bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
GLIM criteria using NRS-2002 and MUST as the first step adequately diagnose the malnutrition in Crohn’s disease inpatients: A retrospective study
Authors: Wang Meng , Guo Qin , Liu Hong , Liu Min , Tang Chenyi , Wu Jinru , Feng Guo , Wu Wei
Published: January 2023

Objective

The Global Leader Initiative on Malnutrition (GLIM) criteria have been recommended for malnutrition diagnosis recently, for which the first step is malnutrition risk screening with any validated tool. This study aims to investigate the incidence of nutritional risk and malnutrition in Crohn’s disease inpatients and compare the suitability of Nutritional Risk Screening 2002 (NRS-2002) and Malnutrition Universal Screening Tool (MUST) as the first-step screening tool for GLIM criteria.

Methods

We retrospectively analyzed the clinical data of Crohn’s disease inpatients in our hospital from August 2016 to December 2019. NRS-2002 and MUST were used for nutritional screening at the time of admission. GLIM and Patient Generated-Subjective Global Assessment (PG-SGA) were used for malnutrition assessment, respectively. Patients without nutritional risk screened by NRS-2002 but with malnutrition risk screened by MUST were especially screened out. The appendicular skeletal muscle mass index (ASMI), fat-free mass index (FFMI), body fat percent (BFP), and body cell mass (BCM) were measured by the Biospace Inbody S10 composition analyzer.

Results

A total of 146 Crohn’s disease patients were enrolled, of which 62.3 and 89.7% had nutritional or malnutrition risk according to NRS-2002 and MUST, respectively. The prevalence of malnutrition assessed by GLIM was 59.6% (87 cases) and 82.2% (120 cases) when NRS-2002 and MUST were used as the first step of GLIM respectively. Meanwhile, 99 patients (67.8%) had malnutrition when assessed by PG-SGA. There were 41 patients who were not at nutritional risk according to NRS-2002 but were at malnutrition risk determined by MUST. At last, 33 patients were GLIM-defined, and 16 patients were PG-SGA-defined malnutrition among the 41 patients.

Conclusion

The nutritional risk or malnutrition is common in Crohn’s disease inpatients. It is recommended to use a variety of nutritional assessment tools for Crohn’s disease inpatients. MUST can be used as a good supplement for the patients with a score of NRS-2002 lower than 3 in order to decrease the miss rate of GLIM-defined malnutrition.
Assessment of flavor characteristics in snakehead (Ophiocephalus argus Cantor) surimi gels affected by atmospheric cold plasma treatment using GC-IMS
Authors: Huang Jia-bao , Kong Xian-wang , Chen Ying-yun , Chen Jing
Published: January 2023

The gel formation ability of freshwater surimi is weak, resulting in its poor flavor and quality. Atmospheric cold plasma (ACP), a widely developed non-thermal processing technology in the food industry, is considered to have potential applications in maintaining and improving the flavor characteristics of surimi gels. In this study, the effect of ACP on snakehead surimi gels flavor at different treatment times was investigated by sensory evaluation and gas chromatography-ion mobility spectrometry (GC-IMS) analysis. The results showed that ACP could better maintain and improve the original appearance and tissue state characteristics of surimi gels, scoring about 1–2 points higher than the ACP-untreated group. GC-IMS analysis demonstrated the obvious difference in the volatile organic compounds (VOCs) among the treatment groups. Specifically, the samples treated for 120 s with ACP exhibited the most unique aroma characteristics, which probably related to the highest thiobarbituric acid reactive substances values (73.28 μmol MDA/kg sample). Meanwhile, the reduced TCA-soluble peptides content indicated that ACP could inhibit protein degradation to maintaining the tissue state and flavor characteristics of the surimi gels. In conclusion, the advantages of ACP treatment, such as little damage to nutrients, and maximum retention of original sensory properties, provide new ideas for its application in the flavor characteristics of the snakehead surimi gels.
Exploring the understanding of how parenting influences the children's nutritional status, physical activity, and BMI
Authors: Kocaadam-Bozkurt Betül , Sözlü Saniye , Macit-Çelebi Melahat Sedanur
Published: January 2023

Aim

Parental behaviors and the home environment are two of the most effective ways to adopt healthy eating and active lifestyles. For this reason, it is crucial to understand children's nutritional habits, analyze the dynamics related to parental factors, diagnose and treat childhood obesity in the early period, and prevent adulthood obesity. This study aimed to explore how parenting influences children's nutritional status, physical activity, and BMI.

Methods

The study involved 596 children with their parents. The data were collected through face-to-face interviews using the survey method. The survey consists of descriptive information (age, gender, educational status), anthropometric measurements, nutritional habits, Family Nutrition and Physical Activity Scale (FNPA), International Physical Activity Questionnaire, and 24-h dietary recall. The Mean Adequacy Ratio (MAR) was applied to assess dietary adequacy.

Results

Most mothers and fathers were overweight or obese (61.6 and 68.7%, respectively). 38.6% of boys and 23.1% of girls were overweight or obese. The FNPA score was positively correlated with MAR (p < 0.05). Multiple linear regression analysis revealed that children's BMI was negatively correlated with FNPA score, while maternal BMI and father's BMI were positively correlated (p < 0.05). Furthermore, dietary energy was not associated with the child's BMI but with dietary adequacy (p < 0.05). There was no evidence that family impacted children's physical activity.

Conclusion

This study supports that parenting influences children's dietary intake and BMI. Adequate and balanced nutrition, regardless of dietary energy, may affect children's body weight. Family plays a significant role in influencing and forming children's lifestyle-related behaviors. Children's healthy eating and physical exercise habits can be encouraged through school-based programs involving families.
Role of circulating sphingolipids in lipid metabolism: Why dietary lipids matter
Authors: Calzada Catherine , Vors Cécile , Penhoat Armelle , Cheillan David , Michalski Marie-Caroline
Published: January 2023

Sphingolipids are structural components of cell membranes and lipoproteins but also act as signaling molecules in many pathophysiological processes. Although sphingolipids comprise a small part of the plasma lipidome, some plasma sphingolipids are recognized as implicated in the development of metabolic diseases and cardiovascular diseases. Plasma sphingolipids are mostly carried out into lipoproteins and may modulate their functional properties. Lipids ingested from the diet contribute to the plasma lipid pool besides lipids produced by the liver and released from the adipose tissue. Depending on their source, quality and quantity, dietary lipids may modulate sphingolipids both in plasma and lipoproteins. A few human dietary intervention studies investigated the impact of dietary lipids on circulating sphingolipids and lipid-related cardiovascular risk markers. On the one hand, dietary saturated fatty acids, mainly palmitic acid, may increase ceramide concentrations in plasma, triglyceride-rich lipoproteins and HDL. On the other hand, milk polar lipids may decrease some molecular species of sphingomyelins and ceramides in plasma and intestine-derived chylomicrons. Altogether, different dietary fatty acids and lipid species can modulate circulating sphingolipids vehicled by postprandial lipoproteins, which should be part of future nutritional strategies for prevention of cardiovascular diseases.
Effect of alkaline hydrogen peroxide assisted with two modification methods on the physicochemical, structural and functional properties of bagasse insoluble dietary fiber
Authors: Luo Mengying , Wang Cheng , Wang Chenshu , Xie Caifeng , Hang Fangxue , Li Kai , Shi Changrong
Published: January 2023

Bagasse is one of major by-product of sugar mills, but its utilization is limited by the high concentration of lignin. In this study, the optimal alkaline hydrogen peroxide (AHP) treatment conditions were determined by the response surface optimization method. The results showed that the lignin removal rate was 62.23% and the solid recovery rate was 53.76% when bagasse was prepared under optimal conditions (1.2% H2O2, 0.9% NaOH, and 46°C for 12.3 h), while higher purity of bagasse insoluble dietary fiber (BIDF) was obtained. To further investigate the modification effect, AHP assisted with high-temperature-pressure cooking (A–H) and enzymatic hydrolysis (A–E) were used to modify bagasse, respectively. The results showed that the water holding capacity (WHC), oil holding capacity (OHC), bile salt adsorption capacity (BSAC), and nitrite ion adsorption capacity (NIAC) were significantly improved after A-H treatment. With the A–E treatment, cation exchange capacity (CEC) and BSAC were significantly increased, while WHC, OHC, and glucose adsorption capacity (GAC) were decreased. Especially, the highest WHC, OHC, BSAC and NIAC were gained by A–H treatment compared to the A–E treatment. These changes in the physicochemical and functional properties of bagasse fiber were in agreement with the microscopic surface wrinkles and pore structure, crystallinity and functional groups. In summary, the A–H modification can effectively improve the functional properties of bagasse fiber, which potentially can be applied further in the food industry.
Platinum drugs-related safety profile: The latest five-year analysis from FDA adverse event reporting system data
Authors: Feng Guowen , Zhou Xiaodan , Chen Jia , Li Dan , Chen Li
Published: January 2023

Background

With the widespread application of platinum drugs in antitumor therapy, the incidence of platinum drug adverse events (ADEs) is always severe. This study aimed to explore the adverse event signals of Cisplatin, Carboplatin and Oxaliplatin, three widely used platinum-containing drugs, and to provide a reference for rational individualized clinical drug use.

Methods

The adverse event report data of the three platinum drugs from the first quarter of 2017 to the fourth quarter of 2021 were extracted from the FAERS database, and the data mining and risk factors for the relevant reports were carried out using the reporting odds ratio (ROR) method the proportional reporting ratio (PRR)and the comprehensive criteria (MHRA) method.

Results

A total of 1853 effective adverse event signals were obtained for the three platinum agents, including 558 effective signals for Cisplatin, 896 effective signals for Carboplatin, and 399 effective signals for Oxaliplatin. The signals involve 23 effective different system organs (SOCs). The adverse events of Cisplatin are mainly fixed on blood and lymphatic system diseases, gastrointestinal diseases, systemic diseases and various reactions at the administration site. The adverse events of Carboplatin are mainly focused on blood and lymphatic system diseases, respiratory system, thoracic and mediastinal diseases, while the adverse events of Oxaliplatin are mainly concentrated in respiratory system, thoracic and mediastinal diseases, various nervous system diseases, and gastrointestinal system diseases.

Conclusion

It was found that the main systems involved in common adverse events of platinum drugs are different, and the correlation strength of platinum drugs with the certain adverse events of each system is different.
CDCA3 is a prognostic biomarker for cutaneous melanoma and is connected with immune infiltration
Authors: Li Tianhao , Wang Liquan , Yu Nanze , Zeng Ang , Huang Jiuzuo , Long Xiao
Published: January 2023

Introduction

Dysregulation of cell cycle progression (CCP) is a trait that distinguishes cancer from other diseases. In several cancer types, CCP-related genes serve as the primary risk factor for prognosis, but their role in cutaneous melanoma remains unclear.

Methods

Data from cutaneous melanoma patients were acquired from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) and Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO). Using a Wilcoxon test, the level of CCP-related gene expression in cutaneous melanoma patient tissues was compared to that in normal skin tissues. Logistic analysis was then utilized to calculate the connection between the CCP-related genes and clinicopathological variables. The important functions of the CCP-related genes were further investigated using Gene Ontology (GO), Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathway analysis, and single-sample Gene Set Enrichment Analysis (ssGSEA). Univariate and multivariate Cox analyses and Kaplan–Meier analysis were used to estimate the association between CCP-related genes and prognosis. In addition, using Cox multivariate analysis, a nomogram was constructed to forecast the influence of CCP-related genes on survival rates.

Results

High expression of CCP-related genes was associated with TNM stage, age, pathological grade, and Breslow depth (P < 0.05). Multivariate analysis demonstrated that CCP-related genes were an independent factor in overall survival and disease-specific survival. High levels of gene expression originating from CCP were shown by GSEA to trigger DNA replication, the G1-S specific transcription factor, the mitotic spindle checkpoint, and the cell cycle. There was a negative association between CCP-related genes and the abundance of innate immune cells. Finally, we revealed that knockdown of cell division cycle-associated gene 3 (CDCA3) significantly suppressed the proliferation and migration ability of cutaneous melanoma cells.

Conclusion

According to this study, CCP-related genes could serve as potential biomarkers to assess the prognosis of cutaneous melanoma patients and are crucial immune response regulators.
CT characteristics for predicting prognosis of gastric cancer with synchronous peritoneal metastasis
Authors: Li Jiazheng , Cong Lin , Sun Xuefeng , Li Xiaoting , Chen Yang , Cai Jieyuan , He Meng , Zhang Xiaotian , Tang Lei
Published: January 2023

Introduction

To explore the CT characteristics for the prediction of long term survival in gastric cancer patients with synchronous peritoneal metastasis (PM).

Materials and methods

Sixty-six patients diagnosed as gastric cancer with synchronous peritoneum metastasis were enrolled in this retrospective study. Ten anatomic peritoneal regions were evaluated to check for the signs of PM on CT. One positive area equaled one score. The CT characteristic-based PM score (CT-PMS) was the sum of the total points assigned to all 10 regions, with a range of 0–10. The triple tract dilatation (TTD) sign caused by peritoneal metastasis, the presence of extensive lymph node metastasis (ELM), and the grade of ascites were recorded. The overall survival (OS) was used as the prognostic indicator. The performance of the CT characteristics was assessed by the Kaplan–Meier analysis and Cox proportional hazards model, while its reproducibility was evaluated by Kappa statistic and weighted Kappa statistic.

Results

Patients with a CT-PMS of 3–10 had significantly poorer OS (P = .02). Patients with either the presence of TTD sign, or ELM had a trend toward unfavorable OS (both P = .07), and when CT-PMS of 3–10 was detected simultaneously, the survival was further reduced (P = .00 for TTD sign; P = .01 for ELM). The grade of ascites failed to show a significant correlation with OS. The interobserver reproducibility for assessing the CT-PMS, the presence of TTD sign, the presence of ELM, and the grade of ascites had a substantial to almost perfect agreement.

Conclusion

The prognosis of gastric cancer patients with PM has a correlation with the extent of metastasis dissemination on baseline CT. A CT-PMS of 3–10 is associated with a worse prognosis than that of 0–2. The presence of TTD sign and ELM may help further select patients with extraordinarily poor prognoses.
The role of PAX1 methylation in predicting the pathological upgrade of cervical intraepithelial neoplasia before cold knife conization
Authors: Li Mingzhu , Zhao Chao , Zhao Yun , Li Jingran , Wang Jingyuan , Luo Hongxue , Tang Zhijian , Guo Yan , Wei Lihui
Published: January 2023

Objective

To explore the ability of PAX1 methylation (PAX1m) to predict the pathological upgrade of cervical intraepithelial neoplasia (CIN) before cold knife conization (CKC).

Methods

A total of 218 women that underwent colposcopy-directed biopsy (CDB) pathology for the confirmation of CIN2 and CIN3 between December 2020 to September 2021 were enrolled in this study. The methylation levels of PAX1 (ΔCpPAX1) were determined by quantitative methylation-specific polymerase chain reaction (qMSP). Receiver operating characteristic curve was used to identify the optimal cut-off value of ΔCpPAX1 for predicting the pathological upgrade of disease.

Results

In the CDB-confirmed CIN2 group, 36% of CIN2 was found to have pathologically upgraded to CIN3 and 30% regressed to low-grade squamous intraepithelial lesion (LSIL) and below, and none of CIN2 upgraded to early-stage cervical cancer (ESCC) after CKC. In the CDB-confirmed CIN3 group, 19.5% (23/118) of CDB-confirmed CIN3 were pathologically upgraded to ESCC after CKC. Regardless of CIN2 or CIN3, the ΔCpPAX1 level of women with upgraded pathology after CKC was significantly lower than that of women with degraded pathology. The optimal △CpPAX1 cut-off value in predicting CIN3 to be upgraded to ESCC after CKC was 6.360 and the area under the curve (AUC) was 0.814, with similar sensitivity (78.3%) and higher specificity (84.2%) than cytology≥LSIL (Se:78.3%;Sp:58.9%) and HPV16/18 positive (Se:73.9%;Sp:46.3%) patients.

Conclusions

PAX1m could be a promising auxiliary marker in predicting the pathological upgrade of CIN before CKC. We found that if the △Cp PAX1 cut-off value is lower than 6.360, it is highly suggestive of invasive cervical cancer.
Case report: Condylar metastasis from hepatocellular carcinoma: An uncommon case report and literature review
Authors: Liu Xiaojie , Liu Yanshan , Sun Jian , Li Ningyi , Fan Cunhui , Chen Liqiang
Published: January 2023

Background

Patients with hepatocellular carcinoma are often affected by metastases, but condylar metastasis is particularly rare.

Case presentation

A 51-year-old man with a history of hepatocellular carcinoma requested treatment for facial pain. Computed tomography indicated that the condylar bone has been destroyed and fractured. Pathology confirmed condylar metastasis from hepatocellular carcinoma. Complete metastasectomy and condylar reconstruction were performed to preserve his facial appearance. No local recurrence or distant metastasis was found at 8 months of follow-up.

Conclusion

The condyle can be a metastatic site of hepatocellular carcinoma, regardless of its rarity. Long-term comprehensive surveillance and follow-up are needed for patients with hepatocellular carcinoma. The presence of solitary mass does exclude the possibility of metastatic cancer for these patients, and postoperative imaging and pathological diagnosis are important to determine its origin. If patients’ physical condition permits, the mass can be completely excised, and the physiological function can be restored and reconstructed.
RETRACTED: Barriers and facilitators of childhood obesity prevention policies: A systematic review and meta-synthesis
Authors: Taghizadeh Shahnaz , Hashemi Mohamad Ghazanfari , Zarnag Rahim Khodayari , Fayyazishishavan Ehsan , Gholami Marjan , Farhangi Mahdieh Abbasalizad , Gojani Leila Jahanbazi
Published: January 2023

Objectives

Childhood obesity is one of the worldwide considerable public health challenges and many factors can play a role in its management. Therefore, this article examined the facilitators and barriers of childhood obesity prevention (COP) policies.

Methods

This systematic review of qualitative studies was conducted via a search of the SCOPUS, PubMed, and Google Scholar databases between 1 January 2010 and 11 February 2022 and examined factors that influence the implementation of COP policies at a community approach.

Results

The parents' reluctance to engage in COP activities, lack of sufficient knowledge, and financial problems were the most reported barriers at the individual level. In addition, the beliefs about COP at the sociocultural level and limited funding and resources, time limitations in stakeholders at the implementation level, and lack of policy support at the structural level were the most frequently reported barriers. Further, effective communication between stakeholders and parents and school staff at the sociocultural level and flexibility of the intervention, delivery of healthy food programs in schools, low-cost and appropriate resources, and the availability of appropriate facilities are the most frequently reported facilitators in the structural level.

Conclusion

Individual, sociocultural, and structural level-related barriers and facilitators influence the implementation of COP policies. Most of the barriers and facilitators in this systematic review were related to the structural level.
A single high-dose irradiation changes accumulation of methotrexate and gene expression levels of SLC and ABC transporters in cancer cells
Authors: Sato Kakeru , Seki Tatsuya , Mizutani Asuka , Muranaka Yuka , Hirota Shiho , Nishi Kodai , Yamazaki Kana , Nishii Ryuichi , Nakanishi Takeo , Tamai Ikumi , Kawai Keiichi , Kobayashi Masato
Published: January 2023

Chemoradiotherapy is frequently used to treat cancer. Stereotactic body radiotherapy (SBRT) is a single high-dose radiotherapy used to treat a variety of cancers. The anticancer drug methotrexate (MTX) shows affinity for solute carrier (SLC) and ATP-binding cassette (ABC) transporters. This study investigated relationships between accumulation of methotrexate and gene expression levels of solute carrier and ATP-binding cassette transporters in cancer cells after a single and high-dose X-ray irradiation. Cancer cell lines were selected from lung and cervical cancer cell line that are commonly used for stereotactic body radiotherapy and effective with methotrexate. We examined expression levels of organic anion-transporting polypeptide (OATP)1B1, OATP1B3, OATP1B7, and organic anion transporter (OAT)1 as solute carrier transporters and multidrug resistance-associated protein (MRP)1 and MRP2 as ATP-binding cassette transporters, using real-time polymerase chain reaction and accumulation of 3H-MTX in cancer cells after 10-Gy irradiation, assuming stereotactic body radiotherapy. Cells were divided into three groups: Control without irradiation; 4 h after irradiation; and 24 h after irradiation. In control, gene expression levels of OAT1 in all cells was below the limit of measurement. After irradiation, gene expression levels of OATP1B1/1B3/1B7 showed changes in each cell line. Gene expression levels of MRP1/2 tended to increase after irradiation. Gene expression levels of OATP1B1/1B3/1B7 were much lower than those of MRP1/2. Accumulation of 3H-MTX tended to decrease over time after irradiation. Irradiation of cancer cells thus alters gene expression levels of both solute carrier transporters (OATP1B1/1B3/1B7) and ABC transporters (MRP1/2) and decreases accumulation of 3H-MTX in cancer cells over time due to elevated expression of MRP1/2.
Miracle fruit seed as a potential supplement for the treatment of learning and memory disorders in Alzheimer’s disease
Authors: Huang Xue-Yan , Xue Lu-Lu , Chen Ting-Bao , Huangfu Li-Ren , Wang Ting-Hua , Xiong Liu-Lin , Yu Chang-Yin
Published: January 2023

Currently, the treatment of Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is still at the stage of symptomatic treatment due to lack of effective drugs. The research on miracle fruit seeds (MFSs) has focused on lipid-lowering and antidiabetic effects, but no therapeutic effects have been reported in AD. The purpose of this study was to provide data resources and a potential drug for treatment of AD. An AD mouse model was established and treated with MFSs for 1 month. The Morris water maze test was used to assess learning memory function in mice. Nissl staining was used to demonstrate histopathological changes. MFSs were found to have therapeutic implications in the AD mouse model, as evidenced by improved learning memory function and an increase in surviving neurons. To explore the mechanism of MFSs in treating AD, network pharmacological approaches, Gene Ontology (GO), Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG), and molecular docking studies were carried out. Based on the network pharmacology strategy, 74 components from MFS corresponded to 293 targets related to the AD pathology. Among these targets, AKT1, MAPK3, ESR1, PPARG, PTGS2, EGFR, PPARA, CNR1, ABCB1, and MAPT were identified as the core targets. According to the relevant number of core targets, cis-8-octadecenoic acid, cis-10-octadecenoic acid, 2-dodecenal, and tetradecane are likely to be highly correlated with MFS for AD. Enrichment analysis indicated the common targets mainly enriched in AD and the neurodegeneration-multiple disease signaling pathway. The molecular docking predictions showed that MFSs were stably bound to core targets, specifically AKT1, EGFR, ESR1, PPARA, and PPARG. MFSs may play a therapeutic role in AD by affecting the insulin signaling pathway and the Wnt pathway. The findings of this study provide potential possibilities and drug candidates for the treatment of AD.
miRNAs and lncRNAs in tomato: Roles in biotic and abiotic stress responses
Authors: Li Qian , Shen Heng , Yuan Shoujuan , Dai Xigang , Yang Changxian
Published: January 2023

Plants are continuously exposed to various biotic and abiotic stresses in the natural environment. To cope with these stresses, they have evolved a multitude of defenses mechanisms. With the rapid development of genome sequencing technologies, a large number of non-coding RNA (ncRNAs) have been identified in tomato, like microRNAs (miRNAs) and long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs). Recently, more and more evidence indicates that many ncRNAs are involved in plant response to biotic and abiotic stresses in tomato. In this review, we summarize recent updates on the regulatory roles of ncRNAs in tomato abiotic/biotic responses, including abiotic (high temperature, drought, cold, salinization, etc.) and biotic (bacteria, fungi, viruses, insects, etc.) stresses. Understanding the molecular mechanisms mediated by ncRNAs in response to these stresses will help us to clarify the future directions for ncRNA research and resistance breeding in tomato.
Salicylic acid delays pear fruit senescence by playing an antagonistic role toward ethylene, auxin, and glucose in regulating the expression of PpEIN3a
Authors: Xu Yue , Huo Liyue , Zhao Keke , Li Yawei , Zhao Xinran , Wang Huiying , Wang Wenli , Shi Haiyan
Published: January 2023

Salicylic acid (SA) and ethylene (ET) are crucial fruit senescence hormones. SA inhibited ET biosynthesis. However, the mechanism of SA delaying fruit senescence is less known. ETHYLENE INSENSITIVE 3 (EIN3), a key positive switch in ET perception, functions as a transcriptional activator and binds to the primary ET response element that is present in the promoter of the ETHYLENE RESPONSE FACTOR1 gene. In this study, a gene encoding putative EIN3 protein was cloned from sand pear and designated as PpEIN3a. The deduced PpEIN3a contains a conserved EIN3 domain. The evolutionary analysis results indicated that PpEIN3a belonged to the EIN3 superfamily. Real-time quantitative PCR analysis revealed that the accumulation of PpEIN3a transcripts were detected in all tissues of this pear. Moreover, PpEIN3a expression was regulated during fruit development. Interestingly, the expression of PpEIN3a was downregulated by SA but upregulated by ET, auxin, and glucose. Additionally, the contents of free and conjugated SA were higher than those of the control after SA treatment. While the content of ET and auxin (indole-3-acetic acid, IAA) dramatically decreased after SA treatment compared with control during fruit senescence. The content of glucose increased when fruit were treated by SA for 12 h and then there were no differences between SA treatment and control fruit during the shelf life. SA also delayed the decrease in sand pear (Pyrus pyrifolia Nakai. ‘Whangkeumbae’) fruit firmness. The soluble solid content remained relatively stable between the SA treated and control fruits. This study showed that SA plays an antagonistic role toward ET, auxin, and glucose in regulating the expression of PpEIN3a to delay fruit senescence.
Physiological and molecular implications of multiple abiotic stresses on yield and quality of rice
Authors: Radha Beena , Sunitha Nagenahalli Chandrappa , Sah Rameswar P. , T. P. Md Azharudheen , Krishna G. K. , Umesh Deepika Kumar , Thomas Sini , Anilkumar Chandrappa , Upadhyay Sameer , Kumar Awadhesh , Ch L. N. Manikanta , S. Behera , Marndi Bishnu Charan , Siddique Kadambot H. M.
Published: January 2023

Abiotic stresses adversely affect rice yield and productivity, especially under the changing climatic scenario. Exposure to multiple abiotic stresses acting together aggravates these effects. The projected increase in global temperatures, rainfall variability, and salinity will increase the frequency and intensity of multiple abiotic stresses. These abiotic stresses affect paddy physiology and deteriorate grain quality, especially milling quality and cooking characteristics. Understanding the molecular and physiological mechanisms behind grain quality reduction under multiple abiotic stresses is needed to breed cultivars that can tolerate multiple abiotic stresses. This review summarizes the combined effect of various stresses on rice physiology, focusing on grain quality parameters and yield traits, and discusses strategies for improving grain quality parameters using high-throughput phenotyping with omics approaches.
Segmented relations between online reading behaviors, text properties, and reader–text interactions: An eye-movement experiment
Authors: Gong Tao , Shuai Lan
Published: January 2023

Purpose

To investigate relations between abilities of readers and properties of words during online sentence reading, we conducted a sentence reading eye-movements study on young adults of English monolinguals from the US, who exhibited a wide scope of individual differences in standard measures of language and literacy skills.

Method

We adopted mixed-effects regression models of gaze measures of early and late print processing stages from sentence onset to investigate possible associations between gaze measures, text properties, and skill measures. We also applied segmented linear regressions to detect the dynamics of identified associations.

Results

Our study reported significant associations between (a) gaze measures (first-pass reading time, total reading times, and first-pass regression probability) and (b) interactions of lexical properties (word length or position) and skill measures (vocabulary, oral reading fluency, decoding, and verbal working memory), and confirmed a segmented linear dynamics between gaze measures and lexical properties, which was influenced by skill measures.

Conclusion

This study extends the previous work on predictive effects of individual language and literacy skills on online reading behavior, enriches the existing methodology exploring the dynamics of associations between lexical properties and eye-movement measures, and stimulates future work investigating factors that shape such dynamics.
The relationship between anxiety and depression with smartphone addiction among college students: The mediating effect of executive dysfunction
Authors: Ge JiaMin , Liu Ya , Cao Wenjing , Zhou Shuyin
Published: January 2023

Smartphone addiction symptom is increasing globally. Many studies have found that negative emotion is associated with smartphone addiction, but few explore the mediating effect of executive dysfunction. In a large-scale, cross-sectional survey, 421 Chinese college students completed measures on anxiety, depression, smartphone addiction, and executive dysfunction. We surveyed the prevalence of depression, impaired executive function, and smartphone addiction. A confirmatory factor analysis was performed on the questionnaire structure, and the mediation models were used to examine the relationship between anxiety, depression, impaired executive function, and smartphone addiction. The main finding indicated that anxiety, depression, and executive dysfunction were positively and significantly associated with smartphone addiction. Executive dysfunction plays a mediation role between anxiety and depression with smartphone addiction. Specifically, executive dysfunction completely mediates the pathway of anxiety and smartphone addiction and partly mediates the path of depression and smartphone addiction. Depression directly predicted smartphone addiction positively but anxiety did not. The sample consisted of Chinese college students, which limits generalizability and self-reported lack of objectivity. The result suggests that we should pay more attention to the mediating role of executive dysfunction between negative emotion and smartphone addiction.
Mental health status among non-medical college students returning to school during the COVID-19 pandemic in Zhanjiang city: A cross-sectional study
Authors: Deng Xiaojun , Zhang Huiting
Published: January 2023

The coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has brought huge and continuous damage to mental health. The mental health of non-medical college students after returning to school remains largely unknown and the influencing factors were awaited to be deciphered. This cross-sectional study was launched among 1,083 non-medical students in Zhanjiang city by means of online survey (WeChat App) from August 1st, 2022 to August 7th, 2022. Knowledge about COVID-19 and attitude toward COVID-19 were assessed by using 7-items and 5-items questionnaires, respectively. Sleep quality, anxiety and depression symptoms were evaluated by Pittsburgh sleep quality index (PSQI), Hamilton depression rating scale-17 (HDRS-17) and self-rating anxiety scale (SAS), respectively. The results showed that more than half of the participants were knowledgeable about COVID-19. The majority of the participants held positive attitude toward COVID-19. The data demonstrated that 6.8% students had poor sleep quality, and 1.86, 0.37 and 0.37% students had mild, moderate and severe anxiety, respectively. About 26.7, 4.7 and 1.7% students had minimal, mild–moderate and severe depression. Female students showed higher proportions of anxiety (p = 0.02) and depression (p < 0.0001) than male students. Students with monthly household income below 3,000 RMB were more vulnerable to anxiety (p = 0.017) and depression (p = 0.004). Correlation analysis and Multivariate logistic regression analysis results showed that lower grade was positively related with anxiety and depression. Female students, income lower than 3,000 RMB/month, poor knowledge about COVID-19 and negative attitude toward COVID-19 were associated with insomnia, anxiety and depression. This study indicated that during the COVID-19 pandemic, a majority of non-medical students returning to school remained good sleep quality and a small number of students suffered from depression and anxiety. To our knowledge, this is a novel study revealing the mental health of non-medical college students concerning COVID-19 in Zhanjiang.
The effects of default nudges on promoting approval of welfare cuts: An exploration during COVID-19
Authors: Liu Xin , Zhao Ning , Zheng Rui
Published: January 2023

The global COVID-19 pandemic has created significant financial and operational challenges for some businesses. As a result, temporary welfare benefit reduction may be a tough but future-oriented choice for both employers and employees. The present study examined whether default nudges can be used to promote employees’ approval of welfare-cutting policy while avoiding negative attitudes. Two online surveys were conducted during the first pandemic wave in China (February 2020). In the first study (N = 310), the participants were presented with a hypothetical welfare-cutting policy that used either an opt-in approach or an opt-out approach. We aimed to investigate how their approval and attitudes were different between two conditions. The results showed that the employees in the opt-out condition were more likely to accept the welfare-cutting policy than those in the opt-in condition, while participants’ attitudes toward the policy employing opt-out approach were as negative as that employing opt-in approach. Study 2 (N = 1,519) involved a replication of Study 1 with two additional improved opt-out approaches (opt-out education and opt-out transparency). Compared with the opt-in approach and standard opt-out approach, the opt-out education approach both increased policy support and improved attitudes toward the welfare-cutting policy. The theoretical and practical implications of these findings are discussed.
Workplace discrimination and its relationship with organizational commitment among the surgical technologist: A national cross-sectional study in Iran
Authors: Teymoori Esmaeil , Shahkarami Negar , Ghanavati Maryam , Maleki Zahra , Fereidouni Armin
Published: January 2023

Background

Discrimination in healthcare centers can reduce care quality and job satisfaction, weaken the morale of the personnel and increase the cost of health care and finally lead to turnover intention. Discrimination in hospitals can affect the work outcomes and performance indicators of nurses such as their organizational commitment. Due to the vital role of surgical technologists in surgery and justice as the basis of effective performance, as well as the role of organizational commitment in care quality, the present study was conducted aimed to determine the level of workplace discrimination from viewpoint of the surgical technologists and its relationship with the organizational commitment.

Methods

This cross-sectional study was conducted on 615 surgical technologists in 8 metropolises of Iran in 2022. The sampling method in this study was multi-stage. The data collection tools included three questionnaires (demographic information, workplace discrimination, and Allen and Meyer’s organizational commitment). Data were collected within 2 months and analyzed by SPSS version 22. Descriptive and inferential analyzes including independent t-test and analysis of variance were used for data analysis. p-value ≥ 0.05 was considered significant.

Results

The average age of the participants in the study were 29.90 ± 5.83 years with the participation of 464 women. The results of the data analysis showed an inverse and significant correlation between workplace discrimination and organizational commitment (r = −0.149, p-value < 0.001). The mean and standard deviation for workplace discrimination was 108.20 ± 11.53, which is average. Also, the mean and standard deviation for total organizational commitment was 100.56 ± 19.14, which is higher than the average.

Conclusion

According to the results of this study, managers need to pay attention to reduce discrimination in the operating room and establish organizational justice, to improve the motivation of surgical technologists and the quality of their performance. It is also suggested that operating room managers and supervisors, by creating a safe, confidential, and fearless environment to encourage the personnel to express what they understand about discriminatory conditions.
Distinguishing different types of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder in children using artificial neural network with clinical intelligent test
Authors: Lin I-Cheng , Chang Shen-Chieh , Huang Yu-Jui , Kuo Terry B. J. , Chiu Hung-Wen
Published: January 2023

Background

Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is a well-studied topic in child and adolescent psychiatry. ADHD diagnosis relies on information from an assessment scale used by teachers and parents and psychological assessment by physicians; however, the assessment results can be inconsistent.

Purpose

To construct models that automatically distinguish between children with predominantly inattentive-type ADHD (ADHD-I), with combined-type ADHD (ADHD-C), and without ADHD.

Methods

Clinical records with age 6–17 years-old, for January 2011–September 2020 were collected from local general hospitals in northern Taiwan; the data were based on the SNAP-IV scale, the second and third editions of Conners’ Continuous Performance Test (CPT), and various intelligence tests. This study used an artificial neural network to construct the models. In addition, k-fold cross-validation was applied to ensure the consistency of the machine learning results.

Results

We collected 328 records using CPT-3 and 239 records using CPT-2. With regard to distinguishing between ADHD-I and ADHD-C, a combination of demographic information, SNAP-IV scale results, and CPT-2 results yielded overall accuracies of 88.75 and 85.56% in the training and testing sets, respectively. The replacement of CPT-2 with CPT-3 results in this model yielded an overall accuracy of 90.46% in the training set and 89.44% in the testing set. With regard to distinguishing between ADHD-I, ADHD-C, and the absence of ADHD, a combination of demographic information, SNAP-IV scale results, and CPT-2 results yielded overall accuracies of 86.74 and 77.43% in the training and testing sets, respectively.

Conclusion

This proposed model distinguished between the ADHD-I and ADHD-C groups with 85–90% accuracy, and it distinguished between the ADHD-I, ADHD-C, and control groups with 77–86% accuracy. The machine learning model helps clinicians identify patients with ADHD in a timely manner.
Symbolic meanings of ordinary city streets and their trees
Authors: Ferguson Bruce K.
Published: January 2023

Symbolic meaning is one of a number of modes of humans’ relationships with physical settings. Although symbolic meaning is qualitative and ambiguous, it is an encompassing mode of interaction: symbolic meanings assemble feelings, urges, and abstract concepts; they shape people’s understanding of the world and motivate their purposes, attitudes, and actions. Early literature in environmental psychology acknowledged symbolic meaning’s promise, but in recent decades it has been inadequately studied; theoretical and methodological research has been needed. This paper advances the understanding and use of symbolic meaning by, first, presenting a theory which posits that in ordinary environmental settings symbolic meanings emerge from interaction between the perceptible qualities of environmental features and people’s psychological predisposition to respond to them. The paper then demonstrates methods which use the theory to objectively guide the identification of symbolic meanings in the case of ordinary urban streets and their trees. Although symbolic interpretation is intuitive and subjective, in this study it is guided by objective empirical knowledge and theoretical frameworks from human sciences. A combination of methods is applied, making conclusions answerable to diverse types of underlying data. One method was in firsthand observation of present-day streets; interpretations were accepted which linked objects’ perceptible qualities with people’s known dispositions to respond to them. A second method was interpretation in conventional street features’ documented historical evolution. Interpretations were accepted which linked objects’ perceptible qualities with people’s known disposition to respond, and with symbols’ known cultural tendency over time to specialize, differentiate, and evolve into coherent systems consistent with social norms. The results confirm that ordinary streets and their trees form a coherent system of symbols. Their meanings are social and sociomoral; they are guides to and affirmations of humane social life; they deserve to be prioritized in design agendas alongside tangible performance measures. It is concluded that symbolic meanings are present in ordinary urban settings, that their presence can be explained theoretically, and that their interpretation can be objectively guided.
Case report: Bipolar disorder in 48,XXYY syndrome
Authors: Razali Nur Atikah , Mohd Daud Tuti Iryani , Woon Luke Sy-Cherng , Mohamed Saini Suriati , Muhammad Noor Azimah , Sharip Shalisah
Published: January 2023

48,XXYY syndrome is a rare condition. The presentations of impulsive and aggressive behavior have been reported in several case reports among patients with 48,XXYY syndrome. The management of the psychological impact and neuropsychiatric sequela of this condition is a significant issue faced by families, carers, and healthcare professionals. We report a patient, 21-year-old Malay male, with underlying 48,XXYY syndrome with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and intellectual disability, diagnosed later in adulthood with a bipolar mood disorder and benefited after being started on lithium. We describe the key clinical features and diagnostic workouts that allowed the arrival of the correct psychiatric diagnosis. Challenges in psychopharmacotherapy, including the risks of metabolic syndrome and deep vein thrombosis associated with 48,XXYY syndrome, are also considered. We suggest that for patients with 48,XXYY syndrome, routine psychological screening for mood symptoms such as mania and depression should be done by healthcare professionals with early involvement of psychiatrist in the multidisciplinary team due to the challenges in the management of these patients.
Social media use as a coping mechanism during the COVID-19 pandemic: A multidimensional perspective on adolescents' well-being
Authors: Maftei Alexandra , Merlici Ioan-Alex , Dănilă Oana
Published: January 2023

Introduction

Social media use was previously characterized as both a maladaptive coping mechanism, and a source of engagement with peers, suggesting an ambivalent effect. The present study explored how adolescents might use social media as a coping mechanism during the COVID-19 pandemic, using a multidimensional perspective on well-being.

Methods

Our sample consisted of 259 Romanian teenagers aged 11–16 (M = 13.38, SD = 0.93, 57% males). We investigated the potential indirect effect of social media use, i.e., its cognitive, affective, and behavioral dimensions on the relationship between depressive symptoms and adolescents' well-being.

Results

Across all mediation analyses, our results suggested that social media use positively predicted adolescents' well-being. Given the multidimensional approach to both social media use and well-being, our findings suggested that adolescents' well-being was predicted not only by actual social media use behaviors but also by cognitions related to the expectation of receiving gratification on social media and the intense affective states related to the desire to use social media. Also, our data suggested that adolescents with high levels of depressive symptoms might be more likely to capitalize on social media use and have expectations related to receiving approval from others in the context of social media use.

Discussion

Depressive symptoms might be more relevant when explaining the cognitive and affective involvement during social media use. However, their ability to predict the actual social media use behaviors may be limited. Furthermore, adolescents that present depressive symptoms might be more prone to use social media, in order to improve their well-being.