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Insects May 2024Prolonged periods of host-lethal infection by entomopathogenic fungi pose challenges to the development of biological control agents. The obligate entomopathogen ,...
Transcriptomic Profiling of Bean Aphid upon Exposure to the Aphid-Obligate Entomopathogen (Entomophthoromycotina) and Screening of CytCo-Binding Aphid Proteins through a Pull-Down Assay.
Prolonged periods of host-lethal infection by entomopathogenic fungi pose challenges to the development of biological control agents. The obligate entomopathogen , however, rapidly kills aphid hosts, warranting investigation. This study investigated the interaction between and a bean aphid during the incubation period of infection, using transcriptome analysis to map host gene expression profiles. Results indicate -inoculated aphid activation of the wound healing immune responses, alongside suppression of the key molecules involved in Toll signaling, melanization, and metabolism. Furthermore, neuromotor system-related genes were upregulated, paralleling the intoxication observed in a nematode pest treated with -derived CytCo protein. To deepen interaction insights, a His-tag pull-down assay coupled with mass spectrometry analysis was conducted using CytCo as a bait to screen for potential aphid protein interactors. The proteins were identified based on the assembled transcriptome, and eleven transmembrane proteins were predicted to bind to CytCo. Notably, a protein of putatively calcium-transporting ATPase stood out with the highest confidence. This suggests that CytCo plays a vital role in killing aphid hosts, implicating calcium imbalance. In conclusion, effectively inhibits aphid immunity and exhibits neurotoxic potential, expediting the infection process. This finding facilitates our understanding of the complex host-pathogen interactions and opens new avenues for exploring biological pest management strategies in agroforestry.
PubMed: 38921103
DOI: 10.3390/insects15060388 -
Behavioral Sciences (Basel, Switzerland) Jun 2024The educational expectations of students for themselves have been commonly corroborated to directly predict their higher academic performance. Nevertheless, some recent...
The Dynamic Relationships between Educational Expectations and Science Learning Performance among Students in Secondary School and Their Later Completion of a STEM Degree.
The educational expectations of students for themselves have been commonly corroborated to directly predict their higher academic performance. Nevertheless, some recent research has reported that the academic performance of students may also contribute to their better development of educational expectations. Moreover, more advanced but limited research has argued that both the educational expectations and academic performance of students are developmental and changeable over time rather than fixed and stable. Due to the importance of students' science learning performance during the years of secondary school in relation to their later STEM development in adulthood, the current study is intended to investigate how the developmental and growth trajectories of students' educational expectations and science learning performance reciprocally affect each other directly and inversely in secondary school and then later contribute to their successful completion of a STEM degree in adulthood. Based on the six-wave panel data containing a nationally representative sample of adolescent students from the Longitudinal Study of American Youth (LSAY), the current study was conducted by parallel-process latent growth curve modeling (PP-LGCM) and found that both the developmental and growth trajectories of students' educational expectations and science learning performance were mutually predictive of each other across the years of secondary school, which then contributed to their later higher likelihood of successful completion of a STEM degree in adulthood. In addition, the conditional direct PP-LGCM model, which is to model the effects of students' educational expectations on their science learning performance, and the conditional inverse PP-LGCM model, which is to model the effects of students' science learning performance on their educational expectations, showed significant within- and cross-domain effects differently. The implications of the study findings related to educational reforms and policy designs are discussed.
PubMed: 38920838
DOI: 10.3390/bs14060506 -
Behavioral Sciences (Basel, Switzerland) May 2024Employees with mental illness are often the first to be unable to cope with increasingly complex psychosocial work demands. But people without mental illness can also...
Employees with mental illness are often the first to be unable to cope with increasingly complex psychosocial work demands. But people without mental illness can also suffer from, for example, high workload. This study compares a short coaching to stabilize work ability for employees with and without mental illness regarding coaching topics, effects on work-related resources, goal attainment, and unwanted events. Individual coaching of three sessions (problem exploration by behavior analysis, practice of new behavior, reflection) was conducted with employees from different professional fields. A medical history was taken to determine whether participants are affected by a mental disorder. All coaching was conducted by the same behavior therapist in training (L.P.W.) under the supervision of an experienced behavior therapist (B.M.). Two hundred and three coachings with three sessions were completed. In total, 103 participants did not have a mental illness (51%), and 100 participants reported a mental disorder (49%). The coaching participants with mental illness had lower initial levels of work-related capacities (more severe impairments) and coping behavior as compared to the participants without mental illness. In the pre-post comparisons, both groups achieved significant improvements in work-related coping after the coaching. There were no differences in goal attainment between both groups. While participants without mental illness reported more unwanted events in parallel to the coaching (30% reported negative developments in life), participants with mental illness reported coaching-related unwanted events (20% felt to be dependent on the coach). Coaching with an individual focus on one topic can improve work-related resources in participants with and without mental disorders. Since participants with and without mental illness experience different unwanted events in coaching, psychotherapeutic expertise is needed in order to set the right focus.
PubMed: 38920794
DOI: 10.3390/bs14060462 -
Behavioral Sciences (Basel, Switzerland) May 2024This study examined the second-order schema domains of Early Maladaptive and Adaptive Schemas based on recent trends and compared them with the five theoretical...
This study examined the second-order schema domains of Early Maladaptive and Adaptive Schemas based on recent trends and compared them with the five theoretical second-order schema domains commonly used in schema therapy. Using six international Eastern and Western community samples-Singapore ( = 628), Malaysia ( = 229), USA ( = 396), South Africa ( = 390), Nigeria ( = 364), India ( = 306)-confirmatory factor analysis showed that the four second-order domains of EMSs and EASs, which ran almost parallel with each other, were the most robust models calling into question the validity of the five domain model. Given the hypothesized links between schemas and needs, these four categories of EMSs and EASs represent four categories of toxic experiences and core emotional needs, respectively. These categories were supported empirically and are useful to parents as well as to clinicians as they approach child rearing and the treatment of clients in schema therapy from the vantage point of needs. These four categories of psychological core emotional needs, as well as toxic experiences, were found, as expected, to be linked with various measures of well-being and ill-being.
PubMed: 38920775
DOI: 10.3390/bs14060443 -
Behavioral Sciences (Basel, Switzerland) May 2024Externalizing problems, internalizing problems, and obesity are among the greatest challenges to adolescent health. However, the moderating and mediating mechanisms that...
Association between Body Mass Index and Externalizing and Internalizing Symptoms among Chinese Adolescents: Mediating Role of Traditional Bullying and Cyberbullying Victimization.
BACKGROUND
Externalizing problems, internalizing problems, and obesity are among the greatest challenges to adolescent health. However, the moderating and mediating mechanisms that underlie this association remain predominantly unexplored.
OBJECTIVES
In this study, we examined the association between body mass index (BMI) and externalizing and internalizing scores in adolescents, tested whether traditional bullying and cyberbullying mediated the association, and explored the moderated role of sex.
METHODS
The data came from 1486 adolescents from grade 7, 8, and 10 living in Shantou, China. Information on BMI, traditional bullying, and cyberbullying victimization was obtained through a self-administered questionnaire. The students' externalizing and internalizing scores were evaluated using the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ). Furthermore, we built two parallel mediation models with sex as a moderating variable.
RESULTS
Compared to their peers with normal weight, adolescents with increased BMI reported higher externalizing and internalizing scores. Traditional bullying and cyberbullying were both significant mediators in the two relationships. Sex moderated the pathway from BMI to cyberbullying. But sex did not moderate the relationship between BMI and traditional bullying.
CONCLUSIONS
The results highlight that it is imperative for educators to identify students who are subjected to weight-based bullying and provide them with recommendations for effective coping strategies. Meanwhile, both victims of traditional bullying and those affected by cyberbullying should be the focus of prevention and intervention efforts when developing a strategy to improve levels of internalizing and externalizing symptoms among adolescents with increased BMI.
PubMed: 38920759
DOI: 10.3390/bs14060427 -
Current Oncology (Toronto, Ont.) Jun 2024Early integrated palliative care (EIPC) for patients with advanced cancers requires the involvement of family doctors (FDs) and oncologists. We compared attitudes...
Early integrated palliative care (EIPC) for patients with advanced cancers requires the involvement of family doctors (FDs) and oncologists. We compared attitudes between patients and their providers regarding the delivery of EIPC. Patients with newly diagnosed incurable gastrointestinal (GI) cancer at a tertiary cancer centre in Ontario, Canada, were surveyed using a study-specific instrument regarding the importance of and preferences for accessing support across eight domains of palliative care. Physicians within the circle of care completed a parallel survey for each patient. The concordance between patient and physician responses was analyzed. A total of 66 patients were surveyed (median age 69, 35% female). All had an oncologist, 12% had a specialist palliative care provider (SPC), and 97% had an FD, but only 41% listed the FD as part of the care team. In total, 95 providers responded (oncologist = 68, FD = 21, SPC = 6; response rate 92%; 1-3 physician responses per patient). Disease management and physical concerns were most important to patients. Patients preferred to access care in these domains from oncologists or SPCs. For all other domains, most patients attributed primary responsibility to self or family rather than any healthcare provider. Thus, concordance was poor between patient and physician responses. Across most domains of palliative care, we found low agreement between cancer patients and their physicians regarding responsibilities for care, with FDs appearing to have limited involvement at this stage.
Topics: Humans; Palliative Care; Female; Male; Gastrointestinal Neoplasms; Aged; Middle Aged; Prospective Studies; Surveys and Questionnaires; Patient Preference; Attitude of Health Personnel; Aged, 80 and over; Adult; Ontario
PubMed: 38920736
DOI: 10.3390/curroncol31060253 -
Cells Jun 2024Recent emerging studies have demonstrated numerous critical roles of exosomes in cell-to-cell signaling. We investigated exosomes in the aqueous humor of glaucoma...
Recent emerging studies have demonstrated numerous critical roles of exosomes in cell-to-cell signaling. We investigated exosomes in the aqueous humor of glaucoma patients and controls and compared their characteristics with other biomarkers such as cytokines. Glaucoma patients exhibited higher exosome particle counts and smaller sizes compared to controls. Higher exosome density was correlated with more severe visual field loss. Conversely, concentrations of aqueous humor cytokines, particularly PD-L1, were primarily associated with intraocular pressure, and none of the cytokines showed a significant association with visual field damage. This may reflect the characteristics of exosomes, which are advantageous for crossing various biological barriers. Exosomes may contain more information about glaucoma functional damage occurring in the retina or optic nerve head. This highlights the potential importance of exosomes as signaling mediators distinct from other existing molecules.
Topics: Humans; Aqueous Humor; Exosomes; Biomarkers; Glaucoma; Cytokines; Female; Male; Middle Aged; Aged; Intraocular Pressure; Case-Control Studies
PubMed: 38920659
DOI: 10.3390/cells13121030 -
Entropy (Basel, Switzerland) Jun 2024Recent theoretical investigations have revealed unconventional transport mechanisms within high Brillouin zones of two-dimensional superlattices. Electrons can navigate...
Recent theoretical investigations have revealed unconventional transport mechanisms within high Brillouin zones of two-dimensional superlattices. Electrons can navigate along channels we call superwires, gently guided without brute force confinement. Such dynamical confinement is caused by weak superlattice deflections, markedly different from the static or energetic confinement observed in traditional wave guides or one-dimensional electron wires. The quantum properties of superwires give rise to elastic dynamical tunneling, linking disjoint regions of the corresponding classical phase space, and enabling the emergence of several parallel channels. This paper provides the underlying theory and mechanisms that facilitate dynamical tunneling assisted by chaos in periodic lattices. Moreover, we show that the mechanism of dynamical tunneling can be effectively conceptualized through the lens of a paraxial approximation. Our results further reveal that superwires predominantly exist within flat bands, emerging from eigenstates that represent linear combinations of conventional degenerate Bloch states. Finally, we quantify tunneling rates across various lattice configurations and demonstrate that tunneling can be suppressed in a controlled fashion, illustrating potential implications in future nanodevices.
PubMed: 38920501
DOI: 10.3390/e26060492 -
Geriatrics (Basel, Switzerland) May 2024Although supervised and real-time telerehabilitation by videoconferencing is now becoming common for people with Parkinson's disease (PD), its efficacy for balance and... (Review)
Review
Although supervised and real-time telerehabilitation by videoconferencing is now becoming common for people with Parkinson's disease (PD), its efficacy for balance and gait is still unclear. This paper uses a scoping approach to review the current evidence on the effects of telerehabilitation by videoconferencing on balance and gait for patients with PD. We also explored whether studies have used wearable technology during telerehabilitation to assess and treat balance and gait via videoconferencing. Literature searches were conducted using PubMed, ISI's Web of Knowledge, Cochrane's Library, and Embase. The data were extracted for study design, treatment, and outcomes. Fourteen studies were included in this review. Of these, seven studies investigated the effects of telerehabilitation (e.g., tele-yoga and adapted physiotherapy exercises) on balance and gait measures (e.g., self-reported balance, balance scale, walking speed, mobility, and motor symptoms) using videoconferencing in both assessment and treatment. The telerehabilitation programs by videoconferencing were feasible and safe for people with PD; however, the efficacy still needs to be determined, as only four studies had a parallel group. In addition, no study used wearable technology. Robust evidence of the effects of telerehabilitation by videoconferencing on balance and gait for patients with PD was not found, suggesting that future powered, prospective, and robust clinical trials are needed.
PubMed: 38920422
DOI: 10.3390/geriatrics9030066 -
Cancer Research Communications Jun 2024Evaluate the efficacy of WEE1 inhibitor adavosertib in patients (pts) with solid tumor malignancies (cohort A) and clear cell renal cell carcinoma (ccRCC; cohort B).
PURPOSE
Evaluate the efficacy of WEE1 inhibitor adavosertib in patients (pts) with solid tumor malignancies (cohort A) and clear cell renal cell carcinoma (ccRCC; cohort B).
PATIENTS AND METHODS
NCT03284385 was a parallel cohort, Simon two-stage, phase II study of adavosertib (300 mg QDAY by mouth on days 1-5 and 8-12 of each 21-day cycle) in pts with solid tumor malignancies harboring a pathogenic SETD2 mutation. The primary endpoint was objective response rate (ORR). Correlative assays evaluated loss of H3K36me3 by immunohistochemistry (IHC), a downstream consequence of SETD2 loss, in archival tumor tissue.
RESULTS
Eighteen pts were enrolled (9/cohort). Median age was 60 years (range 45 - 74). The median duration of treatment was 1.28 months (range 0 - 24+). No objective responses were observed in either cohort; accrual was halted following stage 1. Minor tumor regressions were observed in 4/18 (22%) evaluable pts. Stable disease (SD) was the best overall response in 10/18 (56%) pts, including three pts with SD >4 months. One pt with ccRCC remains on treatment for >24 months. The most common adverse events (AE) of any grade were nausea (59%), anemia (41%), diarrhea (41%), and neutropenia (41%). Nine pts (50%) experienced a Grade ≥ 3 AE. Of 8 evaluable archival tissue samples, 6 (75%) had loss of H3K36me3 by IHC.
CONCLUSIONS
Adavosertib failed to exhibit objective responses in SETD2-altered ccRCC and other solid tumor malignancies though prolonged stable disease was observed in a subset of pts. Combination approaches may yield greater depth of tumor response.
PubMed: 38920407
DOI: 10.1158/2767-9764.CRC-24-0213