bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Protective effect of natural products in the metabolic-associated kidney diseases via regulating mitochondrial dysfunction
Authors: Liu Peng , Chen Yao , Xiao Jing , Zhu Wenhui , Yan Xiaoming , Chen Ming
Published: January 2023

Metabolic syndrome (MS) is a complex group of metabolic disorders syndrome with hypertension, hyperuricemia and disorders of glucose or lipid metabolism. As an important organ involved in metabolism, the kidney is inevitably attacked by various metabolic disorders, leading to abnormalities in kidney structure and function. Recently, an increasing number of studies have shown that mitochondrial dysfunction is actively involved in the development of metabolic-associated kidney diseases. Mitochondrial dysfunction can be used as a potential therapeutic strategy for the treatment of metabolic-associated kidney diseases. Many natural products have been widely used to improve the treatment of metabolic-associated kidney diseases by inhibiting mitochondrial dysfunction. In this paper, by searching several authoritative databases such as PubMed, Web of Science, Wiley Online Library, and Springer Link. We summarize the Natural Products Protect Against Metabolic-Associated Kidney Diseases by Regulating Mitochondrial Dysfunction. In this review, we sought to provide an overview of the mechanisms by which mitochondrial dysfunction impaired metabolic-associated kidney diseases, with particular attention to the role of mitochondrial dysfunction in diabetic nephropathy, gouty nephropathy, hypertensive kidney disease, and obesity-related nephropathy, and then the protective role of natural products in the kidney through inhibition of mitochondrial disorders, thus providing a systematic understanding of the targets of mitochondrial dysfunction in metabolic-associated kidney diseases, and finally a review of promising therapeutic targets and herbal candidates for metabolic-associated kidney diseases through inhibition of mitochondrial dysfunction.
Experimental analysis of the performance of a new shipboard gravity gradient measurement system
Authors: Li Rui , Li Da , Shu Qing , Fan Zhenyu , Lu Kai , Zhou Jianxin , Zhang Jiahong , Xu Guangjing
Published: January 2023

The gravity gradient tensor, which has a higher resolution than gravity, is used in a variety of fields, including the discovery of energy resources, auxiliary navigation, and national defense building. Our team has achieved significant advancements in various essential technologies, such as high-resolution accelerometers, and has constructed China’s first self-controllable shipboard gravity gradient measurement system. In the laboratory, accuracy is determined using the mass gravitation technique, static test accuracy of Tuv and Txy is 7.22 E and 3.58 E, while dynamic test accuracy of Tuv and Txy is 9.09 E and 4.16 E. For outfield shipborne test measurement, the internal accord accuracy of Tuv and Txy of the repeat line is 28.2E@750m and 28.8E@750m, and that of the intersection point is 28.2E@750m and 26.8E@750m. The performance of the system is completely validated by dynamic and static testing, laying the groundwork for the practical implementation of gravity gradient technology.
Melatonin integrates multidimensional regulation of Na+/K+-ATPase in ionocytes and promotes stress and ease response in hypoxia-induced air-breathing fish: lessons from integrative approach
Authors: Peter M. C. Subhash , Gayathry R. , Simi S. , Peter Valsa S.
Published: January 2023

As circadian regulator, melatonin is involved in many physiological processes including ionosmotic regulation in fishes. Na+/K+-ATPase (NKA), an ubiquitous Na+/K+ transporter in ionocyte epithelia that drives electrochemical Na+ gradients and systemic osmotic integration, is a target of stress in fish. However, it is not certain how melatonin regulates NKA functions in ionocyte epithelia and how it modulates the adaptive response such as stress and ease response in fish particularly in hypoxia condition. We, thus, examined the short-term in vivo action of melatonin on the dynamics of NKA regulation in branchial, renal and intestinal ionocytes of hypoxia-induced air-breathing fish (Anabas testudineus Bloch). Interestingly, we found a rise in plasma melatonin in fish when kept for 30 min of forced submergence in water and that indicates a role for melatonin in hypoxia tolerance. A fall in blood [Na+, K+] occurred in these hypoxic fish which later showed a recovery after melatonin treatment. Similarly, melatonin favored the fall in NKA activity in branchial and renal epithelia of hypoxic fish, though it remarkably stimulated its activities in non-stressed fish. Likewise, melatonin that produced differential pattern of mRNA expression in nkaα1-subunit isoforms (nkaα1a, nkaα1b and nkaα1c) and melatonin receptor isoforms (mtnr1a, mtnr1bb, mtnr1bbx1x2) in the tested ionocyte epithelia, showed reversed expression in hypoxic fish. In addition, the rise in NKAα-protein abundance in branchial and renal epithelia of melatonin-treated hypoxic fish indicated a recovery action of melatonin. A higher NKAα-immunoreactivity was found in the immunohistochemical and immunofluorescent images of branchial ionocytes and renal proximal and distal ionocytes of hypoxic fish treated with melatonin. Furthermore, an activation of PKA and PKG-dependent phosphorylation was found in branchial epithelia of hypoxic fish. The generated integrative parabola model showed that melatonin has a maximum targeted action on NKA function in the renal epithelia, suggesting its lead role in the integration of ionosmotic balance during the recovery or ease response. Over all, the data indicate a multidimensional and preferential action of melatonin on NKA regulation in fish ionocytes that integrate the recovery action against hypoxia, thus pointing to a major role for melatonin in stress and ease response in this fish.
Relative age effects in track-and-field: Identification and performance rebalancing
Authors: Difernand Audrey , De Larochelambert Quentin , Homo Sébastien , Rousseau Florian , Antero Juliana , Toussaint Jean-François , Sedeaud Adrien
Published: January 2023

Introduction:Relative Age Effect (RAE) consists of a biased distribution of the dates of birth in a same-age group.

Objectives:This study aimed to investigate Relative Age Effect among French athletes in different track-and-field events, and propose a corrective adjustment method to highlight the true potential of an athlete with respect to his/her relative age.

Methods:358,610 performances from 2009 to 2019 of female and male athletes between 12 and 21 years old were collected. Relative age distributions of performances were analyzed by level of competitiveness (“All,” “Top50%,” “Top10%” where “all” represents all athletes, top50% and top10% represent the best 50% and 10% of athletes per age category respectively) and age category, with chi-square and odd-ratio statistics. A linear relationship between distribution of performances and age leads to a calibration coefficient allowing to rebalance the performance by considering the effect of Relative Age Effect. Validation is obtained by Wilcoxon statistical test on actual athlete data.

Results:Relative Age Effect is present in all types of events. It is larger when the level of competitiveness increases. In male 100 m sprint, 1 year difference between two athletes birth date represents an average gain of 931.01 ms (6.5%) in the U13 (Under 13 years old) and 229.65 ms (1.9%) in the U17 (Under 17 years old) categories. Our validated rebalancing methods allows to compensate for the biases induced by the relative age effect. By comparing the rebalanced performance and the realised performance of each athlete, we cannot say that they are significantly different. On average, there is no significant difference between these two performances.

Conclusion:This study showed that there is a relative age effect among young French athletes, with an even greater effect as the level of competition increases. Thanks to the rebalancing method that has been validated, performances can now be better appreciated according to category and event.
Study on factors influencing college students’ digital academic reading behavior
Authors: Chang Liyan , Wang Yujie , Liu Jing , Feng Yao , Zhang Xinyao
Published: January 2023

Background

Affected by the COVID-19, many colleges have adopted online teaching. Meanwhile, the digital transformation of academic journals has shifted readers’ reading habits from traditional paper media to digital media. Digital academic reading has become the main reading method of college students during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Purpose

The purpose of this study was to investigate the behavioral characteristics of college students’ digital academic reading and explore the internal factors and external environmental factors affecting the Intention and Use behavior of digital academic reading. At the same time this study provide recommendations to address these influencing factors in terms of the individual, the environment and library resources.

Methods

Based on UTAUT2 model and digital academic reading theories, this paper constructs a digital academic reading information behavior (DARB) model of college students to examine college students’ digital academic reading behavior and intention. College students with digital academic reading behavior were recruited as research participants. A multi-stage sampling technique was used to collect representative samples from universities in Nanjing. 239 respondents participated in the questionnaire, with 189 providing valid data. Results: Effort expectancy (EE), social influence (SI), price value (PV), perceived risk (PR) and habit (BH) have a significant impact on behavioral intention (BI), and behavioral intention (BI) and habit (BH) have a significant impact on use behavior (B). However, performance expectancy (PE) and facilitating conditions (FC) have no significant influence on behavioral intention (BI).

Originality/value

The findings of this study will help fill the gap in previous research on the relationship between the influencing factors of digital academic reading and college students’ reading intentions and behaviors, so as to provide a basis for improving the academic reading literacy program in colleges and optimizing the current digital academic reading environment.
Exploring the determinants of reinvestment decisions: Sense of personal responsibility, preferences, and loss framing
Authors: Doerflinger Johannes T. , Martiny-Huenger Torsten , Gollwitzer Peter M.
Published: January 2023

Two potentially costly errors are common in sequential investment decisions: sticking too long to a failing course of action (escalation of commitment), and abandoning a successful course of action prematurely. Past research has mostly focused on escalation of commitment, and identified three critical determinants: personal responsibility, preferences for prior decisions, and decision framing. We demonstrate in three studies using an incentivized poker inspired task that these determinants of escalation reliably lead decision makers to keep investing even when real money is on the line. We observed in Experiments 1, 2 and 3 that reinvestments were more likely when decision makers were personally responsible for prior decisions. This likelihood was also increased when the decision makers had indicated a preference for initial investments (Experiments 2 and 3), and when outcomes were framed in terms of losses as compared to gains (Experiment 3). Both types of decision errors – escalation of commitment and prematurely abandoning a course of action – could be traced to the same set of determinants. Being personally responsible for prior decisions, having a preference for the initial investment, and loss framing did increase escalation, whereas lacking personal responsibility, having no preference for the initial investment, and gain framing increased the likelihood of prematurely opting out. Finally, personal responsibility had a negative effect on decision quality, as decision-makers were still more likely to reinvest when they were personally responsible for prior decisions, than when prior decisions were assigned optimally by an algorithm (Experiments 2 and 3).
Humans as intuitive classifiers
Authors: Erev Ido , Marx Ailie
Published: January 2023

Mainstream decision research rests on two implicit working assumptions, inspired by subjective expected utility theory. The first assumes that the underlying processes can be separated into judgment and decision-making stages without affecting their outcomes. The second assumes that in properly run experiments, the presentation of a complete description of the incentive structure replaces the judgment stage (and eliminates the impact of past experiences that can only affect judgment). While these working assumptions seem reasonable and harmless, the current paper suggests that they impair the derivation of useful predictions. The negative effect of the separation assumption is clarified by the predicted impact of rare events. Studies that separate judgment from decision making document oversensitivity to rare events, but without the separation people exhibit the opposite bias. The negative effects of the assumed impact of description include masking the large and predictable effect of past experiences on the way people use descriptions. We propose that the cognitive processes that underlie decision making are more similar to machine learning classification algorithms than to a two-stage probability judgment and utility weighting process. Our analysis suggests that clear insights can be obtained even when the number of feasible classes is very large, and the effort to list the rules that best describe behavior in each class is of limited value.
Relationships between somatic anxiety, cognitive anxiety, self-efficacy, and emotional intelligence levels in university physical education students
Authors: Mercader-Rubio Isabel , Gutiérrez Ángel Nieves , Silva Sofia , Moisão Ana , Brito-Costa Sónia
Published: January 2023

One of the most studied topics nowadays, from psychology in general, and from sport psychology, is anxiety. In fact, research on anxiety has been approached from various theoretical perspectives ranging from psychoanalysis, behaviorism, or more recently, those theories that take into consideration the importance of affective, rational, and emotional processes. The aim of this study is to analyze the levels of anxiety and emotional intelligence, and their relationship. The sample is composed of 165 university physical education students with a mean age of 20.33 years (SD = 3.44), (70.9% male and 27.9% female). We used the CSAI-2 questionnaire (to measure cognitive anxiety, somatic anxiety, and self-confidence), and the TMMS-24 (to measure emotional intelligence). The main findings of this research highlighted the presence of significant correlations between emotional clarity and emotional regulation, self-confidence, cognitive anxiety, and somatic anxiety. Therefore, we conclude that sporting performance is influenced by various variables of different kinds, including emotions, and highlight the importance of the incorporation of the emotional component in the field of sport.
Information systems adoption and knowledge performance: An absorptive capacity perspective
Authors: Liao Huiyan , Liu Yi , Li Peigong
Published: January 2023

As strategic assets for organizations, information systems (IS) have been adopted to enhance organizational knowledge performance. Based on the absorptive capacity perspective, we investigated intertwined relationships among IS adoption, organizational capabilities, IS-enabled absorptive capacity, and organizational knowledge performance. We empirically examined our model with survey data from 417 IS employees of 21 different state governments in the United States. We find that: (1) IS adoption does not directly generate IS-enabled absorptive capacity; (2) organizational capabilities positively affect IS-enabled absorptive capacity; (3) synergies arising from complementarity between IS adoption and organizational capabilities have a positive impact on IS-enabled absorptive capacity; and (4) IS-enabled absorptive capacity significantly drives manager and employee knowledge performance. This research enriches the understanding of the relationships among IS adoption, organizational capabilities, and organizational knowledge performance in U.S. public sectors.
The accuracy of object motion perception during locomotion
Authors: Layton Oliver W. , Parade Melissa S. , Fajen Brett R.
Published: January 2023

Human observers are capable of perceiving the motion of moving objects relative to the stationary world, even while undergoing self-motion. Perceiving world-relative object motion is complicated because the local optical motion of objects is influenced by both observer and object motion, and reflects object motion in observer coordinates. It has been proposed that observers recover world-relative object motion using global optic flow to factor out the influence of self-motion. However, object-motion judgments during simulated self-motion are biased, as if the visual system cannot completely compensate for the influence of self-motion. Recently, Xie et al. demonstrated that humans are capable of accurately judging world-relative object motion when self-motion is real, actively generated by walking, and accompanied by optic flow. However, the conditions used in that study differ from those found in the real world in that the moving object was a small dot with negligible optical expansion that moved at a fixed speed in retinal (rather than world) coordinates and was only visible for 500 ms. The present study investigated the accuracy of object motion perception under more ecologically valid conditions. Subjects judged the trajectory of an object that moved through a virtual environment viewed through a head-mounted display. Judgments exhibited bias in the case of simulated self-motion but were accurate when self-motion was real, actively generated, and accompanied by optic flow. The findings are largely consistent with the conclusions of Xie et al. and demonstrate that observers are capable of accurately perceiving world-relative object motion under ecologically valid conditions.
The relationship between mental representations of self and social evaluation: Examining the validity and usefulness of visual proxies of self-image
Authors: Kim Jinwon , Moon Kibum , Kim Sojeong , Kim Hackjin , Ko Young-gun
Published: January 2023

Reverse correlation (RC) method has been recently used to visualize mental representations of self. Previous studies have mainly examined the relationship between psychological aspects measured by self-reports and classification images of self (self-CIs), which are visual proxies of self-image generated through the RC method. In Experiment 1 (N = 118), to extend the validity of self-CIs, we employed social evaluation on top of self-reports as criterion variables and examined the relationship between self-CIs and social evaluation provided by clinical psychologists. Experiment 1 revealed that the valence ratings of self-CIs evaluated by independent raters predicted social evaluation after controlling for the effects of self-reported self-esteem and extraversion. Furthermore, in Experiment 2 (N = 127), we examined whether a computational scoring method – a method to assess self-CIs without employing independent raters – could be applied to evaluate the valence of participants’ self-CIs. Experiment 2 found that the computational scores of self-CIs were comparable to independent valence ratings of self-CIs. We provide evidence that self-CIs can add independent information to self-reports in predicting social evaluation. We also suggest that the computational scoring method can complement the independent rating process of self-CIs. Overall, our findings reveal that self-CIs are a valid and useful tool to examine self-image more profoundly.
Improving hardiness among university students: A meta-analysis of intervention studies
Authors: Jianping Gao , Zhihui Zhu , Roslan Samsilah , Zaremohzzabieh Zeinab , Burhanuddin Nur Aimi Nasuha , Geok Soh Kim
Published: January 2023

Introduction

Increasing the hardiness of students is a crucial objective in higher education. Universities and colleges have created a variety of interventions to improve students' overall hardiness.

Methods

In terms of the effects of such interventions, empirical research has shown inconclusive results. This meta-analysis applies 12 effect sizes from 12 independent empirical studies, with a total of 640 participants, to assess the overall impact of interventions on students' hardiness and to test for moderators, in light of the contradictory findings in prior work. The current meta-analysis calculates the standardized mean differences (SMD) of pre-post interventions. The level of study heterogeneity, represented by I2, was interpreted as small (I2 ≤ 25%), moderate (25% < I2 ≤ 50%), substantial (50% < I2 ≤ 75%), or considerable (I2 > 75%). Twelve studies met the inclusion criteria and were included in the meta-analysis.

Results

The results show that the interventions had a significant positive overall effect on students' hardiness (g = 0.998, k = 12) and show significant heterogeneity among effect sizes. Among the interventions, cognitive-based intervention yielded the largest mean effect size (g = 2.015, k = 5). Furthermore, moderator analyses suggest that the effects of the interventions on students' hardiness are moderated by respondent type, culture, intervention type, research design, years, and duration of intervention.

Discussion

We conclude that interventions that promote students' hardiness are officious. Despite the low homogeneity of the results and limitations of this meta-analysis (e.g., a small number of included studies) which might have influenced the findings, the large fail-safe N suggests that these findings are robust. The study examined potential causes of heterogeneity and emphasized the importance of further research in this area.
SARS-CoV-2 breakthrough infections during the second wave of COVID-19 at Pune, India
Authors: Doke Prakash P. , Mhaske Suhas T. , Oka Gauri , Kulkarni Ruta , Muley Vrishali , Mishra Akhilesh Chandra , Arankalle Vidya A.
Published: January 2023

Breakthrough infections following SARS-CoV-2 vaccination remain the global concern. The current study was conducted during the second wave of COVID-19 (1st March−7th July 2021) in Pune, India, at two tertiary care hospitals. Of the 6,159 patients diagnosed as COVID-19, 372/2,210 (16.8%) were breakthrough infections. Of these, 81.1 and 18.8% received one or two doses of Covishield or Covaxin, respectively. Of note, 30.7% patients were with comorbidities, hypertension being the commonest (12.44%). The majority of infections were mild (81.2%). Forty-three patients with breakthrough infections were hospitalized with severe (n = 27, 62.8%) or moderate (n = 16, 37.2%) disease. The receptor binding domain (RBD) sequences from vaccinated (n = 126) and non-vaccinated (n = 168) samples were used for variant analysis. The delta variant was predominant followed by kappa in both vaccinated and non-vaccinated groups. Viral load (qRT-PCR) was not different among these categories. Full-genome comparisons of sequences in relation to vaccination status did not identify any mutation characteristic of the vaccinated group. Irrespective of the number of doses, neutralizing antibody titers (PRNT50) during the first week of clinical disease were higher in the vaccinated patients than the unvaccinated category. In conclusion, though not completely, SARS-CoV-2 vaccines used for country-wide immunization did reduce disease severity among the individuals without any comorbidity by inducing rapid immune response against distinctly different delta and kappa variants. The utility against emerging variants with further mutations need to be carefully examined.
Useful public health countermeasures to control the current multicountry outbreak of Monkeypox disease
Authors: Diatta Khadija Leila El Siby , Faye Oumar , Sall Amadou Alpha , Faye Ousmane , Faye Martin
Published: January 2023

Monkeypox is a viral disease endemic to some countries in Central and Western Africa. However, sporadic human cases have also been reported outside of Africa. The first human case was reported in 1970 in the Democratic Republic of Congo. Very similar to the eradicated smallpox regarding its clinical representation, the Monkeypox disease is most common in children aged between 5 and 9 years with a fatality rate ranging from 1 to 11% in Africa. During the past decade, the number of countries that reported human cases of the disease grew significantly, while experts still sought knowledge on the characteristics of the virus. The recent increase in Monkeypox cases in many countries raises the concern about a possible global health threat. There is a need to subsequently provide insights into the incidence of Monkeypox disease and come up with mechanisms to prevent its emergence and contain its spread. Furthermore, it is crucial to have a better view of the global diagnostic capacity of the Monkeypox virus. This review aims to assess useful public health countermeasures to control the current multicountry outbreak of Monkeypox disease. Articles were searched in PubMed and Google Scholar electronic databases on 30 June 2022, using selected keywords, without language and date restriction. A total of 44 scientific records were published between 1 January 1962 and 30 June 2022. Herein, we discuss the epidemiological and public health situation at a global scale, provide an updated overview and data of utility for a better understanding of knowledge and research gaps in the epidemiology of the Monkeypox disease, and give useful measures for controlling the current multicountry outbreak.
Association between night shift work and methylation of a subset of immune-related genes
Authors: Ferrari Luca , Monti Paola , Favero Chiara , Carugno Michele , Tarantini Letizia , Maggioni Cristina , Bonzini Matteo , Pesatori Angela Cecilia , Bollati Valentina
Published: January 2023

Introduction

Night shift (NS) work has been associated with an increased risk of different conditions characterized by altered inflammatory and immune responses, such as cardio-metabolic and infectious diseases, cancer, and obesity. Epigenetic modifications, such as DNA methylation, might mirror alterations in biological processes that are influenced by NS work.

Methods

The present study was conducted on 94 healthy female workers with different working schedules and aimed at identifying whether NS was associated with plasmatic concentrations of the inflammatory proteins NLRP3 and TNF-alpha, as well as with DNA methylation levels of ten human endogenous retroviral (HERV) sequences, and nine genes selected for their role in immune and inflammatory processes. We also explored the possible role of the body mass index (BMI) as an additional susceptibility factor that might influence the effects of NS work on the tested epigenetic modifications.

Results and discussion

We observed a positive association between NS and NLRP3 levels (p-value 0.0379). Moreover, NS workers retained different methylation levels for ERVFRD-1 (p-value = 0.0274), HERV-L (p-value = 0.0377), and HERV-P (p-value = 0.0140) elements, and for BIRC2 (p-value = 0.0460), FLRT3 (p-value = 0.0422), MIG6 (p-value = 0.0085), and SIRT1 (p-value = 0.0497) genes. We also observed that the BMI modified the relationship between NS and the methylation of ERVE, HERV-L, and ERVW-1 elements. Overall, our results suggest that HERV methylation could pose as a promising biomolecular sensor to monitor not only the effect of NS work but also the cumulative effect of multiple stressors.
Determinants of social distancing adherence
Authors: Gerretsen Philip , Kim Julia , Brown Eric E. , Quilty Lena C. , Wells Samantha , Caravaggio Fernando , Song Jianmeng , Sanches Marcos , Agic Branka , Pollock Bruce G. , Graff-Guerrero Ariel
Published: January 2023

Introduction

Governments and public health authorities across many jurisdictions implemented social (physical) distancing measures to contain the spread of the 2019 novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19). Adherence to these measures is variable and likely influenced by various factors. This study aimed to 1) identify the individual sociodemographic, COVID-19 and social distancing related, and psychological determinants of social distancing adherence, and 2) explore regional differences in social distancing adherence in the United States (U.S.) and English-speaking Canada based on each region's discrepant response to social distancing restrictions.

Methods

A web-based repeated cross-sectional survey was conducted in 4,942 English-speaking participants from the four most populous U.S. states, specifically New York, California, Texas, and Florida, and Canada (www.covid19-database.com). The study was conducted at two timepoints, from May 1 to 5, 2020 (n = 1,019, Canadian participants only) and from July 6 to 10, 2020 (n = 3,923). Separate univariate models were computed for individual sociodemographic, COVID-19 and social distancing related, and psychological determinants of social distancing adherence. To determine the total variance explained, a univariate analysis including all of the determinants was performed. Regional differences in social distancing were compared between the four U.S. states and Canada, and between the U.S. as a whole and Canada.

Results

Adherence to social distancing was higher in May (mean = 4.4/5.0±0.7) compared to July (mean = 4.3/5.0±0.7) [t(4940) = 6.96, p < 0.001], likely a reflection of relaxing restrictions. There were no regional differences in adherence. Sociodemographic, COVID-19 and social distancing related, and psychological determinants explained 10, 36, and 23% of the variance of social distancing adherence, respectively. Higher perceived seriousness of COVID-19 [β (SE) = 0.39 (0.01), p < 0.001, partial η2 = 0.22], lower risk propensity [β (SE) = −0.15 (0.01), p < 0.001, partial η2 = 0.06], germ aversion [β (SE) = 0.12 (0.01), p < 0.001, partial η2 = 0.03], age [β (SE) = 0.01 (0.00), p < 0.001, partial η2 = 0.02], and greater social support [β (SE) = 0.03 (0.00), p < 0.001, partial η2 = 0.02] had the largest effects on social distancing adherence.

Conclusion

Public service initiatives to emphasize the serious consequences of infection and targeted interventions toward certain sociodemographic groups, such as younger adults and vulnerable individuals in greater need of social support, may help enhance the public's adherence to social distancing measures during subsequent waves of COVID-19 and future pandemics.
A hybrid controller method with genetic algorithm optimization to measure position and angular for mobile robot motion control
Authors: Razali Muhammad Razmi , Mohd Faudzi Ahmad Athif , Shamsudin Abu Ubaidah , Mohamaddan Shahrol
Published: January 2023

Due to the complexity of autonomous mobile robot’s requirement and drastic technological changes, the safe and efficient path tracking development is becoming complex and requires intensive knowledge and information, thus the demand for advanced algorithm has rapidly increased. Analyzing unstructured gain data has been a growing interest among researchers, resulting in valuable information in many fields such as path planning and motion control. Among those, motion control is a vital part of a fast, secure operation. Yet, current approaches face problems in managing unstructured gain data and producing accurate local planning due to the lack of formulation in the knowledge on the gain optimization. Therefore, this research aims to design a new gain optimization approach to assist researcher in identifying the value of the gain’s product with a qualitative comparative study of the up-to-date controllers. Gains optimization in this context is to classify the near perfect value of the gain’s product and processes. For this, a domain controller will be developed based on the attributes of the Fuzzy-PID parameters. The development of the Fuzzy Logic Controller requires information on the PID controller parameters that will be fuzzified and defuzzied based on the resulting 49 fuzzy rules. Furthermore, this fuzzy inference will be optimized for its usability by a genetic algorithm (GA). It is expected that the domain controller will give a positive impact to the path planning position and angular PID controller algorithm that meet the autonomous demand.
Exploring the influencing factor of urban industry development: An order parameter method
Authors: Dou Zixin , Sun Yanming , Wu Beibei , Wu Chuliang
Published: January 2023

This study aims to analyze the factor affecting the urban industry development in Guangzhou. Based on push-pull-mooring theory, we explain the reasons for choosing the above indicators and use order parameters to analyze their impact on the urban industrial development. The results show that: (1) Environment has an obvious promoting effect on the urban industrial development. This shows that the current environment and the urban industrial development have reached a balance. (2) Technology has a positive impact on the urban industrial development, but it needs to go through the technology running in period smoothly. (3) Different from other factors, finance has a crowding out effect on industrial development. However, the development of finance will promote the rapid development of industry in Guangzhou. (4) The impact of finance, technology and green on UID is applicable to different development stages of UID, that is, these variables are related. Lastly, we provided development suggestions for Guangzhou. This will lay a foundation for promoting its industry.
Physical properties and cellular responses of gelatin methacryloyl bulk hydrogels and highly ordered porous hydrogels
Authors: Yin Haiyan , Zhu Mengxiang , Wang Yingying , Luo Lihua , Ye Qingsong , Lee Bae Hoon
Published: January 2023

Protein-based hydrogels hold a high content of water in their three-dimensional (3D) network structure and exhibit innate biological activities as well as soft tissue-like mechanical properties, resulting in being highly applicable to various tissue engineering fields. However, precisely controlling the 3D porous structure of protein-based hydrogels remains a challenging task, and understanding the influence of their porous structure on physical properties and cellular responses is crucial for tissue engineering applications. In this study, we prepared highly ordered gelatin methacryloyl hydrogels with regular interconnected pores and traditional bulk hydrogels with irregular pores to evaluate their differences in physiochemical properties and cellular behaviors. Highly ordered gelatin methacryloyl hydrogels exhibited a high degree of compliance owing to their sponge-like structure whereas gelatin methacryloyl bulk hydrogels exhibited relatively higher moduli but were brittle due to a densely packed structure. The highly ordered gelatin methacryloyl hydrogels with interconnected pores supported higher cell viability (about 100%) due to an efficient flux of oxygen and nutrients compared to the dense bulk hydrogels showing cell viability (around 80%). Also, cells in the highly ordered gelatin methacryloyl hydrogels displayed a more stretched morphology compared to those in the gelatin methacryloyl bulk hydrogels that exhibited a more round morphology during the cell culture period.
Soil pollution and agriculture in sub-Saharan Africa: State of the knowledge and remediation technologies
Authors: Tindwa Hamisi J. , Singh Bal Ram
Published: January 2023

The sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) region bears the blunt of soil pollution mainly due to-haphazard disposal and gross mismanagement of a wide assortment of pollutants generated from within and outside the region. Pollution of agricultural soils in the region is so intense that out of the 80 countries substantially affected by land degradation (soil pollution, inclusive) in the world, 36 are found in Africa, the SSA, in particular. Pollution of soils has resulted into a significant reduction in their ability to support crop growth and yield apart from jeopardizing safety and security of agricultural produce in SSA. Consequences of pollution of soils on human health in the region are inadequately reported, but they range from non-fatal, life-changing effects like skin damage due to acute, invariably fatal incidences of exposure to milt by chronic effects. We show in this review, that while science and advancement in technology has provided a multitude of alternative techniques to pollution control and remediation of affected soils, such techniques are largely inaccessible to most SSA countries. There is also lack of coordination on development, enforcement and implementation of legal and political instruments to tackle the growing risk of pollution to human health from soil contamination across the SSA region. Couple with this, lack of data on status of soil pollution in most SSA countries affects the countries’ capacity to devise and plan policies that can help reduce soil pollution. Countries need to maximize efforts to reverse the status of already polluted pieces of land through strengthening remediation programs, research on how best to gather, maintain and complement soil pollution data and actions that inform decision-making.
Predictive models for the risk and prognosis of bone metastasis in patients with newly-diagnosed esophageal cancer: A retrospective cohort study
Authors: Yuan Bei , Lu Haojie , Hu Dong , Xu Kai , Xiao Songhua
Published: January 2023

Background

Esophageal cancer (EC) is a common malignant tumor worldwide, and patients with both EC and bone metastasis (BM) have a poor prognosis. We aimed to determine the risk and prognostic factors for BM in patients with newly diagnosed EC and to conduct two nomograms to predict the probability of BM and overall survival after BM.

Methods

Data from patients with EC from 2010 to 2015 were reviewed in the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) database. We divided participants into training and validation cohorts using univariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses and Cox regression models to explore the risk and prognostic factors of BM, respectively. Moreover, two nomograms were developed for predicting the risk and prognosis of BM in patients with EC. Then we used receiver operating characteristic curves, decision curve analysis, and calibration curves to evaluate the nomogram models. The overall survival of patients with EC and BM was analyzed using the Kaplan-Meier method.

Results

A total of 10,730 patients with EC were involved, 735 of whom had BM at the time of diagnosis. Histologic type, sex, age, N stage, primary site, liver, lung, and brain metastases, and tumor differentiation grade were identified as independent BM risk factors. Histological type, chemotherapy, brain, liver, and lung metastases were identified as prognostic risk factors for patients with EC and BM. We developed diagnostic and prognostic nomograms according to the results. Receiver operating characteristic curves, calibration, and Kaplan-Meier curves, and decision curve analysis all indicated that both nomograms had great clinical predictive ability and good clinical application potential.

Conclusions

Two novel nomograms were constructed to predict the risk and prognosis of BM in patients with EC. These prediction models can effectively assist clinicians in clinical decision-making based on their good accuracy and reliability.
Double pigtail tube drainage for large multiloculated pyogenic liver abscesses
Authors: JinHua Cui , YaMan Liu , Jian Li
Published: January 2023

Background

This study aims to investigate the efficacy and safety of double pigtail tube drainage compared with single pigtail tube drainage for the treatment of multiloculated pyogenic liver abscesses greater than 5 cm.

Patients and Methods

This study retrospectively analyzed patients with pyogenic liver abscess admitted in the Affiliated Hospital of Chengde Medical College between May 2013 and May 2021. Patients with pyogenic liver abscess more than 5 cm in size, who underwent drainage of the abscess with either double pigtail or single pigtail tube, were included.

Results

A total of 97 patients with pyogenic liver abscesses larger than 5 cm were studied. These included 34 patients with double pigtail tube drainage and 63 patients with single pigtail tube drainage. The postoperative hospital stay (13.39 ± 4.21 days vs. 15.67 ± 7.50 days; P = 0.045), and time for removal of the catheter (17.23 ± 3.70 days vs. 24.11 ± 5.83 days; P = 0.038) were lower in the double pigtail tube group compared with the single pigtail tube group. The rate of reduction, in three days, of c-reactive protein levels was 26.61 ± 14.11 mg/L/day in the double pigtail tube group vs. 20.06 ± 11.74 mg/L/day in the single pigtail tube group (P = 0.025). The diameter of the abscess cavity at discharge was 3.1 ± 0.07 cm in the double pigtail tube group as compared with 3.7 ± 0.6 cm in the single pigtail tube group (P = 0.047). There was no bleeding in any of the patients despite abnormal coagulation profiles. There was no recurrence of abscess within six months of discharge and no death in the double pigtail tube group. Conclusion: Double pigtail tube drainage treatment in multiloculated pyogenic liver abscesses greater than 5 cm in size, is safe and effective.
Performance Evaluation of a Typical Low-Cost Multi-Frequency Multi-GNSS Device for Positioning and Navigation in Agriculture—Part 2: Dynamic Testing
Authors: Nguyen Nang Van , Cho Wonjae
Published: January 2023

Dynamic performance of a GNSS (Global Navigation Satellite System) positioning device (PD) is of interest to end users of satellite-based auto-guidance systems (AGS) for agricultural vehicles, especially when a low-cost PD is used. This study evaluated the overall dynamic performance in an agricultural environment for the PDs paired with multi-frequency multi-GNSS receivers and antennae, including low-cost and legacy ones. The dynamic performance was evaluated in terms of reacquisition time, heading accuracy, positioning accuracy, and guidance accuracy at short and medium baselines of RTK (Real Time Kinematic) positioning. The dynamic testing was conducted using an instrumented vehicle with test PDs to perform the test runs on agricultural fields and asphalt roads. The test results proved that the dynamic performance of the low-cost PD was not inferior to that of the legacy one and accurate enough to be used as a positioning sensor for the auto guidance of agricultural vehicles. It could reacquire an RTK-fix solution within 4 s after a 3-s GNSS signal blockage and achieve sub-degree-level accuracy of the heading measurement for agricultural vehicles traveling in an open-sky environment. Furthermore, the low-cost PD could obtain a 4-cm-level dynamic RTK positioning accuracy and agricultural vehicle guidance accuracy of less than 3 cm. The techniques and test results from this study provided additional guidelines for determining the overall dynamic performance of the GNSS PDs and AGSs on an agricultural tractor.
Sustainable Intensification of Cassava Production towards Food Security in the Lomami Province (DR Congo): Role of Planting Method and Landrace
Authors: Tabaglio Vincenzo , Fiorini Andrea , Ndayisenga Valènce , Ndereyimana Andrè , Minuti Andrea , Nyembo Nyembo Roger , Nyembo Ngoy Dieudonnè , Bertoni Giuseppe
Published: January 2023

Cassava is a mainstay crop for food security in Africa, its tubers being a large source of carbohydrates for the human diet. In some regions (e.g., the Democratic Republic of the Congo; DRC), leaves are also consumed as a source of proteins, vitamins, and minerals. Cassava adapts well to a range of soil-climate conditions and requires low inputs, yet yields are often unsatisfactory because of failures in disseminating improved genotypes and agricultural practices. The aim of this study was to test the effect of (i) seedbed preparation for planting cassava (i.e., flat, mounds, and ridges) and (ii) local landraces (i.e., Kakuanga, Kasongoy, Kasonie, Ndunda, and Ngoymuamba) on yield components and their nutritional quality in the Lomami province (DRC). In-depth measurements of yield components were performed, including the number of tubers and stems per plant, leaf biomass, stem biomass, root yield, and peeling yield. Tubers and leaves were also analyzed for chemical composition. Our results demonstrated that mound and ridge seedbed preparations may highly increase tuber yield (+32–68%) compared with flat. This is not the case for leaves and stems, which were not affected. The Ngoymuamba landrace showed a tuber yield about three times larger than Ndunda, which represented the common productivity values (5–8 Mg ha−1). No effect of seedbed preparation was observed and only minor differences between landraces were observed for the chemical composition of roots and leaves. We concluded that selecting the best-performing seedbed preparations × landraces could have a significant potential for achieving in a relatively short time the goal of “Zero Hunger” and improving the diet in the DRC.
Yield, Nutritional Composition, and Digestibility of Conventional and Brown Midrib (BMR) Pearl Millet as Affected by Planting and Harvesting Dates and Interseeded Cowpea
Authors: Oskey Madeline , Velasquez Cesar , Peña Omar Manuel , Andrae John , Bridges William , Ferreira Gonzalo , Aguerre Matias Jose
Published: January 2023

The objective of this study was to evaluate the yield, nutritional composition, and digestibility of conventional (CON) and brown midrib (BMR) pearl millet (PM) with different establishment dates, maturity at harvest and when mixed with cowpea (CWP). In trial 1, CON and BMR were planted on two different dates. In trial 2, CON and BMR, mixed or not with CWP, were harvested when PM was at the boot or heading stages. In trial 1, dry matter (DM) yield was similar between both PM genotypes but delaying establishment reduced DM yield by 30%. Additionally, BMR had a lower concentration of acid detergent lignin (ADL) and a higher in vitro neutral detergent fiber digestibility (IVNDFD) compared to CON. In Trial 2, the DM yield was 7.3% higher for CON compared to BMR, and PM with the BMR trait had a lower level of ADL and higher IVNDFD compared to CON. Mixing PM with CWP had negligible effects on nutritional composition but reduced DM yield by 8.3%. Results of these studies indicated that fiber from BMR PM is more digestible than CON but, in one of the trials, this occurred at the expense of lower DM yield. Mixing CWP with PM negatively impacted DM yield.