bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Corylus avellana L. Natural Signature: Chiral Recognition of Selected Informative Components in the Volatilome of High-Quality Hazelnuts
Authors: Stilo Federico , Cialiè Rosso Marta , Squara Simone , Bicchi Carlo , Cordero Chiara , Cagliero Cecilia
Published: April 2022

The volatile fraction of plant-based foods provides useful functional information concerning sample-related variables such as plant genotype and phenotype expression, pedoclimatic and harvest conditions, transformation/processing technologies, and can be informative about the sensory quality. In this respect, the enantiomeric recognition of the chiral compounds increases the level of information in profiling studies, being the biosynthesis of native compounds often stereo-guided. Chiral native volatiles mostly show an enantiomeric excess that enables origin authentication or support correlation studies between chemical patterns and sensory profiles. This study focuses, for the first time, on the enantiomeric composition of a large set of chiral compounds within the complex volatilome of Corylus avellana L. belonging to different cultivars (Tonda Gentile Romana, Tonda Gentile Trilobata, Anakliuri) and harvested in different geographical areas (Italian and Georgian). Besides native components profiled in raw kernels, volatiles formed after technological treatment (i.e., roasting) are also considered. Headspace solid-phase microextraction combined with enantioselective gas chromatography–mass spectrometry enables the accurate tracking and annotation of about 150 compounds across many samples. The results show that chiral compounds have diagnostic distribution patterns within hazelnut volatilome with cultivar and harvest region playing the major role. Moreover, being some of these chiral molecules also key-aromas, their distribution has a decisive impact on the sensory properties of the product. In particular, the enantiomeric composition of (E)-5-methyl-2-hepten-4-one (filbertone) resulted to be discriminant for origin authentication. The enantiomeric distribution showed, according to literature, an excess of the (S)-enantiomer in both raw and roasted samples volatilome with larger differences in raw samples. The amount of both (R) and (S)-filbertone increases during roasting; the most marked increase for (R)-enantiomer is observed in Italian samples, thus supporting evidence of better hedonic properties and more pleasant odor and aroma.
Comparative Proteomic Analysis by Isobaric Tags for the Relative and Absolute Quantification Reveals the Responses of Tobacco (Nicotiana tabacum L.) Roots to Different Soil Types
Authors: Li Jialiang , Yang Rui , Jiang Yonglei , Sun Shubin , Li Junying , Gu Hao , Lin Ying , Luo Xianxue , He Chenggang , Chen Yi
Published: April 2022

Tobacco (Nicotiana tabacum) root affects the yield and quality of tobacco leaves. To gain insight into the responses of the tobacco root system to different soil types, we integrated morphological characteristics, the physiological index, the metabolic pathways of the root system, and the aboveground biomass of tobacco cultivated in limestone soil (LS), paddy soil (PS), and red soil (RS). Compared with plants growing in LS and PS, the chemical composition of tobacco leaves in RS tended to be coordinated. Red soil facilitated the accumulation of aboveground and belowground biomass of flue-cured tobacco and had the most significant effect on the dry matter quality of the roots. In addition, it promoted an increased root length, root surface area (RSA), root volume, and a higher number of root forks and improved root vigor and nitrate reductase (NR) activity; however, the activities of superoxide dismutase (SOD) and peroxidase (POD) were decreased. We studied differentially the abundant proteins (DAPs) of the flue-cured tobacco roots cultivated in different soil types by isobaric tags for the relative and absolute quantification (iTRAQ) of the proteomic profiles of cultivar. In total, 699, 650, and 569 differentially abundant proteins (DAPs) were identified from limestone soil (LS) vs. PS, LS vs. RS, and PS vs. RS, respectively, including 412/287, 291/359, and 323/246 up-/downregulated proteins, respectively. These DAPs were mainly involved in starch and sucrose metabolism, phenylalanine metabolism, the biosynthesis of secondary metabolites, microbial metabolism in different environments, and ribosomes. The parallel reaction monitoring (PRM) and quantitative reverse transcription PCR (qRT-PCR) analysis showed that the results of the iTRAQ proteomics were reliable. Overall, our study facilitates a new understanding of the responses of tobacco roots to different soil types at the protein level.
Exogenous Methyl Jasmonate Application Improved Physio-Biochemical Attributes, Yield, Quality, and Cadmium Tolerance in Fragrant Rice
Authors: Kanu Adam Sheka , Ashraf Umair , Mansaray Lamin R. , Abbas Farhat , Fiaz Sajid , Amanullah Sikandar , Charley Christen Shaka , Tang Xiangru
Published: April 2022

Cadmium (Cd) has detrimental effects on crop plants, whereas, jasmonates (JAs) play a vital role in abiotic stress tolerance in plants. The present study investigated the effects of exogenous application of methyl jasmonate (MeJa) on the physio-biochemical attributes, yield, and quality of two fragrant rice cultivars, i.e., Xiangyaxiangzhan and Meixiangzhan-2 under Cd stress. The experiment was comprised of four treatments, i.e., CK, control (normal conditions); Cd: 100 mg Cd kg–1 of soil; MeJa: exogenous application of MeJa at 20 mM; and Cd + MeJa: 100 mg Cd kg–1 of soil + exogenous MeJa application at 20 mM. Results depicted that Cd toxicity resulted in a substantial reduction of enzymatic activities and non-enzymatic antioxidants, chlorophyll contents, while enhanced oxidative damage in the terms of lipid peroxidation (higher malondialdehyde (MDA) contents), H2O2, and electrolyte leakage. Proline contents were found higher whereas protein and soluble sugars were lower under Cd stress as compared with Ck and Cd + MeJa. Exogenous MeJa application further improved the panicles per pot, spikelets per panicle, seed setting (%), 1,000 grain weight, and yield per pot under Cd stress conditions as compared with non-MeJa applied plant under Cd stress. In addition, exogenous MeJa application enhanced the accumulation of macro (N, P, K, Mg, and Ca) and micronutrients (Mn, Zn, Fe, and Cr) in both cultivars under Cd stress, while reduced the Cd contents in different plant parts. Overall, the contents of Cd in different plant organs were recorded as: root > stem > leaves > grains for all treatments. Comparing both cultivars, the grain Cd contents were higher in Meixiangzhan 2 than Xiangyaxianzhan under Cd contaminated conditions. Conclusively, Cd toxicity impaired growth in rice by affecting physio-biochemical attributes, however, Xiangyaxiangzhan performed better than Meixiangzhan-2 cultivar.
Comparative Ionomics and Metabolic Responses and Adaptive Strategies of Cotton to Salt and Alkali Stress
Authors: Guo Jiaxin , Lu Xiaoyu , Tao Yifan , Guo Huijuan , Min Wei
Published: April 2022

Soil salinization and alkalization severely inhibit agriculture. However, the response mechanisms of cotton to salt stress or alkali stress are unclear. Ionomics and metabolomics were used to investigate salt and alkali stresses in cotton roots and leaves. Compared with the control, salt-treated and alkali-treated cotton plants showed 51.8 and 53.0% decreases in biomass, respectively. Under salt stress, the concentration of N decreased in roots but increased in leaves, and the concentrations of P and K increased in roots but decreased in leaves. Salt stress inhibited Ca, B, N, and Fe uptake and Mg, K, P, S, and Cu transport, but promoted Mo, Mn, Zn, Mg, K, P, S, and Cu uptake and Mo, Mn, Zn, B, N, and Fe transport. Under alkali stress, the concentrations of N and P in roots and leaves decreased, while the concentrations of K in roots and leaves increased. Alkali stress inhibited P, Ca, S, N, Fe, and Zn uptake and N, P, Mg and B transport, but promoted K, Mn, Cu, Mo, Mg, and B uptake and K, Mn, Cu, Mo, Fe, and Zn transport. Under salt stress in the leaves, 93 metabolites increased, mainly organic acids, amino acids, and sugars, increased in abundance, while 6 decreased. In the roots, 72 metabolites increased, mainly amino acids, organic acids, and sugars, while 18 decreased. Under alkali stress, in the leaves, 96 metabolites increased, including organic acids, amino acids, and sugars, 83 metabolites decreased, including organic acids, amino acids, and sugars; In the roots, 108 metabolites increased, including organic acids, amino acids, and sugars. 83 metabolites decreased, including organic acids and amino acids. Under salt stress, cotton adapts to osmotic stress through the accumulation of organic acids, amino acids and sugars, while under alkali stress, osmoregulation was achieved via inorganic ion accumulation. Under salt stress, significant metabolic pathways in the leaves and roots were associated with amino acid and organic acid metabolism, sugar metabolism was mainly used as a source of energy, while under alkali stress, the pathways in the leaves were related to amino acid and linoleic acid metabolism, β-Oxidation, TCA cycle, and glycolysis were enhanced to provide the energy needed for life activities. Enhancing organic acid accumulation and metabolism in the roots is the key response mechanism of cotton to alkalinity.
Specific Bacterial Pathogen Phytosensing Is Enabled by a Synthetic Promoter-Transcription Factor System in Potato
Authors: Persad-Russell Ramona , Mazarei Mitra , Schimel Tayler Marie , Howe Lana , Schmid Manuel J. , Kakeshpour Tayebeh , Barnes Caitlin N. , Brabazon Holly , Seaberry Erin M. , Reuter D. Nikki , Lenaghan Scott C. , Stewart C. Neal
Published: April 2022

Phytosensors are genetically engineered plant-based sensors that feature synthetic promoters fused to reporter genes to sense and report the presence of specific biotic and abiotic stressors on plants. However, when induced reporter gene output is below detectable limits, owing to relatively weak promoters, the phytosensor may not function as intended. Here, we show modifications to the system to amplify reporter gene signal by using a synthetic transcription factor gene driven by a plant pathogen-inducible synthetic promoter. The output signal was unambiguous green fluorescence when plants were infected by pathogenic bacteria. We produced and characterized a phytosensor with improved sensing to specific bacterial pathogens with targeted detection using spectral wavelengths specific to a fluorescence reporter at 3 m standoff detection. Previous attempts to create phytosensors revealed limitations in using innate plant promoters with low-inducible activity since they are not sufficient to produce a strong detectable fluorescence signal for standoff detection. To address this, we designed a pathogen-specific phytosensor using a synthetic promoter-transcription factor system: the S-Box cis-regulatory element which has low-inducible activity as a synthetic 4xS-Box promoter, and the Q-system transcription factor as an amplifier of reporter gene expression. This promoter-transcription factor system resulted in 6-fold amplification of the fluorescence after infection with a potato pathogen, which was detectable as early as 24 h post-bacterial infection. This novel bacterial pathogen-specific phytosensor potato plant demonstrates that the Q-system may be leveraged as a powerful orthogonal tool to amplify a relatively weak synthetic inducible promoter, enabling standoff detection of a previously undetectable fluorescence signal. Pathogen-specific phytosensors would be an important asset for real-time early detection of plant pathogens prior to the display of disease symptoms on crop plants.
The B1 Domain of Streptococcal Protein G Serves as a Multi-Functional Tag for Recombinant Protein Production in Plants
Authors: Song Shi-Jian , Diao Hai-Ping , Moon Byeongho , Yun Areum , Hwang Inhwan
Published: April 2022

Plants have long been considered a cost-effective platform for recombinant production. A recently recognized additional advantage includes the low risk of contamination of human pathogens, such as viruses and bacterial endotoxins. Indeed, a great advance has been made in developing plants as a “factory” to produce recombinant proteins to use for biopharmaceutical purposes. However, there is still a need to develop new tools for recombinant protein production in plants. In this study, we provide data showing that the B1 domain of Streptococcal protein G (GB1) can be a multi-functional domain of recombinant proteins in plants. N-terminal fusion of the GB1 domain increased the expression level of various target proteins ranging from 1.3- to 3.1-fold at the protein level depending on the target proteins. GB1 fusion led to the stabilization of the fusion proteins. Furthermore, the direct detection of GB1-fusion proteins by the secondary anti-IgG antibody eliminated the use of the primary antibody for western blot analysis. Based on these data, we propose that the small GB1 domain can be used as a versatile tag for recombinant protein production in plants.
Identification of SMG3, a QTL Coordinately Controls Grain Size, Grain Number per Panicle, and Grain Weight in Rice
Authors: Li Ruosi , Li Zhen , Ye Jing , Yang Yingying , Ye Juahua , Xu Siliang , Liu Junrong , Yuan Xiaoping , Wang Yiping , Zhang Mengchen , Yu Hanyong , Xu Qun , Wang Shan , Yang Yaolong , Wang Shu , Wei Xinghua , Feng Yue
Published: April 2022

Grain size, grain number per panicle, and grain weight are key agronomic traits that determine grain yield in rice. However, the molecular mechanisms coordinately controlling these traits remain largely unknown. In this study, we identified a major QTL, SMG3, that is responsible for grain size, grain number per panicle, and grain weight in rice, which encodes a MYB-like protein. The SMG3 allele from M494 causes an increase in the number of grains per panicle but produces smaller grain size and thousand grain weight. The SMG3 is constitutively expressed in various organs in rice, and the SMG3 protein is located in the nucleus. Microscopy analysis shows that SMG3 mainly produces long grains by increasing in both cell length and cell number in the length direction, which thus enhances grain weight by promoting cell expansion and cell proliferation. Overexpression of SMG3 in rice produces a phenotype with more grains but reduces grain length and weight. Our results reveal that SMG3 plays an important role in the coordinated regulation of grain size, grain number per panicle, and grain weight, providing a new insight into synergistical modification on the grain appearance quality, grain number per panicle, and grain weight in rice.
Behaviour of Abutilon theophrasti in Different Climatic Niches: A New Zealand Case Study
Authors: Ghanizadeh Hossein , James Trevor K.
Published: April 2022

Abutilon theophrasti Medik. was initially introduced into New Zealand in the 1940s. Despite its introduction approximately 70 years ago, A. theophrasti infestation in New Zealand has been naturalized to one region only, although climate-based simulation models predicted that A. theophrasti establishment could almost occur in all New Zealand agricultural lands. One possible reason for this discrepancy is that the likelihood of establishment of A. theophrasti may vary across various localities as the climate in New Zealand is complex and varies from warm subtropical in the far north to cool temperate climates in the far south. The objective of this research was to assess and compare the likelihood of A. theophrasti establishment across various localities in New Zealand. For this, experiments were laid out across different regions in New Zealand to assess vegetative and reproductive characteristics in naturalized and casual populations of A. theophrasti. The results showed that the growth and development of both populations varied across different regions, possibly due to variable climatic and geographical conditions such as local temperatures and daily solar radiation. It appears that A. theophrasti is, however, able to grow in many regions in New Zealand, but this species is unlikely to establish and become problematic in the lower half of South Island, where the temperature is lower than optimal temperatures required by this species. A casual population was found to grow better at the early stage of growth compared to a naturalized one. However, both populations reproduced similar amounts of seed in all regions. Overall, the variable vegetative and reproductive responses recorded for A. theophrasti in different locations may suggest that the invasion dynamic of this weed species is unlikely to be similar across different climatic niches in New Zealand.
Spatial Pattern and Dynamic Change of Vegetation Greenness From 2001 to 2020 in Tibet, China
Authors: Jiang Fugen , Deng Muli , Long Yi , Sun Hua
Published: April 2022

Due to the cold climate and dramatically undulating altitude, the identification of dynamic vegetation trends and main drivers is essential to maintain the ecological balance in Tibet. The normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI), as the most commonly used greenness index, can effectively evaluate vegetation health and spatial patterns. MODIS-NDVI (Moderate-resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer-NDVI) data for Tibet from 2001 to 2020 were obtained and preprocessed on the Google Earth Engine (GEE) cloud platform. The Theil–Sen median method and Mann–Kendall test method were employed to investigate dynamic NDVI changes, and the Hurst exponent was used to predict future vegetation trends. In addition, the main drivers of NDVI changes were analyzed. The results indicated that (1) the vegetation NDVI in Tibet significantly increased from 2001 to 2020, and the annual average NDVI value fluctuated between 0.31 and 0.34 at an increase rate of 0.0007 year−1; (2) the vegetation improvement area accounted for the largest share of the study area at 56.6%, followed by stable unchanged and degraded areas, with proportions of 27.5 and 15.9%, respectively. The overall variation coefficient of the NDVI in Tibet was low, with a mean value of 0.13; (3) The mean value of the Hurst exponent was 0.53, and the area of continuously improving regions accounted for 41.2% of the study area, indicating that the vegetation change trend was continuous in most areas; (4) The NDVI in Tibet indicated a high degree of spatial agglomeration. However, there existed obvious differences in the spatial distribution of NDVI aggregation areas, and the aggregation types mainly included the high-high and low-low types; and (5) Precipitation and population growth significantly contributed to vegetation cover improvement in western Tibet. In addition, the use of the GEE to obtain remote sensing data combined with time-series data analysis provides the potential to quickly obtain large-scale vegetation change trends.
Postdocs as Key to Faculty Diversity: A Structured and Collaborative Approach for Research Universities
Authors: Patt Colette , Eppig Andrew , Richards Mark A.
Published: April 2022

Over the past 50 years the diversity of higher education faculty in the mathematical, physical, computer, and engineering sciences (MPCES) has advanced very little at 4-year universities in the United States. This is despite laws and policies such as affirmative action, interventions by universities, and enormous financial investment by federal agencies to diversify science, technology, mathematics, and engineering (STEM) career pathways into academia. Data comparing the fraction of underrepresented minority (URM) postdoctoral scholars to the fraction of faculty at these institutions offer a straightforward empirical explanation for this state of affairs. URM postdoc appointments lag significantly behind progress in terms of both undergraduate and Ph.D.-level STEM student populations. Indeed, URM postdoc appointments lag well-behind faculty diversity itself in the MPCES fields, most of which draw their faculty heavily from the postdoctoral ranks, particularly at research-intensive (R1) universities. Thus, a sea-change in how postdocs are recruited, how their careers are developed, and how they are identified as potential faculty is required in order to diversify the nation’s faculty, and particularly the R1 MPCES professoriate. Our research shows that both Ph.D. students and postdocs benefit from intentional structure at various levels of their respective “apprentice” experiences, a factor that we believe has been neglected. Several key structural approaches are highly effective in these regards: (1) A collaborative approach in which leading research universities collectively identify outstanding URM candidates; (2) Faculty engagement in recruiting and supporting these postdocs; (3) Inter-institutional exchange programs to heighten the visibility and broaden the professional experiences of these postdocs; (4) Community-building activities that create a sense of belonging and encourage continuing in academia for each cohort; and (5) Continuing research based on outcomes and new experimental approaches. The California Alliance, consisting of UC Berkeley, UCLA, Caltech, and Stanford, has been engaged in such a program for almost a decade now, with most of the California Alliance URM postdocs now in tenure track positions or on the path toward careers as faculty at research intensive (R1) institutions. If this approach was brought to scale by involving the top 25 or so URM Ph.D.-producing R1 institutions in the MPCES fields, about 40% of the national URM postdoctoral population in these fields could be affected. Although this impact would fall short of bringing URM MPCES faculty ranks up to full representation of the United States population as a whole, it would vastly improve the outlook for URM students and their aspirations to take on leadership roles as scientists and engineers.
Understanding the Phonetic Characteristics of Speech Under Uncertainty—Implications of the Representation of Linguistic Knowledge in Learning and Processing
Authors: Tomaschek Fabian , Ramscar Michael
Published: April 2022

The uncertainty associated with paradigmatic families has been shown to correlate with their phonetic characteristics in speech, suggesting that representations of complex sublexical relations between words are part of speaker knowledge. To better understand this, recent studies have used two-layer neural network models to examine the way paradigmatic uncertainty emerges in learning. However, to date this work has largely ignored the way choices about the representation of inflectional and grammatical functions (IFS) in models strongly influence what they subsequently learn. To explore the consequences of this, we investigate how representations of IFS in the input-output structures of learning models affect the capacity of uncertainty estimates derived from them to account for phonetic variability in speech. Specifically, we examine whether IFS are best represented as outputs to neural networks (as in previous studies) or as inputs by building models that embody both choices and examining their capacity to account for uncertainty effects in the formant trajectories of word final [ɐ], which in German discriminates around sixty different IFS. Overall, we find that formants are enhanced as the uncertainty associated with IFS decreases. This result dovetails with a growing number of studies of morphological and inflectional families that have shown that enhancement is associated with lower uncertainty in context. Importantly, we also find that in models where IFS serve as inputs—as our theoretical analysis suggests they ought to—its uncertainty measures provide better fits to the empirical variance observed in [ɐ] formants than models where IFS serve as outputs. This supports our suggestion that IFS serve as cognitive cues during speech production, and should be treated as such in modeling. It is also consistent with the idea that when IFS serve as inputs to a learning network. This maintains the distinction between those parts of the network that represent message and those that represent signal. We conclude by describing how maintaining a “signal-message-uncertainty distinction” can allow us to reconcile a range of apparently contradictory findings about the relationship between articulation and uncertainty in context.
Prevalence of Bullying Behaviors Among Students From a National University in the United Arab Emirates: A Cross-Sectional Study
Authors: Al-Darmaki Fatima , Al Sabbah Haleama , Haroun Dalia
Published: April 2022

Background

This study aims to investigate bullying behaviors among college students at one of the national universities in UAE, and also to examine the psychological characteristics of those who were exposed to, or have experienced bullying.

Methods

A cross-sectional study was conducted on 839 undergraduate students at one of the national universities in the UAE. Students from all colleges participated in this study and were selected by using stratified random sampling. Participants completed a bullying survey designed for the study, in addition to three psychological measures [i.e., Aggression Questionnaire, Buss and Perry, 1992; The Primary Care Anxiety and Depression, El-Rufaie et al., 1997; and the Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) for Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders-Fifth Edition (PCL-5), Weathers et al., 2013].

Results

The prevalence rate of students being exposed to or engaged in bullying was 26.3% (221 out of 839). Of those, 72 students (8.7%) reported being bullied, 29 (3.6%) reported bullying others, and 185 (22.8%) reported witnessing friends being bullied. The most common types of bullying reported were traditional bullying (e.g., face-to-face bullying, verbal, and physical). Cyberbullying was not very common. More females reported being bullied in comparison to males and most of the aggressors were peer students. Overall, moderate level of aggressive personality traits and low levels of symptoms of depression, anxiety, and PTSD were reported for the total sample. T-tests revealed significant differences in the three psychological measures between those who did not experience bullying and those who did. The mean scores on the Aggression Questionnaire for those who bullied others were significantly higher than those who did not experience bullying.

Conclusion

Experiences of bullying seem to impact college students’ mental health in the UAE. Therefore, efforts need to focus on developing preventive programs to increase students’ awareness of bullying and its negative impact on campus environment. Offering psychological help for those who were exposed to bullying would help them to deal effectively with this trauma.
Facilitating Peer Interaction Regulation in Online Settings: The Role of Social Presence, Social Space and Sociability
Authors: Vrieling-Teunter Emmy , Henderikx Maartje , Nadolski Rob , Kreijns Karel
Published: April 2022

A plethora of studies stress students’ self-regulated learning (SRL) skills to be conditional for successful learning in school and beyond. In general, self-regulated learners are actively engaged in constructing their own understanding also including the regulation of contextual features in the environment. Within the contextual features, the regulation of peer interaction is necessary, because college courses increasingly require peer learning. This goes along with the increasing interest for online learning settings, due in no small part to the recent COVID-19 pandemic. In the present study we explore how social presence (i.e., the degree to which the other person is perceived as physical “real”), social space (i.e., trust building between peers) and sociability (i.e., the degree to which the virtual learning environment supports social presence and social space) are essential elements in the regulation of online peer interaction. To shed light in this matter, higher education students were qualitatively followed for 1 year in an online academic writing course by using retrospective interviews (n = 7) and reflective questions (n = 62). Additionally, for social presence, students’ perceptions were quantitatively measured with a validated questionnaire (n = 41). The results show that the planning phase is the most important phase for supporting students’ social presence because that is where the regulation of peer interaction becomes important. The sociability has an important role here as well becoming less prominent further on in the self-regulation process. In the SRL follow-up phases, students look for other ways to increase their social presence and social space in order to shape the regulation of peer interaction from a position of trust. In the evaluation phase, students are aware of the importance of social presence but less of social space for the regulation of peer interaction. We conclude with some design principles to facilitate students’ regulation of peer interaction in online settings.
Mass Diffusion of Modern Digital Technologies as the Main Driver of Change in Sports-Spectating Audiences
Authors: Glebova Ekaterina , Desbordes Michel , Geczi Gabor
Published: April 2022

The rapid uptake of digital technologies is constantly transforming the modern culture of sports spectating; however, relatively little is known about the impact of digitalization on the changing face of global sports-consuming audiences, particularly from a qualitative perspective. In this article, the relationship between modern mass digital technologies (i.e., mobile applications and big data) and audiences of sports spectators is described and explained by taking a customer-centric approach to grounded theory using a literature review and in-depth qualitative semi-structured interviews (N = 12) with sports marketing, management, and technology professionals. The qualitative approach permits the gathering of in-depth insights into a problem, generates new concepts through data synthesis and analysis, and captures changing attitudes within the sports industry. Moreover, the qualitative approach to research is not bound by the limitations of quantitative methods and focuses on the primary questions of “how” and “why” digital technology’s mass deployment and diffusion have transformed content consumption in the sports industry. The analysis first systematizes and codes the collected data. Second, all the materials are iteratively read and the key points are outlined. Using the iterative analysis, the theoretical and empirical insights and findings are synthesized in order to achieve the results. Finally, dimensions of the transformation of sports spectators’ consumption are identified and explained. The research implications highlight “how” and “why” modern digital technologies have changed the sports-consuming audience by making it more inclusive in terms of age, gender, demographics, social and health status. These findings are useful for sport managers to better understand their audiences and processes in an ever-changing global society.
Psychological Distress, Anxiety, and Academic Self-Efficacy as Predictors of Study Satisfaction Among Peruvian University Students During the COVID-19 Pandemic
Authors: Carranza Esteban Renzo Felipe , Mamani-Benito Oscar , Caycho-Rodriguez Tomás , Lingán-Huamán Susana K. , Ruiz Mamani Percy G.
Published: April 2022

The objective of this research study was to determine if psychological distress, anxiety, and academic self-efficacy predict satisfaction with studies in Peruvian university students during the COVID-19 pandemic. A cross-sectional and predictive design was used, in which 582 Peruvian university students participated, 243 men and 339 women, between the ages of 16 and 41. Student’s t-statistics were used to analyze the differences in scores of psychological distress, anxiety, academic self-efficacy, and satisfaction with studies based on the sex of the participants, Pearson’s R was used for the analysis of correlations between variables, and multiple linear regressions were used to evaluate the predictive model. In the analyses, the significance level was set at 0.05. The results show that men have higher levels of psychological distress, anxiety, and academic self-efficacy than women do (p < 0.01); high levels of psychological distress correlate with high levels of anxiety (r = 0.580, p < 0.01) and low levels of satisfaction with studies (r = –0.178, p < 0.01) and academic self-efficacy (r = −0.348, p < 0.01); high levels of anxiety correlate with low levels of satisfaction with studies (r = −0.122, p < 0.01) and academic self-efficacy (r = –0.192, p < 0.01); and high levels of academic self-efficacy correlate with high levels of satisfaction with studies (r = 0.429, p < 0.01). Academic self-efficacy was also found to predict satisfaction with studies (β = 0.429, p < 0.01). This concludes that, although there are significant correlations between psychological distress, anxiety, academic self-efficacy, and satisfaction with studies, academic self-efficacy is the variable that most predicts satisfaction with studies in Peruvian university students.
Health Literacy and Personality Traits in Two Types of Family Structure—A Cross-Sectional Study in China
Authors: Mai Jianrong , Yibo Wu , Ling Zhou , Lina Lin , Xinying Sun
Published: April 2022

Objective

The level of health literacy is one of the important factors affecting health outcomes. Family is an important place to shape personality traits, and people with different personalities will adopt different lifestyles, which will lead to variations in health outcomes. Therefore, this article aims to explore the relationship between health literacy and personality and its influencing factors in different family structures.

Methods

This was a cross-sectional study with 1,406 individuals. A questionnaire was utilized to measure health literacy, personality and demographic variables, including family structure. Canonical correlation analysis (CCA) and hierarchical multiple regression analysis were used to examine the relation between health literacy and personality traits between two types of family structure.

Results

CCA showed that the canonical correlation coefficients were 0.309 (p< 0.001) and 0.347 (p< 0.001), in two-parent family and single-parent family, respectively. The openness of personality traits exhibited the highest correlation with health literacy. Compared with the remaining personality traits, openness yielded the strongest effect (β = 0.485 and β = 0.830) in two types of family structure, respectively. Education and monthly income were significantly associated with health literacy.

Conclusion

Our results support the relation between health literacy and personality traits in two types of family structure.
Bayesian Analysis of Aberrant Response and Response Time Data
Authors: Zhang Zhaoyuan , Zhang Jiwei , Lu Jing
Published: April 2022

In this article, a highly effective Bayesian sampling algorithm based on auxiliary variables is proposed to analyze aberrant response and response time data. The new algorithm not only avoids the calculation of multidimensional integrals by the marginal maximum likelihood method but also overcomes the dependence of the traditional Metropolis–Hastings algorithm on the tuning parameter in terms of acceptance probability. A simulation study shows that the new algorithm is accurate for parameter estimation under simulation conditions with different numbers of examinees, items, and speededness levels. Based on the sampling results, the powers of the two proposed Bayesian assessment criteria are tested in the simulation study. Finally, a detailed analysis of a high-state and large-scale computerized adaptive test dataset is carried out to illustrate the proposed methodology.
The Effectiveness of Eye Movement Desensitization for Post-traumatic Stress Disorder in Indonesia: A Randomized Controlled Trial
Authors: Susanty Eka , Sijbrandij Marit , Srisayekti Wilis , Suparman Yusep , Huizink Anja C.
Published: April 2022

Objective

Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) may affect individuals exposed to adversity. Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) is an evidence-based trauma-focused psychotherapy for PTSD. There is still some debate whether the eye movements (EMs) are an effective component of EMDR. The primary aim of this study was to investigate the effectiveness of Eye Movement Desensitization (EMD) treatment in reducing PTSD symptoms compared to a retrieval-only active control condition. We also investigated whether PTSD symptom reduction was associated with reductions in depression and anxiety, and improvements in quality of life.

Methodology

Adult PTSD patients (n= 91) were recruited at public psychological services in Jakarta, Bandung and Cimahi, Indonesia. PTSD was diagnosed with the Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-5 disorders (SCID-5). Participants were randomized into: EMD (n= 47) or retrieval-only (n= 44). EMD consisted of clinical history and treatment planning, preparation, assessment, EMs, closure, whereas retrieval-only consisted of the same elements except EMs. Data were collected at baseline (T0), 1-week post-treatment (T1), 1-month follow-up (T2), and 3-months follow-up (T3). Outcome measures included the PTSD Checklist for DSM-5 (PCL-5), Hopkins Symptoms Checklist-25 (HSCL-25), and the World Health Organization Quality of Life–BREF (WHOQoL–BREF). Data were analyzed with linear mixed model analysis in R Statistics.

Results

Although there were main effects of time indicating reductions for both EMD and retrieval-only in PCL-5 and HSCL-25 scores, and improvements in WHOQoL-BREF scores at T1, T2, and T3, no significant differences in PCL-5, HSCL-25, and WHOQoL-BREF total scores between the EMD and retrieval-only groups at T1, T2, and T3 were found (all group x time interactionp’s > 0.005).

Conclusion

Within a clinical sample of PTSD patients in Indonesia, both EMD and retrieval-only was associated with reductions in symptoms of PTSD, anxiety and depression, and improvements in quality of life, although EMs did not add to the efficacy of the treatments. Further research to examine the underlying mechanisms of EMDR’s effective treatment elements in clinical samples is needed.

Clinical Trial Registration

[www.ClinicalTrials.gov], identifier [ISRCTN55239132].
Effects of Autonomy Support and Emotion Regulation on Teacher Burnout in the Era of the COVID-19 Pandemic
Authors: Chang Mei-Lin , Gaines Rachel E. , Mosley Kristen C.
Published: April 2022

The COVID-19 pandemic has exacerbated levels of stress and anxiety for P-12 teachers around the globe. The present study aims to understand teachers’ emotional experiences and feelings of burnout during the pandemic, and how individual (i.e., emotion regulation strategies) or contextual factors (e.g., school administrative support) intersect with different facets of their emotional experiences. Using a sequential explanatory mixed methods design, we collected and examined survey and interview data from teachers in the southeastern United States. The structural equation model confirmed the relationships among the following latent variables: negative emotion, emotion regulation, autonomy support, burnout, and teacher enthusiasm. Qualitative findings provide further insight in the contextualized nature of these relationships and how they play out across various schools and districts.
The Relationship of Breathing and COVID-19 Anxiety When Using Smart Watches for Guided Respiration Practice: A Cross-Sectional Study
Authors: Wu Yu-Feng , Chen Mei-Yen , Ye Jian-Hong , Hong Jon-Chao , Ye Jhen-Ni , Wu Yu-Tai
Published: April 2022

COVID-19 mortality rates are increasing worldwide, which has led to many highly restrictive precautionary measures and a strong sense of anxiety about the outbreak for many people around the world. There is thus an increasing concern about COVID-19 anxiety, resulting in recommending approaches for effective self-care. From a positive psychology perspective, it is also important for people to have positive affect when dealing with this pandemic. According to previous literature, respiration is considered to be an effective way to enhance people’s mental health. Among all the wearable devices, Apple Watch has the largest market share, so this study recruited Chinese users that use respiration exercise function on Apple Watch; a total of 316 valid data were retrieved. Meanwhile, to understand one approach related to using Apple Watch to practice respiration to reduce COVID-19 anxiety about being infected during the COVID-19 outbreak, this study used a web-based cross-sectional survey to examine anxiety about being infected by COVID-19 among Chinese people who had been using the Apple Watch to practice respiration during the period of the COVID-19 outbreak. The study was based on the Health Theoretical Model, and the model was developed with four dimensions and was validated with structural equation modeling. The results of this study showed that practicing few minutes had a positive relationship on positive attitude, and positive attitude had a negative relationship on pandemic anxiety and a positive relationship on continuance use intention. Anxiety about the pandemic had a negative relationship on the intention to continue using the function. This showed that respiration practice can help to suppress the increase in anxiety levels regarding this pandemic.
Effects of Negative Emotions and Cognitive Characteristics on Impulse Buying During COVID-19
Authors: Yu Yongjuan
Published: April 2022

The COVID-19 pandemic has seriously disrupted the individual buying habits along with their consumption patterns. Previous studies indicated that anxiety and depression were related to impulse buying. However, no research has explored the mechanism possibly underlying the association between anxiety, depression, and impulse buying. Based on the regulatory focus theory and the emotion-cognition-behavior loop, this study aimed to examine the impacts of negative emotions on impulse buying and the mediating role of cognitive characteristics during the COVID-19 pandemic. In April 2021, 734 Chinese undergraduates were recruited by cluster sampling and they completed self-report measures of anxiety, depression, intolerance of uncertainty, cognitive flexibility, and impulse buying. Results showed that impulse buying was positively associated with anxiety, depression, and intolerance of uncertainty, while it was negatively associated with cognitive flexibility. Cognitive flexibility fully mediated the effects of anxiety and depression on cognitive facet of impulse buying. Meanwhile, intolerance of uncertainty fully mediated the effects of anxiety and depression on affective facet of impulse buying. Overall, this study shows that different pathways can explain how anxiety and depression exacerbate two aspects of impulse buying, and it highlights the importance of cognitive characteristics for the link between negative emotions and impulse buying. Intervention programs should focus on increasing cognitive flexibility and tolerance to uncertainty of high-risk individuals, so as to strengthen their adaptive purchase behaviors.
Students’ Emotional Well-Being, and Perceived Faculty Incivility and Just Behavior Before and During COVID-19
Authors: Alt Dorit , Itzkovich Yariv , Naamati-Schneider Lior
Published: April 2022

This research set out to measure the impact of the lockdown condition and social distancing imposed on higher education by the Israeli government during the COVID-19 period and the shift to online learning, on students’ emotional well-being, the way they perceived their teachers’ just behavior, and faculty incivility, compared to pre-pandemic conditions. An additional aim was to explore the set of connections among these factors. The total sample included 396 undergraduate students from three academic colleges. Data were gathered via three questionnaires: Positive/negative affect, Faculty Incivility, and Teacher Justice. Data were analyzed using Partial Least Squares-Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM). The main finding showed that students’ negative emotions were informed by the lockdown condition. This perceived negative affect had an impact on how the participants experienced social interactions with their faculty. Those who exhibited higher levels of negative affect perceived themselves as targets of faculty incivility. The same trajectory was detected with the way students experienced their teachers’ just behavior. Students who held negative emotions, partly because of the COVID-19 restrictions, also viewed their teachers’ behavior toward them as unjust. This study stresses the role of one’s emotional condition in instigating negative interpretations of social interactions. Directions for subsequent research and practical implications for promoting students’ well-being and civil and just communications in the learning environment are discussed.
The Left-Side Bias Is Reduced to Other-Race Faces in Caucasian Individuals
Authors: Kang Jing , Li Chenglin , Sommer Werner , Cao Xiaohua
Published: April 2022

One stable marker of face perception appears to be left-side bias, the tendency to rely more on information conveyed by the left side of the face than the right. Previous studies have shown that left-side bias is influenced by familiarity and prior experience with face stimuli. Since other-race facial recognition is characterized by reduced familiarity, in contrast to own-race facial recognition, the phenomenon of left-side bias is expected to be weaker for other-race faces. Among Chinese participants, face inversion has been found to eliminate the left-side bias associated with own-race faces. Therefore, it is of interest to know whether face inversion influences left-side bias for non-Chinese research participants and can be generalized across own- and other-race faces. This study assessed 65 Caucasian participants using upright and inverted chimeric Caucasian and Asian faces in an identity similarity-judgment task. Although a significant left-side bias was observed for upright own-race faces, this bias was eliminated by facial inversion, indicating that such a bias depends on the applicability of configural processing strategies. For other-race faces, there was no left-side bias in the upright condition. Interestingly, the inverted presentation yielded a right-side bias. These results show that while left-side bias is affected by familiarity differences between own- and other-race faces, it is a universal phenomenon for upright faces. Inverted presentation strongly reduces left-side bias and may even cause it to revert to right-side bias, suggesting that left-side bias depends on configural face processing.
The Board Faultlines and Corporate Innovation Strategies Under the Influence of Property Rights Background and Institutional Environment
Authors: Zhang Yan , Ma Lianfu
Published: April 2022

This study takes the Chinese technology-intensive listed companies from 2009 to 2019 as the research sample to study the relationship between board faultlines and innovation strategy decisions of companies, and examines the impact of property rights background and institutional environment on the above relationship from the perspective of external governance environment of Chinese-listed companies. The results show that social-related faultlines of the board of directors have a negative influence on corporate innovation strategy decisions; cognitive-related faultlines have a positive effect on corporate innovation strategy decisions. At the same time, this research proves that the property rights background and institutional environment have a regulating role in the relationship between board faultlines and innovation strategy decisions, and can play an active role in the board faultlines.