bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Tundra Type Drives Distinct Trajectories of Functional and Taxonomic Composition of Arctic Fungal Communities in Response to Climate Change – Results From Long-Term Experimental Summer Warming and Increased Snow Depth
Authors: Geml József , Morgado Luis N. , Semenova-Nelsen Tatiana A.
Published: March 2021

The arctic tundra is undergoing climate-driven changes and there are serious concerns related to the future of arctic biodiversity and altered ecological processes under possible climate change scenarios. Arctic land surface temperatures and precipitation are predicted to increase further, likely causing major transformation in terrestrial ecosystems. As a response to increasing temperatures, shifts in vegetation and soil fungal communities have already been observed. Little is known, however, how long-term experimental warming coupled with increased snow depth influence the trajectories of soil fungal communities in different tundra types. We compared edaphic variables and fungal community composition in experimental plots simulating the expected increase in summer warming and winter snow depth, based on DNA metabarcoding data. Fungal communities in the sampled dry and moist acidic tundra communities differed greatly, with tundra type explaining ca. one-third of compositional variation. Furthermore, dry and moist tundra appear to have different trajectories in response to climate change. Specifically, while both warming and increased snow depth had significant effects on fungal community composition and edaphic variables in dry tundra, the effect of increased snow was greater. However, in moist tundra, fungal communities mainly were affected by summer warming, while increased snow depth had a smaller effect and only on some functional groups. In dry tundra, microorganisms generally are limited by moisture in the summer and extremely low temperatures in winter, which is in agreement with the stronger effect of increased snow depth relative to warming. On the contrary, moist tundra soils generally are saturated with water, remain cold year-round and show relatively small seasonal fluctuations in temperature. The greater observed effect of warming on fungi in moist tundra may be explained by the narrower temperature optimum compared to those in dry tundra.
A Bifan Motif Shaped by ArsR1, ArsR2, and Their Cognate Promoters Frames Arsenic Tolerance of Pseudomonas putida
Authors: Durante-Rodríguez Gonzalo , Páez-Espino David , de Lorenzo Víctor
Published: March 2021

Prokaryotic tolerance to inorganic arsenic is a widespread trait habitually determined by operons encoding an As (III)-responsive repressor (ArsR), an As (V)-reductase (ArsC), and an As (III)-export pump (ArsB), often accompanied by other complementary genes. Enigmatically, the genomes of many environmental bacteria typically contain two or more copies of this basic genetic device arsRBC. To shed some light on the logic of such apparently unnecessary duplication(s) we have inspected the regulation—together and by separate—of the two ars clusters borne by the soil bacterium Pseudomonas putida strain KT2440, in particular the cross talk between the two repressors ArsR1/ArsR2 and the respective promoters. DNase I footprinting and gel retardation analyses of Pars1 and Pars2 with their matching regulators revealed non-identical binding sequences and interaction patterns for each of the systems. However, in vitro transcription experiments exposed that the repressors could downregulate each other’s promoters, albeit within a different set of parameters. The regulatory frame that emerges from these data corresponds to a particular type of bifan motif where all key interactions have a negative sign. The distinct regulatory architecture that stems from coexistence of various ArsR variants in the same cells could enter an adaptive advantage that favors the maintenance of the two proteins as separate repressors.
Cerebellar Calcium-Binding Protein and Neurotrophin Receptor Defects in Down Syndrome and Alzheimer's Disease
Authors: Miguel Jennifer C. , Perez Sylvia E. , Malek-Ahmadi Michael , Mufson Elliott J.
Published: March 2021

Cerebellar hypoplasia is a major characteristic of the Down syndrome (DS) brain. However, the consequences of trisomy upon cerebellar Purkinje cells (PC) and interneurons in DS are unclear. The present study performed a quantitative and qualitative analysis of cerebellar neurons immunostained with antibodies against calbindin D-28k (Calb), parvalbumin (Parv), and calretinin (Calr), phosphorylated and non-phosphorylated intermediate neurofilaments (SMI-34 and SMI-32), and high (TrkA) and low (p75NTR) affinity nerve growth factor (NGF) receptors as well as tau and amyloid in DS (n = 12), Alzheimer's disease (AD) (n = 10), and healthy non-dementia control (HC) (n = 8) cases. Our findings revealed higher Aβ42 plaque load in DS compared to AD and HC but no differences in APP/Aβ plaque load between HC, AD, and DS. The cerebellar cortex neither displayed Aβ40 containing plaques nor pathologic phosphorylated tau in any of the cases examined. The number and optical density (OD) measurements of Calb immunoreactive (-ir) PC soma and dendrites were similar between groups, while the number of PCs positive for Parv and SMI-32 were significantly reduced in AD and DS compared to HC. By contrast, the number of SMI-34-ir PC dystrophic axonal swellings, termed torpedoes, was significantly greater in AD compared to DS. No differences in SMI-32- and Parv-ir PC OD measurements were observed between groups. Conversely, total number of Parv- (stellate/basket) and Calr (Lugaro, brush, and Golgi)-positive interneurons were significantly reduced in DS compared to AD and HC. A strong negative correlation was found between counts for Parv-ir interneurons, Calr-ir Golgi and brush cells, and Aβ42 plaque load. Number of TrkA and p75NTR positive PCs were reduced in AD compared to HC. These findings suggest that disturbances in calcium binding proteins play a critical role in cerebellar neuronal dysfunction in adults with DS.
Energy Harvesting in Nanosystems: Powering the Next Generation of the Internet of Things
Authors: Phillips Jamie D.
Published: March 2021

Untethered, wirelessly interconnected devices are becoming pervasive in today’s society forming the Internet of Things. These autonomous devices and systems continue to scale to reduced dimensions at the millimeter scale and below, presenting major challenges to how we provide power to these devices. This article surveys existing approaches to harvest energy from the ambient or externally supplied sources including radio-frequency, optical, mechanical, thermal, nuclear, chemical, and biological modalities to provide electrical power for micro- and nano-systems. The outlook for scaling these energy conversion approaches to small dimensions is discussed in the context of both existing technologies and possible future nanoscience developments.
Asthma-Specific Temporal Variability Reveals the Effect of Group Cognitive Behavior Therapy in Asthmatic Patients
Authors: Zhang Yuqun , Kong Youyong , Yang Yuan , Yin Yingyin , Hou Zhenghua , Xu Zhi , Yuan Yonggui
Published: March 2021

Background: Group cognitive behavior therapy (GCBT) is a successful therapy for asthma. However, the neural biomarker of GCBT which could be used in clinic remains unclear. The temporal variability is a novel concept to characterize the dynamic functional connectivity (FC), which has many advantages as biomarker. Therefore, the aim of this study is to explore the potential difference of temporal variability between asthmatic patients and healthy controls, then determine the different patterns of temporal variability between pre- and post-treatment group and reveal the relationship between the variability and the symptoms improvement reduced by GCBT.

Methods: At baseline, 40 asthmatic patients and 40 matched controls received resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) scans and clinical assessments. After 8 weeks of GCBT treatment, 17 patients received fMRI scans, and assessments again. Temporal variability at baseline and post-treatment were calculated for further analysis.

Results: Compared with controls, asthmatic patients showed widespread decreases in temporal variability. Moreover, the variability in both right caudate and left putamen were positively correlated with asthma control level. After GCBT, asthma control level and depression of patients were improved. Meanwhile, compared with pre-GCBT, patients after treatment showed lower variability in left opercular of Rolandic, right parahippocampal gyrus and right lingual gyrus, as well as higher variability in left temporal pole. Variability in regions which were found abnormal at baseline did not exhibit significant differences between post-GCBT and controls.

Conclusions: Asthma-specific changes of dynamic functional connectivity may serve as promising underpinnings of GCBT for asthma.

Clinical Trial Registration:http://www.chictr.org.cn/index.aspx, identifier: Chi-CTR-15007442.
Clinical and Electrophysiological Outcome Measures of Patients With Post-Infectious Neurological Syndromes Related to COVID-19 Treated With Intensive Neurorehabilitation
Authors: Avenali Micol , Martinelli Daniele , Todisco Massimiliano , Canavero Isabella , Valentino Francesca , Micieli Giuseppe , Alfonsi Enrico , Tassorelli Cristina , Cosentino Giuseppe
Published: March 2021

Background: The clinical spectrum of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), due to severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection, may be quite wide, including neurological symptoms. Among them, para-infectious or post-infectious neurological syndromes (PINS), caused by an inflammatory response against the central and/or peripheral nervous system, have been reported. The aim of this paper is to illustrate the functional and neurophysiological recovery in a series of subjects with COVID-19-related PINS who underwent intensive neurorehabilitation.

Materials and Methods: Five patients with PINS associated with COVID-19 were evaluated at baseline and followed up for 6 months. Three of them had polyradiculoneuropathy and two patients had myelitis. The onset of the neurological syndromes was temporally associated with the SARS-CoV-2 infection. After completing the acute neurological treatments in the intensive care unit, patients underwent a personalized multidisciplinary rehabilitation program. An in-depth clinical, functional, and electrophysiological assessment was carried out at baseline and at 3- and 6-month follow-ups.

Results: Among patients with polyradiculoneuropathy, the electrophysiological evaluation at baseline disclosed an acute inflammatory demyelinating polyradiculoneuropathy (AIDP) in two patients and an acute motor and sensory axonal neuropathy (AMSAN) in the third patient. At follow-up, the electrophysiological features improved in one subject with AIDP and were stable in the remaining two cases. The functional assessment after neurorehabilitation showed global recovery and full independence in walking and in activities of daily life in one patient and mild improvement in the other two cases. Of the two subjects with myelitis, the baseline electrophysiological examination showed a prolonged central motor conduction time, which returned to normal in one patient, whereas it improved but remained pathological in the other patient at follow-up. The neurorehabilitation led to a substantial functional improvement in both subjects.

Discussion and Conclusions: This is the first study to describe clinical and electrophysiological aspects along with medium-term outcome in patients with COVID-19-related neurological manifestations who underwent an intensive rehabilitation program. The functional outcome following neurorehabilitation in patients with PINS related to SARS-CoV-2 infection is variable. In our small case series, subjects with polyradiculoneuropathy had a poorer recovery compared to patients with myelitis. The clinical course largely paralleled the follow-up electrophysiological findings.
Net Water Uptake Calculated in Standardized and Blindly Outlined Regions of the Middle Cerebral Artery Territory Predicts the Development of Malignant Edema in Patients With Acute Large Hemispheric Infarction
Authors: Xu Hai-Bin , Sun Yu-Fei , Luo Na , Wang Jia-Qi , Chang Guo-Can , Tao Lin , Yang Ben-Qiang , Chen Hui-Sheng
Published: March 2021

Background and purpose: Previous studies have demonstrated that Net Water Uptake (NWU) is associated with the development of malignant edema (ME). The current study aimed to investigate whether NWU calculated in standardized and blindly outlined regions of the middle cerebral artery can predict the development of ME.

Methods: We retrospectively included 119 patients suffering from large hemispheric infarction within onset of 24 h. The region of the middle cerebral artery territory was blindly outlined in a standard manner to calculate NWU. Patients were divided into two groups according to the occurrence of ME, which is defined as space-occupying infarct requiring decompressive craniotomy or death due to cerebral hernia in 7 days from onset. The clinical characteristics were analyzed, and the receiver operating characteristic curve (ROC curve) was used to assess the predictive ability of NWU and other factors for ME.

Results: Multivariable analysis showed that NWU was an independent predictor of ME (OR 1.168, 95% CI 1.041–1.310). According to the ROC curve, NWU≥8.127% identified ME with good predictive power (AUC 0.734, sensitivity 0.656, specificity 0.862).

Conclusions: NWU calculated in standardized and blindly outlined regions of the middle cerebral artery territory is also a good predictor for the development of ME in patients with large hemispheric infarction.
Cerebrospinal Fluid and Blood Neurofilament Light Chain Protein in Prion Disease and Other Rapidly Progressive Dementias: Current State of the Art
Authors: Abu-Rumeileh Samir , Parchi Piero
Published: March 2021

Rapidly progressive dementia (RPD) is an umbrella term referring to several conditions causing a rapid neurological deterioration associated with cognitive decline and short disease duration. They comprise Creutzfeldt–Jakob disease (CJD), the archetypal RPD, rapidly progressive variants of the most common neurodegenerative dementias (NDs), and potentially treatable conditions such as infectious or autoimmune encephalitis and cerebrovascular disease. Given the significant clinical and, sometimes, neuroradiological overlap between these different disorders, biofluid markers also contribute significantly to the differential diagnosis. Among them, the neurofilament light chain protein (NfL) has attracted growing attention in recent years as a biofluid marker of neurodegeneration due to its sensitivity to axonal damage and the reliability of its measurement in both cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) and blood. Here, we summarize current knowledge regarding biological and clinical implications of NfL evaluation in biofluids across RPDs, emphasizing CJD, and other prion diseases. In the latter, NfL demonstrated a good diagnostic and prognostic accuracy and a potential value as a marker of proximity to clinical onset in pre-symptomatic PRNP mutation carriers. Similarly, in Alzheimer’s disease and other NDs, higher NfL concentrations seem to predict a faster disease progression. While increasing evidence indicates a potential clinical value of NfL in monitoring cerebrovascular disease, the association between NfL and prediction of outcome and/or disease activity in autoimmune encephalitis and infectious diseases has only been investigated in few cohorts and deserves confirmatory studies. In the era of precision medicine and evolving therapeutic options, CSF and blood NfL might aid the diagnostic and prognostic assessment of RPDs and the stratification and management of patients according to disease progression in clinical trials.
Neuronal-Plasticity and Reward-Propagation Improved Recurrent Spiking Neural Networks
Authors: Jia Shuncheng , Zhang Tielin , Cheng Xiang , Liu Hongxing , Xu Bo
Published: March 2021

Different types of dynamics and plasticity principles found through natural neural networks have been well-applied on Spiking neural networks (SNNs) because of their biologically-plausible efficient and robust computations compared to their counterpart deep neural networks (DNNs). Here, we further propose a special Neuronal-plasticity and Reward-propagation improved Recurrent SNN (NRR-SNN). The historically-related adaptive threshold with two channels is highlighted as important neuronal plasticity for increasing the neuronal dynamics, and then global labels instead of errors are used as a reward for the paralleling gradient propagation. Besides, a recurrent loop with proper sparseness is designed for robust computation. Higher accuracy and stronger robust computation are achieved on two sequential datasets (i.e., TIDigits and TIMIT datasets), which to some extent, shows the power of the proposed NRR-SNN with biologically-plausible improvements.
The Quebec Diabetes Empowerment Group Program: Program Description and Considerations Regarding Feasibility and Acceptability of Implementation in Primary Health Care Settings
Authors: Hersson-Edery Fanny , Reoch Jennifer , Gagnon Justin
Published: March 2021

Introduction: Diabetes is a highly prevalent chronic disease that frequently coexists with other medical conditions and implies a high burden for patients and the healthcare system. Clinicians currently are challenged to provide effective interventions that are both multidisciplinary and empower patient self-care. The Diabetes Empowerment Group Program (DEGP) was developed with the aims of fostering patient engagement in diabetes self-care through the lens of empowerment and to support the empowerment of patients with diabetes by providing multidisciplinary group-based care. This research's objectives were to: (1) develop a comprehensive description of the DEGP for potential adopters, and (2) explore the factors influencing the feasibility and acceptability of implementing it in other healthcare settings in Montreal.

Methods: A qualitative descriptive study was conducted, following a participatory approach. Data were obtained from: (1) semi-structured interviews with 14 patients who participated in the pilot program; (2) from semi-structured group interviews with patient partners, healthcare professionals, and other stakeholders from 4 Montreal family medicine groups, and (3) discussions among the participatory research team during various knowledge translation activities. Inductive content analysis of the data was performed.

Results: The DEGP identified seven key elements: medical visit, continuity of care, group-based dynamics, multi-disciplinarity, clinician facilitation, patient-centered agenda, and a theoretical framework of empowerment. The content and organization of the group visits were conceived to address each of these four domains. The empowerment framework comprises four domains of self-care: emotional (attitude), cognitive (knowledge), behavioral (skills), and relational (relatedness). Factors impacting the feasibility and acceptability of implementing the DEGP in other primary care settings were identified.

Discussion: The DEGP fits within the discourse around the need for more patient-centered programs for people living with diabetes, following a more comprehensive empowerment model. This research could facilitate the development or adaptation of similar programs in other settings.
MicroRNA-935 Directly Targets FZD6 to Inhibit the Proliferation of Human Glioblastoma and Correlate to Glioma Malignancy and Prognosis
Authors: Zhang Dainan , Ma Shunchang , Zhang Chuanbao , Li Peiliang , Mao Beibei , Guan Xiudong , Zhou Wenjianlong , Peng Jiayi , Wang Xi , Li Shaomin , Jia Wang
Published: March 2021

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are involved in human glioblastoma (GB). MiR-935 has been reported to have both tumor-inhibiting and tumorigenesis effects, but its role in GB remains unclear. Because of the high mortality and morbidity associated with the malignancy of GB, a deeper understanding of the molecular crosstalk that occurs in GB is needed to identify new potential targets for treatment. At present, the mechanism of GB at the molecular level is not fully understood. With the aid of bioinformatic analysis, miR-935 was significantly downregulated in GB, and it presented a poorer outcome. In the glioma cell line and in the nude mice model, the miR-935 inhibited cell proliferation by modulating cell circles in vitro and in vivo. Then, the target genes of miR-935 were analyzed by using the online database, and the direct binding was tested with a luciferase analysis. FZD6 was found to be the direct target of miR-935. The effect of miR-935 was recovered by the overexpression of FZD6 in vitro. In addition, the negative correlation of miR-935 and the expression of FZD6 were confirmed in our clinical samples, and the expression of FZD6 has a strong correlation with tumor malignancy and prognosis. This study showed that miR-935 directly inhibited the expression of FZD6 and inhibited the cell proliferation, thereby suppressing the development of GB, suggesting that miR-935 is a cancer suppressor miRNA and may become a prognostic biomarker or a promising potential therapeutic target for human GBs.
Value of Apparent Diffusion Coefficient Histogram Analysis in the Differential Diagnosis of Nasopharyngeal Lymphoma and Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma Based on Readout-Segmented Diffusion-Weighted Imaging
Authors: Song Chengru , Cheng Peng , Cheng Jingliang , Zhang Yong , Xie Shanshan
Published: March 2021

Background

This study aims to explore the utility of whole-lesion apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) histogram analysis for differentiating nasopharyngeal lymphoma (NPL) from nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) following readout-segmented echo-planar diffusion-weighted imaging (RESOLVE sequence).

Methods

Thirty-eight patients with NPL and 62 patients with NPC, who received routine head-and-neck MRI and RESOLVE (b-value: 0 and 1,000 s/mm2) examinations, were retrospectively evaluated as derivation cohort (February 2015 to August 2018); another 23 patients were analyzed as validation cohort (September 2018 to December 2019). The RESOLVE data were obtained from the MAGNETOM Skyra 3T MR system (Siemens Healthcare, Erlangen, Germany). Fifteen parameters derived from the whole-lesion histogram analysis (ADCmean, variance, skewness, kurtosis, ADC1, ADC10, ADC20, ADC30, ADC40, ADC50, ADC60, ADC70, ADC80, ADC90, and ADC99) were calculated for each patient. Then, statistical analyses were performed between the two groups to determine the statistical significance of each histogram parameter. A receiver operating characteristic curve (ROC) analysis was conducted to assess the diagnostic performance of each histogram parameter for distinguishing NPL from NPC and further tested in the validation cohort; calibration of the selected parameter was tested with Hosmer–Lemeshow test.

Results

NPL exhibited significantly lower ADCmean, variance, ADC1, ADC10, ADC20, ADC30, ADC40, ADC50, ADC60, ADC70, ADC80, ADC90 and ADC99, when compared to NPC (all, P < 0.05), while no significant differences were found on skewness and kurtosis. Furthermore, ADC99 revealed the highest diagnostic efficiency, followed by ADC10 and ADC20. Optimal diagnostic performance (AUC = 0.790, sensitivity = 91.9%, and specificity = 63.2%) could be achieved when setting ADC99 = 1,485.0 × 10−6 mm2/s as the threshold value. The predictive performance was maintained in the validation cohort (AUC = 0.817, sensitivity = 94.6%, and specificity = 56.2%)

Conclusion

Whole-lesion ADC histograms based on RESOLVE are effective in differentiating NPC from NPL.
Induction Chemotherapy Plus Simultaneous Modulated Accelerated Radiation Therapy in Non-operative Hypopharyngeal and Supraglottic Laryngeal Squamous Cell Carcinoma: Long-Term Outcome of a Prospective Phase 2 Study
Authors: Cai Boning , Meng Lingling , Mo Jingzi , Xu Shouping , Qu Baolin , Liu Fang , Ma Lin
Published: March 2021

Background: To evaluate the toxicities and long-term outcomes of induction chemotherapy (ICT) plus simultaneous modulated accelerated radiation therapy (SMART) in non-operative hypopharyngeal and supraglottic laryngeal squamous cell carcinoma (SCCH/L).

Materials and Methods: This was a prospective phase 2 study. Patients diagnosed with SCCH/L, aged from 18 to 75, staged from III to IVB in accordance with the AJCC 2010 criteria, and refusing surgery were eligible. The patients were treated with 2–3 cycles of docetaxel-cisplatin-based ICT and SMART combined with 2–3 cycles of cisplatin-based concurrent chemotherapy. The prescription dose to the primary tumor and metastatic nodes was 69 Gy in 30 fractions. Acute and late toxicities were assessed according to the established Radiation Therapy Oncology Group/European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer (RTOG/EORTC) criteria, and long-term outcomes were analyzed.

Results: Between February 2013 and June 2015, 55 newly diagnosed SCCH/L patients were enrolled. No grade 2 or worse acute xerostomia was noted. The incidences of grade 3 acute dermatitis, oral mucositis, and pharyngoesophagitis were 12.7, 3.6, and 12.7%, respectively. The median follow-up time was 48 months (range 5.5–74 months). The main late toxicity was hoarseness or sore throat, with an incidence of 32.7%. The 5-year functional larynx-preservation survival was 51.5%. The 3- and 5-year locoregional control and overall survival were 58.2, 51.5, 63.6, and 54.1%, respectively.

Conclusions: The ICT plus SMART with a regimen of 69 Gy/30 F for the treatment of SCCH/L demonstrated acceptable severe toxicity, satisfactory long-term outcomes, and laryngeal function preservation.
A Data Science Approach to Analyze the Association of Socioeconomic and Environmental Conditions With Disparities in Pediatric Surgery
Authors: Akbilgic Oguz , Shin Eun Kyong , Shaban-Nejad Arash
Published: March 2021

Background: Scientific evidence confirm that significant racial disparities exist in healthcare, including surgery outcomes. However, the causal pathway underlying disparities at preoperative physical condition of children is not well-understood.

Objectives: This research aims to uncover the role of socioeconomic and environmental factors in racial disparities at the preoperative physical condition of children through multidimensional integration of several data sources at the patient and population level.

Methods: After the data integration process an unsupervised k-means algorithm on neighborhood quality metrics was developed to split 29 zip-codes from Memphis, TN into good and poor-quality neighborhoods.

Results: An unadjusted comparison of African Americans and white children showed that the prevalence of poor preoperative condition is significantly higher among African Americans compared to whites. No statistically significant difference in surgery outcome was present when adjusted by surgical severity and neighborhood quality.

Conclusions: The socioenvironmental factors affect the preoperative clinical condition of children and their surgical outcomes.
Video Games in ADHD and Non-ADHD Children: Modalities of Use and Association With ADHD Symptoms
Authors: Masi Laura , Abadie Pascale , Herba Catherine , Emond Mutsuko , Gingras Marie-Pier , Amor Leila Ben
Published: March 2021

Video game addiction in young children is relevant, but it is especially important for children with ADHD. In order to obtain more data about the use of video games by Canadian children, and in particular by ADHD children, we explored the modalities of use (playtime, addiction score and usage by age) and compared them between ADHD and non-ADHD children. We then examined associations between addiction and ADHD symptoms and explored innovative results about the gender impact. Our study was cross-sectional, multicenter in child psychiatrist departments, exploratory and descriptive. We recruited three groups of children aged 4–12 years: the ADHD Group, the Clinical-Control Group and the Community-Control Group. For each group, the material used consisted of questionnaires completed by one of the parents. Data collection took place from December 2016 to August 2018 in Montreal (n = 280). Our study highlighted a vulnerability in ADHD children: they would exhibit more addictive behaviors with respect to video games (Addiction score: 1.1025 in ADHD Group vs. 0.6802 in Community-Control Group) and prolonged periods of use. We also observed a correlation between the severity of ADHD symptoms and excessive use of video games (p = 0.000). Children with severe ADHD showed significantly higher addiction scores and, in a multiple regression analysis a combination of gender and ADHD explained the excessive use of video games.
Genetic Approaches for the Treatment of Facioscapulohumeral Muscular Dystrophy
Authors: Lim Kenji Rowel Q. , Yokota Toshifumi
Published: March 2021

Facioscapulohumeral muscular dystrophy (FSHD) is an autosomal dominant disorder characterized by progressive, asymmetric muscle weakness at the face, shoulders, and upper limbs, which spreads to the lower body with age. It is the third most common inherited muscular disorder worldwide. Around 20% of patients are wheelchair-bound, and some present with extramuscular manifestations. FSHD is caused by aberrant expression of the double homeobox protein 4 (DUX4) gene in muscle. DUX4 codes for a transcription factor which, in skeletal muscle, dysregulates numerous signaling activities that culminate in cytotoxicity. Potential treatments for FSHD therefore aim to reduce the expression of DUX4 or the activity of its toxic protein product. In this article, we review how genetic approaches such as those based on oligonucleotide and genome editing technologies have been developed to achieve these goals. We also outline the challenges these therapies are facing on the road to translation, and discuss possible solutions and future directions
Dysregulation of lncRNAs in Rheumatoid Arthritis: Biomarkers, Pathogenesis and Potential Therapeutic Targets
Authors: Miao Chenggui , Bai Liangliang , Yang Yaru , Huang Jinling
Published: March 2021

Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a chronic autoimmune disease of unknown etiology, mainly manifested by persistent abnormal proliferation of fibroblast-like synoviocytes (FLSs), inflammation, synovial hyperplasia and cartilage erosion, accompanied by joint swelling and joint destruction. Abnormal expression or function of long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) are closely related to human diseases, including cancers, mental diseases, autoimmune diseases and others. The abnormal sequence and spatial structure of lncRNAs, the disorder expression and the abnormal interaction with the binding protein will lead to the change of gene expression in the way of epigenetic modification. Increasing evidence demonstrated that lncRNAs were involved in the activation of FLSs, which played a key role in the pathogenesis of RA. In this review, the research progress of lncRNAs in the pathogenesis of RA was systematically summarized, including the role of lncRNAs in the diagnosis of RA, the regulatory mechanism of lncRNAs in the pathogenesis of RA, and the intervention role of lncRNAs in the treatment of RA. Furthermore, the activated signal pathways, the role of DNA methylation and other mechanism have also been overview in this review.
Mice and Rats Display Different Ventilatory, Hematological, and Metabolic Features of Acclimatization to Hypoxia
Authors: Arias-Reyes Christian , Soliz Jorge , Joseph Vincent
Published: March 2021

Phylogeographic studies showed that house mice (Mus musculus) originated in the Himalayan region, while common rats (Rattus rattusandRattus norvegicus) come from the lowlands of China and India. Accordingly, it has been proposed that its origins gave mice, but not rats, the ability to invade ecological niches at high altitudes (pre-adaptation). This proposal is strongly supported by the fact that house mice are distributed throughout the world, while common rats are practically absent above 2,500 m. Considering that the ability of mammals to colonize high-altitude environments (>2,500 m) is limited by their capability to tolerate reduced oxygen availability, in this work, we hypothesize that divergences in the ventilatory, hematological, and metabolic phenotypes of mice and rats establish during the process of acclimatization to hypoxia (Hx). To test this hypothesis male FVB mice and Sprague-Dawley (SD) rats were exposed to Hx (12% O2) for 0 h (normoxic controls), 6 h, 1, 7, and 21 days. We assessed changes in ventilatory [minute ventilation (VE), respiratory frequency (fR), and tidal volume (VT)], hematological (hematocrit and hemoglobin concentration), and metabolic [whole-body O2consumption (VO2) and CO2production (VCO2), and liver mitochondrial oxygen consumption rate (OCR) parameters]. Compared to rats, results in mice show increased ventilatory, metabolic, and mitochondrial response. In contrast, rats showed quicker and higher hematological response than mice and only minor ventilatory and metabolic adjustments. Our findings may explain, at least in part, why mice, but not rats, were able to colonize high-altitude habitats.
Genetic Analyses and Genomic Predictions of Root Rot Resistance in Common Bean Across Trials and Populations
Authors: Diaz Lucy Milena , Arredondo Victoria , Ariza-Suarez Daniel , Aparicio Johan , Buendia Hector Fabio , Cajiao Cesar , Mosquera Gloria , Beebe Stephen E. , Mukankusi Clare Mugisha , Raatz Bodo
Published: March 2021

Root rot in common bean is a disease that causes serious damage to grain production, particularly in the upland areas of Eastern and Central Africa where significant losses occur in susceptible bean varieties. Pythium spp. and Fusarium spp. are among the soil pathogens causing the disease. In this study, a panel of 228 lines, named RR for root rot disease, was developed and evaluated in the greenhouse for Pythium myriotylum and in a root rot naturally infected field trial for plant vigor, number of plants germinated, and seed weight. The results showed positive and significant correlations between greenhouse and field evaluations, as well as high heritability (0.71–0.94) of evaluated traits. In GWAS analysis no consistent significant marker trait associations for root rot disease traits were observed, indicating the absence of major resistance genes. However, genomic prediction accuracy was found to be high for Pythium, plant vigor and related traits. In addition, good predictions of field phenotypes were obtained using the greenhouse derived data as a training population and vice versa. Genomic predictions were evaluated across and within further published data sets on root rots in other panels. Pythium and Fusarium evaluations carried out in Uganda on the Andean Diversity Panel showed good predictive ability for the root rot response in the RR panel. Genomic prediction is shown to be a promising method to estimate tolerance to Pythium, Fusarium and root rot related traits, indicating a quantitative resistance mechanism. Quantitative analyses could be applied to other disease-related traits to capture more genetic diversity with genetic models.
Evaluation of Established Methods for DNA Extraction and Primer Pairs Targeting 16S rRNA Gene for Bacterial Microbiota Profiling of Olive Xylem Sap
Authors: Haro Carmen , Anguita-Maeso Manuel , Metsis Madis , Navas-Cortés Juan A. , Landa Blanca B.
Published: March 2021

Next-generation sequencing has revolutionized our ability to investigate the microbiota composition of diverse and complex environments. However, a number of factors can affect the accuracy of microbial community assessment, such as the DNA extraction method, the hypervariable region of 16S rRNA gene targeted, or the PCR primers used for amplification. The aim of this study was to assess the influence of commercially available DNA extraction kits and different primer pairs to provide a non-biased vision of the composition of bacterial communities present in olive xylem sap. For that purpose, branches from “Picual” and “Arbequina” olive cultivars were used for xylem sap extraction using a Scholander chamber device. The DNA extraction protocol significantly affected xylem sap bacterial community assessment. That resulted in significant differences in alpha (Richness) and beta diversity (UniFrac distances) metrics among DNA extraction protocols, with the 12 DNA extraction kits evaluated being clustered in four groups behaving differently. Although the core number of taxa detected by all DNA extraction kits included four phyla, seven classes, 12 orders, 16 or 21 families, and 12 or 14 genera when using the Greengenes or Silva database for taxonomic assignment, respectively, some taxa, particularly those identified at low frequency, were detected by some DNA extraction kits only. The most accurate depiction of a bacterial mock community artificially inoculated on sap samples was generated when using the PowerPlant DNA extraction kit, the combination of 799F/1193R primers amplifying the hypervariable V5–V7 region, and the Silva 132 database for taxonomic assignment. The DESeq2 analysis displayed significant differences among genera abundance between the different PCR primer pairs tested. Thus, Enterobacter, Granulicatella, Prevotella, and Brevibacterium presented a significant higher abundance in all PCR protocols when compared with primer pair 799F/1193R, while the opposite was true for Pseudomonas and Pectobacterium. The methodological approach followed in this study can be useful to optimize plant-associated microbiome analysis, especially when exploring new plant niches. Some of the DNA extraction kits and PCR primers selected in this study will contribute to better characterize bacterial communities inhabiting the xylem sap of olives or other woody crop species.
Using Virtual Reality to Assess and Promote Transfer of Memory Training in Older Adults With Memory Complaints: A Randomized Controlled Trial
Authors: Boller Benjamin , Ouellet Émilie , Belleville Sylvie
Published: March 2021

In this proof-of-concept study, we assessed the potential for immersive virtual reality (VR) to measure transfer following strategic memory training, and whether efficacy and transfer are increased when training is complemented by practice in an immersive virtual environment. Forty older adults with subjective memory complaints were trained with the method of loci. They were randomized to either a condition where they practiced the strategy in VR (n = 20) or a control condition where they were familiarized with VR using a non-memory task (n = 20). Training efficacy was measured with word recall, and transfer of the training benefit was measured with a recall task completed in two VR tasks (primary outcomes) as well as a self-report memory questionnaire (secondary outcomes). Testing was administered before (PRE), midway (POST 3), and after (POST 6) training. Participants improved their scores on word recall. Regarding transfer measures, participants improved their performance in the two VR recall tasks but not on the self-report memory questionnaire. No significant group effect was observed. Improvement was found when comparing PRE to POST 3 with no further improvement at POST 6. Thus, strategic memory training improved the memory of seniors with memory complaints on word recall and a transfer task relying on a VR scenario that resembles real-life. However, no evidence supporting an increase in transfer effects was found when enriching training with VR memory exercises.
Affective Face Processing Modified by Different Tastes
Authors: Liang Pei , Jiang Jiayu , Chen Jie , Wei Liuqing
Published: March 2021

Facial emotional recognition is something used often in our daily lives. How does the brain process the face search? Can taste modify such a process? This study employed two tastes (sweet and acidic) to investigate the cross-modal interaction between taste and emotional face recognition. The behavior responses (reaction time and correct response ratios) and the event-related potential (ERP) were applied to analyze the interaction between taste and face processing. Behavior data showed that when detecting a negative target face with a positive face as a distractor, the participants perform the task faster with an acidic taste than with sweet. No interaction effect was observed with correct response ratio analysis. The early (P1, N170) and mid-stage [early posterior negativity (EPN)] components have shown that sweet and acidic tastes modified the ERP components with the affective face search process in the ERP results. No interaction effect was observed in the late-stage (LPP) component. Our data have extended the understanding of the cross-modal mechanism and provided electrophysiological evidence that affective facial processing could be influenced by sweet and acidic tastes.
The Public's Risk Information Seeking and Avoidance in China During Early Stages of the COVID-19 Outbreak
Authors: Liu Mei , Chen You , Shi Dan , Yan Tingwu
Published: March 2021

This study uses the Planned Risk Information Seeking Model (PRISM) to estimate the public's information seeking and avoidance intentions during the COVID-19 outbreak based on an online sample of 1031 Chinese adults and provides support for the applicability of PRISM framework in the situation of a novel high-level risk. The results indicate that information seeking is primarily directed by informational subjective norms (ISN) and perceived seeking control (PSC), while the main predictors of information avoidance include ISN and attitude toward seeking. Because ISN are the strongest predictor of both information seeking and avoidance, the way the public copes with COVID-19 information may be strongly affected by individuals' social environment. Furthermore, a significant relationship between risk perception and affective risk response is identified. Our results also indicate that people who perceive greater knowledge of COVID-19 are more likely to report greater knowledge insufficiency, which results in less information avoidance.
A Novel and Reliable Rat Model of Autism
Authors: Qi Zhaoyao , Lyu Mengke , Yang Liping , Yuan Haiyan , Cao Yun , Zhai Linlin , Dang Weili , Liu Juan , Yang Fan , Li Ying
Published: March 2021

Background: Autism spectrum disorders (ASD) is a complex neurodevelopmental disorder that lacks an ideal animal model to recapitulate the disease state of ASD. Previous studies have reported that transplanting gut microbiota of ASD patients into pregnant mice is sufficient to promote the changes of autism-like behavior in offspring. This study aims to explore whether fecal microbiota transplantation (FMT) can be used as a new method to establish the ASD animal model.

Methods: We transplanted the fecal sample extract of ASD children into pregnant rats (rFMT) repeatedly to establish an ASD rat model (oFMT) and compare it with the classical valproic acid (VPA) model (oVPA).

Results: First, we reveal that oFMT shows hypoevolutism and typical behavioral characteristics of ASD, consistent with the previous study. Second, the gut microbiota of oFMT mainly consists of Firmicutes and Bacteroidetes, recapitulating the abnormal gut microbiota of ASD. In oFMT, the abundance of Lactobacillus and Collinsella increased (Lactobacillus: oFMT 60.16%, oVPA 64.13%, oCON 40.11%; Collinsella: oFMT 3.73%, oVPA 1.39%, oCON 1.28%), compared with oVPA, gut microbiota also showed high consistency. Third, the expression of 5-hydroxytryptamine (5-HT) in oFMT serum increased, γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA) and norepinephrine (NE) in oFMT serum decreased. Fourth, the gut microbiota of oFMT also has some ASD characteristic gut microbiota not found in oVPA. Fifth, pregnant rat with VPA showed significant immune activation, while those with FMT showed relatively minor immune activation.

Limitations: Although the mechanism of establishing FMT autism rat model (oFMT) has not clearly defined, the data show that the model has high structural validity, and FMT model is likely to be a new and reliable potential animal model of ASD, and will have potential value in studying gut microbiota of ASD.

Conclusions: The FMT autism rat model has high structural validity, and the FMT model is likely to be a new and reliable potential animal model of ASD.
Learning to Fail Better: Reflections on the Challenges and Risks of Community-Based Participatory Mental Health Research With Inuit Youth in Nunavut
Authors: Anang Polina , Gottlieb Nora , Putulik Suzanne , Iguptak Shelley , Gordon Ellen
Published: March 2021

Community-based participatory research (CBPR) is a mine field of moral dilemmas. Even when carefully planned for and continuously critically reflected upon, conflicts are likely to occur as part of the process. This paper illustrates the lessons learned from “Building on Strengths in Naujaat”, a resiliency initiative with the objective of promoting sense of belonging, collective efficacy, and well-being in Inuit youth. Naujaat community members over time established strong meaningful relationships with academic researchers. Youth took on the challenge of organizing community events, trips out on the land, and fundraisers. While their creativity and resourcefulness are at the heart of the initiative, this paper explores conflicts and pitfalls that accompanied it. Based on three themes – struggles in coming together as academic and community partners, the danger of perpetuating colonial power structures, and the challenges of navigating complex layers of relations within the community – we examine the dilemmas unearthed by these conflicts, including an exploration of how much we as CBPR researchers are at risk of reproducing colonial power structures. Acknowledging and addressing power imbalances, while striving for transparency, accountability, and trust, are compelling guiding principles needed to support Indigenous communities on the road toward health equity.
Stapled Hemorrhoidopexy: “Mucosectomy or Not Only Mucosectomy, This Is the Problem”
Authors: Eberspacher Chiara , Magliocca Fabio M. , Pontone Stefano , Mascagni Pietro , Fralleone Lisa , Gallo Gaetano , Mascagni Domenico
Published: March 2021

Introduction: Stapled hemorrhoidopexy was originally defined as a rectal mucosectomy. The aims of our retrospective, single-center study were to demonstrate if the excised specimen comprises only the mucosa or more wall rectal layers and if the latter excision should be considered a technical mistake with an increase in complications.

Materials and Methods: We histopathologically analyzed surgical samples from patients who underwent stapled hemorrhoidopexy performed between 2014 and 2019. Patients were divided into three groups, according to the stapler used: Group A (single PPH®), Group B (double PPH®), and Group C (CPH34 HV™). We evaluated the actual wall layers included in the stapled rectal ring. For every specimen, we reconstructed the history of the corresponding patient and the incidence of complications.

Results: Of the 137 histological slides available, 13 were only mucosectomies (9.5%), and 124 presented also the submucosa and muscularis propria (90.5%)−50/58 patients in Group A, 28/28 in Group B, and 46/51 in Group C. No statistically significant difference in the rate of complications was found when stratifying patients according to the thickness of the resection [mucosectomy (M) or “full thickness” (FT)].

Discussion: Stapled hemorrhoidopexy is not a simple mucosectomy but a resection of the rectal wall with almost all its layers. This concept defines the entity of the surgical procedure and excludes a direct correlation with an increased rate of complications.