bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
CD146 promotes resistance of NSCLC brain metastases to pemetrexed via the NF-κB signaling pathway
Authors: Qu Hao , Fang Yan , Zhang Feng , Liu Wenwen , Xia Shengkai , Duan Wenzhe , Zou Kun
Published: January 2025

Introduction

Pemetrexed is a first line drug for brain metastases from lung cancer, either as monotherapy or combined with other drugs. The frequent occurrence of initial and acquired resistance to pemetrexed results in limited treatment effectiveness in brain metastases. CD146 was recently found to play important roles in chemoresistance and tumor progression. However, the underlying mechanisms of CD146’s effects in pemetrexed resistance remain undefined.

Method and results

Sensitivity to pemetrexed was assessed with a preclinical brain metastasis (BM) model based on lung adenocarcinoma PC9 cells. The role and mechanism of CD146 in pemetrexed resistance in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) brain metastasis were explored in vitro and in vivo. A subpopulation of brain metastatic cells derived from progenitor PC9 cells (PC9-BrMS) was significantly resistant to pemetrexed. CD146 levels were significantly increased in pemetrexed resistant brain metastases, while CD146 inhibition suppressed pemetrexed resistance in BM cells. Mechanistically, CD146 mediated pemetrexed resistance in brain metastatic cells by promoting DNA damage repair, maintaining normal cell cycle progression, and regulating the NF-KB pathway to counter apoptosis, and these effects was based on increased DNA damage, cell cycle arrest, and occurrence of apoptosis after CD146 inhibition as well as the reemergence of pemetrexed resistance after CD146 restoration.

Discussion

In summary, this study revealed that the resistance of NSCLC brain metastatic cells to PEM was dependent on CD146.Thus CD146 might be targeted in clinic to overcome pemetrexed resistance in brain metastases from NSCLC.
Effect of ultrasound combined with microbubbles therapy on tumor hypoxic microenvironment
Authors: Feng Yuyi , Qiu Danxia , He Yangcheng , Jin Hai , Chen Liping , Xi Fen , Hu Zhiwen , Xie Yanlin , Li Yucai , Lin Minhua , Sun Pengxiao , He Yan , Liu Jianhua
Published: January 2025

Introduction

Tumor tissues exhibit significantly lower oxygen partial pressure compared to normal tissues, leading to hypoxia in the tumor microenvironment and result in resistance to tumor treatments. Strategies to mitigate hypoxia include enhancing blood perfusion and oxygen supply, for example,by decomposing hydrogen peroxide within the tumor. Improving hypoxia in the tumor microenvironment could potentially improve the efficacy of cancer treatments. Previous studies have demonstrated that ultrasound of appropriate intensity when combined with microbubbles, can improve tumor blood perfusion. However, its effects on tumor hypoxia remain unclear. This study aimed to assess the effects of low-frequency non-focused ultrasound combined with microbubbles at different intensities on tumor microenvironment hypoxia and to identify the optimal ultrasound parameters for alleviating tumor hypoxia.

Method

Rabbits with VX2 tumors received ultrasound and microbubble treatments at different acoustic pressures and pulse repetition frequencies. The changes in tumor tissue blood perfusion before and after treatment were observed by contrast enhanced ultrasound (CEUS). The changes in tumor tissue hypoxia before and after treatment were observed by measuring oxygen partial pressure directly with in tumor tissue and immunohistochemical staining for hypoxia-inducible factor-1α (HIF-1α).

Results

Results indicated that low frequency, non-focused ultrasound at 0.5 MPa/20 Hz and 0.5 MPa/40 Hz, when combined with microbubbles, could increase tumor tissue blood perfusion and improve the hypoxia in tumor tissues.

Discussion

This study provides a new method for improving hypoxia in the tumor microenvironment (TME) which could potentially improve the cancer treatments resistance.
Optimal vocal therapy for respiratory muscle activation in patients with COPD: effects of loudness, pitch, and vowels
Authors: Qiao Zhengtong , Kou Ziwei , Zhang Jiazhen , Lv Daozheng , Li Dongpan , Cui Xuefen , Liu Kai
Published: January 2025

Background

Vocal therapy, such as singing training, is an increasingly popular pulmonary rehabilitation program that has improved respiratory muscle status in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). However, variations in singing treatment protocols have led to inconsistent clinical outcomes.

Objective

This study aims to explore the content of vocalization training for patients with COPD by observing differences in respiratory muscle activation across different vocalization tasks.

Methods

All participants underwent measurement of surface electromyography (sEMG) activity from the sternocleidomastoid (SCM), parasternal intercostal muscle (PARA), seventh intercostal muscle (7thIC), and rectus abdominis (RA) during the production of the vowels/a/,/i/, and/u/at varying pitches (comfortable, +6 semitones) and loudness (−10 dB, +10 dB) levels. The Visual Analog Scale (VAS) was used to evaluate the condition of patients concerning vocalization, while the Borg-CR10 breathlessness scale was utilized to gauge the level of dyspnea following the task. Repeated-measure (RM) ANOVA was utilized to analyze the EMG data of respiratory muscles and the Borg scale across different tasks.

Results

Forty-one patients completed the experiment. Neural respiratory drive (NRD) in the SCM muscle did not significantly increase at high loudness levels (VAS 7-8) compared with that at low loudness levels (F (2, 120) = 1.548, P = 0.276). However, NRD in the PARA muscle (F (2, 120) = 55.27, P< 0.001), the 7thIC muscle (F (2, 120) = 59.08, P < 0.001), and the RA muscle (F (2, 120) = 39.56, P < 0.001) were significantly higher at high loudness compared with that at low loudness (VAS 2-3). Intercostal and abdominal muscle activation states were negatively correlated with maximal expiratory pressure (r = −0.671, P < 0.001) and inspiratory pressure (r = −0.571, P < 0.001) in the same loudness.

Conclusion

In contrast to pitch or vowel, vocal loudness emerges as a critical factor for vocalization training in patients with COPD. Higher pitch and loudness produced more dyspnea than lower pitch and loudness. In addition, maximal expiratory/inspiratory pressure was negatively correlated with respiratory muscle NRD in the same loudness vocalization task.
Sex-based variations in breath-holding: oxygen storage and diving response among non-divers
Authors: Pernett Frank , Schagatay Erika , Holmström Pontus
Published: January 2025

Breath-hold diving performances are typically better in men than in women. However, it is still being determined if there are differences in the physiological responses to breath-holding between the sexes. We conducted a study comparing the maximum breath-hold duration, heart rate (HR) reduction, peripheral oxygen saturation (SpO2), and spleen volume and contraction in 37 men and 44 women, all of whom had no prior breath-holding experience. They performed two dry apneas separated by 2 min; the first was limited to 60 s, followed by a maximal effort apnea. HR and SpO2 were measured continuously. Spleen diameters were measured via ultrasonography before and immediately following each apnea. The maximal apneic duration was longer in men (78 ± 19 s) compared with women (61 ± 18 s, p < 0.001), while the HR reduction was similar (women: 16% ± 19% versus men: 16% ± 17%, p = 0.973). The absolute splenic contraction was greater in men (59 ± 56 mL) compared with women (35 ± 28 mL, p < 0.001) in the first apnea, while the relative contraction was similar (women: 21% ± 17% versus men: 23% ± 13%, p = 0.528). In addition, the lowest SpO2 during the maximal apnea was similar between sexes (women: 93.3% ± 4.4%; men: 91.9% ± 4.3%, p = 0.161). We conclude that men have larger spleen size and contraction, lung size, and maximal apneic duration than women. The cardiovascular diving response is similar between sexes for those inexperienced with apneic diving. The longer breath-hold duration in men may be partly due to greater oxygen storage capacity, which results from larger vital capacity and greater spleen size and contraction.
Fade into you: genetic control of pigmentation patterns in red-flesh apple (Malus domestica)
Authors: Bouillon Pierre , Belin Etienne , Fanciullino Anne-Laure , Balzergue Sandrine , Hanteville Sylvain , Letekoma Yao , Cournol Maryline , Faris Fatima , Bouanich Andréa , Bréard Dimitri , Bernard Frédéric , Celton Jean-Marc
Published: January 2025

The genetic basis of type 1 red-flesh color development in apple (Malus domestica) depends upon a particular allele of the MdMYB10 gene. Interestingly, type 1 red-flesh apples are fully red after fruit set, but anthocyanin pigmentation in apple fruit cortex may decrease during fruit growth and maturation, leading to variable red patterning and intensities in the mature cortical flesh. We developed a histogram-based color analysis method to quantitatively estimate pigmentation patterns. This methodology was applied to investigate the phenotypic diversity in four hybrid F1 families segregating for red-flesh color. Pigmentation patterns were found to be heritable allowing the identification of a new locus by QTL analysis. To further investigate the mechanisms involved in the spatial deposition of anthocyanin, metabolome, transcriptome and methylome comparisons between white and red flesh areas within the red-flesh genotype cv. ‘R201’ exhibiting flesh pigmentation patterns, was performed. Wide-targeted analysis showed that white-flesh areas accumulate more dihydrochalcones and hydroxycinnamic acids than red-flesh areas while red-flesh areas accumulate more flavonoids. Anthocyanin biosynthesis genes and anthocyanin positive regulators (MBW complex) were up-regulated in red-flesh areas, while a reduction in anthocyanin storage, transport and stability (increase of pH, down-regulation of MdGSTU22) and an increase in phenolic catabolism were concomitant with color fading process in white-flesh areas. Expression of MdGSTU22 was linked to a differentially methylated region (DMR) suggesting a potential environmental effect on the epigenetic control of gene expression involved in color fading. Altogether, these results provide the first characterization and functional identification of color fading in apple fruit flesh.
Deep learning-enabled exploration of global spectral features for photosynthetic capacity estimation
Authors: Deng Xianzhi , Hu Xiaolong , Shi Liangsheng , Su Chenye , Li Jinmin , Du Shuai , Li Shenji
Published: January 2025

Spectral analysis is a widely used method for monitoring photosynthetic capacity. However, vegetation indices-based linear regression exhibits insufficient utilization of spectral information, while full spectra-based traditional machine learning has limited representational capacity (partial least squares regression) or uninterpretable (convolution). In this study, we proposed a deep learning model with enhanced interpretability based on attention and vegetation indices calculation for global spectral feature mining to accurately estimate photosynthetic capacity. We explored the ability of the model to uncover the optimal vegetation indices form and illustrated its advantage over traditional methods. Furthermore, we verified that power compression was an effective method for spectral processing. Our results demonstrated that the new model outperformed traditional models, with an increase in the coefficient of determination (R2) of 0.01-0.43 and a decrease in root mean square error (RMSE) of 1.58-12.48 μmol m-2 s-1. The best performance of our model in R2 was 0.86 and 0.81 for maximum carboxylation rate (Vcmax) and maximum electron transport rate (Jmax), respectively. The photosynthesis-sensitive spectral bands identified by our model were predominantly in the visible range. The most sensitive vegetation indices form discovered by our model was Reflectancenear−infrared+Reflectancegreen/blueReflectancenear−infrared×Reflectancered. Our model provides a new framework for interpreting spectral information and accurately estimating photosynthetic capacity.
Impact of expressive intentions on upper-body kinematics in two expert pianists
Authors: Turner Craig , Mailly Robin , Dal Maso Fabien , Verdugo Felipe
Published: January 2025

Introduction

Expression is a key aspect of music performance. Studies on pianists’ gestures and expression have mainly documented the impact of their expressive intentions on proximal segments and head linear kinematics. It remains unclear how pianists’ expressive intentions influence joint angular kinematics as well as exposure to risk factors of injury, such as poor overall posture and distal jerky movements, two kinematic factors linked to injury. The first objective of this exploratory case study was to analyze the influence of pianists’ expressive intentions on proximal and distal joint range of motion (ROM) across different musical contexts. The second objective was to evaluate the impact of expressive intentions on the posture of joints that are commonly injured in pianists, as well as distal joint angular jerk. Methods: Two expert pianists (P1 and P2) performed six musical excerpts (E1–E6) in two experimental conditions: normal condition (including expressive intentions) and the control condition (strictly playing the composer’s notations written in the score with no subjective interpretation). An inertial measurement unit system recorded upper body kinematics.

Methods

Two expert pianists (P1 and P2) performed six musical excerpts (E1–E6) in two experimental conditions: normal condition (including expressive intentions) and the control condition (strictly playing the composer’s notations written in the score with no subjective interpretation). An inertial measurement unit system recorded upper body kinematics.

Results and discussion

Both proximal and distal joint ROM increased when pianists incorporated expressive intentions. Participants exhibited more static, non-neutral wrist postures when incorporating expressive intentions (right and left wrist for P1 and P2, respectively), suggesting an increased risk of distal injury. On the contrary, the thorax exhibited more dynamic, neutral flexion postures, suggesting a reduced risk of proximal injury. These results suggest that expressive intentions may impact proximal and distal postures differently. Incorporating expressive intentions also led to jerkier, less smooth wrist movements in lyrical, non-virtuosic musical excerpts (E1–E4). However, in more virtuosic excerpts (E5–E6), there were generally no differences between conditions. Spatiotemporal constraints might explain these discrepancies between non-virtuosic and virtuosic musical excerpts. These results provide evidence of the impact of expressive intentions on the entire kinematic chain, while highlighting the implications of the subjective dimension of music expression in relation to exposure to risk factors of injury.
Evaluation of hypertension knowledge and its association with medication adherence among hypertensive patients attending primary health centers: a cross-sectional study from eastern Saudi Arabia
Authors: Al-Hazmi Ahmad Homoud , Alanazi Abdullah Dhoimi Mureed , Thirunavukkarasu Ashokkumar , Alriwely Nasser Saleh , Alrais Mmdoh Mohammad F. , Alruwaili Alreem Barghash S. , Alnosairi Mona Saleh , Alsirhani Amnah Ibrahim
Published: January 2025

Background and aim

The global healthcare system acknowledged the crucial role of disease knowledge in health outcomes and improving quality of life among patients with chronic disease. A lack of adequate knowledge and understanding of hypertension, its symptoms, and available treatments can lead to poor treatment outcomes. The present study aimed to determine the level of hypertension knowledge and associated factors among hypertensive patients. Furthermore, we evaluated the correlation between levels of knowledge and medication adherence among them.

Methods

The present study was carried out among 406 hypertensive patients attending different primary health centers in Hafr Al Batin, Saudi Arabia. Participants’ hypertension-related knowledge was evaluated using the validated hypertension knowledge–level scale, and adherence practice was evaluated using the medication adherence and refill scale. We categorized the knowledge score into low, medium, and high, according to Bloom’s criteria. We applied Spearman’s correlation test to find the strength and direction of the correlation between hypertension-related knowledge and medication adherence. Furthermore, we used binomial logistic regression analysis to find the associated factors of the low hypertension-related knowledge among the patients.

Results

Of the studied patients, only 10.3% demonstrated a high level of knowledge, and the highest knowledge levels were observed in the domains of complications (x¯ = 4.39, standard deviation [SD] = 1.20) and lifestyle (x¯ = 3.13, SD = 0.69), while knowledge about drug compliance (x¯ = 0.62, SD = 0.98) was the lowest. A statistically significant positive correlation was observed between knowledge and adherence regarding hypertension (rho = 0.268, p = 0.001) among study participants. We observed that marital status (p = 0.032), income (p = 0.042), and absence of chronic diseases (p = 0.001) are associated factors for low hypertension-related knowledge.

Conclusion

The study findings highlight a moderate level of knowledge about hypertension among patients, with significant gaps in drug compliance understanding. The positive correlation between knowledge and medication adherence underscores the need for better hypertension education at primary health centers. Furthermore, it is recommended that future prospective studies be conducted within various cultural contexts.
Risk prediction model of cognitive performance in older people with cardiovascular diseases: a study of the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey database
Authors: Wang Hui , Wu Sensen , Pan Dikang , Ning Yachan , Wang Cong , Guo Jianming , Gu Yongquan
Published: January 2025

Background and aim

Changes in cognitive function are commonly associated with aging in patients with cardiovascular diseases. The objective of this research was to construct and validate a nomogram-based predictive model for the identification of cognitive impairment in older people suffering from cardiovascular diseases.

Methods and results

This retrospective study included 498 participants with cardiovascular diseases aged >60 selected from the NHANES 2011–2014. The study employed the Minor Absolute Shrinkage and Selection Operator (LASSO) regression model, in conjunction with multivariate logistic regression analysis, to identify relevant variables and develop a predictive model. We used statistical techniques as in the Minor Absolute Shrinkage (MAS) and the Selection Operator (LASSO) regression model, in conjunction with multivariate logistic regression analysis, to identify variables that were significantly predictive of the outcome. After which, based on the selected relevant variables, we developed a machine learning model that was predictive of cognitive impairment such as Alzheimer’s diseases in the older people. The effectiveness of the resultant nomogram was evaluated by assessing its discriminative capability, calibration, and conducting decision curve analysis (DCA). The constructed predictive nomogram included age, race, educational attainment, poverty income ratio, and presence of sleep disorder as variables. The model demonstrated robust discriminative capability, achieving an area under the receiver-operating characteristic curve of 0.756, and exhibited precise calibration. Consistent performance was confirmed through 10-fold cross-validation, and DCA deemed the nomogram clinically valuable.

Conclusion

We constructed a NHANES cardiovascular-based nomogram predictive model of cognitive impairment. The model exhibited robust discriminative ability and validity, offering a scientific framework for community healthcare providers to assess and detect the risk of cognitive decline in these patients prematurely.
The sociolinguistic foundations of language modeling
Authors: Grieve Jack , Bartl Sara , Fuoli Matteo , Grafmiller Jason , Huang Weihang , Jawerbaum Alejandro , Murakami Akira , Perlman Marcus , Roemling Dana , Winter Bodo
Published: January 2025

In this article, we introduce a sociolinguistic perspective on language modeling. We claim that language models in general are inherently modeling varieties of language, and we consider how this insight can inform the development and deployment of language models. We begin by presenting a technical definition of the concept of a variety of language as developed in sociolinguistics. We then discuss how this perspective could help us better understand five basic challenges in language modeling: social bias, domain adaptation, alignment, language change, and scale. We argue that to maximize the performance and societal value of language models it is important to carefully compile training corpora that accurately represent the specific varieties of language being modeled, drawing on theories, methods, and descriptions from the field of sociolinguistics.
Ecosystem services linked to nature-based solutions for resilient and sustainable cities in India
Authors: Ahmad Nadeem , Hassan Quamrul
Published: January 2025

Rampant urbanization and undervaluing of the natural ecosystem have detrimental impacts on urban spaces – increased flooding risk, increased air and water pollution, water stress, resource inefficiency, loss of biodiversity, and increased risk of ill health. Climate change further exacerbates the adverse impacts of urbanization. Despite the importance of the natural ecosystem, the blue and green spaces of the cities in India have drastically decreased. The present study highlights the degrading natural ecosystem, the negative impacts, and the need for resilience in Indian cities. Eco-centric approaches like nature-based solutions (NBS) are closely related to sustainability and resilience, offering a more efficient and cost-effective approach to urban development than traditional approaches. The paper explores the concept of NBS, focusing on ecosystem services as a ‘living’ and ‘adaptable’ tool to make cities resilient and sustainable with many regional implementations. It also focuses on the role of NBS in achieving the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The paper critically analyses the five notable NBS projects from different countries (USA, Canada, The Netherlands, China, and Australia) and further addresses the viabilities for NBS intervention in Indian cities. It is observed that the successful adaptation of NBS in urban development necessitates eco-centric policies, collaborative research, adaptive management practices, community engagement, and a strong emphasis on a multi-benefit approach. A proactive focus on ecosystem services is strongly recommended for Indian cities, which includes raising an understanding of the value of nature, introducing NBS at the planning stage, and encouraging investment in ecosystem-based approaches.
The effects of plasma source on adiabatic electron acceleration at dipolarization fronts
Authors: Chepuri S. N. F. , Jaynes A. N. , Joseph J. , Turner D. L. , Gabrielse C. , Cohen I. J. , Baker D. N. , Mauk B. H. , Leonard T. , Fennell J. F.
Published: January 2025

Particle acceleration is a commonly observed phenomenon at dipolarization fronts. Many studies have attempted to determine the acceleration mechanism, with betatron acceleration being a major candidate. In previous work, we attempted to match the observed change in electron energy to the change predicted by betatron acceleration, but found that although this worked in some cases, overall betatron acceleration alone could not describe the observed energy spectrum changes. In this work, we attempted to study whether ion acceleration showed similar behavior and whether a quasi-adiabatic correction would be more accurate. On average the betatron acceleration equation overestimated the observed acceleration and the quasi-adiabatic correction did not account for the difference, although there are limitations to this study due to data fidelity. We then turned to study whether our assumptions about the source population having the same phase space density as the cold pre-existing background population in the plasma sheet are valid. We indirectly studied this by comparing the relative abundances of O+ and He++ as proxies for ionospheric and solar wind populations respectively. We found the betatron acceleration equation method performs slightly better when there is a stronger ionospheric component. This suggests that when more plasma containing O+ is present in the dipolarization front, it indicates that the source population is more local and therefore this method of using betatron acceleration is more valid.
Peculiarities of cardio-respiratory relationships in qualified athletes with different types of heart rhythm regulation according to respiratory maneuver data
Authors: Romanchuk Oleksandr
Published: January 2025

Introduction

Our goal was to determine the differences in changes in cardiovascular and cardiorespiratory interaction indicators during a respiratory maneuver with a change in breathing rate in athletes with different types of heart rate regulation.

Methods

The results of a study of 183 healthy men aged 21.2 ± 2.3 years, who were systematically involved in various sports, were analyzed. According to the results of the analysis of the HRV study during spontaneous breathing, the athletes were divided into 4 groups taking into account the type of heart rate regulation (HRR). Group 1 (with type I) consisted of 53 people, group 2 (with type II)—29 people, group 3 (with type III)—85 people, group 4 (with type IV)—16 people. The methodology for studying the cardiorespiratory system included combined measurements of the respiratory and cardiovascular system activity indicators in a sitting position using a spiroarteriocardiorhythmograph. The duration of the study was 6 min.

Results

According to changes in cardiorespiratory and cardiovascular interaction indicators during controlled breathing with a frequency of 6 and 15 per minute (CR6 and CR15), it is shown that with a pronounced predominance of parasympathetic influences (type IV) in conditions of excessive cardiorespiratory control and moderate hyperventilation, differences in changes in arterial baroreflex sensitivity (δBRLF and δBRHF) are noted in comparison with other HRR. Athletes with type IV at CR6 in δBRLF significantly differ from athletes with type III (p = 0.026) and do not differ from athletes with type II (p = 0.141). In δBRHF significantly (p = 0.038 and p = 0.043)—from athletes with types I and II. It is shown that with the predominance of sympathetic influences (types I and II), the reactivity of BRS (δBRLF and δBRHF) in response to moderate hyperventilation (CR15) is significantly lower. Changes in the Hildebrandt index and the volume synchronization index additionally differentiate HRR associated with a moderate and pronounced predominance of sympathetic and parasympathetic influences.

Conclusion

The use of a respiratory maneuver in a combined study of the cardiorespiratory system in the conditions of current control of athletes showed informativeness in the differentiation of HRR types and states of functional overstrain.
Determining causal pathogens and inflammatory state of mastitis in dairy cows via Gram staining of precipitates in milk
Authors: Suzuki Naoki , Isobe Naoki
Published: January 2025

Early detection of bovine mastitis-causing pathogens is necessary for treatment. As culturing methods are time-consuming, a more rapid detection technique is required. This study investigated the sensitivity, specificity, and detection limit of Gram staining of milk precipitates (milk Gram stain, MGS) to detect bovine mastitis-causing pathogens in milk, as well as the potential of MGS to diagnose inflammation by counting polymorphonuclear leukocytes (PMN). MGS was performed on spontaneous mastitis cases. Culture methods were also used as reference standards to calculate the sensitivity, specificity, and bacterial load in milk to determine the detection limit of MGS. PMN in the mastitic milk were counted using Gram staining. Further, somatic cell counts (SCC), interleukin (IL)-6, IL-8, tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α, IL-10 and serum amyloid A (SAA) concentrations in mastitic milk were measured using cell counting and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. The sensitivity and specificity for all pathogens were 0.62 and 0.90, for Gram-positive were 0.67 and 0.90, and for Gram-negative were 0.50 and 1.00, respectively. The detection limits for Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria were 1,560 and 4,680 cfu/mL, respectively. SCC were significantly positively correlated with PMN, milk IL-6, TNF-α, and SAA concentrations, whereas PMN were significantly negatively correlated with milk IL-10 concentration. Our results suggest that MGS may be applied as a rapid method to identify causal pathogens of mastitis before culture results are determined and may also estimate inflammatory status which cannot be detected with SCC. Further clinical trials are required to elucidate whether MGS is useful in clinical veterinary settings.
Typologia odstępstw od normy ogólnopolskiej w zakresie wymagania przypadka w tekstach „Gazety Polskiej Bukowiny” wydawanej w Ukrainie
Authors: Krawczuk Ałła
Published: January 2025

The author proposes a comprehensive typology of deviations from the codified norm in terms of structures with the required case in written Polish in Ukraine on the material of the Polishlanguage periodical “Gazeta Polska Bukowiny”. The material was systematised on the basis of three criteria: 1) type of structure, 2) origin of the deviation from the norm, and 3) rank of the deviation from the norm. The inclusion of the novel rank criterion makes it possible to look at Polish in Ukraine / of Ukrainians from a more liberal and at the same time more contemporary perspective. The analysis of the normatively debatable interference structures with the required case makes it possible to propose less rigorous approaches to assessing the shape of the Polish language of the Polish community abroad, and the communicative and linguistic skills of Ukrainians. The method of mutual transfer linguistics – glottodidactics, as well as the contrastive method have been used in the study.
O różnicach i podobieństwach w zakresie użycia i znaczenia przymiotników niemoralny i nieetyczny (na przykładzie połączeń z wybranymi rzeczownikami)
Authors: Lisczyk Karolina
Published: January 2025

The study aims to verify whether the adjectives niemoralny ‘immoral’ and nieetyczny ‘unethical’ are considered synonyms by Polish speakers. The analysis was carried out based on material excerpted from the MoncoPL corpus, which consisted of sentences containing combinations of the adjectives niemoralny/nieetytyczny with the nouns czyn ‘act’, działanie ‘action’, postępowanie ‘activity’ and zachowanie ‘behaviour’ (2,239 in total). During the research, an attempt was made to divide these concordances into thematic classes and arrange them according to their frequency of occurrence. The analyses showed that in relation to financial dishonesty and fraud in interpersonal relations, the adjectives studied are used interchangeably. When talking about moral issues, language users choose the term niemoralny, and when the sentence concerns breaking the rules of professional conduct, they opt for the adjective nieetyczny.
Finite Differences on Sparse Grids for Continuous-Time Heterogeneous Agent Models
Authors: Garcke Jochen , Ruttscheidt Steffen
Published: January 2025

We present a finite difference method working on sparse grids to solve higher dimensional heterogeneous agent models. If one wants to solve the arising Hamilton–Jacobi–Bellman equation on a standard full grid, one faces the problem that the number of grid points grows exponentially with the number of dimensions. Discretizations on sparse grids only involve O(N(logN)d−1) degrees of freedom in comparison to the O(Nd) degrees of freedom of conventional methods, where N denotes the number of grid points in one coordinate direction and d is the dimension of the problem. While one can show convergence for the used finite difference method on full grids by using the theory introduced by Barles and Souganidis, we explain why one cannot simply use their results for sparse grids. Our numerical studies show that our method converges to the full grid solution for a two-dimensional model. We analyze the convergence behavior for higher dimensional models and experiment with different sparse grid adaptivity types.
AI Algorithms for Positive Change in Digital Futures
Authors: Kavakli-Thorne Manolya , Dai Zhuangzhuang
Published: January 2025

Artificial Intelligence (AI) is transforming industries and revolutionizing how we interact with technology at an unprecedented pace, playing a crucial role in shaping our digital future [...]
Robot Closed-Loop Grasping Based on Deep Visual Servoing Feature Network
Authors: Luo Junqi , Zhang Zhen , Wang Yuangan , Feng Ruiyang
Published: January 2025

Robot visual servoing for grasping has long been challenging to execute in complex visual environments because of issues with efficient feature extraction. This paper proposes a novel visual servoing grasping approach based on the Deep Visual Servoing Feature Network (DVSFN) to tackle this issue. The approach enables feasible to extract scale-invariant point features and target bounding boxes in real time by building an effective single-stage multi-dimensional feature extractor. The DVSFN is then integrated into a Levenberg–Marquardt–based image visual servoing (LM-IBVS) controller. The above creates a mapping link between the robot’s joint space and image features. The robot is then guided in positioning and grabbing by converting the difference between the expected and present features into the corresponding robot joint velocities. Experimental results demonstrate that the proposed method achieves a mean average precision (mAP) of 0.80 and 0.87 for detecting target bounding boxes and point features, respectively, in scenarios with significant lighting variations and occlusions. Under low-light and partial occlusion conditions, the method achieves an average grasping success rate approximately 80%.
Experimental Characterization of C–C Composite Destruction Under Impact of High Thermal Flux in Atmosphere and Hypersonic Airflow
Authors: Bencivengo Ryan , Stoica Alin Ilie , Leonov Sergey B. , Gulotty Richard
Published: January 2025

Hypersonic flight in the atmosphere is associated with high thermal flux impacting the vehicle surface. The nose, leading edges, and some elements of the engine typically require the implementation of highly refractory materials or an active thermal protection system to maintain structural stability during the vehicle mission. Carbon–carbon (C–C) composites are commonly considered for the application thanks to their unique thermal and mechanical properties. However, C–C composites’ ablation and oxidation under long cruise flights at high speeds (Mach number > 5) are the limiting factors for their application. In this paper, the results of an experimental study of C–C composite thermal ablation and oxidation with test article surface temperatures up to 2000 K are presented. The tests were performed under atmospheric conditions and hypersonic flow in the ND_ArcJet facility at the University of Notre Dame. The test articles were preheated with CW laser radiation and then exposed to M = 6 flow at stagnation pressures up to 14 bar. It was found that C–C composite oxidation and mechanical erosion rates are significantly increased in hypersonic airflow compared to those at ambient conditions and nitrogen M = 6 flow. Compared to atmospheric air, mass loss occurred at a rate of 1.5 orders of magnitude faster for M = 6 airflow. During high-speed flow conditions, rapid chemical oxidation and the mechanical destruction of weakened C-fibers likely cause the accelerated degradation of C–C composite material. In this study, a post-mortem microscopic analysis of the morphology of the C–C surface is used to explain the physical processes of the material destruction.
Autogiros: Review and Classification
Authors: Gechev Tsvetomir , Nedelchev Krasimir , Kralov Ivan
Published: January 2025

The article reviews autogiros, concentrating on their flight history, development, application, flight principle, components, and advantages over other aircraft. Firstly, the history of autogiros is presented, focusing on breakthrough inventions and clarifying their significance for overall rotorcraft development. Then, contemporary scientific research on the autogiro is reviewed in detail, and the available research gap is determined. The flight principle and technical fundamentals of autogiros are also briefly discussed, and a comparison between autogiros, helicopters, and fixed-wing aircraft is performed. Autogiros’ applications for civil, military, and mixed purposes are pointed out and schematically presented. The main part of the article comprises an overview of the different components and systems in the structure of the reviewed aircraft, including the main rotor, propeller, engine, cockpit, and others. Additionally, a comprehensive classification mostly concerning contemporary and homologated autogiros is described and schematically presented. Experimental and compound gyroplane designs are also examined and marked in the classification. The aircraft are categorized depending on the main structure type, mast availability, number of seats, number of rotors and rotor blades, rotor and mast position, propeller and tail type and position, pre-rotator type, and power source. The idea of different autogiro variants presented in the classification is enhanced with visual examples. This work is an addition to the efforts of promoting autogiros and research on them. It offers complete information regarding the aircraft and could serve as a kind of starting point for engineers in the design process of such types of flying machines.
Analysis of Dynamic Biogas Consumption in Chinese Rural Areas at Village, Township, and County Levels
Authors: Li Gongyi , Luo Tao , Xiong Jianghua , Gao Yanna , Meng Xi , Zuo Yaoguo , Liu Yi , Ma Jing , Chen Qiuwen , Liu Yuxin , Xin Yichong , Ye Yangjie
Published: January 2025

Understanding the characteristics of biogas demand in rural areas is essential for on-demand biogas production and fossil fuel offsetting. However, the spatiotemporal features of rural household energy consumption are unclear. This paper developed a rural biogas demand forecasting model (RBDM) based on the hourly loads of different energy types in rural China. The model requires only a small amount of publicly available input data. The model was verified using household energy survey data collected from five Chinese provinces and one year’s data from a village-scale biogas plant. The results showed that the predicted and measured biogas consumption and dynamic load were consistent. The relative error of village biogas consumption was 11.45%, and the dynamic load showed seasonal fluctuations. Seasonal correction factors were incorporated to improve the model’s accuracy and practicality. The accuracy of the RBDM was 19.27% higher than that of a static energy prediction model. Future research should verify the model using additional cases to guide the design of accurate biogas production and distribution systems.
A Novel Method to Forecast Nitrate Concentration Levels in Irrigation Areas for Sustainable Agriculture
Authors: Karahan Halil , Erkan Can Müge
Published: January 2025

This study developed an ANN-based model to predict nitrate concentrations in drainage waters using parameters that are simpler and more cost-effective to measure within the Lower Seyhan Basin, a key agricultural region in Turkey. For this purpose, daily water samples were collected from a drainage measurement station during the 2022 and 2023 water years, and nitrate concentrations were determined in the laboratory. In addition to nitrate concentrations, other parameters, such as flow rate, EC, pH, and precipitation, were also measured simultaneously. The complex relationship between measured nitrate values and other parameters, which are easier and less costly to measure, was used in two different scenarios during the training phase of the ANN-Nitrate model. After the model was trained, nitrate values were estimated for the two scenarios using only the other parameters. In Scenario I, random values from the dataset were predicted, while in Scenario II, predictions were made as a time series, and model results were compared with measured values for both scenarios. The proposed model reliably fills dataset gaps (Scenario I) and predicts nitrate values in time series (Scenario II). The proposed model, although based on an artificial neural network (ANN), also has the potential to be adapted for methods used in machine learning and artificial intelligence, such as Support Vector Machines, Decision Trees, Random Forests, and Ensemble Learning Methods.
Comparative Evaluation of AI-Based Multi-Spectral Imaging and PCR-Based Assays for Early Detection of Botrytis cinerea Infection on Pepper Plants
Authors: Kapetas Dimitrios , Kalogeropoulou Eleni , Christakakis Panagiotis , Klaridopoulos Christos , Pechlivani Eleftheria Maria
Published: January 2025

Pepper production is a critical component of the global agricultural economy, with exports reaching a remarkable $6.9B in 2023. This underscores the crop’s importance as a major economic driver of export revenue for producing nations. Botrytis cinerea, the causative agent of gray mold, significantly impacts crops like fruits and vegetables, including peppers. Early detection of this pathogen is crucial for a reduction in fungicide reliance and economic loss prevention. Traditionally, visual inspection has been a primary method for detection. However, symptoms often appear after the pathogen has begun to spread. This study employs the Deep Learning algorithm YOLO for single-class segmentation on plant images to extract spatial details of pepper leaves. The dataset included hyperspectral images at discrete wavelengths (460 nm, 540 nm, 640 nm, 775 nm, and 875 nm) from derived vegetation indices (CVI, GNDVI, NDVI, NPCI, and PSRI) and from RGB. At an Intersection over Union with a 0.5 threshold, the Mean Average Precision (mAP50) achieved by the leaf-segmentation solution YOLOv11-Small was 86.4%. The extracted leaf segments were processed by multiple Transformer models, each yielding a descriptor. These descriptors were combined in ensemble and classified into three distinct classes using a K-nearest neighbor, a Long Short-Term Memory (LSTM), and a ResNet solution. The Transformer models that comprised the best ensemble classifier were as follows: the Swin-L (P:4 × 4–W:12 × 12), the ViT-L (P:16 × 16), the VOLO (D:5), and the XCIT-L (L:24–P:16 × 16), with the LSTM-based classification solution on the RGB, CVI, GNDVI, NDVI, and PSRI image sets. The classifier achieved an overall accuracy of 87.42% with an F1-Score of 81.13%. The per-class F1-Scores for the three classes were 85.25%, 66.67%, and 78.26%, respectively. Moreover, for B. cinerea detection during the initial as well as quiescent stages of infection prior to symptom development, qPCR-based methods (RT-qPCR) were used for quantification of in planta fungal biomass and integrated with the findings from the AI approach to offer a comprehensive strategy. The study demonstrates early and accurate detection of B. cinerea on pepper plants by combining segmentation techniques with Transformer model descriptors, ensembled for classification. This approach marks a significant step forward in the detection and management of crop diseases, highlighting the potential to integrate such methods into in situ systems like mobile apps or robots.
Rubus idaeus RiACS1 Gene Is Involved in Ethylene Synthesis and Accelerates Fruit Ripening in Solanum lycopersicum
Authors: Li Tiemei , Xin Wenjiao , Zhang Hang , Jiang Jiarong , Ding Kunmiao , Liu Mengyu , Li Nanyan , Yang Guohui
Published: January 2025

Raspberry is a berry whose fruit is not tolerant to storage; breeding varieties with extended storage time and high comprehensive quality are significant for raspberries in cold regions. 1-Aminocyclopropane-1-carboxylic acid (ACC) synthase (ACS) is a limiting enzyme in the ethylene synthesis process, which plays essential roles in fruit ripening and softening in plants. In this study, the RiACS1 gene in raspberry (Rubus idaeus L.) variety ‘Polka’ was cloned. The RiACS1 gene overexpression vector was constructed and transformed into tomato plants using the Agrobacterium tumefaciens infection method to verify its function in their reproductive development. The RiACS1 gene, with a total length of 1476 bp, encoded a protein with 491 amino acids. The subcellular localization analysis of the RiACS1 protein in the tobacco transient expression system revealed that the RiACS1-GFP fusion protein was mainly located in the nucleus. Compared with the control, the flowering time and fruit color turning time of transgenic strains were advanced, and the fruit hardness was reduced. Overexpression of RiACS1 increased the activity of ACC synthase, ethylene release rate, and respiration rate during the transchromic phase. It changed the substance content, increased the content of vitamin C and anthocyanin in the fruit ripening process, and decreased the content of chlorophyll and titrable acid at the maturity stage. In addition, RiACS1 increased the relative expression levels of ethylene synthesis-related genes such as SlACS4, SlACO3, and SlACO1 in the fruit ripening process, while it decreased the expression levels of SlACS2 at the maturity stage. These results suggested that the RiACS1 gene could promote early flowering and fruit ripening in tomato plants. This study provided a basis for further modifying raspberry varieties using molecular biology techniques.