bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The Influence of Neural Activity and Neural Cytoarchitecture on Cerebrovascular Arborization: A Computational Model
Authors: Kumar Bhadra S. , Menon Sarath C. , Gayathri Sriya R. , Chakravarthy V. Srinivasa
Published: July 2022

Normal functioning of the brain relies on a continual and efficient delivery of energy by a vast network of cerebral blood vessels. The bidirectional coupling between neurons and blood vessels consists of vasodilatory energy demand signals from neurons to blood vessels, and the retrograde flow of energy substrates from the vessels to neurons, which fuel neural firing, growth and other housekeeping activities in the neurons. Recent works indicate that, in addition to the functional coupling observed in the adult brain, the interdependence between the neural and vascular networks begins at the embryonic stage, and continues into subsequent developmental stages. The proposed Vascular Arborization Model (VAM) captures the effect of neural cytoarchitecture and neural activity on vascular arborization. The VAM describes three important stages of vascular tree growth: (i) The prenatal growth phase, where the vascular arborization depends on the cytoarchitecture of neurons and non-neural cells, (ii) the post-natal growth phase during which the further arborization of the vasculature depends on neural activity in addition to neural cytoarchitecture, and (iii) the settling phase, where the fully grown vascular tree repositions its vascular branch points or nodes to ensure minimum path length and wire length. The vasculature growth depicted by VAM captures structural characteristics like vascular volume density, radii, mean distance to proximal neurons in the cortex. VAM-grown vasculature agrees with the experimental observation that the neural densities do not covary with the vascular density along the depth of the cortex but predicts a high correlation between neural areal density and microvascular density when compared over a global scale (across animals and regions). To explore the influence of neural activity on vascular arborization, the VAM was used to grow the vasculature in neonatal rat whisker barrel cortex under two conditions: (i) Control, where the whiskers were intact and (ii) Lesioned, where one row of whiskers was cauterized. The model captures a significant reduction in vascular branch density in lesioned animals compared to control animals, concurring with experimental observation.
Prognostic Factors for Excellent Response to Initial Therapy in Patients With Papillary Thyroid Cancer From a Prospective Multicenter Study
Authors: Dong Wen-Wu , Zhang Da-Lin , He Liang , Shao Liang , Wang Zhi-Hong , Lv Cheng-Zhou , Zhang Ping , Huang Tao , Zhang Hao
Published: July 2022

Prognostic factors for excellent response (ER) to initial therapy in patients with papillary thyroid cancer (PTC) have not been determined. In this study, we investigated the response to initial therapy in PTC patients and independent prognostic factors for ER in a prospective multicenter study in China. A total of 506 PTC patients from nine centers in China were enrolled in this study, all of whom underwent total or near total thyroidectomy with lymph node dissection and subsequent radioiodine therapy. Univariate and multivariable logistic regression analyses were carried out to determine the independent prognostic factors for ER. The optimal cutoff value of the number of metastatic lymph nodes for predicting ER was determined by the receiver operating characteristic curve. A total of 139 patients (27.5%) achieved ER after initial therapy. Extrathyroidal extension, the number of metastatic lymph nodes, and preablative-stimulated thyroglobulin (Ps-Tg) were independent risk factors for ER for the entire population. In a subgroup analysis, extrathyroidal extension and Ps-Tg were independent risk factors for ER in pathological N1a patients, while the number of metastatic lymph nodes and Ps-Tg were independent risk factors for ER in pathological N1b patients. The appropriate cutoff values of the number of metastatic lymph nodes in predicting ER were 5 and 13 for the entire population and pathological N1b PTC patients, respectively. PTC patients with more metastatic lymph nodes were more likely to fail to achieve ER. Extrathyroidal extension, the number of metastatic lymph nodes, and Ps-Tg were important prognostic factors for ER after initial therapy in PTC patients.
Dexamethasone Sensitizes Acute Monocytic Leukemia Cells to Ara-C by Upregulating FKBP51
Authors: Sun Huanxin , Liu Xiaowen , Wang Laicheng , Cui Bin , Mu Wenli , Xia Yu , Liu Shuang , Liu Xin , Jiao Yulian , Zhao Yueran
Published: July 2022

In this study, we demonstrated that the expression of FK506 binding protein 51 (FKBP51) is upregulated in acute monocytic leukemia (AML-M5) cells by dexamethasone and aimed to investigate the possible effects of FKBP51 on the growth and cytarabine sensitivity of AML-M5 cells. THP-1 and U937cells were used to establish AML-M5 cell models with FKBP51 overexpression and knockdown, respectively. Cell proliferation, apoptosis and response to cytarabine were investigated by cell cycle, CCK-8 and Flow cytometry analyses. The mice experiment was conducted to detect the role of FKBP51 on AML-M5 cells proliferation and antileukemia effect of Ara-C/Dexamethasone co-therapy in vivo. Western blots were employed to determine protein expression levels. FKBP51 upregulation significantly attenuated THP-1 cell proliferation and sensitized the cells to cytarabine treatment which was further enhanced by dexamethasone. These effects were indicated by decreases in cell viability, S-G2/M phase cell cycle distribution, cytarabine 50% inhibitory concentration (IC50) values and increases in apoptosis and were supported by decreased phosphorylation levels of AKT, GSK3β and FOXO1A and decreased levels of BCL-2 and increased levels of P21 and P27. In contrast, FKBP51 knockdown led to excessive U937 cell proliferation and cytarabine resistance, as indicated by increased cell viability and S-G2/M phase cell cycle distribution, decreased apoptosis, increased phosphorylation levels of AKT, GSK3β and FOXO1A, and increased BCL-2 and decreased P21 and P27 expression. In addition, an AKT inhibitor blocked cell cycle progression and reduced cell viability in all groups of cells. Furthermore, SAFit2, a specific FKBP51 inhibitor, increased U937 cell viability and cytarabine resistance as well as AKT phosphorylation. In conclusion, FKBP51 decelerates proliferation and improves the cytarabine sensitivity of AML-M5 cells by inhibiting AKT pathways, and dexamethasone in combination with Ara-C improves the chemosensitivity of AML-M5.
Tumor-Associated Macrophages Correlate With Prognosis in Medulloblastoma
Authors: Zhang Jin , Yuan Xia , Wang Yuan , Liu Jingjing , Li Zhigang , Li Shuting , Liu Yan , Gong Xiaojun , Sun Yanling , Wu Wanshui , Sun Liming , Du Shuxu , Wang Tianyou
Published: July 2022

Purpose

Macrophage polarization plays an essential role in the tumor microenvironment of brain tumors. However, the role of tumor-associated macrophages (TAMs) in medulloblastoma still remains controversial. Thus, we investigated the distribution of macrophages in medulloblastoma tissues and analyzed the association of TAM recruitment and medulloblastoma patients’ outcomes.

Methods

We obtained a total of 71 paraffin sections from patients with medulloblastoma, and detected the activated phenotype (M1/M2) by monoclonal antibodies for CD68, HLA-DR and CD163 with multiple fluorescence immunohistochemistry method. The number of polarized macrophages was quantified using the InForm software. Outcomes were analyzed according to clinical data and quantified macrophage data.

Results

The study revealed that TAMs were significantly higher in sonic hedgehog (SHH) medulloblastoma than in other subgroups, and M1 macrophages in metastatic group were significantly higher than those in non-metastatic group. A Kaplan-Meier survival analysis and multivariate Cox regression model showed the correlation of high percentage of total macrophages (P = 0.038, HR = 0.241) and M1 macrophages (P = 0.034, HR = 0.333) with good 5-year progression-free survival (PFS); however, M2 macrophages had no correlation with survival of medulloblastoma patients (P> 0.05).

Conclusion

High percentage of total macrophages and M1 macrophages are correlated with good outcome of medulloblastoma patients. TAMs might be a target of therapy.
Daily Management of Patients on Multikinase Inhibitors’ Treatment
Authors: Colombo Carla , De Leo Simone , Trevisan Matteo , Giancola Noemi , Scaltrito Anna , Fugazzola Laura
Published: July 2022

In a minority of differentiated thyroid cancer (TC) cases and in a large percentage of poorly differentiated TCs (PDTCs) and anaplastic TCs (ATCs), the prognosis is poor due to the lack of response to conventional treatments. In the last two decades, multikinase inhibitor (MKI) compounds have been developed and demonstrated to be very effective in these aggressive cases. Besides the great efficacy, several adverse events (AEs) have been reported in virtually all patients treated with MKIs, largely overlapping between different compounds and including hypertension, diarrhea, anorexia, decreased weight, fatigue, and proteinuria. Most grade 3–4 adverse reactions occur during the first 6 months of treatment and require dosage reduction and/or drug discontinuation. Due to severity of the AEs related to the treatment with MKIs, a multidisciplinary team is definitely required for the daily management of these patients, for the evaluation of the disease status, and the psychophysical condition. Moreover, it is crucial that the patients could have a facilitated access to reach either specialist doctors or nurses who must have been trained to follow them for their individual clinical complications. The follow-up visits should take place at monthly intervals until the sixth month and then every 1–2 months until the completion of the first year of treatment. The flow chart followed at our tertiary center is reported in the present review as a real-life-based example for the follow-up of patients with advanced TC on MKI treatment.
Beneficial Effect of Short-Term Supplementation of High Dose of Vitamin D3 in Hospitalized Patients With COVID-19: A Multicenter, Single-Blinded, Prospective Randomized Pilot Clinical Trial
Authors: Cervero Miguel , López-Wolf Daniel , Casado Guiomar , Novella-Mena Maria , Ryan-Murua Pablo , Taboada-Martínez María Luisa , Rodríguez-Mora Sara , Vigón Lorena , Coiras Mayte , Torres Montserrat
Published: July 2022

There is now sufficient evidence to support that vitamin D deficiency may predispose to SARS-CoV-2 infection and increase COVID-19 severity and mortality. It has been suggested that vitamin D3 supplementation may be used prophylactically as an affordable and safe strategy that could be added to the existing COVID-19 standard treatment. This multicenter, single-blinded, prospective randomized pilot clinical trial aimed to evaluate the safety, tolerability, and effectiveness of 10,000 IU/day in comparison with 2000 IU/day of cholecalciferol supplementation for 14 days to reduce the duration and severity of COVID-19 in 85 hospitalized individuals. The median age of the participants was 65 years (Interquartile range (IQR): 53–74), most of them (71%) were men and the mean baseline of 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25(OH)D) in serum was 15 ng/ml (standard deviation (SD):6). After 14 days of supplementation, serum 25(OH)D levels were significantly increased in the group who received 10,000IU/day (p < 0.0001) (n = 44) in comparison with the 2,000IU/day group (n = 41), especially in overweight and obese participants, and the higher dose was well tolerated. A fraction of the individuals in our cohort (10/85) developed acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS). The median length of hospital stay in these patients with ARDS was significantly different in the participants assigned to the 10,000IU/day group (n = 4; 7 days; IQR: 4–13) and the 2,000IU/day group (n = 6; 27 days; IQR: 12–45) (p = 0.04). Moreover, the inspired oxygen fraction was reduced 7.6-fold in the high dose group (p = 0.049). In terms of blood parameters, we did not identify overall significant improvements, although the platelet count showed a modest but significant difference in those patients who were supplemented with the higher dose (p = 0.0492). In conclusion, the administration of 10,000IU/day of vitamin D3 for 14 days in association with the standard clinical care during hospitalization for COVID-19 was safe, tolerable, and beneficial, thereby helping to improve the prognosis during the recovery process.
Development and Validation of a Tool to Improve Community Pharmacists’ Surveillance Role in the Safe Dispensing of Herbal Supplements
Authors: Jairoun Ammar Abdulrahman , Al Hemyari Sabaa Saleh , Abdulla Naseem Mohammed , Shahwan Moyad , Jairoun Maimona , Godman Brian , El-Dahiyat Faris , Kurdi Amanj
Published: July 2022

Background: There has been an appreciable increase in the use of herbal supplements, including immune boosters, during the current COVID-19 pandemic. However, there are concerns with falsified herbal supplements.

Objectives: Developed a new questionnaire that can potentially help community pharmacists identify the extent of falsified herbal supplements.

Methods: A 9-month cross sectional study was conducted among 500 community pharmacies across United Arab Emirates. A new 5-factor, 24-itmes scale was developed based on current labelling requirements across countries and piloted. This included seven items on identified uses and contraindication, seven items on hazard identification, four items on product identity, three items on packaging and product insert and three items on product handling and storage. The face and content validity of the scale was assessed via the content validity index (CVI). Its construct validity was tested using an exploratory factor analysis (EFA) via principally component analysis (PCA). The model was subsequently confirmed through partial confirmatory factor analysis (PCFA). Its reliability was assessed via test-retest reliability, internal consistency, item internal consistency (IIC), and intraclass correlation coefficients (ICCs).

Results: The CVI of the finalized questionnaire was 0.843. The Kaiser-Meyer-Olkin measure of sampling adequacy was 0.891, and Bartlett’s test of sphericity indicated significance (p-value < 0.001). Confirmation of the subsequent 5-domains was achieved through PCFA using maximum likelihood analysis with oblimin rotation. The PCFA obtained values was 0.962 for NFI, 0.977 for CFI, and 0.987 for the Tucker Lewis Index. All values were greater than 0.95, and the RMSEA value was 0.03 (i.e., less than 0.06). Consequently, the model had a good fit. All domains demonstrated Cronbach’s alpha coefficients above 0.70, with 0.940 for the full instrument. Meanwhile, all items met the IIC correlation standard of ≥0.40. The instrument presented good ICC statistics of 0.940 (0.928–0.950) as well as statistical significance (p < 0.001). Community pharmacists with more than 10 experience years were more likely to identify falsified herbal supplements compared to those with 1–10 years experience (p < 0.001).

Conclusion: This study developed and validated a new instrument to identify safe herbal supplements, which should enhance the role of the community pharmacists in the safe and effective treatment of suitable patients with herbal supplements.
Extending the Capabilities of Data-Driven Reduced-Order Models to Make Predictions for Unseen Scenarios: Applied to Flow Around Buildings
Authors: Heaney Claire E. , Liu Xiangqi , Go Hanna , Wolffs Zef , Salinas Pablo , Navon Ionel M. , Pain Christopher C.
Published: July 2022

We present a data-driven or non-intrusive reduced-order model (NIROM) which is capable of making predictions for a significantly larger domain than the one used to generate the snapshots or training data. This development relies on the combination of a novel way of sampling the training data (which frees the NIROM from its dependency on the original problem domain) and a domain decomposition approach (which partitions unseen geometries in a manner consistent with the sub-sampling approach). The method extends current capabilities of reduced-order models to generalise, i.e., to make predictions for unseen scenarios. The method is applied to a 2D test case which simulates the chaotic time-dependent flow of air past buildings at a moderate Reynolds number using a computational fluid dynamics (CFD) code. The procedure for 3D problems is similar, however, a 2D test case is considered sufficient here, as a proof-of-concept. The reduced-order model consists of a sampling technique to obtain the snapshots; a convolutional autoencoder for dimensionality reduction; an adversarial network for prediction; all set within a domain decomposition framework. The autoencoder is chosen for dimensionality reduction as it has been demonstrated in the literature that these networks can compress information more efficiently than traditional (linear) approaches based on singular value decomposition. In order to keep the predictions realistic, properties of adversarial networks are exploited. To demonstrate its ability to generalise, once trained, the method is applied to a larger domain which has a different arrangement of buildings. Statistical properties of the flows from the reduced-order model are compared with those from the CFD model in order to establish how realistic the predictions are.
Characterization and Comparison of the Divergent Metabolic Consequences of High-Sugar and High-Fat Diets in Male Wistar Rats
Authors: Kotzé-Hörstmann Liske , Cois Annibale , Johnson Rabia , Mabasa Lawrence , Shabalala Samukelisiwe , Van Jaarsveld Paul J. , Sadie-Van Gijsen Hanél
Published: July 2022

Diet-induced obesity (DIO) in laboratory rodents can serve as a model with which to study the pathophysiology of obesity, but obesogenic diets (high-sugar and/or high-fat) are often poorly characterised and simplistically aimed at inducing metabolic derangements for the purpose of testing the therapeutic capacity of natural products and other bioactive compounds. Consequently, our understanding of the divergent metabolic responses to different obesogenic diet formulations is limited. The aim of the present study was to characterise and compare differences in the metabolic responses induced by low-fat, medium-fat/high-sugar and high-fat diets in rats through multivariate statistical modelling. Young male Wistar rats were randomly assigned to CON (laboratory chow, low-fat), OB1 (high-sugar, medium-fat) or OB2 (high-fat) dietary groups (n = 24 each) for 17 weeks, after which metabolic responses were characterised. Projection-based multivariate analyses (principal component analysis (PCA) and orthogonal partial least squares-discriminant analysis (OPLS-DA)) were used to explore the associations between measures of body composition and metabolism. Furthermore, we conducted a systematic literature survey to examine reporting trends in rat dietary intervention studies, and to determine how the metabolic responses observed in the present study compared to other recently published studies. The OB1 and OB2 dietary regimens resulted in distinct metabolic profiles, with OB1 characterised by perturbations in insulin homeostasis and adipose tissue secretory function, while OB2 was characterised by altered lipid and liver metabolism. This work therefore confirms, by means of direct comparison, that differences in dietary composition have a profound impact on metabolic and pathophysiological outcomes in rodent models of DIO. However, through our literature survey we demonstrate that dietary composition is not reported in the majority of rat dietary intervention studies, suggesting that the impact of dietary composition is often not considered during study design or data interpretation. This hampers the usefulness of such studies to provide enhanced mechanistic insights into DIO, and also limits the translatability of such studies within the context of human obesity.
Harzianopyridone Supplementation Reduced Chromium Uptake and Enhanced Activity of Antioxidant Enzymes in Vigna radiata Seedlings Exposed to Chromium Toxicity
Authors: Shah Anis Ali , Shah Adnan Noor , Bilal Tahir Muhammad , Abbas Asad , Javad Sumera , Ali Sajid , Rizwan Muhammad , Alotaibi Saqer S. , Kalaji Hazem M. , Telesinski Arkadiusz , Javed Talha , AbdElgawad Hamada
Published: July 2022

This study explains the scarce information on the role of harzianopyridone (HZRP) in the alleviation of chromium (Cr) stress alleviation in Vigna radiata (L.). To this end, V. radiata seedlings primed with HZRP at 1 and 2 ppm were exposed to 50 mg kg–1 Cr for 30 days. Cr stress reduced growth, chlorophyll (Chl) content, net photosynthetic rate, gas-exchange attributes along with enhanced oxidative damages, i.e., electrolyte leakage (EL), hydrogen peroxide (H2O2), and malondialdehyde (MDA). Application of HZRP enhanced intercellular carbon dioxide (CO2) concentration, stomatal conductance, and net photosynthetic rate with decreased activity of the chlorophyllase (Chlase) enzyme in V. radiata seedlings exposed to Cr stressed conditions. To maintain Cr-induced oxidative damages, HZRP treatment increased the levels of antioxidant metabolites (phenolic and flavonoids) and the activity of antioxidative enzymes [superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT), and peroxidase (POD)] in V. radiata seedlings grown in normal and Cr-polluted potted soil. In addition to this, glycine betaine content was also increased in plants grown in Cr-contaminated soil. It is proposed the potential role of supplementation of HZRP in mitigating Cr stress. Further research should be conducted to evaluate the potential of HZRP in the mitigation of abiotic stresses in plants.
Revised Species Delimitation in the Giant Water Lily Genus Victoria (Nymphaeaceae) Confirms a New Species and Has Implications for Its Conservation
Authors: Smith Lucy T. , Magdalena Carlos , Przelomska Natalia A. S. , Pérez-Escobar Oscar A. , Melgar-Gómez Darío G. , Beck Stephan , Negrão Raquel , Mian Sahr , Leitch Ilia J. , Dodsworth Steven , Maurin Olivier , Ribero-Guardia Gaston , Salazar César D. , Gutierrez-Sibauty Gloria , Antonelli Alexandre , Monro Alexandre K.
Published: July 2022

Reliably documenting plant diversity is necessary to protect and sustainably benefit from it. At the heart of this documentation lie species concepts and the practical methods used to delimit taxa. Here, we apply a total-evidence, iterative methodology to delimit and document species in the South American genusVictoria(Nymphaeaceae). The systematics ofVictoriahas thus far been poorly characterized due to difficulty in attributing species identities to biological collections. This research gap stems from an absence of type material and biological collections, also the confused diagnosis ofV. cruziana. With the goal of improving systematic knowledge of the genus, we compiled information from historical records, horticulture and geography and assembled a morphological dataset using citizen science and specimens from herbaria and living collections. Finally, we generated genomic data from a subset of these specimens. Morphological and geographical observations suggest four putative species, three of which are supported by nuclear population genomic and plastid phylogenomic inferences. We propose these three confirmed entities as robust species, where two correspond to the currently recognizedV. amazonicaandV. cruziana, the third being new to science, which we describe, diagnose and name here asV. bolivianaMagdalena and L. T. Sm. Importantly, we identify new morphological and molecular characters which serve to distinguish the species and underpin their delimitations. Our study demonstrates how combining different types of character data into a heuristic, total-evidence approach can enhance the reliability with which biological diversity of morphologically challenging groups can be identified, documented and further studied.
Deep Metric Learning-Based Strawberry Disease Detection With Unknowns
Authors: You Jie , Jiang Kan , Lee Joonwhoan
Published: July 2022

There has been substantial research that has achieved significant advancements in plant disease detection based on deep object detection models. However, with unknown diseases, it is difficult to find a practical solution for plant disease detection. This study proposes a simple but effective strawberry disease detection scheme with unknown diseases that can provide applicable performance in the real field. In the proposed scheme, the known strawberry diseases are detected with deep metric learning (DML)-based classifiers along with the unknown diseases that have certain symptoms. The pipeline of our proposed scheme consists of two stages: the first is object detection with known disease classes, while the second is a DML-based post-filtering stage. The second stage has two different types of classifiers: one is softmax classifiers that are only for known diseases and the K-nearest neighbor (K-NN) classifier for both known and unknown diseases. In the training of the first stage and the DML-based softmax classifier, we only use the known samples of the strawberry disease. Then, we include the known (a priori) and the known unknown training samples to construct the K-NN classifier. The final decisions regarding known diseases are made from the combined results of the two classifiers, while unknowns are detected from the K-NN classifier. The experimental results show that the DML-based post-filter is effective at improving the performance of known disease detection in terms of mAP. Furthermore, the separate DML-based K-NN classifier provides high recall and precision for known and unknown diseases and achieve 97.8% accuracy, meaning it could be exploited as a Region of Interest (ROI) classifier. For the real field data, the proposed scheme achieves a high mAP of 93.7% to detect known classes of strawberry disease, and it also achieves reasonable results for unknowns. This implies that the proposed scheme can be applied to identify disease-like symptoms caused by real known and unknown diseases or disorders for any kind of plant.
The Mental Health of Patients With Psychotic Disorder From a Positive, Multidimensional and Recovery Perspective
Authors: Broncano-Bolzoni Miriam , González-Carrasco Mònica , Juvinyà-Canal Dolors , Lluch-Canut MTeresa
Published: July 2022

Positive mental health (PMH) and mental illness are distinct, yet interrelated, constructs. However, this relationship has yet to be adequately established. We aimed to evaluate the level of PMH and its relationship with sociodemographic and clinical determinants as well as to explore the relationship between PMH and the positive constructs of recovery, subjective wellbeing (SWB), insight and functioning in patients with psychotic disorder. A multicenter, descriptive, cross-sectional and correlational study with a sample of 347 patients with psychotic disorder was conducted. The following assessment instruments were used: Positive Mental Health Questionnaire, Maryland Assessment of Recovery in Serious Mental Illness scale, Insight Scale, Personal Wellbeing Index-Adult version (PWI-A), Overall Life Satisfaction (OLS) and Global Assessment of Functioning scale. The mean global level of PMH was 116.16 (range of 39–156, SD = 19.39). Significant differences were found in PMH in relation to sociodemographic (sex, civil status and employment situation) and clinical variables (family history of mental disorders, number of prescribed antipsychotics, treatment with anxiolytics, treatment with antidepressants and suicide attempts). PMH was significantly and positively correlated with recovery (r= 0.760), SWB (PWI-A:r= 0.728 and OLS:r= 0.602) and functioning (r= 0.243), and negatively with insight (r= −0.335). These results can lead to a major change in mental health care. If actions are taken to increase PMH, then recovery, SWB and functioning will also increase. At the same time, interventions should be carried out to boost insight, since increasing PMH could decrease insight, all resulting in better quality of life for patients with psychotic disorder.
A Longitudinal Study of Physical and Mental Health and Health-Related Attitudes Among Music Students: Potentials and Challenges for University Health Promotion Programs
Authors: Rosset Magdalena , Baumann Eva , Altenmüller Eckart
Published: July 2022

Objective

Well-being of music students has been an increasing matter of concern since studies show that up to 50% of beginners suffer from playing-related pain or anxiety. The aim of this longitudinal study was to examine health status, health-related attitudes, behaviors, knowledge, skills, and coping strategies of students at the beginning of their education at a music university and at the end of their second semester.

Methods

Based on a longitudinal online survey conducted among students at a German music university since 2017, we investigated mental and physical health status, health-related attitudes, knowledge, skills, behaviors, and coping strategies of music students at the beginning of their first year (n = 205). We analyzed differences between performance and music education majors and between students playing different main instruments. In a subsample (n = 62), we additionally analyzed changes between the beginning of the music students’ first and the end of their second semester, also depending on whether they attended courses on musicians’ health.

Results

Music students are already in demand when they enter a music university, practicing on average almost 3 h daily. Compared to other body regions, pain in shoulders/back is most prevalent in first-year students, especially in those playing string instruments. Performance majors reported better knowledge about health risks and protective measures for musicians, better coping abilities, and practiced more than music education majors. First-year students assessed their overall and mental health status at the beginning of their first semester mainly as good, but we found a decrease in mental health status at the end of the second semester. After two semesters, students attending courses on musicians’ health showed increased knowledge and skills regarding different aspects of musicians’ health.

Conclusion

The health status of music students when they first enter a music university is still a concern. Information and practical courses enabling students to prevent overuse and cope with performing anxiety and other stressors are important components of a comprehensive study program. Knowledge about music students’ needs can help conservatories better respond to the requirements and develop courses and measures supporting students from the beginning of their education.
Effects of Traditional Chinese Fitness Exercises on Negative Emotions and Sleep Disorders in College Students: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis
Authors: Yang Tingting , Guo Yingjie , Cheng Yang , Zhang Yue
Published: July 2022

Background

The purpose of this study was to systematically review the effectiveness of regular traditional Chinese fitness exercises on negative emotions and sleep disorders in college students, and to provide evidence-based evidence and new ideas for the negative emotions and sleep disorders among the college students.

Methods

A systematic search using 5 English (PubMed, Embase, Scopus, EBSCO, and the Cochrane Library) and 4 Chinese (CNKI, WanFang, VIP, and CBM) databases were initiated to identify randomized controlled trials (RCT) assessing the effect of traditional Chinese fitness exercises on negative emotions and sleep disorders among college students. Standardized mean differences (SMD) and their 95% confidence intervals (CI) were used to determine the pooled effect of the intervention. The Cochrane bias risk assessment tool was used to evaluate the methodological quality and the data were analyzed with Review Manager 5.4.

Results

A total of 12 RCTs were included, including 1,052 subjects. The results showed a potential beneficial effect of traditional Chinese fitness exercises on reducing depression [SMD = −0.93, 95 %CI (−1.76, −0. 10)], anxiety [SMD = −0.74, 95%CI (−0.93, −0.54)], and the sleep disorders [SMD = −2.77, 95%CI (−4.57, −0.97)] symptoms, and these effects were better than in the control group.

Conclusion

The findings of this review suggested the traditional Chinese fitness exercises could improve both the negative moods and sleep disorders compared with that of healthy students, the effect on college students with mild to moderate psychological symptoms was obviously improved. The SCL-90 scale is better than the SDS scale in evaluating the improvement effect of traditional Chinese fitness exercises on depression. It was the best intervention program on negative emotions and sleep disorders among college students, with the intervention lasting 5 sessions per week for 30–60 min/session for over 12 weeks.
Online Short-Term Mindfulness-Based Intervention During COVID-19 Quarantine in Italy: Effects on Wellbeing, Stress, and Anxiety
Authors: Fazia Teresa , Bubbico Francesco , Nova Andrea , Riggi Emilia , Caimi Giancarlo , Calgan Beril , Salvato Gerardo , Bruno Salvatore , Bottini Gabriella , Bernardinelli Luisa
Published: July 2022

To limit the first spread of COVID-19 in March 2020, the Italian government imposed strict lockdown measures to the population. Despite necessary to reduce the virus transmission and the burden to the hospitals, social isolation has caused detrimental effects on psychological wellbeing and mental health. Moreover, during this period, it was also difficult to deliver psychological treatments and psychiatric assistance. A short (a weekly session for 9 weeks) mindfulness-based meditation program, named Integral Meditation (IM), was administered entirely online to healthy adults from Italy. This is a two-groups pre–post-quasi-experimental study in which the two groups, treated and control, were not randomized. Through matching procedures aimed at overcoming the absence of randomization, we analyzed a sample of 84 subjects (42 for each group). By applying linear mixed effect models, we tested the hypothesis of a beneficial effect of IM on wellbeing, perceived stress, and state anxiety, as measured by three self-reported questionnaires (WEMWBS, PSS, and STAI-X1, respectively), assuming that this effect could be different according to the level of baseline trait anxiety, as measured by STAI-X2. The results showed a statistically significant effect of STAI-X1 (β = −8.24 [95%CI −15.39; −1.09], p = 0.02) and WEMWBS (β = 4.61 [95%CI 0.94; 8.29], p = 0.01) in the higher trait anxiety subgroup only. No statistically significant effect of IM was observed for PSS. These results suggest that our IM, delivered online, may increase mental wellbeing and decrease anxiety specifically in subjects with higher trait anxiety.
How Can Servant Leadership Promote Employees’ Voice Behavior? A Moderated Chain Mediation Model
Authors: Chen Hao , Wang Liang , Li Jingya
Published: July 2022

Purpose

Based on Social Exchange Theory, this paper constructs and evaluates the mediation model of servant leadership on employees’ voice behavior through psychological security and error learning ability and discusses the moderation role of work autonomy in the model.

Design

This research used 424 employees and their direct superiors as the research objects and then conducted a paired survey at three points. Mplus7.4 software analyzed the empirical data.

Findings

The results are shown servant leadership is positively correlated with employees’ voice behavior, but psychological security and error learning ability play a partial mediation role in the positive impact of servant leadership on employees’ voice behavior. while psychological security and error learning ability play a chain mediation role in the positive impact of servant leadership on employees’ voice behavior. Besides, work autonomy moderates the chain mediation path by enhancing the positive impact of servant leadership on psychological security. the higher the employees’ work autonomy is, the stronger the positive impact of servant leadership on psychological security will be, and the stronger the chain mediation effect of psychological security and error learning ability between servant leadership and employees’ voice behavior.

Practical Implications

Managers should abandon the traditional “command and control” management mode, focus on the servant leadership style and improve employees’ psychological security through a comfortable and independent working environment. Besides, managers should set up a suitable error learning atmosphere mechanism, appropriately allow employees to work, give them a specific work autonomy, increase employees’ work flexibility, and encourage employees to provide a cheerful voice for the development and progress of the organization.

Origin/value

From the perspective of Social Exchange, this study more comprehensively discusses the internal action path of the impact of servant leadership on employees’ voice behavior, enriches the antecedent variables of employees’ voice behavior, expands the existing research on the mediation mechanism of servant leadership, deepens the understanding of the efficiency mechanism of servant leadership, and has enlightenment significance for managers to stimulate employees’ voice better.
Functional Brain Networks in Preschool Children With Autism Spectrum Disorders
Authors: Qin Bin , Wang Longlun , Cai Jinhua , Li Tingyu , Zhang Yun
Published: July 2022

Objective

The present study aims to investigate the functional brain network characteristics of preschool children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) through functional connectivity (FC) calculations using resting-state functional MRI (rs-fMRI) and graph theory analysis to better understand the pathogenesis of ASD and provide imaging evidence for the early assessment of this condition.

Methods

A prospective study of preschool children including 32 with ASD (ASD group) and 22 healthy controls (HC)group was conducted in which all subjects underwent rs-fMRI scans, and then the differences in FC between the two groups was calculated, followed by graph-theoretic analysis to obtain the FC properties of the network.

Results

In the calculation of FC, compared with the children in the HC group, significant increases or decreases in subnetwork connectivity was found in the ASD group. There were 25 groups of subnetworks with enhanced FC, of which the medial prefrontal and posterior cingulate gyrus and angular gyrus were all important components of the default mode network (DMN). There were 11 groups of subnetworks with weakened FC, including the hippocampus, parahippocampal gyrus, superior frontal gyrus, inferior temporal gyrus, precuneus, amygdala, and perirhinal cortex, with the hippocampus and parahippocampal gyrus predominating. In the network properties determined by graph theory, the clustering coefficient and local efficiency of the functional network was increased in the ASD group; specifically, compared with those in the HC group, nodes in the left subinsular frontal gyrus and the right middle temporal gyrus had increased efficiency, and nodes in the left perisylvian cortex, the left lingual gyrus, and the right hippocampus had decreased efficiency.

Conclusion

Alterations in functional brain networks are evident in preschool children with ASD and can be detected with sleep rs-fMRI, which is important for understanding the pathogenesis of ASD and assessing this condition early.
Utilizing Internet Search Volume to Monitor Stages of Change in Vaccine Hesitancy During the COVID-19 Outbreaks
Authors: Lan Yu-Tung , Wu Shiow-Ing , Lin Yu-Hsuan
Published: July 2022

Real-time vaccine hesitancy surveillance is needed to better understand changes in vaccination behaviors. We aim to understand the association between coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) outbreaks and population vaccine hesitancy and to monitor the dynamic changes in vaccination behaviors. We used the autoregressive integrated moving average model to examine the association between daily internet search volume for vaccines and two waves of COVID-19 local outbreaks in Taiwan from 19 March to 25 May, 2021. During the small-scale outbreak, the search volume increased significantly for 7 out of 22 days with an average increase of 17.3% ± 10.7% from the expected search volume. During the large-scale outbreak, the search volume increased significantly for 14 out of 14 days, with an average increase of 58.4% ± 14.7%. There was a high correlation between the search volume and the number of domestic cases (r = 0.71, P < 0.001). Google Trends serves as a timely indicator to monitor the extent of population vaccine willingness.
Implementation of COVID-19 Laboratory Testing Certification Program (CoLTeP) in African Region
Authors: Maruta Talkmore , Shumba Edwin , Ndlovu Nqobile , Moyo Sikhulile , Bangure Donewell , Kebede Yenew , Noumedem Kenfack Jaurès Arnaud
Published: July 2022

Objectives:

Coronavirus disease 2019 was declared a global pandemic in March 2020 with correct and early detection of cases using laboratory testing central to the response. Hence, the establishment of quality management systems and monitoring their implementation are critical. This study describes the experience of implementing the COVID-19 Laboratory Testing and Certification Program (CoLTeP) in Africa.

Methods

Private and public laboratories conducting SARS-CoV-2 testing using polymerase chain reaction were enrolled and assessed for quality and safety using the CoLTeP checklists.

Results

A total of 84 laboratories from 7 countries were assessed between April 2021 to December 2021 with 52% of these from the private sector. Among them, 64% attained 5 stars and were certified. Section 4 had the highest average score of 92% and the lowest of 78% in Section 3. Also, 82% of non-conformities (NCs) were related to sample collection, transportation, and risk assessments. Non-availability, inconsistency in performing, recording, instituting corrective actions for failed internal and external quality controls were among major NCs reported.

Conclusions

Laboratories identified for SARS-CoV-2 testing by public and private institutions mostly met the requirements for quality and safe testing as measured by the CoLTeP checklist.
Musculoskeletal Biomarkers Response to Exercise in Older Adults
Authors: Abreu Eduardo L. , Vance Amy , Cheng An-Lin , Brotto Marco
Published: July 2022

Exercise is an essential component of any good health style, being particularly important for older adults to counteract the effects of aging, including sarcopenia and osteoporosis, which can result in lower fall probability. Exercise programs for older adults are especially designed for that population. A rigorous evaluation of those programs is necessary to assure most benefit is achieved. Serum biomarkers of proteins intrinsic to musculoskeletal homeostasis could contribute objectively to the assessment of the benefits of exercise. In this work, in addition to the usual physical fitness and balance tests, ELISA assays quantified the serum levels of six proteins and one polysaccharide important for the homeostasis of muscle (troponin T and alpha-actinin), tendon/ligament (tenomodulin), cartilage (cartilage oligomeric matrix protein and hyaluronan) and bone (osteocalcin and sclerostin), before and after 8 weeks of an exercise program tailored to older adults, Stay Strong Stay Healthy, offered at a Community Center and at an Independent Senior Living facility. Statistical significance was determined by non-parametric tests (Wilcoxon Signed Ranks and Mann-Whitney U). Physical fitness and balance improved as expected along with a significant decrease in sclerostin, pointing to less inhibition of bone deposition. However, when considering each type of dwelling separately, older adults always saw a significant decrease of the isoform of troponin T associated with fast-twitch muscles, suggesting that daily levels of physical activity may also have a role in the benefit of older adults from exercise.
Comparison of Surgical Outcomes Associated With Compression Secondary to Hemorrhage and Intervertebral Disk Extrusions in Dogs
Authors: Lawler Patricia E. , Wood Jonathan H. , Alleva Nicole E. , Rishniw Mark , Porter Ian , Johnson Phillipa J.
Published: July 2022

Acute intervertebral disk extrusion (IVDE) is one of the most commonly reported neurologic disorders seen in veterinary practice. There is a recognized subset of IVDE cases that have a hemorrhagic inflammatory reaction within the epidural space that causes compression in addition to compression from herniated disk material. Previous reports have been conflicting in the outcomes of these cases. The goals of this retrospective case-control cross-sectional study are to (1) compare the success rate of routine surgical decompression in dogs with DEEH compression compared to Modified Frankel Score (MFS) matched dogs with non-hemorrhagic disk extrusions; (2) evaluate the extent of spinal cord compression on MRI compared to final patient outcomes in DEEH compression and (3) determine the surgical compression to decompression ratio and its relation to patient outcomes in cases of DEEH compression. A total of 143 dogs were included in this study and divided into two groups: DEEH compression dogs (n = 78) and non-hemorrhagic IVDE dogs (n = 65). Outcomes were assigned for each patient [0 = deceased, 1 = alive and non-ambulatory (MFS 0–3), 2 = alive and ambulatory (MFS 4 or 5)] in both groups. Outcomes of DEEH and non-hemorrhagic IVDE did not differ when taken to surgery with comparable success rates when stratified by MFS. Similarly, outcomes did not differ between DEEH and non-hemorrhagic IVDE dogs when assessed by compression to decompression ratio. Dogs with DEEH compression had more compressed sites than dogs with non-hemorrhagic IVDE (P = 0.001) and had more sites decompressed surgically than dogs with non-hemorrhagic IVDE (P < 0.001). Consequently, the compression to decompression ratio did not differ between the two groups (P = 0.52). Our results support the finding that when a similar level of surgical decompression is achieved, dogs with DEEH compression have similar outcomes to dogs with non-hemorrhagic IVDE for similar degrees of neurological dysfunction.
Artificial Intelligence: Present and Future Potential for Solid Organ Transplantation
Authors: Peloso Andrea , Moeckli Beat , Delaune Vaihere , Oldani Graziano , Andres Axel , Compagnon Philippe
Published: July 2022

Artificial intelligence (AI) refers to computer algorithms used to complete tasks that usually require human intelligence. Typical examples include complex decision-making and- image or speech analysis. AI application in healthcare is rapidly evolving and it undoubtedly holds an enormous potential for the field of solid organ transplantation. In this review, we provide an overview of AI-based approaches in solid organ transplantation. Particularly, we identified four key areas of transplantation which could be facilitated by AI: organ allocation and donor-recipient pairing, transplant oncology, real-time immunosuppression regimes, and precision transplant pathology. The potential implementations are vast—from improved allocation algorithms, smart donor-recipient matching and dynamic adaptation of immunosuppression to automated analysis of transplant pathology. We are convinced that we are at the beginning of a new digital era in transplantation, and that AI has the potential to improve graft and patient survival. This manuscript provides a glimpse into how AI innovations could shape an exciting future for the transplantation community.