bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The projection of climate change impact on the fatigue damage of offshore floating photovoltaic structures
Authors: Zou Tao , Niu Xinbo , Ji Xingda , Chen Xiuhan , Tao Longbin
Published: May 2023

In marine environment, floating photovoltaic (FPV) plants are subjected to wind, wave and current loadings. Waves are the primary source of fatigue damage for FPVs. The climate change may accumulatively affect the wave conditions, which may result in the overestimation or underestimation of fatigue damage. This paper aims to present a projection method to evaluate the climate change impact on fatigue damage of offshore FPVs in the future. Firstly, climate scenarios are selected to project the global radiative forcing level over decadal or century time scales. Secondly, global climate models are coupled to wind driven wave models to project the long-term sea states in the future. At last, fatigue assessment is conducted to evaluate the impact of climate change on fatigue damage of FPVs. A case study is demonstrated in the North Sea. A global-local method of fatigue calculation is utilized to calculate the annual fatigue damage on the FPVs’ joints. The conclusions indicate that there are decreasing trends of significant wave height and annual fatigue damage in the North Sea with the high emission of greenhouse gases. The fatigue design of FPVs based on the current wave scatter diagrams may be conservative in the future. The manufacture cost of FPVs can be reduced to some extent, which is beneficial to the FPV manufacturers.
Behavior of large yellow croaker (Larimichthys crocea) in pen aquaculture as measured by meter-scale telemetry
Authors: Gong Dehua , Cui Xiaojie , Song Mingyuan , Xing Binbin , Xu Pengxiang , Tang Yong , Yin Leiming
Published: May 2023

To understand the behavior of the large yellow croaker (Larimichthys crocea) in a pen aquaculture setting, three individuals in each of two experimental groups were telemetered in meter scale by four cable-synchronized hydrophones. The ultrasound pinger system was applied to track the motion of six L. crocea for 24 h using two fixation methods, i.e., implanting tags in the abdomen (the in vivo implantation group) and hanging tags on the dorsal fin (the dorsal fin suspension group). Pingers repeated unique 62.5 kHz coded signals at 5 s intervals along with a pressure signal. The results showed that fish tagged with internal pingers took approximately 3 h longer than externally tagged fish to stabilize in their behavior, as measured by depth utilization; the horizontal movements of the test fish were mostly found outside of the fence, where the test fish performed round-trip swimming, with the least probability of appearing near the production platform and more frequent activities in the feeding areas.
An exome-wide study of renal operational tolerance
Authors: Massart Annick , Danger Richard , Olsen Catharina , Emond Mary J. , Viklicky Ondrej , Jacquemin Valérie , Soblet Julie , Duerinckx Sarah , Croes Didier , Perazzolo Camille , Hruba Petra , Daneels Dorien , Caljon Ben , Sever Mehmet Sukru , Pascual Julio , Miglinas Marius ,   the Renal Tolerance Investigators, Pirson Isabelle , Ghisdal Lidia , Smits Guillaume , Giral Magali , Abramowicz Daniel , Abramowicz Marc , Brouard Sophie
Published: May 2023

Background

Renal operational tolerance is a rare and beneficial state of prolonged renal allograft function in the absence of immunosuppression. The underlying mechanisms are unknown. We hypothesized that tolerance might be driven by inherited protein coding genetic variants with large effect, at least in some patients.

Methods

We set up a European survey of over 218,000 renal transplant recipients and collected DNAs from 40 transplant recipients who maintained good allograft function without immunosuppression for at least 1 year. We performed an exome-wide association study comparing the distribution of moderate to high impact variants in 36 tolerant patients, selected for genetic homogeneity using principal component analysis, and 192 controls, using an optimal sequence-kernel association test adjusted for small samples.

Results

We identified rare variants of HOMER2 (3/36, FDR 0.0387), IQCH (5/36, FDR 0.0362), and LCN2 (3/36, FDR 0.102) in 10 tolerant patients vs. 0 controls. One patient carried a variant in both HOMER2 and LCN2. Furthermore, the three genes showed an identical variant in two patients each. The three genes are expressed at the primary cilium, a key structure in immune responses.

Conclusion

Rare protein coding variants are associated with operational tolerance in a sizable portion of patients. Our findings have important implications for a better understanding of immune tolerance in transplantation and other fields of medicine.

ClinicalTrials.gov, identifier: NCT05124444.
Case report: A case of acute postoperative endophthalmitis following penetrating keratoplasty due to carbapenem-resistant Klebsiella Pneumoniae and literature review
Authors: Yuan Ying , Liu Xiaoyuan , Zhou Li , Ding Wuchun , Zhang Liying , Zheng Jinhua
Published: May 2023

A 22-year-old lady underwent penetrating keratoplasty for serious keratoconus. The following day, it was complicated by the development of infectious endophthalmitis. The source of infection was identified as carbapenem-resistant Klebsiella pneumoniae. The donor corneal button might be playing a role in infection transmission due to carbapenem-resistant Klebsiella pneumoniae in a sputum culture when the donor was still alive. Nosocomial infections were typically severe, rapidly progressive, and difficult to treat. Finally, the patient underwent therapeutic penetrating keratoplasty again with complete resolution of the infection.
Genomic characteristics of Mycobacterium tuberculosis isolates of cutaneous tuberculosis
Authors: Mei You-Ming , Zhang Wen-Yue , Sun Ji-Ya , Jiang Hai-Qin , Shi Ying , Xiong Jing-Shu , Wang Le , Chen Yan-Qing , Long Si-Yu , Pan Chun , Luo Tao , Wang Hong-Sheng
Published: May 2023

Objectives

Cutaneous tuberculosis with various manifestations can be divided into several clinical types according to the host's immune status and infective route. However, the etiological factors of this disease remain unclear. The objective of this study is to investigate the pathogens associated with the occurrence and different types of cutaneous tuberculosis.

Methods

58 Mycobacterium tuberculosis strains isolated from cutaneous tuberculosis over the last 20 years were sequenced and analyzed for genomic characteristics including lineage distribution, drug-resistance mutations, and mutations potentially associated with different sites of infection.

Results

The M. tuberculosis strains from four major types of cutaneous tuberculosis and pulmonary tuberculosis shared similar genotypes and genomic composition. The strains isolated from cutaneous tuberculosis had a lower rate of drug resistance. Phylogenic analysis showed cutaneous tuberculosis and pulmonary tuberculosis isolates scattered on the three. Several SNPs in metabolism related genes exhibited a strong correlation with different infection sites.

Conclusions

The different infection sites of TB may barely be affected by large genomic changes in M. tuberculosis isolates, but the significant difference in SNPs of drug resistance gene and metabolism-related genes still deserves more attention.
Insight into the metabolic potential and ecological function of a novel Magnetotactic Nitrospirota in coral reef habitat
Authors: Zhao Yicong , Zhang Wenyan , Pan Hongmiao , Chen Jianwei , Cui Kaixuan , Wu Long-Fei , Lin Wei , Xiao Tian , Zhang Wuchang , Liu Jia
Published: May 2023

Magnetotactic bacteria (MTB) within the Nitrospirota phylum play important roles in biogeochemical cycles due to their outstanding ability to biomineralize large amounts of magnetite magnetosomes and intracellular sulfur globules. For several decades, Nitrospirota MTB were believed to only live in freshwater or low-salinity environments. While this group have recently been found in marine sediments, their physiological features and ecological roles have remained unclear. In this study, we combine electron microscopy with genomics to characterize a novel population of Nitrospirota MTB in a coral reef area of the South China Sea. Both phylogenetic and genomic analyses revealed it as representative of a novel genus, named as Candidatus Magnetocorallium paracelense XS-1. The cells of XS-1 are small and vibrioid-shaped, and have bundled chains of bullet-shaped magnetite magnetosomes, sulfur globules, and cytoplasmic vacuole-like structures. Genomic analysis revealed that XS-1 has the potential to respire sulfate and nitrate, and utilize the Wood–Ljungdahl pathway for carbon fixation. XS-1 has versatile metabolic traits that make it different from freshwater Nitrospirota MTB, including Pta-ackA pathway, anaerobic sulfite reduction, and thiosulfate disproportionation. XS-1 also encodes both the cbb3-type and the aa3-type cytochrome c oxidases, which may function as respiratory energy-transducing enzymes under high oxygen conditions and anaerobic or microaerophilic conditions, respectively. XS-1 has multiple copies of circadian related genes in response to variability in coral reef habitat. Our results implied that XS-1 has a remarkable plasticity to adapt the environment and can play a beneficial role in coral reef ecosystems.
Learning implicit sentiments in Alzheimer's disease recognition with contextual attention features
Authors: Liu Ning , Yuan Zhenming , Chen Yan , Liu Chuan , Wang Lingxing
Published: May 2023

Background

Alzheimer's disease (AD) is difficult to diagnose on the basis of language because of the implicit emotion of transcripts, which is defined as a supervised fuzzy implicit emotion classification at the document level. Recent neural network-based approaches have not paid attention to the implicit sentiments entailed in AD transcripts.

Method

A two-level attention mechanism is proposed to detect deep semantic information toward words and sentences, which enables it to attend to more words and fewer sentences differentially when constructing document representation. Specifically, a document vector was built by progressively aggregating important words into sentence vectors and important sentences into document vectors.

Results

Experimental results showed that our method achieved the best accuracy of 91.6% on annotated public Pitt corpora, which validates its effectiveness in learning implicit sentiment representation for our model.

Conclusion

The proposed model can qualitatively select informative words and sentences using attention layers, and this method also provides good inspiration for AD diagnosis based on implicit sentiment transcripts.
Multivesicular release favors short term synaptic depression in hippocampal autapses
Authors: Martínez San Segundo Pablo , Terni Beatrice , Llobet Artur
Published: May 2023

Presynaptic terminals of the central nervous system can support univesicular and multivesicular synchronous release of neurotransmitters, however, the functional implications of the prevalence of one mechanism over the other are yet unresolved. Here, we took advantage of the expression of SF-iGluSnFR.S72A in the astrocytic feeder layer of autaptic hippocampal neuronal cultures to associate the liberation of glutamate to excitatory postsynaptic currents. The presence of the glutamate sensor in glial cells avoided any interference with the function of endogenous postsynaptic receptors. It was possible to optically detect changes in neurotransmitter release probability, which was heterogeneous among synaptic boutons studied. For each neuron investigated, the liberation of neurotransmitters occurred through a predominant mechanism. The prevalence of multivesicular over univesicular release increased synaptic strength and enhanced short-term synaptic depression. These results show that the preference of hippocampal boutons to synchronously release one or more vesicles determines the strength and low pass filtering properties of the synapses established.
Enriched environment attenuates hippocampal theta and gamma rhythms dysfunction in chronic cerebral hypoperfusion via improving imbalanced neural afferent levels
Authors: Zheng Jiaxin , Peng Sisi , Cui Lingling , Liu Xi , Li Tian , Zhao Zhenyu , Li Yaqing , Hu Yuan , Zhang Miao , Xu Linling , Zhang JunJian
Published: May 2023

Chronic cerebral hypoperfusion (CCH) is increasingly recognized as a common cognitive impairment-causing mechanism. However, no clinically effective drugs to treat cognitive impairment due to CCH have been identified. An abnormal distribution of neural oscillations was found in the hippocampus of CCH rats. By releasing various neurotransmitters, distinct afferent fibers in the hippocampus influence neuronal oscillations in the hippocampus. Enriched environments (EE) are known to improve cognitive levels by modulating neurotransmitter homeostasis. Using EE as an intervention, we examined the levels of three classical neurotransmitters and the dynamics of neural oscillations in the hippocampus of the CCH rat model. The results showed that EE significantly improved the balance of three classical neurotransmitters (acetylcholine, glutamate, and GABA) in the hippocampus, enhanced the strength of theta and slow-gamma (SG) rhythms, and dramatically improved neural coupling across frequency bands in CCH rats. Furthermore, the expression of the three neurotransmitter vesicular transporters—vesicular acetylcholine transporters (VAChT) and vesicular GABA transporters (VGAT)—was significantly reduced in CCH rats, whereas the expression of vesicular glutamate transporter 1 (VGLUT1) was abnormally elevated. EE partially restored the expression of the three protein levels to maintain the balance of hippocampal afferent neurotransmitters. More importantly, causal mediation analysis showed EE increased the power of theta rhythm by increasing the level of VAChT and VGAT, which then enhanced the phase amplitude coupling of theta-SG and finally led to an improvement in the cognitive level of CCH. These findings shed light on the role of CCH in the disruption of hippocampal afferent neurotransmitter balance and neural oscillations. This study has implications for our knowledge of disease pathways.
Language dysfunction correlates with cognitive impairments in older adults without dementia mediated by amyloid pathology
Authors: Xiang Chunchen , Ai Weiping , Zhang Yumei ,   Alzheimer's Disease Neuroimaging Initiative
Published: May 2023

Background

Previous studies have explored the application of non-invasive biomarkers of language dysfunction for the early detection of Alzheimer's disease (AD). However, language dysfunction over time may be quite heterogeneous within different diagnostic groups.

Method

Patient demographics and clinical data were retrieved from the Alzheimer's Disease Neuroimaging Initiative (ADNI) database for the participants without dementia who had measures of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) biomarkers and language dysfunction. We analyzed the effect of longitudinal neuropathological and clinical correlates in the pathological process of semantic fluency and confrontation naming. The mediation effects of AD biomarkers were also explored by the mediation analysis.

Result

There were 272 subjects without dementia included in this analysis. Higher rates of decline in semantic fluency and confrontation naming were associated with a higher risk of progression to MCI or AD, and a greater decline in cognitive abilities. Moreover, the rate of change in semantic fluency was significantly associated with Aβ deposition, while confrontation naming was significantly associated with both amyloidosis and tau burden. Mediation analyses revealed that both confrontation naming and semantic fluency were partially mediated by the Aβ aggregation.

Conclusion

In conclusion, the changes in language dysfunction may partly stem from the Aβ deposition, while confrontation naming can also partly originate from the increase in tau burden. Therefore, this study sheds light on how language dysfunction is partly constitutive of mild cognitive impairment and dementia and therefore is an important clinical predictor.
Associations of lesion location, structural disconnection, and functional diaschisis with depressive symptoms post stroke
Authors: Klingbeil Julian , Brandt Max-Lennart , Stockert Anika , Baum Petra , Hoffmann Karl-Titus , Saur Dorothee , Wawrzyniak Max
Published: May 2023

Introduction

Post-stroke depressive symptoms (PSDS) are common and relevant for patient outcome, but their complex pathophysiology is ill understood. It likely involves social, psychological and biological factors. Lesion location is a readily available information in stroke patients, but it is unclear if the neurobiological substrates of PSDS are spatially localized. Building on previous analyses, we sought to determine if PSDS are associated with specific lesion locations, structural disconnection and/or localized functional diaschisis.

Methods

In a prospective observational study, we examined 270 patients with first-ever stroke with the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS) around 6 months post-stroke. Based on individual lesion locations and the depression subscale of the HADS we performed support vector regression lesion-symptom mapping, structural-disconnection-symptom mapping and functional lesion network-symptom-mapping, in a reanalysis of this previously published cohort to infer structure–function relationships.

Results

We found that depressive symptoms were associated with (i) lesions in the right insula, right putamen, inferior frontal gyrus and right amygdala and (ii) structural disconnection in the right temporal lobe. In contrast, we found no association with localized functional diaschisis. In addition, we were unable to confirm a previously described association between depressive symptom load and a network damage score derived from functional disconnection maps.

Discussion

Based on our results, and other recent lesion studies, we see growing evidence for a prominent role of right frontostriatal brain circuits in PSDS.
Clinical and molecular features of patients with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis and SOD1 mutations: a monocentric study
Authors: Gagliardi Delia , Ripellino Paolo , Meneri Megi , Del Bo Roberto , Antognozzi Sara , Comi Giacomo Pietro , Gobbi Claudio , Ratti Antonia , Ticozzi Nicola , Silani Vincenzo , Ronchi Dario , Corti Stefania
Published: May 2023

Introduction

SOD1 was the first gene associated with both familial and sporadic forms of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and is the second most mutated gene in Caucasian ALS patients. Given their high clinical and molecular heterogeneity, a detailed characterization of SOD1-ALS patients could improve knowledge about the natural history of this disease. Here, the authors aimed to provide a clinical and molecular description of a monocentric cohort of SOD1-ALS patients.

Methods

Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) patients referring to the neurology unit of our center between 2008 and 2021 were clinically assessed and underwent molecular testing for SOD1. Segregation studies in available family members and in silico analysis were performed to sustain the pathogenicity of the identified SOD1 variants.

Results

Among the 576 patients in our cohort, we identified 19 individuals harboring a mutation in SOD1 (3.3%), including 15 (78.9%) with a familial and four (21.1%) with a sporadic form. The spinal onset of the disease was observed in all patients, and survival was extremely variable, ranging from 8 months to over 30 years. Twelve different SOD1 missense variants were identified in our cohort, including one novel mutation (p.Pro67Leu).

Discussion

In the present series, we provided the first description of an Italian monocentric cohort of SOD1-ALS patients, and we expanded the repertoire of SOD1 mutations. Our cohort presents several remarkable features, including variable expressivity in the same family, atypical presentation (ataxia, cognitive impairment, and other extra-motor symptoms), and different modes of inheritance of a given mutation in the same family. Given the recent authorization of SOD1-directed antisense oligonucleotide for use in SOD1-ALS patients, we recommend prompt screening for SOD1 mutations in novel ALS patients with familiar or sporadic presentations.
Functional ultrasound detects frequency-specific acute and delayed S-ketamine effects in the healthy mouse brain
Authors: Ionescu Tudor M. , Grohs-Metz Gillian , Hengerer Bastian
Published: May 2023

Introduction

S-ketamine has received great interest due to both its antidepressant effects and its potential to induce psychosis when administered subchronically. However, no studies have investigated both its acute and delayed effects using in vivo small-animal imaging. Recently, functional ultrasound (fUS) has emerged as a powerful alternative to functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI), outperforming it in sensitivity and in spatiotemporal resolution. In this study, we employed fUS to thoroughly characterize acute and delayed S-ketamine effects on functional connectivity (FC) within the same cohort at slow frequency bands ranging from 0.01 to 1.25 Hz, previously reported to exhibit FC.

Methods

We acquired fUS in a total of 16 healthy C57/Bl6 mice split in two cohorts (n = 8 received saline, n = 8 S-ketamine). One day after the first scans, performed at rest, the mice received the first dose of S-ketamine during the second measurement, followed by four further doses administered every 2 days. First, we assessed FC reproducibility and reliability at baseline in six frequency bands. Then, we investigated the acute and delayed effects at day 1 after the first dose and at day 9, 1 day after the last dose, for all bands, resulting in a total of four fUS measurements for every mouse.

Results

We found reproducible (r > 0.9) and reliable (r > 0.9) group-average readouts in all frequency bands, only the 0.01–0.27 Hz band performing slightly worse. Acutely, S-ketamine induced strong FC increases in five of the six bands, peaking in the 0.073–0.2 Hz band. These increases comprised both cortical and subcortical brain areas, yet were of a transient nature, FC almost returning to baseline levels towards the end of the scan. Intriguingly, we observed robust corticostriatal FC decreases in the fastest band acquired (0.75 Hz–1.25  Hz). These changes persisted to a weaker extent after 1 day and at this timepoint they were accompanied by decreases in the other five bands as well. After 9 days, the decreases in the 0.75–1.25 Hz band were maintained, however no changes between cohorts could be detected in any other bands.

Discussion

In summary, the study reports that acute and delayed ketamine effects in mice are not only dissimilar but have different directionalities in most frequency bands. The complementary readouts of the employed frequency bands recommend the use of fUS for frequency-specific investigation of pharmacological effects on FC.
The brain is not mental! coupling neuronal and immune cellular processing in human organisms
Authors: Ciaunica Anna , Shmeleva Evgeniya V. , Levin Michael
Published: May 2023

Significant efforts have been made in the past decades to understand how mental and cognitive processes are underpinned by neural mechanisms in the brain. This paper argues that a promising way forward in understanding the nature of human cognition is to zoom out from the prevailing picture focusing on its neural basis. It considers instead how neurons work in tandem with other type of cells (e.g., immune) to subserve biological self-organization and adaptive behavior of the human organism as a whole. We focus specifically on the immune cellular processing as key actor in complementing neuronal processing in achieving successful self-organization and adaptation of the human body in an ever-changing environment. We overview theoretical work and empirical evidence on “basal cognition” challenging the idea that only the neuronal cells in the brain have the exclusive ability to “learn” or “cognize.” The focus on cellular rather than neural, brain processing underscores the idea that flexible responses to fluctuations in the environment require a carefully crafted orchestration of multiple cellular and bodily systems at multiple organizational levels of the biological organism. Hence cognition can be seen as a multiscale web of dynamic information processing distributed across a vast array of complex cellular (e.g., neuronal, immune, and others) and network systems, operating across the entire body, and not just in the brain. Ultimately, this paper builds up toward the radical claim that cognition should not be confined to one system alone, namely, the neural system in the brain, no matter how sophisticated the latter notoriously is.
Choosing an effective food classification system for promoting healthy diets in Thailand: a comparative evaluation of three nutrient profiling-based food classification systems (government, WHO, and Healthier Choice Logo) and a food-processing-based food classification system (NOVA)
Authors: Phulkerd Sirinya , Dickie Sarah , Thongcharoenchupong Natjera , Thapsuwan Sasinee , Machado Priscila , Woods Julie , Mo-Suwan Ladda , Prasertsom Piyada , Ungchusak Chantana , Khitdee Chiraporn , Lawrence Mark
Published: May 2023

Introduction

This study aimed to assess the nutritional quality of food and beverage products in Thailand by comparing four different food classification systems: the nutrient profiling-based food classification systems by the Department of Health (DOH), the WHO South-East Asia Region (WHO SEA), the Healthier Choice Logo (HCL), and the food-processing-based food classification system, NOVA.

Methods

This study used secondary data from the Mintel Global New Products Database (N = 17,414). Food subgroups were classified differently based on these four systems. The DOH classified food products into three groups: Group A—healthy pass or meeting standard, Group B—not meeting the standard, and Group C—far below standard. The WHO SEA classified food products into two groups: marketing prohibited products and marketing permitted products. The HCL classified food products into two groups: eligible products for the logo; and ineligible products for the logo. The NOVA classified food products into four groups: unprocessed or minimally processed foods (MP), processed culinary ingredients (PCI), processed foods (P), and ultra-processed foods (UPF). Descriptive statistics (percentage and frequency) were used for analysis. Agreement analysis was conducted using Cohen’s kappa statistic between each pair of food classification systems.

Results

Of the total sample that could be classified by any of the four classification systems (n = 10,486), the DOH, the WHO SEA and the HCL systems classified products as healthy (Group A, marketing permitted or eligible for HCL logo) at 10.4, 11.1, and 10.9%, respectively. Only 5.6% were classified as minimally processed foods using NOVA and 83.1% were ultra-processed foods (UPFs). Over 50% of products classified as healthy by the nutrient profiling systems were classified as UPF according to the NOVA system. Products that were eligible for the HCL had the highest proportion of UPF products (84.4%), followed by the Group A products (69.2%) and the WHO marketing-permitted products (65.0%).

Conclusion

A hybrid food classification approach taking both nutrients and food processing into account is needed to comprehensively assess the nutritional quality of food and beverage products in Thailand.
Oncoplastic surgery for Paget’s disease of the breast
Authors: Pelorca Rafael José Fábio , de Oliveira-Junior Idam , da Costa Vieira René Aloisio
Published: May 2023

Introduction

Paget’s disease of the breast (PDB) is a rare nipple entity associated with multifocality. Due to its location, resection of the entire nipple-areolar complex is necessary. Historically central quadrantectomy and mastectomy have the surgical treatments of choice. The feasibility of oncoplastic breast surgery (OBS) for PDB is unknown.

Methods

This was a retrospective study performed in a Brazilian oncological hospital. We evaluated the factors related to the performance of OBS in PDB. In addition, the impact of OBS on local recurrence and survival was analysed. Comparisons were made between groups using the chi-square test, Mann−Whitney U test, and Kaplan–Meier method. To assess the impact factor of the variables on the performance of OBS, logistic regression was performed.

Results

Eighty-five patients were evaluated. OBS was performed in 69.4% (n=59), and of these, 16 (27.2%) were symmetrized with contralateral surgery. Mastectomy without reconstruction was performed in 28.3% of the patients. The primary procedure performed was mastectomy with reconstruction (n=38; 44.7%), and the preferential technique for immediate reconstruction was skin-sparing mastectomy with prosthesis; for late reconstruction, the preferred technique was using the latissimus dorsi. Breast conserving-surgery was performed in 27.0% (n=23), primarily using the plug-flap technique (OBS). Age was associated with the use of OBS; as patients aged 40-49 exhibited a higher rate of OBS (p = 0.002; odds ratio 3.22). OBS did not influence local recurrence (p=1.000), overall survival (p=0.185), or cancer-specific survival (p=0.418).

Conclusion

OBS improves options related to surgical treatment in PDB without affecting local recurrence or survival rates.
Primary pulmonary hyalinizing clear cell carcinoma with fusions of both EWSR1::CREM and IRF2::NTRK3: report of a case with an aggressive behavior
Authors: Wu You-Li , Wu Feng , Cao Mian-Fu , Lan Yang , Du Ming-Shan , Yu Song-Tao , Wang Yan , Yan Xiao-Chu , Bian Xiu-Wu , Duan Guang-Jie
Published: May 2023

Primary pulmonary hyalinizing clear cell carcinoma (HCCC) is a rare salivary gland-type tumor newly recognized in recent years, with approximately 21 cases reported to date in the English literature, which constitutes a challenge in pathology diagnosis, particularly in small biopsy specimens. Here, we present a case of pulmonary HCCC diagnosed by computed tomography-guided percutaneous lung biopsy in a 70-year-old man’s right lower lung. Although the morphology and immunophenotype of the tumor suggested the diagnosis of mucoepidermoid carcinoma, fluorescence in situ hybridization failed to reveal the rearrangement of MAML2 gene, which is characteristic of mucoepidermoid carcinoma. Instead, further molecular genetic testing showed that the tumor harbored a rare EWSR1::CREM fusion combined with a previously unreported IRF2::NTRK3 fusion. Pulmonary HCCC is commonly regarded as a low-grade malignant tumor with an indolent course, but this case has a different biological behavior, presenting extensive dissemination and metastases at the time of diagnosis, which expands our understanding of the prognosis of this tumor. The patient has had five cycles of combination chemotherapy and has been alive with the tumor for eight months.
Potential role of gut microbiota in prostate cancer: immunity, metabolites, pathways of action?
Authors: Zha Cheng , Peng Zheng , Huang Kunyuan , Tang Kaifa , Wang Qiang , Zhu Lihua , Che Bangwei , Li Wei , Xu Shenghan , Huang Tao , Yu Ying , Zhang Wenjun
Published: May 2023

The gut microbiota helps to reveal the relationship between diseases, but the role of gut microbiota in prostate cancer (PCa) is still unclear. Recent studies have found that the composition and abundance of specific gut microbiota are significantly different between PCa and non-PCa, and the gut microbiota may have common and unique characteristics between different diseases. Intestinal microorganisms are affected by various factors and interact with the host in a variety of ways. In the complex interaction model, the regulation of intestinal microbial metabolites and the host immune system is particularly important, and they play a key role in maintaining the ecological balance of intestinal microorganisms and metabolites. However, specific changes in the composition of intestinal microflora may promote intestinal mucosal immune imbalance, leading to the formation of tumors. Therefore, this review analyzes the immune regulation of intestinal flora and the production of metabolites, as well as their effects and mechanisms on tumors, and briefly summarizes that specific intestinal flora can play an indirect role in PCa through their metabolites, genes, immunity, and pharmacology, and directly participate in the occurrence, development, and treatment of tumors through bacterial and toxin translocation. We also discussed markers of high risk PCa for intestinal microbiota screening and the possibility of probiotic ingestion and fecal microbiota transplantation, in order to provide better treatment options for clinic patients. Finally, after summarizing a number of studies, we found that changes in immunity, metabolites.
On the asymptotically cubic generalized quasilinear Schrödinger equations with a Kirchhoff-type perturbation
Authors: Li Guofa , Qiu Chong , Cheng Bitao , Wang Wenbo
Published: May 2023

In this paper, we consider the non-existence and existence of solutions for a generalized quasilinear Schrödinger equation with a Kirchhoff-type perturbation. When the non-linearityh(u) shows critical or supercritical growth at infinity, the non-existence result for a quasilinear Schrödinger equation is proved via the Pohožaev identity. Ifh(u) shows asymptotically cubic growth at infinity, the existence of positive radial solutions for the quasilinear Schrödinger equation is obtained whenbis large or equal to 0 andbis equal to 0 by the variational methods. Moreover, some properties are established as the parameterbtends to be 0.
Seed dressing with M451 promotes seedling growth in wheat and reduces root phytopathogenic fungi without affecting endophytes
Authors: Kardava K. , Tetz V. , Vecherkovskaya M. , Tetz G.
Published: May 2023

Fungal plant infections result in substantial losses to the agricultural sector. A range of fungicide seed dressings are available to control seed-borne fungal diseases; however, they lack sufficient efficacy because of intrinsic tolerance and acquired resistance. Moreover, many fungicide seed dressings can also penetrate plants, negatively affecting plant growth owing to their toxic effects on endophytes, as well as contributing to the spread of antibiotic resistance. Here, we evaluated the efficacy of M451, a member of a new class of antimicrobial agents that are not relevant to human healthcare. As a seed dressing for wheat seeds, M451 exhibited significant antifungal activity against one of the most devastating plant fungal pathogens, Fusarium spp. Furthermore, M451 was more active than the commercially used fungicide Maxim XL against both seed-borne and soil-borne F. oxysporum infection. Importantly, and unlike other antifungals, M451 seed dressing did not inhibit any of the major characteristics of wheat grains and seedlings, such as germination percentage, germination time, grain vigor, shoot- and root weight and length, but rather improved some of these parameters. The results also demonstrated that M451 had no negative impacts on endophytes and did not accumulate in grains. Thus, M451 may have potential applications as an antifungal agent in wheat cultivation.
Advance in sex differentiation in cucumber
Authors: Luo Haiyan , Zhang Huanchun , Wang Huasen
Published: May 2023

Cucumber belongs to the family Cucurbitaceae (melon genus) and is an annual herbaceous vegetable crop. Cucumber is an important cash crop that is grown all over the world. From morphology to cytology, from canonical genetics to molecular biology, researchers have performed much research on sex differentiation and its regulatory mechanism in cucumber, mainly in terms of cucumber sex determination genes, environmental conditions, and the effects of plant hormones, revealing its genetic basis to improve the number of female flowers in cucumber, thus greatly improving the yield of cucumber. This paper reviews the research progress of sex differentiation in cucumber in recent years, mainly focusing on sex-determining genes, environmental conditions, and the influence of phytohormones in cucumber, and provides a theoretical basis and technical support for the realization of high and stable yield cultivation and molecular breeding of cucumber crop traits.
Debating E-voting throughout Europe: constitutional structures, parties' concepts and Europeans' perceptions
Authors: Borucki Isabelle , Hartleb Florian
Published: May 2023

Techno-optimists with a more cosmopolitan focus agree that E-voting lies at the heart of implementing e-government and digitalization into democratic structures. The example of the “e-state” Estonia proves the relevance: E-voting has been in (legal) practice since 2005, and research can take much empirical evidence from this laboratory for digital innovation. The fact that Estonia is an exception to the rule within the European Union (EU) member states explains the comparative approach to the (possible) legal framework for eparticipation. With focusing on liberal democracies' constitutional predefinitions, voting procedures in the virtual age have not been compared yet. However, we have yet to learn much about the extent to which E-voting exists in European constitutions, even after one generation of intense debate about its possible implementation. Perceptions of E-voting matter because of the omnipresent digital transformation and discussions about how democracies (could) digitalize. E-voting represents a bottom-up part of top-down e-government and, through this, digital transformation. This research explores whether party policies, legal frameworks, and citizens' perceptions resemble E-voting on the national and European levels. To explore this question, several mixed-methods approaches are used. The question of “legalistic opportunity structures” is approached by relying on legal frameworks of European member states, parties' policies derived from their manifestos, and survey data from three Eurobarometer waves. Using a dictionary approach, the research design analyses the constitutions, electoral laws and manifestos of parties running for the European elections, combined with a classic analysis of surveys. Therefore, these sources are analyzed using several mixed methods approaches. The results have broader implications that we need to study in more detail what the digital transformation and the constitutionalization of electronic decision-making entail to develop a digital democracy and link it to a public sphere throughout Europe. Ultimately, it is analyzed whether the EU will push its member states to E-voting and implement E-voting for European elections. This would question the normative basing of democracy and how responsivity is brought into place.
Promoting mental health and wellbeing in schools: the impact of yoga on young people's relaxation and stress levels
Authors: Hagen Ingunn , Skjelstad Solbjørg , Nayar Usha Sidana
Published: May 2023

This study aimed to examine students' experiences with yoga interventions in school. The findings revealed that practicing yoga made young people more aware of their need to relax and positively impacted their mental health and wellbeing. We explored the emphasis on relaxation among our study participants and how relaxation is related to other aspects, such as their experience of stress and sleep habits. This article is based on qualitative data gathered from teenagers in Norway who participated in the Norwegian part of the European research project “Hippocampus: Promoting Mental Health and Wellbeing among Young People through Yoga.” The project introduced yoga to young people in schools with an emphasis on those who were disadvantaged, including those with mental health issues and other challenges related to their background. Data were collected from nine individual, semi-structured interviews and 133 logs collected in the spring of 2019.1 The major themes identified through the interviews and log material included becoming more relaxed and aware of the need to unwind. Thus, the focus on relaxation is based on the importance of the participants assigned to this theme. The study results suggest that yoga enhanced the students' awareness and skills and empowered them to make healthier lifestyle choices.2 We viewed the importance of relaxation from a salutogenic perspective, focusing on the factors that contribute to good health in contrast to a pathogenic perspective, where curing diseases is the goal.
Comparative efficacy of remotely delivered mindfulness-based eating awareness training versus behavioral-weight loss counseling during COVID-19
Authors: Ugarte Pérez Carla , Cruzat-Mandich Claudia , Quiñones Bergeret Álvaro , Díaz-Tendero Dafne , Gallegos Marcela , Gil Aurora A. , Cepeda-Benito Antonio
Published: May 2023

Introduction

Dysregulated eating (emotional eating, cue-elicited eating, and dietary restraint and restriction) has been linked to being overweight or obese. The present investigation used a random controlled trial (RCT) to test the differential efficacy of remotely delivered Mindfulness-Based Eating Awareness Training (MB-EAT) and Behavioral Weight Loss (BWL) counseling.

Methods

The sample was recruited through advertisements that offered help to people “with problems controlling their eating” or “interested in improving their relationship with food” (n = 135).

Results

Retention was low in both groups (42%), but not dissimilar to retention rates reported in related clinical trials delivered “in person.” Among the participants who completed treatment, we found no between-group differences in any of the treatment outcomes, but participants in both groups experienced significant increases in eating-related mindfulness [Mindful Eating Questionnaire (MEQ) and awareness [Multidimensional Assessment of Interoceptive Awareness (MAIA), and significant decreases in unhealthy eating patterns [Dutch Eating Behavior Questionnaire (DEBQ); Binge Eating Scale (BES), and weight over the course of treatment. Participants in both groups also experienced increases in self-reported depression and anxiety symptoms [Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS)], although these increases likely reflected normative changes observed in the population at large during COVID-19.

Discussion

Overall, the results suggest that dysregulated eating and weight loss intervention delivered remotely via teleconference can be effective.
Assessment of validity and comparison of two Spanish versions of the Geriatric Depression Scale
Authors: Bugallo-Carrera Cesar , Dosil-Díaz Carlos , Pereiro Arturo X. , Anido-Rifón Luís , Pacheco-Lorenzo Moisés , Fernández-Iglesias Manuel J. , Gandoy-Crego Manuel
Published: May 2023

Introduction

The Geriatric Depression Scale is an instrument used to identify depression in people of an older age. The original English version of this scale has been translated into Spanish (GDS-VE); two shorter versions of 5- (GDS-5) and 15-items (GDS-15) have been developed.

Aim of the study

To assess the validity and compare the 5- and 15-item Spanish versions of the GDS among the Spanish population.

Materials and methods

573 Galicia residents aged >50 years participated in this study. The following instruments were applied: the 19-item Control, Autonomy, Self-Realization and Pleasure scale, the Subjective Memory Complaints Questionnaire, the Mini-Mental State Examination test, the GDS-5, and the GDS-15.

Results

We found differences in total score between GDS-5 and GDS-15 regarding the variable sex. Internal reliability for GDS-5 and GDS-15 was 0.495 and 0.715, respectively. Sensitivity and specificity for GDS-5 – with a cut-off value of 1 – was 0.517 and 0.650, respectively; for GDS-15 – with a cut-off value of 3 points – sensitivity was 0.755 and specificity 0.668. GDS-5 has a ROC curve of 0.617 and GDS-15 of 0.764.

Conclusion

GDS-15, and to a greater extent GDS-5, should be revised or even reformulated to improve their diagnostic usefulness by choosing higher discriminative ability items or even include new items with greater sensitivity that consider currently prevailing psychosocial factors.
Cognitive inhibition abilities explain inter-individual variability in gender-space associations
Authors: Calvente Aitor , Noguera Carmen , Álvarez Dolores , Fernández Sergio , Carmona Isabel
Published: May 2023

There is a great deal of research describing the close association that exists between numerical and spatial representations, illustrating the SNARC (Spatial-Numerical Association of Response Code) effect. This effect signals the spatial mental representation of small numbers to the left and larger numbers to the right, coinciding with the direction of reading and writing. Subsequent research has found a similar spatial representation for other stimuli (e.g., size of objects and animals, and words associated with time). Some of these spatially represented stimuli are social in nature, even suggesting a spatial mental organization of stimuli based on gender (e.g., the upper part of a vertical axis for males and the lower part for females). The aim of the present study was threefold (1) to replicate and extend results on the existence of a mental gender line (as a function of response hand: female-left hand and male-right hand) when responding simply to gender of stimuli; (2) to explore the influence of inhibitory control; and, (3) to determine whether gender-space associations depend on the explicit or implicit nature of a gender task. Three experiments were designed to pursue these objectives. In Experiment 1, female, male and neutral faces and names were displayed, and the participants were asked to identify their gender. Experiment 2, which also included a Stroop task, followed the same procedure as Experiment 1, but displayed objects that could be designated as female or male and others not related to any gender. Finally, in Experiment 3, in which participants were asked to respond to the direction of an arrow, object gender was not relevant to the task. Consistent with previous research and confirming our hypotheses, the results showed a spatial mental representation of the stimuli based on gender in all three experiments, regardless of whether the stimulus was consciously perceived. Moreover, inhibitory ability showed a relationship with the gender-space line effect. The contributions and implications of this study are discussed, as are possible limitations and future lines of research.
Effects of reasoning demands triggered by genre on Chinese EFL learners' writing performance
Authors: Peng Cheng , Bao Zhen
Published: May 2023

Introduction

Genres, having distinct communicative functions, elicit different levels of reasoning demands in writing tasks. The current study investigated the influence of cognitive complexity triggered by a seldom studied pair of genres (expository writing vs. argumentative writing) on Chinese advanced EFL learners' writing performance.

Method

A total of 76 L2 learners participated in two writing tasks: one simpler expository writing task involving fewer reasoning demands and the other more complex argumentative writing task eliciting more reasoning demands. Multiple measure indices were adopted to comprehensively reflect the differences in production dimensions between the two writing tasks, such as lexical complexity, syntactic complexity, accuracy, fluency, and cohesion.

Results and discussion

The results showed that cognitive complexity significantly improved lexical complexity, clausal complexity, and cohesion, which generally supported the Cognition Hypothesis. However, phrasal structures and clausal structures within the construct of syntactic complexity displayed a trade-off effect, partially corroborating the Trade-off Hypothesis. Accuracy and fluency were uninfluenced, verifying neither of these hypotheses. Implications for sequencing and designing L2 writing tasks were provided for relevant stakeholders.