bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Potato Consumption and Risk of Cardiovascular Mortality and Type 2 Diabetes After Myocardial Infarction: A Prospective Analysis in the Alpha Omega Cohort
Authors: Cruijsen Esther , Indyk Indira M. , Simon Anne W. E. , Busstra Maria C. , Geleijnse Johanna M.
Published: January 2022

Background

Higher potato intake, especially French fries, was unfavorably associated with cardiometabolic endpoints in population-based studies. Little is known about this in patients with ischemic heart disease (IHD).

Objective

Total and boiled potatoes and French fries intake were examined in relation to cardiovascular disease (CVD) mortality, all-cause mortality, and type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) risk in Dutch post-myocardial infarction (MI) patients of the Alpha Omega Cohort.

Methods

We analyzed 3,401 patients (60–80 years, 78% male), free from T2DM at baseline, with an MI ≤ 10 years before enrolment. Diet was assessed at baseline (2002–2006) using a 203-item validated Food Frequency Questionnaire (FFQ) that includes potato preparation methods. Cause-specific mortality was monitored through December 2018, and T2DM incidence (self-reported physician diagnosis and/or prescribed anti-diabetes medication) was monitored during the first 40 months of follow-up. Multivariable Cox models were used to obtain hazard ratios (HRs) for fatal endpoints and incident T2DM in tertiles of potato intake.

Results

Patients had a median total potato intake (mainly boiled) of 111 g/d, 96% consumed >1 serving (200 g) per week. French fries were consumed by 48% of the patients (median of 6 g/d among consumers). During >12 years of follow-up (38,987 person-years), 1,476 deaths occurred of which 641 were from CVD, 394 were from IHD, and 119 were from a stroke. Total and boiled potatoes were not associated with CVD mortality, but a higher risk of all-cause mortality was observed (HR: 1.07; 95% CI: 1.01, 1.14; per 50 g/d). Potato consumption tended to be positively associated with incident T2DM (186 cases; HR: 1.11, 95% CI: 0.94, 1.32; per 50 g/d). Results for French fries were inconsistent for all outcomes.

Conclusion

In Dutch post-MI patients, potatoes (mainly boiled) were not associated with CVD mortality but possibly adversely associated with all-cause mortality and T2DM risk. These findings warrant confirmation in other IHD patient cohorts. The Alpha Omega Cohort is registered at ClinicalTrials.gov as NCT03192410.
Association Between Dietary Patterns and Different Metabolic Phenotypes in Japanese Adults: WASEDA'S Health Study
Authors: Tanisawa Kumpei , Ito Tomoko , Kawakami Ryoko , Usui Chiyoko , Kawamura Takuji , Suzuki Katsuhiko , Sakamoto Shizuo , Ishii Kaori , Muraoka Isao , Oka Koichiro , Higuchi Mitsuru
Published: January 2022

Although many studies have reported that a posteriori dietary pattern is associated with metabolic health, there is little evidence of an association between dietary patterns and different metabolic phenotypes. The present study aimed to examine the association between major dietary patterns and different metabolic phenotypes (metabolically healthy non-obese [MHNO], metabolically unhealthy non-obese [MUNO], metabolically healthy obese [MHO], and metabolically unhealthy obese [MUO]) in middle-aged and elderly Japanese adults. This cross-sectional study enrolled 2,170 Japanese adults aged ≥40 years. The four different metabolic phenotypes were determined based on the presence of obesity, abdominal obesity, hypertension, hyperglycemia, and dyslipidemia. The major dietary patterns were determined using principal component analysis based on energy-adjusted food intake. Two dietary patterns were identified: the healthy dietary pattern, which was characterized by a high intake of vegetables, fruits, potatoes, soy products, mushrooms, seaweeds, and fish; and the alcohol dietary pattern, which was characterized by a high intake of alcoholic beverages, liver, chicken, and fish. The healthy dietary pattern was associated with the MHNO and MHO phenotypes (MUNO and MUO as reference groups, respectively), and the multivariate-adjusted odds ratios (ORs) (95% confidence intervals [CIs]) in the highest quartile of healthy dietary pattern score with the lowest quartile as the reference category were 2.10 (1.40–3.15) and 1.86 (1.06–3.25), respectively. Conversely, the alcohol dietary pattern was inversely associated with the MHNO and MHO phenotypes, while the multivariate-adjusted ORs (95% CIs) in the highest quartile of the alcohol dietary pattern score with the lowest quartile as the reference category were 0.63 (0.42–0.94) and 0.45 (0.26–0.76), respectively. There were no significant interactions between sex and healthy/alcohol dietary patterns in the prevalence of the MHNO and MHO phenotypes. In conclusion, the present study's findings suggest that major dietary patterns are associated with different metabolic phenotypes in middle-aged and elderly Japanese adults. These findings provide useful evidence for maintaining metabolic health through diet regardless of obesity status.
Effect of Adjuvant Chemotherapy on Survival of Patients With 8th Edition Stage IB Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer
Authors: Xu Yangyang , Wan Bing , Zhu Suhua , Zhang Tianli , Xie Jingyuan , Liu Hongbing , Zhan Ping , Lv Tangfeng , Song Yong
Published: January 2022

Background

The efficacy of adjuvant chemotherapy in patients with 8th edition stage IB (tumor size ≤4 cm) non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) remains unclear.

Methods

We identified 9757 eligible patients (non-chemotherapy group: n=8303; chemotherapy group: n=1454) between 2004 and 2016 from the Surveillance, Epidemiology and End Results (SEER) database. Log-rank test was used to compare overall survival (OS) between the chemotherapy and non-chemotherapy groups. Cox regression model was applied to investigate the independent prognosis factors of all surgically treated stage IB patients, and then the nomogram was constructed. Propensity score matching (PSM) was performed to reduce the confounding bias, and subgroup analyses of the matched cohort were also performed. Finally, we reviewed 184 patients with stage IB NSCLC from July 2008 to December 2016 in Jinling Hospital as a validation cohort, and compared disease-free survival (DFS) and OS between the two groups.

Results

In the SEER database cohort, adjuvant chemotherapy was associated with improved OS in both unmatched and matched (1417 pairs) cohorts (all P <0.05). The survival benefit (both OS and DFS) was confirmed in the validation cohort (P <0.05). Multivariate analysis showed age, race, sex, marital status, histology, tumor location, tumor size, differentiation, surgical method, lymph nodes (LNs) examined, radiotherapy and chemotherapy were prognostic factors for resected stage IB NSCLC (all P <0.05). The concordance index and calibration curves demonstrated good prediction effect. Subgroup analyses showed patients with the following characteristics benefited from chemotherapy: old age, poor differentiation to undifferentiation, 0-15 LNs examined, visceral pleural invasion (VPI), lobectomy and no radiotherapy (all P <0.05).

Conclusions

Adjuvant chemotherapy is associated with improved survival in 8th edition stage IB NSCLC patients, especially in those with old age, poorly differentiated to undifferentiated tumors, 0-15 LNs examined, VPI, lobotomy and no radiotherapy. Further prospective trials are needed to confirm these conclusions. Besides, the nomogram provides relatively accurate prediction for the prognosis of resected stage IB NSCLC patients.
Novel and Specific MRI Features Indicate the Clinical Features of Patients With Rare Hepatic Tumor Epithelioid Hemangioendothelioma
Authors: Zhang Wei , Zhang Hongtao , Zhong Yanwei , Zhang Keming , Kong Huifang , Yu Linxiang , Chen Yan , Bai Yili , Zhu Zhenyu , Yang Yongping , Gao Xudong
Published: January 2022

Objective

To investigate the MRI features and clinical significance of hepatic epithelioid hemangioendothelioma (HEHE).

Methods

Clinical records and MRI findings were retrospectively evaluated in nine HEHE patients from May 2010 to January 2020.

Result

There were 121 lesions in nine patients with a predominantly peripheral distribution. Five lesions (4.13%) in two patients (22.22%) had evidence of capsular retraction, and three patients had lung metastasis (33.33%). Dynamic contrast-enhanced MRI showed progressive enhancement, mainly in two ways: ring enhancement with hypovascularity in four patients (44.44%) and ring enhancement with hypervascularity in five patients (55.56%). Imaging demonstrated a multilayer ring appearance, which was typically observed on T2-weighted imaging (T2WI). The most common appearance consisted of two layers of varying signal, with some images displaying up to four layers. There were significant differences in the size of lesions between different layers of multilayer ring appearance (p < 0.001). All lesions exhibited a two-layer appearance on diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI), with hyperintensity at the periphery and a slightly high signal at the center (except for those with a single layer on T2WI). The “vascular penetration sign” was observed in most lesions, and the blood vessels of 112 lesions (92.56%) were portal vein branches, and five (4.13%) were hepatic vein branches. Pulmonary metastasis was found in three patients with the “vascular penetration sign” of hepatic vein branches.

Conclusion

The multilayer ring appearance on T2WI, the “vascular penetration sign”, and the two enhancement patterns may be of great significance in the diagnosis and treatment of HEHE. The “vascular penetration sign” of hepatic vein branches may indicate extrahepatic metastasis.
LncRNAs, the Molecules Involved in Communications With Colorectal Cancer Stem Cells
Authors: Fan Boyang , Zhang Qian , Wang Ning , Wang Guiyu
Published: January 2022

Colorectal cancer stem cells (CRCSCs) can actively self-renew, as well as having multidirectional differentiation and tumor regeneration abilities. Because the high functional activities of CRCSCs are associated with low cure rates in patients with colorectal cancer, efforts have sought to determine the function and regulatory mechanisms of CRCSCs. To date, however, the potential regulatory mechanisms of CRCSCs remain incompletely understood. Many non-coding genes are involved in tumor invasion and spread through their regulation of CRCSCs, with long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) being important non-coding RNAs. LncRNAs may be involved in the colorectal cancer development and drug resistance through their regulation of CRCSCs. This review systematically evaluates the latest research on the ability of lncRNAs to regulate CRCSC signaling pathways and the involvement of these lncRNAs in colorectal cancer promotion and suppression. The regulatory network of lncRNAs in the CRCSC signaling pathway has been determined. Further analysis of the potential clinical applications of lncRNAs as novel clinical diagnostic and prognostic biomarkers and therapeutic targets for colorectal cancer may provide new ideas and protocols for the prevention and treatment of colorectal cancer.
Predictive Values of Pathological and Clinical Risk Factors for Positivity of Sentinel Lymph Node Biopsy in Thin Melanoma: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis
Authors: Huang Hanzi , Fu Ziyao , Ji Jiang , Huang Jiuzuo , Long Xiao
Published: January 2022

Background

The indications for sentinel lymph node biopsy (SLNB) for thin melanoma are still unclear. This meta-analysis aims to determine the positive rate of SLNB in thin melanoma and to summarize the predictive value of different high-risk features for positive results of SLNB.

Methods

Four databases were searched for literature on SLNB performed in patients with thin melanoma published between January 2000 and December 2020. The overall positive rate and positive rate of each high-risk feature were calculated and obtained with 95% confidence intervals (CIs). Both unadjusted odds ratios (ORs) and adjusted ORs (AORs) of high-risk features were analyzed. Pooled effects were estimated using random-effects model meta-analyses.

Results

Sixty-six studies reporting 38,844 patients with thin melanoma who underwent SLNB met the inclusion criteria. The pooled positive rate of SLNB was 5.1% [95% confidence interval (CI) 4.9%-5.3%]. Features significantly predicted a positive result of SLNB were thickness≥0.8 mm [AOR 1.94 (95%CI 1.28-2.95); positive rate 7.0% (95%CI 6.0-8.0%)]; ulceration [AOR 3.09 (95%CI 1.75-5.44); positive rate 4.2% (95%CI 1.8-7.2%)]; mitosis rate >0/mm2 [AOR 1.63 (95%CI 1.13-2.36); positive rate 7.7% (95%CI 6.3-9.1%)]; microsatellites [OR 3.8 (95%CI 1.38-10.47); positive rate 16.6% (95%CI 2.4-36.6%)]; and vertical growth phase [OR 2.76 (95%CI 1.72-4.43); positive rate 8.1% (95%CI 6.3-10.1%)].

Conclusions

The overall positive rate of SLNB in thin melanoma was 5.1%. The strongest predictor for SLN positivity identified was microsatellites on unadjusted analysis and ulceration on adjusted analysis. Breslow thickness ≥0.8 mm and mitosis rate >0/mm2 both predict SLN positivity in adjusted analysis and increase the positive rate to 7.0% and 7.7%. We suggest patients with thin melanoma with the above high-risk features should be considered for giving an SLNB.
Factors Affecting the Fetal Fraction in Noninvasive Prenatal Screening: A Review
Authors: Deng Cechuan , Liu Shanling
Published: January 2022

A paradigm shift in noninvasive prenatal screening has been made with the discovery of cell-free fetal DNA in maternal plasma. Noninvasive prenatal screening is primarily used to screen for fetal aneuploidies, and has been used globally. Fetal fraction, an important parameter in the analysis of noninvasive prenatal screening results, is the proportion of fetal cell-free DNA present in the total maternal plasma cell-free DNA. It combines biological factors and bioinformatics algorithms to interpret noninvasive prenatal screening results and is an integral part of quality control. Maternal and fetal factors may influence fetal fraction. To date, there is no broad consensus on the factors that affect fetal fraction. There are many different approaches to evaluate this parameter, each with its advantages and disadvantages. Different fetal fraction calculation methods may be used in different testing platforms or laboratories. This review includes numerous publications that focused on the understanding of the significance, influencing factors, and interpretation of fetal fraction to provide a deeper understanding of this parameter.
Characterization of Kinesin Family Member 2C as a Proto-Oncogene in Cervical Cancer
Authors: Yang Jing , Wu Zimeng , Yang Li , Jeong Ji-Hak , Zhu Yuanhang , Lu Jie , Wang Baojin , Wang Nannan , Wang Yan , Shen Ke , Li Ruiqing
Published: January 2022

Kinesin family member 2C (KIF2C) is known as an oncogenic gene to regulate tumor progression and metastasis. However, its pan-cancer analysis has not been reported. In this study, we comprehensively analyzed the characteristics of KIF2C in various cancers. We found that KIF2C was highly expressed and corresponded to a poor prognosis in various cancers. We also found a significant correlation between KIF2C and clinicopathological characteristics, particularly in cervical cancer, which is the most common gynecological malignancy and is the second leading cause of cancer-related deaths among women worldwide. KIF2C mutation is strongly associated with the survival rate of cervical cancer, and KIF2C expression was significantly upregulated in cervical cancer tissues and cervical cancer cells. Moreover, KIF2C promoted cervical cancer cells proliferation, invasion, and migration in vitro and as well increased tumor growth in vivo. KIF2C knockdown promotes the activation of the p53 signaling pathway by regulating the expression of related proteins. The rescue assay with KIF2C and p53 double knockdown partially reversed the inhibitory influence of KIF2C silencing on cervical cancer processes. In summary, our study provided a relatively comprehensive description of KIF2C as an oncogenic gene and suggested KIF2C as a therapeutic target for cervical cancer.
Case Report: Successful Avatrombopag Treatment for Two Cases of Anti-PD-1 Antibody-Induced Acquired Amegakaryocytic Thrombocytopenia
Authors: Tu Xiaofang , Xue Ali , Wu Suye , Jin Mengmeng , Zhao Pu , Zhang Hao
Published: January 2022

Background: Anti-PD-1/PD-L1 immunotherapy has achieved impressive responses in multiple types of malignancies in recent years. However, immune-related adverse events (irAEs) occur and limit their continuous clinical use. Among these irAEs, acquired amegakaryocytic thrombocytopenia (AAT) is rare but often clinically serious, life-threatening and refractory to multiple treatment approaches.

Case summary: We reported for the first time the successful treatment of avatrombopag in two cases of anti-PD1 antibody-induced AAT (in particular, one case had progressed to aplastic anemia), which was refractory or intolerant to glucocorticoids, ciclosporin, intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIG), recombinant human thrombopoietin (rh-TPO) and even TPO receptor agonist (TPO-RA) eltrombopag. To date, the two cases manifested as normal platelet counts and are independent of transfusion.

Conclusion: Anti-PD1 antibody-induced AAT occurs with low frequency but is often serious and difficult to manage, for which this study proposed vatrombopag as a potential curative and safe approach.
Study on The Anti-Inflammatory Effects of Callicarpa nudiflora Based on The Spectrum–Effect Relationship
Authors: Li Yamei , Yang Yifang , Kang Xingdong , Li Xiaofeng , Wu Yongzhong , Xiao Junping , Ye Yang , Yang Jianqiong , Yang Yang , Liu Hai
Published: January 2022

Callicarpa nudiflora (C. nudiflora) is widely used to treat inflammation-related diseases in China. C. nudiflora mainly contains phenylethanol glycosides, flavonoids, triterpenes, diterpenes, iridoid glycosides, volatile oils, and other small molecules. Therefore, it is necessary to screen out anti-inflammatory active substances from C. nudiflora. In this paper, high-performance liquid chromatography was used to establish the fingerprint of C. nudiflora extracts. The anti-inflammation of C. nudiflora extracts were evaluated by the experiment of toes swelling in inflammatory rats. Then, the spectrum–effect relationship between the fingerprints and anti-inflammatory activities was researched by Pearson analysis and orthogonal partial least squares analysis to identify a group of anti-inflammatory compounds of C. nudiflora extracts. The differences of extracts are illustrated by principal component analysis and cluster analysis in pharmacological effects. Finally, 12 compounds, including catalpol (P1), caffeic acid (P2), protocatechuic acid (P9), 3,4-dihydroxybenzaldehyde (P10), forsythiaside E (P12), protocatechualdehyde isomers (P14), forsythiaside B (P15), rutin (P16), alyssonoside (P21), verbascoside (P22), 2′-acetyl forsythoside B (P24), and isorhamnetin (P32) by HPLC-DAD and UPLC-Q-TOF MS/MS, were determined as potential compounds for anti-inflammatory activity in C. nudiflora. In particular, six compounds were identified as active substances with the greatest anti-inflammatory potential. Moreover, all compounds were tested for anti-inflammatory experiments or anti-inflammatory literature retrieval. In this study, a method for rapid screening of potential anti-inflammatory active ingredients of C. nudiflora was established, which can provide a reference for the future study of active compounds of C. nudiflora.
Apoptosis Induction, a Sharp Edge of Berberine to Exert Anti-Cancer Effects, Focus on Breast, Lung, and Liver Cancer
Authors: Zhu Yi , Xie Na , Chai Yilu , Nie Yisen , Liu Ke , Liu Yufei , Yang Yang , Su Jinsong , Zhang Chuantao
Published: January 2022

Cancer is the leading cause of death and one of the greatest barriers to increased life expectancy worldwide. Currently, chemotherapy with synthetic drugs remains one of the predominant ways for cancer treatment, which may lead to drug resistance and normal organ damage. Increasing researches have suggested that apoptosis, a type of programmed cell death, is a promising way for cancer therapy. Furthermore, natural products are important sources for finding new drugs with high availability, low cost and low toxicity. As a well-known isoquinoline alkaloid, accumulating evidence has revealed that berberine (BBR) exerts potential pro-apoptotic effects on multiple cancers, including breast, lung, liver, gastric, colorectal, pancreatic, and ovarian cancers. The related potential signal pathways are AMP-activated protein kinase, mitogen-activated protein kinase, and protein kinase B pathways. In this review, we provide a timely and comprehensive summary of the detailed molecular mechanisms of BBR in treating three types of cancer (breast, lung and liver cancer) by inducing apoptosis. Furthermore, we also discuss the existing challenges and strategies to improve BBR’s bioavailability. Hopefully, this review provides valuable information for the comprehension of BBR in treating three types of cancer and highlight the pro-apoptotic effects of BBR, which would be beneficial for the further development of this natural compound as an effective clinical drug for treating cancers.
Trilobatin, a Natural Food Additive, Exerts Anti-Type 2 Diabetes Effect Mediated by Nrf2/ARE and IRS-1/GLUT2 Signaling Pathways
Authors: Shi Yan-Ling , Zhang Yue-Ping , Luo Huan , Xu Fan , Gao Jian-Mei , Shi Jing-Shan , Gong Qi-Hai
Published: January 2022

Oxidative stress and aberrant insulin signaling transduction play vital roles in type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). Our previous research has demonstrated that trilobatin (TLB), derived from the leaves of Lithocarpus Polystachyus (Wall.), exhibits a potent antioxidative profile. In the current study, we investigated the anti-T2DM effect of TLB on KK-Ay diabetic mice and further explored the potential mechanisms. Our results showed that TLB significantly reduced the high fasting blood glucose level and insulin resistance and promoted the tolerances to exogenous glucose and insulin in KK-Ay mice. Moreover, TLB reduced the content of reactive oxygen species; enhanced antioxidant enzymes activities, including serum catalase, glutathione peroxidase, and superoxide dismutase; and regulated the abnormal parameters of lipid metabolism, including triglyceride, high-density lipoprotein-cholesterol, low-density lipoprotein-cholesterol, and free fatty acid, as evidenced by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Additionally, TLB markedly ameliorated the pancreatic islet morphology near normal and increased the insulin expression of the islet. Whereafter, TLB promoted Nrf2 that was translocated from cytoplasm to nucleus. Moreover, it increased the protein expressions of HO-1, NQO-1, and GLUT-2, and phosphorylation levels of Akt and GSK-3βSer 9 and decreased the protein expressions of keap1 and phosphorylation levels of IRS-1Ser 307 and GSK-3βTyr 216. Taken together, our findings reveal that TLB exhibits an anti-T2DM effect in KK-Ay mice by activating the Nrf2/ARE signaling pathway and regulating insulin signaling transduction pathway, and TLB is promising to be developed into a novel candidate for the treatment of T2DM in clinic due to its favorable druggability.
Force Measurements From Myofibril to Filament
Authors: Marston Steven
Published: January 2022

Contractility, the generation of force and movement by molecular motors, is the hallmark of all muscles, including striated muscle. Contractility can be studied at every level of organization from a whole animal to single molecules. Measurements at sub-cellular level are particularly useful since, in the absence of the excitation-contraction coupling system, the properties of the contractile proteins can be directly investigated; revealing mechanistic details not accessible in intact muscle. Moreover, the conditions can be manipulated with ease, for instance changes in activator Ca2+, small molecule effector concentration or phosphorylation levels and introducing mutations. Subcellular methods can be successfully applied to frozen materials and generally require the smallest amount of tissue, thus greatly increasing the range of possible experiments compared with the study of intact muscle and cells. Whilst measurement of movement at the subcellular level is relatively simple, measurement of force is more challenging. This mini review will describe current methods for measuring force production at the subcellular level including single myofibril and single myofilament techniques.
Review: Use of Electrophysiological Techniques to Study Visual Functions of Aquatic Organisms
Authors: Gao Xiaolong , Lin Shihui , Zhang Mo , Lyu Mingxin , Liu Yafeng , Luo Xuan , You Weiwei , Ke Caihuan
Published: January 2022

The light environments of natural water sources have specific characteristics. For the majority of aquatic organisms, vision is crucial for predation, hiding from predators, communicating information, and reproduction. Electroretinography (ERG) is a diagnostic method used for assessing visual function. An electroretinogram records the comprehensive potential response of retinal cells under light stimuli and divides it into several components. Unique wave components are derived from different retinal cells, thus retinal function can be determined by analyzing these components. This review provides an overview of the milestones of ERG technology, describing how ERG is used to study visual sensitivity (e.g., spectral sensitivity, luminous sensitivity, and temporal resolution) of fish, crustaceans, mollusks, and other aquatic organisms (seals, sea lions, sea turtles, horseshoe crabs, and jellyfish). In addition, it describes the correlations between visual sensitivity and habitat, the variation of visual sensitivity as a function of individual growth, and the diel cycle changes of visual sensitivity. Efforts to identify the visual sensitivity of different aquatic organisms are vital to understanding the environmental plasticity of biological evolution and for directing aquaculture, marine fishery, and ecosystem management.
A Glyphosate-Based Herbicide in Soil Differentially Affects Hormonal Homeostasis and Performance of Non-target Crop Plants
Authors: Fuchs Benjamin , Laihonen Miika , Muola Anne , Saikkonen Kari , Dobrev Petre I. , Vankova Radomira , Helander Marjo
Published: January 2022

Glyphosate is the most widely used herbicide with a yearly increase in global application. Recent studies report glyphosate residues from diverse habitats globally where the effect on non-target plants are still to be explored. Glyphosate disrupts the shikimate pathway which is the basis for several plant metabolites. The central role of phytohormones in regulating plant growth and responses to abiotic and biotic environment has been ignored in studies examining the effects of glyphosate residues on plant performance and trophic interactions. We studied interactive effects of glyphosate-based herbicide (GBH) residues and phosphate fertilizer in soil on the content of main phytohormones, their precursors and metabolites, as well as on plant performance and herbivore damage, in three plant species, oat (Avena sativa), potato (Solanum tuberosum), and strawberry (Fragaria x ananassa). Plant hormonal responses to GBH residues were highly species-specific. Potato responded to GBH soil treatment with an increase in stress-related phytohormones abscisic acid (ABA), indole-3-acetic acid (IAA), and jasmonic acid (JA) but a decrease in cytokinin (CK) ribosides and cytokinin-O-glycosides. GBH residues in combination with phosphate in soil increased aboveground biomass of potato plants and the concentration of the auxin phenylacetic acid (PAA) but decreased phaseic acid and cytokinin ribosides (CKR) and O-glycosides. Chorismate-derived compounds [IAA, PAA and benzoic acid (BzA)] as well as herbivore damage decreased in oat, when growing in GBH-treated soil but concentrations of the cytokinin dihydrozeatin (DZ) and CKR increased. In strawberry plants, phosphate treatment was associated with an elevation of auxin (IAA) and the CK trans-zeatin (tZ), while decreasing concentrations of the auxin PAA and CK DZ was observed in the case of GBH treatment. Our results demonstrate that ubiquitous herbicide residues have multifaceted consequences by modulating the hormonal equilibrium of plants, which can have cascading effects on trophic interactions.
Genome-Wide Identification of the PMEI Gene Family in Tea Plant and Functional Analysis of CsPMEI2 and CsPMEI4 Through Ectopic Overexpression
Authors: Li Bo , Wang Huan , He Shan , Ding Zhaotang , Wang Yu , Li Nana , Hao Xinyuan , Wang Lu , Yang Yajun , Qian Wenjun
Published: January 2022

Pectin methylesterase inhibitor (PMEI) inhibits pectin methylesterase (PME) activity at post-translation level, which plays core roles in vegetative and reproductive processes and various stress responses of plants. However, the roles of PMEIs in tea plant are still undiscovered. Herein, a total of 51 CsPMEIs genes were identified from tea plant genome. CsPMEI1-4 transcripts were varied in different tea plant tissues and regulated by various treatments, including biotic and abiotic stresses, sugar treatments, cold acclimation and bud dormancy. Overexpression of CsPMEI4 slightly decreased cold tolerance of transgenic Arabidopsis associated with lower electrolyte leakage, soluble sugars contents and transcripts of many cold-induced genes as compared to wild type plants. Under long-day and short-day conditions, CsPMEI2/4 promoted early flowering phenotypes in transgenic Arabidopsis along with higher expression levels of many flowering-related genes. Moreover, overexpression of CsPMEI2/4 decreased PME activity, but increased sugars contents (sucrose, glucose, and fructose) in transgenic Arabidopsis as compared with wild type plants under short-day condition. These results indicate that CsPMEIs are widely involved in tea plant vegetative and reproductive processes, and also in various stress responses. Moreover, CsPMEI4 negatively regulated cold response, meanwhile, CsPMEI2/4 promoted early flowering of transgenic Arabidopsis via the autonomous pathway. Collectively, these results open new perspectives on the roles of PMEIs in tea plant.
Effect of the Seasonal Climatic Variations on the Accumulation of Fruit Volatiles in Four Grape Varieties Under the Double Cropping System
Authors: Lu Hao-Cheng , Chen Wei-Kai , Wang Yu , Bai Xian-Jin , Cheng Guo , Duan Chang-Qing , Wang Jun , He Fei
Published: January 2022

The double cropping system has been widely applied in many subtropical viticultural regions. In the 2-year study of 2014–2015, four grape varieties were selected to analyze their fruit volatile compounds in four consecutive seasons in the Guangxi region of South China, which had a typical subtropical humid monsoon climate. Results showed that berries of winter seasons had higher concentrations of terpenes, norisoprenoids, and C6/C9 compounds in “Riesling,” “Victoria,” and “Muscat Hamburg” grapes in both of the two vintages. However, in the “Cabernet Sauvignon” grapes, only the berries of the 2014 winter season had higher terpene concentrations, but lower norisoprenoid concentrations than those of the corresponding summer season. The Pearson correlation analysis showed the high temperature was the main climate factor that affected volatile compounds between the summer and winter seasons. Hexanal, γ-terpinene, terpinen-4-ol,cis-furan linalool oxide, andtrans-pyran linalool oxide were all negatively correlated with the high-temperature hours in all of the four varieties. Transcriptome analysis showed that the upregulatedVviDXSs,VviPSYs, andVviCCDsexpressions might contribute to the accumulations of terpenes or norisoprenoids in the winter berries of these varieties. Our results provided insights into how climate parameters affected grape volatiles under the double cropping system, which might improve the understanding of the grape berries in response to the climate changes accompanied by extreme weather conditions in the future.
The Roles of microRNA-Long Non-coding RNA-mRNA Networks in the Regulation of Leaf and Flower Development in Liriodendron chinense
Authors: Tu Zhonghua , Xia Hui , Yang Lichun , Zhai Xinyu , Shen Yufang , Li Huogen
Published: January 2022

The leaf and the flower are vital plant organs owing to their roles in photosynthesis and reproduction. Long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs), microRNAs (miRNAs), and transcription factors (TFs) are very important to the development of these organs. Liriodendron chinense is a common ornamental tree species in southern China with an unusual leaf shape and tulip-like flowers. The genetic mechanisms underlying leaf and flower development in L. chinense and the miRNA-lncRNA-TF regulatory networks are poorly studied. Through the integration and analysis of different types of sequencing data, we identified the miRNA-lncRNA-TF regulatory networks that were related to leaf and flower development. These networks contained 105 miRNAs, 258 lncRNAs, 393 TFs, and 22 endogenous target mimics. Notably, lch-lnc7374-miR156h-SPL3 and lch-lnc7374-miR156j-SPL9 were potential regulators of stamen and pistil development in L. chinense, respectively. miRNA-lncRNA-mRNA regulatory networks were shown to impact anther development, male and female fertility, and petal color by regulating the biosynthesis of phenylpropanoid metabolites. Phenylpropanoid metabolite biosynthesis genes and TFs that were targeted by miRNAs and lncRNAs were differentially expressed in the leaf and flower. Moreover, RT-qPCR analysis confirmed 22 differentially expressed miRNAs, among which most of them showed obvious leaf or flower specificity; miR157a-SPL and miR160a-ARF module were verified by using RLM-RACE, and these two modules were related to leaf and flower development. These findings provide insight into the roles of miRNA-lncRNA-mRNA regulatory networks in organ development and function in L. chinense, and will facilitate further investigation into the regulatory mechanisms of leaf and flower development in L. chinense.
Deciphering the Fragmentation of the Human Genome Editing Regulatory Landscape
Authors: Mahalatchimy Aurélie , Rial-Sebbag Emmanuelle
Published: January 2022

Genome editing techniques have generated a growing interest following the discovery of the so-called CRISPR-Cas technique. It has raised a global uproar as regards its use in humans, especially after the 2018 announcement of a Chinese scientist who had used CRISPR to edit the genes of twin embryos. Indeed, one of the greatest concerns, although not the only one, has been the use of genome editing technologies to modify the human germline. In such scientific and technological context, the law plays a key role in framing what should be allowed or prohibited, and under which conditions, to find a balance between safe and accessible innovative treatments and respect of fundamental rights in accordance with the societal values and choices. Within the European Union, several institutions have considered the issues raised by human genome editing, and several legal texts participate in the establishment of the European regulatory framework applicable to human genome editing. Yet we argue in this article that the established regulatory landscape is fragmented in the sense of being divided, split, or segmented. Such fragmentation, which may have been inevitable for historical and technicolegal reasons, produces effects regarding the role of the current regulatory frameworks applicable to human genome editing. Focusing on the European Union and on the French levels of governance, we discuss how such fragmentation takes place through the identification of determinants of the human genome editing fragmented regulatory landscape. We argue that it should be seen as a process providing more contingent responses to human genome editing reflecting changing political and legal contexts.
Study on the Influence Mechanism of Virtual Simulation Game Learning Experience on Student Engagement and Entrepreneurial Skill Development
Authors: Yang Qixing , Zhang Yue , Lin Yawen
Published: January 2022

With the emergence of the COVID-19 pandemic, virtual simulation games have provided an effective teaching method for online entrepreneurship education. By exploring the mechanisms that influence student engagement and learning outcomes from different perspectives, such as game design, team and individual perspectives, numerous scholars have demonstrated that such a teaching method can effectively improve students’ engagement and learning performance. However, the existing studies are relatively scattered, and there is a scarcity of studies in which the effects of said factors are considered. Based on the learning process 3P model (presage-process-product) proposed by Biggs (1993), students’ perceived experience of game design, teamwork and self-efficacy were taken as variables in the early learning stage in the present study, and the influence mechanism of virtual simulation game learning experience on students’ engagement and entrepreneurial skill development was explored, so as to close the gap in existing research. In the present study, 177 college students from Chinese universities were surveyed and the data were surveyed using AMOS 23.0 software. Although the empirical results show that students’ “goal and feedback” and “alternative” experience of game design did not have a significant positive impact on students’ engagement, there was a direct and significant effect the development of entrepreneurial skills. Students’ experience of teamwork and general self-efficacy could not only directly and significantly affect the development of entrepreneurial skills, but also indirectly affect the development of entrepreneurial skills through learning engagement. The research results are practically significant for teachers in the selection and development of virtual simulation games, can be effectively applied in teaching process management, and can improve students’ engagement and learning performance.
The Role of the Oral Microbiota Related to Periodontal Diseases in Anxiety, Mood and Trauma- and Stress-Related Disorders
Authors: Martínez María , Postolache Teodor T. , García-Bueno Borja , Leza Juan C. , Figuero Elena , Lowry Christopher A. , Malan-Müller Stefanie
Published: January 2022

The prevalence of anxiety, mood and trauma- and stress-related disorders are on the rise; however, efforts to develop new and effective treatment strategies have had limited success. To identify novel therapeutic targets, a comprehensive understanding of the disease etiology is needed, especially in the context of the holobiont, i.e., the superorganism consisting of a human and its microbiotas. Much emphasis has been placed on the role of the gut microbiota in the development, exacerbation, and persistence of psychiatric disorders; however, data for the oral microbiota are limited. The oral cavity houses the second most diverse microbial community in the body, with over 700 bacterial species that colonize the soft and hard tissues. Periodontal diseases encompass a group of infectious and inflammatory diseases that affect the periodontium. Among them, periodontitis is defined as a chronic, multi-bacterial infection that elicits low-grade systemic inflammation via the release of pro-inflammatory cytokines, as well as local invasion and long-distance translocation of periodontal pathogens. Periodontitis can also induce or exacerbate other chronic systemic inflammatory diseases such as atherosclerosis and diabetes and can lead to adverse pregnancy outcomes. Recently, periodontal pathogens have been implicated in the etiology and pathophysiology of neuropsychiatric disorders (such as depression and schizophrenia), especially as dysregulation of the immune system also plays an integral role in the etiology and pathophysiology of these disorders. This review will discuss the role of the oral microbiota associated with periodontal diseases in anxiety, mood and trauma- and stress-related disorders. Epidemiological data of periodontal diseases in individuals with these disorders will be presented, followed by a discussion of the microbiological and immunological links between the oral microbiota and the central nervous system. Pre-clinical and clinical findings on the oral microbiota related to periodontal diseases in anxiety, mood and trauma- and stress-related phenotypes will be reviewed, followed by a discussion on the bi-directionality of the oral-brain axis. Lastly, we will focus on the oral microbiota associated with periodontal diseases as a target for future therapeutic interventions to alleviate symptoms of these debilitating psychiatric disorders.
What Does “Good” Community and Public Engagement Look Like? Developing Relationships With Community Members in Global Health Research
Authors: Hickey Gary , Porter Katie , Tembo Doreen , Rennard Una , Tholanah Martha , Beresford Peter , Chandler David , Chimbari Moses , Coldham Tina , Dikomitis Lisa , Dziro Biggy , Ekiikina Peter O. , Khattak Maria I. , Montenegro Cristian R. , Mumba Noni , Musesengwa Rosemary , Nelson Erica , Nhunzvi Clement , Ramirez Caroline M. , Staniszewska Sophie
Published: January 2022

Community and public engagement (CPE) is increasingly becoming a key component in global health research. The National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) is one of the leading funders in the UK of global health research and requires a robust CPE element in the research it funds, along with CPE monitoring and evaluation. But what does “good” CPE look like? And what factors facilitate or inhibit good CPE? Addressing these questions would help ensure clarity of expectations of award holders, and inform effective monitoring frameworks and the development of guidance. The work reported upon here builds on existing guidance and is a first step in trying to identify the key components of what “good” CPE looks like, which can be used for all approaches to global health research and in a range of different settings and contexts. This article draws on data collected as part of an evaluation of CPE by 53 NIHR-funded award holders to provide insights on CPE practice in global health research. This data was then debated, developed and refined by a group of researchers, CPE specialists and public contributors to explore what “good” CPE looks like, and the barriers and facilitators to good CPE. A key finding was the importance, for some research, of investing in and developing long term relationships with communities, perhaps beyond the life cycle of a project; this was regarded as crucial to the development of trust, addressing power differentials and ensuring the legacy of the research was of benefit to the community.
Social Engagement and Urban–Rural Disparity in Self-Management Behaviors: Study of Middle-Aged and Older Chinese Hypertension Patients
Authors: Lu Jiao , Liu Linhui , Wang Yuan , Zhou Zhongliang
Published: January 2022

Background

This study examines the effect of social engagement on urban–rural disparities in self-management behaviors (medication use, self-monitoring, physical activity, and tobacco and alcohol avoidance) among middle-aged and older Chinese patients with hypertension.

Methods

Data from 2011 to 2018 were extracted from the four latest waves of the China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study. Chi-square tests and t-tests were performed to examine urban–rural gaps in self-management behaviors. Random-effects panel logit regression models were adopted to confirm the effect of social engagement on urban–rural disparity in self-management behaviors and to explore whether this effect has narrowed or widened with “bilateral flow” between urban and rural residents. A Fairlie decomposition technique was also used to calculate the extent to which social engagement reflects urban–rural disparities.

Results

There was significant urban–rural disparity in medication use and tobacco avoidance behaviors among the sampled patients. Medication use behavior (p < 0.001) among urban middle-aged and older patients was significantly better, whereas tobacco avoidance behavior (p < 0.05) was significantly lower compared with the rural population. Social engagement significantly enlarged the urban–rural gap in tobacco avoidance behavior (p < 0.01), but significantly narrowed the urban–rural gap in medication use behavior (p < 0.001). The Fairlie decomposition revealed that ~75.000% and 29.412% of the explained urban–rural gap in tobacco avoidance and medication use, respectively, could be attributed to social engagement. The negative effect of social engagement on urban–rural disparity in medication use increased when urban residents moved to rural areas (p < 0.05).

Conclusions

The urban–rural disparities in self-management behaviors of middle-aged and older Chinese hypertensive patients were mainly manifested in medication use and tobacco avoidance behaviors. The gaps in these two behaviors partly changed with social engagement, while the migration of urban population to rural areas weakens the positive role of social engagement in narrowing the urban–rural gap in medication use behavior. The insights of this paper on social engagement and urban–rural disparity in self-management behaviors, and the effect of urban–rural migration thereof, deserve the attention of health policymakers and researchers.
An Artificial Intelligence Approach for Expurgating Edible and Non-Edible Items
Authors: Kumar Dilip , Bansal Urvashi , Alroobaea Roobaea S. , Baqasah Abdullah M. , Hedabou Mustapha
Published: January 2022

In the pandemic of COVID-19, it is crucial to consider the hygiene of the edible and nonedible things as it could be dangerous for our health to consume infected things. Furthermore, everything cannot be boiled before eating as it can destroy fruits and essential minerals and proteins. So, there is a dire need for a smart device that could sanitize edible items. The Germicidal Ultraviolet C (UVC) has proved the capabilities of destroying viruses and pathogens found on the surface of any objects. Although, a few minutes exposure to the UVC can destroy or inactivate the viruses and the pathogens, few doses of UVC light may damage the proteins of edible items and can affect the fruits and vegetables. To this end, we have proposed a novel design of a device that is employed with Artificial Intelligence along with UVC to auto detect the edible items and act accordingly. This causes limited UVC doses to be applied on different items as detected by proposed model according to their permissible limit. Additionally, the device is employed with a smart architecture which leads to consistent distribution of UVC light on the complete surface of the edible items. This results in saving the health as well as nutrition of edible items.
Improving Adversarial Robustness via Attention and Adversarial Logit Pairing
Authors: Li Xingjian , Goodman Dou , Liu Ji , Wei Tao , Dou Dejing
Published: January 2022

Though deep neural networks have achieved the state of the art performance in visual classification, recent studies have shown that they are all vulnerable to the attack of adversarial examples. In this paper, we develop improved techniques for defending against adversarial examples. First, we propose an enhanced defense technique denoted Attention and Adversarial Logit Pairing (AT + ALP), which encourages both attention map and logit for the pairs of examples to be similar. When being applied to clean examples and their adversarial counterparts, AT + ALP improves accuracy on adversarial examples over adversarial training. We show that AT + ALP can effectively increase the average activations of adversarial examples in the key area and demonstrate that it focuses on discriminate features to improve the robustness of the model. Finally, we conduct extensive experiments using a wide range of datasets and the experiment results show that our AT + ALP achieves the state of the art defense performance. For example, on 17 Flower Category Database, under strong 200-iteration Projected Gradient Descent (PGD) gray-box and black-box attacks where prior art has 34 and 39% accuracy, our method achieves 50 and 51%. Compared with previous work, our work is evaluated under highly challenging PGD attack: the maximum perturbation ϵ ∈ {0.25, 0.5} i.e. L∞ ∈ {0.25, 0.5} with 10–200 attack iterations. To the best of our knowledge, such a strong attack has not been previously explored on a wide range of datasets.