bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Doenças diagnosticadas pelo Laboratório de Patologia Veterinária no decênio 2013-2022
Authors: Perosa Fernanda Felicetti , Gris Anderson Hentz , Piva Manoela Marchezan , Horn Vitor Waldir , Miglioranza Cesar Augusto , Neumann Schuck Bruna Luiza , Pelisser Giovana , Baldi Kelen Regina Ascoli , Gomes Teane Milagres Augusto , Mendes Ricardo Evandro
Published: January 2024

Este trabalho apresenta a casuística de diagnósticos nos anos de 2013 a 2022 do Laboratório de Patologia Veterinária do IFC Campus Concórdia. Foram 2.162 diagnósticos em bovinos, 241 em ovinos e 520  em suínos, totalizando 2.923. Destes, 2.354 (80,5%) foram através de necropsias e 569 (19,5%) através de amostras formolizadas enviadas por veterinários. Em bovinos as doenças mais incidentes foram babesiose (93 casos - 4,4%), miosite clostridial (82 casos - 3,9%), leucose enzoótica bovina (80 casos - 3,9%), retículo pericardite traumática (70 casos - 3,3%), anaplasmose (65 casos - 3,1%) e intoxicação por nitrato/nitrito (64 casos - 3,1%). Considerando apenas as necropsias de bovinos, nos dez anos de atuação do LPV, foram necropsiados 1.769 animais, alcançando média de 177 necropsias de bovinos por ano. Do total de laudos emitidos de bovinos, as necropsias representaram 82% dos diagnósticos. Comparativamente, o Laboratório Regional de Diagnóstico da Universidade Federal de Pelotas detem uma uma média anual de 166 bovinos (necropsias e histopatológicos); e o Laboratório de Patologia Veterinária da Universidade Federal de Santa Maria tem uma média anual de, combinando necropsias e histopatológicos, 149 diagnósticos. Salienta-se que algumas das enfermidades mais prevalentes aqui descritas são possivelmente preveníveis e, que os técnicos e produtores rurais deveriam investir em tais abordagens a fim de reduzir os prejuízos econômicos nas propriedades rurais.
The Relationship between Peer Bullying and Victim Severity and Empathic Anger and Empathic Sadness, and The Influence of Empathic Anger and Empathic Sadness on Bullying Defensive Behavior
Authors:   The Society for Cognitive Enhancement and Intervention, Kim Nahyeon , Kim Heehwa
Published: January 2024

Objective: This study aims to determine how the main and interaction effects of peer bullying and victim severity level affect empathic anger and empathic sadness, and to examine relative influence of empathic anger and empathic sadness on defensive behavior against peer bullying.
Methods: The participants were 482 first and second year middle school students. Using a scenario-based factorial design, The participants were provided with one of four questionnaires based on a combination of the severity of bullying and victim in peer bullying situations, and questions measuring empathic anger and sadness, the severity of bullying and victim perceived by youth, and defensive behavior. responded. Data analysis methods included reliability Cronbach' α, t-test, two-way Anova, Pearson correlation analysis, and multiple regression analysis. These were analyzed using SPSS version 25.0.
Results: First, both empathic anger and sadness in adolescents showed differences depending on the severity level of peer bullying. A significant difference presented only in empathic sadness depending on the severity level of victimization. The interaction effect between bullying and victim severity appeared only for empathic anger. Second, empathic anger and empathic sadness had a significant effect only on adolescents' prosocial defensive behavior. Neither empathic anger nor sadness had a significant effect on aggressive defensive behavior.
Conclusions: First, in a situation of peer bullying, surrounding peers must first empathize with the victim's pain in order for anger toward the bully to arise. Second, to increase pro-social defensive behavior, surrounding peers have to sympathize with the victim's pain and simultaneously be morally sensitive to bullying that violates the victim's well-being and rights.
Classification of Behavior Problem Types for High-risk Adolescents and Exploration of Influencing Factors
Authors:   The Society for Cognitive Enhancement and Intervention, Park Jinah
Published: January 2024

Objective: This study aims to classify the types of problem behavior among high-risk adolescents and explore how the parent-child relationship influences the types of adolescents’ problem behavior depending on the gender of students.
Methods: The samples included 322 high-risk adolescents (169 male and 153 female students) attending middle and high school. The SDQ-Kr, Ego Resilience, and Parent-Adolescents Relationship were measured.
Results: First, the types of high-risk adolescents’ problem behavior were classified into three groups: “Hyperactivity/inattention-Emotional control problems”, “Peer conformity-Conduct problems”, and “Anxiety/depression-Delinquency coexistence”. Second, more high-risk male adolescents belonged to the “Peer conformity-Conduct Problems” and “Anxiety/depression-Delinquency coexistence” groups than female adolescents. More female adolescents belonged to the “Hyperactivity/inattention-Emotion regulation” group than male adolescents. Third, for both high-risk male and female students, the less their parents failed to provide consistent and appropriate discipline, the more likely they were to belong to the “Anxiety/depression-Delinquency coexistence” group.
Conclusions: To provide effective intervention for high-risk adolescents, customized intervention programs differentiated according to gender and customized parent education programs differentiated according to their children's problem behavior types should be developed.
Data Augmentation Improvement for a Breast Cancer Dataset: Fine-Tuning Bounding Box Coordinates and Segmentation Mask
Authors: Mahichi Hassan , Ghods Vahid , Sohrabi Mohammad Karim , Sabbaghi Arash
Published: January 2024

Breast cancer is one of the leading causes of death among women worldwide, and early detection through medical imaging techniques is crucial for effective treatment. Deep learning models have shown promising results in medical image analysis tasks, but traditional data augmentation methods often do not preserve the accuracy of bounding box and segmentation mask annotations. To address this issue, a proposed method for fine-tuning new coordinates of bounding box and segmentation mask during data augmentation methods cropping and rotation in the breast cancer dataset has been introduced. This method involves generating new images by applying cropping and rotation to the original images and adjusting the coordinates of the bounding box and segmentation mask to match the new image. Experiments conducted on a publicly available breast cancer dataset showed that the proposed method improved the accuracy of the bounding box and segmentation mask annotations while preserving the original information in the image. The proposed method is a promising approach to improve the accuracy of deep learning models for medical image analysis tasks. By dynamically adjusting the coordinates during augmentation, the proposed method can better preserve object shape and improve the accuracy of object detection and segmentation tasks. The approach can be easily integrated into existing data augmentation pipelines and has the potential to improve performance on a range of computer vision applications.
Protocol for a Systematic review of the application of the Kidney Failure Risk Equation and Oxford classification in estimating prognosis in IgA Nephropathy
Authors: Toal Michael , Fergie Ruth , Quinn Michael , Hill Christopher , O'Neill Ciaran , Maxwell Alexander P
Published: January 2024

Background IgA Nephropathy (IgAN) is a common cause of chronic kidney disease (CKD) and end-stage renal disease (ESRD). Outcomes are highly variable and predicting risk of disease progression at an individual level is challenging. Accurate risk stratification is important to identify individuals who are most likely to benefit from treatment. The Kidney Failure Risk Equation (KFRE) has been extensively validated in CKD populations and predicts the risk of ESRD at two and five years using non-invasive tests, however it’s predictive performance in IgAN is unknown. The Oxford Classification (OC) describes pathological features demonstrated on renal biopsy that are associated with adverse clinical outcomes that may also inform prognosis. The objective of this systematic review is to compare the KFRE with the OC in determining prognosis in IgAN.Methods A systematic review will be conducted and reported in line with PRISMA guidelines (PRISMA-P checklist attached as supplement). Inclusion criteria will be cohort studies that apply the KFRE or OC to determine the risk of CKD progression or ESRD in individuals with IgAN. Multiple databases will be searched in duplicate to identify relevant studies, which will be screened first by title, then by abstract and then by full text analysis. Results will be collated for comparison. Risk of bias and confidence assessments will be conducted independently by two reviewers, with a third reviewer available if required.Discussion Identifying individuals at the highest risk of progression to ESRD is challenging in IgAN, due to the heterogeneity of clinical outcomes. Risk prediction tools have been developed to guide clinicians; however it is imperative that these aids are accurate and reproducible. The OC is based on observations made by specialist renal pathologists and may be open to observer bias, therefore the utility of prediction models incorporating this classification may be diminished, particularly as in the future novel biomarkers may be incorporated into clinical practice.Systematic Review registration: Prospero no. CRD42022364569
First record of the lacewing species Croce filipennis (Neuroptera: Nemopteridae) and its family from Bangladesh based on morphological and molecular identification
Authors: Barkat Azizul Islam , Rahman Md. Mahfuzur , Alam Shofiul , Khandaker Ashfaqul Muid , ALAM MOHAMMAD SHAMIMUL
Published: January 2024

Neuropterans are a small group of insects which have the potential of being used as agents of biological pest control, and as insect research models of longer life cycles. Despite over three hundred recorded species of Neuropterans from the Indian subcontinent, this group remains poorly studied in Bangladesh. In this study, the first occurrence of the speciesCroce filipennis (Westwood) (Neuroptera: Nemopteridae) and its family Nemopteridae have been reported from Bangladesh. The specimens were identified morphologically and to facilitate future identification of the species, the mitochondrial cytochrome c oxidase subunit 1 (COX1) gene was sequenced partially and analyzed. The sequenced region of the COX1 gene is 676 bp long (NCBI Genbank Accession no. OR250776). A molecular phylogenetic tree has been constructed to get insights into its relationship with other members of the order Neuroptera. Extensive surveys and collections of this group of insects are required to ascertain species and genetic diversity in this region.
Immune Gene-linked EST-SSR Marker Development for Coconut Scale Insects, Aspidiotus Destructor Signoret and Aspidiotus Rigidus Reyne
Authors: Alcasid Rochelle Escobin , Bautista Ma. Anita M. , Lantican Darlon V. , Latina Romnick A. , Caoili Barbara L.
Published: January 2024

The infestation of coconut scale insects (CSI), Aspidiotus destructor and A. rigidus, resulted in significant economic damages to the Philippine coconut industry in recent years. This incident demands a thorough understanding of the biological information of the insect pests to understand how they thrive and perpetuate despite of adverse ecological conditions. This research explored microsatellite mining, characterization, and marker design on two species of coconut scale insect. Using bioinformatics approaches, predominant dinucleotide repeats units (TA and TC), average length of 40bp and density of 728 SSRs/Mbp were observed in the microsatellite regions of the transcriptomes. A total of 18,480 and 1,681 EST-SSR markers were designed for A. destructor and A. rigidus, respectively. In addition, homology search of 4,369 immune genes from 4IN database against the transcriptome assemblies revealed 22 and 302 orthologs expressed by A. rigidus and A. destructor, respectively. This result provides insights into the expression of genes involved in evolutionarily conserved immune pathways (i.e.,Toll, Imd, JNK, and JAK- STAT) of these two coconut scale insect species. From the vast resource of EST-SSR markers, eight (8) immune gene-linked EST-SSR markers were deduced targeting effete (eff), autophagy 8 (Atg8), ras-like GTP-binding protein (rho1) and anterior open (aop). The polymorphic EST-SSR markers established in this research can be used for comprehensive genetic analysis of coconut scale insects towards safeguarding the country's vibrant coconut industry.
Causal inference of the effect of inflammatory cytokines on the risk of oral cancer：two-sample Mendelian randomization
Authors: Wan Guanqun , Xia Yinhua
Published: January 2024

Objective: This study aimed to investigate the causal relationship between inflammatory cytokines and oral cavity cancer risk using Mendelian randomization analysis.
Methods: Two-sample Mendelian randomization was conducted using summary-level genome-wide association study data on 41 inflammatory cytokines and oral cavity cancer risk in Europeans. Single nucleotide polymorphisms associated with cytokines (p<5x10-6) and oral cancer were selected as instrumental variables, excluding those in linkage disequilibrium. Inverse-variance weighted analysis was used as the primary method, supplemented by MR Egger, weighted median, simple and weighted mode methods. Sensitivity analyses included heterogeneity, horizontal pleiotropy, leave-one-out, and funnel plot assessments. Multivariable MR analysis adjusted for smoking, alcohol, periodontitis and malnutrition was performed.
Results: In univariate MR analysis, increased beta-nerve growth factor (OR: 1.53, 95% CI: 1.06–2.20), and decreased macrophage colony stimulating factor (OR: 0.87, 95% CI: 0.78–0.98) and interleukin-18 (OR: 0.80, 95% CI: 0.65–0.98) were causally associated with higher oral cancer risk. In multivariable MR analysis, the effects of beta-nerve growth factor (OR: 1.63, 95% CI: 1.24–2.13) ,macrophage colony stimulating factor(OR:0.87, 95% CI:0.75–1.00)and interleukin-18 (OR: 0.82, 95% CI: 0.67–0.99) remained significant after adjusting for exposures. No reverse causation was found.
Conclusions: This MR study provides evidence for causal effects of increased beta-nerve growth factor along with decreased macrophage colony stimulating factor and interleukin-18 on higher oral cavity cancer risk, independent of known risk factors. These inflammatory cytokines may represent etiologic targets for oral cancer prevention.
Oncogenic CD44 is required for pancreatic cancer cell tumorigenesis and CD44 gene knockout is a new strategy for targeted pancreatic cancer therapy
Authors: Zhou Quansheng , Liu Yuxi , Meng Mei , Zheng Nana , Zhang Mengli , Chen Yu , Liu Juntao , Li Xu , Song Xiaoxiao , Xu Peng
Published: January 2024

CD44 is a cancer stem cell marker and is aberrantly overexpressed in cancer stem/progenitor cells of malignant tumors. Overexpression of CD44 promotes carcinogenesis and is closely associated with poor prognosis in cancer patients, including pancreatic cancer. However, CD44-targeted drug against pancreatic cancer is unavailable in the clinical setting, and the effect of CD44 gene knockout on pancreatic cancer has not yet been reported in the literature. In this study, we investigated the effect of CD44 gene knockout on pancreatic cancer cell tumorigenesis. We found that CD44 genetic disruption notably inhibited pancreatic cancer cell tumorigenesis, migration, and invasion; increased intracellular DNA damage, sensitized pancreatic cancer cells to the anticancer drug cisplatin; and also suppressed tumor growth in xenograft mice. Mechanistically, CD44 genetic disruption suppressed expression of multiple oncogenic genes; particularly, the levels of oncogenic X-inactive specific transcription (Xist) were reduced for 35-fold through diminishing promoter activity, unraveling a novel oncogenic CD44-Xist axis in cancer cells. Additionally, CD44 genetic disruption inhibited the tumorigenic AKT and ERK signaling pathways, and concurrently activated the tumor-suppressive p38 and p53 signaling pathways. Our findings highlight the critical role of CD44 gene in pancreatic cancer and provide a new strategy for targeted pancreatic cancer therapy.
Grow and eat healthy: Mediating effect of food poverty and dietary diversity with evidence from Tanzania
Authors: Rashid Furaha , Lihawa Robert
Published: January 2024

Agriculture and health are linked through natural environment, food production, nutrition and production of medicinal plants. The existing literature on the effect of food poverty and dietary diversity as mediating factors for agriculture on household’s health expenditure presents mixed results and are country specific. This study aimed at examining the link between agriculture and household’s health expenditure mediated by food poverty and dietary diversity using the nationally representative Tanzania household budget survey data 2017/18. We employed an instrumental variable generalized method of moment (IV-GMM) as a method of analysis. Results show that participation in agriculture solely has no effect on health expenditure but the effect stems from food poverty incidence and dietary diversity level as mediating factors. Food poor households had 54.1–55.7% lower health expenditure than food secure households. An additional food group consumed by a household leads to 11.3–11.6% increase in household health expenditure. Thus, policies aiming at improving health should go beyond merely fostering agricultural participation and instead place more emphasis on pro-poor and nutrition sensitive agriculture.
Peripheral doses outside the electron applicators in an Elekta Versa HD Linac
Authors: Maharaj Kapil Dev , Goodall Simon , Sabet Masheed , Dass Joshua , Ibrahim Mounir , Mahmood Talat , Rowshanfarzad Pejman
Published: January 2024

Background
Radiotherapy is an essential component of cancer treatment, but healthy tissues can be exposed to out-of-field doses, potentially causing adverse effects and secondary cancers. This study investigates peripheral doses outside the electron beam applicator in an Elekta Versa HD linear accelerator.
Methods
Peripheral doses outside the electron applicator were measured using 6, 9, and 12 MeV beams at their respective maximum dose depths while maintaining a 100 cm source-to-surface distance. Measurements employed EBT3 films within solid water phantoms. The influence of field size on penumbra width and peripheral doses were examined using various cutouts (6 x 6 cm², 10 x 10 cm², and a 5 cm diameter circle) within a 10 × 10 cm² applicator, with gantry and collimator angles set to 0 degrees. Additionally, the impact of collimator angles on penumbra width and peripheral doses was explored, enhancing the understanding of dose distribution. Measured profiles were also compared with those calculated using Monaco treatment planning system.
Results
Findings showed that both penumbra width and peripheral dose values increased with energy across different field sizes and collimator angles. Root Mean Square Deviation (RMSD) analysis indicated deviations of 1.8 mm for penumbra and 1.1% for peripheral doses between measured profiles and Treatment Planning System (TPS) predictions for all field sizes. Notably, peripheral doses remained below 5% of the maximum dose at distances ranging from 10 to 15 mm away from the field edges, suggesting the potential for implementation of supplementary shielding strategies.
Conclusion
This study highlights the critical importance of considering peripheral doses in radiotherapy, emphasizing the need to evaluate the impact on healthy tissues outside the primary treatment area to ensure patient safety and mitigate long-term treatment-related side effects. The findings underscore the necessity of implementing appropriate measures to minimize peripheral doses.
Association of essential oils and the coating film of cassava starch in the control of gray-mold in postharvest strawberry
Authors: Garcia Isadora Rodrigues , Sartorio Weliton Geraldo , Rocha Matheus Ricardo da , Gondo Cayo Yoshihiro , Dian Vanessa Sessa , Anjos Breno Benvindo Dos , Moraes Simone de Paiva Caetano Bucker , Arndt Stella , Costa Adilson Vidal , Queiroz Vagner Tebaldi , Alves Fábio Ramos , Xavier André da Silva , Moraes Willian Bucker
Published: January 2024

The use of essential oils for plant disease management during the postharvest period has been a difficult task because of the high volatility of their active antifungal components. To reduce the essential oil volatilization, we mixed cassava and cinnamon essential oils in a coating film made of cassava starch and used it to control strawberries gray-mold (Botrytis cinerea) in the postharvest period. Chemical characterization revealed that eugenol was the major component in both essential oils with levels > 76%. In a preliminary in vitro assay, the essential oils showed a significant reduction in mycelial growth rate as well as a reduction in sporulation. Furthermore, in the confirmation in vivo experiment, in which we evaluated disease development for four days in strawberry fruits inoculated with B. cinerea, a decrease in disease infection rate was observed when the coating film was applied alone, compared to the control check. No disease was observed when essential oils were applied in association or not with the coating film, thus we were not unable to evaluate whether or not the coating film could increase the time of action of the essential oils. On the other hand, in the fungicide treatment without coating film, the disease reached ~ 80% severity on the fourth day of evaluation, however, fungicide in associating with the coating film totally inhibited disease development. Based on these results that the use of the cassava coating film has a promising effect in prolonging shelf life when applied alone and in association with other chemical control methods.
Soil microbial community and chemical properties response to blueberry–soybean intercropping system
Authors: Ma Linna , Li Xiang , Zhang Zhiping , Zhang Ting , Duan Haibin , Huang Huichuan , Liu Yixiang , Zhu Shusheng , Zhu Youyong , Li Yingbin
Published: January 2024

Background and Aims
Current global population growth and agricultural land resource limitations have led to intensifying conflicts between grain and fruit production.
Methods
we designed a potted blueberry–soybean intercropping system to evaluate its impacts on crop yield, disease occurrence, and soil microbial community composition using survey statistics, high-throughput sequencing, and correlation analysis.
Results
The results demonstrate that the system is a feasible solution for obtaining additional soybean yield. Blueberry pot soil (BPS) sampled and rhizosphere soil sampled from intercropped Huayan 1 soybean plants (HYS) showed significantly higher fungal and bacterial diversity than control bulk soil (CK) with no cultivation history. Microbial communities and unique OTUs were differentially enriched in BPS and HYS, respectively, and the latter effect was more pronounced. pH, organic matter, and total N were the main factors driving soil chemistry-mediated microbial differences in the community between CK and both HYS and BPS. The significantly lower microbial abundance in BPS was likely related to N fixation, whereas significantly enriched bacteria in HYS were related to the N regulatory protein C protein family, N regulatory IIA and P-II2 proteins, N fixation regulation proteins, and other N-related functions (p< 0.05), indicating that blueberry–soybean intercropping significantly improves microbial function in the soil.
Conclusion
These findings demonstrate that intercropping system could improve the acidification of soil and reduce the depletion of soil functional microorganisms caused by continuous monoculture of blueberries. Intercropping could help coordinated development of grain and fruit production, particularly in regions facing both food shortages and limited arable land in the world.
Various aspects of approximative $\tau$-compactness in Banach spaces
Authors: Das Syamantak , Paul Tanmoy
Published: January 2024

We study approximative $\tau$-compactness in Banach spaces, where $\tau$ is the norm or weak topology. The family of Banach spaces with Fr{\'e}chet differentiable norms falls under the category of spaces where every $w^*$-closed finite codimensional subspace is approximately compact in the duals, is observed. We conclude that a smooth Banach space is Fr{\'e}chet smooth if and only if every $w^*$-closed hyperplane is approximatively compact in its dual.
The property approximative $\tau$-compactness is characterized in a variety of ways for finite codimensional subspaces.
It is established that a separable Banach space $X$ is Asplund if and only if $X^*$ admits a dual $CLUR$ renorming. This property is discussed in the context of quotient spaces. We prove that, under certain conditions, the property of approximative $\tau$-compactness passes through $M$-ideals. Stability results for approximative $\tau$-compactness in the spaces of Bochner integrable functions are also presented.
Systemic inflammation and Oxidative stress with stroke mortality among patients admitted in tertiary Hospital in Uganda: a prospective cohort study in southwestern Uganda
Authors: Kulaba Nicholas , Kayanja Adrian , Naigaga Josephine , Dumo Jackson Lodiong , Najjuma Josephine , Mukasa Mark Kaddu , Katabira Elly T , Moore Shirley M. , Sajatovic Martha , Muyingo Anthony
Published: January 2024

Background: Stroke is an inflammatory state that causes death and chronic disability. Inflammation and oxidative stress are a predictor of poor clinical outcome, its effects are controversial and has not been evaluated in Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA).
Methods: We conducted a prospective cohort study of CT head confirmed ischemic and hemorrhagic stroke admitted within 7 days of onset of motor weakness. Baseline CRP, NLR and baseline glucose was measured with subsequent modified Rankin Scale (mRS) score on day 14 post-stroke. Cox proportional hazard model was fitted to determine hazard ratios of mortality with CRP, NLR and blood glucose.
Results: Out of 120 patients, 51.7% were female, 52.5% had ischemic stroke and the overall median age was 65 (IQR 54-80) years. Nineteen (15.8%) patients died within a median survival time of 7 days, while 32 (25.8%) died by day 14 after stroke.
Conclusion:
High C-reactive protein and stroke related hyperglycemia conferred statistically significant hazards of mortality among patients with acute and subacute stroke.
Enhancing Air Quality Forecasting in the Metropolitan Zone of the Valley of Puebla: A Comparative Analysis of CAMS and REMA Data
Authors: Castillo-Miranda Javier Omar , Mendoza-Hernández José Carlos , García-Reynoso José Agustín , Pérez-Osorio Gabriela
Published: January 2024

Air quality in the Metropolitan Zone of the Valley of Puebla has shown in previous years that suspended particles less than 10 micrometers (PM10) and less than 2.5 micrometers (PM2.5) present a health risk. The automatic air quality monitoring system in Puebla measures PM10 and PM2.5 at five stations in the Puebla and Coronango municipalities. These measurements allow for the determination of the Air and Health Index according to the NOM-172-SEMARNAT-2019 standard for these pollutants. The advancement of satellite monitoring techniques represents an opportunity for air quality management where terrestrial measurements are scarce. However, to obtain reliable data, it is necessary to validate the satellite data with ground measurements from georeferenced monitoring stations. The operational implementation forecast of the Copernicus Atmospheric Monitoring Service (CAMS) allows for conducting out atmospheric pollution exploration processes. An analysis of this forecast data determined that the Persistence forecast is better than the CAMS forecast overall for both PM10 and PM2.5. However, the CAMS forecast can be employment for a preliminary evaluation in the prediction of PM2.5 due to the success in the comparison criteria of the dichotomous statistics ACCURACY, POD, FAR, POFD, SR, TS, ETS, HSS and ORSS.
Little Ice Age effects on Southern Ocean thermohaline circulation
Authors: Thresher Ronald , Rintoul Stephen , fallon Stewart , de Forges Sylvain Richer , Neil Helen , Trotter Julie , Tracey Dianne
Published: January 2024

The Little Ice Age (LIA) was one of the strongest climate perturbations in the last millennium, with widespread albeit asynchronous periods of cooling globally1. Its effects on oceanic properties and thermohaline circulation have been questioned, however2. We provide evidence of changes in the properties of Antarctic Intermediate Water (AAIW) over the last millennium that are synchronous with LIA cooling events and that appear to derive proximately from variations in the proportion of Upper Circumpolar Deep Water (UCDW) in the AAIW source mixture, and ultimately from changes in the strength and position of the zonal west winds over the Southern Ocean (SO). Export of AAIW from the SO influences climate and biogeochemical cycles globally by transporting heat, freshwater, nutrients and carbon to lower latitudes3-5, implying widespread impacts of its LIA-correlated variability. AAIW tracking of the LIA ceased in the late 1800s, which we suggest marked the onset of over-riding impacts of anthropogenic climate change on SO circulation.
Incidence and spatial pattern of viruses in commercial dragon fruit orchards in southern Minas Gerais, Brazil
Authors: Silveira Antonia Thalyta Lopes , Figueira Antonia , Gontijo Gabriela Rineiro , Pessoa Viviane de Fátima Silva , Pio Leila Aparecida Salles , Pozza Edson Ampélio
Published: January 2024

Dragon fruit (Selenicereus spp. syn. Hylocereus spp.) cultivation has grown significantly in recent years both in Brazil and throughout the world. This growth has demanded basic information on diseases caused by pathogens that can affect the crop. Among them, diseases of viral etiology stand out for the lack of curative control methods and for being underreported because the symptoms induced by viruses can be confounded with nutritional disorders. Previously, four viral species of the genus Potexvirus were detected in samples from different regions of Brazil. The objective of this study was to determine the incidence and spatial distribution of potexvirus in 12 commercial dragon fruit orchards in southern Minas Gerais. The number of plants evaluated for incidence determination was calculated based on the size of each orchard, and the spatial distribution was investigated throughout the area. High incidences of potexvirus were detected, ranging from 80–100%. The spatial distribution of diseased plants showed an aggregated pattern in planting rows and a regular pattern in plots, indicating dissemination through cultural operations and infected seedlings as a source of inoculum. This was the first study on the epidemiology of viruses in dragon fruit orchards, and the data obtained indicate that producers are unaware of control measures required to live with the disease. In addition, the results showed the need for control seedling commercialization, aiming at the propagation of healthy material, along with the use of appropriate management practices to decrease the spread of viruses within orchards.
Baseline levels and longitudinal rates of change in plasma Aβ42/40 among self-identified Black/African American and White individuals
Authors: Xiong Chengjie , Schindler Suzanne , Luo Jingqin , Morris John , Bateman Randall , Holtzman David , Cruchaga Carlos , Babulal Ganesh , Henson Rachel , Benzinger Tammie , Bui Quoc , Agboola Folasade , Grant Elizabeth , Gremminger Emily , Moulder Krista , Geldmacher David , Clay Olivio , Roberson Erik , Murchison Charles , Wolk David , Shaw Leslie
Published: January 2024

Objective:The use of blood-based biomarkers of Alzheimer disease (AD) may facilitate access to biomarker testing of groups that have been historically under-represented in research. We evaluated whether plasma Aβ42/40 has similar or different baseline levels and longitudinal rates of change in participants racialized as Black or White.Methods:The Study of Race to Understand Alzheimer Biomarkers (SORTOUT-AB) is a multi-center longitudinal study to evaluate for potential differences in AD biomarkers between individuals racialized as Black or White. Plasma samples collected at three AD Research Centers (Washington University, University of Pennsylvania, and University of Alabama-Birmingham) underwent analysis with C2N Diagnostics’ PrecivityAD™ blood test for Aβ42 and Aβ40. General linear mixed effects models were used to estimate the baseline levels and rates of longitudinal change for plasma Aβ measures in both racial groups. Analyses also examined whether dementia status, age, sex, education,APOEε4 carrier status, medical comorbidities, or fasting status modified potential racial differences.Results:Of the 324 Black and 1,547 White participants, there were 158 Black and 759 White participants with plasma Aβ measures from at least two longitudinal samples over a mean interval of 6.62 years. At baseline, the group of Black participants had lower levels of plasma Aβ40 but similar levels of plasma Aβ42 as compared to the group of White participants. As a result, baseline plasma Aβ42/40 levels were higher in the Black group than the White group, consistent with the Black group having lower levels of amyloid pathology. Racial differences in plasma Aβ42/40 were not modified by age, sex, education,APOEε4 carrier status, medical conditions (hypertension and diabetes), or fasting status. Despite differences in baseline levels, the Black and White groups had a similar longitudinal rate of change in plasma Aβ42/40.Interpretation:Black individuals participating in AD research studies had a higher mean level of plasma Aβ42/40, consistent with a lower level of amyloid pathology, which, if confirmed, may imply a lower proportion of Black individuals being eligible for AD clinical trials in which the presence of amyloid is a prerequisite. However, there was no significant racial difference in the rate of change in plasma Aβ42/40, suggesting that amyloid pathology accumulates similarly across racialized groups.
Mesophyll-Specific Circadian Dynamics of CAM Induction in the Ice Plant Unveiled by Single-Cell Transcriptomics
Authors: Kirst Matias , Perron Noé , Dervinis Christopher , Pereira Wendell , Barbazuk William
Published: January 2024

Crassulacean acid metabolism (CAM) is an evolutionary modification of the C3 photosynthetic carbon dioxide fixation pathway used by approximately 7% of terrestrial plants to live in drought-prone environments. Facultative CAM species, such as Mesembryanthemum crystallinum (common ice plant), possess the unique ability to switch from C3 to CAM photosynthesis in response to high-salinity and water-deficit stress. Here we characterized the environmentally-triggered transition from C3 to CAM in the ice plant using single nucleus RNA sequencing (snRNA-seq) to identify its putative regulators, supported by a novel high-quality assembled and annotated genome. Analysis of snRNA-seq datasets from ice plant leaves transitioning between C3 and CAM collected at dawn and dusk revealed substantial transcriptional changes in mesophyll cells at the onset of CAM induction. Notably, our findings identify mesophyll sub-cell types engaged in either CAM or C3 photosynthesis at dusk. Cell trajectory inference analysis reconstructed both 24-hour CAM and C3 cycles, enabling a direct comparison of gene expression profiles in these pathways. This comparative study uncovered divergent expression patterns of key circadian clock genes in CAM and C3 cell trajectories, pointing to a connection between circadian regulation and CAM induction.
RETRACTED: Eradication of Klebsiella pneumoniae pulmonary infection by silver Oxytetracycline Nano-structure
Authors: Mosallam Farag , Elshimy Rana
Published: January 2024

The authors have requested that this preprint be removed from Research Square.
Effects of Prolonged Exposure to Salinity on Blood and Immune Parameters of Rainbow Trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss (Walbaum, 1792)) Juveniles in Rearing Ponds
Authors: Bivareh Mohammadreza , Jafaryan Hojatollah
Published: January 2024

Environmental and unfavourable circumstances significantly impact a fish's serum and blood biochemical parameters. The study examines the impact of long-term exposure to salinity stress on the blood and immune parameters of rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) juveniles weighing 80 grams in farms with three different salinity levels in Golestan province (Iran): 0.5 ppt (freshwater), 3 ppt (brackish water), and 18 ppt (saltwater). After being purchased and transferred to the farms, the juveniles were fed a commercially available salmon diet for five months. After the trial period ended, blood samples were obtained from 60 healthy fish, with each fish weighing 250 grams at each farm. The samples were subjected to centrifugation in order to separate the serum from the blood cells. The desired parameters were measured using conventional laboratory techniques. The results revealed significant differences in the levels of white blood cells (WBCs) and immunoglobulin M (IgM) among the three experimental groups (p < 0.05). The fish in seawater showed the highest white blood cell count (14300 ± 310 mm3) and immunoglobulin M (0.428 ± 0.007 g/l) values. Red blood cell counts (RBCs), haematocrit (HCT), haemoglobin (Hgb), mean corpuscular volume (MCV), mean corpuscular haemoglobin (MCH), complement C3 and complement C4 were all significantly lower in fish raised in brackish water compared to fish raised in freshwater and saltwater (p < 0.05). These parameters did not show any significant differences between fish reared in freshwater and saltwater (p > 0.05). The levels of total protein, glucose, cortisol, albumin, cholesterol, triglyceride, urea, uric acid, creatinine, alkaline phosphatase, lipase, and amylase were significantly higher in fish raised in saltwater compared to fish raised in fresh and brackish waters (p < 0.05). Significantly elevated levels of calcium, phosphorus, chloride, iron, copper, zinc, and magnesium ions were detected in saltwater fish that were raised (p < 0.05). Simultaneously, the amounts of sodium and potassium exhibited no statistically significant variations across all treatments (p > 0.05). To summarize, this research emphasizes that rainbow trout, a euryhaline species, exhibit better growth and survival rates when reared in water with a salinity of 18 parts per thousand (ppt). Furthermore, this species exhibits enhanced resistance to stressors at this specific salinity level, resulting in a more favourable habitat since these indicators tend to return to their original values observed in freshwater.
Clinical Value of IOTA LR2 and IOTA LR2 Combined with CEUS in Assessing the Nature of Adnexal Masses
Authors: Yan Xiaonan , Han Yiwei , Zhang Jianmei , Tian Cai
Published: January 2024

Objective
To investigate the preoperative assessment of adnexal tumor benignity and malignancy using the International Ovarian Tumour Analysis (IOTA) logistic regression model 2 (LR2) and LR2 combined with contrast-enhanced ultrasound (CEUS). Clinical application of LR2 and CEUS in the preoperative assessment of adnexal tumors was evaluated.
Methods
One hundred and ninety-eight adnexal tumors were selected, and their nature was evaluated preoperatively according to IOTA LR2 and LR2 combined with CEUS. Pathological and long-term follow-up results were used as the gold standard for comparison.
Results
For the diagnostic efficacy of LR2 for identifying the nature of ovarian masses, the AUC was 0.90 (0.85–0.94). For the diagnostic efficacy of LR2 combined with CEUS in identifying the benign and malignant nature of ovarian tumors, the AUC was 0.92 (0.88–0.97).
Conclusion
The IOTA LR2 model has high sensitivity but low specificity. Its diagnostic specificity can be significantly improved by combining it with CEUS. Therefore, LR2 combined with CEUS has high clinical value and can help ultrasonographers determine the benign or malignant nature of adnexal tumors.
Establishment of an Index System for Multidimensional Health Poverty in Post-Poverty Alleviation Era in China: Delphi Method and Analytic Hierarchy Process
Authors: Hao Jin , Dong Shiju , Li Jiajia
Published: January 2024

Background: This study aimed to establish a multidimensional health poverty evaluation index (MHPI) based on a sustainable livelihood framework to provide a reference for the accurate identification and treatment of the population health poverty in the post-poverty alleviation era.
Methods: A two-round Delphi process was used to determine the indicators of the index system. The weight of each indicator was calculated using the analytic hierarchy process (AHP) method.
Results: This study developed a new indicator framework covering five dimensions: financial, natural, physical, social, and human capital. The initial 46 indicators formed an indicator pool for the Delphi questionnaire. Based on the final consensus of the expert panel, the Delphi consultation resulted in an index system comprising six first-level and 23 second-level indicators. The weight values of the first-level indicators (economic security, health status, education, social capital, healthcare utilisation, and living conditions) were 0.2715, 0.2593, 0.0855, 0.0657, 0.1812, and 0.1363, respectively.
Conclusion: This study established a scientific and effective index to evaluate multidimensional health poverty in China. Economic security, health status,and healthcare utilisation are the most crucial aspects of multidimensional health poverty. Moreover, the results indicated that vocational training and social capital should be emphasised.
A Randomized controlled trial comparing two antenatal care regimes in the management of mild to moderate gestational diabetes in low middle income countries
Authors: Reddy Anusha , nirupama Shiny , Raj Arathy , Tirkey Richa Sasmita Tirkey Sasmita , Yenuberi Hilda , Rathore Swati , Mathew Jiji E
Published: January 2024

Objective
The aim of the study is to see if single ultrasound scan in the early third trimester could identify women who need frequent visits for strict glycemic control and the impact on neonatal and maternal outcomes in clinical practice.We decided not to look at serial ultrasounds to detect accelerated growth as it would be expensive, time consuming and difficult to replicate in normal practice.
Methods
The study was a randomized controlled trial, conducted at Christian Medical College and Hospital(CMCH), a tertiary hospital in south India. The study population was recruited from women who visited antenatal outpatient clinic in the department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, CMCH, Vellore between May 2019 to September 2021
Results
588 women were included in the study. Outcomes between conventional and ultrasound subgroups ( Standard + ultrasound subgroup with AC ≤ 70 th centile vs ultrasound subgroup AC ≥ 70 th centile)showed significant difference in outcomes.Ultrasound subgroup with AC ≥ 70 th centile had macrosomia(3.59% vs26.67%, P < 0.001),increased severity of diabetes(2.97% vs 16.67%, P < 0.001), 3 rd and 4 th degree perineal tear(2.95% vs 27.27%, P < 0.001) .
Conclusion
Thus in conclusion this small well designed study did not show any advantage with USGR as compared to the pragmatic simple standard regime, in treatment of women with GDM.
Brain-computer interface training based on visual and motor feedback improves convalescent stroke patients with hemiplegia: a randomized clinical trial
Authors: Li Guannan , Yu Yang , Cui Zhengzhe , Gao Wen , Zhang Shuting , Ma Yuqin , Wan Xiaojiao , Li Peng , Wu Tingting , Zhu Shiqiang , Hong Yongfeng
Published: January 2024

Background Modern stroke rehabilitation integrates exercise therapy, occupational therapy, and other technological interventions. This study investigated the short-term intervention effect of brain-computer interface (BCI) training based on visual and motor feedback on cognition, psychology, limb movement, and brain function in convalescent stroke patients with hemiplegia.
Methods: Convalescent stroke patients with hemiplegia (n=98) were randomly assigned to one of three groups: conventional exercise rehabilitation (Control), conventional exercise + conventional motor imagery (MI), and conventional exercise + BCI-based MI (BCI) groups, while MI and BCI patients imagined the upper limb swimming and lower limb cycling during the rehabilitation, and treated for six times a week for two weeks. The training effects were evaluated by the mini-mental state examination (MMSE), Hamilton Depression Scale (HAM-D), Fugl-Meyer Assessment (FMA), six min walking distance (6MWD), modified Barthel index (MBI),and transcranial magnetic stimulator before and after the intervention.
Results: (1) After intervention: All indicators of the three groups were significantly improved compared with those before intervention(P<0.05) except for the MEP amplitude in Control group and MI group. (2) Differences before and after intervention: All items in BCI group were the largest in the three groups, in which MMSE, HAMD, and FMA items in BCI group were significantly different from those in the other two groups(P<0.05), and the MEP latency in BCI group was significantly different from that in MI group(P<0.05).
Conclusion: This randomized controlled trial demonstrated that all three types of interventions could significantly improve convalescent stroke patients with hemiplegia, while BCI-based MI training with both visual and motor feedback was a better choice for clinical rehabilitation of patients to recover cognition, psychology,and limb movement. Mechanistically, BCI-based MI training also improved the excitability of the non-lesional cerebral hemisphere and the conductivity of the descending neural pathway.
BoT-YOLOv8: A high accuracy and stability initial weld position segmentation method for medium-thickness plate
Authors: Liu Zongmin , Li Jie , Zhang Shunlong , Qin Lei , Shi Changcheng , Liu Ning
Published: January 2024

To address the technical bottleneck of autonomous vision guidance for the initial weld position of medium-thickness plate in robot welding. This paper proposes a high accuracy and stability initial weld position segmentation method for medium-thickness plate, this method is developed by integrating the Bottleneck Transformer (BoT) into YOLOv8, termed as BoT-YOLOv8. Firstly, aim to filter out redundant information in the image and enhance the model's capability to express features, the BoT is added behind the last bottleneck layer in the residual module of the YOLOv8 neck structure. Subsequently, in order to obtain the multi-scale information of the target, the atrous convolution is incorporated as the spatial pyramid pooling structure to establish connections between the backbone and the neck of this model. Furthermore, to facilitate the learning of weld position characteristics for the welding robot, the Hue-Saturation-Value (HSV) space region segmentation method is utilized to postprocess the weld seam features. Finally, ablation experiments are conducted on the self-created weld dataset. The results demonstrate that the proposed method achieves a trade-off between detection accuracy (93.1% \({mAP}^{0.5}\)) and detection speed (26.5 \(FPS\)) on a 12GB NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060 GPU. In addition, compared with the existing methods, the presented method exhibits stronger anti-interference capability.