bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
5FU/Oxaliplatin-Induced Jagged1 Cleavage Counteracts Apoptosis Induction in Colorectal Cancer: A Novel Mechanism of Intrinsic Drug Resistance
Authors: Pelullo Maria , Zema Sabrina , De Carolis Mariangela , Cialfi Samantha , Giuli Maria Valeria , Palermo Rocco , Capalbo Carlo , Giannini Giuseppe , Screpanti Isabella , Checquolo Saula , Bellavia Diana
Published: July 2022

Colorectal cancer (CRC) is characterized by early metastasis, resistance to anti-cancer therapy, and high mortality rate. Despite considerable progress in the development of new treatment options that improved survival benefits in patients with early-stage or advanced CRC, many patients relapse due to the activation of intrinsic or acquired chemoresistance mechanisms. Recently, we reported novel findings about the role of Jagged1 in CRC tumors with Kras signatures. We showed that Jagged1 is a novel proteolytic target of Kras signaling, which induces Jagged1 processing/activation resulting in Jag1-ICD release, which favors tumor development in vivo, through a non-canonical mechanism. Herein, we demonstrate that OXP and 5FU cause a strong accumulation of Jag1-ICD oncogene, through ERK1/2 activation, unveiling a surviving subpopulation with an enforced Jag1-ICD expression, presenting the ability to counteract OXP/5FU-induced apoptosis. Remarkably, we also clarify the clinical ineffectiveness of γ-secretase inhibitors (GSIs) in metastatic CRC (mCRC) patients. Indeed, we show that GSI compounds trigger Jag1-ICD release, which promotes cellular growth and EMT processes, functioning as tumor-promoting agents in CRC cells overexpressing Jagged1. We finally demonstrate that Jagged1 silencing in OXP- or 5FU-resistant subpopulations is enough to restore the sensitivity to chemotherapy, confirming that drug sensitivity/resistance is Jag1-ICD-dependent, suggesting Jagged1 as a molecular predictive marker for the outcome of chemotherapy.
Comparison of Diagnostic Efficacy of [68Ga]Ga-FAPI-04 and [18F]FDG PET/CT for Staging and Restaging of Gastric Cancer
Authors: Zhang Shumao , Wang Wei , Xu Tingting , Ding Haoyuan , Li Yi , Liu Huipan , Huang Yinxue , Liu Lin , Du Tao , Zhao Yan , Chen Yue , Qiu Lin
Published: July 2022

Purpose

This study aimed to compare the potential diagnostic efficacy of gallium68-fibroblast-activation protein inhibitor ([68Ga]Ga-FAPI-04) and fluorine18-fluorodeoxyglucose ([18F]-FDG) positron emission tomography-computed tomography (PET/CT) for primary tumors, lymph nodes, and distant metastatic lesions of gastric cancer (GC), and to explore the effects of [68Ga]Ga-FAPI-04 and [18F]-FDG on tumor staging and restaging in GC.

Methods

This single-center retrospective study (NCT2100044131) was conducted at the Affiliated Hospital of the Southwest Medical University between June 2020 and December 2021. Images of patients with GC who were pathologically confirmed and underwent contemporaneous [18F]-FDG and [68Ga]Ga-FAPI-04 PET/CT within 1 week were analyzed. The diagnostic efficacy of [68Ga]Ga-FAPI-04 PET/CT and [18F]-FDG PET/CT for TNM staging of GC was compared using McNemar test. The maximum standard uptake value (SUVmax) of each lesion in the two imaging types was compared using the Mann-Whitney U test.

Results

In total, 25 patients with GC (mean age, 56 ± 12 years) were evaluated. [68Ga]Ga-FAPI-04 PET/CT exhibited higher sensitivity compared to [18F]-FDG PET/CT for detecting primary tumors (18/19 [94.74%] vs. 13/19 [68.42%], χ2 = 6.866, P < 0.01), lymph node metastasis (75/77 [97.40%] vs. 32/77 [41.56%], χ2 = 2.888, P =0.089), and distant metastases (275/283 [97.17%] vs. 122/283 [43.11%], χ2 = 11.858, P < 0.01). [68Ga]Ga-FAPI-04 accumulation was significantly higher than that of [18F]FDG in tumors (median SUVmax, 10.28 vs 3.20; U=59.00, P < 0.01), lymph node metastasis metastases (median SUVmax, 9.20 vs 3.15; U=53.50, P < 0.01), and distant metastases (median SUVmax, 8.00 vs 4.20; U=200.00, P < 0.01). Compared to [18F]-FDG PET/CT, [68Ga]Ga-FAPI-04 PET/CT resulted in new oncological findings in 14/25 patients and corrected tumor staging or restaging in 7/25 patients.

Conclusion

Our preliminary results regarding the impact of [68Ga]Ga-FAPI-04 PET/CT on tumor staging highlight the potential of this approach for increasing the accuracy of GC diagnosis, which may facilitate treatment decision-making.
Swimming Impedes Intestinal Microbiota and Lipid Metabolites of Tumorigenesis in Colitis-Associated Cancer
Authors: Wang Weiyi , Xu Ying , Wang Xiaofeng , Chu Yimin , Zhang Haiqin , Zhou Lu , Zhu Haijin , Li Ji , Kuai Rong , Zhou Fengli , Yang Daming , Peng Haixia
Published: July 2022

Background

Accumulating data support that regular physical activity potentially inhibits chronic colitis, a risk factor for colitis-associated cancer (CAC). However, possible effects of physical activity on CAC and the underlying mechanisms remain poorly understood.

Methods

A pretreatment of swimming on azoxymethane/dextran sodium sulfate (AOM/DSS)-induced CAC mice was implemented to determine its protective effect. Inflammation and tumorigenesis were assessed using colorectums from C57BL/6 mice. In order to determine how swimming alters colonic lipid metabolism and gene expression, a comparative analysis was conducted. Meanwhile, alterations in intestinal microbiota and short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs) were detected and analyzed. Finally, an integration analysis of colonic lipid metabolism with gene expression and intestinal microbiota was performed respectively.

Result

Swimming pretreatment relieved bowel inflammation and minimized tumor formation. We demonstrated that prostaglandin E2 (PGE2)/PGE2 receptor 2 subtype (EP2) signaling as a potential regulatory target for swimming induces colonic lipid metabolites. Swimming-induced genera, Erysipelatoclostridium, Parabacteroides, Bacteroides, and Rikenellaceae_RC9_gut_group, induced intestinal SCFAs and affected the function of colonic lipid metabolites enriched in glycerophospholipid metabolism and choline metabolism in cancer.

Conclusion

According to our experiments, swimming pretreatment can protect mice from CAC by intervention in the possible link between colonic lipid metabolites and PGE2/EP2 signaling. Further, swimming-induced genera and probiotics promoted glycerophospholipid metabolism and choline metabolism in cancer, the major constituents of colonic lipid metabolites, and increased SCFAs, which were also important mechanisms for the anti-inflammatory and anti-tumorigenic effects of swimming.
Review of Shikonin and Derivatives: Isolation, Chemistry, Biosynthesis, Pharmacology and Toxicology
Authors: Yadav Snehlata , Sharma Ajay , Nayik Gulzar Ahmad , Cooper Raymond , Bhardwaj Garima , Sohal Harvinder Singh , Mutreja Vishal , Kaur Ramandeep , Areche Franklin Ore , AlOudat Mohannad , Shaikh Ayaz Mukarram , Kovács Béla , Mohamed Ahmed Abdelhakam Esmaeil
Published: July 2022

Shikonin and its derivatives, isolated from traditional medicinal plant species of the genus Lithospermum, Alkanna, Arnebia, Anchusa, Onosma, and Echium belonging to the Boraginaceae family, have numerous applications in foods, cosmetics, and textiles. Shikonin, a potent bioactive red pigment, has been used in traditional medicinal systems to cure various ailments and is well known for its diverse pharmacological potential such as anticancer, antithrombotic, neuroprotective, antidiabetic, antiviral, anti-inflammatory, anti-gonadotropic, antioxidants, antimicrobial and insecticidal. Herein, updated research on the natural sources, pharmacology, toxicity studies, and various patents filed worldwide related to shikonin and approaches to shikonin’s biogenic and chemical synthesis are reviewed. Furthermore, recent studies to establish reliable production systems to meet market demand, functional identification, and future clinical development of shikonin and its derivatives against various diseases are presented.
Hesperidin Inhibits Lung Cancer In Vitro and In Vivo Through PinX1
Authors: Yao Yang , Lin Mingyue , Liu Zhujun , Liu Mengyang , Zhang Shiheng , Zhang Yukun
Published: July 2022

New drugs or active leads with high efficiency and low toxicity are needed in the treatment of lung cancer. Natural products are an important source of anti-tumor drugs. At present, there are many molecular-targeted anti-tumor drugs derived from natural products or their derivatives for tumor treatment or in clinical trials. Hesperidin is a flavanone isolated from the Rutaceae plant lime Citrus aurantium L. or Citrus sinensis Osbeck. It has been considered to inhibit cancer cell viability in vitro. However, the effect of hesperidin on lung cancer and its underlying mechanism remain unclear. In this study, we found that the pinX1 expression level is closely related to overall survival and plays an important role in regulating lung cancer cell proliferation, migration, invasion, and senescence. More importantly, hesperidin significantly increased pinX1 protein expression, and knockdown pinX1 by its specific siRNA blocked the protective effects of hesperidin. Moreover, we also assessed that hesperidin at 100 mg/kg is safe in vivo. These findings showed that hesperidin is a potential therapeutic candidate for preventing the progression of lung cancer.
Prognostic Predictive Characteristics in Patients With Fibrosing Interstitial Lung Disease: A Retrospective Cohort Study
Authors: Wang Yuanying , Guo Ziyun , Ma Ruimin , Wang Jingwei , Wu Na , Fan Yali , Ye Qiao
Published: July 2022

Background: Limited data are available regarding the entire spectrum of interstitial lung disease with a progressive fibrosing feature. We investigated the prevalence and prognostic predictive characteristics in patients with PF-ILD.

Methods: This retrospective cohort study included patients with fibrosing ILD who were investigated between 1 January 2015 and 30 April 2021. We recorded clinical features and outcomes to identify the possible risk factors for fibrosing progression as well as mortality.

Results: Of the 579 patients with fibrosing ILD, 227 (39.21%) met the criteria for progression. Clubbing of fingers [odds ratio (OR) 1.52, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.03 to 2.24, p = 0.035] and a high-resolution computed tomography (HRCT)-documented usual interstitial pneumonia (UIP)-like fibrotic pattern (OR 1.95, 95% CI 1.33 to 2.86, p = 0.001) were risk factors for fibrosis progression. The mortality was worse in patients with PF with hypoxemia [hazard ratio (HR) 2.08, 95% CI 1.31 to 3.32, p = 0.002], in those with baseline diffusion capacity of the lung for carbon monoxide (DLCO) % predicted <50% (HR 2.25, 95% CI 1.45 to 3.50, p < 0.001), or in those with UIP-like fibrotic pattern (HR 1.68, 95% CI 1.04 to 2.71, p < 0.001).

Conclusion: Clubbing of fingers and an HRCT-documented UIP-like fibrotic pattern were more likely to be associated with progressive fibrosing with varied prevalence based on the specific diagnosis. Among patients with progressive fibrosing, those with hypoxemia, lower baseline DLCO% predicted, or UIP-like fibrotic pattern showed poor mortality.
Applications of Magnetic Particle Imaging in Biomedicine: Advancements and Prospects
Authors: Yang Xue , Shao Guoqing , Zhang Yanyan , Wang Wei , Qi Yu , Han Shuai , Li Hongjun
Published: July 2022

Magnetic particle imaging (MPI) is a novel emerging noninvasive and radiation-free imaging modality that can quantify superparamagnetic iron oxide nanoparticles tracers. The zero endogenous tissue background signal and short image scanning times ensure high spatial and temporal resolution of MPI. In the context of precision medicine, the advantages of MPI provide a new strategy for the integration of the diagnosis and treatment of diseases. In this review, after a brief explanation of the simplified theory and imaging system, we focus on recent advances in the biomedical application of MPI, including vascular structure and perfusion imaging, cancer imaging, the MPI guidance of magnetic fluid hyperthermia, the visual monitoring of cell and drug treatments, and intraoperative navigation. We finally optimize MPI in terms of the system and tracers, and present future potential biomedical applications of MPI.
Histone Demethylases JMJ30 and JMJ32 Modulate the Speed of Vernalization Through the Activation of FLOWERING LOCUS C in Arabidopsis thaliana
Authors: Maruoka Takashi , Gan Eng-Seng , Otsuka Nana , Shirakawa Makoto , Ito Toshiro
Published: July 2022

Vernalization is the promotion of flowering after prolonged exposure to cold. In Arabidopsis thaliana, vernalization induces epigenetic silencing of the floral repressor gene FLOWERING LOCUS C (FLC). Among the repressive epigenetic marks, the trimethylation of lysine 27 on histone H3 proteins (H3K27me3) is a critical contributor to the epigenetic silencing of FLC. The deposition of H3K27me3 is mediated by Polycomb Repressive Complex 2 (PRC2). Conversely, the elimination of H3K27me3 is mediated by histone demethylases, Jumonji-C domain-containing protein JMJ30 and its homolog JMJ32. However, the role of JMJ30 and JMJ32 in vernalization is largely unknown. In this study, we found that cold treatment dramatically reduced the expression levels of JMJ30 and did not reduce those of JMJ32. Next, by using the genetic approach, we found that the flowering of jmj30 jmj32 was accelerated under moderate vernalized conditions. Under moderate vernalized conditions, the silencing of FLC occurred more quickly in jmj30 jmj32 than in the wild type. These results suggested that the histone demethylases JMJ30 and JMJ32 brake vernalization through the activation of FLC. Our study suggested that PRC2 and Jumonji histone demethylases act in an opposing manner to regulate flowering time via epigenetic modifications.
New Insights Into the Relationships Within Subtribe Scorzonerinae (Cichorieae, Asteraceae) Using Hybrid Capture Phylogenomics (Hyb-Seq)
Authors: Hatami Elham , Jones Katy E. , Kilian Norbert
Published: July 2022

Subtribe Scorzonerinae (Cichorieae, Asteraceae) contains 12 main lineages and approximately 300 species. Relationships within the subtribe, either at inter- or intrageneric levels, were largely unresolved in phylogenetic studies to date, due to the lack of phylogenetic signal provided by traditional Sanger sequencing markers. In this study, we employed a phylogenomics approach (Hyb-Seq) that targets 1,061 nuclear-conserved ortholog loci designed for Asteraceae and obtained chloroplast coding regions as a by-product of off-target reads. Our objectives were to evaluate the potential of the Hyb-Seq approach in resolving the phylogenetic relationships across the subtribe at deep and shallow nodes, investigate the relationships of major lineages at inter- and intrageneric levels, and examine the impact of the different datasets and approaches on the robustness of phylogenetic inferences. We analyzed three nuclear datasets: exon only, excluding all potentially paralogous loci; exon only, including loci that were only potentially paralogous in 1–3 samples; exon plus intron regions (supercontigs); and the plastome CDS region. Phylogenetic relationships were reconstructed using both multispecies coalescent and concatenation (Maximum Likelihood and Bayesian analyses) approaches. Overall, our phylogenetic reconstructions recovered the same monophyletic major lineages found in previous studies and were successful in fully resolving the backbone phylogeny of the subtribe, while the internal resolution of the lineages was comparatively poor. The backbone topologies were largely congruent among all inferences, but some incongruent relationships were recovered between nuclear and plastome datasets, which are discussed and assumed to represent cases of cytonuclear discordance. Considering the newly resolved phylogenies, a new infrageneric classification of Scorzonera in its revised circumscription is proposed.
Mycorrhizal Symbiosis Triggers Local Resistance in Citrus Plants Against Spider Mites
Authors: Manresa-Grao María , Pastor-Fernández Julia , Sanchez-Bel Paloma , Jaques Josep A. , Pastor Victoria , Flors Víctor
Published: July 2022

Citrus plants are a highly mycotrophic species with high levels of fungal colonization. Citrus aurantium rootstocks typically show abundant root colonization by Rhizophagus irregularis three weeks after inoculation. Mycorrhizal symbiosis protects plants against multiple biotic stressors, however, such protection against spider mites remains controversial. We examined mycorrhiza-induced resistance (MIR) in citrus against the two-spotted spider mite Tetranychus urticae. Mycorrhized C. aurantium displayed reduced levels of damage in leaves and lower mite oviposition rates, compared to non-mycorrhized controls. Mycorrhization did not affect host choice of mites in Y-tube assays; of note, C. aurantium has innate strong antixenotic resistance against this mite. Analysis of metabolism pathways in mycorrhized citrus plants showed upregulated expression of the oxylipin-related genes LOX-2 and PR-3 early after infestation. Accordingly, jasmonic acid (JA), 12-oxo phytodienoic acid (OPDA), and JA-Ile concentrations were increased by mycorrhization. Non-targeted metabolomic analysis revealed the amino acid, oxocarboxylic acid, and phenylpropanoid metabolism as the three major pathways with more hits at 24 h post infection (hpi) in mycorrhized plants. Interestingly, there was a transition to a priming profile of these pathways at 48 hpi following infestation. Three flavonoids (i.e., malic acid, coumaric acid, and diconiferyl alcohol) were among the priming compounds. A mixture containing all these compounds provided efficient protection against the mite. Unexpectedly, systemic resistance did not improve after 72 h of primary infestation, probably due to the innate strong systemic resistance of C. aurantium. This is the first study to show that MIR is functional against T. urticae in locally infested citrus leaves, which is mediated by a complex pool of secondary metabolites and is likely coordinated by priming of JA-dependent responses.
Semi-supervised Learning for Weed and Crop Segmentation Using UAV Imagery
Authors: Nong Chunshi , Fan Xijian , Wang Junling
Published: July 2022

Weed control has received great attention due to its significant influence on crop yield and food production. Accurate mapping of crop and weed is a prerequisite for the development of an automatic weed management system. In this paper, we propose a weed and crop segmentation method, SemiWeedNet, to accurately identify the weed with varying size in complex environment, where semi-supervised learning is employed to reduce the requirement of a large amount of labelled data. SemiWeedNet takes the labelled and unlabelled images into account when generating a unified semi-supervised architecture based on semantic segmentation model. A multiscale enhancement module is created by integrating the encoded feature with the selective kernel attention, to highlight the significant features of the weed and crop while alleviating the influence of complex background. To address the problem caused by the similarity and overlapping between crop and weed, an online hard example mining (OHEM) is introduced to refine the labelled data training. This forces the model to focus more on pixels that are not easily distinguished, and thus effectively improve the image segmentation. To further exploit the meaningful information of unlabelled data, consistency regularisation is introduced by maintaining the context consistency during training, making the representations robust to the varying environment. Comparative experiments are conducted on a publicly available dataset. The results show the SemiWeedNet outperforms the state-of-the-art methods, and its components have promising potential in improving segmentation.
Maize (Zea mays L.) Productivity and Nitrogen Use Efficiency in Response to Nitrogen Application Levels and Time
Authors: Gheith E. M. S. , El-Badry Ola Z. , Lamlom Sobhi F. , Ali Hayssam M. , Siddiqui Manzer H. , Ghareeb Rehab Y. , El-Sheikh Mohamed H. , Jebril Jebril , Abdelsalam Nader R. , Kandil Essam E.
Published: July 2022

Productivity of maize (Zea mays L.) and nitrogen use efficiency (NUE) as affected by nitrogen application levels and timing were studied. The experimental design was a three-replication randomized complete block design (RCBD). The first factor was nitrogen levels (122, 240, 288 and 336 kg N/ha) and the second factor was nitrogen timing (50% of N at sowing and 50% of N before the first irrigation; T1, 50% of N at sowing and 50% of N before the second irrigation; T2 and 50% of N before the first irrigation and 50% of N before the second irrigation; T3). Results indicated that plant height, ear length, kernel weight, number of grains/rows, number of grains/ear and grain yields all increased significantly as nitrogen levels increased and the level of 336 kg N/ha significantly exhibiting the highest values in both seasons. In terms of nitrogen application time, maize yield parameters such as plant height, ear length, kernel weight/ear, number of grains/rows, number of grains/ear and grain yield were significantly affected by nitrogen timing, with the highest values obtained at T3 while the lowest values obtained at T1 in both seasons. The interaction had a significant impact on plant height and grain yield/ha, with the tallest plants, the highest yields and its components observed at 336 kg N/ha, with 50% of N applied during the first irrigation and 50% of N applied during the second. Furthermore, under the study conditions, NUE decreased dramatically as nitrogen levels increased and increased significantly as nitrogen application time changed.
Teaching EFLLs Listening Subskills With a Speaking-Listening Model in a Computer-Mediated Communication Setting
Authors: Zhao Jinman , Lee Chang In
Published: July 2022

The purpose of this study is to explore the impact of teaching subskills, namely micro- and macro-skills, with a speaking-listening model on the improvement of listening competence. The research included 112 Chinese tertiary students with intermediate English proficiency who were recruited from around the country. Before attending a listening class, the experimental group engaged in oral practice of the subskills, while the control one engaged in conventional listening-oriented preparation before attending a listening class. A randomized controlled trial (RCT), as well as a questionnaire, were used to assess the listening skills. Following the results of the test analysis, we concluded that practicing listening subskills, first verbally and subsequently audibly, had a substantial impact on the development of listening competence. This efficiency was particularly evident when it came to growing discourse and pragmatical listening skills, rather than developing grammatical and sociolinguistic competence. The results of the questionnaire indicated that there was minimal difference between the two groups in terms of listening strategic competence. Our findings were confirmed by coding the interview data, which revealed that tertiary students’ self-agency and class participation had increased. The findings indicate that teaching tertiary students listening with speaking before listening in a computer-mediated communication (CMC) setting has an uneven influence on their development of listening skills.
School Climate Questionnaire: A New Tool for Assessing the School Environment
Authors: Bochaver Alexandra A. , Korneev Aleksei A. , Khlomov Kirill D.
Published: July 2022

The school environment is of great importance for the socialization of children. At school, children learn many values, rules, and skills that relate to building relationships that include friendship, support, and competition. The school largely shapes children's behavior and expectations from society in the future. This study validates the new 22-item School Climate Questionnaire (SCQ) using a sample of Russian school students. A total of 4,776 respondents from 9 to 18 years old participated in the correlational study and filled the online-survey that includes SCQ. The Revised Olweus Bully/Victim Questionnaire, the Warwick–Edinburgh Mental Well-Being Scale (WEMWBS), and the Academic Motivation Scale were used to examine the convergent validity of the SCQ. Two hypotheses were examined that the new tool SCQ has structural validity (three factors) and convergent validity (which is proven by the significant correlations with victimization, aggression, mental wellbeing, and academic motivation). According to confirmatory factor analysis (CFA), it was shown that the questionnaire has three factors; their reliability is satisfactory. As expected, the results revealed significant correlations between the three scales of SCQ and scales of Victimization, Aggression, Mental Well-Being, and different types of Academic Motivation. The SCQ is a reliable and valid instrument that may be recommended for use by researchers and practitioners in different areas of educational psychology.
Stimulating Tourist Inspiration by Tourist Experience: The Moderating Role of Destination Familiarity
Authors: Xue Jianping , Zhou Zhimin , Majeed Salman , Chen Ruixia , Zhou Nan
Published: July 2022

The tourist experience is a core indicator of destination management for the comprehensive evaluation of destination value. Tourist experience and tourist inspiration are important concepts in the stream of research on destination marketing and management. However, these relationships remained under-explored in the extant literature. This study examined the impact of tourist experience on tourist inspiration under the moderating impact of destination familiarity. To achieve the objective of this study, data were collected online from 622 Chinese tourists. We employed partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM) to statistically analyze the gathered data. Findings show that four types of tourist experiences, namely education, esthetics, entertainment, and escapism, significantly and positively influenced the inspired-by state of tourist inspiration, which further influenced the inspired-to-state of tourist inspiration. Destination familiarity exerted a significantly negative moderating impact on the relationship between education experience and inspired-by state of tourist inspiration. Sensitivity analysis presents that education experience was the strongest predictor of the inspired-by state followed by aesthetics, escapism, and entertainment facets of the tourist experience. Findings contribute to the theory and practice of tourism management with a robust interpretation of tourist experience, tourist inspiration, and destination familiarity to solidify the effective management of tourist destinations. Limitations and future research directions are noted.
Occupational Differences in Psychological Distress Between Chinese Dentists and Dental Nurses
Authors: Zhang Yingying , Yan Li , Long Huiqing , Yang Lu , Wang Jing , Liu Yiyun , Pu Juncai , Liu Li , Zhong Xiaogang , Xin Jin
Published: July 2022

Background

Doctors and allied health professionals are facing serious mental health issues, which have received widespread attention. This study aimed to explore the occupational differences in psychological distress between Chinese dentists and dental nurses.

Materials and Methods

The data was collected from a cross-sectional study conducted by the Chongqing Stomatological Association. Medical personnel involved in this survey were invited to complete a battery of self-administrated questionnaires, specifically the General Health Questionnaire-12, Maslach Burnout Inventory, and career choice regret scale. Data on demographic characteristics and working conditions were also collected. The results of these questionnaires were analyzed with SPSS (version 23.0). Univariate and multivariable analyzes were conducted to explore the influencing factors.

Results

A total of 3,020 valid questionnaires, including 1,855 dentists and 1,165 dental nurses, were collected from 11 provinces of China. In general, 23.8% of responders exhibited psychological distress. The rate of dentists was 25.7%, and that of dental nurses was 20.8%. The prevalence was 4.9% higher in dentists than in dental nurses (P < 0.05). The multivariable analysis showed that factors associated with psychological distress for dentists were lower income, burnout, high job stress, career-choice regret, and lack of sufficient personal time, and that for dental nurses were age, lower income, longer working hours per week, burnout, high job stress, low job satisfaction, lack of sufficient personal time, and poor medical environment.

Conclusion

The prevalence of psychological distress was relatively high among dental medical staff, and dentists showed a higher prevalence than dental nurses. Nurses have more risk factors for psychological distress than dentists. These results indicate that it is necessary to monitor the mental health status of dental medical staff and implement accurate strategies for dentists and dental nurses to promote their physical and mental health.
A Randomized Control Trial of Cognitive Compensatory Training (CCT) and Computerized Interactive Remediation of Cognition-Training for Schizophrenia (CIRCuiTS)
Authors: Dark Frances Louise , Gore-Jones Victoria , Newman Ellie , Wheeler Maddison , Demonte Veronica , Northwood Korinne
Published: July 2022

Background

Various modes of delivering cognitive remediation (CR) are effective, but there have been few head-to-head trials of different approaches. This trial aimed to evaluate the relative effectiveness of two different programmes, Cognitive Compensatory Training (CCT) and Computerized Interactive Remediation of Cognition—Training for Schizophrenia (CIRCuiTs).

Methods

The study used a single-blind randomized, controlled trial to examine the efficacy and effectiveness of the two therapies. The study aimed to enroll 100 clinically stable patients between the ages of 18 and 65 years who had been diagnosed with a schizophrenia spectrum disorder. Participants were randomized to either the CCT or CIRCuiTs therapy groups. The primary outcome measures were neurocognition using the Brief Assessment of Cognition Scale (BACS) and the Subjective Scale to Investigate Cognition in Schizophrenia (SSTICS). The secondary measure was functional outcomes using the Social Functioning Scale (SFS).

Results

There was no group difference in any of the outcome measures post-intervention or at follow-up. Both groups had a small improvement on their SSTICS scores between baseline (M = 30.52 and SD = 14.61) and post-intervention (M = 23.96 and SD = 10.92). Verbal memory scores as measured by list learning improved for both groups between baseline (z = −1.62) and 3-month follow-up (z = −1.03). Both groups improved on the token motor task between baseline (z = −1.38) and post-intervention (z = −0.69). Both groups had a decline in Symbol Coding scores between baseline (z = 0.05) and 3-month follow-up (z = −0.82).

Discussion

This underpowered study found no difference in effect between the two approaches studied. If future studies confirm this finding, then it has implications for services where cost and lack of computer technology could pose a barrier in addressing the cognitive domain of schizophrenia spectrum disorders. The final sample size compromised the power of the study to conclusively determine a significant effect.
Non-alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease and Depression: Evidence for Genotype × Environment Interaction in Mexican Americans
Authors: Manusov Eron Grant , Diego Vincent P. , Sheikh Khalid , Laston Sandra , Blangero John , Williams-Blangero Sarah
Published: July 2022

This study examines the impact of G × E interaction effects on non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) among Mexican Americans in the Rio Grande Valley (RGV) of South Texas. We examined potential G × E interaction using variance components models and likelihood-based statistical inference in the phenotypic expression of NAFLD, including hepatic steatosis and hepatic fibrosis (identified using vibration controlled transient elastography and controlled attenuation parameter measured by the FibroScan Device). We screened for depression using the Beck Depression Inventory-II (BDI-II). We identified significant G × E interactions for hepatic fibrosis × BDI-II. These findings provide evidence that genetic factors interact with depression to influence the expression of hepatic fibrosis.
District Level Geospatial Analysis of Utilization of ICDS Services Among Children in India
Authors: Kumar Pradeep , Kundu Sampurna , Bawankule Rahul
Published: July 2022

Introduction

Integrated Child Developmental Services (ICDS) is the most extensive government-run health program for children with its foot spread across the complete Indian Territory. ICDS Scheme, has been provided for 40 years and has been successful in some ways. The program in reducing the undernourishment among children over the past decade has been modest and slow in India than what has been reached in other countries with comparable socio-economic measure. Therefore, this study aims to identify the district level clustering of the utilization of ICDS services in India, and the present research also tried to relate it with socio-economic and demographic factors.

Materials and Methods

The data from the fourth round of the National Family Health Survey (NFHS-4) conducted in 2015–16 in India is used to carry out the analysis. We classified the country in 640 districts and employed geospatial techniques like Moran's I, univariate and bivariate local indicators of spatial association (LISA), and spatial error regression.

Results

The non-utilization under ICDS scheme varied between 93% in West Siang district of Arunachal Pradesh and around 7% in the Kandhamal district of Odisha in 2015–16 in India. The univariate LISA results suggest striking geographic clustering of utilization of ICDS services among children in India (Moran's I: 0.612). On another hand, there were regions with substantially low-low clustering of non-utilization of ICDS services in southeast India, including districts in Andhra Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Southern Madhya Pradesh, Odisha, Telangana, and West Bengal. The findings also suggest that the proportion of the rural population (−0.190), and poor households (−0.132) in the district were significantly and negatively related while the proportion of uneducated women (0.450) was positively related to the non-utilization of ICDS services within the district.

Conclusion

This is the first-ever study that examined the complex interplay of the rural population, female illiteracy, poverty, SC/ST population, and Hindu population with non-utilization of ICDS services among children in the district in India. The study highlights the inter-district geographical disparities in the non-utilization of ICDS services. Further, it confirms that underprivileged districts in terms of the rural population and poor households are also disadvantageous in the utilization of ICDS services.
Population-Level Interventions Targeting Risk Factors for Hypertension and Diabetes in Rwanda: A Situational Analysis
Authors: Nganabashaka Jean Pierre , Ntawuyirushintege Seleman , Niyibizi Jean Berchmans , Umwali Ghislaine , Bavuma Charlotte M. , Byiringiro Jean Claude , Rulisa Stephen , Burns Jacob , Rehfuess Eva , Young Taryn , Tumusiime David K.
Published: July 2022

Background

Eighty percent (80%) of global Non-Communicable Diseases attributed deaths occur in low- and middle-income countries (LMIC) with hypertension and diabetes being key contributors. The overall prevalence of hypertension was 15.3% the national prevalence of diabetes in rural and urban was 7.5 and 9.7%, respectively among 15–64 years. Hypertension represents a leading cause of death (43%) among hospitalized patients at the University teaching hospital of Kigali. This study aimed to identify ongoing population-level interventions targeting risk factors for diabetes and hypertension and to explore perceived barriers and facilitators for their implementation in Rwanda.

Methods

This situational analysis comprised a desk review, key informant interviews, and stakeholders' consultation. Ongoing population-level interventions were identified through searches of government websites, complemented by one-on-one consultations with 60 individuals nominated by their respective organizations involved with prevention efforts. Semi-structured interviews with purposively selected key informants sought to identify perceived barriers and facilitators for the implementation of population-level interventions. A consultative workshop with stakeholders was organized to validate and consolidate the findings.

Results

We identified a range of policies in the areas of food and nutrition, physical activity promotion, and tobacco control. Supporting program and environment interventions were mainly awareness campaigns to improve knowledge, attitudes, and practices toward healthy eating, physical activity, and alcohol and tobacco use reduction, healthy food production, physical activity infrastructure, smoke-free areas, limits on tobacco production and bans on non-standardized alcohol production. Perceived barriers included limited stakeholder involvement, misbeliefs about ongoing interventions, insufficient funding, inconsistency in intervention implementation, weak policy enforcement, and conflicts between commercial and public health interests. Perceived facilitators were strengthened multi-sectoral collaboration and involvement in ongoing interventions, enhanced community awareness of ongoing interventions, special attention paid to the elderly, and increased funds for population-level interventions and policy enforcement.

Conclusion

There are many ongoing population-level interventions in Rwanda targeting risk factors for diabetes and hypertension. Identified gaps, perceived barriers, and facilitators provide a useful starting point for strengthening efforts to address the significant burden of disease attributable to diabetes and hypertension.
The Effect of Slack Resources on Innovation Performance and the Environmental Adaptability of Public Hospitals: The Empirical Evidence From Beijing of China
Authors: Lu Wei , Song Xinrui , Hou Changmin , Zhu Junli
Published: July 2022

Background:

The development level of public hospitals has a direct impact on people's health. The reform of the medical industry in China has been gradually underway in recent years, while hospitals face a complex and uncertain environment. This study aims to explore the mechanism of resources slack in buffering environmental uncertainty and promoting innovation in public hospitals.

Methods

Based on previous literature related to environmental adaptability, resources slack, and innovation performance, this study has conducted a literature review and has established a study framework. A questionnaire survey has been conducted among clinicians in representative tertiary public hospitals in Beijing. A total of 318 valid data have been eventually obtained, while regression models have been used to analyze the data.

Results

Innovation performance has played a mediating role in the impact of both resources slack and its three dimensions on environmental adaptability of public hospitals. Among them, there has been a complete mediating effect for time slack, while there has been a partial mediating effect for staff and space dimensions.

Conclusion

This study found that resources slack in public hospitals can improve environmental adaptability by affecting innovation performance. It is necessary for public hospitals to reserve resources slack to ensure that there is sufficient condition for innovation in the face of uncertain changes.
Trends of Blood Lead Levels in US Pregnant Women: The National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (2001–2018)
Authors: Wang Jing , Yang Yujie , Zhang Juan , Liu Na , Xi Huifang , Liang Hong
Published: July 2022

Objectives

This study investigates the trends of blood lead levels in US pregnant women based on the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey from 2001 to 2018.

Methods

A total of 1,230 pregnant women were included in this study. The weighted logistic regression was applied to analyze the association between sociodemographic characteristics with high blood levels. We computed the blood lead levels for each survey period from 2001–2002 to 2017–2018. Moreover, we used the adjusted linear regression model to investigate the time-related change in blood lead level. The odds ratio (OR) with a 95% confidence interval (CI) was calculated accordingly.

Results

The mean blood lead was 0.73 ± 0.03 ug/dL, and high blood lead was observed in 2.53% of individuals. The Mexican Americans were more associated with high blood lead than the non-Hispanic white (OR, 1.072; 95% CI, 1.032-1.112). The mean blood lead level has decreased from 0.97 ug/dL in 2001–2002 to 0.46 ug/dL in 2013–2014. Afterward, a slight increase was observed with the mean blood lead of 0.55 ug/dL in 2015–2016 and 0.53 ug/dL in 2017-2018. In the adjusted linear regression model, each year's increase would lead to a 0.029 ug/dL decrease in blood lead (P < 0.001). However, no significant change was observed in the 2017–2018 cycle compared with 2009–2010 (P = 0.218).

Conclusion

This study summarized the trend of blood lead levels in US pregnant women over 2001–2018. Continued effort is still required to control lead sources better and protect this population from lead exposure.
Financial Inclusion and Its Impact on Health: Empirical Evidence From Asia
Authors: Xiao Wenling , Tao Ran
Published: July 2022

Asian countries have shown remarkable progress in financial inclusion and have become the world's fastest-growing regions. However, the financial inclusion-human health nexus has not received much attention. This study contributes to the empirical literature by examining the effect of financial inclusion on population health using panel data from Asian countries from 2007 to 2019. Population health is measured by death rate and life expectancy at birth. Our study finding shows that digital financial inclusion increases life expectancy but decreases the death rate in Asia. At the same time, financial inclusion positively impacts life expectancy and has a negative impact on the death rate in Asia. Finding also suggests that Internet users, GDP, and FDI have improved population health by increasing life expectancy and decreasing the death rate. The results suggest some essential policy implications.
Behavioral Theories That Have Influenced the Way Health State Preferences Are Elicited and Interpreted: A Bibliometric Mapping Analysis of the Time Trade-Off Method With VOSviewer Visualization
Authors: Henstock Luke , Wong Ruth , Tsuchiya Aki , Spencer Anne
Published: July 2022

Aim

The aim of this paper is to develop an understanding of how behavioral theories have influenced the way preferences for health-related quality of life are elicited and interpreted. We focus on the Time Trade-off (TTO) method given it represents the quality-adjusted life-year (QALY) concept—that survival in less-than-full health can be deemed equivalent to a shorter survival in full health. To our knowledge this is the first review using a combination of systematic scoping review, bibliometrics and VOSviewer visualization to map the development of ideas in health economics.

Methods

A priori, we selected three behavioral theories to explore within our review, referred to here as Expected Utility Theory, Non-Expected Utility Theory and Probabilistic Choice Theory. A fourth topic, Order Effects, is defined broadly to encompass behavioral theories around timing/sequence of events. For the main search, Scopus was used to identify literature that had (a) elicited TTO values and/or (b) contributed to the way TTO values were elicited and interpreted, from inception to July 2021. Papers that focused on the latter category were given the label “behavioral” and underwent additional analyses. A two stage-screening was applied to assess eligibility. Co-citation, co-authorship and co-occurrence of keywords was used to chart the development of TTO over time.

Results

A total of 1,727 records were retrieved from Scopus and were supplemented by an additional 188 papers. There were 856 applied and 280 behavioral papers included in the final corpus, with the behavioral set split equally into four sets of 70 papers to chart the development of keywords over time: (1) 1972–1999; (2) 2000–2010, (3) 2010–2015 and (4) 2015–2021.

Discussion

The keyword analysis suggested that whilst some ideas transition quickly from economic theory to the TTO literature, such as the impact of Order Effects, others take longer to be assimilated, for example Non-Expected Utility models or failure of constant discounting. It is therefore important that researchers within health economics work more closely with those in mainstream economics and keep abreast of the wider economics and behavioral sciences to expedite the uptake of new and relevant ideas.
Deconstructing the Characteristics of the Ionized Gas Component in Planetary Nebulae From Their Internal Motions
Authors: López J. A.
Published: July 2022

The internal motions of the ionized gas in the shells of planetary nebulae (PNe) have served as relevant diagnostic tools to understand the development of this important stage of stellar evolution. This work highlights some of the kinematic studies that have impacted the most on the understanding of the structure and evolution of the ionized envelope. These studies include the basic wind-driven isotropic expansion, the occurrence of complex shell morphology and unexpected fluid dynamics, such as high-speed, bipolar, collimated outflows. The current status on the subject and possible future trends are discussed in the closing remarks.
Observation of Anesthetic Effect of Dexmedetomidine Combined With Intraspinal Anesthesia in Hip Arthroplasty and its Effect on Postoperative Delirium and Stress Response
Authors: Shen Yading , Wang Chenyu , Zhong Xiaoping , Wu Yandan , He Xiaoxia
Published: July 2022

Objective

To observe the anesthetic effect of dexmedetomidine combined with spinal anesthesia in hip arthroplasty, and to analyze the effects of dexmedetomidine on postoperative stress response, incidence of delirium, immune function and inflammatory indicators.

Methods

A total of 42 patients who underwent hip replacement in our hospital from March 2020 to June 2021 were selected as the research subjects and randomly divided into the control group and the observation group, 21 cases in each group. The control group was given intraspinal anesthesia, and the observation group was given dexmedetomidine on this basis. The onset time and maintenance time of sensory and motor nerve block were recorded. Stress response indexes [cortisol (Cor), blood glucose (Glu), adrenaline (E), noadrenaline (NE)], T lymphocyte subsets (CD3+, CD4+, CD8+, CD4+/CD8+), inflammatory indexes [tumor necrosis factor -α (TNF-α) and interleukin-6 (IL-6)] were detected before and after operation, and the incidence of postoperative delirium in both groups was recorded.

Results

The onset time of sensory nerve block and motor block in the observation group were lower than those in the control group, and the retention time of sensory nerve block and motor nerve block were higher than those in the control group (P < 0.05). After surgery, the levels of Cor, Glu, E and NE in the observation group were lower than those in the control group (P < 0.05). After surgery, the incidence of postoperative delirium in the observation group (4.79%) was lower than that in the control group (28.57%) (P < 0.05). After surgery, the levels of CD3+, CD4+, CD8+, and CD4+/CD8+ in the observation group were higher than those in the control group (P < 0.05). After surgery, the levels of TNF-α and IL-6 in the observation group were lower than those in the control group (P < 0.05).

Conclusion

The combined use of dexmedetomidine and intraspinal anesthesia has good anesthesia effect in hip joint replacement, which can greatly reduce the stress response of patients, reduce the incidence of postoperative delirium, and effectively restore the immune function of patients, reduce the level of inflammatory response, and has high clinical application value.