bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Potentially Bioactive Metabolites from Pineapple Waste Extracts and Their Antioxidant and α-Glucosidase Inhibitory Activities by 1H NMR
Authors: Azizan Awanis , Lee Ai Xin , Abdul Hamid Nur Ashikin , Maulidiani Maulidiani , Mediani Ahmed , Abdul Ghafar Siti Zulaikha , Zolkeflee Nur Khaleeda Zulaikha , Abas Faridah
Published: February 2020

Pineapple (Ananas comosus) waste is a promising source of metabolites for therapeutics, functional foods, and cosmeceutical applications. This study strives to characterize the complete metabolite profiles of a variety of MD2 pineapple waste extracts. Metabolomics strategies were utilized to identify bioactive metabolites of this variety prepared with different solvent ratios. Each pineapple waste extract was first screened for total phenolic content, 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl free radical scavenging, nitric oxide scavenging, and α-glucosidase inhibitory activities. The highest TPC was found in all samples of the peel, crown, and core extracted using a 50% ethanol ratio, even though the results were fairly significant than those obtained for other ethanol ratios. Additionally, crown extracted with a 100% ethanol ratio demonstrated the highest potency in DPPH and NO scavenging activity, with IC50 values of 296.31 and 338.52 µg/mL, respectively. Peel extracted with 100% ethanol exhibited the highest α-glucosidase inhibitory activity with an IC50 value of 92.95 µg/mL. Then, the extracts were analyzed and the data from 1H NMR were processed using multivariate data analysis. A partial least squares and correlogram plot suggested that 3-methylglutaric acid, threonine, valine, and α-linolenic acid were the main contributors to the antioxidant activities, whereas epicatechin was responsible for the α-glucosidase inhibitory activity. Relative quantification further supported that 100% crown extract was among the extracts that possessed the most abundant potential metabolites. The present study demonstrated that the crown and peel parts of MD2 pineapple extracted with 100% ethanol are potentially natural sources of antioxidants and α-glucosidase inhibitors, respectively.
Proximate Analysis and Nutritional Evaluation of Twenty Canadian Lentils by Principal Component and Cluster Analyses
Authors: Ramdath D. Dan , Lu Zhan-Hui , Maharaj Padma L. , Winberg Jordan , Brummer Yolanda , Hawke Aileen
Published: February 2020

Proximate composition and starch nutritional properties of twenty cooked lentils were assessed to identify unique varieties that could be used in value added foods. Significant variations exist among the lentil varieties (p < 0.05) with respect to their energy, fat, protein, carbohydrate, and dietary fiber content, and these are related to lentil type and seed size. Dazil and Greenstar were unique for their high resistant starch content (RS) and lower area under the starch hydrolysis curve (SHAUC) while Proclaim was opposite. SHAUC was positively correlated (p < 0.001) with rapidly digestible starch (RDS) content (r = 0.626) but negatively correlated with RS content (r = −0.635). Principal component analysis showed that the first three principal components accounted for 62.8% of the total variance and the contribution of SHAUC was 33.2%. These results confirm that in vitro SHAUC and a combination of RDS and RS may be predictive of the digestibility profile of cooked lentils.
Brassica Rapa SR45a Regulates Drought Tolerance via the Alternative Splicing of Target Genes
Authors: Muthusamy Muthusamy , Yoon Eun Kyung , Kim Jin A , Jeong Mi-Jeong , Lee Soo In
Published: February 2020

The emerging evidence has shown that plant serine/arginine-rich (SR) proteins play a crucial role in abiotic stress responses by regulating the alternative splicing (AS) of key genes. Recently, we have shown that drought stress enhances the expression of SR45a (also known as SR-like 3) in Brassica rapa. Herein, we unraveled the hitherto unknown functions of BrSR45a in drought stress response by comparing the phenotypes, chlorophyll a fluorescence and splicing patterns of the drought-responsive genes of Arabidopsis BrSR45a overexpressors (OEs), homozygous mutants (SALK_052345), and controls (Col-0). Overexpression and loss of function did not result in aberrant phenotypes; however, the overexpression of BrSR45a was positively correlated with drought tolerance and the stress recovery rate in an expression-dependent manner. Moreover, OEs showed a higher drought tolerance index during seed germination (38.16%) than the control lines. Additionally, the overexpression of BrSR45a induced the expression of the drought stress-inducible genes RD29A, NCED3, and DREB2A under normal conditions. To further illustrate the molecular linkages between BrSR45a and drought tolerance, we investigated the AS patterns of key drought-tolerance and BrSR45a interacting genes in OEs, mutants, and controls under both normal and drought conditions. The splicing patterns of DCP5, RD29A, GOLS1, AKR, U2AF, and SDR were different between overexpressors and mutants under normal conditions. Furthermore, drought stress altered the splicing patterns of NCED2, SQE, UPF1, U4/U6-U5 tri-snRNP-associated protein, and UPF1 between OEs and mutants, indicating that both overexpression and loss of function differently influenced the splicing patterns of target genes. This study revealed that BrSR45a regulates the drought stress response via the alternative splicing of target genes in a concentration-dependent manner.
Comparative Transcriptome Analysis Identifying the Different Molecular Genetic Markers Related to Production Performance and Meat Quality in Longissimus Dorsi Tissues of MG × STH and STH Sheep
Authors: Cheng Shuru , Wang Xueying , Zhang Quanwei , He Yuqin , Zhang Xia , Yang Lei , Shi Jinping
Published: February 2020

Crossbred sheep have many prominent traits, such as excellent production performance and high-quality meat, when compared to local sheep breeds. However, the genetic molecular markers related to these characteristics remain unclear. The crossbred MG × STH (small-tailed Han sheep (STH) × Mongolian sheep (MG)) breed and the STH breed were selected to measure production performance and meat quality. We used 14 indexes of production performance and meat quality, which in the MG × STH population showed significant differences compared to the STH breed. Subsequently, the longissimus dorsi from the two sheep were subjected to comparative transcriptomic analyses to identify differentially expressed genes (DEGs) related to production performance and meat quality. A total of 874 DEGs were identified between the two sheep groups. A total of 110 unique DEGs related to sheep production performance and meat quality were selected as the candidate DEGs. We found 6 production-performance-related and 30 meat-quality-related DEGs through a correlation analysis, including SPARC, ACVRL1, FNDC5, and FREM1. The expression levels of 11 DEGs were validated by real-time PCR, and the results were in accordance with the results of the comparative transcriptomic and correlation analyses. These results will assist in understanding sheep heterosis and molecular marker-assisted selection.
Genetic Differentiation in Hatchery and Stocked Populations of Sea Trout in the Southern Baltic: Selection Evidence at SNP Loci
Authors: Bernaś Rafał , Poćwierz-Kotus Anita , Árnyasi Mariann , Kent Matthew Peter , Lien Sigbjørn , Wenne Roman
Published: February 2020

The impacts and interactions between hatchery-bred fish and wild fish populations has been a topic of active investigation in recent decades. In some instances, the benefits of stocking can be overshadowed by negative effects such as genetic introgression with natural populations, loss of genetic diversity, and dilution of local adaptations. Methods that facilitate the identification of stocked fish enable us to estimate not only the effectiveness of stocking but also the level of natural reproduction and the degree of hybridization. The longest Baltic river, the Vistula, also has the second highest discharge. Historically, it hosted numerous populations of the anadromous form of brown trout (sea trout); however, dam construction has since interfered with and reduced spawning migration to a rate that is much lower than before. Reduced spawning has resulted in a population collapse and a negative flow-on effect on commercial catches. In response, Poland (along with many other Baltic countries) initiated an intensive stocking program which continues today and which sees the average annual release of 700,000 smolts. As a consequence, today’s main-river and inshore catches come from stock-enhanced populations. High-throughput single-nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) genotyping was performed on samples of sea trout from southern Baltic populations; results suggest that a significant portion of the sea trout catches in the Vistula mouth region have direct hatchery origin and indicate the presence of Pomeranian specimens. SNP loci identified as outliers indicate a potential selection pressure that may be related with effects of hatchery breeding and mixing with natural populations. The brown trout SNP array applied in this study showed high effectiveness not only for population differentiation, but more importantly, it emerged as a sensitive tool to provide evidence of detection selection.
Model-Based Clustering with Measurement or Estimation Errors
Authors: Zhang Wanli , Di Yanming
Published: February 2020

Model-based clustering with finite mixture models has become a widely used clustering method. One of the recent implementations is MCLUST. When objects to be clustered are summary statistics, such as regression coefficient estimates, they are naturally associated with estimation errors, whose covariance matrices can often be calculated exactly or approximated using asymptotic theory. This article proposes an extension to Gaussian finite mixture modeling—called MCLUST-ME—that properly accounts for the estimation errors. More specifically, we assume that the distribution of each observation consists of an underlying true component distribution and an independent measurement error distribution. Under this assumption, each unique value of estimation error covariance corresponds to its own classification boundary, which consequently results in a different grouping from MCLUST. Through simulation and application to an RNA-Seq data set, we discovered that under certain circumstances, explicitly, modeling estimation errors, improves clustering performance or provides new insights into the data, compared with when errors are simply ignored, whereas the degree of improvement depends on factors such as the distribution of error covariance matrices.
Weighted Single-Step Genome-Wide Association Study for Growth Traits in Chinese Simmental Beef Cattle
Authors: Zhuang Zhanwei , Xu Lingyang , Yang Jie , Gao Huijiang , Zhang Lupei , Gao Xue , Li Junya , Zhu Bo
Published: February 2020

Improving the genetic process of growth traits is one of the major goals in the beef cattle industry, as it can increase meat production and reduce the cost of raising animals. Although several quantitative trait loci affecting growth traits in beef cattle have been identified, the genetic architecture of these economically important traits remains elusive. This study aims to map single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) and genes associated with birth weight (BW), yearling weight (YW), average daily gain from birth to yearling (BYADG), and body weight at the age of 18 months (18MW) in a Chinese Simmental beef cattle population using a weighted, single-step, genome-wide association study (wssGWAS). Phenotypic and pedigree data from 6022 animals and genotypes from 744 animals (596,297 SNPs) were used for an association analysis. The results showed that 66 genomic windows explained 1.01–20.15% of the genetic variance for the four examined traits, together with the genes near the top SNP within each window. Furthermore, the identified genomic windows (>1%) explained 50.56%, 57.71%, 61.78%, and 37.82% of the genetic variances for BW, YW, BYADG, and 18MW, respectively. Genes with potential functions in muscle development and regulation of cell growth were highlighted as candidates for growth traits in Simmental cattle (SQOR and TBCB for BW, MYH10 for YW, RLF for BYADG, and ARHGAP31 for 18MW). Moreover, we found 40 SNPs that had not previously been identified as being associated with growth traits in cattle. These findings will further advance our understanding of the genetic basis for growth traits and will be useful for the molecular breeding of BW, YW, BYADG, and 18MW in the context of genomic selection in beef cattle.
Identification and Validation of Candidate Genes Conferring Resistance to Downy Mildew in Maize (Zea mays L.)
Authors: Kim Hyo Chul , Kim Kyung-Hee , Song Kitae , Kim Jae Yoon , Lee Byung-Moo
Published: February 2020

Downy mildew (DM) is a major disease of maize that causes significant yield loss in subtropical and tropical regions around the world. A variety of DM strains have been reported, and the resistance to them is polygenically controlled. In this study, we analyzed the quantitative trait loci (QTLs) involved in resistance to Peronosclerospora sorghi (sorghum DM), P. maydis (Java DM), and Sclerophthora macrospora (crazy top DM) using a recombinant inbred line (RIL) from a cross between B73 (susceptible) and Ki11 (resistant), and the candidate genes for P. sorghi, P. maydis, and S. macrospora resistance were discovered. The linkage map was constructed with 234 simple sequence repeat (SSR) and restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP) markers, which was identified seven QTLs (chromosomes 2, 3, 6, and 9) for three DM strains. The major QTL, located on chromosome 2, consists of 12.95% of phenotypic variation explained (PVE) and a logarithm of odds (LOD) score of 14.12. Sixty-two candidate genes for P. sorghi, P. maydis, and S. macrospora resistance were obtained between the flanked markers in the QTL regions. The relative expression level of candidate genes was evaluated by quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) using resistant (CML228, Ki3, and Ki11) and susceptible (B73 and CML270) genotypes. For the 62 candidate genes, 15 genes were upregulated in resistant genotypes. Among these, three (GRMZM2G028643, GRMZM2G128315, and GRMZM2G330907) and AC210003.2_FG004 were annotated as leucine-rich repeat (LRR) and peroxidase (POX) genes, respectively. These candidate genes in the QTL regions provide valuable information for further studies related to P. sorghi, P. maydis, and S. macrospora resistance.
The Association Between the Changes in General, Family, and Financial Aspects of Quality of Life and Their Effects on Cognitive Function in an Elderly Population: The Korean Longitudinal Study of Aging, 2008–2016
Authors: Chae Wonjeong , Park Eun-Cheol , Jang Sung-In
Published: February 2020

Background The growing aging population is a global phenomenon and a major public health challenge. Among Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development countries, Korea is the fastest aging country. We aimed to investigate the relationship between changes in quality of life (QOL) and cognitive function in older adults. Method: Data from the Korean Longitudinal Study of Aging collected from 2008 to 2016 were used. In 3453 participants (men: 1943; women: 1541), QOL was measured by three aspects: general, financial, and familial. Changes in QOL status were assessed by four categories: remained poor, worsened, improved, and remained good. The level of cognitive function was measured by the Mini-Mental State Examination score (MMSE, normal range cut-off value: 24 or above). For the statistical analysis, the generalized equation model (GEE) was performed. Results: For all three aspects of QOL measured, participants whose QOL score remained poor were associated with cognitive decline that their odds ratios (OR) were statistically significant (general: OR = 1.33; familial: OR = 1.39; financial: OR = 1.40). For subgroup analysis by gender, the highest OR in men was the financial aspect of QOL (OR = 1.45); in women, the highest OR was the familial aspect of QOL (OR = 1.75). Conclusion: This study showed an association between QOL and cognitive function in a Korean elderly population. Our findings suggest that QOL measurements with a gender-specific approach can be used as a tool to detect cognitive changes in older adults and help prevent or delay cognitive decline.
Are There Any Differences between First Grade Boys and Girls in Physical Fitness, Physical Activity, BMI, and Sedentary Behavior? Results of HCSC Study
Authors: Lisowski Paweł , Kantanista Adam , Bronikowski Michał
Published: February 2020

The transition from kindergarten to school is associated with a variety of negative changes. After entry to elementary school physical activity level decreases. Moreover, physical fitness level of children over the past decades have rapidly declined. Children are spending an increasing amount of time in the environments that require constant sitting. We evaluated the differences between boys and girls in physical fitness, frequency of undertaking of different forms of physical activity, prevalence of underweight and overweight, and time spent on sedentary behavior. A total of 212 first grade pupils (mean age 6.95 ± 0.43) from two standard urban schools in Poznań participated in the study. Compared to girls, boys obtained better results in 20-meter run (4.9 s and 5.0 s, p < 0.01), sit-ups (16.8 and 15.3, p < 0.05), six-minute run (829.7 m and 766.4 m, p < 0.001), and standing broad jump (106.8 cm and 99.7 cm, p < 0.01). In the sit-and-reach test girls achieved higher results than boys (17.0 cm and 14.4 cm, p < 0.001). There were no gender differences in prevalence of underweight and overweight. In conclusions, difference between genders should be taken into consideration during designing physical activity programs in the aspects of intensity and forms of physical activities.
Airflow and Particle Transport Prediction through Stenosis Airways
Authors: Singh Parth , Raghav Vishnu , Padhmashali Vignesh , Paul Gunther , Islam Mohammad S. , Saha Suvash C.
Published: February 2020

Airflow and particle transport in the human lung system is influenced by biological and other factors such as breathing pattern, particle properties, and deposition mechanisms. Most of the studies to date have analyzed airflow characterization and aerosol transport in idealized and realistic models. Precise airflow characterization for airway stenosis in a digital reference model is lacking in the literature. This study presents a numerical simulation of airflow and particle transport through a stenosis section of the airway. A realistic CT-scan-based mouth–throat and upper airway model was used for the numerical calculations. Three different models of a healthy lung and of airway stenosis of the left and right lung were used for the calculations. The ANSYS FLUENT solver, based on the finite volume discretization technique, was used as a numerical tool. Proper grid refinement and validation were performed. The numerical results show a complex-velocity flow field for airway stenosis, where airflow velocity magnitude at the stenosis section was found to be higher than that in healthy airways. Pressure drops at the mouth–throat and in the upper airways show a nonlinear trend. Comprehensive pressure analysis of stenosis airways would increase our knowledge of the safe mechanical ventilation of the lung. The turbulence intensities at the stenosis sections of the right and left lung were found to be different. Deposition efficiency (DE) increased with flow rate and particle size. The findings of the present study increase our understanding of airflow patterns in airway stenosis under various disease conditions. More comprehensive stenosis analysis is required to further improve knowledge of the field.
Cultural Differences in Tweeting about Drinking Across the US
Authors: Giorgi Salvatore , Yaden David B. , Eichstaedt Johannes C. , Ashford Robert D. , Buffone Anneke E.K. , Schwartz H. Andrew , Ungar Lyle H. , Curtis Brenda
Published: February 2020

Excessive alcohol use in the US contributes to over 88,000 deaths per year and costs over $250 billion annually. While previous studies have shown that excessive alcohol use can be detected from general patterns of social media engagement, we characterized how drinking-specific language varies across regions and cultures in the US. From a database of 38 billion public tweets, we selected those mentioning “drunk”, found the words and phrases distinctive of drinking posts, and then clustered these into topics and sets of semantically related words. We identified geolocated “drunk” tweets and correlated their language with the prevalence of self-reported excessive alcohol consumption (Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System; BRFSS). We then identified linguistic markers associated with excessive drinking in different regions and cultural communities as identified by the American Community Project. “Drunk” tweet frequency (of the 3.3 million geolocated “drunk” tweets) correlated with excessive alcohol consumption at both the county and state levels (r = 0.26 and 0.45, respectively, p < 0.01). Topic analyses revealed that excessive alcohol consumption was most correlated with references to drinking with friends (r = 0.20), family (r = 0.15), and driving under the influence (r = 0.14). Using the American Community Project classification, we found a number of cultural markers of drinking: religious communities had a high frequency of anti-drunk driving tweets, Hispanic centers discussed family members drinking, and college towns discussed sexual behavior. This study shows that Twitter can be used to explore the specific sociocultural contexts in which excessive alcohol use occurs within particular regions and communities. These findings can inform more targeted public health messaging and help to better understand cultural determinants of substance abuse.
HGBEnviroScreen: Enabling Community Action through Data Integration in the Houston–Galveston–Brazoria Region
Authors: Bhandari Sharmila , Lewis P. Grace Tee , Craft Elena , Marvel Skylar W. , Reif David M. , Chiu Weihsueh A.
Published: February 2020

The Houston–Galveston–Brazoria (HGB) region faces numerous environmental and public health challenges from both natural disasters and industrial activity, but the historically disadvantaged communities most often impacted by such risks have limited ability to access and utilize big data for advocacy efforts. We developed HGBEnviroScreen to identify and prioritize regions of heightened vulnerability, in part to assist communities in understanding risk factors and developing environmental justice action plans. While similar in objectives to existing environmental justice tools, HGBEnviroScreen is unique in its ability to integrate and visualize national and local data to address regional concerns. For the 1090 census tracts in the HGB region, we accrued data into five domains: (i) social vulnerability, (ii) baseline health, (iii) environmental exposures and risks, (iv) environmental sources, and (v) flooding. We then integrated and visualized these data using the Toxicological Prioritization Index (ToxPi). We found that the highest vulnerability census tracts have multifactorial risk factors, with common drivers being flooding, social vulnerability, and proximity to environmental sources. Thus, HGBEnviroScreen is not only helping identify communities of greatest overall vulnerability but is also providing insights into which domains would most benefit from improved planning, policy, and action in order to reduce future vulnerability.
Implementing Appetite to Play at scale in British Columbia: Evaluation of a Capacity-Building Intervention to Promote Physical Activity in the Early Years
Authors: Hassani Kasra , Buckler E. Jean , McConnell-Nzunga Jennifer , Fakih Sana , Scarr Jennifer , Mâsse Louise C. , Naylor Patti-Jean
Published: February 2020

Childcare is a critical target for promoting children’s physical activity (PA) and physical literacy (PL). With emerging evidence about the efficacy of policy and capacity-building strategies, more information about how to bring these strategies to scale is needed. This paper describes implementation at scale of Appetite to Play (ATP), a capacity-building intervention for childcare providers, and examines the implementation and impact on early years providers’ capacity to address PA. The ATP implementation evaluation was a natural experiment that utilized a mixed methods concurrent parallel design framed within the Reach, Effectiveness, Adoption, Implementation, Maintenance framework (RE-AIM). Workshop and website tracking assessed reach and adoption. Surveys and interviews with workshop participants and stakeholders assessed satisfaction, implementation, and maintenance. Training reached 60% of British Columbia municipalities and 2700 early years providers. Significant changes in participants’ knowledge and confidence to promote PA and PL were achieved (p > 0.01–0.001). Childcare level implementation facilitators as reported by early years providers included appropriate resources, planning, indoor space, and equipment, whereas weather and space were reported barriers. The stakeholder advisory group viewed the stakeholder network and Active Play policy as facilitators and adjustments to recent shifts in childcare funding and previous initiatives as barriers to implementation. ATP was scalable and impacted provider knowledge, confidence, and intentions. The impact on actual policies and practices, and children’s PA needs to be assessed along with sustainability.
Allograft and Collagen Membrane Augmentation Procedures Preserve the Bone Level around Implants after Immediate Placement and Restoration
Authors: Kolerman Roni , Qahaz Nayrouz , Barnea Eitan , Mijiritsky Eitan , Chaushu Liat , Tal Haim , Nissan Joseph
Published: February 2020

Background: Immediate implant placement and restoration (IPR), is a reliable treatment modality. Purpose: This historical prospective study evaluated the medium-term outcomes of hard tissue after IPR in the anterior maxilla with simultaneous hard tissue augmentation. Methods: Seventy-three patients treated with single-implant IPR in the anterior maxilla were followed for 1-8 years. Treatment involved, atraumatic extraction, immediate implant placement and abutment adaptation, followed by simultaneous augmentation with mineralized freeze-dried bone allograft (FDBA) particles to fill the gaps and restore the ridge. The surgical site was stabilized with a resorbable collagen membrane, followed by the connection of an acrylic provisional restoration. Results: All implants osseointegrated during the follow-up period (mean, 34 ± 22 months). Radiographic evaluation of the distance between the implant shoulder (IS) and crestal bone level (CBL) was of 0.86 ± 0.86 mm and 0.8 ± 0.84 mm mesially and distally, respectively. Splitting the results into up to 3 years and 3–8 years of follow-up data, the corresponding values were 0.90 ± 0.83 and 0.68 ± 0.88 for the mesial aspect and 0.99 ± 0.87and 0.74 ± 0.83 for the distal aspect, respectively. Mean peri-implant probing depth was 3.63 mm (SD ± 1.06) and 16 implants (22%) presented at least one bleeding pocket of ≥5 mm (peri implant mucositis). Conclusions: The immediate replacement of a single maxillary tooth by implants combined with guided bone regeneration is a predictable treatment modality with favorable peri-implant bony response.
Children Exposed to Intimate Partner Violence: Association Among Battered Mothers’ Parenting Competences and Children’s Behavior
Authors: Rosser-Limiñana Ana , Suriá-Martínez Raquel , Mateo Pérez Miguel Ángel
Published: February 2020

Background: Exposure to violence perpetrated on a mother by her intimate partner (IPV or intimate partner violence) has an impact on the psychosocial adjustment of her children. In addition, the violence suffered by mothers could affect parental competences. Methods: Through the Child Behavior Checklist (CBCL), this work analyzes the psychosocial adjustment in children between 6 and 17 years old who live with their mothers in shelters after having experienced IPV situations. It also explores the association between mothers’ parenting competences and children’s adjustment in shelters. Results: The evaluation shows a negative correlation between the quality of mothers’ care of their children during their stay in shelters and the rate of children’s behavioral problems, so that the better the parental competences of mothers, the lower the rate of behavioral problems presented by children. Conclusions: As a result of IPV, mother–child relationships can be affected. Children exposed to IPV may exhibit more externalizing behavior problems and their mothers may have difficulty demonstrating competent parenting behaviors while living in a shelter. Work should be aimed at reestablishing parenting competences in mothers and the quality of mother–child interactions while they remain in the shelters, in an effort to mitigate the psychosocial consequences of IPV for their children.
Storytelling in Medical Education: Narrative Medicine as a Resource for Interdisciplinary Collaboration
Authors: Liao Hung-Chang , Wang Ya-huei
Published: February 2020

Objective: The study intended to use narrative medicine study for interdisciplinary collaboration to let medical and healthcare students have a chance to interact with one another and listen to patients’ stories to enhance students’ reflective thinking, communication, empathy, and narrative medicine writing skills. Methods: A fifteen-week quasi-experimental design was used to examine the learning outcomes of the intervention. Two groups of students were randomly assigned as the experimental group (33 students) and the control group (32 students). Before and after the intervention, both groups had to fill in a Reflective Thinking Scale for Healthcare Students and Providers (RTS-HSP), Patient–Healthcare Provider Communication Scale (P-HCS), Empathy Scale in Patient Care (ES-PC), and Analytic Narrative Medicine Writing Scoring Rubric (ANMWSR). Results: The findings showed that on the reflective thinking scale, experimental group students had significantly higher reflective thinking posttest scores in “reflective skepticism,” “empathetic reflection,” and “critical open-mindedness,” but not in “self-examination.” As for patient–healthcare provider communication, they had significantly higher posttest scores in all “perception of trust and receptivity,” “patient-centered information giving,” “rapport building,” and “facilitation of patient involvement” factors. As for empathy, they had significant higher posttest scores in “behavioral empathy” and “affective empathy,” but not in “intelligent empathy.” In narrative medical writing skills, they had significant higher posttest scores in the “attention → representation → affiliation,” “depth of reflection,” “focus and context structure,” and “ideas and elaboration” sections, but not in the “language and conventions” section. Conclusion: The findings suggest that narrative medicine is worth recommending for interdisciplinary collaboration for healthcare education.
Analysis of Network Structure and Doctor Behaviors in E-Health Communities from a Social-Capital Perspective
Authors: Li Zhigang , Xu Xu
Published: February 2020

In tandem with internet development and widespread social media use, e-health communities have begun to emerge in recent years. These communities allow doctors to access forums anywhere, anytime, seek or exchange medical information online, find literature, and so on. This is convenient and can solve some problems for doctors while also promoting doctor communication. This study collected and collated 102 doctors in the “Lilac Forum” and used social network tools to quantify the overall network density, centrality, core–periphery structure, and structural hole indicators of doctors’ information exchange from a social-capital perspective. The results showed that the frequency of interaction between doctors differed because of differences in the identities and participation of doctors in the e-health community. The density of the doctors’ information dissemination network (0.228) and network cohesion (0.610) were relatively high. Thus, the doctors were more closely connected, and information was easily spread. At the same time, doctors with higher professional titles had obvious location characteristics, familiarity and trust, and high levels of reciprocity. They could obtain redundant information in the network and were more likely to influence the behavior of other doctors. This study’s findings provide support for improving information exchange among doctors in e-health communities and improving the service levels of the platforms.
Anthropometric, Body Composition, and Morphological Lower Limb Asymmetries in Elite Soccer Players: A Prospective Cohort Study
Authors: Mala Lucia , Maly Tomas , Cabell Lee , Hank Mikulas , Bujnovsky David , Zahalka Frantisek
Published: February 2020

The aim of this study was to identify and compare parameters related to anthropometry, body composition (BC), and morphological asymmetry in elite soccer players in nine age categories at the same soccer club (n = 355). We used a bio-impedance analyzer to measure the following indicators of BC: body height (BH); body mass (BM); relative fat-free mass (FFMr); percentage of fat mass (FM); and bilateral muscle mass differences in the lower extremities (BLD∆). Age showed a significant influence on all parameters observed (F64,1962 = 9.99, p = 0.00, λ = 14.75, η2p = 0.25). Adolescent players (from U16 through adults) had lower FM values (<10%) compared to players in the U12–U15 categories (>10%). The highest FFMr was observed in the U18 category. Players in the U12 and U13 categories showed more homogenous values compared to older players. With increasing age, significantly higher FFMr was observed in the lower extremities. An inter-limb comparison of the lower extremities showed significant differences in the U17 category (t27 = 2.77, p = 0.01) and in adult players (t68 = 5.02, p = 0.00). Our results suggest that the end of height growth occurs around the age of 16 years, while weight continues to increase until 20 years. This increase is not linked to decreasing FM, nor to the FFMr, which remains stable. We found morphological asymmetries between limbs in players of the U17 category and in adult players.
Comment on Oldenburg, M., Jensen, H.J. Stress and Strain among Seafarers Related to the Occupational Groups. Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2019, doi:10.3390/ijerph16071153
Authors: Lucas David , Jensen Olaf Chresten , Loddé Brice , Pougnet Richard , Dewitte Jean-Dominique , Jegaden Dominique
Published: February 2020

Recently, Oldenburg M published an article in the journal “Communication” titled “Stress and Strain among Seafarers Related to the Occupational Groups” [...]
Risk Assessment of Cosmetics Using Triclosan on Future Generation’s Germ Cell Maturation via Lactating Mother Rats
Authors: Mandal Tapas K. , Parvin Nargish , Joo Sang Woo , Roy Partha
Published: February 2020

Triclosan (TCS) is a widely used chemical in personal care and household products as an antimicrobial agent but some studies have reported it as being estrogenic. We investigated the influence of TCS on the male reproductive system of postnatal pups. Lactating mother rats (Rattus norvegicus) were given daily doses of 0 mg, 3 mg, and 5 mg/kg/day from the day of delivery until 28 days, equivalent to their natural breastfeeding duration. At 28 days, the male pups of all three groups were sacrificed and their biochemical parameters evaluated. TCS-treated pups had decreased mRNA levels for 3β hydro-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenases (3βHSD), OCT3/4, and androgen receptor (AR) (p < 0.05). The higher dose (5 mg/kg/day) male pups exhibited more significantly affected germ cell maturation and decreased body weight. In summary, TCS-treated lactating mothers passed the deleterious effects to their untreated male pups as exhibited by reduced androgens synthesis and subsequently decreased sperm count.
Speckle Tracking Echocardiography: New Ways of Translational Approaches in Preeclampsia to Detect Cardiovascular Dysfunction
Authors: Kräker Kristin , Schütte Till , O’Driscoll Jamie , Birukov Anna , Patey Olga , Herse Florian , Müller Dominik N. , Thilaganathan Basky , Haase Nadine , Dechend Ralf
Published: February 2020

Several studies have shown that women with a preeclamptic pregnancy exhibit an increased risk of cardiovascular disease. However, the underlying molecular mechanisms are unknown. Animal models are essential to investigate the causes of this increased risk and have the ability to assess possible preventive and therapeutic interventions. Using the latest technologies such as speckle tracking echocardiography (STE), it is feasible to map subclinical changes in cardiac diastolic and systolic function as well as structural changes of the maternal heart. The aim of this work is to compare cardiovascular changes in an established transgenic rat model with preeclampsia-like pregnancies with findings from human preeclamptic pregnancies by STE. The same algorithms were used to evaluate and compare the changes in echoes of human and rodents. Parameters of functionality such as global longitudinal strain (animal −23.54 ± 1.82% vs. −13.79 ± 0.57%, human −20.60 ± 0.47% vs. −15.45 ± 1.55%) as well as indications of morphological changes such as relative wall thickness (animal 0.20 ± 0.01 vs. 0.25 ± 0.01, human 0.34 ± 0.01 vs. 0.40 ± 0.02) are significantly altered in both species after preeclamptic pregnancies. Thus, the described rat model simulates the human situation quite well and is a valuable tool for future investigations regarding cardiovascular changes. STE is a unique technique that can be applied in animal models and humans with a high potential to uncover cardiovascular maladaptation and subtle pathologies.
Overexpression of Tamarix hispida ThTrx5 Confers Salt Tolerance to Arabidopsis by Activating Stress Response Signals
Authors: Luan Jiayu , Dong Jingxiang , Song Xin , Jiang Jing , Li Huiyu
Published: February 2020

Salt stress inhibits normal plant growth and development by disrupting cellular water absorption and metabolism. Therefore, understanding plant salt tolerance mechanisms should provide a theoretical basis for developing salt-resistant varieties. Here, we cloned ThTrx5 from Tamarix hispida, a salt-resistant woody shrub, and generated ThTrx5-overexpressing transgenic Arabidopsis thaliana lines. Under NaCl stress, the germination rate of overexpressing ThTrx5 lines was significantly increased relative to that of the nontransgenic line; under salt stress, superoxide dismutase (SOD), peroxidase (POD), catalase (CAT), and glutathione levels and root length and fresh weight values of transgenic ThTrx5 plants were significantly greater than corresponding values for wild-type plants. Moreover, with regard to the transcriptome, comparison of differential gene expression of transgenic versus nontransgenic lines at 0 h and 3 h of salt stress exposure revealed 500 and 194 differentially expressed genes (DEGs), respectively, that were mainly functionally linked to catalytic activity and binding process. Pull-down experiments showed that ThTrx bound 2-Cys peroxiredoxin BAS1-like protein that influences stress response-associated redox, hormone signal transduction, and transcription factor functions. Therefore, this work provides important insights into ThTrx5 mechanisms that promote salt tolerance in plants.
Angiotensin (1-7) Decreases Myostatin-Induced NF-κB Signaling and Skeletal Muscle Atrophy
Authors: Aravena Javier , Abrigo Johanna , Gonzalez Francisco , Aguirre Francisco , Gonzalez Andrea , Simon Felipe , Cabello-Verrugio Claudio
Published: February 2020

Myostatin is a myokine that regulates muscle function and mass, producing muscle atrophy. Myostatin induces the degradation of myofibrillar proteins, such as myosin heavy chain or troponin. The main pathway that mediates protein degradation during muscle atrophy is the ubiquitin proteasome system, by increasing the expression of atrogin-1 and MuRF-1. In addition, myostatin activates the NF-κB signaling pathway. Renin–angiotensin system (RAS) also regulates muscle mass. Angiotensin (1-7) (Ang-(1-7)) has anti-atrophic properties in skeletal muscle. In this paper, we evaluated the effect of Ang-(1-7) on muscle atrophy and signaling induced by myostatin. The results show that Ang-(1-7) prevented the decrease of the myotube diameter and myofibrillar protein levels induced by myostatin. Ang-(1-7) also abolished the increase of myostatin-induced reactive oxygen species production, atrogin-1, MuRF-1, and TNF-α gene expressions and NF-κB signaling activation. Ang-(1-7) inhibited the activity mediated by myostatin through Mas receptor, as is demonstrated by the loss of all Ang-(1-7)-induced effects when the Mas receptor antagonist A779 was used. Our results show that the effects of Ang-(1-7) on the myostatin-dependent muscle atrophy and signaling are blocked by MK-2206, an inhibitor of Akt/PKB. Together, these data indicate that Ang-(1-7) inhibited muscle atrophy and signaling induced by myostatin through a mechanism dependent on Mas receptor and Akt/PKB.
Protein Expression Profile in Rat Silicosis Model Reveals Upregulation of PTPN2 and Its Inhibitory Effect on Epithelial-Mesenchymal Transition by Dephosphorylation of STAT3
Authors: Zhu Ying , Yao Jingxin , Duan Yuxia , Xu Hong , Cheng Qiyun , Gao Xuemin , Li Shumin , Yang Fang , Liu Heliang , Yuan Juxiang
Published: February 2020

Silicosis is a chronic occupational lung disease caused by long-term inhalation of crystalline silica particulates. We created a rat model that closely approximates the exposure and development of silicosis in humans. Isobaric tags for relative and absolute quantitation (iTRAQ) technologies we used to identify proteins differentially expressed in activated rat lung tissue. We constructed three lentiviral knockdown vectors and an overexpression vector for the protein tyrosine phosphatase non-receptor type 2 (PTPN2) gene to achieve stable long-term expression. A total of 471 proteins were differentially expressed in the silicosis group compared with controls. Twenty upregulated, and eight downregulated proteins exhibited a ≥1.5-fold change relative to controls. We next found that the PTPN2, Factor B, and VRK1 concentrations in silicotic rats silicosis and SiO2-stimulated MLE-12 cells were significantly higher than control groups. More importantly, we found that overexpression of PTPN2 simultaneously decreased the expression of phospho–signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 (p-STAT3) and Vimentin, while increasing E-cadherin expression. The opposite pattern was observed for PTPN2-gene silencing. We identified three proteins with substantially enhanced expression in silicosis. Our study also showed that PTPN2 can inhibit epithelial-mesenchymal transition by dephosphorylating STAT3 in silicosis fibrosis.
Accurate Diels-Alder Energies and Endo Selectivity in Ionic Liquids Using the OPLS-VSIL Force Field
Authors: Velez Caroline , Doherty Brian , Acevedo Orlando
Published: February 2020

Our recently developed optimized potentials for liquid simulations-virtual site ionic liquid (OPLS-VSIL) force field has been shown to provide accurate bulk phase properties and local ion-ion interactions for a wide variety of imidazolium-based ionic liquids. The force field features a virtual site that offloads negative charge to inside the plane of the ring with careful attention given to hydrogen bonding interactions. In this study, the Diels-Alder reaction between cyclopentadiene and methyl acrylate was computationally investigated in the ionic liquid 1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium hexafluorophosphate, [BMIM][PF6], as a basis for the validation of the OPLS-VSIL to properly reproduce a reaction medium environment. Mixed ab initio quantum mechanics and molecular mechanics (QM/MM) calculations coupled to free energy perturbation and Monte Carlo sampling (FEP/MC) that utilized M06-2X/6-31G(d) and OPLS-VSIL gave activation free energy barriers of 14.9 and 16.0 kcal/mol for the endo-cis and exo-cis Diels-Alder reaction pathways, respectively (exptl. ΔH‡ of 14.6 kcal/mol). The endo selectivity trend was correctly predicted with a calculated 73% endo preference. The rate and selectivity enhancements present in the endo conformation were found to arise from preferential hydrogen bonding with the exposed C4 ring hydrogen on the BMIM cation. Weaker electronic stabilization of the exo transition state was predicted. For comparison, our earlier ±0.8 charge-scaled OPLS-2009IL force field also yielded a ΔG‡ of 14.9 kcal/mol for the favorable endo reaction pathway but did not adequately capture the highly organized solvent interactions present between the cation and Diels-Alder transition state.
Novel Basic Science Insights to Improve the Management of Heart Failure: Review of the Working Group on Cellular and Molecular Biology of the Heart of the Italian Society of Cardiology
Authors: Ameri Pietro , Schiattarella Gabriele Giacomo , Crotti Lia , Torchio Margherita , Bertero Edoardo , Rodolico Daniele , Forte Maurizio , Di Mauro Vittoria , Paolillo Roberta , Chimenti Cristina , Torella Daniele , Catalucci Daniele , Sciarretta Sebastiano , Basso Cristina , Indolfi Ciro , Perrino Cinzia
Published: February 2020

Despite important advances in diagnosis and treatment, heart failure (HF) remains a syndrome with substantial morbidity and dismal prognosis. Although implementation and optimization of existing technologies and drugs may lead to better management of HF, new or alternative strategies are desirable. In this regard, basic science is expected to give fundamental inputs, by expanding the knowledge of the pathways underlying HF development and progression, identifying approaches that may improve HF detection and prognostic stratification, and finding novel treatments. Here, we discuss recent basic science insights that encompass major areas of translational research in HF and have high potential clinical impact.
Extracellular Vesicles in Oral Squamous Cell Carcinoma and Oral Potentially Malignant Disorders: A Systematic Review
Authors: Yap Tami , Pruthi Neha , Seers Christine , Belobrov Simone , McCullough Michael , Celentano Antonio
Published: February 2020

Extracellular vesicles (EVs) are secreted from most cell types and utilized in a complex network of near and distant cell-to-cell communication. Insight into this complex nanoscopic interaction in the development, progression and treatment of oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) and precancerous oral mucosal disorders, termed oral potentially malignant disorders (OPMDs), remains of interest. In this review, we comprehensively present the current state of knowledge of EVs in OSCC and OPMDs. A systematic literature search strategy was developed and updated to December 17, 2019. Fifty-five articles were identified addressing EVs in OSCC and OPMDs with all but two articles published from 2015, highlighting the novelty of this research area. Themes included the impact of OSCC-derived EVs on phenotypic changes, lymph-angiogenesis, stromal immune response, mechanisms of therapeutic resistance as well as utility of EVs for drug delivery in OSCC and OPMD. Interest and progress of knowledge of EVs in OSCC and OPMD has been expanding on several fronts. The oral cavity presents a unique and accessible microenvironment for nanoparticle study that could present important models for other solid tumours.