bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Effect of kinesio taping intervention on the muscle strength and balance of college basketball players with functional ankle instability
Authors: Li Rui , Qin Rui , Tan Yajun , Liu Hengxian , Wang Kun , Cheng Liang 
Published: March 2023

Objective: The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of acute Kinesio Taping (KT) intervention on the muscle strength and balance ability of college basketball players with functional ankle instability (FAI).Methods: Thirty college basketball players with FAI were treated with acute KT to test the changes in their muscle strength and balance ability.Results: After acute KT intervention, the ankle dorsiflexion moment and the ankle plantar flexion moment increased by 34% and 19.9%, respectively. The stable plane test with the subjects’ eyes open decreased by 1%, whereas that with the subjects’ eyes closed decreased by 1.1%. The swaying environment test with the subjects’ eyes open increased by 2.4%. The swaying plane test with the subjects’ eyes open increased by 5.1%, whereas that with the subjects’ eyes closed increased by 16.2%. The swaying environment test with the subjects’ eyes open plus the use of a plane increased by 12.1%.Conclusion: KT can increase the isokinetic strength of the ankle dorsum muscle and plantar flexion of college basketball players with FAI. The effect of KT in the static balance test was weaker than that in the dynamic balance test. The findings indicate that KT can significantly improve the balance ability of college basketball players with FAI during dynamic sports.
Chronic environmental circadian disruption increases atherosclerosis and dyslipidemia in female, but not male, ApolipoproteinE-deficient mice
Authors: Chalfant Jeffrey M. , Howatt Deborah A. , Johnson Victoria B. , Tannock Lisa R. , Daugherty Alan , Pendergast Julie S. 
Published: March 2023

Shift work chronically disrupts circadian rhythms and increases the risk of developing cardiovascular disease. However, the mechanisms linking shift work and cardiovascular disease are largely unknown. The goal of this study was to investigate the effects of chronically shifting the light-dark (LD) cycle, which models the disordered exposure to light that may occur during shift work, on atherosclerosis. Atherosclerosis is the progressive accumulation of lipid-filled lesions within the artery wall and is the leading cause of cardiovascular disease. We studied ApolipoproteinE-deficient (ApoE−/−) mice that are a well-established model of atherosclerosis. Male and female ApoE−/− mice were housed in control 12L:12D or chronic LD shift conditions for 12 weeks and fed low-fat diet. In the chronic LD shift condition, the light-dark cycle was advanced by 6 h every week. We found that chronic LD shifts exacerbated atherosclerosis in female, but not male, ApoE−/− mice. In females, chronic LD shifts increased total serum cholesterol concentrations with increased atherogenic VLDL/LDL particles. Chronic LD shifts did not affect food intake, activity, or body weight in male or female ApoE−/− mice. We also examined eating behavior in female ApoE−/− mice since aberrant meal timing has been linked to atherosclerosis. The phases of eating behavior rhythms, like locomotor activity rhythms, gradually shifted to the new LD cycle each week in the chronic LD shift group, but there was no effect of the LD shift on the amplitudes of the eating rhythms. Moreover, the duration of fasting intervals was not different in control 12L:12D compared to chronic LD shift conditions. Together these data demonstrate that female ApoE−/− mice have increased atherosclerosis when exposed to chronic LD shifts due to increased VLDL/LDL cholesterol, independent of changes in energy balance or feeding-fasting cycles.
A contribution to the Italian validation of the Parenting Interaction with Children: Checklist of Observations Linked to Outcome (PICCOLO)
Authors: Montirosso Rosario , Castagna Annalisa , Butti Niccolò , Innocenti Mark S. , Roggman Lori A. , Rosa Elisa 
Published: March 2023

IntroductionPICCOLO (Parenting Interactions with Children: Checklist of Observations Linked to Outcomes) is an observational instrument designed to assess four domains of parenting interactions that promote early child development (Affection, Responsiveness, Encouragement, and Teaching). Although PICCOLO has been validated in the United States for children as young as 4 months of age, the current focus is on parents with children aged between 10 and 47 months. This study contributes to the validation of the Italian translation of the PICCOLO by testing its psychometric properties and examining whether factors such as the child’s age and child’s sex are related to the four domains of parenting interactions.MethodsTo these aims, 152 mothers of children aged 10–47 months from three Italian regions participated in the study.ResultsResults indicate that the PICCOLO Italian version has acceptable inter-rater agreement, split-half reliability, and stability over time. Furthermore, the Italian version confirmed the robustness of the factor structure proposed in the original version. While there were no significant differences by child gender on the domains of parenting interactions, the Affection scores decreased with age.DiscussionOverall, these results demonstrate that the Italian version of the PICCOLO is a reliable measure of maternal interactions with children. The psychometric properties of the instrument make it appropriate for general research purposes and for assessment of parenting before and after support interventions.
Work addiction, work engagement, job burnout, and perceived stress: A network analysis
Authors: Bereznowski Piotr , Atroszko Paweł Andrzej , Konarski Roman 
Published: March 2023

IntroductionRecently, the network theory of mental disorders has been used to conceptualize work addiction as a dynamic system of symptoms in direct relationships. This study aimed to extend previous work by investigating the direct relationships of work addiction symptoms with dimensions of work engagement, job burnout, and perceived stress.MethodsThese phenomena were measured with the Bergen Work Addiction Scale, the Utrecht Work Engagement Scale, the Maslach Burnout Inventory–General Survey, and the Perceived Stress Scale. The sample comprised 676 working Poles with a mean age of 36.12 years (SD = 11.23). The network analysis followed the guidelines for estimating psychological networks from cross-sectional data.ResultsWork engagement and job burnout were more closely associated with each other than with work addiction which supports the notion that engagement and burnout represent polar opposites of the same construct and that work addiction is a separate phenomenon, related to both work engagement and job burnout via specific pathways. The symptoms of work addiction were connected with other phenomena through four direct relationships: (1) mood modification—absorption, (2) mood modification—stress, (3) withdrawal—absorption, and (4) problems—exhaustion.DiscussionThese findings narrow down and specify hypotheses regarding potential mechanisms leading from engagement to addiction and from addiction to burnout. The possible mechanisms focus on the absorption component and mood modification related to efforts focused on alleviating chronic stress and negative emotional states. In turn, problems arising from work addiction may lead to exhaustion. Future studies investigating these mechanisms in detail may enable proper prevention programs and therapeutic interventions.
Effects of a polyphenol-rich grape and blueberry extract (Memophenol™) on cognitive function in older adults with mild cognitive impairment: A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study
Authors: Lopresti Adrian L. , Smith Stephen J. , Pouchieu Camille , Pourtau Line , Gaudout David , Pallet Véronique , Drummond Peter D. 
Published: March 2023

BackgroundPolyphenols are naturally occurring organic compounds found in plants. Research suggests that their intake reduces the risk of cognitive decline and related dementias. Grapes and blueberries are polyphenol-rich foods that have attracted attention for their potential cognitive-enhancing effects.PurposeExamine the effects of supplementation with a standardized and patented polyphenol-rich grape and blueberry extract (Memophenol™) on cognitive function in older adults with mild cognitive impairment.Study designTwo-arm, 6 month, parallel-group, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial.MethodsOne hundred and forty-three volunteers aged 60 to 80 years with mild cognitive impairment were supplemented with either 150 mg of Memophenol™, twice daily or a placebo. Outcome measures included computer-based cognitive tasks, the Behavior Rating Inventory of Executive Function (BRIEF-A), the Cognitive Failures Questionnaire, and the CASP-19.ResultsCompared to the placebo, Memophenol™ supplementation was associated with greater improvements in the speed of information processing (p = 0.020), visuospatial learning (p = 0.012), and the BRIEF-A global score (p = 0.046). However, there were no other statistically significant between-group differences in the performance of other assessed cognitive tests or self-report questionnaires. Memophenol™ supplementation was well-tolerated with no reports of significant adverse reactions.ConclusionThe promising results from this trial suggest that 6-months of supplementation with Memophenol™ may improve aspects of cognitive function in adults with mild cognitive impairment. Further research will be important to expand on the current findings and identify the potential mechanisms of action associated with the intake of this polyphenol-rich extract.
A Transdiagnostic group therapy for sleep and anxiety among adults with substance use disorders: Protocol and pilot investigation
Authors: Milanak Melissa E. , Witcraft Sara M. , Park Jie Young , Hassell Katharine , McMahon Tierney , Wilkerson Allison K. 
Published: March 2023

IntroductionTreatment of substance use disorders (SUDs) is challenging with high rates of treatment dropout and relapse, particularly among individuals with comorbid psychiatric conditions. Anxiety and insomnia are prevalent among those with SUD and exacerbate poor treatment outcomes. Interventions that concurrently target anxiety and insomnia during the early stages of SUD treatment are lacking. To this end, we investigated the feasibility and preliminary effectiveness in a single-arm pilot trial of an empirically informed group transdiagnostic intervention, Transdiagnostic SUD Therapy, to concurrently reduce anxiety and improve sleep among adults receiving treatment for SUD. Specifically, we hypothesized that participants would evidence declines in anxiety and insomnia and improvements in sleep health, a holistic, multidimensional pattern of sleep-wakefulness that promotes wellbeing. A secondary aim was to describe the protocol for Transdiagnostic SUD Therapy and how it may be implemented into a real-world addiction treatment setting.MethodParticipants were 163 adults (Mage = 43.23; 95.1% White; 39.93% female) participating in an intensive outpatient program for SUD who attended at least three of four Transdiagnostic SUD Therapy sessions. Participants had diverse SUDs (58.3% alcohol use disorder, 19.0% opioid use disorder) and nearly a third of the sample met criteria for two SUDs and comorbid mental health diagnoses (28.9% anxiety disorder, 24.6% major depressive disorder).ResultsAs anticipated, anxiety and insomnia reduced significantly across the 4-week intervention period from clinical to subclinical severity, and sleep health significantly improved (ps &lt; 0.001). These statistically significant improvements following Transdiagnostic SUD Therapy demonstrated medium to large effects (ds &gt; 0.5).ConclusionTransdiagnostic SUD Therapy is designed to be flexibly administered in “real-world” clinical settings and, preliminarily, appears to be effective in improving emotional and behavioral factors that increase risk for return to substance use and poor SUD treatment outcomes. Additional work is needed to replicate these findings, determine the feasibility of widespread uptake of Transdiagnostic SUD Therapy, and examine whether the treatment effects translate to improvement in substance use outcomes.
Polyvinyl chloride-added dibutyl adipate for high-performance electrohydrodynamic pumps
Authors: Shimizu Keita , Murakami Kazuya , Ogawa Naoki , Akai Hideko , Shintake Jun 
Published: March 2023

Electrohydrodynamic (EHD) pumps are a promising driving source for various fluid-driven systems owing to features such as simple structure and silent operation. The performance of EHD pumps depends on the properties of the working fluid, such as conductivity, viscosity, and permittivity. This implies that the tuning of these parameters in a working fluid can enhance the EHD performance. This study reports a method to modify the properties of a liquid for EHD pumps by mixing an additive. Specifically, dibutyl adipate (DBA) and polyvinyl chloride (PVC) are employed as the working fluid and the additive, respectively. The results show that when the concentration of PVC is 0.2%, the flow rate and pressure at applied voltage of 8 kV take highest value of 7.85 μL/s and 1.63 kPa, respectively. These values correspond to an improvement of 109% and 40% for the flow rate and pressure, respectively, compared to the pure DBA (PVC 0%). When the voltage is 10 kV, the flow rate of 10.95 μL/s and the pressure of 2.07 kPa are observed for DBA with PVC concentration of 0.2%. These values are more than five times higher than those observed for FC40 at the same voltage (2.02 μL/s and 0.32 kPa). The results also suggest that optimal conductivity and viscosity values exist for maximizing the EHD performance of a liquid. This demonstrates the validity of the proposed method for realizing high-performance EHD pumps by using additives in the working fluid.
Whose responsibility is it to talk with children and young people about intersex/differences in sex development? Young people’s, caregivers’ and health professionals’ perspectives
Authors: Roen Katrina , Lundberg Tove , Hegarty Peter , Liao Lih-Mei 
Published: March 2023

IntroductionOver the past two decades, there has been a shift from concealing diagnoses of sex development from impacted people to the broad principle of age-appropriate disclosure. This change is consistent with children’s rights and with general shifts towards giving children medical information and involving patients in medical decision-making. The present paper examines how health professionals, young people and caregivers with experience in this area talk about the process of telling children about a diagnosis relating to sex development. The focus is on (i) who is given the role of talking with children and young people about their medical condition and care in the context of a diagnosis relating to sex development and (ii) what strategies seem to work, and what dilemmas are encountered, in engaging children and young people in talk about their condition and healthcare.MethodQualitative semi-structured interviews were carried out with 32 health professionals, 28 caregivers and 12 young persons recruited in the UK and Sweden, and thematic analysis was undertaken.ResultsThe analysis identifies strategies and dilemmas in communication and a widespread assumption that it is caregivers’ responsibility to talk with children/young people about the diagnosis. This assumption creates difficulties for all three parties. This paper raises concern about children/young people who, despite a more patient-centred care ethos, are nevertheless growing up with limited opportunities to learn to talk about intersex or differences in sex development with confidence.DiscussionLearning to talk about this topic is one step towards shared decision-making in healthcare. A case is made for services to take clearer responsibility for developing a protocol for educating children and young people in ways that involve caregivers. Such a process would include relevant medical information as well as opportunities to explore preferred language and meaning and address concerns of living well with bodily differences.
Molecular prevalence and associated risk factors of Anaplasma ovis in Pakistani sheep
Authors: Naeem Muhammad , Amaro-Estrada Itzel , Taqadus Asia , Swelum Ayman A. , Alqhtani Abdulmohsen H. , Asif Muhammad , Sajid Muhammad , Khan Asmat Ullah , Tariq Aliza , Anjum Summaya , Khan Adil , Iqbal Furhan 
Published: March 2023

BackgroundMajority of Pakistani population lives in rural areas and raising animals, especially the small ruminants, is their primary source of income. Anaplasma ovis is known to infect small ruminants globally and causing significant economic losses to livestock owners, however prevalence of Anaplasma ovis has been least investigated from Pakistan despite having a huge sheep population.MethodsThe present study was conducted from June 2021 till December 2021 to report the PCR based prevalence of Anaplasma ovis in the blood samples of sheep (n = 239) that were collected from District Dera Ghazi Khan in Pakistan.ResultsOut of 239 samples, 30 (12.5%) amplified a 347 bp fragment specific for the msp4 gene of Anaplasma ovis. Represented partial msp4 gene sequences were confirmed by Sanger sequencing and deposited to GenBank (OP620757-59). None of the studied epidemiological factors (age, sex, breed, size of herd, dogs with herd, and composition of herd) showed an association (P &gt; 0.05) with the Anaplasma ovis infection in enrolled sheep. Analysis of the amplified partial mSP4 sequence of Anaplasma ovis revealed that this gene is highly conserved as all three sequences were identical and phylogenetically resembled with the msp4 sequences amplified from small ruminants in China, Kenya, and Germany, Turkey, Portugal, Tunisia and India. In conclusion, for the first time, we are reporting a moderate prevalence of Anaplasma ovis prevalence in Pakistani sheep and this data will help in developing the integrated control policies against this newly reported tick-borne disease that is infecting our sheep breeds.
Synthesis of Aluminum Nitride Using Sodium Aluminate as Aluminum Source
Authors: Li Guangqi , Li Bin , Ren Bo , Chen Haiyang , Zhu Bo , Chen Junhong 
Published: March 2023

At present, the carbothermal reduction and nitridation process is an important method for the large-scale preparation of aluminum nitride powder in industry, but the tremendous energy consumption caused by long-term high temperatures seriously restricts its practical application. To solve this problem, the (NaAlO2+C) mixture with a mole ratio of NaAlO2:C = 1:3 was prepared based on sodium aluminate and carbon black which has been ball milled with anhydrous ethanol as a grinding liquid. The crystal structure evolution and nitridation reaction behavior of sodium aluminate at 800–1600 °C under a nitrogen atmosphere in the presence of carbon were systematically studied employing XRD, SEM, and ICP-MS. The results showed that: high energy θ-Al2O3, η-Al2O3 can be excited by heating sodium aluminate to 1400 °C under a nitrogen atmosphere in the presence of carbon. The transformation process between sodium aluminate and aluminum nitride is carried out via the direct nitridation of θ-Al2O3, η-Al2O3. Benefiting from the direct nitridation of η-Al2O3 and θ-Al2O3, high-purity aluminum nitride powder with a particle size of 0.50 ± 0.18 μm was synthesized at 1400 °C. This work provides a new path for reduced energy consumption in the aluminum nitride industry.
Channel Imbalance Calibration Based on the Zero Helix of Bragg-like Targets
Authors: Guo Hanglan , Zhao Xingjie , Liu Xiuqing , Yu Weidong 
Published: March 2023

The calibration of channel imbalances is currently the main concern in polarimetric calibration (POLCAL) since the crosstalk of recent polarimetric synthetic aperture radar (Pol-SAR) systems is lower than −20 dB. The existing channel imbalance calibration method without corner reflectors utilizes both volume-dominated and Bragg-like targets. However, there are two limitations to using volume-dominated targets. One is that the inaccurate selection of volume-dominated areas in the uncalibrated Pol-SAR images has a negative influence on the estimation of cross-polarization (x-pol) channel imbalance, which subsequently impacts the estimation of copolarization (copol) channel imbalance. The other is that there are minimal volume-dominated areas in some special applications of Pol-SAR, such as planetary exploration. Thus, only selecting Bragg-like targets to estimate the values of both transmitting and receiving channel imbalances, which is proposed in this paper, can avoid the uncertainty brought about by selecting other distributed targets in an uncalibrated imaginary. In addition, the reciprocity assumption and characteristics corresponding to H/α¯ decomposition are introduced to eliminate the phase ambiguity for the first time. Compared with previous methods, our method had an obvious advantage in terms of universality, since Bragg-like targets are common in the most illuminating areas. The novel method was applied to both the simulated data from the L-band Advanced Land Observing Satellite (ALOS) and C-band GaoFen-3 (GF-3), and to real data with corner reflectors on site. The results from the simulated data showed that the errors of the amplitude and phase estimation were less than 0.5 dB and 5.0° in most topographical features. Meanwhile, the VV/HH terms from all trihedral corner reflectors were less than 0.3 dB for amplitude, and 5.5° for phase after calibration by using the estimated channel imbalances.
Perbandingan Simulasi Kontrol Kecepatan Kereta Api Dengan Logika Fuzzy Metode Mamdani dan Sugeno
Authors: Apriyanto R Akbar Nur , Samudra Daris Itsar 
Published: March 2023

Alat transportasi yang saat ini banyak diminati oleh masyarakat adalah kereta api karena harga yang terjangkau dan lebih nyaman. Namun berdasarkan data dari Buku Statistik Bidang Perkeretaapian jumlah kecelakaan kereta api selama tahun 2020 sebanyak 18 kejadian kecelakaan. Penyebab kecelakaan bisa dikarenakan oleh beberapa faktor antara lain sarana, prasarana, SDM operator, eksternal dan faktor alam. Beberapa faktor yang mempengaruhi contohnya kondisi rel dan cuaca. Pada penelitian ini yang akan dibahas perbandingan kontrol kecepatan kereta api menggunakan metode fuzzy Mamdani dan fuzzy Sugeno untuk mengetahui metode yang cocok guna mengontrol kecepatan kereta sehingga dapat mengurangi kecelakaan yang diakibatkan karena kecepatan kereta yang tidak sesuai dengan kondisi rel dan cuaca. Dari hasil penelitian didapatkan hasil pada rel tikungan tajam metode mamdani ialah 72.7 km/jam yang mana melebihi ambang batas kecepatan kereta api yaitu 60 km/jam sedangkan untuk metode sugeno pada rel tikungan tajam tidak melebihi ambang batas kecepatan kereta api yaitu 55.7 km/jam.