bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Comparative study of the impact of dietary supplementation with different types of CpG oligodeoxynucleotides (CpG ODNs) on enhancing intestinal microbiota diversity, antioxidant capacity, and immune-related gene expression profiles in Pacific white shrimp (Litopenaeus vannamei)
Authors: Hu Feng , Wang Yan , Hu Jingjie , Bao Zhenmin , Wang Mengqiang
Published: April 2023

The CpG oligodeoxynucleotides (CpG ODNs) reportedly possess the capacity to strengthen immunity in mammals. This experiment was conducted to evaluate the impact of dietary supplementation with 17 types of CpG ODNs on intestinal microbiota diversity, antioxidant capacity, and immune-related gene expression profiles of the shrimp Litopenaeus vannamei. Diets including 50 mg kg-1 CpG ODNs wrapped in egg whites were prepared and divided into 17 different groups, with 2 control groups (normal feed and feed with egg whites). These CpG ODNs supplemented diets and the control diets were fed to L. vannamei (5.15 ± 0.54 g) three times daily at 5%-8% shrimp body weight for three weeks. The results of consecutive detection of intestinal microbiota by 16S rDNA sequencing indicated that 11 of the 17 types of CpG ODNs significantly enhanced intestinal microbiota diversity, increased the populations of several probiotic bacteria, and activated possible mechanisms relevant to diseases. The immune-related genes expression and antioxidant capacity in hepatopancreas further demonstrated that the 11 types of CpG ODNs effectively improved the innate immunity of shrimp. Additionally, histology results showed that the CpG ODNs in the experiment did not damage the tissue structure of hepatopancreas. The results suggest that CpG ODNs could be used as a trace supplement to improve the intestinal health and immunity of shrimp.
Meiofauna in the southeastern Bering Sea: community composition and structuring environmental factors
Authors: Tachibana Kazuki , Shimanaga Motohiro , Langlet Dewi , Seike Koji , Miyazaki Masayuki , Yoshida Mitsuhiro , Nunoura Takuro , Nomaki Hidetaka
Published: April 2023

The Bering Sea is the second largest marginal sea in the North Pacific and is one of the areas with highest biological productivity in high-latitude waters. The continental shelf of the Bering Sea hosts large populations of marine mammals and fishery resources. However, the smaller organisms in benthic ecosystems, including meiofauna, have been largely overlooked in this area, despite their potential importance in ecosystem functioning and the resultant biogeochemical cycles. This study analyzed spatial differences in the total abundance and community structure of the metazoan meiofauna at five stations around the Bering Canyon, located at the southeastern margin of the Bering Sea. Their association with environmental factors in sediments was also studied. The results confirmed that the investigated stations had meiofaunal standing stocks that were comparable to those of other Arctic seas. Among the investigated sediment biological and geochemical parameters (total organic carbon, median grain size, prokaryotic cell numbers, etc.), multivariate analyses showed that the C/N of organic matter in sediments was the main factor associated with meiofaunal community structure.
Does 18F-Fluorocholine PET/CT add value to positive parathyroid scintigraphy in the presurgical assessment of primary hyperparathyroidism?
Authors: Imperiale Alessio , Bani Jacob , Bottoni Gianluca , Latgé Adrien , Heimburger Céline , Catrambone Ugo , Vix Michel , Treglia Giorgio , Piccardo Arnoldo
Published: April 2023

Introduction

To investigate the value of presurgical18F-FCH PET/CT in detecting additional hyperfunctioning parathyroids despite a positive99mTc-sestamibi parathyroid scintigraphy in patients with primary hyperparathyroidism (pHPT).

Methods

This is a retrospective study involving patients with pHPT, positive parathyroid scintigraphy performed before18F-FCH PET/CT, and parathyroid surgery achieved after PET/CT. Imaging procedures were performed according to the EANM practice guidelines. Images were qualitatively interpreted as positive or negative. The number of pathological findings, their topography, and ectopic location were recorded. Histopathology, Miami criterion, and biological follow-up were considered to ensure effective parathyroidectomy confirming the complete excision of all hyperfunctioning glands. The impact of18F-FCH PET/CT on therapeutic strategy was recorded.

Results

64/632 scanned pHPT patients (10%) were included in the analysis. According to a per lesion-based analysis, sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value, and negative predictive value of99mTc-sestamibi scintigraphy were 82, 95, 87, and 93%, respectively. The same values for18F-FCH PET/CT were 93, 99, 99, and 97%, respectively.18F-FCH PET/CT showed a significantly higher global accuracy than99mTc-sestamibi scintigraphy: 98% (CI: 95–99) vs. 91% (CI: 87–94%). Youden Index was 0.79 and 0.92 for99mTc-sestamibi scintigraphy and18F-FCH PET/CT, respectively. Scintigraphy and PET/CT were discordant in 13/64 (20%) patients (49 glands).18F-FCH PET/CT identified nine pathologic parathyroids not detected by99mTc-sestamibi scintigraphy in 8 patients (12.5%). Moreover,18F-FCH PET/CT allowed the reconsideration of false-positive scintigraphic diagnosis (scinti+/PET-) for 8 parathyroids in 7 patients (11%). The18F-FCH PET/CT influenced the surgical strategy in 7 cases (11% of the study population).

Conclusion

In a preoperative setting,18F-FCH PET/CT seems more accurate and useful than99mTc-sestamibi scan in pHPT patients with positive scintigraphic results. Positive parathyroid scintigraphy could be not satisfactory before neck surgery particularly in patients with multiglandular disease, suggesting a need to evolve the practice and define new preoperative imaging algorithms including18F-FCH PET/CT at the fore-front in pHPT patients.
Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis and the role of genetics in the era of precision medicine
Authors: Alonso-Gonzalez Aitana , Tosco-Herrera Eva , Molina-Molina Maria , Flores Carlos
Published: April 2023

Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) is a chronic, rare progressive lung disease, characterized by lung scarring and the irreversible loss of lung function. Two anti-fibrotic drugs, nintedanib and pirfenidone, have been demonstrated to slow down disease progression, although IPF mortality remains a challenge and the patients die after a few years from diagnosis. Rare pathogenic variants in genes that are involved in the surfactant metabolism and telomere maintenance, among others, have a high penetrance and tend to co-segregate with the disease in families. Common recurrent variants in the population with modest effect sizes have been also associated with the disease risk and progression. Genome-wide association studies (GWAS) support at least 23 genetic risk loci, linking the disease pathogenesis with unexpected molecular pathways including cellular adhesion and signaling, wound healing, barrier function, airway clearance, and innate immunity and host defense, besides the surfactant metabolism and telomere biology. As the cost of high-throughput genomic technologies continuously decreases and new technologies and approaches arise, their widespread use by clinicians and researchers is efficiently contributing to a better understanding of the pathogenesis of progressive pulmonary fibrosis. Here we provide an overview of the genetic factors known to be involved in IPF pathogenesis and discuss how they will continue to further advance in this field. We also discuss how genomic technologies could help to further improve IPF diagnosis and prognosis as well as for assessing genetic risk in unaffected relatives. The development and validation of evidence-based guidelines for genetic-based screening of IPF will allow redefining and classifying this disease relying on molecular characteristics and contribute to the implementation of precision medicine approaches.
Analysis of Italian isolates of Pantoea stewartii subsp. stewartii and development of a real-time PCR-based diagnostic method
Authors: Scala Valeria , Faino Luigi , Costantini Francesca , Crosara Valeria , Albanese Alessio , Pucci Nicoletta , Reverberi Massimo , Loreti Stefania
Published: April 2023

Pantoea stewartii subsp. stewartii (Pss) causes Stewart’s vascular wilt of maize, and it is responsible for serious crop losses. Pss is indigenous to North America and spreads with maize seeds. The presence of Pss has been notified in Italy since 2015. The risk assessment of the entry of Pss in the EU from the United States through seed trade is in the order of magnitude of hundred introductions per year. Several molecular or serological tests were developed for the detection of Pss and used as official analysis for the certification of commercial seeds. However, some of these tests lack adequate specificity, not allowing to correctly discriminate Pss from P. stewartii subsp. indologenes (Psi). Psi is occasionally present in maize seeds and is avirulent for maize. In this study, several Italian isolates of Pss recovered in 2015 and 2018 have been characterized by molecular, biochemical, and pathogenicity tests; moreover, their genomes have been assembled through MinION and Illumina–sequencing procedures. Genomic analysis reveals multiple introgression events. Exploiting these results, a new primer combination has been defined and verified by real-time PCR, allowing the development of a specific molecular test able to detect the presence of Pss down to the concentration of 103  CFU/ml in spiked samples of maize seed extracts. Due to the high analytical sensitivity and specificity achieved with this test, the detection of Pss has been improved disentangling the inconclusive results in Pss maize seed diagnosis, overcoming its misidentification in place of Psi. Altogether, this test addresses the critical issue associated with maize seeds imported from regions where Stewart’s disease is endemic.
Lactobacillus paracasei ATG-E1 improves particulate matter 10 plus diesel exhaust particles (PM10D)-induced airway inflammation by regulating immune responses
Authors: Lee Young-Sil , Park Gun-Seok , Ko Seung-Hyun , Yang Won-Kyung , Seo Hye-Jin , Kim Seung-Hyung , Jeong Nara , Kang Jihee
Published: April 2023

Particulate matter (PM) exposure can adversely affect respiratory function. Probiotics can alleviate the inflammatory responses in respiratory diseases. We examined the protective effects of Lactobacillus paracasei ATG-E1 isolated from the feces of a newborn baby against airway inflammation in a PM10 plus diesel exhaust particle (DEP) (PM10D)-induced airway inflammation model. BALB/c mice were exposed to PM10D by intranasal injection three times at 3-day intervals for 12 days, and L. paracasei ATG-E1 was administered orally for 12 days. Analysis of immune cell population and expression of various inflammatory mediators and gut barrier-related genes were determined in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF), lung, peyer’s patch, and small intestine. A histological analysis of the lungs was performed. In addition, the in vitro safety and their safety in genomic analyses were examined. L. paracasei ATG-E1 was found to be safe in vitro and by genomic analysis. L. paracasei ATG-E1 suppressed neutrophil infiltration and the number of CD4+, CD4+CD69+, CD62L–CD44+high, CD21/35+B220+, and Gr-1+CD11b+ cells, as well as the expression of inflammatory mediators, including chemokine (C-X-C motif) ligand (CXCL)-1, macrophage inflammatory protein (MIP)-2, interleukin (IL)-17a, tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α, and IL-6 in BALF and lungs in PM10D-induced airway inflammation. It protected against histopathological damage in the lungs of mice with PM10D-induced airway inflammation. L. paracasei ATG-E1 concomitantly increased the expression levels of the gut barrier function-related genes occludin, claudin-1, and IL-10 in the small intestine, with an increased number of CD4+ and CD4+CD25+ immune cells in the peyer’s patch. L. paracasei ATG-E1 suppressed immune activation and airway inflammatory responses in the airways and lungs by restoring the lung damage by PM10D. It also regulated intestinal immunity and ameliorated the gut barrier function in the ileum. These results indicate the potential of L. paracasei ATG-E1 as an protective and therapeutic agent against airway inflammation and respiratory diseases.
Comparative morphology and plant volatile responses of antennal sensilla in Cinara cedri (Hemiptera: Lachninae), Eriosoma lanigerum (Hemiptera: Eriosomatinae), and Therioaphis trifolii (Hemiptera: Calaphidinae)
Authors: Yang Lu-Lu , Wang Bing , Shen Jie , Wang Gui-Rong
Published: April 2023

Olfaction is important for mediating aphid behaviors and is involved in host location and mating. Antennal primary rhinaria play a key role in the chemoreception of aphids. The function of the peripheral olfactory system in the subfamily Aphidinae has been intensively studied, but little is known about other subfamilies of Aphididae. Therefore, three aphid species were selected to study the olfactory reception of plant volatiles: Cinara cedri (Lachninae), Eriosoma lanigerum (Eriosomatinae), and Therioaphis trifolii (Calaphidinae). In this study, the morphology and distribution of the antennal sensilla of apterous adults were observed by scanning electron microscopy. Three morphological types were identified (placoid sensilla, coeloconic sensilla, and trichoid sensilla); the first two were distributed on the antennal primary rhinaria. A pattern of primary rhinaria in C. cedri was found that differed from that of E. lanigerum and T. trifolii and consists of 1 large placoid sensillum (LP) on the 4th segment, 2 LPs on the 5th segment, and a group of sensilla on the 6th antennal segments. Later, we recorded and compared neuronal responses of the distinct placoid sensilla in the primary rhinaria of the three aphid species to 18 plant volatiles using a single sensillum recording (SSR) technique. The results indicated that the functional profiles based on the tested odorants of the primary rhinaria of the three investigated aphid species were clustered into three classes, and exhibited excitatory responses to certain types of odorants, especially terpenes. In C. cedri, the ORNs in LP6 exhibited the highest responses to (±)-citronellal across all tested chemicals, and showed greater sensitivity to (±)-citronellal than to (+)-limonene. ORNs in LP5 were partially responsive to α-pinene and (–)-β-pinene in a dose-dependent manner. Across different species, E. lanigerum showed significantly stronger neuronal responses of LP5 to several terpenes, such as (–)-linalool and α-terpineol, compared to other species. In T. trifolii, the neuronal activities in LP6 showed a greater response to methyl salicylate as compared to LP5. Overall, our results preliminarily illustrate the functional divergence of ORNs in the primary rhinaria of aphids from three subfamilies of Aphididae and provide a basis for better understanding the mechanism of olfactory recognition in aphids.
Why the worsening at rest and worsening at night criteria for Restless Legs Syndrome are listed separately: review of the circadian literature on RLS and suggestions for future directions
Authors: Walters Arthur S. , Zee Phyllis C.
Published: April 2023

The field of circadian research on Restless Legs Syndrome (RLS) and periodic limb movements (PLMs) is reviewed in general. RLS has five obligatory criteria for diagnosis: (1) an urge to move the legs often accompanied by uncomfortable leg sensations; (2) symptoms are worse at rest, i.e., lying or sitting; (3) there is a least partial and temporary relief of symptoms by activity, e.g., walking or stretching or bending the legs; (4) symptoms are worse later in the day or at night; and (5) mimics of RLS such as leg cramps and positional discomfort should be excluded by history and physical. In addition, RLS is frequently accompanied by PLMs, either periodic limb movements of sleep (PLMS) as determined by polysomnography or periodic limb movements while awake (PLMW) as determined by the suggested immobilization test (SIT). Since the criteria for RLS were based upon clinical experience only, an early question after the development of the criteria was whether criteria 2 and 4 were the same or different phenomena. In other words, were RLS patients worse at night only because they were lying down, and were RLS patients worse lying down only because it was night? Early circadian studies performed during recumbency at different times of the day suggest that the uncomfortable sensations, PLMS, and PLMW as well as voluntary movement in response to leg discomfort follow a similar circadian pattern with worsening at night independent of body position and independent of sleep timing or duration. Other studies demonstrated that RLS patients get worse when sitting or lying down independent of the time of day. These studies as a whole suggest that the worsening at rest and the worsening at night criteria for RLS are related but separate phenomena and that criteria 2 and 4 for RLS should be kept separate based upon the circadian studies, as had been the case previously based upon clinical grounds alone. To more fully prove the circadian rhythmicity of RLS, studies should be conducted to see if bright light shifts the signs and symptoms of RLS to a different circadian time in concert with circadian markers.
Stylized faces enhance ERP features used for the detection of emotional responses
Authors: Barradas-Chacón Luis Alberto , Brunner Clemens , Wriessnegger Selina C.
Published: April 2023

For their ease of accessibility and low cost, current Brain-Computer Interfaces (BCI) used to detect subjective emotional and affective states rely largely on electroencephalographic (EEG) signals. Public datasets are available for researchers to design models for affect detection from EEG. However, few designs focus on optimally exploiting the nature of the stimulus elicitation to improve accuracy. The RSVP protocol is used in this experiment to present human faces of emotion to 28 participants while EEG was measured. We found that artificially enhanced human faces with exaggerated, cartoonish visual features significantly improve some commonly used neural correlates of emotion as measured by event-related potentials (ERPs). These images elicit an enhanced N170 component, well known to relate to the facial visual encoding process. Our findings suggest that the study of emotion elicitation could exploit consistent, high detail, AI generated stimuli transformations to study the characteristics of electrical brain activity related to visual affective stimuli. Furthermore, this specific result might be useful in the context of affective BCI design, where a higher accuracy in affect decoding from EEG can improve the experience of a user.
Disease-causing mutations in genes encoding transcription factors critical for photoreceptor development
Authors: Sun Chi , Chen Shiming
Published: April 2023

Photoreceptor development of the vertebrate visual system is controlled by a complex transcription regulatory network. OTX2 is expressed in the mitotic retinal progenitor cells (RPCs) and controls photoreceptor genesis. CRX that is activated by OTX2 is expressed in photoreceptor precursors after cell cycle exit. NEUROD1 is also present in photoreceptor precursors that are ready to specify into rod and cone photoreceptor subtypes. NRL is required for the rod fate and regulates downstream rod-specific genes including the orphan nuclear receptor NR2E3 which further activates rod-specific genes and simultaneously represses cone-specific genes. Cone subtype specification is also regulated by the interplay of several transcription factors such as THRB and RXRG. Mutations in these key transcription factors are responsible for ocular defects at birth such as microphthalmia and inherited photoreceptor diseases such as Leber congenital amaurosis (LCA), retinitis pigmentosa (RP) and allied dystrophies. In particular, many mutations are inherited in an autosomal dominant fashion, including the majority of missense mutations in CRX and NRL. In this review, we describe the spectrum of photoreceptor defects that are associated with mutations in the above-mentioned transcription factors, and summarize the current knowledge of molecular mechanisms underlying the pathogenic mutations. At last, we deliberate the outstanding gaps in our understanding of the genotype–phenotype correlations and outline avenues for future research of the treatment strategies.
Identification of VIPR2 rare and common variants in the Chinese Han population with schizophrenia
Authors: Yin Jiajun , Zhou Juan , Fang Fang , Yu Shui , Wang Jun , Yuan Jianmin , Zhou Zhenhe
Published: April 2023

Introduction

Schizophrenia is a severe and chronic psychiatric disorder with hereditary risk up to 80% as previous studies indicated. Several researches have demonstrated a significant association between schizophrenia and microduplications that overlap the vasoactive intestinal peptide receptor 2 gene (VIPR2).

Methods

To further investigate potential causal VIPR2 gene variants, all exons and un-translated portions of the VIPR2 gene were sequenced using amplicon targeted resequencing in 1804 Chinese Han patients with schizophrenia and 996 healthy counterparts in the present study.

Results

Nineteen rare non-synonymous mutations and 1 frameshift deletion was identified for schizophrenia, among which 5 variants have never been reported so far. Frequencies of rare non-synonymous mutations were significantly different between the two groups. Specifically, the non-synonymous mutation rs78564798 (Pallele = 0.006) as well as two rare variations in the VIPR2 gene’s introns (rs372544903, Pallele = 0.026 and a novel mutation, chr7:159034078, GRCh38, Pallele = 0.048) were significantly associated with schizophrenia.

Discussion

Our findings add new evidence that the functional and probable causative variants of VIPR2 gene may play an important role in susceptibility to schizophrenia. Further studies on validations of VIPR2’s function in the etiology of schizophrenia are warranted.
Locally advanced rectal cancer patients with mismatch repair protein deficiency can obtain better pathological response after regional chemoembolization
Authors: Gao Yuchen , Xiao Hualiang , Meng Wenjun , Liao Juan , Chen Qi , Zhao Guowei , Li Chunxue , Bai Lian
Published: April 2023

Background and objective

Preoperative transcatheter rectal arterial chemoembolization (TRACE) can enhance the pathological response rate in some patients with locally advanced rectal cancer (LARC). However, how to accurately identify patients who can benefit from this neoadjuvant modality therapy remains to be further studied. Deficient mismatch repair (dMMR) protein plays a crucial role in maintaining genome stability. A proportion of patients with rectal cancer are caused by the loss of mismatch repair (MMR) protein. Given the role of MMR in guiding the efficacy in patients with colorectal carcinoma (CRC), this study is designed to evaluate the effect of dMMR status on the response to neoadjuvant therapy through a retrospective analysis.

Methods

We launched a retrospective study. First, we selected patients with LARC from the database, and these patients had received preoperative TRACE combined with concurrent chemoradiotherapy. Then, the tumor tissue biopsied by colonoscopy before intervention was taken for immunohistochemistry. According to the expression of MLH-1, MSH-2, MSH-6 and PMS-2, these patients were divided into dMMR protein group and proficient MMR (pMMR) protein group. All patients underwent pathological examination at the end of neoadjuvant therapy, either surgically excised tissue or colonoscopically biopsied tissue. The end point was the pathologic complete response (pCR) after TRACE combined with concurrent chemoradiotherapy.

Results

From January 2013 to January 2021, a total of 82 patients with LARC received preoperative TRACE combined with concurrent chemoradiotherapy, and the treatment was well tolerated. Among 82 patients, there were 42 patients in the pMMR group and 40 patients in the dMMR group. 69 patients returned to the hospital for radical resection. In 8 patients, the colonoscopy showed good tumor regression grade after 4 weeks of interventional therapy and refused surgery. The remaining five patients were neither surgically treated nor reexamined by colonoscopy. 77 patients were eventually enrolled in the study. Individually, the pCR rates of these two groups (10%, 4/40 vs. 43%, 16/37) showed significant difference (P < 0.05). Biomarker analysis indicated that patients with dMMR protein had a better propensity for pCR.

Conclusion

In patients with LARC, preoperative TRACE combined with concurrent chemoradiotherapy showed good pCR rates, especially in patients with dMMR. Patients with MMR protein defects have a better propensity for pCR.
“Elastic stretch cavity building” system in endoscopic thyroidectomy via the axillary approach: a case series
Authors: Chen Gaoxiang , Ji Xiaochun , Zhang Hai , Luo Yong , Wu Weizhu , Teng Weifeng , Zhang Jianan , Zhou Shaocheng
Published: April 2023

Background

Patients undergoing conventional endoscopic thyroidectomy via the axillary approach, which is commonly used clinically, suffered from a range of postoperative complications. This study aimed to prevent postoperative complications and evaluate patients’ satisfaction with cosmetic outcomes in endoscopic thyroidectomy via the axillary with the use of “Elastic Stretch Cavity Building” System.

Methods

In this retrospective case series study, the clinical data of patients who were admitted to the Thyroid Surgery Department of Ningbo Medical Centre Lihuili Hospital between December 2020 and December 2021 for endoscopic thyroidectomy via the axillary approach under the “Elastic Stretch Cavity Building” System.

Results

A total of 67 patients were included, all surgeries were successfully completed. The operation time was 75.61 ± 13.67 minutes; the postoperative drainage volume was 109.97 ± 37.54 ml; the average postoperative hospital stay was 4 (2-6) days. There was no skin ecchymosis, effusion or infection, hypocalcemia, convulsions, upper extremity dyskinesia, and temporary hoarseness after the surgery. The patients were satisfied with the cosmetic effects, and the cosmetic score was 4 (3-4).

Conclusion

The “Elastic Stretch Cavity Building” System in endoscopic thyroid surgery via the axillary approach might reduce the risks of complications and achieve satisfactory results with the cosmetic outcomes.
Trends in the representation of women in the American Society of Pediatric Nephrology program at the Pediatric Academic Society annual meetings 2012–2021
Authors: Barani-Najafabadi Bahar , Selewski David T. , Soranno Danielle E. , Weidemann Darcy K.
Published: April 2023

Introduction

Women are under-represented in virtually all fields of academic medicine. Even in pediatrics, a field that historically attracts a workforce with a majority of women physicians, substantial gender disparities persist in leadership positions. However, previous studies of gender representation in various academic settings are limited to small studies or aggregate pediatric subspecialties, thereby omitting important granularity within each subspecialty. No prior studies have investigated potential gender disparities in pediatric nephrology. The aim of this study is to determine the representation of women physicians in leadership and speaking roles in the annual American Society of Pediatric Nephrology (ASPN) meeting.

Methods

Data were analyzed from the 2012–2022 ASPN annual scientific meetings at the Pediatric Academic Society (PAS). Data were abstracted regarding gender and roles: speaker, chair/moderator, and lifetime achievement awardee. We performed a time series analysis using linear regression, with the year as the independent variable and the proportion of women as the dependent variable.

Results

Overall, there were statistically significant increases in the proportion of women speakers per year and percentage of women chairs or moderators. There were no specific trends noted for lifetime achievement awards and no statistically significant changes in the number of lifetime achievement awards.

Discussion

We found proportionate representations of gender representation with regards to speakers and chairs or moderators, although our data was limited by comparison to the American Board of Pediatrics (ABP) workforce cumulative “ever certified” data. The ABP data include a disproportionate representation of faculty who are men from earlier certification periods who may no longer be actively practicing pediatric nephrology.
Bright-light distractions and visual performance
Authors: Williamson Craig A. , Morganti Jari J. , Smithson Hannah E.
Published: April 2023

Visual distractions pose a significant risk to transportation safety, with laser attacks against aircraft pilots being a common example. This study used a research-grade High Dynamic Range (HDR) display to produce bright-light distractions for 12 volunteer participants performing a combined visual task across central and peripheral visual fields. The visual scene had an average luminance of 10 cd∙m−2 with targets of approximately 0.5° angular size, while the distractions had a maximum luminance of 9,000 cd∙m−2 and were 3.6° in size. The dependent variables were the mean fixation duration during task execution (representative of information processing time), and the critical stimulus duration required to support a target level of performance (representative of task efficiency). The experiment found a statistically significant increase in mean fixation duration, rising from 192 ms without distractions to 205 ms with bright-light distractions (p = 0.023). This indicates a decrease in visibility of the low contrast targets or an increase in cognitive workload that required greater processing time for each fixation in the presence of the bright-light distractions. Mean critical stimulus duration was not significantly affected by the distraction conditions used in this study. Future experiments are suggested to replicate driving and/or piloting tasks and employ bright-light distractions based on real-world data, and we advocate the use of eye-tracking metrics as sensitive measures of changes in performance.
Quantifying social performance: A review with implications for further work
Authors: Wild Marcus G. , Cutler Rebecca A. , Bachorowski Jo-Anne
Published: April 2023

Human social performance has been a focus of theory and investigation for more than a century. Attempts to quantify social performance have focused on self-report and non-social performance measures grounded in intelligence-based theories. An expertise framework, when applied to individual differences in social interaction performance, offers novel insights and methods of quantification that could address limitations of prior approaches. The purposes of this review are 3-fold. First, to define the central concepts related to individual differences in social performance, with a particular focus on the intelligence-based framework that has dominated the field. Second, to make an argument for a revised conceptualization of individual differences in social–emotional performance as a social expertise. In support of this second aim, the putative components of a social–emotional expertise and the potential means for their assessment will be outlined. To end, the implications of an expertise-based conceptual framework for the application of computational modeling approaches in this area will be discussed. Taken together, expertise theory and computational modeling methods have the potential to advance quantitative assessment of social interaction performance.
Involvement in bullying and sleep disorders in Chinese early adolescents
Authors: Ding Han , Cao Leilei , Xu Baoyu , Li Yuan , Xie Jinyu , Wang Jun , Su Puyu , Wang Gengfu
Published: April 2023

Background

School bullying may cause sleep disorders in early adolescents. Here, we determined the relationship between school bullying (considering all the features of bullying involvement) and sleep disorders, which are the common problems in Chinese early adolescents.

Materials and methods

We conducted a questionnaire survey among 5,724 middle school students from Xuancheng, Hefei, and Huaibei cities in Anhui province, China. The self-report questionnaires included the Olweus Bully/Victim Questionnaire and Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index. We used latent class analysis to identify the potential subgroups of bullying behavior. Logistic regression analysis was used to investigate the association between school bullying and sleep disorders.

Results

Active participants in bullying interactions, including the bullies and victims, reported higher levels of sleep disorders compared with the non-active participants [Bully: physical (aOR = 2.62), verbal (aOR = 1.73), relational (aOR = 1.80), and cyber (aOR = 2.08); Victim: physical (aOR = 2.42), verbal (aOR = 2.59), relational (aOR = 2.61), and cyber (aOR = 2.81)]. A dose–response relationship was observed between the number of school bullying types and sleep disorders. In the context of bullying roles, bully-victims had the highest risk of reporting sleep disorders (aOR = 3.07, 95% CI: 2.55–3.69). We identified four potential categories of school bullying behaviors: low involvement in bullying, verbal and relational victims, medium bully-victims, and high bully-victims, and the highest frequency of sleep disorders was observed in the high bully-victims group (aOR = 4.12, 95% CI: 2.94–5.76).

Conclusion

Our findings indicate a positive correlation between bullying roles and sleep disorders in early adolescents. Therefore, targeted intervention for sleep disorders should include an evaluation of bullying experiences.
Antipsychotics-induced improvement of cool executive function in individuals living with schizophrenia
Authors: Si Yajing , Liu Congcong , Kou Yanna , Dong Zhao , Zhang Jiajia , Wang Juan , Lu Chengbiao , Luo Yanyan , Ni Tianjun , Du Yunhong , Zhang Hongxing
Published: April 2023

Cool executive dysfunction is a crucial feature in people living with schizophrenia which is related to cognition impairment and the severity of the clinical symptoms. Based on electroencephalogram (EEG), our current study explored the change of brain network under the cool executive tasks in individuals living with schizophrenia before and after atypical antipsychotic treatment (before_TR vs. after_TR). 21 patients with schizophrenia and 24 healthy controls completed the cool executive tasks, involving the Tower of Hanoi Task (THT) and Trail-Marking Test A-B (TMT A-B). The results of this study uncovered that the reaction time of the after_TR group was much shorter than that of the before_TR group in the TMT-A and TMT-B. And the after_TR group showed fewer error numbers in the TMT-B than those of the before_TR group. Concerning the functional network, stronger DMN-like linkages were found in the before_TR group compared to the control group. Finally, we adopted a multiple linear regression model based on the change network properties to predict the patient’s PANSS change ratio. Together, the findings deepened our understanding of cool executive function in individuals living with schizophrenia and might provide physiological information to reliably predict the clinical efficacy of schizophrenia after atypical antipsychotic treatment.
Utilization of non-pneumatic anti-shock garment for the management of obstetric hemorrhage among healthcare providers in north Shewa zone, Ethiopia
Authors: Taye Birhan Tsegaw , Silesh Zerihun Mulualem , Moltot Kitaw Tebabere , Amogne Fetene Kasahun , Kindie Behulu Geremew , Lemma Demisse Tesfanesh , Chekole Moges Sisay , Fitie Girma Wogie , Worku Solomon Adanew , Kibiret Desta Mekete , Ferede Addisu Andualem , Bejtual Kalkidan , Desalegn Temesgen , Tiguh Agumas Eskezia , Mihret Muhabaw Shumye , Kebede Azmeraw Ambachew
Published: April 2023

Background

Global maternal deaths have either increased or stagnated tragically. Obstetric hemorrhage (OH) remains the major cause of maternal deaths. Non-Pneumatic Anti-Shock Garment (NASG) has several positive results in the management of obstetric hemorrhage in resource-limited settings where getting definitive treatments are difficult and limited. Therefore, this study aimed to assess the proportion and factors associated with the utilization of NASG for the management of obstetric hemorrhage among healthcare providers in the North Shewa zone, Ethiopia.

Methods

A cross-sectional study was conducted at health facilities of the north Shewa zone, Ethiopia from June 10th-30th/2021. A simple random sampling (SRS) technique was employed among 360 healthcare providers. Data were collected using a pretested self-administered questionnaire. EpiData version 4.6 and SPSS 25 were used for data entry and analysis, respectively. Binary logistic regression analyses were undertaken to identify associated factors with the outcome variable. The level of significance was decided at a value of p of <0.05.

Results

The utilization of NASG for the management of obstetric hemorrhage among healthcare providers was 39% (95%CI: 34–45). Healthcare providers who received training on NASG (AOR = 3.3; 95%CI: 1.46−7.48), availability of NASG in the health facility (AOR = 9.17; 95%CI: 5.10–16.46), diploma (AOR = 2.63; 95%CI: 1.39–3.68), bachelor degree (AOR = 7.89; 95%CI: 3.1–16.29) and those healthcare providers who have a positive attitude toward utilization of NASG (AOR = 1.63; 95%CI: 1.14–2.82) were variables positively associated with the utilization of NASG.

Conclusion

In this study, almost two-fifths of healthcare providers used NASG for the management of obstetrics hemorrhage. Arranging educational opportunities and continuous professional development training for healthcare providers, providing in-service and refresher training, and making it available at health facilities may help healthcare providers to effectively use the device, thereby reducing maternal morbidity and mortality.
Design, methodology, and baseline of eastern China student health and wellbeing cohort study
Authors: Zhang Xiyan , Zhao Genming , Ma Jun , Tao Fangbiao , Pan Chen-Wei , Zhang Fengyun , Wang Yan , Yang Wenyi , Xiang Yao , Wang Xin , Tian Yunfan , Yang Jie , Du Wei , Zhou Yonglin ,   ES-SCI Work Group
Published: April 2023

Purpose

To describe the study design, methodology, and cohort profile of the Eastern China Student Health and Wellbeing Cohort Study. The cohort baseline includes (1) targeted disease (myopia, obesity, elevated blood pressure, and mental health) and (2) exposures (individual behaviors, environment, metabolomics, and gene and epigenetics).

Participants

Annual physical examination, questionnaire-based survey, and bio-sampling have been carried out in the study population. In the first stage (2019–2021), a total of 6,506 students in primary schools are enrolled in the cohort study.

Findings to date

Of all the cohort participants, the ratio of male to female is 1.16 among a total of 6,506 student participants, of which 2,728 (41.9%) students are from developed regions and 3,778 (58.1%) students are from developing regions. The initial age of observation is 6–10 years, and they will be observed until they graduate from high school (>18 years of age). (1) Targeted diseases: The growth rates of myopia, obesity, and high blood pressure vary by regions, and for developed regions, the prevalence of myopia, obesity, and elevated blood pressure is 29.2%, 17.4%, and 12.6% in the first year, respectively. For developing regions, the prevalence of myopia, obesity, and elevated blood pressure is 22.3%, 20.7%, and 17.1% in the first year, respectively. The average score of CES-D is 12.9 ± 9.8 in developing regions/11.6 ± 9.0 in developed regions. (2) Exposures: ① Thefirst aspect of individual behaviors: the questionnaire topics include diet, physical exercise, bullying, and family. ②The second aspect of environment and metabolomics:the average desk illumination is 430.78 (355.84–611.56) LX, and the average blackboard illumination is 365.33 (286.83–516.84) LX. Metabolomics like bisphenol A in the urine is 0.734 ng/ml. ③ Thethird aspect of gene and epigenetics:SNPs (rs524952, rs524952, rs2969180, rs2908972, rs10880855, rs1939008, rs9928731, rs72621438, rs9939609, rs8050136 and so on) are detected.

Future plans

Eastern China Student Health and Wellbeing Cohort Study is aiming to focus on the development of student-targeted diseases. For children with student common diseases, this study will focus on targeted disease-related indicators. For children without targeted disease, this study aims to explore the longitudinal relationship between exposure factors and outcomes, excluding baseline confounding factors. Exposure factors include three aspects: (1) individual behaviors, (2) environment and metabolomics, and (3) gene and epigenetics. The cohort study will continue until 2035.
Prevalence of symptoms, comorbidities, and reinfections in individuals infected with Wild-Type SARS-CoV-2, Delta, or Omicron variants: a comparative study in western Mexico
Authors: Peña Rodríguez Marcela , Hernández Bello Jorge , Vega Magaña Natali , Viera Segura Oliver , García Chagollán Mariel , Ceja Gálvez Hazael Ramiro , Mora Mora Jesús Carlos , Rentería Flores Francisco Israel , García González Octavio Patricio , Muñoz Valle José Francisco
Published: April 2023

Introduction

The variants of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) have been classified into variants of interest (VOIs) or concern (VOCs) to prioritize global monitoring and research on variants with potential risks to public health. The SARS-CoV-2 high-rate mutation can directly impact the clinical disease progression, epidemiological behavior, immune evasion, vaccine efficacy, and transmission rates. Therefore, epidemiological surveillance is crucial for controlling the COVID-19 pandemic. In the present study, we aimed to describe the prevalence of wild-type (WT) SARS-CoV-2 and Delta and Omicron variants in Jalisco State, Mexico, from 2021 to 2022, and evaluate the possible association of these variants with clinical manifestations of COVID-19.

Methods

Four thousand and ninety-eight patients diagnosed with COVID-19 by real-time PCR (COVIFLU, Genes2Life, Mexico) from nasopharyngeal samples from January 2021 to January 2022 were included. Variant identification was performed by the RT-qPCR Master Mut Kit (Genes2Life, Mexico). A study population follow-up was performed to identify patients who had experienced reinfection after being vaccinated.

Results and Discussion

Samples were grouped into variants according to the identified mutations: 46.3% were Omicron, 27.9% were Delta, and 25.8% were WT. The proportions of dry cough, fatigue, headache, muscle pain, conjunctivitis, fast breathing, diarrhea, anosmia, and dysgeusia were significantly different among the abovementioned groups (p < 0.001). Anosmia and dysgeusia were mainly found in WT-infected patients, while rhinorrhea and sore throat were more prevalent in patients infected with the Omicron variant. For the reinfection follow-up, 836 patients answered, from which 85 cases of reinfection were identified (9.6%); Omicron was the VOC that caused all reported reinfection cases. In this study, we demonstrate that the Omicron variant caused the biggest outbreak in Jalisco during the pandemic from late December 2021 to mid-February 2022 but with a less severe form than the one demonstrated by Delta and WT. The co-analysis of mutations and clinical outcomes is a public health strategy with the potential to infer mutations or variants that could increase disease severity and even be an indicator of long-term sequelae of COVID-19.
Development of lung segmentation method in x-ray images of children based on TransResUNet
Authors: Chen Lingdong , Yu Zhuo , Huang Jian , Shu Liqi , Kuosmanen Pekka , Shen Chen , Ma Xiaohui , Li Jing , Sun Chensheng , Li Zheming , Shu Ting , Yu Gang
Published: April 2023

Background

Chest x-ray (CXR) is widely applied for the detection and diagnosis of children's lung diseases. Lung field segmentation in digital CXR images is a key section of many computer-aided diagnosis systems.

Objective

In this study, we propose a method based on deep learning to improve the lung segmentation quality and accuracy of children's multi-center CXR images.

Methods

The novelty of the proposed method is the combination of merits of TransUNet and ResUNet. The former can provide a self-attention module improving the feature learning ability of the model, while the latter can avoid the problem of network degradation.

Results

Applied on the test set containing multi-center data, our model achieved a Dice score of 0.9822.

Conclusions

This novel lung segmentation method proposed in this work based on TransResUNet is better than other existing medical image segmentation networks.
Gender differences in dentistry and oral sciences research productivity by researchers in Nigeria
Authors: Folayan Morenike Oluwatoyin , El Tantawi Maha , Shamsoddin Erfan , Martínez-Pérez Guillermo Z.
Published: April 2023

Background

The aim of the study was to assess gender differences in the productivity, impact, collaboration pattern and author position of dentistry and oral sciences researchers in Nigeria.

Methods

We examined the Web of Science (WoS) publication records of dentistry and oral sciences researchers to assess gender differences in productivity, impact, collaboration and authorship pattern (first authorship, last authorship and corresponding author). The analysis included the number of publications in journals ranked based on their quartile rating amongst the journals in the subject area (Q1–Q4). Chi square was used to make gender comparisons. Significance was set at >5%.

Results

413 unique authors published 1,222 articles on dentistry and oral sciences between 2012 and 2021. The number of WoS documents per female author was significantly higher than that per male author (3.7 vs. 2.6, p = 0.03). A non-significantly higher percentage of females authored papers in Q2 and Q3 journals and a higher percentage of males authored papers in Q4 journals. The number of citations per female author (25.0 vs. 14.9, p = 0.04) and the percentage of females listed as first authors (26.6% vs. 20.5%, p = 0.048) were statistically greater than men. The percentage of males listed as last authors was statistically greater than females (23.6% vs. 17.7%, p = 0.04). The correlation between the percentage of papers with researchers listed as first authors and that listed as last authors was not significant for males (p = 0.06) but was significant for females (p = 0.002). A non-significantly greater percentage of females were listed as corresponding authors (26.4% vs. 20.6%) and males were listed as international (27.4% vs. 25.1%) and domestic collaborators (46.8% vs. 44.7%). Also, there was no statistically significant gender difference in the proportion of articles published in open access journals (52.5% vs. 52.0%).

Conclusion

Though there were significant gender differences in the productivity, impact, and collaboration profile of dentistry and oral sciences researchers in Nigeria, the higher female research productivity and impact may be driven by cultural gender nuances that needs to be explored further.