bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Discourse markers in TV interviews: A corpus-based comparative study of Chinese and the western media
Authors: Fu Yanli , Ho Victor
Published: December 2022

This article, which is part of an on-going large-scale study, quantitatively explores and compares the frequency, patterns, and positions of the three most frequently used discourse markers (DMs): so, and, but in TV interviews. The data comprise three corpora consisting of three media programs from China, the US, and the UK. Results show that there is a statistically significant difference in the frequency of the DM so and the DM and, with each DM having the highest frequency in a specific corpus. Four co-occurring strings (“and so,” “and but,” “so but,” “but so”) are identified in the three corpora with the DM co-occurrence “and so” having the highest frequency in the American program, supporting the claim that this combination is a typical use in American English. The general positional distribution of the three DMs is similar with the highest tendency in the initial position, which can be attributed to the program’s interactivity. The findings will enhance our understanding of the three DMs used in media discourse and should be of practical significance to media hosts and guests in achieving better bilateral communication.
The impact of untreated hearing loss on depression, anxiety, stress, and loneliness in tonal language-speaking older adults in China
Authors: Fu Xinxing , Eikelboom Robert H. , Liu Bo , Wang Shuo , Jayakody Dona M. P.
Published: December 2022

Background

Age-related hearing loss, mental health conditions, and loneliness commonly affect older adults. This study aimed to determine whether untreated hearing loss is independently associated with depression, anxiety, stress, and loneliness in tonal language-speaking older adults in China.

Study design

Observational, cross-sectional study.

Methods

293 older adults (111 males, M = 70.33 ± 4.90 years; 182 females, M = 69.02 ± 4.08 years) were recruited. All participants completed a pure tone audiometric hearing assessment, and provided information on living arrangements, marital status, leisure activities, tobacco and alcohol use, and medical history. The Mandarin version of the De Jong Gierveld Loneliness Scale was used to measure loneliness, and the Mandarin version of the 21-item Depression Anxiety Stress Scale (DASS-21) was used to assess a range of symptoms common to depression, stress, and anxiety of the participants. The analysis focused on determining the predictors of depression, anxiety, and stress, and the predictors of measures of loneliness.

Results

Multiple stepwise regression analyses revealed that the emotional loneliness (β = 0.303, p < 0.001) and living status (β = 0.110, p = 0.048) significantly predicted DASS depression scores; emotional loneliness (β = 0.276, p < 0.001) and a history of vascular disease (β = 0.148, p = 0.009) were significantly related to DASS anxiety scores; emotional loneliness (β = 0.341, p < 0.001) and a history of vascular disease (β = 0.129, p = 0.019) significantly predicted DASS stress scores. Furthermore, multiple stepwise regression analyses showed that DASS stress scores (β = 0.333, p < 0.001), education years (β = −0.126, p = 0.020), marriage status (β = 0.122, p = 0.024), and a history of vascular disease (β = 0.111, p = 0.044) significantly predicted emotional loneliness; four-frequency average hearing loss (β = 0.149, p = 0.010) and DASS stress scores (β = 0.123, p = 0.034) significantly predicted social loneliness scale; and four-frequency average hearing loss (β = 0.167, p = 0.003) and DASS stress scores (β = 0.279, p < 0.001) also significantly predicted overall loneliness. There were no significant associations with high-frequency hearing loss.

Conclusion

This study revealed that loneliness has a significant relationship both with hearing loss and aspects of mental health in an older adult Mandarin-speaking population. However, mental health was not significantly associated with hearing loss in this population.
The contour effect: Differences in the aesthetic preference and stress response to photo-realistic living environments
Authors: Tawil Nour , Ascone Leonie , Kühn Simone
Published: December 2022

The interest in the response to contours has recently re-emerged, with various studies suggesting a universal preference for curved over angular stimuli. Although no consensus has yet been reached on the reasons for this preference, similar effects have been proposed in interior environments. However, the scarcely available research primarily depends on schematic or unmatched stimuli and faces heterogeneity in the reported results. In a within-subject design, we investigated the claimed contour effect in photo-realistic indoor environments using stimulus material previously tested in virtual reality (VR). A total of 198 online participants rated 20 living room images, exclusively manipulated on the contours (angular vs. curved) and style (modern vs. classic) levels. The scales represented aesthetic (beauty and liking) and stress (rest and stress) responses. Beyond our main focus on contours, we additionally examined style and sex effects to account for potential interactions. Results revealed a significant main effect of contours on both aesthetic (η2g = 1–2%) and stress (η2g = 8–12%) ratings. As expected, images of curved (vs. angular) contours scored higher on beauty, liking, and rest scales, and lower on stress. Regarding interactions with style, curvature was aesthetically preferred over angularity only within images depicting modern interiors, however, its positive effect on stress responses remained significant irrespective of style. Furthermore, we observed sex differences in aesthetic but not in stress evaluations, with curvature preference only found in participants who indicated female as their sex. In sum, our study primarily confirms positive effects of curvature, however, with multiple layers. First, the impact on aesthetic preference seems to be influenced by individual and contextual factors. Second, in terms of stress responses, which might be especially relevant for designs intended to promote mental-health, the consistent effects suggest a more generalizable, potentially biophilic characteristic of curves. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first study to demonstrate these effects in fully-matched, photo-realistic, and multi-perspective interior design stimuli. From the background of a previous VR trial from our research group, whereby the same rooms did not elicit any differences, our findings propose that static vs. immersive presentations might yield different results in the response to contours.
The impact of family function on mental health status in patient with inflammatory bowel disease: The mediating role of self-esteem
Authors: Wu Qiwei , Zhu Pingting , Liu Xinyi , Chen Chen , Ji Qiaoying , Gu Qiaohua
Published: December 2022

Objective

Family function is a protective factor for mental health status in IBD patients; however, the underlying processes are unknown. This study aimed to investigate the mediating influence of self-esteem on family functioning and mental health.

Methods

This cross-sectional study comprised a total of 133 IBD patients who were assessed for family function (APGAR) and depression symptoms. (PHQ-9), anxiety symptoms. (GAD-7) and self-esteem (RSES) via self-administered questionnaires. Mediating effects were tested using the SPSS Process program with bootstrap.

Results

The total score of PHQ-9 was 7.44 ±5.54. The total score of GAD-7 was 6.15±4.78. Significant associations were identified among family function, self-esteem, depression, and anxiety symptoms. Results revealed a significant indirect effect, suggesting that the effects of family function on depression and anxiety symptoms were mediated by self-esteem; the indirect effects percentages were 41.63 and 29.25.

Conclusion

These results indicate that the family function of IBD patients can predict their mental health condition. As self-esteem is a mediating element, which may have been influenced by family function, mental health status is indirectly affected. Therefore, promoting the self-esteem of IBD patients is crucial for facilitating long-term mental wellness.
The pathophysiology of rapid fluctuations in mental status associated with olanzapine: A case report
Authors: Torrico Tyler J.
Published: December 2022

Background

Olanzapine toxicity is reported to be a rare but specific phenomenon characterized by rapid fluctuations between somnolence and agitation, which has been referred to as “agitation despite sedation.” A similar phenomenon is observed as an adverse reaction of the long-acting injectable olanzapine formulation, which has been referred to as “delirium/sedation syndrome.”

Case presentation

This case report describes a 48-year-old man diagnosed with schizophrenia who experienced rapid fluctuations between somnolence and agitation during a cross-titration of olanzapine to clozapine. The patient had normal serum levels of both medications and the symptoms resolved with the discontinuation of olanzapine.

Conclusion

Rapid fluctuations in mental status between somnolence and agitation are not clearly described among other antipsychotics, and it is possible that this phenomenon may be specific to olanzapine. The findings of this case report suggested that this phenomenon was likely the result of the oversaturation of (H1) and (M1) receptors.
Temporopolar volumes are associated with the severity of social impairment and language development in children with autism spectrum disorder with developmental delay
Authors: Ji Yiting , Xu Mingyu , Liu Xin , Dai Yuan , Zhou Li , Li Fei , Zhang Lingli
Published: December 2022

Background

Children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and developmental delay (DD; ASD + DD) have more severe clinical symptoms than those with ASD without DD (ASD-only). However, little is known about the underlying neuroimaging mechanisms. The aim of this study was to explore the volumetric difference between patients with ASD + DD and ASD-only and investigate the relationship between brain alterations and clinical manifestations.

Materials and methods

A total of 184 children with ASD aged 2–6 years were included in this study, who were divided into two groups according to their cognitive development: ASD + DD and ASD-only. Clinical symptoms and language development were assessed using the Autism Diagnostic Observation Schedule (ADOS), Childhood Autism Rating Scale (CARS), and the Putonghua Communicative Development Inventory. Of the 184 children, 60 age-matched males (30 ASD + DD and 30 ASD-only patients) with high-resolution structural neuroimaging scans were included for further voxel-based morphometry analysis to examine the relationship between clinical symptoms and gray matter volumes.

Results

The ASD + DD group had higher CARS and ADOS scores, lower gesture scores, and poorer performance in “responding to joint attention” (RJA) and “initiating joint attention” than the ASD-only group. Larger gray matter volumes in the temporal poles of the right and left middle temporal gyri were associated with the co-occurrence of DD in patients with ASD. Moreover, temporopolar volumes were correlated with CARS and ADOS scores, gesture scores, and RJA ability. Pre-language development significantly mediated the relationship between temporopolar volumes and both CARS and ADOS scores; RJA ability, but not gesture development, contributed to this mediating effect.

Conclusion

In this study, we found that temporopolar volumes were enlarged in patients with ASD who had comorbid DD, and these patients showed an association between symptom severity and language ability during the pre-language stage. Offering early interventions focused on RJA and the temporal pole may help improve clinical symptoms.
Heterogeneity thwarts autism explanatory power: A proposal for endophenotypes
Authors: Waterhouse Lynn
Published: December 2022

Many researchers now believe that autism heterogeneity is likely to include many disorders, but most research is based on samples defined by the DSM-5 Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) criteria. However, individuals diagnosed with autism have complex and varied biological causes for their symptoms. Therefore, autism is not a unitary biological entity. And although autism is significantly different from typical development, autism is not a unitary clinical disorder because diagnosed individuals vary in symptom patterns, comorbidities, biomarkers, and gene variants. The DSM-5 ASD criteria were designed to reduce heterogeneity, and there have been many other efforts to reduce autism heterogeneity including using more stringent clinical criteria, dividing autism into low and high functioning groups, creating subgroups, and by studying larger samples. However, to date these efforts have not been successful. Heterogeneity is extensive and remains unexplained, and no autism pathophysiology has been discovered. Most importantly, heterogeneity has hindered the explanatory power of the autism diagnosis to discover drug regimens and effective behavioral treatments. The paper proposes that possible transdiagnostic endophenotypes may reduce autism heterogeneity. Searching for transdiagnostic endophenotypes requires exploring autism symptoms outside of the framework of the DSM-5 autism diagnosis. This paper proposes that researchers relax diagnostic criteria to increase the range of phenotypes to support the search for transdiagnostic endophenotypes. The paper proposes possible candidates for transdiagnostic endophenotypes. These candidates are taken from DSM-5 ASD criteria, from concepts that have resulted from researched theories, and from symptoms that are the result of subtyping. The paper then sketches a possible basis for a future transdiagnostic endophenotypes screening tool that includes symptoms of autism and other neurodevelopmental disorders.
Understanding psychiatric illness through natural language processing (UNDERPIN): Rationale, design, and methodology
Authors: Kishimoto Taishiro , Nakamura Hironobu , Kano Yoshinobu , Eguchi Yoko , Kitazawa Momoko , Liang Kuo-ching , Kudo Koki , Sento Ayako , Takamiya Akihiro , Horigome Toshiro , Yamasaki Toshihiko , Sunami Yuki , Kikuchi Toshiaki , Nakajima Kazuki , Tomita Masayuki , Bun Shogyoku , Momota Yuki , Sawada Kyosuke , Murakami Junichi , Takahashi Hidehiko , Mimura Masaru
Published: December 2022

Introduction

Psychiatric disorders are diagnosed through observations of psychiatrists according to diagnostic criteria such as the DSM-5. Such observations, however, are mainly based on each psychiatrist's level of experience and often lack objectivity, potentially leading to disagreements among psychiatrists. In contrast, specific linguistic features can be observed in some psychiatric disorders, such as a loosening of associations in schizophrenia. Some studies explored biomarkers, but biomarkers have yet to be used in clinical practice.

Aim

The purposes of this study are to create a large dataset of Japanese speech data labeled with detailed information on psychiatric disorders and neurocognitive disorders to quantify the linguistic features of those disorders using natural language processing and, finally, to develop objective and easy-to-use biomarkers for diagnosing and assessing the severity of them.

Methods

This study will have a multi-center prospective design. The DSM-5 or ICD-11 criteria for major depressive disorder, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, and anxiety disorder and for major and minor neurocognitive disorders will be regarded as the inclusion criteria for the psychiatric disorder samples. For the healthy subjects, the absence of a history of psychiatric disorders will be confirmed using the Mini-International Neuropsychiatric Interview (M.I.N.I.). The absence of current cognitive decline will be confirmed using the Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE). A psychiatrist or psychologist will conduct 30-to-60-min interviews with each participant; these interviews will include free conversation, picture-description task, and story-telling task, all of which will be recorded using a microphone headset. In addition, the severity of disorders will be assessed using clinical rating scales. Data will be collected from each participant at least twice during the study period and up to a maximum of five times at an interval of at least one month.

Discussion

This study is unique in its large sample size and the novelty of its method, and has potential for applications in many fields. We have some challenges regarding inter-rater reliability and the linguistic peculiarities of Japanese. As of September 2022, we have collected a total of >1000 records from >400 participants. To the best of our knowledge, this data sample is one of the largest in this field.

Clinical Trial Registration

Identifier: UMIN000032141.
A multidimensional physical scale is a useful screening test for mild depression associated with childcare in Japanese child-rearing women
Authors: Takeuchi Mariko , Matsunaga Michiko , Egashira Ryuichiro , Miyake Akimitsu , Yasuno Fumihiko , Nakano Mai , Moriguchi Misaki , Tonari Satoko , Hotta Sayaka , Hayashi Haruka , Saito Hitomi , Myowa Masako , Hagihara Keisuke
Published: December 2022

Introduction

Maternal depression is one of the important problems of postpartum women. For its early detection and appropriate treatment, it is necessary to identify women at high risk for depression quickly and easily.

Materials and methods

A simple screening scale for depression from physical aspects, the multidimensional physical scale (MDPS), which is a 17-item, self-report, three-step scale (0, 1, 2) according to the theory of Kampo medicine, was developed. The aim of the present study was to develop (n = 785) and validate (n = 350) the MDPS that was designed to rate the risk of depression. The Beck Depression Inventory–Second Edition was used for determination of depression. In the development cohort, the final model was determined using multi-regression logistic analysis.

Results

The components of the MDPS for mothers (MDPS-M) were developed, containing the total score of MDPS (0–34 points) and resumption of menstruation or not (–3, 0 points). Receiver-operating characteristic curve analysis of the MDPS-M (–3 to 34) for identifying a high risk of depression showed moderately good discrimination [area under the curve (AUC) = 0.74, 95% confidence interval (CI): 0.70–0.78]. At the cutoff value of MDPS-M (9/10), its sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value, and negative predictive value were 84.9, 45.7, 36.7, and 89.2%, respectively. External validation of the MDPS-M showed moderately good discrimination (AUC = 0.74, 95% CI: 0.68–0.79) using the same analysis as the development cohort.

Conclusion

These results indicate that the MDPS-M is a useful, simple, clinical scale for early identification of mothers at high risk of depression in primary care.
Individual-level determinants of depressive symptoms and associated diseases history in Turkish persons aged 15 years and older: A population-based study
Authors: Phiri Yohane V. A. , Aydın Kemal , Yıldız Nadire Gülçin , Motsa Mfundi President Sebenele , Nkoka Owen , Aydin Halide Z. , Chao Hsing Jasmine
Published: December 2022

Background

Depressive symptoms are associated with both long-lasting and short-term repetitive mood disorders and affect a person’s ability to function and lead a rewarding life. In addition to predisposing genetic causes, other factors such as socioeconomic and demographic factors, and chronic diseases have also been reported to associate with depression. In this study, we analyzed the association between history of chronic diseases and presentation of depressive symptoms amongst Turkish individuals.

Methods

We employed the 2019 Turkey health survey to analyze data of 11,993 individuals aged 15+ years. Depressive symptoms were assessed using the eight-item Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-8) coded with a binary measure, a score of <10 as less depressed and >10 as moderate-severely depressed. A number of sociodemographic characteristics were adjusted for in the analyses. Logistic regression models were used to test the association between chronic diseases and depressive symptoms in the study sample.

Results

Our analysis revealed that 6.24% of the 11,993 participants had reported an episode of depressive symptoms. The prevalence of depressive symptoms in men was 1.85% and in women, it was 2.34 times higher. Participants who had previously reported experiencing coronary heart diseases (AOR = 7.79, 95% CI [4.96–12.23]), urinary incontinences (AOR = 7.90, 95% CI [4.93–12.66]), and liver cirrhosis (AOR = 7.50, 95% CI [4.90–10.42]) were approximately eight times likely to have depressive symptoms. Similarly, participants with Alzheimer’s disease (AOR = 6.83, 95% CI [5.11–8.42]), kidney problems (AOR = 6.63, 95% CI [4.05–10.85]), and history of allergies (AOR = 6.35, 95% CI [4.28–9.23]) had approximately seven-fold odds of reporting episodes of depressive symptoms. The odds of presenting with depressive symptoms amongst participants aged ≥ 50 were higher than in individuals aged ≤ 49 years.

Conclusion

At individual level, gender and general health status were associated with increased odds of depression. Furthermore, a history of any of the chronic diseases, irrespective of age, was a positive predictor of depression in our study population. Our findings could help to serve as a reference for monitoring depression amongst individuals with chronic conditions, planning health resources and developing preventive and screening strategies targeting those exposed to predisposing factors.
Associations between trajectories of social participation and functional ability among older adults: Results from the China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study
Authors: Xu Jiaqin , Xu Jixiang , Chen Yingwei , Wang Yujie , Qin Guoyou , Gao Junling
Published: December 2022

Introduction

Functional ability (FA) and social participation (SP) are important indicators of healthy aging, both their trajectories are heterogeneous. It is little known about how the SP trajectories affects FA trajectories.

Methods

FA was assessed by 20 items covering the ability of meeting basic needs and mobility. SP was assessed by frequency of participating in 10 social activities. Group-based trajectory modeling (GBTM) was used to identify the trajectories of FA and SP of the participants.

Results

Two FA trajectories were identified: low baseline-decline tendency (16.1%) and high baseline-stable tendency (83.9%) trajectories. Two SP trajectories were also identified: low baseline-stable tendency (58.5%) and high baseline-increase tendency (41.5%) trajectories. After controlling for the potential covariates, participants among the high baseline-increase tendency SP trajectory group also had significantly higher odds ratios to be belonged in high baseline-stable tendency FA trajectory group (ORs = 2.64, 95%CI = 1.98–3.05).

Conclusions

High-increasing social participation had a protective effect to maintain high baseline-stable tendency functional ability among older adults. These findings suggest social participation appears to have great benefits on promoting healthy aging in China.
Can the asymmetry of Okun's law be interpreted from a social perspective? Evidence from the World Bank
Authors: Yi Lin , Kaifeng Song , Jingbin Tu , Liangrong Lai
Published: December 2022

Okun's law is generally interpreted in economic terms. This paper is interpreted from a social perspective through regression and mediating effect models. Okun's law is demonstrated based on data from the World Development Indicators (WDI) dataset. There is indeed a relationship between unemployment and economic growth, with unemployment negatively affecting economic growth after controlling for the two-way causality problem. This result remains robust after replacing the core explanatory variables. This paper interprets the asymmetry of Okun's law from a social perspective, using alcohol consumption as a mediating variable to measure the harm caused by unemployment to the unemployed. Analysis of the data reveals that alcohol consumption mediates between unemployment and economic growth. Unemployment increases alcohol consumption, which causes incurable harm to the unemployed. It reduces the willingness and probability of the unemployed to re-employ and further reduces the potential for economic growth. This is why the economic expansion did not lead to employment growth, revealing the asymmetry of Okun's law. The gender-specific heterogeneity analysis found that the impact of unemployment on economic growth did not vary much by gender.
Association between long-term static postures exposure and musculoskeletal disorders among university employees: A viewpoint of inflammatory pathways
Authors: Dong Yidan , Jiang Ping , Jin Xu , Jiang Nanyu , Huang Wenchu , Peng Yu , Shen Yuhong , He Lihua , Forsman Mikael , Yang Liyun
Published: December 2022

Background

Musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs) are critical occupational and social problems. With the improvement of production mechanization and automation, and the widespread application of computers, more occupations are exposed to static postures and load. This study explored the role of inflammation in the association between static postures exposure and MSDs.

Methods

This study adopted a prospective nested case-control design in which 66 lower back MSDs cases and 66 healthy controls were selected from a cohort study of university employees. The personal information, postural load, musculoskeletal symptoms, pressure pain thresholds (PPTs), and inflammatory cytokines were collected. Logistic and linear regressions were used to investigate the association among postural load, inflammatory cytokines, and lower back MSDs. Mediation analysis was used to calculate the mediation effect.

Results

The results of logistic and linear regressions showed that postural load and inflammatory cytokines were positively associated with lower back MSDs (P < 0.05), and postural load was positively associated with inflammatory cytokines (P < 0.05). Further, mediation analysis showed that the mediation effect of postural load on the lower back MSDs through TNF-α was 0.073 (95%CI: 0.025–0.128), and the mediation effect of posture load on the lower back MSDs through IL-6 was 0.098 (95%CI: 0.041–0.179), respectively.

Conclusion

Static postures were associated with the occurrence of MSDs through inflammatory cytokines, and low-level inflammation may be a critical early event in the generation of MSDs. This study may help bridge the gap of potential mechanisms linking static postures to increased risks of MSDs, and provide new evidence for targeted protection against the global increasing MSDs.
Parents' pandemic stress, parental involvement, and family quality of life for children with autism
Authors: Cheng Shengli , Cheng Sanyin , Liu Shushan , Li Yun
Published: December 2022

Background

Research has shown that parents of children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) suffered high levels of stress during the COVID-19 pandemic and faced poor family quality of life (FQOL). However, little is known about the inherent dynamic interaction between pandemic stress and FQOL, especially in the Chinese cultural context.

Aims

This study provides preliminary evidence by examining the relationships among pandemic stress, parental involvement, and FQOL for children with autism in mainland China.

Method

A total of 709 parents of children with autism completed measures of FQOL, parental involvement, and pandemic stress. Structural equation modeling was employed to examine the interrelations among these variables.

Results

Pandemic stress has direct effect and indirect effect mediated by parental involvement on FQOL. Two dimensions of pandemic stress had a direct effect on FQOL (β1 = 0.11; β2 = −0.55) and three dimensions had an indirect effect on FQOL through parental involvement (β1 = −0.097; β2 = 0.257; β3 = 0.114).

Conclusion

Stress related to the COVID-19 pandemic affects family quality of life for children with autism in complex ways. Policies may be developed to enhance parental pragmatic hopefulness in the anti-epidemic victory and alleviate negative physical and mental reactions caused by the pandemic.
Molecular epidemiology and antimicrobial resistance of Haemophilus influenzae in Guiyang, Guizhou, China
Authors: Zhou Yuhong , Wang Yu , Cheng Jinzhi , Zhao Xue , Liang Yuedong , Wu Jiahong
Published: December 2022

Background

The widespread use of antimicrobials and Haemophilus influenzae type b (Hib) vaccine worldwide has altered the epidemiological patterns of invasive H. influenzae. Nonetheless, little is currently known on the epidemiological characteristics of H. influenzae in Guiyang, Guizhou, China.

Objective

To determine the serotype distribution, antimicrobial resistance and Multilocus Sequence Typing (MLST) of H. influenzae in hospitalized patients in Guiyang City.

Methods

A total of 196 clinical isolates from hospitalized patients were collected. Serotypes were determined according to the specific capsule gene, bexA, amplified by PCR. According to the guidelines of Clinical and Laboratory Standards Institute (CLSI) 2020 drug susceptibility tested, and the results determined. The chromogenic cephalosporin nitrocefin method was used to detect β-lactamase production, β-lactamase negative, ampicillin-resistant (BLNAR) strains were detected by PCR amplification and sequencing of the penicillin-binding protein 3 (PBP3) locus of ftsI. Multilocus Sequence Typing was performed for molecular typing.

Results

All isolates studied were non-typeable H. influenzae (NTHi). Most patients originated from the pediatrics department (78.6%, 154/196), and suffered from lung with respiratory tract infection (pneumonia and bronchitis, 68.4%, 134/196). The resistance rates of ampicillin, cefaclor and azithromycin were 71.4% (140/196), 36.7% (72/196) and 34.2% (67/196), respectively. 40.3% (79/196) of strains were β-lactamase positive ampicillin-resistant (BLPAR). All BLPAR carried the TEM-1 gene. 9.2% (18/196) were β-lactamase negative ampicillin-resistant strains (BLNAR). The PBP3 mutation was detected in the ampicillin-resistant strains (n = 113), of which 18 belonged to group IIa. A total of 49 sequence types (ST) and 23 clonal complexes (CC) were detected, among which CC107 (ST107, n = 27; ST1002, n = 5; ST1218, n = 5) was the most frequent clonal complexes. BLPAR isolates mostly belonged to ST107 (20/79), while BLNAR was predominantly distributed in ST12 (5/18).

Conclusion

H. influenzae infections are predominately caused by genetically diverse NTHi among hospitalized patients in Guiyang. The prevalence of β-lactamase production and PBP3 mutation may contribute to the high local ampicillin resistance rate.
Efficient framework for brain tumor detection using different deep learning techniques
Authors: Taher Fatma , Shoaib Mohamed R. , Emara Heba M. , Abdelwahab Khaled M. , Abd El-Samie Fathi E. , Haweel Mohammad T.
Published: December 2022

The brain tumor is an urgent malignancy caused by unregulated cell division. Tumors are classified using a biopsy, which is normally performed after the final brain surgery. Deep learning technology advancements have assisted the health professionals in medical imaging for the medical diagnosis of several symptoms. In this paper, transfer-learning-based models in addition to a Convolutional Neural Network (CNN) called BRAIN-TUMOR-net trained from scratch are introduced to classify brain magnetic resonance images into tumor or normal cases. A comparison between the pre-trained InceptionResNetv2, Inceptionv3, and ResNet50 models and the proposed BRAIN-TUMOR-net is introduced. The performance of the proposed model is tested on three publicly available Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) datasets. The simulation results show that the BRAIN-TUMOR-net achieves the highest accuracy compared to other models. It achieves 100%, 97%, and 84.78% accuracy levels for three different MRI datasets. In addition, the k-fold cross-validation technique is used to allow robust classification. Moreover, three different unsupervised clustering techniques are utilized for segmentation.
The effect of Baduanjin exercise on health-related physical fitness of college students: A randomized controlled trial
Authors: Ye Yu , Zhao Fang , Sun Shanshan , Xiong Jian , Zheng Guohua
Published: December 2022

Background

The continuous decline in the physical fitness of college students has become a serious social problem worldwide. Therefore, it is necessary to explore the effective method improving college students' physique. Previous studies have shown that Baduanjin exercise is beneficial in improving sleeping quality, mental health, body flexibility, and body physique. However, the evidence is unclear whether Baduanjin exercise can be recommended as an effective exercise to promote health-related physical fitness of college students.

Methods

A total of 130 college students were recruited and randomly allocated to either the Baduanjin training or the control group at a ratio of 1:1. The students in the Baduanjin training group received a 12-week supervised Baduanjin exercise training intervention with a frequency of 1 h each day and 4 days per week, while those in the control group did not receive any specific exercise intervention and were informed to maintain their original lifestyle for 12 weeks. The outcomes of health-related physical fitness involving measurements of body flexibility, muscular strength, cardiopulmonary fitness, and body endurance were measured at baseline and after the 12-week intervention period. Mixed linear model was used to analyze the effect of the Baduanjin exercise intervention.

Results

Mixed linear model analyses showed that the Baduanjin training group had a significant increase in the composite scores of health-related physical fitness compared to the control group from baseline to 12-week post-intervention with a medium effect size (d = 0.68, P = 0.006). Moreover, there were significant improvements in vital capacity, physical flexibility, 800/1,000 m endurance running, and body composition (measured by body mass index (BMI), fat mass and body fat ratio) at end of 12-week intervention in the Baduanjin training group. No adverse events were observed in this trial.

Conclusion

Regular Baduanjin training may be an effective, safe exercise form to promote the health-related physical fitness of young adults.

Trial registration

Chinese Clinical Trial Registry, ChiCTR-IOR-17013011. http://www.chictr.ogr.cn.
Low-cost microfluidics: Towards affordable environmental monitoring and assessment
Authors: Mesquita Pedro , Gong Liyuan , Lin Yang
Published: December 2022

Effective environmental monitoring has become a worldwide concern, requiring the development of novel tools to deal with pollution risks and manage natural resources. However, a majority of current assessment methods are still costly and labor-intensive. Thanks to the rapid advancements in microfluidic technology over the past few decades, great efforts have been made to develop miniaturized tools for rapid and efficient environmental monitoring. Compared to traditional large-scale devices, microfluidic approaches provide several advantages such as low sample and energy consumption, shortened analysis time and adaptabilities to onsite applications. More importantly, it provides a low-cost solution for onsite environmental assessment leveraging the ubiquitous materials such as paper and plastics, and cost-effective fabrication methods such as inkjet printing and drawing. At present, devices that are disposable, reproducible, and capable of mass production have been developed and manufactured for a wide spectrum of applications related to environmental monitoring. This review summarizes the recent advances of low-cost microfluidics in the field of environmental monitoring. Initially, common low-cost materials and fabrication technologies are introduced, providing a perspective on the currently available low-cost microfluidic manufacturing techniques. The latest applications towards effective environmental monitoring and assessment in water quality, air quality, soil nutrients, microorganisms, and other applications are then reviewed. Finally, current challenges on materials and fabrication technologies and research opportunities are discussed to inspire future innovations.
Abundance and Equality
Authors: Kop Mauritz
Published: December 2022

The technology driven post-scarcity society is upon us. Ubiquitous technologies are eradicating scarcity in many industries. These macroscopic system trends are causing our economy to transition from relative scarcity to relative abundance. For many people in the world however, in both developed, developing, and underdeveloped countries, the notion of an Age of Abundance will sound utterly bizarre. There is a tension between abundance and equality. Good governance considers in what manner the state conducts public policy, manages public resources and promotes overall prosperity. This chapter connects good governance to the end of scarcity and integrates equality into abundance. The chapter critically examines the normative justifications of our scarcity based legal institutions, such as property and intellectual property (IP) systems, in light of 10 exponential, Fourth Industrial Revolution (4IR) technologies, and the post-scarcity economy. Starting point is that absolute and relative abundance are not utopian. Technology will erase scarcity in more and more economic areas in the foreseeable future, but not everywhere or for everybody. The chapter views relative scarcity and relative abundance as temporal socio-economic categories at two opposite sides of a continuum. The chapter unifies good governance with equality and abundance, by introducing a post-Rawlsian Equal Relative Abundance (ERA) principle of distributive justice. This includes defining a set of material and immaterial primary goods, warranting adequate, sufficient levels of relative abundance (which depend on technological evolution), and equitable results per region or group. Crucially, ERA integrates desert-based principles to the degree that some may deserve a higher level of material goods because of inequality in contributions, i.e., their hard work, talent, luck or entrepreneurial spirit, only to the extent that their unequal rewards do also function to improve the position of the least advantaged. A society governed by the ERA principle should in theory be able to solve the poverty trap on a global level. As lifting people from poverty in Europe is a different thing than achieving ERA in the US, applying equal relative abundance techniques in Asia and Africa each have their own specific challenges and dimensions.
Adaptive arbitration of aerial swarm interactions through a Gaussian kernel for coherent group motion
Authors: Manoni Tiziano , Albani Dario , Horyna Jiri , Petracek Pavel , Saska Martin , Ferrante Eliseo
Published: December 2022

Swarm behaviors offer scalability and robustness to failure through a decentralized and distributed design. When designing coherent group motion as in swarm flocking, virtual potential functions are a widely used mechanism to ensure the aforementioned properties. However, arbitrating through different virtual potential sources in real-time has proven to be difficult. Such arbitration is often affected by fine tuning of the control parameters used to select among the different sources and by manually set cut-offs used to achieve a balance between stability and velocity. A reliance on parameter tuning makes these methods not ideal for field operations of aerial drones which are characterized by fast non-linear dynamics hindering the stability of potential functions designed for slower dynamics. A situation that is further exacerbated by parameters that are fine-tuned in the lab is often not appropriate to achieve satisfying performances on the field. In this work, we investigate the problem of dynamic tuning of local interactions in a swarm of aerial vehicles with the objective of tackling the stability–velocity trade-off. We let the focal agent autonomously and adaptively decide which source of local information to prioritize and at which degree—for example, which neighbor interaction or goal direction. The main novelty of the proposed method lies in a Gaussian kernel used to regulate the importance of each element in the swarm scheme. Each agent in the swarm relies on such a mechanism at every algorithmic iteration and uses it to tune the final output velocities. We show that the presented approach can achieve cohesive flocking while at the same time navigating through a set of way-points at speed. In addition, the proposed method allows to achieve other desired field properties such as automatic group splitting and joining over long distances. The aforementioned properties have been empirically proven by an extensive set of simulated and field experiments, in communication-full and communication-less scenarios. Moreover, the presented approach has been proven to be robust to failures, intermittent communication, and noisy perceptions.
Towards understanding and synthesis of contact-rich anthropomorphic motions through interactive cyber-physical human
Authors: Yoshida Eiichi
Published: December 2022

This article presents perspective on the research challenge of understanding and synthesizing anthropomorphic whole-body contact motions through a platform called “interactive cyber-physical human (iCPH)” for data collection and augmentation. The iCPH platform combines humanoid robots as “physical twins” of human and “digital twins” that simulates humans and robots in cyber-space. Several critical research topics are introduced to address this challenge by leveraging the advanced model-based analysis together with data-driven learning to exploit collected data from the integrated platform of iCPH. Definition of general description is identified as the first topic as a common basis of contact motions compatible to both humans and humanoids. Then, we set continual learning of a feasible contact motion network as the second challenge by benefiting from model-based approach and machine learning bridged by the efficient analytical gradient computation developed by the author and his collaborators. The final target is to establish a high-level symbolic system allowing automatic understanding and generation of contact motions in unexperienced environments. The proposed approaches are still under investigation, and the author expects that this article triggers discussions and further collaborations from different research communities, including robotics, artificial intelligence, neuroscience, and biomechanics.
Autonomous detection and sorting of litter using deep learning and soft robotic grippers
Authors: Almanzor Elijah , Anvo Nzebo Richard , Thuruthel Thomas George , Iida Fumiya
Published: December 2022

Road infrastructure is one of the most vital assets of any country. Keeping the road infrastructure clean and unpolluted is important for ensuring road safety and reducing environmental risk. However, roadside litter picking is an extremely laborious, expensive, monotonous and hazardous task. Automating the process would save taxpayers money and reduce the risk for road users and the maintenance crew. This work presents LitterBot, an autonomous robotic system capable of detecting, localizing and classifying common roadside litter. We use a learning-based object detection and segmentation algorithm trained on the TACO dataset for identifying and classifying garbage. We develop a robust modular manipulation framework by using soft robotic grippers and a real-time visual-servoing strategy. This enables the manipulator to pick up objects of variable sizes and shapes even in dynamic environments. The robot achieves greater than 80% classified picking and binning success rates for all experiments; which was validated on a wide variety of test litter objects in static single and cluttered configurations and with dynamically moving test objects. Our results showcase how a deep model trained on an online dataset can be deployed in real-world applications with high accuracy by the appropriate design of a control framework around it.
Accessibility to public spaces: Boosting ecosystem services in urban areas in four Latin American cities
Authors: Montoya-Tangarife Claudia , Villamizar Duarte Natalia , Jorquera Guajardo Felipe , Cardenas María F. , Giraldo-Ospina Tania
Published: December 2022

The supply and demand of ecosystem services in urban areas depends, among other things, on the configuration and location of public spaces with vegetation and the access citizens have to them. Providing equitable access to urban services has been a top priority of public policy worldwide, but urban ecosystem services (UES) are not always considered when discussing urban services. Since access to UES may positively impact wellbeing and promote urban sustainability, we analyze accessibility to public spaces with different greening characteristics in four Latin American cities: Cartagena de Indias and Medellín (Colombia) Valparaíso (Chile) and Quito (Ecuador). We argue that considering distribution of, and accessibility to, public spaces with different greening characteristics provides insights for policymakers seeking to increase the potential provision of UES through public space. We classified existing public spaces into four categories using photointerpretation of high-resolution QuickBird satellite images: (1) tree predominance, (2) grass predominance, (3) hard zone predominance, and (4) bare soil predominance. We evaluated physical accessibility using spatial analysis of road networks, considering a walking distance that can be covered in different ranges of time. Our results show that three of the four cities have good accessibility to public spaces within 15 min. However, this distance increases when we focus on access to public spaces with vegetation and green areas (categories 1 and 2). This study contributes to research on ecosystem services by analyzing conditions of accessibility to public spaces which offer direct contact with nature and a potential supply of UES within urban areas. It also highlights the importance of conceiving and planning public space as direct providers of UES, an important aspect of improving environmental quality and positively impacting people's health and wellbeing.
Gaining resolution when creating imagery of aging
Authors: Sheahan Jacob
Published: December 2022

In seeking to support healthy aging, designers have struggled to reduce their assumptions and biases toward older adults, been seen to interpret the worlds of later life through unfiltered imagery, as well as engage with stigmas, ultimately diminishing the technologies they construct. This article seeks to critically analyse this state-of-the-art from a design research perspective while engaging with the growing interdisciplinary study of aging and technologies. Toward this, we proposition “resolution” as a concept indicative of the level of detail that seeks to characterize the fidelity that representations of later life have. This concept is explored through a cultural probe study that investigated the sentiments of several older Australians regarding the inequities and social isolation brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic. Providing a diary alongside photovoice and mapping tasks, the study captured perceptions of social technology, practices, networks, and wellbeing, offering a diverse and complex picture of aging and technology. Through reflexive thematic analyses of some of these materials, this case study offers designers pathways to understanding and including older adults in their work. In determining the resolution of these images of aging, we discuss how transparency about the limitations and qualities of such participatory methods through incorporating reflexivity can influence the degree of detail such imagery gains. Ultimately this concept builds on the notion of participation configuration, supporting designers to realize better images of aging and representations of later life.