bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Clinical course of patients with hepatocellular carcinoma who experienced radiologic complete response after radioembolization
Authors: Moon Sungmo , Kim Gyoung Min , Won Jong Yun , Kwon Joon Ho , Park Juil , Han Kichang , Kim Man-Deuk , Kim Hyung Cheol , Kim Dong Kyu , Choi Jin Young
Published: January 2024

Purpose

The purpose of this study is to elucidate the patterns of recurrence of hepatocellular carcinoma and to analyze factors that can predict recurrence after complete response to radioembolization.

Materials and methods

A total of 289 consecutive patients who underwent radioembolization for the treatment of hepatocellular carcinoma at a single tertiary center were retrospectively reviewed. Baseline characteristics were collected and compared between the group showing complete response and the group showing noncomplete response. Data on recurrence status, time to recurrence, and the patterns of recurrence among the patients who showed radiologic complete response were collected. The group that maintained complete response and the group that experienced recurrence were compared, and the risk factors affecting recurrence were evaluated by logistic regression analysis.

Results

The complete response rate was 24.9% (73/289). Age, sex, tumor markers, maximum tumor diameter, multiplicity, presence of vascular invasion, and target radiation dose were significantly different between the complete response and noncomplete response groups. The recurrence rate after complete response was 38.4% (28/73), and 67.9% (19/28) of recurrences occurred by 8 months after complete response. Eight patients who underwent resection/transplantation after complete response experienced no recurrence. Multiple tumors and a lower target radiation dose were independent risk factors of recurrence after complete response in the multivariate logistic regression.

Conclusion

Hepatocellular carcinoma recurrence following complete response after radioembolization is not uncommon and frequently occurs within 1 year after complete response. Multiple tumors and a lower target radiation dose may be risk factors for recurrence.
Intraspecies competition among Salmonella enterica isolates in the lettuce leaf apoplast
Authors: Jacob Cristián , Student Joseph , Bridges David F. , Chu Weiping , Porwollik Steffen , McClelland Michael , Melotto Maeli
Published: January 2024

Multiple Salmonella enterica serovars and strains have been reported to be able to persist inside the foliar tissue of lettuce (Lactuca sativa L.), potentially resisting washing steps and reaching the consumer. Intraspecies variation of the bacterial pathogen and of the plant host can both significantly affect the outcome of foliar colonization. However, current understanding of the mechanisms underlying this phenomenon is still very limited. In this study, we evaluated the foliar fitness of 14 genetically barcoded S. enterica isolates from 10 different serovars, collected from plant and animal sources. The S. enterica isolates were vacuum-infiltrated individually or in pools into the leaves of three- to four-week-old lettuce plants. To estimate the survival capacity of individual isolates, we enumerated the bacterial populations at 0- and 10- days post-inoculation (DPI) and calculated their net growth. The competition of isolates in the lettuce apoplast was assessed through the determination of the relative abundance change of barcode counts of each isolate within pools during the 10 DPI experimental period. Isolates exhibiting varying apoplast fitness phenotypes were used to evaluate their capacity to grow in metabolites extracted from the lettuce apoplast and to elicit the reactive oxygen species burst immune response. Our study revealed that strains of S. enterica can substantially differ in their ability to survive and compete in a co-inhabited lettuce leaf apoplast. The differential foliar fitness observed among these S. enterica isolates might be explained, in part, by their ability to utilize nutrients available in the apoplast and to evade plant immune responses in this niche.
Transcriptomic and metabolomic changes in postharvest sugarbeet roots reveal widespread metabolic changes in storage and identify genes potentially responsible for respiratory sucrose loss
Authors: Fugate Karen K. , Eide John D. , Lafta Abbas M. , Tehseen Muhammad Massub , Chu Chenggen , Khan Mohamed F. R. , Finger Fernando L.
Published: January 2024

Endogenous metabolism is primarily responsible for losses in sucrose content and processing quality in postharvest sugarbeet roots. The genes responsible for this metabolism and the transcriptional changes that regulate it, however, are largely unknown. To identify genes and metabolic pathways that participate in postharvest sugarbeet root metabolism and the transcriptional changes that contribute to their regulation, transcriptomic and metabolomic profiles were generated for sugarbeet roots at harvest and after 12, 40 and 120 d storage at 5 and 12°C and gene expression and metabolite concentration changes related to storage duration or temperature were identified. During storage, 8656 genes, or 34% of all expressed genes, and 225 metabolites, equivalent to 59% of detected metabolites, were altered in expression or concentration, indicating extensive transcriptional and metabolic changes in stored roots. These genes and metabolites contributed to a wide range of cellular and molecular functions, with carbohydrate metabolism being the function to which the greatest number of genes and metabolites classified. Because respiration has a central role in postharvest metabolism and is largely responsible for sucrose loss in sugarbeet roots, genes and metabolites involved in and correlated to respiration were identified. Seventy-five genes participating in respiration were differentially expressed during storage, including two bidirectional sugar transporter SWEET17 genes that highly correlated with respiration rate. Weighted gene co-expression network analysis identified 1896 additional genes that positively correlated with respiration rate and predicted a pyruvate kinase gene to be a central regulator or biomarker for respiration rate. Overall, these results reveal the extensive and diverse physiological and metabolic changes that occur in stored sugarbeet roots and identify genes with potential roles as regulators or biomarkers for respiratory sucrose loss.
Genetic associations and potential mediators between psychiatric disorders and irritable bowel syndrome: a Mendelian randomization study with mediation analysis
Authors: Zhang Tao , Chen Yuzhu , Li Xiaoang , Zhang Jindong , Duan Liping
Published: January 2024

Objective

Potential causal associations between psychiatric disorders and irritable bowel syndrome have been demonstrated in observational studies; however, these studies are susceptible to underlying confounding and reverse causation biases. We aimed to assess the causal effects of psychiatric disorders on irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) and the potential mediators from a genetic perspective by conducting a Mendelian randomization (MR) study with mediation analysis.

Method

Genetic instruments associated with psychiatric disorders, potential mediators, and IBS were obtained from large-scale genome-wide association studies (GWAS). Three MR methods - the inverse-variance weighted (IVW) method, MR-Egger method, and weighted median method, were used to investigate causal association estimates. Heterogeneity among different genetic instrumental variables (IVs) was assessed using Q tests. Additionally, the MR-PRESSO and MR-Pleiotropy methods were used to verify horizontal pleiotropy and detect outliers that might bias the results, which were removed from further analysis. Consequently, we used MR mediation analysis to investigate potential mediators in the causal associations between psychiatric disorders and IBS.

Results

MR provided evidence of the causal effects of genetically predicted broad depression, major depressive disorder (MDD), anxiety disorder, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and schizophrenia on IBS. The results of MR mediation analysis demonstrated that the reduction in acetate levels mediated 12.6% of the effects of broad depression on IBS; insomnia mediated 16.00%, 16.20%, and 27.14% of the effects of broad depression, MDD, and PTSD on IBS, respectively; and the increase in blood β-hydroxybutyrate levels mediated 50.76% of the effects of schizophrenia on IBS.

Conclusion

Our study confirmed the brain-gut axis involvement and potential modulators in the pathophysiology of psychiatric disorder-induced IBS from a genetic perspective, and suggests potential therapeutic targets for the disrupted brain-gut axis.
Motivational telephone intervention to risk gamblers by a state-owned gambling operator in Sweden
Authors: Hakansson Anders , Franklin Katja , Dahlström Maria , Lyckberg Axel
Published: January 2024

Background and aims

Few studies have tested the effect of a motivational telephone intervention from a gambling operator to clients with high-risk gambling practices. This study aimed to study subsequent limit setting, self-exclusions and gambling post-intervention, compared to controls.

Methods

The study assessed a motivational, personalized telephone intervention by the state-owned Swedish gambling operator AB Svenska Spel within its subsection of sports, poker, online casino and bingo gambling. Clients successfully reached with the telephone intervention (n = 1,420) were compared to clients who could not be reached (n = 1,504). Gambling practices during 8 weeks pre-intervention were assessed, and outcome measures limit setting, self-exclusion, and gambling 4 weeks post-intervention.

Results

The telephone intervention was associated with increased limit settings (10 vs. 5 percent, p < 0.001), self-exclusions (11 vs. 8 percent, p < 0.01), lowered theoretical losses (p < 0.001), but not significantly associated with gambling abstinence (18 vs. 15 percent, p = 0.07). In unadjusted analyses of sub-groups, significant associations of the intervention with full gambling abstinence were seen in people who gamble on online casino/bingo (19 vs. 14 percent, p < 0.01), but not in sports bettors. In logistic regression, the intervention was not associated with full week 1–4 abstinence.

Conclusion

A personalized motivational telephone intervention to people displaying high-risk gambling, delivered by a gambling operator, is promising, and effects were seen on the uptake of responsible gambling tools post-intervention. Effects may be more pronounced in users of chance-based, online games, than in sports bettors.
Mental health literacy and seeking for professional help among secondary school students in Slovakia: a brief report
Authors: Sokolová Lenka
Published: January 2024

Secondary school students are at risk for mental health problems, especially nowadays, when we face an increase in mental health issues among adolescents and the general population. Mental health literacy (MHL) and help-seeking behavior are considered protective factors; however, we lack data on the levels of MHL in secondary school students and how MHL is developed in schools. This correlational and comparative study was designed to investigate mental health literacy (MHL) and help-seeking behavior among secondary school students in Slovakia. A convenient sample of 250 Slovak secondary school students responded to an anonymous online survey consisting of two scales (Mental Health Literacy Scale and Self-stigma of Seeking Help). Significant differences in mental health literacy (t(248) = 5.56; p ≤ 0.0) and stigma of seeking help (t(248) = −4.33; p ≤ 0.01) were observed between students in general and vocational secondary school. Students in general secondary school who attended optional psychology courses had the highest scores in mental health literacy (U = 987; p = 0.003). These preliminary findings showed that secondary students with a higher level of mental health literacy reported a lower level of self-stigmatization related to seeking professional mental health help (r = −0.339; p ≤ 0.01). Implementing mental health education into secondary school curricula can potentially help increase mental health literacy and decrease self-stigma of seeking help.
Exposure to volatile organic compounds is a risk factor for diabetes retinopathy: a cross-sectional study
Authors: Wang Zhi , Chen Dongjun , Peng Lingling , Wang Xian , Ding Qun , Li Liang , Xu Tongdao
Published: January 2024

Introduction

A few past experimental studies have indicated that exposure to volatile organic compounds (VOCs) might be a potential risk factor for diabetes retinopathy (DR). However, these findings lack substantial support from extensive epidemiological research. This large-scale cross-sectional study aimed to examine whether exposure to low levels of VOCs in the general population is associated with diabetes mellitus (DM) and DR.

Methods

The analytical data was from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) dataset (2011–2018). To minimize the potential impact of gender and age on the findings, propensity score matching was utilized to align the data selection. Relationships between blood VOCs and DM and DR were assessed in a sample of 2,932 adults using the logistic regression models. Additionally, Bayesian kernel machine regression (BKMR) models and Weighted Quantile Sum (WQS) were conducted for mixture exposure analysis.

Results

The result shows VOCs were positive associated with DM and DR in US adults, as assessed by WQS model, and the calculated odd ratios (ORs) [95% confidence interval (C.I)] were 53.91(34.11 ~ 85.22) and 7.38(3.65 ~ 14.92), respectively. Among the components of VOCs, 1,2-Dibromoethane, Carbon Tetrachloride and 2,5-Dimethylfuran were positive related with the DR, and ORs (95%C.I) were 2.91(2.29 ~ 3.70), 2.86(2.25 ~ 3.65) and 2.19(1.79 ~ 2.94), respectively. BKMR model shows that there was a dose–response relationship between combined VOCs and DR, although the relationship was non-linearly.

Conclusion

This study suggested that exposure to VOCs may increase the risk of DR, which had important public health implications.
Selection of extra-early white quality protein maize (Zea mays L.) inbred lines for drought and low soil nitrogen resilient hybrid production
Authors: Annor Benjamin , Badu-Apraku Baffour
Published: January 2024

In West and Central Africa (WCA), drought and low soil nitrogen (low N) impede increased maize (Zea mays L.) productivity and production. Due to climate change, the two stresses usually occur together, leading to food, nutritional, and economic insecurity in the sub-region. There is, therefore, the need for the development and availability of high-yielding extra-early maturing white Quality Protein Maize (QPM) synthetics and hybrids with resilience to the prevailing stresses through the identification of superior climate smart (extra-early maturing) QPM inbreds under stress (drought and low soil N) conditions. The study was conducted to identify stress-resilient QPM inbred lines for hybrid production and assess the association between grain yield and other studied characters. During the 2012 minor and major rainy seasons, 96 extra-early white QPM inbreds and four (4) normal endosperm maize inbred checks were assessed in multi-location trials under stress and optimal conditions in Nigeria. The experiments were laid out in a 10 × 10 simple lattice design with two replications. Data were recorded on grain yield and other agronomic traits. Significant variations (p < 0.01) were detected among the inbred lines for measured characters, indicating adequate genetic variability among the inbreds to allow for selection and improvement of grain yield and other measured traits. Grain yield was interrelated with all the traits used in the selection index. Moderate to high estimates of heritability were observed for most of the measured traits under stress conditions, indicating that the traits could be easily transmitted to the progenies. Fifty-seven out of the 96 QPM inbreds evaluated exhibited varying degrees of resilience to drought and low N. The QPM inbreds with desired traits may be used as genetic resources for the incorporation of tolerance genes into QPM populations in the tropics, as well as for the development of drought and low N resilient synthetics and hybrids in WCA.
Fecal and vaginal microbiota of vaccinated and non-vaccinated pregnant elk challenged with Brucella abortus
Authors: Tibbs-Cortes Bienvenido W. , Rahic-Seggerman Faith M. , Schmitz-Esser Stephan , Boggiatto Paola M. , Olsen Steven , Putz Ellie J.
Published: January 2024

Introduction

Brucella abortus is the causative agent of brucellosis in cattle and in humans, resulting in economic losses in the agricultural sector and representing a major threat to public health. Elk populations in the American Northwest are reservoirs for this bacterium and transmit the agent to domestic cattle herds. One potential strategy to mitigate the transmission of brucellosis by elk is vaccination of elk populations against B. abortus; however, elk appear to be immunologically distinct from cattle in their responses to current vaccination strategies. The differences in host response to B. abortus between cattle and elk could be attributed to differences between the cattle and elk innate and adaptive immune responses. Because species-specific interactions between the host microbiome and the immune system are also known to affect immunity, we sought to investigate interactions between the elk microbiome and B. abortus infection and vaccination.

Methods

We analyzed the fecal and vaginal microbial communities of B. abortus-vaccinated and unvaccinated elk which were challenged with B. abortus during the periparturient period.

Results

We observed that the elk fecal and vaginal microbiota are similar to those of other ruminants, and these microbial communities were affected both by time of sampling and by vaccination status. Notably, we observed that taxa representing ruminant reproductive tract pathogens tended to increase in abundance in the elk vaginal microbiome following parturition. Furthermore, many of these taxa differed significantly in abundance depending on vaccination status, indicating that vaccination against B. abortus affects the elk vaginal microbiota with potential implications for animal reproductive health.

Discussion

This study is the first to analyze the vaginal microbiota of any species of the genus Cervus and is also the first to assess the effects of B. abortus vaccination and challenge on the vaginal microbiome.
Fractional-Order Fuzzy PID Controller with Evolutionary Computation for an Effective Synchronized Gantry System
Authors: Mao Wei-Lung , Chen Sung-Hua , Kao Chun-Yu
Published: January 2024

Gantry-type dual-axis platforms can be used to move heavy loads or perform precision CNC work. Such gantry systems drive a single axis with two linear motors, and under heavy loads, a high driving force is required. This can generate a pulling force between the drive shafts in the coupling mechanism. In these situations, when a synchronization error becomes too large, mechanisms can become deformed or damaged, leading to damaged equipment, or in industrial settings, an additional power consumption. Effectively and accurately acquiring the synchronized movement of the platform is important to reduce energy consumption and optimize the system. In this study, a fractional-order fuzzy PID controller (FOFPID) using Oustaloup’s recursive filter is used to control a synchronous X–Y gantry-type platform. The optimized controller parameters are obtained by the measurement of control errors in a simulated environment. Four optimization methods are tested and compared: particle swarm optimization, invasive weed optimization, a gray wolf optimizer, and biogeography-based optimization. The systems were tested and compared in order to optimize the control parameters. Each of the four algorithms is simulated on four contour shapes: a circle, bow, heart, and star. The simulations and control scheme of the experiments are implemented using MATLAB, and the reference paths were planned using non-uniform rational B-splines (NURBS). After running the simulations to determine the optimal control parameters, each set of acquired control parameters is also tested and compared in the experiments and the results are recorded. Both the simulations and experiments show good results, and the tracking of the X–Y platform showed improved performance. Two performance indices are used to determine and validate the relative performance of the models and results.
Inflorescence Yield, Essential Oil Composition and Antioxidant Activity of Cannabis sativa L. cv ‘Futura 75’ in a Multilocation and On-Farm Study
Authors: Ascrizzi Roberta , Flamini Guido , Rossi Alessandro , Santini Andrea , Angelini Luciana G. , Tavarini Silvia
Published: January 2024

Industrial hemp (Cannabis sativa L.), being a multiharvest crop, can increase farm profitability and cropping system diversification, including in marginal areas. Since inflorescence essential oil (EO) represents a valuable co-product for cosmetics and pharmaceutical sectors, the aim of this study was to assess the effect of pedoclimatic conditions on the inflorescence yield. EO content, composition and antioxidant capacity of the monoecious variety ‘Futura 75’. So, on-farm trials were performed in central Italy at three sites (SL, LA and SPG), which differed in terms of soil (taxonomic classes; chemical and physical characteristics), microclimate conditions (rainfall and air temperatures) and agricultural value. The results highlighted how location specificities significantly influence crop performance. Strong differences in productive parameters were observed among the farms, with inflorescence yields ranging from 1.3 to 4.9 Mg ha−1, mainly depending on the differences between the maximum and minimum air temperatures (ΔT) since negative correlations were found. Similarly, the concentration of monoterpene and sesquiterpene hydrocarbons showed a reduction when ΔT during the studied period was higher; conversely, oxygenated sesquiterpenes showed an increment due to a higher ΔT. Only phenylpropanoids were affected by rainfall, showing a positive correlation. All these findings confirm that in hemp, satisfactory productions can be reached only by matching territorial suitability. The variability in EO’s characteristics suggests, in fact, that the “uniqueness” of the EOs derives from a combination of the pedological, climatic and agronomic variables of each site.
Transcriptomic and Physiological Responses of Qingye Ramie to Drought Stress
Authors: Liu Tongying , Fu Yafen , Li Guang , Wang Xin , Qu Xiaoxin , Wang Yanzhou , Zhu Siyuan
Published: January 2024

Qingye ramie is a multi-purpose crop, used as a feed ingredient in southern China, that is susceptible to drought. Qingye ramie was studied to investigate the effects of high temperatures and drought on its growthh. The results show that, after drought, ramie leaves turn yellow and that the height of the plant, the number of tillers, and its antioxidant activity decreased. To elucidate the molecular mechanism of drought tolerance, we performed RNA sequencing (RNA-seq) on drought-stressed samples and found that 3893 differentially expressed genes showed significant changes; 1497 genes were upregulated, and 2796 genes were downregulated. These genes were categorized into four metabolic pathways and were mainly enriched in plant hormone signal transcription, phenylpropanoid biosynthesis, amino sugar and nucleotide sugar metabolism, and starch and sucrose metabolism. Among these, we mapped the regulatory mechanism of Qingye ramie under drought and adversity. Of these, the expression of MAPK-related genes in the plant hormone pathway was the most significant. The expression of three MAPK serine/threonine protein kinase genes was upregulated by 2.62- to 3.45-fold and the expression of PP2C-related genes increased by 3.34- to 14.12-fold. The expression of PYR/PYL genes decreased significantly by 2.92–7.09-fold. Furthermore, in addition to NAC, ERF, MYB, bHLH, bZIP, C2H2, GeBP, and WRKY transcription factors that have been shown to regulate drought. Some other transcription factors, such as CCL, ASD, SAU, and SPS, were also up- or downregulated in Qingye ramie. Then, the samples were analyzed by qRT-PCR and the variations were consistent with the sequencing results. Consequently, we suggest that the changes after drought stress in green-leaf ramie may be regulated by these transcription factors. Further studies can be carried out in the future, which will provide valuable and important information on the plant’s drought resistance mechanism and deepen our understanding of the mechanisms of drought resistance in Qingye ramie.
Fruitlet Freeze Tolerance in Peach Germplasm
Authors: Caglar Ufuk , Lawton John Mark , Melgar Juan Carlos , Gasic Ksenija
Published: January 2024

Climate change is affecting the production of temperate fruit crops. Freeze damage, particularly in spring, has resulted in significant economic losses in peach production in the southeastern United States. Research efforts in peach and other Prunus species have primarily focused on dormancy-related traits associated with bloom time, such as chill and heat requirement, with fruitlet freeze tolerance not equally represented. This study reports fruitlet freeze tolerance in 75 peach and nectarine accessions at six freezing temperatures (0 to −10 °C) using electrolyte leakage method over two seasons (2022–2023). Fruitlet freeze tolerance ranged from −3.9 to −10.2 °C with an estimated freeze damage ranging from 16–48% of fruitlet tissue with the majority of the accessions showing tolerance to cold temperatures in the −4 to −6 °C and 25–35% range. Variability in tolerance was noted across years, including some inconsistencies between tolerance group assignments. Grouping based on the estimated damage showed better stability and some accessions changed their grouping from the extremes to an intermediate tolerance group. Interestingly, nectarine accessions were among the most tolerant in both seasons. Broad-sense heritability of 0.52 and 0.85, estimated for freeze tolerance and % tissue damage, respectively, suggested genetic control of this trait with a potential for improvement via breeding.
Optimized Nitrogen Fertilization Promoted Soil Organic Carbon Accumulation by Increasing Microbial Necromass Carbon in Potato Continuous Cropping Field
Authors: Lv Huidan , He Ping , Zhao Shicheng
Published: January 2024

The form and distribution of organic carbon in soil affect its stability and storage, and nitrogen (N) fertilization can affect the transformation and accumulation of soil organic carbon (SOC), whereas how the N fertilizer rate affects SOC storage by regulating its fractions in a potato continuous cropping system is unknown. A 6-year field experiment was conducted to study the effect of different N fertilizer rates (NE (Nutrient Expert) –N, NE–1/2N, NE, and NE+1/2N) on the changes in SOC and its fractions in a potato continuous cropping system in North China. Soil NO3−-N gradually increased with increasing N fertilizer rates, whereas the N fertilizer rate had less effect on NH4+-N. Compared with the NE−N treatment, the increasing N fertilization increased the SOC and its components, whereas these C fractions did not continue to increase or began to decrease after N fertilization exceeded the rate applied in the NE treatment. While the increase in mineral-associated organic C (MAOC; 16.1–17.2% and 26.1–52.7% in the 0–20 cm and 20–40 cm layers, respectively) was greater than that of particulate organic C (POC; 3.7–7.4% and 11.5–16.4% in the 0–20 cm and 20–40 cm layers, respectively), the increase in bacterial necromass C (BNC; 9.2–21.8% and 28.9–40.4% in the 0–20 cm and 20–40 cm layers, respectively) was greater than that of fungal necromass C (FNC; 6.2–10.1% and 7.1–24.9% in the 0–20 cm and 20–40 cm layers, respectively). Furthermore, the increase in FNC was greater than that of BNC in the 20–40 cm layer of the same treatment. SOC was significantly and positively correlated with MAOC and FNC, and the correlation between SOC and both MNC and FNC was more significant in the 20–40 cm layer than in the 0–20 cm layer. Overall, in the potato continuous cropping system in North China, N fertilization improved SOC storage by increasing MNC to form MAOC, and optimizing N fertilization based on the NE system could better balance the increase and mineralization loss of SOC to achieve high SOC sequestration.
Analysing the Influence of Macroeconomic Factors on Credit Risk in the UK Banking Sector
Authors: Sharma Hemlata , Andhalkar Aparna , Ajao Oluwaseun , Ogunleye Bayode
Published: January 2024

Macroeconomic factors have a critical impact on banking credit risk, which cannot be directly controlled by banks, and therefore, there is a need for an early credit risk warning system based on the macroeconomy. By comparing different predictive models (traditional statistical and machine learning algorithms), this study aims to examine the macroeconomic determinants’ impact on the UK banking credit risk and assess the most accurate credit risk estimate using predictive analytics. This study found that the variance-based multi-split decision tree algorithm is the most precise predictive model with interpretable, reliable, and robust results. Our model performance achieved 95% accuracy and evidenced that unemployment and inflation rate are significant credit risk predictors in the UK banking context. Our findings provided valuable insights such as a positive association between credit risk and inflation, the unemployment rate, and national savings, as well as a negative relationship between credit risk and national debt, total trade deficit, and national income. In addition, we empirically showed the relationship between national savings and non-performing loans, thus proving the “paradox of thrift”. These findings benefit the credit risk management team in monitoring the macroeconomic factors’ thresholds and implementing critical reforms to mitigate credit risk.
Research Advances on Swine Acute Diarrhea Syndrome Coronavirus
Authors: Liu Chuancheng , Huang Weili , He Xinyan , Feng Zhihua , Chen Qi
Published: January 2024

Swine acute diarrhea syndrome coronavirus (SADS-CoV) is a virulent pathogen that causes acute diarrhea in piglets. The virus was first discovered in Guangdong Province, China, in 2017 and has since emerged in Jiangxi, Fujian, and Guangxi Provinces. The outbreak exhibited a localized and sporadic pattern, with no discernable temporal continuity. The virus can infect human progenitor cells and demonstrates considerable potential for cross-species transmission, representing a potential risk for zoonotic transmission. Therefore, continuous surveillance of and comprehensive research on SADS-CoV are imperative. This review provides an overview of the temporal and evolutionary features of SADS-CoV outbreaks, focusing on the structural characteristics of the virus, which serve as the basis for discussing its potential for interspecies transmission. Additionally, the review summarizes virus–host interactions, including the effects on host cells, as well as apoptotic and autophagic behaviors, and discusses prevention and treatment modalities for this viral infection.
Research on Automatic Recognition of Dairy Cow Daily Behaviors Based on Deep Learning
Authors: Yu Rongchuan , Wei Xiaoli , Liu Yan , Yang Fan , Shen Weizheng , Gu Zhixin
Published: January 2024

Dairy cow behavior carries important health information. Timely and accurate detection of behaviors such as drinking, feeding, lying, and standing is meaningful for monitoring individual cows and herd management. In this study, a model called Res-DenseYOLO is proposed for accurately detecting the individual behavior of dairy cows living in cowsheds. Specifically, a dense module was integrated into the backbone network of YOLOv5 to strengthen feature extraction for actual cowshed environments. A CoordAtt attention mechanism and SioU loss function were added to enhance feature learning and training convergence. Multi-scale detection heads were designed to improve small target detection. The model was trained and tested on 5516 images collected from monitoring videos of a dairy cowshed. The experimental results showed that the performance of Res-DenseYOLO proposed in this paper is better than that of Fast-RCNN, SSD, YOLOv4, YOLOv7, and other detection models in terms of precision, recall, and mAP metrics. Specifically, Res-DenseYOLO achieved 94.7% precision, 91.2% recall, and 96.3% mAP, outperforming the baseline YOLOv5 model by 0.7%, 4.2%, and 3.7%, respectively. This research developed a useful solution for real-time and accurate detection of dairy cow behaviors with video monitoring only, providing valuable behavioral data for animal welfare and production management.
Exploiting the Value of Active and Multifunctional Façade Technology through the IoT and AI
Authors: Giovanardi Matteo , Baietta Alessia , Belletti Francesco , Magnani Sara , Casadei Oscar , Pracucci Alessandro
Published: January 2024

In recent years, the interest in multifunctional façade (MF) technology has increased significantly. Recent advances in the integration of active and passive technologies have led to a new concept of building skins with highly flexible and decentralized control. Such an approach is considered capable of tackling environmental challenges and enhancing indoor environmental quality (IEQ). Integrated HVAC systems, dynamic blinds, and renewable energy systems can drastically increase façade responsiveness and efficiency. Although the technical feasibility of active and MF technology has already been demonstrated, market applications are still limited. The goal of this paper is to define the state of the art of MFs and clarify how the integration of IoT technologies, supported by AI, can increase market interest by fully exploiting the value of these systems. Indeed, recent advances in the IoT and data analysis tools are opening up attractive scenarios in optimization process. Starting with an overview of the most interesting EU-funded projects, this paper presents a MF case study in which IoT infrastructures are fully integrated. The prototype, realized within the MEZeroE Horizon project, stimulates a debate on future trajectories (and gaps) for the marketability of MF.
Trajectory Planning of Shape-Following Laser Cleaning Robot for the Aircraft Radar Radome Coating
Authors: Zeng Zhen , Jiang Chengzhao , Ding Shanting , Li Qinyang , Zhai Zhongsheng , Chen Daizhe
Published: January 2024

At present, aircraft radome coating cleaning mainly relies on manual and chemical methods. In view of this situation, this study presents a trajectory planning method based on a three-dimensional (3D) surface point cloud for a laser-enabled coating cleaning robot. An automated trajectory planning scheme is proposed to utilize 3D laser scanning to acquire point cloud data and avoid the dependence on traditional teaching–playback paradigms. A principal component analysis (PCA) algorithm incorporating additional principal direction determination for point cloud alignment is introduced to facilitate subsequent point cloud segmentation. The algorithm can adjust the coordinate system and align with the desired point cloud segmentation direction efficiently and conveniently. After preprocessing and coordinate system adjustment of the point cloud, a projection-based point cloud segmentation technique is proposed, enabling the slicing division of the point cloud model and extraction of cleaning target positions from each slice. Subsequently, the normal vectors of the cleaning positions are estimated, and trajectory points are biased along these vectors to determine the end effector’s orientation. Finally, B-spline curve fitting and layered smooth connection methods are employed to generate the cleaning path. Experimental results demonstrate that the proposed method offers efficient and precise trajectory planning for the aircraft radar radome coating laser cleaning and avoids the need for a prior teaching process so it could enhance the automation level in coating cleaning tasks.
Bayesian-Based Approach for the Thermographic Measurement of Flow Transition on Wind Turbine Rotor Blades
Authors: Dieckmann Jakob , Dorszewski Caroline , Balaresque Nicholas , von Freyberg Axel , Fischer Andreas
Published: January 2024

The position of the laminar–turbulent flow transition affects the aerodynamic efficiency of wind turbine rotor blades. An established diagnostic tool is infrared thermography, which enables flow visualization on in-service wind turbines, including the detection of the flow transition position. For the first time, the capabilities of a Bayesian-based image evaluation on the basis of previous knowledge are investigated for maximizing the measurement quality in particular for those weather conditions with a low contrast-to-noise ratio. The Bayesian framework is assessed using simulated and measured thermographic images, incorporating a probability distribution of the transition position. Results indicate that utilizing previous knowledge, especially when normally distributed around the true transition position with a standard deviation of 3 px, significantly reduces uncertainty for thermographic images with a contrast-to-noise ratio <7. Additionally, the Bayesian framework enhances the visualization of transition progression along the radial blade axis, yielding a less noisy result. Previous experimental data can be used to reduce uncertainty for erroneous transition position detections. In conclusion, the integration of high-quality previous knowledge through Bayesian inference proves to be effective in lowering the uncertainty of the position measurement of the laminar–turbulent transition on wind turbine rotor blades, with no compromise of the spatiotemporal resolution.
Polarization-Sensitive Quantum Optical Coherence Tomography: Birefringence Profiles of Biological Samples
Authors: Sukharenko Vitaly , Dorsinville Roger
Published: January 2024

Polarization-sensitive quantum optical coherence tomography (PS-QOCT) is used to image and characterize birefringence effects in biological samples. Entangled photons are generated via spontaneous parametric down-conversion and split into a reference arm and a sample arm of a Mach Zehnder interferometer. Interferometric patterns between two entangled photons reveal information about tissue birefringence. Biological tissue samples are imaged and characterized, and their quantum interference patterns and birefringence profiles are presented.
Fluorescence In Situ Hybridization-Based Chromosome Aberration Analysis Unveils the Mechanistic Basis for Boron-Neutron Capture Therapy’s Radiobiological Effectiveness
Authors: Elia Valerio Cosimo , Fede Francesca , Bortolussi Silva , Cansolino Laura , Ferrari Cinzia , Formicola Emilia , Postuma Ian , Manti Lorenzo
Published: January 2024

Boron-Neutron Capture Therapy (BNCT) is a tumor-selective radiotherapy, based on the nuclear capture reaction 10B(n,α)7Li producing short range α-particles and recoiling 7Li nuclei exclusively confined to boron-enriched cancer cells. These particles possess high Linear Energy Transfer (LET) and mainly generate clustered DNA strand breaks, which are less faithfully restored by intracellular repair. Mis-rejoined breaks yield chromosome aberrations (CAs), which, for high-LET radiation, are more complex in nature than after sparsely ionizing photons/electrons used in conventional radiotherapy, which leads to increased cell-killing ability. However, such a radiobiological tenet of BNCT has been scantily studied at the DNA level. Therefore, the aim of this work was to evaluate CAs induced by BNCT in comparison to X-rays in genomically stable normal human epithelial mammary MCF10A cells. Two Fluorescence In Situ Hybridization (FISH)-based techniques were applied to calyculin A-induced prematurely condensed chromosomes: Whole Chromosome Painting and multicolor(m)-FISH. Not only did BNCT induce a greater CA frequency than X-ray irradiation, but m-FISH karyotype-wide analysis confirmed that CAs following BNCT exhibited a much higher degree of complexity compared to X-rays. To our knowledge, this is the first time that such evidence supporting the radiobiological superiority of BNCT has been shown.
Vehicle Trajectory Reconstruction Using Lagrange-Interpolation-Based Framework
Authors: Wang Jizhao , Liang Yunyi , Tang Jinjun , Wu Zhizhou
Published: January 2024

Vehicle trajectory usually suffers from a large number of outliers and observation noises. This paper proposes a novel framework for reconstructing vehicle trajectories. The framework integrates the wavelet transform, Lagrange interpolation and Kalman filtering. The wavelet transform based on waveform decomposition in the time and frequency domain is used to identify the abnormal frequency of a trajectory. Lagrange interpolation is used to estimate the value of data points after outliers are removed. This framework improves computation efficiency in data segmentation. The Kalman filter uses normal and predicted data to obtain reasonable results, and the algorithm makes an optimal estimation that has a better denoising effect. The proposed framework is compared with a baseline framework on the trajectory data in the NGSIM dataset. The experimental results showed that the proposed framework can achieve a 45.76% lower root mean square error, 26.43% higher signal-to-noise ratio and 25.58% higher Pearson correlation coefficient.
Atomic and Electronic Structure of Metal–Salen Complexes [M(Salen)], Their Polymers and Composites Based on Them with Carbon Nanostructures: Review of X-ray Spectroscopy Studies
Authors: Korusenko Petr M. , Petrova Olga V. , Vinogradov Alexander S.
Published: January 2024

Currently, electrically conductive polymers based on transition metal complexes [M(Salen)], as well as their composites, are among the systems showing promise as catalysts, electrochromic and electroluminescent materials, and electrodes for energy storage (for batteries and supercapacitors). The current review focuses on elucidating the atomic and electronic structure of metal–salen complexes, their polymers, and composites with nanostructured carbon (carbon nanotubes and graphene) using modern X-ray spectroscopy methods (X-ray photoelectron (XPS) and valence-band photoemission (VB PES) spectroscopy, as well as near-edge (NEXAFS) and extended (EXAFS) X-ray absorption fine structure spectroscopy). We trust that this review will be of valuable assistance to researchers working in the field of synthesizing and characterizing metal–salen complexes and composites based on them.
Traffic and Industrial Contributions of Particle-Bound PAHs during an Air Pollution Event in the Metropolitan Area of Medellin-Colombia: Inhalation Intake Risk during Pregnancy
Authors: Narváez-Valderrama Jhon Fredy , Alzate-B Sandra Viviana , Correa-Gil Vanessa , García-L Juan José , Bedoya-Soto Juan Mauricio , Molina-P Francisco José , Pauta-Calle Gladys Guillermina , Vázquez-Guillén Gabriela Belén , Ramos-Contreras Carlos D.
Published: January 2024

Air pollution includes particle-bound polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), which eventually reach the placenta, triggering adverse perinatal outcomes through long-term exposure. Lately, air pollution has increased over the Metropolitan Area of Medellin-Colombia (MAMC), but its effects on pregnancy are still unknown. In this research, a real-time analysis of total airborne PAHs was made using a photoelectric sensor for residential places influenced by the industrial and traffic sources affecting the southern and northern MAMC during the second peak of the bimodal tendency for PM2.5 emissions in this region. Additionally, individual PAHs were analyzed by GC/MS coupled with pressurized hot water extraction methodology. The data were applied using an inhalation intake model to assess pregnancy exposure. The average concentration of PAHs in the southern MAMC was three times higher than in the northern MAMC, where the missed abortion rate has been 1.4 times higher according to the database. Previous research indicates that PAHs act as endocrine-disrupting chemicals (EDCs) during pregnancy and that even heavy congeners could reside in umbilical cord blood. Finally, the annual series of missed abortion rates in the MAMC exhibited a significant correlation with the annual average levels of PM2.5, which were associated with PAHs through correlation analysis (r2 = 0.69, p < 0.01). While this significant correlation does not imply causality, our results suggest an important connection between both variables, opening a gap for a deeper understanding of how regions with high PAH convergence influence the missed abortion rates in MAMC.
Randomly Stopped Minimum, Maximum, Minimum of Sums and Maximum of Sums with Generalized Subexponential Distributions
Authors: Karasevičienė Jūratė , Šiaulys Jonas
Published: January 2024

In this paper, we find conditions under which distribution functions of randomly stopped minimum, maximum, minimum of sums and maximum of sums belong to the class of generalized subexponential distributions. The results presented in this article complement the closure properties of randomly stopped sums considered in the authors’ previous work. In this work, as in the previous one, the primary random variables are supposed to be independent and real-valued, but not necessarily identically distributed. The counting random variable describing the stopping moment of random structures is supposed to be nonnegative, integer-valued and not degenerate at zero. In addition, it is supposed that counting random variable and the sequence of the primary random variables are independent. At the end of the paper, it is demonstrated how randomly stopped structures can be applied to the construction of new generalized subexponential distributions.
Two New Tests for the Relationships of Stochastic Dominance
Authors: Zhuang Weiwei , He Haowei , Qiu Guoxin
Published: January 2024

To test the relationships of stochastic dominance, this paper firstly proposes two new consistent K-S-type statistics based on a quantile rule. Then, we consider their asymptotic properties. We introduce the bootstrap method to calculate the p-values of our proposed tests and use the Monte Carlo method to compare the power of our proposed test with the DD test and the BD test. The simulations showed that our test performed better than these two tests. Finally, we applied our proposed tests to compare the visibility of four provinces in China and compared the effects with the DD test and BD test. The empirical results showed that the conclusions of our proposed method are more-consistent with the dominance relationships of the four provinces. For a given significance level, the results of our proposed test demonstrate that the visibility of Jiangxi province is the best. The next one is the visibility of Hubei province, which outperforms the visibility of Anhui province. The visibility of Hunan province is the poorest.
Jensen Δn1 Reals by Means of ZFC and Second-Order Peano Arithmetic
Authors: Kanovei Vladimir , Lyubetsky Vassily
Published: January 2024

It was established by Jensen in 1970 that there is a generic extension L[a] of the constructible universe L by a non-constructible real a∉L, minimal over L, such that a is Δ31 in L[a]. Our first main theorem generalizes Jensen’s result by constructing, for each n≥2, a generic extension L[a] by a non-constructible real a∉L, still minimal over L, such that a is Δn+11 in L[a] but all Σn1 reals are constructible in L[a]. Jensen’s forcing construction has found a number of applications in modern set theory. A problem was recently discussed as to whether Jensen’s construction can be reproduced entirely by means of second-order Peano arithmetic PA2, or, equivalently, ZFC− (minus the power set axiom). The obstacle is that the proof of the key CCC property (whether by Jensen’s original argument or the later proof using the diamond technique) essentially involves countable elementary submodels of Lω2, which is way beyond ZFC−. We demonstrate how to circumvent this difficulty by means of killing only definable antichains in the course of a Jensen-like transfinite construction of the forcing notion, and then use this modification to define a model with a minimal Δn+11 real as required as a class-forcing extension of a model of ZFC− plus V=L.