bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Early alteration of peripheral blood lymphocyte subsets as a risk factor for delirium in critically ill patients after cardiac surgery: A prospective observational study
Authors: Li Xiao , Cheng Wei , Zhang Jiahui , Li Dongkai , Wang Fei , Cui Na
Published: September 2022

Objective

There is a high incidence of delirium among patients with organ dysfunction undergoing cardiac surgery who need critical care. This study aimed to explore the risk factors for delirium in critically ill patients undergoing cardiac surgery and the predictive value of related risk factors.

Methods

We conducted a prospective observational study on adult critically ill patients who underwent cardiac surgery between January 2019 and August 2021. Patients were consecutively assigned to delirium and non-delirium groups. Univariate analysis and multivariate logistic analysis were used to determine the risk factors for delirium. Receiver operating characteristic curves and a nomogram were used to identify the predictive value of related risk factors.

Results

Delirium developed in 242 of 379 (63.9%) participants. Acute Physiology and Chronic Health Evaluation II (APACHE II) and Sequential Organ Failure Assessment (SOFA) scores were 14.2 ± 5.6 and 18 ± 8.4, respectively. Patients with delirium had longer cardiopulmonary bypass time (149.6 ± 59.1 vs. 126.7 ± 48.5 min, p < 0.001) and aortic cross-clamp time (98.7 ± 51.5 vs. 86.1 ± 41.6 min, p = 0.010) compared with the non-delirium group. The area under the curve was 0.824 for CD4+ T cell count and 0.862 for CD4/CD8 ratio. Multivariate analysis demonstrated that age [odds ratio (OR) 1.030, p = 0.038], duration of physical restraint (OR 1.030, p < 0.001), interleukin-6 (OR 1.001, p = 0.025), CD19+ B cell count (OR 0.996, p = 0.016), CD4+ T cell count (OR 1.005, p < 0.001) and CD4/CD8 ratio (OR 5.314, p < 0.001) were independent risk factors for delirium. A nomogram revealed that age, cardiopulmonary bypass duration, CD4+ T cell count and CD4/CD8 ratio were independent predictors of delirium.

Conclusion

Age, duration of physical restraint, CD4+ T cell count and CD4/CD8 ratio were reliable factors for predicting delirium in critically ill patients after cardiac surgery. The receiver operating characteristic curves and nomogram suggested a potential role for CD4+ T cells in mediating potential neuroinflammation of delirium.
Identification of a 6-RBP gene signature for a comprehensive analysis of glioma and ischemic stroke: Cognitive impairment and aging-related hypoxic stress
Authors: Lin Weiwei , Wang Qiangwei , Chen Yisheng , Wang Ning , Ni Qingbin , Qi Chunhua , Wang Qian , Zhu Yongjian
Published: September 2022

There is mounting evidence that ischemic cerebral infarction contributes to vascular cognitive impairment and dementia in elderly. Ischemic stroke and glioma are two majorly fatal diseases worldwide, which promote each other's development based on some common underlying mechanisms. As a post-transcriptional regulatory protein, RNA-binding protein is important in the development of a tumor and ischemic stroke (IS). The purpose of this study was to search for a group of RNA-binding protein (RBP) gene markers related to the prognosis of glioma and the occurrence of IS, and elucidate their underlying mechanisms in glioma and IS. First, a 6-RBP (POLR2F, DYNC1H1, SMAD9, TRIM21, BRCA1, and ERI1) gene signature (RBPS) showing an independent overall survival prognostic prediction was identified using the transcriptome data from TCGA-glioma cohort (n = 677); following which, it was independently verified in the CGGA-glioma cohort (n = 970). A nomogram, including RBPS, 1p19q codeletion, radiotherapy, chemotherapy, grade, and age, was established to predict the overall survival of patients with glioma, convenient for further clinical transformation. In addition, an automatic machine learning classification model based on radiomics features from MRI was developed to stratify according to the RBPS risk. The RBPS was associated with immunosuppression, energy metabolism, and tumor growth of gliomas. Subsequently, the six RBP genes from blood samples showed good classification performance for IS diagnosis (AUC = 0.95, 95% CI: 0.902–0.997). The RBPS was associated with hypoxic responses, angiogenesis, and increased coagulation in IS. Upregulation of SMAD9 was associated with dementia, while downregulation of POLR2F was associated with aging-related hypoxic stress. Irf5/Trim21 in microglia and Taf7/Trim21 in pericytes from the mouse cerebral cortex were identified as RBPS-related molecules in each cell type under hypoxic conditions. The RBPS is expected to serve as a novel biomarker for studying the common mechanisms underlying glioma and IS.
Linking cognitive functioning and postural balance control through virtual reality environmental manipulations
Authors: Imaoka Yu , Hauri Laura , Flury Andri , de Bruin Eling D.
Published: September 2022

Background

Dementia is becoming a relevant problem worldwide. A simple screening at an early stage will be important to detect the risk of developing dementia. Vestibular dysfunction is likely to be associated with cognitive impairment. Since head-mounted display (HMD) virtual reality (VR) technology has the potential to activate the vestibular function, assessing postural sway with visual stimulation using HMD VR technology could be potentially useful for dementia screening.

Objective

The purpose of this study is to evaluate the effect of HMD-based VR visual stimuli on posture in older adults and the relationship between the stimulated body sway behaviors and cognitive performance.

Method

Using a cross-sectional study design, we investigated the effect of an optokinetic design-based room with stripes (OKR) VR environment oscillating forwards and backwards at 23/60Hz. Center of pressure (COP) displacement was measured in older adults aged 65 years and over in the OKR VR environment. The frequency response of COP was compared to the cognitive performance of the Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA).

Results

20 healthy older adults (70.4 ± 4.9 years; 27.2 ± 1.6 MoCA score) and 3 people with mild cognitive impairment (74.7 ± 4.0 years; 20.3 ± 2.1 MoCA score) were assessed. The results reveal that the oscillating OKR VR environment induced different postural sway in the anterior-posterior direction in the real world. Correlation analysis shows that the cognitive test score was associated with the frequency response of stimulated postural sway in the anterior-posterior direction (frequency Band 1 of 0−0.5Hz related to the visual and vestibular systems: rs = 0.45, P = 0.03).

Conclusion

Outcomes would suggest that a potential link may emerge between cognition and posture when the HMD-based VR visual stimuli are applied. The simple screening of stimulated postural sway could explain cognitive functioning. Further studies are warranted to clarify the vestibular system and spatial cognitive function more specifically in the proposed assessment system.
Use of machine learning to identify functional connectivity changes in a clinical cohort of patients at risk for dementia
Authors: Shen Ying , Lu Qian , Zhang Tianjiao , Yan Hailang , Mansouri Negar , Osipowicz Karol , Tanglay Onur , Young Isabella , Doyen Stephane , Lu Xi , Zhang Xia , Sughrue Michael E. , Wang Tong
Published: September 2022

Objective

Progressive conditions characterized by cognitive decline, including mild cognitive impairment (MCI) and subjective cognitive decline (SCD) are clinical conditions representing a major risk factor to develop dementia, however, the diagnosis of these pre-dementia conditions remains a challenge given the heterogeneity in clinical trajectories. Earlier diagnosis requires data-driven approaches for improved and targeted treatment modalities.

Methods

Neuropsychological tests, baseline anatomical T1 magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), resting-state functional MRI (rsfMRI), and diffusion weighted scans were obtained from 35 patients with SCD, 19 with MCI, and 36 age-matched healthy controls (HC). A recently developed machine learning technique, Hollow Tree Super (HoTS) was utilized to classify subjects into diagnostic categories based on their FC, and derive network and parcel-based FC features contributing to each model. The same approach was used to identify features associated with performance in a range of neuropsychological tests. We concluded our analysis by looking at changes in PageRank centrality (a measure of node hubness) between the diagnostic groups.

Results

Subjects were classified into diagnostic categories with a high area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC-ROC), ranging from 0.73 to 0.84. The language networks were most notably associated with classification. Several central networks and sensory brain regions were predictors of poor performance in neuropsychological tests, suggesting maladaptive compensation. PageRank analysis highlighted that basal and limbic deep brain region, along with the frontal operculum demonstrated a reduction in centrality in both SCD and MCI patients compared to controls.

Conclusion

Our methods highlight the potential to explore the underlying neural networks contributing to the cognitive changes and neuroplastic responses in prodromal dementia.
Exploring the key ferroptosis-related gene in the peripheral blood of patients with Alzheimer’s disease and its clinical significance
Authors: Wang Xiaonan , Tian Yaotian , Li Chunmei , Chen Min
Published: September 2022

Introduction

Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is the most common type of dementia, and there is growing evidence suggesting that ferroptosis is involved in its pathogenesis. In this study, we aimed to investigate the key ferroptosis-related genes in AD and identify a novel ferroptosis-related gene diagnosis model for patients with AD.

Materials and methods

We extracted the human blood and hippocampus gene expression data of five datasets (GSE63060, GSE63061, GSE97760, GSE48350, and GSE5281) in the Gene Expression Omnibus database as well as the ferroptosis-related genes from FerrDb. Differentially expressed ferroptosis-related genes were screened by random forest classifier, and were further used to construct a diagnostic model of AD using an artificial neural network. The patterns of immune infiltration in the peripheral immune system of AD were also investigated using the CIBERSORT algorithm.

Results

We first screened and identified 12 ferroptosis-related genes (ATG3, BNIP3, DDIT3, FH, GABARAPL1, MAPK14, SOCS1, SP1, STAT3, TNFAIP3, UBC, and ULK) via a random forest classifier, which was differentially expressed between the AD and normal control groups. Based on the 12 hub genes, we successfully constructed a satisfactory diagnostic model for differentiating AD patients from normal controls using an artificial neural network and validated its diagnostic efficacy in several external datasets. Further, the key ferroptosis-related genes were found to be strongly correlated to immune cells infiltration in AD.

Conclusion

We successfully identified 12 ferroptosis-related genes and established a novel diagnostic model of significant predictive value for AD. These results may help understand the role of ferroptosis in AD pathogenesis and provide promising therapeutic strategies for patients with AD.
Mindfulness-based cognitive therapy vs. a health enhancement program for the treatment of late-life depression: Study protocol for a multi-site randomized controlled trial
Authors: Bein Magnus , Lesage Myriam , Dikaios Elena , Chakravarty Mallar , Segal Zindel , Royal Isabelle , Speechley Mark , Schiavetto Alessandra , Blumberger Daniel , Sacchet Matthew D. , Therriault Joseph , Gruber Johanna , Tourjman Valerie , Richard-Devantoy Stephane , Nair Vasavan , Bruneau Marie-Andrée , Rej Soham , Lifshitz Michael , Sekhon Harmehr
Published: September 2022

Background

Late-life depression (LLD) affects up to 18% of older adults and has been linked to elevated dementia risk. Mindfulness-based cognitive therapy (MBCT) holds promise for treating symptoms of depression and ameliorating cognitive deficits in older adults. While preliminary findings are promising, a definitive RCT investigating its effects on late life depression and cognition have not yet been conducted. We present a protocol describing a multi-site blinded randomized controlled trial, comparing the effects of MBCT and of an active control, a Health Enhancement Program (HEP), on depressive symptoms, executive functioning, and brain biomarkers of LLD, among several other exploratory outcomes.

Methods

Two-hundred and thirteen (n = 213) patients with LLD will be recruited at various centers in Montreal, QC, Canada. Participants will undergo stratified randomization to either MBCT or HEP intervention groups. We will assess changes in (1) depression severity using the Hamilton Depression Rating Scale (HAM-D17), (2) processing speed and executive functioning, (3) brain biomarkers of LLD (hippocampal volume, default network resting-state functional connectivity and executive network resting-state functional connectivity), and (4) other exploratory physiological and mood-based measures, at baseline (0 weeks), post intervention (8 weeks), and 26 weeks after baseline.

Discussion

The proposed study will assess the clinical potential of MBCT to improve symptoms of depression, as well as examine its impact on cognitive impairments and neurobiological markers, and thus inform its use as a promising adjunct in the treatment of LLD.

Clinical trial registration

www.ClinicalTrials.gov, identifier: NCT05366088.
Recurrent stroke risk in intracranial atherosclerotic disease
Authors: Ballout Ahmad A. , Liebeskind David S.
Published: September 2022

Recurrent stroke risk secondary to intracranial atherosclerotic disease remains high despite aggressive medical treatment. This risk is further amplified in subgroups possessing biomarkers of hemodynamic insufficiency and potential for embolization, which have been shown to be independently and synergistically predictive of recurrent stroke. Luminal stenosis was predominantly used as entry criteria in major treatment trials, discounting the potential role of hemodynamics from primary analyses, limiting the strength of evidence and conclusions of these biomarkers to post-hoc analyses and other natural history studies. Future treatment trials should consider stratifying patients using a combination of these high-risk biomarkers. In the absence of trials, risk stratifying patients based on the presence of these markers may lend to more individualized clinical decisions. We aimed to summarize the studies that have investigated the relationship between biomarkers and their role in predicting recurrent stroke risk in intracranial atherosclerotic disease.
Elevated red cell distribution width predicts residual dizziness in patients with benign paroxysmal positional vertigo
Authors: Xie Ke-Hang , Chen Li-Chun , Liu Ling-Ling , Su Chu-Yin , Li Hua , Liu Run-Ni , Chen Qing-Qing , He Jia-Sheng , Ruan Yong-Kun , He Wang-Kai
Published: September 2022

Objective

The present study aimed to determine whether residual dizziness (RD) after successful repositioning treatment in benign paroxysmal positional vertigo (BPPV) patients could be predicted by red blood cell distribution width (RDW).

Materials and methods

In this study, a total of 303 BBPV patients hospitalized at the neurology department were investigated. The enrolled patients were divided into two groups after successful repositioning treatment: non-RD group included patients who were completely cured, and RD group included patients with RD. We collected data on all subjects, including general information, blood routine examination, blood biochemical examination, and magnetic resonance imaging tests.

Results

The mean RDW values of patients in the RD group were significantly higher than that in the non-RD group (13.63 ± 1.8 vs. 12.5 ± 0.8; p < 0.001). In subsequent multivariate analysis, elevated RDW levels were a statistically significant risk factor associated with the occurrence of RD [odds ratio = 2.62, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.88–3.64, p < 0.001]. The area under the ROC curve was 0.723 in terms of its predictive ability to distinguish patients with RD. A cut-off point of 12.95% of RDW predicted RD with a sensitivity of 75.6% and a specificity of 69.5%. Moreover, the AUC for the ability of the RDW to predict recurrence were 0.692 (95% CI = 0.561–0.831; p < 0.014).

Conclusions

Elevated RDW level was related to increased risk of RD among BPPV patients, requiring further efforts to clarify the actual underlying pathophysiology.
Association between acute kidney injury and long-term mortality in patients with aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage: A retrospective study
Authors: Xiao Yangchun , Wan Jun , Zhang Yu , Wang Xing , Zhou Hanwen , Lai Han , Chong Weelic , Hai Yang , Lunsford L. Dade , You Chao , Yu Shui , Fang Fang
Published: September 2022

Background

Though acute kidney injury (AKI) in the context of aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage (aSAH) worsens short-term outcomes, its impact on long-term survival is unknown.

Aim

We aimed to evaluate the association between long-term mortality and AKI during hospitalization for aSAH.

Methods

This was a retrospective study of patients who survived >12 months after aSAH. All patients were evaluated at West China Hospital, Sichuan University, between December 2013 and June 2019. The minimum follow-up time was over 1 year. the maximum follow-up time was about 7.3 years. AKI was defined by the KDIGO (The Kidney Disease Improving Global Outcomes) guidelines, which stratifies patients into three stages of severity. The primary outcome was long-term mortality, which was analyzed with Kaplan-Meier curves and Cox proportional hazards models.

Results

During this study period, 238 (9.2%) patients had AKI among 2,592 patients with aSAH. We confirmed that AKI during care for aSAH significantly increased long-term mortality (median 4.3 years of follow-up) and that risk increased with the severity of the kidney failure, with an adjusted hazard ratio (HR) of 2.08 (95% CI 1.49–2.89) for stage 1 AKI, 2.15 (95% CI 1.05–4.43) for stage 2 AKI, and 2.66 (95% CI 1.08–6.53) for stage 3 AKI compared with patients without AKI. Among patients with an AKI episode, those with renal recovery still had increased long-term mortality (HR 1.96; 95% CI 1.40–2.74) compared with patients without AKI but had better long-term outcomes than those without renal recovery (HR 0.51, 95% CI 0.27–0.97).

Conclusions

Among 12-month survivors of aSAH, AKI during their initial hospitalization for aSAH was associated with increased long-term mortality, even for patients who had normal renal function at the time of hospital discharge. Longer, multidisciplinary post-discharge follow-up may be warranted for these patients.
Effects of mind-body exercises on cognitive impairment in people with Parkinson's disease: A mini-review
Authors: Zhang Ting , Liu Wei , Gao Song
Published: September 2022

Parkinson's disease (PD) is an important health problem caused by the degeneration of brain neurons. Bradykinesia and lower balance ability seriously affect the quality of life of people with PD. Non-motor symptoms, such as cognitive impairment, accompany the course of the disease but still lack sufficient attention. In general, drugs combined with cognitive training are the most common ways to improve cognitive impairment in people with PD. However, long-term use of psychiatric drugs may lead to side effects such as brain death and movement disorders. Recently, mindfulness has been used by researchers in the treatment of cognitive impairment, because healthy older adults who engage in mind-body exercises for a long time have higher cognitive levels than normal aging populations. Mind-body exercise, as a therapy that combines concentration, breath control, and physical activity, is beneficial for improving practitioners' brain and mental health. Mind-body exercises such as Tai Chi, yoga, dance, and Pilates can improve cognitive performance in older adults with or without cognitive impairment. Therefore, mind-body exercise may be a feasible strategy for the treatment of cognitive impairment in people with PD. This study summarizes the latest evidence that mind-body exercises including Tai Chi, Qigong, yoga, and dance improve cognitive impairment associated with PD. We also explored the limitations of current mind-body exercise research, aiming to provide new ideas for improving mind-body exercise as a strategy to alleviate cognitive impairment in people with PD.
Bibliometric analysis of studies on the treatment of hemifacial spasm
Authors: Fang Li-Jun , Wang Chen-Yao
Published: September 2022

Objective

Hemifacial spasm (HFS) is a common neurological disorder of the brain, which is difficult to treat. Most patients are distracted by it and are unable to work or study normally, which seriously affects their physical and mental health. However, there are a few bibliometric studies on it. This paper searched the articles on HFS using a bibliometric approach.

Method

Articles about HFS were retrieved from the Web of Science (WoS) Core Collection database. We employed the Visualization of Similarities (VOS)viewer to analyze these publications.

Results

A total of 645 reviews or articles in English were retrieved from WoS. In this study, we found that the number of publications showed a rising trend and China is the most active in searching the treatment of HFS. About keywords, neurosciences and neurology was searched (422 times) keyword, followed by hemifacial spasm (420 times) and surgery (320 times). By assessing the organizations, Shanghai Jiao Tong University published the most papers (8.68%), followed by Sungkyunkwan University (3.26%) and Baylor College Medicine (2.64%). A total of 247 journals have delivered publications on the treatment of HFS, World Neurosurgery (44 papers) published the largest number of articles.

Conclusion

The annual publications have increased with a fluctuating tendency. More researchers were taking an interest in HFS. This study helped us find out the hotspot and trend in research about facial spasm treatment.
Factors affecting physician decision-making regarding antiplatelet therapy in minor ischemic stroke
Authors: Liu Tingting , Li Yanan , Niu Xiaoyuan , Wang Yongle , Zhang Kaili , Fan Haimei , Ren Jing , Li Juan , Fang Yalan , Li Xinyi , Wu Xuemei
Published: September 2022

Purpose

To identify the most important factors affecting physician decision-making regarding antiplatelet therapy.

Methods

We retrospectively gathered data from minor ischemic stroke patients with NIHSS scores ≤ 5 within 72 h of onset from 2010 to 2018. The population was divided into four groups by initial antiplatelet therapy: aspirin monotherapy (AM), dual antiplatelet therapy with aspirin and a loading dose of clopidogrel (clopidogrel loading dose of 300 mg on the first day; DAPT-ALC), dual antiplatelet therapy with aspirin and no loading dose of clopidogrel (clopidogrel 75 mg daily, no loading dose; DAPT-AUC), and clopidogrel monotherapy (CM).

Results

In total, 1,377 patients were included in the analysis (excluding patients who accepted thrombolytic drugs, participated in other clinical trials, or had not used antiplatelet drugs). The mean ± S.D. age was 62.0 ± 12.7 years; 973 (70.7%) patients were male. The four groups were AM (n = 541, 39.3%), DAPT-ALC (n = 474, 34.4%), DAPT- AUC (n = 301, 21.9%), and CM (n = 61, 4.4%). Patients receiving antiplatelet monotherapy were older than those receiving dual antiplatelet therapy (63.7–65.7 vs. 59.6–61.4 years), and the median initial systolic blood pressure level was higher in the DAPT-ALC group than in the other groups (all P < 0.05). Patients under 75 years old with an admission SBP lower than 180 mmHg, a history of AM, coronary heart disease, no history of intracerebral hemorrhage, stroke onset occurring after guideline recommendations were updated (the year of 2015), onset-to-arrival time within 24 h, and initial NIHSS score ≤ 3 were more likely to take DAPT-ALC than AM. Compared with DAPT-ALC, DAPT-AUC was associated with an initial SBP level lower than 180 mmHg, a history of smoking, hypertension, no history of ICH, previous treatment with antihypertensives, and onset year after the recommendations were updated.

Conclusions

Many factors affect doctors' decisions regarding antiplatelet therapy, especially guidelines, age, admission SBP level, and hypertensive disease.
Case report: Huppke–Brendel syndrome in an adult, mistaken for and treated as Wilson disease for 25 years
Authors: Kirk Frederik Teicher , Munk Ditte Emilie , Ek Jakob , Birk Møller Lisbeth , Bendixen Thorup Mette , Hvid Danielsen Erik , Vilstrup Hendrik , Ott Peter , Damgaard Sandahl Thomas
Published: September 2022

Background

Huppke–Brendel (HB) syndrome is an autosomal recessive disease caused by variants in the SLC33A1 gene. Since 2012, less than ten patients have been reported, none survived year six. With neurologic involvement and ceruloplasmin deficiency, it may mimic Wilson disease (WD).

Objectives and methods

We report the first adult patient with HB.

Results

The patient suffered from moderate intellectual disability, partial hearing loss, spastic ataxia, hypotonia, and unilateral tremor of parkinsonian type. At age 29, she was diagnosed with WD based on neurology, elevated 24H urinary copper, low ceruloplasmin, and pathological 65Cu test. Approximately 25 years later, genetic testing did not support WD or aceruloplasminemia. Full genome sequencing revealed two likely pathogenic variants in SLC33A1 which combined with re-evaluation of neurologic symptoms and MRI suggested the diagnosis of HB.

Conclusion

Adult patients with HB exist and may be confused with WD. Low ceruloplasmin and the absence of ATP7B variants should raise suspicion.
Serial changes of I-123 FP-CIT SPECT binding asymmetry in Parkinson's disease: Analysis of the PPMI data
Authors: Jeong Eun Hye , Sunwoo Mun Kyung , Lee Jae Yong , Han Sun-Ku , Hyung Sung Wook , Song Yoo Sung
Published: September 2022

Background

Dopaminergic denervation and motor symptoms are usually asymmetric at the onset of Parkinson's disease (PD). In this study, we estimated the asymmetry of specific binding ratio (SBR) of I-123 FP-CIT SPECT images during 4-years of follow up, to demonstrate the pattern of serial changes of asymmetry.

Methods

Clinical and I-123 FP-CIT SPECT image data of 301 PD patients and 141 normal controls were reviewed from the Parkinson's Progression Markers Initiative cohort. I-123 FP-CIT SPECT images were taken at baseline, 1-, 2-, and 4-year follow up periods for PD patients, and at baseline for normal controls. Asymmetry index were calculated by two methods. Method 1, by using the ratio of absolute difference of right and left SBRs to the average SBR. Method 2, by using the ratio of absolute difference of right and left SBRs to the SBR values of age-matched normal controls.

Results

Asymmetry index by method 2 revealed a more significant decrease during the 4-year follow up period, compared with method 1. The baseline asymmetry index of the putamen by method 2 showed significant correlation with the non-dominant putamen SBRs. However, there were no significant correlation with the baseline asymmetry index by method 2 and motor symptoms, cognition, nor autonomic symptoms.

Conclusion

We suggest a novel asymmetry index in association to age-matched normal SBR values. This novel index could be adopted in predicting and evaluating the natural course of PD.
Loving-kindness meditation (LKM) modulates brain-heart connection: An EEG case study
Authors: Wong GoonFui , Sun Rui , Adler Jordana , Yeung Kwok Wah , Yu Song , Gao Junling
Published: September 2022

Loving-Kindness Meditation (LKM) is an efficient mental practice with a long history that has recently attracted interest in the fields of neuroscience, medicine and education. However, the neural characters and underlying mechanisms have not yet been fully illustrated, which has hindered its practical usefulness. This study aimed to investigate LKM from varied aspects and interactions between the brain, the heart, and psychological measurements. A Buddhist monk practitioner was recruited to complete one 10-min LKM practice, in between two 10-min resting tasks (pre- and post-resting) per experimental run. Two sets of single-channel wearable EEG devices were used to collect EEG data (placed at Fz and Pz) and heart rate simultaneously. A self-report evaluation was conducted to repeatedly record the comprehensive performance of mind and body in each session. EEG data were preprossessed and analyzed by EEGlab. Further statistics were made by SPSS. Spectrum analysis showed a significant increase of theta power (Fz: t = −3.356; p = 0.002; Pz: t = −5.199; p < 0.001) and decrease of heart rate between pre- and post-resting tasks (t = 4.092, p < 0.001). The analysis showed a negative correlation between theta power and heart rate (Fz: r = −0.681, p < 0.001; Pz: r = −0.384, p = 0.008), and a positive correlation between theta power and the self-designed report score (Fz: r = 0.601, p < 0.001). These findings suggest that LKM is accompanied by significant neurophysiological changes, mainly an increase in slower frequencies, such as theta, and a decrease in heart rate. More importantly, subjective psychological assessments were also correlated with objective neurophysiological measurements in a long-term meditator participant. During LKM meditation, this connection was stronger. The results of this case report have promising implications for LKM practice in daily life.
The relationship between interaural delay in binaural gap detection and sensitivity to temporal fine structure in young adults with or without musical training experience
Authors: Ding Yu , Lei Ming , Cao Chunmei
Published: September 2022

Humans can detect the presence of a break in interaural correlation (BIC, also called binaural gap) even if a large interaural time delay (ITD) is introduced, which is important for detecting, recognizing, and localizing sounds in everyday environments. To investigate the relationship between interaural delay in binaural gap detection and the sensitivity of temporal fine structure (TFS), 40 young college students with normal hearing took the BIC delay threshold test, the TFS1 test (the test of monaural TFS sensitivity), and the TFS-AF test (the test of binaural TFS sensitivity). All participants were asked whether they had any musical training experience in their childhood. Results showed that the BIC delay threshold was significantly correlated with the TFS1 test (r =−0.426, p = 0.006), but not with the TFS-AF performance (r =−0.005, p = 0.997). The correlation between BIC delay threshold and monaural TFS sensitivity was observed in the non-music training group (r =−0.508, p = 0.010), but not in the music training group (r =−0.290, p = 0.295). These findings suggest that the interaural delay in binaural gap detection is related to the monaural sensitivity of TFS, this significant correlation was mainly found in young adults without musical training experience.
Neurofilament light as a biomarker for motor decline in Parkinson’s disease
Authors: Liu Yumei , Dou Kaixin , Xue Ling , Li Xiaoyuan , Xie Anmu
Published: September 2022

Objectives

The aim of this study was to determine whether neurofifilament light (NfL) could reflect motor decline and compare the predictive values of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) and serum NfL in individuals with PD.

Methods

CSF/serum samples were collected from patients with PD and healthy controls (HCs) with motor assessments at baseline and after three years of follow-up from the Parkinson’s Progression Markers Initiative (PPMI). Multiple linear regression models and linear mixed-effects models were used to investigate the associations of motor assessments with baseline and longitudinal CSF/serum NfL. Associations between the change rates of motor assessments and CSF/serum NfL were further investigated via multiple linear regression models. Mediating effect analysis was used to research whether CSF alpha-synuclein (α-syn) acts as the mediator between NfL and motor assessments.

Results

We found patients with PD had higher baseline CSF/serum NfL levels than HCs. Both baseline CSF/serum NfLs and their change rates predicted measurable motor decline in PD assessed by different motor scores. Baseline serum NfL and its rate of change were strongly associated with CSF NfL levels in patients with PD (P < 0.001). Besides, there were also significant differences in CSF/serum NfL levels and predicted values of motor decline between men and women with PD. Mediating effect analysis showed CSF α-syn mediated the effect of CSF NfL on total Unified Parkinson’s Disease Rating Scale (UPDRS) scores and UPDRSIII with 30.6 and 20.2% mediation, respectively.

Conclusion

Our results indicated that NfL, especially serum NfL concentration, could serve as an easily accessible biomarker to monitor the severity and progression of motor decline in individuals with PD, especially in men with PD. Besides, CSF α-syn acts as a mediator between NfL and motor progression.
The neuroprotective effects of glucagon-like peptide 1 in Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s disease: An in-depth review
Authors: Reich Niklas , Hölscher Christian
Published: September 2022

Currently, there is no disease-modifying treatment available for Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s disease (AD and PD) and that includes the highly controversial approval of the Aβ-targeting antibody aducanumab for the treatment of AD. Hence, there is still an unmet need for a neuroprotective drug treatment in both AD and PD. Type 2 diabetes is a risk factor for both AD and PD. Glucagon-like peptide 1 (GLP-1) is a peptide hormone and growth factor that has shown neuroprotective effects in preclinical studies, and the success of GLP-1 mimetics in phase II clinical trials in AD and PD has raised new hope. GLP-1 mimetics are currently on the market as treatments for type 2 diabetes. GLP-1 analogs are safe, well tolerated, resistant to desensitization and well characterized in the clinic. Herein, we review the existing evidence and illustrate the neuroprotective pathways that are induced following GLP-1R activation in neurons, microglia and astrocytes. The latter include synaptic protection, improvements in cognition, learning and motor function, amyloid pathology-ameliorating properties (Aβ, Tau, and α-synuclein), the suppression of Ca2+ deregulation and ER stress, potent anti-inflammatory effects, the blockage of oxidative stress, mitochondrial dysfunction and apoptosis pathways, enhancements in the neuronal insulin sensitivity and energy metabolism, functional improvements in autophagy and mitophagy, elevated BDNF and glial cell line-derived neurotrophic factor (GDNF) synthesis as well as neurogenesis. The many beneficial features of GLP-1R and GLP-1/GIPR dual agonists encourage the development of novel drug treatments for AD and PD.
Therapeutic effects of herbal-medicine combined therapy for COVID-19: A systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials
Authors: Chien Tsai-Ju , Liu Chia-Yu , Chang Yuan-I , Fang Ching-Ju , Pai Juo-Hsiang , Wu Yu-Xuan , Chen Shuoh-Wen
Published: September 2022

Background/Aim: Since 2019, the COVID-19 pandemic has been a devastating disease affecting global health to a great extent. Some countries have added on herbal medicines as a complementary treatment for combating COVID-19 due to the urgency of stopping the spread of this viral disease. However, whether these herbal medicines are effective is uncertain. This systematic review and meta-analysis aimed to evaluate the effects of herbal medicine combined therapy in the treatment of COVID-19.

Methods: A literature search was performed following the PRISMA Statement and without language restrictions. Seven databases were searched from inception through December 2021. All selected studies were randomized clinical trials (RCTs). Comparing the effects of herbal medicine combined therapy with conventional western medicine, including improvement of clinical symptoms, chest CT images, viral conversion rate, C-reactive protein (CRP) and interleukin 6. Cochrane criteria were applied to examine the methodological quality of the enrolled trials; and meta-analysis software (RevMan 5.4.1) was used for data analysis.

Results: In total, the data of 5,417 participants from 40 trials were included in this systematic review; and 28 trials were qualified for meta-analysis. The trials had medium-to-high quality based on GRADE system. Meta-analysis showed that combining herbal medicine vs conventional treatment in 1) coughing (1.43 95% CI:1.21, 1.71, p = 0.0001), 2) fever (1.09 95% CI:1.00, 1.19, p = 0.06), 3) fatigue (1.21 95% CI:1.10, 1.33, p = 0.0001); 4) CT images (1.26 95% CI:1.19, 1.34, P ≤ 0.00001), 5) viral conversion rates (1.22 95% CI:1.06, 1.40, p = 0.005) and 6) viral conversion times (−3.72 95% CI: −6.05, −1.40, p = 0.002), 7) IL6 change (1.97 95% CI: −0.72, 4.66, p = 0.15) and 8) CRP change (−7.92 95% CI: −11.30, −4.53, P ≤ 0.00001).

Conclusion: Herbal medicine combined therapy significantly reduces COVID-19 clinical symptoms, improving CT images and viral conversion rates. Reported adverse events are mild. However, for certain biases in the included studies, and the need for further study on effective components of herbal medicine. Further large trials with better randomized design are warranted to definite a more definite role of herbal medicine.
Structural and optical properties of narrowband Sc/Si multilayer at 46.5 nm
Authors: Wu Jiali , Qi Runze , Zhang Zhong , Wang Zhanshan
Published: September 2022

The Ne VII line is an intense solar line emitted from the solar transition region located at 46.5 nm with a temperature of approximately 0.5 MK. The observation of a Ne VII line is important to deepen the understanding of solar physics. For observing the Ne VII line at 46.5 nm, we have proposed a narrowband Sc/Si multilayer that could avoid the other solar emission lines going to the observatory instrument. In this article, Sc/Si multilayers with a Sc thickness ratio of 0.35 (conventional design) and 0.65 (narrowband design) were deposited. The microstructures of both multilayers were measured by grazing incidence X-ray reflectometry, X-ray diffraction, and transmission electron microscopy. The results showed that the interdiffusion at the Si-on-Sc interface was more significant than that at the Sc-on-Si interface in both multilayer. Compared with the conventional multilayer, the narrowband multilayer had a thinner Si-on-Sc interface width. The measured reflectivity of the Sc/Si multilayer with a Sc thickness ratio of 0.65 was 37.9% at 45.5 nm with a near-normal incident angle of 4.60°. The bandwidth was 3.68 nm, which is narrow enough to observe the Ne VII solar line.
A 3D reconstruction based on an unsupervised domain adaptive for binocular endoscopy
Authors: Zhang Guo , Huang Zhiwei , Lin Jinzhao , Li Zhangyong , Cao Enling , Pang Yu , sun Weiwei
Published: September 2022

In minimally invasive surgery, endoscopic image quality plays a crucial role in surgery. Aiming at the lack of a real parallax in binocular endoscopic images, this article proposes an unsupervised adaptive neural network. The network combines adaptive smoke removal, depth estimation of binocular endoscopic images, and the 3D display of high-quality endoscopic images. We simulated the smoke generated during surgery by artificially adding fog. The training images of U-Net fused by Laplacian pyramid are introduced to improve the network’s ability to extract intermediate features. We introduce Convolutional Block Attention Module to obtain the optimal parameters of each layer of the network. We utilized the disparity transformation relationship between left- and right-eye images to combine the left-eye images with disparity in HS-Resnet to obtain virtual right-eye images as labels for self-supervised training. This method extracts and fuses the parallax images at different scale levels of the decoder, making the generated parallax images more complete and smoother. A large number of experimental research results show that the scheme can remove the smoke generated during the operation, effectively reconstruct the 3D image of the tissue structure of the binocular endoscope, and at the same time, preserve the contour, edge, detail, and texture of the blood vessels in the medical image. Compared with the existing similar schemes, various indicators have been greatly improved. It has good clinical application prospects.
Assessing positive adaptation during a global crisis: The development and validation of the family positive adaptation during COVID-19 scale
Authors: Shoychet Gillian , Browne Dillon T. , Wade Mark , Prime Heather
Published: September 2022

The COVID-19 pandemic has negatively impacted the psychosocial functioning of children and families. It is important to consider adversity in relation to processes of positive adaptation. To date, there are no empirically validated multi-item scales measuring COVID-related positive adaptation within families. The aim of the current study was to develop and validate a new measure: the Family Positive Adaptation during COVID-19 Scale (Family PACS). The sample included 372 female and 158 male caregivers (73% White-European/North American; median 2019 income = $50,000 to $74,999 USD) of children ages 5–18 years old from the United Kingdom (76%), the United States (19%), Canada (4%), and Australia (1%), who completed measures in May 2020. Participants responded to a 14-item survey indexing a range of perceived coping and adaptation behaviors at the beginning of the pandemic. An exploratory factor analysis yielded an optimal one-factor solution comprised of seven items related to family cohesion, flexibility, routines, and meaning-making (loadings from 0.44 to 0.67). Multigroup confirmatory factor analysis demonstrated measurement invariance across female and male caregivers, demonstrating that the factor structure, loadings, and thresholds did not vary by caregiver sex. There was evidence for concurrent validity with significant bivariate correlations between the Family PACS scores and measures of caregiver positive coping, parenting practices, couple satisfaction, and family functioning (correlations from 0.10 to 0.23), but not negatively-valenced constructs. Findings inform our conceptualization of how families have adapted to adverse pandemic-related conditions. Further, we provide preliminary support for the Family PACS as a practical tool for evaluating positive family adaptation during this global crisis, with implications for future widespread crises.
Impact of Efficient Resource Management Practices on Sustainable Performance: Moderating Role of Innovative Culture-Evidence From Oil and Gas Firms
Authors: Wang Yihan , Zhang Shaojie , Xu Shilin
Published: September 2022

Academics and practitioners have paid close attention to waste, energy, and resource management due to growing awareness of its effects on sustainable performance. This study aims to explore the status and challenges of efficient resource management in China, an under-researched area. Moreover, it proposes a theoretical framework to fill the academic and practical gap how efficient resource management practices can build sustainable performance. This study justifies the need to explore the need of efficient resource management practices in emerging economies like China. Empirical data derived using a cross-sectional survey of 265 employees from oil and gas firms in China were used to test the theoretical framework developed from mainstream literature. Empirical findings of this study highlight the role of efficient resource management practices such as CSR, process and equipment, human resource practices, product design, and manufacturing planning which have a positive and significant impact on sustainable performance. In addition, innovative culture plays a moderating role in enhancing firms' sustainable performance. The findings suggest that there is further scope to utilize the efficient resource management practices for encouraging innovative culture to build sustainable performance. This study creates a basis for future research of building sustainable organizational performance by integrating efficient resource management practices. This study also highlights gaps in the system and provides insights into policymakers and manufacturing sector employees on holistically building a sustainable organization.
The influence of sports on proactive personality and academic achievement of college students: The role of self-efficacy
Authors: Li Xinnan , Liu Min , Yu Haofei , Zhang Zhanjia , He Zhonghui
Published: September 2022

Objective

To explore the mediating effect of self-efficacy on the relationship between the proactive personality and academic performance of college students in different sports groups.

Methods

A questionnaire survey is used to study 552 college students. The research tools include the proactive personality scale, the self-efficacy scale table (general, academic, and self-regulation efficacy scale tables), and the academic performance self-report scale table. This research employs SPSS 11.0 statistical software to carry out correlation analysis, regression analysis, and t-tests on the data collected, while the test of mediating effect is carried out by AMOS 22.0.

Results

(1) The degree of self-efficacy and academic performance of college students participating in physical activities is significantly greater than that of the non-sports group; (2) the proactive personality level of the sports group is significantly higher than the non-sports group in the dimension of “conscientiousness”; (3) a confirmatory factor analysis of the mediating effect hypothesis model, using the structural equation model, found that self-efficacy plays a full mediating role in the relationship between proactive personality and academic performance; the direct effect of self-efficacy on the proactive personality and academic performance of college students in different sports groups is not significant.

Conclusion

College students involved in sports exercise have higher scores on some items about proactive personality than non-sports groups; girls’ self-efficacy level is higher than that of boys; self-efficacy plays a full mediating role in the relationship between proactive personality and academic performance; self-efficacy had no significant effect on proactive personality and gender in different sports groups.
Young children contribute to nature stewardship
Authors: Dominguez Contreras Elena , Krasny Marianne E.
Published: September 2022

Research on young children in environmental education (EE) has focused on unstructured play in, or experiencing, nature. Little attention has been paid to young children’s stewardship efforts, or to the relation of such efforts to young children’s learning and capacity to contribute to their communities and local nature. This perspectives paper draws on the first author’s experience guiding pre-k and kindergarten children (4–6 years old) in outdoor educational projects in Santo Domingo (SD), Dominican Republic, in which the children produced a park guide and a short film. In addition to becoming resources for the local community, these products are an example of children’s civic contributions. In “return on investment” language, guiding young children in outdoor experiences and reflecting on the experience represent the investment and the park guide and other products, and importantly, children’s recognition of their ability to make contributions to their community, represent the return on investment. Based on our observations that young children can make significant contributions to their communities when given the opportunity, this perspectives paper argues for a research agenda and investment in opportunities for young children to contribute to their socio-ecological communities. To support our perspective, we first review and critique the prevailing and emerging paradigms of early childhood EE, following which we briefly describe the Santo Domingo (SD) project, and close by integrating past work with the first author’s experience to argue for the importance of including young children in stewardship efforts.