bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
USP20 is a predictor of poor prognosis in colorectal cancer and associated with lymph node metastasis, immune infiltration and chemotherapy resistance
Authors: Jin RuiRi , Luo ZhiPeng , Jun-Li  , Tao Qing , Wang Peng , Cai XueSheng , Jiang LongZhou , Zeng ChunYan , Chen YouXiang
Published: February 2023

Background

Colorectal cancer (CRC) is a highly prevalent malignancy with a poor prognosis. USP20 can support progression of variety of tumors. USP20 was shown to promote breast tumor metastasis, and proliferation of oral squamous carcinoma cells. However, the role of USP20 in CRC remains unclear.

Methods

We used bioinformatics to analyze the expression and prognosis of USP20 in pan-cancer and explore the relationship between USP20 expression and immune infiltration, immune checkpoints, and chemotherapy resistance in CRC. The differential expression and prognostic role of USP20 in CRC was validated by qRT-PCR and immunohistochemistry. Cox univariate and multivariate analyses were performed to assess risk factors for poor prognosis of CRC, and new prognostic prediction models were constructed and evaluated by decision curve analysis (ROC) and receiver operating characteristic (DCA). USP20 was overexpressed in CRC cell lines to explore the effect of USP20 on the functionalities of CRC cells. Enrichment analyses were used to explore the possible mechanism of USP20 in CRC.

Results

The expression of USP20 was lower in CRC tissues than adjacent normal tissues. Compared with low USP20 expression patients, CRC patients with high USP20 expression level had shorter OS. Correlation analysis showed that USP20 expression was associated with lymph node metastasis. Cox regression analysis revealed USP20 as an independent risk factor for poor prognosis in CRC patients. ROC and DCA analyses showed that the performance of the newly constructed prediction model was better than the traditional TNM model. Immune infiltration analysis shown that USP20 expression is closely associated with T cell infiltration in CRC. A co-expression analysis showed that USP20 expression was positively correlated with several immune checkpoint genes including ADORA2A, CD160, CD27 and TNFRSF25 genes and positively associated with multiple multi-drug resistance genes such as MRP1, MRP3, and MRP5 genes. USP20 expression positively correlated with the sensitivity of cells to multiple anticancer drugs. Overexpression of USP20 enhanced the migration and invasive ability of CRC cells. Enrichment pathway analyses showed the USP20 may play a role via the Notch pathway, Hedgehog pathway and beta-catenin pathway.

Conclusion

USP20 is downregulated in CRC and associated with prognosis in CRC. USP20 enhances CRC cells metastasis and is associated with immune infiltration, immune checkpoints, and chemotherapy resistance.
Integrated clinical analysis and data mining assessed the impact of NOX4 on the immune microenvironment and prognosis of pancreatic cancer
Authors: Zhao Xin , He Yichen , Pan Yi , Ye Luyi , Liu Longcai , Mou Xiaozhou , Fu Luoqin
Published: February 2023

Background

The tumor microenvironment (TME) of pancreatic cancer is complex. which forms forms a microenvironment with high immunosuppression, ischemia and hypoxia, which promotes tumor proliferation and migration, inhibit the anti-tumor immune response. NOX4 plays an important role in tumor microenvironment and has a significant relationship with the occurrence, development and drug resistance of tumor.

Methods

Firstly, NOX4 expression in pancreatic cancer tissues under different pathological conditions was detected by applying immunohistochemical staining of tissue microarray (TMA). Transcriptome RNA sequencing data and clinical data of 182 pancreatic cancer samples were downloaded and collated from the UCSC xena database. 986 NOX4-related lncRNAs were filtered by Spearman correlation analysis. prognosis-related NOX4-related lncRNAs and NRlncSig Score were finally obtained by univariate and multivariate Cox regression with Least Absolute Shrinkage and Selection Operator (Lasso) analysis in pancreatic cancer patients. we plotted Kaplan -Meier and time-dependent ROC curves (ROC) to assess the validity in predicting the prognosis of pancreatic cancer. The ssGSEA analysis was applied to explore the immune microenvironment of pancreatic cancer patients as well as to discuss the immune cells and immune status separately.

Results

We found that a mature tumor marker, NOX4, play different roles in different clinical subgroups by immunohistochemical analysis and clinical data. Finally, 2 NOX4-related lncRNAs were determined by least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (LASSO) analysis, univariate Cox analysis and multivariate COX analysis. The ROC curve and DCA curve showed that NRS Score had better predictive ability than independent prognosis-related lncRNA and other clinicopathologic indicators. We obtained the relative abundance of 28 infiltrating immune cells by ssGSEA analysis and found a significant positive correlation between the abundance of anti-tumor immune cells and tumor-promoting immune cells in the risk-classified microenvironment. No matter NRS Score or AC092667.2, RP11-349A8.3 was significantly correlated with immune infiltrating cells. Meanwhile, the IC50 of conventional chemotherapeutic agents in high-score group were significantly lower than those in low-score group.

Conclusion

As a mature tumor marker, NOX4-related lncRNAs provide new research strategies for prognostic evaluation, molecular mechanism and clinical treatment of pancreatic cancer.
Dosimetric comparison of robust angles in carbon-ion radiation therapy for prostate cancer
Authors: Shin Han-Back , Kim Changhwan , Han Min Cheol , Hong Chae-Seon , Park Seyjoon , Koom Woong Sub , Kim Jin Sung
Published: February 2023

The objective of this study is to compare the plan robustness at various beam angles. Hence, the influence of the beam angles on robustness and linear energy transfer (LET) was evaluated in gantry-based carbon-ion radiation therapy (CIRT) for prostate cancer. 10 patients with prostate cancer were considered, and a total dose of 51.6 Gy (Relative biological effectiveness (RBE) was prescribed for the target volume in 12 fractions. Five beam field plans comprising two opposed fields with different angle pairs were characterized. Further, dose parameters were extracted, and the RBE-weighted dose and LET values for all angle pairs were compared. All plans considering the setup uncertainty satisfied the dose regimen. When a parallel beam pair was used for perturbed scenarios to take into account set-up uncertainty in the anterior direction, the LET clinical treatment volume (CTV) D95% standard deviation was 1.5 times higher, and the standard deviation of RBE-weighted CTV D95% was 7.9 times higher compared to an oblique pair. The oblique beam fields were superior in terms of dose sparing for the rectum compared to the dose distribution using two conventional lateral opposed fields for prostate cancer.
Applications of different machine learning approaches in prediction of breast cancer diagnosis delay
Authors: Dehdar Samira , Salimifard Khodakaram , Mohammadi Reza , Marzban Maryam , Saadatmand Sara , Fararouei Mohammad , Dianati-Nasab Mostafa
Published: February 2023

Background

The increasing rate of breast cancer (BC) incidence and mortality in Iran has turned this disease into a challenge. A delay in diagnosis leads to more advanced stages of BC and a lower chance of survival, which makes this cancer even more fatal.

Objectives

The present study was aimed at identifying the predicting factors for delayed BC diagnosis in women in Iran.

Methods

In this study, four machine learning methods, including extreme gradient boosting (XGBoost), random forest (RF), neural networks (NNs), and logistic regression (LR), were applied to analyze the data of 630 women with confirmed BC. Also, different statistical methods, including chi-square, p-value, sensitivity, specificity, accuracy, and area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC), were utilized in different steps of the survey.

Results

Thirty percent of patients had a delayed BC diagnosis. Of all the patients with delayed diagnoses, 88.5% were married, 72.1% had an urban residency, and 84.8% had health insurance. The top three important factors in the RF model were urban residency (12.04), breast disease history (11.58), and other comorbidities (10.72). In the XGBoost, urban residency (17.54), having other comorbidities (17.14), and age at first childbirth (>30) (13.13) were the top factors; in the LR model, having other comorbidities (49.41), older age at first childbirth (82.57), and being nulliparous (44.19) were the top factors. Finally, in the NN, it was found that being married (50.05), having a marriage age above 30 (18.03), and having other breast disease history (15.83) were the main predicting factors for a delayed BC diagnosis.

Conclusion

Machine learning techniques suggest that women with an urban residency who got married or had their first child at an age older than 30 and those without children are at a higher risk of diagnosis delay. It is necessary to educate them about BC risk factors, symptoms, and self-breast examination to shorten the delay in diagnosis.
A novel RNA modification prognostic signature for predicting the characteristics of the tumor microenvironment in gastric cancer
Authors: Jing Qiangan , Yao Hongfeng , Li Huanjuan , Yuan Chen , Hu Jiayu , Zhang Ping , Wu Yunyi , Zhou Yi , Ren Xueying , Yang Chen , Lei Guojie , Du Jing , Ke Xia , Xia Jun , Tong Xiangmin
Published: February 2023

Gastric cancer (GC) is one of the most common neoplastic malignancies, which permutes a fourth of cancer-related mortality globally. RNA modification plays a significant role in tumorigenesis, the underlying molecular mechanism of how different RNA modifications directly affect the tumor microenvironment (TME) in GC is unclear. Here, we profiled the genetic and transcriptional alterations of RNA modification genes (RMGs) in GC samples from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) and Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) cohorts. Through the unsupervised clustering algorithm, we identified three distinct RNA modification clusters and found that they participate in different biological pathways and starkly correlate with the clinicopathological characteristics, immune cell infiltration, and prognosis of GC patients. Subsequently, univariate Cox regression analysis unveiled 298 of 684 subtype-related differentially expressed genes (DEGs) are tightly interwoven to prognosis. In addition, we conducted the principal component analysis to develop the RM_Score system, which was used to quantify and predict the prognostic value of RNA modification in GC. Our analysis indicated that patients with high RM_Score were characterized by higher tumor mutational burden, mutation frequency, and microsatellite instability which were more susceptible to immunotherapy and had a favorable prognosis. Altogether, our study uncovered RNA modification signatures that may have a potential role in the TME and prediction of clinicopathological characteristics. Identification of these RNA modifications may provide a new understanding of immunotherapy strategies for gastric cancer.
Case report: Virus-induced hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis in a patient with APECED
Authors: Boyarchuk Oksana , Dyvonyak Olha , Hariyan Tetyana , Volokha Alla
Published: February 2023

Autoimmune polyendocrinopathy-candidiasis-ectodermal dystrophy (APECED), also known as autoimmune polyglandular syndrome type 1 (APS-1) is a rare autosomal recessive inborn error of immunity (IEI), which is accompanied by immune dysregulation. Hypoparathyroidism, adrenocortical failure and candidiasis are its typical manifestations. Here we report about recurrent COVID-19 in a 3-year-old boy with APECED, who developed retinopathy with macular atrophy and autoimmune hepatitis after the first episode of SARS-CoV-2 infection. Primary Epstein-Barr virus infection and a new episode of SARS-CoV-2 infection with COVID pneumonia triggered the development of severe hyperinflammation with signs of hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis (HLH): progressive cytopenia (thrombocytopenia, anemia, lymphopenia), hypoproteinemia, hypoalbuminemia, high levels of liver enzymes, hyperferritinemia, increased triglycerides levels; and coagulopathy with a low level of fibrinogen. Treatment with corticosteroids and intravenous immunoglobulins did not lead to a significant improvement. The progression of HLH and COVID-pneumonia resulted in a fatal outcome. The rarity and varied presentation of the HLH symptoms led to diagnostic difficulties and diagnosis delay. HLH should be suspected in a patient with immune dysregulation and impaired viral response. Treatment of infection-HLH is a major challenge due to the difficulties in balancing immunosuppression and management of underlying/triggering infection.
Ginsenoside compound K reduces neuronal damage and improves neuronal synaptic dysfunction by targeting Aβ
Authors: Li Na , Pang Qihang , Zhang Yanhong , Lin Jianan , Li Hui , Li Zhen , Liu Yaxin , Fang Xingyu , An Yu , Bai Haonan , Li Dianyu , Cao Zhanhong , Liu Jian , Yang Qing , Hu Shaodan
Published: February 2023

Background: Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is the most common neurodegenerative condition worldwide, with amyloid ß (Aβ) fibrils presenting as its main pathological feature. This study investigated whether Ginsenoside Compound K (CK) has activity against Aβ and its mechanism in reducing synaptic damage and cognitive impairment.

Methods: The binding capacity of CK to Aβ42 and Nrf2/Keap1 was determined using molecular docking. Transmission electron microscopy was used to monitor CK-mediated degradation of Aβ fibrils. The effect of CK on the survival of Aβ42-damaged HT22 cells was determined using a CCK-8 assay. The therapeutic efficacy of CK in a scopoletin hydrobromide (SCOP) induced cognitive dysfunction mouse model was measured using a step-down passive avoidance test. GO enrichment analysis of mouse brain tissue was peformed using Genechip. Hydroxyl radical scavenging and reactive oxygen species assays were performed to verify the antioxidant activity of CK. The effects of CK on the expression of Aβ42, the Nrf2/Keap1 signaling pathway, and other proteins were determined by western blotting, immunofluorescence, and immunohistochemistry.

Results: Molecular docking results showed that CK interacts with Lys16 and Glu3 of Aβ42. CK reduced the aggregation of Aβ42 as observed using transmission electron microscopy. CK increased the level of insulin-degrading enzyme and decreased the levels ß-secretase and γ-secretase; therefore, it can potentially inhibit the accumulation of Aβ in neuronal extracellular space in vivo. CK improved cognitive impairment and increased postsynaptic density protein 95 and synaptophysin expression levels in mice with SCOP-induced cognitive dysfunction. Further, CK inhibited the expression of cytochrome C, Caspase-3, and cleaved Caspase-3. Based on Genechip data, CK was found to regulate molecular functions such as oxygen binding, peroxidase activity, hemoglobin binding, and oxidoreductase activity, thus affecting the production of oxidative free radicals in neurons. Further, CK regulated the expression of the Nrf2/Keap1 signaling pathway through its interaction with the Nrf2/Keap1 complex.

Conclusion: Our findings show that CK regulates the balance between Aβ monomers production and clearance, CK binds to Aβ monomer to inhibits the accumulation of Aβ, increases the level of Nrf2 in neuronal nuclei, reduces oxidative damage of neurons, improves synaptic function, thus ultimately protecting neurons.
Nanoparticle drug delivery systems for synergistic delivery of tumor therapy
Authors: Chen Daoyuan , Liu Xuecun , Lu Xiaoyan , Tian Jingwei
Published: February 2023

Nanoparticle drug delivery systems have proved anti-tumor effects; however, they are not widely used in tumor therapy due to insufficient ability to target specific sites, multidrug resistance to anti-tumor drugs, and the high toxicity of the drugs. With the development of RNAi technology, nucleic acids have been delivered to target sites to replace or correct defective genes or knock down specific genes. Also, synergistic therapeutic effects can be achieved for combined drug delivery, which is more effective for overcoming multidrug resistance of cancer cells. These combination therapies achieve better therapeutic effects than delivering nucleic acids or chemotherapeutic drugs alone, so the scope of combined drug delivery has also been expanded to three aspects: drug-drug, drug-gene, and gene-gene. This review summarizes the recent advances of nanocarriers to co-delivery agents, including i) the characterization and preparation of nanocarriers, such as lipid-based nanocarriers, polymer nanocarriers, and inorganic delivery carriers; ii) the advantages and disadvantages of synergistic delivery approaches; iii) the effectual delivery cases that are applied in the synergistic delivery systems; and iv) future perspectives in the design of nanoparticle drug delivery systems to co-deliver therapeutic agents.
Identification and expression profile analysis of chemosensory genes in pine needle gall midge, Thecodiplosis japonensis (Diptera: Cecidomyiidae)
Authors: Jiao Jipeng , Zhu Rui , Ren Lili , Tao Jing , Luo Youqing
Published: February 2023

Insects have highly specialized and sensitive olfactory systems involving several chemosensory genes to locate their mates and hosts or escape from predators. Pine needle gall midge, Thecodiplosis japonensis (Diptera: Cecidomyiidae), has invaded China since 2016 and caused serious damage. Till now, there is no environmentally friendly measure to control this gall midge. Screening molecules with high affinity to target odorant-binding protein to develop highly efficient attractants is a potential pest management method. However, the chemosensory genes in T. japonensis are still unclear. We identified 67 chemosensory-related genes in the transcriptomes of antennae, including 26 OBPs, 2 CSPs, 17 ORs, 3 SNMPs, 6 GRs, and 13 IRs, using high throughput sequencing. Phylogenetic analysis of these six chemosensory gene families among Dipteran was performed to classify and predict the functions. The expression profiles of OBPs, CSPs and ORs were validated by quantitative real-time PCR. 16 of the 26 OBPs were biased expressed in antennae. TjapORco and TjapOR5 were highly expressed in the antenna of unmated male and female adults. The functions of related OBPs and ORs genes were also discussed. These results provide a basis for the functional research on chemosensory genes at the molecular level.
Regulation and modulation of biogenic amine neurotransmission in Drosophila and Caenorhabditis elegans
Authors: Rosikon Katarzyna D. , Bone Megan C. , Lawal Hakeem O.
Published: February 2023

Neurotransmitters are crucial for the relay of signals between neurons and their target. Monoamine neurotransmitters dopamine (DA), serotonin (5-HT), and histamine are found in both invertebrates and mammals and are known to control key physiological aspects in health and disease. Others, such as octopamine (OA) and tyramine (TA), are abundant in invertebrates. TA is expressed in both Caenorhabditis elegans and Drosophila melanogaster and plays important roles in the regulation of essential life functions in each organism. OA and TA are thought to act as the mammalian homologs of epinephrine and norepinephrine respectively, and when triggered, they act in response to the various stressors in the fight-or-flight response. 5-HT regulates a wide range of behaviors in C. elegans including egg-laying, male mating, locomotion, and pharyngeal pumping. 5-HT acts predominantly through its receptors, of which various classes have been described in both flies and worms. The adult brain of Drosophila is composed of approximately 80 serotonergic neurons, which are involved in modulation of circadian rhythm, feeding, aggression, and long-term memory formation. DA is a major monoamine neurotransmitter that mediates a variety of critical organismal functions and is essential for synaptic transmission in invertebrates as it is in mammals, in which it is also a precursor for the synthesis of adrenaline and noradrenaline. In C. elegans and Drosophila as in mammals, DA receptors play critical roles and are generally grouped into two classes, D1-like and D2-like based on their predicted coupling to downstream G proteins. Drosophila uses histamine as a neurotransmitter in photoreceptors as well as a small number of neurons in the CNS. C. elegans does not use histamine as a neurotransmitter. Here, we review the comprehensive set of known amine neurotransmitters found in invertebrates, and discuss their biological and modulatory functions using the vast literature on both Drosophila and C. elegans. We also suggest the potential interactions between aminergic neurotransmitters systems in the modulation of neurophysiological activity and behavior.
Effect of gibberellic acid on photosynthesis and oxidative stress response in maize under weak light conditions
Authors: Fu Jianjun , Li Linlin , Wang Shuang , Yu Na , Shan Hong , Shi Zhensheng , Li Fenghai , Zhong Xuemei
Published: February 2023

Gibberellin (GA) is an important endogenous hormone involved in plant responses to abiotic stresses. Experiments were conducted at the Research and Education Center of Agronomy, Shenyang Agricultural University (Shenyang, China) in 2021.We used a pair of near-isogenic inbred maize lines comprising, SN98A (light-sensitive inbred line) and SN98B (light-insensitive inbred line) to study the effects of exogenous gibberellin A3 (GA3) application on different light-sensitive inbred lines under weak light conditions. The concentration of GA3 was selected as 20, 40 and 60 mg L-1. After shade treatment, the photosynthetic physiological indexes of SN98A were always lower than SN98B, and the net photosynthetic rate of SN98A was 10.12% lower than SN98B on the 20th day after shade treatment. GA3 treatments significantly reduced the barren stalk ratios in SN98A and improved its seed setting rates by increasing the net photosynthetic rate (Pn), transpiration rate (Tr), stomatal conductance (Gs), photosynthetic pigment contents, photochemical efficiency of photosystem II (PS II) (Fv/Fm), photochemical quenching coefficient (qP), effective quantum yield of PSII photochemistry (ΦPSII), and antioxidant enzyme activities, where the most effective treatment was 60 mg L–1GA3. Compared with CK group, the seed setting rate increased by 33.87%. GA3 treatment also regulated the metabolism of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and reduced the superoxide anion (O2-) production rate, H2O2 content, and malondialdehyde content. The superoxide anion (O2-) production rate, H2O2 content and malondialdehyde content of SN98A sprayed with 60 mg L-1 GA3 decreased by 17.32%,10.44% and 50.33% compared with CK group, respectively. Compared with the control, GA3 treatment significantly (P < 0.05) increased the expression levels of APX and GR in SN98A, and APX, Fe-SOD, and GR in SN98B. Weak light stress decreased the expression of GA20ox2, which was related to gibberellin synthesis, and the endogenous gibberellin synthesis of SN98A. Weak light stress accelerated leaf senescence, and exogenous GA3 application inhibited the ROS levels in the leaves and maintained normal physiological functions in the leaves. These results indicate that exogenous GA3 enhances the adaptability of plants to low light stress by regulating photosynthesis, ROS metabolism and protection mechanisms, as well as the expression of key genes, which may be an economical and environmentally friendly method to solve the low light stress problem in maize production.
The concept, influence, and mechanism of human work interruptions based on the grounded theory
Authors: Pan Xiao , Zhao Xiaokang , Shen Huali
Published: February 2023

With the development of mobile communication technology and the transformation of work methods and modes, work interruptions have become ubiquitous challenges for employees in the workplace. Less attention has been paid to work interruptions in China, especially the research on human work interruptions, which is different from virtual work interruptions. The present study carried out an in-depth interview with 29 employees. Based on the grounded theory method, a psychological and behavioral mechanism model of employees facing human work interruptions, namely, the “human work interruptions–cognitive appraisals–affective responses–behavioral changes” model, was constructed. It is found that (1) cognitive appraisals are the causes of different affective responses and behavioral changes of human work interruptions; (2) cognitive appraisals are feedback behaviors that refer to the reappraisals of the effectiveness and appropriateness of individuals’ affective responses and behavioral changes; and (3) personal traits and environmental characteristics at work influence the affective responses and behavioral changes of human work interruptions at the individual and organizational level. The model constructed in this study further extends the interruption theory and provides implications on how to process human work interruptions in human resource management practice.
Effects of different psychological interventions on quality of life and remission rate in patients with acute leukemia receiving chemotherapy: A randomized controlled trial
Authors: Peng Fang , Li Huiyuan , Zhang Jingping , Li Xiaoyun , Zhang Haimiao , Li Yifei
Published: February 2023

Aims

This study aimed to examine and compare different psychological intervention effects on the quality of life (QoL) and remission rates of patients with acute leukemia receiving chemotherapy.

Methods

A total of 180 participants were randomly divided into a cognitive intervention group, a progressive muscle relaxation (PMR) group, a cognitive intervention plus PMR group, and a usual care control group. QoL via the Chinese version of the European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer Quality of Life Questionnaire Core-30 and remission rate were assessed at baseline and immediate post-intervention. A Generalized Linear Mixed Model was used for statistical analysis. Cost-effectiveness analysis with the value of the Incremental Cost-effectiveness Ratio was conducted to realize the economic evaluation of psychological interventions.

Results

The total score of QoL and its most dimensions were significantly improved for participants in the intervention groups compared with the control group. The cognitive intervention plus PMR intervention was the most effective concerning QoL with cost-effectiveness. No significant improvements were indicated in participants’ remission rates among the groups.

Conclusion

The cognitive intervention plus PMR intervention is the most effective in improving QoL with cost-effectiveness among patients with acute leukemia receiving chemotherapy. More rigorous randomized controlled trials with multiple follow-up points are suggested to clarify the psychological interventions on remission rates in this population.
What would happen if?: A comparison of fathers’ and mothers’ questions to children during a science activity
Authors: Leech Kathryn , Chandler-Campbell Ian L. , Alton Jenna , Corriveau Kathleen H.
Published: February 2023

Parents’ questions are an effective strategy for fostering the development of young children’s science understanding and discourse. However, this work has not yet distinguished whether the frequency of questions about scientific content differs between mothers and fathers, despite some evidence from other contexts (i.e., book reading) showing that fathers ask more questions than mothers. The current study compared fathers’ and mothers’ questions to their four- to six-year-old children (N = 49) while interacting with scientific stimuli at a museum research exhibit. Results indicated that fathers asked significantly more questions than mothers, and fathers’ questions were more strongly related to children’s scientific discourse. Results are discussed in terms of the importance of adult questions for the development of children’s scientific understanding as well as broadening research to include interlocutors other than mothers.
How does platform's fintech level affect its word of mouth from the perspective of user psychology?
Authors: Li Yongli , Ma Xiaochen , Li Yujia , Li Rui , Liu Hongyu
Published: February 2023

Introduction

The rapid development of fintech has brought opportunities for business operations and economic development. Currently, few researches have focused on how fintech level affects word-of-mouth (WOM) from the perspective of user psychology. Therefore, studying the effect of fintech level on WOM is a worthwhile scientific question.

Methods

Based on motivation theory and reinforcement theory, this paper proposes a new psychology-based theoretical framework model to study the relationship between fintech level and WOM and constructs a structural equation model including fintech level, user experience, user trust, user stickiness and WOM through the analysis of 732 questionnaires.

Results

The results indicate that the improvement of fintech level can enhance WOM. More specifically, fintech level has a significantly positive influence on user stickiness through two mediation variables (user experience and user trust), and further, user stickiness has a significantly positive influence on WOM.

Discussion

This paper analyzes the internal mechanism of fintech level's influence on WOM from the micro psychological perspective, which enriches the psychology theoretical research. And, the conclusions provide specific suggestions for marketing and promotion of financial platforms in the future.
From depression to wellbeing: How to protect the mental health of isolated people under the “dynamic clearance” of patients with COVID-19
Authors: Bai Yuntao , Ma Shuai
Published: February 2023

In 2020, COVID-19 became a global pandemic. The Chinese government’s quarantine measures tend to cause anxiety, tension and depression among the quarantined people. This article constructs a differential game model of self-regulation, government guidance and social forces guidance. Then, the psychological benefits of the masses and the benefits of the whole society under the three modes are obtained, and the applicable conditions of various connection modes are compared. The research results show that: compared with social power channeling, the public under the government channeling mode can obtain more psychological benefits. However, with the increase of guidance, the difference between the psychological benefits of different ways of guidance first decreases and then tends to be stable. Under the guidance mode, the social benefits of the government decrease, and the more guidance, the smaller the social benefits. Therefore, both the government and social forces should make use of limited resources to conduct appropriate psychological counseling for the isolated population.
Development and validation of the Attribution of Mental States Questionnaire (AMS-Q): A reference tool for assessing anthropomorphism
Authors: Miraglia Laura , Peretti Giulia , Manzi Federico , Di Dio Cinzia , Massaro Davide , Marchetti Antonella
Published: February 2023

Attributing mental states to others, such as feelings, beliefs, goals, desires, and attitudes, is an important interpersonal ability, necessary for adaptive relationships, which underlies the ability to mentalize. To evaluate the attribution of mental and sensory states, a new 23-item measure, the Attribution of Mental States Questionnaire (AMS-Q), has been developed. The present study aimed to investigate the dimensionality of the AMS-Q and its psychometric proprieties in two studies. Study 1 focused on the development of the questionnaire and its factorial structure in a sample of Italian adults (N = 378). Study 2 aimed to confirm the findings in a new sample (N = 271). Besides the AMS-Q, Study 2 included assessments of Theory of Mind (ToM), mentalization, and alexithymia. A Principal Components Analysis (PCA) and a Parallel Analysis (PA) of the data from Study 1 yielded three factors assessing mental states with positive or neutral valence (AMS-NP), mental states with negative valence (AMS-N), and sensory states (AMS-S). These showed satisfactory reliability indexes. AMS-Q’s whole-scale internal consistency was excellent. Multigroup Confirmatory Factor Analysis (CFA) further confirmed the three-factor structure. The AMS-Q subscales also showed a consistent pattern of correlation with associated constructs in the theoretically predicted ways, relating positively to ToM and mentalization and negatively to alexithymia. Thus, the questionnaire is considered suitable to be easily administered and sensitive for assessing the attribution of mental and sensory states to humans. The AMS-Q can also be administered with stimuli of nonhuman agents (e.g., animals, inanimate things, and even God); this allows the level of mental anthropomorphization of other agents to be assessed using the human as a term of comparison, providing important hints in the perception of nonhuman entities as more or less mentalistic compared to human beings, and identifying what factors are required for the attribution of human mental traits to nonhuman agents, further helping to delineate the perception of others’ minds.
Integrating technology in mental healthcare practice: A repeated cross-sectional survey study on professionals’ adoption of Digital Mental Health before and during COVID-19
Authors: Feijt Milou , de Kort Yvonne , Westerink Joyce , Bierbooms Joyce , Bongers Inge , IJsselsteijn Wijnand
Published: February 2023

As a consequence of the outbreak of the COVID-19 global pandemic in the spring of 2020, large-scale social distancing measures were implemented, resulting in the forced adoption of online or digital forms of psychological treatment. This sudden transition to digital care offered a unique opportunity to investigate if and how this experience impacted mental healthcare professionals’ perceptions and use of Digital Mental Health tools. The current paper presents findings of a repeated cross-sectional study consisting of three iterations of a national online survey in the Netherlands. This survey contained open and closed questions on professionals’ adoption readiness, frequency of use, perceived competency, and perceived value of Digital Mental Health collected in 2019 (before the pandemic), in 2020 (after the first wave), and in 2021 (after the second wave). The inclusion of data gathered prior to the COVID-19 pandemic offers a unique window to assess how professionals’ adoption has developed through this transition from voluntary to mandatory use of Digital Mental Health tools. Our study also re-assesses the drivers, barriers, and needs of mental healthcare professionals after having gained experience with Digital Mental Health. In total, 1,039 practitioners completed the surveys (Survey 1: n = 432, Survey 2: n = 363, and Survey 3: n = 244). Results indicate that compared to the period before the pandemic, there was a particularly large increase in use, competency, and perceived value regarding videoconferencing. Small differences were also found for some other basic tools that were crucial to ensure the continuation of care, such as e-mail, text messaging, and online screening, but not for more innovative technologies, such as virtual reality and biofeedback. Many practitioners reported to have gained skills regarding Digital Mental Health and experienced several benefits of it. They expressed the intention to continue with a blended approach, using Digital Mental Health tools in combination with face-to-face care, focused on situations in which they found it to have specific added value, such as when clients are unable to travel. Others were less satisfied with the technology-mediated interactions and remained more reluctant to future use of DMH. Implications for broader implementation of Digital Mental Health and future research are discussed.
A human stem cell-derived neuronal model of morphine exposure reflects brain dysregulation in opioid use disorder: Transcriptomic and epigenetic characterization of postmortem-derived iPSC neurons
Authors: Mendez Emily F. , Grimm Sandra L. , Stertz Laura , Gorski Damian , Movva Sai V. , Najera Katherine , Moriel Karla , Meyer Thomas D. , Fries Gabriel R. , Coarfa Cristian , Walss-Bass Consuelo
Published: February 2023

Introduction

Human-derived induced pluripotent stem cell (iPSC) models of brain promise to advance our understanding of neurotoxic consequences of drug use. However, how well these models recapitulate the actual genomic landscape and cell function, as well as the drug-induced alterations, remains to be established. New in vitro models of drug exposure are needed to advance our understanding of how to protect or reverse molecular changes related to substance use disorders.

Methods

We engineered a novel induced pluripotent stem cell-derived model of neural progenitor cells and neurons from cultured postmortem human skin fibroblasts, and directly compared these to isogenic brain tissue from the donor source. We assessed the maturity of the cell models across differentiation from stem cells to neurons using RNA cell type and maturity deconvolution analyses as well as DNA methylation epigenetic clocks trained on adult and fetal human tissue. As proof-of-concept of this model’s utility for substance use disorder studies, we compared morphine- and cocaine-treated neurons to gene expression signatures in postmortem Opioid Use Disorder (OUD) and Cocaine Use Disorder (CUD) brains, respectively.

Results

Within each human subject (N = 2, 2 clones each), brain frontal cortex epigenetic age parallels that of skin fibroblasts and closely approximates the donor’s chronological age; stem cell induction from fibroblast cells effectively sets the epigenetic clock to an embryonic age; and differentiation of stem cells to neural progenitor cells and then to neurons progressively matures the cells via DNA methylation and RNA gene expression readouts. In neurons derived from an individual who died of opioid overdose, morphine treatment induced alterations in gene expression similar to those previously observed in OUD ex-vivo brain tissue, including differential expression of the immediate early gene EGR1, which is known to be dysregulated by opioid use.

Discussion

In summary, we introduce an iPSC model generated from human postmortem fibroblasts that can be directly compared to corresponding isogenic brain tissue and can be used to model perturbagen exposure such as that seen in opioid use disorder. Future studies with this and other postmortem-derived brain cellular models, including cerebral organoids, can be an invaluable tool for understanding mechanisms of drug-induced brain alterations.
A systematic review of the co-occurrence of self-harm and aggression: Is dual harm a unique behavioural construct?
Authors: Shafti Matina , Taylor Peter , Forrester Andrew , Handerer Fritz , Pratt Daniel
Published: February 2023

Introduction

Dual harm is the co-occurrence of self-harm and aggression during an individual’s lifetime. It is unclear whether sufficient evidence exists for dual harm as a unique clinical entity. This systematic review aimed to examine whether there are psychological factors that are uniquely associated with dual harm when compared to those who have engaged in sole harm (self-harm alone, aggression alone) and no harmful behaviours. Our secondary aim was to conduct a critical appraisal of the literature.

Methods

The review searched PsycINFO, PubMed, CINAHL, and EThOS on September 27, 2022, resulting in 31 eligible papers that represented 15,094 individuals. An adapted version of the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality was used to assess risk of bias and a narrative synthesis was conducted.

Results

The included studies assessed differences in mental health problems, personality, and emotion related factors between the different behavioural groups. We found weak evidence that dual harm is an independent construct with unique psychological characteristics. Rather, our review suggests that dual harm results from the interaction of psychological risk factors that are associated with self-harm and aggression.

Discussion

The critical appraisal identified numerous limitations within the dual harm literature. Clinical implications and recommendations for future research are provided.

Systematic review registration

https://www.crd.york.ac.uk/prospero/display_record.php?RecordID=197323, identifier CRD42020197323.
Measuring resilience by cognitive diagnosis models and its prediction of 6-month quality of life in Be Resilient to Breast Cancer (BRBC)
Authors: Liang Mu Zi , Chen Peng , Knobf M. Tish , Molassiotis Alex , Tang Ying , Hu Guang Yun , Sun Zhe , Yu Yuan Liang , Ye Zeng Jie
Published: February 2023

Objective

The application of advanced Cognitive Diagnosis Models (CDMs) in the Patient Reported Outcome (PRO) is limited due to its complex statistics. This study was designed to measure resilience using CDMs and its prediction of 6-month Quality of Life (QoL) in breast cancer.

Methods

A total of 492 patients were longitudinally enrolled from Be Resilient to Breast Cancer (BRBC) and administered with 10-item Resilience Scale Specific to Cancer (RS-SC-10) and Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy-Breast (FACT-B). Generalized Deterministic Input, Noisy “And” Gate (G-DINA) was performed to measure cognitive diagnostic probabilities (CDPs) of resilience. Integrated Discrimination Improvement (IDI) and Net Reclassification Improvement (NRI) were utilized to estimate the incremental prediction value of cognitive diagnostic probabilities over total score.

Results

CDPs of resilience improved prediction of 6-month QoL above conventional total score. AUC increased from 82.6–88.8% to 95.2–96.5% in four cohorts (all P < 0.001). The NRI ranged from 15.13 to 54.01% and IDI ranged from 24.69 to 47.55% (all P < 0.001).

Conclusion

CDPs of resilience contribute to a more accurate prediction of 6-month QoL above conventional total score. CDMs could help optimize Patient Reported Outcomes (PROs) measurement in breast cancer.
Using deeply time-series semantics to assess depressive symptoms based on clinical interview speech
Authors: Li Nanxi , Feng Lei , Hu Jiaxue , Jiang Lei , Wang Jing , Han Jiali , Gan Lu , He Zhiyang , Wang Gang
Published: February 2023

Introduction

Depression is an affective disorder that contributes to a significant global burden of disease. Measurement-Based Care (MBC) is advocated during the full course management, with symptom assessment being an important component. Rating scales are widely used as convenient and powerful assessment tool, but they are influenced by the subjectivity and consistency of the raters. The assessment of depressive symptoms is usually conducted with a clear purpose and restricted content, such as clinical interviews based on the Hamilton Depression Rating Scale (HAMD), so that the results are easy to obtain and quantify. Artificial Intelligence (AI) techniques are used due to their objective, stable and consistent performance, and are suitable for assessing depressive symptoms. Therefore, this study applied Deep Learning (DL)-based Natural Language Processing (NLP) techniques to assess depressive symptoms during clinical interviews; thus, we proposed an algorithm model, explored the feasibility of the techniques, and evaluated their performance.

Methods

The study included 329 patients with Major Depressive Episode. Clinical interviews based on the HAMD-17 were conducted by trained psychiatrists, whose speech was simultaneously recorded. A total of 387 audio recordings were included in the final analysis. A deeply time-series semantics model for the assessment of depressive symptoms based on multi-granularity and multi-task joint training (MGMT) is proposed.

Results

The performance of MGMT is acceptable for assessing depressive symptoms with an F1 score (a metric of model performance, the harmonic mean of precision and recall) of 0.719 in classifying the four-level severity of depression and an F1 score of 0.890 in identifying the presence of depressive symptoms.

Disscussion

This study demonstrates the feasibility of the DL and the NLP techniques applied to the clinical interview and the assessment of depressive symptoms. However, there are limitations to this study, including the lack of adequate samples, and the fact that using speech content alone to assess depressive symptoms loses the information gained through observation. A multi-dimensional model combing semantics with speech voice, facial expression, and other valuable information, as well as taking into account personalized information, is a possible direction in the future.
Correlation between duration of untreated psychosis and long-term prognosis in chronic schizophrenia
Authors: Yu Minglan , Tan Qingyu , Wang Yan , Xu Yi , Wang Tingting , Liu Dongmei , Chen Dechao , Deng Peiying , Huang Chaohua , Liang Xuemei , Liu Kezhi , Xiang Bo
Published: February 2023

Objective

To explore the relationship between the Duration of Untreated Psychosis (DUP) and long-term clinical outcome, cognitive and social function in patients with chronic schizophrenia (SCZ).

Methods

A total of 248 subjects with chronic SCZ were enrolled in this study, including 156 in the short DUP group and 92 in the long DUP group. The Positive and Negative Symptoms Scale (PANSS), the Brief Negative Symptoms Scale (BNSS), the Global Assessment of Functioning (GAF) scale and the Repeatable Battery for the Assessment of Neuropsychological Status (RBANS) were used to assess all of the subjects.

Results

The negative symptom scores (the PANSS and BNSS) of subjects with long DUP were significantly higher than that in subjects with short DUP. The scores of visual span and speech function in the short DUP group were significantly higher, indicative of decreasing cognitive function with time. In terms of social function, the short DUP group scored higher, with a statistically significant difference. Meanwhile, we found that the length of DUP was positively correlated with the negative symptom score of the PANSS, negatively correlated with visual span scores, and GAF scores.

Conclusion

This study demonstrated that the DUP remained a significant association with negative symptom and cognition in long period of chronic SCZ.
New insight in the cross-talk between microglia and schizophrenia: From the perspective of neurodevelopment
Authors: Li Jingjing , Wang Yu , Yuan Xiuxia , Kang Yulin , Song Xueqin
Published: February 2023

Characterized by psychotic symptoms, negative symptoms and cognitive deficits, schizophrenia had a catastrophic effect on patients and their families. Multifaceted reliable evidence indicated that schizophrenia is a neurodevelopmental disorder. Microglia, the immune cells in central nervous system, related to many neurodevelopmental diseases. Microglia could affect neuronal survival, neuronal death and synaptic plasticity during neurodevelopment. Anomalous microglia during neurodevelopment may be associated with schizophrenia. Therefore, a hypothesis proposes that the abnormal function of microglia leads to the occurrence of schizophrenia. Nowadays, accumulating experiments between microglia and schizophrenia could afford unparalleled probability to assess this hypothesis. Herein, this review summarizes the latest supporting evidence in order to shed light on the mystery of microglia in schizophrenia.