bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Single-cell disulfidptosis regulator patterns guide intercellular communication of tumor microenvironment that contribute to kidney renal clear cell carcinoma progression and immunotherapy
Authors: Xu Kangjie , Li Dongling , Qian Jinke , Zhang Yanhua , Zhang Minglei , Zhou Hai , Hou Xuefeng , Jiang Jian , Zhang Zihang , Sun Hang , Shi Guodong , Dai Hua , Liu Hui
Published: January 2024

Background

Disulfidptosis, an emerging type of programmed cell death, plays a pivotal role in various cancer types, notably impacting the progression of kidney renal clear cell carcinoma (KIRC) through the tumor microenvironment (TME). However, the specific involvement of disulfidptosis within the TME remains elusive.

Methods

Analyzing 41,784 single cells obtained from seven samples of KIRC through single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq), this study employed nonnegative matrix factorization (NMF) to assess 24 disulfidptosis regulators. Pseudotime analysis, intercellular communication mapping, determination of transcription factor activities (TFs), and metabolic profiling of the TME subgroup in KIRC were conducted using Monocle, CellChat, SCENIC, and scMetabolism. Additionally, public cohorts were utilized to predict prognosis and immune responses within the TME subgroup of KIRC.

Results

Through NMF clustering and differential expression marker genes, fibroblasts, macrophages, monocytes, T cells, and B cells were categorized into four to six distinct subgroups. Furthermore, this investigation revealed the correlation between disulfidptosis regulatory factors and the biological traits, as well as the pseudotime trajectories of TME subgroups. Notably, disulfidptosis-mediated TME subgroups (DSTN+CD4T-C1 and FLNA+CD4T-C2) demonstrated significant prognostic value and immune responses in patients with KIRC. Multiple immunohistochemistry (mIHC) assays identified marker expression within both cell clusters. Moreover, CellChat analysis unveiled diverse and extensive interactions between disulfidptosis-mediated TME subgroups and tumor epithelial cells, highlighting the TNFSF12-TNFRSF12A ligand-receptor pair as mediators between DSTN+CD4T-C1, FLNA+CD4T-C2, and epithelial cells.

Conclusion

Our study sheds light on the role of disulfidptosis-mediated intercellular communication in regulating the biological characteristics of the TME. These findings offer valuable insights for patients with KIRC, potentially guiding personalized immunotherapy approaches.
Broadscale coral disease interventions elicit efficiencies in endemic disease response
Authors: Toth Kathryn A. , Buckley Samantha F. , Noren Hunter , Neely Karen L. , Walker Brian K.
Published: January 2024

The presence and abundance of reef-building corals are crucial to the long-term existence of Caribbean coral reef ecosystems, providing both direct and indirect, local and global, ecological, economic, and social benefits. In 2014, stony coral tissue loss disease (SCTLD) was first identified in southeast Florida and remains endemic to the region, while continuing to spread throughout the Caribbean. Effective in situ intervention treatments using antibiotic paste can halt lesion progression on Montastraea cavernosa up to 90% of the time. This study investigated intervention activities over a three-year period to identify efficiencies in disease response. Since May 2019, 1,037 corals, >85% of which were M. cavernosa, were treated during disease intervention dives in southeast Florida. Treated coral density, the number of treated corals per meter along a dive track, was significantly higher in the first year compared to subsequent years and displayed annual peaks in late summer each year. Season significantly influenced treatment density, leading to higher values in the wet season across all years, 2019 to 2022. Areas of highest treatment density were identified between Haulover Inlet and Government Cut near Miami and Hillsboro Inlet in northern Broward County. Areas with the highest treatment density were only identified in the first year, suggesting that broadscale interventions may have decreased disease prevalence in subsequent years. Results indicate that in endemic areas with sporadic and dynamic disease prevalence, intervention efforts should be weighted proportionally across space and time to maximize intervention efficiency. This study provides optimistic results for the potential of interventions reducing disease prevalence and supports that disease interventions are an effective coral restoration tool that can decrease the increasing burden on post hoc coral restoration.
Critical importance of patient-reported outcomes for a comprehensive assessment of psoriatic arthritis patients
Authors: Lo Monaco Marika , Mallaci Bocchio Raffaella , Natoli Giuseppe , Giardina Annarita , Cangemi Ignazio , Scibetta Salvatore , Argano Christiano , Corrao Salvatore
Published: January 2024

Introduction

Psoriatic arthritis (PsA) is a heterogeneous, chronic inflammatory disease that negatively impacts patients’ quality of life. Patient-reported outcome measures (PROMs) are used to capture patient perspectives in disease assessment, and physicians use the Disease Activity Index for Psoriatic Arthritis (DAPSA) to evaluate disease activity in PsA. The study aimed to assess the relationship between PROMs and the DAPSA score in consecutive outpatients affected by PsA.

Materials and methods

A cross-sectional study was conducted from March 2018 to October 2020 at the PsA clinic of the ARNAS Civico in Palermo (Italy), enrolling outpatients with PsA. Patients were assessed for their disease activity according to the DAPSA score, and PROMs, such as PHQ-9, HAQ, FACIT-F, and PsAID, were evaluated. Linear regression analysis evaluated the relationship between the DAPSA Score and the included PROMs.

Results

158 PsA consecutive peripheral subset psoriatic arthritis outpatients were recruited. The median years of illness was 10.6 (9.3–11.9), and the median DAPSA score was 19.02 (9–33.1). The regression analysis highlighted a strong relationship between the DAPSA score and the PsAID (adjR2 26%, p < 0.0001), the FACIT-F (adjR2 25.4%, p < 0.0001), the HAQ (adjR2 23.7%, p < 0.0001), and PHQ-9 (adjR2 15%, p < 0.0001).

Conclusion

PROMs are strongly associated with the DAPSA score, but it allows in-depth evaluation of the impact of the disease on different domains of PsA patients’ life.
Insights into group-specific pattern of secondary metabolite gene cluster in Burkholderia genus
Authors: Kim Byeollee , Han So-Ra , Lee Hyun , Oh Tae-Jin
Published: January 2024

Burkholderia is a versatile strain that has expanded into several genera. It has been steadily reported that the genome features of Burkholderia exhibit activities ranging from plant growth promotion to pathogenicity across various isolation areas. The objective of this study was to investigate the secondary metabolite patterns of 366 Burkholderia species through comparative genomics. Samples were selected based on assembly quality assessment and similarity below 80% in average nucleotide identity. Duplicate samples were excluded. Samples were divided into two groups using FastANI analysis. Group A included B. pseudomallei complex. Group B included B. cepacia complex. The limitations of MLST were proposed. The detection of genes was performed, including environmental and virulence-related genes. In the pan-genome analysis, each complex possessed a similar pattern of cluster for orthologous groups. Group A (n = 185) had 14,066 cloud genes, 2,465 shell genes, 682 soft-core genes, and 2,553 strict-core genes. Group B (n = 181) had 39,867 cloud genes, 4,986 shell genes, 324 soft-core genes, 222 core genes, and 2,949 strict-core genes. AntiSMASH was employed to analyze the biosynthetic gene cluster (BGC). The results were then utilized for network analysis using BiG-SCAPE and CORASON. Principal component analysis was conducted and a table was constructed using the results obtained from antiSMASH. The results were divided into Group A and Group B. We expected the various species to show similar patterns of secondary metabolite gene clusters. For in-depth analysis, a network analysis of secondary metabolite gene clusters was conducted, exemplified by BiG-SCAPE analysis. Depending on the species and complex, Burkholderia possessed several kinds of siderophore. Among them, ornibactin was possessed in most Burkholderia and was clustered into 4,062 clans. There was a similar pattern of gene clusters depending on the species. NRPS_04014 belonged to siderophore BGCs including ornibactin and indigoidine. However, it was observed that each family included a similar species. This suggests that, besides siderophores being species-specific, the ornibactin gene cluster itself might also be species-specific. The results suggest that siderophores are associated with environmental adaptation, possessing a similar pattern of siderophore gene clusters among species, which could provide another perspective on species-specific environmental adaptation mechanisms.
Bittersweet memories and somatic marker hypothesis: adaptive control in emotional recall facilitates long-term decision-making in the Iowa Gambling Task
Authors: Singh Varsha
Published: January 2024

The somatic marker hypothesis states that emotional recall and its somatic influence guide long-term decision-making. However, the mechanism through which decision-making benefits from emotional recall is unclear; whether emotional recall and the induced affect increase the regulatory demand or amplify the affect state that requires inhibition. It is unclear if controlling the automatic flow of emotion in recall improves adaptive decision-making. Two studies examine the hypothesis that affect control in emotional recall facilitates inhibitory control and benefits long-term decision-making. In Experiment 1 (n = 137), affect control was assessed in emotional recall to examine if switching of affect in recall of positive and negative valence (order: positive–negative memory recall vs. negative–positive memory recall) is linked with long-term decision-making. Results for long-term decision-making showed that negative–positive recall sequence was associated with higher long-term decision-making, whereas automatic frequency-based decision-making remained unaffected by the recall sequence. In experiment 2 (n = 71, all male), emotional recall (positive vs. negative), recall specificity (i.e., specific vs. overgeneralized recall), and post-recall mood regulation (post-recall positive mood regulation vs. no regulation) was expected to facilitate long-term decision-making. Results showed that emotional recall and post-recall mood regulation (i.e., negative recall – positive mood and positive recall - negative mood) were associated with higher long-term decision-making (decks C′ and D′). Results of frequency decision-making showed that positive emotional recall, and poor recall specificity led to infrequent punishment deck choices (decks B′ and D′). Hierarchical regression indicated that emotional recall increased infrequent deck choices and accounted for 10% of choices made, recall specificity increased the explanatory power to 19%, and higher recall specificity was associated with fewer infrequent punishment deck choices. Affect control engaged via negative emotional recall, post-recall mood regulation, and recall specificity might be a potential mechanism through which affect control in emotional recall might facilitate long-term decision-making.
A novel hydro-pneumatic fluid percussion device for inducing traumatic brain injury: assessment of sensory, motor, cognitive, molecular, and morphological outcomes in rodents
Authors: Morales-Villagrán Alberto , Salazar-Sánchez Juan C. , Chiprés-Tinajero Gustavo A. , Medina-Ceja Laura , Ortega-Ibarra Jorge
Published: January 2024

Introduction

The fluid percussion method is widely used to induce brain injury in rodents. However, this approach has several limitations, including variability in the resulting damage, which is attributed to factors such as manual control of the mass used to generate the desired pressure. To address these issues, several modifications to the original method have been proposed.

Methods

In this study, we present a novel device called the Hydro-pneumatic Fluid Percussion Device, which delivers fluid directly to a lateral region of the brain to induce injury. To validate this model, three groups of male and female rats were subjected to lateral fluid percussion using our device, and the resulting damage was evaluated using sensory, motor, and cognitive tests, measurements of serum injury biomarkers, and morphological analysis via cresyl violet staining.

Results

Our results demonstrate that this new approach induced significant alterations in all parameters evaluated.

Discussion

This novel device for inducing TBI may be a valuable alternative for modeling brain injury and studying its consequences.
Association of combined healthy lifestyle with general and abdominal obesity
Authors: Sadeghi Omid , Eshaghian Niloofar , Keshteli Ammar Hassanzadeh , Askari Gholamreza , Esmaillzadeh Ahmad , Adibi Peyman
Published: January 2024

Background

Data linking joint healthy lifestyle factors to general and abdominal obesity are scarce, in particular in the Middle East. The aim of this study was to examine the association of combined healthy lifestyle factors with general and abdominal obesity in a large population of Iranian adults.

Methods

This cross-sectional study was done on 3,172 Iranian adults aged ≥18 years. We constructed healthy lifestyle score using information on dietary intakes, physical activity, smoking status, and psychological distress. To evaluate components of healthy lifestyle, we applied a validated 106-item semi-quantitative Food Frequency Questionnaire (FFQ), General Practice Physical Activity Questionnaire (GPPAQ), General Health Questionnaire (GHQ), and other pre-tested questionnaires. General obesity was defined as having a body mass index (BMI) ≥30 kg/m2 and abdominal obesity as a waist circumference (WC) of ≥102 cm in men and ≥88 cm in women.

Results

Mean age of participants was 36.54 ± 7.97 years. General and abdominal obesity were prevalent among 8.7% and 21.5% of study participants, respectively. Linear analysis showed a significant positive relationship between healthy lifestyle score and BMI among men (β: 0.30, 95% CI: 0.05, 0.54). However, no significant association was found between healthy lifestyle and abdominal obesity in men. Among women, one score increase in healthy lifestyle score was associated with a reduction of 0.65 cm in WC. In terms of individual components of healthy lifestyle, we found that low-distressed women had lower odds of abdominal obesity compared with high-distressed women.

Conclusion

We found a significant inverse association between healthy lifestyle and WC among women. However, healthy lifestyle was positively associated with BMI among men.
Tislelizumab plus nimotuzumab is effective against recurrent or metastatic oral squamous cell carcinoma among patients with a performance status score ≥ 2: a retrospective study
Authors: Wu Wen-Jie , An Pu-Gen , Zhong Yi-Wei , Hu Xiao , Wang Lin , Zhang Jie
Published: January 2024

Objectives

The efficacy of treatments targeting recurrent or metastatic head and neck squamous cell carcinoma are unsatisfactory in practice for patients with a ECOG PS score ≥ 2. Thus, this study retrospectively evaluated the safety and efficacy of a programmed cell death 1 inhibitor (tislelizumab) combined with an epidermal growth factor receptor inhibitor (nimotuzumab) in treating patients with a PS score ≥ 2 who suffer from recurrent or metastatic oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC).

Materials and methods

Fifteen patients were treated with tislelizumab (200 mg IV Q3W) and nimotuzumab (200 mg IV Q3W). Programmed cell death-ligand 1 (PD-L1) expression in tumor biopsies was assessed with immunohistochemistry. Whole-exome sequencing was used to evaluate treatment efficacy based on PD-L1 expression and gene mutation.

Results

At a median follow-up of 9.6 months, median overall survival was 10.1 months, and median progression-free survival was 4.0 months. Overall response rate was 40%, with 6/15 patients achieving partial response. Eight patients exhibited nine adverse events, eight out of nine being grade 2 and the remaining being grade 3. Whole-exome sequencing showed that DYNC1I2, THSD7A, and FAT1 mutations were associated with patient prognosis.

Conclusion

Combination therapy involving tislelizumab plus nimotuzumab is a promising, low-toxicity treatment for recurrent or metastatic OSCC in patients with a PS score ≥ 2.
Comparable survival in rats with intracranial glioblastoma irradiated with single-fraction conventional radiotherapy or FLASH radiotherapy
Authors: Liljedahl Emma , Konradsson Elise , Linderfalk Karin , Gustafsson Emma , Petersson Kristoffer , Ceberg Crister , Redebrandt Henrietta Nittby
Published: January 2024

Background

Radiotherapy increases survival in patients with glioblastoma. However, the prescribed dose is limited by unwanted side effects on normal tissue. Previous experimental studies have shown that FLASH radiotherapy (FLASH-RT) can reduce these side effects. Still, it is important to establish an equal anti-tumor efficacy comparing FLASH-RT to conventional radiotherapy (CONV-RT).

Methods

Fully immunocompetent Fischer 344 rats with the GFP-positive NS1 intracranial glioblastoma model were irradiated with CONV-RT or FLASH-RT in one fraction of 20 Gy, 25 Gy or 30 Gy. Animals were monitored for survival and acute dermal side effects. The brains were harvested upon euthanasia and tumors were examined post mortem.

Results

Survival was significantly increased in animals irradiated with CONV-RT and FLASH-RT at 20 Gy and 25 Gy compared to control animals. The longest survival was reached in animals irradiated with FLASH-RT and CONV-RT at 25 Gy. Irradiation at 30 Gy did not lead to increased survival, despite smaller tumors. Tumor size correlated inversely with irradiation dose, both in animals treated with CONV-RT and FLASH-RT. Acute dermal side effects were mild, but only a small proportion of the animals were alive for evaluation of those side effects.

Conclusion

The dose response was similar for CONV-RT and FLASH-RT in the present model. Tumor size upon the time of euthanasia correlated inversely with the irradiation dose.
Risk-benefit analysis of surgical treatment strategies for cystic craniopharyngioma in children and adolescents
Authors: Schmutzer-Sondergeld Michael , Quach Stefanie , Niedermeyer Sebastian , Teske Nico , Ueberschaer Moritz , Schichor Christian , Kunz Mathias , Thon Niklas
Published: January 2024

Objective

Treatment strategies for craniopharyngiomas are still under debate particularly for the young population. We here present tumor control and functional outcome data after surgical treatment focusing on stereotactic and microsurgical procedures for cystic craniopharyngiomas in children and adolescents.

Methods

From our prospective institutional database, we identified all consecutive patients less than 18 years of age who were surgically treated for newly-diagnosed cystic craniopharyngioma between, 2000 and, 2022. Treatment decisions in favor of stereotactic treatment (STX) or microsurgery were made interdisciplinary. STX included aspiration and/or implantation of an internal shunt catheter for permanent cyst drainage. Microsurgery aimed for safe maximal tumor resections. Study endpoints were time to tumor recurrence (TTR) and functional outcome including ophthalmological/perimetric, endocrinological, and body-mass index (BMI) data.

Results

29 patients (median age 9.9 yrs, range 4-18 years) were analyzed. According to our interdisciplinary tumor board recommendation, 9 patients underwent stereotactic treatment, 10 patients microsurgical resection, and 10 patients the combination of both. Significant volume reduction was particularly achieved in the stereotactic (p=0.0019) and combined subgroups (p<0.001). Improvement of preoperative visual deficits was always achieved independent of the applied treatment modality. Microsurgery and the combinational treatment were associated with higher rates of postoperative endocrinological dysfunction (p<0.0001) including hypothalamic obesity (median BMI increase from 17.9kg/m2 to 24.1kg/m2, p=0.019). Median follow-up for all patients was 93.9 months (range 3.2-321.5 months). Recurrent tumors were seen in 48.3% and particularly concerned patients after initial combination of surgery and STX (p=0.004). In here, TTR was 35.1 ± 46.9 months. Additional radiation therapy was found indicated in 4 patients to achieve long-lasting tumor control.

Conclusion

In children and adolescents suffering from predominantly cystic craniopharyngiomas, stereotactic and microsurgical procedures can improve clinical symptoms at low procedural risk. Microsurgery, however, bears a higher risk of postoperative endocrine dysfunction. A risk-adapted surgical treatment concept may have to be applied repeatedly in order to achieve long-term tumor control even without additional irradiation.
A randomized, controlled trial of an innovative, multimedia instructional program for acquiring auditory skill in identifying pediatric heart murmurs
Authors: Doroshow Robin W. , Aldrich Julie , Dorner Rebecca , Lyons Laurie , McCarter Robert
Published: January 2024

Objective

To create a brief, acceptable, innovative method for self-paced learning to enhance recognition of pediatric heart murmurs by medical students, and to demonstrate this method's effectiveness in a randomized, controlled trial.

Materials and methods

A curriculum of six 10-min online learning modules was designed to enable deliberate practice of pediatric cardiac auscultation, using recordings of patients' heart murmurs. Principles of andragogy and multimedia learning were applied to optimize acquisition of this skill. A pretest and posttest, given 4 weeks apart, were created using additional recordings and administered to 87 3rd-year medical students during their pediatric clerkship. They were randomized to have access to the modules after the pretest or after the posttest, and asked to use at least the first 2 of the modules.

Results

47 subjects comprised the Intervention group, and 40 subjects the Control group. On our primary outcome, distinguishing innocent from pathological with at least moderate confidence, the posttest scores were significantly higher for the Intervention group (60.5%) than for the Control group (20.0%). For our secondary outcomes, the 2 groups also differed significantly in the ability to distinguish innocent from pathological murmurs, and in identifying the actual diagnosis. On all 3 outcomes, those Intervention group subjects who accessed 4–6 modules scored higher than those who accessed 0–3 modules, who in turn scored higher than the Control group.

Applying current principles of adult learning, we have created a teaching program for medical students to learn to recognize common pediatric murmurs. Its effectiveness was demonstrated in a randomized, controlled trial. The program results in a meaningful gain in this skill from 1 h of self-paced training with high acceptance to learners.
Integrating RNA-sequencing and network analysis to explore the mechanism of topical Pien Tze Huang treatment on diabetic wounds
Authors: Cao Guang-Zhao , Tian Liang-Liang , Hou Jing-Yi , Zhang Yi , Xu He , Yang Hong-Jun , Zhang Jing-Jing
Published: January 2024

Introduction: Diabetic ulcers have become one of the major complications of diabetes mellitus (DM) and are a leading cause of death and disabling disease. However, current therapies are not effective enough to meet clinical needs. A traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) formula, Pien Tze Huang (PZH), is known as a medicine that is used to treat diabetic ulcers.

Methods: In this study, PZH (0.05 g/cm2 and 0.15 g/cm2) and the positive drug-rhEGF were topically administered in a high-fat diet (HFD) and streptozotocin (STZ)-induced diabetic full-thickness incisional wounds, respectively. Wound healing was assessed by wound closure rate, two-photon microscope (SHG), staining with Hematoxylin and eosin (H&E), and Masson's trichrome (MTC). Then, RNA sequencing (RNA-seq) analysis, Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), western blotting, and immunofluorescence (IF), network analysis, were performed.

Results and discussion: The results showed that PZH significantly accelerated wound healing, as well as enhanced the expression of collagen. RNA-seq analysis showed that PZH has functions on various biological processes, one of the key biological processes is inflammatory response. Tlr9, Klrk1, Nod2, Tlr2, and Ifng were identified as vital targets and the NF-κB signaling pathway was identified as the vital pathway. Additionally, PZH profoundly reduced the levels of Cleaved caspase-3 and promoted the expression of CD31 and TGF-β1. Mechanically, PZH significantly decreased expression of NKG2-D, NOD2, and TLR2, and further inhibited the activation of downstream NF-κB signaling pathway and inhibited expression of inflammatory factors (IFN-γ and IL-1β). Importantly, we found that several active ingredients may play a significant role in diabetic wound healing, including Notoginsenoside R1, Deoxycorticosterone, Ursolic acid, and 4-Methoxyphenol. In summary, our study sheds light on the complicated mechanisms underlying the promising anti-diabetic wounds of PZH and provides the discovery of agents treating diabetic ulcers.
Guideline concordance and antibiotic-associated adverse events between Veterans administration and non-Veterans administration dental settings: a retrospective cohort study
Authors: Ramanathan Swetha , Evans Charlesnika T. , Hershow Ronald C. , Calip Gregory S. , Rowan Susan , Hubbard Colin , Suda Katie J.
Published: January 2024

Background: Antibiotics prescribed as infection prophylaxis prior to dental procedures have the potential for serious adverse drug events (ADEs). However, the extent to which guideline concordance and different dental settings are associated with ADEs from antibiotic prophylaxis is unknown.

Aim: The purpose was to assess guideline concordance and antibiotic-associated ADEs and whether it differs by VA and non-VA settings.

Methods: Retrospective cohort study of antibiotic prophylaxis prescribed to adults with cardiac conditions or prosthetic joints from 2015 to 2017. Multivariable logistic regression models were fit to assess the impact of ADEs, guideline concordance and dental setting. An interaction term of concordance and dental setting evaluated whether the relationship between ADEs and concordance differed by setting.

Results: From 2015 to 2017, 61,124 patients with antibiotic prophylaxis were identified with 62 (0.1%) having an ADE. Of those with guideline concordance, 18 (0.09%) had an ADE while 44 (0.1%) of those with a discordant antibiotic had an ADE (unadjusted OR: 0.84, 95% CI: 0.49–1.45). Adjusted analyses showed that guideline concordance was not associated with ADEs (OR: 0.78, 95% CI: 0.25–2.46), and this relationship did not differ by dental setting (Wald χ^2 p-value for interaction = 0.601).

Conclusion: Antibiotic-associated ADEs did not differ by setting or guideline concordance.
Identifying the key player in the diffusion network of global economic policy uncertainty
Authors: Shi Kai , Nie Li
Published: January 2024

Within a generalized vector autoregressive framework comprising 22 country-level economic policy uncertainty indices, this study used a 12-period-ahead forecast error variance decomposition to compute spillovers. The results showed that although it has been in a downtrend since the third quarter of 2016, the overall spillover among the major economies remains high. Net spillover analyses in either the full or rolling samples illustrated that Singapore was the most decisive transmitter of spillovers, followed by Japan. Meanwhile, Ireland, the Netherlands, Russia, Brazil, Colombia, Italy, and Mexico were clear receivers of net spillover. After reorganizing the net pairwise spillovers into a directed weighted network, the core–periphery structure and backbone were extracted, and the diffusion centrality was calculated to ascertain the key player. Regardless of using the full or rolling samples, Singapore played an influential role in the diffusion network of global economic policy uncertainty.
Bodies at play: the role of intercorporeality and bodily affordances in coordinating social play in chimpanzees in the wild
Authors: van Boekholt Bas , Wilkinson Ray , Pika Simone
Published: January 2024

The comparative approach is a crucial method to gain a better understanding of the behavior of living human and nonhuman animals to then draw informed inferences about the behavior of extinct ancestors. One focus has been on disentangling the puzzle of language evolution. Traditionally, studies have predominantly focused on intentionally produced signals in communicative interactions. However, in collaborative and highly dynamic interactions such as play, underlying intentionality is difficult to assess and often interactions are negotiated via body movements rather than signals. This “lack” of signals has led to this dynamic context being widely ignored in comparative studies. The aim of this paper is threefold: First, we will show how comparative research into communication can benefit from taking the intentionality-agnostic standpoint used in conversation analysis. Second, we will introduce the concepts of ‘intercorporeality’ and ‘bodily affordance’, and show how they can be applied to the analysis of communicative interactions of nonhuman animals. Third, we will use these concepts to investigate how chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes) initiate, end, and maintain ‘contact social play’. Our results showed that bodily affordances are able to capture elements of interactions that more traditional approaches failed to describe. Participants made use of bodily affordances to achieve coordinated engagement in contact social play. Additionally, these interactions could display a sequential organization by which one ‘move’ by a chimpanzee was responded to with an aligning ‘move’, which allowed for the co-construction of the activity underway. Overall, the present approach innovates on three fronts: First, it allows for the analysis of interactions that are often ignored because they do not fulfil criteria of intentionality, and/or consist of purely body movements. Second, adopting concepts from research on human interaction enables a better comparison of communicative interactions in other animal species without a too narrow focus on intentional signaling only. Third, adopting a stance from interaction research that highlights how practical action can also be communicative, our results show that chimpanzees can communicate through their embodied actions as well as through signaling. With this first step, we hope to inspire new research into dynamic day-to-day interactions involving both “traditional” signals and embodied actions, which, in turn, can provide insights into evolutionary precursors of human language.
Transdisciplinary solutions to methodological and ethical problems in performing arts psychology
Authors: Hansen Pil
Published: January 2024

In the first part of this article, I argue that transdisciplinary research can help address both the WEIRD problem of homogenous samples and the categorical problem of overgeneralized practice conceptions in performing arts psychology. Like other areas of performance science, performing arts psychology engages with practices and practice-based knowledge that are studied differently by subject-specific disciplines. I propose a transdisciplinary research model that facilitates greater overlap and transfer between the scientific, subject-specific, and practice-based forms of research and knowledge that surround a practice. The potential benefits of such a model are more inclusive samples, diversified methods, grounded research questions, and widely applicable results. The problems mentioned above are also ethical. Psychological definitions of performance that derive from overgeneralized conceptions and overreliance on homogenous samples are transferred to diverse peoples, practices, and contexts as general knowledge. This fails to apply principles of equity and relational ethics, which in turn reveals some limitations of established ethics procedures. In the second section of this article, I therefore revisit my argument for transdisciplinary research, now with a focus on the triad of research ethics that is brought into a transdisciplinary project through the different priorities of scientific, subject-specific, and practice-based research domains; namely, procedural ethics, relational ethics, and principles of equity. Transdisciplinary researchers are not only negotiating across methodological paradigms that determine research validity, they are also negotiating across ethical values. Combining the two sections of the article, I argue that the challenge of negotiation can be flipped into a solution to the WEIRD and practice conception problems in performing arts psychology. I argue that whereas critical calls for radical departures were needed to identify these problems, solutions are available in bridges between different ethical and methodological approaches.
Psychological wellbeing in Chinese university students: insights into the influences of academic self-concept, teacher support, and student engagement
Authors: Zhang Hua
Published: January 2024

Objective

This study investigates the complex interplay between academic self-concept, teacher support, student engagement, and psychological wellbeing among Chinese university students. We aimed to elucidate the mediating role of student engagement in these relationships.

Methods

A sample of 597 Chinese undergraduate students from diverse universities participated in the study. We employed structured questionnaires to assess academic self-concept, teacher support, student engagement, and psychological wellbeing. Confirmatory factor analyses and structural equation modeling were used to test our hypothesized model.

Results

Structural equation modeling indicated that the partial mediation model, which considered both direct and indirect effects, outperformed full mediation and direct effect models. Student engagement significantly mediated the relationships between academic self-concept, teacher support, and psychological wellbeing. Importantly, teacher support demonstrated a direct impact on psychological wellbeing, even when accounting for the mediating role of student engagement.

Conclusion

This study underscores the pivotal role of student engagement as a mediator in the relationship between academic self-concept, teacher support, and psychological wellbeing among Chinese university students. While student engagement plays a substantial mediating role, our findings also recognize the persistent direct influence of teacher support on psychological wellbeing. These insights have implications for educators and policymakers aiming to enhance the wellbeing of university students by fostering positive academic self-concept and teacher support while recognizing the importance of student engagement.
Comparing the efficacy of duloxetine and nortriptyline in alleviating the symptoms of functional dyspepsia – a randomized clinical trial
Authors: Banihashem Seyed Shahab , Mofatioshieh Seyedeh Mahsa , Rastegar Reyhaneh , Sadeghi Amir
Published: January 2024

Aim

To compare the efficacy of Duloxetine and Nortriptyline in alleviating the symptoms of severity, anxiety, depression and quality of life in patients with functional dyspepsia (FD).

Material and method

We conducted a single-blinded 3-month trial of Duloxetine 20–30 mg daily in 20 patients and Nortriptyline 25 mg daily in 25 FD patients. The primary outcome measure was the severity of FD symptoms by Gastrointestinal symptoms rating scale. Secondary measures included Hamilton Anxiety Rating Scale, Hamilton Depression Rating Scale, and Nepean Dyspepsia Index. the patients were measured in 3 stages.

Results

45 patients with FD with a mean age of 37.18 ± 10.62 years participated in the study. The severity of symptoms was significantly lower in the Nortriptyline group than in the Duloxetine group after three months (p = 0.031). The level of anxiety (p = 0.049), depression (p = 0.045) and quality of life (p = 0.046) improved significantly after three months in the Duloxetine group compared to Nortriptyline. Mediation analysis using linear regression revealed a significant mediator role for anxiety. This mediation analysis revealed a 21.13% reduction in anxiety in the Duloxetine group.

Conclusion

While both medications demonstrated efficacy, Nortriptyline appeared to be superior in symptom reduction. Duloxetine exhibited more advantages compared to Nortriptyline in addressing anxiety and depression and enhancing the overall quality of life. Also, Duloxetine may have a noteworthy impact, contributing to a 20% reduction in FD symptoms by lowering anxiety levels.

Clinical trial registration

https://en.irct.ir/trial/65512.
Changes in the European Union definition for endocrine disruptors: how many molecules remain a cause for concern? The example of crop protection products used in agriculture in France in the six last decades
Authors: Roger Cloé , Paul Adèle , Fort Emmanuel , Lamouroux Céline , Samal Areejit , Spinosi Johan , Charbotel Barbara
Published: January 2024

Background

The endocrine-disrupting effects of phytopharmaceutical active substances (PAS) on human health are a public health concern. The CIPATOX-PE database, created in 2018, listed the PAS authorized in France between 1961 and 2014 presenting endocrine-disrupting effects for humans according to data from official international organizations. Since the creation of CIPATOX-PE, European regulations have changed, and new initiatives identifying substances with endocrine-disrupting effects have been implemented and new PAS have been licensed.

Objectives

The study aimed to update the CIPATOX-PE database by considering new 2018 European endocrine-disrupting effect identification criteria as well as the new PAS authorized on the market in France since 2015.

Methods

The endocrine-disrupting effect assessment of PAS from five international governmental and non-governmental initiatives was reviewed, and levels of evidence were retained by these initiatives for eighteen endocrine target organs.

Results

The synthesis of the identified endocrine-disrupting effects allowed to assign an endocrine-disrupting effect level of concern for 241 PAS among 980 authorized in France between 1961 and 2021. Thus, according to the updated CIPATOX-PE data, 44 PAS (18.3%) had an endocrine-disrupting effect classified as “high concern,” 133 PAS (55.2%) “concern,” and 64 PAS (26.6%) “unknown effect” in the current state of knowledge. In the study, 42 PAS with an endocrine-disrupting effect of “high concern” are similarly classified in CIPATOX-PE-2018 and 2021, and 2 new PAS were identified as having an endocrine-disrupting effect of “high concern” in the update, and both were previously classified with an endocrine-disrupting effect of “concern” in CIPATOX-PE-2018. Finally, a PAS was identified as having an endocrine-disrupting effect of “high concern” in CIPATOX-PE-2018 but is now classified as a PAS not investigated for endocrine-disrupting effects in CIPATOX-PE-2021. The endocrine target organs associated with the largest number of PAS with an endocrine-disrupting effect of “high concern” is the reproductive system with 31 PAS. This is followed by the thyroid with 25 PAS and the hypothalamic–pituitary axis (excluding the gonadotropic axis) with 5 PAS.

Discussion

The proposed endocrine-disrupting effect indicator, which is not a regulatory classification, can be used as an epidemiological tool for occupational risks and surveillance.
The role of education attainment on 24-hour movement behavior in emerging adults: evidence from a population-based study
Authors: You Yanwei , Mo Leiyu , Tong Jing , Chen Xiangyu , You Yujun
Published: January 2024

Purpose

The purpose of this study was to explore the relationship between education level and health behavior including sleep, work activity, exercise activity, and sedentary behavior among emerging adults.

Methods

This study utilized data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) collected between 2007 and 2018. The study sample included 4,484 emerging adults aged 18–25 years and the weighted participants were 30,057,813. Weighted multivariable regression analysis was performed to investigate the association between education level and the aforementioned health behavior, adjusting for age, gender, race/ethnicity, marital status, poverty-income ratio, BMI, smoking, and alcohol drinking status.

Results

This study revealed that higher education level was associated with shorter sleep duration [Fully adjusted model, β (95% CI): −0.588 (−0.929, −0.246), p < 0.001]. Additionally, those with higher education levels were more likely to allocate time in sedentary behavior [β (95% CI): 90.162 (41.087, 139.238), p < 0.001]. Moreover, higher education level was related to less work activity [β (95% CI): −806.991 (−1,500.280, −113.703), p = 0.023] and more exercise activity time [β (95% CI): 118.196 (−21.992, 258.385), p = 0.097]. Subgroup analysis further verified this trend and detected that males with higher education level tended to participate in less work activity [β (95% CI): −1,139.972 (−2,136.707, −143.237), p = 0.026] while females with higher education level tended to engage in more exercise activity [Fully adjusted model, β (95% CI): 141.709 (45.468, 237.950), p = 0.004].

Conclusion

This study highlighted the importance of education level as a significant factor in promoting healthy behavior among emerging adults. The findings underscored the need for the Ministry of Education to prioritize educating this demographic about the significance of maintaining adequate sleep patterns and reducing sedentary habits. Encouraging them to allocate more time for work and physical activities can significantly contribute to their overall wellbeing and success, ultimately fostering a healthier next generation.
Consistency between self-reported disease diagnosis and clinical assessment and under-reporting for chronic conditions: data from a community-based study in Xi’an, China
Authors: Liu Haobiao , Zhao Yanru , Qiao Lichun , Yang Congying , Yang Ying , Zhang Tianxiao , Wu Qian , Han Jing
Published: January 2024

Aims

The current study aims to investigate the consistency between the surveyees’ self-reported disease diagnosis and clinical assessment of eight major chronic conditions using community-based survey data collected in Xi’an, China in 2017. With a focus on under-reporting patients, we aim to explore its magnitude and associated factors, to provide an important basis for disease surveillance, health assessment and resource allocation, and public health decision-making and services.

Methods

Questionnaires were administered to collect self-reported chronic condition prevalence among the study participants, while physical examinations and laboratory tests were conducted for clinical assessment. For each of the eight chronic conditions, the sensitivity, specificity, under-reporting, over-reporting, and agreement were calculated. Log-binomial regression analysis was employed to identify potential factors that may influence the consistency of chronic condition reporting.

Results

A total of 2,272 participants were included in the analysis. Four out of the eight chronic conditions displayed under-reporting exceeding 50%. The highest under-reporting was observed for goiter [85.93, 95% confidence interval (CI): 85.25–86.62%], hyperuricemia (83.94, 95% CI: 83.22–84.66%), and thyroid nodules (72.89, 95% CI: 72.02–73.76%). Log-binomial regression analysis indicated that senior age and high BMI were potential factors associated with the under-reporting of chronic condition status in the study population.

Conclusion

The self-reported disease diagnosis by respondents and clinical assessment data exhibit significant inconsistency for all eight chronic conditions. Large proportions of patients with multiple chronic conditions were under-reported in Xi’an, China. Combining relevant potential factors, targeted health screenings for high-risk populations might be an effective method for identifying under-reporting patients.
Does social isolation mediate the association between hearing loss and cognition in adults? A systematic review and meta-analysis of longitudinal studies
Authors: Dhanda Nisha , Hall Amanda , Martin James
Published: January 2024

Background

There has been extensive research on the relationship between hearing and cognitive impairment in older adults but little examination of the role of mediating factors. Social isolation is a potential mediator, occurring because of hearing loss, and contributing to accelerated cognitive decline. Previous systematic reviews on this topic area have not considered the temporal nature of hearing loss and cognitive impairment exclusively or examined potential mediators within a longitudinal study design.

Methods

A systematic review was conducted. Electronic searches were performed in Web of Science, PubMed (Medline), Scopus, EMBASE, PsychInfo, and ProQuest (PsychArticles and ProQuest Dissertation and Theses) based on a search string of keywords relating to hearing loss, social isolation, and cognitive impairment/dementia in June 2023. Papers were critically appraised using the CASP checklists for cohort studies. Risk of bias in the selected studies was assessed using the Item Bank for Assessment of Risk of Bias and Precision for Observational Studies of Interventions or Exposures.

Results

Eleven of the 15 included studies provide evidence of a dose-dependent association between hearing threshold (40 dB HL or greater) and later cognitive impairment or incident dementia. Only one study included social isolation as a mediator, which was found to not be a significant contributing factor. The meta-analysis of 5 studies pooled hazard ratio for cognitive impairment due to hearing loss is 1.11 (95% CI: 1.06 to 1.15, p < 0.001). The pooled hazard ratio for incident dementia due to hearing loss was HR 1.21 (95% CI: 1.11 to 1.31, p = 0.002).

Conclusion

The analysis of included studies indicate that hearing threshold level affects later cognitive status or dementia diagnosis. There is not enough evidence to determine the role of social isolation as a mediator. Future epidemiology studies need to measure different elements of social isolation and ensure that hearing and cognition are measured at multiple time points.