bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Detection and Localisation of Abnormal Parathyroid Glands: An Explainable Deep Learning Approach
Authors: Apostolopoulos Dimitris J. , Apostolopoulos Ioannis D. , Papathanasiou Nikolaos D. , Spyridonidis Trifon , Panayiotakis George S.
Published: December 2022

Parathyroid scintigraphy with 99mTc-sestamibi (MIBI) is an established technique for localising abnormal parathyroid glands (PGs). However, the identification and localisation of PGs require much attention from medical experts and are time-consuming. Artificial intelligence methods can offer an assisting solution. This retrospective study enrolled 632 patients who underwent parathyroid scintigraphy with double-phase and thyroid subtraction techniques. The study proposes a three-path approach, employing the state-of-the-art convolutional neural network called VGG19. Images input to the model involved a set of three scintigraphic images in each case: MIBI early phase, MIBI late phase, and 99mTcO4 thyroid scan. A medical expert’s diagnosis provided the ground truth for positive/negative results. Moreover, the visualised suggested areas of interest produced by the Grad-CAM algorithm are examined to evaluate the PG-level agreement between the model and the experts. Medical experts identified 545 abnormal glands in 452 patients. On a patient basis, the deep learning (DL) model attained an accuracy of 94.8% (sensitivity 93.8%; specificity 97.2%) in distinguishing normal from abnormal scintigraphic images. On a PG basis and in achieving identical positioning of the findings with the experts, the model correctly identified and localised 453/545 glands (83.1%) and yielded 101 false focal results (false positive rate 18.23%). Concerning surgical findings, the expert’s sensitivity was 89.68% on patients and 77.6% on a PG basis, while that of the model reached 84.5% and 67.6%, respectively. Deep learning in parathyroid scintigraphy can potentially assist medical experts in identifying abnormal findings.
Integrated Propulsion and Cabin-Cooling Management for Electric Vehicles
Authors: Ju Fei , Murgovski Nikolce , Zhuang Weichao , Wang Liangmo
Published: December 2022

This paper presents two nonlinear model predictive control (MPC) methods for the integrated propulsion and cabin-cooling management of electric vehicles. An air-conditioning (AC) model, which has previously been validated on a real system, is used to accomplish system-level optimization. To investigate the optimal solution for the integrated optimal control problem (OCP), we first build an MPC, referred to as a joint MPC, in which the goal is to minimize battery energy consumption while maintaining cabin-cooling comfort. Second, we divide the integrated OCP into two small-scale problems and devise a co-optimization MPC (co-MPC), where speed planning on hilly roads and cabin-cooling management with propulsion power information are addressed successively. Our proposed MPC methods are then validated through two case studies. The results show that both the joint MPC and co-MPC can produce significant energy benefits while maintaining driving and thermal comfort. Compared to regular constant-speed cruise control that is equipped with a proportion integral (PI)-based AC controller, the benefits to the battery energy earned by the joint MPC and co-MPC range from 2.09% to 2.72%. Furthermore, compared with the joint MPC, the co-MPC method can achieve comparable performance in energy consumption and temperature regulation but with reduced computation time.
Large Eddy Simulation of the Influences of the Pilot-Stage Structure on the Flow Characteristics in a Centrally Staged High-Temperature-Rise Combustor
Authors: Hu Ge , Qin Qiongyao , Jin Wu , Li Jianzhong
Published: December 2022

Centrally staged combustion technique is often used in the military high-temperature-rise combustor. The pilot-stage structure affects the flow characteristics in the centrally staged combustor, which further affects the performance of ignition, combustion, and emission of military aero-engines. In order to increase the flow capacity of the swirler, the swirler with a non-rotating channel structure was designed. In this work, the influences of the pilot-stage structure on the flow characteristics in the centrally staged high-temperature-rise combustor are investigated. The flow fields of combustors with different pilot-stage swirl numbers (0.44, 0.60, and 0.71) are analyzed by large eddy simulation (LES). The results demonstrate that the primary recirculation zone (PRZ) becomes gradually longer and wider as the pilot-stage swirl number increases. In the combustors with three different pilot-stage structures, the precessing vortex core (PVC) was formed near the shear layer at the outlet of the pilot stage. The PVC frequency decreased from 1670 Hz to 1425 Hz and 1400 Hz with the increase of the pilot-stage swirl number from 0.44 to 0.60 and 0.71, respectively, and the breakdown position of the PVC shifted forward. The proper orthogonal decomposition (POD) and dynamic mode decomposition (DMD) methods are used to analyze the dynamic flow fields. It was observed that the corresponding frequency of the main pulsation structure decreased, and the flow instability was aggravated with the increase of the pilot-stage swirl number. The results deepen the understanding of the influences of the pilot-stage structure on the flow characteristics in the centrally staged high-temperature-rise combustor.
Compression and Deformation Behaviors of Hierarchical Circular-Cell Lattice Structure with Enhanced Mechanical Properties and Energy Absorption Capacity
Authors: Wang Mingzhi , Zhang Junchao , Wang Weidong
Published: December 2022

The design of lightweight lattice structures with excellent specific mechanical properties has received great attention in recent years. In this paper, inspired by the hierarchical structure of biological materials, a novel hierarchical circular-cell configuration of a lattice structure was proposed. The advantage of the new lattice configuration is that the use of a smooth circular cell is able to alleviate the stress concentration induced by the intersection of straight struts. Additionally, the consideration of structural hierarchy can bring improved mechanical properties of lattice structures. The hierarchical circular lattice structures with 5 × 5 × 5 unit cells were fabricated through a digital light processing (DLP) 3D printer, using the hard-tough resin. The mechanical properties of the lattice structures were investigated by a compression experiment and a numerical simulation. Results show that the interaction effect of structural hierarchy was the potential mechanism for the enhancement of mechanical properties. The designed hierarchical circular-cell lattice structure exhibits improved stress distribution uniformity, enhanced mechanical performance, and energy absorption capacity. The maximum improvement values are ~342.4% for specific stiffness, ~13% for specific strength, ~126.6% for specific energy absorption (SEA), and ~18% for crash load efficiency (CLE). The developed hierarchical circular-cell lattice configuration will enrich the present lattice systems and be useful for future multifunctional applications.
Low Illumination Soybean Plant Reconstruction and Trait Perception
Authors: Huang Yourui , Liu Yuwen , Han Tao , Xu Shanyong , Fu Jiahao
Published: December 2022

Agricultural equipment works poorly under low illumination such as nighttime, and there is more noise in soybean plant images collected under light constraints, and the reconstructed soybean plant model cannot fully and accurately represent its growth condition. In this paper, we propose a low-illumination soybean plant reconstruction and trait perception method. Our method is based on low-illumination enhancement, using the image enhancement algorithm EnlightenGAN to adjust soybean plant images in low-illumination environments to improve the performance of the scale-invariant feature transform (SIFT) algorithm for soybean plant feature detection and matching and using the motion recovery structure (SFM) algorithm to generate the sparse point cloud of soybean plants, and the point cloud of the soybean plants is densified by the face slice-based multi-view stereo (PMVS) algorithm. We demonstrate that the reconstructed soybean plants are close to the growth conditions of real soybean plants by image enhancement in challenging low-illumination environments, expanding the application of three-dimensional reconstruction techniques for soybean plant trait perception, and our approach is aimed toward achieving the accurate perception of current crop growth conditions by agricultural equipment under low illumination.
Effect of Nitrogen Fertilization in the Sour Cherry Orchard on Soil Enzymatic Activities, Microbial Population, and Fruit Quality
Authors: Rutkowski Krzysztof , Łysiak Grzegorz P. , Zydlik Zofia
Published: December 2022

Sour cherry (Prunus cerasus L.) is one of the most important fruit crops in Poland and ‘Łutówka’ is the dominant cultivar in commercial orchards. The experiment was carried out in 2007–2013 in three orchards; in each of them, three levels of fertilization were applied: 0 N kg ha−1, 60 kg N ha−1, and 120 kg N ha−1. The activity of dehydrogenase and protease in the soil was studied depending on nitrogen fertilization. The abundance of soil microorganisms was assessed: bacteria, fungi, actinomycetes, and nitrogenous bacteria (Azospirillum and Azotobacter) in the years during the experiments carried out with fertilization of 60 kg N ha−1 in all orchards. The enzyme activity of dehydrogenases increased after the use of 60 kg N ha−1 from 3.8 to 6.7 (cm3 H2 24 h−1 kg−1 DW soil), but a further increase in the dose to 120 kg N ha−1 caused a decrease in activity to 5.1 (cm3 H2 24 h−1 kg−1 DW soil). The activity of proteases was dependent on nitrogen fertilization, but to a large extent it was related to the course of climatic conditions. There is no relationship between the growth and the activity of proteases. The yield and selected quality parameters of the cherry fruits were associated with both dehydrogenases and proteases. The use of lower doses of nitrogen fertilizers allows for maintaining biological balance in the soil and a more efficient use of nutrients, contributing to less environmental pollution.
A Counting Method of Red Jujube Based on Improved YOLOv5s
Authors: Qiao Yichen , Hu Yaohua , Zheng Zhouzhou , Yang Huanbo , Zhang Kaili , Hou Juncai , Guo Jiapan
Published: December 2022

Due to complex environmental factors such as illumination, shading between leaves and fruits, shading between fruits, and so on, it is a challenging task to quickly identify red jujubes and count red jujubes in orchards. A counting method of red jujube based on improved YOLOv5s was proposed, which realized the fast and accurate detection of red jujubes and reduced the model scale and estimation error. ShuffleNet V2 was used as the backbone of the model to improve model detection ability and light the weight. In addition, the Stem, a novel data loading module, was proposed to prevent the loss of information due to the change in feature map size. PANet was replaced by BiFPN to enhance the model feature fusion capability and improve the model accuracy. Finally, the improved YOLOv5s detection model was used to count red jujubes. The experimental results showed that the overall performance of the improved model was better than that of YOLOv5s. Compared with the YOLOv5s, the improved model was 6.25% and 8.33% of the original network in terms of the number of model parameters and model size, and the Precision, Recall, F1-score, AP, and Fps were improved by 4.3%, 2.0%, 3.1%, 0.6%, and 3.6%, respectively. In addition, RMSE and MAPE decreased by 20.87% and 5.18%, respectively. Therefore, the improved model has advantages in memory occupation and recognition accuracy, and the method provides a basis for the estimation of red jujube yield by vision.
Nitrogen Fertilization Effects on Soil Nitrate, Water Use, Growth Attributes and Yield of Winter Wheat under Shallow Groundwater Table Condition
Authors: She Yingjun , Li Ping , Du Zhenjie , Qi Xuebin , Zhao Shuang , Li Tong , Guo Wei
Published: December 2022

Shallow groundwater plays a vital role in water use and the yield of winter wheat. Nitrogen (N) application significantly affects crop uptake and utilization of water from irrigation, but little is known about groundwater use. More importantly, excessive N application will also bring a series of environmental problems. An experiment was carried out in micro-lysimeters at 0, 150, 240, and 300 kg/ha N fertilization rates based on 0.6 m groundwater depth with relatively strong alkaline soil in the winter wheat growing season. The results showed that increasing the N application rate significantly increased the sensitivity of the daily groundwater evaporation velocity of winter wheat to environmental meteorological factors (soil surface moisture, humidity, atmospheric pressure and atmospheric temperature), and promoted crop water use, crop growth and yield under the 0.6 m groundwater depth. From 150 kg/ha to 300 kg/ha N fertilization, LAI and yield increased by 26.95–82.02%, and evapotranspiration (ET) and groundwater use efficiency (GUE) increased by 11.17–14.38%. However, a high N application rate would sharply induce surface soil drought, leading to a rapid increase in nitrate accumulation in the vadose zone and a significant decrease in partial factor productivity of applied N (PFPN). With the N application of 150–300 kg/ha, the accumulation of nitrate in the vadose zone increased by 8.12 times, and soil moisture in 0–20 cm and PFPN significantly decreased by 19.16–57.53%. N fertilization had a significant effect on water transfer and could promote the consumption and utilization of groundwater at 0.6 m depth. Considering yield, water use, the accumulation of nitrate, and PFPN, the optimal N application was 219.42–289.53 kg/ha at 0.6 m depth.
Review of the Foundational Knowledge Required for Assessing Horse Welfare
Authors: Harvey Andrea M. , Ramp Daniel , Mellor David J.
Published: December 2022

A detailed understanding of what is usual for a species under optimal conditions is critical for identifying and interpreting different features of body function that have known impacts on animal welfare and its assessment. When applying the Five Domains Model to assess animal welfare, the key starting point is therefore to acquire extensive species-specific knowledge relevant to each of the four physical/functional Domains of the Model. These Domains, 1 to 4, address areas where objective information is evaluated and collated. They are: (1) Nutrition; (2) Physical environment; (3) Health; and (4) Behavioural interactions. It is on the basis of this detailed knowledge that cautious inferences can then be made about welfare-relevant mental experiences animals may have, aligned with Domain 5, Mental State. However, this review is focused entirely on the first four Domains in order to provide a novel holistic framework to collate the multidisciplinary knowledge of horses required for undertaking comprehensive welfare assessments. Thus, inferring the potential mental experiences aligned with Domain 5, the final step in model-based welfare assessments, is not considered here. Finally, providing extensive information on free-roaming horses enables a better understanding of the impacts of human interventions on the welfare of horses in both free-roaming and domestic situations.
Towards Automatic Detection of Social Anxiety Disorder via Gaze Interaction
Authors: Shafique Sara , Khan Iftikhar Ahmed , Shah Sajid , Jadoon Waqas , Jadoon Rab Nawaz , ElAffendi Mohammed
Published: December 2022

Social anxiety disorder (SAD) is an extreme fear of underperformance in various social situations. It is necessary to detect people with or without SAD for counseling and treatment. A few manual techniques in the existing literature show the possibility of SAD detection from gaze interaction. However, an automated prediction of SAD is scarce. In this research, an automatic technique to predict SAD using gaze interaction/avoidance is proposed, where a custom application was developed that used the Haar Cascade classifier to predict gaze interaction/avoidance. The experiments were conducted on 50 participants in a live environment using the developed application. SAD classes were predicted by using decision tree classifiers from the created gaze dataset. The results proved that SAD could be predicated with an overall accuracy of 80%. Furthermore, four classes of SAD (Mark, Moderate, Severe, Very Severe along with ‘No SAD’) could be predicted with an accuracy of 80%, 70%, 90%, 80%, and 80%, respectively. The research proved the possibility to predict SAD using computer-based methods without human intervention. Furthermore, it created the possibility of aiding a subjective Liebowitz Social Anxiety Scale (LSAS) with an objective technique described in this research.
Ontology Support for Vehicle Routing Problem
Authors: Agárdi Anita , Kovács László , Bányai Tamás
Published: December 2022

This paper aims to present a generalized ontology model for the Vehicle Routing Problem (VRP) and it gives some out-plant material handling case studies. The Vehicle Routing Problem is a logistics task where customers with a specific need for products are served within the least possible distance traveled by vehicles. The Vehicle Routing Problem has been highly investigated in operations research, computer science, transportation science, and mathematics. As our new approach shows, the VRP can be used to model in-plant and out-plant material handling and out-plant passenger transport. The Vehicle Routing Problem is a complex, multi-component heterogeneous environment, where consistent handling and integrity of components is a more difficult problem. In this alignment (integrity management, automation), our goal was to develop a unified semantic background framework. Our ontology describes the concepts and the relationships between concepts for the investigated domain. The paper presents the construction and application of ontology for a sample framework and presents test runs based on case studies. The paper shows that ontology can be built into the logic of software applications related to logistic problems. The last part of the article focuses on case studies for our ontology model from the field of tank, money, parcel, and perishable food transportation.
Effect of Using Plastic Waste Bottles on Soil Response above Buried Pipes under Static Loads
Authors: Al-Haddad Sinan A. , Al-Ani Faris H. , Fattah Mohammed Y.
Published: December 2022

Development and population growth have made using shallow buried pipes in urban areas, highways, and subways inevitable. In this study, the performance and behavior of shallow unplasticized polyvinyl chloride (uPVC) pipes buried in sand reinforced with PET (polyethylene terephthalate) bottles produced by the end consumer filled with soil under static loads were investigated. The bottle reinforcement mattress filled with soil was vertically installed above the buried uPVC pipe inside the soil bed at the required depth; after that, backfilling was performed. The effects of the relative density of soil, placement depth, and the width of the soil-filled bottle-reinforced block were examined. The increase in relative density has shown a noticeable decrease in footing surface settlement and load transferred to the buried pipe. The test results have shown significant improvement in the ultimate bearing capacity of bottle-reinforced soil with a reduction in surface settlement. The backfill reinforced with soil-filled bottle block has shown a 71% improvement in ultimate bearing capacity. Additionally, the improvement in bearing capacity increases as the placement depth decreases and width increases. The optimum depth of placement and width of the bottle-reinforced mattress were 0.50 and 2.08 B. The proposed soil reinforcement method may be a good and relatively inexpensive alternative to traditional geosynthetic reinforcement while providing geotechnical and environmental benefits.
The Effect of Storage on Potentially Synbiotic Emulsion Spread Based on Milk Fat and Inulin
Authors: Toczek Kamil , Glibowski Paweł , Kordowska-Wiater Monika , Domaradzki Piotr
Published: December 2022

The effect of four-week storage of milk fat–inulin emulsion as a product designed for spreading on bread was analysed. The emulsion contained 20% inulin, 20% milk fat, and 2% whey protein concentrate as an emulsifier. Salt (0.2%), β-carotene (0.04%), Lactobacillus acidophilus La-5, Streptococcus thermophilus, as well as Bifidobacterium animalis BB-12 were also added. Rheological and textural analysis showed either no significant (p ≤ 0.05) or no substantial effects of storage on apparent viscosity, storage and loss modulus, hardness, cohesiveness, adhesiveness, and spreadability. The applied probiotic bacteria stayed alive at a level above 107 cfu/g during four-week storage, which is expected from a probiotic product. The whole time period of storage did not affect the chemical composition of the applied milk fat in the product. Sensory analysis showed that milk fat–inulin spread is acceptable and usually no different than commercial products, however, some off-taste and off-flavours were detected by panellists. In summary, a potentially pro-healthy product for spreading on bread was designed and studied. Besides the presence of fibre and health-promoting bacteria, the studied emulsion characterized a stable chemical composition and rheological as well as textural properties similar to commercial spreads.
CRISPR-Based Multi-Gene Integration Strategies to Create Saccharomyces cerevisiae Strains for Consolidated Bioprocessing
Authors: Jacob Odwa , van Lill Gert Rutger , den Haan Riaan
Published: December 2022

Significant engineering of Saccharomyces cerevisiae is required to enable consolidated bioprocessing (CBP) of lignocellulose to ethanol. Genome modification in S. cerevisiae has been successful partly due to its efficient homology-directed DNA repair machinery, and CRISPR technology has made multi-gene editing even more accessible. Here, we tested the integration of cellulase encoding genes to various sites on the yeast genome to inform the best strategy for creating cellulolytic strains for CBP. We targeted endoglucanase (EG) or cellobiohydrolase (CBH) encoding genes to discreet chromosomal sites for single-copy integration or to the repeated delta sites for multi-copy integration. CBH1 activity was significantly higher when the gene was targeted to the delta sequences compared to single gene integration loci. EG production was comparable, though lower when the gene was targeted to a chromosome 10 site. We subsequently used the information to construct a strain containing three cellulase encoding genes. While individual cellulase activities could be assayed and cellulose conversion demonstrated, it was shown that targeting specific genes to specific loci had dramatic effects on strain efficiency. Since marker-containing plasmids could be cured from these strains, additional genetic changes can subsequently be made to optimize strains for CBP conversion of lignocellulose.
Estimating Housing Vacancy Rate Using Nightlight and POI: A Case Study of Main Urban Area of Xi’an City, China
Authors: Yang Pengfei , Pan Jinghu
Published: December 2022

Estimating the housing vacancy rate (HVR) has always been a hard-to-break point in the study of housing vacancy. This paper used nighttime light and POI (point of interest) data to estimate the HVR in the main urban area of Xi’an city based on extracting built-up areas. The built-up area was extracted using the threshold method, and the spatial resolution of the results was 130 m (same as Luojia-1). Meanwhile, after removing the non-residential areas from the images, the HVRs for the period 2018–2019 from four nighttime light images were calculated, and the HVR of the main urban area of Xi’an city was estimated using the average method and its spatial patterns were analyzed. The results show that: (1) Luojia-1 has great advantages in estimating urban HVRs. The HVRs calculated by Luojia-1 were characterized by a high resolution and a short calculation time. (2) After estimating the results of the four scenes’ remote sensing images, it was found that the results obtained using the average were closest to the actual vacancy situation, and the spatial distribution of the vacancy could be seen using the minimum values. (3) The overall housing occupancy in Xi’an city was good, and the HVRs were low, but the overall vacancy rate for the edge of the built-up area was high. The government should devote more attention to places with high HVRs.
Design of a New TBM Integrated Cutter System Based on Analysis of Mechanical Properties and Dynamic Characteristics
Authors: Yang Fan , Lan Tian , Huo Junzhou , Shi Yiting , Chen Hao
Published: December 2022

During the rock-breaking process, severe vibration frequently leads to cutter system failures. The traditional cutter system is complicated in structure, and the cutter-changing operation is highly dependent on the manual operation, resulting in a low construction efficiency and a high risk. Thus, this paper designed an integrated cutter system with a simple structure, which lays a theoretical foundation for popularizing the cutter-changing robot. In the statics performance experiment, we built an integrated cutter system finite element model, calculated the stress value under a nominal load; manufactured the scaled cutter system based on the similarity principle, obtained the measured stress value through the load experiment; and verified the accuracy of this cutter system’s finite element model. In the dynamics experiment, we calculated the cutter system and each components dynamic response based on the concentrated mass method and the Newmark method, obtained the measured vertical vibration displacement through a scaled loading experiment and verified the correctness of the vertical dynamics model, and set the real disc cutter linear cutting load as the external excitation to verify the feasibility of the new cutter system design scheme.
Electron Capture and Ionisation in Collisions of Ne10+ and Li3+ with Atomic Hydrogen
Authors: Kotian Aks M. , Plowman Corey T. , Abdurakhmanov Ilkhom B. , Bray Igor , Kadyrov Alisher S.
Published: December 2022

The two-center wave-packet convergent close-coupling method has been applied to model the processes of electron capture and ionisation in collisions of fully stripped neon and lithium ions with atomic hydrogen at projectile energies from 1 keV/u to 1 MeV/u. For the Ne10+ projectile, the resulting total electron-capture cross section lies between the two sets of experimental results available for system, which differ from each other significantly. For Li3+, our total electron-capture cross section agrees with the available experimental measurements by Shah et al. [J. Phys. B: At. Mol. Opt. Phys 11, L233 (1978)] and Seim et al. [J. Phys. B: At. Mol. Opt. Phys 14, 3475 (1981)], particularly at low and high energies. We also get good agreement with the existing theoretical works, particularly the atomic- and molecular-orbital close-coupling calculations. Our total ionisation cross section overestimates the experimental data by Shah et al. [J. Phys. B: At. Mol. Opt. Phys 15, 413 (1982)] at the peak, however we get good agreement with the other existing theoretical calculations at low and high energies.
Phyllanthus emblica (Amla) Fruit Powder as a Supplement to Improve Preweaning Dairy Calves’ Health: Effect on Antioxidant Capacity, Immune Response, and Gut Bacterial Diversity
Authors: Nguse Mebrahtom , Yang Yi , Fu Zilin , Xu Jianchu , Ma Lu , Bu Dengpan
Published: December 2022

Disease is the main reason for the use of antimicrobials in calf rearing, and antibiotics are commonly used to treat calves, including for unknown diseases. This leads to antimicrobial resistance, which is a challenge to the livestock industry and public health. Plant products containing high levels of phytochemicals may improve the immunity and resistance of calves against infections, thereby reducing the use of antimicrobials. This study aimed to investigate the effect of Phyllanthus emblica (Amla) fruit powder (PE) supplementation on antioxidant capacity and immune response of preweaning dairy calves. One hundred, 2-day-old, male Holstein calves were randomly assigned into five treatment groups receiving 0, 5, 10, 20, and 40 g/d PE supplementation. Antioxidant and immune indices and pro- and anti-inflammatory cytokines were analyzed from serum samples, whereas 16S rRNA was analyzed from rumen fluid and fecal samples. PE supplementation, at 5 g/d, protected calves against oxidative stress and improved antioxidant enzymes and immune and anti-inflammatory responses, showing its immunity-enhancing and protective roles against infections. However, the antioxidant capacity and immune response decreased with increasing PE levels, illustrating the adverse effects of PE supplementation at higher doses. The analysis of ruminal and fecal bacterial community abundance detected higher proportions of Firmicutes at an early age, and a higher Bacteroidetes to Firmicutes ratio at weaning, in calves supplemented with 5 g/d PE. This contributed to the development of the immune system in early life, and improved immune and anti-inflammatory responses at a later age. The overall results suggest that PE could be supplemented at 5 g/d for preweaning dairy calves to protect against oxidative stress and infections while maintaining normal gut microbial hemostasis.
Height and Active Arterial Wall Thickening in Relation to Thyroid Cysts Status among Elderly Japanese: A Prospective Study
Authors: Shimizu Yuji , Kawashiri Shin-Ya , Noguchi Yuko , Nakamichi Seiko , Nagata Yasuhiro , Maeda Takahiro , Hayashida Naomi
Published: December 2022

Height is inversely associated with inflammation that stimulates endothelial repair. In our previous study involving elderly men aged 60–69 years, we found that active arterial wall thickening, which is known as the process of endothelial repair, requires CD34-positive cells. As thyroid hormone regulates CD34-positive cell production and as the absence of thyroid cysts might indicate latent damage in the thyroid, the status of thyroid cysts possibly influences the association between height and active arterial wall thickening. We conducted a 2-year follow-up study of Japanese aged 60–69 years. For participants with thyroid cysts, height was significantly inversely associated with active arterial wall thickening (thyroid function and baseline CIMT adjusted odds ratio of active arterial wall thickening for one increment of standard deviation of height (5.7 cm for men and 4.8 cm for women), 0.66 [0.49, 0.89]), while for those without thyroid cysts, a positive tendency between the two parameters was observed (1.19 [0.96, 1.50]). An inverse association between height and active arterial wall thickening was observed only for elderly participants with thyroid cysts possibly because of a supportive role of thyroid hormone, as the absence of thyroid cysts might indicate latent damage in the thyroid.
In Search of Novel Degradation-Resistant Monomers for Adhesive Dentistry: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis
Authors: Mocharko Vlasta , Mascarenhas Paulo , Azul Ana Mano , Delgado António H. S.
Published: December 2022

This study aimed to assess whether degradation-resistant monomers included in experimental dental adhesives can improve long-term bond strength compared to conventional monomers. This study followed the latest PRISMA guidance (2020). The search for the systematic review was carried out in four electronic databases: PubMed/Medline, Scopus, SciELO and EMBASE, without restrictions on the year of publication and language. The last screening was conducted in July 2022. Interventions included were in vitro studies on experimental dental adhesives that tested short-term and long-term bond strength, but also water sorption and solubility data when available, in extracted human molars. Meta-analyses were performed using Rstudio v1.4.1106. A summary table analyzing the individual risk of bias was generated using the recent RoBDEMAT tool. Of the 177 potentially eligible studies, a total of 7 studies were included. Experimental monomers with acrylamides or methacrylamide–acrylamide hybrids in their composition showed better results of aged bond strength when compared to methacrylate controls (p < 0.05). The experimental monomers found better sorption and solubility compared to controls and were significantly different (p < 0.001). It is possible to achieve hydrolytically resistant formulations by adding novel experimental monomers, with chemical structures that bring benefit to degradation mechanisms.
Reporter Molecules Embedded Au@Ag Core-Shell Nanospheres as SERS Nanotags for Cardiac Troponin I Detection
Authors: Wang Ding , Zhao Yiru , Zhang Shen , Bao Liping , Li Huijun , Xu Jingcheng , He Bin , Hou Xumin
Published: December 2022

Rapid and accurate detection of acute myocardial infarction can improve patients’ chances of survival. Cardiac troponin I (cTn I) is an important diagnostic biomarker for acute myocardial infarction. However, current immunoassays are insufficient to accurately measure cTn I, as they have limited detection sensitivity and are time-consuming. Surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) is a brilliant fingerprints diagnostic technique characterised by ultrasensitivity, fast response, and qualitative and quantitative analysis capabilities. In this study, reporter molecules (4-Mercaptobenzoic acid, 4-MBA) embedded Au@Ag core-shell nanospheres as SERS nanotags were prepared for the detection of cTn I. As the Raman reporters were embedded between the core and the shell, they could be protected from the external environment and nanoparticle aggregation. Excellent SERS performances were obtained due to the enhanced local electromagnetic field in the gap of core and shell metals. In a standard phosphate buffered saline (PBS) environment, the limit of detection for cTn I was 0.0086 ng mL−1 (8.6 ppt) with a good linear relationship. The excellent Raman detection performance was attributed to the localized surface plasmon resonance effect and strong electromagnetic field enhancement effect produced by the gap between the Au core and the Ag shell. The SERS nanotags we prepared were facile to synthesize, and the analysis procedure could be completed quickly (15 min), which made the detection of cTn I faster. Therefore, the proposed SERS nanotags have significant potential to be a faster and more accurate tool for acute myocardial infarction diagnostics.
High Morphine Use Disorder Susceptibility Is Predicted by Impaired Learning Ability in Mice
Authors: Hou Xue-Fei , Zhao Ya-Bo , Yang Yue-Xiong , Ma Chen , Li Meng , Li Xin , Ma Guo-Rui , Zhu Li-Su , Xu Lin , Zhou Qi-Xin
Published: December 2022

An obvious reason for substance uses disorders (SUDs) is drug craving and seeking behavior induced by conditioned context, which is an abnormal solid context memory. The relationship between susceptibility to SUD and learning ability remains unclear in humans and animal models. In this study, we found that susceptibility to morphine use disorder (MUD) was negatively correlated with learning ability in conditioned place preference (CPP) in C57 mice. By using behavioral tests, we identified the FVB mouse as learning impaired. In addition, we discovered that learning-relevant proteins, such as the glutamate receptor subunits GluA1, NR1, and NR2A, were decreased in FVB mice. Finally, we assessed the context learning ability of FVB mice using the CPP test and priming. We found that FVB mice had lower learning performance with respect to normal memory but higher performance of morphine-reinstatement memory. Compared to C57 mice, FVB mice are highly sensitive to MUDs. Our results suggest that SUD susceptibility is predicted by impaired learning ability in mice; therefore, learning ability can play a simple and practical role in identifying high-risk SUD groups.
Anodal-TDCS over Left-DLPFC Modulates Motor Cortex Excitability in Chronic Lower Back Pain
Authors: Corti Emily J. , Nguyen An T. , Marinovic Welber , Gasson Natalie , Loftus Andrea M.
Published: December 2022

Chronic pain is associated with abnormal cortical excitability and increased pain intensity. Research investigating the potential for transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) to modulate motor cortex excitability and reduce pain in individuals with chronic lower back pain (CLBP) yield mixed results. The present randomised, placebo-controlled study examined the impact of anodal-tDCS over left-dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (left-DLPFC) on motor cortex excitability and pain in those with CLBP. Nineteen participants with CLBP (Mage = 53.16 years, SDage = 14.80 years) received 20-min of sham or anodal tDCS, twice weekly, for 4 weeks. Short interval intracortical inhibition (SICI) and intracortical facilitation (ICF) were assessed using paired-pulse Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation prior to and immediately following the tDCS intervention. Linear Mixed Models revealed no significant effect of tDCS group or time, on SICI or ICF. The interactions between tDCS group and time on SICI and ICF only approached significance. Bayesian analyses revealed the anodal-tDCS group demonstrated higher ICF and SICI following the intervention compared to the sham-tDCS group. The anodal-tDCS group also demonstrated a reduction in pain intensity and self-reported disability compared to the sham-tDCS group. These findings provide preliminary support for anodal-tDCS over left-DLPFC to modulate cortical excitability and reduce pain in CLBP.
Investigation of the Thermal Degradation of SBS Polymer in Long-Term Aged Asphalt Binder Using Confocal Laser Scanning Microscopy (CLSM)
Authors: Ding Jitong , Jiang Jiwang , Ni Fujian , Zheng Junqiu
Published: December 2022

Styrene–butadiene–styrene (SBS) polymer is extensively employed for asphalt pavement construction, and its degradation significantly damages the durability of asphalt concrete. However, the effect of aging protocols on the degradation of SBS polymer in asphalt binder has not been thoroughly investigated. In this study, confocal laser scanning microscopy (CLSM) was applied to characterize the change in morphology with SBS polymer degradation. Various aging protocols were considered, including accelerated aging processes in laboratory- and field-aged samples from three highway sections with different in-service periods. Scanned images of the polymer phase in the 2D plane at different depths were processed and further reconstructed in three dimensions. Furthermore, the three-dimensional polymer morphology indices derived from the semi-quantitative analysis of the images were correlated with the rheological indices. The results show that the polymer particles change from a relatively large ellipsoidal shape to a relatively small spherical shape as aging proceeds. The increase in aging temperature appears to accelerate the degradation of the polymer at the same rheological level. The effect of the laboratory aging method on the polymer was more pronounced during the early stages of aging compared to that in the field aging process.
Gastric Cancer Risk and Pathogenesis in BRCA1 and BRCA2 Carriers
Authors: Buckley Kole H. , Niccum Blake A. , Maxwell Kara N. , Katona Bryson W.
Published: December 2022

Carriers of a pathogenic germline variant (PV) in BRCA1 or BRCA2 are at increased risk for a number of malignancies, including breast, ovarian, pancreatic, and prostate cancer. In this review, we discuss emerging evidence that BRCA2 PV carriers, and likely also BRCA1 PV carriers, are also at increased risk for gastric cancer (GC), highlighting that GC may be part of the BRCA1/2 cancer risk spectrum. While the pathogenesis of GC among BRCA1/2 PV carriers remains unclear, increasing evidence reveals that GCs are often enriched with mutations in homologous recombination-associated genes such as BRCA1/2, and that GC prognosis and response to certain therapies can depend on BRCA1/2 expression. Given the strength of data published to date, a risk management strategy for GC among BRCA1/2 PV carriers is needed, and herein we also propose a potential strategy for GC risk management in this population. Moving forward, further study is clearly warranted to define the mechanistic relationship between BRCA1/2 PVs and development of GC as well as to determine how GC risk management should be factored into the clinical care of BRCA1/2 carriers.
TiO2-Based Heterostructure Containing g-C3N4 for an Effective Photocatalytic Treatment of a Textile Dye
Authors: Kocijan Martina , Vukšić Milan , Kurtjak Mario , Ćurković Lidija , Vengust Damjan , Podlogar Matejka
Published: December 2022

Water pollution has become a serious environmental issue. The textile industries using textile dyes are considered to be one of the most polluting of all industrial sectors. The application of solar-light semiconductor catalysts in wastewater treatment, among which TiO2 can be considered a prospective candidate, is limited by rapid recombination of photogenerated charge carriers. To address these limitations, TiO2 was tailored with graphitic carbon nitride (g-C3N4) to develop a heterostructure of g-C3N4@TiO2. Herein, a simple hydrothermal synthesis of TiO2@g-C3N4 is presented, using titanium isopropoxide (TTIP) and urea as precursors. The morphological and optical properties and the structure of g-C3N4, TiO2, and the prepared heterostructure TiO2@g-C3N4 (with different wt.% up to 32%), were analyzed by various laboratory methods. The photocatalytic activity was studied through the degradation of methylene blue (MB) aqueous solution under UV-A and simulated solar irradiation. The results showed that the amount of g-C3N4 and the irradiation source are the most important influences on the efficiency of MB removal by g-C3N4@TiO2. Photocatalytic degradation of MB was also examined in realistic conditions, such as natural sunlight and different aqueous environments. The synthesized g-C3N4@TiO2 nanocomposite showed superior photocatalytic properties in comparison with pure TiO2 and g-C3N4, and is thus a promising new photocatalyst for real-life implementation. The degradation mechanism was investigated using scavengers for electrons, photogenerated holes, and hydroxyl radicals to find the responsible species for MB degradation.
Dual-Specificity Protein Phosphatase 4 (DUSP4) Overexpression Improves Learning Behavior Selectively in Female 5xFAD Mice, and Reduces β-Amyloid Load in Males and Females
Authors: Pan Allen L. , Audrain Mickael , Sakakibara Emmy , Joshi Rajeev , Zhu Xiaodong , Wang Qian , Wang Minghui , Beckmann Noam D. , Schadt Eric E. , Gandy Sam , Zhang Bin , Ehrlich Michelle E. , Salton Stephen R.
Published: December 2022

Recent multiscale network analyses of banked brains from subjects who died of late-onset sporadic Alzheimer’s disease converged on VGF (non-acronymic) as a key hub or driver. Within this computational VGF network, we identified the dual-specificity protein phosphatase 4 (DUSP4) [also known as mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) phosphatase 2] as an important node. Importantly, DUSP4 gene expression, like that of VGF, is downregulated in postmortem Alzheimer’s disease (AD) brains. We investigated the roles that this VGF/DUSP4 network plays in the development of learning behavior impairment and neuropathology in the 5xFAD amyloidopathy mouse model. We found reductions in DUSP4 expression in the hippocampi of male AD subjects, correlating with increased CDR scores, and in 4-month-old female and 12–18-month-old male 5xFAD hippocampi. Adeno-associated virus (AAV5)-mediated overexpression of DUSP4 in 5xFAD mouse dorsal hippocampi (dHc) rescued impaired Barnes maze performance in females but not in males, while amyloid loads were reduced in both females and males. Bulk RNA sequencing of the dHc from 5-month-old mice overexpressing DUSP4, and Ingenuity Pathway and Enrichr analyses of differentially expressed genes (DEGs), revealed that DUSP4 reduced gene expression in female 5xFAD mice in neuroinflammatory, interferon-gamma (IFNγ), programmed cell death protein-ligand 1/programmed cell death protein 1 (PD-L1/PD-1), and extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK)/MAPK pathways, via which DUSP4 may modulate AD phenotype with gender-specificity.
Cardiovascular, Pulmonary, and Neuropsychiatric Short- and Long-Term Complications of COVID-19
Authors: Kobusiak-Prokopowicz Małgorzata , Fułek Katarzyna , Fułek Michał , Kaaz Konrad , Mysiak Andrzej , Kurpas Donata , Beszłej Jan Aleksander , Brzecka Anna , Leszek Jerzy
Published: December 2022

Beginning with the various strategies of the SARS-CoV-2 virus to invade our bodies and manifest infection, and ending with the recent long COVID, we are witnessing the evolving course of the disease in addition to the pandemic. Given the partially controlled course of the COVID-19 pandemic, the greatest challenge currently lies in managing the short- and long-term complications of COVID-19. We have assembled current knowledge of the broad spectrum of cardiovascular, pulmonary, and neuropsychiatric sequelae following SARS-CoV-2 infection to understand how these clinical manifestations collectively lead to a severe form of the disease. The ultimate goal would be to better understand these complications and find ways to prevent clinical deterioration.
Autophagy Induced by Toll-like Receptor Ligands Regulates Antigen Extraction and Presentation by B Cells
Authors: Lagos Jonathan , Sagadiev Sara , Diaz Jheimmy , Bozo Juan Pablo , Guzman Fanny , Stefani Caroline , Zanlungo Silvana , Acharya Mridu , Yuseff Maria Isabel
Published: December 2022

The engagement of B cells with surface-tethered antigens triggers the formation of an immune synapse (IS), where the local secretion of lysosomes can facilitate antigen uptake. Lysosomes intersect with other intracellular processes, such as Toll-like Receptor (TLR) signaling and autophagy coordinating immune responses. However, the crosstalk between these processes and antigen presentation remains unclear. Here, we show that TLR stimulation induces autophagy in B cells and decreases their capacity to extract and present immobilized antigens. We reveal that TLR stimulation restricts lysosome repositioning to the IS by triggering autophagy-dependent degradation of GEF-H1, a Rho GTP exchange factor required for stable lysosome recruitment at the synaptic membrane. GEF-H1 degradation is not observed in B cells that lack αV integrins and are deficient in TLR-induced autophagy. Accordingly, these cells show efficient antigen extraction in the presence of TLR stimulation, confirming the role of TLR-induced autophagy in limiting antigen extraction. Overall, our results suggest that resources associated with autophagy regulate TLR and BCR-dependent functions, which can finetune antigen uptake by B cells. This work helps to understand the mechanisms by which B cells are activated by surface-tethered antigens in contexts of subjacent inflammation before antigen recognition, such as sepsis.