bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Association of Gut Microbiota With Intestinal Ischemia/Reperfusion Injury
Authors: Chen Jingyi , Wang Yu , Shi Yongxia , Liu Yongpan , Wu Chengyi , Luo Yanrong
Published: July 2022

Intestinal ischemia/reperfusion (II/R) is a common acute and critical condition in clinical practice with a high mortality rate. However, there is still a lack of effective prevention and treatment measures for II/R injury. The role of the gut microbiota in II/R has attracted widespread attention. Recent evidence has demonstrated that the gut microbiota plays a pivotal role in the occurrence, development, and prognosis of II/R. Therefore, maintaining the homeostasis of gut microbiota and its metabolites may be a potential strategy for the treatment of II/R. This review focuses on the importance of crosstalk between the gastrointestinal ecosystem and II/R to highlight II/R-induced gut microbiota signatures and potential applications of microbial-based therapies in II/R. This will also provide potentially effective biomarkers for the prediction, diagnosis and treatment of II/R.
Obesity Increases In-Hospital Mortality of Acute Type A Aortic Dissection Patients Undergoing Open Surgical Repair: A Retrospective Study in the Chinese Population
Authors: Pan Xiaogao , Xing Zhenhua , Yang Guifang , Ding Ning , Zhou Yang , Chai Xiangping
Published: July 2022

Objective

The prevalence of obesity is increasing worldwide, and the role of the obesity paradox in cardiovascular surgery remains controversial. In this study, we redefined obesity according to the Chinese criteria and examined the relationship between obesity and in-hospital mortality in patients with acute type A aortic dissection (AAD) undergoing open surgical repair.

Materials and Methods

A total of 289 patients with AAD (between 2014 and 2016) were divided into the non-obese group and obese group for correlation analysis, general information, demographic factors, blood biochemistry, surgical details, and complications, which were used as covariates. Survival was estimated by the Kaplan–Meier method, and any differences in survival were evaluated with a stratified log-rank test. Least Absolute Shrinkage and Selection Operator (LASSO) regression and logistic regression were used to evaluate the effect and interaction of obesity on surgical mortality.

Results

All the 289 patients had a mean age of 48.64 (IQR 44.00–55.00) and 74.39% were men. Of the 289 patients, 228 were non-obese (78.89%) and 61 were obese (21.11%). Patients with obesity were younger and more prone to unstable blood pressure [systolic blood pressure (SBP) and diastolic blood pressure (DBP)], preoperative hypoxemia and delirium, prolonged operative time, and surgical wound deep infection (p < 0.05). In the fully adjusted model, we observed an increased risk of in-hospital mortality in patients with obesity after fine-tuning other covariates including age and sex (HR = 2.65; 95% CI = 1.03 to 6.80; p = 0.042). The interaction suggested that obesity was more likely to cause death in elderly patients (age ≥ 60), although it was more common in younger patients (test for interaction, p = 0.012).

Conclusion

Obesity, interacting with age, increases the risk of in-hospital mortality in patients with AAD undergoing open surgical repair. Although more verification is needed, we believe these findings provide further evidence for the treatment of AAD.
Wave Equation Numerical Simulation and RTM With Mixed Staggered-Grid Finite-Difference Schemes
Authors: Liu Wei , Hu Ziduo , Yong Xueshan , Peng Gengxin , Xu Zhonghua , Han Linghe
Published: July 2022

For the conventional staggered-grid finite-difference scheme (C-SFD), although the spatial finite-difference (FD) operator can reach 2Mth-order accuracy, the FD discrete wave equation is the only second-order accuracy, leading to low modeling accuracy and poor stability. We proposed a new mixed staggered-grid finite-difference scheme (M-SFD) by constructing the spatial FD operator using axial and off-axial grid points jointly to approximate the first-order spatial partial derivative. This scheme is suitable for modeling the stress–velocity acoustic and elastic wave equation. Then, based on the time–space domain dispersion relation and the Taylor series expansion, we derived the analytical expression of the FD coefficients. Theoretically, the FD discrete acoustic wave equation and P- or S-wave in the FD discrete elastic wave equation given by M-SFD can reach the arbitrary even-order accuracy. For acoustic wave modeling, with almost identical computational costs, M-SFD can achieve higher modeling accuracy than C-SFD. Moreover, with a larger time step used in M-SFD than that used in C-SFD, M-SFD can achieve higher computational efficiency and reach higher modeling accuracy. For elastic wave simulation, compared to C-SFD, M-SFD can obtain higher modeling accuracy with almost the same computational efficiency when the FD coefficients are calculated based on the S-wave time–space domain dispersion relation. Solving the split elastic wave equation with M-SFD can further improve the modeling accuracy but will decrease the efficiency and increase the memory usage as well. Stability analysis shows that M-SFD has better stability than C-SFD for both acoustic and elastic wave simulations. Applying M-SFD to reverse time migration (RTM), the imaging artifacts caused by the numerical dispersion are effectively eliminated, which improves the imaging accuracy and resolution of deep formation.
Microstructure Characterization Techniques for Shale Reservoirs: A Review
Authors: Qian Yujing , Gao Ping , Fang Xianglong , Sun Fengrui , Cai Yidong , Zhou Yingfang
Published: July 2022

The microstructure of shale reservoirs refers to the distribution of mineral–organic matter, pore–fracture features, diagenetic processes, and their interrelations. The comprehensive and accurate analysis of the shale microstructure plays a critical role in formulating a reasonable development plan and optimizing measures to enhance oil or gas recovery. To explore the microstructure characterization, the mineral and organic matter compositions as well as the pore types and distributions of organic-rich shale reservoirs were investigated using a series of advanced techniques, including focused ion beam–scanning electron microscopy and atomic force microscopy. This review establishes a model of pore distribution of the layered structure of shale reservoirs based on ideal shale laminae model. Among them, quartz and carbonate laminae can be classified as grain laminae clay minerals and organic matter and pyrite can be combined into organic matter aggregate due to the symbiotic relationship between pyrite, organic matter and clay minerals. Microcracks of diverse diagenetic origins can be classified together. This review also systematically summarizes the microcharacterization techniques and different characteristics of organic-rich shale reservoirs, thereby paving the way for the establishment of shale cross-scale characterization techniques.
Predicting Granitic Buried-Hill Reservoirs Using Seismic Reflection data—A Case Study From the Bongor Basin, Southwestern Chad
Authors: Wang Yajie , Xu Guosheng , Zhou Wei , Liang Jiaju , Xu Fanghao , He Sai
Published: July 2022

Predicting the distribution of fractured and dissolved reservoirs in granitic buried hills is a prerequisite for finding high-quality hydrocarbon reservoirs and improving the success rate of exploration activities. Granitic buried-hill reservoirs in the Bongor Basin are characterized by strong heterogeneity and poor lateral continuity. Through the analysis of seismic, core, logging and dynamic production data, this study predicts the distribution of fractured reservoirs and fractured-cave reservoirs in the granitic buried hills in the BC Block of the Bongor Basin. In this study, we predict fractured reservoirs using coherence cubes and linearly enhanced attributes and identify fractured-cave reservoirs with single-frequency attribute bodies. Integrated predictions of fractured reservoirs and fractured-cave reservoirs are conducted using attribute fusion techniques. With these methods, good results have been achieved in reservoir prediction in BC buried hills. Furthermore, this study summarizes a set of granitic buried-hill reservoir prediction techniques for densely inverted rift basins in the Central African Rift System.
Exploring Primary Preservice Teachers’ Agency and Systems Thinking in the Context of the COVID-19 Pandemic
Authors: Uskola Araitz , Puig Blanca
Published: July 2022

The science education curriculum has become increasingly focused on the study of complex systems and on the development of agency so that students make decisions on relevant issues. The current pandemic has underlined the need to look at health from a systemic “One Health” approach, but little is known about the knowledge, skills, attitudes, and actions necessary for individuals to successfully contribute to One Health. This study seeks to contribute to this knowledge, and explores preservice elementary teachers’ agency and systems thinking competencies to propose actions for preventing future pandemics from the One Health approach. The participants were 47 preservice elementary teachers working on a set of activities about the COVID-19 pandemic, in which they were asked about ways to prevent future pandemics. Content analysis of individual written responses was applied for addressing the level of systems thinking and the sense of personal and collective responsibility toward the action proposed. Results show that the preservice teachers initially referred mainly to actions in the human health dimension, and that the systems thinking showed a higher level when they made the activity in groups after reading information. Collectively proposed actions showed a lack of agency or individual responsibility compared to individually proposed ones. The implications of the results for science teaching are discussed.
Lysophosphatidic Acid Improves Human Sperm Motility by Enhancing Glycolysis and Activating L-Type Calcium Channels
Authors: Li Yinlam , Jin Li , Li Yanquan , Qian Jianing , Wang Zhengquan , Zheng Xiaoguo , Xie Chong , Zhang Xuelian , Huang Hefeng , Zhou Yuchuan
Published: July 2022

Until now, the molecular mechanisms underlining sperm motility defect causing male infertility are still poorly understood. Safe and effective compounds or drugs that can improve sperm motility are also very limited. Lysophosphatidic acid (LPA) is a naturally occurring phospholipid and a bioactive intermediate with multiple biological activities. It has been detected in various body fluids such as serum, plasma, saliva, tears, blister fluids, hen egg white, and ascites from patients with ovarian cancer. LPA is also abundant in seminal plasma and follicular fluid. It enhances follicle stimulation, improves oocyte fertilization, and promotes early embryonic development and embryo implantation. However, the physiological role of LPA in the male reproductive system remains unknown. Here, our study showed that LPA significantly improved the motility parameters of human sperm hyperactivation in a dose-dependent manner. The LPA-induced elevation of sperm motility is dependent on bovine serum albumin (BSA) but independent of the classical BSA-induced sAC/cAMP/PKA signaling pathway. The enhancement of sperm motility by LPA could not be blocked by CCCP, a respiratory inhibitor suppressing mitochondrial ATP production. Moreover, LPA improved the activity of triosephosphate isomerase in glycolysis. Meanwhile, LPA treatment significantly increased ATP and phosphoenolpyruvate levels and decreased ADP content during sperm glycolysis. Notably, none of known or identified LPA receptors was detected in human sperm. Further investigations showed that LPA promoted sperm motility through L-type calcium channels. In summary, this study revealed the involvement of LPA in the regulation for human sperm motility by enhancing glycolysis and activating L-type calcium channels. The current findings may shed new light on the understanding of causes of asthenozoospermia, and indicate that LPA could be used as a novel therapeutic agent to improve sperm function and fertilizing capacity.
Risk Assessment and Regulation Strategy of Farmland Marginalization: A Case Study of Mengjin County, Henan Province
Authors: Guan Xiaoke , Wang Xiuli , Chen Weiqiang
Published: July 2022

The marginalization of farmland is the progression of farmland utilization from high to low net profit, and the abandonment of farmland is its extreme form, and cultivated land marginalization is an important problem that needs to be properly controlled in the process of economic and social development. In this paper, cultivated land was extracted from the land database and evaluated from the aspects of natural suitability, farming convenience and farming opportunity cost, etc. By setting the combined weight of the three evaluation results and stacking them with the forest land extracted from remote sensing images, the potential risk range of cultivated land marginalization was identified, and an empirical study was carried out in Mengjin County, Henan Province. Results showed that: 1) the natural factors of cultivated land were stable and not easy to change, and the natural suitability was the basic condition that affected the marginalization of cultivated land. There was a spatial correlation between the natural suitability of cultivated land and the cultivation convenience, and the risk of marginalization of cultivated land with poor natural suitability and inconvenient cultivation conditions was higher. 2) The high-opportunity cost areas are mainly distributed in the inner suburbs of cities, and the cultivated land in this area is highly likely to be adjusted to high-benefit agriculture such as flowers, vegetables and sightseeing agriculture. Therefore, the risk of abandonment of cultivated land is less. 3) Adjusting cultivated land with poor natural suitability and inconvenient tillage conditions to forest land is conducive to the restoration of regional fragile ecology. Comprehensive improvement of cultivated land with high natural suitability but inconvenient tillage is an important way to delay the marginalization of cultivated land. This study provides a new idea for the formulation of farmland marginalization prevention and control policies at county level.
Green Finance and Carbon Emission Reduction: A Bibliometric Analysis and Systematic Review
Authors: Zhang Zuocheng , Liu Yang , Han Zongqi , Liao Xianchun
Published: July 2022

Green finance is an emerging topic which is broadly discussed in context of adapting and mitigating environmental deterioration due to climate change. As an effective incentive mechanism, it provides strong support for carbon emission reduction. However, a limited review articles investigate the specific combination of green finance and carbon emission reduction. Here, we apply a bibliometric analysis to review research on green finance and carbon emission reduction based on the literature from 2010 to 2021 in the Web of Science core database. The results indicate that countries with the most publications were those with high economic development, salient environmental problems, and a strong demand for ecological protection. Top publishing journals include Climate Policy, Journal of Cleaner Production, and Energy Policy. The author collaboration is fragmented, mostly less than three researchers. Based on analyses of keyword frequency and centrality, deforestation, carbon markets, and financial development were the most significant research topics. The research hotspots included clean development mechanism, adaptation, carbon market, and sequestration. Finally, the DPSIR framework is applied to explore driving forces, state, pressure, impact and response of current research. We hope our work provides a systematic review of green finance for carbon emission reduction to boost the research in this field.
Spatial and Temporal Distribution Pattern of Oncomelania hupensis Caused by Multiple Environmental Factors Using Ecological Niche Models
Authors: Shi Qianwen , Gong Yanfeng , Zhao Jian , Qin Zhiqiang , Zhang Jun , Wu Jingzhi , Hu Zengyun , Li Shizhu
Published: July 2022

Objective: This study aimed to predict the spatial and temporal distribution pattern of Oncomelania hupensis (O. hupensis) on a fine scale based on ecological niche models, so as to provide insights into O. hupensis surveillance.

Methods: Geographic distribution and environmental variables of O. hupensis in Suzhou City were collected from 2016 to 2020. Five machine learning algorithms were used, including eXtreme gradient boosting (XGB), support vector machine (SVM), random forest (RF), generalized boosted (GBM), and C5.0 algorithms, to predict the distribution of O. hupensis and investigate the relative contribution of each environmental variable. The accuracy of the five ecological niche models was evaluated using the area under the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve (AUC) with ten-fold cross-validation.

Results: Five models predicted that the potential distribution of O. hupensis was in southwestern areas of Wuzhong, Wujiang, Taichang, and Xiangcheng counties. The AUC of RF, XGB, GBM, SVM, and C5.0 algorithms were 0.8233, 0.8051, 0.7938, 0.7897, and 0.7282, respectively. Comparing the predictive results and the truth of O. hupensis distribution in 2021, XGB and GBM models were shown to be more effective. The six greatest contributors to predicting potential O. hupensis distribution included silt content (13.13%), clay content (10.21%), population density (8.16%), annual accumulated temperatures of ≥0°C (8.12%), night-time lights (7.67%), and average annual precipitation (7.23%).

Conclusions: Environmental factors play a key role in the spatial and temporal distribution pattern of O. hupensis. The XGB and GBM machine learning algorithms are effective and highly accurate for fine-scale prediction of potential O. hupensis distribution, which provides insights into the surveillance of O. hupensis.
Tracking Spatio-Temporal Dynamics of Greenhouse-Led Cultivated Land and its Drivers in Shandong Province, China
Authors: Ou Cong , Wang Yongsheng
Published: July 2022

Rapid urbanization and economic development have led the diversified food production and consumption. In this context, as a highly efficient and intensive cultivated land use form, Greenhouse-led cultivated land (GCL) has continuously increased in recent decades worldwide. Previously works have documented the irrational expansion of GCL in challenging the ecological environment and sustainable agricultural development. However, these studies either have been short-term and point-based studies or have not revealed the long-term causes, process and patterns in a large-scale. In this study, long-term annual remote sensing-based and statistical data were used to investigate the spatiotemporal dynamics of GCL and its drivers in Shandong province, China from 1989 to 2018. The results showed that: 1) GCL in Shandong was toward continuous clustering dominated by medium-low and medium densities, showing the same trend as the increase of its total area; 2) GCL with a cumulative duration of more than 15 years and a demolition frequency of less than 0.2 were mainly distributed in the industrial clustering regions and roughly formed a circular expansion pattern around the central mountainous area with the most expansion period appeared in the mid-2010’s; 3) Budget expenditure for rural development, local retail sales and average earnings of local farmers were the most important local driving factors of the GCL expansion in Shandong. 4) The competition of external vegetable supply and the consumption demand from Beijing were the main external driving forces of the expansion of GCL in Shandong. These findings can enhance the comprehensive understanding of typical component of “Human-Nature” interaction and support the sustainable development of regional agriculture.
A Novel Purine and Uric Metabolism Signature Predicting the Prognosis of Hepatocellular Carcinoma
Authors: Yang Shengjie , Zhang Baoying , Tan Weijuan , Qi Lu , Ma Xiao , Wang Xinghe
Published: July 2022

Background: Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is regarded as one of the most common cancers in the world with a poor prognosis. Patients with HCC often have abnormal purine and uric acid metabolism, but their relationship with prognosis is unclear.

Methods: Here, we collected the data of peripheral blood uric acid and clinical data in 50 patients with HCC and analyzed the relationship with prognosis. At the same time, the transcriptome sequencing data of TCGA and GEO databases were collected to analyze the changes in purine metabolic pathway activity and construct a prognosis prediction model. Based on the prognosis prediction model related to purine metabolism, we further looked for the differences in the immune microenvironment and molecular level and provided possible drug targets.

Results: We found that the level of serum uric acid was positively correlated with the prognosis of HCC. At the same time, purine metabolism and purine biosynthesis pathway activities were significantly activated in patients with a poor prognosis of HCC. The prognosis prediction model of HCC based on purine metabolism and purine biosynthesis pathway can accurately evaluate the prognosis of patients with HCC. Meanwhile, we found that there were significant changes in tumor immune infiltration microenvironment and biological function at the molecular level in patients with over-activation of purine metabolism and purine biosynthesis pathway. In addition, we found that uric acid level was positively correlated with peripheral blood leukocytes in HCC patients.

Conclusion: In this study, we found that the level of peripheral blood uric acid in patients with HCC is correlated with their prognosis. The prognosis of patients with HCC can be accurately predicted through the metabolic process of uric acid and purine.
Characterization of Fatty Acid Metabolism-Related Genes Landscape for Predicting Prognosis and Aiding Immunotherapy in Glioma Patients
Authors: Jiang Feng , Luo Fei , Zeng Ni , Mao Yan , Tang Xinfang , Wang Jimei , Hu Yifang , Wu Chuyan
Published: July 2022

Glioma is a highly malignant brain tumor with a poor survival rate. The involvement of fatty acid metabolism in glioma was examined to find viable treatment options. The information was gathered from the Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) and the Chinese Glioma Genome Atlas (CGGA) databases. A prognostic signature containing fatty acid metabolism-dependent genes (FAMDs) was developed to predict glioma outcome by multivariate and most minor absolute shrinkage and selection operator (LASSO) regression analyses. In the TCGA cohort, individuals with a good score had a worse prognosis than those with a poor score, validated in the CGGA cohort. According to further research by “pRRophetic” R package, higher-risk individuals were more susceptible to crizotinib. According to a complete study of the connection between the predictive risk rating model and tumor microenvironment (TME) features, high-risk individuals were eligible for activating the immune cell-associated receptor pathway. We also discovered that anti-PD-1/PD-L1 and anti-CTLA4 immunotherapy are more effective in high-risk individuals. Furthermore, we demonstrated that CCNA2 promotes glioma proliferation, migration, and invasion and regulates macrophage polarization. Therefore, examining the fatty acid metabolism pathway aids our understanding of TME invasion properties, allowing us to develop more effective immunotherapies for glioma.
Role of B-Cell in the Pathogenesis of Systemic Sclerosis
Authors: Thoreau Benjamin , Chaigne Benjamin , Mouthon Luc
Published: July 2022

Systemic sclerosis (SSc) is a rare multisystem autoimmune disease, characterized by fibrosis, vasculopathy, and autoimmunity. Recent advances have highlighted the significant implications of B-cells in SSc. B-cells are present in affected organs, their subpopulations are disrupted, and they display an activated phenotype, and the regulatory capacities of B-cells are impaired, as illustrated by the decrease in the IL-10+ producing B-cell subpopulation or the inhibitory membrane co-receptor density. Recent multi-omics evidence highlights the role of B-cells mainly in the early stage of SSc and preferentially during severe organ involvement. This dysregulated homeostasis partly explains the synthesis of anti-endothelial cell autoantibodies (AECAs) or anti-fibroblast autoantibodies (AFAs), proinflammatory or profibrotic cytokines (interleukin-6 and transforming growth factor-β) produced by B and plasma cells. That is associated with cell-to-cell interactions with endothelial cells, fibroblasts, vascular smooth muscle cells, and other immune cells, altogether leading to cell activation and proliferation, cell resistance to apoptosis, the impairment of regulatory mechanisms, and causing fibrosis of several organs encountered in the SSc. Finally, alongside these exploratory data, treatments targeting B-cells, through their depletion by cytotoxicity (anti-CD20 monoclonal antibody), or the cytokines produced by the B-cell, or their costimulation molecules, seem interesting, probably in certain profiles of early patients with severe organic damage.
The Effects of Shade and Light on Corals in the Context of Coral Bleaching and Shading Technologies
Authors: Tagliafico Alejandro , Baker Paul , Kelaher Brendan , Ellis Sophia , Harrison Daniel
Published: July 2022

The current coral reefs crisis is motivating a number of innovative projects attempting to leverage new mechanisms to avoid coral bleaching, reduce coral mortality and restore damaged reefs. Shading the reef, through seawater atomised fogging, is one tool in development to reduce levels of irradiance and temperature. To evaluate the potential viability of this concept, here we review 91 years (1930–2021) of published research looking at the effects of different levels of shade and light on coral reefs. We summarised the types of studies, places, coral species used, common responses variable measured, and types of shades used among studies. We discuss issues related to reef scale shading applicability, different methods used to measure light, standardisation methods and most importantly the positive and negative effects of shading corals.
Differentiation and Temperature Adaptation of Pampus Echinogaster Based on Genome-Wide SNPs
Authors: Li Yuan , Lou Fangrui , Liu Shigang , Li Hai , Xiang Jiali , Shan Binbin , Lin Longshan , Zhuang Xuan
Published: July 2022

Climate change and overfishing have led to the degradation of the quality and stock of Pampus echinogaster. Exploring the genetic structure and local adaptive evolutionary mechanisms ofP. echinogasteris crucial for the management of this species. This population genomic study of nine geographical populations ofP. echinogasterin China was conducted by specific-locus amplified fragment sequencing (SLAF-seq). A total of 935,215 SLAF tags were obtained, and the average sequencing depth of the SLAF tags was 20.80×. After filtering, a total of 46,187 high-consistency genome-wide single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) were detected. Based on all SNPs, the population size of the nineP. echinogastergeographical populations was large. The Shantou population had the lowest genetic diversity, and the Tianjin population had the highest. Moreover, the population genetic structure based on all SNPs revealed significant gene exchange and no significant genetic differentiation among the nineP. echinogastergeographical populations, probably because of the population expansion after the last glacial period, the lack of balance between migration and genetic drift, and the long-distance diffusion of eggs and larvae. We suspect that variation of material metabolism, ion transfer, breeding, stress response, and inflammatory reactions-related genes were critical for adaptation to spatially heterogeneous temperature selection in naturalP. echinogasterpopulations.
Thermodynamic and Kinetic Characteristics of Spinodal Decomposition in Ternary Alloys
Authors: Lopez-Hirata Victor M. , Escamilla-Illescas Cristobal R. , Calva-Luna Rodrigo , Saucedo-Muñoz Maribel L. , Avila-Davila Erika O. , Villegas-Cardenas Jose D.
Published: July 2022

The phase decomposition of hypothetic A–B–C alloys was analyzed using the phase-field method based on the numerical solution of the Cahn–Hilliard equation. The effect of the interaction parameters on the growth kinetics of phase decomposition was also studied. The results indicated that the driving force was the fastest if all the three interaction parameters were equal, promoting the quickest growth kinetics of the ternary alloy. The phase decomposition occurred spinodally and caused the formation of three phases, A-rich, B-rich, and C-rich. In this case, the spinodal curve formed an isolated island. If one or two interaction parameters are equal to zero, the growth kinetics is slower. This condition originated only the formation of two decomposed phases with the chemical composition of either one element or two elements depending on the interaction parameters. Likewise, the spinodal curve is not completely located within the isothermal section.
Endothelial Function in Postmenopausal Women: The Possible Role of Heat Shock Protein 60 and Serum Androgens
Authors: Armeni Eleni , Soureti Anastasia , Augoulea Areti , Chondrou Asimina , Drakoulis Nikolaos , Kaparos George , Delialis Dimitrios , Stefos Spyros , Angelidakis Lasthenis , Sianis Alexandros , Dimopoulou Aggeliki-Maria , Alexandrou Andreas , Baka Stavroula , Aravantinos Leon , Panoulis Konstantinos , Stamatelopoulos Kimon , Lambrinoudaki Irene
Published: July 2022

Background: Heat shock protein 60 (HSP60), a potentially homeostatic antigen, is involved in physiological and non-physiological conditions. Experimental data support the role of HSP60 in placental and mitochondrial steroidogenesis. Furthermore, HSP60 is translocated into the endothelial-cell plasma membrane and the extracellular space under stress conditions, promoting the atherosclerotic process. Therefore, we investigated the association between HSP60 and endothelial function in postmenopausal women, considering the possible atherogenic effect of androgenic hormones.

Methods: This study included 123 healthy postmenopausal women. Exclusion criteria were treated hypertension or dyslipidaemia, menopause hormone therapy during the last 6 months, and previously diagnosed peripheral vascular disease or cardiovascular disease. Fasting venous blood samples were obtained for biochemical and hormonal assessment and evaluation of HSP60. Sonographic assessment of flow-mediated dilation (FMD) occurred immediately after that in one session.

Results: Univariate analysis showed that women with FMD values below median 5.12% had lower logHSP60 values (low vs. high FMD, HSP60 values: 2.01 ± 1.16 ng/ml vs. 3.22 ± 1.17 ng/ml, p-value = 0.031). Multivariable analysis showed that logHSP60 was associated with FMD (b-coefficient = 0.171, p-value = 0.046), adjusting for traditional cardiovascular risk factors (TRFs) and insulin levels. Further adjustment for testosterone and DHEAS rendered the result non-significant. In the multivariable analysis, FMD was associated with insulin (b-coefficient = −0.166, p-value = 0.034), testosterone (b-coefficient = −0.165, p-value = 0.034), DHEAS (b-coefficient = −0.187, p-value = 0.017), adjusting for TRFs.

Discussion: The results of this study indicate that the association between androgens and endothelial function is possibly mediated by HSP60 molecules, in women with low insulin resistance and androgenicity. Further prospective studies are needed to explore the significance of our findings.
Insulin-Like Growth Factor Binding Protein (IGFBP-6) as a Novel Regulator of Inflammatory Response in Cystic Fibrosis Airway Cells
Authors: Laselva Onofrio , Criscione Maria Laura , Allegretta Caterina , Di Gioia Sante , Liso Arcangelo , Conese Massimo
Published: July 2022

Cystic Fibrosis (CF) patients are prone to contracting bacterial lung infections with opportunistic pathogens, especiallyPseudomonas aeruginosa. ProlongedP. aeruginosainfections have been linked to chronic inflammation in the CF lung, whose hallmarks are increased levels of cytokines (i.e., TNF-α, IL-1β, IL-6) and neutrophil attraction by chemokines, like IL-8. Recently, insulin-like growth factor binding protein 6 (IGFBP-6) has been shown to play a putative role in the immune system and was found at higher levels in the sera and synovial tissue of rheumatoid arthritis patients. Moreover, it has been demonstrated that IGFBP-6 has chemoattractant properties towards cells of the innate (neutrophils, monocytes) and adaptive (T cells) immunity. However, it is not known whether IGFBP-6 expression is dysregulated in airway epithelial cells under infection/inflammatory conditions. Therefore, we first measured the basal IGFBP-6 mRNA and protein levels in bronchial epithelial cells lines (Wt and F508del-CFTR CFBE), finding they both are upregulated in F508del-CFTR CFBE cells. Interestingly, LPS and IL-1β+TNFα treatments increased the IGFBP-6 mRNA level, that was reduced after treatment with an anti-inflammatory (Dimethyl Fumarate) in CFBE cell line and in patient-derived nasal epithelial cultures. Lastly, we demonstrated that IGFBP-6 reduced the level of pro-inflammatory cytokines in both CFBE and primary nasal epithelial cells, without affecting rescued CFTR expression and function. The addition of a neutralizing antibody to IGFBP-6 increased pro-inflammatory cytokines expression under challenge with LPS. Together, these data suggest that IGFBP-6 may play a direct role in the CF-associated inflammation.
Non-Invasive Prediction Models for Esophageal Varices and Red Signs in Patients With Hepatitis B Virus-Related Liver Cirrhosis
Authors: Liang Huixin , Si Hang , Liu Mingzhu , Yuan Lianxiong , Ma Ruiying , Zhang Genglin , Yang Jianrong , Mo Zhishuo , Zhao Qiyi
Published: July 2022

Background: Red signs are closely related to esophageal variceal bleeding, and, despite improvements in therapy, the mortality rate remains high. We aimed to identify non-invasive predictors of esophageal varices and red signs in patients with hepatitis B virus-related liver cirrhosis.

Methods: This retrospective study included 356 patients with hepatitis B virus-related liver cirrhosis after applying inclusion and exclusion criteria among 661 patients. All patients underwent endoscopy, ultrasonography, laboratory examinations, and computed tomography/magnetic resonance imaging. Univariate and multivariate logistic regression analysis were performed, and prediction models for esophageal varices and red signs were constructed.

Results: Multivariate analysis revealed that spleen diameter, splenic vein diameter, and lymphocyte ratio were independent risk factors for esophageal varices and red signs. On this basis, we proposed two models: i) a spleen diameter-splenic vein diameter-lymphocyte ratio-esophageal varices prediction model (SSL-EV model); and ii) a spleen diameter-splenic vein diameter-lymphocyte ratio-red sign prediction model (SSL-RS model). The areas under the receiver operating characteristic curve for the two prediction models were 0.843 and 0.783, respectively. With a cutoff value of 1.55, the first prediction model had 81.3% sensitivity and 76.1% specificity for esophageal varices prediction. With a cutoff value of −0.20, the second prediction model had 72.1% sensitivity and 70.7% specificity for the prediction of red signs.

Conclusions: We proposed a new statistical model, the spleen diameter-splenic vein diameter-lymphocyte ratio-red sign prediction model (SSL-RS model), to predict the presence of red signs non-invasively. Combined with the spleen diameter-splenic vein diameter-lymphocyte ratio-esophageal varices prediction model (SSL-EV model), these non-invasive prediction models will be helpful in guiding clinical decision-making and preventing the occurrence of esophageal variceal bleeding.
Classification of Alzheimer’s Disease Based on Deep Learning of Brain Structural and Metabolic Data
Authors: Wang Huiquan , Feng Tianzi , Zhao Zhe , Bai Xue , Han Guang , Wang Jinhai , Dai Zongrui , Wang Rong , Zhao Weibiao , Ren Fuxin , Gao Fei
Published: July 2022

To improve the diagnosis and classification of Alzheimer’s disease (AD), a modeling method is proposed based on the combining magnetic resonance images (MRI) brain structural data with metabolite levels of the frontal and parietal regions. First, multi-atlas brain segmentation technology based on T1-weighted images and edited magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS) were used to extract data of 279 brain regions and levels of 12 metabolites from regions of interest (ROIs) in the frontal and parietal regions. The t-test combined with false discovery rate (FDR) correction was used to reduce the dimensionality in the data, and MRI structural data of 54 brain regions and levels of 4 metabolites that obviously correlated with AD were screened out. Lastly, the stacked auto-encoder neural network (SAE) was used to classify AD and healthy controls (HCs), which judged the effect of classification method by fivefold cross validation. The results indicated that the mean accuracy of the five experimental model increased from 96 to 100%, the AUC value increased from 0.97 to 1, specificity increased from 90 to 100%, and F1 value increased from 0.97 to 1. Comparing the effect of each metabolite on model performance revealed that the gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) + levels in the parietal region resulted in the most significant improvement in model performance, with the accuracy rate increasing from 96 to 98%, the AUC value increased from 0.97 to 0.99 and the specificity increasing from 90 to 95%. Moreover, the GABA + levels in the parietal region was significantly correlated with Mini Mental State Examination (MMSE) scores of patients with AD (r = 0.627), and the F statistics were largest (F = 25.538), which supports the hypothesis that dysfunctional GABAergic system play an important role in the pathogenesis of AD. Overall, our findings support that a comprehensive method that combines MRI structural and metabolic data of brain regions can improve model classification efficiency of AD.
Cervical Cancer Imaging Features Associated With ADRB1 as a Risk Factor for Cerebral Neurovascular Metastases
Authors: Zheng Xingju , Xu Shilin , Wu JiaYing
Published: July 2022

Bioinformatics tools are used to create a clinical prediction model for cervical cancer metastasis and to investigate the neurovascular-related genes that are involved in brain metastasis of cervical cancer. One hundred eighteen patients with cervical cancer were divided into two groups based on the presence or absence of metastases, and the clinical data and imaging findings of the two groups were compared retrospectively. The nomogram-based model was successfully constructed by taking into account four clinical characteristics (age, stage, N, and T) as well as one imaging characteristic (original_glszm_GrayLevelVariance Rad-score). In patients with cervical cancer, headaches and vomiting were more often reported in the brain metastasis group than in the other metastasis groups. According to the TCGA data, mRNA differential gene expression analysis of patients with cervical cancer revealed an increase in the expression of neurovascular-related gene Adrenoceptor Beta 1 (ADRB1) in the brain metastasis group. An analysis of the correlation between imaging features and ADRB1 expression revealed that ADRB1 expression was significantly higher in the low Rad-score group compared with the high Rad-score group (P = 0.025). Therefore, ADRB1 expression in cervical cancer was correlated with imaging features and was associated as a risk factor for cerebral neurovascular metastases. This study developed a nomogram prediction model for cervical cancer metastasis using age, stage, N, T and original_glszm_GrayLevelVariance. As a risk factor associated with the development of cerebral neurovascular metastases of cervical cancer, ADRB1 expression was significantly higher in brain metastases from cervical cancer.
Videooculography “HINTS” in Acute Vestibular Syndrome: A Prospective Study
Authors: Korda Athanasia , Wimmer Wilhelm , Zamaro Ewa , Wagner Franca , Sauter Thomas C. , Caversaccio Marco D. , Mantokoudis Georgios
Published: July 2022

Objective

A three-step bedside test (“HINTS”: Head Impulse-Nystagmus-Test of Skew), is a well-established way to differentiate peripheral from central causes in patients with acute vestibular syndrome (AVS). Nowadays, the use of videooculography gives physicians the possibility to quantify all eye movements. The goal of this study is to compare the accuracy of VOG “HINTS” (vHINTS) to an expert evaluation.

Methods

We performed a prospective study from July 2015 to April 2020 on all patients presenting at the emergency department with signs of AVS. All the patients underwent clinical HINTS (cHINTS) and vHINTS followed by delayed MRI, which served as a gold standard for stroke confirmation.

Results

We assessed 46 patients with AVS, 35 patients with acute unilateral vestibulopathy, and 11 patients with stroke. The overall accuracy of vHINTS in detecting a central pathology was 94.2% with 100% sensitivity and 88.9% specificity. Experts, however, assessed cHINTS with a lower accuracy of 88.3%, 90.9% sensitivity, and 85.7% specificity. The agreement between clinical and video head impulse tests was good, whereas for nystagmus direction was fair.

Conclusions

vHINTS proved to be very accurate in detecting strokes in patients AVS, with 9% points better sensitivity than the expert. The evaluation of nystagmus direction was the most difficult part of HINTS.
Case Reports: Novel Missense Variants in the Filamin C Actin Binding Domain Cause Variable Phenotypes
Authors: Velardo Daniele , D'Angelo Maria Grazia , Citterio Andrea , Panzeri Elena , Napoli Laura , Cinnante Claudia , Moggio Maurizio , Comi Giacomo Pietro , Ronchi Dario , Bassi Maria Teresa
Published: July 2022

Filamin C is a large dimeric actin-binding protein, most prevalent in skeletal and cardiac muscle Z-discs, where it participates in sarcomere mechanical stabilization and intracellular signaling, interacting with numerous binding partners. Dominant heterozygous mutations of Filamin C gene cause several forms of myopathy and structural or arrhythmogenic cardiomyopathy. In this report we describe clinical and molecular findings of two Italian patients, in whom we identified two novel missense variants located within the Filamin C actin binding domain. Muscle imaging, histological and ultrastructural findings are also reported. Our results underline the extreme inter- and intrafamilial variability of clinical manifestations, hence the need to extend the investigation also to asymptomatic relatives, and the relevance of a broad diagnostic approach involving muscle electron microscopy, skeletal muscle magnetic resonance imaging and next generation sequencing techniques.
Examining the Effect of Increased Aerobic Exercise in Moderately Fit Adults on Psychological State and Cognitive Function
Authors: Basso Julia C. , Oberlin Douglas J. , Satyal Medha K. , O’Brien Catherine E. , Crosta Christen , Psaras Zach , Metpally Anvitha , Suzuki Wendy A.
Published: July 2022

Regular physical exercise can decrease the risk for obesity, diabetes, and cardiovascular disease, increase life expectancy, and promote psychological health and neurocognitive functioning. Cross-sectional studies show that cardiorespiratory fitness level (VO2 max) is associated with enhanced brain health, including improved mood state and heightened cognitive performance. Interventional studies are consistent with these cross-sectional studies, but most have focused on low-fit populations. Few such studies have asked if increasing levels of physical activity in moderately fit people can significantly enhance mood, motivation, and cognition. Therefore, the current study investigated the effects of increasing aerobic exercise in moderately fit individuals on psychological state and cognitive performance. We randomly assigned moderately fit healthy adults, 25–59 years of age, who were engaged in one or two aerobic exercise sessions per week to either maintain their exercise regimen (n = 41) or increase their exercise regimen (i.e., 4–7 aerobic workouts per week; n = 39) for a duration of 3 months. Both before and after the intervention, we assessed aerobic capacity using a modified cardiorespiratory fitness test, and hippocampal functioning via various neuropsychological assessments including a spatial navigation task and the Mnemonic Similarity Task as well as self-reported measures including the Positive and Negative Affect Scale, Beck Anxiety Inventory, State-Trait Anxiety Inventory, Perceived Stress Scale, Rumination Scale, Eating Disorders Examination, Eating Attitudes Test, Body Attitudes Test, and Behavioral Regulation of Exercise Questionnaire. Consistent with our initial working hypotheses, we found that increasing exercise significantly decreased measures of negative affect, including fear, sadness, guilt, and hostility, as well as improved body image. Further, we found that the total number of workouts was significantly associated with improved spatial navigation abilities and body image as well as reduced anxiety, general negative affect, fear, sadness, hostility, rumination, and disordered eating. In addition, increases in fitness levels were significantly associated with improved episodic memory and exercise motivation as well as decreased stress and disordered eating. Our findings are some of the first to indicate that in middle-aged moderately-fit adults, continuing to increase exercise levels in an already ongoing fitness regimen is associated with additional benefits for both psychological and cognitive health.
Interpersonal Physiological Synchrony Predicts Group Cohesion
Authors: Tomashin Alon , Gordon Ilanit , Wallot Sebastian
Published: July 2022

A key emergent property of group social dynamic is synchrony–the coordination of actions, emotions, or physiological processes between group members. Despite this fact and the inherent nested structure of groups, little research has assessed physiological synchronization between group members from a multi-level perspective, thus limiting a full understanding of the dynamics between members. To address this gap of knowledge we re-analyzed a large dataset (N = 261) comprising physiological and psychological data that were collected in two laboratory studies that involved two different social group tasks. In both studies, following the group task, members reported their experience of group cohesion via questionnaires. We utilized a non-linear analysis method-multidimensional recurrence quantification analysis that allowed us to represent physiological synchronization in cardiological interbeat intervals between group members at the individual-level and at the group-level. We found that across studies and their conditions, the change in physiological synchrony from baseline to group interaction predicted a psychological sense of group cohesion. This result was evident both at the individual and the group levels and was not modified by the context of the interaction. The individual- and group-level effects were highly correlated. These results indicate that the relationship between synchrony and cohesion is a multilayered construct. We re-affirm the role of physiological synchrony for cohesion in groups. Future studies are needed to crystallize our understanding of the differences and similarities between synchrony at the individual-level and synchrony at the group level to illuminate under which conditions one of these levels has primacy, or how they interact.