bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Reliability and validity of the dutch eating behavior questionnaire in an online format for university students from low-income regions in a pandemic context: A 24 hour MESYN study
Authors: de Carvalho Millena Vaz , Cardoso Antonio Gibran de Almeida , Feuerstein Shirley Cunha , Sousa Rosana Rodrigues de , Collese Tatiana Sadalla , Torres-Leal Francisco Leonardo , Nascimento-Ferreira Marcus Vinicius , De Moraes Augusto Cesar Ferreira
Published: January 2023

Objective

To test the reliability and validity of the Dutch Eating Behavior Questionnaire (DEBQ) in an online format in university students from low-income regions.

Methods

We applied the questionnaire to a sample of 195 and 117 university students from a low-income region (Gini index of 0.56) to study validity and reliability, respectively. The DEBQ consists of 33 items on eating behavior in three dimensions/factors: emotional eating, restrained eating and external eating. The questionnaire was administered twice at 2-week intervals. We tested the reliability via temporal stability and internal consistency and construct validity via exploratory and confirmatory factor analysis.

Results

For reliability, we identified an acceptable Spearman correlation coefficient (rho > 0.30 and p < 0.05) and Cronbach's alpha (α ≥ 0.70) for all DEBQ items. In the exploratory analysis, we identified 6 factors representing a mix of original and additional factors, with an explained variance of 69.1%. In the confirmatory analysis with structural equation modeling, we observed better global model adjustment for the 6-factor model with the Tucker–Lewis index and comparative fit index closer to one, as well as root mean square error of approximation closer to zero than the original (3-factor) model. Using generalized structural equation modeling, we also observed a better fit in latent class modeling for the 6-factor model (AIC: 16990.67; BIC. 17874.38) than for the 3-factor model (AIC: 17904.09; BIC: 18342.67).

Conclusion

The online format of the DEBQ has acceptable reliability and validity for measuring eating behavior in university students from low-income regions.
Poor quality sleep is associated with greater carotid intima media thickness among otherwise healthy resident doctors
Authors: Sethi Prativa Priyadarshani , Pathania Monika , Gupta Ravi , Sharma Pankaj , Saini Lokesh Kumar
Published: January 2023

Background

Sleep is important for maintaining the metabolic processes in the body, and hence, disruption in sleep leads to metabolic derangement and accelerated atherosclerosis. The effect of sleep duration on subclinical atherosclerosis has been examined in several studies; however, data regarding sleep quality is lacking. The study aimed to assess the association between sleep quality and carotid intima-media thickness among healthy young doctors.

Materials and Methods

This was an observational cross-sectional study among 110 healthy young resident doctors. Anthropometric data were recorded and morning fasting venous blood samples were collected to assess fasting blood sugar, lipid profile and glycosylated haemoglobin (HbA1c). Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index and Berlin questionnaire assessed subjective sleep quality and risk for obstructive sleep apnea, respectively. Carotid ultrasonography was done to detect the intima-media thickness.

Results

Average age of the participants was 26.45 (±1.43) years, and 51.8% were male. Self-reported poor sleep quality was found in 54.5%. Carotid intima-media thickness (CIMT) was increased among 44.5% of participants. In the multivariate analysis, only poor sleep quality appeared to be associated with higher CIMT (P < 0.001, OR = 7.4; 95% CI = 2.70–20.32). When different components of sleep quality was analyzed through multivariate logistic regression, subjective sleep onset latency (>30 min), sleep efficiency (<85%) and sleep disturbance was found to be associated with the increased CIMT.

Conclusion

Poor sleep quality, especially prolonged sleep onset latency, poor sleep efficiency, and sleep disturbance are associated with increased carotid intima-media thickness among healthy young adults.
Modeling habitat suitability of Hippophae rhamnoides L. using MaxEnt under climate change in China: A case study of H. r. sinensis and H. r. turkestanica
Authors: He Xiao-hui , Si Jian-hua , Zhu Li , Zhou Dong-meng , Zhao Chun-yan , Jia Bing , Wang Chun-lin , Qin Jie , Zhu Xing-lin
Published: January 2023

Hippophae rhamnoides is widely known for its important ecological, economic, and social benefits. It is known as the pioneer plant of soil and water conservation, with homology in food and medicine. With the climate warming in recent years, the numbers of this species and countries with this plant have decreased steadily. H. r. sinensis and H. r. turkestanica have the widest distribution area in China, which account for more than 90% of the total national Hippophae rhamnoides resources. We firstly screened the presence data and downscale the environment variables (climate and soil) by correlation analysis. Secondly, based on the 232 occurrence data of H. r. sinensis and 10 environmental variables, the 73 occurrence data of H. r. turkestanica and 11 environmental variables, we simulated and predicted their suitable habitats in China, both at the current time and in the 2050S (2041–2060), and analyzed the dominant factors effecting its distribution by using MaxEnt. Finally, we studied the habitat variations and centroid migrations of these subspecies under future climate scenarios using the spatial analysis function of ArcGIS. The results indicated that the area of suitable habitat for H. r. sinensis is much larger than that of H. r. trkestanica in China. The suitable habitat of H. r. sinensis is concentrated in the middle and upper reaches of the Yellow River, mainly distributed in Shaanxi, Shanxi, Sichuan, Qinghai, Gansu, Ningxia, Tibet, and Inner Mongolia, and that of H. r. trkestanica is mainly distributed in Xinjiang and Tibet. The former is mainly affected by bio13 (precipitation of the wettest month), bio11 (mean temperature of the coldest quarte) and bio3 (Isothermality), and the latter is mainly affected by bio13 (precipitation of the wettest month), bio2 (mean diurnal range) and bio15 (precipitation seasonality), and the former is also more stable in the face of future climate change. They are more susceptible to climate than soil in their survival. Although, the two subspecies tend to expand and migrate toward lower latitude under future climate scenarios, there are some differences. H. r. sinensis will migrate westward, while H. r. trkestanica will migrate eastward as a whole. They have a high stability of suitable habitat and are not at risk of extinction in the future. The study’s findings help to clarify the resource reserve of Hippophae rhamnoides L. in China, which will help to guide the protection of wild resources and to popularize artificial planting in suitable areas, and provides scientific basis for the protection of ecological environment.
Duration of immunity to SARS-CoV-2 in children after natural infection or vaccination in the omicron and pre-omicron era: A systematic review of clinical and immunological studies
Authors: Buonsenso Danilo , Cusenza Francesca , Passadore Lucrezia , Bonanno Francesca , De Guido Claudia , Esposito Susanna
Published: January 2023

Background

Duration of humoral and cellular memory in children previously infected SARS-CoV-2 or vaccinated and subsequent risk of reinfection is still not fully elucidated.

Methods

Systematic review of studies retrieved from medical databases and article reference lists.

Results

From 2420 identified articles, 24 met the inclusion criteria. Children infected during the pre-omicron era developed long lasting (at least 10-12 months) humoral and cellular immunity against pre-Omicron SARS-CoV-2 variants, but have reduced in vitro cross-reactivity against Omicron. Conversely, although vaccination has a limited efficacy in preventing new infection with pre-Omicron and Omicron variants, in vitro studies suggested that vaccine-induced immunity provides better in vitro cross-neutralization against pre-Omicron and Omicron variants. Preprints published after the period of inclusion of our review suggested that overall risk of infection after Omicron infection is reduced, but children developed weak neutralizing responses in about half cases.

Conclusions

Available evidence, although limited, suggested a long-lasting but unperfect protection of previous infections or vaccination against pre-Omicron and Omicron variants. Based on our findings, it might be reasonable to offer families of children infected before Omicron a booster vaccination. A similar indication should be proposed also for those infected with Omicron, specifically for more fragile children at higher risk of COVID-19-related complications, based on better cross-variant neutralisation induced by vaccination.

Systematic review registration

PROSPERO, identifier ID 353189.
Tertiary lymphoid structures are critical for cancer prognosis and therapeutic response
Authors: Zhang Qianqian , Wu Suhui
Published: January 2023

Tertiary lymphoid structures (TLSs) are ectopic lymphocyte aggregates that form at sites of chronic inflammation, including cancers, in non-lymphoid tissues. Although the formation of TLSs is similar to that of secondary lymphoid organs, the pathogenic factors leading to TLS formation in cancerous tissues and the mechanisms underlying the role of these structures in the intra-tumoral adaptive antitumor immune response are not fully understood. The presence of TLSs may impact patient prognosis and treatment outcomes. This review examines the current understanding of TLSs in cancers, including their composition and formation as well as their potential to predict prognosis and therapeutic efficacy. We also summarize strategies to induce TLS formation for cancer treatment.
Perspectives of ERCC1 in early-stage and advanced cervical cancer: From experiments to clinical applications
Authors: Du Pei , Li Guangqing , Wu Lu , Huang Minger
Published: January 2023

Cervical cancer is a public health problem of extensive clinical importance. Excision repair cross-complementation group 1 (ERCC1) was found to be a promising biomarker of cervical cancer over the years. At present, there is no relevant review article that summarizes such evidence. In this review, nineteen eligible studies were included for evaluation and data extraction. Based on the data from clinical and experimental studies, ERCC1 plays a key role in the progression of carcinoma of the uterine cervix and the therapeutic response of chemoradiotherapy. The majority of the included studies (13/19, 68%) suggested that ERCC1 played a pro-oncogenic role in both early-stage and advanced cervical cancer. High expression of ERCC1 was found to be associated with the poor survival rates of the patients. ERCC1 polymorphism analyses demonstrated that ERCC1 might be a useful tool for predicting the risk of cervical cancer and the treatment-related toxicities. Experimental studies indicated that the biological effects exerted by ERCC1 in cervical cancer might be mediated by its associated genes and affected signaling pathways (i.e., XPF, TUBB3, and. To move towards clinical applications by targeting ERCC1 in cervical cancer, more clinical, in-vitro, and in-vivo investigations are still warranted in the future.
Urban-industrial seascapes can be abundant and dynamic fish habitat
Authors: Bradley Michael , Sheaves Marcus , Waltham Nathan J.
Published: January 2023

Urban-industrial seascapes are prevalent around the world, yet we lack a basic understanding of how the mosaic of different habitats in these areas are used by mobile marine fauna, including features such as industrial ports and marinas. Urbanised areas have been alternately characterised in scientific literature as degraded, depauperate, or in some cases diverse and abundant. To advance our spatial and temporal understanding of the community of mobile marine fauna in these areas, we used repeated sonar image sampling over large swathes of two urban-industrial seascapes, combined with underwater video. 2,341 sonar segments were captured across Mackay Harbour and the Pioneer River estuary (North Queensland, Australia). We used this information to generate a preliminary understanding of the ecology of these locations. We found that overall, urban-industrial seascapes can contain counts of mobile marine fauna similar to natural areas, and that these seascapes are characterised by dynamic diel shifts in the spatial arrangement of mobile marine fauna in the water column. At night, large fish are prevalent in the water column, while during the day, assemblages are dominated by small fish. Within these urban-industrial seascapes, deeper areas containing heavy infrastructure such as ports can harbour large densities of fish, including heavily targeted fisheries species. These areas deserve recognition as marine habitat, are of consequence to fisheries, and have the potential to influence surrounding ecosystems. Important research questions remain regarding their impact on food webs and animal movement at larger scales.
United Nations Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development (2021-2030): From innovation of ocean science to science-based ocean governance
Authors: Guan Song , Qu Fangyuan , Qiao Fangli
Published: January 2023

United Nations Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development (2021-2030) (hereafter the Ocean Decade) was officially launched at the beginning of 2021. This global initiative, which is designed and coordinated by the United Nations, aims to improve ocean governance at global, regional and national levels including supporting United Nations entities to fulfil their ocean-related mandates by means of providing innovative science-based solutions. Therefore, it will be of great significance to analyze and then have a deep and comprehensive understanding of the Ocean Decade with focus on its immediate and long-term influences to ocean governance. This paper introduces the background, Implementation Plan and recent main progress of the Ocean Decade, as well as China’s contributions to the Ocean Decade and its national plan of implementing the Ocean Decade. Besides, this paper analyzes, evaluates and predicts what influences the Ocean Decade will bring to ocean governance at different levels in the future. Finally, this paper provides some suggestions for scientists, legal scholars and policy-makers on how to jointly build stronger science-policy interfaces under the framework of the Ocean Decade.
Diagnosing lung involvement in inflammatory rheumatic diseases—Where do we currently stand?
Authors: Hoffmann Tobias , Oelzner Peter , Teichgräber Ulf , Franz Marcus , Gaßler Nikolaus , Kroegel Claus , Wolf Gunter , Pfeil Alexander
Published: January 2023

Lung involvement is the most common and serious organ manifestation in patients with inflammatory rheumatic disease (IRD). The type of pulmonary involvement can differ, but the most frequent is interstitial lung disease (ILD). The clinical manifestations of IRD-ILD and severity can vary from subclinical abnormality to dyspnea, respiratory failure, and death. Consequently, early detection is of significant importance. Pulmonary function test (PFT) including diffusing capacity of the lungs for carbon monoxide (DLCO), and forced vital capacity (FVC) as well as high-resolution computed tomography (HRCT) are the standard tools for screening and monitoring of ILD in IRD-patients. Especially, the diagnostic accuracy of HRCT is considered to be high. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and positron emission tomography/computed tomography (PET/CT) allow both morphological and functional assessment of the lungs. In addition, biomarkers (e.g., KL-6, CCL2, or MUC5B) are being currently evaluated for the detection and prognostic assessment of ILD. Despite the accuracy of HRCT, invasive diagnostic methods such as bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) and lung biopsy are still important in clinical practice. However, their therapeutic and prognostic relevance remains unclear. The aim of this review is to give an overview of the individual methods and to present their respective advantages and disadvantages in detecting and monitoring ILD in IRD-patients in the clinical routine.
Analyzing the genetic diversity and biotechnological potential of Leuconostoc pseudomesenteroides by comparative genomics
Authors: Gumustop Ismail , Ortakci Fatih
Published: January 2023

Leuconostoc pseudomesenteroides is a lactic acid bacteria species widely exist in fermented dairy foods, cane juice, sourdough, kimchi, apple dumpster, caecum, and human adenoid. In the dairy industry, Ln. pseudomesenteroides strains are usually found in mesophilic starter cultures with lactococci. This species plays a crucial role in the production of aroma compounds such as acetoin, acetaldehyde, and diacetyl, thus beneficially affecting dairy technology. We performed genomic characterization of 38 Ln. pseudomesenteroides from diverse ecological niches to evaluate this species’ genetic diversity and biotechnological potential. A mere ~12% of genes conserved across 38 Ln. pseudomesenteroides genomes indicate that accessory genes are the driving force for genotypic distinction in this species. Seven main clades were formed with variable content surrounding mobile genetic elements, namely plasmids, transposable elements, IS elements, prophages, and CRISPR-Cas. All but three genomes carried CRISPR-Cas system. Furthermore, a type IIA CRISPR-Cas system was found in 80% of the CRISPR-Cas positive strains. AMBR10, CBA3630, and MGBC116435 were predicted to encode bacteriocins. Genes responsible for citrate metabolism were found in all but five strains belonging to cane juice, sourdough, and unknown origin. On the contrary, arabinose metabolism genes were only available in nine strains isolated from plant-related systems. We found that Ln. pseudomesenteroides genomes show evolutionary adaptation to their ecological environment due to niche-specific carbon metabolism and forming closely related phylogenetic clades based on their isolation source. This species was found to be a reservoir of type IIA CRISPR-Cas system. The outcomes of this study provide a framework for uncovering the biotechnological potential of Ln. pseudomesenteroides and its future development as starter or adjunct culture for dairy industry.
Synonymous mutations in the phosphoglycerate kinase 1 gene induce an altered response to protein misfolding in Schizosaccharomyces pombe
Authors: Moreira-Ramos Sandra , Arias Loreto , Flores Rodrigo , Katz Assaf , Levicán Gloria , Orellana Omar
Published: January 2023

Background

Proteostasis refers to the processes that regulate the biogenesis, folding, trafficking, and degradation of proteins. Any alteration in these processes can lead to cell malfunction. Protein synthesis, a key proteostatic process, is highly-regulated at multiple levels to ensure adequate adaptation to environmental and physiological challenges such as different stressors, proteotoxic conditions and aging, among other factors. Because alterations in protein translation can lead to protein misfolding, examining how protein translation is regulated may also help to elucidate in part how proteostasis is controlled. Codon usage bias has been implicated in the fine-tuning of translation rate, as more-frequent codons might be read faster than their less-frequent counterparts. Thus, alterations in codon usage due to synonymous mutations may alter translation kinetics and thereby affect the folding of the nascent polypeptide, without altering its primary structure. To date, it has been difficult to predict the effect of synonymous mutations on protein folding and cellular fitness due to a scarcity of relevant data. Thus, the purpose of this work was to assess the effect of synonymous mutations in discrete regions of the gene that encodes the highly-expressed enzyme 3-phosphoglycerate kinase 1 (pgk1) in the fission yeast Schizosaccharomyces pombe.

Results

By means of systematic replacement of synonymous codons along pgk1, we found slightly-altered protein folding and activity in a region-specific manner. However, alterations in protein aggregation, heat stress as well as changes in proteasome activity occurred independently of the mutated region. Concomitantly, reduced mRNA levels of the chaperones Hsp9 and Hsp16 were observed.

Conclusion

Taken together, these data suggest that codon usage bias of the gene encoding this highly-expressed protein is an important regulator of protein function and proteostasis.
The balance between gyrase and topoisomerase I activities determines levels of supercoiling, nucleoid compaction, and viability in bacteria
Authors: García-López Míriam , Megias Diego , Ferrándiz María-José , de la Campa Adela G.
Published: January 2023

Two enzymes are responsible for maintaining supercoiling in the human pathogen Streptococcus pneumoniae, gyrase (GyrA2GyrB2) and topoisomerase I. To attain diverse levels of topoisomerase I (TopoI, encoded by topA), two isogenic strains derived from wild-type strain R6 were constructed: PZntopA, carrying an ectopic topA copy under the control of the ZnSO4-regulated PZn promoter and its derivative ΔtopAPZntopA, which carries a topA deletion at its native chromosomal location. We estimated the number of TopoI and GyrA molecules per cell by using Western-blot and CFUs counting, and correlated these values with supercoiling levels. Supercoiling was estimated in two ways. We used classical 2D-agarose gel electrophoresis of plasmid topoisomers to determine supercoiling density (σ) and we measured compaction of nucleoids using for the first time super-resolution confocal microscopy. Notably, we observed a good correlation between both supercoiling calculations. In R6, with σ = −0.057, the average number of GyrA molecules per cell (2,184) was higher than that of TopoI (1,432), being the GyrA:TopoI proportion of 1:0.65. In ΔtopAPZntopA, the number of TopoI molecules depended, as expected, on ZnSO4 concentration in the culture media, being the proportions of GyrA:TopoI molecules in 75, 150, and 300 μM ZnSO4 of 1:0.43, 1:0.47, and 1:0.63, respectively, which allowed normal supercoiling and growth. However, in the absence of ZnSO4, a higher GyrA:TopoI ratio (1:0.09) caused hyper-supercoiling (σ = −0.086) and lethality. Likewise, growth of ΔtopAPZntopA in the absence of ZnSO4 was restored when gyrase was inhibited with novobiocin, coincidentally with the resolution of hyper-supercoiling (σ change from −0.080 to −0.068). Given that TopoI is a monomer and two molecules of GyrA are present in the gyrase heterotetramer, the gyrase:TopoI enzymes proportion would be 1:1.30 (wild type R6) or of 1:1.26–0.86 (ΔtopAPZntopA under viable conditions). Higher proportions, such as 1:0.18 observed in ΔtopAPZntopA in the absence of ZnSO4 yielded to hyper-supercoiling and lethality. These results support a role of the equilibrium between gyrase and TopoI activities in supercoiling maintenance, nucleoid compaction, and viability. Our results shed new light on the mechanism of action of topoisomerase-targeting antibiotics, paving the way for the use of combination therapies.
Dietary 25-hydroxycholecalciferol modulates gut microbiota and improves the growth, meat quality, and antioxidant status of growing-finishing pigs
Authors: Zhang Lianhua , Long Shenfei , Wang Hongliang , Piao Xiangshu
Published: January 2023

Introduction

25-Hydroxycholecalciferol (25OHD3) is the active metabolite of regular vitamin D3in vivo, which has a stronger biological activity and is more easily absorbed by the intestine than regular vitamin D3. Our study aimed to detect the potential influences of 25OHD3 on pork quality, antioxidant status, and intestinal microbiota of growing-finishing pigs receiving low-phosphorus (P) diet.

Methods and results

Forty pigs [initial body weight (BW): 49.42 ± 4.01 kg] were allocated into two groups including low-P diet (CON group) and low-P diet supplemented with 50 μg/kg 25OHD3 (25OHD3 group). The whole experiment lasted for 88 days, including phase 1 (day 1–28), phase 2 (day 29–60), and phase 3 (day 61–88). The results showed that 25OHD3 supplementation tended to decrease feed conversion ratio in phase 3 and overall phase in comparison with the CON group. 25OHD3 increased (p < 0.05) serum contents of superoxide dismutase (SOD) and glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px), and decreased (p < 0.05) serum bone-specific alkaline phosphatase level. 25OHD3 increased (p < 0.05) mucosal GSH-Px activity in the duodenum and ileum, and tended to increase redness value and the activities of total antioxidant capacity and SOD in longissimus dorsi. 25OHD3 significantly upregulated the mRNA level of copper/zinc superoxide dismutase, and tended to change the mRNA levels of nuclear factor E2-related factor 2 and kelch-like ECH-associated protein 1 in longissimus dorsi. Moreover, 25OHD3 supplementation decreased (p < 0.05) n-6/n-3 and iodine value in longissimus dorsi. For bone quality, 25OHD3 supplementation increased (p < 0.05) calcium content, bone mineral content, and breaking strength in the metacarpal bones. Moreover, the colonic abundance of Lactobacillus was significantly higher in pigs fed with 25OHD3, and exhibited a positive association with serum antioxidant status, pork quality, and bone characteristics.

Conclusion

Overall, the inclusion of 25OHD3 in low P diet partly improved production performance, meat quality, antioxidant capacity, bone properties, and gut microbiota composition of growing-finishing pigs.
Physical and chemical properties, structural characterization and nutritional analysis of kefir yoghurt
Authors: Xiao Ran , Liu Ming , Tian Qing , Hui Ming , Shi Xin , Hou Xiaoge
Published: January 2023

Scanning electron microscopy (SEM), Confocal laser scanning microscopy (CLSM) and low field nuclear magnetic resonance (LF-NMR) were used to analyse the relationship between the chemical, texture, rheology, microstructure and water distribution of kefir (yeast, acetic acid bacteria and Lactobacillus plantarum) yoghurt fermented by mixed bacteria and L. plantarum L1 fermented yoghurt. This work was conducted to prepare a real champagne yoghurt and explore the difference between it and ordinary yoghurt. The nutritional evaluation of the two treatment groups was carried out by amino acid analysis, and the volatile flavour substances of the two treatment groups were detected by solid phase microextraction (SPME)–gas chromatograph (GC)–mass spectrometry (MS). Results showed that the addition of acetic acid bacteria and yeast increased the water content of kefir, resulting in a decrease in its water-holding rate. Moreover, the increase in acidity weakened the connection between the protein networks, the flocculent protein structure was not more densely stacked than the L1 group, and the internal bonds were unstable. The rheological results showed that the apparent viscosity decreased faster with the increase in shear force. The CLSM and LF-NMR showed that the hydration and degree of freedom of kefir yoghurt protein decreased, resulting in an increased protein network density. The SEM showed that the cross-linking between kefir casein clusters was considerably tight to form small chains, the pore distribution was uneven, and a weak cheese structure was formed. In addition, the volatile flavour substances in the kefir group increased the phenylethyl alcohol, isobutanol, and isoamyl alcohol compared with those in the L1 group, with a slight refreshing taste brought by alcohol and special soft malt alcohol aroma and rose aroma not found in ordinary yoghurt, which was more in line with the characteristics and taste of traditional kefir champagne yoghurt.

Graphical Abstract
Elucidating afferent-driven presynaptic inhibition of primary afferent input to spinal laminae I and X
Authors: Krotov Volodymyr , Agashkov Kirill , Romanenko Sergii , Halaidych Oleh , Andrianov Yaroslav , Safronov Boris V. , Belan Pavel , Voitenko Nana
Published: January 2023

Although spinal processing of sensory information greatly relies on afferent-driven (AD) presynaptic inhibition (PI), our knowledge about how it shapes peripheral input to different types of nociceptive neurons remains insufficient. Here we examined the AD-PI of primary afferent input to spinal neurons in the marginal layer, lamina I, and the layer surrounding the central canal, lamina X; two nociceptive-processing regions with similar patterns of direct supply by Aδ- and C-afferents. Unmyelinated C-fibers were selectively activated by electrical stimuli of negative polarity that induced an anodal block of myelinated Aβ/δ-fibers. Combining this approach with the patch-clamp recording in an ex vivo spinal cord preparation, we found that attenuation of the AD-PI by the anodal block of Aβ/δ-fibers resulted in the appearance of new mono- and polysynaptic C-fiber-mediated excitatory postsynaptic current (EPSC) components. Such homosegmental Aβ/δ-AD-PI affected neurons in the segment of the dorsal root entrance as well as in the adjacent rostral segment. In their turn, C-fibers from the L5 dorsal root induced heterosegmental AD-PI of the inputs from the L4 Aδ- and C-afferents to the neurons in the L4 segment. The heterosegmental C-AD-PI was reciprocal since the L4 C-afferents inhibited the L5 Aδ- and C-fiber inputs, as well as some direct L5 Aβ-fiber inputs. Moreover, the C-AD-PI was found to control the spike discharge in spinal neurons. Given that the homosegmental Aβ/δ-AD-PI and heterosegmental C-AD-PI affected a substantial percentage of lamina I and X neurons, we suggest that these basic mechanisms are important for shaping primary afferent input to the neurons in the spinal nociceptive-processing network.
Case report: Fully endoscopic microvascular decompression for trigeminal neuralgia
Authors: Jiang Haotian , Zou Dewei , Wang Pan , Zeng Longwei , Liu Jie , Tang Chao , Zhang Gang , Tan Xiaorong , Wu Nan
Published: January 2023

Microvascular decompression is safe, effective, and micro-invasive. Due to these advantages, it has become the mainstream treatment for trigeminal neuralgia, glossopharyngeal neuralgia, and hemifacial spasm. Initially, microvascular decompression was performed under a microscope, which limited the light source and visualization capabilities. With the development of endoscopic technology, the endoscope has been used in microvascular decompression, which further improved the visualization range and light source properties. The purpose of the present study was to investigate the efficacy of fully endoscopic microvascular decompression for the treatment of trigeminal neuralgia. In total, three patients with trigeminal neuralgia who underwent fully endoscopic microvascular decompression were evaluated. After surgery, the facial pain of all patients was significantly relieved. In addition, there were no obvious postoperative complications and no recurrence after 6 months of follow-up. These excellent surgical outcomes indicate that fully endoscopic microvascular decompression is an effective and safe method for the treatment of trigeminal neuralgia. Furthermore, it also shows that the endoscope presents advantages for use in microvascular decompression.
National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale (NIHSS) scoring inconsistencies between neurologists and emergency room nurses
Authors: Comer Amber R. , Templeton Evan , Glidden Michelle , Bartlett Stephanie , D'Cruz Lynn , Nemati Donya , Zabel Samantha , Slaven James E.
Published: January 2023

Background

Little is known about the consistency of initial NIHSS scores between neurologists and RNs in clinical practice.

Methods

A cohort study of patients with a code stroke was conducted at an urban academic Primary Stroke Center in the Midwest between January 1, 2018, and December 31, 2019 to determine consistency in National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale Scores (NIHSS) between neurologists and registered nurses (RNs).

Results

Among the 438 patients included in this study 65.3% (n = 286) of neurologist-RN NIHSS scoring pairs had congruent scores. One-in-three, (34.7%, n = 152) of neurologist-RN NIHSS scoring pairs had a clinically meaningful scoring difference of two points or greater. Higher NIHSS (p ≤ 0.01) and aphasia (p ≤ 0.01) were each associated with incongruent scoring between neurologist and emergency room RN pairs.

Conclusions

One-in-three initial NIHSS assessed by both a neurologist and RN had a clinically meaningful score difference between providers. More severe stroke, as indicated by a higher NIHSS was associated with scoring inconsistency between neurologist-RN pairs. Subjective scoring measures, especially those involving a patient having aphasia, was associated with greater score incongruency. Score differences may be attributed to differences in NIHSS training requirements between neurologists and RNs.
Hearing loss, hearing aid use, and subjective memory complaints: Results of the HUNT study in Norway
Authors: Moradi Shahram , Engdahl Bo , Johannessen Aud , Selbæk Geir , Aarhus Lisa , Haanes Gro Gade
Published: January 2023

Objective

This study aimed to explore the association between hearing loss severity, hearing aid use, and subjective memory complaints in a large cross-sectional study in Norway.

Methods

Data were drawn from the fourth wave of the Trøndelag Health Study (HUNT4 Hearing, 2017–2019). The hearing threshold was defined as the pure-tone average of 0.5, 1, 2, and 4 kHz in the better ear. The participants were divided into five groups: normal hearing or slight/mild/moderate/severe hearing loss. Subjective self-reported short-term and long-term memory complaints were measured by the nine-item Meta-Memory Questionnaire (MMQ). The sample included 20,092 individuals (11,675 women, mean age 58.3 years) who completed both hearing and MMQ tasks. A multivariate analysis of variance (adjusted for covariates of age, sex, education, and health cofounders) was used to evaluate the association between hearing status and hearing aid use (in the hearing-impaired groups) and long-term and short-term subjective memory complaints.

Results

A multivariate analysis of variance, followed by univariate ANOVA and pairwise comparisons, showed that hearing loss was associated only with more long-term subjective memory complaints and not with short-term subjective memory complaints. In the hearing-impaired groups, the univariate main effect of hearing aid use was only observed for subjective long-term memory complaints and not for subjective short-term memory complaints. Similarly, the univariate interaction of hearing aid use and hearing status was significant for subjective long-term memory complaints and not for subjective short-term memory complaints. Pairwise comparisons, however, revealed no significant differences between hearing loss groups with respect to subjective long-term complaints.

Conclusion

This cross-sectional study indicates an association between hearing loss and subjective long-term memory complaints but not with subjective short-term memory complaints. In addition, an interaction between hearing status and hearing aid use for subjective long-term memory complaints was observed in hearing-impaired groups, which calls for future research to examine the effects of hearing aid use on different memory systems.
Effectiveness of soft robotic glove versus repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation in post-stroke patients with severe upper limb dysfunction: A randomised controlled trial
Authors: Wang Taotao , Liu Zhonghua , Gu Jianxiong , Tan Jizhi , Hu Tian
Published: January 2023

Purpose

To explore the difference in rehabilitation effect between soft robot gloves and repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) in patients with severe upper limb motor dysfunction after a stroke.

Methods

A total of 69 post-stroke patients with severe upper limb dysfunction were randomly assigned to a repetitive transcranial magnetic group, a soft robotic glove group, and a conventional treatment group. The primary outcomes were the Fugl-Meyer Upper Extremity Assessment (FMA-UE) and the Modified Barthel Index (MBI). The secondary endpoints were the amplitude surface electromyogram of the extensor wrist muscle (sEMG) and the cerebral hemispheric resting motor threshold (RMT).

Results

The change of FMA-UE score in the soft robotic glove group was significantly better than that in the conventional treatment group (median difference: 2 points; 95% confidence interval [1, 3]; P < 0.05), but there was no significant difference compared with the repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation group (median difference: 0 points; 95% confidence interval [−1, 2]; P [0.547] > 0.05). There was no significant difference in the change of MBI score between the soft robotic glove group and the conventional treatment and repetitive transcranial magnetic treatment groups [F = 2.458, P [0.093] > 0.05]. There was no significant difference in the change of sEMG score between the soft robotic glove group and the conventional treatment and repetitive transcranial magnetic treatment groups [H = 0.042, P [0.980] > 0.05]. Additionally, the change of RMT score in the soft robotic glove group was significantly inferior to that in the repetitive transcranial magnetic treatment group [difference: −1.09; 95% confidence interval [−2.048, 0.048]; P < 0.05], but there was no significant difference compared with the conventional treatment group [difference: 0.31 points; 95% confidence interval [−0.879, 0.358]; P [0.495] > 0.05].

Conclusion

For patients with severe dyskinesia after a stroke, soft robotic gloves are as effective as repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation and may be a good choice for home rehabilitation. In addition, conventional treatment combined with repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) or a soft robotic glove produced better rehabilitation outcomes than conventional treatment alone.
Third-generation genome sequencing implicates medium-sized structural variants in chronic schizophrenia
Authors: Lee Chi Chiu , Ye Rui , Tubbs Justin D. , Baum Larry , Zhong Yuanxin , Leung Shuk Yan Joey , Chan Sheung Chun , Wu Kit Ying Kitty , Cheng Po Kwan Jamie , Chow Lai Ping , Leung Patrick W. L. , Sham Pak Chung
Published: January 2023

Background

Schizophrenia (SCZ) is a heterogeneous psychiatric disorder, with significant contribution from genetic factors particularly for chronic cases with negative symptoms and cognitive deficits. To date, Genome Wide Association Studies (GWAS) and exome sequencing have associated SCZ with a number of single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) and copy number variants (CNVs), but there is still missing heritability. Medium-sized structural variants (SVs) are difficult to detect using SNP arrays or second generation sequencing, and may account for part of the missing heritability of SCZ.

Aims and objectives

To identify SVs associated with severe chronic SCZ across the whole genome.

Study design

10 multiplex families with probands suffering from chronic SCZ with negative symptoms and cognitive deficits were recruited, with all their affected members demonstrating uni-lineal inheritance. Control subjects comprised one affected member from the affected lineage, and unaffected members from each paternal and maternal lineage.

Methods

Third generation sequencing was applied to peripheral blood samples from 10 probands and 5 unaffected controls. Bioinformatic tools were used to identify SVs from the long sequencing reads, with confirmation of findings in probands by short-read Illumina sequencing, Sanger sequencing and visual manual validation with Integrated Genome Browser.

Results

In the 10 probands, we identified and validated 88 SVs (mostly in introns and medium-sized), within 79 genes, which were absent in the 5 unaffected control subjects. These 79 genes were enriched in 20 biological pathways which were related to brain development, neuronal migration, neurogenesis, neuronal/synaptic function, learning/memory, and hearing. These identified SVs also showed evidence for enrichment of genes that are highly expressed in the adolescent striatum.

Conclusion

A substantial part of the missing heritability in SCZ may be explained by medium-sized SVs detectable only by third generation sequencing. We have identified a number of such SVs potentially conferring risk for SCZ, which implicate multiple brain-related genes and pathways. In addition to previously-identified pathways involved in SCZ such as neurodevelopment and neuronal/synaptic functioning, we also found novel evidence for enrichment in hearing-related pathways and genes expressed in the adolescent striatum.
Vigilance or avoidance: How do autistic traits and social anxiety modulate attention to the eyes?
Authors: Ni Wei , Lu Haoyang , Wang Qiandong , Song Ci , Yi Li
Published: January 2023

Introduction

Social anxiety disorder (SAD) and autism spectrum disorder (ASD) are highly overlapping in symptoms and have a high rate of comorbidity, posing challenges in diagnosis and intervention for both disorders. Both disorders are linked to abnormal attention to the eyes, yet how they interactively modulate the attentional process to the eyes remains unclear.

Methods

In this study, we explored how autistic traits and social anxiety in college students separately and together affected different temporal stages of attention to the eyes. Participants were instructed to view virtual faces for 10 s and make an emotional judgment, while their eye movements were recorded.

Results

We found that social anxiety and autistic traits affected different temporal stages of eye-looking. Social anxiety only affected the first fixation duration on the eyes, while autistic traits were associated with eye avoidance at several time points in the later stage. More importantly, we found an interactive effect of autistic traits and social anxiety on the initial attention to the eyes: Among people scoring high on autistic traits, social anxiety was related to an early avoidance of the eyes as well as attention maintenance once fixated on the eyes.

Discussion

Our study suggests the separate and interactive roles of social anxiety and autistic traits in attention to the eyes. It contributes to a deeper understanding of the mechanisms of social attention in both SAD and ASD and highlights the application of psychiatric diagnoses using eye-tracking techniques.
Characterization of the lncRNA-miRNA-mRNA regulatory network to reveal potential functional competing endogenous RNAs in traumatic brain injury
Authors: Yu Jiangtao , Lu Zijun , Liu Ruining , Wang Pengcheng , Ma Haoli , Zhao Yan
Published: January 2023

Traumatic brain injury (TBI) is one of the most common acute central nervous system injury diseases. Given the medical and socio-economic burdens of TBI patients, the pathogenesis in TBI and the latent intervention targets needed to be further illuminated. Long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) had been revealed to play a vital role in the regulation of pathogenesis after TBI. However, the mutual communication and adjustment of lncRNA associated competing for endogenous RNA (ceRNA) networks in TBI have not been explored to date. In this study, we systematically sequenced the whole transcriptome of lncRNAs, miRNAs, and mRNAs between sham and TBI groups and a total of 939 differentially expressed (DE) lncRNAs, 46 DE miRNAs, and 1,951 DE mRNAs were obtained. Gene ontology (GO), Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathway, and protein interaction relationship analyses were conducted for DE mRNAs to identify hub DE genes in TBI. Based on the criteria of bioinformatics prediction, the lncRNA associated ceRNA network covering 201 lncRNAs, 22 miRNAs, and 79 mRNAs was constructed. This study provides a novel perspective on the molecular mechanism of lncRNA in TBI and identifies certain lncRNAs as potential therapeutic targets against TBI.
Towards biomarker-based optimization of deep brain stimulation in Parkinson’s disease patients
Authors: Peeters Jana , Boogers Alexandra , Van Bogaert Tine , Dembek Till Anselm , Gransier Robin , Wouters Jan , Vandenberghe Wim , De Vloo Philippe , Nuttin Bart , Mc Laughlin Myles
Published: January 2023

Background

Subthalamic deep brain stimulation (DBS) is an established therapy to treat Parkinson’s disease (PD). To maximize therapeutic outcome, optimal DBS settings must be carefully selected for each patient. Unfortunately, this is not always achieved because of: (1) increased technological complexity of DBS devices, (2) time restraints, or lack of expertise, and (3) delayed therapeutic response of some symptoms. Biomarkers to accurately predict the most effective stimulation settings for each patient could streamline this process and improve DBS outcomes.

Objective

To investigate the use of evoked potentials (EPs) to predict clinical outcomes in PD patients with DBS.

Methods

In ten patients (12 hemispheres), a monopolar review was performed by systematically stimulating on each DBS contact and measuring the therapeutic window. Standard imaging data were collected. EEG-based EPs were then recorded in response to stimulation at 10 Hz for 50 s on each DBS-contact. Linear mixed models were used to assess how well both EPs and image-derived information predicted the clinical data.

Results

Evoked potential peaks at 3 ms (P3) and at 10 ms (P10) were observed in nine and eleven hemispheres, respectively. Clinical data were well predicted using either P3 or P10. A separate model showed that the image-derived information also predicted clinical data with similar accuracy. Combining both EPs and image-derived information in one model yielded the highest predictive value.

Conclusion

Evoked potentials can accurately predict clinical DBS responses. Combining EPs with imaging data further improves this prediction. Future refinement of this approach may streamline DBS programming, thereby improving therapeutic outcomes.

Clinical trial registration

ClinicalTrials.gov, identifier NCT04658641.