bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The Preventive Health Professions in Italy: The Efficient Use of Resources, Skills and Best Practice during the Pandemic
Authors: Marcotrigiano Vincenzo , Pattavina Fabio , Blangiardi Lorenzo , Salerno Gerardo , Dalena Annamaria , Del Bianco Flavio , Di Fant Marcella , Fabbro Anna , Forgiarini Mariarita , Lanzilotti Carola , Wachocka Malgorzata , Marchet Paola , Mazzurana Mirko , Rizzi Roberto , Russo Carmela , Salerno Fabiana , Vailati Mattia , Stingi Giacomo Domenico , Laurenti Patrizia , Ferro Antonio , Cinquetti Sandro , Napoli Christian
Published: September 2022

Health visitors (HVs) and environmental health officers (EHOs) are the healthcare workers (HCWs) who, in the Italian National Health Service, mainly operate in the prevention departments of local health authorities, guaranteeing the territorial activities specifically declared with the respective professional profiles. During the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic, it was necessary to reallocate all HCWs supporting Hygiene and Public Health Services involved on the front lines of the emergency, in order to perform preventive activities and to take immediate action to fight the spread of the virus. By means of an IT survey consisting of three sections, this study investigated how 960 HVs and EHOs dealt with this reallocation, with the shifting in service assignment, and with the perceived level of fatigue and pressure, through the application of skills acquired from university training. The synergy among the preventive health professions, the ability to work in a multi-professional team, and the complementary training of HCWs represent the main strengths for overcoming future public health challenges, aimed at protecting human health.
Influence of Land Use Changes on the Longaví Catchment Hydrology in South-Center Chile
Authors: Moya Héctor , Althoff Ingrid , Huenchuleo Carlos , Reggiani Paolo
Published: September 2022

During recent decades, the South-Central part of Chile has shown strong vulnerability due to the effects of land use change (LUC). The interaction of these changes with local hydrology has not been adequately investigated and is poorly understood, especially in mountainous areas under irrigated agriculture. We applied the SWAT + agrohydrological model to study the effects of LUC on hydrological fluxes in the Longaví catchment, Maule region, South-Central Chile. Land use maps (LUMs) from 1997, 2009, and 2016 were used in conjunction with a 41-year (1979–2019) hydro-meteorological series of daily observations as forcing data. The dominant changes in land use during the study period relate to agriculture, shrublands, forestry of exotic species, and urban sprawl. First, the LUM of 1997 was used for model setup, sensitivity analysis, calibration, and validation. Second, the impact of LUC documented through LUMs 2009 and 2016 was analyzed. Our analysis clearly reveals that the overall water balance and internal moisture redistribution in the Longaví catchment have been considerably affected by decreases in precipitation, changes in land use and water use practices. Unless a comprehensive regulatory system is introduced that addresses current climatic conditions and territorial use, it is likely that the decrease in water resources will persist and worsen through climate changes.
Effect of Dry Needling Treatment on Tibial Musculature in Combination with Neurorehabilitation Treatment in Stroke Patients: Randomized Clinical Study
Authors: Sánchez Milá Zacarías , Velázquez Saornil Jorge , Campón Chekroun Angélica , Barragán Casas José Manuel , Frutos Llanes Raúl , Castrillo Calvillo Arantxa , López Pascua Cristina , Rodríguez Sanz David
Published: September 2022

(1) Background: Introducing ultrasound-guided dry needling to neurorehabilitation treatments increases the beneficial effects of therapy. The aim of this study was to compare the effects of including an ultrasound-guided dry needling session in neurorehabilitation treatment on spasticity and gait–balance quality versus neurorehabilitation treatment in subjects who had suffered a stroke. (2) Methods: A single-blind, randomized clinical trial was conducted. Thirty-six patients who had suffered a stroke in the right middle cerebral artery signed the informed consent for participation in the study. Twenty patients finally participated and were randomly assigned to the control group (neurorehabilitation treatment) or experimental group (neurorehabilitation treatment plus ultrasound-guided dry needling). Pre-treatment and post-treatment data were collected on the same day. The experimental group (n = 10) first underwent an ultrasound-guided dry needling intervention on the tibialis anterior and tibialis posterior musculature, followed by neurorehabilitation treatment; the control group (n = 10) underwent their corresponding neurorehabilitation without the invasive technique. Pre-treatment and post-treatment measurements were taken on the same day, assessing the quality of balance–gait using the “Up and Go” test and the degree of spasticity using the Modified Modified Ashworth Scale. (3) Results: The patients who received neurorehabilitation treatment plus ultrasound-guided dry needling showed a greater decrease in spasticity in the tibial musculature after the neurorehabilitation treatment session (p < 0.001), improving balance and gait (p < 0.001). (4) Conclusions: An ultrasound-guided dry needling session combined with neurorehabilitation treatment reduced spasticity and improved balance and gait in stroke patients.
Correction: Amer et al. Assessing Patient Experience and Attitude: BSC-PATIENT Development, Translation, and Psychometric Evaluation—A Cross-Sectional Study. Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2022, 19, 7149
Authors: Amer Faten , Hammoud Sahar , Onchonga David , Alkaiyat Abdulsalam , Nour Abdulnaser , Endrei Dóra , Boncz Imre
Published: September 2022

The authors wish to make the following corrections to this paper [...]
The Theoretical Model of Decision-Making Behaviour Geospatial Analysis Using Data Obtained from the Games of Chess
Authors: Szczepańska Agnieszka , Kaźmierczak Rafał
Published: September 2022

The game of chess offers a conducive setting to explore basic cognitive processes, including decision-making. The game exercises analytical cause-and-effect thinking skills regardless of the level of play. Moreover, chess portals provide information on the chess games played and serve as a vast database. The numbers of games played thus have the potential to be analyzed comprehensively, including for purposes other than analyzing chess matches only. The primary objective of this study is to develop a methodology for using information obtained from chess games for geospatial social analysis. The assumption is that the methodology will allow for general geographical variation in personality inference in the future, relying on big data from chess databases. Future large-scale studies of the geographical differentiation of personality traits using the developed methodology may be applicable in a number of ways. The results can be used wherever cross-sectional social analyses are needed in the context of personality traits (decision-making) to better understand their geographical background. In turn, the geographical distribution of these traits is accompanied by a range of important social, educational, health, political and economic implications.
Metronidazole Degradation by UV and UV/H2O2 Advanced Oxidation Processes: Kinetics, Mechanisms, and Effects of Natural Water Matrices
Authors: Su Rongkui , Dai Xiangrong , Wang Hanqing , Wang Zhixiang , Li Zishi , Chen Yonghua , Luo Yiting , Ouyang Danxia
Published: September 2022

Advanced oxidation technology represented by hydroxyl radicals has great potential to remove residual antibiotics. In this study, we systematically compared the metronidazole (MTZ) degradation behavior and mechanism in the UV and UV/H2O2 systems at pH 3.00 condition. The results show that the initial reaction rates were 0.147 and 1.47 µM min−1 in the UV and UV/H2O2 systems, respectively. The main reason for the slow direct photolysis of MTZ is the relatively low molar absorption coefficient (2645.44 M−1 cm−1) and quantum yield (5.9 × 10−3 mol Einstein−1). Then, we measured kMTZ,OH • as 2.79 (±0.12) × 109 M−1 s−1 by competitive kinetics, and calculated kMTZ,OH • and [OH •]SS as 2.43 (±0.11) × 109 M−1 s−1 and 2.36 × 10−13 M by establishing a kinetic model based on the steady-state hypothesis in our UV/H2O2 system. The contribution of direct photolysis and •OH to the MTZ degradation was 9.9% and 90.1%. •OH plays a major role in the MTZ degradation, and •OH was the main active material in the UV/H2O2 system. This result was also confirmed by MTZ degradation and radicals’ identification experiments. MTZ degradation increases with H2O2 dosage, but excessive H2O2 had the opposite effect. A complex matrix has influence on MTZ degradation. Organic matter could inhibit the degradation of MTZ, and the quenching of the radical was the main reason. NO3− promoted the MTZ degradation, while SO42− and Cl− had no effect. These results are of fundamental and practical importance in understanding the MTZ degradation, and to help select preferred processes for the optimal removal of antibiotics in natural water bodies, such as rivers, lakes, and groundwater
Religious and Non-Religious Workplace Mobbing Victims: When Do People Turn to Religious Organisations?
Authors: Vveinhardt Jolita , Deikus Mykolas
Published: September 2022

Researchers’ interest in the impact of religious–spiritual assistance on victims of violence has increased in recent decades; however, factors that are relevant to workplace mobbing victims who seek such assistance remain poorly investigated. The purpose of this study is to highlight the factors that make spiritual assistance of religious organizations acceptable to religious and non-religious workplace mobbing victims. The study involved 463 adults working in Lithuanian organizations, of whom 79.5 per cent indicated that they were religious. ANOVA and Chi-square tests revealed that the significant factors were similarity of personal and religious values, the relation with the person providing assistance, and the circumstances characterising assistance. This study promotes further scientific discussion on the involvement of religious organizations in helping victims of workplace mobbing and explains why religious and non-religious individuals seeking assistance turn to religious organizations. The article presents only a part of the research results of the implemented project.
Computational Methods in Psychotherapy: A Scoping Review
Authors: Cioffi Valeria , Mosca Lucia Luciana , Moretto Enrico , Ragozzino Ottavio , Stanzione Roberta , Bottone Mario , Maldonato Nelson Mauro , Muzii Benedetta , Sperandeo Raffaele
Published: September 2022

Background: The study of complex systems, such as the psychotherapeutic encounter, transcends the mechanistic and reductionist methods for describing linear processes and needs suitable approaches to describe probabilistic and scarcely predictable phenomena. Objective: The present study undertakes a scoping review of research on the computational methods in psychotherapy to gather new developments in this field and to better understand the phenomena occurring in psychotherapeutic interactions as well as in human interaction more generally. Design: Online databases were used to identify papers published 2011–2022, from which we selected 18 publications from different resources, selected according to criteria established in advance and described in the text. A flow chart and a summary table of the articles consulted have been created. Results: The majority of publications (44.4%) reported combined computational and experimental approaches, so we grouped the studies according to the types of computational methods used. All but one of the studies collected measured data. All the studies confirmed the usefulness of predictive and learning models in the study of complex variables such as those belonging to psychological, psychopathological and psychotherapeutic processes. Conclusions: Research on computational methods will benefit from a careful selection of reference methods and standards. Therefore, this review represents an attempt to systematise the empirical literature on the applications of computational methods in psychotherapy research in order to offer clinicians an overview of the usefulness of these methods and the possibilities of their use in the various fields of application, highlighting their clinical implications, and ultimately attempting to identify potential opportunities for further research.
Assessment of Cd Pollution in Paddy Soil–Rice System in Silver Mining-Affected Areas: Pollution Status, Transformation and Health Risk Assessment
Authors: Lv Lv , Jiao Zhiqiang , Ge Shiji , Zhan Wenhao , Ruan Xinling , Wang Yangyang
Published: September 2022

Mining activities are one of the main contamination sources of Cd in soil. However, the information about the influence of silver mining on Cd pollution in soil in mining-affected areas is limited. In the present study, sixteen paired soil and rice grain samples were collected from the farmland along the Luxi River nearby a silver mine in Yingtan City, Jiangxi Province, China. The total, bioavailable, and fraction of Cd in soil and Cd content in rice grain were determined by inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry. The transformation of Cd in the soil–rice system and potential health risk via consumption of these rice grains were also estimated. The results showed that Cd concentration in these paddy soils ranged from 0.21 to 0.48 mg/kg, with the mean Cd concentration (0.36 mg/kg) exceeded the national limitation of China (0.3 mg/kg, GB 15618-2018). Fortunately, all these contaminated paddy soils were just slightly polluted, with the highest single-factor pollution index value of 1.59. The DTPA- and CaCl2-extractable Cd in these paddy soils ranged from 0.16 to 0.22 mg/kg and 0.06 to 0.11 mg/kg, respectively, and the acid-soluble Cd occupied 40.40% to 52.04% of the total Cd, which was the highest among different fractions. The concentration of Cd in rice grain ranged from 0.03 to 0.39 mg/kg, and the mean Cd concentration in rice grain (0.16 mg/kg) was within the national limitation of China (0.2 mg/kg, GB 2762-2017). The bioaccumulation factor of Cd in rice grain ranged from 0.09 to 1.18, and its correlation with various indicators was nonsignificant (p < 0.05). Health risk assessment indicated that the noncarcinogenic risk for local rice consumers was within the acceptable range, but the carcinogenic risk (CR) was ranging from 1.24 × 10−2 to 1.09 × 10−3 and higher than the acceptable range (1.0 × 10−4), indicating that the local rice consumers suffered serious risk for carcinogenic diseases. The results of the present study can provide reference for safety production of rice in silver mining-affected areas.
Prediction of China’s Population Mortality under Limited Data
Authors: Cheng Zhenmin , Si Wanwan , Xu Zhiwei , Xiang Kaibiao
Published: September 2022

Population mortality is an important step in quantifying the risk of longevity. China lacks data on population mortality, especially the elderly population. Therefore, this paper first uses spline fitting to supplement the missing data and then uses dynamic models to predict the species mortality of the Chinese population, including age extrapolation and trend extrapolation. Firstly, for age extrapolation, kannisto is used to expand the data of the high-age population. Secondly, the Lee-Carter single-factor model is used to predict gender and age mortality. This paper fills and smoothes the deficiencies of the original data to make up for the deficiencies of our population mortality data and improve the prediction accuracy of population mortality and life expectancy, while analyzing the impact of mortality improvement and providing a theoretical basis for policies to deal with the risk of longevity.
Exercise Interventions Improved Sleep Quality through Regulating Intestinal Microbiota Composition
Authors: Qiu Liangwu , Gong Fuhong , Wu Jiang , You Dingyun , Zhao Yinzhou , Xu Lianwu , Cao Xue , Bao Fukai
Published: September 2022

(1) Background: Sleep quality is closely related to the physical and mental health of college students. The objectives of this study were to obtain data on the sleep quality of university students and to investigate the relationship between intestinal flora and the improvement in sleep quality through exercise intervention. (2) Methods: Here, 11 university students with a body mass index (BMI) ≤ 18 and Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) ≥ 7 were selected as experimental subjects, and another 11 healthy people were recruited as control subjects. The experimental group and control group were each intervened with exercise for 8 weeks. We used 16SrDNA sequencing technology to analyze the variations of the intestinal flora and the relation of the variations and sleep quality improvement between the experimental group and the control group before and after the exercise intervention. (3) Results: The differences in gut flora composition between people with sleep disorders and healthy people were statistically significant (p < 0.05). Before and after the exercise intervention, the differences were also statistically significant (p < 0.05) in people with sleep disorders. The sleep-disordered population had a larger proportion compared with the healthy population (p < 0.05). Blautia and Eubacterium hallii were microbe markers in the sleep-disordered population before and after the exercise intervention, while there was no microbe marker found in the healthy population. (4) Conclusions: The increase in Blautia and Eubacterium hallii, and the decrease in Agathobacter are associated with healthy sleep. Gut flora may be related to sleep disorders. Exercise intervention can improve sleep quality while changing the diversity of the gut flora, and exercise intervention targeting the gut flora is a new concept for preventing and treating sleep disorders.
Management Accounting Practices in the Hospitality Industry: The Portuguese Background
Authors: Campos Filipa , Gomes Conceição , Cardoso Lucília , Lima Santos Luís
Published: September 2022

Background: Despite the increase in tourism revenues, management in the hospitality industry faces constant challenges for profit maximization. In this way, the aim of this study is to analyze management accounting (MA) research applied to the Portuguese hospitality industry, identifying all the practices mentioned by authors studying the same theme in the rest of the world. Methods: fifty-two studies were obtained and used between 2010 and 2021 for data assessment through bibliometric review, which involved both quantitative and qualitative methods of analysis. To achieve the objectives, studies were selected according to the MA practices identified by several authors for the global hospitality industry. Results: the results highlight the importance of increasing research on MA practices in the hospitality industry to empower management and smooth out the differences between their use. Currently, the emphasis is on hotel ratios and indicators, budgeting, and benchmarking. Conclusions: The adoption of MA practices is decisive for the success of hotel companies. This study evidenced the increasing use of some hotel MA practices over the years and made it possible to assess the development of these practices in Portugal, since to date no other author has produced a bibliometric review on this topic.
CD8+ T Cell Phenotype and Function in Childhood and Adult-Onset Connective Tissue Disease
Authors: Radziszewska Anna , Moulder Zachary , Jury Elizabeth C. , Ciurtin Coziana
Published: September 2022

CD8+ T cells are cytotoxic lymphocytes that destroy pathogen infected and malignant cells through release of cytolytic molecules and proinflammatory cytokines. Although the role of CD8+ T cells in connective tissue diseases (CTDs) has not been explored as thoroughly as that of other immune cells, research focusing on this key component of the immune system has recently gained momentum. Aberrations in cytotoxic cell function may have implications in triggering autoimmunity and may promote tissue damage leading to exacerbation of disease. In this comprehensive review of current literature, we examine the role of CD8+ T cells in systemic lupus erythematosus, Sjögren’s syndrome, systemic sclerosis, polymyositis, and dermatomyositis with specific focus on comparing what is known about CD8+ T cell peripheral blood phenotypes, CD8+ T cell function, and CD8+ T cell organ-specific profiles in adult and juvenile forms of these disorders. Although, the precise role of CD8+ T cells in the initiation of autoimmunity and disease progression remains to be elucidated, increasing evidence indicates that CD8+ T cells are emerging as an attractive target for therapy in CTDs.
Wnt/β-Catenin Signaling Pathway Is Strongly Implicated in Cadmium-Induced Developmental Neurotoxicity and Neuroinflammation: Clues from Zebrafish Neurobehavior and In Vivo Neuroimaging
Authors: Xu Yanyi , Liu Junru , Tian Yonghui , Wang Zuo , Song Zan , Li Kemin , Zhang Shengxiang , Zhao Haiyu
Published: September 2022

Cadmium (Cd) is a toxic heavy metal and worldwide environmental pollutant which seriously threatens human health and ecosystems. It is easy to be adsorbed and deposited in organisms, exerting adverse effects on various organs including the brain. In a very recent study, making full use of a zebrafish model in both high-throughput behavioral tracking and live neuroimaging, we explored the potential developmental neurotoxicity of Cd2+ at environmentally relevant levels and identified multiple connections between Cd2+ exposure and neurodevelopmental disorders as well as microglia-mediated neuroinflammation, whereas the underlying neurotoxic mechanisms remained unclear. The canonical Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway plays crucial roles in many biological processes including neurodevelopment, cell survival, and cell cycle regulation, as well as microglial activation, thereby potentially presenting one of the key targets of Cd2+ neurotoxicity. Therefore, in this follow-up study, we investigated the implication of the Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway in Cd2+-induced developmental disorders and neuroinflammation and revealed that environmental Cd2+ exposure significantly affected the expression of key factors in the zebrafish Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway. In addition, pharmacological intervention of this pathway via TWS119, which can increase the protein level of β-catenin and act as a classical activator of the Wnt signaling pathway, could significantly repress the Cd2+-induced cell cycle arrest and apoptosis, thereby attenuating the inhibitory effects of Cd2+ on the early development, behavior, and activity, as well as neurodevelopment of zebrafish larvae to a certain degree. Furthermore, activation and proliferation of microglia, as well as the altered expression profiles of genes associated with neuroimmune homeostasis triggered by Cd2+ exposure could also be significantly alleviated by the activation of the Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway. Thus, this study provided novel insights into the cellular and molecular mechanisms of Cd2+ toxicity on the vertebrate central nervous system (CNS), which might be helpful in developing pharmacotherapies to mitigate the neurological disorders resulting from exposure to Cd2+ and many other environmental heavy metals.
The Antidepressant-like Activity, Effects on Recognition Memory Deficits, Bioavailability, and Safety after Chronic Administration of New Dual-Acting Small Compounds Targeting Neuropsychiatric Symptoms in Dementia
Authors: Jastrzębska-Więsek Magdalena , Kotańska Magdalena , Grzeszczak Aleksandra , Jaromin Anna , Walczak Maria , Partyka Anna , Gdula-Argasińska Joanna , Smolik Magdalena , Zagórska Agnieszka
Published: September 2022

This study aimed to extend the body of preclinical research on prototype dual-acting compounds combining the pharmacophores relevant for inhibiting cyclic nucleotide phosphodiesterase 10 (PDE10A) and serotonin 5-HT1A/5-HT7 receptor (5-HT1AR/5-HT7R) activity into a single chemical entity (compounds PQA-AZ4 and PQA-AZ6). After i.v. administration of PQA-AZ4 and PQA-AZ6 to rats, the brain to plasma ratio was 0.9 and 8.60, respectively. After i.g. administration, the brain to plasma ratio was 5.7 and 5.3, respectively. An antidepressant-like effect was observed for PQA-AZ6 in the forced swim test, after chronic 21-day treatment via i.p. administration with 1 mg/kg/day. Both compounds revealed an increased level of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (Bdnf) mRNA in the hippocampus and prefrontal cortex. Moreover, PQA-AZ4 and PQA-AZ6 completely reversed (+)-MK801-induced memory disturbances comparable with the potent PDE10 inhibitor, compound PQ-10. In the safety profile that included measurements of plasma glucose, triglyceride, and total cholesterol concentration, liver enzyme activity, the total antioxidant activity of serum, together with weight gain, compounds exhibited no significant activity. However, the studied compounds had different effects on human normal fibroblast cells as revealed in in vitro assay. The pharmacokinetic and biochemical results support the notion that these novel dual-acting compounds might offer a promising therapeutic tool in CNS-related disorders.
Stem Cells in Clinical Trials on Neurological Disorders: Trends in Stem Cells Origins, Indications, and Status of the Clinical Trials
Authors: Namiot Eugenia D. , Niemi Jenni Viivi Linnea , Chubarev Vladimir N. , Tarasov Vadim V. , Schiöth Helgi B.
Published: September 2022

Neurological diseases can significantly reduce the quality and duration of life. Stem cells provide a promising solution, not only due to their regenerative features but also for a variety of other functions, including reducing inflammation and promoting angiogenesis. Although only hematopoietic cells have been approved by the FDA so far, the number of trials continues to expand. We analyzed 492 clinical trials and illustrate the trends in stem cells origins, indications, and phase and status of the clinical trials. The most common neurological disorders treated with stem cells were injuries of brain, spinal cord, and peripheral nerves (14%), stroke (13%), multiple sclerosis (12%), and brain tumors (11%). Mesenchymal stem cells dominated (83%) although the choice of stem cells was highly dependent on the neurological disorder. Of the 492 trials, only two trials have reached phase 4, with most of all other trials being in phases 1 or 2, or transitioning between them (83%). Based on a comparison of the obtained results with similar works and further analysis of the literature, we discuss some of the challenges and future directions of stem cell therapies in the treatment of neurological diseases.
Single-Cell Chromatin Accessibility Data Combined with GWAS Improves Detection of Relevant Cell Types in 59 Complex Phenotypes
Authors: Das Akash Chandra , Foroutan Aidin , Qian Brian , Hosseini Naghavi Nader , Shabani Kayvan , Shooshtari Parisa
Published: September 2022

Several disease risk variants reside on non-coding regions of DNA, particularly in open chromatin regions of specific cell types. Identifying the cell types relevant to complex traits through the integration of chromatin accessibility data and genome-wide association studies (GWAS) data can help to elucidate the mechanisms of these traits. In this study, we created a collection of associations between the combinations of chromatin accessibility data (bulk and single-cell) with an array of 201 complex phenotypes. We integrated the GWAS data of these 201 phenotypes with bulk chromatin accessibility data from 137 cell types measured by DNase-I hypersensitive sequencing and found significant results (FDR adjusted p-value ≤ 0.05) for at least one cell type in 21 complex phenotypes, such as atopic dermatitis, Graves’ disease, and body mass index. With the integration of single-cell chromatin accessibility data measured by an assay for transposase-accessible chromatin with high-throughput sequencing (scATAC-seq), taken from 111 adult and 111 fetal cell types, the resolution of association was magnified, enabling the identification of further cell types. This resulted in the identification of significant correlations (FDR adjusted p-value ≤ 0.05) between 15 categories of single-cell subtypes and 59 phenotypes ranging from autoimmune diseases like Graves’ disease to cardiovascular traits like diastolic/systolic blood pressure.
PacBio Full-Length and Illumina Transcriptomes of the Gill Reveal the Molecular Response of Corbicula fluminea under Aerial Exposure
Authors: Zhang Ting , Wen Haibo , Xu Dongpo , Lv Guohua , Zhou Yanfeng
Published: September 2022

Air exposure is a common stress for Corbicula fluminea, an economically important freshwater shellfish consumed in China, during aquaculture and transportation. However, little is known about its molecular responses to air exposure. Therefore, this study used a combination of PacBio full-length and Illumina transcriptomes to investigate its molecular responses to air exposure. A total of 36,772 transcripts were obtained using PacBio sequencing. Structural analysis identified 32,069 coding sequences, 1906 transcription factors, 8873 simple sequence repeats, and 17,815 long non-coding RNAs. Subcellular localization analysis showed that most transcripts were located in the cytoplasm and nucleus. After 96-h of air exposure, 210 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) in the gill were obtained via Illumina sequencing. Among these DEGs, most of the genes related to glycolysis, tricarboxylic acid cycle, lipid metabolism, and amino acid metabolism were upregulated. Additionally, many DEGs associated with immunity, cytoskeleton reorganization, autophagy, and ferroptosis were identified. These findings indicated that metabolic strategy change, immune response, cytoskeleton reconstruction, autophagy, and ferroptosis might be the important mechanisms that C. fluminea use to cope with air exposure. This study will enrich the gene resources of C. fluminea and provide valuable data for studying the molecular mechanisms coping with air exposure in C. fluminea and other freshwater mollusks.
Influential Attributed Communities via Graph Convolutional Network (InfACom-GCN)
Authors: Hussein Nariman Adel , Mokhtar Hoda M. O. , El-Sharkawi Mohamed E.
Published: September 2022

Community search is a basic problem in graph analysis. In many applications, network nodes have certain properties that are important for the community to make sense of the application; hence, attributes are associated with nodes to capture their properties. Community influence is an important community property that can be used to rank communities in a network based on the relevance/importance of a particular attribute. Unfortunately, most of the community search algorithms introduced previously in attributed networks research work ignored the community influence. When searching for influential communities, two potential data sources can be used: network attributes and nodes. Dealing with structure-related attributes is a challenge. Recently, the graph neural network (GNN) has completely changed the field of graph representation learning by effectively learning node embedding and has achieved the most advanced results in tasks such as node classification and connection prediction. In this paper, we investigate the problem of searching for the influential communities in attributed networks. We propose an efficient algorithm for retrieving the influential communities in a large attributed network. The proposed approach contains two main steps: (1) Community detection using a graph convolutional network in a semi-supervised learning setting considering the correlation between attributes and the overall graph information, and (2) constructing the influential communities resulting from step 1. The proposed approach is evaluated on various real datasets. The experimental results show the efficiency and effectiveness of the proposed implementations.
Gestational Diabetes Mellitus—Recent Literature Review
Authors: Modzelewski Robert , Stefanowicz-Rutkowska Magdalena Maria , Matuszewski Wojciech , Bandurska-Stankiewicz Elżbieta Maria
Published: September 2022

Gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM), which is defined as a state of hyperglycemia that is first recognized during pregnancy, is currently the most common medical complication in pregnancy. GDM affects approximately 15% of pregnancies worldwide, accounting for approximately 18 million births annually. Mothers with GDM are at risk of developing gestational hypertension, pre-eclampsia and termination of pregnancy via Caesarean section. In addition, GDM increases the risk of complications, including cardiovascular disease, obesity and impaired carbohydrate metabolism, leading to the development of type 2 diabetes (T2DM) in both the mother and infant. The increase in the incidence of GDM also leads to a significant economic burden and deserves greater attention and awareness. A deeper understanding of the risk factors and pathogenesis becomes a necessity, with particular emphasis on the influence of SARS-CoV-2 and diagnostics, as well as an effective treatment, which may reduce perinatal and metabolic complications. The primary treatments for GDM are diet and increased exercise. Insulin, glibenclamide and metformin can be used to intensify the treatment. This paper provides an overview of the latest reports on the epidemiology, pathogenesis, diagnosis and treatment of GDM based on the literature.
Atrial Fibrillation Detected by Implantable Monitor in Embolic Stroke of Undetermined Source: A New Clinical Entity
Authors: Snyman Salomé , Seder Elena , David-Muller Marc , Klein Victor , Doche Emilie , Suissa Laurent , Deharo Jean-Claude , Robinet-Borgomano Emmanuelle , Maille Baptiste
Published: September 2022

Background: High incidence of covert paroxysmal atrial fibrillation (CPAF) detected by an implantable cardiac monitor (ICM) is expected in embolic stroke of undetermined source (ESUS) patients. This study aimed to determine the CPAF rate in an ESUS cohort using ICMs and compare stroke characteristics of patients with CPAF to those with known or inpatient-diagnosed AF (KIDAF). Methods: ESUS patients with ICMs were enrolled. ESUS diagnosis was defined as a non-lacunar stroke in the absence of symptomatic atherosclerotic stenosis (≥50%), no major-risk cardioembolic source, and no other specific cause. ESUS characteristics of patients with CPAF were compared to ESUS patients without CPAF and to KIDAF stroke patients. Results: During the median follow-up of 476 (371–615) days, CPAF was newly detected in 38/163 (23.31%) patients within 236 (115.50–510.75) days after the stroke. CPAF was independently associated to older age, coronaropathy, left atrial dilation, and atrial hyperexcitability, but not to stroke severity. Compared to KIDAF strokes, ESUS with CPAF had lower rates of proximal occlusion leading to milder clinical severity (NIHSS: 3.00 (1.00–8.25) vs. 14.50 (6.00–21.00)). Conclusions: Our study revealed a high proportion of CPAF in ESUS. We highlight that CPAF is a distinct clinical entity compared to KIDAF based on differences in stroke characteristics and AF diagnosis temporality.
Expression of p11 in Patients with Depression
Authors: Gałecka Małgorzata , Bliźniewska-Kowalska Katarzyna , Gałecki Piotr , Szemraj Janusz , Orzechowska Agata
Published: September 2022

(1) Background: Some studies suggest that the p11 protein, belonging to the so-called S100 family and located, i.a., in the nucleus accumbens of the brain, is responsible for the occurrence of depression. This protein is encoded by the S100A10 gene. The aim of our study was to evaluate the expression of the S100A10 gene at the mRNA and protein levels in patients with depressive disorders and to determine the impact of p11 in the etiopathogenesis of depression; (2) Methods: A total of 290 people (190 depressed patients, 100 healthy controls) participated in the study. Socio-demographic and clinical data were collected. The severity of depressive symptoms was assessed using the Hamilton Depression Rating Scale (HDRS). Venous blood was collected from all participants. RT-PCR was used to evaluate gene expression at the mRNA level, while enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) was used to evaluate gene expression at the protein level; (3) Results: The results indicate slightly increased S100A10 gene expression (both at the protein and mRNA levels) in patients with depression, but these values do not reach statistical significance; (4) Conclusions: Due to the fact that the study was limited by the participation of patients already undergoing antidepressant treatment, its results may confirm that pharmacological treatment affecting serotonin neurotransmission is effective in upregulation of p11 in patients with depression.
Adherence to the Mediterranean Diet Is Associated with a More Favorable Left Ventricular Geometry in Patients with End-Stage Kidney Disease
Authors: Bacharaki Dimitra , Petrakis Ioannis , Kyriazis Periklis , Markaki Anastasia , Pleros Christos , Tsirpanlis Georgios , Theodoridis Marios , Balafa Olga , Georgoulidou Anastasia , Drosataki Eleni , Stylianou Kostas
Published: September 2022

Introduction. The aim of the study was to examine the impact of adherence to a Mediterranean-style diet (MD) on left ventricular hypertrophy (LVH) and cardiac geometry in chronic kidney disease patients on dialysis (CKD-5D), given the high prevalence of cardiovascular morbidity in this population. Methods. n = 127 (77 men and 50 women) CKD-5D patients (69 on hemodialysis and 58 on peritoneal dialysis) with a mean age of 62 ± 15 years were studied. An MD adherence score (MDS) (range 0–55, 55 representing maximal adherence) was estimated with a validated method. Echocardiographic LVH was defined by LV mass index (LVMI) > 95 g/m2 in women and >115 g/m2 in men. Based on LVMI and relative wall thickness (RWT), four LV geometric patterns were defined: normal (normal LVMI and RWT), concentric remodeling (normal LVMI and increased RWT > 0.42), eccentric LVH (increased LVMI and normal RWT), and concentric LVH (increased LVMI and RWT). Results. Patients with LVH (n = 81) as compared to patients with no LVH (n = 46) were older in age (66 ± 13 vs. 55 ± 16 years; p < 0.001) had lower MDS (24 ± 2.7 vs. 25 ± 4.3; p < 0.05) and higher malnutrition-inflammation score (5.0 ± 2.7 vs. 3.9 ± 1.9; p < 0.05), body mass index (27.5 ± 4.9 vs. 24.1 ± 3.5 kg/m2; p < 0.001), prevalence of diabetes (79% vs. 20%; p < 0.05), coronary artery disease (78% vs. 20%; p < 0.05) and peripheral vascular disease (78% vs. 20%; p < 0.01). In a multivariate logistic regression analysis adjusted for all factors mentioned above, each 1-point greater MDS was associated with 18% lower odds of having LVH (OR = 0.82, 95% CI: 0.69–0.98; p < 0.05). MDS was inversely related to LVMI (r = −0.273; p = 0.02), and in a multiple linear regression model (where LVMI was analyzed as a continuous variable), MDS emerged as a significant (Β = −2.217; p < 0.01) independent predictor of LVH. Considering LV geometry, there was a progressive decrease in MDS from the normal group (25.0 ± 3.7) to concentric remodeling (25.8 ± 3.0), eccentric (24.0 ± 2.8), and then concentric (23.6 ± 2.7) group (p < 0.05 for the trend). Conclusions. The greater adherence to an MD is associated with lesser LVH, an important cardiovascular disease risk factor; MD preserves normal cardiac geometry and may confer protection against future cardiac dysfunction in dialysis patients.
Utility of Diagnostic Colonoscopy in Pediatric Intestinal Disease
Authors: Morita Masaru , Takedatsu Hidetoshi , Yoshioka Shinichiro , Mitsuyama Keiichi , Tsuruta Kozo , Kuwaki Kotaro , Kato Ken , Yasuda Ryosuke , Mizuochi Tatsuki , Yamashita Yushiro , Kawaguchi Takumi
Published: September 2022

Background: The roles and methods of diagnostic colonoscopy in pediatric patients were previously demonstrated. With advances in medical equipment and the increasing need for pediatric endoscopic diagnosis, we compared recent results with those previously reported. Methods: A retrospective analysis was conducted on pediatric patients aged ≤15 years, comparing those who underwent their first diagnostic colonoscopy between 1 January 2007 and 28 February 2015 with those who did so between 1 March 2015 and 28 February 2022 at Kurume University Hospital. Results: A total of 274 patients were included, including 110 in the previous study and 164 in the present study. The main indications were hematochezia in the previous study (63/110, 57.3%) and abdominal pain in the present study (64/164, 39.0%). Ulcerative colitis (74/274, 27.0%) was the most common diagnosis in both studies. The major difference from the previous study was an increase in the number of Crohn’s disease and eosinophilic gastrointestinal disorder cases. Bowel preparation with magnesium citrate was significantly increased across all ages in the present study (142/164, 86.6%). Midazolam + pentazocine was used for sedation in most cases (137/164, 83.5%). An ultrathin upper endoscope was mainly used in patients aged ≤6 years, while ultrathin colonoscopes were applied in patients aged 7–12 years. Conclusion: In the present study, appropriate changes were found in the roles and methods of diagnostic colonoscopy in pediatric patients compared to the previous study. The increasing trend of patients presenting with inflammatory bowel disease and eosinophilic gastrointestinal disorder worldwide indicates the importance of colonoscopy in infants and children.
Recombinant Thrombopoietin Effectively Shortens the Time to Response and Increases Platelet Counts in Elderly Patients with Severe Immune Thrombocytopenia
Authors: Li Yang , Sun Lihua , Li Feng , Li Ying , Hou Yunhua , Meng Yahong , Fan Xiaohong , Cheng Yunfeng , Hua Fanli
Published: September 2022

Background: This study was conducted to investigate the short-term efficacy and safety of rhTPO for the management of severe ITP in the elderly as first-line treatment. Methods: A total of 54 elderly patients with severe ITP were studied, including 39 patients treated with a combination regimen of rhTPO plus standard treatment (glucocorticoid; rhTPO group) and 15 patients treated with glucocorticoid treatment alone (control group). The response rate, time to initial response, peak platelet counts, and time to peak platelet counts were compared, and clinical characteristics correlated with the efficacy of rhTPO were analyzed. The efficacy of rhTPO in the elderly is comparable to the non-elderly in terms of the OR, CR, time to initial response, and peak platelet counts. Results: There were no differences in the overall response (OR) and the complete response (CR) in the rhTPO group compared to the control group. The time to initial response in the rhTPO group was shorter than that in the control group (p = 0.032). In patients without intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIg) and platelet transfusion, the peak platelet counts in the rhTPO group were higher than those in the control group (p = 0.003). Conclusions: Standard glucocorticoid treatment plus rhTPO effectively shortens the time to response and increases platelet counts in the elderly with severe ITP.
Unilateral Strength Training Imparts a Cross-Education Effect in Unilateral Knee Osteoarthritis Patients
Authors: Bowen Warren , Frazer Ashlyn K. , Tallent Jamie , Pearce Alan J. , Kidgell Dawson J.
Published: September 2022

Background: Worldwide, 86 million individuals over the age of 20 were diagnosed with knee osteoarthritis (KOA) in 2020. Hallmark features of KOA are the loss in knee extensor strength, increasing knee pain severity, and deficits in functional performance. There is a critical need for the investigation into potential cost-effective therapeutic interventions in the treatment of KOA. A potential therapeutic option is the cross-education phenomenon. Methods: This was a non-blinded randomized control trial, with a 4-week intervention, with a pre, post and follow-up assessment (3 months post intervention). Outcome measures of isometric knee extensor strength, rectus femoris muscle thickness and neuromuscular activation were assessed at all-time points. Results: Compared to age-matched KOA controls, 4 weeks of unilateral strength training in end-stage KOA patients increased strength of the untrained affected KOA limb by 20% (p < 0.05) and reduced bilateral hamstring co-activation in the KOA intervention group compared to the KOA control group (p < 0.05). Conclusions: A 4-week-long knee extensor strength training intervention of the contralateral limb in a cohort with diagnosed unilateral KOA resulted in significant improvements to knee extensor strength and improved neuromuscular function of the KOA limb. Importantly, these results were maintained for 3 months following the intervention.
Hydrophobic Material: Effect of Alkyl Chain Length on the Surface Roughness
Authors: Widati Alfa Akustia , Fahmi Mochamad Zakki , Sakti Satya Candra Wibawa , Budiastanti Titah Aldila , Purbaningtias Tri Esti
Published: September 2022

The clean technologies of self-cleaning surfaces are expanding rapidly. Highly hydrophobic coatings with strong adhesion, high durability, and dirt-free surfaces have been prepared via sol-gel deposition of SiO2-TiO2-alkylsilane. The influence of the effects of the alkyl chain length of silane on surface roughness was investigated. This deposition involved a one-layer technique to produce the rough surfaces. The bimetal oxide of SiO2-TiO2 created a high level of surface roughness. As a result, the water contact angle of the coatings increased with the increasing alkyl chain length of silane (up to C=8). However, the water contact angle decreased when the C=16 of alkylsilane was applied. It was predicted that the longer alkyl chain would cause the molecules to collapse. The higher hydrophobicity was produced by SiO2-TiO2-OTMS coatings with a water contact angle of about 140.67 ± 1.23°. The effect of the dip-coating technique (one layer and layer-by-layer) on hydrophobicity was also discussed. The results showed that coatings produced by the one-layer technique had a higher contact angle than coatings made by the layer-by-layer technique. The coatings were stable under outdoor exposure and able to hinder dirt attachment to their surfaces.
Distribution of Kazachstania Yeast in Thai Traditional Fermented Fish (Plaa-Som) in Northeastern Thailand
Authors: Punyauppa-path Sukrita , Kiatprasert Pongpat , Punyauppa-path Prasongsom , Rattanachaikunsopon Pongsak , Khunnamwong Pannida , Limtong Savitree , Srisuk Nantana
Published: September 2022

Thai traditional fermented fish products (Plaa-som) from four provinces (Ubon Ratchathani, Surin, Sisaket, and Khon Kaen) in the northeast part of Thailand were collected and analyzed to determine their salt content, total acidity, and pH. Yeasts in all samples were isolated and identified to the genus and species level based on sequence analysis of the D1/D2 of the large subunit (LSU) rRNA gene and the internal transcribed spacer (ITS) region. The results revealed that the salt content, total acidity, and pH values are in the range of 2.01–6.9%, 0.62–1.9%, and 4.4–6.57%, respectively. Moreover, 35 strains of yeast were isolated and identified as eight genera, namely Candida, Diutina, Filobasidium, Kazachstania, Pichia, Saccharomyces, Torulaspora, and Yarrowia with 17 species. The ascosporogenous yeast, Kazachstania, was the most dominant genus found and was widely distributed among the fermented food samples. In addition, a new strain of yeast, Kazachstania surinensis, was also discovered in Plaa-som samples. Thus, this study is the first to report the presence and wide distribution of these yeasts in fish fermentation products.