The presence, enjoyment, mood experience, attitude and preference towards exergames scale in children with mild intellectual disability

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to examine the factor structure and cross-cultural validity of the self-report questionnaire of Ho, Lwin, Sng & Yee (2017) in a sample of Greek primary school students with mild intellectual disability (ID) using VR exergames. The questionnaire consisted of five scales, namely self-presence, mood experience, game enjoyment, attitude toward exergames and preference for future gameplay. Methods: Participants were 103 primary school students with mild ID aged 9–12 years old (males = 52.4%, females = 47.6%). Confirmatory Factor Analysis was undertaken through structural equation modelling to determine factorial validity. Convergent validity and internal consistency were calculated by considering the average variance extracted and the composite reliability respectively, while discriminant validity was estimated by maximum shared squared variance. Results: Results indicated that the model was a good fit for the data as soon as seven items were dropped from the scale because of presenting poor consistency. Instrument was shown to have good internal consistency, appropriate convergent and discriminant validity. Conclusion: Evidence was found in support of the psychometric integrity of the Ho, Lwin, Sng & Yee (2017) questionnaire when implemented to children with mild ID. © 2021, The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer-Verlag Italia S.r.l., part of Springer Nature

Psychometric evaluation of the Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale in primary school students with mild intellectual disability: First evidence

Background: Although the Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale (RSES) is the most widely used measure of self-esteem, the evidential basis to confirm the RSES factor validity and reliability in children with intellectual disabilities (ID) has not been previously addressed. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the psychometric properties of the Greek version of the RSES into a sample consisting of primary school students with mild ID, bearing in mind the aspect of multidimensionality. In addition, gender differences were also investigated. Methods: The participants were 103 primary school students with mild ID aged 9–12 years old. Fifty-four (52.4 %) of the participants were boys and forty-nine were girls (47.6 %). Using the LISREL software, six different models of factor structure were estimated. The psychometric properties of the RSES, including internal consistency, content validity, convergent and discriminant validity as well as confirmatory factor analysis, were assessed. Results: The findings of this study provide some preliminary support to the robustness of the bifactor model, with a general self-esteem factor and two method effect factors that capture the direction of positive and negative item wording. Conclusions: Although it is inappropriate to conclude that the results will be extended to all other populations and cultures, it can be assumed that bifactor models, which specify method effects due to wording, fit better than strictly unidimensional or two factor models. © 2021 Elsevier Lt

Dimensionality of the rosenberg self-esteem scale among greek primary school students

The aim of the current study was to validate the self-report version of the Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale (RSES; Rosenberg, 1965) structure in a sample of Greek primary school students. The study was based on the original one-factor model suggested by the scale's author, as well as on the two-factor correlated model of positive and negative items. Participants were 652 primary school students (N=652, M=10.02, SD=1.160). The psychometric properties of the RSES were assessed by conducting a Confirmatory Factor Analysis (CFA). Both average variance extracted and composite reliability were used to test the internal consistency and convergent validity. The correlated two-factor model provided a better fit to the data than the one-factor model, according to the CFA. This conclusion is based on the analysis results, which comprised as providing good fit if non-significant X2 values, X2 /df 0.90), as well as the root mean square error of approximation (RMSEA) < 0.06 (Hu & Bentler, 1999). The main contribution of this study was the adaptation and evaluation of the RSES for use of Greek students and the determination of its factor structure. Teachers and researchers could also use this interpreted scale to determine the level of self-esteem in primary school children and form strategies to increase their self-esteem. © 2021 Eskisehir Osmangazi University. All rights reserved

Spoilage investigation of chill stored meagre (Argyrosomus regius) using modern microbiological and analytical techniques

Spoilage status of whole and filleted chill-stored meagre caught in January and July was evaluated using sensory, microbiological, 16S metabarcoding and Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs) analysis. Based on the sensory analysis, shelf-life was 15 and 12 days for the whole fish taken in January and July, respectively, while 7 days for fish fillets of both months. For the whole fish, Total Viable Counts (TVC) at the beginning of storage was 2.90 and 4.73 log cfu/g for fish caught in January and July respectively, while it was found about 3 log cfu/g in fish fillets of both months. The 16S metabarcoding analysis showed different profiles between the two seasons throughout the storage. Pseudomonas (47%) and Psychrobacter (42.5%) dominated in whole meagre of January, while Pseudomonas (66.6%) and Shewanella (10.5%) dominated in fish of July, at the end of shelf-life. Regarding the fillets, Pseudomonas clearly dominated at the end of shelf-life for both months. The volatile profile of meagre was predominated by alcohols and carbonyl compounds. After univariate and multivariate testing, we observed one group of compounds (trimethylamine, 3-methylbutanoic acid, 3-methyl-1-butanol) positively correlating with time of storage and another group with a declining trend (such as heptanal and octanal). Furthermore, the volatile profile seemed to be affected by the fish culturing season. Our findings provide insights into the spoilage mechanism and give information that helps stakeholders to supply meagre products of a high-quality level in national and international commerce. © 2021 by the authors. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland

Volatile Organic Compounds and 16S Metabarcoding in Ice-Stored Red Seabream Pagrus major

The profiles of bacterial communities and volatile organic compounds (VOCs) of farmed red seabream (Pagrus major) from two batches during ice storage were studied using 16S metabar-coding (culture independent approach) and headspace Solid Phase Micro-Extraction—Gas Chromatography/Mass Spectrometry (SPME-GC/MS) analysis, respectively. Sensory attributes and microbiological parameters were also evaluated. At Day 12 (shelf-life for both batches based on sensory evaluation), using classical microbiological analysis, Total Viable Counts (TVC) were found at the levels of 7–8 log cfu/g, and Pseudomonas and/or H2S producing bacteria dominated. On the other hand, the culture independent 16S metabarcoding analysis showed that Psychrobacter were the most abundant bacteria in fish tissue from batch 1, while Pseudomonas and Psychrobacter (at lower abundance) were the most abundant in fish from batch 2. Differences were also observed in VOC profiles between the two batches. However, combining the VOC results of the two batches, 15 compounds were found to present a similar trend during fish storage. Of them, 2-methylbutanal, 3-methylbutanal, 3-methyl-1-butanol, ethanol, 2,4 octadiene (2 isomers), ethyl lactate, acetaldehyde and (E)-2-penten-1-ol could be used as potential spoilage markers of red seabream because they increased during storage, mainly due to Psychrobacter and/or Pseudomonas activity and/or chemical activity (e.g., oxidation). Additionally, VOCs such as propanoic acid, nonanoic acid, decanoic acid, 1-propanol, 3,4-hexanediol and hexane decreased gradually with time, so they could be proposed as freshness markers of red seabream. Such information will be used to develop intelligent approaches for the rapid evaluation of spoilage course in red seabream during ice storage. © 2022 by the authors. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland

HRM analysis as a tool to facilitate identification of bacteria from mussels during storage at 4 °C

High-resolution melting (HRM) analysis followed by sequencing was applied for determination of bacteria grown on plates isolated from farmed mussels (Mytilus galloprovincialis) during their storage at 4 °C. The V3–V4 region of the 16S rRNA gene from the isolates was amplified using 16S universal primers. Melting curves (peaks) and high resolution melting curves (shape) of the amplicons and sequencing analysis were used for differentiation and identification of the isolated bacteria, respectively. The majority of the isolates (a sum of 101 colonies, from five time intervals: day 0, 2, 4, 6 and 8) from non-selective solid medium plates were classified in four bacterial groups based on the melting curves (peaks) and HRM curves (shape) of the amplicons, while three isolates presented distinct HRM curve profiles (single). Afterwards, sequencing analysis showed that the isolates with a) the same melting peak temperature and b) HRM curves that were >95% similar grouped into the same bacterial species. Therefore, based on this methodology, the cultivable microbial population of chill-stored mussels was initially dominated by Psychrobacter alimentarius against others, such as Psychrobacter pulmonis, Psychrobacter celer and Klebsiella pneumoniae. P. alimentarius was also the dominant microorganism at the time of the sensory rejection (day 8). Concluding, HRM analysis could be used as a useful tool for the rapid differentiation of the bacteria isolated from mussels during storage, at species level, and then identification is feasible by the sequencing of one only representative of each bacterial species, thus reducing the cost of required sequencing. © 2019 Elsevier Lt

HRM analysis as a tool to facilitate identification of bacteria from mussels during storage at 4 °C

High-resolution melting (HRM) analysis followed by sequencing was applied for determination of bacteria grown on plates isolated from farmed mussels (Mytilus galloprovincialis) during their storage at 4 °C. The V3–V4 region of the 16S rRNA gene from the isolates was amplified using 16S universal primers. Melting curves (peaks) and high resolution melting curves (shape) of the amplicons and sequencing analysis were used for differentiation and identification of the isolated bacteria, respectively. The majority of the isolates (a sum of 101 colonies, from five time intervals: day 0, 2, 4, 6 and 8) from non-selective solid medium plates were classified in four bacterial groups based on the melting curves (peaks) and HRM curves (shape) of the amplicons, while three isolates presented distinct HRM curve profiles (single). Afterwards, sequencing analysis showed that the isolates with a) the same melting peak temperature and b) HRM curves that were >95% similar grouped into the same bacterial species. Therefore, based on this methodology, the cultivable microbial population of chill-stored mussels was initially dominated by Psychrobacter alimentarius against others, such as Psychrobacter pulmonis, Psychrobacter celer and Klebsiella pneumoniae. P. alimentarius was also the dominant microorganism at the time of the sensory rejection (day 8). Concluding, HRM analysis could be used as a useful tool for the rapid differentiation of the bacteria isolated from mussels during storage, at species level, and then identification is feasible by the sequencing of one only representative of each bacterial species, thus reducing the cost of required sequencing

Early and abrupt salinity reduction impacts European eel larval culture

Reducing water salinity towards iso-osmotic conditions is a common practice applied in euryhaline fish farming to limit osmoregulation costs and enhance growth. In this respect, the present study investigated the timing of salinity reduction in an abrupt manner during European eel (Anguilla anguilla) larval culture by examining associated impacts on morphological and molecular levels. Larvae from 3 different parental combinations (families) were reared at constant 36 psu for 6 days (control) or subjected to a direct reduction to 18 psu on 1, 2, or 3 days post-hatch. Overall, salinity reduction enhanced growth and survival, resulting from more efficient energy resource utilization. In the control group, expression of growth-related igf2 remained constant, demonstrating a steady growth progression, while igf1 expression increased over time only for the salinity reduced treatments, potentially qualifying as a useful biomarker for growth performance. Even though each parental combination seems to have a different capacity to cope with salinity alterations, as observed by family-driven water-transport-related aquaporin (aqp1, aqp3) gene expression, it could be inferred that the abrupt salinity change is generally not stressful, based on non-upregulated heat shock proteins (hsp70, hsp90). However, the applied salinity reduction (irrespective of timing) induced the development of pericardial edema. As such, we conclude that despite the positive effect of salinity reduction on early growth and survival, the long-term benefit for eel larval culture lies in establishing a protocol for salinity reduction, at a precise developmental time point, without causing pericardial malformations

Effects of organic and inorganic fertilization on growth and yield of Physalis peruviana L. crop under Mediterranean conditions

Physalis peruviana L. is an Andean Solanaceae fruit crop with great nutraceutical qualities, potential health benefits and adaptability to Mediterranean climates. In the current study, a first approach on the effect of organic and inorganic fertilization on P. peruviana crop under Mediterranean semi-arid conditions was performed. A field experiment was laid out according to a completely randomized design, with three replicates and three fertilization treatments [untreated (control), organic fertilization (biocyclic humus soil) and inorganic fertilization (inorganic fertilizer 40-0-0+14.5 SO3)]. Phenological growth stages and their corresponded growing degree days were evaluated. In addition, some growth parameters, fruit yield and yield components were evaluated. The results indicated that the duration of phenological growth stages was in accordance with durations mentioned in tropical climate. The highest branches number per plant (24.4), leaf area per plant (1997.3 cm2), fruit number per plant (41.52), fruit yield (7.51 t ha-1) and average fruit weight (5.32 g) were found in inorganic fertilization plots, whereas the highest plant height (44.15 g) and fruit diameter (12.52 mm) were recorded under organic fertilization; however, the differences between the organic and inorganic fertilization were not statistically significant. In terms of dry weight per plant, there were significant differences among the fertilization treatment with the values obtained under inorganic fertilization (81.24 g). To sum up, P. peruviana showed satisfying adaptability under Mediterranean climate conditions and has great potential in becoming an alternative cultivation for small and medium producers of Mediterranean countries. In addition, the results indicated that organic fertilization (with biocyclic humus soil) should be considered as an alternative to inorganic fertilizers for P. peruviana production. © Articles by the authors; SHST, Cluj-Npoc, Romania

Microbiota Succession of Whole and Filleted European Sea Bass (Dicentrarchus labrax) during Storage under Aerobic and MAP Conditions via 16S rRNA Gene High-Throughput Sequencing Approach

In the present work, the profiles of bacterial communities of whole and filleted European sea bass (Dicentrarchus labrax), during several storage temperatures (0, 4, 8 and 12 °C) under aerobic and Modified Atmosphere Packaging (MAP) conditions, were examined via the 16S rRNA High-Throughput Sequencing (HTS) approach. Sensorial attributes were also assessed to determine products’ shelf-life. Results indicated that shelf-life was strongly dependent on handling, as well as on temperature and atmosphere conditions. HTS revealed the undisputed dominance of Pseudomonas from the very beginning and throughout storage period in the majority of treatments. However, a slightly different microbiota profile was recorded in MAP-stored fillets at the middle stages of storage, which mainly referred to the sporadic appearance of some bacteria (e.g., Carnobacterium, Shewanella, etc.) that followed the dominance of Pseudomonas. It is noticeable that a major difference was observed at the end of shelf-life of MAP-stored fillets at 12 °C, where the dominant microbiota was constituted by the genus Serratia, while the relative abundance of Pseudomonas and Brochothrix was more limited. Furthermore, at the same temperature under aerobic storage of both whole and filleted fish, Pseudomonas almost co-existed with Acinetobacter, while the presence of both Erwinia and Serratia in whole fish was noteworthy. Overall, the present study provides useful information regarding the storage fate and spoilage status of whole and filleted European sea bass, suggesting that different handling and storage conditions influence the shelf-life of sea bass by favoring or delaying the dominance of Specific Spoilage Organisms (SSOs), affecting in parallel to some extent the formation of their consortium that is responsible for products’ sensorial deterioration. Such findings enrich the current knowledge and should be used as a benchmark to develop specific strategies aiming to delay spoilage and thus increase the products’ added value. © 2022 by the authors