bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Association Between Irritable Bowel Syndrome and Risk of Parkinson's Disease: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis
Authors: Zhang XinYue , Svn Zhen , Liv MengSi , Yang Yan , Zeng Rui , Huang Qian , Sun Qin
Published: September 2021

Background: Parkinson's disease (PD) and irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) are respectively one of the most common neurodegenerative diseases and functional bowel diseases in the world. Recent studies suggest that patients with IBS seem to have a higher risk of PD, which conflicts with the result of previous meta-analysis. Therefore, the purpose of this systematic review is to evaluate all available evidence, in order to clarify the association between PD and IBS.

Methods: Two reviewers independently searched the PubMed, Embase, Web of Science, and Cochrane library on April 25, 2021 to identify all records that explore the association between IBS and PD. All reports that clearly define PD and IBS and analyze the relationship between the two were included. The Newcastle-Ottawa scale was used to assess the risk of bias of included studies.

Results: Five studies from four articles involving 2,044,110 subjects were included in this analysis. The pooled results demonstrated a significant association between PD and IBS (1.48; 95% CI: 1.35–1.62, P < 0.001), with subtle heterogeneity (I2 = 0.0%, p = 0.585). The association was observed across genders and increased with age. However, the available evidence cannot allow a reliable analysis of the causal relationship between IBS and PD.

Conclusion: This study demonstrates a higher risk of PD among subjects with IBS. Future studies are required to further clarify the causation and underlying mechanism of the association.
Altered Homotopic Functional Connectivity Within White Matter in the Early Stages of Alzheimer’s Disease
Authors: Wang Pan , Wang Zedong , Wang Jianlin , Jiang Yuan , Zhang Hong , Li Hongyi , Biswal Bharat B.
Published: September 2021

Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is a progressive neurodegenerative disorder with memory loss and cognitive impairment. The white matter (WM) BOLD signal has recently been shown to provide an important role in understanding the intrinsic cerebral activity. Although the altered homotopic functional connectivity within gray matter (GM-HFC) has been examined in AD, the abnormal HFC to WM remains unknown. The present study sought to identify changes in the WM-HFC and anatomic characteristics by combining functional magnetic resonance imaging with diffusion tensor imaging (DTI). Resting-state and DTI magnetic resonance images were collected from the OASIS-3 dataset and consisted of 53 mild cognitive impairment (MCI) patients, 90 very MCI (VMCI), and 100 normal cognitive (NC) subjects. Voxel-mirrored HFC was adopted to examine whether WM-HFC was disrupted in VMCI and MCI participants. Moreover, the DTI technique was used to investigate whether specific alterations of WM-HFC were associated with anatomic characteristics. Support vector machine analyses were used to identify the MCI and VMCI participants using the abnormal WM-HFC as the features. Compared with NC, MCI, and VMCI participants showed significantly decreased GM-HFC in the middle occipital gyrus and inferior parietal gyrus and decreased WM-HFC in the bilateral middle occipital and parietal lobe-WM. In addition, specific WM-functional network alteration for the bilateral sub-lobar-WM was found in MCI subjects. MCI subjects showed abnormal anatomic characteristics for bilateral sub-lobar and parietal lobe-WM. Results of GM-HFC mainly showed common neuroimaging features for VMCI and MCI subjects, whereas analysis of WM-HFC showed specific clinical neuromarkers and effectively compensated for the lack of GM-HFC to distinguish NC, VMCI, and MCI subjects.
Metabolic Fate of Dietary Glucosinolates and Their Metabolites: A Role for the Microbiome
Authors: Bouranis John A. , Beaver Laura M. , Ho Emily
Published: September 2021

Robust evidence shows that phytochemicals from cruciferous vegetables, like broccoli, are associated with numerous health benefits. The anti-cancer properties of these foods are attributed to bioactive isothiocyanates (ITCs) and indoles, phytochemicals generated from biological precursor compounds called glucosinolates. ITCs, and particularly sulforaphane (SFN), are of intense interest as they block the initiation, and suppress the progression of cancer, through genetic and epigenetic mechanisms. The efficacy of these compounds is well-demonstrated in cell culture and animal models, however, high levels of inter-individual variation in absorption and excretion of ITCs is a significant barrier to the use of dietary glucosinolates to prevent and treat disease. The source of inter-individual ITC variation has yet to be fully elucidated and the gut microbiome may play a key role. This review highlights evidence that the gut microbiome influences the metabolic fate and activity of ITCs. Human feeding trials have shown inter-individual variations in gut microbiome composition coincides with variations in ITC absorption and excretion, and some bacteria produce ITCs from glucosinolates. Additionally, consumption of cruciferous vegetables can alter the composition of the gut microbiome and shift the physiochemical environment of the gut lumen, influencing the production of phytochemicals. Microbiome and diet induced changes to ITC metabolism may lead to the decrease of cancer fighting phytochemicals such as SFN and increase the production of biologically inert ones like SFN-nitrile. We conclude by offering perspective on the use of novel “omics” technologies to elucidate the interplay of the gut microbiome and ITC formation.
A Clinical-Radiomics Nomogram for Preoperative Prediction of Lymph Node Metastasis in Gallbladder Cancer
Authors: Liu Xingyu , Liang Xiaoyuan , Ruan Lingxiang , Yan Sheng
Published: September 2021

Objectives

The aim of the current study was to develop and validate a nomogram based on CT radiomics features and clinical variables for predicting lymph node metastasis (LNM) in gallbladder cancer (GBC).

Methods

A total of 353 GBC patients from two hospitals were enrolled in this study. A Radscore was developed using least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (LASSO) logistic model based on the radiomics features extracted from the portal venous-phase computed tomography (CT). Four prediction models were constructed based on the training cohort and were validated using internal and external validation cohorts. The most effective model was then selected to build a nomogram.

Results

The clinical-radiomics nomogram, which comprised Radscore and three clinical variables, showed the best diagnostic efficiency in the training cohort (AUC = 0.851), internal validation cohort (AUC = 0.819), and external validation cohort (AUC = 0.824). Calibration curves showed good discrimination ability of the nomogram using the validation cohorts. Decision curve analysis (DCA) showed that the nomogram had a high clinical utility.

Conclusion

The findings showed that the clinical-radiomics nomogram based on radiomics features and clinical parameters is a promising tool for preoperative prediction of LN status in patients with GBC.
A Focal Adhesion-Related Gene Signature Predicts Prognosis in Glioma and Correlates With Radiation Response and Immune Microenvironment
Authors: Li Haonan , Wang Guohui , Wang Wenyan , Pan Jie , Zhou Huandi , Han Xuetao , Su Linlin , Ma Zhenghui , Hou Liubing , Xue Xiaoying
Published: September 2021

Background

Glioma is the most frequent brain malignancy presenting very poor prognosis and high recurrence rate. Focal adhesion complexes play pivotal roles in cell migration and act as hubs of several signaling pathways.

Methods

We used bioinformatic databases (CGGA, TCGA, and GEO) and identified a focal adhesion-related differential gene expression (FADG) signature by uniCox and LASSO regression analysis. We calculated the risk score of every patient using the regression coefficient value and expression of each gene. Survival analysis, receiver operating characteristic curve (ROC), principal component analysis (PCA), and stratified analysis were used to validate the FADG signature. Then, we conducted GSEA to identify the signaling pathways related to the FADG signature. Correlation analysis of risk scores between the immune checkpoint was performed. In addition, the correlation of risk scores and genes related with DNA repair was performed. CIBERSORT and ssGSEA were used to explore the tumor microenvironment (TME). A nomogram that involved our FADG signature was also constructed.

Results

In total, 1,726 (528 patients diagnosed with WHO II, 591 WHO III, and 603 WHO IV) cases and 23 normal samples were included in our study. We identified 29 prognosis-related genes in the LASSO analysis and constructed an eight FADG signature. The results from the survival analysis, stratified analysis, ROC curve, and univariate and multivariate regression analysis revealed that the prognosis of the high-risk group was significantly worse than the low-risk group. Correlation analysis between risk score and genes that related with DNA repair showed that the risk score was positively related with BRCA1, BRCA2, RAD51, TGFB1, and TP53. Besides, we found that the signature could predict the prognosis of patients who received radiation therapy. SsGSEA indicated that the high-risk score was positively correlated with the ESTIMATE, immune, and stromal scores but negatively correlated with tumor purity. Notably, patients in the high-risk group had a high infiltration of immunocytes. The correlation analysis revealed that the risk score was positively correlated with B7-H3, CTLA4, LAG3, PD-L1, and TIM3 but inversely correlated with PD-1.

Conclusion

The FADG signature we constructed could provide a sensitive prognostic model for patients with glioma and contribute to improve immunotherapy management guidelines.
Bortezomib Inhibits Multiple Myeloma Cells by Transactivating ATF3 to Trigger miR-135a-5p- Dependent Apoptosis
Authors: Lai Xiaolan , Huang Chuanqian , Nie Xuekun , Chen Qi , Tang Yirong , Fu Xianguo , Lin Ying , Nie Chengjun , Xu Xinyu , Wang Xiukang , Chen Renli , Chen Zichun
Published: September 2021

Multiple myeloma (MM) is a malignant cancer with an increasing in incidence that can be alleviated through bortezomib (BTZ) treatment. Activating transcription factor 3 (ATF3) plays a major role in cancer development. Moreover, microRNAs (miRNAs) regulate carcinogenic pathways, apoptosis, and programmed necrotic cell death. However, the detailed mechanism by which ATF3 modulates BTZ drug sensitivity/resistance remains elusive. In the current study, expression of ATF3 was significantly increased under BTZ treatment in a dose-dependent manner in MM cell lines. In addition, ATF3 could regulate cell apoptosis under BTZ treatment. The effect of ATF3 was negatively regulated by its binding miRNA, miR-135a-5p. When either ATF3 was silenced or miR-135a-5p mimics were added to MM cells, they partially lost sensitivity to BTZ treatment. This was accompanied by low levels of Noxa, CHOP, and DR5, and a decrease in mitochondrial membrane potential. These results revealed the combinatorial regulatory patterns of ATF3 and miR-135a-5p in the regulatory protein interactome, which indicated a clinical significance of the miR-135a-5p-ATF3 protein interaction network in BTZ therapy. This study provides potential evidence for further investigation into BTZ resistance.
Cardiometabolic Phenotypic Differences in Male Offspring Born to Obese Preeclamptic-Like BPH/5 Mice
Authors: Beckers Kalie F. , Gomes Viviane C. L. , Crissman Kassandra J. Raven , Adams Daniella M. , Liu Chin-Chi , Del Piero Fabio , Butler Scott D. , Sones Jenny L.
Published: September 2021

Preeclampsia (PE) is a hypertensive disorder of pregnancy occurring in approximately 10% of women worldwide. While it is life threatening to both the mother and baby, the only effective treatment is delivery of the placenta and fetus, which is often preterm. Maternal obesity is a risk factor for PE, and the effects of both on offspring are long standing with increased incidence of cardiometabolic disease in adulthood. Obese BPH/5 mice spontaneously exhibit excessive gestational weight gain and late-gestational hypertension, similar to women with PE, along with fetal growth restriction and accelerated compensatory growth in female offspring. We hypothesized that BPH/5 male offspring will demonstrate cardiovascular and metabolic phenotypes similar to BPH/5 females. As previously described, BPH/5 females born to ad libitum-fed dams are overweight with hyperphagia and increased subcutaneous, peri-renal, and peri-gonadal white adipose tissue (WAT) and cardiomegaly compared to age-matched adult female controls. In this study, BPH/5 adult male mice have similar body weights and food intake compared to age-matched control mice but have increased inflammatory subcutaneous and peri-renal WAT and signs of cardiovascular disease: left ventricular hypertrophy and hypertension. Therefore, adult male BPH/5 do not completely phenocopy the cardiometabolic profile of female BPH/5 mice. Future investigations are necessary to understand the differences observed in BPH/5 male and female mice as they age. In conclusion, the impact of fetal programming due to PE has a transgenerational effect on both male and female offspring in the BPH/5 mouse model. The maternal obesogenic environment may play a role in PE pregnancy outcomes, including offspring health as they age.
Clinical Predictors of Wheezing Among Children Infected With Mycoplasma Pneumoniae
Authors: Kong Kaimeng , Ding Ying , Wu Beirong , Lu Min , Gu Haoxiang
Published: September 2021

Background:Mycoplasma pneumoniae (MP) not only was a common pathogen of respiratory tract infections, but also could trigger the exacerbation of asthmatic symptoms in children with or without asthma.

Objective: This study aimed to identify possible risk factors associated with wheezing among children diagnosed with MP infection.

Methods: A retrospective analysis of medical records of children aged 28 days to 18 years old who visited the Shanghai Children's Hospital between January 2019 and January 2020 was carried out, and all children were then classified into three groups: two wheezing groups (with or without MP infection) and a non-wheezing group with MP infection. Information including patient's demographics, clinical features, laboratory data, and radiography findings was extracted from the electronic medical record system. Chest radiographs were reviewed independently by two board-certified, blinded pediatric radiologists.

Results: A total of 1,512 patients were included in our study, and 21.9% of them belonged to the wheezing group without MP infection. Among 1,181 patients with MP infection, 295 people (25.0%) suffered from wheezing, and males accounted for 61%. Through the multivariable logistic regression analyses, we found that six variables were positively associated with wheezing attacks in children with MP infection: male gender (likelihood ratio [LR] = 2.124, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.478–3.053), history of allergy (LR= 3.301, 95% CI: 2.206–4.941), history of wheezing (LR = 7.808, 95% CI: 5.276–11.557), autumn in reference to summer (LR = 2.414, 95% CI: 1.500–3.885), non-end-point infiltration in reference to consolidation or pleural effusion (LR = 1.982, 95% CI: 1.348–2.914), and infiltration scope (LR = 1.773, 95% CI: 1.293–2.432). However, the model showed that the probability of wheezing after MP infection decreased as age increased (LR = 0.257, 95% CI: 0.196–0.337). Moreover, the area under the curve (AUC) of the regression model was as high as 0.901 (0.847–0.955).

Conclusion: The model integrated with factors including gender, age, season, radiological patterns, infiltration scope, and history of allergy performed well in predicting wheezing attack after MP infection in children.
Delivery Modality Affect Neonatal Levels of Inflammation, Stress, and Growth Factors
Authors: Kiilerich Pia , Cortes Rikke , Lausten-Thomsen Ulrik , Borbye-Lorenzen Nis , Holmgaard Solveig , Skogstrand Kristin
Published: September 2021

Introduction: As part of the study CODIBINE, Correlations and Diagnoses for Biomarkers in New-borns, the main objective of the study was to explore neonatal inflammation, stress, neurodevelopment, and growth factors after in-labor and pre-labor cesarean section compared to vaginal delivery. Increasing evidence has shown that birth delivery mode has an impact on imminent and long-term child health. However, the effect of the timing of cesarean section is insufficiently elucidated. The main objective of the study was to explore the effect of different delivery modes, vaginal delivery compared to cesarean section with or without initiation of labor, on the infants.

Methods: We designed a retrospective cohort study, including dried blood spot samples from mature (gestational age ≥ 37) newborns delivered in the years 2009-2011. The newborns were divided into three groups after delivery mode: (1) pre-labor cesarean section (n = 714), i.e., cesarean delivery without initiation of labor, (2) in-labor cesarean section (n = 655), i.e., cesarean section after initiation of labor, and (3) vaginal delivery (n = 5,897). We measured infant levels of inflammatory (IL-18, MCP-1, CRP, sTNF RI), stress (HSP-70), growth (EGF, VEGF-A), and neurotrophic factors (BDNF, NT-3, S100B) 2–4 days after birth.

Results: The neonatal levels of inflammatory and stress markers were significantly lower, while the levels of growth factors were higher after pre-labor cesarean section compared to vaginal delivery. The biomarker levels were similar after in-labor cesarean section and vaginal delivery. Removing cases with pre-labor rupture of membranes and artificial rupture of membranes in the calculations did not change the results. The levels of neurotrophic factors were unaffected by delivery form. Males had generally higher levels of inflammation and lower levels of growth and neurotrophic factors. Overall, the levels of inflammatory markers increased, and the growth factors decreased with increasing gestational age.

Conclusion: The present study of the biomarker levels after birth suggests that the labor process has an important effect on the fetal immune system and level of stress, regardless if the delivery ends with cesarean section or vaginal birth.
CBD Alleviates Liver Injuries in Alcoholics With High-Fat High-Cholesterol Diet Through Regulating NLRP3 Inflammasome–Pyroptosis Pathway
Authors: Jiang Xuye , Gu Yingying , Huang Yuanling , Zhou Yujia , Pang Nengzhi , Luo Jing , Tang Zhaoyang , Zhang Zhenfeng , Yang Lili
Published: September 2021

Alcohol abuse and high-fat diet–induced liver diseases have been the most prevalent chronic liver diseases and the leading reasons for liver transplantation around the world. Cannabidiol (CBD) is a botanical component extracted from marijuana plants without psychoactive impact. In our previous reports, we found that CBD can prevent fatty liver induced by Lieber–DeCarli ethanol diet or non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) induced by high-fat high-cholesterol diet. The current work is a further study on whether CBD can alleviate liver injuries induced by ethanol plus high-fat high-cholesterol diet (EHFD), which is a model simulating heavy alcohol drinkers in a Western diet. A mice liver injury model induced by EHFD for 8 weeks was applied to explore the protective properties of CBD and the underlying mechanisms. We found that CBD prevented liver steatosis and oxidative stress induced by EHFD. CBD treatment inhibited macrophage recruitment and suppressed activation of NFκB–NLRP3–pyroptosis pathway in mice livers. The hepatoprotective property of CBD in the current model might be a result of inhibition of inflammation via alleviating activation of the hepatic NFκB–NLRP3 inflammasome–pyroptosis pathway by CBD.
Yeokwisan, a Standardized Herbal Formula, Enhances Gastric Emptying via Modulation of the Ghrelin Pathway in a Loperamide-induced Functional Dyspepsia Mouse Model
Authors: Hwang Seung-Ju , Wang Jing-Hua , Lee Jin-Seok , Lee Hwa-Dong , Choi Tae-Joon , Choi Seo-Hyung , Son Chang-Gue
Published: September 2021

Background: Yeokwisan, a standardized herbal formula, has exhibited clinical benefit for patients suffering from refractory functional dyspepsia (FD) in Korea since 2016. However, data about the mechanism of action of this formula are yet not available.

Aim of the study: To evaluate and explore the effects of Yeokwisan on gastric emptying, a major symptom of functional dyspepsia, and its underlying mechanisms of action using a mouse model.

Materials and methods: BALB/C mice were pretreated with Yeokwisan (100, 200, and 400 mg/kg, po) or mosapride (3 mg/kg, po) for 5 days and then treated with loperamide (10 mg/kg, ip) after 20 h of fasting. A solution of 0.05% phenol red (500 μL) or diet of 5% charcoal (200 μL) was orally administered, followed by assessment of gastric emptying or intestinal transit. Plasma acyl-ghrelin (ELISA), C-kit (immunofluorescence and western blotting), nNOS (western blotting) and gastric contraction- and ghrelin-related gene/protein expression levels were examined in stomach and small intestine tissues.

Results: Loperamide injection substantially delayed gastric emptying, while Yeokwisan pretreatment (especially 200 and 400 mg/kg Yeokwisan) significantly attenuated this peristaltic dysfunction, as evidenced by the quantity of phenol red retained in the stomach (p < 0.05 or 0.01) and stomach weight (p < 0.05 or 0.01). The levels of plasma acyl-ghrelin and expression of gastric ghrelin-related genes, such as growth hormone secretagogue receptor (GHSR), ghrelin-O-acyltransferase (GOAT), adrenergic receptor β1 (ADRB1) and somatostatin receptor (SSTR), were significantly normalized (p < 0.05 or 0.01) by Yeokwisan (400 mg/kg). Yeokwisan (400 mg/kg) significantly tempered the loperamide-induced alterations in the c-kit and nNOS levels (p < 0.01) as well as the expression of contraction- and ghrelin-related genes, such as 5-HT4 receptor (5-HT4R), anoctamin-1 (ANO1), ryanodine receptor 3 (RYR3) and smooth muscle myosin light chain kinase (smMLCK), in the stomach, but not in the small intestine.

Conclusion: The present results showed the clinical relevance of Yeokwisan, in treating FD, especially in promoting gastric emptying but not small intestinal transit. The main mechanisms corresponding to these effects may involve the modulation of the ghrelin pathway and activation of interstitial cells of Cajal in stomach tissue.
Transgenic Mice Overexpressing Human Alpha-1 Antitrypsin Exhibit Low Blood Pressure and Altered Epithelial Transport Mechanisms in the Inactive and Active Cycles
Authors: Liu Lauren P. , Gholam Mohammed F. , Elshikha Ahmed Samir , Kawakibi Tamim , Elmoujahid Nasseem , Moussa Hassan H. , Song Sihong , Alli Abdel A.
Published: September 2021

Human alpha-1 antitrypsin (hAAT) is a versatile protease inhibitor, but little is known about its targets in the aldosterone-sensitive distal nephron and its role in electrolyte balance and blood pressure control. We analyzed urinary electrolytes, osmolality, and blood pressure from hAAT transgenic (hAAT-Tg) mice and C57B/6 wild-type control mice maintained on either a normal salt or high salt diet. Urinary sodium, potassium, and chloride concentrations as well as urinary osmolality were lower in hAAT-Tg mice maintained on a high salt diet during both the active and inactive cycles. hAAT-Tg mice showed a lower systolic blood pressure compared to C57B6 mice when maintained on a normal salt diet but this was not observed when they were maintained on a high salt diet. Cathepsin B protein activity was less in hAAT-Tg mice compared to wild-type controls. Protein expression of the alpha subunit of the sodium epithelial channel (ENaC) alpha was also reduced in the hAAT-Tg mice. Natriuretic peptide receptor C (NPRC) protein expression in membrane fractions of the kidney cortex was reduced while circulating levels of atrial natriuretic peptide (ANP) were greater in hAAT-Tg mice compared to wild-type controls. This study characterizes the electrolyte and blood pressure phenotype of hAAT-Tg mice during the inactive and active cycles and investigates the mechanism by which ENaC activation is inhibited in part by a mechanism involving decreased cathepsin B activity and increased ANP levels in the systemic circulation.
Cardiac Kinetic Energy and Viscous Dissipation Rate From Radial Flow Data
Authors: Frank Sarah , Lee Junsung , Lantz Jonas , Ebbers Tino , Shadden Shawn C.
Published: September 2021

Recent studies have correlated kinetic energy (KE) and viscous dissipation rate (VDR) in the left ventricle (LV) with heart health. These studies have relied on 4D-flow imaging or computational fluid dynamics modeling, which are able to measure, or compute, all 3 components (3C) of the blood flow velocity in 3 dimensional (3D) space. This richness of data is difficult to acquire clinically. Alternatively, color Doppler echocardiography (CDE) is more widespread clinically, but only measures a single radial component of velocity and typically only over a planar section. Because of this limitation, prior CDE-based studies have first reconstructed a second component of velocity in the measurement plane prior to evaluating VDR or KE. Herein, we propose 1C-based surrogates of KE and VDR that can be derived directly from the radial component of the flow velocity in the LV. Our results demonstrate that the proposed 1C-based surrogates of KE and VDR are generally as well-correlated with the true KE and VDR values as surrogates that use reconstructed 2C flow data. Moreover, the correlation of these 1C-based surrogates with the true values indicate that CDE (3D in particular) may be useful in evaluating these metrics in practice.
Historical Trends in Sweet Corn Plant Density Tolerance Using Era Hybrids (1930–2010s)
Authors: Dhaliwal Daljeet S. , Ainsworth Elizabeth A. , Williams Martin M.
Published: September 2021

Over the last six decades, steady improvement in plant density tolerance (PDT) has been one of the largest contributors to genetic yield gain in field corn. While recent research indicates that PDT in modern sweet corn hybrids could be exploited to improve yield, historical changes in PDT in sweet corn are unknown. The objectives of this study were to: (a) quantify the extent to which PDT has changed since introduction of hybrid sweet corn and (b) determine the extent to which changes over time in PDT are associated with plant morpho-physiological and ear traits. An era panel was assembled by recreating 15sugary1sweet corn hybrids that were widely used at one time in the United States, representing hybrids since the 1930s. Era hybrids were evaluated in field experiments in a randomized complete block design with a split-plot arrangement of treatments, including hybrid as the main factor and density as the split-plot factor. Plant density treatments included “Low” plant density (9,900 plants/ha) free of crowding stress or “High” plant density (79,000 plants/ha) with crowding stress. On average, per-area marketable ear mass (Mt/ha) increased at a rate of 0.8 Mt/ha/decade at High densities, whereas per-plant yield (i.e., kg/plant) remained unchanged over time regardless of the density level. Crate yield, a fresh market metric, improved for modern hybrids. However, processing sweet corn yield metrics like fresh kernel mass and recovery (amount of kernel mass contributing to the fresh ear mass) showed modest or no improvement over time, respectively. Modern sweet corn hybrids tend to have fewer tillers and lower fresh shoot biomass, potentially allowing the use of higher plant density; however, plant architecture alone does not accurately predict PDT of individual hybrids.
Expression and Functional Analyses of Nymphaea caerulea MADS-Box Genes Contribute to Clarify the Complex Flower Patterning of Water Lilies
Authors: Moschin Silvia , Nigris Sebastiano , Ezquer Ignacio , Masiero Simona , Cagnin Stefano , Cortese Enrico , Colombo Lucia , Casadoro Giorgio , Baldan Barbara
Published: September 2021

Nymphaeaceae are early diverging angiosperms with large flowers characterized by showy petals and stamens not clearly whorled but presenting a gradual morphological transition from the outer elements to the inner stamens. Such flower structure makes these plant species relevant for studying flower evolution. MADS-domain transcription factors are crucial components of the molecular network that controls flower development. We therefore isolated and characterized MADS-box genes from the water lilyNymphaea caerulea. RNA-seq experiments on floral buds have been performed to obtain the transcript sequences of floral organ identity MADS-box genes. Maximum Likelihood phylogenetic analyses confirmed their belonging to specific MADS-box gene subfamilies. Their expression was quantified by RT-qPCR in all floral organs at two stages of development. Protein interactions among these transcription factors were investigated by yeast-two-hybrid assays. We found especially interesting the involvement of two differentAGAMOUS-likegenes (NycAG1andNycAG2) in the water lily floral components. They were therefore functionally characterized by complementing Arabidopsisagandshp1 shp2mutants. The expression analysis of MADS-box genes across flower development inN. caeruleadescribed a complex scenario made of numerous genes in numerous floral components. Their expression profiles in some cases were in line with what was expected from the ABC model of flower development and its extensions, while in other cases presented new and interesting gene expression patterns, as for instance the involvement ofNycAGL6andNycFL. Although sharing a high level of sequence similarity, the twoAGAMOUS-likegenesNycAG1andNycAG2could have undergone subfunctionalization or neofunctionalization, as only one of them could partially restore theeuAGfunction in Arabidopsisag-3mutants. The hereby illustratedN. caeruleaMADS-box gene expression pattern might mirror the morphological transition from the outer to the inner floral organs, and the presence of transition organs such as the petaloid stamens. This study is intended to broaden knowledge on the role and evolution of floral organ identity genes and the genetic mechanisms causing biodiversity in angiosperm flowers.
Genome-Wide Analysis of SRNF Genes in Gossypium hirsutum Reveals the Role of GhSRNF18 in Primary Root Growth
Authors: Yu Li , Zhang Shuojun , Liu Hailun , Wang Yufei , Wei Yiting , Ren Xujiao , Zhang Qian , Rong Junkang , Sun Chendong
Published: September 2021

Root systems are instrumental for water and nutrient uptake and the anchorage of plants in the soil. Root regulating GL2-interacting repressors (GIRs) contain a Short RING-like Zinc-Finger (SRNF) domain, but there has been no comprehensive characterization about this gene family in any plant species. Here, we renamed the GIR-like proteins as SRNF proteins due to their conserved domain and identified 140 SRNF genes from 16 plant species including 24 GhSRNF genes in Gossypium hirsutum. Phylogenetic analysis of the SRNFs revealed both similarities and divergences between five subfamilies. Notably, synteny analysis revealed that polyploidization and whole-genome duplication contribute to the expansion of the GhSRNF gene family. Various cis-acting regulatory elements were shown to be pertinent to light, phytohormone, defense responsive, and meristem regulation. Furthermore, GhSRNF2/15 were predominantly expressed in root, whereas the expression of GhSRNF18 is positively correlated with the primary root (PR) length in G. hirsutum, quantified by quantitative real-time PCR (qRT-PCR). Over-expression of GhSRNF18 in Arabidopsis and virus-induced gene silencing (VIGS) of GhSRNF18 in G. hirsutum has revealed the role of GhSRNF18 in PR growth. The over-expression of GhSRNF18 in Arabidopsis resulted in an increase of meristematic activities and auxin accumulations in PRs, which were consistent with the transcriptomic data. Our results suggested that GhSRNF18 positively regulates PR growth. This study increased our understanding of the SRNF gene family in plants and provided a novel rationale for the further investigation of cotton root morphogenesis regulated by the GhSRNFs.
Examining the Effect of Adverbs and Onomatopoeia on Physical Movement
Authors: Irie Keisuke , Zhao Shuo , Okamoto Kazuhiro , Liang Nan
Published: September 2021

Introduction: The effect of promoting a physical reaction by the described action is called the action-sentence compatibility effect (ACE). It has been verified that physical motion changes depending on the time phase and grammatical expression. However, it is unclear how adverbs and onomatopoeia change motion simulations and subsequent movements.

Methods: The subjects were 35 healthy adults (11 females; mean age 21.3). We prepared 20 sentences each, expressing actions related to hands and feet. These were converted into 80 sentences (stimulus set A), with the words “Slow” or “Quick” added to the words related to the speed of movement, and 80 sentences (stimulus set B) with the words “Fast” and onomatopoeia “Satto” added. Additionally, 20 unnatural sentences were prepared for each stimulus set as pseudo sentences. Choice reaction time was adopted; subjects pressed the button with their right hand only when the presented text was correctly understood (Go no-go task). The reaction time (RTs) and the number of errors (NoE) were recorded and compared.

Results: As a result of a two-way repeated ANOVA, an interaction effect (body parts × words) was observed in RTs and NoE in set A. “Hand and Fast” had significantly faster RTs than “Hand and Slow” and “Foot and Fast.” Furthermore, “Hand and Fast” had a significantly higher NoE than others. In set B, the main effects were observed in both RTs and NoE. “Hand” and “Satto” had significantly faster RTs than “Foot” and “Quick,” respectively. Additionally, an interaction effect was observed in NoE, wherein “Foot and Satto” was significantly higher than “Hand and Satto” and “Foot and Quick.”

Conclusion: In this study, the word “Fast” promoted hand response, reaffirming ACE. The onomatopoeia “Satto” was a word that conveys the speed of movement, but it was suggested that the degree of understanding may be influenced by the body part and the attributes of the subject.
Is It Legitimate for Society to Intervene in the Way Citizens Live Their Lives When the Cost of Health Care Has to Be Borne by the General Public?—General Considerations and Special Implications During the Covid-19 Pandemic
Authors: Edlinger Christoph , Klein Dominic , Lichtenauer Michael
Published: September 2021

Over the last few decades, the perception of disease has changed significantly. In the concept of the sick person's role it should be the aim of every person to keep health at a good level for as long as possible. Several examples can be found where, however, a disease can be caused or worsened by a person. Examples include unhealthy diet, alcohol consumption leading to atherosclerosis and diabetes, or smoking, leading to lung cancer and COPD. There are also other appropriate examples where there is a potential for conflict between the autonomy of the individual and health. Improving public health should be the main objective of any health system. However, the more the impact is on personal freedom (and there is no extraneous danger), the more an attempt should be made to achieve this through the motivation of each individual to support the desire for a healthy lifestyle, rather than through legal prohibitions or penalties. The situation is even more complex in the case of the Covid-19 pandemic. In this context too, personal freedom is restricted in many areas and some people feel, for example, that compulsory masks or the prohibition of large crowds are serious encroachment on their autonomy. However, even in this case, the risk of possible external threats from the spread of the virus outweighs the right to personal choice and freedom. To sum up, it is necessary to balance the two principles - autonomy and interference in them in the interests of public health.
Developing and Establishing Biomechanical Variables as Risk Biomarkers for Preventable Gait-Related Falls and Assessment of Intervention Effectiveness
Authors: Grabiner Mark D. , Kaufman K.R.
Published: September 2021

The purpose of this review is to position the emerging clinical promise of validating and implementing biomechanical biomarkers of falls in fall prevention interventions. The review is framed in the desirability of blunting the effects of the rapidly growing population of older adults with regard to the number of falls, their related injuries, and health care costs. We propose that biomechanical risk biomarkers may be derived from systematic study of the responses to treadmill-delivered perturbations to both identify individuals with a risk of specific types of falls, such as trips and slips as well as quantifying the effectiveness of interventions designed to reduce that risk. The review follows the evidence derived using a specific public health approach and the published biomedical literature that supports trunk kinematics as a biomarker as having met many of the criteria for a biomarker for trip-specific falls. Whereas, the efficacy of perturbation training to reduce slip-related falls by older adults appears to have been confirmed, its effectiveness presently remains an open and important question. There is a dearth of data related to the efficacy and effectiveness of perturbation training to reduce falls to the side falls by older adults. At present, efforts to characterize the extent to which perturbation training can reduce falls and translate the approaches to the clinic represents an important research opportunity.
Conduits for Right Ventricular Outflow Tract Reconstruction in Infants and Young Children
Authors: Qian Tao , Yuan Haoyong , Chen Chunyang , Liu Yuhong , Lu Ting , Huang Can , Wu Zhongshi
Published: September 2021

Purpose of Review: Right ventricular outflow tract (RVOT) reconstruction remains a challenge due to the lack of an ideal conduit. Data and experience are accumulating with each passing day. Therefore, it is necessary to review this topic from time to time. This is a 2021 update review focused on the history, evolution, and current situation of small-sized conduits (≤ 16 mm) for RVOT reconstruction in infants and young children.

Recent Findings: Currently, the available small-sized (≤16 mm) conduits can meet most clinical needs. Homograft is still a reliable choice for infants and young children validated by a half-century clinical experience. As an alternative material, bovine jugular vein conduit (BJVC) has at least comparable durability with that of homograft. The performance of expanded polytetrafluoroethylene (ePTFE) is amazing in RVOT position according to limited published data. The past century has witnessed much progress in the materials for RVOT reconstruction. However, lack of growth potential is the dilemma for small-sized conduits. Tissue-engineering based on cell-free scaffolds is the most promising technology to obtain the ideal conduit.

Summary: No conduit has proved to have lifelong durability in RVOT position. We are far from the ideal, but we are not in a state of emergency. In-depth clinical research as well as innovation in material science are needed to help improve the durability of the conduits used in infants and young children.
Genome Characterization and Phylogenetic Analysis of the First Bovine Rhinitis B Virus Isolate in China
Authors: Zhai Shao-Lun , Xie Yi-Lun , Zhai Qi , Wen Xiao-Hui , Lv Dian-Hong , Chen Qin-Ling , Wang Gang , Wei Wen-Kang
Published: September 2021

Bovine rhinitis B virus (BRBV) is an emerging viral species in the genus Aphthovirus, family Picornaviridae. Studies suggested that BRBV was considered a potential etiological agent of bovine respiratory disease complex (BRDC). BRBV has been reported in the United States, Sweden, Canada, Japan, and Mexico. However, little information of BRBV was available in China. In this study, we performed viral metagenomic analysis in a calf with respiratory disease. The results showed high abundance (3.85) of BRBV nucleotide and 248 mapped reads in calf samples. Online BLASTn analysis showed that three contigs of those had the highest nucleotide similarity (95%) with one Swedish BRBV isolate (BRBV_SWE1, GenBank accession no. KY432299). To identify the genome characterization of the Chinese BRBV isolate (designated CHN1), six couples of overlapping RT-PCR primers were designed according to genome sequences of BRBV_SWE1. Through gene cloning and splicing, we obtained the genome information of CHN1, possessing 7,465 nucleotides (46.6% G+C). Although CHN1 had the highest nucleotide similarity (95.1%) with BRBV_SWE1, one 11-nucleotide (ACATTTGTTGT) deletion occurred in the 5′ untranslated region compared to SWE1. Phylogenetic analysis showed that CHN1 clustered together with BRBV_SWE1, and far from other BRBV isolates. This study recorded the first discovery of BRBV infection in China. Further investigation should be made in order to evaluate the infection status and epidemiological significance of BRBV in China.
Environment Optimization Scheme Based on Edge Computing Using PSO for Efficient Thermal Comfort Control in Resident Space
Authors: Xu Rongxu , Jin Wenquan , Kim Dohyeun
Published: September 2021

With the fast development of infrastructure and communication technology, the Internet of Things (IoT) has become a promising field. Ongoing research is looking at the smart home environment as the most promising sector that adopts IoT and cloud computing to improve resident live experiences. The IoT and cloud-dependent smart home services related to recent researches have security, bandwidth issues, and a lack of concerning thermal comfort of residents. In this paper, we propose an environment optimization scheme based on edge computing using Particle Swarm Optimization (PSO) for efficient thermal comfort control in resident space to overcome the aforementioned limitations of researches on smart homes. The comfort level of a resident in a smart home is evaluated by Predicted Mean Vote (PMV) that represents the thermal response of occupants. The PSO algorithm combined with PMV to improve the accuracy of the optimization results for efficient thermal comfort control in a smart home environment. We integrate IoT with edge computing to upgrade the capabilities of IoT nodes in computing power, storage space, and reliable connectivity. We use EdgeX as an edge computing platform to develop a thermal comfort considering PMV-based optimization engine with a PSO algorithm to generate the resident’s friendly environment parameters and rules engine to detects the environmental change of the smart home in real-time to maintain the indoor environment thermal comfortable. For evaluating our proposed system that maintenance resident environment with thermal comfort index based on PSO optimization scheme in smart homes, we conduct the comparison between the real data with optimized data, and measure the execution times of optimization function. From the experimental results, when our proposed system is applied, it satisfies thermal comfort and consumes energy more stably.
Peculiarities of Ukrainians’ Approval of Decentralization Reform
Authors: Dmytryshyn Marta , Dmytryshyn Roman , Yakubiv Valentyna , Zagorodnyuk Andriy
Published: September 2021

Every countrywide reform can always have specific opponents and fans as the changes make people leave their comfort zone. As an example, we have chosen a Ukrainian decentralization reform. Although this local self-government reform can be considered the most successful in our country, the attitude of Ukrainians to the changes has not always been unambiguous. Using taxonomic analysis, the paper calculates the integrated indicator of public approval of decentralization reform in Ukraine based on sociological research for 2015–2020. We have described the features of conducting surveys in different periods and identified the reasons for the emergence of such an attitude to the reform. We have also calculated the weights of the impact of each primary indicator on the integrated indicator, which helped us identify the weaknesses and strengths of the reform in public opinion Furthermore, the analysis allowed us to reveal and substantiate a set of problems in implementing decentralization reform in Ukraine, and the causes and solutions were worked out for each problem. Finally, we have made a generalized algorithm for the application of the experience of public opinion analysis in planning and carrying out reforms.
Does Intellectual Capital Measurement Matter in Financial Performance? An Investigation of Chinese Agricultural Listed Companies
Authors: Xu Jian , Zhang Yi
Published: September 2021

Intellectual capital (IC) has become a crucial strategic resource in the knowledge economy. The purpose of this study is to understand the IC-financial performance relationship of listed Chinese agricultural companies. This paper uses the original value added intellectual coefficient (VAIC) model, the adjusted VAIC (AVAIC) model, and the modified VAIC (MVAIC) model to measure IC. The results show a positive and significant relationship between IC and financial performance (return on assets and return on equity) in three models. Additionally, human capital and physical capital are two major driving forces. In the AVAIC model, innovation capital exerts a positive impact on financial performance, whereas this impact is not significant at the 5% level in the MVAIC model. The results suggest that further improvements in IC measurement are still needed. This study has important implications for both academia and industry regarding IC measurement.
Semi-Quantification of Lectins in Rice (Oryza sativa L.) Genotypes via Hemagglutination
Authors: Gulzar Haseena , Nawaz Muhammad Asif , Jan Asad , Khan Farhat Ali , Naz Sumaira , Zahoor Muhammad , Naz Dil , Ullah Riaz , Ali Essam A. , Hussain Hidayat
Published: September 2021

Lectins are unique glycoproteins that react with specific sugar residues on cell surfaces resulting in agglutination. They offer enormous applications in therapeutics, diagnostics, medicine, and agriculture. Rice lectins are naturally expressed during biotic and abiotic stresses suggesting their importance in stress resistance physiology. The objective of this study was to determine the presence and relative concentration of lectins in different accessions of rice obtained from IABGR/NARC Islamabad mainly originated from Pakistan. About 210 rice accessions including 02 local varieties and 05 transgenic seeds were screened for seed lectins using a hemagglutination (HA) assay with 5% Californian bred rabbits’ erythrocytes. A protein concentration of 3–8 mg/100 mg of seed flour was measured for all the rice accessions; the highest was 8.03 mg for accession 7600, while the lowest noted was 3.05 mg for accession 7753. Out of 210 accessions, 106 showed the highest HA activity. These 106 genotypes were further screened for titer analysis and specific activity. The highest titer and specific activity were observed for accession 7271 as 1024 and 236 hemagglutination unit (HAU), respectively. The selected accessions’ relative affinity and HA capability were evaluated using blood from four different sources: human, broiler chicken, local rabbit, and Californian-breed rabbit. The highest HA activity was observed with Californian-breed rabbit RBCs. The lectin assay was stable for about 1–2 h. After the required investigations, the accessions with higher lectin concentration and HA capability could be used as a readily available source of lectins for further characterization and utilization in crop improvement programs.