bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Food Attention Bias: appetite comes with eating
Authors: Lev-Ari Lilac , Kreiner Hamutal , Avni Omer
Published: October 2021

Objective

Cognitive interventions may be effective in weight loss. The purpose of this study was to assess if cognitive reappraisal (CR; reframing the meaning of a stimulus in order to change the resulting emotional response), can reduce food attentional bias (FAB) using the Visual Dot Probe (VDP) paradigm.

Method

126 participants (age 27 ± 5.8) were randomly assigned either to a CR or to a control (CN) group. After assessing baseline VDP levels for FAB, participants either wrote sentences that discourage eating fattening food or neutral sentences. Next, all participants performed the VDP post intervention. Participants also self-reported on disordered eating behaviors and their height and weight were charted. We hypothesized that CR would reduce FAB and that disordered eating would moderate the association between group and FAB.

Results

FAB decreased post intervention, specifically in the CR group. The bulimia sub-scale showed an interaction between bulimic eating, time and group. Among those who were high on the bulimia scale, the CR group showed lower FAB post-intervention compared to the CN group.

Discussion

This study suggests that CR may decrease the attentional bias toward high-calorie food compared to other strategies in the general population and among people with high bulimia measures, in particular.

Plain English summary

Obesity has a negative impact on many aspects of life and much research is dedicated to trying to better understand behaviors concerning obesity. People are prone to focus their attention on things that are of importance to them, such as food. When people focus their attention on food, we call this Food Attention Bias (FAB). Cognitive reappraisal (CR) interventions involve the person's conscious cognitive change of the meaning of the situation aiming to consequently change the emotional response to it, such as saying to yourself “I shouldn’t eat this because I don’t want to get fat”. CR has been found to be helpful in lowering FAB using brain imagining techniques but has not yet been studied in cognitive processes. Our study used a Visual dot probe paradigm (VDP) to assess the efficacy of CR on lowering FAB. Two groups, one using CR and a control group were assessed twice on FAB, using the VDP paradigm. Compared to the normal condition, the CR intervention helped reduce FAB. This reduction was especially significant for people with a higher tendency for bulimic behavior. The VDP paradigm, utilizing CR. can be expanded to help build an intervention aimed at reducing FAB over time. This, in turn might bring to weight reduction. People with bulimic tendencies might especially benefit from CR interventions when dealing with weight loss.
The effects of psychological risk factors at work on cognitive failures through the accident proneness
Authors: Abbasi Milad , Falahati Mohsen , Kaydani Masoumeh , Fallah Madvari Rohollah , Mehri Ahmad , Ghaljahi Maryam , Yazdanirad Saeid
Published: October 2021

Background

Various agents such as psychosocial items and accident proneness can affect cognitive failures through different paths. The probable paths are the direct effects of workplace psychosocial items on cognitive failures and their indirect effects on cognitive failures through the mediator variable of accident proneness, which has not yet been studied by others. Thus, the present study aimed to investigate these paths.

Methods

This cross-sectional study was conducted on 164 male employees of Karoon Sugar Company in 2018. The participants were asked to complete a background and demographic questionnaire, Broadbent cognitive failures scale, accident proneness questionnaire, and Copenhagen psychosocial questionnaire. Obtained data were analyzed and modeled using the statistical descriptive method, ANOVA, independent t-test, Pearson correlation test, and path analysis in the SPSS and AMOS software.

Results

The results of the path analysis showed that, not only, some psychosocial risk items had a significant direct effect on cognitive failures, but also, they could affect cognitive failures through the accident proneness, indirectly. Work-family conflict and social support from supervisors by coefficients of 0.188 and – 0.187 had the highest direct effects, respectively. The highest indirect effects belonged to justice and respect, and work-family conflict by coefficients of - 0.220 and 0.199, respectively. The highest total effects were also related to the work-family conflict and justice and respect by coefficients of 0.387 and – 0.381, respectively.

Conclusions

In total, our results showed that some psychological items could, directly and indirectly, increase cognitive failure through accident proneness.
A study of EFL teachers’ classroom grading practices in secondary schools and private institutes: a mixed methods approach
Authors: Nowruzi Majid
Published: October 2021

This explanatory sequential mixed methods study aimed at exploring the grading decision-making of Iranian English language teachers in terms of the factors used when assigning grades and the rationales behind using those factors. In the preliminary quantitative phase, a questionnaire was issued to 300 secondary school and private institute EFL teachers. Quantitative data analyses showed that teachers attached the most weight to nonachievement factors such as effort, improvement, ability, and participation when determining grades. Next, follow-up interviews were conducted with 30 teachers from the initial sample. The analyses of interview data revealed that teachers assigned hodgepodge grades on five major grounds of learning encouragement, motivation enhancement, lack of specific grading criteria, pressure from stakeholders, and flexibility in grading. Data integration indicated that teacher grading decision-making was influenced by both internal and external factors, with adverse consequences for grading validity. Eliciting explanations for the use of specific grading criteria from the same teachers who utilized those criteria in their grading in a single study added to the novelty of this research. Implications for grade interpretation and use, accountability in classroom assessment, and teachers’ professional development are discussed.
Dynamic response of the vegetation carbon storage in the sanjiang plain to changes in land use/cover and climate
Authors: Li Haiyan , Qu Yi , Zeng Xingyu , Zhang Hongqiang , Cui Ling , Luo Chunyu
Published: October 2021

Large-scale human activities especially the destruction of forest land, grassland, and unused land result in a large amount of carbon release into the atmosphere and cause drastic changes in land use/cover in the Sanjiang Plain. As a climate change-sensitive and ecologically vulnerable area, the Sanjiang Plain ecosystem’s carbon cycle is affected by significant climate change. Therefore, it is important that studying the impact of the changes in land use/cover and climate on vegetation carbon storage in the Sanjiang Plain. Remote sensing, temperature, and precipitation data in four periods from 2001 to 2015 are used as bases in conducting an analysis of land use/cove types and spatio-temporal variation of vegetation carbon density and carbon storage in growing season using model and related analysis methods. Moreover, the impact of land use/cover change and climate change on vegetation carbon density and carbon storage is discussed. The findings are as follows. (1) Cultivated land in the Sanjiang Plain increased, while forest land, grassland and unused land generally decreased. (2) Vegetation carbon density increased, in which the average carbon density of cultivated land, grassland, and unused land varied insignificantly, while that of forest land increased continuously from 4.18 kg C/m2 in 2001 to 7.65 kg C/m2 in 2015. Vegetation carbon storage increased from 159.18 Tg C in 2001 to 256.83 Tg C in 2015, of which vegetation carbon storage of forest land contributed 94% and 97%, respectively. (3) Conversion of land use/cover types resulted in a 22.76-TgC loss of vegetation carbon storage. Although the forest land area decreased by 3389.5 km2, vegetation carbon storage in the research area increased by 97.65 Tg C owing to the increase of forest carbon density. (4) Pixel-by-pixel analysis showed that vegetation carbon storage in the majority of the areas of the Sanjiang Plain are negatively correlated with temperature and positively correlated with precipitation. The results showed that changes of land use/cover types and vegetation carbon density directly lead to a change in vegetation carbon storage, with the change of forest vegetation carbon density being the main driver affecting vegetation carbon storage variation. The increase of temperature mainly suppresses the vegetation carbon density, and the increase of precipitation mainly promotes it.
Documentary heritage: fungal deterioration in Compact Discs
Authors: Palermo Anna M. , Gentile Antonio , Pellegrino Giuseppe
Published: October 2021

In recent years, there has been an exponential growth in the use of digital media for data storage and the creation of museums, libraries and digital archives. In particular, Compact Discs Recordable (CD-R) have become one of the most used tools for archiving documents related to cultural heritage. Many authors have investigated only the CD longevity, but very few studies have focused on their biological deterioration. The aim of this work was to examine the CD-R biodeterioration following two ways: (1) search badly preserved CD-R, showing clear degradation spots and verify that it is fungal deterioration; (2) fungal inoculation tests on blank CD-R to verify their bioreceptivity. The analysis of a badly preserved CD-R showed clear degradation spots, highlighting, after cultural and molecular analysis, the presence on the surface of three different fungi: Chaetomium globosum, Trichoderma atroviride e Coniochaeta sp. For the in vitro inoculation tests we used conidia suspensions of Cladosporium cladosporioides and Penicillium chrysogenum, and we observed the growth for 6 months. At the end of experiment, both fungi colonized the CD-R surface with hyphae and mycelia clearly visible, causing also loss of material and fractal structure presence. For the CD-R use as cultural heritage archiving, the correct storage is an essential phase and, in light of the results obtained, it will be necessary not only to consider the environmental factors (temperature, relative humidity) but also the biological deterioration caused by airborne fungi. Therefore, effort needs to be taken to regularly monitor temperature and relative humidity and it is essential to periodically conduct cleaning of optical media.
Deep learning for emotion analysis in Arabic tweets
Authors: Khalil Enas A. Hakim , Houby Enas M. F. El , Mohamed Hoda Korashy
Published: October 2021

Currently, expressing feelings through social media requires great consideration as an essential part of our lives; besides sharing ideas and thoughts, we share moments and good memories. Social media such as Facebook, Twitter, Weibo, and LinkedIn, are considered rich sources of opinionated text data. Both organizations and individuals are interested in using social media to analyze people's opinions and extract sentiments and emotions. Most studies on social media analysis mainly classified sentiment as positive, negative, or neutral classes. The challenge in emotion analysis arises because humans can express one or several emotions within one expression. Human beings can recognize these different emotions well; however, it is still not easy for an emotion analysis system. In most cases, the Arabic language used through social media is of a slangy or colloquial form, making it more challenging to preprocess and filter noise since most lemmatization and stemming tools are built on Modern Standard Arabic (MSA). An emotion analysis model has been implemented to categorize emotions. The model is a multiclass and multilabel classification problem. However, few studies have been adapted for this emotion classification problem in Arabic social media. Nearly the only work is the one of SemEval 2018 task1- sub-task E-c. Several machine learning approaches have been implemented in this task; a few studies were based on deep learning. Our model implemented a novel multilayer bidirectional long short term memory (BiLSTM) trained on top of pre-trained word embedding vectors. The model achieved state-of-the-art performance enhancement. This approach has been compared with other models developed in the same tasks using Support Vector Machines (SVM), random forest (RF), and fully connected neural networks. The proposed model achieved a performance improvement over the best results obtained for this task.
Assessment of patient satisfaction towards auditable pharmaceutical transactions and services implemented in outpatient hospital pharmacy in Ethiopia
Authors: Adinew Ayalew , Feyissa Mamo , Tadesse Berhanu , Demeke Birhanu , Assefa Tamrat , Abdella Mahdi , Diriba Edessa , Bayisa Regasa , Geremew Elias , Alemu Fikresilasie , Ejigu Edmealem , Seifu Tesfaye , Nardos Aschalew , Dejene Demelash , Mideksa Mekete , Solomon Natnael
Published: October 2021

Background

Patient satisfaction is a widely used indicator to measure quality of pharmacy services. Currently, a transformational pharmacy service called auditable pharmaceutical transactions and services is being implemented nationally in Ethiopia. However, there is a dearth of evidence regarding the national impact of this system on patient satisfaction.

Objective

To assess patient satisfaction in hospital pharmacies that have implemented auditable pharmaceutical transactions and services in Ethiopia.

Method

This is a national study conducted based on a cross-sectional study design. Data were collected using a structured questionnaire from September 5 to October 5, 2020. The collected data was analyzed using spreadsheet excel and Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) version 23. The proportions, ratios, and percentages were used for presenting data. A binary logistic regression test was used to determine the association of patient satisfaction with dispensary infrastructure, medicines availability, scores of labeling, and scores of patient knowledge on dispensed medicines. A p value < 0.05 was considered statistically significant.

Result

A total of 650 participants were included in this study for whom a total of 1422 medicines were prescribed which gives an average of 2.19 medicine per patient. The availability of the prescribed medicines in the pharmacies was 1061 (75%), and the affordability of medicines was 1.93 WD that indicates an unaffordable price. The average written medication labels score of 3.1 out of 8 points and the average patient knowledge score for correct usage of medicines was 4.5 out of 6 points. Overall, 585 (90%) of patients reported being satisfied with pharmacy services; the counseling skill of pharmacists 609 (93.7%), and dispensing area 607 (93.4%) cited the most. The only significantly associated factor for satisfaction was the infrastructure of the pharmacy.

Conclusion

Overall satisfaction of patients with the auditable pharmaceutical transactions and services implemented in hospital pharmacy services was generally high. The participants were most satisfied with the pharmacist counseling and dispensary area. The medication availability is moderate but the cost is unaffordable. Advanced infrastructures have resulted in a significant improvement in patient satisfaction.
Physics-based secular variation candidate models for the IGRF
Authors: Fournier Alexandre , Aubert Julien , Lesur Vincent , Thébault Erwan
Published: October 2021

Each International Geomagnetic Reference Field (IGRF) model released under the auspices of the International Association of Geomagnetism and Aeronomy comprises a secular variation component that describes the evolution of the main magnetic field anticipated for the 5 years to come. Every Gauss coefficient, up to spherical harmonic degree and order 8, is assumed to undergo its own independent linear evolution. With a mathematical model of the core magnetic field and its time rate of change constructed from geomagnetic observations at hand, a standard prediction of the secular variation (SV) consists of taking the time rate of change of each Gauss coefficient at the final time of analysis as the predicted rate of change. The last three generations of the IGRF have additionally witnessed a growing number of candidate SV models relying upon physics-based forecasts. This surge is motivated by satellite data that now span more than two decades and by the concurrent progress in the numerical modelling of Earth’s core dynamics. Satellite data reveal rapid (interannual) geomagnetic features whose imprint can be detrimental to the quality of the IGRF prediction. This calls for forecasting frameworks able to incorporate at least part of the processes responsible for short-term geomagnetic variations. In this letter, we perform a retrospective analysis of the performance of past IGRF SV models and candidates over the past 35 years; we emphasize that over the satellite era, the quality of the 5-year forecasts worsens at times of rapid geomagnetic changes. After the definition of the time scales that are relevant for the IGRF prediction exercise, we cover the strategies followed by past physics-based candidates, which we categorize into a “‘core–surface flow” family and a “dynamo” family, noting that both strategies resort to “input” models of the main field and its secular variation constructed from observations. We next review practical lessons learned from our previous attempts. Finally, we discuss possible improvements on the current state of affairs in two directions: the feasibility of incorporating rapid physical processes into the analysis on the one hand, and the accuracy and quantification of the uncertainty impacting input models on the other hand.
Structure-guided protein engineering of ammonia lyase for efficient synthesis of sterically bulky unnatural amino acids
Authors: Ni Zi-Fu , Xu Pei , Zong Min-Hua , Lou Wen-Yong
Published: October 2021

Enzymatic asymmetric amination addition is seen as a promising approach for synthesizing amine derivatives, especially unnatural amino acids, which are valuable precursors to fine chemicals and drugs. Despite the broad substrate spectrum of methylaspartate lyase (MAL), some bulky substrates, such as caffeic acid, cannot be effectively accepted. Herein, we report a group of variants structurally derived from Escherichia coli O157:H7 MAL (EcMAL). A combined mutagenesis strategy was used to simultaneously redesign the key residues of the entrance tunnel and binding pocket to explore the possibility of accepting bulky substrates with potential application to chiral drug synthesis. Libraries of residues capable of lining the active center of EcMAL were then constructed and screened by an effective activity solid-phase color screening method using tyrosinase as a cascade catalyst system. Activity assays and molecular dynamics studies of the resultant variants showed that the substrate specificity of EcMAL was modified by adjusting the polarity of the binding pocket and the degree of flexibility of the entrance tunnel. Compared to M3, the optimal variant M8 was obtained with a 15-fold increase in catalytic activity. This structure-based protein engineering of EcMAL can be used to open new application directions or to develop practical multi-enzymatic processes for the production of various useful compounds.
Visual acuity is correlated with ischemia and neurodegeneration in patients with early stages of diabetic retinopathy
Authors: Li Jin , Zhou Yue , Chen Feng , Li Yingzi , Zhou Rong , Wu Chaoming , Yu Huankai , Lin Zhiyang , Shi Ce , Zheng Gu , Shao Yilei , Chen Qi , Lu Fan , Shen Meixiao
Published: October 2021

Purpose

We investigated the effects of retinal ischemia, neurodegeneration, and subclinical edema on best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA) in the early stages of diabetic retinopathy (DR).

Methods

Ischemia was evaluated by the microvascular parameters measured by optical coherence tomography angiography. Neurodegeneration and subclinical edema were identified by the intraretinal layer thickness obtained by optical coherence tomography. Eyes with nonproliferative diabetic retinopathy (n = 132) from 89 patients were analyzed. Eyes were classified as having normal BCVA (n = 88 [66.7%], Snellen equivalent ≥ 20/20) or decreased BCVA (n = 44 [33.3%], Snellen equivalent < 20/20). The prevalence of ischemia, neurodegeneration, and subclinical edema was explored in patients with and without decreased BCVA, and correlations between BCVA and these pathological pathways were determined.

Results

Vessel density in the deep retinal capillary plexus (DRCP) and thickness of ganglion cell layer plus inner plexiform layer (GCL-IPL) were significantly lower in eyes with decreased BCVA compared with eyes with normal BCVA (both P < 0.05). In the final multiple regression predictive model, age, DRCP vessel density, and GCL-IPL thickness (all P ≤ 0.044) were predictors of BCVA. DRCP vessel density and GCL-IPL thickness have an interactive effect on visual acuity. The proportions of ischemia and neurodegeneration were significantly higher in eyes with decreased BCVA than in eyes with normal BCVA (P = 0.001 and P = 0.004, respectively).

Conclusion

During the natural course of the early stages of DR, ischemia and neurodegeneration were the main disease pathways associated with visual acuity, and the mechanisms varied among patients.
Lamellar Hole-associated Epiretinal Proliferation in choroideremia: a case report
Authors: Murro Vittoria , Mucciolo Dario Pasquale , Giorgio Dario , Caporossi Tomaso , Passerini Ilaria , Bani Daniele , Giansanti Fabrizio , Virgili Gianni , Sodi Andrea
Published: October 2021

Background

To report a clinical case of a patient affected with choroideremia (CHM) who underwent macular surgery for a macular hole (MH) with Lamellar Hole-associated Epiretinal Proliferation (LHEP).

Case presentation

We have described a 48-year-old male patient affected with CHM who developed MH with LHEP over a 7-year follow-up. The patient was referred to the Regional Center for Hereditary Retinal Degenerations of the Eye Clinic in Florence (Italy) in April 2012. The patient underwent vitrectomy and Inner Limiting Membrane (ILM) and LHEP peeling with fluid-air exchange. Ultra-structural examination of the excised epiretinal proliferation, carried out using electron microscopy, showed dense amorphous material, mainly composed of abundant clusters of fibrous collagens resembling compact fibrous long spacing collagen (FLSC), embedded in native vitreous collagen (NVC) and type IV collagen. No cells were detected in any of the specimens collected. At the 3rd-week postoperative follow-up the macular hole was closed.

Conclusion

Macular hole with LHEP can be detected in CHM patients; in our patient the macular hole showed tractional and degenerative features, with good anatomical results after macular surgery.
Consistency of the determinants of achieving fertility desires in Ghana: insights from 2003, 2008 and 2014 Ghana Demographic and Health Survey data sets
Authors: Yeboah Isaac , Kwankye Stephen Owusu , Frempong-Ainguah Faustina
Published: October 2021

Sub-Saharan Africa has entered the early stage of the demographic transition with differences in and between countries. The relation between fertility preference and actual fertility is at the core of the demographic changes during the demographic transition in sub-Saharan Africa. At the current pace of the demographic transition, overachieved fertility (actual fertility being higher than fertility preference) is more prevalent in sub-Saharan Africa although some women do achieve their fertility preference. Our aim is to assess the trends and identify factors that consistently influence women with completed fertility to achieve their fertility desires in Ghana over a 10-year period. We used secondary data from the 2003, 2008 and 2014 Ghana Demographic and Health Surveys for the analysis. The sample size was restricted to currently married/living in union women aged 45–49 years. The results indicate that underachieved fertility has increased from 25.1% in 2003 to 35.8% in 2014. Similarly, achieved fertility has also increased from 23.8% in 2003 to 26.0% in 2014. On the contrary, overachieved fertility has decreased from 51.1% in 2003 to 38.2% in 2014. The most persistent determinants of achieved fertility relative to overachieved fertility in Ghana during the last three rounds of the Ghana Demographic and Health Surveys are child survival status, ethnicity and couple’s fertility preference. The study provides support for programmatic interventions targeting improving child survival and regulating men’s fertility preference.
Bone Strain Index predicts fragility fracture in osteoporotic women: an artificial intelligence-based study
Authors: Ulivieri Fabio Massimo , Rinaudo Luca , Messina Carmelo , Piodi Luca Petruccio , Capra Davide , Lupi Barbara , Meneguzzo Camilla , Sconfienza Luca Maria , Sardanelli Francesco , Giustina Andrea , Grossi Enzo
Published: October 2021

Background

We applied an artificial intelligence-based model to predict fragility fractures in postmenopausal women, using different dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry (DXA) parameters.

Methods

One hundred seventy-four postmenopausal women without vertebral fractures (VFs) at baseline (mean age 66.3 ± 9.8) were retrospectively evaluated. Data has been collected from September 2010 to August 2018. All subjects performed a spine x-ray to assess VFs, together with lumbar and femoral DXA for bone mineral density (BMD) and the bone strain index (BSI) evaluation. Follow-up exams were performed after 3.34 ± 1.91 years. Considering the occurrence of new VFs at follow-up, two groups were created: fractured versus not-fractured. We applied an artificial neural network (ANN) analysis with a predictive tool (TWIST system) to select relevant input data from a list of 13 variables including BMD and BSI. A semantic connectivity map was built to analyse the connections among variables within the groups. For group comparisons, an independent-samples t-test was used; variables were expressed as mean ± standard deviation.

Results

For each patient, we evaluated a total of n = 6 exams. At follow-up, n = 69 (39.6%) women developed a VF. ANNs reached a predictive accuracy of 79.56% within the training testing procedure, with a sensitivity of 80.93% and a specificity of 78.18%. The semantic connectivity map showed that a low BSI at the total femur is connected to the absence of VFs.

Conclusion

We found a high performance of ANN analysis in predicting the occurrence of VFs. Femoral BSI appears as a useful DXA index to identify patients at lower risk for lumbar VFs.
Antibiotic resistance and ESBL production in Escherichia coli from various sources in Aba metropolis, Nigeria
Authors: Ajuga Martha Uzoaru , Otokunefor Kome , Agbagwa Obakpororo Ejiro
Published: October 2021

Background

The increase in multidrug resistance (MDR) among pathogenic bacteria responsible for infectious diseases has led to lack of effectiveness of some antibiotics. The ability of Escherichia coli to harbor resistant genes has made the treatment of infections a major challenge. This study was carried out to assess antibiotic resistance and extended-spectrum beta-lactamase (ESBL) production of E. coli from various sources in Aba metropolis, Nigeria.

Results

From a total of 350 samples collected from clinical and non-clinical sources, 137 were presumptively identified as E. coli by standard phenotypic methods and 83 were confirmed as E. coli by the detection of E. coli specific 16S rRNA gene fragments. The majority of these isolates (52, 62.7%) were from non-clinical sources. The clinical isolates, however, exhibited a higher level of resistance against 62.5% of tested antibiotics. Both group of isolates exhibited similar levels (58.1% vs 53.9%) of MDR, though. A low rate of ESBL production was observed (1.2%) following phenotypic detection of ESBL-producing abilities using the double-disc synergy test. An assessment of the presence of three beta-lactamase gene genotypes (blaTEM, blaSHV and blaCTX-M) revealed that none of the three predominant ESBL genotypes was identified in this study.

Conclusions

This study reports high levels of antibiotic resistance in both clinical and non-clinical E. coli isolates. Though higher rates of resistance were observed among the non-clinical isolates, both group of organisms had similar levels of MDR. Strikingly, however, was the low level of ESBL producers detected in this study and the absence of the three main genotypes associated with ESBL production in this study.
Effects of fermentation and drying durations on the quality of cocoa (Theobroma cacao L.) beans during the rainy season in the Juaboso District of the Western-North Region, Ghana
Authors: Ackah Emmanuel , Dompey Eric
Published: October 2021

Background

Postharvest treatments are crucial to the quality of cocoa finished products. This study aimed at investigating the effects of durations of fermentation and drying on the quality of cocoa (Theobroma cacao) beans during the rainy season. The study employed a 4 × 3 factorial with four fermentation durations of 5, 6, 7 and 8 days and three drying periods of 4, 5 and 6 days, resulting in a total of 12 treatment combinations, laid in a Completely Randomized Design with three replications. Bean quality data were collected on bean count/100 g, moisture content and cut test attributes including mouldy, slaty and purple, as well as percentage purity.

Results

The study showed that the applied fermentation and drying periods single handedly resulted in moisture content higher than the recommended, coupling 8 days fermentation with 6 days drying period resulted in a moisture content of 5.6% which falls below the acceptable standard (7.5%) recommended. Number of beans/100 g increased with increasing fermentation and drying periods. Coupling any of the fermentation periods with 5 or 6 days drying duration resulted in mould content within the acceptable grade 1 limit (3%). Longer fermentation period coupled with any of the drying durations resulted in very encouraging and minimal values of purple, while coupling 6, 7 or 8 days fermentation period with 6 days drying resulted in slaty content within the grade 1 limit (3%).

Conclusion

The overall effect of the treatments on the quality attributes from the cut test revealed that 8 days fermentation with the traditional leave heap method, coupled with 6 days sun drying during the rainy season, resulted in superior bean quality with a percentage purity of 98.00%.
Polyethylene-coffee husk eco-composites for production of value-added consumer products
Authors: Jaramillo Leyla Y. , Vásquez-Rendón Mauricio , Upegui Sergio , Posada Juan C. , Romero-Sáez Manuel
Published: October 2021

The annual worldwide production of coffee exceeds 10 million tons, and more than 90% of this production is waste, including the husk. On the other hand, plastic consumption increases every year, and sustainable alternatives are necessary to decrease it. This work arises to solve these two problems, and seeks to produce products at an industrial level from polyethylene/coffee husk eco-composites. Both Low Density Polyethylene and High Density Polyethylene were used, and the amounts of coffee husk added as filler were 20 and 40 wt%. The composites were characterized by different morphological, thermal and mechanical techniques. Scanning Electron Microscopy images showed husk particles embedded in the polymer matrix, but with some gaps between the polymer and the filler, because no compatibilizer agent was used. The addition of large amounts of natural filler negatively affected the tensile strength and elongation at break, but increases eco-composites crystallinity, and hence, their Young modulus and hardness. The industrial applicability of the eco-composites was verified through the production of five different consumer products by extrusion and injection processes, using mixtures with 40 wt% coffee husks. All products were obtained without significant defects. If only 3.25 wt% of the polyethylene products produced each year in Colombia did so with the eco-composites developed in this work, all the coffee husk produced in the country would be used, and the emission of about 5.390 million m3of greenhouse gases would be avoided.
Cementing the relationship between conventional and advanced semen parameters
Authors: Ayad Bashir M. , Oyeyipo Ibukun P. , Van der Horst Gerhard , Du Plessis Stefan S.
Published: October 2021

Background

Affordable conventional semen analysis remains a fundamental procedure to be performed routinely during the diagnosis of male infertility. Advanced semen analyses provide valuable clinical insights in treatment-related decision-making, but these are highly expensive and lack universal standardization. This study aimed at determining the relationship between conventional semen parameters, measured with assistance of computer-aided sperm analysis (CASA), and a set of advanced semen tests. Basic semen analysis (n= 124) was performed according to the World Health Organization (WHO) guidelines. Sperm DNA fragmentation and intracellular superoxide (O2−•) levels were assessed by flow cytometry. Seminal plasma thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS) levels as well as superoxide dismutase (SOD) and catalase (CAT) activity were measured by spectrophotometry. Spearman’s rank correlation coefficient was used, with significance set atp< 0.05.

Results

Semen pH correlated negatively with TBARS (p< 0.01). The proportions of total and progressively motile as well as rapid spermatozoa correlated positively with CAT activity (p< 0.05). Sperm viability correlated negatively with both O2−•(p< 0.05) and DNA fragmentation (p= 0.01), while normal morphology correlated negatively with O2−•levels (p< 0.05) and positively with CAT activity (p< 0.05). Straight-line velocity (VCL) and average-path velocity (VAP) correlated negatively with both O2−•(p< 0.01) and TBARS (p< 0.01). Amplitude of lateral head displacement (ALH) correlated negatively with O2−•(p< 0.01) and DNA fragmentation (p< 0.01), while its correlation with SOD activity was positive (p< 0.05).

Conclusion

The results obtained from this study support the validity of some CASA parameters as sensitive indicators of changes in sperm oxidative status and DNA integrity. Predicting advanced from conventional parameters through the building of linear regression models should be considered for future studies.
An implementation intervention to increase the routine provision of antenatal care addressing gestational weight gain: study protocol for a stepped-wedge cluster trial
Authors: Kingsland Melanie , Hollis Jenna , Farragher Eva , Wolfenden Luke , Campbell Karen , Pennell Craig , Reeves Penny , Tully Belinda , Daly Justine , Attia John , Oldmeadow Christopher , Hunter Mandy , Murray Henry , Paolucci Francesco , Foureur Maralyn , Rissel Chris , Gillham Karen , Wiggers John
Published: October 2021

Background

Weight gain during pregnancy that is outside of recommended levels is associated with a range of adverse outcomes for the mother and child, including gestational diabetes, pre-eclampsia, preterm birth, and obesity. Internationally, 60–80% of pregnant women report gaining weight outside of recommended levels. While guideline recommendations and RCT evidence support the provision of antenatal care that supports healthy gestational weight gain, less than 10% of health professionals routinely weigh pregnant women; discuss weight gain, diet, and physical activity; and provide a referral for additional support. This study aims to determine the effectiveness of an implementation intervention in increasing the provision of recommended gestational weight gain care by maternity services.

Methods

A stepped-wedge controlled trial, with a staggered implementation intervention, will be conducted across maternity services in three health sectors in New South Wales, Australia. The implementation intervention will consist of evidence-based, locally-tailored strategies including guidelines and procedures, reminders and prompts, leadership support, champions, training, and monitoring and feedback. Primary outcome measures will be the proportion of women who report receiving (i) assessment of gestational weight gain; (ii) advice on gestational weight gain, dietary intake, and physical activity; and (iii) offer of referral to a telephone coaching service or local dietetics service. Measurement of outcomes will occur via telephone interviews with a random sample of women who attend antenatal appointments each week. Economic analyses will be undertaken to assess the cost, cost-consequence, cost-effectiveness, and budget impact of the implementation intervention. Receipt of all care elements, acceptance of referral, weight gain during pregnancy, diet quality, and physical activity will be measured as secondary outcomes. Process measures including acceptability, adoption, fidelity, and reach will be reported.

Discussion

This will be the first controlled trial to evaluate the effectiveness of a implementation intervention in improving antenatal care that addresses gestational weight gain. The findings will inform decision-making by maternity services and policy agencies and, if the intervention is demonstrated to be effective, could be applied at scale to benefit the health of women and children across Australia and internationally.

Trial registration

Australian and New Zealand Clinical Trials Registry, ACTRN12621000054819. Registered on 22 January 2021
Initial validation of a self-report questionnaire based on the Theoretical Domains Framework: determinants of clinician adoption of a novel colorectal cancer screening strategy
Authors: Zhu Xuan , Lee Minji K. , Weiser Emily , Griffin Joan M. , Limburg Paul J. , Finney Rutten Lila J.
Published: October 2021

Background

Colorectal cancer (CRC) screening for average risk adults age 45 and older continues to be underutilized in the USA. One factor consistently associated with CRC screening completion is clinician recommendation. Understanding the barriers and facilitators of clinical adoption of emerging CRC screening strategies is important in developing effective intervention strategies to improve CRC screening rates. We aimed to develop a questionnaire based on the Theoretical Domains Framework (TDF) to assess determinants of clinical adoption of novel CRC screening strategies, using the multi-target stool DNA test (mt-sDNA; Cologuard®) as an example, and test the psychometric properties of this questionnaire on a sample of US clinicians.

Methods

A web survey was administered between November and December 2019 to a national panel of clinicians including primary care clinicians (PCCs) and gastroenterologists (GIs) to assess 10 TDF constructs with 55 items. Confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) was used to examine whether the a priori domain structure was supported by the data. Discriminant validity of domains was tested with Heterotrait-Monotrait ratio (HTMT). Internal consistency for each scale was assessed using Cronbach’s alpha. Criterion validity was assessed with self-reported mt-sDNA use and mt-sDNA recommendation as the outcomes.

Results

Complete surveys were received from 814 PCCs and 159 GIs (completion rate, 24.7% of 3299 PCCs and 29.6% of 538 GIs). Providers were excluded from analysis if they indicated not recommending CRC screening to average-risk patients (final N = 973). The final questionnaire consisted of 38 items covering 5 domains: (1) knowledge; (2) skills; (3) identity and social influence; (4) optimism, beliefs about consequences, and intentions; and (5) environmental context and resources. CFA results confirmed a reasonable fit (CFI = 0.948, SRMR = 0.057, RMSEA = 0.080). The domains showed sufficient discriminant validity (HTMT < 0.85), good internal consistency (McDonald’s omega > 0.76), and successfully differentiated providers who reported they had ordered mt-sDNA from those who never ordered mt-sDNA and differentiated providers who reported routinely recommending mt-sDNA from those who reported not recommending mt-sDNA.

Conclusions

Findings provide initial evidence for the validity and internal consistency of this TDF-based questionnaire in measuring potential determinants of mt-sDNA adoption for average-risk CRC screening. Further investigation of validity and reliability is needed when adapting this questionnaire to other novel CRC screening strategy contexts.
Prevalence of complex post-traumatic stress disorder in refugees and asylum seekers: systematic review
Authors: de Silva Umanga , Glover Naomi , Katona Cornelius
Published: October 2021

Background

Refugees and asylum seekers often report having experienced numerous complex traumas. It is important to understand the prevalence of complex post-traumatic stress disorder (CPTSD), which can follow complex traumas.

Aims

This systematic review aims to summarise the available literature reporting the prevalence in refugees and asylum seekers of three operationalised definitions of CPTSD: the ICD-11 diagnostic criteria, the ICD-10 criteria (for enduring personality change after catastrophic experience) and the DSM-IV criteria (for disorders of extreme stress not otherwise specified).

Method

Six electronic databases were searched for studies reporting the prevalence of CPTSD in adult refugee and/or asylum-seeking samples. Owing to heterogeneity between the studies, a narrative synthesis approach was used to summarise studies. Methodological quality was assessed using the Joanna Briggs Critical Appraisal Checklist for Prevalence Studies. This systematic review has been registered with PROSPERO (registration number CRD42020188422,https://www.crd.york.ac.uk/prospero/display_record.php?RecordID=188422).

Results

Systematic searches identified 15 eligible studies, with 10 examining treatment-seeking samples and five using population samples. CPTSD prevalence in treatment-seeking samples was between 16 and 38%. Prevalence in population samples ranged from 2.2 to 9.3% in four studies, with the fifth reporting a much higher estimate (50.9%).

Conclusions

This review highlights both the high prevalence of CPTSD in treatment samples and the lack of research aiming to establish prevalence of CPTSD in refugee and asylum-seeking populations. Understanding the prevalence of these disabling disorders has implications for policy and healthcare services for the appropriate promotion, planning and provision of suitable treatment and interventions for this highly traumatised population.
Evidence of extreme events in wind-induced normal stress of the columns of low- and medium-rise building structures
Authors: Suresh R. , Gopal R. , Pillai S. Nadaraja , Chandrasekar V. K.
Published: October 2021

We designed models for low- and medium-rise building structures with square and rectangular plans and tested the wind-induced normal stress of the building columns. We demonstrate the structures' normal stress response due to the wind load is non-Gaussian and shows evidence of extreme events, which are four to seven times larger than the mean standard deviation. We have estimated the probability distribution function to corroborate the long-tail nature of the extreme events, and randomness of the events is confirmed by plotting inter-event intervals and return maps. Further, the number of extreme events is calculated, which validates the exponentially decaying fit as a function of the number of standard deviations.
HumanSRYExpression at the Sex-determining Period is Insufficient to Drive Testis Development in Mice
Authors: Tsuji-Hosokawa Atsumi , Ogawa Yuya , Tsuchiya Iku , Terao Miho , Takada Shuji
Published: October 2021

The sex-determining region of the Y chromosome, Sry/SRY, is an initiation factor for testis development in both humans and mice. Although the functional compatibility between murine SRY and human SRY was previously examined in transgenic mice, their equivalency remains inconclusive. Because molecular interaction and timeline of mammalian sex determination were mostly described in murine experiments, we generated a mouse model in which Sry was substituted with human SRY to verify the compatibility. The mouse model had the human SRY open reading frame at the locus of murine Sry exon 1—Sry(SRY) mice—and was generated using the CRISPR/Cas9 system. The reproductive system of the mice was analyzed. The expression of human SRY in the fetal gonadal ridge of Sry(SRY) mice was detected. The external and internal genitalia of adult Sry(SRY) mice were similar to those of wild-type females, without any significant difference in anogenital distance. Sry(SRY) mice obtained gonads, which were morphologically considered as ovaries. Histological analysis revealed that the cortical regions of gonads from adult Sry(SRY) mice contained few follicles. We successfully replaced genes on the Y chromosome with targeted genome editing using the CRISPR/Cas9 system. Because the Sry(SRY) XY mice did not develop testis, we concluded that human SRY was insufficient to drive testis development in mouse embryos. The difference in response elements and lack of glutamine-rich domains may have invalidated human SRY function in mice. Signal transduction between Sry/SRY expression and Sox9/SOX9 activation is possibly organized in a species-specific manner.
Cell state transitions: definitions and challenges
Authors: Mulas Carla , Chaigne Agathe , Smith Austin , Chalut Kevin J.
Published: October 2021

A fundamental challenge when studying biological systems is the description of cell state dynamics. During transitions between cell states, a multitude of parameters may change – from the promoters that are active, to the RNAs and proteins that are expressed and modified. Cells can also adopt different shapes, alter their motility and change their reliance on cell-cell junctions or adhesion. These parameters are integral to how a cell behaves and collectively define the state a cell is in. Yet, technical challenges prevent us from measuring all of these parameters simultaneously and dynamically. How, then, can we comprehend cell state transitions using finite descriptions? The recent virtual workshop organised by The Company of Biologists entitled ‘Cell State Transitions: Approaches, Experimental Systems and Models’ attempted to address this question. Here, we summarise some of the main points that emerged during the workshop's themed discussions. We also present examples of cell state transitions and describe models and systems that are pushing forward our understanding of how cells rewire their state.