bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Asymmetrical Illumination Enables Lipid Droplets Segmentation in Caenorhabditis elegans Using Epi-Illumination Dark Field Microscopy
Authors: Shi Ruijie , Sun Yu , Fang Jingde , Chen Xiangyang , Smith Zachary J. , Chu Kaiqin
Published: June 2022

Lipid droplets are the major organelles for fat storage in a cell and analyzing lipid droplets in Caenorhabditis elegans (C. elegans) can shed light on obesity-related diseases in humans. In this work, we propose to use a label free scattering-based method, namely dark field microscopy, to visualize the lipid droplets with high contrast, followed by deep learning to perform automatic segmentation. Our method works through combining epi-illumination dark field microscopy, which provides high spatial resolution, with asymmetric illumination, which computationally rejects multiple scattering. Due to the raw data’s high quality, only 25 images are required to train a Convolutional Neural Network (CNN) to successfully segment lipid droplets in dense regions of the worm. The performance is validated on both healthy worms as well as those in starvation conditions, which alter the size and abundance of lipid droplets. Asymmetric illumination substantially improves CNN accuracy compared with standard dark field imaging from 70% to be 85%, respectively. Meanwhile, standard segmentation methods such as watershed and DIC object tracking (DICOT) failed to segment droplets due to the images’ complex label-free background. By successfully analyzing lipid droplets in vivo and without staining, our method liberates researchers from dependence on genetically modified strains. Further, due to the “open top” of our epi-illumination microscope, our method can be naturally integrated with microfluidic chips to perform large scale and automatic analysis.
Measurement of Power Grid Resilience Based on a Dynamic Inoperability Input–Output Model
Authors: Wang Yan , Gao Shan , Wang Fuzhang
Published: June 2022

The increase in global natural disasters, emergencies, and terrorist attacks brings great challenges to the flexible operation of power grids. The research on the flexibility of power grids becomes more and more important. At the same time, the rapid development of renewable energy and smart grids also provides new opportunities for research of flexible power grids. Based on the dynamic inoperability input–output model (DIIM), this study creatively uses the node transmission power to represent the relationship between nodes in the power grid and then studies the resilience measurement of the power grid. First, the significance of studying power grid resilience is discussed, and the absorption and recovery capacity of power grid resilience is described. Second, the power grid resilience measurement model based on the DIIM is established, and a theoretical analysis is carried out. Using the characteristics of inoperability, the power grid resilience is measured from the time aspect, and the characteristics of the model are analyzed at the same time. On the basis of theoretical analysis, this study also provides a control strategy to improve the grid resilience, which has good convenience and applicability. Finally, the theoretical analysis method is applied to a power grid example, and the correctness and effectiveness are verified. The measurement model can intuitively display the resilience characteristics of power grids and provide theoretical support for management and emergency response.
Optimal Channel Strategy for Dual-Channel Retailers: The Bright Side of Introducing Agency Channels
Authors: Wang Yang
Published: June 2022

Driven by the prosperity of the online retail market and the success of the agency selling format, dual-channel retailers have engaged extensively in online retailing. However, whether dual-channel retailers act as intermediaries to introduce agency channels for third-party sellers in their online stores has not yet received sufficient attention. To address this problem, we perform game-theoretic analysis of the optimal channel strategy of a dual-channel retailer under three channel structures: No-agency mode, manufacturer-agency mode, and e-tailer-agency mode. Under each structure, the price competition model is studied, with the manufacturer as the Stackelberg leader and the retailer or authorized e-tailer as the follower. We analyze the optimal prices and profits of different structures and study the influence of agency channels. Our analysis shows that when the commission rate is higher than a certain threshold, the dual-channel retailer will introduce an agency channel for the third-party seller, and when the commission rate is high, the dual-channel retailer prefers to introduce an agency channel for the manufacturer rather than an authorized e-tailer. However, higher offline operating cost reduces the willingness of the dual-channel retailer to introduce an agency channel. Furthermore, the manufacturer will always benefit from the agency channel and, because of the mitigation of double marginalization, the manufacturer is most profitable in the manufacturer-agency mode. Finally, introducing an agency channel for the third-party seller can create a “win-win” outcome for the manufacturer and the dual-channel retailer, while the e-tailer-agency mode can increase the dual-channel retailer’s relative channel power under certain conditions.
Nonlinear Quantum Optics With Structured Light: Tightly Trapped Atoms in the 3D Focus of Vectorial Waves
Authors: Gutiérrez-Jáuregui R. , Jáuregui R.
Published: June 2022

Atomic gases tightly trapped near the focus of an electromagnetic wave interact with photons that exhibit a complex structure, displaying strong gradients of field amplitude and local polarization that can lead to topological phase singularities. We illustrate the consequences of this structure on a paradigmatic nonlinear optical process: three-wave mixing. The process begins by proper selection of the pump field, whose spatial structure is tailored to present huge gradients of the EM field that enhance atomic excitations through forbidden transitions. Atoms can then be depopulated via two electric dipole decays in a cascade configuration, thus providing the three necessary waves. The properties of the down-converted photons are conditioned to those of the pump field through phase matching conditions. It is emphasized that the expression of the photons must incorporate both the structure of the vectorial EM modes and the spatial configuration of the atomic trap. Due to the three-dimensional focusing, the slowly varying envelope approximation becomes inadequate when describing the scattered EM field. We discuss an alternative using a Green function formalism valid for any configuration of the field that also allows to identify the phase matching conditions. Spherical vectorial waves exemplify most concepts here discussed, including the possibility of observing nonlinear quantum phenomena at the single photon level.
The Role of Bile Acid in Improving Glucose Tolerance of Non-Obese Diabetic Rats After Proximal Small Bowel Bypass
Authors: Zheng Zhihua , Pang Qiang , Luo Xin , Tao Fang , Duan Jinyuan , Cao Jiaqing
Published: June 2022

An increase in bile acid (BA) levels after metabolic surgery is an important mechanism for improving glucose metabolism. However, the mechanisms underlying elevated BA levels and the regulatory mechanism of glucose metabolism remain unclear. In this study, we used the Goto-Kakizaki rat model to investigate the mechanism of BA elevation by comparing side-to-side jejunoileal bypass plus proximal loop ligation (SSJIBL) and bile ileum diversion (BID) as well as to explore the mechanism of BA metabolism in regulating blood glucose. The results showed that the fed blood glucose of rats in both the SSJIBL and BID groups was significantly lower than that of the SHAM group on days 2 and 14 after the operation. The oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT) improved in the SSJIBL and BID groups at day 14 postoperatively. The expression of CYP27A1 in the livers of the SSJIBL and BID groups was significantly increased. In addition, total serum BA levels in the SSJIBL and BID groups were significantly increased. Moreover, serum levels of lithocholic acid (LCA) and deoxycholic acid (DCA) were significantly higher in the SSJIBL group than in the SHAM group and negatively correlated with the area under the glucose tolerance curve (AUC-OGTT). In conclusion, increased BA synthesis may be an important cause of elevated total serum BA levels, and LCA and DCA are closely associated with improved glucose metabolism.
Effects of the Herbicide Atrazine on Crustacean Reproduction. Mini-Review
Authors: Silveyra Gabriela R. , Medesani Daniel A. , Rodríguez Enrique M.
Published: June 2022

Atrazine, one of the most intensively applied herbicides worldwide, is commonly found in several water bodies, affecting the associated fauna. Autochthon crustacean species have been relatively less studied, compared to vertebrate species, particularly concerning reproductive success. In this mini-review, we summarize the relevant information about the effects of atrazine exposure on the main reproductive aspects of crustaceans. One of these effects is related to the inhibition of ovarian growth. In this respect, a diminished vitellogenin content was found in the ovary of crabs exposed to atrazine during the entire period of ovarian growth, in correlation with a reduced oocyte size and a delay of ovarian maturation. Similar results were observed in crayfish. Atrazine was also able to affect the reproductive process, acting as an endocrine disruptor. In this sense, this herbicide was suspected to affect the secretion of some neurohormones involved in the gonadal growth, as well as to alter the circulating levels of steroid hormones which promote the synthesis of vitellogenin for ovarian growth. Moreover, atrazine induced sexual differentiation in juvenile crayfish toward a higher proportion of females, while it produced an increment of males in daphnids. Another aspect affected by this herbicide was the reduction of offspring production, as well as several embryonic abnormalities; genotoxic effects have been also reported in crayfish. Finally, some metabolic imbalances, such as reduction in energy reserves, have been observed in some species, together with oxidative stress and histopathological effects.
Minocycline Reduces Hypothalamic Microglia Activation and Improves Metabolic Dysfunction in High Fat Diet-Induced Obese Mice
Authors: Coker Caitlin R. , White Melissa , Singal Aneesh , Bingaman Sarah S. , Paul Anirban , Arnold Amy C. , Silberman Yuval
Published: June 2022

Obesity is associated with insulin resistance, glucose intolerance, inflammation, and altered neuronal activity in brain regions controlling metabolic functions including food intake, energy expenditure, and glucose homeostasis, such as the hypothalamus. In this study, we tested the hypothesis that inhibiting inflammation with minocycline could reduce adverse metabolic consequences associated with high-fat diet (HFD)-induced obesity in mice and sought to determine if metabolic improvements were associated with reduced hypothalamic microglia activity. Male C57Bl/6J mice were placed on 60% HFD for 12 weeks, with minocycline (40 mg/kg, p.o.) or normal tap water given during the last 6 weeks of diet. Age-matched mice maintained on control diet were used as an additional comparator group. Metabolic function was assessed during the last week of treatment. Ramified (resting) and non-ramified (active) microglia were quantified in the hypothalamus following immunohistochemical staining of ionized calcium-binding adaptor 1 (Iba-1) and further assessed by RNAseq. In HFD fed mice, minocycline attenuated body mass and adiposity without altering food intake suggesting enhanced energy expenditure. Minocycline also attenuated hyperinsulinemia and improved insulin sensitivity in HFD mice. Increased microglial activation and autophagy gene network changes were observed in the paraventricular nucleus (PVN) of the hypothalamus of HFD mice, which was prevented by minocycline treatment. Contrary to PVN findings, there were no significant effects of either HFD or minocycline on microglia activation in the hypothalamic arcuate nucleus or central amygdala. Together, these findings suggest that minocycline improves HFD-induced weight gain and insulin resistance in part by reducing inflammatory processes in the PVN, a key hypothalamic region regulating metabolic function.
Transcriptional Analyses of Genes Related to Fodder Qualities in Giant Leucaena Under Different Stress Environments
Authors: Bageel Ahmed M. , Kam Aaron , Borthakur Dulal
Published: June 2022

Leucaena leucocephala subsp. glabrata (giant leucaena) is a tree legume, whose foliage is used as a fodder for animals because of its high protein content. In spite of being a highly nutritious fodder, giant leucaena foliage has two undesirable secondary metabolites, mimosine and tannin. The amounts of mimosine and tannin in giant leucaena foliage are known to vary under different environmental conditions. Giant leucaena was grown under different salinity, pH and nitrogen availability conditions. It produced the highest amounts of mimosine at pH 6.0–7.0, whereas, variation in soil pH did not affect tannin concentrations. Salinity stress had negative effects on both mimosine and tannin concentrations, while nitrogen abundance promoted both mimosine and tannin production. Seven genes for mimosine and tannin metabolism were isolated from a transcriptome library of giant leucaena. These were mimosine synthase, mimosinase, chalcone synthase, flavanone 3β-hydroxylase, dihydroflavonol reductase, leucoanthocyanidin reductase, and anthocyanidin reductase. The highest level of mimosine synthase activity was observed in the absence of salt in the soils. Mimosine synthase activities had strong positive correlation with mimosine concentrations in the foliage (R2 = 0.78) whereas mimosinase expression did not appear to have a direct relationship with salt concentrations. The expression of mimosine synthase was significantly higher in the leucaena foliage under nitrogen abundant condition than in nitrogen deficiency conditions, while mimosinase expression was significantly higher under nitrogen deficiency condition than in nitrogen abundance conditions. Mimosine concentrations in the foliage were positively correlated with the expression levels of mimosine synthase but not mimosinase. Similarly, the concentrations of tannin were positively correlated with expression levels of dihydroflavonol reductase, leucoanthocyanidin reductase, and anthocyanidin reductase. Understanding of the environmental conditions that promote or inhibit transcription of the genes for mimosine and tannin biosynthesis should help to design environmental conditions that inhibit transcription of these genes, resulting in reduced levels of these compounds in the leucaena foliage.
How Could the Use of Crop Wild Relatives in Breeding Increase the Adaptation of Crops to Marginal Environments?
Authors: Renzi Juan Pablo , Coyne Clarice J. , Berger Jens , von Wettberg Eric , Nelson Matthew , Ureta Soledad , Hernández Fernando , Smýkal Petr , Brus Jan
Published: June 2022

Alongside the use of fertilizer and chemical control of weeds, pests, and diseases modern breeding has been very successful in generating cultivars that have increased agricultural production several fold in favorable environments. These typically homogeneous cultivars (either homozygous inbreds or hybrids derived from inbred parents) are bred under optimal field conditions and perform well when there is sufficient water and nutrients. However, such optimal conditions are rare globally; indeed, a large proportion of arable land could be considered marginal for agricultural production. Marginal agricultural land typically has poor fertility and/or shallow soil depth, is subject to soil erosion, and often occurs in semi-arid or saline environments. Moreover, these marginal environments are expected to expand with ongoing climate change and progressive degradation of soil and water resources globally. Crop wild relatives (CWRs), most often used in breeding as sources of biotic resistance, often also possess traits adapting them to marginal environments. Wild progenitors have been selected over the course of their evolutionary history to maintain their fitness under a diverse range of stresses. Conversely, modern breeding for broad adaptation has reduced genetic diversity and increased genetic vulnerability to biotic and abiotic challenges. There is potential to exploit genetic heterogeneity, as opposed to genetic uniformity, in breeding for the utilization of marginal lands. This review discusses the adaptive traits that could improve the performance of cultivars in marginal environments and breeding strategies to deploy them.
Transcriptome Profiling of Transposon-Derived Long Non-coding RNAs Response to Hormone in Strawberry Fruit Development
Authors: Chen Xi , Wang Chengdong , He Bing , Wan Zifan , Zhao Yukun , Hu Fengqin , Lv Yuanda
Published: June 2022

Strawberry is an economically grown horticulture crop required for fruit consumption. The ripening of its fruit is a complex biological process regulated by various hormones. Abscisic acid (ABA) is a critical phytohormone involved in fruit ripening. However, little is known about the long non-coding RNAs (LncRNAs), especially transposon-derived LncRNA (TE-lncRNA), response to hormones during fruit ripening in octoploid strawberry. In the study, the transcriptome data of developing strawberry fruits treated with ABA and its inhibitor Nordihydroguaiaretic acid (NGDA) were analyzed to identify responsive LncRNAs and coding genes. A total of 14,552 LncRNAs were identified, including 8,617 transposon-derived LncRNAs (TE-LncRNAs), 412 LncRNAs (282 TE-LncRNAs), and 382 ABA-sensitive LncRNAs (231 TE-LncRNAs). Additionally, a weighted co-expression network analysis constructed 27 modules containing coding RNAs and LncRNAs. Seven modules, including “MEdarkorange” and “MElightyellow” were significantly correlated with ABA/NDGA treatments, resulting in 247 hub genes, including 21 transcription factors and 22 LncRNAs (15 TE-LncRNAs). Gene ontology enrichment analysis further revealed that ABA/NDGA-responsive modules, including LncRNAs, were associated with various metabolic pathways involved in strawberry fruit development and ripening, including lipid metabolism, organic acid metabolism, and phenylpropanoid metabolism. The current study identifies many high-confidence LncRNAs in strawberry, with a percentage of them being ABA pathway-specific and 22 hub-responsive LncRNAs, providing new insight into strawberry or other Rosaceae crop fruit ripening.
Integrated Metabolomics and Transcriptome Analyses Unveil Pathways Involved in Sugar Content and Rind Color of Two Sugarcane Varieties
Authors: Yuan Zhaonian , Dong Fei , Pang Ziqin , Fallah Nyumah , Zhou Yongmei , Li Zhi , Hu Chaohua
Published: June 2022

Metabolic composition can have potential impact on several vital agronomic traits, and metabolomics, which represents the bioactive compounds in plant tissues, is widely considered as a powerful approach for linking phenotype–genotype interactions. However, metabolites related to cane traits such as sugar content, rind color, and texture differences in different sugarcane cultivars using metabolome integrated with transcriptome remain largely inconclusive. In this study, metabolome integrated with transcriptome analyses were performed to identify and quantify metabolites composition, and have better insight into the molecular mechanisms underpinning the different cane traits, namely, brix, rind color, and textures in the stems (S) and leaves (L) of sugarcane varieties FN41 and 165402. We also identified metabolites and associated genes in the phenylpropanoid and flavonoid biosynthesis pathways, starch and sucrose metabolism. A total of 512 metabolites from 11 classes, with the vast majority (122) belonging to flavonoids were identified. Moreover, the relatively high amount of D-fructose 6-p, D-glucose6-p and glucose1-p detected in FN41L may have been transported and distributed by source and sink of the cane, and a majority of them reached the stem of sugarcane FN41L, thereby promoting the high accumulation of sugar in FN41S. Observations also revealed that genes such as C4H, CHS, F3H, F3’H, DFR, and FG2 in phenylpropanoid and flavonoid biosynthesis pathways were the major factors impacting the rind color and contrasting texture of FN41 and 165204. Further analysis revealed that weighted gene co-expression network analysis (WGCNA) hub genes and six transcription factors, namely, Tify and NAC, MYB-related, C2C2-Dof, WRKY, and bHLH play a key role in phenylpropanoid biosynthesis, flavone and flavonol biosynthesis, starch and sucrose metabolism. Additionally, metabolites such as L-phenylalanine, tyrosine, sinapaldehyde, pinobanksin, kaempferin, and nictoflorin were the potential drivers of phenotypic differences. Our finding also demonstrated that genes and metabolites in the starch and sucrose metabolism had a significant effect on cane sugar content. Overall, this study provided valuable insight into the molecular mechanisms underpinning high sugar accumulation and rind color in sugarcane, which we believe is important for future sugarcane breeding programs and the selection of high biomass varieties.
The Relationship Between Russian Kindergarteners’ Play and Executive Functions: Validating the Play Observed Behaviors Scale
Authors: Veraksa Aleksander , Bukhalenkova Daria , Almazova Olga , Sukhikh Vera , Colliver Yeshe
Published: June 2022

Background

Young children’s play is theorized to develop executive functions, skills strongly predictive of many later advantages. The current study sought to validate a practicably short play behavior survey for kindergarten teachers (N = 18) and compare the reported behaviors to the executive functions (EFs) of their 443 Russian kindergarteners (Mage = 78.6 months; SD = 4.04).

Research Findings

The factor model with satisfactory construct validity and internal consistency included three factors: leadership, play preferences and rule conformity. Analyses provide partial support for Vygotsky’s theory that play supports EF development, but particular behaviors were related to different EF components. However, kindergarteners exhibiting more leadership, preferences and conformity overall rated higher on most EF components.

Practice and Policy

These findings do not support the theory that play skills improve unidirectionally with age and EFs, suggesting particular profiles of types of players and complex changes with age. The play behavior survey may be a practicable way to trace different profiles across the early years.
Cultural Context and Multimodal Knowledge Representation: Seeing the Forest for the Trees
Authors: Cabezas-García Melania , Reimerink Arianne
Published: June 2022

Context, especially cultural context, has long been neglected in Terminology. Even though recent approaches have acknowledged the relevance of culture in specialized communication, the development of culture in Terminology is still marginal. Culture is also underrepresented in terminological resources, which may respond to the complexity of reflecting the cultural component in the description of terms and concepts. However, conceptualization is dynamic and changes from culture to culture and, for that reason, an in-depth study on how the nature of human perception and cultural cognition influences the representation of concept systems and terms in specialized knowledge contexts is needed. Furthermore, to facilitate knowledge acquisition, contextual and conceptual information should go together with multimodal information, as the combination of textual and visual material improves understanding. This study integrates different types of context (i.e., semantic relations, frames, and culture) to describe a methodology for the selection and representation of multimodal information for culturally bound concepts such asforestin terminological knowledge bases, based on the theoretical premises of Frame-Based Terminology. Different ideas of forest in European countries were analyzed and represented by means of culturally adapted images, which are best suited to disseminate knowledge and foreground the role of culture in specialized communication.
The Effect of Safety Leadership on Safety Participation of Employee: A Meta-Analysis
Authors: Zhao Linyi , Yang Daojian , Liu Suxia , Nkrumah Edmund Nana Kwame
Published: June 2022

Recently, the promotion of safety participation (SP) has become a hot spot in behavioral safety research and safety management practice. To explore the relationship between safety leadership (SL) and SP, a theoretical model was established and 33 articles (35 independent samples) on work safety from 2000 to 2021 were selected for a meta-analysis. By evaluating the impact of SL, which incorporates transformational, transactional, and passive leadership styles, on work safety. The results show that SL has a positive impact on both safety climate (SC) and SP. Both safety transactional leadership (STAL) and safety transformational leadership (STFL) positively impact SP, and the impact of STFL is greater, while safety passive leadership (SPL) has no impact on SP. The study establishes that SC plays a partial mediating role between transformational SL and employee SP. Under the condition of a developed economic level or high-risk industry, SL indicated a greater influence on SP. Hence, it is recommended that when enhancing the SP of employees, the influence of the macro environment and SC should not be undermined.
Depression and Cognition Mediate the Effect of Self-Perceptions of Aging Over Frailty Among Older Adults Living in the Community in China
Authors: Yuan Kun , Luo Yanyan , Sun Junjun , Chang Hongjuan , Hu Huijie , Zhao Bingwei
Published: June 2022

Objectives

The aims of the study were first to investigate the association between self-perceptions of aging and frailty and second to determine whether self-perceptions of aging affects frailty via depressive symptoms and cognitive status among older adults living in the community in China.

Methods

Among 850 older adults who participated in this cross-sectional study, 822 older adults made valid responses to Tilburg Frailty Indicator, Brief Aging Perceptions Questionnaire, UCLA loneliness scale-8, Mini-Mental State Examination, and Patient Health Questionnaire-9 between March to December 2019. The possible pathways of self-perceptions of aging affecting frailty were analyzed based on the structural equation modeling analysis.

Results

A total of 21.53% of older adults reported frailty. Correlation analyses showed that higher degrees of frailty were related to greater loneliness, more depressive symptoms, more negative self-perceptions of aging, worse locomotive function, and cognitive status (r = 0.267, r = 0.440, r = 0.481, r = 0.451, r = −0.337; p < 0.001). Multiple regression analysis showed that loneliness, depressive symptoms, self-perceptions of aging, locomotive function, and cognitive status were the five factors to be entered the regression equation, and the variance of joint explanation was 46.60%. SPA had a direct effect on frailty (β = 0.306 and p < 0.001), and SPA indirectly affects frailty by independently affecting depressive symptoms (β = 0.391, 95% CI [0.027, 0.061], and p < 0.001) or cognitive status (β = 0.148, 95% CI [0.009, 0.024], and p < 0.001) of older adults.

Conclusion

These findings help explain the potential psychological mechanisms through which SPA impacts frailty and may aid community healthcare providers in China in identifying individuals at high risk of frailty. The results suggest that health staff should help older adults improve their perspectives on aging, alleviate or prevent depressive symptoms, and improve cognitive status to delay the progress of frailty and promote healthy aging.
Source Credibility and the Information Quality Matter in Public Engagement on Social Networking Sites During the COVID-19 Crisis
Authors: Shah Zakir , Wei Lu
Published: June 2022

During the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, people use social networking sites (SNSs) to seek social support, ease the move toward the social distance, and communicate and engage with one another. However, there is growing evidence that trustworthiness and quality of information can affect individuals’ online engagement behaviors. This study proposes a theoretical model to test people’s online engagement during the COVID-19 pandemic by applying the elaboration likelihood model (ELM). Through a questionnaire survey of 630 SNS users, the study examines whether and how source credibility and information quality affect people’s online engagement during the COVID-19 pandemic. The model was tested using structural equation modeling. The findings show that source credibility and information quality have a significantly positive relationship with perceived benefit, while negative and significantly associated with perceived risk. Furthermore, perceived benefit is a stronger predictor of online public engagement than the perceived risk. To improve online public engagement as a crisis response strategy, careful source selection and careful generation of online crisis information should not be overlooked.
Mental Health Help-Seeking in Parents and Trajectories of Depressive and Anxiety Symptoms: Lessons Learned From the Ontario Parent Survey During the COVID-19 Pandemic
Authors: Zhang Xutong , Jambon Marc , Afifi Tracie O. , Atkinson Leslie , Bennett Teresa , Duku Eric , Duncan Laura , Joshi Divya , Kimber Melissa , MacMillan Harriet L. , Gonzalez Andrea
Published: June 2022

Tracking parents’ mental health symptoms and understanding barriers to seeking professional help are critical for determining policies and services to support families’ well-being. The COVID-19 pandemic has posed enormous challenges to parents’ mental health and the access to professional help, and there are important public health lessons that must be learned from the past 2 years’ experiences to inform future mental health responses to social- and family-level stressful events. This study examines the trajectories of parents’ depressive and anxiety symptoms over a year during the pandemic as related to their mental health help-seeking. Data were collected from a sample of parents residing in Ontario, Canada at baseline (May–June, 2020; Wave 1) and again 1 year later (Wave 2; referred to as W1 and W2 below). Parents (n = 2,439; Mage = 39.47, SD = 6.65; 95.0% females) reported their depressive and anxiety symptoms at both waves. Mental health help-seeking, including self-reported contact with professional help and perceived unmet mental health needs, was measured at W2. Parents were classified into four groups by mental health help-seeking. Inconsistent seekers and non-seeking needers, both reporting perceived unmet needs for professional help, showed greater increases in depressive and anxiety symptoms, whereas parents with no need or needs met showed smaller increases in depressive symptoms and decreases in anxiety symptoms. Belief in self-reliance and time constraints were the leading reasons for not seeking help. These findings suggest that over a year into the pandemic, parents with perceived unmet mental health needs were at greater risk for worsening depressive and anxiety symptoms. Recognizing the demands for mental health services when families experience chronic stressors and targeting the identified barriers may promote family well-being during and beyond this pandemic.
Developing a Validated Instrument to Measure Students’ Active Learning and Actual Use of Information and Communication Technologies for Learning in Saudi Arabia’s Higher Education
Authors: Almulla Mohammed Abdullatif
Published: June 2022

Higher education authorities have supplied information and communication technologies (ICTs) to guarantee that students use ICT to improve their learning and research outputs. ICT, on the other hand, has been proven to be underused, particularly by students. Therefore, we aimed to develop a new model to measure students’ active learning and actual use of ICT in higher education. To investigate this issue, the technology acceptance model and constructivism learning theory were verified and applied to evaluate university students’ use of ICT for active learning purposes. The participants in the study were 317 postgraduate and undergraduate students from four faculties at King Faisal University who consented to take part. The research data were analyzed using structural equation modeling (AMOS-SEM). Three specific components were used: the technology adoption model, constructivism learning, and active learning using ICT. The findings revealed that: (a) using ICTs for students’ interactivity, engagement, expected effort, subjective norm, and perceived ease of use has a direct positive impact on perceived enjoyment and usefulness; (b) perceived enjoyment and usefulness has a direct positive impact on active learning, attitude toward use, and behavioral intention to use ICTs; (c) active learning has a direct positive impact on attitude toward use, behavioral intention to use ICTs; and (d) active learning has a direct positive impact on attitude. Moreover, the results showed the mediator factors’ values positively “R square,” active learning (0.529), attitude toward use (0.572), behavioral intention to use (0.583), and actual ICT use (0.512) in higher education. Therefore, the results of the hypotheses developed a validated instrument to measure students’ active learning and actual use of ICTs in higher education in Saudi Arabia.
Exploring a Structural Model of Teaching Enjoyment, Teacher Self-Efficacy, and Work Engagement
Authors: Xiao Yan , Fathi Jalil , Mohammaddokht Farnoosh
Published: June 2022

Due to the complexity of teaching, determining the variables influencing teachers’ work engagement is a rewarding research area. In line with this research agenda, the purpose of this study was to test a structural model of work engagement based on teacher self-efficacy and teaching enjoyment among English as a foreign language (EFL) teachers. For this purpose, 315 Iranian English instructors completed an online survey. Initially, the measurement models for the three latent variables were averredviaconducting confirmatory factor analysis (CFA). Following that, structural equation modeling (SEM) was utilized to test the hypothesized model. SEM results showed that both self-efficacy and teaching enjoyment were the significant predictors of teachers’ work engagement, although teacher self-efficacy was a stronger predictor than teaching enjoyment. The findings might have notable implications for English teachers.
How Does Strategic Human Resource Management Impact on Employee Voice Behavior and Innovation Behavior With Mediating Effect of Psychological Mechanism
Authors: Li Yunhe , Zhang Li , Yan Xin
Published: June 2022

Employees’ voice and innovation behaviors are an important source of organizational competitiveness. Scholars in the field of organizational behaviors have discussed how to increase the willingness of employees to engage in voice and innovation behaviors from a diversity of perspectives. Innovation has always been a strategic goal of organizations. To motivate employees to offer valuable advice and innovative ideas, organizations have to provide various incentive, feedback and supportive programs. Combined with the social exchange and social cognitive theories, this study presents an argument that the effective strategic human resource management can gradually improve the self-efficacy, psychological contract, voice behaviors and innovation behaviors of employees, and further verifies the relationship among them. A sample of 553 employees was used and analyzed via structure equation modeling. This study adopted PLS-SEM to verify structural model and examine the mediating effect of psychological mechanism. The results showed that strategic human resource management has a significant and positive impact on self-efficacy, psychological contract, voice behavior and innovation behavior; self-efficacy has a significant and positive impact on psychological contract, voice behavior and innovation behavior; psychological contract only has a significant and positive impact on innovation behavior, but not on voice behavior. Given the above research findings, this study gives some practical implications in the end.
Effects of a Residential Multimodal Psychological Treatment in an Addicted Population, at 6 and 12 Months: Differences Between Men and Women
Authors: Santos-de-Pascual Asunción , López-Cano Luis Miguel , Alcántara-López Mavi , Martínez-Pérez Antonia , Castro-Sáez Maravillas , Fernández-Fernández Visitación , López-Soler Concepción
Published: June 2022

The aim of this study is to explore the effects of a residential multimodal treatment intervention for an addict population. We gathered participants from the “Programa Base” (n = 166) of the Solidarity and Reinsertion Foundation of Murcia, and assessed the various problematic areas with the EuropASI at baseline level, 6 months and 12 months of treatment. We found improved outcomes in every area except for Legal Status. In addition, we found differences between male and female participants in their baseline evaluation, as well as between completers and non-completers. In conclusion, this data shows us some changes which occurred in individuals with problematic drug use during treatment, going further into the complex social reality which causes great suffering and damage to people and their families.
Family and Academic Stress and Their Impact on Students' Depression Level and Academic Performance
Authors: Deng Yuwei , Cherian Jacob , Khan Noor Un Nisa , Kumari Kalpina , Sial Muhammad Safdar , Comite Ubaldo , Gavurova Beata , Popp József
Published: June 2022

Current research examines the impact of academic and familial stress on students' depression levels and the subsequent impact on their academic performance based on Lazarus' cognitive appraisal theory of stress. The non-probability convenience sampling technique has been used to collect data from undergraduate and postgraduate students using a modified questionnaire with a five-point Likert scale. This study used the SEM method to examine the link between stress, depression, and academic performance. It was confirmed that academic and family stress leads to depression among students, negatively affecting their academic performance and learning outcomes. This research provides valuable information to parents, educators, and other stakeholders concerned about their childrens' education and performance.
Antipsychotic Drug Development: From Historical Evidence to Fresh Perspectives
Authors: Weston-Green Katrina
Published: June 2022

Schizophrenia is a complex disorder of varied etiology, manifesting symptoms that can differ between patients and change throughout an individual's lifespan. Antipsychotic drugs have evolved through first (e.g., haloperidol), second (olanzapine and clozapine) and a possible third (aripiprazole) generation of drugs in an attempt to improve efficacy and tolerability, with minimal side-effects. Despite robust scientific efforts over the past 70 years, there remains a need to develop drugs with greater efficacy, particularly in relation to the negative and cognitive symptoms of schizophrenia, addressing treatment resistance, with a lower side-effects profile compared to existing antipsychotic drugs. Identifying and investigating novel therapeutic targets remains an important component of future antipsychotic drug discovery; however, mounting evidence demonstrates neurobiological, neuroanatomical and functional heterogeneity in cohorts of individuals with schizophrenia. This presents an opportunity to refresh the approach to drug trials to a more targeted strategy. By increasing understanding of the basic science and pharmacological mechanisms underlying the potential antipsychotic efficacy of novel therapeutics prior to clinical trials, new drugs may be appropriately directed to a target population of schizophrenia subjects based on the drug mechanisms and correlating biological sub-groupings of patient characteristics. Improving the lives of sub-populations of people with schizophrenia that share common biological characteristics and are likely to be responsive to a particular compound may be more achievable than aiming to treat the complexities of schizophrenia as a homogenous disorder. This approach to clinical trials in antipsychotic research is discussed in the present review.
The Diagnostic Value of the Thermostatic Amplification of Ribonucleic Acid in Bronchoalveolar Lavage Fluid in Smear-Negative Pulmonary Tuberculosis
Authors: Wu Zhengxing , Shi Jichan , Zhou Yueying , Pan Ning , Qiu Chaochao , Wu Lianpeng , Jiang Xiangao
Published: June 2022

Objective

This study aimed to determine the value of the simultaneous amplification and testing for Mycobacterium tuberculosis in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) in the diagnosis of smear-negative pulmonary tuberculosis (PTB).

Methods

A total of 316 patients were selected, of which 197 had smear-negative PTB (observation group), and 119 did not have TB (control group). Bronchoscopy was performed in both groups, and BALF samples were collected for acid-fast bacilli smears, simultaneous amplification/testing for TB (SAT-TB), and BACTEC MGIT 960 cultures. The sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive, and negative predictive values of SAT-TB in BALF for the diagnosis of negative TB were calculated.

Results

The sensitivity of SAT-TB detection was 45.18%, which was significantly higher than smears and slightly lower than cultures. The specificity of SAT-TB was 99.16%, which differed slightly from the other two methods. The positive predictive value was 98.89%, which was not significantly different from the other two methods. The negative predictive value of SAT-TB was 58.91%, which was higher than smears and slightly lower than cultures.

Conclusion

The very high specificity and negative prediction of SAT-TB in BALF means that the method has great application value for the rapid diagnosis of smear-negative PTB.
Self-Reported Anxiety in Spain: A Gendered Approach One Year After the Start of COVID-19 Pandemic
Authors: Jacques-Aviñó Constanza , López-Jiménez Tomàs , Bennett Matthew , Medina-Perucha Laura , León-Gómez Brenda Biaani , Berenguera Anna
Published: June 2022

The COVID-19 pandemic has an impact on mental health. However, there is little evidence on how different axes of social inequity influence mental health from a gender perspective and over time. Our aim is to analyze anxiety according to gender identity and other axes of social inequities (migration status, sexual orientation, age, and employment conditions) one year after the start of the COVID-19 pandemic in Spain. We conducted a cross-sectional study among adults living in Spain with an online survey from April 8 to May 28, 2021. The main variable was anxiety measured by Generalized Anxiety Disorder Scale (GAD-7). Sex-stratified multivariate logistic regression models were constructed to assess the association between axes of inequities and anxiety. Our findings (N = 2,053) suggest that women have greater anxiety risk than men (35.2 vs. 28.2%, respectively). We observe in both genders that there is a clear age gradient, with anxiety decreasing as age increases; and that there is an association between worsening employment status and anxiety risk, although there is a difference between women by education level. Additionally, not having Spanish nationality is also associated with greater anxiety risk in women. In men, identifying as non-heterosexual is associated with a higher risk of anxiety. The axes of inequities have different effects according to gender identity. These differences in anxiety risk by population subgroup must be taken into account in order to sensibly and equitably treat the surge in mental health disorders brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic.
Perception Exploration on Robustness Syndromes With Pre-processing Entities Using Machine Learning Algorithm
Authors: Kshirsagar Pravin R. , Manoharan Hariprasath , Selvarajan Shitharth , Alterazi Hassan A. , Singh Dilbag , Lee Heung-No
Published: June 2022

The majority of the current-generation individuals all around the world are dealing with a variety of health-related issues. The most common cause of health problems has been found as depression, which is caused by intellectual difficulties. However, most people are unable to recognize such occurrences in them, and no procedures for discriminating them from normal people have been created so far. Even some advanced technologies do not support distinct classes of individuals as language writing skills vary greatly across numerous places, making the central operations cumbersome. As a result, the primary goal of the proposed research is to create a unique model that can detect a variety of diseases in humans, thereby averting a high level of depression. A machine learning method known as the Convolutional Neural Network (CNN) model has been included into this evolutionary process for extracting numerous features in three distinct units. The CNN also detects early-stage problems since it accepts input in the form of writing and sketching, both of which are turned to images. Furthermore, with this sort of image emotion analysis, ordinary reactions may be easily differentiated, resulting in more accurate prediction results. The characteristics such as reference line, tilt, length, edge, constraint, alignment, separation, and sectors are analyzed to test the usefulness of CNN for recognizing abnormalities, and the extracted features provide an enhanced value of around 74%higher than the conventional models.
Factors Influencing the Efficiency of Public Hospitals in Saudi Arabia: A Qualitative Study Exploring Stakeholders' Perspectives and Suggestions for Improvement
Authors: Alatawi Ahmed D. , Niessen Louis W. , Bhardwaj Minakshi , Alhassan Yussif , Khan Jahangir A. M.
Published: June 2022

Objective

Despite an extensive literature on efficiency, qualitative evidence on the drivers of hospital efficiency is scant. This study examined the factors that influence the efficiencies of health service provision in public hospitals in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) and their potential remedies.

Design

We employed a qualitative design involving semi-structured interviews conducted between July and September 2019. Participants were purposively selected and included policymakers and hospital managers drawn from districts, regional and national levels. Data were analyzed in Nvivo 12 based on a thematic approach.

Setting

Key informants of Ministry of health in the KSA.

Results

Respondents identified a range of different factors across the community, facility and the wider health system that influence inefficiencies in public hospitals in KSA. Ineffective hospital management, lack of strategic planning and goals, weak administrative leadership, and absence of monitoring hospital performance was noted to have a profound impact on hospital efficiency. The conditions of healthcare staff in respect to both skills, authority and psychological factors were considered to influence the efficiency level. Further, lack of appropriate data for decision making due to the absence of an appropriate health informatics system was regarded as a factor of inefficiency. At the community level, respondents described inadequate information on the healthcare needs and expectations of patients and the wider community as significant barriers to the provision of efficient services. To improve hospital efficiencies, respondents recommended that service delivery decisions are informed by data on community health needs; capacity strengthening and effective supervision of hospital staff; and judicious resource allocation.

Conclusion

The study demonstrates that inefficiencies in health services remain a critical challenge in public hospitals in KSA. Extensive awareness-raising and training on efficient resource utilization among key health systems stakeholders are imperative to improving hospital performance. More research is needed to strengthen knowledge on hospital efficiency in light of the limited data on the topic in KSA and the wider Gulf region.