bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Comparative efficacy of various CHIs combined with western medicine for non-small cell lung cancer: A bayesian network meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials
Authors: Peng Ciyan , Chen Jing , Cui Wei , Li Sini , Li Jianhe , Peng Liubao
Published: November 2022

Background: Given the limitations of Western medicine (WM) for the treatment of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) and the wide exploration of Chinese herbal injections (CHIs), systematically evaluate the efficacy of Various CHIs Combined with WM for Non-small Cell Lung Cancer. In this study, we performed a network meta-analysis to evaluate the comparative efficacy of 16 CHIs combined with WM regimens for the treatment of NSCLC.

Methods: Literature databases were searched from their inception to November 2021, and all randomized control trials (RCTs) involving NSCLC patients treated with a combination of Chinese and WM were retrieved. Outcomes, including disease control rate, survival quality score, incidence of gastrointestinal adverse reactions, incidence of leukopenia, and incidence of thrombocytopenia, were analyzed using RevMan (5.3), Stata17, and R software. Surface under the cumulative ranking curve (SUCRA) probability values were calculated to rank the treatments examined, and clustering analysis was used to compare the effects of CHIs on different outcomes.

Results: A total of 389 studies involving 31,263 patients and 16 CHIs were included. The 16 CHIs were: Aidi injection (ADI), Huachansu injection (HCSI), oil of Ophiopogon injection (OOMI), disodium cantharidinate and vitamin B6 injection (DCI), Shenfu injection (SFI), Shenmai injection (SMI), Shenqi Fuzheng injection (SQFZI), Chansu injection (CSI), Delisheng injection (DLSI), Fufang Kushen injection (FFKSI), Huangqi injection (HQI), Kangai injection (KAI), Kanglaite injection (KLTI), Shengmai injection (SI), Xiangguduotang injection (XGDTI), and Xiaoaiping injection (XAPI). The results of the network meta-analysis showed that, with WM treatment as a co-intervention, CSI was most likely to improve the disease control rate (SUCRA = 80.90%), HQI had the highest probability of being the best option for improving the survival quality score (SUCRA = 82.60%), DCI had the highest probability of reducing the incidence of gastrointestinal adverse reactions (SUCRA = 85.50%), HCSI + WM had the highest probability of reducing the incidence of thrombocytopenia (SUCRA = 91.30%), while SMI had the highest probability of reducing the incidence of leukopenia (SUCRA = 79.10%).

Conclusion: CHIs combined with WM is proved to be more effective than WM alone, which may be beneficial to NSCLC patients. SMI + WM and DCI + WM are most likely the optimal CHI to improve disease control rates, survival quality score, and reduce adverse effects. This study has limitations; therefore, higher quality RCTs and real-world evidence are required to support our conclusions.
Mouse promyelocytic leukemia zinc finger protein (PLZF) regulates hepatic lipid and glucose homeostasis dependent on SIRT1
Authors: Hu Huiling , Sun Nannan , Du Haiyan , He Yuqing , Pan Kunyi , Liu Xiuli , Lu Xiaoxia , Wei Jie , Liao Mianmian , Duan Chaohui
Published: November 2022

Previous studies have demonstrated that promyelocytic leukemia zinc finger protein (PLZF) promotes the expression of gluconeogenic genes and hepatic glucose output, which leads to hyperglycemia. However, the role played by PLZF in regulating lipid metabolism is not known. In this study, we aimed to examine the function of PLZF in regulating hepatic lipid and glucose homeostasis and the underlying mechanisms. The expression of PLZF was determined in different mouse models with regard to non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). In the next step, adenoviruses that express PLZF (Ad-PLZF) or PLZF-specific shRNA (Ad-shPLZF) were utilized to alter PLZF expression in mouse livers and in primary hepatocytes. For the phenotype of the fatty liver, histologic and biochemical analyses of hepatic triglyceride (TG), serum TG and cholesterol levels were carried out. The underlying molecular mechanism for the regulation of lipid metabolism by PLZF was further explored using luciferase reporter gene assay and ChIP analysis. The results demonstrated that PLZF expression was upregulated in livers derived from ob/ob, db/db and diet-induced obesity (DIO) mice. Liver PLZF-overexpressing C57BL/6J mice showed fatty liver phenotype, liver inflammation, impaired glucose tolerance and insulin sensitivity. On the other hand, hepatic PLZF knockdown in db/db and DIO mice alleviated hepatic steatosis. Of note, we found that PLZF activates SREBP-1c gene transcription through binding directly to the promoter fragment of this gene, which would induce a repressor-to-activator conversion depending on its interaction with SIRT1 in the role played by PLZF in the transcription process through deacetylation. Thus, PLZF is identified as an essential regulator of hepatic lipid and glucose metabolism, where the modulation of its liver expression could open up a therapeutic path for treating NAFLD.
Targeting pathophysiological changes using biomaterials-based drug delivery systems: A key to managing inflammatory bowel disease
Authors: Mohajeri Sahar , Moayedi Saeed , Mohajeri Shabnam , Yadegar Abbas , Haririan Ismaeil
Published: November 2022

Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is a gastrointestinal disorder, affecting about several million people worldwide. Current treatments fail to adequately control some clinical symptoms in IBD patients, which can adversely impact the patient’s quality of life. Hence, the development of new treatments for IBD is needed. Due to their unique properties such as biocompatibility and sustained release of a drug, biomaterials-based drug delivery systems can be regarded as promising candidates for IBD treatment. It is noteworthy that considering the pathophysiological changes occurred in the gastrointestinal tract of IBD patients, especially changes in pH, surface charge, the concentration of reactive oxygen species, and the expression of some biomolecules at the inflamed colon, can help in the rational design of biomaterials-based drug delivery systems for efficient management of IBD. Here, we discuss about targeting these pathophysiological changes using biomaterials-based drug delivery systems, which can provide important clues to establish a strategic roadmap for future studies.
Neuroprotection of Gastrodia elata polyphenols against H2O2-induced PC12 cell cytotoxicity by reducing oxidative stress
Authors: Tan Weijian , Zheng Qinhua , Feng Kexin , Feng Xiaolin , Zhong Wenting , Liao Caiyu , Li Shangjian , Liu Yuntong , Hu Wenzhong
Published: November 2022

It has been suggested that oxidative stress (OS) has a role in the development of aging and neurodegenerative disorders. Biological molecules are easily damaged by reactive oxygen species, which can ultimately result in necrotic or apoptotic cell death. Foods containing phytochemicals, such as phenolic compounds, may have potential preventive effects against several diseases, including alzheimer’s disease (AD), according to epidemiological and in vitro research. Gastrodia elata is a well-known homology of medicine and food plant that has been used for centuries in China and other East Asian countries to treat central nervous system disorders. In this study, we focused on the potential of the extract, Gastrodia elata polyphenols (GPP), for the prevention and treatment of AD. H2O2 induced PC12 cell damage was used to simulate the oxidative stress of AD. The effects of GPP on the injury model were evaluated by cell survival rate, lactate dehydrogenase (LDH), lipid peroxidation (MDA), production of intracellular antioxidant enzymes, reactive oxygen species (ROS), mitochondrial membrane potential (MMP), cellular inflammation level and apoptosis level. The results showed that GPP pretreatment had a protective effect by increasing cell viability, reducing lactate dehydrogenase infiltration, decreasing MDA and increasing intracellular antioxidant enzymes, diminishing reactive oxygen species production and decreasing mitochondrial membrane potential, reducing cell inflammation and decreasing apoptosis. Accordingly, it is suggested that GPP possessed promising neuroprotective benefits which enabled the prevention or therapeutic implementation of AD along with serving as a reference towards the exploitation of functional foods or drugs derived from Gastrodia elata.
M6A regulator-mediated immune infiltration and methylation modification in hepatocellular carcinoma microenvironment and immunotherapy
Authors: Zhao Kun , Wei Bing , Zhang Yingxuan , Shi Wenkai , Zhang Guokun , Wang Zhengfeng
Published: November 2022

Introduction: Tremendous evidence indicates that N6-methyladenosine (m6A) epigenetic modification and m6A-related enzymes constitute a complex network, which jointly regulates prevailing pathological processes and various signaling pathways in humankind. Currently, the role of the m6A-mediated molecular regulatory network in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) remains elusive.

Methods: We recruited expression and pathological files of 368 HCC patients from The Cancer Genome Atlas cohort. Four public datasets serve as external authentication sets for nearest template prediction (NTP) validation. The correlation between 35 regulators and their prognostic value was compared. Gene set variation analysis (GSVA) was used to explore the latent mechanism. Four independent algorithms (ssGSEA, xCell, MCP-counter, and TIMER) were used to calculate the ratio of tumor cells and non-tumor cells to evaluate the tumor immune microenvironment. The m6Ascore model was established by principal component analysis (PCA). Prediction of immunotherapy and potential drugs was performed using TIDE and SubMap.

Results: A total of 35 m6A regulators were widely associated, most of which were risk factors for HCC patients. The m6A phenotypic-cluster revealed differences in regulator transcriptional level, gene mutation frequency, functional pathways, and immune cell infiltration abundance under distinct m6A patterns. As expected, the m6A gene cluster confirmed the aforementioned results. The m6Ascore model further found that patients in the high-m6Ascore group were associated with lower tumor purity, higher enrichment of immune and stromal cells, upregulation of metabolic pathways, lower expression of m6A regulators, and favorable outcomes. Low-m6Ascore patients were associated with adverse outcomes. Notably, low-m6Ascore patients might be more sensitive to anti-PD-L1 therapy.

Conclusion: This study found that a classification model based on the m6A manner could predict HCC prognosis and response to immunotherapy for HCC patients, which might improve prognosis and contribute to clinical individualized decision-making.
A machine-learning guided method for predicting add-on and switch in secondary data sources: A case study on anti-seizure medications in Danish registries
Authors: Breitenstein Peter Suhr , Mahmoud Israa , Al-Azzawi Fahed , Shakibfar Saeed , Sessa Maurizio
Published: November 2022

Purpose: There is a lack of available evidence regarding the treatment pattern of switches and add-ons for individuals aged 65 years or older with epilepsy during the first years from the time they received their first anti-seizure medication because of the lack of valid methods. Therefore, this study aimed to develop an algorithm for identifying switches and add-ons using secondary data sources for anti-seizure medication users.

Methods: Danish nationwide databases were used as data sources. Residents in Denmark between 1996 and 2018 who were diagnosed with epilepsy and redeemed their first prescription for anti-seizure medication after epilepsy diagnosis were followed up for 730 days until the end of the follow-up period, death, or emigration to assess switches and add-ons occurred during the follow-up period. The study outcomes were the overall accuracy of the classification of switch or add-on of the newly developed algorithm.

Results: In total, 15870 individuals were included in the study population with a median age of 72.9 years, of whom 52.0% were male and 48.0% were female. A total of 988 of the 15879 patients from the study population were present during the 730-day follow-up period, and 988 individuals (6.2%) underwent a total of 1485 medication events with co-exposure to two or more anti-seizure medications. The newly developed algorithmic method correctly identified 9 out of 10 add-ons (overall accuracy 92%) and 9 out of 10 switches (overall accuracy 88%).

Conclusion: The majority of switches and add-ons occurred early during the first 2 years of disease and according to clinical recommendations. The newly developed algorithm correctly identified 9 out of 10 switches/add-ons.
Effects of light-emitting diodes on cell biology
Authors: Veloso Tatiane Moraes , de Souza da Fonseca Adenilson , Costa dos Santos Gilson
Published: November 2022

Currently, light-emitting diodes (LEDs) are considered a substitute for low-power lasers in phototherapy protocols. LEDs enable photobiomodulation on biological tissues and are considered safe and economical. However, the molecular and metabolic mechanisms involved in LED-induced photobiomodulation are not yet fully understood. This review summarizes the metabolic mechanisms involved in LED-induced photobiomodulation in biological tissues under different irradiation parameters and conditions. Studies on LED-induced metabolism photobiomodulation were accessed using scientific article databases, whose findings were summarized in terms of molecular and cellular mechanisms. Data from the accessed studies suggested that the molecular mechanism of LED-induced photobiomodulation involves photoacceptors, such as cytochrome C oxidase, membrane ion channels, mitochondrial modulation, and the production of ROS.
Spin-valley polarized edge states in quasi-one-dimensional asymmetric kagome lattice
Authors: Sun Yun-Lei , Chen Guo-Hong , Du Si-Chao , Chen Zhong-Bao , Zhou Yan-Wei , Ye En-Jia
Published: November 2022

The spin-valley-related electronic properties of quasi-one-dimensional kagome lattices with intrinsic spin-orbit coupling are studied, based on the tight-binding formalism. Three types of kagome-lattice nanoribbons along the x-direction with various geometric boundaries are proposed, including two symmetric nanoribbons and one asymmetric one. It is found that two nonequivalent Dirac cones and helical edge states exist in all the three types of kagome-lattice nanoribbons at 1/3 filling. Among them in the asymmetric nanoribbon, the spin and valley are found to be locked to each other due to inversion symmetry breaking, resulting in spin-valley polarized edge states. Band structure and probability density of wave function show that the spin-up/-down edge states locate at the K/K′ valley, with opposite propagation direction at the upper and lower boundaries. Spin-resolved real-space local current confirms the spin-valley polarized helical edge state in the asymmetric nanoribbon. The device application of the asymmetric kagome-lattice nanoribbon is worth further investigation.
A novel mode-division (de)multiplexer with degenerate modes output for MIMO-FREE applications
Authors: Xing Huadong , Su Yingqun , Gao Yan , Li Xin , Zheng Hongjun , Bai Chenglin , Hu Weisheng , Xu Hengying
Published: November 2022

In this study, we propose a novel three-dimensional architecture mode (de)multiplexer with degenerate modes output using a pure silica FMF ring core transmission channel, which solves the problem caused by random mode rotation and can be used in multiple-input multiple-output free (MIMO-FREE) applications such as data center application in the future. By using the pure silica FMF ring core transmission channel and larger effective refractive index difference, the performance with low loss, high extinction ratio (ER) and low crosstalk is achieved. The main channel with a few-mode fiber (FMF) ring-core structure supports the modes LP01, LP11, and LP21, and the large effective refractive index difference between each mode in the core ensures low crosstalk characteristics between the modes. Using the pure silica core channel can effectively reduce propagation attenuation and fusion loss. Our proposed MUX/DEMUX with degenerate modes output is achieved when the degenerate modes LP11a/LP11b and LP21a/LP21b are transmitted as two independent mode signals, which can be used in MIMO-FREE applications. The extinction ratios (ERs) of the degenerate modes LP11 and LP21 are kept above 31.66 dB and 24.43 dB, respectively, and the ER of mode LP01 is kept above 38.72 dB in the C band. The coupling efficiency of mode LP01 is approximately 0 dB, which is almost unchanged with the increase of the wavelength. The coupling efficiency of LP11 is higher than −3.49 dB and that of LP21 is higher than −7.24 dB in the whole C-band. At 1550 nm, the coupling efficiencies of modes LP01, LP11, and LP21 are −0.002 dB, −0.052 dB, and −0.178 dB, respectively. The coupling efficiency and ER of LP01 mode are the best, and those of the degenerate mode LP11 are always better than those of mode LP21. Our proposed MUX/DEMUX achieves low crosstalk and high ER performance and solves the problem caused by the degenerate modes rotations during transmission.
Mechanical forces in lymphatic vessel development: Focus on transcriptional regulation
Authors: Ujiie Naoto , Kume Tsutomu
Published: November 2022

The lymphatic system is crucial for the maintenance of interstitial fluid and protein homeostasis. It has important roles in collecting excess plasma and interstitial fluid leaked from blood vessels, lipid absorption and transportation in the digestive system, and immune surveillance and response. The development of lymphatic vessels begins during fetal life as lymphatic endothelial progenitor cells first differentiate into lymphatic endothelial cells (LECs) by expressing the master lymphatic vascular regulator, prospero-related homeobox 1 (PROX1). The lymphatic vasculature forms a hierarchical network that consists of blind-ended and unidirectional vessels. Although much progress has been made in the elucidation of the cellular and molecular mechanisms underlying the formation of the lymphatic vascular system, the causes of lymphatic vessel abnormalities and disease are poorly understood and complicated; specifically, the mechanistic basis for transcriptional dysregulation in lymphatic vessel development remains largely unclear. In this review, we discuss the recent advances in our understanding of the molecular and cellular mechanisms of lymphatic vascular development, including LEC differentiation, lymphangiogenesis, and valve formation, and the significance of mechanical forces in lymphatic vessels, with a focus on transcriptional regulation. We also summarize the current knowledge on epigenetic mechanisms of lymphatic gene expression.
Potential global geographical distribution of Lolium temulentum L. under climate change
Authors: Yang Ming , Zhao Haoxiang , Xian Xiaoqing , Liu Hui , Li Jianyu , Chen Li , Liu Wanxue
Published: November 2022

Invasive alien plants posed a significant threat to natural ecosystems, biodiversity, agricultural production, as well as human and livestock health. Lolium temulentum, an annual invasive alien weed with fibrous roots, can reduce wheat production and cause economic losses. Moreover, the consumption of grains or cereal products mixed with darnel can cause dizziness, vomiting, and even death. Therefore, darnel is regarded as one of ″the worst weeds around the world″. In the present study, we predicted the potential global geographical distribution of L. temulentum using an optimal MaxEnt model, based on occurrence records and related environmental variables. The mean AUC, TSS, and KAPPA were 0.95, 0.778, and 0.75, indicating the MaxEnt model accuracy was excellent. The significant environmental variables, including the mean temperature of coldest quarter (bio 11), precipitation of coldest quarter (bio 19), temperature annual range (bio 7), and annual precipitation (bio 12), produced a great impact on the potential global geographical distribution of L. temulentum. Under the current climate, L. temulentum was primarily distributed in south-eastern Asia, Europe, and south-eastern North America. The widest total suitable habitat was distributed in Asia, covering nearly 796 × 104 km2. By the 2050s, the potential geographical distribution of L. temulentum was expected to decrease in the Northern Hemisphere, and shrink gradually in southern America, Africa, and Oceania. Moreover, the distribution center of L. temulentum was expected to shift from Asia to Europe. Based on these predictions, changes in the suitable habitats for L. temulentum between Europe and Asia warrant close attention to prevent further spread.
Identification and differential analysis of noncoding RNAs in response to drought in Phyllostachys aureosulcata f. spectabilis
Authors: Yang Yang , Gao Yuanmeng , Li Yiqian , Li Xueping
Published: November 2022

The role of noncoding RNAs (ncRNAs) in plant resistance to abiotic stresses is increasingly being discovered. Drought stress is one of the most common stresses that affecting plant growth, and high intensity drought has a significant impact on the normal growth of plants. In this study, a high-throughput sequencing was performed on plant tissue samples of Phyllostachys aureosulcata f. spectabilis C. D. Chu et C. S. Chao by drought treatment for 0, 2, 4 and 6 days. The sequencing results were analysed bioinformatically. We detected 336,946 RNAs among all 12 samples, including 192,098 message RNAs (mRNAs), 142,761 long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs), 1,670 circular RNAs (circRNAs), and 417 microRNAs (miRNAs). We detected 2,419 differentially expressed (DE) ncRNAs, including 213 DE circRNAs, 2,088 DE lncRNAs and 118 DE miRNAs. Then, we used Gene Ontology (GO) and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) to functionally predict DE ncRNAs. The results showed that most DE ncRNAs are involved in the response to drought stress, mainly in biochemical reactions involved in some metabolites, as well as in organelle activities. In addition, we validated two random circRNAs and demonstrated their circularity. We also found a stable internal reference gene available for Phyllostachys aureosulcata f. spectabilis and validated the accuracy of this experiment by quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR).
Nicotiana benthamiana Kunitz peptidase inhibitor-like protein involved in chloroplast-to-nucleus regulatory pathway in plant-virus interaction
Authors: Ershova Natalia , Sheshukova Ekaterina , Kamarova Kamila , Arifulin Evgenii , Tashlitsky Vadim , Serebryakova Marina , Komarova Tatiana
Published: November 2022

Plant viruses use a variety of strategies to infect their host. During infection, viruses cause symptoms of varying severity, which are often associated with altered leaf pigmentation due to structural and functional damage to chloroplasts that are affected by viral proteins. Here we demonstrate that Nicotiana benthamiana Kunitz peptidase inhibitor-like protein (KPILP) gene is induced in response to potato virus X (PVX) infection. Using reverse genetic approach, we have demonstrated that KPILP downregulates expression of LHCB1 and LHCB2 genes of antenna light-harvesting complex proteins, HEMA1 gene encoding glutamyl-tRNA reductase, which participates in tetrapyrrole biosynthesis, and RBCS1A gene encoding RuBisCO small subunit isoform involved in the antiviral immune response. Thus, KPILP is a regulator of chloroplast retrograde signaling system during developing PVX infection. Moreover, KPILP was demonstrated to affect carbon partitioning: reduced glucose levels during PVX infection were associated with KPILP upregulation. Another KPILP function is associated with plasmodesmata permeability control. Its ability to stimulate intercellular transport of reporter 2xGFP molecules indicates that KPILP is a positive plasmodesmata regulator. Moreover, natural KPILP glycosylation is indispensable for manifestation of this function. During PVX infection KPILP increased expression leads to the reduction of plasmodesmata callose deposition. These results could indicate that KPILP affects plasmodesmata permeability via callose-dependent mechanism. Thus, virus entering a cell and starting reproduction triggers KPILP expression, which leads to downregulation of nuclear-encoded chloroplast genes associated with retrograde signaling, reduction in photoassimilates accumulation and increase in intercellular transport, creating favorable conditions for reproduction and spread of viral infection.
QTL analysis of tuber shape in a diploid potato population
Authors: Huang Wei , Dong Jianke , Zhao Xijuan , Zhao Zhiyuan , Li Chunyan , Li Jingcai , Song Botao
Published: November 2022

Tuber shape is one of the most important traits for potato breeding. Since poor or irregular shape increases the difficulty of handling and processing, researching the inheritance of potato tuber shape for potato breeding is highly important. To efficiently identify QTL for tuber shape, a diploid potato population (PM7) was generated by self-pollinated M6 (S. chacoense). A QTL TScha6 for tuber shape was identified by the QTL-seq approach at 50.91-59.93 Mb on chromosome 6 in the potato DM reference genome. To confirm TScha6, four SSR and twenty CAPS markers around the QTL were developed and the TScha6 was narrowed down to an interval of ~ 1.85 Mb. The CAPS marker C6-58.27_665 linked to TScha6 was then used to screen 86 potato cultivars and advanced breeding lines. The tuber length/width (LW) ratio was significantly correlated with the presence/absence of C6-58.27_665, and the correlation coefficient was r = 0.55 (p < 0.01). These results showed that C6-58.27_665 could be applied in marker-assisted selection (MAS) for tuber shape breeding in the future. Our research sets the important stage for the future cloning of the tuber shape gene and utilities of the marker in the breeding program.
Global analysis of common bean multidrug and toxic compound extrusion transporters (PvMATEs): PvMATE8 and pinto bean seed coat darkening
Authors: Islam Nishat S. , Duwadi Kishor , Chen Ling , Pajak Aga , McDowell Tim , Marsolais Frédéric , Dhaubhadel Sangeeta
Published: November 2022

In common bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L.), postharvest seed coat darkening is an undesirable trait that affects crop value. The increased accumulation of proanthocyanidins (PAs) in the seed coat results in darker seeds in many market classes of colored beans after harvest. The precursors of PAs are synthesized in the cytoplasm, and subsequently get glycosylated and then transported to the vacuoles where polymerization occurs. Thus, vacuolar transporters play an important role in the accumulation of PAs. Here, we report that common bean genome contains 59 multidrug and toxic compound extrusion genes (PvMATEs). Phylogenetic analysis of putative PvMATEs with functionally characterized MATEs from other plant species categorized them into substrate-specific clades. Our data demonstrate that a vacuolar transporter PvMATE8 is expressed at a higher level in the pinto bean cultivar CDC Pintium (regular darkening) compared to 1533-15 (slow darkening). PvMATE8 localizes in the vacuolar membrane and rescues the PA deficient (tt12) mutant phenotype in Arabidopsis thaliana. Analysis of PA monomers in transgenic seeds together with wild-type and mutants suggests a possible feedback regulation of PA biosynthesis and accumulation. Identification of PvMATE8 will help better understand the mechanism of PA accumulation in common bean.
Rapid nondestructive detection of peanut varieties and peanut mildew based on hyperspectral imaging and stacked machine learning models
Authors: Wu Qingsong , Xu Lijia , Zou Zhiyong , Wang Jian , Zeng Qifeng , Wang Qianlong , Zhen Jiangbo , Wang Yuchao , Zhao Yongpeng , Zhou Man
Published: November 2022

Moldy peanut seeds are damaged by mold, which seriously affects the germination rate of peanut seeds. At the same time, the quality and variety purity of peanut seeds profoundly affect the final yield of peanuts and the economic benefits of farmers. In this study, hyperspectral imaging technology was used to achieve variety classification and mold detection of peanut seeds. In addition, this paper proposed to use median filtering (MF) to preprocess hyperspectral data, use four variable selection methods to obtain characteristic wavelengths, and ensemble learning models (SEL) as a stable classification model. This paper compared the model performance of SEL and extreme gradient boosting algorithm (XGBoost), light gradient boosting algorithm (LightGBM), and type boosting algorithm (CatBoost). The results showed that the MF-LightGBM-SEL model based on hyperspectral data achieves the best performance. Its prediction accuracy on the data training and data testing reach 98.63% and 98.03%, respectively, and the modeling time was only 0.37s, which proved that the potential of the model to be used in practice. The approach of SEL combined with hyperspectral imaging techniques facilitates the development of a real-time detection system. It could perform fast and non-destructive high-precision classification of peanut seed varieties and moldy peanuts, which was of great significance for improving crop yields.
Quercetin ameliorates chromium toxicity through improvement in photosynthetic activity, antioxidative defense system; and suppressed oxidative stress in Trigonella corniculata L.
Authors: Aslam Muhammad Ashfaq , Ahmed Shakil , Saleem Muhammad , Shah Anis Ali , Shah Adnan Noor , Tanveer Mohsin , Ali Hayssam M. , Ghareeb Rehab Y. , Hasan Mohammad E. , Khan Jallat
Published: November 2022

Environmental stresses, including heavy metals accumulation, have posed an immense threat to the agricultural ecosystem, leading to a reduction in the yield of crucial crops. In this study, we evaluated the role of quercetin (Qu) in the alleviation of chromium (Cr) stress in Fenugreek (Trigonella corniculata L.). Different levels of Qu were prepared during the experiment, i.e., 15, 25, and 40 μM. For Cr toxification in potted soil, potassium chromate (K2Cr2O7) was used. Cr toxification reduced growth of T. corniculata seedlings. Cr stress also reduced fiber, ash, moisture, carbohydrate, protein, fats, and flavonoid contents. However, seed priming with Qu improved growth and physiochemical characteristics of T. corniculata seedlings grown in normal and Cr-contaminated soil. Seed priming with Qu escalated intercellular CO2 concentration, stomatal conductance, transpiration rate, and photosynthetic rate in T. corniculata seedlings. Application of Qu also increased the activity of antioxidative enzymes, i.e., superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT), ascorbate peroxidase (APX), and peroxidase (POD) in T. corniculata seedlings exposed to normal and Cr-contaminated soil. Application of Qu incremented the activity of SOD, POD, CAT, and APX, which were increased by 28, 22, 29, and 33%, respectively, in T. corniculata grown in Cr-toxic soil as compared to control treatment. Chromium stress alleviation was credited to the enhanced activity of the antioxidative defensive system in T. corniculata seedlings. It is proposed that Qu supplementation can be used to mitigate other abiotic stresses in plants.
Plant disease symptom segmentation in chlorophyll fluorescence imaging with a synthetic dataset
Authors: Sapoukhina Natalia , Boureau Tristan , Rousseau David
Published: November 2022

Despite the wide use of computer vision methods in plant health monitoring, little attention is paid to segmenting the diseased leaf area at its early stages. It can be explained by the lack of datasets of plant images with annotated disease lesions. We propose a novel methodology to generate fluorescent images of diseased plants with an automated lesion annotation. We demonstrate that a U-Net model aiming to segment disease lesions on fluorescent images of plant leaves can be efficiently trained purely by a synthetically generated dataset. The trained model showed 0.793% recall and 0.723% average precision against an empirical fluorescent test dataset. Creating and using such synthetic data can be a powerful technique to facilitate the application of deep learning methods in precision crop protection. Moreover, our method of generating synthetic fluorescent images is a way to improve the generalization ability of deep learning models.
Discovery and exploration of widespread infection of mycoviruses in Phomopsis vexans, the causal agent of phomopsis blight of eggplant in China
Authors: Xie Fang Ling , Zhou Xin Yu , Xiao Rong , Zhang Chao Jun , Zhong Jie , Zhou Qian , Liu Feng , Zhu Hong Jian
Published: November 2022

Phomopsis vexans, which causes Phomopsis blight of eggplant, has been reported worldwide. To study the biocontrol of this disease, 162 leaf and fruit samples of eggplant Phomopsis blight were collected from Hunan, Hubei, Jiangxi, Sichuan, Zhejiang, Fujian, Guangdong and Anhui Provinces from 2017 to 2019. Eighty-seven pathogenic fungus isolates were identified as P. vexans. The following studies were conducted: screening of sporulation medium, spore morphology analysis, mycovirus detection and identification of novel mycoviruses in these isolates. The results showed that eggplant tissue medium was the most suitable medium for rapid sporulation, and all isolates had mycoviruses consisting of mainly mixed infections. The genome of these mycoviruses varied from 1-15 kb. Five novel mycoviruses infecting P. vexans were obtained, including “Phomopsis vexans fusarivirus 1” (PvFV1), “Phomopsis vexans ourmia-like virus 1” (PvOLV1), “Phomopsis vexans endornavirus 2” (PvEV2), “Phomopsis vexans partitivirus 1” (PvPV1) and “Phomopsis vexans victorivirus L1” (PvVVL1). Thus, PvVVL1 displays a unique genome structure, and this is the first report of a victorivirus consisting of two segments and of a deltapartitivirus infecting the fungus host.
Depoliticization of politics and power: Mouffe and the conservative disposition in postfoundational political theory
Authors: Brunila Tuukka
Published: November 2022

Postfoundational political theory has been criticized for being incapable of establishing a normative basis for politics. This is because postfoundationalism's conception of the “political” as a radical contingency disproves the existence of an objective ground that would make it possible to evaluate political movements from a neutral position. In this article, I counter this critique by distinguishing between Chantal Mouffe's political theory and other postfoundational theories based on their respective normative implications. This is done by explicating how Mouffe's way of conceptualizing the political implies a conservative political disposition. In order to accomplish this, I develop an understanding of the conservative political disposition, which refers to the normative idea that police power is necessary for producing and upholding a social order. Through an analysis of Carl Schmitt's theory, I elaborate that the conservative disposition is an attempt to justify the depoliticization of social relations. On the basis of this idea that some political theories have normative implications that are in line with the conservative disposition, I examine postfoundationalism. My argument is that while Mouffe's theory does imply the idea that police power is necessary, this is not the case with other postfoundational theories. On the contrary, other postfoundational democratic theories categorically deny that a form of power, namely police power, would be necessary.
The relationship between physical exercise and subjective well-being in Chinese older people: The mediating role of the sense of meaning in life and self-esteem
Authors: Chen Rui , Liu Yong-Feng , Huang Gao-Duan , Wu Peng-Cheng
Published: November 2022

Purpose

This study explores the relationship between physical exercise and older people’s subjective well-being and the mediating role of a sense of meaning in life and self-esteem by using a structural equation modeling (SEM) approach, in order to provide some suggestions for improving older people’s subjective well-being.

Methods

In this study, a cross-sectional survey was conducted offline using a simple random method of collection, and the Physical Activity Rating Scale (PARS-3), the Subjective Well-being Scale (SWB), the Meaningfulness of Life Scale (MLQ), and the Self-Esteem Scale (SES) were applied to 419 older adults who participated in physical exercise from Chengdu (Qingyang District, Wuhou District, and Chenghua District), Sichuan Province, China, with the voluntary participation of the subjects. 197 males and 222 females, with a mean age of 72.49 (SD = 1.57). The study used SPSS 25.0 and Process 3.5 plug-in for statistical processing of the data, Cronbach’s alpha coefficient for intra-variate consistency testing, Harman’s one-way test for common method bias testing and multiple covariance diagnosis, and finally regression analysis and Bootstrap sampling test for significance of mediating effects.

Results

Physical exercise was able to have a positive effect on the level of subjective well-being of older adults (β = 0.0305; 95% confidence interval (CI): 0.0226, 0.0384; p < 0.05), and a mediation analysis of sense of meaning in life and self-esteem revealed that they were able to have independent and chained mediation effects, with four pathways: first, physical exercise directly affected subjective well-being of older adults (β = 0.0149; 95% CI: 0.0072, 0.0226; p < 0.05; β = 0.0149; 95% CI: 0.0072, 0.0226; p < 0.05); secondly, sense of meaning in life mediated the relationship between physical exercise and subjective well-being of older adults (β = 0.0075; 95% CI: 0.0041, 0.0115; p < 0.05); thirdly, self-esteem mediated the relationship between physical exercise and subjective well-being of older adults (β = 0.0075; 95% CI: 0.0041, 0.0115; p < 0.05). (β = 0.0061; 95% CI: 0.0034, 0.0094; p < 0.05); fourth, a chain mediating effect of sense of meaning in life and self-esteem in the relationship between physical exercise and subjective well-being in older adults (β = 0.0021; 95% CI: 0.0010, 0.0035; p < 0.05).

Conclusion and prospects

As indicated by the results, physical exercise can enhance the subjective well-being of older adults through sense of meaning in life and self-esteem, therefore, in order to be able to enhance the subjective well-being of older adults, enhancing the level of sense of meaning in life and self-esteem of older adults is an effective means.
The effects of genre on the syntactic complexity of argumentative and expository writing by Chinese EFL learners
Authors: Pu Liping , Heng Renquan , Cao Cong
Published: November 2022

Genre researchers have found that writing in different genres involves different cognitive task loads and requires different linguistic demands. Generally speaking, narratives involve the description of events with a focus on people and their actions within a specific time frame, whereas non-narrative genres focus on making an argument or discussing ideas or beliefs in a logical fashion, thus resulting in distinct language features. However, the vast majority of genre-based studies have either focused on one single genre or made comparisons between narrative and non-narrative writing (mostly argumentative) in academic contexts without examining how EFL writers perform across non-narrative genres. Moreover, the measures used in quantifying the syntactic complexity of writing are varied, leading to inconsistent findings. This study investigated the effects of genre on the syntactic complexity of writing through comparing argumentative and expository compositions written by Chinese English-as-a-foreign-language (EFL) learners over one academic year. Fifty-two participants were asked to write eight compositions (with two genres alternated), four argumentative and four expository, which were parsedviathe Syntactic Complexity Analyzer. The results with time as the within-subjects variable showed a significant development of syntactic complexity in both argumentative and expository compositions over one academic year. Meanwhile, the paired-samplet-test with genre as the within-subjects variable exhibited a higher syntactic complexity in argumentative compositions than in expository ones on most of the 14 measures examined at four time points over the year. Additionally, a two-way repeated measures analysis of variance with genre and time as independent variables ascertained an interactional effect of time and genre on some of the 14 measures. The present study tested and verified the impact genre exerts on the syntactic complexity of writing, providing implications for teachers to be more informed in teaching and assessing EFL writing and for students to be more conscious of genre difference in EFL writing.
The need for psychological counseling in breast cancer patients before radiotherapy during the COVID-19 pandemic
Authors: Mo Yan-Lin , Lai Xiao-Ying , Mo Min-Feng , Li Ling , Zhu Xiao-Dong
Published: November 2022

The aims of this study were to explore the need for psychological counseling in breast cancer patients before radiotherapy during the COVID-19 pandemic, to distinguish which type of psychological guidance they demanded and to investigate the related factors that could be associated with the need for psychological counseling. A total of 112 eligible patients diagnosed with stage I–IV breast cancer who had received surgery were included. The self-rating depression scale (SDS), self-rating anxiety scale (SAS), Pittsburgh sleep quality index (PSQI), cancer fatigue scale (CFS), and survey for the need for psychological counseling were completed for all subjects prior to radiotherapy. A total of 8.9% and 3.6% of patients suffered from depression and anxiety during the COVID-19 pandemic, respectively. The prevalence of sleep disturbance was 62.5%. Only 12.5% of the patients needed psychological counseling, especially for the type of tumor diagnosis and treatment rather than COVID-19-related protection. The higher the total CFS score was, the lower the need for psychological counseling in breast cancer patients during this pandemic (OR = 0.91, 95% CI = 0.84–0.98). Patients who received 7–8 chemotherapeutic cycles had 6.7 times the risk of needing psychological counseling when compared with those who received 1–6 chemotherapeutic cycles. Fewer breast cancer patients suffered from depression and anxiety before radiotherapy during the COVID-19 pandemic. However, a large number of patients complained of sleep disturbance and fatigue. The majority of patients did not need psychological counseling. More chemotherapeutic cycles or less fatigue could increase their risk of needing psychological counseling, especially for tumor diagnosis and treatment, but not COVID-19-related protection.
New developments during the COVID-19 pandemic: Drama therapy as an online psychological intervention tool
Authors: Shi Zhongyu , Jing Xiuming
Published: November 2022

The COVID-19 pandemic has caused many art therapists and psychotherapists to change their practice modes and workplace setup. As a creative arts therapy (CAT), drama therapy has also shifted to an online mode—a shift that has been highly consequential for practice. This paper reviews the existing practice of tele-CAT and tele-drama therapy, explores the advantages and disadvantages of online drama therapy as a psychological intervention tool, and puts forward some developmental suggestions for online drama therapy.
Face yourself: The social neuroscience of mirror gazing
Authors: Tramacere Antonella
Published: November 2022

In philosophical and psychological accounts alike, it has been claimed that mirror gazing is like looking at ourselvesasothers. Social neuroscience and social psychology offer support for this view by showing that we use similar brain and cognitive mechanisms during perception of both others’ and our own face. I analyse these premises to investigate the factors affecting the perception of one’s own mirror image. I analyse mechanisms and processes involved in face perception, mimicry, and emotion recognition, and defend the following argument: because perception of others’ face is affected by our feelings toward them, it is likely that feelings toward ourselves affect our responses to the mirror image. One implication is that negative self-feelings can affect mirror gazing instantiating a vicious cycle where the negative emotional response reflects a previously acquired attitude toward oneself. I conclude by discussing implications of this view for psychology and social studies.
Novice Chinese as a foreign language teachers’ identity construction in primary schools in New Zealand from positioning and affordance perspectives
Authors: Sun Peijian Paul , Wang Yawen , Lv Yanxing , Li Zhishan
Published: November 2022

While there has been an increase in research on Chinese as a foreign language (CFL) teachers’ identity worldwide, limited attention has been drawn to CFL teachers’ positioning and affordances to interpret their identity construction in an overseas context. To fill the gap, this study investigated seven novice CFL teachers’ identity construction as Chinese language teachers in primary schools in New Zealand from positioning and affordance perspectives. Retrospective semi-structured interviews were adopted to understand how the novice CFL teachers were positioned, how they positioned themselves, and what affordances they perceived to be influential to their Chinese language teacher identity construction. The findings showed that the novice CFL teachers’ identity construction was subject to the social, institutional, and individual levels of being positioned, self-positioning, and affordances. Specifically, (1) consistent self-positioning at the social, institutional, and individual levels could largely determine the novice CFL teachers’ identity construction; (2) inconsistency of identities between being positioned and self-positioning at the social, institutional, and individual levels might weaken the novice CFL teachers’ identity construction; (3) affordances as opportunities at the social, institutional, and individual levels could strengthen the novice CFL teachers’ identity construction, whereas affordances as challenges could not. The study concluded with implications and limitations to inform future research.
A semantic similarity analysis of multiple English translations of The Analects: Based on a natural language processing algorithm
Authors: Yang Liwei , Zhou Guijun
Published: November 2022

Working from the readers’ perspective, this study first investigates the online acceptance of the complete English translations of The Analects by investigating the number of online comments, downloads, academic citations, and other factors, and it ranks the different English versions according to how well they are received. The complete English translations of The Analects by D. C. Lau, James Legge, and 15 other translators are found to be well received by readers on mainstream online platforms. Then, based on five natural language processing (NLP) algorithms (TF-IDF, Word2Vec, GloVe, BERT, and SimHash), the 15 well-received English versions of The Analects are taken as samples to calculate semantic similarity. By comparing the semantic differences among the texts, this study analyzes the factors that affect the diversification of translated texts. (1) The influence of Chinese annotation on the translation semantics is great, even the greatest among many influential factors; and (2) different translators’ identities, the translation era, the translation purpose, and the translation background do not significantly affect the semantic influence of the translation. On the one hand, the readers can understand the differences between the different translations and choose an appropriate translation for their reading and learning more effectively. On the other hand, using the algorithms of NLP, we focus on the semantic similarity of different English translations of The Analects and analyze them to show the semantic differences quantitatively, which makes the comparison more intuitive and efficiently. Such a quantitative presentation of the results draws scholars’ attention to the differences in the translations.