bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Role of Basophils in a Broad Spectrum of Disorders
Authors: Miyake Kensuke , Ito Junya , Karasuyama Hajime
Published: May 2022

Basophils are the rarest granulocytes and have long been overlooked in immunological research due to their rarity and similarities with tissue-resident mast cells. In the last two decades, non-redundant functions of basophils have been clarified or implicated in a broad spectrum of immune responses, particularly by virtue of the development of novel analytical tools for basophils. Basophils infiltrate inflamed tissues of patients with various disorders, even though they circulate in the bloodstream under homeostatic conditions. Depletion of basophils results in the amelioration or exaggeration of inflammation, depending on models of disease, indicating basophils can play either beneficial or deleterious roles in a context-dependent manner. In this review, we summarize the recent findings of basophil pathophysiology under various conditions in mice and humans, including allergy, autoimmunity, tumors, tissue repair, fibrosis, and COVID-19. Further mechanistic studies on basophil biology could lead to the identification of novel biomarkers or therapeutic targets in a broad range of diseases.
The Investigation of Hepatitis B Vaccine Immune Responses in Occult Hepatitis B Virus-Infected Patients
Authors: Peng Jing , Yao Xueying , Yuan Chunyan , Liu Xiaoli , Xia Renxiang , He Jian , Li Rui , Yao Yunqing
Published: May 2022

Objectives

There is no effective treatment for occult hepatitis B virus infection (OBI) patients, and immunotherapy may be one of the most promising options. We aim to investigate the underlying mechanism and therapeutic potential of hepatitis B vaccine immunotherapy for OBI patients.

Methods

Outpatient OBI patients were screened and randomly divided into treatment (Group A) and control (Group B) groups. At weeks 0, 4, and 24, patients in Group A received a subcutaneous/intramuscular injection of hepatitis B vaccine (Engerix-B, 20 μg/time) according to the standard vaccination schedule; patients in Group B served as blank control. The patients were followed for 36 weeks, with clinical, biochemical, virological, immunological, and imaging data collected and analyzed at weeks 0, 12, 24, and 36, respectively, and the relation between the virology and immunology results was analyzed.

Results

Of the 228 OBI patients, 28 were excluded, and 200 were enrolled for observation. In the end, 44 patients were included in Group A and 39 in Group B after excluding lost cases. At week 0 (baseline), some patients in two groups had liver disease symptoms, HBV-related liver function damage, and liver fibrosis. 86.36% (38/44) and 82.05% (32/39) patients were positive for serum hepatitis B surface antibodies (anti-HBs) in Group A and Group B, respectively, with the median (quartile) of 42.47 (16.85, 109.1) and 39.27 (16.06, 117.4) mIU/ml, respectively. Reduced peripheral blood CD4+T, CD8+T, and B lymphocytes were found in some patients in two groups. These results were not statistically different between Group A and Group B (P>0.05). At week 36, all patients were serum anti-HBs (+) in Group A, with a median (quartile) of 1000 (483.9, 1000) mIU/ml, which was significantly higher than that at week 0 (P<0.05) and that in Group B (P<0.05). Compared to week 0, the number of CD8+ T and B lymphocytes increased significantly and were significantly higher than Group B at the same point. Two patients in Group B were found to have hepatitis B virus reactivation from week 12 to week 36.

Correlation Analysis

Anti-HBs in Group A patients were positively correlated with B lymphocytes (r=0.3431, 0.3087, and 0.3041, respectively) and positively correlated with CD8+ T lymphocytes (r=0.4954, 0.3054, and 0.3455, respectively) at weeks 12, 24, and 36.

Conclusion

Virological reactivation is a risk for OBI patients. Serum hepatitis B surface antibodies were significantly increased after hepatitis B vaccine treatment, the same as the numbers of peripheral blood B and CD8+ T lymphocytes; changes in hepatitis B surface antibody levels were positively correlated with the changes in peripheral blood B and CD8+ T lymphocytes.
Mercurial Contamination: A Consumer Health Risk Assessment Concerning Seafood From a Eutrophic Estuary in Southeastern Brazil
Authors: Rodrigues Paloma de Almeida , Ferrari Rafaela Gomes , Rosário Denes Kaic Alves do , Hauser-Davis Rachel Ann , Santos Luciano Neves dos , Conte-Junior Carlos Adam
Published: May 2022

Mercury (Hg) contamination has increased in the last decades, resulting in human consumption concerns mainly in developing countries. In this context, this study aimed to carry out a health risk assessment regarding the consumption of swimming crabs, shrimp and squid species caught in different regions of the Guanabara Bay, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. For this purpose, we used calculations that indicated the Estimated Monthly Intake (EMI), Maximum Monthly Intake Rate (IRmm) and Hazard Quotient (HQ). As the target population, the mean weight corresponding to men and women children aged 12 years, young people aged 24 years, and middle-aged people (adults) aged 54 years were used, taking into account the female and male gender. In the studied seafood, the EMI (0.0001 to 0.0006 mg.kg.month-1) was below the monthly intake limit and IRmm (10.3 to 34.8 kg month-1) indicates that large quantities of seafood can be consumed by the population studied, unless the safe limit of monthly intake of the contaminant is reached. The hazard quotient (0.4 to 1.4) indicate potential risks health of children eating swimming crabs and squid and young women eating swimming crabs. Our study also highlights the importance of risk assessments, as even when seafood contains Hg concentrations below established limits, consumption variables must be taken into account, so as not to underestimate the potential health risks.
Non-Vent Megafaunal Communities on the Endeavour and Middle Valley Segments of the Juan de Fuca Ridge, Northeast Pacific Ocean
Authors: Neufeld Monika , Metaxas Anna , Jamieson John W.
Published: May 2022

There has been increasing interest in mining polymetallic sulfide deposits at deep-sea inactive hydrothermal vents, leading to the development of regulations to minimize risk to the marine environment. While an extensive body of literature exists on the ecological communities at active vents, fauna at inactive hydrothermal vents and the vent periphery are poorly described and their vulnerability to disturbance is unknown. We examined patterns in abundance of non-vent epibenthic megafauna on two segments of the Juan de Fuca Ridge, Northeast Pacific Ocean. Video footage was collected by the remotely operated vehicle ROPOS during four dives at the Endeavour Segment and two dives at Middle Valley in August 2016. At the Endeavour Segment, the substrate is characterized predominantly by basalt and edifices of hydrothermal sulfide that range in hydrothermal activity from inactive to vigorous, high-temperature venting. In contrast, Middle Valley is heavily sedimented and most hydrothermal activity is low-temperature diffuse flow. While inactive substrates at both sites harboured slow-growing sessile fauna, the dominant members of the community differed between sites. At Endeavour, the most abundant morphotaxa included rossellid vase sponges, alcyonacean corals, and crinoids. Estimated richness and total abundance of morphotaxa was higher on hard substrates than sedimented substrates and highest on inactive chimneys. At Middle Valley, the most abundant morphotaxa included antipatharian corals, anemones, and ascidians. Species richness was higher on inactive chimneys and mixed substrates than sediment. The abundance of some megafauna varied with proximity to active vents. At Endeavour, deep-water corals were nearly absent within 25 m of active chimneys and very few occurred between 26 and 50 m from active chimneys. Rossellid vase sponges were in low abundance within 25 m of active chimneys but were more abundant than corals at 26-50 m from active chimneys. This project contributes baseline data on megafaunal assemblages on inactive hydrothermal vents and can provide the basis for more focused research on the structure and function of inactive vent ecosystems.
Exploring Parameter and Hyper-Parameter Spaces of Neuroscience Models on High Performance Computers With Learning to Learn
Authors: Yegenoglu Alper , Subramoney Anand , Hater Thorsten , Jimenez-Romero Cristian , Klijn Wouter , Pérez Martín Aarón , van der Vlag Michiel , Herty Michael , Morrison Abigail , Diaz-Pier Sandra
Published: May 2022

Neuroscience models commonly have a high number of degrees of freedom and only specific regions within the parameter space are able to produce dynamics of interest. This makes the development of tools and strategies to efficiently find these regions of high importance to advance brain research. Exploring the high dimensional parameter space using numerical simulations has been a frequently used technique in the last years in many areas of computational neuroscience. Today, high performance computing (HPC) can provide a powerful infrastructure to speed up explorations and increase our general understanding of the behavior of the model in reasonable times. Learning to learn (L2L) is a well-known concept in machine learning (ML) and a specific method for acquiring constraints to improve learning performance. This concept can be decomposed into a two loop optimization process where the target of optimization can consist of any program such as an artificial neural network, a spiking network, a single cell model, or a whole brain simulation. In this work, we present L2L as an easy to use and flexible framework to perform parameter and hyper-parameter space exploration of neuroscience models on HPC infrastructure. Learning to learn is an implementation of the L2L concept written in Python. This open-source software allows several instances of an optimization target to be executed with different parameters in an embarrassingly parallel fashion on HPC. L2L provides a set of built-in optimizer algorithms, which make adaptive and efficient exploration of parameter spaces possible. Different from other optimization toolboxes, L2L provides maximum flexibility for the way the optimization target can be executed. In this paper, we show a variety of examples of neuroscience models being optimized within the L2L framework to execute different types of tasks. The tasks used to illustrate the concept go from reproducing empirical data to learning how to solve a problem in a dynamic environment. We particularly focus on simulations with models ranging from the single cell to the whole brain and using a variety of simulation engines like NEST, Arbor, TVB, OpenAIGym, and NetLogo.
Increased Stiffness of the Superficial Cervical Extensor Muscles in Patients With Cervicogenic Headache: A Study Using Shear Wave Elastography
Authors: Lin Li-Zhen , Yu Yan-Ni , Fan Jie-Cheng , Guo Pei-Wu , Xia Chun-Feng , Geng Xue , Zhang Shu-Yun , Yuan Xiang-Zhen
Published: May 2022

Background

Cervicogenic headache (CEH) is a secondary headache caused by lesions of the cervical spine and surrounding soft tissues. Cervical muscle dysfunction may be related to the onset of CEH. However, whether cervical muscle stiffness changes in patients with CEH has not been well studied. The purpose of this study was to explore changes in superficial cervical extensor muscle stiffness in patients with CEH using shear wave elastography (SWE).

Methods

In this study, 19 patients with CEH and 20 healthy controls were recruited. Superficial cervical extensor muscle stiffness was obtained from SWE, and the SuperLinear SL10-2 MHz linear array probe in the musculoskeletal muscle mode was chosen as the transducer. Regions of interest in the trapezius (TRAP), splenius capitis (SPL), semispinalis capitis (SCap), and semispinalis cervicis (SCer) were manually segmented. Correlations between superficial cervical extensor muscle stiffness and visual analog scale (VAS) scores, age, and body mass index (BMI) were analyzed using Pearson's correlation. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve was used to investigate the diagnostic ability of superficial cervical extensor stiffness for CEH.

Results

Superficial cervical extensor muscle stiffness on the headache side of patients with CEH was higher than that on the non-headache side and in healthy controls (p < 0.05). Increased stiffness was also observed in SCer on the non-headache side of patients with CEH compared to healthy controls (p < 0.01). In patients with CEH, SCer stiffness was positively correlated with VAS scores (r = 0.481, p = 0.037), but no correlation was found between other muscles and VAS scores (p > 0.05). The areas under the curve of TRAP, SPL, SCap, and SCer in diagnosing CEH were 0.766, 0.759, 0.964, and 1.000, respectively.

Conclusions

Increased stiffness was observed in the superficial cervical extensor muscles on the headache side of patients with CEH. SCer stiffness was correlated with headache intensity in patients with CEH and may provide clues for the diagnosis of CEH.
Evidence for Integration of Cognitive, Affective, and Autonomic Influences During the Experience of Acute Pain in Healthy Human Volunteers
Authors: Powers Jocelyn M. , Ioachim Gabriela , Stroman Patrick W.
Published: May 2022

Our psychological state greatly influences our perception of sensations and pain, both external and visceral, and is expected to contribute to individual pain sensitivity as well as chronic pain conditions. This investigation sought to examine the integration of cognitive and emotional communication across brainstem regions involved in pain modulation by comparing data from previous functional MRI studies of affective modulation of pain. Data were included from previous studies of music analgesia (Music), mood modulation of pain (Mood), and individual differences in pain (ID), totaling 43 healthy women and 8 healthy men. The Music and Mood studies were combined into an affective modulation group consisting of runs with music and positive-valenced emotional images plus concurrent presentation of pain, and a control group of runs with no-music, and neutral-valenced images with concurrent presentation of pain. The ID group was used as an independent control. Ratings of pain intensity were collected for each run and were analyzed in relation to the functional data. Differences in functional connectivity were identified across conditions in relation to emotional, autonomic, and pain processing in periods before, during and after periods of noxious stimulation. These differences may help to explain healthy pain processes and the cognitive and emotional appraisal of predictable noxious stimuli, in support of the Fields’ Decision Hypothesis. This study provides a baseline for current and future investigation of expanded neural networks, particularly within higher limbic and cortical structures. The results obtained by combining data across studies with different methods of pain modulation provide further evidence of the neural signaling underlying the complex nature of pain.
Fecal Microbiota Transplantation for Patients With Irritable Bowel Syndrome: A Meta-Analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials
Authors: Zhao Hui-jun , Zhang Xiao-jing , Zhang Na-na , Yan Bin , Xu Ke-ke , Peng Li-hua , Pan Fei
Published: May 2022

Background:

Gut microbiota has been identified as an imbalance in patients with irritable bowel syndrome (IBS). Fecal microbiota transplantation (FMT) is a novel method to restore microbiota and treat IBS patients.

Objective

To conduct a meta-analysis and estimate the efficacy and safety of FMT for the treatment of IBS patients with subgroup analyses to explore the most effective way of FMT for IBS.

Methods

All eligible studies were searched from PubMed, Embase, Web of Science, and the Cochrane Library through multiple search strategies. Data were extracted from studies comprising the following criteria: double-blind, randomized controlled trials (RCTs) that compared the efficacy of FMT with placebo for adult patients (≥18 years old) with IBS. A meta-analysis was performed to evaluate the summary relative risk (RR) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs).

Results

A total of seven RCTs comprising 489 subjects were eligible for this meta-analysis. Pooled data showed no significant improvement of global IBS symptoms in patients with FMT compared with placebo (RR = 1.34; 95% CI 0.75–2.41, p = 0.32). A significant heterogeneity was observed among the studies (I2 = 83%, p < 0.00001). There was no significant evidence of funnel plot asymmetry (Egger's test, p = 0.719; Begg's test, p = 1.000), indicating no existence of publication bias. Subgroup analyses revealed that FMT operated by invasive routes, including gastroscope, colonoscope, and nasojejunal tube, significantly improved global IBS symptoms (RR = 1.96; 95% CI 1.23–3.11, p = 0.004) with heterogeneity (I2 = 57%, p = 0.06) and an NNT of 3 (95% CI 2–14). However, FMT delivered via oral capsules showed a negative impact on patients with IBS (RR = 0.56; 95% CI 0.33–0.96, p = 0.03) with a low heterogeneity (I2 = 39%, p = 0.2) and an NNH of 3 (95% CI 2–37).

Conclusion

The current evidence from RCTs with all routes of FMT does not show significant global improvement in patients with IBS. However, FMT operated by invasive routes significantly improved global IBS symptoms.
Surgery of Motor Eloquent Glioblastoma Guided by TMS-Informed Tractography: Driving Resection Completeness Towards Prolonged Survival
Authors: Weiss Lucas Carolin , Faymonville Andrea Maria , Loução Ricardo , Schroeter Catharina , Nettekoven Charlotte , Oros-Peusquens Ana-Maria , Langen Karl Josef , Shah N. Jon , Stoffels Gabriele , Neuschmelting Volker , Blau Tobias , Neuschmelting Hannah , Hellmich Martin , Kocher Martin , Grefkes Christian , Goldbrunner Roland
Published: May 2022

Background

Surgical treatment of patients with glioblastoma affecting motor eloquent brain regions remains critically discussed given the risk–benefit dilemma of prolonging survival at the cost of motor-functional damage. Tractography informed by navigated transcranial magnetic stimulation (nTMS-informed tractography, TIT) provides a rather robust estimate of the individual location of the corticospinal tract (CST), a highly vulnerable structure with poor functional reorganisation potential. We hypothesised that by a more comprehensive, individualised surgical decision-making using TIT, tumours in close relationship to the CST can be resected with at least equal probability of gross total resection (GTR) than less eloquently located tumours without causing significantly more gross motor function harm. Moreover, we explored whether the completeness of TIT-aided resection translates to longer survival.

Methods

A total of 61 patients (median age 63 years, m = 34) with primary glioblastoma neighbouring or involving the CST were operated on between 2010 and 2015. TIT was performed to inform surgical planning in 35 of the patients (group T; vs. 26 control patients). To achieve largely unconfounded group comparisons for each co-primary outcome (i.e., gross-motor functional worsening, GTR, survival), (i) uni- and multivariate regression analyses were performed to identify features of optimal outcome prediction; (ii), optimal propensity score matching (PSM) was applied to balance those features pairwise across groups, followed by (iii) pairwise group comparison.

Results

Patients in group T featured a significantly higher lesion-CST overlap compared to controls (8.7 ± 10.7% vs. 3.8 ± 5.7%; p = 0.022). The frequency of gross motor worsening was higher in group T, albeit non-significant (n = 5/35 vs. n = 0/26; p = 0.108). PSM-based paired-sample comparison, controlling for the confounders of preoperative tumour volume and vicinity to the delicate vasculature of the insula, showed higher GTR rates in group T (77% vs. 69%; p = 0.025), particularly in patients with a priori intended GTR (87% vs. 78%; p = 0.003). This translates into a prolonged PFS in the same PSM subgroup (8.9 vs. 5.8 months; p = 0.03), with GTR representing the strongest predictor of PFS (p = 0.001) and OS (p = 0.0003) overall.

Conclusion

The benefit of TIT-aided GTR appears to overcome the drawbacks of potentially elevated motor functional risk in motor eloquent tumour localisation, leading to prolonged survival of patients with primary glioblastoma close to the CST.
The Role of Exosomes in the Progression and Therapeutic Resistance of Hematological Malignancies
Authors: Wang Haobing , You Yong , Zhu Xiaojian
Published: May 2022

Exosomes are membrane limited structures which derive from cell membranes and cytoplasm. When released into extracellular space, they circulate through the extracellular fluid, including the peripheral blood and tissue fluid. Exosomes surface molecules mediate their targeting to specific recipient cells and deliver their contents to recipient cells by receptor-ligand interaction and/or phagocytosis and/or endocytosis or direct fusion with cell membrane. Exosomes contain many functional molecules, including nucleic acids (DNAs, mRNAs, non-coding RNAs), proteins (transcription factors, enzymes), and lipids which have biological activity. By passing these cargos, exosomes can transfer information between cells. In this way, exosomes are extensively involved in physiological and pathological processes, such as angiogenesis, matrix reprogramming, coagulation, tumor progression. In recent years, researcher have found that exosomes from malignant tumors can mediate information exchange between tumor cells or between tumor cells and non-tumor cells, thereby promoting tumor survival, progression, and resistance to therapy. In this review, we discuss the pro-tumor and anti-therapeutic effects of exosomes in hematological malignancies, hoping to contribute to the early conquest of hematological malignancy.
CDK4/6 Inhibitors in Combination Therapies: Better in Company Than Alone: A Mini Review
Authors: Rampioni Vinciguerra Gian Luca , Sonego Maura , Segatto Ilenia , Dall’Acqua Alessandra , Vecchione Andrea , Baldassarre Gustavo , Belletti Barbara
Published: May 2022

The cyclin D-CDK4/6 complexes play a pivotal role in controlling the cell cycle. Deregulation in cyclin D-CDK4/6 pathway has been described in many types of cancer and it invariably leads to uncontrolled cell proliferation. Many efforts have been made to develop a target therapy able to inhibit CDK4/6 activity. To date, three selective CDK4/6 small inhibitors have been introduced in the clinic for the treatment of hormone positive advanced breast cancer patients, following the impressive results obtained in phase III clinical trials. However, since their approval, clinical evidences have demonstrated that about 30% of breast cancer is intrinsically resistant to CDK4/6 inhibitors and that prolonged treatment eventually leads to acquired resistance in many patients. So, on one hand, clinical and preclinical studies fully support to go beyond breast cancer and expand the use of CDK4/6 inhibitors in other tumor types; on the other hand, the question of primary and secondary resistance has to be taken into account, since it is now very clear that neoplastic cells rapidly develop adaptive strategies under treatment, eventually resulting in disease progression. Resistance mechanisms so far discovered involve both cell-cycle and non-cell-cycle related escape strategies. Full understanding is yet to be achieved but many different pathways that, if targeted, may lead to reversion of the resistant phenotype, have been already elucidated. Here, we aim to summarize the knowledge in this field, focusing on predictive biomarkers, to recognize intrinsically resistant tumors, and therapeutic strategies, to overcome acquired resistance.
The Impact of Empowering Leadership on Preschool Teachers’ Job Well-Being in the Context of COVID-19: A Perspective Based on Job Demands-Resources Model
Authors: Nong Liying , Ye Jian-Hong , Hong Jon-Chao
Published: May 2022

The COVID-19 epidemic in the early 2020s is making a big difference for educators around the world. For the past 2 years, the curriculum and working patterns have been overturned in response to this epidemic, which has brought unprecedented challenges and physical and mental stress to preschool teachers. This situation can have a drastic impact on the acquisition of job well-being for preschool teachers. During this special time, the leader’s management style will also influence the psychological feelings of the organization’s staff. For example, empowering leadership is an important management function that empowers subordinates, emphasizes the meaning of work, promotes participation in decision-making, and expresses confidence. Therefore, in the current COVID-19 pandemic context, it is worthwhile to explore the topic of empowering leadership to ensure preschool teachers’ well-being, by balancing work demands and work resources in a way that facilitates a sense of organizational support and reduces job stress, while relatively fewer studies have been conducted on the relationship between preschool teachers’ job well-being in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic. Based on this, this study proposed a research model from the theoretical perspective of the Job Demands-Resources Model to explore the influence of empowering leadership, sense of organizational support, and job stress on preschool teachers’ job well-being in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic. To achieve the purpose of this study, a convenience sampling method was used to invite 500 preschool teachers in China to complete a questionnaire survey, and after removing invalid samples and data with incomplete answers, reliability and validity analyses and model fit tests were conducted, followed by a structural equation modeling method for path analysis. The results of the study showed that (1) in the kindergarten work context, empowering leadership showed a significant negative effect on job stress, but a significant positive effect on job well-being and a significant positive effect on sense of organizational support. (2) Sense of organizational support had a significant negative effect on job stress but a significant positive effect on preschool teachers’ job well-being. (3) Preschool teachers’ job stress and job well-being showed a significant negative effect. The contribution of this study was to explore the relationship between understanding leadership empowerment and preschool teachers’ job well-being in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic based on the Job Demands-Resources Model, which will facilitate educational organizational contexts to empower preschool teachers to work harder to reduce their job stress as well as enhance their sense of organizational support and promote the acquisition of job well-being.
A Latent Class Analysis on Symptoms of Prolonged Grief, Post-Traumatic Stress, and Depression Following the Loss of a Loved One
Authors: Heeke Carina , Franzen Minita , Hofmann Hendrik , Knaevelsrud Christine , Lenferink Lonneke I. M.
Published: May 2022

Background

The loss of a significant other can lead to variety of responses, including prolonged grief disorder (PGD), posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and depression. The aim of this study was to replicate and extend previous research that indicated that three subgroups of bereaved individuals can be distinguished based one similar post-loss symptom profiles using latent class analysis (LCA). The second aim was to examine whether sociodemographic and loss-related characteristics as well as the extent of meaning making were related to classes with more pervasive psychopathology.

Methods

Telephone-based interviews with 433 Dutch and German speaking persons who had lost a significant other at last 6 months earlier were conducted. Self-rated PGD, PTSD, and depression symptoms were assessed. LCA was conducted and correlates of class-membership were examined using the 3step approach.

Results

The LCA resulted in three distinct classes: a no symptoms class (47%), a moderate PGD, low depression/PTSD class (32%), and a high PGD, moderate depression/PTSD class (21%). A multivariate analysis indicated that female gender, a shorter time since loss, an unexpected loss and less meaning made to a loss were significantly associated with membership to the moderate PGD, low depression/PTSD and high PGD, moderate depression/PTSD class compared to membership to the no symptom class. Losing a child or spouse, a shorter time since loss, and having made less meaning to the loss further distinguished between the high PGD, moderate depression/PTSD symptom class and the moderate PGD, low depression/PTSD class.

Discussion

We found that the majority of individuals coped well in response to their loss since the no symptom class was the largest class. Post-loss symptoms could be categorized into classes marked by different intensity of symptoms, rather than qualitatively different symptom patterns. The findings indicate that perceiving the loss as more unexpected, finding less meaning in the loss, and loss-related factors, such as the recentness of a loss and the loss of a partner or child, were related to class membership more consistently than sociodemographic factors.
Decreased Connectivity in Precuneus of the Ventral Attentional Network in First-Episode, Treatment-Naïve Patients With Major Depressive Disorder: A Network Homogeneity and Independent Component Analysis
Authors: Luo Liqiong , Lei Xijun , Zhu Canmin , Wu Jun , Ren Hongwei , Zhan Jing , Qin Yongzhang
Published: May 2022

Background and Objective

The ventral attentional network (VAN) can provide quantitative information on cognitive problems in patients with major depressive disorder (MDD). Nevertheless, little is known about network homogeneity (NH) changes in the VAN of these patients. The aim of this study was to examine the NH values in the VAN by independent component analysis (ICA) and compare the NH values between MDD patients and the normal controls (NCs).

Methods

Attentional network test and resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (rs-fMRI) data were collected from 73 patients, and 70 NCs matched by gender, age, and education years. ICA and NH were employed to evaluate the data. Moreover, the NH values were compared, and Spearman's rank correlation analysis was used to assess the correlations with the executive control reaction time (ECRT).

Results

Our results showed that the first-episode, treatment-naive MDD patients had decreased NH in the right precuneus (PCu) and abnormal ECRT compared with NCs. However, no significant correlation was found between the NH values and measured clinical variables.

Conclusion

Our results highlight the potential importance of VAN in the pathophysiology of cognitive problems in MDD, thus offering new directions for future research on MDD.
QWIP: A Quantitative Metric for Quality Control of Aquatic Reflectance Spectral Shape Using the Apparent Visible Wavelength
Authors: Dierssen Heidi M. , Vandermeulen Ryan A. , Barnes Brian B. , Castagna Alexandre , Knaeps Els , Vanhellemont Quinten
Published: May 2022

The colors of the ocean and inland waters span clear blue to turbid brown, and the corresponding spectral shapes of the water-leaving signal are diverse depending on the various types and concentrations of phytoplankton, sediment, detritus and colored dissolved organic matter. Here we present a simple metric developed from a global dataset spanning blue, green and brown water types to assess the quality of a measured or derived aquatic spectrum. The Quality Water Index Polynomial (QWIP) is founded on the Apparent Visible Wavelength (AVW), a one-dimensional geophysical metric of color that is inherently correlated to spectral shape calculated as a weighted harmonic mean across visible wavelengths. The QWIP represents a polynomial relationship between the hyperspectral AVW and a Normalized Difference Index (NDI) using red and green wavelengths. The QWIP score represents the difference between a spectrum’s AVW and NDI and the QWIP polynomial. The approach is tested extensively with both raw and quality controlled field data to identify spectra that fall outside the general trends observed in aquatic optics. For example, QWIP scores less than or greater than 0.2 would fail an initial screening and be subject to additional quality control. Common outliers tend to have spectral features related to: 1) incorrect removal of surface reflected skylight or 2) optically shallow water. The approach was applied to hyperspectral imagery from the Hyperspectral Imager for the Coastal Ocean (HICO), as well as to multispectral imagery from the Visual Infrared Imaging Radiometer Suite (VIIRS) using sensor-specific extrapolations to approximate AVW. This simple approach can be rapidly implemented in ocean color processing chains to provide a level of uncertainty about a measured or retrieved spectrum and flag questionable or unusual spectra for further analysis.
Appreciating the Resilience and Stability Found in Heterogeneity: A South African Perspective on Urban Household Food Security
Authors: Nenguda Rendani , Scholes Mary Catherine
Published: May 2022

Urban food security has long been viewed as secondary to rural food security in Africa, and with the migration of large numbers of individuals from rural to urban settings, it has become crucial to place more focus on urban food security. More so, in Southern African peri-urban areas, where high unemployment rates amongst the youth exist. Often, the interventions toward reducing food insecurity in urban settings are taken from those previously designed for application in the rural context. In this study, we aimed to measure the status of food security and identify the factors driving and constraining household food security amongst peri-urban households in Tembisa, South Africa, with the purpose of gaining an in depth understanding of the drivers of urban food insecurity within peri-urban communities. In order to accomplish this, FANTA's Household Food Insecurity Access Scale (HFIAS), which measures levels of food security and the Household Dietary Diversity Scale (HDDS), which measures the level of nutritional intake of households was applied. Food prices of the formal and informal markets were monitored over a period of 6 months. A significant decline in household food access over a 4-year period (2013–2016) was observed in addition to low-quality diets. The most commonly used coping methods during periods of low income included borrowing either money or food from friends and neighbors, this was done in conjunction with various other coping strategies. Much of the declining food access was attributed to the inflation of food prices, the lack of employment, lack of formal employment and a high number of household members to breadwinner ratios. High reliance solely on financial capital remains a limitation to the livelihood of urban households. Informal markets are an imperative driver of food security in these peri-urban communities and provide improved food price stability, temporal, and geographical food access through less volatile food pricing, compared to formal markets. Furthermore, government initiatives such as social grants and school feeding schemes have proven to be critical in reducing the vulnerability to food insecurity of most households.
Tissue Expression Analysis, Cloning, and Characterization of the 5′-Regulatory Region of the Bovine LATS1 Gene
Authors: Wei Dawei , Raza Sayed Haidar Abbas , Wang Xingping , Khan Rajwali , Lei Zhaoxiong , Zhang Guijie , Zhang Jiupan , Luoreng Zhuoma , Ma Yun , Alamoudi Muna O. , Aloufi Bandar Hamad , Alshammari Ahmed Mohajja , Abd El-Aziz Ayman Hassan , Alhomrani Majid , Alamri Abdulhakeem S.
Published: May 2022

As a member of the large tumor suppressor (LATS) gene family, LATS1 plays an important role in regulating muscle growth and development. In this study, we determined the distinct exhibit patterns of tissue expression of bovine LATS1. Further, we determined the functional proximal minimal promoter of bovine LATS1 and identified the key transcription factors in the core promoter region to elucidate its molecular regulation mechanism. The results showed that bovine LATS1 was highly expressed in the longissimus thoracis and upregulation in infancy muscle. An electrophoretic mobility shift assay (EMSA) and chromatin immunoprecipitation (ChIP) assay in combination with site-directed mutation and small interfering RNA (siRNA) interference demonstrated that myogenic differentiation 1 (Myod1) and myocyte enhancer factor 2A (MEF2A) binding in the core promoter region (−298/−123 bp) play important roles in the transcriptional regulation of the bovine LATS1 promoter. Taken together, these interactions provide insight into the regulatory mechanisms of LATS1 transcription in mediating skeletal muscle growth in cattle.
Evaluation of the Effect of Different Dietary Lipid Sources on Dogs’ Faecal Microbial Population and Activities
Authors: Vastolo Alessandro , Riedmüller Jonathan , Cutrignelli Monica Isabella , Zentek Jürgen
Published: May 2022

Lipids represent a significant energy source in dogs’ diets. Moreover, dogs need some essential fatty acids, such as linoleic and α-linolenic fatty acids, because they are not able to produce them endogenously. This study aimed to evaluate the effect of different dietary lipid sources on faecal microbial populations and activities using different evaluations. Hemp seed oil and swine tallow were tested as lipid supplements in a commercial canned diet at a ratio of 3.5% (HL1 and HL2, respectively). These diets were compared with one rich in starch (HS). Twelve dogs were recruited and equally divided into three groups. Faeces samples at 30 days were used as inoculum and incubated with three different substrates (MOS, inulin, and cellulose) using the in vitro gas production technique. The faecal cell numbers of relevant bacteria and secondary metabolites were analysed (in vivo trial). In vitro evaluation showed that the faeces of the group fed the diet with hemp supplementation had better fermentability despite lower gas production. The in vivo faecal bacterial count showed an increase in Lactobacillus spp. In the HL1 group. Moreover, a higher level of acetate was observed in both evaluations (in vitro and in vivo). These results seem to indicate a significant effect of the dietary fatty acid profile on the faecal microbial population.
Investigation on Natural Infection of Covert Mortality Nodavirus in Farmed Giant Freshwater Prawn (Macrobrachium rosenbergii)
Authors: Xia Jitao , Wang Chong , Yao Liang , Wang Wei , Zhao Wenxiu , Jia Tianchang , Yu Xingtong , Yang Guoliang , Zhang Qingli
Published: May 2022

Covert mortality nodavirus (CMNV), from the Nodaviridae family, is characterized by its unique cross-species transmission and wide epidemic distribution features. In this study, Macrobrachium rosenbergii was proved to be infected naturally by CMNV, which further expand the known host range of CMNV. Here, 61.9% (70/113) of the M. rosenbergii samples collected from Jiangsu Province were CMNV positive in the TaqMan RT-qPCR assay, which indicated the high prevalence of CMNV in M. rosenbergii. Meanwhile, the sequences of CMNV RdRp gene cloned from M. rosenbergii were highly identical to that of the original CMNV isolate from Penaeus vannamei. In situ hybridization (ISH) and histology analysis indicated that the intestine, gill, hepatopancreas and ovary were the targeted organs of CMNV infection in M. rosenbergii, and obvious histopathological damage including vacuolation and karyopyknosis were occurred in the above organs. Notably, the presence of CMNV in gonad alerted its potential risk of vertical transmission in M. rosenbergii. Additionally, numerous CMNV-like particles could be observed in tissues of hepatopancreas and gill under transmission electron microscopy. Collectively, our results call for concern of the potential negative impact of the spread and prevalence of CMNV in M. rosenbergii on its aquaculture, as well as providing a renewed orientation for further investigation and exploration of the diverse pathogenic factors causing M. rosenbergii diseases.
Multi-Institutional Retrospective Case-Control Study Evaluating Clinical Outcomes of Foals with Small Intestinal Strangulating Obstruction: 2000–2020
Authors: Erwin Sara J. , Clark Marley E. , Dechant Julie E. , Aitken Maia R. , Hassel Diana M. , Blikslager Anthony T. , Ziegler Amanda L.
Published: May 2022

Lower survival has been reported in foals than adults with small intestinal strangulating obstruction (SISO), but age-dependent outcomes have not been examined directly. Hospital records were collected from five US academic referral hospitals. It was hypothesized that foals would exhibit lower survival than case-matched adults. Foal cases 6-months-of-age or younger, and adult cases between 2- and 20-years-of-age were collected. Data revealed 24 of 25 (96.0%) foals and 66 of 75 (88.0%) adults that were recovered from surgery for SISO survived to hospital discharge. Sixteen of the total 41 (39.0%) foals studied were euthanized intraoperatively, whereas 30 of 105 (28.6%) adults were euthanized intraoperatively. Common lesions in foals that were recovered from surgery were volvulus (n = 13) and intussusception (n = 5), whereas common lesions in adults were volvulus (n = 25) and strangulating lipoma (n = 23). This study was limited by incomplete medical records, relatively small sample size, and lack of long-term follow-up. Unexpectedly, short-term survival tended to be higher in foals than adults and may have been partly driven by case selection prior to referral or surgery or decision-making intraoperatively. More optimism toward surgical treatment of foals with SISO may be warranted.
Genetic Diversity and Genetic Differentiation of Populations of Golden-Backed Carp (Cyprinus carpio var. Jinbei) in Traditional Rice Fields in Guizhou, China
Authors: Ji Da , Su Xin , Yao Junjie , Zhang Wenzheng , Wang Rongrong , Zhang Shuhai
Published: May 2022

The aim of this study was to assess the current status of the germplasm resources of golden-backed carp (Cyprinus carpio var. Jinbei) cultured in paddy fields in Guizhou Province, China. Five populations of golden-backed carp in Liping County, Jinping County, Huangping County, Congjiang County and Duyun City in Guizhou Province were subjected to high-throughput sequencing by 2b-RAD technology, and their genetic diversity and genetic differentiation were analysed. Based on sequencing, 44,896 SNP loci were obtained, and all five population genetic diversity indicators showed low diversity. In the NJ tree, the Congjiang and Liping populations were mixed together, and the other three groups formed a cluster. A cross-validation error box plot and pong cluster plot were constructed to show the K value results. When K = 1, the cross-validation error rate was the lowest. Principal component analysis showed that the Duyun population formed a group separate from the group comprising the other four populations. The genetic differentiation index and genetic distances between the Duyun population and the remaining four populations were greater than 0.05, indicating population differentiation. The genetic diversity of the five populations of golden-backed carp in Guizhou Province was low, the genetic differentiation of the Duyun population was the most significant, and the Duyun population was separate from the other four groups.
Identification of the TSSK4 Alternative Spliceosomes and Analysis of the Function of the TSSK4 Protein in Yak (Bos grunniens)
Authors: Wang Xingdong , Pei Jie , Xiong Lin , Guo Shaoke , Cao Mengli , Kang Yandong , Bao Pengjia , Wu Xiaoyun , Chu Min , Liang Chunnian , Yan Ping , Guo Xian
Published: May 2022

In mammals, the testis-specific serine/threonine kinase (TSSK) is essential for spermatogenesis and male fertility. TSSK4 belongs to the family of the testis-specific serine/threonine-protein kinase (TSSK), with a crucial role in spermatogenesis. This study aimed to analyze the variable spliceosome of the TSSK4 gene in the yak for understanding the regulatory function of the TSSK4 spliceosome in yak testis development using PCR amplification and cloning techniques. The GST pull-down was used for pulling down the protein interacting with TSSK4, and then the protein interacting with TSSK4 was identified using LC–MS/MS. The results of the PCR amplification demonstrated multiple bands of the TSSK4 gene in the yak. The cloning and sequencing yielded a total of six alternative spliceosomes, which included only two alternative spliceosomes before sexual maturity and four alternative spliceosomes after sexual maturity. The sub-cells of the alternative spliceosomes were found to localize in the nucleus before sexual maturity and in the cytoplasm after sexual maturity. The LC–MS/MS analysis of the alternative spliceosome with the highest expression after sexual maturity yielded a total of 223 interacting proteins. The enrichment analysis of the 223 interacting proteins revealed these proteins participate in biological processes, cell composition, and molecular functions. The KEGG analysis indicated that the TSSK4-interacting protein participates in the estrogen signaling pathways, tight junctions, endoplasmic reticulum protein processing, and other signaling pathways. This study cloned the six alternative spliceosomes of the TSSK4 gene laying the foundation for studying the function of each spliceosome in the future.
Behaviour of Horseshoe-Shaped Tunnel Subjected to Different In Situ Stress Fields
Authors: Abdellah Wael R. , Haridy Abdel Kader A. , Mohamed Abdou Khalaf , Kim Jong-Gwan , Ali Mahrous A. M.
Published: May 2022

At great depths, tunnel openings experience a tectonic stress field rather than overburden stress. This paper aims to examine the impact of different in situ stress ratios and multiple tunnel depths below the surface on the excavation induced-stresses and displacements around tunnel openings. Thus, a series of models has been built, using a two-dimensional elasto-plastic finite-elements code, RS2D, to conduct parametric stability analysis. The performance of tunnel opening is examined by evaluating the induced stress-deformation around the opening. The results indicate that ratio of wall convergence, roof sag and floor heave increase as in situ stress ratio and tunnel depth below surface increase. Additionally, the induced-stresses increase as depth and state of in situ stress increase. In addition, the extent of yielding zones into rock mass around tunnel roof and floor deteriorates as tunnel depth and in situ stress ratio increase. Moreover, the normal stress along rock joints is sharply dropped when joints pass in the vicinity of tunnel opening (e.g., centre of opening). As well, the direction of shear stress along joints is reversed. Consequently, inward shear displacement of rock, on the underside of the weakness plane, is produced as a result of slip occurrence.
A Novel Algorithm for Local Network Alignment Based on Network Embedding
Authors: Guzzi Pietro Hiram , Tradigo Giuseppe , Veltri Pierangelo
Published: May 2022

Networks are widely used in bioinformatics and biomedicine to represent associations across a large class of biological entities. Network alignment refers to the set of approaches that aim to reveal similarities among networks. Local Network Alignment (LNA) algorithms find (relatively small) local regions of similarity between two or more networks. Such algorithms are in general based on a set of seed nodes that are used to build the alignment incrementally. A large fraction of LNA algorithms uses a set of vertices based on context information as seed nodes, even if this may cause a bias or a data-circularity problem. Moreover, using topology information to choose seed nodes improves overall alignment. Finally, similarities among nodes can be identified by network embedding methods (or representation learning). Given there are two networks, we propose to use network embedding to capture structural similarity among nodes, which can also be used to improve LNA effectiveness. We present an algorithm and experimental tests on real and syntactic graph data to find LNAs.