bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Detecting Brain Structure-Specific Methylation Signatures and Rules for Alzheimer’s Disease
Authors: Li ZhanDong , Guo Wei , Zeng Tao , Yin Jie , Feng KaiYan , Huang Tao , Cai Yu-Dong
Published: May 2022

Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is a progressive disease that leads to irreversible behavioral changes, erratic emotions, and loss of motor skills. These conditions make people with AD hard or almost impossible to take care of. Multiple internal and external pathological factors may affect or even trigger the initiation and progression of AD. DNA methylation is one of the most effective regulatory roles during AD pathogenesis, and pathological methylation alterations may be potentially different in the various brain structures of people with AD. Although multiple loci associated with AD initiation and progression have been identified, the spatial distribution patterns of AD-associated DNA methylation in the brain have not been clarified. According to the systematic methylation profiles on different structural brain regions, we applied multiple machine learning algorithms to investigate such profiles. First, the profile on each brain region was analyzed by the Boruta feature filtering method. Some important methylation features were extracted and further analyzed by the max-relevance and min-redundancy method, resulting in a feature list. Then, the incremental feature selection method, incorporating some classification algorithms, adopted such list to identify candidate AD-associated loci at methylation with structural specificity, establish a group of quantitative rules for revealing the effects of DNA methylation in various brain regions (i.e., four brain structures) on AD pathogenesis. Furthermore, some efficient classifiers based on essential methylation sites were proposed to identify AD samples. Results revealed that methylation alterations in different brain structures have different contributions to AD pathogenesis. This study further illustrates the complex pathological mechanisms of AD.
Exosomes Derived From Mesenchymal Stem Cells: Novel Effects in the Treatment of Ischemic Stroke
Authors: Xiong Yu , Song Jianping , Huang Xinyue , Pan Zhigang , Goldbrunner Roland , Stavrinou Lampis , Lin Shu , Hu Weipeng , Zheng Feng , Stavrinou Pantelis
Published: May 2022

Ischemic stroke is defined as an infarction in the brain, caused by impaired cerebral blood supply, leading to local brain tissue ischemia, hypoxic necrosis, and corresponding neurological deficits. At present, revascularization strategies in patients with acute ischemic stroke include intravenous thrombolysis and mechanical endovascular treatment. However, due to the short treatment time window (<4.5 h) and method restrictions, clinical research is focused on new methods to treat ischemic stroke. Exosomes are nano-sized biovesicles produced in the endosomal compartment of most eukaryotic cells, containing DNA, complex RNA, and protein (30–150 nm). They are released into surrounding extracellular fluid upon fusion between multivesicular bodies and the plasma membrane. Exosomes have the characteristics of low immunogenicity, good innate stability, high transmission efficiency, and the ability to cross the blood–brain barrier, making them potential therapeutic modalities for the treatment of ischemic stroke. The seed sequence of miRNA secreted by exosomes is base-paired with complementary mRNA to improve the microenvironment of ischemic tissue, thereby regulating downstream signal transduction activities. With exosome research still in the theoretical and experimental stages, this review aims to shed light on the potential of exosomes derived from mesenchymal stem cells in the treatment of ischemic stroke.
A Comprehensive Review on Function of miR-15b-5p in Malignant and Non-Malignant Disorders
Authors: Ghafouri-Fard Soudeh , Khoshbakht Tayyebeh , Hussen Bashdar Mahmud , Jamal Hazha Hadayat , Taheri Mohammad , Hajiesmaeili Mohammadreza
Published: May 2022

miR-15b-5p is encoded by MIR15B gene. This gene is located on cytogenetic band 3q25.33. This miRNA participates in the pathogenesis of several cancers as well as non-malignant conditions, such as abdominal aortic aneurysm, Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s diseases, cerebral ischemia reperfusion injury, coronary artery disease, dexamethasone induced steatosis, diabetic complications and doxorubicin-induced cardiotoxicity. In malignant conditions, both oncogenic and tumor suppressor impacts have been described for miR-15b-5p. Dysregulation of miR-15b-5p in clinical samples has been associated with poor outcome in different kinds of cancers. In this review, we discuss the role of miR-15b-5p in malignant and non-malignant conditions.
Concomitant Kinase-Dead BRAF and Oncogenic KRAS Lead to an Aggressive Biologic Behavior and Tumor Lysis Syndrome: A Case Report
Authors: Holland Roy , Ben-Ishay Offir , Ben-Aharon Irit
Published: May 2022

Tumor lysis syndrome (TLS) is a life-threatening oncological emergency rarely seen in solid tumors and is a complication of cancer therapy for rapidly proliferating tumors with devastating outcomes. BRAF and KRAS are two key oncogenes in the MAPK signaling pathway that are routinely examined for mutations to predict resistance to anti-EGFR therapy. Concomitant KRAS and BRAF mutations in GI tumors are rare, occurring in less than 0.001% of cases and are associated with an aggressive tumor behavior. We report an unusual case of a young male patient diagnosed with locally advanced duodenal mucinous adenocarcinoma harboring concomitant KRAS and BRAF mutations. This unique genetic profile generated hyperactivation of the EGFR signaling pathway. Following day-1 of mFOLFOX-6 chemotherapy protocol, the patient developed TLS. Clinical resolution was achieved using high volume hydration. Unfortunately, the patient passed away 10 days later during anesthesia induction.
Deriving Pulmonary Ventilation Images From Clinical 4D-CBCT Using a Deep Learning-Based Model
Authors: Liu Zhiqiang , Tian Yuan , Miao Junjie , Men Kuo , Wang Wenqing , Wang Xin , Zhang Tao , Bi Nan , Dai Jianrong
Published: May 2022

Purpose

The current algorithms for measuring ventilation images from 4D cone-beam computed tomography (CBCT) are affected by the accuracy of deformable image registration (DIR). This study proposes a new deep learning (DL) method that does not rely on DIR to derive ventilation images from 4D-CBCT (CBCT-VI), which was validated with the gold-standard single-photon emission-computed tomography ventilation image (SPECT-VI).

Materials and Methods

This study consists of 4D-CBCT and 99mTc-Technegas SPECT/CT scans of 28 esophagus or lung cancer patients. The scans were rigidly registered for each patient. Using these data, CBCT-VI was derived using a deep learning-based model. Two types of model input data are studied, namely, (a) 10 phases of 4D-CBCT and (b) two phases of peak-exhalation and peak-inhalation of 4D-CBCT. A sevenfold cross-validation was applied to train and evaluate the model. The DIR-dependent methods (density-change-based and Jacobian-based methods) were used to measure the CBCT-VIs for comparison. The correlation was calculated between each CBCT-VI and SPECT-VI using voxel-wise Spearman’s correlation. The ventilation images were divided into high, medium, and low functional lung regions. The similarity of different functional lung regions between SPECT-VI and each CBCT-VI was evaluated using the dice similarity coefficient (DSC). One-factor ANONA model was used for statistical analysis of the averaged DSC for the different methods of generating ventilation images.

Results

The correlation values were 0.02 ± 0.10, 0.02 ± 0.09, and 0.65 ± 0.13/0.65 ± 0.15, and the averaged DSC values were 0.34 ± 0.04, 0.34 ± 0.03, and 0.59 ± 0.08/0.58 ± 0.09 for the density change, Jacobian, and deep learning methods, respectively. The strongest correlation and the highest similarity with SPECT-VI were observed for the deep learning method compared to the density change and Jacobian methods.

Conclusion

The results showed that the deep learning method improved the accuracy of correlation and similarity significantly, and the derived CBCT-VIs have the potential to monitor the lung function dynamic changes during radiotherapy.
Absence of Evidence as The Evidence Of Absence: The Curious Case of Latent Infection Causing Ocular Tuberculosis
Authors: Basu Soumyava
Published: May 2022

Ocular tuberculosis (TB) is frequently considered as intraocular inflammation in the setting of latent TB, owing mainly to the absence of microbiological evidence of Mycobacterium tuberculosis in ocular fluid samples. Even though such lack of microbiological evidence, and of systemic signs of active TB disease, are suggestive of latent TB infection, molecular and rare histopathologic evidence of mycobacteria in the eye, and favourable response of ocular inflammation to anti-TB therapy point to the presence of active infection in ocular TB. Here, we discuss how intraocular inflammation in ocular TB is not merely an immunologic response to bacilli, but an active tuberculosis infection. We will discuss the reason for the frequent absence of microbiological evidence of TB in the eye in ocular TB and the diagnostic hierarchy to arrive at the diagnosis of this infectious uveitis entity.
Plasma Drug Concentration of Propranolol and Genetic Study in Chinese Han Patients With Infantile Haemangioma
Authors: Li Li , Yu Lu , He Huan , Wei Li , Xu Zigang , Zhao Libo , Sun Yujuan , Zhang Bin , Liu Yuanxiang , He Rui , Wang Xiaoling , Ma Lin
Published: May 2022

Background and Purpose

This study was conducted to explore the plasma drug concentration of propranolol in Chinese Han patients with infantile haemangioma (IH) and the influencing factors, as well as the relationship among plasma drug concentrations of propranolol, β1-AR mutation and CYP2D6 188C>T, efficacy, and safety.

Experimental Approach

From January 2018 to April 2019, 140 patients with IH who were admitted to the hospital for oral propranolol and agreed to have their plasma concentration of propranolol tested, including 112 patients with β1-AR and CYP2D6 gene tested.

Key Results and Conclusions and Implications

The mean peak blood levels of propranolol, 4-hydroxypropranolol (4-OH-P), and N-deisopropylpropranolol (NDP) were 60.35 ± 37.90, 1.90 ± 2.37, and 0.24 ± 0.18 ng/ml, respectively. The mean trough blood levels of propranolol, 4-OH-P, and NDP were 24.98 ± 17.68, 0.45 ± 0.52, and 0.05±0.05 ng/ml, respectively. The higher the dose of propranolol, the higher the plasma concentration of propranolol (p = 0.031). The plasma concentration of propranolol was not related to the treatment efficacy.
Metabolic Profiling Analysis of the Effect and Mechanism of Gushiling Capsule in Rabbits With Glucocorticoid-Induced Osteonecrosis of the Femoral Head
Authors: Mei Runhong , Chen Dan , Zhong Duming , Li Guoyong , Lin Shaobai , Zhang Guangquan , Chen Kaiyun , Yu Xuefeng
Published: May 2022

Gushiling capsule (GSLC) is an effective traditional Chinese medicine for the treatment of glucocorticoid-induced osteonecrosis of the femoral head (GIONFH). This study established the serum metabolite profiles of GSLC in rabbits and explored the metabolic mechanism and effect of GSLC on GIONFH. Seventy-five Japanese white rabbits were randomly divided into the control, model, and GSLC groups. The rabbits in the model group and the GSLC group received injection of prednisolone acetate. Meanwhile, rabbits in the GSLC group were treated by gavage at a therapeutic dose of GSLC once a day. The control group and the model group received the same volume of normal saline gavage. Three groups of serum samples were collected at different time points, and the changes in the metabolic spectrum were analyzed by ultra-high performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (UPLC-MS/MS). The resulting data set was analyzed using multivariate statistical analysis to identify potential biomarkers related to GSLC treatment. The metabolic pathway was analyzed by MetaboAnalyst 4.0 and a heatmap was constructed using the HEML1.0.3.7 software package. In addition, histopathological and radiography studies were carried out to verify the anti-GIONFH effects of GSLC. Principal component analysis (PCA) and partial least squares-discriminant analysis (PLS-DA) score plots revealed a significant separation trend between the control group and the model group and the GSLC group (1–3 weeks), but there were no significant differences in the GSLC group (4–6 weeks). Orthogonal PLS-DA (OPLS-DA) score plots also revealed an obvious difference between the model and the GSLC groups (4–6 weeks). Ten potential metabolite biomarkers, mainly phospholipids, were identified in rabbit serum samples and demonstrated to be associated with GIONFH. Hematoxylin and eosin staining and magnetic resonance imaging indicated that the pathological changes in femoral head necrosis in the GSLC group were less than in the model group, which was consistent with the improved serum metabolite spectrum. GSLC regulated the metabolic disorder of endogenous lipid components in GIONFH rabbits. GSLC may prevent and treat GIONFH mainly by regulating phospholipid metabolism in vivo.
Monoamine Oxidase Inhibition by Plant-Derived β-Carbolines; Implications for the Psychopharmacology of Tobacco and Ayahuasca
Authors: Berlowitz Ilana , Egger Klemens , Cumming Paul
Published: May 2022

The monoamine oxidases (MAOs) are flavin-containing amine oxidoreductases responsible for metabolism of many biogenic amine molecules in the brain and peripheral tissues. Whereas serotonin is the preferred substrate of MAO-A, phenylethylamine is metabolized by MAO-B, and dopamine and tyramine are nearly ambivalent with respect to the two isozymes. β-Carboline alkaloids such as harmine, harman(e), and norharman(e) are MAO inhibitors present in many plant materials, including foodstuffs, medicinal plants, and intoxicants, notably in tobacco (Nicotiana spp.) and in Banisteriopsis caapi, a vine used in the Amazonian ayahuasca brew. The β-carbolines present in B. caapi may have effects on neurogenesis and intrinsic antidepressant properties, in addition to potentiating the bioavailability of the hallucinogen N,N-dimethyltryptamine (DMT), which is often present in admixture plants of ayahuasca such as Psychotria viridis. Tobacco also contains physiologically relevant concentrations of β-carbolines, which potentially contribute to its psychopharmacology. However, in both cases, the threshold of MAO inhibition sufficient to interact with biogenic amine neurotransmission remains to be established. An important class of antidepressant medications provoke a complete and irreversible inhibition of MAO-A/B, and such complete inhibition is almost unattainable with reversible and competitive inhibitors such as β-carbolines. However, the preclinical and clinical observations with synthetic MAO inhibitors present a background for obtaining a better understanding of the polypharmacologies of tobacco and ayahuasca. Furthermore, MAO inhibitors of diverse structures are present in a wide variety of medicinal plants, but their pharmacological relevance in many instances remains to be established.
Profilin 1 Induces Tumor Metastasis by Promoting Microvesicle Secretion Through the ROCK 1/p-MLC Pathway in Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer
Authors: Wang Ya , Lu Yichen , Wan Rongjun , Wang Yang , Zhang Chunfang , Li Min , Deng Pengbo , Cao Liming , Hu Chengping
Published: May 2022

Profilin 1 (PFN1), an actin-binding protein, plays contrasting roles in the metastasis of several cancers; however, its role in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) metastasis remains unclear. Here, PFN1 expression was upregulated in metastatic NSCLC tissues. PFN1 overexpression significantly promotes NSCLC metastasis in vitro and in vivo. Proteomics analysis revealed PFN1 involvment in microvesicles (MVs) secretion. In vitro experiments confirmed that PFN1 overexpression increased secretion of MVs. MVs are important mediators of metastasis. Here, we show an increased abundance of MVs in the sera of patients with metastatic NSCLC compared to that in the sera of patients with non-metastatic NSCLC. Both in vitro and in vivo experiments revealed that PFN1 could increase MV secretion, and MVs derived from PFN1-overexpressing cells markedly promoted NSCLC metastasis. We then elucidated the mechanisms underlying PFN1-mediated regulation of MVs and found that PFN1 could interact with ROCK1 and enhance its kinase activity to promote myosin light chain (MLC) phosphorylation for MV secretion. Inhibition of ROCK1 decreased MV secretion and partially reversed the PFN1-induced promotion of NSCLC metastasis. Collectively, these findings show that PFN1 regulates MV secretion to promote NSCLC metastasis. PFN1 and MVs represent potential predictors or therapeutic targets for NSCLC metastasis.
Dynamical Analysis of Two-Dimensional Memristor Cosine Map
Authors: Han Xintong , Bi Xiuguo , Sun Bo , Ren Lujie , Xiong Li
Published: May 2022

Research on discrete memristor models applied to discrete maps deserves more in-depth discussion. In this paper, a continuous memristor is introduced and the discrete memristor model is obtained by the forward Eulerian difference algorithmic discretization. This model is coupled to a cosine map to further obtain a two-dimensional memristor cosine map. The dynamical characteristics of the memristor cosine map are investigated through numerical simulations and other analytical methods. For example, the phase diagram, the bifurcation diagram, the Lyapunov exponential spectrum and the Spectral Entropy complexity with parameters, etc., In addition, multi-stability phenomena of the system are identified. The results show that the cosine map coupled with a discrete memristor has more complex dynamical behaviors and is more suitable for applications in cryptography.
“Prefrontal” Neuronal Foundations of Visual Asymmetries in Pigeons
Authors: Xiao Qian , Güntürkün Onur
Published: May 2022

This study was conducted in order to reveal the possibly lateralized processes in the avian nidopallium caudolaterale (NCL), a functional analogue to the mammalian prefrontal cortex, during a color discrimination task. Pigeons are known to be visually lateralized with a superiority of the left hemisphere/right eye for visual feature discriminations. While animals were working on a color discrimination task, we recorded single visuomotor neurons in left and right NCL. As expected, pigeons learned faster and responded more quickly when seeing the stimuli with their right eyes. Our electrophysiological recordings discovered several neuronal properties of NCL neurons that possibly contributed to this behavioral asymmetry. We found that the speed of stimulus encoding was identical between left and right NCL but action generation was different. Here, most left hemispheric NCL neurons reached their peak activities shortly before response execution. In contrast, the majority of right hemispheric neurons lagged behind and came too late to control the response. Thus, the left NCL dominated the animals’ behavior not by a higher efficacy of encoding, but by being faster in monopolizing the operant response. A further asymmetry concerned the hemisphere-specific integration of input from the contra- and ipsilateral eye. The left NCL was able to integrate and process visual input from the ipsilateral eye to a higher degree and thus achieved a more bilateral representation of two visual fields. We combine these novel findings with those from previous publications to come up with a working hypothesis that could explain how hemispheric asymmetries for visual feature discrimination in birds are realized by a sequential buildup of lateralized neuronal response properties in the avian forebrain.
Behavior and Immune Response of Conventional and Slow-Growing Broilers to Salmonella Typhimurium
Authors: Snyder Ashlyn M. , Riley Sean P. , Robison Cara I. , Karcher Darrin M. , Wickware Carmen L. , Johnson Timothy A. , Weimer Shawna L.
Published: May 2022

Fast growth rate in broiler chickens comes with welfare concerns and the contribution of growth rate to pathogen resistance and sickness behavior is relatively unknown. The objective of this study was to evaluate physiological and behavioral responses of conventional (CONV) and slow-growing (SG) male broilers challenged with Salmonella Typhimurium. CONV (n = 156) and SG (n = 156) chicks were raised in a pen with wood litter shavings until day 7 of age, when birds were transferred to 24 isolators (n = 11 chicks/isolator). On day 14 of age, half of the birds (n = 12 isolators) were challenged with S. Typhimurium (ST) and the other half (n = 12 isolators) received a control (C). On days 7, 13, 17, 21, and 24, body weight was recorded, and blood, jejunum and ileum sections were collected from 2 birds/isolator (n = 48 birds/sampling) to measure plasma IgA and IgG and intestinal histomorphology, respectively. On days 12, 16, 21, and 23, video was recorded to evaluate bird postures (sitting, standing, or locomoting) and behaviors (eating, drinking, preening, stretching, sham foraging, allopreening, and aggression). CONV birds were 70 g heavier (p = 0.03) on day 21 and 140 g heavier (p = 0.007) on day 24 than SG. On day 7, CONV jejunum villus height and crypt depth were 22 and 7 μm greater (p ≤ 0.001), respectively, than SG. On day 24, ST ileum villus height was 95 μm shorter (p = 0.009) than C. IgA increased after day 17 for all birds and at day 21, CONV IgA was greater (p = 0.01) than SG. Although SG IgG was 344 μg/ml greater (p = 0.05) than CONV on day 7, CONV IgG increased with age (p < 0.0001) to greater (p ≤ 0.03) concentrations than SG on day 21 and day 24 by 689 μg/ml and 1,474 μg/ml, respectively, while SG IgG remained at similar concentrations after day 13. Generally, a greater proportion of birds sham foraged as they aged (p < 0.0001). A greater proportion of CONV tended to sit (p = 0.09) and fewer locomoted (p < 0.0001) than SG as they aged. The results illustrate conventional and slow-growing broilers differ in their behavior, immunity, and response to Salmonella.
Leaf Carbon Exchange of Two Dominant Plant Species Impacted by Water and Nitrogen Application in a Semi-Arid Temperate Steppe
Authors: Zhang Xiaolin , Zhai Penghui , Huang Jianhui
Published: May 2022

Photosynthetic characteristics are widely used as indicators of plant responses to global environmental changes such as precipitation change and nitrogen (N) deposition increase. How different plant species respond physiologically to the future precipitation change combined with increasing N availability is largely unclear. A field experiment was conducted to study responses in seasonal and interannual leaf carbon (C) exchange of two dominant plant species, Leymus chinensis and Stipa grandis, to additional water (either as spring snow or as summer water) and N application in a semi-arid temperate steppe of China. Our results showed that spring snow and summer water addition both increased the maximum photosynthetic rate (Amax) of two dominant species. Such effect was likely caused by raised light saturation point, the maximum apparent quantum yield, stomatal conductance, and transpiration rate. The N application combined with spring snow or summer water addition both enhanced Amax of S. grandis in both experimental years, whereas N application only increased Amax of L. chinensis combined with summer water addition. Their responses were attributed to a concurrent increase in leaf N concentration (Nleaf) and decrease in leaf phosphorus (P) concentration (Pleaf), indicating that Nleaf and Pleaf affect photosynthetic characteristics to regulate leaf C exchange. Our results suggest that differentiated responses among different species in photosynthetic characteristics may lead to changes in ecosystem structure and functioning under increasing precipitation and N deposition.
Molecular Phylogeny and Historical Biogeography of Goodyera R. Br. (Orchidaceae): A Case of the Vicariance Between East Asia and North America
Authors: Kim Tae-Hee , Kim Joo-Hwan
Published: May 2022

Understanding of intercontinental distribution in the Northern Hemisphere has attracted a lot of attention from botanists. However, although Orchidaceae is the largest group of angiosperms, biogeographical studies on the disjunctive pattern have not been sufficient for this family. Goodyera R. Br. (tribe Cranichideae, subfamily Orchidoideae, family Orchidaceae) is widely distributed in temperate and tropical regions. Although the phylogenetic relationship of Goodyera inferred from both morphological and molecular data has been conducted, the sampled taxa were mainly distributed in Asia regions that resulted in non-monophyly of this genus. In this study, the complete plastid genomes of Goodyera, generated by next-generation sequencing (NGS) technique and sampled in East Asia and North America, were used to reconstruct phylogeny and explore the historical biogeography. A total of 18 Goodyera species including seven newly sequenced species were analyzed. Based on 79 protein-coding genes, the phylogenetic analysis revealed that Goodyera could be subdivided into four subclades with high support values. The polyphyletic relationships among Goodyera taxa were confirmed, and the unclear position of G. foliosa was also resolved. The datasets that are composed of the 14 coding sequences (CDS) (matK, atpF, ndhK, accD, cemA, clpP, rpoA, rpl22, ndhF, ccsA, ndhD, ndhI, ndhA, and ycf 1) showed the same topology derived from 79 protein-coding genes. Molecular dating analyses revealed the origin of Goodyera in the mid-Miocene (15.75 Mya). Nearctic clade of Goodyera was diverged at 10.88 Mya from their most recent common ancestor (MRCA). The biogeographical reconstruction suggests that subtropical or tropical Asia is the origin of Goodyera and it has subsequently spread to temperate Asia during the Miocene. In addition, Nearctic clade is derived from East Asian species through Bering Land Bridge (BLB) during the Miocene. The speciation of Goodyera is most likely to have occurred during Miocene, and climatic and geological changes are thought to have had a part in this diversification. Our findings propose both origin and vicariance events of Goodyera for the first time and add an example for the biogeographical history of the Northern Hemisphere.
Zinc Transporter ZmLAZ1-4 Modulates Zinc Homeostasis on Plasma and Vacuolar Membrane in Maize
Authors: Liu Bingliang , Yu Haoqiang , Yang Qinyu , Ding Lei , Sun Fuai , Qu Jingtao , Feng Wenqi , Yang Qingqing , Li Wanchen , Fu Fengling
Published: May 2022

Zinc is an essential micronutrient for plant growth and development, and functions as a cofactor for hundreds of transcription factors and enzymes in numerous biological processes. Zinc deficiency is common abiotic stress resulting in yield loss and quality deterioration of crops, but zinc excess causes toxicity for biological systems. In plants, zinc homeostasis is tightly modulated by zinc transporters and binding compounds that uptake/release, transport, localize, and store zinc, as well as their upstream regulators. Lazarus 1 (LAZ1), a member of DUF300 protein family, functions as transmembrane organic solute transporter in vertebrates. However, the function of LAZ1 in plants is still obscure. In the present study, the ZmLAZ1-4 protein was confirmed to bind to zinc ions by bioinformatic prediction and thermal shift assay. Heterologous expression of ZmLAZ1-4 in the zinc-sensitive yeast mutant, Arabidopsis, and maize significantly facilitated the accumulation of Zn2+ in transgenic lines, respectively. The result of subcellular localization exhibited that ZmLAZ1-4 was localized on the plasma and vacuolar membrane, as well as chloroplast. Moreover, the ZmLAZ1-4 gene was negatively co-expressed with ZmBES1/BZR1-11 gene through co-expression and real-time quantitative PCR analysis. The results of yeast one-hybrid and dual-luciferase assay suggested that ZmBES1/BZR1-11 could bind to ZmLAZ1-4 promoter to inhibit its transcription. All results indicated that ZmLAZ1-4 was a novel zinc transporter on plasma and vacuolar membrane, and transported zinc under negative regulation of the ZmBES1/BZR1-11 transcription factor. The study provides insights into further underlying the mechanism of ZmLAZ1-4 regulating zinc homeostasis.
The Genetic Architecture of Nitrogen Use Efficiency in Switchgrass (Panicum virgatum L.)
Authors: Shrestha Vivek , Chhetri Hari B. , Kainer David , Xu Yaping , Hamilton Lance , Piasecki Cristiano , Wolfe Ben , Wang Xueyan , Saha Malay , Jacobson Daniel , Millwood Reginald J. , Mazarei Mitra , Stewart C. Neal
Published: May 2022

Switchgrass (Panicum virgatum L.) has immense potential as a bioenergy crop with the aim of producing biofuel as an end goal. Nitrogen (N)-related sustainability traits, such as nitrogen use efficiency (NUE) and nitrogen remobilization efficiency (NRE), are important factors affecting switchgrass quality and productivity. Hence, it is imperative to develop nitrogen use-efficient switchgrass accessions by exploring the genetic basis of NUE in switchgrass. For that, we used 331 diverse field-grown switchgrass accessions planted under low and moderate N fertility treatments. We performed a genome wide association study (GWAS) in a holistic manner where we not only considered NUE as a single trait but also used its related phenotypic traits, such as total dry biomass at low N and moderate N, and nitrogen use index, such as NRE. We have evaluated the phenotypic characterization of the NUE and the related traits, highlighted their relationship using correlation analysis, and identified the top ten nitrogen use-efficient switchgrass accessions. Our GWAS analysis identified 19 unique single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) and 32 candidate genes. Two promising GWAS candidate genes, caffeoyl-CoA O-methyltransferase (CCoAOMT) and alfin-like 6 (AL6), were further supported by linkage disequilibrium (LD) analysis. Finally, we discussed the potential role of nitrogen in modulating the expression of these two genes. Our findings have opened avenues for the development of improved nitrogen use-efficient switchgrass lines.
Giving a Body a Different Face—How Men and Women Evaluate Their Own Body vs. That of Others
Authors: Voges Mona M. , Quittkat Hannah L. , Schöne Benjamin , Vocks Silja
Published: May 2022

Eating disorders affect women more than men. Women reportedly dislike their body shape more and appreciate it less than do men. One factor influencing body image might be the application of different standards for oneself than for other people when evaluating bodies. To investigate this possibility, we determined whether the application of double standards is different between men and women. We presented 57 women and 54 men (aged 18–30 and of average weight) with pictures of their own bodies and pictures of average weight, overweight, and “ideal” bodies attached to the participants’ own face and to another person’s face. Participants were instructed to evaluate their emotional reaction to the pictures and then rate the various pictures on aspects of attractiveness, body fat, and muscle mass. The degree of the double standard was defined as the difference between ratings of what appeared to be one’s own body and what appeared to be someone else’s according to the presented face. The analyses revealed, firstly, that both genders applied self-deprecating double standards when viewing overweight and average-weight bodies. Women, but not men, also showed self-deprecating double standards when viewing the ideal body and their own body. By contrast, men applied fewer double standards when viewing the ideal body and self-enhancing double standards when viewing their own body. The study suggests that young, average-weight men are more or less satisfied with their own bodies, whereas young, average-weight women tend to apply a stricter standard for themselves than for others, thus devaluing their own bodies. This vulnerability to body image is hypothesized as contributing to the prevalence of eating disorders in women.
The Feminine Condition and Women's Sexual and Reproductive Health in Brazil and France
Authors: Silva Simone Santana da , Fortuna Cinira Magali , Monceau Gilles , Soulière Marguerite , Pilotti Anne
Published: May 2022

Introduction

Elements mark the reality of reading the female body in symbolic constructions and social symbols in the exercise of their reproductive health. The study aims to identify elements that characterize the female condition while analyzing the reproductive health of Brazilian and French women.

Materials and Methods

A qualitative, multicenter, international study was conducted in Brazil and in France between 2016 and 2019. Data were produced through the use of semi-structured scripts. Focus group discussions and individual interviews were conducted with women who gave birth, hetero-female couples who lived the experience of gestation and birth of a baby, and professionals of maternal and childcare services or members of the associations concerned with the health of mothers and babies. It was guided by the theoretical-methodological framework of institutional analysis in line with the French Institutional Socioclinics.

Results

Sexual and reproductive health in the realities researched in Brazil and France are sometimes close and sometimes far apart. In what involves the Brazilian health system, abortion is criminalized and often performed illegally. Furthermore, pregnancy, childbirth, and the postpartum period are highly medicalized. In addition, childbirth is not assured as an experience for a woman and her family. This aspect is confirmed by high numbers of cesarean sections performed or by maternal and infant mortality indicators. The French health system prioritizes vaginal deliveries and seems to assure more autonomy to women, but at the same time, it is worn out by the logic of profit, the efficiency of actions, and the rationalization of practices. In association with these, there are other intrinsic elements in the functioning of the institution that delineates the format of each country: notion of women's rights, violence against women, and discussion regarding the oppression markers of race, gender, sexuality, and social class.

Conclusions

Both countries reveal aspects related to the social role of women's bodies. The established logic reflects in the decision to have children, motherhood, women's autonomy over their own bodies, and in the core values linked to the termination of pregnancy and the professional practices developed in prenatal care, childbirth, and postpartum.
Aiding Reflective Navigation in a Dynamic Information Landscape: A Challenge for Educational Psychology
Authors: Bobrowicz Katarzyna , Han Areum , Hausen Jennifer , Greiff Samuel
Published: May 2022

Open access to information is now a universal phenomenon thanks to rapid technological developments across the globe. This open and universal access to information is a key value of democratic societies because, in principle, it supports well-informed decision-making on individual, local, and global matters. In practice, however, without appropriate readiness for navigation in a dynamic information landscape, such access to information can become a threat to public health, safety, and economy, as the COVID-19 pandemic has shown. In the past, this readiness was often conceptualized in terms of adequate literacy levels, but the contemporarily observed highest-ever literacy levels have not immunized our societies against the risks of misinformation. Therefore, in this Perspective, we argue that democratization of access to information endows citizens with new responsibilities, and second, these responsibilities demand readiness that cannot be reduced to mere literacy levels. In fact, this readiness builds on individual adequate literacy skills, but also requires rational thinking and awareness of own information processing. We gather evidence from developmental, educational, and cognitive psychology to show how these aspects of readiness could be improved through education interventions, and how they may be related to healthy work-home balance and self-efficacy. All these components of education are critical to responsible global citizenship and will determine the future direction of our societies.
Cognitive and Emotional Determinants of Automatic Perspective Taking in Healthy Adults
Authors: Rodriguez Cristelle , Montandon Marie-Louise , Herrmann François R. , Pegna Alan J. , Giannakopoulos Panteleimon
Published: May 2022

Previous studies using the dot-perspective task postulated that people automatically take into account others' perspective even when it prevents them from achieving their own goals. This human ability may be of key importance for the ascription of mental states and social interactions. The cognitive and emotional determinants of automatic perspective taking (APT) is still matter of debate. To address this issue, we examined the performance in the Samson et al. APT task in 91 healthy adults who underwent a detailed neuropsychological testing including assessment of their general intelligence (Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale, WAIS), attention and impulsivity (Conners' Continuous Performance Test-II, CPT-II), alexithymia (Toronto Alexithymia Scale, TAS), and measures of affective empathy and explicit theory of mind (Geneva Social Cognition Scale, GeSoCS, and mini-Social cognition and Emotional Assessment, mini-SEA). Univariate and multiple linear regression models (adjusted for age, gender, and education) were used to explore the association between mean reaction times (respectively, mean number of errors) in the APT task, and the CPT-II parameters, WAIS global score (as well as subscale scores), TAS, and GeSoCS and mini-SEA scores. Only the CPT-II parameters were significantly associated with the mean reaction times. Increased omissions, commissions, and detectability as well as hit reaction time standard error in CPT-II were all related to worse performances both in Self and Other conditions. The mean number of errors was negatively associated with the GeSoCS score. Among the variables studied, only CPT-II parameters had a significant impact on egocentric and altercentric interference. Neither global intelligence nor alexithymia have an effect on dot-perspective task performance. The present findings suggest that people with lower attentional resources and increased impulsivity display worse performances in the APT task and are less responsive to both egocentric and altercentric interference.
Multinational Enterprises’ Knowledge Transfer Received Dimensions and Subsidiary Innovation Performance: The Impact of Human Resource Management Practices and Training and Development Types
Authors: Xie Yu , Boadu Francis , Chen Zhen , Ofori Adwoa Serwaa
Published: May 2022

In this paper, we adopt the resource-based view theory as the theoretical framework to empirically investigate the relationship among knowledge transfer received dimensions (i.e., tacit and explicit), human resource management practices, training and development types (i.e., on-the-job training and development, and off-the-job training and development) and subsidiary innovation performance. Using a survey dataset from 314 subsidiaries of foreign multinational enterprises located in China, we find that: (1) knowledge transfer received dimensions contribute to subsidiary innovation performance; (2) human resource management practices can positively moderate knowledge transfer received dimensions and subsidiary innovation performance; (3) the positive effect of human resource management practices on the knowledge transfer received dimensions- subsidiary innovation performance link increases when on-the-job training and development and off-the-job training and development is high. The study also provides insight into how knowledge transfer received dimensions, human resource management practices, and training and development types matter importantly to the subsidiary’s innovation performance.
Cognitive Function Mediates the Anti-suicide Effect of Repeated Intravenous Ketamine in Adult Patients With Suicidal Ideation
Authors: Zhou Yanling , Wang Chengyu , Lan Xiaofeng , Li Weicheng , Chao Ziyuan , Wu Kai , McIntyre Roger S. , Ning Yuping
Published: May 2022

Objective

Prior research has shown that ketamine has anti-suicide effects. Additional evidence also suggests that ketamine may offer pro-cognitive effects. Herein, we propose that the anti-suicide effects of ketamine are partially mediated via pro-cognitive effects. We aimed to determine whether improvement in cognitive function mediated change in suicidal ideation was associated with ketamine treatment.

Methods

Unipolar or bipolar depressive patients (n = 86) with suicidal ideation received six infusions of ketamine (0.5 mg/kg) over 2 weeks. The current severity of suicidal ideation and depression symptoms were assessed with the Beck Scale for Suicide Ideation (SSI) and the Montgomery–Asberg Depression Rating Scale (MADRS), respectively, at baseline, days 13 and 26. Cognitive domains, including processing speed, working memory, visual learning, and verbal learning were measured with the Measurement and Treatment Research to Improve Cognition in Schizophrenia (MATRICS) Consensus Cognitive Battery at the same time points.

Results

Mediation analysis showed a significant total effect of ketamine treatment on SSI score (coef = –1.853, 95%CI [–2.2, –1.5]). The direct and total indirect (MADRS total score and any of cognitive domains) effects of ketamine on suicidal ideation both were statistically significant (direct: coef = –1.064 to –1.352; total indirect: coef = –0.501 to –0.788). MADRS total score and processing speed (but not other cognitive domains) were significant partial mediators of the association between ketamine treatment and improvements in suicidal ideation.

Conclusion

Depressive symptoms severity and processing speed performance partially mediated improvements in suicidal ideation after repeated ketamine infusions in persons with unipolar or bipolar depressive disorder.
Efficacy of the Therapeutic Game “Trisquel” in the Treatment of Patients With Substance-Related Disorders Randomized Clinical Study
Authors: Piñón-Blanco Adolfo , Vergara-Moragues Esperanza , Gutiérrez-Martínez Olga , Fernández-Palleiro Patricia , Rodrigues Sonia , Rodrigues-Amorím Daniela , Lage-López María Teresa , González-López Ana , Velasquez Teresa , Amorim Mónica , Lloves-Moratinos Manuel , Viéitez-Fernández Isabel , Sabio-Fernandez Gerardo , Graña-Torralba Rebeca , Vilar-Díaz Vanesa , Carrera-Machado Indalecio , Cancelo-Martinez Jesús , Ferreira Adelino , Cardoso Susana , Rivera-Baltanás Tania , Otero-Lamas Francisco , Olivares José Manuel , Spuch Carlos
Published: May 2022

Substance-related disorders (SRD) have been consistently associated with alterations both in cognitive and executive functions, which affect to patients’ quality of life. The main objective of this work was to test the beneficial cognitive effects on patients with SRD after the implementation of “Trisquel,” an intervention program in board game format. To check the effectiveness of Trisquel program, a group of people diagnosed with SRD was randomly assigned either to the experimental group or to the control group. The experimental group performed Trisquel structured sessions twice a week during 3 months, while the control group performed routinely conventional therapeutic activities with the same frequency and duration. Neuropsychological tests were done to both groups before and after the intervention. After the 3 months of intervention the experimental group showed the following statistically significant improvements for WAIS-III subtests: number key, symbol search, arithmetic, direct digits, inverse digits, total digits, letters-numbers in the processing speed index and in the working memory index. Regarding STROOP tests, statistically significant progress was observed in the phonetic fluency letter P, phonetic fluency letter M, phonetic fluency letter R subtests, word-reading and word-color subtests. The control group only obtained improvements for WAIS-III subtests of arithmetic, letters-numbers and in the working memory index. The results of this study confirm that “Trisquel” is an effective intervention program for people diagnosed with SRD, getting improvements in processing speed (psychomotor and reading), attentional subprocesses (focused and sustained) and executive functions (updating and inhibition).
The Lifetime of Experiences Questionnaire: Psychometric Properties and Relationships With Memory Function in an Iranian Elderly Sample
Authors: Karsazi Hossein , Hatami Javad , Rostami Reza , Moghadamzadeh Ali
Published: May 2022

This study aimed to validate the Persian version of the Lifetime of Experiences Questionnaire (LEQ) and examine the relationship between life experience and memory function. To this end, two studies were conducted. Study one examined the factor structure, internal consistency, and convergent and discriminant validity of the Persian version of LEQ with 247 healthy elderly individuals (M age = 70.17,SD= 4.42; 55.9% women). The exploratory factor analysis yielded a five-factor solution, including Knowledge, Physical, Socialization, Artistic, and Leisure dimensions, which accounted for 42.42% of the explained variance. The internal consistency of the LEQ was in the acceptable range (α = 0.703). Also, the LEQ and its subscales (except the Artistic subscale) had a negative relationship with geriatric depression and a positive relationship with a healthy lifestyle, supporting the measure's convergent and discriminant validity. In the second study, we examined the relationship between LEQ (total and subscales score) and memory function using Pearson correlation and moderating analysis with 149 participants (M age = 70.37,SD= 4.29; 55.03% women). The results demonstrated that the LEQ total and subscales scores correlated positively with episodic memory. In the same vein, LEQ total score and Knowledge subscale showed a positive correlation with semantic memory. The results of moderation analysis showed that LEQ subscales have a different role in memory decline. The knowledge subscale as a content component moderates the effect of age on semantic memory (B = 0.005,t= 2.021,p= 0.045), while the mid-life non-specific activities, which are based on life stages, moderate the effect of age on episodic memory (B = 0.007,t= 3.348,p= 0.001). In conclusion, our results indicated that the Persian version of the LEQ is a valid and reliable instrument for measuring experiences and activities throughout life, which can be used in professional clinical and research settings in the aging context with Iranian elderly samples. Furthermore, our findings suggest that various life experiences can be considered cognitive reserves in old age.
Research on Outdoor Space Design Strategy of “SOS Children's Village” Based on the Psychology of Troubled Children
Authors: Fu Fei , Liu Xiao , Zhou Sixiang
Published: May 2022

Despite significant interaction between children's psychology and space in welfare institutions, only a handful of empirical studies have focused on it to date. Through the investigation, analysis, and spatial classification of the psychological issues of troubled children in the SOS children's village community in Chengdu, we observed the records for 1 year and used the PHCSS-SD method innovatively to systematically and quantitatively analyze the psychology of troubled children and their perception of public space in the park. Based on the needs of hearing, vision, touch, interaction, and safety of children in distress, we selected nine evaluation factors, including daylighting, interesting pattern, participation, and touchability. Each factor was categorized into five evaluation scales for psychological measurement and analysis to provide a basis for the development of mental health and the optimization of the living environment of children in distress. Based on the SD broken line of public space, we analyzed the advantages and disadvantages of space and affirmed the crucial contributions made by the Chinese government to children's welfare. Overall, this study discusses the strategy of building outdoor public spaces in the SOS children's village community.