Search Our Scientific Publications & Authors

Chemosphere 2021 Apr 2;278:130368. Epub 2021 Apr 2.

School of Civil and Transportation Engineering, Guangdong University of Technology, Guangzhou, 510006, Guangdong, China.

Carbamazepine (CBZ) antibiotic organic contamination wastewater poses a huge threat to environmental safety. An advanced oxidation technology (Fe/PDS/US) of using ultrasound (US) enhanced zero-valent iron/potassium persulfate (Fe/PDS) can remove CBZ effectively. The optimal reaction conditions were determined by exploring the effect of single-factor experimental conditions such as ultrasonic power, ultrasonic frequency, CBZ concentration, solution pH, PDS dosage, and Fe dosage on the removal of CBZ. Read More

Exp Gerontol 2021 Apr 7:111346. Epub 2021 Apr 7.

Interdisciplinary Program in Neuroscience, Aysel Sabuncu Brain Research Center, Bilkent University, Ankara, Turkey; National Nanotechnology Research Center (UNAM), Bilkent University, Ankara, Turkey; Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics, Zebrafish Facility, Bilkent University, Ankara, Turkey; Department of Psychology, Bilkent University, Ankara, Turkey. Electronic address:

Progression of cognitive decline with or without neurodegeneration varies among elderly subjects. The main aim of the current study was to illuminate the molecular mechanisms that promote and retain successful aging in the context of factors such as environment and gender, both of which alter the resilience of the aging brain. Environmental enrichment (EE) is one intervention that may lead to the maintenance of cognitive processing at older ages in both humans and animal subjects. Read More

Transl Behav Med 2021 Apr 10. Epub 2021 Apr 10.

Department of Behavioral Science, University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX 77030, USA.

Mobile applications and paired devices allow individuals to self-monitor physical activity, dietary intake, and weight fluctuation concurrently. However, little is known regarding patterns of use of these self-monitoring technologies over time and their implications for weight loss. The objectives of this study were to identify distinct patterns of self-monitoring technology use and to investigate the associations between these patterns and weight change. Read More

Br J Dermatol 2021 Apr 10. Epub 2021 Apr 10.

Department of Dermatology, University Hospital Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland.

Background: Psoriasis is a stigmatizing disease that often affects female patients more negatively than male patients. Very little systematic data on the treatment responses related to gender exists.

Objectives: This two-country, multi-centre, prospective, non-interventional registry study aimed to evaluate potential gender differences with respect to systemic anti-psoriatic treatment. Read More

Sci Rep 2021 Apr 9;11(1):7813. Epub 2021 Apr 9.

Centre d'Ecologie et des Sciences de la Conservation (CESCO), Muséum national d'Histoire naturelle, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, Sorbonne Université, 57 rue Cuvier, CP 135, 75005, Paris, France.

Although captive breeding programs are valuable for conservation, they have been shown to be associated with genetic changes, such as adaptation to captivity or inbreeding. In addition, reproductive performance is strongly age-dependent in most animal species. These mechanisms that potentially impact reproduction have often been studied separately, while their interactions have rarely been addressed. Read More

Am J Emerg Med 2021 Apr 2;48:1-11. Epub 2021 Apr 2.

Department of Internal Medicine, Hospital Clínic, Institut d'Investigacions Biomèdiques August Pi i Sunyer (IDIBAPS), University of Barcelona, 08036 Barcelona, Spain.

Purpose: Patients evaluated in the emergency department (ED) who have concerning symptoms suggestive of a cancer diagnosis are mostly referred to the quick diagnosis unit of our tertiary hospital. This study analyzed the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on the volume, disease patterns, and accessibility to essential investigations of patients with suspected cancer referred by the ED to this unit.

Methods: Trends in referrals were analyzed from January 1 to July 8, 2020 and the corresponding dates of 2019. Read More

Appetite 2021 Apr 6:105250. Epub 2021 Apr 6.

Department of Nutritional Sciences, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, USA. Electronic address:

This study investigated the independent and combined effects on preschool children's vegetable intake of serving a larger portion of vegetables and enhancing their flavor. In a crossover design, lunch was served in childcare centers once a week for four weeks to 67 children aged 3-5 y (26 boys, 41 girls). The meal consisted of two familiar vegetables (broccoli and corn) served with fish sticks, rice, ketchup, applesauce, and milk. Read More

Int J Biol Macromol 2021 Apr 6. Epub 2021 Apr 6.

Laboratory of Enzyme Engineering and Microbiology, National School of Engineering of Sfax (ENIS), University of Sfax, P.O. Box 1173, Sfax 3038, Tunisia; Department of Life Sciences, Faculty of Science of Gabes, Omar Ibn Khattab Street, Gabes 6029, Tunisia. Electronic address:

The purpose of this study was to develop and characterize chitosan (Ch)-based films incorporated with varying molecular weight (Mw) and acetylation degree (AD) chitosan-depolymerization-products (CDP), to be applied as drug delivery materials. As compared to Ch-film, optical and antioxidant potentials of Ch/CDP-based films were improved, particularly using low Mw and AD-CDP. Whereas, films water resistance, mechanical and antibacterial properties increased as CDP-Mw increased and AD decreased. Read More

Int J Biol Macromol 2021 Apr 6. Epub 2021 Apr 6.

Siberian Federal University, 79 Svobodnyi av., Krasnoyarsk 660041, Russia; Institute of Biophysics SB RAS, Federal Research Center "Krasnoyarsk Science Center SB RAS", 50/50Akademgorodok, Krasnoyarsk 660036, Russia.

Purpose: To synthesize and investigate polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHAs) with different monomer composition and percentages and polymer films prepared from them.

Results: Various PHAs: homopolymer poly-3-hydroxybutyrate P(3HB) and 2-, 3-, and 4-component copolymers comprising various combinations of 3-hydroxybutyrate (3HB), 3-hydroxyvalerate (3HV), 4-hydroxybutyrate (4HB), and 3-hydroxyhexanoate (3HHx) monomers were synthesized under specialized conditions. Relationships were found between the monomer composition of PHAs and their molecular-weight and thermal properties and degree of crystallinity. Read More

Behav Brain Res 2021 Apr 6:113291. Epub 2021 Apr 6.

Division of Medical Sciences, University of Victoria, Victoria, BC, V8W 2Y2, Canada.

The symptoms of human depression often include cognitive deficits. However, cognition is not frequently included in the behavioral assessments conducted in preclinical models of depression. For example, it is well known that repeated corticosterone (CORT) injections in rodents produce depression-like behavior as measured by the forced swim test, sucrose preference test, and tail suspension test, but the cognitive impairments produced by repeated CORT have not been thoroughly examined. Read More

Int J Eat Disord 2021 Apr 9. Epub 2021 Apr 9.

Research Design and Analysis Unit, Lifespan Institute, University of Kansas, Lawrence, Kansas, USA.

Introduction: Greater use of appearance-focused social media, such as Instagram, is associated with increased body dissatisfaction and eating disorder (ED) symptoms; however, questions remain about the mechanism connecting social media use to disordered-eating behaviors (DEBs). The proposed study evaluates how and for whom exposure to fitspiration or thinspiration on Instagram is associated with DEBs.

Methods: We will evaluate a hypothesized pathway from Instagram use to disordered-eating mediated by negative affect. Read More

J Gen Intern Med 2021 Apr 9. Epub 2021 Apr 9.

Department of Social and Behavioral Sciences, Harvard School of Public Health, Cambridge, MA, USA.

Background: Given the rising rates of obesity there is a pressing need for medical schools to better prepare students for intervening with patients who have overweight or obesity and for prevention efforts.

Objective: To assess the effect of a multi-modal weight management curriculum on counseling skills for health behavior change.

Design: A pair-matched, group-randomized controlled trial (2015-2020) included students enrolled in eight U. Read More

Reproduction 2021 Apr 1. Epub 2021 Apr 1.

L Zakharova, biochemistry of ontogenesis, Koltzov Institute of Development Biology RAS, Moskva, Russian Federation.

Sexual performance in adult male rats is highly sensitive to prenatal stress which can affect the functionality of the reproductive system and various brain structures involved in modulating sexual behavior. The immunomodulatory effect of mouse IgG on reproductive maturity in male offspring after LPS exposure in vivo and in vitro was studied. Prenatal IgG injection (20 µg / mouse) had a positive impact on the puberty of male mice whose mothers were exposed to LPS (100 µg / kg) on the 12th day of pregnancy. Read More

J Med Internet Res 2021 Apr 9;23(4):e24690. Epub 2021 Apr 9.

Department of Nutrition, School of Medicine, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH, United States.

Background: Obesity is a known risk factor for cardiovascular disease risk factors, including hypertension and type II diabetes. Although numerous weight loss interventions have demonstrated efficacy, there is considerably less evidence about the theoretical mechanisms through which they work. Delivering lifestyle behavior change interventions via social media provides unique opportunities for understanding mechanisms of intervention effects. Read More

Dtsch Arztebl Int 2021 Feb;118(7):109-115

Lübeck University, Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Lübeck.

Background: Motivational factors in health-relevant modes of behavior are an important matter in medical practice. Motivational interviewing (MI) is a technique that has been specifically developed to help motivate ambivalent patients to change their behav - ior.

Methods: This review is based on pertinent publications retrieved by a selective search in the PubMed, Cochrane, and Web of Science databases. Read More

Vet Ophthalmol 2021 Apr 9. Epub 2021 Apr 9.

Department of Biology, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM, USA.

Objective: To determine whether dogs are at variable risk of developing canine ocular onchocerciasis based on coat color or size, factors that may influence feeding behavior of the putative vectors of Onchocerca lupi¸ the filarial nematode parasite causing this disease.

Animals Studied: One hundred twenty-five client-owned dogs diagnosed with confirmed or suspected onchocerciasis. 1255 dogs without signs of this disease were utilized for comparison. Read More

Behav Neurol 2021 24;2021:6651492. Epub 2021 Mar 24.

Laboratorio de Neurobiología Celular y Molecular, División de Neurociencias, Centro de Investigación Biomédica de Occidente (CIBO), Instituto Mexicano del Seguro Social, 44340, Mexico.

Symptoms of depressive disorders such as anhedonia and despair can be a product of an aberrant adaptation to stress conditions. Chronic unpredictable stress model (CUS) can generate an increase in the activity of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis (HPA) and induce a reduction of neurotrophin signaling and the proliferation of neural progenitors in the adult dentate gyrus, together with increased oxidative stress. Levels of the endocannabinoid anandamide (AEA) seem to affect these depression-by-stress-related features and could be modulated by fatty acid amide hydrolase (FAAH). Read More

Child Youth Care Forum 2020 Apr 12;49(2):171-200. Epub 2019 Sep 12.

Mayo Clinic.

Background: Prevalence and consequences of obesity and sedentary lifestyle are well-documented public health concerns for youth in the United State of America (U.S.A) that disproportionally affect children from low income and minority families. Read More

J Matern Fetal Neonatal Med 2021 Apr 8:1-10. Epub 2021 Apr 8.

Department of Neonatology, Shanghai First Maternity and Infant Hospital, Tongji University School of Medicine, Shanghai, People's Republic of China.

Objective: Recent data show that maternal prepregnancy body mass index (BMI) and gestational weight gain (GWG) are associated with offspring neurobehavior in childhood. However, little is known about the effect on infants that less than 20 months of age, and whether this association has sex differences.

Methods: In this birth cohort study, a total of 661 mother-infant pairs were enrolled in Shanghai, China, between February 2017 and April 2019. Read More

Nicotine Tob Res 2021 Apr 8. Epub 2021 Apr 8.

Center for Neurobehavioral Research on Addiction, Louis A. Faillace, M.D., Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, UTHealth, McGovern Medical School, Houston, TX.

Introduction: Approved pharmacological treatments for smoking cessation are modestly effective, underscoring the need for improved pharmacotherapies. Glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor (GLP-1R) agonists attenuate the rewarding effects of nicotine in preclinical studies. We examined the efficacy of extended-release exenatide, a GLP-1R agonist, combined with nicotine replacement therapy (NRT, patch) for smoking cessation, craving and withdrawal symptoms, with post-cessation body weight as secondary outcome. Read More

J Anim Sci 2021 Apr 8. Epub 2021 Apr 8.

Department of Animal Science, Michigan State University, Shaw Lane, East Lansing, MI, USA.

Commercial producers house growing pigs by sex and weight to allow for efficient use of resources and provide pigs the welfare benefits of interacting with their conspecifics and more freedom of movement. However, introduction of unfamiliar pigs can cause increased aggression for 24-48 h as pigs establish social relationships. To address this issue, a better understanding of pig behavior is needed. Read More

Sichuan Da Xue Xue Bao Yi Xue Ban 2021 Mar;52(2):340-344

Department of Health Behavior and Social Medicine, West China School of Public Health and West China Forth Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610041, China.

Objective: To explore the relationship between abdominal obesity and diabetes among middle-aged and older adults with normal body mass index (BMI) and to provide reference information for formulating targeted diabetes prevention and control measures for this population.

Methods: Data were extracted from the China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study (CHARLS) done in 2015. Middle-aged and older adults who were aged 45 and older and had normal BMI were included in the study. Read More

Gend Genome 2020 Jan-Dec;4. Epub 2020 Aug 21.

Department of Medicine, The Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University, Providence, RI, USA.

Sleep disordered breathing (SDB) is a common, yet under-recognized and undertreated condition in pregnancy. Sleep disordered breathing is associated with pregnancy complications including preeclampsia, gestational diabetes, preterm birth, as well as severe maternal morbidity and mortality. The identification of risk factors for SDB in pregnancy may improve screening, diagnosis, and treatment of SDB prior to the onset of pregnancy complications. Read More

Front Robot AI 2021 22;8:540193. Epub 2021 Mar 22.

Symbiotic Intelligent Systems Research Center, Institute for Open and Transdisciplinary Research Initiatives, Osaka University, Suita, Japan.

The behavior of an android robot face is difficult to predict because of the complicated interactions between many and various attributes (size, weight, and shape) of system components. Therefore, the system behavior should be analyzed after these components are assembled to improve their performance. In this study, the three-dimensional displacement distributions for the facial surfaces of two android robots were measured for the analysis. Read More

Sci Rep 2021 Apr 7;11(1):7639. Epub 2021 Apr 7.

Department of Mechanical Engineering, Chao Hu University, Hefei, China.

Ionic polymer metal composites (IPMCs) are widely studied as actuators and sensors, due to their large bending motion, flexibility and being light-weight. Nowadays, IPMCs are used in the bionic field, for example, to achieve bending and twisting movements of wings and fins. In this paper, a method is proposed to optimize the torsion performance of IPMCs by changing the electrode separation. Read More

Sci Rep 2021 Apr 7;11(1):7675. Epub 2021 Apr 7.

Persian BayanGene Research and Training Center, 7134767617, Shiraz, Iran.

For thousands of years, camels have produced meat, milk, and fiber in harsh desert conditions. For a sustainable development to provide protein resources from desert areas, it is necessary to pay attention to genetic improvement in camel breeding. By using genotyping-by-sequencing (GBS) method we produced over 14,500 genome wide markers to conduct a genome- wide association study (GWAS) for investigating the birth weight, daily gain, and body weight of 96 dromedaries in the Iranian central desert. Read More

Sci Rep 2021 Apr 7;11(1):7592. Epub 2021 Apr 7.

Department of Physical Therapy, College of Health Professions, Virginia Commonwealth University, 900 East Leigh St, 4th Floor, Richmond, VA, 23298, USA.

Chronic low back pain (cLBP) rates among younger individuals are rising. Although pain and disability are often less severe, underlying changes in trunk behavior may be responsible for recurrence. We examine the biomarker capacity of a simple Trunk Compliance Index (TCI) to distinguish individuals with and without cLBP. Read More

J Health Popul Nutr 2021 Apr 7;40(1):15. Epub 2021 Apr 7.

King Saud Bin Abdulaziz University for Health Sciences, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

Background: Childhood obesity is a global public health concern with major consequences. In Saudi Arabia, the percentage of children who are overweight or obese has significantly increased in the past two decades, raising concerns about the physical and psychosocial consequences of this burden. This study aimed at investigating the different risk factors contributing to childhood obesity in Saudi Arabia. Read More

Trials 2021 Apr 7;22(1):256. Epub 2021 Apr 7.

Weight Control and Diabetes Research Center, The Miriam Hospital, Providence, USA.

Background: Gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) is associated with several maternal complications in pregnancy, including preeclampsia, preterm labor, need for induction of labor, and cesarean delivery as well as increased long-term risks of type 2 diabetes, metabolic syndrome, and cardiovascular disease. Intrauterine exposure to GDM raises the risk for complications in offspring as well, including stillbirth, macrosomia, and birth trauma, and long-term risk of metabolic disease. One of the strongest risk factors for GDM is the occurrence of GDM in a prior pregnancy. Read More

BMC Public Health 2021 Apr 7;21(1):672. Epub 2021 Apr 7.

Department of Epidemiology and Population Health, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Jack and Pearl Resnick Campus, 1300 Morris Park Avenue, Bronx, NY, 10461, USA.

Background: The United States needs to increase access to effective obesity prevention and treatment programming for impoverished youth at risk for health disparities. Although recommended, schools have difficulty consistently implement evidence-based obesity programing. We report on the effectiveness of adding structured nutrition education and minimum physical activity (PA) requirements to standard middle school after-school programming. Read More