat conditions as rsVDAC appears to be prevalent in parasites. Thus, the channel may mediate detection and adaptation to environmental conditions.
Spatial Ventilation Inhomogeneity Determined by Electrical Impedance Tomography in Patients With Chronic Obstructive Lung Disease
Authors: Frerichs Inéz , Lasarow Livia , Strodthoff Claas , Vogt Barbara , Zhao Zhanqi , Weiler Norbert
Published: December 2021

The aim of this study was to examine whether electrical impedance tomography (EIT) could determine the presence of ventilation inhomogeneity in patients with chronic obstructive lung disease (COPD) from measurements carried out not only during conventional forced full expiration maneuvers but also from forced inspiration maneuvers and quiet tidal breathing and whether the inhomogeneity levels were comparable among the phases and higher than in healthy subjects. EIT data were acquired in 52 patients with exacerbated COPD (11 women, 41 men, 68 ± 11 years) and 14 healthy subjects (6 women, 8 men, 38 ± 8 years). Regional lung function parameters of forced vital capacity (FVC), forced expiratory volume in 1 s (FEV1), forced inspiratory vital capacity (FIVC), forced inspiratory volume in 1 s (FIV1), and tidal volume (VT) were determined in 912 image pixels. The spatial inhomogeneity of the pixel parameters was characterized by the coefficients of variation (CV) and the global inhomogeneity (GI) index. CV and GI values of pixel FVC, FEV1, FIVC, FIV1, and VT were significantly higher in patients than in healthy subjects (p ≤ 0.0001). The ventilation distribution was affected by the analyzed lung function parameter in patients (CV: p = 0.0024, GI: p = 0.006) but not in healthy subjects. Receiver operating characteristic curves showed that CV and GI discriminated patients from healthy subjects with an area under the curve (AUC) of 0.835 and 0.852 (FVC), 0.845 and 0.867 (FEV1), 0.903 and 0.903 (FIVC), 0.891 and 0.882 (FIV1), and 0.821 and 0.843 (VT), respectively. These findings confirm the ability of EIT to identify increased ventilation inhomogeneity in patients with COPD.
Relationship Between Fatty Acid Binding Protein 4 and Liver Fat in Individuals at Increased Cardiometabolic Risk
Authors: Rodríguez-Calvo Ricardo , Moreno-Vedia Juan , Girona Josefa , Ibarretxe Daiana , Martínez-Micaelo Neus , Merino Jordi , Plana Nuria , Masana Lluis
Published: December 2021

Background: Liver steatosis is considered the onset of the non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), a major public health challenge. Nevertheless, NAFLD detection and diagnosis remain a difficult task. Fatty acid binding protein 4 (FABP4) has been proposed as potential biomarker for the ectopic fat accumulation in non-adipose tissues, although its role reflecting liver steatosis in metabolic patients is not fully explored. The aim of this study was to assess the relationship between FABP4 and the fatty liver index (FLI) in metabolic patients and to evaluate its potential role in the fatty liver disease.

Methods: A cross-sectional study involving 389 participants at increased cardiometabolic risk was performed. FLI was calculated in order to assess liver fatty disease and a FLI ≥ 60 was considered to define liver steatosis. The serum FABP4 levels were assessed by using a sandwich enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Multivariable regression models were used to examine the associations of FABP4 with fatty liver after adjusting for demographic and clinical characteristics.

Results: Both, FLI and serum FABP4 levels were upregulated in diabetic, obese, and metabolic syndrome patients. Serum FABP4 levels were higher in individuals with liver steatosis. Serum FABP4 were robustly associated with FLI in metabolic patients in both linear and logistic regression analyses.

Conclusion: Our findings show that the serum FABP4 is associated to liver steatosis in metabolic patients.
Multiple Laplacian Regularized RBF Neural Network for Assessing Dry Weight of Patients With End-Stage Renal Disease
Authors: Guo Xiaoyi , Zhou Wei , Yu Yan , Cai Yinghua , Zhang Yuan , Du Aiyan , Lu Qun , Ding Yijie , Li Chao
Published: December 2021

Dry weight (DW) is an important dialysis index for patients with end-stage renal disease. It can guide clinical hemodialysis. Brain natriuretic peptide, chest computed tomography image, ultrasound, and bioelectrical impedance analysis are key indicators (multisource information) for assessing DW. By these approaches, a trial-and-error method (traditional measurement method) is employed to assess DW. The assessment of clinician is time-consuming. In this study, we developed a method based on artificial intelligence technology to estimate patient DW. Based on the conventional radial basis function neural (RBFN) network, we propose a multiple Laplacian-regularized RBFN (MLapRBFN) model to predict DW of patient. Compared with other model and body composition monitor, our method achieves the lowest value (1.3226) of root mean square error. In Bland-Altman analysis of MLapRBFN, the number of out agreement interval is least (17 samples). MLapRBFN integrates multiple Laplace regularization terms, and employs an efficient iterative algorithm to solve the model. The ratio of out agreement interval is 3.57%, which is lower than 5%. Therefore, our method can be tentatively applied for clinical evaluation of DW in hemodialysis patients.
Chloroplast Genomes for Five Skeletonema Species: Comparative and Phylogenetic Analysis
Authors: Liu Shuya , Xu Qing , Liu Kuiyan , Zhao Yongfang , Chen Nansheng
Published: December 2021

Skeletonema species are cosmopolitan coastal diatoms that exhibit important roles in ecological system. The chloroplast genomes (cpDNAs) have been proven to be important in the study of molecular evolution and genetic diversity. However, cpDNA of only a single Skeletonema species (S. pseudocostatum) has been constructed, hindering in-depth investigation on Skeletonema species. In this study, complete cpDNAs of five Skeletonema species were constructed with cpDNAs of four species S. marinoi, S. tropicum, S. costatum, and S. grevillea constructed for the first time. These cpDNAs had similar sizes and same numbers of genes. These cpDNAs were highly syntenic with no substantial expansions, contractions, or inversions. Interestingly, two copies of petF, which encodes ferredoxin with critical role in iron dependency, were found in all five Skeletonema species, with one copy in the cpDNA and another copy in the nuclear genome of each species. Selection analysis revealed that all PCGs of cpDNAs were undergoing purifying selection. Despite the high conservation of these cpDNAs, nine genomic regions with high sequence divergence were identified, which illustrated substantial variations that could be used as markers for phylogenetic inference and for tracking Skeletonema species in the field. Additionally, the numbers of simple sequence repeats varied among different cpDNAs, which were useful for detecting genetic polymorphisms. The divergence times estimated using PCGs of cpDNAs revealed that most of these species were established within ∼33 Mya, consistent with that estimated using mtDNAs. Overall, the current study deepened our understanding about the molecular evolution of Skeletonema cpDNAs.
Melatonin Enhances Drought Tolerance by Regulating Leaf Stomatal Behavior, Carbon and Nitrogen Metabolism, and Related Gene Expression in Maize Plants
Authors: Zhao Chengfeng , Guo Haoxue , Wang Jiarui , Wang Yifan , Zhang Renhe
Published: December 2021

It is commonly known that exogenously applied melatonin can alleviate the impact of drought stress, but the mechanism used by melatonin to regulate stomatal behavior and carbon (C) and nitrogen (N) metabolism to increase drought resistance remains elusive. Herein, our aim was to investigate the influence of exogenous melatonin on the regulation of C and N metabolism in maize plants under water deficit. In this study, we analyzed stomatal behavior, the key components of C and N metabolism, and the gene expression and activity of enzymes involved in the C and N metabolism in maize plants. The results showed that the application of melatonin (100 μM) significantly increased maize growth and sustained the opening of stomata, and secondarily increased the photosynthetic capacity in maize. Under drought stress, foliar application of melatonin induced the gene transcription and activities of sucrose phosphate synthetase, ADP-glucose pyrophosphorylase, phosphoenolpyruvate carboxylase, and citrate synthase, resulting in the enhancement of sucrose and starch synthesis and the tricarboxylic acid (TCA) cycle. This enhancement in sugar biosynthesis and the TCA cycle might lead to stronger N assimilation. As anticipated, NO3– reduction and NH4+ assimilation were also strengthened after melatonin treatment under drought stress. An increase was observed in some key enzymatic activities and transcription involved in nitrogen metabolism, such as that of nitrate reductase, nitrite reductase, glutamate synthase, and glutamine synthetase, in melatonin-treated, drought-stressed maize. Moreover, melatonin attenuated the drought-induced damage by reducing protein degradation and increasing the level of proline. Conclusively, our results indicate that exogenous melatonin enhances drought tolerance in maize via promoting stomatal opening and regulating C and N metabolism and related gene expression.
Impact of Pricing and Product Information on Consumer Buying Behavior With Customer Satisfaction in a Mediating Role
Authors: Zhao Huiliang , Yao Xuemei , Liu Zhenghong , Yang Qin
Published: December 2021

The relationship between product pricing and product packaging plays an important role in the buying behavior of consumers, whereas customer satisfaction plays a mediating role. To test these hypotheses, research was conducted on university students in China. Questionnaire-based convenience sampling was conducted on 500 students for data collection using online and offline sources. A total of 367 (73%) students responded, and 17 questionnaires were rejected due to missing information. SPSS and AMOS software were used for the data analysis. Product pricing and product information were independent variables in this study, whereas consumer buying behavior was a dependent variable. Customer satisfaction is mediated by one dependent and two independent variables. Confirmatory factor analysis, path analysis, and discriminant validity in structural equation modeling revealed that product pricing and packaging had a statistically significant relationship with the buyer decision process. The introduction of satisfaction as a mediating variable led to the observation of full mediation in the case of product pricing and partial mediation in product packaging. Given the results of this research, product managers should adopt pricing tactics along with product packaging to influence the buying intentions of consumers.
Influencing Factors of University Relocation on College Students’ Intention to Engage in Local Entrepreneurship and Employment
Authors: Chen Shihao , Zhang Qianqian , Zhao Qun , Deng Huiru , Su Yu-Sheng
Published: December 2021

In modern society, the power of college students has been able to provide creative growth for the local economy, so the work situation of college students is closely related to the social dynamics. Colleges and universities are important places for talent cultivation and output. They are closely related to the cultivation of college students and the choice of employment and entrepreneurship of college students. Entrepreneurship and employment are interdependent. It is not enough to rely only on entrepreneurs to make enterprises stronger. In order to increase the creativity and environmental adaptability of enterprises, there need to be sufficient and excellent employees who are willing to work in the regions where enterprises are located. Therefore, enterprises need college students with innovation and creativity in their regions. In this study, graduates from a university in Zhejiang Province were selected as the subjects. Based on the Theory of Reasoned Action, literature analysis and interview method were combined to systematically construct a research model affecting college Students’ choice of entrepreneurship and employment. The questionnaire survey method and structural equation model (PLS-SEM) were used to test the hypothesis. A total of 798 valid questionnaires were collected. The results show that local attraction and family factors are the two most important factors affecting the entrepreneurship and employment of college students. Family factors have a significant positive impact on the attitude toward entrepreneurship and employment, subjective norms and intention to entrepreneurship and employment; local attraction also has a significant positive impact on the subjective norms, intention to entrepreneurship and employment, and attitude toward entrepreneurship and employment. The results of this study provide a reference for the decision-making of improving local attractiveness and promoting college Students’ employment in start-up enterprises under the background of higher education popularization.
Associations Between Interindividual Differences, Expectations and Placebo and Nocebo Effects in Itch
Authors: Meeuwis Stefanie H. , van Middendorp Henriët , Veldhuijzen Dieuwke S. , Evers Andrea W. M.
Published: December 2021

Introduction: Placebo and nocebo effects are positive and negative health outcomes that can be elicited by the psychosocial context. They can be mediated by expectations, and may emerge in somatic symptoms even when people are aware of these effects. Interindividual differences (e.g., in personality, affective states) could impact placebo and nocebo responding, but findings are inconsistent.

Methods: The current work examined expectation as a mediator of the association between verbal placebo and nocebo suggestions (VSs) and histamine-induced itch across three experimental studies. Moreover, we examined whether interindividual differences (e.g., in optimism, neuroticism, behavioral activation system (BAS), body ignorance) modulated: (1) the direct association between VSs and itch (direct moderation), and (2) the indirect, expectation-mediated association between VSs and itch (moderated mediation). Positive VSs were compared to neutral instructions (Study 1; n = 92) or negative VSs (Studies 2+3; n = 203) in an open-label (i.e., explaining placebo and nocebo effects) or closed-label (concealed) context using PROCESS. First, mediation of VSs effects on itch by expectations was tested. Next, moderation by individual traits was explored using conditional process analyses.

Results: The effects of VSs on itch were significantly mediated by expectation in Study 1 and in the open-label (but not closed-label) contexts of Studies 2 and 3. Ignorance of bodily signals marginally moderated the direct effects of VSs on itch when closed-label suggestions were given: at low levels of body ignorance, effects of positive and negative VSs were stronger. Moreover, moderated mediation was observed in the open-label groups of Studies 2 and 3: The expectation-mediated effects of VSs on itch were stronger when BAS drive was lower.

Conclusion: Overall, the effects of VSs on itch were mediated by expectations in the open-label, but not the closed-label context. Moreover, the current work suggests that placebo and nocebo effects may be moderated by ignorance of bodily signals and the BAS. There was limited evidence that other interindividual differences modulated placebo and nocebo responding in itch.
When Taekwondo Referees See Red, but It Is an Electronic System That Gives the Points
Authors: Apollaro Gennaro , Falcó Coral
Published: December 2021

Previous studies in taekwondo have considered the use of the manual scoring system or the electronic system with only the use of the electronic body protector. The objective of this study was to analyze the relationship between the color protectors and success in 1,327 taekwondo matches from six World Grand Prix Series of two 4-year Olympic periods when electronic body and head protectors are used. In the total sample, the results did not show a relationship between the match outcome and the color of the protectors (p = 0.97, C = 0.001). For the individual six editions, the results showed a positive and strong relationship between wearing blue protectors and winning matches and one between wearing red protectors and winning matches (p = 0.001, C = 0.19; p = 0.001; C = 0.19). Regarding the weight categories, 8 and 5 of 48 showed higher percentages of blue and red winners, respectively. Regarding sex, male competitors showed a positive relationship between blue color and winning the match in 6 of 24 weight categories, and wearing red and winning the match was shown in 2 of 24 weight categories. Female competitors showed a positive relationship between blue color and winning the match in 2 of 24 weight categories, and wearing red and winning the match was shown in 3 of 24 weight categories. When it comes to the influence of being a seeded athlete, the results did show a significant confounding effect on the color of the protectors worn by the winner of the match in 2 of 13 weight categories in which a color effect was observed (p = 0.02, C = 0.28; p = 0.02, C = 0.28). In conclusion, wearing red does not provide a higher chance of winning the match. It seems that seeing red has a stronger effect than wearing red, especially in male contenders. Moreover, being a seeded athlete does not explain the result of the match. It seems that the introduction of the electronic helmet protector, in addition to the electronic body protector, made the scoring system more objective, decreasing the advantage of wearing red in winning matches.
Depression and Social Anxiety Predict Internet Use Disorder Symptoms in Children and Adolescents at 12-Month Follow-Up: Results From a Longitudinal Study
Authors: Leo Katharina , Kewitz Sonja , Wartberg Lutz , Lindenberg Katajun
Published: December 2021

Trajectories of internalizing disorders and behavioral addictions are still largely unknown. Research shows that both disorders are highly comorbid. Previous longitudinal studies have focused on associations between internalizing disorders and behavioral addictions using screening instruments. Our aim was to develop and examine a theory-based model of trajectories, according to which internalizing disorders foster symptoms of Internet use disorders, mediated by a reward deprivation and maladaptive emotion regulation. We applied clinically relevant measures for depression and social anxiety in a prospective longitudinal study with a 12-month follow-up investigation. On the basis of an at-risk population of 476 students (mean age = 14.99 years,SD= 1.99), we investigated the predictive influence of clinically relevant depression and social anxiety at baseline (t1) on Internet use disorder symptoms at 12-month follow-up (t2) using multiple linear regression analyses. Our results showed that both clinically relevant depression and social anxiety significantly predicted symptom severity of Internet use disorders one year later after controlling for baseline symptoms of Internet use disorders, gender and age. These results remained robust after including both depression and social anxiety simultaneously in the model, indicating an independent influence of both predictors on Internet use disorder symptoms. The present study enhances knowledge going beyond a mere association between internalizing disorders and Internet use disorders. To our knowledge, this is the first study investigating clinically relevant depression and social anxiety to predict future Internet use disorder symptoms at 12-month follow-up. In line with our model of trajectories, a significant temporal relationship between clinically relevant internalizing disorders and Internet use disorder symptoms at 12-month follow-up was confirmed. Further studies should investigate the mediating role of reward deprivation and maladaptive emotion regulation, as postulated in our model. One implication of these findings is that clinicians should pay particular attention to the increased risk of developing behavioral addictions for adolescents with depression and social anxiety.
Relationship Among Physical Literacy, Mental Health, and Resilience in College Students
Authors: Ma Ruisi , Liu Ting , Raymond Sum Kim Wai , Gao Tianyu , Li Minghui , Choi Siu Ming , Huang Yan , Xiang Wenyi
Published: December 2021

Objectives: The objective of the study is to examine the relationship among physical literacy, mental health, and resilience in college students.

Methods: The study is a cross-sectional study. Participants (N = 5,265; 46.6% males) completed perceived physical literacy instruments, mental health continuum short forms, and the 12-item child and youth resilience measures. Mediation models were applied to explore the association among three concepts.

Results: Physical literacy, resilience, and mental health were significantly linked with each other. In the mediation model, the direct effect of physical literacy on mental health was 0.49. The indirect effect of physical literacy on mental health through the mediation of resilience was 0.97. The mediating effect of resilience accounts for 66.30% of the total effect, indicating the partial mediating effect of resilience in the relationship between physical literacy and mental health. In more detailed models, resilience was found to mediate the relationship between physical literacy and social and psychological wellbeing, accounting for 61.02% and 56.92% of the total effect, respectively. In addition, resilience acted as full mediator in the relationship between physical literacy and emotional wellbeing (>100%). These findings suggest that physical literacy increases mental health by improving resilience.

Conclusions: This is the first time to connect physical literacy with mind factors. The mediating effect of resilience on the relationship between physical literacy and mental health was found. Our findings support the development of physical literacy in universities as part of a holistic approach to supporting the wellbeing and mental health of undergraduates. This study provides a new perspective for the development of large-scale interventions in the health of body and mind in college students.
An Evaluation of a Suicide Prevention E-Learning Program for Police Officers (COPS): Improvement in Knowledge and Competence
Authors: Hofmann Laura , Glaesmer Heide , Przyrembel Marisa , Wagner Birgit
Published: December 2021

Background: Police officers are at high risk for mental and physical health problems and suicidal ideation. The specific risk factors are numerous and concern stressful missions and administrative aspects of the police profession. So far, the police get only little training on specific missions as well as on coping with stress and suicidal ideation in the police profession. In this study we test the efficacy of the online training COPS (Coping with Suicide) for police officers.

Methods: A total of 142 police officers from Germany and Switzerland participated in the study; complete data (baseline and post) are available from 102 participants. The training consisted of three modules covering the topics of delivering death notifications, dealing with individuals with suicidal ideation and dealing with one's own distress and suicidal ideation in the police profession. The primary outcomes are perceived knowledge and self-rated competence regarding the contents of the program, actual knowledge as well as symptoms of depression and anxiety (PHQ-9), and attitudes toward suicide (ATTS). The data are collected at baseline and after completing the training.

Results: We found a significant increase in knowledge as well as in perceived competence after completing the training. Mental health and attitudes toward suicide did not change significantly. Years on the job had no moderating effect on the effectiveness of the training.

Discussion: The results suggest that a short e-learning program significantly improves knowledge and self-rated competence in delivering death notifications, in suicide prevention and stress management. It can be easily integrated into the daily routine of police-officers, and participants could participate at their own pace and from any location. One limitation of this study is the lack of a control-group. Further advantages and limitations of this study are discussed.

Clinical Trial Registration:https://www.drks.de/drks_web/, identifier: DRKS00023882.
DNA Methylation Basis in the Effect of White Matter Integrity Deficits on Cognitive Impairments and Psychopathological Symptoms in Drug-Naive First-Episode Schizophrenia
Authors: Zong Xiaofen , Zhang Qinran , He Changchun , Huang Xinyue , Zhang Jiangbo , Wang Gaohua , Lv Luxian , Sang Deen , Zou Xiufen , Chen Huafu , Zheng Junjie , Hu Maolin
Published: December 2021

Background: Mounting evidence from diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) and epigenetic studies, respectively, confirmed the abnormal alterations of brain white matter integrity and DNA methylation (DNAm) in schizophrenia. However, few studies have been carried out in the same sample to simultaneously explore the WM pathology relating to clinical behaviors, as well as the DNA methylation basis underlying the WM deficits.

Methods: We performed DTI scans in 42 treatment-naïve first-episode schizophrenia patients and 38 healthy controls. Voxel-based method of fractional anisotropy (FA) derived from DTI was used to assess WM integrity. Participants' peripheral blood genomic DNAm status, quantified by using Infinium® Human Methylation 450K BeadChip, was examined in parallel with DTI scanning. Participants completed Digit Span test and Trail Making test, as well as Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale measurement. We acquired genes that are differentially expressed in the brain regions with abnormal FA values according to the Allen anatomically comprehensive atlas, obtained DNAm levels of the corresponding genes, and then performed Z-test to compare the differential epigenetic-imaging associations (DEIAs) between the two groups.

Results: Significant decreases of FA values in the patient group were in the right middle temporal lobe WM, right cuneus WM, right anterior cingulate WM, and right inferior parietal lobe WM, while the significant increases were in the bilateral middle cingulate WM (Ps < 0.01, GRF correction). Abnormal FA values were correlated with patients' clinical symptoms and cognitive impairments. In the DEIAs, patients showed abnormal couple patterns between altered FA and DNAm components, for which the enriched biological processes and pathways could be largely grouped into three biological procedures: the neurocognition, immune, and nervous system.

Conclusion: Schizophrenia may not cause widespread neuropathological changes, but subtle alterations affecting local cingulum WM, which may play a critical role in positive symptoms and cognitive impairments. This imaging-epigenetics study revealed for the first time that DNAm of genes enriched in neuronal, immunologic, and cognitive processes may serve as the basis in the effect of WM deficits on clinical behaviors in schizophrenia.
Experiences of Older People and Social Inclusion in Relation to Smart “Age-Friendly” Cities: A Case Study of Chongqing, China
Authors: Li Manlin , Woolrych Ryan
Published: December 2021

Whilst cities can be sites of creativity, innovation, and change, they can also reproduce the conditions for the exclusion of vulnerable groups. Older people report experiencing specific barriers to accessing the city and are often excluded from the resources for ageing well. The smart city agenda has attempted to bring about technological change whilst also delivering improved quality of life for urban citizens. Smart technologies are a key element of the smart city and are viewed as having the potential to support the independence, autonomy, and well-being of older people. Yet, there has been little research exploring the role of the smart city in supporting the social inclusion of older people, nor any attempt to link this with key policy drivers on ageing e.g., age-friendly cities and communities. In response, the aim of this paper is to explore the experiences of older people living in a smart city in China and discuss how the smart city and age-friendly agenda can be brought together to support positive social outcomes for older people. The paper presents qualitative findings from a multi-methods approach, including semi-structured interviews, walking interviews and focus groups. A total of 64 older people participated in the research across three diverse neighbourhoods in the case study smart city of Chongqing, China. The findings identified opportunities in the development and deployment of smart city, including the potential for improved health and well-being and social connectedness. Yet in delivering on these benefits, a number of challenges were identified which may widen social inequalities, including inequities in access, issues of safety and security, and exclusion from the co-production of smart city policy and practise. The paper discusses the implications of the findings for future smart city policy and practise, specifically in delivering interventions that support older adults' social inclusion and the delivery of age-friendly cities and communities.
Exposure Optimization Trial for Patients With Medical Implants During MRI Exposure: Balance Between the Completeness and Efficiency
Authors: Yao Aiping , Yang Pengfei , Ma Mingjuan , Pei Yunfeng
Published: December 2021

Elongated conductors, such as pacemaker leads, can couple to the MRI radio-frequency (RF) field during MRI scan and cause dangerous tissue heating. By selecting proper RF exposure conditions, the RF-induced power deposition can be suppressed. As the RF-induced power deposition is a complex function of multiple clinical factors, the problem remains how to perform the exposure selection in a comprehensive and efficient way. The purpose of this work is to demonstrate an exposure optimization trail that allows a comprehensive optimization in an efficient and traceable manner. The proposed workflow is demonstrated with a generic 40 cm long cardio pacemaker, major components of the clinical factors are decoupled from the redundant data set using principle component analysis, the optimized exposure condition can not only reduce the in vivo power deposition but also maintain good image quality.
Associations of Delay in Doctor Consultation With COVID-19 Related Fear, Attention to Information, and Fact-Checking
Authors: Lai Agnes Yuen-Kwan , Sit Shirley Man-Man , Wu Socrates Yong-Da , Wang Man-Ping , Wong Bonny Yee-Man , Ho Sai-Yin , Lam Tai-Hing
Published: December 2021

Background: Delaying doctor consultation is harmful. Fear of COVID-19 leads to delays in seeking medical care at a time when pandemic information overflows. However, little is known about the role of COVID-19 related fear, attention to information, and fact-checking in such delay.

Objective: Under the Hong Kong Jockey Club SMART Family-Link Project, we examined the associations of delay in doctor consultation amidst the pandemic with sociodemographic characteristics, COVID-19 related fear, attention to information, and fact-checking.

Methods: We conducted a population-based online cross-sectional survey in May 2020 on Hong Kong Chinese adults. Respondents reported whether the pandemic caused any delay in doctor consultation (yes/no), level of COVID-19 related fear, attention to information and fact-checking (all on a scale of 0 to 10 and recoded into tertiles of low, moderate, high). Regression analyses were used to examine the associations of delay and fear with sociodemographic characteristics, attention and fact-checking, adjusting for covariates. Data were weighted by sex, age and education level of the population.

Results: Of 4,551 respondents (46.5% male, 59.7% aged over 45 years), 10.1% reported delay in doctor consultation. The mean score was 6.4 for fear, 8.0 for attention and 7.4 for fact-checking. Delay was more common in males and increased with age and fear. High vs. low level of fear was associated with delay [adjusted odd ratios (AOR) 2.68, 95% confidence interval (CI) 2.08, 3.47]. Moderate level of fact-checking was negatively associated with delay (AOR 0.72, 95% CI 0.56, 0.92). Females reported greater fear and fear decreased with age. Fear increased with attention to information and decreased with fact-checking. Fear substantially mediated the association of delay with attention (96%) and fact-checking (30%).

Conclusions: We have first shown that delay in doctor consultation increased with fear of COVID-19 and decreased with fact-checking amidst the pandemic. Fear also increased with attention to COVID-19 related information and decreased with fact-checking. Understanding these associations can help policymakers develop targeted communication and support to the public to reduce delayed doctor consultations and the associated COVID-19-related or unrelated morbidity and mortality in the community.
Enabling Automatic Detection of Anomalies in Wastewater: A Highly Simplified Approach to Defining “Normal” in Complex Chemical Mixtures
Authors: Navato Alfred P. , Mueller Amy V.
Published: December 2021

Wastewater treatment demands management of influent conditions to stabilize biological processes. Generally wastewater collection systems lack advance warning of approaching water parcels with anomalous characteristics, which could then be diverted for testing or pre-treatment. A major challenge in achieving this goal is identifying anomalies against the complex chemical background of wastewaters. This work evaluates unsupervised clustering methods to characterize “normal” wastewater characteristics, using >17 months of 10-min resolution absorbance spectrometry data collected at an operating wastewater treatment facility. Comparison of results using K-means, GMM, Hierarchical, and DBSCAN clustering shows minimal intra-cluster variability achieved using K-means. The four K-means clusters include three representing 99% of samples, with the remaining cluster (<0.3% of samples) representing atypical measurements, demonstrating utility in identifying both underlying modalities of wastewater characteristics and outliers. K-means clustering provides a better separation than grouping based on factors such as month, precipitation, or flow (with 25% overlap at 1-σ level, compared to 93, 93, and 83%, respectively) and enables identification of patterns that are not visible in factor-driven grouping, e.g., shows that summer and November months have a characteristic type of behavior. When evaluated with respect to wastewater influent changes occurring during the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic, the K-means approach shows a distinct change in strength of diurnal patterns when compared to non-pandemic periods during the same season. This method may therefore be useful both as a tool for fast anomaly detection in wastewaters, contributing to improved infrastructure resilience, as well for providing overall analysis of temporal patterns in wastewater characteristics.
High Ligation of the Inferior Mesenteric Artery Induces Hypoperfusion of the Sigmoid Colon Stump During Anterior Resection
Authors: Higashijima Jun , Kono Toru , Shimada Mitsuo , Sugitani Ayumu , Kashihara Hideya , Takasu Chie , Nishi Masaaki , Tokunaga Takuya , Yoshikawa Kozo
Published: December 2021

Background: Anastomotic leakage (AL) after colorectal surgery is associated with insufficient vascular perfusion of the anastomotic ends. This study aimed to evaluate the effect of high vs. low ligation of the ileocolic artery and inferior mesenteric artery, respectively, on the vascular perfusion of the bowel stumps during ileocecal resection (ICR) and anterior rectal resection (AR).

Methods: We retrospectively evaluated patients who underwent ICR or AR between 2016 and 2020. Real-time indocyanine green fluorescence angiography was performed to measure the fluorescence time (FT) as a marker of the blood flow in the proximal and distal stumps before anastomosis.

Results: Thirty-four patients with lower right-sided colon cancer underwent laparoscopic ICR. Forty-one patients with rectosigmoid colon or rectal cancer underwent robotic high AR (HAR) (n = 8), robotic low AR (LAR) (n = 6), laparoscopic HAR (n = 8), or laparoscopic LAR (n = 19). The FT was similar in the ileal and ascending colon stumps (p = 1.000) and did not differ significantly between high vs. low ligation of the ileocolic artery (p = 0.934). The FT was similar in the sigmoid colon and rectal stumps (p = 0.642), but high inferior mesenteric artery ligation significantly prolonged FT in the sigmoid colon during AR compared with low ligation (p = 0.004), indicating that the high ligation approach caused significant hypoperfusion compared with low ligation. The AL rate was similar after low vs. high ligation.

Conclusions: Low vascular perfusion of the bowel stumps may not be an absolute risk factor for AL. High inferior mesenteric artery ligation could induce sigmoid colon stump hypoperfusion during anterior rectal resection.
Leveraging Sub-national Collaboration and Influence for Improving Animal Health Surveillance and Response: A Stakeholder Mapping in Tanzania
Authors: George Janeth , Häsler Barbara , Komba Erick V. G. , Sindato Calvin , Rweyemamu Mark , Kimera Sharadhuli I. , Mlangwa James E. D.
Published: December 2021

Animal health surveillance plays a vital role in ensuring public health, animal welfare, and sustainable food production by monitoring disease trends, early detecting (new) hazards, facilitating disease control and infection, and providing data for risk analysis. Good stakeholder collaboration across the sector can lead to better communication, better science and decision-making and more effective surveillance and response. An understanding of relevant stakeholders, their interests and their power can facilitate such collaboration. While information on key stakeholders in animal health surveillance is available at the national level in Tanzania, it is missing at the subnational level. The study aimed to explore the existing stakeholders' collaborations and influences at the subnational level through stakeholder mapping and to determine potential leverage points for improving the national animal health surveillance system. A qualitative design was used, involving consultative workshops with government animal health practitioners in Sumbawanga, Sikonge and Kilombero districts of Tanzania from December 2020 to January 2021. Data were collected using an adapted USAID stakeholder collaboration mapping tool with the following steps: (i) Define the objective (ii) Identify all stakeholders (iii) Take stock of the current relationships (iv) Determine resource-based influence (v) Determine non-resource based influence and (vi) Review and revise the collaboration map. Forty-five stakeholders were identified in all three districts and grouped into four categories: private sector and non-government organizations (n = 16), government (n = 16), community (n = 9) and political leaders (n = 4). Animal health practitioners had a stronger relationship with community stakeholders as compared to other categories. The results also showed that most of the stakeholders have non-resource-based influence compared to resource-based influence. The private sector and non-government organizations have a relatively higher number of resource-based influential stakeholders, while political leaders have more non-resource-based influence. The mapping exercise demonstrated that the system could benefit from community mobilization and sensitization, resource mobilization and expanding the horizon of surveillance data sources. Some of the leverage points include integration of surveillance activities into animal health services, clear operational processes, constant engagement, coordination and incentivization of stakeholders. The diversity in the identified stakeholders across the districts suggests that collaborations are contextual and socially constructed.
NEFAs Influence the Inflammatory and Insulin Signaling Pathways Through TLR4 in Primary Calf Hepatocytes in vitro
Authors: Deng Qinghua , Du Liyin , Zhang Yuming , Liu Guowen
Published: December 2021

Transition dairy cows are often in a state of negative energy balance because of decreased dry matter intake and increased energy requirements, initiating lipid mobilization and leading to high serum β-hydroxybutyrate (BHBA) and non-esterified fatty acid (NEFAs) levels, which can induce ketosis and fatty liver in dairy cows. Inflammation and insulin resistance are also common diseases in the perinatal period of dairy cows. What is the relationship between negative energy balance, insulin resistance and inflammation in dairy cows? To study the role of non-esterified fatty acids in the nuclear factor kappa beta (NF-κB) inflammatory and insulin signaling pathways through Toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4), we cultured primary calf hepatocytes and added different concentrations of NEFAs to assess the mRNA and protein levels of inflammatory and insulin signaling pathways. Our experiments indicated that NEFAs could activate the NF-κB inflammatory signaling pathway and influence insulin resistance through TLR4. However, an inhibitor of TLR4 alleviated the inhibitory effects of NEFAs on the insulin pathway. In conclusion, all of these results indicate that high-dose NEFAs (2.4 mM) can activate the TLR4/NF-κB inflammatory signaling pathway and reduce the sensitivity of the insulin pathway through the TLR4/PI3K/AKT metabolic axis.
Merging Discrete Morse Vector Fields: A Case of Stubborn Geometric Parallelization
Authors: Lenseth Douglas , Goldfarb Boris
Published: December 2021

We address the basic question in discrete Morse theory of combining discrete gradient fields that are partially defined on subsets of the given complex. This is a well-posed question when the discrete gradient field V is generated using a fixed algorithm which has a local nature. One example is ProcessLowerStars, a widely used algorithm for computing persistent homology associated to a grey-scale image in 2D or 3D. While the algorithm for V may be inherently local, being computed within stars of vertices and so embarrassingly parallelizable, in practical use, it is natural to want to distribute the computation over patches Pi, apply the chosen algorithm to compute the fields Vi associated to each patch, and then assemble the ambient field V from these. Simply merging the fields from the patches, even when that makes sense, gives a wrong answer. We develop both very general merging procedures and leaner versions designed for specific, easy-to-arrange covering patterns.
Aircraft Assembly Snags: Human Errors or Lack of Production Design?
Authors: Alogla Ageel Abdulaziz , Alruqi Mansoor
Published: December 2021

To err is an intrinsic human trait, which means that human errors, at some point, are inevitable. Business improvement tools and practices neglect to deal with the root causes of human error; hence, they ignore certain design considerations that could possibly prevent or minimise such errors from occurring. Recognising this gap, this paper seeks to conceptualise a model that incorporates cognitive science literature based on a mistake-proofing concept, thereby offering a deeper, more profound level of human error analysis. An exploratory case study involving an aerospace assembly line was conducted to gain insights into the model developed. The findings of the case study revealed four different causes of human errors, as follows: (i) description similarity error, (ii) capture errors, (iii) memory lapse errors, and (iv) interruptions. Based on this analysis, error-proofing measures have been proposed accordingly. This paper lays the foundation for future work on the psychology behind human errors in the aerospace industry and highlights the importance of understanding human errors to avoid quality issues and rework in production settings, where labour input is of paramount importance.
Evaluation of Phenological and Agronomical Traits of Different Almond Grafting Combinations under Testing in Central Italy
Authors: Pica Aniello Luca , Silvestri Cristian , Cristofori Valerio
Published: December 2021

In the new introducing almond areas, it is necessary to test the more promising almond cultivar and rootstock combinations able to guarantee the best agronomic performances according to the specific pedoclimatic conditions. With this aim, two almond trials have been established in an experimental farm located in the Latium region (Italy). The first trial (A) focused on the phenological, and agronomical influences induced by the clonal rootstock ‘GF677’ on the grafted cultivars ‘Tuono’, ‘Supernova’ and ‘Genco’, in comparison to those induced by peach seedling rootstocks, in order to identify the best grafting combination for developing “high density” plantings in this new growing area. The second trial (B) tested the phenological and agronomical influences induced by three different clonal rootstocks (‘GF677’, ‘Rootpac® 20’ and ‘Rootpac® R’), on the Spanish cultivar ‘Guara’ to identify suitable dwarfing rootstocks for “super high density” plantings in the same environment. Flowering and ripening calendars of the trial A highlighted as the medium-late flowering cultivars ‘Genco’, ‘Supernova’ and ‘Tuono’ could be subject to moderate risk of cold damages. The clonal rootstock ‘GF677’ seems to anticipate flowering and vegetative bud break by a few days in ‘Tuono’ when compared to the same cultivar grafted on peach seedling rootstocks. Furthermore, the yield per plant was always higher in plants grafted on ‘GF677’. The observations carried out in trial B highlighted as the flowering of cultivar ‘Guara’ were affected by the rootstock, with ‘Rootpac® 20’, which postponed its full bloom of about one week when compared to other rootstocks, whereas ‘GF677’ imposed more vigor to the cultivar than ‘Rootpac® 20’ and ‘Rootpac® R’.