bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Listening to the Voice of the Hospitalized Child: Comparing Children’s Experiences to Their Parents
Authors: Ali Haneen , Fatemi Yasin , Cole Astin , Tahat Sufyan , Ali Duha
Published: November 2022

Background: Pediatric patients can provide feedback about their healthcare experiences. However, most do not and are instead represented by their parents. A widely accepted notion is that pediatric patients lack the capacity, vocabulary, and preferences needed to answer meaningful questions related to their healthcare. However, because the pediatric patients’ experience can differ from the perspective of their parents, the use of proxy reporting ultimately reduces the hospital’s ability to address the concerns of pediatric patients directly. Objectives: The overall goals of this survey study were (1) to identify the key domains whereby pediatric patient and parent preferences differ and (2) to investigate the extent to which pediatric patients perceive their healthcare experiences differently from their parents. Methods: This study employed an adult version, an older child version, and a younger child version of a 47-question survey instrument divided into seven key domains: experience with the admission process, interactions with nurses, interactions with doctors, care in the hospital, hospital environment, experience before discharge, and overall score. The instrument was developed to survey children (ages 4–17) recently discharged from the hospital and their parents or guardian. Results: The findings suggest pediatric patients reported interest in engaging with their doctors about their healthcare. However, pediatric patients younger than 13 years old reported having fewer pediatric doctors ask them about their healthcare, with the youngest group reporting the worst experiences. Moreover, differences in perceptions were identified between pediatric patients and their parents regarding hospital quality and performance. Pediatric patients reported less pain and higher satisfaction regarding the cleanliness of the room and their experience in the admission process than their parents. Patient and parent responses were significantly different within each of the seven domains. Conclusion: The results speak to the larger discussion of whether current hospital settings can engage with small children at the level necessary to capture meaningful feedback about their healthcare experience. By providing additional evidence to the contrary, this survey study brings further context to misconceptions regarding pediatric patients’ involvement as crucial actors in the patient-and-family-centered care model.
Mean Platelet Volume in Neonatal Sepsis: Meta-Analysis of Observational Studies
Authors: Toro-Huamanchumo Carlos J. , Cabanillas-Ramirez Cielo , Quispe-Vicuña Carlos , Caballero-Alvarado Jose A. , León-Figueroa Darwin A. , Cruces-Tirado Nicolás , Barboza Joshuan J.
Published: November 2022

Introduction: Early onset neonatal sepsis (EONS), particularly in preterm sepsis, is a potentially fatal issue. Evaluation of mean platelet volume (MPV) as an EONS predictor was the goal. Methods: Four databases were used to conduct a systematic evaluation of cohort and case–control studies. Up till the end of October 2022, 137 articles were found utilizing the search method. Following the review, 12 studies were included. Leukocytes, MPV, platelets, gender, birth weight, gestational age, mortality, and C-reactive protein (CRP) were all taken into account while analyzing the prediction of EONS. Inverse-variance methodology and the random-effects model were used. Using GRADE, the evidence’s quality was evaluated. Results: Neonatal patients with sepsis had significantly higher MPV levels than do neonates without sepsis (MD 1.26; 95% CI 0.89–1.63; p < 0.001). An increased MPV during the first 24 h postpartum was associated with high CRP values and high risk of neonatal mortality. In the investigations, the MPV cutoff for sepsis patients was 9.95 (SD 0.843). Overall certainty of the evidence was very low. Conclusions: The increased MPV during the first 24 h postpartum may be predictive of EONS and mortality. Future studies are warranted.
Interaction Mechanism of RGD Tripeptide on Different Surfaces of Mg and Mg Alloys: A First-Principles Study
Authors: Fang Zhe , Ding Huili , Li Ping , Qiao Huijie , Liang Erjun , Jia Yu , Guan Shaokang
Published: November 2022

Functional Arg-Gly-Asp (RGD) tripeptide has a tremendous potential in clinical applications to accelerate the endothelialization of Magnesium (Mg) alloy vascular stent surface. The interaction mechanism of RGD on different surfaces of Mg and Mg alloy is important for promoting the development of Mg alloy vascular stent, yet still unclear. In the present work, first-principles calculation within density functional theory (DFT) was performed to investigate the interaction mechanism. The electron redistribution, effect of alloying elements and changes in the density of states of the adsorption systems were studied. The results revealed that RGD interacted with different surfaces of Mg (0001), Mg(112¯0) and Mg(101¯1) through ligand covalent bond; the pronounced localization of electrons of Mg(112¯0) and Mg(101¯1) surfaces promoted the adsorption of RGD tripeptide compared with that on the Mg(0001) surface; Zn/Y/Nd alloying elements improved the adsorption of RGD. Calculated results could provide insight for the interaction mechanism of biomolecule on the Mg and Mg-based alloy surfaces, and point out some directions for the future experimental efforts.
Effect of Deposition Parameters on Morphological and Compositional Characteristics of Electrodeposited CuFeO2 Film
Authors: Son Min-Kyu
Published: November 2022

Deposition parameters determine the characteristics of semiconductor films in electrodeposition. Thus, it is essential to understand the effect of deposition parameters on the electrodeposited film for fabricating suitable semiconductor film fitting for various applications. In this work, the morphological and compositional properties of electrodeposited delafossite CuFeO2 film, according to the deposition parameters, were studied. The CuFeO2 film was fabricated by the galvanostatic electrodeposition and post-annealing process under inert gas flow. The type of solvent, electrolyte condition, applied current density and deposition time were controlled as the variable deposition parameters. As a result, the typical CuFeO2 film, without any impurities, was electrodeposited in the electrolyte-based DMSO solvent. Interestingly, the concentration of potassium perchlorate as a complexing agent caused morphological change in electrodeposited CuFeO2 film, as well as compositional transition. On the other hand, the applied current density and deposition time only influenced the morphology of electrodeposited CuFeO2 film. These observations would provide specific guidelines for the fabrication of electrodeposited CuFeO2 film with suitable composition and morphology for various applications.
Fabrication of Polystyrene/AlOOH Hybrid Material for Pb(II) Decontamination from Wastewater: Isotherm, Kinetic, and Thermodynamic Studies
Authors: Kumar Rajeev
Published: November 2022

The nanomaterials’ toxicity to aquatic life is a big issue due to improper handling or incomplete separation after use. The immobilization of the nanomaterials in the polymeric matrix could be a practical approach to developing an efficient hybrid composite for wastewater purification. In this study, AlOOH nanoparticles were immobilized in the polystyrene polymeric matrix to prepare an effective adsorbent to scavenge the Pb(II) from the aqueous solution. The synthesized polystyrene/AlOOH (PS/AlOOH) hybrid was characterized using microscopic techniques coupled with elemental mapping and EDX, X-ray diffraction, and a furrier-transformed infrared spectrometer. The results revealed that the Pb(II) adsorption onto the polystyrene/AlOOH composite depends on the solution pH, the Pb(II) concentrations in the solution, the adsorption time, and the solute temperature. The maximum scavenging of Pb(II) occurs at pH 6 in 90 min. The adsorption of Pb(II) onto PS/AlOOH decreases from 97.7% to 58.5% with the increase in the Pb(II) concentration from 20 mg g−1 to 100 mg g−1. The kinetics and isotherm modeling demonstrated that Pb(II) adsorption is well suited for the pseudo-second-order kinetics and Toth isotherm models, suggesting that the chemisorption occurs at the heterogeneous surface of PS/AlOOH. The PS/AlOOH composite could be used multiple times without a significant loss in the adsorption efficiency. These results demonstrated that the polystyrene/AlOOH composite is an effective material for the purification of wastewater and can be used on a large scale.
Transition to Fast Whole-Body SPECT/CT Bone Imaging: An Assessment of Image Quality
Authors: Alqahtani Mansour , Willowson Kathy , Fulton Roger , Constable Chris , Kench Peter
Published: November 2022

Objective: To investigate the impact of reduced SPECT acquisition time on reconstructed image quality for diagnostic purposes. Method: Data from five patients referred for a routine bone SPECT/CT using the standard multi-bed SPECT/CT protocol were reviewed. The acquisition time was 900 s using gating technique; SPECT date was resampled into reduced data sets of 480 s, 450 s, 360 s and 180 s acquisition duration per bed position. Each acquisition time was reconstructed using a fixed number of subsets (8 subsets) and 4, 8, 12, and 16 iterations, followed by a post-reconstruction 3D Gaussian filter of 8 mm FWHM. Two Nuclear Medicine physicians analysed all images independently to score image quality, noise and diagnostic confidence based on a pre-defined 4-point scale. Results: Our result showed that the most frequently selected categories for 480 s and 450 s images were good image quality, average noise and fair confidence, particularly at lower iteration numbers 4 and 8. For the shortened acquisition time of 360 s and 180 s, statistical significance was observed in most reconstructed images compared with 900 s. Conclusion: The SPECT/CT can significantly shorten the acquisition time with maintained image quality, noise and diagnostic confidence. Therefore, acquiring data over 480 s and 450 s is feasible for WB-SPECT/CT bone scans to provide an optimal balance between acquisition time and image quality.
License Plate Detection with Attention-Guided Dual Feature Pyramid Networks in Complex Environments
Authors: Xiong Yu-Jie , Gao Yong-Bin , Zhang Jun-Qing , Ren Jian-Xin
Published: November 2022

License plate detection plays a significant role in intelligent transportation systems. Convolutional neural networks have shown a remarkable performance and made significant progress for the detection task. Despite these outstanding achievements, license plate detection in complex environments is still a challenging task, due to the noisy background, unpredictable environments and varying shapes and sizes of the license plates. In order to improve the performance of license plate detection in complex environments, we propose a novel approach using an attention-guided dual feature pyramid and a cascaded positioning strategy. At first, the original features of images are extracted by the residual network. In order to make sure that each feature map contains higher- and lower-level semantic information, we utilize a bottom-up and a top-down pathway, respectively. Meanwhile, the proposed attention-guided dual feature pyramid network is used to receive the extracted features for a multilevel feature fusion. Our proposed attention-guided modules contain both spatial and channel attention. Attention-guided modules deduce the attention weights according to channel and spatial dimensions and multiply the calculated result with the input to obtain the refined feature maps. Then, a region proposal network is used to generate the candidate regions for the license plates. Finally, a cascaded positioning network is utilized to obtain the final locations of the license plates. To validate the effectiveness of the proposed method, we conducted a series of experiments on different public datasets. Experiments on AOLP and CCPD validated the effectiveness of our proposed method.
Effect of Ultrasound Combined with Glycerol-Mediated Low-Sodium Curing on the Quality and Protein Structure of Pork Tenderloin
Authors: Gu Sha , Zhu Qiujin , Zhou Ying , Wan Jing , Liu Linggao , Zhou Yeling , Chen Dan , Huang Yanpei , Chen Li , Zhong Xiaolin
Published: November 2022

Considering the hazards of high salt intake and the current status of research on low-sodium meat products, this study was to analyze the effect of ultrasound combined with glycerol-mediated low-sodium salt curing on the quality of pork tenderloin by analyzing the salt content, water activity (aw), cooking loss, and texture. The results of scanning electron microscope (SEM) analysis, Raman spectroscopy, ultraviolet fluorescence, and surface hydrophobicity were proposed to reveal the mechanism of the effect of combined ultrasound and glycerol-mediated low sodium salt curing on the quality characteristics of pork tenderloin. The results showed that the co-mediated curing could reduce salt content, aw, and cooking loss (p < 0.05), improve texture and enhance product quality. Compared with the control group, the co-mediated curing increased the solubility of the myofibrillar protein, improved the surface hydrophobicity of the protein, increased the content of reactive sulfhydryl groups (p < 0.05), and changed the protein structure. The SEM results showed that the products treated using a co-mediated curing process had a more detailed and uniform pore distribution. These findings provide new insights into the quality of ultrasonic-treated and glycerol-mediated low-salt cured meat products.
Maturity Grading and Identification of Camellia oleifera Fruit Based on Unsupervised Image Clustering
Authors: Zhu Xueyan , Shen Deyu , Wang Ruipeng , Zheng Yili , Su Shuchai , Chen Fengjun
Published: November 2022

Maturity grading and identification of Camellia oleifera are prerequisites to determining proper harvest maturity windows and safeguarding the yield and quality of Camellia oil. One problem in Camellia oleifera production and research is the worldwide confusion regarding the grading and identification of Camellia oleifera fruit maturity. To solve this problem, a Camellia oleifera fruit maturity grading and identification model based on the unsupervised image clustering model DeepCluster has been developed in the current study. The proposed model includes the following two branches: a maturity grading branch and a maturity identification branch. The proposed model jointly learns the parameters of the maturity grading branch and maturity identification branch and used the maturity clustering assigned from the maturity grading branch as pseudo-labels to update the parameters of the maturity identification branch. The maturity grading experiment was conducted using a training set consisting of 160 Camellia oleifera fruit samples and 2628 Camellia oleifera fruit digital images collected using a smartphone. The proposed model for grading Camellia oleifera fruit samples and images in training set into the following three maturity levels: unripe (47 samples and 883 images), ripe (62 samples and 1005 images), and overripe (51 samples and 740 images). Results suggest that there was a significant difference among the maturity stages graded by the proposed method with respect to seed oil content, seed soluble protein content, seed soluble sugar content, seed starch content, dry seed weight, and moisture content. The maturity identification experiment was conducted using a testing set consisting of 160 Camellia oleifera fruit digital images (50 unripe, 60 ripe, and 50 overripe) collected using a smartphone. According to the results, the overall accuracy of maturity identification for Camellia oleifera fruit was 91.25%. Moreover, a Gradient-weighted Class Activation Mapping (Grad-CAM) visualization analysis reveals that the peel regions, crack regions, and seed regions were the critical regions for Camellia oleifera fruit maturity identification. Our results corroborate a maturity grading and identification application of unsupervised image clustering techniques and are supported by additional physical and quality properties of maturity. The current findings may facilitate the harvesting process of Camellia oleifera fruits, which is especially critical for the improvement of Camellia oil production and quality.
Fabrication and Evaluation of Water Hyacinth Cellulose-Composited Hydrogel Containing Quercetin for Topical Antibacterial Applications
Authors: Chaiwarit Tanpong , Chanabodeechalermrung Baramee , Kantrong Nutthapong , Chittasupho Chuda , Jantrawut Pensak
Published: November 2022

Water hyacinth is an aquatic weed species that grows rapidly. In particular, it causes negative impacts on the aquatic environment and ecological system. However, water hyacinth is rich in cellulose, which is a biodegradable material. This study isolated cellulose from the water hyacinth petiole. It was then used to fabricate composite hydrogels made with water hyacinth cellulose (C), alginate (A), and pectin (P) at different mass ratios. The selected water hyacinth cellulose-based hydrogel was incorporated with quercetin, and its properties were evaluated. The FTIR and XRD of extracted water hyacinth cellulose indicated specific characteristics of cellulose. The hydrogel which consisted of the water hyacinth cellulose alginate characterized pectin: pectin had a mass ratio of 2.5:0.5:0.5 (C2.5A0.5P0.5), showed good puncture strength (2.16 ± 0.14 N/mm2), the highest swelling index (173.28 ± 4.94%), and gel content (39.35 ± 0.53%). The FTIR showed an interaction between water hyacinth cellulose and quercetin with hydrogen bonding. The C2.5A0.5P0.5 hydrogel containing quercetin possessed 92.07 ± 5.77% of quercetin-loaded efficiency. It also exhibited good antibacterial activity against S. aureus and P. aeruginosa due to hydrogel properties, and no toxicity to human cells. This study indicated that water hyacinth cellulose-composited hydrogel is suitable for topical antibacterial applications.
Novel and Founder Pathogenic Variants in X-Linked Alport Syndrome Families in Greece
Authors: Hadjipanagi Despina , Papagregoriou Gregory , Koutsofti Constantina , Polydorou Christiana , Alivanis Polichronis , Andrikos Aimilios , Christodoulidou Stalo , Dardamanis Manthos , Diamantopoulos Athanasios A. , Fountoglou Anastasios , Frangou Eleni , Georgaki Eleni , Giannikouris Ioannis , Gkinis Velissarios , Goudas Pavlos C. , Kalaitzidis Rigas G. , Kaperonis Nikolaos , Koutroumpas Georgios , Makrydimas George , Myserlis Grigorios , Mitsioni Andromachi , Paliouras Christos , Papachristou Fotios , Papadopoulou Dorothea , Papagalanis Nikolaos , Papagianni Aikaterini , Perysinaki Garyfalia , Siomou Ekaterini , Sombolos Konstantinos , Tzanakis Ioannis , Vergoulas Georgios V. , Printza Nicoletta , Deltas Constantinos
Published: November 2022

Alport syndrome (AS) is the most frequent monogenic inherited glomerulopathy and is also genetically and clinically heterogeneous. It is caused by semi-dominant pathogenic variants in the X-linked COL4A5 (NM_000495.5) gene or recessive variants in the COL4A3/COL4A4 (NM_000091.4/NM_000092.4) genes. The disease manifests in early childhood with persistent microhematuria and can progress to proteinuria and kidney failure in adolescence or early adulthood if left untreated. On biopsy, pathognomonic features include alternate thinning, thickening and lamellation of the glomerular basement membrane (GBM), in the presence of podocyte foot process effacement. Although previous studies indicate a prevalence of AS of about 1/50,000, a recent publication reported a predicted rate of pathogenic COL4A5 variants of 1/2320. We herewith present 98 patients (40 M/58 F) from 26 Greek families. We are selectively presenting the families segregating the X-linked form of AS with pathogenic variants in the COL4A5 gene. We found 21 different pathogenic variants, 12 novel: eight glycine and one proline substitutions in the collagenous domain, one cysteine substitution in the NC1 domain, two premature termination of translation codons, three splicing variants, one 5-bp insertion/frameshift variant, one indel-frameshift variant and four gross deletions. Notably, patients in six families we describe here and three families we reported previously, carried the COL4A5-p.G624D substitution, a founder defect encountered all over Europe which is hypomorphic with mostly milder symptomatology. Importantly, on several occasions, the correct genetic diagnosis reclassified patients as patients with AS, leading to termination of previous immunosuppressive/cyclosporine A therapy and a switch to angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitors (ACEi). With the understanding that all 98 patients span a wide range of ages from infancy to late adulthood, 15 patients (11 M/4 F) reached kidney failure and 11 (10 M/1 F) received a transplant. The prospects of avoiding lengthy diagnostic investigations and erroneous medications, and the advantage of delaying kidney failure with very early administration of renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system (RAAS) blockade, highlights the importance of timely documentation of AS by genetic diagnosis.
On the Opportunities and Risks of Examining the Genetics of Entrepreneurship
Authors: Heller Ben , Erlich Yaniv , Kariv Dafna , Maaravi Yossi
Published: November 2022

Recent accomplishments in genome sequencing techniques have resulted in vast and complex genomic data sets, which have been used to uncover the genetic correlates of not only strictly medical phenomena but also psychological characteristics such as personality traits. In this commentary, we call for the use of genomic data analysis to unlock the valuable field of the genetics of entrepreneurship. Understanding what makes an entrepreneur and what explains their success is paramount given the importance of entrepreneurship to individual, organizational, and societal growth and success. Most of the studies into the genetics of entrepreneurship have investigated familial entrepreneurial inclinations in the form of parent–offspring comparisons or twin studies. However, these do not offer a complete picture of the etiology of entrepreneurship. The use of big data analytics combined with the rapidly growing field of genetic mapping has the potential to offer a more complete picture of the etiology of entrepreneurship by allowing researchers to pinpoint precisely which genes and pathways underlie entrepreneurial behavior and success. We review the risks and opportunities which accompany this endeavor and make the case that, ultimately, prioritizing more research into the genetics of entrepreneurship has the potential to be of value to both science and society.
Expanding Workplace Inclusion of Employees Who Are Parents of Children with Disabilities through Diversity Training
Authors: Stewart Lisa M. , Rosenzweig Julie M. , Malsch Tamarkin Anna M. , Brennan Eileen M. , Lukefahr Jessica
Published: November 2022

Employed parents raising children with disabilities manage exceptional care responsibilities along with their work careers. This study examines the effects of targeted diversity training on human resource (HR) professionals’ knowledge of the work–family experiences of these parents, and on their self-efficacy in providing workplace supports. Using computer-based training in field settings, 64 U.S. human resource professionals in an international company participated in two diversity training sessions. Data related to knowledge and efficacy of dependent and disability care were collected before the first training and immediately after the second. HR participants demonstrated significant increases from pretest to posttest on the trained items: knowledge of dependent and disability care and self-efficacy regarding provision of workplace supports. There was no change in relevant but untrained variables over time. Training HR professionals on parents’ exceptional care responsibilities, specific community resources, and heightened self-efficacy promoted their likelihood to grant flexible work arrangements. Results suggest HR self-efficacy is developmental, building on prior knowledge of dependent care and tenure in HR positions. This is one of the first studies that address the effects of HR diversity training regarding employees providing exceptional care. Theoretical developments and implications for inclusive practices are discussed.
Comparison of Subjective Facial Emotion Recognition and “Facial Emotion Recognition Based on Multi-Task Cascaded Convolutional Network Face Detection” between Patients with Schizophrenia and Healthy Participants
Authors: Akiyama Toshiya , Matsumoto Kazuyuki , Osaka Kyoko , Tanioka Ryuichi , Betriana Feni , Zhao Yueren , Kai Yoshihiro , Miyagawa Misao , Yasuhara Yuko , Ito Hirokazu , Soriano Gil , Tanioka Tetsuya
Published: November 2022

Patients with schizophrenia may exhibit a flat affect and poor facial expressions. This study aimed to compare subjective facial emotion recognition (FER) and FER based on multi-task cascaded convolutional network (MTCNN) face detection in 31 patients with schizophrenia (patient group) and 40 healthy participants (healthy participant group). A Pepper Robot was used to converse with the 71 aforementioned participants; these conversations were recorded on video. Subjective FER (assigned by medical experts based on video recordings) and FER based on MTCNN face detection was used to understand facial expressions during conversations. This study confirmed the discriminant accuracy of the FER based on MTCNN face detection. The analysis of the smiles of healthy participants revealed that the kappa coefficients of subjective FER (by six examiners) and FER based on MTCNN face detection concurred (κ = 0.63). The perfect agreement rate between the subjective FER (by three medical experts) and FER based on MTCNN face detection in the patient, and healthy participant groups were analyzed using Fisher’s exact probability test where no significant difference was observed (p = 0.72). The validity and reliability were assessed by comparing the subjective FER and FER based on MTCNN face detection. The reliability coefficient of FER based on MTCNN face detection was low for both the patient and healthy participant groups.
A Systematic Review and Quality Evaluation of Studies on Long-Term Sequelae of COVID-19
Authors: Vásconez-González Jorge , Izquierdo-Condoy Juan S. , Fernandez-Naranjo Raul , Ortiz-Prado Esteban
Published: November 2022

COVID-19 made its debut as a pandemic in 2020; since then, more than 607 million cases and at least 6.5 million deaths have been reported worldwide. While the burden of disease has been described, the long-term effects or chronic sequelae are still being clarified. The aim of this study was to present an overview of the information available on the sequelae of COVID-19 in people who have suffered from the infection. A systematic review was carried out in which cohort studies, case series, and clinical case reports were included, and the PubMed, Scielo, SCOPUS, and Web of Science databases were extracted. Information was published from 2020 to 1 June 2022, and we included 26 manuscripts: 9 for pulmonary, 6 for cardiac, 2 for renal, 8 for neurological and psychiatric, and 6 for cutaneous sequelae. Studies showed that the most common sequelae were those linked to the lungs, followed by skin, cutaneous, and psychiatric alterations. Women reported a higher incidence of the sequelae, as well as those with comorbidities and more severe COVID-19 history. The COVID-19 pandemic has not only caused death and disease since its appearance, but it has also sickened millions of people around the globe who potentially suffer from serious illnesses that will continue to add to the list of health problems, and further burden healthcare systems around the world.
Does Prolonged FFP2 Mask Use Cause Changes in Nasal Cytology? A Pilot Observational Study on Healthcare Workers
Authors: Campagnoli Massimo , Dell’Era Valeria , Rosa Maria Silvia , Aluffi Valletti Paolo , Garzaro Massimiliano
Published: November 2022

TheCOVID-19 pandemic has rapidly spread worldwide. Individual prevention approaches include FFP2/N95 mask use. Healthcare (HC) workers wear face masks for a long time during their work shifts and often complain of nasal symptoms. Current data on mask-associated symptoms or upper airway epithelium transformations are limited. Nasal cytology (NC) is a useful, non-invasive diagnostic method to assess cellular alterations. The aim of this study is to compare NC in HC workers before and after the continuous wearing of FFP2 face masks. We conducted a pilot observational study on 10 volunteer HC workers, who continuously used FFP2 masks during the work shift. All subjects underwent NC at the beginning (T0) and at the end of their workshift (T1) and the cytological findings were compared. Moreover, nasal symptoms were collected. Rare inflammatory cells were detected at T0 and, comparing cytological data about T0 and T1, no significant differences were observed. The most reported nasal symptoms were itching (70%) and a dry nose (60%). Difficulty of breathing and nasal blockage were not relevant. These preliminary data seem to suggest that wearing an FFP2 mask does not determine observable alterations in NC in daily work. However, further studies on a larger population for a longer period are needed.
Mortality in Schizophrenia-Spectrum Disorders: Recent Advances in Understanding and Management
Authors: Peritogiannis Vaios , Ninou Angeliki , Samakouri Maria
Published: November 2022

Schizophrenia is a life-shortening disease and life expectancy in patients may be 15–20 years shorter than in the general population, with increasing longevity gap over time. Premature mortality in schizophrenia-spectrum disorders is mainly due to preventable natural causes, such as cardio-vascular disease, infections, respiratory tract diseases and cancer, alongside suicide, homicide and accidents. There is a complex interplay of factors that act synergistically and cause physical morbidity to patients and subsequent mortality. Smoking, alcohol/substance abuse and sedentary life style, alongside disease-related factors, such as metabolic abnormalities and accelerating aging contribute to physical morbidity. Moreover, the symptomatology of psychosis and stigma may limit patients’ access to quality medical care. Interventions to promote physical health in those patients should be multifaceted, and should target all patient-related modifiable factors, but also should address service-related healthcare disparities. Long-term antipsychotic use (including clozapine and long-acting injectables) is associated with substantially decreased all-cause mortality, including suicide and cardiovascular mortality, in patients with schizophrenia despite the well-known cardiometabolic adverse effects of second-generation agents. Integrated care may involve co-location of physical and mental health services, liaison services, shared protocols and information sharing systems, and has emerged as a way to address the physical health needs of those patients. Interventions to address mortality in schizophrenia and related syndromes should take place as early as possible in the course of the patients’ treatment, and could be an integral component of care delivered by specialized early intervention services.
Opportunities for Implementing Closed Greenhouse Systems in Arid Climate Conditions
Authors: Jemai Noura , Soussi Meriem , Chaibi Mohamed Thameur
Published: November 2022

The closed greenhouse is an innovative crop system in the horticulture sector, integrating appropriate climate control equipment and optimized techniques to collect, store, and reuse solar energy for heating and/or cooling the greenhouse. This concept aims to improve the crop yield and quality with energy efficient and water-saving technologies. A specific focus on the opportunities of implementing closed greenhouses under arid climate conditions is detailed in this work. Guidelines for selecting appropriate techniques and design parameters are investigated, aiming for profitable and sustainable greenhouse production. This paper provides an overview of the design aspects of the closed greenhouse and a state of the art of its applications in arid areas. Firstly, the microclimate parameters, including temperature, relative humidity (RH), light intensity, and CO2 concentration are introduced. Then, an in-depth focus on the effects of these parameters on crop productivity, water, and energy efficiency are thoroughly discussed. Finally, the limitations of closed greenhouse applications are pointed out as opportunities for further research and development in this emerging agriculture field.
Advance Time to Determine Injection and Flushing Times in Drip Fertigation
Authors: da Silva Gustavo Henrique , da Cunha Fernando França , de Brito Letícia Fonseca Anício
Published: November 2022

Drip fertigation has shown unquestionable benefits in recent decades compared to traditional farming fertilization practices. However, a fertilizer dissolved in the irrigation water must be evenly distributed in the fertigated area. Irrigation system and fertigation system characteristics and operational management potentially affect the uniformity of fertilizer and water distribution. Advance time (AT), which is an intrinsic and determinable characteristic of the irrigation system, has not been assessed as a useful technical criterion for managing the uniformity of fertilizer distribution in drip fertigation. The objective of this study was to assess the use of advance time as a technical criterion for determining the duration of injection time and flushing time that provides a satisfactory uniformity of spatial distribution of the fertilizer in drip fertigation. Therefore, the distribution uniformity of potassium chloride (KCl) fertilizer and water was evaluated at six injection times equivalent to 25, 50, 75, 100, 150, 200% AT, and two flushing times equivalent to 100 and 200% AT through Christiansen’s uniformity coefficient (CU) and distribution uniformity (DU). The used drip irrigation system had 10 drip strips with 12.5 m length, a flow rate of 1.40 L h−1 per dripper, and AT of 12.5 min. The injection solution was prepared with 40 g L−1 of KCl. The results indicate that the distribution uniformity of KCl improved significantly with increasing injection time. The injection time of 200% AT promoted the greatest uniformity of distribution of KCl with CU of 0.977 and DU of 0.962. The flushing time of 100% AT was sufficient to rinse the irrigation system and promoted a satisfactory spatial distribution uniformity with a CU of 0.983. In both tests, the uniformity of irrigation water distribution was satisfactory, with CU of 0.988 and DU of 0.982 (average). Advance time is an intrinsic characteristic of the irrigation system that is useful in determining the duration of injection time and flushing time in a more technical way for drip fertigation with satisfactory spatial distribution uniformity of the fertilizer.
Effects of Neem Leaf Extract on the Soil Properties, Growth, Yield, and Inorganic Nitrogen Contents of Lettuce
Authors: Sriraj Pranee , Toomsan Banyong , Butnan Somchai
Published: November 2022

While lettuce offers essential human nutrients, it also contains anti-nutrients, particularly nitrate (NO3−). The use of neem leaf extract as a natural nitrification inhibitor has proven itself promising to remediate lettuce tissue NO3− content. This study evaluated the effects of neem leaf extract on soil properties, soil nitrification, lettuce growth, yield, and NO3− content. Five nitrification inhibitor treatments were evaluated: (i) no inhibitor (control), (ii) nitrapyrin, and three rates of neem leaf extract based on the dry weight of the raw material: (iii) 1 g kg−1 soil (Neem1), (iv) 2 g kg−1 soil (Neem2), and (v) 4 g kg−1 soil (Neem4). Neem leaf extract generally increased soil concentrations: P (47.6–55.8 mg kg−1), K (45.8–62.7 mg kg−1), Ca (129–164 mg kg−1), and Mg (29.0–35.7 mg kg−1) compared with the control (50.6 mg P kg−1, 35.3 mg K kg−1, 123 mg Ca kg−1, and 24.8 mg Mg kg−1). Neem leaf extracts significantly increased soil NH4+–N concentrations (13.9–30.2 mg kg−1) and nitrification inhibition (12.5–70.5%), but significantly decreased soil NO3−–N concentrations (6.4–13.2 mg kg−1) and net nitrification rates (0.08–0.23 mg N kg−1 day−1) relative to the control (6.6 mg NH4+–N kg−1, 14.7 mg NO3−–N kg−1, 0.26 mg N kg−1 day−1, and 0% nitrification inhibition). The neem leaf extracts significantly decreased shoot fresh weight (13.5–43.1 g plant−1), shoot dry weight (0.84–3.91 g plant−1), and root dry weight (0.14–0.27 g plant−1) compared with the control (52.3 g shoot fresh weight plant−1, 5.36 g shoot dry weight plant−1, and 0.35 g root dry weight plant−1). The significant decreases in the lettuce biomass in the neem extract treatments paralleled the significant decreases in the shoot’s tissue NO3−–N contents and significant increases in tissue NH4+–N content and soil Al concentrations.
Immunogenicity of the Two mRNA SARS-CoV-2 Vaccines in a Large Cohort of Dialysis Patients
Authors: Tsoutsoura Paraskevi , Xagas Efstathios , Kolovou Kyriaki , Gourzi Polyxeni , Roussos Sotirios , Hatzakis Angelos , Boletis Ioannis N. , Marinaki Smaragdi
Published: November 2022

Chronic kidney disease patients, especially those on hemodialysis, are at the highest risk of a severe course and death from COVID-19. Moreover, they appear to have suboptimal response in both cellular and humoral immunity after vaccination. The present study investigated humoral and cellular response and safety after two doses of either of the two authorized mRNA vaccines in a cohort of 310 patients on maintenance dialysis. The antibody response rate was 94.5%, with a median (25th, 75th) antibody titer of 3478 (1236, 8141) AU/mL. Only mild adverse effects were observed. Only vaccine type was independently associated with immunogenicity. Α statistically significant difference in favor of mRNA1273 versus BNT162b2 vaccine was observed. Antibody positivity (100% vs. 94.3%, p < 0.001), median (25th, 75th) antibody levels: 9499 (6118, 20,780) AU/mL vs. 3269 (1220, 7807) AU/mL (p < 0.001). Among the 65 patients tested for T-cell response, 27 (41.5%) had a positive one with a median (25th, 75th) antibody titer of 6007 (3405, 12,068) AU/mL, while 38 with no T-cell response presented a lower median (25th, 75th) antibody titer of 1744 (850, 4176) AU/mL (p < 0.001). Both mRNA vaccines are safe for dialysis patients and can trigger humoral and cellular responses, although with lower titers than those that have been reported to healthy individuals.
Coupling of Thiazole-2-Amines with Isocyanide Ligands in bis-(Isocyanide) Platinum Complex: A New Type of Reactivity
Authors: Orekhova Yuliya A. , Mikherdov Alexander S. , Suslonov Vitalii V. , Boyarskiy Vadim P.
Published: November 2022

The treatment of cis-[PtCl2(XylNC)2] with thiazol-2-amines in a 2:1 ratio leads to a regioisomeric mixture of two binuclear complexes. These regioisomers are products of kinetic and thermodynamic control capable of regioisomerization. When the same reaction is carried out with a 5-fold excess of thiazol-2-amine, the nucleophile is able to react with the in situ-formed binuclear platinum(II) complexes, yielding a new type of bis-carbene platinum species. All new isolated compounds were characterized by 1H, 13C{1H}, and 195Pt{1H} NMR spectroscopy, high-resolution ESI-MS, and single-crystal X-ray diffraction.
Effect of Infarct Location and Size on Left Atrial Function: A Cardiovascular Magnetic Resonance Feature Tracking Study
Authors: Zhang He , Tian Zhaoxin , Huo Huaibi , Li Han , Liu Hui , Hou Yang , Dai Xu , Liu Ting , Jin Shiqi
Published: November 2022

Background: LA function has been recognized as a significant prognostic marker in many cardiovascular diseases. Cardiovascular magnetic resonance feature tracking (CMR-FT) represents a promising technique for left atrial function evaluation. The size and location of myocardial infarction are important factors in the cause of adverse left ventricular remodeling, but the effect on the left atriam is unclear. Purpose: to investigate the effect of location and size of previous myocardial infarction (MI) on LA function using CMR-FT. Study type: retrospective. Population: patients formerly diagnosed with anterior MI (n = 42) or non-anterior MI (n = 40) and healthy controls (n = 47). Field Strength/Sequence: a 3.0T MR, Steady state free precession (SSFP), Phase-sensitive inversion recovery (PSIR). Assessment: infarct location and size were assigned and quantified by late-gadolinium enhancement (LGE) imaging. LA performance was analyzed using CMR-FT in 2- and 4-chamber cine images, including LA reservoir, conduit and booster pump function. Statistics: descriptive statistics, ANOVA with post Bonferroni correction, Kruskal–Wallis H, Spearman’s correlation, intraclass correlation coefficient. Results: Anterior MI patients had impaired LA reservoir function (LATEF, εs, SRs), conduit function (LAPEF, εe, SRs) and booster pump function (LAAEF, εa) compared with controls (p < 0.05). Non-anterior MI patients had impaired LA strain (εs, εe, εa; p < 0.05) but preserved LAEFs (p > 0.05). After adjusting the area of MI, there was no significant difference in the LA morphology and function between the anterior and non-anterior wall groups. Stratification analysis by MI size revealed that LA volumes and LAEFs were unchanged in patients with MI size ≤ 15% compared with controls (p > 0.05); only εs and εe were decreased (p < 0.05). Increased LAVIpre-a, LAVImin and decreased LATEF, and LAAEF were found in patients with MI size > 15% compared with the MI size ≤ 15% group (p < 0.05). LVSVI, εs and MI size were significant correlated with LAVI pre-a in multiple stepwise regression analysis. Data conclusions: The location of myocardial infarction is not a major factor affecting the morphology and function of the left atrium. Patients with MI size > 15% experience more pronounced post-infarction LA remodeling and dysfunction than MI size ≤ 15% patients.
Effect of Different Light Qualities and Intensities on the Yield and Quality of Facility-Grown Pleurotus eryngii
Authors: Yue Zonghan , Zhang Wei , Liu Wenjun , Xu Jia , Liu Wen , Zhang Xinyu
Published: November 2022

Proper light is essential for the formation and development of macrofungi fruiting bodies. Currently, there are unclear treatment conditions, such as light quality and light intensity, in the production of Pleurotus eryngii in intensive cultivation facilities, which is not helpful to the formation and implementation of standardized production programs. The research discussed in this paper investigated the effects of different light quality and intensity conditions on the yield and quality of P. eryngii. The results showed that the yield and nutritional quality of the red light treatment samples were higher than those of the white light control, the commercial properties were good, and the energy consumption of the red LED light source was the lowest under the same light intensity. The results of this experiment further provide a reference for the energy-saving and high-quality cultivation of P. eryngii.
Portfolios under Different Methods and Scenarios: A Case of Fiji’s South Pacific Stock Exchange
Authors: Kumar Ronald Ravinesh , Stauvermann Peter Josef
Published: November 2022

In this study, we analyze portfolio performance under different methods and scenarios for the small island economy of Fiji. In addition to documenting the historical performance and the smallness of the stock market, the study looks at the possibility of opting for an equally weighted (naïve) portfolio against market and minimum variance portfolios. To this end, we extract monthly stock price data of 17/19 listed companies from August 2019 to July 2022 and invoke different approaches to develop portfolios under different scenarios. We consider the mean-variance, minimum variance, semi-variance, utility maximization, and minimum turbulence portfolios, based on beta-adjusted (CAPM-based) returns. The different portfolios presented in the study should provide some insights on asset allocation in Fiji’s stock market. Interestingly, unlike average returns, the beta-adjusted returns indicate that an equally weighted portfolio can yield relatively higher expected returns than market portfolios, although, with a relatively higher standard deviation and lower Sharpe ratio than the optimized results. In a semi-variance analysis (where we account for downside risk only), equally weighted portfolio yields superior returns, albeit with a relatively lower Sortino ratio. Given that Fiji’s stock market is currently a small, with a relatively small number of listed companies, potential and less sophisticated investors and analysts considering portfolios based on beta-adjusted returns, may simply opt for 1/N (naïve) portfolios as a diversification strategy while realizing decent expected returns. The optimized portfolio under mean-variance, semi-variance, and utility are presented as alternative considerations for nuanced investors. Additionally, equally weighted turbulence-adjusted and minimum-turbulence portfolios are constructed to capture periods of unusualness and calmness in the market. The methodologies and the results presented can be adjusted and applied to other small markets and hence can influence investment decisions of investors in creating diversified portfolios under different scenarios.
Progress and Prospects in Industrial Heritage Reconstruction and Reuse Research during the Past Five Years: Review and Outlook
Authors: Han Sunny Han , Zhang Huimin
Published: November 2022

The reconstruction and reuse of industrial heritage has constituted important means for the protection of that heritage, and has played a crucial role in promoting urban renewal and sustainable urban development. In this study, we reviewed 404 pieces of literature on industrial heritage reconstruction and reuse published in the past five years (January 2017 to August 2022), which includes the most representative studies (those published in key journals in the field) or the most influential studies (those highly cited). We then used three keyword tools (WordStat, Weiciyun and CiteSpace) and conducted keyword extraction, analysis and meaning presentation of 404 studies, finally identified three main research themes: (1) the current barriers to industrial heritage reconstruction and reuse, (2) the coping strategies for industrial heritage reconstruction and reuse, and (3) the evaluation of the effects of industrial heritage reconstruction and reuse. Our results revealed and clarified the latest trends in international research. Meanwhile, we also pointed out the inadequacies of the current research, such as ignoring important topics and the limitations of research methods. We hope that our research could inspire future research on industrial heritage reconstruction and reuse.
Differences in Phenotypic Plasticity between Invasive and Native Plants Responding to Three Environmental Factors
Authors: Zhang Luna , Chen Anqun , Li Yanjiao , Li Duohui , Cheng Shiping , Cheng Liping , Liu Yinzhan
Published: November 2022

The phenotypic plasticity hypothesis suggests that exotic plants may have greater phenotypic plasticity than native plants. However, whether phenotypic changes vary according to different environmental factors has not been well studied. We conducted a multi-species greenhouse experiment to study the responses of six different phenotypic traits, namely height, leaf number, specific leaf area, total biomass, root mass fraction, and leaf mass fraction, of native and invasive species to nutrients, water, and light. Each treatment was divided into two levels: high and low. In the nutrient addition experiment, only the leaf mass fraction and root mass fraction of the plants supported the phenotypic plasticity hypothesis. Then, none of the six traits supported the phenotypic plasticity hypothesis in the water or light treatment experiments. The results show that, for different environmental factors and phenotypes, the phenotypic plasticity hypothesis of plant invasion is inconsistent. When using the phenotypic plasticity hypothesis to explain plant invasion, variations in environmental factors and phenotypes should be considered.