bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Gravitational-Wave Instabilities in Rotating Compact Stars
Authors: Bratton Eric L. , Lin Zikun , Weber Fridolin , Orsaria Milva G. , Ranea-Sandoval Ignacio F. , Saavedra Nathaniel
Published: August 2022

It is generally accepted that the limit on the stable rotation of neutron stars is set by gravitational-radiation reaction (GRR) driven instabilities, which cause the stars to emit gravitational waves that carry angular momentum away from them. The instability modes are moderated by the shear viscosity and the bulk viscosity of neutron star matter. Among the GRR instabilities, the f-mode instability plays a historically predominant role. In this work, we determine the instability periods of this mode for three different relativistic models for the nuclear equation of state (EoS) named DD2, ACB4, and GM1L. The ACB4 model for the EoS accounts for a strong first-order phase transition that predicts a new branch of compact objects known as mass-twin stars. DD2 and GM1L are relativistic mean field (RMF) models that describe the meson-baryon coupling constants to be dependent on the local baryon number density. Our results show that the f-mode instability associated with m=2 sets the limit of stable rotation for cold neutron stars (T≲1010 K) with masses between 1M⊙ and 2M⊙. This mode is excited at rotation periods between 1 and 1.4 ms (∼20% to ∼40% higher than the Kepler periods of these stars). For cold hypothetical mass-twin compact stars with masses between 1.96M⊙ and 2.10M⊙, the m=2 instability sets in at rotational stellar periods between 0.8 and 1 millisecond (i.e., ∼25% to ∼30% above the Kepler period).
Complex Legal Lives: Separated Muslim Women’s Financial Rights in Russia (1750s–1820s)
Authors: Ross Danielle
Published: August 2022

This article seeks to recover the financial rights of separated women living in the Muslim communities of Russia’s Volga-Ural region in the eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries. It argues that by the 1780s–1820s, separated Muslim women were guaranteed certain rights and powers over their marital finances and personal property. These rights emerged out of a complex plural legal landscape created by the Volga-Ural region’s complicated religious and political history in the late medieval and early modern periods. By the end of the eighteenth century, separated Muslim women could claim certain financial rights under both Islamic law and Russian civil law, but had to pursue different kinds of claims through different legal systems. The legal landscape and practices that evolved in relation to separated women’s rights during the early modern period became formalized and institutionalized in the nineteenth century and persisted until the collapse of the Russian empire.
Identification of Differentially Expressed Genes and Prediction of Expression Regulation Networks in Dysfunctional Endothelium
Authors: Cheng Fang , Zeng Yujie , Zhao Minzhu , Zhu Ying , Li Jianbo , Tang Renkuan
Published: August 2022

The detection of early coronary atherosclerosis (ECA) is still a challenge and the mechanism of endothelial dysfunction remains unclear. In the present study, we aimed to identify differentially expressed genes (DEGs) and the regulatory network of miRNAs as well as TFs in dysfunctional endothelium to elucidate the possible pathogenesis of ECA and find new potential markers. The GSE132651 data set of the GEO database was used for the bioinformatic analysis. Principal component analysis (PCA), the identification of DEGs, correlation analysis between significant DEGs, the prediction of regulatory networks of miRNA and transcription factors (TFs), the validation of the selected significant DEGs, and the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis as well as area under the curve (AUC) values were performed. We identified ten genes with significantly upregulated signatures and thirteen genes with significantly downregulated signals. Following this, we found twenty-two miRNAs regulating two or more DEGs based on the miRNA–target gene regulatory network. TFs with targets ≥ 10 were E2F1, RBPJ, SSX3, MMS19, POU3F3, HOXB5, and KLF4. Finally, three significant DEGs (TOX, RasGRP3, TSPAN13) were selected to perform validation experiments. Our study identified TOX, RasGRP3, and TSPAN13 in dysfunctional endothelium and provided potential biomarkers as well as new insights into the possible molecular mechanisms of ECA.
Comprehending Nutrition and Lifestyle Behaviors of People with Metabolic Syndrome: A Focus Group Study
Authors: Mahadzir Muhammad Daniel Azlan , Quek Kia Fatt , Ramadas Amutha
Published: August 2022

Demographically and socio-culturally appropriate care is critical for empowering people with metabolic syndrome (MetS) to self-manage their condition. This focus group study aimed to explore the understanding of nutrition and lifestyle behaviors (NLBs) of Malaysians with MetS. Adults with MetS (N = 21) participated in four focus groups at a university’s research clinic in Malaysia. A thematic framework analysis approach was applied to the focus group data using an initial coding framework developed from the Health Belief Model. Six main themes were identified on perceived motivations, barriers, and threats toward healthy NLBs. Motivations to adopt healthy NLBs were body image, personal experience of adverse complications, and family and social support. The perception that healthcare is a business model, the idea that changes in NLBs are difficult and expensive, and cultural influence on food intake were identified as barriers to healthy NLBs. Inadequate knowledge of MetS was identified as a subtheme in this study. Health education and health promotion activities that aim to modify the NLBs of people with MetS should consider the community’s perception of motivation and barriers to change. Addressing these aspects in the development of programs can potentially increase program adoption and adherence, ensuring the success of community-based lifestyle interventions.
The Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Ophthalmic Outpatient Care in a Tertiary Care Center in Riyadh
Authors: Alkharashi Majed S. , Alsharif Heba M. , Altahan Faisal A. , Alrashed Ahmad W. , Abdulghani Moath
Published: August 2022

In this paper, we measured the impact of a full COVID-19 lockdown on ophthalmic patients after a period of lockdown in Saudi Arabia, from March to September 2020. A cross-sectional analytical study was carried out on 180 patients who had their appointments delayed or canceled due to the lockdown. Data was collected from electronic medical records and patients via voice calls using a validated questionnaire that were analyzed using a multivariable binary regression analysis. The results show no statistically significant mean difference in visual acuity when comparing pre- and post-lockdown measurements. The median number of appointment cancellations/delays per patient was two, and the estimated delay for the first canceled appointments was equal to 178.8 days. Of the cohort studied, 15.4% of patients faced delays in necessary surgical and therapeutic interventions; 22.1% of patients sought eye care at other institutions due to the delay, and 15% of those were seen by doctors unspecialized in ophthalmology. The odds of dissatisfaction with care were higher in patients who experienced cancellations in a surgical procedure and patients who experienced difficulty in obtaining medications. In conclusion, the pandemic hampered ophthalmic patients’ access to medications. Subjective visual outcomes of patients were also negatively affected; however, the change in objective visual parameters was not statistically significant.
Illness Perceptions and Self-Management among People with Chronic Lung Disease and Healthcare Professionals: A Mixed-Method Study Identifying the Local Context
Authors: Song Xiaoyue , Hallensleben Cynthia , Li Bo , Zhang Weihong , Jiang Zongliang , Shen Hongxia , Gobbens Robbert J. J. , Chavannes Niels H. , Versluis Anke
Published: August 2022

Self-management interventions (SMIs) may fail if they misalign with the local context. To optimize the implementation of SMIs in Chinese people with chronic lung disease (CLD), the local context was identified in Chinese primary care (PC) and secondary care (SC). A mixed-method study using semi-structured interviews and quantitative surveys was conducted on people with CLD and healthcare professionals (HCPs). The qualitative data was collected until data saturation was reached, and participants were invited to complete the survey after the interview. The qualitative data—analyzed with the framework approach—was triangulated with the quantitative data. A total of 52 participants completed the interviews, and 48 also finished the survey. Four themes were identified; (a) illness perceptions (e.g., patients had poor CLD knowledge and SM, inadequate resources lead to suboptimal disease control in PC); (b) self-management skills (e.g., most patients delayed exacerbation recognition and action, and some were admitted at the crisis point); (c) factors influencing self-management skills (e.g., (in)adequate disease knowledge and medical expenditure affordability); and (d) needs for self-management (e.g., increased disease knowledge, individualized self-management plan, eHealth, (healthcare insurance) policy support). Identified themes were dependent on each other and should be leveraged when implementing SMIs. Ultimately, such SMIs can optimize patient health outcomes.
In the Shoulder or in the Brain? Behavioral, Psychosocial and Cognitive Characteristics of Unilateral Chronic Shoulder Pain with Symptoms of Central Sensitization
Authors: Bilika Paraskevi , Nijs Jo , Fandridis Emmanouil , Dimitriadis Zacharias , Strimpakos Nikolaos , Kapreli Eleni
Published: August 2022

The recognition of central sensitization (CS) is crucial, as it determines the results of rehabilitation. The aim of this study was to examine associations between CS and catastrophizing, functionality, disability, illness perceptions, kinesiophobia, anxiety, and depression in people with chronic shoulder pain (SP). In this cross-sectional study, 64 patients with unilateral chronic SP completed a few questionnaires including the Central Sensitization Inventory, the Oxford Shoulder Score, the Tampa Scale for Kinesiophobia, the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale, the Pain Catastrophizing Scale, the Brief Illness Perception Questionnaire and the “arm endurance” test. On the basis of three constructed linear regression models, it was found that pain catastrophizing and depression (model 1: p < 0.001, R = 0.57, R2 = 0.33), functionality (model 2: p < 0.001, R = 0.50, R2 = 0.25), and helplessness (model 3: p < 0.001, R = 0.53, R2 = 0.28) were significant predictors for CS symptoms in chronic SP. Two additional logistic regression models also showed that depression (model 4: p < 0.001, Nagelkerke R2 = 0.43, overall correct prediction 87.5%) and functionality (model 5: p < 0.001, Nagelkerke R2 = 0.26, overall correct prediction 84.4%) can significantly predict the classification of chronic SP as centrally sensitized. Patients who were classified as centrally sensitized (n = 10) were found to have significantly worse functionality, psychological factors (anxiety, depression, kinesiophobia, catastrophizing), and pain intensity (p < 0.05). Catastrophizing, depression, and functionality are predictive factors of CS symptoms in patients with chronic shoulder pain. Health care providers should adopt a precision medicine approach during assessment and a holistic rehabilitation of patients with unilateral chronic SP.
Application of Morphological and Physiological Markers for Study of Drought Tolerance in Lilium Varieties
Authors: Li Xiang , Jia Wenjie , Zheng Jie , Ma Lulin , Duan Qing , Du Wenwen , Cui Guangfen , Wang Xiangning , Wang Jihua
Published: August 2022

The shortage of water resources is an unfavourable factor that restricts the production of flowers. The use of drought-resistant morphological markers is of great significance to distinguish the drought resistance of flower varieties. In this paper, we study the difference in drought tolerance of seven common lily varieties in the flower market by morphological and physiological markers. The results showed that there were differences in leaf morphological indices and anatomical structures among the seven varieties. Drought reduced the chlorophyll content, inhibited the photosynthetic rate, and increased catalase (CAT), peroxidase (POD), superoxide dismutase (SOD), malondialdehyde (MDA), proline, soluble sugar, and soluble protein. After rewatering, the activities of CAT, POD, and SOD of ‘Lyon’, ‘Royal Sunset’, and ‘Robina’ varieties decreased, which was opposite to the varieties of ‘Immaculate’, ‘Elena’, ‘Siberia’, and ‘Gelria’. According to the membership function value of physiological indices, the drought resistance of seven lily varieties from weak to strong was ‘Immaculate’, ‘Elena’, ‘Siberia’, ‘Gelria’, ‘Robina’, ‘Royal Sunset’, and ‘Lyon’. Drought resistance is related to the thickness of leaves, palisade tissue, sponge tissue, and specific leaf area. Lily leaf structure can be used as one of the indices to judge drought resistance.
Minimal Necessary Weed Control Does Not Increase Weed-Mediated Biological Pest Control in Romaine Lettuce (Lactuca sativa L., var. Romana)
Authors: Virili Alessandra , Moonen Anna-Camilla
Published: August 2022

Lettuce is one of the most consumed leafy greens. Depending on the variety, it is ready for harvesting 40–80 days after sowing, and therefore several growth cycles can be concluded within a growing season. Due to its high market standards, lettuce may require intensive management. This study implemented a critical period of weed interference (CPWI) trial to understand at which moment of the cropping cycle weeds can be tolerated without impacting crop yield to decrease the time needed for weeding and assess the potential support weeds can give to biological pest control in lettuce. Treatments represented two gradients of weed intensity: (1) increasingly weed-free, and (2) increasingly weedy. Dose–response curves were produced to find the CPWI based on lettuce relative yield. RLQ analysis was used to explore the relationships between weeding regime and weed functional traits for biological pest control. Yield was above the 5% acceptable yield loss threshold in all plots kept weed-free for 20 days or more, indicating a necessary weed-free period of 20 days from transplanting. However, the support of beneficial insects was not guaranteed at the end of the necessary weed-free period. We suggest that it is possible to limit intense weed management to the beginning of the growing season, reducing the cost of plastic mulches and increasing on-farm biodiversity, but field margins could be better suited to deliver conservation biological control in short-term crops where this service is of primary interest.
The Effects of Growth Regulators and Apical Bud Removal on Growth, Flowering, and Corms Production of Two Gladiolus Varieties
Authors: Khalafalla Magdy Mohamed , Hegazi Mahmoud Abdelnabi , Eltarawy Ahmed Mohamed , Magouz Mohamed Refaat , Elzaim Hamdy Hassan , Yndgaard Flemming , Solberg Svein Øivind
Published: August 2022

Gladiolus is commonly propagated from corms. The multiplication rate of corms is low and to increase the propagation rate, we examined a combination of apical bud removal and the application of growth regulators. The experiments were conducted in two varieties, ‘Rose Supreme’ and ‘White Prosperity’, and over two seasons. The apical buds on the planting corms were either removed or left intact before the same corms were soaked in a suspension with either 100 ppm of benzyladenine (BA), 100 ppm of gibberellic acid (GA3), or pure water. The results showed that apical bud removal increased the number of corms and shoots. GA3 had limited the effect on corm and shoot production, but instead resulted in increased total leaf area and leaf weight per shoot. BA, on the other hand, increased the number of corms and shoots. Overall, the removal of the apical bud plus application of BA increased the number of corms and shoots but reduced the average corm diameter and leaf weight per shoot. This was clearer in ‘Rose Supreme’ than in ‘White Prosperity’. To maximize flower production for the coming season, farmers need to produce a high number of planting corms, but they also need to balance this with a sufficient corm size and the production of flowers of good quality. The application of growth regulators in combination with apical bud removal should be fine-tuned to avoid a situation that leads to the production of too many small or too few large corms.
Trichostatin A Induced Microspore Embryogenesis and Promoted Plantlet Regeneration in Ornamental Kale (Brassica oleracea var. acephala)
Authors: Liu Chuanhong , Song Gengxing , Zhao Yonghui , Fang Bing , Liu Zhiyong , Ren Jie , Feng Hui
Published: August 2022

Cut flower ornamental kale (Brassica oleracea var. acephala) is a biennial cultivar, which completes a sexual reproductive generation in two years. Isolated microspore culture (IMC) can accelerate plant homozygosity instead of self-pollinations. However, the application of IMC in cut flower ornamental kale was rare since its low rate of embryogenesis. It is proved that histone acetylation might affect the gene expression in microspores and led to the transformation of microspores from pollen development pathway to embryogenesis. In this paper, microspores, derived from three varieties of cut flower ornamental kale, Crane Bicolor (CB), Crane Pink (CP) and Crane Feather Queen (CFQ), were treated with histone deacetylation inhibitor (HDACI) trichostatin A (TSA). Results revealed that the appropriate concentration of TSA was 10 nM for CB with obtaining 5.39 embryos per bud, while for CP and CFQ was 5 nM with acquiring 10.89 and 16.99 embryos per bud, respectively. TSA treatment also reduced the embryonic mortality, of which 10 nM TSA treatments CB was the optimal and the embryonic mortality decreased to 25.01%. The double haploid (DH) proportion of regenerated plants reached 37.3%. These results contribute to improving the technology for IMC in cut flower ornamental kale.
Microwave-Assisted Extraction of Phenolic Compounds from Pineapple Peel Using Deep Eutectic Solvents
Authors: Vargas-Serna Claudia L. , Ochoa-Martínez Claudia I. , Vélez-Pasos Carlos
Published: August 2022

Approximately half of the world’s pineapple production is marketed as a processed product, leading to the generation of a significant quantity of industrial waste, mainly composed of pineapple peels, cores, and crowns. This study evaluated deep eutectic solvents (DESs) for the assisted microwave extraction of phenolic compounds from pineapple peels and their antioxidant capacity. DESs are considered environmentally friendly solvents characterized by their low toxicity and high capacity for the extraction of bioactive compounds. DESs (choline chloride-glycerol and choline-chloride-malic acid) were used for phenolic compound extraction and compared with traditional solvents such as water, ethanol, methanol, ethanol-water (50%), and methanol-water (50%). A higher concentration of phenolic compounds was achieved using choline chloride-glycerol than traditional solvents as an extraction solvent (7.98 mg eq of gallic acid/g of dry weight). In all the treatments, the antioxidant capacity was higher than 85%. The process variables (drying temperature, extraction time, and solvent/solid ratio) were optimized using choline chloride-glycerol as a solvent. It was found that a drying temperature of 67 °C, an extraction time of 87 s, and a solvent/solid ratio of 60.5 mL/g allow maximizing the content of phenolic compounds and the antioxidant capacity of the extract.
Accurate Cultivar Authentication of Jujube Fruits Using Nano-Fluidic Genotyping of Single Nucleotide Polymorphism (SNP) Markers
Authors: Zhang Yue , Ma Yaping , Meinhardt Lyndel W. , Zhang Dapeng , Cao Bing , Song Lihua
Published: August 2022

Chinese jujube (Ziziphus jujuba Mill.) is an economically important fruit tree that is highly adapted to marginal crop lands and can be grown under a very broad range of climate conditions. Jujube fruits produced from several traditional cultivars in Ningxia, China have enjoyed a premium market price due to their unique flavor and quality attributes. One problem with the high-end jujube market is the adulteration of premium cultivars. The accurate identification of the genetic identity of single jujube fruits is essential for cultivar traceability and authentication. The multi-locus SNP barcoding approach offers an effective solution for cultivar authentication of jujube fruits. To identify variant SNP sequences a nanofluidic array approach was used to test the efficacy of this method with DNA extracted from the fruit pulp of eight jujube cultivars from Ningxia, China. The SNP marker profiles identified the genetic identity of each fruit unambiguously based on multilocus matching and ordination analysis. Results for repeated sampling of multiple fruits from the same tree (using independent DNA extractions) showed a high level of concordance, which demonstrated the reliability of SNP based genotyping platform. This method can handle 100 s to 1000 s of samples per day (based on the platform used). It is robust and cost-effective and has a high potential for its practical application in the jujube industry. The developed method and protocol can be readily applied for botanical authentication of other stone fruits in general.
“Losing Faith in My Body”: Body Image in Individuals Diagnosed with End-Stage Renal Disease as Reflected in Drawings and Narratives
Authors: Lev-Wiesel Rachel , Sasson Liraz , Scharf Netta , Abu Saleh Yasmeen , Glikman Anat , Hazan Denis , Shacham Yarden , Barak-Doenyas Keren
Published: August 2022

Chronic kidney disease (CKD) and the dependency on dialysis is an abrupt life-changing event that harms a patient’s life (e.g., social relationships, work, and well-being). This study aimed to examine how individuals who undergo chronic dialysis due to failure end-stage renal disease perceive their bodies, as reflected in drawings and narratives. Following ethical approval and signing a consent form to participate in the study, 29 adults between the ages of 20 and 85 who have undergone dialysis filled out an anonymous questionnaire that consisted of the following measures: The Center for Epidemiological Studies—Depression (CES-D), The Multidimensional Body-Self Relations Questionnaire (MBSRQ), and The MOS 36-Item Short-Form Health Survey (SF-36). After completion, they were asked to draw their self-figure before and after being diagnosed and narrate it. The data were quantitatively and narratively analyzed. The results revealed high levels of depression and concerns regarding body fitness and weight. Few significant differences were noted between self-figured drawings before and after the diagnosis, such as the body line and gender markers. Additionally, Fitness Evaluation and Overweight Preoccupation were significant among the participants.
Association between Fall History and Gait, Balance, Physical Activity, Depression, Fear of Falling, and Motor Capacity: A 6-Month Follow-Up Study
Authors: Park Catherine , Atique Md Moin Uddin , Mishra Ramkinker , Najafi Bijan
Published: August 2022

Maintaining function in older adults is key to the quality of life and longevity. This study examined the potential impact of falls on accelerating further deterioration over time in gait, balance, physical activity, depression, fear of falling, and motor capacity in older adults. 163 ambulatory older adults (age = 76.5 ± 7.7 years) participated and were followed for 6 months. They were classified into fallers or non-fallers based on a history of falling within the past year. At baseline and 6 months, all participants were objectively assessed for gait, balance, and physical activity using wearable sensors. Additional assessments included psychosocial concerns (depression and fear of falling) and motor capacity (Timed Up and Go test). The fallers showed lower gait performance, less physical activity, lower depression level, higher fear of falling, and less motor capacity than non-fallers at baseline and 6-month follow-up. Results also revealed acceleration in physical activity and motor capacity decline compared to non-fallers at a 6-month follow-up. Our findings suggest that falls would accelerate deterioration in both physical activity and motor performance and highlight the need for effective therapy to reduce the consequences of falls in older adults.
The Impact of Environmental Regulation on Agricultural Productivity: From the Perspective of Digital Transformation
Authors: Zhou Zhiqiang , Liu Wenyan , Wang Huilin , Yang Jingyu
Published: August 2022

China’s goal of becoming a strong agricultural country cannot be achieved without the modernization and digital transformation of the agricultural sector. Presently, China’s agriculture has ushered in the era of digital economy transformation. The digital transformation of agriculture has played a huge role in improving agricultural productivity, promoting sustainable development of China’s agricultural economy, and achieving sustainable development goals. The deep integration of digital economy and agricultural economy has become an important issue of The Times. This study uses a two-way fixed-effects model and an instrumental variable method to examine the impact of environmental regulation on agricultural total factor productivity. Using the method of mechanism analysis, the conduction path of improving agricultural productivity under the means of environmental regulation is discussed. Therefore, the visualization analysis results based on the panel data of Chinese agricultural enterprises from 2011 to 2019 show that the distribution of digital transformation and productivity level of enterprises is uneven and tends to be stable in space. The empirical analysis results show that there is a direct and significant positive relationship between voluntary environmental regulation and agricultural total factor productivity. The results of mechanism analysis show that, under the means of environmental regulation, digital transformation plays an indirect role in improving agricultural productivity. On the basis of enriching and deepening the theoretical extension of the “Porter Hypothesis”, this study subtly incorporates environmental regulation, digital transformation, and agricultural productivity into a unified framework, expanding existing research.
A Framework for Assessing Resilience in Urban Mobility: Incorporating Impact of Ridesharing
Authors: Li Dawei , Liu Yiping , Song Yuchen , Ye Zhenghao , Liu Dongjie
Published: August 2022

To a certain degree, the resilience of the transportation system expresses the safety of the transportation system, because it reflects the ability of the system to maintain its function in the face of disturbance events. In the current research, the assessment of the resilience of urban mobility is attractive and challenging. Apart from this, the concept of green mobility has been popular in recent years. As a representative way of shared mobility, the implementation of ridesharing will affect the level of urban mobility resilience to a certain extent. In this paper, we use a data low-intensity method to evaluate the urban traffic resilience under the circumstance of restricted car use. In addition, we incorporate the impact of ridesharing services. The research in this paper can be regarded as an evaluation framework, which can help policy makers and relevant operators to grasp the overall resilience characteristics of cities in emergencies, identify weak sectors, and formulate the best response plan. This method has been successfully applied to two cities in China, demonstrating its potential for practice. Finally, we also explored the relationship between urban traffic resilience and the pattern of population distribution. The analysis shows that population density has an impact on the level of transportation resilience. And the incorporation of ridesharing will bring an obvious increment in resilience of most areas.
The Status of Occupational Stress and Its Influence on the Health of Medical Staff in Lanzhou, China
Authors: Zhu Dongsheng , Wang Jinyu , Zhao Yurui , Yang Lu , Gao Jinxia , Chang Xuhong , Li Sheng , Zheng Yanni
Published: August 2022

This study aimed to understand the status quo of occupational stress and its impact on the health of medical staff and provide a theoretical basis for relieving occupational stress and improving the health status of medical staff. The occupational stress and health status of medical staff in 14 hospitals in Lanzhou were studied using a general questionnaire, Effort–Reward Imbalance questionnaire, and Self-Rated Health Measurement Scale. A total of 2169 participants were included in the analysis, and 59.4% of the medical staff experienced occupational stress. The results of the occupational stress survey showed that the prevalence of occupational stress among medical staff aged 40–50, with a master’s degree or above, senior professional title, working for 10–20 years, and working more than 48 h per week was higher than in the other groups. The health survey results showed that, compared with other groups, the scores of physical, mental, and social health were lower in medical staff with working years of 10–20 years and working hours of more than 48 h per week. The results show that working years and working hours per week affect not only the level of occupational stress but also physiological, psychological, and social health.
The Ancient Town Residential Environment of the Elderly in Xiangxi Tujia: Survey, Questions, and Recommendations
Authors: Zhang Fupeng , Shi Lei , Liu Simian , Shi Jiaqi , Cheng Mengfei , Xiang Tansheng
Published: August 2022

This study uses behavioral observation, interviews, and questionnaire research to investigate the residential environment. It also evaluates the elderly in four representative ancient towns of Xiangxi, namely, Liye Ancient Town, Furong Ancient Town, Liexi Ancient Town, and Xichehe Ancient Town. It includes indoor air (CO2, PM2.5, PM10) and light intensity monitoring for the residential environment. The results showed that the elderly had a significant sense of frustration and loneliness. Of the elderyly, 70% believed the current living environment had an impact on healthy living, and 45% believed the safety and convenience of the living environment should be improved. More than 80% of the elderly were dissatisfied with their indoor acoustic environment, and more than 70% were dissatisfied with their home transportation. More than 85% of the elderly considered traditional wooden components and spaces to be the source of cultural identity. Furthermore, the average indoor PM2.5 concentration during the fire pit fire was 350–600 µg/m3, about 4.7–8 times the Chinese standard value. The average concentration of PM10 in all rooms was more than 400 µg/m3, approximately three times the Chinese standard value. Also, targeted environmental improvement strategies were proposed. The study results provided actual information to develop a systematic approach and a targeted design based on the needs to improve the residential environment of the elderly in ancient cities.
The Impact of Foehn Wind on Mental Distress among Patients in a Swiss Psychiatric Hospital
Authors: Mikutta Christian A. , Pervilhac Charlotte , Znoj Hansjörg , Federspiel Andrea , Müller Thomas J.
Published: August 2022

Psychiatric patients are particularly vulnerable to strong weather stimuli, such as foehn, a hot wind that occurs in the alps. However, there is a dearth of research regarding its impact on mental health. This study investigated the impact of foehn wind among patients of a psychiatric hospital located in a foehn area in the Swiss Alps. Analysis was based on anonymized datasets obtained from routine records on admission and discharge, including the Brief Symptom Checklist (BSCL) questionnaire, as well as sociodemographic parameters (age, sex, and diagnosis). Between 2013 and 2020, a total of 10,456 admission days and 10,575 discharge days were recorded. All meteorological data were extracted from the database of the Federal Office of Meteorology and Climatology of Switzerland. We estimated the effect of foehn on the BSCL items using a distributed lag model. Significant differences were found between foehn and non-foehn admissions in obsession–compulsion, interpersonal sensitivity, depression, anxiety, phobic anxiety, paranoid ideation, and general severity index (GSI) (p < 0.05). Our findings suggest that foehn wind events may negatively affect specific mental health parameters in patients. More research is needed to fully understand the impact of foehn’s events on mental health.
Chromosomal Instability Characterizes Pediatric Medulloblastoma but Is Not Tolerated in the Developing Cerebellum
Authors: Bočkaj Irena , Martini Tosca E. I. , Smit Marlinde J. , Armandari Inna , Bakker Bjorn , Wardenaar René , Meeuwsen-de Boer Tiny G. J. , Bakker Petra L. , Spierings Diana C. J. , Hoving Eelco W. , Guryev Victor , Foijer Floris , Bruggeman Sophia W. M.
Published: August 2022

Medulloblastoma is a pediatric brain malignancy that consists of four transcriptional subgroups. Structural and numerical aneuploidy are common in all subgroups, although they are particularly profound in Group 3 and Group 4 medulloblastoma and in a subtype of SHH medulloblastoma termed SHHα. This suggests that chromosomal instability (CIN), the process leading to aneuploidy, is an important player in medulloblastoma pathophysiology. However, it is not known if there is ongoing CIN in medulloblastoma or if CIN affects the developing cerebellum and promotes tumor formation. To investigate this, we performed karyotyping of single medulloblastoma cells and demonstrated the presence of distinct tumor cell clones harboring unique copy number alterations, which is suggestive of ongoing CIN. We also found enrichment for processes related to DNA replication, repair, and mitosis in both SHH medulloblastoma and in the highly proliferative compartment of the presumed tumor cell lineage-of-origin, the latter also being sensitive to genotoxic stress. However, when challenging these tumor cells-of-origin with genetic lesions inducing CIN using transgenic mouse modeling, we found no evidence for large chromosomal aberrations in the cerebellum or for medulloblastoma formation. We therefore conclude that without a background of specific genetic mutations, CIN is not tolerated in the developing cerebellum in vivo and, thus, by itself is not sufficient to initiate medulloblastoma.
Physiological and Transcriptome Analyses Revealed the Mechanism by Which Deferoxamine Promotes Iron Absorption in Cinnamomum camphora
Authors: Kong Wei-Liang , Wen Tong-Yue , Wang Ya-Hui , Wu Xiao-Qin
Published: August 2022

Iron deficiency causes chlorosis and growth inhibition in Cinnamomum camphora, an important landscaping tree species. Siderophores produced by plant growth-promoting rhizobacteria have been widely reported to play an indispensable role in plant iron nutrition. However, little to date has been determined about how microbial siderophores promote plant iron absorption. In this study, multidisciplinary approaches, including physiological, biochemical and transcriptome methods, were used to investigate the role of deferoxamine (DFO) in regulating Fe availability in C. camphora seedlings. Our results showed that DFO supplementation significantly increased the Fe2+ content, SPAD value and ferric-chelate reductase (FCR) activity in plants, suggesting its beneficial effect under Fe deficiency. This DFO-driven amelioration of Fe deficiency was further supported by the improvement of photosynthesis. Intriguingly, DFO treatment activated the metabolic pathway of glutathione (GSH) synthesis, and exogenous spraying reduced glutathione and also alleviated chlorosis in C. camphora. In addition, the expression of some Fe acquisition and transport-related genes, including CcbHLH, CcFRO6, CcIRT2, CcNramp5, CcOPT3 and CcVIT4, was significantly upregulated by DFO treatment. Collectively, our data demonstrated an effective, economical and feasible organic iron-complexing agent for iron-deficient camphor trees and provided new insights into the mechanism by which siderophores promote iron absorption in plants.
Establishment and Characterization of Novel Human Intestinal In Vitro Models for Absorption and First-Pass Metabolism Studies
Authors: Przybylla Randy , Mullins Christina Susanne , Krohn Mathias , Oswald Stefan , Linnebacher Michael
Published: August 2022

Commonly used intestinal in vitro models are limited in their potential to predict oral drug absorption. They either lack the capability to form a tight cellular monolayer mimicking the intestinal epithelial barrier or the expression of cytochrome P450 3A4 (CYP3A4). The aim of this study was to establish a platform of colorectal cancer patient-derived cell lines for evaluation of human intestinal drug absorption and metabolism. We characterized ten 2D cell lines out of our collection with confluent outgrowth and long-lasting barrier forming potential as well as suitability for high throughput applications with special emphasis on expression and inducibility of CYP3A4. By assessment of the transepithelial electrical resistance (TEER) the cells barrier function capacity can be quantified. Very high TEER levels were detected for HROC60. A high basal CYP3A4 expression and function was found for HROC32. Eight cell lines showed higher CYP3A4 induction by stimulation via the vitamin D receptor compared to Caco-2 cells (5.1- to 16.8-fold change). Stimulation of the pregnane X receptor led to higher CYP3A4 induction in two cell lines. In sum, we identified the two cell lines HROC183 T0 M2 and HROC217 T1 M2 as useful tools for in vitro drug absorption studies. Due to their high TEER values and inducibility by drug receptor ligands, they may be superior to Caco-2 cells to analyze oral drug absorption and intestinal drug–drug interactions. Significance statement: Selecting appropriate candidates is important in preclinical drug development. Therefore, cell models to predict absorption from the human intestine are of the utmost importance. This study revealed that the human cell lines HROC183 T0 M2 and HROC217 T1 M2 may be better suited models and possess higher predictive power of pregnane X receptor- and vitamin D-mediated drug metabolism than Caco-2 cells. Consequently, they represent useful tools for predicting intestinal absorption and simultaneously enable assessment of membrane permeability and first-pass metabolism.
Modulation of Glycoprotein VI and Its Downstream Signaling Pathways as an Antiplatelet Target
Authors: Fuentes Eduardo
Published: August 2022

Antiplatelet therapy aims to reduce the risk of thrombotic events while maintaining hemostasis. A promising current approach is the inhibition of platelet glycoprotein GPVI-mediated adhesion pathways; pathways that do not involve coagulation. GPVI is a signaling receptor integral for collagen-induced platelet activation and participates in the thrombus consolidation process, being a suitable target for thrombosis prevention. Considering this, the blocking or antibody-mediated depletion of GPVI is a promising antiplatelet therapy for the effective and safe treatment of thrombotic diseases without a significant risk of bleeding and impaired hemostatic plug formation. This review describes the current knowledge concerning pharmaceutical approaches to platelet GPVI modulation and its downstream signaling pathways in this context.
Ventricular Tachycardia Ablation Guided by Functional Substrate Mapping: Practices and Outcomes
Authors: Vázquez-Calvo Sara , Roca-Luque Ivo , Porta-Sánchez Andreu
Published: August 2022

Catheter ablation of ventricular tachycardia has demonstrated its important role in the treatment of ventricular tachycardia in patients with structural cardiomyopathy. Conventional mapping techniques used to define the critical isthmus, such as activation mapping and entrainment, are limited by the non-inducibility of the clinical tachycardia or its poor hemodynamic tolerance. To overcome these limitations, a voltage mapping strategy based on bipolar electrograms peak to peak analysis was developed, but a low specificity (30%) for VT isthmus has been described with this approach. Functional mapping strategy relies on the analysis of the characteristics of the electrograms but also their propagation patterns and their response to extra-stimulus or alternative pacing wavefronts to define the targets for ablation. With this review, we aim to summarize the different functional mapping strategies described to date to identify ventricular arrhythmic substrate in patients with structural heart disease.
Adaptation to CT Reconstruction Kernels by Enforcing Cross-Domain Feature Maps Consistency
Authors: Shimovolos Stanislav , Shushko Andrey , Belyaev Mikhail , Shirokikh Boris
Published: August 2022

Deep learning methods provide significant assistance in analyzing coronavirus disease (COVID-19) in chest computed tomography (CT) images, including identification, severity assessment, and segmentation. Although the earlier developed methods address the lack of data and specific annotations, the current goal is to build a robust algorithm for clinical use, having a larger pool of available data. With the larger datasets, the domain shift problem arises, affecting the performance of methods on the unseen data. One of the critical sources of domain shift in CT images is the difference in reconstruction kernels used to generate images from the raw data (sinograms). In this paper, we show a decrease in the COVID-19 segmentation quality of the model trained on the smooth and tested on the sharp reconstruction kernels. Furthermore, we compare several domain adaptation approaches to tackle the problem, such as task-specific augmentation and unsupervised adversarial learning. Finally, we propose the unsupervised adaptation method, called F-Consistency, that outperforms the previous approaches. Our method exploits a set of unlabeled CT image pairs which differ only in reconstruction kernels within every pair. It enforces the similarity of the network’s hidden representations (feature maps) by minimizing the mean squared error (MSE) between paired feature maps. We show our method achieving a 0.64 Dice Score on the test dataset with unseen sharp kernels, compared to the 0.56 Dice Score of the baseline model. Moreover, F-Consistency scores 0.80 Dice Score between predictions on the paired images, which almost doubles the baseline score of 0.46 and surpasses the other methods. We also show F-Consistency to better generalize on the unseen kernels and without the presence of the COVID-19 lesions than the other methods trained on unlabeled data.
Multi-Objective Weather Routing Algorithm for Ships: The Perspective of Shipping Company’s Navigation Strategy
Authors: Yang Jicheng , Wu Letian , Zheng Jian
Published: August 2022

Ship weather routing has always been an important issue in the research field of navigation, and many scholars have been devoted to this research for a long time. To study the route strategies of different shipping companies, this paper proposes an improved multi-objective ant colony optimization (IMACO) algorithm based on the Technique for Order Preference by Similarity to Ideal Solution (TOPSIS). It can comprehensively consider ship navigation risk and fuel consumption cost under complex sea conditions. First, the grid method is used to model the marine environment. Then, we calculate the fuel consumption and the ship navigation risk of each grid and use the TOPSIS method to evaluate these two indicators for each grid. The results show that due to the different strictness of navigation management requirements of different companies, different routes are selected in the same sea area at the same time. Compared with the single-objective ant colony optimization (SACO) algorithm, the algorithm proposed in this paper can more comprehensively and effectively solve the problem of route strategy selection of shipping companies, which has great practical significance for ship operations management.
Complementary Effects of Dark Septate Endophytes and Trichoderma Strains on Growth and Active Ingredient Accumulation of Astragalus mongholicus under Drought Stress
Authors: Li Min , Ren Yanfang , He Chao , Yao Jiaojie , Wei Miao , He Xueli
Published: August 2022

Drought is a major abiotic stress factor affecting plant growth and production, while utilizing beneficial endophytic fungi is one of the most promising strategies for enhancing plant growth and drought tolerance. In the current study, a pot experiment was conducted to investigate the beneficial effects of dark septate endophyte (DSE) (Macrophomina pseudophaseolina, Paraphoma radicina) and Trichoderma (Trichoderma afroharzianum, Trichoderma longibrachiatum) inoculum on Astragalus mongholicus grown in sterile soil under drought stress, alone, or in combination. The addition of Trichoderma enhanced the DSE colonization in roots regardless of the water condition. Under well-watered conditions, M. pseudophaseolina inoculation significantly enhanced the biomass and root length of A. mongholicus. The two DSE and Trichoderma inoculum significantly improved calycosin-7-O-β-D-glucoside content. However, M. pseudophaseolina + T. afroharzianum inoculation better promoted root growth, whereas co-inoculation had higher active ingredient contents compared with single inoculation, except for P. radicina + T. afroharzianum. Under drought stress, DSE and Trichoderma inoculum significantly improved root biomass, root length, calycosin-7-O-β-D-glucoside content, and activities of nitrate reductase and soil urease. P. radicina + T. afroharzianum and P. radicina + T. longibrachiatum better increased root length, and all combinations of DSE and Trichoderma had a greater impact on the increase in formononetin content compared with the single treatments. Additionally, Trichoderma relies on antioxidant enzymes, growth hormones, and the redox system (ascorbic acid–glutathione) to resist drought, while DSE strains have an additional osmotic regulation system in addition to the drought resistance function possessed by Trichoderma, and the effect of co-inoculation (especially M. pseudophaseolina + T. longibrachiatum and P. radicina + T. afroharzianum) on plant physiological parameters was greater than that of single inoculation. This study provides a new research direction for the effects of DSE and Trichoderma on medicinal plant cultivated in dryland.