PLoS ONE最新文献

Exergames have the potential to be used as physical-cognitive training tools. Although numerous studies investigated the physical and motivational effects of Exergaming, a comprehensive summary of training effects in healthy adults is still missing. This scoping review aims to identify available evidence and research gaps on absolute and relative effects of Exergame training on physical indicators (effectiveness) and motivation (attractiveness) compared to no or conventional training in healthy adults. A systematic literature search was performed in EBSCOhost, WoS CC, SURF, and Science Research for studies meeting the following criteria: a) randomized controlled trials with Exergames compared to conventional training and/ or no treatment; b) healthy adults (age: 18 to 64 years); c) Exergame training interventions; d) assessment of pre-post differences, primary outcomes: endurance, strength, flexibility, speed, balance, sensorimotor coordination, sports skills, player experience; secondary outcomes: adverse events, physical activity level, attitudes, and knowledge. Methodological quality of included studies was assessed using the PEDro Scale. Charted data were categorized according to the PICOS framework. Mean differences, 95% confidence intervals, and effect sizes (ES) were calculated for continuous outcomes. Evidence Maps were created to illustrate the estimated Risk of Bias, estimated effect, and sample sizes. Eighteen publications with 907 participants were included. The number of studies per outcome was low (2 to 9balance:). Studies on coordination and knowledge were lacking. No study analyzed the relative effects of speed training with Exergames. Absolute effects of Exergame training ranged from no to large effects. Significant ES were consistently found for skill training. Negative effects were found for individual parameters. Relative effects of Exergame training ranged from no to large effects (one exception). A moderate absolute effect favoring traditional training was found for skill training. The remaining results suggest that Exergaming elicited similar training effects compared to conventional training. A high variance of applied training, corresponding training parameters (FITT-VP), outcome measures, as well as methodological deficits and incomplete reporting were identified in included studies. Therefore, a lack of high-quality studies and reviews was identified. Future research should conduct high quality RCT studies analyzing the effectiveness and attractiveness in Exergames. In addition, more suitable, well-designed Exergames should be developed.

Perivascular spaces (PVS) are fluid filled compartments surrounding the small blood vessels in the brain. The impact of radiotherapy and chemotherapy on PVS remains unclear. The aim of this study is to investigate treatment effects of radiotherapy and chemotherapy at four time points (TPs) in pediatric medulloblastoma (MB) patients. We examined 778 scans from 241 MB patients at baseline (0M), after 12 weeks (about 3 months) of radiotherapy and rest (3M), after chemotherapy completion (12M), and a follow-up (FollowUp) at 18- or 21-months post-baseline. PVS was segmented by applying Frangi filter on the white matter regions on T1 weighted images acquired at 3T Siemens MRI scanner using MPRAGE. PVS volume and ratio, defined as the ratio of PVS volume to the white matter volume, were measured at the four TPs. The data was first statistically analyzed using a full model where all data were included, then a paired model, which included only patients who completed consecutive measurements under the same anesthesia and shunt conditions. Both the full model and paired model showed that PVS (including ratio and volume) increased at 3M post-radiotherapy compared to baseline. During chemotherapy, PVS decreased significantly from 3M to 12M. Subsequently, from 12M to FollowUp, PVS increased again. MRI exams under anesthesia exhibited significantly lower PVS than those without anesthesia. Patients who had undergone a shunt procedure exhibited a significantly reduced PVS compared to those who had not undergone the procedure. We concluded that craniospinal irradiation led to an elevated PVS. Conversely, chemotherapy or time post-irradiation decreased PVS. Anesthesia and shunt procedures can also influence perivascular space ratio or volume.

Globally, ruminants contribute largely to the livelihood and supply of quality food for human consumption. However, small ruminants face numerous problems, including infectious diseases, in lower- and middle-income countries (LMIC). Brucellosis is one of the important zoonotic diseases affecting the range of animals caused by Brucella species, including Brucella abortus and Brucella mellitensis. Although brucellosis caused by B. mellitensis in small ruminants has never been reported in the study areas, its zoonotic importance can never be underestimated. Therefore, this study was designed to investigate the sero-molecular prevalence of B. mellitensis in small ruminants in districts Mohmand and Charsadda of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan. A total of 400 blood samples were collected from sheep and goats (n = 200 from each species) and analyzed by Rose Bengal precipitation test (RBPT), the indirect enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (i-ELISA) and polymerase chain reaction (PCR). The findings of the study indicated 13.5% and 7% of sheep while 12.5% and 12.5% of goat's samples by RBPT and (i-ELISA) respectively. The species-specific PCR confirmed B. abortus in 70% of sheep samples and 37.5% of goat's samples and B. mellitensis in 25% of sheep and 62.5% of goat's samples by targeting IS711. The findings of the study concluded that B. abortus and B. melitensis were circulating in sheep and goats with a higher prevalence in the study areas. This study detected the presence of B. mellitensis for the first time in small ruminants in the study areas.

Background: Chronic pain has emerged as a significant global public health concern. Hence, it is imperative to acquire a more comprehensive comprehension of these characteristics in the adult population of the United States in order to facilitate the development of effective interventions. The objective of this study is to ascertain the prevalence of chronic pain among people in the United States and investigate its association with C-reactive protein (CRP) levels.

Methods: The present study employed a cross-sectional design and utilized data from three cycles of the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES). The study aimed to investigate the relationship between chronic pain status, CRP levels, and potential confounding factors. The study incorporated individuals who successfully fulfilled chronic questionnaires and had CRP assays. Weighted univariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses were performed to examine the correlation between chronic pain and CRP levels. To explore the non-linear relationship, weighted restricted cubic spline (RCS) with three knots coupled with a weighted logistic regression model to assess the dose-response relationship between CRP (continuous variables) and chronic pain.

Results: A total of 10,680 (Weighted 250,814,660.8) adult participants with complete information were included in the analysis and 2612 (Weighted 67978784.88, 27.1%) subjects met the definition of chronic pain. Compared with participants without chronic pain, those with chronic pain had a higher CRP level (P < 0.001). The results of the multivariable adjusted logistic regression model suggested that the highest CRP quartile (CRP >  0.52 mg/dL) was associated with a 32% increase in the risk of chronic pain compared with the lowest CRP quartile (CRP ≤  0.09 mg/dL). The RCS result showed that the OR of chronic pain and CRP displayed a linear relationship (P = 0.027, Non-linear P = 0.541).

Conclusions: The study found a significant correlation between CRP levels and the presence of chronic pain among people in the United States. Individuals exhibiting elevated levels of CRP demonstrated a heightened propensity for experiencing chronic pain in comparison to individuals with lower CRP levels. Additional investigation is necessary to explore the presence of a causal association between the two variables, as well as the potential underlying mechanisms.

Introduction: Annually, approximately 174 million people globally are affected by Trichomonas vaginalis (T. vaginalis) infection. Half of these infections occur in resource-limited regions. Untreated T. vaginalis infections are associated with complications such as pelvic inflammatory disease and adverse pregnancy outcomes mostly seen in women. In resource-limited regions, the World Health Organization (WHO) advocates for syndromic case management. However, this can lead to unnecessary treatment. Accurate diagnosis of T. vaginalis is required for effective and prompt treatment. Molecular tests such as Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) have the advantage of having a short turn-around time and allow the use of non-invasive specimens such as urine and vaginal swabs. However, these diagnostic techniques have numerous disadvantages such as high infrastructure costs, false negative and positive results, and interstrain variation among others. This study aimed to evaluate the use of identical multi-repeat sequences (IMRS) as amplification primers for developing ultrasensitive diagnostic for T. vaginalis.

Methods: We used genome-mining approaches based on identical multi-repeat sequences (IMRS) algorithm to identify sequences distributed on the T. vaginalis genome to design a primer pair that targets a total of 69 repeat sequences. Genomic T. vaginalis DNA was diluted from 5.8×102 to 5.8×10-4 genome copies/μl and used as a template in the IMRS-based amplification assay. For performance comparison, 18S rRNA PCR assay was employed.

Results: The T. vaginalis -IMRS primers offered a higher test sensitivity of 0.03 fg/μL compared to the 18S rRNA PCR (0.714 pg/μL). The limit of detection for the Isothermal assay was 0.58 genome copies/mL. Using real-time PCR, the analytical sensitivity of the T. vaginalis -IMRS primers was <0.01 pg/μL, equivalent to less than one genome copy/μL.

Conclusion: De novo genome mining of T. vaginalis IMRS as amplification primers serves as a platform for developing ultrasensitive diagnostics for Trichomoniasis and a wide range of infectious pathogens.

This study aims to reveal whether non-CEO inside directors can promote corporate research and development (R&D) investment. Using a panel data of 3,002 Chinese manufacturing listed firms from 2011 to 2021, we find that inside directors can significantly promote corporate R&D investment. We also find that when the CEO has equity incentives to alleviate agency conflicts, the role of inside directors in promoting R&D investment is significantly weakened. Additional analysis show that the promotive effect of inside directors on R&D investment is significant only in samples of non-state-owned enterprises (non-SOEs), male CEOs, older CEOs, and small boards, but not for the samples of state-owned enterprises (SOEs), female CEOs, younger CEOs, and large boards. These findings extend the scope of research on the economic consequences of inside directors and have important implications for the optimization and adjustment of corporate governance policies.

Helicobacter pylori is a gram-negative bacterium that persistently infects the human stomach, leading to peptic ulcers, gastritis, and an increased risk of gastric cancer. The extremophilic characteristics of this bacterium make it resistant to current drug treatments, and there are no licensed vaccines available against H. pylori. Computational approaches offer a viable alternative for designing antigenic, stable, and safe vaccines to control infections caused by this pathogen. In this study, we employed an immunoinformatic strategy to design a set of candidate multi-epitope subunit vaccines by combining the most potent B and T cell epitopes from three targeted antigenic proteins (BabA, CagA, and VacA). Out of the 12 hypothetical vaccines generated, two (HP_VaX_V1 and HP_VaX_V2) were found to be strongly immunogenic, non-allergenic, and structurally stable. The proposed vaccine candidates were evaluated based on population coverage, molecular docking, immune simulations, codon adaptation, secondary mRNA structure, and in silico cloning. The vaccine candidates exhibited antigenic scores of 1.19 and 1.01, with 93.5% and 90.4% of the most rama-favored regions, respectively. HP_VaX_V1 and HP_VaX_V2 exhibited the strongest binding affinity towards TLR-7 and TLR-8, as determined by molecular docking simulations (ΔG = -20.3 and -20.9, respectively). Afterward, multi-scale normal mode analysis simulation revealed the structural flexibility and stability of vaccine candidates. Additionally, immune simulations showed elevated levels of cell-mediated immunity, while repeated exposure simulations indicated rapid antigen clearance. Finally, in silico cloning was performed using the expression vector pET28a (+) with optimized restriction sites to develop a viable strategy for large-scale production of the chosen vaccine constructs. These analyses suggest that the proposed vaccines may elicit potent immune responses against H. pylori, but laboratory validation is needed to verify their safety and immunogenicity.

Glioblastoma (GBM) tumors exhibit extensive genomic, epigenomic, and transcriptional diversity, with significant intratumoral heterogeneity, complicating standard treatment approaches involving radiation (RT) and the DNA-alkylating agent temozolomide (TMZ). In this study, we employed an integrative multi-omics approach, including targeted proteomics, transcriptomics, genomics, and DNA methylation profiling, to investigate the response of a representative panel of GBM patient-derived cancer stem cells (CSCs) to astrocytic differentiation and RT and TMZ treatments. Differentiated CSC progenies retained the expression of key stemness genes and survival pathways, while activating the BMP-Smad signaling pathway and upregulating extracellular matrix components. This was associated with increased resistance to TMZ, though not to RT, across all models. We identified TP53 status as a critical determinant of transcriptional response to both RT and TMZ, which was also modulated by the differentiation state and treatment modality in wildtype (wt) p53 GBM cells. Both mutant and wt p53 models exhibited significant activation of the DNA-damage associated interferon (IFN) response in CSCs and differentiated cells, implicating this pathway in the GBM response to therapy. We observed that activation of NF-κB was positively correlated with the levels of O-6-methylguanine-DNA methyltransferase (MGMT) protein, a direct DNA repair enzyme leading to TMZ resistance, regardless of MGMT promoter methylation status, further supporting the clinical potential for inhibition of NF-kB signaling in GBM treatment. Our integrative analysis of the impact of GBM cell developmental states, in the context of genomic and molecular diversity of patient-derived models, provides valuable insights for pre-clinical studies aimed at optimizing treatment strategies.

Perceptual recognition of tourist destinations is vital in representing the destination image, supporting destination management decision-making, and promoting tourism recommendations. However, previous studies on tourist destination perception have limitations regarding accuracy and completeness related to research methods. This study addresses these limitations by proposing an efficient strategy to achieve precise perceptual recognition of tourist destinations while ensuring the integrity of user-generated content (UGC) data and the completeness of perception dimensions. We integrated various types of UGC data, including images, texts, and spatiotemporal information, to create a comprehensive UGC dataset. Then, we adopted the improved Inception V3 model, the bidirectional long short-term memory network (BiLSTM) model with multi-head attention, and geographic information system (GIS) technology to recognize basic tourist feature information from the UGC dataset, such as the content, sentiment, and spatiotemporal perceptual dimensions of the data, achieving a recognition accuracy of over 97%. Finally, a progressive dimension combination method was proposed to visualize and analyze multiple perceptions. An experimental case study demonstrated the strategy's effectiveness, focusing on tourists' perceptions of Datong, China. Experimental results show that the approach is feasible for studying tourist destination perception. Content perception, sentiment perception, and the perception of Datong's spatial and temporal characteristics were recognized and analyzed efficiently. This study offers valuable guidance and a reference framework for selecting methods and technical routes in tourist destination perception.