bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Loneliness, Circulating Endocannabinoid Concentrations, and Grief Trajectories in Bereaved Older Adults: A Longitudinal Study
Authors: Kang Minhi , Bohorquez-Montoya Luisa , McAuliffe Timothy , Claesges Stacy A. , Blair Nutta-On , Sauber Garrett , Reynolds Charles F. , Hillard Cecilia J. , Goveas Joseph S. 
Published: December 2021

Background: Loneliness is one of the most distressing grief symptoms and is associated with adverse mental health in bereaved older adults. The endocannabinoid signaling (ECS) system is stress-responsive and circulating endocannabinoid (eCB) concentrations are elevated following bereavement. This study examined the association between loneliness and circulating eCB concentrations in grieving older adults and explored the role of eCBs on the association between baseline loneliness and grief symptom trajectories.Methods: A total of 64 adults [grief with high loneliness: n = 18; grief with low loneliness: n = 26; and healthy comparison (HC): n = 20] completed baseline clinical assessments for the UCLA loneliness scale. In grief participants, longitudinal clinical assessments, including the Inventory of Complicated Grief and 17-item Hamilton Depression Rating scales, were collected over 6 months. Baseline circulating eCB [N-arachidonoylethanolamine (AEA) and 2-arachidonoylglycerol (2-AG)] concentrations were quantified in the serum using isotope dilution, liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry; cortisol concentrations were measured in the same samples using radioimmunoassay.Results: Circulating AEA concentrations were higher in severely lonely grieving elders than in HC group; cortisol concentrations were not different among the groups. Cross-sectionally, loneliness scores were positively associated with AEA concentrations in grievers; this finding was not significant after accounting for depressive symptom severity. Grieving individuals who endorsed high loneliness and had higher 2-AG concentrations at baseline showed faster grief symptom resolution.Conclusions: These novel findings suggest that in lonely, bereaved elders, increased circulating eCBs, a reflection of an efficient ECS system, are associated with better adaptation to bereavement. Circulating eCBs as potential moderators and mediators of the loneliness-grief trajectory associations should be investigated.
Menstrual Equity Initiatives at USA Universities: A Multiple Case Study of Common Obstacles and Enabling Factors
Authors: Gruer Caitlin , Goss Taylor , Schmitt Margaret L. , Sommer Marni 
Published: December 2021

Background: In recent years there has been growing momentum in the USA around addressing issues of “menstrual equity” and “period poverty,” including a proliferation of university-level initiatives seeking to provide access to free menstrual products. This multiple case study examined four such efforts at a diversity of tertiary institutions to identify the factors that facilitated or impeded success.Methods: We conducted a qualitative multiple case study, including a desk review and key informant interviews with student and administrative actors from universities with free menstrual product initiatives. We sought to identify key learning regarding common challenges and obstacles, enabling factors which supported success and sustainability, and practical learning for future initiatives. From the desk review, four schools (n = 4) were purposively selected to represent a range of geographic regions, student population size, and university type. Purposive sampling was used to identify students and administrators engaged in the menstrual equity initiatives on each campus (n = 20; 4–6 per school). Data from the desk review and interviews were analyzed using thematic analysis.Results: Key themes included (1) the critical role of champions, (2) the importance of social and financial support, (3) challenges diffusing menstrual equity from pilot to scale, and (4) recommendations for future initiatives. University initiatives varied greatly in terms of their scope, funding, and implementation strategy.Conclusion: This multiple case study provides valuable insights regarding the facilitating factors and obstacles faced by initiatives providing free menstrual products at universities. To date, these initiatives have proven successful across the four case studies; however, in most cases, the scope of the initiatives was constrained by limited resources and sustainability concerns. Future campus menstrual equity strategies would benefit from cross-institutional learning and dialogue highlighting design and implementation successes and challenges.
Social Presence as a Moderator of the Effect of Agent Behavior on Emotional Experience in Social Interactions in Virtual Reality
Authors: Pfaller Michael , Kroczek Leon O. H. , Lange Bastian , Fülöp Raymund , Müller Mathias , Mühlberger Andreas 
Published: December 2021

Background: Exposure therapy involves exposure to feared stimuli and is considered to be the gold-standard treatment for anxiety disorders. While its application in Virtual Reality (VR) has been very successful for phobic disorders, the effects of exposure to virtual social stimuli in Social Anxiety Disorder are heterogeneous. This difference has been linked to demands on realism and presence, particularly social presence, as a pre-requisite in evoking emotional experiences in virtual social interactions. So far, however, the influence of social presence on emotional experience in social interactions with virtual agents remains unknown.Objective: We investigated the relationship between realism and social presence and the moderating effect of social presence on the relationship between agent behavior and experienced emotions in virtual social interaction.Methods: Healthy participants (N = 51) faced virtual agents showing supportive and dismissive behaviors in two virtual environments (short interactions and oral presentations). At first, participants performed five blocks of short one-on-one interactions with virtual agents (two male and two female agents per block). Secondly, participants gave five presentations in front of an audience of 16 agents. In each scenario, agent behavior was a within subjects factor, resulting in one block of neutral, two blocks of negative, and two blocks of positive agent behavior. Ratings of agent behavior (valence and realism), experience (valence and arousal), and presence (physical and social) were collected after every block. Moderator effects were investigated using mixed linear models with random intercepts. Correlations were analyzed via repeated measures correlations.Results: Ratings of valence of agent behaviors showed reliable relationships with experienced valence and less reliable relationships with experienced arousal. These relationships were moderated by social presence in the presentation scenario. Results for the interaction scenario were weaker but potentially promising for experimental studies. Variations in social presence and realism over time were correlated but social presence proved a more reliable moderator.Conclusion: Our findings emphasize the role of social presence for emotional experience in response to specific agent behaviors in virtual social interactions. While these findings should be replicated with experimental designs and in clinical samples, variability in social presence might account for heterogeneity in efficacy of virtual exposure to treat social anxiety disorder.
Associations of Porphyromonas gingivalis Infection and Low Beclin1 Expression With Clinicopathological Parameters and Survival of Esophageal Squamous Cell Carcinoma Patients
Authors: Guo Yibo , Liu Yiwen , Yang Haijun , Dai Ningtao , Zhou Fuyou , Yang Hong , Sun Wei , Kong Jinyu , Yuan Xiang , Gao Shegan 
Published: December 2021

Purpose: The present study focused on exploring the associations of Porphyromonas gingivalis (P. gingivalis) infection and low Beclin1 expression with clinicopathological parameters and survival of esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) patients, so as to illustrate its clinical significance and prognostic value.Methods: Immunohistochemistry (IHC) was used to detect P. gingivalis infection status and Beclin1 expression in 370 ESCC patients. The chi-square test was adopted to illustrate the relationship between categorical variables, and Cohen’s kappa coefficient was used for correlation analysis. Kaplan-Meier survival curves with the log-rank test were used to analyse the correlation of P. gingivalis infection and low Beclin1 expression with survival time. The effects of P. gingivalis infection and Beclin1 downregulation on the proliferation, migration and antiapoptotic abilities of ESCC cells in vitro were detected by Cell Counting Kit-8, wound healing and flow cytometry assays. For P. gingivalis infection of ESCC cells, cell culture medium was replaced with antibiotic-free medium when the density of ESCC cells was 70–80%, cells were inoculated with P. gingivalis at a multiplicity of infection (MOI) of 10.Result:P. gingivalis infection was negatively correlated with Beclin1 expression in ESCC tissues, and P. gingivalis infection and low Beclin1 expression were associated with differentiation status, tumor invasion depth, lymph node metastasis, clinical stage and prognosis in ESCC patients. In vitro experiments confirmed that P. gingivalis infection and Beclin1 downregulation potentiate the proliferation, migration and antiapoptotic abilities of ESCC cells (KYSE150 and KYSE30). Our results provide evidence that P. gingivalis infection and low Beclin1 expression were associated with the development and progression of ESCC.Conclusion: Long-term smoking and alcohol consumption causes poor oral and esophageal microenvironments and ESCC patients with these features were more susceptible to P. gingivalis infection and persistent colonization, and exhibited lower Beclin1 expression, worse prognosis and more advanced clinicopathological features. Our findings indicate that effectively eliminating P. gingivalis colonization and restoring Beclin1 expression in ESCC patients may contribute to preventation and targeted treatment, and yield new insights into the aetiological research on ESCC.
On the Universal Encoding Optimality of Primes
Authors: Papadakis Ioannis N. M. 
Published: December 2021

The factorial-additive optimality of primes, i.e., that the sum of prime factors is always minimum, implies that prime numbers are a solution to an integer linear programming (ILP) encoding optimization problem. The summative optimality of primes follows from Goldbach’s conjecture, and is viewed as an upper efficiency limit for encoding any integer with the fewest possible additions. A consequence of the above is that primes optimally encode—multiplicatively and additively—all integers. Thus, the set P of primes is the unique, irreducible subset of ℤ—in cardinality and values—that optimally encodes all numbers in ℤ, in a factorial and summative sense. Based on these dual irreducibility/optimality properties of P, we conclude that primes are characterized by a universal “quantum type” encoding optimality that also extends to non-integers.
Aplicación de algoritmos de optimización para la localización de centros de distribución comercial
Authors: Guamán Lozano Angel Geovanny , Miño Cascante Gloria Elizabeth , Moyano Alulema Julio Cesar 
Published: December 2021

El presente trabajo muestra la utilización de los métodos de centro de gravedad, Weber y un problema de ubicación de red en dos casos de estudio distintos de una industria cementera y una de distribución de alimentos; el objetivo es determinar el sitio adecuado para la instalación de un nuevo centro de distribución en base a modelos de optimización. En primer lugar, se buscaron los datos relacionados con los costos de la cadena de suministro y ubicaciones geográficas mediante un estudio de costos y programas de georreferenciación respectivamente, luego se desarrollaron dos programas para cada caso que cumplen con las restricciones del modelo matemático subyacente de programación lineal utilizado desarrollado en Matlab con las secciones GUIDE. Finalmente se obtuvieron las coordenadas cartesianas de la nueva instalación propuesta para la cementera. Por otro lado, se definieron los centros de distribución que deben estar habilitados en la red de distribución de una empresa de alimentos, incluyendo la cantidad de producto que debe ser enviado a los diferentes mercados de consumo. La investigación establece soluciones factibles en los dos casos de estudio generando la reducción de los recorridos para las organizaciones a través del desarrollo de un programa de interfaz sencilla.

Palabras clave: investigación operativa; logística; técnicas de optimización.
Medición de la calidad de servicios hoteleros de Manta, Ecuador a través del modelo HOTELQUAL
Authors: Loor Moreira Alexandra Jacqueline , Zambrano Barcia Andrea Viviana , Peña Vélez Isaura Vanessa , Ponce Andrade Johnny Edison 
Published: December 2021

Esta investigación se centra en hoteles y hostales de la ciudad de Manta, Ecuador; para evaluar la calidad del servicio que estos brindan a sus clientes a través de la escala de medición HOTELQUAL con una evaluación de 3 dimensiones (instalaciones, personal y organización), con el fin de que los establecimientos conozcan aciertos y errores para poder retroalimentarse y plantearse un plan de mejoras que contribuya al crecimiento de su empresa. Se utilizó un método cuantitativo, haciendo uso de la escala de likert y se realizó in situ observando y bajo la vivencia del servicio recibido que permitió obtener como resultado que a nivel general la calidad de servicio ofertada por estas empresas cumple con el nivel de satisfacción del cliente, pero existen tres aspectos que presentaron debilidad siendo estos: medición de resolución eficaz de problemas, medición de rapidez de servicios y base de datos para reducir tiempo de registro.

Palabras clave: comportamiento del consumidor; promoción turística; estrategia de marketing; factor de competitividad.

Abstract
This research will focus on hotels and hostels in the city of Manta, Ecuador; and will evaluate the quality of service they provide to their customers through the SERVQUAL measurement scale with an evaluation of its 5 dimensions in order to establish know their successes and mistakes to be able to get feedback and consider an improvement plan that contributes to the growth of your company. This study uses a quantitative method, making use of the likert scale for the determination of results. The data was carried out in situ observing and under the experience of the service received, which allowed obtaining as a result that in general the quality of service offered by these companies meets the level of customer satisfaction, but there are three aspects that showed weakness, these being efficient problem solving, speed measurement of services and databases to reduce registration time.

Keywords: consumer behavior; tourism promotion; marketing strategy; competitiveness factor.
Consecuencias socioeconómicas en los comerciantes de cárnicos de Portoviejo por la movilidad después del 16A
Authors: Gómez García Susetty Lorena , Giler Briones Wilmer David , Rezabala Bravo Karol Stefania , Loor Santana Ana Patricia 
Published: December 2021

El objetivo de esta investigación es analizar la situación de los comerciantes de cárnicos del Mercado N°1 del cantón Portoviejo, provincia de Manabí, Ecuador, después de la movilidad ocasionada por el sismo del 16 de abril de 2016. Con el propósito de cumplirlo, se procedió a una fase documental y otra fase de campo; adicionalmente, en la fase cuantitativa se aplicó una encuesta a escala de Likert a una muestra representativa de los comerciantes de cárnicos que fueron reubicados; los datos de dicha encuesta se procesaron con el programa SPSS versión 25, haciendo uso de la estadística descriptiva. Los resultados permitieron conocer que los expendedores minoristas de cárnicos del mercado N°1 del Cantón presentan serios problemas, debido a la reubicación y la competencia desleal de los comerciantes informales, lo anteriormente manifestado ha ido en detrimento del nivel de ingresos de estos expendedores para que puedan satisfacer plenamente sus necesidades básicas.

Palabras clave: movilidad; ingresos; comercio minoritas; desarrollo socioeconómico.

ABSTRACT
The objective of this research is to analyze the situation of meat merchants in Market No. 1 of the Portoviejo canton, Manabí province, Ecuador, after the mobility caused by the earthquake of April 16, 2016. In order to comply, a documentary phase and another field phase were carried out; Additionally, in the quantitative phase, a Likert scale survey was applied to a representative sample of meat merchants who were relocated; the data from this survey were processed with the SPSS version 25 program, using descriptive statistics. The results made it possible to know that the retail vending of meat in the market No. 1 of the Canton present serious problems, due to the relocation and unfair competition of informal traders, the aforementioned has been detrimental to the income level of these vendors so that can fully meet their basic needs.

Keywords: mobility; income; retail trade; socioeconomic development.
Clima organizacional y la satisfacción de los docentes en las MYPES del sector educación Tumbes
Authors: Escobedo Gálvez Fernando 
Published: December 2021

La investigación determinó la caracterización del clima organizacional y la satisfacción de los docentes en las MyPes del sector educación Tumbes; mediante una metodología descriptivo transversal; su población estuvo constituida por educadores de 33 Instituciones Educativas Privadas de Educación Inicial d e Tumbes y la muestra por muestreo probabilístico de 110 educadores los cuales presentan las condiciones y requisitos necesarios para el perfil con el título profesional de Licenciados en Educación, de sexo femenino. Se encontró que el 36.4% de educadores considera que el nivel de clima organizacional es malo, un 33.6% regular; y que la satisfacción con la organización respecto a las decisiones que toma el director. Los educadores muestran niveles de clima organizacional malo y nivel de satisfacción laboral media y bajo, debido a la deficiente infraestructura, limitados equipos y materiales. Estas desigualdades deben acatarse con mayor iniciativa por parte del director en incentivar la participación de sus educadores.

Palabras clave: satisfacción laboral; instituciones educativas; educadores; microempresas; procesos educativos.

ABSTRACT
The research determined the characterization of the organizational climate and the satisfaction of teachers in the M & P of the Tumbes education sector; using a descriptive transversal methodology; Its population was made up of educators from 33 Private Educational Institutions of Initial Education of Tumbes and the sample by probability sampling of 110 educators who present the conditions and necessary requirements for the profile with the professional title of Graduates in Education, female. It was found that 36.4% of educators consider that the level of organizational climate is bad, 33.6% regular; and satisfaction with the organization regarding the decisions made by the director. Educators show bad organizational climate levels and medium and low level of job satisfaction, due to poor infrastructure, limited equipment and materials. These inequalities must be respected with greater initiative on the part of the principal in encouraging the participation of his educators.

Keywords: job satisfaction; educational institutions; educators; microenterprises; educational processes.
Las secuelas del terremoto: el problema de la malnutrición infantil en Manabí
Authors: Rivera Jairo , Olarte Stephany , Rivera Nadya 
Published: December 2021

La malnutrición infantil es un tema preocupante en Ecuador, donde sus prevalencias resultan muy superiores al promedio de América Latina; para el año 2018, la desnutrición infantil en el país alcanza el 23%, superando ampliamente el promedio regional que bordea el 9%, y el sobrepeso infantil en el país alcanzó el 16%, superando el promedio regional de alrededor de 8%. En este contexto, esta investigación tiene el objetivo de analizar la malnutrición infantil en la provincia de Manabí, su evolución y características. Para ello se desarrolla una metodología cuantitativa, usando datos de las Encuestas de Condiciones de Vida y las Encuestas Nacionales de Salud y Nutrición, y emplea modelos de regresión probabilística. Entre los principales resultados se encuentra que la desnutrición y el sobrepeso infantil se asocian con factores diversos, donde ha existido una reducción de la desnutrición entre 1999 y 2014; sin embargo, los problemas nutricionales para el año 2018 se han agudizado, lo cual se presenta como una secuela del terremoto del año 2016.

Palabras clave: desnutrición; sobrepeso; Ecuador; análisis de regresión.

ABSTRACT
Child malnutrition is an alarming issue in Ecuador, where its prevalence is much higher than the Latin American average; by 2018, child malnutrition in the country reaches 23%, far exceeding the regional average bordering 9%, and child overweight in the country reaches 16%, exceeding the regional average of around 8%. In this context, this research aims to analyze child malnutrition in the province of Manabí, its evolution and characteristics. This article develops a quantitative methodology, using data from the Living Conditions Surveys and the National Health and Nutrition Surveys, and uses probabilistic regression models. Among the main results are that child malnutrition and overweight are associated with various factors, where there has been a reduction in malnutrition between 1999 and 2014; however, nutritional problems for 2018 have become more acute, which is presented as a sequel to the 2016 earthquake.

Keywords: malnutrition; overweight; Ecuador; regression analysis.
El covid-19 y su impacto económico en las empresas hoteleras de Manta-Ecuador
Authors: Pinargote Montenegro Karen Gisela , Loor Chávez Temístocles Deodato 
Published: December 2021

El turismo a nivel mundial históricamente ha logrado un crecimiento importante, siendo considerado como una de las principales fuentes de ingresos de los países. Ecuador a raíz de la declaratoria mundial del COVID-19 experimentó una disminución en los ingresos del sector turístico, siendo Manta una de las ciudades con mayor impacto especialmente en el sector hotelero. Mediante la presente investigación, se busca conocer la incidencia económica generada por el COVID-19 sobre el sector hotelero de Manta, y determinar las alternativas de reactivación para este sector, considerando la capacidad de las empresas hoteleras para enfrentar dicha crisis. A través de un estudio descriptivo de enfoque cualitativo y cuantitativo, se realizaron encuestas a los turistas de la ciudad de Manta, cuyos resultados permitieron conocer que sin lugar a dudas el COVID-19 ha desencadenado la desaceleración económica en el sector hotelero local, por la disminución de la demanda de estos servicios.

Palabras clave: Covid-19; impacto económico; turismo; sector hotelero, pymes.

ABSTRACT
Tourism worldwide has historically achieved significant growth, being considered one of the main sources of income for countries. Ecuador, as a result of the world declaration of COVID-19, experienced a decrease in income from the tourism sector, with Manta being one of the cities with the greatest impact, especially in the hotel sector. Through this research, we seek to know the economic impact generated by COVID-19 on the hotel sector of Manta, and determine the reactivation alternatives for this sector, considering the capacity of hotel companies to face this crisis. Through a descriptive study with a qualitative and quantitative approach, surveys were conducted with tourists in the city of Manta, the results of which revealed that without a doubt COVID-19 has triggered the economic slowdown in the local hotel sector, due to the decreased demand for these services.

Keywords: Covid-19; economic impact; tourism; hotel sector, smes.