bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Phosphotungstic acid (PTA) preferentially binds to collagen- rich regions of porcine carotid arteries and human atherosclerotic plaques observed using contrast enhanced micro-computed tomography (CE-µCT)
Authors: Hanly A. , Johnston R. D. , Lemass C. , Jose A. , Tornifoglio B. , Lally C.
Published: February 2023

Background and aims: Atherosclerotic plaque rupture in the carotid artery can cause small emboli to travel to cerebral arteries, causing blockages and preventing blood flow leading to stroke. Contrast enhanced micro computed tomography (CEμCT) using a novel stain, phosphotungstic acid (PTA) can provide insights into the microstructure of the vessel wall and atherosclerotic plaque, and hence their likelihood to rupture. Furthermore, it has been suggested that collagen content and orientation can be related to mechanical integrity. This study aims to build on existing literature and establish a robust and reproducible staining and imaging technique to non-destructively quantify the collagen content within arteries and plaques as an alternative to routine histology.

Methods: Porcine carotid arteries and human atherosclerotic plaques were stained with a concentration of 1% PTA staining solution and imaged using MicroCT to establish the in situ architecture of the tissue and measure collagen content. A histological assessment of the collagen content was also performed from picrosirius red (PSR) staining.

Results: PTA stained arterial samples highlight the reproducibility of the PTA staining and MicroCT imaging technique used with a quantitative analysis showing a positive correlation between the collagen content measured from CEμCT and histology. Furthermore, collagen-rich areas can be clearly visualised in both the vessel wall and atherosclerotic plaque. 3D reconstruction was also performed showing that different layers of the vessel wall and various atherosclerotic plaque components can be differentiated using Hounsfield Unit (HU) values.

Conclusion: The work presented here is unique as it offers a quantitative method of segmenting the vessel wall into its individual components and non-destructively quantifying the collagen content within these tissues, whilst also delivering a visual representation of the fibrous structure using a single contrast agent.
Ex Vivo treatment of coronary artery endothelial cells with serum post-exercise training offers limited protection against in vitro exposure to FEC-T chemotherapy
Authors: Mclaughlin Marie , Hesketh Katie L. , Horgan Sarah L. , Florida-James Geraint , Cocks Matthew , Strauss Juliette A. , Ross Mark
Published: February 2023

Background: Chemotherapy treatment for breast cancer associates with well-documented cardiovascular detriments. Exercise has shown promise as a potentially protective intervention against cardiac toxicity. However, there is a paucity of evidence for the benefits of exercise on the vasculature.

Objectives: This study aimed to determine the effects of chemotherapy on the vascular endothelium; and if there are protective effects of serological alterations elicited by an exercise training intervention.

Methods and Results: 15 women participated in a 12-week home-based exercise intervention consisting of three high-intensity interval sessions per week. Human coronary artery endothelial cells (HCAEC) were exposed to physiological concentrations of 5-fluorouracil, epirubicin, cyclophosphamide (FEC) and docetaxel to determine a dose-response. Twenty-4 hours prior to FEC and docetaxel exposure, HCAECs were preconditioned with serum collected pre- and post-training. Annexin V binding and cleaved caspase-3 were assessed using flow cytometry and wound repair by scratch assays. Chemotherapy exposure increased HCAEC Annexin V binding, cleaved caspase-3 expression in a dose-dependent manner; and inhibited wound repair. Compared to pre-training serum, conditioning HCAECs with post-training serum, reduced Annexin V binding (42% vs. 30%, p = 0.01) when exposed to FEC. For docetaxel, there were no within-group differences (pre-vs post-exercise) for Annexin V binding or cleaved caspase-3 expression. There was a protective effect of post-training serum on wound repair for 5-flurouracil (p = 0.03) only.

Conclusion: FEC-T chemotherapy drugs cause significant damage and dysfunction of endothelial cells. Preconditioning with serum collected after an exercise training intervention, elicited some protection against the usual toxicity of FEC-T, when compared to control serum.
Mapping quantitative trait loci and developing their KASP markers for pre-harvest sprouting resistance of Henan wheat varieties in China
Authors: Kou Cheng , Peng ChaoJun , Dong HaiBin , Hu Lin , Xu WeiGang
Published: February 2023

Introduction

Pre-harvest Sprouting (PHS) seriously affects wheat quality and yield. However, to date there have been limited reports. It is of great urgency to breed resistance varieties via quantitative trait nucleotides (QTNs) or genes for PHS resistance in white-grained wheat.

Methods

629 Chinese wheat varieties, including 373 local wheat varieties from 70 years ago and 256 improved wheat varieties were phenotyped for spike sprouting (SS) in two environments and genotyped by wheat 660K microarray. These phenotypes were used to associate with 314,548 SNP markers for identifying QTNs for PHS resistance using several multi-locus genome-wide association study (GWAS) methods. Their candidate genes were verified by RNA-seq, and the validated candidate genes were further exploited in wheat breeding.

Results

As a result, variation coefficients of 50% and 47% for PHS in 629 wheat varieties, respectively, in 2020-2021 and 2021-2022 indicated large phenotypic variation, in particular, 38 white grain varieties appeared at least medium resistance, such as Baipimai, Fengchan 3, and Jimai 20. In GWAS, 22 significant QTNs, with the sizes of 0.06% ~ 38.11%, for PHS resistance were stably identified by multiple multi-locus methods in two environments, e.g., AX-95124645 (chr3D:571.35Mb), with the sizes of 36.390% and 45.850% in 2020-2021 and 2021-2022, respectively, was detected by several multi-locus methods in two environments. As compared with previous studies, the AX-95124645 was used to develop Kompetitive Allele-Specific PCR marker QSS.TAF9-3D (chr3D:569.17Mb~573.55Mb) for the first time, especially, it is available in white-grain wheat varieties. Around this locus, nine genes were significantly differentially expressed, and two of them (TraesCS3D01G466100 and TraesCS3D01G468500) were found by GO annotation to be related to PHS resistance and determined as candidate genes.

Discussion

The QTN and two new candidate genes related to PHS resistance were identified in this study. The QTN can be used to effectively identify the PHS resistance materials, especially, all the white-grained varieties with QSS.TAF9-3D-TT haplotype are resistant to spike sprouting. Thus, this study provides candidate genes, materials, and methodological basis for breeding wheat PHS resistance in the future.
Changes in social interaction, social relatedness, and friendships in Education Outside the Classroom: A social network analysis
Authors: Ellinger Jan , Mess Filip , Bachner Joachim , von Au Jakob , Mall Christoph
Published: February 2023

Introduction

Social interaction is associated with many effects on the psychological level of children such as mental health, self-esteem, and executive functions. Education Outside the Classroom (EOtC) describes regular curricular classes/lessons outside the school building, often in natural green and blue environments. Applied as a long-term school concept, EOtC has the potential to enable and promote social interaction. However, empirical studies on this topic have been somewhat scant.

Methods

One class in EOtC (N  = 24) and one comparison class (N = 26) were examined in this study to explore those effects. Statistical Actor-Oriented Models and Exponential Random Graph Models were used to investigate whether there are differences between EOtC and comparison class regarding changes over time in social interaction parameters; whether a co-evolution between social interaction during lessons and breaks and attendant social relatedness and friendships exists; whether students of the same gender or place of residence interact particularly often (homophily).

Results

Besides inconsistent changes in social interaction parameters, no co-evolutional associations between social interaction and social relatedness and friendships could be determined, but grouping was evident in EOtC. Both classes showed pronounced gender homophily, which in the case of EOtC class contributes to a fragmentation of the network over time.

Discussion

The observed effects in EOtC could be due to previously observed tendencies of social exclusion as a result of a high degree of freedom of choices. It therefore seems essential that in future studies not only the quality of the study design and instruments should be included in the interpretation – rather, the underlying methodological-didactic concept should also be evaluated in detail. At least in Germany, it seems that there is still potential for developing holistic concepts with regards to EOtC in order to maximize the return on the primarily organizational investment of implementing EOtC in natural environments.
Network embeddedness, digital transformation, and enterprise performance—The moderating effect of top managerial cognition
Authors: Li Yue , Fei Guo Zhen
Published: February 2023

Under the new background of the explosive growth of digital economy and the deep integration of real economy, how to improve the performance level through digital transformation has become the key for enterprises to achieve high-quality development. Based on the embeddedness theory and the upper echelons theory, this paper studies the logic and mechanism of network embeddedness affecting enterprise performance, in order to describe the pre-motivations and complete influencing paths of digital transformation affecting enterprise performance, and promote enterprises to achieve high-quality development by means of digital transformation. Taking the middle and senior managers of 239 enterprises as the research objects, this paper applies hierarchical regression, bootstrap and other analysis methods for empirical test, and draws the following conclusions: (1) Relational embeddedness and cognitive embeddedness have a positive impact on digital transformation, while structural embeddedness has no significant impact on digital transformation. (2) Digital transformation has a significant positive impact on enterprise performance. (3) Digital transformation plays a significant mediating role between relational embeddedness, cognitive embeddedness and enterprise performance. (4) In the context of top managerial cognition, cognitive embeddedness can better improve enterprise performance through digital transformation. These results extend the previous literature on digital transformation, proves that digital transformation has a positive effect on enterprise performance. Meanwhile, top managerial cognition is conducive to shaping the dynamic capability of enterprises, and thus plays an important moderating role in the influence path of digital transformation on enterprise performance. This study further affirms the important role of top managerial cognition, which is conducive to enriching enterprises’ digital practices and improving enterprise performance.
The dynamics of burnout among Slovenian primary school teachers over the school year in relation to their perceptions of various predictors of burnout in the school context
Authors: Markelj Neja , Kovač Marjeta , Jurak Gregor
Published: February 2023

This study examined the dynamics of teacher burnout over the course of the school year in relation to individual and environmental factors in the school context based on a three-wave panel design using an MBI-ES questionnaire and a self-constructed inventory to measure individual and environmental factors of burnout. The sample consisted of 718 teachers from 32 Slovenian primary schools; 163 of them participated in all measurements. The major limitation of this study is the high attrition rate. However, attrition analysis showed no significant differences between the initial sample and the panel group on background variables and burnout dimensions or on environmental and individual factors. Burnout was present but not pronounced among participating teachers: Emotional exhaustion was moderately high and depersonalization and personal accomplishment were low. Over the course of the school year, burnout did not increase consistently and gradually; we found only a statistically significant increase in personal accomplishment in the middle of the school year and a statistically significant greater sense of burnout at the end of the school year. As stress accumulates over time, we would expect burnout to increase. We hypothesize that participants reduced the effects of stress through various coping strategies and/or replenish their resources. We believe that the school year is not long enough for burnout to develop. The number of stressors perceived by teachers was significantly related to burnout rates. Teachers experience stress, especially in work not directly related to teaching, and from their own performance expectations. Multivariate regression analyses yielded three different but similar models of predictors of burnout that explained 25 to 50% of the variance in teacher burnout. Regardless of the instability of the models, the time and energy demands of working with students, teacher characteristics, and classroom management are the stable antecedents in the predictor models of teacher burnout.
The prevalence of anxiety and its key influencing factors among the elderly in China
Authors: Liu Yixuan , Xu Yanling , Yang Xinyan , Miao Guomei , Wu Yinghui , Yang Shujuan
Published: February 2023

Introduction

With the rapid aging population, the mental health of older adults is paid more and more attention. Anxiety is a common mental health illness in older adults. Therefore, the study aimed to explore the current situation of anxiety and its factors among the elderly in China.

Methods

Based on the data from 2018 Chinese Longitudinal Healthy Longevity Survey (CLHLS), a total of 10,982 respondents aged 60 and above were selected. Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD-7) scale was used to assess the anxiety. Univariate and multivariate analysis were used to analyze the influencing factors of anxiety. Random forest was established to rank the importance of each influencing factors.

Results

The results showed that the prevalence of anxiety among the elderly was 11.24%. Anxiety was mainly associated with 14 factors from five aspects: sociodemographic characteristics, health status, psychological state, social trust and social participation, among which loneliness related to psychological status was the most important factor.

Discussion

The revelation of this study is that the present situation of anxiety among the elderly cannot be ignored, and it is necessary to take measures to prevent and control it from many aspects.
Chronic haloperidol administration downregulates select BDNF transcript and protein levels in the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex of rhesus monkeys
Authors: Hemby Scott E. , McIntosh Scot
Published: February 2023

Post-mortem studies in the prefrontal cortex and hippocampal formation from schizophrenia patients have revealed significant disruptions in the expression molecules associated with cytoarchitecture, synaptic structure, function, and plasticity, known to be regulated in part by brain derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF). Interestingly, several studies using postmortem brain tissue from individuals diagnosed with schizophrenia have revealed a significant reduction in BDNF mRNA and protein levels in the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC), hippocampus and related areas; however, differentiating the effects of illness from antipsychotic history has remained difficult. We hypothesized that chronic antipsychotic treatment may contribute to the altered BDNF mRNA and protein expression observed in post-mortem brains of individuals diagnosed with schizophrenia. To address the influence of antipsychotic administration on BDNF expression in the primate brain, rhesus monkeys orally administered haloperidol, clozapine, or vehicle twice daily for 180 days. We found BDNF splice variants 4 and 5 in the DLPFC and variant 2 in the EC were significantly down-regulated following chronic administration of haloperidol. In addition, proBDNF and mature BDNF expression in the DLPFC, but not the EC, were significantly reduced. Based on the known regulation of BDNF expression by BDNF-AS, we assessed the expression of this lncRNA and found expression was significantly upregulated in the DLPFC, but not EC. The results of the present study provide evidence of haloperidol-induced regulation of BDNF mRNA and protein expression in the DLFPC and suggest an important role for BDNF-AS in this regulation. Given the role of BDNF in synaptic plasticity, neuronal survival and maintenance, aberrant expression induced by haloperidol likely has significant ramifications for neuronal populations and circuits in primate cortex.
Stress-related reduction of hippocampal subfield volumes in major depressive disorder: A 7-Tesla study
Authors: Alper Judy , Feng Rui , Verma Gaurav , Rutter Sarah , Huang Kuang-han , Xie Long , Yushkevich Paul , Jacob Yael , Brown Stephanie , Kautz Marin , Schneider Molly , Lin Hung-Mo , Fleysher Lazar , Delman Bradley N. , Hof Patrick R. , Murrough James W. , Balchandani Priti
Published: February 2023

Background

Major depressive disorder (MDD) is a prevalent health problem with complex pathophysiology that is not clearly understood. Prior work has implicated the hippocampus in MDD, but how hippocampal subfields influence or are affected by MDD requires further characterization with high-resolution data. This will help ascertain the accuracy and reproducibility of previous subfield findings in depression as well as correlate subfield volumes with MDD symptom scores. The objective of this study was to assess volumetric differences in hippocampal subfields between MDD patients globally and healthy controls (HC) as well as between a subset of treatment-resistant depression (TRD) patients and HC using automatic segmentation of hippocampal subfields (ASHS) software and ultra-high field MRI.

Methods

Thirty-five MDD patients and 28 HC underwent imaging using 7-Tesla MRI. ASHS software was applied to the imaging data to perform automated hippocampal segmentation and provide volumetrics for analysis. An exploratory analysis was also performed on associations between symptom scores for diagnostic testing and hippocampal subfield volumes.

Results

Compared to HC, MDD and TRD patients showed reduced right-hemisphere CA2/3 subfield volume (p = 0.01, η2 = 0.31 and p = 0.3, η2 = 0.44, respectively). Additionally, negative associations were found between subfield volumes and life-stressor checklist scores, including left CA1 (p = 0.041, f2 = 0.419), left CA4/DG (p = 0.010, f2 = 0.584), right subiculum total (p = 0.038, f2 = 0.354), left hippocampus total (p = 0.015, f2 = 0.134), and right hippocampus total (p = 0.034, f2 = 0.110). Caution should be exercised in interpreting these results due to the small sample size and low power.

Conclusion

Determining biomarkers for MDD and TRD pathophysiology through segmentation on high-resolution MRI data and understanding the effects of stress on these regions can enable better assessment of biological response to treatment selection and may elucidate the underlying mechanisms of depression.
Prevalence of neuropsychiatric disorders in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus in Pakistan: A systematic review and meta-analysis
Authors: Khan Muhammad Imran , Qureshi Humera , Akhtar Sohail , Bae Suk Joo , Hassan Fazal
Published: February 2023

Introduction

By conducting a systematic review and meta-analysis, we investigated the prevalence of neuropsychiatric (NP) symptoms among systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) patients in Pakistan.

Methods

In this review work, three electronic databases (Web of Science, MEDLINE, and Google Scholar) and local databases were screened for 20 years from 1 January 2002 to 30 September 2022, to identify the articles evaluating the prevalence of NP symptoms in SLE patients in Pakistan. We performed a random-effects meta-analysis to estimate the prevalence of NPSLE. Statistical heterogeneity was measured by the I2 index, and subgroup meta-analyses were used to access the statistical heterogeneity. Furthermore, meta-regression models were used to examine the associations between prevalence estimates and study characteristics of interest. Three independent authors reviewed existing studies, extracted data, and rated the qualities of selected studies. This review was registered on PROSPERO (Registration no. CRD42022361798).

Results

Thirteen studies met the inclusion criteria out of the 322 studies with a total of 2,003 SLE patients for this systematic review and meta-analysis. The prevalence of NP disorders in SLE patients was estimated to be 30.42% (95% CI:18.26–44.11%), with cognitive dysfunction being the most common (31.51%; 95% CI:1.28–76.27%), followed by headache (10.22%; 95% CI: 0.00–33.43%), seizures (5.96%; 95% CI: 3.80–8.53%), psychosis (3.64%; 95% CI: 2.38–5.13%), and neuropathy is the least common (0.86%; 95% CI: 0.00–2.74%). The heterogeneity between studies was significant (p < 0.01). The pooled prevalence of NP disorders among SLE patients was found highest in Punjab (41.21%) and lowest in Sindh (17.60%).

Conclusion

Findings from this study revealed that SLE patients have a high prevalence of NP disorders. The most common symptoms were cognitive dysfunctions, headaches, seizures, psychosis, and neuropathy. Clinicians can manage these potentially deadly and disabling diseases more effectively if they understand the incidence of each NP symptom in SLE patients. NP symptoms among SLE patients are at their peak in Pakistan; policymakers should devise preventive strategies to curb the disease.

Systematic review registration

https://www.crd.york.ac.uk/prospero/display_record. php?RecordID=361798, identifier CRD42022361798.
Idealistic, realistic, and unrealistic expectations of pharmacological treatment in persons with type 2 diabetes in primary care
Authors: Salinas Martínez Ana María , Juárez Montes Angélica Gabriela , Ramírez Morado Yesenia , Cordero Franco Hid Felizardo , Guzmán de la Garza Francisco Javier , Hernández Oyervides Luis Carlos , Núñez Rocha Georgina Mayela
Published: February 2023

Introduction

Information on treatment expectations in diabetes is scarce for Mexican and Latino populations. We determined idealistic, realistic, and unrealistic expectations for metformin, insulin, and glyburide in primary care. We also explored the association between sociodemographic attributes, time since diagnosis, and expectations.

Methods

This was a cross-sectional study conducted during 2020–2022 in governmental primary care centers. We consecutively included persons with type 2 diabetes aged 30–70 years under pharmacological medication (n = 907). Questions were developed using information relevant to expectation constructs. Data were collected by interview. We used descriptive statistics, a test of the difference between two proportions, and multivariate ordinal logistic regression.

Results

A high percentage of participants would like to have fewer daily pills/injections or the option of temporarily stopping their medication. Realistic expectations ranged from 47% to 70%, and unrealistic expectations from 31 to 65%. More insulin users wished they could take a temporary break (p < 0.05) or would like to be able to change the route of administration (p < 0.001) than metformin users. More persons with diabetes on insulin expected realistic expectations compared to those on metformin or glyburide (p ≤ 0.01). Being able to interrupt medication upon reaching the glucose goal was higher in combined therapy users (p < 0.001).

Conclusion

Time since diagnosis, place of residence, sex, and diabetes education were factors associated to expectations. Management of expectations must be reinforced in primary care persons with type 2 diabetes undergoing pharmacological medication.
COP-27: A great opportunity to address the double crisis of food security and climate change–and for the EU to re-align its farm to fork strategy
Authors: Aerni Philipp
Published: February 2023

The 27th Conference of the Parties (COP 27) of the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (FCCC) held in November 2022 in Sharm-el-Sheik, Egypt, ended with joint commitments to compensate for loss and damage and increase funds for climate change adaptation in future. This outcome is likely to be supportive of current efforts to render agricultural systems in low income tropical countries more resilient and productive through locally adapted forms of sustainable intensification. However, the farm-to-fork (f2f) strategy launched in 2020 by the European Union (EU) has set targets that associate sustainable agriculture primarily with extensification rather than intensification. This paper critically reviews the literature that assesses the impact of current agricultural, environmental and development policies on global food security, biodiversity and climate change. It challenges the view that the European Green Deal and the f2f strategy will have its desired effects. It also argues that the intention of the European Commission (EC) to promote the f2f strategy in low income tropical countries may not be compatible with its commitment to the ownership principle in development assistance. The decision of the EC in fall 2022 to propose a regulatory framework on new breeding techniques (NBTs) indicates that methods of sustainable intensification may be reconsidered if they serve the goals of the Green Deal and the f2f strategy. Such a readjustment would also be in line with the outcome of COP27 and indicate that the polarized global debate on sustainable food systems may become more pragmatic and outcome-oriented again.
Reimagining health services provision for neglected groups: The “personalization from below” phenomenon
Authors: Berti Suman Anna , Heyen Nils B. , Micheli Marina
Published: February 2023

How can data-driven citizen science activities supporting health research and services provision meet the needs of unrepresented and neglected groups through increased personalization? In this short Perspective, we explore “personalization from below” as a concept designating forms of citizen science-based data altruism that specifically push for and enact a different understanding of both health services and personalization. We develop the argument that such phenomenon taking place outside “institutionalized” health-related practices could make health services provision more inclusive of values that matter to people. We contextualize instances of “personalization from below,” discuss related data governance models and alternative public health interventions, and conclude by outlining three key arguments in favor of “personalization from below” and future research avenues.
Aid attitudes in short- and long-term perspectives among Ukrainian migrants and Poles during the Russian war in 2022
Authors: Kyliushyk Ivanna , Jastrzebowska Agata
Published: February 2023

The aim of this article is to diagnose aid attitudes among those who potentially need help—help receivers, i. e., Ukrainian refugees—and help givers, i.e., Poles and Ukrainian labor migrants, during the initial stage of the escalation of the Russian war in 2022. By aid attitudes, we mean approaches to both the offering and the acceptance of help during the war in the short and long term. We conducted a small-scale exploratory web survey (Computer-Assisted Web Interview—computer-assisted interview using a website) from March to June 2022, in which the main aims were to explore the needs and offers for both, short- and long-term aid and the gaps between them. Respondents were asked about different types of aid without indicating from whom they wanted to receive this help: the state, NGOs or individuals offering their help. The survey results show discrepancies in what migrants need and what is offered to them in Poland, both from the short and long-term perspectives.
Plant-derived Ren's oligopeptide has antiviral effects on influenza virus and SARS-CoV-2
Authors: Yu Chengzhi , Huang Yayu , Ren Xin , Sun Leqiang
Published: February 2023

Influenza virus and SARS-CoV-2 virus are two important viruses that cause respiratory tract diseases. The high-frequency mutation of the two types of viruses leads to failure of the durable immune protection of vaccines, meanwhile it also poses continuous challenges to the development of antiviral drugs. Traditional Chinese medicine contains large number of biologically active compounds, and some of them contain broad-spectrum antiviral ingredients. In this study, we extracted antiviral active ingredients from medicinal and edible plants by biotransformation and enzymatic hydrolysis as a drug, and we named this drug Ren's oligopeptide. Further, we analyzed the antiviral activity of this drug and found that Ren's oligopeptide could inhibit the replication of influenza virus and SARS-CoV-2 virus with high anti-virus activities. In vitro experiments showed that the antiviral activity of the Ren's oligopeptide mainly targets the replication process after virus enters the cell. Therefore, Ren's oligopeptide is a promising drug against influenza and COVID-19.
Acute phase proteins levels in horses, after a single carbohydrate overload, associated with cecal alkalinization
Authors: Peixoto Rabelo Isabela , Barroco de Paula Vanessa , Carvalho Bustamante Caio , Santana André Marcos , Gomes da Silva Daniela , Baldassi Amanda Cristina , Canola Paulo Aléscio , Araújo Valadão Carlos Augusto
Published: February 2023

Introduction

Horses submitted to carbohydrate overload can develop laminitis due to changes in cecal pH and microbiota, followed by an increase in transmural absorption of luminal content, including bacterial toxins. In response to acute injury there is hepatic overproduction of several proteins known as acute phase proteins (APP). Few studies have evaluated protein fractionation to characterize the inflammatory response in acute laminitis. The aim of this study was to test the viability of an experimental model to induce acute laminitis, using a single carbohydrate overload, and the influence of a buffering solution on the development of the disease; also, study the kinetics of APP during acute laminitis, as well as the correlation between these proteins and clinical signs associated to this syndrome.

Methods

Ten healthy horses were divided in a factorial and randomized way into four groups (n= 5): control group (CG), starch group (SG), buffer group (BG), and starch C buffer group (SBG). They were evaluated at seven times (T0h, T4h, T8h, T12h, T24h, T48h, and T72h), which included clinical evaluation and blood sample collection. Total serum protein and albumin concentrations were determined by colorimetry and the other APP by polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis containing sodium dodecyl sulfate and commercial ELISA kits. Data were analyzed by two-way ANOVA, followed by Tukey's test (p< 0.05). The correlation between clinical signs and APP were verified using the Pearson's correlation coefficient.

Results and discussion

40% of the animals from SG and 60% from SBG developed clinical laminitis. A single administration of buffer solution was not able to prevent clinical signs of laminitis. There was no difference between groups on total serum protein, albumin, serum amyloid A and C-reactive protein concentrations (p> 0.05). Transferrin, considered a negative APP, showed a positive response pattern in SG and SBG. Ceruloplasmin had a positive correlation with Obel grade, heart rate on animals from SGB and number of steps on horses submitted to starch overload (SG and SBG). Ceruloplasmin, α-1-antitrypsin and haptoglobin concentrations increased in SBG, suggesting an inflammatory response in animals of this group. Changes in clinical parameters were also more evident in the SBG, corroborating the protein fractionation findings.
Acetylated Proteomics of UV-B Stress-Responsive in Photosystem II of Rhododendron chrysanthum
Authors: Liu Meiqi , Sun Qi , Cao Kun , Xu Hongwei , Zhou Xiaofu
Published: February 2023

Rhododendron chrysanthum (Rhododendron chrysanthum Pall.), an alpine plant, has developed UV-B resistance mechanisms and has grown to be an important plant resource with the responsive capacity of UV-B stress. Our study uses acetylated proteomics and proteome analysis, together with physiological measurement, to show the Rhododendron chrysanthum seedling’s reaction to UV-B stress. Following a 2-day, 8-h radiation therapy, 807 significantly altered proteins and 685 significantly altered acetylated proteins were discovered. Significantly altered proteins and acetylated proteins, according to COG analysis, were mostly engaged in post-translational modification, protein turnover, and chaperone under UV-B stress. It indicates that protein acetylation modification plays an important role in plant resistance to UV-B. The experimental results show that photosynthesis was inhibited under UV-B stress, but some photosynthetic proteins will undergo acetylation modification, which can alleviate the UV-B damage of plants to a certain extent. These results will serve as the basis for more research into the intricate molecular mechanisms underlying plant UV-B adaptation.
Fluorinated Merophosphinine and Phosphinine Dyes: Synthesis and Evaluation of UV-Visible Light Absorption Properties
Authors: Yamada Shigeyuki , Takahashi Yusuke , Konno Tsutomu
Published: February 2023

Merophosphinine and phosphinine dyes were reported as phosphorus atom equivalents of merocyanine and cyanine dyes in the 1960s. Although these dyes are excellent sensitizers for enhancing photographic performance, their development has been considerably retarded because of difficulties in the synthetic process. Previously, while investigating the reactivity of fluoroalkenes with various nucleophiles, we developed fluorinated merophosphinine and phosphinine scaffolds in a single reaction step; however, we did not investigate their ultraviolet-visible (UV-vis) light absorption properties further. Therefore, in this study, we synthesized fluorinated merophosphinines and phosphinine derivatives using triphenylphosphonium ylides with various R substituents [R = H, C6H5, 4-MeOC6H4, 4-PhC6H4, or C6F5] and octafluorocyclopentene to study their absorption characteristics. Thermogravimetric analyses (TGA) indicated that several synthesized derivatives were thermally stable at temperatures above 241 °C. Additionally, when studied in various solvents, the fluorinated merophosphinine and phosphinine dyes exhibited well-defined maximum absorption wavelengths (λabs) in the 364–375 and 420–474 nm ranges, respectively. Thus, fluorinated merophosphinine and phosphinine derivatives may serve as promising thermally stable functional dyes for future technical applications.
A Case of COVID-Related MERS (Clinically Mild Encephalitis/Encephalopathy with a Reversible Splenial Lesion) with a Typical Imaging Course and Hyponatremia in Adults—A Case Report and Literature Review
Authors: Tokano Mieko , Tarumoto Norihito , Osawa Iichiro , Sakai Jun , Okada Mariko , Seo Kazuhide , Nakazato Yoshihiko , Yamamoto Toshimasa , Maeda Takuya , Maesaki Shigefumi
Published: February 2023

Clinically mild encephalitis/encephalopathy with reversible splenial lesions (MERS) is a mild form of encephalitis/encephalopathy that appears in association with various conditions, including infection. COVID-19 is also known to cause MERS. MERS more commonly occurs in children, and adult cases are relatively rare. Typical head MRI findings include a round lesion in the mid-layer of the corpus callosum with a high signal intensity on diffusion-weighted images. Most improve within a week. Although the exact mechanism by which the cerebral corpus callosum is affected is still unknown, several hypotheses have been proposed, including the involvement of electrolyte abnormalities (e.g., hyponatremia) and inflammatory cytokines (e.g., IL-6). In this report, we describe the first case of COVID-associated MERS with a typical imaging course and hyponatremia, with a review of the relevant literature. When psychiatric symptoms and the disturbance of consciousness appear in COVID patients, MERS should be considered in addition to delirium due to fever and hypoxia.
Solitary Fibrous Tumors of the Lung: A Clinicopathological Analysis of 52 Cases
Authors: Wang Ying-Xia , Zhong Yan , Fan Su-Su , Zhu Yu-Shan , Peng Xue-Rong , Zhang Xuan
Published: February 2023

Objective: To explore the clinicopathological features of solitary fibrous tumors (SFTs) of the lung. Methods: We collected the clinical data of 52 patients with SFTs of the lung confirmed by pathology, and summarized the clinical, radiological, and morphological features, the immunophenotypes, and the prognosis of SFTs. Results: Fifty-two cases of SFTs of the lung were enrolled in this study, including 51 cases of borderline and 1 case of malignancy, 22 males and 30 females. The average onset age was 52.7 years. The lower lobe of the left lung was the preferred site of SFTs, accounting for 30.77% (16/52). Chest CT showed regular and well-demarcated soft tissue density mass, and the tumor size of most cases (46/52, 88.46%) was 1–10 cm. Morphological features: The distribution of tumor cells showed sparse and dense areas. Tumor cells were spindle-shaped, in whorls or hemangiopericytoma-like conformation. Atypia, mitotic figures, and necrosis were found. Immunohistochemistry showed positive expression of CD34, STAT6, Vimentin, BCL2, and CD99. Ki-67 was ≤ 5% in borderline SFTs and >20% in a malignant SFT. Conclusions: Solitary fibrous tumors of the lung occur more frequently in middle-aged and elderly people, and there is no significant difference in gender. The lower lobe of the left lung is the preferred site of SFTs. The size of most SFTs is 1–10 cm. Chest CT shows morphologically regular and well-demarcated soft tissue density mass. Pathologically, SFTs of the lung are mostly borderline and occasionally malignant. Immunohistochemistry shows the positive expression of CD34, STAT6, Vimentin, BCL2, and CD99.
Diagnostic Performance of Screening Tools for Depressive Symptoms in Vulnerable Older Patients with Cancer Undergoing Comprehensive Geriatric Assessment (CGA): Results from the SCREEN Pilot Study
Authors: Tack Laura , Maenhoudt Ann-Sophie , Ketelaars Lore , De Zutter Jolien , Pinson Stefanie , Keunebrock Laura , Haaker Lorenz , Deckmyn Kathleen , Gheysen Mathilde , Kenis Cindy , Wildiers Hans , Depoorter Laurence , Geerts Pieter-Jan , Chandler Rebecca , Boterberg Tom , Schofield Patricia , Parris Christopher N. , Debruyne Philip R.
Published: February 2023

Depression is a common and disabling disorder in later life, particularly among people with poor physical health. There are many screening tools available that can be used to examine depressive symptoms; however, not all of them may be appropriate or accurate for older adults with cancer. This pilot study was designed to test the diagnostic performance of two screening tools and their short versions in a cohort of vulnerable (G8 score ≤ 14/17) older patients with cancer undergoing comprehensive geriatric assessment (CGA). The prospective analysis covered 50 vulnerable patients with cancer aged ≥70 years. The diagnostic performance of the Geriatric Depression Scale (GDS)-15, GDS-4, Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ)-9 and PHQ-2 was compared to the ‘gold standard’ Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-5 Disorders (SCID-5-S) depression module A. The sensitivity and specificity in detecting depressive symptoms were the highest in the case of PHQ-2, with an area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUROC) of 92.7%. The AUROC for the 9-item version, PHQ-9, was 90.2%. For the GDS-15 and GDS-4, the AUROC was only 56.2% and 62.0%, respectively. The SCREEN pilot study illustrates the potential benefit of using a shorter screening tool, PHQ-2, to identify older patients with cancer who would benefit from a more in-depth emotional evaluation as part of a CGA.
Towards a Controllable and Reversible Privacy Protection System for Facial Images through Enhanced Multi-Factor Modifier Networks
Authors: Pan Yi-Lun , Chen Jun-Cheng , Wu Ja-Ling
Published: February 2023

Privacy protection data processing has been critical in recent years when pervasively equipped mobile devices could easily capture high-resolution personal images and videos that may disclose personal information. We propose a new controllable and reversible privacy protection system to address the concern in this work. The proposed scheme can automatically and stably anonymize and de-anonymize face images with one neural network and provide strong security protection with multi-factor identification solutions. Furthermore, users can include other attributes as identification factors, such as passwords and specific facial attributes. Our solution lies in a modified conditional-GAN-based training framework, the Multi-factor Modifier (MfM), to simultaneously accomplish the function of multi-factor facial anonymization and de-anonymization. It can successfully anonymize face images while generating realistic faces satisfying the conditions specified by the multi-factor features, such as gender, hair colors, and facial appearance. Furthermore, MfM can also de-anonymize de-identified faces to their corresponding original ones. One crucial part of our work is design of physically meaningful information-theory-based loss functions, which include mutual information between authentic and de-identification images and mutual information between original and re-identification images. Moreover, extensive experiments and analyses show that, with the correct multi-factor feature information, the MfM can effectively achieve nearly perfect reconstruction and generate high-fidelity and diverse anonymized faces to defend attacks from hackers better than other methods with compatible functionalities. Finally, we justify the advantages of this work through perceptual quality comparison experiments. Our experiments show that the resulting LPIPS (with a value of 0.35), FID (with a value of 28), and SSIM (with a value of 0.95) of MfM demonstrate significantly better de-identification effects than state-of-the-art works. Additionally, the MfM we designed can achieve re-identification, which improves real-world practicability.
Envy, Social Comparison, and Depression on Social Networking Sites: A Systematic Review
Authors: Carraturo Fabio , Di Perna Tiziana , Giannicola Viviana , Nacchia Marco Alfonso , Pepe Marco , Muzii Benedetta , Bottone Mario , Sperandeo Raffaele , Bochicchio Vincenzo , Maldonato Nelson Mauro , Scandurra Cristiano
Published: February 2023

This study aims to review the evidence for the reciprocal relationship between envy and social comparison (SC) on social networking sites (SNSs) and depression. We searched PsychINFO, PubMed, and Web of Science from January 2012 to November 2022, adhering to the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses guidelines. A total of 9 articles met our inclusion criteria. In all articles reviewed, a simple correlation was found between SC on SNSs, envy, and depression. Three cross-sectional studies successfully tested a model with envy as a mediator between SNSs and depression. The moderating role of additional variables such as self-efficacy, neuroticism, SC orientation, marital quality, and friendship type was also evident. The only two studies that were suitable to determine direction found that depression acted as a predictor rather than an outcome of SC and envy, and therefore depression might be a relevant risk factor for the negative emotional consequences of SNSs use.
Briquetting of Poplar Wood from Short Rotation Coppice—The Effects of Moisture Content and Hammer Mill Screen Size
Authors: Obi Okey Francis , Pecenka Ralf
Published: February 2023

Studies on the use of biomass from short rotation coppices for briquette production as a sustainable biofuel have been scarce in the literature. This study investigated the effects of two process variables, hammer mill screen size at three levels (5.3, 10.3, and 25.4 mm) and moisture content at three levels (13.6, 19, and 25% (w.b.)), on the properties of briquettes from poplar Max-4 trees. The whole tree was divided into two fractions, the crown and the stem, and briquettes were produced from them. The effects of the variables on compressed density, relaxed density, relaxation ratio, and the shatter index of the briquettes were analyzed. The results showed that the combined interaction of the variables had no significant effects (p > 0.05) on the compressed density, relaxed density, and relaxation ratio of the briquettes. However, hammer mill screen size and moisture content both significantly influenced the shatter index irrespective of the tree fraction (p < 0.05). Hammer mill screen sizes of 5.3 and 10.3 mm at moisture contents of 13.6 and 19% (w.b.) resulted in good quality briquettes across the properties investigated for both the crown and stem poplar tree fractions. This study shows that high-quality briquettes can be produced from poplar Max-4 woody biomass.
Carbon Footprint Stemming from Ice Sports on the Turkey and Lithuanian Scale
Authors: Perkumienė Dalia , Atalay Ahmet , Švagždienė Biruta
Published: February 2023

The aim of this study is to calculate the average carbon footprint per capita from the transportation of the Ice Hockey League in Turkey and Lithuania in the 2021–2022 season. In addition, we identified the opinions of team managers of the national hockey leagues in Turkey and Lithuania regarding the problems and possible solutions related to the sustainable environment and persons’ right to a clean and safe environment in the sport sector. In this study, which was limited to the Turkish Ice Hockey Intercity Super League and the Lithuanian National Ice Hockey League in the 2021–2022 Season, eight teams from Turkey and five teams from Lithuania took part in the research. The type of vehicle used by each team and the total traveled distance were used for the collection of data. Interviews were conducted using a semi-structured interview format seeking to identify problems and solutions proposed by sports managers regarding environmental sustainability and the implementation of persons’ right to a clean and safe environment in the sport sector. Five managers from Turkey and two managers from Lithuania were randomly selected for the research. The average carbon footprint per person was calculated as 88.23 kg/CO2-e due to the travels of the Ice Hockey Super League teams participating in the 2021–2022 Season matches in Turkey. The average carbon footprint per capita was calculated as 0.5229 kg/CO2-e, as Ice Hockey Super League teams in the 2021–2022 Season traveled to participate in matches organized in Lithuania. For solving the above-mentioned problems, the sports experts offered recommendations such as energy saving, less waste generation and reducing water consumption in order to achieve the environmental protection goals of the sports leaders. Since both teams often travel due to the intense league schedules, the Ice Hockey Super League goal should be to reduce carbon emissions, especially those related to transportation. Energy conservation policies should also be implemented, and environmentally friendly practices should be emphasized.