bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Large epigenome-wide association study identifies multiple novel differentially methylated CpG sites associated with suicidal thoughts and behaviors in veterans
Authors: Kimbrel Nathan A. , Garrett Melanie E. , Evans Mariah K. , Mellows Clara , Dennis Michelle F. , Hair Lauren P. , Hauser Michael A. ,   the VA Mid-Atlantic MIRECC Workgroup, Ashley-Koch Allison E. , Beckham Jean C.
Published: May 2023

Introduction

The U.S. suicide mortality rate has steadily increased during the past two decades, particularly among military veterans; however, the epigenetic basis of suicidal thoughts and behaviors (STB) remains largely unknown.

Methods

To address this issue, we conducted an epigenome-wide association study of DNA methylation (DNAm) of peripheral blood samples obtained from 2,712 U.S. military veterans.

Results

Three DNAm probes were significantly associated with suicide attempts, surpassing the multiple testing threshold (FDR q-value <0.05), including cg13301722 on chromosome 7, which lies between the genes SLC4A2 and CDK5; cg04724646 in PDE3A; and cg04999352 in RARRES3. cg13301722 was also found to be differentially methylated in the cerebral cortex of suicide decedents in a publicly-available dataset (p = 0.03). Trait enrichment analysis revealed that the CpG sites most strongly associated with STB in the present sample were also associated with smoking, alcohol consumption, maternal smoking, and maternal alcohol consumption, whereas pathway enrichment analysis revealed significant associations with circadian rhythm, adherens junction, insulin secretion, and RAP-1 signaling, each of which was recently associated with suicide attempts in a large, independent genome-wide association study of suicide attempts of veterans.

Discussion

Taken together, the present findings suggest that SLC4A2, CDK5, PDE3A, and RARRES3 may play a role in STB. CDK5, a member of the cyclin-dependent kinase family that is highly expressed in the brain and essential for learning and memory, appears to be a particularly promising candidate worthy of future study; however, additional work is still needed to replicate these finding in independent samples.
Effect of a telecare-based intervention on stress levels in informal caregivers of older adults: protocol for a randomized controlled trial
Authors: Wong Arkers Kwan Ching , Ng Nga Ping , Hui Vivian Chi Ching , Montayre Jed
Published: May 2023

Significance

Due to caregiving commitments, caregivers of older adults may not have the time to make use of the onsite community services available to them during the day. With the support of advanced technology, telecare could be a convenient and easily accessible channel for providing individualized caregiving advice to caregivers.

Objective

The aim of the study is to describe a research protocol that highlights the development of a telecare-based intervention program for reducing stress levels in informal caregivers of community-dwelling older adults.

Methods

It is a randomized controlled trial. The study is supported by two community centers. The study participants will be randomly assigned to either the telecare-based intervention group or the control group. The former will receive a 3-month program comprised of three components: online nurse case management supported by a health and social care team, an online resource center, and a discussion forum. The latter will receive the usual services that provided by the community centers. Data will be collected at two time points – pre-intervention (T1) and post-intervention (T2). The primary outcome is stress levels, while secondary outcomes include self-efficacy, depression levels, quality of life, and caregiving burden.

Discussion

Besides taking care of one or more older adults, informal caregivers have to deal with work, chores, and take care of their children. This study will add valuable information to the knowledge gap on whether telecare-based interventions with the support of an integrated health-social team can alleviate the stress levels of informal caregivers of community-dwelling older adults. If successful, policymakers and healthcare professionals should consider incorporating telecare modalities in a primary health setting for informal caregivers to correspond with them, to relieve their caregiving stress and promote a healthy life.

Clinical trial registration

https://www.clinicaltrials.gov/, NCT05636982.
An empirical study of the impact of generic drug competition on drug market prices in China
Authors: Yina Chen , Pengcheng Liu , Haomiao Nie , Yang Cao
Published: May 2023

Introduction

Generic substitution is encouraged to reduce pharmaceutical spending in China, and with incentive policies, the market size of the generic drug continues to rise. To find out how the generic competition affects drug price in this area, this study examines how the quantity of generic drug manufacturers can influence average drug price in the Chinese market.

Methods

This study uses a rigorous selection of drugs from the 2021 China’s National Reimbursement Drug List (NRDL), and uses drug-level fixed effects regressions to estimate the relationship between competition and price within each drug.

Results

We note that drug prices decline with increasing competition in the Chinese market, but not in a perfectly linear manner, with marginal price declines decreasing after the fourth entrant and “rebounding” at subsequent entrants, especially the sixth.

Discussion

The findings suggest the importance of maintaining effective competition between suppliers to control prices, and that the government needs to further control generic pricing, especially for late entry generics, to ensure effective competition in the Chinese market.
Health-related quality of life in older women with injuries: a nationwide study
Authors: Kwak Yeunhee , Ahn Jung-Won
Published: May 2023

Objectives

This study aims to describe the health-related quality of life (HRQoL) and influencing factors of older women who experienced injuries.

Methods

This study is a secondary analysis of data from 4,217 women aged 65 years or older sampled from the Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (KNHANES) (2016–2020) database. Two-way analysis of variance was used to analyze the data.

Results

The mean HRQoL scores of older women with and without injuries were 0.81 ± 0.19 (n = 328) and 0.85 ± 0.17 (n = 3,889), respectively, which were significantly different (p < 0.001). The results of multiple regression analysis revealed that working, physical activity, BMI, osteoarthritis, stress, and subjective health status significantly affected the HRQoL of older women with injuries, and the explanatory power of the model was 29%.

Conclusion

The results of this study on factors affecting HRQoL can contribute to the understanding of the experience of older women with injuries and can be used as a reference to develop health promotion programs.
Increased risk of new-onset diabetes in patients with COVID-19: a systematic review and meta-analysis
Authors: Li Jiajun , Li Yapeng , Wang Zhenzhen , Liu Nanyang , He Lanye , Zhang Han
Published: May 2023

Background

There is growing evidence that patients with COVID-19 are at increased risk of new-onset diabetes. The limited preliminary studies do not provide strong evidence. To assess the association of the SARS-CoV-2 virus with new-onset diabetes and to characterize the population.

Methods

Search PubMed, Embase, Cochrane Library, and Web of Science electronic databases for a limited period from December 2019 to July 2022. Two independent reviewers conducted a thorough review of eligible articles and extracted relevant information. Pooled proportions, risk ratios (RR), and 95% confidence intervals (95% CI) indicated the incidence and risk ratios of events.

Results

The incidence of new-onset diabetes and hyperglycemia in patients with COVID-19 was 5% (P < 0.001) (3 and 30% for new-onset diabetes and hyperglycemia, respectively), with age, ethnicity, time of diagnosis, and study type all having an impact on the incidence (P < 0.05). New-onset diabetes and hyperglycemia were 1.75 times higher in COVID-19 patients than in non-COVID-19 patients. In new-onset diabetes and hyperglycemia population, the percentage of men is 60% (40% for women), with a mortality rate of 17%. The proportion of new-onset diabetes and hyperglycemia after infection with COVID-19 was 25% in men and 14% in women.

Conclusions

The incidence and relative risk of new-onset diabetes and hyperglycemia are elevated after COVID-19 infection, especially in the early COVID-19 and male populations.

Systemic review registration

PROSPERO registration no.: CRD42022382989 https://www.crd.york.ac.uk/PROSPERO/display_record.php?RecordID=382989.
Association of working hours and cumulative fatigue among Chinese primary health care professionals
Authors: Lu Yushi , Li Zhi , Chen Qingsong , Fan Yuting , Wang Jin , Ye Yonghao , Chen Yongqi , Zhong Tian , Wang Ling , Xiao Ying , Zhang Dongmei , Yu Xi
Published: May 2023

Introduction

The association between long working hours and cumulative fatigue is widely acknowledged in the literature. However, there are few studies on the mediating effect of working hours on cumulative fatigue using occupational stress as a mediating variable. The present study aimed at investigating the mediating role of occupational stress in the relationship between working hours and cumulative fatigue in a sample of 1,327 primary health care professionals.

Methods

The Core Occupational Stress Scale and the Workers’ Fatigue Accumulation Self-Diagnosis Scale were utilized in this study. The mediating effect of occupational stress was examined using hierarchical regression analysis and the Bootstrap test.

Results

Working hours were positively associated with cumulative fatigue via occupational stress (p < 0.01). Occupational stress was found to partially mediate the relationship between working hours and cumulative fatigue, with a mediating effect of 0.078 (95% CI: 0.043–0.115, p < 0.01), and the percentage of occupational stress mediating effect was 28.3%.

Discussion

Working hours can be associated with cumulative fatigue either directly or indirectly via occupational stress. As a result, by reducing occupational stress, primary health care professionals may reduce the cumulative fatigue symptoms caused by long hours of work.
Feasibility of a pilot dyadic randomized controlled trial testing the effects of three behavioral interventions on older adults’ cognitive, physical and everyday function
Authors: Phillips Christine B. , McVey Ava , Tian Junyan , Stephan Abigail T. , Davis W. Bennett , Aflagah Erica L. , Ross Lesley A.
Published: May 2023

Introduction: Maintaining functional abilities is critical for optimizing older adults’ well-being and independence. This randomized controlled trial (RCT) pilot examined the feasibility of testing the effects of three commercially available interventions on function-related outcomes in older adults.

Methods: Pairs of community-dwelling older adults (N=55, Mage=71.4) were randomized to a 10-week intervention (cognitive-COG, physical-EX, combined exergame-EXCOG, or control-CON). Cognitive, physical, and everyday function were assessed at baseline, immediately post-intervention, and 6-months post-intervention. Feasibility was evaluated using recruitment, enrollment, training adherence, and retention metrics. Variability and patterns of change in functional outcomes were examined descriptively.

Results: A total of 208 individuals were screened, with 26% subsequently randomized. Across training arms, 95% of training sessions were completed and 89% of participants were retained at immediate post-test. Variability in functional outcomes and patterns of change differed across study arms.

Discussion: Results support a fully powered RCT, with several modifications to the pilot study design, to investigate short- and long-term training impacts.
Participatory design of teacher dashboards: navigating the tension between teacher input and theories on teacher professional vision
Authors: van Leeuwen Anouschka , Strauß Sebastian , Rummel Nikol
Published: May 2023

In the field of AI in education, there is a movement toward human-centered design in which the primary stakeholders are collaborators in establishing the design and functionality of the AI system (participatory design). Several authors have noted that there is a potential tension in participatory design between involving stakeholders and, thus, increasing uptake of the system on the one hand, and the use of educational theory on the other hand. The goal of the present perspective article is to unpack this tension in more detail, focusing on the example of teacher dashboards. Our contribution to theory is to show that insights from the research field of teacher professional vision can help explain why stakeholder involvement may lead to tension. In particular, we discuss that the sources of information that teachers use in their professional vision, and which data sources could be included on dashboards, might differ with respect to whether they actually relate to student learning or not. Using this difference as a starting point for participatory design could help navigate the aforementioned tension. Subsequently, we describe several implications for practice and research that could help move the field of human centered design further.
Improved Jacobian matrix estimation applied to snake robots
Authors: Løwer Jostein , Varagnolo Damiano , Stavdahl Øyvind
Published: May 2023

Two manipulator Jacobian matrix estimators for constrained planar snake robots are developed and tested, which enables the implementation of Jacobian-based obstacle-aided locomotion (OAL) control schemes. These schemes use obstacles in the robot’s vicinity to obtain propulsion. The devised estimators infer manipulator Jacobians for constrained planar snake robots in situations where the positions and number of surrounding obstacle constraints might change or are not precisely known. The first proposed estimator is an adaptation of contemporary research in soft robots and builds on convex optimization. The second estimator builds on the unscented Kalman filter. By simulations, we evaluate and compare the two devised algorithms in terms of their statistical performance, execution times, and robustness to measurement noise. We find that both algorithms lead to Jacobian matrix estimates that are similarly useful to predict end-effector movements. However, the unscented filter approach requires significantly lower computing resources and is not poised by convergence issues displayed by the convex optimization-based method. We foresee that the estimators may have use in other fields of research, such as soft robotics and visual servoing. The estimators may also be adapted for use in general non-planar snake robots.
Will healthy diets increase household food waste?
Authors: Cao Xue , Li Xu
Published: May 2023

With rapid changes in Chinese society, people’s health awareness is also increasing fast, and diets have transitioned from the pursuit of “filling up” to “being well-fed” to today’s “eating reasonably and healthily.” How does this change in healthy diet awareness affect household food waste? Based on a theoretical analysis of the relationship between healthy eating awareness and household food waste, this study uses data from the China Health and Nutritional Survey (CHNS) to further investigate the issue. This study is the first to view household food waste from the perspective of healthy diet awareness and propose a theoretical framework of the effects of healthy diet awareness. The results show that greater awareness of what constitutes a healthy diet can significantly reduce household food waste. Household size, family population structure, income, and the employment status of the household’s main female member are important explanatory variables. We believe government support for advocating and publicizing healthy diets will help reduce household food waste.
Recent trends in the use of bacteriophages as replacement of antimicrobials against food-animal pathogens
Authors: Zia Sana , Alkheraije Khalid A.
Published: May 2023

A major public health impact is associated with foodborne illnesses around the globe. Additionally, bacteria are becoming more resistant to antibiotics, which pose a global threat. Currently, many scientific efforts have been made to develop and implement new technologies to combat bacteria considering the increasing emergence of multidrug-resistant bacteria. In recent years, there has been considerable interest in using phages as biocontrol agents for foodborne pathogens in animals used for food production and in food products themselves. Foodborne outbreaks persist, globally, in many foods, some of which lack adequate methods to control any pathogenic contamination (like fresh produce). This interest may be attributed both to consumers’ desire for more natural food and to the fact that foodborne outbreaks continue to occur in many foods. Poultry is the most common animal to be treated with phage therapy to control foodborne pathogens. A large number of foodborne illnesses worldwide are caused by Salmonella spp. and Campylobacter, which are found in poultry and egg products. Conventional bacteriophage-based therapy can prevent and control humans and animals from various infectious diseases. In this context, describing bacteriophage therapy based on bacterial cells may offer a breakthrough for treating bacterial infections. Large-scale production of pheasants may be economically challenging to meet the needs of the poultry market. It is also possible to produce bacteriophage therapy on a large scale at a reduced cost. Recently, they have provided an ideal platform for designing and producing immune-inducing phages. Emerging foodborne pathogens will likely be targeted by new phage products in the future. In this review article, we will mainly focus on the Bacteriophages (phages) that have been proposed as an alternative strategy to antibiotics for food animal pathogens and their use for public health and food safety.
Feline umbilical cord-derived mesenchymal stem cells: isolation, identification, and antioxidative stress role through NF-κB signaling pathway
Authors: Zhai Zhu-Hui , Li Jun , You Zhao , Cai Yang , Yang Jie , An Jie , Zhao Di-Peng , Wang He-Jie , Dou Min-Min , Du Rong , Qin Jian
Published: May 2023

At present, the differentiation potential and antioxidant activity of feline umbilical cord-derived mesenchymal stem cells (UC-MSCs) have not been clearly studied. In this study, feline UC-MSCs were isolated by tissue adhesion method, identified by flow cytometry detection of cell surface markers (CD44, CD90, CD34, and CD45), and induced differentiation toward osteogenesis and adipogenesis in vitro. Furthermore, the oxidative stress model was established with hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) (100 μM, 300 μM, 500 μM, 700 μM, and 900 μM). The antioxidant properties of feline UC-MSCs and feline fibroblasts were compared by morphological observation, ROS detection, cell viability via CCK-8 assay, as well as oxidative and antioxidative parameters via ELISA. The mRNA expression of genes related to NF-κB pathway was detected via quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction, while the levels of NF-κB signaling cascade-related proteins were determined via Western Blot. The results showed that feline UC-MSCs highly expressed CD44 and CD90, while negative for CD34 and CD45 expression. Feline UC-MSCs cultured under osteogenic and adipogenic conditions showed good differentiation capacity. After being exposed to different concentrations of H2O2 for eight hours, feline UC-MSCs exhibited the significantly higher survival rate than feline fibroblasts. A certain concentration of H2O2 could up-regulate the activities of SOD2 and GSH-Px in feline UC-MSCs. The expression levels of p50, MnSOD, and FHC mRNA in feline UC-MSCs stimulated by 300 μM and 500 μM H2O2 significantly increased compared with the control group. Furthermore, it was observed that 500 μM H2O2 significantly enhanced the protein levels of p-IκB, IκB, p-p50, p50, MnSOD, and FHC, which could be reversed by BAY 11-7,082, a NF-κB signaling pathway inhibitor. In conclusion, it was confirmed that feline UC-MSCs, with good osteogenesis and adipogenesis abilities, had better antioxidant property which might be related to NF-κB signaling pathway. This study lays a foundation for the further application of feline UC-MSCs in treating the various inflammatory and oxidative injury diseases of pets.
Genetic and phylogenetic relationship of an American caprine rotavirus B strain with equine rotavirus B
Authors: Paul Litty , Morgan Jocelynn , Pulley Gloria , Uprety Tirth , Hause Ben M. , Adam Emma , Li Feng , Carter Craig N. , Marthaler Douglas , Erol Erdal
Published: May 2023

Rotaviruses (RVs) are significant enteric pathogens of humans and animals. In March 2021, the University of Kentucky Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory (UKVDL) received a fecal sample from a 1-week-old goat kid with diarrhea from a farm with 5 additional diarrheic kids. The fecal sample was tested negative for Bovine coronavirus, Bovine rotavirus Group A, E. coli K99+, Cryptosporidium parvum and Salmonella spp by multiplex real-time PCR assays. Interestingly, a novel Equine Rotavirus B (ERVB) in Kentucky was identified from neonatal foals also with watery diarrhea in the Spring of 2021. Once the ERVB-specific real-time PCR assay became available, the fecal sample from the goat kid was tested and found positive for RVB. Genome sequence of the caprine RVB from fecal sample was obtained using shotgun metagenomic sequencing by Illumina MiSeq. All of the eleven viral segments of caprine RVB were sequenced either completely or partially. Genetic and phylogenetic analysis of VP7, VP4, VP6, VP1–VP3, and NSP1- NSP5 genes indicated the caprine RVB strain had the genotype constellation of G3-P[3]-I3- R3-C3-M3-A4-N3-T3-E3-H3. In addition, the caprine RVB sequence showed the highest nucleotide identity and evolutionary relationship to the ERVB and previously sequenced caprine RVB strains. Given the similar geographical location of the equine and caprine strains from our study, these findings suggest a possible common source of infection.
An Online Survey of the Perceptions of Clinical and Non-Clinical Professionals on Healthcare for Non-Communicable Diseases and COVID-19 Measures During the Pandemic in Malaysia
Authors: Sureshkumar Sugitha , Mustapha Feisul , Yusoff Haironi , Mwangi Kibachio Joseph , Marcus Kailing , Kohlbrenner Bogomil , Issom David , Benissa Mohamed-Rida , Aebischer-Perone Sigiriya , Braha Nirit , Candela Egidio , Chhabra Kumar Gaurav , Desikachari B. R. , Dondi Arianna , Etchebehere Marina , Gathecha Gladwell , Kengne Andre Pascal , Missoni Eduardo , Palafox Benjamin , Pati Sanghamitra , Madhu Priyanka Paul , Peer Nasheeta , Quint Jennifer , Tabrizi Reza , Oris Michel , Beran David , Balabanova Dina , Etter Jean-Francois
Published: May 2023

Objectives: This study assesses the opinions of health professionals in Malaysia on the disruption of non-communicable disease (NCD) services during the COVID-19 pandemic from March 2020 to January 2022.

Methods: We conducted a cross-sectional online survey with 191 non-clinical public health workers and clinical health service workers in Malaysia from November 2021 to January 2022. Participants were recruited by the Malaysian Ministry of Health using major networks including key experts and practitioners. Secondary respondents were subsequently enrolled through snowballing.

Results: The most notable issues raised by the survey participants relate to NCD service disruption, the redirection of NCD care resources, and NCD care being overburdened post-pandemic. Respondents also reported accounts of resilience and prompt reaction from the healthcare system, as well as calls for innovation.

Conclusion: Most respondents perceived that the challenges arising from COVID-19 were mostly managed well by the healthcare system, which was able to provide the necessary services to NCD patients during this health emergency. However, the study identifies gaps in the health system response and preparedness capacity, and highlights solutions for strengthening NCD services.
Network pharmacology and molecular docking reveal the immunomodulatory mechanism of rhubarb peony decoction for the treatment of ulcerative colitis and irritable bowel syndrome
Authors: Zhai Leilei , Yang Weiming , Li Dianrong , Zhou Wei , Cui Min , Yao Ping
Published: May 2023

Background: Ulcerative colitis (UC) and irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) share various similarities in clinical symptoms, pathogenesis, and treatment. UC concurrent IBS tends toward more severe symptoms and worse prognosis, and promising feasible therapies for the overlapping symptoms remains a challenge. Rhubarb peony decoction (RPD) is a well-known traditional Chinese medicine that has been widely applied in treating UC. RPD may exert extensive therapeutic effects on both IBS and UC. However, the common mechanism of its treatment remains unclear. We aimed to assess the potential pharmacological mechanism of RPD in the treatment of overlapping IBS and UC.

Methods: The active components and targets of RPD were retrieved from ETCM, TCMSP, BATMAN-TCM, and TCM databases. The disease targets were screened by searching the DrugBank, OMIM, TTD, and PharmGKB databases. PPI network analysis was performed and visualized via the STRING platform and Cytoscape software. GO and KEGG enrichment analyses of the hub genes of RPD were predicted to elucidate the potential molecular mechanism. Subsequently, molecular docking was carried out to verify the combination of active compounds with core targets.

Results: By integrating all targets of RPD and disease, a total of 31 bioactive ingredients were identified including quercetin, kaempferol, aloe-emodin, beta-sitosterol, and (+)-catechin, etc. JUN, TP53, MAPK1, RELA, MYC, and ESR1 were explored as potential therapeutic targets among 126 common drug-disease-related targets. They were enriched in the AGE-RAGE signaling pathway in diabetic complications, as well as the NF-kappa B signaling pathway and MAPK signaling pathway. Additionally, some active ingredients were identified as candidates for binding to the hub targets via molecular docking, further suggesting their anti-inflammatory and antioxidative properties.

Conclusion: RPD may exert the overall treatment effect for UC and IBS overlap syndrome via the biological mechanism of “multi-ingredients, multi-targets, and multi-pathways” on inflammation, oxidative stress, immune, oncogenicity, and gut microbiota dysbiosis.
How to Structure a Successful Organ Donation and Transplantation System in Eight (Not So Easy) Steps: An Italian Case Study
Authors: Mah Jasmine , Johnston-Webber Charlotte , Prionas Apostolos , Romagnoli Jacopo , Streit Simon , Wharton George , Mossialos Elias , Papalois Vassilios
Published: May 2023

Valuable information can be obtained from a systematic evaluation of a successful national transplant program. This paper provides an overview of Italy’s solid organ transplantation program which is coordinated by the National Transplant Network (Rete Nazionale Trapianti) and The National Transplant Center (Centro Nazionale Trapianti). The analysis is based on a system-level conceptual framework and identifies components of the Italian system that have contributed to improving rates of organ donation and transplantation. A narrative literature review was conducted and the findings were validated iteratively with input from subject matter experts. The results were organized into eight critical steps, including 1) generating legal definitions of living and deceased donation, 2) taking steps to ensure that altruistic donation and transplantation become part of the national culture and a point of pride, 3) seeking out existing examples of successful programs, 4) creating a situation in which it is easy to become a donor, 5) learning from mistakes, 6) working to diminish risk factors that lead to the need for organ donation, 7) increasing the rate of donations and transplantations via innovative strategies and policies, and 8) planning for a system that supports growth.
DrugFinder: Druggable Protein Identification Model Based on Pre-Trained Models and Evolutionary Information
Authors: Zhang Mu , Wan Fengqiang , Liu Taigang
Published: May 2023

The identification of druggable proteins has always been the core of drug development. Traditional structure-based identification methods are time-consuming and costly. As a result, more and more researchers have shifted their attention to sequence-based methods for identifying druggable proteins. We propose a sequence-based druggable protein identification model called DrugFinder. The model extracts the features from the embedding output of the pre-trained protein model Prot_T5_Xl_Uniref50 (T5) and the evolutionary information of the position-specific scoring matrix (PSSM). Afterwards, to remove redundant features and improve model performance, we used the random forest (RF) method to select features, and the selected features were trained and tested on multiple different machine learning classifiers, including support vector machines (SVM), RF, naive Bayes (NB), extreme gradient boosting (XGB), and k-nearest neighbors (KNN). Among these classifiers, the XGB model achieved the best results. DrugFinder reached an accuracy of 94.98%, sensitivity of 96.33% and specificity of 96.83% on the independent test set, which is much better than the results from existing identification methods. Our model also performed well on another additional test set related to tumors, achieving an accuracy of 88.71% and precision of 93.72%. This further demonstrates the strong generalization capability of the model.
Study on RP-3 Aviation Fuel Vapor Concentration
Authors: Peng Xiaotian , Fan Donghao , Qiu Doudou , Feng Shiyu , Peng Hao , Bai Wentao
Published: May 2023

Fuel vapor concentration is a key parameter for assessing the flammability of aircraft fuel tanks. However, the current research on RP-3 (Rocket Propellant-3) fuel vapor concentration is inadequate. This study categorizes fuel components by the number of carbon atoms and utilizes Raoult’s law to estimate the gas–liquid equilibrium relationship of each constituent element under equilibrium conditions. The equilibrium-state model is experimentally validated, and the differences in the constituents and fuel vapor concentrations of RP-3 and Jet-A (Jet Fuel-A) fuels are analyzed. In addition, an empirical correlation between the overall hydrocarbon concentration of RP-3 fuel vapor and the temperature and pressure in the equilibrium state is established, providing a theoretical basis for determining RP-3 fuel vapor concentration in related investigations. Furthermore, a transient prediction model of fuel vapor concentration is developed using the lumped parameter approach that considers the heat exchange among the fuel, gas, wall, and environment. The model’s accuracy is confirmed by comparing it to existing literature. Then, the temperature and fuel vapor concentration variation patterns in the fuel tank are calculated and evaluated under two typical flight scenarios. The results show a significant difference between the calculated fuel vapor concentration values obtained through equilibrium-state and transient models. Therefore, in the design of fuel vapor catalytic inerting systems, it is crucial to consider both the equilibrium and transient fuel vapor concentration values rather than relying solely on the former. Throughout the flight envelope, gas phase and fuel phase temperatures in RP-3, Jet-A, and C10H22 fuel tanks exhibit minimal differences. However, significant variations in fuel vapor concentration exist depending on the flight state and envelope. Hence, regarding RP-3 as equivalent to C10H22 is inappropriate. Additionally, fuel vapor concentration is a more suitable metric than fuel temperature for assessing fuel tank flammability.
Beyond Trade-Off: An Optimized Binocular Stereo Vision Based Depth Estimation Algorithm for Designing Harvesting Robot in Orchards
Authors: Zhang Li , Hao Qun , Mao Yefei , Su Jianbin , Cao Jie
Published: May 2023

Depth estimation is one of the bottleneck parts for harvesting robots to determine whether the operation of grasping or picking succeeds or not directly. This paper proposed a novel disparity completion method combined with bilateral filtering and pyramid fusion to improve the issues of incorrect outputs due to the missed or wrong matching when achieving 3D position from 2D images in open-world environments. Briefly, our proposed method has two significant advantages in general. Firstly, occlusion between leaves, branches, and fruits is a universal phenomenon in unstructured orchard environments, which results in the most depth estimation algorithms facing great challenges to obtain accurate outputs in these occluded regions. To alleviate these issues, unlike other research efforts that already exist, we optimized the semi-global matching algorithm to obtain high accuracy sparse values as an initial disparity map; then, an improved bilateral filtering algorithm is proposed to eliminate holes and discontinuous regions caused by occlusion to obtain precise and density disparity outputs. Secondly, due to taking the practical high-efficiency requirements of the automated harvesting robot in its working status into consideration, we attempted to merge multiple low-resolution bilateral filtering results through the pyramid fusion model which goes beyond the trade-off mechanism to improve the performance of both accuracy and time cost. Finally, a prototype harvesting robot was designed to conduct experiments at three kinds of different distances (0.6~0.75 m, 1~1.2 m, and 1.6~1.9 m). Experiment results showed that our proposed method achieved density disparity maps and eliminated holes and discontinuous defects in the disparity map effectively. The average absolute error of our proposed method is 3.2 mm, and the average relative error is 1.79%. In addition, the time cost is greatly reduced more than 90%. Comprehensive experimental results demonstrate that our proposed algorithm provides a potential possibility for designing harvesting.
Effective Proportion of Plantain (Plantago lanceolata L.) in Mixed Pastures for Botanical Stability and Mitigating Nitrous Oxide Emissions from Cow Urine Patches
Authors: Vi Chi , Kemp Peter D. , Saggar Surinder , Navarrete Soledad , Horne David J.
Published: May 2023

Plantain (Plantago lanceolata L.) is recognised for its ability to improve summer feed productivity as well as mitigate nitrous oxide (N2O) emissions from grazed pastoral soils. This study aims to determine the proportion of plantain required in perennial ryegrass (Lolium perenne L.) and white clover (Trifolium repens L.), or RWC, mixed swards to maintain yield stability and to quantify N2O emission reductions. The botanical composition was monitored when plantain was sown at different rates of 0%, 30%, 50% and 70% in RWC pastures under grazing by dairy cows over 2 grazing years. Urine from cows grazing RWC (6.15 g N L−1), 30% (5.40 g N L−1) and 50% (4.40 g N L−1) plantain mixed pastures was used to measure N2O emissions (n = 5) from the pastures of their origin and to assess the impact of the plantain rhizosphere on N2O emissions by applying the RWC urine to the 50% plantain mixed pasture, and vice versa, in late summer–autumn using the static chambers technique. After declining in spring, the plantain content recovered in early autumn and reached a peak of 40% in the 30% plantain mixed pasture and around 50% in the 50% and 70% plantain mixed pastures in winter. A lower N content in urine, and therefore a lower urine N-loading rate from cows grazing in the 50% plantain mixed pasture, resulted in 39% lower total N2O emissions compared to RWC urine treatment. In conclusion, 30% to 50% plantain in mixed pastures was stable throughout the 2 years, and it not only reduced the urinary N concentration in grazing cattle but also contributed to reduced N2O EFs.
Enhancement of Soil Available Nutrients and Crop Growth in Sustainable Agriculture by a Biocontrol Bacterium Lysobacter enzymogenes LE16: Preliminary Results in Controlled Conditions
Authors: Chen Danmei , Liu Qingfu , Zhang Guangqi , Zang Lipeng
Published: May 2023

The indiscriminate use of chemical fertilizers has led to adverse environmental impacts and poor crop quality and accelerates the depletion of mineral reserves used for fertilizer production. Microbes are vital in soil nutrient cycling, and some effectively enhance soil nutrient supply and reduce chemical fertilizer usage. Biocontrol bacterium Lysobacter enzymogenes LE16 can produce various hydrolases against plant pathogens to mineralize soil organics via enzyme production. Therefore, the enzyme production, soil organic P and N mineralization, and crop agronomic performances induced by L. enzymogenes LE16 were investigated by pure culture, soil incubation, and greenhouse pot experiments. L. enzymogenes LE16 can hydrolyze lecithin and protein and convert them to inorganic P and NH4+-N. Similarly, available P and N increased as this bacterium was inoculated and grown in the tested soil. In the greenhouse pot experiment, phosphomonoesterase and protease produced by L. enzymogenes LE16 inoculant effectively mineralized soil organic P and N and enhanced soil available nutrients, thereby improving the nutrient uptake, fertilizer utilization rate, and agronomic efficiency of lettuce and pepper seedlings. Bacterial inoculation increased the lettuce yield by 6.43–11.30% and pepper fruit yield by 43.82–70.32%, even with less chemical fertilizer application. Therefore, L. enzymogenes LE16 can hydrolyze lecithin and protein in pure cultures, and mineralize organic P and N in soils, thus improving crop yield and quality and reducing chemical fertilizer application via the production of phosphomonoesterase and protease. L. enzymogenes LE16 shows potential for sustainable agriculture beyond plant protection.
Finding Phenotypic Biomarkers for Drought Tolerance in Solanum tuberosum
Authors: Köhl Karin I. , Aneley Gedif Mulugeta , Haas Manuela
Published: May 2023

Climate change models predict increased drought frequencies. Maintaining yield stability necessitates drought-tolerant crops. However, their breeding is challenging; drought tolerance is a multigene trait with significant environment interaction. Thus, the training of genomic selection models requires phenotyping a large genotype population under arid conditions. We aimed to identify phenotypic tolerance traits that facilitate the screening of large populations in the field. We performed three trials on 20 tetraploid Solanum tuberosum ssp. tuberosum genotypes with significant drought tolerance variation. Plants were subjected to early, late and long-term drought under variable climate conditions. For each stress scenario, the drought tolerance index DRYMp was calculated from the relative tuber starch yield. A laser scanner system measured canopy development continuously over the crop’s lifecycle and provided estimates of leaf movement and canopy growth features. Growth curves were evaluated by logistic regression. Different multiple regression approaches were compared for their ability to predict tolerance from phenotype data of optimally watered or stressed plants. We established that early short-term stress can be used as a proxy for long-term stress in the absence of genetic variation for drought stress recovery or memory. The gen-otypes varied significantly in most canopy features. Leaf-area-based features combined significant genotype effects with environmental stability. Multiple regression models based on single-day data outperformed those based on the regression curve parameter. The models included leaf area and leaf position parameters and partially reproduced prior findings on siblings in a genetically more diverse population.
CH4 and N2O Emission and Grain Yield Performance of Three Main Rice-Farming Patterns in Central China
Authors: Li Chengwei , Zhu Jie , Li Xinyu , Deng Jiao , Yang Wei , Zhou Yong , Li Shaoqiu , Yi Lixia , Liu Zhangyong , Zhu Bo
Published: May 2023

This study focuses on the development of more cropping systems in response to global warming and food security concerns. A two-year field experiment (2017–2018) was conducted to investigate the effects of greenhouse gases (GHGs), soil environmental factors and yield on traditional double-cropping rice (DR), maize rice (MR) and ratooning rice (Rr). The results showed a significant annual effect of temperature and rainfall on GHG emissions under different cropping systems. Annual CH4 emissions under MR and Rr were significantly lower than under DR. Compared to DR, the highest cumulative N2O emissions were observed in MR (14.9 kg·ha−1) with a reduction of 23.7% in Rr. In addition, the upland crops significantly reduced CH4 emissions for late rice, while N2O emissions increased by 20.6%. Compared with DR and Rr, global warming potential (GWP) and greenhouse gas intensity (GHGI) were significantly lower for MR (p < 0.05). Meanwhile, the annual yield of MR (16.40 t·ha−1) was 8.1% and 2.4% higher than that of DR and Rr, respectively. This study further found that soil temperature and NH4+-N content were positively correlated with CH4 and N2O emissions, and soil moisture was positively correlated with N2O emission. Thus, we concluded that MR has the greatest potential to improve crop yield and mitigate GHG emissions in central China.
Prevalence and Associated Factors of optrA-Positive-Enterococcus faecalis in Different Reservoirs around Farms in Vietnam
Authors: Ha Hoang Thi An , Nguyen Phuong Thi Lan , Hung Tran Thi Mai , Tuan Le Anh , Thuy Bui Thanh , Lien Tran Hoang My , Thai Pham Duy , Thanh Nguyen Ha , Bich Vu Thi Ngoc , Anh Tran Hai , Hanh Ngo Thi Hong , Minh Nguyen Thi , Thanh Duy Pham , Mai Si-Nguyen T. , The Hao Chung , Trung Nguyen Vu , Thu Nguyen Hoai , Duong Tran Nhu , Anh Dang Duc , Ngoc Pham Thi , Bañuls Anne-Laure , Choisy Marc , van Doorn H. Rogier , Suzuki Masato , Hoang Tran Huy
Published: May 2023

Linezolid is an antibiotic of last resort for the treatment of infections caused by Gram-positive bacteria, including vancomycin-resistant enterococci. Enterococcus faecalis, a member of enterococci, is a significant pathogen in nosocomial infections. E. faecalis resistance to linezolid is frequently related to the presence of optrA, which is often co-carried with fex, phenicol exporter genes, and erm genes encoding macrolide resistance. Therefore, the common use of antibiotics in veterinary might promote the occurrence of optrA in livestock settings. This is a cross-sectional study aiming to investigate the prevalence of optrA positive E. faecalis (OPEfs) in 6 reservoirs in farms in Ha Nam province, Vietnam, and its associated factors and to explore genetic relationships of OPEfs isolates. Among 639 collected samples, the prevalence of OPEfs was highest in flies, 46.8% (51/109), followed by chickens 37.3% (72/193), dogs 33.3% (17/51), humans 18.7% (26/139), wastewater 16.4% (11/67) and pigs 11.3%, (14/80). The total feeding area and total livestock unit of the farm were associated with the presence of OPEfs in chickens, flies, and wastewater. Among 186 OPEfs strains, 86% were resistant to linezolid. The presence of optrA was also related to the resistant phenotype against linezolid and levofloxacin of E. faecalis isolates. Close genotypic relationships identified by Pulsed Field Gel Electrophoresis between OPEfs isolates recovered from flies and other reservoirs including chickens, pigs, dogs, and wastewater suggested the role of flies in the transmission of antibiotic-resistant pathogens. These results provided warnings of linezolid resistance although it is not used in livestock.
Development and Validation of a Prognostic Model for Multi-Drug-Resistant Non-Hospital-Acquired Bloodstream Infection
Authors: Pivetta Emanuele , Corcione Silvia , Peasso Paolo , Cara Irene , Capodanno Alberto , Brussino Andrea , Petitti Paolo , Galli Eleonora , Galmozzi Maddalena , Ghisetti Valeria , Cavallo Rossana , Aprà Franco , Lupia Enrico , De Rosa Francesco Giuseppe , Montrucchio Giuseppe
Published: May 2023

Bloodstream infections (BSI) are an increasing cause of admissions to hospitals. Non-hospital-acquired BSI are defined by blood cultures that are positive less than 48 hours after admission, but a relevant difference exists between community-acquired and healthcare-associated (HCA) BSI in terms of risk of multidrug resistance (MDR). We planned a retrospective study in three different cohorts in order to develop and to temporally and spatially validate an easy and rapid prognostic model for identifying MDR non-hospital-acquired (non-HA) BSI. The pathogens most involved in BSI are Staphylococcus spp. and Escherichia coli, responsible for about 75% of all MDR isolated. The model includes age, gender, long-term care facility admission, immunocompromise, any recent invasive procedures and central line placement, recent intravenous treatment and antibiotic treatment. It shows an acceptable performance, especially for intermediate probabilities of MDR infection, with a C-index of 70%. The model was proposed in a nomogram that could allow better targeting of antibiotic therapy for non-HA BSI admitted in hospital. However, it should be further validated to determine its applicability in other populations.
New Antimicrobials for the Treatment of Neonatal Sepsis Caused by Multi-Drug-Resistant Bacteria: A Systematic Review
Authors: Poggi Chiara , Dani Carlo
Published: May 2023

Background: Infections by multi-drug-resistant (MDR) organisms are sharply increasing in newborns worldwide. In low and middle-income countries, a disproportionate amount of neonatal sepsis caused by MDR Gram negatives was recently reported. Newborns with infections by MDR organisms with limited treatment options may benefit from novel antimicrobials. Methods: We performed a literature search investigating the use in newborns, infants and children of novel antimicrobials for the treatment of MDR Gram negatives, namely ceftazidime/avibactam, ceftolozane/tazobactam, cefiderocol, meropenem/vaborbactam, imipenem/relebactam, and Gram positives with resistance of concern, namely ceftaroline and dalbavancin. PubMed, EMBASE, and Web of Science were searched. Results: A total of 50 records fulfilled the inclusion criteria. Most articles were case reports or case series, and ceftazidime/avibactam was the most studied agent. All studies showed favorable efficacy and safety profile in newborns and across different age cohorts. Conclusions: novel antibiotics may be considered in newborns for the treatment of MDR Gram negatives with limited treatment options and for Gram positives with resistance concerns. Further studies are needed to address their effectiveness and safety in newborns.