bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Spatial pattern of land use along the terrain gradient of Qinghai Tibet Plateau: a case study of Qiangtang Plateau, China
Authors: Bian Kai , Tan Lihua , Shen Yulong , Chen Xingtong , Xu Jiahong
Published: July 2023

Understanding the land use and land cover (LULC) pattern of the Qinghai Tibet Plateau in China is crucial to support the structural and functional integrity of the ecological barrier of the plateau. This information has significant implications not only for the ecological environment and regional development of the plateau but also for the broader environmental impact at regional and global levels. It is critical to comprehend the spatial pattern and ascertain the underlying causes of land use and land cover in significant areas of the Qinghai Tibet Plateau. This can enable the formulation and implementation of context-specific policies and measures that can contribute to enhancing the ecological security barrier function of the plateau. This study focused on the core area of the Qinghai Tibet Plateau - the Qiangtang Plateau. Based on surface cover data from 2020 and ASTER GDEMV3 data, distribution indices and geographic detectors were used to explore the quantitative impact of land use/cover spatial patterns and terrain factors on land use/cover spatial distribution. The results showed the following: 1) The land use/cover space of the Qiangtang Plateau was dominated by grassland and bare land. Specifically, grassland had the greatest area, accounting for approximately 63.94% of the plateau area and covering an area of 449,983 km2. Grassland was widely distributed in most areas of the plateau. Bare land was the second-largest land cover type, with an area of 186,302 km2, accounting for 26.47% of the plateau area. Bare land was primarily located in the western and northern parts of the plateau. 2) The spatial differentiation of land use/cover in the Qiangtang Plateau was significant. Grasslands were primarily distributed in low mountainous areas characterized by high relief, gentle slopes, and low roughness. In contrast, bare land was mainly distributed in low mountainous areas with high relief, steep slopes, and low roughness. 3) The main drivers of the spatial distribution of land use/cover on the Qiangtang Plateau were elevation, roughness, and relief. Moreover, the interactions between these three terrain factors and other environmental variables significantly influenced the land use/cover pattern in the study area.
Five-year follow-up of a phase I trial of donor-derived modified immune cell infusion in kidney transplantation
Authors: Schaier Matthias , Morath Christian , Wang Lei , Kleist Christian , Opelz Gerhard , Tran Thuong Hien , Scherer Sabine , Pham Lien , Ekpoom Naruemol , Süsal Caner , Ponath Gerald , Kälble Florian , Speer Claudius , Benning Louise , Nusshag Christian , Mahler Christoph F. , Pego da Silva Luiza , Sommerer Claudia , Hückelhoven-Krauss Angela , Czock David , Mehrabi Arianeb , Schwab Constantin , Waldherr Rüdiger , Schnitzler Paul , Merle Uta , Schwenger Vedat , Krautter Markus , Kemmner Stephan , Fischereder Michael , Stangl Manfred , Hauser Ingeborg A. , Kälsch Anna-Isabelle , Krämer Bernhard K. , Böhmig Georg A. , Müller-Tidow Carsten , Reiser Jochen , Zeier Martin , Schmitt Michael , Terness Peter , Schmitt Anita , Daniel Volker
Published: July 2023

Background

The administration of modified immune cells (MIC) before kidney transplantation led to specific immunosuppression against the allogeneic donor and a significant increase in regulatory B lymphocytes. We wondered how this approach affected the continued clinical course of these patients.

Methods

Ten patients from a phase I clinical trial who had received MIC infusions prior to kidney transplantation were retrospectively compared to 15 matched standard-risk recipients. Follow-up was until year five after surgery.

Results

The 10 MIC patients had an excellent clinical course with stable kidney graft function, no donor-specific human leukocyte antigen antibodies (DSA) or acute rejections, and no opportunistic infections. In comparison, a retrospectively matched control group receiving standard immunosuppressive therapy had a higher frequency of DSA (log rank P = 0.046) and more opportunistic infections (log rank P = 0.033). Importantly, MIC patients, and in particular the four patients who had received the highest cell number 7 days before surgery and received low immunosuppression during follow-up, continued to show a lack of anti-donor T lymphocyte reactivity in vitro and high CD19+CD24hiCD38hi transitional and CD19+CD24hiCD27+ memory B lymphocytes until year five after surgery.

Conclusions

MIC infusions together with reduced conventional immunosuppression were associated with good graft function during five years of follow-up, no de novo DSA development and no opportunistic infections. In the future, MIC infusions might contribute to graft protection while reducing the side effects of immunosuppressive therapy. However, this approach needs further validation in direct comparison with prospective controls.

Trial registration

https://clinicaltrials.gov/, identifier NCT02560220 (for the TOL-1 Study). EudraCT Number: 2014-002086-30.
Interrogation of human microglial phagocytosis by CRISPR genome editing
Authors: Chang Jason Cheng-Yu , Wang Cheng-You , Lin Steven
Published: July 2023

Background

Microglia are an integral part of central nervous system, but our understanding of microglial biology is limited due to the challenges in obtaining and culturing primary human microglia. HMC3 is an important cell line for studying human microglia because it is readily accessible and straightforward to maintain in standard laboratories. Although HMC3 is widely used for microglial research, a robust genetic method has not been described. Here, we report a CRISPR genome editing platform, by the electroporation of Cas9 ribonucleoproteins (Cas9 RNP) and synthetic DNA repair templates, to enable rapid and precise genetic modifications of HMC3. For proof-of-concept demonstrations, we targeted the genes implicated in the regulation of amyloid beta (Aβ) and glioblastoma phagocytosis in microglia. We showed that CRISPR genome editing could enhance the phagocytic activities of HMC3.

Methods

We performed CRISPR gene knockout (KO) in HMC3 by the electroporation of pre-assembled Cas9 RNP. Co-introduction of DNA repair templates allowed site-specific knock-in (KI) of an epitope tag, a synthetic promoter and a fluorescent reporter gene. The editing efficiencies were determined genotypically by DNA sequencing and phenotypically by immunofluorescent staining and flow cytometry. The gene-edited HMC3 cells were examined in vitro by fluorescent Aβ and glioblastoma phagocytosis assays.

Results

Our platform enabled robust single (>90%) and double (>70%) KO without detectable off-target editing by high throughput DNA sequencing. We also inserted a synthetic SFFV promoter to efficiently upregulate the expression of endogenous CD14 and TREM2 genes associated with microglial phagocytosis. The CRISPR-edited HMC3 showed stable phenotypes and enhanced phagocytosis of fluorescence-labeled Aβ1-42 peptides. Confocal microscopy further confirmed the localization of Aβ1-42 aggregates in the acidified lysosomes. HMC3 mutants also changed the phagocytic characteristic toward apoptotic glioblastoma cells.

Conclusion

CRISPR genome editing by Cas9 RNP electroporation is a robust approach to genetically modify HMC3 for functional studies such as the interrogation of Aβ and tumor phagocytosis, and is readily adoptable to investigate other aspects of microglial biology.
The role of fibromodulin in inflammatory responses and diseases associated with inflammation
Authors: Zhao Feng , Bai Yang , Xiang Xuerong , Pang Xiaoxiao
Published: July 2023

Inflammation is an immune response that the host organism eliminates threats from foreign objects or endogenous signals. It plays a key role in the progression, prognosis as well as therapy of diseases. Chronic inflammatory diseases have been regarded as the main cause of death worldwide at present, which greatly affect a vast number of individuals, producing economic and social burdens. Thus, developing drugs targeting inflammation has become necessary and attractive in the world. Currently, accumulating evidence suggests that small leucine-rich proteoglycans (SLRPs) exhibit essential roles in various inflammatory responses by acting as an anti-inflammatory or pro-inflammatory role in different scenarios of diseases. Of particular interest was a well-studied member, termed fibromodulin (FMOD), which has been largely explored in the role of inflammatory responses in inflammatory-related diseases. In this review, particular focus is given to the role of FMOD in inflammatory response including the relationship of FMOD with the complement system and immune cells, as well as the role of FMOD in the diseases associated with inflammation, such as skin wounding healing, osteoarthritis (OA), tendinopathy, atherosclerosis, and heart failure (HF). By conducting this review, we intend to gain insight into the role of FMOD in inflammation, which may open the way for the development of new anti-inflammation drugs in the scenarios of different inflammatory-related diseases.
Eastern High Arctic–Baffin Bay beluga whale (Delphinapterus leucas) estuary abundance and use from space
Authors: Watt Cortney A. , Carlyle Cody G. , Hornby Claire A. , Sherbo Bryanna A. H.
Published: July 2023

Introduction

The Eastern High Arctic–Baffin Bay (EHA-BB) beluga whale (Delphinapterus leucas) population spends summer in estuaries around Somerset Island, Nunavut, Canada. A single abundance estimate from 1996 suggests an abundance >21,000 beluga whales; however, more information on abundance and distribution is needed to ensure effective management of this population, especially in estuaries where previous surveys provided minimal coverage. To assess the feasibility of using Very High Resolution (VHR) satellite imagery to obtain estuary abundance estimates for this beluga population, we evaluated a citizen science crowd counting initiative that was designed to monitor remote beluga whale populations and their estuary use.

Methods

In July and August 2020 the WorldView 2 and 3, and GeoEye 1 satellites were tasked to collect VHR imagery (30–41 cm) of estuaries previously known to be used by Eastern High Arctic–Baffin Bay beluga whales. The objectives were to obtain an estuary abundance estimate for this population from satellite imagery, and to evaluate the effectiveness of having imagery annotated using a crowd-source platform. Almost 3,800 km2of ocean imagery was analyzed using Maxar’s Geospatial Human Imagery Verification Effort (GeoHIVE) Crowdsourcing platform. Expert readers then manually compared counts to those performed by crowd-counters to determine variance in observer counts.

Results and Discussion

The estuary abundance estimate from 11 core estuaries was 12,128 (CV 36.76%, 95% confidence interval 6,036–24,368) beluga whales. This represents an estuary abundance estimate only, as the greater Peel Sound and Prince Regent Inlet areas were not photographed. The estuaries with the largest abundance of beluga whales were Creswell Bay, Maxwell Bay, and Prince Whales Island, with over 2,000 crowd-counted whales in each estuary. Although VHR imagery has potential to assist with surveying and monitoring marine mammals, for larger estuaries it was not always possible to photograph the entire area in a single day, and cloud cover was an issue for sections of most images. This work will assist with planning large-scale aerial surveys for monitoring beluga whale populations, identifying high-use areas and important beluga habitat, and highlights the utility of using VHR imagery to enhance our understanding of estuary abundance and distribution of Arctic whales.
Cephalopod ontogeny and life cycle patterns
Authors: Vidal Erica A. G. , Shea Elizabeth K.
Published: July 2023

Life cycle definitions provide the background for conceptualizing meaningful questions to address the mechanisms that generate different life cycle patterns. This review provides explicit definitions and explanations of the steps in a cephalopod life cycle, from fertilization to death. Each large step, or phase, is characterized by a particular developmental process and morphology. Each phase is composed of smaller developmentally distinct steps, or stages. The cephalopod life cycle is comprised of all or some of the following phases: Embryonic, Paralarval, Juvenile, Subadult, Adult and Senescent, and each life cycle is taxon-specific. All cephalopods have direct development and maintain a consistent body plan throughout ontogeny (i.e., no true larval phase and no metamorphosis). Most cephalopods have a life cycle marked by a long early life and a short adult life followed by senescence. Cephalopods have two developmental modes: they produce either small planktonic hatchlings as paralarvae, or large hatchlings as juveniles. All cephalopods go through a Hatchling stage soon after eclosion during which they rely on two modes of nutrition: endogenous (yolk) and exogenous (prey). Many cephalopods with planktonic paralarvae will become benthic early in their life cycle during their Settlement stage or remain pelagic during their Metapelagic stage. Juvenile growth is fast and ontogenetic changes (outside of gonadal maturation) generally cease at the end of the Juvenile phase. The Subadult phase begins when the definitive adult morphology (except for size and body proportions) is acquired (e.g., full complement of photophores). Sexual organs undergo most of their development during the Subadult phase. The Adult phase starts with spawning competency and concludes when gonads are spent. The Senescent phase begins with spent gonads and ends with death. Using this new terminology, we examine the patterns of cephalopod life cycles and find that there are four main patterns based on the presence of a Paralarval phase and the habitat occupied by each phase: Holopelagic (all phases are pelagic), Holobenthic (all phases are benthic), Merobenthic and Meropelagic (phases alternate between benthic and pelagic environments). In these two last patterns, the main difference is the presence of a Paralarval phase in Merobenthic species. The definitions and terminology proposed here provide a unifying framework for future ecological, evolutionary and life cycles research on cephalopods.
An O2-sensing diguanylate cyclase broadly affects the aerobic transcriptome in the phytopathogen Pectobacterium carotovorum
Authors: Fekete Florian J. , Marotta Nick J. , Liu Xuanyu , Weinert Emily E.
Published: July 2023

Pectobacterium carotovorum is an important plant pathogen responsible for the destruction of crops through bacterial soft rot, which is modulated by oxygen (O2) concentration. A soluble globin coupled sensor protein, Pcc DgcO (also referred to as PccGCS) is one way through which P. carotovorum senses oxygen. DgcO contains a diguanylate cyclase output domain producing c-di-GMP. Synthesis of the bacterial second messenger c-di-GMP is increased upon oxygen binding to the sensory globin domain. This work seeks to understand regulation of function by DgcO at the transcript level. RNA sequencing and differential expression analysis revealed that the deletion of DgcO only affects transcript levels in cells grown under aerobic conditions. Differential expression analysis showed that DgcO deletion alters transcript levels for metal transporters. These results, followed by inductively coupled plasma—mass spectrometry showing decreased concentrations of six biologically relevant metals upon DgcO deletion, provide evidence that a globin coupled sensor can affect cellular metal content. These findings improve the understanding of the transcript level control of O2-dependent phenotypes in an important phytopathogen and establish a basis for further studies on c-di-GMP-dependent functions in P. carotovorum.
Fangchinoline inhibits the PEDV replication in intestinal epithelial cells via autophagic flux suppression
Authors: Zhang Weixiao , Shen Haiyan , Wang Menglu , Fan Xuelei , Wang Songqi , Wuri Nile , Zhang Bin , He Haiyan , Zhang Chunhong , Liu Zhicheng , Liao Ming , Zhang Jianfeng , Li Yugu , Zhang Jianmin
Published: July 2023

Animal and human health are severely threatened by coronaviruses. The enteropathogenic coronavirus, porcine epidemic diarrhea virus (PEDV), is highly contagious, leading to porcine epidemic diarrhea (PED), which causes large economic losses in the world's swine industry. Piglets are not protected from emerging PEDV variants; therefore, new antiviral measures for PED control are urgently required. Herein, the anti-PEDV effects and potential mechanisms of fangchinoline (Fan) were investigated. Fan dose-dependently inhibited a PEDV infection at 24 h post-infection (EC50 value = 0.67 μM). We found that Fan mainly affected the PEDV replication phase but also inhibited PEDV at the attachment and internalization stages of the viral life cycle. Mechanistically, Fan blocked the autophagic flux in PEDV-infected cells by regulating the expression of autophagy-related proteins and changing PEDV virus particles. In summary, Fan inhibits PEDV infection by blocking the autophagic flux in cells. Our findings will help develop new strategies to prevent and treat PEDV infection.
Impact of aging on treatment considerations for multiple sclerosis patients
Authors: Macaron Gabrielle , Larochelle Catherine , Arbour Nathalie , Galmard Manon , Girard Jean Marc , Prat Alexandre , Duquette Pierre
Published: July 2023

With a rapidly aging global population and improvement of outcomes with newer multiple sclerosis (MS)-specific disease-modifying therapies (DMTs), the epidemiology of MS has shifted to an older than previously described population, with a peak prevalence of the disease seen in the 55–65 years age group. Changes in the pathophysiology of MS appear to be age-dependent. Several studies have identified a consistent phase of disability worsening around the fifth decade of life. The latter appears to be independent of prior disease duration and inflammatory activity and concomitant to pathological changes from acute focal active demyelination to chronic smoldering plaques, slow-expanding lesions, and compartmentalized inflammation within the central nervous system (CNS). On the other hand, decreased CNS tissue reserve and poorer remyelinating capacity with aging lead to loss of relapse recovery potential. Aging with MS may imply longer exposure to DMTs, although treatment efficacy in patients >55 years has not been evaluated in pivotal randomized controlled trials and appears to decrease with age. Older individuals are more prone to adverse effects of DMTs, an important aspect of treatment individualization. Aging with MS also implies a higher global burden of comorbid illnesses that contribute to overall impairments and represent a crucial confounder in interpreting clinical worsening. Discontinuation of DMTs after age 55, when no evidence of clinical or radiological activity is detected, is currently under the spotlight. In this review, we will discuss the impact of aging on MS pathobiology, the effect of comorbidities and other confounders on clinical worsening, and focus on current therapeutic considerations in this age group.
Arc protein, a remnant of ancient retrovirus, forms virus-like particles, which are abundantly generated by neurons during epileptic seizures, and affects epileptic susceptibility in rodent models
Authors: Sibarov Dmitry A. , Tsytsarev Vassiliy , Volnova Anna , Vaganova Anastasia N. , Alves Janaina , Rojas Legier , Sanabria Priscila , Ignashchenkova Alla , Savage Elton D. , Inyushin Mikhail
Published: July 2023

A product of the immediate early gene Arc (Activity-regulated cytoskeleton-associated protein or Arc protein) of retroviral ancestry resides in the genome of all tetrapods for millions of years and is expressed endogenously in neurons. It is a well-known protein, very important for synaptic plasticity and memory consolidation. Activity-dependent Arc expression concentrated in glutamatergic synapses affects the long-time synaptic strength of those excitatory synapses. Because it modulates excitatory-inhibitory balance in a neuronal network, the Arc gene itself was found to be related to the pathogenesis of epilepsy. General Arc knockout rodent models develop a susceptibility to epileptic seizures. Because of activity dependence, synaptic Arc protein synthesis also is affected by seizures. Interestingly, it was found that Arc protein in synapses of active neurons self-assemble in capsids of retrovirus-like particles, which can transfer genetic information between neurons, at least across neuronal synaptic boutons. Released Arc particles can be accumulated in astrocytes after seizures. It is still not known how capsid assembling and transmission timescale is affected by seizures. This scientific field is relatively novel and is experiencing swift transformation as it grapples with difficult concepts in light of evolving experimental findings. We summarize the emergent literature on the subject and also discuss the specific rodent models for studying Arc effects in epilepsy. We summarized both to clarify the possible role of Arc-related pseudo-viral particles in epileptic disorders, which may be helpful to researchers interested in this growing area of investigation.
Insights into nutrition, flavor and edible quality changes of golden pomfret (Trachinotus ovatus) fillets prepared by different cooking methods
Authors: Xiong Tian , Mei Xin , Wu Yanyan , Wang Lan , Shi Jianbin , Sui Yong , Cai Sha , Cai Fang , Chen Xueling , Fan Chuanhui
Published: July 2023

Introduction

In recent years, Asia has seen an increase in demand for golden pomfret (Trachinotus ovatus). Especially in instant (ready-to-eat) and prepared (ready-to-cock) food processing industry. Thermal processing is a vital part of food processing. However, no comprehensive analysis has been reported on its flavor, nutrition and edible quality changes during the key thermal processing.

Methods

Accordingly, in this study, we evaluated the effects of different cooking methods (steaming, frying, microwaving and baking) on the color, texture, cooking loss, nutrition composition, volatile flavor substances and other indicators of golden pomfret filets.

Results and Discussion

The results showed that the steamed samples (SS) had the lowest cooking loss and fat content, the highest moisture content, complete appearance and the lowest levels of hardness and chewiness. Fried samples (FS) had a notable difference in fatty acid composition. The content of unsaturated fatty acids (UFAs) increased significantly, while the relative content of eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) + docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) decreased from 7.88 to 1.42%, lower than other groups. The essential amino acid index (EAAI) of microwaved samples (MS) was 94.89, which was higher than other groups. Baked samples (BS) had the highest relative content of umami amino acids (UAAs) and sweet amino acids (SAAs), which was 8.08 mg/100 mg and 5.19 mg/100 mg, respectively. Hexanal and nonanal were detected in control samples (CK), SS, FS, MS and BS. While pyrazine compounds were detected only in FS and BS. Steaming and microwaving treatment of golden pomfret resulted in better nutritional preservation, which was more conducive to human health. Frying and baking treatment of golden pomfret had better taste and flavor and higher sensory scores. The nutrition, flavor and edible quality of golden pomfret under different cooking methods were related and interactive. Cooking loss and fat content can be used as simple evaluation indicators to compare the overall quality of different cooking methods. This study provides a reference for the thermal processing technology and industrial production of golden pomfret.
Addressing child and adolescent obesity management in Ireland: identifying facilitators and barriers in clinical practice
Authors: Ferdous Farzana , Arthurs Niamh , Tully Louise , O’Brien Sarah , Smith Susan M. , Walsh Aisling , O’Gorman Clodagh S. , O’Malley Grace
Published: July 2023

Background

Ireland’s Model of Care for the Management of Overweight and Obesity outlines a plan for treating adolescent and child obesity (CO). However, engagement with key stakeholders is required to support its implementation and improve health services.

Aim

This study aims to map the perceived barriers and facilitators related to CO management across healthcare settings, professional disciplines, and regions in the Republic of Ireland (ROI).

Materials and methods

An online cross-sectional survey of registered healthcare professionals (HPs), designed to adhere to the Consolidated Framework for Implementation Research (CFIR), was co-developed by a project team consisting of researchers, healthcare professionals, and patient advocates. The survey was pilot tested with project stakeholders and distributed online to professional groups and via a social media campaign, between September 2021 and May 2022, using “SurveyMonkey.” Data were summarised using descriptive statistics and thematic analyses. Themes were mapped to the CFIR framework to identify the type of implementation gaps that exist for treating obesity within the current health and social care system.

Results

A total of 184 HPs completed the survey including nurses (18%), physicians (14%), health and social care professionals (60%), and other HPs (8%). The majority were female (91%), among which 54% reported conducting growth monitoring with a third (32.6%) giving a diagnosis of paediatric/adolescent obesity as part of their clinical practice. Nearly half (49%) of the HPs reported having the resources needed for clinical assessment. However, 31.5% of the HPs reported having enough “time,” and almost 10% of the HPs reported having no/limited access to suitable anthropometric measurement tools. Most HPs did not conduct obesity-related clinical assessments beyond growth assessment, and 61% reported having no paediatric obesity training. CFIR mapping identified several facilitators and barriers including time for clinical encounters, suitable materials and equipment, adequate training, perceived professional competency and self-efficacy, human equality and child-centredness, relative priorities, local attitudes, referral protocols, and long waiting times.

Conclusions

The findings provide actionable information to guide the implementation of the Model of Care for the Management of Overweight and Obesity in Ireland. Survey findings will now inform a qualitative study to explore implementation barriers and facilitators and prioritise actions to improve child and adolescent obesity management.
Safety and efficacy of oil palm phenolic supplementation in improving lipid profile among hyperlipidemic adults: a phase 2, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical trial
Authors: Muhammad Ismail Tadj Nur Balqis , Ibrahim Nurul `Izzah , Tg Abu Bakar Sidik Tg Mohd Ikhwan , Zulfarina Mohamed S. , Haji Mohd Saad Qodriyah , Leow Soon-Sen , Fairus Syed , Naina Mohamed Isa
Published: July 2023

Introduction:Oil palm phenolic (OPP) is an antioxidant aqueous palm oil by-product and contains a high amount of phenolics. OPP has been proven to have many therapeutical benefits, and one of them is as an antihyperlipidemic agent. The previous phase 1 clinical trial proved OPP was safe to be orally consumed by healthy volunteers and yielded a good lipid profile. Thus, this phase 2 clinical trial was conducted to determine the effectiveness of OPP in improving the lipid profile among hyperlipidemic subjects.

Methods:A parallel, placebo-controlled, randomized, double-blinded clinical trial was conducted for 2 months on 50 hyperlipidemic subjects aged 20–50 years old. The subjects were randomly distributed to two treatment arms with 25 participants each: control/placebo (11 males and 14 females) and 250 mg of OPP (10 males and 15 females). The subjects were required to consume one capsule per day for 60 days. Fasting blood sampling for routine blood profile (hematology, liver function, renal function, and lipid) analysis and a medical examination were conducted at baseline, day 30, and day 60.t-test analysis was used to compare the difference between two test groups.

Results:The baseline lipid profile between control group (TC, 5.78 ± 0.52 mmol/L; LDL, 3.88 ± 0.51 mmol/L; HDL, 1.30 ± 0.25; TG, 1.30 ± 0.82), and 250 mg OPP (TC, 5.76 ± 0.54 mmol/L; LDL, 3.82 ± 0.59 mmol/L; HDL, 1.37 ± 0.34; TG, 1.25 ± 0.54) is insignificant. No serious adverse events (SAEs) were reported. No abnormality in fasting blood parameters in all groups was found. Compared to the control group among male participants, the 250 mg OPP group showed an improved serum triglyceride level. There were no statistically significant changes in all blood parameters from day 1 to day 60 with the exception of triglyceride level.

Conclusion:The absence of SAEs reported and no abnormal findings in biochemistry and hematology results suggested that the 250 mg OPP was safe to be taken by hyperlipidemic patients with a high probability of reducing triglyceride level in hyperlipidemic male patients The outcomes from this phase II trial suggest that by incorporating OPP supplements into the diet may be a promising strategy for individuals with hyperlipidemia to improve their lipid profiles and reduce cardiovascular risk. However, more research is needed to fully understand the mechanisms of action and establish the long-term efficacy and safety of OPP supplementation in larger scale.

Limitation:Small samples size hence lack of diversity (25 subjects per groups) and early sharing of treatment-response results.

Clinical Trial Registration:clinicaltrials.gov, identifier NCT04573218.
Generation of polarization-controllable low-frequency THz radiations from single-layer graphene using incommensurate two-color laser pulses
Authors: Guan Zhong , You Jiahao , Wang Bincheng , Li Xiaoyong , Wang Guo-Li , Zhou Xiao-Xin , Jin Cheng
Published: July 2023

We propose to combine a circularly polarized first-color laser with a linearly polarized second-color laser to control the polarization of THz radiations in the low-frequency region from single-layer graphene. We find that the THz ellipticity can be greatly adjusted by varying the wavelength of second color, and it can be slightly modified by varying the intensity ratio of two colors. We then show that the polarization direction of THz emissions can be dramatically changed by changing the phase difference between two colors. We also identify that the intensity, ellipticity, and polarization direction of THz wave can be changed simultaneously with the time delay between two colors. These can be understood by analyzing the electron currents, intensities of THz emissions in two orthogonal directions, and the phase difference between them. Our proposed scheme can be easily performed in the experiment based on the laser technology nowadays.
A developmental study of eye movements in Hebrew word reading: the effects of word familiarity, word length, and reading proficiency
Authors: Lahoud Hend , Share David L. , Shechter Adi
Published: July 2023

Previous studies examining the link between visual word recognition and eye movements have shown that eye movements reflect the time-course of cognitive processes involved in reading. Whereas most studies have been undertaken in Western European languages written in the Roman alphabet, the present developmental study investigates a non-European language—Hebrew, which is written in a non-alphabetic (abjadic) script. We compared the eye-movements of children in Grades 4 to 6 (N = 30) and university students (N = 30) reading familiar real words and unfamiliar (pseudo)words of 3 letters and 5 letters in length. Using linear mixed models, we focused on the effects of word familiarity, word length, and age group. Our results highlight both universal aspects of word reading (developmental and familiarity (lexicality) effects) as well as language-specific word length effect which appears to be related to the unique morphological and orthographic features of the Semitic abjad.
Implicit measures of anthropomorphism: affective priming and recognition of apparent animal emotions
Authors: Dacey Mike , Coane Jennifer H.
Published: July 2023

It has long been recognized that humans tend to anthropomorphize. That is, we naturally and effortlessly interpret the behaviors of nonhuman agents in the same way we interpret human behaviors. This tendency has only recently become a subject of empirical research. Most of this work uses explicit measures. Participants are asked whether they attribute some human-like trait to a nonhuman agent on some scale. These measures, however, have two limitations. First, they do not capture automatic components of anthropomorphism. Second, they generally only track one anthropomorphic result: the attribution (or non-attribution) of a particular trait. However, anthropomorphism can affect how we interpret animal behavior in other ways as well. For example, the grin of a nonhuman primate often looks to us like a smile, but it actually signals a state more like fear or anxiety. In the present work, we tested for implicit components of anthropomorphism based on an affective priming paradigm. Previous work suggests that priming with human faces displaying emotional expressions facilitated categorization of words into congruent emotion categories. In Experiments 1–3, we primed participants with images of nonhuman animals that appear to express happy or sad emotions, and asked participants to categorize words as positive or negative. Experiment 4 used human faces as control. Overall, we found consistent priming congruency effects in accuracy but not response time. These appeared to be more robust in older adults. They also appear to emerge with more processing time, and the pattern was the same with human as with primate faces. This demonstrates a role for automatic processes of emotion recognition in anthropomorphism. It also provides a potential measure for further exploration of implicit anthropomorphism.
Effect of sleep ambient music on sleep quality and mental health in college students: a self-controlled study
Authors: Hu Shun-Ping , Yang Ya-Meng , Chen Wen-Hao , Lu Shan-Shan , Niu Tong , Xia Yun-Zhu , Li Jin-Yi
Published: July 2023

To verify the effect of sleep ambient music intervention (SAMI) on sleep quality and mental status of college students, and to further explore the minimum effective duration of SAMI, this study was designed as a pre-and post-intervention self-controlled exploratory study. Participants were subjected to a one-week no-intervention test, then 4 weeks of music intervention followed. Subjective sleep quality data were collected using the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI); objective sleep quality data were collected with Actigraphy; and mental status data were collected using the State–Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI) and the Beck Depression Inventory-II (BDI-II). Data were analyzed and processed using mixed-effects models and repeated measures. The results showed that compared with the no-intervention week, college students’ subjective sleep quality, objective sleep onset latency (SOL), trait anxiety, and depression symptom were reduced at week 1; week 2; week 3; week 4 under SAMI; state anxiety of college students at week 3 and week 4 under SAMI were also reduced. And there were differences in sleep quality among college students of different genders too. Compared with females, males had worse sleep efficiency (SE), shorter total sleep time (TST), and more awaking times (AT). In addition, 3 days was the minimum effective length for SAMI to shorten objective SOL, and 2 days was the minimum effective length to shorten the subjective SOL of college students. The findings of this study suggest that SAMI can improve subjective sleep quality, shorten objective SOL, and reduce anxiety and depression in college students. Interventions for more than 3 days had a significant effect on shortening SOL and long-term effects seemed to emerge after 3 weeks.
Is ball-possession style more physically demanding than counter-attacking? The influence of playing style on match performance in professional soccer
Authors: Forcher Leon , Forcher Leander , Wäsche Hagen , Jekauc Darko , Woll Alexander , Gross Timo , Altmann Stefan
Published: July 2023

In soccer, the offensive style of play describes characteristic behavioral features of the players at team level during the offensive phase of matches. This study aimed to investigate the effect of offensive playing style (i.e., while in ball possession) on physical and technical match performance during offensive play as well as success-related factors. The sample consisted of official tracking and event data of 153 matches of the 2020/21 German Bundesliga season. For every team in every match an offensive playing style coefficient was calculated to locate teams on a continuum between ball possession and counter-attacking style. This calculation contains 11 technical and physical performance parameters and has already been validated. In addition, dependent physical (e.g., sprinting distance), technical (e.g., passes), and success-related (e.g., goals) variables were examined. A separate linear mixed model was calculated for each dependent variable. While teams with lower playing style coefficient values (= counter-attacking style) covered more high-intensity (p ≤ 0.01; R2 = 0.13) and sprinting distances per second in possession (p ≤ 0.01; R2 = 0.14), teams with higher playing style coefficient values (= ball possession style) were physically more demanded over a whole match (e.g., more accelerations (p ≤ 0.01; R2 = 0.69), decelerations (p ≤ 0.01; R2 = 0.69), high-intensity (p ≤ 0.01; R2 = 0.36), sprint distance (p = 0.03; R2 = 0.08)). Furthermore, teams with higher playing style coefficient values played more horizontal passes (p ≤ 0.01; R2 = 0.73) and revealed better passing success rates (p ≤ 0.01; R2 = 0.17). In contrast, teams with lower playing style coefficient values played more long passes (p < 0.01; R2 = 0.58). The influence of the playing style coefficient on success-related variables was smaller (p ≤ 0.36; R2 = 0.10–0.13). Concluding, offensive playing style affects physical and technical match performance, but has limited influence on success. Hence, coaches can use the findings to optimize training contents to prepare players for the physical demands of a match.
Lived experience perspectives guiding improvements to the Systematic Tailored Assessment for Responding to Suicidality protocol
Authors: Hawgood Jacinta , Betterridge Carmen , Kõlves Kairi , Edwards Bronwen , Spence Susan H. , Arensman Ella , De Leo Diego , Ownsworth Tamara
Published: July 2023

Background and aims

Suicide risk assessment protocols have traditionally been developed by clinical or research experts in suicidology, with little formal involvement of those with a lived experience of suicide. This study broadly aimed to seek lived experience perspectives of the Systematic Tailored Assessment for Responding to Suicidality (STARS) protocol A further aim was to elicit lived experience suggestions for wording and language used in the existing items within sections of the STARS protocol (STARS-p).

Method

Participants were 33 adults (Female = 64%) with a lived experience of suicide, who attended a virtual research workshop at the National Lived Experience of Suicide Summit (2021). After being educated about STARS-p, participants provided their overall perceptions of STARS-p as well as suggestions for rewording and language use across the sections of STARS-p. Their responses were gathered using a virtual online platform for live electronic data collection. A three-phase process of qualitative content analysis was used, engaging both inductive and deductive approaches to explore study aims one and two, respectively. The Consolidated Criteria for Reporting Qualitative Research was followed to enhance quality of reporting.

Results

Qualitative content analysis of participants’ views of the STARS-p reflected three main categories, namely, STARS philosophy; What STARS aspires to; and Continuity of care and meeting needs. Responses characterized participants’ perceptions of the core purpose of STARS-p and ways for refining or adapting it to suit diverse needs and settings. Based on deductive content analysis, suggested modifications to wording of items and additional items to extend sections were identified.

Conclusion

The study yielded novel perspectives from those with a lived experience of suicide, which will inform improvements to the next edition of STARS-p. The STARS training (required for licensed use of the protocol) will be updated accordingly, in line with these results.
Sociodemographic and clinical features of men and women with eating disorders: a diagnosis-matched, retrospective comparison among inpatients
Authors: Traut Philipp , Halbeisen Georg , Braks Karsten , Huber Thomas J. , Paslakis Georgios
Published: July 2023

Introduction

Eating disorders (EDs) are among the most severe mental disorders in women and men, often associated with high symptom burden and significant limitations in daily functioning, frequent comorbidities, chronic course of illness, and even high mortality rates. At the same time, differences between men and women with EDs remain poorly explored.

Methods

In this study, we compared 104 men to 104 diagnosis-matched women with EDs regarding sociodemographic and clinical features. Using latent class mixture modelling, we identified four distinct patient subgroups based on their sociodemographic features.

Results

Men with EDs had significantly higher odds than women to belong to a “single-childfree-working” class. Moreover, while there were few overall differences in ED-related symptoms and general psychopathology between men and women, single-childfree-working men with EDs presented with higher general psychopathology symptoms than men in the other classes.

Discussion

We discuss how considering sex and gender along with further sociodemographic differences in EDs may help to improve ED diagnosis and treatment.
Understanding older adults’ smartphone addiction in the digital age: empirical evidence from China
Authors: Xu Yujing , Zeng Kai , Dong Lucong , Zheng Xiaofen , Si Yuxiu
Published: July 2023

Background

Despite the fact that an increasing number of older adults are addicted to smartphones, the existing addiction literature still focuses primarily on adolescents. To address this issue, this study draws from the perspectives of subjective cognitive decline and family relationship conflict to examine older adults’ smartphone addiction based on their key characteristics.

Methods

This study investigates the effects of subjective cognitive decline and family relationship conflict on older adults’ smartphone addiction through a survey of 371 subjects in China.

Results

The results show that subjective cognitive decline and family relationship conflict affect older adults’ smartphone addiction through a sense of alienation. In addition, older adults’ perceived power moderates the relationship between alienation and smartphone addiction.

Discussion

This study offers new perspectives on the study of smartphone addiction from the perspective of older adults, and sheds light on how to improve the older adults’ quality of life in their later years.
Factors associated with food insecurity among the chronically ill population during the COVID-19 pandemic in the United States
Authors: Dean Caress A. , Liu Echu , Enard Kimberly R. , Qian Zhengmin , Elder Keith T.
Published: July 2023

Introduction

Little is known about food insecurity among Americans with chronic diseases, one of the vulnerable groups in health care. Factors influencing food insecurity among this population group are especially poorly understood.

Methods

Using data from the COVID Impact Survey, this cross-sectional study sought to examine food insecurity among adults with chronic diseases in the United States and to identify factors associated with their risks for food insecurity during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Results

Nearly 28% of the national and 32% of the regional samples from the COVID Impact Survey were at risk for food insecurity. The logistic regressions show that chronically ill US adults with one of the following characteristics have higher odds of being at risk for food insecurity: younger than 60 years, having financial stress, unemployed, having received food from a food pantry, without health insurance, having a household income lower than $100,000, and without a college degree.

Discussion

Targeted policies and programs are warranted to address underlying determinants of food insecurity that adults with chronic illnesses experience.
Impact of COVID-19 on mental health in China: analysis based on sentiment knowledge enhanced pre-training and XGBoost algorithm
Authors: Huang Ru , Wang Xiuli
Published: July 2023

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is causing a serious impact on the people living in countries across the entire world. The spread of this pandemic globally has led people worry every day about losing their jobs or even being threatened by the virus. This pandemic caused people to experience more serious psychological problems than we realized. However, there has been little research on how COVID-19 affects the mental health of the people. In this article, we attempted to use the social text data about COVID-19 on Sina Weibo (the largest “tweet” platform in China, and we will also call Weibo as tweet in the following content), to explore the impact of COVID-19 on the mental health of Chinese people. First, we fifilter the tweet data by selecting examples that contain COVID-19 and COVID-19 correlated keywords. However, we segment the filtered tweets, extract meaningful words, and construct a word vector sparse matrix as the measurement of every tweet. Then, for the model's labels, we use sentiment knowledge enhanced pre-training model (SKEP), a deep learning framework published by Baidu that measures the user's mental state. Through SKEP, we can obtain the probabilities of the user's positive and negative mental states. Finally, we use the XGBoost algorithm to study the relationship between the word vector sparse matrix and the mental health state of users. Our research shows that social text data can, indeed, reflect the mental health state of users to a large extent, and social data can be used to explore the impact of COVID-19 on mental health, which can help frame the public health policy.
Sports-related injuries sustained by officers of the State Fire Service on duty – nationwide 7-year follow-up
Authors: Dudziński Łukasz , Panczyk Mariusz , Kubiak Tomasz , Milczarczyk Tomasz
Published: July 2023

Aim

The accident rate in the State Fire Service from 2015 to 2021 related to sports activities was analyzed in relation to the regions of the country per year.

Materials and methods

The study included analysis of data from the SFS Headquarters – Department for Occupational Health and Safety and Preventive Health. Data collected from across the country in the form of an annual analysis of the accident. The reports included such information as: the number of accidents, the cause and circumstances of accident (injury), with a breakdown listing individual and group accidents.

Results

During the observation period, about 30,000 officers were on duty in the SFS, of which about 20% were on daily (8-h) duty, and 80% were on shift (24-h) duty. Between 2015 and 2021, there were N = 11,332 (Mean: 1617.4; SD: 284.1) accidents in SFS. Total accident covers individual and mass accidents. The number of sports injuries was N = 4,254 (Mean: 532.2; SD: 137.9).

Conclusion

There is a need for comprehensive approach to physical training in the firefighter population. Physical activity should be continuous and systematic strengthening of the whole body. Sports activities should begin with performing thorough warm-ups. It is necessary to maintain facilities, premises, equipment and technical devices in a condition that sets the ground for doing sports safely and in a hygienic manner. Most of the sports injuries sustained by firefighters are related to team sports.