bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Facing Multiple Environmental Challenges through Maximizing the Co-Benefits of Nature-Based Solutions at a National Scale in Italy
Authors: Di Pirro Elena , Sallustio Lorenzo , Castellar Joana , Sgrigna Gregorio , Marchetti Marco , Lasserre Bruno
Published: April 2022

The European Union is significantly investing in the Green Deal that introduces measures to guide Member States to face sustainability and health challenges, especially employing Nature-Based Solutions (NBS) in urban contexts. National governments need to develop appropriate strategies to coordinate local projects, face multiple challenges, and maximize NBS effectiveness. This paper aims to introduce a replicable methodology to integrate NBS into a multi-scale planning process to maximize their cost–benefits. Using Italy as a case study, we mapped three environmental challenges nationwide related to climate change and air pollution, identifying spatial groups of their co-occurrences. These groups serve as functional areas where 24 NBS were ranked for their ecosystem services supply and land cover. The results show eight different spatial groups, with 6% of the national territory showing no challenge, with 42% showing multiple challenges combined simultaneously. Seven NBS were high-performing in all groups: five implementable in permeable land covers (urban forests, infiltration basins, green corridors, large parks, heritage gardens), and two in impervious ones (intensive, semi-intensive green roofs). This work provides a strategic vision at the national scale to quantify and orient budget allocation, while on a municipal scale, the NBS ranking acts as a guideline for specific planning activities based on local issues.
Antimicrobial Activity of Slow Pyrolysis Distillates from Pine Wood Biomass against Three Pathogens
Authors: Riekkinen Kati , Raninen Kaisa , Keränen Essi , Selenius Mikko , Vilppo Teemu , Raatikainen Olavi , Korhonen Jenni
Published: April 2022

The aim of this study was to evaluate the antimicrobial activity of wood distillates obtained from Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris) sawdust in order to explore new alternatives for the utilization of wood industry by-products. The distillates were produced by slow pyrolysis thermal conversion in three process phases with increasing temperatures, namely drying, torrefaction and pyrolysis, and three cooling units with different temperatures to condensate the distillates. This yielded nine different liquid fractions. The food-related pathogens, Salmonella, Listeria monocytogenes and Candida albicans, were evaluated for their susceptibility to the distillate fractions using an agar diffusion test. The antimicrobial activity was estimated by measuring the formed inhibition zones after the incubation period. In addition, the minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) and microbicidic concentration were assayed for a selected fraction (T2) from the torrefaction phase with Bio-screen C. The results indicated that the distillates from the torrefaction and pyrolysis phases had antimicrobial activity against the tested microbes. The MIC value of the T2 fraction for all tested microbes was 0.83% (v/v). Furthermore, the T2 fraction was microbicidic for Salmonella and Listeria strains in 0.83% (v/v) solution and Candida strain in 1.67% (v/v) solution. In conclusion, Scots pine wood distillates obtained from slow pyrolysis have the potential to be developed as antimicrobial agents against pathogenic microbes. Next, research is needed to investigate the chemical composition of the distillates and to assess their safe use.
Effects of Age and Muscle Type on the Chemical Composition and Quality Characteristics of Bactrian Camel (Camelus bactrianus) Meat
Authors: Si Rendalai , Na Qin , Wu Dandan , Wu Xiaoyun , Ming Liang , Ji Rimutu
Published: April 2022

Camel meat could have health benefits for human consumers due to its nutritional value. The influence of age and muscle type on the chemical composition and quality characteristics of Bactrian camel meat was examined in the present study. Samples of the Longissimus thoracic (LT), Semitendinosus (ST), and Psoas major (PM) muscles were collected from a total of fifteen male camels in three different age groups (3–4 years, 6–7 years, and 9–10 years). The younger camels exhibited higher values of moisture, polyunsaturated fatty acids, ultimate pH, cooking loss, and lightness, but lower fat, shear force, and redness values compared to meat collected from older camels. The LT muscle had higher fat and color parameters (lightness, redness, yellowness) but lower shear force values than the ST and PM muscles (p < 0.05). The ST muscles had a higher content of n-6 polyunsaturated fatty acids and n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids but lower cooking loss values than the LT and PM muscles. These results indicated that younger camels provide better meat quality traits than older camels. The results of the present study will improve the marketing of Bactrian camel meat products and will provide more information about the most suitable muscles and the optimal slaughter age.
Local Fractional Integral Hölder-Type Inequalities and Some Related Results
Authors: Chen Guangsheng , Liang Jiansuo , Srivastava Hari M. , Lv Chao
Published: April 2022

This paper is devoted to establishing some functional generalizations of Hölder and reverse Hölder’s inequalities with local fractional integral introduced by Yang. Then, based on the obtained results, we derive some related inequalities including local fractional integral Minkowski-type and Dresher-type inequalities, which are some extensions of several existing local fractional integral inequalities.
Cardiorespiratory Fitness and Health-Related Quality of Life in Secondary School Children Aged 14 to 18 Years: A Cross-Sectional Study
Authors: Marković Lidija , Trbojević Jocić Jovana , Horvatin Maja , Pekas Damir , Trajković Nebojša
Published: April 2022

The main aim of this study is to examine age and gender differences in cardiorespiratory fitness (CRF) among Serbian secondary school children. The secondary aim is to explore the association between CRF and quality of life in Serbian adolescents. The sample consisted of 579 adolescents (285 males), aged from 14 to 18 years old. To evaluate their anthropometric measurements, body height and body weight were examined, the 20 m shuttle run test was used to access CRF, and the standardized global measure of wellbeing KIDSCREEN was used to access the wellbeing of adolescents. The results show that the boys possessed higher CRF compared to the girls, as well as higher scores on variable distance, but there were no significant differences according to age. CRF was positively associated with physical wellbeing, psychological wellbeing, total score HRQL, body height and body weight, and negatively correlated with BMI. Conversely, physical wellbeing showed positive correlation with the other subscales of KIDSCREEN (psychological wellbeing, autonomy and parents, peers and social support, and school environment), and total score of (Health–Related Quality of Life) HRQL. The results showed that better CRF would be beneficial for quality of life among Serbian adolescents, especially among girls. Moreover, the relationship between CRF and BMI shows that adolescents with regular values of BMI have better physical fitness and wellbeing.
Biomechanical Gait Analysis of an Adult with Severe Hemophilia: A Case Report
Authors: Fukuchi Claudiane A. , Zorzi Alessandro R. , Fukuchi Reginaldo K. , Ricciardi Janaina B. S. , Feldberg Glenda , Cliquet Alberto
Published: April 2022

Hemophilia is characterized by recurrent bleeding into the joints leading to irreversible chronic arthropathy with reduced joint range of motion (ROM), which may lead to changes in gait patterns. To analyze the gait pattern in a 35-year-old male with severe hemophilia A, three-dimensional biomechanical analysis was performed during overground walking. The control group data from a public gait dataset of 10 healthy male individuals were used for comparison. The clinical examination was assessed with the Functional Independence Score in Hemophilia (FISH), Haemophilia Activities List (HAL), and Hemophilia Joint Health Score (HJHS). The biomechanical analysis demonstrated a pattern for both left knee and ankle joints with greater similarity to the control group compared to the right knee and ankle joints. ROM based on the HJHS questionnaire also showed greater impairment of the right-side knee joint compared to the left-side knee joint. This unique pattern could be the result of a compensation mechanism due to limited movement during the walking task and the surgical treatment.
Phytoplankton Sensitivity to Heavy Metals in Baltic Coastal Lakes
Authors: Szymańska-Walkiewicz Monika , Glińska-Lewczuk Katarzyna , Burandt Paweł , Obolewski Krystian
Published: April 2022

This study aimed to compare concentrations of chlorophyll-a between individual phytoplankton groups for four shallow Baltic coastal lakes, varying in type of connection with the sea. For two years, the research focused on quantifying the effects of abiotic factors—concentrations of heavy metals (Ba, Bi, Cr, Cu, Mn, Fe, Ni, Pb, and Zn) and hydrological connectivity—on phytoplankton composition, biomass, and photosynthetic activity. Our results show that hydrological factors are the main predictors of phytoplankton structure. The lakes differed in salinity: freshwater vs. brackish vs. transitional lakes. Irrespective of lake type, the dominant group was that of Cyanobacteria (~80%), but their percentage contribution was lower in the brackish lake. Baltic seawater intrusion resulted in a decrease in heavy-metal concentrations in lake water for Fe, Zn, Pb, and Bi. Redundancy analysis (RDA) suggested positive effects of some heavy metals on the biomass of the Chlorophyta and Bacillariophyta. For the Cryptophyta only, a slight decrease in biomass was linked with increased metal concentrations in open water.
Food By-Product Valorization by Using Plant-Based Coagulants Combined with AOPs for Agro-Industrial Wastewater Treatment
Authors: Martins Rita Beltrão , Jorge Nuno , Lucas Marco S. , Raymundo Anabela , Barros Ana I. R. N. A. , Peres José A.
Published: April 2022

Re-using and adding value to by-products is one of the current focuses of the agri-food industry, following the Sustainable Development Goals of United Nations. In this work, the by-products of four plants, namely chestnut burr, acorn peel, olive leaf, and grape stem were used as coagulants to treat elderberry wastewater (EW), a problematic liquid effluent. EW pre-treatment using these natural coagulants showed promising results after pH and coagulant dosage optimization. However, the decrease in total organic carbon (TOC) was not significant, due to the addition of the plant-based natural coagulants which contain carbon content. After this pre-treatment, the photo-Fenton advanced oxidation process was selected, after preliminary assays, to improve the global performance of the EW treatment. Photo-Fenton was also optimized for the parameters of pH, H2O2, Fe2+, and irradiance power, and the best conditions were applied to the EW treatment. Under the best operational conditions defined in the parametric study, the combined results of coagulation–flocculation–decantation (CFD) and photo-Fenton for chestnut burr, acorn peel, olive leaf, and grape stem were, respectively, 90.2, 89.5, 91.5, and 88.7% for TOC removal; 88.7, 82.0, 90.2 and 93.1%, respectively, for turbidity removal; and finally, 40.6, 42.2, 45.3, and 39.1%, respectively, for TSS removal. As a final remark, it is possible to suggest that plant-based coagulants, combined with photo-Fenton, can be a promising strategy for EW treatment that simultaneously enables valorization by adding value back to food by-products.
Enhancement of Skill Competencies in Operative Dentistry Using Procedure-Specific Educational Videos (E-Learning Tools) Post-COVID-19 Era—A Randomized Controlled Trial
Authors: Iqbal Azhar , Ganji Kiran Kumar , Khattak Osama , Shrivastava Deepti , Srivastava Kumar Chandan , Arjumand Bilal , AlSharari Thani , Alqahtani Ali Mosfer A , Hamza May Othman , AbdelrahmanDafaalla Ahmed Abu El Gasim
Published: April 2022

E-learning has completely transformed how people teach and learn, particularly in the last three pandemic years. This study evaluated the effectiveness of additional procedure-specific video demonstrations through E-learning in improving the knowledge and practical preclinical skills acquisition of undergraduate dental students in comparison with live demonstration only. A randomized controlled trial was conducted for the second-year dental students in the College of Dentistry, Jouf University, to evaluate the impact of E-learning-assisted videos on preclinical skill competency levels in operative dentistry. After a brief introduction to this study, the second-year male and female students voluntarily participated in the survey through an official college email. Fifty participants were enrolled in the study after obtaining informed consent. The participants were randomly divided into two groups, twenty-five each. The control group (Group A) was taught using traditional methods, and the intervention group (Group B) used E-learning-assisted educational videos and traditional techniques. An objective structured practical examination (OSPE) was used to assess both groups. The faculty members prepared a structured, standardized form to evaluate students. After OSPE, statistical analysis was done to compare the grades of OSPE between Group A and Group B. Logistic regression analysis was done to express the effect of components of the OSPE on gender, cumulative gross point average (CGPA), Group A and Group B. The results showed a significant difference in the experimental groups after the intervention (p < 0.000). The simulator position parameter demonstrated that the participants had a significant competence level after the intervention by procedure-specific videos (p < 0.000) and an exponential value of 6.494. The participants taught by E-learning-assisted procedure-specific videos and traditional teaching strategies demonstrated an enhanced learning and skill competency level than participants who used only traditional teaching strategies.
An Exploratory Study of Pandemic-Restricted Travel—A New Form of Travel Pattern on the during- and Post-COVID-19 Era
Authors: Wang Shan , Lai Ivan Ka-Wai , Wong Jose Weng-Chou
Published: April 2022

This study introduces a new travel pattern “pandemic-restricted travel” that exists from COVID-19 based on prospect theory. The purpose of this study is to incorporate the motivation to travel and constraint to normal travel to predict tourists’ intention to continue visiting other alternative destinations due to COVID-19 restrictions. This study first generated the items of motivation to travel and constraints to normal travel from a focus group interview with 15 travel industry professionals in December 2020 in Zhuhai. Then, an online survey collected data from 416 respondents in the Greater Bay Area of China from January to February 2021. The results of exploratory factor analysis using SPSS identified two factors of motivation to travel (leisure and exploration) and two factors of favourable constraints to normal travel (policy restriction and perceived risk). The results of partial least squares–structural equation modelling (PLS-SEM) indicated that these four factors positively influence satisfaction but only leisure and exploration factors positively influence the intention of continuous pandemic-restricted travel. Among the four factors, leisure has the strongest impact on both satisfaction and intention of continue travelling. The results also revealed that satisfaction fully mediates the effects of two constraint factors and partially mediates the effects of two motivation factors on the intention of continuous pandemic-restricted travel. Implications for researchers and governments for pandemic-restricted travel during and in the post-COVID-19 era are then discussed.
The Moderating Role of Team Conflict on Teams of Nursing Students
Authors: Liu Hsing-Yuan
Published: April 2022

Inter-professional education has become a widespread trend in healthcare education around the world. This study examined whether conflict moderated the correlation between swift trust and creativity for nursing students on teams in inter-professional education courses in Taiwan. A cross-sectional survey study with comparative, quantitative analysis was conducted to describe relationships between the studied variables. This study collected self-report data from 270 nursing students who attended interdisciplinary team-based capstone courses, and this study divided them into 54 teams. Each team consisted of five members. The study results showed cognition-based team swift trust had a positive correlation with team creativity. The negative association was revealed between relationship conflict and team creativity. Moderation models demonstrated that relationship conflict (95% C.I. [−0.70, −0.21]) negatively moderated the correlation between cognition-based swift trust and team creativity among nursing student teams. This research found that greater levels of cognition-based swift trust may enhance nursing students’ team creativity in inter-professional education courses. However, relationship conflicts may limit the positive outcomes of that association. Nursing educators should incorporate conflict management particularly aiming at relationship conflicts into their interdisciplinary nursing courses to support creative outcomes.
Relationship between Toothpaste Dilution Ratio and Droplets Generated during Tooth-Brushing
Authors: Satou Ryouichi , Yamagishi Atsushi , Takayanagi Atsushi , Higuchi Takuro , Oyama Tsutomu , Suzuki Seitaro , Sugihara Naoki
Published: April 2022

Guidelines for using toothpaste during tooth-brushing in public places during the coronavirus epidemic are lacking. In addition, the advantages and disadvantages of using toothpaste in terms of droplet generation during brushing, the number of droplets generated, and their scatter range are unknown; therefore, we investigated the relationships between diluted toothpaste viscosity, the number of droplets generated, and the droplets’ flight distance. We developed a system to quantitate droplet generation during tooth-brushing. Brushing with water generated 5965 ± 266 droplets; 10.0× diluted toothpaste generated 538 ± 56, 4.00× diluted toothpaste generated 349 ± 15, and 2.00× diluted toothpaste generated 69 ± 27 droplets. Undiluted toothpaste generated no droplets. Droplet number tended to increase with increased toothpaste dilution ratio and decreased viscosity (r = −0.993). The maximum flight distances were 429 ± 11, 445 ± 65, 316 ± 38, and 231 ± 21 mm for water, 10.0×, 4.00×, and 2.00× diluted toothpaste, respectively. The maximum flight distance and toothpaste viscosity correlated negatively (r = −0.999). Thus, the less diluted the toothpaste, the fewer the droplets generated during brushing, and the shorter their flight distance. The use of an appropriate amount of toothpaste is recommended to prevent droplet infection during tooth-brushing.
Rapid Degradation of Chlortetracycline Using Hydrodynamic Cavitation with Hydrogen Peroxide
Authors: Meng Chen , Meng Min , Sun Xun , Gu Congcong , Zou Huiyun , Li Xuewen
Published: April 2022

Chlortetracycline (CTC), which has been frequently detected in surface water, is generated primarily by the discharge of high-concentration CTC wastewater from pharmaceutical and livestock plants. The development of effective CTC degradation technology is critical. In this study, the extent of CTC degradation at 80 mg/L was investigated by combining hydrodynamic cavitation (HC) and hydrogen peroxide (H2O2). The results indicate degradation ratios of 88.7% and 93.8% at 5 and 30 min, respectively. Furthermore, the possible mechanisms of CTC degradation were determined via HPLC-MS. The CTC degradation pathways include ring openings, C–N bond cleavage, demethylation, dehydroxylation, and desaturation in the sole system of HC, and a series of additional reactions, such as glycine conjugation and the cleavage of C–C double bonds, occurs in the binary system of HC + H2O2. Nevertheless, the treated water poses ecological risks and cannot be directly discharged into the environment. Therefore, HC + H2O2 treatment may be a rapid and effective primary method for the degradation of high-concentration CTC in pharmaceutical factories.
Differences in Driving Anger among Professional Drivers: A Cross-Cultural Study
Authors: Damjanović Milanko , Mićić Spasoje , Matović Boško , Jovanović Dragan , Bulajić Aleksandar
Published: April 2022

Public transport systems have a vital role in achieving sustainable mobility goals, diminishing reliance on private individual transport and improving overall public health. Despite that, transport operators are often in situations that require them to cope with complex working conditions that lead to negative emotions such as anger. The current study represents a segment of the permanent global research agenda that seeks to devise and test a psychometric scale for measuring driving anger in professional drivers. The present research is one of the first attempts to examine the factorial validity and the cross-cultural measurement equivalence of the broadly utilized Driving Anger Scale (DAS) in three culturally different countries within the Western Balkans region. The respondents (N = 1054) were taxi, bus and truck drivers between 19 and 75 years of age. The results pertaining to confirmatory factor analysis showed that there were adequate fit statistics for the specified six-dimensional measurement model of the DAS. The measurement invariance testing showed that the meaning and psychometric performance of driving anger and its facets are equivalent across countries and types of professional drivers. Furthermore, the results showed that driving anger facets had positive correlations with dysfunctional ways of expressing anger and negative correlations with the form of the prosocial anger expression. In addition, the results revealed that taxi drivers displayed considerably higher levels of anger while driving and aggressive driving than truck and bus drivers. Overall, this study replicates and extends the accumulated knowledge of previous investigations, suggesting that the original DAS remains a reliable and stable instrument for measuring driving anger in day-to-day driving conditions.
Assessing Vegetation Ecosystem Resistance to Drought in the Middle Reaches of the Yellow River Basin, China
Authors: Shi Xiaoliang , Chen Fei , Ding Hao , Shi Mengqi , Li Yi
Published: April 2022

The frequency and intensity of droughts are increasing in many parts of the world as a result of global climate change and human activity, posing a serious threat to regional ecological security. The climate in the middle reaches of the Yellow River Basin (MRYRB) has been warm and dry in recent years, with frequent droughts. In order to investigate the temporal trend of drought, and reveal the resistance of vegetation to drought in the MRYRB, this study used remotely-sensed vegetation index products (MODIS-NDVI and SPOT-NDVI) and the standardized precipitation evapotranspiration index (SPEI). The results indicated that: (1) drought intensity showed a weak upward trend in the study area from 2000 to 2018, with linear growth rates of SPEI at temporal scales of 1, 3, 6, 9 and 12 months of −0.002, 0.0034, 0.0198, 0.0234, and 0.0249, respectively; (2) drought was positively correlated with vegetation in most areas (97.6%), and vegetation was most affected by drought on long-term time scales (9 and 12 months); (3) with the extension of drought, vegetation resistance index decreased, then gradually recovered after the end of the drought. Forest had the longest resistance duration of 260 days, while grassland and cultivated land had resistance durations of only 170 days. This study adds to the understanding of vegetation’s ability to withstand drought, and these findings provide evidence to support drought response in the MRYRB.
Anxiety in Attachment and Sexual Relationships in Adolescence: A Moderated Mediation Model
Authors: Santona Alessandra , Milesi Alberto , Tognasso Giacomo , Gorla Laura , Parolin Laura
Published: April 2022

Adolescence is characterized by several transformations, such as identity construction, progressive estrangement from parents, relational interest in peers, and body changes that also involve sexuality issues. In this process, attachment patterns play a fundamental role in relationships, and when these are dysfunctional, they can result in internalizing and externalizing problems. Often, females show their relational difficulties through internalizing expressions and males through externalizing expressions. Additionally, given the sexual progress involved in this life moment, psychological symptomatology may influence adolescents’ perception of sex and performance. Our purpose is to study the mediating role of internalizing and externalizing symptomatology in the relationship between attachment patterns and sexual and psychological dimensions. In addition, we investigated the moderating effect of the sex assigned at birth on this mediation model. n = 493 adolescents (38.3% males; Mage = 16.51; SD = 1.17) participated in the study. The results show a significant mediation effect of internalizing symptomatology on the relationship between attachment and sexual anxiety. Additionally, this effect is moderated significantly by assigned-at-birth sex. These results confirm that in adolescence, attachment patterns can influence adolescents’ perception of sex. The connection between these two psychological dimensions is influenced by symptomatologic expression. Further investigations are needed.
Self-Management Support with Yoga on Psychological Health and Quality of Life for Breast Cancer Survivors
Authors: Kim Oksoo , Heo Narae
Published: April 2022

The purpose of this study was to identify whether the improvement of self-management support (SMS) combined with yoga can improve anxiety, depression, stress, and quality of life in female breast cancer survivors. The SMS combined with yoga group and control group (yoga only) were comprised of 21 and 20 participants, respectively. The SMS with yoga and yoga programs were provided to each group for 8 weeks. Data obtained from self-report questionnaires included details of anxiety, depression, stress, and quality of life. The levels of anxiety, depression, and stress significantly decreased in both the SMS with yoga and control groups (p < 0.05). Moreover, the quality of life improved significantly in the SMS with yoga group (p < 0.001). Among the five quality-of-life domains (physical, social/family, emotional and functional well-being, and breast cancer subscale), social/family well-being in the SMS with yoga group was significantly higher than that in the yoga-only group (p = 0.011). Conclusions: The results show that yoga is a beneficial activity for the psychological health of breast cancer survivors. Our findings suggest that SMS strategies can improve quality of life.
The Use of Urban Parks by Older Adults in the Context of Perceived Security
Authors: Kimic Kinga , Polko Paulina
Published: April 2022

The perception of urban greenery is determined by many aspects, including the personal security of different groups of city dwellers. The objective of this study was to investigate if there are differences between the sense of security of older adults and other groups of urban park users, and which factors play an important role in the evaluation of personal security and thus determine the use (or not) of parks. A survey questionnaire was administrated to a sample of randomly selected park users in Poland (n = 394), including seniors (s = 69). The results show statistically significant differences in security perception between respondents under the age of 60 and those over the age of 60 in the case of all questioned factors. At the same time, all of them are important for a sense of security in older adults. This knowledge is crucial for designing more inclusive and age-friendly urban parks, which should meet the needs and expectations of older adults and encourage them to engage in more activity.
Poliosis Is Associated with Response to Checkpoint-Inhibitor Therapy: A Case Report of Two Patients with Multifocal Metastatic Melanoma
Authors: Haist Maximilian , Stege Henner , Maikranz Verena , Halley Blanco Maria , Grabbe Stephan , Loquai Carmen
Published: April 2022

The advent of immune-checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) led to significant improvements in the treatment of patients with advanced melanoma and resulted in durable tumor responses in a considerable number of advanced melanoma patients. Next to the immune-mediated anti-neoplastic effects, ICIs may cause various immune-related adverse events (irAEs), often requiring early discontinuation of therapy. By contrast, cutaneous irAE rarely enforce treatment discontinuation but may represent simple and robust predictive markers for treatment response. The relevance of irAEs as clinical markers for an improved response to immunotherapy is still debated. We report here on two patients with multifocal metastatic melanoma who developed the rare event of generalized poliosis during combined immunotherapy with ipilimumab plus nivolumab, followed by a near-complete and durable response. Our observations suggest that poliosis may be a useful and simple clinical indicator of anti-tumor immunity, clinical response and favorable survival outcome in advanced melanoma patients treated with ICI.
Eurhadina (Singhardina) Mahmood (Hemiptera: Cicadellidae: Typhlocybinae) from China: A Review of the Asian Species with Descriptions of 14 New Species
Authors: Zhou Juan , Zhang Yalin , Huang Min
Published: April 2022

In this study, 50 species of the leafhopper subgenus Eurhadina (Singhardina) Mahmood from China are reviewed based on comparative morphological characteristics, including 14 new species: Eurhadina (Singhardina) amacularis, E. (S.) extensa, E. (S.) flaviscutella, E. (S.) foliiformis, E. (S.) galacta, E. (S.) gracilifurca, E. (S.) lata, E. (S.) parilintanonica, E. (S.) quadrimacularis, E. (S.) recta, E. (S.) scalesa, E. (S.) scamba, E. (S.) scandens and E. (S.) uprotrusa sp. nov. Four additional species E. (S.) fasciata, E. (S.) jarrayi, E. (S.) prima and E. (S.) zadyma are recorded from China for the first time. Two new synonymies are proposed. Eurhadina (Singhardina) flavescens Huang et Zhang, 1999 syn. nov. is synonymized with Eurhadina wuyiana Yang et Li, 1991 and Eurhadina rubromia Cai et Kuoh, 1993 syn. nov. is synonymized with Eurhadina (Singhardina) biavis Yang et Li, 1991. A key to all Chinese Singhardina species is also provided.
Diversity and DNA Barcode Analysis of Chironomids (Diptera: Chironomidae) from Large Rivers in South Korea
Authors: Kang Hyo Jeong , Baek Min Jeong , Kang Ji Hyoun , Bae Yeon Jae
Published: April 2022

Most large rivers in South Korea run through major cities, which often experience many environmental problems, including outbreaks of non-biting midges (Diptera: Chironomidae). However, chironomid species inhabiting large rivers have not been thoroughly investigated. We aimed to identify chironomid species collected from the four main large rivers in South Korea, construct a corresponding DNA barcode library, and examine the distribution and community structure of the identified riverine species. Adult chironomids were collected from nine sites along the rivers by using sweep nets and light traps during June and August 2015. Adults were morphologically identified, and COI nucleotide sequences were generated to verify the species identification and construct a DNA barcode library. The distribution and community structure of the identified species were also analyzed. A total of 124 COI sequences were established from 37 species belonging to 19 genera, and the resulting DNA barcode library effectively discriminated >90% of riverine Chironomidae in South Korea. Ten species, which are considered indicator species for large rivers, were collected from all four rivers. In addition, members of the subfamily Chironominae were collected more frequently than members of other subfamilies, with Tanytarsus tamagotoi being the most common and widespread chironomid species in South Korea. The DNA barcode library developed in this study will facilitate environmental studies of large rivers, such as biomonitoring chironomid larvae.
Impact of the Timing and Use of an Insecticide on Arthropods in Cover-Crop-Corn Systems
Authors: Carmona Gabriela Inveninato , Robinson Emily , Campos Julia Nogueira Duarte , McMechan Anthony Justin
Published: April 2022

Cover crops provide a habitat for pests and beneficial arthropods. Unexpected pest pressure in a cover-crop-to-corn system can occur and result in increased use of insecticides. Eight site-years of on-farm field studies were conducted in 2019, 2020, and 2021. The objective of the study was to evaluate the impact of insecticide timing relative to cover-crop termination on arthropod activity in a cover-crop-to-corn system. The treatments consisted of (i) glyphosate to terminate the cover crop, (ii) glyphosate and pyrethroid tank mix to terminate the cover crop, and (iii) glyphosate to terminate the cover crop and pyrethroid application 25 days after the termination. Arthropod activity was measured with pitfall traps before and at each treatment application. A total of 33,316 arthropods were collected. Total arthropods, Collembola, and Aphididae were the only taxa reduced with an insecticide application. The other arthropod taxa were mainly influenced by the sampling period. No significant pest pressure occurred at any site-year. Insecticide applications are not generally needed in a cover-crop-to-corn system. Scouting for pests and applying strategies only when necessary is crucial to conserve potentially beneficial arthropods in the system.
Demography and Fitness of Anastatus japonicus Reared from Antheraea pernyi as a Biological Control Agent of Caligula japonica
Authors: Wei Xiao-Yan , Chen Yong-Ming , Wang Xingeng , Lv Rui-E , Zang Lian-Sheng
Published: April 2022

Japanese giant silkworm (JGS), Caligula japonica Moore, is an emerging defoliator pest of forest and fruit trees in East Asia, causing severe economic losses. To develop a cost-effective biological control program against JGS, we used eggs of the Chinese oak silkworm (COS) Antheraea pernyi Guérin-Méneville as an alternative host to rear the most dominant JGS egg parasitoid Anastatus japonicus Ashmead. We compared the demographic parameters and total parasitism (killing) rates of A. japonicus parasitizing JGS and COS eggs using an age-stage, two-sex life table method. The results showed that A. japonicus performed differently on these two different hosts. Anastatus japonicus reared from COS eggs had a higher fecundity (369.7 eggs per female) and a longer oviposition period (35.9 days) on the COS than JGS eggs (180.9 eggs; 24.0 days). Consequently, A. japonicus parasitizing COS eggs had a higher intrinsic rate of increase (r = 0.1466 d−1), finite rate of increase (λ = 1.1579 d−1) and net reproductive rate (R0 = 284.9 offspring) than those parasitizing JGS eggs (r = 0.1419 d−1, λ = 1.1525 d−1, R0 = 150.0 offspring). The total net parasitism rate (the number of parasitized hosts in which the parasitoids successfully developed) of A. japonicus parasitizing COS eggs was 284.9, significantly higher than that of A. japonicus parasitizing JGS eggs (150.0), while the net non-effective parasitism rate (the number of parasitized hosts in which the parasitoids failed to develop) of the former (0.0) was significantly lower than that of the latter (9.6). These results suggest that A. japonicus can be efficiently reared on the alternative (or factitious) COS eggs, and the reared parasitoids have a high biological control potential against the target JGS.
Prevalence of Human Papillomavirus in the Oropharynx of Healthy Individuals in an Italian Population
Authors: Palmieri Annalisa , Lauritano Dorina , Pellati Agnese , Scapoli Luca , Arcuri Claudio , Baggi Luigi , Gatto Roberto , Carinci Francesco
Published: April 2022

Oral cavity and oropharynx cancer associated with human papil loma virus infection, particularly in young people who are continuously exposed to this virus, is a serious public health problem worldwide, especially for high-risk strains that are most associated with premalignant lesions and tumors. These neoplasms remain asymptomatic for a long time and, when they occur, they are already at an advanced stage. If diagnosed and treated early, oral cancer induced by human papilloma virus allows for high survival, as it often has a more favorable prognosis than oral cancers not directly related to viral infection. In this study, the presence of different high-risk and low-risk HPV strains was investigated to assess the epidemiological status in a population of healthy individuals. Two types of samples, one from the tonsils and one from the base of the tongue, were collected from 2015 healthy individuals of different sex and age. A total of 1885 DNA samples belonging to 1285 patients were tested for the presence of 11 high-risk HPV types plus 4 low-risk HPV types using real-time PCR. Of the patients’ DNA samples screened for 15 HPV types, only four samples were positive, all of which were taken from male smokers. These results indicate that newly acquired oral oncogenic HPV infections in the healthy population are rare and, in many cases, controversial. Therefore, more studies are needed to ensure fewer variations in outcomes and a greater clarification of HPV infection and its prevalence in the oropharynx of the healthy population, and to guide efforts to prevent the development of this infection which, if undiagnosed, can lead to the onset of malignant tumors in the oral cavity.
A Single Center Case Series of Gender-Affirming Surgeries and the Evolution of a Specialty Anesthesia Team
Authors: Aquino Nelson J. , Boskey Elizabeth R. , Staffa Steven J. , Ganor Oren , Crest Alyson W. , Gemmill Kristin V. , Cravero Joseph P. , Vlassakova Bistra
Published: April 2022

Most minors and young transgender persons wishing to undergo gender-affirming surgery need to seek specialists affiliated with gender affirmation programs in adult hospitals. Research suggests gender affirmation surgery has been established as an effective and medically indicated treatment for gender dysphoria. Although most data on gender-affirming surgeries are from adult populations, there is growing literature establishing their effectiveness in adolescents and young adults. Therefore, it is critical to evaluate the perioperative outcomes for gender-diverse youth to deliver safe and affirming care. The primary objective of this retrospective case series is to examine the perioperative characteristics and outcomes of patients with gender identity disorders (International Classification of Diseases [ICD]-10-code F64) who underwent chest reconstruction (mastectomy) and genital surgery (phalloplasty, metoidioplasty, and vaginoplasty) in a pediatric academic hospital. The secondary aim is to evaluate the value of a specialized anesthesia team for improving clinical outcomes, interdisciplinary communication, and further advancing the transgender perioperative experience. We identified 204 gender affirmation surgical cases, 177 chests/top surgeries, and 27 genital/bottom surgeries. These findings indicate gender-diverse individuals who underwent life-changing surgery at our institution had a median age of 18 years old, with many patients identifying as transmen. Our data suggests that postoperative pain was significant, but adverse events were minimal. The evolution of a specialty anesthesia team and initiatives (anesthesia management guidelines, scheduling, continuity, and education) necessitate direct care coordination and multidisciplinary planning for gender affirmation surgery in transgender youth.
Capturing Subtle Neurocognitive Differences in Children with and without Tourette Syndrome through a Fine-Grained Analysis of Design Fluency Profiles
Authors: Tessier Mélina , Desmarais Annie , Leclerc Julie , Lavoie Marc , O’Connor Kieron , Gauthier Bruno
Published: April 2022

Background: Tourette syndrome (TS) can be accompanied by neurocognitive impairment. Only a few studies have focused on executive function assessment in TS using design fluency, providing preliminary results. This study aimed to characterize the detailed design fluency profile of children with TS compared with neurotypical children, while addressing the central concern of frequent comorbidities in studies on TS by considering tic severity and attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) symptoms and diagnosis. Methods: Sixty-one children aged between 6 and 15 years participated and were divided into a TS group (n = 28 (with ADHD n = 15)) and a control group (n = 33). Our objective was addressed by examining a wide range of measures of the Five-Point-Test, presumably sensitive to frontostriatal dysfunction. The total number of designs, repetitions, repetition ratio, unique designs, and numerical, spatial, and total strategies were examined for the total duration of the test (global measures) and at five equal time intervals (process measures). Results: The TS group produced significantly fewer numerical strategies. Groups did not differ in other global or process measures. ADHD did not affect performance. Conclusions: Children with TS do not inherently show general executive dysfunction but may present with subtle neurocognitive characteristics here revealed by comprehensive design fluency profiles.
Red Blood Cell Distribution Width in Heart Failure: Pathophysiology, Prognostic Role, Controversies and Dilemmas
Authors: Xanthopoulos Andrew , Giamouzis Grigorios , Dimos Apostolos , Skoularigki Evangelia , Starling Randall , Skoularigis John , Triposkiadis Filippos
Published: April 2022

Red blood cell distribution width (RDW), an integral parameter of the complete blood count (CBC), has been traditionally used for the classification of several types of anemia. However, over the last decade RDW has been associated with outcome in patients with several cardiovascular diseases including heart failure. The role of RDW in acute, chronic and advanced heart failure is the focus of the present work. Several pathophysiological mechanisms of RDW’s increase in heart failure have been proposed (i.e., inflammation, oxidative stress, adrenergic stimulation, undernutrition, ineffective erythropoiesis, reduced iron mobilization, etc.); however, the exact mechanism remains unknown. Although high RDW values at admission and discharge have been associated with adverse prognosis in hospitalized heart failure patients, the prognostic role of in-hospital RDW changes (ΔRDW) remains debatable. RDW has been incorporated in recent heart failure prognostic models. Utilizing RDW as a treatment target in heart failure may be a promising area of research.
Efficiency of Long Lateral Mass Screws
Authors: Watanabe Seiya , Nakanishi Kazuo , Misaki Kosuke , Uchino Kazuya , Iba Hideaki , Shimizu Takachika
Published: April 2022

Introduction: Lateral mass screws (LMS) have been widely used for the posterior fusion of the cervical spine. Even though LMS are safe, the screws are short and postoperative fixation is uncertain. Therefore, we measured and reported a technique using long lateral mass screws (LLMS), a new method of screw insertion, using a Zed spine from LEXI (Tokyo, Japan). Materials and Methods: In this study, we evaluated the outcomes of 35 patients who underwent surgery using LLMS at our hospital from 2019 to 2021. Operative time, blood loss, complications, inserted screw length, screw length based on gender differences, and screw deviation rate were evaluated. The Mann–Whitney U test was used to determine the gender differences in screw length. Screw deviation was evaluated by postoperative CT and a Zed spine to determine the screw insertion angle. Results: The mean operative time was 185 ± 51 min (120–327 min), and the mean blood loss was 236 ± 316 g (10–1720 g). The total number of screws was 183. The screw length was 22.2 (16–28) mm for males and 20.8 (16–28) mm for females, with an average length of 21 ± 2.7 mm. No gender differences were observed in terms of screw length (p > 0.01 NS). The number of deviated screws above G3 was one in the third cervical vertebra, three in the fourth cervical vertebra, one in the fifth cervical vertebra, and one in the sixth cervical vertebra. The number of deviated screws was 6 out of 183, and the deviation rate was 3.2%. Conclusions: In this study, the LLMS deviation rate was 3.2%, and strong fixation was possible without any complications. We measured the screw length and screw deviation rate in cases in which LLMS were actually inserted.
Can Cognitive Flexibility and Clinical Perfectionism Be Used to Identify People with Anorexia Nervosa?
Authors: Miles Stephanie , Nedeljkovic Maja , Phillipou Andrea
Published: April 2022

Poor cognitive flexibility and perfectionism are common features in anorexia nervosa (AN). The current study aimed to investigate cognitive flexibility and clinical perfectionism as potential predictors of AN. Twenty women with a current diagnosis of AN (M age = 28.25, SD = 7.62) and 170 community participants with no lifetime history of an eating disorder (M age = 29.23, SD = 9.88) took part in an online cross-sectional study that included self-report questionnaires of cognitive flexibility and clinical perfectionism. It was found that compared to the community sample, women with AN self-reported significantly poorer cognitive flexibility and significantly greater clinical perfectionism. In a regression model, clinical perfectionism (but not self-reported cognitive flexibility) significantly predicted group membership. The specificity and sensitivity of the model were high. These preliminary findings indicate that clinical perfectionism may represent a key feature of AN and may accurately discriminate between participants with and without AN, though more research is required.
Cold Water Immersion Pretreatment of Post-Consuming Particleboards for Wood Chips Recovery by the Hydromechanical Process
Authors: Dafni Foti , Karastergiou Sotirios , Papadopoulos Antonios N.
Published: April 2022

In this research work, the effect of 20-day immersion of various types of reclaimed particleboards on thickness swelling and water absorption is investigated. This simple procedure has been chosen as the pretreatment to facilitate the chips’ recovery by the hydromechanical (water jet) method. Maximum swelling was achieved after 20-day immersion but the differences between 10 and 20-day immersion were small, indicating that the time of 10-day immersion can be chosen as the pretreatment time. It was found that the bond between wood chips’ particles was not completely failed since the permanent swelling after immersion and drying was lower than the maximum swelling. Hence, the proposed method needs to be improved by increasing the cross-section areas of particleboard samples after their breaking in order to create irregular pieces and facilitate the water action against the bond of wood particles.