bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Vibrio splendidus Fur regulates virulence gene expression, swarming motility, and biofilm formation, affecting its pathogenicity in Apostichopus japonicus
Authors: Shi Yue , Liao Changyu , Dai Fa , Zhang Yiwei , Li Chenghua , Liang Weikang
Published: June 2023

Vibrio splendidus is an opportunistic pathogen that causes skin ulcer syndrome and results in huge losses to the Apostichopus japonicus breeding industry. Ferric uptake regulator (Fur) is a global transcription factor that affects varieties of virulence-related functions in pathogenic bacteria. However, the role of the V. splendidus fur (Vsfur) gene in the pathogenesis of V. splendidus remains unclear. Hence, we constructed a Vsfur knock-down mutant of the V. splendidus strain (MTVs) to investigate the role of the gene in the effect of biofilm, swarming motility, and virulence on A. japonicus. The result showed that the growth curves of the wild-type V. splendidus strain (WTVs) and MTVs were almost consistent. Compared with WTVs, the significant increases in the transcription of the virulence-related gene Vshppd mRNA were 3.54- and 7.33-fold in MTVs at the OD600 of 1.0 and 1.5, respectively. Similarly, compared with WTVs, the significant increases in the transcription of Vsm mRNA were 2.10- and 15.92-fold in MTVs at the OD600 of 1.0 and 1.5, respectively. On the contrary, the mRNA level of the flagellum assembly gene Vsflic was downregulated 0.56-fold in MTVs at the OD600 of 1.0 compared with the WTVs. MTVs caused delayed disease onset time and reduced A. japonicus mortality. The median lethal doses of WTVs and MTVs were 9.116 × 106 and 1.658 × 1011 CFU·ml−1, respectively. Compared with WTVs, the colonization abilities of MTVs to the muscle, intestine, tentacle, and coelomic fluid of A. japonicus were significantly reduced. Correspondingly, the swarming motility and biofilm formation in normal and iron-replete conditions were remarkably decreased compared with those of WTVs. Overall, these results demonstrate that Vsfur contributes to the pathogenesis of V. splendidus by regulating virulence-related gene expression and affecting its swarming and biofilm formation abilities.
Migrant and Refugee Youth’s Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights: A Scoping Review to Inform Policies and Programs
Authors: Aibangbee Michaels , Micheal Sowbhagya , Mapedzahama Virginia , Liamputtong Pranee , Pithavadian Rashmi , Hossain Zakia , Mpofu Elias , Dune Tinashe
Published: June 2023

Objectives:Migrants and refugee youth (MRY) in Western nations are less likely to participate in sexual reproductive health (SRH) services. Consequently, MRY are more likely to encounter adverse SRH experiences due to limited access to and knowledge of SRH services. A scoping review was conducted to examine MRY’s understanding of and the implications for inclusive sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR) programs and policies.

Methods:A systematic search of literature across seven academic databases was conducted. Data were extracted following Partners for Dignity and Rights’ Human Rights Assessment framework and analysed using the thematic-synthesis method.

Results:38 literature (peer-reviewed, 24 and grey, 14) were considered eligible for inclusion. The findings highlighted significant barriers and the under-implementation of SRHR support and services by MRY. Key policy implications include a need for programs to support MRY’s SRHR education, diversity, equity and inclusiveness and privacy protections.

Conclusion:The review shows that the emerging evidence on MRY SRHR suggests gaps in practices for resourcing policies and programs that promote sustainable SRH for vulnerable populations. Policies for MRY’s SRHR should prioritise programs that focus on diversity, equity and inclusion with targeted education and community resourcing strategies for sustainability.
Association between radiomics features of DCE-MRI and CD8+ and CD4+ TILs in advanced gastric cancer
Authors: Huang Huizhen , Li Zhiheng , Xia Yue , Zhao Zhenhua , Wang Dandan , Jin Hongyan , Liu Fang , Yang Ye , Shen Liyijing , Lu Zengxin
Published: June 2023

Objective: The aim of this investigation was to explore the correlation between the levels of tumor-infiltrating CD8+ and CD4+ T cells and the quantitative pharmacokinetic parameters of dynamic contrast-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging (DCE-MRI) in patients with advanced gastric cancer.

Methods: We retrospectively analyzed the data of 103 patients with histopathologically confirmed advanced gastric cancer (AGC). Three pharmacokinetic parameters, Kep, Ktrans, and Ve, and their radiomics characteristics were obtained by Omni Kinetics software. Immunohistochemical staining was used to determine CD4+ and CD8+ TILs. Statistical analysis was subsequently performed to assess the correlation between radiomics characteristics and CD4+ and CD8+ TIL density.

Results: All patients included in this study were finally divided into either a CD8+ TILs low-density group (n = 51) (CD8+ TILs < 138) or a high-density group (n = 52) (CD8+ TILs ≥ 138), and a CD4+ TILs low-density group (n = 51) (CD4+ TILs < 87) or a high-density group (n = 52) (CD4+ TILs ≥ 87). ClusterShade and Skewness based on Kep and Skewness based on Ktrans both showed moderate negative correlation with CD8+ TIL levels (r = 0.630–0.349, p < 0.001), with ClusterShade based on Kep having the highest negative correlation (r = −0.630, p < 0.001). Inertia-based Kep showed a moderate positive correlation with the CD4+ TIL level (r = 0.549, p < 0.001), and the Correlation based on Kep showed a moderate negative correlation with the CD4+ TIL level, which also had the highest correlation coefficient (r = −0.616, p < 0.001). The diagnostic efficacy of the above features was assessed by ROC curves. For CD8+ TILs, ClusterShade of Kep had the highest mean area under the curve (AUC) (0.863). For CD4+ TILs, the Correlation of Kep had the highest mean AUC (0.856).

Conclusion: The radiomics features of DCE-MRI are associated with the expression of tumor-infiltrating CD8+ and CD4+ T cells in AGC, which have the potential to noninvasively evaluate the expression of CD8+ and CD4+ TILs in AGC patients.
Detection of Famous Tea Buds Based on Improved YOLOv7 Network
Authors: Wang Yongwei , Xiao Maohua , Wang Shu , Jiang Qing , Wang Xiaochan , Zhang Yongnian
Published: June 2023

Aiming at the problems of dense distribution, similar color and easy occlusion of famous and excellent tea tender leaves, an improved YOLOv7 (you only look once v7) model based on attention mechanism was proposed in this paper. The attention mechanism modules were added to the front and back positions of the enhanced feature extraction network (FPN), and the detection effects of YOLOv7+SE network, YOLOv7+ECA network, YOLOv7+CBAM network and YOLOv7+CA network were compared. It was found that the YOLOv7+CBAM Block model had the highest recognition accuracy with an accuracy of 93.71% and a recall rate of 89.23%. It was found that the model had the advantages of high accuracy and missing rate in small target detection, multi-target detection, occluded target detection and densely distributed target detection. Moreover, the model had good real-time performance and had a good application prospect in intelligent management and automatic harvesting of famous and excellent tea.
A Novel Caffeine Oleate Formulation as an Insecticide to Control Coffee Berry Borer, Hypothenemus hampei, and Other Coffee Pests
Authors: Góngora Carmenza E. , Tapias Johanna , Jaramillo Jorge , Medina Rubén , González Sebastián , Restrepo Tatiana , Casanova Herley , Benavides Pablo
Published: June 2023

The coffee berry borer (CBB), Hypothenemus hampei (Ferrari, 1867) (Coleoptera: Curculionidae: Scolytinae), is the pest that causes the most economic damage to coffee crops. Chemical control of this insect is based on the use of insecticides that can affect the environment and nontarget organisms. Despite the fact that caffeine has shown potential as an insecticide, a caffeine-based product for field use is currently not available on the market. As a new alternative to control CBB and other coffee pests, such as Monalonion velezangeli Carvalho and Costa, 1988 (Hemiptera: Miridae), a caffeine-oleate was developed. The caffeine oleate formulation showed laboratory efficacy by causing mortality of more than 90% of CBB adults in preventive tests in which the insecticide was sprayed prior to insect attack on the coffee fruits. In the curative tests, in which spraying occurred after CBB infested the fruits, the formulation caused 77% mortality of the insects. Under controlled field conditions, the product kept CBB infestation below 20%, reducing the number of fruits attacked by the insect by up to 70%. In addition, no phytotoxic effects were observed in coffee plants. The insecticide was also effective against M. velezangeli, causing 100% mortality. A caffeine oleate formulation that could be part of a strategy for integrated CBB management as well as other pests of coffee was developed. The components of the insecticide are food grade, and the product would provide greater security to the coffee ecosystem and coffee growers.
Effects of Environmental Enrichment on the Behavior of Octopus vulgaris in a Recirculating Aquaculture System
Authors: Casalini Antonio , Gentile Laura , Emmanuele Pietro , Brusa Riccardo , Elmi Alberto , Parmeggiani Albamaria , Galosi Livio , Roncarati Alessandra , Mordenti Oliviero
Published: June 2023

Octopus vulgaris is a commercially valuable species. It is overexploited in the natural environment and is considered to be an innovative species for aquaculture. However, large-scale farming is generally designed only based on economic requirements, disregarding any form of enrichment that induces the natural behavior of aquatic species. Although many studies have shown the influence of environmental enrichment on terrestrial vertebrates, fish, and cephalopod mollusks, information on the effect of environmental enrichment on the body patterns of O. vulgaris is limited. Therefore, in this study, we assessed how different environmental conditions (Basic vs. Enriched) affect sub-adults of O. vulgaris kept in recirculation systems, through qualitative–quantitative studies of the main body patterns and their potential application in the commercial production of this species. The results indicated that octopuses kept in the enriched environment showed several body patterns and gained a significantly higher weight than those kept in the basic environment. The body patterns displayed by the individuals kept in the basic environment were similar to those exhibited under situations of hostility and inter/intra-specific conflict. Hence, the environment of octopuses needs to be enriched, especially for the large-scale production of this species.
Psychological Stress Is Associated with Increased Cancer Risk in Dogs
Authors: Zapata Isain , Eyre Alexander W. , Alvarez Carlos E.
Published: June 2023

Although there is evidence that psychological stress may be associated with increased cancer risk, the effect of stress on cancer risk is difficult to study, both in humans, due to socioeconomic factors, and in animal models, due to questionable biological relevance. Here, we test whether heritable canine temperament that increases psychological stress is associated with cancer risk. The study data are breed-specific averages of incidences of multiple cancer types and of temperament classes. The latter are derived from a latent class analysis of behavioral questionnaires completed by owners (C-BARQ). We thus classified the dogs according to whether they are calm vs. reactive within and across breeds. Using meta-analysis approaches, we modeled the risk of multiple cancer types in calm vs. reactive dogs. We adjusted for breed averages of body mass and lifespan, which are common confounders that impact cancer. Our study confirms that body size has a significant effect of on risk of multiple types of cancers in dogs and shows for the first time that temperament also has a moderate effect. These findings suggest dog models of heritable psychological stress are suitable for molecular epidemiological and translational studies on its effects on cancer risk.
Transcriptomics in Rare Minnow (Gobiocypris rarus) towards Attenuated and Virulent Grass Carp Reovirus Genotype II Infection
Authors: Ma Jie , Xu Chen , Jiang Nan , Meng Yan , Zhou Yong , Xue Mingyang , Liu Wenzhi , Li Yiqun , Fan Yuding
Published: June 2023

Grass carp reovirus genotype Ⅱ (GCRV Ⅱ) causes a variety of fish hemorrhagic disease, which seriously affects the sustainable development of grass carp aquaculture in China. Rare minnow (Gobiocypris rarus) is an ideal model fish to study the pathogenesis of GCRV Ⅱ. To investigate the involved molecular responses against the GCRV Ⅱ infection, we performed comparative transcriptomic analysis in the spleen and liver of rare minnow injected with virulent strain DY197 and attenuated strain QJ205. Results showed that the virulent DY197 strain induced more differently expressed genes (DEGs) than the attenuated QJ205 strain, and tissue-specific responses were induced. In the spleen, the attenuated and virulent strains induced different DEGs; the attenuated QJ205 infection activated steroid synthesis pathway that involved in membrane formation; however, virulent DY197 infection activated innate immunity and apoptosis related pathways while suppressing cell proliferation and migration related pathways that are important for damage tissue repair, as well as hemorrhage related pathways. In the liver, the attenuated and virulent strains infection induced similar DEGs; both strains infection activated immunity and apoptosis related pathways but suppressed metabolism-related pathways; virulent DY197 infection especially activated protein digestion and absorption-related pathways and suppressed steroid synthesis pathway. To conclude, virulent strain infection especially induced tissue-specific alterations and caused severe suppression of hemorrhage-related pathways in spleen. Our findings will contribute to better understanding of the interactions between host and GCRV II.
Assessing Non-Intrusive Wearable Devices for Tracking Core Body Temperature in Hot Working Conditions
Authors: Ibrahim Abdullahi A. , Khan Muhammad , Nnaji Chukwuma , Koh Amanda S.
Published: June 2023

Heat-related illness is a growing concern for workers in temperate climates as rising temperatures and heatwaves put them at risk of exertional heat stroke. Monitoring biometrics that predict heat stroke, such as core temperature, is increasingly important. To monitor biometrics, wearable sensing technologies have been proposed as an alternative to the ingestible telemetric pill. However, limited studies have validated the accuracy of these sensors in different temperature conditions. Therefore, this study aims to assess the validity of wearable devices placed on different areas of the body for measuring core body temperature (CT) during repetitive physical activity in high temperature conditions. Ten male participants performed dumbbell curling exercises at 33 °C and roughly 50% relative humidity, and data from the pill (the criterion standard) were compared to data from two wearable sensors–Slate Safety and Zephyr. Results showed that Slate Safety [Bias (Precision) = 0.20 (0.35) °C) and Zephyr [Bias (Precision) = −0.03 (0.35) °C] recorded bias and precision within acceptable limits. The correlation analysis showed that wearable sensors are suitable for real-time monitoring of an individual’s level of heat stress in high temperatures. However, there was a proportional bias with these CT measuring devices, meaning that the reported temperature values are consistently deviated from the true values. The results of this study contribute to the ongoing discussion of the most appropriate methods for monitoring heat stress and provide valuable information for practitioners working in this field.
The Improvement of the Honey Badger Algorithm and Its Application in the Location Problem of Logistics Centers
Authors: Jin Chuwei , Li Shanhong , Zhang Linna , Zhang Damin
Published: June 2023

Aiming at the problems of low resource utilization and high distribution cost of urban logistics enterprises, this paper introduces the threshold setting of large parcels, comprehensively considers the processing links of large parcels and standard parcels in loading, unloading, sorting, and other processing links, and constructs a logistics planning model with the type of multi-functional transit center as the variable and the total cost of the logistics system as the goal. Aiming at the shortcomings of the honey badger algorithm, three optimization strategies are used to improve the logistics model, and the effectiveness of the improved algorithm is verified by comparing with the CPLEX operation results. Based on the operation data of SF Jinzhou, this paper obtains the optimization results of large parcel threshold, multi-function transit center location layout, and terminal demand point allocation. From the results, the introduction of the threshold setting for large parcels has played a significant role in the joint optimization of multi-functional center location selection and terminal demand point allocation under multi-parcel distribution and provides theoretical data support for the existing urban logistics location problem.
Skyline-Enhanced Deep Reinforcement Learning Approach for Energy-Efficient and QoS-Guaranteed Multi-Cloud Service Composition
Authors: Ma Wenhao , Xu Hongzhen
Published: June 2023

Cloud computing has experienced rapid growth in recent years and has become a critical computing paradigm. Combining multiple cloud services to satisfy complex user requirements has become a research hotspot in cloud computing. Service composition in multi-cloud environments is characterized by high energy consumption, which brings attention to the importance of energy consumption in cross-cloud service composition. Nonetheless, prior research has mainly focused on finding a service composition that maximizes the quality of service (QoS) and overlooks the energy consumption generated during service invocation. Additionally, the dynamic nature of multi-cloud environments challenges the adaptability and scalability of cloud service composition methods. Therefore, we propose the skyline-enhanced deep reinforcement learning approach (SkyDRL) to address these challenges. Our approach defines an energy consumption model for cloud service composition in multi-cloud environments. The branch and bound skyline algorithm is leveraged to reduce the search space and training time. Additionally, we enhance the basic deep Q-network (DQN) algorithm by incorporating double DQN to address the overestimation problem, incorporating Dueling Network and Prioritized Experience Replay to speed up training and improve stability. We evaluate our proposed method using comparative experiments with existing methods. Our results demonstrate that our approach effectively reduces energy consumption in cloud service composition while maintaining good adaptability and scalability in service composition problems. According to the experimental results, our approach outperforms the existing approaches by demonstrating energy savings ranging from 8% to 35%.
Parallel-Coupled-Line Bandpass Filter with Notch for Ultra-Wideband (UWB) Applications
Authors: Almansour Faris H. , Alyami Geamel H. , Shaman Hussein N.
Published: June 2023

A compact parallel-coupled-line microstrip bandpass filter with a very wideband passband and a narrow notched band is demonstrated in this paper. The presented bandpass filter was constructed from one section of three parallel-coupled-lines which has a length of a quarter wavelength at a midband frequency of 6.9 GHz. For the purpose of increasing the filter selectivity, the middle line is extended by a length of a quarter-wavelength and connected at one end to the ground plane. Therefore, a transmission zero was generated at each side of the passband which effectively improved the filter performance. In addition, a narrow notched band at a precise frequency inside the proposed passband was exhibited by placing a stepped-impedance resonator near the parallel-coupled-line for blocking the unwanted radio signal. The proposed filter was designed, simulated, fabricated, and measured. The fabricated filter has a very compact circuit size and its measured response shows an excellent agreement with the simulated results.
Study on Stress and Displacement of Axisymmetric Circular Loess Tunnel Surrounding Rock Based on Joint Strength
Authors: Li Rongjin , Bai Weishi , Li Rongjian , Jiang Jinshuo
Published: June 2023

The development of an effective evaluation method suitable for loess-tunnel excavation is necessary to avoid the collapse accidents caused by tunnel excavation and any secondary disasters. Although the Fenner formulas and the modified Fenner formulas are widely used in tunnel engineering, a defect still exists in these formulas because the Mohr–Coulomb (M–C) criterion exaggerates the tensile strength of the surrounding rock of the loess tunnel. A newly modified Fenner formula was derived based on joint strength to overcome this deficiency. First, the expressions of stress and the radius of the plastic zone of the surrounding rock of the loess tunnel and the expressions of radial displacement were derived based on the stress-equilibrium equation of the axisymmetric plane and the joint strength. Then, the difference in the modified Fenner formulas based on the two kinds of strength criteria for the loess tunnel were compared. The results showed that the radius of the plastic zone and the radial displacement of the loess tunnel determined by the modified Fenner formula based on joint strength were larger than those determined by the modified Fenner formula based on M–C strength. However, the plastic stress of the plastic zone determined by the modified Fenner formula based on joint strength was smaller. The comparative analysis reveals that the modified Fenner formula based on joint strength can evaluate the stress and plastic-displacement field of the surrounding rock of a loess tunnel more reasonably.
Editorial: Overview and Some New Directions
Authors: Zeng Shengda , Migórski Stanislaw , Liu Yongjian
Published: June 2023

The Special Issue contains eleven accepted and published submissions to a Special Issue of the MDPI journal Axioms on the subject of “Nonlinear Dynamical Systems with Applications” [...]
Resolvent-Free Method for Solving Monotone Inclusions
Authors: Tang Yan , Gibali Aviv
Published: June 2023

In this work, we consider the monotone inclusion problem in real Hilbert spaces and propose a simple inertial method that does not include any evaluations of the associated resolvent and projection. Under suitable assumptions, we establish the strong convergence of the method to a minimal norm solution. Saddle points of minimax problems and critical points problems are considered as the applications. Numerical examples in finite- and infinite-dimensional spaces illustrate the performances of our scheme.
Testing the Challenge Hypothesis in Stumptail Macaque Males: The Role of Testosterone and Glucocorticoid Metabolites in Aggressive and Mating Behavior
Authors: Cerda-Molina Ana Lilia , Borráz-León Javier I. , Matamoros-Trejo Gilberto , de la O Claudio , Estudillo-Mendoza Gema R. , Mayagoitia-Novales Lilian , Maestripieri Dario
Published: June 2023

The “challenge hypothesis” predicts higher male–male aggressive behavior along with increases in testosterone levels during times of reproductive challenges and social instability. In addition, in some primate species, higher glucocorticoid levels can be observed as well, but this is usually modulated by dominance rank. We studied rank-related aggressive behavior, mating activity, and fecal testosterone and glucocorticoid metabolites (fTm and fGCm) in male stumptail macaques (Macaca arctoides) in order to test some predictions of the “challenge hypothesis”. Over a 20-month period, we collected data on aggressive behavior and copulation, as well as fecal samples (n = 700) to quantify fTm and fGCm in seven adult stumptail males living in captivity. During periods of mating activity, male-to-male aggression increased in higher- and middle-ranking males. Neither fTm nor fGCm levels predicted male-to-male aggression. fGCm levels (but not fTm) were positively associated with male-to-female aggression; however, this association was pronounced during periods of mating activity. fGCm levels differed according to social rank, with middle-ranking males having the highest levels. Both hormones were higher during periods of mating activity, but only in higher- and middle-ranking males. Taken together, our findings partially support the challenge hypothesis in a non-seasonal primate and shed some light on the unique social and mating system of the stumptail macaque.
Development and Validation of Aptasensor Based on MnO2 for the Detection of Sulfadiazine Residues
Authors: Zheng Xiaoling , Yang Lulan , Sun Qi , Zhang Lei , Le Tao
Published: June 2023

The monitoring of sulfadiazine (SDZ) is of great significance for food safety, environmental protection, and human health. In this study, a fluorescent aptasensor based on MnO2 and FAM-labeled SDZ aptamer (FAM-SDZ30-1) was developed for the sensitive and selective detection of SDZ in food and environmental samples. MnO2 nanosheets adsorbed rapidly to the aptamer through its electrostatic interaction with the base, providing the basis for an ultrasensitive SDZ detection. Molecular dynamics was used to explain the combination of SMZ1S and SMZ. This fluorescent aptasensor exhibited high sensitivity and selectivity with a limit of detection of 3.25 ng/mL and a linear range of 5–40 ng/mL. The recoveries ranged from 87.19% to 109.26% and the coefficients of variation ranged from 3.13% to 13.14%. In addition, the results of the aptasensor showed an excellent correlation with high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). Therefore, this aptasensor based on MnO2 is a potentially useful methodology for highly sensitive and selective detection of SDZ in foods and environments.
Staphylococcus aureus Detection in Milk Using a Thickness Shear Mode Acoustic Aptasensor with an Antifouling Probe Linker
Authors: Spagnolo Sandro , Davoudian Katharina , De La Franier Brian , Hianik Tibor , Thompson Michael
Published: June 2023

Contamination of food by pathogens can pose a serious risk to health. Therefore, monitoring for the presence of pathogens is critical to identify and regulate microbiological contamination of food. In this work, an aptasensor based on a thickness shear mode acoustic method (TSM) with dissipation monitoring was developed to detect and quantify Staphylococcus aureus directly in whole UHT cow’s milk. The frequency variation and dissipation data demonstrated the correct immobilization of the components. The analysis of viscoelastic properties suggests that DNA aptamers bind to the surface in a non-dense manner, which favors the binding with bacteria. The aptasensor demonstrated high sensitivity and was able to detect S. aureus in milk with a 33 CFU/mL limit of detection. Analysis was successful in milk due to the sensor’s antifouling properties, which is based on 3-dithiothreitol propanoic acid (DTTCOOH) antifouling thiol linker. Compared to bare and modified (dithiothreitol (DTT), 11-mercaptoundecanoic acid (MUA), and 1-undecanethiol (UDT)) quartz crystals, the sensitivity of the sensor’s antifouling in milk improved by about 82–96%. The excellent sensitivity and ability to detect and quantify S. aureus in whole UHT cow’s milk demonstrates that the system is applicable for rapid and efficient analysis of milk safety.
Tablet-Based Wearable Patch Sensor Design for Continuous Cardiovascular System Monitoring in Postoperative Settings
Authors: Mohamed Nourelhuda , Kim Hyun-Seok , Mohamed Manal , Kang Kyu-Min , Kim Sung-Hoon , Kim Jae
Published: June 2023

Meticulous monitoring for cardiovascular systems is important for postoperative patients in postanesthesia or the intensive care unit. The continuous auscultation of heart and lung sounds can provide a valuable information for patient safety. Although numerous research projects have proposed the design of continuous cardiopulmonary monitoring devices, they primarily focused on the auscultation of heart and lung sounds and mostly served as screening tools. However, there is a lack of devices that could continuously display and monitor the derived cardiopulmonary parameters. This study presents a novel approach to address this need by proposing a bedside monitoring system that utilizes a lightweight and wearable patch sensor for continuous cardiovascular system monitoring. The heart and lung sounds were collected using a chest stethoscope and microphones, and a developed adaptive noise cancellation algorithm was implemented to remove the background noise corrupted with those sounds. Additionally, a short-distance ECG signal was acquired using electrodes and a high precision analog front end. A high-speed processing microcontroller was used to allow real-time data acquisition, processing, and display. A dedicated tablet-based software was developed to display the acquired signal waveforms and the processed cardiovascular parameters. A significant contribution of this work is the seamless integration of continuous auscultation and ECG signal acquisition, thereby enabling the real-time monitoring of cardiovascular parameters. The wearability and lightweight design of the system were achieved through the use of rigid–flex PCBs, which ensured patient comfort and ease of use. The system provides a high-quality signal acquisition and real-time monitoring of the cardiovascular parameters, thus proving its potential as a health monitoring tool.
Expanding the Trauma-Informed Care Measurement Toolkit: An Evaluation of the Attitudes Related to Trauma-Informed Care (ARTIC-45) Scale with SUD Workers in PIMH
Authors: Mendez Alicia , Bosk Emily A. , Keller Amanda , Williams-Butler Abigail , Hardan Tareq , Ruisard Debra J. , MacKenzie Michael J.
Published: June 2023

Human service organizations (HSO) have increasingly recognized the value of employing trauma-informed care (TIC) in a variety of practice settings. Evidence suggests that effectively adopting TIC has shown client improvements. Organizational barriers to TIC implementation, however, exist. To improve TIC practice, the attitudes related to trauma-informed care (ARTIC) scale was developed to measure staff attitudes and beliefs towards TIC. The ARTIC has been widely adopted by researchers without evaluating its psychometric performance in diverse practice settings. The purpose of this study was to independently validate the ARTIC scale drawn from a sample of staff (n = 373) who provide services to substance-using parents. Psychometric tests were conducted to evaluate how the ARTIC performs with our HSO population. Results from a confirmatory factor analysis showed poor fit (X2 = 2761.62, df = 2.96; RMSEA = 0.07 [0.07, 0.08]; CFI = 0.72). An exploratory factor analysis was conducted to analyze how the data fit with our specific population, yielding 10 factors. Finally, a qualitative inter-item analysis of these factors was conducted, resulting in nine factors. Our findings suggest that measuring TIC attitudes and beliefs may vary according to field of practice and ethno-racially diverse workers. Further refinement of the ARTIC may be necessary for various services domains.
Scale-Up for the Conversion of Corn Stover-Derived Levulinic Acid into 2-Methyltetrahydrofuran
Authors: Peske Eli A. , Foerster Ian M. , Seames Wayne S.
Published: June 2023

Previous research has identified attractive chemical pathways to form levulinic–lactic acid mixtures from corn stover. Unfortunately, there is little market demand for levulinic acid, so conversion into more useful chemicals is needed. Presented herein are the results from a study to translate and optimize two lab-scale reactions that can be used to transform levulinic acid into a useful platform chemical, 2-methyltetrahydrofuran (2-MeTHF), to the continuous bench-scale. 2-MeTHF is an important monomer for the production of liquid polyols, which are used in polymer foam products. First, a hydrogenation reaction takes place, transforming levulinic acid into γ-valerolactone (GVL) by reaction with isopropanol using a Zr-β-zeolite catalyst. Next, the GVL is reacted with hydrogen to form 2-MeTHF utilizing a CuO/Al2O3 catalyst. Both reactions were optimized in bench-scale continuous flow reactors designed to produce 0.613 kg/h of 2-MeTHF from an initial feed of 1.02 kg/h of levulinic acid with a single pass conversion of 81 mol%.
Pharmacometabolic Effects of Pteryxin and Valproate on Pentylenetetrazole-Induced Seizures in Zebrafish Reveal Vagus Nerve Stimulation
Authors: Skiba Adrianna , Pellegata Daniele , Morozova Veronika , Kozioł Ewelina , Budzyńska Barbara , Lee Simon Ming-Yuen , Gertsch Jürg , Skalicka-Woźniak Krystyna
Published: June 2023

Zebrafish (Danio rerio) assays provide a versatile pharmacological platform to test compounds on a wide range of behaviors in a whole organism. A major challenge lies in the lack of knowledge about the bioavailability and pharmacodynamic effects of bioactive compounds in this model organism. Here, we employed a combined methodology of LC-ESI-MS/MS analytics and targeted metabolomics with behavioral experiments to evaluate the anticonvulsant and potentially toxic effects of the angular dihydropyranocoumarin pteryxin (PTX) in comparison to the antiepileptic drug sodium valproate (VPN) in zebrafish larvae. PTX occurs in different Apiaceae plants traditionally used in Europe to treat epilepsy but has not been investigated so far. To compare potency and efficacy, the uptake of PTX and VPN into zebrafish larvae was quantified as larvae whole-body concentrations together with amino acids and neurotransmitters as proxy pharmacodynamic readout. The convulsant agent pentylenetetrazole (PTZ) acutely reduced the levels of most metabolites, including acetylcholine and serotonin. Conversely, PTX strongly reduced neutral essential amino acids in a LAT1 (SLCA5)-independent manner, but, similarly to VPN specifically increased the levels of serotonin, acetylcholine, and choline, but also ethanolamine. PTX dose and time-dependent manner inhibited PTZ-induced seizure-like movements resulting in a ~70% efficacy after 1 h at 20 µM (the equivalent of 4.28 ± 0.28 µg/g in larvae whole-body). VPN treated for 1 h with 5 mM (the equivalent of 18.17 ± 0.40 µg/g in larvae whole-body) showed a ~80% efficacy. Unexpectedly, PTX (1–20 µM) showed significantly higher bioavailability than VPN (0.1–5 mM) in immersed zebrafish larvae, possibly because VPN in the medium dissociated partially to the readily bioavailable valproic acid. The anticonvulsive effect of PTX was confirmed by local field potential (LFP) recordings. Noteworthy, both substances specifically increased and restored whole-body acetylcholine, choline, and serotonin levels in control and PTZ-treated zebrafish larvae, indicative of vagus nerve stimulation (VNS), which is an adjunctive therapeutic strategy to treat refractory epilepsy in humans. Our study demonstrates the utility of targeted metabolomics in zebrafish assays and shows that VPN and PTX pharmacologically act on the autonomous nervous system by activating parasympathetic neurotransmitters.
Complete Vascular Replacement of the Infrarenal Inferior Vena Cava and Abdominal Aorta during Post-Chemotherapy Retroperitoneal Lymph Node Dissection for a Non-Seminomatous Germ Cell Tumor
Authors: Evmorfopoulos Konstantinos , Chasiotis Georgios , Barbatis Alexandros , Zachos Ioannis , Kouvelos George , Bareka Metaxia , Vlachostergios Panagiotis J. , Arnaoutoglou Eleni , Tzortzis Vassilios , Matsagkas Miltiadis
Published: June 2023

Testicular germ cell tumors (TGCTs) are the leading cause of cancer-related death in males between the ages of 20 and 40. In the advanced stages, the combination of cisplatin-based chemotherapy and surgical excision of the remaining tumor can cure many of these patients. Vascular procedures may be required during retroperitoneal lymph node dissection (RPLND) in order to achieve the complete excision of all residual retroperitoneal masses. Careful assessment of pre-operative imaging and the identification of patients who could benefit from additional procedures are important for minimizing peri- and postoperative complications. We report on a case of a 27-year-old patient with non-seminomatous TGCT, who successfully underwent post-chemotherapy RPLND with additional infrarenal inferior vena cava (IVC) and complete abdominal aorta replacement using synthetic grafts.
Effective Early Detection of Epileptic Seizures through EEG Signals Using Classification Algorithms Based on t-Distributed Stochastic Neighbor Embedding and K-Means
Authors: Alalayah Khaled M. , Senan Ebrahim Mohammed , Atlam Hany F. , Ahmed Ibrahim Abdulrab , Shatnawi Hamzeh Salameh Ahmad
Published: June 2023

Epilepsy is a neurological disorder in the activity of brain cells that leads to seizures. An electroencephalogram (EEG) can detect seizures as it contains physiological information of the neural activity of the brain. However, visual examination of EEG by experts is time consuming, and their diagnoses may even contradict each other. Thus, an automated computer-aided diagnosis for EEG diagnostics is necessary. Therefore, this paper proposes an effective approach for the early detection of epilepsy. The proposed approach involves the extraction of important features and classification. First, signal components are decomposed to extract the features via the discrete wavelet transform (DWT) method. Principal component analysis (PCA) and the t-distributed stochastic neighbor embedding (t-SNE) algorithm were applied to reduce the dimensions and focus on the most important features. Subsequently, K-means clustering + PCA and K-means clustering + t-SNE were used to divide the dataset into subgroups to reduce the dimensions and focus on the most important representative features of epilepsy. The features extracted from these steps were fed to extreme gradient boosting, K-nearest neighbors (K-NN), decision tree (DT), random forest (RF) and multilayer perceptron (MLP) classifiers. The experimental results demonstrated that the proposed approach provides superior results to those of existing studies. During the testing phase, the RF classifier with DWT and PCA achieved an accuracy of 97.96%, precision of 99.1%, recall of 94.41% and F1 score of 97.41%. Moreover, the RF classifier with DWT and t-SNE attained an accuracy of 98.09%, precision of 99.1%, recall of 93.9% and F1 score of 96.21%. In comparison, the MLP classifier with PCA + K-means reached an accuracy of 98.98%, precision of 99.16%, recall of 95.69% and F1 score of 97.4%.
Evaluation of Contrast-Enhanced Mammography and Development of Flowchart for BI-RADS Classification of Breast Lesions
Authors: Klarić Kristina , Šribar Andrej , Budisavljević Anuška , Labinac Loredana , Valković Zujić Petra
Published: June 2023

This study aimed to evaluate contrast-enhanced mammography (CEM) and to compare breast lesions on CEM and breast magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) using 5 features. We propose a flowchart for BI-RADS classification of breast lesions on CEM based on the Kaiser score (KS) flowchart for breast MRI. Sixty-eight subjects (women and men; median age 61.4 ± 11.6 years) who were suspected of having a malignant process in the breast based on digital mammography (MG) findings were included in the study. The patients underwent breast ultrasound (US), CEM, MRI and biopsy of the suspicious lesion. There were 47 patients with malignant lesions confirmed by biopsy and 21 patients with benign lesions, for each of which a KS was calculated. In the patients with malignant lesions, the MRI-derived KS was 9 (IQR 8–9); its CEM equivalent was 9 (IQR 8–9); and BI-RADS was 5 (IQR 4–5). In patients with benign lesions, MRI-derived KS was 3 (IQR 2–3); its CEM equivalent was 3 (IQR 1.7–5); and BI-RADS was 3 (IQR 0–4). There was no significant difference between the ROC-AUC of CEM and MRI (p = 0.749). In conclusion, there were no significant differences in KS results between CEM and breast MRI. The KS flowchart is useful for evaluating breast lesions on CEM.
Assessment of Inspiratory Effort in Spontaneously Breathing COVID-19 ARDS Patients Undergoing Helmet CPAP: A Comparison between Esophageal, Transdiaphragmatic and Central Venous Pressure Swing
Authors: Lassola Sergio , Miori Sara , Sanna Andrea , Menegoni Ilaria , De Rosa Silvia , Bellani Giacomo , Umbrello Michele
Published: June 2023

Introduction: The clinical features of COVID-19 are highly variable. It has been speculated that the progression across COVID-19 may be triggered by excessive inspiratory drive activation. The aim of the present study was to assess whether the tidal swing in central venous pressure (ΔCVP) is a reliable estimate of inspiratory effort. Methods: Thirty critically ill patients with COVID-19 ARDS underwent a PEEP trial (0–5–10 cmH2O) during helmet CPAP. Esophageal (ΔPes) and transdiaphragmatic (ΔPdi) pressure swings were measured as indices of inspiratory effort. ΔCVP was assessed via a standard venous catheter. A low and a high inspiratory effort were defined as ΔPes ≤ 10 and  >15 cmH2O, respectively. Results: During the PEEP trial, no significant changes in ΔPes (11 [6–16] vs. 11 [7–15] vs. 12 [8–16] cmH2O, p = 0.652) and in ΔCVP (12 [7–17] vs. 11.5 [7–16] vs. 11.5 [8–15] cmH2O, p = 0.918) were detected. ΔCVP was significantly associated with ΔPes (marginal R2 0.87, p < 0.001). ΔCVP recognized both low (AUC-ROC curve 0.89 [0.84–0.96]) and high inspiratory efforts (AUC-ROC curve 0.98 [0.96–1]). Conclusions: ΔCVP is an easily available a reliable surrogate of ΔPes and can detect a low or a high inspiratory effort. This study provides a useful bedside tool to monitor the inspiratory effort of spontaneously breathing COVID-19 patients.
Imaging Criteria for the Diagnosis of Progressive Supranuclear Palsy: Supportive or Mandatory?
Authors: Lupascu Nicoleta , Lupescu Ioan Cristian , Caloianu Ionuț , Naftanaila Florin , Glogojeanu Remus Relu , Sirbu Carmen Adella , Mitrica Marian
Published: June 2023

We present the case of a 54-year-old male, without any significant medical history, who insidiously developed speech disturbances and walking difficulties, accompanied by backward falls. The symptoms progressively worsened over time. The patient was initially diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease; however, he failed to respond to standard therapy with Levodopa. He came to our attention for worsening postural instability and binocular diplopia. A neurological exam was highly suggestive of a Parkinson-plus disease, most likely progressive supranuclear gaze palsy. Brain MRI was performed and revealed moderate midbrain atrophy with the characteristic “hummingbird” and “Mickey mouse” signs. An increased MR parkinsonism index was also noted. Based on all clinical and paraclinical data, a diagnosis of probable progressive supranuclear palsy was established. We review the main imaging features of this disease and their current role in diagnosis.
Threshold Voltage Measurement Protocol “Triple Sense” Applied to GaN HEMTs
Authors: Grossl Bade Tamiris , Hamad Hassan , Lambert Adrien , Morel Hervé , Planson Dominique
Published: June 2023

The threshold voltage instability in p-GaN gate high electron mobility transistors (HEMTs) has been brought into evidence in recent years. It can lead to reliability issues in switching applications, and it can be followed by other degradation mechanisms. In this paper, a Vth measurement protocol established for SiC MOSFETs is applied to GaN HEMTs: the triple sense protocol, which uses voltage bias to precondition the transistor gate. It has been experimentally verified that the proposed protocol increased the stability of the Vth measurement, even for measurements following degrading voltage bias stress on both drain and gate.
Personalized and Safe Soft Glove for Rehabilitation Training
Authors: Meng Fanye , Liu Chang , Li Yu , Hao Hao , Li Qishen , Lyu Chenyi , Wang Zimo , Ge Gang , Yin Junyi , Ji Xiaoqiang , Xiao Xiao
Published: June 2023

Traditional hand rehabilitation devices present a challenge in providing personalized training that can lead to finger movements exceeding the safe range, resulting in secondary injuries. To address this issue, we introduce a soft rehabilitation training glove with the function of safety and personalization, which can allow patients to select training modes based on rehabilitation and provide real-time monitoring, as well as feedback on finger movement data. The inner glove is equipped with bending sensors to access the maximum/minimum angle of finger movement and to provide data for the safety of rehabilitation training. The outer glove contains flexible drivers, which can drive fingers for different modes of rehabilitation training. As a result, the rehabilitation glove can drive five fingers to achieve maximum extension/flexion angles of 15.65°/85.97°, 15.34°/89.53°, 16.78°/94.27°, 15.59°/88.82°, and 16.73°/88.65°, from thumb to little finger, respectively, and the rehabilitation training frequency can reach six times per minute. The safety evaluation result indicated an error within ±6.5° of the target-motion threshold. The reliability assessment yielded a high-intra-class correlation coefficient value (0.7763–0.9996). Hence, the rehabilitation glove can achieve targeted improvement in hand function while ensuring safety.
Image Recognition of Group Point Objects under Interference Conditions
Authors: Ďuriš Viliam , Grigoriev Anatoly V. , Chumarov Sergey G.
Published: June 2023

The process of forming a vector-field model of flat images of group point objects, with various field-forming functions, is considered in this paper. Algorithms for recognizing group point objects in the presence of false and missing point objects are proposed. The quality of the recognition of group point objects by the proposed algorithms is also evaluated.
A Compact Fourth-Order Tunable Bandpass Filter Based on Varactor-Loaded Step-Impedance Resonators
Authors: Li Shuang , Li Shengxian , Yuan Jianrong
Published: June 2023

In this paper, a compact high-selectivity frequency tunable bandpass filter (BPF) with constant absolute bandwidth (ABW) based on varactor-loaded step-impedance resonators (SIRs) is presented. By introducing cross coupling between resonators, a pair of transmission zeros (TZs) close to the passband are produced and the selectivity of the filter is enhanced significantly. Another pair of TZs are generated to improve the out-of-band rejection by using source-load coupling. The varactor-loaded SIRs are utilized to design the compact fourth-order tunable BPF in order to realize wide tuning range and compact size. In addition, the frequency-dependent coupling feeding structures are employed instead of lumped capacitors used in conventional feeding structures, as a result, the insertion-loss performance is improved. The simulated and measured results are presented and show good agreement. The measured results exhibit a tuning range from 0.8 to 1.14 GHz with a 3 dB constant ABW of about 47 ± 5 MHz, the return loss of the filter is greater than 13.9 dB, and the insertion loss is about 2.7–3.1 dB. Moreover, four TZs are generated, and the proposed tunable filter shows high selectivity with a rectangular coefficient of 2.3–3.1.