bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
PGC-1α activity and mitochondrial dysfunction in preterm infants
Authors: Mohammadi Atefeh , Higazy Randa , Gauda Estelle B.
Published: September 2022

Extremely low gestational age neonates (ELGANs) are born in a relatively hyperoxic environment with weak antioxidant defenses, placing them at high risk for mitochondrial dysfunction affecting multiple organ systems including the nervous, respiratory, ocular, and gastrointestinal systems. The brain and lungs are highly affected by mitochondrial dysfunction and dysregulation in the neonate, causing white matter injury (WMI) and bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD), respectively. Adequate mitochondrial function is important in providing sufficient energy for organ development as it relates to alveolarization and axonal myelination and decreasing oxidative stress via reactive oxygen species (ROS) and reactive nitrogen species (RNS) detoxification. Peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma coactivator-1 alpha (PGC-1α) is a master regulator of mitochondrial biogenesis and function. Since mitochondrial dysfunction is at the root of WMI and BPD pathobiology, exploring therapies that can regulate PGC-1α activity may be beneficial. This review article describes several promising therapeutic agents that can mitigate mitochondrial dysfunction through direct and indirect activation and upregulation of the PGC-1α pathway. Metformin, resveratrol, omega 3 fatty acids, montelukast, L-citrulline, and adiponectin are promising candidates that require further pre-clinical and clinical studies to understand their efficacy in decreasing the burden of disease from WMI and BPD in preterm infants.
Validation of the binding stoichiometry between HCN channels and their neuronal regulator TRIP8b by single molecule measurements
Authors: Saponaro Andrea , Vallese Francesca , Porro Alessandro , Clarke Oliver B.
Published: September 2022

Tetratricopeptide repeat–containing Rab8b-interacting (TRIP8b) protein is a brain-specific subunit of Hyperpolarization-activated Cyclic Nucleotide-gated (HCN) channels, a class of voltage-gated channels modulated by cyclic nucleotides. While the interaction between TRIP8b and the cytosolic C terminus of the channel has been structurally described, the HCN:TRIP8b stoichiometry is less characterized. We employed single molecule mass photometry (MP) to image HCN4 particles purified in complex with TRIP8b. Our data show that four TRIP8b subunits are bound to the tetrameric HCN4 particle, confirming a 1:1 stoichiometry.
A dual-omics approach for profiling plant responses to biostimulant applications under controlled and field conditions
Authors: Baghdadi Ali , Della Lucia Maria Cristina , Borella Matteo , Bertoldo Giovanni , Ravi Samathmika , Zegada-Lizarazu Walter , Chiodi Claudia , Pagani Elena , Hermans Christian , Stevanato Piergiorgio , Nardi Serenella , Monti Andrea , Mangione Francesca
Published: September 2022

A comprehensive approach using phenomics and global transcriptomics for dissecting plant response to biostimulants is illustrated with tomato (Solanum lycopersicum cv. Micro-Tom and Rio Grande) plants cultivated in the laboratory, greenhouse, and open field conditions. Biostimulant treatment based on an Ascophyllum nodosum extract (ANE) was applied as a foliar spray with two doses (1 or 2 l ha-1) at three different phenological stages (BBCH51, BBCH61, and BBCH65) during the flowering phase. Both ANE doses resulted in greater net photosynthesis rate, stomatal conductance, and fruit yield across all culture conditions. A global transcriptomic analysis of leaves from plants grown in the climate chamber, revealed a greater number of differentially expressed genes (DEGs) with the low ANE dose compared to the greater one. The second and third applications induced broader transcriptome changes compared to the first one, indicating a cumulative treatment effect. The functional enrichment analysis of DEGs highlighted pathways related to stimulus-response and photosynthesis, consistent with the morpho-physiological observations. This study is the first comprehensive dual-omics approach for profiling plant responses to biostimulants across three different culture conditions.
Time tracking and multidimensional influencing factors analysis on female breast cancer mortality: Evidence from urban and rural China between 1994 to 2019
Authors: Bai Xiaodan , Zhang Xiyu , Xiang Wenjing , Wang Yanjie , Cao Yu , Geng Guihong , Wu Bing , Lai Yongqiang , Li Ye , Shi Baoguo
Published: September 2022

Background

There are huge differences in female breast cancer mortality between urban and rural China. In order to better prevent breast cancer equally in urban and rural areas, it is critical to trace the root causes of past inequities and predict how future differences will change. Moreover, carcinogenic factors from micro-individual to macro-environment also need to be analyzed in detail. However, there is no systematic research covering these two aspects in the current literature.

Methods

Breast cancer mortality data in urban and rural China from 1994 to 2019 are collected, which from China Health Statistical Yearbook. The Age-Period-Cohort model is used to examine the effects of different age groups, periods, and birth cohorts on breast cancer mortality. Nordpred project is used to predict breast cancer mortality from 2020 to 2039.

Results

The age effect gradually increases and changes from negative to positive at the age of 40–44. The period effect fluctuates very little and shows the largest difference between urban and rural areas in 2019. The birth cohort effect gradually decreases with urban-rural effects alternating between strong and weak. In the predicted results, the urban-rural mortality gap becomes first narrow and then wide and shows a trend of younger death.

Conclusions

From the perspective of a temporal system, the changing trend of breast cancer mortality is highly consistent with the history of social and economic structural changes in China. From the perspective of the theory of social determinants of health, individuals, families, institutions and governments need to participate in the prevention of breast cancer.
Rhein inhibits Chlamydia trachomatis infection by regulating pathogen-host cell
Authors: Yu Xueying , Xu Qingqing , Chen Wentao , Mai Zhida , Mo Lijun , Su Xin , Ou Jiangli , Lan Yinyuan , Zheng Heping , Xue Yaohua
Published: September 2022

The global incidence of genital Chlamydia trachomatis infection increased rapidly as the primary available treatment of C. trachomatis infection being the use of antibiotics. However, the development of antibiotics resistant stain and other treatment failures are often observed in patients. Consequently, novel therapeutics are urgently required. Rhein is a monomer derivative of anthraquinone compounds with an anti-infection activity. This study investigated the effects of rhein on treating C. trachomatis infection. Rhein showed significant inhibitory effects on the growth of C. trachomatis in multiple serovars of C. trachomatis, including D, E, F and L1, and in various host cells, including HeLa, McCoy and Vero. Rhein could not directly inactivate C. trachomatis but could inhibit the growth of C. trachomatis by regulating pathogen-host cell interactions. Combined with azithromycin, the inhibitory effect of rehin was synergistic both in vitro and in vivo. Together these findings suggest that rhein could be developed for the treatment of C. trachomatis infections.
Machine learning predicts the prognosis of breast cancer patients with initial bone metastases
Authors: Li Chaofan , Liu Mengjie , Li Jia , Wang Weiwei , Feng Cong , Cai Yifan , Wu Fei , Zhao Xixi , Du Chong , Zhang Yinbin , Wang Yusheng , Zhang Shuqun , Qu Jingkun
Published: September 2022

Background

Bone is the most common metastatic site of patients with advanced breast cancer and the survival time is their primary concern; however, we lack accurate predictive models in clinical practice. In addition to this, primary surgery for breast cancer patients with bone metastases is still controversial.

Method

The data used for analysis in this study were obtained from the SEER database (2010–2019). We made a COX regression analysis to identify prognostic factors of patients with bone metastatic breast cancer (BMBC). Through cross-validation, we constructed an XGBoost model to predicting survival in patients with BMBC. We also investigated the prognosis of patients treated with neoadjuvant chemotherapy plus surgical and chemotherapy alone using propensity score matching and K–M survival analysis.

Results

Our validation results showed that the model has high sensitivity, specificity, and correctness, and it is the most accurate one to predict the survival of patients with BMBC (1-year AUC = 0.818, 3-year AUC = 0.798, and 5-year survival AUC = 0.791). The sensitivity of the 1-year model was higher (0.79), while the specificity of the 5-year model was higher (0.86). Interestingly, we found that if the time from diagnosis to therapy was ≥1 month, patients with BMBC had even better survival than those who started treatment immediately (HR = 0.920, 95%CI 0.869–0.974, P < 0.01). The BMBC patients with an income of more than USD$70,000 had better OS (HR = 0.814, 95%CI 0.745–0.890, P < 0.001) and BCSS (HR = 0.808 95%CI 0.735–0.889, P < 0.001) than who with income of < USD$50,000. We also found that compared with chemotherapy alone, neoadjuvant chemotherapy plus surgical treatment significantly improved OS and BCSS in all molecular subtypes of patients with BMBC, while only the patients with bone metastases only, bone and liver metastases, bone and lung metastases could benefit from neoadjuvant chemotherapy plus surgical treatment.

Conclusion

We constructed an AI model to provide a quantitative method to predict the survival of patients with BMBC, and our validation results indicate that this model should be highly reproducible in a similar patient population. We also identified potential prognostic factors for patients with BMBC and suggested that primary surgery followed by neoadjuvant chemotherapy might increase survival in a selected subgroup of patients.
A grassroots approach for greener education: An example of a medical student-driven planetary health curriculum
Authors: Navarrete-Welton Allison , Chen Jane J. , Byg Blaire , Malani Kanika , Li Martin L. , Martin Kyle Denison , Warrier Sarita
Published: September 2022

Given the widespread impacts of climate change and environmental degradation on human health, medical schools have been under increasing pressure to provide comprehensive planetary health education to their students. However, the logistics of integrating such a wide-ranging and multi-faceted topic into existing medical curricula can be daunting. In this article, we present the Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University as an example of a student-driven, bottom-up approach to the development of a planetary health education program. In 2020, student advocacy led to the creation of a Planetary Health Task Force composed of medical students, faculty, and administrators as well as Brown Environmental Sciences faculty. Since that time, the task force has orchestrated a wide range of planetary health initiatives, including interventions targeted to the entire student body as well as opportunities catering to a subset of highly interested students who wish to engage more deeply with planetary health. The success of the task force stems from several factors, including the framing of planetary health learning objectives as concordant with the established educational priorities of the Medical School's competency-based curriculum known as the Nine Abilities, respecting limitations on curricular space, and making planetary health education relevant to local environmental and hospital issues.
Parent and child dietary changes in a 6-month mobile-delivered weight loss intervention with tailored messaging for parents
Authors: Nezami Brooke T. , Wasser Heather M. , Tate Deborah F.
Published: September 2022

Objective

To examine changes in parent and child dietary intake, associations between program adherence and parent dietary changes, and the association between parent and child dietary changes in a mobile-delivered weight loss intervention for parents with personalized messaging.

Methods

Adults with overweight or obesity and who had a child aged 2–12 in the home were recruited for a randomized controlled trial comparing two types of dietary monitoring: calorie monitoring (Standard, n = 37) or “red” food monitoring (Simplified, n = 35). Parents received an intervention delivered via a smartphone application with lessons, text messages, and weekly personalized feedback, and self-monitoring of diet, activity, and weight. To measure associations between parent and child dietary changes, two 24-h recalls for parents and children at baseline and 6 months measured average daily calories, percent of calories from fat, vegetables, fruit, protein, dairy, whole grains, refined grains, added sugars, percent of calories from added sugars, and total Healthy Eating Index-2015 score.

Results

Higher parent engagement was associated with lower parent percent of calories from fat, and greater days meeting the dietary goal was associated with lower parent daily calories and refined grains. Adjusting for child age, number of children in the home, parent baseline BMI, and treatment group, there were significant positive associations between parent and child daily calories, whole grains, and refined grains. Parent-child dietary associations were not moderated by treatment group.

Conclusions

These results suggest that parent dietary changes in an adult weight loss program may indirectly influence child diet.
Preprints as a driver of open science: Opportunities for Southeast Asia
Authors: Irawan Dasapta Erwin , Zahroh Hilyatuz , Puebla Iratxe
Published: September 2022

Southeast Asia is an emerging force of open access scholarly output. For example, Indonesia is in a tight competition with United Kingdom as the largest publisher of open access journals and the second largest producer of open access articles in the world (according to DOAJ and the COKI OA Dashboard, respectively). However, this support for open practices is not yet reflected in institutional research policies in Southeast Asian countries, which still rely on criteria influenced by world university rankings that focus on publication outputs and do not incorporate elements related to research culture, integrity, or open science. Preprints have gained increasing attention across disciplines in the last few years, but they are still not included in institutional policies in SouthEast Asia. This paper discusses the potential for preprints to be a driving force for open science and for quality and integrity in scholarly outputs from Southeast Asia. There is a fledgling preprinting culture in the region, catalyzed by the RINarxiv preprint server in Indonesia and the Malaysia Open Science Platform. We argue that preprints have many advantages: opportunities for open access and for researchers to maintain copyright to their work, wide dissemination, encouraging feedback and critical thinking, and community governance. With these advantages, preprints can become a fast and open communication hub between researchers and all stakeholders in the research process. We recommend regulatory and practical steps to incorporate preprints into science policy and researchers' practices as an effort to promote research integrity, open data and reproducibility.
Adaptation strategies of flood-damaged businesses in Germany
Authors: Wutzler Bianca , Hudson Paul , Thieken Annegret H.
Published: September 2022

Flood risk management in Germany follows an integrative approach in which both private households and businesses can make an important contribution to reducing flood damage by implementing property-level adaptation measures. While the flood adaptation behavior of private households has already been widely researched, comparatively less attention has been paid to the adaptation strategies of businesses. However, their ability to cope with flood risk plays an important role in the social and economic development of a flood-prone region. Therefore, using quantitative survey data, this study aims to identify different strategies and adaptation drivers of 557 businesses damaged by a riverine flood in 2013 and 104 businesses damaged by pluvial or flash floods between 2014 and 2017. Our results indicate that a low perceived self-efficacy may be an important factor that can reduce the motivation of businesses to adapt to flood risk. Furthermore, property-owners tended to act more proactively than tenants. In addition, high experience with previous flood events and low perceived response costs could strengthen proactive adaptation behavior. These findings should be considered in business-tailored risk communication.
Fellfields of the Kerguelen Islands harbour specific soil microbiomes and rhizomicrobiomes of an endemic plant facing necrosis
Authors: Marchand Lorène Julia , Hennion Françoise , Tarayre Michèle , Martin Marie-Claire , Martins Benoit Renaud , Monard Cécile
Published: September 2022

Polar regions are characterized by rocky terrains with sparse vegetation and oligotrophic soils, i.e. “fellfields”. In such ecosystems, microbial communities should be essential for soil-plant functioning but their diversity is poorly explored. The sub-Antarctic Kerguelen Islands fellfields are characterized by an endemic long-lived cushion plant, Lyallia kerguelensis which rhizosphere may be a shelter for microbes in this harsh environment. Cushions are affected by necrosis and we expect the rhizomicrobiome composition to be related to plant necrosis. We analysed bacterial and fungal communities in bulk- and rhizospheric soils from L. kerguelensis in five different fellfields across the Kerguelen Islands using 16S rRNA and ITS1 metabarcoding. We found that soil microbial communities were composed of both restricted and cosmopolitan taxa. While all sites were dominated by the same bacterial taxa (Chloroflexi, Actinobacteria, α-Proteobacteria and Acidobacteria), the relative abundance of the main fungal phyla (Ascomycota, Basidiomycota, Mortierellomycota and Rozellomycota) highly differed between sites. L. kerguelensis rhizomicrobiome was at least as diverse as the bulk soil, making the rhizosphere a possible reservoir of microbial diversity. It was composed of the same main bacterial phyla than detected in the bulk soil while the composition of the rhizosphere fungal communities was specific to each plant. No common microorganisms were identified regarding cushion necrosis extent across plants and sites, but several microbial putative functions were shared, suggesting a possible shift in soil functioning with cushion necrosis increase. Our study brings new information on the diversity and composition of the microbial communities of fellfield soils in a sub-Antarctic Island and the rhizomicrobiome of a characteristic endemic cushion plant.
Assessment of environmental and farm business impacts of phosphorus policies in two European regions
Authors: Arata Linda , Chakrabarti Anwesha , Ekane Nelson , Foged Henning Lyngsø , Pahmeyer Christoph , Rosemarin Arno , Sckokai Paolo
Published: September 2022

This paper presents analyses of the economic and environmental impact of relevant phosphorus management policy scenarios, using representative pig and poultry farms in the Emilia-Romagna region (Po River basin, Italy) and Niedersachsen region (Ems River basin, Germany) as case studies. The analysis was done by using a farm-level linear programming bioeconomic model developed for different farm and animal types—sows, fattening pigs, laying hens and broilers. The baseline for the assessed scenarios involved farms situated within the Nitrate Vulnerable Zones (NVZs) and therefore, were subject to indirect phosphorus fertilization limitations via the Nitrates Directive (ND). The analyzed phosphorus management policy scenarios included the implementation of two different balances of 8.7 kg and 4.35 kg of P per ha per year, inspired by the German Fertilizer Ordinance for phosphorus fertilization implemented in 2007 and later updated from 2017 up to 2023, respectively. We also included a more rigorous zero P balance scenario. The results of the scenario simulations, based on model assumptions, reveal that the introduction of direct phosphorus management policies for pig and poultry farms situated in high livestock dense regions can be done without causing any significant impact on farm gross margin (around 2% of reduction) for both regions and all four animal types, except for sows and broiler production in the Ems River Basin (up to 12% of reduction). Selected technologies and methods, inspired by current practices, have been analyzed for their cost efficiency to achieve the target P balance of the individual scenarios, including export of slurry out of the farm or export of separation solids. Results also highlight that the Nitrates Directive alone is not enough to handle the P issue in monogastric livestock farms.
Evaluation of fatty acid and antioxidant variation in a complex pasture system as compared to standard cattle feed in the Great Lakes region
Authors: Krusinski Lucas , Maciel Isabella C. de Faria , Sergin Selin , Goeden Travis , Ali Humza , Kesamneni Srikar , Jambunathan Vijayashree , Cassida Kimberly A. , Singh Sukhdeep , Medina-Meza Ilce G. , Rowntree Jason E. , Fenton Jenifer I.
Published: September 2022

As the demand for grass-fed ruminant products keeps increasing, more data are needed to assess the nutritional value of feedstuffs, especially pastures. In addition, global climate change adds another challenge to the management of grasslands with projections of changing temperature and precipitation patterns. Consequently, the variations in bioactive compounds such as fatty acids and antioxidants in feeds will be harder to predict. Therefore, it is critical to report region and time-specific results of the nutritional value of feeds intended for ruminant nutrition. The objectives of this study were to compare the antioxidant and fatty acid content of commonly used feedstuffs including a complex pasture mixture from the Great Lakes Region and a traditional grain-based diet, and to assess the variations of these bioactive compounds in the pasture over the course of two grazing seasons. Weather parameters including temperature and rainfall were recorded for the length of the study. Feed samples were collected between June and September 2019 and 2020 and analyzed for nutrient composition, chlorophyll A and B, carotenoids, and total phenols. Fatty acids were analyzed by GC-MS. Correlations were reported to analyze the relationship between individual plant species, antioxidants, and fatty acids. We observed higher antioxidant parameters in the pasture compared to the grain diet. Total polyunsaturated fatty acids were higher in the pasture including α-linolenic acid while the grain diet was higher in n-6 polyunsaturated fatty acids including linoleic acid. The n-6:n-3 ratio was more beneficial in the pasture and was 50–90 times higher in the grain diet. Variations in the fatty acid profile of the pasture were observed and varied between 2019 and 2020. Plant growth cycles, climatic conditions, and grazing methods were hypothesized to cause these changes. Altogether, this study increased our knowledge about the nutritional value of feedstuffs and will help ranchers and researchers to better understand the variations of bioactive content based on region, season, and climatic conditions.
Outcomes of surgical treatment on type A acute aortic dissection accompanied with coronary artery involvement
Authors: Qin Wei , Fan Rui , Wang Jiankai , Li Jian , Huang Fuhua , Chen Xin
Published: September 2022

Background

Coronary artery (CA) involvement due to acute aortic dissection (AAD) is a catastrophic cardiovascular disease with high mortality. Two main surgery strategies, local coronary repair and coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) can be applied to reestablish the blood flow in the aortic repair. This study was to evaluate the operative and long-term outcomes of type A AAD patients, who received aortic dissection repair plus CABG or local coronary repair.

Method

We reviewed our database and screened 148 type A AAD patients with CA involvement from January 2001 to December 2021. Local coronary repair or CABG was performed concomitantly on these enrolled patients.

Results

At the time of aortic repair, there were 58 patients with concomitant CABG (Group I) and 90 patients with local coronary repair (Group II). The basal characteristics of these two groups had no difference, except for acute myocardial ischemia (AMI) and CA involvement type. 45 patients with AMI in Group I, but none in Group II (P < 0.001). There was a higher frequency of type B and C lesions of CA involvement in Group I than that in Group II (P < 0.001). There was no difference in surgical procedures and complications, except for postoperative acute kidney injury (AKI) (34.5% vs. 8.9%, P < 0.001). Hospital mortality in Group I was higher than that in Group II, but without statistical difference (20.7% vs. 11.1%, P = 0.155). No significant difference was obtained in long-term survival rate between the two groups (82.5 ± 4.8% vs. 81.2 ± 6.9%, P = 0.19).

Conclusion

CABG and local coronary repair suits different types of CA involvement, and their effects on perioperative results and long-term survival for type A AAD patients with CA involvement are equal.
First report on atrazine monitoring in drinking water from Ijebu-North, South-West Nigeria: Human health risk evaluation and reproductive toxicity studies
Authors: Owagboriaye Folarin , Oladunjoye Rasheed , Adekunle Oladunni , Adeleke Mistura , Salisu Titilola , Adenekan Adedamola , Sulaimon Abibat , Dedeke Gabriel , Lawal Olusegun
Published: September 2022

There are no available data on the level of atrazine in drinking water from rural agricultural areas in Nigeria and its potential health implications. Here, we measured atrazine residue in 69 hand-dug wells (HDW), 40 boreholes (BH), and four major streams from the six communities (Ago-Iwoye, Ijebu-Igbo, Oru, Awa, Ilaporu, and Mamu) in Ijebu North Local Government Area, Southwest Nigeria. Values of atrazine obtained were further used for the evaluation of non-carcinogenic risk associated with ingestion and dermal contact in adults and children as well as reproductive toxicity evaluation. A total of 41 HDW, 22 BH, and the four streams showed varying concentrations of atrazine, which was higher in HDW than BH and stream. Ago-Iwoye recorded the highest concentration of 0.08 mg/L in its HDW while the lowest concentration of 0.01 mg/L was recorded in HDW from Oru. Although the Hazard Index (HI) values associated with ingestion and dermal contact for children were higher than in adults, the values were below the acceptable limit for all the communities. Significant (p< 0.05) alterations in the oxidative stress parameters, reproductive hormones, sperm parameters, and mild testicular lesions were only observed in rats exposed to atrazine at 0.08 mg/L compared to control. But atrazine at 0.01, 0.03, and 0.04 mg/L triggered a defence mechanism capable of protecting the structural integrity of the testes and preventing reproductive dysfunction.
Unhandled horses classified with broken/unbroken test (BUT) exhibit longer avoidance, flight reactions, and displacement behaviors when approached by humans
Authors: Riva Maria Giorgia , Sobrero Lucia , Menchetti Laura , Minero Michela , Padalino Barbara , Dalla Costa Emanuela
Published: September 2022

Horses with a low level of tameness are at higher risk for transport-related disease and injury; hence, European regulations for the protection of animals during transport (EC 1/2005) are stricter for unhandled (unbroken) horses. However, the regulation does not provide adequate tools for unhandled horse identification. The Broken/Unbroken Test (BUT) was developed and validated to easily identify whether a horse is broken (handled) or not. As a further validation step, the aim of this study was to assess whether there is any correspondence between the BUT classification and the behavioral response of the horse. A total of 100 healthy Italian Heavy Draft horses were video recorded when assessed with the BUT. In total, 90 videos (48 handled and 42 unhandled horses) matched the inclusion criteria and were assessed. The behavior of each horse was evaluated by three observers blinded as to the horses' experience with a focal animal continuous recording method. Behaviors were classified in four categories: stress, avoidance, displacement, and aggression. A Mann–Whitney test was used to identify differences in behavioral patterns between horses classified as handled or unhandled with the BUT. Unhandled horses showed not only a significantly longer time to be approached by the handler but also more avoidance and flight reactions (p< 0.001). Unhandled horses showed significantly longer displacement behaviors, such as sniffing (p< 0.001). These findings further validate the BUT classification and confirm that horses classified as unhandled are more prone to show avoidance and flight reactions when approached by humans. For this reason, the adoption of the BUT could be helpful to minimize humans' horse-related injuries and, if applied regularly before loading, to contribute to safeguard the welfare of horses during transport.
Shear wave elastography measurements in dogs treated surgically for congenital extrahepatic portosystemic shunts
Authors: Toom Merle , Saunders Jimmy H. , Duchateau Luc , Serrano Goncalo , De Rooster Hilde , Devriendt Nausikaa , Stock Emmelie
Published: September 2022

Assessing the postoperative surgical success of congenital extrahepatic portosystemic shunt (EHPSS) attenuation can be challenging and involve invasive imaging methods. Elastography is an ultrasound technique that allows qualitative and quantitative estimation of tissue stiffness and has extensively been used in people with liver disease. In recent years, increased interest in this technique has developed in veterinary medicine due to its non-invasive nature, availability, and low cost. The objective of this study was to compare liver stiffness values between dogs with closed EHPSS and those with multiple acquired portosystemic shunts (MAPSS) after gradual surgical attenuation and to assess whether shear wave elastography could be used to determine EHPSS closure. As a secondary objective, measurements obtained from both intercostal and subxiphoidal views were compared. Mean values for the average, median, and maximum two-dimensional shear wave velocities (2D SWV) for the closed EHPSS were 2.88 +/−0.11 m/s; 2.83 +/−0.11 m/s; and 3.75 +/−0.16 m/s, respectively. In the MAPSS dogs, mean values for the average, median, and maximum 2D SWV were 2.77 +/– 0.17 m/s; 2.71 +/– 0.17 m/s; and 3.66 +/−0.24 m/s, respectively. No significant differences in 2D SWV were present between dogs with closed EHPSS and those with MAPSS (P = 0.33; P = 0.33; P = 0.42, respectively). When assessing potential differences between intercostal and subxiphoidal 2D SWV measurements, no effect was observed for the average and median 2D SWV (P = 0.06; P = 0.07, respectively). Yet, a significant difference was identified for the maximum 2D SWV between intercostal 4.00 +/−0.20 m/s and subxiphoidal 3.41 +/−0.17 m/s measurements (P = 0.02). The relevance of this finding is uncertain as many other studies about liver elastography only report mean and not maximum values.
MPI Parallelization of Numerical Simulations for Pulsed Vacuum Arc Plasma Plumes Based on a Hybrid DSMC/PIC Algorithm
Authors: Yang Fuxiang , Li Jie , Xu Chuanfu , Li Dali , Qiu Haozhong , Xu Ao
Published: September 2022

The transport characteristics of the unsteady flow field in rarefied plasma plumes is crucial for a pulsed vacuum arc in which the particle distribution varies from 1016 to 1022 m−3. The direct simulation Monte Carlo (DSMC) method and particle-in-cell (PIC) method are generally combined to study this kind of flow field. The DSMC method simulates the motion of neutral particles, while the PIC method simulates the motion of charged ions. A hybrid DSMC/PIC algorithm is investigated here to determine the unsteady axisymmetric flow characteristics of vacuum arc plasma plume expansion. Numerical simulations are found to be consistent with the experiments performed in the plasma mass and energy analyzer (EQP). The electric field is solved by Poisson’s equation, which is usually computationally expensive. The compressed sparse row (CSR) format is used to store the huge diluted matrix and PETSc library to solve Poisson’s equation through parallel calculations. Double weight factors and two timesteps under two grid sets are investigated using the hybrid DSMC/PIC algorithm. The fine PIC grid is nested in the coarse DSMC grid. Therefore, METIS is used to divide the much smaller coarse DSMC grid when dynamic load imbalances arise. Two parameters are employed to evaluate and distribute the computational load of each process. Due to the self-adaption of the dynamic-load-balancing parameters, millions of grids and more than 150 million particles are employed to predict the transport characteristics of the rarefied plasma plume. Atomic Ti and Ti2+ are injected into the small cylinders. The comparative analysis shows that the diffusion rate of Ti2+ is faster than that of atomic Ti under the electric field, especially in the z-direction. The fully diffuse reflection wall model is adopted, showing that neutral particles accumulate on the wall, while charged ions do not—due to their self-consistent electric field. The maximum acceleration ratio is about 17.94.
Buckling Analysis of a Thin-Walled Structure Using Finite Element Method and Design of Experiments
Authors: Bin Kamarudin Mohamad Norfaieqwan , Mohamed Ali Jaffar Syed , Aabid Abdul , Ibrahim Yasser E.
Published: September 2022

In structural engineering, thin-walled structures play an important role in the design of the lightweight structural model. It carries different loading conditions when it exists in any model, and it is designed with thin plates or thin shells. Penetrating thin-walled structures with different kinds of holes can decrease their weight and facilitate repair and maintenance operations, such as those carried out for the wing of an airplane. In such applications, cutouts are often employed as part of the design of composite plates. Therefore, this paper attempted to design and analyse the thin-walled composite structure with a C-cross-section shape. To model and analyse the structures, a finite element method was utilized using the ABAQUS commercial tool, and the results of critical buckling load for different laminate types were obtained. Composite materials and structures have different parameters that can vary the results of analysis; therefore, to optimize the current mode a design of experiments method is used via MINITAB 20 and Design-Expert 13 tools. The selected parameters for this work were the opening ratio, spacing ratio, and shape of the hole for the output response as a critical buckling load was carried out. Based on the current results of simulation and optimization, it was found that the parameters of composite materials and structures will impact the output response, and the current study investigated the optimum parameters for the best possible outcome of the structural analysis.
Environmental Noise Assessment of Holding Approach Procedures Using a Multi-Level Simulation Framework
Authors: Felix Greco Gil , Yildiz Bekir , Göing Jan , Ring Tobias P. , Feuerle Thomas , Hecker Peter , Langer Sabine C.
Published: September 2022

Computational models of sufficient quality are indispensable to quantitatively assess aircraft noise reduction measures. Within this study, a multi-level simulation framework is established in order to predict the environmental noise of holding approach procedures by coupling simulation models from three different domains: flight performance calculation employing the base of aircraft data (BADA), jet engine performance using the software Gasturb and aircraft noise simulations based on the software sonAIR. Two different concepts of holding approach procedures are investigated, namely, the vertical holding stack and the linear hold point merge. The study is conducted considering generic air traffic scenarios at a single-runway airport. Thereby, the investigated air traffic is based on a statistical analysis of traffic data at existing airports and thus assumed to be representative. As the aircraft’s noise emission depends on both the aircraft and the engine performance, reliable results can be expected only if all individual challenges and interdependencies are accounted for simultaneously. Addressing this challenge is the main contribution of the presented work. The presented results show the plausibility of the proposed multi-level simulation framework, thus supporting its use to investigate the environmental noise impact of air traffic scenarios.
Analysis of Dynamic Operating Characteristics of a Pulse Detonation Turbine Engine
Authors: Tan Wenhao , Zheng Longxi , Lu Jie , Xiao Zhiyi
Published: September 2022

In order to obtain the dynamic operating characteristics of a pulse detonation turbine engine (PDTE), a transient model is established considering the shaft dynamics and the volumetric effect of the components in the PDTE. The accuracy of the model is verified with the experimental data from a pulse detonation prototype engine. The deviations between the calculated data and the experimental results are no more than 7.61%. The numerical results show that the operating state of the PDTE will change gradually with the increase of the fuel flow rate or the firing frequency. The quasi-steady state calculations show that there are maximum values for the rotor speed, thrust, and specific thrust when the fuel flow rate is increased from 0.0056 kg/s to 0.0129 kg/s at firing frequency of 10 Hz. The rotor speed, thrust, and specific thrust will suddenly decrease due to the over rich of fuel in the PDC with the increasing of the fuel flow rate. The specific fuel consumption has a minimize value during this process. When the firing frequency is increased from 7 Hz to 18 Hz at a fixed fuel flow rate, the performance parameters such as the thrust, specific thrust, and specific fuel consumption have a similar variation trend. The extremum values of the performance parameters are obtained at firing frequency of 12 Hz. For the dynamic operating process of the PDTE, parameters such as the rotor speed or pressure ratio of the compressor are increased in a cyclic oscillation way when the fuel flow rate or the firing frequency is changed.
Parametric Study on Aerodynamic Performance of a Flapping Wing Rotor MAV Capable of Sustained Flight
Authors: Wang Ziyu , Kan Zi , Li Huadong , Li Daochun , Zhao Shiwei , Tu Zhan
Published: September 2022

By combining the flapping and rotary motion, a flapping wing rotor (FWR) shows unique kinematics of motion. It can produce a significantly higher aerodynamic efficiency and lift coefficient than insect-like flapping wings. However, due to the lack of controllable FWR aerial vehicles, the effect of different flapping parameters of the FWR on aerodynamic characteristics and efficiency remains to be evaluated experimentally. In this work, we conduct experimental studies to investigate the FWR’s lift performance based on our previous vehicle design, which has demonstrated sustained stable hover and maneuver. In particular, by using such flyable FWR as the test platform, the changes in attack angle of the wing, the torsion of wings, different neutral positions, different up and down flapping angles, and different flapping amplitudes, were studied respectively. CFD simulation was used as an auxiliary and supplementary means for validation. As a result, design essentials to lift maximization of the FWR are proposed. The result proves that changing the attack angle and the torsion of the wing will have a certain impact on the lift. In addition, the ideal lift force can be generated when the neutral position tend to zero degrees and the up and down flapping angles tend to be equal. With the growth of the flapping amplitude, the lift force increases continuously. These experimental results provide important design cues for maximizing lift and payload capability of FWR-MAVs.
Water–Pesticide Integrated Micro-Sprinkler Design and Influence of Key Structural Parameters on Performance
Authors: Wang Xinjian , Liu Junping , Zhang Qing
Published: September 2022

The use of pergola trellis crops has led to a need for irrigation and the spraying of pesticides. Thus, a new integrated micro-nozzle was designed to provide water and pesticides. The structural parameters that affect the irrigation performance were selected based on the working principle of the sprinkler. They included the outlet diameter, refractive surface angle, and the distance from the outlet plane to the refractive surface (cone hole distance). The structural parameters that affect the performance of spraying pesticide included the number of diversion chutes, nozzle diameter, and nozzle outer cone angle. The structural optimization of the water–pesticide integrated sprinkler was determined by a single-factor and a three-factors four-levels orthogonal tests. The indices used to evaluate the performance of the sprinkler were irrigation flow rate, wetted radius, and uniformity coefficient. Those used to evaluate the performance at spraying pesticides included the flow rate of spraying pesticides, spray cone angle, and relative size range of the droplets. The entropy weight and the extreme difference analytical methods were used to process the test data. The main order of the influence of key structural parameters on the irrigation performance was obtained as follows: outlet diameter, refractive surface angle, and cone hole distance. The primary and secondary order of the influence on the performance of spraying pesticide was as follows: the number of diversion chutes, angle of the outer cone of the nozzle, and nozzle diameter. The optimal combination of parameters for this water–pesticide integrated micro sprinkler was obtained as follows: outlet diameter 2.0 mm, refractive surface angle 30°, cone hole distance 1.0 d, nozzle diameter 3.0 mm, two diversion chutes, and nozzle outer cone angle 90°. The performance indices included the irrigation water flow rate 0.284 m3/h, wetted radius 4.26 m, uniformity coefficient 91.07%, flow rate of pesticides spread 0.097 m3/h, spray cone angle 121.25°, and average relative distribution span of droplets 1.18. The results provide an important theoretical basis for the practical application of sprinklers.
Power Consumption Influence Test of Castor Disc-Cutting Device
Authors: Wu Teng , Kong Fanting , Shi Lei , Xie Qing , Sun Yongfei , Chen Changlin
Published: September 2022

This study theoretically analyzed the cutting process of castor and determined the structural parameters of the key component of the castor disc-cutting device, aiming to obtain the optimal operation parameter combination and reduce the cutting resistance and power consumption during the harvesting process. The effects of the cutting-disc thickness, cutting-disc rotational speed, feeding speed, and edge angle on the cutting power consumption were studied using an orthogonal rotation combination experiment. The response surface method was used to optimize the parameters, and the mathematical relationship model between the cutting power consumption and each factor was established to determine the optimal parameter combination for disc cutting. The simulation results showed that the optimal combination of cutting parameters was cutting-disc thickness of 3 mm, cutting-disc rotational speed of 550 r/min, feeding speed of 0.6 m/s, and edge angle of 20°. Under these conditions, the cutting power consumption was 1.20375 J. The test results were basically consistent with the model prediction results. Therefore, this study provided a theoretical basis and reference for the design and improvement of castor harvesters.
The Effects of Spent Mushroom Substrate on the Yield and Nutritional Value of Festulolium braunii (K. Richt.) A. Camus
Authors: Wiśniewska-Kadżajan Beata , Malinowska Elżbieta
Published: September 2022

The aim of the experiment was to assess the effects of mineral and mushroom substrate nitrogen on the yield and selected parameters of Festulolium braunii. To this end, a two-year field experiment was conducted between 2017 and 2018. Spent mushroom substrate was applied at three levels (10, 15 and 20 Mg·ha−1) and mineral nitrogen at four (30, 68, 105 and 180 kg·ha−1). Mineral phosphorus and potassium were used at one level only, with 60 and 150 kg·ha−1, respectively. The research also included the effects of the interaction between organic and mineral fertilizers and the determination of an optimal amount of nitrogen resulting in good-quality forage and a high yield. The plant used in the experiment was Festulolium braunii, an intergeneric hybrid of the Sulino variety. Treatment combinations significantly affected its yield, the content of total and digestible protein, as well as the energy values. For most forage parameters, the beneficial effects of mushroom substrate nitrogen and mineral nitrogen interaction were demonstrated, compared to the effects of mineral nitrogen applied on its own. The largest significant increase in the amount of biomass, was by 16% in comparison to plants treated with mineral fertilizers only (N4PK); a significant increase in energy level (by 17%), was recorded for grass treated with 15 Mg·ha−1 of mushroom substrate together with 68 kg·ha−1 of mineral nitrogen (SMS2 + N2PK). The highest dose of nitrogen contained in mushroom substrate applied together with the smallest amount of mineral nitrogen (SMS3 + N1PK) resulted in the highest increase in total and digestible protein concentrations in the grass, 18% and 21% more, respectively, than in plants treated with mineral fertilizers only. The interaction of mineral and mushroom substrate nitrogen did not significantly affect the digestibility of the forage and its concentration of net energy of lactation (NEL).
A Lightweight Real-Time Rice Blast Disease Segmentation Method Based on DFFANet
Authors: Feng Changguang , Jiang Minlan , Huang Qi , Zeng Lingguo , Zhang Changjiang , Fan Yulong
Published: September 2022

The evaluation of rice disease severity is a quantitative indicator for precise disease control, which is of great significance for ensuring rice yield. In the past, it was usually done manually, and the judgment of rice blast severity can be subjective and time-consuming. To address the above problems, this paper proposes a real-time rice blast disease segmentation method based on a feature fusion and attention mechanism: Deep Feature Fusion and Attention Network (abbreviated to DFFANet). To realize the extraction of the shallow and deep features of rice blast disease as complete as possible, a feature extraction (DCABlock) module and a feature fusion (FFM) module are designed; then, a lightweight attention module is further designed to guide the features learning, effectively fusing the extracted features at different scales, and use the above modules to build a DFFANet lightweight network model. This model is applied to rice blast spot segmentation and compared with other existing methods in this field. The experimental results show that the method proposed in this study has better anti-interference ability, achieving 96.15% MioU, a speed of 188 FPS, and the number of parameters is only 1.4 M, which can achieve a high detection speed with a small number of model parameters, and achieves an effective balance between segmentation accuracy and speed, thereby reducing the requirements for hardware equipment and realizing low-cost embedded development. It provides technical support for real-time rapid detection of rice diseases.