bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Psychological Distress among Undergraduate Dental Students in Saudi Arabia and Its Coping Strategies—A Systematic Review
Authors: Khanagar Sanjeev B. , Al-Ehaideb Ali , Jamleh Ahmed , Ababneh Khansa , Maganur Prabhadevi C. , Vishwanathaiah Satish , Awawdeh Mohammed Adel , Naik Sachin , Al-Kheraif Abdulaziz A. , Bhandi Shilpa , Zanza Alessio , Testarelli Luca , Patil Shankargouda
Published: April 2021

The objective of this paper was to evaluate the studies that have reported on psychological issues among dental students in Saudi Arabia and to develop coping strategies to overcome these mental health-related issues. The present systematic review is in accordance with the guidelines for Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA). The search for the articles was carried out in the electronic databases by four independent researchers. The data search was performed in the electronic search engines like PubMed, Google Scholar, Web of Science, Scopus, Medline, Embase, Cochrane and Saudi Digital Library for scientific research articles published from January 2000 until December 2020. STROBE guidelines were adopted for qualitative analysis of six articles which met the eligibility criteria. The analysis of the literature revealed that most of the studies included were conducted in the past 8 years in different regions of Saudi Arabia. Findings of this systematic review clearly state that dental students in Saudi Arabia experience higher levels of depression, stress and anxiety and stress during their education period, with a higher stress for female students compared to male students. There is an urgent need to introduce interventional programs and preventive strategies to overcome the long-term effects.
Medical Apps and the Gray Zone in the COVID-19 Era: Between Evidence and New Needs for Cybersecurity Expansion
Authors: Maccioni Giovanni , Giansanti Daniele
Published: April 2021

The study focuses on emerging problems caused by the spread of medical apps. Firstly, it reviews the current role of cybersecurity and identifies the potential need to widen the boundaries of cybersecurity in relation to these apps. Secondly, it focuses on the pivotal device behind the development of mHealth: the smartphone, and highlights its role and current potential for hosting wearable medical technology. Thirdly, it addresses emerging issues regarding these apps, which are in a gray zone. This is done through an analysis of the important positions of scholars, and by means of a survey report on the increased use of various categories of apps during the COVID-19 pandemic, highlighting an accentuation of the problem. The study ends by explaining the reflections and proposals that emerged after performing the analysis.
Health Literacy in Pregnant Women: A Systematic Review
Authors: Nawabi Farah , Krebs Franziska , Vennedey Vera , Shukri Arim , Lorenz Laura , Stock Stephanie
Published: April 2021

Health literacy plays a crucial role during pregnancy, as the mother’s health behavior influences both her own health and that of her child. To the authors’ best knowledge, no comprehensive overview on evidence of the health literacy of pregnant women and its impact on health outcomes during pregnancy exists. Therefore, this review aims to assess health literacy levels in pregnant women, whether health literacy is associated with outcomes during pregnancy and whether effective interventions exist to improve the health literacy of pregnant women. A systematic literature search was conducted in PubMed and EBSCO, resulting in 14 studies. The results show mixed levels of health literacy in pregnant women. Limited health literacy is associated with unhealthy behaviors during pregnancy. Mixed health literacy levels can be attributed to the recruitment site, the number of participants and the measurement tool used. Quality assessment reveals that the quality of the included studies is moderate to good. The review revealed that randomized controlled trials and interventions to improve health literacy in pregnant women are rare or do not exist. This is crucial in the light of the mixed health literacy levels found among pregnant women. Healthcare providers play a key role in this context, as pregnant women with limited health literacy rely on them as sources of health information.
Associations between Adverse Childhood Experiences and Sexual Risk among Postpartum Women
Authors: Thomas Jordan L. , Lewis Jessica B. , Ickovics Jeannette R. , Cunningham Shayna D.
Published: April 2021

Epidemiological evidence suggests that exposure to adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) is associated with sexual risk, especially during adolescence, and with maternal and child health outcomes for women of reproductive age. However, no work has examined how ACE exposure relates to sexual risk for women during the postpartum period. In a convenience sample of 460 postpartum women, we used linear and logistic regression to investigate associations between ACE exposure (measured using the Adverse Childhood Experiences Scale) and five sexual risk outcomes of importance to maternal health: contraceptive use, efficacy of contraceptive method elected, condom use, rapid repeat pregnancy, and incidence of sexually transmitted infections (STIs). On average, women in the sample were 25.55 years of age (standard deviation = 5.56); most identified as Black (60.4%), White (18%), or Latina (14.8%). Approximately 40% were exposed to adversity prior to age 18, with the modal number of experiences among those exposed as 1. Women exposed to ACEs were significantly less likely to use contraception; more likely to elect less-efficacious contraceptive methods; and used condoms less frequently (p = 0.041 to 0.008). ACE exposure was not associated with rapid repeat pregnancy or STI acquisition, p > 0.10. Screening for ACEs during pregnancy may be informative to target interventions to reduce risky sexual behavior during the postpartum period.
Exposure of Children to Unhealthy Food and Beverage Advertisements in South Africa
Authors: Yamoah Daniel A. , De Man Jeroen , Onagbiye Sunday O. , Mchiza Zandile J.
Published: April 2021

Television (TV) is a powerful medium for marketing food and beverages. Food and beverage marketers tend to use this medium to target children with the hope that children will in turn influence their families’ food choices. No study has assessed the compliance of TV marketers with the South African Marketing to Children pledge since the enactment of the 2014 food advertising recommendations by the South African Department of Health and the Advertising Standards Authority. This study investigated the extent and nature of advertising of unhealthy versus healthy food and beverages to children in South African TV broadcasting channels. The date, time, type, frequency and target audience of food advertisements (ads) on four free-to-air South African TV channels were recorded and captured using a structured assessment guide. The presence of persuasive marketing techniques was also assessed. Unhealthy food and beverage advertising was recorded at a significantly higher rate compared with healthy food and beverages during the time frame when children were likely to be watching TV. Brand benefit claims, health claims and power strategies (e.g., advertising using cartoon characters and celebrated individuals) were used as persuasive strategies. These persuasive strategies were used more in unhealthy versus healthy food ads. The findings are in breach of the South African Marketing to Children pledge and suggest a failure of the industry self-regulation system. We recommend the introduction of monitored and enforced statutory regulations to ensure healthy TV food advertising space.
The Impact of the Fourth Industrial Revolution on Managers’ Sense of Coherence
Authors: Mayer Claude-Hélène , Wegerle Cemonn , Oosthuizen Rudolf M.
Published: April 2021

The Fourth Industrial Revolution (4IR) disrupts the world of work, new technologies change the nature of individuals’ work and their tasks, and therefore it is necessary to determine how managers cope with these changes, specifically relating to their salutogenesis. There is a lack of research conducted on the salutogenesis of managers in times of the 4IR. The purpose of this study is to investigate the level of managers’ sense of coherence (SOC) in terms of the adjustments and developments of the 4IR, and their in-depth understanding of their SOC. This study employs a hermeneutical research design with a qualitative approach by using a semi-structured interview. The method used to analyze the data was content analysis. From the data analysis, the findings indicate that a majority of the managers tend to have an understanding of the 4IR and what implications of the 4IR will have on the world of work and their job description, the necessary resources to cope with the 4IR, and find the 4IR meaningful, therefore, managers have a strong SOC level during the 4IR. The recommendations for future studies suggest that research could be conducted how managers and lower-level managers’ SOC differ, which will provide insight into what different methods are required for the different level of managers.
How Public Trust in Health Care Can Shape Patient Overconsumption in Health Systems? The Missing Links
Authors: Krot Katarzyna , Rudawska Iga
Published: April 2021

Overconsumption of health care is an ever-present and complex problem in health systems. It is especially significant in countries in transition that assign relatively small budgets to health care. In these circumstances, trust in the health system and its institutions is of utmost importance. Many researchers have studied interpersonal trust. Relatively less attention, however, has been paid to public trust in health systems and its impact on overconsumption. Therefore, this paper seeks to identify and examine the link between public trust and the moral hazard experienced by the patient with regard to health care consumption. Moreover, it explores the mediating role of patient satisfaction and patient non-adherence. For these purposes, quantitative research was conducted based on a representative sample of patients in Poland. Interesting findings were made on the issues examined. Patients were shown not to overconsume health care if they trusted the system and were satisfied with their doctor-patient relationship. On the other hand, nonadherence to medical recommendations was shown to increase overuse of medical services. The present study contributes to the existing knowledge by identifying phenomena on the macro (public trust in health care) and micro (patient satisfaction and non-adherence) scales that modify patient behavior with regard to health care consumption. Our results also provide valuable knowledge for health system policymakers. They can be of benefit in developing communication plans at different levels of local government.
The Energy to Smoke: Examining the Longitudinal Association between Beverage Consumption and Smoking and Vaping Behaviours among Youth in the COMPASS Study
Authors: Fagan Matthew J. , Di Sebastiano Katie M. , Qian Wei , Leatherdale Scott T. , Faulkner Guy
Published: April 2021

This study examined the longitudinal association between changes in sugar-sweetened and/or caffeinated beverage consumption and smoking/vaping behaviour among Canadian adolescents. Using longitudinal data from the COMPASS study (2015/16 to 2017/18), four models were developed to investigate whether beverage consumption explained variability in smoking and vaping behaviour in adolescence: (1) smoking initiation, (2) vaping initiation, (3) current smoking status, and (4) current vaping status. Models were adjusted for demographic factors. Multinomial logit models were used for model 1, 2, and 3. A binary logistic regression model was used for model 4. An association between change in frequency of beverage consumption and smoking/vaping behaviour was identified in all models. A one-day increase in beverage consumption was associated with smoking initiation (OR = 1.38, 95% CI: 1.25, 1.51), vaping initiation (OR = 1.23, 95% CI: 1.14, 1.32), identifying as a current smoker (OR = 1.17, 95% CI: 1.01, 1.35), and currently vaping (OR = 1.08, 95% CI: 1.04, 1.11). Change in high-energy drink consumption was the best predictor of smoking behaviours and vaping initiation but not current vaping status. Given the health consequences of smoking and vaping and their association with high-energy drink and coffee consumption, policy initiatives to prevent smoking/vaping initiation, and to limit youth access to these beverages, warrant consideration.
Traumatized Syrian Refugees with Ambiguous Loss: Predictors of Mental Distress
Authors: Renner Anna , Jäckle David , Nagl Michaela , Plexnies Anna , Röhr Susanne , Löbner Margrit , Grochtdreis Thomas , Dams Judith , König Hans-Helmut , Riedel-Heller Steffi , Kersting Anette
Published: April 2021

Refugees from war zones often have missing significant others. A loss without confirmation is described as an ambiguous loss. This physical absence with simultaneous mental persistence can be accompanied by economic, social or legal problems, boundary ambiguity (i.e., uncertainty about who belongs to the family system), and can have a negative impact on mental health. The aim of this study was to identify sociodemographic and loss-related predictors for prolonged grief, anxiety, depression, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and somatization in treatment-seeking Syrian refugees with post-traumatic stress symptoms in Germany experiencing ambiguous loss. For the present study, data were based on the treatment-seeking baseline sample of the “Sanadak” randomized-controlled trial, analyzing a subsample of 47 Syrian refugees with post-traumatic stress symptoms in Germany experiencing ambiguous loss. Sociodemographic and loss-related questions were applied, along with standardized instruments for symptoms of prolonged grief (ICG), anxiety (GAD-7), depression (PHQ-9), PTSD (PDS-5) and somatization (PHQ-15). Linear regression models were used to predict mental health outcomes. Having lost a close family member and higher boundary ambiguity showed a statistically significant association with higher severity in prolonged grief. The overall model for somatization reached statistical significance, while no predictor independently did. Boundary ambiguity showed a statistically significant positive association with depression, while the overall model showed no statistically significant associations. Boundary ambiguity and missing family members seemed to be important predictors for prolonged grief. These findings support the importance of reunification programs and suggest an inclusion of the topic into psychosocial support structures, e.g., including psychoeducational elements on boundary ambiguity in support groups for traumatized individuals and families experiencing ambiguous loss. Further research is needed for a more detailed understanding of the impact of ambiguous loss on refugee populations.
Are Rurality, Area Deprivation, Access to Outside Space, and Green Space Associated with Mental Health during the COVID-19 Pandemic? A Cross Sectional Study (CHARIS-E)
Authors: Hubbard Gill , Daas Chantal den , Johnston Marie , Murchie Peter , Thompson Catharine Ward , Dixon Diane
Published: April 2021

The study investigated if rurality, area deprivation, access to outside space (Study 1), and frequency of visiting and duration in green space (Study 2) are associated with mental health during the COVID-19 pandemic and examined if individual demographics (age, gender, COVID-19 shielding status) and illness beliefs have a direct association with mental health during the COVID-19 pandemic. A serial, weekly, nationally representative, cross-sectional, observational study of randomly selected adults was conducted in Scotland during June and July 2020. If available, validated instruments were used to measure psychological distress, individual demographics, illness beliefs, and the following characteristics: Rurality, area deprivation, access to residential outside space, frequency of visiting, and duration in green space. Simple linear regressions followed by examination of moderation effect were conducted. There were 2969 participants in Study 1, of which 1765 (59.6%) were female, 349 (11.9%) were in the shielding category, and the median age was 54 years. There were 502 participants in Study 2, of which 295 (58.60%) were female, 58 (11.6%) were in shielding category, and the median age was 53 years. Direct effects showed that psychological distress was worse if participants reported the following: Urban, in a deprived area, no access to or sharing residential outside space, fewer visits to green space (environment), younger, female, in the shielding category (demographics), worse illness (COVID-19) representations, and greater threat perception (illness beliefs). Moderation analyses showed that environmental factors amplified the direct effects of the individual factors on psychological distress. This study offers pointers for public health and for environmental planning, design, and management, including housing design and public open space provision and regulation.
Surveillance for Severe Acute Respiratory Infections among Hospitalized Subjects from 2015/2016 to 2019/2020 Seasons in Tuscany, Italy
Authors: Manini Ilaria , Camarri Andrea , Marchi Serena , Trombetta Claudia Maria , Vicenti Ilaria , Dragoni Filippo , Lazzeri Giacomo , Bova Giovanni , Montomoli Emanuele , Capecchi Pier Leopoldo
Published: April 2021

In Italy, the influenza season lasts from October until April of the following year. Influenza A and B viruses are the two viral types that cocirculate during seasonal epidemics and are the main causes of respiratory infections. We analyzed influenza A and B viruses in samples from hospitalized patients at Le Scotte University Hospital in Siena (Central Italy). From 2015 to 2020, 182 patients with Severe Acute Respiratory Infections were enrolled. Oropharyngeal swabs were collected from patients and tested by means of reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction to identify influenza A(H3N2), A(H1N1)pdm09 and B. Epidemiological and virological surveillance remain an essential tool for monitoring circulating viruses and possible mismatches with seasonal vaccine strains, and provide information that can be used to improve the composition of influenza vaccines.
Effects of Vehicle Load on Emissions of Heavy-Duty Diesel Trucks: A Study Based on Real-World Data
Authors: Wang Xin , Song Guohua , Zhai Zhiqiang , Wu Yizheng , Yin Hang , Yu Lei
Published: April 2021

Vehicle loads have significant impacts on the emissions of heavy-duty trucks, even in the same traffic conditions. Few studies exist covering the differences in emissions of diesel semi-trailer towing trucks (DSTTTs) with different loads, although these vehicles have a wide load range. In this context, the operating modes and emission rates of DSTTTs were analyzed under varying loads scenarios to understand the effect of vehicle loads on emission factors. First, second-by-second field speed data and emission data of DSTTTs with different loads were collected. Then, the methods for calculating the scaled tractive power (STP) and the emissions model for DSTTTs were proposed to evaluate the effect of different loading scenarios. The STP distributions, emission rate distributions, and emission factor characteristics of different loaded trucks were analyzed and compared. The results indicated that the STP distributions of DSTTTs that under the unloaded state were more narrow than those under fully loaded or overloaded conditions. The emission rates of carbon dioxide (CO2), carbon monoxide (CO) and total hydrocarbon (THC) for DSTTTs under a fully loaded state were significantly higher than those under an unloaded state. However, due to the influence of exhaust temperature, the emission rates of nitrogen oxides (NOx) among fully loaded trucks were lower than those under the unloaded state when STP bin was above 4 kW/ton. The emission factors of CO2, CO, THC, and NOx for fully loaded trucks demonstrated the largest increases at low-speed intervals (0–30 km/h), which rose by 96.2%, 47.9%, 27.8%, and 65.2%, respectively.
Histomorphometric Comparison between Two Types of Acellular Dermal Matrix Grafts: A Mini Pig Animal Model Study
Authors: Aragoneses Javier , Suárez Ana , Rodríguez Cinthia , Aragoneses Juan Manuel
Published: April 2021

Acellular dermal matrix grafts (ADMG) have been used as soft tissue graft substitutes for autografts in periodontal plastic surgical procedures. They have benefits like avoiding a second surgical site and patient morbidity that have been associated with autografts, but there is limited evidence available on their tissue response and wound healing process. This histomorphometric animal model study was carried out in mini pigs and it aimed to compare the two types of ADMG materials of porcine derivative with a control group through observation of parameters like epithelial and Keratinized layer thickness, angiogenesis, cellularity, matrix resorption, and inflammatory infiltrate. The surgical technique involved punctures on the edentulous areas stripping the epithelial tissue and exposing the underlying connective tissue, placement of the ADMGs in the appropriate control and test sites. Following this, gingival biopsies were procured at three different time intervals of 15, 45, and 90 days. There were significant differences in epithelial and Keratinized layer thickness among the three groups. This study concluded that there was no clear consensus on which graft material was superior but it gave an insight into the tissue response and wound healing process associated with the graft materials.
Modeling Soil Moisture from Multisource Data by Stepwise Multilinear Regression: An Application to the Chinese Loess Plateau
Authors: Yuan Lina , Li Long , Zhang Ting , Chen Longqian , Liu Weiqiang , Hu Sai , Yang Longhua
Published: April 2021

This study aims to integrate multisource data to model the relative soil moisture (RSM) over the Chinese Loess Plateau in 2017 by stepwise multilinear regression (SMLR) in order to improve the spatial coverage of our previously published RSM. First, 34 candidate variables (12 quantitative and 22 dummy variables) from the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) and topographic, soil properties, and meteorological data were preprocessed. Then, SMLR was applied to variables without multicollinearity to select statistically significant (p-value < 0.05) variables. After the accuracy assessment, monthly, seasonal, and annual spatial patterns of RSM were mapped at 500 m resolution and evaluated. The results indicate that there was a high potential of SMLR to model RSM with the desired accuracy (best fit of the model with Pearson’s r = 0.969, root mean square error = 0.761%, and mean absolute error = 0.576%) over the Chinese Loess Plateau. The variables of elevation (0–500 m and 2000–2500 m), precipitation, soil texture of loam, and nighttime land surface temperature can continuously be used in the regression models for all seasons. Including dummy variables improved the model fit both in calibration and validation. Moreover, the SMLR-modeled RSM achieved better spatial coverage than that of the reference RSM for almost all periods. This is a significant finding as the SMLR method supports the use of multisource data to complement and/or replace coarse resolution satellite imagery in the estimation of RSM.
Linking Public Transport User Satisfaction with Service Accessibility for Sustainable Mobility Planning
Authors: Inturri Giuseppe , Giuffrida Nadia , Le Pira Michela , Fazio Martina , Ignaccolo Matteo
Published: April 2021

Increasing the Quality of Service (QoS) of Public Transport (PT), in order to attract more users, is one of the goals of transport companies and urban policy-makers. A continuous monitoring of data on users’ satisfaction is desirable, but most of the time such process is costly. Finding correlations between PT accessibility, user satisfaction and PT ridership might be the key to prioritize where and how service quality improvements have to be put in place. The aim of this paper is to investigate the correlation among PT use, user satisfaction and PT accessibility using a spatial and statistical approach to find useful and simple indicators for sustainable mobility planning. The case study is Catania, a medium-sized city located in southern Italy, with a focus on the mobility of University students. In this respect, students experienced fare-free PT from 2018 to 2020 as one of the main results of collaboration between the University and the two urban PT operators, providing free access to bus and metro transport services in the city. Student satisfaction and relevant data regarding their mobility behavior were constantly monitored via a web survey: the analysis conducted in this study is based on a database of about 4000 responses collected between 2018 and 2019. Spatial and statistical correlations between user satisfaction, transit ridership and accessibility will provide useful information for a correct planning and management of PT networks by transport companies, highlighting diverse insights for different PT options.
Precision Agriculture Workflow, from Data Collection to Data Management Using FOSS Tools: An Application in Northern Italy Vineyard
Authors: Belcore Elena , Angeli Stefano , Colucci Elisabetta , Musci Maria Angela , Aicardi Irene
Published: April 2021

In the past decades, technology-based agriculture, also known as Precision Agriculture (PA) or smart farming, has grown, developing new technologies and innovative tools to manage data for the whole agricultural processes. In this framework, geographic information, and spatial data and tools such as UAVs (Unmanned Aerial Vehicles) and multispectral optical sensors play a crucial role in the geomatics as support techniques. PA needs software to store and process spatial data and the Free and Open Software System (FOSS) community kept pace with PA’s needs: several FOSS software tools have been developed for data gathering, analysis, and restitution. The adoption of FOSS solutions, WebGIS platforms, open databases, and spatial data infrastructure to process and store spatial and nonspatial acquired data helps to share information among different actors with user-friendly solutions. Nevertheless, a comprehensive open-source platform that, besides processing UAV data, allows directly storing, visualising, sharing, and querying the final results and the related information does not exist. Indeed, today, the PA’s data elaboration and management with a FOSS approach still require several different software tools. Moreover, although some commercial solutions presented platforms to support management in PA activities, none of these present a complete workflow including data from acquisition phase to processed and stored information. In this scenario, the paper aims to provide UAV and PA users with a FOSS-replicable methodology that can fit farming activities’ operational and management needs. Therefore, this work focuses on developing a totally FOSS workflow to visualise, process, analyse, and manage PA data. In detail, a multidisciplinary approach is adopted for creating an operative web-sharing tool able to manage Very High Resolution (VHR) agricultural multispectral-derived information gathered by UAV systems. A vineyard in Northern Italy is used as an example to show the workflow of data generation and the data structure of the web tool. A UAV survey was carried out using a six-band multispectral camera and the data were elaborated through the Structure from Motion (SfM) technique, resulting in 3 cm resolution orthophoto. A supervised classifier identified the phenological stage of under-row weeds and the rows with a 95% overall accuracy. Then, a set of GIS-developed algorithms allowed Individual Tree Detection (ITD) and spectral indices for monitoring the plant-based phytosanitary conditions. A spatial data structure was implemented to gather the data at canopy scale. The last step of the workflow concerned publishing data in an interactive 3D webGIS, allowing users to update the spatial database. The webGIS can be operated from web browsers and desktop GIS. The final result is a shared open platform obtained with nonproprietary software that can store data of different sources and scales.
How Is Urban Greenness Spatially Associated with Dockless Bike Sharing Usage on Weekdays, Weekends, and Holidays?
Authors: Gao Feng , Li Shaoying , Tan Zhangzhi , Zhang Xiaoming , Lai Zhipeng , Tan Ziling
Published: April 2021

Dockless bike sharing plays an important role in residents’ daily travel, traffic congestion, and air pollution. Recently, urban greenness has been proven to be associated with bike sharing usage around metro stations using a global model. However, their spatial associations and bike sharing usage on public holidays have seldom been explored in previous studies. In this study, urban greenness was obtained objectively using eye-level greenness with street-view images by deep learning segmentation and overhead view greenness from the normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI). Geographically weighted regression (GWR) was applied to fill the research gap by exploring the spatially varying association between dockless bike sharing usage on weekdays, weekends, and holidays, and urban greenness indicators as well as other built environment factors. The results showed that eye-level greenness was positively associated with bike sharing usage on weekdays, weekends, and holidays. Overhead-view greenness was found to be negatively related to bike usage on weekends and holidays, and insignificant on weekdays. Therefore, to promote bike sharing usage and build a cycling-friendly environment, the study suggests that the relevant urban planner should pay more attention to eye-level greenness exposure along secondary roads rather than the NDVI. Most importantly, planning implications varying across the study area during different days were proposed based on GWR results. For example, the improvement of eye-level greenness might effectively promote bike usage in northeastern and southern Futian districts and western Nanshan on weekdays. It also helps promote bike usage in Futian and Luohu districts on weekends, and in southern Futian and southeastern Nanshan districts on holidays.
Using Content Analysis to Probe the Cognitive Image of Intangible Cultural Heritage Tourism: An Exploration of Chinese Social Media
Authors: Qiu Qihang , Zhang Mu
Published: April 2021

The industry of intangible cultural heritage (ICH) tourism continues to grow, and social media can serve as an essential tool to promote this trend. Although ICH tourism development is outstanding in China, the language structure and restricted use of social media render ICH difficult for non-Chinese speakers to understand. Using content analysis, this study investigates the structure and relationships among cognitive elements of ICH tourism based on 9074 blogs posted between 2011 and 2020 on Weibo.com, one of the most popular social media platforms in China. The main analysis process consisted of matrix construction, dimension classification, and semantic network analysis. Findings indicated that the cognitive image of ICH tourism on social media can be divided into seven dimensions: institutions, ICH and inheritors, tourism products, traditional festivals and seasons, tourism facilities and services, visitors, and regions. This network vividly illustrates ICH tourism and depicts the roles of organizers, residents, inheritors, and tourists. Among these elements, institutions hold the greatest power to regulate and control ICH tourism activities, and folklore appears to be the most common type of ICH resource that can be developed into tourism activities. Practically, the results offer insight for policymakers regarding ways to better balance the relationships among heritage protection, the business economy, and people’s well-being. Such strategies can promote the industrialization of ICH tourism. In addition, through content analysis, this paper confirms the effectiveness of social media in providing a richer understanding of ICH tourism.
The Soil Nutrient Digital Mapping for Precision Agriculture Cases in the Trans-Ural Steppe Zone of Russia Using Topographic Attributes
Authors: Suleymanov Azamat , Abakumov Evgeny , Suleymanov Ruslan , Gabbasova Ilyusya , Komissarov Mikhail
Published: April 2021

Topographic features of territory have a significant impact on the spatial distribution of soil properties. This research is focused on digital soil mapping (DSM) of main agrochemical soil properties—values of soil organic carbon (SOC), nitrogen, potassium, calcium, magnesium, sodium, phosphorus, pH, and thickness of the humus-accumulative (AB) horizon of arable lands in the Trans-Ural steppe zone (Republic of Bashkortostan, Russia). The methods of multiple linear regression (MLR) and support vector machine (SVM) were used for the prediction of soil nutrients spatial distribution and variation. We used 17 topographic indices calculated using the SRTM (Shuttle Radar Topography Mission) digital elevation model. Results showed that SVM is the best method in predicting the spatial variation of all soil agrochemical properties with comparison to MLR. According to the coefficient of determination R2, the best predictive models were obtained for content of nitrogen (R2 = 0.74), SOC (R2 = 0.66), and potassium (R2 = 0.62). In our study, elevation, slope, and MMRTF (multiresolution ridge top flatness) index are the most important variables. The developed methodology can be used to study the spatial distribution of soil nutrients and large-scale mapping in similar landscapes.
Non-Local Feature Search Network for Building and Road Segmentation of Remote Sensing Image
Authors: Ding Cheng , Weng Liguo , Xia Min , Lin Haifeng
Published: April 2021

Building and road extraction from remote sensing images is of great significance to urban planning. At present, most of building and road extraction models adopt deep learning semantic segmentation method. However, the existing semantic segmentation methods did not pay enough attention to the feature information between hidden layers, which led to the neglect of the category of context pixels in pixel classification, resulting in these two problems of large-scale misjudgment of buildings and disconnection of road extraction. In order to solve these problem, this paper proposes a Non-Local Feature Search Network (NFSNet) that can improve the segmentation accuracy of remote sensing images of buildings and roads, and to help achieve accurate urban planning. By strengthening the exploration of hidden layer feature information, it can effectively reduce the large area misclassification of buildings and road disconnection in the process of segmentation. Firstly, a Self-Attention Feature Transfer (SAFT) module is proposed, which searches the importance of hidden layer on channel dimension, it can obtain the correlation between channels. Secondly, the Global Feature Refinement (GFR) module is introduced to integrate the features extracted from the backbone network and SAFT module, it enhances the semantic information of the feature map and obtains more detailed segmentation output. The comparative experiments demonstrate that the proposed method outperforms state-of-the-art methods, and the model complexity is the lowest.
hTERT-Driven Immortalization of RDEB Fibroblast and Keratinocyte Cell Lines Followed by Cre-Mediated Transgene Elimination
Authors: Evtushenko Nadezhda A. , Beilin Arkadii K. , Dashinimaev Erdem B. , Ziganshin Rustam H. , Kosykh Anastasiya V. , Perfilov Maxim M. , Rippa Alexandra L. , Alpeeva Elena V. , Vasiliev Andrey V. , Vorotelyak Ekaterina A. , Gurskaya Nadya G.
Published: April 2021

The recessive form of dystrophic epidermolysis bullosa (RDEB) is a crippling disease caused by impairments in the junctions of the dermis and the basement membrane of the epidermis. Using ectopic expression of hTERT/hTERT + BMI-1 in primary cells, we developed expansible cultures of RDEB fibroblasts and keratinocytes. We showed that they display the properties of their founders, including morphology, contraction ability and expression of the respective specific markers including reduced secretion of type VII collagen (C7). The immortalized keratinocytes retained normal stratification in 3D skin equivalents. The comparison of secreted protein patterns from immortalized RDEB and healthy keratinocytes revealed the differences in the contents of the extracellular matrix that were earlier observed specifically for RDEB. We demonstrated the possibility to reverse the genotype of immortalized cells to the state closer to the progenitors by the Cre-dependent hTERT switch off. Increased β-galactosidase activity and reduced proliferation of fibroblasts were shown after splitting out of transgenes. We anticipate our cell lines to be tractable models for studying RDEB from the level of single-cell changes to the evaluation of 3D skin equivalents. Our approach permits the creation of standardized and expandable models of RDEB that can be compared with the models based on primary cell cultures.
BH3 Mimetic Sensitivity of Colorectal Cancer Cell Lines in Correlation with Molecular Features Identifies Predictors of Response
Authors: Zhang Le , Ramesh Prashanthi , Steinmetz Maxime , Medema Jan Paul
Published: April 2021

Colorectal cancer (CRC) is a heterogeneous disease, which in part explains the differential response to chemotherapy observed in the clinic. BH3 mimetics, which target anti-apoptotic BCL-2 family members, have shown potential in the treatment of hematological malignancies and offer promise for the treatment of solid tumors as well. To gain a comprehensive understanding of the response to BH3 mimetics in CRC and the underlying molecular factors predicting sensitivity, we screened a panel of CRC cell lines with four BH3 mimetics targeting distinct anti-apoptotic BCL-2 proteins. Treatment with compounds alone and in combination revealed potent efficacy of combined MCL-1 and BCL-XL inhibition in inducing CRC cell death, irrespective of molecular features. Importantly, expression of the anti-apoptotic protein target of BH3 mimetics on its own did not predict sensitivity. However, the analysis did identify consensus molecular subtype (CMS) specific response patterns, such as higher resistance to single and combined BCL-2 and MCL-1 inhibition in CMS2 cell lines. Furthermore, analysis of mutation status revealed that KRAS mutant cell lines were more resistant to MCL-1 inhibition. Conclusively, we find that CRC cell lines presented with distinct responses to BH3 mimetics that can in part be predicted by their CMS profile and KRAS/BRAF mutations. Overall, almost all CRC lines share sensitivity in the nanomolar range to combined MCL-1 and BCL-XL targeting suggesting that this would be the preferred approach to target these cancers.
Functional Roles of SPINK1 in Cancers
Authors: Lin Tsung-Chieh
Published: April 2021

Serine Peptidase Inhibitor Kazal Type 1 (SPINK1) is a secreted protein known as a protease inhibitor of trypsin in the pancreas. However, emerging evidence shows its function in promoting cancer progression in various types of cancer. SPINK1 modulated tumor malignancies and induced the activation of the downstream signaling of epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) in cancer cells, due to the structural similarity with epidermal growth factor (EGF). The discoverable SPINK1 somatic mutations, expressional signatures, and prognostic significances in various types of cancer have attracted attention as a cancer biomarker in clinical applications. Emerging findings further clarify the direct and indirect biological effects of SPINK1 in regulating cancer proliferation, metastasis, drug resistance, transdifferentiation, and cancer stemness, warranting the exploration of the SPINK1-mediated molecular mechanism to identify a therapeutic strategy. In this review article, we first integrate the transcriptomic data of different types of cancer with clinical information and recent findings of SPINK1-mediated malignant phenotypes. In addition, a comprehensive summary of SPINK1 expression in a pan-cancer panel and individual cell types of specific organs at the single-cell level is presented to indicate the potential sites of tumorigenesis, which has not yet been reported. This review aims to shed light on the roles of SPINK1 in cancer and provide guidance and potential directions for scientists in this field.
Future Perspectives in Detecting EGFR and ALK Gene Alterations in Liquid Biopsies of Patients with NSCLC
Authors: Ferreira Daniela , Miranda Juliana , Martins-Lopes Paula , Adega Filomena , Chaves Raquel
Published: April 2021

Non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) is a major cause of death worldwide. Alterations in such genes as EGFR and ALK are considered important biomarkers in NSCLC due to the existence of targeted therapies with specific tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs). However, specific resistance-related mutations can occur during TKI treatment, which often result in therapy inefficacy. Liquid biopsies arise as a reliable tool for the early detection of these types of alterations, allowing a non-invasive follow-up of the patients. Furthermore, they can be essential for cancer screening, initial diagnosis and to check surgery success. Despite the great advantages of liquid biopsies in NSCLC and the high input that next-generation sequencing (NGS) approaches can provide in this field, its use in oncology is still limited. With improvement of assay sensitivity and the establishment of clinical guidelines for liquid biopsy analysis, it is expected that they will be used in routine procedures. This review focuses on the usefulness of liquid biopsies of NSCLC patients as a means to detect alterations in EGFR and ALK genes and in disease management, highlighting the impact of NGS methods.
Pt(IV) Prodrugs with NSAIDs as Axial Ligands
Authors: Spector Daniil , Krasnovskaya Olga , Pavlov Kirill , Erofeev Alexander , Gorelkin Peter , Beloglazkina Elena , Majouga Alexander
Published: April 2021

A chemo-anti-inflammatory strategy is of interest for the treatment of aggressive cancers. The platinum (IV) prodrug with non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) as axial ligands is designed to efficiently enter tumor cells due to high lipophilicity and release the cytotoxic metabolite and NSAID intracellularly, thereby reducing side effects and increasing the therapeutic efficacy of platinum chemotherapy. Over the last 7 years, a number of publications have been devoted to the design of such Pt(IV) prodrugs in combination with anti-inflammatory chemotherapy, with high therapeutic efficacy in vitro and In vivo. In this review, we summarize the studies devoted to the development of Pt(IV) prodrugs with NSAIDs as axial ligands, the study of the mechanism of their cytotoxic action and anti-inflammatory activity, the structure–activity ratio, and therapeutic efficacy.
Functionalized Peptide Fibrils as a Scaffold for Active Substances in Wound Healing
Authors: Sawicka Justyna , Iłowska Emilia , Deptuła Milena , Sosnowski Paweł , Sass Piotr , Czerwiec Katarzyna , Chmielewska Klaudia , Szymańska Aneta , Pietralik-Molińska Zuzanna , Kozak Maciej , Sachadyn Paweł , Pikuła Michał , Rodziewicz-Motowidło Sylwia
Published: April 2021

Technological developments in the field of biologically active peptide applications in medicine have increased the need for new methods for peptide delivery. The disadvantage of peptides as drugs is their low biological stability. Recently, great attention has been paid to self-assembling peptides that can form fibrils. Such a formulation makes bioactive peptides more resistant to enzymatic degradation and druggable. Peptide fibrils can be carriers for peptides with interesting biological activities. These features open up prospects for using the peptide fibrils as long-acting drugs and are a valid alternative to conventional peptidic therapies. In our study, we designed new peptide scaffolds that are a hybrid of three interconnected amino acid sequences and are: pro-regenerative, cleavable by neutrophilic elastase, and fibril-forming. We intended to obtain peptides that are stable in the wound environment and that, when applied, would release a biologically active sequence. Our studies showed that the designed hybrid peptides show a high tendency toward regular fibril formation and are able to release the pro-regenerative sequence. Cytotoxicity studies showed that all the designed peptides were safe, did not cause cytotoxic effects and revealed a pro-regenerative potential in human fibroblast and keratinocyte cell lines. In vivo experiments in a dorsal skin injury model in mice indicated that two tested peptides moderately promote tissue repair in their free form. Our research proves that peptide fibrils can be a druggable form and a scaffold for active peptides.
Scanning Probe Microscopies: Imaging and Biomechanics in Reproductive Medicine Research
Authors: Andolfi Laura , Battistella Alice , Zanetti Michele , Lazzarino Marco , Pascolo Lorella , Romano Federico , Ricci Giuseppe
Published: April 2021

Basic and translational research in reproductive medicine can provide new insights with the application of scanning probe microscopies, such as atomic force microscopy (AFM) and scanning near-field optical microscopy (SNOM). These microscopies, which provide images with spatial resolution well beyond the optical resolution limit, enable users to achieve detailed descriptions of cell topography, inner cellular structure organization, and arrangements of single or cluster membrane proteins. A peculiar characteristic of AFM operating in force spectroscopy mode is its inherent ability to measure the interaction forces between single proteins or cells, and to quantify the mechanical properties (i.e., elasticity, viscoelasticity, and viscosity) of cells and tissues. The knowledge of the cell ultrastructure, the macromolecule organization, the protein dynamics, the investigation of biological interaction forces, and the quantification of biomechanical features can be essential clues for identifying the molecular mechanisms that govern responses in living cells. This review highlights the main findings achieved by the use of AFM and SNOM in assisted reproductive research, such as the description of gamete morphology; the quantification of mechanical properties of gametes; the role of forces in embryo development; the significance of investigating single-molecule interaction forces; the characterization of disorders of the reproductive system; and the visualization of molecular organization. New perspectives of analysis opened up by applying these techniques and the translational impacts on reproductive medicine are discussed.
Novel Pyrimidine Derivatives as Potential Anticancer Agents: Synthesis, Biological Evaluation and Molecular Docking Study
Authors: Tylińska Beata , Wiatrak Benita , Czyżnikowska Żaneta , Cieśla-Niechwiadowicz Aneta , Gębarowska Elżbieta , Janicka-Kłos Anna
Published: April 2021

In the present paper, new pyrimidine derivatives were designed, synthesized and analyzed in terms of their anticancer properties. The tested compounds were evaluated in vitro for their antitumor activity. The cytotoxic effect on normal human dermal fibroblasts (NHDF) was also determined. According to the results, all the tested compounds exhibited inhibitory activity on the proliferation of all lines of cancer cells (colon adenocarcinoma (LoVo), resistant colon adenocarcinoma (LoVo/DX), breast cancer (MCF-7), lung cancer (A549), cervical cancer (HeLa), human leukemic lymphoblasts (CCRF-CEM) and human monocytic (THP-1)). In particular, their feature stronger influence on the activity of P-glycoprotein of cell cultures resistant to doxorubicin than doxorubicin. Tested compounds have more lipophilic character than doxorubicin, which determines their affinity for the molecular target and passive transport through biological membranes. Moreover, the inhibitory potential against topoisomerase II and DNA intercalating properties of synthesized compounds were analyzed via molecular docking.