bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Cardiac Implantable Electronic Devices in Different Anatomical Types of Persistent Left Superior Vena Cava: Case Series and Brief Review of the Literature
Authors: Adavidoaei Cosmin Gabriel , Haba Ana Maria , Costache Irina Iuliana , Onofrei Viviana , Haba Cristian Mihai Stefan , Rezus Ciprian , Ursaru Andreea-Maria , Tesloianu Nicolae Dan
Published: October 2022

Persistent left superior vena cava (PLSVC) is the most common congenital malformation of the thoracic venous system, being present in 0.3% to 0.5% of the general population. In the majority of the cases, PLSVC is asymptomatic, but in certain patients, it can manifest through several symptoms, such as arrhythmias and cyanosis, especially when it is associated with complex cardiac pathologies. The clinical significance of this venous anomaly depends on the anatomical variant of the drainage site. In this article, we will present the experience of our clinic, with patients with PLSVC that were diagnosed intraprocedurally, during cardiac pacemaker (CP) or cardioverter defibrillator (ICD) implantation, highlighting the technical difficulties that this anomaly poses for cardiac device implantation. Out of 4000 patients who were admitted to our clinic for CP or ICD implantation, we encountered six cases of PLSVC (four reported in this article and two previously published) corresponding to different anatomical types of this congenital anomaly. In all of these situations, we had to adapt our technique to the patient’s anatomy in order to avoid certain complications, the most serious being the improper placement of the right ventricle lead at the level of the coronary sinus.
Investigation of a Negative Step Effect on Stilling Basin by Using CFD
Authors: Jiang Lei , Diao Minjun , Wang Chuan’ai
Published: October 2022

The negative-step stilling basin is an efficient and safe energy dissipator for high-head, large-unit discharge high-dam projects. However, studies of the effects of the negative step on the hydraulic performance of a high-dam stilling basin have not been conclusive. In the present study, a 2D RANS-VOF numerical model was developed to simulate the flow field of a negative-step stilling basin. The numerical model was validated with a physical model and then used to simulate and test the performance of the negative-step stilling basin with different step heights and incident angles. The results showed that the flow pattern, the free-surface profile, the velocity profile, the characteristic lengths are strongly influenced by the step geometry. Increasing the height of the step will increase the relative flow depth and the reattachment length in the basin, but reduce the bottom velocity and the roller length. The incident angle has no significant influence on the flow pattern of the negative-step stilling basin, and increasing the incident angle of the step will reduce the bottom velocity and the reattachment length. Both the step height and the incident angle have no significant influence on the energy dissipation efficiency because of the high submergence conditions in this study.
Water Storage and Use by Platycladus orientalis under Different Rainfall Conditions in the Rocky Mountainous Area of Northern China
Authors: Zhang Xiao , Yu Xinxiao , Ding Bingbing , Liu Zihe , Jia Guodong
Published: October 2022

Tree water transport and utilization are essential for maintaining ecosystem stability in seasonally arid areas. However, it is not clear how Platycladus orientalis absorbs, consumes via transpiration, and stores water under varying precipitation conditions. Therefore, this study used stem sap flow thermal dissipation probes and hydrogen and oxygen isotope tracing technology to observe different water control treatments in a P. orientalis plantation. We found that the average daily sap flow of P. orientalis under different water control treatments had the following order: no rainfall (NR) < half rainfall (HR) < double rainfall (DR) < natural rainfall (AR). The percentage of nocturnal sap flow was as follows: AR (13.34%) < NR (19.62%) < DR (20.84%) < HR (30.90%). The percentage of water storage was NR (4.13%) < AR (4.49%) < DR (6.75%) < HR (9.29%). The sap flow of P. orientalis was primarily affected by vapor pressure deficit and solar radiation, with a degree of influence of DR < NR < HR < AR. The response of P. orientalis sap flow to environmental factors differed due to the soil changes in relative extractable water (REW) before and after precipitation. During high REW conditions, environmental factors have a higher impact on sap flow. The source of water absorbed changed regularly with the precipitation gradient. When soil water content increased, the water source used by P. orientalis gradually changed to shallow soil. Compared to before and after precipitation, there was no significant change except for NR. P. orientalis could regularly adjust the activities of transpiration water consumption, water storage, and absorption. This adaptive property is conducive to survival through extreme drought stress.
Decision Support Using Machine Learning Indication for Financial Investment
Authors: Oliveira Ariel Vieira de , Dazzi Márcia Cristina Schiavi , Fernandes Anita Maria da Rocha , Dazzi Rudimar Luis Scaranto , Ferreira Paulo , Leithardt Valderi Reis Quietinho
Published: October 2022

To support the decision-making process of new investors, this paper aims to implement Machine Learning algorithms to generate investment indications, considering the Brazilian scenario. Three artificial intelligence techniques were implemented, namely: Multilayer Perceptron, Logistic Regression and Decision Tree, which performed the classification of investments. The database used was the one provided by the website Oceans14, containing the history of Fundamental Indicators and the history of Quotations, considering BOVESPA (São Paulo State Stock Exchange). The results of the different algorithms were compared to each other using the following metrics: accuracy, precision, recall, and F1-score. The Decision Tree was the algorithm that obtained the best classification metrics and an accuracy of 77%.
The Strategy Method Risks Conflating Confusion with a Social Preference for Conditional Cooperation in Public Goods Games
Authors: Burton-Chellew Maxwell N. , D’Amico Victoire , Guérin Claire
Published: October 2022

The strategy method is often used in public goods games to measure an individual’s willingness to cooperate depending on the level of cooperation by their groupmates (conditional cooperation). However, while the strategy method is informative, it risks conflating confusion with a desire for fair outcomes, and its presentation may risk inducing elevated levels of conditional cooperation. This problem was highlighted by two previous studies which found that the strategy method could also detect equivalent levels of cooperation even among those grouped with computerized groupmates, indicative of confusion or irrational responses. However, these studies did not use large samples (n = 40 or 72) and only made participants complete the strategy method one time, with computerized groupmates, preventing within-participant comparisons. Here, in contrast, 845 participants completed the strategy method two times, once with human and once with computerized groupmates. Our research aims were twofold: (1) to check the robustness of previous results with a large sample under various presentation conditions; and (2) to use a within-participant design to categorize participants according to how they behaved across the two scenarios. Ideally, a clean and reliable measure of conditional cooperation would find participants conditionally cooperating with humans and not cooperating with computers. Worryingly, only 7% of participants met this criterion. Overall, 83% of participants cooperated with the computers, and the mean contributions towards computers were 89% as large as those towards humans. These results, robust to the various presentation and order effects, pose serious concerns for the measurement of social preferences and question the idea that human cooperation is motivated by a concern for equal outcomes.
Genome-Wide Detection of Selection Signatures for Pelt Quality Traits and Coat Color Using Whole-Genome Sequencing Data in American Mink
Authors: Valipour Shafagh , Karimi Karim , Do Duy Ngoc , Barrett David , Sargolzaei Mehdi , Plastow Graham , Wang Zhiquan , Miar Younes
Published: October 2022

Domestication and selection are the major driving forces responsible for creating genetic variability in farmed species. American mink has been under selection for more than 100 years for improved body size and pelt quality. This study aimed to identify the genomic regions subjected to selection for pelt quality traits, and coat color using the whole genome sequences of 100 mink raised in the Canadian Centre for Fur Animal Research (CCFAR) at Dalhousie Agriculture Campus (Truro, NS, Canada), and Millbank fur farm (Rockwood, ON, Canada). Measurements of three dried pelt characteristics (including pelt size (n = 35), overall quality of fur (n = 27), and nap size (n = 29)), and three coat color of Black, Stardust, and Pastel (Stardust_ Black (n = 38), and Pastel_Black (n = 41)) were used to assign animals to pairwise groups. Signatures of selection were detected using integrated measurement of fixation index (Fst), extended haplotype homozygosity (XP-EHH), and nucleotide diversity (θπ) tests. In total, overlapping top 1% of Fst and XP-EHH harbored 376 genes for pelt quality traits (110 for nap size, 163 for overall quality of fur, and 98 pelt size), and 194 genes for coat color (123 for Pastel_Black and 71 for Stardust_Black) were detected in different groups. Integrating results of Fst, and XP-EHH with the θπ test supported 19 strongly selected regions on chromosomes 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, and 10 that contained 33 candidate genes related to fur quality, hair follicle function, and pelt size traits. Gene ontology revealed numerous genes related to the hair cycle process and molting cycle process, epidermis development, Wnt signaling pathway and muscle development. This study provided the first map of putative selection signals related to pelt quality and coat color in American mink, which could be used as a reference for future studies attempting to identify genes associated with economically important traits in mink.
Responses of Humoral and Cellular Immune Mediators in BALB/c Mice to LipX (PE11) as Seed Tuberculosis Vaccine Candidates
Authors: Rukmana Andriansjah , Supardi Lulut Azmi , Sjatha Fithriyah , Nurfadilah Mifa
Published: October 2022

A member of the pe/ppe gene family, lipX (pe11), is capable of directing persistent Mycobacterium tuberculosis and avoiding host immune responses. Some studies have indicated that LipX (PE11) can detect humoral antibodies in tuberculosis patients. Hence, information on immune mediators’ responses to this protein is essential to understand its protective efficacy against M. tuberculosis infections. This study aimed to examine the response of immune mediators to pCDNA3.1-lipX expression in vivo. In the experiment, pCDNA3.1-lipX was injected into BALB/c strain male mice aged between 6 and 8 weeks, and they were compared to groups injected with pCDNA3.1 and without injection. The injection was carried out three times intramuscularly every two weeks. Blood was taken retro-orbitally and used for humoral response analysis by Western blotting against LipX-His protein. Simultaneously, the splenocytes were cultured and induced with LipX-His protein for cellular immunity analyses. Our study showed that the recombinant DNA of pCDNA3.1-lipX induced a humoral and cellular immune response, especially in IL-4, IL-12, and IFN-γ, which are the primary cellular responses to M. tuberculosis infections. However, additional studies, such as a challenge study, are needed to strengthen the argument that this plasmid construction is feasible as a tuberculosis seed vaccine candidate.
Management of Traumatic and Non-Traumatic Cerebrospinal Fluid Rhinorrhea—Experience from Three Southeast Asian Countries
Authors: Zahedi Farah Dayana , Subramaniam Somasundaram , Kasemsiri Pornthep , Periasamy Chenthilnathan , Abdullah Baharudin
Published: October 2022

Background: Cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) rhinorrhea requires proper management to avoid disastrous consequences. The objectives of this study were to ascertain the patient characteristics, etiologies, sites of defect, skull base configurations, methods of investigation, and management outcomes of CSF rhinorrhea. Methods: A retrospective study was performed over 4 years involving three surgeons from Malaysia, Singapore, and Thailand. Hospital records were reviewed to determine the patients’ characteristics, the causes and sites of leaks, methods of investigation, skull base configurations, choices of treatment, and outcomes. Results: A total of 15 cases (7 traumatic and 8 non-traumatic) were included. Imaging was performed in all cases. The most common site of leakage was the cribriform plate (9/15 cases). The mean ± SD of the Keros heights were 4.43 ± 1.66 (right) and 4.21 ± 1.76 mm (left). Type II Keros was the most common (60%). The mean ± SD angles of the cribriform plate slope were 51.91 ± 13.43 degrees (right) and 63.54 ± 12.64 degrees (left). A class II Gera configuration was the most common (80%). All except two patients were treated with endonasal endoscopic surgical repair, with a success rate of 92.3%. A multilayered repair technique was used in all patients except one. The mean ± SD postoperative hospital stay was 9.07 ± 6.17 days. Conclusions: Non-traumatic CSF rhinorrhea outnumbered traumatic CSF rhinorrhea, with the most common site of leak at the cribriform plate. Imaging plays an important role in investigation, and Gera classification appears to be better than Keros classification for evaluating risk. Both conservative and surgical repairs are practiced with successful outcomes. Endonasal endoscopic CSF leak repair is the mainstay treatment.
Maternal Mental Health Status Is Associated with Weight-Related Parenting Cognitions, Home Food Environment Characteristics, and Children’s Behaviors
Authors: Keresztes Melissa , Delaney Colleen L. , Byrd-Bredbenner Carol
Published: October 2022

Women experience anxiety, depression, and stress at higher levels than men and have more parenting responsibilities, especially establishing health practices in the home. Given children’s vulnerability, this study aimed to increase understanding of how mothers’ mental health status relates to maternal weight-related cognitions, home food environments, and child health via a cross-sectional survey design. In a cluster analysis, using maternal anxiety, depression, and stress assessments, we placed the sample of 531 mothers of school-age children into four clusters: Cluster 1 had the best mental health status, Cluster 2 had high stress, Cluster 3 had anxiety and moderate stress, and Cluster 4 had anxiety, depression, and high stress. Our results indicate an overall downward trend in weight-related cognitions as mental health worsened. Similarly, as mental health declined, so did home food environment characteristics, such as the greater use of non-recommended child feeding practices, fewer family meals, and greater sugar-sweetened beverage supplies. As mothers’ mental health status became poorer, children’s general health and mental health quality of life declined, and sugar-sweetened beverage intake increased. Our findings suggest that maternal stress, anxiety, and depression are moderately to strongly linked with mothers’ cognitions, home food environments, and children’s health. Our results also suggest that mental health interventions for mothers should assess cognitions and home food environments and consider the extent to which these factors are affecting family health.
HLS19-NAV—Validation of a New Instrument Measuring Navigational Health Literacy in Eight European Countries
Authors: Griese Lennert , Finbråten Hanne S. , Francisco Rita , De Gani Saskia M. , Griebler Robert , Guttersrud Øystein , Jaks Rebecca , Le Christopher , Link Thomas , Silva da Costa Andreia , Telo de Arriaga Miguel , Touzani Rajae , Vrdelja Mitja , Pelikan Jürgen M. , Schaeffer Doris
Published: October 2022

To manoeuvre a complex and fragmented health care system, people need sufficient navigational health literacy (NAV-HL). The objective of this study was to validate the HLS19-NAV measurement scale applied in the European Health Literacy Population Survey 2019–2021 (HLS19). From December 2019 to January 2021, data on NAV-HL was collected in eight European countries. The HLS19-NAV was translated into seven languages and successfully applied in and validated for eight countries, where language and survey method differed. The psychometric properties of the scale were assessed using confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) and Rasch modelling. The tested CFA models sufficiently well described the observed correlation structures. In most countries, the NAV-HL data displayed acceptable fit to the unidimensional Rasch partial credit model (PCM). For some countries, some items showed poor data–model fit when tested against the PCM, and some items displayed differential item functioning for selected person factors. The HLS19-NAV demonstrated high internal consistency. To ensure content validity, the HLS19-NAV was developed based on a conceptual framework. As an estimate of discriminant validity, the Pearson correlations between the NAV-HL and general health literacy (GEN-HL) scales were computed. Concurrent predictive validity was estimated by testing whether the HLS19-NAV, like general HL measures, follows a social gradient and whether it forms a predictor of general health status as a health-related outcome of general HL. In some countries, adjustments at the item level may be beneficial.
A Shorter Form of the Work Extrinsic and Intrinsic Motivation Scale: Construction and Factorial Validation
Authors: Kotera Yasuhiro , Aledeh Muhammad , Rushforth Annabel , Otoo Nelly , Colman Rory , Taylor Elaina
Published: October 2022

While workplace mental health has attracted attention in many countries, work motivation remains under-researched. Research identified that work motivation is associated with many organisational positive outcomes including workplace mental health. One well-recognised measure is the Work Extrinsic and Intrinsic Motivation Scale (WEIMS). Conceptualised on the Self-Determination Theory, this 18-item scale examines six types of work motivation: Intrinsic Motivation, Integrated Regulation, Identified Regulation, Introjected Regulation, External Regulation, and Amotivation. WEIMS can be too long for busy people at work. Accordingly, we constructed and validated a shorter form of WEIMS (SWEIMS), comprising 12 items that evaluate the same six work motivation types. Data collected from two professional samples were analysed to construct and validate the factorial structure: 155 construction workers (138 males and 17 females, Age 40.28 ± 11.05) and 103 hospitality workers (47 males and 56 females, Age 28.2 ± 8.6 years). Correlation analyses and confirmatory factor analyses were performed. Two items from each type were selected based on the strength of correlations with the target WEIMS subscale. SWEIMS demonstrated adequate internal consistency (α ≧ 0.65), and strong correlations with the original version of WEIMS (r = 0.73) in both samples. SWEIMS confirmatory factor analysis replicated the six-factor model of the original SWEIMS. SWEIMS can be a reliable, valid, and user-friendly alternative to WEIMS.
A Newly Developed Scale for Assessing Experienced and Anticipated Sexual Stigma in Health-Care Services for Gay and Bisexual Men
Authors: Huang Mei-Feng , Chang Yu-Ping , Lin Chung-Ying , Yen Cheng-Fang
Published: October 2022

Gay and bisexual men’s experiences and worries of sexual stigma by health-care providers may delay them from seeking health-care assistance. Our study developed the Experienced and Anticipated Sexual Stigma Scale in Health-care Services (EASSSiHS) and examined its psychometric properties. The six-item EASSSiHS was first developed on the basis of the results of focus group interviews with 24 participants. Parallel analysis was used to determine the number of factors. Exploratory factor analysis (EFA) and confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) were performed to examine the factor structure. The internal consistency was examined using McDonald’s omega coefficient. Concurrent validity was examined using Pearson correlations with perceived sexual stigma from family and friends, depression, anxiety, and loneliness. The results of parallel analysis and EFA indicated that the factor structure of the EASSSiHS included two factors: experienced stigma and anticipated stigma. The result of CFA further confirmed the two-factor structure. The EASSSiHS had good internal consistency and acceptable concurrent validity. The anticipated stigma factor had stronger associations with perceived sexual stigma from family members and friends, depression, anxiety, and loneliness, when compared with the experienced stigma factor. The results of this study supported the psychometric properties of the EASSSiHS for assessing experienced and anticipated sexual stigma in health-care services among gay and bisexual men. The experience and worry of sexual stigma in health-care services were not rare among gay and bisexual men; therefore, interventions to enhance the cultural competency of health-care workers are urgently required.
The Effect of a Sleep Intervention on Sleep Quality in Nursing Students: Study Protocol for a Randomized Controlled Trial
Authors: Ruiz-Zaldibar Cayetana , Gal-Iglesias Beatriz , Azpeleta-Noriega Clara , Ruiz-López Montserrat , Pérez-Manchón David
Published: October 2022

We develop a protocol for assessing the impact of an intervention aimed at improving sleep quality among university nursing students. The study is designed as a pilot randomized controlled trial to be applied during the 2022-23 academic year and is registered at Clinical Trials Gov website (NCT05273086). A total of 60 nursing students will be recruited from a Spanish university. They will be divided into two groups: (30) intervention group and (30) control group. The intervention group will attend two cognitive–behavioural therapy sleep programme sessions focused on knowledge of anatomical structures involved in sleep, chronotype, synchronization, and good sleeping habits. Subjective and objective sleep quality will be assessed before and after the intervention for both groups. In addition to sleep quality, socio-demographic parameters, physical activity, lifestyle habits, and anthropometric measures will be considered prior to intervention. Finally, a satisfaction questionnaire will be applied for posterior analysis. This study is an innovative, relevant intervention that aims to improve sleep quality among university nursing students. Both the approach and the use of objective and subjective validated outcome measurements are key features of this study.
Guided Endodontics: A Literature Review
Authors: Kulinkovych-Levchuk Kateryna , Pecci-Lloret María Pilar , Castelo-Baz Pablo , Pecci-Lloret Miguel Ramón , Oñate-Sánchez Ricardo E.
Published: October 2022

The main objective of this paper is to perform an updated literature review of guided endodontics based on the available up-to-date scientific literature to identify and describe the technique, its benefits, and its limitations. Four electronic databases (PubMed, Scopus, Science Direct, and Web of Science) were used to perform a literature search from 1 January 2017 to 13 May 2022. After discarding duplicates, out of 1047 results, a total of 29 articles were eligible for review. Guided endodontics is a novel technique that is currently evolving. It is applied in multiple treatments, especially in accessing and locating root canals in teeth with pulp canal obliteration, microsurgical endodontics, and removing glass fiber posts in endodontic retreatments. In addition, it is independent of an operator’s experience, requires less treatment time for the patient, and is more accurate and safer than conventional endodontics.
Financing the Agri-Environmental Policy: Consequences on the Economic Growth and Environmental Quality in Romania
Authors: Doran Nicoleta Mihaela , Bădîrcea Roxana Maria , Doran Marius Dalian
Published: October 2022

The aim of this research is to point out the impact that the application of the agri-environmental policy has on the economic growth and on the quality of the environment, these being the main aspects targeted by the practice of a sustainable agriculture. The research is conducted based on the agri-environment indicators for Romania for the period of time between 1997 and 2019. In order to answer the objectives of this whole research, we performed stationarity tests, a cointegration test and used the Fully Modified Least Squares (FMOLS) method to estimate the relationships between the variables included in the three proposed models. The obtained results highlighted the positive influence exerted by the area that was arranged for irrigation and the agricultural area that was arranged with drainage works on the GDP, but also the negative influence of the amount of natural fertilizers used in agriculture. The use of chemical fertilizers and pesticides generates an increase in environmental degradation, meaning CO2 emissions, while an increase in the agricultural area arranged with erosion control and land improvement works, leads to reducing environmental degradations. The limitations of this research lie in the fact that the agri-environmental indicators are specific to each country in the European Union and, therefore, it is difficult to make comparisons with other member states or to apply the measures recommended for Romania to other states with similar agricultural and economic systems.
Differential Gene Expression and Metabolic Pathway Analysis of Cladophora rupestris under Pb Stress Conditions
Authors: Liu Lei , Zhang Lusheng , Zhao Lingyun , Chen Qiuyu , Zhang Qian , Cao Deju , Liu Zhaowen
Published: October 2022

This study aimed to analyze the transcriptome of C. rupestris under Pb2+ stress by using high-throughput sequencing technology, observe the changes of gene expression and metabolic pathway after three and five days under 1.0 and 5.0 mg/L of Pb2+ treatment, and analyze the differentially expressed genes (DEGs) and related functional genes after Pb2+ treatment. Metabolic pathways were revealed through Gene Ontology (GO) and the Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathway analysis. Results show that DEGs increased significantly with the increase of Pb2+ concentration and stress time. A total of 32 genes were closely related to Pb2+ stress response. GO analysis identified two major transporter proteins, namely, ATP-binding transport protein-related (ABC transporters) and zinc finger CCHC domain containing protein (Zfp) in C. rupestris. Pthr19248, pthr19211, Zfp pthr23002, Zfp p48znf pthr12681, Zfp 294 pthr12389, and Zfp pthr23067 played important roles against Pb2+ toxicity and its absorption in C. rupestris. KEGG pathway analysis suggested that ABCA1, ATM, and ABCD3 were closely related to Pb2+ absorption. Pb2+ stress was mainly involved in metallothionein (MT), plant hormone signal transduction, ABC transporters, and glutathione (GSH) metabolism.
What Constitutes the High-Quality Soundscape in Human Habitats? Utilizing a Random Forest Model to Explore Soundscape and Its Geospatial Factors Behind
Authors: Wang Jingyi , Weng Chen , Wang Zhen , Li Chunming , Wang Tingting
Published: October 2022

Soundscape is the production of sounds and the acoustic environment, and it emphasizes peoples’ perceiving and experiencing process in the context. To this end, this paper focuses on the Pearl River Delta in China, and implements an empirical study based on the soundscape evaluation data from the Participatory Soundscape Sensing (PSS) system, and the geospatial data from multiple sources. The optimal variable set with 24 features are successfully used to establish a random forest model to predict the soundscape comfort of a new site (F1 = 0.61). Results show that the acoustic factors are most important to successfully classify soundscape comfort (averaged relative importance of 17.45), subsequently ranking by built environment elements (11.28), temporal factors (9.59), and demographic factors (9.14), while landscape index (8.60) and land cover type (7.71) seem to have unclear importance. Furthermore, the partial dependence analysis provides the answers about the appropriate threshold or category of various variables to quantitatively or qualitatively specify the necessary management and control metrics for maintaining soundscape quality. These findings suggest that mainstreaming the soundscape in the coupled natural–human systems and clarifying the mechanisms between soundscape perception and geospatial factors can be beneficial to create a high-quality soundscape in human habitats.
Physical Therapy Interventions in Patients with Anorexia Nervosa: A Systematic Review
Authors: Minano-Garrido Emilio , Catalan-Matamoros Daniel , Gómez-Conesa Antonia
Published: October 2022

Objective: Assess the effectiveness of physical therapy, including supervised physical exercise for body mass index (BMI) restoration; improving muscle strength and the psychological, behavioural, cognitive symptoms and quality of life in patients with anorexia nervosa (AN). Methods: A Systematic Review (SR) was conducted in the following scientific databases: Medline, PubMed, PEDro, PsychInfo, Cochrane Library plus, Nursing and Allied Health database, Scopus and Web of Science databases, from inception until November 2021. An assessment of the risk of bias and the certainty of evidence across studies was conducted. Articles were eligible if they followed randomized and non-randomized control trial designs with treatments based on physical therapy or exercise or physical activity in AN patients. Results: 496 records were screened, and after eligibility assessment, 6 studies from 8 articles were finally analysed. The studies, involving 176 AN patient (85.02% of patients), reported improvements in muscle strength, eating behaviour, eating attitude, mood and quality of life. Three studies included nutritional co-interventions and four studies included psychological therapy. None of the studies reported adverse effects. Conclusions: In two of the RCTs included in this SR, strength training and high intensity resistance improved the muscle strength of patients with AN. In addition, in two RCTs, improvements were observed in patients’ attitudes towards their bodies after basic body awareness therapy or after full body massage and instruction to relax. In addition, quality of life improved in two studies, with stretching, isometrics, endurance cardiovascular and muscular exercising.
Assessing the Influence of Child Sexual Behavior on Depression among Black SMM in the Southeastern United States
Authors: Boyd Donte Travon , Abu-Ba’are Gamji Rabiu , LoVette Ashleigh , Whitfield Darren L. , Turpin Rodman E. , Ramos S. Raquel , Quinn Camille R. , Hickson DeMarc A.
Published: October 2022

Limited studies have examined the associations between child sexual abuse (CSA) and depression among Black sexual minority men (SMM) in the Southeastern United States (US). As, such, the current study examined the critical gap in understanding the impact of CSA on Black SMM’s mental health. Specifically, we tested the associations between contextual CSA factors and depression among a large population-based sample of Black SMM living in two cities in the Southern US. Data were obtained from the MARI Study, a sample of Black SMM ages 18–66 years, recruited from the Jackson, MS and Atlanta, GA metropolitan areas (n = 507). Depression was assessed using the 9-item CES-D scale. We conducted multivariable regression analyses to examine the association between depression with history of CSA and other child sexual-related variables (i.e., age of perpetrator and age of sexual abuse), controlling for key confounders. Our results indicated that CSA (β = 0.14, p < 0.001) was positively associated with depression. Our results also indicated that Black SMM who reported being sexually abused at the ages of 6 to 10 (β = 0.30, p < 0.01) and 16 to 18 (β = 0.25, p < 0.05) were positively associated with depression. These findings suggest that there is a need to provide culturally and safe mental health services in the Southeastern US for CSA survivors.
Keratinolytic Properties of Aspergillus clavatus Promising for Biodegradation
Authors: Timorshina Svetlana , Popova Elizaveta , Kreyer Valeriana , Baranova Nina , Osmolovskiy Alexander
Published: October 2022

The high demand for keratinolytic enzymes and the modest presentation of fungal keratinase diversity studies in scientific sources cause a significant interest in identifying new fungal strains of keratinase producers, isolating new enzymes and studying their properties. Four out of the 32 cultures showed a promising target activity on protein-containing agar plates—Aspergillus amstelodami A6, A. clavatus VKPM F-1593, A. ochraceus 247, and Cladosporium sphaerospermum 1779. The highest values of keratinolytic activity were demonstrated by extracellular proteins synthesized by Aspergillus clavatus VKPM F-1593 cultivated under submerged conditions on a medium containing milled chicken feathers. The enzyme complex preparation was obtained by protein precipitation from the culture liquid with ammonium sulfate, subsequent dialysis, and lyophilization. The fraction of a pure enzyme with keratinolytic activity (pI 9.3) was isolated by separating the extracellular proteins of A. clavatus VKPM F-1593 via isoelectric focusing. The studied keratinase was an alkaline subtilisin-like non-glycosylated protease active over a wide pH range with optimum keratinolysis at pH 8 and 50 °C.
Affinity-Based Luminescent Iridium(III) Complexes for the Detection of Disease-Related Proteins
Authors: Wang Wanhe , Liu Jianhua , Nao Sang-Cuo , Ma Dik-Lung , Wang Jing , Leung Chung-Hang
Published: October 2022

The occurrence of diseases is usually accompanied by changes in protein levels and types. These differentially expressed proteins can be used as biomarkers for the diagnosis and treatment of diseases. In recent years, luminescent iridium(III) complexes have attracted much attention in the field of protein-based disease diagnosis due to their excellent optical properties. In particular, affinity-based luminescent iridium(III) complexes have the advantage of evaluating protein information with minimal interference on their biological activities. In this review, we summarize the current advances in affinity-based luminescent iridium(III) complexes for the detection of disease-related proteins. Moreover, the future perspective for affinity-based iridium(III) complexes is discussed.
Efficacy Evaluation of Oregano Essential Oil Mixed with Bacillus thuringiensis israelensis and Diflubenzuron against Culex pipiens and Aedes albopictus in Road Drains of Italy
Authors: Giatropoulos Athanasios , Bellini Romeo , Pavlopoulos Dionysios T. , Balatsos George , Karras Vasileios , Mourafetis Fotis , Papachristos Dimitrios P. , Karamaouna Filitsa , Carrieri Marco , Veronesi Rodolfo , Haroutounian Serkos A. , Michaelakis Antonios
Published: October 2022

Mosquito management programs in the urban environment of Italian cities mainly rely on larval control with conventional insecticides, primarily targeting the road drains that constitute the principal mosquito breeding sites encountered in public. The repeated utilization of synthetic insecticides may have adverse effects on non-targets and lead to resistance development issues, while the performance of biopesticides encounters limitations in field use. Botanical insecticides as single larval control agents or in binary mixtures with conventional insecticides have been extensively studied in the laboratory as an effective and eco-friendly alternative mosquito control method with promising results. The study herein concerns the investigation, for the first time under realistic conditions in the field, of the joint action of a carvacrol-rich oregano Essential Oil (EO) with two conventional insecticides, namely, the insect growth regulator diflubenzuron and the bio-insecticide Bacillus thuringiensis israelensis (B.t.i.), in road drains in Crevalcore city, Italy, against Culex pipiens and Aedes albopictus. According to the obtained results, the application of both plain EO and its mixtures with diflubenzuron and B.t.i. exerted very high efficacy in terms of immature mosquito population reduction over a two-week period. Three weeks after treatment, the performance of the oil and its mixtures diminished but remained high, while the addition of diflubenzuron potentiated the persistent action of the oil against Cx. pipiens. These findings are indicative of the potential of mixing carvacrol-rich EO with diflubenzuron and B.t.i. as an efficient eco-friendly alternative to mono-insecticide applications in road drains against Cx. pipiens and Ae. albopictus larvae.
Attention-Based Multiscale Feature Pyramid Network for Corn Pest Detection under Wild Environment
Authors: Kang Chenrui , Jiao Lin , Wang Rujing , Liu Zhigui , Du Jianming , Hu Haiying
Published: October 2022

A serious outbreak of agricultural pests results in a great loss of corn production. Therefore, accurate and robust corn pest detection is important during the early warning, which can achieve the prevention of the damage caused by corn pests. To obtain an accurate detection of corn pests, a new method based on a convolutional neural network is introduced in this paper. Firstly, a large-scale corn pest dataset has been constructed which includes 7741 corn pest images with 10 classes. Secondly, a deep residual network with deformable convolution has been introduced to obtain the features of the corn pest images. To address the detection task of multi-scale corn pests, an attention-based multi-scale feature pyramid network has been developed. Finally, we combined the proposed modules with a two-stage detector into a single network, which achieves the identification and localization of corn pests in an image. Experimental results on the corn pest dataset demonstrate that the proposed method has good performance compared with other methods. Specifically, the proposed method achieves 70.1% mean Average Precision (mAP) and 74.3% Recall at the speed of 17.0 frames per second (FPS), which balances the accuracy and efficiency.
Clinical Characteristics of Patients with Dental Malocclusion: An Otolaryngologic Perspective
Authors: Yoo Shin Hyuk , Choi Ji Hyeok , Mo Ji-Hun
Published: October 2022

Purpose: Allergic rhinitis (AR), which is a major cause of upper airway obstruction, may affect the development of the dental malocclusion. This retrospective study was aimed to investigate association between AR and dental malocclusion in otolaryngologic perspectives. Methods: Patients (n = 217) referred to the otolaryngology department before initiating orthodontic treatment were recruited. The frequency and severity of AR symptoms, sinonasal outcome test (SNOT-22) scores, physical examination findings, acoustic rhinometry results, and treatment modalities were retrospectively assessed. Patients with positive skin prick test findings (SPT) (n = 173; orthodontic group) were compared with age- and sex-matched patients being treated for AR (AR group). Results: We found that 76.5% of the enrolled patients had subjective nasal symptoms, and 93.1% patients showed abnormal physical examination findings such as inferior turbinate hypertrophy (82.0%), adenotonsillar hypertrophy (31.8%), or deviated nasal septum (7.4%). The 173 (79.7%) patients with positive SPT results exhibited a significantly higher incidence of rhinorrhoea, sneezing, and inferior turbinate hypertrophy compared to those with negative SPT results. The proportion of patients who underwent pharmacological or surgical treatments was significantly higher among patients with nasal obstruction (92.0%) than among patients without nasal obstruction (36.9%). The frequency and mean visual analogue symptom scores for nasal obstruction, rhinorrhoea, and sneezing, as well as all SNOT-22 domain scores, were significantly higher in the AR group than in the orthodontic group. The minimal cross-sectional area measured with acoustic rhinometry showed no significant difference between groups. Conclusion: Patients with dental malocclusion had a high SPT (+) rate and a high prevalence of structural abnormalities of the upper airway. The early detection and treatment of subclinical AR, other rhinological problems, and structural abnormalities of the upper airway in patients with malocclusion may help us manage malocclusion from an otolaryngologic perspective.
Factors Influencing the Survival Rate of Teeth and Implants in Patients after Tumor Therapy to the Head and Neck Region—Part 2: Implant Survival
Authors: Schweyen Ramona , Reich Waldemar , Jevnikar Peter , Kuhnt Thomas , Wienke Andreas , Hey Jeremias
Published: October 2022

During prosthetic rehabilitation after tumor therapy (TT) in the head and neck region, the dentist must assess whether the prognosis of the remaining teeth is sufficiently good or whether implants should be used to anchor dentures. Thus, the aim of the present study was to compare the survival rate of teeth and implants after TT and to evaluate factors potentially influencing implant survival. One hundred fifteen patients (male: 70.3%; mean age: 63.2 ± 12.4 years) having received dental treatment before and after TT at the Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg were enrolled in the study. Clinical examination including assessment of dental status and stimulated salivary flow rate was performed. Information about disease progression and therapy was retrieved from medical records. After TT, from a total of 1262 teeth, 27.2% had to be extracted. Of 308 implants inserted after TT, 7.0% were lost. Teeth exhibited lower 5-year survival probability (76.8%) than implants (89.9%; p = 0.001). The risk of loss (RL) of implants increased with age, nicotine use, intraoral defects, and RCT. Radiotherapy did not independently increase the RL. Thus, implants seem to be a reliable treatment option in case of progressive tooth decay after TT, particularly after RT.
In Vitro and In Vivo Evaluation of a Nano-Tool Appended Oilmix (Clove and Tea Tree Oil) Thermosensitive Gel for Vaginal Candidiasis
Authors: Alkhanjaf Abdulrab Ahmed M. , Athar Md Tanwir , Ullah Zabih , Umar Ahmad , Shaikh Ibrahim Ahmed
Published: October 2022

The main objective of the proposed work was the development of a thermosensitive gel (containing clove and tea tree oil) for the management of vaginal candidiasis. Both oils have been recommended to be used separately in a topical formulation for vaginal candidiasis. Incorporating two natural ingredients (clove and tea tree oil) into a product give it a broad antimicrobial spectrum and analgesic properties. The two oils were mixed together at a 3:1 ratio and converted into o/w nanoemulsion using the aqueous titration method and plotting pseudo ternary phase diagrams. Further transformations resulted in a gel with thermosensitive properties. To determine the final formulation’s potential for further clinical investigation, in vitro analyses (viscosity measurement, MTT assay, mucoadhesion, ex vivo permeation) and in vivo studies (fungal clearance kinetics in an animal model) were conducted. The current effort leveraged the potential of tea tree and clove oils as formulation ingredients and natural therapeutic agents for vaginal infections. Its synergy generated a stable and effective thermosensitive gel that can be utilized for recurrent candidiasis and other infections.
An Uphill Battle: Financial Education in Romania in the Midst of Societal Transformation
Authors: Șimandan Radu , Leuștean Beatrice , Dobrescu Răzvan Mihai
Published: October 2022

Given Romania’s relatively poor performance from a financial literacy perspective, many public and private entities are currently implementing various initiatives to address this problem. Assuming that financial education projects are a source of insights into broader societal issues, we analyze a sample of financial education projects to discern the issues of societal transformation reflected in their contents. We collected data from financial education websites and analyzed them through qualitative content analysis. We identify and discuss several manifest and latent themes and note the absence of others commonly found in the literature. The emphasis in the manifest themes falls on offering calibrated advice to a public with a relatively low level of financial literacy, prone to unhealthy behaviors such as consumerism, impulse buying, and indebtedness. Several latent concerns concentrate on the changing economic and social landscape, the fear that some traits of national character may hinder the individual appetite for adaptation, and the threat of an economic crisis. The needs of vulnerable groups are rarely addressed, while topics such as the ethical dimension of consumption, environmental and sustainability issues, and gender stereotypes are lacking. We thus find that the financial education initiatives in Romania address an underdeveloped range of topics.
Market Orientation and Hotel Industry: Literature Review and Implications for Periods of Market Turmoil
Authors: Sampaio Carlos , Régio Mónica
Published: October 2022

This study seeks to evaluate the market orientation literature within the scope of the hotel industry. It uses bibliometric methods, particularly a co-citation analysis combined with a literature review. Data were obtained from the Web of Science database and 136 unique documents were used in the analysis. The results show that market orientation literature using data from the hotel industry has been focused on assessing the relationship with hotel business performance and involves three background subjects: methodological aspects regarding the statistical analysis, market orientation theoretical framework and measurement scales, and innovation-related issues, particularly concerning the provided service, including incremental and radical innovations, which are critical over periods of market turmoil. A proposal for future research is presented.
Predicting Rural Ecological Space Boundaries in the Urban Fringe Area Based on Bayesian Network: A Case Study in Nanjing, China
Authors: Yuan Yangyang , Yang Yuchen , Wang Ruijun , Cheng Yuning
Published: October 2022

Urban fringe areas are locations that compete between urban development and ecological protection; their ecological spatial boundaries face the risk of erosion and degradation. Previous studies have so far focused on the core area inside the ecological space. However, research on the ecological boundary zone has so far been insufficient. The delineation of ECR is based on large-scale administrative units, while it is less precise at the level of small-scale rural areas. This study selected Paifang village in Nanjing City as the study area and built a Bayesian network model to predict the ecological space boundary for 2030. The study also identified the driving factors and their mechanisms affecting the changes in the rural ecological space in an urban fringe area and put forward targeted suggestions for its protection. The results suggested that: (1) The ecological space of Paifang village will expand in 2030. Specifically, agricultural land has the greatest potential for restoration of ecological space, followed by shrubland and grassland, and water bodies and their surrounding areas are potentially shrinking ecological space. (2) Artificial construction activities will disturb the ecological space, with the change in agricultural land being the main factor affecting the change in the ecological space boundary. (3) The Ecological Conservation Redline has a significant effect on the protection of the rural ecological space. The results of this study can provide a reference for rural planning and the formulation of protection policies in urban fringe areas.