bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Chickpea (Cicer arietinum L.) as a Source of Essential Fatty Acids – A Biofortification Approach
Authors: Madurapperumage Amod , Tang Leung , Thavarajah Pushparajah , Bridges William , Shipe Emerson , Vandemark George , Thavarajah Dil
Published: October 2021

Chickpea is a highly nutritious pulse crop with low digestible carbohydrates (40–60%), protein (15–22%), essential fats (4–8%), and a range of minerals and vitamins. The fatty acid composition of the seed adds value because fats govern the texture, shelf-life, flavor, aroma, and nutritional composition of chickpea-based food products. Therefore, the biofortification of essential fatty acids has become a nutritional breeding target for chickpea crop improvement programs worldwide. This paper examines global chickpea production, focusing on plant lipids, their functions, and their benefits to human health. In addition, this paper also reviews the chemical analysis of essential fatty acids and possible breeding targets to enrich essential fatty acids in chickpea (Cicer arietinum) biofortification. Biofortification of chickpea for essential fatty acids within safe levels will improve human health and support food processing to retain the quality and flavor of chickpea-based food products. Essential fatty acid biofortification is possible by phenotyping diverse chickpea germplasm over suitable locations and years and identifying the candidate genes responsible for quantitative trait loci mapping using genome-wide association mapping.
Natural Hybrid Origin of the Controversial “Species” Clematis × pinnata (Ranunculaceae) Based on Multidisciplinary Evidence
Authors: Lyu Rudan , He Jian , Luo Yike , Lin Lele , Yao Min , Cheng Jin , Xie Lei , Pei Linying , Yan Shuangxi , Li Liangqian
Published: October 2021

Interspecific hybridization is common and has often been viewed as a driving force of plant diversity. However, it raises taxonomic problems and thus impacts biodiversity estimation and biological conservation. Although previous molecular phylogenetic studies suggested that interspecific hybridization may be rather common inClematis, and artificial hybridization has been widely applied to produce newClematiscultivars for nearly two centuries, the issue of natural hybridization ofClematishas never been addressed in detail. In this study, we tested the hybrid origin of a mesophytic and cold-adapted vine species,Clematis pinnata, which is a rare and taxonomically controversial taxon endemic to northern China. Using field investigations, flow cytometry (FCM), phylogenomic analysis, morphological statistics, and niche modeling, we tested hybrid origin and species status ofC. pinnata. The FCM results showed that all the tested species were homoploid (2n = 16). Phylonet and HyDe analyses based on transcriptome data showed the hybrid origins ofC.×pinnatafrom eitherC. brevicaudata×C. heracleifoliaorC. brevicaudata×C. tubulosa. The plastome phylogeny depicted thatC.×pinnatain different sampling sites originated by different hybridization events. Morphological analysis showed intermediacy ofC.×pinnatabetween its putative parental species in many qualitative and quantitative characters. Niche modeling results suggested thatC.×pinnatahad not been adapted to a novel ecological niche independent of its putative parents. These findings demonstrated that plants ofC.×pinnatadid not formed a self-evolved clade and should not be treated as a species. The present study also suggests that interspecific hybridization is a common mechanism inClematisto generate diversity and variation, and it may play an important role in the evolution and diversification of this genus. Our study implies that morphological diversity caused by natural hybridization may overstate the real species diversity inClematis.
Marker-Assisted Selection for Pollen-Free Somatic Plants of Sugi (Japanese Cedar, Cryptomeria japonica): A Simple and Effective Methodology for Selecting Male-Sterile Mutants With ms1-1 and ms1-2
Authors: Tsuruta Momi , Maruyama Tsuyoshi E. , Ueno Saneyoshi , Hasegawa Yoichi , Moriguchi Yoshinari
Published: October 2021

Pollen allergy caused by sugi (Japanese cedar, Cryptomeria japonica) is a serious problem in Japan. One of the measures against pollinosis is the use of male-sterile plants (MSPs; pollen-free plants). In this context, the development of a novel technique for the efficient production of sugi MSPs, which combines marker-assisted selection (MAS) with somatic embryogenesis (SE), was recently reported by our research group. To improve the efficiency of MSP production, in this paper we report improved MAS for male-sterile individuals from embryogenic cells, cotyledonary embryos, and somatic plants of sugi using a newly developed marker in the form of the causative mutation of MS1 itself, selecting individuals with ms1-1 and ms1-2 male-sterile mutations. We also describe simplified methods for extracting DNA from different plant materials and for MAS using LAMP diagnostics. Finally, we show that MAS can be efficiently performed using the one-step indel genotyping (ING) marker developed in this study and using InstaGene for DNA extraction. The combination of SE and 100% accurate marker selection during the embryogenic cell stage enables the mass production of MS1 male-sterile sugi seedlings.
Relationship Between the Self-Concept of Children and Their Ability to Recognize Emotions in Others
Authors: Cordeiro Teresa , Botelho Júlia , Mendonça Catarina
Published: October 2021

The aim of this study was to assess the relationship between the self-concept of children and their ability to recognize emotions in others from facial expressions. It is hypothesized that children use their self-representations to interpret depictions of emotion in others and that higher self-concepts might be associated with earlier development of emotion recognition skills. A total of 54 children aged between 5 and 11 years participated in this study. Self-concept was assessed in all children using the Piers-Harris Self-Concept Scale for Children (Piers-Harris 2). To assess emotion recognition, a computerized instrument, the Penn Emotion Recognition Task (PERT), was applied. Despite the small sample of children, results show clear statistical effects. It is shown that emotion recognition ability is directly correlated with self-concept for intellectual/school status. The ability to correctly identify emotions from facial expressions is affected by general self-concept, intellectual/school status, and stimulus features of gender, intensity, and emotion. Further analysis shows that the general self-concept of children particularly affects the ability to identify happy faces. Children with a higher intellectual status score recognize happiness and neutral faces more easily. We concluded that the self-concept in children relates to the ability to recognize emotions in others, particularly positive emotions. These findings provide some support to the simulation theory of social cognition, where children use their own self-representations to interpret mental states in others. The effect of the self-concept for intellectual status on emotion recognition might also indicate that intellectual abilities act as a mediator between self-concept and emotion recognition, but further studies are needed.
Applying Implicit Association Test Techniques and Facial Expression Analyses in the Comparative Evaluation of Website User Experience
Authors: Mauri Maurizio , Rancati Gaia , Gaggioli Andrea , Riva Giuseppe
Published: October 2021

This research project has the goal to verify whether the application of neuromarketing techniques, such as implicit association test (IAT) techniques and emotional facial expressions analyses may contribute to the assessment of user experience (UX) during and after website navigation. These techniques have been widely and positively applied in assessing customer experience (CX); however, little is known about their simultaneous application in the field of UX. As a specific context, the experience raised by different websites from two well-known automotive brands was compared. About 160 Italian university students were enrolled in an online experimental study. Participants performed a Brand Association Reaction Time Test (BARTT) version of the IAT where the two brands were compared according to different semantic dimensions already used in the automotive field. After completing the BARTT test, the participants navigated the target website: 80 participants navigated the first brand website, while the other half navigated the second brand website (between-subject design). During the first 3 min of website navigation, emotional facial expressions were recorded. The participants were asked to freely navigate the website home page, look for a car model and its characteristics and price, use the customising tool, and in the end, look for assistance. After the website navigation, all the participants performed, a second time, the BARTT version of the IAT, where the two brands were compared again, this time to assess whether the website navigation may impact the Implicit Associations previously detected. A traditional evaluation of the two websites was carried on by means of the classic heuristic evaluation. Findings from this study show, first of all, the significant results provided by neuromarketing techniques in the field of UX, as IAT can provide a positive application for assessing UX played by brand websites, thanks to the comparison of eventual changes in time reaction between the test performed before and after website navigation exposure. Secondly, results from emotional facial expression analyses during the navigation of both brand websites showed significant differences between the two brands, allowing the researchers to predict the emotional impact raised by each website. Finally, the positive correlation with heuristic evaluation shows that neuromarketing can be successfully applied in UX.
Individual Differences in Political Ideology and Disgust Sensitivity Affect Real-Time Spoken Language Comprehension
Authors: Hubert Lyall Isabell , Järvikivi Juhani
Published: October 2021

Individuals' moral views have been shown to affect their event-related potentials (ERP) response to spoken statements, and people's political ideology has been shown to guide their sentence completion behavior. Using pupillometry, we asked whether political ideology and disgust sensitivity affect online spoken language comprehension. 60 native speakers of English listened to spoken utterances while their pupil size was tracked. Some of those utterances contained grammatical errors, semantic anomalies, or socio-cultural violations, statements incongruent with existing gender stereotypes and perceived speaker identity, such as “I sometimes buy my bras at Hudson's Bay,” spoken by a male speaker. An individual's disgust sensitivity is associated with the Behavioral Immune System, and may be correlated with socio-political attitudes, for example regarding out-group stigmatization. We found that more disgust-sensitive individuals showed greater pupil dilation with semantic anomalies and socio-cultural violations. However, political views differently affected the processing of the two types of violations: whereas more conservative listeners showed a greater pupil response to socio-cultural violations, more progressive listeners engaged more with semantic anomalies, but this effect appeared much later in the pupil record.
#Springwatch #WildMorningswithChris: Engaging With Nature via Social Media and Wellbeing During the COVID-19 Lockdown
Authors: Xu Shi , Murrell George , Golding Sarah E. , Brockett Beth F. T. , Gatersleben Birgitta , Scarles Caroline , White Emma V. , Willis Cheryl , Wyles Kayleigh J.
Published: October 2021

It is widely understood that nature engagement benefits human wellbeing. Such benefits have been found for real as well as virtual engagements. However, little is known about the role of nature-based videos in social media on wellbeing. With COVID-19 restrictions limiting people’s direct engagement with natural environments, this study critically examined people’s reactions to nature videos posted on Facebook during the first UK COVID-19 lockdown in 2020. Data consisted of comments on videos containing highlights from the British Broadcasting Corporation’s (BBC) Springwatch 2020 television series, and from a UK television presenter and naturalist’s (Chris Packham) livestream videos, posted on Facebook from March to July, 2020. Looking at the quantitative profile of a range of videos (i.e. views, likes and shares) and a detailed analysis of the 143,265 comments using thematic analysis, three major themes were generated as: (1) engaging with nature via social media is emotionally complicated, (2) cognitive and reflective reactions are generated from social media nature engagement and (3) engagement with nature-based social media as a mechanism for coping with stress during COVID-19. These findings inform understanding of how nature-related social media content and associated commentary have supported wellbeing throughout the ongoing pandemic and their importance as a means of continued support for wellbeing.

‘We feel that the injection of wildlife into people’s homes, particularly at this point, would be really valuable and uplifting’.

— Chris Packham, 2020
Cross- and Within-Domain Associations of Early Reading and Mathematical Skills: Changes Across the Preschool Years
Authors: Kwok Fu Yu , Bull Rebecca , Muñez David
Published: October 2021

Existing research has mainly examined the role of cognitive correlates of early reading and mathematics from a stationary perspective that does not consider how these skills unfold and interact over time. This approach constraints the interpretation of cross-domain associations and the specificity of domain-specific covariates. In this study, we disentangle the role of these predictors and investigate cross-domain associations between reading, math, and two related domain-specific predictors (phonological awareness and fluency with number sets) over the kindergarten years (n=512, Mage=54months, SDage=3.5, 52% females). Results reveal that the overlap between reading and math skills changes over development. Reciprocal associations between reading and math abilities are observed at earlier stages; then, reading abilities become the lead force. Findings also show that phonological awareness and fluency with number sets are domain-specific predictors that do not contribute to cross-domain gains in academic skills. Indeed, there is a trend for domain-specific skills to be more strongly related to achievement at the beginning of formal education than at the beginning of kindergarten, which suggests an increasing differentiation of domains over the kindergarten years. Such findings have implications for the timing and nature of interventions that aim to support children’s reading and mathematical development.
Impact of COVID-19 Related Knowledge and Precautions on Emotional and Behavioral Problems Among Children During the Post-pandemic in China: The Explanatory Value of Emotional Problems Among Caregivers
Authors: Wang Jingyi , Chen Yun , Guo Xiaoqin , Lin Haijiang , Richards Marcus , Wang Hao , Chen Xiaoxiao , Fu Chaowei
Published: October 2021

To investigate the prevalence of emotional and behavioral problems (EBPs) among children during the COVID-19 post-pandemic in China; examine associations between COVID-19-related knowledge and precautions and problems in children, and explore the potential explanatory value of the mental health status of caregivers on any associations observed. Based on a cross-sectional design, caregivers of 6,017 children from 12 primary schools in Shanghai and Taizhou, China, were invited to complete an online survey from June 26 to July 6, 2020. EBPs of the children were assessed using the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ), while the emotional problems of caregivers were assessed using the Depression Anxiety Stress Scales-21 (DASS-21). Structural equation modeling was employed to estimate the direct and indirect associations (explained by the emotional problems of caregivers) between COVID-19-related knowledge and precautions and the EBPs among children. The overall prevalence of EBPs in the sample was 12.5%, and 5.3% of them had a high or very high SDQ total difficulties score during the COVID-19 post-pandemic. After adjustment for covariates, higher COVID-19-related knowledge (β = −0.83;P< 0.001) and precautions (β = −0.80;P< 0.001) were significantly associated with lower SDQ total difficulties score among children. There was an explanatory effect of emotional problems of caregivers on the aforementioned associations, which explained 31% and 41% of the total effect, respectively. Higher levels of knowledge and precautions of COVID-19 were associated with lower EBPs among children, and the relationship was partially explained by the emotional problems in caregivers. It may be beneficial to improve pandemic-related prevention education and adopt psychological interventions toward the emotional status of caregivers for the psychological health of children.
Using Artificial Intelligence-Based Collaborative Teaching in Media Learning
Authors: Wang Weijun , Liu Zhenhuan
Published: October 2021

With the advent of the 5G era, humans must not only learn the knowledge and skills of cross-border integration but must also get to grips with the breadth and efficiency of artificial intelligence (AI) technology in order to jointly overcome current difficulties and create a happy and beautiful life. In this article, we use the example of an elementary school to discuss the decision-making factors that influence teachers when choosing AI technology, where the digital content of schools is imported into artificial intelligence-based collaborative teaching. After discussing the relevant literature, this study will introduce the concept of digital media education, and then compare the development and application of smart technology and human-computer collaborative teaching methods, describing three key aspects and factors that influence elementary school teachers’ choice of AI technology. There are 12 evaluation criteria in total. After the completion of expert questionnaires and data analysis, it was found that the main factors affecting teachers’ choice of AI technology are “collaborative tasks,” “functional characteristics,” and “modeling characteristics.” In terms of evaluation criteria, the four most important aspects were found to be “learning assistance,” “security,” “teaching observation,” and “record review.” The results of this research analysis will help provide a reference for digital content development and individual recommendation services. In future work, this study can further discuss teaching innovations in digital media education, aimed at improving the quality and effectiveness of teaching and learning.
Comparing the Impact of Nature, Blended, and Traditional Preschools on Children’s Resilience: Some Nature May Be Better Than None
Authors: Ernst Julie , Juckett Hannah , Sobel David
Published: October 2021

This study examined the effect of nature preschools on the development of key protective factors associated with psychological resilience. The Deveraux Early Childhood Assessment for Preschoolers, Second Edition (DECA-P2), was used to assess the growth in the protective factors of initiative, self-regulation, and attachment in 87 children who attended nature, blended, and traditional preschool classes within the same school district. Study results suggest that nature preschool participation was important in the context of initiative. Blended classes, where some nature-based practices were incorporated into traditional preschool classes, were sufficient in the sense of being more impactful than traditional classes on self-regulation, attachment, and the total protective factors overall. Implications are discussed within the context of the limitations of the study.
Preoperative Anxiety and Postoperative Pain in Patients With Laparoscopic Hysterectomy
Authors: Zhang Lin , Hao Li-Jun , Hou Xiao-Lai , Wu Ya-Ling , Jing Lu-Shi , Sun Ruo-Nan
Published: October 2021

Objective: This study was designed to investigate preoperative anxiety situations and postoperative pain degree in Chinese patients undergoing laparoscopic hysterectomy and to analyze the related factors of preoperative anxiety and the correlation between preoperative anxiety and postoperative pain to provide a reference for effective postoperative analgesia management.

Methods: A total of 100 female patients undergoing laparoscopic hysterectomy were enrolled in this study and randomly divided into two groups (n = 50, each). In group A, the patients were treated with dexmedetomidine and sufentanil for postoperative analgesia. In group B, the patients were treated with sufentanil alone for postoperative analgesia. All patients were evaluated with a self-rating anxiety scale (SAS) 1 day before the operation. The patients’ pain was evaluated using the numerical rating scale (NRS) 1 day after the operation, and data were recorded.

Results: In these 100 patients, the highest preoperative SAS score was 48, and the average score was 40.99 ± 4.55 points, which is higher than the norm in China. There were significant differences in preoperative SAS scores among patients with different occupations and previous surgical experience (P < 0.05). There was no significant difference in SAS scores among patients with different education levels (P > 0.05). The postoperative NRS score of group A was significantly higher than that of group B, and the difference was statistically significant (P < 0.05). The correlation coefficients between SAS scores and NRS scores in groups A and B were 0.836 and 0.870, respectively, presenting with a significantly positive correlation.

Conclusion: Preoperative anxiety is an important predictor of postoperative pain. Patients undergoing laparoscopic hysterectomy have preoperative anxiety. The degree of anxiety is influenced by the occupation and previous operation experience of the patients, and patients with higher preoperative anxiety have greater postoperative pain. In addition, we should not neglect the management of postoperative pain because of the small trauma of laparoscopic surgery, and dexmedetomidine combined with sufentanil can improve the postoperative analgesic effect.
Parent-Infant Interaction Tasks Adapted for Remote Testing: Strengths, Challenges, and Recommendations
Authors: Segal Shira C. , Moulson Margaret C.
Published: October 2021

The closure of in-person laboratories and decreased safety of face-to-face interactions resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic jeopardized the ability of many developmental researchers to continue data collection during this time. Disruptions in data collection are particularly damaging to longitudinal studies, in which the testing of different age groups occurs on a continuous basis, and data loss at one time point can have cascading effects across subsequent time points and threaten the viability of the study. In an effort to continue collecting data for a longitudinal study on emotion development started in-person pre-pandemic, we adapted two parent-infant interaction tasks (free-play task and toy removal task) for a remote testing framework. Our procedure for pivoting these tasks to a supervised, remote online testing framework is outlined and the associated strengths and challenges of testing in this format (e.g., feasibility and implementation, testing environment and task setup validity, and accessibility, recruitment, and diversity) are critically evaluated. Considerations for applying this framework to other behavioral tasks are discussed and recommendations are provided.
Managing Diversity in the Chinese Organizational Context: The Impact of Workforce Diversity Management on Employee Job Performance
Authors: Li Zhiwen , Oljaca Marijana , Firdousi Saba Fazal , Akram Umair
Published: October 2021

The purpose of this study is to investigate the impact of workforce diversity management on employee job performance in the Chinese organizational context, considering the mediating effect of person-job match and employee commitment and the moderating effect of structural empowerment. Data were collected from 400 telecommunication sector employees in China. All hypotheses were tested through structural equation modeling (SEM). The findings of the study illustrated that workforce diversity management has a positive and significant impact on employee job performance. Furthermore, the results indicated that person-job match and employee commitment partially mediate the relationship between workforce diversity management and employee job performance. Moreover, structural empowerment directly affects employee job performance, whereas a moderating effect is also found in the relationship between workforce diversity management and employee job performance. Finally, implications and limitations are discussed.
Faculty Time Allocation at Historically Black Universities and Its Relationship to Institutional Expectations
Authors: Escobar Martha , Bell Zebulon Kade , Qazi Mohammed , Kotoye Christian O. , Arcediano Francisco
Published: October 2021

University faculty divide their time into their main academic responsibilities, typically identified as teaching, research, service, and, at institutions with strong ties to their surrounding community, outreach. Most studies of time allocation have focused on faculty at Primarily White Institutions. The present study investigated how faculty at five Historically Black Universities (HBUs) allocate their time to their academic responsibilities. Data were analyzed based on their tenure status, gender, and representation in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics. Faculty estimated the percentage of time they currently allocate (current), the time they would ideally allocate (ideal), and the time they estimate their institution expects them to allocate (expected) to each academic responsibility. Across all demographics, there were discrepancies between current and ideal time allocation to research and teaching and, in some demographics, outreach. The greatest discrepancy between current and expected time allocation was observed in time allocated to research, with women and untenured faculty also showing a discrepancy in time allocated to teaching, and underrepresented faculty showing no discrepancies between current and expected time allocation. Women, untenured, and underrepresented faculty reported that their time allocation patterns were guided by external factors rather than personal preferences. The surveyed faculty also stated that the patterns of effort distribution expected to obtain tenure were not necessarily guided by the faculty handbooks at their institution. Although this study is limited by its relatively small sample size, it provides an insight into how faculty at HBUs divide their time and the reasons for them to do so.
Parenting Style and Adolescent Mental Health: The Chain Mediating Effects of Self-Esteem and Psychological Inflexibility
Authors: Peng Biao , Hu Ningning , Yu Huiying , Xiao Hanshi , Luo Jie
Published: October 2021

Based on interpersonal acceptance–rejection theory, family systems theory, and psychological inflexibility theory, this study aimed to examine the mediating roles of a protective factor (self-esteem) and a risk factor (psychological inflexibility) on the influence of parenting style on adolescent mental health. A sample of Chinese adolescents (n = 916, 46% male, mean age = 14.44 years, SD = 1.84 years) completed the Short Egna Minnen Barndoms Uppfostran, the Rosenberg Self-esteem Scale, the Avoidance and Fusion Questionnaire for Youth, the Satisfaction with Life Scale, and the Depression Subscale of the Youth Self-Report. Results show that the self-esteem and psychological inflexibility play a chain mediating role in the relationship between parenting style and adolescent mental health. Specifically, parental emotional warmth had a positive effect on adolescent mental health through the chain mediating effects of self-esteem and psychological inflexibility. Parental rejection and parental over-protection had negative effects on adolescent mental health by lowering self-esteem but increasing psychological inflexibility. These results provide further guidance in the prevention of and intervention in adolescent mental health problems.
An Online Experiment During COVID-19: Testing the Influences of Autonomy Support Toward Emotions and Academic Persistence
Authors: Wang Yurou , Zhang Jihong , Lee Halim
Published: October 2021

Students’ academic persistence is a critical component of effective online learning. Promoting students’ academic persistence could potentially alleviate learning loss or drop-out, especially during challenging time like the COVID-19 pandemic. Previous research indicated that different emotions and autonomy support could all influence students’ academic persistence. However, few studies examined the multidimensionality of persistence using an experimental design with students’ real-time emotions. Using an experimental design and the Contain Intelligent Facial Expression Recognition System (CIFERS), this research explored the dynamic associations among real-time emotions (joy and anxiety), autonomy support (having choice and no choice), self-perceived persistence, self-reliance persistence, and help-seeking persistence. 177 college students participated in this study online via Zoom during COVID-19 university closure. The results revealed that having choice and high intensity of joy could promote students’ self-reliance persistence, but not help-seeking persistence. Interestingly, students who perceived themselves as more persistent experienced more joy during experiment. The theoretical and practical implications on facilitating students’ academic persistence were discussed.
Adolescent Deviance and Cyber-Deviance. A Systematic Literature Review
Authors: Cioban Smaranda , Lazăr Adela Răzvana , Bacter Claudia , Hatos Adrian
Published: October 2021

Deviance is a complex phenomenon that influences aspects both at the macro and micro levels, extensively studied by social scientists The main objective of this article was to conduct a systematic literature review for clustering the topics on adolescent deviance and online deviance. Grounded in Pickering's and Byrne's guidelines and PRISMA protocol, we identified the most recurrent themes, theories and predictors in the 61 most-cited articles related to the concept of deviance from the database of Web of Science, as well as in 488 abstracts of representative papers. The results emphasized four main clusters of topics, namely, predictors of deviance, online deviance, socio-constructivist theories, and research based theories of deviant behavior. The findings highlighted that researchers frequently use strain theory, social learning, self-control, and social control theories in their studies. Our systematic literature review revealed also the most encountered predictors of deviance, which we have classified into five main categories: family patterns, socio-demographic aspects, socialization, victimization, and school and individual factors. For online deviance, family patterns, socio-demographic aspects, victimization, school and individual factors, and Internet and computer use have been determined to be the main groups of predictors. The present systematic literature review makes an important contribution to the understanding of deviance by presenting an overview of the phenomenon.
The Impact of COVID-19 Instigated Changes on Loneliness of Teachers and Motivation–Engagement of Students: A Psychological Analysis of Education Sector
Authors: Telyani Abir El , Farmanesh Panteha , Zargar Pouya
Published: October 2021

Upon the spread of the global pandemic of COVID-19, education was transformed online in an abrupt manner. Amid this change, the education sector did not have room for proper decision-making and understanding of psychological effects. This theoretical analysis aims to contribute to the proposed Frontiers Research Topic, through (a) in-depth analysis of the pandemic status and behavioral psychology and (b) examining educational psychology from the perspective of teachers regarding sudden changes. As a result, implications are suggested based on interviews, linking to extant literature. The current research recognizes the difference between online learning and emergency remote education. While the former comprises prepared means of teaching and assessment, the latter is unaccompanied by such preparedness. Thus, there are variations in the outcomes of learning, motivation, and engagement. Scholars, teachers, deans, and educational managers can benefit from current results.
Association Between Family Structure and Anxiety Disorder Among Pre-schoolers: A Cross-Sectional Study in Urban Chongqing, China
Authors: Hu Hongmei , Wu Tingting , Wang Shanshan , Chen Peiling , Zhang Jiaqiong , Zhao Xin
Published: October 2021

Objective: This study explores the current situation of anxiety disorder of pre-schoolers and assesses the association between family structure and anxiety disorder (AD) among pre-schoolers in Chongqing, China.

Methods: This is a cross-sectional study of 499 main fosterers of children aged 3–6 years who completed the 28-item Chinese version of the Spence Pre-school Anxiety Scale (PAS). Multinomial logistic regression with three models was used to assess the association of the family structure with the different AD.

Results: The prevalence of AD was 31.46%, whose score of PAS were more than 48. Among the five different PAS sub-scales, the prevalence of obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) was the highest (50.10%), followed by separation anxiety disorder (SAD, 39.28%), fear of physical harm (FPH, 37.68%), generalized anxiety disorder (GAD, 33.47%), and social phobia (SP, 25.85%). Pre-schoolers from inter-generational families were more probably have AD than those from nuclear families (OR = 3.73, p < 0.05). The participants from inter-generational families were more likely to have SAD (OR = 3.39, p < 0.05), FPM (OR = 2.80, p < 0.05), or OCD (OR = 2.40, p < 0.05), in comparison with participants from other family structures.

Conclusion: Anxiety disorder among pre-schoolers aged 3–6 in Chongqing is widespread. Pre-schoolers from inter-generational families were more probably have AD, SAD, FPM, and OR and pre-schoolers from stem families may be less likely to have SAD compared with those from nuclear families. Relieving the anxiety of pre-schoolers may be possible with additional interventional efforts in inter-generational families.
The Relationship Between Abnormal Resting-State Functional Connectivity of the Left Superior Frontal Gyrus and Cognitive Impairments in Youth-Onset Drug-Naïve Schizophrenia
Authors: Qiu Xiaolei , Lu Shuiping , Zhou Min , Yan Wei , Du Jinglun , Zhang Aoshuang , Xie Shiping , Zhang Rongrong
Published: October 2021

Objective: Age of onset is one of the heterogeneous factors in schizophrenia, and an earlier onset of the disease indicated a worse prognosis. The left superior frontal gyrus (SFG) is involved in numerous cognitive and motor control tasks. Hence, we explored the relationship between abnormal changes in SFG resting-state functional connectivity (rsFC) and cognitive function in the peak age of incidence to understand better the pathophysiological mechanism in youth-onset drug-naïve schizophrenia to search for reliable biomarkers.

Methods: About 66 youth-onset drug-naïve schizophrenia patients and 59 healthy controls (HCs) were included in this study. Abnormal connectivity changes in the left SFG and whole brain were measured using the region of interest (ROI) rsFC analysis method. The cognitive function was assessed using the MATRICS Consensus Cognitive Battery (MCCB), and the severity of the clinical symptoms was evaluated by positive and negative syndrome scale (PANSS). Furthermore, we analyzed the relationships among abnormal FC values, cognition scores, and clinical symptoms.

Results: We found decreased FC between left SFG and bilateral precuneus (PCUN), right hippocampus, right parahippocampal gyrus, left thalamus, left caudate, insula, and right superior parietal lobule (SPL), whereas increased FC was seen between the left SFG and right middle frontal gyrus (MFG) in the youth-onset drug-naïve schizophrenia group, compared with HCs. Meanwhile, the T-scores were lower in each cognitive domain than HCs. Moreover, in the youth-onset drug-naive schizophrenia group, the insula was negatively correlated with processing speed. No significant correlations were found between the FC-value and PANSS score.

Conclusions: Our findings suggest widespread FC network abnormalities in the left SFG and widespread cognitive impairments in the early stages of schizophrenia. The dysfunctional connectivity of the left SFG may be a potential pathophysiological mechanism in youth-onset drug-naïve schizophrenia.
Type D Personality, Stress Level, Life Satisfaction, and Alcohol Dependence in Older Men
Authors: Bejda Grzegorz , Kułak-Bejda Agnieszka , Waszkiewicz Napoleon , Krajewska-Kułak Elzbieta
Published: October 2021

Alcohol consumption among older adults is becoming an increasing public health problem due to the rapidly growing elderly population. There is a theory that Type D personality is positively correlated with alcohol dependence. The study aimed to assess the style of coping with stress, emotions and anxiety in elder men addicted to alcohol and the relationship between the above. The study included 170 men aged 60 years and older (mean age - 63 ± 3.1 years) addicted to alcohol staying in the Department of Alcohol Addiction Therapy for Men. They were tested with the questionnaire sheet and the following scales: Perceived Family Wealth (PFW), Family Affluence Scale (FAS), Cantril's Ladder of Life Scale, Satisfaction with Life Scale, Type D Personality Scale-14 (DS14), and the 10-item Perceived Stress Scale (PSS-10). The respondents' wealth on a scale of 1–5 points was assessed on avg. 3.1 ± 0.2. The above was confirmed by the results of the FAS scale study, where the respondents obtained an average of 3.9 ± 1.9 (min. 1, max. 8), which proves their average level of affluence. The evaluation of the satisfaction with life using Cantril's Ladder showed that the respondents were also satisfied with life on average (on average 5.5 ± 1.9). The assessment of life satisfaction using the Satisfaction with Life Scale (SWLS) scale allowed for the conclusion that the respondents were very dissatisfied with their lives (mean 17.2 ± 4.9). The evaluation of the measurement of perceived stress (PSS-10 scale) showed that the respondents obtained an average of 23.5 ± 3.7, and on the sten scale, a mean of 7.7 ± 0.98, which proves a high level of perceived stress. The study using the DS14 scale showed that the respondents were in the negative emotionality (NE) subscale - 17.4 ± 4.5 points, and in the HS scale - 16.2 ± 3.2, which proves that they can be classified as a Type D personality. The participants were very dissatisfied with their lives, with a high perceived stress and Type D personality.
Predictors of Alcohol Consumption Among Younger Adults During the First Phase of the COVID-19 Pandemic
Authors: Brandt Lasse , Evens Ricarda , Reiche Simon , Marek Roman M. , Moon Daa Un , Groß Elisa , Romanello Amy , Masah Dario Jalilzadeh , Scicchitano Matteo , Gutwinski Stefan , Montag Christiane , Majić Tomislav , Mick Inge
Published: October 2021

Background: The COVID-19 pandemic may lead to negative mental health effects but the effect on alcohol consumption among younger adults is unclear. We assess predictors of change in alcohol consumption during the first phase of the COVID-19 pandemic among younger adults.

Methods: This cross-sectional internet-based survey was part of an overarching project, the Corona Drug Survey, which was conducted from April 30 to August 4, 2020. Participants of any sex and ≥18 years old were included. The primary outcome measure was change in alcohol consumption during the early COVID-19 pandemic. We implemented an ordinal logistic regression to assess the effect (odds ratio [OR] and 95% confidence interval [CI]) of the following predictors: quarantine restrictions on leaving the residence, number of individuals in the household, problematic alcohol consumption before the pandemic (CAGE [cutting down, annoyance by criticism, guilty feeling, and eye-opener] score), personal concern regarding the pandemic, age, and sex.

Results: 3,321 participants with a mean age of 32 (SD: 13) years were included in this study. 70.4% of participants reported less or unchanged alcohol consumption in the recent 4 weeks of the pandemic compared to before the pandemic. A higher number of individuals in the household was associated with a reduced alcohol consumption (OR = 0.869; 95% CI = 0.815–0.927). No quarantine restrictions on leaving the residence (OR = 1.593; 95% CI = 1.397–1.817), a higher age (1.006; 1.001-1.011), and female sex (compared to males: 1.206; 1.062–1.371) were associated with an increase in alcohol consumption. The CAGE score before the pandemic (OR = 0.983; 95% CI = 0.931–1.037) and the pandemic concern (0.927; 0.857–1.003) were not associated with a significant change in alcohol consumption. Celebrations were no longer frequent drinking occasions during the pandemic compared to before the pandemic. The majority of participants (60.9%) did not use alcohol drinking as a coping mechanism to mitigate negative effects of the pandemic.

Interpretation: In this cohort of younger adults with fewer celebratory drinking occasions, restrictions on leaving the residence and the number of persons in the household were the strongest predictors of reduced alcohol consumption during the early phase of the pandemic.
The Populations' Resilience Toward the Policymaking Discrepancies in the Pandemic Covid-19 Period
Authors: Alsaqqa Hatem H.
Published: October 2021

The world is in the midst of a crisis unlike any other in recent memory. COVID-19 is a pandemic that is urgent, global in scope, and has huge consequences. The policy sciences provide insights into unfolding trends, and this article uses the lessons of the literature to better understanding the policymaking shifts and population acceptability of COVID-19. The author attempts to investigate how policymakers' emotions and narratives affect policy decisions and form policymaker-population relationships. The author addresses policymaking processes, transitions, interpretations of policy responses, policy implementation through multilateral topics and evaluating policy progress and failure. Trust is linked to cultural norms, values, and faiths in policy literature, and it is seen as a component of key social and economic policy outcomes. The author ends by identifying understudied facets of policymaking that need to be addressed during pandemics.
Artificial Intelligence to Analyze the Cortical Thickness Through Age
Authors: Ledesma Sergio , Ibarra-Manzano Mario-Alberto , Almanza-Ojeda Dora-Luz , Fallavollita Pascal , Steffener Jason
Published: October 2021

In this study, Artificial Intelligence was used to analyze a dataset containing the cortical thickness from 1,100 healthy individuals. This dataset had the cortical thickness from 31 regions in the left hemisphere of the brain as well as from 31 regions in the right hemisphere. Then, 62 artificial neural networks were trained and validated to estimate the number of neurons in the hidden layer. These neural networks were used to create a model for the cortical thickness through age for each region in the brain. Using the artificial neural networks and kernels with seven points, numerical differentiation was used to compute the derivative of the cortical thickness with respect to age. The derivative was computed to estimate the cortical thickness speed. Finally, color bands were created for each region in the brain to identify a positive derivative, that is, a part of life with an increase in cortical thickness. Likewise, the color bands were used to identify a negative derivative, that is, a lifetime period with a cortical thickness reduction. Regions of the brain with similar derivatives were organized and displayed in clusters. Computer simulations showed that some regions exhibit abrupt changes in cortical thickness at specific periods of life. The simulations also illustrated that some regions in the left hemisphere do not follow the pattern of the same region in the right hemisphere. Finally, it was concluded that each region in the brain must be dynamically modeled. One advantage of using artificial neural networks is that they can learn and model non-linear and complex relationships. Also, artificial neural networks are immune to noise in the samples and can handle unseen data. That is, the models based on artificial neural networks can predict the behavior of samples that were not used for training. Furthermore, several studies have shown that artificial neural networks are capable of deriving information from imprecise data. Because of these advantages, the results obtained in this study by the artificial neural networks provide valuable information to analyze and model the cortical thickness.
AgroFIMS: A Tool to Enable Digital Collection of Standards-Compliant FAIR Data
Authors: Devare Medha , Aubert Céline , Benites Alfaro Omar Eduardo , Perez Masias Ivan Omar , Laporte Marie-Angélique
Published: October 2021

Agricultural research has been traditionally driven by linear approaches dictated by hypothesis-testing. With the advent of powerful data science capabilities, predictive, empirical approaches are possible that operate over large data pools to discern patterns. Such data pools need to contain well-described, machine-interpretable, and openly available data (represented by high-scoring Findable, Accessible, Interoperable, and Reusable—or FAIR—resources). CGIAR's Platform for Big Data in Agriculture has developed several solutions to help researchers generate open and FAIR outputs, determine their FAIRness in quantitative terms1, and to create high-value data products drawing on these outputs. By accelerating the speed and efficiency of research, these approaches facilitate innovation, allowing the agricultural sector to respond agilely to farmer challenges. In this paper, we describe the Agronomy Field Information Management System or AgroFIMS, a web-based, open-source tool that helps generate data that is “born FAIRer” by addressing data interoperability to enable aggregation and easier value derivation from data. Although license choice to determine accessibility is at the discretion of the user, AgroFIMS provides consistent and rich metadata helping users more easily comply with institutional, founder and publisher FAIR mandates. The tool enables the creation of fieldbooks through a user-friendly interface that allows the entry of metadata tied to the Dublin Core standard schema, and trial details via picklists or autocomplete that are based on semantic standards like the Agronomy Ontology (AgrO). Choices are organized by field operations or measurements of relevance to an agronomist, with specific terms drawn from ontologies. Once the user has stepped through required fields and desired modules to describe their trial management practices and measurement parameters, they can download the fieldbook to use as a standalone Excel-driven file, or employ via free Android-based KDSmart, Fieldbook, or ODK applications for digital data collection. Collected data can be imported back to AgroFIMS for statistical analysis and reports. Development plans for 2021 include new features such ability to clone fieldbooks and the creation of agronomic questionnaires. AgroFIMS will also allow archiving of FAIR data after collection and analysis from a database and to repository platforms for wider sharing.