bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Beneficial effects of whey protein peptides on muscle loss in aging mice models
Authors: Wu Xin , Yu Xiaochen , Zhu Na , Xu Meihong , Li Yong
Published: September 2022

Aging-related muscle loss is a hallmark of aging and is the cause of some negative outcomes. An optimized diet and supplements have a positive effect in slowing down the process of muscle loss. D-galactose(d-gal) has been used widely to develop aging model. This study explored the beneficial effects of whey protein peptides (WPPs) on sarcopenia in d-gal-induced aging mice. A total of 72 SPF male C57BL/6N mice were used in this study. Sixty mice were modeled by injected intraperitoneally with d-gal (100 mg/kg body weight for 6 weeks), and the other 12 mice were used as control, and injected with the same amount of normal saline. After 6 weeks, the modeled mice were randomly divided into the model control group, whey protein group (1.5 g/kg*bw), and three WPPs intervention groups (0.3 g/kg*bw, 1.5 g/kg*bw, 3.0 g/kg*bw), according to serum malondialdehyde (MDA) level. The test samples were orally given to mice by daily garaged. During the 30 days intervention period, the model control group, whey protein group, and WPPs group continued receiving intraperitoneal injections of d-gal, whereas the control group continued receiving intraperitoneal injections of normal saline. The results showed that WPPs could significantly improve the grip strength of aged mice. WPPs could significantly increase lean mass of aged mice and increase muscle weight of gastrocnemius and extensor digitorum longus. WPPs could significantly increase the level of insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1) and reduce level of interleukin (IL)-1, IL-6, tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α) in serum. WPPs could affect the muscle fiber size in d-gal-induced aging mice. Its specific mechanism may be related to the activation of IGF-1/Akt/mTOR protein synthesis signaling pathway and reduction of the level of inflammation. These results indicate that WPPs can improve aging-related sarcopenia. Compared with whey protein, WPPs supplement seems a better form for sarcopenia.
Assessment of nutritional status of oncology patients at hospital admission: A Portuguese real-world study
Authors: Trabulo Carolina , Lopes Joana , da Silva Dias David , Gramaça João , Fernandes Isabel , Gameiro Rita , Pina Idília , Mäkitie Antti , Ottery Faith , Ravasco Paula
Published: September 2022

Background

Nutritional status in patients with cancer has a determining role in the evolution of the disease and tolerance to treatments. Severity of undernutrition impacts morbidity and mortality in cancer patients and can limit patient response to the optimal therapies if nutritional issues are not appropriately addressed and managed. Despite the importance of malnutrition for the clinical evolution of oncology patients, there is not yet a universally accepted standard method for evaluating malnutrition in such patients. The aim of this study was to stratify the nutritional status of inpatients at an Oncology Department.

Methods

This is an observational study with 561 cancer patients, assessed at admission to a Medical Oncology Department from November 2016 to February 2020. All patients were considered eligible. Non-compliant and/or comatose patients were excluded. Nutritional status was assessed using the PG-SGA, BMI classified with the WHO criteria, and calculation of the percentage of weight loss in the previous 3–6 months.

Results

A total of 561 patients (303 F: 258 M; mean age 65 ± 13 years) were included. One-third of the patients, n=191/561 (34%), lost 6% of their weight in the month prior to admission and 297/561 (53%) patients lost 10.2% of weight in the previous 6 months. Mean BMI was 24.1 ± 5.8 kg/m2; N = 280/561 (50%) patients had regular BMI according to the WHO criteria. N = 331/561 (59%) patients reported eating less in the month prior to admission. N = 303/561 (54%) had moderate/severe deficits of muscle and adipose compartments. The PG-SGA identified 499/561 (89%) patients as moderately/severely malnourished, of which 466/561 (83%) patients scored ≥9 points, meeting criteria for a critical need for nutritional support. Fifteen percent of patients scored >4 points, indicating a need for directed therapy for symptom control and only 1% scored <2 points (maintenance nutritional counseling).

Conclusion

In this oncological setting, a higher proportion of patients were nutritionally-at-risk or with moderate/severe malnutrition. The large majority of patients in this study presented with a critical need for nutritional intervention. These findings highlight the need for an integrated assessment of nutritional status at patient referral. This will allow early and timely nutrition care, which is recommended to prevent or reverse further deterioration of the condition and to optimize treatment administration.
Characterization of chromatin regulators identified prognosis and heterogeneity in hepatocellular carcinoma
Authors: Dai Yin-wei , Chen Han-bin , Pan Ya-ting , Lv Lin-xi , Wang Wei-ming , Chen Xiao-Hu , Zhou Xiang
Published: September 2022

Liver carcinogenesis is a multiprocess that involves complicated interactions between genetics, epigenetics, and transcriptomic alterations. Aberrant chromatin regulator (CR) expressions, which are vital regulatory epigenetics, have been found to be associated with multiple biological processes. Nevertheless, the impression of CRs on tumor microenvironment remodeling and hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) prognosis remains obscure. Thus, this study aimed to systematically analyze CR-related patterns and their correlation with genomic features, metabolism, cuproptosis activity, and clinicopathological features of patients with HCC in The Cancer Genome Atlas, International Cancer Genome Consortium-LIRI-JP cohort, and GSE14520 that utilized unsupervised consensus clustering. Three CR-related patterns were recognized, and the CRs phenotype-related gene signature (CRsscore) was developed using the least absolute shrinkage and selection operator-Cox regression and multivariate Cox algorithms to represent the individual CR-related pattern. Additionally, the CRsscore was an independent prognostic index that served as a fine predictor for energy metabolism and cuproptosis activity in HCC. Accordingly, describing a wide landscape of CR characteristics may assist us to illustrate the sealed association between epigenetics, energy metabolism, and cuproptosis activity. This study may discern new tumor therapeutic targets and exploit personalized therapy for patients.
Pembrolizumab monotherapy for untreated PD-L1-Positive non-small cell lung cancer in the elderly or those with poor performance status: A prospective observational study
Authors: Shiotsu Shinsuke , Yoshimura Akihiro , Yamada Tadaaki , Morimoto Kenji , Tsuchiya Michiko , Yoshioka Hiroshige , Hiranuma Osamu , Chihara Yusuke , Yamada Takahiro , Hasegawa Isao , Ohta Takahiro , Takeda Takayuki , Hiraoka Noriya , Takayama Koichi
Published: September 2022

Objectives

We investigated the efficacy and safety of pembrolizumab monotherapy as first-line treatment for poor Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group performance status (PS) and elderly patients with programmed cell death-ligand 1 (PD-L1)-positive advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). We also investigated clinical prognostic factors for the efficacy of pembrolizumab monotherapy, based on patient characteristics.

Materials and methods

In this prospective observational study, PS-2 and elderly NSCLC patients with PD-L1 tumor proportion score (TPS) ≥1% who received first-line pembrolizumab monotherapy, from October 2019 to March 2021, at 10 institutions in Japan were enrolled. Patients judged eligible by their physicians for combined chemotherapy and PD-1/PD-L1 inhibitors as first-line treatment were excluded. Clinicopathological characteristics and adverse events were investigated for correlation with clinical outcomes.

Results

Forty patients were enrolled in the study. The median progression-free survival (PFS) of patients with PS 2 and those aged ≥ 75 years were 4.4 (95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.9–14.4) months and 5.3 (95% CI 2.9–9.4) months, respectively. The median overall survival (OS) of patients with PS 2 and those aged ≥ 75 years were 11.6 (95% CI: 1.4–not evaluable [NE]) months and 11.6 (95% CI 7.4–18.1) months, respectively. Immune-related adverse events (irAEs) were observed in 19 patients; 6 patients had severe irAEs of Common Terminology Criteria for Adverse Events (CTCAE) Grade 3 or higher. Patients who achieved stable disease or better, had a statistically significant increase in PFS (p < 0.001) and OS (p < 0.001). In the multivariate analysis, the acquisition of disease control with pembrolizumab monotherapy was an independent prognostic factor for PFS and OS.

Conclusion

Pembrolizumab monotherapy was relatively effective and tolerable as a first-line treatment for patients with PD-L1-positive advanced NSCLC who had poor PS or were elderly. Our results suggest that disease control might be an independent prognostic factor for PFS and OS in this population. (UMIN000044052 https://center6.umin.ac.jp/cgi-open-bin/ctr_e/ctr_view.cgi?recptno=R000050176)
Characterization of lipomatous tumors with high-resolution 1H MRS at 17.6T: Do benign lipomas, atypical lipomatous tumors and liposarcomas have a distinct metabolic signature?
Authors: Bharti Santosh Kumar , Shannon Brett A. , Sharma Raj Kumar , Levin Adam S. , Morris Carol D. , Bhujwalla Zaver M. , Fayad Laura M.
Published: September 2022

Background

Distinguishing between some benign lipomas (BLs), atypical lipomatous tumors (ALTs), and dedifferentiated liposarcomas (DDLs) can be challenging due to overlapping magnetic resonance imaging characteristics, and poorly understood molecular mechanisms underlying the malignant transformation of liposarcomas.

Purpose

To identify metabolic biomarkers of the lipomatous tumor spectrum by examining human tissue specimens using high-resolution 1H magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS).

Materials and methods

In this prospective study, human tissue specimens were obtained from participants who underwent surgical resection for radiologically-indeterminate lipomatous tumors between November 2016 and May 2019. Tissue specimens were obtained from normal subcutaneous fat (n=9), BLs (n=10), ALTs (n=7) and DDLs (n=8). Extracts from specimens were examined with high-resolution MRS at 17.6T. Computational modeling of pattern recognition-based cluster analysis was utilized to identify significant differences in metabolic signatures between the lipomatous tumor types.

Results

Significant differences between BLs and ALTs were observed for multiple metabolites, including leucine, valine, branched chain amino acids, alanine, acetate, glutamine, and formate. DDLs were distinguished from ALTs by increased glucose and lactate, and increased phosphatidylcholine. Multivariate principal component analysis showed clear clustering identifying distinct metabolic signatures of the tissue types.

Conclusion

Metabolic signatures identified in 1H MR spectra of lipomatous tumors provide new insights into malignant progression and metabolic targeting. The metabolic patterns identified provide the foundation of developing noninvasive MRS or PET imaging biomarkers to distinguish between BLs, ALTs, and DDLs.
A comprehensive review on miR-153: Mechanistic and controversial roles of miR-153 in tumorigenicity of cancer cells
Authors: Yousefnia Saghar
Published: September 2022

miRNAs play a crucial role in regulating genes involved in cancer progression. Recently, miR-153 has been mainly well-known as a tumor suppressive miRNA modulating genes in proliferation, metastasis, EMT, angiogenesis and drug resistance ability of a variety types of cancer. Mechanistic activity of miR-153 in tumorigenicity has not been fully reviewed. This manuscript presents a comprehensive review on the tumor suppressive activity of miR-153 as well as introducing the controversial role of miR-153 as an oncogenic miRNA in cancer. Furthermore, it summarizes all potential non-coding RNAs such as long non-coding RNAs (LncRNAs), transcribed ultra-conserved regions (T-UCRs) and circular RNAs (CircRNAs) targeting and sponging miR-153. Understanding the critical role of miR-153 in cell growth, metastasis, angiogenesis and drug resistance ability of cancer cells, suggests miR-153 as a potential prognostic biomarker for detecting cancer as well as providing a novel treatment strategy to combat with several types of cancer.
Changes in objectively measured sleep among internationally adopted children in 1-year follow-up during the first years in new families
Authors: Heikkilä Anna-Riitta , Lapinleimu Helena , Virtanen Irina , Rönnlund Hanni , Raaska Hanna , Elovainio Marko
Published: September 2022

Background

Psychosocial risks and environmental changes experienced by internationally adopted children may predict sleep problems, which are incidentally among the main concerns of adoptive parents. Several questionnaire studies have found sleep of internationally adopted children to be problematic, but none of those used an objective measure in a controlled study.

Objective

To determine whether the objectively recorded sleep of internationally adopted children is worse than their controls who are living with their biological parents.

Methods

To this case-control part of the Finnish Adoption Study, we recruited children who were adopted internationally to Finland between October 2012 and December 2016. Simultaneously, control children were recruited from 16 daycare centers. To assess sleep in children, actigraphy recordings were made twice, 1 year apart, between December 2013 and April 2018. In the adopted group, the first assessment took place 10 months after they had arrived in their families. The associations between adoption status and sleep parameters were analyzed using linear mixed modeling and adjusted for multiple potential confounders, including child age.

Results

Seventy-eight internationally adopted children (boys 64%) aged 1–7 years and 99 controls (boys 53%) aged 2–6 years attended the first sleep recording. The recordings showed that the internationally adopted children slept longer (B = 0.48, 95% CI 0.23–0.73, P < 0.001) than the controls. There were no significant differences in sleep fragmentation or sleep efficiency between the groups. During the 1-year follow-up, the sleep patterns of the adopted children approached those of the controls.

Conclusions

The internationally adopted children spent more time in bed and slept more than their control children in both recordings. However, their sleep patterns were not very different from those of their peers and the differences appeared to vanish during the first years in their new family.
Platycodon grandiflorus polysaccharides deeply participate in the anti-chronic bronchitis effects of platycodon grandiflorus decoction, a representative of “the lung and intestine are related”
Authors: Liu Yang , Chen Qingqing , Ren Rongrong , Zhang Qingqing , Yan Guiming , Yin Dengke , Zhang Mingyan , Yang Ye
Published: September 2022

Platycodon grandiflorus (Jacq.) A. DC. (PG) root is one of the most commonly used medicine-food materials for respiratory discomfort in Asia, usually in the form of a decoction or leaching solution. As everyone knows, both of decoction and leaching solution is a polyphase dispersion system, containing low-molecular-weight water-soluble active ingredients and hydrophilic macromolecules. This study aimed to discuss the synergistic effect of Platycodon grandiflorus polysaccharide (PGP) and platycodin D (PD) in PG decoction against chronic bronchitis (CB) and the mechanism underlying. A series of PGP, PD, and PGD + PD suspensions were administrated to CB model rats, on the levels of whole animal and in situ intestinal segment with or without mesenteric lymphatic vessels ligation. It exhibited that PGP exhibited synergistic effects with PD, on improving the histopathological abnormity, mucus secretion excess, and immunological imbalance in lung of CB model rat, closely associated with its modulations on the mucosal immunity status in small intestine. The polysaccharide macromolecules in PG decoction or leaching solution should be responsible for the modulation of pulmonary immune state, possibly through the common mucosal immune between small intestine and lung. These results might be a new perspective that illustrates the classical theory of “the lung and intestine are related” in traditional Chinese medicine.
Research trends in ulcerative colitis: A bibliometric and visualized study from 2011 to 2021
Authors: Zhang Tai , Zhang Beihua , Tian Wende , Wang Fengyun , Zhang Jiaqi , Ma Xiangxue , Wei Yuchen , Tang Xudong
Published: September 2022

Background: Ulcerative colitis (UC) is an idiopathic inflammatory bowel disease with repeated relapses and remissions. Despite decades of effort, numerous aspects, including the initiating event and pathogenesis of UC, still remain ambiguous, which requires ongoing investigation. Given the mass of publications on UC, there are multidimensional challenges to evaluating the scientific impact of relevant work and identifying the current foci of the multifaceted disease. Accordingly, herein, we aim to assess the global growth of UC research production, analyze patterns of research areas, and evaluate trends in this area.

Methods: The Web of Science Core Collection of Clarivate Analytics was searched for articles related to UC published from 2011 to 2021. Microsoft Office Excel 2019 was used to visualize the number of publications over time. Knowledge maps were generated using CiteSpace and VOSviewer to analyze collaborations among countries, institutions, and authors and to present the journey of UC research as well as to reveal the current foci of UC research.

Results: A total of 5,088 publications were evaluated in the present study. China had the most publications (1,099, 22.5%). Univ Calif San Diego was the most productive institution (126, 2.48%). William J Sandborn published the greatest number of articles (100, 1.97%). Toshifumi Hibi was the most influential author in the field with a betweenness centrality of 0.53. Inflammatory bowel diseases was identified as the most prolific journal (379, 7.45%). Gastroenterology was the most co-cited journal (3,730, 4.02%). “Vedolizumab,” “tofacitinib,” “Faecalibacterium prausnitzii,” “fecal microbiota transplantation (FMT),” “toll-like receptor 4,” and “nucleotide-binding oligomerization domain-like receptor protein 3 inflammasome” were considered the hot topics.

Conclusion: In UC research, manuscripts that had high impacts on the scientific community provided an evidence base. UC therapy has entered the era of personalized and precision therapy. As research on FMT, anti-integrin antibodies, Janus kinase inhibitors, and anti-tumor necrosis factor drugs continues to grow, their use in the clinical setting may also expand.
Smoking status impacts treatment efficacy in smoke-induced lung inflammation: A pre-clinical study
Authors: Milad Nadia , Pineault Marie , Tremblay Félix , Routhier Joanie , Lechasseur Ariane , Beaulieu Marie-Josée , Aubin Sophie , Morissette Mathieu C.
Published: September 2022

Rationale:Smoking status and smoking history remain poorly accounted for as variables that could affect the efficacy of new drugs being tested in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) patients. As a proof of concept, we used a pre-clinical model of cigarette smoke (CS) exposure to compare the impact of treatment during active CS exposure or during the cessation period on the anti-inflammatory effects IL-1α signaling blockade.

Methods:Mice were exposed to CS for 2 weeks, followed by a 1-week cessation, then acutely re-exposed for 2 days. Mice were treated with an anti-IL-1α antibody either during CS exposure or during cessation and inflammatory outcomes were assessed.

Results:We found that mice re-exposed to CS displayed reduced neutrophil counts and cytokine levels in the bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) compared to mice exposed only acutely. Moreover, we found that treatment with an anti-IL-1α antibody during the initial CS exposure delayed inflammatory processes and interfered with pulmonary adaptation, leading to rebound pulmonary neutrophilia, increased BAL cytokine secretion (CCL2) and upregulatedMmp12expression. Conversely, administration of anti-IL-1α during cessation had the opposite effect, improving BAL neutrophilia, decreasing CCL2 levels and reducingMmp12expression.

Discussion:These results suggest that pulmonary adaptation to CS exposure dampens inflammation and blocking IL-1α signaling during CS exposure delays the inflammatory response. More importantly, the same treatment administered during cessation hastens the return to pulmonary inflammatory homeostasis, strongly suggesting that smoking status and treatment timing should be considered when testing new biologics in COPD.
Psychotropic drugs interaction with the lipid nanoparticle of COVID-19 mRNA therapeutics
Authors: Sfera Adonis , Hazan Sabine , Anton Jonathan J. , Sfera Dan O. , Andronescu Christina V. , Sasannia Sarvin , Rahman Leah , Kozlakidis Zisis
Published: September 2022

The messenger RNA (mRNA) vaccines for COVID-19, Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna, were authorized in the US on an emergency basis in December of 2020. The rapid distribution of these therapeutics around the country and the world led to millions of people being vaccinated in a short time span, an action that decreased hospitalization and death but also heightened the concerns about adverse effects and drug-vaccine interactions. The COVID-19 mRNA vaccines are of particular interest as they form the vanguard of a range of other mRNA therapeutics that are currently in the development pipeline, focusing both on infectious diseases as well as oncological applications. The Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System (VAERS) has gained additional attention during the COVID-19 pandemic, specifically regarding the rollout of mRNA therapeutics. However, for VAERS, absence of a reporting platform for drug-vaccine interactions left these events poorly defined. For example, chemotherapy, anticonvulsants, and antimalarials were documented to interfere with the mRNA vaccines, but much less is known about the other drugs that could interact with these therapeutics, causing adverse events or decreased efficacy. In addition, SARS-CoV-2 exploitation of host cytochrome P450 enzymes, reported in COVID-19 critical illness, highlights viral interference with drug metabolism. For example, patients with severe psychiatric illness (SPI) in treatment with clozapine often displayed elevated drug levels, emphasizing drug-vaccine interaction.
A D-type dual side-polished, highly sensitive, plasma refractive index sensor based on photonic crystal fiber
Authors: Zhang Qinrong , Li Wei , Ren Qingyin , Zheng Jiajin , Xie Qiyun , Wang Xiangfu
Published: September 2022

In this paper, a D-shape dual side-polished (DSP) photonic crystal fiber (PCF) sensor based on high sensitivity and high range refractive index (RI) is proposed and analyzed. The surface of the structure is plated with Au and TiO2, which can enhance the surface plasmon resonance (SPR) effect and sensitivity. The characteristics of the sensor were analyzed by finite element method (FEM). Its RI scope of detection is 1.38–1.42, and by optimizing geometric parameters, the optimal wavelength sensitivity (WS) is 22,100 nm/RIU. Additionally, the WS for DSP-PCF is far better than the recently reported PCF sensors in the above mentioned RI detection range to the best of our knowledge. With these significant outcomes over the analyte RI range, which is helpful for the fields of environmental detection and medical diagnosis.
Exchange bias toggling in amine-ended single-molecule magnetic junctions by contact geometry
Authors: Tang Yu-Hui , Chuang Yu-Cheng , Huang Bao-Huei
Published: September 2022

The molecular scale magnetic proximity effect is proposed in single-molecule magnetic junctions (SMMJs) consisting of a dissociated amine-ended 1,4-benzenediamine (BDA) molecule coupled to two ferromagnetic Co electrodes. Our self-developed JunPy + Landau-Lifshitz-Gilbert simulation combined with first-principles calculation is employed to investigate the role of contact geometry in the magnetotransport properties of SMMJs with the choice of top, bridge, and hollow contact sites. The strong spinterface effect gives rise to distinct angular dependence of equilibrium field-like spin torque (FLST), asymmetric magnetic hysteresis loop and tunable exchange bias. From the analytical derivation of nonequilibrium Keldysh formalism, we believe that a promising way forward is to activate the multi-reflection process via the so-called molecular spinterface that will allow us to conquer as-yet unexplored magnetotransport properties of organic-based spintronics.
A circularly polarized folded reflectarray antenna using a polarization-sensitive linear-to-circular polarization converter
Authors: Liu Shuang , Li Yin , Wong Sai-Wai , Zhang Xiao , Wang Shiyan , Fang Liang , Gao Qiang
Published: September 2022

This work proposes a low-profile circularly polarized folded reflectarray antenna (CPFRA). Compared to traditional CPFRA that comprise the main reflectarray, a polarization grid (PG), and a linear-to-circular polarization (LP-CP) converter, the proposed CPFRA utilizes a polarization-sensitive LP-CP converter that plays the roles of both PG and LP-CP converter to minimize the CPFRA profile. One period of the polarization-sensitive LP-CP converter consists of an LP and a CP patch on the bottom and top layer of the substrates, respectively, which are connected by a metalized via. Due to its frequency-selective characteristic, the polarization-sensitive LP-CP surface can simultaneously reflect the x-polarized waves and transfer the received y-polarized waves into the CP state. A 1-bit unit cell at the bottom layer is adopted for polarization conversion and phase shift. A planar patch antenna is integrated as the primary feeding source. A high-gain circularly polarized folded reflectarray antenna at the X-band is designed, fabricated, and measured. Both simulated and measured results demonstrate the advantages of high gain and a lower profile of the proposed CPFRA compared to those in its traditional counterparts.
Combined resistance and aerobic training improves lung function and mechanics and fibrotic biomarkers in overweight and obese women
Authors: Silva-Reis Anamei , Rodrigues Brandao-Rangel Maysa Alves , Moraes-Ferreira Renilson , Gonçalves-Alves Thiago Gibson , Souza-Palmeira Victor Hugo , Aquino-Santos Helida Cristina , Bachi Andre Luis Lacerda , Oliveira Luis Vicente Franco de , Lopes-Martins Rodrigo Álvaro Brandão , Oliveira-Silva Iranse , Albertini Regiane , Frison Claudio Ricardo , Vieira Rodolfo P
Published: September 2022

Background: Obesity impairs lung function and mechanics and leads to low-grade inflammation, but the effects of combined physical exercise (CPE) on that are unknown.

Methods: We investigated the effects of 12 weeks of combined physical exercise (aerobic + resistance training), in non-obese (n = 12), overweight (n = 17), and obese grade I (n = 11) women. Lung function and lung mechanics were evaluated. The systemic immune response was evaluated by whole blood analysis and biomarker measurements, while pulmonary fibrotic biomarkers were evaluated in the breath condensate.

Result: CPE improved forced vital capacity (FVC) % (p < 0.001) and peak expiratory flow (PEF) % (p < 0.0003) in the obese group; resistance of the respiratory system (R5Hz) in non-obese (p < 0.0099), overweight (p < 0.0005), and obese (p < 0.0001) groups; resistance of proximal airways (R20Hz) in non-obese (p < 0.01), overweight (p < 0.0009), and obese (p < 0.0001) groups; resistance of distal airways (R5Hz–R20Hz) in non-obese (p < 0.01), overweight (p < 0.0012), and obese (p < 0.0001) groups; reactance of the respiratory system (X5Hz) in non-obese (p < 0.01), overweight (p < 0.0006), and obese (p < 0.0005) groups; impedance of the respiratory system (Z5Hz) in non-obese (p < 0.0099), overweight (p < 0.0005), and obese (p < 0.0001) groups; central resistance (RCentral) in non-obese (p < 0.01), overweight (p < 0.001), and obese (p < 0.0003) groups; and the peripheral resistance (RPeripheral) in non-obese (p < 0.03), overweight (p < 0.001), and obese (p < 0.0002) groups. CPE reduced the pro-fibrotic IGF-1 levels in BC in overweight (p < 0.0094) and obese groups (p < 0.0001) and increased anti-fibrotic Klotho levels in BC in obese (p < 0.0001) groups, and reduced levels of exhaled nitric oxide in overweight (p < 0.03) and obese (p < 0.0001) groups.

Conclusion: CPE improves lung function, mechanics, and pulmonary immune response in overweight and obese grade I women by increasing anti-fibrotic protein Klotho and reducing pro-fibrotic IGF-1.
Synergistic delivery of resveratrol and ultrasmall copper-based nanoparticles by aptamer-functionalized ultrasound nanobubbles for the treatment of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease
Authors: Guo Xinmin , Huang Zhihui , Chen Jialin , He Kun , Lin Jianru , Zhang Hui , Zeng Yanying
Published: September 2022

Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is related to the production of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and oxidative stress, so antioxidant treatment can prevent its further development. Ultrasmall copper-based nanoparticles (CuNPs) have shown multiple enzyme-like activities for scavenging oxygen species, providing a new strategy for the treatment of inflammatory diseases. Resveratrol (Res), a natural polyphenol compound, has attracted much attention due to its ability to inhibit oxidative stress. We therefore aimed to first combine these two agents for the treatment of NAFLD. However, due to the poor water solubility and stability of Res, which is easily metabolized in the intestine, the development of a stable and effective carrier became the key to achieving a synergistic effect. Liver-targeted nanocarriers loaded with bioactive compounds may provide a more effective approach for the treatment of NAFLD. Therefore, we developed a novel ultrasonic nanobubble carrying nucleic acid aptamers with liver targeting properties, which has the advantages of a small molecular weight, no immunogenicity, a low cost of synthesis, and high stability through chemical modification. Res and the ultrasmall CuNPs were specifically delivered to liver tissue to maximize therapeutic efficiency. This study found that the combination of these two components can effectively treat inflammation in NAFLD and suggested that liver-targeted NAFLD-specific aptamer-mediated targeted ultrasound nanobubbles that can simultaneously deliver Res and CuNPs may be a safe and effective new platform for NAFLD and other liver diseases.
Silencing of Sly-miR171d increased the expression of GRAS24 and enhanced postharvest chilling tolerance of tomato fruit
Authors: Xing Zengting , Huang Taishan , Zhao Keyan , Meng Lanhuan , Song Hongmiao , Zhang Zhengke , Xu Xiangbin , Liu Songbai
Published: September 2022

The role of Sly-miR171d on tomato fruit chilling injury (CI) was investigated. The results showed that silencing the endogenous Sly-miR171d effectively delayed the increase of CI and electrolyte leakage (EL) in tomato fruit, and maintained fruit firmness and quality. After low temperature storage, the expression of target gene GRAS24 increased in STTM-miR171d tomato fruit, the level of GA3 anabolism and the expression of CBF1, an important regulator of cold resistance, both increased in STTM-miR171d tomato fruit, indicated that silencing the Sly-miR171d can improve the resistance ability of postharvest tomato fruit to chilling tolerance.
Tolerant mechanism of model legume plant Medicago truncatula to drought, salt, and cold stresses
Authors: Zhang Xiuxiu , Sun Yu , Qiu Xiao , Lu Hai , Hwang Inhwan , Wang Tianzuo
Published: September 2022

Legume plants produce one-third of the total yield of primary crops and are important food sources for both humans and animals worldwide. Frequent exposure to abiotic stresses, such as drought, salt, and cold, greatly limits the production of legume crops. Several morphological, physiological, and molecular studies have been conducted to characterize the response and adaptation mechanism to abiotic stresses. The tolerant mechanisms of the model legume plant Medicago truncatula to abiotic stresses have been extensively studied. Although many potential genes and integrated networks underlying the M. truncatula in responding to abiotic stresses have been identified and described, a comprehensive summary of the tolerant mechanism is lacking. In this review, we provide a comprehensive summary of the adaptive mechanism by which M. truncatula responds to drought, salt, and cold stress. We also discuss future research that need to be explored to improve the abiotic tolerance of legume plants.
Parental effects driven by resource provisioning in Alternanthera philoxeroides—A simulation case study
Authors: Wang Lan-Hui , Si Jing , Luo Fang-Li , Dong Bi-Cheng , Yu Fei-Hai
Published: September 2022

Parental environmental effects can be a rapid and effective means for clonal plants in response to temporally or spatially varying environments. However, few studies have quantitatively measured the ecological significance of parental effects in aquatic clonal plants. In this study, we developed a two-generation (parent-offspring) growth model to examine the parental effects of nitrogen (N) conditions on summed and mean performance of clonal offspring of one wetland species Alternanthera philoxeroides. We also examined the role of survival status and developmental stage of clonal offspring in the consequence of parental effects in aquatic clonal plants. Our results indicated direct evidence that (1) there were significant non-linear correlations between the performance of parental plants and initial status of clonal offspring (i.e., the mass and number of clonal propagules); (2) parental N effects on the summed performance of clonal offspring were content-dependent (i.e., there were significant interactions between parental and offspring N effects), while parental effects on the mean performance of offspring were independent of offspring conditions; (3) parental effects mainly occurred at the early development stage of clonal offspring, and then gradually declined at the late stage; (4) the context-dependent parental effects on the summed performance of clonal offspring gradually strengthened when offspring survival was high. The mathematical models derived from the experimental data may help researchers to not only deeply explore the ecological significance of parental environmental effects in aquatic clonal plants, but also to reveal the importance of potential factors that have been often neglected in empirical studies.
Proton-mediated photoprotection mechanism in photosystem II
Authors: Sugo Yu , Ishikita Hiroshi
Published: September 2022

Photo-induced charge separation, which is terminated by electron transfer from the primary quinone QA to the secondary quinone QB, provides the driving force for O2 evolution in photosystem II (PSII). However, the backward charge recombination using the same electron-transfer pathway leads to the triplet chlorophyll formation, generating harmful singlet-oxygen species. Here, we investigated the molecular mechanism of proton-mediated QA⋅– stabilization. Quantum mechanical/molecular mechanical (QM/MM) calculations show that in response to the loss of the bicarbonate ligand, a low-barrier H-bond forms between D2-His214 and QA⋅–. The migration of the proton from D2-His214 toward QA⋅– stabilizes QA⋅–. The release of the bicarbonate ligand from the binding Fe2+ site is an energetically uphill process, whereas the bidentate-to-monodentate reorientation is almost isoenergetic. These suggest that the bicarbonate protonation and decomposition may be a basis of the mechanism of photoprotection via QA⋅–/QAH⋅ stabilization, increasing the QA redox potential and activating a charge-recombination pathway that does not generate the harmful singlet oxygen.
Evaluation of residual plastic film pollution in pre-sowing cotton field using UAV imaging and semantic segmentation
Authors: Zhai Zhiqiang , Chen Xuegeng , Zhang Ruoyu , Qiu Fasong , Meng Qingjian , Yang Jiankang , Wang Haiyuan
Published: September 2022

To accurately evaluate residual plastic film pollution in pre-sowing cotton fields, a method based on modified U-Net model was proposed in this research. Images of pre-sowing cotton fields were collected using UAV imaging from different heights under different weather conditions. Residual films were manually labelled, and the degree of residual film pollution was defined based on the residual film coverage rate. The modified U-Net model for evaluating residual film pollution was built by simplifying the U-Net model framework and introducing the inception module, and the evaluation results were compared to those of the U-Net, SegNet, and FCN models. The segmentation results showed that the modified U-Net model had the best performance, with a mean intersection over union (MIOU) of 87.53%. The segmentation results on images of cloudy days were better than those on images of sunny days, with accuracy gradually decreasing with increasing image-acquiring height. The evaluation results of residual film pollution showed that the modified U-Net model outperformed the other models. The coefficient of determination(R2), root mean square error (RMSE), mean relative error (MRE) and average evaluation time per image of the modified U-Net model on the CPU were 0.9849, 0.0563, 5.33% and 4.85 s, respectively. The results indicate that UAV imaging combined with the modified U-Net model can accurately evaluate residual film pollution. This study provides technical support for the rapid and accurate evaluation of residual plastic film pollution in pre-sowing cotton fields.
Affective polarization in crosscutting communication networks: Offline and online evidence from Spain
Authors: Nordbrandt Maria
Published: September 2022

Despite its potentially pernicious consequences for social relations and democracy, the study of affective polarization has only recently proliferated. Thus, the reasons driving this development—or its consequences—are not yet adequately understood. This article addresses the role of one specific factor frequently discussed in both academic and popular debate—namely, the role of crosscutting communication among people of different political leanings. It is a longstanding notion that crosscutting communication is crucial to overcoming the prejudice, polarization, and attitudinal biases brought on by streamlined information diets. However, there is empirical evidence to suggest that crosscutting experiences sometimes elevate polarization—especially when individuals also have access to like-minded views and when disagreement is perceived as intense. The study sheds light on the connection by testing hypotheses about the association between crosscutting communication and affective polarization in both offline and online modalities of political communication. The empirical analyses were based on panel data from the E-DEM project covering a random sample of Spanish citizens interviewed up to three times between November 2018 and May 2019—that is, the time running up to the Spanish national election in 2019. The results suggest that individuals who reported engagement in face-to-face discussions with supporters of various parties (crosscutting discussions) during this time reported significantly lower levels of affective polarization compared to engagement in discussions with co-partisans exclusively. Online crosscutting and consensual discussion experiences, however, were linked to comparable levels of anti-out-group sentiment, suggesting that concerns about the impact of online communication being different from offline communication in general—and perhaps more harmful—may be overstated. Descriptive evidence furthermore indicates that most respondents who engaged in political discussions had experiences of discussions with both co-partisans and supporters of opposing parties rather than co-partisans exclusively. Again, this was true for offline and online communication alike. Insofar as the results translate to other contexts as well, they indicate that future efforts to explain any surges in affective polarization should primarily be focused on other areas of inquiry.
‘Guidance' or ‘Misleading'? The government subsidy and the choice of enterprise innovation strategy
Authors: Ding Jian , Wang Jiaxin , Liu Baoliu , Peng Lin
Published: September 2022

Government subsidies have a direct impact on firms' innovation strategies. The game relationship between the government, the subsidized firm and its competitors under different subsidy strategies affects firms' innovation behavior and thus innovation performance. This paper uses a dynamic evolutionary game theory approach based on cost-benefit differences to analyse the mechanisms by which government subsidy strategies affect firms' innovation strategies. It is found that the marginal benefits of a firm's innovation strategy will directly affect the game outcome, indicating that the choice of innovation strategy depends on the maximization of individual firm's interests. At the same time, a firm's innovation strategy is influenced by the firm's own innovation ability and competitors' innovation strategy, and there are two game equilibria. Government subsidies have a positive contribution to the innovation strategy choice of subsidized firms, but have a crowding-out effect on non-subsidized competing firms. The strength of the penalty (the efficiency of the implementation of government subsidies), the marginal revenue of the subsidized firms' rational use of government subsidies and the competitors' strategic choices will directly affect the game outcome.
Effects of human–machine interaction on employee’s learning: A contingent perspective
Authors: Sen Wang , Hong Zhao , Xiaomei Zhu
Published: September 2022

The popularization of intelligent machines such as service robot and industrial robot will make human–machine interaction, an essential work mode. This requires employees to adapt to the new work content through learning. However, the research involved human–machine interaction that how influences the employee’s learning is still rarely. This paper was to reveal the relationship between human–machine interaction and employee’s learning from the perspective of job characteristics and competence perception of employees. We sent questionnaire to 500 employees from 100 artificial intelligence companies in China and received 319 valid and complete responses. Then, we adopted a hierarchical regression for the test. Empirical results show that human–machine interaction has a U-shaped curvilinear relationship with employee learning, and employee’s vitality mediates the curvilinear relationship. In addition, job characteristics (skill variety and job autonomy) moderate the U-shaped curvilinear relationship between human–machine interaction and employee’s vitality, especially the results of moderating effects varying with employee’s competence perception. Exploring the mechanism of the effect of human–machine interaction on employee’s learning enriches the socially embedded model. Moreover, it provides managerial implications how to enhance individual adaptability with the introduction of AI into firms. However, our research focuses more on the impact of human–machine interaction on employees at the initial stage of AI development, and the level of machine intelligence in various industries will reach a high degree of autonomy in the future. The future research can explore the impact of human–machine interaction on individual’s behavior at different stages, and the results may vary depending on the technologies mastered by different individuals. The study has theoretical and practical significance to human–machine interaction literature by underscoring the important of individual’s behavior among individuals with different skills.
Awareness of age-related change is associated with attitudes toward technology and technology skills among older adults
Authors: Schlomann Anna , Memmer Nicole , Wahl Hans-Werner
Published: September 2022

Despite much research in the context of aging and technology, the role of Views on aging (VoA) for differences in technology use and attitudes among older adults has rarely been studied so far. This study focuses on the associations between a multidimensional measure of VoA and technology use, technology skills, and attitudes toward technology in a sample of older adults (n = 369, age range: 65–93 years, 48.2% male). We apply the concept of Awareness of age-related change (AARC) to examine the role of positive (AARC-Gains) and negative (AARC-Losses) self-perceptions of aging. Bivariate and multivariate regression analyses were conducted. The results showed positive associations of AARC-Gains with technology skills and technology attitudes. For AARC-Losses, we identified negative associations with technology skills, technology attitudes as well as general technology use. In contrast, associations between subjective age (SA) and all technology-related measures were non-significant. The results stress the importance to consider multidimensional measures of VoA to gain a better understanding of the associations between an individuals’ experiencing of own aging processes and technology adoption. More research is needed to determine the stability of these findings in other samples and for other kinds of technology use and attitudes.
The effect of simultaneous exposure on the attention selection and integration of segments and lexical tones by Urdu-Cantonese bilingual speakers
Authors: Ning Jinghong , Peng Gang , Liu Yi , Li Yingnan
Published: September 2022

In the perceptual learning of lexical tones, an automatic and robust attention-to-phonology system enables native tonal listeners to adapt to acoustically non-optimal speech, such as phonetic conflicts in daily communications. Previous tone research reveals that non-native listeners who do not linguistically employ lexical tones in their mother tongue may find it challenging to attend to the tonal dimension or integrate it with the segmental features. However, it is unknown whether the attentional interference initially caused by a maternal attentional system would continue influencing the non-optimal tone perception for simultaneous bilingual teenagers. From an endpoint in the age of language acquisition, we investigate whether the tone-specific attention mechanism developed by the Urdu-Cantonese simultaneous bilinguals is automatic enough to assist them in adapting to a phonetically-conflicting environment. Three groups of teenagers engaged in a four-condition ABX task: Urdu-Cantonese simultaneous bilinguals, Cantonese native listeners, and Urdu-speaking, late learners of Cantonese. The results showed that although the simultaneous bilinguals could phonologically process Cantonese tones in a Cantonese-like way under a conflict-free listening condition, they still failed in adapting to the phonetic conflicts, especially the segment-induced ones. It thus demonstrated that the simultaneous exposure and years of regular education in Hong Kong local schools still could not automatically guarantee simultaneous bilingual processing of Cantonese tones. In interpreting the findings, it hypothesized that, except for simultaneous exposure, the development of a tone-specific attention mechanism is also likely to be L1-inhibitory, tone experience-driven, and language-specific for simultaneous bilinguals.