bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Performance Increases in Pair Skating and Ice Dance at International Championships and Olympic Games
Authors: Rauer Thomas , Pape Hans-Christoph , Stehlin Zoé , Heining Sandro , Knobe Matthias , Pohlemann Tim , Ganse Bergita
Published: September 2022

In pair skating and ice dance, performance seems to have increased at international competitions, which is potentially associated with changes in athlete age. We hypothesized increasing age, numbers of total points and more complex jumps of the best elite couples at international championships in recent years. Corresponding data were assessed via the results databases of the European and World Championships, as well as the Winter Olympics since 2005. Linear regression statistics were conducted, and significance was assessed via one-way ANOVAs. There were no significant changes in age. Increases in total points were found in both disciplines (World and European Championships both p < 0.001 for both disciplines, Olympics pair skating p = 0.003, ice dance n/a). Significant increases were found in the number of double and triple twist jumps at the European Championships (Double p = 0.046, triple p = 0.041), but not at the World Championships or the Olympics. At the World Championships, single solo jumps decreased (p = 0.031) in favor of triple jumps, which increased (p = 0.020), without a similar effect at the European Championships or Olympics. In conclusion, increases in total points and more complex jumps were observed at international championships without associated changes in age. Attention should be given to possible changes in the incidence of acute and overuse injuries following this development.
Risk Transmission Mechanism of Domestic Cluster Epidemic Caused by Overseas Imported Cases: Multiple Case Studies Based on Grounded Theory
Authors: Li Xuefeng , Jiang Hui , Liang Xiaoyu
Published: September 2022

The continued severity of the global epidemic situation has led to a rising risk of imported cases in China, and domestic cluster epidemic events caused by imported cases have occurred from time to time, repeatedly causing nation-wide disruption. To deeply explain this phenomenon, this study adopted the grounded theory method, using the 5·21 Guangzhou COVID-19 outbreak and 7·20 Nanjing COVID-19 outbreak as examples to study the risk transmission mechanism of domestic cluster epidemic caused by overseas imported cases. The study found that the risk factors for the phenomenon mainly include the following seven aspects: external protection, operations and supervision, international and domestic environment, contaminated objects, virus characteristics, management efficacy, and individual factors. These risk factors together constitute the “detonator”, “risk source”, “risk carrier,” and “risk amplifier” in the risk transmission process. In addition, this study also found that the transmission mechanism of domestic clusters caused by imported cases is a process of secondary risk amplification. The increase in risk carriers leads to a surge in secondary risks compared with the first, which leads to the outbreak of domestic clusters. Finally, based on the characteristics of the transmission mechanism and risk transmission components, this study provides some suggestions on risk mitigation for public departments to optimize China’s epidemic prevention policies.
Perceived Disaster Preparedness and Willingness to Respond among Emergency Nurses in South Korea: A Cross-Sectional Study
Authors: Choi Won-Seok , Hyun Sung Youl , Oh Hyunjin
Published: September 2022

Introduction: Emergency nurses serve a vital role in disaster situations. Understanding their disaster preparedness and willingness to respond to a disaster is important in maintaining appropriate disaster management. The purpose of this study was to explore emergency nurses’ disaster preparedness and willingness to respond based on demographic and disaster-related characteristics, and their willingness to respond based on specific disaster situations. Methods: In this descriptive, cross-sectional study, the Disaster Preparedness Questionnaire for Nurses and willingness to report to duty by type of event were used to collect data from 158 nurses working in four regional emergency medical centers from 1 December 2019 to 30 April 2020 in the early stages of the COVID-19 pandemic. Results: Emergency nurses with personal disaster experience as a victim or witness (t = 3.65, p < 0.001), professional disaster experience (i.e., working as a nurse) (t = 3.58, p < 0.001), who were current members of Korean Disaster Medical Assistance Teams (t = 6.26, p < 0.001), and who received disaster-related training within a year (t = 5.84, p < 0.001) showed a high level of perceived disaster preparedness. Emergency nurses who have professional disaster experience (i.e., working as a nurse) (t = 2.42, p = 0.017), are on a current disaster team (t = 2.39, p = 0.018), and have received disaster training (t = 2.73, p = 0.007) showed a high level of willingness to respond. Our study showed a high willingness to respond to natural disasters and low willingness to respond to technological disasters. Discussion: To promote the engagement of emergency nurses in disaster response, disaster education programs should be expanded. Enhancing the safety of disaster response environments through supplementing medical personnel, distributing available resources, and providing sufficient compensation for emergency nurses is also essential.
Health Literacy and Its Sociodemographic Predictors: A Cross-Sectional Study of a Population in Madrid (Spain)
Authors: García-García David , Pérez-Rivas Francisco Javier
Published: September 2022

Background: Health literacy enhances a population’s self-care capacity and helps to reduce health inequalities. This work examines the health literacy of a population attending primary care services and explores its relationship with sociodemographic factors. Methods: This cross-sectional study, conducted at a healthcare center in the Madrid region (Spain), involved adult patients requiring primary care nursing services. One hundred and sixty-six participants were recruited via systematic random sampling. Health literacy was measured using the Health Literacy Questionnaire (HLQ). Results: The studied population showed higher health literacy scores for literacy dimensions 1 (feeling understood and supported by healthcare providers) and 4 (social support for health); the lowest scores were recorded for dimensions 5 (appraisal of health information) and 8 (ability to find good health information). People with a better perceived health status showed a higher level of health literacy. People over 65 years of age, those with an incomplete secondary education, and those who were unemployed returned lower scores for several literacy dimensions. Conclusions: The results contribute to our understanding of the factors that influence health literacy. Identifying the areas in which patients show the poorest health literacy may help us comprehend their needs and better support them.
COVID-19 Impact on Public Dental Healthcare in Bosnia and Herzegovina: Current Situation and Ongoing Perspectives
Authors: Bajrić Elmedin , Zukanović Amila , Marković Nina , Arslanagić Amra , Huseinbegović Amina , Selimović-Dragaš Mediha , Kobašlija Sedin , Popovac Aleksandra , Marković Dejan
Published: September 2022

Background: As the pandemic time went by in Bosnia and Herzegovina (B&H), various patterns toward COVID-19 itself and its impacts, implementation of prescribed preventive measures among the team members, and those of their patients, including immunization process, have been revealed. These patterns were of both empirical and evidence-based kind and consequently formed dental personnel behavior. The aim was to evaluate and compare the COVID-19 status of dentists in B&H, implementation of prescribed preventive measures, and usage of various kinds of PPE, at the beginning of the pandemics and now, 2.5 years later, including dentists’ current vaccination status, and their opinions and attitudes toward the national COVID-19 economic impact on dental practice. Methodology: Study research was in a form of a cross-sectional longitudinally designed online survey and was conducted in two parts. Results and conclusions: Dental professionals in B&H had a high frequency of COVID-19 symptoms in the second pandemic year. The vaccination status of dentists in B&H was in line with the global average values of vaccinated professionals. Dentists used patient management preventive measures and PPE recommended by WHO, but some preventive measures have been changed and prioritized recently. The economic impact of pandemics on dentistry was predominantly negative.
Water-Quality Assessment and Pollution-Risk Early-Warning System Based on Web Crawler Technology and LSTM
Authors: Guan Guoliang , Wang Yonggui , Yang Ling , Yue Jinzhao , Li Qiang , Lin Jianyun , Liu Qiang
Published: September 2022

The openly released and measured data from automatic hydrological and water quality stations in China provide strong data support for water environmental protection management and scientific research. However, current public data on hydrology and water quality only provide real-time data through data tables in a shared page. To excavate the supporting effect of these data on water environmental protection, this paper designs a water-quality-prediction and pollution-risk early-warning system. In this system, crawler technology was used for data collection from public real-time data. Additionally, a modified long short-term memory (LSTM) was adopted to predict the water quality and provide an early warning for pollution risks. According to geographic information technology, this system can show the process of spatial and temporal variations of hydrology and water quality in China. At the same time, the current and future water quality of important monitoring sites can be quickly evaluated and predicted, together with the pollution-risk early warning. The data collected and the water-quality-prediction technique in the system can be shared and used for supporting hydrology and in water quality research and management.
Spatiotemporal Feature Enhancement Aids the Driving Intention Inference of Intelligent Vehicles
Authors: Chen Huiqin , Chen Hailong , Liu Hao , Feng Xiexing
Published: September 2022

In order that fully self-driving vehicles can be realized, it is believed that systems where the driver shares control and authority with the intelligent vehicle offer the most effective solution. An understanding of driving intention is the key to building a collaborative autonomous driving system. In this study, the proposed method incorporates the spatiotemporal features of driver behavior and forward-facing traffic scenes through a feature extraction module; the joint representation was input into an inference module for obtaining driver intentions. The feature extraction module was a two-stream structure that was designed based on a deep three-dimensional convolutional neural network. To accommodate the differences in video data inside and outside the cab, the two-stream network consists of a slow pathway that processes the driver behavior data with low frame rates, along with a fast pathway that processes traffic scene data with high frame rates. Then, a gated recurrent unit, based on a recurrent neural network, and a fully connected layer constitute an intent inference module to estimate the driver’s lane-change and turning intentions. A public dataset, Brain4Cars, was used to validate the proposed method. The results showed that compared with modeling using the data related to driver behaviors, the ability of intention inference is significantly improved after integrating traffic scene information. The overall accuracy of the intention inference of five intents was 84.92% at a time of 1 s prior to the maneuver, indicating that making full use of traffic scene information was an effective way to improve inference performance.
Understanding the Relationship between Parental Psychological Control and Prosocial Behavior in Children in China: The Role of Self-Efficacy and Gender
Authors: Fu Wangqian , Pan Qianqian , Zhang Weida , Zhang Lei
Published: September 2022

Objectives: Prosocial behavior is essential for individuals’ development, and the study aims to analyze the relationship between parental psychological control and prosocial behavior. Method: The current study investigated the relationships among Paternal Psychological Control (endogenous variable), General Self-Efficacy (mediator), and Prosocial Behaviors (exogenous endogenous variable) via a moderated mediation modeling approach (gender as the moderator). A total of 1822 Chinese students aged from 7- to 17-year-old (Mage = 12.4 years old, SDage = 1.89, 48.6% girls) were included in the current study. Results: After controlling participants’ age, the only child status, family income, and parent’s education level, results revealed that higher levels of parental control were associated with lower levels of students’ self-efficacy, which, in turn, reduced students’ prosocial behavior intention. Moreover, the relationship between self-efficacy and prosocial behavior intention was moderated by students’ gender, where the positive effects of self-efficacy on prosocial behavior intentions were reduced in girls. Conclusion: Findings highlight the importance of parental psychological control for supporting children’s self-efficacy to promote prosocial behaviors on different gender groups.
Association between Heated Tobacco Product Use during Pregnancy and Fetal Growth in Japan: A Nationwide Web-Based Survey
Authors: Hosokawa Yoshihiko , Zaitsu Masayoshi , Okawa Sumiyo , Morisaki Naho , Hori Ai , Nishihama Yukiko , Nakayama Shoji F. , Fujiwara Takeo , Hamada Hiromi , Satoh Toyomi , Tabuchi Takahiro
Published: September 2022

Combustible cigarette smoking impacts fetal growth during pregnancy. However, the risk associated with heated tobacco products (HTPs) remains unclear. This nationwide cross-sectional study investigated whether HTP use during pregnancy is associated with small for gestational age (SGA) outcomes among 5647 post-delivery women with singleton pregnancies, which were divided into four groups: lifetime never-smokers, former smokers before pregnancy, and current smokers for each of the tobacco products during pregnancy (sole HTP and sole combustion smokers). Information on the prevalence of SGA, defined as birth weight and height below the 10th percentile, was retrieved from the Maternal and Child Health Handbooks of post-delivery women. Using logistic regression, the association between sole HTP smokers during pregnancy and SGA, adjusted for covariates, with lifetime never-smokers as reference, was investigated. The prevalence was: current sole HTP smokers during pregnancy, 1.8% (102/5647); and SGA, 2.9% (164/5647). Sole HTP smokers during pregnancy had a higher prevalence of SGA (5.9% [6/102] vs. 2.7% [111/4144]) with an adjusted odds ratio (OR) of 2.50 (95% confidence interval [CI], 1.03–6.05) than lifetime never-smokers. Among sole combustion smokers, the adjusted OR for SGA was 1.95 (95% CI, 0.81–4.67). In Japan, HTP smoking during pregnancy may be associated with an increased risk for SGA.
The Relationship between Social Support and Exercise Adherence among Chinese College Students during the COVID-19 Pandemic: The Mediating Effects of Subjective Exercise Experience and Commitment
Authors: Tian Yuge , Shi Zhenguo
Published: September 2022

This study aimed to investigate the relationship between social support and exercise adherence among Chinese college students during the COVID-19 pandemic, as well as the mediating effects of subjective exercise experience and commitment in the relationship, in order to provide a reference for improving exercise adherence among Chinese college students during the COVID-19 pandemic. The Perceived Available Support in Sport Questionnaire, Subjective Exercise Experience Scale, Exercise Commitment Scale, and Exercise Adherence Scale were administered to 459 eligible college students in Jinan, Shandong Province, through convenience sampling. Results showed that social support positively predicted exercise adherence among college students. The separate and joint mediating effects of subjective exercise experience and commitment between social support and college students’ exercise adherence were significant. This study demonstrated that social support can positively predict exercise adherence among college students. In addition, subjective exercise experience and commitment played mediation roles between social support and college students’ exercise adherence, both separately and jointly. Therefore, enhancing social support and improving the level of subjective exercise experience and exercise commitment among college students may be an effective strategy for improving exercise adherence among Chinese college students during the COVID-19 pandemic.
What Factors Influence the Interest in Working in the Public Health Service in Germany? Part I of the OeGD-Studisurvey
Authors: Arnold Laura , Kellermann Lisa , Fischer Florian , Gepp Sophie , Hommes Franziska , Jung Laura , Mohsenpour Amir , Starke Dagmar , Stratil Jan M.
Published: September 2022

As in many European countries, the Public Health Service (PHS) in Germany has had considerable difficulties in attracting well-qualified personnel for decades. Despite ongoing political and societal debate, limited empirical research on possible causes and explanations is available. To identify areas of action, we explored reasons for the (lack of) interest in working in the PHS by conducting two cross-sectional surveys among 3019 medical students (MS), public health students, and students from other PHS-relevant fields (PH&ONM) in Germany right before (wave 1, 2019/2020) and during the COVID-19 pandemic (wave 2, 2021). While interest in working in the PHS among MS was low, it was considerably higher among PH&ONM. The prevalent underestimation of the importance of public health and low levels of knowledge about the PHS were identified as potential barriers. Although core activities of the PHS were often considered attractive, they were repeatedly not attributed to the PHS. A negative perception of the PHS (e.g., it being too bureaucratic) was prevalent among students with and without PHS interest, indicating that both a negative image and potentially structural deficits need to be overcome to increase attractiveness. Based on the findings, we propose approaches on how to sustainably attract and retain qualified personnel.
Social Infrastructure and Street Networks as Critical Infrastructure for Aging Friendly Community Design: Mediating the Effect of Physical Activity
Authors: Jiang Jiayi , Xia Zhengwei , Sun Xiaodi , Wang Xuanxuan , Luo Shixian
Published: September 2022

Establishing an age-friendly environment at the community level is essential for promoting healthy aging. This study focused on the relationship between older adults and the community environment through their levels of satisfaction within it. We measured their physical activity (PA) in the community environment and three variables of community-level satisfaction: community environment (SCE), community social infrastructure (SSI), and community street networks (SSN). We analyzed 108 older adult participants in Suzhou using mediation analysis and multiple linear regression to investigate the relationship between physical activity and the community environment. The results of the mediation effect model showed that SCE, SSI, and SSN all affected the physical functions of older adults via the total amount of physical activity (TPA); SSI and SSN affected older adults’ physical functions by affecting the total duration of moderate-intensity physical activity (MPA) and vigorous-intensity physical activity (VPA). In addition, SSI and SSN are related to the types of community facilities, street space quality, and accessibility. Our study provides valuable insights into optimizing aging-friendly neighborhoods through moderate-to-vigorous-intensity PAs at both the facility and street space levels.
Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Mercury Exposure among Populations and Environments in Contact with Electronic Waste
Authors: Aubrac Gwen , Bastiansz Ashley , Basu Niladri
Published: September 2022

Electronic waste (e-waste) recycling releases mercury (Hg) into the environment, though to our knowledge Hg levels at such sites have yet to be examined on a worldwide basis. A systematic review of scientific studies was conducted to extract, analyze, and synthesize data on Hg levels in e-waste products, environments near recycling sites, and in people. Data were extracted from 78 studies from 20 countries, and these included Hg levels in 1103 electrical and electronic products, 2072 environmental samples (soil, air, plant, food, water, dust), and 2330 human biomarkers (blood, hair, urine). The average Hg level in products was 0.65 μg/g, with the highest levels found in lamps (578 μg/g). Average soil and sediment Hg levels (1.86 μg/g) at e-waste sites were at least eight times higher than at control sites. Average urinary Hg levels (0.93 μg/g creatinine) were approximately two-fold higher among e-waste workers versus control groups. Collectively, these findings demonstrate that e-waste recycling may lead to Hg contamination in environments and human populations in close proximity to processing sites. These findings contribute to a growing knowledge base of mercury exposure through diverse source–exposure pathways, and the work has potential policy implications in the context of the Minamata Convention.
How “Neuronal” Are Human Skin Mast Cells?
Authors: Babina Magda , Franke Kristin , Bal Gürkan
Published: September 2022

Mast cells are evolutionarily old cells and the principal effectors in allergic responses and inflammation. They are seeded from the yolk sac during embryogenesis or are derived from hematopoietic progenitors and are therefore related to other leukocyte subsets, even though they form a separate clade in the hematopoietic system. Herein, we systematically bundle information from several recent high-throughput endeavors, especially those comparing MCs with other cell types, and combine such information with knowledge on the genes’ functions to reveal groups of neuronal markers specifically expressed by MCs. We focus on recent advances made regarding human tissue MCs, but also refer to studies in mice. In broad terms, genes hyper-expressed in MCs, but largely inactive in other myelocytes, can be classified into subcategories such as traffic/lysosomes (MLPH and RAB27B), the dopamine system (MAOB, DRD2, SLC6A3, and SLC18A2), Ca2+-related entities (CALB2), adhesion molecules (L1CAM and NTM) and, as an overall principle, the transcription factors and modulators of transcriptional activity (LMO4, PBX1, MEIS2, and EHMT2). Their function in MCs is generally unknown but may tentatively be deduced by comparison with other systems. MCs share functions with the nervous system, as they express typical neurotransmitters (histamine and serotonin) and a degranulation machinery that shares features with the neuronal apparatus at the synapse. Therefore, selective overlaps are plausible, and they further highlight the uniqueness of MCs within the myeloid system, as well as when compared with basophils. Apart from investigating their functional implications in MCs, a key question is whether their expression in the lineage is due to the specific reactivation of genes normally silenced in leukocytes or whether the genes are not switched off during mastocytic development from early progenitors.
Evolutionary Invariant of the Structure of DNA Double Helix in RNAP II Core Promoters
Authors: Melikhova Anastasia V. , Anashkina Anastasia A. , Il’icheva Irina A.
Published: September 2022

Eukaryotic and archaeal RNA polymerase II (POL II) machinery is highly conserved, regardless of the extreme changes in promoter sequences in different organisms. The goal of our work is to find the cause of this conservatism. The representative sets of aligned promoter sequences of fifteen organisms belonging to different evolutional stages were studied. Their textual profiles, as well as profiles of the indexes that characterize the secondary structure and the mechanical and physicochemical properties, were analyzed. The evolutionarily stable, extremely heterogeneous special secondary structure of POL II core promoters was revealed, which includes two singular regions—hexanucleotide “INR” around TSS and octanucleotide “TATA element” of about −28 bp upstream. Such structures may have developed at some stage of evolution. It turned out to be so well matched for the pre-initiation complex formation and the subsequent initiation of transcription for POL II machinery that in the course of evolution there were selected only those nucleotide sequences that were able to reproduce these structural properties. The individual features of specific sequences representing the singular region of the promoter of each gene can affect the kinetics of DNA-protein complex formation and facilitate strand separation in double-stranded DNA at the TSS position.
Function-Related Asymmetry of the Interactions between Matrix Loops and Conserved Sequence Motifs in the Mitochondrial ADP/ATP Carrier
Authors: Yi Qiuzi , Yao Shihao , Ma Boyuan , Cang Xiaohui
Published: September 2022

The ADP/ATP carrier (AAC) plays a central role in oxidative metabolism by exchanging ATP and ADP across the inner mitochondrial membrane. Previous experiments have shown the involvement of the matrix loops of AAC in its function, yet potential mechanisms remain largely elusive. One obstacle is the limited information on the structural dynamics of the matrix loops. In the current work, unbiased all-atom molecular dynamics (MD) simulations were carried out on c-state wild-type AAC and mutants. Our results reveal that: (1) two ends of a matrix loop are tethered through interactions between the residue of triplet 38 (Q38, D143 and Q240) located at the C-end of the odd-numbered helix and residues of the [YF]xG motif located before the N-end of the short matrix helix in the same domain; (2) the initial progression direction of a matrix loop is determined by interactions between the negatively charged residue of the [DE]G motif located at the C-end of the short matrix helix and the capping arginine (R30, R139 and R236) in the previous domain; (3) the two chemically similar residues D and E in the highly conserved [DE]G motif are actually quite different; (4) the N-end of the M3 loop is clamped by the [DE]G motif and the capping arginine of domain 2 from the two sides, which strengthens interactions between domain 2 and domain 3; and (5) a highly asymmetric stable core exists within domains 2 and 3 at the m-gate level. Moreover, our results help explain almost all extremely conserved residues within the matrix loops of the ADP/ATP carriers from a structural point of view. Taken together, the current work highlights asymmetry in the three matrix loops and implies a close relationship between asymmetry and ADP/ATP transport.
Understanding the Pharmacology of COVID-19 mRNA Vaccines: Playing Dice with the Spike?
Authors: Cosentino Marco , Marino Franca
Published: September 2022

Coronavirus disease-19 (COVID-19) mRNA vaccines are the mainstays of mass vaccination campaigns in most Western countries. However, the emergency conditions in which their development took place made it impossible to fully characterize their effects and mechanism of action. Here, we summarize and discuss available evidence indicating that COVID-19 mRNA vaccines better reflect pharmaceutical drugs than conventional vaccines, as they do not contain antigens but an active SARS-CoV-2 S protein mRNA, representing at the same time an active principle and a prodrug, which upon intracellular translation results in the endogenous production of the SARS-CoV-2 S protein. Both vaccine-derived SARS-CoV-2 S protein mRNA and the resulting S protein exhibit a complex pharmacology and undergo systemic disposition. Defining COVID-19 mRNA vaccines as pharmaceutical drugs has straightforward implications for their pharmacodynamic, pharmacokinetic, clinical and post-marketing safety assessment. Only an accurate characterization of COVID-19 mRNA vaccines as pharmaceutical drugs will guarantee a safe, rational and individualized use of these products.
Recent Advances in the Emerging Therapeutic Strategies for Diabetic Kidney Diseases
Authors: Huang Wei , Chen Yi-Yuan , Li Zi-Qi , He Fang-Fang , Zhang Chun
Published: September 2022

Diabetic kidney disease (DKD) is one of the most common causes of end-stage renal disease worldwide. The treatment of DKD is strongly associated with clinical outcomes in patients with diabetes mellitus. Traditional therapeutic strategies focus on the control of major risk factors, such as blood glucose, blood lipids, and blood pressure. Renin–angiotensin–aldosterone system inhibitors have been the main therapeutic measures in the past, but the emergence of sodium–glucose cotransporter 2 inhibitors, incretin mimetics, and endothelin-1 receptor antagonists has provided more options for the management of DKD. Simultaneously, with advances in research on the pathogenesis of DKD, some new therapies targeting renal inflammation, fibrosis, and oxidative stress have gradually entered clinical application. In addition, some recently discovered therapeutic targets and signaling pathways, mainly in preclinical and early clinical trial stages, are expected to provide benefits for patients with DKD in the future. This review summarizes the traditional treatments and emerging management options for DKD, demonstrating recent advances in the therapeutic strategies for DKD.
Aegle marmelos (L.) Correa: An Underutilized Fruit with High Nutraceutical Values: A Review
Authors: Sharma Niharika , Radha  , Kumar Manoj , Zhang Baohong , Kumari Neeraj , Singh Daljeet , Chandran Deepak , Sarkar Tanmay , Dhumal Sangram , Sheri Vijay , Dey Abhijit , Rajalingam Sureshkumar , Viswanathan Sabareeshwari , Mohankumar Pran , Vishvanathan Marthandan , Sathyaseelan Sangeetha Kizhakkumkara , Lorenzo Jose M.
Published: September 2022

Aegle marmelos (L.) Correa (Bael) fruit, a member of the Rutaceae family, is a major cultivated fruit plant in tropical and subtropical regions in countries of southeast Asia. Bael fruit has been a major topic for studies in recent years mainly due to its high nutritional (carbohydrates, proteins, minerals, and vitamins) value and presence of various phytochemicals, which attributed to its high medicinal value. These phytochemicals include various compounds, e.g., alkaloids, flavonoids, and phenolic acids (protocatechuic acid, gallic, and ellagic acid). The fruit extract of bael has been also an important study area for its pharmacological activities, including antidiarrheal, antioxidant, antidiabetic, hepatoprotective, radioprotective, anticancer, antiulcer properties. The current review mainly highlighted the nutritional and pharmacological activities of bael fruit. The nutritional profile and phytochemical profile were discussed in the review, along with their concentration in the fruit. Moreover, the experiments carried out in vivo and in vitro of bael fruit extracts with respect to their pharmacological activities were also discussed in the article. The recent literature based on nutritional and pharmacological values of bael fruit showed its high potential as a food and pharmaceutical product. Despite having high nutritional and pharmacological value, research related to molecular mechanisms of bael fruit is still limited, and clinical trials are needed to ensure its safety as a product in the food and pharma industries.
Signatures of Co-Deregulated Genes and Their Transcriptional Regulators in Lung Cancer
Authors: Chatziantoniou Angeliki , Zaravinos Apostolos
Published: September 2022

Despite the significant progress made towards comprehending the deregulated signatures in lung cancer, these vary from study to study. We reanalyzed 25 studies from the Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) to detect and annotate co-deregulated signatures in lung cancer and in single-gene or single-drug perturbation experiments. We aimed to decipher the networks that these co-deregulated genes (co-DEGs) form along with their upstream regulators. Differential expression and upstream regulators were computed using Characteristic Direction and Systems Biology tools, including GEO2Enrichr and X2K. Co-deregulated gene expression profiles were further validated across different molecular and immune subtypes in lung adenocarcinoma (TCGA-LUAD) and lung adenocarcinoma (TCGA-LUSC) datasets, as well as using immunohistochemistry data from the Human Protein Atlas, before being subjected to subsequent GO and KEGG enrichment analysis. The functional alterations of the co-upregulated genes in lung cancer were mostly related to immune response regulating the cell surface signaling pathway, in contrast to the co-downregulated genes, which were related to S-nitrosylation. Networks of hub proteins across the co-DEGs consisted of overlapping TFs (SOX2, MYC, KAT2A) and kinases (MAPK14, CSNK2A1 and CDKs). Furthermore, using Connectivity Map we highlighted putative repurposing drugs, including valproic acid, betonicine and astemizole. Similarly, we analyzed the co-DEG signatures in single-gene and single-drug perturbation experiments in lung cancer cell lines. In summary, we identified critical co-DEGs in lung cancer providing an innovative framework for their potential use in developing personalized therapeutic strategies.
GmbZIP152, a Soybean bZIP Transcription Factor, Confers Multiple Biotic and Abiotic Stress Responses in Plant
Authors: Chai Mengnan , Fan Rongbin , Huang Youmei , Jiang Xiaohu , Wai Myat Hnin , Yang Qi , Su Han , Liu Kaichuang , Ma Suzhuo , Chen Zhitao , Wang Fengjiao , Qin Yuan , Cai Hanyang
Published: September 2022

Soybean is one of the most important food crops in the world. However, with the environmental change in recent years, many environmental factors like drought, salinity, heavy metal, and disease seriously affected the growth and development of soybean, causing substantial economic losses. In this study, we screened a bZIP transcription factor gene, GmbZIP152, which is significantly induced by Sclerotinia sclerotiorum (S. sclerotiorum), phytohormones, salt-, drought-, and heavy metal stresses in soybean. We found that overexpression of GmbZIP152 in Arabidopsis (OE-GmbZIP152) enhances the resistance to S. sclerotiorum and the tolerance of salt, drought, and heavy metal stresses compared to wild-type (WT). The antioxidant enzyme related genes (including AtCAT1, AtSOD, and AtPOD1) and their enzyme activities are induced by S. sclerotiorum, salt, drought, and heavy metal stress in OE-GmbZIP152 compared to WT. Furthermore, we also found that the expression level of biotic- and abiotic-related marker genes (AtLOX6, AtACS6, AtERF1, and AtABI2, etc.) were increased in OE-GmbZIP152 compared to WT under S. sclerotiorum and abiotic stresses. Moreover, we performed a Chromatin immunoprecipitation (ChIP) assay and found that GmbZIP152 could directly bind to promoters of ABA-, JA-, ETH-, and SA-induced biotic- and abiotic-related genes in soybean. Altogether, GmbZIP152 plays an essential role in soybean response to biotic and abiotic stresses.
BrWAX3, Encoding a β-ketoacyl-CoA Synthase, Plays an Essential Role in Cuticular Wax Biosynthesis in Chinese Cabbage
Authors: Yang Shuangjuan , Tang Hao , Wei Xiaochun , Zhao Yanyan , Wang Zhiyong , Su Henan , Niu Liujing , Yuan Yuxiang , Zhang Xiaowei
Published: September 2022

In this study, we identified a novel glossy mutant from Chinese cabbage, named SD369, and all wax monomers longer than 26 carbons were significantly decreased. Inheritance analysis revealed that the glossy trait of SD369 was controlled by a single recessive locus, BrWAX3. We fine-mapped the BrWAX3 locus to an interval of 161.82 kb on chromosome A09. According to the annotated genome of Brassica rapa, Bra024749 (BrCER60.A09), encoding a β-ketoacyl-CoA synthase, was identified as the candidate gene. Expression analysis showed that BrCER60.A09 was significantly downregulated in all aerial organs of glossy plants. Subcellular localization indicated that the BrCER60.A09 protein functions in the endoplasmic reticulum. A 5567-bp insertion was identified in exon 1 of BrCER60.A09 in SD369, which lead to a premature stop codon, thus causing a loss of function of the BrCER60.A09 enzyme. Moreover, comparative transcriptome analysis revealed that the ‘cutin, suberine, and wax biosynthesis’ pathway was significantly enriched, and genes involved in this pathway were almost upregulated in glossy plants. Further, two functional markers, BrWAX3-InDel and BrWAX3-KASP1, were developed and validated. Overall, these results provide a new information for the cuticular wax biosynthesis and provide applicable markers for marker-assisted selection (MAS)-based breeding of Brassica rapa.
Prokaryotic Expression of Eimeria magna SAG10 and SAG11 Genes and the Preliminary Evaluation of the Effect of the Recombinant Protein on Immune Protection in Rabbits
Authors: Pu Jiayan , Xiao Jie , Bai Xin , Chen Hao , Zheng Ruoyu , Gu Xiaobin , Xie Yue , He Ran , Xu Jing , Jing Bo , Peng Xuerong , Yang Guangyou
Published: September 2022

Eimeria magna is a common coccidia in the intestines of rabbits, causing anorexia, weight loss, diarrhea, and bloody stools. This study cloned and determined the expression levels of four Eimeria surface antigens (EmSAGs) at different developmental stages and showed that EmSAG10 and EmSAG11 are highly expressed at the merozoite stage. Rabbits were immunized with rEmSAG10 and rEmSAG11, and then challenged with E. magna after 2 weeks. Serum-specific antibodies and cytokine levels were detected using ELISA. Immune protection was evaluated based on the rate of the oocysts decrease, the output of oocysts (p < 0.05), the average weight gain, and the feed: meat ratio. Our results showed that rabbits immunized with rEmSAG10 and rEmSAG11 had a higher average weight gain (62.7%, 61.1%), feed; meat ratio (3.8:1, 4.5:1), and the oocysts decrease rate (70.8%, 81.2%) than those in the control group, and also significantly reduced intestinal lesions. The specific IgG level increased one week after the first rEmSAG10 and rEmSAG11 immunization and was maintained until two weeks after the challenge (p < 0.05). The TGF-β, IL-4, and IL-10 levels in the serum increased significantly after the secondary immunization with rEmSAG10 and rEmSAG11, while the IL-2 levels increased significantly after the secondary immunization with rEmSAG11 (both p < 0.05), suggesting that rEmSAG10 can induce a humoral and cellular immunity, while rEmSAG11 can only induce a humoral immunity. Therefore, rEmSAG10 is a candidate antigen for E. magna recombinant subunit vaccines.
Beta-Glucan from S. cerevisiae Protected AOM-Induced Colon Cancer in cGAS-Deficient Mice Partly through Dectin-1-Manipulated Macrophage Cell Energy
Authors: Binmama Sulaiman , Dang Cong Phi , Visitchanakun Peerapat , Hiengrach Pratsanee , Somboonna Naraporn , Cheibchalard Thanya , Pisitkun Prapaporn , Chindamporn Ariya , Leelahavanichkul Asada
Published: September 2022

Although the impacts of Saccharomyces cerevisiae on cancers are mentioned, data on its use in mice with cyclic GMP-AMP synthase deficiency (cGAS-/-) are even rarer. Here, 12 weeks of oral administration of S. cerevisiae protected cGAS-/- mice from azoxymethane (AOM)-induced colon cancers, partly through dysbiosis attenuation (fecal microbiome analysis). In parallel, a daily intralesional injection of a whole glucan particle (WGP; the beta-glucan extracted from S. cerevisiae) attenuated the growth of subcutaneous tumor using MC38 (murine colon cancer cell line) in cGAS-/- mice. Interestingly, the incubation of fluorescent-stained MC38 with several subtypes of macrophages, including M1 (using Lipopolysaccharide; LPS), M2 (IL-4), and tumor-associated macrophages (TAM; using MC38 supernatant activation), could not further reduce the tumor burdens (fluorescent intensity) compared with M0 (control culture media). However, WGP enhanced tumoricidal activities (fluorescent intensity), the genes of M1 pro-inflammatory macrophage polarization (IL-1β and iNOS), and Dectin-1 expression and increased cell energy status (extracellular flux analysis) in M0, M2, and TAM. In M1, WGP could not increase tumoricidal activities, Dectin-1, and glycolysis activity, despite the upregulated IL-1β. In conclusion, S. cerevisiae inhibited the growth of colon cancers through dysbiosis attenuation and macrophage energy activation, partly through Dectin-1 stimulation. Our data support the use of S. cerevisiae for colon cancer protection.
The Emerging Role of Venetoclax-Based Treatments in Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia
Authors: Aumann Shlomzion , Shaulov Adir , Haran Arnon , Gross Even-Zohar Noa , Vainstein Vladimir , Nachmias Boaz
Published: September 2022

Venetoclax, a B-cell lymphoma (BCL-2) inhibitor, in combination with hypomethylating agents has become the new standard of care in elderly and unfit patients with acute myeloid leukemia, with significantly improved overall survival and quality of life. Studies of venetoclax combined with high-dose chemotherapy are emerging with evidence of higher rates of molecular remission. Recently, a growing number of publications bring forth the use of venetoclax in patients with acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL). In the current review, we present the biological rationale of BCL-2 inhibition in ALL, how the interplay of BH3 proteins modulate the response and the current clinical experience with various combinations.
Transcriptome and Metabolome Analysis Reveals the Importance of Amino-Acid Metabolism in Spodoptera Frugiperda Exposed to Spinetoram
Authors: Gao Zupeng , Batool Raufa , Xie Weifeng , Huang Xiaodan , Wang Zhenying
Published: September 2022

Pests are inevitably exposed to sublethal and lethal doses in the agroecosystem following the application of pesticides indispensable to protect food sources. The effect of spinetoram on amino-acid metabolism of fall armyworm, Spodoptera frugiperda (J.E. Smith), was investigated, at the dose of LC10 and LC90, by transcriptome and LC-MS/MS analysis. Using statistics-based analysis of both POS and NEG mode, a total of 715,501 metabolites in S. frugiperda were significantly changed after spinetoram treatment. The enhancement of glucose metabolism provides energy support for detoxification in larvae. The decrease in valine and isoleucine is associated with an increase in leucine, without maintaining the conservation of citric acid in the larvae. The down-regulation of phenylalanine may retard the tricarboxylic acid cycle to produce GTP. The abundance of lysine was decreased in response to spinetoram exposure, which damages the nervous system of the larvae. The abundance of arginine increases and causes non-functional contraction of the insect’s muscles, causing the larva to expend excess energy. Tryptophan provides an important substrate for eliminating ROS. The changes in glutamic acid, aspartic acid, and lysine cause damage to the nerve centers of the larvae. The results of transcriptome and LC-MS/MS analysis revealed the effects of pesticide exposure on amino-acid metabolism of S. frugiperda successfully and provide a new overview of the response of insect physio-biochemistry against pesticides.
Weight Gain and Asthenia Following Thyroidectomy: Current Knowledge from Literature Review
Authors: Scerrino Gregorio , Salamone Giuseppe , Corigliano Alessandro , Richiusa Pierina , Proclamà Maria , Radellini Stefano , Cocorullo Gianfranco , Orlando Giuseppina , Melfa Giuseppina , Paladino Nunzia
Published: September 2022

Background: Thyroidectomy is a common procedure all over the world. Its complication rate is low, but some patients complain of weight gain and/or asthenia. The aim of this review is to investigate the correlation between thyroidectomy and weight change and asthenia. Materials and Methods: Seven papers concerning weight gain and four concerning asthenia were found. Results: Weight gain would seem to be more related to the change in habits after surgery. Asthenia seems to be more linked to endocrine mechanisms not yet clarified although a deficiency of triiodothyronine and its metabolites could explain some of its aspects. Conclusion: Patients who are candidates for thyroidectomy should be adequately informed of the onset of both possible implications of the surgical act in terms of weight gain and chronic asthenia.
Robotic Retrograde Intrarenal Surgery: A Journey from “Back to the Future”
Authors: Gauhar Vineet , Traxer Olivier , Cho Sung-Yong , Teoh Jeremy Yuen-Chun , Sierra Alba , Gauhar Vishesh , Sarica Kemal , Somani Bhaskar , Castellani Daniele
Published: September 2022

The introduction of robotics has revolutionized surgery. Robotic platforms have also recently been introduced in clinical practice specifically for flexible ureteroscopy. In this paper, we look at the robotic platforms currently available for flexible ureteroscopy, describing their advantages and limitations. The following robotic platforms are discussed: Roboflex Avicenna®, EasyUretero®, and ILY® robot. Finally, potential future advancements in this field are presented.
Antimicrobial, Antiviral, and In-Vitro Cytotoxicity and Mosquitocidal Activities of Portulaca oleracea-Based Green Synthesis of Selenium Nanoparticles
Authors: Fouda Amr , Al-Otaibi Waad A. , Saber Taisir , AlMotwaa Sahar M. , Alshallash Khalid S. , Elhady Mohamed , Badr Naglaa Fathi , Abdel-Rahman Mohamed Ali
Published: September 2022

The aqueous extract of Portulaca oleracea was used as a biocatalyst for the reduction of Na2SeO3 to form Se-NPs that appeared red in color and showed maximum surface plasmon resonance at a wavelength of 266 nm, indicating the successful Phyto-fabrication of Se-NPs. A FT-IR chart clarified the role of plant metabolites such as proteins, carbohydrates, and amino acids in capping and stabilizing Se-NPs. TEM, SAED, and XRD analyses indicated the formation of spherical, well-arranged, and crystalline Se-NPs with sizes in the range of 2–22 nm. SEM-EDX mapping showed the maximum peaks of Se at 1.4, 11.3, and 12.4 KeV, with weight and atomic percentages of 36.49 and 30.39%, respectively. A zeta potential of −43.8 mV also indicated the high stability of the synthesized Se-NPs. The Phyto-synthesized Se-NPs showed varied biological activities in a dose-dependent manner, including promising activity against pathogenic bacteria and Candida species with varied MIC values in the range of 12.5−50 µg·mL−1. Moreover, the Se-NPs showed antiviral activity toward HAV and Cox-B4, with percentages of 70.26 and 62.58%, respectively. Interestingly, Se-NPs showed a target orientation to cancer cell lines (HepG2) with low IC50 concentration at 70.79 ± 2.2 µg·mL−1 compared to normal cell lines (WI−38) with IC50 at165.5 ± 5.4 µg·mL−1. Moreover, the as-formed Se-NPs showed high activity against various instar larvae I, II, III, and IV of Culex pipiens, with the highest mortality percentages of 89 ± 3.1, 73 ± 1.2, 68 ± 1.4, and 59 ± 1.0%, respectively, at 50 mg L−1. Thus, P. oleracea-based Se-NPs would be strong potential antimicrobial, anti-viral, anti-cancer, and anti-insect agents in the pharmaceutical and biomedical industries.