bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
G-749 Promotes Receptor Tyrosine Kinase TYRO3 Degradation and Induces Apoptosis in Both Colon Cancer Cell Lines and Xenograft Mouse Models
Authors: Kim Hae Dong , Park Eun Jung , Choi Eun Kyoung , Song Seuk Young , Hoe Kwang-Lae , Kim Dong-Uk
Published: October 2021

G-749 is an FLT3 kinase inhibitor that was originally developed as a treatment for acute myeloid leukemia. Some FLT3 kinase inhibitors are dual kinase inhibitors that inhibit the TAM (Tyro3, Axl, Mer) receptor tyrosine kinase family and are used to treat solid cancers such as non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) and triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC). AXL promotes metastasis, suppression of immune response, and drug resistance in NSCLC and TNBC. G-749, a potential TAM receptor tyrosine kinase inhibitor, and its derivative SKI-G-801, effectively inhibits the phosphorylation of AXL at nanomolar concentration (IC50 = 20 nM). This study aimed to investigate the anticancer effects of G-749 targeting the TAM receptor tyrosine kinase in colon cancer. Here, we demonstrate the potential of G-749 to effectively inhibit tumorigenesis by degrading TYRO3 via regulated intramembrane proteolysis both in vitro and in vivo. In addition, we demonstrated that G-749 inhibits the signaling pathway associated with cell proliferation in colon cancer cell lines HCT15 and SW620, as well as tumor xenograft mouse models. We propose G-749 as a new therapeutic agent for the treatment of colon cancer caused by abnormal TYRO3 expression or activity.
Parkia speciosa Hassk. Empty Pod Extract Alleviates Angiotensin II-Induced Cardiomyocyte Hypertrophy in H9c2 Cells by Modulating the Ang II/ROS/NO Axis and MAPK Pathway
Authors: Siti Hawa Nordin , Jalil Juriyati , Asmadi Ahmad Yusof , Kamisah Yusof
Published: October 2021

Cardiac hypertrophy is characteristic of heart failure in patients who have experienced cardiac remodeling. Many medicinal plants, including Parkia speciosa Hassk., have documented cardioprotective effects against such pathologies. This study investigated the activity of P. speciosa empty pod extract against cardiomyocyte hypertrophy in H9c2 cardiomyocytes exposed to angiotensin II (Ang II). In particular, its role in modulating the Ang II/reactive oxygen species/nitric oxide (Ang II/ROS/NO) axis and mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) pathway was examined. Treatment with the extract (12.5, 25, and 50 μg/ml) prevented Ang II-induced increases in cell size, NADPH oxidase activity, B-type natriuretic peptide levels, and reactive oxygen species and reductions in superoxide dismutase activity. These were comparable to the effects of the valsartan positive control. However, the extract did not significantly ameliorate the effects of Ang II on inducible nitric oxide synthase activity and nitric oxide levels, while valsartan did confer such protection. Although the extract decreased the levels of phosphorylated extracellular signal-related kinase, p38, and c-Jun N-terminal kinase, valsartan only decreased phosphorylated c-Jun N-terminal kinase expression. Phytochemical screening identified the flavonoids rutin (1) and quercetin (2) in the extract. These findings suggest that P. speciosa empty pod extract protects against Ang II-induced cardiomyocyte hypertrophy, possibly by modulating the Ang II/ROS/NO axis and MAPK signaling pathway via a mechanism distinct from valsartan.
Tanreqing Inhibits LPS-Induced Acute Lung Injury In Vivo and In Vitro Through Downregulating STING Signaling Pathway
Authors: He Yu-Qiong , Zhou Can-Can , Deng Jiu-Ling , Wang Liang , Chen Wan-Sheng
Published: October 2021

Acute lung injury (ALI) is a common life-threatening lung disease, which is mostly associated with severe inflammatory responses and oxidative stress. Tanreqing injection (TRQ), a Chinese patent medicine, is clinically used for respiratory-related diseases. However, the effects and action mechanism of TRQ on ALI are still unclear. Recently, STING as a cytoplasmic DNA sensor has been found to be related to the progress of ALI. Here, we showed that TRQ significantly inhibited LPS-induced lung histological change, lung edema, and inflammatory cell infiltration. Moreover, TRQ markedly reduced inflammatory mediators release (TNF-α, IL-6, IL-1β, and IFN-β). Furthermore, TRQ also alleviated oxidative stress, manifested by increased SOD and GSH activities and decreased 4-HNE, MDA, LDH, and ROS activities. In addition, we further found that TRQ significantly prevented cGAS, STING, P-TBK, P-P65, P-IRF3, and P-IκBα expression in ALI mice. And we also confirmed that TRQ could inhibit mtDNA release and suppress signaling pathway mediated by STING in vitro. Importantly, the addition of STING agonist DMXAA dramatically abolished the protective effects of TRQ. Taken together, this study indicated that TRQ alleviated LPS-induced ALI and inhibited inflammatory responses and oxidative stress through STING signaling pathway.
New Insights Into the Anticonvulsant Effects of Essential Oil From Melissa officinalis L. (Lemon Balm)
Authors: Chindo Ben A. , Howes Melanie-Jayne R. , Abuhamdah Sawsan , Yakubu Musa I. , Ayuba Godwin I. , Battison Alex , Chazot Paul L.
Published: October 2021

Melissa officinalis L. is used in traditional European and Iranian folk medicines to treat a plethora of neurological diseases including epilepsy. We utilized the in vitro and in vivo models of epilepsy to probe the anticonvulsant potentials of essential oil from M. officinalis (MO) to gain insight into the scientific basis for its applications in traditional medicine for the management of convulsive disorders. MO was evaluated for effects on maximal electroshock (MES) and pentylenetetrazole (PTZ) -induced seizures in mice, on 4–aminopyridine (4-AP)-brain slice model of epilepsy and sustained repetitive firing of current clamped neurons; and its ameliorative effects were examined on seizure severity, anxiety, depression, cognitive dysfunction, oxidative stress and neuronal cell loss in PTZ-kindled rats. MO reversibly blocked spontaneous ictal-like discharges in the 4-AP-brain slice model of epilepsy and secondary spikes from sustained repetitive firing, suggesting anticonvulsant effects and voltage-gated sodium channel blockade. MO protected mice from PTZ– and MES–induced seizures and mortality, and ameliorated seizure severity, fear-avoidance, depressive-like behavior, cognitive deficits, oxidative stress and neuronal cell loss in PTZ–kindled rats. The findings warrant further study for the potential use of MO and/or its constituent(s) as adjunctive therapy for epileptic patients.
Non-invasive Estimation of Atrial Fibrillation Driver Position With Convolutional Neural Networks and Body Surface Potentials
Authors: Cámara-Vázquez Miguel Ángel , Hernández-Romero Ismael , Morgado-Reyes Eduardo , Guillem Maria S. , Climent Andreu M. , Barquero-Pérez Oscar
Published: October 2021

Atrial fibrillation (AF) is characterized by complex and irregular propagation patterns, and AF onset locations and drivers responsible for its perpetuation are the main targets for ablation procedures. ECG imaging (ECGI) has been demonstrated as a promising tool to identify AF drivers and guide ablation procedures, being able to reconstruct the electrophysiological activity on the heart surface by using a non-invasive recording of body surface potentials (BSP). However, the inverse problem of ECGI is ill-posed, and it requires accurate mathematical modeling of both atria and torso, mainly from CT or MR images. Several deep learning-based methods have been proposed to detect AF, but most of the AF-based studies do not include the estimation of ablation targets. In this study, we propose to model the location of AF drivers from BSP as a supervised classification problem using convolutional neural networks (CNN). Accuracy in the test set ranged between 0.75 (SNR = 5 dB) and 0.93 (SNR = 20 dB upward) when assuming time independence, but it worsened to 0.52 or lower when dividing AF models into blocks. Therefore, CNN could be a robust method that could help to non-invasively identify target regions for ablation in AF by using body surface potential mapping, avoiding the use of ECGI.
The Design and Evaluation of a Portable Extracorporeal Centrifugal Blood Pump
Authors: Wu Peng , Xiang Wenjing , Yin Chengke , Li Shu
Published: October 2021

In recent years, blood pumps have become the bridge to heart transplantation for patients with heart failure. Portability and wearability of blood pumps should be considered to ensure patient satisfaction in everyday life. To date, the focus has been on the development of portable and wearable peripheral components, little attention has been paid to the portable and wearable performance of the blood pump itself. This study reported a novel design of a wearable and portable extracorporeal centrifugal blood pump. Based on an in-house centrifugal maglev blood pump, the wearable and portable blood pump was designed with parallel inlet and outlet pipes to improve the wearable performance. A ring cavity was set at the inlet to convert the circumferential velocity of the inlet pipe to an axial velocity. The hydraulic and hemolytic performance of the baseline and portable blood pumps were analyzed and compared. Compared with the baseline pump, the hydrodynamic and hemolytic performance of the portable pump has been maintained without serious degradation. The results of this study will improve the life quality of patients with heart failure, and enhance the clinical benefits of artificial heart.
Convergence of Bar and Cry1Ac Mutant Genes in Soybean Confers Synergistic Resistance to Herbicide and Lepidopteran Insects
Authors: Nguyen Tien Dung , La Van Hien , Nguyen Van Duy , Bui Tri Thuc , Nguyen Thi Tinh , Je Yeon Ho , Chung Young Soo , Ngo Xuan Binh
Published: October 2021

Soybean is a globally important crop species, which is subject to pressure by insects and weeds causing severe substantially reduce yield and quality. Despite the success of transgenic soybean in terms of Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) and herbicide tolerance, unforeseen mitigated performances have still been inspected due to climate changes that favor the emergence of insect resistance. Therefore, there is a need to develop a biotech soybean with elaborated gene stacking to improve insect and herbicide tolerance in the field. In this study, new gene stacking soybean events, such as bialaphos resistance (bar) and pesticidal crystal protein (cry)1Ac mutant 2 (M#2), are being developed in Vietnamese soybean under field condition. Five transgenic plants were extensively studied in the herbicide effects, gene expression patterns, and insect mortality across generations. The increase in the expression of the bar gene by 100% in the leaves of putative transgenic plants was a determinant of herbicide tolerance. In an insect bioassay, the cry1Ac-M#2 protein tested yielded higher than expected larval mortality (86%), reflecting larval weight gain and weight of leaf consumed were less in the T1 generation. Similarly, in the field tests, the expression of cry1Ac-M#2 in the transgenic soybean lines was relatively stable from T0 to T3 generations that corresponded to a large reduction in the rate of leaves and pods damage caused by Lamprosema indicata and Helicoverpa armigera. The transgenic lines converged two genes, producing a soybean phenotype that was resistant to herbicide and lepidopteran insects. Furthermore, the expression of cry1Ac-M#2 was dominant in the T1 generation leading to the exhibit of better phenotypic traits. These results underscored the great potential of combining bar and cry1Ac mutation genes in transgenic soybean as pursuant of ensuring resistance to herbicide and lepidopteran insects.
Clonal Propagation of Valeriana jatamansi Retains the Essential Oil Profile of Mother Plants: An Approach Toward Generating Homogenous Grade of Essential Oil for Industrial Use
Authors: Gautam Rahul Dev , Kumar Ajay , Kumar Ravi , Chauhan Ramesh , Singh Satbeer , Kumar Manish , Kumar Dinesh , Kumar Ashok , Singh Sanatsujat
Published: October 2021

Valeriana jatamansi Jones (Syn. V. wallichii DC.) is an aromatic, medicinal herb used as a tranquilizer and in treating sleep disorders. Rhizome is mainly used to extract essential oil (EO) and valepotriates. High quality and economic yield of rhizomes are available in the third year of growth. Therefore, the cultivation of V. jatamansi is not picking up, and over-exploitation of this plant from wild habitats to meet the increasing demand of the pharmaceutical industry is the cause of threat to the genetic diversity of the species. Further, collections from the wild are heterogeneous, resulting in variable produce. The development of clonal lines can ensure uniform quality and yield of rhizome biomass. An effective clonal propagation method was standardized using different hormonal concentrations of naphthalene acetic acid (NAA) on apical shoot cuttings from the selected clone CSIR-IHBT-VJ-05 for different time durations and raised over various planting media. NAA treatment of 50 ppm concentration for 30 min was found optimum for root induction in apical shoots of V. jatamansi. Variations for EO composition within the clone were non-significant, while samples of the control population were variable. The best quality EO (patchouli alcohol ∼62%) was available during the third year of plant growth. A propagation technique for large-scale quality plant material (QPM) production has been standardized to reduce the stress over natural resources and promote V. jatamansi for use in the aromatic and pharmaceutical industry.
AhABI4s Negatively Regulate Salt-Stress Response in Peanut
Authors: Luo Lu , Wan Qian , Zhang Kun , Zhang Xiurong , Guo Ruijie , Wang Cai , Zheng Chengchao , Liu Fengzhen , Ding Zhaojun , Wan Yongshan
Published: October 2021

Soil salinity is one of the major factors that limit the area of cultivable land and yield potential of crops. The ability of salt tolerance varies with plant species. Peanut (Arachis hypogaea L.) is a moderately salt-sensitive and economically important crop, however, their biological processes involved in salt-stress response remain unclear. In this study, we investigated the role of A. hypogaea L. ABSCISIC ACID INSENSITIVE 4s (AhABI4s) in salt tolerance and elucidated its mode of action in peanuts. The results showed that the downregulation of AhABI4s via whole plant virus-induced gene silencing has enhanced the survival rate, biomass accumulation, and root/shoot ratio of peanut seedlings in response to salt-stress. Transcriptomics, quantitative proteomics, and phosphoproteomic analyses were performed using AhABI4s-silenced and Mock plants. The expression pattern of 15,247 genes, 1,900 proteins, and 2,620 phosphorylation sites were affected by silencing of AhABI4s in peanut leaf and root after sodium chloride (NaCl) treatment. Among them, 63 potential downstream target genes of ABI4 changed consistently at both transcription and translation levels, and the protein/phosphorylation levels of 31 ion transporters/channels were also affected. Electrophoretic mobility shift assays (EMSA) showed that ABI4 was able to bind to the promoters of HSP70, fructokinase (FRK), and pyruvate kinase (PK) coding genes in vitro. In addition, we also detected a binding preference of AhABI4 for CACT(G/T)GCA motif in the promoters of down-regulated genes in peanut leaf. Collectively, the potential downstream targets which were regulated at the levels of transcription and translation, binding preference, and in vivo phosphorylation sites that had been revealed in this study will provide new insight into the AhABI4s-mediated salt tolerance regulation mechanism in peanuts.
Identification of miRNAs Contributing to the Broad-Spectrum and Durable Blast Resistance in the Yunnan Local Rice Germplasm
Authors: Li Jinlu , Zhang Hui , Yang Rui , Zeng Qianchun , Han Guangyu , Du Yunlong , Yang Jing , Yang Genhua , Luo Qiong
Published: October 2021

MicroRNAs are 20–24 nucleotide non-coding RNAs and play important roles in plant-environment interactions. In recent years, many microRNAs (miRNAs) have been found to regulate rice immunity against rice blast fungus. However, there are limited studies about miRNAs that directly target resistance (R) genes to regulate rice immunity. In this study, by deep sequencing, small RNA libraries were constructed from four-leaf stage seedlings of the resistant variety Ziyu44 and susceptible variety Jiangnanxiangnuo (JNXN) upon Magnaporthe oryzae infection, we found that much more miRNAs were significantly differentially expressed in Ziyu44 than in JNXN. Among these miRNAs, we focused on miR9664, a newly identified rice miRNA in our sequencing, which was upregulated lightly in Ziyu44 and drastically in JNXN at 24–48 h post-inoculation (hpi). The transgenic plants overexpressing miR9664 (miR9664-oe) displayed reduced defense responses to M. oryzae, while those knocking down miR9664 (miR9664-m) displayed enhanced defense responses to M. oryzae. Most of the detected miR9664 predicted target genes were reduced in the miR9664-oe lines while increased in the miR9664-m lines. The cleavage site of LOC_Os08g07774 was confirmed by RLM-RACE. Meanwhile, after being inoculated with M. oryzae, the genes were expressed differently between Ziyu44 and JNXN. The results suggest that miR9664-mediated R gene turnover contributes to Ziyu44 broad-spectrum resistance to rice blast fungus. Taken together, our research identified a new rice miRNA that directly targets R genes to regulate rice immunity against rice blast fungus, adding significant information to the study of rice–M. oryzae interaction.
Maize Transformation: From Plant Material to the Release of Genetically Modified and Edited Varieties
Authors: Yassitepe Juliana Erika de Carvalho Teixeira , da Silva Viviane Cristina Heinzen , Hernandes-Lopes José , Dante Ricardo Augusto , Gerhardt Isabel Rodrigues , Fernandes Fernanda Rausch , da Silva Priscila Alves , Vieira Leticia Rios , Bonatti Vanessa , Arruda Paulo
Published: October 2021

Over the past decades, advances in plant biotechnology have allowed the development of genetically modified maize varieties that have significantly impacted agricultural management and improved the grain yield worldwide. To date, genetically modified varieties represent 30% of the world’s maize cultivated area and incorporate traits such as herbicide, insect and disease resistance, abiotic stress tolerance, high yield, and improved nutritional quality. Maize transformation, which is a prerequisite for genetically modified maize development, is no longer a major bottleneck. Protocols using morphogenic regulators have evolved significantly towards increasing transformation frequency and genotype independence. Emerging technologies using either stable or transient expression and tissue culture-independent methods, such as direct genome editing using RNA-guided endonuclease system as an in vivo desired-target mutator, simultaneous double haploid production and editing/haploid-inducer-mediated genome editing, and pollen transformation, are expected to lead significant progress in maize biotechnology. This review summarises the significant advances in maize transformation protocols, technologies, and applications and discusses the current status, including a pipeline for trait development and regulatory issues related to current and future genetically modified and genetically edited maize varieties.
A Longitudinal Study of Gambling Behaviors During the COVID-19 Pandemic in Sweden
Authors: Månsson Viktor , Wall Håkan , Berman Anne H. , Jayaram-Lindström Nitya , Rosendahl Ingvar
Published: October 2021

This study aimed to investigate changes in gambling behaviors during the first and second waves of the COVID-19 pandemic in Sweden. Participants who had gambled within the past year were recruited from social media and the Swedish National Helpline (n = 325, mean age 39.8 years, 64.8% males, 31.3% with problem gambling) and completed an online survey measuring gambling behaviors, consequences of the pandemic in general and worries related to the pandemic. A sub-sample (n = 139) completed a follow-up survey, during the second wave. The results showed no significant associations between COVID-19 consequences (financial or increased isolation) and increased monthly gambling behavior. No major migrations were observed between game types. However, gambling on a high-risk game (OR = 7.44, p < 0.001) and worrying about mental health due to the pandemic (OR = 2.85, p < 0.001) were significantly associated with past year gambling problems and increased monthly gambling problems from the first to the second wave. More longitudinal research is needed in vulnerable populations, to fully understand the long-term consequences of the pandemic.
“Project for a Spatiotemporal Neuroscience” – Brain and Psyche Share Their Topography and Dynamic
Authors: Northoff Georg , Scalabrini Andrea
Published: October 2021

What kind of neuroscience does psychoanalysis require? At his time, Freud in his “Project for a Scientific Psychology” searched for a model of the brain that could relate to incorporate the psyche’s topography and dynamic. Current neuropsychoanalysis builds on specific functions as investigated in Affective and Cognitive (and Social) Neuroscience including embodied approaches. The brain’s various functions are often converged with prediction as operationalized in predictive coding (PC) and free energy principle (FEP) which, recently, have been conceived as core for a “New Project for Scientific Psychology.” We propose to search for a yet more comprehensive and holistic neuroscience that focuses primarily on its topography and dynamic analogous to Freud’s model of the psyche. This leads us to what we describe as “Spatiotemporal Neuroscience” that focuses on the spatial topography and temporal dynamic of the brain’s neural activity including how they shape affective, cognitive, and social functions including PC and FEP (first part). That is illustrated by the temporally and spatially nested neural hierarchy of the self in the brain’s neural activity (second and third part). This sets the ground for developing our proposed “Project for a Spatiotemporal Neuroscience,” which complements and extends both Freud’s and Solms’ projects (fourth part) and also carries major practical implications as it lays the ground for a novel form of neuroscientifically informed psychotherapy, namely, “Spatiotemporal Psychotherapy.” In conclusion, “Spatiotemporal Neuroscience” provides an intimate link of brain and psyche by showing topography and dynamic as their shared features, that is, “common currency.”
Activating the Right Hemisphere Through Left-Hand Muscle Contraction Improves Novel Metaphor Comprehension
Authors: Noufi Tala , Zeev-Wolf Maor
Published: October 2021

The neurotypical brain is characterized by left hemisphere lateralization for most language processing. However, the right hemisphere plays a crucial part when it is required to bring together seemingly unrelated concepts into meaningful expressions, such as in the case of novel metaphors (unfamiliar figurative expressions). The aim of the current study was to test whether it is possible to enhance novel metaphor comprehension through an easy, efficient, and non-invasive method – intentional contraction of the left hand’s muscles, to activate the motor and sensory areas in the contralateral hemisphere. One hundred eighteen neurotypical participants were asked to perform a semantic judgment task involving two-word expressions of four types: literal, conventional metaphors, novel metaphors, or unrelated, while squeezing a rubber ball with their right hand, left hand, or not at all. Results demonstrated that left-hand contraction improved novel metaphor comprehension, as participants were more accurate and quicker in judging them to be meaningful. The findings of the present work provide a simple and efficient method for boosting right hemisphere activation, which can be used to improve metaphoric language comprehension. This method can aid several populations in which right hemisphere function is not fully established, and who struggle with processing figurative language, such as adolescents and individuals on the autistic spectrum.
COPEWithME: The Role of Parental Ability to Support and Promote Child Resilient Behaviors During the COVID-19 Emergency
Authors: Mariani Wigley Isabella Lucia Chiara , Mascheroni Eleonora , Bulletti Francesca , Bonichini Sabrina
Published: October 2021

The COVID-19 pandemic has led to lockdown in many countries and Italy was the first one interested in Europe. The lockdown strategy is an essential step to curb the exponential rise of COVID-19 cases, but it is very demanding for the population involved and especially for children and their families. The aims of the present study are: (a) to explore the psychometric properties of theCOPEWithMEquestionnaire, a new tool to evaluate parents' ability to support and promote child resilient behaviors, (b) to investigate the relation between parents' resilience and their ability to support and promote child resilient behaviors with child resilience and child stress-related behaviors assessed during the COVID-19 outbreak. Participants (N= 158 mothers, with 6- to 11-years-old children, 53% female), who were volunteers and anonymous, filled out an online questionnaire composed by CD-RISC 25, PMK-CYRM-R, andCOPEWithME. With regard to theCOPEWithME, validation exploratory factor analyses revealed a one-factor solution of 18 items. TheCOPEWithMEpositively correlates both with mothers' resilience and with children's resilience. Mediation analysis showed that the association between mothers' resilience and children's stress-related behaviors was mediated by the mothers' ability to support and promote child resilient behaviors. TheCOPEWithME, to our knowledge, is the first measure of parents' ability to support and promote resilient behaviors in school-age children, a key parenting skill that may help children in dealing with stressful situations such as the COVID-19 outbreak. These findings represent useful insights to advance mental health interventions in the post-pandemic phases suggesting focusing on a family's resources and resilience processes.
Resilience Training Programs in Organizational Contexts: A Scoping Review
Authors: Scheuch Ianina , Peters Natalie , Lohner Max S. , Muss Caroline , Aprea Carmela , Fürstenau Bärbel
Published: October 2021

The importance of resilience for employees' well-being and performance at work has grown steadily in recent years. This development has become even more pronounced through the recent COVID-19 pandemic and its consequences, including major changes in occupational settings. Although there is increasing interest in resilience in general and a growing number of publications focusing on the development of resilience in particular, many questions remain about resilience training, especially in organizational contexts. The purpose of this scoping review is to uncover what is known about resilience training in organizational contexts. A systematic search of four databases for articles published through 2021 was conducted. A total of 48 studies focusing on resilience training programs in organizational contexts were included in this review. The review provides relevant insights into resilience training programs by focusing on program characteristics, target group, study design, and outcomes. Based on the results, the main aspects that concern the development of resilience training programs for organizational settings and requirements for the study design for empirical investigation were summarized. The results of the review highlight possible directions for future research and offer useful insights for resilience-enhancing training programs in organizations.
How Does Mentoring Affect the Creative Performance of Mentors: The Role of Personal Learning and Career Stage
Authors: Xu Shuang , Liu Pingqing , Yang Zheng , Cui Zunkang , Yang Fang
Published: October 2021

Mentoring has become a vital strategy for improving employee performance and organizational development. A few previous literature studies made a detailed study on the benefits of mentees. The creative performance of mentors that improves from mentoring, however, only draws little attention. This article extends this line of inquiry by shedding light on whether, how, and when mentoring affects the creative performance of mentors, which is a crucial topic in research and practice. Based on the conservation of the resources theory (COR) and relational cultural theory (RCT), this article investigates the influence mechanism and boundary conditions of mentoring on the creative performance of mentors by conducting a multisource empirical study in China. The result shows that there is a positive impact of mentoring on the creative performance of mentors. We also reveal that the relationship is mediated by personal learning, especially the relational job learning dimension. Furthermore, this article finds that the career stage of mentors moderates the relationship between mentoring and personal learning, namely, the relationship is stronger among mentors at the later career stage. The empirical findings show implications for an understanding of how the creative behavior of mentors benefits mentoring and can be beneficial for developing the targeted measures to promote competitive advantages for organizations.
The Passage of Years: Not a Matter of Covert Retrieval of Autobiographical Memories
Authors: Kosak Ferdinand , Hilbert Sven
Published: October 2021

In current research, variations in retrospective passage of time judgments for long intervals are commonly attributed to differences regarding the number of experiences in these intervals or the accessibility of the respective memories. This seems to imply the assumption of a covert retrieval, where authors presume that memories from the respective interval influence the experience of time without these memories being explicitly activated when judging. However, no studies have systematically investigated the relation between the experience of time and the respective experiences and memories. To this end, we analyzed data from three studies in which participants judged the passage of the last 5 years either before being asked to select outstanding life events from a list (Studies 1a and b; N = 293 and 263) or before recalling as many meaningful personal memories as were spontaneously accessible (Study 2; N = 262). Despite applying a statistically powerful trial-by-trial mixed-effects modeling approach, neither in the separate datasets nor in the combined dataset, passage of time judgments were predicted by the number of reported events or memories. This suggests that people's spontaneous judgments of the passage of multiannual intervals are not necessarily affected by a covert retrieval of memories from the respective period.
Analysis of Habituation Learning in Mealworm Pupae (Tenebrio molitor)
Authors: Bernal-Gamboa Rodolfo , García-Salazar Jesús , Gámez A. Matías
Published: October 2021

The decline of response as a consequence of repeated stimulation is known as habituation. The goal of the present experiments was extending the knowledge about habituation of abdominal contractions in the pupa of Tenebrio molitor. Both experiments consisted of two phases. During Phase 1, all groups were exposed to a continuous stimulus (light in Experiment 1 and vibration in Experiment 2). At the beginning of this phase, pupae showed a high number of abdominal contractions. However, during the last minute of Phase 1, the number of abdominal contractions was lower. In the next phase, the pupae were divided in different groups to test for response recovery. We found an increase in the abdominal contractions when subjects were exposed to a different stimulus, be it within the same or in a distinct sensory modality. In addition, we also reported response recovery when the pupae were re-exposed to the original stimuli after a resting period. Results indicate that the increase in responding cannot be explained by either sensory adaptation or fatigue. The findings are consistent with the perspective that suggests that habituation plays a major role in the survival of the species, even in non-feeding developmental stages.
The Changes in Concentration of Cerebral Oxygenated Hemoglobin During Single Event-Related Japanese Shiritori Task in Patients With Major Depression Disorder: Comparison With Healthy Subjects
Authors: Ishii Youhei , Shoji Yoshihisa , Sato Mamoru , Nakano Shinya , Kondo Akihiko , Kodama Hideya , Morita Kiichiro
Published: October 2021

Patients with major depressive disorder (MDD) have been reported to show cognitive impairments in attention, cognition control, and motivation. The purpose of this study is to compare and examine the characteristics of frontal and temporal cortical activity in outpatients with MDD during the word production task (Shiritori) using a single event-related Near-Infrared Spectroscopy (NIRS) measurement method that was originally devised. The subjects were 29 MDD patients and 29 age matched healthy controls. In this task, one session consisted of two contrasting conditions (word production task, control condition), and all subjects alternated between these conditions. Each word was visually presented by a monitor for 0.3 s as an activation task and a fixed circle was presented for 12 s. In the activation task, subjects had to immediately generate a noun that starts with the last syllable of the presented word and they were required to say only creatures. From the data obtained at each measurement point during the 20 trials, and averaged waveform during activation task (20 trials) was calculated for each channel. During the word production task, the MDD patients showed significantly smaller activation than the controls in the prefrontal cortex area and inferior parietal area, especially in the left area. In addition, there was a significant negative correlation between Δoxy-Hb at the bilateral temporal lobe area and HAM-D total score in the MDD patients. These findings suggest that a single event-related NIRS measurement during Japanese shiritori tasks may be useful tool for evaluating psychophysiological indices in MDD patients, that relationship between activation and symptom may be of help in predicting functional outcome in patients.
The Utility of Animal Models for Studying the Metabo-Psychiatric Origins of Anorexia Nervosa
Authors: Zhang Jie , Dulawa Stephanie C.
Published: October 2021

Anorexia nervosa (AN) is a severe eating disorder that primarily affects young women and girls, and is characterized by abnormal restrictive feeding and a dangerously low body-mass index. AN has one of the highest mortality rates of any psychiatric disorder, and no approved pharmacological treatments exist. Current psychological and behavioral treatments are largely ineffective, and relapse is common. Relatively little basic research has examined biological mechanisms that underlie AN compared to other major neuropsychiatric disorders. A recent large-scale genome-wide association study (GWAS) revealed that the genetic architecture of AN has strong metabolic as well as psychiatric origins, suggesting that AN should be reconceptualized as a metabo-psychiatric disorder. Therefore, identifying the metabo-psychiatric mechanisms that contribute to AN may be essential for developing effective treatments. This review focuses on animal models for studying the metabo-psychiatric mechanisms that may contribute to AN, with a focus on the activity-based anorexia (ABA) paradigm. We also highlight recent work using modern circuit-dissecting neuroscience techniques to uncover metabolic mechanisms that regulate ABA, and encourage further work to ultimately identify novel treatment strategies for AN.
Comparison of Thyroid Hormone Levels Between Patients With Major Depressive Disorder and Healthy Individuals in China
Authors: Zhou Yanan , Ma Yuejiao , Wu Qiuxia , Wang Qianjin , Yang Winson Fu Zun , Wang Yunfei , Yang Dong , Luo Yinli , Tang Kewei , Liu Tieqiao , Wang Dongfang
Published: October 2021

Abnormal thyroid function in major depressive disorder (MDD) has been studied extensively, but the results still remain inconsistent. In China, few large-scale studies have investigated the differences in the levels of thyroid hormones between patients with MDD and healthy controls (HCs). In this retrospective, cross-sectional study, 535 MDD patients and 998 HCs were included. We compared the levels of thyroid hormones (FT3, FT4, and TSH) between the two groups, as well as investigated the distribution of levels of thyroid hormones within and outside normal ranges. The results showed that all the three hormones were significantly lower in MDD patients than in HCs, which was also true in different gender and age subgroups. The proportion of subjects with levels of all the three hormones outside the normal range in the MDD group was higher than that in the HC group (all p < 0.05). However, no significant difference was found in clinical/subclinical hyperthyroidism or hypothyroidism between the two groups (p > 0.05). Our study showed that the levels of thyroid hormones were lower in MDD patients, suggesting that there was an association between abnormal thyroid function and depression. The higher rate of thyroid dysfunction in MDD patients indicated the importance of regular monitoring of thyroid function.
A Case-Based Review of Cerebral Venous Infarcts With Perfusion Imaging and Comparison to Arterial Ischemic Stroke
Authors: Li Anna Y. , Tong Elizabeth , Yedavalli Vivek S.
Published: October 2021

Cerebral venous thrombosis (CVT) and cerebral venous infarcts (CVI) are diagnostic dilemmas secondary to their rarity, non-specific symptomatology at presentation, and variable imaging features. Despite its relatively infrequence, CVT is particularly prevalent in the younger adult population and is a potentially life-threatening disease with devastating neurological complications if not addressed in a timely manner. However, when treated promptly, CVT has the potential for a more reversible course and favorable prognosis than arterial ischemic strokes (AIS). The pathophysiology of CVI is distinct from that of AIS and is closely related to its potentially reversible nature. Familiarity with the conventional and variant venous anatomy, as well as the temporal evolution of imaging findings, is crucial in establishing diagnostic confidence. The use of MR perfusion imaging (MRP) and arterial spin-labeling (ASL) can potentially aid in the diagnosis of CVT/CVIviacharacterization of cerebral blood flow. The presence and extent of a cerebral perfusion deficit on either CT or MRI may play a role in clinical outcomes for patients with CVT, although future larger studies must be performed. This review presents a case-based overview focusing on the classic imaging characteristics of CVT and CVI in conjunction with bolus MRP and ASL findings in the adult population.
Effect of an Intensified Combined Electromyography and Visual Feedback Training on Facial Grading in Patients With Post-paralytic Facial Synkinesis
Authors: Volk Gerd F. , Roediger Benjamin , Geißler Katharina , Kuttenreich Anna-Maria , Klingner Carsten M. , Dobel Christian , Guntinas-Lichius Orlando
Published: October 2021

Background: There is no current standard for facial synkinesis rehabilitation programs. The benefit and stability of effect of an intensified 10-day facial training combining electromyography and visual biofeedback training was evaluated.

Methods: Fifty-four patients (77.8% female; median age: 49.5 years) with post-paralytic facial synkinesis (median time to onset of paralysis: 31.1 months) were included in retrospective longitudinal study between January 2013 and June 2016. Facial function was assesses at baseline (T0), first days of training (T1), last day of training (T2), and follow-up visit (T3) at a median time of 6 months later using the House-Brackmann (HB) facial nerve grading system, Stennert index (SI), Facial Nerve Grading System 2.0 (FNGS 2.0), and Sunnybrook Facial Grading System (SFGS). Pairwise comparisons between the time points with post-hoc Bonferroni correction were performed.

Results: No significant changes of the gradings and subscores were seen between T0 and T1 (all p > 0.01). The 10-day combined and intensified feedback training between T1 and T2 improved facial symmetry and decreased synkinetic activity. Facial grading with the FNGS 2.0 or the SFGS were most suited to depict the training effect. FNGS 2.0, regional score, FNGS 2.0, synkinesis score, and FNGS 2.0 total score improved significantly (all p ≤ 0.0001). Both, the FNGS 2.0 and the SFGS showed the strongest improvement in the nasolabial fold/zygomatic and the oral region. Neither the age of the patient (r = 0.168; p = 0.224), the gender (r = 0.126; p = 0.363) nor the length of the interval between onset of the palsy and training start (r = 0.011; p = 0.886) correlated with the changes of the SFGS between T1 and T2. The results remained stable between T2 and T3 without any further significant change.

Conclusion: Intensified daily combined electromyography and visual biofeedback training over 10 days was effective in patients with facial synkinesis and benefits were stable 6 months after therapy.
Pre- and Post-partum Berberine Supplementation in Dairy Goats as a Novel Strategy to Mitigate Oxidative Stress and Inflammation
Authors: Ghavipanje Navid , Fathi Nasri Mohammad Hasan , Farhangfar Seyyed Homayoun , Ghiasi Seyyed Ehsan , Vargas-Bello-Pérez Einar
Published: October 2021

As in dairy cattle, goats during the transition period face risk factors, in particular negative energy balance (NEB), inflammation, and impairment of the antioxidant response. The current study determined the effects of pre- and post-partum berberine (BBR) supplementation on antioxidant status and inflammation response during the transition period in dairy goats. Twenty-four primiparous Saanen goats were randomly divided into four groups: control (CON, without BBR) and supplemented with 1 g/day BBR (BBR1), 2 g/day BBR (BBR2), or 4 g/day BBR (BBR4). The blood samples were collected weekly from 21 days pre-partum to 21 days post-partum. Compared with CON, supplementation with either BBR2 or BBR4 decreased (P ≤ 0.05) the levels of plasma non-esterified fatty acids (NEFA) at kidding and thereafter an increased (P ≤ 0.05) the plasma levels of glucose and insulin. Following BBR ingestion, blood antioxidant status elevated throughout the transition period, so that total antioxidant capacity (TAC), glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px), superoxide dismutase (SOD), and catalase activity were increased (P ≤ 0.05) and plasma malondialdehyde (MDA) was decreased (P ≤ 0.05). Likewise, paraoxonase (PON) was reduced (P ≤ 0.05) in goats fed BBR2 and BBR4. The levels of haptoglobin, ceruloplasmin, and bilirubin were reduced (P ≤ 0.05) by BBR2 and BBR4 immediately before kidding and thereafter. The results demonstrated that supplementation of either 2 or 4 g/day BBR enhanced antioxidant capacity and immune function of transition goats and improved post-partum performance showing its beneficial effect to mitigate oxidative stress and inflammation during the transition period in dairy goats.
Do Servant Leadership Self-Efficacy and Benevolence Values Predict Employee Performance within the Banking Industry in the Post-COVID-19 Era: Using a Serial Mediation Approach
Authors: Mujeeb Tasmeer , Khan Noor Ullah , Obaid Asfia , Yue Guiling , Bazkiaei Hanieh Alipour , Samsudin Noor Azam
Published: October 2021

Globally, the COVID-19 pandemic has brought significant implications to the workplace and highly impacted employee performance in every organization. In contemporary research, the scholars agree that leadership is one of the critical antecedents to predict employee performance in organizations. However, research is needed to investigate the mediating role of integral factors such as benevolence values (BV) and self-efficacy (SE) in predicting employee performance in the workplace. This study aimed to investigate the impact of key antecedents on employee performance in the banking industry. The findings reveal that the key antecedents, e.g., servant leadership (SL), self-efficacy (SE), and benevolence values (BV), have a direct positive relationship with employee performance (EP). Moreover, multiple indirect paths were tested, including serial mediation. This study used a quantitative methodology based on the positivist paradigm. A sample of 560 employees was randomly chosen. A survey questionnaire was distributed among them, and 400 were returned with a response rate of 70%, and the clean data of 400 employees was used for data analysis. The structural equation modeling (SEM) technique was employed using Smart PLS 3.3.3 software. The results confirmed that both SE and BV mediate the relationship between SL and EP. Likewise, BV mediates the relationship between SE and EP, and SE mediates the relationship between SL and BV. Finally, in serial mediation, the relationship between SL and EP is also established via SE and BV together as mediators.
The Potential of Termite Mound Spreading for Soil Fertility Management under Low Input Subsistence Agriculture
Authors: Tilahun Amsalu , Cornelis Wim , Sleutel Steven , Nigussie Abebe , Dume Bayu , Van Ranst Eric
Published: October 2021

Termites can play a localized prominent role in soil nutrient availability and cycling because mound materials are often enriched in nutrients relative to surrounding soil. Mound materials may thus prove to be useful amendments, though evidently mound spatial arrangement needs to be considered as well. Furthermore, it is not known if gradients of soil properties exist from termite mound to interspace sites. Studying both aspects would be required to decide whether spreading of mounds or spatially differentiated management of surrounding crop to accommodate soil fertility gradients would be valid nutrient-management strategies. Mound abundance and mass were estimated at 9 and 4 mounds ha−1, representing 38.9 and 6.3 t ha−1 on Nitisols and Vertisols, respectively. Soil physical and chemical properties were measured on samples collected from internal and external parts of mounds and adjacent soils at 0.5, 1 and 10 m away from mounds. In general, termite mounds were enriched in plant nutrients and SOC on Vertisols but not on Nitisols. Termite mounds constituted only 0.3 to 1.3% of the 0–15 cm SOM stock on a per ha basis but nevertheless the immediate vicinity of termite mounds was a relative fertile hotspot. Hence, under the studied condition, we suggest spatial arrangement of crop around termite mounds according to soil fertility gradient and spatially differentiated nutrient management strategies. Our result suggests recommendation of termite mound spreading for soil nutrient amendment has to consider plant nutrient stock in termite mounds on per ha basis besides their nutrient enrichment. Interesting topics for future investigation would be growth experiment for different crops with mound materials treatment. It would also be interesting to study the effect mound building termite on soil properties under different soil conditions, slope class and land use.