bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Automaker’s credits strategy considering fuel consumption and endurance capacity constraints under dual-credit policy in China
Authors: Huo Hong , Luo Dan , Yan Zhanghua
Published: January 2023

After implementing the Dual-credit policy, automakers must adjust their production and operation strategies to cope with policy changes. This paper studies an automotive supply chain consisting of an automaker that produces traditional fuel vehicles and new energy vehicles and a dealer as the research object. Meanwhile, this paper constructs a trading strategy and a cooperative strategy model considering consumers’ fuel consumption sensitivity and endurance capacity sensitivity. This paper also compares decentralized and centralized decision-making of automotive supply chain under different strategies. Furthermore, this paper compares and analyzes the optimal credits strategies of automaker with different investment amounts. The research finds that automaker can obtain positive new energy vehicle credits (NEV credits) through direct trading or by cooperatively obtaining NEV credits with other automakers. Whether automaker chooses the trading strategy or the cooperative strategy, members’ profits of centralized decision-making in automobile supply chain are better than decentralized decision-making. When the investment amount of automaker is small, the cooperative strategy is more advantageous. After coordination through the revenue-sharing contract, the benefits of supply chain members reach Pareto optimality. This paper helps enterprises effectively deal with the Dual-credit policy and provides a reference for achieving carbon emission reduction targets in China.
Digital development, environmental regulation, and electric power utilization efficiency
Authors: Zhang Hui , Ou Qinghai , Yuan Xiaohui , Hu Jian , Tang Wenguang
Published: January 2023

To further promote green and sustainable development, the Chinese government has put forward the carbon peaking and carbon neutrality goals in 2020. As a clean energy, electric power can effectively replace the use of traditional fossil energy and ultimately reduce environmental pollution. Under the relevant background, in order to further explore the impact mechanism of digital development on China’s electric power utilization efficiency, a static panel regression model of provincial panel data was established on the basis of measuring the electric power utilization efficiency of 30 provinces in China from 2011 to 2020. The impact of digital development on electric power utilization efficiency of China and the moderating effect of environmental regulation are analyzed. The empirical evidence yields the following conclusions: 1) Digital development has a significant positive impact on the electric power utilization efficiency in China. 2) The results of moderating effect analysis and heterogeneity analysis show that strengthening environmental regulation can promote the improvement of electric power utilization efficiency; Digital development has different impacts on electric power utilization efficiency in the east, central and west of China, especially in the west. 3) In addition, the increase of the Consumer price index of hydropower and fuel and Share of R&D expansion in regional GDP will promote the improvement of electric power utilization efficiency, while the Share of secondary industry in regional GDP will have a negative impact on it.
Conserved orthology in termite chemosensory gene families
Authors: Johny Jibin , Diallo Souleymane , Lukšan Ondřej , Shewale Mayuri , Kalinová Blanka , Hanus Robert , Große-Wilde Ewald
Published: January 2023

Termites are eusocial insects known to use a variety of pheromones in tasks necessary for maintenance of their societies. As such, olfaction and pheromone communication in termites has been an object of intense study; trail-following pheromones (TFPs) and sex-pairing pheromones (SPPs), for example, have been identified in many termite species. In contrast, the molecular basis of olfactory detection is understudied in the group. Here, we present chemosensory genes of three species of termites belonging to three distinct lineages, Neotermes cubanus (Kalotermitidae), Prorhinotermes simplex (Rhinotermitidae), and Inquilinitermes inquilinus (Termitidae). Using antennal transcriptome screening of termite workers, we identified the chemosensory genes, which allowed us to perform phylogenetic analysis. We found a comparatively large repertoires of odorant receptors (ORs), gustatory receptors (GRs), ionotropic receptors (IRs), odorant binding proteins (OBPs), chemosensory proteins (CSPs), and sensory neuron membrane proteins (SNMPs). The evolutionary analysis of termite chemosensory genes revealed Isoptera-specific expansions with a 1:1 orthologous pattern, indicating the existence of conserved olfactory functions. Our findings on basal eusocial insects will further enhance our understanding of the molecular underpinnings of eusociality and the evolution of olfactory communication in termites.
Asexual reproduction strategies in the moon jellyfish Aurelia (Cnidaria: Scyphozoa)
Authors: Wang Fanghan , Schiariti Agustin , Xu Shengnan , Ma Yuanqing , Sun Tingting , Wang Lei , Zhao Jianmin , Dong Zhijun
Published: January 2023

The genusAureliais one of the major contributors to jellyfish blooms in coastal waters, possibly due to its adaptive reproduction strategies. DifferentAurelialineages have adapted their reproduction modes to varying environmental conditions in their respective habitats. To understand the successful adaptation strategies, three strains ofAurelia coeruleaand two strains ofAurelia solidapolyps from different geographical areas were exposed to a range of temperatures and two food regimes, and the effects on reproduction rates were assessed. Asexual reproduction was significantly affected by the changes in these factors. The highest reproduction rate under sufficient food conditions was observed in the United States strain and the lowest was observed in the Israel strain, regardless of temperature, indicating the differences in the blooming potential. Six asexual reproduction modes were observed, of which lateral budding, lateral budding by means of stolons, and reproduction from parts of stolons were the main modes used by allAureliastrains, exceptAurelia solidaISR, for which reproduction by stolons was the main mode. The capability to switch reproductive strategies in response to environmental cues depending on the lineage predetermines the highly frequent blooming events ofAurelia.
The death of Korean fir (Abies koreana) affects soil symbiotic fungal microbiome: Preliminary findings
Authors: Jeong Minsoo , Tagele Setu Bazie , Kim Min-Ji , Ko Suk-Hyung , Kim Kwon-Su , Koh Jung-Goon , Jung Da-Ryung , Jo YoungJae , Jung YeonGyun , Park Yeong-Jun , Kim Min-Sueng , Lim Kyeongmo , Shin Jae-Ho
Published: January 2023

The population of the Korean fir, Abies koreana, is declining at an accelerating rate, and the average mortality rate in 2019 exceeded 36.43% on Mt. Hallasan in Jeju Island, Republic of Korea. Several prior studies have reported different reasons with various interpretations, indicating that additional data, such as data on microbial communities that promote plant growth and resistance to abiotic stresses, are required to understand the phenomenon further. This is the first investigation that documents the changes in the soil microbial and fungal community and soil physicochemical properties resulting from the death of the Korean fir. In our case, high throughput sequencing data have been provided for the soil microbiome and mycobiome of Korean fir trees, identifying the microbial composition differences before and after the decline in the health of Korean fir trees. The results showed that the soil fungal community was considerably shaped in response to the decline in the health of Korean fir rather than the soil bacterial community. The decline in health or the death of Korean fir trees contributed to the decrease in diversity and dominance of symbiotic fungi such as Russula, Sebacina, and Phenoliferia in the forest ecosystem. It also weakened the complexity and ecological competition of the fungal co-occurrence network. Structural equation modeling showed that the death of Korean fir was strongly associated with the concentrations of soil nutrients such as available phosphorus (P2O5) and potassium ion (K+) concentrations and low moisture content, adversely affecting the symbiotic relationship with ectomycorrhizal fungi. Our findings shed light on the critical taxa of mycobiome of live and dead A. koreana plants and their relationship with ecological edaphic factors, highlighting their potential role as biomarkers for the death of Korean fir.
Targeted next-generation sequencing for genetic variants of left ventricular mass status among community-based adults in Taiwan
Authors: Fan Hsien-Yu , Lin Wan-Yu , Lu Tzu-Pin , Chen Yun-Yu , Hsu Justin BoKai , Yu Sung-Liang , Su Ta-Chen , Lin Hung-Ju , Chen Yang-Ching , Chien Kuo-Liong
Published: January 2023

Background: Left ventricular mass is a highly heritable disease. Previous studies have suggested common genetic variants to be associated with left ventricular mass; however, the roles of rare variants are still unknown. We performed targeted next-generation sequencing using the TruSight Cardio panel, which provides comprehensive coverage of 175 genes with known associations to 17 inherited cardiac conditions.

Methods: We conducted next-generation sequencing using the Illumina TruSight Cardiomyopathy Target Genes platform using the 5% and 95% extreme values of left ventricular mass from community-based participants. After removing poor-quality next-generation sequencing subjects, including call rate <98% and Mendelian errors, 144 participants were used for the analysis. We performed downstream analysis, including quality control, alignment, coverage length, and annotation; after setting filtering criteria for depths more than 60, we found a total of 144 samples and 165 target genes for further analysis.

Results: Of the 12,287 autosomal variants, most had minor allele frequencies of <1% (rare frequency), and variants had minor allele frequencies ranging from 1% to 5%. In the multi-allele variant analyses, 16 loci in 15 genes were significant using the false discovery rate of less than .1. In addition, gene-based analyses using continuous and binary outcomes showed that three genes (CASQ2, COL5A1, and FXN) remained to be associated with left ventricular mass status. One single-nucleotide polymorphism (rs7538337) was enriched for the CASQ2 gene expressed in aorta artery (p = 4.6 × 10–18), as was another single-nucleotide polymorphism (rs11103536) for the COL5A1 gene expressed in aorta artery (p = 2.0 × 10–9). Among the novel genes discovered, CASQ2, COL5A1, and FXN are within a protein–protein interaction network with known cardiovascular genes.

Conclusion: We clearly demonstrated candidate genes to be associated with left ventricular mass. Further studies to characterize the target genes and variants for their functional mechanisms are warranted.
Trophic structuring of modularity alters energy flow through marine food webs
Authors: Eskuche-Keith Patrick , Hill Simeon L. , Hollyman Philip , Taylor Michelle L. , O’Gorman Eoin J.
Published: January 2023

Food web interactions govern how ecosystems respond to climate change and biodiversity loss. Modularity, where subgroups of species interact more often with each other than with species outside their subgroup, is a key structural feature which has been linked to food web stability. We sought to address the lack of understanding of how modularity varies among ecosystems by comparing the structure of four highly resolved marine food webs, using a simulated annealing algorithm to identify network modules and Random Forest models to predict the distribution of species across modules based on a set of eight functional traits. Modules in two offshore networks were partitioned largely by trophic level, creating an interdependence among them, whereas modules in two semi-enclosed bays were generally separated into energy channels with less trophic separation and containing distinct basal resources, providing greater redundancy in the flow of energy through the network. Foraging habitat and mobility predicted module membership in all networks, whilst body mass and foraging strategy also differentiated modules in the offshore and bay ecosystems, respectively. Environmental heterogeneity may be a key factor driving the differences in modularity and the relative importance of functional traits for predicting module membership. Our results indicate that, in addition to overall network modularity, the trophic structure of modules within food webs should be considered when making inferences about ecosystem stability.
Enhancing assessments of blue carbon stocks in marsh soils using Bayesian mixed-effects modeling with spatial autocorrelation — proof of concept using proxy data
Authors: Chiu Grace S. , Mitchell Molly , Herman Julie , Longo Christian , Davis Kate
Published: January 2023

Our paper showcases the potential gain in scientific insights about blue carbon stocks (or total organic carbon) when additional rigor, in the form of a spatial autocorrelation component, is formally incorporated into the statistical model for assessing the variability in carbon stocks. Organic carbon stored in marsh soils, or blue carbon (BC), is important for sequestering carbon from the atmosphere. The potential for marshes to store carbon dioxide, mitigating anthropogenic contributions to the atmosphere, makes them a critical conservation target, but efforts have been hampered by the current lack of robust methods for assessing the variability of BC stocks at different geographic scales. Statistical model-based extrapolation of information from soil cores to surrounding tidal marshes, with rigorous uncertainty estimates, would allow robust characterization of spatial variability in many unsampled coastal habitats. In the absence of BC data, we consider a historical dataset (the best available) on soil organic matter (OM)—a close proxy of BC—on 36 tidal (fresh and salt) marshes in the Virginia portion of Chesapeake Bay (CBVA) in the USA. We employ Bayesian linear mixed(-effects) modeling to predict OM by marsh type, soil category, soil depth, and marsh site, whereby site effects are modeled as random. When the random site effects are additionally assumed to exhibit an intrinsic conditional autoregressive (ICAR) spatial dependence structure, this more complex model clearly suggests groupings of marsh sites due to their spatial proximity, even after adjusting for the remaining predictors. Although the actual membership of each group is not a focus of our proof-of-concept analysis, the clear presence of groupings suggests an underlying latent spatial effect at the localized-regional level within CBVA. In contrast, the non-spatially explicit model provides no clear indication of either spatial influence between sites or improvement in predictive power. The polar difference in conclusions between models reveals the potential inadequacy in relying on predictor variables alone to capture the spatial variability of OM across a geographic domain of this size or larger. We anticipate that spatially explicit models, such as ours, will be important quantitative tools for understanding actual carbon measurements and for assessing BC stocks in general.
High occurrence of antibiotic resistance genes in intensive aquaculture of hybrid snakehead fish
Authors: Lin Xiaojing , Tan Aiping , Deng Yuting , Liu Wenwen , Zhao Fei , Huang Zhibin
Published: January 2023

The increasing abundance of antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs), which are regarded as new pollutants, has raised public health concern. The use of antibiotics in aquaculture has promoted the evolution and spread of ARGs. The occurrence and abundance of ARGs in aquaculture has attracted extensive attention. However, the distribution and transmission of ARGs in aquaculture require further study. This study analyzed water and sediment from intensive culture of hybrid snakehead fish farm in Zhongshan, South China. Twenty-two types of ARGs were detected in all environmental samples. The relative abundance of sulfonamide resistance genes (sul1 and sul2) was the highest, ranging from 3.37×10-2 to 8.53×100 copies/16S rRNA gene. High occurrence of quinolones, phenicols, tetracycline resistance genes, and class 1 integrase gene (intI1) was also observed in pond water samples. This implies that pond water is one of the main reservoirs and origins of ARGs in the aquatic environment. Proteobacteria was the most abundant phylum in all the environmental samples, and its relative abundance ranged from 24.05% to 41.84%. Network and canonical correspondence analyses showed that a high abundance of ARGs (int1, sul1, sul2, qacEΔ1, aac6, and oqxA) was positively correlated with Proteobacteria, Cyanobacteria, and Bacteroidetes, and the abundance of Proteobacteria, Actinobacteria, and Patescibacteria was positively correlated with environmental factors (sulfide, nitrite nitrogen, pH, free chlorine, and ammonia nitrogen). These findings demonstrate the prevalence and persistence of ARGs in intensive fish farming in southern China. This suggests that ARG levels and microbiological community composition in aquaculture should be conventionally determined to assess potential risks to public health.
Overlapping and fragmentation in the protection and conservation of the marine environment in areas beyond national jurisdiction
Authors: Ardito Giovanni , Andreone Gemma , Rovere Marzia
Published: January 2023

Marine areas beyond national jurisdiction (ABNJ) are under the growing threat of cumulative anthropogenic impacts including fishing, shipping, energy extraction, certain forms of marine scientific research, and the imminent deep seabed mining that prefigure a critical scenario in terms of biodiversity loss and environmental degradation. This article offers a contribution to the discussion on the best approaches to effectively implement environmental protection and conservation in ABNJ, also in the light of ongoing intergovernmental negotiations on the conclusion of an agreement implementing the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea on the conservation and sustainable use of biological diversity in ABNJ. The paper first analyzes the current legal gaps in the protection and conservation of ABNJ and the tools developed by some regional and universal regimes to preserve vulnerable marine ecosystems. It then presents two case studies, relating to hydrothermal vent fields of the Mid Atlantic Ridge (Lost City) and the South-West Indian Ridge (Longqi field) to discuss the fragmentation of the legal regimes applicable to ABNJ as well as the difficult cooperation among the regional, global and sectoral frameworks involved in their governance. The case studies show that a coordination mechanism, based on mutual recognition of the protection and conservation measures taken by each competent organization in a specific field, is of utmost urgency. Only a more structured system of cooperation among States and international organizations, that the new implementation agreement will hopefully develop, will allow for the identification of the most appropriate tools for the protection of a given marine area from the cumulative impacts of human activities.
Associative analysis of multi-omics data indicates that acetylation modification is widely involved in cigarette smoke-induced chronic obstructive pulmonary disease
Authors: Gao Junyin , Liu Hongjun , Wang Xiaolin , Wang Liping , Gu Jianjun , Wang Yuxiu , Yang Zhiguang , Liu Yunpeng , Yang Jingjing , Cai Zhibin , Shu Yusheng , Min Lingfeng
Published: January 2023

We aimed to study the molecular mechanisms of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) caused by cigarette smoke more comprehensively and systematically through different perspectives and aspects and to explore the role of protein acetylation modification in COPD. We established the COPD model by exposing C57BL/6J mice to cigarette smoke for 24 weeks, then analyzed the transcriptomics, proteomics, and acetylomics data of mouse lung tissue by RNA sequencing (RNA-seq) and liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS), and associated these omics data through unique algorithms. This study demonstrated that the differentially expressed proteins and acetylation modification in the lung tissue of COPD mice were co-enriched in pathways such as oxidative phosphorylation (OXPHOS) and fatty acid degradation. A total of 19 genes, namely, ENO3, PFKM, ALDOA, ACTN2, FGG, MYH1, MYH3, MYH8, MYL1, MYLPF, TTN, ACTA1, ATP2A1, CKM, CORO1A, EEF1A2, AKR1B8, MB, and STAT1, were significantly and differentially expressed at all the three levels of transcription, protein, and acetylation modification simultaneously. Then, we assessed the distribution and expression in different cell subpopulations of these 19 genes in the lung tissues of patients with COPD by analyzing data from single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq). Finally, we carried out the in vivo experimental verification using mouse lung tissue through quantitative real-time PCR (qRT-PCR), Western blotting (WB), immunofluorescence (IF), and immunoprecipitation (IP). The results showed that the differential acetylation modifications of mouse lung tissue are widely involved in cigarette smoke-induced COPD. ALDOA is significantly downregulated and hyperacetylated in the lung tissues of humans and mice with COPD, which might be a potential biomarker for the diagnosis and/or treatment of COPD.
Research frontiers and trends in the application of artificial intelligence to sepsis: A bibliometric analysis
Authors: Tang Meng , Mu Fei , Cui Chen , Zhao Jin-Yi , Lin Rui , Sun Ke-xin , Guan Yue , Wang Jing-Wen
Published: January 2023

Background

With the increasing interest of academics in the application of artificial intelligence to sepsis, thousands of papers on this field had been published in the past few decades. It is difficult for researchers to understand the themes and latest research frontiers in this field from a multi-dimensional perspective. Consequently, the purpose of this study is to analyze the relevant literature in the application of artificial intelligence to sepsis through bibliometrics software, so as to better understand the development status, study the core hotspots and future development trends of this field.

Methods

We collected relevant publications in the application of artificial intelligence to sepsis from the Web of Science Core Collection in 2000 to 2021. The type of publication was limited to articles and reviews, and language was limited to English. Research cooperation network, journals, cited references, keywords in this field were visually analyzed by using CiteSpace, VOSviewer, and COOC software.

Results

A total of 8,481 publications in the application of artificial intelligence to sepsis between 2000 and 2021 were included, involving 8,132 articles and 349 reviews. Over the past 22 years, the annual number of publications had gradually increased exponentially. The USA was the most productive country, followed by China. Harvard University, Schuetz, Philipp, and Intensive Care Medicine were the most productive institution, author, and journal, respectively. Vincent, Jl and Critical Care Medicine were the most cited author and cited journal, respectively. Several conclusions can be drawn from the analysis of the cited references, including the following: screening and identification of sepsis biomarkers, treatment and related complications of sepsis, and precise treatment of sepsis. Moreover, there were a spike in searches relating to machine learning, antibiotic resistance and accuracy based on burst detection analysis.

Conclusion

This study conducted a comprehensive and objective analysis of the publications on the application of artificial intelligence in sepsis. It can be predicted that precise treatment of sepsis through machine learning technology is still research hotspot in this field.
Ancestry-dependent genetic structure of the Xq28 risk haplotype in the Mexican population and its association with childhood-onset systemic lupus erythematosus
Authors: García-Ortiz Humberto , Barajas-Olmos Francisco , Flores-Huacuja Marlen , Morales-Rivera Monserrat I. , Martínez-Hernández Angélica , Baca Vicente , Contreras-Cubas Cecilia , Orozco Lorena
Published: January 2023

Objective

Here we aimed to investigate the association of the Xq28 risk haplotype (H1) with susceptibility to childhood-onset systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), and to compare its frequency and genetic structure in the Mexican population with those in other continental populations.

Methods

We genotyped 15 single-nucleotide variants (SNVs) that form the H1 haplotype, using TaqMan real-time PCR. The association analysis [case-control and transmission disequilibrium test (TDT)] included 376 cases and 400 adult controls, all of whom were mestizos (MEZ). To identify risk alleles in Mexican Indigenous individuals, SNVs were imputed from whole-exome sequencing data of 1,074 individuals. The allelic frequencies determined in MEZ and Indigenous individuals were compared with those of the continental populations from the 1,000 Genomes database phase 3. Linkage disequilibrium (LD) analysis of risk alleles was performed on all populations. Interleukin-1 receptor associated kinase 1 (IRAK1) and methyl CpG binding protein 2 (MECP2) mRNA levels were determined using real-time PCR.

Results

Case-control analysis revealed genetic association with childhood-onset SLE for all 15 SNVs (OR = 1.49–1.75; p = 0.0095 to 1.81 × 10–4) and for the Xq28 risk haplotype (OR = 1.97, p = 4 × 10–6). Comparing with individuals of European ancestry (0.14–0.16), the frequencies of the risk alleles were significantly higher in the MEZ individuals (0.55–0.68) and even higher in Indigenous individuals (0.57–0.83). LD analysis indicated a differential haplotype structure within the Indigenous groups, which was inherited to the MEZ population as a result of genetic admixture. Individuals homozygous for the Xq28 risk haplotype exhibited decreased levels of both MECP2A and B transcripts.

Conclusion

We found that the H1 risk haplotype differs in its conformation in the Mexican population. This difference could be attributed to positive selection within the Indigenous population, with its inheritance now having an autoimmune health impact in both the Mexican Indigenous and MEZ populations.
Observational case-control study of small-fiber neuropathies, with regards on smoking and vitamin D deficiency and other possible causes
Authors: Fouchard Maxime , Brenaut Emilie , Genestet Steeve , Ficheux Anne-Sophie , Marcorelles Pascale , Misery Laurent
Published: January 2023

Introduction

Small fiber neuropathies (SFNs) are disorders of skin nerve endings inducing pruritus, burning pain, numbness, and paresthesia. The aims of this study were to search for putative etiologies of SFN and their occurrence in a cohort of patients and to compare patients with SFN to a group of patients without SFN to highlight potential factors associated with SFN.

Methods

This study was observational, retrospective, and monocentric. All patients with symptoms of SFN who underwent skin biopsies with intraepidermal nerve density counts were included. Patients with a count lower than 5 percentiles were considered to be in the SFN group. Other patients were considered to be the control group.

Results

A total of 162 patients with SFN and 161 controls were included. No cause was identified for 108 patients (61.7%). The established causes were autoimmune diseases (9.1%), diabetes or glucose intolerance (8%), medication (4%), liver disease (3.4%), and monoclonal gammopathy of undetermined significance (2.9%). Current or former smokers were more numerous in the SFN group (26.5%) than in the control group (16.1%), while vitamin D amounts were significantly lower in the SFN group than in the control group.

Discussion

Hence, tobacco smoking and vitamin D deficiency might be new putative causes of SFN.
Case report: Double-armed flanged polypropylene suture for repairing wide iridodialysis
Authors: Peng Tingting , Guo Huafang , Wang Yong , Zhou Li , Bao Xianyi
Published: January 2023

Purpose

To describe a new technique for repairing wide iridodialysis (>180°) with a double-armed flanged polypropylene suture.

Setting

Private practice, Wuhan, China.

Design

Case report.

Methods

Adjacent to the iridodialysis side, the sclera was punctured 2 mm exterior to the corneal limbus into the anterior chamber with a 30-G needle, then the root of the de-inserted iris was punctured. A 7-0 polypropylene thread was placed into the anterior chamber through a corneal incision on the opposite side and inserted into the needle. The needle was withdrawn, leaving one side of the suture out of the eye. Then, the sclera was punctured by a new needle 2 mm from the first puncture site and passed through the iris root 2 mm from the original iris puncture point. The other end of the thread was inserted into the needle and taken out of the eye. The suture was tightened to make the iris root adhere to the corneal limbus. Finally, the suture is was cut, and the ends were cauterized and left inside the sclera. This procedure can be repeated until the iridodialysis is solved.

Results

The abovementioned technique was applied in four cases. At the end of the operations, the pupils of all patients were nearly round, with a diameter of about 3 mm. No patient suffered from intraoperative and postoperative complications.

Conclusions

The double-armed flanged polypropylene suture is a simple and safe operation method that can be applied to repair wide iridodialysis.
SGLT2 inhibitors in the treatment of type 2 cardiorenal syndrome: Focus on renal tubules
Authors: Wang Yajiao , Mao Xinxin , Shi Shuqing , Xu Xia , Lv Jiayu , Zhang Bingxuan , Wu Huaqin , Song Qingqiao
Published: January 2023

The pathogenesis of type 2 cardiorenal syndrome (CRS) is mostly associated with reduced cardiac output, increased central venous pressure (CVP), activation of the renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system (RAAS), inflammation, and oxidative stress. As a drug to treat diabetes, sodium-glucose transporter 2 inhibitor (SGLT2i) has been gradually found to have a protective effect on the heart and kidney and has a certain therapeutic effect on CRS. In the process of chronic heart failure (CHF) leading to chronic renal insufficiency, the renal tubular system, as the main functional part of the kidney, is the first to be damaged, but this damage can be reversed. In this review, we focus on the protective mechanisms of SGLT2i targeting renal tubular in the treatment of CRS, including natriuresis and diuresis to relieve renal congestion, attenuate renal tubular fibrosis, improve energy metabolism of renal tubular, and slow tubular inflammation and oxidative stress. This may have beneficial effects on the treatment of CRS and is a direction for future research.
Is the female sex associated with an increased risk for long-term cognitive decline after the first-ever lacunar stroke? Prospective study on small vessel disease cohort
Authors: Pavlovic Aleksandra , Pekmezovic Tatjana , Mijajlovic Milija , Tomic Gordana , Zidverc Trajkovic Jasna
Published: January 2023

Background

Sex is a significant determinant of survival and functional outcome after stroke. Long-term cognitive outcome after acute lacunar stroke in the context of sex differences has been rarely reported.

Methods

A cohort of small vessel disease (SVD) patients presenting with first-ever acute lacunar stroke and normal cognitive status has been evaluated 4 years after the qualifying event for the presence of cognitive impairment (CI) with a comprehensive neuropsychological battery. Differences in baseline clinical and neuroimaging characteristics were compared between sexes in relation to cognitive status.

Results

A total of 124 female and 150 male patients were analyzed. No difference was detected between the groups regarding age (p = 0.932) or frequency of common vascular risk factors (p > 0.1 for all). At the baseline assessment, women had more disabilities compared to men with a mean modified Rankin scale (mRS) score of 2.5 (1.5 in men, p < 0.0001). Scores of white matter hyperintensities (WMH) of presumed vascular origin and a total number of lacunes of presumed vascular origin on brain MRI were higher in women compared to men (p < 0.0001 for all). As many as 64.6% of patients had CI of any severity on follow-up, women more frequently (77.4%) than men (54.0%; p < 0.0001). Univariate logistic regression analysis showed that female sex, higher NIHSS and mRS scores, presence of depression, and increasing WMH severity were associated with an increased risk for CI. Multivariate regression analysis indicated that only depression (OR 1.74, 95%CI 1.25–2.44; p = 0.001) and WMH severity (OR 1.10, 95%CI 1.03–1.17; p = 0.004) were independently associated with the CI.

Conclusion

At the long-term follow-up, women lacunar stroke survivors, compared to men, more frequently had CI in the presence of more severe vascular brain lesions, but this association was dependent on the occurrence of depression and severity of WMH, and could not be explained by differences in common vascular risk factors.
Benchtop and bedside validation of a low-cost programmable cortical stimulator in a testbed for bi-directional brain-computer-interface research
Authors: Sohn Won Joon , Lim Jeffrey , Wang Po T. , Pu Haoran , Malekzadeh-Arasteh Omid , Shaw Susan J. , Armacost Michelle , Gong Hui , Kellis Spencer , Andersen Richard A. , Liu Charles Y. , Heydari Payam , Nenadic Zoran , Do An H.
Published: January 2023

Introduction

Bi-directional brain-computer interfaces (BD-BCI) to restore movement and sensation must achieve concurrent operation of recording and decoding of motor commands from the brain and stimulating the brain with somatosensory feedback.

Methods

A custom programmable direct cortical stimulator (DCS) capable of eliciting artificial sensorimotor response was integrated into an embedded BCI system to form a safe, independent, wireless, and battery powered testbed to explore BD-BCI concepts at a low cost. The BD-BCI stimulator output was tested in phantom brain tissue by assessing its ability to deliver electrical stimulation equivalent to an FDA-approved commercial electrical cortical stimulator. Subsequently, the stimulator was tested in an epilepsy patient with subcortical electrocorticographic (ECoG) implants covering the sensorimotor cortex to assess its ability to elicit equivalent responses as the FDA-approved counterpart. Additional safety features (impedance monitoring, artifact mitigation, and passive and active charge balancing mechanisms) were also implemeneted and tested in phantom brain tissue. Finally, concurrent operation with interleaved stimulation and BCI decoding was tested in a phantom brain as a proof-of-concept operation of BD-BCI system.

Results

The benchtop prototype BD-BCI stimulator's basic output features (current amplitude, pulse frequency, pulse width, train duration) were validated by demonstrating the output-equivalency to an FDA-approved commercial cortical electrical stimulator (R2 > 0.99). Charge-neutral stimulation was demonstrated with pulse-width modulation-based correction algorithm preventing steady state voltage deviation. Artifact mitigation achieved a 64.5% peak voltage reduction. Highly accurate impedance monitoring was achieved with R2 > 0.99 between measured and actual impedance, which in-turn enabled accurate charge density monitoring. An online BCI decoding accuracy of 93.2% between instructional cues and decoded states was achieved while delivering interleaved stimulation. The brain stimulation mapping via ECoG grids in an epilepsy patient showed that the two stimulators elicit equivalent responses.

Significance

This study demonstrates clinical validation of a fully-programmable electrical stimulator, integrated into an embedded BCI system. This low-cost BD-BCI system is safe and readily applicable as a testbed for BD-BCI research. In particular, it provides an all-inclusive hardware platform that approximates the limitations in a near-future implantable BD-BCI. This successful benchtop/human validation of the programmable electrical stimulator in a BD-BCI system is a critical milestone toward fully-implantable BD-BCI systems.
Limited evidence for sympathetic neural overactivation in older patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus
Authors: Heusser Karsten , Tank Jens , Diedrich André , Fischer Annelie , Heise Tim , Jordan Jens
Published: January 2023

Introduction

Mechanistic studies suggested that excess sympathetic activity promotes arterial hypertension while worsening insulin sensitivity. Older patients with type 2 diabetes are at particularly high cardiovascular and metabolic risk. However, data on sympathetic activity in this population is scarce.

Methods

We studied 61 patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (22 women, 60.9 ± 1.4 years; 39 men, 60.9 ± 1.4 years). They had to have diabetes for at least 2 years, a hemoglobin A1c of 6.5–10%, a body-mass-index of 20–40 kg/m2, and had to be treated with stable doses of metformin only. We recorded ECG, finger and brachial blood pressure, and muscle sympathetic nerve activity (MSNA).

Results

MSNA was 37.5 ± 2.5 bursts/min in women and 39.0 ± 2.0 bursts/min in men (p = 0.55). MSNA expressed as burst incidence was 52.7 ± 2.0 bursts/100 beats in women and 59.2 ± 3.1 bursts/100 beats in men (p = 0.21). Five out of 39 men (12.8%) and two out of 22 women (9.1%) exhibited resting MSNA measurements above the 95th percentile for sex and age. In the pooled analysis, MSNA was not significantly correlated with systolic blood pressure, diastolic blood pressure, body mass index, waist circumference, body composition, or HbA1c (r2 < 0.02, p > 0.26 for all).

Discussion

We conclude that relatively few older patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus exhibit increased MSNA. The large interindividual variability in MSNA cannot be explained by gender, blood pressure, body mass index, or glycemic control.
Combination of marine bioactive compounds and extracts for the prevention and treatment of chronic diseases
Authors: Ebrahimi Belgheis , Baroutian Saeid , Li Jinyao , Zhang Baohong , Ying Tianlei , Lu Jun
Published: January 2023

Background

In recent years, marine-based functional foods and combination therapy are receiving greater recognition for their roles in healthy lifestyle applications and are being investigated as viable and effective strategies for disease treatment or prevention.

Aim of the review

This review article presents and discusses the relevant scientific publications that have studied the synergistic and additive effects of natural marine bioactive compounds and extract combinations with anti-obesity, anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, and chemopreventive activities in the last two decades. The paper presents the mechanism of action and health benefits of developed combinations and discusses the limitation of the studies. Furthermore, it recommends alternatives and directions for future studies. Finally, it highlights the factors for developing novel combinations of marine bioactive compounds.

Key scientific concepts of review

Combination of marine bioactive compounds or extracts affords synergistic or additive effects by multiple means, such as multi-target effects, enhancing the bioavailability, boosting the bioactivity, and neutralizing adverse effects of compounds in the mixture. For the development of marine-based combinations, there are key points for consideration and issues to address: knowledge of the mechanism of action of individual compounds and their combinations, optimum ratio and dosing of compounds, and experimental models must all be taken into account. Strategies to increase the number and diversity of marine combinations, and further development of marine-based functional foods, are available. However, only a small number of natural marine bioactive combinations have been assessed, and most research has been focused on fish oil and carotenoid synergy. Therefore, more research and resources should be spent on developing novel marine bioactive combinations as functional foods and nutraceuticals.
A comparison of principal component analysis, partial least-squares, and reduced-rank regressions in the identification of dietary patterns associated with hypertension: YaHS-TAMYZ and Shahedieh cohort studies
Authors: Beigrezaei Sara , Jambarsang Sara , Khayyatzadeh Sayyed Saeid , Mirzaei Masoud , Mehrparvar Amir Houshang , Salehi-Abargouei Amin
Published: January 2023

Limited data exist on the advantage of data reduction hybrid methodologies for evaluating the relationship between dietary patterns (DPs) and chronic diseases and they have led to inconsistent results. This study aimed to investigate the association between DPs extracted using principal component analysis (PCA), partial least-squares (PLS), and reduced-rank regressions (RRRs) in identifying DPs associated with hypertension (HTN) risk. The current study was conducted in the context of two cohort studies accomplished in Iran. DPs were generated using PCA, PLS, and RRR methods. Log-binomial logistic regression test was used to assess the association between DPs and the risk of HTN. From a total of 12,403 included participants aged 20–70 years, 507 incident cases of confirmed HTN were identified. The PCA-DP2 was associated with HTN in the fully adjusted model (T3 vs. T1: RR: 0.737, 95% CI: 0.57–0.93, Ptrend = 0.013). The PLS-DP2 and HTN risk were inversely associated in the multivariate model (T3 vs. T1: RR: 0.704, 95% CI: 0.54–0.91, Ptrend = 0.013). The RRR-DP2 was associated with an increased risk of HTN (T3 vs. T1: RR: 1.412, 95% CI: 1.11–1.80, Ptrend = 0.007). Our findings suggest that the RRR method reveals stronger results in association with HTN risk. However, further investigations are required to confirm the association between DPs derived by PLS and RRR methods by incorporating biomarkers related to HTN as the response variables.
Healthy plant-based diet index as a determinant of bone mineral density in osteoporotic postmenopausal women: A case-control study
Authors: Ghadiri Marzieh , Cheshmazar Elhameh , Shateri Zainab , Gerami Shirin , Nouri Mehran , Gargari Bahram Pourghassem
Published: January 2023

Introduction

The association between plant-based diet indices and bone mineral density (BMD) of women with osteoporosis have not been studied in Iranian women. This study aimed to evaluate the association between plant-based diet indices and BMD in postmenopausal women with osteopenia/osteoporosis.

Materials and methods

The present research was a case-control study conducted on 131 postmenopausal women with osteoporosis/osteopenia and 131 healthy women. The BMD of the femoral neck and lumbar vertebrae was measured by the Dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXEA) method. Participants were asked to complete a validated semi-quantitative food frequency questionnaire (FFQ). We used three versions of plant-based diet indices, including plant-based diet index (PDI), healthy plant-based diet index (hPDI), and unhealthy plant-based diet index (uPDI). Two different multivariable logistic regression was used for the crude and adjusted model to assess the relationship between PDI, hPDI, and uPDI with odds of femoral and lumbar BMD.

Results

There was a reverse association between last tertile of hPDI with femoral BMD abnormality in the both adjusted model [Model 1: odds ratio (OR): 0.33; 95% confidence interval (CI): 0.19–0.63 and Model 2: OR: 0.30; 95% CI: 0.15–0.58, respectively]. Furthermore, we found a reverse relationship between hPDI with lumbar BMD abnormality in the first adjusted model (OR: 0.36; 95% CI: 0.19–0.67). On the other hand, a negative association was observed in the second and last tertile of hPDI with lumbar BMD abnormality (OR: 0.47; 95% CI: 0.24–0.90 and OR: 0.34; 95% CI: 0.17–0.64, respectively). According to the results, the association of femoral BMD abnormality in the last tertile of uPDI compared to the first tertile in the both adjusted models (Model 1: OR: 2.85; 95% CI: 1.52–5.36 and Model 2: OR: 2.63; 95% CI: 1.37–5.06) were significant. Also, we observed a positive relationship between the last tertile of uPDI with lumbar BMD abnormality compared to the lowest tertile in the both adjusted models (Model 1; OR: 4.16; 95% CI: 2.20–7.85, Model 2; OR: 4.23; 95% CI: 2.19–8.19).

Conclusion

Overall, the findings indicated that in postmenopausal women with osteoporosis, a healthy plant-based diet could prevent bone loss, and an unhealthy plant-based diet might have detrimental effects on BMD.
Comparison of physicochemical and in vitro hypoglycemic activity of bamboo shoot dietary fibers from different regions of Yunnan
Authors: Dong Yufan , Li Qin , Guo Yuhong , Zhao Yihe , Cao Jianxin
Published: January 2023

In this study, the physicochemical properties, thermal characteristics, and in vitro hypoglycemic activity of dietary fibers extracted from four bamboo shoots were characterized and compared. The results showed that Dendrocalamus brandisii Munro (C-BSDF) had the highest dietary fiber content (6.1%) and the smallest particle size (222.21 μm). SEM observations found that C-BSDF exhibited a loose and porous microstructure, while FTIR and XRD confirmed that C-BSDF had a higher degree of decomposition of insoluble dietary fiber components and the highest crystallinity, resulting in a better microstructure. Furthermore, C-BSDF exhibited excellent physiochemical properties with the highest water hold capacity, water swelling capacity, and preferable oil holding capacity. Thermal analysis showed that C-BSDF had the lowest mass loss (64.25%) and the highest denaturation temperature (114.03°C). The hypoglycemic activity of dietary fibers from bamboo shoots were examined in vitro and followed this order of activity: C-BSDF>D−BSDF>A−BSDF>B-BSDF. The inhibition ratios of GAC, GDRI and α-amylase activity of C-BSDF were 21.57 mmol/g, 24.1, and 23.34%, respectively. In short, C-BSDF display excellent physicochemical and functional properties due to its high soluble dietary fiber content, small particle size with a high specific surface area, and loose microstructure. Thus, D. brandisii Munro can be considered a promising new source of dietary fiber for hypoglycemic health products.
Calcium ion regulation of sodium alginate in pure buckwheat noodles shown by in vitro simulated digestion
Authors: Wang Hongyan , Zhang Jiukai , Han Lingyu , Cao Jijuan , Yang Jixin , Zhang Ying , Hu Bing
Published: January 2023

The effects of calcium sodium alginate on quality and starch digestion of pure buckwheat noodles were investigated. The incorporation of calcium ions into noodles containing sodium alginate was found to reduce water absorption by the noodles during cooking, together with an increase of the turbidity. Calcium addition improved the noodle texture, as shown by the measurement of hardness, elasticity, adhesion, and chewability. In vitro simulations of digestion showed that calcium ion cross-linking with sodium alginate reduced glucose formation by approximately 23.3 mg/g. X-ray diffraction and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy showed alterations in the crystal zone of the noodles induced by an alginate gel network, although no new chemical substances were generated. Noodles prepared by this exogenous method may be useful as functional foods for patients with diabetes.