bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Radiomics Nomogram for Predicting Stroke Recurrence in Symptomatic Intracranial Atherosclerotic Stenosis
Authors: Tang Min , Gao Jie , Ma Niane , Yan Xuejiao , Zhang Xin , Hu Jun , Zhuo Zhizheng , Shi Xiaorui , Li Ling , Lei Xiaoyan , Zhang Xiaoling
Published: April 2022

Objective

To develop and validate a radiomics nomogram for predicting stroke recurrence in symptomatic intracranial atherosclerotic stenosis (SICAS).

Methods

The data of 156 patients with SICAS were obtained from the hospital database. Those with and without stroke recurrence were identified. The 156 patients were separated into a training cohort (n = 110) and a validation cohort (n = 46). Baseline clinical data were collected from our medical records, and plaque radiological features were extracted from vascular wall high-resolution imaging (VW-HRMRI). The imaging sequences included 3D-T1WI-VISTA, T2WI, and 3D-T1WI-VISTA-enhanced imaging. Least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (LASSO) analysis were used to select the radiomics features associated with stroke recurrence. Then, multiple logistic regression analysis of clinical risk factors, radiological features, and radiomics signatures were performed, and a predictive nomogram was constructed to predict the probability of stroke recurrence in SICAS. The performance of the nomogram was evaluated.

Results

Diabetes mellitus, plaque burden, and enhancement ratio were independent risk factors for stroke recurrence [odds ratio (OR) = 1.24, 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.04–3.79, p = 0.018; OR = 1.76, per 10% increase, 95% CI, 1.28–2.41, p < 0.001; and OR = 1.94, 95% CI: 1.27–3.09, p < 0.001]. Five features of 3D-T1WI-VISTA, six features of T2WI, and nine features of 3D-T1WI-VISTA-enhanced images were associated with stroke recurrence. The radiomics signature in 3D-T1WI-VISTA-enhanced images was superior to the radiomics signature of the other two sequences for predicting stroke recurrence in both the training cohort [area under the curve (AUC), 0.790, 95% CI: 0.669–0.894] and the validation cohort (AUC, 0.779, 95% CI: 0.620–0.853). The combination of clinical risk factors, radiological features, and radiomics signature had the best predictive value (AUC, 0.899, 95% CI: 0.844–0.936 in the training cohort; AUC, 0.803, 95% CI: 0.761–0.897 in the validation cohort). The C-index of the nomogram was 0.880 (95% CI: 0.805–0.934) and 0.817 (95% CI: 0.795–0.948), respectively, in the training and validation cohorts. The decision curve analysis further confirmed that the radiomics nomogram had good clinical applicability with a net benefit of 0.458.

Conclusion

The radiomics features were helpful to predict stroke recurrence in patients with SICAS. The nomogram constructed by combining clinical high-risk factors, plaque radiological features, and radiomics features is a reliable tool for the individualized risk assessment of predicting the recurrence of SICAS stroke.
Immunotherapy in NSCLC Patients With Brain and Leptomeningeal Metastases
Authors: Pierret Thomas , Giaj-Levra Niccolò , Toffart Anne-Claire , Alongi Filippo , Moro-Sibilot Denis , Gobbini Elisa
Published: April 2022

Immunotherapy has now been integrated as a treatment strategy for most patients with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). However, the pivotal clinical trials that demonstrated its impressive efficacy often did not include patients with active, untreated brain metastases or leptomeningeal carcinomatosis. Nevertheless, NSCLC is the most common tumor to metastasize to the brain, and patients develop brain and meningeal involvement in approximately 40 and 10% of cases, respectively. Consequently, the appropriate care of these patients is a recurrent clinical concern. Although there are many aspects that would merit further investigation to explain the mechanism of intracranial response to immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICPs), some data suggest that they are able to cross the blood–brain barrier, resulting in local tumor microenvironment modification. This results in a similar clinical benefit in patients with stable, previously treated brain metastases compared to the general population. Despite important limitations, some real-life studies have described that the ICPs’ efficacy was maintained also in less selected patients with untreated or symptomatic brain metastases. In contrast, few data are available about patients with leptomeningeal carcinomatosis. Nevertheless, neurological complications due to ICP treatment in patients with brain metastases have to be evaluated and carefully monitored. Despite the fact that limited data are available in the literature, the purpose of this review is to show that the multimodal treatment of these patients with brain metastases and/or leptomeningeal disease should be discussed during tracing of the history of the disease, participating in the local and possibly systemic control of NSCLC.
Solasonine Inhibits Pancreatic Cancer Progression With Involvement of Ferroptosis Induction
Authors: Liang Xiaoqiang , Hu Cheng , Han Mian , Liu Congying , Sun Xun , Yu Kui , Gu Honggang , Zhang Jingzhe
Published: April 2022

Pancreatic cancer is a highly fatal malignant tumor of the digestive system. It is characterized by early metastasis and high mortality rates. Solasonine, a steroidal alkaloid, is derived from Solanum nigrum L., a natural herb. Solasonine is associated with excellent anti-tumor effects, however, its effects on pancreatic cancer have not been fully established. Pancreatic cancer cells (PANC-1 and CFPAC-1) were used to verify the in vitro and in vivo effects of solasonine. Metabolomics were used to evaluate its underlying mechanisms. Solasonine promoted PANC-1 and CFPAC-1 cell apoptosis while inhibiting their proliferation, migration and invasion. Mouse xenograft models and metastasis models of ANC-1 and CFPAC-1 confirmed that solasonine blocked tumor formation and metastasis. Metabolomics confirmed the effects of solasonine on glutathione metabolism and SLC7A11-mediated ferroptosis. Furthermore, Co-Immunoprecipitation and Duolink®in situ PLA confirmed that OTUB1, a deubiquitylating enzyme, interacted with SLC7A11 and solasonine to enhance ubiquitinated degradation of SLC7A11 in PANC-1 and CFPAC-1 cells. Besides, molecular docking confirmed that solasonine directly bound TFAP2A and suppressed its protein levels. Bioinformatics and luciferase assays revealed that TFAP2A binds the OTUB1 promoter region, thereby promoting its transcription. In summary, solasonine inhibits the TFAP2A/OTUB1 SLC7A11 axis to activate ferroptosis and suppress pancreatic cancer cell progression.
The CK1δ/ϵ-Tip60 Axis Enhances Wnt/β-Catenin Signaling via Regulating β-Catenin Acetylation in Colon Cancer
Authors: Ning Jiong , Sun Qi , Su Zijie , Tan Lifeng , Tang Yun , Sayed Sapna , Li Huan , Xue Vivian Weiwen , Liu Shanshan , Chen Xianxiong , Lu Desheng
Published: April 2022

Casein kinase 1δ/ϵ (CK1δ/ϵ) are well-established positive modulators of the Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway. However, the molecular mechanisms involved in the regulation of β-catenin transcriptional activity by CK1δ/ϵ remain unclear. In this study, we found that CK1δ/ϵ could enhance β-catenin-mediated transcription through regulating β-catenin acetylation. CK1δ/ϵ interacted with Tip60 and facilitated the recruitment of Tip60 to β-catenin complex, resulting in increasing β-catenin acetylation at K49. Importantly, Tip60 significantly enhanced the SuperTopFlash reporter activity induced by CK1δ/ϵ or/and β-catenin. Furthermore, a CK1δ/CK1ϵ/β-catenin/Tip60 complex was detected in colon cancer cells. Simultaneous knockdown of CK1δ and CK1ϵ significantly attenuated the interaction between β-catenin and Tip60. Notably, inhibition of CK1δ/ϵ or Tip60, with shRNA or small molecular inhibitors downregulated the level of β-catenin acetylation at K49 in colon cancer cells. Finally, combined treatment with CK1 inhibitor SR3029 and Tip60 inhibitor MG149 had more potent inhibitory effect on β-catenin acetylation, the transcription of Wnt target genes and the viability and proliferation in colon cancer cells. Taken together, our results revealed that the transcriptional activity of β-catenin could be modulated by the CK1δ/ϵ-β-catenin-Tip60 axis, which may be a potential therapeutic target for colon cancer.
Salidroside Ameliorates Depression by Suppressing NLRP3-Mediated Pyroptosis via P2X7/NF-κB/NLRP3 Signaling Pathway
Authors: Chai Yuhui , Cai Yawen , Fu Yu , Wang Yingdi , Zhang Yiming , Zhang Xue , Zhu Lingpeng , Miao Mingxing , Yan Tianhua
Published: April 2022

Depression is a common and serious mental disorder. Data on its pathogenesis remain unclear and the options of drug treatments are limited. Here, we explored the role of pyroptosis, a novel pro-inflammatory programmed cell death process, in depression as well as the anti-depression effects and mechanisms of salidroside (Sal), a bioactive extract from Rhodiola rosea L. We established a corticosterone (CORT)-induced or lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced mice in vivo, and CORT, or nigericin (NLRP3 agonist)-induced PC12 cells in vitro. Our findings demonstrated that Sal profoundly mediated CORT or LPS-induced depressive behavior and improved synaptic plasticity by upregulating the expression of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) gene. The data showed upregulation of proteins associated with NLRP3-mediated pyroptosis, including NLRP3, cleaved Caspase-1, IL-1β, IL-18, and cleaved GSDMD. The molecular docking simulation predicted that Sal would interact with P2X7 of the P2X7/NF-κB/NLRP3 signaling pathway. In addition, our findings showed that the NLRP3-mediated pyroptosis was regulated by P2X7/NF-κB/NLRP3 signaling pathway. Interestingly, Sal was shown to ameliorate depression via suppression of the P2X7/NF-κB/NLRP3 mediated pyroptosis, and rescued nigericin-induced pyroptosis in the PC12 cells. Besides, knock down of the NLRP3 gene by siRNA markedly increased the inhibitory effects of Sal on pyroptosis and proinflammatory responses. Taken together, our findings demonstrated that pyroptosis plays a crucial role in depression, and Sal ameliorates depression by suppressing the P2X7/NF-κB/NLRP3-mediated pyroptosis. Thus, our study provides new insights into the potential treatment options for depression.
High-Throughput Chinmedomics Strategy Discovers the Quality Markers and Mechanisms of Wutou Decoction Therapeutic for Rheumatoid Arthritis
Authors: Li Taiping , Wu Fangfang , Zhang Aihua , Dong Hui , Ullah Ihsan , Lin Hao , Miao Jianhua , Sun Hui , Han Ying , He Yanmei , Wang Xijun
Published: April 2022

Wutou decoction (WTD) is a traditional Chinese medicine prescription for the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis (RA), and this study systematically analyzed the metabolic mechanism and key pharmacodynamic components of WTD in RA rats by combining untargeted metabolomics and serum pharmacochemistry of traditional Chinese medicine to enrich the evidence of WTD quality markers (Q-markers) studies. WTD prevented synovial edema in RA rats and reduced tumor necrosis factor-alpha and interleukin 6 levels in rat serum, according to the results of an enzyme-linked immunosorbent examination and histopathological inspection. In model rats, pattern recognition and multivariate statistical analysis revealed 24 aberrant metabolites that disrupted linoleic acid metabolism, arachidonic acid metabolism, arginine and proline metabolism, etc. However, continued dosing of WTD for 28 days reversed 13 abnormal metabolites, which may be an important therapeutic mechanism from a metabolomic perspective. Importantly, 12 prototypical components and 16 metabolites from WTD were characterized in RA rat serum. The results of Pearson correlation analysis showed that aconitine, L-ephedrine, L-methylephedrine, quercetin, albiflorin, paeoniflorigenone, astragaline A, astragaloside II, glycyrrhetic acid, glycyrrhizic acid, licurazide, and isoliquiritigenin are the key pharmacological components that regulate the metabolism of RA rats, and they are identified as Q-markers. In sum, utilizing metabolomics and serum pharmacochemistry of traditional Chinese medicine, the metabolic mechanisms and Q-markers of WTD therapy in RA rats were revealed, providing a theoretical basis for the quality control investigation of WTD.
Prescription of Potentially Inappropriate Medication Use in Older Cancer Outpatients With Multimorbidity: Concordance Among the Chinese, AGS/Beers, and STOPP Criteria
Authors: Tian Fangyuan , Zhao Mengnan , Chen Zhaoyan , Yang Ruonan
Published: April 2022

Objectives: Age-related multimorbidity is a general problem in older patients, which increases the prevalence of potentially inappropriate medication (PIM) use. This study aimed to examine the prevalence and predictors of PIM use in older Chinese cancer outpatients with multimorbidity based on the 2017 Chinese criteria, 2019 AGS/Beers criteria, and 2014 STOPP criteria.

Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted using electronic medical data from nine tertiary hospitals in Chengdu from January 2018 to December 2018. The 2017 Chinese criteria, 2019 AGS/Beers criteria, and 2014 STOPP criteria were used to evaluate the PIM status of older cancer outpatients (age ≥65 years), the concordance among the three PIM criteria was calculated using kappa tests, and multivariate logistic regression was used to identify the risk factors associated with PIM use.

Results: A total of 6,160 cancer outpatient prescriptions were included in the study. The prevalence of PIM use was 34.37, 32.65, and 15.96%, according to the 2017 Chinese criteria, 2019 AGS/Beers criteria, and 2014 STOPP criteria, respectively. Furthermore, 62.43% of PIMs met table 2, 0.27% of PIMs met table 3, 34.68% of PIMs met table 4, 2.62% of PIMs met table 5 of 2019 AGS/Beers criteria, respectively. According to the three criteria, 84.93%, 82.25%, and 94.61% of older cancer outpatients had one PIM. The most frequently used PIM in cancer outpatients was estazolam. The Chinese criteria and the STOPP criteria indicated poor concordance, whereas the 2019 AGS/Beers criteria showed moderate concordance with the other two criteria. Logistic regression demonstrated that age ≥ 80, more diseases, polypharmacy, irrational use of drugs, and lung cancer were positively associated with PIM use in older cancer outpatients.

Conclusion: The prevalence of PIM use in Chinese older cancer outpatients with multimorbidity is high in China, and poor-to-moderate concordance among the three criteria was observed. Research on building PIM criteria for the older cancer population is necessary in the future.
Case Report: Prolonged Anorexia With Nausea Caused by Immune Checkpoint Inhibitors for Malignant Melanoma Treated Using Kampo Medicines Bukuryoingohangekobokuto and Ninjin’yoeito
Authors: Takayama Shin , Arita Ryutaro , Ishii Tadashi
Published: April 2022

Immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) are indicated for several cancers, including malignant melanoma. Anorexia and nausea resulting in malnutrition are side effects of ICIs. In such cases, conventional drugs are used for symptom relief, but the symptoms may persist. We report a case of advanced malignant melanoma with prolonged anorexia and nausea, which occurred after nivolumab administration, and was successfully treated using Kampo medicines. A 75-year-old man with nasal bleeding visited our hospital. A nasal scope revealed an obstructive tumor in the left nasal concha. Tissue biopsy showed malignant melanoma, and computed tomography showed metastasis to the liver and bone. Thus, the patient was diagnosed with stage IV malignant melanoma. He received radiotherapy (30 Gy) and nivolumab with ipilimumab four times, followed by nivolumab administration alone. During the administration of nivolumab, he complained of severe anorexia and nausea, with a numeric rating scale (no symptoms, 0; severe symptoms, 10) score of 10. He could not consume food because of these symptoms, even after nivolumab administration was discontinued. His blood pressure was 92/59 mmHg, his performance status (PS; no fatigue, 0; bedridden or disabled, 4) was 4, and his body weight gradually decreased from 60 to 39 kg in a month. The patient showed malnutrition and dehydration and experienced anxiety and depression. Nivolumab was terminated, and conventional symptomatic drugs were prescribed, but the symptoms persisted. We then prescribed 9.0 g/day of ninjin’yoeito (TJ-108, Tsumura and Co.) to allow recovery from anorexia and subsequently added bukuryoingohangekobokuto (TJ-116, Tsumura and Co.) to treat the persistent nausea. After treatment with these two Kampo medicines, the patient’s appetite gradually recovered. Along with the recovery of nutritional status, his PS improved to 0, his anxiety and depressive state improved, and his body weight increased to 60 kg. The patient remained in good condition without cancer recurrence. The patient’s clinical course shows the usefulness of Kampo medicine as supportive care for symptom relief and maintenance of nutritional and mental status during cancer treatment.
Triglyceride-Mimetic Prodrugs of Buprenorphine Enhance Oral Bioavailability via Promotion of Lymphatic Transport
Authors: Quach Tim , Hu Luojuan , Han Sifei , Lim Shea F. , Senyschyn Danielle , Yadav Preeti , Trevaskis Natalie L. , Simpson Jamie S. , Porter Christopher J. H.
Published: April 2022

Buprenorphine (BUP) is a potent opioid analgesic that is widely used for severe pain management and opioid replacement therapy. The oral bioavailability of BUP, however, is significantly limited by first-pass metabolism. Previous studies have shown that triglyceride (TG) mimetic prodrugs of the steroid hormone testosterone circumvent first-pass metabolism by directing drug transport through the intestinal lymphatics, bypassing the liver. The current study expanded this prodrug strategy to BUP. Here different self-immolative (SI) linkers were evaluated to conjugate BUP to the 2 position of the TG backbone via the phenol group on BUP. The SI linkers were designed to promote drug release in plasma. Lipolysis of the prodrug in the intestinal tract was examined via incubation with simulated intestinal fluid (SIF), and potential for parent drug liberation in the systemic circulation was evaluated via incubation in rat plasma. Lymphatic transport and bioavailability studies were subsequently conducted in mesenteric lymph duct or carotid artery-cannulated rats, respectively. TG prodrug derivatives were efficiently transported into the lymphatics (up to 45% of the dose in anaesthetised rats, vs. less than 0.1% for BUP). Incorporation of the SI linkers facilitated BUP release from the prodrugs in the plasma and in concert with high lymphatic transport led to a marked enhancement in oral bioavailability (up to 22-fold) compared to BUP alone. These data suggest the potential to develop an orally bioavailable BUP product which may have advantages with respect to patient preference when compared to current sublingual, transdermal patch or parenteral formulations.
2-Deoxy-D-Glucose and its Derivatives for the COVID-19 Treatment: An Update
Authors: Huang Zoufang , Chavda Vivek P. , Vora Lalitkumar K. , Gajjar Normi , Apostolopoulos Vasso , Shah Nirav , Chen Zhe-Sheng
Published: April 2022

Treatment choices for the “severe acute respiratory syndrome‐related coronavirus‐2 (SARS‐CoV‐2)” are inadequate, having no clarity on efficacy and safety profiles. Currently, no established intervention has lowered the mortality rate in the “coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID‐19)” patients. Recently, 2-deoxy-D-glucose (2-DG) has evaluated as a polypharmacological agent for COVID-19 therapy owing to its influence on the glycolytic pathway, interaction with viral proteins, and anti-inflammatory action. In May 2020, the Indian drug regulatory authority approved 2-DG as an emergency adjunct therapy in mild to severe COVID-19 patients. Clinical studies of 2-DG corroborate that it aids in faster recovery of hospitalized patients and decreases supplemental oxygen. Herein, we describe the development process, synthesis, mechanism of viral eradication, and preclinical and clinical development of 2-DG and its derivatives as molecularly targeted therapeutics for COVID-19 treatment.
Seepage Deformation and Failure of Rock Mass Under High Water Pressure With a Discrete Element Method
Authors: Shi Chong , Zhang Wenhao , Chen Xiao , Wang Lerong
Published: April 2022

The seepage failure induced by high water pressure along the fault structural plane is one of the main factors for the deformation and failure of underground caverns. Based on the pipe domain seepage model with the discrete element particle flow method, the law of flow conservation is introduced, and the pressure renewal equation is improved by connecting the change of mechanical volume in timestep with the effective stress. The model for pipe domain seepage analysis of fractured rock mass is established, and the sample seepage model is used to simulate and verify the seepage process. Then, seepage failure induced by water pressure in an underground tunnel is analyzed by using this model. The results show that the improved pipe domain seepage model conforms to Darcy’s law, the seepage velocity of the model can be changed by controlling the viscosity coefficient, and the tunnel failure phenomenon is consistent with the actual phenomenon in the practical project. The research results can provide a theoretical basis and method for investigating the deformation and failure of underground caverns under complex seepage.
Memory Behaviors of Air Pollutions and Their Spatial Patterns in China
Authors: Yu Ping , Nian Da , Qiao Panjie , Liu Wenqi , Zhang Yongwen
Published: April 2022

Particulate matter (PM2.5 and PM10) and ozone (O3) are the two major air pollutants in China in recent years. The fluctuations of PM2.5, PM10 and O3 strongly depend on the weather processes and anthropogenic emission. These processes may lead to the existence of short- and long-term memory behaviors in air pollutants. Hence, here we use the autoregressive parameter a of the first-order autoregressive process [AR (1)] to characterize the short-term memory effects of pollutants. We estimate the scaling exponent α using detrended fluctuation analysis (DFA) for the long-term memory effects of air pollutants (PM2.5, PM10, and O3) in summer and winter for different cities in China. Our results show that PM2.5, PM10, and O3 have strong short-term and long-term memory characteristics both in summer and winter. Furthermore, both the short- and long-term memory effects are stronger in winter than summer for most cities associated with stronger and longer persistent weather systems in winter. In general, the scaling exponent α of PM2.5 and PM10 are smaller for northern cities than those of southern cities in China. The long-term memory patterns of O3 are stronger in northern cities and weaker in southern cities in relative to those of PM2.5 and PM10 in winter. Our results show that the short- and long-term memory behaviors of air pollutions are dominated by the weather systems with different time scales.
Restricted Intimal Ca2+ Signaling Associated With Cardiovascular Disease
Authors: Taylor Mark S. , Lowery Jordan , Choi Chung-Sik , Francis Michael
Published: April 2022

Endothelial dysfunction is a key feature of cardiovascular disease (CVD) including atherosclerosis. Impaired endothelial signaling leads to plaque formation, vascular wall remodeling and widespread cardiovascular dysregulation. The specific changes along the vascular intima associated with atherosclerosis, including the vulnerable circulation downstream of the flow obstruction, remain poorly understood. Previous findings from animal models suggest that preservation of a distinct Ca2+ signaling profile along the arterial endothelial network is crucial for maintaining vasculature homeostasis and preventing arterial disease. Ca2+ signaling in the intact human artery intima has not been well characterized. Here, we employed confocal imaging and a custom analysis algorithm to assess the spatially and temporally dynamic Ca2+ signaling profiles of human peripheral arteries isolated from the amputated legs of patients with advanced CVD (peripheral artery disease and/or diabetes) or patients who had lost limbs due to non-cardiovascular trauma. In all tibial artery branches (0.5–5 mm diameter) assessed, the intima consistently elicited a broad range of basal Ca2+ signals ranging from isolated focal transients to broad waves. Arteries from patients with existing CVD displayed a restricted intimal Ca2+ signaling pattern characterized by diminished event amplitude and area. Stimulation of type-4 vanilloid transient receptor potential channels (TRPV4) amplified endothelial Ca2+ signals; however, these signals remained smaller and spatially confined in arteries from patients with CVD verses those without CVD. Our findings reveal a characteristic underlying basal Ca2+ signaling pattern within the intima of human peripheral arteries and suggest a distinct truncation of the inherent Ca2+ profile with CVD.
Drone-Based Position Detection in Sports—Validation and Applications
Authors: Russomanno Tiago Guedes , Blauberger Patrick , Kolbinger Otto , Lam Hilary , Schmid Marc , Lames Martin
Published: April 2022

Radio and video-based electronic performance and tracking systems (EPTS) for position detection are widely used in a variety of sports. In this paper, the authors introduce an innovative approach to video-based tracking that uses a single camera attached to a drone to capture an area of interest from a bird’s eye view. This pilot validation study showcases several applications of this novel approach for the analysis of game and racket sports. To this end, the authors compared positional data retrieved from video footage recorded using a drone with positional data obtained from established radio-based systems in three different setups: a tennis match during training with the drone hovering at a height of 27 m, a small-sided soccer game with the drone at a height of 50 m, and an Ultimate Frisbee match with the drone at a height of 85 m. For each type of playing surface, clay (tennis) and grass (soccer and Ultimate), the drone-based system demonstrated acceptable static accuracy with root mean square errors of 0.02 m (clay) and 0.15 m (grass). The total distance measured using the drone-based system showed an absolute difference of 2.78% in Ultimate and 2.36% in soccer, when compared to an established GPS system and an absolute difference of 2.68% in tennis, when compared to a state-of-the-art LPS. The overall ICC value for consistency was 0.998. Further applications of a drone-based EPTS and the collected positional data in the context of performance analysis are discussed. Based on the findings of this pilot validation study, we conclude that drone-based position detection could serve as a promising alternative to existing EPTS but would benefit from further comparisons in dynamic settings and across different sports.
Fluctuations in External Peak Demands Across Quarters During Basketball Games
Authors: Alonso Pérez-Chao Enrique , Gómez Miguel-Ángel , Lisboa Pedro , Trapero Juan , Jiménez Sergio L. , Lorenzo Alberto
Published: April 2022

The purpose of this study was to compare external peak demands (PDs) across quarters (Q) in basketball. Thirteen elite, junior, male basketball players were monitored using electronic performance tracking systems. There were studied intervals for different time windows to determine the external PD for distance (m); player load; distance covered in four different zones; accelerations; and decelerations. A mixed linear model was run to identify differences among quarters, and the auto-correlation function was carried out to determine fluctuations across the whole game. The results showed significant differences between Q1 vs. Q2 for distance, player load, and standing–walking distance; between Q1 vs. Q3 for distance, player load, and HSR; between Q1 vs. Q4 for distance, player load, standing–walking, and HSR; and between Q3 vs. Q4 for distance and player load. These findings suggest that external PD for running-based demands (distance, player load, and high-speed running) decrease across basketball games with the most notable declines occurring between the first and fourth quarters. Nevertheless, it is important to note that non-significant differences were found between quarters for several external PD variables (jogging, running, acceleration, and deceleration) across different time windows. Findings from the present study reinforce the importance of considering specific PD variables for different functions due to the specific insight each provides.
Exogenous DCPTA Treatment Increases Mung Bean Yield by Improving Carbon Metabolism Pathway and Up-Regulating Photosynthetic Capacity and Antioxidants
Authors: Gao Yuling , Zhang Xiaolin , Wang Xin , Zhang Qi , Tang Huarong , Qiu Tian , Zhang HuiLai , Zhao Bingxin , Wang Hao , Liang Xilong , Guo Yongxia
Published: April 2022

Mung bean is characterized by having a good edible and medicinal value, while its flowers and pods have low production. Being a tertiary amine, DCPTA [2-(3,4-dichlorophenoxy) triethylamine] substantially regulates the growth and development of crops, maintaining production. Yet it is still limited in terms of the regulation of DCPTA on growth and development, including the yield and sugar metabolism of mung bean. In this study, DCPTA was sprayed at the beginning of mung flowering through a two-season cultivation, to assess its effects on the yield, leaf area per plant, plant height, seed setting rate, photosynthesis, chlorophyll content, and endogenous protective enzymes. Experimental results illustrated that relative to the control (CK), the DCPTA application significantly (p < 0.05) improved the yield of Bailv 11 mung bean, which rose to 6.9% in 2020 and 7.8% in 2021, respectively. This effect positively corresponded to a significant (p<0.05) increase in the number of pods and grains per plant and pod setting rate, but a non-significant difference in 1,000-grain weight. DCPA application also increased the area and fresh weight of leaf, mung height, and its organ dry weight (i.e., leaf, branch, and stem). During plant growth over DCPTA application, the increased activities of SOD, POD, and CAT improved the net photosynthetic rate, stomatal conductance, and transpiration. In addition, transcriptome sequencing further demonstrated that DCPTA treatment significantly (p < 0.05) up-regulated the sucrose synthase, invertase, and fructose kinase in all organs (i.e., leaves, pod skins, and grains) of the plant. In particular, this effect was much greater in the sucrose synthesis (i.e., sucrose content) in leaves. Our study, therefore, concludes that DCPTA application promotes the yield of mung bean via likely enhancing its photosynthetic capacity and sucrose synthase, fructokinase, and beta-fructofuranosidase expression regulation.
Physiological Analysis and Transcriptome Sequencing Reveal the Effects of Salt Stress on Banana (Musa acuminata cv. BD) Leaf
Authors: Wei Junya , Liu Debing , Liu Yuewei , Wei Shouxing
Published: April 2022

The salinization of soil is a widespread environmental problem. Banana (Musa acuminata L.) is a salt-sensitive plant whose growth, development, and production are constrained by salt stresses. However, the tolerance mechanism of this salt-sensitive banana to salt stress is still unclear. This study aimed to investigate the influence of NaCl treatment on phenotypic, physiological, and transcriptome changes in bananas. We found that the content of root activity, MDA, Pro, soluble sugar, soluble protein, and antioxidant enzymes activity in salt-stress treatment were significantly higher than the control in bananas. Transcriptome sequencing result identified an overall of 3,378 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) in banana leaves, and the Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes analysis indicated that these DEGs were involved in phenylpropanoid biosynthesis process, ribosome process, starch and sucrose metabolism, amino sugar process, and plant hormone signal transduction process that had simultaneously changed their expression under salt stress, which indicated these DEGs may play a role in promoting BD banana growth under salt treatments. The genes which were enriched in the phenylpropanoid biosynthesis process, starch and sucrose metabolism process, amino sugar process, and plant hormone signal transduction process were specifically regulated to respond to the salt stress treatments. Here, totally 48 differentially expressed transcription factors (TFs), including WRKY, MYB, NAC, and bHLH, were annotated in BD banana under salt stress. In the phenylpropane biosynthesis pathway, all transcripts encoding key enzymes were found to be significantly up-regulated, indicating that the genes in these pathways may play a significant function in the response of BD banana to salt stress. In conclusion, this study provides new insights into the mechanism of banana tolerance to salt stress, which provides a potential application for the genetic improvement of banana with salt tolerance.
Allelochemicals Identified From Sweet Potato (Ipomoea batatas) and Their Allelopathic Effects on Invasive Alien Plants
Authors: Shen Shicai , Ma Guangzong , Xu Gaofeng , Li Diyu , Jin Guimei , Yang Shaosong , Clements David Roy , Chen Aidong , Wen Lina , Zhang Fudou , Ye Min
Published: April 2022

Sweet potato [Ipomoea batatas (L.) Lam] is grown as important cash and food crop worldwide and has been shown to exhibit allelopathic effects on other plants. However, its metabolome has not been studied extensively, particularly with respect to the production of phytotoxic bioactive secondary products. In this study, the chemical composition of petroleum ether extract of sweet potato was characterized, and the morphological and physiological effects of some individual components against four invasive alien weeds Bidens pilosa L., Galinsoga parviflora Cav., Lolium multiflorum Lam., and Phalaris minor Retz. were determined. Twenty-one components were identified by GS-MS, constituting 96.08% of petroleum ether extract in sweet potato. The major components were palmitic acid (PA) (17.48%), ethyl linoleate (EL) (13.19%), linoleic acid (LA) (12.55%), ethyl palmitate (EP) (11.77%), ethyl linolenate (ELL) (8.29%) oleic acid (5.82%), ethyl stearate (4.19%), and 3-methylphenol acetate (3.19%). The five most abundant compounds exhibited strong inhibition activity against the four invasive weeds tested. The highest inhibition rates were seen for LA, followed by PA and EP, respectively. Catalase (CAT), malondialdehyde (MDA), and peroxidase (POD) content of L. multiflorum were increased by the three allelochemicals, i.e., LA, PA and EP, but superoxide dismutase (SOD), chlorophyll-a and chlorophyll-b levels declined. Overall, the combined impact of all five compounds could be quite effective in suppressing the invasive weeds of concern.
Varying Relationship Between Vascular Plant Leaf Area and Leaf Biomass Along an Elevational Gradient on the Eastern Qinghai-Tibet Plateau
Authors: Yang Ketong , Chen Guopeng , Xian Junren , Chen Weiwei
Published: April 2022

The altitudinal gradient is one of the driving factors leading to leaf trait variation. It is crucial to understand the response and adaptation strategies of plants to explore the variation of leaf traits and their scaling relationship along the altitudinal gradient. We measured six main leaf traits of 257 woody species at 26 altitudes ranging from 1,050 to 3,500 m within the eastern Qinghai-Tibet Plateau and analyzed the scaling relationships among leaf fresh weight, leaf dry weight, and leaf area. The results showed that leaf dry weight increased significantly with elevation, while leaf fresh weight and leaf area showed a unimodal change. Leaf dry weight and fresh weight showed an allometric relationship, and leaf fresh weight increased faster than leaf dry weight. The scaling exponent of leaf area and leaf fresh weight (or dry weight) was significantly greater than 1, indicating that there have increasing returns for pooled data. For α and normalization constants (β), only β of leaf area vs. leaf fresh weight (or dry weight) had significantly increased with altitude. All three paired traits had positive linear relationships between α and β. Our findings suggest that plants adapt to altitudinal gradient by changing leaf area and biomass investment and coordinating scaling relationships among traits. But leaf traits variation had a minor effect on scaling exponent.
Molecular Characterization Reveals the Involvement of Calcium Dependent Protein Kinases in Abiotic Stress Signaling and Development in Chickpea (Cicer arietinum)
Authors: Deepika Deepika , Poddar Nikita , Kumar Shailesh , Singh Amarjeet
Published: April 2022

Calcium-dependent protein kinases (CDPKs) are a major group of calcium (Ca2+) sensors in plants. CDPKs play a dual function of “Ca2+ sensor and responder.” These sensors decode the “Ca2+ signatures” generated in response to adverse growth conditions such as drought, salinity, and cold and developmental processes. However, knowledge of the CDPK family in the legume crop chickpea is missing. Here, we have identified a total of 22 CDPK genes in the chickpea genome. The phylogenetic analysis of the chickpea CDPK family with other plants revealed their evolutionary conservation. Protein homology modeling described the three-dimensional structure of chickpea CDPKs. Defined arrangements of α-helix, β-strands, and transmembrane-helix represent important structures like kinase domain, inhibitory junction domain, N and C-lobes of EF-hand motifs. Subcellular localization analysis revealed that CaCDPK proteins are localized mainly at the cytoplasm and in the nucleus. Most of the CaCDPK promoters had abiotic stress and development-related cis-regulatory elements, suggesting the functional role of CaCDPKs in abiotic stress and development-related signaling. RNA sequencing (RNA-seq) expression analysis indicated the role of the CaCDPK family in various developmental stages, including vegetative, reproductive development, senescence stages, and during seed stages of early embryogenesis, late embryogenesis, mid and late seed maturity. The real-time quantitative PCR (qRT-PCR) analysis revealed that several CaCDPK genes are specifically as well as commonly induced by drought, salt, and Abscisic acid (ABA). Overall, these findings indicate that the CDPK family is probably involved in abiotic stress responses and development in chickpeas. This study provides crucial information on the CDPK family that will be utilized in generating abiotic stress-tolerant and high-yielding chickpea varieties.
Integrative Transcriptome and Metabolome Profiles Reveal Common and Unique Pathways Involved in Seed Initial Imbibition Under Artificial and Natural Salt Stresses During Germination of Halophyte Quinoa
Authors: Yan Huifang , Nie Yuting , Cui Kailun , Sun Juan
Published: April 2022

Salt stress is a major environmental factor that seriously restricts quinoa seed germination. However, the key regulatory mechanisms underlying the effect of salt stress on the initial imbibition stage of quinoa seeds are unclear. In this study, dry seeds (0 h) and imbibed (8 h) seeds with 450 mM NaCl (artificial salt) and 100% brackish water of Yellow River Estuary (BW, natural salt) were used to assess the key salt responses based on germination, transcriptome, and metabolome analyses. The results indicated that the capacity of germinating seeds to withstand these two salt stresses was similar due to the similarities in the germination percentage, germination index, mean germination time, and germination phenotypes. Combined omics analyses revealed that the common and unique pathways were induced by NaCl and BW. Starch and sucrose metabolism were the only commonly enriched pathways in which the genes were significantly changed. Additionally, amino sugar and nucleotide sugar metabolism, and ascorbate and aldarate metabolism were preferably enriched in the NaCl group. However, glutathione metabolism tended to enrich in the BW group where glutathione peroxidase, peroxiredoxin 6, and glutathione S-transferase were significantly regulated. These findings suggest that the candidates involved in carbohydrate metabolism and antioxidant defense can regulate the salt responses of seed initial imbibition, which provide valuable insights into the molecular mechanisms underlying the effect of artificial and natural salt stresses.
Genome-Wide Survey of Leucine-Rich Repeat Receptor-Like Protein Kinase Genes and CRISPR/Cas9-Targeted Mutagenesis BnBRI1 in Brassica napus
Authors: Song Min , Linghu Bin , Huang Shuhua , Li Fang , An Ran , Xie Changgen , Zhu Yantao , Hu Shengwu , Mu Jianxin , Zhang Yanfeng
Published: April 2022

The leucine-rich repeat receptor-like protein kinase (LRR-RLK) family represents the largest group of RLKs in plants and plays vital roles in plant growth, development and the responses to environmental stress. Although LRR-RLK families have been identified in many species, they have not yet been reported in B. napus. In this study, a total of 444 BnLRR-RLK genes were identified in the genome of Brassica napus cultivar “Zhongshuang 11” (ZS11), and classified into 22 subfamilies based on phylogenetic relationships and genome-wide analyses. Conserved motifs and gene structures were shared within but not between subfamilies. The 444 BnLRR-RLK genes were asymmetrically distributed on 19 chromosomes and exhibited specific expression profiles in different tissues and in response to stress. We identified six BnBRI1 homologs and obtained partial knockouts via CRISPR/Cas9 technology, generating semi-dwarf lines without decreased yield compared with controls. This study provides comprehensive insight of the LRR-RLK family in B. napus. Additionally, the semi-dwarf lines expand the “ideotype” germplasm resources and accelerate the breeding process for B. napus.
Effects of Strong Earthquake on Plant Species Composition, Diversity, and Productivity of Alpine Grassland on Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau
Authors: Zuo Hui , Shen Hao , Dong Shikui , Wu Shengnan , He Fengcai , Zhang Ran , Wang Ziying , Shi Hang , Hao Xinghai , Tan Youquan , Ma Chunhui , Li Shengmei , Liu Yongqi , Zhang Feng
Published: April 2022

Earthquakes occur frequently in fragile alpine grassland areas on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau (QTP), but few studies have evaluated the impacts of seismo-fault of earthquake on alpine grassland vegetation diversity. In this study, we conducted a field survey of plant communities of alpine grassland along the fault zone in the 7.4 Maduo earthquake occurred on 22 May 2021. Surrounding grassland habitat far from the seismo-fault of earthquake was selected as the control. Plant community metrics around and far from seismic rupture were studied. The results showed that plant community metrics were negatively affected by seismo-fault of earthquake. Species composition around seismo-fault was being shifted from sedges-dominant into forbs-dominant. In addition, the diversity and aboveground biomass were significantly decreased around seismo-fault compared with the control. Our findings highlighted that earthquakes can cause species loss and plant community shift and finally lead to productivity reduction of alpine grassland. Additionally, forbs may be more competitive than other functional groups after the earthquake.
Do Subliminal Fearful Facial Expressions Capture Attention?
Authors: Baier Diane , Kempkes Marleen , Ditye Thomas , Ansorge Ulrich
Published: April 2022

In two experiments, we tested whether fearful facial expressions capture attention in an awareness-independent fashion. In Experiment 1, participants searched for a visible neutral face presented at one of two positions. Prior to the target, a backward-masked and, thus, invisible emotional (fearful/disgusted) or neutral face was presented as a cue, either at target position or away from the target position. If negative emotional faces capture attention in a stimulus-driven way, we would have expected a cueing effect: better performance where fearful or disgusted facial cues were presented at target position than away from the target. However, no evidence of capture of attention was found, neither in behavior (response times or error rates), nor in event-related lateralizations (N2pc). In Experiment 2, we went one step further and used fearful faces as visible targets, too. Thereby, we sought to boost awareness-independent capture of attention by fearful faces. However, still, we found no significant attention-capture effect. Our results show that fearful facial expressions do not capture attention in an awareness-independent way. Results are discussed in light of existing theories.
How Do We Talk With People Living With Dementia About Future Care: A Scoping Review
Authors: Visser Mandy , Smaling Hanneke J. A. , Parker Deborah , van der Steen Jenny T.
Published: April 2022

A diagnosis of dementia often comes with difficulties in understanding a conversational context and expressing how one feels. So far, research on how to facilitate advance care planning (ACP) for people with dementia focused on defining relevant themes and topics for conversations, or on how to formalize decisions made by surrogate decision makers, e.g., family members. The aim of this review is to provide a better scope of the existing research on practical communication aspects related to dementia in ACP conversations. In November 2020, seven databases were searched to select papers for inclusion (Proquest, Medline, Embase, Scopus, Psycinfo, Amed, and Cinahl). This search was updated in December 2021. The search strategy consisted of three tiers (related terms to “dementia,” “communication” and “ACP”), intersected by using the Boolean term “AND,” and resulted in 787 studies. Two researchers followed explicit criteria for two sequential levels of screening, based on titles and abstracts and full papers. A total of 22 studies were included for data analysis. Seven topics (i.e., importance of having ACP conversations, knowledge gap, inclusion of people with dementia in ACP conversations, policy vs. practice, adapting to cognitive changes, adapting to psychosocial changes, and adapting to emotional changes) emerged clustered around two themes (i.e., communicating with people with dementia in ACP, and changes in communication due to dementia). This scoping review provides practical suggestions for healthcare professionals to improve ACP communication and uncovered gaps in research on communication aspects related to dementia in ACP conversations, such as non-verbal behavior, timing and implementation, and personal preferences.
Impact of News Overload on Social Media News Curation: Mediating Role of News Avoidance
Authors: Zhang Xiao , Akhter Shamim , Nassani Abdelmohsen A. , Haffar Mohamed
Published: April 2022

In this global village, easy access to news has resulted in many changes in the preferences and patterns of people for accessing news. Therefore, the present study has attempted to investigate the effects of news relevance, perceived quality, and news overloading on people’s news curation preferences. This study has also examined the mediating role of news avoidance between the news relevance, perceived quality, and news overloading on the news curation. A quantitative technique has been employed to check the relationships proposed in the study. A sample size of 217 has been analyzed to check these hypotheses. The findings of the study revealed that news relevance has a negative impact while news overload positively and significantly impact the news curation. However, the news avoidance only mediated the relationship of news quality and news curation. Theoretically, the study has contributed to the literature of journalism and social media by finding that relevance of news has a negative significant impact on the news curation behavior of people, such that if they do not find the news relevant, they happily curate it. Practically, the study implies that the people are more prone to the quality of news rather than quantity; therefore, it is important for the news agencies to ensure that they produce and deliver the quality based news considering the accuracy to penetrate the Theoretic lass level.