bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Effects of socioeconomic status on physical activity and cardiovascular diseases prior to and during the COVID-19 pandemic in the older adults
Authors: Yang Dongwoo , Yang Seo-Hyung , Lee Jae-Moo , Lee Jung-Min , Kim Jahyun 
Published: September 2023

PurposeThis research seeks to evaluate the repercussions of socioeconomic status (SES) on physical activity (PA) among the older population, both pre and intra-COVID-19 pandemic. The study aims to scrutinize whether alteration in PA behaviors based on SES impacts cardiovascular diseases (CVDs). It is well established that PA has a significant association with CVDs and the pandemic has restricted PA in the older population. We endeavor to discern whether SES modulates PA levels and whether these levels of PA behavior subsequently influence the incidence of CVDs among older adults.MethodsThe analytical framework of this study relies on the data procured from the Fact-Finding on the Status of Senior Citizens (FSSSC) survey conducted in 2017 and 2020, involving 10,299 (75 ± 6 years) and 10,097 (74 ± 6 years) participants, respectively. We employ Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) to elucidate the ramification of the COVID-19 pandemic on CVDs while accommodating potential mediating and confounding variables, including socioeconomic status, PA levels, body mass index (BMI), and gender, in the context of the pandemic and CVDs.ResultsOur empirical models indicated a tendency for older adults of lower socioeconomic status (SES) to exhibit diminished levels of physical activity (PA) compared to their counterparts of higher SES, particularly considering the influence of the COVID-19 pandemic. Furthermore, prolonged engagement in PA is associated with a reduced risk of hypertension (p = 0.010), and congestive heart failure &amp; arrhythmia (p &lt; 0.001), when accounting for confounding factors.ConclusionThe COVID-19 pandemic has generated an SES-based disparity in PA among older adults, despite PA time being greater in older individuals with higher SES. Interestingly, this did not result in a reduction in CVDs. Therefore, the study emphasizes the need for targeted exercise programs may be necessary to mitigate health inequality among the older population.
Predicting unmet activities of daily living needs among the oldest old with disabilities in China: a machine learning approach
Authors: Wang Kun , Zhao Jinxu , Hu Jie , Liang Dan , Luo Yansong 
Published: September 2023

BackgroundThe ageing population in China has led to a significant increase in the number of older persons with disabilities. These individuals face substantial challenges in accessing adequate activities of daily living (ADL) assistance. Unmet ADL needs among this population can result in severe health consequences and strain an already burdened care system. This study aims to identify the factors influencing unmet ADL needs of the oldest old (those aged 80 and above) with disabilities using six machine learning methods.MethodsDrawing from the Chinese Longitudinal Healthy Longevity Survey (CLHLS) 2017–2018 data, we employed six machine learning methods to predict unmet ADL needs among the oldest old with disabilities. The predictive effects of various factors on unmet ADL needs were explored using Shapley Additive exPlanations (SHAP).ResultsThe Random Forest model showed the highest prediction accuracy among the six machine learning methods tested. SHAP analysis based on the Random Forest model revealed that factors such as household registration, disability class, economic rank, self-rated health, caregiver willingness, perceived control, economic satisfaction, pension, educational attainment, financial support given to children, living arrangement, number of children, and primary caregiver played significant roles in the unmet ADL needs of the oldest old with disabilities.ConclusionOur study highlights the importance of socioeconomic factors (e.g., household registration and economic rank), health status (e.g., disability class and self-rated health), and caregiving relationship factors (e.g., caregiver willingness and perceived control) in reducing unmet ADL needs among the oldest old with disabilities in China. Government interventions aimed at bridging the urban–rural divide, targeting groups with deteriorating health status, and enhancing caregiver skills are essential for ensuring the well-being of this vulnerable population. These findings can inform policy decisions and interventions to better address the unmet ADL needs among the oldest old with disabilities.
Anti-Asian racism related stigma, racial discrimination, and protective factors against stigma: a repeated cross-sectional survey among university students during the COVID-19 pandemic
Authors: Boden-Albala Bernadette , Ding Xueting , Ryan Nessa , Goodman Sara , Wing Jeffrey , Runnerstrom Miryha Gould , Gutierrez Desiree , Gibbs Brooke , Robb John Michael , Drum Emily 
Published: September 2023

BackgroundSince the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic in March 2020, reports of anti-Asian American or Pacific Islander (AAPI) hate have increased in the United States. Institutions of higher education provide a unique opportunity to examine COVID-19 related stigma and protective factors in AAPI young adults enrolled in college.ObjectiveThe goal of this research was to examine COVID-19 related stigma among a diverse college student population. We posited that AAPI students experience more racial discrimination, internalized stigma, and/or anticipated racial discrimination than other students. We also sought to identify protective behavioral factors against stigma.MethodsThis study includes data from a repeated cross-sectional survey that was administered among college students at a large public university in the United States in April (n = 1,359) and November 2020 (n = 1,196). All university enrolled students with an active email account were eligible to participate in the online survey, which included questions about COVID-19 stigma (anticipated, enacted, internalized), stigma resistance, sources of COVID-19 information, lifestyle behaviors, and sociodemographic information. Binary logistic regression models were utilized to assess differences in stigma between race and ethnic groups and to identify factors associated with stigma.ResultsAAPI students were more likely to experience all three types of stigma compared to other race and ethnic groups. AAPI students in both waves were at least 2 times more likely to experience enacted stigma and 7.3 times more likely to experience anticipated stigma in the earlier wave compared to non-Hispanic White students. Students who had experienced enacted stigma were more likely to experience anticipated stigma, and those who experienced enacted and anticipated stigma were more likely to experience internalized stigma. Higher education level, living with neighbors/roommates, maintaining a healthy lifestyle, and thinking positively about oneself may act as protective factors against different types of stigma.ConclusionAAPI students have a greater risk of experiencing COVID-19 stigma compared to those from other race and ethnic groups. Universities should combat anti-AAPI sentiments and COVID-19 stigma and promote public health efforts to build resistance against the negative effects of stigma.
Using RE-AIM to examine implementation of a tele-nephrology program for veterans living in rural areas
Authors: Mattocks Kristin M. , Kroll-Desrosiers Aimee , Crowley Susan , Tuozzo Katherine , Rifkin Ian , Moore David , Walker Lorrie , Bonegio Ramon 
Published: September 2023

IntroductionChronic kidney disease (CKD) and refractory hypertension (rHTN) are common, chronic conditions that affect 10%–16% of Veterans. Several small studies have suggested that tele-nephrology can deliver nephrology care effectively to rural Veterans. The purpose of this evaluation was to examine perceptions and experiences with this tele-nephrology program among spoke site staff and clinicians using the Reach, Effectiveness, Adoption, Implementation, and Maintenance (RE-AIM) framework to guide our understanding of tele-nephrology implementation.MethodsWe conducted semi-structured interviews with fourteen clinicians at five tele-nephrology spoke sites. We used content analysis to analyze the results using our RE-AIM framework.ResultsFive major themes arose: (1) Active engagement of a centralized clinical champion was a key factor in early success of tele-nephrology program; (2) Transition from community-based nephrology to VA tele-nephrology was heralded as the most meaningful indicator of the effectiveness of the intervention; (3) Effective adoption strategies included bi-weekly training with Hub nephrology staff and engagement of a local renal champion; (4) Meeting the needs of Veterans through proper staffing during tele-nephrology examinations was a key priority in facility program implementation; and (5) Growing reliance on Hub nephrologists may give rise to insufficient availability of nephrology appointments in some Spoke sites.DiscussionThis evaluation represents an important step forward as VA considers how to provide care to Veterans at facilities without VA specialty providers. The COVID-19 pandemic has drastically shifted options for Veterans, and increasingly, the VA is moving to shift care from community to VA via virtual care. Further research should examine how the VA manages potential problems related to access to virtual providers and examine Veteran perspectives on community in-person vs. virtual VA care.
Assessing handwriting task difficulty levels through kinematic features: a deep-learning approach
Authors: Babushkin Vahan , Alsuradi Haneen , Jamil Muhammad Hassan , Al-Khalil Muhamed Osman , Eid Mohamad 
Published: September 2023

Introduction: Handwriting is a complex task that requires coordination of motor, sensory, cognitive, memory, and linguistic skills to master. The extent these processes are involved depends on the complexity of the handwriting task. Evaluating the difficulty of a handwriting task is a challenging problem since it relies on subjective judgment of experts.Methods: In this paper, we propose a machine learning approach for evaluating the difficulty level of handwriting tasks. We propose two convolutional neural network (CNN) models for single- and multilabel classification where single-label classification is based on the mean of expert evaluation while the multilabel classification predicts the distribution of experts’ assessment. The models are trained with a dataset containing 117 spatio-temporal features from the stylus and hand kinematics, which are recorded for all letters of the Arabic alphabet.Results: While single- and multilabel classification models achieve decent accuracy (96% and 88% respectively) using all features, the hand kinematics features do not significantly influence the performance of the models.Discussion: The proposed models are capable of extracting meaningful features from the handwriting samples and predicting their difficulty levels accurately. The proposed approach has the potential to be used to personalize handwriting learning tools and provide automatic evaluation of the quality of handwriting.
A bibliometric analysis of immersive technology in museum exhibitions: exploring user experience
Authors: Li Jingjing , Wider Walton , Ochiai Yoichi , Fauzi Muhammad Ashraf 
Published: September 2023

Introduction:This study aims to comprehensively understand the existing literature on immersive technology in museum exhibitions, focusing on virtual reality (VR), augmented reality (AR), and the visitor experience. The research utilizes a bibliometric approach by examining a dataset of 722 articles with two main research objectives. Firstly, it seeks to analyze current trends in immersive technology literature, specifically emphasizing VR and the user experience in museum exhibitions through co-citation analysis. Secondly, it aims to identify emerging research trends using co-word analysis.Methods:The study employs a bibliometric approach, specifically co-citation and co-word analysis, to investigate trends and forecast emerging areas in the field, particularly the role of VR in the museum context.Results:The analysis reveals the presence of five interconnected thematic clusters in the literature. These clusters include (1) VR and AR-enhanced heritage tourism, (2) VR and AR-enabled virtual museums, (3) interactive digital art education in immersive environments, (4) immersive storytelling in virtual heritage spaces, and (5) mobile AR heritage revival.Discussion:The article highlights influential works within these areas, showcasing the historical evolution of the field and the current emphasis on utilizing VR to create immersive, educational, and engaging experiences for museum visitors. The findings indicate that research on VR applications for museum exhibitions has predominantly focused on profound game-driven experiences and interactive 3D heritage, resulting in improved visitor engagement and access to cultural content. The adoption of VR technology holds the potential to revolutionize user experiences within the cultural heritage sector and reshape the overall landscape of museums and exhibitions. By presenting these research trends, this study contributes to a deeper understanding of the vital role of VR in enhancing visitor experiences in museum settings. Furthermore, it paves the way for further exploration and innovation in immersive technology.
Artificial network inference analysis reveals the impact of biostimulant on bacterial communities in fumigated soil for potato production against common scab
Authors: Tekeu Honoré , Jeanne Thomas , D’Astous-Pagé Joël , Hogue Richard 
Published: September 2023

Introduction and methodsAs part of a study on control methods of common scab disease impact on potato yield and quality, high-throughput sequencing was used to measure the effects of soil fumigant chloropicrin alone or in combination with a Bacillus species-based biostimulant on soil bacterial diversity in terms of richness and composition, as well as on soil bacterial network interactions.Results and discussionThe results showed that common scab caused significant net yield losses of more than 46.25% in potatoes of control plots (T1), while the use of the fumigant alone (T3) and the use of the fumigant with the biostimulant (T4) reduced net yield losses to less than 2.5%. These treatments also promoted gross yield increases of 23.5 cwt. acre-1 (7.06%) and 28 cwt. acre-1 (8.41%) respectively. The study found that using the soil fumigant chloropicrin significantly and persistently altered the composition of the soil bacterial community over the growing season. The modifications of the soil bacterial community induced by the inoculation of the Bacillus species-based biostimulant are distinct by the end of the growing season depending on whether the soil has been fumigated (T4) or not (T2). Interestingly, artificial network inference analysis showed that the T2 treatment had the highest number of edges and linkages, contrary to the T3 treatment that had the lowest number of edges and linkages. The fumigation alone treatment leads to a reduction in interactions, while the application of the biostimulant, in both non-fumigated and fumigated soil, results in increased interactions and a higher number of connections within a phylum or between different taxa. Furthermore, the treatment combining the fumigant and the biostimulant exhibits a moderate increase in various network properties, providing evidence for the positive effect of biostimulant inoculation on bacterial communities in fumigated soils. Our results provide a more detailed understanding of the bacterial community structure and diversity in the soil of the different treatments. Moreover, deciphering network interactions in soil bacterial communities is fundamentally important for research in soil microbial ecology of potato cropping systems.
Motor adaptation and immediate retention to overground gait-slip perturbation training in people with chronic stroke: an experimental trial with a comparison group
Authors: Bhatt Tanvi , Dusane Shamali , Gangwani Rachana , Wang Shuaijie , Kannan Lakshmi 
Published: September 2023

BackgroundPerturbation-based training has shown to be effective in reducing fall-risk in people with chronic stroke (PwCS). However, most evidence comes from treadmill-based stance studies, with a lack of research focusing on training overground perturbed walking and exploring the relative contributions of the paretic and non-paretic limbs. This study thus examined whether PwCS could acquire motor adaptation and demonstrate immediate retention of fall-resisting skills following bilateral overground gait-slip perturbation training.Methods65 PwCS were randomly assigned to either (i) a training group, that received blocks of eight non-paretic (NP-S1 to NP-S8) and paretic (P-S1 to P-S8) overground slips during walking followed by a mixed block (seven non-paretic and paretic slips each interspersed with unperturbed walking trials) (NP-S9/P-S9 to NP-S15/P-S15) or (ii) a control group, that received a single non-paretic and paretic slip in random order. The assessor and training personnel were not blinded. Immediate retention was tested for the training group after a 30-minute rest break. Primary outcomes included laboratory-induced slip outcomes (falls and balance loss) and center of mass (CoM) state stability. Secondary outcomes to understand kinematic contributors to stability included recovery strategies, limb kinematics, slipping kinematics, and recovery stride length.ResultsPwCS within the training group showed reduced falls (p &lt; 0.01) and improved post-slip stability (p &lt; 0.01) from the first trial to the last trial of both paretic and non-paretic slip blocks (S1 vs. S8). During the mixed block training, there was no further improvement in stability and slipping kinematics (S9 vs. S15) (p &gt; 0.01). On comparing the first and last training trial (S1 vs. S15), post-slip stability improved on both non-paretic and paretic slips, however, pre-slip stability improved only on the non-paretic slip (p &lt; 0.01). On the retention trials, the training group had fewer falls and greater post-slip stability than the control group on both non-paretic and paretic slips (p &lt; 0.01). Post-slip stability on the paretic slip was lower than that on the non-paretic slip for both groups on retention trials (p &lt; 0.01).ConclusionPwCS can reduce laboratory-induced slip falls and backward balance loss outcomes by adapting their post-slip CoM state stability after bilateral overground gait-slip perturbation training. Such reactive adaptations were better acquired and retained post-training in PwCS especially on the non-paretic slips than paretic slips, suggesting a need for higher dosage for paretic slips.
Clinical registry numberNCT03205527
The effects of backward vs. forward running training on measures of physical fitness in young female handball players
Authors: Sammoud Senda , Bouguezzi Raja , Uthoff Aaron , Ramirez-Campillo Rodrigo , Moran Jason , Negra Yassine , Hachana Younes , Chaabene Helmi 
Published: September 2023

IntroductionThis study examined the effects of an 8-week backward running (BR) vs. forward running (FR) training programmes on measures of physical fitness in young female handball players.MethodsTwenty-nine players participated in this study. Participants were randomly assigned to a FR training group, BR training group, and a control group.Results and discussionWithin-group analysis indicated significant, small-to-large improvements in all performance tests (effect size [g] = 0.36 to 1.80), except 5-m forward sprint-time in the BR group and 5- and 10-m forward sprint-time in the FR group. However, the CG significantly decreased forward sprint performance over 10-m and 20-m (g = 0.28 to 0.50) with no changes in the other fitness parameters. No significant differences in the amount of change scores between the BR and FR groups were noted. Both training interventions have led to similar improvements in measures of muscle power, change of direction (CoD) speed, sprint speed either forward or backward, and repeated sprint ability (RSA) in young female handball players, though BR training may have a small advantage over FR training for 10-m forward sprint time and CoD speed, while FR training may provide small improvements over BR training for RSAbest. Practitioners are advised to consider either FR or BR training to improve various measures of physical fitness in young female handball players.
Variability of time series barbell kinematics in elite male weightlifters
Authors: Sandau Ingo , Langen Georg , Nitzsche Nico 
Published: September 2023

IntroductionBarbell kinematics are an essential aspect of assessing weightlifting performance. This study aimed at analyzing the total variability of time series barbell kinematics during repeated lifts in the snatch and the clean and jerk at submaximal and maximal barbell loads.MethodsIn a test-retest design, seven male weightlifters lifted submaximal [85% planned one-repetition maximum (1RMp)] and maximal (97% 1RMp) loads in the snatch and the clean and jerk during training. Barbell trajectory, vertical velocity, and vertical acceleration were determined using video analysis. Standard error of measurement (SEM), intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC), and smallest real difference (SRD) were used to determine the total variability during the lifts. Hedge's g effect size was used to assess differences in SEM between submaximal and maximal loads.ResultsThe main findings indicated that variability—in particular for the barbell velocity—was lower at maximal compared to submaximal barbell loads (g = 0.52–2.93). SEM of time series data showed that variability increased in the snatch and the clean and jerk from the 1st pull/dip to the catch position irrespectively of the barbell load.DiscussionThis study presents values of total variability of time series barbell kinematics during the snatch, the clean, and the jerk. Further, the SRD can be used to evaluate changes in barbell kinematics in response to training. In addition, when interpreting barbell kinematics, coaches should take into account that the variability of barbell kinematics can vary depending on the exercise and the barbell load.