bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
C-PCM study on the electronic and optical properties of Fe(CO)4B12N12 complexes
Authors: Asadzadeh Hedieh , Ghiasi Reza , Yousefi Mohammad , Baniyaghoob Sahar
Published: November 2022

We explored solvent effect on the stability, dipole moment, polarizability and first hyperpolarizability of Fe(CO)4B12N12 complexes at MPW1PW91/6-311G(d,p) level of theory. These complexes were considered in the low spin states. The self-consistent reaction field theory (SCRF) based on conductor-like polarizable continuum model (PCM) was employed to illustration of the solvent influences. The relations between the parameters with solvent polarity functions (McRae and Suppan functions) were given. Also, relations of the wavenumbers values of the stretching of carbonyl ligands with the Kirkwood–Bauer–Magat equation (KBM) were provided.
Medicinal importance and chemosensing applications of Schiff base derivatives for the detection of metal ions: A review
Authors: Alshamrani Meshal
Published: November 2022

Schiff bases, named after Hugo Schiff, are formed when primary amine reacts with carbonyl compounds (aldehyde or ketone) under specific conditions. Schiff bases are economical, simple synthetic routes, and easily accessible in laboratories. They have medicinal and biological applications such as antiviral, antioxidant, antifungal, anticancer, anthelmintic, antibacterial, antimalarial, anti-inflammatory, antiglycation, anti-ulcerogenic, and analgesic potentials. A number of Schiff bases are reported for the detection of various metal ions. They are also used as catalysts, polymer stabilizers, intermediates in organic synthesis, and corrosion inhibitors. In this review, we have highlighted the recent advancements in the development of bioactive Schiff base derivatives and their sensing applications for detecting metal cations. Additionally, various spectroscopic techniques for structural characterization, such as X-ray diffraction analysis (XRD), FT-IR, UV-vis, and NMR spectroscopy were also discussed.
Workers’ perspectives on the effects of telework during the COVID-19 pandemic on their well-being: A qualitative study in Canada
Authors: Labrecque Charlotte , Lecours Alexandra , Gilbert Marie-Hélène , Boucher Frédérique
Published: November 2022

BACKGROUND: The COVID-19 pandemic caused an unprecedented health emergency across the world. Public health measures aimed at slowing the spread of the virus impose measures concerning physical distancing that citizens must observe. Thousands of workers quickly found themselves having to telework, with no preparation by their organizations. The literature reports the positive effects of teleworking on certain indicators of well-being, as well as best teleworking practices in a normal context. The urgent and unplanned nature of the switch to teleworking in a crisis may have changed the relationship between teleworking and well-being. OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to explore workers’ perspectives on teleworking in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic, regarding its effects on their well-being. METHODS: Following a descriptive interpretive research design, we collected qualitative data from 15 teleworkers via focus groups and individual interviews. Two researchers used a thematic analysis strategy to analyze the data. RESULTS: Data analysis led to identifying 16 factors that participants cited as influencing the well-being of teleworkers. These form eight categories: delays related to uncertainty, manager practices, organizational practices, social interactions, job characteristics, teleworking space, personal realities and personal practices. The results show the influence of interactions between work demands, control and social support on the well-being of workers. CONCLUSION: Because of its many advantages, organizations and their workers will increasingly engage in telework. The influences of telework on people’s well-being call for implementing concrete “best practices” that are applicable and that consider workers’ perspectives.
Los ojos sangrantes de Chile: Cómo las protestas callejeras forjaron un resonante símbolo de comunicación política
Authors: Álvarez Fuentes Mario
Published: November 2022

Este artículo describe el proceso de creación del símbolo de los ojos sangrantes en las protestas de Chile en octubre de 2019, cuando cientos de personas terminaron con daños oculares por balines disparados por la policía. Este momento de producción simbólica ha sido poco estudiado en el campo de la comunicación política. Se incorporan conceptos de la tradición culturalista de los estudios de movimientos sociales y se ofrece una observación etnográfica de las protestas que dieron lugar al símbolo.
United States Foreign Policy: Peace Agreement with the Taliban in 2020
Authors: Masta Awani Yamora
Published: November 2022

The events of 9/11 of 2001 led the United States to issue a Global War on Terror (GWOT) policy. One implementation of this policy is the war against Al-Qaeda groups under the Taliban regime in Afghanistan. The U.S. has launched several attacks against the Taliban, killing many U.S. soldiers and civil society in the region. After decades of fighting the Taliban with military force, the U.S. ultimately signed a peace treaty with the Taliban on February 29, 2020. Although the U.S. military is still at the forefront of warfare, it chooses to use a lenient approach to its war opponents. This research aims to determine the factors influencing the United States to enter a peace agreement with the Taliban in 2020. The theory used is the decision-making theory. This research will use the qualitative research method and data from scientific writings and credible news that discuss related or similar topics. The findings in this research imply that three factors impacted the peace agreement with the Taliban signed by The U.S. in 2020. They are domestic politics, economic and military capacity, and international context.
Cough, expiration and aspiration reflexes following kainic acid lesions to the pontine respiratory group in anaesthetized cats.
Authors: Poliaček I , Jakuš J , Stránsky A , Baráni H , Halašová E , Tomori Z
Published: November 2022

The importance of neurons in the pontine respiratory group for the generation of cough, expiration, and aspiration reflexes was studied on non-decerebrate spontaneously breathing cats under pentobarbitone anesthesia. The dysfunction of neurons in the pontine respiratory group produced by bilateral microinjection of kainic acid (neurotoxin) regularly abolished the cough reflexes evoked by mechanical stimulation of both the tracheobronchial and the laryngopharyngeal mucous membranes and the expiration reflex mechanically induced from the glottis. The aspiration reflex elicited by similar stimulation of the nasopharyngeal region persisted in 73% of tests, however, with a reduced intensity compared to the pre-lesion conditions. The pontine respiratory group seems to be an important source of the facilitatory inputs to the brainstem circuitries that mediate cough, expiration, and aspiration reflexes. Our results indicate the significant role of pons in the multilevel organization of brainstem networks in central integration of the aforementioned reflexes.
Assessment of the effectiveness and satisfaction of platelet-rich plasma compared with hyaluronic acid in knee osteoarthritis at minimum 7-year follow-up: A post hoc analysis of a randomized controlled trial
Authors: Wang Zhengming , Wang Rui , Xiang Sicheng , Gu Yong , Xu Ting , Jin Hengkai , Gu Xinbo , Tong Peijian , Zhan Hongsheng , Lv Shuaijie
Published: November 2022

Background: Knee osteoarthritis (KOA) can be effectively treated conservatively using platelet-rich plasma (PRP) injections into the affected joints. While the short-term therapeutic clinical benefits were well documented, the mid-term results remain undetermined. To clarify its efficacy, the mid-term clinical outcomes of intra-articular injections of either PRP or hyaluronic acid (HA) in KOA were compared.

Methods: One hundred patients who complied with the inclusion criteria were randomized to undergo once a week 3 weeks, intra-articular injections of either PRP or HA. Patients were evaluated before the injection, at 3, 6, and a mean of 78.9 months of follow-up. Eighty-five patients reached the final evaluation. Data on survival, re-intervention, pain, function, imaging, and satisfaction were collected and analyzed.

Results: With surgery for any reason as the endpoint, the cumulative survival rate of the PRP group was 90%, while that of the HA group was 74%. There was a significant difference between the two groups in the total re-intervention rate (56.7% vs 16.2%, p < 0.05). The comparative analyses showed significant intergroup differences in the visual analog scale (VAS) and the Western Ontario and McMaster Universities Arthritis Index (WOMAC) (p < 0.01, p < 0.05, respectively) at the final follow-up. And base on the regression analyses, the type of treatment, age, and Kellgren-Lawrence (K-L) grade served as statistically an independent determinants of VAS (p < 0.001, p = 0.034, p < 0.001, respectively). Likewise, those variables independently determined WOMAC in our study. However, no difference was observed in the imaging evaluation, containing the K-L grade and Cartilage Lesion Score, between the two groups (p > 0.05). Besides, the satisfaction treated by the PRP was 78.6%, with a superiority compared with HA (55.8%, p < 0.05), and no complications were noted in the whole treatment process among patients who participated.

Conclusion: PRP was more effective than HA in survival and re-intervention rates, VAS, and WOMAC, although there were no significant differences in the imaging evaluation between the two groups. Furthermore, patients treated with PRP were associated with higher satisfaction compared with HA.
Nanomaterials as carriers to improve the photodynamic antibacterial therapy
Authors: Liu Houhe , Jiang Yuan , Wang Zhen , Zhao Linping , Yin Qianqian , Liu Min
Published: November 2022

The main treatment for bacterial infections is antibiotic therapy, but the emergence of bacterial resistance has severely limited the efficacy of antibiotics. Therefore, another effective means of treating bacterial infections is needed to alleviate the therapeutic pressure caused by antibiotic resistance. Photodynamic antibacterial therapy (PDAT) has gradually entered people’s field of vision as an infection treatment method that does not depend on antibiotics. PDAT induces photosensitizers (PS) to produce reactive oxygen species (ROS) under light irradiation, and kills bacteria by destroying biological macromolecules at bacterial infection sites. In recent years, researchers have found that some nanomaterials delivering PS can improve PDAT through targeted delivery or synergistic therapeutic effect. Therefore, in this article, we will review the recent applications of several nanomaterials in PDAT, including metal nanoclusters, metal-organic frameworks, and other organic/inorganic nanoparticles, and discuss the advantages and disadvantage of these nanomaterials as carriers for delivery PS to further advance the development of PDAT.
Long-term change of the eruption activities of Sakurajima volcano, Japan, inferred from the fallout tephra deposits
Authors: Nishihara Ayumu , Geshi Nobuo , Naruo Hideto
Published: November 2022

Stratigraphic analysis of fallout tephra deposits in and around a volcano provides a framework for understanding the long-term temporal change in the volcano’s activities. Here, we reconstruct the evolution of the volcanic activities of Sakurajima volcano based on reconstructed tephra stratigraphy by original field surveys, compilations of geological and archeological data, and new 14C dating. We define three eruption stages of Stage 1 (30–24 ka), Stage 2 (12.8–4.8 ka), and Stage 3 (4.5 ka–present), based on a major hiatus and shifting of the volcanic centers. Stages 2 and 3 are further subdivided according to the predominant mode of volcanic activity. Revised distribution of tephra deposits indicates that a total of 14.5 km3 (5.8 km3 dense rock equivalent) of fallout tephra has erupted from Sakurajima. Among them, Stage 2a (13–8 ka) produced the largest volume of tephra fallout deposits, suggesting that Sakurajima peaked in magma discharge during Stage 2a (2.9 km3/kyr) and then decreased rapidly toward Stage 2b (8–4.8 ka; 0.07 km3/kyr). The eruption of large-volume tephra deposits in Stage 2a, followed by the development of a thick volcanic ash layer in Stage 2b, indicates the eruption style shifted from explosive pumice eruptions in Stage 2a to ash-producing Vulcanian activity in Stage 2b, with decreasing magma discharge rate. Thick volcanic ash deposits covered by several fallout tephra deposits during Stage 3 also reflect a shift in activity from repeated Vulcanian explosions with lava effusions in Stage 3a (4.5–1.6 ka) to predominantly pumice eruptions during the historical period (Stage 3b) with an increasing magma discharge rate. The case study of Sakurajima presented here demonstrates that the combined analysis of the distribution, stratigraphy, and age of pumice fall layers with the lava and pyroclastic cone deposits on the volcanic edifice is a powerful tool for deciphering the growth history of complex stratovolcanoes.
Spatial-temporal evolution and influencing factors of tourism eco-efficiency in China’s Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region
Authors: Li Yunyan , Zhang Ying
Published: November 2022

Tourism eco-efficiency is an important index to measure the sustainable development of the tourism industry. The super-SBM (slacked-based measure) model based on undesired output, geographical spatial analysis method, and panel Tobit regression model were used to explore the spatial-temporal evolution characteristics of tourism eco-efficiency and its influencing factors on 13 cities in China’s Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region from 2010 to 2019. The results reveal that: 1) During the study period, high-efficiency cities were mainly in Beijing, Tianjin, and their surrounding areas, and the number of these cities did not change, whereas low-efficiency areas were farther away from central cities, and the number of these cities increased earlier but decreased later. 2) The tourism eco-efficiency in the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region exhibits significant positive spatial autocorrelation characteristics, and the driving effect of the spatial radiation of high-efficiency cities on low-efficiency cities in the urban agglomeration is more obvious. 3) The levels of economic development, tourism industry structure, urbanization, and technological progress have a greater impact on tourism ecological efficiency.
Towards the development of source separation and valorization of human excreta? Emerging dynamics and prospects in France
Authors: Joveniaux Aurélie , Legrand Marine , Esculier Fabien , De Gouvello Bernard
Published: November 2022

The source separation of human excreta (urine and/or feces) offers an alternative to conventional sanitation systems (flush toilets/public sewers) that is appealing in several respects, especially in environmental terms and for agricultural purposes, as a source of natural fertilizer from local and renewable resources. In France, systems for the separate collection of human excreta have previously been confined to the rural sphere and mainly implemented at the individual scale. However, since the 2010s, experimental projects in excreta source separation have been observed in urban areas, at the scale of individual houses and collective buildings, or even neighborhoods. This article, drawing on interdisciplinary social science research conducted within the French research program OCAPI (on ecological transition in nutrition/excretion systems), investigates these innovative projects for the source separation of human excreta in urban areas. Our work lies on a territorial approach, based on a cross-sectional analysis of experimental projects in three cities (Paris, Bordeaux and Grenoble), complemented by the mobilization of the “multi-level perspective” and the “technological innovation systems” frameworks. We study the trajectory and factors of development of source separation in France, its implementation dynamics and territorialisation pathways. Our analysis shows that source separation is still in an emerging phase in France. It is currently experimented in cities through diversified projects and approaches. This diversity applies both to socio-technical choices and territorial embeddedness’ forms. Adopting a prospective point of view, we then point out main obstacles and drivers to the scaling-up of this innovative practice: beyond technical issues, shared social values, stakeholder alignment issues and organizational challenges are essential. Finally, we consider possible directions for its development, ranging from the spread of a homogeneous solution to the continuation of a diversity of approaches on different territories.
Examining paleobotanical databases: Revisiting trends in angiosperm folivory and unlocking the paleoecological promise of propensity score matching and specification curve analysis
Authors: Schachat Sandra R.
Published: November 2022

Paleobotany is at a crossroads. Long-term trends in the fossil record of plants, encompassing their interactions with herbivores and with the environment, are of the utmost relevance for predicting global change as pCO2 continues to rise. Large data compilations with the potential to elucidate those trends are increasingly easy to assemble and access. However, in contrast to modern ecology and unlike various other paleontological disciplines, paleobotany has a limited history of “big data” meta-analyses. Debates about how much data are needed to address particular questions, and about how to control for potential confounding variables, have not examined paleobotanical data. Here I demonstrate the importance of analytical best practices by applying them to a recent meta-analysis of fossil angiosperms. Two notable analytical methods discussed here are propensity score matching and specification curve analysis. The former has been used in the biomedical and behavioral sciences for decades; the latter is a more recent method of examining relationships between, and inherent biases among, models. Propensity score matching allows one to account for potential confounding variables in observational studies, and more fundamentally, provides a way to quantify whether it is possible to account for them. Specification curve analysis provides the opportunity to examine patterns across a variety of schemes for partitioning data—for example, whether fossil assemblages are binned temporally by stage, epoch, or period. To my knowledge, neither of these methods has been used previously in paleontology, however, their use permits more robust analysis of paleoecological datasets. In the example provided here, propensity score matching is used to separate latitudinal trends from differences in age, climate, and plant community composition. Specification curve analysis is used to examine the robustness of apparent latitudinal trends to the schema used for assigning fossil assemblages to latitudinal bins. These analytical methods have the potential to further unlock the promise of the plant fossil record for elucidating long-term ecological and evolutionary change.
SNP-based bulk segregant analysis revealed disease resistance QTLs associated with northern corn leaf blight in maize
Authors: Zhai Ruining , Huang Aihua , Mo Runxiu , Zou Chenglin , Wei Xinxing , Yang Meng , Tan Hua , Huang Kaijian , Qin Jie
Published: November 2022

Maize (Zea mays L.) is the most important food security crop worldwide. Northern corn leaf blight (NCLB), caused by Exserohilum turcicum, severely reduces production causing millions of dollars in losses worldwide. Therefore, this study aimed to identify significant QTLs associated with NCLB by utilizing next-generation sequencing-based bulked-segregant analysis (BSA). Parental lines GML71 (resistant) and Gui A10341 (susceptible) were used to develop segregating population F2. Two bulks with 30 plants each were further selected from the segregating population for sequencing along with the parental lines. High throughput sequencing data was used for BSA. We identified 10 QTLs on Chr 1, Chr 2, Chr 3, and Chr 5 with 265 non-synonymous SNPs. Moreover, based on annotation information, we identified 27 candidate genes in the QTL regions. The candidate genes associated with disease resistance include AATP1, At4g24790, STICHEL-like 2, BI O 3-BIO1, ZAR1, SECA2, ABCG25, LECRK54, MKK7, MKK9, RLK902, and DEAD-box ATP-dependent RNA helicase. The annotation information suggested their involvement in disease resistance-related pathways, including protein phosphorylation, cytoplasmic vesicle, protein serine/threonine kinase activity, and ATP binding pathways. Our study provides a substantial addition to the available information regarding QTLs associated with NCLB, and further functional verification of identified candidate genes can broaden the scope of understanding the NCLB resistance mechanism in maize.
Construction of the model for predicting prognosis by key genes regulating EGFR-TKI resistance
Authors: Zhuge Jinke , Wang Xiuqing , Li Jingtai , Wang Tongyuan , Wang Hongkang , Yang Mingxing , Dong Wen , Gao Yong
Published: November 2022

Background: Previous studies have suggested that patients with lung adenocarcinoma (LUAD) will significantly benefit from epidermal growth factor receptor tyrosine kinase inhibitors (EGFR-TKI). However, many LUAD patients will develop resistance to EGFR-TKI. Thus, our study aims to develop models to predict EGFR-TKI resistance and the LUAD prognosis.

Methods: Two Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) datasets (GSE31625 and GSE34228) were used as the discovery datasets to find the common differentially expressed genes (DEGs) in EGFR-TKI resistant LUAD profiles. The association of these common DEGs with LUAD prognosis was investigated in The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) database. Moreover, we constructed the risk score for prognosis prediction of LUAD by LASSO analysis. The performance of the risk score for predicting LUAD prognosis was calculated using an independent dataset (GSE37745). A random forest model by risk score genes was trained in the training dataset, and the diagnostic ability for distinguishing sensitive and EGFR-TKI resistant samples was validated in the internal testing dataset and external testing datasets (GSE122005, GSE80344, and GSE123066).

Results: From the discovery datasets, 267 common upregulated genes and 374 common downregulated genes were identified. Among these common DEGs, there were 59 genes negatively associated with prognosis, while 21 genes exhibited positive correlations with prognosis. Eight genes (ABCC2, ARL2BP, DKK1, FUT1, LRFN4, PYGL, SMNDC1, and SNAI2) were selected to construct the risk score signature. In both the discovery and independent validation datasets, LUAD patients with the higher risk score had a poorer prognosis. The nomogram based on risk score showed good performance in prognosis prediction with a C-index of 0.77. The expression levels of ABCC2, ARL2BP, DKK1, LRFN4, PYGL, SMNDC1, and SNAI2 were positively related to the resistance of EGFR-TKI. However, the expression level of FUT1 was favorably correlated with EGFR-TKI responsiveness. The RF model worked wonderfully for distinguishing sensitive and resistant EGFR-TKI samples in the internal and external testing datasets, with predictive area under the curves (AUC) of 0.973 and 0.817, respectively.

Conclusion: Our investigation revealed eight genes associated with EGFR-TKI resistance and provided models for EGFR-TKI resistance and prognosis prediction in LUAD patients.
Shared mechanisms of neural circuit disruption in tuberous sclerosis across lifespan: Bridging neurodevelopmental and neurodegenerative pathology
Authors: Litwa Karen
Published: November 2022

Tuberous Sclerosis (TS) is a rare genetic disorder manifesting with multiple benign tumors impacting the function of vital organs. In TS patients, dominant negative mutations inTSC1orTSC2increase mTORC1 activity. Increased mTORC1 activity drives tumor formation, but also severely impacts central nervous system function, resulting in infantile seizures, intractable epilepsy, and TS-associated neuropsychiatric disorders, including autism, attention deficits, intellectual disability, and mood disorders. More recently, TS has also been linked with frontotemporal dementia. In addition to TS, accumulating evidence implicates increased mTORC1 activity in the pathology of other neurodevelopmental and neurodegenerative disorders. Thus, TS provides a unique disease model to address whether developmental neural circuit abnormalities promote age-related neurodegeneration, while also providing insight into the therapeutic potential of mTORC1 inhibitors for both developing and degenerating neural circuits. In the following review, we explore the ability of both mouse and human brain organoid models to capture TS pathology, elucidate disease mechanisms, and shed light on how neurodevelopmental alterations may later contribute to age-related neurodegeneration.
The role of the intestinal microbiome in antiphospholipid syndrome
Authors: van Mourik Dagmar J. M. , Salet Dorien M. , Middeldorp Saskia , Nieuwdorp Max , van Mens Thijs E.
Published: November 2022

The antiphospholipid syndrome (APS) is a thrombotic autoimmune disease in which the origin of the disease-characterizing autoantibodies is unknown. Increased research effort into the role of the intestinal microbiome in autoimmunity has produced new insights in this field. This scoping review focusses on the gut microbiome in its relation to APS. EMBASE and MEDLINE were searched for original studies with relevance to the relation between the gut microbiome and APS. Thirty studies were included. Work on systemic lupus erythematosus, which strongly overlaps with APS, has shown that patients often display an altered gut microbiome composition, that the disease is transferable with the microbiome, and that microbiome manipulation affects disease activity in murine lupus models. The latter has also been shown for APS, although data on microbiome composition is less consistent. APS patients do display an altered intestinal IgA response. Evidence has accrued for molecular mimicry as an explanatory mechanism for these observations in APS and other autoimmune diseases. Specific gut microbes express proteins with homology to immunodominant APS autoantigens. The disease phenotype appears to be dependent on these mimicking proteins in an APS mouse model, and human APS B- and T-cells indeed cross-react with these mimics. Pre-clinical evidence furthermore suggests that diet may influence autoimmunity through the microbiome, as may microbial short chain fatty acid production, though this has not been studied in APS. Lastly, the microbiome has been shown to affect key drivers of thrombosis, and may thus affect APS severity through non-immunological mechanisms. Overall, these observations demonstrate the impact of the intestinal microbiome on autoimmunity and the importance of understanding its role in APS.
Strengthened multi-stakeholder linkages in valuation studies is critical for improved decision making outcomes for valuable mangroves – The Malaysian case study
Authors: Lee Soon Loong , Then Amy Yee-Hui , Goh Hong Ching , Hattam Caroline , Edwards-Jones Andrew , Austen Melanie C.
Published: November 2022

Mangrove forests in Southeast Asia are continuously declining as a result of unsustainable practices, partly due to limited recognition of the value of mangrove services in land use decision making. Valuation practitioners have assumed that monetary valuation should inform local and national decision makers to ensure sustainable management of mangrove resources. For ecosystem service valuation to be of use to decision makers, best practices should be adhered to such as having straightforward policy questions and strong stakeholder engagement from the onset of valuation studies, suitable choice of valuation methodologies, and the ability to effectively demonstrate causal links between drivers of ecosystem health, change, and resource users. This study, focusing on the Malaysian case study, assessed the effectiveness and challenges of local ecosystem service valuation studies in informing mangrove management decisions against a set of global best practices. A systematic review approach was undertaken to identify relevant Malaysian mangrove ecosystem service valuation studies. Of 184 studies identified, only 17 provided monetary values for mangrove ecosystem services. These studies valued nine different mangrove ecosystem services, with the cultural ecosystem services of tourism being the most frequently valued. Most of the valuation studies were designed to raise awareness of the value of ecosystems (64.7%). Other intended uses included determining appropriate charging rates for mangrove uses (17.6%), comparing the costs and benefits of different environmental uses (11.8%), and providing a justification and support for certain decision making (5.9%). Overall, mangrove valuation studies in Malaysia were characterized by weak multi-stakeholder engagement, non-standardized valuation units across the whole country, limited dissemination of the valuation outcome, and cursory references to the potential use of mangrove ecosystem services. Most of the studies did not exert apparent influence on mangrove management. Future valuation studies in Malaysia and the Southeast Asian region should aim to build more robust engagement between valuation practitioners and key stakeholder groups, especially decision makers, at all stages of the study process and incorporate a clear dissemination strategy for sharing results.
Ureaplasma urealyticum infection presenting as altered mental status in a post-chemotherapy patient: Case report and literature review
Authors: Kok Eunice J. Y. , Lee Y. L.
Published: November 2022

Hyperammonemia due to Ureaplasma infection is rare but often fatal, largely due to the delayed recognition, diagnosis, and treatment of the condition. It has mostly been described in solid organ transplant patients in the literature. This case presents the diagnostic challenge of an immunocompromised patient with previous resected pancreatic head adenocarcinoma and chemotherapy, presenting with altered mental status due to hyperammonemia from Ureaplasma infection. It is imperative to consider this condition in unexplained hyperammonemia, especially in immunocompromised patients. Timely diagnosis of this condition can help to reduce complications from encephalopathy such as cerebral edema and seizures.
Serial analyses of clinical spectra and outcomes in Chinese women with pregnancy-induced optic neuritis
Authors: Bai Wenhao , Sun Mingming , Song Honglu , Li Hongen , Xu Xintong , Chen Xiyun , Zhao Yixuan , Chen Biyue , Yao Sheng , Xu Quangang , Wei Shihui , Zhou Huanfen , Yu Shengyuan
Published: November 2022

Objective

This study aimed to investigate the clinical spectra and outcomes in pregnancy-related optic neuritis (ON).

Methods

We analyzed the clinical subtype and prognosis of women with pregnancy-related ON in the neuro-ophthalmology department of the First Medical Center at the Chinese PLA General Hospital from January 2014 to December 2019.

Results

A total of 54 patients, including 21 (38.9%) with idiopathic ON (ION), 27 (50.0%) with aquaporin-4 (AQP4)-ON, and 6 (11.6%) with myelin oligodendrocyte glycoprotein (MOG)-ON, who experienced 58 informative pregnancies and 67 episodes of pregnancy-related ON were assessed. Among the ON attacks, there were 11 (16.4%) during pregnancy and 56 (83.6%) within 1 year postpartum (PP1) or after abortion, including 33 (49.3%) in the first trimester. In total, 14 (25.9%) patients with ON onset before pregnancy had a higher relapse rate during PP1 than within 1 year before pregnancy (p = 0.021), and 24 (85.7%) eyes with ION and nine (100%) with MOG-ON had significantly better visual outcomes (p ≥ 0.5) than those with AQP4-ON (14, 35%) (p < 0.001 and p < 0.001, respectively). Two AQP4-ON patients had premature birth and low baby weight, respectively. There were no birth defects or stillbirths.

Conclusion

The significantly increased relapse rate and numerous cases of ON after pregnancy suggest that delivery adversely affects the course of ON.
High-flow nasal oxygen in acute hypoxemic respiratory failure: A narrative review of the evidence before and after the COVID-19 pandemic
Authors: Genecand Léon , Agoritsas Thomas , Ehrensperger Charlotte , Kharat Aileen , Marti Christophe
Published: November 2022

High-flow nasal oxygen (HFNO) is a type of non-invasive advanced respiratory support that allows the delivery of high-flow and humidified air through a nasal cannula. It can deliver a higher inspired oxygen fraction than conventional oxygen therapy (COT), improves secretion clearance, has a small positive end-expiratory pressure, and exhibits a washout effect on the upper air space that diminishes dead space ventilation. HFNO has been shown to reduce the work of breathing in acute hypoxemic respiratory failure (AHRF) and has become an interesting option for non-invasive respiratory support. Evidence published before the COVID-19 pandemic suggested a possible reduction of the need for invasive mechanical ventilation compared to COT. The COVID-19 pandemic has resulted in a substantial increase in AHRF worldwide, overwhelming both acute and intensive care unit capacity in most countries. This triggered new trials, adding to the body of evidence on HFNO in AHRF and its possible benefits compared to COT or non-invasive ventilation. We have summarized and discussed this recent evidence to inform the best supportive strategy in AHRF both related and unrelated to COVID-19.
Achog1 is required for the asexual sporulation, stress responses and pigmentation of Aspergillus cristatus
Authors: Shao Lei , Tan Yumei , Song Shiying , Wang Yuchen , Liu Yongxiang , Huang Yonghui , Ren Xiyi , Liu Zuoyi
Published: November 2022

Aspergillus cristatus is the dominant fungus during the fermentation of Fuzhuan brick tea; hypotonic conditions only induce its sexual development to produce ascospores, while hypertonic conditions only induce its asexual development to produce conidia, indicating that osmotic stress can regulate spore production in A. cristatus. However, the underlying regulatory mechanism is unclear. In this study, the role of Achog1, which is homologous to hog1 from Saccharomyces cerevisiae, in sporulation, different kinds of stress responses and pigment production was investigated. Deletion mutants of Achog1 were obtained by homologous recombination. Phenotypic observations showed that the time required to produce conidia was delayed, and the number of conidia produced was significantly reduced in the deletion mutants of Achog1 in hypertonic media, indicating that Achog1 plays a positive role in asexual development. Stress sensitivity tests showed that ΔAchog1 strains were sensitive to hyperosmolarity, and the order of the sensitivity of ΔAchog1 to different osmotic regulators was 3 M sucrose >3 M NaCl >3 M sorbitol. Moreover, the deletion mutants were sensitive to high oxidative stress. pH sensitivity tests indicated that Achog1 inhibited the growth of A. cristatus under alkaline stress. Additionally, pigmentation was decreased in the Achog1 deletion mutants compared with the WT. All the above developmental defects were reversed by the reintroduction of the Achog1 gene in ΔAchog1. Pull-down and LC–MS/MS analysis showed that the expression levels of proteins interacting with Achog1 were significantly different under low and high osmotic stress, and proteins related to conidial development were present only in the cultures treated with hyperosmotic stress. Transcription profiling data showed that Achog1 suppressed the expression of several genes related to asexual development, osmotic and oxidative stress resistance. On the basis of gene knockout, pull-down mass spectrometry and RNA-seq analyses, a regulatory pathway for Achog1 was roughly identified in A. cristatus.
The association between the severity and distribution of white matter lesions and hemorrhagic transformation after ischemic stroke: A systematic review and meta-analysis
Authors: Wang Youjie , Bai Xueling , Ye Chen , Yu Yifan , Wu Bo
Published: November 2022

Background and purpose

As a part of the natural course of ischemic stroke, hemorrhagic transformation (HT) is a serious complication after reperfusion treatment, which may affect the prognosis of patients with ischemic stroke. White matter lesions (WMLs) refer to focal lesions on neuroimaging and have been suggested to indicate a high risk of HT. This systematic review and meta-analysis aimed to summarize current evidence on the relation between WML and HT.

Methods

This systematic review was prepared with reference to the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines. We searched PubMed, Embase, Web of Science, and Cochrane Library databases for publications on WML and HT in patients with ischemic stroke. Odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) from eligible studies were combined to quantify the association between the severity of WML and the risk of HT. In addition, the descriptive analysis was adopted to evaluate the influence of different WML distributions on predicting HT.

Results

A total of 2,303 articles were identified after removing duplicates through database searching, and 41 studies were included in our final analysis. The meta-analysis showed that the presence of WML was associated with HT (OR = 1.62, 95%CI 1.08–2.43, p = 0.019) and symptomatic intracerebral hemorrhage (sICH) (OR = 1.64, 95%CI 1.17–2.30, p = 0.004), and moderate-to-severe WML indicated a high risk of HT (OR = 2.03, 95%CI 1.33–3.12, p = 0.001) and sICH (OR = 1.92, 95%CI 1.31–2.81, p < 0.001). The dose–response meta-analysis revealed risk effects of increasing the severity of WML on both HT and ICH. In addition, both periventricular WML (PWML) (five of seven articles) and deep WML (DWML) (five of six articles) were shown to be associated with HT.

Conclusions

White matter lesions are associated with overall HT and sICH in patients with ischemic stroke, and more severe WMLs indicate a high risk of HT and sICH. In addition, both PWML and DWMLs could be risk factors for HT.

Systematic review registration

https://www.crd.york.ac.uk/prospero/, identifier: PROSPERO CRD42022313467.
Context effects in language comprehension: The role of emotional state and attention on semantic and syntactic processing
Authors: Chwilla Dorothee J.
Published: November 2022

Semantics and syntax are core components of language. The prevailing view was that processing of word meaning and syntactic processing happens in isolation from other systems. In light of proofed interactions between language and other systems, especially with perception, action and emotion, this view became untenable. This article reviews Event-related potential studies conducted at the Donders Centre for Cognition exploring the interplay between language comprehension and a person’s emotional state. The research program was aimed at an investigation of the online effects of emotional state on semantic processing and syntactic processing. To this aim we manipulated mood via film fragments (happy vs. sad) before participants read neutral sentences while their EEG was recorded. In Part 1, it is shown that mood impacts online semantic processing (as indicated by N400) and the processing of syntactic violations (as indicated by P600). Part 2 was directed at a further determination of the mechanisms underlying these interactions. The role of heuristics was examined by investigating the effects of mood on the P600 to semantic reversals. The results revealed that mood affects heuristic processing. The next step consisted of an assessment of the role of attention, in the mood-by-semantics and mood-by-syntax interaction. This was accomplished by recording EEG while manipulating attention via task next to emotional state. Participants performed a semantic or syntactic judgment task vs. a letter-size judgment task. The main ERP results were as follows: (i) attention interacts with the mood effect on semantic processing and syntactic processing, respectively, (ii) the effects of mood on semantic processing and syntactic processing are reliable, and (iii) the mood effects on semantic processing are not fixed but context-dependent. In Part 3 the effects of mood on the processing of script knowledge and general world knowledge are presented. Part 4 closes with a discussion of the mechanisms involved in the mood-by-language interactions and recommendations for future research. Regarding the underlying mechanism we propose that heuristics based on semantic expectancies or syntactic expectancies play a key role in the mood-by-language interactions. The results support the view that language takes place in continuous interaction with other (non-language) systems.
A time-frequency denoising method for single-channel event-related EEG
Authors: Yan Wenqiang , Wu Yongcheng
Published: November 2022

Introduction

Electroencephalogram (EEG) acquisition is easily affected by various noises, including those from electrocardiogram (ECG), electrooculogram (EOG), and electromyogram (EMG). Because noise interference can significantly limit the study and analysis of brain signals, there is a significant need for the development of improved methods to remove this interference for more accurate measurement of EEG signals.

Methods

Based on the non-linear and non-stationary characteristics of brain signals, a strategy was developed to denoise brain signals using a time-frequency denoising algorithm framework of short-time Fourier transform (STFT), bidimensional empirical mode decomposition (BEMD), and non-local means (NLM). Time-frequency analysis can reveal the signal frequency component and its evolution process, allowing the elimination of noise according to the signal and noise distribution. BEMD can be used to decompose the time-frequency signals into sub-time-frequency signals for noise removal at different scales. NLM relies on structural self-similarity to locally smooth an image to remove noise and restore its main geometric structure, making this method appropriate for time-frequency signal denoising.

Results

The experimental results show that the proposed method can effectively suppress the high-frequency components of brain signals, resulting in a smoother brain signal waveform after denoising. The correlation coefficient of the reference signal, a superposition average of multiple trial signals, and the original single trial signal was determined, and then correlation coefficients were calculated between the reference signal and single trial signals processed by time-frequency denoising, ensemble empirical mode decomposition (EEMD)-independent component analysis (ICA), EEMD-canonical correlation analysis (CCA), and wavelet threshold denoising methods. The correlation coefficient was highest for the signal processed by the time-frequency denoising method and the reference signal, indicating that the single trial signal after time-frequency denoising was most similar to the waveform of the reference signal and suggesting this is a feasible strategy to effectively reduce noise and more accurately determine signals.

Discussion

The proposed time-frequency denoising method exhibits excellent performance with promising potential for practical application.
Case report: A rare case of neutropenia caused by pembrolizumab in squamous lung cancer and literature review
Authors: Tan Qiaoyun , Liu Lichao , Huang Yu , Dong Xiaorong , Chen Lingjuan
Published: November 2022

Background

Immune checkpoint inhibitors, including anti-PD-1 therapies, have prolonged overall survival in patients with a variety of cancers, and immunotherapy is sometimes associated with immune-related adverse events (irAEs); however, hematological toxicity, especially neutropenia, is rare.

Case presentation

A 78-year-old man with squamous lung cancer, with brain metastasis, was treated with pembrolizumab and albumin-bound paclitaxel as first-line treatment for one cycle and changed to pembrolizumab plus anlotinib at the second cycle. After two therapy cycles, grade 4 neutropenia developed, which mainly contributed to irAEs. The patient was started on granulocyte colony-stimulating factor (G-CSF) but did not improve; he was then treated with corticosteroids, and neutrophil counts gradually returned to normal levels. However, the patient eventually died because of neurological problems.

Conclusion

Grade 4 neutropenia associated with ICI, although rare, is often severe and presents with infectious complications; it needs to be diagnosed early, and clinicians should ensure prompt and proper management to such patients.
Plant community assembly is jointly shaped by environmental and dispersal filtering along elevation gradients in a semiarid area, China
Authors: Zheng Jie , Arif Muhammad , He Xinrui , Ding Dongdong , Zhang Songlin , Ni Xilu , Li Changxiao
Published: November 2022

Environmental filtering (EF) and dispersal filtering (DF) are widely known to shape plant community assembly. Particularly in arid and semi-arid mountainous regions, however, it remains unclear whether EF or DF dominate in the community assembly of different life forms or how they interact along elevational gradients. This research aims to reveal how different ecological processes influence herbaceous and woody community assembly and how they respond to various environmental drivers and elevational gradients. Here we integrated taxonomic diversity (TD), phylogenetic diversity (PD), and ecological drivers across an elevational gradient of 1,420 m in the Helan Mountain Nature Reserve, in typical arid and semi-arid areas of China. This study showed that the TD and PD of herbaceous communities significantly increase linearly with changing elevation gradients, while woody ‘TD’ showed a unimodal pattern, and there was little relationship between woody ‘PD’ and elevation. Herbaceous species exhibited significant phylogenetic clustering at low elevations, where they were influenced by climate, aspect, and tree cover. However, woody species exhibited random patterns across elevations. Herbaceous and woody species’ taxonomic and phylogenetic beta diversity is governed primarily by spatial turnover rather than nestedness. Spatial turnover is caused primarily by EF and DF’s combined influence, but their relative importance differs between herbaceous and woody communities. Therefore, we conclude that the responses of herbaceous and woody plants along elevation gradients in the Helan Mountains are decoupled due to their different adaptation strategies to climate factors in the drylands. These findings are important for understanding the assembly mechanisms driving plant communities in dryland under the context of dramatic increases in drought driven by climate warming.