bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
“It Hits the Spot”: The Impact of a Professional Development Program on English Teacher Wellbeing in Underdeveloped Regions
Authors: Wang Xiaojing , Chen Zehang
Published: June 2022

In poor and remote areas, teachers frequently encounter serious ongoing challenges and experience teacher exhaustion due to the uneven distribution of resource supply, and a shortage of professional support. Maintaining teachers’ professional wellbeing in an unfavorable teaching environment has become a major challenge. The current study explores teachers’ professional wellbeing in the context of a five-month-long professional development program designed for teachers in areas of deep poverty in China. This study adopted the method of narrative enquiry and collected diaries written before and after the program from 46 primary school English teachers. Based on the manually analyzed data, it was found that teachers’ overall wellbeing at work was enhanced in terms of their professional meaning, engagement, and achievement. The systematic analysis of the diaries helped to better understand how the program exerted such an effect on teachers’ learning experiences and their wellbeing.
Difference and Analysis of Evaluating Psychological Monitors' Interview and Classmates' Being Interviewed About Suicide
Authors: Zhan Qisheng , Xia Tianyu
Published: June 2022

In recent years, suicide has become the leading cause of unnatural death among college students in China. Psychological monitors, as class cadres who manage affairs related to mental health within their classes, are critical in identifying and intervening in psychological crises among their classmates. In China, however, talking about death is a cultural taboo, and many mental health workers have expressed concern about their implementation of interviews about suicide with others. Generally speaking, interviews with suicidal classmates are usually conducted by professional psychological experts and psychological monitors (psychological monitors are non-professional peer counselors in China). Such classmates that have undergone both the aforementioned types of interviews were investigated in this paper. However, this paper focuses on two issues. Firstly, what are the perceptions of classmates who have been interviewed toward the experience of being interviewed by psychological monitors? Secondly, what are the psychological monitors' perceptions of their implementation of interviews about suicide with classmates? In this study, 1,664 classmates who had been interviewed and 1,320 psychological monitors were surveyed by means of an online questionnaire. The results showed that classmates who have been interviewed perceived their experience of being interviewed by a psychological monitor about suicide more positively than the psychological monitors who viewed their implementation of interviews about suicide with classmates. Among the classmates who have been interviewed, three categories of classmates have more positive perceptions of their experience of being interviewed by a psychological monitor about suicide. Category one is males. Category two is those who were willing to seek help from the psychological monitors. Category three is those who had a more correct attitude toward mental illness. Among the psychological monitors, three categories of psychological monitors have more positive perceptions of their implementation of interviews about suicide with classmates. Category one is those who have the experience of implementing interviews with their classmates. Category two is those who have received training. Category three is those who had a more correct attitude toward mental illness. Psychological monitors can interview classmates confidently, and the training of psychological monitors on mental health knowledge should be strengthened in universities.
Does Financial Literacy Affect Household Financial Behavior? The Role of Limited Attention
Authors: Xu Shulin , Yang Zhen , Ali Syed Tauseef , Li Yunfeng , Cui Jingwen
Published: June 2022

Financial literacy is essential for every individual concerned with public welfare and household portfolio choices. In this study, we investigate the impact of household financial literacy on individuals’ financial behavior using the China Household Financial Survey Data (CHFS) of 2015 and 2017. The results show that financial knowledge has significant current, long-term, and dynamic effects on financial behavior. This finding suggests that financial literacy is an important factor in shaping and improving financial behavior. Second, financial literacy can improve residents’ limited attention, and residents with high attention tend to have formal bank accounts, participate in the stock market, and engage in financial behaviors in situations such as risky financial markets. High attention also helps to improve residents’ financial behavior. This relationship suggests that financial literacy positively impacts formal bank account holding, participation in financial markets, participation in commercial insurance, participation in pension plans, and credit card holdings through limited attention channels that facilitate access to specific financial information. In addition, heterogeneity analysis showed that the impact of financial literacy on financial behavior differs significantly between urban and rural households, between men and women, and between high and low education levels. The study provides valuable insights for policy implications to enhance financial literacy, such as carrying out financial training to improve residents’ knowledge about financial aspects, which further helps to optimize household financial decision-making.
Managerial Myopia and Firm Green Innovation: Based on Text Analysis and Machine Learning
Authors: Liu Xin
Published: June 2022

Green innovation plays an important role in reducing pollution and promoting sustainable development. However, not all managers, as decision-makers of enterprises, have a long-term vision to implement green innovation. The impact of managerial myopia on firm green innovation has not been examined by existing literature. Drawn on time-oriented theory in social psychology and upper echelon theory in management, this paper puts forward the relationship between managerial myopia and firm green innovation, and then constructs a managerial myopia index by text analysis and machine learning. Using a sample of publicly listed Chinese firms from 2009 to 2020, this paper finds that managerial myopia is significantly negatively associated with firms’ green innovation. Every one standard deviation increase in managerial myopia makes enterprise green innovation decrease by about 1.9% standard deviation. Further analysis reveals that equity incentives and institutional investors both weaken the negative effect of managerial myopia on green innovation. This study contributes to the literature on green innovation and upper echelons theory and it also has several implications for firms’ engagement in green innovation.
The Impact of Coping Styles and Gender on Situational Coping: An Ecological Momentary Assessment Study With the mHealth Application TrackYourStress
Authors: O’Rourke Teresa , Vogel Carsten , John Dennis , Pryss Rüdiger , Schobel Johannes , Haug Fabian , Haug Julian , Pieh Christoph , Nater Urs M. , Feneberg Anja C. , Reichert Manfred , Probst Thomas
Published: June 2022

The aim of this study was to investigate the impact of different coping styles on situational coping in everyday life situations and gender differences. An ecological momentary assessment study with the mobile health app TrackYourStress was conducted with 113 participants. The coping styles Positive Thinking, Active Stress Coping, Social Support, Support in Faith, and Alcohol and Cigarette Consumption of the Stress and Coping Inventory were measured at baseline. Situational coping was assessed by the question “How well can you cope with your momentary stress level” over 4 weeks. Multilevel models were conducted to test the effects of the coping styles on situational coping. Additionally, gender differences were evaluated. Positive Thinking (p = 0.03) and Active Stress Coping (p = 0.04) had significant positive impacts on situational coping in the total sample. For women, Social Support had a significant positive effect on situational coping (p = 0.046). For men, Active Stress Coping had a significant positive effect on situational coping (p = 0.001). Women had higher scores on the SCI scale Social Support than men (p = 0.007). These results suggest that different coping styles could be more effective in daily life for women than for men. Taking this into account, interventions tailored to users’ coping styles might lead to better coping outcomes than generalized interventions.
Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation on the Left Superior Temporal Sulcus Improves Social Cognition in Schizophrenia: An Open-Label Study
Authors: Yamada Yuji , Sueyoshi Kazuki , Yokoi Yuma , Inagawa Takuma , Hirabayashi Naotsugu , Oi Hideki , Shirama Aya , Sumiyoshi Tomiki
Published: June 2022

Background

Patients with schizophrenia show impairments of social cognition, which cause poor real-world functional outcomes. Transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) delivered to frontal brain areas has been shown to partially alleviate disturbances of social cognition. In this study, we aimed to determine whether multisession tDCS targeting the superior temporal sulcus (STS), a brain region closely related to social cognition, would improve social cognitive performance in patients with schizophrenia.

Methods

This was an open-label, single-arm trial to investigate the benefits and safety of multisession tDCS over the left STS. Fifteen patients received tDCS (2 mA × 20 min) two times per day for 5 consecutive days. Anodal and cathodal electrodes were placed over the left STS and right supraorbital regions, respectively. Assessments with the Social Cognition Screening Questionnaire (SCSQ), the Hinting Task (HT), the Brief Assessment of Cognition in Schizophrenia (BACS), and the Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS) were conducted at baseline and 1 month after the final stimulation.

Results

Significant improvements were found on theory of mind, as measured using the SCSQ (d = 0.53) and the HT (d = 0.49). These changes on social cognition were not correlated with those of neurocognition, as measured using the BACS or psychotic symptoms, as measured using the PANSS. There were no adverse events of serious/moderate levels attributable to tDCS.

Conclusion

These results suggest that administration of multisession tDCS with anode stimulation targeting the left STS provides a novel strategy to improve functional outcomes in patients with schizophrenia.

Ethics Statement

The National Center of Neurology and Psychiatry Clinical Research Review Board (CRB3180006) approved this study.

Trial Registration

This study was registered within the Japan Registry of Clinical Trials (jRCTs032180026).
VCNet: Hybrid Deep Learning Model for Detection and Classification of Lung Carcinoma Using Chest Radiographs
Authors: Tandon Ritu , Agrawal Shweta , Chang Arthur , Band Shahab S.
Published: June 2022

Detection of malignant lung nodules from Computed Tomography (CT) images is a significant task for radiologists. But, it is time-consuming in nature. Despite numerous breakthroughs in studies on the application of deep learning models for the identification of lung cancer, researchers and doctors still face challenges when trying to deploy the model in clinical settings to achieve improved accuracy and sensitivity on huge datasets. In most situations, deep convolutional neural networks are used for detecting the region of the main nodule of the lung exclusive of considering the neighboring tissues of the nodule. Although the accuracy achieved through CNN is good enough but this models performance degrades when there are variations in image characteristics like: rotation, tiling, and other abnormal image orientations. CNN does not store relative spatial relationships among features in scanned images. As CT scans have high spatial resolution and are sensitive to misalignments during the scanning process, there is a requirement of a technique which helps in considering spatial information of image features also. In this paper, a hybrid model named VCNet is proposed by combining the features of VGG-16 and capsule network (CapsNet). VGG-16 model is used for object recognition and classification. CapsNet is used to address the shortcomings of convolutional neural networks for image rotation, tiling, and other abnormal image orientations. The performance of VCNeT is verified on the Lung Image Database Consortium (LIDC) image collection dataset. It achieves higher testing accuracy of 99.49% which is significantly better than MobileNet, Xception, and VGG-16 that has achieved an accuracy of 98, 97.97, and 96.95%, respectively. Therefore, the proposed hybrid VCNet framework can be used for the clinical purpose for nodule detection in lung carcinoma detection.
Calves as Main Reservoir of Antibiotic Resistance Genes in Dairy Farms
Authors: Salerno Barbara , Cornaggia Matteo , Sabatino Raffaella , Di Cesare Andrea , Furlan Maddalena , Barco Lisa , Orsini Massimiliano , Cordioli Benedetta , Mantovani Claudio , Bano Luca , Losasso Carmen
Published: June 2022

A side effect of antibiotic usage is the emergence and dissemination of antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) within microbial communities. The spread of ARGs among pathogens has emerged as a public health concern. While the distribution of ARGs is documented on a global level, their routes of transmission have not been clarified yet; for example, it is not clear whether and to what extent the emergence of ARGs originates in farms, following the selective pressure exerted by antibiotic usage in animal husbandry, and if they can spread into the environment. Here we address this cutting edge issue by combining data regarding antimicrobial usage and quantitative data from selected ARGs (blaTEM, blaCTXM, ermB, vanA, qnrS, tetA, sul2, and mcr-1) encoding for resistance to penicillins, macrolides-lincosamides-streptogramins, glycopeptides, quinolones, tetracyclines, sulfonamides, and colistin at the farm level. Results suggest that dairy farms could be considered a hotspot of ARGs, comprising those classified as the highest risk for human health and that a correlation existed between the usage of penicillins and blaTEM abundances, meaning that, although the antibiotic administration is not exclusive, it remains a certain cause of the ARGs' selection and spread in farms. Furthermore, this study identified the role of calves as the main source of ARGs spread in dairy farms, claiming the need for targeted actions in this productive category to decrease the load of ARGs along the production chain.
The Impact of Pedagogical Agents' Gender on Academic Learning: A Systematic Review
Authors: Armando Marjorie , Ochs Magalie , Régner Isabelle
Published: June 2022

Virtual learning environments often use virtual characters to facilitate and improve the learning process. These characters, known as pedagogical agents, can take on different roles, such as tutors or companions. Research has highlighted the importance of various characteristics of virtual agents, including their voice or non-verbal behaviors. Little attention has been paid to the gender-specific design of pedagogical agents, although gender has an important influence on the educational process. In this article, we perform an extensive review of the literature regarding the impact of the gender of pedagogical agents on academic outcomes. Based on a detailed review of 59 articles, we analyze the influence of pedagogical agents' gender on students' academic self-evaluations and achievements to answer the following questions: (1) Do students perceive virtual agents differently depending on their own gender and the gender of the agent? (2) Does the gender of pedagogical agents influence students' academic performance and self-evaluations? (3) Are there tasks or academic situations to which a male virtual agent is better suited than a female virtual agent, and vice versa, according to empirical evidence? (4) How do a virtual agent's pedagogical roles impact these results? (5) How do a virtual agent's appearance and interactive capacities impact these results? (6) Are androgynous virtual agents a potential solution to combatting gender stereotypes? This review provides important insight to researchers on how to approach gender when designing pedagogical agents in virtual learning environments.
Beyond Bio-Inspired Robotics: How Multi-Robot Systems Can Support Research on Collective Animal Behavior
Authors: Horsevad Nikolaj , Kwa Hian Lee , Bouffanais Roland
Published: June 2022

In the study of collective animal behavior, researchers usually rely on gathering empirical data from animals in the wild. While the data gathered can be highly accurate, researchers have limited control over both the test environment and the agents under study. Further aggravating the data gathering problem is the fact that empirical studies of animal groups typically involve a large number of conspecifics. In these groups, collective dynamics may occur over long periods of time interspersed with excessively rapid events such as collective evasive maneuvers following a predator’s attack. All these factors stress the steep challenges faced by biologists seeking to uncover the fundamental mechanisms and functions of social organization in a given taxon. Here, we argue that beyond commonly used simulations, experiments with multi-robot systems offer a powerful toolkit to deepen our understanding of various forms of swarming and other social animal organizations. Indeed, the advances in multi-robot systems and swarm robotics over the past decade pave the way for the development of a new hybrid form of scientific investigation of social organization in biology. We believe that by fostering such interdisciplinary research, a feedback loop can be created where agent behaviors designed and tested in robotico can assist in identifying hypotheses worth being validated through the observation of animal collectives in nature. In turn, these observations can be used as a novel source of inspiration for even more innovative behaviors in engineered systems, thereby perpetuating the feedback loop.
Post-conflict Urban Renewal as an Ethnocratic Regime Practice: Racialized Governance of Redevelopment in Diyarbakir, Turkey
Authors: Ay Deniz , Turker Kaner Atakan
Published: June 2022

This paper explores the governance of a state-led urban renewal project in a politically contested area in the aftermath of a major armed conflict. Building on the ethnocratic regime theory, we explore the governance of the urban renewal process in the historic district of Suriçi by focusing on the political, spatial, and governmental underpinnings of displacement and dispossession in the context of the unresolved “Kurdish Question” of Turkey. We argue that this exclusionary and state-led urban renewal project is shaped around the ethnocratic state interests with limited real estate returns that aims to sanitize and dehistoricize the historic core of Diyarbakir given its political and socioeconomic significance for the Kurdish Movement. The rhetorical formation of a “renewed” historic core epitomizes the racialized governance that intensifies the race-class realities sitting at the center of the decades-old ethnic conflict in Turkey. The central government authority's use of gentrification in practice illustrates the ethnocratic regime's spatial, political, and economic repercussions for the Kurdish population as the country's largest ethnic minority. Suriçi‘s redevelopment illustrates that ethnocratic regime practices coexist with a democratic façade and militarization activates an ethnocratic urban regime. Our findings contribute to the literature on space and power by illustrating the incompleteness and paradoxical elements of settler-colonial urbanism.
Farm Businesswomen's Aspirations for Leadership: A Case Study of the Agricultural Sector in Queensland, Australia
Authors: Ressia Susan , Strachan Glenda , Rogers Mary , Ball Kim , McPhail Ruth
Published: June 2022

In Queensland, Australia, more than half of all women working in agriculture are employed as farmers or farm managers, and they contribute 33 percent of all on-farm income. However, women play a major role in contributing to day-to-day living and farm survival through their off-farm earnings, which is estimated to contribute an estimated $2,715 million or 84 percent of all off-farm income. Despite this major economic and social contribution, little is known about the barriers they face in achieving their leadership goals. In this article we analyse qualitative data from workshops with Queensland farm businesswomen using Acker's concept of the “ideal worker” and inequality regimes theory (1990, 2006) to highlight the issues farm businesswomen face when aspiring to become leaders and we develop the concept that the “ideal farmer” is male. We find that there is a long way to go for these women in the state of Queensland to achieve their leadership goals in this traditionally male-dominated industry. We identify that woman want to expand their roles and undertake leadership opportunities and be recognized by their partners and industry for the contributions they make. Structural (micro) and organizational (meso) level barriers and enablers both hinder and assist farm businesswomen to achieve their leadership goals.
Circulating Tumor Cells as an Indicator of Treatment Options for Hepatocellular Carcinoma Less Than or Equal to 3 cm in Size: A Multi-Center, Retrospective Study
Authors: Zhang Qiao , Xia Feng , Gao Hengyi , Wu Zhenheng , Cao Wenjing , Xiang Qingfeng , Guan Zhifeng , Su Yang , Zhang Weiqiao , Chen Weiqiang , Mo Ali , Li Shuqun
Published: June 2022

Background

The status of circulating tumor cells (CTCs) is related to the recurrence of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), which is also one of the reasons for the poor prognosis of HCC. The purpose of this study was to explore whether CTCs can help guide the choice of treatment methods for HCC.

Methods

This study is a multicenter retrospective study, including 602 patients with HCC. CTCs were detected in the overall cohort before operation. There were 361 patients in the training cohort and 241 patients in the validation cohort. Patients were divided into CTC-negative group (CTCs = 0/5 mL) and the CTC-positive group (CTCs ≥ 1/5 mL) according to CTCs status. Subgroup analysis was performed according to CTCs status. We compared overall survival, and recurrence outcomes for HCC patients with different CTC statuses after undergoing radiofrequency ablation (RFA) or surgical resection (SR)

Results

There was no significant difference in overall survival (OS) and recurrence-free survival (RFS) between the RFA group and SR group for CTC-negative patients in both the training cohort and the validation cohort (P > 0.05). However, among CTC-positive patients, the clinical outcome of patients in the SR group was significantly better than those in the RFA group. CTC-positive patients who underwent RFA had increased early recurrence compared to those who underwent SR. RFA is an independent risk factor for survival and recurrence in CTC-positive HCC patients

Conclusions

The CTC status could serve as an indicator to guide the choice between surgical resection or radiofrequency ablation for early hepatocellular carcinoma. Surgical resection is recommended for CTC-positive patients.
Obstetric Risk Factors and Serological Characteristics of Early-Onset Neonates Bacterial Infections
Authors: Wang Yuejiao , Chen Qi , Xu Shixia , Chao Shuang
Published: June 2022

Purpose

To analyze the obstetric high-risk factors and serological characteristics of early-onset neonatal bacterial infections (EONBI).

Methods

119 neonates with early-onset bacterial infection who were admitted to the neonatal ward of our hospital from October 2020 to December 2021 were recorded as the study group, and 100 neonates without bacterial infection who were admitted during the same period were used as the reference group. Comparative analysis of obstetric high-risk factors and serological characteristics of EONBI.

Results

There was no statistical difference between the two groups in terms of gender and age at admission (P > 0.05). The gestational age and birth weight of newborns in the study group were lower than those in the reference group (P < 0.001). Comparing the maternal factors of EONBI between the two groups, there was no statistical difference in age, number of obstetric inspections, whether to use antibiotics, and mode of delivery (P > 0.05). Univariate analysis showed that preterm birth, unexplained asphyxia, fecal contamination of amniotic fluid, maternal infection during pregnancy, and premature rupture of membranes ≥18 h were significantly associated with EONBI (P < 0.05); while there was no significant difference between the two groups in the comparison between diabetic mother and child and maternal fever at delivery (P > 0.05). Multifactorial analysis showed that preterm birth, fecal contamination of amniotic fluid, maternal infection during pregnancy, and premature rupture of membranes ≥18 h had a good multivariate dependence on EONBI (P < 0.05), while there was no significant association with unexplained asphyxia, diabetic mother and child, and maternal fever at delivery (P > 0.05). The incidence of neonatal temperature >37.9°C was higher in the study group than in the reference group (P < 0.05), and there were no statistical differences in the comparison of other clinical manifestations (P > 0.05). The CRP level of neonates in the study group (47.33 ± 4.14) mg/L was higher than that of the reference group (4.84 ± 1.03) mg/L (P < 0.001). The WBC level of neonates in the study group (5.64 ± 1.18) 109/L was higher than that of the reference group (0.28 ± 0.04) 109/L (P < 0.001). The PCT level of neonates in the study group (5.41 ± 0.85) µg/L was higher than that of the reference group (0.24 ± 0.07) µg/L (P < 0.001).

Conclusion

EONBI is closely associated with several obstetric high-risk factors, including preterm birth, fecal contamination of amniotic fluid, maternal infection during pregnancy, and premature rupture of membranes ≥18 h; EONBI has no specific symptoms and signs, but serum CRP, WBC, and PCT levels are significantly higher than those of newborns without co-infection with bacteria.
Drug Development Digital Twins for Drug Discovery, Testing and Repurposing: A Schema for Requirements and Development
Authors: An Gary , Cockrell Chase
Published: June 2022

There has been a great deal of interest in the concept, development and implementation of medical digital twins. This interest has led to wide ranging perceptions of what constitutes a medical digital twin. This Perspectives article will provide 1) a description of fundamental features of industrial digital twins, the source of the digital twin concept, 2) aspects of biology that challenge the implementation of medical digital twins, 3) a schematic program of how a specific medical digital twin project could be defined, and 4) an example description within that schematic program for a specific type of medical digital twin intended for drug discovery, testing and repurposing, the Drug Development Digital Twin (DDDT).
Genome-Wide Association Study of Egg-Laying Traits and Egg Quality in LingKun Chickens
Authors: Gao Jinfeng , Xu Wenwu , Zeng Tao , Tian Yong , Wu Chunqin , Liu Suzhen , Zhao Yan , Zhou Shuhe , Lin Xinqin , Cao Hongguo , Lu Lizhi
Published: June 2022

Egg production is the most important trait of laying hens. To identify molecular markers and candidate genes associated with egg production and quality, such as body weight at first oviposition (BWF), the number of eggs produced in 500 days (EN500), egg weight (EW), egg shell thickness (EST), egg shell strength (ESS), and Haugh unit (HU), a genome-wide analysis was performed in 266 LingKun Chickens. The results showed that thirty-seven single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) were associated with all traits (p < 9.47 × 10−8, Bonferroni correction). These SNPs were located in close proximity to or within the sequence of the thirteen candidate genes, such as Galanin And GMAP Prepropeptide (GAL), Centromere Protein (CENPF), Glypican 2 (GPC2), Phosphatidylethanolamine N-Methyltransferase (PEMT), Transcription Factor AP-2 Delta (TFAP2D), and Carboxypeptidase Q (CPQ) gene related to egg-laying and Solute Carrier Family 5 Member 7 (SLC5A7), Neurocalcin Delta (NCALD), Proteasome 20S Subunit Beta 2 (PSMB2), Slit Guidance Ligand 3 (SLIT3), and Tubulin Tyrosine Ligase Like 7 (TTLL7) genes related to egg quality. Interestingly, one of the genes involved in bone formation (SLIT3) was identified as a candidate gene for ESS. Our candidate genes and SNPs associated with egg-laying traits were significant for molecular breeding of egg-laying traits and egg quality in LingKun chickens.
Psilocybin—Mediated Attenuation of Gamma Band Auditory Steady-State Responses (ASSR) Is Driven by the Intensity of Cognitive and Emotional Domains of Psychedelic Experience
Authors: Viktorin Vojtěch , Griškova-Bulanova Inga , Voicikas Aleksandras , Dojčánová Dominika , Zach Peter , Bravermanová Anna , Andrashko Veronika , Tylš Filip , Korčák Jakub , Viktorinová Michaela , Koudelka Vlastimil , Hájková Kateřina , Kuchař Martin , Horáček Jiří , Brunovský Martin , Páleníček Tomáš
Published: June 2022

Psilocybin is a classical serotoninergic psychedelic that induces cognitive disruptions similar to psychosis. Gamma activity is affected in psychosis and is tightly related to cognitive processing. The 40 Hz auditory steady-state responses (ASSR) are frequently used as indicators to test the ability to generate gamma activity. Based on previous literature, we studied the impact of psilocybin on 40 Hz ASSR in healthy volunteers. The study was double blind and placebo controlled with a crossover design. A sample of 20 healthy subjects (10M/10F) received psilocybin orally 0.26 mg/kg or placebo. Participants were measured four times in total, one time before ingestion of psilocybin/placebo and one time after ingestion, during the peak of intoxication. A series of 500 ms click trains were used for stimulation. Psilocybin induced a psychedelic effect and decreased 40 Hz ASSR phase-locking index compared to placebo. The extent of the attenuation was related to Cognition and Affect on the Hallucinogen Rating Scale. The current study shows that psilocybin lowers the synchronization level and the amplitude of 40 Hz auditory steady-state responses, which yields further support for the role of gamma oscillations in cognitive processing and its disturbance.
Characterization of Buriti (Mauritia flexuosa) Pulp Oil and the Effect of Its Supplementation in an In Vivo Experimental Model
Authors: Marcelino Gabriela , Hiane Priscila , Pott Arnildo , de Oliveira Filiú Wander , Caires Anderson , Michels Flavio , Júnior Mário , Santos Nathalia , Nunes Ângela , Oliveira Lincoln , Cortes Mário , Maldonade Iriani , Cavalheiro Leandro , Nazário Carlos , Santana Lidiani , Di Pietro Fernandes Carolina , Negrão Fábio , Tatara Mariana , de Faria Bernardo , Asato Marcel , de Cássia Freitas Karine , Bogo Danielle , do Nascimento Valter , de Cássia Avellaneda Guimarães Rita
Published: June 2022

Mauritia flexuosa (Buriti) pulp oil contains bioactive substances and lipids that are protective against cardiovascular and inflammatory diseases. We performed physical and chemical analyses to verify its quality and stability. Buriti oil was stable according to the Rancimat test, presenting an induction period of 6.6 h. We evaluated the effect of supplementation with crude buriti oil and olive oil on metabolic parameters in 108 Swiss mice for 90 days. We investigated six groups: extra virgin olive oil (EVOO) 1 and 2 (1000 and 2000 mg/kg), buriti oil (BO) 1 and 2 (1000 and 2000 mg/kg), synergic (S) (BO1 + EVOO1), and control (water dose 1000 mg/kg). The animals were euthanized to examine their blood, livers, and fats. The supplementation did not interfere with food consumption, weight gain, and histological alterations in the liver. Group S showed the strongest relationship with the fractions HDL-c and non-HDL-c, indicating a possible cardioprotective effect. Moreover, we observed significantly higher IL-6 levels in the control, EVOO2, and BO1 groups than in the EVOO1 group. Resistin was also significantly higher for the synergic treatment than for the control. We conclude that BO combined with EVOO could be an excellent food supplement for human consumption.
Aspartyl Protease Inhibitors as Anti-Filarial Drugs
Authors: Beld Liana , Jung Hyeim , Bulman Christina A. , Rosa Bruce A. , Fischer Peter U. , Janetka James W. , Lustigman Sara , Sakanari Judy A. , Mitreva Makedonka
Published: June 2022

The current treatments for lymphatic filariasis and onchocerciasis do not effectively kill the adult parasitic nematodes, allowing these chronic and debilitating diseases to persist in millions of people. Thus, the discovery of new drugs with macrofilaricidal potential to treat these filarial diseases is critical. To facilitate this need, we first investigated the effects of three aspartyl protease inhibitors (APIs) that are FDA-approved as HIV antiretroviral drugs on the adult filarial nematode, Brugia malayi and the endosymbiotic bacteria, Wolbachia. From the three hits, nelfinavir had the best potency with an IC50 value of 7.78 µM, followed by ritonavir and lopinavir with IC50 values of 14.3 µM and 16.9 µM, respectively. The three APIs have a direct effect on killing adult B. malayi after 6 days of exposure in vitro and did not affect the Wolbachia titers. Sequence conservation and stage-specific gene expression analysis identified Bm8660 as the most likely primary aspartic protease target for these drug(s). Immunolocalization using antibodies raised against the Bm8660 ortholog of Onchocerca volvulus showed it is strongly expressed in female B. malayi, especially in metabolically active tissues such as lateral and dorsal/ventral chords, hypodermis, and uterus tissue. Global transcriptional response analysis using adult female B. pahangi treated with APIs identified four additional aspartic proteases differentially regulated by the three effective drugs, as well as significant enrichment of various pathways including ubiquitin mediated proteolysis, protein kinases, and MAPK/AMPK/FoxO signaling. In vitro testing against the adult gastro-intestinal nematode Trichuris muris suggested broad-spectrum potential for these APIs. This study suggests that APIs may serve as new leads to be further explored for drug discovery to treat parasitic nematode infections.
Discovery of Therapeutics Targeting Oxidative Stress in Autosomal Recessive Cerebellar Ataxia: A Systematic Review
Authors: Lew Sze Yuen , Phang Michael Weng Lok , Chong Pit Shan , Roy Jaydeep , Poon Chi Him , Yu Wing Shan , Lim Lee Wei , Wong Kah Hui
Published: June 2022

Autosomal recessive cerebellar ataxias (ARCAs) are a heterogeneous group of rare neurodegenerative inherited disorders. The resulting motor incoordination and progressive functional disabilities lead to reduced lifespan. There is currently no cure for ARCAs, likely attributed to the lack of understanding of the multifaceted roles of antioxidant defense and the underlying mechanisms. This systematic review aims to evaluate the extant literature on the current developments of therapeutic strategies that target oxidative stress for the management of ARCAs. We searched PubMed, Web of Science, and Science Direct Scopus for relevant peer-reviewed articles published from 1 January 2016 onwards. A total of 28 preclinical studies fulfilled the eligibility criteria for inclusion in this systematic review. We first evaluated the altered cellular processes, abnormal signaling cascades, and disrupted protein quality control underlying the pathogenesis of ARCA. We then examined the current potential therapeutic strategies for ARCAs, including aromatic, organic and pharmacological compounds, gene therapy, natural products, and nanotechnology, as well as their associated antioxidant pathways and modes of action. We then discussed their potential as antioxidant therapeutics for ARCAs, with the long-term view toward their possible translation to clinical practice. In conclusion, our current understanding is that these antioxidant therapies show promise in improving or halting the progression of ARCAs. Tailoring the therapies to specific disease stages could greatly facilitate the management of ARCAs.
Integration of a Physiologically Based Pharmacokinetic and Pharmacodynamic Model for Tegoprazan and Its Metabolite: Application for Predicting Food Effect and Intragastric pH Alterations
Authors: Jeong Hyeon-Cheol , Kim Min-Gul , Wei Zhuodu , Lee Kyeong-Ryoon , Lee Jaehyeok , Song Im-Sook , Shin Kwang-Hee
Published: June 2022

A physiologically based pharmacokinetic/pharmacodynamic (PBPK/PD) model for tegoprazan and its major metabolite M1 was developed to predict PK and PD profiles under various scenarios. The PBPK model for tegoprazan and M1 was developed and predicted using the SimCYP® simulator and verified using clinical study data obtained after a single administration of tegoprazan. The established PBPK/PD model was used to predict PK profiles after repeated administrations of tegoprazan, postprandial PK profiles, and intragastric pH changes. The predicted tegoprazan and M1 concentration–time profiles fit the observed profiles well. The arithmetic mean ratios (95% confidence intervals) of the predicted to observed values for the area under the curve (AUC0–24 h), maximum plasma drug concentration (Cmax), and clearance (CL) for tegoprazan and M1 were within a 30% interval. Delayed time of maximum concentration (Tmax) and decreased Cmax were predicted in the postprandial PK profiles compared with the fasted state. This PBPK/PD model may be used to predict PK profiles after repeated tegoprazan administrations and to predict differences in physiological factors in the gastrointestinal tract or changes in gastric acid pH after tegoprazan administration.
Nanocrytals-Mediated Oral Drug Delivery: Enhanced Bioavailability of Amiodarone
Authors: Awan Anum Munir , Farid Arshad , Shah Shefaat Ullah , Khan Dildar , Ur Rehman Fiza , Dar Muhammad Junaid , Iftikhar Tayyaba , Ghazanfar Shakira , Galanakis Charis M. , Alamri Abdulhakeem S. , Asdaq Syed Mohammed Basheeruddin , Shah Kifayat Ullah
Published: June 2022

The aim of this study was to improve the saturation solubility, dissolution profile and oral bioavailability of amiodarone hydrochloride (AMH), a highly lipophilic drug. Stabilizer (Pluronic F-127)-coated AMH nanocrystals (AMH-NCs) were developed by a combination of antisolvent precipitation and homogenization techniques. The optimized formulation comprised pluronic F-127 and AMH at the concentration of 4% and 2% w/v, respectively. The particle size (PS), zeta potential (ZP) and polydispersity index (PDI) of the optimized formulation was found to be 221 ± 1.2 nm, 35.3 mV and 0.333, respectively. The optimized formulation exhibited a rough surface morphology with particles in colloidal dimensions and a significant reduction in crystallinity of the drug. AMH-NCs showed a marked increase in the saturation solubility as well as rapid dissolution rate when compared with the AMH and marketed product. The stability study displayed that the formulation was stable for 3 months, with no significant change in the PS, ZP and PDI. The in vivo pharmacokinetic study demonstrated the ability of AMH-NCs to significantly (p < 0.05) improve the oral bioavailability (2.1-fold) of AMH in comparison with AMH solution, indicating that the production of AMH-NCs using a combination of antisolvent precipitation and homogenization techniques could enhance the bioavailability of the drug.
Simulation Study of Acoustic-Resolution-Based Photoacoustic Microscopy for Imaging Complex Blood Vessel Networks
Authors: Liu Yuan , Yuan Chuqi , Zhang Hongyan
Published: June 2022

The high-quality imaging of vascular networks in biological tissue is significant to accurate cancer diagnosis with acoustic-resolution-based photoacoustic microscopy (AR-PAM). So far, many new back-projection (BP) models have been proposed to improve the image quality of AR-PAM in the off-focal regions. However, many essential arguments are still open regarding the effectiveness of these methods. To settle these remaining questions and explore the potential and adaptability of these BP methods in vascular network imaging, we conducted extensive simulations of a complex vascular network based on a GPU-based data generation framework. Results show that the SAFT-CF algorithm effectively improves the reconstructed image but mainly highlights point targets. In contrast, the STR-BP algorithm can effectively balance the computational cost, signal-to-noise ratio (SNR), and consistency of target intensity for both point and line targets. Results proved that data interpolation for more A-line numbers would not improve the image quality due to information lost. Thus, the detector number in the scan should be sufficiently large. Results also showed that the STR-BP method improved the PSNR of the image by 4.7 to 7.5 dB, which helps the image withstand a noise level of higher than 25%. The proposed simulation framework and the intuitive findings will guide the design of AR-PAM systems and image reconstruction.
Direct and Indirect Selection for Grain Yield and Grain Weight in Late Generations of Bread Wheat under Drought Stress and Normal Irrigation Environments
Authors: Mahdy Rasha E. , Ashehri Dikhnah , Alatawi Hanan Ali , Al-Amrah Hadba , Mahdy Ezzat E.
Published: June 2022

Two cycles of pedigree selection for grain yield/plant (GY/P) and grain weight (GW) (100-grain weight) were imposed under drought stress and normal irrigation to study the direct and indirect selection of GY/P and GW in bread wheat. The selection started in the F6-generation (Cycle0-C0) of bread wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) traced back to the cross (Giza 164/Sids 4) of two Egyptian cultivars. The narrow sense heritability was higher under drought than under normal irrigation and increased by selection. Under drought, the observed direct gain after two cycles of selection for GW was 21.51% (p ≤ 0.01), and accompanied with an indirect gain in GY/P of 15.52%. The observed direct gain for GY/P was 17.98% and the indirect gain in GW was 13.81%. Under normal irrigation, the observed direct gain for GW was 12.86% and the indirect gain for GY/P was 16.04%. The direct gain in GY/P was 16.04% and the indirect gain in GW was 11.95%. The genotypic correlations were different in both environments before and after selection. Single trait selection was effective in improving the selection criterion, and selection greatly affected gene associations.
Isolation, Identification, and Biocontrol Potential of Root Fungal Endophytes Associated with Solanaceous Plants against Potato Late Blight (Phytophthora infestans)
Authors: El-Hasan Abbas , Ngatia Grace , Link Tobias I. , Voegele Ralf T.
Published: June 2022

Late blight of potato caused by Phytophthora infestans is one of the most damaging diseases affecting potato production worldwide. We screened 357 root fungal endophytes isolated from four solanaceous plant species obtained from Kenya regarding their in vitro antagonistic activity against the potato late blight pathogen and evaluated their performance in planta. Preliminary in vitro tests revealed that 46 of these isolates showed potential activity against the pathogen. Based on their ITS-sequences, 37 out of 46 endophytes were identified to species level, three isolates were connected to higher taxa (phylum or genus), while two remained unidentified. Confrontation assays, as well as assays for volatile or diffusible organic compounds, resulted in the selection of three endophytes (KB1S1-4, KA2S1-42, and KB2S2-15) with a pronounced inhibitory activity against P. infestans. All three isolates produce volatile organic compounds that inhibit mycelial growth of P. infestans by up to 48.9%. The addition of 5% extracts obtained from KB2S2-15 or KA2S1-42 to P. infestans sporangia entirely suppressed their germination. A slightly lower inhibition (69%) was achieved using extract from KB1S1-4. Moreover, late blight symptoms and the mycelial growth of P. infestans were completely suppressed when leaflets were pre-treated with a 5% extract from these endophytes. This might suggest the implementation of such biocontrol candidates or their fungicidal compounds in late blight control strategies.
Assessing the Effect of Silicon Supply on Root Sulfur Uptake in S-Fed and S-Deprived Brassica napus L.
Authors: Laîné Philippe , Coquerel Raphaël , Arkoun Mustapha , Trouverie Jacques , Etienne Philippe
Published: June 2022

Silicon (Si) is known to alleviate many nutritional stresses. However, in Brassica napus, which is a highly S-demanding species, the Si effect on S deficiency remains undocumented. The aim of this study was to assess whether Si alleviates the negative effects of S deficiency on Brassica napus and modulates root sulfate uptake capacity and S accumulation. For this, Brassica napus plants were cultivated with or without S and supplied or not supplied with Si. The effects of Si on S content, growth, expression of sulfate transporter genes (BnaSultr1.1; BnaSultr1.2) and sulfate transporters activity in roots were monitored. Si supply did not mitigate growth or S status alterations due to S deprivation but moderated the expression of BnaSultr1.1 in S-deprived plants without affecting the activity of root sulfate transporters. The effects of Si on the amount of S taken-up and on S transporter gene expression were also evaluated after 72 h of S resupply. In S-deprived plants, S re-feeding led to a strong decrease in the expression of both S transporter genes as expected, except in Si-treated plants where BnaSultr1.1 expression was maintained over time. This result is discussed in relation to the similar amount of S accumulated regardless of the Si treatment.
Unfilled Natural Rubber Compounds Containing Bio-Oil Cured with Different Curing Systems: A Comparative Study
Authors: Hayichelaeh Chesidi , Nun-Anan Phattarawadee , Purbaya Mili , Boonkerd Kanoktip
Published: June 2022

This study focuses on the properties of unfilled natural rubber compounds containing bio-oils cured with a peroxide curing system and then discusses the comparisons to those cured using the sulfur system from our previous work. Two types of bio-oils, i.e., palm oil and soybean oil, were used, and distillate aromatic extract (DAE)-based petroleum oil was employed as a reference. The bio-oils caused no significant change in the vulcanization of rubber compounds cured using peroxide. However, the compounds containing bio-oils and cured with sulfur showed a faster vulcanization than the ones with DAE. The bio-oils strongly affected the crosslink density of rubber compounds in both curing systems. The use of bio-oils caused a low crosslink density due to the possible implication of curing agents to bio-oil molecules. The properties of rubber compounds dependent on the different levels of crosslink density were also investigated. The results revealed that when the crosslink density increased, the modulus, tensile strength, and hardness of the rubber compounds increased and the elongation at break and compression set decreased. The use of bio-oils in the rubber compounds cured with different curing systems gave low modulus at 300% strain, tensile strength, and hardness but high elongation at break and compression set when compared to the ones with DAE. However, no significant change was observed for the compression set of the rubber compounds cured using sulfur. With the presence of bio-oils, the properties of rubber compounds cured with sulfur system deteriorated less than those of the ones cured with peroxide.