bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Inherent differences of small airway contraction and Ca2+ oscillations in airway smooth muscle cells between BALB/c and C57BL/6 mouse strains
Authors: Zeng Zijian , Cheng Mengxin , Li Meng , Wang Tao , Wen Fuqiang , Sanderson Michael J. , Sneyd James , Shen Yongchun , Chen Jun
Published: June 2023

BALB/c and C57BL/6 mouse strains are widely used as animal model in studies of respiratory diseases, such as asthma. Asthma is characterized by airway hyperresponsiveness, which is eventually resulted from the excessive airway smooth muscle (ASM) contraction mediated by Ca2+ oscillations in ASM cells. It is reported that BALB/c mice have inherently higher airway responsiveness, but show no different contractive response of tracheal ring as compared to C57BL/6 mice. However, whether the different airway responsiveness is due to the different extents of small airway contraction, and what’s underlying mechanism remains unknown. Here, we assess agonist-induced small airway contraction and Ca2+ oscillations in ASM cells between BALB/c and C57BL/6 mice by using precision-cut lung slices (PCLS). We found that BALB/c mice showed an intrinsically stronger extent of small airway narrowing and faster Ca2+ oscillations in ASM cells in response to agonists. These differences were associated with a higher magnitude of Ca2+ influx via store-operated Ca2+ entry (SOCE), as a result of increased expression of SOCE components (STIM1, Orai1) in the ASM cells of small airway of BALB/c mice. An established mathematical model and experimental results suggested that the increased SOC current could result in increased agonist-induced Ca2+ oscillations. Therefore, the inherently higher SOC underlies the increased Ca2+ oscillation frequency in ASM cells and stronger small airway contraction in BALB/c mice, thus higher airway responsiveness in BALB/c than C57BL/6 mouse strain.
Local arterial stiffness measured by ultrafast ultrasound imaging in childhood cancer survivors treated with anthracyclines
Authors: Rasouli Rahna , Baranger Jerome , Slorach Cameron , Hui Wei , Venet Maelys , Nguyen Minh B. , Henry Matthew , Gopaul Josh , Nathan Paul C. , Mertens Luc , Villemain Olivier
Published: June 2023

Background

There is conflicting literature regarding the long-term effect of anthracycline treatment on arterial stiffness. This study assessed local arterial stiffness using ultrafast ultrasound imaging (UUI) in anthracycline treated childhood cancer survivors, at rest and during exercise.

Methods

20 childhood cancer survivors (mean age 21.02 ± 9.45 years) treated with anthracyclines (mean cumulative dose 200.7 ± 126.80 mg/m2) and 21 healthy controls (mean age 26.00 ± 8.91 years) were included. Participants completed a demographic survey, fasting bloodwork for cardiovascular biomarkers, and performed a submaximal exercise test on a semi-supine bicycle. Pulse wave velocity (PWV) was measured in the left common carotid artery by direct pulse wave imaging using UUI at rest and submaximal exercise. Both PWV at the systolic foot (PWV-SF) and dicrotic notch (PWV-DN) were measured. Central (carotid-femoral) PWV was obtained by applanation tonometry. Carotid measurements were taken by conventional ultrasound. Measures were compared using two-tailed Students t-test or Chi-squared test, as appropriate.

Results

There was no statistically significant difference (p > 0.05) between childhood cancer survivors and healthy controls in demographic parameters (age, sex, weight, height, BMI), blood biomarkers (total cholesterol, triglycerides, LDL-c, HDL-c, hs-CRP, fasting glucose, insulin, Hb A1c), cardiovascular parameters (intima media thickness, systolic and diastolic blood pressure, heart rate, carotid diameters, distensibility) or PWV measured by UUI at rest or at exercise. There was also no difference in the cardiovascular adaptation between rest and exercise in the two groups (p > 0.05). Multivariate analysis revealed age (p = 0.024) and LDL-c (p = 0.019) to be significant correlates of PWV-SF in childhood cancer survivors, in line with previously published data.

Conclusion

We did not identify a significant impact of anthracycline treatment in young survivors of childhood cancer on local arterial stiffness in the left common carotid artery as measured by UUI.
The clinical characteristics and quality of life of 248 pediatric and adult patients with Congenital Adrenal Hyperplasia
Authors: Shafaay Edi A. , Aldriweesh Mohammed A. , Aljahdali Ghadeer L. , Babiker Amir , Alomar Abdulrahman O. , Alharbi Khulood M. , Aldalaan Haneen , Alenazi Ahmed , Alangari Abdulaziz S. , Alsagheir Afaf , Adriaansen Bas P. H. , Claahsen – van der Grinten Hedi L. , Al Alwan Ibrahim
Published: June 2023

Background

Congenital Adrenal Hyperplasia (CAH) is a chronic disease that requires lifelong treatment. Patients may face stigmatization, which may affect their quality of life (QoL). Therefore, we assessed the clinical characteristics and QoL of patients with CAH in the Middle East.

Methods

This case-control study included patients with CAH aged >5 years from two tertiary centers (2020–2021). The patients were matched to a healthy control group and were then divided into pediatric and adult groups. Data were collected from their electronic medical records. Additionally, the EQ-5D-5L QoL questionnaire was completed by both the patients and control group to assess five domains (mobility, self-care, usual activities, pain/discomfort, and anxiety/depression).

Results

The study included 248 patients with CAH (females: 58.8%), with a family history of the condition (57.3%) and/or parental consanguinity (68.1%). The most frequently reported gene defect was CYP21A2, while the most commonly reported symptoms/signs were ambiguous genitalia and obesity. Almost all female patients had received corrective surgery. The questionnaire response rate was 86.3% (n=214/248). The CAH patient group’s mean total QoL score was 85.2 compared with 99.8 in the control. Further, CAH patients had lower QoL scores in all domains compared to those in the control group (p ≤ 0.0001–0.0023). The pain/discomfort and anxiety/depression domains were affected significantly more than the other domains were, with 47.7% and 44.4% participants, respectively, p<0.0001. Additionally, obesity was found to be a predictor of reduced mobility following a logistic regression analysis (p ≤ 0.04, OR (0.18-0.98)).

Conclusion

Patients with CAH reported lower QoL overall, particularly in the pain/discomfort and anxiety/depression domains. Based on this, we recommend the early involvement of psychologists in a multidisciplinary team approach, pre-marital screening, and the implementation of awareness programs for people diagnosed with CAH in communities with high consanguineous mating.
Predicting morphological and functional variations of benign adrenal incidentalomas in relation to initial characteristics
Authors: Parazzoli Chiara , Favero Vittoria , Aresta Carmen , Morelli Valentina
Published: June 2023

The follow-up strategy for unresected non-functional adrenal tumors (NFAT) is a major controversial issue in endocrinological clinical practice, as the natural history of adrenal incidentalomas (AI) is partially unknown and a consensus on their adequate management is lacking. In a recent longitudinal study by Ceccato et al., a large cohort of patients with conservatively treated AI were evaluated for possible radiological variations over time and their relationship with autonomous cortisol secretion (ACS). Starting from this paper, we performed a literature review of available longitudinal studies focus on the same issue. Notwithstanding the high variability in the duration of follow-up and in the criteria used to define ACS in the included studies, our findings support the idea that there is a not negligible risk of morphological and functional changes, which may have metabolic implications, especially after 5-10 years of follow-up. Unfortunately, these variations seem to be scarcely predictable. Therefore, it may be risky to interrupt the follow-up in patients with NFAT, in particular in the presence of larger diameter of the adenoma and higher cortisol levels at diagnosis. These results should be considered in defining the optimal management of these patients.
A better hash method for high-fidelity Monte Carlo simulations on nuclear reactors
Authors: Li Kaiwen , An Nan , Luo Hao , Huang Shanfang , Wang Kan
Published: June 2023

With the increasing demand for high-fidelity nuclear reactor simulations, the acceleration of Monte Carlo particle transport codes is becoming a core problem. One of the bottlenecks is locating millions or even billions of cells and fetching their associated parameters in the repeated geometry structure. Typically, Monte Carlo codes utilize a hash function to accelerate the cell locating and parameter indexing process. Specifically, they use the “cell vector → hash → parameter” method to accelerate the direct “cell vector → parameter” method. In this work, we propose a better hash method based on the Cyclic Redundancy Check (CRC) mechanism, which has been mathematically proven to be efficient and produce fewer hash collisions. Experimentally, this new hash method has been compared with some other hash functions and showed its superiority in terms of the calculation speed and collision probabilities. This hash method has been integrated into the Reactor Monte Carlo code RMC and worked well in practical applications.
Harnessing iNaturalist to quantify hotspots of urban biodiversity: the Los Angeles case study
Authors: Beninde Joscha , Delaney Tatum W. , Gonzalez Germar , Shaffer H. Bradley
Published: June 2023

Introduction

A major goal for conservation planning is the prioritized protection and management of areas that harbor maximal biodiversity. However, such spatial prioritization often suffers from limited data availability, resulting in decisions driven by a handful of iconic or endangered species, with uncertain benefits for co-occurring taxa. We argue that multi-species habitat preferences based on field observations should guide conservation planning to optimize the long-term persistence of as many species as possible.

Methods

Using habitat suitability modeling techniques and data from the community-science platform iNaturalist, we provide a strategy to develop spatially explicit models of habitat suitability that enable better informed, place-based conservation prioritization. Our case study in Greater Los Angeles used Maxent and Random Forests to generate suitability models for 1,200 terrestrial species with at least 25 occurrence records, drawn from plants (45.5%), arthropods (27.45%), vertebrates (22.2%), fungi (3.2%), molluscs (1.3%), and other taxonomic groups (< 0.3%). This modeling strategy further compared spatial thinning and taxonomic bias file corrections to account for the biases inherent to the iNaturalist dataset, modeling species jointly and separately in wildland and urban sub-regions and validated model performance using null models and a “test” dataset of species and occurrences that were not used to train models.

Results

Mean models of habitat suitability of all species combined were similar across model settings, but the mean Random Forest model received the highest median AUCROC and AUCPRG scores in model evaluation. Taxonomic groups showed relatively modest differences in their response to the urbanization gradient, while native and non-native species showed contrasting patterns in the most urban and the most wildland habitats and both peaked in mean habitat suitability near the urban-wildland interface.

Discussion

Our modeling framework is based entirely on open-source software and our code is provided for further use. Given the increasing availability of urban biodiversity data via platforms such as iNaturalist, this modeling framework can easily be applied to other regions. Quantifying habitat suitability for a large, representative subset of the locally occurring pool of species in this way provides a clear, data-driven basis for further ecological research and conservation decision-making, maximizing the impact of current and future conservation efforts.
Endothelial glycocalyx injury is involved in heatstroke-associated coagulopathy and protected by N-acetylcysteine
Authors: Peng Na , Geng Yan , Ouyang Jiafu , Liu Shuai , Yuan Fangfang , Wan Yantong , Chen Wenda , Yu Baojun , Tang Youqing , Su Lei , Liang Huaping , Wang Jiang Huai , Liu Jinghua
Published: June 2023

Introduction

Damage to endothelial glycocalyx (EGCX) can lead to coagulation disorders in sepsis. Heat stroke (HS) resembles sepsis in many aspects; however, it is unclear whether EGCX injury is involved in its pathophysiology. The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between the damage of EGCX and the development of coagulation disorders during HS.

Methods

We retrospectively collected 159 HS patients and analyzed coagulation characteristics and prognosis of HS patients with or without disseminated intravascular coagulation (DIC). We also replicated a rat HS model and measured coagulation indexes, pulmonary capillary EGCX injury in HS rats. Finally, we evaluated the effect of the antioxidant N-acetylcysteine (NAC) on HS-initiated EGCX injury and coagulation disorders.

Results

Clinical data showed that HS patients complicated with DIC had a higher risk of death than HS patients without DIC. In a rat HS model, we found that rats subjected to heat stress developed hypercoagulability and platelet activation at the core body temperature of 43°C, just before the onset of HS. At 24 h of HS, the rats showed a consumptive hypo-coagulation state. The pulmonary capillary EGCX started to shed at 0 h of HS and became more severe at 24 h of HS. Importantly, pretreatment with NAC substantially alleviated EGCX damage and reversed the hypo-coagulation state in HS rats. Mechanically, HS initiated reactive oxidative species (ROS) generation, while ROS could directly cause EGCX damage. Critically, NAC protected against EGCX injury by attenuating ROS production in heat-stressed or hydrogen peroxide (H2O2)-stimulated endothelial cells.

Discussion

Our results indicate that the poor prognosis of HS patients correlates with severe coagulation disorders, coagulation abnormalities in HS rats are associated with the damage of EGCX, and NAC improves HS-induced coagulopathy, probably through its protection against EGCX injury by preventing ROS generation.
The development of endoplasmic reticulum-related gene signatures and the immune infiltration analysis of sepsis
Authors: Zhou Yi , Chen Yifang , Li Jianbo , Fu Zailin , Chen Qian , Zhang Wei , Luo Huan , Xie Minghua
Published: June 2023

Background

Sepsis is a complex condition involving multiorgan failure, resulting from the hosts’ deleterious systemic immune response to infection. It is characterized by high mortality, with limited effective detection and treatment options. Dysregulated endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress is directly involved in the pathophysiology of immune-mediated diseases.

Methods

Clinical samples were obtained from Gene Expression Omnibus datasets (i.e., GSE65682, GSE54514, and GSE95233) to perform the differential analysis in this study. A weighted gene co-expression network analysis algorithm combining multiple machine learning algorithms was used to identify the diagnostic biomarkers for sepsis. Gene Ontology (GO) analysis, Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) enrichment, and the single-sample gene set enrichment analysis algorithm were used to analyze immune infiltration characteristics in sepsis. PCR analysis and western blotting were used to demonstrate the potential role of TXN in sepsis.

Results

Four ERRGs, namely SET, LPIN1, TXN, and CD74, have been identified as characteristic diagnostic biomarkers for sepsis. Immune infiltration has been repeatedly proved to play a vital role both in sepsis and ER. Subsequently, the immune infiltration characteristics result indicated that the development of sepsis is mediated by immune-related function, as four diagnostic biomarkers were strongly associated with the immune infiltration landscape of sepsis. The biological experiments in vitro and vivo demonstrate TXN is emerging as crucial player in maintaining ER homeostasis in sepsis.

Conclusion

Our research identified novel potential biomarkers for sepsis diagnosis, which point toward a potential strategy for the diagnosis and treatment of sepsis.
Cryptosporidium parvum hijacks a host’s long noncoding RNA U90926 to evade intestinal epithelial cell-autonomous antiparasitic defense
Authors: Graham Marion L. , Li Min , Gong Ai-Yu , Deng Silu , Jin Kehua , Wang Shuhong , Chen Xian-Ming
Published: June 2023

Cryptosporidium is a zoonotic apicomplexan parasite that infects the gastrointestinal epithelium and other mucosal surfaces in humans. It is an important opportunistic pathogen in AIDS patients and a leading cause of infectious diarrhea and diarrheal-related death in children worldwide. The intestinal epithelial cells provide the first line of defense against Cryptosporidium infection and play a central role in activating and regulating the host’s antiparasitic response. Increasing evidence suggests that long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) participate in host-pathogen interactions and play a regulatory role in the pathogenesis of diseases but the underlying molecular mechanisms are not fully understood. We previously identified a panel of host lncRNAs that are upregulated in murine intestinal epithelial cells following Cryptosporidium infection, including U90926. We demonstrate here that U90926 is acting in a pro-parasitic manner in regulating intestinal epithelial cell-autonomous antiparasitic defense. Inhibition of U90926 resulted in a decreased infection burden of the parasite while overexpression of U90926 showed an increase in infection burden in cultured murine intestinal epithelial cells. Induction of U90926 suppressed transcription of epithelial defense genes involved in controlling Cryptosporidium infection through epigenetic mechanisms. Specifically, transcription of Aebp1, which encodes the Aebp1 protein, a potent modulator of inflammation and NF-κB signaling, was suppressed by U90926. Gain- or loss-of-function of Aebp1 in the host’s epithelial cells caused reciprocal alterations in the infection burden of the parasite. Interestingly, Cryptosporidium carries the Cryptosporidium virus 1 (CSpV1), a double-stranded (ds) RNA virus coding two dsRNA fragments, CSpV1-dsRdRp and CSpV1-dsCA. Both CSpV1-dsRdRp and CSpV1-dsCA can be delivered into infected cells as previously reported. We found that cells transfected with in vitro transcribed CSpV1-dsCA or CSpV1-dsRdRp displayed an increased level of U90926, suggesting that CSpV1 is involved in the upregulation of U90926 during Cryptosporidium infection. Our study highlights a new strategy by Cryptosporidium to hijack a host lncRNA to suppress epithelial cell-autonomous antiparasitic defense and allow for a robust infection.
Nuanced role for dendritic cell intrinsic IRE1 RNase in the regulation of antitumor adaptive immunity
Authors: Flores-Santibañez Felipe , Rennen Sofie , Fernández Dominique , De Nolf Clint , Van De Velde Evelien , Gaete González Sandra , Fuentes Camila , Moreno Carolina , Figueroa Diego , Lladser Álvaro , Iwawaki Takao , Bono María Rosa , Janssens Sophie , Osorio Fabiola
Published: June 2023

In cancer, activation of the IRE1/XBP1s axis of the unfolded protein response (UPR) promotes immunosuppression and tumor growth, by acting in cancer cells and tumor infiltrating immune cells. However, the role of IRE1/XBP1s in dendritic cells (DCs) in tumors, particularly in conventional type 1 DCs (cDC1s) which are cellular targets in immunotherapy, has not been fully elucidated. Here, we studied the role of IRE1/XBP1s in subcutaneous B16/B78 melanoma and MC38 tumors by generating loss-of-function models of IRE1 and/or XBP1s in DCs or in cDC1s. Data show that concomitant deletion of the RNase domain of IRE1 and XBP1s in DCs and cDC1s does not influence the kinetics of B16/B78 and MC38 tumor growth or the effector profile of tumor infiltrating T cells. A modest effect is observed in mice bearing single deletion of XBP1s in DCs, which showed slight acceleration of melanoma tumor growth and dysfunctional T cell responses, however, this effect was not recapitulated in animals lacking XBP1 only in cDC1s. Thus, evidence presented here argues against a general pro-tumorigenic role of the IRE1/XBP1s pathway in tumor associated DC subsets.
Application of abdominal ultrasonography in surgical necrotizing enterocolitis: a retrospective study
Authors: Chen Qin , Yao Weiquan , Xu Fengdan , Liao Jinfeng , Li Jinfeng , Mai Minling , Xie Haoqiang , He Xiaoguang , Li Ning
Published: June 2023

Background

Necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC) is a severe inflammatory bowel disease that may lead to perforation, causing high morbidity and mortality in preterm infants. Abdominal ultrasound (AUS) has been shown to provide benefits in diagnosing and managing NEC in recent years.

Objective

This study focused on the utility of AUS in the diagnosis and evaluation of surgical NEC.

Patients and methods

In this retrospective study, available data of the patients diagnosed from January 2019 to June 2022 were reviewed. The sensitivity and specificity of AUS in diagnosing a perforation were analyzed. Typical cases for the application of AUS in monitoring and evaluating the progression, complications, and sequela of NEC were described.

Results

There were 69 neonates diagnosed with NEC and examined by AUS, of whom eight patients developed a perforation. AUS was used for diagnosing a perforation in eight patients with key features of pneumoperitoneum and/or complex ascites, allowing us to find four locations of perforation, with a sensitivity and specificity of 100%.

Conclusion

AUS plays an important role in diagnosing and evaluating surgical NEC in newborn infants, with good sensitivity and specificity.
Evidence of neuroplasticity with brain–computer interface in a randomized trial for post-stroke rehabilitation: a graph-theoretic study of subnetwork analysis
Authors: Ma Zhen-Zhen , Wu Jia-Jia , Hua Xu-Yun , Zheng Mou-Xiong , Xing Xiang-Xin , Ma Jie , Shan Chun-Lei , Xu Jian-Guang
Published: June 2023

Background

Brain–computer interface (BCI) has been widely used for functional recovery after stroke. Understanding the brain mechanisms following BCI intervention to optimize BCI strategies is crucial for the benefit of stroke patients.

Methods

Forty-six patients with upper limb motor dysfunction after stroke were recruited and randomly divided into the control group or the BCI group. The primary outcome was measured by the assessment of Fugl–Meyer Assessment of Upper Extremity (FMA-UE). Meanwhile, we performed resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (rs-fMRI) in all patients, followed by independent component analysis (ICA) to identify functionally connected brain networks. Finally, we assessed the topological efficiency of both groups using graph-theoretic analysis in these brain subnetworks.

Results

The FMA-UE score of the BCI group was significantly higher than that of the control group after treatment (p = 0.035). From the network topology analysis, we first identified seven subnetworks from the rs-fMRI data. In the following analysis of subnetwork properties, small-world properties including γ (p = 0.035) and σ (p = 0.031) within the visual network (VN) decreased in the BCI group. For the analysis of the dorsal attention network (DAN), significant differences were found in assortativity (p = 0.045) between the groups. Additionally, the improvement in FMA-UE was positively correlated with the assortativity of the dorsal attention network (R = 0.498, p = 0.011).

Conclusion

Brain–computer interface can promote the recovery of upper limbs after stroke by regulating VN and DAN. The correlation trend of weak intensity proves that functional recovery in stroke patients is likely to be related to the brain’s visuospatial processing ability, which can be used to optimize BCI strategies.

Clinical Trial Registration

The trial is registered in the Chinese Clinical Trial Registry, number ChiCTR2000034848. Registered 21 July 2020.
Gait characteristics related to fall risk in patients with cerebral small vessel disease
Authors: Wang Yajing , Li Yanna , Liu Shoufeng , Liu Peipei , Zhu Zhizhong , Wu Jialing
Published: June 2023

Background

Falls and gait disturbance are significant clinical manifestations of cerebral small vessel disease (CSVD). However, few relevant studies are reported at present. We aimed to investigate gait characteristics and fall risk in patients with CSVD.

Methods

A total of 119 patients with CSVD admitted to the Department of Neurology at Tianjin Huanhu Hospital between 17 August 2018 and 7 November 2018 were enrolled in this study. All patients underwent cerebral magnetic resonance imaging scanning and a 2-min walking test using an OPAL wearable sensor and Mobility Lab software. Relevant data were collected using the gait analyzer test system to further analyze the time-space and kinematic parameters of gait. All patients were followed up, and univariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses were conducted to analyze the gait characteristics and relevant risk factors in patients with CSVD at an increased risk of falling.

Results

All patients were grouped according to the presence or absence of falling and fear of falling and were divided into a high-fall risk group (n = 35) and a low-fall risk group (n = 72). Logistic multivariate regression analysis showed that the toe-off angle [odds ratio (OR) = 0.742, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.584–0.942, p < 0.05], toe-off angle coefficient of variation (CV) (OR = 0.717, 95% CI: 0.535–0.962, p < 0.05), stride length CV (OR = 1.256, 95% CI: 1.017–1.552, p < 0.05), and terminal double support CV (OR = 1.735, 95% CI: 1.271–2.369, p < 0.05) were statistically significant (p < 0.05) and were independent risk factors for high-fall risk in patients with CSVD.

Conclusion

CSVD patients with seemingly normal gait and ambulation independently still have a high risk of falling, and gait spatiotemporal-kinematic parameters, gait symmetry, and gait variability are important indicators to assess the high-fall risk. The decrease in toe-off angle, in particular, and an increase in related parameters of CV, can increase the fall risk of CSVD patients.
Brain structure–function coupling associated with cognitive impairment in cerebral small vessel disease
Authors: Wang Na , Liang Changhu , Zhang Xinyue , Sui Chaofan , Gao Yian , Guo Lingfei , Wen Hongwei
Published: June 2023

Cerebral small vessel disease (CSVD) is a common chronic and progressive disease that can lead to mental and cognitive impairment. Damage to brain structure and function may play an important role in the neuropsychiatric disorders of patients with CSVD. Increasing evidence suggests that functional changes are accompanied by structural changes in corresponding brain regions. Thus, normal structure–function coupling is essential for optimal brain performance, and disrupted structure–function coupling can be found in many neurological and psychiatric disorders. To date, most studies on patients with CSVD have focused on separate structures or functions, including reductions in white matter volume and blood flow, which lead to cognitive dysfunction. However, there are few studies on brain structure–function coupling in patients with CSVD. In recent years, with the rapid development of multilevel (voxel-wise, neurovascular, regional level, and network level) brain structure–functional coupling analysis methods based on multimodal magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), new evidence has been provided to reveal the correlation between brain function and structural abnormalities and cognitive impairment. Therefore, studying brain structure–function coupling has a potential significance in the exploration and elucidation of the neurobiological mechanism of cognitive impairment in patients with CSVD. This article mainly describes the currently popular brain structure–function coupling analysis technology based on multimodal MRI and the important research progress of these coupling technologies on CSVD and cognitive impairment to provide a perspective for the study of the pathogenesis and early diagnosis of CSVD.
PSNSleep: a self-supervised learning method for sleep staging based on Siamese networks with only positive sample pairs
Authors: You Yuyang , Chang Shuohua , Yang Zhihong , Sun Qihang
Published: June 2023

Traditional supervised learning methods require large quantities of labeled data. However, labeling sleep data according to polysomnography by well-trained sleep experts is a very tedious job. In the present day, the development of self-supervised learning methods is making significant progress in many fields. It is also possible to apply some of these methods to sleep staging. This is to remove the dependency on labeled data at the stage of representation extraction. Nevertheless, they often rely too much on negative samples for sample selection and construction. Therefore, we propose PSNSleep, a novel self-supervised learning method for sleep staging based on Siamese networks. The crucial step to the success of our method is to select appropriate data augmentations (the time shift block) to construct the positive sample pair. PSNSleep achieves satisfactory results without relying on any negative samples. We evaluate PSNSleep on Sleep-EDF and ISRUC-Sleep and achieve accuracy of 80.0% and 74.4%. The source code is publicly available at https://github.com/arthurxl/PSNSleep.
Food socialization of children with Prader-Willi syndrome: an interdisciplinary problematization
Authors: Rochedy Amandine , Valette Marion , Tauber Maithé , Poulain Jean Pierre
Published: June 2023

Eating “disorders” of people with Prader-Willi syndrome are frequently reported in the biomedical literature. The eating behaviors are presented as a syndrome-specific trajectory over the course of a lifetime. Infants initially show anorexic behavior, which then develops into hyperphagia that lasts from childhood to adulthood and is characterized by strong cravings for food and relentless thinking about it. However, the sociocultural determinants of these food practices are not fully understood. In the first section of this article, we carry out a literature review of medical articles published on disordered eating in children with PWS. The second section draws on a social science perspective and offers an interdisciplinary problematization using the concept of food socialization. To conclude, the third section explores the challenges facing research and new questions that emerge from the alternative problematization that is the PWS Food Social Norms Internalization (FSNI) theory.
Development of a prognostic model based on ferroptosis-related genes for colorectal cancer patients and exploration of the biological functions of NOS2 in vivo and in vitro
Authors: Li Hongming , Feng Xiaochuang , Hu Yong , Wang Junjiang , Huang Chengzhi , Yao Xueqing
Published: June 2023

Background

Ferroptosis is involved in many malignant tumors and has been implicated in important mechanisms of colorectal cancer (CRC) suppression. However, the prognostic and predictive values of the ferroptosis activation pattern in CRC patients have not been noted. Here, we aimed to construct and validate a prediction model based on ferroptosis-related genes (FRGs) for CRC patients and investigated the expression pattern and biological function of the most significantly altered gene.

Methods

A total of 112 FRGs were obtained from the FerrDb website, and the clinical characteristics of 545 CRC patients and their global gene expression profiles were downloaded from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) database. Survival-related FRGs were identified by Cox proportional hazards regression analysis. Finally, the expression pattern and biological function of NOS2, the most implicated gene was explored in vitro and in vivo.

Results

The prediction model was established based on 8 FRGs. Patients in the high- or low-risk group were stratified based on the median risk value calculated by our model, and patients in the high-risk group experienced poor overall survival (p<0.01). Further validation demonstrated that the FRG model acted as an independent prognostic indicator for CRC patients (HR=1.428, 95% CI, 1.341-1.627; p<0.001). The area under the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve (AUC) for 5-year survival was 0.741. NOS2 was one of the most significantly affected FRGs and was highly expressed in malignant tissue, but it inhibited tumor growth and induced tumor cell death in vitro and in vivo, possibly by repressing the NF-κB pathway.

Conclusion

Our study revealed that FRGs have potential prognostic value in CRC patients and that NOS2 suppresses tumor progression, providing a novel therapeutic target for CRC treatment based on ferroptosis.
A report of a pedigree with compound heterozygous mutations in the SLC22A5 gene
Authors: Zhou Yunguo , Liu Yucai , Shen Yang , Xu Fang , Xu Fei , Huang Hui , Duan Junkai
Published: June 2023

Introduction

To investigate the clinical characteristics and disease outcomes of a pedigree with compound heterozygous mutations in the SLC22A5 gene.

Methods

Serum acylcarnitine profiles of patients were analyzed using tandem mass spectrometry. DNA samples isolated from patients and their first-degree relatives were subjected to high-throughput sequencing, and mutations were validated using Sanger sequencing.

Results

The proband, a 4-month-old girl, presented with seizure episodes and mild cardiac hypertrophy and was diagnosed with primary carnitine deficiency (PCD), with carnitine levels of 5.165 mol/L. Her brother, a 6-year-and 4-month-old boy, was also diagnosed with PCD with serum-free carnitine levels of 1.014 mol/L (reference values 10–60 mol/L). Compound heterozygous mutations (c.760C > T [p.R254X] and c.825G > A [p.W275X]) were detected in the SLC22A5 gene in both patients and were inherited from the mother and father, respectively. Oral L-carnitine significantly improved or resolved the clinical symptoms.

Conclusion

Children with compound mutations in SLC22A5 may present different clinical manifestations, particularly at different ages. Early clinical manifestations have a greater impact on the organs and may cause irreversible damage. PCD can cause epilepsy and dilated cardiomyopathy. Tandem mass spectrometry and high-throughput sequencing are recommended to confirm the diagnosis. Early L-carnitine supplementation can improve symptoms and reverse organ damage in some children. Tandem mass spectrometry should be used to screen for newborns with a family history of PCD.
Bibliometric analysis of real-time PCR-based pathogen detection in plant protection research: a comprehensive study
Authors: Lal Priyanka , Tiwari Rahul Kumar , Kumar Awadhesh , Altaf Muhammad Ahsan , Alsahli Abdulaziz Abdullah , Lal Milan Kumar , Kumar Ravinder
Published: June 2023

Introduction

The discovery of RT-PCR-based pathogen detection and gene expression analysis has had a transformative impact on the field of plant protection. This study aims to analyze the global research conducted between 2001 and 2021, focusing on the utilization of RT-PCR techniques for diagnostic assays and gene expression level studies. By retrieving data from the 'Dimensions' database and employing bibliometric visualization software, this analysis provides insights into the major publishing journals, institutions involved, leading journals, influential authors, most cited articles, and common keywords.

Methods

The 'Dimensions' database was utilized to retrieve relevant literature on RT-PCR-based pathogen detection. Fourteen distinct search queries were employed, and the resulting dataset was analyzed for trends in scholarly publications over time. The bibliometric visualization software facilitated the identification of major publishing journals, institutions, leading journals, influential authors, most cited articles, and common keywords. The study's search query was based on the conjunction 'AND', ensuring a comprehensive analysis of the literature.

Results

The analysis revealed a significant increase in the number of scholarly publications on RT-PCR-based pathogen detection over the years, indicating a growing interest and investment in research within the field. This finding emphasizes the importance of ongoing investigation and development, highlighting the potential for further advancements in knowledge and understanding. In terms of publishing journals, Plos One emerged as the leading journal, closely followed by BMC Genomics and Phytopathology. Among the highly cited journals were the European Journal of Plant Pathology, BMC Genomics, and Fungal Genetics and Biology. The publications with the highest number of citations and publications were associated with the United Nations and China. Furthermore, a network visualization map of co-authorship analysis provided intriguing insights into the collaborative nature of the research. Out of 2,636 authors analyzed, 50 surpassed the level threshold, suggesting active collaboration among researchers in the field.

Discussion

Overall, this bibliometric analysis demonstrates that the research on RT-PCR-based pathogen detection is thriving. However, there is a need for further strengthening using modern diagnostic tools and promoting collaboration among well-equipped laboratories. The findings underscore the significance of RT-PCR-based pathogen detection in plant protection and highlight the potential for continued advancements in this field. Continued research and collaboration are vital for enhancing knowledge, developing innovative diagnostic tools, and effectively protecting plants from pathogens.
The identification of the methylation patterns of tomato curly stunt virus in resistant and susceptible tomato lines
Authors: Mulaudzi Precious Earldom , Koorsen Gerrit , Mwaba Imanu , Mahomed Nasima Banu , Allie Farhahna
Published: June 2023

Tomato curly stunt virus (ToCSV) is a monopartite begomovirus infecting tomatoes in South Africa, with sequence similarity to tomato yellow leaf curl virus (TYLCV). While there are numerous reports on the mechanism of TYLCV resistance in tomato, the underlying mechanisms in the tomato-ToCSV pathosystem is still relatively unknown. The main aim of this study was to investigate and compare the global methylation profile of ToCSV in two near-isogenic tomato lines, one with a tolerant phenotype (T, NIL396) and one with a susceptible phenotype (S, NIL395). Bisulfite conversion and PCR amplification, coupled with a next-generation sequencing approach, were used to elucidate the global pattern of methylation of ToCSV cytosine residues in T and S leave tissue at 35 days post-infection (dpi). The extent of methylation was more pronounced in tolerant plants compared to susceptible plants in all sequence (CG, CHG and CHH) contexts, however, the overall methylation levels were relatively low (<3%). Notably, a significant interaction (p < 0.05) was observed between the viral genomic region and susceptible vs. tolerant status for CG methylated regions where it was observed that the 3’IR CG methylation was significantly (p < 0.05) higher than CG methylation of other genomic regions in tolerant and susceptible plants. Additionally, statistically significant (EdgeR p < 0.05) differentially methylated cytosines were located primarily in the genomic regions V2/V1 and C4/C1 of ToCSV. The relative expression, using RT-qPCR, was also employed in order to quantify the expression of various key methylation-related genes, MET1, CMT2, KYP4/SUVH4, DML2, RDM1, AGO4 and AGO6 in T vs. S plants at 35dpi. The differential expression between T and S was significant for MET1, KYP4/SUVH4 and RDM1 at p<0.05 which further supports more pronounced methylation observed in ToCSV from T plants vs. S plants. While this study provides new insights into the differences in methylation profiles of ToCSV in S vs. T tomato plants, further research is required to link tolerance and susceptibility to ToCSV.
Allelic variation in the indoleacetic acid-lysine synthase gene of the bacterial pathogen Pseudomonas savastanoi and its role in auxin production
Authors: Pintado Adrián , Domínguez-Cerván Hilario , Pastor Victoria , Vincent Marissa , Lee Soon Goo , Flors Víctor , Ramos Cayo
Published: June 2023

Indole-3-acetic acid (IAA) production is a pathogenicity/virulence factor in the Pseudomonas syringae complex, including Pseudomonas savastanoi. P. savastanoi pathovars (pvs.) genomes contain the iaaL gene, encoding an enzyme that catalyzes the biosynthesis of the less biologically active compound 3-indole-acetyl-ϵ-L–lysine (IAA–Lys). Previous studies have reported the identification of IAA–Lys in culture filtrates of P. savastanoi strains isolated from oleander (pv. nerii), but the conversion of IAA into a conjugate was not detectable in olive strains (pv. savastanoi). In this paper, we show the distribution of iaaL alleles in all available P. savastanoi genomes of strains isolated from woody hosts. Most strains encode two different paralogs, except for those isolated from broom (pv. retacarpa), which contain a single allele. In addition to the three previously reported iaaL alleles (iaaLPsv, iaaLPsn and iaaLPto), we identified iaaLPsf, an exclusive allele of strains isolated from ash (pv. fraxini). We also found that the production of IAA–Lys in P. savastanoi pv. savastanoi and pv. nerii depends on a functional iaaLPsn allele, whereas in pv. fraxini depends on iaaLPsf. The production of IAA–Lys was detected in cultures of an olive strain heterologously expressing IaaLPsn-1, IaaLPsf-1 and IaaLPsf-3, but not when expressing IaaLPsv-1. In addition, Arabidopsis seedlings treated with the strains overproducing the conjugate, and thus reducing the free IAA content, alleviated the root elongation inhibitory effect of IAA. IAA–Lys synthase activity assays with purified allozymes confirmed the functionality and specificity of lysine as a substrate of IaaLPsn-1 and IaaLPsf-3, with IaaLPsf-3 showing the highest catalytic efficiency for both substrates. The IAA–Lys synthase activity of IaaLPsn-1 was abolished by the insertion of two additional tyrosine residues encoded in the inactive allozyme IaaLPsv-1. These results highlight the relevance of allelic variation in a phytohormone-related gene for the modulation of auxin production in a bacterial phytopathogen.
EBR and JA regulate aroma substance biosynthesis in ‘Ruidu Hongyu’ grapevine berries by transcriptome and metabolite combined analysis
Authors: Li Jiajia , Quan Yi , Wu Zishu , Han Jiayu , Zhang Ying , Javed Hafiz Umer , Ma Chao , Jiu Songtao , Zhang Caixi , Wang Lei , Wang Shiping
Published: June 2023

Volatile compounds including terpenes, aldehyde, phenol, and alcohol are significantly contributed floral and fruity aromas to the Muscat variety. ‘Ruidu Hongyu’ grapevine is one of the newly developed grape varieties, and cultivation of this variety has been extended across China due to unique quality traits and taste. In this study, HS-SPME/GC−MS and transcriptome sequencing analysis were performed to evaluate the impact of exogenous 2,4-epibrassinolide (EBR), jasmonic acid (JA), and their signaling inhibitors brassinazole (Brz)/sodium diethyldithiocarbamate (DIECA) on the biosynthesis of aroma substances in ‘Ruidu Hongyu’ grapevine. According to the results, exogenous BR and JA promoted the accumulation of various aroma substances, including hexenal, 2-hexenal, nerol oxide, vanillin, hotrienol, terpineol, neral, nerol, geraniol, and geranic acid. After EBR and JA treatments, most of the genes responsible for terpene, aldehyde, and alcohol biosynthesis expressed at a higher level than the CK group. Relatively, EBR treatment could not only promote endogenous BR biosynthesis and metabolism but also elevate BR signaling transduction. JA treatment contributed to endogenous JA and MeJA accumulation, as well. Through transcriptome sequencing, a total of 3043, 903, 1470, and 607 DEGs were identified in JA vs. JD, JA vs. CK, BR vs. CK, and BR vs. Brz, respectively. There were more DEGs under both EBR and JA treatments at late fruit ripening stages. The findings of this study increase our understanding regarding aroma substances biosynthesis and endogenous BR/JA metabolism in response to exogenous EBR and JA signals.
Combining thermal imaging and soil water content sensors to assess tree water status in pear trees
Authors: Blanco Victor , Willsea Noah , Campbell Thiago , Howe Orlando , Kalcsits Lee
Published: June 2023

Volumetric soil water content is commonly used for irrigation management in fruit trees. By integrating direct information on tree water status into measurements of soil water content, we can improve detection of water stress and irrigation scheduling. Thermal-based indicators can be an alternative to traditional measurements of midday stem water potential and stomatal conductance for irrigation management of pear trees (Pyrus communis L.). These indicators are easy, quick, and cost-effective. The soil and tree water status of two cultivars of pear trees ‘D’Anjou’ and ‘Bartlett’ submitted to regulated deficit irrigation was measured regularly in a pear orchard in Rock Island, WA (USA) for two seasons, 2021 and 2022. These assessments were compared to the canopy temperature (Tc), the difference between the canopy and air temperature (Tc-Ta) and the crop water stress index (CWSI). Trees under deficit irrigation had lower midday stem water potential and stomatal conductance but higher Tc, Tc-Ta, and CWSI. Tc was not a robust method to assess tree water status since it was strongly related to air temperature (R = 0.99). However, Tc-Ta and CWSI were greater than 0°C or 0.5, respectively, and were less dependent on the environmental conditions when trees were under water deficits (midday stem water potential values< -1.2 MPa). Moreover, values of Tc-Ta = 2°C and CWSI = 0.8 occurred when midday stem water potential was close to -1.5 MPa and stomatal conductance was lower than 200 mmol m-2s-1. Soil water content (SWC) was the first indicator in detecting the deficit irrigation applied, however, it was not as strongly related to the tree water status as the thermal-based indicators. Thus, the relation between the indicators studied with the stem water potential followed the order: CWSI > Tc-Ta > SWC = Tc. A multiple regression analysis is proposed that combines both soil water content and thermal-based indices to overcome limitations of individual use of each indicator.
E-learning in a Jordanian higher education institution
Authors: Alnemrat Areen , Aldamen Hesham , Al-Deaibes Mutasim , Alsharefeen Rami
Published: June 2023

This study seeks to understand the current level of e-learning and to investigate the challenges to the successful implementation of e-learning at a major Jordanian higher education institution from the perspectives of faculty members. Analyses of emailed survey data from 157 faculty members showed that the level of faculty knowledge of e-learning was good (M = 3.049) on the 4-point Likert scale. The usage of e-learning by the faculty members was often (M = 3.640) on the 5-point Likert scale. Ratings of the policy and support barriers indicated that Yarmouk University faculty members benefit from the technical support that their departments offer to implement e-learning, but the overall responses to the policy and support barriers were undecided (M = 3.567). Also, overall Yarmouk University faculty members’ responses to the infrastructure and resources barriers were undecided (3.482). Attitude item responses showed that Yarmouk University faculty members have positive attitudes and a willingness to implement e-learning in their teaching (M = 3.913). Also, responses showed a degree of satisfaction of faculty members with the development plans and strategies associated with e-learning (M = 3.668). They showed that they did not have obstacles in preparation and development and that they benefited from their plans and strategies. The results showed that there were no differences between males and females on e-learning knowledge, usage, and barriers.