bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Kv7-specific activators hyperpolarize resting membrane potential and modulate human iPSC-derived sensory neuron excitability
Authors: Estacion Mark , Liu Shujun , Cheng Xiaoyang , Dib-Hajj Sulayman , Waxman Stephen G.
Published: February 2023

Chronic pain is highly prevalent and remains a significant unmet global medical need. As part of a search for modulatory genes that confer pain resilience, we have studied two family cohorts where one individual reported much less pain than other family members that share the same pathogenic gain-of-function Nav1.7 mutation that confers hyperexcitability on pain-signaling dorsal root ganglion (DRG) neurons. In each of these kindreds, the pain-resilient individual carried a gain-of-function variant in Kv7.2 or Kv7.3, two potassium channels that stabilize membrane potential and reduce excitability. Our observation in this molecular genetic study that these gain-of-function Kv7.2 and 7.3 variants reduce DRG neuron excitability suggests that agents that activate or open Kv7 channels should attenuate sensory neuron firing. In the present study, we assess the effects on sensory neuron excitability of three Kv7 modulators—retigabine (Kv7.2 thru Kv7.5 activator), ICA-110381 (Kv7.2/Kv7.3 specific activator), and as a comparator ML277 (Kv7.1 specific activator)—in a “human-pain-in-a-dish” model (human iPSC-derived sensory neurons, iPSC-SN). Multi-electrode-array (MEA) recordings demonstrated inhibition of firing with retigabine and ICA-110381 (but not with ML277), with the concentration-response curve indicating that retigabine can achieve a 50% reduction of firing with sub-micromolar concentrations. Current-clamp recording demonstrated that retigabine hyperpolarized iPSC-SN resting potential and increased threshold. This study implicates Kv7.2/Kv7.3 channels as effective modulators of sensory neuron excitability, and suggest that compounds that specifically target Kv7.2/Kv7.3 currents in sensory neurons, including human sensory neurons, might provide an effective approach toward pain relief.
The mechanisms of potassium loss in acute myocardial ischemia: New insights from computational simulations
Authors: Ferrero Jose M. , Gonzalez-Ascaso Ana , Matas Jose F. Rodriguez
Published: February 2023

Acute myocardial ischemia induces hyperkalemia (accumulation of extracellular potassium), a major perpetrator of lethal reentrant ventricular arrhythmias. Despite considerable experimental efforts to explain this pathology in the last decades, the intimate mechanisms behind hyperkalemia remain partially unknown. In order to investigate these mechanisms, we developed a novel computational model of acute myocardial ischemia which couples a) an electrophysiologically detailed human cardiomyocyte model that incorporates modifications to account for ischemia-induced changes in transmembrane currents, with b) a model of cardiac tissue and extracellular K+ transport. The resulting model is able to reproduce and explain the triphasic time course of extracellular K+ concentration within the ischemic zone, with values of [K+]o close to 14 mmol/L in the central ischemic zone after 30 min. In addition, the formation of a [K+]o border zone of approximately 1.2 cm 15 min after the onset of ischemia is predicted by the model. Our results indicate that the primary rising phase of [K+]o is mainly due to the imbalance between K+ efflux, that increases slightly, and K+ influx, that follows a reduction of the NaK pump activity by more than 50%. The onset of the plateau phase is caused by the appearance of electrical alternans (a novel mechanism identified by the model), which cause an abrupt reduction in the K+ efflux. After the plateau, the secondary rising phase of [K+]o is caused by a subsequent imbalance between the K+ influx, which continues to decrease slowly, and the K+ efflux, which remains almost constant. Further, the study shows that the modulation of these mechanisms by the electrotonic coupling is the main responsible for the formation of the ischemic border zone in tissue, with K+ transport playing only a minor role. Finally, the results of the model indicate that the injury current established between the healthy and the altered tissue is not sufficient to depolarize non-ischemic cells within the healthy tissue.
Exogenous melatonin mediates radish (Raphanus sativus) and Alternaria brassicae interaction in a dose-dependent manner
Authors: Li Jingwei , Huang Tingmin , Xia Ming , Lu Jinbiao , Xu Xiuhong , Liu Haiyi , Zhang Wanping
Published: February 2023

Radish (Raphanus sativus L.) is an economically important vegetable worldwide, but its sustainable production and breeding are highly threatened by blight disease caused by Alternaria brassicae. Melatonin is an important growth regulator that can influence physiological activities in both plants and microbes and stimulate biotic stress resistance in plants. In this study, 0-1500 μM melatonin was exogenously applied to healthy radish seedlings, in vitro incubated A. brassicae, and diseased radish seedlings to determine the effects of melatonin on host, pathogen, and host-pathogen interaction. At sufficient concentrations (0-500 μM), melatonin enhanced growth and immunity of healthy radish seedlings by improving the function of organelles and promoting the biosynthesis of antioxidant enzymes, chitin, organic acid, and defense proteins. Interestingly, melatonin also improved colony growth, development, and virulence of A. brassicae. A strong dosage-dependent effect of melatonin was observed: 50-500 μM promoted host and pathogen vitality and resistance (500 μM was optimal) and 1500 μM inhibited these processes. Significantly less blight was observed on diseased seedlings treated with 500 μM melatonin, indicating that melatonin more strongly enhanced the growth and immunity of radish than it promoted the development and virulence of A. brassicae at this treatment concentration. These effects of MT were mediated by transcriptional changes of key genes as identified by RNA-seq, Dual RNA-seq, and qRT-PCR. The results from this work provide a theoretical basis for the application of melatonin to protect vegetable crops against pathogens.
Temperature-induced modulation of stress-tolerant PGP genes bioprospected from Bacillus sp. IHBT-705 associated with saffron (Crocus sativus) rhizosphere: A natural -treasure trove of microbial biostimulants
Authors: Ali Nilofer , Swarnkar Mohit Kumar , Veer Raj , Kaushal Priya , Pati Aparna Maitra
Published: February 2023

There is a renewed interest in sustainable agriculture wherein novel plant growth-promoting rhizobacteria (PGPR) are being explored for developing efficient biostimulants. The key requirement of a microbe to qualify as a good candidate for developing a biostimulant is its intrinsic plant growth-promoting (PGP) characteristics. Though numerous studies have been conducted to assess the beneficial effects of PGPRs on plant growth under normal and stressed conditions but not much information is available on the characterization of intrinsic traits of PGPR under stress. Here, we focused on understanding how temperature stress impacts the functionality of key stress tolerant and PGP genes of Bacillus sp. IHBT-705 isolated from the rhizosphere of saffron (Crocus sativus). To undertake the study, Bacillus sp. IHBT-705 was grown under varied temperature regimes, their PGP traits were assessed from very low to very high-temperature range and the expression trend of targeted stress tolerant and PGP genes were analyzed. The results illustrated that Bacillus sp. IHBT-705 is a stress-tolerant PGPR as it survived and multiplied in temperatures ranging from 4°C-50°C, tolerated a wide pH range (5-11), withstood high salinity (8%) and osmolarity (10% PEG). The PGP traits varied under different temperature regimes indicating that temperature influences the functionality of PGP genes. This was further ascertained through whole genome sequencing followed by gene expression analyses wherein certain genes like cspB, cspD, hslO, grpE, rimM, trpA, trpC, trpE, fhuC, fhuD, acrB5 were found to be temperature sensitive while, cold tolerant (nhaX and cspC), heat tolerant (htpX) phosphate solubilization (pstB1), siderophore production (fhuB and fhuG), and root colonization (xerC1 and xerC2) were found to be highly versatile as they could express well both under low and high temperatures. Further, the biostimulant potential was checked through a pot study on rice (Oryza sativa), wherein the application of Bacillus sp. IHBT-705 improved the length of shoots, roots, and number of roots over control. Based on the genetic makeup, stress tolerance potential, retention of PGP traits under stress, and growth-promoting potential, Bacillus sp. IHBT-705 could be considered a good candidate for developing biostimulants.
The pragmatic functions of emojis in Arabic tweets
Authors: Alharbi Amjad , Mahzari Mohammad
Published: February 2023

Emojis have been used on different platforms and in different languages to express feelings and emotions in online communication, which has led to their widespread familiarity among social media users worldwide. The current study is concerned with the pragmatic functions (speaker and contextual meanings) of emojis in Arabic tweets. The study used mixed methods to analyze the use of emojis and emoji position to identify their functions and possible gender similarities and differences. The dataset of this study consists of 421 Arabic tweets by Arab users at the beginning of 2022 (149 by male users and 272 by females). This study addressed three questions: (1) What are the common emojis used in Arabic tweets and their position in the tweet? (2) What are the pragmatic functions of these emojis? (3) What are the possible differences and similarities between male and female users in the use of emojis? The findings revealed thatLoudly Crying Face,Red Heart,Face with Tears of Joy,Broken Heart,Smiling Face with Heart-Eyes,Pleading Face,Slightly Smiling Face,Pensive Face, andWeary Facewere preponderant in Arabic tweets. Also, this study found seven pragmatic functions ranging from the most to the least frequent:Multiple functions,Reaction,Action,Decoration,Physical action,Softening, andTone modification. Regarding the role of gender, there were both similarities and differences in terms of the frequency of emoji use, emoji position, and function. Moreover, the findings showed the importance of context to interpreting the functions of emojis. Finally, the findings have implications for emoji designers and Natural Language Processing (NLP).
What motivates academics toward entrepreneurship? Examining the formation of academic entrepreneurial intention from the push-pull perspective
Authors: Yu Zhaoyuan , Lu Kangyin
Published: February 2023

Introduction

Although academic entrepreneurship has received considerable attention over the last decades, little attention has been devoted to discussing the formation process of academic entrepreneurial intention underlying the push-pull perspective. This study attempts to explore the mechanism of how academic entrepreneurial intention is shaped, with job-related negative elements as push factors, and entrepreneurship-related positive attractors as pull factors.

Methods

In this paper, regression analysis and Bootstrap were conducted using SPSS 26.0 and MPLUS 7.0, whose applicability has been widely demonstrated in research.

Results

Findings were derived from 1042 academics from Chinese universities. Results showed that both push and pull factors do contribute to boosting academic entrepreneurial intention. Particularly, the entrepreneurship-related pull factors including entrepreneurial opportunity identification and expected entrepreneurial benefits play a dominant role in trigging academic intention to engaging entrepreneurship. Moreover, our findings further confirmed the moderating role of social network in the process of academics pushed by negative job-related factors to emerge entrepreneurial intention.

Discussion

This study extends the research perspective on the factors influencing academic entrepreneurial intention by examines the impact of push and pull factors on academic entrepreneurial intention simultaneously. This deepens the formation mechanism of academic entrepreneurial intention. Besides, the current study identifies a new look at the role that social network plays in academic entrepreneurship.
Using the fsQCA approach to investigate factors affecting university students’ satisfaction with online learning during the COVID-19 pandemic: A case from China
Authors: Teng Changhong
Published: February 2023

During the COVID-19 pandemic, higher education institutions have been forced to switch their teaching mode to online education. There has been limited in-depth exploration of the factors affecting students’ satisfaction with online learning, and no consensus has been reached among these studies’ results. Students’ satisfaction is essential for realizing effective online education practices and meaningful to promoting the sustainable development of online courses, and it cannot be fully explained by one single factor. Research exploring the configuration of factors affecting students’ satisfaction with online learning has been rare. This study adopted a novel data analysis method, the fuzzy-set Qualitative Comparative Analysis (fsQCA) method, to explore collocations of different factors affecting higher education students’ satisfaction with online learning during the COVID-19 pandemic. This research surveyed 357 university students in Mainland China during the second semester of the 2021–2022 academic year using a structured questionnaire. The study identified that when students were satisfied with assignments and had a higher level of internet self-efficacy, or they were satisfied with their instructors and assignments, they were satisfied with online classes. Additionally, internet self-efficacy is indispensable to explaining students’ higher level of satisfaction with online learning. This study contributes to our understanding of university students’ satisfaction with online learning during the COVID-19 pandemic by using a novel method to explore the configuration of influential factors, and it provides implications for administrators and policymakers in the education field who seek to improve students’ satisfaction with online learning.
Deep learning-based EEG emotion recognition: Current trends and future perspectives
Authors: Wang Xiaohu , Ren Yongmei , Luo Ze , He Wei , Hong Jun , Huang Yinzhen
Published: February 2023

Automatic electroencephalogram (EEG) emotion recognition is a challenging component of human–computer interaction (HCI). Inspired by the powerful feature learning ability of recently-emerged deep learning techniques, various advanced deep learning models have been employed increasingly to learn high-level feature representations for EEG emotion recognition. This paper aims to provide an up-to-date and comprehensive survey of EEG emotion recognition, especially for various deep learning techniques in this area. We provide the preliminaries and basic knowledge in the literature. We review EEG emotion recognition benchmark data sets briefly. We review deep learning techniques in details, including deep belief networks, convolutional neural networks, and recurrent neural networks. We describe the state-of-the-art applications of deep learning techniques for EEG emotion recognition in detail. We analyze the challenges and opportunities in this field and point out its future directions.
The Conners Continuous Performance Test CPT3™: Is it a reliable marker to predict neurocognitive dysfunction in Myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome?
Authors: Fernández-Quirós Judith , Lacasa-Cazcarra Marcos , Alegre-Martín Jose , Sanmartín-Sentañes Ramón , Almirall Miriam , Launois-Obregón Patricia , Castro-Marrero Jesús , Rodríguez-Urrutia Amanda , Navarro-Sanchis Jose A. , Ramos-Quiroga J. Antoni
Published: February 2023

Introduction

The main objective is to delimit the cognitive dysfunction associated with Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (ME/CFS) in adult patients by applying the Continuous Performance Test (CPT3™). Additionally, provide empirical evidence on the usefulness of this computerized neuropsychological test to assess ME/CFS.

Method

The final sample (n= 225; 158 Patients/67 Healthy controls) were recruited in a Central Sensitization Syndromes (CSS) specialized unit in a tertiary hospital. All participants were administered this neuropsychological test.

Results

There were significant differences between ME/CFS and healthy controls in all the main measures of CPT3™. Mainly, patients had a worse indicator of inattentiveness, sustained attention, vigilance, impulsivity, slow reaction time, and more atypical T-scores, which is associated with a likelihood of having a disorder characterized by attention deficits, such as Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). In addition, relevant correlations were obtained between the CPT3™variables in the patient’s group. The most discriminative indicators of ME/CFS patients were Variability and Hit Reaction Time, both measures of response speed.

Conclusion

The CPT3™is a helpful tool to discriminate neurocognitive impairments from attention and response speed in ME/CFS patients, and it could be used as a marker of ME/CFS severity for diagnosing or monitoring this disease.
Examining the influence of shyness on children’s helping and comforting behaviour
Authors: Karasewich Tara A. , Hines Cameron , Pinheiro Sylvia G. V. , Buchenrieder Nina , Dunfield Kristen A. , Kuhlmeier Valerie A.
Published: February 2023

Introduction

Shy children, who tend to feel anxious around others and withdraw from social interactions, are found to be less prosocial than their not-shy peers in some studies, though not in others. To examine the contexts in which shy children may be more or less likely to engage in prosocial behaviour, we compared children’s willingness and ability to intervene during in-person tasks that differed insocialengagement demandsandcomplexity, factors that have been conflated in past research.

Methods

We presented 42, 3.5- to 4.5-year-old children with prosocial problems that varied, in a 2 x 2 within-subjects design, by the type of intervention required (i.e., simple helping or complex comforting) and the source of the problem (i.e., social: within the experimenter’s personal space; or object: a target object distanced from her).

Results

Most of the children acted prosocially, with little prompting, in the two helping tasks and in the object-centered comforting task. In contrast, fewer than half of the children acted prosocially in the social-centered comforting task. Shyer children were not less likely to intervene in any of the four tasks, but they were slower to intervene in the object-centred comforting task, in which the experimenter was upset about a broken toy.

Discussion

Thus, providing social-centered comfort to a recently-introduced adult is challenging for young children, regardless of shyness, though shy children do show hesitancy with object-centered comforting. Further, these findings provide insights into the methodological challenges of disentangling children’s prosocial motivation and understanding, and we propose solutions to these challenges for future research.
The relationship between moral judgment ability, parenting style, and perfectionism in obsessive–compulsive disorder patients: A mediating analysis
Authors: Cui Jiacheng , Zhu Kongmei , Wen Jianglin , Nie Wanjie , Wang Dong
Published: February 2023

Introduction

Guilt is an important part of obsessive–compulsive disorder. The abnormal moral cognition of obsessive–compulsive disorder patients may be closely related to their high level of guilt. The purpose of this study was to explore the development level of moral judgment in patients with obsessive–compulsive disorder and the role of parenting style and perfectionism in moral judgment development.

Method

A cross-sectional study was conducted in the clinical psychology department of a Class III hospital in Beijing. The patients with obsessive–compulsive disorder were recruited, and the healthy control subjects were recruited at the same time. Questionnaires were used to collect data, including the Yale-Brown Compulsion Scale, the Moral Judgment Test, the Parenting Style Evaluation Scale, and the Frost Multidimensional Perfectionism Scale.

Result

A total of 231 patients with obsessive–compulsive disorder and 246 healthy controls were included. The results showed that, first, the obsessive–compulsive group scored significantly lower on moral judgment than the healthy control group. Second, the tendency of non-adaptive perfectionism was significantly higher in the obsessive–compulsive group than in the healthy control group. Third, parents’ excessive control, denial, punishment, and other parenting styles and non-adaptive perfectionism are higher than those of healthy people. Fourthly, the mother of obsessive–compulsive disorder patients is overly interference and protective. Rejection, denial, punishment, harshness, and father’s rejection and denial play a partial mediating role in moral judgment ability through the degree of non-adaptive perfectionism.

Conclusion

The development level of moral judgment ability of patients with obsessive–compulsive disorder was significantly lower than that of the normal group, and the level of non-adaptive perfectionism was significantly higher than that of the normal group. Parents of obsessive–compulsive patients use more high-pressure control education. Parenting style partially affects the moral judgment of obsessive–compulsive patients through the degree of non-adaptive perfectionism.
Using planned behavior theory to understand cervical cancer screening intentions in Chinese women
Authors: Xin Tingting , Jiang Yuting , Li Chunting , Ding Xian , Zhu Zhu , Chen Xiao
Published: February 2023

Introduction

Cervical cancer is still one of the cancers threatening the health of Chinese women with high morbidity and mortality. However, the participation rate of cervical cancer screening (CCS) among women is low due to various reasons, so it is crucial to understand the factors that influence women's willingness to be screened for cervical cancer. This study's goal was to understand the intention of cervical cancer screening in Chinese women using the theory of planned behavior (TPB).

Methods

An online questionnaire was administered to 286 women using a cross-sectional design. The questionnaire was created using the theory of planned behavior and included demographic characteristics as well as the basic structure of TPB.

Results

Descriptive, correlation, and multiple linear regression models were performed to identify factors associated with cervical cancer screening behavior. 286 respondents completed the survey (95.3%). The mean scores for behavioral attitude, subjective norm and perceived behavioral control (PBC) were 32.50 (SD = 3.30), 22.59 (SD = 2.80) and 29.57 (SD = 3.37). From the regression analysis, behavioral attitude (B = 0.110, p = 0.001), subjective norm (B = 0.234, p = 0.000) and perceived behavioral control (B = 0.171, p = 0.000) were statistically significant in terms of intention.

Discussion

This study provided a reference for improving the intention of cervical cancer screening in women.
Variation in leisure sport conflicts and coping strategies depending on participation type and proximity during the COVID-19 pandemic
Authors: Kim Young-Jae , Shin Kyu-lee , Kang Seung-Woo
Published: February 2023

Introduction

New conflict types have arisen in leisure sports activities due to social regulations designed to address COVID-19. We analyze the differences in conflict-inducing factors and coping strategies across various types of leisure sports and levels of spatial proximity.

Methods

Korean adults aged between 20 and 60 years, who had participated in leisure sports activities since the COVID-19 outbreak in January 2020, were surveyed, and 508 responses were collected for analysis. The differences in leisure sports conflicts and coping strategies across the types of leisure sports participation and spatial proximity were tested.

Results

The results show that conflict due to prejudice was higher in typical indoor sports activities, such as Pilates, yoga, and gym workouts, whereas conflict due to competition or not observing etiquette was higher in indoor golf. Second, conflict due to prior expectations and prejudice was high in outdoor sports activities, such as jogging and hiking. Finally, all participants showed avoidance behavior, but it was observed more frequently in outdoor sports than indoor sports.

Discussion

The study reveals how much leisure conflict is induced by various types of leisure sports participation, particularly during outdoor activities, which usually feature a relatively low density of participants. It underscores the necessity of developing structural approaches to resolving leisure conflicts in dangerous spaces or requiring intensive management and creating new leisure sports activities.
Conditions and strategies influencing sustainability of a community-based exercise program incorporating a healthcare-community partnership for people with balance and mobility limitations in Canada: A collective case study of the Together in Movement and Exercise (TIME™) program
Authors: Aravind Gayatri , Graham Ian D. , Cameron Jill I. , Ploughman Michelle , Salbach Nancy M.
Published: February 2023

Background

Community-based exercise programs delivered through healthcare-community partnerships (CBEP-HCPs) are beneficial to individuals with balance and mobility limitations. For the community to benefit, however, these programs must be sustained over time.

Purpose

To identify conditions influencing the sustainability of CBEP-HCPs for people with balance and mobility limitations and strategies used to promote sustainability based on experiences of program providers, exercise participants, and caregivers.

Methods

Using a qualitative collective case study design, we invited stakeholders (program providers, exercise participants, and caregivers) from sites that had been running a CBEP-HCP for people with balance and mobility limitations for ≥4 years; and sites where the CBEP-HCP had been discontinued, to participate. We used two sustainability models to inform development of interview guides and data analysis. Qualitative data from each site were integrated using a narrative approach to foster deeper understanding of within-organization experiences.

Results

Twenty-nine individuals from 4 sustained and 4 discontinued sites in Ontario (n = 6) and British Columbia (n = 2), Canada, participated. Sites with sustained programs were characterized by conditions such as need for the program in the community, presence of secure funding or cost recovery mechanisms, presence of community partners, availability of experienced and motivated instructors, and the capacity to allocate resources towards program marketing and participant recruitment. For sites where programs discontinued, diminished participation and/or enrollment and an inability to allocate sufficient financial, human, and logistical resources towards the program affected program continuity. Participants from discontinued sites also identified issues such as staff with low motivation and limited experience, and presence of competing programs within the organization or the community. Staff associated the absence of referral pathways, insufficient community awareness of the program, and the inability to recover program cost due to poor participation, with program discontinuation.

Conclusion

Sustainability of CBEP-HCPs for people with balance and mobility limitations is influenced by conditions that exist during program implementation and delivery, including the need for the program in the community, and organization and community capacity to bear the program's financial and resource requirements. Complex interactions among these factors, in addition to strategies employed by program staff to promote sustainability, influence program sustainability.
A meta-analysis reveals the protein profile associated with malignant transformation of oral leukoplakia
Authors: Normando Ana Gabriela Costa , dos Santos Erison Santana , Sá Jamile de Oliveira , Busso-Lopes Ariane Fidelis , De Rossi Tatiane , Patroni Fábio Malta de Sá , Granato Daniela Campos , Guerra Eliete Neves Silva , Santos-Silva Alan Roger , Lopes Márcio Ajudarte , Paes Leme Adriana Franco
Published: February 2023

The search for biomarkers associated with oral leukoplakia malignant transformation is critical for early diagnosis and improved prognosis of oral cancer patients. This systematic review and meta-analysis aimed to assess protein-based markers potentially associated with malignant transformation of oral leukoplakia. Five database and the grey literature were searched. In total, 142 studies were included for qualitative synthesis, where 173 proteins were investigated due to their potential role in malignant progression from oral leukoplakia (OL) to oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC). The abundance of these proteins was analyzed in fixed tissues and/or biofluid samples, mainly by immunohistochemistry and ELISA, and 12 were shared by both samples. Enrichment analysis revealed that the differential abundant proteins are mostly involved with regulation of cell death, regulation of cell proliferation, and regulation of apoptotic process. Also, these proteins are mainly expressed in the extracellular region (55.5%), cell surface (24.8%), and vesicles (49.1%). The meta-analysis revealed that the proteins related to tumor progression, PD-L1, Mdm2, and Mucin-4 were significantly associated with greater abundance in OSCC patients, with an Odds Ratio (OR) of 0.12 (95% CI: 0.04–0.40), 0.44 (95% CI: 0.24–0.81), and 0.18 (95% CI: 0.04–0.86), respectively, with a moderate certainty of evidence. The results indicate a set of proteins that have been investigated across OSCC initiation and progression, and whose transcriptional expression is associated with clinical characteristics relevant to the prognosis and aggressiveness. Further verification and validation of this biomarkers set are strongly recommended for future clinical application.
Uniportal-VATS vs. open McKeown esophagectomy: Surgical and long-term oncological outcomes
Authors: Nachira Dania , Congedo Maria Teresa , Calabrese Giuseppe , Tabacco Diomira , Petracca Ciavarella Leonardo , Meacci Elisa , Vita Maria Letizia , Punzo Giovanni , Lococo Filippo , Raveglia Federico , Chiappetta Marco , Porziella Venanzio , Guttadauro Angelo , Cioffi Ugo , Margaritora Stefano
Published: February 2023

Background

Till now there are very few reports about surgical results of Uniportal-VATS esophagectomy and no one about long-term outcomes. This study is the first comparing surgical and oncological outcomes of Uniportal-VATS with open McKeown esophagectomy, with the largest reported series and longest oncological follow-up.

Methods

The prospectively collected clinical, surgical and oncological data of 75 patients, undergone McKeown esophagectomy at our Thoracic Surgery Department, from January 2012 to August 2022, were retrospectively analyzed. Nineteen patients underwent esophagectomy by thoracotomy and reconstruction according to McKeown technique while 56 by Uniportal-VATS approach. Gastric tubulization was performed totally laparoscopic or through a mini-laparatomic access and cervical anastomosis was made according to Orringer's technique.

Results

The mean operative thoracic time was similar in both accesses (102.34 ± 15.21 min in Uniportal-VATS vs. 115.56 ± 23.12 min in open, p: 0.646), with a comparable number of mediastinal nodes retrieved (Uniportal-VATS:13.40 ± 8.12 vs. open:15.00 ± 6.86, p: 0.275). No case needed conversion from VATS to open. The learning curve in Uniportal-VATS was completed after 34 cases, while the Mastery was reached after 40. Both approaches were comparable in terms of minor post-operative complications (like pneumonia, lung atelectasis, anemization, atrial fibrillation, anastomotic-leak, left vocal cord palsy, chylothorax), while the number of re-operation for major complications (bleeding or mediastinitis) was higher in open group (21.0% vs. 3.6%, p: 0.04). Both techniques were also effective in terms of surgical radicality and local recurrence but VATS approach allowed a significantly lower chest tube length (11.89 ± 9.55 vs. 25.82 ± 24.37 days, p: 0.003) and post-operative stay (15.63 ± 11.69 vs. 25.53 ± 23.33, p: 0.018). The 30-day mortality for complications related to surgery was higher in open group (p: 0.002). The 2-, 5- and 8-year survival of the whole series was 72%, 50% and 33%, respectively. Combined 2- and 5-year OS in Uniportal-VATS group was 76% and 47% vs. 62% and 62% in open group, respectively (Log-rank, p: 0.286; Breslow-Wilcoxon: p: 0.036). No difference in DFS was recorded between the two approaches (5 year-DFS in Uniportal-VATS: 86% vs. 72%, p: 0.298). At multivariate analysis, only pathological stage independently affected OS (p: 0.02), not the surgical approach (p: 0.276).

Conclusions

Uniportal-VATS seems to be a safe, feasible and effective technique for performing McKeown esophagectomy, with equivalent surgical and long-term oncological results to standard thoracotomy, but with a faster and unharmed recovery, and a quite short learning curve.
Association of age with perioperative morbidity among patients undergoing surgical management of minor burns
Authors: Knoedler Samuel , Matar Dany Y. , Knoedler Leonard , Obed Doha , Haug Valentin , Gorski Sabina M. , Kim Bong-Sung , Kauke-Navarro Martin , Kneser Ulrich , Panayi Adriana C. , Orgill Dennis P. , Hundeshagen Gabriel
Published: February 2023

Introduction

Burn injuries are associated with significant morbidity, often necessitating surgical management. Older patients are more prone to burns and more vulnerable to complications following major burns. While the relationship between senescence and major burns has already been thoroughly investigated, the role of age in minor burns remains unclear. To better understand differences between elderly and younger patients with predominantly minor burns, we analyzed a multi-institutional database.

Methods

We reviewed the 2008-2020 ACS-NSQIP database to identify patients who had suffered burns according to ICD coding and underwent initial burn surgery.

Results

We found 460 patients, of which 283 (62%) were male and 177 (38%) were female. The mean age of the study cohort was 46 ± 17 years, with nearly one-fourth (n = 108; 23%) of all patients being aged ≥60 years. While the majority (n = 293; 64%) suffered from third-degree burns, 22% (n = 99) and 15% (n = 68) were diagnosed with second-degree burns and unspecified burns, respectively. An average operation time of 46 min, a low mortality rate of 0.2% (n = 1), a short mean length of hospital stay (1 day), and an equal distribution of in- and outpatient care (51%, n = 234 and 49%, n = 226, respectively) indicated that the vast majority of patients suffered from minor burns. Patients aged ≥60 years showed a significantly prolonged length of hospital stay (p<0.0001) and were significantly more prone to non-home discharge (p<0.0001). In univariate analysis, advanced age was found to be a predictor of surgical complications (p = 0.001) and medical complications (p = 0.0007). Elevated levels of blood urea nitrogen (p>0.0001), creatinine (p>0.0001), white blood cell count (p=0.02), partial thromboplastin time (p = 0.004), and lower levels of albumin (p = 0.0009) and hematocrit (p>0.0001) were identified as risk factors for the occurrence of any complication. Further, complications were more frequent among patients with lower body burns.

Discussion

In conclusion, patients ≥60 years undergoing surgery for predominantly minor burns experienced significantly more complications. Minor lower body burns correlated with worse outcomes and a higher incidence of adverse events. Decreased levels of serum albumin and hematocrit and elevated values of blood urea nitrogen, creatinine, white blood count, and partial thromboplastin time were identified as predictive risk factors for complications.
Electromechanical Actuators for Haptic Feedback with Fingertip Contact
Authors: Chen Jueyu , Teo Edwin Hang Tong , Yao Kui
Published: February 2023

Haptic technology that provides tactile sensation feedback by utilizing actuators to achieve the purpose of human–computer interaction is obtaining increasing applications in electronic devices. This review covers four kinds of electromechanical actuators useful for achieving haptic feedback: electromagnetic, electrostatic, piezoelectric, and electrostrictive actuators. The driving principles, working conditions, applicable scopes, and characteristics of the different actuators are fully compared. The designs and values of piezoelectric actuators to achieve sophisticated and high-definition haptic effect sensations are particularly highlighted. The current status and directions for future development of the different types of haptic actuators are discussed.
Evaluation of Sheep Wool as a Substrate for Hydroponic Cucumber Cultivation
Authors: Komorowska Monika , Niemiec Marcin , Sikora Jakub , Gródek-Szostak Zofia , Gurgulu Hatice , Chowaniak Maciej , Atilgan Atilgan , Neuberger Pavel
Published: February 2023

The problem of the use and disposal of horticultural substrates is an important element of the optimization of plastic greenhouse production in terms of economic and environmental efficiency. The production of mineral substrates is associated with a high energy expenditure, which generates costs and greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. An important factor is also the transport of professional substrates over long distances. The research objective was to evaluate the possibility of using sheep wool to create horticultural substrates in the hydroponic production of cucumber. The modifier of production technology was the use of substrates of various origins. The experiment was based on the use of two substrates: one was a conventional substrate, made of mineral wool, and the other was made of greasy Gissar sheep wool, which is considered waste or a nuisance byproduct of sheep farming today. The adopted functional unit was 1 ton of commercial cucumber yield. The boundaries of the system were soil formation, fertilization, irrigation, and harvesting. The amount of GHG emissions was calculated in accordance with the ISO 14040 and ISO 14044 standards. The results of the experiment show that the use of sheep wool as a substrate in the hydroponic cultivation of cucumbers reduced yield by approximately 8%, but it allowed for a higher efficiency of water and mineral fertilizer use per crop mass unit. Within the adopted system boundary, the value of the carbon footprint in the object with the conventional substrate was 276.9 kg CO2 eq · Mg−1. The value of this parameter for the object with the sheep wool was 193.9 kg CO2 eq · Mg−1. The use of sheep wool did not increase the phytosanitary risk of the cultivated plants. An important goal for achieving sustainability, especially in food production, is to use materials that are easily recyclable and renewable, locally available, and environmentally friendly. The use of sheep wool as a substrate for soilless plastic greenhouse cultivation is a rational solution, as this material consists of 60% animal protein fibers, 10% fat, 15% moisture, 10% sheep sweat, and an average of 5% impurities. This makes it an easily recyclable, easily renewable, and environmentally friendly source of raw material for hydroponic substrates in food production, contrary to rockwool, which produces waste that is difficult to manage and a nuisance to the natural environment. In the countries of Central Asia, the sheep population is over 20 million; therefore, the potential for using sheep wool material for agricultural production is significant.
Parameter Calibration of Cabbages (Brassica oleracea L.) Based on the Discrete Element Method
Authors: Zheng Jinming , Wang Lin , Wang Xiaochan , Shi Yinyan , Yang Zhenyu
Published: February 2023

The discrete element parameters of cabbages (Brassica oleracea L.) were calibrated for the design and parameter optimization of a cabbage harvester. The cabbage model was created based on the study of cabbage material characteristics and the simulation model parameters of cabbage were calibrated. The intrinsic parameters and partial contact parameters of cabbages were obtained by direct measurement. The cabbage accumulation angle was determined by a plate drawing test. Through the steepest ascent test and the orthogonal rotation combination test, a regression model of the cabbage accumulation angle error was established. The optimal contact parameters between the cabbages were obtained by the minimum error modeling. These calibrated parameters were applied in the verification test, and the results indicated that the error between the simulated and measured values of the cabbage accumulation angle was only 1.63%, which demonstrated that the results were dependable. This study can provide a theoretical support for designing and optimizing the parameters of cabbage harvesting machines with the discrete element method (DEM).
Biopesticide Consumption in India: Insights into the Current Trends
Authors: Chakraborty Nilanjan , Mitra Rusha , Pal Somrhita , Ganguly Retwika , Acharya Krishnendu , Minkina Tatiana , Sarkar Anik , Keswani Chetan
Published: February 2023

Biopesticides are formulations derived from naturally occurring compounds that manage pests through non-toxic and environmentally favorable means. Being living organisms (natural enemies) or products, biopesticides represent less of a risk to the environment and to human health. Biopesticides, classified into three broad classes, are increasingly used in pest control, and include semiochemicals, plant-incorporated protectants (PIPs), and compounds derived from plants and microorganisms. Because of their advantages for the environment, target-specificity, efficacy, biodegradability, and applicability in integrated pest management (IPM) programs, biopesticides are gaining interest. Although biopesticides have seen significant advances in market penetration, they still make up a relatively small fraction of pest management solutions. Over 3000 tons are produced globally per annum, and this number is rising rapidly. In India, biopesticides account for just 4.2% of the country’s total pesticide market. Although the government has promoted the use of biopesticides by including them in several agricultural programs, biopesticides face numerous difficulties at a local level, but are predicted to expand at an astonishing 10% yearly pace. Under the Insecticides Act 1968, the Ministry of Agriculture in India controls the use of pesticides. Among the major biopesticides produced and used in India are Trichoderma, Bacillus thuringiensis, nuclear polyhedrosis virus, and neem-based pesticides.
Development of a High Yielded Chlorsulfuron-Resistant Soybean (Glycine max L.) Variety through Mutation Breeding
Authors: Ustun Rustem , Uzun Bulent
Published: February 2023

This study was conducted to develop a novel herbicide resistance soybean using ethyl methanesulfonate (EMS) mutagen. In this study, 0.1% of EMS mutagen was applied to the soybean [Glycine max (L.) cv Arısoy] seeds. A single resistant mutant was selected in the M2 population evaluated under field and greenhouse conditions. The AHAS gene regions of the herbicide-resistant mutant progeny were mapped, and the nucleotide changes were defined conferring herbicide resistance. The sequence analysis of the AHAS gene indicated that three nucleotide substitutions were detected such as 407 (C/T), 532 (C/T), and 1790 (C/T). According to the AHAS gene protein sequence of Arabidopsis thaliana, Ala155Val, Pro197Ser, and Thr616Met amino acid alterations were found in the progeny of the resistant mutant. Pro197Ser alteration was common in all the progeny, while the others were diverse. The wild-type and the mutant plants were compared for seed yield, number of pods per plant, stem height to the first pod, 1000-seed weight, and physiological maturity days for two subsequent years. No statistical difference was found between the mutant and wild types with respect to seed yield and its components. The agronomic data indicated that EMS provided target-site resistance to sulfonylureas (SU) with no tradeoff between yield components and resistance.
Identification of Thermo-Sensitive Chloroplast Development Gene TSCD5 Required for Rice Chloroplast Development under High Temperature
Authors: Yang Shenglong , Fang Guonan , Ruan Banpu , Zhang Anpeng , Zhou Yun , Ye Guangji , Su Wang , Guo Heng , Wang Jian , Gao Zhenyu
Published: February 2023

Chloroplasts are critical organelles for photosynthesis and play significant roles in plant growth and metabolism. High temperature is one of abiotic stresses affecting the growth and development of plants, involving chlorophyll biosynthesis and chloroplast development. It is well known that the methyl erythritol 4-phosphate (MEP) pathway is vital to photosynthesis and plant growth, and 1-deoxy-D-xylulose-5-phosphate synthase (DXS) is the enzyme that catalyze the first step of the MEP pathway. Although DXS has been widely studied in microbes and plants, no DXS gene has been identified in rice. Here, a novel thermo-sensitive chlorophyll-deficient 5 (tscd5) mutant was isolated in rice with decreased chlorophyll contents, impaired chloroplasts, and albino leaves at high temperature (35 °C). Fine mapping and DNA sequencing of TSCD5 found a missense mutation (G to A) in the sixth exon of LOC_Os05g33840 in tscd5. The TSCD5 gene encodes a 1-deoxy-D-xylulose-5-phosphate synthase 1 (OsDXS1) localized in chloroplast. Complementation tests and overexpression assay demonstrated that the mutation in LOC_Os05g33840 caused the tscd5 phenotype. qRT-PCR of TSCD5 showed it was constitutively expressed in all tissues, and its transcript amounts were reduced in tscd5 under high temperature. Here, TSCD5 is verified to be crucial to chloroplast development under high temperature in rice, which may facilitate the elucidation of the molecular mechanisms which underlie acclimation to high temperature stress in plants.
An Effective Pyramid Neural Network Based on Graph-Related Attentions Structure for Fine-Grained Disease and Pest Identification in Intelligent Agriculture
Authors: Lin Sen , Xiu Yucheng , Kong Jianlei , Yang Chengcai , Zhao Chunjiang
Published: February 2023

In modern agriculture and environmental protection, effective identification of crop diseases and pests is very important for intelligent management systems and mobile computing application. However, the existing identification mainly relies on machine learning and deep learning networks to carry out coarse-grained classification of large-scale parameters and complex structure fitting, which lacks the ability in identifying fine-grained features and inherent correlation to mine pests. To solve existing problems, a fine-grained pest identification method based on a graph pyramid attention, convolutional neural network (GPA-Net) is proposed to promote agricultural production efficiency. Firstly, the CSP backbone network is constructed to obtain rich feature maps. Then, a cross-stage trilinear attention module is constructed to extract the abundant fine-grained features of discrimination portions of pest objects as much as possible. Moreover, a multilevel pyramid structure is designed to learn multiscale spatial features and graphic relations to enhance the ability to recognize pests and diseases. Finally, comparative experiments executed on the cassava leaf, AI Challenger, and IP102 pest datasets demonstrates that the proposed GPA-Net achieves better performance than existing models, with accuracy up to 99.0%, 97.0%, and 56.9%, respectively, which is more conducive to distinguish crop pests and diseases in applications for practical smart agriculture and environmental protection.