bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The amyloid imaging for the prevention of Alzheimer's disease consortium: A European collaboration with global impact
Authors: Collij Lyduine E. , Farrar Gill , Valléz García David , Bader Ilona , Shekari Mahnaz , Lorenzini Luigi , Pemberton Hugh , Altomare Daniele , Pla Sandra , Loor Mery , Markiewicz Pawel , Yaqub Maqsood , Buckley Christopher , Frisoni Giovanni B. , Nordberg Agneta , Payoux Pierre , Stephens Andrew , Gismondi Rossella , Visser Pieter Jelle , Ford Lisa , Schmidt Mark , Birck Cindy , Georges Jean , Mett Anja , Walker Zuzana , Boada Mercé , Drzezga Alexander , Vandenberghe Rik , Hanseeuw Bernard , Jessen Frank , Schöll Michael , Ritchie Craig , Lopes Alves Isadora , Gispert Juan Domingo , Barkhof Frederik
Published: January 2023

Background

Amyloid-β (Aβ) accumulation is considered the earliest pathological change in Alzheimer's disease (AD). The Amyloid Imaging to Prevent Alzheimer's Disease (AMYPAD) consortium is a collaborative European framework across European Federation of Pharmaceutical Industries Associations (EFPIA), academic, and ‘Small and Medium-sized enterprises’ (SME) partners aiming to provide evidence on the clinical utility and cost-effectiveness of Positron Emission Tomography (PET) imaging in diagnostic work-up of AD and to support clinical trial design by developing optimal quantitative methodology in an early AD population.

The AMYPAD studies

In the Diagnostic and Patient Management Study (DPMS), 844 participants from eight centres across three clinical subgroups (245 subjective cognitive decline, 342 mild cognitive impairment, and 258 dementia) were included. The Prognostic and Natural History Study (PNHS) recruited pre-dementia subjects across 11 European parent cohorts (PCs). Approximately 1600 unique subjects with historical and prospective data were collected within this study. PET acquisition with [18F]flutemetamol or [18F]florbetaben radiotracers was performed and quantified using the Centiloid (CL) method.

Results

AMYPAD has significantly contributed to the AD field by furthering our understanding of amyloid deposition in the brain and the optimal methodology to measure this process. Main contributions so far include the validation of the dual-time window acquisition protocol to derive the fully quantitative non-displaceable binding potential (BPND), assess the value of this metric in the context of clinical trials, improve PET-sensitivity to emerging Aβ burden and utilize its available regional information, establish the quantitative accuracy of the Centiloid method across tracers and support implementation of quantitative amyloid-PET measures in the clinical routine.

Future steps

The AMYPAD consortium has succeeded in recruiting and following a large number of prospective subjects and setting up a collaborative framework to integrate data across European PCs. Efforts are currently ongoing in collaboration with ARIDHIA and ADDI to harmonize, integrate, and curate all available clinical data from the PNHS PCs, which will become openly accessible to the wider scientific community.
Why are western diet and western lifestyle pro-inflammatory risk factors of celiac disease?
Authors: Skoracka Kinga , Hryhorowicz Szymon , Rychter Anna Maria , Ratajczak Alicja Ewa , Szymczak-Tomczak Aleksandra , Zawada Agnieszka , Słomski Ryszard , Dobrowolska Agnieszka , Krela-Kaźmierczak Iwona
Published: January 2023

The prevalence of celiac disease increased in recent years. In addition to the genetic and immunological factors, it appears that environmental determinants are also involved in the pathophysiology of celiac disease. Gastrointestinal infections impact the development of celiac disease. Current research does not directly confirm the protective effect of natural childbirth and breastfeeding on celiac disease. However, it seems that in genetically predisposed children, the amount of gluten introduced into the diet may have an impact on celiac disease development. Also western lifestyle, including western dietary patterns high in fat, sugar, and gliadin, potentially may increase the risk of celiac disease due to changes in intestinal microbiota, intestinal permeability, or mucosal inflammation. Further research is needed to expand the knowledge of the relationship between environmental factors and the development of celiac disease to define evidence-based preventive interventions against the development of celiac disease. The manuscript summarizes current knowledge on factors predisposing to the development of celiac disease including factors associated with the western lifestyle.
Preoperative controlling nutritional status score (CONUT) predicts postoperative complications of patients with bronchiectasis after lung resections
Authors: Cai Yong-sheng , Li Xin-yang , Ye Xin , Li Xin , Fu Yi-li , Hu Bin , Li Hui , Miao Jin-bai
Published: January 2023

Background

The Controlled Nutritional Status (CONUT) score is a valid scoring system for assessing nutritional status and has been shown to correlate with clinical outcomes in many surgical procedures; however, no studies have reported a correlation between postoperative complications of bronchiectasis and the preoperative CONUT score. This study aimed to evaluate the value of the CONUT score in predicting postoperative complications in patients with bronchiectasis.

Methods

We retrospectively analyzed patients with localized bronchiectasis who underwent lung resection at our hospital between April 2012 and November 2021. The optimal nutritional scoring system was determined by receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves and incorporated into multivariate logistic regression. Finally, independent risk factors for postoperative complications were determined by univariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses.

Results

A total of 240 patients with bronchiectasis were included, including 101 males and 139 females, with an average age of 49.83 ± 13.23 years. Postoperative complications occurred in 59 patients (24.6%). The incidence of complications, postoperative hospital stay and drainage tube indwelling time were significantly higher in the high CONUT group than in the low CONUT group. After adjusting for sex, BMI, smoking history, lung function, extent of resection, intraoperative blood loss, surgical approach and operation time, multivariate analysis showed that the CONUT score remained an independent risk factor for postoperative complications after bronchiectasis.

Conclusions

The preoperative CONUT score is an independent predictor of postoperative complications in patients with localized bronchiectasis.
Functional and postoperative outcomes after high-intensity interval training in lung cancer patients: A systematic review and meta-analysis
Authors: Chen Zihao , Jia Junqiang , Gui Dongmei , Liu Feng , Li Jun , Tu Jiayuan
Published: January 2023

Objective

The study evaluated the effects of high-intensity interval training (HIIT) on postoperative complications and lung function in patients with lung cancer compared to usual care.

Methods

We searched electronic databases in April 2022, including PubMed, Embase, the Cochrane Library, Web of Science, and the China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI). Two authors independently applied the Cochrane Risk of Bias tool to assess the quality of RCTs. The postoperative complications, length of hospitalization, and cardiopulmonary functions from the studies were pooled for statistical analysis.

Results

A total of 12 randomized controlled trials were eligible for inclusion and were conducted in the meta-analysis. HIIT significantly increased VO2peak (MD = 2.65; 95% CI = 1.70 to 3.60; I2 = 40%; P <0.001) and FEV1 (MD = 0.12; 95% CI = 0.04 to 0.20; I2 = 51%; P = 0.003) compared with usual care. A subgroup analysis of studies that applied HIIT perioperatively showed significant improvement of HIIT on FEV1 (MD = 0.14; 95% CI = 0.08 to 0.20; I2 = 36%; P <0.0001). HIIT significantly reduced the incidence of postoperative atelectasis in lung cancer patients compared with usual care (RD = −0.16; 95% CI = −0.24 to −0.08; I2 = 24%; P <0.0001). There was no statistically significant effect of HIIT on postoperative arrhythmias (RD = −0.05; 95% CI = −0.13 to 0.03; I2 = 40%; P = 0.22), length of hospitalization (MD = −1.64; 95% CI = −3.29 to 0.01; P = 0.05), and the six-minute walk test (MD = 19.77; 95% CI = −15.25 to 54.80; P = 0.27) compared to usual care.

Conclusion

HIIT may enhance VO2peak and FEV1 in lung cancer patients and reduce the incidence of postoperative atelectasis. However, HIIT may not reduce the incidence of postoperative arrhythmia, shorten the length of hospitalization, or improve the exercise performance of patients with lung cancer.

Systematic review registration

PROSPERO, CRD42022335441
Case report: Posterior reversible encephalopathy syndrome, an adverse effect of lenvatinib and pembrolizumab combination therapy, in a patient with advanced endometrial cancer
Authors: Matsuura Yuki , Nishida Haruka , Kosaka Takashi , Shigekawa Kazuyuki , Takasaki Kazuki , Ichinose Takayuki , Hirano Mana , Hiraike Haruko , Nagasaka Kazunori
Published: January 2023

Background

Lenvatinib-pembrolizumab combination (LEAP) is an approved therapy in Japan for advanced endometrial cancer, based on the data from the KEYNOTE-775 clinical trial. We report a case of posterior reversible encephalopathy syndrome (PRES) in a patient who received LEAP therapy for advanced endometrial cancer.

Case presentation

A 53-year-old patient with stage IVB endometrial cancer having rectal metastases, after four cycles of paclitaxel-carboplatin therapy, was found to have increased rectal invasion, peritoneal dissemination, and multiple paraaortic lymph node metastases. She was treated with LEAP therapy and discharged on day 12 without adverse events, except for mild anemia on day 11 of treatment. She was carefully managed in the outpatient department, but on day 18, she was admitted to the emergency department with severely impaired consciousness and generalized seizures. Computed tomography of the head and lumbar tap showed no abnormal findings, and the seizures resolved with anticonvulsant medication alone. Based on a thorough physical examination and findings on magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), which showed high signal intensity in the left occipital lobe, encephalopathy, rather than encephalitis, was the likely diagnosis. Symptomatic improvement was observed, and pembrolizumab monotherapy was resumed.

Conclusions

If consciousness is impaired during LEAP treatment, it is necessary to differentiate between immunogenic encephalitis caused by pembrolizumab or encephalopathy caused by lenvatinib. MRI and lumbar tap can help in distinguishing between the two and diagnosing the responsible drug.
Pretreatment glasgow prognostic score predicts survival among patients administered first-line atezolizumab plus carboplatin and etoposide for small cell lung cancer
Authors: Wasamoto Satoshi , Imai Hisao , Tsuda Takeshi , Nagai Yoshiaki , Minemura Hiroyuki , Yamada Yutaka , Umeda Yukihiro , Kishikawa Takayuki , Shiono Ayako , Kozu Yuki , Shiihara Jun , Yamaguchi Ou , Mouri Atsuto , Kaira Kyoichi , Kanazawa Kenya , Taniguchi Hirokazu , Kaburagi Takayuki , Minato Koichi , Kagamu Hiroshi
Published: January 2023

Background

There are no established predictive biomarkers for the effectiveness of first-line atezolizumab plus carboplatin and etoposide therapy in patients with small-cell lung cancer (SCLC). Therefore, the current study aimed to investigate whether the Glasgow prognostic score (GPS), neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR), and body mass index (BMI) can predict the effectiveness of first-line atezolizumab plus carboplatin and etoposide therapy in patients with extensive-disease SCLC.

Methods

We reviewed data from 84 patients who received first-line atezolizumab plus carboplatin and etoposide therapy for SCLC at nine Japanese institutions between August 2019 and May 2021. Further, we evaluated the prognostic value of the GPS, NLR, and BMI. The Kaplan–Meier and Cox proportional hazard models were used to examine differences in progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS). Moreover, the GPS, NLR, and BMI consisted of C-reactive protein and albumin concentrations, neutrophil and lymphocyte counts, and body weight and height, respectively.

Results

The response rate was 72.6% (95% confidence interval: 63.0–82.1%). The median PFS and OS from the initiation of treatment were 5.4 (95% CI: 4.9–5.9) months and 15.4 (95% CI: 11.4–16.8) months, respectively. The GPS independently predicted the effectiveness of first-line atezolizumab plus carboplatin and etoposide treatment, as a favorable GPS (GPS 0–1) was correlated with significantly better PFS and OS rates compared to a poor GPS (GPS 2) (PFS: 5.8 vs. 3.8 months, p = 0.0005; OS: 16.5 vs. 8.4 months, p<0.0001).

Conclusions

This is the first analysis to evaluate the association between the GPS, NLR, and BMI and the treatment effectiveness of survival among patients receiving first-line atezolizumab plus carboplatin and etoposide therapy for SCLC. Among patients receiving this treatment for SCLC, GPS was significantly associated with the PFS and OS rates, suggesting that GPS might be useful for evaluating therapeutic outcomes in these patients.
The prognostic value of tumor-associated macrophages detected by immunostaining in diffuse large B cell lymphoma: A meta-analysis
Authors: Lin Mei , Ma Shupei , Sun Lingling , Qin Zhiqiang
Published: January 2023

Background

The prognostic implication of tumor-associated macrophages (TAMs) in the microenvironment of diffuse large B cell lymphoma (DLBCL) remains controversial.

Methods

A systematic and comprehensive search of relevant studies was performed in PubMed, Embase and Web of Science databases. The quality of the included studies was estimated using Newcastle-Ottawa Scale (NOS).

Results

Twenty-three studies containing a total of 2992 DLBCL patients were involved in this study. They were all high-quality studies scoring ≥ 6 points. High density of M2 TAMs in tumor microenvironment significantly associated with both advanced disease stage (OR= 1.937, 95% CI: 1.256-2.988, P = 0.003) and unfavorable overall survival (OS) (HR = 1.750, 95% CI: 1.188-2.579, P = 0.005) but not associated with poor progression free survival (PFS) (HR = 1.672, 95% CI: 0.864-3.237, P = 0.127) and international prognostic index (IPI) (OR= 1.705, 95% CI: 0.843-3.449, P = 0.138) in DLBCL patients. No significant correlation was observed between the density of CD68+ TAMs and disease stage (OR= 1.433, 95% CI: 0.656-3.130, P = 0.366), IPI (OR= 1.391, 95% CI: 0.573-3.379, P = 0.466), OS (HR=0.929, 95% CI: 0.607-1.422, P = 0.734) or PFS (HR= 0.756, 95% CI: 0.415-1.379, P = 0.362) in DLBCL patients.

Conclusion

This meta-analysis demonstrated that high density of M2 TAMs in the tumor microenvironment was a robust predictor of adverse outcome for DLBCL patients.

Systematic review registration

https://www.crd.york.ac.uk/PROSPERO, identifier CRD42022343045.
Comparison of initial learning algorithms for long short-term memory method on real-time respiratory signal prediction
Authors: Sun Wenzheng , Dang Jun , Zhang Lei , Wei Qichun
Published: January 2023

Aim

This study aimed to examine the effect of the weight initializers on the respiratory signal prediction performance using the long short-term memory (LSTM) model.

Methods

Respiratory signals collected with the CyberKnife Synchrony device during 304 breathing motion traces were used in this study. The effectiveness of four weight initializers (Glorot, He, Orthogonal, and Narrow-normal) on the prediction performance of the LSTM model was investigated. The prediction performance was evaluated by the normalized root mean square error (NRMSE) between the ground truth and predicted respiratory signal.

Results

Among the four initializers, the He initializer showed the best performance. The mean NRMSE with 385-ms ahead time using the He initializer was superior by 7.5%, 8.3%, and 11.3% as compared to that using the Glorot, Orthogonal, and Narrow-normal initializer, respectively. The confidence interval of NRMSE using Glorot, He, Orthogonal, and Narrow-normal initializer were [0.099, 0.175], [0.097, 0.147], [0.101, 0.176], and [0.107, 0.178], respectively.

Conclusions

The experiment results in this study indicated that He could be a valuable initializer in the LSTM model for the respiratory signal prediction.
Development and validation of a chemotherapy tolerance prediction model for Chinese multiple myeloma patients: The TM frailty score
Authors: Chen Yadong , Gu Jingli , Huang Beihui , Liu Junru , Li Xiaozhe , Li Juan
Published: January 2023

Objective

The physical fitness of older individuals is heterogeneous, making it difficult to know their chemotherapy tolerance. The toxicities may offset the benefits of anti-myeloma therapy in frail patients. The accurate evaluation of frailty status before chemotherapy is essential. We aimed to explore the applicability of the IMWG GA and develop a new frailty screening tool more suitable for Chinese MM patients.

Cases and methods

We performed the IMWG GA and the full CGA in 167 MM patients and validated the applicability of the IMWG GA to chemotherapy and prognosis. The CGA domains were screened for their predictive value to improve IMWG GA and develop new frailty screening tools.

Results

The results showed that the IMWG GA had limitations in distinguishing the risk of grade ≥3 adverse events (AEs) between fit and int-fit patients. Of the CGA domains, TUG and MNA-SF were independent prognostic factors for grade ≥3 AEs and OS and further stratified the risk of grade ≥3 AEs in the IMWG GA int-fit subgroup (P< 0.05). We combined TUG and MNA-SF to construct the TM frailty score. The frail subgroup had a higher proportion of adverse outcomes, a higher hazard ratio (HR) in Cox regression and a higher Harrell’s C-index for distinguishing the risk of grade ≥3 AEs and OS than the IMWG GA frail subgroup.

Conclusion

The TM frailty score is more suitable than the IMWG GA for evaluating chemotherapy tolerance and prognosis in the Chinese population.
Sal003 alleviated intervertebral disc degeneration by inhibiting apoptosis and extracellular matrix degradation through suppressing endoplasmic reticulum stress pathway in rats
Authors: Chen Yan , Li Baixing , Xu Yue , Zhou Tangjun , Zhao Changqing , Zhao Jie
Published: January 2023

Apoptosis and extracellular matrix degradation of the nucleus pulposus are the main initiators of intervertebral disc degeneration (IVDD) and can be explained by endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress. Thus, pharmacological therapy aimed at suppressing this pathway may be a promising approach for the management of intervertebral disc degeneration. In this study, we aimed to explore the protective effects of Sal003 against intervertebral disc degeneration and its underlying mechanisms. Thapsigargin (Tg)-stimulated rat nucleus pulposus cells and a needle puncture-induced intervertebral disc degeneration rat model were used to explore the protective effects of Sal003. Our results showed that Sal003 inhibited apoptosis and extracellular matrix degradation by suppressing the endoplasmic reticulum stress pathway. The therapeutic effects of Sal003 were also observed in the intervertebral disc degeneration rat model, as evidenced by improved degeneration along with decreased apoptosis and extracellular matrix degradation in intervertebral discs. Our results demonstrated Sal003 as a potential treatment for intervertebral disc degeneration.
Single-cell analysis reveals the COL11A1+ fibroblasts are cancer-specific fibroblasts that promote tumor progression
Authors: Zhang Jiayu , Lu Shiqi , Lu Tong , Han Donghui , Zhang Keying , Gan Lunbiao , Wu Xinjie , Li Yu , Zhao Xiaolong , Li Zhengxuan , Shen Yajie , Hu Sijun , Yang Fa , Wen Weihong , Qin Weijun
Published: January 2023

Background: Cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs) promote tumor progression through extracellular matrix (ECM) remodeling and extensive communication with other cells in tumor microenvironment. However, most CAF-targeting strategies failed in clinical trials due to the heterogeneity of CAFs. Hence, we aimed to identify the cluster of tumor-promoting CAFs, elucidate their function and determine their specific membrane markers to ensure precise targeting.

Methods: We integrated multiple single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq) datasets across different tumors and adjacent normal tissues to identify the tumor-promoting CAF cluster. We analyzed the origin of these CAFs by pseudotime analysis, and tried to elucidate the function of these CAFs by gene regulatory network analysis and cell-cell communication analysis. We also performed cell-type deconvolution analysis to examine the association between the proportion of these CAFs and patients’ prognosis in TCGA cancer cohorts, and validated that through IHC staining in clinical tumor tissues. In addition, we analyzed the membrane molecules in different fibroblast clusters, trying to identify the membrane molecules that were specifically expressed on these CAFs.

Results: We found that COL11A1+ fibroblasts specifically exist in tumor tissues but not in normal tissues and named them cancer-specific fibroblasts (CSFs). We revealed that these CSFs were transformed from normal fibroblasts. CSFs represented a more activated CAF cluster and may promote tumor progression through the regulation on ECM remodeling and antitumor immune responses. High CSF proportion was associated with poor prognosis in bladder cancer (BCa) and lung adenocarcinoma (LUAD), and IHC staining of COL11A1 confirmed their specific expression in tumor stroma in clinical BCa samples. We also identified that CSFs specifically express the membrane molecules LRRC15, ITGA11, SPHK1 and FAP, which could distinguish CSFs from other fibroblasts.

Conclusion: We identified that CSFs is a tumor specific cluster of fibroblasts, which are in active state, may promote tumor progression through the regulation on ECM remodeling and antitumor immune responses. Membrane molecules LRRC15, ITGA11, SPHK1 and FAP could be used as therapeutic targets for CSF-targeting cancer treatment.
Copper toxicity compromises root acquisition of nitrate in the high affinity range
Authors: Feil Sebastian B. , Zuluaga Monica Yorlady Alzate , Cesco Stefano , Pii Youry
Published: January 2023

The application of copper (Cu)-based fungicides for crop protection plans has led to a high accumulation of Cu in soils, especially in vineyards. Copper is indeed an essential micronutrient for plants, but relatively high concentrations in soil or other growth substrates may cause toxicity phenomena, such as alteration of the plant’s growth and disturbance in the acquisition of mineral nutrients. This last aspect might be particularly relevant in the case of nitrate (NO3−), whose acquisition in plants is finely regulated through the transcriptional regulation of NO3− transporters and plasma membrane H+-ATPase in response to the available concentration of the nutrient. In this study, cucumber plants were grown hydroponically and exposed to increasing concentrations of Cu (i.e., 0.2, 5, 20, 30, and 50 µM) to investigate their ability to respond to and acquire NO3−. To this end, the kinetics of substrate uptake and the transcriptional modulation of the molecular entities involved in the process have been assessed. Results showed that the inducibility of the high-affinity transport system was significantly affected by increasing Cu concentrations; at Cu levels higher than 20 µM, plants demonstrated either strongly reduced or abolished NO3− uptake activity. Nevertheless, the transcriptional modulation of both the nitrate transporter CsNRT2.1 and the accessory protein CsNRT3.1 was not coherent with the hindered NO3− uptake activity. On the contrary, CsHA2 was downregulated, thus suggesting that a possible impairment in the generation of the proton gradient across the root PM could be the cause of the abolishment of NO3− uptake.
Genome-wide analysis of WRKY transcription factor genes in Toona sinensis: An insight into evolutionary characteristics and terpene synthesis
Authors: Ren Liping , Wan Wenyang , Yin Dandan , Deng Xianhui , Ma Zongxin , Gao Ting , Cao Xiaohan
Published: January 2023

WRKY transcription factors (TFs), one of the largest TF families, serve critical roles in the regulation of secondary metabolite production. However, little is known about the expression pattern of WRKY genes during the germination and maturation processes of Toona sinensis buds. In the present study, the new assembly of the T. sinensis genome was used for the identification of 78 TsWRKY genes, including gene structures, phylogenetic features, chromosomal locations, conserved protein domains, cis-regulatory elements, synteny, and expression profiles. Gene duplication analysis revealed that gene tandem and segmental duplication events drove the expansion of the TsWRKYs family, with the latter playing a key role in the creation of new TsWRKY genes. The synteny and evolutionary constraint analyses of the WRKY proteins among T. sinensis and several distinct species provided more detailed evidence of gene evolution for TsWRKYs. Besides, the expression patterns and co-expression network analysis show TsWRKYs may multi-genes co-participate in regulating terpenoid biosynthesis. The findings revealed that TsWRKYs potentially play a regulatory role in secondary metabolite synthesis, forming the basis for further functional characterization of WRKY genes with the intention of improving T. sinensis.
Wetting and deposition characteristics of air-assisted spray droplet on large broad-leaved crop canopy
Authors: Jiang Yinlong , Yang Zhou , Xu Xing , Shen Dongying , Jiang Tingting , Xie Bowei , Duan Jieli
Published: January 2023

Precision and efficient pesticide spraying is an important part of precision agriculture, banana is a large broad-leaved plant, with pests and diseases, has a high demand for spraying and pest control. The purpose of this study was to clarify the wettability of different pesticides on the banana leaf surface, and the effects of nozzle type and working parameters on the deposition distribution performance under air-assisted spray conditions. The wettability test results of different pesticides on banana leaf surfaces showed that the wettability of the adaxial side was always stronger than that of the abaxial side, the smaller the surface tension of the droplets, the better the wettability on the surface. The spray experiment was carried out on the previously developed air-assisted sprayer with the latest developed intelligent variable spray control system. Three types of nozzles were used to spray with different combinations of working parameters. The deposition distribution performance on the banana leaf surface was obtained by image processing using a self-compiled program. The experimental results show that the nozzle type, wind speed, and spray pressure have significant effects on the deposition distribution performance. Through the study of the interaction and coupling effect of nozzle type and working parameters on the spray droplet deposition distribution on both sides of banana leaves, the results show that under the conditions of hollow cone nozzle, 0.5Mpa spray pressure and 3-5 m/s wind speed, the spray coverage and droplet density are in the optimal state. This is mainly due to the low spray pressure and/or wind speed is not enough to make the banana leaves vibrate and improve the performance of pesticide deposition. excessive spray pressure and/or wind speed will cause large deformation of banana leaves and make them airfoil stable, which reduces the surface deposition performance. It is of great significance for promoting sustainable and intelligent phytoprotection.
The psychological conditions for employee engagement in organizational change: Test of a change engagement model
Authors: Albrecht Simon L. , Furlong Sarah , Leiter Michael P.
Published: January 2023

In the contemporary world of work, organizational change is a constant. For change to be successful, employees need to be positive about implementing organizational change. Change engagement reflects the extent to which employees are enthusiastic about change, and willing to actively involve themselves in promoting and supporting ongoing organizational change. Drawing from Kahn’s engagement theory, the research aimed to assess the influence of change-related meaningful work, psychological safety, and self-efficacy as psychological preconditions for change engagement. The study also aimed to test the indirect associations of the change-related psychological preconditions with proactive work behavior through change engagement. Survey data from a Prolific sample (N = 297) were analyzed using confirmatory factor analysis and structural equations modeling. In support of the validity of the model, the results showed that change-related self-efficacy, psychological safety, and meaningfulness had significant direct effects on change engagement, explaining 88% of the variance. The change-related psychological conditions also had significant indirect effects on proactive work behavior through change engagement. The findings therefore suggest that employees who exhibit higher levels of change-related self-efficacy, psychological safety, and work meaningfulness are more likely to support and promote organizational change, and to proactively engage in innovative work behavior. In practical terms, organizations that create the psychological conditions for change could significantly improve employee motivation to change and to innovate, which in turn would increase the likelihood of successful organizational change, and improved organizational competitiveness. Study limitations and directions for future research are discussed.
The evolutionary origin of psychosis
Authors: Levchenko Anastasia , Gusev Fedor , Rogaev Evgeny
Published: January 2023

Imagination, the driving force of creativity, and primary psychosis are human-specific, since we do not observe behaviors in other species that would convincingly suggest they possess the same traits. Both these traits have been linked to the function of the prefrontal cortex, which is the most evolutionarily novel region of the human brain. A number of evolutionarily novel genetic and epigenetic changes that determine the human brain-specific structure and function have been discovered in recent years. Among them are genomic loci subjected to increased rates of single nucleotide substitutions in humans, called human accelerated regions. These mostly regulatory regions are involved in brain development and sometimes contain genetic variants that confer a risk for schizophrenia. On the other hand, neuroimaging data suggest that mind wandering and related phenomena (as a proxy of imagination) are in many ways similar to rapid eye movement dreaming, a function also present in non-human species. Furthermore, both functions are similar to psychosis in several ways: for example, the same brain areas are activated both in dreams and visual hallucinations. In the present Perspective we hypothesize that imagination is an evolutionary adaptation of dreaming, while primary psychosis results from deficient control by higher-order brain areas over imagination. In the light of this, human accelerated regions might be one of the key drivers in evolution of human imagination and the pathogenesis of psychotic disorders.
Climate change and infectious disease: A prologue on multidisciplinary cooperation and predictive analytics
Authors: Yeh Kenneth B. , Parekh Falgunee K. , Mombo Illich , Leimer Joseph , Hewson Roger , Olinger Gene , Fair Jeanne M. , Sun Yijun , Hay John
Published: January 2023

Climate change impacts global ecosystems at the interface of infectious disease agents and hosts and vectors for animals, humans, and plants. The climate is changing, and the impacts are complex, with multifaceted effects. In addition to connecting climate change and infectious diseases, we aim to draw attention to the challenges of working across multiple disciplines. Doing this requires concentrated efforts in a variety of areas to advance the technological state of the art and at the same time implement ideas and explain to the everyday citizen what is happening. The world's experience with COVID-19 has revealed many gaps in our past approaches to anticipating emerging infectious diseases. Most approaches to predicting outbreaks and identifying emerging microbes of major consequence have been with those causing high morbidity and mortality in humans and animals. These lagging indicators offer limited ability to prevent disease spillover and amplifications in new hosts. Leading indicators and novel approaches are more valuable and now feasible, with multidisciplinary approaches also within our grasp to provide links to disease predictions through holistic monitoring of micro and macro ecological changes. In this commentary, we describe niches for climate change and infectious diseases as well as overarching themes for the important role of collaborative team science, predictive analytics, and biosecurity. With a multidisciplinary cooperative “all call,” we can enhance our ability to engage and resolve current and emerging problems.
Statistical biopsy: An emerging screening approach for early detection of cancers
Authors: Hart Gregory R. , Yan Vanessa , Nartowt Bradley J. , Roffman David A. , Stark Gigi , Muhammad Wazir , Deng Jun
Published: January 2023

Despite large investment cancer continues to be a major source of mortality and morbidity throughout the world. Traditional methods of detection and diagnosis such as biopsy and imaging, tend to be expensive and have risks of complications. As data becomes more abundant and machine learning continues advancing, it is natural to ask how they can help solve some of these problems. In this paper we show that using a person's personal health data it is possible to predict their risk for a wide variety of cancers. We dub this process a “statistical biopsy.” Specifically, we train two neural networks, one predicting risk for 16 different cancer types in females and the other predicting risk for 15 different cancer types in males. The networks were trained as binary classifiers identifying individuals that were diagnosed with the different cancer types within 5 years of joining the PLOC trial. However, rather than use the binary output of the classifiers we show that the continuous output can instead be used as a cancer risk allowing a holistic look at an individual's cancer risks. We tested our multi-cancer model on the UK Biobank dataset showing that for most cancers the predictions generalized well and that looking at multiple cancer risks at once from personal health data is a possibility. While the statistical biopsy will not be able to replace traditional biopsies for diagnosing cancers, we hope there can be a shift of paradigm in how statistical models are used in cancer detection moving to something more powerful and more personalized than general population screening guidelines.
Roles of Social Capital in the Association Between Internalized Homophobia and Condomless Sex Among Men Who Have Sex With Men in Southwest China: A Four-Way Decomposition
Authors: Yu Bin , Feng Chuanteng , Yang Xue , Wang Zixin , Zou Huachun , Jia Peng , Yang Shujuan
Published: January 2023

Objectives: This study examined whether social capital (SC) mediated the association between internalized homophobia (IH) and condomless sex among men who have sex with men (MSM), with the interaction of SC and IH considered.

Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted between November 2018 and April 2019 in Sichuan Province, China. A total of 540 participants were recruited to investigate their IH, SC, and condomless sex. A four-way decomposition of causal mediation analysis was used to test SC’s roles in the association between IH and condomless sex.

Results: Condomless sex was prevalent (46.7%) among the participants, which was significantly associated with IH [odds ratio (OR) = 1.70] and SC (OR = 0.55). A direct effect [excess risk ratio (RR = 0.32)] and an indirect effect (excess RR = 0.16) of SC were found to be significant in the association between IH and condomless sex. Heterogeneities in effects were observed when taking the SC’s domains (e.g., individual and family-based SC) as mediators. SC’s effects were significant only in the homosexual subgroup.

Conclusion: IH-based intervention with consideration of SC can be tailored to MSM to decrease condomless sex and curb the spread of HIV, especially for the homosexual subgroup.
Studies of Oat-Maize Hybrids Tolerance to Soil Drought Stress
Authors: Warzecha Tomasz , Bathelt Roman , Skrzypek Edyta , Warchoł Marzena , Bocianowski Jan , Sutkowska Agnieszka
Published: January 2023

The ontogenesis and yield formation in crop plants are modified by environmental conditions. Due to climatic change detected over two decades, the harmful influence of abiotic factors is increasing. One of the most threatening issues reducing plant productivity is drought stress. The strength of plant response to water shortages could differ depending on the strength of the drought stress, type of crop, genetic background, presence of additional stresses, and stage of plant development. There are examples of sexual hybridization between crop plants like oat (Avena sativa L.) and maize (Zea mays L.) with which stable fertile hybrids were generated. Additional maize chromosomes in oat plants (oat × maize addition, OMA) often infer morphological and physiological (e.g., PS II photosystem activity and chlorophyll production) changes modulated by the interaction of certain maize chromosomes added to the oat genome. The aim of the research was to evaluate the chosen physiological, biochemical, and agronomic parameters of OMA plants subjected to soil drought. Analysis of variance indicated that the main effects of genotype as well as treatment × genotype interaction were significant for all the traits studied (photosynthetic pigment content, selected PSII indices, mass of stem, number of grains/plant, mass of grains/plant). Most of the examined lines severely reduced PSII photosystem parameters, pigment content, and yield-related traits under drought stress. The results indicated that two lines (9 and 78b) retained high yielding potential under drought stress compared to commercial cv. Bingo.
Do Not Be Anticlimactic: Farmers’ Behavior in the Sustainable Application of Green Agricultural Technology—A Perceived Value and Government Support Perspective
Authors: Xiang Wen , Gao Jianzhong
Published: January 2023

The production mode of “high input, high yield and high waste” in the agricultural system poses a serious threat to the environment and the quality of agricultural products. Accelerating the adoption of green agricultural technology (GAT) by farmers is an emergency measure. However, according to microsurvey data, many farmers give up GAT within a year after adopting it. The implementation of this measure has been anticlimactic. Based on a survey of 1138 kiwi growers in Shaanxi Province, China, this paper builds a theoretical model and conducts empirical exercises to gain insight into the effects of perceived value, government support and their interaction with kiwi growers’ sustainable application of GAT. We find that perceived value and government support have a significant impact on the sustainable application of GAT. Government support plays a moderating role in the influence of perceived value on the sustainable application of GAT. Furthermore, in order to overcome the potential endogeneity problem caused by the two-way causal relationship between subjective variables, “owning a smartphone” was selected as the instrumental variable. The 2SLS model was used for endogeneity analysis, and the OLS model was used for the robustness test. This paper discusses the relevant theories and policy implications of environmental management.
Antimicrobial Activities and Mode of Flavonoid Actions
Authors: Thebti Amal , Meddeb Ahmed , Ben Salem Issam , Bakary Coulibaly , Ayari Sami , Rezgui Farhat , Essafi-Benkhadir Khadija , Boudabous Abdellatif , Ouzari Hadda-Imene
Published: January 2023

The emergence of antibiotics-resistant bacteria has been a serious concern for medical professionals over the last decade. Therefore, developing new and effective antimicrobials with modified or different modes of action is a continuing imperative. In this context, our study focuses on evaluating the antimicrobial activity of different chemically synthesized flavonoids (FLAV) to guide the chemical synthesis of effective antimicrobial molecules. A set of 12 synthesized molecules (4 chalcones, 4 flavones and 4 flavanones), bearing substitutions with chlorine and bromine groups at the C6′ position and methoxy group at the C4′ position of the B-ring were evaluated for antimicrobial activity toward 9 strains of Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria and 3 fungal strains. Our findings showed that most tested FLAV exhibited moderate to high antibacterial activity, particularly against Staphylococcus aureus with minimum inhibitory concentrations (MIC) between the range of 31.25 and 125 μg/mL and that chalcones were more efficient than flavones and flavanones. The examined compounds were also active against the tested fungi with a strong structure-activity relationship (SAR). Interestingly, leakage measurements of the absorbent material at 260 nm and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) demonstrated that the brominated chalcone induced a significant membrane permeabilization of S. aureus.
Special Issue on Advances in Industrial Robotics and Intelligent Systems
Authors: Moreira António Paulo , Neto Pedro , Vidal Félix
Published: January 2023

Robotics and intelligent systems are key technologies to promote efficient and innovative applications in the most diverse domains (industry, healthcare, agriculture, construction, mobility, etc [...]
Effectiveness of Lower-Cost Strategies for Running Gait Retraining: A Systematic Review
Authors: Dorst Lissandro M. , Cimonetti Vitor , Cardoso Jefferson R. , Moura Felipe A. , Bini Rodrigo R.
Published: January 2023

The effectiveness of lower-cost equipment used for running gait retraining is still unclear. The objective of this systematic review was to evaluate the effectiveness of lower-cost equipment used in running gait retraining in altering biomechanical outcomes that may be associated with injuries. The literature search included all documents from MEDLINE, Web of Science, CINAHL, SPORTDiscus, and Scopus. The studies were assessed for risk of bias using an evaluation tool for cross-sectional studies. After screening 2167 initial articles, full-text screening was performed in 42 studies, and 22 were included in the systematic review. Strong evidence suggested that metronomes, smartwatches, and digital cameras are effective in running gait retraining programs as tools for intervention and/or evaluation of results when altering step cadence and foot strike patterns. Strong evidence was found on the effectiveness of accelerometers in interventions with feedback to reduce the peak positive acceleration (PPA) of the lower leg and/or footwear while running. Finally, we found a lack of studies that exclusively used lower-cost equipment to perform the intervention/assessment of running retraining.
Tropical Cyclone Detection from the Thermal Infrared Sensor IASI Data Using the Deep Learning Model YOLOv3
Authors: Lam Lisa , George Maya , Gardoll Sébastien , Safieddine Sarah , Whitburn Simon , Clerbaux Cathy
Published: January 2023

Tropical cyclone (TC) detection is essential to mitigate natural disasters, as TCs can cause significant damage to life, infrastructure and economy. In this study, we applied the deep learning object detection model YOLOv3 to detect TCs in the North Atlantic Basin, using data from the Thermal InfraRed (TIR) Atmospheric Sounding Interferometer (IASI) onboard the Metop satellites. IASI measures the outgoing TIR radiation of the Earth-Atmosphere. For the first time, we provide a proof of concept of the possibility of constructing images required by YOLOv3 from a TIR remote sensor that is not an imager. We constructed a dataset by selecting 50 IASI radiance channels and using them to create images, which we labeled by constructing bounding boxes around TCs using the hurricane database HURDAT2. We trained the YOLOv3 on two settings, first with three “best” selected channels, then using an autoencoder to exploit all 50 channels. We assessed its performance with the Average Precision (AP) metric at two different intersection over union (IoU) thresholds (0.1 and 0.5). The model achieved promising results with AP at IoU threshold 0.1 of 78.31%. Lower performance was achieved with IoU threshold 0.5 (31.05%), showing the model lacks precision regarding the size and position of the predicted boxes. Despite that, we show YOLOv3 demonstrates great potential for TC detection using TIR instruments data.
Introduction to the Special Issue in Axioms Titled Current Research on Mathematical Inequalities
Authors: Chesneau Christophe
Published: January 2023

The importance of inequalities in Mathematics is beautifully summarized in a citation attributed to Respected Professor Andrey Nikolaevich Kolmogorov: [...]
Microfluidics for Biomedical Applications
Authors: Xiang Nan , Ni Zhonghua
Published: January 2023

Microfluidics refers to a technique for controlling and analyzing the fluids or micro-/nano-bioparticles in microscale channels or structures [...]
Nanobiosensors Design Using 2D Materials: Implementation in Infectious and Fatal Disease Diagnosis
Authors: Singh Nandita , Dkhar Daphika S. , Chandra Pranjal , Azad Uday Pratap
Published: January 2023

Nanobiosensors are devices that utilize a very small probe and any form of electrical, optical, or magnetic technology to detect and analyze a biochemical or biological process. With an increasing population today, nanobiosensors have become the broadly used electroanalytical tools for the timely detection of many infectious (dengue, hepatitis, tuberculosis, leukemia, etc.) and other fatal diseases, such as prostate cancer, breast cancer, etc., at their early stage. Compared to classical or traditional analytical methods, nanobiosensors have significant benefits, including low detection limit, high selectivity and sensitivity, shorter analysis duration, easier portability, biocompatibility, and ease of miniaturization for on-site monitoring. Very similar to biosensors, nanobiosensors can also be classified in numerous ways, either depending on biological molecules, such as enzymes, antibodies, and aptamer, or by working principles, such as optical and electrochemical. Various nanobiosensors, such as cyclic voltametric, amperometric, impedimetric, etc., have been discussed for the timely monitoring of the infectious and fatal diseases at their early stage. Nanobiosensors performance and efficiency can be enhanced by using a variety of engineered nanostructures, which include nanotubes, nanoparticles, nanopores, self-adhesive monolayers, nanowires, and nanocomposites. Here, this mini review recaps the application of two-dimensional (2D) materials, especially graphitic carbon nitride (g-C3N4), graphene oxide, black phosphorous, and MXenes, for the construction of the nanobiosensors and their application for the diagnosis of various infectious diseases at very early stage.