bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Neuroplasticity of pain processing and motor control in CAI patients: A UK Biobank study with clinical validation
Authors: Wang Yiran , Li Qianru , Xue Xiao'ao , Xu Xiaoyun , Tao Weichu , Liu Sixu , Li Yunyi , Wang He , Hua Yinghui
Published: February 2023

Background

Pain plays an important role in chronic ankle instability (CAI), and prolonged pain may be associated with ankle dysfunction and abnormal neuroplasticity.

Purpose

To investigate the differences in resting-state functional connectivity among the pain-related brain regions and the ankle motor-related brain regions between healthy controls and patients with CAI, and explore the relationship between patients' motor function and pain.

Study design

A cross-database, cross-sectional study.

Methods

This study included a UK Biobank dataset of 28 patients with ankle pain and 109 healthy controls and a validation dataset of 15 patients with CAI and 15 healthy controls. All participants underwent resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging scanning, and the functional connectivity (FC) among the pain-related brain regions and the ankle motor-related brain regions were calculated and compared between groups. The correlations between the potentially different functional connectivity and the clinical questionnaires were also explored in patients with CAI.

Results

The functional connection between the cingulate motor area and insula significantly differed between groups in both the UK Biobank (p = 0.005) and clinical validation dataset (p = 0.049), which was also significantly correlated with Tegner scores (r = 0.532, p = 0.041) in patients with CAI.

Conclusion

A reduced functional connection between the cingulate motor area and the insula was present in patients with CAI, which was also directly correlated with reduction in the level of patient physical activity.
Case report: Response to endocrine therapy in triple-negative breast cancer metastases with altered hormone receptors
Authors: Qin Ruoyan , Qian Jie , Shan Mengjun , Ruan Guangxin , Yang Xiaofeng , Wang Yanwen , Liu Lingshuang
Published: February 2023

Triple-negative breast cancer refers to breast cancer patients with negative estrogen receptor (ER), progesterone receptor (PR) and human epidermal growth factor receptor (HER2). Metastatic triple-negative breast cancer is predominantly treated with chemotherapy, but later-line treatment remains challenging. Breast cancer is highly heterogeneous, and the expression of hormone receptors is often inconsistent between primary and metastatic lesions. Here, we report a case of triple-negative breast cancer 17 years after surgery with lung metastases for 5 years that progressed to pleural metastases after multiple lines of chemotherapy. The pleural pathology suggested ER (+) and PR (+) and transformation to luminal A breast cancer. This patient received fifth-line letrozole endocrine therapy and achieved partial response (PR). The patient’s cough and chest tightness improved after treatment, associated tumor markers decreased, and progression-free survival (PFS) exceeded 10 months. Our results may be of clinical relevance for patients with hormone receptor alterations in advanced triple-negative breast cancer and suggest that individualized regimens should be developed for breast cancer based on the molecular expression of tumor tissue at the primary and metastatic sites.
Atypical ATMs: Broadening the phenotypic spectrum of ATM-associated hereditary cancer
Authors: Borja Nicholas A. , Silva-Smith Rachel , Huang Marilyn , Parekh Dipen J. , Sussman Daniel , Tekin Mustafa
Published: February 2023

Heterozygous, loss-of-function germline variants in ATM have been associated with an increased lifetime risk of breast, pancreas, prostate, stomach, ovarian, colorectal, and melanoma cancers. We conducted a retrospective review of thirty-one unrelated patients found to be heterozygous for a germline pathogenic variant in ATM and identified a significant proportion of patients in this cohort with cancers not currently associated with the ATM hereditary cancer syndrome, including carcinomas of the gallbladder, uterus, duodenum, kidney, and lung as well as a vascular sarcoma. A comprehensive review of the literature found 25 relevant studies where 171 individuals with a germline deleterious ATM variant have been diagnosed with the same or similar cancers. The combined data from these studies were then used to estimate the prevalence of germline ATM pathogenic variants in these cancers, which ranged between 0.45% and 2.2%. Analysis of tumor sequencing performed in large cohorts demonstrated that the frequency of deleterious somatic ATM alterations in these atypical cancers equaled or exceeded the alteration frequency in breast cancer and occurred at a significantly higher rate than in other DNA-damage response tumor suppressors, namely BRCA1 and CHEK2. Furthermore, multi-gene analysis of somatic alterations in these atypical cancers demonstrated significant co-occurrence of pathogenic alterations in ATM with BRCA1 and CHEK2, while there was significant mutual exclusivity between pathogenic alterations in ATM and TP53. This indicates that germline ATM pathogenic variants may play a role in cancer initiation and progression in these atypical ATM malignancies, potentially influencing these cancers to be driven toward DNA-damage repair deficiency and away from loss of TP53. As such, these findings provide evidence for broadening of the ATM-cancer susceptibility syndrome phenotype to improve the recognition of affected patients and provide more efficacious, germline-directed therapies.
A comprehensive overview of the relationship between RET gene and tumor occurrence
Authors: Zhao Lu , Wang Na , Zhang Dou , Jia Yingjie , Kong Fanming
Published: February 2023

RET gene plays significant roles in the nervous system and many other tissues. Rearranged during transfection (RET) mutation is related to cell proliferation, invasion, and migration. Many invasive tumors (e.g., non-small cell lung cancer, thyroid cancer, and breast cancer) were found to have changes in RET. Recently, great efforts have been made against RET. Selpercatinib and pralsetinib, with encouraging efficacy, intracranial activity, and tolerability, were approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in 2020. The development of acquired resistance is inevitable, and a deeper exploration should be conducted. This article systematically reviewed RET gene and its biology as well as the oncogenic role in multiple cancers. Moreover, we also summarized recent advances in the treatment of RET and the mechanism of drug resistance.
Validation of thermal dynamics during Hyperthermic IntraPEritoneal Chemotherapy simulations using a 3D-printed phantom
Authors: Löke Daan R. , Kok H. Petra , Helderman Roxan F. C. P. A. , Franken Nicolaas A. P. , Oei Arlene L. , Tuynman Jurriaan B. , Zweije Remko , Sijbrands Jan , Tanis Pieter J. , Crezee Johannes
Published: February 2023

Introduction

CytoReductive Surgery (CRS) followed by Hyperthermic IntraPeritoneal Chemotherapy (HIPEC) is an often used strategy in treating patients diagnosed with peritoneal metastasis (PM) originating from various origins such as gastric, colorectal and ovarian. During HIPEC treatments, a heated chemotherapeutic solution is circulated through the abdomen using several inflow and outflow catheters. Due to the complex geometry and large peritoneal volume, thermal heterogeneities can occur resulting in an unequal treatment of the peritoneal surface. This can increase the risk of recurrent disease after treatment. The OpenFoam-based treatment planning software that we developed can help understand and map these heterogeneities.

Methods

In this study, we validated the thermal module of the treatment planning software with an anatomically correct 3D-printed phantom of a female peritoneum. This phantom is used in an experimental HIPEC setup in which we varied catheter positions, flow rate and inflow temperatures. In total, we considered 7 different cases. We measured the thermal distribution in 9 different regions with a total of 63 measurement points. The duration of the experiment was 30 minutes, with measurement intervals of 5 seconds.

Results

Experimental data were compared to simulated thermal distributions to determine the accuracy of the software. The thermal distribution per region compared well with the simulated temperature ranges. For all cases, the absolute error was well below 0.5°C near steady-state situations and around 0.5°C, for the entire duration of the experiment.

Discussion

Considering clinical data, an accuracy below 0.5°C is adequate to provide estimates of variations in local treatment temperatures and to help optimize HIPEC treatments.
Measurable residual disease in chronic lymphocytic leukemia
Authors: Benintende Giulia , Pozzo Federico , Innocenti Idanna , Autore Francesco , Fresa Alberto , D’Arena Giovanni , Gattei Valter , Laurenti Luca
Published: February 2023

Measurable residual disease (MRD) is defined as the presence of residual cancer cells after treatment in patients with clinically undetectable disease, who would otherwise be considered in complete remission. It is a highly sensitive parameter which indicates the disease burden and predicts survival in this setting of patients. In recent years, MRD has gained a role in many hematological malignancies as a surrogate endpoint for clinical trials: undetectable MRD has been correlated to longer progression free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS). New drugs and combinations have been developed with the aim to achieve MRD negativity, which would indicate favorable prognosis. Different methods to measure MRD have also been devised, which include flow cytometry, polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and next generation sequencing (NGS), with different sensitivity and accuracy in evaluating deep remission after treatment. In this review, we will analyze the current recommendations for the detection of MRD, with particular focus on its role in Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia (CLL), as well as the different detection methods. Moreover, we will discuss the results of clinical trials and the role of MRD in new therapeutic schemes with inhibitors and monoclonal antibodies. MRD is not currently used in the clinical practice to evaluate response to treatment, due to technical and economical limitations, but it’s gaining more and more interest in trials settings, especially since the introduction of venetoclax. The use of MRD in trials will likely be followed by a broader practical application in the future. The aim of this work is to provide a reader-friendly summary of the state of art in the field, as MRD will soon become an accessible tool to evaluate our patients, predict their survival and guide physician’s therapeutic choices and preferences.
Increases prognostic value of clinical-pathological nomogram in patients with esophageal squamous cell carcinoma
Authors: Hu Jing Feng , Song Xin , Zhong Kan , Zhao Xue Ke , Zhou Fu You , Xu Rui Hua , Li Ji Lin , Wang Xian Zeng , Li Xue Min , Wang Pan Pan , Lei Ling Ling , Wei Meng Xia , Wang Ran , Fan Zong Min , Han Xue Na , Chen Yao , Li Liu Yu , Ji Jia Jia , Yang Yuan Ze , Li Bei , Yang Miao Miao , Yang Hai Jun , Chang Fu Bao , Ren Jing Li , Zhou Sheng Li , Wang Li Dong
Published: February 2023

Background

This study was intended to construct a brand new prognostic nomogram after combine clinical and pathological characteristics to increases prognostic value in patients with esophageal squamous cell carcinoma.

Methods

A total of 1,634 patients were included. Subsequently, the tumor tissues of all patients were prepared into tissue microarrays. AIPATHWELL software was employed to explore tissue microarrays and calculate the tumor-stroma ratio. X-tile was adopted to find the optimal cut-off value. Univariate and multivariate Cox analyses were used to screen out remarkable characteristics for constructing the nomogram in the total populations. A novel prognostic nomogram with clinical and pathological characteristics was constructed on the basis of the training cohort (n=1,144). What’s more performance was validated in the validation cohort (n=490). Clinical-pathological nomogram were assessed by concordance index, time-dependent receiver operating characteristic, calibration curve and decision curve analysis.

Results

The patients can divide into two groups with cut-off value of 69.78 for the tumor-stroma ratio. It is noteworthy that the survival difference was noticeable (P<0.001). A clinical-pathological nomogram was constructed by combining clinical and pathological characteristics to predict the overall survival. In comparison with TNM stage, the concordance index and time-dependent receiver operating characteristic of the clinical-pathological nomogram showed better predictive value (P<0.001). High quality of calibration plots in overall survival was noticed. As demonstrated by the decision curve analysis, the nomogram has better value than the TNM stage.

Conclusions

As evidently revealed by the research findings, tumor-stroma ratio is an independent prognostic factor in patients with esophageal squamous cell carcinoma. The clinical-pathological nomogram has an incremental value compared TNM stage in predicting overall survival.
Clinical characteristics and short-term outcomes of multisystem inflammatory syndrome in a country with a high prevalence of KD
Authors: You Sung Doo , Kim Jin Ho , You Jihye
Published: February 2023

Background

The COVID-19 pandemic has spread continuously. Multisystem inflammatory syndrome in children (MIS-C), like Kawasaki disease (KD), is a potentially severe illness in children that appears to be a delayed, post-infectious complication of COVID-19. However, based on the relatively low MIS-C prevalence and high KD prevalence in Asian children, the clinical features of MIS-C are not fully recognized, especially after the spread of the Omicron variant. Here, we aimed to identify the clinical characteristics of MIS-C in a country with high KD prevalence.

Methods

We retrospectively analyzed 98 children diagnosed with KD and MIS-C admitted to Jeonbuk National University Hospital between January 1, 2021, and October 15, 2022. Twenty-two patients were diagnosed with MIS-C, following CDC diagnostic criteria for MIS-C. We reviewed medical records for clinical features, laboratory findings, and echocardiography.

Results

Age, height, and weight were higher for patients with MIS-C than for those with KD. Lymphocytes percentage was lower, and the segmented neutrophil percentage was higher in the MIS-C group. The inflammation marker C-reactive protein was higher in the MIS-C group. Prothrombin time was prolonged in the MIS-C group. Albumin level was lower in the MIS-C group. The MIS-C group had lower potassium, phosphorus, chloride, and total calcium. Twenty-five percent of patients diagnosed with MIS-C had positive RT-PCR, and all the patients were N-type SARS-CoV-2 antibody-positive. Albumin ≤3.85 g/dl effectively predicted MIS-C. Regarding echocardiography, the right coronary artery z-score, the absolute value of apical 4-chamber left ventricle longitudinal strain, and the ejection fraction (EF) was significantly lower in the MIS-C group. A month after diagnosis using echocardiographic data, all coronary artery z-scores had reduced significantly. EF and fractional shortening (FS) also improved one month after diagnosis.

Conclusion

Albumin values can differentiate MIS-C and KD. In addition, a decrease in the absolute LV longitudinal strain value, EF, and FS was observed in the MIS-C group using echocardiography. Coronary artery dilatation was not evident at the initial diagnosis; however, a change in coronary artery size, EF, and FS was observed on follow-up echocardiography a month after diagnosis.
Safety of Pelargonium extract EPs 7630 in young children with acute bronchitis
Authors: Kamin Wolfgang , Behre Ulrich , Helm Klaus , Reling Birgit , Funk Petra , Malek Fathi Abdul
Published: February 2023

Background

The efficacy and tolerability of Pelargonium sidoides DC. root extract EPs 7630 in children with acute bronchitis (AB) have been widely demonstrated. We investigated the safety and tolerability of a syrup formulation and an oral solution in pre-school children.

Methods

In an open-label, randomized clinical trial (EudraCT number 2011-002652-14), children aged 1–5 years suffering from AB received EPs 7630 syrup or solution for 7 days. Safety was assessed by frequency, severity, and nature of adverse events (AE), vital signs, and laboratory values. Outcome measures for evaluating the health status were the intensity of coughing, pulmonary rales, and dyspnea, measured by the short version of the Bronchitis Severity Scale (BSS-ped), further symptoms of the respiratory infection, general health status according to the Integrative Medicine Outcomes Scale (IMOS), and satisfaction with treatment according to the Integrative Medicine Patient Satisfaction Scale (IMPSS).

Results

591 children were randomized and treated with syrup (n = 403) or solution (n = 188) for 7 days. In both treatment groups, the number of adverse events was similarly low and revealed no safety concerns. The most frequently observed events were infections (syrup: 7.2%; solution: 7.4%) or gastrointestinal disorders (syrup: 2.7%; solution: 3.2%). After one week's treatment, more than 90% of the children experienced an improvement or remission of the symptoms of the BSS-ped. Further respiratory symptoms decreased similarly in both groups. At Day 7, more than 80% of the whole study population had completely recovered or showed a major improvement as assessed by the investigator and the proxy, respectively. Parents were “very satisfied” or “satisfied” with the treatment in 86.1% of patients in the combined syrup and solution group.

Conclusion

Both pharmaceutical forms, EPs 7630 syrup and oral solution, were shown to be equally safe and well tolerated in pre-school children suffering from AB. Improvement of health status and of complaints were similar in both groups.
Systematic review with meta-analysis: Efficacy and safety of biological treatment on salivary gland function in primary Sjögren’s syndrome
Authors: Wang Xiaoyan , Lin Xiang , Su Yingying , Wang Hao
Published: February 2023

Objective: The study aimed to assess the efficacy and safety of clinical trials of biologics in improving the salivary gland (SG) function in primary Sjögren’s syndrome (pSS), which has not been analyzed critically and systematically.

Methods: PubMed, Web of Science, ClinicalTrials.gov, the EU Clinical Trials Register, and the Cochrane Library were searched for clinical trials that reported effects of biological treatment on the SG function and safety in pSS patients. Inclusion criteria were defined following participants, interventions, comparisons, outcome, and study design (PICOS) recommendations. The objective index (the change of unstimulated whole saliva (UWS) flow) and the serious adverse event (SAE) were assessed as main outcome measures. A meta-analysis of the efficacy and safety of the treatment was conducted. Quality assessment, sensitivity analysis, and publication bias were assessed. The effect size together with a 95% confidence interval was used to estimate the efficacy and safety of biological treatment and was plotted as a forest plot.

Results: The literature search yielded 6,678 studies, nine of which fulfilled the inclusion criteria, with seven randomized controlled trials (RCTs) and two non-RCT clinical studies. Generally, biologics do not significantly increase UWS from the baseline of pSS patients compared to the control group at a matched time point (p = 0.55; standard mean difference, SMD = 0.05; 95% confidence interval, CI: −0.11 and 0.21). However, pSS patients with shorter disease duration (≤3 years; SMD = 0.46; 95% CI: 0.06 and 0.85) were prone to have a better response to biological treatment by showing higher increased UWS than patients with longer disease duration (> 3 years; SMD = −0.03; 95% CI: −0.21 and 0.15) (p = 0.03). For the meta-analysis of the safety of biological treatment, the SAEs in the biologics group were significantly higher than those of the control group (p = 0.0021; log odds ratio, OR = 1.03; 95% CI: 0.37 and 1.69).

Conclusion: Biological intervention during the early course of the disease may benefit pSS patients better than that during the late course. Significantly, more SAEs in the biologics group indicate that the safety of biologics needs to be addressed for future biological clinical trials and treatment.
An investigation of a closed-form solution for non-linear variable-order fractional evolution equations via the fractional Caputo derivative
Authors: Ali Umair , Naeem Muhammad , Alahmadi Reham , Abdullah Farah Aini , Khan Muhammad Asim , Ganie Abdul Hamid
Published: February 2023

Determining the non-linear traveling or soliton wave solutions for variable-order fractional evolution equations (VO-FEEs) is very challenging and important tasks in recent research fields. This study aims to discuss the non-linear space–time variable-order fractional shallow water wave equation that represents non-linear dispersive waves in the shallow water channel by using the Khater method in the Caputo fractional derivative (CFD) sense. The transformation equation can be used to get the non-linear integer-order ordinary differential equation (ODE) from the proposed equation. Also, new exact solutions as kink- and periodic-type solutions for non-linear space–time variable-order fractional shallow water wave equations were constructed. This confirms that the non-linear fractional variable-order evolution equations are natural and very attractive in mathematical physics.
Experiments probing clustering effects in explosive nucleosynthesis
Authors: Bardayan D. W.
Published: February 2023

Nuclear clustering affects the nucleosynthesis occurring in a number of astrophysical environments. Highly-clusterized nuclear states typically occur near particle thresholds and therefore can produce dramatic impacts on the nuclear reaction rates. This is especially true for astrophysical explosions that are driven by the consumption of helium as fuel. Such burning can occur in X-ray bursts, supernovae type Ia, and core-collapse supernovae for instance. This article will focus on the explosive astrophysical events in which nuclear clustering is most important, will discuss the types of information and tools necessary to estimate the astrophysical reaction rates, and will discuss example experiments at Notre Dame and other facilities that have or will be performed to measure the critical nuclear data needed for such estimates.
Extracellular vesicles and Duchenne muscular dystrophy pathology: Modulators of disease progression
Authors: Yedigaryan Laura , Sampaolesi Maurilio
Published: February 2023

Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) is a devastating disorder and is considered to be one of the worst forms of inherited muscular dystrophies. DMD occurs as a result of mutations in the dystrophin gene, leading to progressive muscle fiber degradation and weakness. Although DMD pathology has been studied for many years, there are aspects of disease pathogenesis and progression that have not been thoroughly explored yet. The underlying issue with this is that the development of further effective therapies becomes stalled. It is becoming more evident that extracellular vesicles (EVs) may contribute to DMD pathology. EVs are vesicles secreted by cells that exert a multitude of effects via their lipid, protein, and RNA cargo. EV cargo (especially microRNAs) is also said to be a good biomarker for identifying the status of specific pathological processes that occur in dystrophic muscle, such as fibrosis, degeneration, inflammation, adipogenic degeneration, and dilated cardiomyopathy. On the other hand, EVs are becoming more prominent vehicles for custom-engineered cargos. In this review, we will discuss the possible contribution of EVs to DMD pathology, their potential use as biomarkers, and the therapeutic efficacy of both, EV secretion inhibition and custom-engineered cargo delivery.
Genome-wide analysis of R2R3-MYB genes in cultivated peanut (Arachis hypogaea L.): Gene duplications, functional conservation, and diversification
Authors: Wang Sijian , Xu Zhe , Yang Yiwen , Ren Weifang , Fang Jiahai , Wan Liyun
Published: February 2023

The cultivated Peanut (Arachis hypogaea L.), an important oilseed and edible legume, are widely grown worldwide. The R2R3-MYB transcription factor, one of the largest gene families in plants, is involved in various plant developmental processes and responds to multiple stresses. In this study we identified 196 typical R2R3-MYB genes in the genome of cultivated peanut. Comparative phylogenetic analysis with Arabidopsis divided them into 48 subgroups. The motif composition and gene structure independently supported the subgroup delineation. Collinearity analysis indicated polyploidization, tandem, and segmental duplication were the main driver of the R2R3-MYB gene amplification in peanut. Homologous gene pairs between the two subgroups showed tissue specific biased expression. In addition, a total of 90 R2R3-MYB genes showed significant differential expression levels in response to waterlogging stress. Furthermore, we identified an SNP located in the third exon region of AdMYB03-18 (AhMYB033) by association analysis, and the three haplotypes of the SNP were significantly correlated with total branch number (TBN), pod length (PL) and root-shoot ratio (RS ratio), respectively, revealing the potential function of AdMYB03-18 (AhMYB033) in improving peanut yield. Together, these studies provide evidence for functional diversity in the R2R3-MYB genes and will contribute to understanding the function of R2R3-MYB genes in peanut.
Identification of photosynthetic parameters for superior yield of two super hybrid rice varieties: A cross-scale study from leaf to canopy
Authors: Pan Yonghui , Cao Yiwen , Chai Yixiao , Meng Xusheng , Wang Min , Wang Guanjun , Guo Shiwei
Published: February 2023

Enhancing photosynthetic capacity is widely accepted as critical to advancing crop yield. Therefore, identifying photosynthetic parameters positively related to biomass accumulation in elite cultivars is the major focus of current rice research. In this work, we assessed leaf photosynthetic performance, canopy photosynthesis, and yield attributes of super hybrid rice cultivars Y-liangyou 3218 (YLY3218) and Y-liangyou 5867 (YLY5867) at tillering stage and flowering stage, using inbred super rice cultivars Zhendao11(ZD11) and Nanjing 9108 (NJ9108) as control. A diurnal canopy photosynthesis model was applied to estimate the influence of key environmental factors, canopy attributes, and canopy nitrogen status on daily aboveground biomass increment (AMDAY). Results showed that primarily the light-saturated photosynthetic rate at tillering stage contributed to the advancing yield and biomass of super hybrid rice in comparison to inbred super rice, and the light-saturated photosynthetic rate between them was similar at flowering stage. At tillering stage, the higher CO2 diffusion capacity, together with higher biochemical capacity (i.e., maximum carboxylation rate of Rubisco, maximum electron transport rate (Jmax), and triose phosphate utilization rate) favored leaf photosynthesis of super hybrid rice. Similarly, AMDAY in super hybrid rice was higher than inbred super rice at tillering stage, and comparable at flowering stage partially due to increased canopy nitrogen concentration (SLNave) of inbred super rice. At tillering stage, model simulation revealed that replacement of Jmax and gm in inbred super rice by super hybrid rice always had a positive effect on AMDAY, and the averaged AMDAY increment was 5.7% and 3.4%, respectively. Simultaneously, the 20% enhancement of total canopy nitrogen concentration through the improvement of SLNave (TNC-SLNave) resulted in the highest AMDAY across cultivars, with an average increase of 11.2%. In conclusion, the advancing yield performance of YLY3218 and YLY5867 was due to the higher Jmax and gm at tillering stage, and TCN-SLNave is a promising target for future super rice breeding programs.
Genome-wide analysis of long non-coding RNAs in sugar beet (Beta vulgaris L.) under drought stress
Authors: Zou Chunlei , Guo Zhiqiang , Zhao Shanshan , Chen Jishuai , Zhang Chunlai , Han Haoran
Published: February 2023

Drought stress is one of the most severe abiotic stresses that restrict global crop production. Long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) have been proved to play a key role in response to drought stress. However, genome-wide identification and characterization of drought-responsive lncRNAs in sugar beet is still lacking. Thus, the present study focused on analyzing lncRNAs in sugar beet under drought stress. We identified 32017 reliable lncRNAs in sugar beet by strand-specific high-throughput sequencing. A total of 386 differentially expressed lncRNAs (DElncRNAs) were found under drought stress. The most significantly upregulated and downregulated lncRNAs were TCONS_00055787 (upregulated by more than 6000 fold) and TCONS_00038334 (downregulated by more than 18000 fold), respectively. Quantitative real-time PCR results exhibited a high concordance with RNA sequencing data, which conformed that the expression patterns of lncRNAs based on RNA sequencing were highly reliable. In addition, we predicted 2353 and 9041 transcripts that were estimated to be the cis- and trans-target genes of the drought-responsive lncRNAs. As revealed by Gene Ontology (GO) and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) analysis, the target genes of DElncRNAs were significantly enriched in organelle subcompartment, thylakoid, endopeptidase activity, catalytic activity, developmental process, lipid metabolic process, RNA polymerase activity, transferase activity, flavonoid biosynthesis and several other terms associated with abiotic stress tolerance. Moreover, 42 DElncRNAs were predicted as potential miRNA target mimics. LncRNAs have important effects on plant adaptation to drought conditions through the interaction with protein-encoding genes. The present study leads to greater insights into lncRNA biology and offers candidate regulators for improving the drought tolerance of sugar beet cultivars at the genetic level.
Identification of hub genes regulating isoflavone accumulation in soybean seeds via GWAS and WGCNA approaches
Authors: Azam Muhammad , Zhang Shengrui , Li Jing , Ahsan Muhammad , Agyenim-Boateng Kwadwo Gyapong , Qi Jie , Feng Yue , Liu Yitian , Li Bin , Qiu Lijuan , Sun Junming
Published: February 2023

Introduction

Isoflavones are the secondary metabolites synthesized by the phenylpropanoid biosynthesis pathway in soybean that benefits human and plant health.

Methods

In this study, we have profiled seed isoflavone content by HPLC in 1551 soybean accessions grown in Beijing and Hainan for two consecutive years (2017 and 2018) and in Anhui for one year (2017).

Results

A broad range of phenotypic variations was observed for individual and total isoflavone (TIF) content. The TIF content ranged from 677.25 to 5823.29 µg g-1 in the soybean natural population. Using a genome-wide association study (GWAS) based on 6,149,599 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs), we identified 11,704 SNPs significantly associated with isoflavone contents; 75% of them were located within previously reported QTL regions for isoflavone. Two significant regions on chromosomes 5 and 11 were associated with TIF and malonylglycitin across more than 3 environments. Furthermore, the WGCNA identified eight key modules: black, blue, brown, green, magenta, pink, purple, and turquoise. Of the eight co-expressed modules, brown (r = 0.68***), magenta (r = 0.64***), and green (r = 0.51**) showed a significant positive association with TIF, as well as with individual isoflavone contents. By combining the gene significance, functional annotation, and enrichment analysis information, four hub genes Glyma.11G108100, Glyma.11G107100, Glyma.11G106900, and Glyma.11G109100 encoding, basic-leucine zipper (bZIP) transcription factor, MYB4 transcription factor, early responsive to dehydration, and PLATZ transcription factor respectively were identified in brown and green modules. The allelic variation in Glyma.11G108100 significantly influenced individual and TIF accumulation.

Discussion

The present study demonstrated that the GWAS approach, combined with WGCNA, could efficiently identify isoflavone candidate genes in the natural soybean population.
Regulation of carotenoid and flavonoid biosynthetic pathways in Lactuca sativa var capitate L. in protected cultivation
Authors: Harbart Vanessa , Frede Katja , Fitzner Maria , Baldermann Susanne
Published: February 2023

In the face of a growing world population and limited land, there is an urgent demand for higher productivity of food crops, and cultivation systems must be adapted to future needs. Sustainable crop production should aim for not only high yields, but also high nutritional values. In particular, the consumption of bioactive compounds such as carotenoids and flavonoids is associated with a reduced incidence of non-transmissible diseases. Modulating environmental conditions by improving cultivation systems can lead to the adaption of plant metabolisms and the accumulation of bioactive compounds. The present study investigates the regulation of carotenoid and flavonoid metabolisms in lettuce (Lactuca sativa var capitate L.) grown in a protected environment (polytunnels) compared to plants grown without polytunnels. Carotenoid, flavonoid and phytohormone (ABA) contents were determined using HPLC-MS and transcript levels of key metabolic genes were analyzed by RT-qPCR. In this study, we observed inverse contents of flavonoids and carotenoids in lettuce grown without or under polytunnels. Flavonoid contents on a total and individual level were significantly lower, while total carotenoid content was higher in lettuce plants grown under polytunnels compared to without. However, the adaptation was specific to the level of individual carotenoids. For instance, the accumulation of the main carotenoids lutein and neoxanthin was induced while the β-carotene content remained unchanged. In addition, our findings suggest that the flavonoid content of lettuce depends on transcript levels of the key biosynthetic enzyme, which is modulated by UV light. A regulatory influence can be assumed based on the relation between the concentration of the phytohormone ABA and the flavonoid content in lettuce. In contrast, the carotenoid content is not reflected in transcript levels of the key enzyme of either the biosynthetic or the degradation pathway. Nevertheless, the carotenoid metabolic flux determined using norflurazon was higher in lettuce grown under polytunnels, suggesting posttranscriptional regulation of carotenoid accumulation, which should be an integral part of future studies. Therefore, a balance needs to be found between the individual environmental factors, including light and temperature, in order to optimize the carotenoid or flavonoid contents and to obtain nutritionally highly valuable crops in protected cultivation.
Improved YOLOX-Tiny network for detection of tobacco brown spot disease
Authors: Lin Jianwu , Yu Dianzhi , Pan Renyong , Cai Jitong , Liu Jiaming , Zhang Licai , Wen Xingtian , Peng Xishun , Cernava Tomislav , Oufensou Safa , Migheli Quirico , Chen Xiaoyulong , Zhang Xin
Published: February 2023

Introduction

Tobacco brown spot disease caused by Alternaria fungal species is a major threat to tobacco growth and yield. Thus, accurate and rapid detection of tobacco brown spot disease is vital for disease prevention and chemical pesticide inputs.

Methods

Here, we propose an improved YOLOX-Tiny network, named YOLO-Tobacco, for the detection of tobacco brown spot disease under open-field scenarios. Aiming to excavate valuable disease features and enhance the integration of different levels of features, thereby improving the ability to detect dense disease spots at different scales, we introduced hierarchical mixed-scale units (HMUs) in the neck network for information interaction and feature refinement between channels. Furthermore, in order to enhance the detection of small disease spots and the robustness of the network, we also introduced convolutional block attention modules (CBAMs) into the neck network.

Results

As a result, the YOLO-Tobacco network achieved an average precision (AP) of 80.56% on the test set. The AP was 3.22%, 8.99%, and 12.03% higher than that obtained by the classic lightweight detection networks YOLOX-Tiny network, YOLOv5-S network, and YOLOv4-Tiny network, respectively. In addition, the YOLO-Tobacco network also had a fast detection speed of 69 frames per second (FPS).

Discussion

Therefore, the YOLO-Tobacco network satisfies both the advantages of high detection accuracy and fast detection speed. It will likely have a positive impact on early monitoring, disease control, and quality assessment in diseased tobacco plants.
Recent progress and perspectives on physiological and molecular mechanisms underlying cold tolerance of tea plants
Authors: Wang Yanli , Samarina Lidia , Mallano Ali Inayat , Tong Wei , Xia Enhua
Published: February 2023

Tea is one of the most consumed and widely planted beverage plant worldwide, which contains many important economic, healthy, and cultural values. Low temperature inflicts serious damage to tea yields and quality. To cope with cold stress, tea plants have evolved a cascade of physiological and molecular mechanisms to rescue the metabolic disorders in plant cells caused by the cold stress; this includes physiological, biochemical changes and molecular regulation of genes and associated pathways. Understanding the physiological and molecular mechanisms underlying how tea plants perceive and respond to cold stress is of great significance to breed new varieties with improved quality and stress resistance. In this review, we summarized the putative cold signal sensors and molecular regulation of the CBF cascade pathway in cold acclimation. We also broadly reviewed the functions and potential regulation networks of 128 cold-responsive gene families of tea plants reported in the literature, including those particularly regulated by light, phytohormone, and glycometabolism. We discussed exogenous treatments, including ABA, MeJA, melatonin, GABA, spermidine and airborne nerolidol that have been reported as effective ways to improve cold resistance in tea plants. We also present perspectives and possible challenges for functional genomic studies on cold tolerance of tea plants in the future.
Explainable AI as evidence of fair decisions
Authors: Leben Derek
Published: February 2023

This paper will propose that explanations are valuable to those impacted by a model's decisions (model patients) to the extent that they provide evidence that a past adverse decision was unfair. Under this proposal, we should favor models and explainability methods which generate counterfactuals of two types. The first type of counterfactual is positive evidence of fairness: a set of states under the control of the patient which (if changed) would have led to a beneficial decision. The second type of counterfactual is negative evidence of fairness: a set of irrelevant group or behavioral attributes which (if changed) would not have led to a beneficial decision. Each of these counterfactual statements is related to fairness, under the Liberal Egalitarian idea that treating one person differently than another is justified only on the basis of features which were plausibly under each person's control. Other aspects of an explanation, such as feature importance and actionable recourse, are not essential under this view, and need not be a goal of explainable AI.
How does social media use impact subjective well-being? Examining the suppressing role of Internet addiction and the moderating effect of digital skills
Authors: Wu Bin , Liu Tianyuan , Tian Beihai
Published: February 2023

Introduction

Previous studies have explored the impact of social media use on people’s subjective well-being, but there is a lack of discussion on the relationship between social media use, Internet addiction, and subjective well-being, and the research on the influence of digital skills on this relationship is not sufficient. This paper aims to fill these gaps. Based on the flow theory, this paper takes Chinese residents as the research object and uses CGSS 2017 data to analyze the impact of social media use on people’s subjective well-being.

Methods

Our study used multiple linear regression models for analysis. To test the hypotheses and the moderated mediation model, we adopted PROCESS models with 5000 bias-corrected bootstrap samples and 95% confidence intervals. All analyses were conducted using SPSS 25.0.

Results

The empirical analysis shows that social media use has a positive direct effect on subjective well-being, and Internet addiction plays a suppressing role in the relationship between social media use and subjective well-being. In addition, we found that digital skills moderated the positive effect of social media use on Internet addiction and the indirect effect of social media use on subjective well-being through Internet addiction.

Discussion

The conclusion of this paper supports our previous hypothesis. Besides, the theoretical contribution, practical significance, and limitations of this study are discussed based on the results of previous studies.
A corpus-based analysis of the stylistic features of Chinese and American diplomatic discourse
Authors: Zhang Chenxia , Afzaal Muhammad , Omar Abdulfattah , Altohami Waheed M. A.
Published: February 2023

The study investigates the linguistic aspects of Chinese and American diplomatic discourse using Biber’s theoretical underpinnings of multi-dimensional (MD) analysis. The corpus of the study comprises texts taken from the official websites of the Chinese and US governments from 2011 to 2020. The study results show that China’s diplomatic discourse falls into the text type of learned exposition which includes informational expositions focused on conveying information. In contrast, the United States diplomatic discourse falls into the text type of “involved persuasion,” which is persuasive and argumentative. Furthermore, the two-way ANOVA test reveals few distinctions between spoken and written diplomatic discourse from the same country. Furthermore, T-tests demonstrate that the diplomatic discourse of the two countries differs significantly in three dimensions. In addition, the study highlights that China’s diplomatic discourse is informationally dense and context independent. In contrast, the United States diplomatic discourse is emotive and interactional, strongly dependent on context, and created within time restrictions. Finally, the study’s findings contribute to a systematic knowledge of the genre aspects of diplomatic discourse and are helpful for more effective diplomatic discourse system creation.
CEO financial background, managerial ownership, and corporate innovation: Insights from imprinting theory
Authors: Gao Yu , Tang Yahao , Zhang Jiruo
Published: February 2023

The global ecological environment is facing increasingly severe challenges; therefore, it is crucial to implement sustainable development policies and promote corporate innovation. Based on imprinting theory, we examine the relationship between CEO financial background and corporate innovation within the Chinese context. The results confirm that CEOs with a financial background negatively impact corporate innovation, while managerial ownership mitigates this effect. Existing literature has considered the impact of CEO background on corporate innovation; however, it mainly takes up corporate innovation from the perspective of upper-echelon theory. In addition, the mechanism of CEO financial background on corporate innovation is ambiguous in the Chinese cultural context. This study enriches the literature on the relationship between the characteristics of CEO background and corporate behavior, thereby offering guidance for corporate innovation practices.
Clinical aspects of binge eating disorder: A cross-sectional mixed-methods study of binge eating disorder experts' perspectives
Authors: Bray Brenna , Sadowski Adam , Bray Chris , Bradley Ryan , Zwickey Heather
Published: February 2023

Introduction

Research on binge eating disorder continues to evolve and advance our understanding of recurrent binge eating.

Methods

This mixed-methods, cross-sectional survey aimed to collect information from experts in the field about clinical aspects of adult binge eating disorder pathology. Fourteen experts in binge eating disorder research and clinical care were identified based on receipt of relevant federal funding, PubMed-indexed publications, active practice in the field, leadership in relevant societies, and/or clinical and popular press distinction. Anonymously recorded semi-structured interviews were analyzed by ≥2 investigators using reflexive thematic analysis and quantification.

Results

Identified themes included: (1) obesity (100%); (2) intentional/voluntary or unintentional/involuntary food/eating restriction (100%); (3) negative affect, emotional dysregulation, and negative urgency (100%); (4) diagnostic heterogeneity and validity (71%); (5) paradigm shifts in understanding binge eating disorder (29%); and (6) research gaps/future directives (29%).

Discussion

Overall, experts call for a better understanding of the relationship between binge eating disorder and obesity, including a need for clarification around the extent to which the two health issues are separate vs. related/overlapping. Experts also commonly endorse food/eating restriction and emotion dysregulation as important components of binge eating disorder pathology, which aligns with two common models of binge eating disorder conceptualization (e.g., dietary restraint theory and emotion/affect regulation theory). A few experts spontaneously identified several paradigm shifts in our understanding of who can have an eating disorder (beyond the anorexi-centric “thin, White, affluent, cis-gendered neurotypical female” stereotype), and the various factors that can drive binge eating. Experts also identified several areas where classification issues may warrant future research. Overall, these results highlight the continual advancement of the field to better understand adult binge eating disorder as an autonomous eating disorder diagnosis.
Resilience to depression: Implication for psychological vaccination
Authors: Dai Qin , Smith Graeme D.
Published: February 2023

From the vulnerability perspective, we often ask the question “why someone suffers from depression?” Despite outstanding achievements along this line, we still face high occurrence or recurrence and unsatisfied therapeutic efficacy of depression, suggesting that solely focusing on vulnerability perspective is insufficient to prevent and cure depression. Importantly, although experiencing same adversity, most people do not suffer from depression but manifest certain resilience, which could be used to prevent and cure depression, however, the systematic review is still lack. Here, we propose the concept “resilience to depression” to emphasize resilient diathesis against depression, by asking the question “why someone is exempted from depression?” Research evidence of resilience to depression has been reviewed systematically: positive cognitive style (clear purpose in life, hopefulness, et al.), positive emotion (emotional stability, et al.), adaptive behavior (extraversion, internal self-control, et al.), strong social interaction (gratitude and love, et al.), and neural foundation (dopamine circuit, et al.). Inspired by these evidence, “psychological vaccination” could be achieved by well-known real-world natural-stress vaccination (mild, controllable, and adaptive of stress, with help from parents or leaders) or newly developed “clinical vaccination” (positive activity intervention for current depression, preventive cognitive therapy for remitted depression, et al.), both of which aim to enhance the resilient psychological diathesis against depression, through events or training. Potential neural circuit vaccination was further discussed. This review calls for directing attention to resilient diathesis against depression, which offers a new thinking “psychological vaccination” in both prevention and therapy of depression.