bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Cancer Screening Knowledge and Behavior in a Multi-Ethnic Asian Population: The Singapore Community Health Study
Authors: Chan Tyson Kin-Chung , Tan Linda Wei Lin , van Dam Rob M. , Seow Wei Jie
Published: August 2021

Background

Cancer has become the leading cause of mortality in Singapore and among other Asian populations worldwide. Despite the presence of National Cancer Screening programmes in Singapore, less than half of the population has had timely screening according to guidelines. The underlying factors of poor cancer screening rates and health outcomes among Asian ethnic groups remain poorly understood. We therefore examined cancer screening participation rates and screening behavior in a multi-ethnic Singapore population.

Methods

We collected data from 7,125 respondents of the 2015–2016 Singapore Community Health Study. Factors associated with cervical, breast, and colorectal cancer screening were evaluated using modified Poisson regression. Adjusted prevalence ratios were computed with 95% confidence intervals after adjusting for confounders.

Results

The mean age of the respondents was 57.7 ± 10.9 years; 58.9% were female and were predominately Chinese (73.0%), followed by Malay (14.2%), and Indian (10.9%). Less than half of the respondents in the recommended age groups had undergone cancer screening (cervical, 43%; breast, 35.1%; colorectal, 27.3%). Malay respondents were significantly less likely to screen as recommended for cervical (aPR = 0.75, CI = 0.65–0.86, p < 0.001), breast (aPR = 0.83, CI = 0.68–0.99, p = 0.045), and colorectal cancer (aPR = 0.55, CI = 0.44–0.68, p < 0.001), as compared to Chinese respondents. Respondents who had obtained lower secondary level education were 42% more likely to screen for cervical cancer (aPR = 1.42, CI = 1.23–1.64, p < 0.001), and 22% more likely to screen for breast cancer (aPR = 1.22, CI = 1.02–1.46, p = 0.032), compared to those with primary level education and below. Respondents with a household income ≥S$10,000/month were 71% more likely to screen for breast cancer (aPR = 1.71, CI = 1.37–2.13, p < 0.001), as compared with <$2,000/month.

Conclusions

Ethnicity and socio-economic status were significantly associated with lower uptake of cancer screening tests in Singapore. To improve the screening uptake among disadvantaged groups, a multi-faceted approach is needed that addresses the barriers to screening such as the adequacy of subsidy schemes and ethnic differences.
M2 Macrophage-Based Prognostic Nomogram for Gastric Cancer After Surgical Resection
Authors: Hu Jianwen , Ma Yongchen , Ma Ju , Yang Yanpeng , Ning Yingze , Zhu Jing , Wang Pengyuan , Chen Guowei , Liu Yucun
Published: August 2021

A good prediction model is useful to accurately predict patient prognosis. Tumor–node–metastasis (TNM) staging often cannot accurately predict prognosis when used alone. Some researchers have shown that the infiltration of M2 macrophages in many tumors indicates poor prognosis. This approach has the potential to predict prognosis more accurately when used in combination with TNM staging, but there is less research in gastric cancer. A multivariate analysis demonstrated that CD163 expression, TNM staging, age, and gender were independent risk factors for overall survival. Thus, these parameters were assessed to develop the nomogram in the training data set, which was tested in the validation and whole data sets. The model showed a high degree of discrimination, calibration, and good clinical benefit in the training, validation, and whole data sets. In conclusion, we combined CD163 expression in macrophages, TNM staging, age, and gender to develop a nomogram to predict 3- and 5-year overall survivals after curative resection for gastric cancer. This model has the potential to provide further diagnostic and prognostic value for patients with gastric cancer.
ATG5 and ATG7 Expression Levels Are Reduced in Cutaneous Melanoma and Regulated by NRF1
Authors: Frangež Živa , Gérard Deborah , He Zhaoyue , Gavriil Marios , Fernández-Marrero Yuniel , Seyed Jafari S. Morteza , Hunger Robert E. , Lucarelli Philippe , Yousefi Shida , Sauter Thomas , Sinkkonen Lasse , Simon Hans-Uwe
Published: August 2021

Autophagy is a highly conserved cellular process in which intracellular proteins and organelles are sequestered and degraded after the fusion of double-membrane vesicles known as autophagosomes with lysosomes. The process of autophagy is dependent on autophagy-related (ATG) proteins. The role of autophagy in cancer is very complex and still elusive. We investigated the expression of ATG proteins in benign nevi, primary and metastatic melanoma tissues using customized tissue microarrays (TMA). Results from immunohistochemistry show that the expression of ATG5 and ATG7 is significantly reduced in melanoma tissues compared to benign nevi. This reduction correlated with changes in the expression of autophagic activity markers, suggesting decreased basal levels of autophagy in primary and metastatic melanomas. Furthermore, the analysis of survival data of melanoma patients revealed an association between reduced ATG5 and ATG7 levels with an unfavourable clinical outcome. Currently, the mechanisms regulating ATG expression levels in human melanoma remains unknown. Using bioinformatic predictions of transcription factor (TF) binding motifs in accessible chromatin of primary melanocytes, we identified new TFs involved in the regulation of core ATGs. We then show that nuclear respiratory factor 1 (NRF1) stimulates the production of mRNA and protein as well as the promoter activity of ATG5 and ATG7. Moreover, NRF1 deficiency increased in vitro migration of melanoma cells. Our results support the concept that reduced autophagic activity contributes to melanoma development and progression, and identifies NRF1 as a novel TF involved in the regulation of both ATG5 and ATG7 genes.
Emerging Role of E2F Family in Cancer Stem Cells
Authors: Xie Dan , Pei Qin , Li Jingyuan , Wan Xue , Ye Ting
Published: August 2021

The E2F family of transcription factors (E2Fs) consist of eight genes in mammals. These genes encode ten proteins that are usually classified as transcriptional activators or transcriptional repressors. E2Fs are important for many cellular processes, from their canonical role in cell cycle regulation to other roles in angiogenesis, the DNA damage response and apoptosis. A growing body of evidence demonstrates that cancer stem cells (CSCs) are key players in tumor development, metastasis, drug resistance and recurrence. This review focuses on the role of E2Fs in CSCs and notes that many signals can regulate the activities of E2Fs, which in turn can transcriptionally regulate many different targets to contribute to various biological characteristics of CSCs, such as proliferation, self-renewal, metastasis, and drug resistance. Therefore, E2Fs may be promising biomarkers and therapeutic targets associated with CSCs pathologies. Finally, exploring therapeutic strategies for E2Fs may result in disruption of CSCs, which may prevent tumor growth, metastasis, and drug resistance.
Case Report: Stevens-Johnson Syndrome and Hepatotoxicity Induced by Osimertinib Sequential to Pembrolizumab in a Patient With EGFR-Mutated Lung Adenocarcinoma
Authors: Gianni Caterina , Bronte Giuseppe , Delmonte Angelo , Burgio Marco Angelo , Andrikou Kalliopi , Monti Manlio , Menna Cecilia , Frassineti Giovanni Luca , Crinò Lucio
Published: August 2021

Background: Lung cancer is a complex disease with many subtypes. However, histochemical characteristics, and genetic mutation determinations are contributing to better define therapeutic targets and new drugs. Although this guarantees patients the possibility of obtaining tailored treatment, it makes it more difficult for clinicians patient management more difficult for clinicians who have to define the most suitable therapeutic strategy and to deal with new treatment-related adverse events (TRAEs). It has been seen that the administration of a tyrosine kinase inhibitor (TKI) sequential to an immune checkpoint inhibitor (ICI) can lead to a higher rate of severe and life-threatening TRAEs. We report the case of a patient with advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) who experienced severe hepatotoxicity and Stevens-Johnson syndrome (SJS) induced by osimertinib sequential to pembrolizumab.

Case presentation: A 54-year-old woman with advanced NSCLC received one cycle of chemotherapy plus pembrolizumab after diagnosis. Ten days later she began osimertinib 80 mg daily because epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) analysis had revealed an exon 19 deletion. On day 23 of osimertinib the patient experienced an episode of grade (G) 3 hepatotoxicity resolved by discontinuing osimertinib and corticosteroid therapy. The patient restarted osimertinib 80 mg daily after the remission of symptoms but was hospitalized 14 days later following a second episode of severe G3 hepatotoxicity and the onset of SJS, successfully treated with high-dose corticosteroids. Despite the short exposure to osimertinib, the patient obtained a good pathological response.

Conclusion: It is important to alert clinicians to carefully evaluate the sequential therapeutic strategy in patients with NSCLC who are candidates for TKI- or ICI-based treatment. Our experience suggests that the use of tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs) as front-line treatment is a more reasonable and safe option for EGFR-mutated lung adenocarcinoma, with ICIs considered as a possible further treatment in sequential approaches.
SMG9 Serves as an Oncogene to Promote the Tumor Progression via EMT and Wnt/β-Catenin Signaling Pathway in Hepatocellular Carcinoma
Authors: Jin Xing , Yin Jie , Zhu Hongling , Li Weikang , Yu Kewei , Liu Miao , Zhang Xiujuan , Lu Miaolian , Wan Zemin , Huang Xianzhang
Published: August 2021

Background/Aims: SMG9 participates in the nonsense-mediated mRNA decay process that degrades mRNA harboring nonsense mutations introduced either at the level of transcription or RNA processing. However, little is known about the role of SMG9 in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). The objective of this research was to clarify the effects of SMG9 expression on HCC progression.

Methods: Microarray data were acquired from NCBI Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) and The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) database to bioinformatically analyze the differential expression of SMG9 between HCC patients and normal controls. SMG9 mRNA level was measured in sixteen sets of fresh tumor tissues and adjacent non-cancerous liver tissues (ANLTs) via reverse transcription-quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR). SMG9 protein expression was analyzed in ninety-five sets of paired formalin-fixed and paraffin-embedded tissue specimens by immunohistochemistry (IHC). In addition, clinicopathological features of SMG9 in HCC were checked. For in vitro studies, small interfering RNA (siRNA) was used to silence SMG9 expression for exploring biological functions and underlying mechanisms of SMG9 in SMMC-7721 and HepG2.

Results: We found that SMG9 was upregulated in HCC tissues and SMG9 levels were closely related to TNM stage, tumor number and tumor size. Cox regression and Kaplan–Meier proportional hazards analyses showed that high expression of SMG9 was associated with poor patient survival. Furthermore, proliferation, apoptosis resistance, migration and invasion of both SMMC-7721 and HepG2 cells were suppressed by SMG9 inhibition. In addition, EMT and the Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway were involved in SMG9-mediated HCC progression.

Conclusions: SMG9 may serve as a potential novel prognostic biomarker and therapeutic target in HCC patients.
Anti-inflammatory Activity of a Polypeptide Fraction From Achyranthes bidentate in Amyloid β Oligomers Induced Model of Alzheimer’s Disease
Authors: Ge Xiangyu , Wang Yitong , Yu Shu , Cao Xuemin , Chen Yicong , Cheng Qiong , Ding Fei
Published: August 2021

Neuroinflammation plays a crucial role in neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer’s disease (AD) and Parkinson’s disease (PD), and anti-inflammation has been considered as a potential therapeutic strategy. Achyranthes bidentate polypeptide fraction k (ABPPk) was shown to protect neurons from death and suppress microglia and astrocyte activation in PD model mice. However, how ABPPk regulates neuroinflammation to exert a neuroprotective role remains unclear. Toxic Aβ oligomers (AβOs) can trigger inflammatory response and play an important role in the pathogenesis of AD. In the present study, for the first time, we investigated the effects and underlying mechanisms of ABPPk on neuroinflammation in AβOs-induced models of AD. In vitro, ABPPk pretreatment dose-dependently inhibited AβOs-induced pro-inflammatory cytokines mRNA levels in BV2 and primary microglia. ABPPk pretreatment also reduced the neurotoxicity of BV2 microglia-conditioned media on primary hippocampal neurons. Furthermore, ABPPk down-regulated the AβOs-induced phosphorylation of IκBα and NF-κB p65 as well as the expression of NLRP3 in BV2 microglia. In vivo, ABPPk pre-administration significantly improved locomotor activity, alleviated memory deficits, and rescued neuronal degeneration and loss in the hippocampus of AβOs-injected mice. ABPPk inhibited the activation of microglia in hippocampal CA3 region and suppressed the activation of NF-κB as well as the expression of NLRP3, cleaved caspase-1, and ASC in the brain after AβOs injection. ABPPk hindered the release of pro-inflammatory cytokines and promoted the release of anti-inflammatory cytokines in the brain. Notably, the polarization experiment on BV2 microglia demonstrated that ABPPk inhibited M1-phenotype polarization and promoted M2-phenotype polarization by activating the LPS- or AβOs-impaired autophagy in microglia. Taken together, our observations indicate that ABPPk can restore the autophagy of microglia damaged by AβOs, thereby promoting M2-phenotype polarization and inhibiting M1-phenotype polarization, thus playing a role in regulating neuroinflammation and alleviating neurotoxicity.
Regulation of NADPH Oxidase-Mediated Superoxide Production by Acetylation and Deacetylation
Authors: Xia Ning , Tenzer Stefan , Lunov Oleg , Karl Martin , Simmet Thomas , Daiber Andreas , Münzel Thomas , Reifenberg Gisela , Förstermann Ulrich , Li Huige
Published: August 2021

Oral treatment of apolipoprotein E-knockout (ApoE-KO) mice with the putative sirtuin 1 (SIRT1) activator resveratrol led to a reduction of nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate (NADPH) oxidase activity in the heart. In contrast, the SIRT1 inhibitor EX527 enhanced the superoxide production in isolated human polymorphonuclear granulocytes. In human monocytic THP-1 cells, phorbol ester-stimulated superoxide production was enhanced by inhibitors of histone deacetylases (HDACs; including quisinostat, trichostatin A (TSA), PCI34051, and tubastatin A) and decreased by inhibitors of histone acetyltransferases [such as garcinol, curcumin, and histone acetyltransferase (HAT) Inhibitor II]. These results indicate that protein acetylation and deacetylation may represent crucial mechanisms regulating NADPH oxidase-mediated superoxide production. In cell-free systems, incubation of recombinant Rac1 with SIRT1 resulted in decreased Rac1 acetylation. Mass spectrometry analyses identified lysine 166 (K166) in Rac1 as a residue targeted by SIRT1. Deacetylation of Rac1 by SIRT1 markedly reduced the interaction of Rac1 with p67phox in in vitro assays. Computational modeling analyses revealed that K166 deacetylation of Rac1 led to a 5-fold reduction in its binding affinity to guanosine-5'-triphosphate, and a 21-fold decrease in its binding potential to p67phox. The latter is crucial for Rac1-mediated recruitment of p67phox to the membrane and for p67phox activation. In conclusion, both SIRT1 and non-sirtuin deacetylases play a role in regulating NADPH oxidase activity. Rac1 can be directly deacetylated by SIRT1 in a cell-free system, leading to an inhibition of Rac1-p67phox interaction. The downstream targets of non-sirtuin deacetylases are still unknown. The in vivo significance of these findings needs to be investigated in future studies.
Selenoproteins Protect Against Avian Liver Necrosis by Metabolizing Peroxides and Regulating Receptor Interacting Serine Threonine Kinase 1/Receptor Interacting Serine Threonine Kinase 3/Mixed Lineage Kinase Domain-Like and Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinase Signaling
Authors: Li Tong , Zhang Jing , Wang Peng-Jie , Zhang Zi-Wei , Huang Jia-Qiang
Published: August 2021

Liver necroptosis of chicks is induced by selenium (Se)/vitamin E (VE) deficiencies and may be associated with oxidative cell damage. To reveal the underlying mechanisms of liver necrosis, a pool of the corn–soy basal diet (10 μg Se/kg; no VE added), a basal diet plus all-rac-α-tocopheryl acetate (50 mg/kg), Se (sodium selenite at 0.3 mg/kg), or both of these nutrients were provided to day-old broiler chicks (n = 40/group) for 6 weeks. High incidences of liver necrosis (30%) of chicks were induced by –SE–VE, starting at day 16. The Se concentration in liver and glutathione peroxidase (GPX) activity were decreased (P < 0.05) by dietary Se deficiency. Meanwhile, Se deficiency elevated malondialdehyde content and decreased superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity in the liver at weeks 2 and 4. Chicks fed with the two Se-deficient diets showed lower (P < 0.05) hepatic mRNA expression of Gpx1, Gpx3, Gpx4, Selenof, Selenoh, Selenok, Selenom, Selenon, Selenoo, Selenop, Selenot, Selenou, Selenow, and Dio1 than those fed with the two Se-supplemented diets. Dietary Se deficiency had elevated (P < 0.05) the expression of SELENOP, but decreased the downregulation (P < 0.05) of GPX1, GPX4, SELENON, and SELENOW in the liver of chicks at two time points. Meanwhile, dietary Se deficiency upregulated (P < 0.05) the abundance of hepatic proteins of p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase, phospho-p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase, c-Jun N-terminal kinase, phospho-c-Jun N-terminal kinase, extracellular signal-regulated kinase, phospho-mitogen-activated protein kinase, receptor-interacting serine-threonine kinase 1 (RIPK1), receptor-interacting serine-threonine kinase 3 (RIPK3), and mixed lineage kinase domain-like (MLKL) at two time points. In conclusion, our data confirmed the differential regulation of dietary Se deficiency on several key selenoproteins, the RIPK1/RIPK3/MLKL, and mitogen-activated protein kinase signaling pathway in chicks and identified new molecular clues for understanding the etiology of nutritional liver necrosis.
The Role of the Skeletal Muscle Secretome in Mediating Endurance and Resistance Training Adaptations
Authors: Leuchtmann Aurel B. , Adak Volkan , Dilbaz Sedat , Handschin Christoph
Published: August 2021

Exercise, in the form of endurance or resistance training, leads to specific molecular and cellular adaptions not only in skeletal muscles, but also in many other organs such as the brain, liver, fat or bone. In addition to direct effects of exercise on these organs, the production and release of a plethora of different signaling molecules from skeletal muscle are a centerpiece of systemic plasticity. Most studies have so far focused on the regulation and function of such myokines in acute exercise bouts. In contrast, the secretome of long-term training adaptation remains less well understood, and the contribution of non-myokine factors, including metabolites, enzymes, microRNAs or mitochondrial DNA transported in extracellular vesicles or by other means, is underappreciated. In this review, we therefore provide an overview on the current knowledge of endurance and resistance exercise-induced factors of the skeletal muscle secretome that mediate muscular and systemic adaptations to long-term training. Targeting these factors and leveraging their functions could not only have broad implications for athletic performance, but also for the prevention and therapy in diseased and elderly populations.
Physical Exercise: An Overview of Benefits From Psychological Level to Genetics and Beyond
Authors: Wang Yucong , Ashokan Kalaiselvan
Published: August 2021

Any form of physical activity, including exercise, is linked with preventing several diseases including metabolic disorders, cancer, and mood disorders. Beyond benefits, its therapeutic activity is inconclusive in terms of types, intensity, and individual training status, and this could be a major research for prescribing exercise as a therapeutic strategy. Exercise and its myriad forms occupy the space on clinical recommendation, which implies that quantifiable benefits of the same have been proven. Further, the benefits of exercise and its impact have also been found to have a genetic underlying interaction, which has created a niche of personal genomics, wherein apart from diet, an exercise regimen also becomes tailorable for every individual. Many subjective well-being reports highlighted daily exercise to keep mental and general health in excellent conditions, and the uncertainties around it. Thus, adopting an exercise behavior and inculcating it as a routine has been recommended. Further, the kind of benefit that can be extracted out of exercise and training is to a great extent influenced by genetic markers around fat, obesity, hunger, as well as satiety. Genetic markers can also impact the body temperature during exercise, making the entire experience of training either comfortable or unpleasant. Thus, there is an overwhelming amount of scientific evidence that has gathered around the benefits of exercise, which has become a pressing need from the 21st century when the belief in the value of exercise started waning, and that spiked up the era of lifestyle and noncommunicable ailments.
The Biogenesis Process of VDAC – From Early Cytosolic Events to Its Final Membrane Integration
Authors: Moitra Anasuya , Rapaport Doron
Published: August 2021

Voltage dependent anion-selective channel (VDAC) is the most abundant protein in the mitochondrial outer membrane. It is a membrane embedded β-barrel protein composed of 19 mostly anti-parallel β-strands that form a hydrophilic pore. Similar to the vast majority of mitochondrial proteins, VDAC is encoded by nuclear DNA, and synthesized on cytosolic ribosomes. The protein is then targeted to the mitochondria while being maintained in an import competent conformation by specific cytosolic factors. Recent studies, using yeast cells as a model system, have unearthed the long searched for mitochondrial targeting signal for VDAC and the role of cytosolic chaperones and mitochondrial import machineries in its proper biogenesis. In this review, we summarize our current knowledge regarding the early cytosolic stages of the biogenesis of VDAC molecules, the specific targeting of VDAC to the mitochondrial surface, and the subsequent integration of VDAC into the mitochondrial outer membrane by the TOM and TOB/SAM complexes.
Caffeic Acid in Tobacco Root Exudate Defends Tobacco Plants From Infection by Ralstonia solanacearum
Authors: Li Shili , Pi Jing , Zhu Hongjiang , Yang Liang , Zhang Xingguo , Ding Wei
Published: August 2021

In rhizospheres, chemical barrier-forming natural compounds play a key role in preventing pathogenic bacteria from infecting plant roots. Here, we sought to identify specific phenolic exudates in tobacco (Nicotiana tobaccum) plants infected by the soil-borne pathogen Ralstonia solanacearum that may exhibit antibacterial activity and promote plant resistance against pathogens. Among detected phenolic acids, only caffeic acid was significantly induced in infected plants by R. solanacearum relative to healthy plants, and the concentration of caffeic acid reached 1.95 μg/mL. In vivo, caffeic acid at 200 μg/mL was highly active against R. solanacearum and obviously damaged the membrane structure of the R. solanacearum cells, resulting in the thinning of the cell membrane and irregular cavities in cells. Moreover, caffeic acid significantly inhibited biofilm formation by repressing the expression of the lecM and epsE genes. In vitro, caffeic acid could effectively activate phenylalanine ammonia-lyase (PAL) and peroxidase (POD) and promote the accumulation of lignin and hydroxyproline. In pot and field experiments, exogenous applications of caffeic acid significantly reduced and delayed the incidence of tobacco bacterial wilt. Taken together, all these results suggest that caffeic acid played a crucial role in defending against R. solanacearum infection and was a potential and effective antibacterial agent for controlling bacterial wilt.
Effects of Prohydrojasmon on the Number of Infesting Herbivores and Biomass of Field-Grown Japanese Radish Plants
Authors: Yoshida Kengo , Uefune Masayoshi , Ozawa Rika , Abe Hiroshi , Okemoto Yuka , Yoneya Kinuyo , Takabayashi Junji
Published: August 2021

Prohydrojasmon (PDJ), an analog of jasmonic acid (JA), was found to induce direct and indirect defenses against herbivores in non-infested plants. To test whether PDJ can be used for pest control in crop production, we conducted experiments in pesticide-free Japanese radish fields from October 4 to December 12 in 2015. Twenty-four Japanese radish plants in three plots were treated with a 100 times-diluted commercial formulation (5%) of PDJ (treated plants), and 24 plants in three different plots were treated with water (control plants) until November 29 every week. Throughout the observation period, the number of aphids, leaf-mining fly larvae, vegetable weevils, and thrips was significantly lower on the treated plants than on the control plants. In contrast, the number of lepidopteran larvae was not significantly different between the treated and control plants throughout the study period. Parasitized aphids (mummies) were also observed in both plots. Poisson regression analyses showed that a significantly higher number of mummies was recorded on the treated plants as compared to that on the control plants when the number of aphids increased. This suggested that PDJ application to Japanese radish plants attracted more parasitoid wasps on the treated plants than on the control plants. We also identified eight terpenoids and methyl salicylate as the PDJ-induced plant volatiles in the headspace of the treated plants. Some of these volatiles might be responsible for attracting aphid-parasitoid wasps in the field. However, for other insect pests, we did not find any natural enemies. Interestingly, the genes of the JA and salicylic acid signaling pathways were differentially upregulated in the treated plants. We also observed that the PDJ treatments induced the expression of the genes related to glucosinolate biosynthesis and the subsequent isothiocyanate formation. Additionally, the weights of both the aboveground and belowground parts of the treated plants were significantly lower than those of the respective parts of the control plants. These results indicated that the treatment of Japanese radish plants with a 100 times-diluted commercial formulation of PDJ induced their direct and indirect defenses against several insect pest species to reduce their numbers, and negatively affected their biomass.
Functional Crypto-Adenylate Cyclases Operate in Complex Plant Proteins
Authors: Al-Younis Inas , Moosa Basem , Kwiatkowski Mateusz , Jaworski Krzysztof , Wong Aloysius , Gehring Chris
Published: August 2021

Adenylyl cyclases (ACs) and their catalytic product cAMP are regulatory components of many plant responses. Here, we show that an amino acid search motif based on annotated adenylate cyclases (ACs) identifies 12 unique Arabidopsis thaliana candidate ACs, four of which have a role in the biosynthesis of the stress hormone abscisic acid (ABA). One of these, the 9-cis-epoxycarotenoid dioxygenase (NCED3 and At3g14440), was identified by sequence and structural analysis as a putative AC and then tested experimentally with two different methods. Given that the in vitro activity is low (fmoles cAMP pmol−1 protein min−1), but highly reproducible, we term the enzyme a crypto-AC. Our results are consistent with a role for ACs with low activities in multi-domain moonlighting proteins that have at least one other distinct molecular function, such as catalysis or ion channel activation. We propose that crypto-ACs be examined from the perspective that considers their low activities as an innate feature of regulatory ACs embedded within multi-domain moonlighting proteins. It is therefore conceivable that crypto-ACs form integral components of complex plant proteins participating in intra-molecular regulatory mechanisms, and in this case, potentially linking cAMP to ABA synthesis.
Plant-Produced Vaccines: Future Applications in Aquaculture
Authors: Su Hang , Yakovlev Igor A. , van Eerde André , Su Jianguo , Clarke Jihong Liu
Published: August 2021

Aquaculture has undergone rapid development in the past decades. It provides a large part of high-quality protein food for humans, and thus, a sustainable aquaculture industry is of great importance for the worldwide food supply and economy. Along with the quick expansion of aquaculture, the high fish densities employed in fish farming increase the risks of outbreaks of a variety of aquatic diseases. Such diseases not only cause huge economic losses, but also lead to ecological hazards in terms of pathogen spread to marine ecosystems causing infection of wild fish and polluting the environment. Thus, fish health is essential for the aquaculture industry to be environmentally sustainable and a prerequisite for intensive aquaculture production globally. The wide use of antibiotics and drug residues has caused intensive pollution along with risks for food safety and increasing antimicrobial resistance. Vaccination is the most effective and environmentally friendly approach to battle infectious diseases in aquaculture with minimal ecological impact and is applicable to most species of farmed fish. However, there are only 34 fish vaccines commercially available globally to date, showing the urgent need for further development of fish vaccines to manage fish health and ensure food safety. Plant genetic engineering has been utilized to produce genetically modified crops with desirable characteristics and has also been used for vaccine production, with several advantages including cost-effectiveness, safety when compared with live virus vaccines, and plants being capable of carrying out posttranslational modifications that are similar to naturally occurring systems. So far, plant-derived vaccines, antibodies, and therapeutic proteins have been produced for human and animal health. However, the development of plant-made vaccines for animals, especially fish, is still lagging behind the development of human vaccines. The present review summarizes the development of fish vaccines currently utilized and the suitability of the plant-production platform for fish vaccine and then addresses considerations regarding fish vaccine production in plants. Developing fish vaccines by way of plant biotechnology are significant for the aquaculture industry, fish health management, food safety, and human health.
Insecticidal Terpenes From the Essential Oils of Artemisia nakaii and Their Inhibitory Effects on Acetylcholinesterase
Authors: Liu Jiayi , Hua Juan , Qu Bo , Guo Xuanyue , Wang Yangyang , Shao Meini , Luo Shihong
Published: August 2021

Essential oils (EOs) are often the source of insecticidal substances of high efficiency and low toxicity. From gas chromatograph-mass spectrometer, column chromatography, and nuclear magnetic resonance spectra analyses, twenty terpenes were identified from the EOs of Artemisia nakaii. These comprised mostly monoterpenes (49.01%) and sesquiterpenes (50.76%). The terpenes at the highest concentrations in the EOs of A. nakaii were feropodin (200.46 ± 1.42 μg/ml), (+)-camphor (154.93 ± 9.72 μg/ml), β-selinene (57.73 ± 2.48 μg/ml), and 1,8-cineole (17.99 ± 1.06 μg/ml), calculated using area normalization and external standards. The EOs were tested for biological activity and showed strong fumigant toxicity and significant antifeedant activity against the larvae of Spodoptera litura. Furthermore, the monoterpenes 1,8-cineole and (+)-camphor displayed significant fumigant activity against S. litura, with LC50 values of 7.00 ± 0.85 and 18.16 ± 2.31 μl/L, respectively. Antifeedant activity of the sesquiterpenes feropodin and β-selinene was obvious, with EC50 values of 12.23 ± 2.60 and 10.46 ± 0.27 μg/cm2, respectively. The EOs and β-selinene were also found to inhibit acetylcholinesterase, with IC50 values of 37.75 ± 3.59 and 6.88 ± 0.48 μg/ml, respectively. These results suggest that monoterpenes and sesquiterpenes from the EOs of A. nakaii could potentially be applied as a botanical pesticides in the control of S. litura.
The Susceptibility to Persuasion Strategies Among Arab Muslims: The Role of Culture and Acculturation
Authors: Alnunu Momin , Amin Azzam , Abu-Rayya Hisham M.
Published: August 2021

This study is set forth to explore whether the susceptibility to persuasion—as articulated by Cialdini’s persuasion strategies—could vary with culture and acculturation. We examined individuals from the Arabic culture and their susceptibility to persuasion, according to the following strategies: reciprocity, commitment, liking, scarcity, consensus, and authority. The study involved 1,315 Arab Muslims between 18 and 60 years old (Mean= 34.65,SD= 9.16). The respondents were recruited from among residents of the Arab region (n= 507), immigrant Arabs in non-Arabic Muslim countries (n= 361), immigrant Arabs in East Asian countries (n= 85), and immigrant Arabs in Western countries (n= 362). Respondents completed an online Qualtrics survey. Controlling for socio-demographic variables (age, gender, income, education, and length of residence), our results indicated that susceptibility to the strategies differed significantly among Arab Muslims in the Arab region, with reciprocity being the highest and authority the lowest prevailing strategies. The same pattern of susceptibility emerged among immigrant Arab Muslims, regardless of their host country and the acculturation mode (integration, assimilation, separation, and marginalization) they endorse. These findings suggest that there is a consistent persuasion susceptibility pattern in the Arabic Muslim culture that does not seem to be modified by immigration and acculturation modes. Our findings are contrasted with the scarce research on cross-cultural differences in susceptibility to Cialdini’s persuasion strategies.
The Impact of Perspective Taking on Obesity Stereotypes: The Dual Mediating Effects of Self-Other Overlap and Empathy
Authors: Wu Yunlong , Zhang Yuzhu
Published: August 2021

Previous studies have indicated that obese people face many forms of severe prejudice and discrimination in various settings, such as education, employment, and interpersonal relationships. However, research aimed at reducing obesity stereotyping is relatively rare, and prior studies have focused primarily on negative stereotypes. Based on the empathy-altruism hypothesis and self-other overlap hypothesis, this study investigates the impact of perspective taking (PT) on both positive and negative obesity stereotypes and examines the mediating effects of empathy and self-other overlap. A sample of 687 students (191 males and 496 females) at Chinese universities participated by completing self-report questionnaires on trait tendency and evaluation toward obese people. Structural equation modeling and the bootstrap method revealed that self-other overlap (but not empathy) mediated the relationship between PT and negative obesity stereotypes. While self-other overlap and empathy both mediated the relationship between PT and positive obesity stereotypes. These findings address the importance of PT for improving positive and negative obesity stereotypes: specifically, PT promotes psychological merging, and produces empathic concern (EC).
A Short, Multimodal Activity Break Incorporated Into the Learning Context During the Covid-19 Pandemic: Effects of Physical Activity and Positive Expressive Writing on University Students' Mental Health—Results and Recommendations From a Pilot Study
Authors: Marschin Verena , Herbert Cornelia
Published: August 2021

Physical inactivity, sedentary behavior and mental ill health, due to high levels of perceived stress or self-reported depressive symptoms, are highly prevalent among university students. There are concerns that these behaviors and mental symptoms have significantly increased during the current Covid-19 pandemic, partly because academic life has changed considerably from face-to-face communication to e-learning and studying at home. Self-regulation and physical activity are hard to maintain during pandemic lockdowns. Short activity breaks could be helpful to avoid physical inactivity and sustain mental health. The breaks should comprise short and easy-implementable physical activity exercises that can be integrated into the learning context. Moreover, cognitive interventions, such as writing about positive events and feelings might help as coping strategy for self-regulation during study breaks. This study investigated and compared the effects of a physical activity intervention and a cognitive intervention (positive expressive writing) on mental health among university students. Both interventions are particularly suitable for use at home. N = 20 university students, studying in Germany, were assigned to a physical activity group or a cognitive intervention group. The physical activity intervention consisted of a mix of physical exercises including endurance exercises, muscular strength, relaxation, and ballroom dance movements. The interventions were carried out guided, once a week, for 5–10 mins at the beginning of classes. The effects of group × time showed no significant interaction on self-reported perceived stress, mood, quality of life (QoL) assessed online and compared at the beginning of the term before the intervention (T0) and at the end of the term after the intervention (T3). However, the physical activity group reported a similar physical activity level per day over time, while the cognitive intervention group showed a decrease in physical activity from T0 to T3. Low-dose, short physical activity interventions as well as cognitive interventions consisting of positive expressive writing could buffer university students' perceived stress, mood, and QoL across the term. Moreover, both interventions seem to be promising in buffering the negative side effects of stress during the Covid-19 pandemic.
The Emergence of Shared Leadership in Innovation Labs
Authors: Rose Robert , Groeger Lars , Hölzle Katharina
Published: August 2021

Implementing innovation laboratories to leverage intrapreneurship are an increasingly popular organizational practice. A typical feature in these creative environments are semi-autonomous teams in which multiple members collectively exert leadership influence, thereby challenging traditional command-and-control conceptions of leadership. An extensive body of research on the team-centric concept of shared leadership has recognized the potential for pluralized leadership structures in enhancing team effectiveness; however, little empirical work has been conducted in organizational contexts in which creativity is key. This study set out to explore antecedents of shared leadership and its influence on team creativity in an innovation lab. Building on extant shared leadership and innovation research, we propose antecedents customary to creative teamwork, that is, experimental culture, task reflexivity, and voice. Multisource data were collected from 104 team members and 49 evaluations of 29 coaches nested in 21 teams working in a prototypical innovation lab. We identify factors specific to creative teamwork that facilitate the emergence of shared leadership by providing room for experimentation, encouraging team members to speak up in the creative process, and cultivating a reflective application of entrepreneurial thinking. We provide specific exemplary activities for innovation lab teams to increase levels of shared leadership.
Art Therapy: A Complementary Treatment for Mental Disorders
Authors: Hu Jingxuan , Zhang Jinhuan , Hu Liyu , Yu Haibo , Xu Jinping
Published: August 2021

Art therapy, as a non-pharmacological medical complementary and alternative therapy, has been used as one of medical interventions with good clinical effects on mental disorders. However, systematically reviewed in detail in clinical situations is lacking. Here, we searched on PubMed for art therapy in an attempt to explore its theoretical basis, clinical applications, and future perspectives to summary its global pictures. Since drawings and paintings have been historically recognized as a useful part of therapeutic processes in art therapy, we focused on studies of art therapy which mainly includes painting and drawing as media. As a result, a total of 413 literature were identified. After carefully reading full articles, we found that art therapy has been gradually and successfully used for patients with mental disorders with positive outcomes, mainly reducing suffering from mental symptoms. These disorders mainly include depression disorders and anxiety, cognitive impairment and dementias, Alzheimer’s disease, schizophrenia, and autism. These findings suggest that art therapy can not only be served as an useful therapeutic method to assist patients to open up and share their feelings, views, and experiences, but also as an auxiliary treatment for diagnosing diseases to help medical specialists obtain complementary information different from conventional tests. We humbly believe that art therapy has great potential in clinical applications on mental disorders to be further explored.
Biases in COVID-19 Medical Resource Dilemmas
Authors: Michailidou Georgia
Published: August 2021

Accruing evidence suggest that COVID-19 is more fatal for males and minorities than other sub-populations. In this paper, we study medical dilemmas pertaining to the allocation of medical resources to evaluate whether existing social biases correspond to the demographic disparities of the pandemic. We develop and implement a choice experiment in which participants decide how to allocate scarce medical resources among COVID-19 patients with diverse demographic attributes. We find that participants violate optimal resource allocation significantly more often for the benefit of females. Males are almost half as likely to receive lifesaving resources even if these are medically more beneficial for them. We also find that participants are less likely to assign resources to patients with high compared to low income. Last, we find no evidence of patients' race affecting allocation preferences.
Mental Health of Nursing Students amid Coronavirus Disease 2019 Pandemic
Authors: Gao Juan , Wang Fengyun , Guo Shengcun , Hu Fudong
Published: August 2021

The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic is a global disaster, and recent studies have shown its association with increasing mental health problems such as post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), depression, anxiety, and stress. Nursing students, especially nursing interns, may be shunned, harassed, and even blamed as potential COVID-19 spreaders, though they were an important reserve force against COVID-19 and other diseases. Of note, the psychological influences of COVID-19 on nursing students remained unclear. The aim of this study was to evaluate the mental health of nursing students during the COVID-19 pandemic. A cross-sectional online survey was conducted on nursing students in a vocational college from April 12 to 23, 2020. The Impact of Event Scale–Revised, 21-item Depression, Anxiety and Stress Scale, and Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index were used to assess the degree of symptoms of PTSD, depression, anxiety, stress, and insomnia, respectively. Multivariable logistic regression analysis was performed to determine the potential risk factors for the psychological symptoms. A total of 1,780 college nursing students were asked to participate in this online survey, with 1,532 complete responses. In total, 682 (44.5%) college nursing students reported having PTSD, 358 (22.8%) students reported insomnia, and few students reported depression (n = 45, 2.9%), anxiety (n = 44, 2.9%), and stress (n = 17, 1.1%) symptoms. As compared with junior, female, and rural nursing students, the senior, male, and urban nursing students had higher rates of PTSD, depression, anxiety, stress, respectively, whereas male nursing students had a higher insomnia rate. Multivariable analysis showed that senior nursing students had higher risks of PTSD, depression, anxiety; being male was associated with higher risks of PTSD, depression, anxiety, stress, and insomnia; and urban nursing students had higher risks of PTSD, depression, anxiety, and stress. In summary, a considerable number of nursing students reported mental symptoms of PTSD and insomnia, though few reported mental symptoms of depression, anxiety, and stress. Furthermore, senior, male, and urban nursing students are at risk for developing mental symptoms. Appropriate psychological interventions should be implemented to assure the mental health of nursing students.
Do Positive Emotions Make You More Prosocial? Direct and Indirect Effects of an Intervention Program on Prosociality in Colombian Adolescents During Social Isolation Due to COVID-19
Authors: Mesurado Belén , Resett Santiago , Tezón Mariana , Vanney Claudia E.
Published: August 2021

The objectives of this study are to analyze the efficacy of the Virtual Hero Program during the social isolation due to COVID-19 to increase the positive emotions (joy, gratitude, serenity, personal satisfaction, and sympathy) and prosocial behavior of Colombian adolescents. Additionally, we will analyze whether the Hero program, by directly promoting positive emotional states in adolescents, can predispose them to take prosocial actions toward other people (via an indirect or mediated effect). The final sample of the study comprised 100 participants from the intervention group (M age = 13.94, SD = 0.97) and 111 from the control group (M age = 14.39, SD = 0.81). The participants were assigned to the groups using a cluster randomized trial. The positive emotions questionnaire and the Kindness and Generosity subscale of the Values in Action Inventory of Strengths were used to measure the variables. The results indicated that the program increased joy, gratitude, serenity and personal satisfaction but not sympathy of those who participated in the intervention. The promotion of these positive emotions predisposed the Colombian adolescents to act prosocially. Furthermore, the program was also effective in directly promoting prosocial behaviors in the adolescents during social isolation, as observed through a statistically significant difference in the pre- and post-test evaluations between the control and intervention groups. The structure of the intervention brought adolescents closer to social situations to which isolation had limited their access, promoting the importance of closeness and solidarity with others within the complexities of the social confinement context. This study is particularly relevant because interventions with proven effectiveness are necessary to counteract the trauma produced by social isolation in young people throughout the world.