bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Chasmogamy and entomophily in Burmannia disticha (Burmanniaceae)
Authors: Vislobokov Nikolay A. , Nuraliev Maxim S.
Published: August 2023

Burmannia shows a set of floral traits that suggest elaborate mechanisms of animal-mediated pollen transfer. These include flower coloration, septal nectaries and a long and narrow floral chamber. The stamens are synorganized with the common style restricting the entrance to the floral chamber, sometimes forming a gynostegium. Contrary to this apparent zoophilous floral syndrome, several species of Burmannia were reported to perform self-pollination via cleistogamy. Understanding of reproductive systems in Burmannia is complicated by scarcity of available results of direct observations on pollination process. Here we present data on pollination biology of B. disticha obtained during field investigations in Vietnam followed by laboratory analyses of ecologically important floral traits and the captured flower visitors. We found that the anthetic perianth is open, i.e. the flower is chasmogamous. The flowers are visited by various Diptera, Hymenoptera, Lepidoptera and Orthoptera. Of them, the bumblebees (Bombus burmensis), a bee (Coelioxys sp.) and some lepidopterans were revealed to carry pollen of B. disticha. Based on the amount of carried pollen, insect behavior during the visits and general knowledge on biology of these insect taxa, we concluded that the bumblebees act as the principal pollinators of B. disticha, whereas the lepidopterans are considered as its possible pollinators. We compared the lengths of proboscises of the captured insects to the depth of the floral chamber, and found that only the bumblebees and lepidopterans should be able to reach the nectar. Finally, we estimated the pollen-ovule ratio of B. disticha as 6.84, which is comparable to the ratio known in autogamous angiosperms. Based on its flower organization and pollination mechanism, we consider B. disticha an entomophilous and predominantly xenogamous species. Its gynostegium is likely an adaptation for pollen transfer by insects with long proboscises. At the same time, earlier investigations together with pollen-ovule ratio indicate that B. disticha possesses a labile pollination strategy, and autogamy sometimes occurs. Since Burmannia is one of the few angiosperm genera that comprise both mycoheterotrophic (achlorophyllous) and autotrophic (green) species, our study provides important evidence for reconstructions of ecological and morphological evolutionary pathways in relation to the mode of organic nutrition.
Communication networks and team performance: selecting members to network positions
Authors: Guo Jerry , Argote Linda , Kush Jonathan , Park Jisoo
Published: August 2023

This study examines how individuals come to occupy communication network positions and the effect of selection processes on group performance. Drawing on the Carnegie perspective and research on communication networks, we compare the performance of groups whose members receive their choice of who occupies which network position to the performance of groups whose members do not receive their choice. We integrate ideas from the Carnegie perspective with the social psychological literature on the recognition of expertise to theorize that when group members choose who occupies which network positions, individuals select themselves and others into network positions that best suit their skillsets. The selection process allows groups to match individual member expertise to network position, thereby improving performance. We test this hypothesis in a laboratory study manipulating how members are assigned to positions in a centralized communication network. We find individuals who communicate more during training are more likely to be chosen as the central member, and that their communication activity explains the effect of choosing the central member on performance. Supplemental analyses suggest that groups allowed to select their central member performed as well as, and often better than, groups whose central member was randomly assigned. Our results contribute to the Carnegie perspective by demonstrating that the intra-team processes that develop a team’s network help explain their performance.
Differences in metacognition between multiple sclerosis phenotypes: cognitive impairment and fatigue are key factors
Authors: Coll-Martinez Clàudia , Salavedra-Pont Judit , Buxó Maria , Quintana Ester , Quiroga-Varela Ana , Robles-Cedeño René , Puig Marc , Álvarez-Bravo Gary , Ramió-Torrentà Lluís , Gich Jordi
Published: August 2023

Background

Cognitive impairment is present in 40–65% of patients with multiple sclerosis (pwMS). Objectively measured cognitive performance often does not match patients' subjective perception of their own performance.

Objective

We aimed to compare cognitive performance and subjective perception of cognitive deficits between pwMS and healthy controls (HCs), as well as the accuracy of subjective perception.

Methods

In total, 54 HC and 112 pwMS (relapsing–remitting, RRMS, and progressive PMS) underwent neuropsychological evaluation and completed perceived deficit, fatigue, and anxiety–depression scales. Participants were classified according to their consistency between subjective self-evaluation of cognitive abilities and objective cognitive performance to assess accuracy. Regression models were used to compare cognitive performance between groups and explore factors explaining inaccuracy in the estimation of cognitive performance.

Results

PMS showed greater and more widespread cognitive differences with HC than RRMS. No differences were found between pwMS and HC in the perception of deficit. PMS had higher ratios of overestimators. In explaining inaccuracy, fatigue and cognitive preservation were found to be risk factors for underestimation, whereas physical disability and cognitive impairment were risk factors for overestimation.

Conclusion

PwMS have metacognitive knowledge impairments. This study provides new information about metacognition, data on the prevalence of impairments over a relatively large sample of PwMS, and new insights into factors explaining it. Anosognosia, related to cognitive impairment, may be present in pwMS. Fatigue is a key factor in underestimating cognition.
Exploring the effects of 3D-360°VR and 2D viewing modes on gaze behavior, head excursion, and workload during a boxing specific anticipation task
Authors: Loiseau Taupin Mildred , Romeas Thomas , Juste Lauryn , Labbé David R.
Published: August 2023

Introduction

Recent evidence has started to demonstrate that 360°VR, a type of VR that immerses a user within a 360° video, has advantages over two-dimensional (2D) video displays in the context of perceptual-cognitive evaluation and training. However, there is currently a lack of empirical evidence to explain how perceptual-cognitive strategies differ between these two paradigms when performing sports-related tasks. Thus, the objective of this study was to examine and compare the impact of different viewing conditions (e.g., 3D-360°VR and 2D video displays), on gaze behavior and head excursions in a boxing-specific anticipatory task. A secondary objective was to assess the workload associated with each viewing mode, including the level of presence experienced. Thirdly, an exploratory analysis was conducted to evaluate any potential sex differences.

Methods

Thirty-two novice participants (16 females) were recruited for this study. A total of 24 single-punch sequences were randomly presented using a standalone VR headset (Pico Neo 3 Pro Eye), with two different viewing modes: 3D-360°VR and 2D. Participants were instructed to respond to the punches with appropriate motor actions, aiming to avoid punches. Gaze behavior was recorded using a Tobii eyetracker embedded in the VR headset. Workload and presence were measured with the SIM-TLX questionnaire. Fixation duration, number of fixations, saccades, search rate and head excursions (roll, pitch, yaw) were analyzed using linear mixed models.

Results

The results revealed significant shorter fixation durations and more head excursions (roll, pitch) in 3D-360°VR, compared to the 2D viewing mode (ps < 0.05). The sense of presence was found to be much higher in the 3D-360°VR viewing mode (p < 0.05). No sex differences were observed. These results demonstrate that 360°VR elicited shorter fixation durations but mostly greater head excursions and immersion compared to a 2D projection in the context of a boxing-specific task.

Discussion

These findings contribute to the understanding of previous evidence supporting the possible advantages of using 360°VR over 2D for perceptual-cognitive evaluation and training purposes. Further validation studies that compare behaviors and performance in 360°VR with those in the real-world will be needed.
Schizophrenia plausible protective effect of microRNA-137 is potentially related to estrogen and prolactin in female patients
Authors: Peng Qian , Dai Zhun , Yin Jingwen , Lv Dong , Luo Xudong , Xiong Susu , Yang Zhijiang , Chen Guangmin , Wei Yaxue , Wang Ying , Zhang Dandan , Wang Lulu , Yu Debo , Zhao Yusheng , Lin Dele , Liao Zhiyu , Zhong Yongxi , Lin Zhixiong , Lin Juda
Published: August 2023

Background

Schizophrenia (SCZ) is a serious chronic mental disorder. Our previous case–control genetic association study has shown that microRNA-137 (miR-137) may only protect females against SCZ. Since estrogen, an important female sex hormone, exerts neuroprotective effects, the relationship between estrogen and miR-137 in the pathophysiology of SCZ was further studied in this study.

Methods

Genotyping of single-nucleotide polymorphism rs1625579 of miR-137 gene in 1,004 SCZ patients and 896 healthy controls was conducted using the iMLDR assay. The effect of estradiol (E2) on the miR-137 expression was evaluated on the human mammary adenocarcinoma cell line (MCF-7) and the mouse hippocampal neuron cell line (HT22). The relationships between serum E2, prolactin (PRL), and peripheral blood miR-137 were investigated in 41 SCZ patients and 43 healthy controls. The miR-137 and other reference miRNAs were detected by real-time fluorescent quantitative reverse transcription-PCR.

Results

Based on the well-known SNP rs1625579, the distributions of protective genotypes and alleles of the miR-137 gene were not different between patients and healthy controls but were marginally significantly lower in female patients. E2 upregulated the expression of miR-137 to 2.83 and 1.81 times in MCF-7 and HT22 cells, respectively. Both serum E2 and blood miR-137 were significantly decreased or downregulated in SCZ patients, but they lacked expected positive correlations with each other in both patients and controls. When stratified by sex, blood miR-137 was negatively correlated with serum E2 in female patients. On the other hand, serum PRL was significantly increased in SCZ patients, and the female patients had the highest serum PRL level and a negative correlation between serum PRL and blood miR-137.

Conclusion

The plausible SCZ-protective effect of miR-137 may be female specific, of which the underlying mechanism may be that E2 upregulates the expression of miR-137. This protective mechanism may also be abrogated by elevated PRL in female patients. These preliminary findings suggest a new genetic/environmental interaction mechanism for E2/miR-137 to protect normal females against SCZ and a novel E2/PRL/miR-137-related pathophysiology of female SCZ, implying some new antipsychotic ways for female patients in future.
Correlation among sleep quality, physical frailty and cognitive function of the older adults in China: the mediating role
Authors: Peng Shuzhi , Chen Yanping , Li Jie , Wang Yan , Liu Xingyue , Wang Ying , Gu Sainan , Pei Mengyun , Zhang Peng
Published: August 2023

Objective

To explore the correlation among sleep quality, physical frailty, and cognitive function in the older adults in community, and to explore the mediating role of sleep quality.

Methods

A total of 1,182 community-based older adults were investigated with frailty phenotype (FP), Pittsburgh sleep quality index (PISQI), Montreal cognitive assessment (MoCA) and self-made general information questionnaire.

Results

The incidence of physical frailty among the older adults in the community was 25.8% and the incidence of cognitive decline was 19.5%. Cognitive function was negatively correlated with physical frailty (r = −0.236, p < 0.01) and sleep quality (r = −0.558, p < 0.01). Sleep quality was positively correlated with physical frailty (r = 0.337, p < 0.01).

Conclusion

The physical frailty of the older adults has a direct prediction effect on cognitive function, and is regulated by the mediating role of sleep quality. Sleep quality partially mediates the relationship between cognitive dysfunction and physical frailty, which is a new insight into the study of cognition and physical frailty in the older adults. In the future, we can take measures to improve the sleep quality of the older adults, so as to reduce the occurrence of cognitive dysfunction and physical frailty of the older adults.
Association of retinopathy with risk of all-cause and specific-cause mortality in the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, 2005 to 2008
Authors: Gui Si-Yu , Wang Xin-Chen , Qiao Jian-Chao , Lin Si-Yu , Wang Qian-Qian , Zhang Meng-Yue , Xu Yue-Yang , Huang Zhi-Hao , Tao Li-Ming , Hu Cheng-Yang , Tao Fang-Biao , Jiang Zheng-Xuan , Liu Dong-Wei
Published: August 2023

Objective

This study aimed to elucidate the relationship between retinopathy status or severity and the all-cause and specific-cause mortality risk based on the updated National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) database and 2019 Public Access Link mortality file.

Methods

In this prospective cohort study, a total of 6,797 participants aged over 40 years based on NHANES 2005–2008 were analyzed. The severity of retinopathy was classified into 4 grades-no retinopathy, mild non-proliferative retinopathy (NPR), moderate to severe NPR, and proliferative retinopathy (PR). Multiple covariate-adjusted Cox proportional hazards regression models and Fine and Gray competing risk regression models were used to assess the all-cause and cause-specific mortality risks, respectively. The propensity score matching (PSM) approach was also applied additionally to adequately balance between-group covariates to validate our findings.

Results

A final total of 4,808 participants representing 18,282,772 United States (US) non-hospitalized participants were included for analysis, 50.27% were male (n = 2,417), 55.32% were non-hispanic white (n = 2,660), and mean [SE] age, 56.10 [0.40] years. After a median follow-up of 12.24 years (interquartile range, 11.16–13.49 years), 1,164 participants died of all-cause mortality, of which 941 (80.84%) died without retinopathy and 223 (19.16%) died with retinopathy at baseline. The presence of retinopathy was associated with increased all-cause mortality, cardiovascular disease (CVD), and diabetes mellitus (DM)-specific mortality, and the results remain consistent after PSM. Severity analysis showed that only mild NPR was associated with an increased all-cause mortality risk (hazard ratio (HR) = 2.01; 95% confidence interval (CI), 1.00–4.03), while increased CVD and DM-specific mortality risk were associated with all grades of retinopathy and were exponentially greater with increasing retinopathy severity, and the trend test was also significant (P for trend 0.004 and 0.04, respectively).

Discussion

Our findings suggest that the diagnosis of retinopathy is an independent risk factor for all-cause mortality in people over 40 years old. Retinopathy grading is significantly associated with the survival risk of patients with CVD or DM, it can be a valuable predictor in the stratified management and risk warning of CVD or DM patients, as well as in the monitoring of systemic vasculopathy status.
Computational methods applied to syphilis: where are we, and where are we going?
Authors: Albuquerque Gabriela , Fernandes Felipe , Barbalho Ingridy M. P. , Barros Daniele M. S. , Morais Philippi S. G. , Morais Antônio H. F. , Santos Marquiony M. , Galvão-Lima Leonardo J. , Sales-Moioli Ana Isabela L. , Santos João Paulo Q. , Gil Paulo , Henriques Jorge , Teixeira César , Lima Thaisa Santos , Coutinho Karilany D. , Pinto Talita K. B. , Valentim Ricardo A. M.
Published: August 2023

Syphilis is an infectious disease that can be diagnosed and treated cheaply. Despite being a curable condition, the syphilis rate is increasing worldwide. In this sense, computational methods can analyze data and assist managers in formulating new public policies for preventing and controlling sexually transmitted infections (STIs). Computational techniques can integrate knowledge from experiences and, through an inference mechanism, apply conditions to a database that seeks to explain data behavior. This systematic review analyzed studies that use computational methods to establish or improve syphilis-related aspects. Our review shows the usefulness of computational tools to promote the overall understanding of syphilis, a global problem, to guide public policy and practice, to target better public health interventions such as surveillance and prevention, health service delivery, and the optimal use of diagnostic tools. The review was conducted according to PRISMA 2020 Statement and used several quality criteria to include studies. The publications chosen to compose this review were gathered from Science Direct, Web of Science, Springer, Scopus, ACM Digital Library, and PubMed databases. Then, studies published between 2015 and 2022 were selected. The review identified 1,991 studies. After applying inclusion, exclusion, and study quality assessment criteria, 26 primary studies were included in the final analysis. The results show different computational approaches, including countless Machine Learning algorithmic models, and three sub-areas of application in the context of syphilis: surveillance (61.54%), diagnosis (34.62%), and health policy evaluation (3.85%). These computational approaches are promising and capable of being tools to support syphilis control and surveillance actions.
Evaluation of massive education in prison health: a perspective of health care for the person deprived of freedom in Brazil
Authors: Valentim Janaína L. R. S. , Dias-Trindade Sara , Oliveira Eloiza S. G. , Romão Manoel H. , Fernandes Felipe , Caitano Alexandre R. , Bonfim Marilyn A. A. , Dias Aline P. , Gusmão Cristine M. G. , Morais Philippi S. G. , Melo Ronaldo S. , Fontoura de Souza Gustavo , Medeiros Kelson C. , Rêgo Maria C. F. D. , Ceccim Ricardo B. , Valentim Ricardo A. M.
Published: August 2023

Education, with an emphasis on prison health, has acted as a policy inducing changes in work processes, which the Brazilian National Health System (SUS) has used, and which is present in permanent health education, which promotes health care for people deprived of liberty. This article aims to present an analysis of the impacts of the strategy of massive education on prison health in Brazil from the perspective of health professionals and other actors operating in the Brazilian prison system. The data used in the study come from a questionnaire consisting of 37 questions applied nationwide between March and June 2022. Responses were collected from students who completed the course “Health Care for People Deprived of Freedom” of the learning pathway “Prison System”, available in the Virtual Learning Environment of the Brazilian Health System (AVASUS). This course was offered nationally, whose adhesion (enrollment) occurred spontaneously, i.e., the course was not a mandatory. The data collected allowed us to analyze the impacts of massive education on prison health. The study also shows that the search for the course is made by several areas of knowledge, with a higher incidence in the health area, but also in other areas, such as humanities, which also work directly with the guarantee of the rights of people deprived of liberty, which are professionals in the areas of social work, psychology, and education. The analysis based on the data suggests that the massive education mediated by technology through the courses of the learning pathway, besides disseminating knowledge–following the action plan of the 2030 Agenda of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO)–, are an effective tool to promote resilience in response to prison health and care demands of people deprived of liberty.
Exploring the effect of automation failure on the human’s trustworthiness in human-agent teamwork
Authors: Centeio Jorge Carolina , Bouman Nikki H. , Jonker Catholijn M. , Tielman Myrthe L.
Published: August 2023

Introduction: Collaboration in teams composed of both humans and automation has an interdependent nature, which demands calibrated trust among all the team members. For building suitable autonomous teammates, we need to study how trust and trustworthiness function in such teams. In particular, automation occasionally fails to do its job, which leads to a decrease in a human’s trust. Research has found interesting effects of such a reduction of trust on the human’s trustworthiness, i.e., human characteristics that make them more or less reliable. This paper investigates how automation failure in a human-automation collaborative scenario affects the human’s trust in the automation, as well as a human’s trustworthiness towards the automation.

Methods: We present a 2 × 2 mixed design experiment in which the participants perform a simulated task in a 2D grid-world, collaborating with an automation in a “moving-out” scenario. During the experiment, we measure the participants’ trustworthiness, trust, and liking regarding the automation, both subjectively and objectively.

Results: Our results show that automation failure negatively affects the human’s trustworthiness, as well as their trust in and liking of the automation.

Discussion: Learning the effects of automation failure in trust and trustworthiness can contribute to a better understanding of the nature and dynamics of trust in these teams and improving human-automation teamwork.
Body mass Index does not impact long-term survival of patients with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis undergoing lung transplantation
Authors: Lushaj Entela B. , DeCamp Malcolm M. , Maloney James , Leverson Glen , De Oliveira Nilto , McCarthy Daniel
Published: August 2023

Objective

We investigated the impact of body mass index (BMI) on post-operative outcomes and survival of patients with interstitial pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) undergoing lung transplantation.

Methods

We retrospectively reviewed 222 patients with IPF that underwent lung transplant (LT) at our institution from 2005 to 2019. Recipients were divided in 4 groups: group-1 consisted of underweight patients (BMI ≤18.5 kg/m2), group-2 of normal weight patients (BMI 18.5–25 kg/m2), group-3 of over-weight patients (BMI 25–29.9 kg/m2) and group-4 of obese patients (BMI ≥30 kg/m2).

Results

Group-1 consisted of 13 (6%) patients, group-2 of 67 (30%) patients, group-3 of 79 (36%) patients, group-4 consisted of 63 (28%) patients. Median BMI for group-1 was 17 [interquartile range (IQR): 17, 18], for group-2 was 23 (22, 24), for group-3 was 29 (28, 29.5) and group-4 was 32 (31, 33). Patients in group-1 were significantly younger (p < 0.01). Single LT comprised the majority of operation type in group-2 to group-4 and it was significantly higher than group 1 (p < 0.01). Median follow-up time was 39 months (13–76). A total of 79 (35.5%) patients died by the end of study. Overall, five deaths occurred in group-1, 17 in group-2, 33 in group-3, and 24 in group-4. Kaplan–Meier analysis showed that mortality was not statistically significant between the groups (p = 0.24). Cox-regression analysis was used to assess other possible risk factors that could influence the effect of BMI on mortality, including transplant type (single, double), lung allocation score, and age, diabetes and creatinine levels at surgery. None of these factors were shown to affect patient mortality (p > 0.05). Overall reasons for death included graft failure (24%), infection (23%), respiratory failure (14%), and malignancy (13%).

Conclusions

Body mass index does not impact long-term survival of patients with IPF undergoing lung transplantation.
In-silico modelling of the mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) pathway in colorectal cancer: mutations and targeted therapy
Authors: Sommariva Sara , Berra Silvia , Biddau Giorgia , Caviglia Giacomo , Benvenuto Federico , Piana Michele
Published: August 2023

Introduction: Chemical reaction networks (CRNs) are powerful tools for describing the complex nature of cancer’s onset, progression, and therapy. The main reason for their effectiveness is in the fact that these networks can be rather naturally encoded as a dynamical system whose asymptotic solution mimics the proteins' concentration profile at equilibrium.

Methods and Results: This paper relies on a complex CRN previously designed for modeling colorectal cells in their G1-S transition phase and presents a mathematical method to investigate global and local effects triggered on the network by partial and complete mutations occurring mainly in its mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) pathway. Further, this same approach allowed the in-silico modeling and dosage of a multi-target therapeutic intervention that utilizes MAPK as its molecular target.

Discussion: Overall the results shown in this paper demonstrate how the proposed approach can be exploited as a tool for the in-silico comparison and evaluation of different targeted therapies. Future effort will be devoted to refine the model so to incorporate more biologically sound partial mutations and drug combinations.
The impact of Bacillus subtilis DSM32315 and L-Threonine supplementation on the amino acid composition of eggs and early post-hatch performance of ducklings
Authors: Azzam Mahmoud Mostafa , Chen Wei , Xia Weiguang , Wang Shuang , Zhang Yanan , El-Senousey HebatAllah Kasem , Zheng Chuntian
Published: August 2023

Poultry requires Threonine, an essential amino acid, and its metabolites for proper metabolic function. Threonine is crucial in the biosynthesis of mucin, which is essential for intestinal health and nutrient absorption. Bacillus subtilis (B. subtilis) is a potential substitute for antibiotic growth promoters in the poultry industry. The current study was designed to evaluate the simultaneous effect of L-Threonine (Thr) and B. subtilis DSM32315 supplementation on laying duck breeders in order to maximize performance. A total number of 648 female 23-week-old Longyan duck breeders were assigned to a 3 × 2 factorial design with six replicates of 18 birds per replicate. L-Thr was added to the control diet at concentrations of 0, 0.7, and 1.4 g/kg, equating to 3.9, 4.6, and 5.3 g Thr/kg, with or without B. subtilis strain DSM 32315 (0.0 and 0.5 g/kg). Increasing Thr concentrations improved egg production and ducklings’ hatchling weight (p < 0.05). In addition, L-Thr supplementation resulted in a tendency for decreased feed conversion ratio without affecting egg quality. There was no significant effect (p > 0.05) of the dietary Thr levels on egg yolk and albumen amino acid concentrations. In contrast, the addition of B. subtilis decreased the concentrations of amino acids, excluding proline, in the egg white (albumen) and the egg yolk (p < 0.05). Furthermore, the supplementation of B. subtilis decreased (p < 0 0.001) the hatching weight of ducklings. The addition of B. subtilis without L-Thr decreased (p < 0.05) the hatchability of fertile eggs and the hatching weight of ducklings compared to those of ducks fed dietary L-Thr along with B. subtilis (p < 0.001). The combining L-Thr at 0.7 g/kg with B. subtilis DSM 32315 at 0.5 g/kg could increase eggshell quality, hatchability, and hatching weight. The current study revealed that the combination supplemented of L-Thr and B. subtilis DSM 32315 is recommended due to its positive effects on the eggshell percentage, hatchability and the body weights of newly hatched ducklings when dietary Thr was added at a rate of 0.7 g/kg and B. subtilis DSM 32315 at 0.5 g/kg. In addition, adding L-Thr separately at 0.7 g/kg could improve the egg production of duck breeders. Further studies are required to find the proper dosages of B. subtilis DSM 32315 with co-dietary inclusion of limiting amino acids in the diets of duck breeders. The findings of these trials will support feed additive interventions to transition into antibiotic-free diets.
Equity, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) in Organ Transplantation: An ESOT Survey About EDI Within ESOT as an Organization and its Educational Activities, and Transplantation Research and Science
Authors: Pengel L. H. M. , Kaisar M. , Benjamens S. , Ibrahim M. , Ricci V. , Bellini M. I. , Breithaupt-Faloppa A. C. , Falk C. , Maple H. , Marson L. , Ortiz F. , Papalois V. , Paredes D. , Forsberg A.
Published: August 2023

The European Society of Organ Transplantation (ESOT) strives to promote equity, diversity, and inclusion (EDI) across all its activities. We surveyed the transplant community’s experiences and perspectives regarding EDI within ESOT as an organization and its educational activities, and research in general. A total of 299 respondents completed the questionnaire. About half agreed that ESOT’s Executive Committee, Council, and Sections/Committees are diverse and inclusive (51%) and that ESOT promotes EDI in its live and digital educational activities (54%). Forty percent of respondents agreed that scientific and clinical trials in the field of transplantation are diverse and inclusive. Despite the wide distribution of the survey, most of the respondents self-identified as White and were either physician or surgeon. However, the results contribute a unique insight into the experiences and perspectives of the transplantation community regarding EDI. Whilst ESOT is committed to the principles of EDI, perceptions and the high number of proposals show the apparent need to prioritize efforts to embed EDI across ESOT and transplantation science. These data should constitute a starting point for change and provide guidance for future efforts to promote EDI within the transplantation community.
Thrombotic Microangiopathy in the Renal Allograft: Results of the TMA Banff Working Group Consensus on Pathologic Diagnostic Criteria
Authors: Afrouzian Marjan , Kozakowski Nicolas , Liapis Helen , Broecker Verena , Truong Luon , Avila-Casado Carmen , Regele Heinz , Seshan Surya , Ambruzs Josephine M. , Farris Alton Brad , Buob David , Chander Praveen N. , Cheraghvandi Lukman , Clahsen-van Groningen Marian C. , de Almeida Araujo Stanley , Ertoy Baydar Dilek , Formby Mark , Galesic Ljubanovic Danica , Herrera Hernandez Loren , Honsova Eva , Mohamed Nasreen , Ozluk Yasemin , Rabant Marion , Royal Virginie , Stevenson Heather L. , Toniolo Maria Fernanda , Taheri Diana
Published: August 2023

The Banff community summoned the TMA Banff Working Group to develop minimum diagnostic criteria (MDC) and recommendations for renal transplant TMA (Tx-TMA) diagnosis, which currently lacks standardized criteria. Using the Delphi method for consensus generation, 23 nephropathologists (panelists) with >3 years of diagnostic experience with Tx-TMA were asked to list light, immunofluorescence, and electron microscopic, clinical and laboratory criteria and differential diagnoses for Tx-TMA. Delphi was modified to include 2 validations rounds with histological evaluation of whole slide images of 37 transplant biopsies (28 TMA and 9 non-TMA). Starting with 338 criteria in R1, MDC were narrowed down to 24 in R8 generating 18 pathological, 2 clinical, 4 laboratory criteria, and 8 differential diagnoses. The panelists reached a good level of agreement (70%) on 76% of the validated cases. For the first time in Banff classification, Delphi was used to reach consensus on MDC for Tx-TMA. Phase I of the study (pathology phase) will be used as a model for Phase II (nephrology phase) for consensus regarding clinical and laboratory criteria. Eventually in Phase III (consensus of the consensus groups) and the final MDC for Tx-TMA will be reported to the transplantation community.
Research on Pilot Control Strategy and Workload for Tilt-Rotor Aircraft Conversion Procedure
Authors: Yan Xufei , Yuan Ye , Chen Renliang
Published: August 2023

This paper studies the pilot control strategy and workload of a tilt-rotor aircraft dynamic conversion procedure between helicopter mode and fixed-wing mode. A nonlinear flight dynamics model of tilt-rotor aircraft with full flight modes is established. On this basis, a nonlinear optimal control model of dynamic conversion is constructed, considering factors such as conversion corridor limitations, pilot control, flight attitude, engine rated power, and wing stall effects. To assess pilot workload, an analytical method based on wavelet transform is proposed, which examines the mapping relationship between pilot control input amplitude, constituent frequencies, and control tasks. By integrating the nonlinear optimal control model and the pilot workload evaluation method, an analysis of the pilot control strategy and workload during the conversion procedure is conducted, leading to the identification of strategies to reduce pilot workload. The results indicate that incorporating the item of pilot workload in the performance index results in a notable reduction in the magnitude of collective stick inputs and longitudinal stick inputs. Moreover, it facilitates smoother adjustments in altitude and pitch attitude. Additionally, the conversion of the engine nacelle can be achieved at a lower and constant angular velocity. In summary, the conversion and reconversion procedures are estimated to have a low workload (level 1~2), with relatively simple and easy manipulation for the pilot.
Development of a Control System for Double-Pendulum Active Spray Boom Suspension Based on PSO and Fuzzy PID
Authors: Li Fang , Bai Xiaohu , Su Zhanxiang , Tang Shoushan , Wang Zexu , Li Feng , Yu Hualong
Published: August 2023

During the operation of boom sprayers in the field, it is crucial to ensure that the entire boom is maintained at an optimal height relative to the ground or crop canopy. Active suspension is usually used to adjust the height. A control system for double-pendulum active suspension was developed in this paper. The control system consisted of a main control node, two distance measurement nodes, a vehicle inclination detection node, and an execution node. Communication between nodes was carried out using a CAN bus. The hardware was selected, and the interface circuits of the sensors and the actuator were designed. The transfer functions of the active suspension and electric linear actuator were established. In order to enhance the efficiency of the control system, the particle swarm optimization (PSO) algorithm was employed to optimize the initial parameters of the fuzzy PID controller. The simulation results demonstrated that the PSO-based fuzzy PID controller exhibited improvements in terms of reduced overshoot and decreased settling time when compared to conventional PID and fuzzy PID controllers. The experimental results showed that the active suspension system equipped with the control system could effectively isolate high-frequency disturbances and follow low-frequency ground undulations, meeting the operational requirements.
Target Soybean Leaf Segmentation Model Based on Leaf Localization and Guided Segmentation
Authors: Wang Dong , Huang Zetao , Yuan Haipeng , Liang Yun , Tu Shuqin , Yang Cunyi
Published: August 2023

The phenotypic characteristics of soybean leaves are of great significance for studying the growth status, physiological traits, and response to the environment of soybeans. The segmentation model for soybean leaves plays a crucial role in morphological analysis. However, current baseline segmentation models are unable to accurately segment leaves in soybean leaf images due to issues like leaf overlap. In this paper, we propose a target leaf segmentation model based on leaf localization and guided segmentation. The segmentation model adopts a two-stage segmentation framework. The first stage involves leaf detection and target leaf localization. Based on the idea that a target leaf is close to the center of the image and has a relatively large area, we propose a target leaf localization algorithm. We also design an experimental scheme to provide optimal localization parameters to ensure precise target leaf localization. The second stage utilizes the target leaf localization information obtained from the first stage to guide the segmentation of the target leaf. To reduce the dependency of the segmentation results on the localization information, we propose a solution called guidance offset strategy to improve segmentation accuracy. We design multiple guided model experiments and select the one with the highest segmentation accuracy. Experimental results demonstrate that the proposed model exhibits strong segmentation capabilities, with the highest average precision (AP) and average recall (AR) reaching 0.976 and 0.981, respectively. We also compare our segmentation results with current baseline segmentation models, and multiple quantitative indicators and qualitative analysis indicate that our segmentation results are better.
Missed Opportunities for Antifungal Stewardship during the COVID-19 Era
Authors: Hawkins Brandon K. , Walker Samantha D. , Shorman Mahmoud A.
Published: August 2023

Significant increases in antibacterial use were observed during the COVID-19 pandemic. However, subsequent analyses found this increase in antibiotic use to be excessive in comparison with the relatively low rates of bacterial coinfection. Although patients who are critically ill with COVID-19 may be at an increased risk for pulmonary aspergillosis, antifungal use in these populations remained underreported, particularly in later phases of the pandemic. This single-center, population-level cohort analysis compares the monthly use rates of mold-active antifungal drugs in the medical intensive care unit during April 2019–March 2020 (baseline) with those during April 2020–November 2022. The antifungal drugs included in the analysis were liposomal amphotericin B, anidulafungin, isavuconazonium, posaconazole, and voriconazole. We found that during 2020–2022, the usage of antifungal drugs was not significantly different from baseline for all included agents except isavuconazonium, which was used significantly more (p = 0.009). There were no changes in diagnostic modalities between the two time periods. The reported prevalence of and mortality from COVID-19-associated pulmonary aspergillosis (CAPA) may have resulted in higher rates of prescribing antifungal drugs for critically ill patients with COVID-19. Antimicrobial stewardship programs should develop and apply tools to facilitate more effective and appropriate antifungal use.
Characterization of Beta-Lactam Resistome of Escherichia coli Causing Nosocomial Infections
Authors: Vázquez-López Rosalino , Hernández-Martínez Tanya , Larios-Fernández Selene Ivonne , Piña-Leyva Celia , Lara-Lozano Manuel , Guerrero-González Tayde , Martínez-Bautista Javier , Gómez-Conde Eduardo , González-Barrios Juan Antonio
Published: August 2023

Nosocomial infections caused by Escherichia coli pose significant therapeutic challenges due to the high expression of genes encoding antimicrobial drug resistance. In this study, we investigated the conformation of the beta-lactam resistome responsible for the specific pattern of resistance against beta-lactam antibiotics. A total of 218 Escherichia coli strains were isolated from in-hospital patients diagnosed with nosocomial infections, obtained from various sources such as urine (n = 49, 22.48%), vaginal discharge (n = 46, 21.10%), catheter tips (n = 14, 6.42%), blood (n = 13, 5.96%), feces (n = 12, 5.50%), sputum (n = 11, 5.05%), biopsies (n = 8, 3.67%), cerebrospinal fluid (n = 2, 0.92%) and other unspecified discharges (n = 63, 28.90%). To characterize the beta-lactam resistome, all strains were subjected to antibiotic dilution tests and grown in beta-lactam antibiotics supplemented with Luria culture medium. Subsequently, multiplex PCR and next-generation sequencing were conducted. The results show a multi-drug-resistance phenotype, particularly against beta-lactam drugs. The primary determinant of this resistance was the expression of the blaTEM gene family, with 209 positive strains (95.87%) expressing it as a single gene (n = 47, 21.6%) or in combination with other genes. Common combinations included blaTEM + blaCTX (n = 42, 19.3%), blaTEM + blaCTX + blaSHV (n = 13, 6%) and blaTEM + blaCTX + blaBIL (n = 12, 5.5%), among others. The beta-lactam resistome of nosocomial Escherichia coli strains isolated from inpatients at the “October first” Regional Hospital of ISSSTE was predominantly composed of members of the blaTEM gene family, expressed in various configurations along with different members of other beta-lactamase gene families.
Changes in pH and Nitrite Nitrogen Induces an Imbalance in the Oxidative Defenses of the Spotted Babylon (Babylonia areolata)
Authors: Ding Ruixia , Yang Rui , Fu Zhengyi , Zhao Wang , Li Minghao , Yu Gang , Ma Zhenhua , Zong Humin
Published: August 2023

In order to reveal the acute toxicity and physiological changes of the spotted babylon (Babylonia areolata) in response to environmental manipulation, the spotted babylon was exposed to three pH levels (7.0, 8.0 and 9.0) of seawater and four concentrations of nitrite nitrogen (0.02, 2.7, 13.5 and 27 mg/L). The activities of six immunoenzymes, superoxide dismutase (SOD), glutathione peroxidase (GSH-PX), catalase (CAT), acid phosphatase (ACP), alkaline phosphatase (AKP) and peroxidase (POD), were measured. The levels of pH and nitrite nitrogen concentrations significantly impacted immunoenzyme activity over time. After the acute stress of pH and nitrite nitrogen, the spotted babylon appeared to be unresponsive to external stimuli, exhibited decreased vigor, slowly climbed the wall, sank to the tank and could not stand upright. As time elapsed, with the extension of time, the spotted babylon showed a trend of increasing and then decreasing ACP, AKP, CAT and SOD activities in order to adapt to the mutated environment and improve its immunity. In contrast, POD and GSH-PX activities showed a decrease followed by an increase with time. This study explored the tolerance range of the spotted babylon to pH, nitrite nitrogen, and time, proving that external stimuli activate the body’s immune response. The body’s immune function has a specific range of adaptation to the environment over time. Once the body’s immune system was insufficient to adapt to this range, the immune system collapsed and the snail gradually died off. This study has discovered the suitable pH and nitrite nitrogen ranges for the culture of the spotted babylon, and provides useful information on the response of the snail’s immune system.
Impact of Navigation Aid and Spatial Ability Skills on Wayfinding Performance and Workload in Indoor-Outdoor Campus Navigation: Challenges and Design
Authors: Tahir Rabail , Krogstie John
Published: August 2023

Wayfinding is important for everyone on a university campus to understand where they are and get to where they want to go to attend a meeting or a class. This study explores the dynamics of mobile navigation apps and the spatial ability skills of individuals on a wayfinding performance and perceived workload on a university campus wayfinding, including indoor-outdoor navigation, by focusing on three research objectives. (1) Compare the effectiveness of Google Maps (outdoor navigation app) and MazeMap (indoor-outdoor navigation app) on wayfinding performance and perceived workload in university campus wayfinding. (2) Investigate the impact of participants’ spatial ability skills on their wayfinding performance and perceived workload regardless of the used navigation app. (3) Highlight the challenges in indoor-outdoor university campus wayfinding using mobile navigation apps. To achieve this, a controlled experiment was conducted with 22 participants divided into a control (using Google Maps) and an experiment group (using MazeMap). Participants were required to complete a time-bound wayfinding task of navigating to meeting rooms in different buildings within the Gløshaugen campus of the Norwegian University of Science and Technology in Trondheim, Norway. Participants were assessed on spatial ability tests, mental workload, and wayfinding performance using a questionnaire, observation notes and a short follow-up interview about the challenges they faced in the task. The findings reveal a negative correlation between overall spatial ability score (spatial reasoning, spatial orientation, and sense of direction) and perceived workload (NASA TLX score and Subjective Workload Rating) and a negative correlation between sense of direction score and total hesitation during wayfinding task. However, no significant difference was found between the Google Maps and the MazeMap group for wayfinding performance and perceived workload. The qualitative analysis resulted in five key challenge categories in university campus wayfinding, providing implications for designing navigation systems that better facilitate indoor-outdoor campus navigation.
XDN-Based Network Framework Design to Communicate Interaction in Virtual Concerts with Metaverse Platforms
Authors: Oh Sangwon , Chung Kwangmoo , Aliyu Ibrahim , Hahn Minsoo , Jeong Il-Kwon , Yu Cho-Rong , Um Tai-Won , Kim Jinsul
Published: August 2023

In the trend of transforming existing systems and services into non-face-to-face models, the concert industry is also showing movements toward transitioning to virtual formats. Physical concerts in the real world require venues that can accommodate hundreds to tens of thousands of spectators, but non-face-to-face methods that can accommodate large audiences face various limitations. Moreover, to elevate the satisfaction level of virtual concert attendees to that of real-world concerts, it is important to implement interaction between performers and audiences. Modern metaverse platforms apply cutting-edge network technologies to accommodate numerous users within a single channel. Many researchers are adopting network technologies such as SDN (software-defined networking) and CDN (content delivery network) to set up a virtual concert that can accommodate large audiences. In this paper, we propose a network framework to be designed for the composition of virtual concerts. In particular, we separate a channel dedicated to interaction in order to provide an immersive experience of exchanging interactions between performers and audiences. As massive audiences transmitting interaction data to the performer in a 1:N format can lead to problems with acceptance and latency, this study introduces a concept of a channel form called ‘Zone’ and proposes an interaction data channel network framework that does not compromise immersion. The proposed framework supports tasks for effectively transmitting interaction data using network technologies for metaverse platforms such as XDN and clustering algorithms such as fuzzy c-means. We also suggest a CDN-based architecture that can ensure low latency for performers to transmit interaction data to the audience.