bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
A gene expression map of host immune response in human brucellosis
Authors: Mitroulis Ioannis , Chrysanthopoulou Akrivi , Divolis Georgios , Ioannidis Charalampos , Ntinopoulou Maria , Tasis Athanasios , Konstantinidis Theocharis , Antoniadou Christina , Soteriou Natalia , Lallas George , Mitka Stella , Lesche Mathias , Dahl Andreas , Gembardt Stephanie , Panopoulou Maria , Sideras Paschalis , Wielockx Ben , Coskun Ünal , Ritis Konstantinos , Skendros Panagiotis
Published: August 2022

Brucellosis is a common zoonotic disease caused by intracellular pathogens of the genusBrucella.Brucellainfects macrophages and evades clearance mechanisms, thus resulting in chronic parasitism. Herein, we studied the molecular changes that take place in human brucellosis bothin vitroandex vivo.RNA sequencing was performed in primary human macrophages (Mφ) and polymorphonuclear neutrophils (PMNs) infected with a clinical strain ofBrucellaspp. We observed a downregulation in the expression of genes involved in host response, such as TNF signaling, IL-1β production, and phagosome formation in Mφ, and phosphatidylinositol signaling and TNF signaling in PMNs, being in line with the ability of the pathogen to survive within phagocytes. Further transcriptomic analysis of isolated peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) and PMNs from patients with acute brucellosis before treatment initiation and after successful treatment revealed a positive correlation of the molecular signature of active disease with pathways associated with response to interferons (IFN). We identified 24 common genes that were significantly altered in both PMNs and PBMCs, including genes involved in IFN signaling that were downregulated after treatment in both cell populations, andIL1R1that was upregulated. The concentration of several inflammatory mediators was measured in the serum of these patients, and levels of IFN-γ, IL-1β and IL-6 were found significantly increased before the treatment of acute brucellosis. An independent cohort of patients with chronic brucellosis also revealed increased levels of IFN-γ during relapse compared to remissions. Taken together, this study provides for the first time an in-depth analysis of the transcriptomic alterations that take place in human phagocytes upon infection, and in peripheral blood immune populations during active disease.
IL-10 revisited in systemic lupus erythematosus
Authors: Biswas Swayanka , Bieber Katja , Manz Rudolf Armin
Published: August 2022

IL-10 is a cytokine with pleiotropic functions, particularly known for its suppressive effects on various immune cells. Consequently, it can limit the pathogenesis of inflammatory diseases, such as multiple sclerosis (MS), inflammatory bowel disease, Crohn’s disease, and Epidermolysis bullosa acquisita, among others. Recent evidence however indicates that it plays dual roles in Systemic lupus Erythematosus (SLE) where it may inhibit pro-inflammatory effector functions but seems to be also a main driver of the extrafollicular antibody response, outside of germinal centers (GC). In line, IL-10 promotes direct differentiation of activated B cells into plasma cells rather than stimulating a GC response. IL-10 is produced by B cells, myeloid cells, and certain T cell subsets, including extrafollicular T helper cells, which are phenotypically distinct from follicular helper T cells that are relevant for GC formation. In SLE patients and murine lupus models extrafollicular T helper cells have been reported to support ongoing extrafollicular formation of autoreactive plasma cells, despite the presence of GCs. Here, we discuss the role of IL-10 as driver of B cell responses, its impact on B cell proliferation, class switch, and plasma cells.
The integrase of genomic island GIsul2 mediates the mobilization of GIsul2 and ISCR-related element CR2-sul2 unit through site-specific recombination
Authors: Zhang Gang , Cui Qinna , Li Jianjuan , Guo Ruiliang , Leclercq Sébastien Olivier , Du Lifeng , Tang Na , Song Yuqin , Wang Chao , Zhao Fangqing , Feng Jie
Published: August 2022

In the worldwide health threat posed by antibiotic-resistant bacterial pathogens, mobile genetic elements (MGEs) play a critical role in favoring the dissemination of resistance genes. Among them, the genomic island GIsul2 and the ISCR-related element CR2-sul2 unit are believed to participate in this dissemination. However, the mobility of the two elements has not yet been demonstrated. Here, we found that the GIsul2 and CR2-sul2 units can excise from the host chromosomal attachment site (attB) in Shigella flexneri. Through establishing a two-plasmid mobilization system composed of a donor plasmid bearing the GIsul2 and a trap plasmid harboring the attB in recA-deficient Escherichia coli, we reveal that the integrase of GIsul2 can perform the excision and integration of GIsul2 and CR2-sul2 unit by site-specific recombination between att core sites. Furthermore, we demonstrate that the integrase and the att sites are required for mobility through knockout experiments. Our findings provide the first experimental characterization of the mobility of GIsul2 and CR2-sul2 units mediated by integrase. They also suggest a potential and unappreciated role of the GIsul2 integrase family in the dissemination of CR2-sul2 units carrying various resistance determinants in between.
Genetic characterization and evolution of H6N6 subtype avian influenza viruses
Authors: Cui Mingxian , Huang Yanming , Wang Xingbo , Bian Xiyi , Du Liuyang , Yan Yan , Gu Jinyan , Dong Weiren , Zhou Jiyong , Liao Min
Published: August 2022

H6-subtype avian influenza virus (AIV) was prevalent in the world and could sporadically infect humans. Here, a new chicken-derived H6N6-subtype AIV strain A/chicken/Zhejiang/49/2021 (ZJ49) was isolated in Zhejiang Province, China in 2021. Phylogenetic analysis by Maximum likelihood methods showed that H6-subtype AIVs were classed into 13 groups according to HA gene. The ZJ49 strain belonged to the G12 group, which mainly consisted of strains from Asian and dominated in recent years. Based on NA gene, H6-subtype AIVs were divided into N6.1 and N6.2 clades according to the NA gene. The ZJ49 isolate was located in the N6.2e clade, which mainly consisted of the H5N6-subtype AIVs. Phylogenetic analysis by Bayesian methods showed that the effective quantity size of H6-subtype AIVs increased around 1990, reached a peak around 2015, declined after 2015, then kept in a stable level after 2018. The reassortment analysis predicted that the PB2, PA, and NA genes of ZJ49 may recombine with H5-subtype AIVs. The amino acid at 222 position of HA gene of ZJ49 strain mutated from A to V, suggesting that ZJ49 has a potential ability to cross species barriers. The four glycosylation sites were highly conserved, implying less impact on the fold and conception of HA stem structure. Our results revealed the complicated evolution, reassortment, and mutations of receptor binding sites of H6-subtype AIVs, which emphasize the importance to continuously monitor the epidemiology and evolution of H6-subtype AIVs.
Microglial polarization in TBI: Signaling pathways and influencing pharmaceuticals
Authors: Li Yun-Fei , Ren Xu , Zhang Liang , Wang Yu-Hai , Chen Tao
Published: August 2022

Traumatic brain injury (TBI) is a serious disease that threatens life and health of people. It poses a great economic burden on the healthcare system. Thus, seeking effective therapy to cure a patient with TBI is a matter of great urgency. Microglia are macrophages in the central nervous system (CNS) and play an important role in neuroinflammation. When TBI occurs, the human body environment changes dramatically and microglia polarize to one of two different phenotypes: M1 and M2. M1 microglia play a role in promoting the development of inflammation, while M2 microglia play a role in inhibiting inflammation. How to regulate the polarization direction of microglia is of great significance for the treatment of patients with TBI. The polarization of microglia involves many cellular signal transduction pathways, such as the TLR-4/NF-κB, JAK/STAT, HMGB1, MAPK, and PPAR-γ pathways. These provide a theoretical basis for us to seek therapeutic drugs for the patient with TBI. There are several drugs that target these pathways, including fingolimod, minocycline, Tak-242 and erythropoietin (EPO), and CSF-1. In this study, we will review signaling pathways involved in microglial polarization and medications that influence this process.
The rewarding compensatory mechanism of music enhances the sense of fairness
Authors: Liu Zhengxian , Yang Lan , Long Siyu , Wang Junce , Si Yajing , Huang Lihui , Huang Binxin , Ding Rui , Lu Jing , Yao Dezhong
Published: August 2022

Whether music can influence moral judgment is controversial in the aesthetics and philosophy of music. Aesthetic Autonomy pointed out that music had a morally educational function because of its lyrics or a particular context. The key to resolving the divergence is to select absolute music without lyrics or specific context as the eliciting material. In this study, 84 participants were recruited and randomly divided into three groups to complete the Ultimatum Game (UG) after listening to different stimuli: absolute music, white noise, and no sound. Behavioral results indicated that the participants’ acceptance of unfair offers was significantly lower in the music group. Also, participants in the music group have a shorter reaction time for rejecting an unfair offer than other unfair conditions. However, ERP comparison showed no significant difference in medial frontal negativity (MFN) amplitude, which reflects fairness levels, between the music group and the no sound group for either accepting or rejecting the moderately unfair offer. Brain network analyses revealed that participants in the music group showed stronger activation of rewarding circuits, including the ventral striatum, during the decision-making process of rejecting unfair offers, before the decision especially, compared to the no sound group. These results suggest that absolute music can influence fair decision-making. The reward activated by music compensates participants vicariously for the reward they receive for choosing self-interest in an unfair offer, participants no longer have to choose between self-interest and fairness norms, so the participants reject the unfair offer due to the negative emotions induced by the unfair offer.
Machine learning for infection risk prediction in postoperative patients with non-mechanical ventilation and intravenous neurotargeted drugs
Authors: Du Yi , Shi Haipeng , Yang Xiaojing , Wu Weidong
Published: August 2022

Drug efficacy can be improved by understanding the effects of anesthesia on the neurovascular system. In this study, we used machine learning algorithms to predict the risk of infection in postoperative intensive care unit (ICU) patients who are on non-mechanical ventilation and are receiving hydromorphone analgesia. In this retrospective study, 130 patients were divided into high and low dose groups of hydromorphone analgesic pump patients admitted after surgery. The white blood cells (WBC) count and incidence rate of infection was significantly higher in the high hydromorphone dosage group compared to the low hydromorphone dosage groups (p < 0.05). Furthermore, significant differences in age (P = 0.006), body mass index (BMI) (P = 0.001), WBC count (P = 0.019), C-reactive protein (CRP) (P = 0.038), hydromorphone dosage (P = 0.014), and biological sex (P = 0.024) were seen between the infected and non-infected groups. The infected group also had a longer hospital stay and an extended stay in the intensive care unit compared to the non-infected group. We identified important risk factors for the development of postoperative infections by using machine learning algorithms, including hydromorphone dosage, age, biological sex, BMI, and WBC count. Logistic regression analysis was applied to incorporate these variables to construct infection prediction models and nomograms. The area under curves (AUC) of the model were 0.835, 0.747, and 0.818 in the training group, validation group, and overall pairwise column group, respectively. Therefore, we determined that hydromorphone dosage, age, biological sex, BMI, WBC count, and CRP are significant risk factors in developing postoperative infections.
Infra Low Frequency Neurofeedback Training for Trauma Recovery: A Case Report
Authors: Kirk Hanno W. , Dahl Monica Geers
Published: August 2022

This paper reviews how and why ILF Neurofeedback has proven to be a parsimonious and efficient way to remediate the neuro-physiological effects of trauma. Reference is made to several large- and small-scale institutional proof of concept experimental studies each addressing a specific kind of trauma. It ends with a case report by the author (Kirk) working with an American combat veteran. It makes the argument that given its success that ILF Neurofeedback and Alpha-Theta training become accepted as part of an integrative and holistic approach for treating survivors of trauma.
Lycopene-rich diets modulate HDL functionality and associated inflammatory markers without affecting lipoprotein size and distribution in moderately overweight, disease-free, middle-aged adults: A randomized controlled trial
Authors: McEneny Jane , Henry Sarah-Louise , Woodside Jayne , Moir Susan , Rudd Amelia , Vaughan Nick , Thies Frank
Published: August 2022

Background

The consumption of lycopene-rich foods may lower cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk. Lycopene circulates in the blood bound to lipoproteins, including high-density lipoproteins (HDLs). Preliminary data from our group showed that increased consumption of tomato-based food or lycopene supplement in middle-aged subjects led to functional changes to HDL's sub-fractions, HDL2 and HDL3. These changes were also associated with a decrease in serum amyloid A (SAA), potentially enhancing their anti-atherogenic properties.

Objective

We carried out a comprehensive randomized controlled intervention trial with healthy middle-aged volunteers to assess whether the consumption of tomato-based foods or lycopene supplements affects HDL functionality and associated inflammatory markers, and lipoprotein subfractions size and distribution.

Design

Volunteers (225, aged 40–65 years) were randomly assigned to one of three dietary intervention groups and asked to consume a control diet (low in tomato-based foods, <10 mg lycopene/week), a lycopene-rich diet (224–350 mg lycopene/week), or the control diet with a lycopene supplement (70 mg lycopene/week). HDL2 and HDL3 were isolated by ultracentrifugation. Compliance was monitored by assessing lycopene concentration in serum. Systemic and HDL-associated inflammation was assessed by measuring SAA concentrations. HDL functionality was determined by monitoring paraoxonase-1 (PON-1), cholesteryl ester transfer protein (CETP), and lecithin cholesterol acyltransferase (LCAT) activities. The lipoprotein subfractions profile was assessed by NMR.

Results

Lycopene in serum and HDL significantly increased following consumption of both the high tomato diet and lycopene supplement (p ≤ 0.001 for both). Lycopene, either as a tomato-rich food or a supplement, enhanced both serum- and HDL3-PON-1 activities (p ≤ 0.001 and p = 0.036, respectively), while significantly reducing HDL3-SAA-related inflammation (p = 0.001). Lycopene supplement also significantly increased HDL3-LCAT activity (p = 0.05), and reduced the activity of both HDL2- and HDL3-CETP (p = 0.005 and p = 0.002, respectively). These changes were not associated with changes in the subclasses distribution for all lipoprotein fractions or the size of lipoprotein subclasses.

Conclusion

Our results showed that dietary lycopene can significantly enhance HDL functionality, without associated changes in particle size and distribution, by modulating the activity of HDL-associated enzymes. Concomitantly, dietary lycopene significantly decreased serum- and HDL3-associated SAA, confirming that SAA may represent a sensitive inflammatory biomarker to dietary change.

Clinical Trial Register

(https://www.isrctn.com), ISRCTN34203810.
Efficacy of transarterial chemoembolization monotherapy or combination conversion therapy in unresectable hepatocellular carcinoma: A systematic review and meta-analysis
Authors: Li Weiwei , Pei Yinxuan , Wang Zixiang , Liu Jinlong
Published: August 2022

Background

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is a highly malignant disease with poor prognosis, and most cases were already considered unresectable at the time of presentation. Conversion therapy, as an emerging treatment, is designed to provide patients with initially unresectable hepatocellular carcinoma (uHCC) the opportunity to undergo radical resection. At present, conversion therapy for patients with uHCC remains controversial. Transarterial chemoembolization (TACE) is currently the most widely selected treatment for uHCC, but its efficacy as a conversion therapy remains controversial.

Methods

We compared and evaluated the conversion rate for and tumor response to TACE monotherapy or combination therapy. Meanwhile, postoperative complications and overall survival (OS) in uHCC patients who underwent conversion therapy were also analyzed.

Results

A total of 18 studies were included in this meta-analysis. The conversion rate for triple therapy [TACE in combination with tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs) and immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs)] was 42% [95% confidence interval (CI), 0.29–0.56], higher than any other group [TACE monotherapy: 10% (95% CI, 0.08–0.12), bigeminy therapy: 19% (95% CI, 0.06–0.36)]. Meanwhile, triple therapy yielded a better tumor response than TACE monotherapy or bigeminy therapy. Among the patients with successful surgical resection after conversion therapy, the pooled postoperative OS rates at 1, 2, and 5 years were 90% (95% CI, 0.81–0.97), 58% (95% CI, 0.42–0.73), and 42% (95% CI, 0.26–0.60), respectively, and the major postoperative complications were biliary leakage (7%; 95% CI, 0.03–0.12) and liver failure (3%; 95% CI, 0.00–0.07).

Conclusion

TACE conversion therapies showed good conversion rates, especially the triple therapy of TACE in combination with TKIs and ICIs. Surgical resection after successful conversion therapy could maximize the outcome of patients with uHCC.
LCS-1 inhibition of superoxide dismutase 1 induces ROS-dependent death of glioma cells and degradates PARP and BRCA1
Authors: Ling Min , Liu Qing , Wang Yufei , Liu Xueting , Jiang Manli , Hu Jinyue
Published: August 2022

Gliomas are characterized by high morbidity and mortality, and have only slightly increased survival with recent considerable improvements for treatment. An innovative therapeutic strategy had been developed via inducing ROS-dependent cell death by targeting antioxidant proteins. In this study, we found that glioma tissues expressed high levels of superoxide dismutase 1 (SOD1). The expression of SOD1 was upregulated in glioma grade III and V tissues compared with that in normal brain tissues or glioma grade I tissues. U251 and U87 glioma cells expressed high levels of SOD1, low levels of SOD2 and very low levels of SOD3. LCS-1, an inhibitor of SOD1, increased the expression SOD1 at both mRNA and protein levels slightly but significantly. As expected, LCS-1 caused ROS production in a dose- and time-dependent manner. SOD1 inhibition also induced the gene expression of HO-1, GCLC, GCLM and NQO1 which are targeting genes of nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2, suggesting the activation of ROS signal pathway. Importantly, LCS-1 induced death of U251 and U87 cells dose- and time-dependently. The cell death was reversed by the pretreatment of cells with ROS scavenges NAC or GSH. Furthermore, LCS-1 decreased the growth of xenograft tumors formed by U87 glioma cells in nude mice. Mechanistically, the inhibition of P53, caspases did not reverse LCS-1-induced cell death, indicating the failure of these molecules involving in cell death. Moreover, we found that LCS-1 treatment induced the degradation of both PARP and BRCA1 simultaneously, suggesting that LCS-1-induced cell death may be associated with the failure of DNA damage repair. Taking together, these results suggest that the degradation of both PARP and BRCA1 may contribute to cell death induced by SOD1 inhibition, and SOD1 may be a target for glioma therapy.
Efficacy and safety of apatinib monotherapy for patients with advanced breast cancer: a systematic review and meta-analysis
Authors: Huang Xuchen , Hu Xuhua , Yi Tongbo
Published: August 2022

Background

Patients with advanced breast cancer usually have poor prognosis. Apatinib is a small-molecule tyrosine kinase inhibitor, and the reports regarding the efficacy and safety of apatinib monotherapy for advanced breast cancer in the current literature are controversial. Therefore, we performed a systematic review and meta-analysis to collect and pool efficacy and safety data of apatinib monotherapy for advanced breast cancer with the aim of providing up-to-date evidence to aid clinical practice.

Methods

This study was registered at PROSPERO (CRD42020190049). Three literature databases, including PubMed, EMBASE, and Cochrane Library, were searched. For evaluating efficacy, the objective response rate and disease control rate were extracted or calculated. Safety was evaluated in terms of the proportions of patients with grade 3 or 4 treatment-related adverse events. The pooled proportions of the outcomes and their 95% confidence interval were shown. The Kaplan–Meier curves of overall survival and progression-free survival were pooled from the extracted data of the included studies. Furthermore, pooled medians for overall survival and progression-free survival were calculated. Ap-value of < 0.05 was considered statistically significant.

Results

Six studies were included and deemed eligible for further quality evaluation and analysis. The pooled objective response rate and disease control rate were 20.4% and 71.6%, respectively. The pooled proportions of four hematologic adverse events ranged from 2.6% to 6.9%. The pooled proportions of hypertension, hand-foot syndrome, transaminase increased, and proteinuria ranged from 4.1% to 24.3%, and other non-hematologic adverse events were <1%. The pooled median progression-free survival and overall survival were 4.00 and 10.43 months, respectively, in cases of advanced breast cancer treated with apatinib.

Conclusions

This study confirms the reliable efficacy of apatinib monotherapy for advanced breast cancer. However, non-hematologic grade 3–4 adverse events, especially hypertension, are more frequently observed during apatinib treatment than during treatment with other tyrosine kinase inhibitors, such as sunitinib or sorafenib.

Systematic Review Registration

https://www.crd.york.ac.uk/prospero/, identifier CRD42020190049.
CXCL5: A coachman to drive cancer progression
Authors: Deng Jie , Jiang Rongqi , Meng Enqing , Wu Hao
Published: August 2022

Chemokines are a class of pro-inflammatory cytokines that can recruit and activate chemotactic cells. C‐X‐C motif chemokine ligand 5 (CXCL5) is a member of the chemokine family binding CXCR2 (C-X-C Motif Chemokine Receptor 2), a G-protein coupled receptor. Accumulated evidence has shown that dysregulated CXCL5 participates in tumor metastasis and angiogenesis in human malignant tumors. In this review, we summarized the advances in research on CXCL5, including its dysregulation in different tumors and the mechanism associated with tumor behavior (formation of the immunosuppressive microenvironment, promotion of tumor angiogenesis, and metastasis). We also summarized and discussed the perspective about the potential application of CXCL5 in tumor therapy targeting the tumor inflammatory microenvironment.
What Plasma Can Tell Us When Tissue Cannot: A Case Report of Genomic Testing in mCRPC and Clinical Response to Treatment With the PARP Inhibitor Rucaparib
Authors: Petrylak Daniel P. , Watkins Simon P. , Loehr Andrea
Published: August 2022

Background

The poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase (PARP) inhibitor rucaparib was approved in the United States based on the phase 2 TRITON2 study of patients with BRCA1 or BRCA2 (BRCA)–mutated metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer (mCRPC). Although genomic screening is recommended as part of a comprehensive assessment of prostate cancer prognosis and treatment options, the best way to select patients with mCRPC for treatment with a PARP inhibitor depends on individual clinical circumstances. For example, assessment of tumor tissue may not always be feasible. Genomic testing of DNA from plasma has become more readily available, providing a minimally invasive option to evaluate DNA from primary and metastatic lesions simultaneously.

Case Presentation

A patient from TRITON2 with BRCA-mutated mCRPC had a response to the PARP inhibitor rucaparib and remained on treatment for 32 weeks, which was >2 times longer than the duration of each of his prior therapies (bicalutamide, docetaxel, abiraterone). The patient enrolled in TRITON2 based on results of local genomic testing of an archival biopsy that indicated the presence of a BRCA1 T1399I (allelic fraction, 19%) mutation. Local testing also identified an ATM G1663C mutation, a TP53 P191del mutation, and a BRAF K601E mutation. Analysis of a plasma sample obtained before the patient started rucaparib detected the same alterations as those in the archival biopsy, but it also revealed the presence of a BRCA2 homozygous loss (whole gene, 26 of 26 exons) and several other alterations of unknown functional impact. We hypothesize the response of the patient’s tumor to rucaparib was likely driven by DNA damage repair deficiency caused by homozygous loss of all BRCA2 exons. Following discontinuation from rucaparib due to clinical disease progression, the patient received carboplatin and cabazitaxel for ≈3 weeks. The patient died due to progression of his disease.

Conclusions

A notable aspect of this case is the differences in alterations detected in the archival tumor sample and a more recent plasma sample. This highlights the advantages of plasma testing compared with tissue testing when selecting targeted therapies for treatment of mCRPC; however, physicians must determine which tool presents the best solution for each individual case.
New plastome structural rearrangements discovered in core Tillandsioideae (Bromeliaceae) support recently adopted taxonomy
Authors: Vera-Paz Sandra I. , Díaz Contreras Díaz Daniel D. , Jost Matthias , Wanke Stefan , Rossado Andrés J. , Hernández-Gutiérrez Rebeca , Salazar Gerardo A. , Magallón Susana , Gouda Eric J. , Ramírez-Morillo Ivón M. , Donadío Sabina , Granados Mendoza Carolina
Published: August 2022

Full plastome sequences for land plants have become readily accessible thanks to the development of Next Generation Sequencing (NGS) techniques and powerful bioinformatic tools. Despite this vast amount of genomic data, some lineages remain understudied. Full plastome sequences from the highly diverse (>1,500 spp.) subfamily Tillandsioideae (Bromeliaceae, Poales) have been published for only three (i.e., Guzmania, Tillandsia, and Vriesea) out of 22 currently recognized genera. Here, we focus on core Tillandsioideae, a clade within subfamily Tillandsioideae, and explore the contribution of individual plastid markers and data categories to inform deep divergences of a plastome phylogeny. We generated 37 high quality plastome assemblies and performed a comparative analysis in terms of plastome structure, size, gene content and order, GC content, as well as number and type of repeat motifs. Using the obtained phylogenetic context, we reconstructed the evolution of these plastome attributes and assessed if significant shifts on the evolutionary traits’ rates have occurred in the evolution of the core Tillandsioideae. Our results agree with previously published phylogenetic hypotheses based on plastid data, providing stronger statistical support for some recalcitrant nodes. However, phylogenetic discordance with previously published nuclear marker-based hypotheses was found. Several plastid markers that have been consistently used to address phylogenetic relationships within Tillandsioideae were highly informative for the retrieved plastome phylogeny and further loci are here identified as promising additional markers for future studies. New lineage-specific plastome rearrangements were found to support recently adopted taxonomic groups, including large inversions, as well as expansions and contractions of the inverted repeats. Evolutionary trait rate shifts associated with changes in size and GC content of the plastome regions were found across the phylogeny of core Tillandsioideae.
A Knowledge Query Network Model Based on Rasch Model Embedding for Personalized Online Learning
Authors: Cheng Yan , Wu Gang , Zou Haifeng , Luo Pin , Cai Zhuang
Published: August 2022

The vigorous development of online education has produced massive amounts of education data. How to mine and analyze education big data has become an urgent problem in the field of education and big data knowledge engineering. As for the dynamic learning data, knowledge tracing aims to track learners’ knowledge status over time by analyzing the learners’ exercise data, so as to predict their performance in the next time step. Deep learning knowledge tracking performs well, but they mainly model the knowledge components while ignoring the personalized information of questions and learners, and provide limited interpretability in the interaction between learners’ knowledge status and questions. A context-aware attentive knowledge query network (CAKQN) model is proposed in this paper, which combines flexible neural network models with interpretable model components inspired by psychometric theory. We use the Rasch model to regularize the embedding of questions and learners’ interaction tuples, and obtain personalized representations from them. In addition, the long-term short-term memory network and monotonic attention mechanism are used to mine the contextual information of learner interaction sequences and question sequences. It can not only retain the ability to model sequences, but also use the monotonic attention mechanism with exponential decay term to extract the hidden forgetting behavior and other characteristics of learners in the learning process. Finally, the vector dot product is used to simulate the interaction between the learners’ knowledge state and questions to improve the interpretability. A series of experimental results on 4 real-world online learning datasets show that CAKQN has the best performance, and its AUC value is improved by an average of 2.945% compared with the existing optimal model. Furthermore, the CAKQN proposed in this paper can not only track learners’ knowledge status like other models but also model learners’ forgetting behavior. In the future, our research will have high application value in the realization of personalized learning strategies, teaching interventions, and resource recommendations for intelligent online education platforms.
Preliminary Psychometric Validation of the Teammate Burnout Questionnaire
Authors: Appleby Ralph , Davis Paul Anthony , Davis Louise , Stenling Andreas , Vickery Will
Published: August 2022

The aim of the present study was to provide support for the validation of the Teammate Burnout Questionnaire (TBQ). Athletes from a variety of team sports (N = 290) completed the TBQ and the Athlete Burnout Questionnaire (ABQ). Confirmatory factor analysis revealed acceptable fit indexes for the three-dimensional models (i.e., physical and emotional exhaustion, sport devaluation, reduced accomplishment) of the TBQ and the ABQ. Multi-trait multi-method analysis revealed that the TBQ and ABQ showed acceptable convergent and discriminant validity. The preliminary validation of the TBQ indicates the utility of the scale to reflect athletes’ perceptions of their teammates’ burnout and offers researchers the opportunity to quantitatively assess an important aspect of the social environment in the development of athlete burnout.
Explanations and Causal Judgments Are Differentially Sensitive to Covariation and Mechanism Information
Authors: Vasil Ny , Lombrozo Tania
Published: August 2022

Are causal explanations (e.g., “she switched careers because of the COVID pandemic”) treated differently from the corresponding claims that one factor caused another (e.g., “the COVID pandemic caused her to switch careers”)? We examined whether explanatory and causal claims diverge in their responsiveness to two different types of information: covariation strength and mechanism information. We report five experiments with 1,730 participants total, showing that compared to judgments of causal strength, explanatory judgments tend to bemoresensitive to mechanism andlesssensitive to covariation – even though explanatory judgments respond to both types of information. We also report exploratory comparisons to judgments of understanding, and discuss implications of our findings for theories of explanation, understanding, and causal attribution. These findings shed light on the potentially unique role of explanation in cognition.
How does psychological resilience influence subjective career success of Internet marketers in china? A moderated mediation model
Authors: Wang Ting , Gao Di
Published: August 2022

In this study, the research objective of psychological resilience refers to the emerging professional group of Internet marketers under the background of the COVID-19 pandemic environment. This paper studies the effect of the psychological resilience of Internet marketers on their subjective career success. The result shows that Internet marketers’ psychological resilience has a positive impact on their subjective career success. The work engagement of Internet marketers plays a mediating role in the relationship between psychological resilience and subjective career success. Meanwhile, Internet marketers’ workload positively moderates the mediating effects of work engagement. This study starts from the perspective of positive psychology to investigate the psychological resilience of Internet marketers and broadens the scope of application of positive organizational behavior and psychology.
How Does the Labor Protection Law Affect Sustainable Economic Growth: An Empirical Analysis Based on Psychological Contract Perspective
Authors: Liao Yina
Published: August 2022

This article studied the influence of Labor Contract Law and employee psychological contract on enterprise investment and sustainable economic growth. The results indicate that the Labor Protection Law has no significant influence on the investment of state-owned enterprises. In the early stage of the implementation of Labor Protection Law, the Labor protection Law will observably reduce the investment level of private enterprises, and this effect is more obvious in labor-intensive industries and small and medium-sized enterprises. However, in the later stage of the implementation of Labor Protection Law, the impact of Labor protection Law on the investment of private listed companies is weak. The results indicate that the Labor protection Law increases the illegal costs of private enterprises, reduces the flexibility of employment, and ultimately reduces the investment level of enterprises. Moreover, our article examines the impact of the Labor protection Law on regional economic growth, and finds that the Labor protection Law will significantly reduce the regional GDP growth rate in China, and this effect is mainly reflected in the regions where private enterprises provide more jobs and the proportion of private economy is high. This article takes China’s emerging markets as the background, on the one hand, expands the relevant research on labor market friction from the viewpoint of enterprise investment and economic growth, on the other hand, provides new evidence for state-owned enterprises to fulfill social goals.
Quality of life during the COVID-19 pandemic in Austria
Authors: Dale Rachel , Budimir Sanja , Probst Thomas , Humer Elke , Pieh Christoph
Published: August 2022

The COVID-19 pandemic has had unprecedented effects on our daily lives. This study aimed to assess the quality of life (QoL) (WHOQOL-Bref physical, social, and environmental domains) at two time points during the COVID-19 pandemic with lockdown restrictions according to gender, age, and urbanization level. Qualtrics® recruited representative Austrian population samples in April 2020 (t1; N = 1,005) and December 2020/January 2021 (t2; N = 1,505). ANOVAs and the Bonferroni-corrected post-hoc tests were conducted to investigate differences between April and December 2020 and to compare with pre-pandemic data. Although the quality of life (physical, social, and environmental domains) changed from pre-pandemic (mean scores 80, 77, and 81, respectively) to April 2020 (mean scores 72, 65, and 75, all p-values < 0.001), there were no significant changes between April and December (mean scores 75, 65, and 75). Living location (urban vs. rural), gender, and age showed an effect on the quality of life. All domains of quality of life have decreased since the onset of the pandemic, and this decline has been maintained over the course of the first year of the pandemic. Creative measures should be implemented to assist people in improving one or more areas of quality of life, within the lockdown restrictions to improve the overall wellbeing of the population.
Subsequent Actions Engendered by the Absence of an Immediate Response to the Proposal in Mandarin Mundane Talk
Authors: Hao Quanxi , Guo Hui , Li Chuntao , Yang Shuai
Published: August 2022

When there is no immediate response after a proposal and normally the silence is longer than 0.2 s, the proposer would take subsequent actions to pursue a preferred response or mobilize at least an articulated one from the recipient. These actions modulate the prior deontic stance embedded in the original proposal into four trends as follows: (1) maintaining the prior deontic stance with a self-repair or by seeking confirmation; (2) making the prior deontic stance more tentative by making a revised other-attentiveness proposal, providing an account, pursuing with a tag question, or requesting with an intimate address term; (3) making the prior deontic stance more decisive by making a further arrangement (for the original proposal), closing the local sequence, or providing a candidate unwillingness account (for the recipient's potential rejection); and (4) canceling the prior deontic stance by doing a counter-like action. Additionally, these trends inherently embody a decisive-to-tentative gradient. This study would penetrate into the phenomena occurring in Mandarin mundane talk with the methodology of Conversation Analysis to uncover the underflow of deontic stance.
Risk perception and mental health among college students in China during the COVID-19 pandemic: A moderated mediation model
Authors: Li Ling , Cao Hua , Yang Ling , Yan Changhu , Wang Xinru , Ma Yanhong
Published: August 2022

Since the outbreak of the COVID-19 epidemic, it has spread on a large scale around the world, seriously affecting people’s physical and mental health. In China, almost all schools have postponed semesters, suspended offline classes, and implemented closed-off management, which has brought significant challenges to the study and life of college students. The study aimed to explore the relationship between risk perception, perceived stress, perceived control, and mental health among Chinese college students. This cross-sectional study was conducted among 1,856 college students. The results showed that risk perception was positively correlated with mental health. After adding the mediating variable of perceived stress, risk perception still significantly predicted mental health. In addition, the interaction term of perceived stress and perceived control significantly negatively predicted mental health. Specifically, perceived stress significantly affected mental health in the low-perceived control group. In contrast, in the high-perceived control group, the predictive effect of perceived stress on mental health disappeared. The present study showed that perceived stress partially mediated the relationship between risk perception and mental health; perceived control moderated the relationship between perceived stress and mental health, and high perceived control could buffer the effect of perceived stress on mental health.
Identification for heavy metals exposure on osteoarthritis among aging people and Machine learning for prediction: A study based on NHANES 2011-2020
Authors: Xia Fang , Li Qingwen , Luo Xin , Wu Jinyi
Published: August 2022

Objective

Heavy metals are present in many environmental pollutants, and have cumulative effects on the human body through water or food, which can lead to several diseases, including osteoarthritis (OA). In this research, we aimed to explore the association between heavy metals and OA.

Methods

We extracted 18 variables including age, gender, race, education level, marital status, smoking status, body mass index (BMI), physical activity, diabetes mellitus, hypertension, poverty level index (PLI), Lead (Pb), cadmium (Cd), mercury (Hg), selenium (Se), manganese (Mn), and OA status from National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) 2011-2020 datasets.

Results

In the baseline data, the t test and Chi-square test were conducted. For heavy metals, quartile description and limit of detection (LOD) were adopted. To analyze the association between heavy metals and OA among elderly subjects, multivariable logistic regression was conducted and subgroup logistic by gender was also carried out. Furthermore, to make predictions based on heavy metals for OA, we compared eight machine learning algorithms, and XGBoost (AUC of 0.8, accuracy value of 0.773, and kappa value of 0.358) was the best machine learning model for prediction. For interactive use, a shiny application was made (https://alanwu.shinyapps.io/NHANES-OA/).

Conclusion

The overall and gender subgroup logistic regressions all showed that Pb and Cd promoted the prevalence of OA while Mn could be a protective factor of OA prevalence among the elderly population of the United States. Furthermore, XGBoost model was trained for OA prediction.
UV protection properties of workwear fabrics coated with TiO2 nanoparticles
Authors: Rabiei Hadiseh , Farhang Dehghan Somayeh , Montazer Majid , Khaloo Shokooh Sadat , Koozekonan Aysa Ghasemi
Published: August 2022

The main purpose of this study was to evaluate the ultraviolet protective factor (UPF) of fabrics coated with TiO2 nanoparticles made using anin-situsynthesis method and more accurately assess the intrinsic properties of the textile. The cotton-polyester twill fabric (70–30%) (246.67 g/m2) was coatedin-situwith TiO2 nanoparticles.In-situcoating is conducted in 4 steps; washing the fabrics, preparation of nanoparticles, injecting the nanoparticles into fabrics, and drying the fabric after coating. The scanning electron microscope (SEM) and X-ray diffraction (XRD), FTIR spectrometer, dynamic light scattering (DLS) and UV-Vis spectrophotometer were used to analyse the data of the coating and UPF results. Also, four standards such as ASTM D737, ISIRI 8332, ISIRI 4199, and ISIRI 567 were used for analyzing the intrinsic properties of a textile. The results of SEM, XRD and DLS altogether confirmed thein-situformation of nanoparticles onto textile fibers. Moreover, the UPF value of the uncoated and coated fabrics was 3.67 and 55.82, respectively. It was shown that thein-situdeposition of TiO2 nanoparticles on fabric can provide adequate protection against UVR. Also, the results of analyzing the intrinsic properties of the textile showed that there were no significant differences in the intrinsic properties between the coated and uncoated fabrics. Based on the results, it can be concluded that the UV protective properties of workwear fabrics can be improved by coating TiO2 nanoparticles on them without any effect on the cooling effect of perspiration evaporation.
Exploring trends of running performance during matches of professional soccer players in Montenegro: A longitudinal study
Authors: Goranović Kosta , Hadžić Rašid , Petković Jovica , Joksimović Marko
Published: August 2022

The practical value of monitoring is that well-chosen performance indicators can help coaches identify the good and bad performance of individuals or teams. External monitoring of matches is useful in establishing the physiological requirements of the sport and assessing how a player compares to the requirements of the event in this regard. This study aimed to analyze the trend component of running performance during a game of professional soccer in Montenegro. The research included a sample of 82 professional soccer players. The first subsample included 44 professional soccer players of the club Budućnost from Podgorica, height 185.89 ± 6.29 cm, mass 81.06 ± 5.47 kg, BMI 23.47 ± 0.96 kg/m2, age 28.86 ± 3.85 yrs. The second subsample included 38 professional soccer players from the Sutjeska club from Nikšić, height 181.88 ± 6.35 cm, mass 77.28 ± 6.78 kg, BMI 23.32 ± 1.08 kg/m2, age 29.43 ± 5.68 yrs. The InStat kinematic system captured the outfield players by using six cameras placed around the perimeter of the field at the minimal height of 12 m. The frame frequency was 25 frames per second; data were centralized for further analysis. Statistically significant differences were noted only in the variable sprint distance in the 2017 season. The results of the current research indicate that the soccer players who compete in Montenegro are below the values achieved by those who compete in Europe.
Antimicrobial peptides: Defending the mucosal epithelial barrier
Authors: Johnstone Karen F. , Herzberg Mark C.
Published: August 2022

The recent epidemic caused by aerosolized SARS-CoV-2 virus illustrates the importance and vulnerability of the mucosal epithelial barrier against infection. Antimicrobial proteins and peptides (AMPs) are key to the epithelial barrier, providing immunity against microbes. In primitive life forms, AMPs protect the integument and the gut against pathogenic microbes. AMPs have also evolved in humans and other mammals to enhance newer, complex innate and adaptive immunity to favor the persistence of commensals over pathogenic microbes. The canonical AMPs are helictical peptides that form lethal pores in microbial membranes. In higher life forms, this type of AMP is exemplified by the defensin family of AMPs. In epithelial tissues, defensins, and calprotectin (complex of S100A8 and S100A9) have evolved to work cooperatively. The mechanisms of action differ. Unlike defensins, calprotectin sequesters essential trace metals from microbes, which inhibits growth. This review focuses on defensins and calprotectin as AMPs that appear to work cooperatively to fortify the epithelial barrier against infection. The antimicrobial spectrum is broad with overlap between the two AMPs. In mice, experimental models highlight the contribution of both AMPs to candidiasis as a fungal infection and periodontitis resulting from bacterial dysbiosis. These AMPs appear to contribute to innate immunity in humans, protecting the commensal microflora and restricting the emergence of pathobionts and pathogens. A striking example in human innate immunity is that elevated serum calprotectin protects against neonatal sepsis. Calprotectin is also remarkable because of functional differences when localized in epithelial and neutrophil cytoplasm or released into the extracellular environment. In the cytoplasm, calprotectin appears to protect against invasive pathogens. Extracellularly, calprotectin can engage pathogen-recognition receptors to activate innate immune and proinflammatory mechanisms. In inflamed epithelial and other tissue spaces, calprotectin, DNA, and histones are released from degranulated neutrophils to form insoluble antimicrobial barriers termed neutrophil extracellular traps. Hence, calprotectin and other AMPs use several strategies to provide microbial control and stimulate innate immunity.