bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
P1 adhesin genotype characteristics of Mycoplasma pneumoniae in China from 2017 to 2019
Authors: Li Shirong , Dou Haiwei , Shi Dawei , Yuan Ruijie , Tu Peng , Yuan Qing , Xin Deli , Qi Wenjie
Published: February 2025

Introduction

Mycoplasma pneumoniae is one of the important pathogens of community-acquired pneumonia (CAP), and P1 adhesin serves as a pathogenic protein and an immune protein involved in the pathogenesis of mycoplasma pneumoniae. The aim of this study was to investigate the P1 adhesin genotype in Mycoplasma pneumoniae and its association with disease severity in patients with CAP from 2017 to 2019.

Methods

M. pneumoniae was identified in patient samples by real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR). The P1 genotypes of samples were determined using a culture-independent P1 typing method.

Results

In total, 1,907 clinical samples were collected from 13 tertiary hospitals in Beijing, Shenyang, and Baotou, including 1488 samples from children and 419 from adults. Of these, 820 samples (43.00%), including 777 from children and 43 from adults, were positive for M. pneumoniae. 797 samples were successfully typed using the culture-independent P1 typing method (P1-1, 605; P1- 2, 192). The M. pneumoniae detection rate and P1-1 detection rate differed significantly between children and adults (both p < 0.01), with P1-1 remaining the dominant genotype. The proportion of P1-2 samples increased in children from 16.75% in 2017 to 28.76% in 2019.

Discussion

No relationship between the P1 genotype and disease severity was identified. Monitoring the genotype changes of P1 adhesin in local populations may positively impact the epidemiological prevention and control of M. pneumoniae infections.
Morning vs. evening growth hormone injections and their impact on sleep-wake patterns and daytime alertness
Authors: Levshtein Aglaya , Sharkia Mohamad , Shimshi-Barash Maya , Almagor Tal , Albertsson-Wikland Kerstin , Hochberg Zeev , Pillar Giora , German Alina
Published: February 2025

Context

Physiological growth hormone is secreted during slow-wave sleep. Traditionally, growth hormone (GH) therapy is given in daily GH injections before sleep. While morning and evening GH injections produce comparable effects on growth and IGF-1 levels, the evening schedule better imitates the physiological diurnal pattern of GH secretion and action. However, the inflexibility of bedtime injection schedules, coupled with the discomfort and psychological distress associated with the injection and local reaction, may cause sleep disturbances in patients, and may significantly burden them and their families.

Objective

Our objective was to evaluate evening vs. morning daily GH injections with respect to sleep-wake pattern, duration, and activity index in children treated with growth hormone.

Design

An open-label, randomized crossover trial of 20 children (11 boys) 5–14 years of age with isolated growth hormone deficiency (n=12) and idiopathic short stature (n=8) treated with daily injections of median GH dose 33 (range13-46) mcg/kg/d was performed. Each subject received 2 weeks of evening injections and 2 weeks of morning injections. Patients' sleep-wake patterns and activity index were assessed by a 7-day actigraph covering the second week of each treatment schedule.

Results

All subjects slept well, within recommended ranges for sleep parameters, regardless of whether they were receiving morning or evening GH injections. Results were comparable for all measures: total time in bed (min), 526.0 ± 51.8 vs 516.9 ± 57.4 for evening and morning GH injections, respectively; total sleep time (min), 512.4 ± 51.1 vs 504.3 ± 57.7; sleep efficiency (%), 93.6 ± 2.6 vs 94.2 ± 2.3; sleep onset latency (min), 8.9 ± 8.1 vs 7.4 ± 6.8; number of arousals per night, 14.5 ± 5.4 vs 12.5 ± 5.2; and 24-hour activity index, 68.3 ± 4.0 vs 67.0 ± 5.0, respectively. No difference was found between the growth hormone deficient and idiopathic short stature group. No difference was found between boys and girls.

Conclusions

Sleep-wake patterns and activity index were not affected by treatment schedules. We recommend that growth hormone injections take place at any regular time according to the family's convenience.
Gender differences in the relationship between cardiometabolic index and all-cause and specific mortality in the United States adults: a national study
Authors: Li Tianshu , Zhou Haoran , Zhou Hua
Published: February 2025

Background

The cardiometabolic index (CMI) is a new comprehensive measure that reflects visceral obesity and metabolic function. This study aimed to examine associations between CMI and adult mortality from all causes and specific causes, as well as gender differences, using the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) database.

Methods

We included 37,539 adult participants with complete data from the 1999-2018 NHANES database. We categorized the participants according to gender and constructed three models to investigate the relationship between CMI and the outcome variables. These were analyzed using Kaplan-Meier curve analysis, COX proportional risk models, and restricted cubic spline (RCS).

Results

Baseline characteristics showed that among both male and female participants, those who died exhibited higher levels of CMI compared to those who survived. Kaplan-Meier curves showed an increasing trend in all-cause and specific mortality with increasing follow-up time. When CMI was categorized according to quartiles (Q1-Q4), the probability of survival was lower in the Q4 group compared to Q1. We found no gender differences between all three mortality rates. In COX regression analyses, all-cause, cardiovascular, and diabetes mortality were significantly higher in Q4 in the whole population and female participants, whereas no significant differences were identified among male participants. The RCS showed a nonlinear positive correlation in diabetes mortality for females and a linear positive correlation in all-cause and cardiovascular mortality. As for males, CMI was positively and nonlinearly associated with all-cause and diabetes mortality. Besides, there is no statistically significant correlation for males in cardiovascular mortality.

Conclusion

There were gender differences in the correlation between CMI and all-cause mortality, cardiovascular mortality, and diabetes mortality in the adult population. The findings indicated that adult females with elevated CMI levels were at an elevated risk of mortality from all causes, cardiovascular disease, and diabetes. At the same time, there were no significant associations in adult males.
Glucose metabolism and endometrium decidualization
Authors: Huang Yunfei , Zhu Qinling , Sun Yun
Published: February 2025

Prior to embryo implantation, the endometrial stromal cells (ESCs) during the menstrual cycle undergo a significant structural and functional transformation known as decidualization to support conception. During this process, glucose consumption and utilization by endometrial cells increase to meet energy demands. Abnormal glucose metabolism in the endometrium impairs decidualization, leading to pregnancy complications, including implantation failure and pregnancy loss. However, the mechanisms modulating glucose metabolism in endometrial stromal cells during decidualization are still unclear. In this review, we describe the functions and regulation of glucose transporters (GLUTs) involved in glucose uptake, as well as the modulation of key enzymes catalyzing glucose utilization. Moreover, we present recent findings on the role of glucose related metabolites in the decidualization of ESCs.
Improving the therapeutic profile of MSCs: Cytokine priming reduces donor-dependent heterogeneity and enhances their immunomodulatory capacity
Authors: Valencia Jaris , Yáñez Rosa M. , Muntión Sandra , Fernández-García María , Martín-Rufino Jorge Diego , Zapata Agustín G. , Bueren Juan A. , Vicente Ángeles , Sánchez-Guijo Fermín
Published: February 2025

Introduction

MSCs exhibit regenerative, anti-inflammatory and immunomodulatory properties due to the large amount of cytokines, chemokines and growth factors they secrete. MSCs have been extensively evaluated in clinical trials, however, in some cases their therapeutic effects are variable. Therefore, strategies to improve their therapeutic potential, such as preconditioning with proinflammatory factors, have been proposed. Several priming approaches have provided non-conclusive results, and the duration of priming effects on MSC properties or their response to a second inflammatory stimulus have not been fully addressed.

Methods

We have investigated the impact of triple cytokine priming in MSCs on their characterization and viability, their transcriptomic profile, the functionality of innate and acquired immune cells, as well as the maintenance of the response to priming over time, their subsequent responsiveness to a second inflammatory stimulus.

Results

Priming MSCs with proinflammatory cytokines (CK-MSCs) do not modify the differentiation capacity of MSCs, nor their immunophenotype and viability. Moreover, cytokine priming enhances the anti-inflammatory and immunomodulatory properties of MSCs against NK and dendritic cells, while maintaining the same T cell immunomodulatory capacity as unstimulated MSCs. Thus, they decrease T-lymphocytes and NK cell proliferation, inhibit the differentiation and allostimulatory capacity of dendritic cells and promote the differentiation of monocytes with an immunosuppressive profile. In addition, we have shown for the first time that proinflammatory priming reduces the variability between different donors and MSC origins. Finally, the effect on CK-MSC is maintained over time and even after a secondary inflammatory stimulus.

Conclusions

Cytokine-priming improves the therapeutic potential of MSCs and reduces inter-donor variability.
A large-scale database of T-cell receptor beta sequences and binding associations from natural and synthetic exposure to SARS-CoV-2
Authors: Nolan Sean , Vignali Marissa , Klinger Mark , Dines Jennifer N. , Kaplan Ian M. , Svejnoha Emily , Craft Tracy , Boland Katie , Pesesky Mitchell W. , Gittelman Rachel M. , Snyder Thomas M. , Gooley Christopher J. , Semprini Simona , Cerchione Claudio , Nicolini Fabio , Mazza Massimiliano , Delmonte Ottavia M. , Dobbs Kerry , Carreño-Tarragona Gonzalo , Barrio Santiago , Sambri Vittorio , Martinelli Giovanni , Goldman Jason D. , Heath James R. , Notarangelo Luigi D. , Martinez-Lopez Joaquin , Howie Bryan , Carlson Jonathan M. , Robins Harlan S.
Published: February 2025

We describe the establishment and current content of the ImmuneCODE™ database, which includes hundreds of millions of T-cell Receptor (TCR) sequences from over 1,400 subjects exposed to or infected with the SARS-CoV-2 virus, as well as over 160,000 high-confidence SARS-CoV-2-associated TCRs. This database is made freely available, and the data contained in it can be used to assist with global efforts to understand the immune response to the SARS-CoV-2 virus and develop new interventions.
Multi-omics analysis identifies UBA family as potential pan-cancer biomarkers for tumor prognosis and immune microenvironment infiltration
Authors: Wang Haibin , Liu XinLi , Huang Hesen , Tang Meng , Li Jiwei , Huang Tingting , Wang Shengjie
Published: February 2025

Background

UBA1 and UBA6 are classic ubiquitin-activating E1 enzymes, which participate in the ubiquitination degradation of intracellular proteins and are closely related to the occurrence and development of various diseases and tumors. However, at present, comprehensive analysis has not been used to study the role of UBA family in cancers.

Methods

We extracted the relevant data of cancer patients from the TCGA database and studied the relationship between the expression patterns of UBA family and the survival rate, and stage of patients in pan-cancer, especially breast cancer (BRCA), colorectal cancer (COAD), renal cancer (KIRC) and lung adenocarcinoma (LUAD). In addition, we also evaluated their impact on immune infiltration using TISIDB database and R packages.

Results

UBA1 and UBA6 are highly expressed in most cancer types, which may be associated with poor prognosis of patients. This study also investigated their expression had a closely tie with clinical stages in some specific tumors. Furthermore, this study also demonstrated that these genes were closely related to immune score, immune subtypes and tumor infiltrating immune cells.

Conclusions

Our study demonstrated that the differential expression of the UBA family, along with their associated survival landscape and immune infiltration across various cancer types, holds potential as biomarkers linked to cancer immune infiltration. This finding offers a novel perspective for informing the direction of cancer treatment strategies.
Aptamer based immunotherapy: a potential solid tumor therapeutic
Authors: Mathavan Sarmilah , Tam Yew Joon , Mustaffa Khairul Mohd Fadzli , Tye Gee Jun
Published: February 2025

Aptamer-based immunotherapy can be a new hope for treating solid tumors with personalized and specific approaches toward cancer therapies. Aptamers are small synthetic single-stranded nucleic acids that may bring in a paradigm shift in treating solid tumors. These are highly selective drugs applied in cellular immunotherapy, cytokine modulation, and immune checkpoint suppression. This review provides an overview of the recent advances in aptamer-based technologies with specific key clinical trials involving AON-D21 and AM003. Aptamers are potently active in immune regulation and tumor targeting. However, aptamer stability and bioavailability are seriously compromised by the issues relating to renal clearance and rapid degradation through nucleases. The latter are reviewed here along with novel improvements, some of which involve chemical modifications that greatly enhance stability and prolong the circulation time; exemplary such modifications are PEGylation, cholesterol conjugation, and the synthesis of circular nucleic acids. The regulatory aspect is also crucial. For example, in addition to specific strategies to prevent drug-drug interactions (DDIs) in cancer remediation medications, this paper underscores the need of risk assessment, particularly because of immunogenicity and organ failure. The use of aptamers is expanded by the development of SOMAmers, X-aptamers, and bioinformatics. To make aptamer-based drugs a major part of cancer treatment, future research should concentrate more on resolving existing issues and expanding their beneficial uses.
Global research on NK cells in miscarriage: a bibliometric study
Authors: Wang Yinan , He Xiaoqin , Yang Chaogang , Ding Jinli
Published: February 2025

Background

This study aimed to assess the evolution, trends, and research hotspots of publications related to natural killer (NK) cells and miscarriage.

Methods

The literature on NK cells and miscarriage was retrieved from the Web of Science Core Collection. VOSviewer and CiteSpace were used to analyze the publication years, countries, institutions, journals, highly cited authors, categories, and citation bursts of keywords.

Results

A total of 1,275 articles were analyzed. The annual publication outputs showed steady growth, with the majority of publications in 2020 and citations in 2022. The number of publications in this field fluctuated from 1981 to 2023, with a slight downward trend observed. However, the number of citations increased steadily until 2023, followed by a minor decline. The United States contributed the highest number of publications and had the highest h-index. The American Journal of Reproductive Immunology ranked first in terms of number of publications and h-index. Reproductive biology, immunology, and obstetrics and gynecology were the most representative disciplines. Kwak-kim J, Chaouat G, and Croy BA were the top three most productive authors in the field. Keyword burst analysis demonstrated that the immune system and cytotoxicity receptors were current research hotspots.

Conclusion

This is the first bibliometric study to comprehensively summarize trends and advances in the study of NK cells in miscarriage. This information highlights the recent research frontiers and emerging directions and provides a reference for subsequent research in the future.
Prevalence of hypervirulent Klebsiella pneumoniae strains in COVID-19 patients with bacterial co-infections
Authors: Zhang Jingfen , Li Qiaoyu , Liu Jingjing , Fan Fangfang , Shi Yiwei , Yu Xiao
Published: February 2025

Objective

A recent alarming report from the World Health Organization highlighted the rapid global spread of a hypervirulent, carbapenem-resistant strain of Klebsiella pneumoniae. The COVID-19 pandemic frequently led to bacterial co-infections, with K. pneumoniae being a common and highly pathogenic agent. This study aimed to assess KP characteristics via whole-genome sequencing and clarify its molecular epidemiology to guide standardized clinical treatment.

Methods

Our retrospective analysis of clinical data from COVID-19 patients admitted to our hospital between 7 December 2022, and 2 January 2023-following China’s policies changes, which led to a significant influx of patients-identified 17 K. pneumoniae isolates from sputum samples with bacterial co-infections. These isolates underwent whole-genome sequencing for ST typing, virulence gene annotation, plasmid profiling, and antimicrobial susceptibility testing.

Results

Of the 17 K. pneumoniae isolates, 52.9% were hypermucoviscous. Whole genome sequencing identified eight sequence types (STs), with ST23/KL1 being the most prevalent at 35.3%. Virulence genes were present in 94.1% of strains, including Yersiniabactin (70.6%), Aerobactin (82.3%), and Salmochelin (88.2%). Plasmid analysis revealed common IncHI1B/FIBk or IncFIBk types. All isolates were highly sensitive to antibiotics, except for blaSHV resistance. The 17 patients had a median age of 71 years and significant comorbidities, such as hypertension (64.7%) and diabetes (41.2%).

Conclusion

The ST types and virulence gene profiles indicate that most K. pneumoniae strains co-infecting COVID-19 patients are common, high-virulence strains prevalent in the Asia-Pacific region. Our findings suggest that COVID-19 may contribute to the spread of hypervirulent K. pneumoniae strains, potentially informing the ongoing WHO epidemic alert.
Contrastive self-supervised learning for neurodegenerative disorder classification
Authors: Gryshchuk Vadym , Singh Devesh , Teipel Stefan , Dyrba Martin ,   the ADNI, AIBL, FTLDNI study groups
Published: February 2025

Introduction

Neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer's disease (AD) or frontotemporal lobar degeneration (FTLD) involve specific loss of brain volume, detectable in vivo using T1-weighted MRI scans. Supervised machine learning approaches classifying neurodegenerative diseases require diagnostic-labels for each sample. However, it can be difficult to obtain expert labels for a large amount of data. Self-supervised learning (SSL) offers an alternative for training machine learning models without data-labels.

Methods

We investigated if the SSL models can be applied to distinguish between different neurodegenerative disorders in an interpretable manner. Our method comprises a feature extractor and a downstream classification head. A deep convolutional neural network, trained with a contrastive loss, serves as the feature extractor that learns latent representations. The classification head is a single-layer perceptron that is trained to perform diagnostic group separation. We used N = 2,694 T1-weighted MRI scans from four data cohorts: two ADNI datasets, AIBL and FTLDNI, including cognitively normal controls (CN), cases with prodromal and clinical AD, as well as FTLD cases differentiated into its phenotypes.

Results

Our results showed that the feature extractor trained in a self-supervised way provides generalizable and robust representations for the downstream classification. For AD vs. CN, our model achieves 82% balanced accuracy on the test subset and 80% on an independent holdout dataset. Similarly, the Behavioral variant of frontotemporal dementia (BV) vs. CN model attains an 88% balanced accuracy on the test subset. The average feature attribution heatmaps obtained by the Integrated Gradient method highlighted hallmark regions, i.e., temporal gray matter atrophy for AD, and insular atrophy for BV.

Conclusion

Our models perform comparably to state-of-the-art supervised deep learning approaches. This suggests that the SSL methodology can successfully make use of unannotated neuroimaging datasets as training data while remaining robust and interpretable.
Clinical study on the optimal rotational stimulation for the unilateral centrifugation subjective visual vertical test
Authors: Zhang Xueqing , Deng Qiaomei , Huang Xiaobang , Wen Chao , Wang Wei , Chen Taisheng
Published: February 2025

Objective

To investigate the optimal stimulation intensity and reference range of the unilateral centrifugation subjective visual vertical (UC-SVV) test and to fill the technical gap in otolithic function evaluation in patients with peripheral vestibular diseases.

Method

Forty healthy subjects (median age 28 years) underwent a UC-SVV test at rotation speeds of 60, 120, 180, and 240 deg./s using the Neuro Kinetics Inc. (NKI) I-Portal 6.0 NOTC rotating chair system. The deviation angles of the UC-SVV line in the centre and left/right positions at each rotation speed were recorded and analysed.

Results

Forty healthy subjects completed the test. The deviation angle of the UC-SVV line differed according to the rotation speed (60, 120, 180, and 240 deg./s). At each rotation speed, the position of the rotation axis (left/centre/right position) affected the deviation angle and direction of the UC-SVV line. At each position of the rotation axis, the rotation speed also affected the deviation angle. When the rotation chair was translated to the left and right positions, the UC-SVV line deviated to the right and left sides, respectively, and the deviation angle increased with increasing rotation speed. The deviation angle at 60 deg./s was significantly less than that at 180 and 240 deg./s (p < 0.001). When the rotation axis was in the centre position, the absolute value of the SVV deviation was less than 0.3, and there was no statistically significant difference at any rotation speed.

Conclusion

This study preliminarily discussed the deviation direction and angle of the UC-SVV line under different stimulation intensities in a range of healthy middle-aged subjects. The optimal stimulation intensity for the UC-SVV test is suggested to be 180 or 240 deg./s. Specifically, the peak rotation speed could be 180 deg./s if the subject is unable to tolerate high-speed rotation. This study provides support for improving this technology for evaluation of otolith function and its diagnostic significance in peripheral vestibular diseases.
Phytochemical synergies in BK002: advanced molecular docking insights for targeted prostate cancer therapy
Authors: Park Moon Nyeo , Choi Jinwon , Maharub Hossain Fahim Md. , Asevedo Estéfani Alves , Nurkolis Fahrul , Ribeiro Rosy Iara Maciel Azambuja , Kang Han Na , Kang Sojin , Syahputra Rony Abdi , Kim Bonglee
Published: February 2025

Achyranthes japonica (Miq.) Nakai (AJN) and Melandrium firmum (Siebold and Zucc.) Rohrb. (MFR) are medicinal plants recognized for their bioactive phytochemicals, including ecdysteroids, anthraquinones, and flavonoids. This study investigates the anticancer properties of key constituents of these plants, focusing on the BK002 formulation, a novel combination of AJN and MFR. Specifically, the research employs advanced molecular docking and in silico analyses to assess the interactions of bioactive compounds ecdysterone, inokosterone, and 20-hydroxyecdysone (20-HE) with key prostate cancer-related network proteins, including 5α-reductase, CYP17, DNMT1, Dicer, PD-1, and PD-L1. Molecular docking techniques were applied to evaluate the binding affinities contributions of the bioactive compounds in BK002 against prostate cancer-hub network targets. The primary focus was on enzymes like 5α-reductase and CYP17, which are central to androgen biosynthesis, as well as on cancer-related proteins such as DNA methyltransferase 1 (DNMT1), Dicer, programmed death-1 (PD-1), and programmed death ligand-1 (PD-L1). Based on data from prostate cancer patients, key target networks were identified, followed by in silico analysis of the primary bioactive components of BK002.In silico assessments were conducted to evaluate the safety profiles of these compounds, providing insights into their therapeutic potential. The docking studies revealed that ecdysterone, inokosterone, and 20-hydroxyecdysonec demonstrated strong binding affinities to the critical prostate cancer-related enzymes 5α-reductase and CYP17, contributing to a potential reduction in androgenic activity. These compounds also exhibited significant inhibitory interactions with DNMT1, Dicer, PD-1, and PD-L1, suggesting a capacity to interfere with key oncogenic and immune evasion pathways. Ecdysterone, inokosterone, and 20-hydroxyecdysone have demonstrated the ability to target key oncogenic pathways, and their favorable binding affinity profiles further underscore their potential as novel therapeutic agents for prostate cancer. These findings provide a strong rationale for further preclinical and clinical investigations, supporting the integration of BK002 into therapeutic regimens aimed at modulating tumor progression and immune responses.
An empirical study on job burnout among university counselors and the improvement of occupational happiness
Authors: Liang Qing-Qing , Yin Fang
Published: February 2025

University counselors undertake a significant amount of repetitive and trivial work. The high-pressure, high-load nature of their duties gradually erodes their enthusiasm and consumes considerable psychological resources, leading to a higher-than-average level of job burnout among university counselors. The article examines the practical work of university counselors, analyzing and validating the moderating role of emotional intelligence in the relationship between emotional labor and job burnout. In September 2023, a survey was conducted involving 520 university counselors from 25 different types of universities, located across six provinces in eastern, central, and western China. Using the General Information Questionnaire for University Teachers, the Emotional Labor Scale, the Emotional Intelligence Scale, and the Job Burnout Scale, this empirical study investigated job burnout and mental health among counselors. The study aimed to assess the level of job burnout among university counselors and to propose suggestions for enhancing their occupational happiness. The results indicate that burnout among university counselors increases with age, with counselors aged 26–30 experiencing the highest levels of depersonalization and burnout. Furthermore, it has been observed that emotional intelligence tends to escalate with advanced educational attainment. Counselors scored higher on the dimensions of deep acting and genuine emotional expression compared to surface acting. It is recommended to address burnout from both individual and organizational dimensions, with particular focus on counselors aged 26–30. Implementing targeted training programs to enhance emotional intelligence can help reduce job burnout. Efforts should be made to transform burnout into occupational attachment, achieving harmony between the individual and their profession.
How does loneliness affect satisfaction with life? What is the role of the perception of God in this interaction?
Authors: Kaya Feridun , Yazıcı Çelebi Gülin
Published: February 2025

Introduction

This study examined the role of loneliness and the perception of God in affecting the satisfaction with life of Muslim individuals living alone in Turkey during the COVID-19 pandemic. Additionally, the study explored the regulatory role of the perception of God in the relationship between individuals’ loneliness and satisfaction with life.

Methods

The research is a cross-sectional study that evaluates individuals’ loneliness, satisfaction with life, and perception of God. The study group consists of 378 individuals living alone in Turkey. Among the participants, 196 are women (51.9%) and 182 are men (48.1%). The UCLA loneliness scale, the satisfaction with life scale, the perception of God scale, and a personal information form were used as data collection tools in the study.

Results

The examination of research findings indicated that the variables of loneliness, perception of God, and the interaction between loneliness and the perception of God explained 28% of the variance in individuals’ satisfaction with life. We determined that satisfaction with life was affected significantly and positively by the perception of God (β = 0.28, p < 0.001) and significantly and negatively by loneliness (β = −0.38, p < 0.001). The interactional effect of the variables of loneliness and perception of God on satisfaction with life was also found to be significant (β = −0.10, p = 0.023). When we examined the details of the regulatory effect, we found that the effect of loneliness on satisfaction with life decreased even more in cases where the perception of God was high.

Discussion

The research findings suggest that loneliness decreases life satisfaction, while positive self-image mitigates this effect. It can be stated that using belief-sensitive therapeutic approaches in the therapeutic process could contribute to alleviating the negative effects of loneliness.
Surviving the storm: exploring gender-based burnout in Lebanon during the COVID-19 pandemic
Authors: Abi-Gerges Aniella , Dimassi Hani , Boueri Myriam , Feghali Edwin , Malham Melissa Bou , Salem Marie Josee , Harb Ranime , Nassar Elma , Mourad Jana , Sfeir Myriam , Karaoui Lamis R.
Published: February 2025

Background

COVID-19 has worsened burnout, marked by exhaustion, cynicism, and reduced professional efficacy. In Lebanon, economic collapse, political instability, the Beirut Port explosion, and social unrest have compounded this, with limited gender-specific data. This study evaluates burnout levels in Lebanese women and men during COVID-19, exploring gender differences and related factors, including burnout mitigation strategies.

Methods

A cross-sectional survey included 423 adult participants aged 18 or older from Lebanon, recruited via online snowball sampling during July 2021 to August 2022. Utilizing the Maslach Burnout Inventory-General Survey (MBI-GS), participants reported exhaustion (≥ 12), cynicism (≥ 11), and low professional efficacy (≤ 21). Burnout was defined as exhaustion with either cynicism or low efficacy. The survey gathered demographic, family, and professional data, stressors, and burnout mitigation strategies. Analyses were gender-stratified, using descriptive statistics and Pearson’s chi-squared test. Bivariate associations between burnout indicators and sample characteristics were tested using Pearson’s chi-square. Odds ratios (OR) and adjusted ORs for burnout were estimated via logistic regressions.

Results

Lebanese women experienced higher rates of burnout compared to men during the pandemic, with significant differences observed in emotional exhaustion (p = 0.006). Factors associated with burnout varied between genders, with women more likely to exhibit exhaustion when residing in the Beqaa, Mount or North Lebanon governorates, being single, having children aged 10–15 years, and most interestingly when lacking support from their boss/institution. Stressors such as the Lebanese economic crisis and the Beirut Port Explosion were significantly linked to burnout in both genders, with the economic crisis particularly associated with higher levels of exhaustion in men (p = 0.011) and cynicism in both genders (p = 0.001 for men, p = 0.039 for women). Coping strategies, including COVID-19 precautions, social activities, and religious practices, were effective in reducing burnout among both women and men who experienced burnout (p = 0.039 and 0.03, respectively).

Conclusion

The study contributes to public health efforts, emphasizing the importance of recognizing gender dimensions in addressing burnout during the pandemic, designing targeted interventions and fostering supportive, inclusive environments for collective resilience namely for women at the workplace.
Associations between mobile phone involvement, BMI levels, and sleep quality among Chinese university students: evidence from a multi-regional large-scale survey
Authors: Lu Yukun , Tian Haodong , Shi Wentao , Liu Haowei , Wu Jinlong , Tao Yunfei , Peng Li
Published: February 2025

Objective

This study aims to explore the association between mobile phone involvement, body mass index (BMI) levels, and the sleep quality of Chinese university students.

Methods

Using a cluster sampling method, we selected 17,085 university students from three universities in eastern, central, and western China as the study subjects. Demographic information such as age and sex were collected. The Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) and the Mobile Phone Involvement Questionnaire (MPIQ) were utilized to measure their sleep quality scores and mobile phone involvement scores, respectively. Pearson correlation analysis, two-way ANOVA, and multiple linear regression were employed to examine the relationship between BMI levels, mobile phone involvement, and sleep quality.

Results

The results show that 15.87% (2,712 participants) are classified as overweight, and 18.45% (3,151 participants) are classified as obese. Additionally, 35.87% (6,125 participants) exhibit mobile phone involvement, while 57.94% (9,899 participants) reported poor sleep quality. Pearson correlation analysis indicates a significant negative correlation (p < 0.01) between sleep quality and both BMI levels and mobile phone involvement. Two-way ANOVA shows the significant effect of BMI levels (p < 0.001) and mobile phone involvement (p < 0.001) on sleep quality, and there is no interaction effect between the two. Additionally, the sleep quality of overweight and obese individuals is significantly poorer than that of those with normal weight (p < 0.05), while the sleep quality of overweight individuals is significantly lower than that of obese individuals (p < 0.05). Multiple linear regression analysis indicates that, after controlling for age and gender, both BMI (β = −2.69) levels and mobile phone involvement (β = −1.34) are significantly negatively associated with sleep quality (p < 0.001), accounting for 19% of the variance in poor sleep quality.

Conclusion

This study found that BMI levels and mobile phone involvement are both independently associated with sleep quality among Chinese university students. However, among individuals with excess BMI, although their sleep quality is worse than individuals with normal weight, overweight individuals may have poorer sleep quality than obese individuals. This study also revealed high rates of overweight and obesity, with over half of participants reporting poor sleep quality, highlighting the need for targeted interventions to address weight management and mobile phone usage to improve sleep health in this population.
The concept of vulnerability and its relation to equality in the context of human rights: cases from climate change, anti-discrimination and asylum
Authors: Mayrhofer Monika , Ammer Margit , Wladasch Katrin
Published: February 2025

The article analyzes the concept of vulnerability and its relation to the principles of equality and non-discrimination based on a theoretical discussion and the analysis of the concept in three case studies in different human rights areas. First, an overview of the development of the legal norms of the right to equality and non-discrimination in the context of social and political developments is given, including contextualizing and embedding the concept of vulnerability in this debate. Second, the results of three case studies from different policy and legal fields will be presented. The first case study focuses on the role of vulnerability in UN human rights documents on climate change and mobility, the second case study on the role of vulnerability in the anti-discrimination case law of European courts, and the third case study on the concept of vulnerability in Austrian asylum procedures. The objective is to study the concept in different settings and, subsequently, comparatively carve out common themes across the case studies. The case studies show that vulnerability is a fuzzy concept, which often ends up being attached to ‘special-needs groups’ and which frequently mobilizes stigmatizing and stereotyping narratives. The concept does not have equality-promoting connotations, emphasizes individual and group-specific deficit accounts, and often fails to grasp structural factors of discrimination and inequality.
Effects of Chlorella vulgaris at Different Growth Stages and Concentrations on the Growth of Pelargonium × hortorum
Authors: Rápalo-Cruz Alejandro , Gomez-Serrano Cintia , Gonzalez-Lopez Cynthia Victoria , Bagher Hassanpouraghdam Mohammad , Ebrahimzadeh Asghar , Jimenez-Becker Silvia
Published: February 2025

Microalgae are gaining attention as a sustainable and efficient alternative in modern agriculture due to their biostimulant and biofertilizer effects, which promote plant growth and improve plant resistance to abiotic stress factors. Their effectiveness vary according to factors such as concentration and growth stage. This study evaluates the potential of Chlorella vulgaris (C. vulgaris) to stimulate various plant parameters, including growth, biomass, leaf development, and flowering. The trial was carried out in a greenhouse, using Pelargonium × hortorum plants grown on coconut fiber substrate. A nested factorial design was applied, with treatments including a control (irrigation water only) and four experimental groups with microalgae applied at concentrations of 0.1 g L−1 and 1 g L−1, harvested in the stationary or exponential growth phases. The experiment was repeated in autumn and spring to assess seasonal effects. Variables such as plant height, diameter, number of leaves and flowers, as well as the fresh and dry weight of the different plant organs were measured. In addition, leaf area was determined. The results indicate that higher application rates (1 g L−1) increased nitrate, phosphate, and potassium levels, highlighting the role of C. vulgaris in improving plant nutrition. The application of C. vulgaris at 1 g L−1, especially in the stationary growth phase, promoted growth and advanced flowering in Pelargonium × hortorum. In conclusion, C. vulgaris shows significant potential as an agricultural biofertilizer, promoting the growth of Pelargonium × hortorum.
Crop Growth Analysis of Autumn- and Spring-Sown Wheat–Pea Intercrops
Authors: Neugschwandtner Reinhard W. , Herz Patrick , Böck Alexander , Wagentristl Helmut , Moitzi Gerhard , Klimek-Kopyra Agnieszka , Bernas Jaroslav , Lošák Tomáš , Ghorbani Mohammad , Amirahmadi Elnaz , Zholamanov Kuanysh K. , Kaul Hans-Peter
Published: February 2025

Intercropping of arable crops might provide yield benefits over monocrops. To assess the effect of sowing date and sowing ratio on biomass formation and competition over time, a two-year field experiment with wheat and pea plants was performed in Eastern Austria with two sowing times (autumn vs. spring) and with the following substitutive wheat–pea sowing ratios (%:%): 100:0, 75:25, 50:50, 25:75, 12.5:87.5 and 0:100. For both crops, facultative cultivars were used. Compared to spring-sowing, autumn-sowing resulted in earlier development of plants, taller plants, faster soil coverage, a higher crop growth rate up to mid-May in the first year and early June in the second year, more above-ground dry matter production and in the second year also in a higher land equivalent ratio (LER) of intercrops. Sowing ratios affected absolute and relative growth rates of wheat and pea plants. Wheat, which was generally the stronger partner in the intercrops, out-competed pea plants in all intercrops in the first year due to a higher early crop growth rate and in the second year, when the monocrop biomass of wheat was lower than that of pea plants, even in the intercrops with lower wheat and higher pea share. All intercrops resulted in a yield advantage compared to the monocrops as indicated by the LER. At final harvest, this yield advantage was over both sowing times and all four intercropping ratios 14% in the first and 10% in the second year. The competitive abilities of individual crops in mixtures, as indicated by the partial LER, were not affected by the sowing time.
Physiological Mechanism of Welsh Onion (Allium fistulosum L.) in Response to High Temperature and Waterlogging Stress
Authors: Li Xianxiang , Li Ruobing , Wang Kai , Kong Yuwen , Lv Yao , Cao Bili , Gao Song , Xu Kang , Chen Zijing , Xu Kun
Published: February 2025

In recent years, frequent high temperatures and heavy rainfall in summer in China have led to a large-scale reduction in Welsh onion (Allium fistulosum L.) production. This experiment used “Hanchuan” Welsh onion as test material to analyze the effect of high temperature and waterlogging on the dry matter quality, root structure, oxygen species (ROS) metabolism, and photosynthetic performance. The results showed that waterlogging or high-temperature stress could lead to a decrease in dry matter content and root activity in various parts of Welsh onion, significantly increasing the content of reactive oxygen species (ROS) in Welsh onion roots and leaves, accelerating membrane lipid peroxidation, and significantly reduce the chlorophyll content and photosynthetic performance of Welsh onion. Among them, the damage caused by waterlogging and high-temperature interaction stress to Welsh onion is the most significant. On the 8th day of treatment, the net photosynthetic rate (Pn) of high-temperature normal water supply, normal-temperature waterlogging, and high-temperature waterlogging decreased by 53.62%, 26.4%, and 87.59%, respectively, compared to the control. The results of this study provide insight into the extent of damage to Welsh onion under different moisture and temperature conditions, which will help explore scientific methods to alleviate the damage caused by high temperature and waterlogging in Welsh onion in the future.
Effective Machine Learning Techniques for Non-English Radiology Report Classification: A Danish Case Study
Authors: Schiavone Alice , Pehrson Lea Marie , Ingala Silvia , Bonnevie Rasmus , Fraccaro Marco , Li Dana , Nielsen Michael Bachmann , Elliott Desmond
Published: February 2025

Background: Machine learning methods for clinical assistance require a large number of annotations from trained experts to achieve optimal performance. Previous work in natural language processing has shown that it is possible to automatically extract annotations from the free-text reports associated with chest X-rays. Methods: This study investigated techniques to extract 49 labels in a hierarchical tree structure from chest X-ray reports written in Danish. The labels were extracted from approximately 550,000 reports by performing multi-class, multi-label classification using a method based on pattern-matching rules, a classic approach in the literature for solving this task. The performance of this method was compared to that of open-source large language models that were pre-trained on Danish data and fine-tuned for classification. Results: Methods developed for English were also applicable to Danish and achieved similar performance (a weighted F1 score of 0.778 on 49 findings). A small set of expert annotations was sufficient to achieve competitive results, even with an unbalanced dataset. Conclusions: Natural language processing techniques provide a promising alternative to human expert annotation when annotations of chest X-ray reports are needed. Large language models can outperform traditional pattern-matching methods.
Mechanisms of Mitochondria-Mediated Apoptosis During Eimeria tenella Infection
Authors: Bai Rui , Wang Hui , Yang Tiantian , Yan Yuqi , Zhu Shuying , Lv Chenyang , Pei Yang , Guo Jiale , Li Jianhui , Cui Xiaozhen , Lv Xiaoling , Zheng Mingxue
Published: February 2025

Coccidiosis in chickens is a parasitic disease caused by Eimeria species, resulting in significant economic losses to the poultry industry. Among these species, Eimeria tenella is considered the most virulent pathogen, with its infection strongly associated with the apoptotic response of host cells. Eimeria tenella modulates host cell apoptosis in a stage-specific manner, suppressing apoptosis in the early phase to promote its intracellular development and triggering apoptosis in later stages to facilitate parasite egress and disease progression. This study established an in vitro infection model using 60 fifteen-day-old chick embryo cecal epithelial cells and infecting the cells with Eimeria tenella sporozoites at a 1:1 ratio of host cells to sporozoites. The aim was to examine the relationship between parasitic infection and the apoptotic response of host cells in the chick embryo cecal epithelial cells infected with E. tenella. The roles of the mitochondrial permeability transition pore (MPTP) and cytochrome c in intrinsic apoptosis were examined through the application of cyclosporine A (CsA), N, N, N’, N’-tetramethyl-1,4-phenylenediamine (TMPD), and ascorbate (Asc). TUNEL staining, ELISA, and flow cytometry were performed to evaluate apoptotic rates. CsA, TMPD, and Asc significantly (p < 0.01) decreased cytochrome c release, caspase-9 activation, and apoptotic rates from 24 to 120 h post-E. tenella infection. These findings highlight the significance of cytochrome c-mediated, mitochondria-dependent apoptotic pathways in parasitized chick embryo cecal epithelial cells.
Trend in Detection of Anthocyanins from Fresh Fruits and the Influence of Some Factors on Their Stability Impacting Human Health: Kinetic Study Assisted by UV–Vis Spectrophotometry
Authors: Ionescu Cătălina , Samide Adriana , Tigae Cristian
Published: February 2025

Anthocyanins (ANTHs) are polyphenolic compounds with health promoting properties, being known for their strong antioxidant effects as well as for their antimicrobial properties, obesity and cardiovascular disease prevention, and anticarcinogenic activity. Being main dietary components, it is important to know the content of anthocyanins in various dietary sources and their stability in time. The total anthocyanin content (TAC) of various fresh fruits has been spectrophotometrically determined using the pH differential method. The results showed that in the analyzed samples, the TAC increased in the order: blackcurrants > blackberries > blueberries > raspberries > strawberries > plums. The degradation degree of anthocyanins extracted from blueberries (BBEs) in an ethanol/water solution in four experimental conditions was studied. Kinetic studies have been approached, fitting the experimental data recorded by UV–Vis spectrophotometric analysis in agreement with some kinetic models verified for the ANTH degradation reaction. Therefore, zero-order kinetics for BBE extract degradation exposed to sunlight were identified, while for the other storage conditions (shadow, dark, cold), the first-order kinetics were respected. The results indicate that the stability decreased as follows: (ANTH stability)sunlight test << (ANTH stability)shadow test ≈ (ANTH stability)dark test < (ANTH stability)cold test. A mechanism for BBE anthocyanin degradation was proposed and the impact on human health of the degradation products is discussed.