bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Bile acid interactions with neurotransmitter transporters
Authors: Romanazzi Tiziana , Zanella Daniele , Bhatt Manan , Di Iacovo Angela , Galli Aurelio , Bossi Elena
Published: April 2023

Synthesized in the liver from cholesterol, the bile acids (BAs) primary role is emulsifying fats to facilitate their absorption. BAs can cross the blood-brain barrier (BBB) and be synthesized in the brain. Recent evidence suggests a role for BAs in the gut-brain signaling by modulating the activity of various neuronal receptors and transporters, including the dopamine transporter (DAT). In this study, we investigated the effects of BAs and their relationship with substrates in three transporters of the solute carrier 6 family. The exposure to obeticholic acid (OCA), a semi-synthetic BA, elicits an inward current (IBA) in the DAT, the GABA transporter 1 (GAT1), and the glycine transporter 1 (GlyT1b); this current is proportional to the current generated by the substrate, respective to the transporter. Interestingly, a second consecutive OCA application to the transporter fails to elicit a response. The full displacement of BAs from the transporter occurs only after exposure to a saturating concentration of a substrate. In DAT, perfusion of secondary substrates norepinephrine (NE) and serotonin (5-HT) results in a second OCA current, decreased in amplitude and proportional to their affinity. Moreover, co-application of 5-HT or NE with OCA in DAT, and GABA with OCA in GAT1, did not alter the apparent affinity or the Imax, similar to what was previously reported in DAT in the presence of DA and OCA. The findings support the previous molecular model that suggested the ability of BAs to lock the transporter in an occluded conformation. The physiological significance is that it could possibly avoid the accumulation of small depolarizations in the cells expressing the neurotransmitter transporter. This achieves better transport efficiency in the presence of a saturating concentration of the neurotransmitter and enhances the action of the neurotransmitter on their receptors when they are present at reduced concentrations due to decreased availability of transporters.
The image and data archive at the laboratory of neuro imaging
Authors: Neu Scott C. , Crawford Karen L. , Toga Arthur W.
Published: April 2023

The Image and Data Archive (IDA) is a secure online resource for archiving, exploring, and sharing neuroscience data run by the Laboratory of Neuro Imaging (LONI). The laboratory first started managing neuroimaging data for multi-centered research studies in the late 1990’s and since has become a nexus for many multi-site collaborations. By providing management and informatics tools and resources for de-identifying, integrating, searching, visualizing, and sharing a diverse range of neuroscience data, study investigators maintain complete control over data stored in the IDA while benefiting from a robust and reliable infrastructure that protects and preserves research data to maximize data collection investment.
The alleviative effect of Calendula officinalis L. extract against Parkinson’s disease-like pathology in zebrafish via the involvement of autophagy activation
Authors: Wang Mengfei , Ye Haicheng , Jiang Ping , Liu Jibin , Wang Baokun , Zhang Shanshan , Sik Attila , Li Ning , Liu Kechun , Jin Meng
Published: April 2023

Introduction

Parkinson’s disease (PD) is the second most prevalent neurodegenerative disorder. However, effective preventative or therapeutic agents for PD remain largely limited. Marigold Calendula officinalis L. (CoL) has been reported to possess a wide range of biological activities, but its neuroprotective activity including anti-neurodegenerative diseases is unclear. Here, we aim to investigate whether the extract of CoL (ECoL) has therapeutic activity on PD.

Methods

We identified the chemical composition of flavonoid, an important active ingredient in ECoL, by a targeted HPLC-Q-TOF-MS analysis. Subsequently, we evaluated the anti-PD effect of ECoL by using zebrafish PD model induced by 1-methyl-4-phenyl-1-1,2,3,6-tetrahydropyridine (MPTP). After ECoL+MPTP co-treatments, the changes of dopaminergic neurons, neural vasculature, nervous system, and locomotor activity were examined, respectively. The expressions of genes related to neurodevelopment and autophagy were detected by RT-qPCR. Further, the interaction between autophagy regulators and ECoL flavonoids was predicted using molecular docking method.

Results

As a result, 5 kinds of flavonoid were identified in ECoL, consisting of 121 flavones and flavonols, 32 flavanones, 22 isoflavonoids, 11 chalcones and dihydrochalcones, and 17 anthocyanins. ECoL significantly ameliorated the loss of dopaminergic neurons and neural vasculature, restored the injury of nervous system, and remarkably reversed the abnormal expressions of neurodevelopment-related genes. Besides, ECoL notably inhibited the locomotor impairment in MPTP-induced PD-like zebrafish. The underlying anti-PD effect of ECoL may be implicated in activating autophagy, as ECoL significantly upregulated the expressions of genes related to autophagy, which contributes to the degradation of α-synuclein aggregation and dysfunctional mitochondria. Molecular docking simulation showed the stable interaction between autophagy regulators (Pink, Ulk2, Atg7, and Lc3b) and 10 main compounds of flavonoid in ECoL, further affirming the involvement of autophagy activation by ECoL in anti-PD action.

Conclusion

Our results suggested that ECoL has the anti-PD effect, and ECoL might be a promising therapeutic candidate for PD treatment.
Role and mechanism of FOXG1-related epigenetic modifications in cisplatin-induced hair cell damage
Authors: Mu Yu-rong , Zou Sheng-yu , Li Ming , Ding Yan-yan , Huang Xiang , He Zu-hong , Kong Wei-jia
Published: April 2023

Cisplatin is widely used in clinical tumor chemotherapy but has severe ototoxic side effects, including tinnitus and hearing damage. This study aimed to determine the molecular mechanism underlying cisplatin-induced ototoxicity. In this study, we used CBA/CaJ mice to establish an ototoxicity model of cisplatin-induced hair cell loss, and our results showed that cisplatin treatment could reduce FOXG1 expression and autophagy levels. Additionally, H3K9me2 levels increased in cochlear hair cells after cisplatin administration. Reduced FOXG1 expression caused decreased microRNA (miRNA) expression and autophagy levels, leading to reactive oxygen species (ROS) accumulation and cochlear hair cell death. Inhibiting miRNA expression decreased the autophagy levels of OC-1 cells and significantly increased cellular ROS levels and the apoptosis ratio in vitro. In vitro, overexpression of FOXG1 and its target miRNAs could rescue the cisplatin-induced decrease in autophagy, thereby reducing apoptosis. BIX01294 is an inhibitor of G9a, the enzyme in charge of H3K9me2, and can reduce hair cell damage and rescue the hearing loss caused by cisplatin in vivo. This study demonstrates that FOXG1-related epigenetics plays a role in cisplatin-induced ototoxicity through the autophagy pathway, providing new ideas and intervention targets for treating ototoxicity.
Cost-effectiveness of cemiplimab plus chemotherapy versus chemotherapy for the treatment of advanced non-small cell lung cancer
Authors: Liang Xueyan , Chen Xiaoyu , Li Huijuan , Li Yan
Published: April 2023

Background

In patients with advanced non-small cell lung cancer (aNSCLC), cemiplimab plus chemotherapy prolonged overall survival (OS) and progression-free survival (PFS) significantly compared to chemotherapy alone. The cost-effectiveness of these drugs is still uncertain. The aim of this study is to assess the cost-effectiveness of cemiplimab plus chemotherapy compared with chemotherapy for the treatment of aNSCLC from the third-party payer perspective in the United States.

Materials and methods

The cost-effectiveness of cemiplimab with chemotherapy versus chemotherapy for the treatment of aNSCLC was evaluated using a partitioned survival model containing three mutually incompatible health states. The clinical characteristics and outcomes used in the model were gathered from EMPOWER-Lung 3 trial. We have conducted deterministic one-way sensitivity analysis and probabilistic sensitivity analysis in order to evaluate the robustness of the model. The primary outcomes considered were the costs, life-years, quality-adjusted life-years (QALYs), incremental cost-effectiveness ratio (ICER), incremental net health benefits (INHB), and incremental net monetary benefits (INMB).

Results

Treatment of aNSCLC with cemiplimab plus chemotherapy increased efficacy by 0.237 QALYs and was associated with an increased total cost of $50,796 compared to chemotherapy alone, resulting in an ICER of $214,256/QALY gained. At a WTP threshold of $150,000/QALY, the INHB of cemiplimab plus chemotherapy was 0.203 QALYs and the INMB was $304,704 compared to chemotherapy alone. The probabilistic sensitivity analysis revealed that there was only a 0.04% chance that cemiplimab with chemotherapy would be cost-effective at a WTP threshold of $150,000/QALY. The performance of model was mainly determined by the price of cemiplimab, according to a one-way sensitivity analysis.

Conclusions

From the third-party payer perspective, cemiplimab combined chemotherapy is unlikely to be a cost-effective option for the treatment of aNSCLC at the WTP threshold of $150,000/QALY in the United States.
Predictive factors and prognosis of immune checkpoint inhibitor-related pneumonitis in non-small cell lung cancer patients
Authors: Liu Xiaoyu , Hao Na , Yang Shuangning , Li Jieyao , Wang Liping
Published: April 2023

Objective

To investigate the influencing factors and prognosis of immune checkpoint inhibitor-related pneumonitis (CIP) in advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients during or after receiving immune checkpoint inhibitors(ICIs).

Methods

The clinical and laboratory indicator data of 222 advanced NSCLC patients treated with PD-1/PD-L1 inhibitors at the First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University between December 2017 and November 2021 were collected retrospectively. The patients were divided into a CIP group (n=41) and a non-CIP group (n=181) according to whether they developed CIP or not before the end of follow-up. Logistic regression was used to evaluate risk factors of CIP, and Kaplan‒Meier curves were used to describe the overall survival (OS) of different groups. The log-rank test was used to compare the survival of different groups.

Results

There were 41 patients who developed CIP, and the incidence rate of CIP was 18.5%. Univariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses showed that low pretreatment hemoglobin (HB) and albumin (ALB) levels were independent risk factors for CIP. Univariate analysis suggested that history of chest radiotherapy was related to the incidence of CIP. The median OS of the CIP group and non-CIP were 15.63 months and 30.50 months (HR:2.167; 95%CI: 1.355-3.463, P<0.05), respectively. Univariate and multivariate COX analyses suggested that a high neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) level, a low ALB level and the development of CIP were independent prognostic factors for worse OS of advanced NSCLC patients treated with ICIs. Additionally, the early-onset and high-grade CIP were related to shorter OS in the subgroup.

Conclusion

Lower pretreatment HB and ALB levels were independent risk factors for CIP. A high NLR level, a low ALB level and the development of CIP were independent risk factors for the prognosis of advanced NSCLC patients treated with ICIs.
Epidemiology and survival of non-malignant and malignant meningiomas in middle-aged females, 2004-2018
Authors: Cao Junguo , Yan Weijia , Hong Xinyu , Yan Hong
Published: April 2023

Background

The incidence of meningioma is disparate to sex: meningiomas are more common in women than in men, especially in middle-aged women. Understanding the epidemiology and survival of middle-aged women with meningiomas would help estimate their public health impacts and optimize risk stratification.

Methods

Data on middle-aged (35–54 years) female patients with meningiomas between 2004 and 2018 were obtained from the SEER database. Age-adjusted incidence rates per 100 000 population-years were calculated. Kaplan-Meier and multivariate Cox proportional hazard models were utilized in the overall survival (OS) analysis.

Results

Data from 18302 female patients with meningioma were analyzed. The distribution of patients increased with age. Most patients were White and non-Hispanic, according to race and ethnicity, respectively. Over the past 15 years, non-malignant meningiomas have shown an increasing trend; however, malignant meningiomas have shown an opposite trend. Older age, Black population, and large non-malignant meningiomas tend to have worse prognoses. Surgical resection improves OS, and the extent of resection is a critical prognostic factor.

Conclusions

This study observed an increase in non-malignant meningiomas and a decrease in the incidence of malignant meningiomas in middle-aged females. The prognosis deteriorated with age, in Black people, and with large tumor size. Additionally, the extent of tumor excision was found to be a significant prognostic factor.
Impact of microvessel patterns and immune status in NSCLC: a non-angiogenic vasculature is an independent negative prognostic factor in lung adenocarcinoma
Authors: Paulsen Erna-Elise , Andersen Sigve , Rakaee Mehrdad , Pedersen Mona Irene , Lombardi Ana Paola , Pøhl Mette , Kilvaer Thomas , Busund Lill-Tove , Pezzella Francesco , Donnem Tom
Published: April 2023

Introduction

Non-small cell lung carcinomas (NSCLC) exhibit different microvessel patterns (MVPs). Basal (BA), diffuse (DA) and papillary (PA) patterns show signs of angiogenesis (new blood vessels), while an alveolar pattern indicates that tumors are co-opting existing normal vessels (non-angiogenic alveolar, NAA). NAA tumor growth is known to exist in NSCLC, but little is known about its prognostic impact in different histological subgroups, and about associations between MVPs and immune cell infiltration.

Methods

Detailed patterns of angiogenic and non-angiogenic tumor growth were evaluated by CD34 immunohistochemistry in whole tissue slides from 553 surgically treated patients with NSCLC stage I-IIIB disease. Associations with clinicopathological variables and markers related to tumor immunology-, angiogenesis- and hypoxia/metabolism were explored, and disease-specific survival (DSS) was analyzed according to histological subtypes.

Results

The predominant MVP was angiogenic in 82% of tumors: BA 40%, DA 34%, PA 8%, while a NAA pattern dominated in 18%. A contribution of the NAA pattern >5% (NAA+), i.e., either dominant or minority, was observed in 40.1% of tumors and was associated with poor disease-specific survival (DSS) (p=0.015). When stratified by histology, a significantly decreased DSS for NAA+ was found for adenocarcinomas (LUAD) only (p< 0.003). In multivariate analyses, LUAD NAA+ pattern was a significant independent prognostic factor; HR 2.37 (CI 95%, 1.50-3.73, p< 0.001). The immune cell density (CD3, CD4, CD8, CD45RO, CD204, PD1) added prognostic value in squamous cell carcinoma (LUSC) and LUAD with 0-5% NAA (NAA-), but not in LUAD NAA+. In correlation analyses, there were several significant associations between markers related to tumor metabolism (MCT1, MCT4, GLUT1) and different MVPs.

Conclusion

The NAA+ pattern is an independent poor prognostic factor in LUAD. In NAA+ tumors, several immunological markers add prognostic impact in LUSC but not in LUAD.
An overview of glioblastoma multiforme and temozolomide resistance: can LC-MS-based proteomics reveal the fundamental mechanism of temozolomide resistance?
Authors: Teraiya Milan , Perreault Helene , Chen Vincent C.
Published: April 2023

Glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) is a primary type of lethal brain tumor. Over the last two decades, temozolomide (TMZ) has remained the primary chemotherapy for GBM. However, TMZ resistance in GBM constitutes an underlying factor contributing to high rates of mortality. Despite intense efforts to understand the mechanisms of therapeutic resistance, there is currently a poor understanding of the molecular processes of drug resistance. For TMZ, several mechanisms linked to therapeutic resistance have been proposed. In the past decade, significant progress in the field of mass spectrometry-based proteomics has been made. This review article discusses the molecular drivers of GBM, within the context of TMZ resistance with a particular emphasis on the potential benefits and insights of using global proteomic techniques.
Case report: Acute liver failure in children and the human herpes virus 6-? A factor in the recent epidemic
Authors: Warner Suz , Brown Rachel M. , Reynolds Gary M. , Stamataki Zania , Kelly Deirdre A.
Published: April 2023

The 2022 worldwide epidemic of acute hepatitis and liver failure in young children has led to a focus on unusual causes for childhood acute hepatitis. In the UK epidemic, human herpes virus subtype 6B (HHV-6B) was detected along with adenovirus subtype-41F in severely affected children, especially in those requiring liver transplantation (LT). The lifting of COVID lock-down measures has coincided with the rise in these common childhood infections with a higher than expected rate of systemic complications. The sudden exposure of young children to common childhood infections from which they were protected during the pandemic may have induced an abnormal immune mediated response potentiated by multiple pathogen exposure. Primary HHV-6 infection is one such common childhood infection. Classically known as Roseola infantum due to the appearance of a widespread erythematous rash on fever subsidence (exanthema subitem), it has a peak incidence of 6–12 months of age and almost all children will have been infected by age 2. It is the virus most frequently associated with febrile convulsions but the more serious complications of hepatitis and liver failure are rare. We report on the historic cases of three female infants who had suspected primary HHV-6B infection, acute hepatitis and rapid progression to acute liver failure (ALF) requiring LT. Appearances of their native liver were identical to those described in children in the recent hepatitis epidemic. Deteriorating clinical trajectories of recurrent graft hepatitis and rejection-like episodes followed and all three succumbed to graft failure with HHV-6B detected posthumously in their liver allografts. Our case series and the serious complications observed with the recent rise in common childhood infections is a reminder that these routinely encountered pathogens can be deadly especially in the young immunologically untrained. We advocate for HHV-6 to be screened for routinely in children with acute hepatitis and the use of effective HHV-6 anti-viral prophylaxis to prevent recurrence post-transplant.
Effective holistic characterization of small molecule effects using heterogeneous biological networks
Authors: Mangione William , Falls Zackary , Samudrala Ram
Published: April 2023

The two most common reasons for attrition in therapeutic clinical trials are efficacy and safety. We integrated heterogeneous data to create a human interactome network to comprehensively describe drug behavior in biological systems, with the goal of accurate therapeutic candidate generation. The Computational Analysis of Novel Drug Opportunities (CANDO) platform for shotgun multiscale therapeutic discovery, repurposing, and design was enhanced by integrating drug side effects, protein pathways, protein-protein interactions, protein-disease associations, and the Gene Ontology, and complemented with its existing drug/compound, protein, and indication libraries. These integrated networks were reduced to a “multiscale interactomic signature” for each compound that describe its functional behavior as vectors of real values. These signatures are then used for relating compounds to each other with the hypothesis that similar signatures yield similar behavior. Our results indicated that there is significant biological information captured within our networks (particularly via side effects) which enhance the performance of our platform, as evaluated by performing all-against-all leave-one-out drug-indication association benchmarking as well as generating novel drug candidates for colon cancer and migraine disorders corroborated via literature search. Further, drug impacts on pathways derived from computed compound-protein interaction scores served as the features for a random forest machine learning model trained to predict drug-indication associations, with applications to mental disorders and cancer metastasis highlighted. This interactomic pipeline highlights the ability of Computational Analysis of Novel Drug Opportunities to accurately relate drugs in a multitarget and multiscale context, particularly for generating putative drug candidates using the information gleaned from indirect data such as side effect profiles and protein pathway information.
GWAS reveals novel loci and identifies a pentatricopeptide repeat-containing protein (CsPPR) that improves low temperature germination in cucumber
Authors: Li Caixia , Dong Shaoyun , Beckles Diane M. , Liu Xiaoping , Guan Jiantao , Gu Xingfang , Miao Han , Zhang Shengping
Published: April 2023

Low temperatures (LTs) negatively affect the percentage and rate of cucumber (Cucumis sativus L.) seed germination, which has deleterious effects on yield. Here, a genome-wide association study (GWAS) was used to identify the genetic loci underlying low temperature germination (LTG) in 151 cucumber accessions that represented seven diverse ecotypes. Over two years, phenotypic data for LTG i.e., relative germination rate (RGR), relative germination energy (RGE), relative germination index (RGI) and relative radical length (RRL), were collected in two environments, and 17 of the 151 accessions were found to be highly cold tolerant using cluster analysis. A total of 1,522,847 significantly associated single-nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) were identified, and seven loci associated with LTG, on four chromosomes, were detected: gLTG1.1, gLTG1.2, gLTG1.3, gLTG4.1, gLTG5.1, gLTG5.2, and gLTG6.1 after resequencing of the accessions. Of the seven loci, three, i.e., gLTG1.2, gLTG4.1, and gLTG5.2, showed strong signals that were consistent over two years using the four germination indices, and are thus strong and stable for LTG. Eight candidate genes associated with abiotic stress were identified, and three of them were potentially causal to LTG: CsaV3_1G044080 (a pentatricopeptide repeat-containing protein) for gLTG1.2, CsaV3_4G013480 (a RING-type E3 ubiquitin transferase) for gLTG4.1, and CsaV3_5G029350 (a serine/threonine-protein kinase) for gLTG5.2. The function for CsPPR (CsaV3_1G044080) in regulating LTG was confirmed, as Arabidopsis lines ectopically expressing CsPPR showed higher germination and survival rates at 4°C compared to the wild-type, which preliminarily illustrates that CsPPR positively regulates cucumber cold tolerance at the germination stage. This study will provide insights into cucumber LT-tolerance mechanisms and further promote cucumber breeding development.
Physiological and biochemical responses of Limonium tetragonum to NaCl concentrations in hydroponic solution
Authors: Jang Seong-Nam , Kang Min-Ji , Kim Yun Na , Jeong Eun Ju , Cho Kye Man , Yun Jae Gil , Son Ki-Ho
Published: April 2023

Introduction

Limonium (L.) tetragonum (Thunb.) A. A. Bullock, a halophyte that grows all over the southwest coast of Korea, is a medicinal plant with various pharmacological effects. The salt defense mechanism stimulates the biosynthesis of various secondary metabolites and improves functional substances. In this study, we investigated the optimal NaCl concentration for the growth and enhancement of secondary metabolites in hydroponically grown L. tetragonum.

Methods

The seedlings grown for 3 weeks in a hydroponic cultivation system were treated with 0-, 25-, 50-, 75-, and 100-mM NaCl in Hoagland’s nutrient solution for 8 weeks. No significant effect on the growth and chlorophyll fluorescence was observed for the NaCl concentrations below 100-mM.

Results and discussions

The increase in the NaCl concentration resulted in the decrease in the water potential of the L. tetragonum leaves. The Na+ content accumulated in the aerial part increased rapidly and the content of K+, which acts as an antagonist, decreased with the increase in NaCl concentrations in hydroponics. The total amino acid content of L. tetragonum decreased compared to the 0-mM NaCl, and most of the amino acid content decreased as the NaCl concentration increased. In contrast, the content of urea, proline (Pro), β-alanine, ornithine, and arginine was increased with an increase in NaCl concentration. The Pro content at 100-mM NaCl accounted for 60% of the total amino acids and was found to be a major osmoregulator as an important component of the salt defense mechanisms. The top five compounds identified in the L. tetragonum were classified as flavonoids while the flavanone compound was detected only in the NaCl treatments. A total of four myricetin glycosides were increased in comparison to the 0-mM NaCl. Among the differentially expressed genes, a significantly large change in Gene ontology was seen in the circadian rhythm. NaCl treatment enhanced the flavonoid-based substances of L. tetragonum. The optimum NaCl concentration for the enhancement of secondary metabolites of the L. tetragonum in the vertical farm-hydroponic cultivation system was 75-mM NaCl.
Home literacy environment and early reading skills in Japanese Hiragana and Kanji during the transition from kindergarten to primary school
Authors: Tanji Takayuki , Inoue Tomohiro
Published: April 2023

We examined the reciprocal associations between home literacy environment (HLE) and children’s early reading skills in syllabic Hiragana and morphographic Kanji in a sample of Japanese parent–child dyads. Eighty-three children were followed from kindergarten to Grade 3 and tested on Hiragana reading accuracy in kindergarten, Hiragana word reading fluency in kindergarten and Grade 1, and Kanji reading accuracy in Grade 1 to Grade 3. Their parents answered a questionnaire about HLE [parent teaching (PT) in Hiragana and Kanji, shared book reading (SBR), and access to literacy resources (ALR)], parents’ needs for early literacy support by teachers, parents’ expectations for children’s reading skills, parents’ worry about children’s homework, and mother’s education level. Results showed first that ALR, but not PT and SBR, was associated with reading skills in Hiragana and Kanji. Second, whereas Hiragana reading in kindergarten was not associated with PT in Hiragana in kindergarten, it negatively predicted PT in Hiragana in Grade 1. However, Kanji reading accuracy was not associated with PT in Kanji across Grades 1 to 3. Third, parents’ worry was negatively associated with children’s reading performance across Grades 1 to 3 but positively associated with PT in Hiragana and Kanji. Finally, while parents’ expectations were positively associated with children’s reading performance across Grades 1 to 3, they were negatively associated with PT in Hiragana and Kanji in Grades 1 and 2. These results suggest that Japanese parents may be sensitive to both their children’s reading performance and social expectations for school achievement and adjust their involvement accordingly during the transition period from kindergarten to early primary grades. ALR may be associated with early reading development in both Hiragana and Kanji.
Political bias indicators and perceptions of news
Authors: Bruchmann Kathryn , Vincent Subramaniam , Folks Alexandra
Published: April 2023

Introduction

Recently, a variety of political bias indicators for social and news media have come to market to alert news consumers to the credibility and political bias of their sources. However, the effects of political bias indicators on how people consume news is unknown. Creators of bias indicators assume people will use the apps and extensions to become less biased news-consumers; however, it is also possible that people would use bias indicators to confirm their previous worldview and become more biased in their perceptions of news.

Methods

Across two studies, we tested how political bias indicators influence perceptions of news articles without partisan bias (Study 1, N = 394) and articles with partisan bias (Study 2, N = 616). Participants read news articles with or without political bias indicators present and rated the articles on their perceived political bias and credibility.

Results

Overall, we found no consistent evidence that bias indicators influence perceptions of credibility or bias in news. However, in Study 2, there was some evidence that participants planned to use bias indicators in the future to become more biased in their future news article selection.

Discussion

These data shed light on the (in) effectiveness of interventions against blindly consuming biased news and media.
The relationships between perceived individual and team characteristics, individual and team learning activities with effectiveness in nursing teams
Authors: Anselmann Veronika , Brouwer Jasperina , Mulder Regina H.
Published: April 2023

Introduction

Team learning plays a crucial role in addressing the shortage of nurses and ensuring that there are enough trained and capable nurses available during times of crisis. This study investigates the extent to which individual learning activities (1) contribute to knowledge sharing in teams and (2) impact the effectiveness of nursing teams. Furthermore, we want to obtain more insight into whether (3) the antecedents of individual psychological empowerment, teamwork preference, and team boundedness contribute to individual learning activities and knowledge sharing in nursing teams.

Method

We conducted a cross-sectional questionnaire study of 149 gerontological nurses working in 30 teams in Germany. They completed a survey measuring knowledge sharing, teamwork preference, team boundedness, individual learning activities, psychological empowerment, and team effectiveness (as an indicator of performance).

Results

The results from structural equation modeling revealed that individual learning activities contribute to knowledge sharing in teams and, as a result, enhance team effectiveness. In particular, psychological empowerment was found to be associated with individual learning activities, while teamwork preference and team boundedness were related to knowledge sharing.

Discussion

The results indicated that the accomplishment of individual learning activities plays an important role in nursing teams, as it is linked to knowledge sharing and, as a result, contributes to team effectiveness.
Age and gender differences in expressive flexibility and the association with depressive symptoms in adolescents
Authors: Zhang Shaohua , Liu Junsheng , Sang Biao , Zhao Yuyang
Published: April 2023

Objective

This study investigated age and gender differences in the ability to flexibly enhance and suppress facial expressions according to situational demands, known as expressive flexibility (EF), as well as its relationship with depressive symptoms in adolescents.

Methods

The participants included 766 Chinese high school students aged between 12 and 18 years (mean age = 14.96 years, standard deviation = 2.04; 52.2% female). Data on EF and depressive symptoms were collected using self-report questionnaires.

Results

Girls scored higher on enhancement abilities than boys, but with no significant gender difference in suppression abilities. There were also no significant age-related differences in enhancement and suppression abilities. Only enhancement ability was negatively associated with depressive symptoms.

Conclusion

The development of EF abilities was stable among adolescents, with varying effects in terms of gender, and the importance of EF and enhancement abilities in reducing depressive symptoms in adolescents was highlighted.
Applied behavioral analysis for the skill performance of children with autism spectrum disorder
Authors: Silva Alan Patricio da , Bezerra Italla Maria Pinheiro , Antunes Thaiany Pedrozo Campos , Cavalcanti Matheus Paiva Emidio , Abreu Luiz Carlos de
Published: April 2023

Introduction

Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) has characteristics that have been observed to develop over time, such as the difficulty of affective, sensory, and emotional processing, which trigger some problems during childhood, limiting children's development. Applied behavior analysis (ABA) is among the therapeutic approaches for ASD, in which treatment can be tailored according to the patient's objectives.

Objective

Based on ABA, we aimed to analyze the therapeutic strategy for independence in different skill performance tasks of patients diagnosed with ASD.

Method

This is a retrospective observational case series study including 16 children diagnosed with ASD who received ABA-based treatment at a therapeutic clinic in Santo Andre city, São Paulo State, Brazil. Individual task performance of different skill domains was registered in the ABA+ affective intelligence® software throughout the 12 months (from January 2021 to January 2022) of routine treatment.

Results

The evolution of skills was observed between the T0 and T1 intervals, with improved skills over the observed period.

Conclusion

The strategy based on the ABA methodology improved children's skill performance over the observed period.
Impact of sleep disorders on behavioral issues in preschoolers with autism spectrum disorder
Authors: Distefano Giacomo , Calderoni Sara , Apicella Fabio , Cosenza Angela , Igliozzi Roberta , Palermo Giuseppina , Tancredi Raffaella , Tritto Giovanna , Craig Francesco , Muratori Filippo , Turi Marco
Published: April 2023

Background

Sleep disorders are one of the most common problems in children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). However, they often tend to be underdiagnosed and incorrectly treated in clinical practice. This study aims to identify sleep disorders in preschool children with ASD and to explore their relationship with the core symptoms of autism, the child’s developmental and cognitive level as well as the psychiatric comorbidities.

Methods

We recruited 163 preschool children with a diagnosis of ASD. The Children’s Sleep Habits Questionnaire (CSHQ) assessed sleep conditions. Multiple standardized tests were used to evaluate intellectual abilities, the presence of repetitive behaviors (through the Repetitive Behavior Scale-Revised), as well as the emotional-behavioral problems and the psychiatric comorbidities (through the Child Behavior Checklist -CBCL 11/2-5).

Results

The results showed that poor disorders had consistently higher scores in all areas assessed by the CSHQ and on the CBCL across all domains. The correlational analysis showed that severe sleep disorders were associated with higher scores in internalizing, externalizing, and total problems at the CBCL syndromic scales, and in all DSM-oriented CBCL subscales. Moreover, we found that the association between sleep disorders and restricted and repetitive behaviors (RRBs) is explained by the anxiety-related symptoms.

Conclusion

Based on these findings, the study recommends that screening for sleep problems followed by early intervention should constitute a routine part of clinical practice for children with ASD.
Geoeffectiveness of interplanetary shocks controlled by impact angles: past research, recent advancements, and future work
Authors: Oliveira Denny M.
Published: April 2023

Interplanetary shocks are disturbances commonly observed in the solar wind. IP shock impacts can cause a myriad of space weather effects in the Earth’s magnetopause, inner magnetosphere, ionosphere, thermosphere, and ground magnetic field. The shock impact angle, measured as the angle the shock normal vector performs with the Sun-Earth line, has been shown to be a very important parameter that controls shock geoeffectivess. An extensive review provided by Oliveira and Samsonov (2018) summarized all the work known at the time with respect to shock impact angles and geomagnetic activity; however, this topic has had some progress since Oliveira and Samsonov (2018) and the main goal of this mini review is to summarize all achievements to date in the topic to the knowledge of the author. Finally, this mini review also brings a few suggestions and ideas for future research in the area of IP shock impact angle geoeffectiveness.
Colonic mucosa–associated lymphoid tissue lymphoma: A case report
Authors: Chen Dan , Zhong Ding-Fu , Yang Yi , Chen Si-Shuang , Liu Dong
Published: April 2023

Background

Mucosa-associated lymphoid tissue (MALT) lymphoma is a group of extranodal lymphomas that originate from B cells. Primary colonic MALT lymphoma is a rare disease, and there is no consensus on its endoscopic features and standard therapies. It is essential to raise awareness of colonic MALT lymphoma and choose the appropriate treatment.

Case presentation

In this case report, we describe a 0-IIb-type lesion that was found by electronic staining endoscopy and magnifying endoscopy. The patient underwent a definitive diagnostic ESD for diagnosis. The patient was evaluated for lymphoma after diagnostic ESD according to the Lugano 2014 evaluation criteria, which are divided into imaging remission on the basis of CT and/or magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) evaluation and metabolic remission on the basis of PET-CT evaluation. Based on the PET-CT results suggesting increased glucose metabolism in the sigmoid colon, the patient underwent additional surgical treatment. According to the pathological results of the surgery, we found that ESD could treat such lesions, which may provide a new option for colorectal MALT lymphoma.

Conclusion

The low incidence of colorectal MALT lymphoma, especially for 0-IIb lesions, which are difficult to detect, requires the use of electronic staining endoscopy to improve the detection rate. The combination with magnification endoscopy can improve the understanding of colorectal MALT lymphoma, which ultimately requires pathological support for diagnosis. According to our experience with the present patient case, ESD seems to be a feasible and economical choice for the treatment of massive colorectal MALT lymphoma. However, the combined application of ESD and another therapy scheme needs further clinical investigation.
Cost-effective scarless cholecystectomy using a modified endoscopic minimally invasive reduced appliance technique (Emirate)
Authors: Hassan Iyad , Hassan Lina , Alsalameh Mohammad , Abdelkarim Hamza , Hassan Wiam
Published: April 2023

The current gold-standard surgical treatment for symptomatic gallstone disease is the conventional four-port laparoscopic cholecystectomy (CLC). In recent years, however, celebrities and social media have altered people's attitudes regarding surgery. Consequently, CLC has undergone several changes to reduce scarring and improve patient satisfaction. In this case-matched control study, the cost-effectiveness of a modified endoscopic minimally invasive reduced appliance technique (Emirate) that uses less equipment and three 5 mm reusable ports only at precisely specified anatomical sites was compared to CLC.

Methods

Single-center retrospective matched cohort analysis including 140 consecutive patients treated with Emirate laparoscopic cholecystectomy (“ELC-group”), matched 1:1 by sex, indications for surgery, surgeon expertise, and preop bile duct imaging, with 140 patients receiving CLC in the same period of time (“CLC group”).

Results

We performed a retrospective case-matched review of 140 patients who had Emirate laparoscopic cholecystectomy for gallstones between January 2019 and December 2022. The groups included 108 females and 32 males with an equal ratio of surgical expertise—115 procedures were performed by consultants and 25 by trainees. In each group, 18 patients had preoperative MRCP or ERCP and 20 had acute cholecystitis as indications for surgery. Preoperative characteristics such as age (39 years in the Emirates group and 38.6 years in the CLC group), BMI (29.3 years in the Emirates group and 30 years in the CLC group), stone size, or liver enzymes showed no statistical difference between the two groups. In both groups, the average hospital stay was 1.5 days, and there was no conversion to open surgery, nor was there any bleeding requiring blood transfusion, bile leakage, stone slippage, bile duct injury, or invasive intervention postoperatively. When compared to the CLC group, the ELC group had significantly faster surgery times (t-test, p = 0.001), lower levels of the bile duct enzyme ALP (p = 0.003), and much lower costs (t-test, p = 0.0001).

Conclusion

The Emirate laparoscopic cholecystectomy method is a safe alternative to the traditional four-port laparoscopic cholecystectomy that is also much faster and less expensive.
Challenges in establishing animal models for studying osteoimmunology of hypoparathyroidism
Authors: Butylina Maria , Föger-Samwald Ursula , Gelles Katharina , Pietschmann Peter , Sipos Wolfgang
Published: April 2023

Hypoparathyroidism is a relatively rare human and veterinary disease characterized by deficient or absent production of parathyroid hormone (PTH). PTH is known as a classical regulator of calcium and phosphorus homeostasis. Nevertheless, the hormone also appears to modulate immune functions. For example, increased CD4:CD8 T-cell ratios and elevated interleukin (IL)-6 and IL-17A levels were observed in patients with hyperparathyroidism, whereas gene expression of tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) and granulocyte macrophage-colony stimulating factor (GM-CSF) was decreased in patients with chronic postsurgical hypoparathyroidism. Various immune cell populations are affected differently. So, there is a need for validated animal models for the further characterization of this disease for identifying targeted immune-modulatory therapies. In addition to genetically modified mouse models of hypoparathyroidism, there are surgical rodent models. Parathyroidectomy (PTX) can be well performed in rats—for pharmacological and associated osteoimmunological research and bone mechanical studies, a large animal model could be preferable, however. A major drawback for successfully performing total PTX in large animal species (pigs and sheep) is the presence of accessory glands, thus demanding to develop new approaches for real-time detection of all parathyroid tissues.
Generation of Guidance Commands for Civil Aircraft to Execute RNP AR Approach Procedure at High Plateau
Authors: Yang Le , Zhai Shaobo , Li Guangwen , Hou Mingshan , Jia Qiuling
Published: April 2023

RNP AR is an operational procedure that uses the aircraft’s airborne navigation equipment and global positioning system to guide the aircraft to take off and land, and it is an effective means to ensure the flight safety of civil aircraft at high-plateau environments. In this paper, a three-dimensional, precise guidance command generation method for performing an RNP AR approach procedure is proposed. The lateral navigation transition paths between different segments are constructed, and a lateral segment switching strategy based on the angular bisector is introduced. To illustrate the availability of the proposed algorithm, a simulation based on the RNP AR approach procedure of Jiuzhai Huanglong Airport is operated, and it can be drawn from the results that the proposed algorithms can provide lateral and vertical guidance capabilities that meet the requirements of RNP AR approach.
Local Heating through the Application of a Thermoelectric Heat Pump for Prenursery Pigs
Authors: Tikhomirov Dmitry , Khimenko Aleksei , Kuzmichev Aleksey , Bolshev Vadim , Samarin Gennady , Ignatkin Ivan
Published: April 2023

Mathematical formulation of the animal thermal status has been developed, with the account of two convenience conditions and heat balance, for the floor-mounted heating panel for prenursery pigs. The borders of the heat flux variation range for the floor-mounted heating panel have been determined corresponding to the animal-friendly conditions for prenursery pigs of various age groups. The block diagram of the energy-saving floor-mounted heating panel, comprising the thermoelectric assembly operating in the heat pump mode, has been designed. The method has been described and the corresponding calculations have been made for the basic thermal parameters of the floor-mounted local heating installation, for prenursery pigs, with the application of a thermoelectric heat pump. The experimental installation sample of 116 W thermal capacity (for the heat transfer coefficient from 0.9 W·m−2·K−1 to 1.0 W·m−2·K−1 and floor temperature in the range of 5 °C to 6 °C) has been developed and manufactured for local heating for prenursery pigs managed in gestation crates. Laboratory tests of the experimental sample of the floor-mounted heating panel have demonstrated high energy efficiency of the heating installation under development. The energy-saving effect (approx. 15% compared to the series-produced equipment designed for local heating of young stock) of the developed installation was achieved owing to the partial heat recuperation of the exhaust ventilating air.
Genome-Wide Characterization of the R2R3-MYB Gene Family in Diospyros oleifera
Authors: Ji Kang , Liu Cuiyu , Wu Kaiyun , Yue Zhihui , Dong Yi , Gong Bangchu , Xu Yang
Published: April 2023

The MYB gene family is one of the largest transcription factor families, which is clustered into four subfamilies according to the number of imperfect amino acid sequences repeats in their conserved MYB domain. R2R3-MYB is the largest subfamily that plays a diverse role in plant growth and development as well as adversity stresses. Diospyros has a wide range of applications in biomedical science and the food, wood, and chemical industries. Among these species, Diospyros oleifera can be used as a model plant for the Diospyros genus and the Ebenaceae family. Although the genome sequence of Diospyros oleifera was recently published in our previous work, bioinformatics and expression pattern analysis of the MYB gene family are limited. Here, we present the findings of a genome-wide analysis and the expression profiles of the R2R3-MYB transcription factor in Diospyros oleifera. A total of 129 R2R3-MYB genes were identified and classified into 28 groups (C1–C28) which had conserved motifs. The subfamily genes were unevenly distributed in 15 chromosomes; chromosome 6 and 7 have the most DoMYB genes. A total of 44 fragment replication events containing 57 DoMYB genes were identified using synteny analysis. In addition, collinear analysis revealed that 70 (54%) pairs of R2R3-MYB genes of Diospyros oleifera were collinear with Arabidopsis thaliana. Upon combining the data from RNA-seq and qRT-PCR, four key genes were screened and identified to correlate with the soluble tannin content during fruit development. DoMYB22 may be related to the synthesis of soluble tannin in persimmon. These results lay an important foundation for further studies on the R2R3-MYB gene function in persimmon fruit development.