bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Factors influencing the prognosis of acute basilar artery occlusion patients treated endovascularly: the impact of treatment time window and preoperative symptoms
Authors: Xu Wei , Bao Xiang , Jiang Fengfeng , Chen Feng , Liu Boxiao , Yu Fengdan , He Pingyou
Published: July 2023

Objective

The aim of this study was to examine the factors influencing the prognosis of patients diagnosed with acute basilar artery occlusion (BAO) who receive endovascular treatment. Our particular emphasis was on the predictive implications of the time window for treatment (from symptom onset to femoral artery puncture) and preoperative symptoms for prognosis.

Methods

A retrospective analysis of data collected from 51 BAO patients who received endovascular treatment at the Neurosurgery Department of Jinhua Central Hospital from April 2018 to October 2021 was undertaken. The data included immediate post-interventional recanalization rates and the 90-day clinical prognoses of the patients. We used the Modified Rankin Scale (mRs) to categorize patients into two prognosis groups: a favorable prognosis group (mRs score ≤2) and an unfavorable prognosis group (mRs score >2). Preoperative symptoms were gauged using the Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS) and National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale (NIHSS) scores. A logistic regression analysis was conducted to identify risk factors affecting the prognosis of BAO patients following endovascular treatment.

Results

The procedure resulted in complete recanalization in all patients (100%). However, four patients (7.8%) passed away during the postoperative hospitalization period. The remaining 47 patients were followed up for 3 months. It was found that 15 patients (31.91%) had a favorable prognosis, while 32 (68.09%) had an unfavorable prognosis. It was generally observed that patients with an unfavorable prognosis had notably higher preoperative GCS and NIHSS scores (p < 0.05). Logistic regression analysis revealed that preoperative symptom severity, as indicated by NIHSS score, and treatment time window were significant prognostic risk factors for patients undergoing endovascular treatment for BAO (p < 0.05).

Conclusion

Endovascular intervention for BAO appears to be safe and effective, with greater likelihood of a favorable prognosis in patients treated within ≤6 h. The chances of favorable prognosis could potentially be linked to the severity of the patient's preoperative symptoms.
A protocol for a multicenter randomized and personalized controlled trial using rTMS in patients with disorders of consciousness
Authors: Vitello Marie M. , Rosenfelder Martin J. , Cardone Paolo , Niimi Masachika , Willacker Lina , Thibaut Aurore , Lejeune Nicolas , Laureys Steven , Bender Andreas , Gosseries Olivia
Published: July 2023

Background

Improving the functional recovery of patients with DoC remains one of the greatest challenges of the field. Different theories exist about the role of the anterior (prefrontal areas) versus posterior (parietal areas) parts of the brain as hotspots for the recovery of consciousness. Repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) is a powerful non-invasive brain stimulation technique for the treatment of DoC. However, a direct comparison of the effect of TMS treatment on the front versus the back of the brain has yet to be performed. In this study, we aim to assess the short- and long-term effects of frontal and parietal rTMS on DoC recovery and characterize responders phenotypically.

Methods/design

Ninety patients with subacute and prolonged DoC will be included in a two-part multicenter prospective study. In the first phase (randomized controlled trial, RCT), patients will undergo four rTMS sessions in a crossover design over 10 days, targeting (i) the left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC) and (ii) the left angular gyrus (AG), as well as (iii & iv) their sham alternatives. In the second phase (longitudinal personalized trial), patients will receive personalized stimulations for 20 working days targeting the brain area that showed the best results in the RCT and will be randomly assigned to either active or sham intervention. The effects of rTMS on neurobehavioral and neurophysiological functioning in patients with DoC will be evaluated using clinical biomarkers of responsiveness (i.e., the Coma Recovery Scale-Revised; CRS-R), and electrophysiological biomarkers (e.g., power spectra, functional and effective connectivity, perturbational complexity index before and after intervention). Functional long-term outcomes will be assessed at 3 and 6 months post-intervention. Adverse events will be recorded during the treatment phase.

Discussion

This study seeks to identify which brain region (front or back) is best to stimulate for the treatment of patients with DoC using rTMS, and to characterize the neural correlates of its action regarding recovery of consciousness and functional outcome. In addition, we will define the responders’ profile based on patients’ characteristics and functional impairments; and develop biomarkers of responsiveness using EEG analysis according to the clinical responsiveness to the treatment.

Clinical Trial Registration

https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT04401319, Clinicaltrials.gov, n° NCT04401319.
Purification of retinal ganglion cells using low-pressure flow cytometry
Authors: Mcloughlin Kiran J. , Aladdad Afnan M. , Payne Andrew J. , Boda Anna I. , Nieto-Gomez Sayra , Kador Karl E.
Published: July 2023

Purified Retinal Ganglion Cells (RGCs) for in vitro study have been a valuable tool in the study of neural regeneration and in the development of therapies to treat glaucoma. Traditionally, RGCs have been isolated from early postnatal rats and mice, and more recently from human in vitro derived retinal organoids using a two-step immunopanning technique based upon the expression of Thy-1. This technique, however, limits the time periods from which RGCs can be isolated, missing the earliest born RGCs at which time the greatest stage of axon growth occurs, as well as being limited in its use with models of retinal degeneration as Thy-1 is downregulated following injury. While fluorescence associated cell sorting (FACS) in combination with new optogenetically labeled RGCs would be able to overcome this limitation, the use of traditional FACS sorters has been limited to genomic and proteomic studies, as RGCs have little to no survival post-sorting. Here we describe a new method for RGC isolation utilizing a combined immunopanning-fluorescence associated cell sorting (IP-FACS) protocol that initially depletes macrophages and photoreceptors, using immunopanning to enrich for RGCs before using low-pressure FACS to isolate these cells. We demonstrate that RGCs isolated via IP-FACS when compared to RGCs isolated via immunopanning at the same age have similar purity as measured by antibody staining and qRT-PCR; survival as measured by live dead staining; neurite outgrowth; and electrophysiological properties as measured by calcium release response to glutamate. Finally, we demonstrate the ability to isolate RGCs from early embryonic mice prior to the expression of Thy-1 using Brn3b-eGFP optogenetically labeled cells. This method provides a new approach for the isolation of RGCs for the study of early developed RGCs, the study of RGC subtypes and the isolation of RGCs for cell transplantation studies.
Study of the prediction of gamma passing rate in dosimetric verification of intensity-modulated radiotherapy using machine learning models based on plan complexity
Authors: Bin Shizhen , Zhang Ji , Shen Luyao , Zhang Junjun , Wang Qi
Published: July 2023

Objective

To predict the gamma passing rate (GPR) in dosimetric verification of intensity-modulated radiotherapy (IMRT) using three machine learning models based on plan complexity and find the best prediction model by comparing and evaluating the prediction ability of the regression and classification models of three classical algorithms: artificial neural network (ANN), support vector machine (SVM) and random forest (RF).

Materials and methods

269 clinical IMRT plans were chosen retrospectively and the GPRs of a total of 2340 fields by the 2%/2mm standard at the threshold of 10% were collected for dosimetric verification using electronic portal imaging device (EPID). Subsequently, the plan complexity feature values of each field were extracted and calculated, and a total of 6 machine learning models (classification and regression models for three algorithms) were trained to learn the relation between 21 plan complexity features and GPRs. Each model was optimized by tuning the hyperparameters and ten-fold cross validation. Finally, the GPRs predicted by the model were compared with measured values to verify the accuracy of the model, and the evaluation indicators were applied to evaluate each model to find the algorithm with the best prediction performance.

Results

The RF algorithm had the optimal prediction effect on GPR, and its mean absolute error (MAE) on the test set was 1.81%, root mean squared error (RMSE) was 2.14%, and correlation coefficient (CC) was 0.72; SVM was the second and ANN was the worst. Among the classification models, the RF algorithm also had the optimal prediction performance with the highest area under the curve (AUC) value of 0.80, specificity and sensitivity of 0.80 and 0.68 respectively, followed by SVM and the worst ANN.

Conclusion

All the three classic algorithms, ANN, SVM, and RF, could realize the prediction and classification of GPR. The RF model based on plan complexity had the optimal prediction performance which could save valuable time for quality control workers to improve quality control efficiency.
A spotlight on the interplay between Wnt/β-catenin signaling and circular RNAs in hepatocellular carcinoma progression
Authors: Mafi Alireza , Rismanchi Hamidreza , Malek Mohammadi Mohaddese , Hedayati Neda , Ghorbanhosseini Seyedeh Sara , Hosseini Seyed Ali , Gholinezhad Yasaman , Mousavi Dehmordi Rohollah , Ghezelbash Behrooz , Zarepour Fatemeh , Taghavi Seyed Pouya , Asemi Zatollah , Alimohammadi Mina , Mirzaei Hamed
Published: July 2023

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is one of the deadliest cancers due to multifocal development and distant metastasis resulting from late diagnosis. Consequently, new approaches to HCC diagnosis and treatment are required to reduce mortality rates. A large body of evidence suggests that non-coding RNAs (ncRNAs) are important in cancer initiation and progression. Cancer cells release many of these ncRNAs into the blood or urine, enabling their use as a diagnostic tool. Circular RNAs (CircRNAs) are as a members of the ncRNAs that regulate cancer cell expansion, migration, metastasis, and chemoresistance through different mechanisms such as the Wnt/β-catenin Signaling pathway. The Wnt/β-catenin pathway plays prominent roles in several biological processes including organogenesis, stem cell regeneration, and cell survival. Aberrant signaling of both pathways mentioned above could affect the progression and metastasis of many cancers, including HCC. Based on several studies investigated in the current review, circRNAs have an effect on HCC formation and progression by sponging miRNAs and RNA-binding proteins (RBPs) and regulating the Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway. Therefore, circRNAs/miRNAs or RBPs/Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway could be considered promising prognostic and therapeutic targets in HCC.
Growth of tomato and cucumber seedlings under different light environments and their development after transplanting
Authors: Liu Xiaojuan , Shi Rui , Gao Meifang , He Rui , Li Yamin , Liu Houcheng
Published: July 2023

Selecting suitable light conditions according to the plant growth characteristics is one of the important approaches to cultivating high-quality vegetable seedlings. To determine the more favorable LED light conditions for producing high-quality tomato and cucumber seedlings in plant factories with artificial light (PFALS), the growth characteristics of tomato and cucumber seedlings under seven LED light environments (CK, B, UV-A, FR, B+UV-A, UV-A+FR, and B+FR) and the development of these seedlings after transplanting into a plastic greenhouse were investigated. The results showed that the seedling height and hypocotyl length increased in treatments with far-red light supplementation (FR, UV-A+FR, and B+FR), but decreased in the B treatment, in both varieties. The seedling index of tomato seedlings increased in the B+UV-A treatment, while that of cucumber seedlings increased in the FR treatment. After transplanting into a plastic greenhouse, tomato plants that radiated with UV-A had greater flower numbers on the 15th day after transplanting. In cucumber plants of the FR treatment, the flowering time was significantly delayed, and the female flower exhibited at a lower node position. By using a comprehensive scoring analysis of all detected indicators, light environments with UV-A and FR were more beneficial for improving the overall quality of tomato and cucumber seedlings, respectively.
Stacked ensembles on basis of parentage information can predict hybrid performance with an accuracy comparable to marker-based GBLUP
Authors: Heilmann Philipp Georg , Frisch Matthias , Abbadi Amine , Kox Tobias , Herzog Eva
Published: July 2023

Testcross factorials in newly established hybrid breeding programs are often highly unbalanced, incomplete, and characterized by predominance of special combining ability (SCA) over general combining ability (GCA). This results in a low efficiency of GCA-based selection. Machine learning algorithms might improve prediction of hybrid performance in such testcross factorials, as they have been successfully applied to find complex underlying patterns in sparse data. Our objective was to compare the prediction accuracy of machine learning algorithms to that of GCA-based prediction and genomic best linear unbiased prediction (GBLUP) in six unbalanced incomplete factorials from hybrid breeding programs of rapeseed, wheat, and corn. We investigated a range of machine learning algorithms with three different types of predictor variables: (a) information on parentage of hybrids, (b) in addition hybrid performance of crosses of the parental lines with other crossing partners, and (c) genotypic marker data. In two highly incomplete and unbalanced factorials from rapeseed, in which the SCA variance contributed considerably to the genetic variance, stacked ensembles of gradient boosting machines based on parentage information outperformed GCA prediction. The stacked ensembles increased prediction accuracy from 0.39 to 0.45, and from 0.48 to 0.54 compared to GCA prediction. The prediction accuracy reached by stacked ensembles without marker data reached values comparable to those of GBLUP that requires marker data. We conclude that hybrid prediction with stacked ensembles of gradient boosting machines based on parentage information is a promising approach that is worth further investigations with other data sets in which SCA variance is high.
Quantifying the role of photoacclimation and self-facilitation for seagrass resilience to light deprivation
Authors: Minguito-Frutos Mario , Adams Matthew P. , Alcoverro Teresa , Vilas María P. , Alonso David , Mayol Elvira , Bernardeu-Esteller Jaime , Marín-Guirao Lázaro , Ruiz Juan M. , Boada Jordi
Published: July 2023

Introduction

Light gradients are ubiquitous in marine systems as light reduces exponentially with depth. Seagrasses have a set of mechanisms that help them to cope with light stress gradients. Physiological photoacclimation and clonal integration help to maximize light capture and minimize carbon losses. These mechanisms can shape plants minimum light requirements (MLR), which establish critical thresholds for seagrass survival and help us predict ecosystem responses to the alarming reduction in light availability.

Methods

Using the seagrass Cymodocea nodosa as a case study, we compare the MLR under different carbon model scenarios, which include photoacclimation and/or self-facilitation (based on clonal integration) and that where parameterized with values from field experiments.

Results

Physiological photoacclimation conferred plants with increased tolerance to reducing light, approximately halving their MLR from 5-6% surface irradiance (SI) to ≈ 3% SI. In oligotrophic waters, this change in MLR could translate to an increase of several meters in their depth colonization limit. In addition, we show that reduced mortality rates derived from self-facilitation mechanisms (promoted by high biomass) induce bistability of seagrass meadows along the light stress gradient, leading to abrupt shifts and hysteretic behaviors at their deep limit.

Discussion

The results from our models point to (i) the critical role of physiological photoacclimation in conferring greater resistance and ability to recover (i.e., resilience), to seagrasses facing light deprivation and (ii) the importance of self-facilitating reinforcing mechanisms in driving the resilience and recovery of seagrass systems exposed to severe light reduction events.
Jasmonic acid regulates lignin deposition in poplar through JAZ5-MYB/NAC interaction
Authors: Zhao Xin , Jiang Xuemei , Li Zeyu , Song Qin , Xu Changzhen , Luo Keming
Published: July 2023

Jasmonic acid (JA) is a phytohormone involved in plant defense, growth, and development, etc. However, the regulatory mechanisms underlying JA-mediated lignin deposition and secondary cell wall (SCW) formation remain poorly understood. In this study, we found that JA can inhibit lignin deposition and SCW thickening in poplar trees through exogenous MeJA treatment and observation of the phenotypes of a JA synthesis mutant, opdat1. Hence, we identified a JA signal inhibitor PtoJAZ5, belonging to the TIFY gene family, which is involved in the regulation of secondary vascular development of Populus tomentosa. RT-qPCR and GUS staining revealed that PtoJAZ5 was highly expressed in poplar stems, particularly in developing xylem. Overexpression of PtoJAZ5 inhibited SCW thickening and down-regulated the expression of SCW biosynthesis-related genes. Further biochemical analysis showed that PtoJAZ5 interacted with multiple SCW switches NAC/MYB transcription factors, including MYB3 and WND6A, through yeast two-hybrid and bimolecular fluorescent complementation experiments. Transcriptional activation assays demonstrated that MYB3-PtoJAZ5 and WND6A-PtoJAZ5 complexes regulated the expression of lignin synthetic genes. Our results suggest that PtoJAZ5 plays a negative role in JA-induced lignin deposition and SCW thickening in poplar and provide new insights into the molecular mechanisms underlying JA-mediated regulation of SCW formation.
A Theory of Mental Frameworks
Authors: Tokuhama-Espinosa Tracey , Simmers Kristin , Batchelor Danielle , Nelson Allen Drew , Borja Cynthia
Published: July 2023

Problem-solving skills are highly valued in modern society and are often touted as core elements of school mission statements, desirable traits for job applicants, and as some of the most complex thinking that the brain is capable of executing. While learning to problem-solve is a goal of education, and many strategies, methodologies, and activities exist to help teachers guide the development of these skills, there are few formal curriculum structures or broader frameworks that guide teachers toward the achievement of this educational objective. Problem-solving skills have been called “higher order cognitive functions” in cognitive neuroscience as they involve multiple complex networks in the brain, rely on constant rehearsal, and often take years to form. Children of all ages employ problem solving, from a newborn seeking out food to children learning in school settings, or adults tackling real-world conflicts. These skills are usually considered the end product of a good education when in fact, in order to be developed they comprise an ongoing process of learning. “Ways of thinking” have been studied by philosophers and neuroscientists alike, to pinpoint cognitive preferences for problem solving approaches that develop from exposure to distinct models, derived from and resulting in certain heuristics used by learners. This new theory paper suggests a novel understanding of the brain’s approach to problem solving that structures existing problem-solving frameworks into an organized design. The authors surveyed problem-solving frameworks from business administration, design, engineering, philosophy, psychology, education, neuroscience and other learning sciences to assess their differences and similarities. This review lead to an appreciation that different problem-solving frameworks from different fields respond more or less accurately and efficiently depending on the kinds of problems being tackled, leading to our conclusion that a wider range of frameworks may help individuals approach more varied problems across fields, and that such frameworks can be organized in school curriculum. This paper proposes that explicit instruction of “mental frameworks” may help organize and formalize the instruction of thinking skills that underpin problem-solving–and by extension–that the more such models a person learns, the more tools they will have for future complex problem-solving. To begin, this paper explains the theoretical underpinnings of the mental frameworks concept, then explores some existing mental frameworks which are applicable to all age groups and subject areas. The paper concludes with a list of five limitations to this proposal and pairs them with counter-balancing benefits.
Exploring the ability of vocal biomarkers in distinguishing depression from bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, and healthy controls
Authors: Pan Wei , Deng Fusong , Wang Xianbin , Hang Bowen , Zhou Wenwei , Zhu Tingshao
Published: July 2023

Background

Vocal features have been exploited to distinguish depression from healthy controls. While there have been some claims for success, the degree to which changes in vocal features are specific to depression has not been systematically studied. Hence, we examined the performances of vocal features in differentiating depression from bipolar disorder (BD), schizophrenia and healthy controls, as well as pairwise classifications for the three disorders.

Methods

We sampled 32 bipolar disorder patients, 106 depression patients, 114 healthy controls, and 20 schizophrenia patients. We extracted i-vectors from Mel-frequency cepstrum coefficients (MFCCs), and built logistic regression models with ridge regularization and 5-fold cross-validation on the training set, then applied models to the test set. There were seven classification tasks: any disorder versus healthy controls; depression versus healthy controls; BD versus healthy controls; schizophrenia versus healthy controls; depression versus BD; depression versus schizophrenia; BD versus schizophrenia.

Results

The area under curve (AUC) score for classifying depression and bipolar disorder was 0.5 (F-score = 0.44). For other comparisons, the AUC scores ranged from 0.75 to 0.92, and the F-scores ranged from 0.73 to 0.91. The model performance (AUC) of classifying depression and bipolar disorder was significantly worse than that of classifying bipolar disorder and schizophrenia (corrected p < 0.05). While there were no significant differences in the remaining pairwise comparisons of the 7 classification tasks.

Conclusion

Vocal features showed discriminatory potential in classifying depression and the healthy controls, as well as between depression and other mental disorders. Future research should systematically examine the mechanisms of voice features in distinguishing depression with other mental disorders and develop more sophisticated machine learning models so that voice can assist clinical diagnosis better.
Microencapsulated iron in food, techniques, coating material, efficiency, and sensory analysis: a review
Authors: Muñoz-More Henry Daniel , Nole-Jaramillo Juliana Maricielo , Valdiviezo-Marcelo Jaime , Espinoza-Delgado Milagros del Pilar , Socola-Juarez Zury Mabell , Ruiz-Flores Luis Alberto , Espinoza-Espinoza Luis Alfredo
Published: July 2023

Iron deficiency in children and vulnerable people requires the intervention of effective emerging technologies to incorporate minerals into food, iron is an important micronutrient required by the human body to develop different functions. It’s oxidation and susceptibility when added directly to food hinders its absorption, impairs sensory aspects, causing rejection by consumers. Currently, efficient, low cost, high productivity, better bioaccessibility and bioavailability, microencapsulation techniques have been developed. This review focuses on the study of the different methods and techniques of iron microencapsulation and its behavior in food fortification. The type of coating material, the efficiency, yield, bioaccessibility and bioavailability evaluated for each technique. It has been shown that the most used coating materials were maltodextrin, sodium alginate, gum arabic and whey protein; while the morphological characteristics and the release profile studied from 1995 to the present, on average were in the following order: Percentage of microencapsulation (85%), yield (76%), bioavailability (60%), and bioaccessibility (52%).; However, the sensory evaluations of some foods fortified with iron microcapsules denoted a metallic taste, color and smell were also detected, decreasing their level of acceptance. These findings suggest the need for further research to establish new protocols to fortify foods while maintaining their nutritional and sensory quality.
Physicochemical properties of rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) filet treated with high-voltage electrostatic field under different storage temperatures
Authors: Cheng Yu-Tsung , Huang Ping-Hsiu , Lu Wen-Chien , Chu Sheng-Che , Wang Pei-Ming , Ko Wen-Chien , Li Po-Hsien
Published: July 2023

The post-mortem rigid of farmed rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) affects the texture of the meat and might even be risky for microorganisms, undermining the popularity of frozen filets among consumers. This study investigated the importance of different conditions (0°C, 4°C, and 25°C for 0–4 days) and physicochemical characteristics of rainbow trout filet storage on fish’s characteristics, freshness, quality, and shelf-life. Results showed that the fish easily underwent rigor mortis and resolution of rigor mortis when stored at 25°C. However, rigor mortis was more likely to occur under storage at 0°C than at 4°C [with 100 kV/m high voltage electrostatic fields (HVEF)] due to low-temperature stimulation, but resolution of rigor mortis began to appear after 24 h of storage at either temperature. The protein solubility and gel strength of fish stored at 25°C continued to decrease due to thermal denaturation, and those of fish stored at 4°C and 0°C also showed a decrease owing to rigor mortis and then an increase when rigor mortis disappeared. The K values increased rapidly at 25°C and reached 61% at 14 h. Under storage at 4°C and 0°C, the K values only slightly increased before resolution of rigor mortis. However, the K-values did not exceed 40% for 4 days post-resolution of rigor mortis. Differential Scanning Calorimetry analysis and tissue sectioning showed that protein denaturation and separation between muscle fibers persisted during storage at various temperatures, most notably at 25°C. It is important to note that storing at 0°C for 96 h did not result in any significant changes in the molecular protein composition. Moreover, the muscle tissue remained in excellent condition compared to storage at 25°C and 4°C. Additionally, there was no significant difference in the total viable count (TVC) and psychrophilic bacteria between storage at 0°C and 4°C, considered safe for food consumption. These promising findings are conveyed in a circular economy based on the food industry, particularly adequate raw materials, stable prices, measures to reduce food loss and waste, and contributing to developing efficient, diverse, and sustainable food processing systems.
Strengthening or Weakening: The Impact of an Aging Rural Workforce on Agricultural Economic Resilience in China
Authors: Zhang Hui , Li Jing , Quan Tianshu
Published: July 2023

Rapid population aging has serious implications for socio-economic development and poses considerable challenges to food security and agricultural economic resilience, issues that are not well understood to date. Against the background of the aging agricultural labor force in China, this paper, based on the sample data of 30 provinces in China from 2011 to 2020, constructs a spatial autoregressive model and uses the generalized moment method to measure the development level of agricultural economic resilience in China. Moreover, the GMM model and intermediary effect model are used to empirically analyze the impact of rural labor aging on agricultural economic resilience in China and its role channels. The results show that the aging of China’s rural labor force is on the rise, and the resilience level of China’s agricultural economy is on the decline. The aging of the rural labor force significantly weakened the resilience of the agricultural economy; the aging level of the rural labor force increased by 1 unit, and the resilience of the agricultural economy decreased by 1.085 units. The results of this mechanistic analysis show that the aging of the rural labor force mainly weakens the resilience of the agricultural economy by reducing rural human capital and restraining agricultural scale management and agricultural technology progress. Our heterogeneity analysis shows that the aging of the rural labor force has a stronger inhibitory effect on the resilience of the agricultural economy in western regions, non-grain-producing areas, and areas with low economic development levels. This means that the government should pay attention to the impact of the aging rural labor force on the resilience of the agricultural economy, focusing on solving problems such as low agricultural production efficiency and insufficient rural human capital.
Increasing Calcium and Decreasing Nitrogen Fertilizers Improves Peanut Growth and Productivity by Enhancing Photosynthetic Efficiency and Nutrient Accumulation in Acidic Red Soil
Authors: Wang Jianguo , Geng Yun , Zhang Jialei , Li Lin , Guo Feng , Yang Sha , Zou Jie , Wan Shubo
Published: July 2023

Excessive nitrogen and insufficient calcium could significantly impact peanut yields. This study investigated the effects of nitrogen and calcium fertilizers on nutrient absorption, utilization, and yield; experiments were conducted using the peanut cultivar from Xianghua 2008 in a split-plot arrangement with two calcium fertilizer levels (Ca0: 0 and Ca1: 568 kg CaO ha−1) in the main plots and six nitrogen fertilizer gradients (N0: 0, N45.0: 45.0, N90.0: 90.0, N112.5: 112.5, N135.0: 135.0, and N157.5: 157.5 kg N ha−1) in subplots between 2015 and 2016 in Changsha, China. We examined the impact of different rates of calcium and nitrogen fertilizers on the net photosynthetic rate (Pn), agronomic traits, dry matter quality, yield and yield composition, nutrient accumulation, and distribution. The combined application of calcium and nitrogen fertilizers significantly affected the yield and yield components, Pn, main stem height, dry matter, and nutrient accumulation. Under the same calcium level, nitrogen application significantly increased the main stem height and Pn and promoted the accumulation of dry matter and nutrients in the plant, particularly in the kernel. Under the same nitrogen treatment, calcium significantly increased Pn and promoted the accumulation of dry matter, calcium, and magnesium. The pod yield increased gradually with an increasing nitrogen application rate (0–112.5 kg ha−1) and peaked at N112.5, increasing by 52.3–138.0% compared with N0. However, excessive nitrogen application (N > 112.5 kg ha−1) decreased the pod yield. Under different nitrogen fertilizer levels, calcium application increased pod yields by 11.5–29.6% by promoting Pn, nutrient uptake, accumulation in the individual plant, and nutrient accumulation in the kernel. Therefore, this study suggested that adjusting the calcium (568 kg ha−1) and nitrogen (112.5 kg ha−1) fertilizer rates significantly improved peanut growth and productivity by enhancing photosynthetic efficiency and nutrient accumulation in calcium-deficient acidic red soil.
European Union Legislation for the Welfare of Animals Used for Scientific Purposes: Areas Identified for Further Discussion
Authors: Marinou Katerina A. , Dontas Ismene A.
Published: July 2023

The Directive 2010/63/EU of the European Parliament and of the Council has been in force for more than a decade and has brought about significant improvements and novel requirements for the welfare of animals used for scientific purposes, while safeguarding research integrity. The Directive sets clear provisions for its scope, the authorization procedures, animal welfare bodies, national committees, cost/benefit analysis, severity classification, retrospective assessment, and statistical reporting, among many others. From this perspective, indicative areas in the existing legislative texts and guidance documents, which may influence animal welfare and scientific integrity, have been identified by the authors after years of working in this field. Suggested solutions to address these areas by potential future revisions in the legislation or other actions to benefit animal welfare are discussed, with the aim to clarify and simplify them for all stakeholders involved.
Current Status of Probiotics in European Sea Bass Aquaculture as One Important Mediterranean and Atlantic Commercial Species: A Review
Authors: Monzón-Atienza Luis , Bravo Jimena , Serradell Antonio , Montero Daniel , Gómez-Mercader Antonio , Acosta Félix
Published: July 2023

European sea bass production has increased in recent decades. This increase is associated with an annually rising demand for sea bass, which encourages the aquaculture industries to increase their production to meet that demand. However, this intensification has repercussions on the animals, causing stress that is usually accompanied by dysbiosis, low feed-conversion rates, and immunodepression, among other factors. Therefore, the appearance of pathogenic diseases is common in these industries after immunodepression. Seeking to enhance animal welfare, researchers have focused on alternative approaches such as probiotic application. The use of probiotics in European sea bass production is presented as an ecological, safe, and viable alternative in addition to enhancing different host parameters such as growth performance, feed utilization, immunity, disease resistance, and fish survival against different pathogens through inclusion in fish diets through vectors and/or in water columns. Accordingly, the aim of this review is to present recent research findings on the application of probiotics in European sea bass aquaculture and their effect on growth performance, microbial diversity, enzyme production, immunity, disease resistance, and survival in order to help future research.
New Strategies for Conservation of Gentile di Puglia Sheep Breed, an Autochthonous Capital of Millennial Tradition in Southern Italy
Authors: Temerario Letizia , Monaco Davide , Mastrorocco Antonella , Martino Nicola Antonio , Cseh Sándor , Lacalandra Giovanni Michele , Ciani Elena , Dell’Aquila Maria Elena
Published: July 2023

Gentile di Puglia (GdP) is an autochthonous sheep breed of Southern Italy included among ovine breeds threatened by genetic erosion and extinction risk, which have been given attention by local and international institutions, thus emphasizing the need for germplasm conservation actions. In the present study, two assisted reproduction approaches, finalized for GdP conservation, were performed: (1) on-farm reproductive efficiency evaluation, expressed as pregnancy rate (PR), twin pregnancy rate (tPR), and body condition score (BCS), for three consecutive breeding cycles and (2) pre-pubertal lambs’ immature cumulus–oocyte complex (COC) retrieval, vitrification, in vitro maturation (IVM), and assessment of meiotic stage and bioenergetic-oxidative status compared with those of other Italian and European commercial breeds. PR and tPR were progressively reduced over time. In all clinical examination times, BCS was significantly lower in nonpregnant ewes compared with pregnant ones. Fresh GdP pre-pubertal lamb COCs achieved meiotic maturation and showed healthy bioenergetic–oxidative status after IVM. Vitrification reduced the oocyte maturation rate in all groups. However, mature oocytes retained their cytoplasmic maturity, expressed as a mitochondria distribution pattern and activity, indicating promising developmental competence. In conclusion, clinical- and biotechnological-assisted reproduction approaches can support conservation strategies of GdP and other local sheep breeds in Southern Italy.
Comparison of Disk Diffusion, E-Test, and Broth Microdilution Methods for Testing In Vitro Activity of Cefiderocol in Acinetobacter baumannii
Authors: Kolesnik-Goldmann Natalia , Seth-Smith Helena M. B. , Haldimann Klara , Imkamp Frank , Roloff Tim , Zbinden Reinhard , Hobbie Sven N. , Egli Adrian , Mancini Stefano
Published: July 2023

The reference method for cefiderocol antimicrobial susceptibility testing is broth microdilution (BMD) with iron-depleted-Mueller-Hinton (ID-MH) medium, whereas breakpoints recommended for disk diffusion (DD) are based on MH-agar plates. We aimed to compare the performance of the commercial BMD tests ComASP (Liofilchem) and UMIC (Bruker), and DD and E-test using MH- and ID-MH-agar plates with the reference BMD method using 100 carbapenem-resistant-A. baumannii isolates. Standard BMD was performed according to the EUCAST guidelines; DD and E-test were carried out using two commercial MH-agar plates (BioMérieux and Liofilchem) and an in-house ID-MH-agar plate, while ComASP and UMIC were performed according to the manufacturer’s guidelines. DD performed with the ID-MH-agar plates led to a higher categorical agreement (CA, 95.1%) with standard BMD and fewer categorization errors compared to the commercial MH-agar plates (CA BioMérieux 91.1%, Liofilchem 89.2%). E-test on ID-MH-agar plates exhibited a significantly higher essential agreement (EA, 75%) with standard BMD compared to the two MH-agar plates (EA BioMérieux 57%, Liofilchem 44%), and showed a higher performance in detecting high-level resistance than ComASP and UMIC (mean log2 difference with standard BMD for resistant isolates of 0.5, 2.83, and 2.08, respectively). In conclusion, DD and E-test on ID-MH-agar plates exhibit a higher diagnostic performance than on MH-agar plates and the commercial BMD methods. Therefore, we recommend using ID-MH-agar plates for cefiderocol susceptibility testing of A. baumannii.
Quinones as Neuroprotective Agents
Authors: Cores Ángel , Carmona-Zafra Noelia , Clerigué José , Villacampa Mercedes , Menéndez J. Carlos
Published: July 2023

Quinones can in principle be viewed as a double-edged sword in the treatment of neurodegenerative diseases, since they are often cytoprotective but can also be cytotoxic due to covalent and redox modification of biomolecules. Nevertheless, low doses of moderately electrophilic quinones are generally cytoprotective, mainly due to their ability to activate the Keap1/Nrf2 pathway and thus induce the expression of detoxifying enzymes. Some natural quinones have relevant roles in important physiological processes. One of them is coenzyme Q10, which takes part in the oxidative phosphorylation processes involved in cell energy production, as a proton and electron carrier in the mitochondrial respiratory chain, and shows neuroprotective effects relevant to Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s diseases. Additional neuroprotective quinones that can be regarded as coenzyme Q10 analogues are idobenone, mitoquinone and plastoquinone. Other endogenous quinones with neuroprotective activities include tocopherol-derived quinones, most notably vatiquinone, and vitamin K. A final group of non-endogenous quinones with neuroprotective activity is discussed, comprising embelin, APX-3330, cannabinoid-derived quinones, asterriquinones and other indolylquinones, pyrroloquinolinequinone and its analogues, geldanamycin and its analogues, rifampicin quinone, memoquin and a number of hybrid structures combining quinones with amino acids, cholinesterase inhibitors and non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs.
Revolutionizing Tire Quality Control: AI’s Impact on Research, Development, and Real-Life Applications
Authors: Tamborski Marcin , Rojek Izabela , Mikołajewski Dariusz
Published: July 2023

The tire industry plays a key role in ensuring safe and efficient transportation. With 1.1 billion vehicles worldwide relying on tires for optimum performance, tire quality control is of paramount importance. In recent years, the integration of artificial intelligence (AI) has revolutionized various industries, and the tire industry is no exception. In this article, we take a look at the current state of quality control in the tire industry and the transformative impact of AI on this crucial process. Automatic detection of tire defects remains an important and challenging scientific and technical problem in industrial tire quality control. The integration of artificial intelligence into tire quality control has the potential to transform the tire industry, leading to safer, more reliable, and more sustainable tires. Thanks to continuous progress and a proactive approach to challenges, the tire industry is prepared for a future in which artificial intelligence will play a key role in delivering high-quality tires to consumers around the world.
An Ensemble Broad Learning System (BLS) for Evaluating Landslide Susceptibility in Taiyuan City, Northern China
Authors: Zhao Dekang , Ren Peiyuan , Feng Guorui , Ren Henghui , Li Zhenghao , Wang Pengwei , Han Bing , Dong Shuning
Published: July 2023

Landslides are common and highly destructive geological hazards that pose significant threats to both human lives and property on a global scale every year. In this study, a novel ensemble broad learning system (BLS) was proposed for evaluating landslide susceptibility in Taiyuan City, Northern China. Meanwhile, ensemble learning models based on the classification and regression tree (CART) and support vector machine (SVM) algorithms were applied for a comparison with the BLS-AdaBoost model. Firstly, in this study, a grand total of 114 landslide locations were identified, which were randomly divided into two parts, namely 70% for model training and the remaining 30% for model validation. Twelve landslide conditioning factors were selected for mapping landslide susceptibility. Subsequently, three models, namely CART-AdaBoost, SVM-AdaBoost and BLS-AdaBoost, were constructed and used to map landslide susceptibility. The frequency ratio (FR) was used to assess the relationship between landslides and different influencing factors. Finally, the three models were validated and compared on the basis of both statistical-based evaluations and ROC curve-based evaluations. The results showed that the integrated model with BLS as the base learner achieved the highest AUC value of 0.889, followed by the integrated models that used CART (AUC = 0.873) and SVM (AUC = 0.846) as the base learners. In general, the BLS-based integrated learning methods are effective for evaluating landslide susceptibility. Currently, the application of BLS and the integrated BLS model for evaluating landslide susceptibility is limited. This study is one of the first efforts to use BLS and the integrated BLS model for evaluating landslide susceptibility. BLS and its improvements have the potential to provide a more powerful approach to assess landslide susceptibility.
Climate Change and Its Impacts on Terrestrial Ecosystems: Recent Advances and Future Directions
Authors: Li Cheng , Yang Fan , Xiao Qitao , Gao Yao
Published: July 2023

With the increasing concentration of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere, climate change is now an indisputable fact and has strong impacts on various terrestrial ecosystems (e [...]
Proposed Shaft Coupling Based on RPRRR Mechanism: Positional Analysis and Consequences
Authors: Alaci Stelian , Doroftei Ioan , Ciornei Florina-Carmen , Romanu Ionut-Cristian , Ciocirlan Toma-Marian , Ciornei Mariana-Catalina
Published: July 2023

This study proposes a solution for the transmission of rotation motion between two shafts with crossed directions. For constructive simplicity, the solutions including the planar pair were preferred and, from the two variants, namely structurally symmetric, revolute–planar–revolute (RPR), or asymmetric RRP, the last was selected. The resulting solution, RPRRR, is a non-Denavit–Hartenberg (non-D–H) mechanism. The D–H methodology is laborious since the structure of the equivalent mechanism is more complex than the actual one. For this reason, in the present paper, the kinematic analysis of the mechanism uses geometrical conditions of existence of the planar pair. The system is solved analytically and two main conclusions result: for a set of constructive data and a stipulated position of the driving element, two different assembling positions exist and a rotation motion occurs in the final revolute joint, but in the internal revolute pairs, the motion is oscillatory. The correctness of the theoretical results was corroborated by a CATIA model. The mechanism was also constructed and smooth running was noticed. Two main concerns were considered for the design of the mechanism: avoiding mechanical interference between the elements and estimating the stresses and deformations.
Altered Relationship between Functional Connectivity and Fiber-Bundle Structure in High-Functioning Male Adults with Autism Spectrum Disorder
Authors: Dong Qiangli , Li Jialong , Ju Yumeng , Xiao Chuman , Li Kangning , Shi Bin , Zheng Weihao , Zhang Yan
Published: July 2023

Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a pervasive neurodevelopmental disorder characterized by abnormalities in structure and function of the brain. However, how ASD affects the relationship between fiber-bundle microstructures and functional connectivity (FC) remains unclear. Here, we analyzed structural and functional images of 26 high-functioning adult males with ASD, alongside 26 age-, gender-, and full-scale IQ-matched typically developing controls (TDCs) from the BNI dataset in the ABIDE database. We utilized fixel-based analysis to extract microstructural information from fiber tracts, which was then used to predict FC using a multilinear model. Our results revealed that the structure–function relationships in both ASD and TDC cohorts were strongly aligned in the primary cortex but decoupled in the high-order cortex, and the ASD patients exhibited reduced structure–function relationships throughout the cortex compared to the TDCs. Furthermore, we observed that the disrupted relationships in ASD were primarily driven by alterations in FC rather than fiber-bundle microstructures. The structure–function relationships in the left superior parietal cortex, right precentral and inferior temporal cortices, and bilateral insula could predict individual differences in clinical symptoms of ASD patients. These findings underscore the significance of altered relationships between fiber-bundle microstructures and FC in the etiology of ASD.