bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Regression-Based Normative Data for Independent and Cognitively Active Spanish Older Adults: Digit Span, Letters and Numbers, Trail Making Test and Symbol Digit Modalities Test
Authors: Iñesta Clara , Oltra-Cucarella Javier , Bonete-López Beatriz , Calderón-Rubio Eva , Sitges-Maciá Esther
Published: September 2021

In this work, we developed normative data for the neuropsychological assessment of independent and cognitively active Spanish older adults over 55 years of age. Method: Regression-based normative data were calculated from a sample of 103 non-depressed independent community-dwelling adults aged 55 or older (67% women). Raw data for Digit Span (DS), Letters and Numbers (LN), the Trail Making Test (TMT), and the Symbol Digit Modalities Test (SDMT) were regressed on age, sex, and education. The model predicting TMT-B scores also included TMT-A scores. Z-scores for the discrepancy between observed and predicted scores were used to identify low scores. The base rate of low scores for SABIEX normative data was compared to the base rate of low scores using published normative data obtained from the general population. Results: The effects of age, sex, and education varied across neuropsychological measures. Although the proportion of low scores was similar between normative datasets, there was no agreement in the identification of cognitively impaired individuals. Conclusions: Normative data obtained from the general population might not be sensitive to identify low scores in cognitively active older adults, incorrectly classifying them as cognitively normal compared to the less-active population. We provide a friendly calculator for use in neuropsychological assessment in cognitively active Spanish people aged 55 or older.
Effect of Tadalafil Administration on Redox Homeostasis and Polyamine Levels in Healthy Men with High Level of Physical Activity
Authors: Duranti Guglielmo , Ceci Roberta , Di Luigi Luigi , Antinozzi Cristina , Dimauro Ivan , Sabatini Stefania , Cervelli Manuela , Sgrò Paolo
Published: September 2021

Background: The phosphodiesterase type 5 inhibitor (PDE5I) tadalafil, in addition to its therapeutic role, has shown antioxidant effects in different in vivo models. Supplementation with antioxidants has received interest as a suitable tool for preventing or reducing exercise-related oxidative stress, possibly leading to the improvement of sport performance in athletes. However, the use/abuse of these substances must be evaluated not only within the context of amateur sport, but especially in competitions where elite athletes are more exposed to stressful physical practice. To date, very few human studies have addressed the influence of the administration of PDE5Is on redox balance in subjects with a fitness level comparable to elite athletes; therefore, the aim of this study was to investigate for the first time whether acute ingestion of tadalafil could affect plasma markers related to cellular damage, redox homeostasis, and blood polyamines levels in healthy subjects with an elevated cardiorespiratory fitness level. Methods: Healthy male volunteers (n = 12), with a VO2max range of 40.1–56.0 mL/(kg × min), were administered with a single dose of tadalafil (20 mg). Plasma molecules related to muscle damage and redox-homeostasis, such as creatine kinase (CK), lactate dehydrogenase (LDH), total antioxidant capacity (TAC), reduced/oxidized glutathione ratio (GSH/GSSG), free thiols (FTH), antioxidant enzyme activities (superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT) and glutathione peroxidase (GPx)), as well as thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARs), protein carbonyls (PrCAR), and polyamine levels (spermine (Spm) and spermidine (Spd)) were evaluated immediately before and 2, 6 and 24 hours after the acute tadalafil administration. Results: A single tadalafil administration induced an increase in CK and LDH plasma levels 24 after consumption. No effects were observed on redox homeostasis or antioxidant enzyme activities, and neither were they observed on the oxidation target molecules or polyamines levels. Conclusion: Our results show that in subjects with an elevated fitness level, a single administration of tadalafil induced a significant increase in muscle damage target without affecting plasma antioxidant status.
Prenatal Exposure to Diethylstilbestrol and Multigenerational Psychiatric Disorders: An Informative Family
Authors: Soyer-Gobillard Marie-Odile , Gaspari Laura , Paris Françoise , Kalfa Nicolas , Hamamah Samir , Courtet Philippe , Sultan Charles
Published: September 2021

Background: Psychiatric disorders in children exposed in utero to diethylstilbestrol (DES) are still debated. We report here the impact of DES prescribed to suppress lactation on the children born after such treatment and their progeny, focusing particularly on psychiatric disorders. Case presentation: We report here an informative family in which one or more psychiatric problems (e.g., bipolarity, suicide attempts and suicide, eating disorders) were detected in all children of second-generation (DES-exposed children; n = 9), but for II-2 who died at the age of 26 years due to rupture of a congenital brain aneurysm, and were associated with non-psychiatric disorders (particularly, endometriosis and hypospadias). In the third generation, 10 out of 19 DES-exposed grandchildren had psychiatric disorders (autism spectrum disorder, bipolar disorder, dyspraxia and learning disabilities, mood and behavioral disorders, and eating disorders), often associated with comorbidities. In the fourth generation (7 DES-exposed great-grandchildren, aged between 0 and 18 years), one child had dyspraxia and autism spectrum disorder. The first daughter of the second generation (not exposed to DES) and her children and grandchildren did not have any psychiatric symptoms or comorbidities. Conclusions: To our knowledge, the high prevalence of psychiatric disorders of various severities in two, and likely three generations, including DES-free pregnancies and DES-exposed pregnancies from the same family, has never been reported. This work strengthens the hypothesis that in utero exposure to DES contributes to the pathogenesis of psychiatric disorders. It also highlights a multigenerational, and possibly transgenerational, effect of DES in neurodevelopment and psychiatric disorders.
Exploring the Impact of Linguistic Signals Transmission on Patients’ Health Consultation Choice: Web Mining of Online Reviews
Authors: Shah Adnan Muhammad , Ali Mudassar , Qayyum Abdul , Begum Abida , Han Heesup , Ariza-Montes Antonio , Araya-Castillo Luis
Published: September 2021

Background: Patients face difficulties identifying appropriate physicians owing to the sizeable quantity and uneven quality of information in physician rating websites. Therefore, an increasing dependence of consumers on online platforms as a source of information for decision-making has given rise to the need for further research into the quality of information in the form of online physician reviews (OPRs). Methods: Drawing on the signaling theory, this study develops a theoretical model to examine how linguistic signals (affective signals and informative signals) in physician rating websites affect consumers’ decision making. The hypotheses are tested using 5521 physicians’ six-month data drawn from two leading health rating platforms in the U.S (i.e., Healthgrades.com and Vitals.com) during the COVID-19 pandemic. A sentic computing-based sentiment analysis framework is used to implicitly analyze patients’ opinions regarding their treatment choice. Results: The results indicate that negative sentiment, review readability, review depth, review spelling, and information helpfulness play a significant role in inducing patients’ decision-making. The influence of negative sentiment, review depth on patients’ treatment choice was indirectly mediated by information helpfulness. Conclusions: This paper is a first step toward the understanding of the linguistic characteristics of information relating to the patient experience, particularly the emerging field of online health behavior and signaling theory. It is also the first effort to our knowledge that employs sentic computing-based sentiment analysis in this context and provides implications for practice.
Assessment of SARS-CoV-2 Anti-Spike IgG Antibody in Women and Children in Madinah, Saudi Arabia: A Single-Center Study
Authors: Mahallawi Waleed H. , Ibrahim Nadir A. , Aljohani Ammar S. , Shaikh Ehab A. , Nafe Rayan H. , Khan Anas M. , Mumena Walaa A.
Published: September 2021

Background: Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). Information on the prevalence of SARS-CoV-2 antibodies in women and children in Madinah has been limited. The current study aimed to evaluate SARS-CoV-2 IgG seropositivity among women and children at Madinah Maternity and Children’s Hospital. Methods: In this cross-sectional study, 579 participants were recruited between January and April 2021 from Madinah Maternity and Children’s Hospital, Saudi Arabia. Data concerning age, sex (for children), blood group, and height and weight (for women) were collected from the hospital database. SARS-CoV-2 anti-spike (anti-S) IgG antibodies were detected by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Results: Over 58% of children (n = 195), including 60% of children ≤ 1 year (n = 75), and 50.2% (n = 124) of women were SARS-CoV-2 anti-S IgG seropositive. Significantly higher anti-S IgG levels were observed in children than in women (0.78 ± 1.05 vs. 0.65 ± 0.98, p = 0.008). Compared with women, children had higher odds of high SARS-CoV-2 anti-S IgG levels (odds ratio: 1.41; 95% confidence interval: 1.01–1.97; p = 0.041). No significant associations were observed for anti-S IgG levels with age in women or children or with body mass index among women. Conclusion: Non-reported COVID-19 infections were more prevalent among children than women, and non-reported COVID-19 infections children represent a viral transmission risk; therefore, increased screening, especially among school-aged children, may represent an important COVID-19 preventive control measure.
Motivators of Indiscriminate and Unsafe Supplement Use among Young Australians
Authors: Campbell Alexander , Carins Julia , Rundle-Thiele Sharyn , Deshpande Sameer , Baker Bradley
Published: September 2021

Background: There is growing concern about the self-administration of supplements, which can often be indiscriminate, counterproductive to health, and serve as a gateway to more harmful drugs and substances. Research suggests that high uptake of performance- and image-enhancing drugs (PIEDs) is correlated with body image to accentuate masculinity. This study provides insights into limiting unhealthy supplement usage. This research identifies reasons for casual unhealthy supplement use among young adult Australians through the Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB) lens, providing practitioners with insights into developing interventions to deter their use. Method: Semi-structured in-depth interviews were conducted with ten participants aged between 18 and 40, using a convenience sample. Leximancer analysis was used to assess word co-occurrence and map to TPB constructs. Results: Leximancer identified positive attitudes, social norms, and perceived behavioral control towards supplement usage. Key themes that influenced supplement use were weight loss, body image, nutrition, training, education, challenges, need, and time. Furthermore, using TPB constructs, affective and instrumental attitudes and prevailing norms were observed when investigating what would cause an individual to use supplements in an unhealthy manner. Conclusion: Through understanding the motivations of indiscriminate supplement use across the Australian population, the study has uncovered several social factors that may reduce or limit the practice of unsafe supplement usage.
The Effects of Play Streets on Social and Community Connectedness in Rural Communities
Authors: Umstattd Meyer M. Renée , Prochnow Tyler , Pickett Andrew C. , Perry Cynthia K. , Bridges Hamilton Christina N. , Abildso Christiaan G. , Pollack Porter Keshia M.
Published: September 2021

Promoting physical activity (PA) is a long-standing public health initiative to improve overall health and wellbeing. Innovative strategies such as Play Streets, temporary activation of public spaces to provide safe places for active play, are being adopted in urban and rural communities to increase PA among children. As part of these strategies, aspects of social and community connectedness may be strengthened. This study analyzes focus groups and interviews from rural Play Street implementation team members (n = 14) as well as adults (n = 7) and children (n = 25) who attended Play Streets hosted in rural North Carolina, Maryland, Oklahoma, and Texas to better understand the added benefits of Play Streets in community connectedness. Overall, elements of social support and social cohesion are mentioned most frequently with instrumental and conditional support; however, concepts of social capital, collective-efficacy, and social identification are also presented. Participants expressed that Play Streets provided more than just PA; they provided opportunities to access and share resources, build perceptions of safety and trust in the community, and develop relationships with others. Fostering community connection through Play Streets may reduce health inequities in rural communities by building community resilience. Community-based PA programming that enhance and capitalize on community connectedness could be effective ways to improving the overall health and wellbeing of residents.
Effects of Land Use on Land Surface Temperature: A Case Study of Wuhan, China
Authors: Lu Youpeng , Yue Wenze , Huang Yaping
Published: September 2021

In this study, we aim to understand the impact of land use on the urban heat island (UHI) effect across an urban area. Considering the case study of Wuhan, China, land use factors and land surface temperatures (LSTs) of 589 planning management units were quantified in order to identify the spatial autocorrelation of LST, which indicated that a traditional regression would be invalid. By investigating the relationships between land use factors and the LST in summer, based on spatial regression models including the spatial lag model and the spatial error model, four conclusions were derived. First, the spatial error model effectively explains the relationships between LST and land use factors. Second, the impact on LST of the percentage of industrial areas is significant even though the impacts of land cover and building-group morphology indicators are combined, indicating that anthropogenic heat emission of industrial production contributes to high LSTs. Third, the relationship between the percentage of commercial area and LST is significant in the Pearson correlation analysis and traditional regression models, while not significant in spatial error model, suggesting that the urban heat environment of a commercial area is determined by the land use factors of the surrounding area. Fourth, the UHI effect in industrial and commercial areas could be precisely mitigated by not locating industrial areas beside residential areas, and setting up buffer zones between commercial areas and surrounding traditional residential areas. Overall, the results of this study innovatively deepen the understanding of the impact of the percentage of different urban land use types on the urban heat environment at the scale of planning management units, which is conducive to formulating precise regulation measures for mitigating UHI effects and improving public health.
Subjective and Objective Consequences of Stress in Subjects with Subjectively Different Sleep Quality—A Cross-Sectional Study
Authors: Thielmann Beatrice , Schierholz Robin Sebastian , Böckelmann Irina
Published: September 2021

Background: Restful sleep plays an important role in long-term health and occupational safety. Heart rate variability (HRV) is used as stress indicator. The aim of this study was to determine whether HRV at rest or during sleep, as an objective indicator of stress, reflects subjectively assessed sleep quality. Methods: 84 subjects (37.3 ± 15.6 years) were classified into good sleepers and poor sleepers based on the results of the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI). The cut-off value to distinguish between good and bad sleepers recommended by Buysse et al. 1989 is >5. Mental health status was determined using the 12-Item General Health Questionnaire (GHQ-12). A 24 h electrocardiogram (ECG) was recorded for HRV analysis (total and 6 h night phase). Results: The poor sleepers showed a significantly lower mental health status (p = 0.004). The multifactorial variance analysis of the total phase time parameters Min HR (p = 0.032, η2 = 0.056) and SI (p = 0.015, η2 = 0.072) showed significant interaction effects. In the 6h night phase, significant interaction effects were found for SDNN (p = 0.036, η2 = 0.065) and SD2 (p = 0.033, η2 = 0.067). In addition, there was a significant negative correlation between HRV and stress and a positive correlation between HRV and mental health. Conclusions: Although this study did not demonstrate a direct relationship between sleep quality and HRV, it was shown that there are important connections between sleep quality and mental health, and between HRV and mental health.
Cost-Effectiveness of Chuna Manual Therapy and Usual Care, Compared with Usual Care Only for People with Neck Pain following Traffic Accidents: A Multicenter Randomized Controlled Trial
Authors: Park A-La , Hwang Eui-Hyoung , Hwang Man-Suk , Heo In , Park Sun-Young , Lee Jun-Hwan , Ha In-Hyuk , Cho Jae-Heung , Shin Byung-Cheul
Published: September 2021

This is the first cost-effectiveness analysis of Chuna manual therapy (CMT) plus usual Korean traditional medicine for traffic accident victims using a randomized controlled trial. A total of 132 participants were equally allocated to the intervention group receiving 6–11 sessions of CMT plus usual Korean traditional medicine care for three weeks or usual care including acupuncture, cupping, herbal medicine, moxibustion, and traditional physiotherapy at three hospitals. At 12 weeks, from a healthcare perspective, the intervention group had significantly higher costs (mean (SD), $778 (435) vs. $618 (318); difference, $160; 95% CI, $15 to $289; p = 0.005). From a societal perspective, total costs were insignificantly lower in the intervention group (mean (SD), $1077 (1081) vs. $1146 (1485); difference, $−69; 95% CI, $−568 to $377; p = 0.761). The intervention group dominated, with significantly higher QALYs gained at lower overall cost with a 72% chance of being cost-effective. From a societal perspective, the intervention was cost-saving for individuals who had neck pain after car accidents, although it was not cost-effective from the healthcare perspective ($40,038 per QALY gained). Findings support use of CMT as an integrated care treatment for whiplash from a societal perspective. Further studies with larger sample sizes are needed to determine cost-effectiveness in other cultural contexts.
Food Insecurity, Safety Nets, and Coping Strategies during the COVID-19 Pandemic: Multi-Country Evidence from Sub-Saharan Africa
Authors: Dasgupta Shouro , Robinson Elizabeth J. Z.
Published: September 2021

The COVID-19 pandemic has affected food security across the world. As governments respond in different ways both with regards to containing the pandemic and addressing food insecurity, in parallel detailed datasets are being collected and analysed. To date, literature addressing food insecurity during the pandemic, using these datasets, has tended to focus on individual countries. By contrast, this paper provides the first detailed multi-country cross-sectional snapshot of the social dimensions of food insecurity during the COVID-19 pandemic across nine African countries (Chad, Djibouti, Ethiopia, Kenya, Malawi, Mali, Nigeria, South Africa, and Uganda). Econometric analysis reveals that female-headed households, the poor, and the less-formally educated, appear to suffer more in terms of food insecurity during this global pandemic. Importantly, our findings show that the negative consequences of the pandemic are disproportionately higher for lower-income households and those who had to borrow to make ends meet rather than relying on savings; impacts are country-specific; and there is considerable spatial heterogeneity within country food insecurity, suggesting that tailored policies will be required. These nine countries employ both food and cash safety nets, with the evidence suggesting that, at least when these data were collected, cash safety nets have been slightly more effective at reducing food insecurity. Our results provide a baseline that can be used by governments to help design and implement tailored policies to address food insecurity. Our findings can also be used as lessons to reshape policies to tackle the heterogeneous impacts of climate change.
Insights into the Genetic Variations of Human Cytochrome P450 2C9: Structural Analysis, Characterization and Comparison
Authors: Parikh Sonia J. , Kamat Sumit , Phillips Margaret , Boyson Samuel P. , Yarbrough Thomas , Davie Dylan , Zhang Qinghai , Glass Karen C. , Shah Manish B.
Published: September 2021

Cytochromes P450 (CYP) are one of the major xenobiotic metabolizing enzymes with increasing importance in pharmacogenetics. The CYP2C9 enzyme is responsible for the metabolism of a wide range of clinical drugs. More than sixty genetic variations have been identified in CYP2C9 with many demonstrating reduced activity compared to the wild-type (WT) enzyme. The CYP2C9*8 allele is predominantly found in persons of African ancestry and results in altered clearance of several drug substrates of CYP2C9. The X-ray crystal structure of CYP2C9*8, which represents an amino acid variation from arginine to histidine at position 150 (R150H), was solved in complex with losartan. The overall conformation of the CYP2C9*8-losartan complex was similar to the previously solved complex with wild type (WT) protein, but it differs in the occupancy of losartan. One molecule of losartan was bound in the active site and another on the surface in an identical orientation to that observed in the WT complex. However, unlike the WT structure, the losartan in the access channel was not observed in the *8 complex. Furthermore, isothermal titration calorimetry studies illustrated weaker binding of losartan to *8 compared to WT. Interestingly, the CYP2C9*8 interaction with losartan was not as weak as the CYP2C9*3 variant, which showed up to three-fold weaker average dissociation constant compared to the WT. Taken together, the structural and solution characterization yields insights into the similarities and differences of losartan binding to CYP2C9 variants and provides a useful framework for probing the role of amino acid substitution and substrate dependent activity.
Regulation of the Expression, Oligomerisation and Signaling of the Inhibitory Receptor CLEC12A by Cysteine Residues in the Stalk Region
Authors: Vitry Julien , Paré Guillaume , Murru Andréa , Charest-Morin Xavier , Maaroufi Halim , McLeish Kenneth R. , Naccache Paul H. , Fernandes Maria J.
Published: September 2021

CLEC12A is a myeloid inhibitory receptor that negatively regulates inflammation in mouse models of autoimmune and autoinflammatory arthritis. Reduced CLEC12A expression enhances myeloid cell activation and inflammation in CLEC12A knock-out mice with collagen antibody-induced or gout-like arthritis. Similarly to other C-type lectin receptors, CLEC12A harbours a stalk domain between its ligand binding and transmembrane domains. While it is presumed that the cysteines in the stalk domain have multimerisation properties, their role in CLEC12A expression and/or signaling remain unknown. We thus used site-directed mutagenesis to determine whether the stalk domain cysteines play a role in CLEC12A expression, internalisation, oligomerisation, and/or signaling. Mutation of C118 blocks CLEC12A transport through the secretory pathway diminishing its cell-surface expression. In contrast, mutating C130 does not affect CLEC12A cell-surface expression but increases its oligomerisation, inducing ligand-independent phosphorylation of the receptor. Moreover, we provide evidence that CLEC12A dimerisation is regulated in a redox-dependent manner. We also show that antibody-induced CLEC12A cross-linking induces flotillin oligomerisation in insoluble membrane domains in which CLEC12A signals. Taken together, these data indicate that the stalk cysteines in CLEC12A differentially modulate this inhibitory receptor’s expression, oligomerisation and signaling, suggestive of the regulation of CLEC12A in a redox-dependent manner during inflammation.
Predicting Stock Movements: Using Multiresolution Wavelet Reconstruction and Deep Learning in Neural Networks
Authors: Peng Lifang , Chen Kefu , Li Ning
Published: September 2021

Stock movement prediction is important in the financial world because investors want to observe trends in stock prices before making investment decisions. However, given the non-linear non-stationary financial time series characteristics of stock prices, this remains an extremely challenging task. A wavelet is a mathematical function used to divide a given function or continuous-time signal into different scale components. Wavelet analysis has good time-frequency local characteristics and good zooming capability for non-stationary random signals. However, the application of the wavelet theory is generally limited to a small scale. The neural networks method is a powerful tool to deal with large-scale problems. Therefore, the combination of neural networks and wavelet analysis becomes more applicable for stock behavior prediction. To rebuild the signals in multiple scales, and filter the measurement noise, a forecasting model based on a stock price time series was provided, employing multiresolution analysis (MRA). Then, the deep learning in the neural network method was used to train and test the empirical data. To explain the fundamental concepts, a conceptual analysis of similar algorithms was performed. The data set for the experiment was chosen to capture a wide range of stock movements from 1 January 2009 to 31 December 2017. Comparison analyses between the algorithms and industries were conducted to show that the method is stable and reliable. This study focused on medium-term stock predictions to predict future stock behavior over 11 days of horizons. Our test results showed a 75% hit rate, on average, for all industries, in terms of US stocks on FORTUNE Global 500. We confirmed the effectiveness of our model and method based on the findings of the empirical research. This study’s primary contribution is to demonstrate the reconstruction model of the stock time series and to perform recurrent neural networks using the deep learning method. Our findings fill an academic research gap, by demonstrating that deep learning can be used to predict stock movement.
Developmental Temperature Affects Life-History Traits and Heat Tolerance in the Aphid Parasitoid Aphidius colemani
Authors: Jerbi-Elayed Mey , Foray Vincent , Tougeron Kévin , Grissa-Lebdi Kaouthar , Hance Thierry
Published: September 2021

Developmental temperature plays important roles in the expression of insect traits through thermal developmental plasticity. We exposed the aphid parasitoid Aphidius colemani to different temperature regimes (10, 20, or 28 °C) throughout larval development and studied the expression of morphological and physiological traits indicator of fitness and heat tolerance in the adult. We showed that the mass decreased and the surface to volume ratio of parasitoids increased with the development temperature. Water content was not affected by rearing temperature, but parasitoids accumulated more lipids when reared at 20 °C. Egg content was not affected by developmental temperature, but adult survival was better for parasitoids reared at 20 °C. Finally, parasitoids developed at 20 °C showed the highest heat stupor threshold, whereas parasitoids developed at 28 °C showed the highest heat coma threshold (better heat tolerance CTmax1 and CTmax2, respectively), therefore only partly supporting the beneficial acclimation hypothesis. From a fundamental point of view, our study highlights the role of thermal plasticity (adaptive or not) on the expression of different life history traits in insects and the possible correlations that exist between these traits. From an applied perspective, these results are important in the context of biological control through mass release techniques of parasitoids in hot environments.
Low-Coverage Whole Genomes Reveal the Higher Phylogeny of Green Lacewings
Authors: Wang Yuyu , Zhang Ruyue , Ma Yunlong , Li Jing , Fan Fan , Liu Xingyue , Yang Ding
Published: September 2021

Green lacewings are one of the largest families within Neuroptera and are widely distributed all over the world. Many species within this group are important natural predators that are widely used for the biological control of pests in agricultural ecosystems. Several proposed phylogenetic relationships among the three subfamilies of Chrysopidae have been extensively debated. To further understand the higher phylogeny as well as the evolutionary history of Chrysopidae, we newly sequenced and analyzed the low-coverage genomes of 5 species (Apochrysa matsumurae, Chrysopa pallens, Chrysoperla furcifera, Italochrysa pardalina, Nothochrysa sinica), representing 3 subfamilies of Chrysopidae. There are 2213 orthologs selected to reconstruct the phylogenetic tree. Phylogenetic reconstruction was performed using both concatenation and coalescent-based approaches, based on different data matrices. All the results suggested that Chrysopinae were a monophyletic sister group to the branch Apochrysinae + Nothochrysinae. These results were completely supported, except by the concatenation analyses of the nt data matrix, which suggested that Apochrysinae were a sister group to Chrysopinae + Nothchrysinae. The different topology from the nt data matrix may have been caused by the limited sampling of Chrysopidae. The divergence time showed that Chrysopinae diverged from Apochrysinae + Nothochrysinae during the Early Cretaceous period (144–151 Ma), while Aporchrysinae diverged from Nothochrysinae around 117–133 Ma. These results will improve our understanding of the higher phylogeny of Chrysopidae and lay a foundation for the utilization of natural predators.
On Hermite–Hadamard-Type Inequalities for Coordinated h-Convex Interval-Valued Functions
Authors: Zhao Dafang , Zhao Guohui , Ye Guoju , Liu Wei , Dragomir Silvestru Sever
Published: September 2021

This paper is devoted to establishing some Hermite–Hadamard-type inequalities for interval-valued functions using the coordinated h-convexity, which is more general than classical convex functions. We also discuss the relationship between coordinated h-convexity and h-convexity. Furthermore, we introduce the concepts of minimum expansion and maximum contraction of interval sequences. Based on these two new concepts, we establish some new Hermite–Hadamard-type inequalities, which generalize some known results in the literature. Additionally, some examples are given to illustrate our results.
Isotretinoin and Thalidomide Down-Regulate c-MYC Gene Expression and Modify Proteins Associated with Cancer in Hepatic Cells
Authors: Ramírez-Flores Patricia Nefertari , Barraza-Reyna Paulina J. , Aguirre-Vázquez Alain , Camacho-Moll María E. , Guerrero-Beltrán Carlos Enrique , Resendez-Pérez Diana , González-Villasana Vianey , Garza-González Jesús Norberto , Silva-Ramírez Beatriz , Castorena-Torres Fabiola , Bermúdez de León Mario
Published: September 2021

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is the most common form of liver cancer. The number of cases is increasing and the trend for the next few years is not encouraging. HCC is usually detected in the advanced stages of the disease, and pharmacological therapies are not entirely effective. For this reason, it is necessary to search for new therapeutic options. The objective of this work was to evaluate the effect of the drugs isotretinoin and thalidomide on c-MYC expression and cancer-related proteins in an HCC cellular model. The expression of c-MYC was measured using RT-qPCR and western blot assays. In addition, luciferase activity assays were performed for the c-MYC promoters P1 and P2 using recombinant plasmids. Dose-response-time analyses were performed for isotretinoin or thalidomide in cells transfected with the c-MYC promoters. Finally, a proteome profile analysis of cells exposed to these two drugs was performed and the results were validated by western blot. We demonstrated that in HepG2 cells, isotretinoin and thalidomide reduced c-MYC mRNA expression levels, but this decrease in expression was linked to the regulation of P1 and P1-P2 c-MYC promoter activity in isotretinoin only. Thalidomide did not exert any effect on c-MYC promoters. Also, isotretinoin and thalidomide were capable of inducing and repressing proteins associated with cancer. In conclusion, isotretinoin and thalidomide down-regulate c-MYC mRNA expression and this is partially due to P1 or P2 promoter activity, suggesting that these drugs could be promising options for modulating the expression of oncogenes and tumor suppressor genes in HCC.
Synthesis, In Vitro, and In Silico Analysis of the Antioxidative Activity of Dapsone Imine Derivatives
Authors: Guzmán-Ávila Ricardo , Avelar Mayra , Márquez Edgar A. , Rivera-Leyva Julio C. , Mora José R. , Flores-Morales Virginia , Rivera-Islas Jesús
Published: September 2021

Dapsone (DDS) is an antibacterial drug with well-known antioxidant properties. However, the antioxidant behavior of its derivatives has not been well explored. In the present work, the antioxidant activity of 10 dapsone derivatives 4-substituted was determined by an evaluation in two in vitro models (DPPH radical scavenging assay and ferric reducing antioxidant power). These imine derivatives 1–10 were obtained through condensation between DDS and the corresponding aromatic aldehydes 4-substuited. Three derivatives presented better results than DDS in the determination of DPPH (2, 9, and 10). Likewise, we have three compounds with better reducing activity than dapsone (4, 9, and 10). In order to be more insight, the redox process, a conceptual DFT analysis was carried out. Molecular descriptors such as electronic distribution, the total charge accepting/donating capacity (I/A), and the partial charge accepting/donating capacity (ω+/ω−) were calculated to analyze the relative donor-acceptor capacity through employing a donor acceptor map (DAM). The DFT calculation allowed us to establish a relationship between GAPHOMO-LUMO and DAM with the observed antioxidant effects. According to the results, we concluded that compounds 2 and 3 have the lowest Ra values, representing a good antioxidant behavior observed experimentally in DPPH radical capturing. On the other hand, derivatives 4, 9, and 10 display the best reducing capacity activity with the highest ω− and Rd values. Consequently, we propose these compounds as the best antireductants in our DDS imine derivative series.
A Review of Manganese(III) (Oxyhydr)Oxides Use in Advanced Oxidation Processes
Authors: Jia Daqing , Hanna Khalil , Mailhot Gilles , Brigante Marcello
Published: September 2021

The key role of trivalent manganese (Mn(III)) species in promoting sulfate radical-based advanced oxidation processes (SR-AOPs) has recently attracted increasing attention. This review provides a comprehensive summary of Mn(III) (oxyhydr)oxide-based catalysts used to activate peroxymonosulfate (PMS) and peroxydisulfate (PDS) in water. The crystal structures of different Mn(III) (oxyhydr)oxides (such as α-Mn2O3, γ-MnOOH, and Mn3O4) are first introduced. Then the impact of the catalyst structure and composition on the activation mechanisms are discussed, as well as the effects of solution pH and inorganic ions. In the Mn(III) (oxyhydr)oxide activated SR-AOPs systems, the activation mechanisms of PMS and PDS are different. For example, both radical (such as sulfate and hydroxyl radical) and non-radical (singlet oxygen) were generated by Mn(III) (oxyhydr)oxide activated PMS. In comparison, the activation of PDS by α-Mn2O3 and γ-MnOOH preferred to form the singlet oxygen and catalyst surface activated complex to remove the organic pollutants. Finally, research gaps are discussed to suggest future directions in context of applying radical-based advanced oxidation in wastewater treatment processes.
Exploiting Complex Fluorophore Interactions to Monitor Virus Capsid Disassembly
Authors: Chatterjee Swarupa , Schotpoort Bram A. , Elbert Thieme , Cornelissen Jeroen J. L. M. , Claessens Mireille M. A. E. , Blum Christian
Published: September 2021

Supramolecular protein complexes are the corner stone of biological processes; they are essential for many biological functions. Unraveling the interactions responsible for the (dis)assembly of these complexes is required to understand nature and to exploit such systems in future applications. Virus capsids are well-defined assemblies of hundreds of proteins and form the outer shell of non-enveloped viruses. Due to their potential as a drug carriers or nano-reactors and the need for virus inactivation strategies, assessing the intactness of virus capsids is of great interest. Current methods to evaluate the (dis)assembly of these protein assemblies are experimentally demanding in terms of instrumentation, expertise and time. Here we investigate a new strategy to monitor the disassembly of fluorescently labeled virus capsids. To monitor surfactant-induced capsid disassembly, we exploit the complex photophysical interplay between multiple fluorophores conjugated to capsid proteins. The disassembly of the capsid changes the photophysical interactions between the fluorophores, and this can be spectrally monitored. The presented data show that this low complexity method can be used to study and monitor the disassembly of supramolecular protein complexes like virus capsids. However, the range of labeling densities that is suitable for this assay is surprisingly narrow.
Essential Electronic Properties of Silicon Nanotubes
Authors: Liu Hsin-Yi , Lin Ming-Fa , Wu Jhao-Ying
Published: September 2021

In this work, the various electronic properties of silicon nanotubes (SiNTs) were investigated by the density functional theory. The cooperative and competitive relationships between the chiral angle, periodic boundary conditions, and multi-orbital hybridizations create unusual narrow gaps and quasi-flat bands in the ultra-small armchair and zigzag tubes, respectively. The features varied dramatically with tube radii. Armchair SiNTs (aSiNTs) have an indirect-to-direct band gap transition as their radius is increased to a particular value, while zigzag SiNTs (zSiNTs) present a metal-semiconductor transition. The projected density of states was used to elucidate the critical transitions, and the evolution of p and s orbital mixing states during the process are discussed in detail. The information presented here provides a better understanding of the essential properties of SiNTs.
Compliance of Professional Nurses at Primary Health Care Facilities to the South African Cervical Cancer Screening Guidelines
Authors: Rangolo Nthanyiseni , Tshitangano Takalani Grace , Olaniyi Foluke Comfort
Published: September 2021

Despite the availability of the South African cervical cancer screening guidelines at clinics, women still present in district hospitals of Thulamela Municipality with no cervical cancer screening results. Thus, many cervical cancer screenings done at the hospitals often come back positive for cervical cancer at advanced stages. This study was conducted to investigate the compliance of professional nurses at primary health care facilities (PHCs) in Thulamela Municipality to the South African cervical cancer screening guidelines. The study adopted a qualitative approach. Purposive, non-probability sampling method was used to select PHCs and recruit eligible participants. Sample size was determined by data saturation. A digital recorder was used to log individual responses during interview sessions. Data from the digital recordings were transcribed verbatim. Results were analysed and interpreted in accordance with the consolidated criteria for reporting qualitative research (COREQ) checklist. This study established that clinic professional nurses are non-compliant to the South African cervical cancer screening guidelines owing to several challenges they face, such as inadequate knowledge of the cervical cancer screening guidelines, shortage of resources, shortage of staff and patients’ factors. We recommend a strengthening of the South African cervical cancer screening guideline, in-service trainings and workshops on cervical cancer and cervical cancer screening guideline as well as improvement on patients’ education.
Oral Gene Therapy of HFD-Obesity via Nonpathogenic Yeast Microcapsules Mediated shRNA Delivery
Authors: Zhang Li , Zhang Wan , Peng Hang , Li Yankun , Leng Tongtong , Xie Chenxi , Zhang Long
Published: September 2021

Obesity is a chronic systemic inflammatory disease, which occurs when energy intake exceeds the energy consumption. Therefore, controlling energy intake or increasing physical consumption can effectively control obesity. However, in reality, it is very difficult for the majority of obese patients to lose weight by autonomously controlling diet. In this study, oral shRNA/yeast microcapsules were constructed with non-virus-mediated IL-1β shRNA interference vectors and non-pathogenic Saccharomyces cerevisiae. Moreover, high-fat diet induced obese mice were established to assess the weight loss effect of IL-1β shRNA/yeast microcapsules via the oral route. After IL-1β shRNA/yeast treatment, body weight and fat weight was reduced. Compared with the control group, higher average food intake but lower energy conversion rate was observed in IL-1β shRNA/yeast group. In addition, lipid metabolism related cytokines and blood glucose concentration in the circulating blood was improved after IL-1β shRNA/yeast treatment. Yeast microcapsules mediated IL-1β shRNA delivery can effectively improve obesity. Noteworthy, this kind of non-diet-controlled weight loss strategy does not need diet control, and shows good biocompatibility. It is good news to obese patients who need to lose weight but cannot control their diet.
Mechanical Properties of Thermoplastic Composites Made of Commingled Carbon Fiber/Nylon Fiber
Authors: Ono Mizuki , Yamane Masachika , Tanoue Shuichi , Uematsu Hideyuki , Yamashita Yoshihiro
Published: September 2021

Commingled yarns consisting of thermoplastic nylon fibers and carbon fibers can be used to produce superior carbon fiber reinforced thermoplastics (CFRTP) by applying fiber spreading technology after commingling. In this study, we examined whether spread commingled carbon fiber/nylon fiber yarns could reduce the impregnation distance, as there are few reports on this. From this study, the following are revealed. The impregnation speed of the nylon resin on the carbon fiber was very fast, less than 1 min. As the molding time increased, the tensile strength and tensile fracture strain slightly decreased, and the nylon resin deteriorated. The effects of molding time on flexural strength, flexural modulus, and flexural fracture strain were negligible. From the cross-sectional observation conducted to confirm the impregnation state of the matrix resin, no voids were observed in the molded products, regardless of molding time or molding pressure, indicating that resin impregnation into the carbon fiber bundle of the spread commingled yarn fabric was completed at a molding pressure of 5 MPa and a molding time of 5 min.
Green Synthesis of Stable Nanocomposites Containing Copper Nanoparticles Incorporated in Poly-N-vinylimidazole
Authors: Pozdnyakov Alexander S. , Emel’yanov Artem I. , Korzhova Svetlana A. , Kuznetsova Nadezhda P. , Bolgova Yuliya I. , Trofimova Olga M. , Semenova Tatyana A. , Prozorova Galina F.
Published: September 2021

New stable nanocomposites with copper nanoparticles (CuNPs) in a polymer matrix have been synthesized by green chemistry. Non-toxic poly-N-vinylimidazole was used as a stabilizing polymer matrix and ascorbic acid was used as a reducing agent. The polymer CuNPs nanocomposites were characterized by Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy, ultraviolet–visible (UV) spectroscopy, transmission electron microscopy (TEM), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), atomic absorption spectroscopy (AAS), and thermogravimetric analysis (TGA). It was shown, using the dynamic light scattering (DLS) method, that the hydrodynamic diameters of nanocomposites depend on the CuNPs content and are in an associated state in an aqueous medium. The copper content in nanocomposites ranges from 1.8 to 12.3% wt. The obtained polymer nanocomposites consist of isolated copper nanoparticles with a diameter of 2 to 20 nm with a spherical shape.
Machine Learning to Estimate Surface Roughness from Satellite Images
Authors: Singh Abhilash , Gaurav Kumar , Rai Atul Kumar , Beg Zafar
Published: September 2021

We apply the Support Vector Regression (SVR) machine learning model to estimate surface roughness on a large alluvial fan of the Kosi River in the Himalayan Foreland from satellite images. To train the model, we used input features such as radar backscatter values in Vertical–Vertical (VV) and Vertical–Horizontal (VH) polarisation, incidence angle from Sentinel-1, Normalised Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) from Sentinel-2, and surface elevation from Shuttle Radar Topographic Mission (SRTM). We generated additional features (VH/VV and VH–VV) through a linear data fusion of the existing features. For the training and validation of our model, we conducted a field campaign during 11–20 December 2019. We measured surface roughness at 78 different locations over the entire fan surface using an in-house-developed mechanical pin-profiler. We used the regression tree ensemble approach to assess the relative importance of individual input feature to predict the surface soil roughness from SVR model. We eliminated the irrelevant input features using an iterative backward elimination approach. We then performed feature sensitivity to evaluate the riskiness of the selected features. Finally, we applied the dimension reduction and scaling to minimise the data redundancy and bring them to a similar level. Based on these, we proposed five SVR methods (PCA-NS-SVR, PCA-CM-SVR, PCA-ZM-SVR, PCA-MM-SVR, and PCA-S-SVR). We trained and evaluated the performance of all variants of SVR with a 60:40 ratio using the input features and the in-situ surface roughness. We compared the performance of SVR models with six different benchmark machine learning models (i.e., Gaussian Process Regression (GPR), Generalised Regression Neural Network (GRNN), Binary Decision Tree (BDT), Bragging Ensemble Learning, Boosting Ensemble Learning, and Automated Machine Learning (AutoML)). We observed that the PCA-MM-SVR perform better with a coefficient of correlation (R = 0.74), Root Mean Square Error (RMSE = 0.16 cm), and Mean Square Error (MSE = 0.025 cm2). To ensure a fair selection of the machine learning model, we evaluated the Akaike’s Information Criterion (AIC), corrected AIC (AICc), and Bayesian Information Criterion (BIC). We observed that SVR exhibits the lowest values of AIC, corrected AIC, and BIC of all the other methods; this indicates the best goodness-of-fit. Eventually, we also compared the result of PCA-MM-SVR with the surface roughness estimated from different empirical and semi-empirical radar backscatter models. The accuracy of the PCA-MM-SVR model is better than the backscatter models. This study provides a robust approach to measure surface roughness at high spatial and temporal resolutions solely from the satellite data.