bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Prolonged incubation of frozen–thawed equine spermatozoa for in vitro fertilization: A preliminary study using low temperature and INRA96 medium
Authors: Luis‐Calero Marcos , Muñoz‐García Carmen C. , Fernández‐Hernández Pablo , Macías‐García Beatriz , González‐Fernández Lauro
Published: October 2024

A protocol for conventional in vitro fertilization (IVF) in horses using fresh semen has been described, using a prolonged incubation in FERT‐TALP medium (22 h) at 38.2°C in the presence of penicillamine, hypotaurine and epinephrine (PHE). Our work aimed to develop a protocol that maintains quality parameters in frozen–thawed equine spermatozoa incubated for 22 h in the presence of PHE using different media (FERT‐TALP and INRA96) and incubation temperatures (30 and 38.2°C). Twelve frozen ejaculates from four stallions were thawed and then incubated in either FERT‐TALP or INRA96 with PHE at 30 or 38.2°C for 22 h. Following incubation, total motility (TM), progressive motility (PM), viability and acrosome integrity were evaluated. The results showed that TM was significantly higher (p < .001) at 30°C in both media, while PM was higher for INRA96 at 30°C compared to 38°C (p < .05). Moreover, INRA96 at 30°C exhibited higher sperm viability and acrosome integrity (p < .001) compared to the other experimental groups. These preliminary results suggest that incubating thawed equine spermatozoa at 30°C with PHE in INRA96 successfully maintains motility, viability and acrosome integrity in equine spermatozoa, indicating its potential use for conventional equine IVF.
Impact of semen cryopreservation season on in vitro embryo production of prepubertal goat oocytes
Authors: Ferrer‐Roda Mònica , Catalán Jaime , Izquierdo Dolors , Oliveira Maria Emilia Franco , Paramio Maria‐Teresa
Published: October 2024

Goat production is affected by reproductive seasonality. In vitro embryo production (IVEP) could overcome this effect. This study aimed to evaluate the impact of the season of semen collection/freezing on IVEP of prepubertal goat oocytes and on sperm quality and functionality concerning capacitation. Semen from six fertile bucks was collected, pooled and cryopreserved in spring and autumn and used for IVEP of oocytes recovered during the breeding season. Oocytes were IVM in TCM‐199 with hormones, EGF and cysteamine; fertilized and cultured in BO‐IVF and BO‐IVC media (IVF Bioscience, UK). Semen samples were assessed at 0 and 3 h after culture in capacitating (BO‐IVF, CAP) and non‐capacitating conditions for sperm plasma membrane and acrosome integrity, mitochondrial membrane potential (MMP), intracellular calcium and plasma membrane lipid disorder. Blastocyst production was higher with spring sperm compared to autumn (12.0% vs. 2.1%, respectively; p < .05). After CAP, acrosome reaction and intracellular calcium were higher (p < .05) in spring than autumn sperm. No differences were found in other sperm parameters. In conclusion, seasonal variations in the IVEP of prepubertal goats could be linked to differences in sperm ability to undergo in vitro capacitation.
The Cryotop vitrification system is competent for the simultaneous cryopreservation of large numbers of pig in vitro‐produced blastocysts
Authors: González‐Plaza A. , Garcia‐Canovas M. , Parrilla I. , Rodriguez‐Martinez H. , Gil M. A. , Martinez E. A. , Cuello C.
Published: October 2024

This study aimed to compare the effectiveness, in terms of viability and quality post‐warming, when vitrifying in vitro‐produced (IVP) pig blastocysts with either a modified Cryotop (n = 161; 20 blastocysts/device) or the conventional Superfine Open Pulled Straw (SOPS; n=160; 5‐6 blastocysts/device systems. Blastocyst viability, morphology, and apoptosis parameters were evaluated after 24 h of in vitro culture. The Cryotop system yields better results in terms of higher embryo viability and total cell numbers (p < .05) and lower apoptosis (p < .05) parameters than the SOPS procedure, defining a high effectiveness to simultaneously vitrify 20 pig IVP blastocysts at one time, thus increasing the yield of IVP blastocysts readily available for embryo transfer.
Impact of N‐acetyl‐L‐cysteine on spindle morphology and reactive oxygen species in vitrified/warmed in vitro matured bovine oocytes
Authors: Gago Sonia , Diaz‐Muñoz Judith , Mogas Teresa
Published: October 2024

Low developmental potential of vitrified in vitro matured (IVM) bovine oocytes is frequently attributed to high levels of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and abnormal spindle assembly. This study aimed to evaluate the efficacy of N‐acetyl‐L‐cysteine (NAC), a cell‐permeating antioxidant, added to IVM medium in reducing ROS and preserving spindle configuration of vitrified/warmed IVM bovine oocytes. Oocytes collected from abattoir ovaries were either cultured in IVM medium or in IVM medium supplemented with 1 mM NAC for the initial 8 h of IVM. Half of the oocytes of each group were vitrified/warmed, and spindle morphology and ROS production were assessed at 24 h of IVM. Results indicated that fresh oocytes IVM with NAC improved spindle configuration, with significantly lower ROS levels compared to the control group. Vitrification resulted in lower percentages of bovine oocytes reaching the metaphase II stage but similar ROS levels to non‐vitrified oocytes, regardless of NAC supplementation. However, the supplementation of NAC during maturation had no effect on spindle or chromosome configuration of vitrified oocytes. These findings emphasize NAC's potential in enhancing the quality of IVM bovine oocytes but its addition at 1 mM for 8 h to IVM medium did not decrease levels of ROS nor improve spindle assembly after vitrification.
A new hormonal protocol supports early development of in vitro‐produced embryos after transfer to anoestrus mares
Authors: Muñoz‐García Carmen C. , Luis‐Calero Marcos , Fernández‐Hernández Pablo , Pizarro‐Hernández Alba , Fernández‐González Raúl , Gutiérrez‐Adán Alfonso , Sánchez‐Calabuig María Jesús , Cuervo‐Arango Juan , González‐Fernández Lauro , Macías‐García Beatriz
Published: October 2024

The present study aimed to evaluate whether primed anoestrus mares are suitable recipients for embryos produced by intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI). Anoestrus was confirmed in four mares and daily doses of oestradiol benzoate (6 mg in total) over 5 days were administered; after 3 days of rest, oral altrenogest was administered at 0.088 mg/kg and embryos (1 to 5 embryos per mare; 15 in total) were transferred 3.5 days after progesterone onset. Uterine lavage was conducted 48 h after transfer. The results revealed an 80% embryo recovery rate, and among the retrieved embryos, 67% showed evident intrauterine development. Hence, ICSI‐derived embryos can be successfully transferred to primed anoestrus mares, but more studies are required to ensure further embryo development and foaling.
Prevalence of pseudopregnancy in bitch attending a veterinary teaching hospital in Spain
Authors: Falceto Maria Victoria , Garrido Ana Maria , Bueno Marta , Tejedor Maria Teresa , Cantin Julia , Garza‐Moreno Laura , Mitjana Olga
Published: October 2024

Pseudopregnancy (PSG) is one of the most common syndromes diagnosed after oestrous cycle in female dogs. We found a diagnosed prevalence of PSG at 30.81% among reproductive pathologies in bitch. Concentrated oestrous occurrences in spring and autumn influence PSG distribution. PSG onset is marked by behavioural changes, followed by physical signs (mammary enlargement and galactorrhea). The last oestrous‐PSG onset interval ranged from 1 to 6 months (median = 3.0 months) and the median for the interval spaying‐PSG onset was 7.0 days. Half of the cases were discharged after 16 days, surpassing recommended treatment periods for cabergoline (4–6 days) and metergoline (8 days). Although Elizabethan collars were recommended, actual compliance stood at two‐thirds of cases. Our study highlights the possible underestimation of the PSG prevalence, probably due to lack of identification of clinical signs by owners. Further research is warranted to better understand possible risk factors, preventive measures or therapeutic options.
Influence of liquid extender, preservation temperature and time on the sheep sperm quality
Authors: Díaz‐Hernández E. , Bóveda P. , Picazo C. M. , Laborda‐Gomariz J. A. , Serralle M. , Ramón M. , Gallego R. , Montoro V. , García‐Álvarez O. , Fernández‐Santos R. , Garde J. J. , Soler A. J.
Published: October 2024

In this study, we evaluated sheep sperm quality after using Tris‐citrate‐fructose‐based extender with and without egg yolk, a Tris‐citrate without fructose and with egg yolk and the commercial extender Biladyl®, preserving diluted semen at 15 and 23°C for different times (4, 24, 48 and 72 h). The results showed that the diluents with fructose and egg yolk gave the best results of seminal quality. Moreover, the production of ROS was higher for the temperature of 23°C compared to the temperature of 15°C (control). In addition, VCL and the percentage of spermatozoa with intact acrosome decreased with temperatures of 23°C. Finally, a drastic decrease in sperm quality was observed after 24 hours of preservation for most of the parameters evaluated.
The all‐day pollinator visits of sunflower inflorescences in Helianthus annuus plantations are independent of head orientation: Testing a widespread hypothesis
Authors: Horváth Gábor , Dárdai Bence , Bíró Máté , Slíz‐Balogh Judit , Száz Dénes , Barta András , Egri Ádám
Published: October 2024

Mature inflorescences of sunflowers (Helianthus annuus) orient constantly on average to the geographical east. According to one of the explanations of this phenomenon, the eastward orientation of sunflower inflorescences increases the number of attracted insect pollinators. We tested this hypothesis in three field experiments performed in flowering sunflower plantations. In experiments 1 and 2 we measured the number of insects trapped by the vertical walls of sticky sunflower models facing north, east, south, and west. In experiment 3 we counted the pollinators' landings on real sunflower inflorescences facing naturally east or turned artificially toward north, south, and west. We found that the all‐day number of pollinators (predominantly bees) attracted to model and real sunflowers in H. annuus plantations is independent of the azimuth direction of sunflower heads, and after 10 h in the morning, the average number of pollinators counted every 20 min is practically constant in the rest of the day.
RNA sequencing and functional analysis uncover key long non‐coding RNAs involved in regulating pollen fertility during the process of gametocidal action in wheat
Authors: Zhang Wenrui , Wang Dan , Yin Zhonghuan , Tang Lu , Pan Xiaoyang , Guo Changhong
Published: October 2024

Gametocidal (Gc) chromosomes have been widely utilized in genetic breeding due to their ability to induce chromosomal breakage and eliminate gametes that lack them. Long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) have various functional mechanisms in regulating pollen and anther development; however, their regulatory contributions to Gc action are still unknown. Here, we identified 2824 differentially expressed lncRNAs (DE‐lncRNAs) from the anther tissues of Triticum aestivum cv. Chinese Spring (CS) and Chinese Spring‐Gc 3C chromosome monosomic addition line (CS‐3C) through sequencing. In this study, we predicted 161 target mRNAs for 145 DE‐lncRNAs, including 104 cis‐regulatory, 60 trans‐regulatory, and three both cis‐regulatory and trans‐regulatory manner. Combined with our previous miRNA sequencing data, 241 DE‐lncRNAs functioned as potential endogenous target mimics (eTMs) for 84 differentially expressed microRNAs (DE‐miRNAs, including 12 novel miRNAs). The results of transient transformation in tobacco leaves indicated that L006278 could bind to MTCONS_00006277, which encoded a calcineurin CBL‐interacting protein kinase 19‐like, and suppress its expression. Furthermore, L117735 could function as an eTM for tae‐miR9657b‐3p, and L056972 could function as an eTM for gc‐m2240‐5p. To explore the function of lncRNAs in the process of Gc action, we transformed L006278, an up‐regulated lncRNA in CS‐3C, into rice to analyze its effect on pollen fertility. Overexpression of L006278 led to a reduction in rice pollen fertility. Overall, our findings indicate that lncRNAs can contribute to the regulation of pollen fertility during the process of Gc action by regulating the expression levels of target mRNAs and acting as eTMs for certain key miRNAs.
Dynamic Control of Cardboard-Blank Picking by Using Reinforcement Learning
Authors: Angelini Michele , Mancini Riccardo , Baraccani Davide , Rea Dario , Carricato Marco
Published: October 2024

Standard packaging lines with high output rates often struggle when dealing with uncertainties in the conditions of the handled materials. This paper focuses on a piece of machinery in an automatic packaging line, namely, an automated apparatus that extracts cardboard blanks from a buffer and transfers them to the next section through suction cups. In this context, the success of the operation depends on various controllable parameters, disturbances, and time-dependent variables, whose mutual relationships are not easily identifiable and whose understanding has so far been entrusted to the experiential knowledge of human operators. Currently, drops in picking success rates require the machine to be stopped and operators to intervene on-site, making use of their expertise to identify the issue and recalibrate the machine. To address the problem, this paper presents an artificial-intelligence-enabled controller, capable of continuously and autonomously recalibrating the apparatus and compensating for disturbances, in order to avoid missed or incorrectly picked cardboard blanks. In particular, this work exploits experimental data to build a model of the system, on which a reinforcement-learning algorithm is trained. The controller is tasked with regulating the controllable parameters while monitoring process variables. The developed agent is tested on the real apparatus to assess its performance.
Dynamic acoustic vowel distances within and across dialects
Authors: Clopper Cynthia G.
Published: October 2024

Vowels vary in their acoustic similarity across regional dialects of American English, such that some vowels are more similar to one another in some dialects than others. Acoustic vowel distance measures typically evaluate vowel similarity at a discrete time point, resulting in distance estimates that may not fully capture vowel similarity in formant trajectory dynamics. In the current study, language and accent distance measures, which evaluate acoustic distances between talkers over time, were applied to the evaluation of vowel category similarity within talkers. These vowel category distances were then compared across dialects, and their utility in capturing predicted patterns of regional dialect variation in American English was examined. Dynamic time warping of mel-frequency cepstral coefficients was used to assess acoustic distance across the frequency spectrum and captured predicted Southern American English vowel similarity. Root-mean-square distance and generalized additive mixed models were used to assess acoustic distance for selected formant trajectories and captured predicted Southern, New England, and Northern American English vowel similarity. Generalized additive mixed models captured the most predicted variation, but, unlike the other measures, do not return a single acoustic distance value. All three measures are potentially useful for understanding variation in vowel category similarity across dialects.
Methylation of Selected CpG-Sites of the Gene CSF1 as a Factor in Regulation of Its Expression and a Marker of Human Biological Aging
Authors: Sergeeva A. D. , Perenkov A. D. , Vedunova M. V.
Published: October 2024

Abstract—Age-associated transformation of methylation patterns is considered to be an important predictor of human biological age. Changes in the level of CpG-dinucleotide methylation contribute to a shift in the function of a number of genes, including those associated with the functioning of the immune system. One such gene is CSF1. The protein product of this gene is associated with inflammatory aging, making it an important biomarker of age-related diseases. We studied the methylation profile of the promoter-associated CpG island of the CSF1 gene by MALDI-TOF mass spectrometry. Dependences between the character of CpG-site methylation within the investigated regions and the relative level of the gene mRNA and its protein product in people of different age groups were sought. For two CpG sites, a high level of correlation with the studied parameters is shown. A search for the landing sites of transcription factor binding sites associated with gene transcription showed that these CpG dinucleotides are part of motifs for the NFI family transcription factors and the EGR1 factor. We hypothesize that these CpG sites play an important role in the regulation of CSF1 gene expression.
Novel diagnostic method for B cell vitreoretinal lymphoma by identification of regulatory T cells and PD-1+cytotoxic T lymphocytes in the vitreous via flow cytometry
Authors: Deguchi Hideto , Nagata Kenji , Inaba Tohru , Aoki Takanori , Kitano Hikaru , Sotozono Chie
Published: October 2024

Aims

To investigate the significance of regulatory T cells (Tregs) and programmed cell death 1 (PD-1)+cytotoxic T lymphocytes (CTLs) in the vitreous of patients with vitreoretinal lymphoma (VRL) and uveitis.

Methods

This study involved 51 patients with VRL and uveitis, 15 males and 36 females (mean age: 72 years, range: 51–86 years), who underwent vitrectomy at the Department of Ophthalmology, Kyoto Prefectural University of Medicine, Kyoto, Japan, from December 2019 to February 2024. All patients underwent lymphocyte surface antigen analysis via flow cytometry, and the proportion of Tregs in CD4+T lymphocytes and PD-1+CTLs in CD8+T lymphocytes was measured.

Results

This study involved B cell VRL (B-VRL, n=16), sarcoidosis (n=8), human herpesvirus (HHV)-associated uveitis (n=7), human T cell lymphotropic virus type 1 associated uveitis (HAU, n=3) and unclassifiable uveitis (n=17) cases. The median proportions of Tregs were significantly lower in B-VRL (2.2%) compared with sarcoidosis (8.5%), HHV-associated uveitis (16.4%) and unclassifiable uveitis (10.1%) (p<0.05). Conversely, a significantly higher proportion of PD-1+CTLs was found in B-VRL (95.6%) compared with sarcoidosis (61.1%), HHV-associated uveitis (67.1%) and unclassifiable (64.8%) (p<0.05). Receiver operating characteristic analysis of Tregs and PD-1+CTLs proportions in B-VRL revealed high area under the curve values of 0.913 and 0.940, respectively.

Conclusions

Our findings indicate that analysis of the ratio of Tregs and PD-1+CTLs via flow cytometry is helpful in diagnosing B-VRL.
Experiences of family caregivers and nursing home staff interactions during the adaptation process of elderly individuals moving to nursing home: a qualitative study
Authors: Zhao Di , Shao Hongyan , Wang Peng , Xie Luping , Chen Zhenghua
Published: October 2024

Objective

To explore the interaction between family members and nursing home staff during the adjustment period of newly admitted elderly individuals in a nursing home.

Design

A qualitative descriptive study based on semistructured interviews; data were analysed using a thematic topic analysis approach.

Setting

Interviews were conducted face-to-face.

Participants

An interview was undertaken with 15 nursing home staff and 12 family members of recently admitted elderly individuals in three nursing facilities from November 2022 to January 2023 in a major Chinese urban centre.

Results

This study identified 5 main themes and 10 subthemes. The 5 themes identified are: Information transmission and sharing, pleasant interaction atmosphere, interaction dilemmas and challenges, inadequate organisational management and the necessity and anticipation of interaction.

Conclusion

During the process of older persons transitioning to institutional care, we discovered issues and unresolved requirements in the interactions between family members and nursing home staff. In summary, there is a need to enhance the development of an interactive environment that supports the institutionalisation of older persons. The findings derived from this study are valuable for developing interactive programmes.

Trial registration number

ChiCTR2100045590, date: 19 April 2021.
Running shoe cushioning properties at the rearfoot and forefoot and their relationship to injury: study protocol for a randomised controlled trial on leisure-time runners
Authors: Malisoux Laurent , Urhausen Axel , Flores Nicolas , Theisen Daniel , Morio Cédric
Published: October 2024

Previous work has demonstrated the protective effect of shoe cushioning on injury risk in leisure-time runners, but most models currently available on the market have greater cushioning than those investigated so far. Also, the optimal level of cushioning and the role of cushioning on the forepart of the shoe for injury prevention are still unknown. The main aim of this study is to determine whether (1) current ‘extra soft’ cushioning material at the rear part of the shoe reduces injury risk compared with stiffer material and (2) cushioning under the forepart of the shoe also contributes to injury risk reduction. This randomised trial with a 6-month intervention will involve 1000+ healthy leisure-time runners who will randomly receive one of the three running shoe versions. Study shoe versions will differ in their cushioning properties (ie, stiffness) at the rear or the forepart. Participants will self-report any lower limb or lower back problems on a dedicated electronic system every week, while the system will collect training data from the participant’s sports watch. Time-to-event analyses will be used to compare injury risk between the three study groups and to investigate the association between the runner’s characteristics, cushioning level and position, training and injury risk. The study was approved by the National Ethics Committee for Research (Ref: 202405/02 v2.0), and the protocol has been registered onhttps://clinicaltrials.gov/(NCT06384872, 02/08/2024). Outcomes will be disseminated through presentations at international conferences and publications in peer-reviewed journals, popular magazines and specialised websites.
Targeted inhibition of the IL5 axis for immune checkpoint inhibitors eosinophilic-induced adverse events
Authors: Rubin Limor , Talmon Aviv , Ribak Yaarit , Lavie David , Nechushtan Hovav , Caplan Nadia , Lotem Michal , Shamriz Oded , Adini Irit , Tal Yuval
Published: October 2024

Given the broad implementation of immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICI) for cancer therapy, we encounter a variety of immune-related adverse events (irAE) including immune-related blood eosinophilia. Eosinophilia demonstrated a potential positive predictive marker for a beneficial clinical response to ICI. However, there are reports of eosinophil-induced adverse events (Eo-irAE) with organ dysfunction requiring initiation of oral glucocorticoid therapy and discontinuation of ICI.

We aim to assess the efficacy and safety of interleukin (IL) 5-axis inhibition in Eo-irAE secondary to ICI therapy.

We present three cases of Eo-irAE referred to our allergy and clinical immunology unit at Hadassah Hebrew University Medical Center following therapy with pembrolizumab and nivolumab, monoclonal antibodies that target the programmed cell death 1 (PD-1) receptor, for two cases of melanoma and one metastatic non-small cell lung carcinoma. Following informed consent and committee approval, two patients were treated with 1–3 doses of mepolizumab, 100 mg, monoclonal IgG1 kappa anti-IL-5 antibody, and one patient received up-to-date 9 doses of benralizumab, 30 mg, monoclonal IgG1 kappa antibody directed against the alpha chain of the interleukin-5 receptor, both administered subcutaneously. Patients were carefully followed and treatment response was assessed by physical examinations and laboratory tests.

Hypereosinophilia at the level of 2300–8000 K/UL was observed 8–12 months following therapy accompanied by symptoms of dyspnea, arthralgia, myalgia, fasciitis, ‘morphea’-like lesions, fatigue, abdominal discomfort, pruritus, and chest pain. ICI discontinuation did not improve symptoms, two patients were resistant to glucocorticoids and therefore biological treatment was initiated to inhibit the IL5 axis. Patients demonstrated rapid clinical response and a decrease in peripheral blood eosinophil levels with long-term symptoms remission. There were no signals of negative impacts, such as tumor progression following IL5 axis inhibition.

Eosinophilia secondary to ICI therapy can lead to organ dysfunction. Discontinuation of ICI might not be effective and symptoms may be refractory to steroid therapy hence targeted inhibition of the IL5 axis should be considered.
Hope pluralism in antenatal palliative care
Authors: Bertaud Sophie , Suleman Mehrunisha , Wilkinson Dominic
Published: October 2024

When parents face the distressing news during pregnancy that their baby is affected by a serious medical condition that will likely lead to the baby’s death before or soon after birth, they experience a range of complex emotions. Perhaps paradoxically, one common response is that of hope. Navigating such hope in antenatal interactions with parents can be difficult for healthcare professionals. That can stem from a desire to accurately communicate prognostic information and a fear of conveying ‘false hope’ to families. In this paper, we examine the role that hope plays when parents and healthcare professionals are grappling with a confirmed antenatal diagnosis of a life-limiting condition. We assess what it means to hope in this context and consider the different types of hopes held by both parents and healthcare professionals as well as why hopeful thinking might be helpful and not harmful. We propose ‘hope pluralism’ as a concept that might allow healthcare professionals to accommodate a multitude of parental and professional hopes, even where these conflict. Finally, we offer some practical suggestions for how professionals should evaluate and respond to hope in situations that might (from the outside) appear hopeless.
Optimization Algorithm of Network Node Layout of Fresh Agricultural Products’ Online Consumption Behavior in E-Commerce Environment
Authors: Li Na
Published: October 2024

In order to improve the efficiency of online consumption and supply chain efficiency of fresh agricultural products in the e-commerce environment, a network node layout optimization algorithm was designed. In the e-commerce environment, a network node deployment model has been constructed for the online consumption behavior of fresh agricultural products. A network transmission supply chain detection model was established through the rotation scheduling method. By combining distributed transformation protocols, the spatial layout characteristics of network nodes have been reorganized. Further introduction of a multi-coverage scheduling model, combined with sensor information fusion tracking technology, accurately detects the layout characteristics of network nodes. Based on these detection data, forwarding and adaptive control protocols were developed. Real-time control using the node traversal method was developed. Under the optimal node supply chain transmission mechanism, the scheduling of the network node layout has been achieved. Meanwhile, convolutional neural networks were utilized to dynamically adjust layout control to ensure convergence and stability. The simulation results show that the node forwarding ability of the network node layout design for online consumption behavior of fresh agricultural products in the e-commerce environment is good, which improves the output balance of the network supply chain transmission of online consumption behavior of fresh agricultural products in the e-commerce environment. In addition, the optimized delivery cost decreased by 20% compared to before optimization, delivery efficiency increased by 30%, and inventory turnover rate increased by 25%, confirming that the proposed method has good optimization performance.
SCROTAL HERNIATION AND STRANGULATION OF THE SMALL INTESTINE IN AN INTACT MALE 3-YEAR-OLD MIXED-BREED DOG
Authors: Calibo Matthew Benedict T. , Nacion Camille Sophia L. , Amit Lyra Joy F. , Sumagaysay Clarice Joyce C.
Published: October 2024

Importance: This case report describes a rare presentation of scrotal herniation and strangulation of the small intestine in a 3-year-old intact male mixed-breed dog. This condition is noteworthy due to its potential for severe complications and the scarcity of documented cases in the veterinary literature, contributing to the limited body of knowledge on scrotal hernias in dogs, especially those involving intestinal strangulation. Case Presentation: The dog presented with unilateral scrotal swelling, persistent vomiting and inappetence for 10 days. Physical examination revealed inflamed and tender scrotal regions, with the left side more prominently affected. Radiographic findings indicated dilated small intestines and increased radiopacity in the scrotal area. Surgical intervention revealed a swollen left testicle and a hemorrhagic loop of small intestines within the scrotum. A midline celiotomy was performed to resect and anastomose the devitalized intestinal segment, followed by herniorrhaphy. Conclusions and Relevance: The patient recovered uneventfully and resumed normal activities within a week post-surgery. This case highlights the clinical importance of timely diagnosis and surgical management of scrotal hernias in dogs to prevent life-threatening complications, underscoring the need for awareness of such presentations among veterinarians. The successful outcome in this case supports the efficacy of surgical intervention in similar scenarios, potentially guiding future clinical practices.
Performance Evaluation in Multimedia Retrieval
Authors: Sauter Loris , Gasser Ralph , Schuldt Heiko , Bernstein Abraham , Rossetto Luca
Published: October 2024

Performance evaluation in multimedia retrieval, as in the information retrieval domain at large, relies heavily on retrieval experiments, employing a broad range of techniques and metrics. These can involve human-in-the-loop and machine-only settings for the retrieval process itself and the subsequent verification of results. Such experiments can be elaborate and use-case-specific, which can make them difficult to compare or replicate. In this article, we present a formal model to express all relevant aspects of such retrieval experiments, as well as a flexible open-source evaluation infrastructure that implements the model. These contributions intend to make a step towards lowering the hurdles for conducting retrieval experiments and improving their reproducibility.
Algorithm 1049: The Delaunay Density Diagnostic
Authors: Gillette Andrew , Kur Eugene
Published: October 2024

Accurate approximation of a real-valued function depends on two aspects of the available data: the density of inputs within the domain of interest and the variation of the outputs over that domain. There are few methods for assessing whether the density of inputs is
sufficient
to identify the relevant variations in outputs—i.e., the “geometric scale” of the function—despite the fact that sampling density is closely tied to the success or failure of an approximation method. In this article, we introduce a general purpose, computational approach to detecting the geometric scale of real-valued functions over a fixed domain using a deterministic interpolation technique from computational geometry. The algorithm is intended to work on scalar data in moderate dimensions (2–10). Our algorithm is based on the observation that a sequence of piecewise linear interpolants will converge to a continuous function at a quadratic rate (in

\(L^{2}\)

norm) if and only if the data are sampled densely enough to distinguish the feature from noise (assuming sufficiently regular sampling). We present numerical experiments demonstrating how our method can identify feature scale, estimate uncertainty in feature scale, and assess the sampling density for fixed (i.e., static) datasets of input–output pairs. We include analytical results in support of our numerical findings and have released lightweight code that can be adapted for use in a variety of data science settings.
OptiRet-Net: An Optimized Low-Light Image Enhancement Technique for CV-Based Applications in Resource-Constrained Environments
Authors: Hussain Hanan , Tamizharasan P. S. , Yadav Praveen Kumar
Published: October 2024

The illumination of images can significantly impact computer-vision applications such as image classification, multiple object detection, and tracking, leading to a significant decline in detection and tracking accuracy. Recent advancements in deep learning techniques have been applied to Low-Light Image Enhancement (LLIE) to combat this issue. Retinex theory-based methods following a decomposition-adjustment pipeline for LLIE have performed well in various aspects. Despite their success, current research on Retinex-based deep learning still needs to improve in terms of optimization techniques and complicated convolution connections, which can be computationally intensive for end-device deployment. We propose an Optimized Retinex-Based CNN (OptiRet-Net) deep learning framework to address these challenges for the LLIE problem. Our results demonstrate that the proposed method outperforms existing state-of-the-art models in terms of full reference metrics with a PSNR of 21.87, SSIM of 0.80, LPIPS of 0.16, and zero reference metrics with a NIQE of 3.4 and PIQE of 56.6. Additionally, we validate our approach using a comprehensive evaluation comprising five datasets and nine prior methods. Furthermore, we assess the efficacy of our proposed model combining low-light multiple object tracking applications using YOLOX and ByteTrack in Versatile Video Coding (VVC/H.266) across various quantization parameters. Our findings reveal that LLIE-enhanced frames surpass their tracking results with a MOTA of 80.6% and a remarkable precision rate of 96%. Our model also achieves minimal file sizes by effectively compressing the enhanced low-light images while maintaining their quality, making it suitable for resource-constrained environments where storage or bandwidth limitations are a concern.
Promoting Machine Abilities of Discovering and Utilizing Knowledge in a Unified Zero-Shot Learning Paradigm
Authors: Mao Qingyang , Li Zhi , Liu Qi , Wu Likang , Zhang Hefu , Chen Enhong
Published: October 2024

Knowledge discovery and utilization are two essential cognitive processes that enable humans to understand the world and extract new insights from their surroundings. These processes have motivated machine learning studies, particularly zero-shot (ZS) learning, which seeks to identify unseen concepts through the use of side information. Previous ZS studies primarily focused on utilizing existing knowledge to infer unseen events, yet they overlook the crucial process of knowledge discovery and the integrated modeling of these knowledge-aware processes. In this study, we present a comprehensive ZS learning approach that explores and evaluates the machine’s abilities of discovering and utilizing knowledge. More specifically, to emulate human-like knowledge discovery and utilization processes, we propose a novel visual-aware ZS knowledge graph completion task for evaluation, incorporating a traditional ZS image classification task. Technically, we develop a unified ZS learning paradigm named Cognitive Learner (CoLa) to foster the two knowledge-aware abilities. Including a knowledge representation learning (KRL) module and a knowledge adaptation (KA) module, CoLa adapts well to the two specified tasks with the corresponding data. Extensive experiments on large-scale datasets demonstrate CoLa models’ outstanding performance over compared methods in the two ZS tasks, illustrating their superior ability of discovering and utilizing knowledge.
IQGAP-2: a novel interacting partner with the human colonic thiamin pyrophosphate transporter
Authors: Ramamoorthy Kalidas , Sabui Subrata , Kim George , Flekenstein James M. , Sheikh Alaullah , Said Hamid M.
Published: October 2024

This study reports on the identification of IQGAP-2 as an interacting partner with the hcTPPT in human colonocytes and how that impacts the transporter’s physiology and cell biology.
Cerebral vasomotor reactivity to carbon dioxide using the rebreathe technique: assessment of within-day and between-day repeatability
Authors: Nandadeva Damsara , Skow Rachel J. , Martin Zachary T. , Patik Jordan C. , Taherzadeh Ziba , Ortiz Alison , Kao Yungfei , Fadel Paul J. , Brothers R. Matthew
Published: October 2024

The cerebral vasodilator response to increases in arterial carbon dioxide concentration, termed cerebral vasomotor reactivity, provides an index of cerebral vascular function/health. Reduced responses are present in populations with elevated cerebral vascular and neurocognitive disease risk/overt disease. Cerebral vasomotor reactivity is often assessed during rebreathing-induced hypercapnia. This study determined that the day-to-day and between-day variability in this response is repeatable, thereby providing important methodological information to the scientific community.
Multifunctional Frequency‐Selective Rasorber With Passband Stealth Performance
Authors: Liao Kun , Liu Zhiming
Published: October 2024

A multifunctional frequency‐selective rasorber (MFSR) with passband stealth performance by using PIN diodes is investigated, which is made up of two reconfigurable components (a lossy layer and transmissive polarization converter surface (lossless layer)). The proposed MFSR shows transmission in‐band and absorption out‐band at working state, but the transparent window is closed to achieve full‐band stealth at nonworking state. Besides, the equivalent circuit model (ECM) is constructed to annotate the operating principle of the designed MFSR. The MFSR indicates a wide cross‐polarized transmission window from 3.71 to 4.38 GHz between two absorption bands at working, meanwhile a broadband copolarized reflection band (S11 < −10 dB) is accomplished in 1.78–5.50 GHz. At nonworking, an ultra‐wideband stealth band is realized in 1.81–7.0 GHz when the absorptivity is over 80%, which has a 117.8% fractional bandwidth (FBW). In addition, the MFSR has a stable oblique incident characteristic (up to 25°). Finally, the sample of the MFSR is manufactured and experimented to demonstrate the availability of this design.
Planar Polynomial Differential Systems of Degree One: Full Characterization of Its First Integrals
Authors: Ghermoul Bilal
Published: October 2024

In this work, we classify the first integrals of all planar polynomial differential systems of degree one with real constant coefficients. Additionally, we characterize when these first integrals are either polynomial, or rational, or nonalgebraic.
Analyzing Cardiovascular Disease Research in the Arab Region: A Bibliometric Review From 2012 to 2022
Authors: Bani Hani Amjad , Tarazi Alaa , Hamadneh Yazan , Al-Samahan Ahmad , Awad Rami , Kan’an Mohammad , Al-Kasaji Mohammad , Younes Nidal A.
Published: October 2024

Background: Cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) remain the leading cause of mortality, especially in low‐ and middle‐income countries, many of which are in the Arab region. We aimed to conduct a bibliometric analysis to assess the scientific output concerning CVDs in the Arab region and the Middle East over the past decade.

Methods: A bibliometric search was conducted on PubMed and Scopus between 2012 and 2022. The study analyzed the number of publications, countries, institutional sources, authors, journals, and keywords. Visualization analysis was executed using various software tools, including R, VOSviewer, and CiteSpace.

Results: PubMed and Scopus yielded 5340 documents related to CVDs at the time of data collection. A total of 1263 documents were retrieved after screening based on specific inclusion criteria that guarantee the inclusion only for Arab region studies and authors. There has been a consistent increase in annual publications in recent years. The countries that contributed the most to research in this field were Egypt, Saudi Arabia, and the UAE. Although Egypt stood out as the most productive country, the institute with the highest number of documents was in Qatar. In addition, the Top 3 authors hailed from Qatar. Saudi Medical Journal leads the field as the most productive journal, followed closely by PLoS One and Angiology. Research topics of significant interest in the realm of CVDs include specific diseases such as heart failure, risk factors related to CVDs, genetic aspects of CVDs, and congenital disorders in infant’s cardiac health.

Conclusion: This study provides a comprehensive overview of the current status of CVD research in the Arab region. It includes research hotspots that can guide authors in determining the necessary future investigations within this field. There is a clear call for further exploration of various aspects of CVDs in the Arab world. Strengthening cooperation between countries and institutes is needed.
Empagliflozin Use Is Associated With Lower Risk of All‐Cause Mortality, Hospitalization for Heart Failure, and End‐Stage Renal Disease Compared to DPP‐4i in Nordic Type 2 Diabetes Patients: Results From the EMPRISE (Empagliflozin Comparative Effectiveness and Safety) Study
Authors: Langslet Gisle , Nyström Thomas , Vistisen Dorte , Carstensen Bendix , Grip Emilie Toresson , Casajust Paula , Tskhvarashvili Giorgi , Hoti Fabian , Klement Riho , Karlsdotter Kristina , Tuovinen Mikko , Ofstad Anne Pernille , Lajer Maria , Shay Christina , Koeneman Lisette , Farsani Soulmaz Fazeli , Niskanen Leo , Halvorsen Sigrun
Published: October 2024

Objective: To evaluate the effectiveness of empagliflozin in reducing all‐cause mortality (ACM), hospitalization for heart failure (HHF), myocardial infarction (MI), stroke, cardiovascular mortality (CVM), and end‐stage renal disease (ESRD) in routine clinical practice in the Nordic countries of the Empagliflozin Comparative Effectiveness and Safety (EMPRISE) study.

Methods: This noninterventional, multicountry cohort study used secondary data from four Nordic countries (Denmark, Sweden, Finland, and Norway). Propensity score (PS) matched (1:1) adults with type 2 diabetes (T2D) initiating empagliflozin (a sodium‐glucose cotransporter‐2 inhibitor) during 2014–2018 who were compared to those initiating a dipeptidyl peptidase‐4 inhibitor (DPP‐4i). Cox proportional hazards regression modelling was used to assess the risk for ACM, HHF, MI, stroke, CVM, and ESRD. Meta‐analyses were conducted and hazard ratios (HRs) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs) from random‐effects models were calculated.

Results: A total of 43,695 pairs of PS‐matched patients were identified. Patients initiating empagliflozin exhibited a 49% significantly lower risk of ACM (HR: 0.51, 95% CI 0.40–0.64) compared to DPP‐4i. Additionally, empagliflozin was associated with a 36% significantly lower risk of HHF (HR: 0.64, 95% CI 0.46–0.89), a 52% significantly lower risk of CVM (HR: 0.48, 95% CI 0.37–0.63), and a 66% significantly lower risk of ESRD (HR: 0.34, 95% CI 0.15–0.77) compared to DPP‐4i. No significant differences were observed in the risk of stroke and MI between patients initiating empagliflozin compared with those initiating a DPP‐4i. Results were generally consistent for subgroups (with/without pre‐existing CV disease or congestive heart failure) and in sensitivity analyses.

Conclusion: Empagliflozin initiation was associated with a significantly reduced risk of ACM, HHF, CVM, and ESRD compared with initiation of DPP‐4i in patients with T2D when examining routine clinical practice data from Nordic countries.
Decompression, an Unusual Treatment Option for Multicystic Ameloblastoma: Concepts and Controversies
Authors: Quisiguiña-Salem Cinthya María , Alonso-Moctezuma Alejandro , Martínez Carla Monserrat , Salgado-Chavarría Fabiola , Legorreta-Villegas Itzel , Jerez-Robalino James
Published: October 2024

Background: The most common odontogenic tumor is the solid ameloblastoma. This is concerning due to the progressive bone destruction in its intraosseous variant; this type of pathology often gets a delayed diagnosis due to the asymptomatic characteristic it has.

Objective: The aim of the article is to propose a conservative treatment for multicystic ameloblastoma, reviewing the latest concepts, controversies, and treatment options described in the literature.

Case Report: A patient arrives to our department with a diagnosis of unicystic ameloblastoma, so decompression and subsequent enucleation were decided as treatment. However, the new histopathological result was a multicystic ameloblastoma; with this result, we decided to continue with the initial treatment, which in fact had an adequate response. A 5‐month radiographic follow‐up was performed in which a decrease in size was evident and enucleation was decided. The postoperative results were favorable after a 2.5‐year follow‐up.

Conclusion: The solid ameloblastoma may have a cystic component, in which there is the possibility of diagnostic errors when studying an incisional biopsy; for this reason, the definitive diagnosis should be established until complete enucleation of the lesion is performed. This characteristic in a solid ameloblastoma makes possible a positive response to decompression, making it easier to perform the enucleation subsequently, avoiding other aggressive treatments that can dramatically affect the patient’s quality of life and also avoiding costly reconstruction bills.
A Multiattention ResUNet and Modified U‐Net Architecture for Liver Tumor Segmentation
Authors: Appati Justice Kwame , Azuponga Nathanael Ayirebaje , Boante Leonard Mensah , Mensah Joseph Agyeapong
Published: October 2024

Liver cancer is one of the leading causes of cancer death in the world, and early diagnosis is important. However, the similarity in shape, texture, and intensity values between the liver, tumors, and other neighboring organs such as the heart, spleen, stomach, and kidneys often complicates visual differentiation. Manual identification of tumors in the liver is time‐consuming, intricate, and susceptible to errors with potential repercussions for patient care. While machine learning–based approaches have emerged for liver organ recognition and segmenting the tumor, they continue to face challenges related to recognition accuracy and the inability to distinguish tumors of varied sizes. To solve the problems, a multiattention network made up of cascaded ResUNet and U‐Net with attention mechanisms was proposed in this study. We investigated liver tumor segmentation with various configurations of U‐Net, ResUNet, U‐Net with attention mechanisms, and ResUNet with attention mechanisms on augmented and nonaugmented data. We used the 3Dircadb dataset for training and validation purposes, and the proposed method was evaluated on dice score, intersection of union (IoU), recall, and precision. The performance metrics achieved with this method on the dataset are as follows: approximately 0.89 for the dice coefficient, 0.90 for IoU, 0.93 for recall, and 0.96 for precision in the case of liver segmentation without data augmentation and 0.92, 0.90, 0.92, and 0.94, respectively, for dice score, IoU, recall, and precision with data augmentation. For tumor segmentation, the metrics include 0.70 for dice coefficient, 0.61 for IoU, 0.91 for recall, and 0.94 for precision when the data were augmented but 0.83 for dice score, 0.78 for IoU, and 0.89 and 0.90, respectively, for recall and precision.