bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Endovascular Treatment of Complex Intracranial Aneurysms With LEO+ Stents: The LEO II Cohort Study
Authors: Eker Omer F. , Levrier Olivier , Houdart Emmanuel , Bonja Marianne , Herbreteau Denis , Bonafé Alain , Desal Hubert ,   the LEO+ II Investigators
Published: June 2022

Introduction

Stent-assisted coiling is an established treatment option for intracranial aneurysms, particularly, wide neck aneurysms with complex anatomy. The purpose of the present study was to assess the safety and efficacy of LEO+ stents in the treatment of intracranial aneurysms.

Materials and Methods

A prospective, observational, multicenter study including 12 centers was performed on patients with ruptured, unruptured, and recanalized intracranial aneurysms treated with LEO+ stents. The primary efficacy endpoint was the rate of complete aneurysmal occlusion at 18 months post-procedure, and the primary safety endpoint was the morbidity and mortality at 18 months post-procedure.

Results

From March 2015 to June 2017, 176 patients were enrolled (mean age of 54.8 ± 11.5 years; 65.9% women). The aneurysms were located mainly in the anterior communicating artery (29.2%) and the middle cerebral artery (28.6%). They were mostly saccular (94%), with a mean dome size of 5.3 ± 2.6 mm and a mean aspect ratio of 1.2 ± 1.0. In total, 3% of the aneurysms were treated in the acute phase of rupture. Complete/nearly complete aneurysmal occlusion and major recanalization were observed in 89% (n = 146/164) and 1.8% (n = 3/164) of patients at 18-month follow-up, respectively. The LEO+ related mortality rate was 0.6% (n = 1/170), the morbidity rate was 4.1% (n = 7/170), and these patients were mRS 0–2 at 18 months.

Conclusion

Our results reflecting the use of LEO+ stents in real-world conditions confirm the efficacy and safety of LEO+ stents in the management of complex intracranial aneurysms.
Uncovering a Genetic Polymorphism Located in Huntingtin Associated Protein 1 in Modulation of Central Pain Sensitization Signaling Pathways
Authors: Gloor Yvonne , Matthey Alain , Sobo Komla , Mouterde Médéric , Kosek Eva , Pickering Gisèle , Poloni Estella S. , Cedraschi Christine , Ehret Georg , Desmeules Jules A.
Published: June 2022

Fibromyalgia syndrome (FMS) is characterized by widespread pain and increased sensitivity to nociceptive stimulus or tenderness. While familial aggregation could suggest a potential hereditary component in FMS development, isolation of genetic determinants has proven difficult due to the multi-factorial nature and complexity of the syndrome. Central sensitization is thought to be one of the key mechanisms leading to FMS in a subset of patients. Enhanced central pain signaling can be measured using the Nociceptive Flexion Reflex (NFR) or RIII threshold. We performed a genome-wide association study (GWAS) using an array to genotype 258,756 human genetic polymorphisms in 225 FMS patients and 77 healthy volunteers and searched for genetic variants associated with a lowered NFR threshold. We have identified a potential association between a single nucleotide polymorphism resulting in a common non-synonymous coding mutation in the Huntingtin associated protein 1 (HAP1) gene (rs4796604, MAF = 0.5) and the NFR threshold (p = 4.78E−06). The Hap1 protein is involved in trafficking and is particularly enriched in neurons. Our results suggest a possible involvement of the neuronal trafficking protein HAP1 in modulating pain signaling pathways and thus participate in the establishment of the NFR threshold.
Disruption of Cerebellar–Cerebral Functional Connectivity in Temporal Lobe Epilepsy and the Connection to Language and Cognitive Functions
Authors: Pang Linlin , Fan Binglin , Chen Zirong , Chen Zexiang , Lv Caitiao , Zheng Jinou
Published: June 2022

Objective

To investigate the changes in the cerebellar-cerebral language network in temporal lobe epilepsy (TLE) patients from the cerebellar perspective, the research analyzes the changes of language and cognitive network in terms of functional connectivity (FC), as well as their efficiency of the reorganization were evaluated basing on relationship between the network metrics and neuropsychological scale scores.

Methods

30 TLE patients and 30 healthy controls were recruited. Brain activity was evaluated by voxel-mirrored homotopic connectivity analysis (VMHC). Two groups were analyzed and compared in terms of language FC using the following methods: Seed-to-Voxel analysis, pairwise correlations [region of interest(ROI)-to-ROI] and graph theory. Correlation analysis was performed between network properties and neuropsychological score.

Results

Compared with healthy participants, VMHC values in the Cerebellum Anterior Lobe, Frontal Lobe, Frontal_Sup_R/L, Cingulum_Ant_R/L, and Cingulum_Mid_R/L were decreased in TLE patients. Decreased FC was observed from the Cerebelum_10_R to the left inferior frontal gyrus, from the Cerebelum_6_R to the left Lingual Gyrus, from the Cerebelum_4_5_R to left Lingual Gyrus, left Cuneal Cortex and Precuneous Cortex, from the Cerebelum_3_R to Brain-Stem, and from the Cerebelum_Crus1_L to Cerebelum_6_R in TLE patients. The FC was enhanced between bilateral Cingulum_Mid and angular gyrus and frontoparietal insular cranium, between Frontal_Sup_Med L and left/right superior temporal gyrus (pSTG l/r), while it was decreased between left middle temporal gyrus and pSTG l/r. Compared with controls, the Betweenness Centrality (BC) of the right superior marginal gyrus (SMG), Temporal_Pole_Mid_R and Temporal_Mid_L as well as the Degree Centrality (DC) and Nodal Efficiency (NE) of the right SMG were lower in TLE patients. Further analysis showed that decreased VMHC in bilateral Cerebellum Anterior Lobe was positively correlated with the Boston Naming Test score in TLE patients, but it was negatively correlated with the Verbal Fluency Test score. The NE and DC of SMG_R were both negatively correlated with visual perception score in Montreal Cognitive Assessment.

Conclusion

Our results suggest that presence of abnormalities in the static functional connectivity and the language and cognitive network of TLE patients. Cerebellum potentially represents an intervention target for delaying or improving language and cognitive deficits in patients with TLE.
Cerebral Organoids and Antisense Oligonucleotide Therapeutics: Challenges and Opportunities
Authors: Lange Jenny , Zhou Haiyan , McTague Amy
Published: June 2022

The advent of stem cell-derived cerebral organoids has already advanced our understanding of disease mechanisms in neurological diseases. Despite this, many remain without effective treatments, resulting in significant personal and societal health burden. Antisense oligonucleotides (ASOs) are one of the most widely used approaches for targeting RNA and modifying gene expression, with significant advancements in clinical trials for epilepsy, neuromuscular disorders and other neurological conditions. ASOs have further potential to address the unmet need in other neurological diseases for novel therapies which directly target the causative genes, allowing precision treatment. Induced pluripotent stem cell (iPSC) derived cerebral organoids represent an ideal platform in which to evaluate novel ASO therapies. In patient-derived organoids, disease-causing mutations can be studied in the native genetic milieu, opening the door to test personalized ASO therapies and n-of-1 approaches. In addition, CRISPR-Cas9 can be used to generate isogenic iPSCs to assess the effects of ASOs, by either creating disease-specific mutations or correcting available disease iPSC lines. Currently, ASO therapies face a number of challenges to wider translation, including insufficient uptake by distinct and preferential cell types in central nervous system and inability to cross the blood brain barrier necessitating intrathecal administration. Cerebral organoids provide a practical model to address and improve these limitations. In this review we will address the current use of organoids to test ASO therapies, opportunities for future applications and challenges including those inherent to cerebral organoids, issues with organoid transfection and choice of appropriate read-outs.
Real-Time 2D MR Cine From Beam Eye’s View With Tumor-Volume Projection to Ensure Beam-to-Tumor Conformality for MR-Guided Radiotherapy of Lung Cancer
Authors: Nie Xingyu , Li Guang
Published: June 2022

Purpose

To minimize computation latency using a predictive strategy to retrieve and project tumor volume onto 2D MR beam eye’s view (BEV) cine from time-resolved four-dimensional magnetic resonance imaging (TR-4DMRI) libraries (inhalation/exhalation) for personalized MR-guided intensity-modulated radiotherapy (IMRT) or volumetric-modulated arc therapy (VMAT).

Methods

Two time-series forecasting algorithms, autoregressive (AR) modeling and deep-learning-based long short-term memory (LSTM), were applied to predict the diaphragm position in the next 2D BEV cine to identify a motion-matched and hysteresis-accounted image to retrieve the tumor volume from the inhalation/exhalation TR-4DMRI libraries. Three 40-s TR-4DMRI (2 Hz, 3 × 80 images) per patient of eight lung cancer patients were used to create patient-specific inhalation/exhalation 4DMRI libraries, extract diaphragmatic waveforms, and interpolate them to f = 4 and 8 Hz to match 2D cine frame rates. Along a (40•f)-timepoint waveform, 30•f training timepoints were moved forward to produce 3×(10•f-1) predictions. The accuracy of position prediction was assessed against the waveform ground truth. The accuracy of tumor volume projections was evaluated using the center-of-mass difference (∆COM) and Dice similarity index against the TR-4DMRI ground truth for both IMRT (six beam angles, 30° interval) and VMAT (240/480 beam angles, 1.5°/0.75° interval, at 4/8 Hz, respectively).

Results

The accuracy of the first-timepoint prediction is 0.36 ± 0.10 mm (AR) and 0.62 ± 0.21 mm (LSTM) at 4 Hz and 0.06 ± 0.02 mm (AR) and 0.18 ± 0.06 mm (LSTM) at 8 Hz. A 10%–20% random error in prediction-library matching increases the overall uncertainty slightly. For both IMRT and VMAT, the accuracy of projected tumor volume contours on 2D BEV cine is ∆COM = 0.39 ± 0.13 mm and DICE = 0.97 ± 0.02 at 4 Hz and ∆COM = 0.10 ± 0.04 mm and DICE = 1.00 ± 0.00 at 8Hz.

Conclusion

This study demonstrates the feasibility of accurately predicting respiratory motion during 2D BEV cine imaging, identifying a motion-matched and hysteresis-accounted tumor volume, and projecting tumor volume contour on 2D BEV cine for real-time assessment of beam-to-tumor conformality, promising for optimal personalized MR-guided radiotherapy.
A Pilot, Prospective, Observational Study to Investigate the Value of NGS in Liquid Biopsies to Predict Tumor Response After Neoadjuvant Chemo-Radiotherapy in Patients With Locally Advanced Rectal Cancer: The LiBReCa Study
Authors: Roesel Raffaello , Epistolio Samantha , Molinari Francesca , Saletti Piercarlo , De Dosso Sara , Valli Mariacarla , Franzetti-Pellanda Alessandra , Deantonio Letizia , Biggiogero Maira , Spina Paolo , Popeskou Sotirios Georgios , Cristaudi Alessandra , Mongelli Francesco , Mazzucchelli Luca , Stefanini Federico Mattia , Frattini Milo , Christoforidis Dimitri
Published: June 2022

Introduction

Circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA) correlates with the response to therapy in different types of cancer. However, in patients with locally advanced rectal cancer (LARC), little is known about how ctDNA levels change with neoadjuvant chemoradiation (Na-ChRT) and how they correlate with treatment response. This work aimed to explore the value of serial liquid biopsies in monitoring response after Na-ChRT with the hypothesis that this could become a reliable biomarker to identify patients with a complete response, candidates for non-operative management.

Materials and Methods

Twenty-five consecutive LARC patients undergoing long-term Na-ChRT therapy were included. Applying next-generation sequencing (NGS), we characterized DNA extracted from formalin-fixed paraffin embedded diagnostic biopsy and resection tissue and plasma ctDNA collected at the following time points: the first and last days of radiotherapy (T0, Tend), at 4 (T4), 7 (T7) weeks after radiotherapy, on the day of surgery (Top), and 3–7 days after surgery (Tpost-op). On the day of surgery, a mesenteric vein sample was also collected (TIMV). The relationship between the ctDNA at those time-points and the tumor regression grade (TRG) of the surgical specimen was statistically explored.

Results

We found no association between the disappearance of ctDNA mutations in plasma samples and pathological complete response (TRG1) as ctDNA was undetectable in the majority of patients from Tend on. However, we observed that the poor (TRG 4) response to Na-ChRT was significantly associated with a positive liquid biopsy at the Top.

Conclusions

ctDNA evaluation by NGS technology may identify LARC patients with poor response to Na-ChRT. In contrast, this technique does not seem useful for identifying patients prone to developing a complete response.
The Immediate and Lasting Effects of Resident Summer Camp on Movement Behaviors Among Children
Authors: Kidokoro Tetsuhiro , Minatoya Yuji , Imai Natsuko , Shikano Akiko , Noi Shingo
Published: June 2022

This study aims to examine the immediate and lasting effects of resident summer camp on movement behaviors among children with repeated pre-, during-, and post-intervention measurements. In total, 21 children (aged 10.3 ± 1.2 years, 17 boys and 4 girls) participated in a 31-day nature-based resident summer camp in Japan. Daily children's movement behaviors (moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA), sedentary behavior (SB), and sleep) were continuously monitored before, during, and after the summer camp (i.e., 75 continuous days). It was found that the children engaged more time in MVPA (9.6%), less time in SB (58.0%), had more steps (22,405 steps/day), and an earlier midpoint of sleep (0:24 a.m.) in the summer camp as compared to the other periods (before and after the camp). However, the children engaged in unfavorable behaviors [reduction in MVPA (3.6%), increased SB (67.3%), and a later midpoint of sleep (1:32 a.m.)] during the summer vacation after the camp. This study indicates that the resident summer camp was effective in improving children's movement behaviors during the camp. However, the lasting effects were negligible or at least limited after its completion.
Just Drink a Glass of Water? Effects of Bicarbonate–Sulfate–Calcium–Magnesium Water on the Gut–Liver Axis
Authors: Gravina Antonietta Gerarda , Romeo Mario , Pellegrino Raffaele , Tuccillo Concetta , Federico Alessandro , Loguercio Carmelina
Published: June 2022

Background and Aim: Fonte Essenziale® water is a bicarbonate–sulfate–calcium–magnesium water, low in sodium, recognized by the Italian health care system in hydropinotherapy and hepatobiliary dyspepsia therapy. We wanted to explore its effects on the gut–liver axis and microbiota in non-alcoholic fatty liver disease patients.

Patients and Methods: We considered enrollment for 70 patients, of which four were excluded. We finally enrolled 55 patients with ultrasound-documented steatosis (SPs+) and 11 patients without it (SPs−). They then drank 400 ml of water for 6 months in the morning on an empty stomach. Routine hematochemical and metabolic parameters, oxidative stress parameters, gastrointestinal hormone levels, and fecal parameters of the gut microbiota were evaluated at three different assessment times, at baseline (T0), after 6 months (T6), and after a further 6 months of water washout (T12). We lost, in follow-up, 4 (T6) and 22 (T12) patients.

Results: Between T0–T6, we observed a significant Futuin A and Selenoprotein A decrease and a GLP-1 and PYY increase in SPs+ and the same for Futuin A and GLP-1 in SPs−. Effects were lost at T12. In SPs+, between T0–T12 and T6–12, a significant reduction in Blautia was observed; between T0–T12, a reduction of Collinsella unc. was observed; and between T0–T12 and T6–12, an increase in Subdoligranulum and Dorea was observed. None of the bacterial strains we analyzed varied significantly in the SPs− population.

Conclusion: These results indicate beneficial effects of water on gastrointestinal hormones and hence on the gut–liver axis in the period in which subjects drank water both in SPs− and in SPs+.
Lipid-Lowering Effects of Carob Extracts (Ceratonia siliqua): Proposed Mechanisms and Clinical Importance
Authors: Nemet Marko , Vasilić Milica , Tomas Ana
Published: June 2022

The global prevalence of dyslipidemia (elevated plasma levels of total cholesterol, LDL-Cholesterol, triglycerides, and lower plasma levels of HDL-Cholesterol) is constantly on the rise. Lately, carob pulp has been recognized as an effective natural product for the treatment of dyslipidemia. The two main components of the carob pulp, polyphenols, and insoluble fiber are believed to have beneficial effects on lipid metabolism. Studies on humans and animals confirmed its lipid-lowering effects. Several mechanisms have been proposed to explain this phenomenon, namely by affecting three organ systems: 1) gastrointestinal tract, 2) liver and 3) adipose tissue. Also, carob products have antioxidative, anti-inflammatory, and vascular-protective activity.
Mineralocorticoid Receptor Signaling in the Inflammatory Skeletal Muscle Microenvironments of Muscular Dystrophy and Acute Injury
Authors: Howard Zachary M. , Gomatam Chetan K. , Piepho Arden B. , Rafael-Fortney Jill A.
Published: June 2022

Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) is a striated muscle degenerative disease due to loss of functional dystrophin protein. Loss of dystrophin results in susceptibility of muscle membranes to damage, leading to muscle degeneration and continuous inflammation and fibrosis that further exacerbate pathology. Long-term glucocorticoid receptor (GR) agonist treatment, the current standard-of-care for DMD, modestly improves prognosis but has serious side effects. The mineralocorticoid receptor (MR), a ligand-activated transcription factor present in many cell types, has been implicated as a therapeutic target for DMD. MR antagonists (MRAs) have fewer side effects than GR agonists and are used clinically for heart failure. MRA efficacy has recently been demonstrated for DMD cardiomyopathy and in preclinical studies, MRAs also alleviate dystrophic skeletal muscle pathology. MRAs lead to improvements in muscle force and membrane stability and reductions in degeneration, inflammation, and fibrosis in dystrophic muscles. Myofiber-specific MR knockout leads to most of these improvements, supporting an MR-dependent mechanism of action, but MRAs additionally stabilize myofiber membranes in an MR-independent manner. Immune cell MR signaling in dystrophic and acutely injured normal muscle contributes to wound healing, and myeloid-specific MR knockout is detrimental. More research is needed to fully elucidate MR signaling in striated muscle microenvironments. Direct comparisons of genomic and non-genomic effects of glucocorticoids and MRAs on skeletal muscles and heart will contribute to optimal temporal use of these drugs, since they compete for binding conserved receptors. Despite the advent of genetic medicines, therapies targeting inflammation and fibrosis will be necessary to achieve optimal patient outcomes.
Dissecting the Genetic Structure of Maize Leaf Sheaths at Seedling Stage by Image-Based High-Throughput Phenotypic Acquisition and Characterization
Authors: Wang Jinglu , Wang Chuanyu , Lu Xianju , Zhang Ying , Zhao Yanxin , Wen Weiliang , Song Wei , Guo Xinyu
Published: June 2022

The rapid development of high-throughput phenotypic detection techniques makes it possible to obtain a large number of crop phenotypic information quickly, efficiently, and accurately. Among them, image-based phenotypic acquisition method has been widely used in crop phenotypic identification and characteristic research due to its characteristics of automation, non-invasive, non-destructive and high throughput. In this study, we proposed a method to define and analyze the traits related to leaf sheaths including morphology-related, color-related and biomass-related traits at V6 stage. Next, we analyzed the phenotypic variation of leaf sheaths of 418 maize inbred lines based on 87 leaf sheath-related phenotypic traits. In order to further analyze the mechanism of leaf sheath phenotype formation, 25 key traits (2 biomass-related, 19 morphology-related and 4 color-related traits) with heritability greater than 0.3 were analyzed by genome-wide association studies (GWAS). And 1816 candidate genes of 17 whole plant leaf sheath traits and 1,297 candidate genes of 8 sixth leaf sheath traits were obtained, respectively. Among them, 46 genes with clear functional descriptions were annotated by single nucleotide polymorphism (SNPs) that both Top1 and multi-method validated. Functional enrichment analysis results showed that candidate genes of leaf sheath traits were enriched into multiple pathways related to cellular component assembly and organization, cell proliferation and epidermal cell differentiation, and response to hunger, nutrition and extracellular stimulation. The results presented here are helpful to further understand phenotypic traits of maize leaf sheath and provide a reference for revealing the genetic mechanism of maize leaf sheath phenotype formation.
Physiological and Molecular Approaches for Developing Thermotolerance in Vegetable Crops: A Growth, Yield and Sustenance Perspective
Authors: Chaudhary Shikha , Devi Poonam , HanumanthaRao Bindumadhava , Jha Uday Chand , Sharma Kamal Dev , Prasad P. V. Vara , Kumar Shiv , Siddique Kadambot H. M. , Nayyar Harsh
Published: June 2022

Vegetables are a distinct collection of plant-based foods that vary in nutritional diversity and form an important part of the healthy diet of the human being. Besides providing basic nutrition, they have great potential for boosting human health. The balanced consumption of vegetables is highly recommended for supplementing the human body with better nutrition density, dietary fiber, minerals, vitamins, and bioactive compounds. However, the production and quality of fresh vegetables are influenced directly or indirectly by exposure to high temperatures or heat stress (HS). A decline in quality traits and harvestable yield are the most common effects of HS among vegetable crops. Heat-induced morphological damage, such as poor vegetative growth, leaf tip burning, and rib discoloration in leafy vegetables and sunburn, decreased fruit size, fruit/pod abortion, and unfilled fruit/pods in beans, are common, often rendering vegetable cultivation unprofitable. Further studies to trace down the possible physiological and biochemical effects associated with crop failure reveal that the key factors include membrane damage, photosynthetic inhibition, oxidative stress, and damage to reproductive tissues, which may be the key factors governing heat-induced crop failure. The reproductive stage of plants has extensively been studied for HS-induced abnormalities. Plant reproduction is more sensitive to HS than the vegetative stages, and affects various reproductive processes like pollen germination, pollen load, pollen tube growth, stigma receptivity, ovule fertility and, seed filling, resulting in poorer yields. Hence, sound and robust adaptation and mitigation strategies are needed to overcome the adverse impacts of HS at the morphological, physiological, and biochemical levels to ensure the productivity and quality of vegetable crops. Physiological traits such as the stay-green trait, canopy temperature depression, cell membrane thermostability, chlorophyll fluorescence, relative water content, increased reproductive fertility, fruit numbers, and fruit size are important for developing better yielding heat-tolerant varieties/cultivars. Moreover, various molecular approaches such as omics, molecular breeding, and transgenics, have been proved to be useful in enhancing/incorporating tolerance and can be potential tools for developing heat-tolerant varieties/cultivars. Further, these approaches will provide insights into the physiological and molecular mechanisms that govern thermotolerance and pave the way for engineering “designer” vegetable crops for better health and nutritional security. Besides these approaches, agronomic methods are also important for adaptation, escape and mitigation of HS protect and improve yields.
Molecular Identification and Analysis on Differential Pathogenicity of Cylindrocarpon Species Associated With Ginseng Root Rust Rot in Northeastern China
Authors: Li Zibo , Sun Chunlei , Liu Xinran , Zhou Rujun
Published: June 2022

Panax ginseng C. A. Meyer is one of the most important medicinal herbs in China. It is known for its high medicinal value and economic value. The ginseng root rust rot (RRR) has always been one of the important diseases troubling the ginseng industry. The yield reduction rate of RRR is ~30%. To understand why the Cylindrocarpon species bring about the ginseng RRR in Northeastern China, this study isolates 45 strains from samples collected in Liaoning, Jilin, and Heilongjiang provinces. The rDNA-internal transcribed spacer (ITS) sequence was analyzed to identify the pathogenic species. The morphological characteristics of colonies and conidia of each strain on potato dextrose agar (PDA) medium were observed, and the pathogenicity difference between different pathogenic species was analyzed by pricking method and determining the cell wall degrading enzyme activity. The BLAST alignment analysis shows that the homology of rDNA-ITS between 45 strains and Cylindrocarpon is more than 99%, among which 28 are identified as Cylindrocarpon destructans, three are identified as C. destructans var. destructans, and 14 are identified as Ilyonectria robusta. The colony diameters of all 45 isolated range from 4.21 ± 0.16a to 7.78 ± 0.25c cm after several days of incubation. Among all the species, I. robusta has the fastest growth rate, and C. destructans var. destructans has the slowest growth rate. Pathogenicity test results show that the pathogenicity of C. destructans var. destructans is the strongest, followed by C. destructans. I. robusta has relatively weak pathogenicity.
Nitrogenous Fertilizer Coated With Zinc Improves the Productivity and Grain Quality of Rice Grown Under Anaerobic Conditions
Authors: Wahid Muhammad Ashfaq , Irshad Muhammad , Irshad Sohail , Khan Shahbaz , Hasnain Zuhair , Ibrar Danish , Khan Afroz Rais , Saleem Muhammad Farrukh , Bashir Saqib , Alotaibi Saqer S. , Matloob Amar , Farooq Naila , Ismail Muhammad Shoaib , Cheema Mumtaz Akhtar
Published: June 2022

An ample quantity of water and sufficient nutrients are required for economical rice production to meet the challenges of ever-increasing food demand. Currently, slow-release nitrogenous fertilizers for efficient inputs utilization and maximum economic yield of field crops are in the limelight for researchers and farmers. In this study, we evaluated the comparative efficacy of conventional urea and coated urea (zinc and neem) on rice grown under aerobic and anaerobic regimes in greenhouse conditions. For the aerobic regime, field capacity was maintained at 80–100% to keep the soil aerated. On the other hand, for the anaerobic regime, pots were covered with a polythene sheet throughout the experimentation to create flooded conditions. All forms of urea, conventional and coated (zinc and neem), improved plant growth, gas exchange, yield, yield contributing parameters, and quality characteristics of rice crop. However, better performance in all attributes was found in the case of zinc-coated urea. Gas exchange attributes (photosynthetic rate, 30%, and stomatal conductance 24%), yield parameters like plant height (29%), tillers per plant (38%), spikelets per spike (31%), grains per panicle (42%), total biomass (53%), and grain yield (45%) were recorded to be maximum in rice plants treated with zinc-coated urea. The highest grain and straw nitrogen contents, grain protein contents, and grain water absorption ratio were also found in plants with zinc-coated urea applications. In irrigation practices, the anaerobic regime was found to be more responsive compared to the aerobic regime regarding rice growth, productivity, and quality traits. Thus, to enhance the productivity and quality of rice grown in anaerobic conditions, zinc-coated urea is best suited as it is more responsive when compared to other forms of urea.
Moral Agency, Rules, and Temporality in People Who Are Diagnosed With Mild Forms of Autism: In Defense of a Sentimentalist View
Authors: Coelho Sara , Bonatti Sophia Marlene , Doering Elena , Paskaleva-Yankova Asena , Stephan Achim
Published: June 2022

The origin of moral agency is a much-debated issue. While rationalists or Kantians have argued that moral agency is rooted in reason, sentimentalists or Humeans have ascribed its origin to empathic feelings. This debate between rationalists and sentimentalists still stands with respect to persons with mental disorders, such as individuals diagnosed with mild forms of Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), without intellectual impairment. Individuals with ASD are typically regarded as moral agents, however their ability for empathy remains debated. The goal of this paper is to investigate the mechanisms of moral actions in people with ASD, by finding arguments for the origin of their moral actions, supporting either the sentimentalist or the rationalist view of the dispute. We propose to revisit the debate using Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis to study the autobiographies of individuals with High-Functioning Autism (HFA) and Asperger Syndrome (AS). While conducting the systematic analysis of 10 autobiographies, we re-examined both the rationalist and the sentimentalist positions, considering the links between empathic feelings and moral agency. The investigation of the temporal dimensions of emotional experiences, an aspect overlooked by previous research, indicated that individuals with ASD empathize with others, but in different ways as compared to neurotypicals. A relationship between emotional experience and the type of moral agency exhibited by individuals with forms of ASD was established. As a consequence, our analyses support the sentimentalist stance on moral action.
Psychological Distress Among Infertility Patients: A Network Analysis
Authors: Cao Danfeng , Bai Caifeng , Zhang Guoxiang
Published: June 2022

Background

Psychological distress is common among infertility patients. Total scale scores are often used to represent the severity of anxiety, depression, or stress, which ignores important differences between specific symptoms, and relationships between symptoms. This study aimed to identify patterns of psychological distress experienced by infertility patients and to identify the most central symptoms of anxiety, depression, and stress.

Method

From June to September 2016, 740 infertility patients were included in this cross-sectional study. Infertility patients were asked to complete the Generalized Anxiety Disorder-7, Patients Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9), and Fertility Problem Inventory. Network analysis was used to examine the patterns of psychological distress in infertility patients and to test the most central symptoms of anxiety, depression, and stress.

Results

Restlessness was the most central symptom in infertility patients. “Feelings of guilt” had the highest strength among PHQ-9 symptoms. “Relationship concern stress” and “sexual concern stress” had the strongest connections in the network. Stability estimation indicated that the order of node strength centrality was more stable than the order of closeness and betweenness (the CS-coefficients were 0.75, 0.13, and 0.67, respectively). In addition, network structure and global strength were invariant across gender.

Limitations

The cross-sectional design did not permit identification of causal relationships. Patients in this study were recruited from one reproductive hospital; especially, most patients had low socioeconomic status, which limits generalizability of the findings.

Conclusion

This study reinforces the need to better understand the underlying causes of psychological distress in infertile patients. A more detailed investigation of the relationship between these symptoms could provide information for psychosocial interventions aimed beyond “alleviating psychological distress.” We should consider the individual psychological symptom pattern and its potential causes in infertility patients instead of assuming a consistent psychological distress structure.
The Role of English as a Foreign Language Teachers’ Technological Pedagogical Content Knowledge on English as a Foreign Language Students’ Achievement
Authors: Duan Guoxiang , Jia Linlin , Chen Hui
Published: June 2022

Educators themselves and their knowledge are the most significant elements in learners’ success and achievement; however, there is little information about the specialized knowledge held by educators. Recently, conceptualizing educator knowledge has become a complicated issue that involves that the comprehension of important basic phenomena, such as the procedure of educating and learning, the notion of knowledge, and the way educators’ knowledge, has become practical within the class. Technological Pedagogical Content Knowledge (TPACK) was presented as a theoretical structure for the knowledge base because educators have to efficiently instruct with technology and it is regarded as a valuable framework for explaining and understanding technology integration into various academic environments, such as English as a Foreign Language (EFL) class. This paper is intended to review the related literature on the role of an English teacher using the TPACK framework for teaching English and their role in students’ achievement. Based on the related literature, there is a significant and direct association between EFL teachers’ TPACK and EFL students’ achievement. Succinctly, some recommendations have been proposed for educational stakeholders.
Dysregulated Methylation Patterns in Exon IV of the Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor (BDNF) Gene in Nicotine Dependence and Changes in BDNF Plasma Levels During Smoking Cessation
Authors: Abdelkhalek Kerim , Rhein Mathias , Deest Maximilian , Buchholz Vanessa , Bleich Stefan , Lichtinghagen Ralf , Vyssoki Benjamin , Frieling Helge , Muschler Marc , Proskynitopoulos Phileas Johannes , Glahn Alexander
Published: June 2022

Introduction

Several studies reported dysregulated protein levels of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) in smokers and during cessation. However, the epigenetic regulation of the BDNF gene has not yet been investigated. We measured the plasma levels of BDNF and the epigenetic regulation of exon IV of the BDNF gene in smokers compared to healthy controls over a cessation period of 14 days.

Method

We measured BDNF plasma levels and BDNF promoter methylation in 49 smokers and 51 non-smokers at baseline, day 7, and day 14 of smoking cessation. Mean methylation levels of 11 Cytosine Guanosine dinucleotides of exon IV of the BDNF gene were determined via bisulfite sequencing.

Results

BDNF plasma and methylation levels were significantly lower in healthy controls when compared with smokers across all time points. BDNF levels for smokers decreased significantly during the cessation period. Comparing the sexes, female smokers showed significantly lower plasma BDNF levels than healthy controls at baseline and over 14 days of cessation. Male and female smokers showed significantly higher mean methylation rates than non-smokers at baseline. In male smokers, mean methylation levels decreased significantly during the cessation period.

Conclusion

Our findings replicate the findings of previous studies that BDNF plasma levels are altered in smokers. Furthermore, BDNF expression and gene methylation are altered during the first 14 days of cessation. Our novel findings of dysregulated methylation patterns in exon IV of the BDNF gene further support the thesis that BDNF plays a role in nicotine dependence.
Detained Persons Incarcerated for the First Time and Needing Acute Psychiatric Care: Sociodemographic and Clinical Characteristics
Authors: D'Orta Isabella , Guilbert Nicolas , Pierrard Mathieu , Herrmann François R. , Giannakopoulos Panteleimon
Published: June 2022

Among detained persons, those incarcerated for the first time (FTI: first time incarceration) are known to present long-standing psychological vulnerability but also suffer significant deterioration of their mental health during the first year following imprisonment. Whether the patterns of psychiatric morbidity differ in FTI cases compared to cases with repeated and long term incarceration (RLTI) is still a matter of debate. We examined the sociodemographic and clinical differences between a subgroup of FTI vs. one of RLTI in a series of 139 randomly selected detained persons admitted to an acute psychiatric ward located in the central prison of Geneva, Switzerland. Fisher exact, unpaired Student t and Mann-Whitney U tests were used to explore sociodemographic (age, gender, marital status, religion, knowledge of French, education) and clinical (psychiatric outpatient care, suicidal behavior, psychiatric diagnosis) differences between the two groups. Subsequently, univariate and multiple logistic regression models were used to detect the variables associated with FTI. The proportion of women was significantly higher in the FTI compared to the RLTI group. FTI cases were also more frequently separated or divorced, with less frequent religious affiliation. 16.9% of FTI cases but only 1.3% of RLTI cases had a clinical diagnosis of depression. In multiple regression models, female sex and lower religious affiliation rate were associated with FTI status. Among diagnostic categories, depression was strongly related to FTI status both in univariate and multivariable models. Importantly, this was not the case for adjustment disorders, previous history of psychiatric care and suicidal behavior. Our observations support the assumption that FTI cases with lower affective support, less religious investment and without psychiatric care prior to imprisonment are particularly vulnerable to depressive illness.
Discovering Urban Governance Parameters for Online Learning in Saudi Arabia During COVID-19 Using Topic Modeling of Twitter Data
Authors: Alswedani Sarah , Katib Iyad , Abozinadah Ehab , Mehmood Rashid
Published: June 2022

Smart cities are a relatively recent phenomenon that has rapidly grown in the last decade due to several political, economic, environmental, and technological factors. Data-driven artificial intelligence is becoming so fundamentally ingrained in these developments that smart cities have been called artificially intelligent cities and autonomous cities. The COVID-19 pandemic has increased the physical isolation of people and consequently escalated the pace of human migration to digital and virtual spaces. This paper investigates the use of AI in urban governance as to how AI could help governments learn about urban governance parameters on various subject matters for the governments to develop better governance instruments. To this end, we develop a case study on online learning in Saudi Arabia. We discover ten urban governance parameters using unsupervised machine learning and Twitter data in Arabic. We group these ten governance parameters into four governance macro-parameters namely Strategies and Success Factors, Economic Sustainability, Accountability, and Challenges. The case study shows that the use of data-driven AI can help the government autonomously learn about public feedback and reactions on government matters, the success or failure of government programs, the challenges people are facing in adapting to the government measures, new economic, social, and other opportunities arising out of the situation, and more. The study shows that the use of AI does not have to necessarily replace humans in urban governance, rather governments can use AI, under human supervision, to monitor, learn and improve decision-making processes using continuous feedback from the public and other stakeholders. Challenges are part of life and we believe that the challenges humanity is facing during the COVID-19 pandemic will create new economic, social, and other opportunities nationally and internationally.
Medium Spatial Resolution Mapping of Global Land Cover and Land Cover Change Across Multiple Decades From Landsat
Authors: Friedl Mark A. , Woodcock Curtis E. , Olofsson Pontus , Zhu Zhe , Loveland Tom , Stanimirova Radost , Arevalo Paulo , Bullock Eric , Hu Kai-Ting , Zhang Yingtong , Turlej Konrad , Tarrio Katelyn , McAvoy Kristina , Gorelick Noel , Wang Jonathan A. , Barber Christopher P. , Souza Carlos
Published: June 2022

Land cover maps are essential for characterizing the biophysical properties of the Earth’s land areas. Because land cover information synthesizes a rich array of information related to both the ecological condition of land areas and their exploitation by humans, they are widely used for basic and applied research that requires information related to land surface properties (e.g., terrestrial carbon models, water balance models, weather, and climate models) and are core inputs to models and analyses used by natural resource scientists and land managers. As the Earth’s global population has grown over the last several decades rates of land cover change have increased dramatically, with enormous impacts on ecosystem services (e.g., biodiversity, water supply, carbon sequestration, etc.). Hence, accurate information related to land cover is essential for both managing natural resources and for understanding society’s ecological, biophysical, and resource management footprint. To address the need for high-quality land cover information we are using the global record of Landsat observations to compile annual maps of global land cover from 2001 to 2020 at 30 m spatial resolution. To create these maps we use features derived from time series of Landsat imagery in combination with ancillary geospatial data and a large database of training sites to classify land cover at annual time step. The algorithm that we apply uses temporal segmentation to identify periods with stable land cover that are separated by breakpoints in the time series. Here we provide an overview of the methods and data sets we are using to create global maps of land cover. We describe the algorithms used to create these maps and the core land cover data sets that we are creating through this effort, and we summarize our approach to accuracy assessment. We also present a synthesis of early results and discuss the strengths and weaknesses of our early map products and the challenges that we have encountered in creating global land cover data sets from Landsat. Initial accuracy assessment for North America shows good overall accuracy (77.0 ± 2.0% correctly classified) and 79.8% agreement with the European Space Agency (ESA) WorldCover product. The land cover mapping results we report provide the foundation for robust, repeatable, and accurate mapping of global land cover and land cover change across multiple decades at 30 m spatial resolution from Landsat.
Robust Identification of the QRS-Complexes in Electrocardiogram Signals Using Ramanujan Filter Bank-Based Periodicity Estimation Technique
Authors: Mukhopadhyay Sourav Kumar , Krishnan Sridhar
Published: June 2022

Plausibly, the first computerized and automated electrocardiogram (ECG) signal processing algorithm was published in the literature in 1961, and since then, the number of algorithms that have been developed to-date for the detection of the QRS-complexes in ECG signals is countless. Both the digital signal processing and artificial intelligence-based techniques have been tested rigorously in many applications to achieve a high accuracy of the detection of the QRS-complexes in ECG signals. However, since the ECG signals are quasi-periodic in nature, a periodicity analysis-based technique would be an apt approach for the detection its QRS-complexes. Ramanujan filter bank (RFB)-based periodicity estimation technique is used in this research for the identification of the QRS-complexes in ECG signals. An added advantage of the proposed algorithm is that, at the instant of detection of a QRS-complex the algorithm can efficiently indicate whether it is a normal or a premature ventricular contraction or an atrial premature contraction QRS-complex. First, the ECG signal is preprocessed using Butterworth low and highpass filters followed by amplitude normalization. The normalized signal is then passed through a set of Ramanujan filters. Filtered signals from all the filters in the bank are then summed up to obtain a holistic time-domain representation of the ECG signal. Next, a Gaussian-weighted moving average filter is used to smooth the time-period-estimation data. Finally, the QRS-complexes are detected from the smoothed data using a peak-detection-based technique, and the abnormal ones are identified using a period thresholding-based technique. Performance of the proposed algorithm is tested on nine ECG databases (totaling a duration of 48.91 days) and is found to be highly competent compared to that of the state-of-the-art algorithms. To the best of our knowledge, such an RFB-based QRS-complex detection algorithm is reported here for the first time. The proposed algorithm can be adapted for the detection of other ECG waves, and also for the processing of other biomedical signals which exhibit periodic or quasi-periodic nature.
Employment Psychology of Young Migrant Workers During Coronavirus Disease 2019: A Comparative Study Between Construction Workers and Food Delivery Knights
Authors: Xue Cong , Zhou Chuan , Su Xing , Qin Zhongfu
Published: June 2022

The employment psychology of young migrant workers in China has changed drastically in past decades. In particular, the construction industry has been facing labor shortages and aging workforces for years, and the eruption of coronavirus disease 2019 has exacerbated the problem. In contrast, the food delivery business has grown rapidly during the pandemic with a surge in the number of food delivery knights. It is vitally important to understand the employment psychology of the young migrant workers, the main component of the workforce for both industries. The presented study conducted a comparative analysis between construction workers and food delivery knights using data from face-to-face interviews, online social media, and World Value Survey. Results showed that the two groups of young migrant workers have different employment psychology during their job selection, construction workers cared more about income, and food delivery knights paid more attention to autonomy, working environment, and family.