bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Exosome-transmitted miR-3124-5p promotes cholangiocarcinoma development via targeting GDF11
Authors: Gao Huijie , He Zhaobin , Gao Chao , Liu Naiqing , Zhang Zhaoyang , Niu Weibo , Niu Jun , Peng Cheng
Published: August 2022

Objective

Cholangiocarcinoma (CHOL) is a deadly cancer worldwide with limited available therapies. The aim of this study was to investigate key exosomal miRNAs and their functions in CHOL development.

Methods

Serum exosomes were isolated from patients with CHOL and healthy controls, followed by miRNA sequencing for identifying differentially expressed miRNAs (DEMs) and their functions. Then, the expression of key DEMs was experimentally validated in exosomes from clinical CHOL patients and CHOL cells. The effects of overexpression of key DEMs on CHOL cell migration and proliferation were investigated. A key exosomal DEM miR-3124-5p was identified. The effects of overexpression or knockdown of exosomal miR-3124-5p on the proliferation, migration, and angiogenesis of human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs) were investigated. Moreover, the function of exosomal miR-3124-5p on tumor growth in vivo was explored.

Results

A total of 632 exosomal DEMs were identified between CHOL and control samples. Target genes of DEMs were significantly enriched in pathways, such as the p53 signaling pathway. miR-3124-5p was upregulated in serum exosomes from CHOL patients and exosomes from CHOL cells, and overexpression of miR-3124-5p promoted RBE cell migration and viability. Moreover, overexpression of exosomal miR-3124-5p promoted the proliferation, migration, and angiogenesis of HUVECs, while knockdown of miR-3124-5p had the opposite effect. miR-3124-5p could target growth differentiation factor 11 (GDF11) and downregulate GDF11 expression. Furthermore, exosomal miR-3124-5p promoted tumor growth in vivo.

Conclusions

Our findings revealed that exosome-encapsulated miR-3124-5p promoted the malignant progression of CHOL by targeting GDF11. Exosomal miR-3124-5p and GDF11 could be promising biomarkers or therapeutic targets for CHOL.
State-of-the-art combination treatment strategies for advanced stage non–small cell lung cancer
Authors: Yao Yongfang , Fareed Rameesha , Zafar Aliya , Saleem Kalsoom , Huang Tao , Duan Yongtao , Rehman Masood Ur
Published: August 2022

Non–small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) is the most abundant type of epithelial lung cancer being diagnosed after 40% of invasions of excrescence in pulmonary tissues. According to WHO, 30% of NSCLC patients can be cured if diagnosed and treated early. Mutations play an important role in advanced stage NSCLC treatment, which includes critical proteins necessary for cellular growth and replication. Restricting such mutations may improve survival in lung cancer patients. Newer technologies include endoscopic bronchial ultrasonography and esophageal ultrasonography. Currently, policymaking or decision-making for treatment regimens merely depends on the genomic alterations and mutations. DNA sequencing, methylation, protein, and fragmented DNA analysis do NSCLC screening. Achievement of these goals requires consideration of available therapeutics in current anticancer approaches for improving quality of life and treatment outcomes for NSCLC patient. The specific goals of this review are to discuss first-line and second-line therapies for advanced-stage NSCLC and molecularly targeted therapy including thoughtful discussion on precise role of treatment strategies in specific tumors. Also, concerned diagnostics, new clinical trial designs, and pursuing appropriate combinations of radiotherapy and/or chemotherapy with biological therapy for exceptional cases considering resistance mechanisms and palliative care will be discussed.
Multi-omics analysis of expression and prognostic value of NSUN members in prostate cancer
Authors: Sun Guangyu , Ma Shenfei , Zheng Zhiwen , Wang Xiaohua , Chen Shuaiqi , Chang Taihao , Liang Zhengxin , Jiang Yuchen , Xu Shengxian , Liu Ranlu
Published: August 2022

Background

Prostate cancer is the most common tumor in men worldwide, seriously threatening the health of older men, and 5-methylcytosine (m5C) RNA modification has been shown to have a significant impact on the development and progression of various tumors. However, as the most critical methyltransferase for m5c RNA modification, the role of the NSUN members (NSUN1-7) in prostate cancer is unclear.

Methods

We obtained sequencing data of genes and related clinical data of prostate cancer from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) database and Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) database and analyzed the correlation between NSUN members’ expression and prognosis. we found that NSUN2 was closely implicated in the prognosis of prostate cancer, then verified the expression of NSUN2 in clinical samples, and obtained the correlation between NSUN2 and immune cell infiltration through CIBERSORT algorithm and ESTIMATE method. The relationship between NSUN2 copy number variation and immune cell infiltration was further analyzed in the TIMER database and identified signaling pathways associated with NSUN2 expression by GO, KEGG, and GSEA analysis. Finally, we verified the expression of NSUN2 in prostate cancer cell lines and confirmed the role of NSUN2 on the biological behavior of prostate cancer cells by proliferation and migration-related assays.

Results

NOP2 and NSUN2 were upregulated in prostate tumor tissues. NSUN2 expression is closely associated with tumor prognosis. NSUN2 high expression implies poor clinical features, and the NSUN family is significantly associated with tumor stromal score and immune score. Besides, NSUN2 is associated with a variety of immune infiltrating cells (B cells memory, T cells CD4 memory resting, T cells CD4 memory activated, NK cells resting, and so on). High NSUN2 expression lowers the sensitivity of many chemotherapy drugs, such as docetaxel, doxorubicin, fluorouracil, cisplatin, and etoposide. In prostate cancer, the most common type of mutation in NSUN2 is amplification, and NSUN2 copy number variation is closely associated with NSUN2 expression and immune cell infiltration. GSEA analysis showed that the related genes were mainly enriched in ubiquitin-mediated protein hydrolysis, cell cycle, RNA degradation, endometrial cancer, prostate cancer, p53 signaling pathway, and NSUN2 potentiated the proliferation and migration of prostate cancer cells.

Conclusions

NSUN2 is highly expressed in prostate cancer, which contributes to the progression of prostate cancer, and is closely implicated in immune cell infiltration and chemotherapy drugs. NSUN2 is expected to be a prospective marker and a new treatment target for prostate cancer.
NAT10 acetylates BCL-XL mRNA to promote the proliferation of multiple myeloma cells through PI3K-AKT pathway
Authors: Zhang Yuanjiao , Deng Zhendong , Sun Shanliang , Xie Siyuan , Jiang Mingmei , Chen Bing , Gu Chunyan , Yang Ye
Published: August 2022

Multiple myeloma (MM) is a clinically distinctive plasma cell malignancy in the bone marrow (BM), in which epigenetic abnormalities are featured prominently. Epigenetic modifications including acetylation have been deemed to contribute to tumorigenesis. N-acetyltransferase 10 (NAT10) is an important regulator of mRNA acetylation in many cancers, however its function in MM is poorly studied. We first analyzed MM clinical databases and found that elevated NAT10 expression conferred a poor prognosis in MM patients. Furthermore, overexpression of NAT10 promoted MM cell proliferation. The correlation analysis of acRIP-seq screened BCL-XL (BCL2L1) as a significant downstream target of NAT10. Further RNA decay assay showed that increased NAT10 improved the stability of BCL-XL mRNA and promoted protein translation to suppress cell apoptosis. NAT10 activated PI3K-AKT pathway and upregulated CDK4/CDK6 to accelerate cellular proliferation. Importantly, inhibition of NAT10 by Remodelin suppressed MM cell growth and induced cell apoptosis. Our findings show the important role of NAT10/BCL-XL axis in promoting MM cell proliferation. Further explorations are needed to fully define the potential of targeting NAT10 therapy in MM treatment.
Iron deficiency anemia and thrombosis risk in children—revisiting an old hypothesis
Authors: Kalff Hannah , Cario Holger , Holzhauer Susanne
Published: August 2022

Iron deficiency anemia has a high prevalence in children and has repeatedly been implicated as a risk factor for arterial and venous thrombosis. As an effective therapy for iron deficiency anemia is available, understanding the association between this form of anemia and the potentially severe thrombosis phenotype is of major clinical interest. Recent findings shed light on pathophysiology of hypercoagulability resulting from iron-restricted erythropoiesis. Specifically, an animal model of induced iron deficiency allowed identifying multiple mechanisms, by which iron deficiency anemia results in increased thrombus formation and thrombus progression both in arterial and venous thrombosis. These findings complement and support conclusions derived from clinical data. The purpose of this mini review is to summarize current evidence on the association of iron deficiency anemia and thrombosis. We want to increase the awareness of iron deficiency as a risk factor for thrombosis in the pediatric population. We discuss how novel pathophysiological concepts can be translated into the clinical settings and suggest clinical studies on prevention and treatment strategies in high-risk patient groups.
Identifying Drug-Induced Liver Injury Associated With Inflammation-Drug and Drug-Drug Interactions in Pharmacologic Treatments for COVID-19 by Bioinformatics and System Biology Analyses: The Role of Pregnane X Receptor
Authors: Huang Jingjing , Zhang Zhaokang , Hao Chenxia , Qiu Yuzhen , Tan Ruoming , Liu Jialin , Wang Xiaoli , Yang Wanhua , Qu Hongping
Published: August 2022

Of the patients infected with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), approximately 14–53% developed liver injury resulting in poor outcomes. Drug-induced liver injury (DILI) is the primary cause of liver injury in COVID-19 patients. In this study, we elucidated liver injury mechanism induced by drugs of pharmacologic treatments against SARS-CoV-2 (DPTS) using bioinformatics and systems biology. Totally, 1209 genes directly related to 216 DPTS (DPTSGs) were genes encoding pharmacokinetics and therapeutic targets of DPTS and enriched in the pathways related to drug metabolism of CYP450s, pregnane X receptor (PXR), and COVID-19 adverse outcome. A network, constructed by 110 candidate targets which were the shared part of DPTSGs and 445 DILI targets, identified 49 key targets and four Molecular Complex Detection clusters. Enrichment results revealed that the 4 clusters were related to inflammatory responses, CYP450s regulated by PXR, NRF2-regualted oxidative stress, and HLA-related adaptive immunity respectively. In cluster 1, IL6, IL1B, TNF, and CCL2 of the top ten key targets were enriched in COVID-19 adverse outcomes pathway, indicating the exacerbation of COVID-19 inflammation on DILI. PXR-CYP3A4 expression of cluster 2 caused DILI through inflammation-drug interaction and drug-drug interactions among pharmaco-immunomodulatory agents, including tocilizumab, glucocorticoids (dexamethasone, methylprednisolone, and hydrocortisone), and ritonavir. NRF2 of cluster 3 and HLA targets of cluster four promoted DILI, being related to ritonavir/glucocorticoids and clavulanate/vancomycin. This study showed the pivotal role of PXR associated with inflammation-drug and drug-drug interactions on DILI and highlighted the cautious clinical decision-making for pharmacotherapy to avoid DILI in the treatment of COVID-19 patients.
PGPR Kosakonia Radicincitans KR-17 Increases the Salt Tolerance of Radish by Regulating Ion-Homeostasis, Photosynthetic Molecules, Redox Potential, and Stressor Metabolites
Authors: Shahid Mohammad , Al-Khattaf Fatimah S. , Danish Mohammad , Zeyad Mohammad Tarique , Atef Hatamleh Ashraf , Mohamed Abdullah , Ali Sajad
Published: August 2022

Among abiotic stresses, salinity is a significant limiting factor affecting agricultural productivity, survival, and production, resulting in significant economic losses. Considering the salinity problem, the goal of this study was to identify a halotolerant beneficial soil bacterium to circumvent salinity-induced phytotoxicity. Here, strain KR-17 (having an irregular margin; a mucoid colony; Gm-ve short rod; optimum temperature, 30°C; pH 7.0; no any pigmentation; showed a positive response to citrate utilization, catalase, starch, sucrose, lactose, and dextrose, etc.) recovered from rhizosphere soils of the potato-cultivating field, tolerated surprisingly a high (18% NaCl; 3.-M concentration) level of salt and identified as Kosakonia radicincitans (Accession No. OM348535). This strain was discovered to be metabolically active, synthesized essential PGP bioactive molecules like indole-3-acetic acid (IAA), siderophore (iron-chelating compounds), ACC deaminase, and ammonia, the quantity of which, however, increased with increasing NaCl concentrations. Here, Raphanus sativus L. (radish) was taken as a model crop to evaluate the adverse impact of NaCl, as well as salinity alleviation by halotolerant K. radicincitans. Salinity-induced toxicity to R. sativus was increased in a dose-dependent way, as observed both in vitro and in vivo conditions. Maximum NaCl levels (15%) demonstrated more extreme harm and considerably reduced the plant's biological features. However, membrane damage, relative leaf water content (RLWC), stressor metabolites, and antioxidant enzymes were increased as NaCl concentration increased. In contrast, halotolerant K. radicincitans KR-17 relieved salinity stress and enhanced the overall performance of R. sativus (L.) by increasing germination efficiency, dry biomass, and leaf pigments even in salt-challenged conditions. Additionally, KR-17 inoculation significantly (p ≤ 0.05) improved plant mineral nutrients (Na, K, Ca, Mg, Zn, Fe, Cu, P, and N). Following inoculation, strain KR-17 enhanced the protein, carbohydrates, root pigments, amino acids (AsA and Lys), lipids, and root alkaloids in R. sativus (L.). Besides these, due to PGPR seed priming in NaCl-stressed/non-stressed conditions, membrane damage, RLWC, stressor metabolites, and antioxidant defense enzymes were dramatically reduced. The strong biofilm-forming capacity of K. radicincitans could result in both in vitro and in vivo colonization under NaCl stress. Conclusively, halotolerant K. radicincitans KR-17 may probably be investigated affordably as the greatest way to increase the production of radish under salinity-stressed soils.
CRISPR/Cas9-mediated mutation in auxin efflux carrier OsPIN9 confers chilling tolerance by modulating reactive oxygen species homeostasis in rice
Authors: Xu Huawei , Yang Xiaoyi , Zhang Yanwen , Wang Huihui , Wu Shiyang , Zhang Zhuoyan , Ahammed Golam Jalal , Zhao Chunzhao , Liu Hao
Published: August 2022

Phytohormone auxin plays a vital role in plant development and responses to environmental stresses. The spatial and temporal distribution of auxin mainly relies on the polar distribution of the PIN-FORMED (PIN) auxin efflux carriers. In this study, we dissected the functions of OsPIN9, a monocot-specific auxin efflux carrier gene, in modulating chilling tolerance in rice. The results showed that OsPIN9 expression was dramatically and rapidly suppressed by chilling stress (4°C) in rice seedlings. The homozygous ospin9 mutants were generated by CRISPR/Cas9 technology and employed for further research. ospin9 mutant roots and shoots were less sensitive to 1-naphthaleneacetic acid (NAA) and N-1-naphthylphthalamic acid (NPA), indicating the disturbance of auxin homeostasis in the ospin9 mutants. The chilling tolerance assay showed that ospin9 mutants were more tolerant to chilling stress than wild-type (WT) plants, as evidenced by increased survival rate, decreased membrane permeability, and reduced lipid peroxidation. However, the expression of well-known C-REPEAT BINDING FACTOR (CBF)/DEHYDRATION-RESPONSIVE ELEMENT-BINDING PROTEIN 1 (DREB)-dependent transcriptional regulatory pathway and Ca2+ signaling genes was significantly induced only under normal conditions, implying that defense responses in ospin9 mutants have probably been triggered in advance under normal conditions. Histochemical staining of reactive oxygen species (ROS) by 3′3-diaminobenzidine (DAB) and nitroblue tetrazolium (NBT) showed that ospin9 mutants accumulated more ROS than WT at the early stage of chilling stress, while less ROS was observed at the later stage of chilling treatment in ospin9 mutants. Consistently, antioxidant enzyme activity, including catalase (CAT), peroxidase (POD), and superoxide dismutase (SOD), improved significantly during the early chilling treatments, while was kept similar to WT at the later stage of chilling treatment, implying that the enhanced chilling tolerance of ospin9 mutants is mainly attributed to the earlier induction of ROS and the improved ROS scavenging ability at the subsequent stages of chilling treatment. In summary, our results strongly suggest that the OsPIN9 gene regulates chilling tolerance by modulating ROS homeostasis in rice.
Restoration Skills Training in a Natural Setting Compared to Conventional Mindfulness Training: Sustained Advantages at a 6-Month Follow-Up
Authors: Lymeus Freddie , White Mathew P. , Lindberg Per , Hartig Terry
Published: August 2022

Restoration skills training (ReST) is a mindfulness-based course in which participants draw support from a natural practice setting while they learn to meditate. Well-established conventional mindfulness training (CMT) can improve psychological functioning but many perceive it as demanding and fail to sustain practice habits. Applying non-inferiority logic, previous research indicated that ReST overcomes compliance problems without compromising the benefits gained over 5 weeks’ training. This article applies similar logic in a 6-month follow-up. Of 97 contacted ReST and CMT course completers, 68 responded and 29 were included with multiple imputation data. The online survey included questions about their psychological functioning in three domains (dispositional mindfulness, cognitive lapses, and perceived stress) and the forms and frequencies with which they had continued to practice mindfulness after the course. Former ReST participants continued, on average, to show higher dispositional mindfulness and fewer cognitive lapses compared to pre-course ratings. Improved psychological functioning in one or more domains was demonstrated by 35%, as determined by a reliable change index. Again, analyses detected no indications of any substantive disadvantages compared to the more demanding, established CMT approach. Compared to the CMT group, more ReST participants had also continued to practice at least occasionally (92 vs. 67%). Continued practice was linked to sustained improvements for ReST but not clearly so for CMT. ReST participants thus continued to use the skills and sustained the improvements in psychological functioning that they had gained in the course, further supporting the utility of ReST as a health intervention.
Exploring family educational involvement and social skills in Chinese preschoolers: The moderating role of parent-child relationship
Authors: Liu Hao , Qiu Yuxi , Luo Li
Published: August 2022

The purpose of this study was to examine parent-child relationship as a moderator of the association between family educational involvement and the social skills of preschoolers. A total of 4,938 children (M = 5.09-years-old, SD = 0.81) were sampled from 18 preschools in Hebei province, China, and their parents completed a survey packet to collect demographic information, as well as ratings of parental involvement, relationships with their children, and child social skill development. The results of multivariate regression analysis suggested that: (1) both home-based involvement and home-school conferencing could significantly predict preschoolers’ social skills, (2) there was stronger evidence for a relationship of home-based involvement and preschoolers’ social skills, (3) closeness in parent-child relationship moderated the path from home-based involvement to preschoolers’ social skills, and (4) there was no interactive effect between family educational involvement and parent-child conflict. These findings highlight the significance of the joint influences of family educational involvement and parent-child relationship in shaping children’s social skills. The impact of home-based involvement was boosted in the context of a close parent-child relationship.
How to design font size for older adults: A systematic literature review with a mobile device
Authors: Hou Guanhua , Anicetus Umenwaniri , He Jingwei
Published: August 2022

With the global society aging, it is necessary to investigate suitable font size based on reading time/speed, readability and legibility for older adults. This study used a systematic review of previous and existing relevant research on font size for older adults and research on the psychophysics of reading and analyzed the outcomes based on reading time/speed, readability, legibility and the usability evaluation methods employed. Studies were selected from databases GOOGLE SCHOLAR, WEB OF SCIENCE, PUBMED, and SCIENCE DIRECT. An inclusion criterion was used to remove duplicates and avoid inconsistencies. Results suggest that older adults preferred larger font sizes. However, there exists a critical size at which readability declines. Inconsistencies in evaluation methods and experimental procedures were observed in the selected articles. This study suggested a reusable catalog of usability evaluation methods, eye tracking for user testing and a questionnaire for inquiry as suitable usability evaluation methods, a uniform metrics to measure font size (visual angle of font) in arcminutes and parameters to consider when investigating font size for older adults to ensure consistency in future studies.
Developmental trajectories of expert perception processing of Chinese characters in primary school children
Authors: Sun Yini , Wang Jianping , Ye Qing , Liu Baiwei , Zhong Ping , Li Chenglin , Cao Xiaohua
Published: August 2022

Previous studies have demonstrated that inversion effect and left-side bias are stable expertise markers in Chinese character processing among adults. However, it is less clear how these markers develop early on (i.e., among primary school students). Therefore, this study aimed to investigate the development of the two markers by comparing primary school-aged students of three age groups (Grade 1, Grade 3, and Grade 5) and adults in tests of inversion effect (Experiment 1) and left-sided bias effect (Experiment 2). The results replicated that both effects during Chinese character processing were present among adults. However, more importantly, the effects were different among primary school-aged students in different grades: the inversion effect was found as early as in Grade 1, but the left-side bias effect did not emerge in Grade 1 and as approximated that of adults until Grade 3. The study suggested a potential dissociation in developing different aspects of expertise during Chinese character processing in early childhood.
Exploring the links between alexithymia and cognitive emotion regulation strategies in internet addiction: A network analysis model
Authors: Luo Hongge , Gong Xun , Chen Xiaomei , Hu Jianing , Wang Xiaoyi , Sun Yekun , Li Jiating , Lv Shaobo , Zhang Xiujun
Published: August 2022

Alexithymia and emotion regulation are closely related to internet addiction. However, no research has examined how the different components of alexithymia are associated with cognitive emotion regulation in the context of multi-strategy use in internet addiction. The current study aimed to investigate the relation between alexithymia and cognitive emotion regulation in individuals with internet addiction via network analysis. Participants included 560 students with Young’s Internet Addiction Test scores greater than 50 points; they were also asked to complete the Toronto Alexithymia Scale (TAS-20) and the Cognitive Emotion Regulation Questionnaire (CERQ). The results revealed two bridge nodes emerging within the combined alexithymia and cognitive emotion regulation network model: “catastrophizing” and “externally oriented thoughts.” These findings indicate a more specific relation between alexithymia and cognitive emotion regulation and provide empirical evidence for targeted prevention and targeted interventions for internet addiction.
Government intervention, internal control, and technology innovation of SMEs in China
Authors: Ye Sun , Yi Sun , Fangjing Shao , Yuzhu Qi
Published: August 2022

Under the innovation-driven development strategy, the improvement of the core competitiveness of enterprises demonstrates increasing dependence on the ability of technological innovation. In this article, data of A-share listed companies in Shanghai and Shenzhen stock markets from 2008 to 2018 were selected as research samples for the analysis of the influencing factors and mechanism of enterprise technological innovation from the dual perspectives of the external economic environment and internal management system based on the use of the fixed-effect model. The results show that government intervention significantly hinders enterprises' investment in resources for technological innovation, and less government intervention can improve the innovation investment of enterprises. The intervention of internal control fails to bring institutional advantages; rather, it aggravates the negative effect of government intervention on enterprise technological innovation. The research enriches the existing academic research results on government intervention, internal control quality, and enterprise technological innovation. The findings provide experience for accelerating the marketization process in China, enterprise governance, and improving the level of enterprise technological innovation.
Case Report: Functional and Symptomatic Improvement With Cariprazine in Various Psychiatric Patients: A Case Series
Authors: Vannucchi Tommaso , Taddeucci Costanza , Tatini Lorenzo
Published: August 2022

Cariprazine is a third-generation antipsychotic medication approved for the treatment of schizophrenia and bipolar disorder, with unique pharmacodynamic and pharmacokinetic properties. In this case series, the functional and symptomatic improvement of three patients who had been diagnosed with different psychiatric disorders and who exhibited various symptoms from psychotic to mood symptoms is described. The first case is about a young male patient with bipolar disorder and cocaine abuse who managed to become abstinent from cariprazine. The second and third cases describe patients with psychosis suffering from positive, cognitive and mood symptoms who were non-adherent to previous medication. In both cases, cariprazine was well-tolerated and effective in alleviating symptoms, thus improving their everyday functioning as well. In the discussion, the associations between symptom domains and the receptor profile of cariprazine are also highlighted, providing an explanation of the observed effects. It is concluded that cariprazine is a good treatment option for patients with symptoms of psychosis and addiction; is well-tolerated without the induction of side effects such as weight gain or sedation; and is appropriate for patients who have problems with adherence.
Adolescent social emotional skills, resilience and behavioral problems during the COVID-19 pandemic: A longitudinal study in three European countries
Authors: Martinsone Baiba , Stokenberga Ieva , Damberga Ilze , Supe Inga , Simões Celeste , Lebre Paula , Canha Lúcia , Santos Margarida , Santos Anabela Caetano , Fonseca Ana Marta , Santos Dória , Gaspar de Matos Margarida , Conte Elisabetta , Agliati Alessia , Cavioni Valeria , Gandellini Sabina , Grazzani Ilaria , Ornaghi Veronica , Camilleri Liberato
Published: August 2022

Objectives

The consequences of long-lasting restrictions related to the COVID-19 pandemic have become a topical question in the latest research. The present study aims to analyze longitudinal changes in adolescents’ social emotional skills, resilience, and behavioral problems. Moreover, the study addresses the impact of adolescents’ social emotional learning on changes in their resilience and behavioral problems over the course of seven months of the pandemic.

Methods

The Time 1 (T1) and Time 2 (T2) measuring points were in October 2020 and May 2021, characterized by high mortality rates and strict restrictions in Europe. For all three countries combined, 512 questionnaires were answered by both adolescents (aged 11-13 and 14-16 years) and their parents. The SSIS-SEL and SDQ student self-report and parent forms were used to evaluate adolescents’ social emotional skills and behavioral problems. The CD-RISC-10 scale was administered to adolescents to measure their self-reported resilience. Several multilevel models were fitted to investigate the changes in adolescents’ social emotional skills, resilience, and behavioral problems, controlling for age and gender. Correlation analysis was carried out to investigate how changes in the adolescents’ social emotional skills were associated with changes in their resilience and mental health adjustment.

Results

Comparing T1 and T2 evaluations, adolescents claim they have more behavioral problems, have less social emotional skills, and are less prosocial than perceived by their parents, and this result applies across all countries and age groups. Both informants agree that COVID-19 had a negative impact, reporting an increment in the mean internalizing and externalizing difficulties scores and reductions in social emotional skills, prosocial behavior, and resilience scores. However, these changes are not very conspicuous, and most of them are not significant. Correlation analysis shows that changes in adolescents’ social emotional skills are negatively and significantly related to changes in internalized and externalized problems and positively and significantly related to changes in prosocial behavior and resilience. This implies that adolescents who experienced larger development in social emotional learning also experienced more increase in resilience and prosocial behavior and a decrease in difficulties.

Conclusion

Due to its longitudinal design, sample size, and multi-informant approach, this study adds to a deeper understanding of the pandemic’s consequences on adolescents’ mental health.
The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the national HPV immunization program in Malaysia
Authors: Rao Sharvina Ramesh , Kampan Nirmala , Chew Kah Teik , Shafiee Mohamad Nasir
Published: August 2022

In Malaysia, the HPV immunization program has been introduced since 2010 as part of the national immunization plan for female students aged 13 years old. It was a very successful immunization program with good responses from students and parents until the start of COVID-19 pandemic in 2020. The COVID-19 pandemic caused the schools to be closed and resulted about 225000 female students aged 13 years old either missed their vaccination or have incomplete doses of HPV vaccination in 2020 and 2021. This could possibly lead to an increase in cases of cervical cancer and genital warts in the upcoming years. Hence, a wellorganized catch-up HPV vaccination program is vital in ensuring the aim of achieving zero HPV-related infections in the future.
Risk Factors and Mental Health Status in Patients With Non-Tuberculous Mycobacterial Lung Disease: A Single Center Retrospective Study
Authors: Zhao Zhangyan , Hu Huiliang , Wang Mei , Li Feng , Tang Haicheng
Published: August 2022

According to the existing data, the incidence and prevalence of non-tuberculous mycobacteria (NTM) are increasing worldwide. The risk factors and mental health status of patients with NTM lung disease are important and deserve our attention. A total of 180 patients with NTM lung disease hospitalized from January 2018 to December 2021 were selected as the NTM group, and 90 patients with non-severe community-acquired pneumonia (CAP) who were hospitalized during the same period were selected as the control group. The Symptom Checklist-90 (SCL-90) was used to assess the mental health status of the patients. The data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, logistic regression, and receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves. There were no significant differences in age, sex, marital status, or smoking history between the two groups (p > 0.05), but there were significant differences in educational level, underlying diseases, occupation, living environment, and body mass index (BMI) (p < 0.01). According to the classification of basic diseases, bronchiectasis was found in 82 (45.6%) patients, followed by hypertension in 66 (36.7%) patients, and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) in 39 (21.7%) patients. The NTM strains were identified M. intercelleulare caused 41 cases (22.8%), followed by Mycobacterium avium and Mycobacterium gordonae, each with 35 cases (19.4%), and Mycobacterium abscessus with 32 cases (17.8%). The SCL-90 found that 160 (88.9%) of 180 patients with NTM lung disease had developed mental health problems, among which the four highest-scoring factors were anxiety (ANX: 29.4%), depression (DEPR: 18.8%), sleep and diet (SD: 16.9%), and somatization (SOM: 11.3%). Through multivariate logistic regression analysis, it was found that educational level, underlying diseases, living environment, and BMI were independent risk factors for the occurrence of NTM lung disease (p < 0.01). The Hosmer–Lemeshow test was used to check the model's fitness. The ROC curve showed that the area under the curve (AUC) was 0.896, the sensitivity was 83.3%, and the specificity was 85.6%. Patients with NTM lung disease have many risk factors and prominent mental health problems that may require interventions during the process of clinical diagnosis and treatment.
Actively incorporating lifestyle modifications into daily life: The key to adherence in a lifestyle intervention programme for metabolic syndrome
Authors: Wang Qun , Chair Sek Ying , Wong Eliza Mi Ling , Qiu Xichenhui
Published: August 2022

Introduction

Lifestyle modifications are the first-line interventions for metabolic syndrome (MetS) management. The effectiveness of lifestyle interventions depends mostly on participants' adherence to the interventions. The current study was to explore the experiences of MetS patients in attending lifestyle intervention program (LIP) and the factors that influenced their adherence to the interventions.

Methods

A descriptive qualitative study was designed following the COREQ guideline. Face-to-face semi-structured individual interviews were conducted with a purposive sample from the participants who attended the LIP using the data saturation principle. Content analysis of transcripts was conducted following the methods proposed by Graneheim and Lundman.

Results

The study recruited 27 participants, including 13 males and 14 females. Four themes were identified: (i) the positive and beneficial experiences of attending the LIP, including incorporating lifestyle modifications into daily life, improved physical and psychological health, and empowerment; (ii) facilitators of adherence, including individualized lifestyle education, regular follow-ups, and adequate interpersonal support; (iii) barriers to adherence, including personal resistance, competing demands, and contextual factors; (iv) suggestions for future interventions: with multidisciplinary team, longer term intervention, and more efficient approaches. The findings also indicated that young-to-middle aged patients faced more conflicts with role-related commitments, and were open for e-approaches in lifestyle interventions.

Conclusion

The LIP provided positive and beneficial experiences for the participants. Actively incorporating lifestyle modifications into daily life is the key to maintain participants' adherence to the LIP. Culturally appropriate and psycho-behavioral strategies should be adopted to overcome personal and contextual barriers. Special attentions should be paid for the young-to-middle aged population in MetS management.
Transitioning to a sustainable circular economy: The transformation required to decouple growth from environmental degradation
Authors: Voulvoulis Nikolaos
Published: August 2022

The UN 2030 agenda of Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) envisions a future of inclusive equity, justice and prosperity within planetary boundaries, and places an important emphasis on ending poverty (SDG 1) and on sustainable economic growth (SDG 8). Target 8.4 refers to the need to improve global resource efficiency in consumption and production, and decoupling economic growth from environmental degradation, the ultimate goal of a sustainable circular economy. Here, we explore the potential of the transition to such an economy, and discuss the transformation required for moving away from our current model of consumption with its ever increasing generation of waste. The primary aim of such transformation is to rethink what we understand as growth, in order to redefine what is meant by progress and, in the process, redesign our economies, ultimately decoupling our prosperity from material consumption, carbon emissions and waste. Dematerialisation, servitisation, collaborative consumption and a shift from ownership to access have the potential to restructure the economics of consumption, accelerate decoupling, and help us to envision and potentially create a circular economy that delivers social, economic and environmental benefits for all. However, their current deployment without policy steer, public support and appropriate technology developments could turn to be a missed opportunity for ensuring sustainable economic growth fully aligned with sound environmental stewardship and social development, and the transition to a truly sustainable circular economy.
Understanding exercise addiction, psychiatric characteristics and use of anabolic androgenic steroids among recreational athletes – An online survey study
Authors: Gunnarsson Björn , Entezarjou Artin , Fernández-Aranda Fernando , Jiménez-Murcia Susana , Kenttä Göran , Håkansson Anders
Published: August 2022

Background

The purpose of this paper was to explore maladaptive behaviors among physically active individuals, including exercise dependence and use of anabolic steroids. Both exercise addiction (EA) and use of anabolic androgenic steroids (AAS) correlate to high amounts of exercise and EA have been linked to eating disorders and other mental health problems.

Methods

An internet survey was spread through fitness-related social media. Inclusion criteria were age ≥ 15 years and exercise frequency ≥ thrice weekly. Exercise addiction inventory identified those at-risk of EA (rEA). Characteristics of rEA were compared to those not at risk. In a separate analysis, AAS users were compared to AAS-naïve individuals.

Results

In total, 3,029 participants completed the questionnaire. Of these, 11% screened positive for being rEA, and 23% for ED. Factors associated with EA included daily exercise, social phobia, eating disorders and OCD. Risk consumption of alcohol was a negative predictor. Thirty seven participants had taken AAS the last year. These were mainly men, bodybuilders/powerlifters and more often used amphetamines and opioids.

Discussion

This exploratory study supports EA being strongly associated with eating disorders. Identified associations between EA and compulsive or anxiety disorders warrant further research to clarify if these associations arise prior to, together with, or secondary to EA.
Erythrocyte sedimentation rate in canine leishmaniosis diagnosis: A new resource
Authors: Cavalera Maria Alfonsa , Gernone Floriana , Uva Annamaria , Donghia Rossella , Carelli Grazia , Iatta Roberta , Zatelli Andrea
Published: August 2022

This study aims to evaluate the erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR) in Leishmania infantum-seropositive dogs compared with healthy dogs and to assess the existence of a correlation between ESR and clinical form of Canine leishmaniosis (CanL) as well as acute phase proteins (APPs). From October 2021 to January 2022, dogs were recruited in this study if L. infantum-seropositive by enzyme-linked immunoassay and classified as exposed or affected by a CanL active form based on physical examination, clinical score, and laboratory results [i.e., complete blood count, biochemical panel such as C-reactive protein (CRP) and serum ferritin, serum protein electrophoresis, and fibrinogen concentration measurement]. To evaluate the ESR of the dogs, a point-of-care device was used with a reference interval of 0–10 mm/h. Moreover, the ESR evaluation has been also performed in clinically healthy dogs, as control group. Thirty-six L. infantum-seropositive dogs [i.e., exposed (n = 10) and affected by CanL active form (n = 26)] were included in the study. Twenty-two healthy dogs were also enrolled. The mean value of ESR in dogs affected by a CanL active form was significantly higher than in exposed and healthy dogs (p < 0.0001). The ESR level was increased in 92% of dogs with CanL active form while positive APPs such as CRP, fibrinogen, and serum ferritin were increased only in 46, 48, and 58% of the animals, respectively. In exposed dogs, the ESR level was increased in 40% of cases. In dogs with active form, a significant positive correlation between ESR and total proteins, globulins, CRP, and fibrinogen, as well as a significant negative correlation between ESR and hematocrit, hemoglobin, and albumin/globulin ratio were detected. This study provides for the first-time data on ESR in L. infantum-seropositive dogs demonstrating dogs affected by a CanL active form have the highest ESR level and the majority of these dogs presented an increased ESR compared with exposed and healthy dogs. The evaluation of ESR by a point-of-care device proved to be a simple, inexpensive, and ready-to-use benchtop tool and ESR can be considered a helpful and timely inflammatory biomarker for the diagnosis of a CanL active form.
Dual Synthetic Jets Actuator and Its Applications—Part II: Novel Fluidic Thrust-Vectoring Method Based on Dual Synthetic Jets Actuator
Authors: Liu Jie-Fu , Luo Zhen-Bing , Deng Xiong , Zhao Zhi-Jie , Li Shi-Qing , Liu Qiang , Zhu Yin-Xin
Published: August 2022

A novel fluidic thrust-vectoring (FTV) control method based on dual synthetic jets actuator (DSJA) is proposed and evaluated. Numerical simulations are governed by the compressible Unsteady Reynolds-Averaged Navier–Stokes (URANS) equations. According to the results, DSJA is capable of deflecting a primary jet with a velocity of 100 m/s and a height of 50 mm by approximately 18 degrees with a momentum coefficient of 1.96%. It produces comparatively linear control characteristics in almost all deflection angles evaluated (0~23 degrees). The low pressure generated by DSJA, the ejecting enhanced by DSJA, and the co-flow effect produced by the accelerated secondary jet all play roles in the deflection of the primary jet. Since the primary jet is strong enough, the potential of DSJA to provide thrust vector control is revealed.
Autonomous Attitude Reconstruction Analysis for Propulsion System with Typical Thrust Drop Fault
Authors: Yang Shuming , Xie Changlin , Cheng Yuqiang , Song Dianyi , Cui Mengyu
Published: August 2022

The propulsion system is one of the important and vulnerable sub-systems in a strap-on launch vehicle. Among different failure modes, the thrust drop fault is the most common and remediable one. It degrades vehicle attitude tracking ability directly. To this end, this paper focuses on the design and application of attitude reconstruction problems with a thrust loss fault during the ascending flight phase. We firstly analyze the special failure modes and impacts on the propulsion system through a Failure Modes and Effects Analysis (FMEA). Then, six degrees of freedom dynamic and kinematic models are formulated, which are integrated into the Matlab/Simulink environment afterward. The above models’ validation is realized through numerical simulations with different fault severity. Simulation results show that the max attitude deviation is only 0.67° approximately in the pitch angle channel under normal conditions, and the flight attitude angle deviation is directly proportional to the thrust loss percentage when the thrust drop fault occurs. Based on the validated models, a practical reconfigurable ideal through adjusting the control allocation matrix is analyzed. Then, an automation redistribution mechanism based on the moment equivalent principle before and after the thrust drop is proposed to realize proportional allocation of virtual control command among the actuators. The effectiveness of the designed attitude reconstruction method is demonstrated through numerical simulations and comparison analysis under various fault scenarios. The results show that the rocket attitude can be quickly adjusted to the predetermined program angle within about 2.5 s after the shutdown failure of a single engine, and the flight speed and altitude can also reach the required value with another 17 s engine operation. Therefore, the designed control reconfiguration strategy can deal with the thrust loss fault with high practicability and can be applied to real-time FTC systems. Last but not least, conclusions and prospects are presented to inspire researchers with further exploration in this field.
Aerodynamic Analysis of a Supersonic Transport Aircraft at Low and High Speed Flow Conditions
Authors: Aprovitola Andrea , Dyblenko Oleksandr , Pezzella Giuseppe , Viviani Antonio
Published: August 2022

The recent improvement of technology readiness level in aeronautics and the renewed demand for faster transportation are driving the rebirth of supersonic flight for commercial aviation. However, the design of a future supersonic aircraft is still very challenging due to the complexity of several problems, such as static stability performance during the acceleration phase from subsonic speeds to supersonic speeds. Additionally, the interest of scientific community in open source numerical platform as a valid tool for a reliable and affordable aerodynamic design is considerably growing. In this framework, the present work addresses the aerodynamic performance of a Concorde-like aeroshape developed within the preliminary design of a high-speed civil transportation aircraft. Several flight conditions, ranging from subsonic to supersonic speeds, were investigated in detail by using Computational Fluid Dynamics. The aerodynamic force and moment coefficients are computed with fully three-dimensional and steady state Reynolds Average Navier-Stokes simulations, carried out in turbulent flow conditions. The effect of the Mach number variation on the shift of the aircraft aerodynamic center is detailed, by focusing on the aircraft pitching static stability. Flowfield numerical simulations are performed with both commercial (Ansys-Fluent) tool and open-source (SU2) code, which is also used extensively in multidisciplinary design procedures, for further comparisons. Particular attention is focused on the shift of the aeroshape aerodynamic center to verify that the provided wing design allows the aircraft static margin to be within 5% of the reference length, both at low-speed and high-speed flight conditions. The computed positions of the aerodynamic center are in agreement with the aeroshape surface pressure distributions and confirmed the literature results available for the Concorde aircraft. Therefore, in the view of future simulation campaigns for supersonic transportation aircraft, the present work aims to bridge the gap between previous aerodynamic design experiences, for instance matured on Concorde, and those carried out with modern CFD tools on full-scale aircraft, and on time-scales compatible with conceptual design practice. Finally, as the difference between the computed aerodynamic coefficients reflected mainly on drag computation performed with SU2, a special focus on numerical diffusion effect of the solver is also given and compared with a commercial certified CFD tool. This adds a unique further contribution to the SU2 community for aeronautics application.