bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
wecB Gene of Salmonella Gallinarum Plays a Critical Role in Systemic Infection of Fowl Typhoid
Authors: Ojima Shinjiro , Ono Hisaya K. , Okimoto Ryo , Yu Xiaoying , Sugiyama Makoto , Yoshioka Kazuki , Haneda Takeshi , Okamura Masashi , Hu Dong-Liang
Published: May 2022

Salmonella enterica serovar Gallinarum (S. Gallinarum) is a host-specific pathogen causing fowl typhoid, a severe systemic infection in poultry, which leads to substantial economic losses due to high morbidity and mortality in many developing countries. However, less is known about the pathogenic characteristics and mechanism of S. Gallinarum-induced systemic infection in chickens. In this study, we deleted the S. Gallinarum UDP-N-acetylglucosamine-1-phosphate transferase gene, which contributes to the biosynthesis of enterobacterial common antigen (ECA), and studied the pathogenicity of this wecB::Cm strain in a chicken model of systemic infection. The wecB::Cm mutant strain showed comparable growth but lower resistance to bile acid and nalidixic acid than the wild-type strain in vitro. In the oral infection model of chickens, the virulence of the wecB::Cm strain was significantly attenuated in vivo. Chickens infected with wild-type strain showed typical clinical signs and pathological changes of fowl typhoid and died between 6 and 9 days post-infection, and the bacteria rapidly disseminated to systemic organs and increased in the livers and spleens. In contrast, the wecB::Cm mutant strain did not cause chicken death, there were no significant clinical changes, and the bacterial numbers in the liver and spleen of the chickens were significantly lower than those of the chickens infected with the wild-type strain. In addition, the expression of interleukin (IL)-1β, tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α, and CXCLi1 in the livers of wecB::Cm-infected chickens was significantly lower than that of the chickens infected with the wild-type strain. Furthermore, the attenuated wecB::Cm strain could persistently colonize the liver and spleen at low levels for up to 25 days post-infection and could induce a protective immune response in the chickens. These results indicate that the wecB gene is an important virulence factor of S. Gallinarum in the chicken model of systemic infection, and the avirulent wecB::Cm mutant could possibly be used as a live-attenuated vaccine strain for controlling fowl typhoid.
A Spiking Neural Network Model of Rodent Head Direction Calibrated With Landmark Free Learning
Authors: Stentiford Rachael , Knowles Thomas C. , Pearson Martin J.
Published: May 2022

Maintaining a stable estimate of head direction requires both self-motion (idiothetic) information and environmental (allothetic) anchoring. In unfamiliar or dark environments idiothetic drive can maintain a rough estimate of heading but is subject to inaccuracy, visual information is required to stabilize the head direction estimate. When learning to associate visual scenes with head angle, animals do not have access to the ‘ground truth' of their head direction, and must use egocentrically derived imprecise head direction estimates. We use both discriminative and generative methods of visual processing to learn these associations without extracting explicit landmarks from a natural visual scene, finding all are sufficiently capable at providing a corrective signal. Further, we present a spiking continuous attractor model of head direction (SNN), which when driven by idiothetic input is subject to drift. We show that head direction predictions made by the chosen model-free visual learning algorithms can correct for drift, even when trained on a small training set of estimated head angles self-generated by the SNN. We validate this model against experimental work by reproducing cue rotation experiments which demonstrate visual control of the head direction signal.
Hippocampal Function Is Impaired by a Short-Term High-Fat Diet in Mice: Increased Blood–Brain Barrier Permeability and Neuroinflammation as Triggering Events
Authors: de Paula Gabriela Cristina , Brunetta Henver S. , Engel Daiane F. , Gaspar Joana M. , Velloso Licio A. , Engblom David , de Oliveira Jade , de Bem Andreza Fabro
Published: May 2022

Graphical Abstract

An illustrative scheme summarizing the main outcomes in Swiss mice fed high-fat diet (HFD), with their exact time of onset of changes in the hippocampus. An increase in the expression of proinflammatory cytokines, together with the permeability of the blood–brain barrier was detected after 2 days of HFD. Even in the first week of dietary intervention, memory and learning impairment, depressive-like behavior, and synaptic changes were observed at 3, 5, and 7 days, respectively. Later hippocampal alterations (after 4 weeks of HFD consumption) include mitochondrial dysfunction and astrocytic activation.
3D Amide Proton Transfer Weighted Brain Tumor Imaging With Compressed SENSE: Effects of Different Acceleration Factors
Authors: Zhang Nan , Zhang Haonan , Gao Bingbing , Miao Yanwei , Liu Ailian , Song Qingwei , Lin Liangjie , Wang Jiazheng
Published: May 2022

Objectives

The aim of the current study was to evaluate the performance of compressed SENSE (CS) for 3D amide proton transfer weighted (APTw) brain tumor imaging with different acceleration factors (AFs), and the results were compared with those of conventional SENSE.

Methods

Approximately 51 patients with brain tumor (22 males, 49.95 ± 10.52 years) with meningiomas (n = 16), metastases (n = 12), or gliomas (n = 23) were enrolled. All the patients received 3D APTw imaging scans on a 3.0 T scanner with acceleration by CS (AFs: CS2, CS3, CS4, and CS5) and SENSE (AF: S1.6). Two readers independently and subjectively evaluated the APTw images relative to image quality and measured confidence concerning image blur, distortion, motion, and ghosting artifacts, lesion recognition, and contour delineation with a 5-point Likert scale. Mean amide proton transfer (APT) values of brain tumors (APTtumor), the contralateral normal-appearing white matter (APTCNAWM), and the peritumoral edema area (if present, APTedema) and the tumor volume (VAPT) were measured for objective evaluation and determination of the optimal AF. The Ki67 labeling index was also measured by using standard immunohistochemical staining procedures in samples from patients with gliomas, and the correlation between tumor APT values and the Ki67 index was analyzed.

Results

The image quality of AF = CS5 was significantly lower than that of other groups. VAPT showed significant differences among the six sequences in meningiomas (p = 0.048) and gliomas (p = 0.023). The pairwise comparison showed that the VAPT values of meningiomas measured from images by CS5 were significantly lower, and gliomas were significantly larger than those by SENSE1.6 and other CS accelerations, (p < 0.05). APTtumor (p = 0.191) showed no significant difference among the three types of tumors. The APTtumor values of gliomas measured by APTw images with the SENSE factor of 1.6 and the CS factor of 2, 3, and 4 (except for CS5) were all positively correlated with Ki67.

Conclusion

Compressed SENSE could be successfully extended to accelerated 3D APTw imaging of brain tumors without compromising image quality using the AF of 4.
Specificity of Affective Responses in Misophonia Depends on Trigger Identification
Authors: Savard Marie-Anick , Sares Anastasia G. , Coffey Emily B. J. , Deroche Mickael L. D.
Published: May 2022

Individuals with misophonia, a disorder involving extreme sound sensitivity, report significant anger, disgust, and anxiety in response to select but usually common sounds. While estimates of prevalence within certain populations such as college students have approached 20%, it is currently unknown what percentage of people experience misophonic responses to such “trigger” sounds. Furthermore, there is little understanding of the fundamental processes involved. In this study, we aimed to characterize the distribution of misophonic symptoms in a general population, as well as clarify whether the aversive emotional responses to trigger sounds are partly caused by acoustic salience of the sound itself, or by recognition of the sound. Using multi-talker babble as masking noise to decrease participants' ability to identify sounds, we assessed how identification of common trigger sounds related to subjective emotional responses in 300 adults who participated in an online study. Participants were asked to listen to and identify neutral, unpleasant and trigger sounds embedded in different levels of the masking noise (signal-to-noise ratios: −30, −20, −10, 0, +10 dB), and then to evaluate their subjective judgment of the sounds (pleasantness) and emotional reactions to them (anxiety, anger, and disgust). Using participants' scores on a scale quantifying misophonia sensitivity, we selected the top and bottom 20% scorers from the distribution to form a Most-Misophonic subgroup (N = 66) and Least-Misophonic subgroup (N = 68). Both groups were better at identifying triggers than unpleasant sounds, which themselves were identified better than neutral sounds. Both groups also recognized the aversiveness of the unpleasant and trigger sounds, yet for the Most-Misophonic group, there was a greater increase in subjective ratings of negative emotions once the sounds became identifiable, especially for trigger sounds. These results highlight the heightened salience of trigger sounds, but furthermore suggest that learning and higher-order evaluation of sounds play an important role in misophonia.
The Effects of Different Anesthesia Methods on the Treatment of Parkinson’s Disease by Bilateral Deep Brain Stimulation of the Subthalamic Nucleus
Authors: Lu Yue , Chang Lei , Li Jinwen , Luo Bei , Dong Wenwen , Qiu Chang , Zhang Wenbin , Ruan Yifeng
Published: May 2022

Background

Subthalamic nucleus deep brain stimulation (STN–DBS) surgery for Parkinson’s disease (PD) is routinely performed at medical centers worldwide. However, it is debated whether general anesthesia (GA) or traditional local anesthetic (LA) is superior.

Purpose

This study aims to compare the effects of LA and GA operation methods on clinical improvement in patients with PD, such as motor and non-motor symptoms, after STN–DBS surgery at our center.

Method

A total of 157 patients with PD were retrospectively identified as having undergone surgery under LA (n = 81) or GA (n = 76) states. In this study, the Unified Parkinson’s Disease Rating Scale Motor Score (UPDRS-III) in three states, levodopa-equivalent-daily-dose (LEDD), surgical duration, intraoperative microelectrode recording (iMER) signal length, postoperative intracranial volume, electrode implantation error, neuropsychological function, quality of life scores, and complication rates were collected and compared. All patients with PD were routinely followed up at 6, 12, 18, and 24 months postoperatively.

Result

Overall improvement in UPDRS-III was demonstrated at postoperative follow-up, and there was no significant difference between the two groups in medication-off, stimulation-off state and medication-off, stimulation-on state. However, UPDRS-III scores in medication-on, stimulation-on state under GA was significantly lower than that in the LA group. During postoperative follow-up, LEDD in the LA group (6, 12, 18, and 24 months, postoperatively) was significantly lower than in the GA group. However, there were no significant differences at baseline or 1-month between the two groups. The GA group had a shorter surgical duration, lower intracranial volume, and longer iMER signal length than the LA group. However, there was no significant group difference in electrode implantation accuracy and complication rates. Additionally, the Hamilton Anxiety Scale (HAMA) was significantly lower in the GA group than the LA group at 1-month follow-up, but this difference disappeared at longer follow-up. Besides, there was no significant group difference in the 39-item Parkinson’s Disease Questionnaire (PDQ-39) scale scores.

Conclusion

Although both groups showed overall motor function improvement without a significant postoperative difference, the GA group seemed superior in surgical duration, intracranial volume, and iMER signal length. As the accuracy of electrode implantation can be ensured by iMER monitoring, DBS with GA will become more widely accepted.
A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Minimally Invasive Partial Nephrectomy Versus Focal Therapy for Small Renal Masses
Authors: Dong Lin , Liang Wang You , Ya Lu , Yang Liu , Qiang Wei
Published: May 2022

Background

Minimally invasive partial nephrectomy (MIPN) and focal therapy (FT) are popular trends for small renal masses (SRMs). However, there is currently no systematic comparison between MIPN and FT of SRMs. Therefore, we systematically study the perioperative, renal functional, and oncologic outcomes of MIPN and FT in SRMs.

Methods

We have searched the Embase, Cochrane Library, and PubMed for articles between MIPN (robot-assisted partial nephrectomy and laparoscopic partial nephrectomy) and FT {radiofrequency ablation (RFA), microwave ablation (MWA), cryoablation (CA), irreversible electroporation, non-thermal [irreversible electroporation (IRE)] ablation, and stereotactic body radiation therapy (SBRT)}. We calculated pooled mean difference (MD), odds ratios (ORs), and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) (CRD42021260787).

Results

A total of 26 articles (n = 4,420) were included in the study. Compared with MIPN, the operating time (OP) of FT had significantly lower (SMD, −1.20; CI, −1.77 to −0.63; I2 = 97.6%, P < 0.0001), estimated blood loss (EBL) of FT had significantly less (SMD, −1.20; CI, −1.77 to −0.63; I2 = 97.6%, P < 0.0001), length of stay (LOS) had shorter (SMD, −0.90; CI, −1.26 to −0.53; I2 = 92.2%, P < 0.0001), and estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) of FT was significantly lower decrease (SMD, −0.90; CI, −1.26 to −0.53; I2 = 92.2%, P < 0.0001). However, FT possessed lower risk in minor complications (Clavien 1–2) (OR, 0.69; CI, 0.45 to 1.07; I2 = 47%, P = 0.023) and overall complications (OR, 0.71; CI, 0.51 to 0.99; I2 = 49.2%, P = 0.008). Finally, there are no obvious difference between FT and MIPN in local recurrence, distant metastasis, and major complications (P > 0.05).

Conclusion

FT has more advantages in protecting kidney function, reducing bleeding, shortening operating time, and shortening the length of stay. There is no difference in local recurrence, distant metastasis, and major complications. For the minimally invasive era, we need to weigh the advantages and disadvantages of all aspects to make comprehensive choices.

Systematic Review Registration

https://www.crd.york.ac.uk/PROSPERO/#recordDetails, identifier PROSPERO (CRD42021260787).
Advances in Immunosuppressive Agents Based on Signal Pathway
Authors: Xu Zhiqing , Chu Ming
Published: May 2022

Immune abnormality involves in various diseases, such as infection, allergic diseases, autoimmune diseases, as well as transplantation. Several signal pathways have been demonstrated to play a central role in the immune response, including JAK/STAT, NF-κB, PI3K/AKT-mTOR, MAPK, and Keap1/Nrf2/ARE pathway, in which multiple targets have been used to develop immunosuppressive agents. In recent years, varieties of immunosuppressive agents have been approved for clinical use, such as the JAK inhibitor tofacitinib and the mTOR inhibitor everolimus, which have shown good therapeutic effects. Additionally, many immunosuppressive agents are still in clinical trials or preclinical studies. In this review, we classified the immunosuppressive agents according to the immunopharmacological mechanisms, and summarized the phase of immunosuppressive agents.
Automatic Plant Disease Detection Based on Tranvolution Detection Network With GAN Modules Using Leaf Images
Authors: Zhang Yan , Wa Shiyun , Zhang Longxiang , Lv Chunli
Published: May 2022

The detection of plant disease is of vital importance in practical agricultural production. It scrutinizes the plant's growth and health condition and guarantees the regular operation and harvest of the agricultural planting to proceed successfully. In recent decades, the maturation of computer vision technology has provided more possibilities for implementing plant disease detection. Nonetheless, detecting plant diseases is typically hindered by factors such as variations in the illuminance and weather when capturing images and the number of leaves or organs containing diseases in one image. Meanwhile, traditional deep learning-based algorithms attain multiple deficiencies in the area of this research: (1) Training models necessitate a significant investment in hardware and a large amount of data. (2) Due to their slow inference speed, models are tough to acclimate to practical production. (3) Models are unable to generalize well enough. Provided these impediments, this study suggested a Tranvolution detection network with GAN modules for plant disease detection. Foremost, a generative model was added ahead of the backbone, and GAN models were added to the attention extraction module to construct GAN modules. Afterward, the Transformer was modified and incorporated with the CNN, and then we suggested the Tranvolution architecture. Eventually, we validated the performance of different generative models' combinations. Experimental outcomes demonstrated that the proposed method satisfyingly achieved 51.7% (Precision), 48.1% (Recall), and 50.3% (mAP), respectively. Furthermore, the SAGAN model was the best in the attention extraction module, while WGAN performed best in image augmentation. Additionally, we deployed the proposed model on Hbird E203 and devised an intelligent agricultural robot to put the model into practical agricultural use.
Disentangling the Potato Tuber Moth-Induced Early-Defense Response by Simulated Herbivory in Potato Plants
Authors: Mao Zhiyao , Ge Yang , Zhang Yadong , Zhong Jian , Munawar Asim , Zhu Zengrong , Zhou Wenwu
Published: May 2022

Plants rely on the perception of a multitude of herbivory-associated cues (HACs) to activate their defense response to insect herbivores. These stimuli are mainly derived from three functional components, namely, mechanical damage, insect-associated microbe, and insect’s chemical cues. While simulated herbivory integrating these stimuli is widely exploited for complementing actual herbivory in clarifying the details of plant–herbivore interaction, breaking down these stimuli and identifying the mechanisms of plant responses associated with them have been less explored. In this study, the components of potato tuber moth (Phthorimaea operculella, PTM) herbivory were reorganized in a cumulative way and their impacts on the early defense responses of potato leaf were characterized. We found that simulated and actual herbivory of PTM triggered similar patterns of phytohormonal and transcriptomic responses in potato leaf. Moreover, the microbe in the PTM herbivory stimuli is associated with the regulation of the phytohormones jasmonic acid (JA) and abscisic acid (ABA) since reducing the microbe in HAC could reduce JA while increasing ABA. In addition, seven robust gene modules were identified to illustrate how potato plants respond to different PTM herbivory stimuli when herbivory components increased. Significantly, we found that mechanical damage mainly activated JA-mediated signaling; PTM-derived HACs contributed much more to potato early-defense response and induced signaling molecules such as multiple protein kinases; orally secreted bacteria stimuli could antagonize PTM-derived HACs and modulate plant defense, including repressing phenylpropanoid biosynthesis. Our study broadened the understanding of how potato plants integrate the responses to a multitude of stimuli upon PTM herbivory and evidenced that insect-associated microbes greatly modulated the plants response to insect herbivory.
Family Members Additively Repress the Ectopic Expression of BASIC PENTACYSTEINE3 to Prevent Disorders in Arabidopsis Circadian Vegetative Development
Authors: Lee Yi-Chen , Tsai Pei-Ting , Huang Xun-Xian , Tsai Huang-Lung
Published: May 2022

BARLEY B-RECOMBINANT/BASIC PENTACYSTEINE (BBR/BPC) family members are plant-specific GAGA-motif binding factors (GAFs) controlling multiple developmental processes of growth and propagation. BPCs recruit histone remodeling factors for transcriptional repression of downstream targets. It has been revealed that BPCs have an overlapping and antagonistic relationship in regulating development. In this study, we showed disturbances interfering with the homeostasis of BPC expressions impede growth and development. The ectopic expression of BPC3 results in the daily growth defect shown by higher-order bpc mutants. Oscillations of multiple circadian clock genes are phase-delayed in the quadruple mutant of bpc1 bpc2 bpc4 bpc6 (bpc1,2,4,6). By introducing the overexpression of BPC3 into wild-type Arabidopsis, we found that BPC3 is a repressor participating in its repression and repressing multiple regulators essential to the circadian clock. However, the induction of BPC3 overexpression did not fully replicate clock defects shown by the quadruple mutant, indicating that in addition to the BPC3 antagonization, BPC members also cofunction in the circadian clock regulation. A leaf edge defect similar to that shown by bpc1,2,4,6 is also observed under BPC3 induction, accompanied by repression of a subset of TCPs required for the edge formation. This proves that BPC3 is a repressor that must be confined during the vegetative phase. Our findings demonstrate that BPCs form a meticulous repressor network for restricting their repressive functions to molecular mechanisms controlling plant growth and development.
Vinyl as Fine Wine: The Role of Expectation on the Perception of Music Format
Authors: Enstroem Rickard , Schmaltz Rodney
Published: May 2022

While vinyl, compact discs, and even eight-track tapes were traditionally promoted to consumers as producing superior sound, the introduction of compressed digital music, such as mp3s, was markedly different. Initially, one of the primary selling features of digital music was convenience and portability rather than sound quality. Recently, vinyl music sales have experienced a substantial resurgence. Waveforms from vinyl represent recorded music more accurately than compressed digital formats and have the potential to produce better sound. Even so, most music listeners do not reliably listen to music on audiophile quality high-end equipment. For this reason, we believe one aspect of vinyl sales is the expectation that vinyl quality is superior. In this study, we sought to isolate the contribution of expectation to perceived sound quality. Participants were asked to listen to a selection of music on either vinyl or mp3. Some participants were told that they were listening to vinyl when the musical selection was an mp3, while others were told they were listening to an mp3 while actually listening to vinyl. A multivariate analysis through a Canonical Correlation Analysis established that expectation of music format quality drove post-listening evaluations.
Mining of Movie Box Office and Movie Review Topics Using Social Network Big Data
Authors: Chen Yinchang , Dai Zhe
Published: May 2022

In order to solve the problems of high investment and low box office losses in the film industry, this study analyzes the topic of film box office and film and television reviews based on social network big data. Firstly, the factors that affect the box office of the movie are analyzed. Secondly, continuous and discrete feature parts, text parts, and fusion parts are merged. The box office prediction model of mixed features using deep learning is established, and the movie box office is predicted. Finally, compared with other algorithms and models, the box office prediction model of mixed features using deep learning is verified. The results show that compared with other models, the prediction accuracy of the mixed feature movie box office prediction model using depthwise separable convolution (DSC)-Transformer is higher than that of other algorithm models. Its optimal mean square error (MSE) value is 0.6549, and the optimal mean absolute error (MAE) value is 0.1706. The constructed model predicts the box office of nine movies, and the error between the predicted value and the true value is about 10%. Therefore, the established movie box office prediction model has a good effect. This study can predict movies’ box office to reduce investment risk, so it is of great significance to movie investors and the social economy.
Diffusion Abnormality in Temporal Lobe Epilepsy Patients With Sleep Disorders: A Diffusion Kurtosis Imaging Study
Authors: Guo Min , Shen Boxing , Li Jinhong , Huang Xiaoqi , Hu Jie , Wei Xiaocheng , Wang Shaoyu , Yuan Ruohan , He Chengcheng , Li Yanjing
Published: May 2022

Background

Patients with temporal lobe epilepsy (TLE) frequently complain of poor sleep quality, which is a condition that clinicians are typically neglecting. In this study, Epworth Sleepiness Scale (ESS), Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI), and Athens Insomnia Scale (AIS) were used to assess the sleep status of patients with temporal lobe epilepsy (TLE). Simultaneously diffusion kurtosis imaging (DKI) was applied to examine the white matter microstructure abnormalities in patients with TLE and sleep disorders.

Methods

TLE patients who have been diagnosed in the cardio-cerebrovascular ward of the Yanan University Affiliated Hospital from October 2020 to August 2021 were recruited. Finally, 51 patients and 30 healthy controls were enrolled in our study, with all subjects completing the sleep evaluation questionnaire and undergoing a DKI examination. Using independent sample t-test, analysis of variance (ANOVA), and Mann-Whitney U test to compare groups.

Results

Thirty patients (58.82%) complained of long-term sleep difficulties. The overall differences among the evaluation of AIS, ESS, and PSQI are significant (P = 0.00, P = 0.00, P = 0.03). The scores of AIS, ESS in Left and Right-TLE (L/R-TLE) with sleep disorders, as well as PSQI in L-TLE, are statistically higher than the control group (P = 0.00, P = 0.00, P = 0.00, P = 0.00, P = 0.02). L-TLE with sleep disorders showed decreased MK on affected sides (P = 0.01). However, statistical differences in MD and FA have not been observed (P = 0.34, P = 0.06); R-TLE with sleep disorders showed significantly decreased MK and increased MD on affected sides (P = 0.00, P = 0.00), but FA's statistical difference has not been observed (P = 0.20).

Conclusions

TLE patients with sleep disorders have different DKI parameters than individuals who do not have sleep issues. During this process, the kurtosis parameter (MK) was more sensitive than the tensor parameters (MD, FA) in detecting the patient's aberrant white matter diffusion. DKI may be a better choice for in vivo investigation of anomalous craniocerebral water diffusion.
Contaminant Discharge From Outfalls and Subsequent Aquatic Ecological Risks in the River Systems in Dhaka City: Extent of Waste Load Contribution in Pollution
Authors: Majed Nehreen , Islam Md. Al Sadikul
Published: May 2022

Dhaka, the capital city, which is the nerve center of Bangladesh, is crisscrossed by six different rivers. A network of peripheral rivers connects the city and functions as a natural drainage system for a massive amount of wastewater and sewage by the increased number of inhabitants impacting the overall environmental soundness and human health. This study intended to identify and characterize the outfalls along the peripheral rivers of Dhaka city with the assessment of different pollution indices such as comprehensive pollution index (CPI), organic pollution index (OPI), and ecological risk indices (ERI). The study evaluated the status of the pollution in the aquatic system in terms of ambient water quality parameters along the peripheral rivers due to discharge from outfalls with a particular focus on waste load contribution. Among the identified outfalls, the majority are industrial discharge (60%), and some are originated from municipal (30%), or domestic sewers (10%). Water quality parameters such as suspended solids (SS), 5-day biochemical oxygen demand (BOD5), and Ammoniacal Nitrogen (NH3-N) for most of the peripheral rivers deviated by as much as 40–50% from industrial discharge standards by the environment conservation rules, Bangladesh, 1997. Based on the CPI, the rivers Buriganga, Dhaleshwari, and Turag could be termed as severely polluted (CPI > 2.0), while the OPI indicated heavy organic pollutant (OPI > 4) contamination in the Dhaleshwari and Buriganga rivers. The associated pollution indices demonstrate a trend for each subsequent peripheral river with significant pollution toward the downstream areas. The demonstrated waste loading map from the outfalls identified sources of significant environmental contaminants in different rivers leading to subsequent ecological risks. The study outcomes emphasize the necessity of systematic investigation and monitoring while controlling the point and non-point urban pollution sources discharging into the peripheral rivers of Dhaka city.
First Case Report of Human Plague Caused by Excavation, Skinning, and Eating of a Hibernating Marmot (Marmota himalayana)
Authors: Xi Jinxiao , Duan Ran , He Zhaokai , Meng Lei , Xu Daqin , Chen Yuhuang , Liang Junrong , Fu Guoming , Wang Li , Chun Hua , Qin Shuai , Lv Dongyue , Mu Hui , Tang Deming , Wu Weiwei , Xiao Meng , Jing Huaiqi , Wang Xin
Published: May 2022

Introduction

The Qinghai-Tibet Plateau is considered the most plague-heavy region in China, and skinning and eating marmots (Marmota himalayana) are understood to be the main exposure factors to plague. Yersinia pestis is relatively inactive during marmots' hibernation period. However, this case report shows plague infection risk is not reduced but rather increased during the marmot hibernation period if plague exposure is not brought under control.

Case Presentation

The patient was a 45-year-old man who presented with high fever, swelling of axillary lymph nodes, and existing hand wounds on his right side. Y. pestis was isolated from his blood and lymphatic fluid. Hence, the patient was diagnosed with a confirmed case of bubonic plague. Later, his condition progressed to septicemic plague. Plague exposure through wounds and delays in appropriate treatment might have contributed to plague progression.

Conclusion

This case report reveals that excavating a hibernating marmot is a significant transmission route of plague. Plague prevention and control measures are priority needs during the marmot hibernation period.
On the Estimation of Resonance Widths of Field Line Resonances Using Ground Magnetometer Data
Authors: Warden L. J. , Waters C. L. , Sciffer M. D. , Vellante M.
Published: May 2022

This paper presents a comparison of three methods to estimate the latitudinal resonance width of field line resonant, ultra-low frequency waves detected at the ground. These are a spatial domain, full-width half-maximum method and frequency domain amplitude-phase and amplitude-division methods. These methods were used to estimate the resonance width of several field line resonant intervals occurring on 26 November 2001, 1 October 2012, and 19 June 2015. The 19 June 2015 interval used data from one low, two mid, and one high latitudes. It was found that the resonance width estimates were different for each method and with how the data were processed. The most suitable methods and data processing were determined from a damped driven harmonic oscillator model. The amplitude-division methods yielded the most accurate results when the ground magnetic field data were processed with a boxcar window function or a frequency domain, exponential smoothing taper. The amplitude-phase method tended to underestimate the resonance width. The full-width half-maximum method gave accurate results for a high spatial resolution linear piece-wise curve fitted to the spectral amplitude with latitude profile. An accurate estimate of the latitudinal resonance width requires a correct choice of data processing, estimate method, resonance profile with latitude, and resonance model.
Personality in Soccer: Investigation of the Five-Factor Model of Personality in High-Level Athletes
Authors: Spielmann Jan , Beavan Adam , Mayer Jan
Published: May 2022

Background

In high-level sports, rapid screening and diagnostic instruments are necessary considering limited access that researchers have to these athletes. In the area of sport psychological diagnostics, the NEO-FFI is a promising tool to gain information about an athlete's personality traits. The current study investigated the NEO-FFI's scientific quality criteria and general application to elite-level soccer.

Methods

Personality traits of 378 elite-level soccer athletes were assessed using the NEO-FFI. Analysis focused on internal consistency, factor structure and gender differences. Additionally, a second measurement with a 6-week interval was conducted with a sub-sample of 86 athletes to analyse test-retest reliability.

Results

Overall, the results are in line with previous findings outside high-level sports. For the total sample, alpha-levels from 0.68 to 0.84 and intraclass correlation coefficients (ICC) for test-retest measures from 0.86 to 0.91 could be found. Item-level principal component analysis using both oblimin and oblique rotation showed better stability in neuroticism (N) and conscientiousness (C) than in extraversion (E), openness (O), and agreeableness (A). Gender differences could be found in values of internal consistency, ICC and NEO-FFI traits.

Conclusion

The results of this study demonstrate good transferability of the NEO-FFI from settings outside high-level sports into this specific niche of sport psychological assessment. However, the same weaknesses of the applied instrument in general populations were also replicated in the sporting population.
Historical Construction of Local Food System Transformations in Lebanon: Implications for the Local Food System
Authors: Mukahhal Walid , Abebe Gumataw Kifle , Bahn Rachel A. , Martiniello Giuliano
Published: May 2022

Food system transformations occur in a complex political, economic, social, and territorial landscape. The study provides a historical construction of global food regime changes and the adaptiveness, transformability, and resilience of the local food system in Lebanon, a Middle Eastern context. Lebanon offers a unique opportunity to understand the influence of global food regimes and geopolitics on agriculture, the local food system, and capital accumulation. After the 1975–1990 Lebanese Civil War, Lebanon experienced food retail transformation and international penetration through foreign investments. These alterations have several implications for society and the local food system: farming households' influence on agricultural policies and the political commitment to support the farming community decreased. The paper concludes that Lebanon's local food system transformation is a manifestation of geopolitical events and global food regime changes. This may have important implications and pave the way for a new food system that is based on the revitalization of agriculture and new forms of geoeconomic partnerships with regional actors.
The Development of Artificial Intelligence in Hernia Surgery: A Scoping Review
Authors: Taha Anas , Enodien Bassey , Frey Daniel M. , Taha-Mehlitz Stephanie
Published: May 2022

Background

Artificial intelligence simulates human intelligence in machines that have undergone programming to make them think like human beings and imitate their activities. Artificial intelligence has dominated the medical sector to perform various patient diagnosis activities and improve communication between professionals and patients. The main goal of this study is to perform a scoping review to evaluate the development of artificial intelligence in all forms of hernia surgery except the diaphragm and upside-down hernia.

Methods

The study used the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic and Meta-analyses for Scoping Review (PRISMA-ScR) to guide the structuring of the manuscript and fulfill all the requirements of every subheading. The sources used to gather data are the PubMed, Cochrane, and EMBASE databases, IEEE and Google and Google Scholar search engines. AMSTAR tool is the most appropriate for assessing the methodological quality of the included studies.

Results

The study exclusively included twenty articles, whereby seven focused on artificial intelligence in inguinal hernia surgery, six focused on abdominal hernia surgery, five on incisional hernia surgery, and two on AI in medical imaging and robotics in hernia surgery.

Conclusion

The outcomes of this study reveal a significant literature gap on artificial intelligence in hernia surgery. The results also indicate that studies focus on inguinal hernia surgery more than any other types of hernia surgery since the articles addressing the topic are more. The study implies that more research is necessary for the field to develop and enjoy the benefits associated with AI. Thus, this situation will allow the integration of AI in activities like medical imaging and surgeon training.
Bounding the Zeros of Polynomials Using the Frobenius Companion Matrix Partitioned by the Cartesian Decomposition
Authors: Alomari Mohammad W. , Chesneau Christophe
Published: May 2022

In this work, some new inequalities for the numerical radius of block n-by-n matrices are presented. As an application, the bounding of zeros of polynomials using the Frobenius companion matrix partitioned by the Cartesian decomposition method is proved. We highlight several numerical examples showing that our approach to bounding zeros of polynomials could be very effective in comparison with the most famous results as well as some recent results presented in the field. Finally, observations, a discussion, and a conclusion regarding our proposed bound of zeros are considered. Namely, it is proved that our proposed bound is more efficient than any other bound under some conditions; this is supported with many polynomial examples explaining our choice of restrictions.
An Improved Multi-Label Learning Method with ELM-RBF and a Synergistic Adaptive Genetic Algorithm
Authors: Zhang Dezheng , Li Peng , Wulamu Aziguli
Published: May 2022

Profiting from the great progress of information technology, a huge number of multi-label samples are available in our daily life. As a result, multi-label classification has aroused widespread concern. Different from traditional machine learning methods which are time-consuming during the training phase, ELM-RBF (extreme learning machine-radial basis function) is more efficient and has become a research hotspot in multi-label classification. However, because of the lack of effective optimization methods, conventional extreme learning machines are always unstable and tend to fall into local optimum, which leads to low prediction accuracy in practical applications. To this end, a modified ELM-RBF with a synergistic adaptive genetic algorithm (ELM-RBF-SAGA) is proposed in this paper. In ELM-RBF-SAGA, we present a synergistic adaptive genetic algorithm (SAGA) to optimize the performance of ELM-RBF. In addition, two optimization methods are employed collaboratively in SAGA. One is used for adjusting the range of fitness value, the other is applied to update crossover and mutation probability. Sufficient experiments show that ELM-RBF-SAGA has excellent performance in multi-label classification.
A Generic Mission-Level Flight Control Surface EMA Power Consumption Simulation Tool
Authors: Fu Jingcheng , van Heerden Albert S. J. , Judt David , Lawson Craig
Published: May 2022

The use of electromechanical actuators (EMAs) for aeronautical applications promises substantial benefits regarding efficiency and operability. To advance the design of power electronics and secondary power supply, there is a need for the ability to swiftly study the effects of aircraft mission and operational aspects on the actuator energy consumption. Pursuant to this, the aim of the work presented in this paper is twofold: (i) to build a generic mission-level flight control surface EMA power consumption simulation framework and (ii) to apply this framework to a case study involving a small all-electric aircraft, in which selected factors that impact energy consumption are investigated. The core of the framework comprises physics-based EMA power estimators, linked with a six-degree-of-freedom flight dynamics and control simulation module. The case study results show that the actuator power consumption correlates positively with the proportional gains in the flight control system but is inversely proportional to the trajectory radius and linearly dependent on turbulence intensity. The developed framework could aid in the selection of the actuator, as well as in the optimisation of airborne electronics and secondary power supply.
Diets Composed of Tifton 85 Grass Hay (Cynodon sp.) and Concentrate on the Quantitative and Qualitative Traits of Carcass and Meat from Lambs
Authors: Corrêa Yohana , Santos Edson , Oliveira Juliana , Carvalho Gleidson , Pinto Luís , Pereira Danillo , Assis Dallyson , Cruz Gabriel , Panosso Natalia , Perazzo Alexandre , Leite Guilherme , Azevedo Paulo , Lima Anny , Ferreira Daniele , Negrão Fagton , Zanine Anderson
Published: May 2022

The high intake of fermentable carbohydrates may cause nutritional disorders and negatively affect animal performance. Thus, the research study aimed to determine the better roughage:concentrate ratio to improve the carcass traits and physicochemical quality of meat from feedlot-finished Santa Ines lambs. Diets were composed of Tifton 85 grass hay (Cynodon sp.) and concentrate (soybean meal, corn meal, urea, and mineral mixture) and consisted of five roughage:concentrate ratios of 88:12 (C12), 69:31 (C31), 50:50 (C50), 31:69 (C69), and 12:88 (C88). After 63 days the animals were slaughtered and carcass traits, the yield of commercial cuts, and physicochemical properties of meat were evaluated. The higher percentage of concentrate on roughage provided higher DM intake, better feed conversion, higher conformation, finishing, and carcass yield that resulted in heavier commercial cuts with higher fat content in the meat. The addition of 50% concentrate to the roughage improved the carcass traits, commercial cuts, and physicochemical parameters of the meat in a similar way to the diet with 88% concentrate, but with leaner meats, meeting the demands of the current consumer market.
Phenolic Acid Composition and Antioxidant Activity of Whole and Defatted Seeds of Italian Hemp Cultivars: A Two-Year Case Study
Authors: Menga Valeria , Garofalo Carmela , Suriano Serafino , Beleggia Romina , Colecchia Salvatore Antonio , Perrone Domenico , Montanari Massimo , Pecchioni Nicola , Fares Clara
Published: May 2022

The study investigated the nutritional profile and nutraceutical composition of the seeds (whole and defatted) of two monoecious hemp cultivars (Carmaleonte, Codimono) and one dioecious cultivar (CS) grown during the 2018 and 2019 crop seasons. The phenolic acid profiles, both free and bound, antioxidant activity (AA), protein content (PC), total phenolic content (TPC), β-carotene, lutein content, and condensed tannins (CT) were studied, and the effects of genotype (G), year (Y), and GxY interaction were also measured. The results indicated the stronger involvement of the year in the nutritional and antioxidant properties of the whole seeds than in those of the defatted seeds, as indicated by the analysis of the variance. The PC, TPC, AA, sum of phenolics free (SPF), and sum of phenolics bound (SPB) were significantly affected by year, while the lutein and some phenolic acids, free and bound (ferulic and p-coumaric acids and N-trans-caffeoyltyramine), showed significant effects of the genotype. In this respect, the Carmaleonte revealed the highest content of ferulic and p-coumaric acids, as well as CS of N-trans-caffeoyltyramine. A prevalence of Y effect over G was measured in the free and bound fraction of the phenolics of the whole seeds, in contrast to the defatted seeds, in which significant effects of GxY were also measured. Moreover, the Pearson’s correlation coefficients indicated a strict involvement of precipitations in the variation of the phenolics accumulation, above all with bound p-hydroxybenzoic acid (r = 0.71 **), bound syringic acid (r = 0.69 *), bound N-trans-caffeoyltyramine (r = 0.64 *), and SPB (r = 0.60 *). As phenolics bound fractions have strong biological activities, (including antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activities) the high concentrations of N-trans-Caffeoyltyramine B in the CS defatted seeds suggest that it is valuable ingredient for functional foods.
Heat Stress Characterization in a Dairy Cattle Intensive Production Cluster under Arid Land Conditions: An Annual, Seasonal, Daily, and Minute-To-Minute, Big Data Approach
Authors: Rodriguez-Venegas Rafael , Meza-Herrera Cesar A. , Robles-Trillo Pedro A. , Angel-Garcia Oscar , Rivas-Madero Jesus S. , Rodriguez-Martínez Rafael
Published: May 2022

This study characterized the environmental–climatic trends occurring in the largest dairy cattle intensive production cluster under arid land conditions in northern Mexico. The study was based on the Temperature Humidity Index (THI); it aimed to identify the number of days with THI values ≥68 as a bio-marker of heat stress (HS) and evaluate the possible HS effect upon the milk production of dairy cows. Climate data were obtained every 10 min in five farms across years (i.e., 2015–2020). THI was divided into four HS subclasses, 68–71, 72–76, 77–79, and ≥80, according to the circadian HS occurrence (i.e., 1, 4, 8, 12, 16, 20, 24 h), and analyzed across seasons–years. Thus, a total of 1,475,319 THI across different time-scale subclasses was analyzed. The observed results supported our working hypothesis in that yearling-average periods with more than 300 d, HS was confirmed. A yearly average of 31.2 d with THI ≥ 80 with similar (p > 0.05) trends across dairy farms and a slight annual variation (p < 0.05) were also witnessed. Moreover, the highest days with THI levels ≥68 occurred in summer and autumn (p < 0.05), while the in the subclasses 68–71, 72–76, and 77–79, THI occurred in any hour-scale subclass (i.e., 1, 4, 8, and 12 h). Furthermore, a trend to observe THI-HS increases either among years or within an hour-scale basis were also observed. On average, HS engendered a reduction of up to 11.8% in milk production. These research outcomes highlight the need to identify and quantify the negative impacts that HS may generate at a productive and reproductive level in order to delineate mitigation strategies that may lessen the environmental impact upon the dairy cattle industry.