bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Biocontrol Potential of Endophytic Fungi for the Eco-Friendly Management of Root Rot of Cuminum cyminum Caused by Fusarium solani
Authors: Abo-Elyousr Kamal A. M. , Ibrahim Omer H. M. , Al-Qurashi Adel D. , Mousa Magdi A. A. , Saad Maged M.
Published: October 2022

Root rot disease of Cuminum cyminum caused by Fusarium solani is one of the most destructive diseases threatening cumin production. The present study investigates the biocontrol potential of some endophytes against F. solani and their effect on the induction of defense-related enzymes in a greenhouse. The results herein presented illustrate the strong biocontrol potential of three (out of twelve) endophytes. During the in vitro assay, three isolates demonstrated strong mycelial growth inhibition of F. solani: isolates 3, 4, and 9, with 87%, 65%, and 80% reductions, respectively, with respect to the control (100%). These isolates were identified as Trichoderma harzianum, T. longibrachiatum, and Chaetomium globosum, which produce siderophore and indole-3-acetic acid (IAA). Cumin seed priming with the culture filtrates of T. harzianum, C. globosum, and T. longibrachiatum positively affected the seed germination, as a higher germination (%) of culture filtrate-treated seeds was observed followed by infected and healthy control/untreated seeds. In the greenhouse, the application of T. harzianum, T. longibrachiatum, and C. globosum caused a reduction in disease severity (67.7%, 58.1%, and 59.3%, respectively) on cumin plants, with a lower disease severity (20%, 26%, and 25%, respectively) recorded in treated plants compared to the infected control (62%). Furthermore, a significant increase in defense-related enzymes in culture filtrate-treated cumin plants was recorded. Higher peroxidase (PO), polyphenoloxidase (PPO), and phenylalanine ammonia-lyase (PAL) activity, and a higher content of phenolic compounds, were found in culture filtrate-treated plants. These results indicate that the culture filtrates of these bioagents not only increased seed germination, but also protected the plants from F. solani infection by acting as important elements of the cellular antioxidant system in plants upon infection, conferring the biocontrol potential of C. globosum and Trichoderma species toward mitigating the root rot disease of cumin plants in a greenhouse.
Anatomy of Cerebral Arteries with Clinical Aspects in Patients with Ischemic Stroke
Authors: Barbato Francesco , Allocca Roberto , Bosso Giorgio , Numis Fabio Giuliano
Published: October 2022

Computed tomography (CT) angiography is the main method for the initial evaluation of cerebral circulation in acute stroke. A comprehensive CT examination that includes a review of the three-dimensional and maximum-intensity projection images of the main intra and extracranial arteries allows the identification of most abnormalities and normal variants. Anatomical knowledge of the presence of any normal variants, such as fenestration, duplications, and persistent fetal arteries, plays a crucial role in the diagnosis and therapeutic management of acute stroke. However, the opposite is also true. In fact, sometimes it is the clinical picture that allows weighing how relevant or not the alteration found is. Therefore, in this review, a concise representation of the clinical picture attributable to a given arterial vessel will be included.
Effects of Fermenting the Plant Fraction of a Complete Feed on the Growth Performance, Nutrient Utilization, Antioxidant Functions, Meat Quality, and Intestinal Microbiota of Broilers
Authors: Sun Haoxuan , Chen Da , Cai Huiyi , Chang Wenhuan , Wang Zedong , Liu Guohua , Deng Xuejuan , Chen Zhimin
Published: October 2022

We investigated the effects of fermenting the plant fraction of a solid complete feed (FPFF) on the growth performance, nutrient utilization, meat quality, antioxidant status, and intestinal microbiota of broiler chickens. The plant-based fraction of the complete feed was fermented using Lactobacillus and Bacillus subtilis. A total of 240, 1-day-old male Arbor Acres broilers were randomly allocated into four treatment groups, each comprised of six replicates. The groups were fed a corn–soybean meal-based diet (basic diet) or the same diet supplemented with 5%, 10%, or 15% FPFF for 6 weeks. As results, adding 10% fermented feed significantly improved the growth performance in 1–21 days, and adding 5% fermented feed significantly improved the growth performance in 1–42 days. Adding 15% fermented feed significantly improved the metabolic rate of the birds in 19–21 days and significantly increased the monounsaturated fatty acid concentration in the chickens. Adding fermented feed significantly reduced the cholesterol content in the chickens. In conclusion, adding 10% fermented feed significantly reduced the feed conversion ratio in 1–21 days and adding 5% fermented feed significantly improved the average daily gain and the average daily feed intake in 1–42 days. In addition, consuming fermented feed improved the meat quality of broilers.
Detection and Molecular Characterization of Enteric Viruses in Poultry Flocks in Hebei Province, China
Authors: Chen Libao , Chen Ligong , Wang Xuejing , Huo Shuying , Li Yurong
Published: October 2022

Enteric viruses, as a potential pathogen, have been found to be vital causes of economic losses in poultry industry worldwide. The enteric viruses widely studied to date mainly include avian nephritis virus (ANV), avian reovirus (ARe), chicken astrovirus (CAstV), chicken parvovirus (ChPV), fowl adenovirus group I (FAdV-1), infectious bronchitis virus (IBV), and avian rotavirus (ARoV). This paper aimed to identify single and multiple infections of the seven enteric viruses using the data obtained from positive 145 enteric virus samples in poultry flocks from different areas in Hebei Province, throughout the period from 2019 to 2021. Next, the correlation between bird age and clinical signs was investigated using PCR and RT-PCR techniques. Furthermore, the whole genomes of seven parvovirus strains and open reading frame 2 (ORF2) of six CAstV strains and eight ANV strains were sequenced for phylogenetic analysis and recombination analysis, to characterize the viruses and evaluate species correlation and geographic patterns. A total of 11 profiles of virus combinations were detected; 191 viruses were detected in 145 samples; 106 single infections were reported in 73.1% of the samples; and multiple infections were detected in the remaining 26.9%. For viruses, 69% of ChPV was correlated with single infection, while ANV (61.4%) and CAstV (56.1%) were correlated with multiple infections. However, IBV and ARe were not detected in any of the samples. Recombination events were reported in parvovirus, and all CAstV sequences investigated in this paper were included within genotype Bii. The eight ANV strains pertained to different subtypes with significant differences. The above results revealed for the first time the complexity of enteric viruses over the past several years, thus contributing to disease prevention and control in the future.
Untargeted Metabolomics Profiling Reveals Beneficial Changes in Milk of Sows Supplemented with Fermented Compound Chinese Medicine Feed Additive
Authors: Zou Wanjie , Deng Linglan , Wu Huadong , Liu Zhiyong , Lu Wei , He Yuyong
Published: October 2022

Different untargeted metabolomics approaches were used to identify the differential metabolites between milk samples collected from two groups. Sows were supplemented with fermented compound Chinese medicine feed additive at levels of 0 g/d/sow (control group, n = 10) and 50 g/d/sow (experimental group, n = 10), respectively, from d 104 of gestation to d 25 of lactation, samples of colostrum and mature milk were collected. Data indicated that supplementing fermented compound Chinese medicine feed additive to sows significantly increased the concentrations of quercetin, pinocembrin, chlorogenic acid, methyl succinic acid, L-tryptophan, adenosine, guanine, arteannuin, ferulic acid, echimidine N-oxide, pogostone and kynurenine in the colostrum and inosine, guanosine, benzene-1,2,4-triol, hypoxanthine, adenine, trehalose 6-phosphate in mature milk, respectively. Seven pathways (flavone and flavanol biosynthesis, galactose metabolism, phenylpropanoid biosynthesis, stilbenoid and gingerol biosynthesis, flavonoid biosynthesis, ABC transporters and purine metabolism) in colostrum and two pathways (sucrose metabolism and retrograde endocannabinoid signaling) in mature milk were significantly enriched in the experimental group compared to control group, respectively. The supplementation of fermented compound Chinese medicine feed additive to sows increased the level of antibacterial and anti-inflammatory ingredients in milk and the findings of this study hint that supplementation with fermented compound Chinese medicine feed additive in sows is beneficial for the improvement of milk quality.
C-Reactive Protein as a Diagnostic Marker in Dogs: A Review
Authors: Malin Katarzyna , Witkowska-Piłaszewicz Olga
Published: October 2022

Acute phase response is a nonspecific reaction to disturbances in homeostasis during which the production of some Acute Phase Proteins (APPs) is stimulated; they are sensitive but nonspecific markers of systemic inflammatory processes. The major positive APP in dogs is the C-reactive protein (CRP). The dynamic of its concentration changes fast, rising and decreasing rapidly with the onset and removal of the inflammatory stimulus. It increases within the first 4–24 h after the stimulus and reaches up to a 50–100-fold increase of the baseline level. It has been documented that this APP’s concentration is elevated during several diseases, such as pyometra, panniculitis, acute pancreatitis, polyarthritis, sepsis, immune-mediated hemolytic anemia, and neoplasia in dogs. In clinical practice, canine CRP is mostly measured to detect and monitor systemic inflammatory activity and the efficacy of treatments, because it is a more sensitive marker than shifts in leukocyte counts. Blood serum CRP concentration is becoming a part of routine biochemistry panels in many countries. In this article, changes in CRP concentration and its clinical application in healthy and diseased dogs are discussed.
Feed Safety and the Development of Poultry Intestinal Microbiota
Authors: Stanley Dragana , Bajagai Yadav Sharma
Published: October 2022

The first feed offered to young chicks is likely the most important meal in their life. The complex gut colonisation process is determined with early exposure and during the first days of life before the microbial community is formed. Therefore, providing access to high-quality feed and an environment enriched in the beneficial and deprived of pathogenic microorganisms during this period is critical. Feed often carries a complex microbial community that can contain major poultry pathogens and a range of chemical contaminants such as heavy metals, mycotoxins, pesticides and herbicides, which, although present in minute amounts, can have a profound effect on the development of the microbial community and have a permanent effect on bird’s overall health and performance. The magnitude of their interference with gut colonisation in livestock is yet to be determined. Here, we present the animal feed quality issues that can significantly influence the microbial community development, thus severely affecting the bird’s health and performance.
Effects of Valley Topography on Acoustic Communication in Birds: Why Do Birds Avoid Deep Valleys in Daqinggou Nature Reserve?
Authors: Guo Songkai , Wu Wenhui , Liu Yaxin , Kang Xiaofang , Li Chunwang
Published: October 2022

To investigate the effects of valley topography on the acoustic transmission of avian vocalisations, we carried out playback experiments in Daqinggou valley, Inner Mongolia, China. During the experiments, we recorded the vocalisations of five avian species, the large-billed crow (Corvus macrorhynchos Wagler, 1827), common cuckoo (Cuculus canorus Linnaeus, 1758), Eurasian magpie (Pica pica Linnaeus, 1758), Eurasian tree sparrow (Passer montanus Linnaeus, 1758), and meadow bunting (Emberiza cioides Brand, 1843), at transmission distances of 30 m and 50 m in the upper and lower parts of the valley and analysed the intensity, the fundamental frequency (F0), and the first three formant frequencies (F1/F2/F3) of the sounds. We also investigated bird species diversity in the upper and lower valley. We found that: (1) at the distance of 30 m, there were significant differences in F0/F1/F2/F3 in Eurasian magpies, significant differences in F1/F2/F3 in the meadow bunting and Eurasian tree sparrow, and partially significant differences in sound frequency between the upper and lower valley in the other two species; (2) at the distance of 50 m, there were significant differences in F0/F1/F2/F3 in two avian species (large-billed crow and common cuckoo) between the upper and lower valley and partially significant differences in sound frequency between the upper and lower valley in the other three species; (2) there were significant differences in the acoustic intensities of crow, cuckoo, magpie, and bunting calls between the upper and lower valley. (3) Species number and richness were significantly higher in the upper valley than in the lower valley. We suggested that the structure of valley habitats may lead to the breakdown of acoustic signals and communication in birds to varying degrees. The effect of valley topography on acoustic communication could be one reason for animal species avoiding deep valleys.
Moving toward Fear-Free Husbandry and Veterinary Care for Horses
Authors: Carroll Sharon L. , Sykes Benjamin W. , Mills Paul C.
Published: October 2022

Husbandry and veterinary procedures have the potential to generate fear and stress in animals. In horses, the associated responses can pose a significant safety risk to the human personnel involved in the procedure, as well as to the animal itself. Traditionally, physical restraint, punishment, and/or threat of an aversive, have been the most common strategies used to achieve compliance from the horse. However, from a welfare perspective, this is less than ideal. This approach also has the potential for creating a more dangerous response from the horse in future similar situations. When caring for companion animals, and captive animals within zoological facilities, there has been a steady transition away from this approach, and toward strategies aimed at reducing fear and stress during veterinary visits and when undertaking routine husbandry procedures. This review discusses the current approaches to horse care and training, the strategies being used in other animal sectors, and potential strategies for improving human safety, as well as the horse’s experience, during husbandry and veterinary procedures.
Mating Conditions and Management Practices Influence Pregnancy Scanning Outcomes Differently between Ewe Breeds
Authors: Bates Amy L. , McGrath Shawn R. , Robertson Susan M. , Refshauge Gordon
Published: October 2022

Sheep production in southern Australia may vary by breed, time of year, production output (wool, meat, or both), region and seasonal influence. Sheep producers with flocks of approximately 300–500 ewes (n = 58) were recruited across southern Australia to take part in a survey and mating variables were collected from over 30,000 ewes between October 2020 and August 2021. A Bayesian Network (BN) was developed to identify the interrelatedness and most influential variable on pregnancy and fetal number (of pregnant ewes) outcomes under different scenarios. The BN analysis indicated a low association between the variables explored, however, were breed dependent. In wool-based breeds a mating liveweight of 60–69.5 kg predicted the lowest non-pregnant and greatest number of fetuses, and in shedding ewes 70–79.5 kg predicted the lowest non-pregnant rate and 90–99.5 kg the greatest number of fetuses. Pregnancy rate and fetuses per ewe were optimized at ram percentages of 1.5% for Composite and Merino ewes and 2% for Maternal ewes. A mating BCS 4 resulted in greatest pregnancy rate and number of fetuses across all breeds. Curvilinear relationships between mating liveweight, BCS and ram percentage were observed with pregnancy rate and fetal number. Practically, reproductive potential is best managed on a breed basis and with consideration of all variables explored.
Clinical Implications of Helicobacter pylori Antibiotic Resistance in Italy: A Review of the Literature
Authors: Nista Enrico Celestino , Pellegrino Antonio , Giuli Lucia , Candelli Marcello , Schepis Tommaso , De Lucia Sara Sofia , Ojetti Veronica , Franceschi Francesco , Gasbarrini Antonio
Published: October 2022

Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) resistance to antibiotics has increased worldwide in recent decades, especially to clarithromycin. As a result, the World Health Organization (WHO) identified clarithromycin-resistant H. pylori as a “high priority” pathogen in 2017. As international guidelines recommend empirical therapy as first-line treatment, it is crucial to know local resistance rates and history of antibiotic use to determine the most appropriate first-line antibiotic treatment. Italy is one of the European countries with the highest prevalence of H. pylori infection and the highest percentage of antibiotic-resistant H. pylori. The aim of this review is to summarize all data on H. pylori antibiotic resistance in Italy in order to quantify the current rate and determine the most effective therapeutic approach. The study confirms an elevated level of resistance to clarithromycin, metronidazole, and levofloxacin in Italy. In addition, our results show a satisfactory eradication rate for a bismuth-based regimen when used as first- or second-line treatment. Naive patients are also successfully treated with clarithromycin-based quadruple therapies. Considering the good results of bismuth-based therapy as recovery therapy, this argues for the potential use of clarithromycin quadruple therapy as a first-line treatment.
Suboptimal Concentrations of Ceftazidime/Avibactam (CAZ-AVI) May Select for CAZ-AVI Resistance in Extensively Drug-Resistant Pseudomonas aeruginosa: In Vivo and In Vitro Evidence
Authors: Lopez-Montesinos Inmaculada , Montero María Milagro , Domene-Ochoa Sandra , López-Causapé Carla , Echeverria Daniel , Sorlí Luisa , Campillo Nuria , Luque Sonia , Padilla Eduardo , Prim Nuria , Grau Santiago , Oliver Antonio , Horcajada Juan P.
Published: October 2022

This study correlates in vivo findings in a patient with an extensively drug-resistant (XDR) P. aeruginosa infection who developed resistance to ceftazidime-avibactam (CAZ-AVI) with in vitro results of a 7-day hollow-fiber infection model (HFIM) testing the same bacterial strain. The patient was critically ill with ventilator-associated pneumonia caused by XDR P. aeruginosa ST175 with CAZ-AVI MIC of 6 mg/L and was treated with CAZ-AVI in continuous infusion at doses adjusted for renal function. Plasma concentrations of CAZ-AVI were analyzed on days 3, 7, and 10. In the HIFM, the efficacy of different steady-state concentrations (Css) of CAZ-AVI (12, 18, 30 and 48 mg/L) was evaluated. In both models, a correlation was observed between the decreasing plasma levels of CAZ-AVI and the emergence of resistance. In the HIFM, a Css of 30 and 48 mg/L (corresponding to 5× and 8× MIC) had a bactericidal effect without selecting resistant mutants, whereas a Css of 12 and 18 mg/L (corresponding to 2× and 3× MIC) failed to prevent the emergence of resistance. CAZ/AVI resistance development was caused by the selection of a single ampC mutation in both patient and HFIM. Until further data are available, strategies to achieve plasma CAZ-AVI levels at least 4× MIC could be of interest, particularly in severe and high-inoculum infections caused by XDR P. aeruginosa with high CAZ-AVI MICs.
Alcohol Withdrawal Is an Oxidative Stress Challenge for the Brain: Does It Pave the Way toward Severe Alcohol-Related Cognitive Impairment?
Authors: Clergue-Duval Virgile , Coulbault Laurent , Questel Frank , Cabé Nicolas , Laniepce Alice , Delage Clément , Boudehent Céline , Bloch Vanessa , Segobin Shailendra , Naassila Mickael , Pitel Anne-Lise , Vorspan Florence
Published: October 2022

Alcohol use is a leading cause of mortality, brain morbidity, neurological complications and minor to major neurocognitive disorders. Alcohol-related neurocognitive disorders are consecutive to the direct effect of chronic and excessive alcohol use, but not only. Indeed, patients with severe alcohol use disorders (AUD) associated with pharmacological dependence suffer from repetitive events of alcohol withdrawal (AW). If those AW are not managed by adequate medical and pharmacological treatment, they may evolve into severe AW, or be complicated by epileptic seizure or delirium tremens (DT). In addition, we suggest that AW favors the occurrence of Wernicke’s encephalopathy (WE) in patients with known or unknown thiamine depletion. We reviewed the literature on oxidative stress as a core mechanism in brain suffering linked with those conditions: AW, epileptic seizure, DT and WE. Thus, we propose perspectives to further develop research projects aiming at better identifying oxidative stress brain damage related to AW, assessing the effect of repetitive episodes of AW, and their long-term cognitive consequences. This research field should develop neuroprotective strategies during AW itself or during the periwithdrawal period. This could contribute to the prevention of severe alcohol-related brain damage and cognitive impairments.
Mechanisms of Epithelial-Mesenchymal Transition and Prevention of Dispase-Induced PVR by Delivery of an Antioxidant αB Crystallin Peptide
Authors: Wada Iori , Sreekumar Parameswaran G , Spee Christine , MacKay Andrew J , Ip Michael , Kannan Ram
Published: October 2022

Proliferative Vitreoretinopathy (PVR) is a refractory retinal disease whose primary pathogenesis involves the epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) of retinal pigment epithelial (RPE) cells. At present, there is no effective treatment other than surgery for PVR. The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of αB crystallin peptide (αBC-P) on EMT in PVR. We have previously shown that this peptide is antiapoptotic and regulates RPE redox status. Subconfluent primary human RPE (hRPE) cells were stimulated by TGFβ2 (10 ng/mL) with or without αBC-P (50 or 75 μg/mL) for 48 h and expression of EMT/mesenchymal to epithelial transition (MET) markers was determined. Mitochondrial ROS (mtROS) generation in hRPE cells treated with TGFβ2 was analyzed. The effect of TGFβ2 and αBC-P on oxidative phosphorylation (OXPHOS) and glycolysis in hRPE was studied. RPE cell migration was also assessed. A PVR-like phenotype was induced by intravitreal dispase injection in C57BL/6J mice. PVR progression and potential therapeutic efficiency of αBC-Elastin-like polypeptides (ELP) was studied using fundus photography, OCT imaging, ERG, and histologic analysis of the retina. αSMA, E-cadherin, Vimentin, Fibronectin and, RPE65, and CTGF were analyzed on Day 28. Additionally, the amount of VEGF-A in retinal cell lysates was measured. The EMT-associated αSMA, Vimentin, SNAIL and SLUG showed a significant upregulation with TGFβ2, and their expression was significantly suppressed by cotreatment with αBC-P. The MET-associated markers, E-cadherin and Sirt1, were significantly downregulated by TGFβ2 and were restored by αBC-P. Incubation of hRPE with TGFβ2 for 24 h showed a marked increase in mitochondrial ROS which was noticeably inhibited by αBC-ELP. We also showed that after TGFβ2 treatment, SMAD4 translocated to mitochondria which was blocked by αBC-ELP. Mitochondrial oxygen consumption rate increased with TGFβ2 treatment for 48 h, and αBC-P co-treatment caused a further increase in OCR. Glycolytic functions of RPE were significantly suppressed with αBC-P (75 μg/mL). In addition, αBC-P significantly inhibited the migration from TGFβ2 treatment in hRPE cells. The formation of proliferative membranes was suppressed in the αBC-ELP-treated group, as evidenced by fundus, OCT, and H&E staining in dispase-induced PVR in mice. Furthermore, ERG showed an improvement in c-wave amplitude. In addition, immunostaining showed significant suppression of αSMA and RPE65 expression. It was also observed that αBC-ELP significantly reduced the expression level of vimentin, fibronectin, and CTGF. Our findings suggest that the antioxidant αBC-P may have therapeutic potential in preventing PVR by reversing the phenotype of EMT/MET and improving the mitochondrial function in RPE cells.
Molecular Regulation and Evolution of Redox Homeostasis in Photosynthetic Machinery
Authors: Riaz Adeel , Deng Fenglin , Chen Guang , Jiang Wei , Zheng Qingfeng , Riaz Bisma , Mak Michelle , Zeng Fanrong , Chen Zhong-Hua
Published: October 2022

The recent advances in plant biology have significantly improved our understanding of reactive oxygen species (ROS) as signaling molecules in the redox regulation of complex cellular processes. In plants, free radicals and non-radicals are prevalent intra- and inter-cellular ROS, catalyzing complex metabolic processes such as photosynthesis. Photosynthesis homeostasis is maintained by thiol-based systems and antioxidative enzymes, which belong to some of the evolutionarily conserved protein families. The molecular and biological functions of redox regulation in photosynthesis are usually to balance the electron transport chain, photosystem II, photosystem I, mesophyll and bundle sheath signaling, and photo-protection regulating plant growth and productivity. Here, we review the recent progress of ROS signaling in photosynthesis. We present a comprehensive comparative bioinformatic analysis of redox regulation in evolutionary distinct photosynthetic cells. Gene expression, phylogenies, sequence alignments, and 3D protein structures in representative algal and plant species revealed conserved key features including functional domains catalyzing oxidation and reduction reactions. We then discuss the antioxidant-related ROS signaling and important pathways for achieving homeostasis of photosynthesis. Finally, we highlight the importance of plant responses to stress cues and genetic manipulation of disturbed redox status for balanced and enhanced photosynthetic efficiency and plant productivity.
Sodium Thiosulphate-Loaded Liposomes Control Hydrogen Sulphide Release and Retain Its Biological Properties in Hypoxia-like Environment
Authors: Sanchez-Aranguren Lissette , Grubliauskiene Milda , Shokr Hala , Balakrishnan Pavanjeeth , Wang Keqing , Ahmad Shakil , Marwah Mandeep Kaur
Published: October 2022

Hypoxia, or insufficient oxygen availability is a common feature in the development of a myriad of cardiovascular-related conditions including ischemic disease. Hydrogen sulphide (H2S) donors, such as sodium thiosulphate (STS), are known for their cardioprotective properties. However, H2S due to its gaseous nature, is released and cleared rapidly, limiting its potential translation to clinical settings. For the first time, we developed and characterised liposome formulations encapsulating STS and explored their potential for modulating STS uptake, H2S release and the ability to retain pro-angiogenic and biological signals in a hypoxia-like environment mirroring oxygen insufficiency in vitro. Liposomes were prepared by varying lipid ratios and characterised for size, polydispersity and charge. STS liposomal encapsulation was confirmed by HPLC-UV detection and STS uptake and H2S release was assessed in vitro. To mimic hypoxia, cobalt chloride (CoCl2) was administered in conjunction with formulated and non-formulated STS, to explore pro-angiogenic and metabolic signals. Optimised liposomal formulation observed a liposome diameter of 146.42 ± 7.34 nm, a polydispersity of 0.22 ± 0.19, and charge of 3.02 ± 1.44 mV, resulting in 25% STS encapsulation. Maximum STS uptake (76.96 ± 3.08%) from liposome encapsulated STS was determined at 24 h. Co-exposure with CoCl2 and liposome encapsulated STS resulted in increased vascular endothelial growth factor mRNA as well as protein expression, enhanced wound closure and increased capillary-like formation. Finally, liposomal STS reversed metabolic switch induced by hypoxia by enhancing mitochondrial bioenergetics. These novel findings provide evidence of a feasible controlled-delivery system for STS, thus H2S, using liposome-based nanoparticles. Likewise, data suggests that in scenarios of hypoxia, liposomal STS is a good therapeutic candidate to sustain pro-angiogenic signals and retain metabolic functions that might be impaired by limited oxygen and nutrient availability.
Pneumonia Associated with Mechanical Ventilation: Management and Preventive Aspects
Authors: Astasio-Picado Álvaro , Jiménez Francisco Javier Perdones , López-Sánchez Miriam , Jurado-Palomo Jesús , Zabala-Baños María del Carmen
Published: October 2022

Introduction: Ventilator-associated pneumonia (VAP) constitutes a real iatrogenic health problem, which can lead to a higher rate of hospital admission days associated with the morbidity and mortality that it could cause. Objective: To study and learn about the different preventive measures used to reduce the incidence of VAP, as well as to study the microorganisms that most frequently cause VAP. To determine the nursing staff’s knowledge of this phenomenon and the social and health care costs derived from the disease. Methodology: The bibliographic search of the existing literature was carried out between November 2021 and June 2022. In order to gather all the necessary information, different databases were searched. For this purpose, a search strategy was developed using keywords included in “DeCS” and “MeSH” and using boolean operators such as “AND and OR”, and all articles meeting the chosen inclusion criteria were included. Results: After applying the article selection criteria and assessing the quality of the methodology, a total of 33 articles were finally included for systematic review. The results show the usefulness of various preventive measures against the micro-organisms that most frequently cause this type of pneumonia, as well as the true cost associated with this pathology and the still insufficient knowledge of healthcare personnel about it. Conclusion: Although many advances have reduced the incidence and mortality of this pathology, further research, training of healthcare personnel and implementation of new protocols are still required.
Advanced Dipper-Throated Meta-Heuristic Optimization Algorithm for Digital Image Watermarking
Authors: El-Kenawy El-Sayed M. , Khodadadi Nima , Khoshnaw Ashin , Mirjalili Seyedali , Alhussan Amel Ali , Khafaga Doaa Sami , Ibrahim Abdelhameed , Abdelhamid Abdelaziz A.
Published: October 2022

Recently, piracy and copyright violations of digital content have become major concerns as computer science has advanced. In order to prevent unauthorized usage of content, digital watermarking is usually employed. This work proposes a new approach to digital image watermarking that makes use of the discrete cosine transform (DCT), discrete wavelet transform (DWT), dipper-throated optimization (DTO), and stochastic fractal search (SFS) algorithms. The proposed approach involves computing the discrete wavelet transform (DWT) on the cover image to extract its sub-components, followed by the performance of a discrete cosine transform (DCT) to convert these sub-components into the frequency domain. Finding the best scale factor for watermarking is a significant challenge in most watermarking methods. The authors used an advanced optimization algorithm, which is referred to as DTOSFS, to determine the best two parameters—namely, the scaling factor and embedding coefficient—to be used while inserting a watermark into a cover image. Using the optimal values of these parameters, a watermark image can be inserted into a cover image more efficiently. The suggested approach is evaluated in comparison with the current gold standard. The normalized cross-correlation (NCC), peak-signal-to-noise ratio (PSNR), and image fidelity (IF) are used to measure the success of the proposed approach. In addition, a statistical analysis is performed to evaluate the significance and superiority of the proposed approach. The experimental results confirm the effectiveness of the proposed approach in improving upon standard watermarking methods based on the DWT and DCT. Moreover, a set of attacks is considered to study the robustness of the proposed approach, and the results confirm the expected outcomes. It is shown by the achieved results that the proposed approach can be utilized for practical digital image watermarking, and that it significantly outperforms other digital image watermarking methods.
Automatic Fact Checking Using an Interpretable Bert-Based Architecture on COVID-19 Claims
Authors: Casillas Ramón , Gómez-Adorno Helena , Lomas-Barrie Victor , Ramos-Flores Orlando
Published: October 2022

We present a neural network architecture focused on verifying facts against evidence found in a knowledge base. The architecture can perform relevance evaluation and claim verification, parts of a well-known three-stage method of fact-checking. We fine-tuned BERT to codify claims and pieces of evidence separately. An attention layer between the claim and evidence representation computes alignment scores to identify relevant terms between both. Finally, a classification layer receives the vector representation of claims and evidence and performs the relevance and verification classification. Our model allows a more straightforward interpretation of the predictions than other state-of-the-art models. We use the scores computed within the attention layer to show which evidence spans are more relevant to classify a claim as supported or refuted. Our classification models achieve results compared to the state-of-the-art models in terms of classification of relevance evaluation and claim verification accuracy on the FEVER dataset.
Text-Guided Customizable Image Synthesis and Manipulation
Authors: Zhang Zhiqiang , Fu Chen , Weng Wei , Zhou Jinjia
Published: October 2022

Due to the high flexibility and conformity to people’s usage habits, text description has been widely used in image synthesis research recently and has achieved many encouraging results. However, the text can only determine the basic content of the generated image and cannot determine the specific shape of the synthesized object, which leads to poor practicability. More importantly, the current text-to-image synthesis research cannot use new text descriptions to further modify the synthesis result. To solve these problems, this paper proposes a text-guided customizable image synthesis and manipulation method. The proposed method synthesizes the corresponding image based on the text and contour information at first. It then modifies the synthesized content based on the new text to obtain a satisfactory result. The text and contour information in the proposed method determine the specific content and object shape of the desired composite image, respectively. Aside from that, the input text, contour, and subsequent new text for content modification can be manually input, which significantly improves the artificial controllability in the image synthesis process, making the entire method superior to other methods in flexibility and practicability. Experimental results on the Caltech-UCSD Birds-200-2011 (CUB) and Microsoft Common Objects in Context (MS COCO) datasets demonstrate our proposed method’s feasibility and versatility.
High Bandwidth-Utilization Digital Holographic Reconstruction Using an Untrained Neural Network
Authors: Li Zhuoshi , Chen Yuanyuan , Sun Jiasong , Jin Yanbo , Shen Qian , Gao Peng , Chen Qian , Zuo Chao
Published: October 2022

Slightly off-axis digital holographic microscopy (DHM) is the extension of digital holography imaging technology toward high-throughput modern optical imaging technology. However, it is difficult for the method based on the conventional linear Fourier domain filtering to solve the imaging artifacts caused by the spectral aliasing problem. In this article, we propose a novel high-accuracy, artifacts-free, single-frame, digital holographic phase demodulation scheme for low-carrier-frequency holograms, which incorporates the physical model into a conventional deep neural network (DNN) without training beforehand based on a massive dataset. Although the conventional end-to-end deep learning (DL) method can achieve high-accuracy phase recovery directly from a single-frame hologram, the massive datasets and ground truth collection can be prohibitively laborious and time-consuming. Our method recognizes such a low-carrier frequency fringe demodulation process as a nonlinear optimization problem, which can reconstruct the artifact-free phase details gradually from a single-frame hologram. The phase resolution target and simulation experiment results quantitatively demonstrate that the proposed method possesses better artifact suppression and high-resolution imaging capabilities than the physical methods. In addition, the live-cell experiment also indicates the practicality of the technique in biological research.
Control–Flight Conflict Interdependent Network Based Controllers’ Workload Prediction Evaluation Study
Authors: Heng Yuming , Wu Minggong , Wen Xiangxi , Lin Fugen
Published: October 2022

As the core link of the air traffic control system, the evaluation and management of controllers’ workload are of great significance for the rapid development of China’s civil aviation industry and aviation safety. To address the problems of strong subjectivity and lag in the current controller evaluation methods, we propose to construct a flight conflict network and control network based on inter-aircraft flight conflict, controller control relationship and control transfer relationship by using the interdependent network theory. Based on the urgency of inter-aircraft conflict and the control difficulty of controllers, we set the side rights and construct an interdependent network model. Based on the constructed network model, the controller workload is evaluated by selecting the interdependent network index characteristics. Finally, the experimental analysis is carried out by program simulation and control data of Takasaki Airport. The results demonstrate that the method is able to evaluate the controller’s workload. At the same time, it can quickly and accurately identify the key control nodes and provide assistance for controllers to allocate their efforts reasonably. Our proposed controller workload evaluation method enables quantitative analysis and predicts the future workload of controllers based on the potential conflict relationships between air posture and aircraft. The method has strong timeliness and objectivity. At the same time, the constructed interdependent network model can realize the identification of key aircraft in the control area and reflect the impact of key aircraft on the whole network, which can help controllers to perform better control work.
Recent Developments and Emerging Trends in Paint Industry Wastewater Treatment Methods
Authors: Viktoryová Nicolette , Szarka Agneša , Hrouzková Svetlana
Published: October 2022

High amounts of industrial wastewater are generated by the ever-growing demand and production of paint and coating materials. These effluents have negative effects on human health and the environment. The source of industrial effluents highly influences the properties, composition, and content of pollutants. The manufacturing of paint and coatings uses huge volumes of water and chemical reagents, consequently producing huge volumes of heavily polluted wastewater. This review is focused on summarizing various methods of industrial wastewater treatment from the paint manufacturing industry. Current trends in paint industry wastewater treatment processes have resulted in high efficiency of the reduction of chemical oxygen demand. Factors affecting the treatment processes are discussed and future trends are outlined. The effectiveness of the recently used methods is compared and the limitations of advanced treatment systems are highlighted. The review of recent developments in paint industry wastewater treatments points to the need for paying great attention to advanced analytical methods allowing the identification of individual contaminants to guarantee safe disposal limits.
Imputation Methods for scRNA Sequencing Data
Authors: Wang Mengyuan , Gan Jiatao , Han Changfeng , Guo Yanbing , Chen Kaihao , Shi Ya-zhou , Zhang Ben-gong
Published: October 2022

More and more researchers use single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq) technology to characterize the transcriptional map at the single-cell level. They use it to study the heterogeneity of complex tissues, transcriptome dynamics, and the diversity of unknown organisms. However, there are generally lots of technical and biological noises in the scRNA-seq data since the randomness of gene expression patterns. These data are often characterized by high-dimension, sparsity, large number of “dropout” values, and affected by batch effects. A large number of “dropout” values in scRNA-seq data seriously conceal the important relationship between genes and hinder the downstream analysis. Therefore, the imputation of dropout values of scRNA-seq data is particularly important. We classify, analyze and compare the current advanced scRNA-seq data imputation methods from different angles. Through the comparison and analysis of the principle, advantages and disadvantages of the algorithm, it can provide suggestions for the selection of imputation methods for specific problems and diverse data, and have basic research significance for the downstream function analysis of data.
Automated Design of Salient Object Detection Algorithms with Brain Programming
Authors: Olague Gustavo , Menendez-Clavijo Jose Armando , Olague Matthieu , Ocampo Arturo , Ibarra-Vazquez Gerardo , Ochoa Rocio , Pineda Roberto
Published: October 2022

Despite recent improvements in computer vision, artificial visual systems’ design is still daunting since an explanation of visual computing algorithms remains elusive. Salient object detection is one problem that is still open due to the difficulty of understanding the brain’s inner workings. Progress in this research area follows the traditional path of hand-made designs using neuroscience knowledge or, more recently, deep learning, a particular branch of machine learning. Recently, a different approach based on genetic programming appeared to enhance handcrafted techniques following two different strategies. The first method follows the idea of combining previous hand-made methods through genetic programming and fuzzy logic. The second approach improves the inner computational structures of basic hand-made models through artificial evolution. This research proposes expanding the artificial dorsal stream using a recent proposal based on symbolic learning to solve salient object detection problems following the second technique. This approach applies the fusion of visual saliency and image segmentation algorithms as a template. The proposed methodology discovers several critical structures in the template through artificial evolution. We present results on a benchmark designed by experts with outstanding results in an extensive comparison with the state of the art, including classical methods and deep learning approaches to highlight the importance of symbolic learning in visual saliency.
Cosine-Based Embedding for Completing Lightweight Schematic Knowledge in DL-Litecore
Authors: Li Weizhuo , Zheng Xianda , Gao Huan , Ji Qiu , Qi Guilin
Published: October 2022

Schematic knowledge, an important component of knowledge graphs (KGs), defines a rich set of logical axioms based on concepts and relations to support knowledge integration, reasoning, and heterogeneity elimination over KGs. Although several KGs consist of lots of factual knowledge, their schematic knowledge (e.g., subclassOf axioms, disjointWith axioms) is far from complete. Currently, existing KG embedding methods for completing schematic knowledge still suffer from two limitations. Firstly, existing embedding methods designed to encode factual knowledge pay little attention to the completion of schematic knowledge (e.g., axioms). Secondly, several methods try to preserve logical properties of relations for completing schematic knowledge, but they cannot simultaneously preserve the transitivity (e.g., subclassOf) and symmetry (e.g., disjointWith) of axioms well. To solve these issues, we propose a cosine-based embedding method named CosE tailored for completing lightweight schematic knowledge in DL-Litecore. Precisely, the concepts in axioms will be encoded into two semantic spaces defined in CosE. One is called angle-based semantic space, which is employed to preserve the transitivity or symmetry of relations in axioms. The other one is defined as translation-based semantic space that is used to measure the confidence of each axiom. We design two types of score functions for these two semantic spaces, so as to sufficiently learn the vector representations of concepts. Moreover, we propose a novel negative sampling strategy based on the mutual exclusion between subclassOf and disjointWith. In this way, concepts can obtain better vector representations for schematic knowledge completion. We implement our method and verify it on four standard datasets generated by real ontologies. Experiments show that CosE can obtain better results than existing models and keep the logical properties of relations for transitivity and symmetry simultaneously.
Numerical Study on the Aeroacoustic Performance of Different Diversion Strategies in the Pantograph Area of High-Speed Trains at 400 km/h
Authors: Liu Hongkang , Zhou Siqi , Chen Rongrong , Li Zhuolun , Zhang Shishang , Zhao Yatian
Published: October 2022

The speed increase in high-speed trains is a critical procedure in the promotion of high-speed railway technology. As an indispensable and complex structure of high-speed trains, the pantograph’s aerodynamic drag and noise is a significant limitation in the speed increase process of high-speed trains. In the present study, the hybrid method of large eddy simulation (LES) and Ffowcs Williams-Hawkings (FW-H) acoustic analogy is applied to analyze the aerodynamic and aeroacoustic performances of pantograph installed in different ways, i.e., sinking platform and fairing. The results of simulation show that the application of pantograph fairing can reduce the aerodynamic drag greatly. In addition, compared with the pantographs installed alone on the train roof, the installation of the sinking platform brings about 2 dBA reduction in sound pressure level (SPL). Meanwhile, the utilization of the pantograph fairing mainly decreases the noise in the frequency band above 1000 Hz and the largest SPL reduction is up to 3 dBA among the monitoring points. Further analysis shows that the influence of different diversion strategies on the spectral characteristics actually attenuates the dominant frequency of the panhead. In the horizontal plane, the noise directivity of the pantograph installed with a fairing is similar to the pantograph installed alone on the train roof.
Design and Experiment of High-Resolution Multispectral Polarization Imaging System
Authors: Fu Qiang , Yang Wei , Shi Haodong , Li Yingchao , Zhang Su , Zhan Juntong , Liu Jianan , Wang Chao , Liu Zhuang , Zhu Yong , Duan Jin , Jiang Huilin
Published: October 2022

This paper addresses the objectives in a complex context: the polarization mathematical and physical model of the basic components of the target/background is constructed by simulation modeling. The image fusion experiment is carried out based on a two-dimensional wavelet transformation. A high-resolution polarization imaging instrument was developed, and static experiments were carried out with polarization, infrared, and visible cameras. The result shows that using polarization imaging detection technology to detect physical evidence targets in complex backgrounds can effectively improve target contrast. It can enrich the target information, improve image quality, and improve target detection accuracy.