bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Case report: Vesiculobullous eruption with an atypical IgA deposition pattern in a patient with multiple myeloma—A case report and literature review
Authors: Li Tong , Liu Hongjie , Li Wei
Published: February 2023

Cutaneous vesiculobullous eruptions associated with multiple myeloma (MM) are rare. Although the development of blisters is mostly driven by amyloid deposits of paraproteins in the skin, autoimmunity may play a role. In this study, we report an unusual case of an MM patient with blisters who presented with both flaccid and tense vesicles and bullae. Direct immunofluorescence revealed IgA autoantibody deposits in the basement membrane zone (BMZ) and intercellular space of the epidermis, which displayed an atypical autoantibody deposition pattern. The patient showed rapid disease progression and died during follow-up. We performed a literature review of autoimmune bullous diseases (AIBDs) associated with MM or its precursors and found 17 previously reported cases. Together with the present case, cutaneous involvement of the skin folds was frequently reported, and mucous membranes were barely affected. IgA pemphigus, with consistent IgA monoclonality, was observed in half of the cases. Five patients displayed atypical autoantibody deposition patterns in the skin; the prognosis of these patients appeared to be poorer than that of other patients. We aim to increase our understanding of AIBDs associated with MM or its precursors.
Case report: The devil was hidden in the mastocytes – an unusually fulminant case of indolent systemic mastocytosis in a 45-year-old patient, missed for almost 20 years
Authors: Boukouris Aristeidis E. , Michelakis Ioannis , Metaxas Dionysios , Karapati Gianna , Kanellis George , Lioni Athina , Tzavara Vasiliki
Published: February 2023

Indolent systemic mastocytosis (ISM) represents the most common form of SM, typically following a slow clinical course. While anaphylactic reactions may come up in the life course of an ISM patient, these are often moderate and do not pose a threat to patient’s health. Here, we present an undiagnosed case of ISM with recurrent severe anaphylactic episodes following consumption of food and emotional stress. One of these episodes led to anaphylactic shock, necessitating temporary mechanical ventilation and intensive care unit (ICU) support. Besides hypotension, a diffuse, itchy, red rash was the only notable clinical finding. Upon recovery, we found abnormally high baseline serum tryptase level as well as 10% bone marrow (BM) infiltration by multifocal, dense clusters of CD117+/mast cell tryptase+/CD25+ mast cells (MCs), consolidating the diagnosis of ISM. Prophylactic treatment with a histamine receptor antagonist was initiated, resulting in milder episodes thereafter. Diagnosis of ISM requires a high level of suspicion; its prompt recognition and treatment are important in preventing potentially life-threatening anaphylactic episodes.
Evaluating environmental controls on the exoskeleton density of larval Dungeness crab via micro computed tomography
Authors: Saenger Casey P. , McElhany Paul , Norton Emily L. , Busch D. Shallin , Siedlecki Samantha A. , Alin Simone R. , Feely Richard A. , Hermann Albert J. , Bednaršek Nina
Published: February 2023

Dungeness crab (Metacarcinus magister) have significant socioeconomic value, but are threatened by ocean acidification (OA) and other environmental stressors that are driven by climate change. Despite evidence that adult harvests are sensitive to the abundance of larval populations, relatively little is known about how Dungeness megalopae will respond to these stressors. Here we evaluate the ability to use micro-computed tomography (μCT) to detect variations in megalope exoskeleton density and how these measurements reflect environmental variables and calcification mechanisms. We use a combination of field data, culture experiments, and model simulations to suggest resolvable differences in density are best explained by minimum pH at the time zoeae molt into megalopae. We suggest that this occurs because more energy must be expended on active ion pumping to reach a given degree of calcite supersaturation at lower pH. Energy availability may also be reduced due to its diversion to other coping mechanisms. Alternate models based on minimum temperature at the time of the zoea-megalope molt are nearly as strong and complicate the ability to conclusively disentangle pH and temperature influences. Despite this, our results suggest that carryover effects between life stages and short-lived extreme events may be particularly important controls on exoskeleton integrity. μCT-based estimates of exoskeleton density are a promising tool for evaluating the health of Dungeness crab populations that will likely provide more nuanced information than presence-absence observations, but future in situ field sampling and culture experiments are needed to refine and validate our results.
Effects of Different Sources of Calcium in the Diet on Growth Performance, Blood Metabolic Parameters, and Intestinal Bacterial Community and Function of Weaned Piglets
Authors: Yang Anqi , Wang Kaijun , Peng Xiaomin , Lv Feifei , Wang Ying , Cui Yao , Wang Yuhan , Qu Dongshuai , Zhou Jianqun , Si Hongbin
Published: February 2023

Despite a well-documented effect of calcium on the piglet's intestinal microbiota composition, it is less known about changes in microbial function or the effect of different sources of calcium. The experiment was designed to study the effects of dietary calcium from different sources on production, immune indexes, antioxidant capacity, serum biochemical indexes, and intestinal microflora of weaning piglets. A total of 1,000 piglets were randomly assigned to five groups (10 replicate pens per treatment with 20 pigs per pen) and fed diets supplemented with calcium carbonate, calcium citrate, multiple calcium, organic trace minerals, and different concentrations of acidifier. The results showed that the replacement of calcium carbonate with calcium citrate and multiple calcium had almost no significant difference in the growth performance of pigs compared with the control group, and only the diet of multiple calcium dramatically decreased the average daily feed intake (ADFI) compared to the calcium citrate diet on days 15–28 (p < 0.05). The five groups did not change the content of MDA, SOD, and GSH-Px (p > 0.10). A similar situation occurs in the immune function of the blood. There was no significant effect in immune indexes (IgA, IgG, and IgM) among different treatments after weaning at 6 weeks for piglets (p > 0.10). The 16S rRNA sequencing of ileal and cecal microbiota revealed that only the relative abundance of Actinobacteriota at the phyla level was significantly greater in the ileum of the A group compared to the other treatments (p < 0.05). There was a clear effect on seven bacteria in the top 30 genera of ileum and cecum for five groups (p < 0.05). The result of PICRUSt predicted that the intestinal microbe was mainly involved in carbohydrate and amino acid metabolism, membrane transport, and metabolism of cofactors and vitamins. Besides, adding calcium citrate to a weaned piglet diet is better than other choices from the third week to the fourth week. In conclusion, diets with different calcium sources changed ADFI and some intestinal microbial composition of weaned piglets but had little effect on intestinal microbial function.
In-depth circulating tumor DNA sequencing for prognostication and monitoring in natural killer/T-cell lymphomas
Authors: Kim Jin Ju , Kim Hyun-Young , Choi Zisun , Hwang So yoon , Jeong Hansol , Choi Jong Rak , Yoon Sang Eun , Kim Won Seog , Kim Sun-Hee , Kim Hee-Jin , Shin Sang-Yong , Lee Seung-Tae , Kim Seok Jin
Published: February 2023

Background

Epstein–Barr virus (EBV) quantitation and current imaging modalities are used for diagnosis and disease monitoring in Extranodal NK/T cell lymphoma (ENKTL) but have limitations. Thus, we explored the utility of circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA) as a diagnostic biomarker.

Methods

Through in-depth sequencing of 118 blood samples collected longitudinally at different time points from 45 patients, we examined the mutational profile of each sample, estimated its impact on the clinical outcome, and assessed its role as a biomarker in comparison with EBV DNA quantitation.

Results

The ctDNA concentration was correlated with treatment response, stage, and EBV DNA quantitation. The detection rate of ctDNA mutation was 54.5%, with BCOR (21%) being the most commonly mutated gene in newly diagnosed patients; TP53 mutation (33%) was the most prevalent in patients that experienced a relapse. Additionally, patients in complete remission exhibited a rapid clearance of ENKTL-related somatic mutations, while relapsed patients frequently presented with persisting or emerging mutations. We detected ctDNA mutations in EBV-negative patients (50%) and mutation clearance in EBV-positive patients in remission, suggesting ctDNA genotyping as an efficient complementary monitoring method for ENKTL. Additionally, mutated DDX3X (PFS HR, 8.26) in initial samples predicted poor outcome.

Conclusion

Our results suggest that ctDNA analysis can be used to genotype at diagnosis and estimate the tumor burden in patients with ENKTL. Furthermore, ctDNA dynamics indicate the potential use of testing it to monitor therapeutic responses and develop new biomarkers for precision ENKTL therapy.
Magnetic resonance findings of Stewart–Treves Syndrome in primary limb lymphedema compared with pathology: A retrospective single-center study
Authors: Li Bin , Li Jiyuan , Hao Kun , Jin Yanfang , Ma Jun , Du Xuemei
Published: February 2023

Background

Stewart–Treves Syndrome in Primary Limb Lymphedema (STS-PLE) is an extremely rare malignant tumor. A retrospective analysis was conducted to elucidate the relationship between magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) findings and signs compared to pathology.

Methods

Seven patients with STS-PLE were enrolled at Beijing Shijitan Hospital, Capital Medical University, from June 2008 to March 2022. All cases were examined by MRI. The surgical specimens were subjected to histopathological and immunohistochemical staining for CD31, CD34, D2-40, and Ki-67.

Results

There were two different types of MRI findings. One was mass shape (STS-PLE I type) in three male patients, and the other was the “trash ice” d sign (STS-PLE II type) observed in four female patients. The average duration of lymphedema (DL) of STS-PLE I type (18 months) was shorter than that of STS-PLE II type (31 months). The prognosis for the STS-PLE I type was worse than that for the STS-PLE II type. Regarding overall survival (OS), the STS-PLE I type (17.3 months) was three times shorter than that of the STS-PLE II type (54.5 months). For STS-PLE I type, the older the STS-PLE onset, the shorter the OS. However, there was no significant correlation in STS-PLE II type. MRI was compared to histological results to provide an explanation for the differences in MR signal changes, especially on T2WI. Against a background of dense tumor cells, the richer the lumen of immature vessels and clefts, the higher the T2WI MRI signal (taking muscle signal as the internal reference standard) and the worse the prognosis, and vice versa. We also found that younger patients with a lower Ki-67 index (<16%) had better OS, especially for the STS-PLE I type. Those with stronger positive expression of CD31 or CD34 had shorter OS. However, the expression of D2-40 was positive in nearly all cases, and seemed not to be associated with prognosis.

Conclusions

In lymphedema, the richer the lumen of immature vessels and clefts based on dense tumor cells, the higher the T2WI signal on the MRI. In adolescent patients, the tumor often showed a “trash ice” sign (STS-PLE II-type) and prognosis was better than for the STS-PLE I type. While in middle-aged and older patients, tumors showed a mass shape (STS-PLE I type). The expression of immunohistochemical indicators (CD31, CD34, and KI-67) correlated with clinical prognosis, especially decreased Ki-67 expression. In this study, we determined it was possible to predict prognosis comparing MRI findings with pathological results.
Performance evaluation of a novel adjustable lampshade-type reflector (ALR) in indoor farming practice using choy sum (Brassica rapa var. parachinensis)
Authors: Huang Jim Junhui , Guan Zijie , Hong Xiaotang , Zhou Weibiao
Published: February 2023

The retrieval of lost light energy for promoting vegetable development could be a challenge in indoor farming practice, yet little is attempted so far. In this study, the performance of a novel adjustable lampshade-type reflector (ALR) was investigated to evaluate the feasibility of applying such a device in indoor farm racks (IFR). This application targeted at reflecting stray light back to the IFR for improving the growth and quality of leafy vegetable choy sum (Brassica rapa var. parachinensis). The optimal configuration of ALR was firstly confirmed via simulations using TracePro software. The combination of an included angle at 32° and a reflective board width of 10 cm, under 12 cm of distance between the light sources and the germination tray surface, was revealed to achieve a cost-optimal reflective effect. The simulation-based ALR was subsequently custom-built for actual performance validation. It was shown to effectively produce uniform distributions of temperature, relative humidity, and photosynthetic photon flux density as well as to accumulate more photosynthetic photon energy density along the cultivation shelf. Compared with the control where no ALR was used, the fresh weight and the dry weight of choy sum shoots cultivated using an ALR were increased by up to 14% and 18%, respectively. In addition, their morphological traits were found to be more uniform. Furthermore, their total carotenoid level was enhanced by up to 45%, while the chlorophyll b level was markedly decreased. However, no statistically significant difference was found in total phenolic content and antioxidant capacity across the shelf, indicating that the ALR application led to a more uniform antioxidant-related quality of choy sum shoot. ALR application in IFR can thus effectively boost vegetable production and result in quality improvements under an identical amount of electricity consumption in indoor farming compared with ALR-free control.
Pearl millet response to drought: A review
Authors: Shrestha Nikee , Hu Hao , Shrestha Kumar , Doust Andrew N.
Published: February 2023

The C4 grass pearl millet is one of the most drought tolerant cereals and is primarily grown in marginal areas where annual rainfall is low and intermittent. It was domesticated in sub-Saharan Africa, and several studies have found that it uses a combination of morphological and physiological traits to successfully resist drought. This review explores the short term and long-term responses of pearl millet that enables it to either tolerate, avoid, escape, or recover from drought stress. The response to short term drought reveals fine tuning of osmotic adjustment, stomatal conductance, and ROS scavenging ability, along with ABA and ethylene transduction. Equally important are longer term developmental plasticity in tillering, root development, leaf adaptations and flowering time that can both help avoid the worst water stress and recover some of the yield losses via asynchronous tiller production. We examine genes related to drought resistance that were identified through individual transcriptomic studies and through our combined analysis of previous studies. From the combined analysis, we found 94 genes that were differentially expressed in both vegetative and reproductive stages under drought stress. Among them is a tight cluster of genes that are directly related to biotic and abiotic stress, as well as carbon metabolism, and hormonal pathways. We suggest that knowledge of gene expression patterns in tiller buds, inflorescences and rooting tips will be important for understanding the growth responses of pearl millet and the trade-offs at play in the response of this crop to drought. Much remains to be learnt about how pearl millet’s unique combination of genetic and physiological mechanisms allow it to achieve such high drought tolerance, and the answers to be found may well be useful for crops other than just pearl millet.
Different responses of two maize cultivars to Spodoptera frugiperda (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) larvae infestation provide insights into their differences in resistance
Authors: Yang Jinwen , Ma Changlu , Jia Ru , Zhang Haiyan , Zhao Yanming , Yue Haiwang , Li Heqin , Jiang Xuwen
Published: February 2023

Spodoptera frugiperda (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae), a pest with an amazing appetite, damages many crops and causes great losses, especially maize. Understanding the differences in different maize cultivars’ responses to S. frugiperda infestation is very important for revealing the mechanisms involved in the resistance of maize plants to S. frugiperda. In this study, a comparative analysis of two maize cultivars, the common cultivar ‘ZD958’ and the sweet cultivar ‘JG218’, was used to investigate their physico-biochemical responses to S. frugiperda infestation by a pot experiment. The results showed that the enzymatic and non-enzymatic defense responses of maize seedlings were rapidly induced by S. frugiperda. Frist, the hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) and malondialdehyde (MDA) contents of infested maize leaves were significantly increased and then decreased to the level of the control. Furthermore, compared with the control leaves, the puncture force values and the total phenolics, total flavonoids, and 2,4-dihydroxy-7-methoxy-1,4-benzoxazin-3-one contents of infested leaves were significantly increased within a certain time. The superoxide dismutase and peroxidase activities of infested leaves were significantly increased in a certain period of time, while the catalase activities decreased significantly and then increased to the control level. The jasmonic acid (JA) levels of infested leaves were significantly improved, whereas the salicylic acid and abscisic acid levels changed less. Signaling genes associated with phytohormones and defensive substances including PAL4, CHS6, BX12, LOX1, and NCED9 were significantly induced at certain time points, especially LOX1. Most of these parameters changed greater in JG218 than in ZD958. Moreover, the larvae bioassay showed that S. frugiperda larvae weighed more on JG218 leaves than those on ZD958 leaves. These results suggested that JG218 was more susceptible to S. frugiperda than ZD958. Our findings will make it easier to develop strategies for controlling S. frugiperda for sustainable maize production and breeding of new maize cultivars with increased resistance to herbivores.
GF14f gene is negatively associated with yield and grain chalkiness under rice ratooning
Authors: Lin Feifan , Lin Sheng , Zhang Zhixing , Lin Wenxiong , Rensing Christopher , Xie Daoxin
Published: February 2023

Background

Ratoon rice cropping has been shown to provide new insights into overcoming the current challenges of rice production in southern China. However, the potential mechanisms impacting yield and grain quality under rice ratooning remain unclear.

Methods

In this study, changes in yield performance and distinct improvements in grain chalkiness in ratoon rice were thoroughly investigated, using physiological, molecular and transcriptomic analysis.

Results

Rice ratooning induced an extensive carbon reserve remobilization in combination with an impact on grain filling, starch biosynthesis, and ultimately, an optimization in starch composition and structure in the endosperm. Furthermore, these variations were shown to be associated with a protein-coding gene: GF14f (encoding GF14f isoform of 14-3-3 proteins) and such gene negatively impacts oxidative and environmental resistance in ratoon rice.

Conclusion

Our findings suggested that this genetic regulation by GF14f gene was the main cause leading to changes in rice yield and grain chalkiness improvement of ratoon rice, irrespective of seasonal or environmental effects. A further significance was to see how yield performance and grain quality of ratoon rice were able to be achieved at higher levels via suppression of GF14f.
Korrika, running in collective effervescence through the Basque Country: A model of collective processes and their positive psychological effects
Authors: Zabala Jon , Conejero Susana , Pascual Aitziber , Zumeta Larraitz N. , Pizarro José J. , Alonso-Arbiol Itziar
Published: February 2023

The neo-Durkheimnian model suggests that feedback and emotional communion between participants during a collective gathering (i.e., perceived emotional synchrony: PES) is one of the key mechanisms of collective processes. This shared emotional experience gives rise, in turn, to more intense emotions, this being one of the explanatory models of the positive psychological effects of collective participation. Through a quasi-longitudinal design of three measurement-times (N = 273, 65.9% women; age: 18–70, M = 39.43, SD = 11.64), the most massive social mobilization that is celebrated in favor of the Basque language in the Basque Country (Korrika) was analyzed. Repeated measures and sequential mediation analyzes supported the model. The effect of participation on social integration was mediated by the increase in emotions of enjoyment through PES; the effect on social acceptance, social contribution, and social actualization was mediated by increased kama muta through PES; the effect on collective empowerment was mediated by the increase in self-transcendent emotions through PES; and the effect on remembered well-being was partially mediated by PES. Finally, it was also verified for the first time that the effect of participation on social integration, social acceptance and social actualization was maintained through PES (but not through emotions) for at least 6–7 weeks after the event ended. Also, it is concluded that Kama muta is a relevant emotion during collective gatherings.
Can Integration of Agriculture and Tourism Promote Rural Green Development?—Empirical Evidence from 152 Cities in China
Authors: Liu Yingji , Zhang Manchao , Cao Qun , Wang Erhong , Zou Bingkun
Published: February 2023

Based on theoretical analysis of the connotations of and influencing factors on rural green development, this paper systematically explains its promotion mechanisms, its heterogeneity, and transmission effects of the integration of agriculture and tourism (hereinafter referred to as IAT) on rural green development; constructs and measures development indicators of IAT based on the three dimensions factors, performance, and structure; constructs comprehensive indicators of rural green development based on the three dimensions production, life, and ecology; and takes the panel data of 152 prefecture-level cities with agricultural leisure demonstration counties from 2010 to 2019 as samples for empirical testing. Results show that (1) IAT has a significant positive effect on rural green development, and endogenous tests based on instrumental variables and robustness tests show that the above conclusion is valid; (2) heterogeneity analysis shows that IAT plays a more significant role in promoting rural green development in high-human-capital areas, central and western regions, and non-major grain-producing areas; and (3) labor structure, capital input, and technological progress can play a transmitting role in promoting rural green development through IAT. At the end, this paper puts forward some countermeasures to promote rural green development by implementation of the quality projects strategy of IAT, the “tailor-made” support policy of IAT, based on the advantages of resource endowment and improvement of transmission mechanisms based on labor structure, capital input, and technological progress.
Metagenomic Antimicrobial Susceptibility Testing from Simulated Native Patient Samples
Authors: Lüftinger Lukas , Májek Peter , Rattei Thomas , Beisken Stephan
Published: February 2023

Genomic antimicrobial susceptibility testing (AST) has been shown to be accurate for many pathogens and antimicrobials. However, these methods have not been systematically evaluated for clinical metagenomic data. We investigate the performance of in-silico AST from clinical metagenomes (MG-AST). Using isolate sequencing data from a multi-center study on antimicrobial resistance (AMR) as well as shotgun-sequenced septic urine samples, we simulate over 2000 complicated urinary tract infection (cUTI) metagenomes with known resistance phenotype to 5 antimicrobials. Applying rule-based and machine learning-based genomic AST classifiers, we explore the impact of sequencing depth and technology, metagenome complexity, and bioinformatics processing approaches on AST accuracy. By using an optimized metagenomics assembly and binning workflow, MG-AST achieved balanced accuracy within 5.1% of isolate-derived genomic AST. For poly-microbial infections, taxonomic sample complexity and relatedness of taxa in the sample is a key factor influencing metagenomic binning and downstream MG-AST accuracy. We show that the reassignment of putative plasmid contigs by their predicted host range and investigation of whole resistome capabilities improved MG-AST performance on poly-microbial samples. We further demonstrate that machine learning-based methods enable MG-AST with superior accuracy compared to rule-based approaches on simulated native patient samples.
Targeting M2 Macrophages with a Novel NADPH Oxidase Inhibitor
Authors: Dilly Sébastien , Romero Miguel , Solier Stéphanie , Feron Olivier , Dessy Chantal , Slama Schwok Anny
Published: February 2023

ROS in cancer cells play a key role in pathways regulating cell death, stemness maintenance, and metabolic reprogramming, all of which have been implicated in resistance to chemo/ immunotherapy. Adjusting ROS levels to reverse the resistance of cancer cells without impairing normal cell functions is a new therapeutic avenue. In this paper, we describe new inhibitors of NADPH oxidase (NOX), a key enzyme in many cells of the tumor microenvironment. The first inhibitor, called Nanoshutter-1, NS1, decreased the level of tumor-promoting “M2” macrophages differentiated from human blood monocytes. NS1 disrupted the active NADPH oxidase-2 (NOX2) complex at the membrane and in the mitochondria of the macrophages, as shown by confocal microscopy. As one of the characteristics of tumor invasion is hypoxia, we tested whether NS1 would affect vascular reactivity by reducing ROS or NO levels in wire and pressure myograph experiments on isolated blood vessels. The results show that NS1 vasodilated blood vessels and would likely reduce hypoxia. Finally, as both NOX2 and NOX4 are key proteins in tumors and their microenvironment, we investigated whether NS1 would probe these proteins differently. Models of NOX2 and NOX4 were generated by homology modeling, showing structural differences at their C-terminal NADPH site, in particular in their last Phe. Thus, the NADPH site presents an unexploited chemical space for addressing ligand specificity, which we exploited to design a novel NOX2-specific inhibitor targeting variable NOX2 residues. With the proper smart vehicle to target specific cells of the microenvironment as TAMs, NOX2-specific inhibitors could open the way to new precision therapies.
Differences in Treatment Response in Bronchial Epithelial Cells from Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis (IPF) Patients: A First Step towards Personalized Medicine?
Authors: Veith C. , Schneider M. A. , Maas L. , van der Vliet A. , van Schooten F. J. , Kreuter M. , Meister M. , Boots A. W. , Kahn N.
Published: February 2023

Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) has a detrimental prognosis despite antifibrotic therapies to which individual responses vary. IPF pathology is associated with oxidative stress, inflammation and increased activation of SRC family kinases (SFK). This pilot study evaluates individual responses to pirfenidone, nintedanib and SFK inhibitor saracatinib, markers of redox homeostasis, fibrosis and inflammation, in IPF-derived human bronchial epithelial (HBE) cells. Differentiated HBE cells from patients with and without IPF were analyzed for potential alterations in redox and profibrotic genes and pro-inflammatory cytokine secretion. Additionally, the effects of pirfenidone, nintedanib and saracatinib on these markers were determined. HBE cells were differentiated into a bronchial epithelium containing ciliated epithelial, basal, goblet and club cells. NOX4 expression was increased in IPF-derived HBE cells but differed on an individual level. In patients with higher NOX4 expression, pirfenidone induced antioxidant gene expression. All drugs significantly decreased NOX4 expression. IL-6 (p = 0.09) and IL-8 secretion (p = 0.014) were increased in IPF-derived HBE cells and significantly reduced by saracatinib. Finally, saracatinib significantly decreased TGF-β gene expression. Our results indicate that treatment responsiveness varies between IPF patients in relation to their oxidative and inflammatory status. Interestingly, saracatinib tends to be more effective in IPF than standard antifibrotic drugs.
A Robust Health Prognostics Technique for Failure Diagnosis and the Remaining Useful Lifetime Predictions of Bearings in Electric Motors
Authors: Magadán Luis , Suárez Francisco J. , Granda Juan C. , delaCalle Francisco J. , García Daniel F.
Published: February 2023

Remaining useful lifetime (RUL) predictions of electric motors are of vital importance in the maintenance and reduction of repair costs. Thanks to technological advances associated with Industry 4.0, physical models used for prediction and prognostics have been replaced by data-driven models that do not require specialized staff for feature selection, as the model itself learns what features are important. However, these models are usually trained and tested with the same datasets. That makes it difficult to reuse models with different datasets, so they should be retrained with data from the specific motor being analyzed. This paper presents a novel and robust health prognostics technique that predicts the remaining useful lifetime of the bearings of electric motors under different motor conditions (shaft frequency, load, type of bearing) without retraining or fine-tuning the model used. The model integrates the frequency-domain signal analysis and a stacked autoencoder (SAE) with a bidirectional long short-term memory (BiLSTM) neural network. The proposed model is trained with the IMS-bearing dataset and is then tested with IMS, FEMTO, and XJTU-SY datasets without retraining it, providing accurate results in all of them, and proving its robustness with different electric motors and work conditions.
Distribution Quality of Agrochemicals for the Revamping of a Sprayer System Based on Lidar Technology and Grapevine Disease Management
Authors: Ilari Alessio , Piancatelli Simone , Centorame Luana , Moumni Marwa , Romanazzi Gianfranco , Foppa Pedretti Ester
Published: February 2023

Grapevines are one of the most intensely treated crops with a high potential risk to health and biodiversity. Thus, the distribution control of agrochemicals is crucial to obtain a high quality and sustainable product for intensive viticulture. Although the search for systems to reduce the waste of chemical products is consistent in some countries, such as Italy, the machinery used are obsolete. The development of an upgrading system for sprayers can be a good compromise to achieve the pollution reduction without requiring huge investments. Field tests were conducted using a LIDAR-based prototype coupled to a commercial sprayer. This study tested the distribution performance using water-sensitive papers and evaluated the infections of grapevine downy and powdery mildews. The results showed a distribution in the vegetation gaps with a higher frequency in the coverage classes >20% in the standard treatment and 10–15% in the LIDAR treatment. Treatments performed with LiDAR reduced the incidence of downy mildew and severity of powdery mildew. The innovative sprayer reduces the distribution of agrochemicals thanks to the on/off control of the nozzles in the voids of vegetation and, meanwhile, controls vineyard fungal disease, so it can be a good way to meet the sustainability and quality of the production.
An Emotion Speech Synthesis Method Based on VITS
Authors: Zhao Wei , Yang Zheng
Published: February 2023

People and things can be connected through the Internet of Things (IoT), and speech synthesis is one of the key technologies. At this stage, end-to-end speech synthesis systems are capable of synthesizing relatively realistic human voices, but the current commonly used parallel text-to-speech suffers from loss of useful information during the two-stage delivery process, and the control features of the synthesized speech are monotonous, with insufficient expression of features, including emotion, leading to emotional speech synthesis becoming a challenging task. In this paper, we propose a new system named Emo-VITS, which is based on the highly expressive speech synthesis module VITS, to realize the emotion control of text-to-speech synthesis. We designed the emotion network to extract the global and local features of the reference audio, and then fused the global and local features through the emotion feature fusion module based on the attention mechanism, so as to achieve more accurate and comprehensive emotion speech synthesis. The experimental results show that the Emo-VITS system’s error rate went up a little bit compared with the network without emotionality and does not affect the semantic understanding. However, this system is superior to other networks in naturalness, sound quality, and emotional similarity.
Dual-Sourcing Inventory Routing Problem with Route-Dependent Lead Times in Rolling Horizon Framework
Authors: Zheng Weibo , Zhou Hong
Published: February 2023

Traditional inventory routing problems ignore the time consumption in transportation. In this paper, an inventory routing problem with air–land transportation and route-dependent lead times is studied. The model is based on the rolling horizon framework which can serve as a “here-and-now” approximation for multi-period inventory routing problems. A planning horizon crossing strategy is proposed to consider the effect of the single-period decision on long-term planning. The box uncertainty set is used to depict demands. A tractable closed-form robust solution for optimal replenishment quantity is derived. An adaptive variable neighborhood search algorithm is developed for this problem. A novel shaking phase is proposed, and the performance of shaking operators is evaluated in numerical experiments. Results also validate the effectiveness of the robust solution and the planning horizon crossing strategy.
Vibration Attenuation in a High-Rise Hybrid-Timber Building: A Comparative Study
Authors: Chapain Suvash , Aly Aly Mousaad
Published: February 2023

Recent developments in engineered timber products, and their availability, durability, and renewability, have led to taller and more flexible buildings. However, these buildings may experience excessive vibrations, resulting in safety and serviceability issues due to wind or earthquake loads. This paper presents a dynamic analysis of a 42-story-tall hybrid-timber building, along with a comparative study of the performance of three damping devices: (i) pendulum pounding tuned mass damper (PTMD), (ii) tuned mass damper inerter (TMDI), and (iii) tuned mass damper (TMD). First, we evaluate the vibration reduction capability of the TMD and the TMDI under filtered white noise and variable frequency sinusoidal excitations. Then, we propose a robust pendulum PTMD designed using the Hertz contact law to minimize the responses under seismic excitations. For a fair comparison, the mass of the TMD, TMDI, and pendulum PTMD is kept the same. The results show that the pendulum PTMD has higher performance and can reduce the peak accelerations under earthquake loads when both TMD and TMDI fail to achieve this requirement. The superior performance of the proposed device in reducing peak accelerations relates to the reduction in damage to structural and nonstructural components under seismic loads. Nevertheless, coupling the inerter and TMD to form a TMDI may shift the optimum frequency and damping ratios, leading to reduced performance. Compared to TMD and TMDI, the proposed pendulum PTMD is more robust, with higher performance in reducing the base shear (55.7%), base moment (41%), and inter-story drift ratio (40%). The dominant capabilities of this novel device in a timber-hybrid building under different excitations reveal benefits that can shape the future of the physical infrastructure and contribute to climate change adaptation and mitigation for improved disaster resilience and circular economy policies.
Growth Response of Tartary Buckwheat to Plastic Mulching and Fertilization on Semiarid Land
Authors: Fang Yanjie , Yu Xianfeng , Hou Huizhi , Wang Hongli , Ma Yifan , Zhang Guoping , Lei Kangning , Yin Jiade , Zhang Xucheng
Published: February 2023

Integrated hole-sowing, fertilization, and plastic mulching techniques are common agronomic practices applied to collect rainwater and to improve rainwater utilization in semiarid rain-fed regions. However, little is known about the growth responses of tartary buckwheat (Fagopyrum tataricum L.) to the practices adopted in semiarid areas of Loess Plateau in Northwest China. To address the concerns, a long-term field experiment was conducted in 2015–2017. Four fertilization levels, namely, high fertilization level (N–P2O5–K2O: 120–90–60 kg ha−1, HF), moderate fertilization level (80–60–40 kg ha−1, MF), low fertilization level (40–30–20 kg ha−1, LF), and zero fertilization level (ZF), were applied to hole-sown tartary buckwheat with whole plastic mulching, in comparison to the control with no-mulching and zero fertilization (CK). Several key growth-influencing indicators were measured in the consecutive experimental years, including soil temperature (Ts), soil water storage (SWS), leaf area index (LAI), dry matter (DM), and grain yield. The results showed that in different precipitation years, 2015 (193 ± 23 mm), 2016 (149 ± 19 mm), and 2017 (243 ± 28 mm), the ZF, LF, MF, and HF treatments had the potential to optimize Ts in 0~25 cm soil layers (at 5 cm interval). The four treatments improved SWS in 0~300 cm soil layers by 3.5% and increased soil water consumption in the pre-anthesis period by 22.4%, compared with CK. Moreover, the four treatments shortened the pre-anthesis growth period by 0.4~5.4 d, while extended the post-anthesis growth period by 5.7~10.0 d, giving rise to an overall extension of 0.6~5.0 d for a whole growth period of tartary buckwheat. Furthermore, the ZF, LF, MF, and HF treatments increased LAI by 4.4~225.3% and DM weight by 41.5~238.0%. The rain yield of the four treatments was increased by 14.0~130.4%, and water use efficiency (WUE) was improved by 11.3~102.7%, especially for the LF treatment, compared with CK. The study indicated that the technique of hole-sowing and plastic mulching combined with a low fertilization rate was an effective measure for tartary buckwheat to optimize crop growth and to boost grain yield and WUE on semiarid lands.
Size Preference of Live Fish Prey in the Pellet-Consuming Pikeperch
Authors: Benedek Ildikó , Molnár Tamás
Published: February 2023

The production of pikeperch in a recirculation aquaculture system (RAS) is of growing importance. However, the use of combined technologies may also be justified, especially in countries with larger pond areas. However, this requires the most effective adaptation of pellet-consuming individuals to pond conditions. Foraging training, a form of environmental enrichment to compensate for the poor environment in hatchery rearing, can play a major role in this. The aim of our study was to investigate the prey size preference already observed in wild pikeperch, during prey capture by intensively reared naive individuals. We investigated predation success, latency, number of attempts during the process, and size distribution, in a total of 152 foraging trials of 38 pikeperch fingerlings (mean TL = 90.65 mm) at three different prey sizes (predator–prey length ratio (PPR): 0.11, 0.22, 0.33). Although predation on medium–large prey was more successful overall, it was achieved in more attempts and with greater latency. Small prey was captured with the fewest attempts. These results suggest that when calculating prey size in the foraging training of pikeperch, it is recommended to use a 0.11–0.22 PPR less than the optimal PPR described for wild individuals.
Power Quality Fault Identification Method Based on SDP and Convolutional Neural Network
Authors: Wang Meng-Hui , Chi Sheng-Hao , Lu Shiue-Der
Published: February 2023

The global power demand is increasing year by year. Power quality fault recognition plays an important role in determining the fault type when a fault occurs, so as to maintain power quality and supply stability. Therefore, this paper proposed using the symmetrized dot pattern (SDP) algorithm plus the convolutional neural network (CNN) to study power quality fault recognition. Six common power quality fault models were taken as the subjects of discussion, including normal voltage, voltage sag, voltage swell, voltage interruptions, voltage flickers, and voltage harmonics. First, the voltage variation data of five cycles were extracted from a 60 Hz power supply and introduced into the SDP. Afterwards, the data were converted into graph data, which could be used for fault recognition. Lastly, the power quality fault type was identified by CNN. In this study, 600 random fault data (100 data per fault) were imported into the algorithm, and the recognition rate reached as high as 92.9%. Additionally, SDP could reduce the mass original data. After the subtle changes in the output signals were captured, they could be observed by images. The power quality fault state could thus be accurately recognized by CNN.
Gamification Based on User Types: When and Where It Is Worth Applying
Authors: Subirats Laia , Nousiainen Tuula , Hooda Apoorwa , Rubio-Andrada Luis , Fort Santi , Vesisenaho Mikko , Sacha G. M.
Published: February 2023

Students’ motivation is one of the most relevant factors when improving the quality of the learning process. In this context, gamification is a powerful tool for increasing motivation at all levels of teaching. Since gamification methodologies can be applied in many different ways, personalizing gamified activities as a function of gamification user types is a promising strategy. Knowing the user types is also an advantage to understand the nature of learners in the class. In this article, we present the findings from several pilot exercises, where we identified gamification user types among students from Spain and Finland, analyzing their prevalence as a function of age, gender, country, and field of study. We also designed a gamification experience where activities were designed to fit the preferences of different user types. From these pilot experiences, we found that gamification user types are only relevant when other variables, such as the difficulty of the tasks or the presence of students who do not work well in groups, are not present. Based on our findings, we conclude that distance learning and subjects where previous knowledge is not present are good choices when gamifying a subject.
AniWellTracker: Image Analysis of Small Animal Locomotion in Multiwell Plates
Authors: Jung Sang-Kyu
Published: February 2023

Animal movement is one of the important phenotypes in animal research. A large number of small animals can be tested in high-throughput studies using multiwell plates to study the effects of different genes, chemicals, and the external environment on animal locomotion. In this paper, we propose AniWellTracker, which is a free image analysis software optimized for analyzing individual animal locomotion using multiwell plates. In the tracking mode, the center coordinates of individual animals are calculated by analyzing images. In the review mode, not only the animal’s movement path, but also its speed, distance traveled, location frequency, rotation angle, etc. are analyzed and visualized using the built-in chart function. To test the usefulness of AniWellTracker, a case study was conducted to investigate the effect of two household cleaning agents on the swimming speed of zebrafish. AniWellTracker, written in Visual Basic .NET, is a standalone graphical user-interface software that does not use commercial software or external image analysis libraries and is expected to be of significant help to researchers.
Analysis of Plasma Reactor Interaction with the Power Grid Depending on the Power Supply Design
Authors: Komarzyniec Grzegorz , Aftyka Michał
Published: February 2023

In this paper, the collaboration of a GlidArc-type plasma reactor with four dedicated power supplies was analysed. Each power supply is characterised by a different design solution. Plasma generation by electrical discharge requires a careful analysis of the power supply design, its operating characteristics, currents, voltages and frequencies. Although the power supplies tested have similar abilities and provide similar power supply parameters, different plasma reactor performance characteristics are obtained for each of them. The results indicate that some power supply parameters were overestimated or underestimated at the design stage. Some of the power supplies tested under plasma reactor load also show poor interaction with the mains. The interaction of the power supplies with the plasma reactor and the mains supply is strongly influenced by the type of plasma gas. Analyses indicate that an optimally designed power supply should combine the solutions contained in each of the power supplies tested.
Identification of Lipid Biomarkers for Chronic Joint Pain Associated with Different Joint Diseases
Authors: Khoury Spiro , Colas Jenny , Breuil Véronique , Kosek Eva , Ahmed Aisha S. , Svensson Camilla I. , Marchand Fabien , Deval Emmanuel , Ferreira Thierry
Published: February 2023

Lipids, especially lysophosphatidylcholine LPC16:0, have been shown to be involved in chronic joint pain through the activation of acid-sensing ion channels (ASIC3). The aim of the present study was to investigate the lipid contents of the synovial fluids from controls and patients suffering from chronic joint pain in order to identify characteristic lipid signatures associated with specific joint diseases. For this purpose, lipids were extracted from the synovial fluids and analyzed by mass spectrometry. Lipidomic analyses identified certain choline-containing lipid classes and molecular species as biomarkers of chronic joint pain, regardless of the pathology, with significantly higher levels detected in the patient samples. Moreover, correlations were observed between certain lipid levels and the type of joint pathologies. Interestingly, LPC16:0 levels appeared to correlate with the metabolic status of patients while other choline-containing lipids were more specifically associated with the inflammatory state. Overall, these data point at selective lipid species in synovial fluid as being strong predictors of specific joint pathologies which could help in the selection of the most adapted treatment.