bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Extracting Dynamical Understanding From Neural-Mass Models of Mouse Cortex
Authors: Siu Pok Him , Müller Eli , Zerbi Valerio , Aquino Kevin , Fulcher Ben D.
Published: April 2022

New brain atlases with high spatial resolution and whole-brain coverage have rapidly advanced our knowledge of the brain's neural architecture, including the systematic variation of excitatory and inhibitory cell densities across the mammalian cortex. But understanding how the brain's microscale physiology shapes brain dynamics at the macroscale has remained a challenge. While physiologically based mathematical models of brain dynamics are well placed to bridge this explanatory gap, their complexity can form a barrier to providing clear mechanistic interpretation of the dynamics they generate. In this work, we develop a neural-mass model of the mouse cortex and show how bifurcation diagrams, which capture local dynamical responses to inputs and their variation across brain regions, can be used to understand the resulting whole-brain dynamics. We show that strong fits to resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) data can be found in surprisingly simple dynamical regimes—including where all brain regions are confined to a stable fixed point—in which regions are able to respond strongly to variations in their inputs, consistent with direct structural connections providing a strong constraint on functional connectivity in the anesthetized mouse. We also use bifurcation diagrams to show how perturbations to local excitatory and inhibitory coupling strengths across the cortex, constrained by cell-density data, provide spatially dependent constraints on resulting cortical activity, and support a greater diversity of coincident dynamical regimes. Our work illustrates methods for visualizing and interpreting model performance in terms of underlying dynamical mechanisms, an approach that is crucial for building explanatory and physiologically grounded models of the dynamical principles that underpin large-scale brain activity.
Association Between Copeptin and Six-Month Neurologic Outcomes in Patients With Moderate Traumatic Brain Injury
Authors: Jeon Jin Pyeong , Kim Seonghyeon , Kim Tae Yeon , Han Sung Woo , Lim Seung Hyuk , Youn Dong Hyuk , Kim Bong Jun , Hong Eun Pyo , Park Chan Hum , Kim Jong-Tae , Ahn Jun Hyong , Rhim Jong Kook , Park Jeong Jin , Kim Heung Cheol , Kang Suk Hyung
Published: April 2022

Background

Copeptin has been reported as a predictive biomarker for the prognosis after traumatic brain injury (TBI). However, most of them were in patients with severe TBI and limited value in predicting outcomes in patients with moderate TBI defined as Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS) score from 9 to 12. We aimed to investigate the predictive value of copeptin in assessing the neurologic outcome following moderate TBI.

Methods

Patients were prospectively enrolled between May 2017 and November 2020. We consecutively measured plasma copeptin within 24 h after trauma, days 3, 5, and 7 using ELISA. The primary outcome was to correlate plasma copeptin levels with poor neurologic outcome at 6 months after moderate TBI. The secondary outcome was to compare the prognostic accuracy of copeptin and C-reactive protein (CRP) in assessing the outcome of patient.

Results

A total of 70 patients were included for the final analysis. The results showed that 29 patients (41.4%) experienced a poor neurologic outcome at 6 months. Multivariable logistic regression analysis revealed that increased copeptin (odds ration [OR] = 1.020, 95% CI: 1.005–1.036), GCS score of 9 or 10 (OR = 4.507, 95% CI: 1.266–16.047), and significant abnormal findings on CT (OR = 4.770; 95% CI: 1.133–20.076) were independent risk factors for poor outcomes. Consecutive plasma copeptin levels were significantly different according to outcomes (p < 0.001). Copeptin on day 7 exhibited better prognostic performance than CRP with an area under receiver operating characteristic curve (AUROC) difference of 0.179 (95% CI: 0.032–0.325) in predicting 6-month poor outcomes.

Conclusion

Plasma copeptin level can be a useful marker in predicting 6-month outcomes in patients with moderate TBI.
Analyzing Hierarchical Multi-View MRI Data With StaPLR: An Application to Alzheimer's Disease Classification
Authors: van Loon Wouter , de Vos Frank , Fokkema Marjolein , Szabo Botond , Koini Marisa , Schmidt Reinhold , de Rooij Mark
Published: April 2022

Multi-view data refers to a setting where features are divided into feature sets, for example because they correspond to different sources. Stacked penalized logistic regression (StaPLR) is a recently introduced method that can be used for classification and automatically selecting the views that are most important for prediction. We introduce an extension of this method to a setting where the data has a hierarchical multi-view structure. We also introduce a new view importance measure for StaPLR, which allows us to compare the importance of views at any level of the hierarchy. We apply our extended StaPLR algorithm to Alzheimer's disease classification where different MRI measures have been calculated from three scan types: structural MRI, diffusion-weighted MRI, and resting-state fMRI. StaPLR can identify which scan types and which derived MRI measures are most important for classification, and it outperforms elastic net regression in classification performance.
A Reciprocal Link Between Gut Microbiota, Inflammation and Depression: A Place for Probiotics?
Authors: Eltokhi Ahmed , Sommer Iris E.
Published: April 2022

Depression is a severe mental disorder that places a significant economic burden on public health. The reciprocal link between the trillions of bacteria in the gut, the microbiota, and depression is a controversial topic in neuroscience research and has drawn the attention of public interest and press coverage in recent years. Mounting pieces of evidence shed light on the role of the gut microbiota in depression, which is suggested to involve immune, endocrine, and neural pathways that are the main components of the microbiota-gut-brain axis. The gut microbiota play major roles in brain development and physiology and ultimately behavior. The bidirectional communication between the gut microbiota and brain function has been extensively explored in animal models of depression and clinical research in humans. Certain gut microbiota strains have been associated with the pathophysiology of depression. Therefore, oral intake of probiotics, the beneficial living bacteria and yeast, may represent a therapeutic approach for depression treatment. In this review, we summarize the findings describing the possible links between the gut microbiota and depression, focusing mainly on the inflammatory markers and sex hormones. By discussing preclinical and clinical studies on probiotics as a supplementary therapy for depression, we suggest that probiotics may be beneficial in alleviating depressive symptoms, possibly through immune modulation. Still, further comprehensive studies are required to draw a more solid conclusion regarding the efficacy of probiotics and their mechanisms of action.
Computational Insights of Unfolding of N-Terminal Domain of TDP-43 Reveal the Conformational Heterogeneity in the Unfolding Pathway
Authors: Li Ruiting , Singh Ruhar , Kashav Tara , Yang ChunMin , Sharma Ravi Datta , Lynn Andrew M. , Prasad Rajendra , Prakash Amresh , Kumar Vijay
Published: April 2022

TDP-43 proteinopathies is a disease hallmark that characterizes amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and frontotemporal lobar degeneration (FTLD). The N-terminal domain of TDP-43 (NTD) is important to both TDP-43 physiology and TDP-43 proteinopathy. However, its folding and dimerization process is still poorly characterized. In the present study, we have investigated the folding/unfolding of NTD employing all-atom molecular dynamics (MD) simulations in 8 M dimethylsulfoxide (DMSO) at high temperatures. The MD results showed that the unfolding of the NTD at high temperature evolves through the formation of a number of conformational states differing in their stability and free energy. The presence of structurally heterogeneous population of intermediate ensembles was further characterized by the different extents of solvent exposure of Trp80 during unfolding. We suggest that these non-natives unfolded intermediate ensembles may facilitate NTD oligomerization and subsequently TDP-43 oligomerization, which might lead to the formation of irreversible pathological aggregates, characteristics of disease pathogenesis.
The Influence of Nutrition on Intestinal Permeability and the Microbiome in Health and Disease
Authors: Inczefi Orsolya , Bacsur Péter , Resál Tamás , Keresztes Csilla , Molnár Tamás
Published: April 2022

The leakage of the intestinal barrier and the disruption of the gut microbiome are increasingly recognized as key factors in different pathophysiological conditions, such as irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), chronic liver diseases, obesity, diabetes mellitus, types of cancer, and neuropsychiatric disorders. In this study, the mechanisms leading to dysbiosis and “leaky gut” are reviewed, and a short summary of the current knowledge regarding different diseases is provided. The simplest way to restore intestinal permeability and the microbiota could be ideal nutrition. Further therapeutic options are also available, such as the administration of probiotics or postbiotics or fecal microbiota transplantation.
Adherence to the Mediterranean Diet and Risk of Metabolically Unhealthy Obesity in Women: A Cross-Sectional Study
Authors: Leone Alessandro , De Amicis Ramona , Battezzati Alberto , Bertoli Simona
Published: April 2022

Some obese individuals do not present any metabolic alteration and are considered metabolically healthy (MHO). Adherence to high-quality dietary pattern may favor this phenotype. We aimed to evaluate the association between the adherence to the Mediterranean diet and risk of metabolically unhealthy obesity (MUO) in women. We conducted a cross-sectional study on 2,115 obese women. All patients underwent a medical examination, anthropometric evaluation, bioelectrical impedance, ultrasound measurements of abdominal visceral (VAT) and subcutaneous (SAT) fat, blood sampling and evaluation of adherence to the Mediterranean diet through MEDAS questionnaire. The diagnosis of MHO and MUO was made using the harmonized criteria. A multivariable logistic regression adjusted for age, BMI, fat free mass, ultrasound-estimated VAT:SAT ratio, marital status, education, past diet, antidepressant use, family history of diabetes and cardiovascular disease, menopausal status, smoking, and physical activity was used to assess the association between Mediterranean diet and MUO risk. The prevalence of MHO was 21.2% (N = 449). Compared to MUO women, MHO women were younger, had lower BMI and VAT, and had higher fat free mass and SAT. In the multivariable model, the adherence to the Mediterranean diet was not associated with the risk of MUO (OR = 0.91, 95%CI: 0.62; 1.34, P = 0.624). Given the impact of menopause on metabolic health we also carried out the analysis in pre- and post-menopausal women separately. Higher adherence to the Mediterranean diet was associated with a lower risk of MUO in postmenopausal women (OR = 0.55, 95%CI: 0.31; 0.96, P = 0.034). No association was found in premenopausal women (OR = 1.18, 95%CI: 0.70; 1.99, P = 0.532). In conclusion, adherence to the Mediterranean diet was associated with a better metabolic health in postmenopausal women. Further studies are needed to confirm the ability of the Mediterranean diet in promoting maintenance of the healthy phenotype and reversion from MUO.
Assessing the Association of Element Imbalances With Arsenism and the Potential Application Value of Rosa roxburghii Tratt Juice
Authors: Xu Yuyan , Sun Baofei , Zeng Qibing , Wei Shaofeng , Yang Guanghong , Zhang Aihua
Published: April 2022

Endemic arsenism caused by coal burning is a unique type of biogeochemical disease that only exists in China, and it is also a disease of element imbalances. Previous studies have shown that element imbalances are involved in the pathogenesis of arsenic; however, the interaction between the various elements and effective preventive measures have not been fully studied. This study first conducted a cross-sectional study of a total of 365 participants. The results showed that arsenic exposure can increase the content of elements (Al, As, Fe, Hg, K, and Na) in the hair (p < 0.05), but the content of other elements (Ca, Co, Cu, Mn, Mo, P, Se, Sr, V, and Zn) was significantly decreased (p < 0.05). Also, the high level of As, Fe, and Pb and the low level of Se can increase the risk of arsenism (p < 0.05). Further study found that the combined exposure of Fe–As and Pb–As can increase the risk of arsenism, but the combined exposure of Se–As can reduce the risk of arsenism (p < 0.05). In particular, a randomized, controlled, double-blind intervention study reveals that Rosa roxburghii Tratt juice (RRT) can reverse the abovementioned element imbalances (the high level of Al, As, and Fe and the low level of Cu, Mn, Se, Sr, and Zn) caused by arsenic (p < 0.05). Our study provides some limited evidence that the element imbalances (the high level of As, Fe, and Pb and the low level of Se) are the risk factors for the occurrences of arsenism. The second major finding was that RRT can regulate the element imbalances, which is expected to improve arsenism. This study provides a scientific basis for further understanding a possible traditional Chinese health food, RRT, as a more effective detoxication of arsenism.
Combination of Sildenafil and Ba2+ at a Low Concentration Show a Significant Synergistic Inhibition of Inward Rectifier Potassium Current Resulting in Action Potential Prolongation
Authors: Macháček Martin , Švecová Olga , Bébarová Markéta
Published: April 2022

Sildenafil (Viagra) is a vasodilator mainly used in the treatment of erectile dysfunction. Atrial or ventricular fibrillation may rarely occur as a side effect during sildenafil therapy. Although changes in inward rectifier potassium currents including IK1 are known to contribute to the pathogenesis of fibrillation, the effect of sildenafil on IK1 has not been studied. In experiments, Ba2+ is used as a specific inhibitor of IK1 at high concentrations (usually 100 µM). Being an environmental contaminant, it is also present in the human body; Ba2+ plasmatic concentrations up to 1.5 µM are usually reported in the general population. This study was primarily aimed to investigate changes of IK1 induced by sildenafil in a wide range of concentrations (0.1–100 µM). Additionally, the effect of combination of sildenafil and Ba2+ at selected clinically-relevant concentrations was tested, at 0.1 µM both on IK1 and on the action potential duration (APD). Experiments were performed by the whole-cell patch-clamp technique on enzymatically isolated rat ventricular cardiomyocytes, mostly at 23°C with the exception of APD measurements which were performed at 37°C as well. Sildenafil caused a significant, reversible, and concentration-dependent inhibition of IK1 that did not differ at −50 and −110 mV. Simultaneous application of sildenafil and Ba2+ at 0.1 µM revealed a massive inhibition of both inward and outward components of IK1 (this synergy was missing at other tested combinations). The combined effect at 0.1 µM (45.7 ± 5.7 and 43.0 ± 6.9% inhibition at −50 and −110 mV, respectively) was significantly higher than a simple sum of almost negligible effects of the individual substances and it led to a significant prolongation of APD at both 23 and 37°C. To our knowledge, similar potentiation of the drug-channel interaction has not been described. The observed massive inhibition of IK1 induced by a combined action of the vasodilator sildenafil and environmental contaminant Ba2+ at a low concentration and resulting in a significant APD prolongation may contribute to the genesis of arrhythmias observed in some patients treated with sildenafil.
The Practical Problem With Carbapenem Testing and Reporting Accurate Bacterial Susceptibilities
Authors: Redell Mark , Tillotson Glenn S.
Published: April 2022

Background: Antibiotic resistance is an evolving issue which requires constant review. Susceptibility breakpoints are revised in line with new microbiological and pharmacological data. Susceptibility breakpoints for carbapenems and Enterobacterales were revised in response to the rise in resistance and the potential for standard doses of carbapenems to provide the necessary antibiotic exposure and to accurately identify rates of carbapenem resistance.

Objectives: This review sought to identify real-world implications associated with lack of testing and reporting current carbapenem breakpoints and potential barriers that may impede implementation of these strategies.

Methods: A literature review was conducted using PubMed and Google Scholar electronic databases.

Results: The failure to adopt revised breakpoints incurs negative clinical outcomes and carries increased cost implications. However, there were several impediments highlighted which are barriers for laboratories to implement breakpoint updates.

Conclusion: Possible practical steps to implement revised breakpoints which apply to carbapenems and Enterobacterales are proposed. The challenge for laboratories is to be aware and implement these changes to provide accurate and relevant susceptibility results for clinicians.
Diosgenin Ameliorates Non-alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease by Modulating the Gut Microbiota and Related Lipid/Amino Acid Metabolism in High Fat Diet-Fed Rats
Authors: Zhou Yuan , Li Ruoqi , Zheng Yingyi , Song Meiying , Zhang Shanshan , Sun Yunxia , Wei Mengying , Fan Xiang
Published: April 2022

Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is a metabolic disease closely associated with dietary habits. Diosgenin is abundant in yam, a common food and traditional Chinese medicine. The molecular mechanism of diosgenin on NAFLD has been preliminarily explored. However, the effect of diosgenin on metabolism and gut microbiota in NAFLD has not been reported. This study confirmed that diosgenin could suppress excessive weight gain, reduce serum levels of total cholesterol and triglycerides, and decrease liver fat accumulation in high-fat diet-induced NAFLD rats. Moreover, fecal metabolomics analysis suggested diosgenin improved abnormal lipid and amino acid metabolism. Bile acids, including lithocholic acid and ursodeoxycholic acid 3-sulfate that function as excretion, absorption, and transport of fats, were remarkably regulated by diosgenin. Aromatic amino acid and lysine metabolism was regulated by diosgenin as well. 16S rRNA gene sequencing analysis demonstrated that diosgenin restored gut microbiota disorder, especially Globicatella, Phascolarctobacterium, Pseudochrobactrum, and uncultured_bacterium_f_Prevotellaceae at the genus level. Additionally, these regulated bacterial genera showed significant correlations with lipid and amino acid metabolism-related biomarkers. This study further confirmed the significant effect of diosgenin on NAFLD, and provided a new perspective for the mechanism.
Identifying Acute Cardiac Hazard in Early Drug Discovery Using a Calcium Transient High-Throughput Assay in Human-Induced Pluripotent Stem Cell-Derived Cardiomyocytes
Authors: Lu Hua Rong , Kreir Mohamed , Karel Van Ammel , Tekle Fetene , Geyskens Danny , Teisman Ard , Gallacher David J.
Published: April 2022

Introduction: Early identification of cardiac risk is essential for reducing late-stage attrition in drug development. We adapted the previously published cardiac hazard risk-scoring system using a calcium transient assay in human stem cell-derived CMs for the identification of cardiac risks recorded from the new hiPSC-CM line and investigated its predictivity and translational value based on the screening of a large number of reference and proprietary compounds.

Methods: Evaluation of 55 reference drugs provided the translation of various pharmacological effects into a single hazard label (no, low, high, or very high hazard) using a Ca2+-sensitive fluorescent dye assay recorded by -by FDSS/µCell Functional Drug Screening System (Hamamatsu on hiPSC-CM line (FCDI iCell Cardiomyocytes2).

Results: Application of the adapted hazard scoring system in the Ca2+ transient assay, using a second hiPS-CM line, provided comparable scoring results and predictivity of hazard, to the previously published scoring approach, with different pharmacological drug classes, as well as screening new chemical entities (NCE’s) using a single hazard label from four different scoring levels (no, low, high, or very high hazard). The scoring system results also showed minimal variability across three different lots of hiPSC-CMs, indicating good reproducibility of the cell line. The predictivity values (sensitivity and specificity) for drug-induced acute cardiac risk for QT-interval prolongation and Torsade de pointes (TdPs) were >95% and statistical modeling confirmed the prediction of proarrhythmic risk. The outcomes of the NCEs also showed consistency with findings in other well-established in vitro and in vivo cardiac risk assays.

Conclusion: Evaluation of a large list of reference compounds and internal NCEs has confirmed the applicability of the adaptations made to the previously published novel scoring system for the hiPSC-CMs. The validation also established the predictivity for drug-induced cardiac risks with good translation to other established preclinical in vitro and in vivo assays, confirming the application of this novel scoring system in different stem cell-CM lines for early cardiac hazard identification.
A Newly Isolated Strain of Haematococcus pluvialis GXU-A23 Improves the Growth Performance, Antioxidant and Anti-Inflammatory Status, Metabolic Capacity and Mid-intestine Morphology of Juvenile Litopenaeus vannamei
Authors: Fang HaoHang , Zhuang ZhenXiao , Huang LuoDong , Niu Jin , Zhao Wei
Published: April 2022

Haematococcus pluvialis can be used as a green additive in aquafeeds due to it contains rich astaxanthin and polyunsaturated fatty acid. In the present study, a newly strain of H. pluvialis GXU-A23 with high concentration of astaxanthin was firstly isolated by a newly culture strategy in our laboratory. In addition, H. pluvialis GXU-A23 was applied in the Litopenaeus vannamei feed for determining whether it has positive effects on the growth performance, antioxidant and anti-inflammatory status, metabolic capacity and mid-intestine morphology of juvenile L. vannamei. Shrimp with 0.63 g approximately initial body weight were fed diets supplemented with/without 50 g/kg H. pluvialis GXU-A23. After 8 weeks feeding intervention, significantly higher growth performance of L. vannamei was obtained in the H. pluvialis GXU-A23 treatment group compared to the control group (p < 0.05). At the same time, L. vannamei fed with H. pluvialis GXU-A23 acquired significantly better antioxidant and anti-inflammatory status than the control group (p < 0.05). In addition, higher RNA expression level of hepatopancreas digestive enzyme, hepatopancreas lipid and glucose metabolic enzymes as well as better mid-intestine morphology were found in the H. pluvialis GXU-A23 treatment group than the control group (p < 0.05). These results indicated that 50 g/kg H. pluvialis GXU-A23 was suitable for the L. vannamei feed, which could improve the growth performance, antioxidant and anti-inflammatory status, metabolic capacity and mid-intestine morphology of juvenile L. vannamei.
Molecular Effects of Biogenic Zinc Nanoparticles on the Growth and Development of Brassica napus L. Revealed by Proteomics and Transcriptomics
Authors: Sohail  , Sawati Laraib , Ferrari Elenora , Stierhof York-Dieter , Kemmerling Birgit , Mashwani Zia-ur-Rehman
Published: April 2022

Plants are indispensable on earth and their improvement in terms of food security is a need of time. The current study has been designed to investigate how biogenic zinc nanoparticles (Zn NPs) can improve the growth and development of Brassica napus L. In this study, Zn NPs were synthesized utilizing Mentha arvensis aqueous extracts, and their morphological and optical properties were assessed using UV-Visible spectrophotometry, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), and X-ray diffraction (XRD). The synthesized Zn NPs were irregular in shape, indicating aggregation in pattern, with an average particle size of 30 nm, while XRD analysis revealed the crystalline structure of nanoparticles. The growth and development of B. napus varieties (Faisal canola and Shiralee) were assessed after foliar treatments with different concentrations of biogenic Zn NPs. In B. napus varieties, exposure to 15 mg/L Zn NPs dramatically increased chlorophyll, carotenoid content, and biomass accumulation. Similarly, proteomic analyses, on the other hand, revealed that proteins associated with photosynthesis, transport, glycolysis, and stress response in both Brassica varieties were substantially altered. Such exposure to Zn NPs, differential expression of genes associated with photosynthesis, ribosome structural constituents, and oxidative stress response were considerably upregulated in B. napus var. (Faisal and Shiralee canola). The results of this study revealed that foliar applications of biogenic Zn NPs influence the transcriptome and protein profiling positively, therefore stimulating plant growth and development.
Comparative Proteomic Analysis of Plasma Membrane Proteins in Rice Leaves Reveals a Vesicle Trafficking Network in Plant Immunity That Is Provoked by Blast Fungi
Authors: Zhao Zhi , Li Meng , Zhang He , Yu Yao , Ma Lu , Wang Wei , Fan Yunxin , Huang Ning , Wang Xinying , Liu Kunquan , Dong Shinan , Tang Haijuan , Wang Jianfei , Zhang Hongsheng , Bao Yongmei
Published: April 2022

Rice blast, caused by Magnaporthe oryzae, is one of the most devastating diseases in rice and can affect rice production worldwide. Rice plasma membrane (PM) proteins are crucial for rapidly and precisely establishing a defense response in plant immunity when rice and blast fungi interact. However, the plant-immunity-associated vesicle trafficking network mediated by PM proteins is poorly understood. In this study, to explore changes in PM proteins during M. oryzae infection, the PM proteome was analyzed via iTRAQ in the resistant rice landrace Heikezijing. A total of 831 differentially expressed proteins (DEPs) were identified, including 434 upregulated and 397 downregulated DEPs. In functional analyses, DEPs associated with vesicle trafficking were significantly enriched, including the “transport” term in a Gene Ontology enrichment analysis, the endocytosis and phagosome pathways in a Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes analysis, and vesicle-associated proteins identified via a protein–protein interaction network analysis. OsNPSN13, a novel plant-specific soluble N-ethylmaleimide-sensitive factor attachment protein receptor (SNARE) 13 protein, was identified as an upregulated DEP, and transgenic plants overexpressing this gene showed enhanced blast resistance, while transgenic knockdown plants were more susceptible than wild-type plants. The changes in abundance and putative functions of 20 DEPs revealed a possible vesicle trafficking network in the M. oryzae-rice interaction. A comparative proteomic analysis of plasma membrane proteins in rice leaves revealed a plant-immunity-associated vesicle trafficking network that is provoked by blast fungi; these results provide new insights into rice resistance responses against rice blast fungi.
Leader Psychological Need Satisfaction Trickles Down: The Role of Leader-Member Exchange
Authors: Decuypere Anouk , Bauwens Robin , Audenaert Mieke
Published: April 2022

This article addresses the impact of leader psychological need satisfaction on employees. We draw on the self-determination theory (SDT) and leader-member exchange (LMX) theory to investigate if and how leader psychological need satisfaction trickles down to employee psychological need satisfaction. Adopting a multi-actor, multilevel design, results from 1036 leader–employee dyads indicate that employee-rated LMX mediates the trickle-down effect of leader psychological need satisfaction. Additional analyses of leader psychological needs show that leader competence is the main psychological need that underlying this relationship. We also found an unexpected negative association between leader autonomy need satisfaction and employee competence need satisfaction. Overall, this study shows the importance of both (1) leaders’ psychological need satisfaction and (2) employee perceptions of the relationship quality for employee psychological need satisfaction.
The Power of Affection: Exploring the Key Drivers of Customer Loyalty in Virtual Reality-Enabled Services
Authors: Yan Jun , Ali Ihtesham , Ali Rizwan , Chang Yaping
Published: April 2022

The accelerating growth of virtual reality (VR) technology and evolving customer needs make multifarious challenges and opportunities for service industries. Based on the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM) and Theory of Affection Responses, we explored the key drivers of customer loyalty in virtual reality-enabled services through a large-scaled survey data collected from VR users in four major cities of Pakistan. The study employs the partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM). We verified that the authenticity of the VR experience and TAM dimensions (ease of use, usefulness of VR) are the key drivers of customer loyalty béhavioral in VR-enabled services. Furthermore, results revealed that Affective responses (i.e., enjoyment, emotional involvement, and flow state) significantly mediated the relationships between the drivers and customer loyalty (continued use, recommendation, and willingness to pay premium). Implications for researchers and VR practitioners were also provided.
Exploring the Relations Among Teachers’ Epistemic Theories, Work Engagement, Burnout and the Contemporary Challenges of the Teacher Profession
Authors: Lammassaari Heidi , Hietajärvi Lauri , Salmela-Aro Katariina , Hakkarainen Kai , Lonka Kirsti
Published: April 2022

Current educational reforms concerning curricula and digitalization challenge educators to meet new demands for learning and schooling. What is common for current educational reforms is that they tend to emphasize competencies that are not related to the traditional subject-matters and reflect a stance which presents learning as a naturally reflective and collaborative act. It is often assumed that teachers are automatically ready to implement ideas of this kind in practice. In this study, we propose that teachers’ theories about knowledge, knowing and learning, particularly their epistemic theories, may be related to how teachers approach these reforms which challenge their previous ways of working and how they perceive their wellbeing at work. To examine these matters, we explored the dynamic interrelations between teachers’ epistemic theories, conformity with the novel curricular and digital reforms (ideas behind the new curriculum and digitalization program), perceptions of the school leadership, work engagement and burnout. Participants (Study 1 n = 228; Study 2 n = 200) were Finnish class teachers and subject-matter teachers. Both data sets were collected before the COVID-19 pandemic. For data analysis, we plotted correlation network figures. Results showed that if teachers’ epistemic theory was in harmony with the curricular or digital reforms, there is a positive association with work engagement and negative association with burnout. In sum, results of this provided a hint of the phenomenon suggesting that teachers’ epistemic theories may be a factor which buffers teachers to meet the current epistemic and developmental challenges of teachers’ profession, and furthermore, serve as grounds for a positive association for teachers to feel adequate and satisfied in their work.
Determining an Evidence Base for Particular Fields of Educational Practice: A Systematic Review of Meta-Analyses on Effective Mathematics and Science Teaching
Authors: Knogler Maximilian , Hetmanek Andreas , Seidel Tina
Published: April 2022

The call for evidence-based practice in education emphasizes the need for research to provide evidence for particular fields of educational practice. With this systematic literature review we summarize and analyze aggregated effectiveness information from 41 meta-analyses published between 2004 and 2019 to inform evidence-based practice in a particular field. In line with target specifications in education that are provided for a certain school subject and educational level, we developed and adopted a selection heuristic for filtering aggregated effect sizes specific to both science and mathematics education and the secondary student population. The results include 78 context-specific aggregated effect sizes based on data from over one million students. The findings encompass a multitude of different teaching strategies, most of which offer a measurable advantage to alternatives. Findings demonstrate that context-specific effect size information may often differ from more general effect size information on teaching effectiveness and adherence to quality standards varies in sampled meta-analyses. Thus, although meta-analytic research has strongly developed over the last few years, providing context-specific and high-quality evidence still needs to be a focus in the field of secondary mathematics and science teaching and beyond.
The Role of Impulsivity and Reward Deficiency in “Liking” and “Wanting” of Potentially Problematic Behaviors and Substance Uses
Authors: File Domonkos , Bőthe Beáta , File Bálint , Demetrovics Zsolt
Published: April 2022

A few studies have examined the changes in substance- and behavior-related “wanting” and “liking” of human subjects, the key properties of Incentive Sensitization Theory (IST). The aim of this study was to examine the dissociation between “wanting” and “liking” as a function of usage frequency, intensity, and subjective severity in individuals across four substances (alcohol, nicotine, cannabis, and other drugs) and ten behaviors (gambling, overeating, gaming, pornography use, sex, social media use, Internet use, TV-series watching, shopping, and work). Also, the potential roles of impulsivity and reward deficiency were investigated in “wanting,” “liking,” and wellbeing. The sex differences between “wanting” and “liking” were also examined. Based on our findings using structural equation modeling with 749 participants (503 women, Mage = 35.7 years, SD = 11.84), who completed self-report questionnaires, “wanting” increased with the severity, frequency, and intensity of potentially problematic use, while “liking” did not change. Impulsivity positively predicted “wanting,” and “wanting” positively predicted problem uses/behaviors. Reward deficiency positively predicted problem uses/behaviors, and both impulsivity and problem uses/behaviors negatively predicted wellbeing. Finally, women showed higher levels of “wanting,” compared to men. These findings demonstrate the potential roles of incentive sensitization in both potentially problematic substance uses and behaviors.
Childhood Trauma and Psychosocial Stress Affect Treatment Outcome in Patients With Psoriasis Starting a New Treatment Episode
Authors: Wintermann Gloria-Beatrice , Bierling Antonie Louise , Peters Eva M. J. , Abraham Susanne , Beissert Stefan , Weidner Kerstin
Published: April 2022

Objective

Traumatic childhood experiences and psychosocial stress may predispose the evolvement of somatic diseases. Psoriasis is a multifactorial chronic inflammatory skin disease that often associates with current and past stress. Both may entail pathological alterations in major stress axes and a balance shift in the level of T helper type 1 (Th1) and 2 (Th2) cytokines, affecting the development and course of psoriasis. Until now, it is unclear whether traumatic stress experiences during the childhood or current stress are more frequent in psoriatic compared to skin-healthy individuals, and if they interact with treatment outcome.

Method

In a prospective cohort study, the impact of acute and early childhood stress on the course of dermatological treatment were studied in patients with moderate to severe psoriasis (PSO). Patients were examined before (T1) and about 3 months after (T2) the beginning of a new treatment episode. Assessments included clinical outcomes (Psoriasis Area and Severity Index—PASI, Structured Clinical Interview SCID-I) and patient-reported outcomes (PRO) (Childhood Trauma Questionnaire-CTQ, Perceived Stress Scale-PSS, itching/scratching, Dermatology Life Quality Index-DLQI, Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale, Body Surface Area, Self-Administered PASI).

Results

N = 83 PSO patients (median age 53.7, IQR 37.8, 62.5) and n = 66 skin-healthy control subjects (HC) (median age 51.5, IQR 33.3, 59.2) participated. PSO had higher CTQ physical neglect than HC, as well as higher PRO levels. The positive impact of improved skin on the skin-related quality of life was moderated by the perceived stress. Acute stress at T1 had a positive effect both on the skin severity and the skin-related quality of life. CTQ total closely interacted with baseline psoriasis severity, and was associated with higher improvement from T1 to T2.

Conclusion

One might tentatively conclude, that chronic psychosocial stressors like childhood maltreatment may predispose the manifestation of psoriasis. The latter may be amplified by acute psychological stressors. In addition, the present evidence suggests that systemic therapies work well in PSO, with childhood trauma and acute psychosocial stress. Both should therefore be routinely assessed and addressed in PSO.
Polish Version of the Post-traumatic Stress Disorder Related to COVID-19 Questionnaire COVID-19-PTSD
Authors: Kosydar-Bochenek Justyna , Krupa Sabina , Favieri Francesca , Forte Giuseppe , Medrzycka-Dabrowska Wioletta
Published: April 2022

Objective

Translate and investigate psychometric properties of the Polish version of COVID-19-PTSD in a sample of healthcare workers.

Methods

The PTSD symptoms were investigated among 184 participants (physicians, nurses, and paramedics). The respondents completed Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder Related to COVID-19 Questionnaire (COVID-19-PTSD) via online survey. The psychometric properties (i.e., internal consistency, validity, and reliability) of the Polish version of COVID-19-PTSD were analyzed.

Results

The findings showed that the Polish version of COVID-19-PTSD is a reliable instrument. The total and subscale scores demonstrated good internal consistency. We also found that the prevalence of PTSD was reported at around 32% of healthcare workers.

Discussion

The Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder Related to COVID-19 Questionnaire (COVID-19-PTSD) is a first tool designed to assess the severity of PTSD symptoms related to the pandemic. The findings of our study confirmed good validity and reliability of the Polish version of COVID-19-PTSD which can be recommended to be used as a reliable screening tool to conduct psychological screening among Polish healthcare workers.
Importance of Linear Combination Modeling for Quantification of Glutathione and γ-Aminobutyric Acid Levels Using Hadamard-Edited Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy
Authors: Song Yulu , Zöllner Helge J. , Hui Steve C. N. , Hupfeld Kathleen , Oeltzschner Georg , Prisciandaro James J. , Edden Richard
Published: April 2022

Background

J-difference-edited 1H-MR spectra require modeling to quantify signals of low-concentration metabolites. Two main approaches are used for this spectral modeling: simple peak fitting and linear combination modeling (LCM) with a simulated basis set. Recent consensus recommended LCM as the method of choice for the spectral analysis of edited data.

Purpose

The aim of this study is to compare the performance of simple peak fitting and LCM in a test-retest dataset, hypothesizing that the more sophisticated LCM approach would improve quantification of Hadamard-edited data compared with simple peak fitting.

Methods

A test–retest dataset was re-analyzed using Gannet (simple peak fitting) and Osprey (LCM). These data were obtained from the dorsal anterior cingulate cortex of twelve healthy volunteers, with TE = 80 ms for HERMES and TE = 120 ms for MEGA-PRESS of glutathione (GSH). Within-subject coefficients of variation (CVs) were calculated to quantify between-scan reproducibility of each metabolite estimate.

Results

The reproducibility of HERMES GSH estimates was substantially improved using LCM compared to simple peak fitting, from a CV of 19.0–9.9%. For MEGA-PRESS GSH data, reproducibility was similar using LCM and simple peak fitting, with CVs of 7.3 and 8.8%. GABA + CVs from HERMES were 16.7 and 15.2%, respectively for the two models.

Conclusion

LCM with simulated basis functions substantially improved the reproducibility of GSH quantification for HERMES data.
Immunogenicity of Inactivated SARS-CoV-2 Vaccines in Patients With Rheumatoid Arthritis: A Case Series
Authors: Zhao Ting , Shen Jiayan , Zhu Youyang , Tian Xiaofang , Wen Guangfen , Wei Yuanyuan , Xu Bonan , Fu Chenyang , Xie Zhaohu , Xi Yujiang , Li Zhenmin , Peng Jiangyun , Wu Yang , Tang Xiaohu , Wan Chunping , Pan Lei , Li Zhaofu , Qin Dongdong
Published: April 2022

Objectives

Attenuated humoral response to mRNA SARS-CoV-2 vaccines has been reported in some patients with autoimmune disease, e.g., rheumatoid arthritis (RA). However, data of immune responses to inactivated SARS-CoV-2 vaccine in the RA population are still unknown. Herein, the safety and immunogenicity of inactivated SARS-CoV-2 vaccines in RA patients were analyzed.

Methods

Seventy five RA patients and 26 healthy controls (HC) were respectively recruited from Yunnan Provincial Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine and the community in Kunming city. Neutralizing Antibody (NAb) Test ELISA kit was used to measure the percentage of inhibition. AKA (anti-keratin antibody) positivity was detected using indirect immunofluorescence. Rheumatoid factor (RF)-IgA was detected by ELISA. RF-IgG, RF-IgM, and anti-cyclic citrullinated peptide (CCP) antibodies were measured by chemiluminescence. ESR (erythrocyte sedimentation rate) was detected by ESR analyzer. C-RP (c-reactive protein) was detected by immunoturbidimetry. NEUT% (percentage of neutrophils) and LYMPH% (percentage of percentage) were calculated by a calculation method.

Results

Compared with the HC group, the percentage of inhibition was significantly lower in RA patients receiving two doses of vaccines. Vaccines-induced percentage of inhibition was the lowest in RA patients who had not been vaccinated. In total 80.77% of the HC group had a percentage of inhibition ≧20%, compared with 45.24% of vaccinated RA patients and 6.06% of unvaccinated RA patients. Spearman correlation analysis revealed that antibody responses to SARS-CoV-2 did not differ between RA patients according to their age and disease duration. Furthermore, the results showed that no correlation was found between the percentage of inhibition and indices for RA, including RF-IgA, IgG, IgM; anti-CCP antibody; ESR; C-RP; NEUT% and LYMPH%.

Conclusion

Our study showed inactivated vaccine-induced SARS-COV-2 antibody responses differ in RA patients and healthy subjects, emphasizing the importance of a third or fourth vaccination in RA patients.
Response to COVID-19 in the Central African Republic: Coping Strategies Combined With China’s Experience
Authors: Gou Qiheng , Zhu Fubin , Xie Keqi , Li Yiping , Xie Yuxin
Published: April 2022

Objectives: The weak health system, domestic political unrest, poverty, and many other factors in the Central African Republic (CAR) have left the country underprepared for the COVID-19 pandemic, resulting in a greater health threat to the entire country. Rapid measures must therefore be taken to prevent the further spread of COVID-19.

Methods: This work encompassed a review of relevant literature. We aim to analyze how far Chinese COVID measures can be transferred to the context of the CAR.

Results: We argue that the measure that the CAR can learn from China’s success is the involvement of community workers and that greater investment in this model may be the optimal solution. Help from the international community is urgently needed.

Conclusion: The CAR can benefit from China’s successful experience in fighting the epidemic, but the disparity in the combined power of the two countries does not allow for simple replication of China’s strategy.
Outsmarting Human Design in Airline Revenue Management
Authors: Gatti Pinheiro Giovanni , Defoin-Platel Michael , Regin Jean-Charles
Published: April 2022

The accurate estimation of how future demand will react to prices is central to the optimization of pricing decisions. The systems responsible for demand prediction and pricing optimization are called revenue management (RM) systems, and, in the airline industry, they play an important role in the company’s profitability. As airlines’ current pricing decisions impact future knowledge of the demand behavior, the RM systems may have to compromise immediate revenue by efficiently performing price experiments with the expectation that the information gained about the demand behavior will lead to better future pricing decisions. This earning while learning (EWL) problem has captured the attention of both the industry and academia in recent years, resulting in many proposed solutions based on heuristic optimization. We take a different approach that does not depend on human-designed heuristics. We present the EWL problem to a reinforcement learning agent, and the agent’s goal is to maximize long-term revenue without explicitly considering the optimal way to perform price experimentation. The agent discovers through experience that “myopic” revenue-maximizing policies may lead to a decrease in the demand model quality (which it relies on to take decisions). We show that the agent finds novel pricing policies that balance revenue maximization and demand model quality in a surprisingly effective way, generating more revenue over the long run than current practices.
Enhancing Attention’s Explanation Using Interpretable Tsetlin Machine
Authors: Yadav Rohan , Nicolae Dragoş
Published: April 2022

Explainability is one of the key factors in Natural Language Processing (NLP) specially for legal documents, medical diagnosis, and clinical text. Attention mechanism has been a popular choice for such explainability recently by estimating the relative importance of input units. Recent research has revealed, however, that such processes tend to misidentify irrelevant input units when explaining them. This is due to the fact that language representation layers are initialized by pre-trained word embedding that is not context-dependent. Such a lack of context-dependent knowledge in the initial layer makes it difficult for the model to concentrate on the important aspects of input. Usually, this does not impact the performance of the model, but the explainability differs from human understanding. Hence, in this paper, we propose an ensemble method to use logic-based information from the Tsetlin Machine to embed it into the initial representation layer in the neural network to enhance the model in terms of explainability. We obtain the global clause score for each word in the vocabulary and feed it into the neural network layer as context-dependent information. Our experiments show that the ensemble method enhances the explainability of the attention layer without sacrificing any performance of the model and even outperforming in some datasets.