bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Mating Systems of Single Families and Population Genetic Diversity of Endangered Ormosia hosiei in South China
Authors: Li Fengqing , Chen Huanwei , Liu Suzhen , Zhang Huacong , Zhou Zhichun
Published: November 2022

Ormosia hosiei is a tree species native to China that has been extensively used for ornamental and furniture purposes due to its valued timber. The mating system has substantial impact on genetic diversity and structure of plant natural population. Such information should be considered when planning tree planting for forest restoration. Here we used 12 microsatellite markers and described the mating system of single families and the population genetic diversity of O. hosiei. A high level of genetic diversity was observed in both adults and progenies, although slight differences existed among populations and their progenies, with the expected heterozygosity ranging from 0.763 to 0.794. Overall, O. hosiei displayed a predominantly outcrossed mating. The estimate of multi-locus outcrossing rate (tm) was high with low variations among families, ranged from 0.997 to 1.000. The value of tm-ts, ranged from 0.000 to 0.139, indicated that biparental inbreeding occurred in progenies. Therefore, to obtain a reasonable genetic representation of native tree species and prevent problems associated with inbreeding depression, we suggested effective in situ conservation by replanting seedlings, but seedling production for restoration purposes may require a much larger sampling effort than is currently used. Moreover, it is necessary to conduct further multiple population and multi-year experiments to verify our conclusions.
Ehlers-Danlos: A Literature Review and Case Report in a Colombian Woman with Multiple Comorbidities
Authors: Fajardo-Jiménez María José , Tejada-Moreno Johanna A. , Mejía-García Alejandro , Villegas-Lanau Andrés , Zapata-Builes Wildeman , Restrepo Jorge E. , Cuartas Gina P. , Hernandez Juan C.
Published: November 2022

Ehlers-Danlos syndromes (EDS) are a heterogeneous group of genetically transmitted connective tissue disorders that directly affect collagen synthesis, with a broad range of symptoms. Case presentation: This study presents a clinical case of a Colombian woman with myopathic EDS and multiple comorbidities taking 40 years of medical history to make the right diagnosis. This article also presents a review of the current literature on EDS, not only to remind the syndrome but also to help the clinician correctly identify symptoms of this diverse syndrome. Conclusion: A multidisciplinary approach to the diagnosis of the patient, including clinical and molecular analysis, and neuropsychological and psychological assessment, is important to improve the treatment choice and the outcome prediction of the patients.
Formation of Metastability of Pore Gas Hydrates in Frozen Sediments: Experimental Evidence
Authors: Chuvilin Evgeny , Davletshina Dinara , Bukhanov Boris , Mukhametdinova Aliya , Istomin Vladimir
Published: November 2022

The Arctic permafrost and zones of hydrate stability may evolve to the conditions that allow gas hydrates to remain metastable for a long time due to self-preservation within 150 m depths. The behavior of relict (metastable) gas hydrates in frozen sediments is controlled externally by pressure and temperature and internally by the properties of hydrate particles and sediments. The sensitivity of the dissociation and self-preservation of pore gas hydrates to different factors is investigated in laboratory experiments. The observations focus on time-dependent changes in methane hydrate saturation in frozen sand samples upon the pressure dropping below phase equilibrium in the gas–hydrate–ice system. The preservation of pore gas hydrates in these conditions mainly depends on the initial hydrate and ice saturation, clay contents and mineralogy, salinity, and texture of sediments, which affect the size, shape, and structure distortion of hydrate inclusions. The self-preservation mechanism works well at high initial contents of pore ice and hydrate, low salinity, relatively low percentages of clay particles, temperatures below −4 °C, and below-equilibrium pressures. Nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) measurements reveal considerable amounts of unfrozen pore water in frozen sediments that may hold for several days after the pressure drop, which controls the dissociation and self-preservation processes. Metastable gas hydrates in frozen sand may occupy up to 25% of the pore space, and their dissociation upon permafrost thawing and pressure drops may release up to 16 m3 of methane into the atmosphere per 1 m3 of hydrate-bearing permafrost.
Factors Influenced the Endoscopic Services Volume during the COVID-19 Pandemic at National Tertiary Referral Hospital in Indonesia: Dr. Cipto Mangunkusumo Hospital
Authors: Jasirwan Chyntia Olivia Maurine , Sjaaf Amal C. , Achadi Anhari , Soewondo Prastuti , Djaafar Roswin Rosnim , Gani Rino A.
Published: November 2022

The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic caused a decrease in healthcare services, the intervention of non-surgical procedures, and endoscopy. This study examined the volume of endoscopy at Dr. Cipto Mangukusumo Hospital, the highest referral hospital in Indonesia. A cross-sectional mixed method was used to assess the relationship between endoscopy volume, age, gender, number of COVID-19 cases, type of patient’s case, the origin of treatment, and the kind of endoscopic procedure before and during the pandemic. The secondary data were collected through the hospital’s Electronic Health Record (EHR) System and “Kawal COVID-19” Websites, while the primary data were collected through observation, document reviews, and in-depth online interviews with doctors at endoscopic units. This study period was divided into six intervals of three months, respectively, from January 2020 to September 2021, and 5030 endoscopic procedures were collected. The data were analyzed both quantitatively through the SPSS statistics and qualitatively. The quantitative data presented as descriptive and bivariate results in an Independent T-Test and a Chi-Square test. The results showed there was a significant difference (p = 0.004) in the volume of endoscopes before (the highest volume) and during the pandemic (the lowest volume during April–June 2020 period). The mean age of the patients was higher before the pandemic. There was a significant difference between patient admissions from outpatient and emergency procedures before and during the pandemic. There are changes in the flow of outpatient to do endoscopies which were different from the flow of emergency patients during the pandemic, which focused on the long waiting list for inward entry queues, the mandatory COVID-19 PCR swab, and the criteria of emergency cases for fast-track procedures, the reduced bed capacity, and the expired date of laboratory examinations. The decreased volume was also caused by the limitation of patient intervention by the doctors. However, the duration of the action procedure was accelerated without reducing its quality. Furthermore, there was a high wave of Delta Variant cases from May to July 2021. In addition, the factors of age, type of patient’s case, origin, and treatment showed significant differences before and during the COVID-19 pandemic. Finally, changes in the flow of services also influenced various impacts on endoscopy and service costs. Therefore, further study is required to calculate the unit costs.
A Meta-Analysis of Group Cognitive Behavioral Therapy and Group Psychoeducation for Treating Symptoms and Preventing Relapse in People Living with Bipolar Disorder
Authors: Tan Marcus K. , Chia Eik-Chao , Tam Wilson W. , McIntyre Roger S. , Zhang Zhisong , Dam Vu A. , Nguyen Tham T. , Do Hoa T. , Ho Roger C. , Ho Cyrus S. H.
Published: November 2022

Objectives: This meta-analysis aims to evaluate the treatment outcomes of patients treated with Group cognitive behavioural therapy (GCBT) or group psychoeducation (GPE) as an adjunct to pharmacotherapy. Methods: Systematic search of PubMed, EMBASE, PsycINFO, and CENTRAL from inception till 1 March 2022 was conducted. Randomized-controlled-trials (RCTs) comparing GCBT/GPE with controls (treatment-as-usual/individualized therapy) in adults with bipolar disorder were eligible. The outcomes were relapse rates of any depressive or manic episodes and control of depressive and manic symptoms post-intervention. Overall odds-ratio was used to evaluate the relapse rates. Standard Mean Differences were pooled using a random-effects model for the control of depressive and manic symptoms. Results: 25 articles were assessed full-text independently by two members, and 11 studies were included in this meta-analysis. 601 and 590 participants were randomized into group-therapy (GCBT/GPE) and control, respectively. GPE significantly reduces relapse rates at post-intervention with Odds ratio of 0.43 (95% CI = 0.28-to-0.62, p < 0.0001) (I² = 41%) compared to control, however, no significant results were found for GPE on control of depressive or manic symptoms. No significant results were found for GCBT in all outcomes. Conclusion: This meta-analysis provides some evidence that GPE could be an efficacious treatment as an adjunct to treatment-as-usual in reducing the relapse rates of patients with bipolar disorder.
Knowledge, Attitudes, and Perception towards COVID-19 among Medical Students in Yemen: A Cross-Sectional Survey
Authors: Al-Ghazali Ruqaiah H. , Barhoom Eman S. , Dahdah Khawla A. , Basalem Khulood S. , Mugibel Tayba A. , Sumaily Khalid M. , Sabi Essa M. , Mujamammi Ahmed H. , Ben Salman Saleh M. , Bin Dahman Lotfi S.
Published: November 2022

Numerous measures have been taken to slow the Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) rapid spread. Such population control techniques may have a substantial impact on people’s attitudes, knowledge, and perception of COVID-19. This web-based cross-sectional survey aimed to assess Knowledge, Attitude, and Practices (KAP) towards COVID-19 among Hadhramout University Medical Students in Yemen from 15 June to 26 June 2020. This survey was performed using social media via the Google Platform among 422 Hadhramout University Medical students. After consenting, participants completed an online survey assessing sociodemographic data, 21 knowledge items, 15 attitudes items, and 5 perception items towards COVID-19. Of the total 422 participants, 389 (92.18%) were surveyed online, and 256 (65.8%) were females, and 133 (34.2%) were males aged 19-24 years (88.7%), studying medicine (58.9%), and living in urban areas (80.7%). The survey revealed that 64.0% of participants had good knowledge about the disease and 52.7% had positive attitudes towards protective measures against the virus. The majority of participants (98.2%) thought that the virus was transmitted through nasal droplets, and 59.6% agreed that the disease is dangerous. The majority of participants agreed that fever (99.2%), dry cough (97.9%), and difficulty breathing (99.5%) are the most common symptoms of the disease. The survey also showed high knowledge levels about preventive measures against the virus spreading, such as regular proper hand hygiene (99.7%), maintaining an appropriate distance (99.2%), avoiding touching eyes and nose (98.7%), and wearing facemasks in public places (97.4%). Moreover, 69.7% of participants agreed to be isolated at home if they got an infected person, 64.3% implemented washing hands with soap and water, 41.9% agreed to be separated at the hospital until they proved free from the disease, 46.0% agreed to inform the health authorities if they had any symptoms associated with the disease. By using sample T-test and analysis of variance (ANOVA), mean knowledge score about COVID-19 was significantly higher in males than in females (p = 0.029). Additionally, medicine students had significantly higher mean knowledge score than students of medical laboratory (p < 0.001) and nursing (p = 0.008). In general, our research revealed that participants had favorable opinions regarding the disease’s preventative measures and a good awareness of it. However, more educational initiatives and campaigns that take into account KAP modifying elements are needed.
Characteristics of Collective Resilience and Its Influencing Factors from the Perspective of Psychological Emotion: A Case Study of COVID-19 in China
Authors: Liu Siyao , Yu Bin , Xu Chan , Zhao Min , Guo Jing
Published: November 2022

Collective resilience is the ability of human beings to adapt and collectively cope with crises in adversity. Emotional expression is the core element with which to characterize the psychological dimension of collective resilience. This research proposed a stage model of collective resilience based on the temporal evolution of the public opinions of COVID-19 in China’s first anti-pandemic cycle; using data from hot searches and commentaries on Sina Weibo, the changes in the emotional patterns of social groups are revealed through analyses of the sentiments expressed in texts. A grounded theory approach is used to elucidate the factors influencing collective resilience. The research results show that collective resilience during the pandemic exhibited an evolutionary process that could be termed, “preparation–process–recovery”. Analyses of expressed sentiments reveal an evolutionary pattern of “positive emotion prevailing–negative emotion appearing–positive emotion recovering Collective resilience from a psycho-emotional perspective is the result of “basic cognition-intermediary condition-consequence” positive feedback, in which the basic cognition is expressed as will embeddedness and the intermediary conditions include the subject behavior and any associated derived behavioral characteristics and spiritual connotation. These results are significant both theoretically and practically with regard to the reconstruction of collective resilience when s‘ force majeure’ event occur.
Managerial Perception of Risk in an Organization in a Post-COVID-19 Work Environment
Authors: Ewertowski Tomasz , Butlewski Marcin
Published: November 2022

The COVID-19 pandemic drew the attention of all industries and organizations to the importance of comprehensive preparation for various types of crises and disruptions. Without proper risk management for crisis situations, it is impossible to talk about organizational resilience, maintaining organizational continuity, or ensuring the company’s ability to protect workers’ lives and health in a crisis. While the COVID-19 pandemic is rapidly reshaping the work environment, significant challenges related to risk management are emerging. The purpose of this research paper is to examine the impact of a pandemic on the risk perception in an organization by managers of all three levels (strategic, operational, and line level) and to examine the impact of broadly understood risk management on organizational performance. For the examination of operational risk perception, empirical research was conducted in Polish enterprises. The methodology of the survey is based on a questionnaire of operational risk and risk management perception in a post-COVID-19 work environment. According to the survey results, risk management was generally perceived better than the level of operational risk, compared to the period before the pandemic. Therefore, a substantial improvement in risk management during the crisis allowed the surveyed organizations to cope with the pandemic, and even slightly enhance their performance. Organizations have been able to achieve their goals mainly by slightly reducing risk appetite and lowering the tolerable risk level threshold. Even so, organizations have improved their ability to adapt and seize opportunities.
Pathways to Environmental Inequality: How Urban Traffic Noise Annoyance Varies across Socioeconomic Subgroups
Authors: Preisendörfer Peter , Bruderer Enzler Heidi , Diekmann Andreas , Hartmann Jörg , Kurz Karin , Liebe Ulf
Published: November 2022

The article investigates how socioeconomic background affects noise annoyance caused by residential road traffic in urban areas. It is argued that the effects of socioeconomic variables (migration background, education, and income) on noise annoyance tend to be underestimated because these effects are mainly indirect. We specify three indirect pathways. (1) A “noise exposure path” assumes that less privileged households are exposed to a higher level of noise and therefore experience stronger annoyance. (2) A “housing attributes path” argues that less privileged households can shield themselves less effectively from noise due to unfavorable housing conditions and that this contributes to annoyance. (3) Conversely, an “environmental susceptibility path” proposes that less privileged people are less concerned about the environment and have a lower noise sensitivity, and that this reduces their noise annoyance. Our analyses rest on a study carried out in four European cities (Mainz and Hanover in Germany, Bern and Zurich in Switzerland), and the results support the empirical validity of the three indirect pathways.
Efficiency Analysis of Syrian Refugees’ Healthcare Services in Turkey and Other 3RP States
Authors: Achiri Emmanuel , Ibrahim Mustapha D.
Published: November 2022

Access to healthcare for refugees is often contextually and conceptually diverse. This study set out to evaluate the efficiency of the healthcare services provided for Syrian refugees in Turkey and other refugee response and resilience plan (3RP) states. Data envelopment analysis is utilized for efficiency analysis using primary healthcare system indicators. Efficiency is broken down into pure technical efficiency and scale efficiency to identify causes of inefficiency. Normative analysis is used to employ a teleological approach to better understand current refugee healthcare policies. The findings show a decline in the overall efficiency for Turkey and other 3RP states. However, Turkey’s operational practices could be a model for other 3RP states due to its relatively high pure technical efficiency. Scale inefficiency negatively impacts the overall efficiency of Turkey’s service, while other 3RP states exhibit a rather consistent performance. The study concludes that Turkey’s healthcare system for refugees is inefficient, resulting in inadequate access for Syrian refugees. As such, operational and scale efficiency must be synergized for Turkey to fulfill its obligation to provide adequate healthcare for Syrian refugees. Additionally, COVID-19 was found to have exacerbated the challenges Syrian refugees face accessing healthcare. Policy recommendations have been made in line with the findings of the study.
Mediation Effect of Corporate Tax Burden and the Relationship between Environmental Regulation and Firm Performance
Authors: Dai Qiwen , Huang Huihua , Zhang Xiaoqi , Su Yumin , Liu Cheyuan , Li Qiangyi
Published: November 2022

This paper took the panel data of 1052 heavily-polluting listed companies from both the Shanghai and Shenzhen Stock Exchange from 2010 to 2017 to empirically analyze the impact of environmental regulation (ERG) on firm performance (FP). The article introduces a mediating effect model to test the mediating role of corporate tax burden (ETR) within the relationship between ERG on FP. The results showed that: (1) ERG has exerted a significant enhancement effect on the performance of heavily polluted firms via the ETR reduction mechanism. (2) The mediating effect of ETR depends on the duration of ERG. A significant time lag exists before the mediating effect starts to work, and the magnitude of the mediating effect increases with the time lag from the execution of the ERG. (3) The mediating effect of ETR varies significantly with the nature of corporate property rights. It is significant for the state-owned firms, while for non-state-owned firms, there is no evidence supporting the existence of the mediating effect of ETR despite ERG still having a significant direct-impact on FP. Based on these findings, we discuss the policy suggestion to optimize the impact of environmental regulation policies in terms of incentivizing the green development of polluting firms.
The Impact of Tumor Boards on Breast Cancer Care: Evidence from a Systematic Literature Review and Meta-Analysis
Authors: Di Pilla Andrea , Cozzolino Maria Rosaria , Mannocci Alice , Carini Elettra , Spina Federica , Castrini Francesco , Grieco Albino , Messina Rosaria , Damiani Gianfranco , Specchia Maria Lucia
Published: November 2022

Breast cancer is the most common malignancy in women, with a complex clinical path that involves several professionals and that requires a multidisciplinary approach. However, the effectiveness of breast cancer multidisciplinary care and the processes that contribute to its effectiveness have not yet been firmly determined. This study aims to evaluate the impact of multidisciplinary tumor boards on breast cancer care outcomes. A systematic literature review was carried out through Scopus, Web of Science and Pubmed databases. The search was restricted to articles assessing the impact of MTB implementation on breast cancer care. Fourteen studies were included in the review. The most analyzed outcomes were diagnosis, therapy and survival. Four out of four studies showed that, with implementation of an MTB, there was a change in diagnosis, and all reported changes in the treatment plan after MTB implementation. A pooled analysis of three studies reporting results on the outcome “mortality” showed a statistically significant 14% reduction in mortality relative risk for patients enrolled versus not enrolled in an MTB. This study shows that MTB implementation is a valuable approach to deliver appropriate and effective care to patients affected by breast cancer and to improve their outcomes.
Climate Anxiety, Loneliness and Perceived Social Isolation
Authors: Hajek André , König Hans-Helmut
Published: November 2022

Aim: The goal of this study was to investigate the association of climate anxiety with loneliness and perceived social isolation (also stratified by age group). Methods: Data were taken from the general adult population aged 18 to 74 years (n = 3091). Data collection took place in March 2022. Climate anxiety was measured using the Climate Anxiety Scale. The De Jong Gierveld tool was used to quantify loneliness and the Bude and Lantermann tool was used to assess perceived social isolation. Results: Multiple linear regressions revealed an association between higher climate anxiety and higher loneliness (β = 0.06, p < 0.001) as well as higher perceived social isolation (β = 0.10, p < 0.001) among the total sample. A similar picture was identified in age-stratified regressions (i.e., among individuals aged 18 to 29 years, 30 to 49 years, and among individuals aged 50 to 64 years). However, climate anxiety was neither associated with loneliness nor with perceived social isolation among individuals aged 65 to 74 years. Conclusions: Our current study adds first evidence regarding the link between climate anxiety and loneliness as well as perceived social isolation and can serve as a basis for upcoming studies.
A Study on the Evaluation of the Public Health Governance in Countries along the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI)
Authors: Zhang Chenggang , Wang Mingyu
Published: November 2022

Social resilience for public health is a new theoretical framework for understanding public health risk governance capacity. This study identifies 18 indicators from the publicly available database and adopts the method of multivariable analysis to evaluate the level of social resilience for public health in 73 countries along the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI). The study finds that the main influencing factors of social resilience for public health are institutional resilience, physical resilience, and participation resilience. The capacity of public health risk governance in countries along the BRI is classified into three levels: high, medium, and low. A high level of public health risk governance capacity is mainly shown in developed European countries such as Italy, rich Southwestern Asian countries such as the United Arab Emirates, and East Asian countries represented by Japan, South Korea, and Singapore. The middle-level countries are mainly distributed at the junction of Eurasia, which Russia represents. The low-level countries are primarily distributed in South Asia, Africa, and the war zones. In general, countries along the BRI have polarized the capacity of public health risk governance and structural inequalities, mainly manifested in large differences in the organizational capacity and mobilization capacity between countries in response to public health risk events, and the gap between the rich and the poor within a country. Under such circumstances, the building of a Community of Common Health is required to be accelerated.
Prevalence of Antimicrobial Resistance and Respective Genes among Bacillus spp., a Versatile Bio-Fungicide
Authors: Wash Pari , Batool Asiya , Mulk Shah , Nazir Shabnum , Yasmin Humaira , Mumtaz Saqib , Alyemeni Mohammed Nasser , Kaushik Prashant , Hassan Muhammad Nadeem
Published: November 2022

The plant rhizosphere is not only a reservoir of microbes but also a hub of antimicrobial resistance genes. Rhizospheric Bacillus spp. are the potential bio-inoculants with a versatile application in agriculture as bio-fertilizer and bio-fungicide. In the current study, the potential bio-control agent that is the Bacillus species (n = 7) was screened for the antimicrobial resistance pattern to assess their risk before registering them as a bio-inoculant. All of the Bacillus spp. were categorized as multi-drug-resistant (MDR), bacteria but none of them was either pan-drug-resistant (PDR) or extensive-drug-resistant (XDR). The multiple antimicrobial resistance (MAR) index of Bacillus spp. was higher than the critical value (0.2). The Bacillus spp. showed resistance to antimicrobial classes such as β lactam, macrolides, sulfonamides, tetracycline, aminoglycosides, and lincosamide. Various antimicrobial resistance genes, namely VmiR, ImrB, tetL, mphK, ant-6, penp, and bla OXA, associated with different mechanisms of resistance, were also detected in Bacillus spp. The Bacillus spp. also showed stress-tolerance traits such as ACC deaminase and EPS activity except the strains MAZ-117 and FZV-34, respectively. A significant correlation was observed between the PGPR and antimicrobial resistance, which shows that they may have adapted drug-resistance mechanisms to tolerate the environmental stress. These findings suggest that bio-fungicidal Bacillus spp. could be used very carefully on a commercial scale.
Bone Remodeling during Orthodontic Movement of Lower Incisors—Narrative Review
Authors: Kalina Edyta , Grzebyta Anna , Zadurska Małgorzata
Published: November 2022

The tooth movement in the alveolus is possible due to bone remodeling. This process could be the risk factor for the formation of gingival recessions—the most common side effects of orthodontic therapy. Gingival recessions are found 5.8–11.5% more frequently among the orthodontically treated patients. What is more, anterior mandibular teeth are the ones most prone to gingival recession dehiscences and fenestrations. The aim of this narrative review was to evaluate, based on CBCT (Cone beam computed tomography) scans, the changes in the alveolar bone of lower incisors in adolescent and adult patients after orthodontic tooth movements. From the pool of 108 publications, a total of 15 fulfilled the criteria of this review. Both retrospective and prospective longitudinal studies—using CBCT or CT (Computed Topography) and evaluating alveolar bone changes in mandibular incisors during orthodontic treatment performed before and after teeth movement—were included. In the group of growing patients, either proclination or retroclination of mandibular incisors led to increase of the distance from CEJ (cementoenamel junction) to marginal bone crest. The difference in bone loss was greater on the lingual side of the incisors in both types of tooth movement. The results were similar for adults patients. The thickness of the alveolar bone was reduced after proclination (total bone thickness) among growing and non-growing patients and retraction (lingual and buccal) of lower anterior teeth in the group of growing patients. The only improvement was measured for buccal thickness of mandibular incisor in bimaxillary protrusion patients treated with extraction therapy. The control of retraction movement (more root than crown movement) enhanced preservation on bone height and thickness. In order to minimize possible deterioration and place teeth in the center of alveolus, CBCT monitoring and scrupulous clinical evaluation are recommended.
Relationship between Pain Intensity, Physical Factors, Pronociceptive Pain Modulation Profile and Psychological Vulnerability on Upper Limb Disability in Older Patients with Chronic Shoulder Pain
Authors: Valenza-Peña Geraldine , Martín-Núñez Javier , Heredia-Ciuró Alejandro , Granados-Santiago María , López-López Laura , Valenza Marie Carmen , Cabrera-Martos Irene
Published: November 2022

Background: Chronic shoulder pain is a very prevalent condition causing disability and functional impairment. The purpose of the study was to evaluate the relationship between pain intensity, physical variables, psychological vulnerability, pronociceptive pain modulation profile and disability in older people with chronic shoulder pain. Methods: A cross-sectional study was carried out. A total of 56 participants with non-specific chronic shoulder pain of the “Complejo Hospitalario Universitario” (Granada) and 56 healthy controls were included. The outcomes evaluated were pain intensity (visual analogue scale), physical factors (dynamometry for grip strength), psychological vulnerability (Fear-Avoidance Beliefs Questionnaire and Tampa Scale of Kinesiophobia), pronociceptive pain modulation profile (pain pressure algometry) and disability (Quick Disability Arm Shoulder Hand questionnaire). Results: Disability showed a positive correlation with pain and psychological vulnerability (p < 0.05) and a negative correlation with pronociceptive pain variables and dynamometry (p < 0.001). Psychological vulnerability also presented a strong negative correlation with proprioceptive pain variables and dynamometry and a positive correlation with pain (p < 0.05). In regard to the pronociceptive pain modulation profile, a strong negative correlation with pain (p < 0.001) and a positive moderate correlation with dynamometry (p < 0.001) were shown. Conclusions: Our results support a strong association between disability, psychological vulnerability and pronociceptive pain modulation profile in older adults with chronic shoulder pain.
The Shared Proteome of the Apomictic Fern Dryopteris affinis ssp. affinis and Its Sexual Relative Dryopteris oreades
Authors: Ojosnegros Sara , Alvarez José Manuel , Grossmann Jonas , Gagliardini Valeria , Quintanilla Luis G. , Grossniklaus Ueli , Fernández Helena
Published: November 2022

Ferns are a diverse evolutionary lineage, sister to the seed plants, which is of great ecological importance and has a high biotechnological potential. Fern gametophytes represent one of the simplest autotrophic, multicellular plant forms and show several experimental advantages, including a simple and space-efficient in vitro culture system. However, the molecular basis of fern growth and development has hardly been studied. Here, we report on a proteomic study that identified 417 proteins shared by gametophytes of the apogamous fern Dryopteris affinis ssp. affinis and its sexual relative Dryopteris oreades. Most proteins are predicted to localize to the cytoplasm, the chloroplast, or the nucleus, and are linked to enzymatic, binding, and structural activities. A subset of 145 proteins are involved in growth, reproduction, phytohormone signaling and biosynthesis, and gene expression, including homologs of SHEPHERD (SHD), HEAT SHOCK PROTEIN 90-5 (CR88), TRP4, BOBBER 1 (BOB1), FLAVONE 3’-O-METHYLTRANSFERASE 1 (OMT1), ZEAXANTHIN EPOXIDASE (ABA1), GLUTAMATE DESCARBOXYLASE 1 (GAD), and dsRNA-BINDING DOMAIN-LIKE SUPERFAMILY PROTEIN (HLY1). Nearly 25% of the annotated proteins are associated with responses to biotic and abiotic stimuli. As for biotic stress, the proteins PROTEIN SGT1 HOMOLOG B (SGT1B), SUPPRESSOR OF SA INSENSITIVE2 (SSI2), PHOSPHOLIPASE D ALPHA 1 (PLDALPHA1), SERINE/THREONINE-PROTEIN KINASE SRK2E (OST1), ACYL CARRIER PROTEIN 4 (ACP4), and NONHOST RESISTANCE TO P. S. PHASEOLICOLA1 (GLPK) are worth mentioning. Regarding abiotic stimuli, we found proteins associated with oxidative stress: SUPEROXIDE DISMUTASE[CU-ZN] 1 (CSD1), and GLUTATHIONE S-TRANSFERASE U19 (GSTU19), light intensity SERINE HYDROXYMETHYLTRANSFERASE 1 (SHM1) and UBIQUITIN-CONJUGATING ENZYME E2 35 (UBC35), salt and heavy metal stress included MITOCHONDRIAL PHOSPHATE CARRIER PROTEIN 3 (PHT3;1), as well as drought and thermotolerance: LEA7, DEAD-BOX ATP-DEPENDENT RNA HELICASE 38 (LOS4), and abundant heat-shock proteins and other chaperones. In addition, we identified interactomes using the STRING platform, revealing protein–protein associations obtained from co-expression, co-occurrence, text mining, homology, databases, and experimental datasets. By focusing on ferns, this proteomic study increases our knowledge on plant development and evolution, and may inspire future applications in crop species.
Alterations of the Mucosal Immune Response and Microbial Community of the Skin upon Viral Infection in Rainbow Trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss)
Authors: Zhan Mengting , Huang Zhenyu , Cheng Gaofeng , Yu Yongyao , Su Jianguo , Xu Zhen
Published: November 2022

The skin is the largest organ on the surface of vertebrates, which not only acts as the first line of defense against pathogens but also harbors diverse symbiotic microorganisms. The complex interaction between skin immunity, pathogens, and commensal bacteria has been extensively studied in mammals. However, little is known regarding the effects of viral infection on the skin immune response and microbial composition in teleost fish. In this study, we exposed rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) to infectious hematopoietic necrosis virus (IHNV) by immersion infection. Through pathogen load detection and pathological evaluation, we confirmed that IHNV successfully invaded the rainbow trout, causing severe damage to the epidermis of the skin. qPCR analyses revealed that IHNV invasion significantly upregulated antiviral genes and elicited strong innate immune responses. Transcriptome analyses indicated that IHNV challenge induced strong antiviral responses mediated by pattern recognition receptor (PRR) signaling pathways in the early stage of the infection (4 days post-infection (dpi)), and an extremely strong antibacterial immune response occurred at 14 dpi. Our 16S rRNA sequencing results indicated that the skin microbial community of IHNV-infected fish was significantly richer and more diverse. Particularly, the infected fish exhibited a decrease in Proteobacteria accompanied by an increase in Actinobacteria. Furthermore, IHNV invasion favored the colonization of opportunistic pathogens such as Rhodococcus and Vibrio on the skin, especially in the later stage of infection, leading to dysbiosis. Our findings suggest that IHNV invasion is associated with skin microbiota dysbiosis and could thus lead to secondary bacterial infection.
Integrated High-Throughput Sequencing, Microarray Hybridization and Degradome Analysis Uncovers MicroRNA-Mediated Resistance Responses of Maize to Pathogen Curvularia lunata
Authors: Wang Weiwei , Liu Zhen , An Xinyuan , Jin Yazhong , Hou Jumei , Liu Tong
Published: November 2022

Curvularia lunata (Wakker) Boed, the causal agent of leaf spot in maize, is prone to mutation, making it difficult to control. RNAi technology has proven to be an important tool of genetic engineering and functional genomics aimed for crop improvement. MicroRNAs (miRNAs), which act as post-transcriptional regulators, often cause translational repression and gene silencing. In this article, four small RNA (sRNA) libraries were generated from two maize genotypes inoculated by C. lunata; among these, ltR1 and ltR2 were from the susceptible variety Huangzao 4 (HZ), ltR3 and ltR4, from the resistant variety Luyuan (LY), and 2286, 2145, 1556 and 2504 reads were annotated as miRNA in these four sRNA libraries, respectively. Through the combined analysis of high-throughput sequencing, microarray hybridization and degradome, 48 miRNAs were identified as being related to maize resistance to C. lunata. Among these, PC-732 and PC-169, two new maize miRNAs discovered, were predicted to cleave mRNAs of metacaspase 1 (AMC1) and thioredoxin family protein (Trx), respectively, possibly playing crucial roles in the resistance of maize to C. lunata. To further confirm the role of PC-732 in the interaction of maize and C. lunata, the miRNA was silenced through STTM (short tandem target mimic) technology, and we found that knocking down PC-732 decreased the susceptibility of maize to C. lunata. Precisely speaking, the target gene of PC-732 might inhibit the expression of disease resistance-related genes during the interaction between maize and C. lunata. Overall, the findings of this study indicated the existence of miRNAs involved in the resistance of maize to C. lunata and will contribute to rapidly clarify the resistant mechanism of maize to C. lunata.
The Novel AT2 Receptor Agonist β-Pro7-AngIII Exerts Cardiac and Renal Anti-Fibrotic and Anti-Inflammatory Effects in High Salt-Fed Mice
Authors: Wang Yan , Yodgee Jonathan , Del Borgo Mark , Spizzo Iresha , Nguyen Levi , Aguilar Marie-Isabel , Denton Kate M. , Samuel Chrishan S. , Widdop Robert E.
Published: November 2022

A high salt (HS) diet is associated with an increased risk for cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) and fibrosis is a key contributor to the organ dysfunction involved in CVDs. The activation of the renin angiotensin type 2 receptor (AT2R) has been considered as organ protective in many CVDs. However, there are limited AT2R-selective agonists available. Our first reported β-substituted angiotensin III peptide, β-Pro7-AngIII, showed high selectivity for the AT2R. In the current study, we examine the potential anti-fibrotic and anti-inflammatory effects of this novel AT2R-selective peptide on HS-induced organ damage. FVB/N mice fed with a 5% HS diet for 8 weeks developed cardiac and renal fibrosis and inflammation, which were associated with increased TGF-β1 levels in heart, kidney and plasma. Four weeks’ treatment (from weeks 5–8) with β-Pro7-AngIII inhibited the HS-induced cardiac and renal fibrosis and inflammation. These protective effects were accompanied by reduced local and systemic TGF-β1 as well as reduced cardiac myofibroblast differentiation. Importantly, the anti-fibrotic and anti-inflammatory effects caused by β-Pro7-AngIII were attenuated by the AT2R antagonist PD123319. These results demonstrate, for the first time, the cardio- and reno-protective roles of the AT2R-selective β-Pro7-AngIII, highlighting it as an important therapeutic that can target the AT2R to treat end-organ damage.
Manipulating GA-Related Genes for Cereal Crop Improvement
Authors: Cheng Jingye , Hill Camilla Beate , Shabala Sergey , Li Chengdao , Zhou Meixue
Published: November 2022

The global population is projected to experience a rapid increase in the future, which poses a challenge to global food sustainability. The “Green Revolution” beginning in the 1960s allowed grain yield to reach two billion tons in 2000 due to the introduction of semi-dwarfing genes in cereal crops. Semi-dwarfing genes reduce the gibberellin (GA) signal, leading to short plant stature, which improves the lodging resistance and harvest index under modern fertilization practices. Here, we reviewed the literature on the function of GA in plant growth and development, and the role of GA-related genes in controlling key agronomic traits that contribute to grain yield in cereal crops. We showed that: (1) GA is a significant phytohormone in regulating plant development and reproduction; (2) GA metabolism and GA signalling pathways are two key components in GA-regulated plant growth; (3) GA interacts with other phytohormones manipulating plant development and reproduction; and (4) targeting GA signalling pathways is an effective genetic solution to improve agronomic traits in cereal crops. We suggest that the modification of GA-related genes and the identification of novel alleles without a negative impact on yield and adaptation are significant in cereal crop breeding for plant architecture improvement. We observed that an increasing number of GA-related genes and their mutants have been functionally validated, but only a limited number of GA-related genes have been genetically modified through conventional breeding tools and are widely used in crop breeding successfully. New genome editing technologies, such as the CRISPR/Cas9 system, hold the promise of validating the effectiveness of GA-related genes in crop development and opening a new venue for efficient and accelerated crop breeding.
Extensive Collection of Psychotropic Mushrooms with Determination of Their Tryptamine Alkaloids
Authors: Gotvaldová Klára , Borovička Jan , Hájková Kateřina , Cihlářová Petra , Rockefeller Alan , Kuchař Martin
Published: November 2022

Since not only psilocybin (PSB) but also PSB-containing mushrooms are used for psychedelic therapy and microdosing, it is necessary to know their concentration variability in wild-grown mushrooms. This article aimed to determine the PSB, psilocin (PS), baeocystin (BA), norbaeocystin (NB), and aeruginascin (AE) concentrations in a large sample set of mushrooms belonging to genera previously reported to contain psychotropic tryptamines. Ultra-high performance liquid chromatography coupled with tandem mass spectrometry was used to quantify tryptamine alkaloids in the mushroom samples. Most mushroom collections were documented by fungarium specimens and/or ITS rDNA/LSU/EF1-α sequencing. Concentrations of five tryptamine alkaloids were determined in a large sample set of 226 fruiting bodies of 82 individual collections from seven mushroom genera. For many mushroom species, concentrations of BA, NB, and AE are reported for the first time. The highest PSB/PS concentrations were found in Psilocybe species, but no tryptamines were detected in the P. fuscofulva and P. fimetaria collections. The tryptamine concentrations in mushrooms are extremely variable, representing a problem for mushroom consumers due to the apparent risk of overdose. The varied cocktail of tryptamines in wild mushrooms could influence the medicinal effect compared to therapy with chemically pure PSB, posing a serious problem for data interpretation.
Multi-Microworld Conversational Agent with RDF Knowledge Graph Integration
Authors: Boroghina Gabriel , Corlatescu Dragos Georgian , Dascalu Mihai
Published: November 2022

We live in an era where time is a scarce resource and people enjoy the benefits of technological innovations to ensure prompt and smooth access to information required for our daily activities. In this context, conversational agents start to play a remarkable role by mediating the interaction between humans and computers in specific contexts. However, they turn out to be laborious for cross-domain use cases or when they are expected to automatically adapt throughout user dialogues. This paper introduces a method to plug in multiple domains of knowledge for a conversational agent localized in Romanian in order to facilitate the extension of the agent’s area of expertise. Furthermore, the agent is intended to become more domain-aware and learn new information dynamically from user conversations by means of a knowledge graph acting as a network of facts and information. We ensure high capabilities for natural language understanding by proposing a novel architecture that takes into account RoBERT-contextualized embeddings alongside syntactic features. Our approach leads to improved intent classification performance (F1 score = 82.6) when compared with a basic pipeline relying only on features extracted from the agent’s training data. Moreover, the proposed RDF knowledge representation is confirmed to provide flexibility in storing and retrieving natural language entities, values, and factoid relations between them in the context of each microworld.
Association of Hypothyroidism and the Risk of Cognitive Dysfunction: A Meta-Analysis
Authors: Ye Yuanyuan , Wang Yiqing , Li Shiwei , Guo Jiyun , Ding Li , Liu Ming
Published: November 2022

Objectives: The purpose of this meta-analysis was to assess whether there is an association between hypothyroidism and the risk of cognitive dysfunction. Methods: PubMed, Cochrane Library, and Embase were searched for relevant studies published from database inception to 4 May 2022, using medical subject headings (MeSHs) and keywords. Results: Eight studies involving 1,092,025 individuals were included, published between 2010 and 2021. The pooled analysis showed that there was no association between hypothyroidism and cognitive dysfunction (OR = 1.13, 95% CI = 0.84–1.51, p = 0.426), including both all-cause dementia (OR = 1.04, 95% CI = 0.76–1.43, p = 0.809) and cognitive impairment (OR = 1.50, 95% CI = 0.68–3.35, p = 0.318). Neither overt hypothyroidism (OR = 1.19, 95% CI = 0.70–2.02, p = 0.525) nor subclinical hypothyroidism (OR = 1.04, 95% CI = 0.73–1.48, p = 0.833) was associated with cognitive dysfunction. Neither prospective cohort (OR = 1.08, 95% CI = 0.77–1.51, p = 0.673) nor cross-sectional studies (OR = 1.23, 95% CI = 0.63–2.42, p = 0.545) had any effect on the association. Interestingly, the risk of cognitive dysfunction was significantly increased in the group not adjusted for vascular comorbidity (OR = 1.47, 95% CI = 1.07–2.01, p = 0.017), while it was reduced in the adjusted group (OR =0.82, 95% CI = 0.79–0.85, p < 0.001). Conclusions: This meta-analysis shows that hypothyroidism was associated with a reduced risk of cognitive dysfunction after adjustment for vascular-disease comorbidities. More prospective observational studies are needed in the future to investigate the relationship between hypothyroidism and cognitive dysfunction.