bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Anxiety in Chinese Patients With Cleft Lip and/or Palate: A Preliminary Study
Authors: Xie Zhuojun , Yang Chao , Zhao Yuxi , Yang Yichun , Xia Weiyao , Zong Yuan , Chi Ting , Shi Bing , Huang Hanyao , Gong Caixia
Published: February 2022

Objectives

To preliminarily analyze factors that affected the prevalence of anxiety in Chinese patients with cleft lip and/or palate (CL/P).

Methods

The Generalized Anxiety Disorder Scale (GAD-7) was used to screen anxiety in Chinese CL/P patients. Non-CL/P individuals were also included as the control group. Sociodemographic and clinical data consisting of diagnosis, gender, only child or not, monthly household income, and current family location were collected to analyze possible factors that could affect the anxiety of this patient population.

Results

One hundred forty-two and 78 valid questionnaires were collected from the study and control groups, respectively. The mean GAD-7 score of the study group (3.092 ± 3.381) was significantly lower than the control (3.987 ± 2.505). Moreover, the proportion of patients presenting with moderate-severe anxiety was larger in the study group than in the control group (6.6 vs. 0.0%). Statistically significant differences in GAD-7 scores were observed between the study and control groups when the patient was the only child, living in an urban area, or the monthly household income was between 1,000 and 5,000 yuan.

Conclusion

Although the severity of anxiety in Chinese CL/P patients was not severer than those without CL/P, there was a relatively high incidence of moderate-severe anxiety in CL/P patients, while the only child, current family location and the monthly household income played significant roles in affecting anxiety psychology.
Tricyclic Antidepressant Structure-Related Alterations in Calcium-Dependent Inhibition and Open-Channel Block of NMDA Receptors
Authors: Stepanenko Yulia D. , Sibarov Dmitry A. , Shestakova Natalia N. , Antonov Sergei M.
Published: February 2022

N-methyl-D-aspartate receptors (NMDARs) are an essential target for the analgetic action of tricyclic antidepressants (TCAs). Their therapeutic blood concentrations achieve 0.5–1.5 μM, which, however, are insufficient to cause in vitro the open-channel block known as the only effect of TCAs on NMDARs. Whereas structures of amitriptyline (ATL), desipramine (DES), and clomipramine (CLO) are rather similar these compounds manifest different therapeutic profiles and side effects. To study structure-activity relationships of DES and CLO on NMDARs, we measured IC50s as a function of extracellular calcium ([Ca2+]) and membrane voltage (Vm) of NMDAR currents recorded in cortical neurons. Here two components of TCA action on NMDARs are described, which could be characterized as the Ca2+-dependent inhibition and the open-channel block. DES demonstrated a profound Ca2+-dependent inhibition of NMDARs, while the CLO effect was weak. DES IC50 exhibited an e-fold change with a [Ca2+] shift of 0.59 mM, which is consistent with ATL. The Ca2+ dependence of NMDAR inhibition by DES disappeared in BAPTA loaded neurons, suggesting that Ca2+ acts from the inside. Since CLO differs from DES and ATL by the presence of Cl-atom in the structure, most likely, this is the atom which is responsible for the loss of pronounced [Ca2+] dependence. As for the NMDAR open-channel block, both DES and CLO were about 5-folds more potent than ATL due to their slow rates of dissociation either from open and closed states. DES demonstrated stronger Vm-dependence than CLO, suggesting a deeper location of the DES binding site within the ion pore. Because DES and CLO differ from ATL by the nitrogen-containing tricycle, presumably this moiety of the molecules determines their high-affinity binding with the NMDAR channel, while the aliphatic chain mono-methyl amino-group of DES allows a deep permeation in the channel. Thus, different structure-activity relationships of the Ca2+-dependent inhibition and Vm-dependent open-channel block of NMDARs by DES and CLO suggest that these processes are independent and most likely may represent an action on different molecular targets. The proposed model of TCA action on NMDARs predicts well the experimental values of IC50s at physiological [Ca2+] and within a wide range of Vms.
Amentoflavone Ameliorates Carrageenan-Induced Pleurisy and Lung Injury by Inhibiting the NF-κB/STAT3 Pathways via Nrf2 Activation
Authors: Hou Tianhua , Yang Manshi , Yan Kun , Fan Xiaoye , Ci Xinxin , Peng Liping
Published: February 2022

Many natural flavonoids can activate nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2 (Nrf2), which is pivotal for alleviating various diseases related to inflammation and oxidative stress, including pleurisy. Amentoflavone (AMF), a biflavonoid extracted from many plants, has some beneficial bioactivities, especially anti-inflammatory and antioxidative activities. We aimed to investigate whether AMF protects against pleurisy and lung injury induced by carrageenan (Car) by activating Nrf2. Pleurisy was induced in wild-type (WT) and Nrf2-deficient (Nrf2-/-) mice. Then, pleural exudate and lung tissue were collected for biochemical analysis, H&E staining, immunocytochemistry and western blotting. Our results indicated that AMF protected against Car-induced pleurisy and lung injury. The Wright-Giemsa and H&E staining results showed that AMF alleviated inflammatory effusion and pathological injury. In addition, AMF decreased SOD and GSH depletion and MDA and MPO generation in the lung tissue of mice. AMF activated Nrf2 through keap-1 dissociation and subsequently increased heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1), NAD(P)H-quinone oxidoreductase 1 (NQO1), and γ-glutamylcysteine ligase (GCL) levels. Furthermore, AMF suppressed IL-1β and TNF-α levels and increased IL-10 levels in pleural exudate by blocking the proinflammatory NF-κB, signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 (STAT3) and extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK) pathways induced by Car. However, these antioxidative and anti-inflammatory effects were weakened in Nrf2-/- mice. Moreover, AMF failed to suppress the NF-κB and STAT3 pathways in Nrf2-/- mice. Our results demonstrated that AMF exerted anti-inflammatory and antioxidative effects in Car-induced lung injury and pleurisy in a Nrf2-dependent manner.
Recent Progress of Novel Nanotechnology Challenging the Multidrug Resistance of Cancer
Authors: Zhang Chengyuan , Zhou Xuemei , Zhang Hanyi , Han Xuanliang , Li Baijun , Yang Ran , Zhou Xing
Published: February 2022

Multidrug resistance (MDR) of tumors is one of the clinical direct reasons for chemotherapy failure. MDR directly leads to tumor recurrence and metastasis, with extremely grievous mortality. Engineering a novel nano-delivery system for the treatment of MDR tumors has become an important part of nanotechnology. Herein, this review will take those different mechanisms of MDR as the classification standards and systematically summarize the advances in nanotechnology targeting different mechanisms of MDR in recent years. However, it still needs to be seriously considered that there are still some thorny problems in the application of the nano-delivery system against MDR tumors, including the excessive utilization of carrier materials, low drug-loading capacity, relatively narrow targeting mechanism, and so on. It is hoped that through the continuous development of nanotechnology, nano-delivery systems with more universal uses and a simpler preparation process can be obtained, for achieving the goal of defeating cancer MDR and accelerating clinical transformation.
Dietary Polyphenols and Their Role in Oxidative Stress-Induced Human Diseases: Insights Into Protective Effects, Antioxidant Potentials and Mechanism(s) of Action
Authors: Rudrapal Mithun , Khairnar Shubham J. , Khan Johra , Dukhyil Abdulaziz Bin , Ansari Mohammad Azam , Alomary Mohammad N. , Alshabrmi Fahad M. , Palai Santwana , Deb Prashanta Kumar , Devi Rajlakshmi
Published: February 2022

Dietary polyphenols including phenolic acids, flavonoids, catechins, tannins, lignans, stilbenes, and anthocyanidins are widely found in grains, cereals, pulses, vegetables, spices, fruits, chocolates, and beverages like fruit juices, tea, coffee and wine. In recent years, dietary polyphenols have gained significant interest among researchers due to their potential chemopreventive/protective functions in the maintenance of human health and diseases. It is believed that dietary polyphenols/flavonoids exert powerful antioxidant action for protection against reactive oxygen species (ROS)/cellular oxidative stress (OS) towards the prevention of OS-related pathological conditions or diseases. Pre-clinical and clinical evidence strongly suggest that long term consumption of diets rich in polyphenols offer protection against the development of various chronic diseases such as neurodegenerative diseases, cardiovascular diseases (CVDs), cancer, diabetes, inflammatory disorders and infectious illness. Increased intake of foods containing polyphenols (for example, quercetin, epigallocatechin-3-gallate, resveratrol, cyanidin etc.) has been claimed to reduce the extent of a majority of chronic oxidative cellular damage, DNA damage, tissue inflammations, viral/bacterial infections, and neurodegenerative diseases. It has been suggested that the antioxidant activity of dietary polyphenols plays a pivotal role in the prevention of OS-induced human diseases. In this narrative review, the biological/pharmacological significance of dietary polyphenols in the prevention of and/or protection against OS-induced major human diseases such as cancers, neurodegenerative diseases, CVDs, diabetes mellitus, cancer, inflammatory disorders and infectious diseases have been delineated. This review specifically focuses a current understanding on the dietary sources of polyphenols and their protective effects including mechanisms of action against various major human diseases.
Citrus Extract as a Perspective for the Control of Dyslipidemia: A Systematic Review With Meta-Analysis From Animal Models to Human Studies
Authors: Carvalho Betina M. R. , Nascimento Laranda C. , Nascimento Jessica C. , Gonçalves Vitória S. dos S. , Ziegelmann Patricia K. , Tavares Débora S. , Guimarães Adriana G.
Published: February 2022

This study aims to obtain scientific evidence on the use of Citrus to control dyslipidemia. The surveys were carried out in 2020 and updated in March 2021, in the PubMed, Scopus, LILACS, and SciELO databases, using the following descriptors: Citrus, dyslipidemias, hypercholesterolemia, hyperlipidemias, lipoproteins, and cholesterol. The risk of bias was assessed according to the Cochrane methodology for clinical trials and ARRIVE for preclinical trials. A meta-analysis was performed using the application of R software. A total of 958 articles were identified and 26 studies demonstrating the effectiveness of the Citrus genus in controlling dyslipidemia were selected, of which 25 were included in the meta-analysis. The effects of Citrus products on dyslipidemia appear consistently robust, acting to reduce total cholesterol, LDL, and triglycerides, in addition to increasing HDL. These effects are associated with the composition of the extracts, extremely rich in antioxidant, as flavonoids, and that act on biochemical targets involved in lipogenesis and beta-oxidation. The risk of bias over all of the included studies was considered critically low to moderate. The meta-analysis demonstrated results favorable to control dyslipidemia by Citrus products. On the other hand, high heterogeneity values were identified, weakening the evidence presented. From this study, one can suggest that Citrus species extracts are potential candidates for dyslipidemia control, but more studies are needed to increase the strength of this occurrence.
Salmon Calcitonin Exerts an Antidepressant Effect by Activating Amylin Receptors
Authors: Jiang Jian , Ju Jun , Luo Liang , Song Ze , Liao Huanquan , Yang Xiuyan , Wei Shoupeng , Wang Dilong , Zhu Wenhui , Chang Jinlong , Ma Junzhe , Hu Hao , Yu Jiezhong , Wang Huiqing , Hou Sheng-Tao , Li Shupeng , Li Huiliang , Li Ningning
Published: February 2022

Depressive disorder is defined as a psychiatric disease characterized by the core symptoms of anhedonia and learned helplessness. Currently, the treatment of depression still calls for medications with high effectiveness, rapid action, and few side effects, although many drugs, including fluoxetine and ketamine, have been approved for clinical usage by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). In this study, we focused on calcitonin as an amylin receptor polypeptide, of which the antidepressant effect has not been reported, even if calcitonin gene-related peptides have been previously demonstrated to improve depressive-like behaviors in rodents. Here, the antidepressant potential of salmon calcitonin (sCT) was first evaluated in a chronic restraint stress (CRS) mouse model of depression. We observed that the immobility duration in CRS mice was significantly increased during the tail suspension test and forced swimming test. Furthermore, a single administration of sCT was found to successfully rescue depressive-like behaviors in CRS mice. Lastly, AC187 as a potent amylin receptor antagonist was applied to investigate the roles of amylin receptors in depression. We found that AC187 significantly eliminated the antidepressant effects of sCT. Taken together, our data revealed that sCT could ameliorate a depressive-like phenotype probably via the amylin signaling pathway. sCT should be considered as a potential therapeutic candidate for depressive disorder in the future.
Control Mechanism and Parameter Simulation of Oil-Water Properties on Spontaneous Imbibition Efficiency of Tight Sandstone Reservoir
Authors: Ren Dazhong , Ma Litao , Liu Dengke , Tao Jing , Liu Xueqing , Zhang Rongjun
Published: February 2022

Spontaneous imbibition is an effective method of tight sandstone reservoirs development. However, their underlying mechanisms are still unclear due to the representative issue caused by strong heterogeneity and complex oil-brine properties. In this research, physical properties and thin-section images were systematically analyzed, and the spontaneous imbibition efficiency was examined from core tests. The results show that quartz and feldspar predominantly contribute to mineralogy. Low brine salinity, high oil viscosity, and high interfacial tension corresponded to strong spontaneous imbibition ability and fast process. High interfacial tension is the dominant controlling factor in this field. Furthermore, the parameter simulation model established by the dimension reduction method could catalyze the prediction of spontaneous imbibition efficiency, which is confirmed by higher reliability.
Data-Driven State Fragility Index Measurement Through Classification Methods
Authors: Li Xin , Vidmer Alexandre , Liao Hao , Lu Kezhong
Published: February 2022

As environmental changes cause a series of complex issues and unstable situation, exploring the impact of environmental changes is essential for national stability, which is helpful for early warning and provides guidance solutions for a country. The existing mainstream metric of national stability is the Fragile States Index, which includes many indicators such as abstract concepts and qualitative indicators by experts. In addition, these indicators may have preferences and bias because some data sources come from unreliable platforms; it may not reflect the real situation for the current status of countries. In this article, we propose a method based on ensemble learning, named CR, which can be obtained by quantifiable indicators to reflect national stability. Compared with the current mainstream methods, our proposed CR method highlights quantitative factors and reduces qualitative factors, which is an advantage of simplicity and interoperability. The extensive experimental results show a significant improvement over the SOTA methods (7.13% improvement in accuracy, 2.02% improvement in correlation).
Effects of Exercise Training on Bone Health Parameters in Individuals With Obesity: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis
Authors: Zouhal Hassane , Berro Abdel Jalil , Kazwini Sarah , Saeidi Ayoub , Jayavel Ayyappan , Clark Cain C. T. , Hackney Anthony C. , VanDusseldorp Trisha A. , Ben Abderrahman Abderraouf , El Hage Rawad
Published: February 2022

Background

Osteoporosis causes bone fragility, increasing the risk of fractures. Evidence suggests a strong correlation between obesity and fracture risk. Physical training is known to enhance bone resistance and protect from fracture; however, its osteogenic effect in the presence of obesity remains unknown.

Objective

We sought to evaluate the influence of exercise training on bone health indices in individuals with obesity.

Methods

This systematic literature search was conducted using common electronic databases from inception - December 2019. The following key terms (and synonyms searched for by the MeSH database) were included and combined using the operators “AND,” “OR,” “NOT”: [(“body mass index” OR obesity OR obese OR overweight OR fat mass) AND (“bone mineral density” OR “bone mineral content” OR “peak bone mass” OR “mechanical loading” OR “Osteoporosis” OR “bone geometry” OR “bone resistance”) AND (“exercise training” OR “physical training” OR “strength training,” OR “resistance training” OR “aerobic training” OR “combined training”)].

Results

After screening, 10 studies (889 initial records) were included in the final analysis (8 different countries, 263 participants). Two studies investigated males, six females, and two, both sexes. The training duration was at least eight weeks with 2–3 sessions/week. Physical training displayed a significant trivial impact on the whole body (WB) BMD (0.13 SMD; 95% CI [0.00, 0.26], p = 0.046). Subgroup analyses indicated a significant small increase in the WB BMD (0.27 SMD; 95% CI [0.00, 0.53], p = 0.048) in the endurance training group, a non-significant trivial increase in the WB BMD (0.11 SMD; 95% CI [−0.06, 0.29], p = 0.203) in the resistance group, and a non-significant trivial increase in the WB BMD (0.03 SMD; 95% CI [−0.26, 0.32], p = 0.86) in the combined training group. In addition, a significant small decrease was found in the weight of trained subjects (−0.24 SMD; 95% CI [−0.42, −0.05], p = 0.011).

Conclusion

Physical training has little to no effect on the WB BMD in subjects with overweight/obesity. Currently, insufficient evidence to advocate for any specific type of exercise for enhancing bone health exists for overweight/obese individuals. Investigations examining the impact of varying types of physical exercise on WB BMD of obese individuals are needed.
Circulating Fatty Objects and Their Preferential Presence in Pancreatic Cancer Patient Blood Samples
Authors: Wang Ruoxiang , Nissen Nicholas N. , Zhang Yi , Shao Chen , Chu Chia-Yi , Huynh Carissa , Posadas Edwin M. , Tomlinson James S. , Lewis Michael S. , Pandol Stephen J.
Published: February 2022

Human cancers are often complicated with increased incidences of blood vessel occlusion, which are mostly insensitive to anticoagulation therapy. We searched for causal factors of cancer-associated embolism. A total of 2,017 blood samples was examined for visible abnormalities. Examined were peripheral blood samples from cancer patients who were about to undergo surgical treatment for genitourinary, breast, gastrointestinal or abdominal tumors. Samples from ambulatory patients being treated for recurrent or castration-resistant prostate cancers were included in the study. The lipid-rich nature was studied with lipophilic stains and lipid panel analysis, while surface membrane was assessed with specific staining and antibody detection. We identified a new entity, lipid droplet-like objects or circulating fatty objects (CFOs), visible in the blood samples of many cancer patients, with the potential of causing embolism. CFOs were defined as lipid-rich objects with a membrane, capable of gaining in volume through interaction with peripheral blood mononuclear cells in ex vivo culture. Blood samples from pancreatic cancer patients were found to have the highest CFO incidence and largest CFO numbers. Most noticeably, CFOs from many pancreatic cancer samples presented as large clusters entangled in insoluble fiber networks, suggestive of intravascular clotting. This study identifies CFO as an abnormal entity in cancer patient blood, and a contributory factor to intravascular embolism during cancer development and progression.
Transcriptome Co-expression Network and Metabolome Analysis Identifies Key Genes and Regulators of Proanthocyanidins Biosynthesis in Brown Cotton
Authors: Wang Zhenzhen , Zhang Xiaomeng , He Shoupu , Rehman Abdul , Jia Yinhua , Li Hongge , Pan Zhaoe , Geng Xiaoli , Gao Qiong , Wang Liru , Peng Zhen , Du Xiongming
Published: February 2022

Brown cotton fiber (BCF) is a unique raw material of naturally colored cotton (NCC). But characteristics of the regulatory gene network and metabolic components related to the proanthocyanidins biosynthesis pathway at various stages of its fiber development remain unclear. Here, the dynamic changes in proanthocyanidins biosynthesis components and transcripts in the BCF variety “Zong 1-61” and its white near-isogenic lines (NILs) “RT” were characterized at five fiber developmental stages (0, 5, 10, 15, and 20 days post-anthesis; DPA). Enrichment analysis of differentially expressed genes (DEGs), comparison of metabolome differences, and pathway enrichment analysis of a weighted gene correlation network analysis together revealed the dominant gene expression of flavonoid biosynthesis (FB), phenylpropanoid metabolisms, and some carbohydrate metabolisms at 15 or 20 DPA than white cotton. Eventually, 63 genes were identified from five modules putatively related to FB. Three R2R3-MYB and two bHLH transcription factors were predicted as the core genes. Further, GhANS, GhANR1, and GhUFGT2 were preliminarily regulated by GhMYB46, GhMYB6, and GhMYB3, respectively, according to yeast one-hybrid assays in vitro. Our findings provide an important transcriptional regulatory network of proanthocyanidins biosynthesis pathway and dynamic flavonoid metabolism profiles.
Decoding the Plant Growth Promotion and Antagonistic Potential of Bacterial Endophytes From Ocimum sanctum Linn. Against Root Rot Pathogen Fusarium oxysporum in Pisum sativum
Authors: Gupta Shikha , Pandey Sangeeta , Sharma Satyawati
Published: February 2022

The present study demonstrates plant growth promotion and induction of systemic resistance in pea (Pisum sativum) plant against Fusarium oxysporum f.sp. pisi by two bacterial endophytes, Pseudomonas aeruginosa OS_12 and Aneurinibacillus aneurinilyticus OS_25 isolated from leaves of Ocimum sanctum Linn. The endophytes were evaluated for their antagonistic potential against three phytopathogens Rhizoctonia solani, F. oxysporum f. sp. pisi, and Pythium aphanidermatum by dual culture assay. Maximum inhibition of F. oxysporum f. sp. pisi was observed by strains OS_12 and OS_25 among all root rot pathogens. Scanning electron microscopy of dual culture indicated hyphal distortion and destruction in the case of F. oxysporum f. sp. pisi. Further, volatile organic compounds (VOCs) were identified by gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (GC-MS). The GC-MS detected eight bioactive compounds from hexane extracts for instance, Dodecanoic acid, Tetra decanoic acid, L-ascorbic acid, Trans-13-Octadecanoic acid, Octadecanoic acid. Both the endophytes exhibited multifarious plant growth promoting traits such as indole acetic production (30–33 μg IAA ml–1), phosphate solubilization, and siderophore and ammonia production. Pot trials were conducted to assess the efficacy of endophytes in field conditions. A significant reduction in disease mortality rate and enhancement of growth parameters was observed in pea plants treated with consortium of endophytes OS_12 and OS_25 challenged with F. oxysporum f.sp. pisi infection. The endophytic strains elicited induced systemic resistance (ISR) in pathogen challenged pea plants by enhancing activities of Phenylalanine ammonia lyase (PAL), peroxidase (PO), polyphenol oxidase (PPO), ascorbate oxidase (AO), catalase (CAT) and total phenolic content. The endophytes reduced the oxidative stress as revealed by decrease in malondialdehyde (MDA) content and subsequently, lipid peroxidation in host plant leaves. Robust root colonization of pea seedlings by endophytes was observed by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and fluorescence microscopy. Thus, plant growth promoting endophytic P. aeruginosa and A. aneurinilyticus can be further exploited through bio-formulations for sustainable protection of crops against root rot diseases as bio-control agents.
Transcriptomic Variations and Network Hubs Controlling Seed Size and Weight During Maize Seed Development
Authors: Wang Yanzhao , Nie Lihong , Ma Juan , Zhou Bo , Han Xiaohua , Cheng Junling , Lu Xiaomin , Fan Zaifeng , Li Yuling , Cao Yanyong
Published: February 2022

To elucidate the mechanisms underlying seed development in maize, comprehensive RNA-seq analyses were conducted on Zhengdan1002 (ZD1002), Zhengdan958 (ZD958), and their parental lines during seven seed developmental stages. We found that gene expression levels were largely nonadditive in hybrids and that cis-only or trans × cis pattern played a large role in hybrid gene regulation during seed developmental stage. Weighted gene co-expression network (WGCNA) analysis showed that 36 modules were highly correlated (r = −0.90–0.92, p < 0.05) with kernel weight, length, and width during seed development. Forty-five transcription factors and 38 ribosomal protein genes were identified as major hub genes determining seed size/weight. We also described a network hub, Auxin Response Factor 12 of maize (ZmARF12), a member of a family of transcription factor that mediate gene expression in response to auxin, potentially links auxin signal pathways, cell division, and the size of the seeds. The ZmARF12 mutant exhibited larger seed size and higher grain weight. ZmARF12 transcription was negatively associated with cell division during seed development, which was confirmed by evaluating the yield of protoplasts that isolated from the kernels of the mutant and other inbred lines. Transient knock-down of ZmARF12 in maize plants facilitated cell expansion and division, whereas transient silencing of its potential interactor ZmIAA8 impaired cell division. ZmIAA8 expression was repressed in the ZmARF12 over-expressed protoplasts. The mutant phenotype and the genetics studies presented here illustrated evidence that ZmARF12 is a cell division repressor, and potentially determines the final seed size.
Uric Acid Potential Role in Systemic Inflammation and Negative Symptoms After Acute Antipsychotic Treatment in Schizophrenia
Authors: Borovcanin Milica M. , Janicijevic Slavica Minic , Mijailovic Natasa R. , Jovanovic Ivan P. , Arsenijevic Nebojsa N. , Vesic Katarina
Published: February 2022

Uric acid (UA) has been shown to have neuroprotective or neurotoxic properties, in relation to specific tissues and diseases that have been studied. Previous studies provided contradictory results on the role of UA in schizophrenia as a neurodegenerative disorder. The aim of this brief report was an additional analysis of UA sera levels in different phases of schizophrenia. Here, 86 patients with first-episode psychosis (FEP) vs. 45 patients with schizophrenia in relapse (SC in relapse) vs. 35 healthy control subjects (HC) were studied before and 1 month after antipsychotic therapy. Further, we aimed to explore the possible correlation of UA with scores presenting clinical features and with serum concentrations of the proinflammatory cytokines interleukin (IL)-6 and IL-17. When comparing the data between all three groups, we did not find significant differences in UA levels, either before or after the applied therapy. Also, comparing sera concentrations of UA in every single group, the analysis did not reveal statistically significant differences between FEP patients, but statistically, a significant difference was found in SC in relapse before and after treatment (334.71 ± 116.84 vs. 289.37 ± 109.15 μmol/L, p = 0.05). Uric acid serum levels correlated with negative sub-score (p = 0.001, r = 0.306), general sub-score (p = 0.015, r = 0.236), and total PANSS score (p = 0.009, r = 0.3) after 1 month of therapy. We have established a statistically significant positive correlation between serum concentrations of UA and IL-6 in exacerbation (p = 0.01, r = 0.220) and with IL-17 after treatment and in the stabilization of psychosis (p = 0.01, r = 0.34), suggesting potential cascades in different phases of schizophrenia that potentiate inflammation.
Modeling Stimulant and Opioid Co-use in Rats Provided Concurrent Access to Methamphetamine and Fentanyl
Authors: Seaman Robert W. , Lordson Chris , Collins Gregory T.
Published: February 2022

Concurrent use of stimulants (e.g., methamphetamine) and opioids (e.g., fentanyl) has become increasingly common in recent years and continues to pose an enormous health burden, worldwide. Despite the prevalence, relatively little is known about interactions between the reinforcing effects of stimulants and opioids in this pattern of polysubstance use. The goals of the current study were to evaluate the relative reinforcing and relapse-related effects of methamphetamine and fentanyl using a concurrent access, drug-vs.-drug choice procedure. Male Sprague-Dawley rats were first allowed to acquire self-administration for either 0.1 mg/kg/infusion methamphetamine or 0.0032 mg/kg/infusion fentanyl, independently, after which concurrent access to both drugs was provided. When training doses of methamphetamine and fentanyl were concurrently available, a subset of rats self-administered both drugs, either within a session or alternating across sessions, whereas the remaining rats responded exclusively for one drug. When the cost of the preferred drug was increased (i.e., unit dose reduced), or the cost of the non-preferred drug was decreased (i.e., unit dose increased), choice was largely allocated toward the cheaper alternative. Following extinction of responding, methamphetamine- and fentanyl-paired cues reinstated responding on both levers. Responding reinstated by a priming injection of methamphetamine or fentanyl allocated more responding to the lever previously reinforced by the priming drug. The current studies suggest that choice of methamphetamine and fentanyl is largely allocated to the cheaper alternative, although more co-use was observed than would be expected for economic substitutes. Moreover, they lay the groundwork for more fully evaluating interactions between commonly co-abused drugs (e.g., stimulants and opioids) in order to better understand the determinants of polysubstance use and develop effective treatment strategies for individuals suffering from a polysubstance use disorder.
Attitudes Toward Psychiatry Among Medical Students With a Psychiatric Major at Chongqing Medical University
Authors: Li Xiao , Ai Ming , Chen Xiaolu , Gan Yao , He Jinglan , Tian Yu , Zhai Jian , Yang Haoling , Kuang Li
Published: February 2022

Objectives

To understand the attitudes of medical students with a psychiatry major toward psychiatry at Chongqing medical university in China and to find out factors influencing students' career choice.

Methods

The present study used an online web survey tool to assess the attitudes toward psychiatry amongst 422 students majoring in psychiatry at Chongqing medical university in China using sociodemographic and Attitudes Toward Psychiatry-30 items (ATP-30) scales. Descriptive statistics and logistic regression analysis were used to examine associated factors.

Results

Three hundred and sixty-nine students (87%) answered the questionnaire. Nearly 54.5% of participants had overall positive attitudes to psychiatry and 80.8% thought psychiatrist could be a career choice. Of the students, 5.1% showed that they did not want to be a psychiatrist while the remaining 14.1% were undecided. The first and fifth year students showed less desire to be a psychiatrist (74.3 and 69.8%, respectively); the highest percentage recorded is of the third year (90.6%). Female participants, in contact with patients suffering from mental illness, were willing to study psychiatry as a master degree and see good prospects were positive factors in choosing psychiatry as a career.

Conclusions

Students generally have good expectations toward psychiatry, but different opinions are also held and the field is still faced with various challenges in order to provide more psychiatrists.
Autoimmune Encephalitis With Psychotic Manifestations and Cognitive Impairment Presenting as Schizophrenia: Case Report and Literature Review
Authors: Luo Yuanyuan , Li Jieying , Jiang Fugui , Tan Arui , Qin Xiaohong , Xiao Xiaoqiang , Wang Zuxing , Wang Peijia , Yi Yang , Li Juan , Yuan Shuai , Liu Lei , Xiao Jun
Published: February 2022

Autoimmune encephalitis is characterized by mental and behavioral symptoms, seizures, and cognitive impairment. The presence of schizophrenia needs to be distinguished from that of autoimmune encephalitis. Herein, we describe the case of a woman who exhibited abnormal mental behavior and cognitive impairment. The patient had experienced similar symptoms more than 20 years previously and had been diagnosed with schizophrenia. The patient's psychotic symptoms improved after treatment with antipsychotic drugs; however, cognitive impairment persisted. She was diagnosed with anti-N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA)-receptor concurrent with anti-α-amino-3-hydroxy-5-methyl-4-isoxazolepropionic acid (AMPA)-receptor encephalitis. She showed improvement after treatment with steroids and intravenous immunoglobulins (IVIgs). Furthermore, we reviewed the literature and found that, including the present case, 10 patients have been diagnosed with anti-NMDA concurrent with anti-AMPA-receptor encephalitis. Three of these patients were men and seven were women, and their ages ranged from 21 to 71 years. Moreover, seven (70%) patients had a history of tumors. Symptoms of these patients included psychotic symptoms, varying degrees of consciousness disturbance, seizures, dyskinesia, dystonia, autonomic dysfunction, agitation, and verbal reduction. Brain magnetic resonance imaging findings showed scattered fluid-attenuated inversion recovery hyperintensity in subcortical white matter and/or medial temporal lobe in seven (70%) patients. After combination treatment, including tumor removal and administration of steroids, IVIg, plasma exchange, or immunity inhibitors, the symptoms improved in part of the patients. It is necessary to exclude autoimmune encephalitis for patients with psychiatric manifestations and cognitive impairment. Timely combination therapy is important in anti-NMDA-receptor concurrent with anti-AMPA-receptor encephalitis.
Increased Gaming During COVID-19 Predicts Physical Inactivity Among Youth in Norway—A Two-Wave Longitudinal Cohort Study
Authors: Haug Ellen , Mæland Silje , Lehmann Stine , Bjørknes Ragnhild , Fadnes Lars Thore , Sandal Gro Mjeldheim , Skogen Jens Christoffer
Published: February 2022

Background

A concern for the COVID-19 measures and the potential long-term consequences the measures may have on physical inactivity and gaming among youth.

Objectives

Examine the stability and change in internet and offline gaming and the association with physical inactivity among adolescents in Norway during the pandemic.

Methods

A total of 2940 youth (58% girls) aged 12–19 years participated in an online longitudinal two-wave survey during the first Norwegian national lockdown in April 2020 (t1) and in December 2020 (t2). Gaming behavior and physical activity status were assessed at both time points. Age, gender, and socioeconomic status were included as covariates.

Results

Among boys, 41% reported gaming a lot more and 35% a little more at t1 compared to before the national lockdown. The corresponding numbers for girls were 14 and 23%, respectively. In fully adjusted analysis, a pattern of increased gaming at t1 followed by an additional increase in gaming reported at t2 was associated with physical inactivity at t1 (OR = 2.10, p < 0.01) and t2 (OR = 2.45, p < 0.001). Participants gaming more at t1 followed by a reduction at t2 had higher odds of inactivity at t1 (OR = 1.88, p < 0.01). Youth reporting no gaming at t1 had lower odds for inactivity at this time point (OR = 0.67, p < 0.05).

Conclusions

Increased gaming among many youths and a relationship with physical inactivity was observed during the first phase of the COVID-19 pandemic. To counteract the negative long-term impacts of COVID-19 restrictions, public health initiatives should emphasize the facilitation of physical activity in youth and develop effective strategies to prevent problematic gaming.
Real Estate Prices, Inflation, and Health Outcomes: Evidence From Developed Economies
Authors: Bao Wensheng , Tao Ran , Afzal Anees , Dördüncü Hazar
Published: February 2022

Population health is a key pillar of the fast-growing economies, but several challenges threaten it. This study scrutinizes the impact of real estate prices (housing rent) and inflation on population health by using advanced economies from 1996 to 2019. Health is measured by infant mortality rates and life expectancy at birth. The empirical outcomes show a positive and significant effect of housing rent on the infant mortality rate. In contrast, housing rent improves life expectancy. We also find that an increase in inflation positively affects the infant mortality rate and has a negative effect on life expectancy. GDP and health expenditure tend to improve health by increasing life expectancy and reducing the infant mortality rate. However, unemployment is harmful effects on population health. This study recommends that healthcare practitioners consider the housing market and inflationary pressure.
Drosophila Lipase 3 Mediates the Metabolic Response to Starvation and Aging
Authors: Hänschke Lea , Heier Christoph , Maya Palacios Santiago José , Özek Huseyin Erdem , Thiele Christoph , Bauer Reinhard , Kühnlein Ronald P. , Bülow Margret H.
Published: February 2022

The human LIPA gene encodes for the enzyme lysosomal acid lipase, which hydrolyzes cholesteryl ester and triacylglycerol. Lysosomal acid lipase deficiency results in Wolman disease and cholesteryl ester storage disease. The Drosophila genome encodes for two LIPA orthologs, Magro and Lipase 3. Magro is a gut lipase that hydrolyzes triacylglycerides, while Lipase 3 lacks characterization based on mutant phenotypes. We found previously that Lipase 3 transcription is highly induced in mutants with defects in peroxisome biogenesis, but the conditions that allow a similar induction in wildtypic flies are not known. Here we show that Lipase 3 is drastically upregulated in starved larvae and starved female flies, as well as in aged male flies. We generated a lipase 3 mutant that shows sex-specific starvation resistance and a trend to lifespan extension. Using lipidomics, we demonstrate that Lipase 3 mutants accumulate phosphatidylinositol, but neither triacylglycerol nor diacylglycerol. Our study suggests that, in contrast to its mammalian homolog LIPA, Lipase 3 is a putative phospholipase that is upregulated under extreme conditions like prolonged nutrient deprivation and aging.
How to be Helpful? Supportive Behaviors and Personalization for Human-Robot Collaboration
Authors: Mangin Olivier , Roncone Alessandro , Scassellati Brian
Published: February 2022

The field of Human-Robot Collaboration (HRC) has seen a considerable amount of progress in recent years. Thanks in part to advances in control and perception algorithms, robots have started to work in increasingly unstructured environments, where they operate side by side with humans to achieve shared tasks. However, little progress has been made toward the development of systems that are truly effective in supporting the human, proactive in their collaboration, and that can autonomously take care of part of the task. In this work, we present a collaborative system capable of assisting a human worker despite limited manipulation capabilities, incomplete model of the task, and partial observability of the environment. Our framework leverages information from a high-level, hierarchical model that is shared between the human and robot and that enables transparent synchronization between the peers and mutual understanding of each other’s plan. More precisely, we firstly derive a partially observable Markov model from the high-level task representation; we then use an online Monte-Carlo solver to compute a short-horizon robot-executable plan. The resulting policy is capable of interactive replanning on-the-fly, dynamic error recovery, and identification of hidden user preferences. We demonstrate that the system is capable of robustly providing support to the human in a realistic furniture construction task.
A Method for Measuring Contact Points in Human–Object Interaction Utilizing Infrared Cameras
Authors: Hakala Jussi , Häkkinen Jukka
Published: February 2022

This article presents a novel method for measuring contact points in human–object interaction. Research in multiple prehension-related fields, e.g., action planning, affordance, motor function, ergonomics, and robotic grasping, benefits from accurate and precise measurements of contact points between a subject’s hands and objects. During interaction, the subject’s hands occlude the contact points, which poses a major challenge for direct optical measurement methods. Our method solves the occlusion problem by exploiting thermal energy transfer from the subject’s hand to the object surface during interaction. After the interaction, we measure the heat emitted by the object surface with four high-resolution infrared cameras surrounding the object. A computer-vision algorithm detects the areas in the infrared images where the subject’s fingers have touched the object. A structured light 3D scanner produces a point cloud of the scene, which enables the localization of the object in relation to the infrared cameras. We then use the localization result to project the detected contact points from the infrared camera images to the surface of the 3D model of the object. Data collection with this method is fast, unobtrusive, contactless, markerless, and automated. The method enables accurate measurement of contact points in non-trivially complex objects. Furthermore, the method is extendable to measuring surface contact areas, or patches, instead of contact points. In this article, we present the method and sample grasp measurement results with publicly available objects.
A Radiative Transfer Simulator for PACE: Theory and Applications
Authors: Zhai Peng-Wang , Gao Meng , Franz Bryan A. , Werdell P. Jeremy , Ibrahim Amir , Hu Yongxiang , Chowdhary Jacek
Published: February 2022

A radiative transfer simulator was developed to compute the synthetic data of all three instruments onboard NASA’s Plankton Aerosol, Cloud, ocean Ecosystem (PACE) observatory, and at the top of the atmosphere (TOA). The instrument suite includes the ocean color instrument (OCI), the Hyper-Angular Rainbow Polarimeter 2 (HARP2), and the Spectro-Polarimeter for Planetary Exploration 1 (SPEXone). The PACE simulator is wrapped around a monochromatic radiative transfer model based on the successive order of scattering (RTSOS), which accounts for atmosphere and ocean coupling, polarization, and gas absorption. Inelastic scattering, including Raman scattering from pure ocean water, fluorescence due to chlorophyll, and colored dissolved organic matter (CDOM), is also simulated. This PACE simulator can be used to explore the sensitivity of the hyperspectral and polarized reflectance of the Earth system with tunable atmosphere and ocean parameters, which include aerosol and cloud number concentration, refractive indices, and size distribution, ocean particle microphysical parameters, and solar and sensor-viewing geometry. The PACE simulator is used to study two important case studies. One is the impact of the significant uncertainty in pure ocean water absorption coefficient to the radiance field in the ultraviolet (UV) spectral region, which can be as much as 6%. The other is the influence of different amounts of brown carbon aerosols and CDOM on the polarized radiance field at TOA. The percentage variation of the radiance field due to CDOM is mostly for wavelengths smaller than 600 nm, while brown aerosols affect the whole spectrum from 350 to 890 nm, primarily due to covaried soot aerosols. Both case studies are important for aerosol and ocean color remote sensing and have not been previously reported in the literature.
Solar Jets: SDO and IRIS Observations in the Perspective of New MHD Simulations
Authors: Schmieder Brigitte
Published: February 2022

Solar jets are observed as collimated plasma beams over a large range of temperatures and wavelengths. They have been observed in H α and optical lines for more than 50 years and called surges. The term “jet” comes from X-ray observations after the launch of the Yohkoh satellite in 1991. They are the means of transporting energy through the heliosphere and participate to the corona heating and the acceleration of solar wind. Several characteristics have been derived about their velocities, their rates of occurrence, and their relationship with CMEs. However, the initiation mechanism of jets, e.g. emerging flux, flux cancellation, or twist, is still debated. In the last decade coordinated observations of the Interface Region Imaging Spectrograph (IRIS) with the instruments on board the Solar Dynamic Observatory (SDO) allow to make a step forward for understanding the trigger of jets and the relationship between hot jets and cool surges. We observe at the same time the development of 2D and 3D MHD numerical simulations to interpret the results. This paper summarizes recent studies of jets showing the loci of magnetic reconnection in null points or in bald patch regions forming a current sheet. In the pre-jet phase a twist is frequently detected by the existence of a mini filament close to the dome of emerging flux. The twist can also be transferred to the jet from a flux rope in the vicinity of the reconnection by slippage of the polarities. Bidirectional flows are detected at the reconnection sites. We show the role of magnetic currents detected in the footprints of flux rope and quasi-separatrix layers for initiating the jets. We select a few studies and show that with the same observations, different interpretations are possible based on different approaches e.g. non linear force free field extrapolation or 3D MHD simulation.