bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Individual characteristics moderate listening effort in noisy classrooms
Authors: Visentin Chiara , Pellegatti Matteo , Garraffa Maria , Di Domenico Alberto , Prodi Nicola 
Published: August 2023

AbstractComprehending the teacher’s message when other students are chatting is challenging. Even though the sound environment is the same for a whole class, differences in individual performance can be observed, which might depend on a variety of personal factors and their specific interaction with the listening condition. This study was designed to explore the role of individual characteristics (reading comprehension, inhibitory control, noise sensitivity) when primary school children perform a listening comprehension task in the presence of a two-talker masker. The results indicated that this type of noise impairs children’s accuracy, effort, and motivation during the task. Its specific impact depended on the level and was modulated by the child’s characteristics. In particular, reading comprehension was found to support task accuracy, whereas inhibitory control moderated the effect of listening condition on the two measures of listening effort included in the study (response time and self-ratings), even though with a different pattern of association. A moderation effect of noise sensitivity on perceived listening effort was also observed. Understanding the relationship between individual characteristics and classroom sound environment has practical implications for the acoustic design of spaces promoting students’ well-being, and supporting their learning performance.
Housing situations and local COVID-19 infection dynamics using small-area data
Authors: Freise Diana , Schiele Valentin , Schmitz Hendrik 
Published: August 2023

AbstractLow socio-economic status is associated with higher SARS-CoV-2 incidences. In this paper we study whether this is a result of differences in (1) the frequency, (2) intensity, and/or (3) duration of local SARS-CoV-2 outbreaks depending on the local housing situations. So far, there is not clear evidence which of the three factors dominates. Using small-scale data from neighborhoods in the German city Essen and a flexible estimation approach which does not require prior knowledge about specific transmission characteristics of SARS-CoV-2, behavioral responses or other potential model parameters, we find evidence for the last of the three hypotheses. Outbreaks do not happen more often in less well-off areas or are more severe (in terms of the number of cases), but they last longer. This indicates that the socio-economic gradient in infection levels is at least in parts a result of a more sustained spread of infections in neighborhoods with worse housing conditions after local outbreaks and suggests that in case of an epidemic allocating scarce resources in containment measures to areas with poor housing conditions might have the greatest benefit.
Etiology and clinical characteristics of acute viral hepatitis in South Korea during 2020–2021: a prospective multicenter study
Authors: Jeong Chan Young , Choi Gwang Hyeon , Jang Eun Sun , Kim Young Seok , Lee Youn-Jae , Kim In Hee , Cho Sung Bum , Yoon Jae Hyun , Kim Kyung-Ah , Choi Dae Hee , Chung Woo Jin , Cho Hyun Chin , Na Seong Kyun , Kim Yun-Tae , Lee Byung Seok , Jeong Sook-Hyang 
Published: August 2023

AbstractThis prospective, 12-center study investigated the etiology and clinical characteristics of acute viral hepatitis (AVH) during 2020–2021 in South Korea, and the performance of different diagnostic methods for hepatitis E virus (HEV). We enrolled 428 patients with acute hepatitis, of whom 160 (37.4%) were diagnosed with AVH according to predefined serologic criteria. The clinical data and risk factors for AVH were analyzed. For hepatitis E patients, anti-HEV IgM and IgG were tested with two commercial ELISA kits (Abia and Wantai) with HEV-RNA real-time RT-PCR. HAV, HEV, HBV, HCV, Epstein-Barr virus (EBV), cytomegalovirus, and herpes simplex virus accounted for AVH in 78.8% (n = 126), 7.5% (n = 12), 3.1% (n = 5), 1.9% (n = 3), 6.9% (n = 11), 1.2% (n = 2), and 0.6% (n = 1) of 160 patients (median age, 43 years; men, 52.5%; median ALT, 2144 IU/L), respectively. Hospitalization, hemodialysis, and intensive care unit admission were required in 137 (86.7%), 5 (3.2%), and 1 (0.6%) patient, respectively. Two patients developed acute liver failure (1.3%), albeit without mortality or liver transplantation. Ingestion of uncooked clams/oysters and wild boars’ blood/bile was reported in 40.5% and 16.7% of patients with HAV and HEV, respectively. The concordance rate between the anti-HEV-IgM results of both ELISA kits was 50%. HEV RNA was detected in only 17% of patients with HEV. The diagnosis of HEV needs clinical consideration due to incomplete HEV diagnostics.
Purification and fractionation of phycobiliproteins from Arthrospira platensis and Corallina officinalis with evaluating their biological activities
Authors: Ismail Mona M. , El-Fakharany Esmail M. , Hegazy Ghada E. 
Published: August 2023

AbstractPhycobiliproteins (PBPs) are a class of water-soluble pigments with a variety of biological functions that are present in red macroalgae and cyanobacterial species. The crude forms of phycocyanin (C-PC) from the blue green alga Arthrospira platensis and allophycocyanin (APC) from the red macroalga Corallina officinalis were extracted and purified by ammonium sulphate precipitation, anion exchange chromatography, and size exclusion chromatography methods, respectively. The obtained C-PC and APC from A. platensis and C. officinalis were 0.31 mg/mL and 0.08 mg/mL, respectively, with molecular masses of “17.0 KDa and 19.0 KDa” and “15.0 KDa and 17.0 KDa” corresponding to α and β subunits, respectively. FT-IR was used to characterize the purified APC and C-PC in order to look into their structures. Highly purified extracts (A620/A280 > 4.0) were obtained from subtractions’ PC3 and PC4 that were tested for their biological activities. APC and C-PC crude extracts plus their fractions exhibited potent anti-oxidant in different ratios by using three techniques. PC1 showed high anti-inflammatory (75.99 and 74.55%) and anti-arthritic (78.89 and 76.92%) activities for C. officinalis and A. platensis, respectively compared with standard drugs (72.02 and 71.5%). The methanolic and water extracts of both species showed greater antibacterial efficacy against Gram +ve than Gram −ve marine bacteria. Our study shed light on the potential medical uses of C-PC and APC extracted from the tested species as natural substances in a variety of foods and drugs. Further investigations are required to explore the diverse chemical natures of distinct PBPs from different cyanobacteria and red algae because their amino acid sequences vary among different algal species.
Comparative and phylogenetic analysis of complete chloroplast genome sequences of Salvia regarding its worldwide distribution
Authors: Yu Dade , Pei Yifei , Cui Ning , Zhao Guiping , Hou Mengmeng , Chen Yingying , Chen Jialei , Li Xiwen 
Published: August 2023

AbstractSalvia is widely used as medicine, food, and ornamental plants all over the world, with three main distribution centers, the Central and western Asia/Mediterranean (CAM), the East Aisa (EA), and the Central and South America (CASA). Along with its large number of species and world-wide distribution, Salvia is paraphyletic with multiple diversity. Chloroplast genomes (CPs) are useful tools for analyzing the phylogeny of plants at lower taxonomic levels. In this study, we reported chloroplast genomes of five species of Salvia and performed phylogenetic analysis with current available CPs of Salvia. Repeated sequence analysis and comparative analysis of Salvia CPs were also performed with representative species from different distribution centers. The results showed that the genetic characters of the CPs are related to the geographic distribution of plants. Species from CAM diverged first to form a separate group, followed by species from EA, and finally species from CASA. Larger variations of CPs were observed in species from CAM, whereas more deficient sequences and less repeated sequences in the CPs were observed in species from CASA. These results provide valuable information on the development and utilization of the worldwide genetic resources of Salvia.
Antimicrobial activity of the Lacticaseibacillus rhamnosus CRL 2244 and its impact on the phenotypic and transcriptional responses in carbapenem resistant Acinetobacter baumannii
Authors: Rodriguez Cecilia , Ramlaoui Dema , Georgeos Nardin , Gasca Briea , Leal Camila , Subils Tomás , Tuttobene Marisel R. , Sieira Rodrigo , Salzameda Nicholas T. , Bonomo Robert A. , Raya Raúl , Ramirez María Soledad 
Published: August 2023

AbstractCarbapenem-resistant Acinetobacter baumannii (CRAB) is a recognized nosocomial pathogen with limited antibiotic treatment options. Lactic acid bacteria (LAB) constitute a promising therapeutic alternative. Here we studied the antibacterial properties of a collection of LAB strains using phenotypic and transcriptomic analysis against A. baumannii clinical strains. One strain, Lacticaseibacillus rhamnosus CRL 2244, demonstrated a potent inhibitory capacity on A. baumannii with a significant killing activity. Scanning electron microscopy images showed changes in the morphology of A. baumannii with an increased formation of outer membrane vesicles. Significant changes in the expression levels of a wide variety of genes were also observed. Interestingly, most of the modified genes were involved in a metabolic pathway known to be associated with the survival of A. baumannii. The paa operon, Hut system, and fatty acid degradation were some of the pathways that were induced. The analysis reveals the impact of Lcb. rhamnosus CRL 2244 on A. baumannii response, resulting in bacterial stress and subsequent cell death. These findings highlight the antibacterial properties of Lcb. rhamnosus CRL 2244 and its potential as an alternative or complementary strategy for treating infections. Further exploration and development of LAB as a treatment option could provide valuable alternatives for combating CRAB infections.
The effect of masks on the emotion perception of a facial crowd
Authors: Cho Jieun , Im Hee Yeon , Yoon Young Jun , Joo Sung Jun , Chong Sang Chul 
Published: August 2023

AbstractThe present study investigated the effect of facial masks on people’s ability to perceive emotions in crowds. We presented faces with the bottom halves occluded by masks or full faces without occlusion. In two sequentially presented crowds, we varied the number of faces, emotional valence, and intensity of facial expressions, examining the impact of masks on the perception of crowd emotion. Participants reported which of the two crowds they would avoid based on the crowds’ average emotions. The participants’ ability to judge the average emotion of a crowd, especially a crowd expressing happiness, was impaired when the crowd wore masks. For faces covered by masks, crowd emotion judgments were more negatively biased than those without masks. However, participants could still distinguish the emotional intensities of a crowd wearing masks above chance. Additionally, participants responded more quickly to a crowd with more people without compromising accuracy, despite the perceptual challenges imposed by facial masks. Our results suggest that under ambiguous social situations in which individuals’ emotions are partially hidden by masks, a large group may provide stronger social cues than a small group, thereby promoting communication and regulating social behaviors.
Impact of physical and social living environments on pro-environmental intentions
Authors: Ngo Tuan-Hung , Lung Shih-Chun Candice 
Published: August 2023

AbstractThe living environment might play an important role in shaping the pro-environmental intentions of the people. However, there was limited research on how the living environments influenced the pro-environmental intentions of people. The objectives of this study are to evaluate the direct effects of physical and social environments on pro-environmental intentions as well as the mediating effects of environmental attitudes and life satisfaction. Structural Equation Modeling was used with data extracted from the 2020 Taiwan Social Change Survey database (n = 1671). Results showed direct positive associations of both physical and social environments with pro-environmental intentions (β = 0.133 and β = 0.076, respectively) as well as indirect positive associations via the life satisfaction-mediating pathway (β = 0.031 and β = 0.044, respectively). The physical environment negatively influenced pro-environmental intentions through the environmental attitude pathway (β =  − 0.255) with unpleasant neighborhood enhancing the pro-environmental intentions of residents. Taken together, the overall effect of the physical environment was negative (β =  − 0.093) while that of the social environment was positive (β = 0.109). The most important factors for the physical and social environments were disturbance and livability in north, central and south Taiwan, neighborhood pollution and interestingness in east Taiwan. Accordingly, minimizing disturbance and neighborhood pollution of the physical environment could have the highest effect on pro-environmental intentions enhancement in western and eastern Taiwan, respectively. For the social environment, improving livability in the west and interestingness in the east would have an even larger impact on pro-environmental intentions. This study emphasized the importance of neighborhood environment on the environmental intentions of the people. The study also identified the important factors for policymakers to target to achieve the best effect on improving environmental intentions.
No increase in translocated chromosomal aberrations, an indicator of ionizing radiation exposure, in childhood thyroid cancer in Fukushima Prefecture
Authors: Sakai Akira , Tsuyama Naohiro , Ohira Tetsuya , Sugai-Takahashi Misaki , Ohba Takashi , Azami Yusuke , Matsumoto Yoshiko , Manabu Iwadate , Suzuki Satoshi , Sato Maki , Hosoya Mitsuaki , Ishikawa Tetsuo , Suzuki Shinichi 
Published: August 2023

AbstractTo investigate the effects of radiation exposure due to the Fukushima nuclear power plant accident, following the disaster Fukushima Prefecture launched thyroid ultrasound examinations of residents who were generally younger than 18 years at the time of the earthquake. As the rate of pediatric thyroid cancer was higher than expected, we conducted biological dose assessment based on the frequency of translocated chromosome (Tr) aberrations using peripheral blood lymphocytes. Tr formation frequency was compared among the thyroid cancer (n = 38, median age 18 years, age range 12–26 years), thyroid-related disease (n = 30, median age 21 years, age range 15–28 years), and healthy controls (n = 31, median age 22 years, age range 20–23 years) groups. Tr aberration frequency was initially significantly higher in the thyroid cancer than in the other two groups; however, differences among the groups disappeared after adjusting for history of CT scan, as 92%, 67%, and 28% of those in the thyroid cancer, thyroid-related disease, and control groups, respectively, had undergone CT previously. Therefore, the significant difference in the initial number of Tr formations is presumably due to radiation exposure from CT. Accordingly, the effects of medical exposure on the chromosomes of children and adolescents should be noted.
Prevalence of anemia and associated factors among adult hypertensive patients in Referral Hospitals, Amhara Regional State
Authors: Gela Yibeltal Yismaw , Belay Daniel Gashaneh , Chilot Dagmawi , Andualem Amare Agmas , Bitew Desalegn Anmut , Sinamaw Deresse , Eshetu Habitu Birhan , Seid Abdulwase Mohammed , Simegn Wudneh , Kibret Anteneh Ayelign , Seid Mohammed Abdu , Diress Mengistie 
Published: August 2023

AbstractAnemia is a risk factor for adverse cardiovascular disease outcomes in hypertensive patients. Chronic anemia increases preload, reduces afterload, and leads to increased cardiac output in hypertension patients. In the long term, this may result in maladaptive left ventricular hypertrophy, which in turn is a well-recognized risk factor for cardiovascular disease outcomes and all-cause mortality in hypertension. Low hemoglobin and hematocrit levels might be strongly indicate hypertensive end-organ damage, specifically kidney failure. Therefore, this study determined the prevalence of anemia and associated factors among hypertensive patients in Referral Hospitals, Amhara Regional State, Ethiopia, in 2020. An institution-based cross-sectional study was conducted in Amhara Regional Referral Hospitals from February 20 to April 30, 2020. Random and systemic sampling techniques were used to select 428 study participants. Data were entered and coded in to Epi data version 3.0 and then exported into STATA 14 for analysis. In bivariable logistic regression, variables with a p-value of < 0.25 were included in multivariable logistic regression. Using a 95% confidence interval, variables having a p-value ≤ 0.05 in multivariable logistic regression were declared as statistically significant variables. In this study, a total of 428 study participants were involved with 99.5% response rate. The prevalence of anemia among hypertensive patients was 17.6%, with a 95% CI (14.3–21.5%). Estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) < 90 ml/min (AOR = 2.77, 95% CI 1.56- 4.92)], duration of hypertension (HTN) ≥ 5 years (AOR = 2.37, 95% CI 1.36–4.15), uncontrolled blood pressure (AOR = 1.91, 95% CI 1.08–3.35), and higher pulse pressure (AOR = 1.05 (95% CI 1.02–1.08) were significantly associated with anemia. Nearly one out of five hypertensive patients had anemia. Impaired estimated glomerular filtration rate, duration of HTN, blood pressure status, and pulse pressure were the independent predictors of anemia among hypertensive patients. Screening hemoglobin level at a regular interval is recommended for the hypertensive patients to take an appropriate intervention.
New cut-off points of PHQ-9 and its variants, in Costa Rica: a nationwide observational study
Authors: González-Sánchez Armando , Ortega-Moreno Raúl , Villegas-Barahona Greibin , Carazo-Vargas Eva , Arias-LeClaire Harold , Vicente-Galindo Purificación 
Published: August 2023

AbstractThe PHQ-9 questionnaire is a screening test worldwide used to measure depression. But it cannot be used in Costa Rica, due to the fact that it has not previously been validated for its population. The present study aims to show the validation of the PHQ-9 questionnaire and its variants (PHQ-2, PHQ-4, PHQ-8) in a population sample of adults residing in Costa Rica. A sample was collected (n = 1162) using a self-administered questionnaire. Confirmatory Factor Analysis (CFA), Receiver Operating Characteristic (ROC) curve, and Multiple Group Confirmatory Factor Analysis (MGCFA) were tested. One factor was found that explained 73.33% of the variance with excellent internal consistency (α = 0.928). Goodness-of-fit measures were adequate (RMSEA = 0.107; CFI = 0.948), as was diagnostic power at a cut-off of 10 (78.60 for Sensitivity and 27.95 for 1-Specificity). External validation indices were good (r = 0.843 with GAD-7, r = − 0.647 with RS14, and r = 0.301 with FCV19S), and the model showed invariance by sex (∆χ2 = 27.90; df = 27; p < 0.001). Additionally, new cut-off points were proposed for PHQ-9 and its variants for Costa Rican male, female, and general populations. The PHQ-9 and its variants (PHQ-2, 4, and 8) are valid tools for detecting depression (and anxiety for PHQ-4) in Costa Rican population. In addition, new cut-off points differentiated by sex are proposed.
Differentiable optimization layers enhance GNN-based mitosis detection
Authors: Zhang Haishan , Nguyen Dai Hai , Tsuda Koji 
Published: August 2023

AbstractAutomatic mitosis detection from video is an essential step in analyzing proliferative behaviour of cells. In existing studies, a conventional object detector such as Unet is combined with a link prediction algorithm to find correspondences between parent and daughter cells. However, they do not take into account the biological constraint that a cell in a frame can correspond to up to two cells in the next frame. Our model called GNN-DOL enables mitosis detection by complementing a graph neural network (GNN) with a differentiable optimization layer (DOL) that implements the constraint. In time-lapse microscopy sequences cultured under four different conditions, we observed that the layer substantially improved detection performance in comparison with GNN-based link prediction. Our results illustrate the importance of incorporating biological knowledge explicitly into deep learning models.
Dense bidisperse suspensions under non-homogeneous shear
Authors: Monti Alessandro , Rosti Marco Edoardo 
Published: August 2023

AbstractWe study the rheological behaviour of bidisperse suspensions in three dimensions under a non-uniform shear flow, made by the superimposition of a linear shear and a sinusoidal disturbance. Our results show that (i) only a streamwise disturbance in the shear-plane alters the suspension dynamics by substantially reducing the relative viscosity, (ii) with the amplitude of the disturbance determining a threshold value for the effect to kick-in and its wavenumber controlling the amount of reduction and which of the two phases is affected. We show that, (iii) the rheological changes are caused by the effective separation of the two phases, with the large or small particles layering in separate regions. We provide a physical explanation of the phase separation process and of the conditions necessary to trigger it. We test the results in the whole flow curve, and we show that the mechanism remains substantially unaltered, with the only difference being the nature of the interactions between particles modified by the phase separation.
Drivers of cocoa agroforestry adoption by smallholder farmers around the Taï National Park in southwestern Côte d’Ivoire
Authors: Kouassi Jean-Luc , Diby Lucien , Konan Dieudonné , Kouassi Allegra , Bene Yeboi , Kouamé Christophe 
Published: August 2023

AbstractThe encroachment of agricultural expansion into protected areas has led to severe biodiversity loss. To promote sustainable agriculture practices and reverse the anthropogenic pressure, several initiatives such as the Cocoa and Forests Initiative (CFI) and the National Strategy for Reducing Greenhouse Gas Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation (REDD+), have been undertaken. This study examines the adoption of cocoa agroforestry by smallholder farmers in the vicinity of the Taï National Park (TNP) in Southwestern Côte d’Ivoire. A structured questionnaire was administered to 323 cocoa farmers to understand their practices and perceptions of cocoa agroforestry. Results showed that most farmers (95%) grow unimproved cocoa varieties with an average yield of 376 ± 36 kg ha−1 year−1. The majority of farmers (86%) use agroforestry practices in their farming systems, with pruning techniques being used by 82% and fertilizers applied by 27%. Additionally, 54% of farmers are adopting improved agroforestry practices or planting more trees in their cocoa plantations. Factors influencing cocoa agroforestry adoption include gender, the length of residency, the number of cultivated cash crops and the incidence of black pod attacks. These findings highlight the potential to leverage community knowledge in promoting sustainable agricultural practices and generate positive impacts. These results have important implications for future initiatives aiming to promote sustainable agriculture practices and biodiversity conservation in the region. By capitalizing on the adoption of agroforestry and leveraging socioeconomic factors, it is possible to enhance the conservation of the TNP and promote sustainable cocoa farming practices.