Cardiac sensitivity to rewards in cognitively inflexible nonclinical participants
Background In psychopathologies characterized by compulsive decision-making, core impairments include cognitive inflexibility and excessive sensitivity to rewards. It has been posited that traits shared by nonclinical individuals and psychiatric patients could help explain the pathogenesis of compulsive decision-making. Methods To investigate whether cognitive inflexibility predisposes nonclinical individuals to poor choices and hyper-reactivity to reward, we recruited people with high and low scores for cognitive persistence and used the Iowa Gambling Task to assess decision-making and cardiac reactivity to monetary gains/losses. Results As is frequently observed in psychophysiological research, the data indicated discrepancies among self-reports, behavior, and physiology. Cognitive inflexibility was not related to worse performance; however, monetary gains, in line with the literature, prompted marked cardiac accelerations. Consistent with our research goal, only inflexible participants showed large cardiac accelerations during the largest monetary wins. Discussion Taken together, the data confirm an association between cognitive persistence and physiological reward sensitivity in a nonclinical population. The findings are in line with recent theories on the development of compulsive behaviors that consider cognitive inflexibility as a transdiagnostic impairment and predisposing factor for excessive reactivity to rewards, and might act both as a preexisting individual trait and drug-induced deficit.
Mata et al. (2023) Cardiac sensitivity to rewards in cognitively inflexible nonclinical participants. PeerJ 11:e15318 https://doi.org/10.7717/peerj.15318
A comparison of the mineral element content of 70 different varieties of pear fruit (Pyrus ussuriensis) in China
Background Pyrus ussuriensis (Maxim.) is a unique pear tree that grows in northern China. The tree has strong cold resistance and can withstand low temperatures from −30 °C to −35 °C. Due to its unique growth environment, its fruit is rich in minerals and has much higher levels of minerals such as K, Ca and Mg than the fruit of Pyrus pyrifolia (Nakai.) and Pyrus bretschneideri (Rehd.) on the market, and many say the ripe fruit tastes better than other varieties. A comprehensive analysis of the characteristics of mineral elements in the fruits of different varieties of P. ussuriensis will provide a valuable scientific basis for the selection, breeding and production of consumer varieties of P. ussuriensis, and provide a more complete understanding of nutritional differences between fruit varieties. Methods In this study, 70 varieties of wild, domesticated and cultivated species of P. ussuriensis from different geographical locations were compared. Targeting four main mineral elements and eight trace mineral elements contained in the fruit, the differences in mineral content in the peel and pulp of different varieties of P. ussuriensis were analyzed, compared and classified using modern microwave digestion ICP-MS. Results The mineral elements in the fruit of P. ussuriensis generally followed the following content pattern: K > P > Ca > Mg > Na > Al > Fe > Zn > Cu > Cr > Pb > Cd. The mineral element compositions in the peel and pulp of different fruits were also significantly different. The four main mineral elements in the peel were K > Ca > P > Mg, and K > P > Mg > Ca in the pulp. The mineral element content of wild fruit varieties was higher than that of cultivated and domesticated varieties. Correlation analysis results showed that there was a significant positive correlation between K, P and Cu in both the peel and pulp of P. ussuriensis fruit (P < 0. 01). Cluster analysis results showed that the 70 varieties of P. ussuriensis could be divided into three slightly different categories according to the content of the peel or pulp. According to the contents of the fruit peel, these varieties were divided into: (1) varieties with high Na, Mg, P, K, Fe and Zn content, (2) varieties with high Ca content and (3) varieties with medium levels of mineral elements. According to the fruit pulp content, these varieties were divided into: (1) varieties with high Mg, P and K content, (2) varieties with low mineral element content, and (3) varieties with high Na and Ca content. The comprehensive analysis of relevant mineral element content factors showed that ‘SSHMSL,’ ‘QYL,’ ‘SWSL’ and ‘ZLTSL-3’ were the best varieties, and could be used as the focus varieties of future breeding programs for large-scale pear production.
Liu et al. (2023) A comparison of the mineral element content of 70 different varieties of pear fruit (Pyrus ussuriensis) in China. PeerJ 11:e15328 https://doi.org/10.7717/peerj.15328
Effects of bamlanivimab alone or in combination with etesevimab on subsequent hospitalization and mortality in outpatients with COVID-19: a systematic review and meta-analysis
Background Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has caused an enormous loss of life worldwide. The spike protein of the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 is the cause of its virulence. Bamlanivimab, a recombinant monoclonal antibody, has been used alone or in combination with etesevimab to provide passive immunity and improve clinical outcomes. A systematic review and meta-analysis was conducted to investigate the therapeutic effects of bamlanivimab with or without etesevimab (BAM/ETE) treatment. Methods Our study was registered in PROSPERO (registry number CRD42021270206). We searched the following electronic databases, without language restrictions, until January 2023: PubMed, Embase, medRxiv, and the Cochrane database. A systematic review and meta-analysis was conducted based on the search results. Results Eighteen publications with a total of 28,577 patients were identified. Non-hospitalized patients given bamlanivimab with or without etesevimab had a significantly lower risk of subsequent hospitalization (18 trials, odds ratio (OR): 0.37, 95% confidence interval (CI): [0.29–0.49], I2: 69%; p < 0.01) and mortality (15 trials, OR: 0.27, 95% CI [0.17–0.43], I2: 0%; p = 0.85). Bamlanivimab monotherapy also reduced the subsequent risk of hospitalization (16 trials, OR: 0.43, 95% CI [0.34–0.54], I2: 57%; p = 0.01) and mortality (14 trials, OR: 0.28, 95% CI [0.17–0.46], I2: 0%; p = 0.9). Adverse events from these medications were uncommon and tolerable. Conclusions In this meta-analysis, we found the use of bamlanivimab with or without etesevimab contributed to a significantly-reduced risk of subsequent hospitalization and mortality in non-hospitalized COVID-19 patients. However, resistance to monoclonal antibodies was observed in COVID-19 variants, resulting in the halting of the clinical use of BAM/ETE. Clinicians’ experiences with BAM/ETE indicate the importance of genomic surveillance. BAM/ETE may be repurposed as a potential component of a cocktail regimen in treating future COVID variants.
Tai et al. (2023) Effects of bamlanivimab alone or in combination with etesevimab on subsequent hospitalization and mortality in outpatients with COVID-19: a systematic review and meta-analysis. PeerJ 11:e15344 https://doi.org/10.7717/peerj.15344
Risk factors of self-reported physical child abuse during the COVID-19 pandemic in Japan: work-related changes in men and fear of COVID-19 in women
Background There is no global consensus on whether pandemic-related factors are related to child abuse. How the pandemic reinforces the risk factors of child abuse might depend largely on individuals’ current and past lifestyles in each country. Some changes of lifestyles continue after the pandemic, and it is important to understand which factors are strongly associated with child abuse. We analyzed the pandemic-related characteristics of offenders and non-offenders of self-reported child physical abuse from Internet survey data in Japan and discussed how the pandemic affected physical child abuse and what caused the difference by gender. Methods We conducted a cross-sectional study on physical child abuse by caregivers based on the Internet survey conducted from September to October 2021. We divided the participants who were living with their child aged less than 14 years into offenders and non-offenders based on the answer to the question about physical child abuse. The population distribution of the sample was compared to that of caregivers under the same conditions in a large Japanese dataset. The association between their characteristics and physical child abuse was analyzed by univariable and multivariable analysis. Results The caregivers analyzed in the cohort had similar population distributions to those in the large Japanese dataset. As risk factors of male offenders, “work from home 4–7 days/week,” “decreased work,” “normal relationships with household members (compared to good relationships),” “COVID-19 infected, both themselves and household members, within a year,” “unwillingness to receive COVID-19 vaccination because the license process of the vaccine is doubtful,” “high levels of benevolent sexism,” and “history of child abuse” were observed. As risk factors of female offenders, “bad relationships with household members (compared to good relationships),” “fear of COVID-19,” “COVID-19 infected, both themselves and household members, within a year,” “feelings of discrimination related to COVID-19 in the past two months,” and “history of child verbal abuse” were observed. Conclusions Among male offenders, a significant relationship was observed regarding work-related changes, which may have been reinforced by the pandemic. Furthermore, the extent of the influence and fear of losing jobs caused by these changes may have varied according to the strength of gender roles and financial support in each country. Among female offenders, a significant relationship was observed regarding fear of infection itself, which is consistent with the findings of other studies. In terms of factors related to dissatisfaction with families, in some countries with prominent stereotyped gender roles, men are thought to experience difficulties adapting to work-related changes induced by crises, while women are thought to experience intense fear of the infection itself.
Naito et al. (2023) Risk factors of self-reported physical child abuse during the COVID-19 pandemic in Japan: work-related changes in men and fear of COVID-19 in women. PeerJ 11:e15346 https://doi.org/10.7717/peerj.15346
Comprehensive identification and expression analysis of CAMTA gene family in Phyllostachys edulis under abiotic stress
Background Calmodulin-binding transcription factor (CAMTA) is a major transcription factor regulated by calmodulin (CaM) that plays an essential role in plant growth, development and response to biotic and abiotic stresses. The CAMTA gene family has been identified in Arabidopsis thaliana, rice (Oryza sativa) and other model plants, and its gene function in moso bamboo (Phyllostachys edulis) has not been identified. Results In this study, a total of 11 CAMTA genes were identified in P. edulis genome. Conserved domain and multiplex sequence alignment analysis showed that the structure between these genes was highly similar, with all members having CG-1 domains and some members having TIG and IQ domains. Phylogenetic relationship analysis showed that the CAMTA genes were divided into five subfamilies, and gene fragment replication promoted the evolution of this gene family. Promoter analysis revealed a large number of drought stress-related cis-acting elements in PeCAMTAs, and similarly high expression of the CAMTA gene family was found in drought stress response experiments, indicating the involvement of this gene family in drought stress. Gene expression pattern according to transcriptome data revealed participation of the PeCAMTA genes in tissue development. Conclusions Our results present new findings for the P. edulis CAMTA gene family and provide partial experimental evidence for further validation of the function of PeCAMTAs.
Liu et al. (2023) Comprehensive identification and expression analysis of CAMTA gene family in Phyllostachys edulis under abiotic stress. PeerJ 11:e15358 https://doi.org/10.7717/peerj.15358
Increased death and exhaustion of CD69high T cells and NK cells are associated with PD-1 antibody application in the in vitro co-culture system
Background The application of PD-1 monoclonal antibody (mAb) helps to treat non-small cell lung cancer, but acquired resistance has emerged in clinical practice. We tested the hypothesis that acquired resistance of anti-PD-1 immunotherapy is linked to death and exhaustion of activated T and NK cell. Methods The co-culture system of HCC827 cells and peripheral mononuclear cells (PBMCs) was established to evaluate the effect of PD-1 mAb on the death rate and exhaustion of T and NK cell. The predisposing role of CD69 for death and exhaustion was validated by using PHA-activated PBMCs of CD69low NSCLC patients. The 10-colour/three laser flow cytometer was used to test related markers for cell activation, death and exhaustion. Results We found that PD-1 mAb increase the death and exhaustion of T cells and NK cells in a dose-dependent way when PBMCs from NSCLC patients whose the percentages of CD69+ cells in peripheral blood T cells were greater than 5% (CD69high NSCLC patients). By analyzing PBMCs from healthy volunteers and CD69low NSCLC patients, we found that T cells and NK cells can be induced to die by PD-1 mAb after PHA activation, and had a tendency to raise the rate of cell exhaustion. Conclusions Our findings imply that increased death and exhaustion of CD69high T cells and NK cells are associated with ineffective anti-PD-1 immunotherapy in lung cancer. The CD69 expression of T cells and NK cells may be developed as a potential predictor for acquired resistance of anti-PD-1 immunotherapy. These data may provide ideas to guide individualized medication of PD-1 mAb in NSCLC patients.
Wang et al. (2023) Increased death and exhaustion of CD69high T cells and NK cells are associated with PD-1 antibody application in the in vitro co-culture system. PeerJ 11:e15374 https://doi.org/10.7717/peerj.15374
Hepatic nuclear factor 4 alpha promotes the ferroptosis of lung adenocarcinoma via transcriptional activation of cytochrome P450 oxidoreductase
Background Lung adenocarcinoma is one of the most prevalent cancers while ferroptosis is crucial for cancer therapies. This study aims to investigate the function and mechanism of hepatic nuclear factor 4 alpha (HNF4A) in lung adenocarcinomas’ ferroptosis. Materials and Methods HNF4A expression in ferroptotic A549 cells was detected. Then HNF4A was knocked down in A549 cells while overexpressed in H23 cells. Cells with changed HNF4A expression were tested for cytotoxicity and the level of cellular lipid peroxidation. The expression of cytochrome P450 oxidoreductase (POR) expression was examined after HNF4A was knocked down or overexpressed. Chromatin immunoprecipitation-quantitative PCR (ChIP-qPCR) and dual-luciferase assays were performed to validate the regulation of HNF4A on POR. Finally, POR was restored in HNF4A-altered cells to check whether it restores the effect of HNF4A on ferroptosis. Results We found that HNF4A expression significantly decreased in the ferroptosis of A549 cells, and this change can be blocked by deferoxamine, an inhibitor of ferroptosis. Knockdown of HNF4A inhibited ferroptosis in A549 cells while overexpression of HNF4A promoted ferroptosis in H23 cells. We identified a key ferroptosis-related gene, POR serves as a potential target gene of HNF4A, whose expression was significantly changed in lung adenocarcinoma cells knocking down or overexpressing HNF4A. We demonstrated that HNF4A was bound to the POR’s promoter to enhance POR expression, and identified the binding sites via ChIP-qPCR and luciferase assays. Restoration of POR expression blocked the promoting effect of HNF4A on ferroptosis in lung adenocarcinoma. Conclusion HNF4A promotes POR expression through binding to the POR’s promoter, and subsequently promotes the ferroptosis of lung adenocarcinoma.
Besskaya et al. (2023) Hepatic nuclear factor 4 alpha promotes the ferroptosis of lung adenocarcinoma via transcriptional activation of cytochrome P450 oxidoreductase. PeerJ 11:e15377 https://doi.org/10.7717/peerj.15377
Student perceptions toward virtual reality training in dental implant education
Objectives Both the shortage of professional teaching resources and the expensive dental implant supplies impede the effective training of dental undergraduate in implantology. Virtual reality (VR) technology may provide solutions to solve these problems. This pilot study was implemented to explore the usability and acceptance of a VR application in the training of dental implant among dental students at the Jinan University School of Stomatology. Methods We designed and developed a VR system with head-mounted displays (HMDs) to assist dental implant training. Undergraduate dental students were invited to experience a 30-minute “Introduction to dental implants” VR-HMDs training module. A total of 119 dental students participated the training. Firstly, the VR interactive training on dental implant was described, illustrated and practiced. Next, a system usability scale (SUS) survey was used to verify the usability and feasibility of the VR application on training dental students. Finally, the participants were given a questionnaire to provide their perceptions and feedback of the usefulness of the VR application for training dental implant skills. Results The SUS score was 82.00 ± 10.79, indicating a top 10 percentage ranking of the system’s usabilitys. The participants’ answers to the questionnaire reflected most of them exhibited strong interests in the VR system, with a tendency that the female students were more confident than the male in manipulating the VR system. The participants generally acknowledged the usefulness of VR dental implants, ranking VR value above the traditional laboratory operations, and a preference for using the VR system on learning other skills. They also gave valuable suggestions on VR dental implants for substantial improvement. However, some students were not strongly positive about the VR training in this study, the reason might lie in a more theoretical module was selected for testing, which impacted the students’ ratings. Conclusions In this study we revealed the feasibility and usability of VR applications on training dental implant among undergraduate dental students. This pilot study showed that the participants benefited from the dental implant VR training by practicing the skills repeatedly. The feedback from student participants affirmed the advantages and their acceptance of the VR application in dental education. Especially, the VR-based technology is highly conducive to clinical operating skills and surgical procedures-focused training in medical education, indicating that the VR system should be combined with the traditional practice approach in improving dental students’ practical abilities.
Huang et al. (2023) Student perceptions toward virtual reality training in dental implant education. PeerJ 11:e14857 https://doi.org/10.7717/peerj.14857
Identification of key immune-related genes associated with LPS/D-GalN-induced acute liver failure in mice based on transcriptome sequencing
Background The aim of this study was to identify key immune-related genes in acute liver failure (ALF) by constructing an ALF mouse model for transcriptome sequencing. Methods The C57BL/6 mouse with ALF model was induced by lipopolysaccharide (LPS)/ D-galactosamine (D-GalN). After successful modelling, the liver tissues of all mice were obtained for transcriptome sequencing. The key immune-related genes in mice with ALF were identified by differential expression analysis, immune infiltration analysis, weighted gene co-expression network analysis (WGCNA), enrichment analysis, and protein-protein interaction (PPI) analysis. Results An LPS/D-GalN-induced ALF mouse model was successfully constructed, and transcriptome sequencing was performed. Significant differences in the proportions of monocytes, macrophages M0, macrophages M1 and neutrophils were shown by immune infiltration analysis, and 5255 genes highly associated with these four immune cells were identified by WGCNA. These immune genes were found to be significantly enriched in the TNF signalling pathway by enrichment analysis. Finally, PPI analysis was performed on genes enriched in this pathway and three key genes (CXCL1, CXCL10 and IL1B) were screened out and revealed to be significantly upregulated in ALF. Conclusions Key immune-related genes in ALF were identified in this study, which may provide not only potential therapeutic targets for treating ALF and improving its prognosis, but also a reliable scientific basis for the immunotherapy of the disease.
Chen et al. (2023) Identification of key immune-related genes associated with LPS/D-GalN-induced acute liver failure in mice based on transcriptome sequencing. PeerJ 11:e15241 https://doi.org/10.7717/peerj.15241
Retrospective study of influencing factors on the outcomes of luteal phase stimulation in patients with dual stimulation
Background Dual/double stimulation (DS) is an ovarian stimulation strategy that has emerged in recent years; it is characterized by two rounds of ovarian stimulation and oocyte retrieval in the same menstrual cycle. DS can greatly shorten the time required to obtain valid embryos in assisted reproduction. For fertility preservation, DS can speed up oocyte storage process. However, factors influencing luteal phase ovarian stimulation (LPS) outcomes in DS have not been elucidated. Methods A total of 156 cycles from 78 cases were studied. Patients were grouped and analyzed according to their follicular phase ovarian stimulation (FPS) types. Female ages, ovarian stimulation protocols, number of oocytes retrieved, embryo quality were recorded. Comparisons of outcomes were conducted between different groups. Results Our study found that LPS obtained similar outcomes to follicular phase stimulation (FPS), and that the choice of FPS protocol affected the efficiency of LPS, the antagonist protocol and progestin-primed ovarian stimulation (PPOS) protocol resulted in better embryo outcomes in LPS. In LPS of DS, sufficient stimulation duration was the guarantee of embryo quality (number of available embryos: β = 0.145, 95% CI [0.078–0.211], P = 0.000; number of high-quality embryos: β = 0.114, 95% CI [0.057–0.171], P = 0.000). Discussion This study provided ideas for the precise use of DS. We suggest to further expand the sample size of DS in the future, conduct prospective controlled studies, unify the sample size of each subgroup, include the ovarian reserve of patients in the grouping basis, and exclude the influence of male factors. We hope that this study will help further refinement of DS so as to maximize patient benefits from it. Conclusion When the DS strategy is considered in the follicular phase, the antagonist protocol and PPOS protocol are more recommended for better embryo outcomes in LPS. During LPS, adequate ovarian stimulation duration is the most important guarantee for LPS efficiency.
Chen et al. (2023) Retrospective study of influencing factors on the outcomes of luteal phase stimulation in patients with dual stimulation. PeerJ 11:e15296 https://doi.org/10.7717/peerj.15296