bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Clinical characteristics and management of headache in patients with myeloproliferative neoplasms
Authors: Shimoyama Takashi , Yamaguchi Hiroki , Kimura Kazumi , Suzuki Fumiaki , Hayashi Toshiyuki , Wakita Satoshi
Published: December 2022

Background

Headache is frequently reported as a neurological manifestation of myeloproliferative neoplasms (MPNs), including polycythemia vera and essential thrombocythaemia. This study sought to clarify the clinical characteristics and response to treatment of headaches in patients with MPNs.

Methods

We prospectively studied 137 patients with MPNs. The following information was gathered to assess the features of headache at baseline and at follow-up (>6 months): (1) average duration of headache attacks, (2) number of headache days per month, (3) numerical rating scale (NRS), (4) Headache Impact Test-6 (HIT-6), and (5) Migraine Disability Assessment (MIDAS). We compared those parameters for headaches between the baseline and follow-up interviews according to the management.

Results

Thirty-seven (27.0%) patients had headache. The prevalence of headaches gradually decreased with increasing age (Age ≤ 49 years: 61.0%, 50–59 years: 38.5%, 60–69 years: 17.2%, 70–79 years: 5.1%, and ≥80 years: 0.0%, P < 0.001). Multiple logistic regression analysis showed that younger age, but not platelet counts or the JAK2 V617F mutation, was independently associated with headaches (Odds Ratios 2.004, 95% confidence intervals 1.293–3.108, P = 0.002). Scintillating scotomas were present in 22 (59.5%) of 37 patients with headaches, while four patients developed sudden headaches that lasted for only 0–10 min. Follow-up interviews were available for 31 (83.8%) of 37 patients with headaches. Twenty-one (67.7%) patients were treated with low-dose aspirin (100 mg once daily) [low-dose aspirin alone: n = 9; combined cytoreductive therapy: n = 12] for headache management. All parameters for headache [average duration of headache attacks, number of headache days per month, NRS score, HIT-6 score, and MIDAS score (all P < 0.001)] were significantly improved at follow-up in patients taking low-dose aspirin. However, there were no significant differences in these parameters of headaches in patients who did not receive low-dose aspirin.

Conclusion

Headaches is common in patients with MPNs, particularly in younger patients. MPN-related headaches may be managed by using low-dose aspirin and controlling MPNs.
Risk factors for neuromuscular complications in lower limbs after lung transplantation
Authors: Cho Soomi , Lee Jee Eun , Choi Byeong Joo , Kim Song Yee , Park Moo Suk , Kim Hyo-Hyun , Lee Jin Gu , Paik Hyo Chae , Shin Ha Young , Kim Seung Woo
Published: December 2022

Objective

This study aimed to analyze the prevalence and risk factors of neuromuscular complications after lung transplantation (LT), as well as the association between neuromuscular complications and extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) support.

Methods

We retrospectively included 201 patients who underwent LT between 2013 and 2020. Patients were classified into three groups based on the presence and the pattern of postoperative leg weakness: no weakness group, asymmetric weakness group, and symmetric weakness group. Comorbidities, duration of ECMO therapy, and postoperative complications were compared between the three groups.

Results

Of the 201 recipients, 16 (8.0%) and 29 (14.4%) patients developed asymmetric and symmetric leg weakness, respectively. Foot drop was the main complaint in patients with asymmetric weakness. The presumed site of nerve injury in the asymmetric weakness group was the lumbosacral plexus in 8 (50%), peroneal nerve in 4 (25%), sciatic nerve in 2 (12.5%), and femoral nerve in 2 (12.5%) patients. In multivariate analysis, the use of preoperative ECMO was found to be independently associated with asymmetric weakness (OR, 3.590; 95% CI [1.227–10.502]). Symmetric leg weakness was associated with age at LT (1.062 [1.002–1.125]), diabetes mellitus (2.873 [1.037–7.965]), myositis (13.250 [2.179–80.584]), postoperative continuous renal replacement therapy (4.858 [1.538–15.350]), and duration of stay in the intensive care unit (1.052 [1.015–1.090]).

Conclusion

More than 20% of patients developed leg weakness after LT. Early suspicion for peripheral neuropathy is required in patients after LT who used ECMO preoperatively, and who suffered from medical complications after LT.
Stent-assisted coiling vs. coiling alone of ruptured tiny intracranial aneurysms: A contemporary cohort study in a high-volume center
Authors: Zhang Guanghao , Wu Yina , Wei Yanpeng , Xue Gaici , Chen Rundong , Lv Nan , Zhang Xiaoxi , Duan Guoli , Yu Ying , Li Qiang , Xu Yi , Huang Qinghai , Yang Pengfei , Zuo Qiao , Liu Jianmin
Published: December 2022

Objective

This study aims to compare the safety and efficacy of stent-assisted coiling (SAC) with those of coiling alone (CA) for the treatment of ruptured tiny intracranial aneurysms.

Methods

We enrolled 245 patients with ruptured tiny intracranial aneurysms treated with coil embolization. Patients were grouped into SAC and CA groups. Baseline characteristics, periprocedural complications, clinical outcomes, and angiographic results were compared between the two groups. In addition, a subgroup analysis was conducted in the SAC group, and patients were regrouped into low-profile visualized intraluminal support (LVIS) and laser-cut groups to compare the perioperative procedure-related complications and clinical and angiographic follow-up outcomes.

Results

All baseline characteristics were equivalent between the two groups except for aneurysm size and dome-to-neck aspect ratio. The rates of overall procedure-related complications, intraprocedural rupture, postoperative early rebleeding, intraprocedural thrombosis, postprocedural thrombosis, and procedure-related mortality were comparable between the two groups (P = 0.105, 0.145, 0.308, 1.000, 1.000, 0.160, respectively). Nevertheless, the rate of hemorrhagic complication in the SAC group was significantly higher (P = 0.023). The angiographic follow-up outcomes showed that the SAC group had a higher complete occlusion rate and lower recurrence rate (88.2 vs. 67.1%, 5.4 vs. 15.2%, P = 0.001). The clinical outcomes at discharge and follow-up between the two groups demonstrated no significant differences (P = 0.192 and P = 0.085, respectively). For subgroup analysis, LVIS stents were associated with a significantly higher rate of complete occlusion (P = 0.014) and a lower rate of intraprocedural rupture (p = 0.021). Moreover, multivariate analysis showed that there were no predictors for the overall, hemorrhagic, and ischemic procedure-related complications, while Raymond class was an independent predictor of retreatment (OR = 3.508, 95% CI 1.168–11.603; P = 0.029).

Conclusion

Stent-assisted coiling may increase the incidence of hemorrhagic events with favorable angiographic results and comparable clinical outcomes compared with stand-alone coiling. Nevertheless, LVIS stent could improve the safety compared with lazer-cut stent. Simultaneously, considering the better long-term effect, LVIS stent-assisted coiling may be a preferable choice for ruptured tiny intracranial aneurysms.
Decoding the neural signatures of valence and arousal from portable EEG headset
Authors: Garg Nikhil , Garg Rohit , Anand Apoorv , Baths Veeky
Published: December 2022

Emotion classification using electroencephalography (EEG) data and machine learning techniques have been on the rise in the recent past. However, past studies use data from medical-grade EEG setups with long set-up times and environment constraints. This paper focuses on classifying emotions on the valence-arousal plane using various feature extraction, feature selection, and machine learning techniques. We evaluate different feature extraction and selection techniques and propose the optimal set of features and electrodes for emotion recognition. The images from the OASIS image dataset were used to elicit valence and arousal emotions, and the EEG data was recorded using the Emotiv Epoc X mobile EEG headset. The analysis is carried out on publicly available datasets: DEAP and DREAMER for benchmarking. We propose a novel feature ranking technique and incremental learning approach to analyze performance dependence on the number of participants. Leave-one-subject-out cross-validation was carried out to identify subject bias in emotion elicitation patterns. The importance of different electrode locations was calculated, which could be used for designing a headset for emotion recognition. The collected dataset and pipeline are also published. Our study achieved a root mean square score (RMSE) of 0.905 on DREAMER, 1.902 on DEAP, and 2.728 on our dataset for valence label and a score of 0.749 on DREAMER, 1.769 on DEAP, and 2.3 on our proposed dataset for arousal label.
Effects of blended microbial feed additives on performance, meat quality, gut microbiota and metabolism of broilers
Authors: Zhou Luli , Li Hui , Hou Guanyu , Hu Chengjun , Ji Fengjie , Peng Weiqi , Zhou Hanlin , Wang Dingfa
Published: December 2022

The present study investigated the effects of blend microbial feed additive (BMFA) in diet on performance, meat quality, gut microbiota and metabolism of broilers. In this study 240 seventy-day-old female Wenchang broilers were randomly allocated into four groups with five replicates of 12 broilers each. Broilers in the control group was fed only basal diet (S0), and the other three groups were fed the same basal diet supplemented with 0.2% (S1), 0.4% (S2), or 0.6% (S3) of BMFA, respectively. The trial continued for 54 days. The results showed that broilers in S2 and S3 had lower average daily feed intake (ADFI) compared with S0 and S1 (P < 0.05). However, diet supplementation with BMFA had no significantly influence on the average daily gain (ADG) and the ratio of ADFI to ADG (F/G) (P > 0.05). The highest thigh muscle percentage was observed in S2 (P < 0.05) among all groups. Diet supplementation with BMFA reduced the shear force in both breast and thigh muscles (P < 0.05) of broilers. An increase (P < 0.05) in the total unsaturated fatty acid (USFA), monounsaturated fatty acids (MUFA), and ratio of unsaturated fatty acids to saturated fatty acid (USFA/SFA) in breast muscles was observed in S3 compared with S0. It was found that the S3 had a relatively higher abundance of Lactobacillus (P < 0.001), as well as a lower abundance of the Bacteroides, Rikenellaceae RC9 gut group, Olsenella, Prevotellaceae UCG-001 and Prevotella (P < 0.05) than the S0. Correlation analysis indicated that a total of 17 differential metabolites between the S3 and S0 were significantly correlated with the 7 differential genera microflora. Overall, diet supplementation with 0.6% of BMFA can significantly improve the meat quality of broilers by decreasing the concentration of SFA and enhancing the levels of the total USFA, MUFA and USFA/SFA in breast muscles. Those findings were tightly bound to the higher proportion of Lactobacillus genus in the intestinal tract of broilers influenced by BMFA.
Phytochemistry, health benefits, and food applications of sea buckthorn (Hippophae rhamnoides L.): A comprehensive review
Authors: Wang Zhen , Zhao Fenglan , Wei Panpan , Chai Xiaoyun , Hou Guige , Meng Qingguo
Published: December 2022

Sea buckthorn (Hippophae rhamnoides L.), an ancient miraculous plant, is of great interest because of its tenacity, richness in nutritional active substances, and biological activity. Sea buckthorn is a deciduous shrub or tree of the genus Hippophae in the family Elaeagnaceae. It is a pioneer tree species for soil improvement, wind and sand control, and soil and water conservation. Sea buckthorn contains many nutritional active components, such as vitamins, carotenoids, polyphenols, fatty acids, and phytosterols. Moreover, sea buckthorn has many health benefits, such as antioxidant, anticancer, anti-hyperlipidemic, anti-obesity, anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial, antiviral, dermatological, neuroprotective, and hepatoprotective activities. Sea buckthorn not only has great medicinal and therapeutic potential, but also is a promising economic plant. The potential of sea buckthorn in the human food industry has attracted the research interest of researchers and producers. The present review mainly summarizes the phytochemistry, nutrients, health benefits, and food applications of sea buckthorn. Overall, sea buckthorn is a dietary source of bioactive ingredients with the potential to be developed into functional foods or dietary supplements for the prevention and treatment of certain chronic diseases, which deserves further research.
Case report: Conservative treatment for fertility preservation in a woman with hemoperitoneum due to an invasive mole
Authors: Xu Linjuan , Feng Min , Cai Jing , Li Hongmei
Published: December 2022

Background

Invasive moles are a subtype of gestational trophoblastic neoplasia (GTN) that usually develops after hydatidiform molar pregnancies. Uterine rupture in high-risk GTN is a rare and potentially catastrophic event. The treatment of invasive mole perforation with uterine rupture is particularly challenging in young women who desire fertility preservation.

Case presentation

We present the case of a 22-year-old woman with a rapidly transformed invasive mole after two evacuations for a complete molar pregnancy. Within 21 days of the second molar evacuation, the serum β-hCG level surged from 5,718 mIU/ml to 444,617 mIU/ml. An ultrasonography examination showed the uterus was 9.2×8.9×7.8 cm in size with an uneven echo area of 6.9×5.2 cm near the fundus of the uterine cavity; the convex anterior wall had no normal muscle layer, and the outer margin was about 0.24 cm from the serosal layer. The patient was diagnosed with an invasive mole. Since she desired fertility preservation, we proposed a methotrexate (MTX) chemotherapy regimen. Before the planned chemotherapy, she experienced sudden abdominal pain accompanied by a blood pressure of 76/48 mmHg and a pulse rate of 116 bpm. An emergency abdominal ultrasound scan showed acute intra-abdominal bleeding (approximately 2,000 ml), and blood tests showed a hemoglobin concentration of 7.9 g/dL. Immediate uterine artery embolization was performed, and 35 mg MTX was administered bilaterally through the uterine arteries. The next day, the serum β-hCG decreased to 83,530 mIU/ml, and the vital signs remained stable. Seven days later, the patient received a combination of etoposide, methotrexate, dactinomycin, cyclophosphamide, and vincristine (EMACO), and the serum β-hCG level normalized after cycle five. At the 13-month follow-up after therapy completion, the woman was disease-free with a normal β-hCG level.

Conclusion

Our experience highlights the potential feasibility and efficacy of conservative treatment for fertility preservation in such scenarios.
Diagnostic value of circulating lncRNAs for gastric cancer: A systematic review and meta-analysis
Authors: Li Jian , Zhang Yanyan , Xu Qingyu , Zhang Yaqiong , Bei Songhua , Ding Ying , Zhang Xiaohong , Feng Li
Published: December 2022

Objective

With the prevalence of next-generation sequencing (NGS) technology, a large number of long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) have attracted tremendous attention and have been the topic of extensive research on gastric cancer (GC). It was revealed that lncRNAs not only participate in the transduction of various signaling pathways, thus influencing GC genesis and development, but also have the potential for GC diagnosis. Therefore, we aimed to conduct a meta-analysis of previous studies on GC.

Materials and methods

An electronic search was made before August 2021 on databases including PubMed, Embase, and Web of Science. Relevant articles that compare lncRNA expression in GC patients and healthy controls were summarized. We conducted a meta-analysis with the objective of evaluating the ability of lncRNAs in diagnosing GC.

Results

A total of 40 original research studies including 6,772 participants were discussed in this meta-analysis. The overall sensitivity, specificity, and the area under the curve (AUC) were 0.78 (95% CI: 0.75–0.81), 0.79 (95% CI: 0.74–0.83), and 0.85 (95% CI: 0.81–0.87), respectively. The value of pooled diagnostic odds ratios (DORs) was 13.00 (95% CI: 10.00–17.00).

Conclusions

This meta-analysis revealed that serum or plasma lncRNAs have high sensitivity and specificity, which makes lncRNAs clinically feasible in diagnosing GC. The results from this meta-analysis demonstrated that peripheral blood lncRNAs may become novel noninvasive biomarkers in the foreseeable future. At the same time, it should be noted that a greater number of blood samples and more evidence from rigorous multicenter clinical studies are necessary to justify their applicability as cancer biomarkers.
Genetically predicted iron status was associated with the risk of prostate cancer
Authors: Ying Jiacheng , Wang Binyan , Han Shuyang , Song Jie , Liu Ke , Chen Weiwei , Sun Xiaohui , Mao Yingying , Ye Ding
Published: December 2022

Introduction

Observational studies have reported a relationship between iron status and the risk of prostate cancer. However, it remains uncertain whether the association is causal or due to confounding or reverse causality. To further clarify the underlying causal relationship, we conducted a Mendelian randomization (MR) analysis.

Methods

We selected three genetic variants (rs1800562, rs1799945, and rs855791) closely correlated with four iron status biomarkers (serum iron, log-transformed ferritin, transferrin saturation, and transferrin) as instrumental variables. Summary statistics for prostate cancer were obtained from the Prostate Cancer Association Group to Investigate Cancer Associated Alterations in the Genome consortium including 79,148 cases and 61,106 controls of European ancestry. The inverse-variance weighted (IVW) method was conducted primarily to estimate the association of genetically predicted iron status and the risk of prostate cancer, supplemented with simple-median, weighted-median and maximum-likelihood methods as sensitivity analysis. MR-Egger regression was used to detect directional pleiotropy. We also conducted a meta-analysis of observational studies to assess the associations between iron status and the risk of prostate cancer.

Results

Genetically predicted increased iron status was associated with the decreased risk of prostate cancer, with odds ratio of 0.91 [95% confidence interval (CI): 0.84, 0.99; P = 0.035] for serum iron, 0.81 (95% CI: 0.65, 1.00; P = 0.046) for log- transformed ferritin, 0.94 (95% CI: 0.88, 0.99; P = 0.029) for transferrin saturation, and 1.15 (95% CI: 0.98, 1.35; P = 0.084) for transferrin (with higher transferrin levels representing lower systemic iron status), using the inverse-variance weighted method. Sensitivity analyses produced consistent associations, and MR-Egger regression indicated no potential pleiotropy. Our replication analysis based on FinnGen research project showed compatible results with our main analysis. Results from our meta-analysis similarly showed that serum ferritin [standardized mean difference (SMD): −1.25; 95% CI: −2.34, −0.16; P = 0.024] and transferrin saturation (SMD: −1.19; 95% CI: −2.34, −0.05; P = 0.042) were lower in patients with prostate cancer compared with that in controls.

Discussion

Our study suggests a protective role of iron in the risk of prostate cancer, further investigations are required to clarify the underlying mechanisms.
Expected small left heart size in the presence of congenital diaphragmatic hernia: Fetal values and Z-scores for infants confirmed to have no heart disease postnatally
Authors: Moon-Grady Anita J. , Byrne Francesca A. , Lusk Leslie A. , Keller Roberta L.
Published: December 2022

Objectives

In fetuses with left-sided congenital diaphragmatic hernia (CDH), left heart structures may appear small, but usually normalize after birth in the absence of structural cardiac anomalies. To decrease the possibility of an erroneous diagnosis of structural heart disease, we identify normal values for left heart structures in the presence of left CDH and secondarily investigate the relationship of left heart size and survival to neonatal hospital discharge.

Methods

Left heart structures [mitral valve (MV) and aortic valve (AoV) annulus diameter, left ventricle (LV) length and width] were measured by fetal echocardiogram in fetuses with left CDH and no congenital heart disease. We generated linear regression models to establish the relationship of gestational age for each left heart structure using data from fetuses who survived after birth. We calculated z-scores (normalized to gestational age), and assessed the relationship of survival to the size of each structure.

Results

One hundred forty-two fetuses underwent fetal echocardiogram (median 25 weeks' gestation, IQR 23, 27 weeks). Left heart structures were deemed small when using published normative data from unaffected fetuses (z-scores: MV −1.09 ± 1.35, AoV −2.12 ± 1.16, LV length −1.36 ± 1.24, LV width −4.79 ± 0.79). CDH-specific models derived from log-transformed values yielded left-shifted distributions, reflecting the small structures (mean z-score lower by: MV 0.99 ± 0.30, AoV 2.04 ± 0.38, LV length 1.30 ± 0.36, and LV width 4.69 ± 0.28; p < 0.0001 for all comparisons). Non-survivors had worse z-scores than survivors for all measurements, but this did not reach statistical significance.

Conclusions

Log-transformed linear models generated new normative data for fetal left heart structures in left CDH, which may be used to allay antenatal concerns regarding structural left heart anomalies. There were no significant differences in z-scores between survivors and non-survivors, suggesting that in the absence of true structural disease, cardiac evaluation is not predictive in isolation and that causes of mortality are likely multifactorial in this population.
Discovery of pyrrole derivatives as acetylcholinesterase-sparing butyrylcholinesterase inhibitor
Authors: Sun Shouyuan , Shi Tao , Peng Yan , Zhang Honghua , Zhuo Linsheng , Peng Xue , Li Qien , Wang Manxia , Wang Shuzhi , Wang Zhen
Published: December 2022

Inspired by the crucial roles of (hetero)aryl rings in cholinesterase inhibitors and the pyrrole ring in new drug discovery, we synthesized 19 pyrrole derivatives and investigated their cholinesterase inhibitory activity. As a result, compounds 3o, 3p, and 3s with a 1,3-diaryl-pyrrole skeleton showed high selectivity toward BChE over AChE with a best IC50 value of 1.71 ± 0.087 µM, which were comparable to donepezil. The pharmaceutical potential of these structures was further predicted and compounds 3o and 3p were proved to meet well with the Lipinsky’s five rules. In combination of the inhibition kinetic studies with the results of molecular docking, we concluded that compound 3p inhibited BChE in a mixed competitive mode. This research has proved the potential of the 1,3-diaryl-pyrrole skeleton as a kind of selective BChE inhibitor.
Research progress on effects of traditional Chinese medicine on myocardial ischemia–reperfusion injury: A review
Authors: Xing Na , Long Xiao-Tong , Zhang Hui-Juan , Fu Li-Dan , Huang Jian-Yuan , Chaurembo Abdallah Iddy , Chanda Francis , Xu Yun-Jing , Shu Chi , Lin Kai-Xuan , Yang Ke , Lin Han-Bin
Published: December 2022

Ischemic heart disease (IHD) is a high-risk disease in the middle-aged and elderly population. The ischemic heart may be further damaged after reperfusion therapy with percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) and other methods, namely, myocardial ischemia–reperfusion injury (MIRI), which further affects revascularization and hinders patient rehabilitation. Therefore, the investigation of new therapies against MIRI has drawn great global attention. Within the long history of the prevention and treatment of MIRI, traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) has increasingly been recognized by the scientific community for its multi-component and multi-target effects. These multi-target effects provide a conspicuous advantage to the anti-MIRI of TCM to overcome the shortcomings of single-component drugs, thereby pointing toward a novel avenue for the treatment of MIRI. However, very few reviews have summarized the currently available anti-MIRI of TCM. Therefore, a systematic data mining of TCM for protecting against MIRI will certainly accelerate the processes of drug discovery and help to identify safe candidates with synergistic formulations. The present review aims to describe TCM-based research in MIRI treatment through electronic retrieval of articles, patents, and ethnopharmacology documents. This review reported the progress of research on the active ingredients, efficacy, and underlying mechanism of anti-MIRI in TCM and TCM formulas, provided scientific support to the clinical use of TCM in the treatment of MIRI, and revealed the corresponding clinical significance and development prospects of TCM in treating MIRI.
Collimated terahertz radiation through a laser irradiating on a T-type target
Authors: Lv Chong , Sun Wei , Ban Xiaona , Wan Feng , Wang Zhao
Published: December 2022

A scheme, applying a linearly polarized laser irradiating on a T-type target which contains a longitudinal target followed by a transverse target, is proposed to collimate the terahertz radiation. The results show that the interaction between the laser and the longitudinal target can effectively reduce the electron transverse divergence while increasing the electron maximum cut-off energy. In this way, the terahertz radiation can be well collimated while enhancing its intensity. By using two-dimensional particle-in-cell simulations, we show that the pointing angle is about −13.6° and 17.5° when the length and thickness of the longitudianl target are 90.0 μm and 4.0 μm, respectively. In addition, the impact of the laser and target parameters on the collimation of terahertz radiation are also investigated separately. Such a scheme may pave a new way for enhancing and collimating the terahertz radiation via laser-solid interactions.
Exercise and mitochondrial mechanisms in patients with sarcopenia
Authors: Alizadeh Pahlavani Hamed , Laher Ismail , Knechtle Beat , Zouhal Hassane
Published: December 2022

Sarcopenia is a severe loss of muscle mass and functional decline during aging that can lead to reduced quality of life, limited patient independence, and increased risk of falls. The causes of sarcopenia include inactivity, oxidant production, reduction of antioxidant defense, disruption of mitochondrial activity, disruption of mitophagy, and change in mitochondrial biogenesis. There is evidence that mitochondrial dysfunction is an important cause of sarcopenia. Oxidative stress and reduction of antioxidant defenses in mitochondria form a vicious cycle that leads to the intensification of mitochondrial separation, suppression of mitochondrial fusion/fission, inhibition of electron transport chain, reduction of ATP production, an increase of mitochondrial DNA damage, and mitochondrial biogenesis disorder. On the other hand, exercise adds to the healthy mitochondrial network by increasing markers of mitochondrial fusion and fission, and transforms defective mitochondria into efficient mitochondria. Sarcopenia also leads to a decrease in mitochondrial dynamics, mitophagy markers, and mitochondrial network efficiency by increasing the level of ROS and apoptosis. In contrast, exercise increases mitochondrial biogenesis by activating genes affected by PGC1-ɑ (such as CaMK, AMPK, MAPKs) and altering cellular calcium, ATP-AMP ratio, and cellular stress. Activation of PGC1-ɑ also regulates transcription factors (such as TFAM, MEFs, and NRFs) and leads to the formation of new mitochondrial networks. Hence, moderate-intensity exercise can be used as a non-invasive treatment for sarcopenia by activating pathways that regulate the mitochondrial network in skeletal muscle.
A novel vascular health index: Using data analytics and population health to facilitate mechanistic modeling of microvascular status
Authors: Menon Nithin J. , Halvorson Brayden D. , Alimorad Gabrielle H. , Frisbee Jefferson C. , Lizotte Daniel J. , Ward Aaron D. , Goldman Daniel , Chantler Paul D. , Frisbee Stephanie J.
Published: December 2022

The study of vascular function across conditions has been an intensive area of investigation for many years. While these efforts have revealed many factors contributing to vascular health, challenges remain for integrating results across research groups, animal models, and experimental conditions to understand integrated vascular function. As such, the insights attained in clinical/population research from linking datasets, have not been fully realized in the basic sciences, thus frustrating advanced analytics and complex modeling. To achieve comparable advances, we must address the conceptual challenge of defining/measuring integrated vascular function and the technical challenge of combining data across conditions, models, and groups. Here, we describe an approach to establish and validate a composite metric of vascular function by comparing parameters of vascular function in metabolic disease (the obese Zucker rat) to the same parameters in age-matched, “healthy” conditions, resulting in a common outcome measure which we term the vascular health index (VHI). VHI allows for the integration of datasets, thus expanding sample size and permitting advanced modeling to gain insight into the development of peripheral and cerebral vascular dysfunction. Markers of vascular reactivity, vascular wall mechanics, and microvascular network density are integrated in the VHI. We provide a detailed presentation of the development of the VHI and provide multiple measures to assess face, content, criterion, and discriminant validity of the metric. Our results demonstrate how the VHI captures multiple indices of dysfunction in the skeletal muscle and cerebral vasculature with metabolic disease and provide context for an integrated understanding of vascular health under challenged conditions.
The collaborative mode by PmSVPs and PmDAMs reveals neofunctionalization in the switch of the flower bud development and dormancy for Prunus mume
Authors: Zhao Kai , Zhou Yuzhen , Zheng Yan , Zheng Rui-yue , Hu Meijuan , Tong Yan , Luo Xianmei , Zhang Yangting , Shen Ming-li
Published: December 2022

Prunus mume (Rosaceae, Prunoideae) serves as an excellent ornamental woody plant with a large-temperature-range cultivation scope. Its flower buds require a certain low temperature to achieve flowering circulation. Thus, it is important to delve into the processes of flower bud differentiation and dormancy, which affected its continuous flowering. These processes are generally considered as regulation by the MADS-box homologs, SHORT VEGETATIVE PHASE (SVP), and DORMANCY-ASSOCIATED MADS-BOX (DAM). However, a precise model on their interdependence and specific function, when acting as a complex in the flower development of P. mume, is needed. Therefore, this study highlighted the integral roles of PmDAMs and PmSVPs in flower organ development and dormancy cycle. The segregation of PmDAMs and PmSVPs in a different cluster suggested distinct functions and neofunctionalization. The expression pattern and yeast two-hybrid assays jointly revealed that eight genes were involved in the floral organ development stages, with PmDAM1 and PmDAM5 specifically related to prolificated flower formation. PmSVP1–2 mingled in the protein complex in bud dormancy stages with PmDAMs. Finally, we proposed the hypothesis that PmSVP1 and PmSVP2 could combine with PmDAM1 to have an effect on flower organogenesis and interact with PmDAM5 and PmDAM6 to regulate flower bud dormancy. These findings could help expand the current molecular mechanism based on MADS-box genes during flower bud development and dormancy.
Belowground seed and bud banks play complementary roles in the potential recruitment of dominant macrophyte communities in a Yangtze River-connected floodplain wetland
Authors: Chen Xin-Sheng , Huang Ying , Cai Yun-He , Hou Zhi-Yong , Deng Zheng-Miao , Li Feng , Zou Ye-Ai , Xie Yong-Hong
Published: December 2022

Both seed and bud banks play important roles in the recruitment and maintenance of macrophyte communities; however, few studies have investigated them simultaneously. We investigated the abundance, species composition, and seasonal patterns of seed and bud banks in two dominant macrophyte communities, Carex and Miscanthus, in the Dongting Lake wetlands. The seed densities of both communities were lower from November (after flooding) to March and increased dramatically before flooding (in May). The bud densities of the two dominant communities peaked in the coldest month of the year (January), decreased markedly in March, and were the lowest before flooding. The seed banks of the two macrophyte communities were mainly composed of annual species and a few perennial species, whereas the bud banks were composed of only dominant perennials. Furthermore, the perennial species present in bud banks did not occur in seed banks. Among the soil variables, the bud densities of both plant communities were negatively associated with soil bulk density, whereas the seed density of the Miscanthus community was positively associated with soil bulk density. Our results suggest that seed and bud banks are complementary in the potential recruitment of macrophyte communities; that is, bud banks regulate the demography of dominant perennials, and seed banks contribute to the recruitment and dispersal of annual species. Given the high abundance of annuals and near absence of the most dominant perennials in the seed bank, the bud banks of dominant perennial species should be more widely used in wetland restoration and management.
Genetic architecture of inducible and constitutive metabolic profile related to drought resistance in qingke (Tibetan hulless barley)
Authors: Yu Kuohai , Wei Lingling , Yuan Hongjun , Zhang Weiqin , Zeng Xingquan , Wang Bin , Wang Yulin
Published: December 2022

Qingke (Tibetan hulless barley, Hordeum vulgare L. var. nudum) is the primary food crop on the Tibet Plateau, the long-term drought and other harsh environments makes qingke an important resource for the study of abiotic resistance. Here, we evaluated the drought sensitivity of 246 qingke varieties. Genome-wide association studies (GWAS) found that root-specific expressed gene CYP84 may be involved in the regulation of drought resistance. Based on widely targeted metabolic profiling, we identified 2,769 metabolites in qingke leaves, of which 302 were significantly changed in response to drought stress, including 4-aminobutyric acid (GABA), proline, sucrose and raffinose. Unexpectedly, these drought-induced metabolites changed more violently in drought-sensitive qingkes, while the constitutive metabolites that had little response to drought stress, such as C-glycosylflavonoids and some amino acids, accumulated excessively in drought-resistant qingkes. Combined with metabolite-based genome-wide association study (mGWAS), a total of 1,006 metabolites under optimal condition and 1,031 metabolites under mild drought stress had significant associated loci. As a marker metabolite induced by drought stress, raffinose was significantly associated with two conservatively adjacent α-galactosidase genes, qRT-PCR suggests that these two genes may jointly regulate the raffinose content in qingke. Besides, as constituent metabolites with stable differences between drought-sensitive and drought-resistant qingkes, a class of C-glycosylflavonoids are simultaneously regulated by a UDP-glucosyltransferase gene. Overall, we performed GWAS for sensitivity and widely targeted metabolites during drought stress in qingke for the first time, which provides new insights into the response mechanism of plant drought stress and drought resistance breeding.
Phenolic signals for prehaustorium formation in Striga hermonthica
Authors: Aoki Natsumi , Cui Songkui , Ito Chiharu , Kumaishi Kie , Kobori Shungo , Ichihashi Yasunori , Yoshida Satoko
Published: December 2022

Striga hermonthica is a root parasitic plant that causes considerable crop yield losses. To parasitize host plants, parasitic plants develop a specialized organ called the haustorium that functions in host invasion and nutrient absorption. The initiation of a prehaustorium, the primitive haustorium structure before host invasion, requires the perception of host-derived compounds, collectively called haustorium-inducing factors (HIFs). HIFs comprise quinones, phenolics, flavonoids and cytokinins for S. hermonthica; however, the signaling pathways from various HIFs leading to prehaustorium formation remain largely uncharacterized. It has been proposed that quinones serve as direct signaling molecules for prehaustorium induction and phenolic compounds originating from the host cell wall are the oxidative precursors, but the overlap and distinction of their downstream signaling remain unknown. Here we show that quinone and phenolic-triggered prehaustorium induction in S. hermonthica occurs through partially divergent signaling pathways. We found that ASBr, an inhibitor of acetosyringone in virulence gene induction in the soil bacterium Agrobacterium, compromised prehaustorium formation in S. hermonthica. In addition, LGR-991, a competitive inhibitor of cytokinin receptors, inhibited phenolic-triggered but not quinone-triggered prehaustorium formation, demonstrating divergent signaling pathways of phenolics and quinones for prehaustorium formation. Comparisons of genome-wide transcriptional activation in response to either phenolic or quinone-type HIFs revealed markedly distinct gene expression patterns specifically at the early initiation stage. While quinone DMBQ triggered rapid and massive transcriptional changes in genes at early stages, only limited numbers of genes were induced by phenolic syringic acid. The number of genes that are commonly upregulated by DMBQ and syringic acid is gradually increased, and many genes involved in oxidoreduction and cell wall modification are upregulated at the later stages by both HIFs. Our results show kinetic and signaling differences in quinone and phenolic HIFs, providing useful insights for understanding how parasitic plants interpret different host signals for successful parasitism.
Phylogenomic analysis of cytochrome P450 multigene family and its differential expression analysis in pepper (Capsicum annuum L.)
Authors: Hao Yupeng , Dong Zeyu , Zhao Yongyan , Tang Wenchen , Wang Xueqiang , Li Jun , Wang Luyao , Hu Yan , Fang Lei , Guan Xueying , Gu Fenglin , Liu Ziji , Zhang Zhiyuan
Published: December 2022

Plant cytochrome P450 is a multifamily enzyme widely involved in biochemical reactions for the synthesis of antioxidants, pigments, structural polymers, and defense-related compounds. Pepper (Capsicum annuum L.) is an economically important plant. A comprehensive identification and characterization of P450 genes would provide valuable information on the evolutionary relationships of genes and their functional characteristics. In this study, we identified P450 genes in pepper with the aid of bioinformatics methods to investigate the phylogenetic relation, gene structure, chromosomal localization, duplicated events, and collinearity among Solanaceae species. We identified and classified 478 genes of P450 from the pepper genome into two major clades and nine subfamilies through phylogenetic analysis. Massive duplication events were found in the P450 gene family, which may explain the expansion of the P450 gene family. In addition, we also found that these duplication genes may have undergone strict purification selection during evolution. Gene expression analysis showed that some P450 genes that belong to clan 71 in pepper may play an important role in placenta and pericarp development. Through quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction and transcriptome analysis, we also found that many P450 genes were related to defensive and phytohormone response in pepper. These findings provide insight for further studies to identify the biological functions of the P450 genes in pepper.
Conservation of an Agrobacterium cT-DNA insert in Camellia section Thea reveals the ancient origin of tea plants from a genetically modified ancestor
Authors: Chen Ke , Zhurbenko Peter , Danilov Lavrentii , Matveeva Tatiana , Otten Léon
Published: December 2022

Introduction

Many higher plants contain cellular T-DNA (cT-DNA) sequences from Agrobacterium and have been called “natural genetically modified organisms” (nGMOs). Among these natural transformants, the tea plant Camellia sinensis var. sinensis cv. Shuchazao contains a single 5.5 kb T-DNA fragment (CaTA) with three inactive T-DNA genes, with a 1 kb inverted repeat at the ends. Camellia plants are allogamous, so that each individual may contain two different CaTA alleles.

Methods

142 Camellia accessions, belonging to 10 of 11 species of the section Thea, were investigated for the presence of CaTA alleles.

Results discussion

All accessions were found to contain the CaTA insert, showing that section Thea derives from a single transformed ancestor. Allele phasing showed that 82 accessions each contained two different CaTA alleles, 60 others had a unique allele. A phylogenetic tree of these 225 alleles showed two separate groups, A and B, further divided into subgroups. Indel distribution corresponded in most cases with these groups. The alleles of the different Camellia species were distributed over groups A and B, and different species showed very similar CaTA alleles. This indicates that the species boundaries for section Thea may not be precise and require revision. The nucleotide divergence of the indirect CaTA repeats indicates that the cT-DNA insertion took place about 15 Mio years ago, before the emergence of section Thea. The CaTA structure of a C. fangchengensis accession has an exceptional structure. We present a working model for the origin and evolution of nGMO plants derived from allogamous transformants.
Anticipating Z-generation tourists’ green hotel visit intention utilizing an extended theory of planned behavior
Authors: Pan JiaLiang , Teng Yi-Man , Wu Kun-Shan , Wen Ting-Chung
Published: December 2022

Due to the effect COVID-19 epidemic, promoting green consumption is now a key marketing strategy in the hospitality and tourism industry. As it is vital green hotels predict their customers’ visit intention, this study attempts to discover the factors affecting Taiwan’s Z-generation tourists’ green hotel visit intention using an extended theory of planned behavior [including personal moral norms (PMN) and environmental concern (EC)]. Data were gathered from 296 Z-generation tourists via an online survey, which was subsequently analyzed using partial least squares structural equation modeling. The results evidence that Z-generation tourists’ attitude, subjective norms, (SN) and perceived behavioral control positively and significantly influence their green hotel visit intention, with attitude being the most significant factor. Moreover, the mediation model analysis indicates Z-generation tourists’ attitude toward green hotels mediates the relationships between PMN, SN, EC, and visit intention. This study provides new insights into tourists’ green hotel visit intention and emphasizes the importance of attitude in the formation of intention.
Social isolation and loneliness among Chinese older adults: Examining aging attitudes as mediators and moderators
Authors: Sun Juanjuan , Jiang Weikang , Li Haohao
Published: December 2022

Due to labor migration and social changes, the Chinese elderly are facing significant social isolation, along with changes in aging attitudes. However, whether social isolation affects loneliness among the Chinese elderly and whether this relationship is moderated and mediated by aging attitudes is unclear. This empirical study aimed to respond to the above questions in the Chinese context, Based on the data from the 2014 China Longitudinal Aging Social Survey (N = 6,645), the results showed that social isolation is a positive predictor of loneliness; aging attitudes mediate the relationship between social isolation and loneliness. Social isolation affects the loneliness of the elderly partially by weakening positive aging attitudes and strengthening negative aging attitudes; aging attitudes moderate the effect of social isolation on loneliness. For those older adults with higher positive aging attitudes, social isolation has a much smaller effect on loneliness. While for those older adults with higher negative aging attitudes, social isolation has a more substantial effect on their feelings of loneliness. Our results indicate that less social isolation is an effective way to relieve loneliness, and maintaining higher positive aging attitudes and lower negative aging attitudes, is important for the Chinese elderly to prevent loneliness when facing social isolation.
Associations between parental mediation and adolescents' internet addiction: The role of parent–child relationship and adolescents' grades
Authors: Li Xiaojing , Ding Ying , Bai Xianchun , Liu Lisha
Published: December 2022

Introduction

Family factors, such as parental mediation on Internet use and parent-child relationships, have been shown to play a crucial role in preventing adolescents' internet addiction. Previous studies have shown a change in characteristics of online risk during adolescents' development. However, it is still of great interest whether such differences applied in the relationships among parent-child relationships, different types of parental mediation and adolescents' internet addiction level. In this study, we investigated the associations between different types of parental mediators and adolescents' internet addiction level and how the associations were mediated by father-child and mother-child relationships. We further investigated whether mediating effect differs between primary and secondary school children.

Methods

Based on a sample of 3,026 school children aged 9–14 years (M = 11.56, SD = 0.71; 55.25% primary school adolescents, 44.75% secondary school adolescents), a series of Structural Equation Models were applied to investigate the relationships among internet addiction, parental mediation, and parent-child relationship. In addition, a series of multi-group analysis were applied to detect whether there are differences in these relationships between the primary and secondary school group.

Results

The internet addiction level and intensity of parental mediation was higher among primary school adolescents than secondary school adolescents. Parental active mediation and monitoring on internet use were associated with reduced and increased adolescents' internet addiction. Father-child relationship had stronger partial mediating effects on the relationships between parental mediation and adolescents' internet addiction than the mother-child relationship. The relationships among parental mediation, parent-child relationship and internet addiction were more pronounced among primary school adolescents than secondary school adolescents.

Discussion

The findings suggest that good father-child relationships and adequate parental mediation approach, such as active mediation, may contribute to reduction of internet addiction risk in adolescents, especially in primary school adolescents.