bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Physio-Biochemical and Agronomic Responses of Faba Beans to Exogenously Applied Nano-Silicon Under Drought Stress Conditions
Authors: Desoky El-Sayed M. , Mansour Elsayed , El-Sobky El-Sayed E. A. , Abdul-Hamid Mohamed I. , Taha Taha F. , Elakkad Hend A. , Arnaout Safaa M. A. I. , Eid Rania S. M. , El-Tarabily Khaled A. , Yasin Mohamed A. T.
Published: September 2021

Nano-silicon application is an efficient novel approach to mitigate the deleterious impacts of drought stress on field crops, which is expected to increase owing to climate change, especially in arid regions. Two-season field studies investigated the influence of foliar-applied nano-silicon (0.5, 1, and 1.5 mM) on physiological and biochemical attributes and their impacts on crop water productivity (CWP) and the agronomic traits of faba beans (Vicia faba). The plants were evaluated under two irrigation regimes: well-watered (100% ETc giving 406 mm ha−1) and drought stress (65% ETc giving 264 mm ha−1). It was found that drought stress significantly decreased gas exchange (leaf net photosynthetic rate, stomatal conductance, and rate of transpiration), water relations (relative water content and membrane stability index), nutrient uptake (N, P, K+, and Ca+2), flavonoids, and phenolic content. In contrast, drought stress significantly increased oxidative stress (H2O2andO2·-) and enzymatic and non-enzymatic antioxidant activities compared with the well-watered treatment. These influences of drought stress were negatively reflected in seed yield-related traits and CWP. However, foliar treatment with nano-silicon, particularly with 1.5 mM, limited the devastating impact of drought stress and markedly enhanced all the aforementioned parameters. Therefore, exogenously applied nano-silicon could be used to improve the CWP and seed and biological yields of faba bean plants under conditions with low water availability in arid environments.
Ancient Relatives of Modern Maize From the Center of Maize Domestication and Diversification Host Endophytic Bacteria That Confer Tolerance to Nitrogen Starvation
Authors: Dumigan Christopher R. , Muileboom Jade , Gregory Jake , Shrestha Anuja , Hewedy Omar A. , Raizada Manish N.
Published: September 2021

Plants can adapt to their surroundings by hosting beneficial bacteria that confer a selective advantage in stressful conditions. Endophytes are a class of beneficial bacteria that exist within the internal spaces of plants and many species can improve plant nitrogen use efficiency. Nitrogen is an essential plant macronutrient, and is often a limiting factor to plant growth, especially in cereal crops such as maize. Every year farmers apply over 100 million metric tonnes of synthetic nitrogen fertilizer to meet the growing demand for stable food crops. Breeding efforts in maize over the past several decades has focused heavily on yield in response to nitrogen inputs, and so may have selected against adaptations that allow plants to survive in nitrogen stressed conditions. Data suggests that our heavy dependence on synthetic nitrogen fertilizer is not sustainable in the long term, and so there is on-going research efforts to reduce and replace this currently essential part of modern agriculture. Bacteria that improve plant tolerance to nitrogen stressed environments would allow farmers to reduce the amount of fertilizer they apply. The selection of maize under high nitrogen conditions to create modern varieties may have caused the plant to lose these beneficial bacteria that allowed wild maize ancestors to thrive in low nitrogen soil. Here in this study, we examine the root and shoot microbiomes of the wild ancestor of all maize, Parviglumis, and an ancient Mexican landrace (Mixteco) from Oaxaca, the area of early maize diversification. Both of these maize genotypes have thrived for thousands of years with little to no nitrogen inputs and so we hypothesized that they host beneficial bacteria that allow them to thrive in nitrogen stressed conditions. We identified multiple root endophyte species from each ancient maize relative that increased the growth of annual ryegrass (model maize relative) under nitrogen starvation. Furthermore, research infers these strains were vertically transmitted to new generations of plants, potentially through seed, indicating selection pressure for Parviglumis and Mixteco to maintain them in their microbiome.
Re-engineering Plant Phenylpropanoid Metabolism With the Aid of Synthetic Biosensors
Authors: Ferreira Savio S. , Antunes Mauricio S.
Published: September 2021

Phenylpropanoids comprise a large class of specialized plant metabolites with many important applications, including pharmaceuticals, food nutrients, colorants, fragrances, and biofuels. Therefore, much effort has been devoted to manipulating their biosynthesis to produce high yields in a more controlled manner in microbial and plant systems. However, current strategies are prone to significant adverse effects due to pathway complexity, metabolic burden, and metabolite bioactivity, which still hinder the development of tailor-made phenylpropanoid biofactories. This gap could be addressed by the use of biosensors, which are molecular devices capable of sensing specific metabolites and triggering a desired response, as a way to sense the pathway’s metabolic status and dynamically regulate its flux based on specific signals. Here, we provide a brief overview of current research on synthetic biology and metabolic engineering approaches to control phenylpropanoid synthesis and phenylpropanoid-related biosensors, advocating for the use of biosensors and genetic circuits as a step forward in plant synthetic biology to develop autonomously-controlled phenylpropanoid-producing plant biofactories.
Genetic Analysis of Heterosis for Yield Influencing Traits in Brassica juncea Using a Doubled Haploid Population and Its Backcross Progenies
Authors: Aakanksha  , Yadava Satish Kumar , Yadav Bal Govind , Gupta Vibha , Mukhopadhyay Arundhati , Pental Deepak , Pradhan Akshay K.
Published: September 2021

The exploitation of heterosis through hybrid breeding is one of the major breeding objectives for productivity increase in crop plants. This research analyzes the genetic basis of heterosis in Brassica juncea by using a doubled haploid (DH) mapping population derived from F1 between two heterotic inbred parents, one belonging to the Indian and the other belonging to the east European gene pool, and their two corresponding sets of backcross hybrids. An Illumina Infinium Brassica 90K SNP array-based genetic map was used to identify yield influencing quantitative trait loci (QTL) related to plant architecture, flowering, and silique- and seed-related traits using five different data sets from multiple trials, allowing the estimation of additive and dominance effects, as well as digenic epistatic interactions. In total, 695 additive QTL were detected for the 14 traits in the three trials using five data sets, with overdominance observed to be the predominant type of effect in determining the expression of heterotic QTL. The results indicated that the design in the present study was efficient for identifying common QTL across multiple trials and populations, which constitute a valuable resource for marker-assisted selection and further research. In addition, a total of 637 epistatic loci were identified, and it was concluded that epistasis among loci without detectable main effects plays an important role in controlling heterosis in yield of B. juncea.
Solar Radiation Effects on Dry Matter Accumulations and Transfer in Maize
Authors: Yang Yunshan , Guo Xiaoxia , Liu Guangzhou , Liu Wanmao , Xue Jun , Ming Bo , Xie Ruizhi , Wang Keru , Hou Peng , Li Shaokun
Published: September 2021

Solar radiation is the energy source for crop growth, as well as for the processes of accumulation, distribution, and transfer of photosynthetic products that determine maize yield. Therefore, learning the effects of different solar radiation amounts on maize growth is especially important. The present study focused on the quantitative relationships between solar radiation amounts and dry matter accumulations and transfers in maize. Over two continuous years (2017 and 2018) of field experiments, maize hybrids XY335 and ZD958 were grown at densities of 4.5 × 104 (D1), 7.5 × 104 (D2), 9 × 104 (D3), 10.5 × 104 (D4), and 12 × 104 (D5) plants/ha at Qitai Farm (89°34′E, 44°12′N), Xinjiang, China. Shading levels were 15% (S1), 30% (S2), and 50% (S3) of natural light and no shading (CK). The results showed that the yields of the commonly planted cultivars XY335 and ZD958 at S1, S2, and S3 (increasing shade treatments) were 7.3, 21.2, and 57.6% and 11.7, 31.0, and 61.8% lower than the control yields, respectively. Also, vegetative organ dry matter translocation (DMT) and its contribution to grain increased as shading levels increased under different densities. The dry matter assimilation amount after silking (AADMAS) increased as solar radiation and planting density increased. When solar radiation was <580.9 and 663.6 MJ/m2, for XY335 and ZD958, respectively, the increase in the AADMAS was primarily related to solar radiation amounts; and when solar radiation was higher than those amounts for those hybrids, an increase in the AADMAS was primarily related to planting density. Photosynthate accumulation is a key determinant of maize yield, and the contributions of the vegetative organs to the grain did not compensate for the reduced yield caused by insufficient light. Between the two cultivars, XY335 showed a better resistance to weak light than ZD958 did. To help guarantee a high maize yield under weak light conditions, it is imperative to select cultivars that have great stay-green and photosynthetic efficiency characteristics.
Of Young People and Internet Cafés
Authors: Xiao ZhiMin , Higgins Steve
Published: September 2021

This study examines how adolescent experience in Internet cafés (known as wangba in Chinese) relates to academic attainment in urban, rural, and Tibetan schools of China. By documenting the frustrations teenagers express in their negotiations with adults surrounding access to and use of wangba and, by comparing self-reported academic standing of students from similar backgrounds with how they differ in their experience in wangba, the study finds that visiting wangba is not strongly correlated with the probability of students reporting either high- or under-achievement. While students without any experience in wangba are substantially less likely to report academic underperformance, the association disappears after matching when the logit regression model is less model-dependent and vulnerable to the problems associated with missing data. The paper concludes that visiting wangba alone is not systematically correlated with academic attainment, and that much adult anxiety concerning adolescent visit to wangba represents moral-technological panic and, offers a simplified explanation for educational problems that have deep macrosocial roots.
Humor and Hunger Affect the Response Toward Food Cues
Authors: Froehlich Eva , Samaan Larissa , Matsuzaki Rie , Park Soyoung Q
Published: September 2021

The omnipresence of food cues in everyday life has been linked to troubled eating behavior and rising rates of obesity. While extended research has been conducted on the effects of negative emotions and stress on food consumption, very little is known about how positive emotions affect eating and particularly attention toward food cues. In the present study, we investigated whether humor impacts attentional bias toward food and whether it will affect preferences for healthy and unhealthy food items, depending on the hunger state. To do so, a group of randomly assigned participants watched funny video clips (humor group, N = 46) or neutral ones (control group, N = 49). Afterwards, they performed a modified Posner cueing task with low or high caloric food images serving as cues. We found a significant group × hunger interaction. Compared to the control group, the humor group responded more slowly to food cues when hungry, whereas the opposite was true when participants were satiated. Additionally, our results suggest that hunger possibly directs attention away from healthy food cues and toward unhealthy ones. No group differences were found with respect to food preferences and engagement and disengagement of attention. We discuss the potential of humor in counteracting aversive consequences of hunger on attention allocation toward food. We propose an underlying mechanism involving a combined reduction in cortisol levels and a decrease in activation of the reward system. However, given the novelty of the findings, further research is warranted, both to replicate the results as well as to investigate the suggested underlying processes.
“I Know What I Like” – Indecisiveness Is Unrelated to Behavioral Indicators of Evaluation Difficulties
Authors: Appel Helmut , Englich Birte , Burghardt Juliane
Published: September 2021

Indecisiveness, the subjective inability to make satisfying decisions, is an individual difference trait that may impede effective actions. Mechanisms underlying indecisiveness are largely unknown. In four studies, we tested the prediction that indicators of evaluation difficulty were associated with indecisiveness in simple evaluations. Across studies, indecisiveness was measured via self-report while evaluation difficulties were derived behaviorally from three indicators: difficulty distinguishing between similar evaluation objects (i.e., standard deviation of evaluation ratings), evaluation duration (reaction times), and implicit evaluations (evaluative priming effect) using familiar everyday objects. Study 1 (N= 151) was based on attractiveness evaluations of portraits. Studies 2a (N= 201) and 2b (N= 211) used chocolate as evaluation objects and manipulated to what extent the evaluations were equivalent to a decision. In Study 3 (N= 80) evaluations were measured implicitly through evaluative priming using food pictures. Contrary to our predictions, indecisiveness showed no reliable association to any indicator of evaluation difficulty, regardless of type of evaluation object, equivalence of evaluation and decision, and whether evaluation difficulty was based on explicit or implicit evaluations. All null findings were supported by Bayes factors. These counterintuitive results are a first step toward investigating evaluation processes as potential mechanisms underlying indecisiveness, showing that for both explicit and implicit measurements, indecisiveness is not characterized by difficulties when evaluating familiar everyday objects.
The Bilingual Native Speaker Competence: Evidence From Explicit and Implicit Language Knowledge Using Elicited Production, Sentence-Picture Matching, and Pupillometry
Authors: Scherger Anna-Lena , Urbanczik Gianna , Ludwigs Timon , Kizilirmak Jasmin M.
Published: September 2021

The present pilot study investigated potential effects of early and late child bilingualism in highly proficient adult bilinguals. It has been shown that some early second language (eL2) speakers stagnate when it comes to complex linguistic phenomena and that they display subtle difficulties in adulthood. Therefore, we have chosen the complex structure of double object constructions. We investigate the long-term achievement in a combined-method approach using elicited production, explicit comprehension by sentence-picture matching and a measure of implicit linguistic knowledge, namely pupillometry. This eye tracking method is suitable for measuring implicit reactions of the pupils to unexpected or ungrammatical stimuli. For production, ditransitive structures were elicited by means of a game. For comprehension, a sentence-picture matching task was conducted. Two pictures were shown on a monitor that were equal with respect to the involved objects, but the thematic roles of direct and indirect objects were interchanged. Items were controlled for length, gender, animacy, semantic likelihood and word order. Reaction times and accuracy scores were analyzed. To this end, N = 18 bilingual adult speakers of German (+ another language, mean age: 26.5) with different ages of onset participated in this study and were compared to N = 26 monolingual German adult speakers (mean age 23.9). All participants had a proficiency of German above 89% correct in placement and cloze tests. Results show fully comparable productive and comprehensive competencies in monolinguals and bilinguals including the reaction times in the sentence-picture matching task and a word order effect on the reaction times in both groups. In the pupillometry task, we found monolinguals and bilinguals to be sensitive to differing conditions with respect to grammatical and ungrammatical utterances. However, we find between group differences in pupil dilations in that bilinguals react differently to strong grammatical violations than monolinguals. These results are discussed with respect to the term of native speaker competence and the variation within both groups.
Skype Supervised, Individualized, Home-Based Rehabilitation Programs for Individuals With Rett Syndrome and Their Families – Parental Satisfaction and Point of View
Authors: Lotan Meir , Ippolito Elena , Favetta Martina , Romano Alberto
Published: September 2021

Individuals with Rett syndrome (RTT) experience impaired gross motor skills limiting their capacity. Therefore, they need support to participate in physical activities, and it is crucial to work with primary caregivers when developing appropriate strategies, thereby leading to an active lifestyle. There is limited evidence supporting the effectiveness of remotely supported physical activity interventions. This project aimed to evaluate the effects of a skype-based, telehealth-delivered physical activity program carried out by participants’ parents at home. This article will focus on parental points of view. A mixed-methods design evaluating parental satisfaction was conducted. Forty participants with a confirmed genetic diagnosis of RTT and their families were recruited. The intervention included a 12-week individualized daily physical activity program carried out by participants’ parents and bi-weekly supervised by expert therapists. Parents’ impressions and feelings related to the program implementation were collected throughout semi-structured interviews, and anad hocdeveloped questionnaire and discussed. The current project results suggest that a remote physical rehabilitation program, supported fortnightly by video calls, represents an effective way of conducting a remote physical therapy intervention for this population and that it can be easily carried out at home by primary caregivers, promoting positive functional changes, without bringing feelings of frustration due to the required workload. The strategies that families have learned during the program to support the motor activities of their daughters represent an easily performed set of tools that they can maintain and use in everyday life even after the cessation of the program.
The Role of Emotional and Meta-Emotional Intelligence in Pre-adolescents’ Well-Being and Sociometric Status
Authors: D’Amico Antonella , Geraci Alessandro
Published: September 2021

The study examined the relationships among emotional and meta-emotional intelligence, well-being, and sociometric status in 105 pre-adolescents. Emotional and meta-emotional intelligence were measured using the Intelligenza Emotiva: Abilità, Credenze e Concetto di Sé Meta-Emotivo (IE-ACCME) test (D’Amico, 2013), allowing to measure ability emotional intelligence (EI), emotional self-concept, meta-emotional knowledge, meta-emotional ability in self-evaluation, and meta-emotional beliefs. Meta-emotional dimensions refer to the awareness of individuals about their emotional abilities and to their beliefs about the functioning of emotions in everyday life. Eudemonic well-being and sociometric status were, respectively, measured using the well-known Psychological Well-Being (PWB) scale by Ryff’s (1989) and registering the levels of acceptance/rejection from peers (Moreno, 1960). Results demonstrated that: pre-adolescents’ meta-emotional beliefs are positively associated to eudemonic well-being: pre-adolescents with higher levels of ability EI, meta-emotional knowledge and meta-emotional self-evaluation are more accepted by others while those that overestimate their emotional abilities are more refused by peers. These results evidence that meta-emotional variables may play a crucial role in well-being and sociometric status, encouraging future studies on this issue.
Gender Differences in Self-Regulated Online Learning During the COVID-19 Lockdown
Authors: Liu Xiaohong , He Wei , Zhao Li , Hong Jon-Chao
Published: September 2021

Due to the spread of the epidemic around the world, online learning has received greater attention. Self-regulated learning (SRL) is an important factor for students to achieve academic success. This study investigated the gender differences in SRL and three sub-constructs of SRL in the context of online learning, that is the preparatory, performance, and appraisal phases. A total of 400 high school students (males = 125, females = 275) from China participated in this study. In order to identify whether there were gender differences in their self-regulated online learning (SROL), independent sample t-test was performed. The results showed that there were significant gender differences in the SROL (t = –3.334, p = 0.001 < 0.01, d = –0.410) and the three sub-constructs of SROL (preparatory: t = –0.702, p = 0.008 < 0.01, d = 0.018; performance: t = –3.801, p = 0.000 < 0.01, d = 0.456; appraisal: t = –3.120, p = 0.002 < 0.01, d = 0.361). The findings indicated that females performed better than males in all three dimensions of learners’ online self-regulated learning.
Neurodevelopmental Trajectories and Clinical Profiles in a Sample of Children and Adolescents With Early- and Very-Early-Onset Schizophrenia
Authors: Pontillo Maria , Averna Roberto , Tata Maria Cristina , Chieppa Fabrizia , Pucciarini Maria Laura , Vicari Stefano
Published: September 2021

Schizophrenia before the age of 18 years is usually divided into two categories. Early-onset schizophrenia (EOS) presents between the ages of 13 and 17 years, whereas very-early-onset schizophrenia (VEOS) presents at or before the age of 12 years. Previous studies have found that neurodevelopmental difficulties in social, motor, and linguistic domains are commonly observed in VEOS/EOS patients. Recent research has also shown a high prevalence of neurodevelopmental disorders (e.g., intellectual disability, communication disorders, autism spectrum disorder, neurodevelopmental motor disorders) in VEOS/EOS patients, indicating genetic overlap between these conditions. These findings lend support to the neurodevelopmental continuum model, which holds that childhood neurodevelopmental disorders and difficulties and psychiatric disorders (e.g., schizophrenia) fall on an etiological and neurodevelopmental continuum, and should not be considered discrete entities. Based on this literature, in this study we focused on the overlap between neurodevelopmental disorders and schizophrenia investigating, in a large sample (N = 230) of VEOS/EOS children and adolescents, the clinical differences, at the onset of psychosis, between VEOS/EOS with neurodevelopmental disorder or neurodevelopmental difficulties and VEOS/EOS with no diagnosed neurodevelopmental disorder or neurodevelopmental difficulties. The findings showed that, in children and adolescents with a neurodevelopmental disorder or neurodevelopmental difficulties, psychosis onset occurred at an earlier age, was associated with more severe functional impairment (e.g., global, social, role), and was characterized by positive symptoms (e.g., grandiose ideas, perceptual abnormalities, disorganized communication) and disorganized symptoms (e.g., odd behavior or appearance, bizarre thinking). Instead, in children and adolescents without a neurodevelopmental disorder or neurodevelopmental difficulties, psychosis onset was mainly characterized by negative symptomatology (e.g., social anhedonia, avolition, expression of emotion, experience of emotions and self, ideational richness). Given these differences, the presence of a neurodevelopmental disorder or neurodevelopmental difficulties should be carefully investigated and integrated early into the assessment and treatment plan for VEOS/EOS patients.
Stop What You're Doing!—An fMRI Study on Comparisons of Neural Subprocesses of Response Inhibition in ADHD and Alcohol Use Disorder
Authors: Gerhardt Sarah , Luderer Mathias , Bumb Jan M. , Sobanski Esther , Moggi Franz , Kiefer Falk , Vollstädt-Klein Sabine
Published: September 2021

Rationale: Both attention deficit-/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and alcohol use disorder (AUD) are accompanied by deficits in response inhibition. Furthermore, the prevalence of comorbidity of ADHD and AUD is high. However, there is a lack of research on whether the same neuronal subprocesses of inhibition (i.e., interference inhibition, action withholding and action cancellation) exhibit deficits in both psychiatric disorders.

Methods: We examined these three neural subprocesses of response inhibition in patient groups and healthy controls: non-medicated individuals with ADHD (ADHD; N = 16), recently detoxified and abstinent individuals with alcohol use disorder (AUD; N = 15), and healthy controls (HC; N = 15). A hybrid response inhibition task covering interference inhibition, action withholding, and action cancellation was applied using a 3T functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI).

Results: Individuals with ADHD showed an overall stronger hypoactivation in attention related brain areas compared to AUD or HC during action withholding. Further, this hypoactivation was more accentuated during action cancellation. Individuals with AUD recruited a broader network, including the striatum, compared to HC during action withholding. During action cancellation, however, they showed hypoactivation in motor regions. Additionally, specific neural activation profiles regarding group and subprocess became apparent.

Conclusions: Even though deficits in response inhibition are related to both ADHD and AUD, neural activation and recruited networks during response inhibition differ regarding both neuronal subprocesses and examined groups. While a replication of this study is needed in a larger sample, the results suggest that tasks have to be carefully selected when examining neural activation patterns of response inhibition either in research on various psychiatric disorders or transdiagnostic questions.
Job Dissatisfaction Mediated the Associations Between Work Stress and Mental Health Problems
Authors: Qiu Dan , Li Ruiqi , Li Yilu , He Jun , Ouyang Feiyun , Luo Dan , Xiao Shuiyuan
Published: September 2021

Objective: This study aimed to explore the relationships and the underlying mechanisms between work stress and mental health problems, and potential mediation effects through job dissatisfaction in a working population.

Methods: A large population-based study among workers in China was conducted. The self-reported scales of assessing job dissatisfaction and work stress were included in the questionnaire. Generalized Anxiety Disorder-2 and Patient Health Questionnaire-2 were used for assessment of mental health. Univariate logistic regression was conducted to test the associations between work stress and mental health. Path analysis was conducted to test the proposed mediation model.

Results: Of the 6,190 included employees, 27.72% reported that they perceived work stress, 14.84% of them reported that they were not satisfied with their work, 5.01% of the employees reported depressive symptoms, and 3.75% of the employees reported anxiety symptoms. The results of univariate logistic regression showed that employees who perceived work stress were more likely to report anxiety symptoms (adjusted odds ratio (AOR) = 2.78; 95% CI: 2.03–3.79) or depressive symptoms (AOR = 1.61; 95% CI: 1.22–2.12). The path analysis showed that work stress was positively associated with job dissatisfaction. Job dissatisfaction mediated the relationship between work stress and mental health problems among Chinese working adults.

Conclusion: This study suggests the importance of psychosocial work environment for mental health among Chinese working adults. Work dissatisfaction is a stressor that may induce negative consequences on the mental health among Chinese workers. Interventions to help workers with stress management may be beneficial for their mental health.
Cognitive and Psychological Sequelae of COVID-19: Age Differences in Facing the Pandemic
Authors: Devita Maria , Di Rosa Elisa , Iannizzi Pamela , Bianconi Sara , Contin Sara A. , Tiriolo Simona , Bernardinello Nicol , Cocconcelli Elisabetta , Balestro Elisabetta , Cattelan Annamaria , Leoni Davide , Mapelli Daniela , Volpe Biancarosa
Published: September 2021

Literature about the novel Coronavirus (COVID-19) is currently focusing on the potential cognitive and neuropsychiatric sequelae observed in individuals receiving intensive care unit (ICU) treatments. The aim of the present study is to evaluate the differences in cognitive and psychological sequelae of COVID-19 between younger and older adults, regardless of being admitted to the ICU or not. The study involved 299 recovered individuals (from 18 to 90 years old), who underwent a comprehensive cognitive and psychological assessment. Linear regression models were conducted separately for Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA) test and Post-traumatic Stress Disorder Checklist (PCL) scores to investigate the effect of socio-demographic and clinical characteristics on them. Separate linear regression models were then applied sorting participants by age: younger adults (<65 years) and older adults (≥65 years). In the whole sample, PCL scores were predicted by the intensity of care received, by being intubated, and by the persistence of cough after 1 month after hospitalization. Only age had instead an effect on cognition. In younger adults, PCL scores were predicted by the presence of neurological symptoms, by the intensity of care received, and by being intubated; MoCA scores were only predicted by the intensity of care received. No significant associations were found in older adults. Psychological negative effects of the COVID-19 pandemic particularly affect individuals under 65 years old, who also subjectively report cognitive sequelae associated with the infection. Individuals over 65 years old, instead, seem to be free from psychological and cognitive difficulties due to COVID-19.
Spatial Pattern and Spatial Heterogeneity of Chinese Elite Hospitals: A Country-Level Analysis
Authors: Shi Baoguo , Fu Yingteng , Bai Xiaodan , Zhang Xiyu , Zheng Ji , Wang Yuping , Li Ye , Zhang Lijun
Published: September 2021

Elite hospitals represent the highest level of Chinese hospitals in medical service and management, medical quality and safety, technical level and efficiency, which are also one of the important indicators reflecting high-quality medical resources in the region, and their spatial allocation is directly related to the fairness of health resource allocation. We explored the allocation pattern of high-quality resources and its influencing factors in the development of China's health system using geographic weighted regression (GWR), Multi-scale Geographically Weighted Regression (MGWR), GWR and MGWR with Spatial Autocorrelation(GWR-SAR and MGWR-SAR), spatial lag model (SLM), and spatial error model (SEM). The results of OLS regression showed that city level, number of medical colleges, urbanization rate, permanent population and GDP per capita were its significant variables. And spatial auto-correlation of elite hospitals in China is of great significance. Further, its spatial agglomeration phenomenon was confirmed through SLM and SEM. Among them, the city level is the most important factor affecting the spatial allocation of elite hospitals in China. Its action intensity shows a solid and weak mosaic trend in the Middle East, relatively concentrated in some areas with medium intensity and concentrated in the West China. Obviously, China's elite hospitals are unevenly distributed and have evident spatial heterogeneity. Therefore, we suggest that we should pay attention to the spatial governance of high-quality medical resources, attract medical elites in the region, increase investment in medical education in the scarce areas of elite hospitals and develop tele-medicine service.
To Be a Sportsman? Sport Participation Is Associated With Optimal Academic Achievement in a Nationally Representative Sample of High School Students
Authors: Chen Sitong , Li Xiaoyun , Yan Jin , Ren Zhanbing
Published: September 2021

In the present study, the relationship between academic achievements and participation in a sports team in adolescents has been identified using nationally representative data. The study sample was created by referring to the U.S. Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance 2019 cycle, of which were eligible samples in the current study. A self-reported questionnaire was used to assess the participation in sports (0, one, two, three or more teams) and academic performance (mostly A, mostly B, mostly C, mostly E, mostly F). Controlling variables included sex, age, grade, race/ethnicity, adherence to physical activity, sleep guidelines and screen time, respectively. A binary regression model with an odds ratio (OR) at 95%CI confidence interval was performed to examine the association between sports team participation (0 teams as reference) and academic performance (combination of mostly C, E, F as reference). Results showed that compared with study participants with no participation in any sports teams, participating in one, two, three or more teams were more likely to self report better academic performance (1 teams: odds ratio [OR] = 1.48; two teams: OR = 2.34; three or more = 2.72), demonstrating a dose despondent association. This dose-dependent association varied slightly across sexes and grades. In conclusion, consistent with previous studies, the current study confirmed the positive roles of sport participation on academic outcomes in adolescents. Sex- and grade-specific strategies should be considered for academic-relevant promotion.
Training Public Health Professionals to Tackle Women, Children, and Families Health Issues: A “Skill-Based Qualitative Learning Approach”
Authors: Obeng Cecilia
Published: September 2021

Purpose: There are several teaching and learning approaches but finding the one that is appropriate for a particular field or training program is an arduous task. The purpose of this paper is to introduce the “Skill Based Qualitative Learning Approach” (SBQLA) in training health professionals.

Description: The SBQLA is a pedagogical approach via which learners are trained in developing qualitative questionnaires and interview skills to learn from experts in the Public Health (PH) field. This teaching approach arms students with interview skills that help them identify and address PH roadblocks and get them authentic information from experts. It also equips them with techniques on how to do formalized presentations and come up with projects and interventions that help mitigate and eliminate drivers of health problems among women, children and families.

Assessment: Learners' field experiences are shared in a professional presentation style in a class to help trainees benefit from each other's information and to get formalized feedback on their presentation. Assessment in this learning approach is based on a synthesis and an analysis of data collected from professionals.

Conclusion: Findings from this learning approach enables experts to shed light on true stories shared by real and authentic individuals whose faces can be associated with their shared experiences. This learning approach makes it possible for trainees to also initiate projects that help them tackle existing and emerging public health issues in their future work.
The Association of Physical Function Measures With Frailty, Falls History, and Metabolic Syndrome in a Population With Complex Obesity
Authors: Rhynehart Amanda , Dunlevy Colin , Hayes Katie , O'Connell Jean , O'Shea Donal , O'Malley Emer
Published: September 2021

Background: Frailty, falls and metabolic syndrome are known to be associated with poorer physical function. This study builds on available research by further investigating the relationship between physical function measures, including those comprising frailty, with metabolic syndrome (MetS) and falls, in the context of complex obesity.

Methods: Participants were recruited from the national Level 3 weight management service in Ireland. A retrospective audit of data gathered at initial assessment was performed. Data included past medical history, blood tests, blood pressure measurement, anthropometrics, falls history, self-reported physical activity levels (PALs) and physical function measures, including hand grip strength (HGS), “timed up and go” (TUG), functional reach (FR), sit to stand (STS) and gait speed. A modified version of the Fried Frailty Index was employed.

Results: Of the 713 participants, 65.1% (n = 464) were female and 34.9% (n = 249) were male with a mean age of 44.2 (±11.7) years and body mass index (BMI) of 50.6 kg/m2 (±8.2). Frailty was identified in 3.4% (n = 24), falls in 28.8% (n = 205) and MetS in 55.1% (n = 393). Frailty was associated with older age (53.8 ± 14.3 vs. 43.9 ± 11.5 years), poorer PALs (27.29 ± 46.3 vs. 101.1 ± 147.4 min/wk), reduced grip strength (17.7 ± 4.6 vs. 34.2 ± 11.0 Kg) longer STS (21.7 ± 6.6 vs. 13.7 ± 5.7 s), shorter functional reach (29.7 ± 7.9 vs. 37.9 ± 8.2 cm) and slower gait speed (0.6 ± 0.2 vs. 1.1 ± 0.5 m/s). Those reporting a falls history had a reduced FR (35.8 ± 8.9 vs. 38.3 ± 7.8 cm) and slower STS (15.4 ± 8.0 vs. 13.3 ± 4.7 s). Participants with MetS had lower PALs (83.2 ± 128.2 vs. 119.2 ± 157.6) and gait speed (1.1 ± 0.3 vs. 1.2 ± 0.7 m/s). There was no difference in BMI between fallers and non-fallers (51.34 ± 8.44 vs. 50.33 ± 8.13 Kg/m2, p = 0.138), nor between those with or without MetS. Significant associations were found between BMI and all physical function measures except the TUAG.

Conclusion: The associations between frailty, falls and MetS and their combined impact on physical function in people living with obesity demonstrates the need for appropriate screening. Utilising grip strength and gait speed to identify frailty in those with obesity and metabolic syndrome could help target therapies aimed at improving strength, physical function and ultimately quality of life.
Expression Profiles of GILZ and SGK-1 in Potentially Malignant and Malignant Human Oral Lesions
Authors: Mozaffari Mahmood S. , Abdelsayed Rafik
Published: September 2021

Glucocorticoid-induced leucine zipper and serum-glucocorticoid-regulated kinase-1 (SGK-1) are major glucocorticoid-inducible proteins. Recent studies indicate the local production of cortisol in oral mucosa, which can impact the tissue generation of glucocorticoid-induced leucine zipper (GILZ) and SGK-1. Furthermore, GILZ and SGK-1 play pathogenic roles in a variety of cancers, but their status in potentially malignant (e.g., epithelial dysplasia) or malignant oral lesions remains unknown. This study tested the hypothesis that expression profiles of GILZ and SGK-1, along with the phosphorylated (active) form of SGK-1 (pSGK-1), are different in epithelial dysplasia than squamous cell carcinoma. Accordingly, archived paraffin-embedded biopsy samples were subjected to immunohistochemistry to establish tissue localization and the profile of proteins of interest, while hematoxylin-eosin stained tissues were used for histopathological assessment. Based on histopathological examinations, tissue specimens were categorized as displaying mild-moderate or severe epithelial dysplasia and squamous cell carcinoma; benign keratosis specimens served as controls. All the tissue specimens showed staining for SGK-1 and pSGK-1; however, while SGK-1 staining was primarily cytoplasmic, pSGK-1 was mainly confined to the cell membrane. On the other hand, all the tissue specimens displayed primarily nuclear staining for GILZ. A semi-quantitative analysis of immunohistochemistry staining indicates increased GILZ expression in epithelial dysplasia but reversal in squamous cell carcinoma to a level seen for benign keratosis. On the other hand, the SGK-1 and pSGK-1 expressions decreased for squamous cell carcinoma specimens compared with benign keratosis or dysplastic specimens. Collectively, in this cross-sectional study, immunostaining patterns for proteins of interest do not seemingly differentiate epithelial dysplasia from squamous cell carcinoma. However, subcellular localization and expression profiles for GILZ, SGK-1, and pSGK-1 are suggestive of differential functional roles in dysplastic or malignant oral lesions compared with benign keratosis.
The Perceived Corporate Social Responsibility of Major Sport Organizations by the German Public: An Empirical Analysis During the COVID-19 Pandemic
Authors: Thormann Tim F. , Wicker Pamela
Published: September 2021

Sport governing bodies have played a special role in society during the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic. Following stakeholder theory and consumption capital theory, this study investigated the actions of the German Bundesliga (DFL), Union of European Football Associations (UEFA), and the International Olympic Committee (IOC) during this phase as perceived by the German population and through the lens of corporate social responsibility (CSR). Based on a representative sample of the German resident population (N = 1,000), the study examined the individual characteristics that influenced the perceived CSR of these organizations and what population clusters emerged from this perception. The survey applied a CSR scale that was previously validated in a professional team sports context. The results confirmed the equally strong applicability of the scale to the sport governing context. Cluster analysis yielded three distinctive clusters, namely, “supporters,” “neutral observers,” and “critics.” Regression analyses and the cluster analysis identified those with frequent consumption and high involvement in sport as rating the actions of the three sport organizations more positively. They are also more strongly represented in the “supporters” cluster. In contrast, those threatened the most by the virus are overrepresented in the “critics” cluster.
Risk Factors and Predictive Score Model for Early Recurrence After Curative Surgery in Patients With Poorly Differentiated Gastrointestinal Neuroendocrine Neoplasms
Authors: Li Chengguo , Zhang Peng , Sun Xiong , Tong Xin , Chen Xin , Li Chong , Yang Wenchang , Liu Weizhen , Wang Zheng , Tao Kaixiong
Published: September 2021

Purpose: Studies on early recurrence in gastrointestinal neuroendocrine carcinoma (NEC) and mixed adenoneuroendocrine carcinoma (MANEC) are lacking and risk factors related to early recurrence are not clear. We evaluated risk factors for early recurrence in such patients and developed a predictive scoring model.

Methods: Patients undergoing curative surgery for GI-NEC or MANEC between January 2010 and January 2019 were included. Early recurrence was defined as recurrence within 12 months after surgery. Risk factors for early recurrence were identified using logistic regression.

Results: Of the 80 included patients, 27 developed early recurrence and 53 had no early recurrence. Independent risk factors associated with early recurrence included tumor location in the midgut/hindgut [odds ratio (OR) = 5.077, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.058–24.352, p = 0.042], alkaline phosphatase (ALP) >80 (OR = 5.331, 95% CI 1.557–18.258, p = 0.008), and lymph node ratio (LNR) >0.25 (OR = 6.578, 95% CI 1.971–21.951, p = 0.002). Risk scores were assigned to tumor location (foregut, 0; midgut/hindgut, 1), ALP (≤80, 0; >80, 1), and LNR (≤0.25, 0; >0.25, 1). Patients with a high risk (score 2–3) for early recurrence had significantly shorter disease-free survival and overall survival than those with low- (score 0) and intermediate risks (score 1) (both p < 0.001). The novel scoring model had superior predictive efficiency for early recurrence over TNM staging (area under the curve 0.795 vs. 0.614, p = 0.003).

Conclusion: Tumor location, preoperative ALP, and LNR were independent factors associated with early recurrence after curative surgery for GI-NEC or MANEC. The risk scoring model developed based on these three factors shows superior predictive efficiency.
A Case Report of Calyceal Diverticulum: Differential Diagnosis for Organ-Preserving Operations
Authors: Kurkov Alexandr V. , Pominalnaya Viktoriya M. , Nechay Viktor V. , Ratke Igor A. , Mishugin Sergej V. , Drobyazko Alexandr A. , Butenko Alexandra V. , Fayzullin Alexey L. , Gomzikova Ekaterina A.
Published: September 2021

Calyceal diverticula and epidermal cysts are extremely rare kidney lesions with unknown etiology and pathogenesis. They have non-specific clinical and radiological picture. Despite the benign nature, sometimes these disorders mimic malignant tumors leading to unjustified nephrectomy. We present a clinical and morphological observation of a multicystic lesion in a 76-year-old patient's right kidney filled with keratinized masses and imitating a malignant solid tumor. The detailed gross, histological and immunohistochemical (desmin, cytokeratin 7, uroplakin and p63) analyses of the kidney tissue excluded the malignant nature of the lesion. The final differential diagnosis was between an epidermal cyst and calyceal diverticulum with pronounced squamous cell metaplasia of urothelium. The upper pole localization of the lesion, its connection with the pelvicalyceal system through the unobstructed isthmus, the presence of urothelial lining and smooth muscle cells in its wall let us diagnose a calyceal diverticulum type I. Knowledge of the key clinical and morphological features of epidermal cysts and diverticula of the pelvicalyceal system will help the practicing physicians suspect the benign nature of such lesions and perform organ-preserving operations.