bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Longitudinal Measurement Invariance of the K6 among a national representative elder sample of China
Authors: Zhang Lisong , Li Zhongquan
Published: May 2022

BackgroundAs the number of older people is rapidly growing, prevention, screening, and treatment of mental health problems (including anxiety and depression) in this population increasingly become a heavy burden to individuals, families, and even the whole society. The Kessler-6 screening measure (K6) is an efficient and effective instrument for general mental health problems. However, few studies have examined its measurement invariance across time, which is particularly important in longitudinal studies, such as exploring developmental trajectories of non-specific psychological distress and evaluating the effects of certain interventions.MethodsThe current study investigated the factor structure and the longitudinal measurement invariance of the K6 among a national representative elder sample of China. Longitudinal data in two survey waves (the year 2010, the year 2014) from the China Family Panel Studies were drawn for secondary data analysis. A total of 3845 participants aged 60 years old and above (52.2% male, mean age = 66.99 years, SD = 5.93 years) responded to both waves of the survey.ResultsA comparison of four existing models with confirmatory factor analysis supported a two-factor solution of the K6. A series of multi-group confirmatory factor analyses further indicated that the K6 held strict longitudinal measurement invariance across time. Additionally, the internal consistency indices across time and the stability coefficients over time were acceptable.ConclusionsThe findings further confirmed the psychometric defensibility of the K6 when used in the old Chinese population. The longitudinal measurement invariance justified comparisons of psychological distress scores among different measurement time points.
Comparison of next-generation sequencing and cobas® EGFR Mutation Test v2 in detecting EGFR mutations
Authors: Murakami Shuji , Yokose Tomoyuki , Shinada Kanako , Isaka Testuya , Katakura Seigo , Ushio Ryouta , Kondo Tetsuro , Kato Terufumi , Ito Hiroyuki , Saito Haruhiro
Published: May 2022

Purpose
Targeting oncogenic driver mutations, such as sensitizing mutations in the epidermal growth factor receptor gene (EGFR), significantly improves the prognosis of patients with advanced non-squamous non-small-cell lung cancer (NS-NSCLC). As the number of genetic mutations that must be tested increases, the Oncomine Dx Target Test (ODxTT), which can simultaneously detect multiple cancer-related genes, is becoming the main test used, in preference to single-molecule testing. In this study, we evaluated the performance of ODxTT and cobas® EGFR Mutation Test v2 (cobas® EGFR), one of the single-molecule tests, in detecting EGFR mutations.
Materials and methods
Samples from 211 patients who had been diagnosed with NS-NSCLC were tested simultaneously or sequentially with the cobas® EGFR Mutation Test and ODxTT. We compared the success rates and detection rates of both tests and evaluated their equivalence by determining the concordance rate and k-coefficient of the two tests.
Results
The success rate in detecting EGFR mutations was 95.7% for ODxTT and 100% for cobas® EGFR. EGFR mutations were detected in 26.5% of samples with ODxTT and in 28.0% with cobas® EGFR. For the 200 samples successfully analyzed with both tests, the concordance rate and k-coefficient were 97.5% and 0.938, respectively. ODxTT failed to detect two exon 19 deletion mutations (p.E746_P753delinsVS and p.E746_P753delinsLS), and cobas® EGR failed to detect three instances of an exon 19 deletion (p.L747_P753delinsS), L861R, and an exon 20 insertion (p.P772_H733insV).
Discussion
The success rate of ODxTT is slightly inferior to that of cobas® EGFR. ODxTT shared a high concordance rate and k-coefficient with cobas® EGFR in detecting EGFR mutations, but discordant results between the two tests were observed in a few cases, mainly due to the difference of detectable EGFR variants. Therefore, the advantages and limitations of each test must be clarified to ensure that genomic testing methods are used properly.
The Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Palliative Care Practice for Cancer: A Qualitative Study among Clinical Oncologists
Authors: Wang Yu , Ma Xiangyu , Wusiman Dilinaer , Zhang Xinqing , Bi Nan
Published: May 2022

Purpose: Palliative care is an essential intervention to improve the quality of life for patients with cancer, whereas the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic poses a challenge to supportive and palliative care providers. This survey aims to explore the current status of palliative care practice for cancer and the specific influence of COVID-19, from the perspective of oncologists.Methods: The mixed-mode surveys including electronic questionnaires, face-to-face interactions, and telephone interviews were adopted to investigate specialised physicians working in cancer-related departments. Data including demographics, experiences and opinions of oncologists regarding the impact of COVID-19 on clinical work in oncology, their personal lives, and palliative care practice were collected and qualitatively analysed. Individual suggestions on coping strategies were further proposed.Results: Thirty-seven oncologists participated in this study from September 2021 to January 2022. The majority of them believed COVID-19 significantly and negatively affected their clinical work routines (75.7%), personal daily lives (67.6%), and palliative care practice (64.9%). Most specialists considered that nowadays the palliative care system remained underdeveloped (73.0%), and other factors besides COVID-19 were associated with this situation (78.4%). Participants further proposed some suggestions to promote palliative care practice during COVID-19, including more online guidance on palliative care for cancer patients (35.3%), strengthening remote multidisciplinary cooperation (29.4%), encouraging home-based palliative care (17.6%), and updating more information on COVID-19 in palliative medicine guidelines (5.9%), etc.Conclusion: COVID-19 had significantly adverse effects on cancer palliative care practice, while other factors should not be overlooked. Corresponding measures to encourage supportive and palliative care during COVID-19 are warranted.
NK cell-mediated immunostimulatory effects of ethanol extract of Morinda citrifolia (noni) fruit
Authors: Kim Haeyeop , Rahmawati Laily , Hong Yo Han , Choi Su-Young , Cho Jae Youl
Published: May 2022

Background
Morinda citrifolia (Noni) is a plant that has long been used in various products such as foods and cosmetics. Although noni has been known to have immunostimulatory activity, detailed mechanism at the cellular level has not been fully elucidated yet. In this study, we focused on understanding as to how noni fruit can positively stimulate body’s immune responses.
Methods
To do this, an ethanol extract of noni fruit (Mc-fEE) was prepared and administered for 30 days to male C57BL/6 mice for in vivo experiment. NK cell activity and cytokine production level were analyzed by flowcytometry, real-time PCR, and ELISA. Mc-fEE-triggered molecular events were detected from RAW264.7 cells and splenocytes using Western blotting and real-time PCR analyses.
Results
The mRNA expression levels of cytokines such as interleukin families, IFN-β, and TNF-α, were increased when cells were treated with Mc-fEE (0-200 µg/ml) in vitro. Western blotting analysis showed that these increases occurred when immune response stimulating pathways were activated. In addition, flow cytometry was performed using spleens of mice orally treated with Mc-fEE (0-200 mg/kg) in vivo. Mc-fEE increased the NK cells population and the NK cells from the spleens were cytotoxic to YAC-1 cells, a T cell lymphoma. This was confirmed through LDH assay; several cytokines including IL-1β, IFN-γ, and TNF-α were secreted in vivo.
Conclusion
In this paper, we confirmed that Mc-fEE has immunostimulatory effects by activation and increase of the NK cell population.
Diffusion of polyethyleneimine into cotton fibers: the effect of concentration
Authors: Zhang Tingting , Xia Jie , Zhang Chuang , Dong Xia
Published: May 2022

Diffusion behavior of polymers on cellulose fibers is directly connected to the properties of the adsorbed fibers and their application performance. Based on our previous study, the diffusion of polyethyleneimine (PEI) into cotton fibers was further investigated to understand the effect of concentration. It was found that fluorescence labeling method was more suitable in this study for polymer diffusion characterization with acceptable accuracy than SEM-EDS and dye staining method. Increasing the polymer concentration could effectively promote its diffusion extent on cotton fiber. For instance, PEI with molecular weight of 10000 (PEI-10000) was limited to the outermost surface of the yarn when its concentration was lower than 3 g/L, and it can penetrate into the yarn and adsorbed on the surface the single fiber when the concentration was increased to 7 g/L. Further increase in concentration can facilitate the polymer diffusion into the fiber pores, however, PEI-10000 would not evenly penetrate the fiber cell wall until its concentration was increased to 70 g/L. The threshold concentration for PEI evenly diffusing into the fiber cell wall increased with its molecular weight. Additionally, the intentional introduction of surface charge on the fibers could promote the PEI diffusion into the fiber cell wall at a specific concentration.
Analysis of optimal treatment and prognostic factors in patients with small-cell lung cancer comorbid COPD
Authors: Gao Jiabo , Zhou Chengzhi , Wu Guofeng , Yu Pei , Zhang Kening , Lin Xinqing , Xie Xiaohong , Liu Ming , Xie Zhanhong , Zhang Jiexia , Li Shiyue , Qin Yinyin
Published: May 2022

Background and Objective: Patients with small cell lung cancer (SCLC) comorbid COPD are not rare clinically, but related studies are limited, and there is no consensus on optimal treatment and prognostic factors for these patients. In this study, the clinical characteristics and the efficacy of different treatment regimens of patients with SCLC comorbid COPD were analyzed retrospectively to explore the optimal regimens and prognostic factors. Patients and methods: A retrospective study was conducted on 97 patients with SCLC who received first-line etoposide combined with platinum chemotherapy from January 1, 2013 to September 31, 2020 in the first affiliated hospital of Guangzhou Medical University.patients were divided into COPD and non-COPD group, progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS) were compared between the two groups and prognostic factors of SCLC were analyzed. Furthermore, the differences of PFS and OS and prognostic factors were analyzed in the sub-group of COPD patients (COPD treated group and COPD untreated group).Results: There were no significant difference in median PFS (7.4 months VS 7.6 months, p = 0.327) and OS (11.2 months VS 14.5 months, p = 0.081) between COPD group (N = 61) and non-COPD group (N = 36). In the COPD group, 21 patients (34.4%) received COPD treatment. And the median OS of COPD treated group was was longer than that of COPD untreated group (13.4 months VS 10.6 months, p = 0.032), but there existed no significant difference in PFS between the two groups (7.4 months VS 7.0 months, p = 0.648). In patients with SCLC comorbid COPD, multivariate regression analysis indicated that COPD was not a risk factor for OS, while extensive stage was independently associated with poorer OS and chest radiotherapy was independently associated with longger OS.Conclusion: For SCLC patients who received first-line cytotoxic chemotherapy, COPD does not impair prognosis, and COPD treatment was benefit for OS of those comorbid COPD, receiving both COPD treatment and chemotherapy was a preferred option as first-line treatment for patients with SCLC comorbid COPD. Extensive stage and thoracic radiotherapy are independent prognostic factors for OS in patients with SCLC comorbid COPD.
Expression and clinical significance of keratinocyte growth factor receptor and tissue factor pathway inhibitor-2 in cervical cancer tissue
Authors: Hu Hengfen , Zhao Qihui , Na Jiang , Yanqing Xiao , Yufei Sang
Published: May 2022

Objective To study the expression and clinical significance of keratinocyte growth factor receptor (KGFR) and tissue factor pathway inhibitor-2 (TFPI-2) in cervical cancer tissues. Methods A retrospective analysis of 45 cervical cancer patients admitted to our hospital from January 2020 to December 2021 was used as the observation group, and 45 healthy cervical patients in our hospital during the same period were selected as the control group. The KGFR, TFPI- 2 Positive rate, pathological features and correlation with cervical cancer. result The positive rate of KGFR in the observation group was 0.00% lower than that in the control group (84.44%), and the positive rate of TFPI-2 was 100.00% higher than that in the control group ( 26.67 %) , P < 0.05. There were significant differences between KGFR positive and cervical cancer TNM stage and degree of differentiation; there were significant differences between TFPI-2 positive expression and cervical cancer TNM stage, degree of differentiation and lymph node metastasis , P <0.05. The expression level of KGFR was positively correlated with the poor prognosis of cervical cancer, and the expression level of TFPI-2 was negatively correlated with the poor prognosis of cervical cancer , P < 0.05. Conclusion The expression of KGFR is up-regulated and the expression of TFPI-2 is down-regulated in cervical cancer tissue. The expression levels of the two are directly related to the poor prognosis of cervical cancer patients , and there is a certain correlation with the incidence of cervical cancer .
Evaluation of the microencapsulation process of conidia of Trichoderma asperellum by spray drying
Authors: Braga Alinne Brandão Andalécio Camargos , Costa Cleiver Junio Martins , Ribeiro Eloízio Júlio , Zotarelli Marta Fernanda , Santos Líbia Diniz
Published: May 2022

Microencapsulation of biological control agents by spray drying (SD) has been studied as a method for increasing product shelf life and stability to enable the application of microencapsulated agents in sustainable agriculture. In this study, the microencapsulation of Trichoderma asperellum conidia by spray drying was evaluated. The objective was to assess the influence of drying air temperature and wall material (maltodextrin DE20, MD20) concentration on the microencapsulation of Trichoderma asperellum conidia and to identify the optimum conditions to produce. Microparticles were characterized in terms of morphology, particle size, and shelf life. A central composite rotatable design (CCRD) was used to investigate the effect of operating parameters on drying yield (DY), moisture content, conidial viability (CV), and percentage of conidial survival (SP). Microencapsulation experiments were carried out under optimum conditions to validate the obtained model. The optimum temperature and MD20/conidia dry weight ratio were 80°C and 1:4.5, respectively, which afforded a drying yield of 63.85 ± 0.86%, a moisture content of 4.92 ± 0.07%, a conidial viability of 87.10 ± 1.16%, and a conidial survival of 85.78 ± 2.88%. Microencapsulation by spray drying using MD20 as wall material extended the viability of conidia stored at 29°C compared with the control.
A synergistic solution of vibration assisted strengthening and surface micro-texture for the wear of aviation spherical plain bearing
Authors: Yuan Zewei , Wu Tianzheng , Wen Quan , Qin Yue , Sun Jingting
Published: May 2022

Aviation spherical plain bearing often undergoes serious wear due to its extreme and complex working condition. This paper presents a solution of vibration assisted strengthening and surface micro-texture for the wear of aviation spherical plain bearing to achieve the synergistic effects of surface property-improving and appearance-improving. On the basis of analysis the wear mechanism of spherical plain bearing systematically, it attempts to scientifically understand how the vibration assisted strengthening and micro texture can decrease the wear of spherical plain bearing by proposing the distribution function of asperity height and contact theory. The vibration assisted strengthening and micro-texture surface are prepared and the tribological property of friction pairs are investigated on the UMT TriboLab platform. The theoretical analysis and experimental results indicate that the flat-headed distribution of surface asperities is beneficial to improving the contact state and lubricant capability. The vibration assisted strengthening can effectively decrease the friction coefficient of frictional pairs to about 0.11 by decreasing the surface roughness of frictional pairs from about Ra 0.23μm to about Ra 70nm and increasing the micro hardness nearly by 54%. Static load, strengthening times and rotational speed of vibration assisted strengthening have obvious influences on the surface roughness and micro hardness of frictional pairs. Among three textures of micro groove, micro quadrate protrusion and micro quadrate pit, micro quadrate pit obtains a lowest friction coefficient and wear amount. Also the proposed graphene-oil lubricant presents excellent improvement of tribological properties and wear resistance performance of spherical plain bearings.
Factors Associated with Medication Adherence among the Elderly with Chronic Multimorbidity
Authors: Papi Shahab , Bahrever Vali , Hosseini Fatemeh , Nejadsadeghi Elham
Published: May 2022

Introduction
: Medication adherence is a key healthcare issue in the elderly and a challenging factor influencing the success of treatment. The present study aimed to determine the factors associated with medication adherence in the elderly with chronic multimorbidity.
Materials and Methods
The present study was descriptive-analytical and examined 800 elderly people using multi-stage random sampling method. The research collected data using a demographic questionnaire, a standard questionnaire on medication adherence in chronic diseases, and standard questionnaires on patient satisfaction with physician communication, which were completed via interviews and self-report. In present study, the elderly were classified into three groups based on having chronic diseases: people with a chronic disease, people with two chronic diseases, and people with three chronic diseases and more. SPSS24 was used for data analysis.
Results
The research results indicated that 426 individuals (53%) had two diseases, and 199 individuals (25%) had three diseases and more. Diabetes had the highest frequency (25%). The mean score of medication adherence of the elderly was 105.5 (± 49.04), and the mean score of the elderly's satisfaction with the physician’s communication was 66.48 (± 11). In the elderly with three or more diseases, a one-unit increase in satisfaction with the physician’s communication, medication adherence rate increased by 0.04 units.
Conclusion
It is suggested to implement new and innovative intervention strategies to improve health literacy, medication adherence, and adherence monitoring methods to better manage diseases in the elderly with chronic multimorbidity.
Knock down of PCSK9 can improve myocardial ischemia/reperfusion injury by inhibiting autophagy
Authors: Huang Guangwei , Lu Xiyang , Duan Zonggang , Zhang Kai , Xiong Xinlin , Lin Muzhi , Li Chao , Li Yunquan , Xu Lei , Zhou Haiyan , Luo Zhenhua , Li Wei
Published: May 2022

Purpose: To investigate the effect and mechanism of proprotein convertase subtilisin/Kexin type 9 (PCSK9) on myocardial ischemia-reperfusion injury (MIRI) and to provide a reference for clinical prevention and treatment of acute myocardial infarction (AMI).Methods: We established a rat myocardial ischemia/reperfusion (I/R) model and AC16 hypoxia/reoxygenation (H/R) model. A total of 48 adult male Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly assigned into 3 groups (n=16): control（scrambled RNAi was use）, ischemia/reperfusion(I/R), and I/R +SiRNA. In the I/R and I/R +siRNA groups, myocardial ischemia was induced by occlusion of the left anterior descending branch (LAD) of the coronary artery in rats in the I/R group for 0.5 hours reperfused for 3 days. To assess myocardial injury, rats were subjected to the electrocardiogram (ECG), cardiac function, cardiac enzymes, and 2,3,5-triphenyl tetrazolium chloride (TTC) /Evan Blue (EB) staining. Meanwhile, hematoxylin-eosin (HE) staining was used to detect morphological changes of cardiomyocytes in each group, and the level of myocardial fibrosis was quantified by Masson trichrome staining. Differences in expression of autophagy level proteins and Bcl-2/adenovirus E1B 19-kDa interacting protein (BNIP3) signaling-related proteins were determined by protein blotting.Results: PCSK9 mRNA and protein levels were significantly upregulated during cardiomyocyte hypoxia in vitro and in vivo. Immunohistochemistry confirmed that PCSK9 expression was increased in rat hearts 3 days after anterior descending branch ligation. In vitro and in vivo experimental studies revealed that siRNA knockdown of PCSK9 resulted in reduced expression of the autophagic protein Beclin-1, light chain 3 (LC3) compared to control-treated cells and sham-operated groups, at the same time, the presentation of the autophagic pathway BNIP3 was also downregulated. Furthermore, the PCSK9-mediated small interfering RNA (siRNA) group injected into the left ventricular wall significantly improved cardiac function and myocardial infarct size, as well as the expression of mRNA of Recombinant Human Interleukin-1β（IL-1β）and Nucleotide-binding oligomerization domain-like receptor protein 3 (NLRP3) was significantly downregulated and reduced the inflammatory response compared with the I/R group.Conclusions: In ischemic/hypoxic circumstances, PCSK9 expression was dramatically increased. PCSK9 knockdown alleviated MIRI via the BNIP3-mediated autophagic pathway, and improved myocardial infarct size and cardiac function.
Sunspot Rotation Leading to Coronal Mass Ejection
Authors: Jiang Chaowei , feng xueshang , Bian Xinkai , Zou Peng , Duan Aiying , Yan Xiaoli , Hu Qiang , He Wen , Zuo Pingbing , Wang Yi
Published: May 2022

The rotation of sunspots around their umbral center has long been considered as an important process in driving coronal mass ejections (CMEs), but the specific mechanism remains unclear. Here with numerical magnetohydrodynamic simulations of both data-inspired and data-driven approaches, we show that the rotation of a large sunspot leads to a CME actually in a way distinct from the conventional view based on ideal instabilities of twisted flux rope. It is found that through the successive rotation of the sunspot the coronal magnetic field is sheared with a vertical current sheet created progressively, and once fast reconnection sets in the current sheet, the eruption is instantly triggered, with a highly twisted flux rope originating from the eruption. The simulations also revealed a slow-rise evolution phase sandwiched between the quasi-static energy-storage phase and the impulsive eruption-acceleration phase, and it enhances building up of the current sheet.
Comparison of predictive ability of macrocirculation and microcirculation markers on outcomes of patients with septic shock during initial fluid resuscitation: A prospective observational study
Authors: Shahsavarinia Kavous , Sabzevari Tara , Shadvar Kamran , Saghaleini Seied Hadi , Mahmoodpoor Ata , Ghamari Aliakbar , Vahedian-Azimi Amir , Samim Abbas , Rahimi-Bashar Farshid
Published: May 2022

This study was conducted to compare the predictive ability of the macrocirculation (mean arterial pressure, heart rate and central venous pressure), microcirculation markers (capillary refill time and peripheral perfusion index) and also fluid balance, lactate and clearance lactate on outcomes of patients with septic shock during initial resuscitation. This was a single-center observational study of 100 adult patients with septic shock who were admitted to the intensive care unit (ICU) at a university affiliated hospital in northwest of Iran. The area under the curve (AUC) of receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve and multivariate logistic regression analyses were used. The AUCs for the macrocirculation and microcirculation markers for predicting mortality ranged from 0.517 to 0.770 and 0.695 to 0.993, respectively. Among the macrocirculation markers, the best predictive values for mortality were related to the central venous pressure and mean arterial pressure markers at baseline, with AUCs of 0.770 and 0.753, respectively. The microcirculation markers had a better predictive accuracy value for mortality in patients with septic shock than macrocirculation markers which the PPI is the best one. The combination of markers had a greater AUC with higher sensitivity and specificity than the marker alone to predict outcomes.
Comparison of FWHM and peak power of FBG spectrum for simultaneous measurement of strain and temperature based on tilted cantilever beam
Authors: mansoursamaei mohsen , Gholampour Mahdi , Malakzadeh Abdollah , Mansoursamaei Fatemeh
Published: May 2022

Among the optical fiber sensors, fiber Bragg grating (FBG) has found remarkable attraction and many applications due to its ability to measure all environmental parameters, high accuracy and sensitivity, easy installation, and low price. The sensor's ability to simultaneous measurement of two environmental (physical) parameters, especially strain and temperature, has made it even more demanding. Recently, two techniques based on FWHM and peak power changes of FBG spectrum have been proposed for simultaneous measurement of temperature and strain that use a uniform FBG on a tilted cantilever beam. In this article, we evaluate and compare both techniques and demonstrate that both are equivalent and have almost similar behaviour but do not have the same applications. We find that at the low strain range the peak power technique is more accurate while at the high strain range the FWHM technique has better accuracy. Therefore, in applications such as monitoring civil structures that have a high strain range, it is better to use the FWHM technique and in some delicate industrial applications with a low strain range, the peak power technique is used.
Analyses of adult transcriptomes from four different populations of the spongy moth, Lymantria dispar L., from China and the USA
Authors: Wang Yi-Ming , Sparks Michael E. , Harrison Robert L. , Shi Juan
Published: May 2022

The spongy moth Lymantria dispar, formerly known as the gypsy moth, is a forest pest that occurs as two different biotypes: the European spongy moth (ESM), Lymantria dispar dispar, which is distributed in Europe and North America; and the Asian spongy moth (ASM), which consists of subspecies Lymantria dispar asiatica and Lymantria dispar japonica and is distributed in China, Russia, Korea, and Japan. The Asian biotype is classified as a quarantine pest by the U.S. Department of Agriculture because of the superior flight ability of adult females compared to females of the European biotype. To identify genes that potentially account for differences in female flight capability between the two biotypes, we assembled and compared transcriptional profiles of two North American populations of ESM and two Chinese populations of ASM, including samples of unmated female adults and females after mating and oviposition. Of 129,286 unigenes identified, 306 were up-regulated in ASM samples relative to ESM, including genes involved in egg production. In contrast, 2,309 unigenes were down-regulated in ASM samples, including genes involved in energy production. Although a previous study found that ASM female flight was reduced after oviposition, a comparison of gene expression before and after mating and oviposition did not reveal any genes which were consistently up- or down-regulated in the two ASM populations.
Momentary predictors of binge eating episodes and heavy drinking episodes in individuals with comorbid binge eating and heavy drinking
Authors: Wilkinson Megan L. , Manasse Stephanie M. , Srivast Paakhi , Linden-Carmichael Ashley , Juarascio Adrienne S.
Published: May 2022

Purpose – The co-morbidity of binge eating and heavy drinking (BE+HD) is a serious concern due to the high prevalence rates and associated elevated severity. Clarifying the momentary factors that increase risk for binge eating and heavy drinking among BE+HD is important for expanding theoretical models of BE+HD and informing treatment recommendations. The current study used ecological momentary assessment (EMA) to compare the momentary processes maintaining binge eating between BE+HD and individuals with binge eating only (BE-only) and to identify the momentary risk factors for binge eating episodes and heavy drinking episodes among BE+HD. Methods – Participants (BE+HD: N = 14; BE-only: N = 37) were adults with clinically-significant binge eating who completed between 7 – 14 days of EMA prior to treatment. Results – The presence of food and within-day dietary restraint predicted higher odds of binge eating for both groups. Among BE+HD, the presence of alcohol and dietary restraint increased risk for subsequent binge eating and subsequent heavy drinking, and the absence of food increased risk for subsequent heavy drinking.Conclusion - These results offer preliminary support for treatment interventions for BE+HD that focus on reducing dietary restraint and teaching strategies for urge management in situations with palatable food or alcohol. Future research should study the maintenance mechanisms of BE+HD with larger, more diverse samples and using study design approaches with more experimenter control (i.e., laboratory experiments). Level of Evidence: Level IV, multiple time series without intervention
Noxa and Mcl-1 expression influence the sensitivity to BH3 mimetics that target Bcl-xL in patient-derived glioma stem cells
Authors: Vera Mariana Belén , Morris-Hanon Olivia , Nogueiras Germán Ignacio , Ripari Luisina Belén , Esqu Myrian Inés , Perez-Castro Carolina , Romorini Leonardo , Sevlever Gustavo Emilio , Scassa María Elida , Videla-Richardson Guillermo Agustín
Published: May 2022

The recurrence of Glioblastoma is partly attributed to the highly resistant subpopulation of glioma stem cells. A novel therapeutic approach focuses on restoring apoptotic programs in these cancer stem cells, as they are often deregulated. BH3-mimetics, targeting anti-apoptotic Bcl-2 family members, are emerging as promising compounds to sensitize cancer cells to antineoplastic treatments. Herein, we determined that the most abundantly expressed anti-apoptotic Bcl-2 family members, Bcl-xL and Mcl-1, are the most relevant in regulating patient-derived glioma stem cell survival. We exposed these cells to routinely used chemotherapeutic drugs and BH3-mimetics (ABT-263, WEHI-539, and S63845). We observed that the combination of BH3-mimetics targeting Bcl-xL with chemotherapeutic agents caused a marked increase in cell death and that this sensitivity to Bcl-xL inhibition correlated with Noxa expression levels. Interestingly, whereas co-targeting Bcl-xL and Mcl-1 led to massive cell death in all tested cell lines, down-regulation of Noxa promoted cell survival only in cell lines expressing higher levels of this BH3-only. Therefore, in glioma stem cells, the efficacy of Bcl-xL inhibition is closely associated with Mcl-1 activity and Noxa expression. Hence, a potentially effective strategy would consist of combining Bcl-xL inhibitors with chemotherapeutic agents capable of inducing Noxa, taking advantage of this pro-apoptotic factor.
Genetic testing of sperm donors in China: A survey of current practices
Authors: Huang Chuan , Wang Qi-Lin , Wu Hui-Lan , Luo Xue-Feng , Zhou Wen-Jun , Huang Zeng-Hui , Tang Yu-Ling , Zhang Xin-Zong , Zhu Wen-Bing
Published: May 2022

Background: The National Health and Family Planning Commission of China (NHFPCC) issued the “Measures for the Management of Human Sperm Banks,” which was revised in 2003 and is still in effect today. One of the standard guidelines is that potential donors undergo laboratory testing to exclude infectious and genetic diseases and karyotype analysis. However, patient demands for donor genetic testing have also increased, and only karyotype analysis to exclude genetic diseases is not sufficient to meet these demands.Materials and Methods: An electronic survey was distributed to twenty-seven sperm banks to examine donor genetic screening practices at sperm banks in China and to evaluate the qualifications and skills of genetic counselors at the banks. Twenty-six human sperm banks responded to a 32-question survey about their current practices related to genetic testing of sperm donors.Results: The 26 sperm banks reported that all qualified sperm donors undergo karyotype analysis; 22 banks (84.6%) collected three generations of family history from each qualified sperm donor; 10 (38.5%) reported that they attempted to accommodate special requests from donor semen recipients for particular genetic tests. Only 2 of the 26 (7.7%) sperm banks reported that they performed whole-exome sequencing. At all the sperm banks, consent for genetic testing was obtained as part of the overall contract for sperm donors. Nineteen (73.1%) sperm banks had genetic counselors on their staff, while six (23.1%) had no genetic counselors on their staff but had access to genetic counselors at the hospital. Only one (3.8%) sperm bank had no genetic counselors on their staff or at the hospital. Conclusions: The need for larger scale genetic testing of donors and recipients and an extensive panel of genetic tests specific to the Chinese population. Additionally, professionally trained geneticists must be employed as genetic counsellors so that the results of genetic tests and their implications can be explained to donors.
IGFL2-AS1-induced suppression of HIF-1α degradation promotes colorectal cancer cell proliferation by upregulating CA9
Authors: Qin Mengdi , Liu Qiang , Yang Wei , Wang Qiaofeng , Xiang Zheng
Published: May 2022

Purpose: The lncRNA IGFL2-AS1 is a known cancer-promoting factor in colorectal cancer (CRC); nonetheless, the mechanism of its carcinogenic effects has not yet been elucidated. This study elaborated the role and underlying molecular mechanism of IGFL2-AS1 in promoting CRC cell proliferation. Methods: IGLF2-AS1 expression levels in CRC tissue/normal tissue and CRC cell line/normal colon epithelial cell line were detected by quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction. Cell Counting Kit-8, colony formation assays, and EdU assays were performed to assess the effect of IGFL2-AS1 knockdown or overexpression on the proliferative capacity of CRC cells. The expression relationship between IGFL2-AS1 and carbonic anhydrase 9 (CA9) and the CA9 expression level in CRC tissues and cells was verified by transcriptome sequencing, western blotting, and immunohistochemical staining. Treatment with MG132 and cycloheximide was utilized to explore the mechanism by which IGFL2-AS1 affects the hypoxia-inducible factor-1α (HIF-1α)/CA9 pathway. A nude mouse xenograft model was constructed to evaluate the effect of IGFL2-AS1 on CRC growth in vivo. Results: We discover that IGFL2-AS1 was sharply upregulated in CRC tumor tissues and cells. IGFL2-AS1 could functionally promote CRC cell proliferation in vitro and accelerate CRC occurrence in vivo. Mechanistic studies demonstrated that IGFL2-AS1 upregulated the CA9 level by affecting the degradation pathway of HIF-1α, which elucidates its pro-proliferative effect in CRC. The lncRNA IGFL2-AS1 mediated the inhibition of HIF-1α degradation in CRC and increased CA9 expression, thereby promoting CRC progression. Conclusion: Our findings suggested that IGFL2-AS1 is expected to be a new promising diagnostic marker and therapeutic target for CRC.
Dynamical Motions and Oscillations of a Quiescent Prominence Observed by IRIS and SDO/AIA
Authors: T. Jain Jacob P. , Maurya R. A. , K. Safna Banu
Published: May 2022

We studied the dynamical properties of a quiescent prominence using high-resolution observations provided by the Interface Region Imaging Spectroscopy (IRIS) and Atmospheric Imaging Assembly (AIA) onboard Solar Dynamics Observatory (SDO). IRIS's spectroscopic observations helped us compute the Doppler velocity maps in the prominence. The emission measure and temperature maps in the prominence regions are computed using the Differential Emission Measure (DEM) analysis of the EUV observations obtained from SDO/AIA. We employed the local correlation tracking (LCT) to find the plane-of-sky motion in the prominence. The prominence bubble was found to be rotating anti-clockwise with a rotation period of around 60 minutes when viewed from the top of it. We found dynamical motion 20 to 60 km s-1 in the prominence and its rotations. On the other hand, the central part of the prominence was making torsional rotations. This could be associated with upward propagating torsional Alfv\'en waves along the magnetic field lines. We also found a sizable helical motion in the upper part of the prominence with a linear speed of 6.35 km s-1. Further, the prominence was found to have significant oscillations in the frequency band 1.5 - 2.5 mHz, corresponding to the period range of 7 - 11 minutes with a dominant oscillation for around 10 minutes.
Study protocol: The OptiScreen-Study: Optimized psycho-oncological care – from screening to intervention
Authors: Zimmermann Tanja , Dreismann Lara , Ginger Viktoria , Wenzel Marit , Hornemann Beate , Dietzsch Franziska , Sura Charis , Bornhäuser Martin , Mehnert-Theuerkauf Anja , Heyne Svenja , Gockel Ines , Lordick Florian , Franzke Anke , Weitz Jürgen , Vogel Arndt
Published: May 2022

Adequate, needs-oriented psycho-oncological care contributes to reducing psychological distress in cancer patients and their relatives and improving quality of life. Regarding the precise determination of objective and subjective needs, there are often discrepancies in practice between the screening instrument completed by patients, the clinical impression of the treatment team, and the judgment of the psycho-oncology team. The present multicenter-study “OptiScreen”, involving three German Comprehensive Cancer Centers (Hannover, Leipzig, Dresden), aims to professionalize psychosocial screening to enable targeted and needs-based allocation to psycho-oncological support. Optimization and professionalization of the screening process will be achieved by training of oncological nursing staff to improve the targeted identification of distressed patients and provide them with needs-based psycho-oncological care. The non-randomized pre-post study will include inpatients with gastrointestinal cancers from the visceral oncology centers at the three sites. First, the comparison group (CG) will be assessed of N = 300. After completion of nursing training, the intervention group (IG) with N = 600 patients will be evaluated by validated questionnaires. The aim is to reduce barriers on both the patient and treatment side by promoting interdisciplinary dialogue and linking the screening with a personal consultation offer provided by the nurses, which should help to increase utilization and reduce patients' fears, shame and information deficits. It is not sufficient to establish a well-validated screening procedure, it also has to be feasible and useful in clinical practice. "OptiScreen" aims to improve the psycho-oncological care situation. In parallel, the study enables the professionalization of psycho-oncological care with the involvement of important professional groups (e.g. nursing) and thus aims to develop a "best practice model".
The shape of sunspots and activity cycles
Authors: Tlatov Andrey
Published: May 2022

The paper presents the results of the analysis of the geometric characteristics of sunspots for the period of 15-24 cycles of activity according to the data of Kislovodsk (1956-2021) and RGO (1918-1972). To study the shape of sunspots, we used the method of obtaining the average density of the distribution, as well as the average values of the ratio of the extent of the spots in latitude and longitude. The deviation of the shape of sunspots from the axisymmetric configuration is investigated. It was found that the spots, as a rule, have an ellipsoid shape, and the major axis of the ellipse, as a rule, is elongated along longitude and has a predominant slope to the equator, different in the Northern and Southern hemispheres. The relationship between the shape of sunspots in the current cycle and the amplitude of the next cycle of activity is found. The greater the elongation of the spots along the longitude in the current cycle, the more powerful the next cycle of activity will be.
CYP4F2 1347C>T and GGCX 12970C>G Polymorphisms as Determinants of Stable Warfarin Dose in Sudanese Patients of Heart Valve Replacement
Authors: Elsadig Ahmed Elhadi , Elamin Elwaleed Mohamed , Muddathir Abdel Rahim Mahmoud , Ali May Mohammed , Sherif NassrEldin M. A.
Published: May 2022

Purpose: This study intended to explore the contribution of CYP4F2 1347C>T and GGCX 12970C>G polymorphisms on warfarin dose requirements among Sudanese subjects.Methods: A total of 136 Sudanese patients of heart valve replacement receiving stable warfarin dose were recruited for this study. Blood samples were collected; DNA was extracted using phenol chloroform method. Genotyping for CYP4F2 1347C>T and GGCX 12970C>G polymorphisms was performed using polymerase chain reaction restriction fragment length polymorphism (PCR-RFLP) method. The association of genotype with warfarin dose requirement was measured by Kruskal Wallis and Mann Whitney U tests. Genotype, age, gender, comorbidity and concurrent medication were tested as predictors of stable warfarin dose using univariate regression analysis. For all tests, p. values < 0.05 were considered statistically significant. Results: Frequencies of CYP4F2 1347C>T genotypes were 22.8% CC, 61% CT and 16.2% TT. The frequencies of C, T alleles were 0.533, 0.466 respectively which are deviated from Hardy Weinberg equilibrium (p. value = 0.008). Regarding GGCX 12970C>G genotyping, 96.9% were CC and 3% were CG. The frequencies of C, G alleles were 0.984 and 0.015 respectively which are in accordance with Hardy Weinberg equilibrium (p. value = 0.859). Insignificant differences in the mean daily warfarin dose between different genotype groups were observed (all p. values > 0.05). None of the studied variables was significant predictor of stable warfarin dose in this study population (p. values > 0.05).Conclusion: No significant contribution of CYP4F2 1347C>T and GGCX 12970C>G polymorphisms on warfarin dose requirements was observed in this study population.
Characterization of endophytic Streptomyces griseobrunneus Ahn75 and its potential for biocontrol and plant growth-promotion in rice
Authors: Fu Zujiao , Lei Ping , Hu Zhan , Yang Hua , Cheng Wei , Xiao Rong , Luo Rongjun , Wu Shandong , Shan Shiping , Guo Zhaohui
Published: May 2022

Plant endophyte Streptomyces are excellent candidates as biocontrol agents against the rice blast fungus, Magnaporthe oryzae. In this study, rice endophytic strain Ahn75 was isolated from healthy rice stem and identified as Streptomyces griseobrunneus by morphological and molecular characterization. Then the potential of strain Ahn75 for inhibition against M. oryzae and growth-promotion were evaluated using an in vitro assay, genome sequencing, and in vivo greenhouse pot experiments. Strain Ahn75 significantly inhibited the growth of M. oryzae, and its culture filtrate caused 80.88% mycelia growth inhibition, 78.26% spore germination inhibition and significant morphological alterations in M. oryzae. Meanwhile, strain Ahn75 also exhibited several growth-promoting properties, including phosphate and potassium solubilization, siderophore production, and nitrogen fixation. Genome sequencing results showed 40 gene clusters of secondary metabolites, including lactones, non-ribosomal peptide synthetases (NRPS), siderophores, polyketide antibiotics, terpenes, and peptides, that may synthesize active compounds against M. oryzae, and several genes related to plant growth promotion were exhibited in the genome of Ahn75. In greenhouse test, Ahn75 dramatically reduced rice leaf blast incidence by 59.76% and increased grain yield by 55.57% and 59.22% in wet and dry weight, respectively. These findings suggest that strain Ahn75 could be a potential biocontrol and growth-promoting agent for rice.
The effect of glucose dynamics on plasma copeptin levels upon glucagon, arginine, and macimorelin stimulation in healthy adults
Authors: Atila Cihan , Monnerat Sophie , Urwyler Sandrine Andrea , Refardt Julie , Winzeler Bettina , Christ-Crain Mirjam
Published: May 2022

Purpose Recently, non-osmotic tests such as glucagon, arginine or macimorelin stimulation were assessed for the ability to evaluated posterior pituitary function. Results showed that glucagon and arginine, but not macimorelin, stimulate copeptin secretion (as a surrogate marker of vasopressin) and, therefore, provide novel tests to assess the posterior pituitary. The exact underlying mechanism behind the stimulatory effect remain elusive.Methods This study combined data from three diagnostic studies conducted at the University Hospital Basel, Switzerland. In total, 80 healthy adults underwent the glucagon (n=22), arginine (n=30), and macimorelin (n= 28) stimulation test. The primary objective was to investigated glucose dynamics upon glucagon, arginine, and macimorelin stimulation tests and its effect on plasma copeptin release.Results Upon glucagon stimulation, the median [IQR] glucose level at baseline was 5.0 [4.6, 5.2] mmol/l, peaked to 8.1 [7.2, 9.4] mmol/l at 30 minutes and decreased to a minimum of 3.8 [3.5, 4.5] mmol/l at 120 minutes. The median copeptin increased upon glucagon stimulation by 7.6 [2.4, 28.0] pmol/l. Upon arginine, the glucose level at baseline was 4.9 [4.8, 5.5] mmol/l, peaked to 6.0 [5.2, 6.4] mmol/l at 30 minutes and decreased to a minimum of 4.3 [3.8, 4.8] mmol/l at 60 minutes. The median copeptin increased upon arginine stimulation by 4.5 [2.9, 7.5] pmol/l. Upon macimorelin, glucose levels showed no notable dynamics over the 120 minutes, and no major change in copeptin was observed. In the pooled dataset, a decrease in glucose levels was significantly correlated with copeptin increase (ρ= 0.49, p<0.001).Conclusion We demonstrate a similar course in plasma glucose after glucagon and arginine stimulation, while macimorelin had no effect on glucose levels, and show a strong correlation between the decrease in glucose levels and increase in copeptin after glucagon and arginine stimulation.
Experimental investigation to identify galaxy clusters using sparse matrix clustering algorithm
Authors: Rai Alok , Sen Snigdha , Chakraborty Pavan
Published: May 2022

Recent advances in astronomy have shifted observational astronomy toward data-driven astronomy, with an exponential increase in data associated with celestial objects. If we can handle this massive amount of quickly changing data, we will be able to detect galaxy clusters, revealing a wealth of vital information about the evolution of the universe. In this paper, we have proposed a novel clustering technique that can handle massive amounts of rapidly changing data in real time. In this clustering technique, we have used 3D sparse matrix where each cell of the 3D matrix can be used to locate/identify a neighbor against the central galactic coordinate. In our investigation, we also used HDF5 to store and organize the discovered galaxy clusters so that we didn’t have to re-run our algorithm every time a new coordinate was encountered. Following preparation, the astronomical data containing the galactic coordinates RA, DEC, and radial distance obtained from redshift is input into our developed algorithm to identify, store, and depict the galaxy clusters.