bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Combined Analysis of Pharmaceutical Active Ingredients and Transcriptomes of Glycyrrhiza uralensis Under PEG6000-Induced Drought Stress Revealed Glycyrrhizic Acid and Flavonoids Accumulation via JA-Mediated Signaling
Authors: Yao Hua , Wang Fei , Bi Quan , Liu Hailiang , Liu Li , Xiao Guanghui , Zhu Jianbo , Shen Haitao , Li Hongbin
Published: June 2022

Glycyrrhiza uralensis contains many secondary metabolites with a wide range of pharmacological activities. Drought stress acts as a positive regulator to stimulate the production of medicinal active component in G. uralensis, however, the underlying mechanism remains unclear. The aim of this work is to investigate the accumulation and regulatory mechanism of pharmaceutical active ingredients in G. uralensis under drought stress. The materials of the aerial and underground parts of G. uralensis seedlings treated by 10% PEG6000 for 0, 2, 6, 12, and 24 h were used for RNA sequencing and determination of phytohormones and pharmaceutical active ingredients. PEG6000, ibuprofen (IBU), and jasmonic acid (JA) were utilized to treat G. uralensis seedlings for content detection and gene expression analysis. The results showed that, the contents of glycyrrhizic acid, glycyrrhetinic acid, and flavonoids (licochalcone A, glabridin, liquiritigenin, isoliquiritigenin, and liquiritin) were significantly accumulated in G. uralensis underground parts under drought stress. Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes analysis of the transcriptome data of drought-treated G. uralensis indicated that up-regulated differentially expressed genes (UDEGs) involved in glycyrrhizic acid synthesis in the underground parts and flavonoids synthesis in both aerial and underground parts were significantly enriched. Interestingly, the UDEGs participating in jasmonic acid (JA) signal transduction in both aerial and underground parts were discovered. In addition, JA content in both aerial and underground parts under drought stress showed the most significantly accumulated. And drought stress stimulated the contents of JA, glycyrrhizic acid, and flavonoids, coupled with the induced expressions of genes regulating the synthesis and transduction pathway. Moreover, In PEG6000- and JA-treated G. uralensis, significant accumulations of glycyrrhizic acid and flavonoids, and induced expressions of corresponding genes in these pathways, were observed, while, these increases were significantly blocked by JA signaling inhibitor IBU. JA content and expression levels of genes related to JA biosynthesis and signal transduction were also significantly increased by PEG treatment. Our study concludes that drought stress might promote the accumulation of pharmaceutical active ingredients via JA-mediated signaling pathway, and lay a foundation for improving the medicinal component of G. uralensis through genetic engineering technology.
The Effects of Health Anxiety and Litigation Potential on Symptom Endorsement, Cognitive Performance, and Physiological Functioning in the Context of a Food and Drug Administration Drug Recall Announcement
Authors: Lecci Len , Page Gary Ryan , Keith Julian R. , Neal Sarah , Ritter Ashley
Published: June 2022

Drug recalls and lawsuits against pharmaceutical manufacturers are accompanied by announcements emphasizing harmful drug side-effects. Those with elevated health anxiety may be more reactive to such announcements. We evaluated whether health anxiety and financial incentives affect subjective symptom endorsement, and objective outcomes of cognitive and physiological functioning during a mock drug recall. Hundred and sixty-one participants reported use of over-the-counter pain medications and presented with a fictitious medication recall via a mock Food and Drug Administration (FDA) website. The opportunity to join a class-action lawsuit was manipulated. We assessed health anxiety, recalled drug usage, blood pressure, heart rate, and performance on a computerized Trail Making Test (TMT). Symptom endorsement was strongly predicted by health anxiety. When combined, three health anxiety measures explained 28.5% variance (Cohen’s d = 1.26). These effects remain strong after controlling for depression and anxiety. Litigation condition did not predict symptom endorsement. Blood pressure and heart rate were modestly predicted by health anxiety, but not by litigation condition. TMT performance was consistently predicted by health anxiety, with higher scores associated with poorer performance. Although there were no main effects for litigation, interactions consistently emerged for the TMT, with generally poorer performance for those with higher health anxiety in the non-litigation condition; whereas health anxiety was unrelated to performance for the litigation condition. All but one participant joined the litigation when given the opportunity, despite a healthy sample and minimal use of pain medication. Subsequent data from 67 individuals with no mention of the FDA scenario or litigation showed that health anxiety still significantly predicts symptom endorsement (12.6% variance), but the explained variance is less than half that obtained in the FDA scenario. The findings suggest that health anxiety plays a significant role in adverse symptom reporting, beyond anxiety or depression, and this effect is independent of the presence of the FDA recall. The lack of differences for health anxiety and symptom endorsement between litigation and non-litigation conditions rules out malingering. Although it is general practice in drug recalls to list potential adverse side effects caused by medications, this may elicit unintended symptom experiences and health anxious individuals may be more susceptible.
Personality and Motivation to Comply With COVID-19 Protective Measures in Germany
Authors: Kaspar Kai , Nordmeyer Laura
Published: June 2022

The COVID-19 pandemic strains the healthcare systems, economy, education, and social life. Governments took several protective measures and formulated behavioral guidelines to prevent individual diseases and the collapse of healthcare systems. However, individual differences in the extent of compliance with the measures are apparent. To shed more light on this issue, the present correlational study examined the joint relation of several personal characteristics to people's motivation to comply with seven protective measures. Personal characteristics included age, gender, risk perception, the Big Five, the Dark Triad, conspiracy mentality, perceived locus of control, and general affect. Protective measures included social distancing, hygiene rules, wearing face masks, using a contact-tracing app, sharing one's infection status via the app, reducing physical contacts, and vaccinations. The study ran from 10 November 2020 to 29 December 2020. Based on a sample of 1,007 German-speaking participants, bivariate correlations and multiple regression analyses showed that personal characteristics are significantly linked to the motivation to comply with these measures. However, general affect, control beliefs, and basic personality traits play only a minor role. Age and gender showed some significant associations with protective measures. In contrast, protection motivation factors, in terms of perceived severity of and vulnerability to infection, and conspiracy mentality appear to be the major correlates of adopting protective behavior. The absolute motivation to comply with the measures also shows that hygiene rules and wearing face masks receive a higher average agreement than more personally intrusive measures such as physical contact restrictions and vaccinations. These results highlight that factors that are relevant to some measures may be irrelevant to other measures. Differences in people's personal characteristics should be considered in the design and communication of measures to support social acceptance and effectiveness. In this context, cognitive variables, which can be addressed by communication and education directly, seem to be more important than general affect and relatively time-invariant personality traits.
Investigating the Impact of Institutions on Small Business Creation Among Saudi Entrepreneurs
Authors: Alshebami Ali Saleh , Seraj Abdullah Hamoud Ali
Published: June 2022

Institutions significantly impact people’s attitudes and behaviors, both favorably and negatively. The purpose of this article is to examine the influence of several institutions on the intentions and decisions of Saudi entrepreneurs to start a business. Accordingly, the study on which this article is based used cross-sectional data of 3,376 respondents obtained from the Global Entrepreneurship Monitor (GEM) in 2016. The findings demonstrated that insufficient business legislations and policies have a detrimental impact on the ability to start small businesses. Furthermore, it was discovered that the more media attention is given to successful entrepreneurs, the greater the likelihood of small businesses being established. Surprisingly, the typically high regard for successful entrepreneurs had no positive impact on the establishment of small businesses in Saudi Arabia. Moreover, there was no negative impact of fear of failure on the likelihood of starting small firms. Finally, the influence of control variables, such as age and gender, was also varied. Because the study was limited to the context of Saudi Arabia, future research could focus on expanding the analysis to other Gulf countries and including more institutions.
The Influence of Change-Related Organizational and Job Resources on Employee Change Engagement
Authors: Albrecht Simon L. , Connaughton Sean , Leiter Michael P.
Published: June 2022

Employee attitudes to change are key predictors of organizational change success. In this article, change engagement is defined as the extent to which employees are enthusiastic about change, and willing to actively involve themselves in ongoing organizational change. A model is tested showing how change-related organizational resources (e.g., senior leader support for change and organizational change climate) influence change engagement, in part through their influence on change-related job resources. Confirmatory Factor Analysis (CFA) and Structural Equations Modeling (SEM) results yielded good fit to the data in two independent samples: 225 Australian working professionals, and 201 employees from a Prolific sample. As proposed, change-related organizational resources (modeled as a higher order construct) were positively associated with higher order change-related job resources. Change-related job resources were positively associated with change engagement. In contrast to expectations, organizational resources were not directly associated with change engagement. Instead, change-related job resources fully mediated the relationship. Overall, the study provides empirical support for new measures of organizational change resources and employee change engagement. By drawing from well-established models in the change and engagement literatures, the study provides a promising research direction for those interested in further understanding positive employee attitudes to organizational change. Practical implications and future research opportunities are discussed.
Donation or Advertising? The Role of Market and Non-market Strategies in Corporate Legitimacy
Authors: Liu Ying , Liu Wei , Xu Yingbo
Published: June 2022

Although existing research has discussed the impact of market strategy or non-market strategy on corporate legitimacy thoroughly, there is limited research on the joint role of the two strategies. Based on the big data analysis of media coverage, this study addresses this research gap by using a sample of Chinese listed firms during 1999–2018. Our finding reveals that positive media coverage promotes corporate financial performance, and advertising intensity and corporate donation strengthen this relationship. However, the simultaneous application of market and non-market strategies diminishes the effect of both strategies on the expansion of corporate legitimacy. This study extends the literature on the impact of corporate strategies on corporate legitimacy by highlighting the joint role of the corporate market and non-market strategies.
Global Health Needs Modernized Containment Strategies to Prepare for the Next Pandemic
Authors: Seetah Krish , Moots Hannah , Pickel David , Van Cant Marit , Cianciosi Alessandra , Mordecai Erin , Cullen Mark , Maldonado Yvonne
Published: June 2022

COVID-19 continues to be a public health crisis, while severely impacting global financial markets causing significant economic and social hardship. As with any emerging disease, pharmaceutical interventions required time, emphasizing the initial and continuing need for non-pharmaceutical interventions. We highlight the role of anthropological and historical perspectives to inform approaches to non-pharmaceutical interventions for future preparedness. The National Academy of Medicine, a not-for-profit, non-governmental US-based medical watchdog organization, published a key document early in the COVID-19 pandemic which points to inadequate quarantine and containment infrastructure as a significant obstacle to an effective pandemic response. In considering how to implement effective quarantine policies and infrastructure, we argue that it is essential to take a longitudinal approach to assess interventions that have been effective in past pandemics while simultaneously addressing and eliminating the negative socio-historical legacies of ineffective quarantine practices. Our overview reinforces the need for social equity and compassion when implementing containment.
Yoga as a Preventive Intervention for Cardiovascular Diseases and Associated Comorbidities: Open-Label Single Arm Study
Authors: Sharma Kaushal , Basu-Ray Indranill , Sayal Natasha , Vora Ariana , Bammidi Sridhar , Tyagi Rahul , Modgil Shweta , Bali Parul , Kaur Paramvir , Goyal Atul Kumar , Pal Deepak Kumar , Arvind Harshita , Jindal Khushboo , Garg Vincy , Matyal Bandu , Thakur Neha , Chhikara Amit , Kaur Navneet , Maanju Preety , Bhatia Kulsajan Singh , Pannu Viraaj , Gupta Vanita , Malik Neeru , Malik Rakesh , Kumar Raman , Kaur Ravneet , Bhatt Vinod , Bhalla Ashish , Mohanty Manju , Singh Gurmeet , Sharma Suresh Kumar , Sivapuram Madhava Sai , Mathur Deepali , Khanra Dibbendu , Anand Akshay
Published: June 2022

Aim

Common Yoga Protocol (CYP) is a standardized yoga protocol authored by experts from all over the world under the aegis of the Ministry of AYUSH, Ayurveda, Yoga and Naturopathy, Unani, Siddha, Sowa Rigpa and Homeopathy (AYUSH). The potential of CYP can be determined as a cost-effective lifestyle modification to prevent the risk of developing cardiovascular diseases (CVD).

Methods

In this prospective trial, we compared the effect of CYP at baseline and after 1 month. A total of 374 yoga-naïve participants performed CYP under the supervision of experienced trainers. Physiological [body mass index (BMI), blood pressure, percent oxygen saturation], biochemical (fasting blood glucose and lipid profile), and neurocognitive parameters were measured before and after the intervention.

Results

At day 30 of yoga practice, serum levels of low-density lipoprotein (LDL), total cholesterol (TC), and high-density lipoprotein (HDL) were found significantly improved as compared to the baseline levels observed at the time of enrollment. Similarly, the lipid profile was also obtained from experienced trainers and found to be significantly different from those of yoga-naïve volunteers. When the intervention was compared between the healthy yoga-naïve participants with yoga-naïve participants suffering from medical issues, it was found that cholesterol profile improved significantly in the healthy-naive group as compared to the diseased group (hypertension, diabetes, underwent surgery, and CVD).

Conclusion

These results highlight the need for further research to better understand the effects of yoga on the primary prevention of CVD.
Real-World Impact of Switching From Insulin Glargine (Lantus®) to Basaglar® and Potential Cost Saving in a Large Public Healthcare System in Saudi Arabia
Authors: AlRuthia Yazed , Bahari Ohud H. , Alghnam Suliman , Alrumaih Ali M. , Asiri Hassan , Alshammari Mohammed , Alhowimel Mansour , Al-Abdulkarim Hana A.
Published: June 2022

Background

The advent of Basaglar®, which is a biosimilar insulin glargine formulation for Lantus® has brought hope that it will result in similar outcomes and lower costs. However, some health practitioners raised some concerns about the therapeutic equivalence of this new biosimilar. Therefore, we aimed to examine the clinical and financial impact of switching from Lantus® to Basaglar®.

Methods

This was a single–center retrospective chart review study of adult patients (e.g., ≥18 years) with diabetes mellitus (DM) who were treated with insulin glargine (Lantus®) for at least 12 months and then switched to Basaglar® for another 12 months. The potential cost savings for the years 2018 to 2021 and the cost avoidance for 2022 were estimated using different conversion ratios between the two insulin glargine products (Basaglar® and Lantus®) and acquisition prices.

Results

One–hundred patients with DM who were previously treated with Lantus® and switched to Basaglar® were retrospectively recruited. About two–thirds of the patients (68%) had type 2 DM, and the male and female patients were equally represented. The mean glycated hemoglobin (A1C) at baseline was 9, and the mean difference in the A1C levels before and after switching to Basaglar® was not significant (0.18, p-value = 0.503, 95% CI [−0.36–0.72]). Although the difference in the total daily insulin units between Lantus® and Basaglar® was not significant, the difference was leaning toward statistical significance despite the small sample size (−1.88, P-value = 0.25, 95% CI [−5.15–1.38]). Switching from Lantus® to Basaglar® could have led to significant cost savings that would range from approximately 1.77 to 23.7 million United States Dollars (USD) for the years 2018 to 2021 assuming an equal conversion ratio. However, those cost savings might not be realized if the switching to Basaglar® required higher daily insulin units, and the difference in the public tender acquisition price between Lantus® and Basaglar® is less than 15%.

Conclusion

Basaglar® and potentially other biosimilar insulin glargine products can lead to significant cost savings without compromising the quality of care. However, their acquisition prices should be discounted.
Young Adults and Sick Leave Length of Mental Illnesses
Authors: Gavurova Beata , Tarhanicova Miriama
Published: June 2022

Objectives

The objective was to explore whether a sick leave length related to mental morbidity differs across different occupational categories.

Methods

In the analysis, registry of sick leaves was analyzed. Provided analysis is focused on the length of sick leaves related to mental diseases caused by substance use or other factors. Dependent variable is the sick leave length, and the independent variables are the categories of disease and occupation. Kruskal–Wallis test, Shapiro–Wilk test, and Brown–Forsythe (B–F) are used.

Results

There are differences in mental sick leave lengths caused by substance use or other factors. In the case of mental illnesses attributable to drugs, differences in the sick leave duration among different working groups were not found. Considering mental disorders caused by other factors, there are differences in the sick leave duration among different working groups.

Conclusions

There is no evidence of longer sick leave in people diagnosed with mental disorder related to substance use. Differences in occupational categories do not relate to sick leave length.
Research Into Mental Health Prediction of Community Workers Involved in the Prevention of COVID-19 Epidemic Based on Cloud Model
Authors: Huang Jialing
Published: June 2022

To get to know the mental status of community workers involved in the prevention of COVID-19 epidemic, provide them with mental counseling and guidance, and predict their mental health status, a cloud model for the mental health prediction of community workers involved in the prevention of COVID-19 epidemic was constructed in this paper. First, the method to collect data about mental health was determined; second, the basic definition of cloud was discussed, the digital features of cloud were analyzed, and then, the cloud theory model was constructed; third, a model to predict the mental health of community workers involved in the prevention of COVID-19 epidemic was constructed based on the cloud theory, and corresponding algorithm was designed. Finally, a community was chosen as the research object to analyze and predict its mental health status. The research results suggest that the model can effectively predict the mental health status of community workers involved in the prevention of COVID-19 epidemic.
Comparison of Five Expressions of Handgrip Strength for Predicting Cardiovascular Disease Risk Factors in Chinese Middle-Aged Community Residents
Authors: Gao Yanan , Huang Huiming , Ni Chunxia , Feng Yong , Yu Junwu , Huang Yutong , Luo Lijun , Jiang Yongbao , Wang Aiwen
Published: June 2022

Objective

To compare the predictive performance of five handgrip strengths for cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk factors.

Methods

A total of 804 Chinese middle-aged community residents' health medical examinations were collected. The absolute handgrip strength was denoted as HGS. HGS/body weight (HGS/BW), HGS/body mass index (HGS/BMI), HGS/lean body mass (HGS/LBM), and HGS/muscle mass (HGS/MM) represented relative handgrip strength (RHGS). To assess predictive performance, receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves and the area under the curve (AUC) were constructed.

Results

HGS was not associated with most CVD risk biomarkers; however, RHGS showed a negative correlation trend after controlling for covariates (sex, age, smoking, and exercise). HGS/BMI and HGS/BW had better AUCs for predicting CVD risk factors than HGS/LBM or HGS/MM. HGS/BMI and HGS/BW can successfully predict all CVD risk factors in men with AUCs 0.55–0.65; similarly, women may effectively predict arteriosclerosis, hyperglycemia, hyperuricemia, and metabolic syndrome with AUCs 0.59–0.64, all p < 0.05. The optimal HGS/BW cut-off points for identifying different CVD risk factors were 0.59–0.61 in men and 0.41–0.45 in women, while the HGS/BMI were 1.75–1.79 in men and 1.11–1.15 in women.

Conclusions

Almost all CVD risk biomarkers and CVD risk factors were unrelated to HGS. There is, however, a significant inverse relationship between RHGS and CVD risk factors. HGS/BMI or HGS/BW should be recommended to be the best choice for predicting the risk of CVD risk factors in five expressions of handgrip strength. We also acquired the recommended optimal cut-off points of HGS/BMI and HGS/BW for predicting CVD risk factors.
Common Bias and Challenges in Physical and Rehabilitation Medicine Research: How to Tackle Them
Authors: Thibaut Aurore , Beaudart Charlotte , Martens Géraldine , Bornheim Stephen , Kaux Jean-François
Published: June 2022

The importance of evidence-based medicine is crucial, especially in physical and rehabilitation medicine (PRM), where there is a need to conduct rigorous experimental protocols, as in any medical field. Currently, in clinical practice, therapeutic approaches are often based on empirical data rather than evidence-based medicine. However, the field of PRM faces several challenges that may complicate scientific research. In addition, there is often a lack of appropriate research training in educational programs. In this context, we aim to review the methodological challenges in PRM and provide clear examples for each of them as well as potential solutions when possible. This article will cover the following themes: (1) Choosing the right study design and conducting randomized and benchmarking controlled trials; (2). Selecting the appropriate controlled, placebo or sham condition and the issue of blinding in non-pharmacological trials; (3) The impact of populations' heterogeneity and multi-comorbidities; (4). The challenge of recruitment and adherence; (5). The importance of homogeneity and proper quantification of rehabilitative strategies; and (6). Ethical issues. We are convinced that teaching the basics of scientific research in PRM could help physicians and therapists to choose a treatment based on (novel) scientific evidence. It may also promote scientific research in PRM to develop novel and personalized rehabilitation strategies using rigorous methodologies and randomized or benchmarking controlled trials in order to improve patients' management.
Exploring the Critical Role of Water in Regenerative Agriculture; Building Promises and Avoiding Pitfalls
Authors: Lankford Bruce , Orr Stuart
Published: June 2022

This article seeks greater clarity in the connections between water and regenerative agriculture (RA). We first review existing soil/water knowledge and argue that desired “RA and water” outcomes depend on the management and optimal levels of two key soil properties; readily available moisture and infiltration rate. Secondly, we hypothesize these help define a range of RA beneficial outcomes or “promises,” such as improved vegetative growth, reduced risk of erosive runoff, higher soil organic matter content and biological fertility, easier irrigation management, resilience to drought, better water filtration and less variable streamflow hydrology. Thirdly we show that by not fully understanding water's multiple roles for achieving desired RA outcomes, risks, contradictions and “pitfalls” can arise. With these three parts we observe that carefully explained and quantified roles of water in the existing RA literature are often missing, neglected, over-generalized or poorly explained. We also suggest that narratives and terms (e.g., “net zero” or “net positive”) for describing the benefits and aims of RA and water can lack context and situational fit, or are misleading and incorrect. Cautions also apply to water quantities additionally required for soil regeneration activities, recognizing stiff competition for scarce river basin water and its allocation. How necessary quantities overlap with local and catchment policies for water allocations and hydrology, incorporating farmers' views and choices and informed by field, farm and system water accounting, are critical to successful agricultural practices including those that are “regenerative.” Accordingly, we suggest that scientists and decisions-makers should more thoroughly interrogate how “RA and water” is being analyzed so that relevant policies develop its promises whilst avoiding pitfalls.
Transcutaneous Cervical Vagus Nerve Stimulation Induces Changes in the Electroencephalogram and Heart Rate Variability of Healthy Dogs, a Pilot Study
Authors: Castillo Gibrann , Gaitero Luis , Fonfara Sonja , Czura Christopher J. , Monteith Gabrielle , James Fiona
Published: June 2022

Transcutaneous cervical vagus nerve stimulation (tcVNS) has been used to treat epilepsy in people and dogs. Objective electroencephalographic (EEG) and heart rate variability (HRV) data associated with tcVNS have been reported in people. The question remained whether EEG and electrocardiography (ECG) would detect changes in brain activity and HRV, respectively, after tcVNS in dogs. Simultaneous EEG and Holter recordings, from 6 client-owned healthy dogs were compared for differences pre- and post- tcVNS in frequency band power analysis (EEG) and HRV. The feasibility and tolerance of the patients to the tcVNS were also noted. In a general linear mixed model, the average power per channel per frequency band was found to be significantly different pre- and post-stimulation in the theta (p = 0.02) and alpha bands (p = 0.04). The pooled power spectral analysis detected a significant decrease in the alpha (p < 0.01), theta (p = 0.01) and beta (p = 0.035) frequencies post-stimulation. No significant interaction was observed between dog, attitude, and stimulation in the multivariate model, neither within the same dog nor between individuals. There was a significant increase in the HRV measured by the standard deviation of the inter-beat (SDNN) index (p < 0.01) and a decrease in mean heart rate (p < 0.01) after tcVNS. The tcVNS was found to be well-tolerated. The results of this pilot study suggest that EEG and ECG can detect changes in brain activity and HRV associated with tcVNS in healthy dogs. Larger randomized controlled studies are required to confirm the results of this study and to assess tcVNS potential therapeutic value.
Effect of Porcine Clostridium perfringens on Intestinal Barrier, Immunity, and Quantitative Analysis of Intestinal Bacterial Communities in Mice
Authors: Jiang Zipeng , Su Weifa , Wen Chaoyue , Li Wentao , Zhang Yu , Gong Tao , Du Shuai , Wang Xinxia , Lu Zeqing , Jin Mingliang , Wang Yizhen
Published: June 2022

Clostridium perfringens (C. perfringens) is one of the main pathogens which can cause a range of histotoxic and enteric diseases in humans or animals (pigs, or broilers). The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimates these bacteria cause nearly 1 million illnesses in the United States every year. For animal husbandry, necrotizing enteritis caused by C. perfringens can cost the global livestock industry between $2 billion and $6 billion per year. C. perfringens-infected animals can be isolated for its identification and pathology. A suitable animal model is one of the essential conditions for studying the disease pathogenesis. In previous studies, mice have been used as subjects for a variety of Clostridium perfringens toxicity tests. Thus, this study was designed to build a mouse model infected porcine C. perfringens which was isolated from the C.perfringens-infected pigs. A total of 32 6-week-old male C57BL/6 mice were randomly divided into four groups. Control group was orally administrated with PBS (200 μL) on day 0. Low group, Medium group, and High group were gavaged with 200 ul of PBS resuspension containing 8.0 × 107 CFU, 4.0 × 108 CFU, and 2.0 × 109 CFU, respectively. We examined growth performance, immune status, intestinal barrier integrity, apoptosis-related genes expression, and copies of C. perfringens in mice. The results showed that the growth performance declined and intestinal structure was seriously damaged in High group. Meanwhile, pro-inflammatory factors (IL-1β, TNF-α, and IL-6) were significantly increased (P < 0.05) in High group compared to other groups. The tight junctions and pro-apoptosis related genes' expression significantly decreased (P < 0.05) in High group, and high dose caused a disruption of intestinal villi integrity and tissue injury in the jejunum of mice. In addition, the enumerations of C. perfringens, Escherichia coli, and Lactobacillus explained why the gut of High group mice was seriously damaged, because the C. perfringens and Escherichia coli significantly enriched (P < 0.05), and Lactobacillus dramatically decreased (P < 0.05). Overall, our results provide an experimental and theoretical basis for understanding the pathogenesis and exploring the effects of porcine C. perfringens on mice.
Characterizing HDAC Pathway Copy Number Variation in Pan-Cancer
Authors: Yang Shuming , Xie Shengzhi , Shi Xinying , Su Dan , He Bo , Xu Yang , Liu Zhefeng
Published: June 2022

Background: Histone deacetylase (HDAC) plays a crucial role in regulating the expression and activity of a variety of genes associated with tumor progression and immunotherapeutic processes. The aim of this study was to characterize HDAC pathway copy number variation (CNV) in pan-cancer.

Methods: A total of 10,678 tumor samples involving 33 types of tumors from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) were included in the study.

Results: HDAC pathway CNV and CNV gain were identified as prognostic risk factors for pan-cancer species. The differences of tumor characteristics including tumor mutational burden, tumor neoantigen burden, high-microsatellite instability, and microsatellite stable between HDAC pathway CNV altered-type group and wild-type group varied among the various cancer species. In some cancer types, HDAC pathway CNV alteration was positively correlated with loss of heterozygosity, CNV burden, ploidy, and homologous recombination defect score markers, while it was significantly negatively correlated with immune score and stroma score. There were significant differences in immune characteristics such as major histocompatibility complex class I (MHC-I), MHC-II, chemokines, cytolytic-activity, and IFN-γ between the two groups. Immune cycle characteristics varied from one cancer type to another.

Conclusion: This study reveals a tumor and immune profile of HDAC pathway CNV as well as its unlimited potential in immune prognosis.
Analysis of RAZORMIN® as a Biostimulant and Its Effect on the Phytotoxicity Mitigation Caused by Fungicide Azoxystrobin in Pepper
Authors: Ahmad Ali , Navarro-León Eloy , Izquierdo-Ramos María José , Rios Juan José , Blasco Begoña , Navarro-Morillo Iván , Ruiz Juan Manuel
Published: June 2022

Use of biostimulants for stimulating plant growth and mitigating the negative impacts of biotic and abiotic stresses is a promising strategy to achieve higher crop yields. Fungicides such as azoxystrobin are used to control several pests and fungal diseases in plants but at the cost of altering various physiological processes; thereby, leading to reduced crop yields. The efficiency of the compound RAZORMIN® as a biostimulant product while taking into account its role in plant growth stimulation and fungicide azoxystrobin stress mitigation was evaluated in this study. The efficacy of RAZORMIN® was assessed considering its impact on the stimulation of growth-related physiological processes and stress mitigation mechanism, e.g., reactive oxygen species (ROS) detoxification. Application of RAZORMIN® significantly increased plant growth by improving fresh weight, photosynthetic efficiency, net photosynthesis rate, gas exchange, nitrogen (N) metabolism (with increases in soluble amino acids, foliar N concentration, and N use efficiency), growth hormone concentrations (mainly gibberellins and cytokinins), nutritional status of plants (producing a greater accumulation of phosphorus, potassium, calcium, magnesium, sulfur, zinc, molybdenum, iron, and boron), and sugars concentration. Furthermore, the application of RAZORMIN® on plants under fungicide azoxystrobin stress demonstrated its anti-stress and protective role by stimulating the antioxidant defense system and improving photosynthetic efficiency.
Effect of Rehabilitation on Brain Functional Connectivity in a Stroke Patient Affected by Conduction Aphasia
Authors: Dattola Serena , La Foresta Fabio
Published: June 2022

Stroke is a medical condition that affects the brain and represents a leading cause of death and disability. Associated with drug therapy, rehabilitative treatment is essential for promoting recovery. In the present work, we report an EEG-based study concerning a left ischemic stroke patient affected by conduction aphasia. Specifically, the objective is to compare the brain functional connectivity before and after an intensive rehabilitative treatment. The analysis was performed by means of local and global efficiency measures related to the execution of three tasks: naming, repetition and reading. As expected, the results showed that the treatment led to a balancing of the values of both parameters between the two hemispheres since the rehabilitation contributed to the creation of new neural patterns to compensate for the disrupted ones. Moreover, we observed that for both name and repetition tasks, shortly after the stroke, the global and local connectivity are lower in the affected lobe (left hemisphere) than in the unaffected one (right hemisphere). Conversely, for the reading task, global and local connectivity are higher in the impaired lobe. This apparently contrasting trend can be due to the effects of stroke, which affect not only the site of structural damage but also brain regions belonging to a functional network. Moreover, changes in network connectivity can be task-dependent. This work can be considered a first step for future EEG-based studies to establish the most suitable connectivity measures for supporting the treatment of stroke and monitoring the recovery process.
Korean Semantic Role Labeling with Bidirectional Encoder Representations from Transformers and Simple Semantic Information
Authors: Bae Jangseong , Lee Changki
Published: June 2022

State-of-the-art semantic role labeling (SRL) performance has been achieved using neural network models by incorporating syntactic feature information such as dependency trees. In recent years, breakthroughs achieved using end-to-end neural network models have resulted in a state-of-the-art SRL performance even without syntactic features. With the advent of a language model called bidirectional encoder representations from transformers (BERT), another breakthrough was witnessed. Even though the semantic information of each word constituting a sentence is important in determining the meaning of a word, previous studies regarding the end-to-end neural network method did not utilize semantic information. In this study, we propose a BERT-based SRL model that uses simple semantic information without syntactic feature information. To obtain the latter, we used PropBank, which described the relational information between predicates and arguments. In addition, text-originated feature information obtained from the training text data was utilized. Our proposed model achieved state-of-the-art results on both Korean PropBank and CoNLL-2009 English benchmarks.
Research on Design, Simulation, and Experiment of Separation Mechanism for Micro-Nano Satellites
Authors: Zhao Xiangyu , Zhao Chunjuan , Li Jiale , Guan Yongliang , Chen Shanbo , Zhang Lei
Published: June 2022

The separation mechanism is a critical device that transports and releases satellites during launch and on-orbit. However, as satellites become smaller and more compact, the traditional belt-locking device or pyrotechnic release and separation device cannot meet the micro-nano satellite’s separation requirements. A novel separation mechanism kinematic system was designed, analyzed, and experimentally verified to achieve non-interference and non-pyrotechnic separation of the satellites from the launch vehicle while maintaining the initial separation attitude. First, an overall structural strategy for the kinematics system was proposed based on the MF (product code of the satellite) satellite’s structural properties. The structural characteristics of the separation mechanism were also confirmed by the principle of energy conservation. Then, a finite element model and a dynamic model of the kinematic coupling system between the MF satellite and the separation mechanism during launch and deployment were constructed, along with an analysis of the mechanical characteristics and a kinematic simulation. Finally, the mechanical characteristics and dependability of the separation mechanism were verified using a ground vibration test and a separation test. The prototype test results demonstrate that the separation process is essentially identical to the numerical simulation results and that the MF satellite can be deployed successfully without interference, with the MF satellite’s initial separation attitude fully satisfying the designed technical indexes.
Integrated Clinical Environment Security Analysis Using Reinforcement Learning
Authors: Ibrahim Mariam , Elhafiz Ruba
Published: June 2022

Many communication standards have been proposed recently and more are being developed as a vision for dynamically composable and interoperable medical equipment. However, few have security systems that are sufficiently extensive or flexible to meet current and future safety requirements. This paper aims to analyze the cybersecurity of the Integrated Clinical Environment (ICE) through the investigation of its attack graph and the application of artificial intelligence techniques that can efficiently demonstrate the subsystems’ vulnerabilities. Attack graphs are widely used for assessing network security. On the other hand, they are typically too huge and sophisticated for security administrators to comprehend and evaluate. Therefore, this paper presents a Q-learning-based attack graph analysis approach in which an attack graph that is generated for the Integrated Clinical Environment system resembles the environment, and the agent is assumed to be the attacker. Q-learning can aid in determining the best route that the attacker can take in order to damage the system as much as possible with the least number of actions. Numeric values will be assigned to the attack graph to better determine the most vulnerable part of the system and suggest this analysis to be further utilized for bigger graphs.
Forced Sedentariness and Sports Activity as Factors Differentiating Anthropometric Characteristics, Indices, and Body Composition in People with Disabilities
Authors: Zwierzchowska Anna , Rosołek Barbara , Sikora Marcin , Celebańska Diana
Published: June 2022

Introduction: Although the assessment of physique and body composition poses methodological, technical, and interpretative difficulties, it is of great importance for the health of people with disabilities. The aim of the study was to demonstrate that sedentariness and sports activity are factors differentiating anthropometric characteristics, indices, and body composition in people with physical disabilities. Materials and methods: Fifty-eight people were examined: 48 elite Polish Para athletes, including Paralympic track and field athletes (PTF, n = 8), sitting volleyball players (SV, n = 15), wheelchair rugby players (WR, n = 25), and individuals with cervical spinal cord injury (CSCI, n = 10). Body mass (BM), body height (BH), body length (BL), waist circumference (WC), hip circumference (HC), body fat percentage (%FT), and visceral fat rating (VFR) were measured. Furthermore, BMI, BMIcorrected, and body adiposity index (BAI) were evaluated. Results: The highest WC, BAI, %FT, and VFR were found for the CSCI group. The type of sport significantly differentiated between anthropometric features, indices, and body composition of the athletes. Sitting volleyball players achieved the highest mean BM (83.9), WC (92.9), HC (103.7), BMI (24.5), BAI (23.4), and VFR (12.6). The highest %FT (28.9) was found in wheelchair rugby players. Conclusions: The results of the present study indicate that forced sedentariness and sports activity among individuals with disabilities differentiate body structure and physique.
Correction: Gu et al. In Vitro Methods for Predicting Chemical Leukoderma Caused by Quasi-Drug Cosmetics. Cosmetics 2017, 4, 31
Authors: Gu Lihao , Zeng Haifeng , Takahashi Tomomi , Maeda Kazuhisa
Published: June 2022

The authors wish to make the following corrections to their paper [...]
A Black Mirror of Bright Ideas: Could Media Educate towards Positive Creativity?
Authors: Ceh Simon Majed , Lebuda Izabela
Published: June 2022

With the media’s omnipresence, beneficial and detrimental effects on human behavior—including creativity—are being widely discussed. This essay presents potential benefits of passive and active media use for enhancing creative thinking and behavior. Based on the classic socio-cognitive theory of observational learning and stressing the importance of creative self-beliefs, certain types of media content and activities are highlighted to demonstrate how traditional and modern media can shape positive creativity—contributing to novel and valuable behavior from both individual and social points of view. The discussion proceeds to link media influence with creative skills, creative self-beliefs, and group creativity, emphasizing the necessity of media education and systematic scientific research on the topic.
Identification of Deoxynivalenol and Degradation Products during Maize Germ Oil Refining Process
Authors: Guo Yuqian , Lu Tianying , Shi Jiacheng , Li Xiaoyang , Wu Kesheng , Xiong Yonghua
Published: June 2022

Deoxynivalenol (DON) contamination in germs and germ oil is posing a serious threat to food and feed security. However, the transformation pathway, the distribution of DON, and its degradation products in edible oil refining have not yet been reported in detail. In this work, we systematically explored the variation of DON in maize germ oil during refining and demonstrated that the DON in germ oil can be effectively removed by refining, during which a part of DON was transferred to the wastes, and another section of DON was degraded during degumming and alkali refining. Moreover, the DON degradation product was identified to be norDON B by using the ultraviolet absorption spectrum, high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC), ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography-quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry (UPLC-Q-TOF MS), and nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) methods, and the degradation product was found to be distributed in waste products during oil refining. This study provides a scientific basis and useful reference for the production of non-mycotoxins edible oil by traditional refining.
Exploring the Fungal Community and Its Correlation with the Physicochemical Properties of Chinese Traditional Fermented Fish (Suanyu)
Authors: Sun Haixin , Liu Xiaochang , Wang Liwen , Sang Yaxin , Sun Jilu
Published: June 2022

Suanyu is a traditional natural fermented fish product from Southwest China that contains very complex microflora. The main purpose of this study was to explore the fungal community and its relationship with the physicochemical properties of Suanyu. The fungal community structure of Suanyu from the main provinces (Guizhou and Hunan) was studied via high-throughput sequencing. The correlation between dominant fungi and physicochemical characteristics was analyzed via Spearman’s correlation coefficient. The results showed that the pH value, total volatile base nitrogen content, and thiobarbituric acid reactive substance content ranges of Suanyu samples were 4.30–5.50, 17.11–94.70 mg/100 g, and 0.61 to 3.62 mg/kg, respectively. The average contents of total volatile base nitrogen, thiobarbituric acid reactive substance, and total BAs in Suanyu from Guizhou were lower than those from Hunan. The main BAs were phenethylamine, putrescine, cadaverine, histamine, and tyramine. Ascomycota was the dominant fungal phylum, and Kodamaea, Debaryomyces, Wallemia, Zygosaccharomyces, and unclassified Dipodascaceae were the dominant fungal genera in different samples. Moreover, high abundance levels of Kodamaea and Zygosaccharomyces were found in Suanyu from Guizhou. According to the correlation analysis, Kodamaea and Zygosaccharomyces were negatively correlated with TBARS (R2 = −0.43, −0.51) and TVBN (R2 = −0.37, −0.29), and unclassified Dipodascaceae was significant negatively correlated with tyramine (R2 = −0.56). This study expands the understanding of the fungal community and the fermentation characteristics of the dominant fungi in Suanyu.
Food Industry By-Products as a Sources of Phytochemical Compounds
Authors: Šubarić Drago , Jokić Stela
Published: June 2022

Phytochemicals, or phytonutrients, are a group of biologically active substances from plants [...]