bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
What drives soil degradation after gravel mulching for 6 years in northwest China?
Authors: Qiu Yang , Chen Xingyi , Wang Yajun , Zhang Yubao , Xie Zhongkui
Published: July 2023

Gravel mulch is an agricultural water conservation practice that has been widely used in the semi-arid region of northwest China, but its effectiveness is now lessening due to soil degradation caused by long-term gravel mulching. In this study, we report on a 6-year-long gravel mulch experiment conducted in the northwestern Loess Plateau to evaluate the impact of gravel mulch on soil physicochemical properties and microbial communities, with the objective of clarifying the causes of long-term gravel mulching-induced land degradation. After 6 years mulching, we found that gravel mulched soil contained significantly higher concentrations of total carbon and total organic carbon than non-mulched soil (control). Long-term gravel mulching significantly changed the soil microbial diversity and abundance distribution of bacterial and fungal communities. Notably, the relative abundance of Acidobacteria was significantly higher under gravel mulching than the control (no mulching), being significantly greater in the AG treatment (small-sized gravel, 2–5 mm) than all other treatments. Conversely, the relative abundance of Actinobacteria was significantly lower under gravel mulching than the control, being the lowest in the BG treatment (large-sized gravel, 40–60 mm). At the same time, the relative abundance of Bacteroidetes was significantly lower in AG yet higher in BG vis-à-vis the other treatments. Of the various factors examined, on a 6-year scale, the capture of dust by gravel mulch and altered carbon and nitrogen components in soil play major contributing roles in the compositional change of soil microorganisms. These results suggest that modified soil material input from gravel mulching may be the key factor leading to soil degradation. More long-term experimental studies at different sites are now needed to elucidate the mechanisms responsible for soil degradation under gravel mulching.
Association between enlarged perivascular spaces and cerebrospinal fluid aquaporin-4 and tau levels: report from a memory clinic
Authors: Sacchi Luca , Arcaro Marina , Carandini Tiziana , Pietroboni Anna Margherita , Fumagalli Giorgio Giulio , Fenoglio Chiara , Serpente Maria , Sorrentino Federica , Visconte Caterina , Pintus Manuela , Conte Giorgio , Contarino Valeria Elisa , Scarpini Elio , Triulzi Fabio , Galimberti Daniela , Arighi Andrea
Published: July 2023

Background

Perivascular spaces (PVS) are fluid-filled compartments that dilate in response to many different conditions. A high burden of enlarged PVS (EPVS) in the centrum semiovale (CSO) has been linked to neurodegeneration. Moreover, an increase in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) levels of aquaporin-4 (AQP4), a water channel expressed on PVS-bounding astrocytes, has been described in patients with neurodegenerative dementia. Our aim was to investigate the relationship between neurodegenerative diseases and two putative glymphatic system biomarkers: AQP4 and EPVS.

Methods

We included 70 individuals, 54 patients with neurodegenerative diseases and 16 subjects with non-degenerative conditions. EPVS were visually quantified on MRI-scans applying Paradise’s scale. All subjects underwent lumbar puncture for the measurement of AQP4 levels in the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF). CSF levels of amyloid-β-1-42, phosphorylated and total tau (tTau) were also measured. Linear regression analyses were adjusted for age, sex, education and disease duration, after excluding outliers.

Results

Cerebrospinal fluid (CSF)-AQP4 levels were independent predictors of total (β = 0.28, standard error [SE] = 0.08, p = 0.001), basal ganglia (β = 0.20, SE = 0.08, p = 0.009) and centrum semiovale EPVS (β = 0.37, SE = 0.12, p = 0.003). tTau levels predicted CSO-EPVS (β = 0.30, SE = 0.15, p = 0.046). Moreover, increased levels of AQP4 were strongly associated with higher levels of tTau in the CSF (β = 0.35, SE = 0.13, p = 0.008).

Conclusion

We provide evidence that CSO-EPVS and CSF-AQP4 might be clinically meaningful biomarkers of glymphatic dysfunction and associated neurodegeneration.
The interaction between the major vault protein rs4788186 polymorphism, alcohol dependence, and depression among male Chinese problem drinkers
Authors: Wu Yuyu , Zhao Ke , Chen Yingjie , Wu Liujun , Qiu Feng , Yuan Yuying , Shen Guanghui , Wang Kexin , Kang Yimin , Jiang Yongsheng , Wang Wei , Chen Li , Liu Yanlong , Pan Xuebo , Wang Fan , Xie Longteng
Published: July 2023

Objective

Alcohol use disorder (AUD) is the second most prevalent mental disorder and might be related to depression. Major vault protein (MVP) is a cytoplasmic protein related to vesicle transport. The present study aimed to investigate the interaction between a genetic variant (MVP rs4788186) and depression in adult male Han Chinese with AUD during withdrawal.

Methods

All participants (N = 435) were diagnosed with AUD. Alcohol dependence level was measured using the Michigan Alcoholism Screening Test, and depression was measured using the self-rating depression scale. Genomic DNA was extracted from peripheral blood and genotyped.

Results

Hierarchical regression analysis identified an interaction between MVP rs4788186 and alcohol dependence level for depression (β = −0.17, p < 0.05). Then, a region of significance test was performed to interpret the interaction effect. Re-parameterized regression models revealed that the interaction between MVP rs4788186 and alcohol problem severity fit the strong differential susceptibility model (R2 = 0.08, p < 0.001), suggesting that the AA homozygotes would be more likely subjects with the G allele to experience major depression symptoms.

Conclusion

Carriers of the AA homozygote of MVP rs4788186 may be more susceptible to severe alcohol problems and higher levels of depression during withdrawal.
The voice characterisation checklist: psychometric properties of a brief clinical assessment of voices as social agents
Authors: Edwards Clementine J. , Owrid Oliver , Miller Lucy , Jafari Hassan , Emsley Richard , Rus-Calafell Mar , Craig Thomas K. J. , Clancy Moya , McLeod Hamish , Fornells-Ambrojo Miriam , McDonnell Jeffrey , Montague Alice , Huckvale Mark , Bucci Sandra , Haddock Gillian , Garety Philippa , Ward Thomas
Published: July 2023

Aim

There is growing interest in tailoring psychological interventions for distressing voices and a need for reliable tools to assess phenomenological features which might influence treatment response. This study examines the reliability and internal consistency of the Voice Characterisation Checklist (VoCC), a novel 10-item tool which assesses degree of voice characterisation, identified as relevant to a new wave of relational approaches.

Methods

The sample comprised participants experiencing distressing voices, recruited at baseline on the AVATAR2 trial between January 2021 and July 2022 (n = 170). Inter-rater reliability (IRR) and internal consistency analyses (Cronbach’s alpha) were conducted.

Results

The majority of participants reported some degree of voice personification (94%) with high endorsement of voices as distinct auditory experiences (87%) with basic attributes of gender and age (82%). While most identified a voice intention (75%) and personality (76%), attribution of mental states (35%) to the voice (‘What are they thinking?’) and a known historical relationship (36%) were less common. The internal consistency of the VoCC was acceptable (10 items, α = 0.71). IRR analysis indicated acceptable to excellent reliability at the item-level for 9/10 items and moderate agreement between raters’ global (binary) classification of more vs. less highly characterised voices, κ = 0.549 (95% CI, 0.240–0.859), p < 0.05.

Conclusion

The VoCC is a reliable and internally consistent tool for assessing voice characterisation and will be used to test whether voice characterisation moderates treatment outcome to AVATAR therapy. There is potential wider utility within clinical trials of other relational therapies as well as routine clinical practice.
Identification of Biomarkers Affecting Cryopreservation Recovery Ratio in Ram Spermatozoa Using Tandem Mass Tags (TMT)-Based Quantitative Proteomics Approach
Authors: Ren Chunhuan , Sun Zhipeng , Chen Yale , Chen Jiahong , Wang Shijia , Liu Qingqing , Wang Penghui , Cheng Xiao , Zhang Zijun , Wang Qiangjun
Published: July 2023

Sperm proteins play vital roles in improving sperm freezing resilience in domestic animals. However, it remains poorly defined which proteins regulate the freezing resilience of spermatozoa in rams (Ovis aries). Here, we compared the proteome of ram sperm with a high cryopreservation recovery ratio (HCR) with that of ram sperm with a low cryopreservation recovery ratio (LCR) using a tandem mass tag-based quantitative proteomics approach. Bioinformatic analysis was performed to evaluate differentially expressed proteins (DEPs). A total of 2464 proteins were identified, and 184 DEPs were screened. Seventy-two proteins were higher in the LCR group. One hundred and twelve proteins were more abundant in the HCR group, and they were mainly involved in the regulation of oxidative phosphorylation and thermogenesis pathways. Proteins in high abundance in the HCR group included the S100A family, such as S100A8, S100A9, S100A14, and S100A16, effectively controlling for CA2+ and maintaining flagella structure; HYOU1 and PRDX1, which participate in antioxidant protection and anti-apoptosis to prevent cell death; and HSP90B1, which maintains cell activity and immune response. Our results could help illuminate the molecular mechanisms underlying cryopreservation of ram semen and expand the potential direction of cryopreservation of high-quality semen.
Generation of Orthotopic Patient-Derived Xenografts in Humanized Mice for Evaluation of Emerging Targeted Therapies and Immunotherapy Combinations for Melanoma
Authors: Yan Chi , Nebhan Caroline A. , Saleh Nabil , Shattuck-Brandt Rebecca , Chen Sheau-Chiann , Ayers Gregory D. , Weiss Vivian , Richmond Ann , Vilgelm Anna E.
Published: July 2023

Current methodologies for developing PDX in humanized mice in preclinical trials with immune-based therapies are limited by GVHD. Here, we compared two approaches for establishing PDX tumors in humanized mice: (1) PDX are first established in immune-deficient mice; or (2) PDX are initially established in humanized mice; then established PDX are transplanted to a larger cohort of humanized mice for preclinical trials. With the first approach, there was rapid wasting of PDX-bearing humanized mice with high levels of activated T cells in the circulation and organs, indicating immune-mediated toxicity. In contrast, with the second approach, toxicity was less of an issue and long-term human melanoma tumor growth and maintenance of human chimerism was achieved. Preclinical trials from the second approach revealed that rigosertib, but not anti-PD-1, increased CD8/CD4 T cell ratios in spleen and blood and inhibited PDX tumor growth. Resistance to anti-PD-1 was associated with PDX tumors established from tumors with limited CD8+ T cell content. Our findings suggest that it is essential to carefully manage immune editing by first establishing PDX tumors in humanized mice before expanding PDX tumors into a larger cohort of humanized mice to evaluate therapy response.
Interaction between the L-Ascorbic Acid and the HO2 Hydroperoxyl Radical: An Ab Initio Study
Authors: Carrillo Díaz Iván , Jiménez González Ali Fransuani , Ramírez-de-Arellano Juan Manuel , Magaña Luis Fernando
Published: July 2023

We studied the interaction between the L-ascorbic acid C6H8O6 and the HO2 hydroperoxyl radical, using DFT ab initio methods. The purpose of this study is to explore whether the L-ascorbic acid would be able to interact with and possibly reduce the hydroperoxyl radical. We performed static calculations consisting of structural optimizations, using the pseudopotential formalism and the LDA, PBE, and BLYP density functional approximations, including van der Waals corrections. For all the cases considered, we found an interaction between C6H8O6 and HO2, reporting recovery times and absorption energies consistent with a physisorption process and confirming the ability of the L-ascorbic acid to act as a sensor of the HO2 radical.
A Study of the Properties of UV-Aged and Low Formaldehyde Emissions Particleboards Manufactured with Bio-Based Wood Protein Adhesives
Authors: Núñez-Decap Mario , Canales-Constanzo Erickson , Opazo-Carlsson Camila , Moya-Rojas Boris , Vidal-Vega Marcela , Opazo-Vega Alexander
Published: July 2023

The environmental crisis and the safeguarding of the population's health has led to research into different ways of mitigating harmful gases. Among the emissions that the wood industry has sought to reduce are those of formaldehyde, which is why new green adhesive methods for wood panels have been investigated in recent years. In this research, particleboard with two bio-based wood adhesive (PB-bbwa) formulations. The first PB-bbwa formulation, based on proteins obtained from compounds from the alcoholic beverage industry, and the second PB-bbwa formulation, based on proteins from a mixture of compounds from the alcoholic beverage and food industries, were manufactured and tested to evaluate the physical–mechanical, thermal and formaldehyde emission properties of untreated and UV-treated formulations at a laboratory scale. The results of the physical properties obtained in the PB-bbwa were similar or even better than those of the control PB. Additionally, PB-bbwas improve on the control PB sample’s Janka hardness by least 28%, and a decrease in thermal conductivity in the edgewise position and formaldehyde emissions by 12% and 88%, respectively, in comparison to the control PB. The tests performed evidenced that PB-bbwas showed comparable performance against the control PB made with urea-formaldehyde and satisfied international standard requirements.
Effect of Changing Substrate Density and Water Application Method on Substrate Physical Properties and Container-Grown Seedling Growth
Authors: Kormanek Mariusz , Małek Stanisław , Banach Jacek , Durło Grzegorz
Published: July 2023

The quality of container-grown seedlings is influenced by the air and water properties of the substrate. These properties are closely tied to the amount and frequency of water supplied through sprinkler systems in nurseries, as well as the density of the substrate in the container cells. Throughout the entire growing season, this study examined how various parameters of Scots pine, Norway spruce, European beech, and pedunculate oak seedlings cultivated in HIKO V120SS and V265 containers were affected by two factors. Firstly, the study analyzed the impact of increased substrate density when filling the containers. Secondly, it explored the precise dosing of water applied by the sprinkler system, which was determined based on substrate sensors and meteorological conditions surrounding the seedlings. The results revealed that increased substrate compaction led to a long-term reduction in air capacity and an increase in water capacity within pine, spruce, and beech containers. However, oak seedlings were not affected by the increased substrate density. Additionally, the higher density of the compacted substrate positively influenced the growth parameters of pine seedlings but did not affect the other species. As a result, the current substrate compaction level used in the nursery where the measurements were taken appears to be optimal for spruce, beech, and oak seedlings. Furthermore, precise control over the amount of water applied during irrigation allowed for a reduction in water consumption by about 8%. This control also resulted in improved seedling sturdiness quotient and a more developed root system in the case of pine seedlings. However, no significant differences were observed for the other species.
A Context Semantic Auxiliary Network for Image Captioning
Authors: Li Jianying , Shao Xiangjun
Published: July 2023

Image captioning is a challenging task, which generates a sentence for a given image. The earlier captioning methods mainly decode the visual features to generate caption sentences for the image. However, the visual features lack the context semantic information which is vital for generating an accurate caption sentence. To address this problem, this paper first proposes the Attention-Aware (AA) mechanism which can filter out erroneous or irrelevant context semantic information. And then, AA is utilized to constitute a Context Semantic Auxiliary Network (CSAN), which can capture the effective context semantic information to regenerate or polish the image caption. Moreover, AA can capture the visual feature information needed to generate a caption. Experimental results show that our proposed CSAN outperforms the compared image captioning methods on MS COCO “Karpathy” offline test split and the official online testing server.
Combined System for the Simultaneous Delivery of Levofloxacin and Rifampicin: Structural and Functional Properties and Antibacterial Activity
Authors: Le-Deygen Irina M. , Mamaeva Polina V. , Skuredina Anna A. , Safronova Anastasia S. , Belogurova Natalia G. , Kudryashova Elena V.
Published: July 2023

The therapy of resistant forms of tuberculosis requires the simultaneous use of several drugs, in particular, a combination of rifampicin and levofloxacin. In this paper, we aimed to design a combined system for the simultaneous delivery of these drugs for potential inhalation administration. A feature of this system is the incorporation of rifampicin into optimized liposomal vesicles capable of forming a multipoint non-covalent complex with chitosan-β-cyclodextrin conjugates. Levofloxacin is incorporated into cyclodextrin tori by forming a host–guest complex. Here, a comprehensive study of the physicochemical properties of the obtained systems was carried out and special attention was paid to the kinetics of cargo release for individual drugs and in the combined system. The release of levofloxacin in combined system is slow and is described by the Higuchi model in all cases. The release of rifampicin from liposomes during the formation of complexes with polymeric conjugates is characterized by the change of the Higuchi model to the Korsmeyer–Peppas model with the main type of diffusion against Fick′s law. Microbiological studies in solid and liquid growth media a consistently high antibacterial activity of the obtained systems was shown against B. subtilis and E. coli.
Comparative Evaluation of Mineralized Bone Allografts for Spinal Fusion Surgery
Authors: Hubbell Paul J. , Roth Brandon , Block Jon E.
Published: July 2023

The primary objective of this review is to evaluate whether the degree of processing and the clinical utility of commercially available mineralized bone allografts for spine surgery meet the 2020 US Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) guideline definitions for minimal manipulation and homologous use, respectively. We also assessed the consistency of performance of these products by examining the comparative postoperative radiographic fusion rates following spine surgery. Based on the FDA’s criteria for determining whether a structural allograft averts regulatory oversight and classification as a drug/device/biologic, mineralized bone allografts were judged to meet the Agency’s definitional descriptions for minimal manipulation and homologous use when complying with the American Association of Tissue Banks’ (AATB) accredited guidelines for bone allograft harvesting, processing, storing and transplanting. Thus, these products do not require FDA medical device clearance. Radiographic fusion rates achieved with mineralized bone allografts were uniformly high (>85%) across three published systematic reviews. Little variation was found in the fusion rates irrespective of anatomical location, allograft geometry, dimensions or indication, and in most cases, the rates were similar to those for autologous bone alone. Continued utilization of mineralized bone allografts should be encouraged across all spine surgery applications where supplemental grafts and/or segmental stability are required to support mechanically solid arthrodeses.
Anticancer Activity of Au/CNT Nanocomposite Fabricated by Nanosecond Pulsed Laser Ablation Method on Colon and Cervical Cancer
Authors: Al Baroot Abbad , Elsayed Khaled A. , Khan Firdos Alam , Haladu Shamsuddeen A. , Ercan Filiz , Çevik Emre , Drmosh Q. A. , Almessiere M. A.
Published: July 2023

Gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) and carbon nanotubes (CNTs) are increasingly being investigated for cancer management due to their physicochemical properties, low toxicity, and biocompatibility. This study used an eco-friendly technique (laser synthesis) to fabricate AuNP and Au/CNT nanocomposites. AuNPs, Au/CNTs, and CNTs were tested as potential cancer nanotherapeutics on colorectal carcinoma cells (HCT-116) and cervical cancer cells (HeLa) using a 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyl-2H-tetrazolium bromide (MTT) assay. In addition, the non-cancer embryonic kidney cells HEK-293 were taken as a control in the study. The cell viability assay demonstrated a significant reduction in cancer cell population post 48 h treatments of AuNPs, and Au/CNTs. The average cell viabilities of AuNPs, Au/CNTs, and CNTs for HCT-116 cells were 50.62%, 65.88%, 93.55%, and for HeLa cells, the cell viabilities were 50.88%, 66.51%, 91.73%. The cell viabilities for HEK-293 were 50.44%, 65.80%, 93.20%. Both AuNPs and Au/CNTs showed higher cell toxicity and cell death compared with CNT nanomaterials. The treatment of AuNPs and Au/CNTs showed strong inhibitory action on HCT-116 and HeLa cells. However, the treatment of CNTs did not significantly decrease HCT-116 and HeLa cells, and there was only a minor decrease. The treatment of AuNPs, and Au/CNTs, on normal HEK-293 cells also showed a significant decrease in cell viability, but the treatment of CNTs did not produce a significant decrease in the HEK-293 cells. This study shows that a simplified synthesis technique like laser synthesis for the preparation of high-purity nanomaterials has good efficacy for possible future cancer therapy with minimal toxicity.
Asymmetrically Nanostructured 2D Janus Films Obtained from Pickering Emulsions Polymerized in a Langmuir–Blodgett Trough
Authors: Honciuc Andrei , Negru Oana-Iuliana
Published: July 2023

Low-dimensional structures, such as two-dimensional (2D) Janus films, can be useful in studying fundamental interactions or in applications at the nanoscale. In this work, we report the fabrication of 2D polymer Janus films consisting of one smooth and another nanostructured facet on which silica nanoparticles (NPs) are self-assembled in a compact monolayer shield. The 2D films are made from Pickering emulsions of monomers in water, stabilized by NPs, which are spread over the surface of the water in a Langmuir–Blodgett trough. Following the spreading of the colloidosomes, oil droplets stabilized by NPs collapse, and the interfaces reorganize such that the NP monolayer is found exclusively at the oil/water interface. Upon compression followed by UV polymerization, a 2D solid film is formed, with one smooth and another nanostructured face. The film can be removed from the surface of the water and handled with tweezers. The 2D films exhibit different surface properties on the two sides, such as differences in water wettability. On the nanostructured side, water wettability can be tuned by tuning the surface energy of the nanoparticles, namely by changing their surface functional groups. Upon removal of NPs, the surface can be patterned with an array of circular traces.
Ultimate Pit-Limit Optimization Algorithm Enhancement Using Structured Query Language
Authors: Ares Gonzalo , Castañón Fernández César , Álvarez Isidro Diego
Published: July 2023

Three-dimensional block models are the most widely used tool for the study and evaluation of ore deposits, the calculation and design of economical pits, mine production planning, and physical and numerical simulations of ore deposits. The way these algorithms and computational techniques are programmed is usually through complex C++, C# or Python libraries. Database programming languages such as SQL (Structured Query Language) have traditionally been restricted to drillhole sample data operation. However, major advances in the management and processing of large databases have opened up the possibility of changing the way in which block model calculations are related to the database. Thanks to programming languages designed to manage databases, such as SQL, the traditional recursive traversal of database records is replaced by a system of database queries. In this way, with a simple SQL, numerous lines of code are eliminated from the different loops, thus achieving a greater calculation speed. In this paper, a floating cone optimization algorithm is adapted to SQL, describing how economical cones can be generated, related and calculated, all in a simple way and with few lines of code. Finally, to test this methodology, a case study is developed and shown.
Nutrient Intake among Pregnant Women in Spain and Poland: A Comparative Analysis
Authors: Iglesias-Vázquez Lucía , Suliburska Joanna , Kocyłowski Rafał , Bakinowska Ewa , Arija Victoria
Published: July 2023

Prenatal nutrition plays a crucial role in maternal and child health. This study aims to compare nutrient intake and its adequacy to recommendations among pregnant women in Spain and Poland. The ECLIPSES study in Spain utilized a self-administered food frequency questionnaire, while the PREDISH study in Poland employed a 3-day interview method. We assessed energy and nutrient intake against recommended dietary allowances. The analysis included 583 participants in the first trimester and 465 participants in the third trimester from both countries. Our findings revealed insufficient intake of iron, vitamin D, and vitamin B9 among pregnant women in both Spain and Poland. Significant differences were observed in the intake of energy, carbohydrates, fiber, calcium, iron, and vitamins D, E, C, B6, B9, and B12. Notably, 81.6% and 21.5% of participants did not meet the recommended minimum carbohydrate intake, while 99.8% and 43.8% exceeded the limit for total fat, particularly monounsaturated fatty acids (MUFAs). Tailored dietary guidance based on regional differences is crucial for pregnant women. Although variations in dietary intake were observed, both Spain and Poland faced similar risks of nutritional deficiencies, particularly for iron, vitamin D, and vitamin B9. These findings emphasize the need for enhanced efforts in preventing these deficiencies and promoting optimal prenatal nutrition.
Micronutrient Gaps and Supplement Use in a Diverse Cohort of Pregnant Women
Authors: Crawford Sarah A. , Brown Alexandra R. , Teruel Camargo Juliana , Kerling Elizabeth H. , Carlson Susan E. , Gajewski Byron J. , Sullivan Debra K. , Valentine Christina J.
Published: July 2023

Background: Micronutrition in pregnancy is critical to impact not only fetal growth and development but also long-term physical and psychiatric health outcomes. Objective: Estimate micronutrient intake from food and dietary supplements in a diverse cohort of pregnant women and compare intake to the Dietary Reference Intakes (DRIs). Design: Secondary analysis of women enrolled in a multi-site clinical trial of docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) supplementation who provided their dietary intake using the diet history questionnaire-II (n = 843) or multiple 24 h recalls (n = 178) at baseline and their intake of nutritional supplements at baseline through 30 days postpartum. Participants/Setting: 1021 participants from the parent trial who had reliable data for dietary intake, supplement intake, or both. Main outcome measures: Micronutrient intake from dietary and supplement sources and percentage of intakes meeting the DRIs for pregnancy. Statistical analyses performed: Percent of participants whose intake was below the estimated average requirement (EAR) or adequate intake (AI) and above the tolerable upper limit (UL). Results: Dietary intakes of choline, folate, iron, vitamin D, zinc, vitamin E, magnesium, and potassium, were below the AI or EAR for 30–91% of the participants; thiamin and vitamin B6 were also below the AI or EAR for non-Hispanic/Latina women. Supplement intake improved the intake for most; however, 80% of the group remained below the AI for choline and 52.5% for potassium while 30% remained below the EAR for magnesium. Folate and iron intakes were above the UL for 80% and 19%, respectively. Conclusions: Dietary supplements, despite their variability, allowed the majority of this cohort of pregnant women to achieve adequate intakes for most micronutrients. Choline, magnesium, and potassium were exceptions. Of interest, folate intake was above the tolerable UL for the majority and iron for 16.8% of the participants. Clinicians have the opportunity to address the most common nutrient deficits and limits with advice on food sources that provide choline, magnesium, and potassium and to ensure folate is not overabundant. More research is needed to determine if these findings are similar in a cross-sectional population.
SGLT2 Inhibitors in the Treatment of Diabetic Kidney Disease: More than Just Glucose Regulation
Authors: Klen Jasna , Dolžan Vita
Published: July 2023

Diabetic kidney disease (DKD) is a severe and common complication and affects a quarter of patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). Oxidative stress and inflammation related to hyperglycemia are interlinked and contribute to the occurrence of DKD. It was shown that sodium–glucose cotransporter-2 (SGLT2) inhibitors, a novel yet already widely used therapy, may prevent the development of DKD and alter its natural progression. SGLT2 inhibitors induce systemic and glomerular hemodynamic changes, provide metabolic advantages, and reduce inflammatory and oxidative stress pathways. In T2DM patients, regardless of cardiovascular diseases, SGLT2 inhibitors may reduce albuminuria, progression of DKD, and doubling of serum creatinine levels, thus lowering the need for kidney replacement therapy by over 40%. The molecular mechanisms behind these beneficial effects of SGLT2 inhibitors extend beyond their glucose-lowering effects. The emerging studies are trying to explain these mechanisms at the genetic, epigenetic, transcriptomic, and proteomic levels.
The Agency in Islam or (and) Human Rights? The Case of Pious Baltic Muslim Women
Authors: Vidūnaitė Morta
Published: July 2023

This article focuses on the variety of ways pious Muslim women exercise their agency to navigate between religion, gender, and human rights in the dynamic post-Soviet Baltic societies. It shows that these women primarily find agency not in human rights but in Islam as a religion that provides instruction on aspects of life related to human rights. They are empowered as individuals by Islam as the religion of their deliberate choice, which gives them meaning and guidance in life. They also find agency in their roles as wives and mothers as well as in the sisterhood of the Muslim community, while a career serves more as an area of personal autonomy and self-realization. This research is based on the analysis of qualitative data from semi-structured interviews conducted in 2021–2022. Baltic women’s narratives on human rights (and in the case of this research, specifically regarding gender and sexuality) and the role of Islam in their lives contributes to the redefinition of religious and secular concepts within a post-communist context and contributes to the wider scholarly debate on pious Muslim women living in non-Muslim democratic societies.
We Need to Communicate: Communicating Attention Network for Semantic Segmentation of High-Resolution Remote Sensing Images
Authors: Meng Xichen , Zhu Liqun , Han Yilong , Zhang Hanchao
Published: July 2023

Traditional models that employ CNNs as encoders do not sufficiently combine high-level features and low-level features. However, high-level features are rich in semantic information but lack spatial detail, while low-level features are the opposite. Therefore, the integrated utilization of multi-level features and the bridging of the gap between them is crucial to promote the accuracy of semantic segmentation. To address this issue, we presented communicating mutual attention (CMA) and communicating self-attention (CSA) modules to enhance the interaction and fusion of different levels of feature maps. On the one hand, CMA aggregates the global context information of high-level features into low-level features and embeds the spatial detail localization characteristics of low-level features in high-level features. On the other hand, the CSA module is deployed to integrate the spatially detailed representation of low-level features into the attention map of high-level features. We have experimented with the communicating attention network (CANet), a U-net-like network composed of multiple CMA and CSA modules, on the ISPRS Vaihingen and Potsdam datasets with mean F1-scores of 89.61% and 92.60%, respectively. The results demonstrate that CANet embodies superior performance in the semantic segmentation task of remote sensing of images.
FedDAD: Solving the Islanding Problem of SAR Image Aircraft Detection Data
Authors: Jia Zhiwei , Zheng Haoliang , Wang Rongjie , Zhou Wenguang
Published: July 2023

In aircraft feature detection, the difficulty of acquiring Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) images leads to the scarcity of some types of aircraft samples, and the high privacy makes the personal sample set have the characteristics of data silos. Existing data enhancement methods can alleviate the problem of data scarcity through feature reuse, but they are still powerless for data that are not involved in local training. To solve this problem, a new federated learning framework was proposed to solve the problem of data scarcity and data silos through multi-client joint training and model aggregation. The commonly used federal average algorithm is not effective for aircraft detection with unbalanced samples, so a federal distribution average deviation (FedDAD) algorithm, which is more suitable for aircraft detection in SAR images, was designed. Based on label distribution and client model quality, the contribution ratio of each client parameter is adaptively adjusted to optimize the global model. Client models trained through federated cooperation have an advantage in detecting aircraft with unknown scenarios or attitudes while remaining sensitive to local datasets. Based on the YOLOv5s algorithm, the feasibility of federated learning was verified on SAR image aircraft detection datasets and the portability of the FedDAD algorithm on public datasets. In tests based on the YOLOv5s algorithm, FedDAD outperformed FedAvg’s mAP0.5–0.95 on the total test set of two SAR image aircraft detection and far outperformed the local centralized training model.
A Hybrid Approach Based on GAN and CNN-LSTM for Aerial Activity Recognition
Authors: Bousmina Abir , Selmi Mouna , Ben Rhaiem Mohamed Amine , Farah Imed Riadh
Published: July 2023

Unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), known as drones, have played a significant role in recent years in creating resilient smart cities. UAVs can be used for a wide range of applications, including emergency response, civil protection, search and rescue, and surveillance, thanks to their high mobility and reasonable price. Automatic recognition of human activity in aerial videos captured by drones is critical for various tasks for these applications. However, this is difficult due to many factors specific to aerial views, including camera motion, vibration, low resolution, background clutter, lighting conditions, and variations in view. Although deep learning approaches have demonstrated their effectiveness in a variety of challenging vision tasks, they require either a large number of labelled aerial videos for training or a dataset with balanced classes, both of which can be difficult to obtain. To address these challenges, a hybrid data augmentation method is proposed which combines data transformation with the Wasserstein Generative Adversarial Network (GAN)-based feature augmentation method. In particular, we apply the basic transformation methods to increase the amount of video in the database. A Convolutional Neural Network–Long Short-Term Memory (CNN-LSTM) model is used to learn the spatio-temporal dynamics of actions, then a GAN-based technique is applied to generate synthetic CNN-LSTM features conditioned on action classes which provide a high discriminative spatio-temporal features. We tested our model on the YouTube aerial database, demonstrating encouraging results that surpass those of previous state-of-the-art works, including an accuracy rate of 97.83%.
A Software Framework for Intelligent Security Measures Regarding Sensor Data in the Context of Ambient Assisted Technology
Authors: Ahmed Shakeel , Naga Srinivasu Parvathaneni , Alhumam Abdulaziz
Published: July 2023

Ambient assisted technology (AAT), which has the potential to enhance patient care and productivity and save costs, has emerged as a strategic goal for developing e-healthcare in the future. However, since the healthcare sensor must be interconnected with other systems at different network tiers, distant enemies have additional options to attack. Data and resources integrated into the AAT are vulnerable to security risks that might compromise privacy, integrity, and availability. The gadgets and network sensor devices are layered with clinical data since they save personal information such as patients’ names, addresses, and medical histories. Considering the volume of data, it is difficult to ensure its confidentiality and security. As sensing devices are deployed over a wider region, protecting the privacy of the collected data becomes more difficult. The current study proposes a lightweight security mechanism to ensure the data’s confidentiality and integrity of the data in ambient-assisted technology. In the current study, the data are encrypted by the master node with adequate residual energy, and the master node is responsible for encrypting the data using the data aggregation model using a node’s key generated using an exclusive basis system and a Chinese remainder theorem. The integrity of the data is evaluated using the hash function at each intermediate node. The current study defines the design model’s layered architecture and layer-wise services. The model is further analyzed using various evaluation metrics, such as energy consumption, network delay, network overhead, time in generating hash, tradeoff between encryption and decryption, and entropy metrics. The model is shown to adequately perform on all measures considered in the analysis.
Identification and Factor Analysis of Traffic Conflicts in the Merge Area of Freeway Work Zone
Authors: Wang Pan , Zhu Shunying , Zhao Xiaoyue
Published: July 2023

The merge areas of freeway work zones include relatively significant safety hazards that have continuously led to urgent safety issues to be solved by the management departments. In order to make up for the cumbersome process of independent identification of rear-end collisions and lane change collisions on complex road sections, an appropriate identification method of traffic conflicts in the merge area of freeway work zone was explored, this study collected vehicle running tracking data from the merge areas of multiple work zones, using an unmanned aerial vehicle video technique. Based on an inter-frame difference method and the principle of a spatio-temporal context visual tracking algorithm, the vehicles were detected and tracked, and the coordinate data of the vehicles in continuous motion were parsed using MATLAB 2018b extension tools. Based on the behavior characteristics of vehicle conflict avoidance, a new identification method for evading severe traffic conflicts is proposed according to the initial velocity, acceleration, and accident rate of section traffic. Then, a statistical analysis was performed on the spatial distribution characteristics of the traffic conflicts in typical merge areas. The impacts of the road conditions in work zones, vehicle factors, and traffic flow factors on traffic conflicts were analyzed. A binomial logistic model was established to identify the main influencing factors. The results show that in the merge area of the freeway work zone, there are serious traffic conflicts between vehicles in the following two situations: (I) v∈[7,13.5] m/s and a∈[−3.96,−0.65] m/s2; and (Ⅱ) v∈[13.5,24.3] m/s, and a∈[−3.96,−1.57] m/s2. The probabilities of serious traffic conflicts in the first and last 25 m of the merge area are greater than those in the other sections. The smaller the space between the upstream work zone and the merge area, the greater the probability of serious traffic conflicts between vehicles. When the average vehicle speed is relatively high, the probability of serious conflicts is the highest, i.e., by a multiple of 5.95 from the baseline. Moreover, the probability of serious conflicts between vehicles is higher for larger vehicles, i.e., 4.765 times that for small vehicles. The research results can serve as a reference for freeway management departments to improve the safety levels of merge areas during road work. For example, the probability of serious conflicts can be effectively reduced by setting up reasonable speed limit signs in the work zone, increasing the spacing between the work zone and merge area, and appropriately diverting large vehicles.
Landslide Risk Mapping Using the Weight-of-Evidence Method in the Datong Mining Area, Qinghai Province
Authors: Yang He , Wu Qihong , Dong Jianhui , Xie Feihong , Zhang Qixue
Published: July 2023

Qinghai is rich in mineral resources, but frequent and large-scale mineral mining has caused secondary damage to the fragile primary surface and produced a large number of landslide disasters. In complex geological environments such as glacier ablation and frequent tectonic movements, a complete quantitative evaluation method for landslide risk in high-cold mining areas has not yet been formed. In view of this, this article uses the field survey and remote sensing data of the Datong mining area in Qinghai Province in 2012 as the basic data. We comprehensively considered five first-level factors (13 s-level factors) including topography, lithological structure, mining engineering activities, land use, and dynamic deformation as evaluation indicators for landslide susceptibility in mining areas, and used the Topographic Wetness Index (TWI) and the Human Engineering Activity Intensity (HEAI) to quantitatively estimate the hazard of landslide according to the landslide trigger mechanism. The weight-of-evidence approach was used for landslide hazard and risk mapping under different landslide--inducing conditions. The results indicate that the extremely high-hazard areas induced by human engineering activities account for 14% of the total area, and the extremely high-risk areas account for 13% of the total area in the Datong mining area, and the area of the extremely high-risk area is large; the landslide risk assessment mapping model constructed in this study can effectively evaluate the probability of slope instability caused by rainfall and human engineering activities. The effective value of the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve of the sensitivity assessment model reaches 0.863, and the evaluation results are consistent with reality; using the weight-of-evidence model for landslide risk assessment is more in line with the actual situation in alpine mining areas, and is more suitable for guiding landslide risk management and disaster prevention and mitigation in mining areas.
Antibody-Dependent Enhancement with a Focus on SARS-CoV-2 and Anti-Glycan Antibodies
Authors: Ziganshina Marina M. , Shilova Nadezhda V. , Khalturina Eugenia O. , Dolgushina Natalya V. , V. Borisevich Sergey , Yarotskaya Ekaterina L. , Bovin Nicolai V. , Sukhikh Gennady T.
Published: July 2023

Antibody-dependent enhancement (ADE) is a phenomenon where virus-specific antibodies paradoxically cause enhanced viral replication and/or excessive immune responses, leading to infection exacerbation, tissue damage, and multiple organ failure. ADE has been observed in many viral infections and is supposed to complicate the course of COVID-19. However, the evidence is insufficient. Since no specific laboratory markers have been described, the prediction and confirmation of ADE are very challenging. The only possible predictor is the presence of already existing (after previous infection) antibodies that can bind to viral epitopes and promote the disease enhancement. At the same time, the virus-specific antibodies are also a part of immune response against a pathogen. These opposite effects of antibodies make ADE research controversial. The assignment of immunoglobulins to ADE-associated or virus neutralizing is based on their affinity, avidity, and content in blood. However, these criteria are not clearly defined. Another debatable issue (rather terminological, but no less important) is that in most publications about ADE, all immunoglobulins produced by the immune system against pathogens are qualified as pre-existing antibodies, thus ignoring the conventional use of this term for natural antibodies produced without any stimulation by pathogens. Anti-glycan antibodies (AGA) make up a significant part of the natural immunoglobulins pool, and there is some evidence of their antiviral effect, particularly in COVID-19. AGA have been shown to be involved in ADE in bacterial infections, but their role in the development of ADE in viral infections has not been studied. This review focuses on pros and cons for AGA as an ADE trigger. We also present the results of our pilot studies, suggesting that AGAs, which bind to complex epitopes (glycan plus something else in tight proximity), may be involved in the development of the ADE phenomenon.
Seroprevalence of Alphaviruses (Togaviridae) among Urban Population in Nouakchott, Mauritania, West Africa
Authors: Abdoullah Bedia , Durand Guillaume André , Basco Leonardo K. , El Bara Ahmed , Bollahi Mohamed Abdallahi , Bosio Laurent , Geulen Manon , Briolant Sébastien , Boukhary Ali Ould Mohamed Salem
Published: July 2023

The presence of alphaviruses, such as chikungunya virus (CHIKV), has never been reported in Mauritania. We assessed the seroprevalence of CHIKV among Nouakchott residents. A cross-sectional study involving 1300 non-febrile patients consulting at the Nouakchott hospital center was conducted between January and June 2021. The presence of anti-CHIKV IgG and neutralizing antibodies against CHIKV, O’nyong-nyong virus (ONNV), and Semliki Forest virus (SFV) was determined by an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) and a serum neutralization test, respectively, and the associated risk factors were investigated. Of the 1300 study participants, serological evidence of previous exposure to CHIKV was observed in 37 individuals (2.8%). Sex, age, reported use of repellants, and bed net ownership and usage were not associated with CHIKV seropositivity. Our results showed the co-circulation of two other alphaviruses, ONNV and SFV, in Nouakchott in 30 (2.3%) individuals. This is the first study that documents the co-circulation of CHIKV, ONNV, and SFV in Mauritania, albeit at low prevalence. Surveillance and routine testing for alphaviruses and other arboviruses in symptomatic patients should be implemented in health facilities to assess the health burden associated with these viruses. Efforts should also be made to strengthen the vector control measures.