bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
High-power 55-fs Yb:YAG thin-disk oscillator at 200 MHz repetition rate
Authors: Liu Heyan , Yang Tingting , Xu Jia , Wang Qing , Xuan Hongwen , Zhang Jinwei
Published: November 2022

High-repetition-rate ultrafast laser oscillators with high average power and short pulse duration provide excellent sources for generating optical frequency combs. Here we report a Kerr-lens mode locked Yb:YAG thin-disk oscillator delivering 203-MHz pulses at an average power of 9.4 W. A single additional nonlinear plate was inserted inside the cavity to enhance the Kerr lens effect, which leads to a substantial broadening of the mode-locked spectrum. The resultant pulse duration is 55 fs. The demonstrated oscillator combines a high repetition rate, a high average power and short pulse duration within one resonator, offering an ideal prerequisite for the optical-frequency metrology and frequency-comb spectroscopy with high signal-to-noise ratio.
Irregularity molecular descriptors of VC5C7[m,n] and HC5C7[m,n] nanotubes
Authors: Munir Muhammad Mobeen
Published: November 2022

Scientific organizations are creating carbon nanotube-based composites like VC5C7[m,n] and HC5C7[m,n], which indicate significant response against voltage. Imbalance-based irregularity indices determine the degree of irregularity of a certain molecular structure and, as a result, determine the properties of a molecular substance. In this article, we aim to compute irregularity indices of two nanotubes, VC5C7[m,n] and HC5C7[m,n]. We produce formulas for the irregularity of these two nanotubes, which are functions depending on the parameters of the structure m and n. We compare our results graphically and conclude that VC5C7[m,n] is more irregular than HC5C7[m,n].
Chemokine-like receptor 1 plays a critical role in modulating the regenerative and contractile properties of muscle tissue
Authors: Boesch Julian , Pierrel Eliane , Lambert Christian , Doelemeyer Arno , Kreider Julie , Accart Nathalie , Summermatter Serge
Published: November 2022

Musculoskeletal diseases are a leading contributor to mobility disability worldwide. Since the majority of patients with musculoskeletal diseases present with associated muscle weakness, treatment approaches typically comprise an element of resistance training to restore physical strength. The health-promoting effects of resistance exercise are mediated via complex, multifarious mechanisms including modulation of systemic and local inflammation. Here we investigated whether targeted inhibition of the chemerin pathway, which largely controls inflammatory processes via chemokine-like receptor 1 (CMKLR1), can improve skeletal muscle function. Using genetically modified mice, we demonstrate that blockade of CMKLR1 transiently increases maximal strength during growth, but lastingly decreases strength endurance. In-depth analyses of the underlying long-term adaptations revealed microscopic alterations in the number of Pax7-positive satellite cells, as well as molecular changes in genes governing myogenesis and calcium handling. Taken together, these data provide evidence of a critical role for CMKLR1 in regulating skeletal muscle function by modulating the regenerative and contractile properties of muscle tissue. CMKLR1 antagonists are increasingly viewed as therapeutic modalities for a variety of diseases (e.g., psoriasis, metabolic disorders, and multiple sclerosis). Our findings thus have implications for the development of novel drug substances that aim at targeting the chemerin pathway for musculoskeletal or other diseases.
Deep learning-based predictions of older adults' adherence to cognitive training to support training efficacy
Authors: Singh Ankita , Chakraborty Shayok , He Zhe , Tian Shubo , Zhang Shenghao , Lustria Mia Liza A. , Charness Neil , Roque Nelson A. , Harrell Erin R. , Boot Walter R.
Published: November 2022

As the population ages, the number of older adults experiencing mild cognitive impairment (MCI), Alzheimer's disease, and other forms of dementia will increase dramatically over the next few decades. Unfortunately, cognitive changes associated with these conditions threaten independence and quality of life. To address this, researchers have developed promising cognitive training interventions to help prevent or reverse cognitive decline and cognitive impairment. However, the promise of these interventions will not be realized unless older adults regularly engage with them over the long term, and like many health behaviors, adherence to cognitive training interventions can often be poor. To maximize training benefits, it would be useful to be able to predict when adherence lapses for each individual, so that support systems can be personalized to bolster adherence and intervention engagement at optimal time points. The current research uses data from a technology-based cognitive intervention study to recognize patterns in participants' adherence levels and predict their future adherence to the training program. We leveraged the feature learning capabilities of deep neural networks to predict patterns of adherence for a given participant, based on their past behavior. A separate, personalized model was trained for each participant to capture individualistic features of adherence. We posed the adherence prediction as a binary classification problem and exploited multivariate time series analysis using an adaptive window size for model training. Further, data augmentation techniques were used to overcome the challenge of limited training data and enhance the size of the dataset. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first research effort to use advanced machine learning techniques to predict older adults' daily adherence to cognitive training programs. Experimental evaluations corroborated the promise and potential of deep learning models for adherence prediction, which furnished highest mean F-scores of 75.5, 75.5, and 74.6% for the Convolution Neural Network (CNN), Long Short-Term Memory (LSTM) network, and CNN-LSTM models respectively.
Elements of musical and dance sophistication predict musical groove perception
Authors: O’Connell Samantha R. , Nave-Blodgett Jessica E. , Wilson Grace E. , Hannon Erin E. , Snyder Joel S.
Published: November 2022

Listening to groovy music is an enjoyable experience and a common human behavior in some cultures. Specifically, many listeners agree that songs they find to be more familiar and pleasurable are more likely to induce the experience of musical groove. While the pleasurable and dance-inducing effects of musical groove are omnipresent, we know less about how subjective feelings toward music, individual musical or dance experiences, or more objective musical perception abilities are correlated with the way we experience groove. Therefore, the present study aimed to evaluate how musical and dance sophistication relates to musical groove perception. One-hundred 24 participants completed an online study during which they rated 20 songs, considered high- or low-groove, and completed the Goldsmiths Musical Sophistication Index, the Goldsmiths Dance Sophistication Index, the Beat and Meter Sensitivity Task, and a modified short version of the Profile for Music Perception Skills. Our results reveal that measures of perceptual abilities, musical training, and social dancing predicted the difference in groove rating between high- and low-groove music. Overall, these findings support the notion that listeners’ individual experiences and predispositions may shape their perception of musical groove, although other causal directions are also possible. This research helps elucidate the correlates and possible causes of musical groove perception in a wide range of listeners.
Men’s reactions to gender inequality in the workplace: From relative deprivation on behalf of women to collective action
Authors: Mazzuca Silvia , Moscatelli Silvia , Menegatti Michela , Rubini Monica
Published: November 2022

Over recent years, the role of men as women’s allies in the struggle for gender equality has become increasingly important. Previous research has shown that often men do not fight gender inequalities as they fail to recognize the severity of discrimination against women (e.g., in hiring). In this study (N = 427), we examined whether men who experienced relative deprivation on behalf of women—a form of relative deprivation that stems from the awareness that women hold a less privileged position in society—were more motivated to engage in collective action to support gender equality in the workplace. The findings showed that men’s feelings of deprivation on behalf of women were associated with a greater willingness to engage in collective action for gender equality. This relationship was sequentially mediated by two emotional reactions related to deprivation—increased guilt about gender inequalities and decreased fear of a potential backlash—and the moral conviction of acting for gender equality. These results suggest that men’s awareness of gender inequality at work is an important antecedent to their acting in solidarity with women and that emotions and moral conviction are two psychological processes that turn cognition into behavior. Action to reduce gender inequalities should make men more sensitive to seeing that they hold a privileged position in society and to recognizing the pervasive and harmful nature of women’s deprivation.
Development and assessment of novel machine learning models to predict medication non-adherence risks in type 2 diabetics
Authors: Li Mengting , Lu Xiangyu , Yang HengBo , Yuan Rong , Yang Yong , Tong Rongsheng , Wu Xingwei
Published: November 2022

Background

Medication adherence is the main determinant of effective management of type 2 diabetes, yet there is no gold standard method available to screen patients with high-risk non-adherence. Developing machine learning models to predict high-risk non-adherence in patients with T2D could optimize management.

Methods

This cross-sectional study was carried out on patients with T2D at the Sichuan Provincial People's Hospital from April 2018 to December 2019 who were examined for HbA1c on the day of the survey. Demographic and clinical characteristics were extracted from the questionnaire and electronic medical records. The sample was randomly divided into a training dataset and a test dataset with a radio of 8:2 after data preprocessing. Four imputing methods, five sampling methods, three screening methods, and 18 machine learning algorithms were used to groom data and develop and validate models. Bootstrapping was performed to generate the validation set for external validation and univariate analysis. Models were compared on the basis of predictive performance metrics. Finally, we validated the sample size on the best model.

Results

This study included 980 patients with T2D, of whom 184 (18.8%) were defined as medication non-adherence. The results indicated that the model used modified random forest as the imputation method, random under sampler as the sampling method, Boruta as the feature screening method and the ensemble algorithms and had the best performance. The area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC), F1 score, and area under the precision-recall curve (AUPRC) of the best model, among a total of 1,080 trained models, were 0.8369, 0.7912, and 0.9574, respectively. Age, present fasting blood glucose (FBG) values, present HbA1c values, present random blood glucose (RBG) values, and body mass index (BMI) were the most significant contributors associated with risks of medication adherence.

Conclusion

We found that machine learning methods could be used to predict the risk of non-adherence in patients with T2D. The proposed model was well performed to identify patients with T2D with non-adherence and could help improve individualized T2D management.
A four-generation family transmission chain of COVID-19 along the China–Myanmar border in October to November 2021
Authors: Yan Xiangyu , Xiao Wei , Zhou Saipeng , Wang Xuechun , Wang ZeKun , Zhao Mingchen , Li Tao , Jia Zhongwei , Zhang Bo , Shui Tiejun
Published: November 2022

Background

Foreign imported patients and within-household transmission have been the focus and difficulty of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) prevention and control, which has also posed challenges to border areas' management. However, household transmission caused by foreign imported cases has not been reported in China's border areas. This study aimed to reveal a clear family clustering transmission chain of COVID-19 caused by contact with Myanmar refugees along the China–Myanmar border during an outbreak in October to November 2021.

Methods

During the outbreak, detailed epidemiological investigations were conducted on confirmed patients with COVID-19 and their close contacts in daily activities. Patients were immediately transported to a designated hospital for treatment and quarantine, and their close contacts were quarantined at designated sites. Regular nucleic acid testing and SARS-CoV-2 antibody testing were provided to them.

Results

A clear four-generation family clustering transmission involving five patients with COVID-19 was found along the China–Myanmar border. The index case (Patient A) was infected by brief conversations with Myanmar refugees across border fences during work. His wife (Patient B) and 9-month-old daughter (Patient C) were second-generation cases infected by daily contact with him. His 2-year-old daughter (Patient D) was the third-generation case infected by her mother and sister during quarantine in the same room and then transmitted the virus to her grandmother (Patient E, the fourth-generation case) who looked after her after Patients B and C were diagnosed and transported to the hospital. The household secondary attack rate was 80.0%, the average latent period was 4 days, and the generation time was 3 days. Ten of 942 close contacts (1.1%) of this family had positive IgM antibody during the medical observation period. In total 73.9% (696/942) of them were positive for IgG antibody and 8.3% (58/696) had IgG levels over 20 S/CO (optical density of the sample/cut-off value of the reagent).

Conclusion

This typical transmission chain indicated that it is essential to strengthen COVID-19 prevention and control in border areas, and explore more effective children care approaches in quarantine sites.
Machine learning models for predicting risk of depression in Korean college students: Identifying family and individual factors
Authors: Gil Minji , Kim Suk-Sun , Min Eun Jeong
Published: November 2022

Background

Depression is one of the most prevalent mental illnesses among college students worldwide. Using the family triad dataset, this study investigated machine learning (ML) models to predict the risk of depression in college students and identify important family and individual factors.

Methods

This study predicted college students at risk of depression and identified significant family and individual factors in 171 family data (171 fathers, mothers, and college students). The prediction accuracy of three ML models, sparse logistic regression (SLR), support vector machine (SVM), and random forest (RF), was compared.

Results

The three ML models showed excellent prediction capabilities. The RF model showed the best performance. It revealed five significant factors responsible for depression: self-perceived mental health of college students, neuroticism, fearful-avoidant attachment, family cohesion, and mother's depression. Additionally, the logistic regression model identified five factors responsible for depression: the severity of cancer in the father, the severity of respiratory diseases in the mother, the self-perceived mental health of college students, conscientiousness, and neuroticism.

Discussion

These findings demonstrated the ability of ML models to accurately predict the risk of depression and identify family and individual factors related to depression among Korean college students. With recent developments and ML applications, our study can improve intelligent mental healthcare systems to detect early depressive symptoms and increase access to mental health services.
A chain multiple mediation model reveals the association between abuse and depression in Chinese adolescents
Authors: Zhan Xiaoqing , Li Kuiliang , Zheng Yingcan , Yang Guoyu , Luo Xi
Published: November 2022

Background

Depression is a common mental disorder in Chinese adolescents. Identifying its risk factors will facilitate early prevention. As abuse is reported to be a great risk factor of depression, it is necessary to identify factors mediating the relation between abuse and depression.

Objective

This study aims to investigate the association between abuse and depression by investigating the mediating role of academic stress, social anxiety, and generalized anxiety to offer insights for depression prevention.

Participants and setting

We investigated adolescents in urban and rural areas in Wansheng District of Chongqing city in China. This study included a total of 14,108 students from secondary and primary schools, among whom 7,086 were men (50.2%) and 7,022 were women (49.8%). The participants aged from 11 to 17 with an average age of 13.58 (M = 13.58, SD = 1.86).

Methods

A questionnaire survey was conducted among the participants between October and December in 2020. The following questionnaires were adopted: DSM-5 Patient Health Questionnaire for Adolescents, DSM-5 Severity Measure for Generalized Anxiety Disorder, The International Society for Prevention of Child Abuse and Neglect Child Abuse Screening Tool, DSM-5 Severity Measure for Social Anxiety Disorder (Social Phobia), and Study Stress Scale.

Results

The lifetime prevalence of abuse was high in Chinese adolescents. The direct effect value from abuse to depression was 0.05, the total mediating effect value was 0.14, and the overall effect value was 0.19. According to the mediating effect analysis, the direct and indirect effects from abuse to depression were significant, and the mediating effect accounted for 73.68% of the total effect, suggesting that 73.68% of the effects of abuse to depression are mediated by academic stress, social anxiety, and generalized anxiety.

Conclusions

Academic stress, social anxiety and generalized anxiety play a chain multiple mediating role in the association between abuse and depression, which sheds light on the prevention of depression in the future.
Healthcare preferences of the general Chinese population in the hierarchical medical system: A discrete choice experiment
Authors: Yan Ni , Liu Taoran , Xu Yuan , Fang Xuanbi , Ma Xinyang , Yang Meng , Du Jianhao , Tan Zijian , Fan Er-wen , Huang Jian , Akinwunmi Babatunde , Zhang Casper J. P. , Ming Wai-Kit , Luo Liangping
Published: November 2022

Background

Chinese health insurance system faces resource distribution challenges. A patient-centric approach allows decision-makers to be keenly aware of optimized medical resource allocation.

Objective

This study aims to use the discrete choice model to determine the main factors affecting the healthcare preferences of the general Chinese population and their weights in the three scenarios (chronic non-communicable diseases, acute infectious diseases, and major diseases).

Methods

This study firstly identified the key factors affecting people's healthcare preferences through literature review and qualitative interviews, and then designed the DCE questionnaire. An online questionnaire produced by Lighthouse Studio (version 9.9.1) software was distributed to voluntary respondents recruited from mainland China's entire population from January 2021 to June 2021. Participants were required to answer a total of 21 questions of three scenarios in the questionnaire. The multinomial logit model and latent class model were used to analyze the collected data.

Results

A total of 4,156 participants from mainland China were included in this study. The multinomial logit and latent class model analyses showed that medical insurance reimbursement is the most important attribute in all three disease scenarios. In the scenario of “non-communicable diseases,” the attributes that participants valued were, from the most to the least, medical insurance reimbursement (45.0%), hospital-level (21.6%), distance (14.4%), cost (9.7%), waiting time (8.3%), and care provider (1.0%). As for willingness to pay (WTP), participants were willing to pay 204.5 yuan, or 1,743.8 yuan, to change from private hospitals or community hospitals to tertiary hospitals, respectively.

Conclusions

This study explores the healthcare preferences of Chinese residents from a new perspective, which can provide theoretical reference for the refinement of many disease medical reimbursement policies, such as developing different reimbursement ratios for various common diseases and realizing rational configuration of medical resources.
Knowledge, attitudes, and practices of health providers regarding access to and use of contraceptive methods among adolescents and youth in urban Guinea
Authors: Sidibé Sidikiba , Kolié Delphin , Grovogui Fassou Mathias , Kourouma Karifa , Camara Bienvenu Salim , Delamou Alexandre , Kouanda Seni
Published: November 2022

Introduction

The objective of this study was to analyze providers' knowledge, attitudes, and practices regarding access to and use of contraception by urban adolescents and youth.

Methods

This is a cross-sectional study of 1,707 health care providers in 173 selected private and public health facilities in the capital city of Conakry and the seven administrative regions of Guinea. Factors associated with health care providers' attitudes and practices were then analyzed using logistic regression.

Results

Among the 1,707 health providers, 71% had a good level of Knowledge about modern contraceptive use among adolescents and youth. In addition, 62% had positive attitudes, and 41% had good prescribing practices toward using modern contraceptive methods by adolescents and youth. Being a midwife (aOR: 1.39, 95%CI: 1.02–1.89), Being aged 25–34 years (aOR: 1.7, 95%CI: 1.2–2.3), 35–44 years (aOR: 2.1, 95%CI: 1.4–3.0), and 45 years, and older (aOR: 2.4, 95%CI: 1.3–4.2), an increase of years in professional experience (aOR:1.05; 95%CI: 1.02–1.08) were factors significantly associated with provider positive attitudes. However, being a medical doctor (aOR: 2.37, 95%CI: 1.04–4.42), an increase of years in professional experience (aOR: 1.07; 95%CI: 1.04–1.10) and a positive attitude (aOR: 3.16. 95%CI: 2.48–4.01) were factors associated with good practice in delivering modern contraceptive methods to adolescents and youth.

Conclusion

Positive attitudes and good practices toward the use of contraceptive services by adolescents and youth were found among providers. However, many health care providers still have unfavorable attitudes and practices toward delivering FP services to urban adolescents and youth. Therefore, future intervention programs should focus on training health care providers in youth- and adolescent-friendly reproductive health services and promoting contraception among adolescents.
Impact of enterprise digitalization on green innovation performance under the perspective of production and operation
Authors: Li Hailin , Tang Hongqin , Zhou Wenhao , Wan Xiaoji
Published: November 2022

Introduction

How enterprises should practice digitalization transformation to effectively improve green innovation performance is related to the sustainable development of enterprises and the economy, which is an important issue that needs to be clarified.

Methods

This research uses the perspective of production and operation to deconstruct the digitalization of industrial listed enterprises from 2016 to 2020 into six features. A variety of machine learning methods are used, including DBSCAN, CART and other algorithms, to specifically explore the complex impact of enterprise digitalization feature configuration on green innovation performance.

Conclusions

(1) The more advanced digitalization transformation the enterprises have, the more possibly the high green innovation performance can be achieved. (2) Digitalization innovation is the digitalization element with the strongest influence ability on green innovation performance. (3) As the advancement of digitalization transformation, enterprises should also focus on digitalization innovation input and digitalization operation output, otherwise they should pay attention to digitalization management and digitalization operation output.

Discussion

The conclusions of this research will help enterprises understand their digitalization competitiveness and how to practice digitalization transformation to enhance green innovation performance, and also help the government to formulate policies to promote the development of green innovation in the digital economy era.
Pragmatic approaches for addressing alcohol in general practice: Development of a tailored implementation intervention
Authors: Potthoff Sebastian , O'Donnell Amy Jane , Karlsen Andrea Taksdal , Brendryen Håvar , Lid Torgeir Gilje
Published: November 2022

Introduction

Alcohol consumption is a leading global risk factor for ill-health and premature death. Alcohol screening and brief interventions (SBI) delivered in primary care is effective at reducing alcohol consumption, but routine implementation remains problematic. Screening all patients for excessive drinking (universal screening) is resource-intensive and may be at odds with general practitioners' (GPs') perceived professional role. This study aimed to develop a tailored, theory-based training intervention to strengthen GPs' ability to address alcohol and to manage alcohol-related health problems through a pragmatic approach based on clinical relevance.

Methods

A qualitative study design involving focus group interviews and a structured questionnaire for free text replies with GPs in Norway. Behavioral analysis assessed factors influencing delivery of SBI according to the ‘capability, opportunity, motivation and behavior' (COM-B) model to inform intervention development using the Behavior Change Wheel. Qualitative data were analyzed using framework analysis and an iterative approach was adopted to develop the training.

Results

A purposive sample of GPs attended the focus groups (n = 25) and completed the questionnaire (n = 55). Four areas required additional support including: understanding the link between alcohol use and health problems; opening up the conversation on alcohol use; addressing alcohol and dealing with obstacles; and following-up and maintaining change. Findings informed the development of a four-session interactive training intervention and a digital intervention for providing support for patients between consultations to address the identified needs.

Conclusion

This work highlights the value of pragmatic, relevance-based clinical strategies, as opposed to universal screening approaches to addressing alcohol in primary care. A pragmatic approach is more in line with GPs existing sclinical skill set and holds the potential to improve widespread uptake and implementation of SBI in routine primary care.
Brain Training Games: An Effective Tool in the Fight Against Dementia
Authors: Bonnechère Bruno
Published: November 2022

When we get older, we tend to have more trouble remembering things and we tend to forget certain things more often. It is normal to have a small decrease in memory with age, but when memory decreases too much it becomes a disease: what is called dementia. Unfortunately, there is currently no treatment for dementia. However, there are certain actions that can be taken to try to prevent dementia, or at least to delay the onset of dementia symptoms. One of these is to use video games to (re)train brain functions. Yes, you read that right—some video games can be used to train the memory!
Combining the microbial agent Rhodopseudomonas palustris strain PSB-06 with fungicides for controlling rice blast
Authors: Wu Xiyang , Chen Yue , Chen Chunyan , Huang Qiang , Qin Yingfei , Zhang Xin , Li Chenggang , Tan Xinqiu , Liu Yong , Zhang Deyong
Published: November 2022

The rice blast disease caused by Magnaporthe oryzae threatens global rice production yields. Tricyclazole and isoprothiolane are widely used fungicides with high activity against rice blast, and our previous study indicated the photosynthetic bacterium Rhodopseudomonas palustris PSB-06 significantly antagonizes rice blast. However the effect of combining these two chemical fungicides with PSB-06 on rice blast control is unclear. Here we test the control effect of photosynthetic bacteria PSB-06 combined with isoprothiolane and tricyclazole on rice blast. The growth of PSB-06 was unaffected by up to 1.25 mg/L of tricyclazole and 0.3 mg/L of isoprothiolane in the photosynthetic medium, indicated the two fungicides have no inhibition on PSB-06. The control efficiency in the field test reached 76.06% when PSB-06 was combined with isoprothiolane. This value was significantly higher than the individual efficiency of PSB-06 (67.99%) and tricyclazole (65.46%) and the combined control efficiency (72.20%) of those two antifungal agents. Our current findings highlighted the potential of combining R. palustris strain PSB-06 with isoprothiolane to control rice blast, providing environmental protection and reducing the use of fungicides.
Assessing an Image-to-Image Approach to Global Path Planning for a Planetary Exploration
Authors: Daddi Guglielmo , Notaristefano Nicolaus , Stesina Fabrizio , Corpino Sabrina
Published: November 2022

This work considers global path planning enabled by generative adversarial networks (GANs) on a 2D grid world. These networks can learn statistical relationships between obstacles, goals, states, and paths. Given a previously unseen combination of obstacles, goals, and an initial state, they can be asked to guess what a new path would look like. We performed experiments on a 64 × 64 pixel grid that generated a training set by using randomly positioned obstacles and goals. The heuristic search algorithm A* was used to create training paths due to its significant presence in the literature and ease of implementation. We experimented with architectural elements and hyperparameters, converging to a pix2pix-based architecture in which the generator was trained to generate plausible paths given obstacles and two points. A discriminator tried to determine whether these maps were real or fake. Additionally, we defined a qualitative path-generation “success rate” metric derived from the Fréchet inception distance (FID) and optimized our architecture’s parameters, ultimately reaching a 74% success rate on the validation set. Furthermore, we discuss the applicability of this approach to safety-critical settings, concluding that this architecture’s performance and reliability are insufficient to offset the downsides of a black-box approach to path generation.
Recurrent E. coli Urinary Tract Infections in Nursing Homes: Insight in Sequence Types and Antibiotic Resistance Patterns
Authors: Hidad Soemeja , van der Putten Boas , van Houdt Robin , Schneeberger Caroline , Kuil Sacha Daniëlle
Published: November 2022

Introduction: Recurrent urinary tract infections (rUTI) largely contribute to antibiotic use in older adults. Understanding the genetic characteristics of Escherichia coli (E.coli) is needed to identify patients at risk for recurrence. The aim of this study was to obtain a greater understanding of the genetics of E. coli rUTI in nursing home residents. Methods: This is a secondary analysis of a multicenter Dutch nursing home study (PROGRESS). E. coli strains from residents with a suspected UTI and positive urine culture were analyzed using antimicrobial susceptibility testing and whole-genome sequencing (WGS). Same-strain recurrences were identified by single-nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) analysis. Result: In total, 121 E. coli strains were analyzed using WGS, of which 54 belonged to a rUTI episode. One third of E. coli rUTI episodes were caused by the same strain (n = 18, 33.3%). Same-strain recurrence occurred anywhere between 30 and 434 days after the index UTI, caused by sequence types (ST): ST12, ST23, ST73, ST131, ST453, ST538 and ST2522, in seven nursing home residents. In both single UTI and rUTI, antimicrobial resistance rates were low. Conclusion: Recurrent UTI in nursing home residents are caused by same-strain E. coli as well as due to different E. coli strains or other uropathogens. Same-strain recurrence can occur over 400 days after the index UTI, suggesting that some strains have the ability to colonize the bladder or gut for longer periods.
Case Study of Repeatability, Different Speeds, and Different SOCs on Battery Squeeze Test
Authors: Ren Xutong , Wang Jianfeng , Yang Na , Shi Mengyu , Liu Fen , Wang Fuqiang
Published: November 2022

This study aimed to achieve a clear understanding of the response characteristics of soft pack battery extrusion conditions under various situations. In this study, we chose a LiCoO2 battery as the research object of the extrusion experiment. First, the repeatability of the extrusion test on the battery was verified. A quasi-static extrusion test was conducted on three groups of batteries in the same state, and the load-displacement curves of the three groups of experimental batteries were almost the same. Then, the influence of the extrusion speed on the battery thermal runaway was studied. The results show that a different extrusion speed has a certain impact on the thermal runaway performance of the battery. The peak load of the battery is lower at a lower speed. Finally, the study found that every 20% change in SOC has a greater impact on the battery response under a squeeze. The larger the SOC, the more severe the battery thermal runaway. Through an analysis of multiple experimental cases, it is possible to have a deeper understanding of the temperature and voltage characteristics of lithium batteries when a thermal runaway occurs, which provides ideas for monitoring the trend of the thermal runaway of electric vehicles.
Zr-Based Metal-Organic Frameworks for Green Biodiesel Synthesis: A Minireview
Authors: Zhang Qiuyun , Wang Jialu , Zhang Shuya , Ma Juan , Cheng Jingsong , Zhang Yutao
Published: November 2022

Metal–organic frameworks (MOFs) have widespread application prospects in the field of catalysis owing to their functionally adjustable metal sites and adjustable structure. In this minireview, we summarize the current advancements in zirconium-based metal–organic framework (Zr-based MOF) catalysts (including single Zr-based MOFs, modified Zr-based MOFs, and Zr-based MOF derivatives) for green biofuel synthesis. Additionally, the yields, conversions, and reusability of Zr-based MOF catalysts for the production of biodiesel are compared. Finally, the challenges and future prospects regarding Zr-based MOFs and their derivatives for catalytic application in the biorefinery field are highlighted.
Understanding Post-Stroke Movement by Means of Motion Capture and Musculoskeletal Modeling: A Scoping Review of Methods and Practices
Authors: Giarmatzis Georgios , Fotiadou Styliani , Giannakou Erasmia , Kokkotis Christos , Fanaradelli Theodora , Kordosi Souzanna , Vadikolias Konstantinos , Aggelousis Nikos
Published: November 2022

Research of post-stroke locomotion via musculoskeletal (MSK) modeling has offered an unprecedented insight into pathological muscle function and its interplay with skeletal geometry and external stimuli. Advances in solving the dynamical system of post-stroke effort and the generic MSK models used have triggered noticeable improvements in simulating muscle activation dynamics of stroke populations. However, a review of these advancements to inform the scientific community has yet to be made.: PubMed and Scopus databases were used to perform a thorough literature search to identify relevant articles since 2010. Here, we review MSK methods and practices—developed in the last ten years—that have been utilized to explore post-stroke locomotion and examine how their outcomes can inform clinical practice.: Out of the 44 articles that were initially found, 19 were reviewed. The articles were categorized with respect to the type of assessment the MSK methods were used for.: This review notes the considerable competence of existing methods to address post-stroke motion deficits. However, the drawbacks in the implementation of such methods by non-experts due to the high skill demand and the lack of mature software technology for further dissemination of practices and outcomes remain non-trivial.
Eumelanin from the Black Soldier Fly as Sustainable Biomaterial: Characterisation and Functional Benefits in Tissue-Engineered Composite Scaffolds
Authors: D’Amora Ugo , Soriente Alessandra , Ronca Alfredo , Scialla Stefania , Perrella Martina , Manini Paola , Phua Jun Wei , Ottenheim Christoph , Di Girolamo Rocco , Pezzella Alessandro , Raucci Maria Grazia , Ambrosio Luigi
Published: November 2022

An optimized extraction protocol for eumelanins from black soldier flies (BSF-Eumel) allows an in-depth study of natural eumelanin pigments, which are a valuable tool for the design and fabrication of sustainable scaffolds. Here, water-soluble BSF-Eumel sub-micrometer colloidal particles were used as bioactive signals for developing a composite biomaterial ink for scaffold preparation. For this purpose, BSF-Eumel was characterized both chemically and morphologically; moreover, biological studies were carried out to investigate the dose-dependent cell viability and its influence on human mesenchymal stem cells (hMSCs), with the aim of validating suitable protocols and to find an optimal working concentration for eumelanin-based scaffold preparation. As proof of concept, 3D printed scaffolds based on methacrylated hyaluronic acid (MEHA) and BSF-Eumel were successfully produced. The scaffolds with and without BSF-Eumel were characterized in terms of their physico-chemical, mechanical and biological behaviours. The results showed that MEHA/BSF-Eumel scaffolds had similar storage modulus values to MEHA scaffolds. In terms of swelling ratio and stability, these scaffolds were able to retain their structure without significant changes over 21 days. Biological investigations demonstrated the ability of the bioactivated scaffolds to support the adhesion, proliferation and osteogenic differentiation of human mesenchymal stem cells.
Co-Occurrence of Tic Disorders and Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder—Does It Reflect a Common Neurobiological Background?
Authors: Rothenberger Aribert , Heinrich Hartmut
Published: November 2022

Background: The co-existence of tic disorders and attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (TD + ADHD) has proven to be highly important in daily clinical practice. The factor ADHD is not only associated with further comorbidities, but also has a long-term negative psychosocial effect, while the factor TD is usually less disturbing for the major part of the patients. It remains unclear how far this is related to a different neurobiological background of the associated disorders or whether TD + ADHD reflects a common one. Objective: This review provides an update on the neurobiological background of TD + ADHD in order to better understand and treat this clinical problem, while clarifying whether an additive model of TD + ADHD holds true and should be used as a basis for further clinical recommendations. Method: A comprehensive research of the literature was conducted and analyzed, including existing clinical guidelines for both TD and ADHD. Besides genetical and environmental risk factors, brain structure and functions, neurophysiological processes and neurotransmitter systems were reviewed. Results: Only a limited number of empirical studies on the neurobiological background of TD and ADHD have taken the peculiarity of co-existing TD + ADHD into consideration, and even less studies have used a 2 × 2 factorial design in order to disentangle the impact/effects of the factors of TD versus those of ADHD. Nevertheless, the assumption that TD + ADHD can best be seen as an additive model at all levels of investigation was strengthened, although some overlap of more general, disorder non-specific aspects seem to exist. Conclusion: Beyond stress-related transdiagnostic aspects, separate specific disturbances in certain neuronal circuits may lead to disorder-related symptoms inducing TD + ADHD in an additive way. Hence, within a classificatory categorical framework, the dimensional aspects of multilevel diagnostic-profiling seem to be a helpful precondition for personalized decisions on counselling and disorder-specific treatment in TD + ADHD.
Effect of Oral Exercise on Trismus after Oral Cancer Radiotherapy: A Quasi-Experimental Study
Authors: Wang Tsae-Jyy , Wu Kuo-Feng , Wang Hung-Ming , Liang Shu-Yuan , Lin Ting-Ru , Chen Yi-Wei
Published: November 2022

Trismus is a severe complication of oral cancer treatment. Oral exercise is a potentially helpful approach for preventing or improving trismus. The study aimed to test the efficacy of an oral exercise for enhancing the maximum inter-incisal opening (MIO) in patients undergoing surgery and radiotherapy for oral cancer. This is a quasi-experimental study. A sample of 69 oral cancer patients completed the study, with 35 in the control group and 34 in the intervention group. Intervention subjects were asked to perform three 20-min oral exercise sessions per day for six months. Data on oral exercise practicing time, MIO, and mandibular function impairment were collected at the last radiotherapy exposure (T1), three months (T2), and six months (T3) after the radiotherapy. At T3, the intervention group exercised 217.1 min (95%CI: 107.4~326.7) more than the control group. The generalized estimation equations showed a statistically significant group-by-time interaction in MIO. The change in MIO score from T1 to T3, as indicated by the regression slope, was 2.5 mm (95%CI: 0.4~4.6) greater in the intervention group than in the control group. The results support the efficacy of the study intervention for improving patient exercise adherence and MIO.
Deterioration of Mortar Bars Using Binary and Ternary Mixtures Immersed in Sodium Sulfate Solutions
Authors: Aguayo Federico , Nodehi Mehrab
Published: November 2022

In this study, the performance of several binary and ternary mixtures containing high-calcium fly ash and other pozzolans, such as Class F fly ash and silica fume, were investigated for their sulfate resistance using different sodium sulfate solutions. The mortar bars were placed in a similar sulfate solution as per modified ASTM C 1012/1012M (33,800 ppm SO42−) with a less severe sulfate solution (6000 ppm SO42−) has been tested to resemble actual field performance for a duration of 18 months. The phase composition of the mortar samples was investigated using X-ray diffraction and scanning electron microscope coupled with energy dispersive spectroscopy (SEM/EDS). Results show that the mortar bars placed in the moderate sulfate concentration experience less expansion and deterioration than the same bars placed in the higher sulfate concentration. Storage in sodium sulfate solutions resulted in the formation of ettringite and gypsum in both sulfate concentrations. Replacement of cement by high-calcium fly ash showed significantly higher amounts of ettringite formation, especially for the mortar bars stored in the higher sulfate concentration. SEM analysis revealed ettringite to be the primary cause of disruption and deterioration observed in the mortar bars.
Rediscovering Monogenoids (Platyhelminthes) Parasitizing Pomacentrid and Chaetodontid Fishes from Cayo Arcas Reef, Gulf of Mexico
Authors: Mendoza-Franco Edgar F. , Simões Nuno , Vidal-Martínez Víctor M. , Aguirre-Macedo M. Leopoldina
Published: November 2022

During a research of gill ectoparasites on damselfishes (Pomacentridae) and butterflyfishes (Chaetodontidae) from the Cayo Arcas reef in the Campeche Bank (Gulf of Mexico), the following monogenoids (Platyhelminthes) were found: Paraeuryhaliotrema pomacentris n. gen., n. sp. (Dactylogyridae) on beaugregory Stegastes xanthurus (Poey, 1860) (Pomacentridae) that is characterized, in part, by possessing a haptor armed with a dorsal, ventral anchor-bar complexes, seven pairs of similar hooks; two pairs of eyespots; overlapping gonads; a copulatory complex composed of a male copulatory organ (MCO) and an accessory piece; MCO tubular with a bulbous base from which arises a coiled shaft in the clockwise direction; and a dextral vaginal pore; Neohaliotrema variabilis n. sp. on bicolor damselfish Stegastes partitus (Poey, 1868) (type host), beaugregory Stegastes xanthurus (Poey, 1860) and beaugregory Stegastes leucostictus (Müller & Troschel, 1848); Neohaliotrema manubrium n. sp., Neohaliotrema aliamanubrium n. sp. and Neohaliotrema bifidum n. sp., Neohaliotrema bychowskii Zhukov, 1976 and Neohaliotrema macracanthum Zhukov, 1976 on Sergeant-major Abudefduf saxatilis (Linnaeus, 1758) (Pomacentridae); Neohaliotrema similium n. sp. on S. xanthurus; Haliotrema brevicirrus Zhukov 1976 on spotfin butterflyfish Chaetodon ocellatus Bloch 1787 (Chaetodontidae); Microcotyle multilineatus n. sp. (Microcotylidae) on brown chromis Chromis multilineata (Guichenot 1853) (Pomacentridae). The new species are described and illustrated; new illustrations and measurements of the haptoral structures, and new redescription and illustrations are provided for N. bychowskii, N. macracanthum and H. brevicirrus, respectively. The present study represents the first knowledge about ectoparasitic monogenoids of fishes in the Cayo Arcas reef from the Gulf of Mexico.
Geographical Patterns in Functional Diversity of Chinese Terrestrial Vertebrates
Authors: Sun Xinyuan , Huang Na , Zhou Weiwei
Published: November 2022

Identifying priority regions is essential for effectively protecting biodiversity. China is one of the world’s megabiodiversity countries, but its biodiversity is seriously threatened by anthropogenic forces. Many studies have identified priority regions in China for conserving biodiversity. However, most of these studies focused on plants and mainly relied on metrics such as species richness. A comprehensive assessment of functional diversity hotspots of Chinese terrestrial vertebrates is still lacking. In this study, we collected distribution information and functional traits of terrestrial Chinese vertebrates. We calculated functional richness and identified hotspots. Then, we assessed the overlap between functional hotspots and hotspots identified based on species richness. We found that the mountains in southern China harbor the most hotspots. Southwestern China is the most important region for biodiversity conservation, as it harbors functional diversity and species richness hotspots of multiple taxa. Mismatches between functional diversity and species richness hotspots were found in all taxa. Moreover, the locations of functional hotspots are different among taxa, even within taxonomic units. For example, the functional diversity patterns of Rodentia, Chiroptera and other mammalian taxa are different. These results highlight the importance of considering distinct groups separately in conservative actions.