bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Generation of a high quality library of bioactive filamentous actinomycetes from extreme biomes using a culture-based bioprospecting strategy
Authors: Świecimska Magdalena , Golińska Patrycja , Goodfellow Michael
Published: January 2023

Introduction

Filamentous actinomycetes, notably members of the genusStreptomyces, remain a rich source of new specialized metabolites, especially antibiotics. In addition, they are also a valuable source of anticancer and biocontrol agents, biofertilizers, enzymes, immunosuppressive drugs and other biologically active compounds. The new natural products needed for such purposes are now being sought from extreme habitats where harsh environmental conditions select for novel strains with distinctive features, notably an ability to produce specialized metabolites of biotechnological value.

Methods

A culture-based bioprospecting strategy was used to isolate and screen filamentous actinomycetes from three poorly studied extreme biomes. Actinomycetes representing different colony types growing on selective media inoculated with environmental suspensions prepared from high-altitude, hyper-arid Atacama Desert soils, a saline soil from India and from a Polish pine forest soil were assigned to taxonomically predictive groups based on characteristic pigments formed on oatmeal agar. One hundred and fifteen representatives of the colour-groups were identified based on 16S rRNA gene sequences to determine whether they belonged to validly named or to putatively novel species. The antimicrobial activity of these isolates was determined using a standard plate assay. They were also tested for their capacity to produce hydrolytic enzymes and compounds known to promote plant growth while representative strains from the pine forest sites were examined to determine their ability to inhibit the growth of fungal and oomycete plant pathogens.

Results

Comparative 16S rRNA gene sequencing analyses on isolates representing the colour-groups and their immediate phylogenetic neighbours showed that most belonged to either rare or novel species that belong to twelve genera. Representative isolates from the three extreme biomes showed different patterns of taxonomic diversity and characteristic bioactivity profiles. Many of the isolates produced bioactive compounds that inhibited the growth of one or more strains from a panel of nine wild strains in standard antimicrobial assays and are known to promote plant growth. Actinomycetes from the litter and mineral horizons of the pine forest, including acidotolerant and acidophilic strains belonging to the generaActinacidiphila,StreptacidiphilusandStreptomyces,showed a remarkable ability to inhibit the growth of diverse fungal and oomycete plant pathogens.

Discussion

It can be concluded that selective isolation and characterization of dereplicated filamentous actinomyctes from several extreme biomes is a practical way of generating high quality actinomycete strain libraries for agricultural, industrial and medical biotechnology.
Investigation on acquired palbociclib resistance by LC-MS based multi-omics analysis
Authors: Xue Zhichao , Zeng Jiaming , Yin Xinchi , Li Yongshu , Meng Bo , Zhao Yang , Fang Xiang , Gong Xiaoyun , Dai Xinhua
Published: January 2023

Palbociclib is a specific CDK4/6 inhibitor that has been widely applied in multiple types of tumors. Different from cytotoxic drugs, the anticancer mechanism of palbociclib mainly depends on cell cycle inhibition. Therefore, the resistance mechanism is different. For clinical cancer patients, drug resistance is inevitable for almost all cancer therapies including palbociclib. We have trained palbociclib resistant cells in vitro to simulate the clinical situation and applied LC-MS multi-omics analysis methods including proteomic, metabolomic, and glycoproteomic techniques, to deeply understand the underly mechanism behind the resistance. As a result of proteomic analysis, the resistant cells were found to rely on altered metabolic pathways to keep proliferation. Metabolic processes related to carbohydrates, lipids, DNA, cellular proteins, glucose, and amino acids were observed to be upregulated. Most dramatically, the protein expressions of COX-1 and NDUFB8 have been detected to be significantly overexpressed by proteomic analysis. When a COX-1 inhibitor was hired to combine with palbociclib, a synergistic effect could be obtained, suggesting the altered COX-1 involved metabolic pathway is an important reason for the acquired palbociclib resistance. The KEGG pathway of N-glycan biosynthesis was identified through metabolomics analysis. N-glycoproteomic analysis was therefore included and the global glycosylation was found to be elevated in the palbociclib-resistant cells. Moreover, integration analysis of glycoproteomic data allowed us to detect a lot more proteins that have been glycosylated with low abundances, these proteins were considered to be overwhelmed by those highly abundant proteins during regular proteomic LC-MS detection. These low-abundant proteins are mainly involved in the cellular biology processes of cell migration, the regulation of chemotaxis, as well as the glycoprotein metabolic process which offered us great more details on the roles played by N-glycosylation in drug resistance. Our result also verified that N-glycosylation inhibitors could enhance the cell growth inhibition of palbociclib in resistant cells. The high efficiency of the integrated multi-omics analysis workflow in discovering drug resistance mechanisms paves a new way for drug development. With a clear understanding of the resistance mechanism, new drug targets and drug combinations could be designed to resensitize the resistant tumors.
Influence of accessory sulci of the frontoparietal operculum on gray matter quantification
Authors: Vallejo-Azar Mariana N. , Alba-Ferrara Lucia , Bouzigues Arabella , Princich Juan P. , Markov Martin , Bendersky Mariana , Gonzalez Paula N.
Published: January 2023

Introduction: The perisylvian region is the cortical core of language and speech. Several accessory sulci have been described in this area, whose presence could modify the results of the automatic quantification of gray matter by popularly used software. This study aimed to assess the expression of accessory sulci in the frontoparietal operculum (FPO) and to evaluate their influence on the gray matter volume estimated by an automatic parcellation of cortical gyri and sulci.

Methods: Brain MRI scans of 100 healthy adult volunteers were visually analyzed. The existence of the triangular and diagonal sulci, and the number of accessory sulci in the frontoparietal operculum, were assessed on T1 images. Also, the gray matter volume of gyri and sulci was quantified by an automatized parcellation method. Interhemispheric differences in accessory sulci were evaluated with Chi-square and Wilcoxon paired tests. The effects of the hemisphere, sex, age, total intracranial volume, and accessory sulci on morphometric variables were assessed by linear models.

Results: These sulci were found in more than half of the subjects, mostly in the left hemisphere, and showed a significant effect on the gray matter content of the FPO. In particular, the volume of the inferior frontal sulcus, pars opercularis of the inferior frontal gyrus, horizontal ramus of the lateral sulcus, angular gyrus, and postcentral gyrus showed a significant influence on the presence of accessory sulci.

Discussion: The prevalence of tertiary sulci in the FPO is high, although their meaning is not yet known. Therefore, they should be considered to reduce the risk of misclassifications of normal variation.
Identifying microbe-disease association based on graph convolutional attention network: Case study of liver cirrhosis and epilepsy
Authors: Shi Kai , Li Lin , Wang Zhengfeng , Chen Huazhou , Chen Zilin , Fang Shuanfeng
Published: January 2023

The interactions between the microbiota and the human host can affect the physiological functions of organs (such as the brain, liver, gut, etc.). Accumulating investigations indicate that the imbalance of microbial community is closely related to the occurrence and development of diseases. Thus, the identification of potential links between microbes and diseases can provide insight into the pathogenesis of diseases. In this study, we propose a deep learning framework (MDAGCAN) based on graph convolutional attention network to identify potential microbe-disease associations. In MDAGCAN, we first construct a heterogeneous network consisting of the known microbe-disease associations and multi-similarity fusion networks of microbes and diseases. Then, the node embeddings considering the neighbor information of the heterogeneous network are learned by applying graph convolutional layers and graph attention layers. Finally, a bilinear decoder using node embedding representations reconstructs the unknown microbe-disease association. Experiments show that our method achieves reliable performance with average AUCs of 0.9778 and 0.9454 ± 0.0038 in the frameworks of Leave-one-out cross validation (LOOCV) and 5-fold cross validation (5-fold CV), respectively. Furthermore, we apply MDAGCAN to predict latent microbes for two high-risk human diseases, i.e., liver cirrhosis and epilepsy, and results illustrate that 16 and 17 out of the top 20 predicted microbes are verified by published literatures, respectively. In conclusion, our method displays effective and reliable prediction performance and can be expected to predict unknown microbe-disease associations facilitating disease diagnosis and prevention.
Role of gut-brain axis in neurodevelopmental impairment of necrotizing enterocolitis
Authors: Wang Yu , Hang Chengcheng , Hu Jun , Li Chen , Zhan Canyang , Pan Jiarong , Yuan Tianming
Published: January 2023

Necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC) is a common gastrointestinal disease of preterm infants with high morbidity and mortality. In survivors of NEC, one of the leading causes of long-term morbidity is the development of severe neurocognitive injury. The exact pathogenesis of neurodevelopmental delay in NEC remains unknown, but microbiota is considered to have dramatic effects on the development and function of the host brainviathe gut-brain axis. In this review, we discuss the characteristics of microbiota of NEC, the impaired neurological outcomes, and the role of the complex interplay between the intestinal microbiota and brain to influence neurodevelopment in NEC. The increasing knowledge of microbial-host interactions has the potential to generate novel therapies for manipulating brain development in the future.
Low frequency repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation promotes plasticity of the visual cortex in adult amblyopic rats
Authors: Zheng Jing , Zhang Wenqiu , Liu Longqian , Hung Yap Maurice Keng
Published: January 2023

The decline of visual plasticity restricts the recovery of visual functions in adult amblyopia. Repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) has been shown to be effective in treating adult amblyopia. However, the underlying mechanisms of rTMS on visual cortex plasticity remain unclear. In this study, we found that low-frequency rTMS reinstated the amplitude of visual evoked potentials, but did not influence the impaired depth perception of amblyopic rats. Furthermore, the expression of synaptic plasticity genes and the number of dendritic spines were significantly higher in amblyopic rats which received rTMS when compared with amblyopic rats which received sham stimulation, with reduced level of inhibition and perineuronal nets in visual cortex, as observed via molecular and histological investigations. The results provide further evidence that rTMS enhances functional recovery and visual plasticity in an adult amblyopic animal model.
A review of void and gas bubble superlattices self-organization under irradiation
Authors: Zhang Yongfeng
Published: January 2023

Irradiation by high-energy particles has been well known as a destructive force that “damages” crystalline materials by creating lattice defects. One surprising outcome from irradiation is the self-organization of void superlattices and gas bubble superlattices in various materials under irradiation. While these superlattices exhibit crystal structures that mimic atomic lattices, their self-organization takes place in far-from-equilibrium environment. A thermodynamic driving force that entails ordering is either absent or yet to be identified. In the past few decades, extensive research efforts have been made to generate such superlattices and to discern their formation mechanisms. While a consensus is yet to reach, these studies have substantially enriched our understanding on defect evolution and self-organization under irradiation. Appending previous reviews that are mostly done two decades ago, this article presents a comprehensive review of new experimental, theoretical, and simulational studies of void and gas bubble superlattices in the past two decades. An in-depth discussion on the formation mechanisms and their implications on superlattice properties is provided for the purpose of encouraging future studies.
Developing algae as a sustainable food source
Authors: Diaz Crisandra J. , Douglas Kai J. , Kang Kalisa , Kolarik Ashlynn L. , Malinovski Rodeon , Torres-Tiji Yasin , Molino João V. , Badary Amr , Mayfield Stephen P.
Published: January 2023

Current agricultural and food production practices are facing extreme stress, posed by climate change and an ever-increasing human population. The pressure to feed nearly 8 billion people while maintaining a minimal impact on the environment has prompted a movement toward new, more sustainable food sources. For thousands of years, both the macro (seaweed and kelp) and micro (unicellular) forms of algae have been cultivated as a food source. Algae have evolved to be highly efficient at resource utilization and have proven to be a viable source of nutritious biomass that could address many of the current food production issues. Particularly for microalgae, studies of their large-scale growth and cultivation come from the biofuel industry; however, this knowledge can be reasonably translated into the production of algae-based food products. The ability of algae to sequester CO2 lends to its sustainability by helping to reduce the carbon footprint of its production. Additionally, algae can be produced on non-arable land using non-potable water (including brackish or seawater), which allows them to complement rather than compete with traditional agriculture. Algae inherently have the desired qualities of a sustainable food source because they produce highly digestible proteins, lipids, and carbohydrates, and are rich in essential fatty acids, vitamins, and minerals. Although algae have yet to be fully domesticated as food sources, a variety of cultivation and breeding tools exist that can be built upon to allow for the increased productivity and enhanced nutritional and organoleptic qualities that will be required to bring algae to mainstream utilization. Here we will focus on microalgae and cyanobacteria to highlight the current advancements that will expand the variety of algae-based nutritional sources, as well as outline various challenges between current biomass production and large-scale economic algae production for the food market.
The quantification of sodium intake from discretionary salt intake in New Zealand using the lithium-tagged salt method
Authors: Wang Nan Xin , McLean Rachael M. , Cameron Claire , Skeaff Sheila A.
Published: January 2023

Introduction

Discretionary salt (added in cooking at home or at the table) is a source of sodium and iodine in New Zealand. The amount of discretionary salt consumed in a population has implications on policies regarding sodium and iodine. Sodium intake from discretionary salt intake has not been quantified in New Zealand. The aim of this study was to estimate the proportion of total sodium that comes from discretionary salt in adults using the lithium-tagged salt method.

Methods

A total of 116 healthy adults, who were not pregnant or breastfeeding, regularly consume home-cooked meals and use salt during cooking or at the table, aged 18–40 years from Dunedin, New Zealand were recruited into the study. The study took place over a 9-day period. On Day 1, participants were asked to collect a baseline 24-h urine to establish their normal lithium output. From Day 2 to Day 8, normal discretionary salt was replaced with lithium-tagged salt. Between Day 6 and Day 8, participants collected another two 24-h urine samples. A 24-h dietary recall was conducted to coincide with each of the final two 24-h urine collections. Urinary sodium was analysed by Ion-Selective Electrode and urinary lithium and urinary iodine were analysed using Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometry. The 24-h dietary recall data was entered into Xyris FoodWorks 10. All statistical analysis were conducted using Stata 17.0.

Results

A total of 109 participants with complete 24-h urine samples were included in the analysis. From the 24-h urine collections, the median urinary excretion of sodium and iodine was 3,222 mg/24 h (25th, 75th percentile: 2516, 3969) and 112 μg/24 h (82, 134). The median estimated sodium intake from discretionary salt was 13% (25th, 75th percentile: 7, 22) of the total sodium intake or 366 mg/24 h (25th, 75th percentile: 186, 705).

Conclusion

The total sodium intake was higher than the suggested dietary target of 2,000 mg/day. In this sample of healthy adults 18 to 40 years old, 13% of total sodium intake derived from discretionary salt. Discretionary salt is an additional source of iodine if iodised salt is used. Policies to reduce sodium intake is recommended to include a range of strategies to target discretionary and non-discretionary sources of salt and will need to take into account the contribution of iodine from discretionary salt intake.
The role of predicted lean body mass and fat mass in non-alcoholic fatty liver disease in both sexes: Results from a secondary analysis of the NAGALA study
Authors: Kuang Maobin , Yang Ruijuan , Xie Qiyang , Peng Nan , Lu Song , Xie Guobo , Zhang Shuhua , Zou Yang
Published: January 2023

Objective

High body mass index (BMI) is an important risk factor for non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). However, the association of body composition such as fat mass (FM) and lean body mass (LBM) with NAFLD has not been adequately studied. The purpose of this study was to clarify the contribution of body composition FM and LBM to NAFLD.

Methods

We analyzed data from 7,411 men and 6,840 women in the NAGALA cohort study. LBM and FM were estimated for all subjects using validated anthropometric prediction equations previously developed from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES). Using multiple logistic regression and restricted cubic spline (RCS) to analyze the association and the dose-response curve of predicted LBM and FM with NAFLD in both sexes.

Results

The prevalence of NAFLD in man and woman subjects was 27.37 and 6.99%, respectively. Predicted FM was positively and linearly associated with NAFLD in both sexes, with each 1 kg increase in predicted FM associated with a 27 and 40% increased risk of NAFLD in men and women, respectively. In contrast, predicted LBM was negatively associated with NAFLD in both sexes, with each 1 kg increase in predicted LBM reducing the risk of NAFLD by 4 and 19% in men and women, respectively. In addition, according to the RCS curve, the risk of NAFLD did not change in men when the predicted LBM was between 47 and 52 kg, and there seemed to be a saturation effect; further, the threshold value of the saturation effect was calculated to be about 52.08 kg by two-piecewise logistic regression, and the protective effect on NAFLD would be significantly enhanced when the man predicted LBM was greater than 52.08 kg.

Conclusion

The current findings suggested that body composition LBM and FM had opposite associations with NAFLD in both sexes, with higher LBM associated with a lower risk of NAFLD and higher FM increasing the risk of NAFLD, especially in women.
Temperature management during cytoreductive surgery with hyperthermic intraperitoneal chemotherapy
Authors: Ramirez Maria F. , Guerra-Londono Juan Jose , Owusu-Agyemang Pascal , Fournier Keith , Guerra-Londono Carlos E.
Published: January 2023

In addition to attaining complete or near complete cytoreduction, the instillation of select heated chemotherapeutic agents into the abdominal cavity has offered a chance for cure or longer survival inpatients with peritoneal surface malignancies. While the heating of chemotherapeutic agents enhances cytotoxicity, the resulting systemic hyperthermia has been associated with an increased risk of severe hyperthermia and its associated complications. Factors that have been associated with an increased risk of severe hyperthermia include intraoperative blood transfusions and longer perfusion duration. However, the development of severe hyperthermia still remains largely unpredictable. Thus, at several institutions, cooling protocols are employed during cytoreductive surgery with hyperthermic intraperitoneal chemotherapy (CRS-HIPEC). Cooling protocols for CRS-HIPEC are not standardized and may be associated with episodes of severe hyperthermia or alternatively hypothermia. In theory, excessive cooling could result in a decreased effectiveness of the intraperitoneal chemotherapeutic agents. This presumption has been supported by a recent study of 214 adults undergoing CRS-HIPEC, where failure to attain a temperature of 38° C at the end of chemo-perfusion was associated with worse survival. Although not statistically significant, failure to maintain a temperature of 38° C for at least 30 minutes was associated with worse survival. Although studies are limited in this regard, the importance of maintaining a steady state of temperature during the hyperthermic phase of intraperitoneal chemotherapy administration cannot be disregarded. The following article describes the processes and physiological mechanisms responsible for hyperthermia during CRS-HIPEC. The challenges associated with temperature management during CRS-HIPEC and methods to avoid severe hypothermia and hyperthermia are also described.
Efficacy of immunotherapy in KRAS-mutant advanced NSCLC: A real-world study in a Chinese population
Authors: Peng Lixiu , Guo Jun , Kong Li , Huang Yong , Tang Ning , Zhang Juguang , Wang Minglei , He Xiaohan , Li Zhenzhen , Peng Yonggang , Wang Zhehai , Han Xiao
Published: January 2023

Background

Immunotherapy has improved the clinical outcomes of patients with advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). However, in patients with Kirsten rat sarcoma viral oncogene homolog (KRAS) mutations, the superior efficacy of immunotherapy has not been elucidated and especially in real-world practice. Our study aimed to use real-world data to assess the efficacy of immunotherapy in KRAS-mutant NSCLC in a Chinese cohort.

Methods

In this retrospective cohort study, we extracted the clinical, molecular, and pathologic data from the electronic health records of patients with advanced KRAS-mutant NSCLC at Shandong Cancer Hospital between January 2018 and May 2022. Furthermore, we evaluated the progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS) of the included patients.

Results

Between January 2018 and November 2020, 793 patients were identified with stage IIIB-IV NSCLC and a total of 122 patients with KRAS mutations were included in the analysis. The majority of patients were diagnosed with stage IV (82.0%) adenocarcinoma (93.4%), along with a history of smoking (57.4%). Of these, 42% of patients received anti-PD-(L)1 with or without chemotherapy (Immunotherapy-based regimens), while 58.2% of patients received chemotherapy (Chemotherapy-based regimens). The median overall survival (mOS) in this cohort was 22.9 months (95% CI: 14.1–31.7), while the median-progression-free survival (mPFS) was 9.4 months (95% CI: 6.6–12.1). Patients receiving immunotherapy-based regimens displayed better mOS than those receiving chemotherapy-based regimens (45.2 vs. 11.3 months; P=1.81E-05), with no statistical difference observed in the mPFS (10.5 vs. 8.2 months; P=0.706). Patients receiving immunotherapy-based regimens either in the first line (P=0.00038, P=0.010, respectively) or second-line setting (P=0.010, P=0.026, respectively) showed benefits in both PFS and OS. Subgroup analysis indicated that in patients having KRAS G12C or non-KRAS G12C mutant types, immunotherapy showed benefits of better OS (P=0.0037, P=0.020, respectively) than chemotherapy. Moreover, in advanced NSCLCs patients with or without KRAS/TP53 co-mutation the immunotherapy-based regimen achieved longer OS and PFS than chemotherapy-based regimens.

Conclusions

In the Chinese population of patients with KRAS-mutant advanced NSCLC, immunotherapy-based regimens achieved longer OS than chemotherapy-based regimens, which was independent of first or second-line setting, as well as KRAS mutational subtypes.
Traditional Chinese medicine for treatment of sepsis and related multi-organ injury
Authors: Song Yaqin , Lin Weiji , Zhu Wei
Published: January 2023

Sepsis is a common but critical illness in patients admitted to the intensive care unit and is associated with high mortality. Although there are many treatments for sepsis, specific and effective therapies are still lacking. For over 2,000 years, traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) has played a vital role in the treatment of infectious diseases in Eastern countries. Both anecdotal and scientific evidence show that diverse TCM preparations alleviate organ dysfunction caused by sepsis by inhibiting the inflammatory response, reducing oxidative stress, boosting immunity, and maintaining cellular homeostasis. This review reports on the efficacy and mechanism of action of various TCM compounds, herbal monomer extracts, and acupuncture, on the treatment of sepsis and related multi-organ injury. We hope that this information would be helpful to better understand the theoretical basis and empirical support for TCM in the treatment of sepsis.
Optimal design of the neutron multiplicity counter based on metaheuristic algorithm
Authors: Lu Yunfeng , Zhang Quanhu , Yao Qingxu , Wang Yu
Published: January 2023

The neutron multiplicity measurement and analysis method is a very important measurement and analysis method in the field of international arms control verification and nuclear safeguards, and its measurement accuracy depends to some extent on detector performance. In this paper, several newer current metaheuristic algorithms are introduced to achieve neutron multiplicity counter layout optimization by combining with MC (Monte Carlo) simulation software. The algorithm with the best finding ability is selected for the optimization of another detector layout. Based on the optimization results, k-means clustering analysis is introduced so that the optimized structure can be applied to neutron multiplicity measurements. The results show that the metaheuristic algorithm has good application capability for neutron detector layout optimization and can be further investigated.
Dose–response relationship between physical activity and cardiometabolic risk in obese children and adolescents: A pre-post quasi-experimental study
Authors: Chen Zekai , Zhu Lin
Published: January 2023

Objective:This study aims to explore the dose-response relationship between the daily duration of moderate to vigorous physical activity and the improvement of cardiometabolic risk indicators in obese children and adolescents.

Methods:Seventy-seven obese children and adolescents aged 10–17 years were randomly recruited for a 4-week exercise intervention in a closed camp during 2019–2021, physical activity was monitored by ActiGraph GT3X + to obtain daily MVPA duration, and the improvement of CMR indicators were reflected by the changes (Δ) of waist circumference, systolic blood pressure, diastolic blood pressure, total cholesterol, triglyceride , high-density lipoprotein cholesterol, low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, fasting insulin, fasting plasma glucose, and homeostasis model assessment of insulin resistance before and after the intervention, calculated as ‘‘Δ+indicator” = values after intervention–values before intervention. The groups were divided into different doses of Q1∼Q3 according to the daily MVPA duration from low to high. The differences in the improvement of different dose groups were compared by one-way analysis of covariance, and the dose-response relationship between MVPA duration and CMR indicators improvement was analyzed by linear regression and piecewise regression. The nonlinear relationship was analyzed by restricted cubic spline.

Results:1) Compared with indicators before the intervention, WC, SBP, DBP, TC, TG, HDL-C, LDL-C, FINS, and HOMA-IR were significantly lower after the intervention (p-value < 0.05). 2) The dose-response relationship between MVPA and LDL-C improvement was non-linear (P-Nonlinear < 0.05). When MVPA >77.1min/day, ΔLDL-C further decreased with the increase of MVPA duration [β= −0.009, 95% confidence interval (CI): −0.013, −0.005], and when MVPA ≤77.1min/day, increasing the MVPA duration did not increase the improvement of ΔLDL-C.

Conclusion:There was a nonlinear dose-response relationship between the daily MVPA duration and LDL-C improvement in obese children and adolescents. In order to obtain more significant improvement in LDL-C through increased MVPA duration, MVPA duration should be higher than 77.1 min/day.
The phototactic rhythm of pests for the Solar Insecticidal Lamp: A review
Authors: Yao Heyang , Shu Lei , Yang Fan , Jin Yinghao , Yang Yuli
Published: January 2023

Pest management has been a great challenge since the beginning of human agricultural activities. Since the 1930s, chemical pesticide control has been a major control technology that can solve some of the pest problems in agricultural production. Still, it is harmful to food safety and the ecological environment. Meanwhile, the extensive use of chemical pesticides may lead to the rapid development of pest resistance. Because of the advantages of low cost, eco-friendly advantage, and low side effects, Solar Insecticidal Lamp (SIL) as the main physical control technology has been widely used for pest management in agricultural production in China. Owing to the phototaxis of pests, they have a phototropic rhythm during the nighttime. We can adjust the SIL insecticidal time according to the phototropic rhythm of pests. The purpose of this paper is to provide a comprehensive review of the pest phototactic rhythm in a selection of 24 pest species. It is the first comprehensive survey on the phototactic rhythm of pests and the time segments of this survey are accurate to the hour. The phototactic rhythm of pests are investigated in two different varieties of crops: 1) food crops and 2) economic crops. We also discuss and analyze the various factors (e.g., meteorological conditions, insecticidal devices, physiological states and others) that affect the changing phototactic rhythm of pests. Finally, we highlight some open research challenge issues and future directions.
Comparative transcriptomic and proteomic analysis reveals common molecular factors responsive to heat and drought stresses in sweetpotaoto (Ipomoea batatas)
Authors: Tang Wei , Arisha Mohamed Hamed , Zhang Zhenyi , Yan Hui , Kou Meng , Song Weihan , Li Chen , Gao Runfei , Ma Meng , Wang Xin , Zhang Yungang , Li Zongyun , Li Qiang
Published: January 2023

Introduction

Crops are affected by various abiotic stresses, among which heat (HT) and drought (DR) stresses are the most common in summer. Many studies have been conducted on HT and DR, but relatively little is known about how drought and heat combination (DH) affects plants at molecular level.

Methods

Here, we investigated the responses of sweetpotato to HT, DR, and DH stresses by RNA-seq and data-independent acquisition (DIA) technologies, using controlled experiments and the quantification of both gene and protein levels in paired samples.

Results

Twelve cDNA libraries were created under HT, DR, and DH conditions and controls. We identified 536, 389, and 907 DEGs in response to HT, DR, and DH stresses, respectively. Of these, 147 genes were common and 447 were specifically associated with DH stress. Proteomic analysis identified 1609, 1168, and 1535 DEPs under HT, DR, and DH treatments, respectively, compared with the control, of which 656 were common and 358 were exclusive to DH stress. Further analysis revealed the DEGs/DEPs were associated with heat shock proteins, carbon metabolism, phenylalanine metabolism, starch and cellulose metabolism, and plant defense, amongst others. Correlation analysis identified 6465, 6607, and 6435 co-expressed genes and proteins under HT, DR, and DH stresses respectively. In addition, a combined analysis of the transcriptomic and proteomic data identified 59, 35, and 86 significantly co-expressed DEGs and DEPs under HT, DR, and DH stresses, respectively. Especially, top 5 up-regulated co-expressed DEGs and DEPs (At5g58770, C24B11.05, Os04g0679100, BACOVA_02659 and HSP70-5) and down-regulated co-expressed DEGs and DEPs (AN3, PMT2, TUBB5, FL and CYP98A3) were identified under DH stress.

Discussion

This is the first study of differential genes and proteins in sweetpotato under DH stress, and it is hoped that the findings will assist in clarifying the molecular mechanisms involved in sweetpotato resistance to heat and drought stress.
Complete mitochondrial genome assembly and comparison of Camellia sinensis var. Assamica cv. Duntsa
Authors: Li Jin , Tang Han , Luo Hua , Tang Jun , Zhong Ni , Xiao Lizheng
Published: January 2023

Camellia sinensis var. Assamica cv. Duntsa (C.duntsa), a valuable Theaceae from Hunan Province, has been looked at as a precious tea resource by local farmers because of its economic and ecological value. Genomics study on C.duntsa is essential for the domestication and enhancement of tea tree varieties. In the present study, we used a hybrid approach based on Illumina and PacBio data to sequence and assemble the mitochondrial genome of C.duntsa. The mitochondrial genome of C.duntsa was estimated to be 1,081,996 base pairs (bp) and eighty-one genes consisting of one pseudogene, three ribosomal RNA (rRNA) genes, thirty transfer RNA (tRNA) genes, and forty-seven protein-coding genes (PCGs). Tetramer repetitions made up 43.90% of simple sequence repeats (SSRs). The codon usage bias of the Theaceae mitochondrial gene atp9 was altered by mutation, but the codon usage of other genes was shaped by natural selection. Besides, there are eighteen gene-containing homologous regions between the chloroplast and mitochondrial genomes of C. duntsa.Some genomes including atp8, cox1, cox3, nad7, nad9, rpl16, rpl2, rps19, rps4, and sdh4 are absent in the mitochondrial genome of several Theaceae plant. However, C. duntsa maintains these genes integrity and functionality. Another gene, rps16, is either lacking from the mitochondrial genome of C. duntsa or is present as a pseudogene. C. duntsa and C. sinensis (OM809792) are very similar, as shown by a collinear match across four species of Theaceae; the most conservative genes are nad5, atp9, cox2, rps3, trnA-TGC, trnI-GAT, rrn18, trnV-GAC, and ccmFN. Similarly, the genome’s phylogenetic trees revealed that C. duntsa was the sister species to C. sinensis. The results confirmed that the C. duntsa and C. sinensis (OM809792) mitochondrial genome underwent gene rearrangement.In general, our results shows that genomic information from organelles can help us understand plant phylogeny and can also be used to make molecular markers and study how genetic traits change over time. Our research will contribute to the population genetics and evolution of tea plant.
Psychological support and strategies for raising motivation in fresh students
Authors: Li Tao , Pichugin Vitaly , Shaknmalova Irina , Ismailova Nailya , Salimova Svetlana
Published: January 2023

The goal of this study was to investigate the of fear of starting university training, determine its general characteristics, and test how providing psychological and motivational support for university enrollees may influence the elimination of this type of fear. The study used a random sample of 536 individuals, 268 participants each from one university in the Russian Federation and one from China, who were also randomly selected. Approximately equivalent experimental and control groups (134 people) were formed. The main experiment was conducted simultaneously for Chinese and Russian groups of participants under the same conditions. The modified Kessler psychological distress scale (K10) was used to measure fear of starting training 10 days before training and 2 days after. The experimental group received a special 7-step training to overcome fear and prepare for learning; results between groups and results before and after the start of training were compared using Student’s t-test. Test scores for each participant were tested using Pearson’s correlation to establish an association with the intervention for the majority of participants. In sum, the results of the carried out testing demonstrate a marked reduction in fear and stress after the start of training for both groups of both universities. Those students who have already experienced support show lower levels of fear of starting a course than those who have not received any help. The results of this study can be used to prepare university applicants for their future studies.
College EFL teachers’ demotivation to conduct research: A dynamic and ecological view
Authors: Ren Xiaobin , Zhou Fen
Published: January 2023

Competences for conducting research is vitally important for college EFL teachers’ career development, but many college English teachers are demotivated in academic research. To investigate teachers’ motivation on academic activities, this study firstly explored motivational changes of college EFL teachers (mean age 37.39, SD 9.77) for conducting research in their teaching career, and then delved into the factors underlying their demotivation by sending questionnaires. In the end, several English teachers and officers managing research projects were interviewed to elicit solutions to overcome EFL teachers’ demotivation to conduct research. This study found that college EFL teachers had large possibilities to suffer from demotivation to conduct research. Exploratory factor analysis indicated five factors causing their demotivation, including weak research ability, negative emotions and attitudes, poor research surroundings, research management problems and insufficient resources. Thematic analysis demonstrated that ecological solutions should be taken by different stakeholders in EFL teachers’ working ecology, including universities, research communities, government, and publishers. This study problematized the static view on teachers’ demotivation to conduct research and provided some insights and implications for reasons and solutions for demotivation.
Influence of motivation on the perception of mathematics by secondary school students
Authors: Hossein-Mohand Hassan , Hossein-Mohand Hossein
Published: January 2023

Motivation, the teacher–student relationship, the use of resources, and the time spent studying, in addition to the family economic and social context, are some of the factors that affect academic performance and directly influence student failure. This paper evaluates the motivation in mathematics students’ performances by analyzing indicators of the mathematics learning dimensions. A total of 2,018 secondary students were evaluated in this cross-sectional study. Motivation, teaching, resources, and study time were analyzed with a validated 20-item questionnaire. Statistical analysis revealed that student motivation appears to be significantly related to perceptions of teaching practices and the use of resources for study. Students with high motivation have positive perceptions of teaching practices. Gender differences were not observed. In addition, the motivation indicator allowed for grouping students into various motivational profiles.
Application of the extended theory of planned behavior in predicting the behavioral intentions of Iranian local communities toward forest conservation
Authors: Savari Moslem , Khaleghi Bagher
Published: January 2023

Natural forests are the habitat of many plant and animal species and are the main source of genetic reserves. In addition to preserving biodiversity, forests play an important role in the livelihood and income of many indigenous communities. But, in the last few decades, due to the lack of proper management of the beneficiaries, they have been exposed to destruction, so that their protection requires the participation of all members of the society, especially the local people. Therefore, the main goal of this research was to discover the determinant factors on the intention of local communities to protect forests in Iran. An extended theory of planned behavior (TPB) by adding the variables of “risk perception” (RP) and “sense of belonging to place” (SBP) was used as the theoretical framework of the research. This research was done using the questionnaire survey method and with the help of structural equation modeling (SEM). The statistical population of this study included all the rural communities living in the Arasbaran forests (located in the northwest of Iran). The research findings indicated that the original TPB explains 66.9% of the variance of the behavioral intentions of locals toward forest protection. The three main constructs of the original TPB included attitude, perceived behavioral control (PBC) and subjective norms (SN), all of which had positive effects on the intention of local communities. Most importantly, the extended TPB by including RP and SBP increases the ability of the model to explain the intentions of local communities to forest protection by 11.8%. In this study, the variable of RP was identified as the most important factor, so it is suggested to the policy-makers of this field to increase the RP of local communities in relation to forest destruction using communication media. It is also suggested to promote safe behaviors in these natural areas through developing forest protection organizations and properly training locals on the protection of forest areas.
Suicidal attempts and ideations in Kenyan adults with psychotic disorders: An observational study of frequency and associated risk factors
Authors: Ongeri Linnet , Kariuki Symon M. , Nyawira Miriam , Schubart Chris , Tijdink Joeri K. , Newton Charles R. J. C. , Penninx Brenda W. J. H.
Published: January 2023

Background

Psychotic disorders increase the risk for premature mortality with up to 40% of this mortality attributable to suicide. Although suicidal ideation (SI) and suicidal behavior (SB) are high in persons with psychotic disorders in sub-Saharan Africa, there is limited data on the risk of suicide and associated factors among persons with psychotic disorders.

Methods

We assessed SI and SB in persons with psychotic disorders, drawn from a large case-control study examining the genetics of psychotic disorders in a Kenyan population. Participants with psychotic disorders were identified using a clinical review of records, and the diagnosis was confirmed with the Mini-International Neuropsychiatric Interview (MINI). We conducted bivariate and multivariate logistic (for binary suicide outcomes) or linear regression (for suicide risk score) analysis for each of the suicide variables, with demographic and clinical variables as determinants.

Results

Out of 619 participants, any current SI or lifetime suicidal attempts was reported by 203 (32.8%) with psychotic disorders, of which 181 (29.2%) had a lifetime suicidal attempt, 60 (9.7%) had SI in the past month, and 38 (20.9%) had both. Family history of suicidality was significantly associated with an increased risk of suicidality across all the following four outcomes: SI [OR = 2.56 (95% CI: 1.34–4.88)], suicidal attempts [OR = 2.01 (95% CI: 1.31–3.06)], SI and SB [OR = 2.00 (95% CI: 1.31–3.04)], and suicide risk score [beta coefficient = 7.04 (2.72; 11.36), p = 0.001]. Compared to persons aged <25 years, there were reduced odds for SI for persons aged ≥ 25 years [OR = 0.30 (95% CI: 0.14–0.62)] and ≥ 45 years [OR = 0.32 (95% CI: 0.12–0.89)]. The number of negative life events experienced increased the risk of SI and SB [OR = 2.91 (95% CI: 1.43–5.94)] for 4 or more life events. Higher negative symptoms were associated with more suicidal attempts [OR = 2.02 (95%CI: 1.15–3.54)]. Unemployment was also associated with an increased risk for suicidal attempts [OR = 1.58 (95%CI: 1.08–2.33)] and SI and SB [OR = 1.68 (95% CI: 1.15–2.46)].

Conclusion

Suicidal ideation and SB are common in persons with psychotic disorders in this African setting and are associated with sociodemographic factors, such as young age and unemployment, and clinical factors, such as family history of suicidality. Interventions targeted at the community (e.g., economic empowerment) or at increasing access to care and treatment for persons with psychotic disorders may reduce the risk of suicide in this vulnerable population group.
Characterization of mortality and high-risk characteristics of thyroid cancer in Filipinos using the California Cancer Registry
Authors: Hsu Robert , Tsai Kai-Ya , Chennapan Krithika , Wojcik Katherine Y. , Lee Alice W. , Nieva Jorge J. , Liu Lihua
Published: January 2023

Introduction

Filipinos are the third largest Asian American subgroup and have the highest incidence of thyroid cancer among all races. To better understand this racial/ethnic disparity in thyroid cancer affecting Filipinos we analyzed the California Cancer Registry (CCR) data in Filipino thyroid cancer cases from 1988 to 2018.

Methods

97,948 thyroid cancer cases in California from 1988 to 2018 (until 2015 for Asian subgroups) were evaluated. We examined the case distribution by sex, age at diagnosis, race/ethnicity including Asian ethnic subgroups, histology, TNM stage, tumor size, lymph node involvement, lymphovascular invasion, and multifocality. We also looked at treatment data including surgery and radiation including radioactive iodine therapy. We calculated age-adjusted mortality rates (AAMR) for each major racial group and each Asian ethnic subgroup. Binary logistic regression was used to determine the likelihood of high-risk characteristics and treatment when comparing Filipinos to other racial/ethnic groups. Kaplan-Meier Estimate was performed to evaluate thyroid cancer survival across all race/ethnicities. Multivariate Cox proportion hazards regression was performed to evaluate mortality risk from all causes of death by race.

Results

There were 5,243 (5.35%) Filipino thyroid cancer cases in California from 1988 to 2018. Filipinos had the highest AAMR (1.22 deaths per 100,000) in 2015. Filipinos had a higher likelihood of Stage IV thyroid cancer compared with Non-Hispanic Whites, Non-Hispanic Blacks, Hispanics and nearly all Asian subgroups. Filipinos had a worse 5-year and 10-year overall survival (OS) than the combination of all other Asian/Pacific Islanders. Filipinos compared to Non-Hispanic Whites had significant mortality risk in overall and papillary thyroid cancer cases (Overall HR: 1.10, 95% CI 1.07–1.13, p < 0.0001, Papillary HR: 1.11, 95% CI 1.07–1.14, p < 0.0001) when adjusted for race/ethnicity, age, gender, socioeconomic status, and stage. When stratified by Charlson comorbidity score, Filipinos compared to Non-Hispanic Whites still had significant mortality risk (Charlson 0 HR: 1.07, 95% CI 1.02–1.11, p = 0.0017, Charlson 1+ HR: 1.07 95% CI 1.002–1.14, p = 0.0434).

Conclusions

Filipino thyroid cancer patients have higher incidences of high-risk pathological features and greater AAMR and mortality risk. These findings warrant further investigation into better understanding the connection between the greater incidence of high-risk characteristics and increased mortality in Filipinos.