bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Time Distributions of Common Respiratory Pathogens Under the Spread of SARS-CoV-2 Among Children in Xiamen, China
Authors: Wang Jinhui , Xiao Tiantian , Xiao Feifan , Hong Shaoxian , Wang Shunqin , Lin Jiancheng , Li Yong , Wang Xiaochuan , Yan Kai , Zhuang Deyi
Published: April 2021

Objectives: The aim of this study was to observe the effect of COVID-19 prevention and control measures on the transmission of common respiratory viruses in a pediatric population.

Methods: This was a retrospective observational study. The study population was selected from children with respiratory diseases who attended Xiamen Children's Hospital from January 1, 2018 to January 31, 2021. All children were screened for influenza virus, parainfluenza virus, respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), adenovirus, and Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The changes in respiratory virus detection rates before and after the SARS-CoV-2 intervention were analyzed using an interrupted time-series model. Polynomial curve fitting was also used to predict future short-term trends in respiratory virus detection.

Results: A total of 56,859 children were seen at Xiamen Children's Hospital from January 1, 2018 to Jan 31, 2021, of which 32,120 were tested for respiratory viruses via pharyngeal swabs. The overall positive detection rates of the four respiratory viral infections decreased significantly (P = 0.0017) after the implementation of the quarantine and school suspension measures in January 2020. Among them, the detection rate of RSV decreased most significantly (P = 0.008), and although there was no statistically significant difference in the detection rates of the influenza virus, parainfluenza virus, and adenovirus, a downward trend in the graph was observed. The positive detection rates of RSV in the 0–1-, 1–3-, and 3–7-year-old groups all decreased significantly (P = 0.035, 0.016, and 0.038, respectively). The change in the positive detection rate of RSV was relatively stable in the 7–18-year-old group. A total of 10,496 samples were tested for SARS-CoV-2, and no positive cases were reported.

Conclusions: The combination of preventive and control measures for COVID-19 reduced the detection rate of four common respiratory viruses, with the greatest impact on RSV. If prevention and control measures continue to be maintained, the overall detection rate or absolute number of detections for the four respiratory viruses will remain low in the short term. However, this trend is likely to vary with the changes in measures.
For Whom the Bell Tolls: Acute Kidney Injury and Electronic Alerts for the Pediatric Nephrologist
Authors: Nguyen Elizabeth D. , Menon Shina
Published: April 2021

With the advent of the electronic medical record, automated alerts have allowed for improved recognition of patients with acute kidney injury (AKI). Pediatric patients have the opportunity to benefit from such alerts, as those with a diagnosis of AKI are at risk of developing long-term consequences including reduced renal function and hypertension. Despite extensive studies on the implementation of electronic alerts, their overall impact on clinical outcomes have been unclear. Understanding the results of these studies have helped define best practices in developing electronic alerts with the aim of improving their impact on patient care. As electronic alerts for AKI are applied to pediatric patients, identifying their strengths and limitations will allow for continued improvement in its use and efficacy.
The Clinical Significance and Potential Role of Cathepsin S in IgA Nephropathy
Authors: Zhao Jingying , Yang Yongchang , Wu Yubin
Published: April 2021

Objective: Cathepsin S (CTSS) is an important lysosomal cysteine protease. This study aimed at investigating the clinical significance of CTSS and underlying mechanism in immunoglobulin A nephropathy (IgAN).

Methods: This study recruited 25 children with IgAN and age-matched controls and their serum CTSS levels were measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Following induction of IgAN in rats, their kidney CTSS expression, IgA accumulation and serum CTSS were characterized by immunohistochemistry, immunofluorescence, and ELISA. The impact of IgA1 aggregates on the proliferation of human mesangial cells (HMCs) was determined by Cell Counting Kit-8 and Western blot analysis of Ki67.

Results: Compared to the non-IgAN controls, significantly up-regulated CTSS expression was detected in the renal tissues, particularly in the glomerular mesangium and tubular epithelial cells of IgAN patients, accompanied by higher levels of serum CTSS (P < 0.05), which were correlated with the levels of 24-h-urine proteins and microalbumin and urine erythrocytes and grades of IgAN Lee's classification in children with IgAN (P < 0.01 for all). Following induction of IgAN, we detected inducible IgA accumulation and increased levels of CTSS expression in the glomerular mesangium and glomerular damages in rats, which were mitigated by LY3000328, a CTSS-specific inhibitor. Treatment with LY3000328 significantly mitigated the Ki67 expression in the kidney of IgAN rats (P < 0.01) and significantly minimized the IgA1 aggregate-stimulated proliferation of HMCs and their Ki67 expression in vitro (P < 0.01).

Conclusions: CTSS promoted the proliferation of glomerular mesangial cells, contributing to the pathogenesis of IgAN and may be a new therapeutic target for intervention of aberrant mesangial cell proliferation during the process of IgAN.
RETRACTED: Study on the Effect of Oral Administration of Bacteriophages in Charles Foster Rats With Special Reference to Immunological and Adverse Effects
Authors: Gangwar Mayank , Rastogi Sonam , Singh Digvijay , Shukla Alka , Dhameja Neeraj , Kumar Deepak , Kumar Rajesh , Nath Gopal
Published: April 2021

Numerous pre-clinical and clinical studies have recently demonstrated the significant role of phage therapy in treating multidrug-resistant bacterial infections. However, only a few researchers have focused on monitoring the phage-mediated adverse reactions during phage therapy. Besides adverse reactions, immunological response after short- and long-term oral administration of bacteriophages is also lacking. In this study, we administered the bacteriophages orally against Klebsiella pneumoniae XDR strain in dosages of 1015 PFU/ml and a 1020 PFU/ml (still higher) to Charles Foster rats as a single dose (in acute toxicity study) and daily dosage for 28 days (in sub-acute toxicity study). One milliliter suspension of bacteriophages was administered through the oral gavage feeding tube. No adverse effect was observed in any of the experimental as well as in the control animals.Further, an insignificant change in food and water intake and body weight was observed throughout the study period compared with the control group rats. On the 28th day of phage administration, blood was collected to estimate hematological, biochemical, and cytokines parameters. The data suggested no difference in the hematological, biochemical, and cytokine profile compared to the control group. No significant change in any of the treatment groups could be observed on the gross and histopathological examinations. The cytokines estimated, interleukin-1 beta (IL-1β), IL-4, IL-6, and INF-gamma, were found within the normal range during the experiment. The results suggested no adverse effect, including the severe detrimental impact on oral administration of high (1015 PFU/ml) and very high dose (1020 PFU/ml) of the bacteriophages cocktail. The high and long-term oral administration of bacteriophages did not induce noticeable immunological response as well.
The Role of Nrf2 in Hearing Loss
Authors: Li Dafei , Zhao Haiyan , Cui Zhong-Kai , Tian Guangyong
Published: April 2021

Hearing loss is a major unresolved problem in the world, which has brought a heavy burden to society, economy, and families. Hair cell damage and loss mediated by oxidative stress are considered to be important causes of hearing loss. The nuclear factor erythroid 2–related factor 2 (Nrf2) is a major regulator of antioxidant capacity and is involved in the occurrence and development of a series of toxic and chronic diseases associated with oxidative stress. In recent years, studies on the correlation between hearing loss and Nrf2 target have continuously broadened our knowledge, and Nrf2 has become a new strategic target for the development and reuse of hearing protection drugs. This review summarized the correlation of Nrf2 in various types of hearing loss, and the role of drugs in hearing protection through Nrf2 from the literature.
Yiqi Jiedu Huayu Decoction Alleviates Renal Injury in Rats With Diabetic Nephropathy by Promoting Autophagy
Authors: Xuan Chen , Xi Yu-Meng , Zhang Yu-Di , Tao Chun-He , Zhang Lan-Yue , Cao Wen-Fu
Published: April 2021

Diabetic nephropathy (DN), a common microvascular complication of diabetes, is one of the main causes of end-stage renal failure (ESRD) and imposes a heavy medical burden on the world. Yiqi Jiedu Huayu decoction (YJHD) is a traditional Chinese medicine formula, which has been widely used in the treatment of DN and has achieved stable and reliable therapeutic effects. However, the mechanism of YJHD in the treatment of DN remains unclear. This study aimed to investigate the mechanism of YJHD in the treatment of DN. Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly divided into a normal control group, a diabetic group, an irbesartan group, and three groups receiving different doses of YJHD. Animal models were constructed using streptozotocin and then treated with YJHD for 12 consecutive weeks. Blood and urine samples were collected during this period, and metabolic and renal function was assessed. Pathological kidney injury was evaluated according to the kidney appearance, hematoxylin-eosin staining, Masson staining, periodic-acid Schiff staining, periodic-acid Schiff methenamine staining, and transmission electron microscopy. The expression levels of proteins and genes were detected by immunohistochemistry, western blotting, and real-time qPCR. Our results indicate that YJHD can effectively improve renal function and alleviate renal pathological injury, including mesangial matrix hyperplasia, basement membrane thickening, and fibrosis. In addition, YJHD exhibited podocyte protection by alleviating podocyte depletion and morphological damage, which may be key in improving renal function and reducing renal fibrosis. Further study revealed that YJHD upregulated the expression of the autophagy-related proteins LC3II and Beclin-1 while downregulating p62 expression, suggesting that YJHD can promote autophagy. In addition, we evaluated the activity of the mTOR pathway, the major signaling pathway regulating the level of autophagy, and the upstream PI3K/Akt and AMPK pathways. YJHD activated the AMPK pathway while inhibiting the PI3K/Akt and mTOR pathways, which may be crucial to its promotion of autophagy. In conclusion, our study shows that YJHD further inhibits the mTOR pathway and promotes autophagy by regulating the activity of the PI3K/Akt and AMPK pathways, thereby improving podocyte injury, protecting renal function, and reducing renal fibrosis. This study provides support for the application of and further research into YJHD.
Prediction of Synergistic Drug Combinations for Prostate Cancer by Transcriptomic and Network Characteristics
Authors: Li Shiqi , Zhang Fuhui , Xiao Xiuchan , Guo Yanzhi , Wen Zhining , Li Menglong , Pu Xuemei
Published: April 2021

Prostate cancer (PRAD) is a major cause of cancer-related deaths. Current monotherapies show limited efficacy due to often rapidly emerging resistance. Combination therapies could provide an alternative solution to address this problem with enhanced therapeutic effect, reduced cytotoxicity, and delayed the appearance of drug resistance. However, it is prohibitively cost and labor-intensive for the experimental approaches to pick out synergistic combinations from the millions of possibilities. Thus, it is highly desired to explore other efficient strategies to assist experimental researches. Inspired by the challenge, we construct the transcriptomics-based and network-based prediction models to quickly screen the potential drug combination for Prostate cancer, and further assess their performance by in vitro assays. The transcriptomics-based method screens nine possible combinations. However, the network-based method gives discrepancies for at least three drug pairs. Further experimental results indicate the dose-dependent effects of the three docetaxel-containing combinations, and confirm the synergistic effects of the other six combinations predicted by the transcriptomics-based model. For the network-based predictions, in vitro tests give opposite results to the two combinations (i.e. mitoxantrone-cyproheptadine and cabazitaxel-cyproheptadine). Namely, the transcriptomics-based method outperforms the network-based one for the specific disease like Prostate cancer, which provide guideline for selection of the computational methods in the drug combination screening. More importantly, six combinations (the three mitoxantrone-containing and the three cabazitaxel-containing combinations) are found to be promising candidates to synergistically conquer Prostate cancer.
Ellagic Acid Attenuates BLM-Induced Pulmonary Fibrosis via Inhibiting Wnt Signaling Pathway
Authors: Li Xiaohe , Huang Kai , Liu Xiaowei , Ruan Hao , Ma Ling , Liang Jingjing , Cui Yunyao , Wang Yanhua , Wu Shuyang , Li Hailong , Wei Yuli , Li Zeping , Gao Jingjing , Yang Bo , Li Xiaoping , Yang Guang , Zhou Honggang , Yang Cheng
Published: April 2021

Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis is a progressive lung disease with high mortality and limited therapy that is characterized by epithelial cell damage and fibroblast activation. Ellagic acid is a natural polyphenol compound widely found in fruits and nuts that has multiple pharmacological activities. In this study, we explored the potential effects and mechanisms of Ellagic acid on pulmonary fibrosis in vivo and in vitro. In vivo studies showed that Ellagic acid significantly alleviated bleomycin (BLM)-induced pulmonary fibrosis in mice. In vitro experiments indicated that Ellagic acid could suppress Wnt signaling and attenuate Wnt3a-induced myofibroblast activation and the phosphorylation of Erk2 and Akt. Further studies showed that Ellagic acid could induce autophagy formation in myofibroblasts mainly by suppressing mTOR signaling and promoting apoptosis of myofibroblasts. In vivo experiments revealed that Ellagic acid significantly inhibited myofibroblast activation and promoted autophagy formation. Taken together, our results show that Ellagic acid effectively attenuates BLM-induced pulmonary fibrosis in mice by suppressing myofibroblast activation and promoting autophagy and apoptosis of myofibroblasts by inhibiting the Wnt signaling pathway.
Policy and Practice Review: A First Guideline on the Use of Pharmacogenetics in Clinical Psychiatric Practice
Authors: van Westrhenen R. , van Schaik R. H. N. , van Gelder T. , Birkenhager T. K. , Bakker P. R. , Houwink E. J. F. , Bet P. M. , Hoogendijk W. J. G. , van Weelden-Hulshof M. J. M.
Published: April 2021

Effective pharmacologic treatments for psychiatric disorders are available, but their effect is limited due to patients’ genetic heterogeneity and low compliance-related to frequent adverse events. Only one third of patients respond to treatment and experience remission. Pharmacogenetics is a relatively young field which focusses on genetic analyses in the context of the metabolism and outcome of drug treatment. These genetic factors can, among other things, lead to differences in the activity of enzymes that metabolize drugs. Recently, a clinical guideline was authorized by the Dutch Clinical Psychiatric Association (NVvP) on the clinical use of pharmacogenetics in psychiatry. The main goal was to provide guidance, based on current evidence, on how to best use genotyping in clinical psychiatric practice. A systematic literature search was performed, and available publications were assessed using the GRADE methodology. General recommendations for psychiatric clinical practice were provided, and specific recommendations per medication were made available. This clinical guideline for caregivers prescribing psychotropic drugs is the product of a broad collaboration of professionals from different disciplines, making use of the information available at the Dutch Pharmacogenetics Working Group (DPWG) and the Clinical Pharmacogenetics Implementation Consortium (CPIC) so far. We summarize the relevant literature and all recommendations in this article. General recommendations are provided and also detailed recommendations per medication. In summary we advise to consider genotyping, when there are side effects or inefficacy for CYP2C19 and CYP2D6. When genotype information is available use this to select the right drug in the right dose for the right patient.
Practicality of 3D Printed Personalized Medicines in Therapeutics
Authors: Amekyeh Hilda , Tarlochan Faris , Billa Nashiru
Published: April 2021

Technological advances in science over the past century have paved the way for remedial treatment outcomes in various diseases. Pharmacogenomic predispositions, the emergence of multidrug resistance, medication and formulation errors contribute significantly to patient mortality. The concept of “personalized” or “precision” medicines provides a window to addressing these issues and hence reducing mortality. The emergence of three-dimensional printing of medicines over the past decades has generated interests in therapeutics and dispensing, whereby the provisions of personalized medicines can be built within the framework of producing medicines at dispensaries or pharmacies. This plan is a good replacement of the fit-for-all modality in conventional therapeutics, where clinicians are constrained to prescribe pre-formulated dose units available on the market. However, three-dimension printing of personalized medicines faces several hurdles, but these are not insurmountable. In this review, we explore the relevance of personalized medicines in therapeutics and how three-dimensional printing makes a good fit in current gaps within conventional therapeutics in order to secure an effective implementation of personalized medicines. We also explore the deployment of three-dimensional printing of personalized medicines based on practical, legal and regulatory provisions.
Patch-Clamp Recordings of Action Potentials From Human Atrial Myocytes: Optimization Through Dynamic Clamp
Authors: Verkerk Arie O. , Marchal Gerard A. , Zegers Jan G. , Kawasaki Makiri , Driessen Antoine H. G. , Remme Carol Ann , de Groot Joris R. , Wilders Ronald
Published: April 2021

Introduction: Atrial fibrillation (AF) is the most common cardiac arrhythmia. Consequently, novel therapies are being developed. Ultimately, the impact of compounds on the action potential (AP) needs to be tested in freshly isolated human atrial myocytes. However, the frequent depolarized state of these cells upon isolation seriously hampers reliable AP recordings.

Purpose: We assessed whether AP recordings from single human atrial myocytes could be improved by providing these cells with a proper inward rectifier K+ current (IK1), and consequently with a regular, non-depolarized resting membrane potential (RMP), through “dynamic clamp”.

Methods: Single myocytes were enzymatically isolated from left atrial appendage tissue obtained from patients with paroxysmal AF undergoing minimally invasive surgical ablation. APs were elicited at 1 Hz and measured using perforated patch-clamp methodology, injecting a synthetic IK1 to generate a regular RMP. The injected IK1 had strong or moderate rectification. For comparison, a regular RMP was forced through injection of a constant outward current. A wide variety of ion channel blockers was tested to assess their modulatory effects on AP characteristics.

Results: Without any current injection, RMPs ranged from −9.6 to −86.2 mV in 58 cells. In depolarized cells (RMP positive to −60 mV), RMP could be set at −80 mV using IK1 or constant current injection and APs could be evoked upon stimulation. AP duration differed significantly between current injection methods (p < 0.05) and was shortest with constant current injection and longest with injection of IK1 with strong rectification. With moderate rectification, AP duration at 90% repolarization (APD90) was similar to myocytes with regular non-depolarized RMP, suggesting that a synthetic IK1 with moderate rectification is the most appropriate for human atrial myocytes. Importantly, APs evoked using each injection method were still sensitive to all drugs tested (lidocaine, nifedipine, E-4031, low dose 4-aminopyridine, barium, and apamin), suggesting that the major ionic currents of the atrial cells remained functional. However, certain drug effects were quantitatively dependent on the current injection approach used.

Conclusion: Injection of a synthetic IK1 with moderate rectification facilitates detailed AP measurements in human atrial myocytes. Therefore, dynamic clamp represents a promising tool for testing novel antiarrhythmic drugs.
An Update for Pharmacologists on New Treatment Options for Inflammatory Bowel Disease: The Clinicians’ Perspective
Authors: Schmidt Carsten , Grunert Philip C. , Stallmach Andreas
Published: April 2021

The introduction of anti-tumor necrosis factor antibodies resulted in a considerable expansion of the options available for the treatment of inflammatory bowel disease. Unfortunately, approximately one third of treated patients do not respond to these modalities, and drug efficacy may be lost over time. These drugs are also associated with contraindications, adverse events, and intolerance. As such, there is an ongoing need for new therapeutic strategies. Despite several recent advances, including antibodies against pro-inflammatory cytokines and cell adhesion molecules, Janus kinase inhibitors, and modulators of sphingosine-1-phosphate receptors, not all problems associated with IBD have been solved. In this manuscript, we review the current state of development of several new treatment options. Ongoing evaluation will require specific proof of efficacy as well as direct comparisons with established treatments. Results from head-to-head comparisons are needed to provide clinicians with critical information on how to formulate effective therapeutic approaches for each patient.
Role of Leptin in the Digestive System
Authors: Kim Min-Hyun , Kim Hyeyoung
Published: April 2021

Leptin is a pluripotent peptide hormone produced mainly by adipocytes, as well as by other tissues such as the stomach. Leptin primarily acts on the central nervous system, particularly the hypothalamus, where this hormone regulates energy homeostasis and neuroendocrine function. Owing to this, disruption of leptin signaling has been linked with numerous pathological conditions. Recent studies have also highlighted the diverse roles of leptin in the digestive system including immune regulation, cell proliferation, tissue healing, and glucose metabolism. Of note, leptin acts differently under physiological and pathological conditions. Here, we review the current knowledge on the functions of leptin and its downstream signaling in the gastrointestinal tract and accessory digestive organs, with an emphasis on its physiological and pathological implications. We also discuss the current therapeutic uses of recombinant leptin, as well as its limitations.
New and More Solitary Wave Solutions for the Klein-Gordon-Schrödinger Model Arising in Nucleon-Meson Interaction
Authors: Raza Nauman , Arshed Saima , Butt Asma Rashid , Baleanu Dumitru
Published: April 2021

This paper considers methods to extract exact, explicit, and new single soliton solutions related to the nonlinear Klein-Gordon-Schrödinger model that is utilized in the study of neutral scalar mesons associated with conserved scalar nucleons coupled through the Yukawa interaction. Three state of the art integration schemes, namely, the e−Φ(ξ)-expansion method, Kudryashov's method, and the tanh-coth expansion method are employed to extract bright soliton, dark soliton, periodic soliton, combo soliton, kink soliton, and singular soliton solutions. All the constructed solutions satisfy their existence criteria. It is shown that these methods are concise, straightforward, promising, and reliable mathematical tools to untangle the physical features of mathematical physics equations.
A Comprehensive Review of Fluorescence Correlation Spectroscopy
Authors: Yu Lan , Lei Yunze , Ma Ying , Liu Min , Zheng Juanjuan , Dan Dan , Gao Peng
Published: April 2021

Fluorescence correlation spectroscopy (FCS) is a powerful technique for quantification of molecular dynamics, and it has been widely applied in diverse fields, e.g., biomedicine, biophysics, and chemistry. By time-correlation of the fluorescence fluctuations induced by molecules diffusing through a focused light, FCS can quantitatively evaluate the concentration, diffusion coefficient, and interaction of the molecules in vitro or in vivo. In this review, the basic principle and implementation of FCS are introduced. Then, the advances of FCS variants are reviewed, covering dual-color FCCS, multi-focus FCS, pair correlation function (pCF), scanning FCS, focus-reduced FCS, SPIM-FCS, and inverse-FCS. Besides, the applications of FCS are demonstrated with the measurement of local concentration, hydrodynamic radius, diffusion coefficient, and the interaction of different molecules. Lastly, a discussion is given by summarizing the pros and cons of different FCS techniques, as well as the outlooks and perspectives of FCS.
Multiscale Features of the Near-Hermean Environment as Derived Through the Hilbert-Huang Transform
Authors: Alberti Tommaso , Milillo Anna , Laurenza Monica , Massetti Stefano , Ivanovski Stavro L. , Ippolito Alessandro , Plainaki Christina , De Angelis Elisabetta , Mangano Valeria , Mura Alessandro , Orsini Stefano , Rispoli Rosanna
Published: April 2021

The interaction between the interplanetary medium and planetary environments gives rise to different phenomena on several temporal and spatial scales. Here, we propose for the first time, the application of the Hilbert-Huang Transform (HHT) to characterize both the local and global properties of Mercury's environment as seen during two Mercury Surface, Space Environment, Geochemistry and Ranging (MESSENGER) flybys. In particular, we compute the energy-time-frequency distribution of the observed magnetic field components and the reconstruction of these signals at large, magnetohydrodynamics (MHD) and kinetic scales through the empirical mode decomposition. We show that the HHT analysis allows to capture and reproduce some interesting features of the Hermean environment such as flux transfer events (FTEs), Kelvin-Helmholtz vortices, and ultralow frequency (ULF) wave activity. Moreover, our findings support the ion kinetic nature of the Hermean plasma structures, the characterization of the magnetosheath by anisotropic ion-kinetic intermittent fluctuations, superimposed to both MHD fluctuations and large-scale field structure. Our approach has proven to be very promising for characterizing the structure and dynamics of planetary magnetic field at different scales, for identifying the boundaries, and for discriminating the different scale-dependent features of global and local source processes that can be used for modeling purposes.
Contrasting Measures of Cerebrovascular Reactivity Between MRI and Doppler: A Cross-Sectional Study of Younger and Older Healthy Individuals
Authors: Burley Claire V. , Francis Susan T. , Thomas Kate N. , Whittaker Anna C. , Lucas Samuel J. E. , Mullinger Karen J.
Published: April 2021

Cerebrovascular reactivity (CVR) is used as an outcome measure of brain health. Traditionally, lower CVR is associated with ageing, poor fitness and brain-related conditions (e.g. stroke, dementia). Indeed, CVR is suggested as a biomarker for disease risk. However, recent findings report conflicting associations between ageing or fitness and CVR measures. Inconsistent findings may relate to different neuroimaging modalities used, which include transcranial Doppler (TCD) and blood-oxygen-level-dependant (BOLD) contrast magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). We assessed the relationship between CVR metrics derived from two common imaging modalities, TCD and BOLD MRI, within the same individuals and with expected significant differences (i.e., younger vs. older) to maximise the expected spread in measures. We conducted two serial studies using TCD- and MRI-derived measures of CVR (via inspired 5% CO2in air). Study 1 compared 20 younger (24 ± 7 years) with 15 older (66 ± 7 years) participants, Study 2 compared 10 younger (22 ± 2 years) with 10 older (72 ± 4 years) participants. Combining the main measures across studies, no significant correlation (r= 0.15,p= 0.36) was observed between individual participant TCD- and BOLD-CVR measures. Further, these measures showed differential effects between age groups; with TCD-CVR higher in the older compared to younger group (4 ± 1 vs. 3 ± 1 %MCAv/mmHg PETCO2;p< 0.05,Hedges’ g= 0.75), whereas BOLD-CVR showed no difference (p= 0.104,Hedges’ g= 0.38). In Study 2 additional measures were obtained to understand the origin of the discrepancy: phase contrast angiography (PCA) MRI of the middle cerebral artery, showed a significantly lower blood flow (but not velocity) CVR response in older compared with younger participants (p> 0.05,Hedges’ g= 1.08). The PCA CVR metrics did not significantly correlate with the BOLD- or TCD-CVR measures. The differing CVR observations between imaging modalities were despite expected, correlated (r= 0.62–0.82), age-related differences in resting CBF measures across modalities. Taken together, findings across both studies show no clear relationship between TCD- and BOLD-CVR measures. We hypothesize that CVR differences between imaging modalities are in part due to the aspects of the vascular tree that are assessed (TCD:arteries; BOLD:venules/veins). Further work is needed to understand the between-modality CVR response differences, but caution is needed when comparing CVR metrics derived from different imaging modalities.
Training, Anthropometric, and Physiological Characteristics in Men Recreational Marathon Runners: The Role of Sport Experience
Authors: Nikolaidis Pantelis T. , Clemente-Suárez Vicente Javier , Chlíbková Daniela , Knechtle Beat
Published: April 2021

The aim of the present study was to examine the physiological and training characteristics in marathon runners with different sport experiences (defined as the number of finishes in marathon races). The anthropometry and physiological characteristics of men recreational endurance runners with three or less finishes in marathon races (novice group, NOV;n= 69, age 43.5 ± 8.0 years) and four or more finishes (experienced group, EXP;n= 66, 45.2 ± 9.4 years) were compared. EXP had faster personal best marathon time (3:44 ± 0:36 vs. 4:20 ± 0:44 h:min,p< 0.001, respectively); lower flexibility (15.9 ± 9.3 vs. 19.3 ± 15.9 cm,p= 0.022), abdominal (20.6 ± 7.9 vs. 23.8 ± 9.0 mm,p= 0.030) and iliac crest skinfold thickness (16.7 ± 6.7 vs. 19.9 ± 7.9 mm,p= 0.013), and body fat assessed by bioimpedance analysis (13.0 ± 4.4 vs. 14.6 ± 4.7%,p= 0.047); more weekly training days (4.6 ± 1.4 vs. 4.1 ± 1.0 days,p= 0.038); and longer weekly running distance (58.8 ± 24.0 vs. 47.2 ± 16.1 km,p= 0.001) than NOV. The findings indicated that long-term marathon training might induce adaptations in endurance performance, body composition, and flexibility.
Differential Responses of Cucurbita pepo to Podosphaera xanthii Reveal the Mechanism of Powdery Mildew Disease Resistance in Pumpkin
Authors: Zhang Shuwu , Liu Jia , Xu Bingliang , Zhou Jingjiang
Published: April 2021

Powdery mildew is one of the most destructive diseases and the major cause to the production losses of cucurbit worldwide. A number of strategies have been developed and applied to discover suitable and safer methods to manage the occurrence of powdery mildew disease in pumpkins (Cucurbita pepoL.), but information is limited in screening tolerant germplasms and exploring their mechanisms in preventing the disease occurrence at physiological, biochemical, and molecular levels. Therefore, we investigated the responses of two commercial pumpkin cultivars toPodosphaera xanthiiinfection. Compared with mock-inoculated seedlings, few small and sparse powdery areas were observed on the leaves of the Sixing F1cultivar on the 13thday after inoculation withP. xanthii, whereas a large number of diseased powdery areas and a layer of white powdery mildew were observed on the surface of Jin12F1leaves. The inoculation duration (7, 9, 11, and 13 days) significantly and continuously increased the disease incidence and index of pumpkin seedlings. The contents of H2O2, MDA, lignin, and total phenolics in the leaves of Sixing F1and Jin12F1cultivars were markedly increased after inoculation withP. xanthii. However, the Sixing F1cultivar exhibited much less reactive oxygen species (ROS) accumulation, a lower rate of lipid peroxidation, and a higher level of lignin and total phenolics contents after inoculation than the Jin12F1cultivar. Compared with untreated control pumpkin seedlings, significantly higher activities and gene expressions of the phenylpropanoids pathway enzymes (PAL and PPO), ROS scavenging defense enzymes (SOD, CAT, POD, and APX), and other salicylic acid (SA) signaling pathway marker genes were observed in the leaves of both cultivars afterP. xanthiiinoculation at different inoculation time points. These enhancements were significantly higher in Sixing F1than Jin12F1. Our results indicate that the Sixing F1cultivar exhibited a much stronger ability in resistance toP. xanthiiinfection than the Jin12F1cultivar. Our results suggest that one possible mechanism ofC. pepocultivars to prevent the pathogenP. xanthiiinfection is by activating and enhancing the activity and gene expression of the phenylpropanoids pathway to synthesize phenolic substances and lignin, ROS scavenging defense enzymes to eliminate the harmful effects of ROS, and signaling pathway marker gene expression to improve plant disease resistance.
Discordant Phylogenomic Placement of Hydnoraceae and Lactoridaceae Within Piperales Using Data From All Three Genomes
Authors: Jost Matthias , Samain Marie-Stéphanie , Marques Isabel , Graham Sean W. , Wanke Stefan
Published: April 2021

Phylogenetic relationships within the magnoliid order Piperales have been studied extensively, yet the relationships of the monotypic family Lactoridaceae and the holoparasitic Hydnoraceae to the remainder of the order remain a matter of debate. Since the first confident molecular phylogenetic placement of Hydnoraceae among Piperales, different studies have recovered various contradictory topologies. Most phylogenetic hypotheses were inferred using only a few loci and have had incomplete taxon sampling at the genus level. Based on these results and an online survey of taxonomic opinion, the Angiosperm Phylogeny Group lumped both Hydnoraceae and Lactoridaceae in Aristolochiaceae; however, the latter family continues to have unclear relationships to the aforementioned taxa. Here we present extensive phylogenomic tree reconstructions based on up to 137 loci from all three subcellular genomes for all genera of Piperales. We infer relationships based on a variety of phylogenetic methods, explore instances of phylogenomic discordance between the subcellular genomes, and test alternative topologies. Consistent with these phylogenomic results and a consideration of the principles of phylogenetic classification, we propose to exclude Hydnoraceae and Lactoridaceae from the broad circumscription of Aristolochiaceae, and instead favor recognition of four monophyletic and morphologically well circumscribed families in the perianth-bearing Piperales: Aristolochiaceae, Asaraceae, Hydnoraceae, and Lactoridaceae, with a total of six families in the order.
Potential of Algae–Bacteria Synergistic Effects on Vegetable Production
Authors: Kang Yeeun , Kim Minjeong , Shim Changki , Bae Suyea , Jang Seonghoe
Published: April 2021

Modern agriculture has become heavily dependent on chemical fertilizers, which have caused environmental pollution and the loss of soil fertility and sustainability. Microalgae and plant growth-promoting bacteria (PGPB) have been identified as alternatives to chemical fertilizers for improving soil fertility. This is because of their biofertilizing properties, through the production of bioactive compounds (e.g., phytohormones, amino acids, and carotenoids) and their ability to inhibit plant pathogens. Although treatment based on a single species of microalgae or bacteria is commonly used in agriculture, there is growing experimental evidence suggesting that a symbiotic relationship between microalgae and bacteria synergistically affects each other’s physiological and metabolomic processes. Moreover, the co-culture/combination treatment of microalgae and bacteria is considered a promising approach in biotechnology for wastewater treatment and efficient biomass production, based on the advantage of the resulting synergistic effects. However, much remains unexplored regarding the microalgal–bacterial interactions for agricultural applications. In this review, we summarize the effects of microalgae and PGPB as biofertilizing agents on vegetable cultivation. Furthermore, we present the potential of the microalgae–PGPB co-culture/combination system for the environmentally compatible production of vegetables with improved quality.
I Do it My Way: Understanding Policy Variation in Pandemic Response Across Europe
Authors: Egger Clara Marie , Magni-Berton Raul , Roché Sebastian , Aarts Kees
Published: April 2021

To contain the spread of the COVID-19, governments have designed and implemented a large range of exceptional measures. Yet, the restrictive nature of the policy options chosen and the severity of their enforcement mechanisms considerably vary across countries. Focusing on the case of the European Union—a group of closely connected nations which develop some forms of supranational policy coordination to manage the pandemic—, we first map the diversity of policy responses taken using two original indicators: the stringency and scope of freedom limitations and the depth of control used in their enforcement. Second, we elaborate three theoretical scenarios to explain cross-national variation in pandemic policy-making. Our exploratory results—based on bivariate statistical associations—reveal that structural determinants (the level of political and interpersonal trust, a country’s overall resources, democratic experience and, to a lesser extent, political check and balances) shape crisis policy-making more than crisis-related factors such as the magnitude of the crisis at stake. These results call for further research into the determinants of crisis policy-making that we propose to address with a new research project focusing on the modalities, determinants and impacts of exceptional decision making in times of COVID-19.
Tversky and Kahneman’s Cognitive Illusions: Who Can Solve Them, and Why?
Authors: Bruckmaier Georg , Krauss Stefan , Binder Karin , Hilbert Sven , Brunner Martin
Published: April 2021

In the present paper we empirically investigate the psychometric properties of some of the most famous statistical and logical cognitive illusions from the “heuristics and biases” research program by Daniel Kahneman and Amos Tversky, who nearly 50 years ago introduced fascinating brain teasers such as the famous Linda problem, the Wason card selection task, and so-called Bayesian reasoning problems (e.g., the mammography task). In the meantime, a great number of articles has been published that empirically examine single cognitive illusions, theoretically explaining people’s faulty thinking, or proposing and experimentally implementing measures to foster insight and to make these problems accessible to the human mind. Yet these problems have thus far usually been empirically analyzed on an individual-item level only (e.g., by experimentally comparing participants’ performance on various versions of one of these problems). In this paper, by contrast, we examine these illusions as a group and look at the ability to solve them as a psychological construct. Based on an sample ofN= 2,643 Luxembourgian school students of age 16–18 we investigate the internal psychometric structure of these illusions (i.e., Are they substantially correlated? Do they form a reflexive or a formative construct?), their connection to related constructs (e.g., Are they distinguishable from intelligence or mathematical competence in a confirmatory factor analysis?), and the question of which of a person’s abilities can predict the correct solution of these brain teasers (by means of a regression analysis).
Grasping of Real-World Objects Is Not Biased by Ensemble Perception
Authors: Fan Annabel Wing-Yan , Guo Lin Lawrence , Frost Adam , Whitwell Robert L. , Niemeier Matthias , Cant Jonathan S.
Published: April 2021

The visual system is known to extract summary representations of visually similar objects which bias the perception of individual objects toward the ensemble average. Although vision plays a large role in guiding action, less is known about whether ensemble representation is informative for action. Motor behavior is tuned to the veridical dimensions of objects and generally considered resistant to perceptual biases. However, when the relevant grasp dimension is not available or is unconstrained, ensemble perception may be informative to behavior by providing gist information about surrounding objects. In the present study, we examined if summary representations of a surrounding ensemble display influenced grip aperture and orientation when participants reached-to-grasp a central circular target which had an explicit size but importantly no explicit orientation that the visuomotor system could selectively attend to. Maximum grip aperture and grip orientation were not biased by ensemble statistics during grasping, although participants were able to perceive and provide manual estimations of the average size and orientation of the ensemble display. Support vector machine classification of ensemble statistics achieved above-chance classification accuracy when trained on kinematic and electromyography data of the perceptual but not grasping conditions, supporting our univariate findings. These results suggest that even along unconstrained grasping dimensions, visually-guided behaviors toward real-world objects are not biased by ensemble processing.
Curriculum Innovation in Times of the COVID-19 Pandemic: The Thinking-Based Instruction Theory and Its Application
Authors: Li Yangping , Zhang Xinru , Dai David Yun , Hu Weiping
Published: April 2021

At the beginning of 2020, to stop the spread of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) to the campus, the Ministry of Education of China launched a policy “Suspension of classes without suspending schooling” for the spring semester of 2020. However, the drawbacks of online teaching (e.g., students’ inadequate autonomous learning, the lack of effective online instruction) forced us to modify teaching strategies during this special period, especially developing courses that are suitable for student learning at home and improving their key competencies. In order to solve these problems, this study introduces some theoretical exploration and practical work of curriculum design under the guidance of thinking-based instruction theory (TBIT) during the pandemic. We firstly introduce TBIT, and elaborate on the curriculum design under the TBIT theoretical frame. Then we describe a series of TBIT-based micro-courses with the pandemic as background. A descriptive study is reported to illustrate the effects of three micro-courses. Results showed that, compared to national curricula, the TBIT-based micro-courses not only improved the course quality but also enhanced students’ motivation and facilitated their online learning behavior (such as interactive communication) for the online courses. The current study has important implications for how to design effective and interesting online courses suitable under pandemic and capable of improving students’ thinking abilities and key competencies.
Experience Affects EEG Event-Related Synchronization in Dancers and Non-dancers While Listening to Preferred Music
Authors: Nakano Hiroko , Rosario Mari-Anne M. , de Dios Constanza
Published: April 2021

EEGs were analyzed to investigate the effect of experiences in listening to preferred music in dancers and non-dancers. Participants passively listened to instrumental music of their preferred genre for 2 min (Argentine tango for dancers, classical, or jazz for non-dancers), alternate genres, and silence. Both groups showed increased activity for their preferred music compared to non-preferred music in the gamma, beta, and alpha frequency bands. The results suggest all participants' conscious recognition of and affective responses to their familiar music (gamma), appreciation of the tempo embedded in their preferred music and emotional arousal (beta), and enhanced attention mechanism for cognitive operations such as memory retrieval (alpha). The observed alpha activity is considered in the framework of the alpha functional inhibition hypothesis, in that years of experience listening to their favorite type of music may have honed the cerebral responses to achieve efficient cortical processes. Analyses of the electroencephalogram (EEG) activity over 100s-long music pieces revealed a difference between dancers and non-dancers in the magnitude of an initial alpha event-related desynchronization (ERD) and the later development of an alpha event-related synchronization (ERS) for their preferred music. Dancers exhibited augmented alpha ERD, as well as augmented and uninterrupted alpha ERS over the remaining 80s. This augmentation in dancers is hypothesized to be derived from creative cognition or motor imagery operations developed through their dance experiences.