bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Topical Analgesic Containing Methyl Salicylate and L-Menthol Accelerates Heat Loss During Skin Cooling for Exercise-Induced Hyperthermia
Authors: Wang Gang , Zhang Tingran , Wang Anjie , Hurr Chansol
Published: July 2022

Hyperthermia impairs physical performance and, when prolonged, results in heat stroke or other illnesses. While extensive research has investigated the effectiveness of various cooling strategies, including cold water immersion and ice-suit, there has been little work focused on overcoming the cutaneous vasoconstriction response to external cold stimulation, which can reduce the effectiveness of these treatments. Over-the-counter (OTC) topical analgesics have been utilized for the treatment of muscle pain for decades; however, to date no research has examined the possibility of taking advantage of their vasodilatory functions in the context of skin cooling. We tested whether an OTC analgesic cream containing 20% methyl salicylate and 6% L-menthol, known cutaneous vasodilators, applied to the skin during skin cooling accelerates heat loss in exercise-induced hyperthermia. Firstly, we found that cutaneous application of OTC topical analgesic cream can attenuate cold-induced vasoconstriction and enhance heat loss during local skin cooling. We also revealed that core body heat loss, as measured by an ingestible telemetry sensor, could be accelerated by cutaneous application of analgesic cream during ice-suit cooling in exercise-induced hyperthermia. A blunted blood pressure response was observed during cooling with the analgesic cream application. Given the safety profile and affordability of topical cutaneous analgesics containing vasodilatory agents, our results suggest that they can be an effective and practical tool for enhancing the cooling effects of skin cooling for hyperthermia.
Artificial Neural Network for Discrimination and Classification of Tropical Soybean Genotypes of Different Relative Maturity Groups
Authors: Amaral Lígia de Oliveira , Miranda Glauco Vieira , Val Bruno Henrique Pedroso , Silva Alice Pereira , Moitinho Alyce Carla Rodrigues , Unêda-Trevisoli Sandra Helena
Published: July 2022

Soybean has a recognized narrow genetic base that often makes it difficult to visualize available genetic and phenotypic variability and identify superior genotypes during the selection process. However, the phenotypic expression of soybean plants is highly affected by photoperiod and the cultivation of a given variety is performed in the latitude range that presents ideal conditions for its development based on its relative maturity group (RMG) for the optimization of the phenotypic expression of its genotype. Based on the above, this study aimed to evaluate the efficiency of artificial neural networks (ANNs) as a tool for the correct discrimination and classification of tropical soybean genotypes according to their relative maturity group during the population selection process with the aim of optimizing the phenotypic performance of these selected genotypes. For this purpose, three biparental populations were synthesized, one with a wide genetic variability for the RMG character obtained from the hybridization between genitors of maturity groups RMG 5 (Sub-tropical 23° LS) × RMG 9.4 (Tropical 0° LS) and two populations with a narrow variability obtained between genitors RMG 7.3 (Tropical 20° LS) × RMG 9.4 and RMG 5.3 × RMG 6.7, respectively. Criteria for comparing the developed ANN architecture with Fisher’s linear and Anderson’s quadratic parametric discriminant methodologies were applied to the data for the discrimination and classification of the genotypes. ANN showed an apparent error rate of less than 8.16% as well as a low influence of environmental factors, correctly classifying the genotypes in the populations even in cases of reduced genetic variability such as in the RMG 5 × RMG 6 population. In contrast, the discriminant functions were inefficient in correctly classifying the genotypes in the populations with genealogical similarity (RMG 5 × RMG 6) and wide genetic variability, with an error rate of more than 50%. Based on the results of this study, ANN can be used for the discrimination of genotypes in the initial generations of selection in breeding programs for the development of high performance cultivars for wide and reduced photoperiod amplitudes, even with fewer selection environments, more efficiently, and with fewer time and resources applied. As a result of similarity between the parents, ANN can correctly classify genotypes from populations with a narrow genetic base, in addition to pure lines and genotypes with a high degree of inbreeding.
Target Capture Reveals the Complex Origin of Vietnamese Ginseng
Authors: Le Hien Thi Thu , Nguyen Linh Nhat , Pham Hang Le Bich , Le Hao Thi My , Luong Toan Duc , Huynh Hue Thi Thu , Nguyen Van Tuong , Nong Hai Van , Teixidor-Toneu Irene , De Boer Hugo J. , Manzanilla Vincent
Published: July 2022

The global market of the medicinal plant ginseng is worth billions of dollars. Many ginseng species are threatened in the wild and effective sustainable development initiatives are necessary to preserve biodiversity at species and genetic level whilst meeting the demand for medicinal produce. This is also the case of Panax vietnamensis Ha & Grushv., an endemic and threatened ginseng species in Vietnam that is locally cultivated at different scales and has been the object of national breeding programs. To investigate the genetic diversity within cultivated and wild populations of P. vietnamensis we captured 353 nuclear markers using the Angiosperm-353 probe set. Genetic diversity and population structure were evaluated for 319 individuals of Vietnamese ginseng across its area of distribution and from wild and a varying range of cultivated areas. In total, 319 individuals were sampled. After filtering, 1,181 SNPs were recovered. From the population statistics, we observe high genetic diversity and high genetic flow between populations. This is also supported by the STRUCTURE analysis. The intense gene flow between populations and very low genetic differentiation is observed regardless of the populations' wild or cultivated status. High levels of admixture from two ancestral populations exist in both wild and cultivated samples. The high gene flow between populations can be attributed to ancient and on-going practices of cultivation, which exist in a continuum from understorey, untended breeding to irrigated farm cultivation and to trade and exchange activities. These results highlight the importance of partnering with indigenous peoples and local communities and taking their knowledge into account for biodiversity conservation and sustainable development of plants of high cultural value.
A Dataset for Forestry Pest Identification
Authors: Liu Bing , Liu Luyang , Zhuo Ran , Chen Weidong , Duan Rui , Wang Guishen
Published: July 2022

The identification of forest pests is of great significance to the prevention and control of the forest pests' scale. However, existing datasets mainly focus on common objects, which limits the application of deep learning techniques in specific fields (such as agriculture). In this paper, we collected images of forestry pests and constructed a dataset for forestry pest identification, called Forestry Pest Dataset. The Forestry Pest Dataset contains 31 categories of pests and their different forms. We conduct several mainstream object detection experiments on this dataset. The experimental results show that the dataset achieves good performance on various models. We hope that our Forestry Pest Dataset will help researchers in the field of pest control and pest detection in the future.
Systematics and Plastome Evolution in Schizaeaceae
Authors: Ke Bing-Feng , Wang Goang-Jiun , Labiak Paulo H. , Rouhan Germinal , Chen Cheng-Wei , Shepherd Lara D. , Ohlsen Daniel J. , Renner Matthew A. M. , Karol Kenneth G. , Li Fay-Wei , Kuo Li-Yaung
Published: July 2022

While the family Schizaeaceae (Schizaeales) represents only about 0.4% of the extant fern species diversity, it differs from other ferns greatly in gross morphologies, niche preferences, and life histories. One of the most notable features in this family is its mycoheterotrophic life style in the gametophytic stage, which appears to be associated with extensive losses of plastid genes. However, the limited number of sequenced plastomes, and the lack of a well-resolved phylogenetic framework of Schizaeaceae, makes it difficult to gain any further insight. Here, with a comprehensive sampling of ~77% of the species diversity of this family, we first inferred a plastid phylogeny of Schizaeaceae using three DNA regions. To resolve the deep relationships within this family, we then reconstructed a plastome-based phylogeny focusing on a selection of representatives that covered all the major clades. From this phylogenomic backbone, we traced the evolutionary histories of plastid genes and examined whether gene losses were associated with the evolution of gametophytic mycoheterotrophy. Our results reveal that extant Schizaeaceae is comprised of four major clades—Microschizaea, Actinostachys, Schizaea, and Schizaea pusilla. The loss of all plastid NADH-like dehydrogenase (ndh) genes was confirmed to have occurred in the ancestor of extant Schizaeaceae, which coincides with the evolution of mycoheterotrophy in this family. For chlorophyll biosynthesis genes (chl), the losses were interpreted as convergent in Schizaeaceae, and found not only in Actinostachys, a clade producing achlorophyllous gametophytes, but also in S. pusilla with chlorophyllous gametophytes. In addition, we discovered a previously undescribed but phylogenetically distinct species hidden in the Schizaea dichotoma complex and provided a taxonomic treatment and morphological diagnostics for this new species—Schizaea medusa. Finally, our phylogenetic results suggest that the current PPG I circumscription of Schizaea is non-monophyletic, and we therefore proposed a three-genus classification moving a subset of Schizaea species sensu PPG I to a third genus—Microschizaea.
A Bird’s Eye View of the Systematics of Convolvulaceae: Novel Insights From Nuclear Genomic Data
Authors: Simões Ana Rita G. , Eserman Lauren A. , Zuntini Alexandre R. , Chatrou Lars W. , Utteridge Timothy M. A. , Maurin Olivier , Rokni Saba , Roy Shyamali , Forest Félix , Baker William J. , Stefanović Saša
Published: July 2022

Convolvulaceae is a family of c. 2,000 species, distributed across 60 currently recognized genera. It includes species of high economic importance, such as the crop sweet potato (Ipomoea batatas L.), the ornamental morning glories (Ipomoea L.), bindweeds (Convolvulus L.), and dodders, the parasitic vines (Cuscuta L.). Earlier phylogenetic studies, based predominantly on chloroplast markers or a single nuclear region, have provided a framework for systematic studies of the family, but uncertainty remains at the level of the relationships among subfamilies, tribes, and genera, hindering evolutionary inferences and taxonomic advances. One of the enduring enigmas has been the relationship of Cuscuta to the rest of Convolvulaceae. Other examples of unresolved issues include the monophyly and relationships within Merremieae, the “bifid-style” clade (Dicranostyloideae), as well as the relative positions of Erycibe Roxb. and Cardiochlamyeae. In this study, we explore a large dataset of nuclear genes generated using Angiosperms353 kit, as a contribution to resolving some of these remaining phylogenetic uncertainties within Convolvulaceae. For the first time, a strongly supported backbone of the family is provided. Cuscuta is confirmed to belong within family Convolvulaceae. “Merremieae,” in their former tribal circumscription, are recovered as non-monophyletic, with the unexpected placement of Distimake Raf. as sister to the clade that contains Ipomoeeae and Decalobanthus Ooststr., and Convolvuleae nested within the remaining “Merremieae.” The monophyly of Dicranostyloideae, including Jacquemontia Choisy, is strongly supported, albeit novel relationships between genera are hypothesized, challenging the current tribal delimitation. The exact placements of Erycibe and Cuscuta remain uncertain, requiring further investigation. Our study explores the benefits and limitations of increasing sequence data in resolving higher-level relationships within Convolvulaceae, and highlights the need for expanded taxonomic sampling, to facilitate a much-needed revised classification of the family.
ELO2 Participates in the Regulation of Osmotic Stress Response by Modulating Nitric Oxide Accumulation in Arabidopsis
Authors: Zheng Si-Qiu , Fu Zheng-Wei , Lu Ying-Tang
Published: July 2022

The ELO family is involved in synthesizing very-long-chain fatty acids (VLCFAs) and VLCFAs play a crucial role in plant development, protein transport, and disease resistance, but the physiological function of the plant ELO family is largely unknown. Further, while nitric oxide synthase (NOS)-like activity acts in various plant environmental responses by modulating nitric oxide (NO) accumulation, how the NOS-like activity is regulated in such different stress responses remains misty. Here, we report that the yeast mutant Δelo3is defective in H2O2-triggered cell apoptosis with decreased NOS-like activity and NO accumulation, while its Arabidopsis homologous geneELO2 (ELO HOMOLOG 2)could complement such defects in Δelo3. The expression of this gene is enhanced and required in plant osmotic stress response because the T-DNA insertion mutantelo2is more sensitive to the stress than wild-type plants, andELO2expression could rescue the sensitivity phenotype ofelo2. In addition, osmotic stress-promoted NOS-like activity and NO accumulation are significantly repressed inelo2, while exogenous application of NO donors can rescue this sensitivity ofelo2in terms of germination rate, fresh weight, chlorophyll content, and ion leakage. Furthermore, stress-responsive gene expression, proline accumulation, and catalase activity are also repressed inelo2compared with the wild type under osmotic stress. In conclusion, our study identifies ELO2 as a pivotal factor involved in plant osmotic stress response and reveals its role in regulating NOS-like activity and NO accumulation.
Detecting Asymptomatic Infections of Rice Bacterial Leaf Blight Using Hyperspectral Imaging and 3-Dimensional Convolutional Neural Network With Spectral Dilated Convolution
Authors: Cao Yifei , Yuan Peisen , Xu Huanliang , Martínez-Ortega José Fernán , Feng Jiarui , Zhai Zhaoyu
Published: July 2022

Rice is one of the most important food crops for human beings. Its total production ranks third in the grain crop output. Bacterial Leaf Blight (BLB), as one of the three major diseases of rice, occurs every year, posing a huge threat to rice production and safety. There is an asymptomatic period between the infection and the onset periods, and BLB will spread rapidly and widely under suitable conditions. Therefore, accurate detection of early asymptomatic BLB is very necessary. The purpose of this study was to test the feasibility of detecting early asymptomatic infection of the rice BLB disease based on hyperspectral imaging and Spectral Dilated Convolution 3-Dimensional Convolutional Neural Network (SDC-3DCNN). First, hyperspectral images were obtained from rice leaves infected with the BLB disease at the tillering stage. The spectrum was smoothed by the Savitzky–Golay (SG) method, and the wavelength between 450 and 950 nm was intercepted for analysis. Then Principal Component Analysis (PCA) and Random Forest (RF) were used to extract the feature information from the original spectra as inputs. The overall performance of the SDC-3DCNN model with different numbers of input features and different spectral dilated ratios was evaluated. Lastly, the saliency map visualization was used to explain the sensitivity of individual wavelengths. The results showed that the performance of the SDC-3DCNN model reached an accuracy of 95.4427% when the number of inputs is 50 characteristic wavelengths (extracted by RF) and the dilated ratio is set at 5. The saliency-sensitive wavelengths were identified in the range from 530 to 570 nm, which overlaps with the important wavelengths extracted by RF. According to our findings, combining hyperspectral imaging and deep learning can be a reliable approach for identifying early asymptomatic infection of the rice BLB disease, providing sufficient support for early warning and rice disease prevention.
Negation and Negative Concord in Georgian Sign Language
Authors: Pfau Roland , Makharoblidze Tamar , Zeijlstra Hedde
Published: July 2022

Negation is a topic that has received considerable attention ever since the early days of sign language linguistics; also, it is one of the grammatical domains that has given the impetus for sign language typology. In this paper, we offer a typological and theoretical contribution to the study of sign language negation. As for the typological side, we add Georgian Sign Language (GESL) to the pool of languages investigated. Our description reveals that GESL displays a number of typologically unusual features: a considerable number of negative particles, including emphatic, prohibitive, and tense-specific particles; specialized negative modals; and a wide range of possibilities for Negative Concord (NC) involving two manual negative signs, including a unique tense-specific instance of NC. Most of the patterns we report—available negative particles, their clausal position, and NC possibilities—are clearly different from those attested in spoken Georgian. As for the theoretical contribution, we investigate how the highly complex GESL negation system compares to existing taxonomies of NC and Double Negation systems, and we conclude that GESL aligns with certain languages that have been classified as atypical NC languages.
The Role of Working Memory, Short-Term Memory, Speed of Processing, Education, and Locality in Verb-Related Morphosyntactic Production: Evidence From Greek
Authors: Fyndanis Valantis , Masoura Elvira , Malefaki Sonia , Chatziadamou Efpraxia , Dosi Ifigeneia , Caplan David
Published: July 2022

This study investigates the relationship between verb-related morphosyntactic production (VRMP) and locality (i.e., critical cue being adjacent to the target or not), verbal Working Memory (vWM), nonverbal/visuospatial WM (nvWM), verbal short-term memory (vSTM), nonverbal/visuospatial STM (nvSTM), speed of processing, and education. Eighty healthy middle-aged and older Greek-speaking participants were administered a sentence completion task tapping into production of subject–verb Agreement, Time Reference/Tense, and grammatical Aspect in local and nonlocal configurations, and cognitive tasks tapping into vSTM, nvSTM, vWM, nvWM, and speed of processing. Aspect elicited worse performance than Time Reference and Agreement, and Time Reference elicited worse performance than Agreement. There were main effects of vSTM, vWM, education, and locality: the greater the participants’ vSTM/vWM capacity, and the higher their educational level, the better their VRMP; nonlocal configurations elicited worse performance on VRMP than local configurations. Moreover, vWM affected Aspect and Time Reference/Tense more than Agreement, and education affected VRMP more in local than in nonlocal configurations. Lastly, locality affected Agreement and Aspect (with nonlocal configurations eliciting more agreement and aspect errors than local configurations) but not Time Reference. That vSTM/vWM (but not nvSTM/nvWM) were found to subserve VRMP suggests that VRMP is predominantly supported by domain-specific, not by domain-general, memory resources. The main effects of vWM and vSTM suggest that both the processing and storage components of WM are relevant to VRMP. That vWM (but not vSTM) interacts with production of Aspect, Time Reference, and Agreement suggests that Aspect and Time Reference are computationally more demanding than Agreement. These findings are consistent with earlier findings that, in individuals with aphasia, vWM interacts with production of Aspect, Time Reference, and Agreement. The differential effect of education on VRMP in local vs. nonlocal configurations could be accounted for by assuming that education is a proxy for an assumed procedural memory system that is sensitive to frequency patterns in language and better supports VRMP in more frequent than in less frequent configurations. In the same vein, the interaction between locality and the three morphosyntactic categories might reflect the statistical distribution of local vs. nonlocal Aspect, Agreement, and Time Reference/Tense in Greek.
Associations Between Ancillary Body Movements and Acoustic Parameters of Pitch, Dynamics and Timbre in Clarinet Playing
Authors: Nusseck Manfred , Czedik-Eysenberg Isabella , Spahn Claudia , Reuter Christoph
Published: July 2022

When playing an instrument, there are two main categories of body movements: instrumental movements, which are necessary for the sound production, and ancillary movements, which are associated with individual musical intentions and expressions. In this study, the particular purpose of ancillary movements of clarinet player was investigated especially in respect to how these movements were related to the musical structure of the piece and to specific audio parameters. 3D motion capture data of 19 clarinet players performing the same piece were analyzed regarding common motion patterns during the performance and in accordance with acoustic features related to pitch, dynamics (RMS energy) and timbre (spectral centroid and flux). A focus of the body movements was on the arms and the knees. The results showed that there were certain motion patterns performed by the players depending on specific musical structures. When playing a melodic part, the players often did so by bending their knees. At musical transitions, however, the knees were mainly stretched. Similarly, arm movements were more pronounced during playing melodious parts. At transitions, the arms were put closer to the torso. Considering the connection with the acoustics, a larger range of knee motions was correlated with a larger variation of the timbre. Moreover, at specific moments during the performance, when some players strongly bent their knees or lifted the arms, the RMS energy of the signal was significantly higher. The correlations of the body movements and the acoustic features showed that some players synchronized their movements with particular audio parameters more than others did. In summary, the ancillary movements of the clarinetists pursued both musical expressive intentions and physiologically necessary movements and tended to be performed with individual differences in terms of visual and auditory expression.
Urban–Rural Differences in Subjective Well-Being of Older Adult Learners in China
Authors: Jiayue Xu , Changsheng Ye , Lixin Sun , Xiao Yu , Wenjun Zhao , Chuanyong Le
Published: July 2022

Population aging has brought great challenges to many regions throughout the world. Enhancing the sense of participation, access, and well-being of older adults is the goal of China’s aging development. This study, taking urban–rural difference as the entry point, examined the difference in subjective well-being between urban and rural older learners. A total of 2,007 older adults learners (n = 2007) aged over 50 years were recruited in Zhejiang, Anhui, and Shandong Provinces in China, including 773 rural older adults and 1,234 urban older adults. This study found that there was a significant positive correlation between senior learning and the subjective well-being of urban and rural older adult learners. Furthermore, there was a significant difference between the subjective well-being of urban and rural older adult learners’ and there was also an urban–rural difference between the effects of older adult learning on the subjective well-being. Based on the above findings, this study reveals the mechanism of the impact of older adult learning on subjective well-being of urban and rural older adults and gives relevant suggestions for improving the subjective well-being of urban and rural older learners.
One Social Media, Distinct Habitus: Generation Z's Social Media Uses and Gratifications and the Moderation Effect of Economic Capital
Authors: Hu Qingqing , Hu Xue , Hou Pan
Published: July 2022

This study aims at contributing to literature by investigating characteristics of Generation Z's social media uses and gratifications and the moderation effect of economic capital. Specifically, we employed online survey as the main research method to examine the connections between the young generation cohort's online motivations, social media practices, and economic capital. A total of 221 Chinese Generation Z social media users were recruited in the survey. Results indicated that (1) Generation Zs have different social media engagements depending on whether they were connected for daily routine alternatives or socialization; (2) the young cohorts from upper-mid-income families demonstrated a more instrumental-rational habitus to use social media more frequently as a communicative tool than those from low-income families; and (3) motivations and family income interacted to influence Generation Z's social media practices (e.g., social capital accumulating and exchanging and self-expression). Findings here provide empirical reference to deepened understandings of the interactions between social media and digital generations, and their connections with digital social inequalities.
Effectiveness of Mental Health Warnings on Tobacco Packaging in People With and Without Common Mental Health Conditions: An Online Randomised Experiment
Authors: Sawyer Katherine , Burke Chloe , Ng Ronnie Long Yee , Freeman Tom P. , Adams Sally , Taylor Gemma
Published: July 2022

Background

Health warning labels on tobacco packaging are a cost-effective means of health risk communication. However, while an extensive range of physical health risks are well-portrayed via current tobacco health warnings in the UK, there are none that currently portray the negative impact of smoking on mental health.

Aims

(i) develop novel mental health warning labels for tobacco packaging and (ii) test perceptions of these warnings in smokers and non-smokers, with and without mental health problems.

Methods

Six mental health warning labels were developed with a consultancy focus group. These warning labels were tested in an online randomised experiment, where respondents (N = 687) rated six Mental Health Warning Labels (MHWLs) and six Physical Health Warning Labels (PHWLs) on measures of perceived effectiveness, believability, arousal, valence, acceptability, reactance and novelty of information.

Results

MHWLs were perceived as low to moderately effective (mean = 4.02, SD = 2.40), but less effective than PHWLs (mean = 5.78, SD = 2.55, p < 0.001, ηp2 = 0.63). MHWLs were perceived as less believable, arousing, unpleasant, and acceptable than PHWLs. MHWLs evoked more reactance and were rated as more novel. Perceptions of MHWLs did not differ in people with and without mental health problems except for reactance and acceptability, but consistent with the PHWL literature, perceptions of MHWLs differed between non-smokers and smokers.

Conclusion

MHWLs could be an effective means to communicate novel information about the effects of smoking on mental health. MHWLs are perceived as less effective, believable, arousing, unpleasant, and acceptable than PHWLs, but MHWLs evoke more reactance and are rated as more novel.
Associations Between Delivery Modes, Birth Outcomes and Offspring Anxiety Disorders in a Population-Based Birth Cohort of Children and Adolescents
Authors: Ståhlberg Tiia , Upadhyaya Subina , Polo-Kantola Päivi , Khanal Prakash , Luntamo Terhi , Hinkka-Yli-Salomäki Susanna , Sourander Andre
Published: July 2022

Objective

Mode of delivery and well-being markers for newborn infants have been associated with later psychiatric problems in children and adolescents. However, only few studies have examined the association between birth outcomes and anxiety disorders and the results have been contradictory.

Methods

This study was a Finnish population-based register study, which comprised 22,181 children and adolescents with anxiety disorders and 74,726 controls. Three national registers were used to collect the data on exposures, confounders and outcomes. Mode of delivery, the 1-min Apgar score, umbilical artery pH and neonatal monitoring were studied as exposure variables for anxiety disorders and for specific anxiety disorders. Conditional logistic regression was used to examine these associations.

Results

Unplanned and planned cesarean sections increased the odds for anxiety disorders in children and adolescents (adjusted OR 1.08, 95% CI 1.02–1.15 and aOR 1.12, 95% CI 1.05–1.19, respectively). After an additional adjustment for maternal diagnoses, unplanned cesarean sections remained statistically significant (aOR 1.11, 95% CI 1.04–1.18). For specific anxiety disorders, planned cesarean sections and the need for neonatal monitoring increased the odds for specific phobia (aOR 1.21, 95% CI 1.01–1.44 and aOR 1.28, 95% CI 1.07–1.52, respectively).

Conclusions

Birth by cesarean section increased the odds for later anxiety disorders in children and adolescents and unplanned cesarean sections showed an independent association. Further studies are needed to examine the mechanisms behind these associations.
Is Brain-Derived Neurotropic Factor Methylation Involved in the Association Between Prenatal Stress and Maternal Postnatal Anxiety During the COVID-19 Pandemic?
Authors: Provenzi Livio , Villa Marco , Mambretti Fabiana , Citterio Andrea , Grumi Serena , Bertazzoli Emanuela , Biasucci Giacomo , Decembrino Lidia , Gardella Barbara , Giacchero Roberta , Magnani Maria Luisa , Nacinovich Renata , Pisoni Camilla , Prefumo Federico , Orcesi Simona , Scelsa Barbara , Giorda Roberto , Borgatti Renato
Published: July 2022

Background

The COVID-19 pandemic is a collective trauma that may expose susceptible individuals to high levels of stress. Pregnant women represent a high-risk population, considering that pregnancy is a period of heightened neuroplasticity and susceptibility to stress through epigenetic mechanisms. Previous studies showed that the methylation status of the BDNF gene is linked with prenatal stress exposure. The goals of this study were (a) to assess the association between pandemic-related stress and postnatal anxiety and (b) to investigate the potential role of maternal BDNF methylation as a significant mediator of this association.

Methods

In the present study, we report data on the association among pandemic-related stress during pregnancy, maternal BDNF methylation, and postnatal anxiety symptoms. Pandemic-related stress and postnatal anxiety were assessed through self-report instruments. BDNF methylation was estimated in 11 CpG sites in DNA from mothers’ buccal cells. Complete data were available from 108 mothers.

Results

Results showed that pandemic-related stress was associated with an increased risk of postnatal anxiety, r = 0.20, p < 0.05. CpG-specific BDNF methylation was significantly associated with both prenatal pandemic-related stress, r = 0.21, p < 0.05, and postnatal maternal anxious symptoms, r = 0.25, p = 0.01. Moreover, a complete mediation by the BDNF CpG6 methylation emerged between pandemic-related stress during pregnancy and postnatal maternal anxiety, ACME = 0.66, p < 0.05.

Conclusion

These findings suggest that BDNF epigenetic regulation by pandemic-related stress might contribute to increase the risk of anxiety in mothers. Policymakers should prioritize the promotion of health and wellbeing in pregnant women and mothers during the present healthcare emergency.
Mapping of Global Research on Electronic Cigarettes: A Bibliometric Analysis
Authors: Li Xuechao , Zhang Ting , Zhao Liang , Liu Qiling , Shi Chuandao , Zhang Rongqiang
Published: July 2022

Electronic cigarettes (E-cigarettes) use has increased rapidly in the past decades and has been widely studied by scholars worldwide, whereas the research topics and development trends in this field are still unclear. This study aimed to explore the landscape of research relating to e-cigarettes. The data outputted from the Web of Science Core Collection database was used for bibliometric analysis. Frequencies and percentages were used to describe the publications' characteristics. Visualizing maps were designed using VOSviewer 1.6.9 and CiteSpace 5.8 R2. Overall, a total of 7,979 records were identified in the database and the number of researches increased rapidly since 2010. All publications involved 19837 authors, with the top ten authors contributing to 8.71% (695) of all documents. The most productive country and institution were the United States of America and the University of California San Francisco, respectively. Nicotine & Tobacco Research was not only the journal with the most published papers but also the most co-cited journal. The main research domains in this field were the prevalence, awareness, reasons for using e-cigarettes; e-cigarettes use for tobacco harm reduction; exposure in the population; and the relationship between e-cigarettes and tobacco and nicotine. E-cigarettes researches have become a popular field for scholars. The hot topics on e-cigarette research were extensive and changed over the past decade.
The Chilean Maternal-Infant Cohort Study-II in the COVID-19 Era: A Study Protocol
Authors: Mujica-Coopman María F. , Corvalán Camila , Flores Marcela , Garmendia María Luisa
Published: July 2022

Background

Pregnancy is a critical developmental window in which optimal maternal nutrition and health are key for pregnancy and infant development. The COVID-19 pandemic is considered as a “natural experiment” in which maternal and infant nutrition and health challenges were faced especially in developing countries. Therefore, understanding the health consequences for mothers and infants living in the COVID-19 era is key to revisit public health measures focused on maternal and infant health. The current work aims to describe the design, methods, and descriptive information at recruitment and preliminary findings of the Chilean Maternal & Infant Cohort Study II (CHiMINCs-II) cohort.

Methods

The CHiMINCs-II is an ongoing cohort that is part of the Chilean Maternal and Infant Nutrition Observatory of the South-East area of Santiago, Chile. In total, 1954 pregnant women beneficiaries of the public health systems and their offspring were recruited before 15 weeks of gestation and are followed across pregnancy (<15, 26–28, and 35–37 weeks of gestation) and up to 2 years of age in their offspring. Two studies are currently nested within the CHiMINCs-II cohort: (1) Breast Cancer Risk Assessment in Mothers (BRECAM) study, and (2) the CHiMINCs-COVID study. The primary objective of BRECAM study is to test the association between maternal metabolic indicators (i.e., insulin, glucose, insulin growth factor 1, and hemoglobin A1c concentrations) at early pregnancy (i.e., <15 and 26–28 weeks of gestation) and breast density 3 months after the cessation of lactation. For this purpose, we collect maternal obstetric, lifestyle, dietary intake, anthropometric, and biochemical information. The aim of the CHiMINCs-COVID study is to assess maternal dietary intake and mental health problems derived from the COVID-19 pandemic and their association with maternal and infant's health and nutrition. Thus, we collected detailed information on dietary behaviors, mental health, and COVID-related information at each trimester, along with neonatal and infant nutritional information.

Discussion

The findings of this study will provide novel and critical information to better understand maternal nutritional status, mental health, as well as infant growth and nutrition during the COVID-19 era.

Clinical Trial Registration

BRECAM study registration number NCT03920098 and CHiMINCs-COVID study registration number NCT01916603.
Diagnosis and ECMO Treatment of a Critically Ill Patient With Disseminated Mycobacterium tuberculosis: A Case Report
Authors: Shang Xiuling , Zhang Hongxuan , Chen Sheng , Wang Chen , Lin Meifu , Yu Rongguo
Published: July 2022

Background

Mycobacterium tuberculosis infection remains a public health concern worldwide. The diagnosis and treatment of disseminated M. tuberculosis is very difficult, so we shared our experiences and lessons learned in this case report.

Case Presentation

A 36-year-old female with a history of epilepsy presented to our hospital with fever, upper abdominal pain, muscle soreness in limbs for 7 days, and shortness of breath for 4 days. On admission, she presented with acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) and liver dysfunction. Due to the critical nature of her clinical presentation, the patient was admitted directly to the Intensive Care Unit (ICU), received mechanical ventilation in prone position and VV-ECMO treatment. Her condition improved gradually, and the ECMO was removed after 7 days and she was weaned off the ventilator after 8 days. However, her fever recurred and she underwent PET-CT examination, liver contrast ultrasound, acid-fast staining and second-generation sequencing of cerebrospinal fluid, which confirmed M. tuberculosis infection.

Conclusion

This case report briefly described the treatment and diagnosis of a critically ill patient with intra and extra-pulmonary tuberculosis infection. Timely and appropriate treatment is crucial to save lives, but the timing of ECMO treatment needs to be carefully considered for patients with ARDS caused by tuberculosis.
Validating the Use of Amputated Limbs Used as Cadaver Detection Dog Training Aids
Authors: Dargan Rushali , Samson Clifford , Burr Wesley S. , Daoust Benoit , Forbes Shari L.
Published: July 2022

Cadaver detection dogs (CDDs) are trained to locate human remains and/or objects associated with human remains. This is possible due to their extraordinary olfactory capabilities compared to those of humans. To reinforce this capability, CDDs must be trained and regularly exposed to the target odor in the form of training aids which include—chemical formulations, animal remains, and/or human remains. Currently, the Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) use amputated limbs/feet from consented surgeries performed on diabetic patients as cadaver detection dog training aids. There is limited knowledge about the volatile organic compound (VOC) composition of these training aids and their appropriateness as an alternative to human remains for CDD training purposes, which formed the aim of the current study. VOCs were collected from amputated lower limbs/feet repeatedly using thermal desorption (TD) tubes and analyzed with comprehensive two-dimensional gas chromatography—time-of-flight mass spectrometry (GC×GC-TOFMS). The response of cadaver detection dogs to these training aids was also recorded to understand their alert in the context of the detected VOCs. VOC classes including acids, alcohols, aldehydes, ketones, ester and analogues, ethers, aliphatic, cyclics, sulfur-containing, nitrogen-containing, and halogen-containing VOCs were identified. Of these classes, cyclic VOCs were most abundant followed by nitrogen-containing VOCs while ethers were the least abundant. The most prominent VOCs identified in amputated limbs/feet were decomposition related however, one VOC—sevoflurane, originated from anaesthesia during the surgeries. It was determined that the VOC profile of aged and relatively recent training aids were variable. The aged training aids sampled over time had less variability (compared to more recent training aids). Additionally, the VOC profiles of samples was not found variable owing to the storage conditions—room temperature, refrigerator or freezer. Overall, a 98.4% detection rate was observed for amputated limbs/feet used as CDD training aids and the presence of non-decomposition related VOCs such as sevoflurane did not appear to impact the CDDs’ detection capability. This study highlights that the presence of decomposition VOCs in amputated limbs/feet and their high detection rate by CDDs validates their use as alternative CDD training aids.
Acute Neuromuscular and Hormonal Responses to Power, Strength, and Hypertrophic Protocols and Training Background
Authors: Kotikangas Johanna , Walker Simon , Toivonen Sara , Peltonen Heikki , Häkkinen Keijo
Published: July 2022

This study investigated how two slightly different athlete groups would differ in acute neuromuscular and endocrine responses to specific resistance exercise loadings and recovery compared to untrained participants. Power athletes (PA, n = 8), strength athletes (SA, n = 8) and non-athletes (NA, n = 7) performed power (PL, 7 × 6 × 50% of 1RM), maximal strength (MSL, 7 × 3 × 3RM), and hypertrophic (HL, 5 × 10 × 10RM) loadings in Smith-machine back-squat. Neuromuscular performance, serum testosterone, growth hormone, and cortisol concentrations, and blood lactate (BL) were measured before (Pre), at Mid and after (Post) loading, and after recovery for 24 and 48 h. All loadings led to acute decreases in neuromuscular performance and elevations in hormone concentrations and BL. During PL, a significant group × time interactions occurred in maximal isometric force [F(4, 40) = 4.189, p = 0.006, ηp2 = 0.295] indicating a greater decrease in PA compared to SA from Pre to Mid (p < 0.05), and in countermovement jump height [F(4, 40) = 2.895, p = 0.034, ηp2 = 0.224] indicating a greater decrease in NA compared to SA from Pre to Mid (p < 0.05). During HL, growth hormone was higher in Mid and Post in SA compared to NA (p < 0.05). No significant interactions were found during recovery. The differences during PL and HL suggest that the training background may enhance acute responses during the present loadings, whereas it seemed to have a limited effect on the recovery.
Case Report: Clinical Use of a Patient-Individual Magnetic Resonance Imaging-Based Stereotactic Navigation Device for Brain Biopsies in Three Dogs
Authors: Gutmann Sarah , Flegel Thomas , Müller Marcel , Möbius Robert , Matiasek Kaspar , König Florian , Winkler Dirk , Grunert Ronny
Published: July 2022

Three-dimensional (3D) printing techniques for patient-individual medicine has found its way into veterinary neurosurgery. Because of the high accuracy of 3D printed specific neurosurgical navigation devices, it seems to be a safe and reliable option to use patient-individual constructions for sampling brain tissue. Due to the complexity and vulnerability of the brain a particularly precise and safe procedure is required. In a recent cadaver study a better accuracy for the 3D printed MRI-based patient individual stereotactic brain biopsy device for dogs is determined compared to the accuracies of other biopsy systems which are currently used in veterinary medicine. This case report describes the clinical use of this 3D printed MRI-based patient individual brain biopsy device for brain sampling in three dogs. The system was characterized by a simple handling. Furthermore, it was an effective and reliable tool to gain diagnostic brain biopsy samples in dogs with no significant side effects.
The Covid-19 Pandemic and Maternal Mental Health: A Longitudinal Study of Chilean and Foreign-Born Mothers
Authors: Abufhele Alejandra , Narea Marigen , Telias Amanda
Published: July 2022

Objectives: We explore the effects of the pandemic on stress, depressive symptoms and parenting practices of mothers with children aged between 24- and 30-months, residents in Santiago, Chile, and the differences between foreign‐born and native‐born mothers.

Methods: Using data from the longitudinal project Mil Primeros Días and lagged-dependent models, we analyzed parental stress, depressive symptoms and parenting practices for native-born and foreign-born mothers. Lagged-dependent model allows us to take advantage of the longitudinal data by controlling for the previous score and baseline individual characteristics.

Results: After 8 months of the pandemic, mothers of young children have more depressive symptoms, are more stressed, and show more hostility towards their children. Foreign-born mothers had 0.29 and 0.22 standard deviations (SD) more than native-born mothers in the parental distress and difficult child scales from the Parental Stress Index (PSI), respectively, and 0.17 SD more in the hostile-reactive parental behavior dimension.

Conclusion: Findings suggest the need to implement policies and programs that prevent mental health deterioration for mothers, especially migrant mothers, to improve women’s psychological condition and child wellness.
Characterisation of Selected Mungbean Genotypes for Tolerance to Waterlogging Stress at Pod Filling Stage
Authors: Ikram Sobia , Bhattarai Surya , Walsh Kerry Brian
Published: July 2022

Mungbean is susceptible to waterlogging stress; therefore, breeding tolerant varieties would provide Australian growers with management options for wet summer season planting. Selection for waterlogging tolerance could be improved using vegetative indices that correlate to yield. Five mungbean genotypes were exposed to waterlogging stress at the pod-filling stage and characterised for various morphological and physiological traits governing seed yield. Waterlogging during pod filling decreased stomatal conductance (gs) and photosynthetic rate (Asat) to ~27% and 25% compared to control, respectively, resulting in a decline in effective quantum yield of PSII (ФPSII) and maximum efficiency of PSII of dark-adapted leaves (Fv/Fm) and leaf chlorophyll while increasing excitation pressure (1-qP) significantly. Waterlogging at pod filling reduced leaf count (19%), plant height (23%), leaf dry weight (38%), stem dry weight (33%), pod dry weight (36%), above-ground biomass (34%), root biomass (26%), and 100-seed weight (4%). Seed yield was highly positively correlated with Asat (0.86), gs (0.69), chlorophyll content (0.63), and ФPSII (0.59), with a highly negative correlation with 1-qP (−0.87) at 30 days of treatment imposition. A yield penalty of 32% was recorded under waterlogging stress compared to control plants, while the performance of all genotypes was found to be similar in terms of seed yield. Interestingly, genotype AVTMB#3 produced significantly larger seeds under waterlogging stress relative to other genotypes, including the leading Australian mungbean variety, Jade-AU. Based on a robust and significantly strong correlation with seed yield under waterlogging stress, 1-qP and photosynthetic rates (Asat) are recommended as potential indicators for the screening of mungbean genotypes. Thus, the current study presents a framework for screening waterlogging tolerance, which can provide a reasonable basis for the selection of various genotypes in future mungbean breeding programs.