bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Associations of adolescent obesity with hypertension, diabetes mellitus and polycystic ovaries in Arabs and Jews in Israel—a nationwide study
Authors: Treister-Goltzman Yulia , Nemet Dan , Menashe Idan
Published: December 2024

Background

Previous studies on the association of adolescent obesity with comorbid diseases in Israel were conducted predominantly in the Israeli Jewish population.

Goal

To compare associations of adolescent obesity with Hypertension (HTN), Diabetes Mellitus type 2 (DM2), and Polycystic ovaries (PCO), singly or in combination, between Arabs and Jews in Israel.

Methods

A cross-sectional study of 313,936 Arab adolescents aged 14–19 years between the years 2007–2022, and 289,616 adolescents in a matched Jewish comparison group.

Results

The crude prevalence of comorbidities increased consistently from the ‘underweight’ to the ‘class 3 obesity’ category (from 0.24 to 6.41%, from 0.32 to 4.59%, and from 0.49 to 5.35% for HTN, DM2 and PCO, respectively). Compared to the reference ‘normal weight’ category, an incremental increase of aOR was observed by increasing weight category. The aORs for the ‘class 3 obesity’ category (95% CIs) were 26.00 (21.62–31.10), 10.82 (8.83–13.14), and 6.06 (95% CI 4.57–7.87) for HTN, DM2, and PCO, respectively. In the Jewish comparison group, lower aORs for HTN and DM2 were observed in the ‘class 3 obesity’ category. The increase in aORs with the increase in weight categories was more striking in cases of multiple comorbidities.

Conclusion

The finding of a strong association of obesity severity with major cardiometabolic consequences in adolescence, as well as the unique ethnic features of these associations, can help focus national health initiatives on vulnerable adolescent groups.
Geographical variation in high-impact chronic pain and psychological associations at the regional level: a multilevel analysis of a large-scale internet-based cross-sectional survey
Authors: Wakaizumi Kenta , Tanaka Chisato , Shinohara Yuta , Wu Yihuan , Takaoka Saki , Kawate Morihiko , Oka Hiroyuki , Matsudaira Ko
Published: December 2024

Background

A geographical analysis could be employed to uncover social risk factors and interventions linked to chronic pain. Nonetheless, geographical variation in chronic pain across different regions of Japan have not been well explored. This study aims to investigate geographical variation in high-impact chronic pain (HICP), defined as moderate to severe chronic pain, and examine the associated psychological factors at the prefecture level.

Methods

A cross-sectional Internet-based survey involving 52,353 participants was conducted to assess chronic pain conditions, stress levels, mood states, educational levels, living status, regions, sleep duration, and exercise habits. A geographical analysis evaluated the prevalence of HICP at the prefecture level, and a multilevel analysis explored the risk factors for HICP at both individual and prefecture levels.

Results

The geographical analysis revealed that Fukushima exhibited the highest HICP prevalence (23.2%; z-score = 2.11), Oita ranked second (23.0%; z-score = 2.00), and Okinawa showed the lowest prevalence (14.9%; z-score = −2.45). Geographical maps of Japan indicated that regional-level subjective stress, negative emotions, and short sleep were associated with higher HICP prevalence. In contrast, positive emotions, such as vigor, were associated with lower prevalence. Multilevel analysis revealed a significant improvement in model fit after incorporating psychological factors at the prefecture level (p < 0.001) and identified significant associations between high subjective stress and low vigor at the prefecture level with HICP prevalence (p < 0.001).

Conclusion

There are regional differences in HICP prevalence, and at the prefecture level, subjective stress and vigor are associated with HICP.
Optimizing active recovery strategies for finger flexor fatigue
Authors: Krupková Dominika , Tufano James J. , Baláš Jiří
Published: December 2024

Introduction

Active recovery (AR) is used during exercise training; however, it is unclear whether the AR should involve the whole body, only the upper extremities, or only the lower extremities when aiming to maintain localized upper body performance. Therefore, this study aimed to evaluate the impact of different AR strategies on repeated intermittent finger flexor performance leading to exhaustion.

Methods

A crossover trial involving a familiarization session and three laboratory visits, each including three exhaustive intermittent isometric tests at 60% of finger flexor maximal voluntary contraction separated by 22 min of randomly assigned AR: walking, intermittent hanging, and climbing.

Results

The impulse (Nꞏs) significantly decreased from the first to third trials after walking (−18.4%, P = 0.002, d = 0.78), climbing (−29.5%, P < 0.001, d = 1.48), and hanging (−27.2%, P < 0.001, d = 1.22). In the third trial, the impulse from the intermittent test was significantly higher after walking (21,253 ± 5,650 Nꞏs) than after hanging (18,618 ± 5,174 Nꞏs, P = 0.013, d = 0.49) and after climbing (18,508 ± 4,435 Nꞏs, P = 0.009, d = 0.54).

Conclusions

The results show that easy climbing or intermittent isolated forearm contractions should not be used as AR strategies to maintain subsequent performance in comparison to walking, indicating that using the same muscle group for AR should be avoided between exhaustive isometric contractions.
An update on the prevalence and management of Bertolotti's syndrome
Authors: Rakauskas Taylor R. , Gallup Shannon , Mohamed Ali A. , Nasice Jude , Westerhaus Benjamin
Published: December 2024

Bertolotti's Syndrome, a subset of lumbosacral transitional vertebrae (LSTV), is one cause of chronic low back pain (LBP), and a commonly overlooked differential diagnosis. The incidence of Bertolotti's Syndrome has been underestimated in the past and is common in those of younger ages around 30–40. Although diagnostics, imaging methods, and treatment algorithms have been improved in the past few years, there is no gold standard and more long-term, prospective research is needed. The purpose of this mini-review is to increase awareness of Bertolotti's Syndrome, discuss recent advancements in treatment algorithms, and highlight current gaps in the literature.
Immune disease dialogue of chemokine-based cell communications as revealed by single-cell RNA sequencing meta-analysis
Authors: Rahman Mouly F. , Kurlovs Andre H. , Vodnala Munender , Meibalan Elamaran , Means Terry K. , Nouri Nima , de Rinaldis Emanuele , Savova Virginia
Published: December 2024

Immune-mediated diseases are characterized by aberrant immune responses, posing significant challenges to global health. In both inflammatory and autoimmune diseases, dysregulated immune reactions mediated by tissue-residing immune and non-immune cells precipitate chronic inflammation and tissue damage that is amplified by peripheral immune cell extravasation into the tissue. Chemokine receptors are pivotal in orchestrating immune cell migration, yet deciphering the signaling code across cell types, diseases and tissues remains an open challenge. To delineate disease-specific cell-cell communications involved in immune cell migration, we conducted a meta-analysis of publicly available single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq) data across diverse immune diseases and tissues. Our comprehensive analysis spanned multiple immune disorders affecting major organs: atopic dermatitis and psoriasis (skin), chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (lung), ulcerative colitis (colon), IgA nephropathy and lupus nephritis (kidney). By interrogating ligand-receptor (L-R) interactions, alterations in cell proportions, and differential gene expression, we unveiled disease-specific and common cell-cell communications involved in chemotaxis and extravasation to shed light on shared immune responses across tissues and diseases. Further, we performed experimental validation of two understudied cell-cell communications. Insights gleaned from this meta-analysis hold promise for the development of targeted therapeutics aimed at modulating immune cell migration to mitigate inflammation and tissue damage. This nuanced understanding of immune cell dynamics at the single-cell resolution opens avenues for precision medicine in immune disease management.
A Robust Heuristics for the Online Job Shop Scheduling Problem
Authors: Zupan Hugo , Herakovič Niko , Žerovnik Janez
Published: December 2024

The job shop scheduling problem (JSSP) is a popular NP-hard problem in combinatorial optimization, due to its theoretical appeal and its importance in applications. In practical applications, the online version is much closer to the needs of smart manufacturing in Industry 4.0 and 5.0. Here, the online version of the job shop scheduling problem is solved by a heuristics that governs local queues at the machines. This enables a distributed implementation, i.e., a digital twin can be maintained by local processors which can result in high speed real time operation. The heuristics at the level of probabilistic rules for running the local queues is experimentally shown to provide the solutions of quality that is within acceptable approximation ratios to the best known solutions obtained by the best online algorithms. The probabilistic rule defines a model which is not unlike the spin glass models that are closely related to quantum computing. Major advances of the approach are the inherent parallelism and its robustness, promising natural and likely successful application to other variations of JSSP. Experimental results show that the heuristics, although designed for solving the online version, can provide near-optimal and often even optimal solutions for many benchmark instances of the offline version of JSSP. It is also demonstrated that the best solutions of the new heuristics clearly improve over the results obtained by heuristics based on standard dispatching rules. Of course, there is a trade-off between better computational time and the quality of the results in terms of makespan criteria.
GSD-YOLO: A Lightweight Decoupled Wheat Scab Spore Detection Network Based on Yolov7-Tiny
Authors: Zhang Dongyan , Tao Wenfeng , Cheng Tao , Zhou Xingen , Hu Gensheng , Qiao Hongbo , Guo Wei , Wang Ziheng , Gu Chunyan
Published: December 2024

Aimed at the problem of the difference between intra-class and inter-class pathogenic spores of Wheat Scab image being small and difficult to distinguish, in this paper, we propose a lightweight decoupled Wheat Scab spore detection network based on Yolov7-tiny (GSD-YOLO). Specifically, considering the limitations of the storage space and power consumption of actual field detection equipment, the original detection head is optimized as a decoupled head, and the GSConv lightweight module is embedded to reduce the parameters of the model and the number of calculations required. In addition, we utilize an improved Spore–Copy data augmentation strategy to improve the detection performance and generalization ability of the algorithm to fit the large numbers, morphology, and variety of wheat disease spores in the actual field and to improve the efficiency of constructing a large data set of diverse spores. The experimental results show that the mAP of the proposed algorithm reaches 98.0%, which is 3.9 percentage points higher than that of the original model. At the same time, the detection speed of the algorithm is 114 f/s, and the memory is 13.1 MB, which meets the application requirements of hardware deployment and real-time detection. It can provide some technical support to the prevention and grading of Wheat Scab in actual farmland.
Evaluation of Breeding Progress and Agronomic Traits for Japonica Rice in Anhui Province, China (2005–2024)
Authors: Zou Yu , Hassan Muhammad Ahmad , Xu Ending , Ren Yi , Wang Jie , Zhan Xinchun , Ni Dahu , Zhang Peijiang
Published: December 2024

Rice is the staple diet for most of the world’s population and is considered a major staple crop in China. Anhui province of China is among the leading provinces for rice production, consumption, and commodities; it is well-known as the “land of fish and rice”. Japonica rice cultivation in Anhui Province is mainly categorized into late-maturing medium, early-maturing medium, and early-maturing late japonica. This review explores the suitable ecological zone distribution and corresponding climate characteristics of the three types of japonica rice in Anhui Province. Data on japonica rice varieties approved in the province over the past twenty years were collected, illustrating the development process of japonica rice varieties in the province and their quality and resistance to rice blast disease. The review shows that the yield is positively and significantly correlated with agronomic traits, such as the number of effective panicles and the total number of grains per panicle, plant height, etc. In addition, it elucidates the major problems faced by Anhui’s japonica rice breeding and cultivation, such as frequent events of high temperatures, rice blast disease, and medium to low soil fertility levels. Considering the existing issues in breeding japonica rice varieties in Anhui Province, this review proposes a strategy for breeding high-yield and disease-resistant japonica rice varieties, particularly varieties adaptable to medium and low fertility soil conditions. In brief, this article provides a theoretical basis and practical recommendations for the sustainable development of japonica rice in the Anhui Province of China.
Mating Type of Native Aspergillus flavus Strains Causing Corn Ear Rot in Argentina
Authors: Ruiz Posse Agustina María , Torrico Ramallo Ada Karina , Barontini Javier Miguel , Camiletti Boris Xavier
Published: December 2024

Fungi of the Aspergillus genus, particularly A. flavus, pose a significant threat to maize crops as they can produce toxic and carcinogenic aflatoxin compounds. This study focused on identifying the sexual mating types, MAT1-1 and MAT1-2, through PCR in A. flavus strains isolated from maize ears in two agricultural regions of Argentina—one subtropical and the other temperate—from the 2012/13 to the 2020/21 growing season. A total of 81 strains were analyzed, revealing a higher frequency of the MAT1-1 type in both regions (69%) and in the seasons with the highest number of strains collected. The MAT1-1 strains included 63% non-aflatoxigenic and 37% aflatoxin producers, predominantly lacking sclerotia production (69%), while MAT1-2 strains were mostly aflatoxin producers (82%) and S-sclerotia producers (48%). Additionally, more vegetative compatibility groups were identified as MAT1-1 (4 out of 6) than MAT1-2. These findings suggest that the use of MAT1-1 strains as biocontrol agents could maintain the stability of natural populations and reduce aflatoxin production, minimizing risks to crops. This underscores the importance of evaluating the genetic structure of A. flavus populations to implement effective biological control strategies.
Long-Range Mineral Dust Transport Events in Mediterranean Countries
Authors: Calastrini Francesca , Messeri Gianni , Orlandi Andrea
Published: December 2024

Mineral dust from desert areas accounts for a large portion of aerosols globally, estimated at 3–4 billion tons per year. Aerosols emitted from arid and semi-arid areas, e.g., from parched lakes or rivers, are transported over long distances and have effects on a global scale, affecting the planet’s radiative balance, atmospheric chemistry, cloud formation and precipitation, marine biological processes, air quality, and human health. Desert dust transport takes place in the atmosphere as the result of a dynamical sequence beginning with dust uplift from desert areas, then followed by the long-range transport and terminating with the surface deposition of mineral dust in areas even very far from dust sources. The Mediterranean basin is characterized by frequent dust intrusion events, particularly affecting Spain, France, Italy, and Greece. Such events contribute to the increase in PM10 and PM2.5 concentration values, causing legal threshold values to be exceeded. In recent years, these events have shown a non-negligible increase in frequency and intensity. The present work reports the results of an analysis of the dust events that in recent years (2018–2023) affected the Mediterranean area and in particular central Italy, focusing on the more recurrent meteorological configurations leading to long-range transport and on the consequent increase in aerosol concentration values. A method for desert intrusion episodes identification has been developed using both numerical forecast model data and PM10 observed data. A multi-year dataset has been analyzed by applying such an identification method and the resulting set of dust events episodes, affecting central Italy, has been studied in order to highlight their frequency on a seasonal basis and their interannual variability. In addition, a first attempt at a meteorological classification of desert intrusions has been carried out to identify the most recurrent circulation patterns related to dust intrusions. Understanding their annual and seasonal variations in frequency and intensity is a key topic, whose relevance is steeply growing in the context of ongoing climate change.
Comparison of Hydroxychloride Versus Oxide and Sulfate Sources of Manganese, Zinc, and Copper in Rearing Diets on Pullet Growth, Tibia Traits, and Egg Production and Eggshell Quality in ISA Brown Hens up to 50 Weeks
Authors: Alfonso-Carrillo Clara , Akbari Moghaddam Kakhki Reza , Garcia-Ruiz Ana Isabel
Published: December 2024

(1) Background: this study compared hydroxychloride and traditional oxide/sulfate sources of zinc (Zn), manganese (Mn), and copper (Cu) in ISA Brown pullet diets, focusing on growth, tibia strength, egg production, and eggshell quality. (2) Methods: in total, 120 pullets were divided into two groups, each with six replicates of 10 birds, receiving diets with hydroxychloride or oxide/sulfate sources of Mn, Zn, and Cu (65, 50, and 5 mg/kg, respectively) during rearing. At 16 weeks, 18 pullets per group transitioned to individual cages and were fed a standard diet with Mn-oxide, Zn-oxide, and Cu-sulfate until 50 weeks. (3) Results: pullets fed hydroxychloride minerals exhibited a higher feed conversion ratio (p = 0.023) and a trend toward higher average daily feed intake (p = 0.059) compared to those on oxide/sulfate sources during the rearing phase. During the laying phase, while no significant differences were observed in egg production until 24 weeks, hens previously fed hydroxychloride minerals demonstrated increased average daily feed intake and egg weight from 25 to 50 weeks of age (p < 0.05). (4) Conclusions: rearing diets supplemented with hydroxychloride minerals influenced feed intake and efficiency, with carryover effects that enhanced laying-phase performance.
Increasing Beef Production in the Northern Region of the Republic of Kazakhstan Using the Genetic Resources of Aberdeen Angus Cattle of Different Genotypes
Authors: Shevchenko Pavel , Baimenov Bakhit , Ulyanov Vadim , Bermukhametov Zhanaidar , Suleimanova Kulyay , Miciński Jan , Rychshanova Raushan , Brel-Kisseleva Inna
Published: December 2024

This article presents the findings of a scientific study investigating the efficacy of various assessment techniques used to evaluate the adaptability and productive qualities of Aberdeen Angus cattle on three prominent farms in the northern region of the Republic of Kazakhstan. A comprehensive analysis of the haematological and biochemical parameters of experimental groups of cattle with different genotypes (American, Canadian, and Estonian selection) was conducted. The studies revealed notable variability in haematological and biochemical indicators, contingent on the origin. Concurrently, the dynamics of the aforementioned indicators did not exceed the physiological norms. The modern allelofund was characterised with the help of microsatellite markers, and the level of genetic diversity of Aberdeen Angus cattle of different genotypes was estimated. The research uncovered the genealogical structure of the populations, the purity of the populations, the provenance, the polymorphism level, the heterozygosity indices, and the Wright fixation index (Fis). The genotyping of cattle of the Aberdeen Angus breed on 15 microsatellite markers yielded the establishment of 80 alleles in the Kolos-firm LLP, 77 alleles in the Vishnevskoe LLP, and 92 alleles in the Sever-Agro N LLP. The total expected heterozygosity was He = 0.673, while the observed heterozygosity was Ho = 0.710.
In Vitro and In Vivo Evaluation of the Fertilization Capacity of Frozen/Thawed Rooster Spermatozoa Supplemented with Different Concentrations of Trehalose
Authors: Petričáková Kristýna , Janošíková Martina , Ptáček Martin , Savvulidi Filipp Georgijevič , Zita Lukáš
Published: December 2024

The objective of this study was to evaluate the impact of the supplementation of varying concentrations of the impermeable disaccharide trehalose on the in vitro and in vivo fertilization capacity of cryopreserved rooster spermatozoa in the original Czech Golden Spotted Hen breed. The control trehalose concentration was 0 mM, while TRE50 (50 mM), TRE100 (100 mM), and TRE200 (200 mM) were used as experimental trehalose concentrations. The kinematic and functional parameters of frozen/thawed spermatozoa were evaluated in vitro using mobile computer-assisted sperm analysis and a flow cytometer. The addition of 100 mM trehalose demonstrated the most favorable results for total (34.17%) and progressive (3.57%) motility after thawing. A statistically significant difference was found for these kinetic parameters compared to the other monitored concentrations. This experimental group was also found to have a significantly higher percentage of spermatozoa without plasma membrane or acrosome damage (33.37%) compared to the TRE50 group (30.74%; p < 0.05) and the TRE200 group (29.05%; p < 0.05). In vivo, artificial insemination was performed to verify fertilization ability. Hens (n = 40) were artificially inseminated twice (10 hens/treatment) with a 3-day interval between inseminations. In conclusion, the addition of 100 mM trehalose significantly improved total and progressive motility after thawing and preserved plasma membrane and acrosome integrity (p < 0.05). The fertilization rate of eggs fertilized with semen frozen with the addition of 100 mM trehalose was not significantly different from the other concentrations tested or the control group but was numerically higher (23.21% vs. 15.20% of fertilized eggs in this group).
Development and Validation of a 5K Liquid Chip for Identifying Cashmere Goat Populations in Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region
Authors: Zhang Tao , Xu Qi , Zhou Bohan , Xiao Junjie , Zheng Shudan , Li Jinquan , Lv Qi , Zhang Yanjun , Wang Ruijun , Su Rui , Wang Zhiying
Published: December 2024

(1) Background: Cashmere goats, as one of the characteristic species, are rich in genetic resources. Protecting and rationally utilizing these genetic resources is of great significance for the genetic improvement of cashmere goats. (2) Methods: In this study, tissue samples were collected from Inner Mongolia white cashmere goats, which included the Arbas type (ARBS); Erlangshan type (ELS); Alashan type (ALS), Hanshan white cashmere goats (HS), and Ujimqin white cashmere goats (WZMQ). Genomic DNA was extracted and subjected to high-depth genome resequencing. GenoBait technology was used for probe design and site optimization, followed by the synthesis of a low-density liquid phase chip. Finally, a total of 281 individuals from five cashmere goat populations in the Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region were randomly selected to verify the chip. (3) Results: The results showed that a total of 5002 SNP sites were finally screened and retained for the synthesis of the low-density liquid chip for identifying cashmere goats in Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region. Principal component analysis and phylogenetic tree construction indicated that the ARBS, ELS, and ALS populations were clustered into one category. (4) Conclusions: This chip can accurately identify the three breeds: Inner Mongolia white cashmere goats, Hanshan white cashmere goats, and Ujimqin white cashmere goats.
Intensity of Intrathecal Total IgG Synthesis in Multiple Sclerosis Correlates with the Degree of Pleocytosis, Diversity of Intrathecal Antiviral Antibody Specificities, and Female Sex
Authors: Vlad Benjamin , Hilty Marc , Neidhart Stephan , Asplund Högelin Klara , Ziegler Mario , Khademi Mohsen , Lutterotti Andreas , Regeniter Axel , Martin Roland , Al Nimer Faiez , Jelcic Ilijas
Published: December 2024

Background: The presence of intrathecal total IgG production is a hallmark of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) characteristics in multiple sclerosis (MS). Herein, we systematically analyze how the intensity (instead of mere presence) of intrathecal total IgG production relates to basic CSF parameters in MS. Methods: We retrospectively assessed clinical routine CSF findings from 390 therapy-naïve relapsing-remitting MS patients diagnosed according to 2017 revised McDonald criteria. The intensity of intrathecal total IgG synthesis according to Reiber’s formula was stratified and correlated to demographics, CSF white cell count (WCC), and diversity of MRZ reaction, defined as a polyspecific intrathecal production of IgG reactive against ≥2 of the 3 viruses; measles (M), rubella (R), and varicella zoster (Z) virus. Results: The higher intensity of intrathecal total IgG production significantly correlated with higher CSF WCC (Spearman’s ρ = 0.433, p < 0.001) and with the increasing presence and diversity of positive MRZ reaction (Spearman’s ρ = 0.600, p < 0.001). Female patients showed higher intensity of intrathecal total IgG production and higher prevalence of positive MRZ reaction than males. Conclusions: The intensity of intrathecal total IgG production correlates with the degree of CSF WCC and diversity of MRZ reaction in MS. As yet unidentified female sex-related factors increase the intensity and diversity of intrathecal IgG production in MS.
Prevalence of Vancomycin-Variable Enterococci from the Bloodstream in the Korea Global Antibiotic Resistance Surveillance System, 2017–2022
Authors: Lee Sung Young , Nam Ji-Hyun , Kim Jung Wook , Kim Soo Hyun , Yoo Jung Sik
Published: December 2024

Vancomycin-variable enterococci (VVE), though genetically containing van genes, are phenotypically sensitive to vancomycin. If VVE is undetected or does not grow on the vancomycin-resistant enterococci (VRE) selection medium, or both, it can acquire resistance upon exposure to vancomycin. This characteristic is clinically important for the treatment and prevention of VRE. This study aims to analyze the prevalence and characteristics of VVE in Korea through the Global Antibiotic Resistance Surveillance System (Kor-GLASS) and emphasize the importance of VVE. A total of 3342 enterococcal bloodstream isolates were collected through the Kor-GLASS between 2017 and 2022. Antibiotic susceptibility testing, van gene detection, and multilocus sequence typing were conducted with all the isolates. The trends in the domestic prevalence of VVE were analyzed and compared with global prevalence data. Among the isolates, 197 (5.9%), including 124 Enterococcus faecium and 73 E. faecalis, were identified as VVE. While the VRE incidence has declined in Korea since 2020, the VVE incidence is significantly rising. In Korea, only the vanA gene has been detected in both VRE and VVE, and no other van gene variants have been identified. Most of these isolates belong to CC17 (91.3%), with ST17, ST817, and ST80 as the predominant types. We have shown that continuous surveillance is essential in Korea due to the persistently high prevalence of VRE and the potential evolution of VVE into VRE. Consequently, it is critical to evaluate Enterococcus species isolated from domestic clinical settings for their phenotypic vancomycin resistance and the molecular detection of van genes, irrespective of the strain.
Oligomeric Proanthocyanidins Ameliorate Cadmium-Induced Senescence of Osteocytes Through Combating Oxidative Stress and Inflammation
Authors: Yu Gengsheng , Wang Zehao , Gong Anqing , Fu Xiaohui , Chen Naineng , Zhou Dehui , Li Yawen , Liu Zongping , Tong Xishuai
Published: December 2024

Osteocyte senescence is associated with skeletal dysfunction, but how to prevent bone loss and find the effective therapeutic targets is a potential scientific concern. Cadmium (Cd) is a widespread environmental contaminant that causes substantial bone damage in both animals and humans. Oligomeric proanthocyanidins (OPC) are naturally polyphenolic substances found in various plants and demonstrate significant anti-senescence potential. Here, we investigated the protective effects of OPC against Cd-induced senescence of osteocytes and identify potential regulatory mechanisms. OPC alleviated Cd-induced senescence of osteocytes by attenuating cell cycle arrest, reducing ROS accumulation, and suppressing pro-inflammatory responses in vitro. Furthermore, OPC effectively prevented the Cd-induced breakdown of dendritic synapses in osteocytes in vitro. Correspondingly, OPC ameliorated Cd-induced damage of osteocytes through anti-senescence activity in vivo. Taken together, our results establish OPC as a promising therapeutic agent that ameliorates Cd-induced osteocyte senescence by mitigating oxidative stress and inflammatory responses.
Robust Control for a Slung-Mass Quadcopter Under Abrupt Velocity Changes
Authors: Salazar Sergio , Flores Jonathan , González-Hernández Iván , Rosales-Luengas Yukio , Lozano Rogelio
Published: December 2024

This paper addresses the robust control for a slung-mass quadrotor under abrupt velocity changes. The proposed algorithm is based on a sliding mode controller applied to the quadrotor translational dynamics considering the slung-mass angle as feedback. A Lyapunov candidate function is used to demonstrate system stability. Numerical simulations are performed to demonstrate stability in hover, forward flight, and under abrupt velocity changes. Experimental tests show that the proposed approach is also robust for stabilizing the aerial vehicle against disturbances caused by slung-load oscillations and wind gusts in outdoor environments by stopping the forward velocity from 29 km/h to hover by compensating within 1 s for the slung-mass oscillations.
Decontamination and Circular Economy of Dredged Material and Mining Waters Using Adiabatic Sonic Evaporation and Crystallization (ASEC) Technology
Authors: DelValls T. Ángel , Blasco Julián , Vera Sebastián , Núñez Nuria O. , Bonnail Estefanía
Published: December 2024

Dredged material is a common environmental and economic issue worldwide. Tons of highly contaminated material, derived from cleaning the bottoms of bays and harbours, are stored until depuration. These volumes occupy huge extensions and require costly treatments. The Ria of Huelva (southwest Spain) receives additionally high metal contamination inputs from the Odiel and Tinto Rivers which are strongly affected by acid mine drainage (acid lixiviates with high metal content and sulphates). These two circumstances convert the port of Huelva into an acceptor/accumulator of contamination. The current study proposes an alternative active treatment of dredged material and mining residues using ASEC (Adiabatic Sonic Evaporation and Crystallization) technology to obtain distilled water and valuable solid conglomerates. Different samples were depurated and the efficiency of the technology was tested. The results show a complete recovery of the treated volumes with high-quality water (pH~7, EC < 56 µS/cm, complete removal of dissolved elements). Also, the characterization of the dried solids enable the calculation of approximate revenues from the valorization of some potentially exploitable elements (Rio Tinto: 4 M, Tharsis: 3.7 M, dredged material: 2.5 M USD/yr). The avoidance of residue discharge plus the aggregated value would promote a circular economy in sectors such as mining and dredging activities.
Using Minimum Travel Time to Determine Factors Influencing Travel Time Discrepancy and Variability in Tram Transit
Authors: Šojat Dino , Slavulj Marko , Sikirić Matija , Ćosić Mario
Published: December 2024

Quality of service in urban surface transit has a great impact on sustainable urban mobility, with travel time being one of the most important indicators of service reliability. But urban surface transit is prone to many disturbance factors causing travel time discrepancy and variability, making transit less reliable for passengers. We conducted research in the City of Zagreb on a single tram line by splitting it into constant-frequency segments. The first phase was modeling minimum segment travel times to base the indicators and predictors upon, and the second phase was establishing correlation matrices between the predictors and travel time using Pearson correlation coefficients and significance. Variance inflation factors were used to check for collinearities. While predictors belonging to the transport supply irregularity group did not have an impact, the ones belonging to the disturbance factors group showed correlation, with six of them being significant. This research in rarely represented tram transit determined the most significant disturbance factors rich in traffic context that can be used to develop travel time prediction models.
Modeling of Texture and Starch Retrogradation of High-in-Fiber Bread Using Response Surface Methodology
Authors: Wyrwisz Jarosław , Moczkowska-Wyrwisz Małgorzata , Kurek Marcin A.
Published: December 2024

The texture of bakery products is considered the most important trait for consumers, which needs to be explored in new products developed, such as high-in-fiber bread. This study aimed to develop models for texture attributes and starch retrogradation (based on initial enthalpy) as a function of porosity measured in non-complicated experimental processes—using Digital Imaging Analysis (DIA) of bread with various levels of dietary fiber (DF) content. Bread with high fiber content was prepared as the sample matrix by replacing part of the wheat flour with an oat fiber powder. The models for firmness, springiness, chewiness, cohesiveness, and enthalpy were developed using Response Surface Methodology (RSM), a robust statistical technique. Results indicated that the bread crumb’s firmness depended more on porosity than DF content. Models for each texture attribute were established and verified, and it was found that no significant difference (p < 0.05) existed between the predicted and measured values, confirming the validation of the models developed.
Kolmogorov–Arnold Finance-Informed Neural Network in Option Pricing
Authors: Liu Charles Z. , Zhang Ying , Qin Lu , Liu Yongfei
Published: December 2024

Finance-Informed Neural Networks (FINNs), inspired by Physical Information Neural Networks (PINNs) and computational finance, aim to enhance risk assessment and support regulatory decision-making. Despite their promising potential, existing FINNs face significant challenges related to learning efficiency and overall performance. This paper examines the KAFIN framework, based on the Kolmogorov–Arnold representation, which aims to improve financial modeling and analytical calculations. To evaluate the performance of FINNs, this study uses generated data instead of real market data. This choice enables controlled simulations of various financial scenarios while avoiding the complexities and noise inherent in actual market data. By relying on generated data, we are able to isolate and assess the core capabilities of KAFIN under well-defined theoretical conditions, facilitating a clearer analysis of its performance. This study focuses on European option pricing as a case study, using generated input data that simulate a range of market scenarios, including typical regulatory conditions in financial markets. Testing KAFIN under these controlled conditions allows for a rigorous evaluation of its ability to handle the complexities of pricing options across different market assumptions and regulatory constraints. Empirical results demonstrate that KAFIN significantly outperforms the baseline method, improving pricing accuracy by minimizing residual errors and aligning closely with analytical solutions. The architecture of KAFIN effectively captures the inherent complexities of option pricing, integrating financial principles with advanced computational techniques. Performance indicators reveal that KAFIN achieves lower average total losses and reduces the variability in loss components, highlighting its advantage in modeling and analyzing complex financial dependencies while ensuring compliance with regulatory standards.
Applied Biomechanics in Sports Performance, Injury Prevention, and Rehabilitation
Authors: Penichet-Tomas Alfonso
Published: December 2024

Biomechanics has become an integral discipline in the sports field, enabling the optimization of performance, injury prevention, and athlete rehabilitation [...]
Prediction of Full-Load Electrical Power Output of Combined Cycle Power Plant Using a Super Learner Ensemble
Authors: Song Yujeong , Park Jisu , Suh Myoung-Seok , Kim Chansoo
Published: December 2024

Combined Cycle Power Plants (CCPPs) generate electrical power through gas turbines and use the exhaust heat from those turbines to power steam turbines, resulting in 50% more power output compared to traditional simple cycle power plants. Predicting the full-load electrical power output (PE) of a CCPP is crucial for efficient operation and sustainable development. Previous studies have used machine learning models, such as the Bagging and Boosting models to predict PE. In this study, we propose employing Super Learner (SL), an ensemble machine learning algorithm, to enhance the accuracy and robustness of predictions. SL utilizes cross-validation to estimate the performance of diverse machine learning models and generates an optimal weighted average based on their respective predictions. It may provide information on the relative contributions of each base learner to the overall prediction skill. For constructing the SL, we consider six individual and ensemble machine learning models as base learners and assess their performances compared to the SL. The dataset used in this study was collected over six years from an operational CCPP. It contains one output variable and four input variables: ambient temperature, atmospheric pressure, relative humidity, and vacuum. The results show that the Boosting algorithms significantly influence the performance of the SL in comparison to the other base learners. The SL outperforms the six individual and ensemble machine learning models used as base learners. It indicates that the SL improves the generalization performance of predictions by combining the predictions of various machine learning models.
Experimental Study on the Change in Freezing Temperature During the Remediation of Pb-Contaminated Soils with Biochar
Authors: Han Shanbo , Cao Wei , Chou Yaling , Peng Erxing
Published: December 2024

In the remediation process of heavily metal-contaminated soil, biochar can change the ion content and soil structure, significantly impacting soil freezing. This experiment used freezing ambient temperature, water (W) content, heavy metal (M) contents, and biochar (BC) contents as factors affecting soil freezing. The test soil was manually compacted in a homemade acrylic device to achieve a compaction level of 90%. The temperature changes of the soil during low-temperature freezing were monitored through thermometry experiments. The results indicated that soil freezing temperature decreased with increasing heavy metal and biochar contents and increased with increasing initial water content and freezing ambient temperature. Multiple freeze–thaw cycles revealed the interaction between biochar and heavy metals. The effects of biochar on the freezing temperature of soil with different heavy metal contents were different; in the soil with the same heavy metal content, 3% biochar contents had little effect on the freezing temperature of heavy metal-polluted soil, and 5% and 7% biochar contents significantly improved the freezing resistance of the soil. Freeze–thaw cycling had little effect on the soil’s microporous structure, resulting in minimal changes in soil freezing temperatures after seven cycles. Correlation analyses of heavy metals, water content, and biochar revealed that the effects of these factors on freezing temperature were in the order of heavy metals > water > biochar. The composite freezing temperature of biochar and heavy metal overlaps well. The initial freezing temperature of the soil was used to predict the unfrozen water in the soil. The prediction results showed that biochar increased the content of unfrozen water in the soil.
Fixed-Point Results for Krasnoselskii, Meir–Keeler, and Boyd–Wong-Type Mappings with Applications to Dynamic Market Equilibrium
Authors: Guo Lifang , Bibi Rabia , Alshejari Abeer , Savas Ekrem , Kamran Tayyab , Ishtiaq Umar
Published: December 2024

This paper introduces the idea of a cone m-hemi metric space, which extends the idea of an m-hemi metric space. By presenting non-trivial examples, we demonstrate the superiority of cone m-hemi metric spaces over m-hemi metric spaces. Further, we extend the Banach contraction principle and Krasnoselskii, Meir–Keeler, Boyd–Wong, and some other fixed-point results in the setting of complete and compact cone m-hemi metric spaces. Furthermore, we provide several non-trivial examples and applications to the Fredholm integral equation and dynamic market equilibrium to demonstrate the validity of the main results.
Cost-Reference Particle Filter-Based Method for Constructing Effective Brain Networks: Application in Optically Pumped Magnetometer Magnetoencephalography
Authors: Ma Yuyu , Liang Xiaoyu , Wu Huanqi , Lu Hao , Li Yong , Liu Changzeng , Gao Yang , Xiang Min , Yu Dexin , Ning Xiaolin
Published: December 2024

Optically pumped magnetometer magnetoencephalography (OPM-MEG) represents a novel method for recording neural signals in the brain, offering the potential to measure critical neuroimaging characteristics such as effective brain networks. Effective brain networks describe the causal relationships and information flow between brain regions. In constructing effective brain networks using Granger causality, the noise in the multivariate autoregressive model (MVAR) is typically assumed to follow a Gaussian distribution. However, in experimental measurements, the statistical characteristics of noise are difficult to ascertain. In this paper, a Granger causality method based on a cost-reference particle filter (CRPF) is proposed for constructing effective brain networks under unknown noise conditions. Simulation results show that the average estimation errors of the MVAR model coefficients using the CRPF method are reduced by 53.4% and 82.4% compared to the Kalman filter (KF) and maximum correntropy filter (MCF) under Gaussian noise, respectively. The CRPF method reduces the average estimation errors by 88.1% and 85.8% compared to the MCF under alpha-stable distribution noise and the KF method under pink noise conditions, respectively. In an experiment, the CRPF method recoversthe latent characteristics of effective connectivity of benchmark somatosensory stimulation data in rats, human finger movement, and auditory oddball paradigms measured using OPM-MEG, which is in excellent agreement with known physiology. The simulation and experimental results demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed algorithm and OPM-MEG for measuring effective brain networks.
Unveiling Complexity: Mathematical Models in Aortic Disease Investigation
Authors: Leo Hwa Liang , Keramati Hamed
Published: December 2024

The complexity of aortic diseases demands sophisticated modeling approaches to better understand their pathophysiology and optimize treatment strategies [...]
Seasonal Water-Column Structure Drives the Trophic Niche of Fish Communities on a Temperate Continental Shelf
Authors: Kundu Goutam Kumar , Kim Changseong , Jang Jaebin , Lee Chung Il , Kim Dongyoung , Lim Weol-Ae , Choi Jung Hwa , Kang Chang-Keun
Published: December 2024

In seasonally stratified marine environments, the dynamics of benthic–pelagic coupling plays a crucial role in shaping food web structures and fisheries production. We examined fish food web structures across three distinct shelf areas in the Southern Sea of Korea (SSK) during both stratified (summer) and mixed (spring) water conditions using stable isotopes of carbon (δ13C) and nitrogen (δ15N). In spring, fish communities exhibited a broader range of δ13C values compared with summer, indicating more diverse feeding strategies. Seasonal variations in the proportion of benthic and pelagic prey in consumer diets highlighted shifts in benthic–pelagic coupling, illustrating how consumers adjust their reliance on benthic or pelagic resources. The relative importance of the benthic pathway varied among species groups throughout the year. During stratified conditions, reduced benthic–pelagic coupling led to increased reliance on benthic prey, particularly in the oligotrophic region influenced by the Tsushima Warm Current (TWC). The food web spanned five trophic levels, with a median of 3.6. Several species, notably benthic ones, declined in their trophic positions during the summer stratification. These results suggest that fish food webs in the SSK are shaped by temperature-driven seasonal bottom-up control. Our findings further offer insights into how increased water-column stratification could impact the trophic niches of shelf-food webs in the TWC region.
A Structural Proteomics Exploration of Synphilin-1 and Alpha-Synuclein Interaction in Pathogenesis of Parkinson’s Disease
Authors: Tripathi Asmita , Mondal Rajkrishna , Mandal Malay , Lahiri Tapobrata , Pal Manoj Kumar
Published: December 2024

Pathological significance of interaction of Synphilin-1 with mutated alpha-synuclein is well known to have serious consequences in causing the formation of inclusion bodies that are linked to Parkinson’s disease (PD). Information extracted so far pointed out that specific mutations, A53T, A30P, and E46K, in alpha-synuclein promote such interactions. However, a detailed structural study of this interaction is pending due to the unavailability of the complete structures of the large protein Synphilin-1 of chain length 919 residues and the mutated alpha-synuclein having all the reported specific mutations so far. In this study, a semi-automatic pipeline-based meta-predictor, AlphaLarge, is created to predict high-fidelity structures of large proteins like Synphilin-1 given the limitations of the existing protocols. AlphaLarge recruits a novel augmented AlphaFold model that uses a divide and conquer based strategy on the foundation of a self-sourced template dataset to choose the best structure model through their standard validations. The structure models were re-validated by a Protein Mediated Interaction Analysis (PMIA) formalism that uses the existing structurally relevant information of these proteins. For the training dataset, the new method, AlphaLarge, performed reasonably better than AlphaFold. Also, the new residue- and domain-based structural details of interactions of resultant best structure models of Synphilin-1 and both wild and mutated alpha-synuclein are extracted using PMIA. This result paves the way for better screening of target specific drugs to control the progression of PD, in particular, and research on any kind of pathophysiology involving large proteins of unknown structures, in general.