bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Treatment, Survival, and Prognosis of Advanced-Stage Natural Killer/T-Cell Lymphoma: An Analysis From the China Lymphoma Collaborative Group
Authors: Liu Weiping , Yang Yong , Qi Shunan , Wang Ying , He Xia , Zhang Liling , Qu Baolin , Qian Liting , Hou Xiaorong , Qiao Xueying , Wang Hua , Li Gaofeng , Zhang Yujing , Zhu Yuan , Cao Jianzhong , Wu Junxin , Wu Tao , Zhu Suyu , Shi Mei , Xu Liming , Su Hang , Lin Ningjing , Zhu Jun , Li Yexiong , Song Yuqin
Published: February 2021

Patients with advanced-stage natural killer/T-cell lymphoma (NKTCL) usually have a poor prognosis. However, there is limited data of comprehensive analysis on this particular patient population due to the rarity of the disease. The present study aimed to investigate the treatment models, survival outcomes, and prognosis of advanced-stage NKTCL. Data from 336 patients with advanced-stage NKTCL diagnosed between 2006 and 2015 in the China Lymphoma Collaborative Group database were retrospectively analyzed. The median age was 42 years and the male/female ratio was 2.4:1. About 97% of patients had stage IV disease and 77% had >1 extranodal involvement site. All patients received chemotherapy, with the most common option being asparaginase (Asp)-containing regimens (n=146; 43.5%). Among 286 patients with available response data, the overall response rate (ORR) was 57.3% with a complete remission (CR) rate of 35.7%. Asp-containing regimens led to better ORRs (86/132, 65.2% vs. 54/113, 47.8%, P = 0.006) and CR rates (60/132, 45.5% vs. 27/113, 23.9%, P < 0.001) than non-Asp-containing regimens. The expected 5-year progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS) rates were 22.6 and 32.0%, respectively, for the whole cohort. Compared to non-Asp-containing chemotherapy, Asp-containing chemotherapy improved 5-year PFS (34.2 vs. 17.1%, P < 0.001) and OS (45.3 vs. 27.8%, P < 0.001). A trend toward improvement in OS was observed when gemcitabine was added to Asp-containing chemotherapies. Moreover, those undergoing autologous hematopoietic stem cell transplantation had prolonged survival time. In conclusion, Asp-containing chemotherapy could improve the prognosis of advanced-stage NKTCL, and refinement of treatment models is warranted in the future.
Multiple U-Net-Based Automatic Segmentations and Radiomics Feature Stability on Ultrasound Images for Patients With Ovarian Cancer
Authors: Jin Juebin , Zhu Haiyan , Zhang Jindi , Ai Yao , Zhang Ji , Teng Yinyan , Xie Congying , Jin Xiance
Published: February 2021

Few studies have reported the reproducibility and stability of ultrasound (US) images based radiomics features obtained from automatic segmentation in oncology. The purpose of this study is to study the accuracy of automatic segmentation algorithms based on multiple U-net models and their effects on radiomics features from US images for patients with ovarian cancer. A total of 469 US images from 127 patients were collected and randomly divided into three groups: training sets (353 images), validation sets (23 images), and test sets (93 images) for automatic segmentation models building. Manual segmentation of target volumes was delineated as ground truth. Automatic segmentations were conducted with U-net, U-net++, U-net with Resnet as the backbone (U-net with Resnet), and CE-Net. A python 3.7.0 and package Pyradiomics 2.2.0 were used to extract radiomic features from the segmented target volumes. The accuracy of automatic segmentations was evaluated by Jaccard similarity coefficient (JSC), dice similarity coefficient (DSC), and average surface distance (ASD). The reliability of radiomics features were evaluated by Pearson correlation and intraclass correlation coefficients (ICC). CE-Net and U-net with Resnet outperformed U-net and U-net++ in accuracy performance by achieving a DSC, JSC, and ASD of 0.87, 0.79, 8.54, and 0.86, 0.78, 10.00, respectively. A total of 97 features were extracted from the delineated target volumes. The average Pearson correlation was 0.86 (95% CI, 0.83–0.89), 0.87 (95% CI, 0.84–0.90), 0.88 (95% CI, 0.86–0.91), and 0.90 (95% CI, 0.88–0.92) for U-net++, U-net, U-net with Resnet, and CE-Net, respectively. The average ICC was 0.84 (95% CI, 0.81–0.87), 0.85 (95% CI, 0.82–0.88), 0.88 (95% CI, 0.85–0.90), and 0.89 (95% CI, 0.86–0.91) for U-net++, U-net, U-net with Resnet, and CE-Net, respectively. CE-Net based segmentation achieved the best radiomics reliability. In conclusion, U-net based automatic segmentation was accurate enough to delineate the target volumes on US images for patients with ovarian cancer. Radiomics features extracted from automatic segmented targets showed good reproducibility and for reliability further radiomics investigations.
Autophagy-Mediated Exosomes as Immunomodulators of Natural Killer Cells in Pancreatic Cancer Microenvironment
Authors: Papademetrio Daniela L. , Garcia María Noé , Grasso Daniel , Alvarez Élida
Published: February 2021

Pancreas ductal adenocarcinoma is a highly aggressive cancer with an incredible poor lifespan. Different chemotherapeutic agents’ schemes have been tested along the years without significant success. Furthermore, immunotherapy also fails to cope with the disease, even in combination with other standard approaches. Autophagy stands out as a chemoresistance mechanism and is also becoming relevant as responsible for the inefficacy of immunotherapy. In this complex scenario, exosomes have emerged as a new key player in tumor environment. Exosomes act as messengers among tumor cells, including tumor microenvironment immune cells. For instance, tumor-derived exosomes are capable of generating a tolerogenic microenvironment, which in turns conditions the immune system behavior. But also, immune cells-derived exosomes, under non-tolerogenic conditions, induce tumor suppression, although they are able to promote chemoresistance. In that way, NK cells are well known key regulators of carcinogenesis and the inhibition of their function is detrimental for tumor suppression. Additionally, increasing evidence suggests a crosstalk between exosome biogenesis and the autophagy pathway. This mini review has the intention to summarize the available data in the complex relationships between the autophagy pathway and the broad spectrum of exosomes subpopulations in pancreatic cancer, with focus on the NK cells response.
Adjuvant Therapy of High-Risk (Stages IIC–IV) Malignant Melanoma in the Post Interferon-Alpha Era: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis
Authors: Christofyllakis Konstantinos , Pföhler Claudia , Bewarder Moritz , Müller Cornelia S. L. , Thurner Lorenz , Rixecker Torben , Vogt Thomas , Stilgenbauer Stephan , Yordanova Krista , Kaddu-Mulindwa Dominic
Published: February 2021

Introduction

Multiple agents are approved in the adjuvant setting of completely resected high-risk (stages IIC–IV) malignant melanoma. Subgroups may benefit differently depending on the agent used. We performed a systematic review and meta-analysis to evaluate the efficiency and tolerability of available options in the post interferon era across following subgroups: patient age, stage, ulceration status, lymph node involvement, BRAF status.

Methods

The PubMed and Cochrane Library databases were searched without restriction in year of publication in June and September 2020. Data were extracted according to the PRISMA Guidelines from two authors independently and were pooled according to the random-effects model. The predefined primary outcome was recurrence-free survival (RFS). Post-data extraction it was noted that one trial (BRIM8) reported disease-free survival which was defined in the exact same way as RFS.

Results

Five prospective randomized placebo-controlled trials were included in the meta-analysis. The drug regimens included ipilimumab, pembrolizumab, nivolumab, nivolumab/ipilimumab, vemurafenib, and dabrafenib/trametinib. Adjuvant treatment was associated with a higher RFS than placebo (HR 0.57; 95% CI= 0.45–0.71). Nivolumab/ipilimumab in stage IV malignant melanoma was associated with the highest RFS benefit (HR 0.23; 97.5% CI= 0.12–0.45), followed by dabrafenib/trametinib in stage III BRAF-mutant melanoma (HR 0.49; 95% CI= 0.40–0.59). The presence of a BRAF mutation was associated with higher RFS rates (HR 0.30; 95% CI= 0.11–0.78) compared to the wildtype group (HR 0.60; 95% CI= 0.44–0.81). Patient age did not influence outcomes (≥65: HR 0.50; 95% CI= 0.36–0.70, <65: HR 0.58; 95% CI= 0.46–0.75). Immune checkpoint inhibitor monotherapy was associated with lower RFS in non-ulcerated melanoma. Patients with stage IIIA benefited equally from adjuvant treatment as those with stage IIIB/C. Nivolumab/ipilimumab and ipilimumab monotherapy were associated with higher toxicity.

Conclusion

Adjuvant therapy should not be withheld on account of advanced age or stage IIIA alone. The presence of a BRAF mutation is prognostically favorable in terms of RFS. BRAF/MEK inhibitors should be preferred in the adjuvant treatment of BRAF-mutant non-ulcerated melanoma.
Clinicopathological Prognostic Factors and Chemotherapeutic Outcome for Two Histopathological Types of Ampulla of Vater Adenocarcinoma
Authors: Xia Tao , Wu Xiaosan , Mou Yiping , Xu Yunyun , Zhou Yucheng , Lu Chao , Zhu Qicong , Jin Weiwei , Chen Yuan
Published: February 2021

Background

Adenocarcinoma of the ampulla of Vater (AAV) is standardly treated using a complex operation, a pancreatoduodenectomy (PD), to remove the tumor. However, dicision-making in AAV clinical treatment remains difficult due to the broad range of AAV types, outcomes, and responses to special chemotherapeutics. Thus, this study aimed to explore clinicopathological prognostic factors associated with overall survival, as well as post-chemotherapeutic effects related to curative resection of AAV.

Methods

We retrospectively reviewed data for clinicopathological outcome of 47 patients diagnosed with AAV that had underwent a PD. Overall survival probabilities were obtained using the Kaplan–Meier estimate method and a Cox proportional hazards model.

Results

Forty-five patients underwent LPD (laparoscopic pancreatoduodenectomy) and two patients underwent PD. The patient group was composed of 31 males (66%) and 16 females (34%) with a mean age of 65(34–91)years. We selected 45 patients for long-term survival analysis. One- and three-year overall survival rates after resection were 97.6% and 58.9% respectively. The median survival was 37.7 months for the intestinal-type and 26.9 months in pancreatobiliary-type ampullary tumors. Serum carbohydrate antigen (CA) 19-9 greater than 37 U/ml (HR 0.140, P = 0.007), perineural invasion (HR 0.141, P = 0.003), and classification as pancreatobiliary-type (HR 6.633, P = 0.006) were independently associated with poor survival. Serum carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) greater than 5 µg/ml (P = 0.031), serum CA 19-9 greater than 37 U/ml (P = 0.002), tumor sizes greater than 2.5cm (P=0.002), and positive perineural invasion (P=0.003) were all associated with a poor prognosis in the histopathological subgroup. Serum CA 19-9 greater than 37 U/ml (P=0.002) and positive perineural invasion (P=0.001) were significantly associated with poor survival in of patients with intestinal-type ampullary tumors. Serum CEA greater than 5 µg/ml (P=0.013) and tumor sizes greater than 2.5cm (P=0.002) were significantly associated with poor survival in patients with pancreatobiliary-type ampullary tumors.

Conclusions

Pancreatobiliary-type ampullary tumors were associated with poor survival. Serum CA 19-9 in the intestinal-type and CEA in the pancreatobiliary-type were significantly associated with poor survival. Ajuvant chemotherapy could not predict the survival of AAV patients.
CD96 Correlates With Immune Infiltration and Impacts Patient Prognosis: A Pan-Cancer Analysis
Authors: Ye Wenrui , Luo Cong , Liu Fangkun , Liu Zhixiong , Chen Fenghua
Published: February 2021

Background

Immunotherapy has significantly improved patient outcomes, but encountered obstacles recently. CD96, a novel immune checkpoint expressed on T cells and natural killer (NK) cells, is essential for regulating immune functions. However, how CD96 correlating with immune infiltration and patient prognosis in pan-cancer remains unclear.

Methods

HPA, TCGA, GEO, GTEx, Oncomine, TIMER2.0, PrognoScan, Linkedomics, Metascape, and GEPIA2 databases were used to analyze CD96 in cancers. Visualization of data was mostly achieved by R language, version 4.0.2.

Results

In general, CD96 was differentially expressed between most cancer and adjacent normal tissues. CD96 significantly impacted the prognosis of diverse cancers. Especially, high CD96 expression was associated with poorer overall survival (OS) and disease-specific survival (DSS) in the TCGA lower grade glioma (LGG) cohort (OS, HR = 2.18, 95% CI = 1.79–2.66, P < 0.001). The opposite association was significantly observed in skin cutaneous melanoma (SKCM) cohort (OS, HR = 0.96, 95% CI = 0.94–0.98, P < 0.001). Notably, SKCM samples demonstrated the highest CD96 mutation frequency among all cancer types. Furthermore, in most cancers, CD96 expression level was significantly correlated with expression levels of recognized immune checkpoints and abundance of multiple immune infiltrates including CD8+ T cells, dendric cells (DCs), macrophages, monocytes, NK cells, neutrophils, regulatory T cells (Tregs), and follicular helper T cells (Tfh). CD96 was identified as a risk factor, protective factor, and irrelevant variable in LGG, SKCM and adrenocortical carcinoma (ACC), respectively. CD96 related genes were involved in negative regulation of leukocyte in LGG, however, involved in multiple positive immune processes in SKCM. Furthermore, CD96 was significantly associated with particular immune marker subsets. Importantly, it strongly correlated with markers of type 1 helper T cell (Th1) in SKCM, but not in LGG or ACC either.

Conclusions

CD96 participates in diverse immune responses, governs immune cell infiltration, and impacts malignant properties of various cancer types, thus standing as a potential biomarker for determining patient prognosis and immune infiltration in multiple cancers, especially in glioma and melanoma.
Case Report: Clinical Analysis of Seven Neonates With Prader-Willi Syndrome and Review of the Literature
Authors: Hu Yu , Xue XinDong , Fu JianHua
Published: February 2021

Objective: The clinical symptoms of neonatal Prader-Willi syndrome (PWS) are not typical and are easy to miss. The aim of the study was to investigate the clinical features and genetic characteristics of seven cases of neonatal PWS from northern China, and to improve the understanding of PWS in neonates.

Methods: We retrospectively analyzed seven infants diagnosed by methylation specific multiplex ligation probe amplification technology (MS-MLPA) in the Neonatology Unit of Shengjing Hospital of China Medical University from September 2016 to July 2020.

Results: All seven cases involved full term or nearly full-term infants born to mothers without a history of abnormal pregnancy or delivery. Difficulty in feeding occurred immediately after birth in infants with decreased hypotonia. Five patients had characteristic craniofacial morphology, such as a prominent forehead, narrow face, almond-shaped eyes, small mouth, and downturned mouth. Further, three of the seven infants had patent ductus arteriosus (PDA). In addition, three neonates had hyperammonemia, hypoglycemia, and idiopathic edema, respectively. PWS could be effectively diagnosed and genotyped by MS-MLPA.

Conclusion: Neonates with PWS have hypotonia and feeding difficulty. Characteristic facial features and genital hypoplasia are common in neonatal PWS. Infants with PWS may be predisposed to PDA, hypoglycemia, hyperammonemia, and edema.
Liver Transplantation for Glycogen Storage Disease Type IV
Authors: Liu Min , Sun Li-Ying
Published: February 2021

Glycogen storage disease type IV (GSD IV) is a rare autosomal recessive disorder caused by glycogen–branching enzyme (GBE) deficiency, leading to accumulation of amylopectin–like glycogen that may damage affected tissues. The clinical manifestations of GSD IV are heterogeneous; one of which is the classic manifestation of progressive hepatic fibrosis. There is no specific treatment available for GSD IV. Currently, liver transplantation is an option. It is crucial to evaluate long–term outcomes of liver transplantation. We reviewed the published literature for GSD IV patients undergoing liver transplantation. To date, some successful liver transplantations have increased the quantity and quality of life in patients. Although the extrahepatic manifestations of GSD IV may still progress after transplantation, especially cardiomyopathy. Patients with cardiac involvement are candidates for cardiac transplantation. Liver transplantation remains the only effective therapeutic option for treatment of GSD IV. However, liver transplantation may not alter the extrahepatic progression of GSD IV. Patients should be carefully assessed before liver transplantation.
Laparoscopic Ureteroureterostomy vs. Common Sheath Ureteral Reimplantation in Children With Duplex Kidney Anomalies
Authors: Gerwinn Tim , Gnannt Ralph , Weber Daniel M. , Gobet Rita , Mazzone Luca
Published: February 2021

Purpose: Laparoscopic ureteroureterostomy (LUU) has been proposed as an alternative to common sheath ureteral reimplantation (CSUR) in children with symptomatic duplex kidneys. However, data is limited for LUU in the pediatric population. The aim of this study was to analyze our experience with LUU and to compare the results with those after CSUR to assess whether a less invasive surgical approach could be a valid alternative.

Patients and methods: The data of all children with duplex kidneys who underwent either LUU or CSUR at our center from 2006 to 2018 were reviewed retrospectively. After parental counseling, the option of LUU was provided as an alternative to CSUR for unilateral procedures and in the absence of vesicoureteral reflux to the receiving ureter. Baseline characteristics, indication for surgery, hospitalization and operative times, and intraoperative, post-operative, and late complications were analyzed. Preoperative and 1-year post-operative sonographies were reviewed by a pediatric radiologist. Increasing renal pelvic diameter (Δ >5 mm) was regarded as a sign of ureteral obstruction.

Results: Forty children were included in this study, with 16 children receiving LUU and 24 children receiving CSUR. The children had a mean age of 2.7 years (7 months−9.8 years) and were followed up in our outpatient clinic for an average of 3.9 years (3 months−10.6 years) after surgery. The median hospital stay was 2 days shorter after LUU. Initially, a considerably longer time was needed for LUU, but after more experience was gained, similar operative times were observed for both procedures. Complications were encountered in both groups. After LUU, two patients developed anastomotic leakage: one was managed conservatively, and one required temporary nephrostomy. In the CSUR group, one patient developed vesicoureteral obstruction during follow-up and required reoperation with LUU. The occurrence of post-operative urinary tract infections was similar in both groups. No complications related to the ureteral stump after LUU arose.

Conclusion: LUU is a safe and efficacious treatment option for children with duplex kidney anomalies and can be used as an alternative to CSUR. All children receiving LUU showed a non-obstructive, patent anastomosis and no signs for stenotic compromise of the receiving ureter.
Drug-Drug Interactions at Organic Cation Transporter 1
Authors: Zhou Shiwei , Zeng Sujuan , Shu Yan
Published: February 2021

The interaction between drugs and various transporters is one of the decisive factors that affect the pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics of drugs. The organic cation transporter 1 (OCT1) is a member of the Solute Carrier 22A (SLC22A) family that plays a vital role in the membrane transport of organic cations including endogenous substances and xenobiotics. This article mainly discusses the drug-drug interactions (DDIs) mediated by OCT1 and their clinical significance.
RETRACTED: Genetic Algorithm to Optimize the Design of High Temperature Protective Clothing Based on BP Neural Network
Authors: Xu Feng , Mo Ling-Yu , Chen Hong , Zhu Jia-Ming
Published: February 2021

For the clothing design for high-temperature operation, the theory or method such as partial differential, nonlinear programming and finite difference method was first applied to construct the overall heat transfer model of “high temperature environment--clothing--air layer--skin” and draw the temperature distribution map. Secondly, according to the human body burn model, the optimal parameters of fabric thickness are obtained preliminarily. Finally, the weights and thresholds of BP neural network were optimized by genetic algorithm, and these optimized values were assigned to the optimized BP neural network, and the nonlinear thickness function was approximated and optimized with MATLAB.
Infrared and Terahertz Compatible Absorber Based on Multilayer Film
Authors: Yang Mingyang , Zhou Ming , Yu Jianwen , Zhang Yibo , Xu Benyan , Cheng Wenjun , Li Xuyin
Published: February 2021

In this paper, a similar Fabry-Perot cavity structure utilizing a multilayer film structure consisting of an ultrathin metal film is demonstrated for absorbing the infrared ray. This structure has low emissivity in the atmospheric window (3–5 and 8–14 μm) and high emissivity in the nonatmospheric window (5–8 μm). These properties improved the stealth performance which causes the high emissivity in 5–8 μm to radiate more energy to reduce its temperature. Based on this, the periodic microstructures were added to the surface of the materials that enhanced the absorption of terahertz wave (0.1–2.7 THz). The absorber based on multilayer film has a simple structure and low manufacturing cost. This work may provide a new strategy for infrared and terahertz compatible stealth technology.
The Relationship Between Selected Load-Velocity Profile Parameters and 50 m Front Crawl Swimming Performance
Authors: Gonjo Tomohiro , Njøs Nikolai , Eriksrud Ola , Olstad Bjørn H.
Published: February 2021

The purpose of the present study was to establish relationships between sprint front crawl performance and a swimming load-velocity profile. Fourteen male national-level swimmers performed 50 m front crawl and semi-tethered swimming with three progressive loads. The 50 m performance was recorded with a multi-camera system, with which two-dimensional head displacement and the beginning of each arm-stroke motion were quantified. Forward velocity (V50m), stroke length (SL) and frequency (SF) were quantified for each cycle, and the mean value of all cycles, excluding the first and last cycles, was used for the analysis. From the semi-tethered swimming test, the mean velocity during three stroke cycles in mid-pool was calculated and plotted as a function of the external load, and a linear regression line expressing the relationship between the load and velocity was established for each swimmer. The intercepts between the established line and the axes of the plot were defined as theoretical maximum velocity (V0) and load (L0). Large to very large correlations were observed between V50m and all variables derived from the load-velocity profiling; L0 (R = 0.632, p = 0.015), L0 normalized by body mass (R = 0.743, p = 0.002), V0 (R = 0.698, p = 0.006), and the slope (R = 0.541, p < 0.046). No significant relationships of SL and SL with V50m and the load-velocity variables were observed, suggesting that each swimmer has his own strategy to achieve the highest swimming velocity. The findings suggest that load-velocity profiling can be used to assess swimming-specific strength and velocity capabilities related to sprint front crawl performance.
Intermittent Hypoxia Exposure Can Prevent Reductions in Hemoglobin Concentration After Intense Exercise Training in Rats
Authors: Weng Xiquan , Chen Hao , Yu Qun , Xu Guoqing , Meng Yan , Yan Xu , McConell Glenn , Lin Wentao
Published: February 2021

Intense exercise training can induce low concentrations of hemoglobin, which may be followed by maladaptation. Therefore, it is important for athletes to prevent low concentrations of hemoglobin during intense exercise training. In this study, we explored whether different protocols of intermittent hypoxic exposure (IHE, normobaric hypoxia, 14.5% O2) could prevent the exercise training-induced reduction in hemoglobin concentration in rats. Six-week-old male Sprague-Dawley rats were subjected to progressive intense treadmill exercise training over three weeks followed by three weeks of training with IHE after exercise. IHE lasted either 1 h, 2 h, or 1 h + 1 h (separated by a 3-h interval) after the exercise sessions. Hematological parameters, including hemoglobin concentration [(Hb)], red blood cells (RBCs), and hematocrit (Hct), and both renal and serum erythropoietin (EPO) were examined. We found that intense exercise training significantly reduced [Hb], RBCs, Hct, food intake and body weight (P < 0.01). Analysis of reticulocyte hemoglobin content (CHr) and reticulocyte counts in the serum of the rats suggested that this reduction was not due to iron deficiency or other cofounding factors. The addition of IHE after the intense exercise training sessions significantly alleviated the reduction in [Hb], RBCs, and Hct (P < 0.05) without an obvious impact on either food intake or body weight (P > 0.05). Increase in reticulocyte count in the rats from the IHE groups (P < 0.05 or P < 0.01) suggests that IHE promotes erythropoiesis to increase the hemoglobin concentration. Furthermore, the addition of IHE after the intense exercise training sessions also significantly increased the concentration of renal EPO (P < 0.05), although the increase of the serum EPO level was statistically insignificant (P > 0.05). The different IHE protocols were similarly effective at increasing renal EPO and preventing the training-induced decreases in [Hb], RBCs, and Hct. Collectively, this study suggests that IHE may be used as a new strategy to prevent intense exercise training-induced reductions in [Hb], and deserves future exploration in athletes.
Weekly Physiological Changes in Blood Pressure During Three Weeks Daily Consumption of 10 Grams of Cocoa Powder Among Young Black Africans in Côte d’Ivoire
Authors: Siransy-Balayssac Edwige , Ouattara Soualiho , Ahiboh Hugues , Youzan Toh Bi , Gouh Fagnan Levy , Yao Koffi Bertrand , Ehouman Mocket , Dah Cyrille Serges , Bogui Pascal
Published: February 2021

Background

In Caucasians, regular consumption of cocoa induces a drop in arterial blood pressure via an increase in nitric oxide (NO) production. However, black individuals have a different NO biodisponibility compared to Caucasians. The aim of this study was to determine, in black Africans, the physiological variations in arterial blood pressure among cocoa consumers.

Method

In total, 49 male black African volunteers, aged between 18 and 30 years old, were randomized into two groups; those consuming 10 g of cocoa powder per day (1,680 mg of flavonoids per day) for 3 weeks (consumer group), and those not consuming cocoa (control group). Systolic (SBP) and diastolic blood pressures (DBP), and heart rate (HR) were measured in the morning on an empty stomach (fasting), on day (D) 1 (without cocoa), D8, D15, and D22. Data were collected by groups and by subgroups established according to the level of SBP, DBP, or HR on D1. The means and variations of the means (between D1 and the subsequent days) of the recorded parameters were calculated and compared between groups and between subgroups.

Results

On D8, the variations in SBP in the consumer group were significantly different from the control group (−3.72 ± 6.01 versus 0.57 ± 6.66 mmHg; p = 0.02). Between the control and consumer subgroups according to SBP, no statistical difference in the means or variations in SBP was noted. On D8 and D22, the variations in the SBP of consumers with SBP ≥ 110 mmHg on D1 were significantly different from those of other consumers (D8: −6.55 ± 5.96 versus −1.1 ± 4.93 mmHg; p = 0.01; D22: −6.63 ± 7.77 versus 0.35 ± 5.58 mmHg; p = 0.01). In the subgroups with a DBP < 75 mmHg on D1, the mean DBP of the consumers was significantly lower than that of the controls on D8 (65 ± 5 versus 69 ± 6 mmHg; p = 0.03).

Conclusion

In young black African men living in Côte d’Ivoire, regular consumption of cocoa resulted in a decrease in SBP and DBP. The decrease in SBP appeared to be greater the higher the baseline SBP was.
Comparative Analyses of Phytochemical Variation Within and Between Congeneric Species of Willow Herb, Epilobium hirsutum and E. parviflorum: Contribution of Environmental Factors
Authors: Mohammadi Bazargani Mitra , Falahati-Anbaran Mohsen , Rohloff Jens
Published: February 2021

The plants in theEpilobiumgenus are considered to have several important medicinal properties due to their unique chemical composition. Although metabolic profiles of medicinal plants are mainly controlled by genetic factors, their production is also to some degree influenced by environmental factors, thus, variations in the levels of phytochemicals may represent long-term ecological and evolutionary interactions. In order to depict the magnitude of natural variation in level of chemical compounds among conspecific populations ofEpilobium hirsutum(n= 31) andE. parviflorum(n= 16), metabolite profiling of aerial parts of plants was performed with gas chromatography/mass spectrometry analysis. Putative identification and structure annotation revealed the presence of 74 compounds including 46 compounds considered secondary metabolites categorized into flavonoids (n= 8), phenolic acids (n= 26), steroids (n= 3), and terpenes (n= 5) across all populations. Although there was a considerable natural variation among conspecific populations, principal component analysis revealed a clear separation of populations of each species based on the second main principal component which was highly correlated with eight secondary metabolites. The level of secondary metabolites was significantly correlated between species (r= 0.91), suggesting shared metabolic pathways underlying the production of chemical compounds. In addition, redundancy and variance partitioning analyses by including bioclimatic variables and altitude revealed a significant contribution of elevation in explaining the total variation of secondary metabolites inE. hirsutum. Two-thirds of all secondary metabolites were significantly correlated with altitude inE. hirsutum. The large-scale geographic analyses of populations revealed additionally detected flavonoids and terpenes (E. hirsutumandE. parviflorum) and steroids (E. hirsutum) for the first time. This study provides significant information on additional chemical compounds found across the distribution range of the two ecologically important species of willow herb and emphasizes the importance of geographic-wide sampling as a valuable strategy to depict intraspecific and interspecific variability in chemical traits.
Induction of Acquired Tolerance Through Gradual Progression of Drought Is the Key for Maintenance of Spikelet Fertility and Yield in Rice Under Semi-irrigated Aerobic Conditions
Authors: Lekshmy V. S. , Vijayaraghavareddy Preethi , Nagashree A. N. , Ramu Vemanna S. , Ramegowda Venkategowda , Makarla Udayakumar , Sreeman Sheshshayee
Published: February 2021

Plants have evolved several adaptive mechanisms to cope with water-limited conditions. While most of them are through constitutive traits, certain “acquired tolerance” traits also provide significant improvement in drought adaptation. Most abiotic stresses, especially drought, show a gradual progression of stress and hence provide an opportunity to upregulate specific protective mechanisms collectively referred to as “acquired tolerance” traits. Here, we demonstrate a significant genetic variability in acquired tolerance traits among rice germplasm accessions after standardizing a novel gradual stress progress protocol. Two contrasting genotypes, BPT 5204 (drought susceptible) and AC 39000 (tolerant), were used to standardize methodology for capturing acquired tolerance traits at seedling phase. Seedlings exposed to gradual progression of stress showed higher recovery with low free radical accumulation in both the genotypes compared to rapid stress. Further, the gradual stress progression protocol was used to examine the role of acquired tolerance at flowering phase using a set of 17 diverse rice genotypes. Significant diversity in free radical production and scavenging was observed among these genotypes. Association of these parameters with yield attributes showed that genotypes that managed free radical levels in cells were able to maintain high spikelet fertility and hence yield under stress. This study, besides emphasizing the importance of acquired tolerance, explains a high throughput phenotyping approach that significantly overcomes methodological constraints in assessing genetic variability in this important drought adaptive mechanism.
Functional Analysis of the Gibberellin 2-oxidase Gene Family in Peach
Authors: Cheng Jun , Ma Jingjing , Zheng Xianbo , Lv Honglin , Zhang Mengmeng , Tan Bin , Ye Xia , Wang Wei , Zhang Langlang , Li Zhiqian , Li Jidong , Feng Jiancan
Published: February 2021

Peach (Prunus persica L. Batsch) trees grow vigorously and are subject to intense pruning during orchard cultivation. Reducing the levels of endogenous gibberellins (GAs) represents an effective method for controlling branch growth. Gibberellin 2-oxidases (GA2oxs) deactivate bioactive GAs, but little is known about the GA2ox gene family in peach. In this study, we identified seven PpGA2ox genes in the peach genome, which were clustered into three subgroups: C19-GA2ox-I, C19-GA2ox-II, and C20-GA2ox-I. Overexpressing representative genes from the three subgroups, PpGA2ox-1, PpGA2ox-5, and PpGA2ox-2, in tobacco resulted in dwarf plants with shorter stems and smaller leaves than the wild type. An analysis of the GA metabolic profiles of the transgenic plants showed that PpGA2ox-5 (a member of subgroup C19-GA2ox-II) is simultaneously active against both C19-GAs and C20-GAs,which implied that C19-GA2ox-II enzymes represent intermediates of C19-GA2oxs and C20-GA2oxs. Exogenous GA3 treatment of shoot tips activated the expression of all seven PpGA2ox genes, with different response times: the C19-GA2ox genes were transcriptionally activated more rapidly than the C20-GA2ox genes. GA metabolic profile analysis suggested that C20-GA2ox depletes GA levels more broadly than C19-GA2ox. These results suggest that the PpGA2ox gene family is responsible for fine-tuning endogenous GA levels in peach. Our findings provide a theoretical basis for appropriately controlling the vigorous growth of peach trees.
Biodegradable Cellulose Film Prepared From Banana Pseudo-Stem Using an Ionic Liquid for Mango Preservation
Authors: Ai Binling , Zheng Lili , Li Wenqi , Zheng Xiaoyan , Yang Yang , Xiao Dao , Shi Jian , Sheng Zhanwu
Published: February 2021

The excessive use and disposal of plastic packaging materials have drawn increasing concerns from the society because of the detrimental effect on environment and ecosystems. As the most widely used fruit packing material, polyethylene (PE) film is not suitable for long-term preservation of some tropical fruits, such as mangos, due to its inferior gas permeability. Cellulose based film can be made from renewable resources and is biodegradable and environmental-friendly, which makes it a promising alternative to PE as a packaging material. In this study, cellulose film synthesized from delignified banana stem fibers via an ionic liquid 1-Allyl-3-methylimidazolium chloride ([AMIm][Cl]) were evaluated as packing material for mangos preservation. The moisture vapor transmission rate and gas transmission rate of the synthesized cellulose film were 1,969.1 g/(m2⋅24 h) and 10,015.4 ml/(m2⋅24 h), respectively, which are significantly higher than those of commercial PE films. The high permeability is beneficial to the release of ethylene so that contribute to extend fruit ripening period. As a result, cellulose film packaging significantly decreased the disease and color indexes of mangos, while prolonged the storage and shelf life of marketable fruits. In addition, the cellulose film was decomposed in soils in 4 weeks, indicating an excellent biodegradability as compared to the PE plastic film.
Research and Application of Several Key Techniques in Hyperspectral Image Preprocessing
Authors: Li Yu-hang , Tan Xin , Zhang Wei , Jiao Qing-bin , Xu Yu-xing , Li Hui , Zou Yu-bo , Yang Lin , Fang Yuan-peng
Published: February 2021

This paper focuses on image segmentation, image correction and spatial-spectral dimensional denoising of images in hyperspectral image preprocessing to improve the classification accuracy of hyperspectral images. Firstly, the images were filtered and segmented by using spectral angle and principal component analysis, and the segmented results are intersected and then used to mask the hyperspectral images. Hyperspectral images with a excellent segmentation result was obtained. Secondly, the standard reflectance plates with reflectance of 2 and 98% were used as a priori spectral information for image correction of samples with known true spectral information. The mean square error between the corrected and calibrated spectra is less than 0.0001. Comparing with the black-and-white correction method, the classification model constructed based on this method has higher classification accuracy. Finally, the convolution kernel of the one-dimensional Savitzky-Golay (SG) filter was extended into a two-dimensional convolution kernel to perform joint spatial-spectral dimensional filtering (TSG) on the hyperspectral images. The SG filter (m = 7,n = 3) and TSG filter (m = 3,n = 4) were applied to the hyperspectral image of Pavia University and the quality of the hyperspectral image was evaluated. It was found that the TSG filter retained most of the original features while the noise information of the filtered hyperspectral image was less. The hyperspectral images of sample 1–1 and sample 1–2 were processed by the image segmentation and image correction methods proposed in this paper. Then the classification models based on SG filtering and TSG filtering hyperspectral images were constructed, respectively. The results showed that the TSG filter-based model had higher classification accuracy and the classification accuracy is more than 98%.
Mapping Positions on Forgiving an Aggressor in Sport
Authors: Fruchart Eric , Rulence-Paques Patricia
Published: February 2021

The objective of the present study was to map amateur athletes’ positions on forgiving an aggressor in sport under various circumstances. One hundred and twenty-eight participants judged forgiveness in 32 scenarios built from combinations of five factors (moral disengagement, intention, consequence, apology, and incentive). Following a cluster analysis, ANOVAs, and chi-squared tests, a three-cluster solution was found: “Mainly Forgive, with Non-Additive Integration,” “Seldom Forgive, with Additive Integration,” and “Moderately Forgive, with Additive Integration.” The clusters’ composition was related to the members’ sex and type of sport. Cluster 1 contained 19% of the women and 32% of the athletes from collision sports. Cluster 2 contained 72% of the men, 53% of the athletes from non-contact sports, and 43% of the athletes from contact sports. Cluster 3 contained 54% of the women, and 58% of the athletes from collision sports.
High Trait Self-Control and Low Boredom Proneness Help COVID-19 Homeschoolers
Authors: Martarelli Corinna S. , Pacozzi Simona G. , Bieleke Maik , Wolff Wanja
Published: February 2021

In response to the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) schools around the world have been closed to protect against the spread of coronavirus. In several countries, homeschooling has been introduced to replace classroom schooling. With a focus on individual differences, the present study examined 138 schoolers (age range = 6 to 21 years) regarding their self-control and boredom proneness. The results showed that both traits were important in predicting adherence to homeschooling. Schoolers with higher levels of self-control perceived homeschooling as less difficult, which in turn increased homeschooling adherence. In contrast, schoolers with higher levels of boredom proneness perceived homeschooling as more difficult, which in turn reduced homeschooling adherence. These results partially hold when it comes to studying in the classroom. However, boredom threatened adherence only in the homeschooling context. Our results indicate that boredom proneness is a critical construct to consider when educational systems switch to homeschooling during a pandemic.
Classification of Drivers' Workload Using Physiological Signals in Conditional Automation
Authors: Meteier Quentin , Capallera Marine , Ruffieux Simon , Angelini Leonardo , Abou Khaled Omar , Mugellini Elena , Widmer Marino , Sonderegger Andreas
Published: February 2021

The use of automation in cars is increasing. In future vehicles, drivers will no longer be in charge of the main driving task and may be allowed to perform a secondary task. However, they might be requested to regain control of the car if a hazardous situation occurs (i.e., conditionally automated driving). Performing a secondary task might increase drivers' mental workload and consequently decrease the takeover performance if the workload level exceeds a certain threshold. Knowledge about the driver's mental state might hence be useful for increasing safety in conditionally automated vehicles. Measuring drivers' workload continuously is essential to support the driver and hence limit the number of accidents in takeover situations. This goal can be achieved using machine learning techniques to evaluate and classify the drivers' workload in real-time. To evaluate the usefulness of physiological data as an indicator for workload in conditionally automated driving, three physiological signals from 90 subjects were collected during 25 min of automated driving in a fixed-base simulator. Half of the participants performed a verbal cognitive task to induce mental workload while the other half only had to monitor the environment of the car. Three classifiers, sensor fusion and levels of data segmentation were compared. Results show that the best model was able to successfully classify the condition of the driver with an accuracy of 95%. In some cases, the model benefited from sensors' fusion. Increasing the segmentation level (e.g., size of the time window to compute physiological indicators) increased the performance of the model for windows smaller than 4 min, but decreased for windows larger than 4 min. In conclusion, the study showed that a high level of drivers' mental workload can be accurately detected while driving in conditional automation based on 4-min recordings of respiration and skin conductance.
Do Musicians and Non-musicians Differ in Speech-on-Speech Processing?
Authors: Kaplan Elif Canseza , Wagner Anita E. , Toffanin Paolo , Başkent Deniz
Published: February 2021

Earlier studies have shown that musically trained individuals may have a benefit in adverse listening situations when compared to non-musicians, especially in speech-on-speech perception. However, the literature provides mostly conflicting results. In the current study, by employing different measures of spoken language processing, we aimed to test whether we could capture potential differences between musicians and non-musicians in speech-on-speech processing. We used an offline measure of speech perception (sentence recall task), which reveals a post-task response, and online measures of real time spoken language processing: gaze-tracking and pupillometry. We used stimuli of comparable complexity across both paradigms and tested the same groups of participants. In the sentence recall task, musicians recalled more words correctly than non-musicians. In the eye-tracking experiment, both groups showed reduced fixations to the target and competitor words’ images as the level of speech maskers increased. The time course of gaze fixations to the competitor did not differ between groups in the speech-in-quiet condition, while the time course dynamics did differ between groups as the two-talker masker was added to the target signal. As the level of two-talker masker increased, musicians showed reduced lexical competition as indicated by the gaze fixations to the competitor. The pupil dilation data showed differences mainly in one target-to-masker ratio. This does not allow to draw conclusions regarding potential differences in the use of cognitive resources between groups. Overall, the eye-tracking measure enabled us to observe that musicians may be using a different strategy than non-musicians to attain spoken word recognition as the noise level increased. However, further investigation with more fine-grained alignment between the processes captured by online and offline measures is necessary to establish whether musicians differ due to better cognitive control or sound processing.
Virtual Teams in Times of Pandemic: Factors That Influence Performance
Authors: Garro-Abarca Victor , Palos-Sanchez Pedro , Aguayo-Camacho Mariano
Published: February 2021

In the digital age, the global software development sector has been a forerunner in implementing new ways and configurations for remote teamwork using information and communication technologies on a widespread basis. Crises and technological advances have influenced each other to bring about changes in the ways of working. In the 70’s of the last century, in the middle of the so-called oil crisis, the concept of teleworking was defined using remote computer equipment to access office equipment and thus avoid moving around using traditional vehicles. Then from the 90s, with the advent of communications and the widespread use of the Internet, the first virtual work teams were implemented in software development companies that already had some of the important characteristics needed to work in this way, such as, cultural diversity, characterized tasks, geographical distribution of members, communication, interdependence of tasks, leadership, cohesion, empowerment, confidence, virtuality. This manuscript groups the main factors into different models proposed by the literature and also analyzes the results of a study conducted in the midst of the Covid-19 crisis on 317 software development teams that had to work in virtual teams (VT). The results of the quantitative methodology with structural equation modeling based on variance using the partial least squares route method are analyzed. The results of the research focus on some determinants that can directly affect the performance of the virtual team. A first determinant is communication in relation to the tasks. The second is trust in relation to leadership, empowerment and cohesion. The results of virtual teams provide information that can serve as a basis for future research lines for the implementation of virtual work strategies in post-pandemic work.