bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Obesity and Breast Cancer: A Paradoxical and Controversial Relationship Influenced by Menopausal Status
Authors: García-Estévez Laura , Cortés Javier , Pérez Silvia , Calvo Isabel , Gallegos Isabel , Moreno-Bueno Gema
Published: August 2021

Breast cancer is the most common tumor in women worldwide, and an increasing public health concern. Knowledge of both protective and negative risk factors is essential for a better understanding of this heterogenous disease. We undertook a review of the recent literature and evaluated the relationship between obesity mediators and breast cancer development depending on menopausal status. Excess weight is now pandemic and has replaced tobacco as the main lifestyle-related risk factor for premature death. Although the prevalence of obesity/overweight has increased globally over the last 50 years, the potential harm attributable to excess fat has generally been underestimated. The relationship between overweight/obesity, breast cancer and overall risk appears to be highly dependent on menopausal status. Thus, obesity increases the risk of breast cancer in postmenopausal women but, conversely, it appears to be protective in premenopausal women. We evaluate the role of different clinical factors potentially involved in this seemingly contradictory relationship, including estrogen, mammogram density, adipokines, insulin-signaling pathway activation, and inflammatory status. A key focus of this review is to better understand the impact of body mass index and menopausal status on these clinical factors and, hence, provide some clarity into the inter-relationships involved in this controversial issue.
Clinical and Cytometric Study of Immune Involvement in a Heterogeneous Cohort of Subjects With RASopathies and mTORopathies
Authors: Valencic Erica , Da Lozzo Prisca , Tornese Gianluca , Ghirigato Elena , Facca Francesco , Piscianz Elisa , Faletra Flavio , Taddio Andrea , Tommasini Alberto , Magnolato Andrea
Published: August 2021

RASopathies and mTORopathies are groups of genetic syndromes associated with increased activation of the RAS-MAPK or the PI3K-AKT-mTOR pathway, resulting in altered cell proliferation during embryonic and postnatal development. The RAS-MAPK and the PI3K-AKT-mTOR pathways are connected to each other and play a crucial role in adaptive immunity. However, with the exception of Activated PI3K delta syndrome (APDS), immune function has not been deeply studied in these disorders. We collected clinical and immunophenotypic data of a cohort of patients with RASopathies and mTORopathies. Overall, we enrolled 47 patients (22 females, 25 males, age 2–40 years): 33 with neurofibromatosis type 1, 11 Noonan syndrome and 3 Bannayan-Riley-Ruvalcaba syndrome. 8 patients reported a history of invasive infections requiring hospitalization and intravenous antibiotic therapy. Only 3 patients reported a history of unusual, difficult-to-treat or deep-seated infection. Adenotonsillectomy was performed in 11 patients (24%). However, in most cases (83%) patients' parents did not perceive their child as more prone to infections than their peers. Lymphocyte subpopulations were analyzed in 37 of the 47 patients (16 female, 21 males, age 1–40 years). Among the studied lymphocyte subsets, the only consistent alteration regarded an increased percentage of immature B cells (recent bone marrow emigrants) in 34 out of 37 (91,9%) patients, and an increased percentage of double negative T cells in 9 patients. In conclusion, although borderline immune abnormalities were present in a significant proportion of subjects and adenotonsillectomy was performed more frequently than expected for the general population, no major immune disturbance was found in this cohort of patients.
Remdesivir and Cyclosporine Synergistically Inhibit the Human Coronaviruses OC43 and SARS-CoV-2
Authors: Hsu Hsing-Yu , Yang Cheng-Wei , Lee Yue-Zhi , Lin Yi-Ling , Chang Sui-Yuan , Yang Ruey-Bing , Liang Jian-Jong , Chao Tai-Ling , Liao Chun-Che , Kao Han-Chieh , Wu Szu-Huei , Chang Jang-Yang , Sytwu Huey-Kang , Chen Chiung-Tong , Lee Shiow-Ju
Published: August 2021

Remdesivir, a prodrug targeting RNA-dependent-RNA-polymerase, and cyclosporine, a calcineurin inhibitor, individually exerted inhibitory activity against human coronavirus OC43 (HCoV-OC43) in HCT-8 and MRC-5 cells at EC50 values of 96 ± 34 ∼ 85 ± 23 nM and 2,920 ± 364 ∼ 4,419 ± 490 nM, respectively. When combined, these two drugs synergistically inhibited HCoV-OC43 in both HCT-8 and MRC-5 cells assayed by immunofluorescence assay (IFA). Remdesivir and cyclosporine also separately reduced IL-6 production induced by HCoV-OC43 in human lung fibroblasts MRC-5 cells with EC50 values of 224 ± 53 nM and 1,292 ± 352 nM, respectively; and synergistically reduced it when combined. Similar trends were observed for SARS-CoV-2, which were 1) separately inhibited by remdesivir and cyclosporine with respective EC50 values of 3,962 ± 303 nM and 7,213 ± 143 nM by IFA, and 291 ± 91 nM and 6,767 ± 1,827 nM by a plaque-formation assay; and 2) synergistically inhibited by their combination, again by IFA and plaque-formation assay. Collectively, these results suggest that the combination of remdesivir and cyclosporine merits further study as a possible treatment for COVID-19 complexed with a cytokine storm.
Potential Ago2/miR-3068-5p Cascades in the Nucleus Accumbens Contribute to Methamphetamine-Induced Locomotor Sensitization of Mice
Authors: Liu Dan , Liang Min , Zhu Li , Zhou Ting-ting , Wang Yu , Wang Rui , Wu Fei-fei , Goh Eyleen L. K. , Chen Teng
Published: August 2021

Dysregulation of microRNA (miRNA) biogenesis is involved in drug addiction. Argonaute2 (Ago2), a specific splicing protein involved in the generation of miRNA, was found to be dysregulated in the nucleus accumbens (NAc) of methamphetamine (METH)-sensitized mice in our previous study. Here, we determined whether Ago2 in the NAc regulates METH sensitization in mice and identified Ago2-dependent miRNAs involved in this process. We found a gradual reduction in Ago2 expression in the NAc following repeated METH use. METH-induced hyperlocomotor activity in mice was strengthened by knocking down NAc neuronal levels of Ago2 but reduced by overexpressing Ago2 in NAc neurons. Surprisingly, miR-3068-5p was upregulated following overexpression of Ago2 and downregulated by silencing Ago2 in the NAc. Knocking down miR-3068-5p, serving as an Ago2-dependent miRNA, strengthened the METH sensitization responses in mice. These findings demonstrated that dysregulated Ago2 in neurons in the NAc is capable of regulating METH sensitization and suggested a potential role of Ago2-dependent miR-3068-5p in METH sensitization.
Identification of EP300 as a Key Gene Involved in Antipsychotic-Induced Metabolic Dysregulation Based on Integrative Bioinformatics Analysis of Multi-Tissue Gene Expression Data
Authors: Martínez-Pinteño Albert , Gassó Patricia , Prohens Llucia , Segura Alex G. , Parellada Mara , Saiz-Ruiz Jerónimo , Cuesta Manuel J. , Bernardo Miguel , Lafuente Amalia , Mas Sergi , Rodríguez Natalia
Published: August 2021

Antipsychotics (APs) are associated with weight gain and other metabolic abnormalities such as hyperglycemia, dyslipidemia and metabolic syndrome. This translational study aimed to uncover the underlying molecular mechanisms and identify the key genes involved in AP-induced metabolic effects. An integrative gene expression analysis was performed in four different mouse tissues (striatum, liver, pancreas and adipose) after risperidone or olanzapine treatment. The analytical approach combined the identification of the gene co-expression modules related to AP treatment, gene set enrichment analysis and protein-protein interaction network construction. We found several co-expression modules of genes involved in glucose and lipid homeostasis, hormone regulation and other processes related to metabolic impairment. Among these genes, EP300, which encodes an acetyltransferase involved in transcriptional regulation, was identified as the most important hub gene overlapping the networks of both APs. Then, we explored the genetically predicted EP300 expression levels in a cohort of 226 patients with first-episode psychosis who were being treated with APs to further assess the association of this gene with metabolic alterations. The EP300 expression levels were significantly associated with increases in body weight, body mass index, total cholesterol levels, low-density lipoprotein cholesterol levels and triglyceride concentrations after 6 months of AP treatment. Taken together, our analysis identified EP300 as a key gene in AP-induced metabolic abnormalities, indicating that the dysregulation of EP300 function could be important in the development of these side effects. However, more studies are needed to disentangle the role of this gene in the mechanism of action of APs.
Repeatability and Reproducibility of Microdosimetry With a Mini-TEPC
Authors: Bianchi A. , Selva A. , Colautti P. , Petringa G. , Cirrone P. , Reniers B. , Parisi A. , Vanhavere F. , Conte V.
Published: August 2021

Experimental microdosimetry measures the energy deposited in a microscopic sensitive volume (SV) by single ionizing particles traversing the SV or passing by. The fundamental advantage of experimental microdosimetry over the computational approach is that the first allows to determine distributions of energy deposition when information on the energy and nature of the charged particles at the point of interest is incomplete or fragmentary. This is almost always the case in radiation protection applications, but discrepancies between the modelled and the actual scenarios should be considered also in radiation therapy. Models for physical reality are always imperfect and rely both on basic input data and on assumptions and simplifications that are necessarily implemented. Furthermore, unintended events due to human errors or machine/system failures can be minimized but cannot be completely avoided.

Though in proton radiation therapy (PRT) a constant relative biological effectiveness (RBE) of 1.1 is assumed, there is evidence of an increasing RBE towards the end of the proton penetration depth. Treatment Planning Systems (TPS) that take into account a variable linear energy transfer (LET) or RBE are already available and could be implemented in PRT in the near future. However, while the calculated dose distributions produced by the TPS are routinely verified with ionization chambers as part of the quality assurance program of every radiotherapy center, there is no commercial detector currently available to perform routine verification of the radiation quality, calculated by the TPS through LET or RBE distributions. Verification of calculated LET is required to make sure that a complex robustly optimized plan will be delivered as planned. The scientific community is coming to conclusion that a new domain of Quality Assurance additionally to the physical dose verification is required, and microdosimetry can be the right approach to address that. A first important prerequisite is the repeatability and reproducibility of microdosimetric measurements. This work aims at studying experimentally the repeatability and reproducibility of microdosimetric measurements performed with a miniaturized Tissue Equivalent Proportional Counter (mini-TEPC) in a 62 MeV proton beam. Experiments were carried out within 1 year and without propane gas recharging and by different operators. RBE was also calculated by applying the Loncol’s weighting function r(y) to microdosimetric distributions. Demonstration of reproducibility of measured microdosimetric quantities y¯F, y¯D and RBE10 in 62 MeV proton beam makes this TEPC a possible metrological tool for LET verification in proton therapy. Future characterization will be performed in higher energy proton beams.
Improvement of the High-Performance Al-Doped LiNi1/3Co1/3Mn1/3O2 Cathode Material for New Electro-Optical Conversion Devices
Authors: Gao Yumei , Yuan Wangran , Dou Xinqi
Published: August 2021

The ternary cathode material LiNi1/3Co1/3Mn1/3O2 has been extensively focused on as the power sources for new electro-optical conversion devices and lithium-ion batteries. To improve the electrochemical performance, Al doping is one of the effective strategies. Based on the density functional theory of first-principles, the band gap, volume, partial density of states, lithiation formation energy, electron density difference, and electrons’ potential energy of Li1.0-xAlxNi1/3Co1/3Mn1/3O2 were simulated and analyzed with Materials Studio, Nanodcal and Matlab. Results show that Li0.9Al0.1Ni1/3Co1/3Mn1/3O2 has a better conductivity and cycling capability. The potential energy maps of Li1.0-xAlxNi1/3Co1/3Mn1/3O2 simulated in Matlab indicate that the rate capability of LiNi1/3Co1/3Mn1/3O2 is promoted after Al doping. Our theoretical advice could be an important choice for the power application of new optoelectronic devices. In addition, our methods could provide some theoretical guidance for the subsequent electrochemical performance investigations on doping of optoelectronic devices or lithium-ion battery materials.
The Relationship Between Blood Perfusion in the Lower Extremities and Heart Rate Variability at Different Positions
Authors: Jia Shuyong , Wang Qizhen , Li Hongyan , Song Xiaojing , Wang Shuyou , Zhang Weibo , Wang Guangjun
Published: August 2021

Previous studies have explored the relationship between the complexity of local blood flow signals and heart rate variability (HRV) under different thermal stimulations. However, the relationship between the complexity of local blood flow signals and HRV in different positions is not clear. In this study, healthy participants were placed in different body positions. The bilateral blood flux and ECG were monitored, and refined composite multiscale entropy (RC MSE) and refined composite multiscale fuzzy entropy (RC MFE) were used to measure the complexity of the local blood flux. The sample entropy was calculated to evaluate the HRV complexity. The change of body position did not affect the time domain or frequency domain of HRV, but did reverse the blood flux laterality of the lower extremities. Furthermore, there was a negative correlation between the complexity of right-side blood flux and sample entropy of HRV when the participant was in the -10 degrees position. These results provide a new perspective of the relationship between skin blood flux signals and cardiac function.
Machine Learning Identification of Pro-arrhythmic Structures in Cardiac Fibrosis
Authors: Halfar Radek , Lawson Brodie A. J. , dos Santos Rodrigo Weber , Burrage Kevin
Published: August 2021

Cardiac fibrosis and other scarring of the heart, arising from conditions ranging from myocardial infarction to ageing, promotes dangerous arrhythmias by blocking the healthy propagation of cardiac excitation. Owing to the complexity of the dynamics of electrical signalling in the heart, however, the connection between different arrangements of blockage and various arrhythmic consequences remains poorly understood. Where a mechanism defies traditional understanding, machine learning can be invaluable for enabling accurate prediction of quantities of interest (measures of arrhythmic risk) in terms of predictor variables (such as the arrangement or pattern of obstructive scarring). In this study, we simulate the propagation of the action potential (AP) in tissue affected by fibrotic changes and hence detect sites that initiate re-entrant activation patterns. By separately considering multiple different stimulus regimes, we directly observe and quantify the sensitivity of re-entry formation to activation sequence in the fibrotic region. Then, by extracting the fibrotic structures around locations that both do and do not initiate re-entries, we use neural networks to determine to what extent re-entry initiation is predictable, and over what spatial scale conduction heterogeneities appear to act to produce this effect. We find that structural information within about 0.5 mm of a given point is sufficient to predict structures that initiate re-entry with more than 90% accuracy.
Buckling of Arteries With Noncircular Cross Sections: Theory and Finite Element Simulations
Authors: Seddighi Yasamin , Han Hai-Chao
Published: August 2021

The stability of blood vessels is essential for maintaining the normal arterial function, and loss of stability may result in blood vessel tortuosity. The previous theoretical models of artery buckling were developed for circular vessel models, but arteries often demonstrate geometric variations such as elliptic and eccentric cross-sections. The objective of this study was to establish the theoretical foundation for noncircular blood vessel bent (i.e., lateral) buckling and simulate the buckling behavior of arteries with elliptic and eccentric cross-sections using finite element analysis. A generalized buckling equation for noncircular vessels was derived and finite element analysis was conducted to simulate the artery buckling behavior under lumen pressure and axial tension. The arterial wall was modeled as a thick-walled cylinder with hyper-elastic anisotropic and homogeneous material. The results demonstrated that oval or eccentric cross-section increases the critical buckling pressure of arteries and having both ovalness and eccentricity would further enhance the effect. We conclude that variations of the cross-sectional shape affect the critical pressure of arteries. These results improve the understanding of the mechanical stability of arteries.
Rice Cultivars Under Salt Stress Show Differential Expression of Genes Related to the Regulation of Na+/K+ Balance
Authors: Farooq Muhammad , Park Jae-Ryoung , Jang Yoon-Hee , Kim Eun-Gyeong , Kim Kyung-Min
Published: August 2021

Soil salinity is a major problem in agriculture because high accumulation of Na+ ions in plants causes toxicity that can result in yield reduction. Na+/K+ homeostasis is known to be important for salt tolerance in plants. Na+/K+ homeostasis in rice (Oryza sativa L.) involves nine high-affinity K+ transporter (HKT) encoding Na+-K+ symporter, five OsNHX Na+/H+ antiporters, and OsSOS1 Na+/K+ antiporter genes. In the present study, we investigated various molecular and physiological processes to evaluate germination rate, growth pattern, ion content, and expression of OsHKT, OsNHX, and OsSOS1genes related to Na+/K+ homeostasis in different rice genotypes under salt stress. We found a significant increase in the germination percentage, plant vigor, Na+/K+ ratio, and gene expression of the OsHKT family in both the roots and shoots of the Nagdong cultivar and salt-tolerant cultivar Pokkali. In the roots of Cheongcheong and IR28 cultivars, Na+ ion concentrations were found to be higher than K+ ion concentrations. Similarly, high expression levels of OsHKT1, OsHKT3, and OsHKT6 were observed in Cheongcheong, whereas expression levels of OsHKT9 was high in IR28. The expression patterns of OsNHX and OsSOS1 and regulation of other micronutrients differed in the roots and shoots regions of rice and were generally increased by salt stress. The OsNHX family was also expressed at high levels in the roots of Nagdong and in the roots and shoots of Pokkali; in contrast, comparatively low expression levels were observed in the roots and shoots of Cheongcheong and IR28 (with the exception of high OsNHX1 expression in the roots of IR28). Furthermore, the OsSOS1 gene was highly expressed in the roots of Nagdong and shoots of Cheongcheong. We also observed that salt stress decreases chlorophyll content in IR28 and Pokkali but not in Cheongcheong and Nagdong. This study suggests that under salt stress, cultivar Nagdong has more salt-tolerance than cultivar Cheongcheong.
K Deprivation Modulates the Primary Metabolites and Increases Putrescine Concentration in Brassica napus
Authors: Réthoré Elise , Jing Lun , Ali Nusrat , Yvin Jean-Claude , Pluchon Sylvain , Hosseini Seyed Abdollah
Published: August 2021

Potassium (K) plays a crucial role in plant growth and development and is involved in different physiological and biochemical functions in plants. Brassica napus needs higher amount of nutrients like nitrogen (N), K, phosphorus (P), sulfur (S), and boron (B) than cereal crops. Previous studies in B. napus are mainly focused on the role of N and S or combined deficiencies. Hence, little is known about the response of B. napus to K deficiency. Here, a physiological, biochemical, and molecular analysis led us to investigate the response of hydroponically grown B. napus plants to K deficiency. The results showed that B. napus was highly sensitive to the lack of K. The lower uptake and translocation of K induced BnaHAK5 expression and significantly declined the growth of B. napus after 14 days of K starvation. The lower availability of K was associated with a decrease in the concentration of both S and N and modulated the genes involved in their uptake and transport. In addition, the lack of K induced an increase in Ca2+ and Mg2+ concentration which led partially to the accumulation of positive charge. Moreover, a decrease in the level of arginine as a positively charged amino acid was observed which was correlated with a substantial increase in the polyamine, putrescine (Put). Furthermore, K deficiency induced the expression of BnaNCED3 as a key gene in abscisic acid (ABA) biosynthetic pathway which was associated with an increase in the levels of ABA. Our findings provided a better understanding of the response of B. napus to K starvation and will be useful for considering the importance of K nutrition in this crop.
Farmers’ Rights and Digital Sequence Information: Crisis or Opportunity to Reclaim Stewardship Over Agrobiodiversity?
Authors: Wynberg Rachel , Andersen Regine , Laird Sarah , Kusena Kudzai , Prip Christian , Westengen Ola Tveitereid
Published: August 2021

Contestations about the way in which digital sequence information is used and regulated have created stumbling blocks across multiple international policy processes. Such schisms have profound implications for the way in which we manage and conceptualize agrobiodiversity and its benefits. This paper explores the relationship between farmers’ rights, as recognized in the International Treaty on Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture, and the dematerialization of genetic resources. Using concepts of “stewardship” and “ownership” we emphasize the need to move away from viewing agrobiodiversity as a commodity that can be owned, toward a strengthened, proactive and expansive stewardship approach that recognizes plant genetic resources for food and agriculture as a public good which should be governed as such. Through this lens we analyze the relationship between digital sequence information and different elements of farmers’ rights to compare and contrast implications for the governance of digital sequence information. Two possible parallel pathways are presented, the first envisaging an enhanced multilateral system that includes digital sequence information and which promotes and enhances the realization of farmers’ rights; and the second a more radical approach that folds together concepts of stewardship, farmers’ rights, and open source science. Farmers’ rights, we suggest, may well be the linchpin for finding fair and equitable solutions for digital sequence information beyond the bilateral and transactional approach that has come to characterize access and benefit sharing under the Convention on Biological Diversity. Existing policy uncertainties could be seized as an unexpected but serendipitous opportunity to chart an alternative and visionary pathway for the rights of farmers and other custodians of plant genetic resources.
Gm6PGDH1, a Cytosolic 6-Phosphogluconate Dehydrogenase, Enhanced Tolerance to Phosphate Starvation by Improving Root System Development and Modifying the Antioxidant System in Soybean
Authors: Li Cheng , Li Kangning , Zheng Mingming , Liu Xinyi , Ding Xianlong , Gai Junyi , Yang Shouping
Published: August 2021

Phosphorus plays an important role in plant growth and development, and is an important limiting factor for crop yield. Although previous studies have shown that 6-phosphogluconate dehydrogenase (6PGDH) plays an important role in plant resistance to adversity, its response to low phosphorus (P) stress remains unknown. In this study, we reported the cloning and characterization of a cytosolic 6PGDH gene, Gm6PGDH1, which enhanced the tolerance to phosphate (Pi) starvation by improving root system development and modifying the antioxidant system in transgenic plants. Gm6PGDH1 was highly expressed in the root at full bloom stage, and strongly induced by Pi starvation. The results from intact soybean composite plant and soybean plant, both containing a Gm6PGDH1-overexpressing construct, showed that Gm6PGDH1 was involved in root system development, and subsequently affected P uptake under Pi-deficient conditions. Meanwhile, the accumulation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) in the root tip of transgenic soybean was reduced, and the activity of ROS-scavenging enzymes was enhanced compared with those of the wild type under Pi-deficient conditions. Interestingly, we found that the overexpression of Gm6PGDH1 weakened the response of several other important Pi-answer genes to Pi starvation, such as some purple acid phosphatases (PAPs) and redox-related genes. In addition, the results from a virus-induced gene silencing (VIGS) indicated that Gm6PGDH1 might have functional redundancy in soybean, and the results from a heterogeneous transformation system showed that overexpressing Gm6PGDH1 also enhanced tolerance to Pi starvation in transgenic Arabidopsis. Together, these results suggested the great potential of Gm6PGDH1 in crop breeding for low Pi tolerance.
Model Selection for Cogitative Diagnostic Analysis of the Reading Comprehension Test
Authors: Liu Hui , Bian Yufang
Published: August 2021

Reading subskills are generally regarded as continuous variables, while most models used in the previous reading diagnoses have the hypothesis that the latent variables are dichotomous. Considering that the multidimensional item response theory (MIRT) model has continuous latent variables and can be used for diagnostic purposes, this study compared the performances of MIRT with two representatives of traditionally widely used models in reading diagnoses [reduced reparametrized unified model (R-RUM) and generalized deterministic, noisy, and gate (G-DINA)]. The comparison was carried out with both empirical and simulated data. First, model-data fit indices were used to evaluate whether MIRT was more appropriate than R-RUM and G-DINA with real data. Then, with the simulated data, relations between the estimated scores from MIRT, R-RUM, and G-DINA and the true scores were compared to examine whether the true abilities were well-represented, correct classification rates under different research conditions for MIRT, R-RUM, and G-DINA were calculated to examine the person parameter recovery, and the frequency distributions of subskill mastery probability were also compared to show the deviation of the estimated subskill mastery probabilities from the true values in the general value distribution. The MIRT obtained better model-data fit, gained estimated scores being a more reasonable representation for the true abilities, had an advantage on correct classification rates, and showed less deviation from the true values in frequency distributions of subskill mastery probabilities, which means it can produce more accurate diagnostic information about the reading abilities of the test-takers. Considering that more accurate diagnostic information has greater guiding value for the remedial teaching and learning, and in reading diagnoses, the score interpretation will be more reasonable with the MIRT model, this study recommended MIRT as a new methodology for future reading diagnostic analyses.
Development of a School-Based Physical Activity Intervention Using an Integrated Approach: Project SMART
Authors: Jung Yeonhak , Burson Sheri L. , Julien Christine , Bray Dylan F. , Castelli Darla M.
Published: August 2021

Physical activity (PA) is a health-protective factor with multiple benefits for school-age children, yet only 22% of children and adolescents living in the United States (United States) accrue the recommended amount of moderate to vigorous PA. Given the prevalence of insufficient PA among children, promoting and providing PA opportunities during the school day, especially when integrated into the curriculum and linked to the learning standards, is essential for children. The purpose of this paper is to describe the procedure for the development of a school-based PA program using an integrated approach through the modified intervention mapping protocol (IMP). A total of 22 physical education teachers and 167 children from five different elementary schools were involved in the process. The procedure includes the Self-Determination Theory (SDT) that provides a theoretical framework that plays a vital role in motivating students to have a physically active lifestyle. This study applied SDT and IMP to develop and pilot a PA intervention called Project SMART using an integrative community participatory approach. As a pilot PA intervention, Project SMART is an online educational game where the students navigate a virtual journey across the United States A class’s aggregate PA propels the students on their journey, where standards-based modules are unlocked to achieve STEM (science, technology, engineering, and math) and social-emotional learning outcomes while gaining an understanding of the importance of health behaviors and opportunities to habitually engage in healthy decision-making with the support of their peers. Although initially labor intensive for the researchers, the process of tailoring the intervention to the children’s contextual and cultural needs has implications for all theoretically grounded and evidence-based PA interventions.
Defensive Functioning of Individuals Diagnosed With Gender Dysphoria at the Beginning of Their Hormonal Treatment
Authors: Giovanardi Guido , Mirabella Marta , Di Giuseppe Mariagrazia , Lombardo Francesco , Speranza Anna Maria , Lingiardi Vittorio
Published: August 2021

Defense mechanisms are relevant indicators of psychological functioning and vulnerability to psychopathology. Their evaluation can unveil individuals' unconscious strategies for mediating reactions to emotional conflict and external stressors. At the beginning of their journey toward gender reassignment, individuals diagnosed with gender dysphoria (GD) may experience conflict and stressful experiences that trigger a wide range of defense mechanisms. Mature defenses may strengthen these individuals as they travel along this important path, while neurotic and immature defenses may exacerbate their body dissatisfaction (BD) and hinder their processing of change. Only a few studies have investigated self-reported defensive functioning in transgender people, finding a higher frequency of maladaptive defense mechanisms relative to controls. The present study was the first to apply an in-depth clinician-rated tool to assess the entire hierarchy of defense mechanisms within a sample of transgender people. Defensive functioning and personality organization were assessed in 36 individuals diagnosed with GD (14 trans women, 22 trans men, mean age 23.47 years), using the Defense Mechanisms Rating Scales (Perry,1990) and the Shedler-Westen Assessment Procedure-200 (Shedler et al.,2014). Body uneasiness was assessed using the Body Uneasiness Test (BUT; Cuzzolaro et al.,2006). The findings showed that defensive functioning correlated positively with healthy personality functioning and negatively with BD. Compared to cisgender controls, participants with GD who presented greater defensive functioning were found to be more immature and to demonstrate significant differences in many levels of functioning. The clinical implications of the results suggest that psychological interventions aimed at improving defensive functioning in individuals with GD will be important in helping them manage the challenges posed by their gender transition.
The Influence of Trust on Creativity: A Review
Authors: Chen Yan , Yu Cheng , Yuan Yuan , Lu Fang , Shen Wangbing
Published: August 2021

Examining the trust-creativity relationship is important to promote creativity and organizational innovation. The goal of this study is to investigate how trust influences creativity by summarizing existing findings of diverse empirical studies. The impact of trust at different levels on creativity primarily manifests in three ways: (1) individuals' cognition- and affect-based trust has a positive effect on creativity together with the role of trust-derived perspective taking in creativity; (2) interpersonal trust helps enhance the joint creativity of an entire group via mediators such as team communication and commitment together with trust-evoked safety and the motivation to risk proposing, sharing, accepting or adopting uncommon ideas; (3) group trust has a positive, mostly indirect effect on creativity via mediating variables such as collaborative culture/climate and team communication. Potential implications and avenues for future research are also discussed.
Perceived Risk of Infection Linked to Changes in Comfort in Social Situations From Before to During the COVID-19 Pandemic
Authors: Stierand Janine , Luebber Finn , Krach Sören , Paulus Frieder Michel , Rademacher Lena
Published: August 2021

Background: Social lives have significantly changed since social distancing measures have been implemented to prevent the spread of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). This study aimed to investigate how our appraisal of social situations changed during the pandemic.

Methods: In two online surveys, conducted in October 2019 and April 2020, 58 participants rated their personal level of comfort for sketches depicting social situations. Situations were separately categorized according to the risk of a possible COVID-19 infection and changes in ratings were analyzed by using a repeated measures ANOVA. Moreover, potential influencing factors on the change in ratings such as perceived infection risk and social factors like regular frequency and liking of social interactions were examined.

Results: There was a significant interaction (p < 0.001) between time of measurement and risk category. Comfort ratings of depicted situations with low and medium infection risk were higher during the second compared to the first survey period. Ratings of high-risk situations did not change significantly, although there was a tendency toward lower ratings during the pandemic. Multiple regression analyses showed that perceived probability of short-term infection could explain variance in the change of ratings of social situations with low- and medium risk, but not perceived probability of long-term infection or social factors.

Conclusion: The results suggest that the change of participant's appraisal of the social situations during the COVID-19 pandemic relates to perceived infection risk. Both, the risk associated with the specific scenario as well as the general belief of short-term infection risk were associated with change. This change predominantly manifested in greater thought of comfort during low and medium risk situations, which might give a sense of safety during the pandemic. The finding that high-risk social situations were not rated as uncomfortable as expected must be considered with regard to the young sample and may not be generalizable to other individuals. Further research is necessary to evaluate long-term effects on social interactions caused by global pandemics such as the COVID-19 pandemic.
Breaking It Down: Investigation of Binge Eating Components in Animal Models to Enhance Translation
Authors: Hildebrandt Britny A. , Ahmari Susanne E.
Published: August 2021

Binge eating (BE) is a core eating disorder behavior that is present across nearly all eating disorder diagnoses (e. g., bulimia nervosa, binge eating disorder, anorexia nervosa binge/purge subtype), and is also widely present in the general population. Despite the prevalence of BE, limited treatment options exist and there are often high rates of relapse after treatment. There is evidence showing that genetic factors contribute to the heritability of BE and support for biological contributions to BE. However, more work is needed to fully understand neurobiological mechanisms underlying BE. One approach to target this problem is to separate BE into its distinct clinical components that can be more easily modeled using pre-clinical approaches. To date, a variety of animal models for BE have been used in pre-clinical studies; but there have been challenges translating this work to human BE. Here, we review these pre-clinical approaches by breaking them down into three clinically-significant component parts (1) consumption of a large amount of food; (2) food consumption within a short period of time; and (3) loss of control over eating. We propose that this rubric identifies the most frequently used and effective ways to model components of BE behavior using pre-clinical approaches with the strongest clinical relevance. Finally, we discuss how current pre-clinical models have been integrated with techniques using targeted neurobiological approaches and propose ways to improve translation of pre-clinical work to human investigations of BE that could enhance our understanding of BE behavior.
Awareness, Knowledge, and Misperceptions Related to Nonalcoholic Fatty Liver Disease in a Community Sample of Mexican-Origin Women: A Mixed Methods Study
Authors: Morrill Kristin E. , Crocker Rebecca M. , Hingle Melanie D. , Thomson Cynthia A. , Garcia David O.
Published: August 2021

Introduction: Mexican-origin women suffer disproportionate rates of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) and research on how to tailor NAFLD treatment interventions for this population is lacking.

Objectives: The purpose of this study was to assess awareness, knowledge, perceptions, and information sources related to NAFLD in a community-based sample of Mexican-origin women.

Methods: This study employed a convergent parallel mixed-methods approach and consisted of a brief questionnaire (n = 194) and interviews (n = 26) among Mexican-origin women recruited from community-based settings including health fairs, churches, and community events. Participants were eligible if they identified as Mexican-origin, had a BMI ≥ 25 kg/m2, were 18–64 years of age, had the ability to speak, read, and write in English and/or Spanish, and provided informed consent. A purposeful sampling approach was used to recruit a subset of women (n = 26) with confirmed liver steatosis indicative of NAFLD (controlled attenuation parameter ≥280 dB/m) who completed the questionnaire. The twenty-six participants then completed one on one, in-depth semi-structured interviews to ascertain their knowledge and understanding of NAFLD.

Results: Qualitative findings revealed low awareness of risk factors for liver disease, NAFLD specifically. Knowledge of liver disease tended to center around cirrhosis, a condition many participants reported was prevalent in their families. Quantitative and qualitative findings both found information sources for NAFLD and liver disease to be predominantly friends, family, and media. Interviews revealed a misperception related to NAFLD risk that liver disease was only caused by high alcohol intake.

Conclusion: Low levels of NAFLD awareness and knowledge warrant the need for greater efforts to educate the general population, perhaps by integrating NAFLD education into existing type 2 diabetes educational campaigns and prevention interventions. Additionally, further elicitation research conducted in Mexican-origin adults is needed to elucidate key factors within behavioral-theory constructs that can be targeted in future interventions tailored to this unique population.
Assessing the Quality of Life of Parents of Children With Disabilities Using WHOQoL BREF During COVID-19 Pandemic
Authors: Ali Usman , Bharuchi Vardah , Ali Nasreen Gulzar , Jafri Sidra K.
Published: August 2021

Background: Caring for a child with disabilities is a challenging journey, as the parents must meet greater demands when compared with the parents of children without disabilities. Looking after a child with disablities requires additional financial, social, emotional, and physical resources. Coronavirus 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has made this even more challenging and impacted the quality of life of parents of children with disabilities.

Methods: The study was an analytical cross-sectional design with two comparison groups: parents of children with developmental disabilities and parents of children without disabilities. The Urdu version of the WHO Quality of Life Measure Abbreviated version (WHOQOL-BREF) was used to measure the quality of life (QoL) among parents. Sociodemographic data were also obtained from the parents.

Results: Parents of children with disabilities had lower overall scores when different domains of QoL were considered (physical health, psychological health, social relationships, and environment) using WHOQoL-BREF. Statistically significant differences were observed in the physical and environmental domains of parental QoL.
The Usability of the Preliminary ICF Core Set for Hospitalized Patients After a Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation From the Perspective of Nurses: A Feasibility Study
Authors: Stallinga Hillegonda A. , Bakker Janita , Haan Sylvia J. , van Os-Medendorp Harmieke , Kars Marijke C. , Overgoor Louis , Stewart Roy E. , Roodbol Petrie F.
Published: August 2021

Background: A hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) has a major impact on the functioning and perceived quality of life of patients. To describe the functioning of patients, a preliminary set of 53 categories of the International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health (ICF) as relevant for HSCT patients has been selected earlier by a Delphi study. For the implementation of this preliminary ICF core set for patients after HSCT in clinical practice, a feasibility study was requested.

Methods: A feasibility study was conducted in an explanatory mixed-methods research design. Qualitative data were collected cross-sectionally by semi-structured interviews based on specific topics related to feasibility regarding the use of the preliminary ICF core set for HSCT patients from the perspective of nurses (five in ICF-trained nurses and five regular, untrained, nurses). Quantitative data, were collected longitudinally by using a mobile health application based on ICF in which the ICF trained nurses registered HSCT patients' functioning.

Results: Qualitative analysis indicated that using the preliminary ICF core set is practical and acceptable for providing information about the functioning of HSCT patients from the perspective of nurses. In addition, nurses indicated a demand for this information due to its impact on multidisciplinary meetings and clinical decision-making by involving relevant aspects of the functioning of patients. Management support, trained staff, and designated time to focus on functioning are mentioned as requirements for successful implementation. Quantitative analysis demonstrated that the most used 30% (n = 17) ICF categories are included in the preliminary ICF core set for HSCT patients (n = 24). Energy (b130) was the most used ICF category. Family relationships (d760) was the most frequently and highly positively associated ICF category.

Conclusions: From the perspective of nurses, the preliminary ICF core set for HSCT patients is feasible and relevant in gaining information regarding functioning. Applying this preliminary ICF core set for HSCT patients in the anamnesis and the nursing consultations contributes to this information. Further research is needed to look at the perspective of other professionals and HSCT patients themselves.
Versatile Locomotion Planning and Control for Humanoid Robots
Authors: Ahn Junhyeok , Jorgensen Steven Jens , Bang Seung Hyeon , Sentis Luis
Published: August 2021

We propose a locomotion framework for bipedal robots consisting of a new motion planning method, dubbed trajectory optimization for walking robots plus (TOWR+), and a new whole-body control method, dubbed implicit hierarchical whole-body controller (IHWBC). For versatility, we consider the use of a composite rigid body (CRB) model to optimize the robot’s walking behavior. The proposed CRB model considers the floating base dynamics while accounting for the effects of the heavy distal mass of humanoids using a pre-trained centroidal inertia network. TOWR+ leverages the phase-based parameterization of its precursor, TOWR, and optimizes for base and end-effectors motions, feet contact wrenches, as well as contact timing and locations without the need to solve a complementary problem or integer program. The use of IHWBC enforces unilateral contact constraints (i.e., non-slip and non-penetration constraints) and a task hierarchy through the cost function, relaxing contact constraints and providing an implicit hierarchy between tasks. This controller provides additional flexibility and smooth task and contact transitions as applied to our 10 degree-of-freedom, line-feet biped robot DRACO. In addition, we introduce a new open-source and light-weight software architecture, dubbed planning and control (PnC), that implements and combines TOWR+ and IHWBC. PnC provides modularity, versatility, and scalability so that the provided modules can be interchanged with other motion planners and whole-body controllers and tested in an end-to-end manner. In the experimental section, we first analyze the performance of TOWR+ using various bipeds. We then demonstrate balancing behaviors on the DRACO hardware using the proposed IHWBC method. Finally, we integrate TOWR+ and IHWBC and demonstrate step-and-stop behaviors on the DRACO hardware.
Topographical Characteristics of Frequent Inland Water Flooding Areas in Tangerang City, Indonesia
Authors: Djamres Eilif Kurnia Deda , Komori Daisuke , Kazama So
Published: August 2021

The methodology examined for this study was based on statistical analyses and GIS computations of frequent inland water flooding areas in Tangerang city, Indonesia during 2008–2015. Primary data used for this study were inland water flooding records from Tangerang city government and an approximately 90 m Merit DEM. We extracted the topographical characteristics of frequent inland water flooding areas and used principal component analysis to find its main characteristics. Results show that frequent inland water flooding areas in Tangerang emerged because of a slope in the upstream condition, the correlation between concave and flow length conditions, correlation of the slope condition and distance to a river, and relations among flow length in upstream characteristics and distance to a pond. Furthermore, a principal component score of frequent inland water flooding areas and other areas in the city was compared with measure similarity. This method correctly identified 71% of frequent inland water flooding areas. Also, 74% of one-time inland water flooding areas were classified as locations with high topographical similarity. Furthermore, field surveys indicated that the remaining 29% of frequent inland water flooding areas had low topographical similarity because of anthropogenic factors.