bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Enhancing sexual health and empowerment among migrant women sex workers: a community health worker-led intervention in Marseille, France
Authors: Mosnier Emilie , Hoyer Maxime , Artigas Fernanda , Regnault Hippolyte , Richard Elodie , Michels David , Mosnier Marine , Inegbeze Grâce , Robledo Manuela Salcedo , Spire Bruno , Vandentorren Stéphanie , Lescaudron Marc , Eldin Carole , Roux Perrine
Published: March 2024

Introduction

Given the high infection rate of sexually transmitted infections (STI) among migrant women sex workers (WSWs), it is necessary to understand how to improve prevention, information and care for this vulnerable population. Community health workers (CHWs), by linking community to health services, are positioned to improve health outcomes in migrant communities. This article aims to describe a pilot innovative intervention performed by CHWs to improve sexual health in migrant WSWs.

Methods

This one-year intervention study used a respondent-driven sampling (RDS) to recruit a representative cohort of migrant WSWs in Marseille, France. Four CHWs were recruited from different communities and participated in all stages of the research. They performed individual and group interventions of prevention, support in care and empowerment. Data on participant characteristics, type of intervention and adherence to the intervention were reported via questionnaires given to participants. Simultaneously, semi-structured interviews and informal interviews of migrant WSW, CHWs and care providers were carried out.

Results

A total of 132 migrant WSWs were included in the cohort. Very few of them knew about PrEP (12%) or already used HIV post-exposure treatment (9%). Migrant WSWs were often victims of rape or racism, 15 and 21%, respectively. In two-thirds of cases the level of health literacy was low. Participants suffered from a combination of vulnerability factors: difficulties with access to social rights, food or housing. Only 13% reported having benefited from medical follow-up or assistance by an NGO in the 3 months prior to the program. By 3 months, more than one third of the participants had been tested for HIV (35%) and 63% knew about PrEP. A total retention rate of 70% was reported in the cohort after 6 months.

Conclusion

CHWs enabled to improve care access for migrant WSWs by improving the collaboration between care and social actors at a local level. Through these “bring-back-to” interventions for this hard-to-reach population, CHWs enabled an optimization of the care pathway. Our results also highlight the importance of a population-based approach for individual and group support of empowerment interventions in order to strengthen their capacity for action.
No causal association between pneumoconiosis and three inflammatory immune diseases: a Mendelian randomization study
Authors: Du Yu-Jie , Lu Zhang-Wei , Li Kai-Di , Wang Yi-Yu , Wu Hong , Huang Rong-Gui , Jin Xue , Wang Yi-Yuan , Wang Jing , Geng An-Yi , Li Bao-Zhu
Published: March 2024

Objectives

To investigate the causal relationships between pneumoconiosis and rheumatoid arthritis (RA), systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), and gout.

Methods

The random-effects inverse variance weighted (IVW) approach was utilized to explore the causal effects of the instrumental variables (IVs). Sensitivity analyses using the MR-Egger and weighted median (WM) methods were did to investigate horizontal pleiotropy. A leave-one-out analysis was used to avoid the bias resulting from single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs).

Results

There was no causal association between pneumoconiosis and SLE, RA or gout in the European population [OR = 1.01, 95% CI: 0.94–1.10, p = 0.74; OR = 1.00, 95% CI: 0.999–1.000, p = 0.50; OR = 1.00, 95% CI: 1.000–1.001, p = 0.55]. Causal relationships were also not found in pneumoconiosis due to asbestos and other mineral fibers and SLE, RA and gout [OR = 1.01, 95% CI: 0.96–1.07, p = 0.66; OR = 1.00, 95% CI: 1.00–1.00, p = 0.68; OR = 1.00, 95% CI: 1.00–1.00, p = 0.20].

Conclusion

Our study suggests that pneumoconiosis may have no causal relationship with the three inflammatory immune diseases.
Discriminative context-aware network for camouflaged object detection
Authors: Ike Chidiebere Somadina , Muhammad Nazeer , Bibi Nargis , Alhazmi Samah , Eoghan Furey
Published: March 2024

Introduction

Animals use camouflage (background matching, disruptive coloration, etc.) for protection, confusing predators and making detection difficult. Camouflage Object Detection (COD) tackles this challenge by identifying objects seamlessly blended into their surroundings. Existing COD techniques struggle with hidden objects due to noisy inferences inherent in natural environments. To address this, we propose the Discriminative Context-aware Network (DiCANet) for improved COD performance.

Methods

DiCANet addresses camouflage challenges through a two-stage approach. First, an adaptive restoration block intelligently learns feature weights, prioritizing informative channels and pixels. This enhances convolutional neural networks’ ability to represent diverse data and handle complex camouflage. Second, a cascaded detection module with an enlarged receptive field refines the object prediction map, achieving clear boundaries without post-processing.

Results

Without post-processing, DiCANet achieves state-of-the-art performance on challenging COD datasets (CAMO, CHAMELEON, COD10K) by generating accurate saliency maps with rich contextual details and precise boundaries.

Discussion

DiCANet tackles the challenge of identifying camouflaged objects in noisy environments with its two-stage restoration and cascaded detection approach. This innovative architecture surpasses existing methods in COD tasks, as proven by benchmark dataset experiments.
Ethics and responsible AI deployment
Authors: Radanliev Petar , Santos Omar , Brandon-Jones Alistair , Joinson Adam
Published: March 2024

As Artificial Intelligence (AI) becomes more prevalent, protecting personal privacy is a critical ethical issue that must be addressed. This article explores the need for ethical AI systems that safeguard individual privacy while complying with ethical standards. By taking a multidisciplinary approach, the research examines innovative algorithmic techniques such as differential privacy, homomorphic encryption, federated learning, international regulatory frameworks, and ethical guidelines. The study concludes that these algorithms effectively enhance privacy protection while balancing the utility of AI with the need to protect personal data. The article emphasises the importance of a comprehensive approach that combines technological innovation with ethical and regulatory strategies to harness the power of AI in a way that respects and protects individual privacy.
Association between the use of mobile touchscreen devices and the quality of parent-child interaction in preschoolers
Authors: Liszkai-Peres Krisztina , Budai Zsófia , Kocsis Adrienn , Jurányi Zsolt , Pogány Ákos , Kampis György , Miklósi Ádám , Konok Veronika
Published: March 2024

The early use of mobile touchscreen devices (MTSDs), including smartphones and tablets, may reduce the frequency and quality of social interactions between children and parents, which could impact their relationship and have negative consequences on children's socio-cognitive development. In this study, we applied a parental questionnaire and a behavioral observational method in a laboratory setting (free and structured play sessions) to examine the association between preschool MTSD use and the quantity and quality of parent–child relationships. Our findings revealed that preschoolers who regularly use MTSDs (n = 47, aged 4–7 years, engaging in MTSD use for at least 2 h per week) are spending less time with their parents and exhibited lower quality interactions compared to non-users (n = 25). However, shared offline leisure time with parents serves as a protective factor among MTSD-users. Furthermore, our study demonstrated a positive association between parents' and children's media use. The results suggest that preschool MTSD use may have unfavorable effects on parent–child interactions, both in terms of quantity and quality. Alternatively, lower quantity and quality of parent–child interaction may lead to higher MTSD use in the child. Based on the results, the importance of engaging in sufficient offline family interactions besides digital media use should be emphasized to parents of preschoolers, and health organizations and governments should include this in their recommendations and policies concerning childhood digital media use.
Assessments and interventions on body functions, structures and activity to prepare adults with acute spinal cord injury or disease for participation: a scoping review
Authors: Irrgang Sophie , Himmelhaus Sandra , Allek Kirstin , Debecker Isabelle , Gemperli Armin , Kynast Karen , von Reumont Anne , Scheel-Sailer Anke
Published: March 2024

Introduction

In the acute phase after a spinal cord injury or disease (SCI/D), various therapeutic assessments and interventions are applied with the goal of restoring structures, preventing complications and preparing the patient as best as possible for further activity and finally participation. The goal was to identify and evaluate the available evidence on assessments and interventions for body functions and structures to prepare adults with acute spinal cord SCI/D for activity and participation during the first 14 days.

Methods

A scoping review was conducted. The search was performed on June 19, 2023 using the databases PubMed, PEDro, Cochrane library and Embase. These were screened for studies including patients with acute SCI/D and physiotherapeutic or occupational therapy assessments and interventions. Only studies in English or German published between 2012 and 2023 were included.

Results

Twelve publications met the inclusion criteria, namely three systematic reviews, two randomized controlled trials, two observational studies and five clinical practice guidelines. Assessments as the Spinal Cord Independence Measure, as well as exercises such as daily passive mobilization of body structures against contractures were used in the entire population, while others were only applied in subgroups of SCI/D such as the Graded Redefined Assessment of Strength, Sensation and Prehension or functional electrical stimulation with and without additional movements. The methodological quality of the studies found varied greatly from good to very poor.

Discussion

Heterogeneity in research design and study population as well as lack of high-quality studies do not cover the standard of clinical management in the acute phase and further comprehensive research is needed.
Comparative analysis and prediction of cation exchange capacity via summation: influence of biochar type and nutrient ratios
Authors: Antonangelo Joao Arthur , Culman Steven , Zhang Hailin
Published: March 2024

Introduction

Enhancing soil cation exchange capacity (CEC) is of paramount importance for sustainable agriculture and ecosystem health. This study investigated the pivotal role of biochar in altering soil CEC and challenges conventional assumptions about universal effects of biochar application.

Methods

Contrasting biochar types, one with a low ash content of 4.4% (switchgrass-derived biochar, SGB) and the other with a high ash content of 45.9% (poultry litter-derived biochar, PLB) were used. Two experiments treated with increasing biochar application rates were conducted: one without plants and the other grown with ryegrass. Effective CEC (summation method) was determined by two extraction methods: Mehlich-3 (M3) and ammonium acetate (AA).

Results and discussion

The SGB decreased CEC by 27% on average (from both experiments) from the lowest to the highest rate of biochar application, while the PLB significantly increased CEC by 91%. This highlights the critical role of biochar properties in influencing CEC dynamics. In the second experiment, ryegrass cultivation revealed the greater importance of the calcium and magnesium/potassium ratio ([Ca+Mg]/K) in the soil CEC than CEC only for plant growth in biochar-amended soils. The ratios for optimum ryegrass production ranged from 82‒86 (M3) and 69‒74 (AA), which was translated to 88:11:1 Ca:Mg:K percent base saturation ratios. Moreover, predictive models for estimation of soil CEC after biochar application were successfully developed based on initial soil and biochar CEC. However, M3 was more reliable than AA for such predictions mainly because it was more successful in predicting nutrient availability from biochar. These models offer a promising tool for informed soil management decisions.

Conclusion

This research emphasizes the importance of biochar feedstock, elucidates nutrient ratio effects on plant growth, and provides a practical means to anticipate soil CEC changes post-biochar application.
Establishment and application of a rapid diagnostic method for BVDV and IBRV using recombinase polymerase amplification-lateral flow device
Authors: Wang Yan , Shang Jinyuan , Li Zhijie , Zhang Ao , Cheng Yuening
Published: March 2024

Bovine Viral Diarrhea Virus (BVDV) and Infectious Bovine Rhinotracheitis Virus (IBRV) are the two most prevalent infectious diseases in cattle. They both can cause persistent infection and immunosuppression, resulting in significant economic losses in the livestock industry. Therefore, rapid detection of early BVDV and IBRV infections is crucial. In this study, a method for the rapid detection of BVDV and IBRV was established by using recombinase polymerase amplification (RPA) combined with lateral flow device (LFD). By optimizing the temperature and time conditions of the RPA reaction, the sensitivity, specificity, and clinical performance were evaluated. The results indicated that the RPA reaction could be completed at 40°C within 25 min. The LOD for BVDV and IBRV by RPA-LFD were 5.1 × 101 copies/μL and 6.65 × 101 copies/μL, respectively, with no cross-reactivity observed with other viruses such as CSFV, BRSV, BPIV3, BRV, and BCoV. Testing of 32 clinical samples showed consistent results between RPA-LFD and qPCR. The RPA-LFD method established in this study can be used for the rapid clinical detection of BVDV and IBRV, which providing a rapid and convenient molecular biology approach for on-site rapid detection and epidemiological investigations. Simultaneously, it offers technical support for the prevention and control of these viruses.
The Detection of Ear Tag Dropout in Breeding Pigs Using a Fused Attention Mechanism in a Complex Environment
Authors: Wang Fang , Fu Xueliang , Duan Weijun , Wang Buyu , Li Honghui
Published: March 2024

The utilization of ear tags for identifying breeding pigs is a widely used technique in the field of animal production. Ear tag dropout can lead to the loss of pig identity information, resulting in missing data and ambiguity in production management and genetic breeding data. Therefore, the identification of ear tag dropout is crucial for intelligent breeding in pig farms. In the production environment, promptly detecting breeding pigs with missing ear tags is challenging due to clustering overlap, small tag targets, and uneven sample distributions. This study proposes a method for detecting the dropout of breeding pigs’ ear tags in a complex environment by integrating an attention mechanism. Firstly, the approach involves designing a lightweight feature extraction module called IRDSC using depthwise separable convolution and an inverted residual structure; secondly, the SENet channel attention mechanism is integrated for enhancing deep semantic features; and finally, the IRDSC and SENet modules are incorporated into the backbone network of Cascade Mask R-CNN and the loss function is optimized with Focal Loss. The proposed algorithm, Cascade-TagLossDetector, achieves an accuracy of 90.02% in detecting ear tag dropout in breeding pigs, with a detection speed of 25.33 frames per second (fps), representing a 2.95% improvement in accuracy, and a 3.69 fps increase in speed compared to the previous method. The model size is reduced to 443.03 MB, a decrease of 72.90 MB, which enables real-time and accurate dropout detection while minimizing the storage requirements and providing technical support for the intelligent breeding of pigs.
Discrete Element Model Building and Optimization of Tomato Stalks at Harvest
Authors: Gao Qimin , Cheng Lei , Wang Renbing , Chen Mingjiang , Zhao Weisong , Fu Jingjing , Wang Zhenwei
Published: March 2024

The mechanical properties of tomato stalk, relevant to the harvesting and crushing of tomato vines, significantly impact its harvesting quality and efficiency. Establishing a simulation model, which accurately mirrors these properties, is foundational for designing related mechanical components. The discrete element method models tomato stalk harvesting and is optimized through mechanical tests and simulations. A blend of Plackett–Burman, steepest ascent, and central composite design modeling identified three contact model parameters influencing the maximum stalk shear force. The optimal values of these three parameters were a normal stiffness of 1.04 × 1010 N m−3, tangential stiffness of 7.59 × 109 N m−3, and bond radius of 1.06 mm. The relative error in the simulated versus measured shear force was <1%, affirming the model’s accuracy in characterizing cutting properties. These findings lay the theoretical groundwork for numerical simulations of tomato-stalk-related equipment.
Effective Control of the Nitrogen Gap—Higher Yields and Reduced Environmental Risk
Authors: Grzebisz Witold
Published: March 2024

The world’s growing demand for food cannot be met without the consumption of fertilizer nitrogen (Nf) [...]
Yellow Nutsedge (Cyperus esculentus L.) as an Agricultural Crop in Brazil: Tuber Dormancy Breaking
Authors: Godoi Junior Márcio Antônio , da Silva Rebeca Soares , de Sousa Rodrigo Nogueira , Pinto Cleide Maria Ferreira , Ribeiro Wellington Souto , Mendes Kassio Ferreira
Published: March 2024

Yellow nutsedge (Cyperus esculentus L.) is cultivated worldwide due to its agricultural and biotechnological potential. In Brazil, it is considered a weed, and we lack studies on its cultivation. Overcoming tuber dormancy is crucial for propagation. This study aimed to assess various dormancy-breaking methods’ effects on tubers and initial plant development. The treatments included gibberellic acid immersion, ethylene exposure, purple nutsedge extract immersion, temperature conditioning, scarification, and bud cutting, along with a control. Scarification resulted in the shortest emergence time (0.904 days) and fastest emergence speed (5.092 tubers/day). Plant development was minimally affected by the treatments, with scarification and gibberellic acid (100 mg L−1) resulting in taller plants (1.19–1.23 times higher than the control). The conditioning at 4 °C and 70 °C proved to be less effective in breaking dormancy. Purple nutsedge extract immersion and bud cutting hindered plant growth. Scarification emerged as the most effective dormancy-breaking method. This study provides insights into the cultivation of yellow nutsedge in Brazil, highlighting the effectiveness of scarification in improving tuber germination and the early growth stages of plants.
Transgenic Tobacco with the BADH Gene Shows Enhanced Photosynthesis Resistance to Drought Stress Induced by PEG-6000
Authors: Wang Guiping , Yang Xinghong , Xue Xiaomin
Published: March 2024

Extreme weather events, including drought, have occurred worldwide with increasing frequency and severity in recent years. Drought stress is the main limiting factor for agricultural development in many regions, including tobacco—an important economic crop and a model plant for scientific research. As it is adapted to the tropics, tobacco is highly susceptible to drought stress, with resultant decreases in yield and quality. Glycine betaine (GB) is an osmoregulatory substance that can enhance plant resistance to various abiotic stresses. Here, we investigate the protective mechanism of genetically engineered glycine betaine (GB) on tobacco photosynthesis under drought stress induced by 30% PEG-6000. This study used transgenic tobacco (T) accumulating GB and wild-type tobacco (WT) to investigate the protective effects conferred by the genetic engineering of GB synthesis on tobacco photosynthesis under drought stress (induced by 30% PEG-6000). The results showed that the net photosynthetic rate of the tobacco plants significantly decreased under drought stress, and the degree of decrease was significantly lower in the T line than in the WT line. GB accumulation improved the resistance of photosynthesis to drought stress. Furthermore, under drought stress, the photosynthesis improvement in the T line was related to the accumulation of GB, leading to maintenance of the water status, the promotion of osmotic regulation, and an enhancement in antioxidant enzyme activities, which reduced membrane peroxidation and thereby increased the thylakoid membrane’s protein content and function, especially the photosystem II (PSII) function. The results provide a theoretical basis for further research on genetic engineering related to GB synthesis and the field application of exogenous GB.
Implementation of Proximal and Remote Soil Sensing, Data Fusion and Machine Learning to Improve Phosphorus Spatial Prediction for Farms in Ontario, Canada
Authors: Lachgar Abdelkrim , Mulla David J. , Adamchuk Viacheslav
Published: March 2024

One of the challenges in site-specific phosphorus (P) management is the substantial spatial variability in plant available P across fields. To overcome this barrier, emerging sensing, data fusion, and spatial predictive modeling approaches are needed to accurately reveal the spatial heterogeneity of P. Seven spatially variable fields located in Ontario, Canada are clustered into two zones; four fields are located in eastern Ontario and three others are located in western Ontario. This study compares Bayesian Additive Regression Trees (BART), Support Vector Machine regressor (SVM), and Ordinary Kriging (OK), along with novel data fusion concepts, to analyze integrated high-density spatial data layers related to spatial variability in soil available P. Feature selection and interaction detection using BART variable selection and Recursive Feature Elimination (RFE) for SVM were applied to 42 predictors, including soil-vegetation indices derived from PlanetScope multispectral imagery, high-density apparent soil electrical conductivity (ECa), and high-resolution topographic attributes derived from DUALEM-21S and a Real-Time Kinematic (RTK) global navigation satellite systems (GNSS) receiver, respectively. Modeling spatial heterogeneity of soil available P with BART showed higher accuracy than SVM and OK in both zones of this study when trained and tested on ground truth data from clusters of farms. A BART variable selection approach resulted in six auxiliary predictors of soil available P in the eastern zone, while only four predictors were selected to predict P in the western zone. RFE for SVM resulted in models with 15 and 12 auxiliary predictors in the eastern and western Ontario zones. Topographic elevation was the most influential predictor of soil available P in both zones. Compared with the SVM and OK methods, BART exhibited lower average RMSE values for individual fields of 1.86 ppm and 3.58 ppm across the eastern and western Ontario zones, respectively, along with higher R2 values of 0.85 and 0.83, respectively. In contrast, SVM had RMSE values for individual fields in the eastern and western Ontario zones, respectively, averaging 5.04 ppm and 7.51 ppm and R2 values of 0.27 and 0.43. RMSE values for soil available P in individual fields across the eastern and western Ontario zones averaged 4.77 ppm and 7.81 ppm, respectively, with the OK method, while R2 values averaged 0.19 and 0.44. The selection of suitable auxiliary predictors and data fusion, combined with BART spatial machine learning algorithms, have potential to be a useful tool to accurately estimate spatial patterns in soil available P for agricultural fields in Ontario, Canada.
Characterizing Antibiotic Regimen Modification Behavior, Patient Characteristics, and Outcomes for Patients with Gram-Negative Bacterial Infections, A Retrospective Single-Center Study
Authors: Yamaki Jason , Mikhail Mirna , Beuttler Richard , Robinson Philip , Yücel Emre , Watanabe Alexandre H.
Published: March 2024

Few studies describe the frequency of antibiotic regimen modification behaviors in the acute care setting. We sought to ascertain patient and treatment characteristics, details of regimen modification, and clinical outcomes with antibiotic modifications. This retrospective study included patients admitted to Hoag Memorial Hospital from 1 January 2019–31 March 2021 with a complicated infection caused by a Gram-negative organism resistant to extended-spectrum cephalosporins or with the potential for resistance (AmpC producers). A total of 400 patients were included. The predominant sources were bloodstream (33%), urine (26%), and respiratory (24%), including patients with multiple sources. The most isolated organisms were Pseudomonas spp. and ESBL-producing organisms, 38% and 34%, respectively. A total of 72% of patients had antibiotic regimen modifications to their inpatient antibiotic regimens. In patients where modifications occurred, the number ranged from one to six modifications. The most common reasons for modifications included a lack of patient response (14%), additional history reviewed (9%), and decompensation (7%). No difference in clinical outcomes was observed based on antibiotic modifications. The numerous changes in therapy observed may reflect the limitations in identifying patients with resistant organisms early on in admission. This highlights the need for more novel antibiotics and the importance of identifying patients at risk for resistant organisms.
Light-Induced Antioxidant Phenolic Changes among the Sprouts of Lentil Cultivar
Authors: Park You Rang , Kwon Soon-Jae , Kim Ji Hye , Duan Shucheng , Eom Seok Hyun
Published: March 2024

Lentil is a leguminous crop with a high content of health-beneficial polyphenols. Lentil sprouts are popularly consumed in fresh vegetable markets, although their phytochemical qualities are not well understood. In this study, we investigated the accumulation of phenolics in lentil sprouts in response to photosynthetic and stress light qualities, including fluorescent light (FL), red LED (RL), blue LED (BL), ultraviolet A (UV-A), and ultraviolet B (UV-B). Three lentil cultivars, Lentil Green (LG), French Green (FG), and Lentil Red (LR), were used to evaluate sprouts grown under each light condition. The adequate light intensities for enhancing the antioxidant activity of lentil sprouts were found to be 11 W/m2 under photosynthetic lights (FL, RL, BL), and 1 W/m2 under stress lights (UV-A, UV-B). Subsequently, HPLC-ESI/Q-TOF MS analysis was conducted for the quantitative analysis of the individual phenolics that were accumulated in response to light quality. Four main phenolic compounds were identified: ferulic acid, tricetin, luteolin, and kaempferol. Notably, tricetin accumulation was significantly enhanced under BL across all three lentil cultivars examined. Furthermore, the study revealed that the other phenolic compounds were highly dependent on FL, BL, or UV-B exposure, exhibiting cultivar-specific variations. Additionally, the antioxidant activities of lentil extracts indicated that BL was most effective for LG and FG cultivars, whereas FL was most effective for enhancing antioxidant activity of LR cultivars as the sprouts grew.
Glutathione Induces Keap1 S-Glutathionylation and Mitigates Oscillating Glucose-Induced β-Cell Dysfunction by Activating Nrf2
Authors: Chen Xiufang , Zhou Qian , Chen Huamin , Bai Juan , An Ruike , Zhang Keyi , Zhang Xinyue , An Hui , Zhang Jitai , Wang Yongyu , Li Ming
Published: March 2024

Glutathione (GSH), a robust endogenous antioxidant, actively participates in the modulation of the redox status of cysteine residues in proteins. Previous studies have indicated that GSH can prevent β-cell failure and prediabetes caused by chronic oscillating glucose (OsG) administration. However, the precise mechanism underlying the protective effect is not well understood. Our current research reveals that GSH is capable of reversing the reduction in Nrf2 levels, as well as downstream genes Grx1 and HO-1, in the islet β-cells of rats induced by chronic OsG. In vitro experiments have further demonstrated that GSH can prevent β-cell dedifferentiation, apoptosis, and impaired insulin secretion caused by OsG. Additionally, GSH facilitates the translocation of Nrf2 into the nucleus, resulting in an upregulation of Nrf2-targeted genes such as GCLC, Grx1, HO-1, and NQO1. Notably, when the Nrf2 inhibitor ML385 is employed, the effects of GSH on OsG-treated β-cells are abrogated. Moreover, GSH enhances the S-glutathionylation of Keap1 at Cys273 and Cys288, but not Cys151, in OsG-treated β-cells, leading to the dissociation of Nrf2 from Keap1 and facilitating Nrf2 nuclear translocation. In conclusion, the protective role of GSH against OsG-induced β-cell failure can be partially attributed to its capacity to enhance Keap1 S-glutathionylation, thereby activating the Nrf2 signaling pathway. These findings provide novel insights into the prevention and treatment of β-cell failure in the context of prediabetes/diabetes, highlighting the potential of GSH.
Safety and Effect of Fly Ash Content on Mechanical Properties and Microstructure of Green Low-Carbon Concrete
Authors: Chen Zhijie , Li Maohui , Guan Lei
Published: March 2024

Based on the promotion and application of green and low-carbon technology, this study aims to develop a high-safety performance cement concrete incorporating a large dosage of fly ash (FA). The safety and effect of FA content on the mechanical properties of FA composited cement were studied through compressive strength, flexural strength, and microscopic tests. The results show that when the FA replaced 20% cement, the properties of concrete were the best in this study. The flexural strengths and compressive strengths of the standard cured concrete for 28 days with 20% FA content are 0.82 MPa and 4.32 MPa larger than that of the pure cement concrete. The XRD and SEM analysis suggested that the mechanical properties of the composite cement FA system are improved significantly since the replacement of cement by FA promotes secondary hydration of calcium hydroxide in the concrete, leading to a more compact and safe interface between cement and FA.
Towards Understanding Neural Machine Translation with Attention Heads’ Importance
Authors: Zhou Zijie , Zhu Junguo , Li Weijiang
Published: March 2024

Although neural machine translation has made great progress, and the Transformer has advanced the state-of-the-art in various language pairs, the decision-making process of the attention mechanism, a crucial component of the Transformer, remains unclear. In this paper, we propose to understand the model’s decisions by the attention heads’ importance. We explore the knowledge acquired by the attention heads, elucidating the decision-making process through the lens of linguistic understanding. Specifically, we quantify the importance of each attention head by assessing its contribution to neural machine translation performance, employing a Masking Attention Heads approach. We evaluate the method and investigate the distribution of attention heads’ importance, as well as its correlation with part-of-speech contribution. To understand the diverse decisions made by attention heads, we concentrate on analyzing multi-granularity linguistic knowledge. Our findings indicate that specialized heads play a crucial role in learning linguistics. By retaining important attention heads and removing the unimportant ones, we can optimize the attention mechanism. This optimization leads to a reduction in the number of model parameters and an increase in the model’s speed. Moreover, by leveraging the connection between attention heads and multi-granular linguistic knowledge, we can enhance the model’s interpretability. Consequently, our research provides valuable insights for the design of improved NMT models.
A Comprehensive Analysis of Structural Alternatives and Local Opening for a 2000 TEU Green Methanol-Powered Container Vessel
Authors: Silva-Campillo Arturo , Pérez-Arribas Francisco
Published: March 2024

In the context of global trade and environmental concerns, this research focuses on examining the influence of the principal dimensions of a container feeder vessel whose propulsion has been modified to operate with green methanol. Methanol emerges as a sustainable marine fuel, reducing emissions and dependence on fossil fuels. The study comprehensively examines the structural challenges posed by container ships, with a particular focus on torsional stresses and hydroelasticity effects. A significant novelty of this study is the inclusion of a comparative structural analysis evaluating how changes in the vessel’s main dimensions impact its structural response. This analysis sheds some light on crucial insights into the effects of structural modifications required for accommodating these changes, ensuring the structural strength of these vessels. The research also underscores the impact of permanent and transient springing and whipping phenomena on fatigue damage. The study’s significance lies in its role in the ongoing transition to sustainable maritime transportation, as it not only examines structural challenges but also provides solutions for achieving an optimal structural configuration in this new era of environmental responsibility.
Large-Area Thickness Measurement of Transparent Films Based on a Multichannel Spectral Interference Sensor
Authors: Huang Weihua , Tu Zhengqian , Di Zixiang , Wang Chenhui , Su Yunhao , Bi Hai
Published: March 2024

Thickness measurement of thin films is essential for quality control in the manufacturing process of the semiconductor and display industries. Real-time monitoring of film thickness during production is an urgent technical problem to be solved. In this study, a method for large-area thickness measurement of transparent films based on a multichannel spectral interference sensor is proposed. The sensor simultaneously acquires multichannel spectral interference signals through a combination of fan-out fiber optic bundles, detection probes, and an imaging spectrometer. The spectral data are calibrated and transformed into the wavenumber dimension, and then the power spectral density estimation method is used to demodulate the data frequency to swiftly derive the film thickness. The thickness measurement capacity of the proposed system is successfully validated on two standard film samples with a relative deviation of less than 0.38% and a relative standard deviation of less than 0.044%. The total spectral acquisition and calculation time for a single multichannel measurement was approximately 7.5 ms. The experimental results on polyimide films show that the measurement efficiency of the system is at least 4 times higher than that of the traditional system, indicating the potential of the multichannel spectral interference sensor for online monitoring in film production.
Returning Different Organic Materials to the Field: Effects on Labile Soil Nitrogen Pool under Drip Irrigation with Film Mulching in a Semi-Arid Soil
Authors: Cheng Wei , Ma Xiaochi , Wu Jinggui , Gu Yue , Duo Xinqu
Published: March 2024

The purpose of this study was to observe the changes in soil nitrogen pools (active organic and inorganic nitrogen fractions) after applying organic materials under drip irrigation with film mulching in a semi-arid soil. The two-year field experiment included four fertilization treatments: maize straw, fodder grass, sheep manure, and a control treatment with no organic material applied (CK). The results showed that the application of maize straw and sheep manure significantly increased the soil total nitrogen content by 9.02~13.33% and 11.02~17.27%, respectively, while no significant improvement was found with the use of fodder grass. Compared with CK, returning organic materials to the field increased the soil active nitrogen pools, except for ammonium nitrogen content. Meanwhile, the content of particulate organic nitrogen was significantly increased by 42.11~78.85% under the application of organic materials, which took the highest proportion of active nitrogen pools and was sensitive to fertilization treatments. Among the three organic materials, maize straw and sheep manure increased the soil active nitrogen content the most. In conclusion, both maize straw and sheep manure are the optimum organic materials, which could be applied for improving soil nitrogen storage under drip irrigation with film mulching within semi-arid areas.
The Effect of Moisture Content on the Electrical Properties of Graphene Oxide/Cementitious Composites
Authors: Liang Zhengxian , Xia Haiting , Yan Feng , Zhang Kaomin , Guo Rongxin
Published: March 2024

Due to its ability to improve mechanical properties when incorporated into cement, graphene oxide (GO) has received extensive attention from scholars. Graphene oxide is also a filler that improves the self-sensing properties of cement composites (CCs). However, existing studies have not focused sufficient attention on the electric conductivity of cement composites filled with graphene oxide (GO/CCs) and their mechanisms, especially polarization. This study examines the effects of water content and temperature on the electrical conductivity of GO/CCs. GO/CC polarization phenomena are analyzed to reveal the conductive mechanism. The results show that water has a significant influence on the electrical conductivity of GO/CCs. With increasing water loss, the electrical resistivity of GO/CCs increases by four orders of magnitude. For the same water content, a 0.1% GO concentration significantly decreases the resistivity of GO/CCs. Temperature can significantly enhance the current intensity of GO/CCs; furthermore, there is a quadratic relationship between current intensity and temperature. The conductive mechanism of GO/CCs is attributed to the interaction between ionic conductivity and electronic conductivity.
Least-Squares Estimation of Tangent Space for a Triangular Mesh
Authors: Choi Min Gyu
Published: March 2024

This paper presents a novel method for computing an orthonormal tangent space at every vertex of a triangular mesh provided with texture coordinates, which is essential in normal mapping. Our method employs least-squares estimation of rotation between two sets of corresponding points: one set from the positions of the 1-ring neighbors of a vertex in texture space and the other set from their corresponding positions in world space. This optimal rotation represents a local space transformation that defines the tangent space at the vertex. Consequently, our method ensures that the resulting tangent space is inherently orthonormal, eliminating the need for intricate operations such as averaging and orthonormalization, which are required in the previous methods. In addition, we introduce texture space alignment of triangles to address vertices on seams, which are inevitable in texture mapping to a closed surface mesh. Experimental results demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed methods in various experiments.
Porphyromonas gingivalis Strain W83 Infection Induces Liver Injury in Experimental Alcohol-Associated Liver Disease (ALD) in Mice
Authors: Zhou Yun , McClain Craig , Feng Wenke
Published: March 2024

The liver plays a vital role in the defense against infections. Porphyromonas gingivalis (P. gingivalis), a dominant etiologic oral bacterium implicated in periodontal disease (PD), has been associated with various systemic diseases. This study aimed to investigate the influence of P. gingivalis on alcohol-associated liver diseases (ALD). Mice were fed a Lieber–DeCarli liquid diet containing 5% ethanol for 10 days after an initial adaptation period on a diet with lower ethanol content for 7 days. Two days before tissue sample collection, the mice were administered P. gingivalis strain W83 (Pg) through intraperitoneal injection (IP). Pair-fed mice with Pg infection (PF+Pg) exhibited an activated immune response to combat infections. However, alcohol-fed mice with Pg infection (AF+Pg) showed liver injury with noticeable abscess lesions and elevated serum alanine aminotransferase (ALT) levels. Additionally, these mice displayed liver infiltration of inflammatory monocytes and significant downregulation of proinflammatory cytokine gene expression levels; and AF+Pg mice also demonstrated increased intrahepatic neutrophil infiltration, as confirmed by chloroacetate esterase (CAE) staining, along with elevated gene expression levels of neutrophil cytosol factor 1 (Ncf1), neutrophilic inflammation driver lipocalin 2 (Lcn2), and complement component C5a receptor 1 (C5ar1), which are associated with neutrophilic inflammation. Interestingly, compared to PF+Pg mice, the livers of AF+Pg mice exhibited downregulation of gene expression levels of NADPH oxidase 2 (Cybb), the leukocyte adhesion molecule Cd18, and the Toll-like receptor adaptor Myd88. Consequently, impaired clearance of P. gingivalis and other bacteria in the liver, increased susceptibility to infections, and inflammation-associated hepatic necrotic cell death were observed in AF+Pg mice, which is likely to have facilitated immune cell infiltration and contributed to liver injury. Furthermore, in addition to the Srebf1/Fasn pathway induced by alcohol feeding, Pg infection also activated carbohydrate response element-binding protein (ChREBP) in AF+Pg mice. In summary, this study demonstrates that P. gingivalis infection, acting as a “second hit”, induces dysfunction of immune response and impairs the clearance of bacteria and infections in alcohol-sensitized livers. This process drives the development of liver injury.
CollisionDB: A New Database of Atomic and Molecular Collisional Processes with an Interactive API
Authors: Hill Christian , Dipti  , Heinola Kalle , Haničinec Martin
Published: March 2024

The Atomic and Molecular Data Unit of the International Atomic Energy Agency has developed a new database, CollisionDB, to provide an open, free, robust and long-term repository of data on plasma collisional processes. The database contains data on cross sections and rate coefficients for collisions of electrons, photons and heavy particles with atomic and molecular species. A fundamental requirement for this database is the implementation of standardized metadata, which provide an unambiguous description of the collisional data available in peer-reviewed sources. CollisionDB offers both a browser-based search interface and an application programming interface (API) that allows users to filter, process and compare collisional datasets. For this purpose, a Python package PyCollisionDB has been developed to access the CollisionDB API. Here, we present an overview of the technical developments, including data schemas, standards and user interface underlying the CollisionDB application, with particular emphasis on the API developed to support the integration of data into modeling and other codes.
An Optimal Property of B-Bases for the Modified Richardson Method
Authors: Peña Juan Manuel
Published: March 2024

A space with a normalized totally positive basis has a unique normalized B-basis. In computer-aided geometric design, normalized B-bases present optimal shape-preserving properties. More optimal properties of normalized B-bases were proved previously. This paper provides a new optimal property concerning the modified Richardson iterative method when applied to collocation matrices of normalized B-bases. Moreover, a similar optimal property is proved for the tensor product of normalized B-bases.
A Comparative Analysis of Artificial Intelligence and Manual Methods for Three-Dimensional Anatomical Landmark Identification in Dentofacial Treatment Planning
Authors: Ahn Hee-Ju , Byun Soo-Hwan , Baek Sae-Hoon , Park Sang-Yoon , Yi Sang-Min , Park In-Young , On Sung-Woon , Kim Jong-Cheol , Yang Byoung-Eun
Published: March 2024

With the growing demand for orthognathic surgery and other facial treatments, the accurate identification of anatomical landmarks has become crucial. Recent advancements have shifted towards using three-dimensional radiologic analysis instead of traditional two-dimensional methods, as it allows for more precise treatment planning, primarily relying on direct identification by clinicians. However, manual tracing can be time-consuming, mainly when dealing with a large number of patients. This study compared the accuracy and reliability of identifying anatomical landmarks using artificial intelligence (AI) and manual identification. Thirty patients over 19 years old who underwent pre-orthodontic and orthognathic surgery treatment and had pre-orthodontic three-dimensional radiologic scans were selected. Thirteen anatomical indicators were identified using both AI and manual methods. The landmarks were identified by AI and four experienced clinicians, and multiple ANOVA was performed to analyze the results. The study results revealed minimal significant differences between AI and manual tracing, with a maximum deviation of less than 2.83 mm. This indicates that utilizing AI to identify anatomical landmarks can be a reliable method in planning orthognathic surgery. Our findings suggest that using AI for anatomical landmark identification can enhance treatment accuracy and reliability, ultimately benefiting clinicians and patients.
Nonthermal Atmospheric Pressure Plasma Treatment of Endosteal Implants for Osseointegration and Antimicrobial Efficacy: A Comprehensive Review
Authors: Schafer Sogand , Swain Tina , Parra Marcelo , Slavin Blaire V. , Mirsky Nicholas A. , Nayak Vasudev Vivekanand , Witek Lukasz , Coelho Paulo G.
Published: March 2024

The energy state of endosteal implants is dependent on the material, manufacturing technique, cleaning procedure, sterilization method, and surgical manipulation. An implant surface carrying a positive charge renders hydrophilic properties, thereby facilitating the absorption of vital plasma proteins crucial for osteogenic interactions. Techniques to control the surface charge involve processes like oxidation, chemical and topographical adjustments as well as the application of nonthermal plasma (NTP) treatment. NTP at atmospheric pressure and at room temperature can induce chemical and/or physical reactions that enhance wettability through surface energy changes. NTP has thus been used to modify the oxide layer of endosteal implants that interface with adjacent tissue cells and proteins. Results have indicated that if applied prior to implantation, NTP strengthens the interaction with surrounding hard tissue structures during the critical phases of early healing, thereby promoting rapid bone formation. Also, during this time period, NTP has been found to result in enhanced biomechanical fixation. As such, the application of NTP may serve as a practical and reliable method to improve healing outcomes. This review aims to provide an in-depth exploration of the parameters to be considered in the application of NTP on endosteal implants. In addition, the short- and long-term effects of NTP on osseointegration are addressed, as well as recent advances in the utilization of NTP in the treatment of periodontal disease.