bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Geology defines microbiome structure and composition in nunataks and valleys of the Sør Rondane Mountains, East Antarctica
Authors: Savaglia Valentina , Lambrechts Sam , Tytgat Bjorn , Vanhellemont Quinten , Elster Josef , Willems Anne , Wilmotte Annick , Verleyen Elie , Vyverman Wim
Published: February 2024

Understanding the relation between terrestrial microorganisms and edaphic factors in the Antarctic can provide insights into their potential response to environmental changes. Here we examined the composition of bacterial and micro-eukaryotic communities using amplicon sequencing of rRNA genes in 105 soil samples from the Sør Rondane Mountains (East Antarctica), differing in bedrock or substrate type and associated physicochemical conditions. Although the two most widespread taxa (Acidobacteriota and Chlorophyta) were relatively abundant in each sample, multivariate analysis and co-occurrence networks revealed pronounced differences in community structure depending on substrate type. In moraine substrates, Actinomycetota and Cercozoa were the most abundant bacterial and eukaryotic phyla, whereas on gneiss, granite and marble substrates, Cyanobacteriota and Metazoa were the dominant bacterial and eukaryotic taxa. However, at lower taxonomic level, a distinct differentiation was observed within the Cyanobacteriota phylum depending on substrate type, with granite being dominated by the Nostocaceae family and marble by the Chroococcidiopsaceae family. Surprisingly, metazoans were relatively abundant according to the 18S rRNA dataset, even in samples from the most arid sites, such as moraines in Austkampane and Widerøefjellet (“Dry Valley”). Overall, our study shows that different substrate types support distinct microbial communities, and that mineral soil diversity is a major determinant of terrestrial microbial diversity in inland Antarctic nunataks and valleys.
Association of peripheral B cells and delirium: combined single-cell sequencing and Mendelian randomization analysis
Authors: Tan Siyou , Pan Sining , Wei Lai , Chen Wenyan , Pan Bingbing , Kong Gaoyin , Chen Jing , Xie Yubo
Published: February 2024

Background

Delirium seriously affects the prognosis of patients and greatly reduces the ability to work and live. Peripheral inflammatory events may contribute to the development of delirium, the mechanism of which is still unclear. There is a lack of effective diagnostic and treatments for delirium in clinical practice. The study aims to investigate alterations in peripheral immune cell subsets under inflammatory stress and to explore causal associations with delirium.

Methods

Single-cell transcriptional sequencing data of human peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) before and after lipopolysaccharide (LPS) intervention were processed by the Seurat package in R software. PBMC subsets and cellular markers were defined after downscaling and clustering by the Harmony algorithm to identify characteristic subsets in the context of inflammatory stress. Subsequently, a two-sample Mendelian randomization (MR) study was used to explore the causal associations of these inflammation-related PBMC subsets and their molecular phenotypes with delirium. Based on publicly available genetic data, the study incorporated 70 PBMC-associated immune traits, including 8 types of circulating immune cells, 33 B cell subsets and molecular phenotypes, 13 T cell subsets, and 16 B cell-associated cytokines. The results were also validated for robustness, heterogeneity, and horizontal pleiotropy.

Results

Under LPS-induced inflammatory stress, B cells, T cells, monocytes, and dendritic cells in human PBMC showed significant activation and quantitative changes. Of these, only lymphocyte and B cell counts were causally associated with delirium risk. This risk link is also seen in the TNF pathway. Further studies of B cells and their subsets revealed that this association may be related to unswitched memory B cells and CD27 expressed on memory B cells. Annotation of the screened SNPs revealed significant polymorphisms in CD27 and CD40 annotated by rs25680 and rs9883798, respectively. The functions of the key annotated genes may be related to the regulation of immune responses, cell differentiation, proliferation, and intercellular interactions.

Conclusion

The present study revealed the potential possibility that B cell, memory B cell subset, and TNF-related molecules may be involved in the development of delirium due to peripheral inflammation, which can provide clues for further investigation of delirium prevention and treatment strategies.
Enabling uncertainty estimation in neural networks through weight perturbation for improved Alzheimer's disease classification
Authors: Ferrante Matteo , Boccato Tommaso , Toschi Nicola
Published: February 2024

Background

The willingness to trust predictions formulated by automatic algorithms is key in a wide range of domains. However, a vast number of deep architectures are only able to formulate predictions without associated uncertainty.

Purpose

In this study, we propose a method to convert a standard neural network into a Bayesian neural network and estimate the variability of predictions by sampling different networks similar to the original one at each forward pass.

Methods

We combine our method with a tunable rejection-based approach that employs only the fraction of the data, i.e., the share that the model can classify with an uncertainty below a user-set threshold. We test our model in a large cohort of brain images from patients with Alzheimer's disease and healthy controls, discriminating the former and latter classes based on morphometric images exclusively.

Results

We demonstrate how combining estimated uncertainty with a rejection-based approach increases classification accuracy from 0.86 to 0.95 while retaining 75% of the test set. In addition, the model can select the cases to be recommended for, e.g., expert human evaluation due to excessive uncertainty. Importantly, our framework circumvents additional workload during the training phase by using our network “turned into Bayesian” to implicitly investigate the loss landscape in the neighborhood of each test sample in order to determine the reliability of the predictions.

Conclusion

We believe that being able to estimate the uncertainty of a prediction, along with tools that can modulate the behavior of the network to a degree of confidence that the user is informed about (and comfortable with), can represent a crucial step in the direction of user compliance and easier integration of deep learning tools into everyday tasks currently performed by human operators.
Genetic mechanisms underlying local spontaneous brain activity in episodic migraine
Authors: Gui Wei , Lu Fengqing , Fu Lulan , Deng Ziru , Zhao Xiuxiu , Cheng Wenwen , Yang Ying , Wang Yu
Published: February 2024

Advances in neuroimaging techniques during the past few decades have captured impaired functional brain activity in migraine disorders, yet the molecular mechanisms accounting for its alterations in migraine remain largely unknown. A total of 27 patients with episodic migraine (EM) and 30 matched healthy controls (HCs) underwent resting-state functional and structural magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scans. Regional homogeneity (ReHo), low-frequency fluctuations (ALFF), and fractional amplitude of low-frequency fluctuations (fALFF) of fMRI were compared between the two groups. Based on the Allen Human Brain Atlas and risk genes in migraine, we identified gene expression profiles associated with ReHo alterations in EM. Compared with HCs, patients with EM showed increased ReHo in the left orbital part of the superior frontal gyrus (P < 0.05, cluster-level FWE-corrected). The expression profiles of 16 genes were significantly correlated with ReHo alterations in EM (P < 0.05/5,013, Bonferroni corrected). These genes were mainly enriched for transcription regulation, synaptic transmission, energy metabolism, and migraine disorders. Furthermore, the neural activation was positively correlated with Hamilton Rating Scale for Anxiety (HAMA) scores. To test the stability of our results, we repeated our procedure by using ALFF and fALFF and found these results had a high degree of consistency. Overall, these findings not only demonstrated that regional brain activity was increased in patients with EM, which was associated with emotional regulation but also provided new insights into the genetic mechanisms underlying these changes in migraine.
Omega-3 eicosapentaenoic polar-lipid rich extract from microalgae Nannochloropsis decreases plasma triglycerides and cholesterol in a real-world normolipidemic supplement consumer population
Authors: Ganuza Eneko , Etomi Eghogho H. , Olson Magdalena , Whisner Corrie M.
Published: February 2024

Introduction

AlmegaPL® is an oil rich in polar-lipid (> 15% w/w) derived from the microalga Nannochloropsis, that contains exclusively eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA > 25% w/w), without the DHA that is present in all other natural sources of omega-3. Previous findings from a randomized controlled clinical trial demonstrated the ability of AlmegaPL® supplementation to reduce cholesterol levels.

Methods

In this post-market cohort study, we built upon previous findings and targeted the actual end-users of the supplement. Participants were recruited from a new subscriber database of AlmegaPL® capsules (1000–1100 mg/day) to capture the complexity of real-world clinical and consumer settings. Changes in circulating triglycerides (TG), remnant cholesterol (RC), low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL), high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL), total cholesterol (TC), high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP), glucose and glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c) were monitored at baseline, Month 3, and Month 6 of supplementation using the at-home Baseline Heart Health Testing Kit by Imaware® (Houston, TX, USA).

Results

Participants, who had, on average, normal TG level at baseline (1.62 ± 0.60 mmol/L), experienced a significant and progressive decrease in TG at Month 3 (8.0%; −0.13 ± 0.59 mmol/L; p < 0.001) and Month 6 (14.2%; −0.23 ± 0.64 mmol/L; p < 0.001) (primary outcome). Furthermore, after 6 months of supplementation, TC and non-HDL-cholesterol decreased by 5.0% (−0.26 ± 0.98 mmol/L; p < 0.001) and 5.5% (−0.21 ± 0.86 mmol/L; p < 0.001) respectively, primarily driven by a 14.9% reduction in RC (−0.11 ± 0.29 mmol/L; p < 0.001).

Discussion

Consistent with our previous clinical trial, the decrease in RC was not coupled to an increase in LDL, which seems to be a benefit associated with EPA-only based formulations. In addition, this study demonstrated the AlmegaPL® capacity to maintain already healthy TG levels by further inducing a 14.9% decrease. Collectively, these findings highlight AlmegaPL® uniqueness as a natural over-the-counter option for EPA-only polar lipid that appears particularly effective in maintaining blood lipid levels in a generally healthy, normolipidemic population.

Clinical trial registration

https://clinicaltrials.gov/, identifier NCT05267301
An insight into market and non-market alternative food networks in Czechia during Covid-19 and beyond
Authors: Smutná Zdeňka , Vávra Jan , Duží Barbora
Published: February 2024

Introduction

The Covid-19 pandemic affected food systems in many countries and emphasized a lot of already existing social, economic and environmental agri-food problems. Alternative food networks (AFNs), praised for their ability to improve the food systems, were under stress, however, at the same time, the changed conditions may have opened new possibilities. In this paper we address the importance of AFNs during the pandemic and investigate how households have changed their participation in AFNs. Our research is novel by simultaneously focusing on both market and non-market AFNs which are often studied separately.

Methods

A representative questionnaire study of Czech households was carried out in Autumn 2021 to provide a case study of food and consumption behavior of the European country after several waves of Covid-19.

Results and discussion

Based on the responses of 515 participants, the results show that 68% of Czech households participate in some form of AFNs, be it shopping or food self-provisioning, i.e., non-market food procurement in the form of gardening. Focusing on the market AFNs, farmers’ markets and farm gate sales are the most popular. Covid-19 and 2021 emerging economic pressures led to a decrease of consumption of organic food (22% of respondents) as well as fresh fruit and vegetables in general (10% of respondents) and a noticeable occurrence of food insecurity (18% of households). Based on these findings, the paper discusses the ability of AFNs to support food and nutritional resilience. Problems which may endanger market-oriented AFNs are discussed as well.

Conclusion

By addressing both market and non-market AFNs, the paper brings new knowledge into the food environment and agri-food policies research.
Comparison of clinical efficacy of 3D-printed artificial vertebral body and conventional titanium mesh cage in spinal reconstruction after total en bloc spondylectomy for spinal tumors: a systematic review and meta-analysis
Authors: Dong Mingjie , Gao Yingjie , Fan Hao , Wang Yushan , Lv Jia , Bai Junjun , Shao Pengfei , Gao Yu , Lv Zhi , Feng Yi
Published: February 2024

Propose

This meta-analysis aimed to determine whether 3D-printed artificial vertebral bodies (AVBs) have superior clinical efficacy compared to conventional titanium mesh cages (TMCs) for spinal reconstruction after total en bloc spondylectomy (TES) for spinal tumors.

Methods

Electronic databases, including PubMed, OVID, ScienceDirect, Embase, CINAHL, Web of Science, Cochrane Library, WANFANG, and CNKI, were searched to identify clinical trials investigating 3D-printed AVB versus conventional TMC from inception to August 2023. Data on the operation time, intraoperative blood loss, preoperative and postoperative visual analogue scale (VAS) scores, preoperative and postoperative Frankel classification of spinal cord injury, vertebral body subsidence, and early complications were collected from eligible studies for a meta-analysis. Data were analyzed using Review Manager 5.4 and Stata 14.0.

Results

Nine studies assessing 374 patients were included. The results revealed significant differences between the 3D-printed AVB and conventional TMC groups with regard to operation time (P = 0.04), intraoperative blood loss (P = 0.004), postoperative VAS score (P = 0.02), vertebral body subsidence (P < 0.0001), and early complications (P = 0.02). Conversely, the remaining preoperative VAS score and Frankel classifications (pre-and postoperative) did not differ significantly between the groups.

Conclusion

The 3D-printed AVB in spinal reconstruction after TES for spinal tumors has the advantages of a short operative time, little intraoperative blood loss, weak postoperative pain, low occurrence of vertebral body subsidence and early complications, and a significant curative effect. This could provide a strong basis for physicians to make clinical decisions.

Systematic review registration

https://www.crd.york.ac.uk/prospero/display_record.php?ID=CRD42023441521, identifier CRD42023441521.
Most deprived Louisiana census tracts have higher hepatocellular carcinoma incidence and worse survival
Authors: Ratnapradipa Kendra L. , Li Tingting , Hsieh Mei-Chin , Tenner Laura , Peters Edward S.
Published: February 2024

Background

Liver cancer incidence increased in the US from 1975 through 2015 with heterogeneous rates across subpopulations. Upstream or distal area-level factors impact liver cancer risks.

Objective

The aim of this study was to examine the association between area-level deprivation and hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) incidence and survival. We also explored the association between area deprivation and treatment modalities.

Methods

Louisiana Tumor Registry identified 4,151 adult patients diagnosed with malignant HCC from 2011 to 2020 and linked residential address to census tract (CT)-level Area Deprivation Index (ADI) categorized into quartiles (Q1 = least deprived). ANOVA examined the association between ADI quartile and CT age-adjusted incidence rate (AAIR) per 100,000. Chi-square tested the distribution of demographic and clinical characteristics across ADI quartiles. Kaplan–Meier and proportional hazard models evaluated survival by deprivation quartile.

Results

Among the 1,084 CTs with incident HCC, the average (SD) AAIR was 8.02 (7.05) HCC cases per 100,000 population. ADI was observed to be associated with incidence, and the mean (SD) AAIR increased from 5.80 (4.75) in Q1 to 9.26 (7.88) in Q4. ADI was also associated with receipt of surgery (p < 0.01) and radiation (p < 0.01) but not chemotherapy (p = 0.15). However, among those who received chemotherapy, people living in the least deprived areas began treatment approximately 10 days sooner than those living in other quartiles. Q4 patients experienced the worst survival with a median of 247 (95% CI 211–290) days vs. Q1 patients with a median of 474 (95% CI 407–547) days (p < 0.0001). Q4 had marginally poorer survival (HR 1.20, 1.05–1.37) than Q1 but the association became non-significant (HR 1.12, 0.96–1.30) when adjusted for rurality, liquor store density, sex, race/ethnicity, age, insurance, BMI, stage, hepatitis diagnosis, and comorbidities.

Conclusion

Increasing neighborhood (CT) deprivation (ADI) was observed to be associated with increased HCC incidence and poorer HCC survival. However, the association with poorer survival becomes attenuated after adjusting for putative confounders.
Translation, cross-cultural adaptation, and measurement properties of the Arabic version of the pain sensitivity questionnaire
Authors: Alqarni Abdullah , Khan Fayaz , Alabasi Umar , Ruscheweyh Ruth
Published: February 2024

Background

The Pain Sensitivity Questionnaire (PSQ) is a reliable and valid self-reported tool for the assessment of pain sensitivity in clinical practice. The PSQ has been translated, validated, and cross-culturally adapted into multiple languages. However, a validated Arabic version of the PSQ is not available. Thus, this study aims to translate, validate, and cross-culturally adapt the English version of the PSQ into the Arabic language.

Methods and materials

The English version of the PSQ was translated and culturally adapted into Arabic following international guidelines. The psychometric properties of the final version of the PSQ-Arabic (PSQ-A) were tested among 119 patients with different persistent musculoskeletal (MSK) pain.

Findings

The Cronbach’s α for the PSQ-A-total, PSQ-A-moderate, and PSQ-C-minor were 0.81, 0.79, and 0.76, respectively. The means for the PSQ-A-total, PSQ-A-moderate, and PSQ-C-minor scores were 5.07 (±1.28), 5.64 (±2.07), and 4.50 (±0.50). The test-retest reliability measured with the interclass correlation coefficient for 68 subjects was 0.80 for the PSQ-A-total, 0.74 for the PSQ-A-moderate, and 0.77 for the PSQ-A-minor. The PSQ-A-total and the PSQ-A-minor showed positive significant correlations with pain catastrophizing scale (PCS) (r = 0.15, 0.17); P ≤ 0.05), respectively. The PSQ-A-total, PSQ-A-moderate, and PSQ-A-minor showed positive significant correlations with the Brief Pain Inventory (BPI)-pain scores (r = 0.47, 0.43, 0.45; P ≤ 0.01), respectively and with the BPI-pain interference scores (r = 0.37, 0.33, 0.34; P ≤ 0.01), respectively.

Conclusions

This study shows that the PSQ-A is a reliable and valid tool to assess individuals with pain sensitivity in Arabic populations. Further studies are recommended to examine the concurrent validity of the PSQ-A against experimental pain sensitivity measures.
Activation of renal epithelial Na+ channels (ENaC) in infants with congenital heart disease
Authors: Ortmann Laura A. , Nandi Shyam , Li Yu-long , Zheng Hong , Patel Kaushik P.
Published: February 2024

Introduction

This study was designed to measure the concentration and activity of urinary proteases that activate renal epithelial sodium channel (ENaC) mediated Na+ transport in infants with congenital heart disease, a potential mechanism for fluid retention.

Methods

Urine samples from infants undergoing cardiac surgery were collected at three time points: T1) pre-operatively, T2) 6–8 h after surgery, and T3) 24 h after diuretics. Urine was collected from five heathy infant controls. The urine was tested for four proteases and whole-cell patch-clamp testing was conducted in renal collecting duct M-1 cells to test whether patient urine increased Na+ currents consistent with ENaC activation.

Results

Heavy chain of plasminogen, furin, and prostasin were significantly higher in cardiac patients prior to surgery compared to controls. There was no difference in most proteases before and after surgery. Urine from cardiac patients produced a significantly greater increase in Na+ inward currents compared to healthy controls.

Conclusion

Urine from infants with congenital heart disease is richer in proteases and has the potential to increase activation of ENaC in the nephron to enhance Na+ reabsorption, which may lead to fluid retention in this population.
Effects of Shenmai injection against chronic heart failure: a meta-analysis and systematic review of preclinical and clinical studies
Authors: Wu Yang , Li Tianli , Li Pochen , Peng HsuanChieh , Gao Ang , Wang Jisheng , Zhu Haiyan , Wang Xian
Published: February 2024

Objective: This study aims to evaluate the clinical and preclinical efficacy of SMI in treating CHF, and to summarize the relevant mechanisms of action in order to provide evidence for its role in CHF treatment.

Methods: A systematic computerized search of eight databases and three registry systems was performed, with the time frame spanning from the inception of the databases to 30 June 2023. Strict procedures were used for data extraction, quality assessment, and data analysis. The methodological quality of the included studies was assessed using RoB-2 and SYRCLE tools. Statistical analysis was performed using Rev Man 5.4 software, using either fixed-effects or random-effects models.

Results: A total of 25 clinical trials (including test group 1,367 patients, control group 1,338 patients) and 11 animal studies (including 201 animals) were included in this review. The meta-analysis of clinical studies showed that SMI can improve cardiac function indicators (LVEF, LVFS, LVEDV, LVESV, LVEDD, LVESD) (p < 0.00001), reduce BNP/NT-proBNP levels (p < 0.01), and improve inflammatory markers (hs-CRP, TNF-α, IL-6) (p < 0.00001) and endothelin (ET) levels (p < 0.0001). In animal studies, SMI demonstrated improved cardiac function (LVEF, LVFS) (p < 0.05), and improved heart failure markers (NT-proBNP, p < 0.05) when compared to control groups.

Conclusion: This study represents the first meta-analysis which includes both preclinical and clinical studies on SMI. Clinical and animal studies have shown that SMI can improve cardiac function in CHF patients through its anti-apoptotic effects, antioxidant activities, anti-inflammatory effects, and improvement of myocardial metabolism. This study has certain limitations in terms of literature quality, quantity, and follow-up time. Therefore, the conclusions drawn from this study may require further validation through larger-scale, high-quality RCT trials.
Artemisinin reduces PTSD-like symptoms, improves synaptic plasticity, and inhibits apoptosis in rats subjected to single prolonged stress
Authors: Liu Qing , Ding Xiaoyan , Wang Ying , Chu Hairong , Guan Yan , Li Meng , Sun Kuisheng
Published: February 2024

Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) is a chronic mental disorder characterized by symptoms of panic and anxiety, depression, impaired cognitive functioning, and difficulty in social interactions. While the effect of the traditional Chinese medicine artemisinin (AR) on PTSD is unknown, its therapeutic benefits have been demonstrated by studies on models of multiple neurological disorders. This study aimed to extend such findings by investigating the effects of AR administration on a rat model of PTSD induced by a regimen of single prolonged stress (SPS). After rats were subjected to the SPS protocol, AR was administered and its impact on PTSD-like behaviors was evaluated. In the present study, rats were subjected to a multitude of behavioral tests to evaluate behaviors related to anxiety, memory function, and social interactions. The expression of hippocampal synaptic plasticity-related proteins was detected using Western blot and immunofluorescence. The ultrastructure of synapses was observed under transmission electron microscopy. The apoptosis of hippocampal neurons was examined with Western blot, TUNEL staining, and HE staining. The results showed that AR administration alleviated the PTSD-like phenotypes in SPS rats, including behavior indicative of anxiety, cognitive deficits, and diminished sociability. AR administration was further observed to improve synaptic plasticity and inhibit neuronal apoptosis in SPS rats. These findings suggest that administering AR after the onset of severe traumatic events may alleviate anxiety, cognitive deficits, and impaired social interaction, improve synaptic plasticity, and diminish neuronal apoptosis. Hence, the present study provides evidence for AR’s potential as a multi-target agent in the treatment of PTSD.
Rhodomyrtus tomentosa (Aiton) Hassk. (haramonting) protects against allethrin-exposed pulmo damage in rats: mechanistic interleukins
Authors: Situmorang Putri Cahaya , Ilyas Syafruddin , Syahputra Rony Abdi , Nugraha Alexander Patera , Putri Mimmy Sari Syah , Rumahorbo Cheryl Grace Pratiwi
Published: February 2024

Inhaling Allethrin (C19H26O3) may induce oxidative stress in lung cells by causing the formation of free radi-cals. Interleukins (IL) are a group of secreted cytokines or proteins and signaling molecules initially produced as an immune response by leukocytes. Rhodomyrtus tomentosa (Aiton) Hassk. (haramonting) contains antioxidants that may prevent lung damage induced by allethrin-containing electric mosquito repellents. In this study, six groups of rats were exposed to allethrin via an electric mosquito repellent, including positive, negative, and comparison control groups and three groups were administered Rhodomyrtus tomentosa (Aiton) Hassk at 100 mg/kg BW, 200 mg/kg BW, and 300 mg/kg BW. After 30 days, the pulmonary tissue and the blood were taken for immunohisto-chemical and ELISA analysis. The accumulation of inflammatory cells causes the thickening of the alveolar wall structures. Injuries were more prevalent in the A+ group than in the other groups. The connection between the alveoli and blood capillaries, which can interfere with alveolar gas exchange, is not regulated, and the lu-minal morphology is aberrant, causing damage to the alveolar epithelial cells. Exposure to electric mosquito coils containing allethrin can increase the expression of interleukin-1, interleukin-8, interleukin-9, and interleu-kin-18 in blood serum and tissues while decreasing the expression of interleukin-6 and interleukin-10. Like the Vitamin C group, Rhodomyrtus tomentosa can increase alveolar histological alterations by decreasing the ex-pression of IL-1β, IL-8, IL-9, and IL-18 while increasing IL-6 and IL-10. So that this plant can be developed in the future as a drug to prevent lung harm from exposure.
Partial root-zone drying subsurface drip irrigation increased the alfalfa quality yield but decreased the alfalfa quality content
Authors: Wang Yadong , Xu Chong , Gu Qian , Shi Yalong , Chen Jiale , Wu Honghui , He Jing , Li Xingfu , Han Liliang , Su Derong
Published: February 2024

Water shortage seriously restricts the development of grassland agriculture in arid land and dramatically impacts alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.) quality content and hay yield. Reasonable irrigation methods have the potential to enhance the alfalfa quality content, hay yield, and thus quality yield. Whether partial root-zone drying subsurface drip irrigation (PRDSDI) improves the alfalfa quality yield, quality content, and hay yield is still unknown compared with conventional subsurface drip irrigation (CSDI). The effects of PRDSDI compared with that of CSDI and the interaction with irrigation volume (10 mm/week, 20 mm/week, and 30 mm/week) on the alfalfa quality yield were investigated in 2017–2018 and explained the change in quality yield with the alfalfa quality content and hay yield. Here, the results showed that PRDSDI did not increase the alfalfa quality yield in 2 years. PRDSDI significantly increased acid detergent fiber by 13.3% and 12.2% in 2018 with 10-mm and 20-mm irrigation volumes and neutral detergent fiber by 16.2%, 13.2%, and 12.6% in 2017 with 10-mm, 20-mm, and 30-mm irrigation volumes, respectively. PRDSDI significantly decreased the crude protein by 5.4% and 8.4% in 2018 with 10-mm and 20-mm irrigation volumes and relative feed value by 15.0% with 20-mm irrigation volume in 2017 and 9.8% with 10-mm irrigation volume in 2018, respectively. In addition, PRDSDI significantly increased the alfalfa average hay yield by 49.5% and 59.6% with 10-mm and 20-mm irrigation volumes in 2018, respectively. Our results provide a counterexample for PRDSDI to improve crop quality. Although there was no significant improvement in average quality yield by PRDSDI, the positive impact of average hay yield on quality yield outweighed the negative impact of quality content. Thus, it has the potential to improve quality yields. The novel findings regarding the effects of PRDSDI on quality yield are potentially favorable for the forage feed value in water-limited areas.
Insight into the herbicide resistance patterns in Lolium rigidum populations in Tunisian and Moroccan wheat regions
Authors: El-Mastouri Zakia , Košnarová Pavlína , Hamouzová Kateřina , Alimi Ezzedine , Soukup Josef
Published: February 2024

Rigid ryegrass (Lolium rigidum Gaud.) is one of the most troublesome weeds in Moroccan and Tunisian cereal crop fields. In total, 19 rigid ryegrass field populations were randomly selected in northern wheat crop areas of Morocco and Tunisia to examine the patterns of herbicide resistance to acetolactate synthase (ALS)- and acetyl-CoA carboxylase (ACCase)-inhibiting herbicides. Greenhouse experiments confirmed reduced sensitivity to ALS- and/or ACCase-inhibiting herbicides in all L. rigidum populations. The occurrence of target-site resistance (TSR) was tested using high-throughput genotyping. The advent of next-generation sequencing (NGS) has enabled easy identification of causal mutations and confirmed the presence of ALS and ACCase mutations at specific codons conferring TSR. Thirteen populations showed resistance to ALS-inhibiting herbicides associated with point mutations in positions Pro-197-Thr, Pro-197-Ser, Pro-197-Leu, Pro-197-Gln and Trp-574-Leu, while resistance to ACCase-inhibiting herbicides was detected in 18 populations in positions Asp-2078-Val, Trp-2027-Cys, Ile-1781-Leu, Gly-2096-Ala, and Ile-2041-Asn of the enzymes conferring TSR. Additionally, dose–response experiments with pyroxsulam applied after the inhibition of cytochrome P450 monooxygenase by malathion showed an increase in sensitivity in two out of seven highly resistant (HR) rigid ryegrass populations. This demonstrates the presence of non-target-site resistance (NTSR) in some ryegrass populations. Further evidence of NTSR was investigated in dose–response experiments with pyroxsulam, following pretreatment with the glutathione S-transferase (GST) inhibitor 4-chloro-7-nitrobenzoxadiazole (NBD-Cl), which partially reversed resistance in only a few individuals of two L. rigidum populations. Hence, our study confirms the existence of multiple and cross-resistance to ALS- and ACCase-inhibiting herbicides in L. rigidum from Morocco and Tunisia with both TSR and NTSR mechanisms. These results emphasize local resistance management as an important tool to detect and mitigate gene flow from rigid ryegrass populations where resistance has evolved.
Decrease in beneficial bacteria and increase in harmful bacteria in Gastrodia seedlings and their surrounding soil are mainly responsible for degradation of Gastrodia asexual propagation
Authors: Wang Xi , Gao Yugang , Zang Pu , Zhang Ge , Yang Xinyu , Liu Qun
Published: February 2024

Introduction

Asexual reproduction of Gastrodia elata Bl. f. glauca S. chow (GeB) produces degeneration with increasing number of GeB. Therefore, we analyzed the microorganisms of GeB seedlings and surrounding soil by Illumina Miseq high-throughput sequencing technology.

Methods

In this study, Illumina Miseq high-throughput sequencing technology was applied to analyze the types and quantities of GeB seedlings and surrounding soil microorganisms in the first to third generations of asexual reproduction, isolated and identified the dominant strains of GeB in the first to third generations and screened the antagonistic bacteria of its pathogenic fungi, and evaluated the effects of beneficial bacteria on the production performance of seedlings planted with GeB.

Results

With an increase in the number of asexual reproductive generations, the number of pathogenic fungi and bacteria in GeB seedlings and the surrounding soil increased, and the number of beneficial fungi and bacteria decreased. Pseudomonas sp., Agrobacterium rhizomes, and Herbaspirillum hiltneri were isolated and identified in the first generation, and Trichoderma harzianum, Penicillium viridiatum, Fusarium oxysporum, and Novosphingobium sp. Were isolated and identified in the third generation. Antagonistic strains of the three pathogenic bacterial strains were screened. In conclusion, beneficial bacteria significantly improved the production performance of asexual reproductive seedlings planted with GeB.

Discussion

In conclusion, our findings suggested that the microorganisms of GeB seedlings and the surrounding soil change as the number of generations of GeB reproduction increases, disrupts the microecological balance of surrounding soil and endophytic microbiomes.This study provides a theoretical basis for the degradation of asexual reproduction in GeB.
Virtual Teaching Together: engaging parents and young children in STEM activities
Authors: Zucker Tricia A. , Mesa Michael P. , Assel Michael A. , McCallum Cheryl , DeMaster Dana
Published: February 2024

Introduction

Early informal learning experiences are essential for sparking long-term interest in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM). In a prior study, we found more promising parent involvement outcomes when families of young children were provided with STEM family education events along with home STEM activity kits compared to providing workshops alone. This study was a conceptual replication using the same program—Teaching Together STEM—to deliver educational workshops plus home activity kits; however, we varied the delivery method by using virtual “funshops” to evaluate if parents perceived this modality as feasible and useful.

Methods

Museum informal science educators introduced four units via virtual video chat sessions linked to 12 hands-on STEM activities that were mailed to families randomly assigned to the treatment group. Half of the families were assigned to a waitlist control group that received a portion of the virtual program after the posttest. Participants included 60 families with children aged 3 to 5 years from diverse linguistic and socioeconomic backgrounds.

Results

Our results indicate no significant group differences in the primary outcome of parents’ involvement in informal STEM but a small, positive effect size (ES = 0.18) that was similar in magnitude to the prior, in-person study. Although parents mostly perceived the remote delivery as convenient and the materials as engaging for their child, there were no significant program impacts on children’s general science interests (ES = −0.19).

Discussion

Despite the convenience, parents reported time was a barrier to doing STEM activities at home. Parents with lower education levels were less likely to attend, suggesting virtual approaches are not sufficient for ensuring broad access to family engagement programs for populations underrepresented in STEM.
Self-administered questionnaires enhance emotion estimation of individuals with autism spectrum disorders in a robotic interview setting
Authors: Konishi Shunta , Kuwata Masaki , Matsumoto Yoshio , Yoshikawa Yuichiro , Takata Keiji , Haraguchi Hideyuki , Kudo Azusa , Ishiguro Hiroshi , Kumazaki Hirokazu
Published: February 2024

Background

Robots offer many unique opportunities for helping individuals with autism spectrum disorders (ASD). Determining the optimal motion of robots when interacting with individuals with ASD is important for achieving more natural human-robot interactions and for exploiting the full potential of robotic interventions. Most prior studies have used supervised machine learning (ML) of user behavioral data to enable robot perception of affective states (i.e., arousal and valence) and engagement. It has previously been suggested that including personal demographic information in the identification of individuals with ASD is important for developing an automated system to perceive individual affective states and engagement. In this study, we hypothesized that assessing self-administered questionnaire data would contribute to the development of an automated estimation of the affective state and engagement when individuals with ASD are interviewed by an Android robot, which will be linked to implementing long-term interventions and maintaining the motivation of participants.

Methods

Participants sat across a table from an android robot that played the role of the interviewer. Each participant underwent a mock job interview. Twenty-five participants with ASD (males 22, females 3, average chronological age = 22.8, average IQ = 94.04) completed the experiment. We collected multimodal data (i.e., audio, motion, gaze, and self-administered questionnaire data) to train a model to correctly classify the state of individuals with ASD when interviewed by an android robot. We demonstrated the technical feasibility of using ML to enable robot perception of affect and engagement of individuals with ASD based on multimodal data.

Results

For arousal and engagement, the area under the curve (AUC) values of the model estimates and expert coding were relatively high. Overall, the AUC values of arousal, valence, and engagement were improved by including self-administered questionnaire data in the classification.

Discussion

These findings support the hypothesis that assessing self-administered questionnaire data contributes to the development of an automated estimation of an individual’s affective state and engagement. Given the efficacy of including self-administered questionnaire data, future studies should confirm the effectiveness of such long-term intervention with a robot to maintain participants’ motivation based on the proposed method of emotion estimation.
Mental distress, food insecurity and university student dropout during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020: evidence from South Africa
Authors: Wagner Fezile , Wagner Ryan G. , Makuapane Lerato P. , Masango Mxolisi , Kolanisi Unathi , Gómez-Olivé Francesc Xavier
Published: February 2024

Background

Student dropout has been a key issue facing universities for many years. The COVID-19 pandemic was expected to exacerbate these trends; however, international literature has produced conflicting findings. Limited literature from Africa has investigated the impact of COVID-19 on student dropout trends, despite the documented devastation, including increased risk of food insecurity and mental distress, caused by the pandemic.

Objective

This work seeks to understand the impact of food insecurity and mental distress on student dropout during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Methods

Using a cross-sectional research design, first-year undergraduate students from a large South African university were recruited via email to participate in a survey between September and October 2020. The Household Food Insecurity Access Scale (HFIAS) was used to measure food insecurity and the Patient Health Questionnaire Anxiety and Depression Scale (PHQ-ADS) was used to measure mental distress. Multivariate regression was used to investigate factors associated with student dropout.

Results

The student dropout rate was 10.5% (95% CI: 8.2-13.2). The prevalence of severe food insecurity was 25.7% (95% CI: 22.3-29.4) and the prevalence of severe mental distress symptoms was 26.7% (95% CI: 23.3-30.4). Dropout rates and levels of food insecurity were highest among students residing in remote areas during the lockdown at 19.2% and 43.6%, respectively. The multivariate logistic regression revealed that being male increased the probability of dropout almost three-fold (odds ratio (OR) = 2.70; 95% CI: 1.48-4.89, p =0.001)). Being moderately food insecure increased the odds of dropout more than two-fold (OR=2.50; 95% CI:1.12-5.55, p=0.025), and experiencing severe mental distress symptoms increased the odds of dropout seven-fold (OR=7.08; 95% CI:2.67-18.81, p<0.001).

Conclusion

While acknowledging that various factors and complexities contribute to student dropout, the increased vulnerability to food insecurity and mental distress, stemming from issues such as widespread job losses and isolation experienced during the pandemic, may have also had an impact on dropout. This work reiterates the importance of directing additional support to students who are food insecure and those who are experiencing mental distress in order to mitigate university student dropout.
Diagnostic value of serum amyloid A in differentiating the inflammatory disorders in wild birds
Authors: Rhim Haerin , Kim Myeongsu , Gim Seulgi , Han Jae-Ik
Published: February 2024

Rescued wild birds have very high rates of inflammatory diseases; however, there have been limitations in assessing them sensitively. Few studies have examined acute-phase proteins in wild birds. In this study, serum amyloid A (SAA) was evaluated as an inflammatory indicator along with traditional indices such as white blood cell count, albumin, and albumin/globulin ratio. In total, 291 samples from 139 birds of six avian species were analyzed. All samples were divided into four groups (severe, moderate, mild injuries, and clinically healthy) based on clinical examinations and evaluated by group. SAA levels were measured using an anti-chicken SAA ELISA kit and compared with leukocyte counts, albumin concentrations, and albumin/globulin ratios. Differences among groups were evaluated using the Kruskal–Wallis test, followed by a post hoc test using Dunn’s multiple comparisons with SPSS V27. Statistical significance was set at a value of p of <0.05. The median concentration and interquartile range (ng/mL) of SAA in each group were 78.10 ng/mL (50.71–109.30), 31.15 ng/mL (19.85–49.24), 9.68 ng/mL (4.71–22.06), and 3.10 ng/mL (1.50–6.00). We observed a significant difference in the mean levels between the groups (p < 0.001), with the same results observed across species. All four indices showed significant differences in mean values between the groups (p < 0.001). In addition, SAA showed rapid changes in periodically collected samples, reflecting either a positive treatment response or the onset of subclinical diseases. SAA can be used to detect inflammatory conditions and asymptomatic disease in wild birds and is helpful in accurately identifying current health status, which is essential for successful treatment and release.
A Geometrical Study about the Biparametric Family of Anomalies in the Elliptic Two-Body Problem with Extensions to Other Families
Authors: López Ortí José Antonio , Marco Castillo Francisco José , Martínez Usó María José
Published: February 2024

In the present paper, we efficiently solve the two-body problem for extreme cases such as those with high eccentricities. The use of numerical methods, with the usual variables, cannot maintain the perihelion passage accurately. In previous articles, we have verified that this problem is treated more adequately through temporal reparametrizations related to the mean anomaly through the partition function. The biparametric family of anomalies, with an appropriate partition function, allows a systematic study of these transformations. In the present work, we consider the elliptical orbit as a meridian section of the ellipsoid of revolution, and the partition function depends on two variables raised to specific parameters. One of the variables is the mean radius of the ellipsoid at the secondary, and the other is the distance to the primary. One parameter regulates the concentration of points in the apoapsis region, and the other produces a symmetrical displacement between the polar and equatorial regions. The three most used geodesy latitude variables are also studied, resulting in one not belonging to the biparametric family. However, it is in the one introduced now, which implies an extension of the biparametric method. The results obtained using the method presented here now allow a causal interpretation of the operation of numerous reparametrizations used in the study of orbital motion.
Algorithms in Tomography and Related Inverse Problems—A Review
Authors: Tassiopoulou Styliani , Koukiou Georgia , Anastassopoulos Vassilis
Published: February 2024

In the ever-evolving landscape of tomographic imaging algorithms, this literature review explores a diverse array of themes shaping the field’s progress. It encompasses foundational principles, special innovative approaches, tomographic implementation algorithms, and applications of tomography in medicine, natural sciences, remote sensing, and seismology. This choice is to show off the diversity of tomographic applications and simultaneously the new trends in tomography in recent years. Accordingly, the evaluation of backprojection methods for breast tomographic reconstruction is highlighted. After that, multi-slice fusion takes center stage, promising real-time insights into dynamic processes and advanced diagnosis. Computational efficiency, especially in methods for accelerating tomographic reconstruction algorithms on commodity PC graphics hardware, is also presented. In geophysics, a deep learning-based approach to ground-penetrating radar (GPR) data inversion propels us into the future of geological and environmental sciences. We venture into Earth sciences with global seismic tomography: the inverse problem and beyond, understanding the Earth’s subsurface through advanced inverse problem solutions and pushing boundaries. Lastly, optical coherence tomography is reviewed in basic applications for revealing tiny biological tissue structures. This review presents the main categories of applications of tomography, providing a deep insight into the methods and algorithms that have been developed so far so that the reader who wants to deal with the subject is fully informed.
μ-Analysis and μ-Synthesis Control Methods in Smart Structure Disturbance Suppression with Reduced Order Control
Authors: Moutsopoulou Amalia , Petousis Markos , Stavroulakis Georgios E. , Pouliezos Anastasios , Vidakis Nectarios
Published: February 2024

In this study, we created an accurate model for a homogenous smart structure. After modeling multiplicative uncertainty, an ideal robust controller was designed using μ-synthesis and a reduced-order H-infinity Feedback Optimal Output (Hifoo) controller, leading to the creation of an improved uncertain plant. A powerful controller was built using a larger plant that included the nominal model and corresponding uncertainty. The designed controllers demonstrated robust and nominal performance when handling agitated plants. A comparison of the results was conducted. As an example of a general smart structure, the vibration of a collocated piezoelectric actuator and sensor was controlled using two different approaches with strong controller designs. This study presents a comprehensive simulation of the oscillation suppression problem for smart beams. They provide an analytical demonstration of how uncertainty is introduced into the model. The desired outcomes were achieved by utilizing Simulink and MATLAB (v. 8.0) programming tools.