bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The values of systemic immune-inflammation index and neutrophil-lymphocyte ratio in predicting testicular germ cell tumors: A retrospective clinical study
Authors: Wang Shuo , Yang Xiao , Yu Ziyi , Du Peng , Cao Yudong , Ji Yongpeng , Ma Jinchao , Yang Yong
Published: September 2022

Purpose

To determine whether complete blood count (CBC) based inflammatory parameters can be used as markers predicting testicular germ cell tumors (TGCT).

Material and methods

Between 2013 to 2018 the data of 58 patients with testicular TGCT undergoing radical orchiectomy and 54 malignancy-free healthy men were retrospectively analyzed as tumor group and control group. Patient baseline characteristics including age, pathological stage and pre-surgery CBC based inflammatory parameters including neutrophil/lymphocyte ratio (NLR), platelet/lymphocyte ratio (PLR), lymphocyte/monocyte ratio (LMR), systemic immune-inflammation index (SII), lymphocyte ratio (LR), neutrophil ratio (NR), mean platelet volume (MPV) and red cell distribution width (RDW) were analyzed and compared between tumor group and control group. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve were used analyzing data with significantly difference to assess the discriminative ability of the markers for TGCT, area under the curve (AUC), cut-off value, sensitivity and specificity were calculated. The binary logistic regression model was used to evaluate the association between significant inflammatory markers and risk of TGCT.

Results

Mean age of the tumor and control group was 41.1 ± 15.36 and 44.89 ± 9.2 years, respectively. Mean NLR, SII and RDW were significantly higher in tumor group compared with control group with P=0.005, P=0.001 and P=0.016, respectively; there were no significantly differences of age, PLR, LMR, LR, NR, MPV and RDW between groups. The ROC curve for NLR, SII and RDW was plotted in the diagnosis of TGCT and tumor progression, the cut-off value for NLR, SII and RDW were found as 3.38 (AUC: 0.704, sensitivity=51.4%, specificity=88.6%, P=0.003), 881.24 (AUC: 0.725, sensitivity=45.7%, specificity=91.4%, P=0.001) and 0.14 (AUC: 0.63, sensitivity=28.6%, specificity=97%, P=0.063), respectively. Patients were divided into two groups according to the threshold values, respectively. By using the multivariable logistic regression models, NLR ≥ 3.38 (OR, 5.86; 95% CI, 1.67-20.65, P=0.006) and SII ≥ 881.24 (OR, 4.89; 95% CI, 1.48-15.32, P=0.009) were independent risk factors predicting TGCT. Significantly statistical difference of pathological stage was also found between groups with respect to NLR cut-off values (P=0.034) and SII cut-off values (P=0.049). Combined the data together, NLR and SII both exhibited good differential diagnosis potential which could be used as markers predicting the TGCT.

Conclusion

As the CBC based inflammation parameters, both NLR and SII could be used as effective tumor markers predicting the TGCT, and higher NLR and SII are associated with higher pathological stage. In addition, SII is a more powerful tool among these two inflammatory markers.
Preoperative radiomics model using gadobenate dimeglumine-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging for predicting β-catenin mutation in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma: A retrospective study
Authors: Zeng Fengxia , Dai Hui , Li Xu , Guo Le , Jia Ningyang , Yang Jun , Huang Danping , Zeng Hui , Chen Weiguo , Zhang Ling , Qin Genggeng
Published: September 2022

Objective

To compare and evaluate radiomics models to preoperatively predict β-catenin mutation in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC).

Methods

Ninety-eight patients who underwent preoperative gadobenate dimeglumine (Gd-BOPTA)-enhanced MRI were retrospectively included. Volumes of interest were manually delineated on arterial phase, portal venous phase, delay phase, and hepatobiliary phase (HBP) images. Radiomics features extracted from different combinations of imaging phases were analyzed and validated. A linear support vector classifier was applied to develop different models.

Results

Among all 15 types of radiomics models, the model with the best performance was seen in the RHBP radiomics model. The area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC), accuracy, sensitivity, specificity of the RHBP radiomics model in the training and validation cohorts were 0.86 (95% confidence interval [CI], 0.75–0.93), 0.75, 1.0, and 0.65 and 0.82 (95% CI, 0.63–0.93), 0.73, 0.67, and 0.76, respectively. The combined model integrated radiomics features in the RHBP radiomics model, and signatures in the clinical model did not improve further compared to the single HBP radiomics model with AUCs of 0.86 and 0.76. Good calibration for the best RHBP radiomics model was displayed in both cohorts; the decision curve showed that the net benefit could achieve 0.15. The most important radiomics features were low and high gray-level zone emphases based on gray-level size zone matrix with the same Shapley additive explanation values of 0.424.

Conclusion

The RHBP radiomics model may be used as an effective model indicative of HCCs with β-catenin mutation preoperatively and thus could guide personalized medicine.
Factors influencing survival and short-term outcomes of very low birth weight infants in a tertiary hospital in Johannesburg
Authors: Ingemyr Kristin , Elfvin Anders , Hentz Elisabet , Saggers Robin T. , Ballot Daynia E.
Published: September 2022

Background

The neonatal mortality rate in South Africa is lower than the global average, but still approximately five times higher than some European and Scandinavian countries. Prematurity, and its complications, is the main cause (35%) of neonatal deaths.

Objective

To review the maternal, delivery period and infant characteristics in relation to mortality in very low birth weight (VLBW) infants at Charlotte Maxeke Johannesburg Academic Hospital (CMJAH).

Methods

This was a retrospective descriptive study of VLBW infants admitted to CMJAH between 1 January 2017 and 31 December 2018. All infants with a birth weight between 500 to ≤ 1,500 grams were included. The characteristics and survival of these infants were described using univariate analysis.

Results

Overall survival was 66.5%. Provision of antenatal steroids, antenatal care, Cesarean section, female sex, resuscitation at birth, and 5-min Apgar score more than five was related with better survival to discharge. Among respiratory diagnoses, 82.8% were diagnosed with RDS, 70.8% received surfactant therapy and 90.7% received non-invasive respiratory support after resuscitation. At discharge, 59.5% of the mothers were breastfeeding and 30.8% spent time in kangaroo mother care.

Conclusion

The two-thirds survival rate of VLBW infants is similar to those in other developing countries but still remains lower than developed countries. This may be improved with better antenatal care attendance, coverage of antenatal steroids, temperature control after birth, improving infection prevention and control practices, breastfeeding rates and kangaroo mother care. The survival rate was lowest amongst extremely low birth weight (ELBW) infants.
Therapeutic exercise interventions in pediatric survivors of brain cancer and other solid tumors: A scoping review
Authors: Kohler Brooke E. , Sandler Carolina X. , Baque Emmah , Bradford Natalie K. , Trost Stewart G.
Published: September 2022

Background

Improved survival rates for children with solid tumors presents an ongoing challenge of how to maximize quality of survivorship and effectively manage the short- and long-term complications of disease and treatment. To gain an understanding of the extent and nature of research pertaining to therapeutic exercise interventions and identify knowledge gaps, we conducted a scoping review of exercise training studies conducted in pediatric survivors of brain cancer and other solid tumors.

Method

A systematic literature search was performed across four electronic databases. Papers were selected for full-text review if they included participants treated for brain cancer or other solid tumors, with at least 50% of participants aged ≤ 21 years, evaluated an exercise intervention ≥2-weeks in duration, and were published in an English, peer-reviewed journal. We included the following quantitative study designs; randomized controlled trials, non-randomized trials, and single-arm pre-test-post-test.

Results

Of the 7,482 citations identified, 17 papers met the inclusion criteria (presenting findings from eleven studies). Two studies were randomized controlled trials, five studies were non-randomized controlled trials, and four studies were a single-arm pre-test post-test design. Average age of participants ranged from 7.3–15.5 years, and time since diagnosis ranged from 3 to 70 months. Five studies included participants with brain tumors exclusively, three studies included other solid tumors, and three studies included a mixed sample (brain and other solid tumors). A wide range of exercise modalities were employed, including cycle ergometry, resistance training, sport, yoga, and active gaming. The length of the exercise program ranged from 3–40 weeks and frequency from 3–11 sessions per week. Exercise session duration ranged from 15–180 min, with most studies reporting 30–90-min sessions. Adherence ranged from 77 to 100%, with none of the studies reporting adverse events. Studies reported improvements in cardiorespiratory fitness, functional strength, physical activity, and quality of life.

Conclusions

A small number of mostly low methodological quality studies have examined the effects of therapeutic exercise in pediatric survivors of solid tumors. Although limited, the extant literature supports the feasibility and safety of therapeutic exercise interventions for pediatric survivors of brain cancer and other solid tumors.
Type IV collagen reduces MUC5AC secretion in the lungs of ovalbumin-sensitized mice
Authors: Iwashita Jun , Maeda Hikari , Ishimura Momo , Murata Jun
Published: September 2022

Mucin 5AC (MUC5AC) is excessively secreted in the respiratory tract of patients with asthma. Suppressing this secretion is important for improving the air passages, which facilitates easy breathing. We have previously reported that the addition of type IV collagen, a typical extracellular matrix (ECM) protein, to the culture medium for human cell lines and primary cells reduced MUC5AC secretion. In this report, we further investigated the effect of type IV collagen on MUC5AC secretionin vivo. We employed ovalbumin (OVA)-sensitized mice to model of asthma and exposed them to type IV collagen to verify the reducing effect of MUC5ACin vivo. The amount of MUC5AC in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid was examined after nebulization of type IV collagen. Hypersecretion of MUC5AC of the OVA-sensitized mice was suppressed by type IV collagen exposure in a time- and dose-dependent manner. Furthermore, type IV collagen exposure to OVA-sensitized mice decreased integrin α2 and β1 expression in the lungs and increased the levels of Akt and extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK) phosphorylation in the trachea. These results suggest that type IV collagen suppresses MUC5AC hypersecretionviamodulating integrin expression and Akt/ERK phosphorylation in the respiratory tract of the OVA-sensitized mice.
Morroniside attenuates nucleus pulposus cell senescence to alleviate intervertebral disc degeneration via inhibiting ROS-Hippo-p53 pathway
Authors: Zhou Chengcong , Yao Sai , Fu Fangda , Bian Yishan , Zhang Zhiguo , Zhang Huihao , Luo Huan , Ge Yuying , Chen Yuying , Ji Weifeng , Tian Kun , Yue Ming , Jin Hongting , Tong Peijian , Wu Chengliang , Ruan Hongfeng
Published: September 2022

Intervertebral disc (IVD) degeneration (IVDD) which is highly prevalent within the elderly population, is a leading cause of chronic low back pain and disability. Nucleus pulposus (NP) cell senescence plays an indispensable role in the pathogenesis of IVDD. Morroniside is a major iridoid glycoside and one of the quality control metrics of Cornus officinalis Siebold & Zucc (CO). An increasing body of evidence suggests that morroniside and CO-containing formulae share many similar biological effects, including anti-inflammatory, anti-oxidative, and anti-apoptotic properties. In a previous study, we reported that Liuwei Dihuang Decoction, a CO-containing formula, is effective for treating IVDD by targeting p53 expression; however, the therapeutic role of morroniside on IVDD remains obscure. In this study, we assessed the pharmacological effects of morroniside on NP cell senescence and IVDD pathogenesis using a lumbar spine instability surgery-induced mouse IVDD model and an in vitro H2O2-induced NP cell senescence model. Our results demonstrated that morroniside administration could significantly ameliorate mouse IVDD progression, concomitant with substantial improvement in extracellular matrix metabolism and histological grading score. Importantly, in vivo and in vitro experiments revealed that morroniside could significantly reduce the increase in SA-β-gal activities and the expression of p53 and p21, which are the most widely used indicators of senescence. Mechanistically, morroniside suppressed ROS-induced aberrant activation of Hippo signaling by inhibiting Mst1/2 and Lats1/2 phosphorylation and reversing Yap/Taz reduction, whereas blockade of Hippo signaling by Yap/Taz inhibitor-1 or Yap/Taz siRNAs could antagonize the anti-senescence effect of morroniside on H2O2-induced NP cell senescence model by increasing p53 expression and activity. Moreover, the inhibition of Hippo signaling in the IVD tissues by morroniside was further verified in mouse IVDD model. Taken together, our findings suggest that morroniside protects against NP cell senescence to alleviate IVDD progression by inhibiting the ROS-Hippo-p53 pathway, providing a potential novel therapeutic approach for IVDD.
Network meta-analysis of mineralocorticoid receptor antagonists for diabetic kidney disease
Authors: Wu Yichuan , Lin Huanjia , Tao Yuan , Xu Ying , Chen Jiaqi , Jia Yijie , Zheng Zongji
Published: September 2022

Diabetic kidney disease (DKD) is one of the major causes of end-stage renal disease (ESRD). To evaluate the efficacy and safety of different types of mineralocorticoid receptor antagonists (MRAs) in diabetic kidney disease patients, we conducted this network meta-analysis by performing a systematic search in PubMed, MEDLINE, EMBASE, Web of Science, the Cochrane Library, and Clinicaltrials.gov. A total of 12 randomized clinical trials with 15,492 patients applying various types of MRAs covering spironolactone, eplerenone, finerenone, esaxerenone, and apararenone were included. The efficacy outcomes were the ratio of urine albumin creatine ratio (UACR) at posttreatment vs. at baseline, change in posttreatment estimated glomerular filtration (eGFR) vs. at baseline, and change in posttreatment systolic blood pressure (SBP) vs. at baseline. The safety outcome was the number of patients suffering from hyperkalemia. High-dose finerenone (MD −0.31, 95% CI: −0.52, −0.11), esaxerenone (MD −0.54, 95% CI: −0.72, −0.30), and apararenone (MD −0.63, 95% CI: −0.90, −0.35) were associated with a superior reduction in proteinuria in patients with DKD. Regarding the change in eGFR, the results of all drugs were similar, and finerenone may have potential superiority in protecting the kidney. Compared with placebo, none of the treatments was associated with a higher probability of controlling systolic blood pressure during treatment. Moreover, spironolactone, esaxerenone, and 20 mg of finerenone presented a higher risk of hyperkalemia. This Bayesian network meta-analysis was the first to explore the optimal alternative among MRAs in the treatment of DKD and revealed the superiority of 20 mg of finerenone among MRAs in treating DKD.

Systematic Review Registration: PROSPERO, identifier (CRD42022313826)
EGFR uncommon alterations in advanced non-small cell lung cancer and structural insights into sensitivity to diverse tyrosine kinase inhibitors
Authors: Xu Haiyan , Yang Guangjian , Liu Runze , Yang Yaning , Li Weihua , Li Junling , Hao Xuezhi , Xing Puyuan , Wang Yan
Published: September 2022

Background: Approximately 10% of patients with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) harbor uncommon epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) alterations. This study aims to investigate the therapeutic responses and predict the binding activity of different tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs) for EGFR uncommon alterations.

Methods: Between May 2014 and June 2021, clinical outcomes of NSCLC patients harboring EGFR uncommon alterations who received diverse treatment modalities: first-generation (1G) EGFR-TKI, second-generation (2G) EGFR-TKI afatinib, chemotherapy, and 1G TKI in combination with chemotherapy as the initial therapy were retrospectively analyzed, and structural analysis for the binding activity of major uncommon subtypes G719A, S768I, and L861Q to different TKIs were predicted.

Results: A total of 102 NSCLC patients harboring EGFR uncommon alterations with treatment and survival outcomes were included and analyzed. The majority of patients presented compound mutations (54.9%), and G719X plus S768I was the predominant subtype (n = 33, 32.3%). There was a significant difference in median progression-free survival (mPFS) between therapeutic patterns (p = 0.015) and EGFR alteration subtypes (p = 0.017). Rather than almonertinib and furmonertinib, afatinib, dacomitinib and osimertinib revealed favorable binding activity to G719A mutation. In contrast, S768I and L861Q mutation indicated an unaffected binding activity to these diverse kinds of EGFR TKIs.

Conclusion: Together with afatinib, 1G-TKIs combined with chemotherapy might be another effective option for NSCLC patients harboring EGFR uncommon alterations. Based on computational findings, afatinib, dacomitinib, and osimertinib might confer favorable activity to G719A, S768I, and L861Q, whereas almonertinib and furmonertinib revealed less activity to G719A.
Emergence of high colistin resistance in carbapenem resistant Acinetobacter baumannii in Pakistan and its potential management through immunomodulatory effect of an extract from Saussurea lappa
Authors: Ahsan Umaira , Mushtaq Fizza , Saleem Sidrah , Malik Abdul , Sarfaraz Hira , Shahzad Muhammad , Uhlin Bernt Eric , Ahmad Irfan
Published: September 2022

Carbapenem resistant Acinetobacter baumannii has emerged as one of the most difficult to treat nosocomial bacterial infections in recent years. It was one of the major causes of secondary infections in Covid-19 patients in developing countries. The polycationic polypeptide antibiotic colistin is used as a last resort drug to treat carbapenem resistant A. baumannii infections. Therefore, resistance to colistin is considered as a serious medical threat. The purpose of this study was to assess the current status of colistin resistance in Pakistan, a country where carbapenem resistant A. bumannii infections are endemic, to understand the impact of colistin resistance on virulence in mice and to assess alternative strategies to treat such infections. Out of 150 isolates collected from five hospitals in Pakistan during 2019–20, 84% were carbapenem resistant and 7.3% were additionally resistant to colistin. There were two isolates resistant to all tested antibiotics and 83% of colistin resistant isolates were susceptible to only tetracycline family drugs doxycycline and minocycline. Doxycycline exhibited a synergetic bactericidal effect with colistin even in colistin resistant isolates. Exposure of A. baumannii 17978 to sub inhibitory concentrations of colistin identified novel point mutations associated with colistin resistance. Colistin tolerance acquired independent of mutations in lpxA, lpxB, lpxC, lpxD, and pmrAB supressed the proinflammatory immune response in epithelial cells and the virulence in a mouse infection model. Moreover, the oral administration of water extract of Saussuria lappa, although not showing antimicrobial activity against A. baumannii in vitro, lowered the number of colonizing bacteria in liver, spleen and lung of the mouse model and also lowered the levels of neutrophils and interleukin 8 in mice. Our findings suggest that the S. lappa extract exhibits an immunomodulatory effect with potential to reduce and cure systemic infections by both opaque and translucent colony variants of A. baumannii.
Perspectives on translation of positronium imaging into clinics
Authors: Moskal Pawel , Stępień Ewa Ł.
Published: September 2022

The image of positronium properties created in the patient’s body during PET examination tells about the inter- and intra-molecular structure of the tissue and the concentration of bio-active molecules in the tissue [2–4]. In this article, we advocate the opinion that total-body PET systems, thanks to their high imaging sensitivity and high time resolution, open up the prospect of translating positronium imaging into clinics.
Acute effect of high-intensity interval exercise on vascular endothelial function and possible mechanisms of wall shear stress in young obese males
Authors: Shi Wenxia , Liu Haibin , Cao Ling , He Yufeng , Su Pei , Chen Jiangang , Wang Mengyue , Li Xulong , Bai Shuang , Tang Donghui
Published: September 2022

Objective: To investigate the mechanisms of wall shear stress (WSS) responsible for the effects of high-intensity interval exercise (HIIE) on vascular endothelial function in young obese males.

Methods: A within-subject study design was used. We examined the response of the reactive hyperemia index (RHI) to acute HIIE in young obese males (n = 20, age = 20.38 ± 1.40 years, body mass index [BMI] = 31.22 ± 3.57, body fat percentage [BF (%)] = 31.76 ± 3.57). WSS was manipulated using 100, 80, or 60 mmHg cuff inflation during the HIIE to determine the proper inflation capable of maintaining WSS near baseline levels. One-way repeated measures analysis of variance and LSD post hoc tests were performed to compare changes in WSS and vascular endothelial function at baseline HIIE and following HIIE using different cuff inflations.

Results: There were no significant differences in RHI and WSS between the three cuff inflation values (p > 0.05). WSS was significantly higher in obese male individuals after HIIE and HIIE with 100 mmHg cuff inflation (p = 0.018, p = 0.005) than that at baseline, with no significant differences observed comparing HIIE and HIIE with 100 mmHg inflation (p = 0.23). The RHI after HIIE was significantly higher (p = 0.012) than that at baseline, while no significant differences were detected after HIIE at 100 mmHg (p = 0.91). The RHI was significantly lower after HIIE with 100 mmHg than that after HIIE (p = 0.007). WSS (p = 0.004) and RHI (p = 0.017) were significantly higher after HIIE than that at baseline, while no significant differences were observed after HIIE with either 80 or 60 mmHg cuff inflation (baseline vs. HIIE + 80 mmHg: WSS: p = 0.33, RHI: p = 0.38; baseline vs. HIIE + 60 mmHg: WSS: p = 0.58, RHI: p = 0.45). WSS was similar to HIIE, after HIIE with either 80 or 60 mmHg inflation (p = 0.36, p = 0.40). However, RHI was significantly higher for HIIE than for HIIE with both 80 and 60 mmHg inflation (p = 0.011, p = 0.006).

Conclusion: HIIE could significantly improve WSS and vascular endothelial function. HIIE intervention with 60 or 80 mmHg inflation might enhance WSS near the baseline level. HIIE-induced acute changes in WSS may provide the primary physiological stimulus for vascular endothelial adaptation to HIIE in young obese males.
Smart breeding approaches in post-genomics era for developing climate-resilient food crops
Authors: Naqvi Rubab Zahra , Siddiqui Hamid Anees , Mahmood Muhammad Arslan , Najeebullah Syed , Ehsan Aiman , Azhar Maryam , Farooq Muhammad , Amin Imran , Asad Shaheen , Mukhtar Zahid , Mansoor Shahid , Asif Muhammad
Published: September 2022

Improving the crop traits is highly required for the development of superior crop varieties to deal with climate change and the associated abiotic and biotic stress challenges. Climate change-driven global warming can trigger higher insect pest pressures and plant diseases thus affecting crop production sternly. The traits controlling genes for stress or disease tolerance are economically imperative in crop plants. In this scenario, the extensive exploration of available wild, resistant or susceptible germplasms and unraveling the genetic diversity remains vital for breeding programs. The dawn of next-generation sequencing technologies and omics approaches has accelerated plant breeding by providing the genome sequences and transcriptomes of several plants. The availability of decoded plant genomes offers an opportunity at a glance to identify candidate genes, quantitative trait loci (QTLs), molecular markers, and genome-wide association studies that can potentially aid in high throughput marker-assisted breeding. In recent years genomics is coupled with marker-assisted breeding to unravel the mechanisms to harness better better crop yield and quality. In this review, we discuss the aspects of marker-assisted breeding and recent perspectives of breeding approaches in the era of genomics, bioinformatics, high-tech phonemics, genome editing, and new plant breeding technologies for crop improvement. In nutshell, the smart breeding toolkit in the post-genomics era can steadily help in developing climate-smart future food crops.
Genome-wide identification of long intergenic non-coding RNAs for Ralstonia solanacearum resistance in tomato (Solanum lycopersicum)
Authors: Cao Peina , Zhan Chuang , Yin Junliang , Gong Shuangjun , Ma Dongfang , Li Yan
Published: September 2022

There is growing evidences indicating that long intergenic ncRNAs (lincRNAs) play key roles in plant development and stress responses. To research tomato lincRNA functions during the interaction between tomato and Ralstonia solanacearum, RNA-seq data of tomato plants inoculated with R. solanacearum was analyzed. In this study, 315 possible lincRNAs were identified from RNA-seq data. Then 23 differentially expressed lincRNAs between tomato plants inoculated with R. solanacearum and control were identified and a total of 171 possible target genes for these differentially expressed lincRNAs were predicted. Through GO and KEGG analysis, we found that lincRNA might be involved in jasmonic acid and ethylene signaling pathways to respond to tomato bacterial wilt infection. Furthermore, lincRNA may also be involved in regulating the expression of AGO protein. Subsequently, analysis of expression patterns between differentially expressed lincRNAs and adjacent mRNAs by qRT-PCR revealed that part of lincRNAs and their possible target genes exhibited positive correlation. Taken together, these results suggest that lincRNAs play potential roles in tomato against R. solanacearum infection and will provide fundamental information about the lincRNA-based plant defense mechanisms.
Targeted metabolome analysis reveals accumulation of metabolites in testa of four peanut germplasms
Authors: Zhang Kun , Ma Jing , Gangurde Sunil S. , Hou Lei , Xia Han , Li Nana , Pan Jiaowen , Tian Ruizheng , Huang Huailing , Wang Xingjun , Zhang Yindong , Zhao Chuanzhi
Published: September 2022

Cultivated peanut (Arachis hypogaea L.) is an important source of edible oil and protein. Peanut testa (seed coat) provides protection for seeds and serves as a carrier for diversity metabolites necessary for human health. There is significant diversity available for testa color in peanut germplasms. However, the kinds and type of metabolites in peanut testa has not been comprehensively investigated. In this study, we performed metabolite profiling using UPLC-MS/MS for four peanut germplasm lines with different testa colors, including pink, purple, red, and white. A total of 85 metabolites were identified in four peanuts. Comparative metabolomics analysis identified 78 differentially accumulated metabolites (DAMs). Some metabolites showed significant correlation with other metabolites. For instance, proanthocyanidins were positively correlated with cyanidin 3-O-rutinoside and malvin, and negatively correlated with pelargonidin-3-glucoside. We observed that the total proanthocyanidins are most abundant in pink peanut variety WH10. The red testa accumulated more isoflavones, flavonols and anthocyanidins compared with that in pink testa. These results provided valuable information about differential accumulation of metabolites in testa with different color, which are helpful for further investigation of the molecular mechanism underlying biosynthesis and accumulation of these metabolites in peanut.
Overexpression of MePMEI1 in Arabidopsis enhances Pb tolerance
Authors: Zhou Yangjiao , Li Ruimei , Wang Shijia , Ding Zhongping , Zhou Qin , Liu Jiao , Wang Yajia , Yao Yuan , Hu Xinwen , Guo Jianchun
Published: September 2022

Pb is one of the most ubiquitously distributed heavy metal pollutants in soils and has serious negative effects on plant growth, food safety, and public health. Pectin methylesterase inhibitors (PMEIs) play a pivotal role in regulating the integrity of plant cell walls; however, the molecular basis by which PMEIs promote plant resistance to abiotic stress remains poorly understood. In this study, we identified a novel PMEI gene, MePMEI1, from Manihot esculenta, and determined its role in plant resistance to Pb stress. The expression of MePMEI1 was remarkably upregulated in the roots, stems, and leaves of cassava plants following exposure to Pb stress. An analysis of subcellular localization revealed that the MePMEI1 protein was localized in the cell wall. MePMEI1 inhibited commercial orange peel pectin methyltransferase (PME), and the expression of MePMEI1 in Arabidopsis decreased the PME activity, indicating that MePMEI1 can inhibit PME activity in the cell wall. Additionally, the overexpression of MePMEI1 in Arabidopsis reduced oxidative damage and induced the thickening of cell walls, thus contributing to Pb tolerance. Altogether, the study reports a novel mechanism by which the MePMEI1 gene, which encodes the PMEI protein in cassava, plays an essential role in promoting tolerance to Pb toxicity by regulating the thickness of cell walls. These results provide a theoretical basis for the MePMEI1-mediated plant breeding for increasing heavy metal tolerance and provide insights into controlling Pb pollution in soils through phytoremediation in future studies.
A Systematic Review of Technologies to Teach Control Structures in Preschool Education
Authors: Bakala Ewelina , Gerosa Anaclara , Hourcade Juan Pablo , Tejera Gonzalo , Peterman Kerry , Trinidad Guillermo
Published: September 2022

There is growing interest in teaching computational thinking (CT) to preschool children given evidence that they are able to understand and use CT concepts. One of the concepts that is central in CT definitions, is the concept of control structures, but it is not clear which tools and activities are successful in teaching it to young learners. This work aims at (1) providing a comprehensive overview of tools that enable preschool children to build programs that include control structures, and (2) analyzing empirical evidence of the usage of these tools to teach control structures to children between 3 and 6. It consists of three parts: systematic literature review (SLR) to identify tools to teach CT to young children, analysis of tools characteristics and the possibilities that they offer to express control structures, and SLR to identify empirical evidence of successful teaching of control structures to young children using relevant tools. This work provides an understanding of the current state of the art and identifies areas that require future exploration.
A global and local perspective of interruption frequency in a visual search task
Authors: Radović Tara , Rieger Tobias , Manzey Dietrich
Published: September 2022

We investigated the impact of frequency of interruptions in a simulated medical visual search task. Participants (N = 150) performed the visual search task during which they were interrupted by a number-classification task in 25, 50, or 75% of all trials, respectively, reflecting the frequency conditions (i.e., low, mid, high). Target presence (i.e., present vs. absent) and interruption (i.e., uninterrupted vs. interrupted) were varied within-subjects, and interruption frequency was varied between-subjects. Globally, on a frequency condition level, participants in the low frequency condition had longer mean response times (RT) for the primary visual search task than in the high condition, but there were no other performance differences between the three frequency conditions. Locally, on the level of specific interruption effects, accuracy decreased directly after interruptions for target present but not for target absent trials. Furthermore, interruptions caused significant interruption costs, reflected in slower overall RTs in interrupted than in uninterrupted trials. The combined findings show that especially for critical visual search tasks as in the medical field, interruptions—regardless of frequency—should be avoided.
Psychological resilience of emergency nurses during COVID-19 epidemic in Shanghai: A qualitative study
Authors: Jiang Jinxia , Liu Yue , Han Peng , Zhang Pengjia , Shao Haiyan , Peng Hu , Duan Xia
Published: September 2022

Background

In early 2022, an outbreak of Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) occurred in Shanghai, China. The spread of the epidemic put a large amount of stress on the local healthcare system, especially emergency nurses (ENs), which may affect their well-being and performance. Enhancing the psychological resilience of ENs during COVID-19 pandemic may improve job satisfaction, retention, and public health emergency response. However, few studies have researched the perception and psychological resilience of ENs during COVID-19 pandemic.

Objective

To understand ENs' perception and psychological resilience and their coping strategies with adversity during COVID-19 in Shanghai, as well as factors associated with psychological resilience.

Methods

This qualitative study was conducted using a phenomenological approach. A total of 17 ENs from a 3rd level hospital in Shanghai were selected using a method of purposive sampling. Between April and May 2022, in-depth semi-structured interviews and Colaizzi seven-step method were performed for data collection and analysis.

Results

The investigation discovered three themes and nine subthemes. The first theme is “risk factors.” Risk factors for ENs to remain resilience are sudden multiplication of workload, stressful of screening of infected patients, and the support nurses being unfamiliar with the procedure. The second theme is “promoting factors.” ENs emphasized the importance of management assurance and humanistic care, as well as social support. They recognized adversity and resilience, and used self-management strategies to cope with the situation. The third theme is “motivated by altruism.” ENs were driven by altruism to respond to adversity with a positive attitude. They realized their self-worth by helping patients with a sense of sacred mission.

Conclusions

Psychological resilience is not a stable psychological characteristic but a constantly changing process that is affected by internal and external factors. Enhancing resilience of ENs during the COVID-19 pandemic may improve work satisfaction, retention, and public health emergency response. Adequate preparation before a pandemic, reasonable arrangement, a trustworthy working atmosphere, encouragement and improvement of individual and collective strategies for nurses to cope with adversity, timely rewards, and nurse empowerment, as well as counseling and training, can be used to enhance psychological resilience of ENs.
Ratchet effect in veterinary antibiotic use by contract farmers from the perspective of production risk: Implications for public health
Authors: Li Lingzhi , Ying Ruiyao
Published: September 2022

The current indiscriminate use of antibiotics for veterinary is irresponsible and misguided; it causes antibiotic resistance and adversely affects public health. The terms “habit” and “path dependence” are often used to explain the “excessive” use of agrochemicals. Yet, no research explored where the habit comes from and how it changes. This study investigates how veterinary antibiotic use changed with the production risk based on the multi-period production data set of 1,526 broiler contract farmers. The results show that the production risk has a ratchet effect on farmers' antibiotic use, leading to path dependence of farmers. Specifically, it showed a farmers' habit of steadily increasing antibiotic use and confirmed that the historical broilers' peak mortality was a key determinant to the continuation of this habit. It implies that higher the historical peak mortality, higher the current antibiotic use by farmers. Likewise, the impact of historical peak mortality on antibiotic use gradually increased with the farming experience. The increased historical peak mortality increased farmers' antibiotic use every time. Furthermore, large-scale farmers were more sensitive to historical peak mortality and therefore they increased antibiotic use excessively. The study suggests that improving farmers' production risk management capabilities, especially large-scale farmers, might help prevent extreme events. Moreover, this work contributes to the theoretical and empirical evidence on the ratchet effect, habit formation and farmers' antibiotic use and offers coherent insights for stakeholders to limit antibiotic use.
Efficacy and pitfalls of digital technologies in healthcare services: A systematic review of two decades
Authors: Akhtar Nadeem , Khan Nohman , Qayyum Shazia , Qureshi Muhammad Imran , Hishan Snail S.
Published: September 2022

The use of technology in the healthcare sector and its medical practices, from patient record maintenance to diagnostics, has significantly improved the health care emergency management system. At that backdrop, it is crucial to explore the role and challenges of these technologies in the healthcare sector. Therefore, this study provides a systematic review of the literature on technological developments in the healthcare sector and deduces its pros and cons. We curate the published studies from the Web of Science and Scopus databases by using PRISMA 2015 guidelines. After mining the data, we selected only 55 studies for the systematic literature review and bibliometric analysis. The study explores four significant classifications of technological development in healthcare: (a) digital technologies, (b) artificial intelligence, (c) blockchain, and (d) the Internet of Things. The novel contribution of current study indicate that digital technologies have significantly influenced the healthcare services such as the beginning of electronic health record, a new era of digital healthcare, while robotic surgeries and machine learning algorithms may replace practitioners as future technologies. However, a considerable number of studies have criticized these technologies in the health sector based on trust, security, privacy, and accuracy. The study suggests that future studies, on technological development in healthcare services, may take into account these issues for sustainable development of the healthcare sector.
Dynamics of changes in motor development depending on the quality in the 3rd month of life
Authors: Gajewska Ewa , Naczk Mariusz , Naczk Alicja , Sobieska Magdalena
Published: September 2022

The aim of the study was to show that the quantitative and qualitative motor development from the 3rd month of life is key to achieving milestones and that it may be an early warning signal in children at risk of cerebral palsy (CP). The study population included 93 children (69 born at term). Children were born at week 38 ± 4, the mean body weight was 3,102 ± 814 g. All children were evaluated after reaching the 3rd month of life (quantitative and qualitative assessment), and then the 4.5th, 7th, and 12th of life (quantitative assessment). In case of suspected CP, children were followed until the 18th month, when the diagnosis was confirmed. If at the age of 3 months, a child achieved a quadrangle of support and symmetrical support, then its development at the 4.5th month of life was correct, it would creep, and it would assume a crawl position, then in the final assessment (12th month of life), the child would start to walk. If a child failed to achieve a quadrangle of support and symmetrical support and the dynamics of its development were incorrect, the development would be delayed (12th month of life), or CP would develop. A correct qualitative assessment in the 3rd month of life with a high probability guarantees corrects quantitative development at the 4.5th, 7.5th, and 12th months of life. If the qualitative assessment in the 3rd month of life was very low the child would probably be diagnosed with CP at 18 months.
Usage of sorbents for diminishing the negative impact of substances leaking into the environment in car accidents
Authors: Marková Iveta , Kubás Jozef , Buganová Katarína , Ristvej Jozef
Published: September 2022

Background

Car accidents are often accompanied by dangerous substances leaking into the environment. A proper reaction to the leaking substances, utilizing appropriate sorbents, is necessary for diminishing the negative impact of such events. Sorbents as substances of initial intervention in car accidents (as well as industrial and ecological accidents) are a crucial tool for solving crises connected with dangerous substances escaping into the environment. The risk resulting from the given realities is described in detail in the introduction of the article.

The goal

The goal is describing elements of crisis management in dangerous substance leakage and an analysis of sorption resources for quick and efficient interception of leaking substances, water, ethanol, oil, and gasoline in particular, as a reaction to such events.

Methods

The quality of a sorption resource is determined by a parameter called the sorption capacity, which has been established according to the ASTM F716-18 standard. Loose nature-based sorbents (peat) and synthetic silicate-based SiO2, Al2O3, Fe2O3, and polypropylene-based ones were observed. The research has been realized on a water, oil, gasoline, and ethanol sorbate. Each experiment was repeated three times

The results

The results attest to the diversity of sorption capacity in comparing nature-based, silicate-based, and polypropylene-based sorption materials. The highest sorption capacity values were reached with the Sorb 4 sample, which is based on 66% of silica and 18% of alumina. The stated ratio is important, because the Sorb 3 sample contains 85% of silica and 6% of alumina and its absorption capacity values are significantly lower.
Joint exposure to outdoor ambient air pollutants and incident chronic kidney disease: A prospective cohort study with 90,032 older adults
Authors: Liu Hongyan , Shao Xian , Jiang Xi , Liu Xiaojie , Bai Pufei , Lin Yao , Chen Jiamian , Hou Fang , Cui Zhuang , Zhang Yourui , Lu Chunlan , Liu Hao , Zhou Saijun , Yu Pei
Published: September 2022

Objectives

There is paucity of studies to investigate the association between combined and long-term exposure to air pollution and the risk of incident chronic kidney disease (CKD) in older adults.

Methods

A prospective cohort of 90,032 older adults who did not have CKD at baseline were followed up from January 1, 2017, to December 31, 2019. Various pollutant data, including particulate matter with diameters ≤ 2.5 mm (PM2.5), ≤ 10 mm (PM10), nitrogen dioxide (NO2), sulfur dioxide (SO2), Ozone (O3), and carbon monoxide (CO), from all monitoring stations in Binhai New Area, Tianjin were considered in calculating the mean exposure concentration of each pollutant over 2 years. By summing each pollutant concentration weighted by the regression coefficients, we developed an air pollution score that assesses the combined exposure of these air pollutants. Due to the strong correlation between air pollutants, Principal Component Analysis (PCA) score was also developed. The association between air pollutants and incident CKD in the elderly was analyzed.

Results

A total of 90,032 subjects participated in this study with a median follow-up of 545 days. Among them, 22,336 (24.8%) developed CKD. The HR (95% CI) for air pollution score and incidence of CKD was 1.062 (1.060-1.063) and p <0.001 after adjusting for all confounders. The adjusted HRs for the quartile subgroups of combined air pollution score were: Q2: 1.064 (1.013–1.117); Q3: 1.141 (1.088–1.198); and Q4: 3.623 (3.482–3.770), respectively (p for trend <0.001). The adjusted HRs for the quartile subgroups of air quality index (AQI) were: Q2: 1.035 (0.985–1.086); Q3: 1.145 (1.091–1.201); and Q4: 3.603 (3.463–3.748), respectively (p for trend <0.001). When the risk score was over 86.9, it significantly rose in a steep curve. The subgroup analysis showed that male, younger or exercise were more likely to develop CKD.

Conclusion

Combined air pollution score, AQI, and PCA score were associated with an increased risk of CKD in an exposure-response relationship. Our current results might also provide evidence for developing environmental protection policies.
Perspective on satellite-based land data assimilation to estimate water cycle components in an era of advanced data availability and model sophistication
Authors: De Lannoy Gabriëlle J. M. , Bechtold Michel , Albergel Clément , Brocca Luca , Calvet Jean-Christophe , Carrassi Alberto , Crow Wade T. , de Rosnay Patricia , Durand Michael , Forman Barton , Geppert Gernot , Girotto Manuela , Hendricks Franssen Harrie-Jan , Jonas Tobias , Kumar Sujay , Lievens Hans , Lu Yang , Massari Christian , Pauwels Valentijn R. N. , Reichle Rolf H. , Steele-Dunne Susan
Published: September 2022

The beginning of the 21st century is marked by a rapid growth of land surface satellite data and model sophistication. This offers new opportunities to estimate multiple components of the water cycle via satellite-based land data assimilation (DA) across multiple scales. By resolving more processes in land surface models and by coupling the land, the atmosphere, and other Earth system compartments, the observed information can be propagated to constrain additional unobserved variables. Furthermore, access to more satellite observations enables the direct constraint of more and more components of the water cycle that are of interest to end users. However, the finer level of detail in models and data is also often accompanied by an increase in dimensions, with more state variables, parameters, or boundary conditions to estimate, and more observations to assimilate. This requires advanced DA methods and efficient solutions. One solution is to target specific observations for assimilation based on a sensitivity study or coupling strength analysis, because not all observations are equally effective in improving subsequent forecasts of hydrological variables, weather, agricultural production, or hazards through DA. This paper offers a perspective on current and future land DA development, and suggestions to optimally exploit advances in observing and modeling systems.