bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Using Glycerol to Produce European Sea Bass Feed With Oleaginous Microbial Biomass: Effects on Growth Performance, Filet Fatty Acid Profile, and FADS2 Gene Expression
Authors: Terova Genciana , Moroni Federico , Antonini Micaela , Bertacchi Stefano , Pesciaroli Chiara , Branduardi Paola , Labra Massimo , Porro Danilo , Ceccotti Chiara , Rimoldi Simona
Published: August 2021

Using a circular economy concept, the present study investigated the use of crude glycerol, a primary by-product of biodiesel production, as a low-priced nutrient source for heterotrophic cultivation of the fungus-like protist Schizochytrium limacinum SR21 strain. The whole biomass of this oleaginous microorganism, rich in docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) and high-quality proteins, was then paired with a vegetable oil (VO) source and used to replace fish oil (FO) in European sea bass (Dicentrarchus labrax) feeds. Four nutritionally balanced diets were formulated: diet FO (a FO-based diet), diet VO + 0 (a VO-based diet without S. limacinum), and diets VO + 5 and VO + 10 that were VO-based feeds supplemented with 5 and 10% of S. limacinum, respectively. After a 3-month feeding trial, fish of all dietary groups tripled their initial weight, but growth and feeding efficiencies of D. labrax were not significantly different among treatments. Although the formulated diets were balanced for polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs), fish fed with feeds containing either VO or VO plus 5 and 10% of S. limacinum biomass had significantly higher levels of PUFAs in the flesh than fish fed the FO-based diet. Values of health-related lipid indexes, such as atherogenicity index, thrombogenicity index, and flesh lipid quality as well as n-6/n-3 and PUFAs/SFAs ratios confirmed the high nutritional value of sea bass filet, thus representing a healthy product for human consumption. Although the PUFAs/SFAs ratio showed a significantly higher value in fish fed with VO-based diets supplemented with S. limacinum than in those fed with FO diet, suggesting a better filet quality, the n-6/n-3 ratio clearly indicated that filet quality of dietary group FO was best (value of 0.55) and that of group VO + 10 second best (value of 0.98). We also evaluated the nutritional regulation of Δ6-desaturase (or fads2) gene expression in European sea bass liver. European sea bass fed the VO + 0 diet had the highest number of mRNA copies for Δ6-desaturase (or fads2), fish fed with diet VO + 10 the lowest. Our study adds to the growing body of literature concerning the use of thraustochytrid biomass as a valid alternative to marine-derived raw materials for European sea bass feeds.
A Review of Clinical Disease Scoring Systems for Cicatricial Diseases of the Conjunctiva
Authors: Ong Hon Shing , Dart John K. , Mehta Jodhbir S.
Published: August 2021

Cicatricial conjunctival diseases (CCDs), are a diverse group of ocular surface diseases characterized by chronic scarring of the conjunctiva. These diseases can cause significant ocular morbidity. They are life-long once acquired and can be debilitating, painful diseases leading to visual loss. A recent international consensus of ocular surface disease experts have placed emphasis on the need of validated clinical disease scoring systems for CCDs, important for the objective evaluation of disease severity, outcomes of therapies, and longitudinal monitoring of disease. This review aims to describe the various published clinical disease scoring systems available for CCDs and evaluates the benefits and limitations of each system. It can be used as a guide for clinicians managing patients with CCDs and for researchers evaluating potential therapies in clinical trials.
Serum IgA Antibodies Specific to M. leprae Antigens as Biomarkers for Leprosy Detection and Household Contact Tracking
Authors: Silva Kyssia Karen de Paiva e , Oliveira Erick Esteves de , Elias Carolina Martins Moreira , Pereira Ingrid Estevam , Pinheiro Roberta Olmo , Sarno Euzenir Nunes , Duthie Malcolm Scott , Teixeira Henrique Couto
Published: August 2021

Leprosy remains endemic in several developing countries, such as India and Brazil, in part due to delayed diagnosis that facilitates ongoing transmission. Although immunoglobulins against several Mycobacterium leprae antigens have been indicated for the early diagnosis, and IgA participates in the early stages of leprosy and in subclinical infection, relatively little research has examined anti-M. leprae IgA responses. Here, we investigated serum IgA reactivity against NDO-HSA, LID-1 and NDO-LID, in paucibacillary (PB) and multibacillary (MB) patients and their household contacts, using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Diagnostic accuracy of each ELISA was evaluated by receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis. Our data reveal elevated IgA serum levels against the three M. leprae specific antigens in MB patients, whereas IgA reactivity in PB patients was increased only to NDO-HSA. Further, MB and PB household contacts displayed higher IgA reactivity to NDO-HSA than non-endemic controls. Our data suggest measurement of serum IgA against NDO-HSA as an additional tool in the diagnosis and classification of the disease, with potential utility for household contact follow-up.
Targeting Non-coding RNA for Glioblastoma Therapy: The Challenge of Overcomes the Blood-Brain Barrier
Authors: Sharma Rohit K. , Calderon Carlos , Vivas-Mejia Pablo E.
Published: August 2021

Glioblastoma (GBM) is the most malignant form of all primary brain tumors, and it is responsible for around 200,000 deaths each year worldwide. The standard therapy for GBM treatment includes surgical resection followed by temozolomide-based chemotherapy and/or radiotherapy. With this treatment, the median survival rate of GBM patients is only 15 months after its initial diagnosis. Therefore, novel and better treatment modalities for GBM treatment are urgently needed. Mounting evidence indicates that non-coding RNAs (ncRNAs) have critical roles as regulators of gene expression. Long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) and microRNAs (miRNAs) are among the most studied ncRNAs in health and disease. Dysregulation of ncRNAs is observed in virtually all tumor types, including GBMs. Several dysregulated miRNAs and lncRNAs have been identified in GBM cell lines and GBM tumor samples. Some of them have been proposed as diagnostic and prognostic markers, and as targets for GBM treatment. Most ncRNA-based therapies use oligonucleotide RNA molecules which are normally of short life in circulation. Nanoparticles (NPs) have been designed to increase the half-life of oligonucleotide RNAs. An additional challenge faced not only by RNA oligonucleotides but for therapies designed for brain-related conditions, is the presence of the blood-brain barrier (BBB). The BBB is the anatomical barrier that protects the brain from undesirable agents. Although some NPs have been derivatized at their surface to cross the BBB, optimal NPs to deliver oligonucleotide RNA into GBM cells in the brain are currently unavailable. In this review, we describe first the current treatments for GBM therapy. Next, we discuss the most relevant miRNAs and lncRNAs suggested as targets for GBM therapy. Then, we compare the current drug delivery systems (nanocarriers/NPs) for RNA oligonucleotide delivery, the challenges faced to send drugs through the BBB, and the strategies to overcome this barrier. Finally, we categorize the critical points where research should be the focus in order to design optimal NPs for drug delivery into the brain; and thus move the Oligonucleotide RNA-based therapies from the bench to the clinical setting.
Rufomycin Exhibits Dual Effects Against Mycobacterium abscessus Infection by Inducing Host Defense and Antimicrobial Activities
Authors: Park Cho Rong , Paik Seungwha , Kim Young Jae , Kim Jin Kyung , Jeon Sang Min , Lee Sang-Hee , Whang Jake , Cheng Jinhua , Suh Joo-Won , Cao Jin , Shetye Gauri , Chen Shao-Nong , McAlpine James , Pauli Guido F. , Franzblau Scott , Cho Sanghyun , Jo Eun-Kyeong
Published: August 2021

Nontuberculous mycobacterial pulmonary infection is often aggravated due to antibiotic resistance issues. There is a need for development of new drugs inducing both host immune responses and antimicrobial activities. This study shows that the rufomycins 4/5/6/7 (Rufomycin 4–7), which targets ClpC1 as a subunit of caseinolytic protein complex ClpC1/ClpP1/ClpP2 of mycobacteria, exhibits a dual effect in host innate defense and in vivo antimicrobial activities against a rough morphotype of Mycobacterium abscessus (Mabs-R), a clinically severe morphotype that causes hyperinflammation. Rufomycin 4–7 treatment showed antimicrobial effects against Mabs pulmonary infection in vivo and in macrophages. In addition, Rufomycin 4–7 significantly decreased inflammation, but enhanced the autophagy/lysosomal genes through upregulation of the nuclear translocation of transcription factor EB (TFEB). Furthermore, Rufomycin 4–7 treatment effectively inhibited mitochondrial damage and oxidative stresses in macrophages during Mabs-R infection. Collectively, Rufomycin 4–7-mediated dual effects inducing both antimicrobial activities and host immune defense might confer an advantage to treatment against Mabs-R infection.
Roles of Children and Adolescents in COVID-19 Transmission in the Community: A Retrospective Analysis of Nationwide Data in Japan
Authors: Imamura Tadatsugu , Saito Mayuko , Ko Yura K. , Imamura Takeaki , Otani Kanako , Akaba Hiroki , Ninomiya Kota , Furuse Yuki , Miyahara Reiko , Sando Eiichiro , Yasuda Ikkoh , Tsuchiya Naho ,   The National COVID-19 Cluster Response Taskforce, Suzuki Motoi , Oshitani Hitoshi
Published: August 2021

Background: Roles of children and adolescents in spreading coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) in the community is not fully understood.

Methods: We analyzed the data of 7,758 children and adolescents with COVID-19 and characteristics of secondary transmission generated by these cases using case information published by local governments. Ratio of pediatric and adolescent cases generating secondary transmission was calculated for various social settings.

Results: The incidence of COVID-19 was 24.8 cases per 105 population aged between 0 and 9 years, and 59.2 among those aged between 10 and 19 years, which was lower than that among individuals of all age groups (79.6 per 105 population) between January 15 and October 31, 2020. The proportion of cases generating secondary cases was 8.3% among infants and young children in nursery schools and kindergartens, 16% among children and adolescents attending primary schools, 34% among those attending junior high schools, 43% among those attending high schools, 31% among those attending professional training colleges, and 24% in those attending universities. Households were the most common setting for secondary transmission.

Conclusion: The risk of generating secondary cases might be limited among pediatric and adolescent cases with COVID-19, especially in settings outside households. Effectiveness of traditional mitigation measures (e.g., school closures) to suppress COVID-19 transmissions should be carefully evaluated.
Small for Gestational Age Preterm Neonates Exhibit Defective GH/IGF1 Signaling Pathway
Authors: Motte-Signoret Emmanuelle , Shankar-Aguilera Shivani , Brailly-Tabard Sylvie , Soreze Yohan , Dell Orto Valentina , Ben Ammar Rafik , De Luca Daniele , Boileau Pascal
Published: August 2021

Objective: To investigate the impact of fetal growth restriction (FGR) on hormonal regulation of post-natal growth and glucose metabolism [via insulin and growth hormone (GH)/Insulin-like Growth factor 1 (IGF1) axis pathways] in small for gestational age (SGA) neonates.

Methods: We conducted a monocentric observational prospective comparative study on 73 singleton babies born with a weight inferior to 2,000 g. We analyzed auxological (weight, height and head circumference), and hormonal (GH, IGF1, and insulin plasma concentrations) data comparing SGA and appropriate for gestational age (AGA) neonates, between day 1 and 60.

Results: One third (23/73) of the neonates were SGA. Twenty-five percent (18/73) required insulin for idiopathic hyperglycemia of prematurity and were smaller in weight and head circumference at discharge. In the SGA group compared with the AGA group, GH plasma concentrations were higher at day 3 (70.1 vs. 38.0 mIU/L) and IGF1 plasma concentrations were higher at day 10 (29.0 vs. 18.7 ng/ml).

Conclusions: SGA neonates displayed resistance to GH and IGF1, concomitant to insulin resistance. This could partially explain the initial defective catch-up growth and, later in life, the higher prevalence of metabolic syndrome in this population.
A Novel Edge Rewire Mechanism Based on Multiobjective Optimization for Network Robustness Enhancement
Authors: Li Zhaoxing , Liu Qionghai , Chen Li
Published: August 2021

A complex network can crash down due to disturbances which significantly reduce the network’s robustness. It is of great significance to study on how to improve the robustness of complex networks. In the literature, the network rewire mechanism is one of the most widely adopted methods to improve the robustness of a given network. Existing network rewire mechanism improves the robustness of a given network by re-connecting its nodes but keeping the total number of edges or by adding more edges to the given network. In this work we propose a novel yet efficient network rewire mechanism which is based on multiobjective optimization. The proposed rewire mechanism simultaneously optimizes two objective functions, i.e., maximizing network robustness and minimizing edge rewire operations. We further develop a multiobjective discrete partite swarm optimization algorithm to solve the proposed mechanism. Compared to existing network rewire mechanisms, the developed mechanism has two advantages. First, the proposed mechanism does not require specific constraints on the rewire mechanism to the studied network, which makes it more feasible for applications. Second, the proposed mechanism can suggest a set of network rewire choices each of which can improve the robustness of a given network, which makes it be more helpful for decision makings. To validate the effectiveness of the proposed mechanism, we carry out experiments on computer-generated Erdős–Rényi and scale-free networks, as well as real-world complex networks. The results demonstrate that for each tested network, the proposed multiobjective optimization based edge rewire mechanism can recommend a set of edge rewire solutions to improve its robustness.
Functional Characterization of GhACX3 Gene Reveals Its Significant Role in Enhancing Drought and Salt Stress Tolerance in Cotton
Authors: Shiraku Margaret L. , Magwanga Richard Odongo , Cai Xiaoyan , Kirungu Joy Nyangasi , Xu Yanchao , Mehari Teame Gereziher , Hou Yuqing , Wang Yuhong , Agong Stephen Gaya , Peng Renhai , Wang Kunbo , Zhou Zhongli , Liu Fang
Published: August 2021

The acyl-coenzyme A oxidase 3 (ACX3) gene involved in the β-oxidation pathway plays a critical role in plant growth and development as well as stress response. Earlier on, studies focused primarily on the role of β-oxidation limited to fatty acid breakdown. However, ACX3 peroxisomal β-oxidation pathways result in a downstream cascade of events that act as a transduction of biochemical and physiological responses to stress. A role that is yet to be studied extensively. In this study, we identified 20, 18, 22, 23, 20, 11, and 9 proteins in Gossypium hirsutum, G. barbadense, G. tomentosum, G. mustelinum, G. darwinii, G. arboretum, and G. raimondii genomes, respectively. The tetraploid cotton genome had protein ranging between 18 and 22, while diploids had between 9 and 11. After analyzing the gene family evolution or selection pressure, we found that this gene family undergoes purely segmental duplication both in diploids and tetraploids. W-Box (WRKY-binding site), ABRE, CAAT–Box, TATA-box, MYB, MBS, LTR, TGACG, and CGTCA-motif are abiotic stress cis-regulatory elements identified in this gene family. All these are the binding sites for abiotic stress transcription factors, indicating that this gene is essential. Genes found in G. hirsutum showed a clear response to drought and salinity stress, with higher expression under drought and salt stress, particularly in the leaf and root, according to expression analysis. We selected Gh_DO1GO186, one of the highly expressed genes, for functional characterization. We functionally characterized the GhACX3 gene through overexpression and virus-induced gene silencing (VIGS). Overexpression of this gene enhanced tolerance under stress, which was exhibited by the germination assay. The overexpressed seed growth rate was faster relative to control under drought and salt stress conditions. The survival rate was also higher in overexpressed plants relative to control plants under stress. In contrast, the silencing of the GhACX3 gene in cotton plants resulted in plants showing the stress susceptibility phenotype and reduced root length compared to control. Biochemical analysis also demonstrated that GhACX3-silenced plants experienced oxidative stress while the overexpressed plants did not. This study has revealed the importance of the ACX3 family during stress tolerance and can breed stress-resilient cultivar.
Transcriptomic, Proteomic and Metabolomic Analysis of Flavonoid Biosynthesis During Fruit Maturation in Rubus chingii Hu
Authors: Li Xiaobai , Jiang Jingyong , Chen Zhen , Jackson Aaron
Published: August 2021

Rubus chingii HU, is a medicinal and nutritious fruit, which is very rich in flavonoids. However, the biosynthesis of its flavonoids is poorly understood. This study examined flavonoids and the genes/proteins at four fruit ripening phases using LC-MS/MS and qPCR. Six major kinds of anthocyanins, primarily consisted of flavanol-anthocyanins, which differed in form or concentration from other Rubus species. In contrast to other known raspberries species, R. chingii had a decline in flavonoids during fruit ripening, which was due to down-regulation of genes and proteins involved in phenylpropanoid and flavonoid biosynthesis. Unexpectedly, anthocyanin also continuously decreased during fruit maturation. This suggests that anthocyanins are not responsible for the fruit’s reddish coloration. Flavanol-anthocyanins were derived from the proanthocyanidin pathway, which consumed two flavonoid units both produced through the same upstream pathway. Their presence indicates a reduction in the potential biosynthesis of anthocyanin production. Also, the constantly low expression of RchANS gene resulted in low levels of anthocyanin biosynthesis. The lack of RchF3′5′H gene/protein hindered the production of delphinidin glycosides. Flavonoids primarily comprising of quercetin/kaempferol-glycosides were predominately located at fruit epidermal-hair and placentae. The proportion of receptacle/drupelets changes with the maturity of the fruit and may be related to a decrease in the content of flavonoids per unit mass as the fruit matures. The profile and biosynthesis of R. chingii flavonoids are unique to Rubus. The unique flavonol pathways of R. chingii could be used to broaden the genetic diversity of raspberry cultivars and to improve their fruit quality.
Genotypic Variation of Endophytic Nitrogen-Fixing Activity and Bacterial Flora in Rice Stem Based on Sugar Content
Authors: Okamoto Takanori , Shinjo Rina , Nishihara Arisa , Uesaka Kazuma , Tanaka Aiko , Sugiura Daisuke , Kondo Motohiko
Published: August 2021

Enhancement of the nitrogen-fixing ability of endophytic bacteria in rice is expected to result in improved nitrogen use under low-nitrogen conditions. Endophytic nitrogen-fixing bacteria require a large amount of energy to fix atmospheric nitrogen. However, it is unknown which carbon source and bacteria would affect nitrogen-fixing activity in rice. Therefore, this study examined genotypic variations in the nitrogen-fixing ability of rice plant stem as affected by non-structural carbohydrates and endophytic bacterial flora in field-grown rice. In the field experiments, six varieties and 10 genotypes of rice were grown in 2017 and 2018 to compare the acetylene reduction activity (nitrogen-fixing activity) and non-structural carbohydrates (glucose, sucrose, and starch) concentration in their stems at the heading stage. For the bacterial flora analysis, two genes were amplified using a primer set of 16S rRNA and nitrogenase (NifH) gene-specific primers. Next, acetylene reduction activity was correlated with sugar concentration among genotypes in both years, suggesting that the levels of soluble sugars influenced stem nitrogen-fixing activity. Bacterial flora analysis also suggested the presence of common and genotype-specific bacterial flora in both 16S rRNA and nifH genes. Similarly, bacteria classified as rhizobia, such as Bradyrhizobium sp. (Alphaproteobacteria) and Paraburkholderia sp. (Betaproteobacteria), were highly abundant in all rice genotypes, suggesting that these bacteria make major contributions to the nitrogen fixation process in rice stems. Gammaproteobacteria were more abundant in CG14 as well, which showed the highest acetylene reduction activity and sugar concentration among genotypes and is also proposed to contribute to the higher amount of nitrogen-fixing activity.
Ask the Locals: A Community-Informed Analysis of Perceived Marine Environment Quality Over Time in Palawan, Philippines
Authors: Sumeldan Joel D. C. , Richter Isabell , Avillanosa Arlene L. , Bacosa Hernando P. , Creencia Lota A. , Pahl Sabine
Published: August 2021

Despite the potentially huge contributions that coastal communities might make in marine resource management and sustainability, their participation in such efforts have only been recognized recently, particularly in Southeast Asia. Involving community perceptions can offer new insights for policy makers and resource managers and can elicit strong commitment and support from the communities themselves. This article aims to understand the perceptions of coastal communities of local environmental issues, specifically how these have developed over time, to understand the expectations and perceptions of trends. Sixteen marine environmental issues were identified during stakeholder meetings in Palawan, Philippines. A co-developed survey was administered to 431 respondents from coastal communities in two municipalities (Taytay and Aborlan) and in the city of Puerto Princesa in Palawan. The results show variation in the perceptions and expectations across issues. We find that communities expect positive trends for mangrove coverage, beach tree cover, and seagrass coverage as well as for seaweed farming and quality of drinking water. The amount of plastic litter, wild fish and shellfish, and the severity of sewage pollution are perceived to get slightly worse. The aquaculture sector is expected to remain unchanged in the future as it had been in the past. We also find significant differences in how people from different areas of residence perceive their marine environment. In the discussion, we mapped these different community perceptions on existing policies and their implementation. We further recommend how community perceptions can be integrated into resource management and policy making in the future.
A STEM Course Analysis During COVID-19: A Comparison Study in Performance and Affective Domain of PSTs Between F2F and F2S Flipped Classroom
Authors: Jeong Jin Su , González-Gómez David
Published: August 2021

Due to the worldwide COVID-19 pandemic, university education has faced a significant challenge that requires adaptation to virtual and online education. Here, a fruitful flipped methodology with increased popularity can support adaption to and improvement of the current pandemic situation. This research presents a comparison of two different instruction situations with an identical teaching methodology, face-to-face (F2F) and face-to-screen (F2S) flipped methodology, in terms of students' performance and affective domain in a science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) course. It was considered and designed as an examination of 132 pre-service teachers (PSTs), with 68 and 64 PSTs respectively for each group. The first group before the pandemic was applied by F2F flipped classroom and the second group after the pandemic was applied by F2S flipped classroom. The results after pertaining various data analyses of class activities and questionaries showed that performance had been improved for both groups toward the course. In addition, F2F had a significant difference in PSTs' emotion and perception toward the course and made classes more interactive. The mean score values of students' emotion and perception between two groups showed that the difference between these mean values were significant, suggesting a very large effect. Particularly, the effect size (ES) showed that positive emotions were more significant with different variables and the items Q7–Q9 of questionnaires indicated more significant different perceptions for both F2F and F2S after completing the course. Finally, the principal component analysis (PCA) test described that F2F answers were located mainly in the positive emotion, while F2S answers were grouped in the negative emotion, while no differences were observed for PSTs perceptions to the flipped methodology. Consequently, although F2F–F2S transition was an effective process, instructors and PSTs faced difficulties in the platform usage for online lectures reflecting emotions' results in F2S group. Thus, by solving the problems raised, it will allow PSTs to be more interactive in a virtual and online context for their future implementation by giving them active instruction methodology and educating future students to teach STEM contents.
The Influence of Key Facial Features on Recognition of Emotion in Cartoon Faces
Authors: Zhang Shu , Liu Xinge , Yang Xuan , Shu Yezhi , Liu Niqi , Zhang Dan , Liu Yong-Jin
Published: August 2021

Cartoon faces are widely used in social media, animation production, and social robots because of their attractive ability to convey different emotional information. Despite their popular applications, the mechanisms of recognizing emotional expressions in cartoon faces are still unclear. Therefore, three experiments were conducted in this study to systematically explore a recognition process for emotional cartoon expressions (happy, sad, and neutral) and to examine the influence of key facial features (mouth, eyes, and eyebrows) on emotion recognition. Across the experiments, three presentation conditions were employed: (1) a full face; (2) individual feature only (with two other features concealed); and (3) one feature concealed with two other features presented. The cartoon face images used in this study were converted from a set of real faces acted by Chinese posers, and the observers were Chinese. The results show that happy cartoon expressions were recognized more accurately than neutral and sad expressions, which was consistent with the happiness recognition advantage revealed in real face studies. Compared with real facial expressions, sad cartoon expressions were perceived as sadder, and happy cartoon expressions were perceived as less happy, regardless of whether full-face or single facial features were viewed. For cartoon faces, the mouth was demonstrated to be a feature that is sufficient and necessary for the recognition of happiness, and the eyebrows were sufficient and necessary for the recognition of sadness. This study helps to clarify the perception mechanism underlying emotion recognition in cartoon faces and sheds some light on directions for future research on intelligent human-computer interactions.
The Pygmalion Effect to Piano Teaching From the Perspective of Educational Psychology
Authors: Qi Wen , Dong Xingru , Xue Xiaoran
Published: August 2021

Aiming at the problem of low student enthusiasm in piano teaching, this work tried to apply “Pygmalion effect” to piano teaching from the perspective of educational psychology. Forty-five students were chosen from nine classes in grades 2, 4, and 6 of a central elementary school in Beijing City using experimental research, and the experimental group and the control group were set up. A questionnaire was adopted to conduct the pre-test and post-test of the experiment, which were done to analyze the factors that affect the attitude of students toward music learning and the effect of piano teaching. The results show that the encouragement level of the piano teacher and the enthusiasm of the students in the piano course were significantly correlated at the 0.01 level. There was also a significant correlation between self-efficacy and student piano learning enthusiasm at the 0.01 level. Furthermore, the pre-test and post-test results showed that the students in the experimental group of each grade generally performed much better in piano learning than the students in the control group, which proves that the “Pygmalion effect” can play an excellent interventional role in piano teaching. In this research, the value of “Pygmalion effect” in the educational psychology of piano music education in primary schools was deeply studied to explore the possibility of a novel piano teaching model. The research results show that teacher encouragement can stimulate the subjective initiative of students and make them perform better in piano learning. This research provides reference and ideas for the combination of education- and psychology-related research in the music classroom.
An Effective and Safe Novel Treatment of Opioid Use Disorder: Unilateral Transcranial Photobiomodulation
Authors: Schiffer Fredric , Khan Alaptagin , Bolger Elizabeth , Flynn Edward , Seltzer William P. , Teicher Martin H.
Published: August 2021

Background: The opioid epidemic is a global tragedy even with current treatments, and a novel, safe, and effective treatment would be welcomed. We report here our findings from our second randomized controlled trial to evaluate unilateral transcranial photobiomodulation as a treatment for opioid use disorder.

Methods: We enrolled 39 participants with active opioid cravings at 2 sites, 19 received the active treatment which consisted of a 4-min twice weekly (every 3 or 4 days) application of a light-emitting diode at 810 nm with an irradiance of 250 mW/cm2 and a fluence of 60 J/cm2 to the forehead over either the left or right dorsolateral prefrontal cortex with a fluence to the brain of 2.1 J/cm2. Twenty participants received a sham treatment with the same device with foil over the bulb. The side of the treatment was based on Dual-Brain Psychology, which posits that one hemisphere is more affected by past maltreatments and is more prone to anxiety and drug cravings that the other hemisphere. We treated the hemisphere with the more positive hemispheric emotional valence (HEV) by 2 tests for HEV.

Results: Our primary outcome was changes in pre-treatment opioid craving scale (OCS) minus baseline, and we found using a mixed model that the active group had a highly significant treatment * time benefit over the sham group, p < 0.0001, effect size at the last follow-up of 1.5. The active treatment benefited those not on buprenorphine as well as those not on it. The TimeLine Follow Back measure of opioid use was significantly better in the actively treated group, p = 0.0001, with an effect size of 0.45. We observed no adverse effects.

Conclusion: Active unilateral transcranial photobiomodulation to the brain hemisphere with the better HEV was better than sham in the reduction of opioid cravings and opioid use to a very significant degree in a RCT of 39 participants at 2 independent sites. In the active group those on buprenorphine and those not on it both had improvements in cravings over the study. No adverse responses were reported in either group. ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT04340622.
Challenges Faced by Healthcare Professionals During the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Qualitative Inquiry From Bangladesh
Authors: Razu Shaharior Rahman , Yasmin Tasnuva , Arif Taimia Binte , Islam Md. Shahin , Islam Sheikh Mohammed Shariful , Gesesew Hailay Abrha , Ward Paul
Published: August 2021

Background: The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has caused increasing challenges for healthcare professionals globally. However, there is a dearth of information about these challenges in many developing countries, including Bangladesh. This study aims to explore the challenges faced by healthcare professionals (doctors and nurses) during COVID-19 in Bangladesh.

Methods: We conducted qualitative research among healthcare professionals of different hospitals and clinics in Khulna and Dhaka city of Bangladesh from May 2020 to August 2020. We conducted 15 in-depth telephone interviews using a snowball sampling technique. We used an in-depth interview guide as data were collected, audiotaped, and transcribed. The data were analyzed both manually and using QDA Miner software as we used thematic analysis for this study.

Results: Seven themes emerged from the study. Participants experienced higher workload, psychological distress, shortage of quality personal protective equipment (PPE), social exclusion/stigmatization, lack of incentives, absence of coordination, and proper management during their service. These healthcare professionals faced difficulty coping with these challenges due to situational and organizational factors. They reported of faith in God and mutual support to be the keys to adapt to adversities. Adequate support to address the difficulties faced by healthcare professionals is necessary for an overall improved health outcome during the pandemic.

Conclusion: The findings highlight the common challenges faced by healthcare professionals during the COVID-19 outbreak. This implies the need to support adequate safety kits, protocols, and support for both physical and mental health of the healthcare professionals.
COVID-19 and Dispositions of the Chilean Healthcare System: Sociomedical Networks in Care Decisions of Chronic Illnesses
Authors: Schöngut-Grollmus Nicolás , Energici María-Alejandra , Zuñiga Natalia
Published: August 2021

This article is an empirical work on decision-making processes in the case of persons with chronic illnesses in the COVID19 pandemic context, regarding their medical care and self-care. Medical decisions are processes that guide the production of a health diagnosis or treatment, using the available information, where the patients’ preferences are often incorporated. This article tackles the impact of the pandemic on chronically ill patients’ medical decisions when the care system has been significantly altered by it. Considering that health decisions are importantly embedded in social and economic conditions, the pandemic affects a precarious care system and constrains individual possibilities. Chile has a weak support infrastructure for caregivers and a health care system that promotes private health and a low-quality public health system. Hence, the pandemic is an adverse context for chronically ill patients and it alters the conditions in which medical decisions are taken. We performed 10 interviews with chronically ill patients who took responsibility for their own health decisions: five patients diagnosed with common chronic diseases and five patients diagnosed with rare chronic diseases. After Reflexive Thematic Analysis, the results show that the Chilean health system is extremely precarious and that not many alternatives are or have been offered to chronically ill patients in the COVID19 context.
Case Report: Isolated Cystic Dilatation of the Cystic Duct: A Misdiagnosed Case Preoperatively
Authors: Zhang Jiankang , Hu Zeming , Lin Xuan , Zhang Dongliang , Wang Hao , Chen Bin
Published: August 2021

A 33-year-old female with a mild elevation of liver transaminase was sent to the general surgery department for medical services due to upper-right abdominal pain for 2 weeks. A liquid dark area ~4 × 3 × 3 cm in size in the theoretical location of the pancreatic segment of the common bile duct was detected by abdominal CT with no enhancement of the cystic wall found in the enhanced CT scan. The patient was then diagnosed with a choledochal cyst based on the results of the radiological images preoperatively. During the operation, the isolated cystic dilatation was found in the middle part of the cystic duct, and its caudal portion was found behind the head of the pancreas and converged into the common bile duct at an acute angle and low insertion. According to the intraoperative evaluation, the female was then diagnosed with a cystic duct cyst (CDC). The surgery was converted to a laparotomy for the unclear structure and the possibility of anatomic variation of the bile duct. The caudal portion of the cystic duct was found communicated with the common bile duct with a narrow base, and the extrahepatic bile duct was not cystic. The CDC was removed in the surgery. One week later, the patient was discharged from the hospital for the disappearance of abdominal pain and normal liver transaminase and did not report any discomfort in the 1-month-long follow-up. The lessons drawn from this case were as follows: (1) the distinction between the relatively frequent choledochal cyst and the isolated CDC should always be taken in mind; (2) a surgical strategy should be given priority for an intraoperatively confirmed CDC; (3) a common bile duct exploration is recommended for patients with choledocholithiasis or jaundice.
Comparison of Submucosal With Intramuscular or Intravenous Administration of Dexamethasone for Third Molar Surgeries: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis
Authors: Hou Chengyu , Liu Feng , Liu Chengbin
Published: August 2021

Objective: The study aimed to review evidence on the efficacy of submucosal (SM) administration vs. intravenous (IV) or intramuscular (IM) route of injections of dexamethasone for improving outcomes after mandibular third molar surgery.

Methods: PubMed, Embase, CENTRAL, and Google Scholar were searched for randomized controlled trials (RCTs) up to 20th May 2021. Early (2–3 days) and late (7 days) outcomes were compared between SM vs. IV or IM dexamethasone. Quality of evidence was assessed based on GRADE.

Results: Thirteen trials were included in the systematic review and 10 in the meta-analysis. Meta-analysis indicated a significant reduction in early pain with IV dexamethasone but no such difference for late pain compared to the SM group. There was no difference in early and late swelling scores between the SM and IV groups. Pooled analysis indicated no significant difference in early and late trismus between SM and IV groups. Comparing SM with IM dexamethasone, there was no significant difference in early and late pain scores. Swelling in the early and late postoperative periods was not significantly different between the two groups. There was no significant difference in early and late trismus between SM and IM groups. The quality of evidence was low for all outcomes.

Conclusion: Low-quality evidence suggests that SM infiltration of dexamethasone results in similar outcomes as compared to IV or IM administration of the drug after third molar surgeries. Further high-quality RCTs are needed to corroborate the current conclusions.
Supplementation of Diets With Bovine Colostrum Influences Immune and Gut Function in Kittens
Authors: Gore Asa M. , Satyaraj Ebenezer , Labuda Jeff , Engler Robyn , Sun Peichuan , Kerr Wendell , Conboy-Schmidt Lisa
Published: August 2021

In its early life a kitten faces many significant events including separation from its mother, re-homing and vaccination. The kitten is also slowly adapting to their post-weaning diet. Recent advances in companion animal nutrition have indicated that functional ingredients such as colostrum can help support the immune system and gastrointestinal health. Here we report for the first time the effect of feeding a diet containing 0.1% spray dried bovine colostrum (BC) to growing kittens on gut-associated lymphoid (GALT) tissue responses, systemic immune responses, and on intestinal microbiota stability. BC supplementation induced increased faecal IgA expression, and a faster and stronger antibody response to a rabies vaccine booster, indicative of better localised and systemic immune function, respectively. BC supplementation also helped to maintain kittens' intestinal microbiota stability in the face of a mildly challenging life event. These results show that BC supplementation can help strengthen the immune system and enhance the gut microbiota stability of growing kittens.
The Prognostic Role of PORT and EGFR Mutation Status in Completely Resected Stage IIIA/N2 Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer Patients with Postoperative Chemotherapy
Authors: Yang Hui , Wang Kunlun , Li Shenglei , Li Yan , Yuan Ling
Published: August 2021

Background: The treatment choice for completely resected stage IIIA/N2 non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients is still controversial now. Our study aims to identify potential prognostic factors in stage IIIA/N2 NSCLC patients with complete surgical resection and postoperative chemotherapy.

Methods: In this study, we screened the stage IIIA/N2 NSCLC patients diagnosed in the Affiliated Cancer Hospital of Zhengzhou University from 2015 to 2019. Completely resected patients with postoperative chemotherapy (PCT) were enrolled. The univariate and multivariate COX proportional hazards regression analyses were used to identify the prognostic factors. The Kaplan-Meier survival curve was used to compare the disease-free survival (DFS) and overall survival (OS) in the subgroup analyses.

Results: 180 patients were collected, including 142 patients with PCT treatment alone and 38 patients with postoperative radiotherapy (PORT) treatment. The median DFS was 17.8 months (95% CI: 16.5–19.1 months) and the median OS was 50.6 months (47.4–53.9 months) in all the patients. The median DFS of the PORT group was significantly longer than the PCT group (38.7 vs 16.7 months, p < 0.001). Epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) mutation-positive patients had a worse DFS compared with EGFR mutation-negative patients (16.8 vs 18.0 months, p = 0.032). Possible prognostic factors were evaluated through univariate COX regression analysis. The further multivariate COX regression analysis showed that patients with PORT (HR: 0.318, 95% CI: 0.185–0.547, p < 0.001), EGFR mutation-negative (HR: 0.678, 95% CI: 0.492–0.990, p = 0.044), T1 (HR: 0.661, 95% CI: 0.472–0.925, p = 0.016), and lobectomy (HR: 0.423, 95% CI: 0.191–0.935, p = 0.034), had better DFS. The only independent prognostic factor of OS was the type of surgery (p = 0.013).

Conclusion: PORT might improve the DFS of stage IIIA/N2 NSCLC patients with complete surgical resection and PCT, but it cannot increase OS. Besides, EGFR mutation status, T stage, and type of surgery are possible independent prognostic factors for DFS, and type of surgery is associated with OS. These factors remain to be clarified in further studies.
SR-Inpaint: A General Deep Learning Framework for High Resolution Image Inpainting
Authors: Xu Haoran , Li Xinya , Zhang Kaiyi , He Yanbai , Fan Haoran , Liu Sijiang , Hao Chuanyan , Jiang Bo
Published: August 2021

Recently, deep learning has enabled a huge leap forward in image inpainting. However, due to the memory and computational limitation, most existing methods are able to handle only low-resolution inputs, typically less than 1 K. With the improvement of Internet transmission capacity and mobile device cameras, the resolution of image and video sources available to users via the cloud or locally is increasing. For high-resolution images, the common inpainting methods simply upsample the inpainted result of the shrinked image to yield a blurry result. In recent years, there is an urgent need to reconstruct the missing high-frequency information in high-resolution images and generate sharp texture details. Hence, we propose a general deep learning framework for high-resolution image inpainting, which first hallucinates a semantically continuous blurred result using low-resolution inpainting and suppresses computational overhead. Then the sharp high-frequency details with original resolution are reconstructed using super-resolution refinement. Experimentally, our method achieves inspiring inpainting quality on 2K and 4K resolution images, ahead of the state-of-the-art high-resolution inpainting technique. This framework is expected to be popularized for high-resolution image editing tasks on personal computers and mobile devices in the future.
Aerated Buffalo Slurry Improves Spinach Plant Growth and Mitigates CO2 and N2O Emissions from Soil
Authors: Maglione Giuseppe , De Tommaso Gaetano , Iuliano Mauro , Costanzo Giulia , Vitale Ermenegilda , Arena Carmen , Vitale Luca
Published: August 2021

Manure management is the main strategy for mitigating gas emissions from livestock farming. In this study, a laboratory-scale experiment was set up to identify suitable conditions to be applied in a farm-scale experiment. The liquid fraction (LF) of slurry was aerobically treated and greenhouse gas emissions from soil were evaluated. Furthermore, the value of treated LF as a fertilizer on spinach plants was also tested. The aeration of LF determined an increase in mean alkalinity due to ammonia loss. The mass fraction of heavy metals also decreased, likely due to the reduction in solubility. After being applied on soil, aerated LF determined lower CO2 and N2O emissions compared to untreated LF due to a reduced nitrogen load. Spinach plants fertilized with treated LF showed a lush growth and exhibited a lower heavy metal mass fraction as well as a higher content of antioxidants compared to plants fertilized with untreated slurry. Our results show that aeration might be an effective alternative for slurry management as it is able to produce an eco-friendly final product with a high fertilizing value.
Mlo Resistance to Powdery Mildew (Blumeria graminis f. sp. hordei) in Barley Landraces Collected in Yemen
Authors: Czembor Jerzy H. , Czembor Elżbieta
Published: August 2021

Barley (Hordeumvulgare L.) is one of the most important cereal crops in the world. Powdery mildew on barley, which is caused by the pathogen Blumeria graminis f. sp. hordei, occurs world-wide and can result in severe yield loss. Thousands of barley accessions are stored in national gene banks, and their characterization for breeding purposes is needed. This study was conducted to determine the resistance to powdery mildew in 33 barley landraces from Yemen, which were obtained from the ICARDA gene bank. Twenty differential isolates of barley powdery mildew were used. Nine single plant lines were selected from five landraces, based on tests that were performed with 30 plants per landrace, after inoculation with the most avirulent isolate of barley powdery mildew available. Two of these landraces originated from the Al Bayda province in Yemen, and three others originated from Dhamar, Sanaa, and Taizz, respectively. Next, single plant lines were tested using a set of 20 differential isolates of powdery mildew. Two lines that were selected from landrace from the Al Bayda province in Yemen, showed disease reaction designated as 0(4), which is specific for the presence of Mlo resistance. The new source of highly effective Mlo powdery mildew resistance that is described in this study could be used in barley breeding programs.