bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Application of pharmacokinetic/pharmacodynamic concepts to the development of treatment regimens for sporadic canine urinary tract infections: Challenges and paths forward
Authors: Martinez Marilyn N. , Miller Ron A. , Martín‐Jiménez Tomás , Sharkey Michele J.
Published: July 2022

Antimicrobial efficacy can be predicted based on infection site exposure to the antimicrobial agent relative to the in vitro susceptibility of the pathogen to that agent. When infections occur in soft tissues (e.g., muscle, blood, and ligaments), exposure at the infection site is generally assumed to reflect an equilibrium between the unbound concentrations in plasma and that in the interstitial fluids. In contrast, for sporadic urinary tract infections (UTIs) in dogs and uncomplicated UTIs in humans, the primary site of infection is the bladder wall. Infection develops when bacteria invade the host bladder urothelium (specifically, the umbrella cells that form the urine‐contacting layer of the stratified uroepithelium) within which these bacteria can avoid exposure to host defenses and antimicrobial agents. Traditionally, pathogen susceptibility has been estimated using standardized in vitro tests that measure the minimal concentration that will inhibit pathogen growth (MIC). When using exposure–response relationships during drug development to explore dose optimization, these relationships can either be based upon an assessment of a correlation between clinical outcome, drug exposure at the infection site, and pathogen MIC, or upon benchmark exposure‐response relationships (i.e., pharmacokinetic/pharmacodynamic indices) typically used for the various drug classes. When using the latter approach, it is essential that the unbound concentrations at the infection site be considered relative to the MIC within the biological matrix to which the pathogen will be exposed. For soft tissue infections, this typically is the unbound plasma concentrations versus MICs determined in standardized media such as cation‐adjusted Mueller Hinton broth, which is how many indices were originally established. However, for UTIs, it is the unbound drug concentrations within the urine versus the MICs in the actual urine biophase that needs to be considered. The importance of these relationships and how they are influenced by drug resistance, resilience, and inoculum are discussed in this review using fluoroquinolones and beta‐lactams as examples.
Improving sustainable crop protection using population genetics concepts
Authors: Saubin Méline , Louet Clémentine , Bousset Lydia , Fabre Frédéric , Frey Pascal , Fudal Isabelle , Grognard Frédéric , Hamelin Frédéric , Mailleret Ludovic , Stoeckel Solenn , Touzeau Suzanne , Petre Benjamin , Halkett Fabien
Published: July 2022

Growing genetically resistant plants allows pathogen populations to be controlled and reduces the use of pesticides. However, pathogens can quickly overcome such resistance. In this context, how can we achieve sustainable crop protection? This crucial question has remained largely unanswered despite decades of intense debate and research effort. In this study, we used a bibliographic analysis to show that the research field of resistance durability has evolved into three subfields: (1) “plant breeding” (generating new genetic material), (2) “molecular interactions” (exploring the molecular dialogue governing plant–pathogen interactions) and (3) “epidemiology and evolution” (explaining and forecasting of pathogen population dynamics resulting from selection pressure[s] exerted by resistant plants). We argue that this triple split of the field impedes integrated research progress and ultimately compromises the sustainable management of genetic resistance. After identifying a gap among the three subfields, we argue that the theoretical framework of population genetics could bridge this gap. Indeed, population genetics formally explains the evolution of all heritable traits, and allows genetic changes to be tracked along with variation in population dynamics. This provides an integrated view of pathogen adaptation, in particular via evolutionary–epidemiological feedbacks. In this Opinion Note, we detail examples illustrating how such a framework can better inform best practices for developing and managing genetically resistant cultivars.
Visualizing and quantifying small and nonstationary structural motions in video measurement
Authors: Cai Enjian , Zhang Yi , Quek Ser Tong
Published: July 2022

Rapid advancement in vision recording technologies is increasing the importance and production of video data in a wide range of applications. This paper proposed a novel perspective of multifrequency phase inference for characterizing especially challenging nonstationary and often small motions in optical measurement. The model estimates and adjusts the phase information by the multi‐frequency phase retrieval, which is derived from the maximum likelihood formulation with block matching 3D sparsity priors. Estimated phase jumps are removed by a robust solution of the 2D phase unwrapping problem. These considerations are supported by applications of dynamic response identification in structural health monitoring. When compared to state‐of‐the‐art techniques, the proposed method readily yielded high‐quality magnifications on real videos, with less noise and better anti‐noise performance. The proposed method also demonstrated uniformly high skill in extracting clearer time‐domain motion estimation of video components.
THE KENTISH EOLITHS OF BENJAMIN HARRISON: Their Rise and Fall in Museum Collections and What This Tells Us about the Circumstances of Their Survival
Authors: Ellen Roy , Muthana Angela
Published: July 2022

abstract

Studies focusing on the history of collections generally emphasize what is estimable about them, but how should we make sense of collections that, once held in high regard, have subsequently been judged worthless? Such is the case for eoliths, stone objects resembling early artifacts, which held a pivotal position in arguments concerning the origins of human tool‐making, but which are now largely considered nonartifactual. This article discusses the circumstances in which eolith collections were assembled, with reference to national and local museums in southeast England, but is mainly concerned with how and why, with the passing of the eolithic heyday, so many objects described as eoliths were lost, why others remain in museums, and what this tells us about curatorial practice.
H2S improves salt‐stress recovery via organic acid turn‐over in apple seedlings
Authors: Du Minghui , Zhang Peng , Wang Ge , Zhang Xinyi , Zhang Weiwei , Yang Hongqiang , Bao Zhilong , Ma Fangfang
Published: July 2022

Signalling roles of hydrogen sulphide (H2S) in stress biology are widely reported but not sufficiently established to urge its use in agronomic practice. Our lack of quantitative understanding of the metabolic rewiring in H2S signalling makes it difficult to elucidate its functions in stress tolerance on the biochemical level. Here, Malus hupehensis Rehd. var. pingyiensis seedlings were first treated with salt stress for 2 weeks and then treated with four different concentrations of NaHS. Through vigorous investigations, including phenotypic analysis, 13C transient labelling and targeted metabolic and transcriptomic analysis, for the first time in the seedlings of a woody fruit crop, we found out that H2S recycles fixed carbons through glycolysis and tricarboxylic acid cycle to inhibit the futile accumulation of carbohydrates, to maintain an efficient CO2 assimilation, to keep a balanced starch metabolism, to produce sufficient H2O2, to maintain malate/γ‐aminobutyric acid homeostasis via an H2O2‐induced anion channel (aluminium‐activated malate transporter) and eventually to improve salt‐stress recovery. Our results systematically demonstrate the vital roles of central carbon metabolism in H2S signalling and clarify the mode of action of H2S in apple seedlings. We conclude that H2S signalling interacts with central carbon metabolism in a bottom‐up manner to recover plant growth after salt stress.
A review on PUVA pricks—A debilitating adverse event
Authors: Wyckmans Martin , Bervoets An
Published: July 2022

Purpose

PUVA phototherapy is indicated for various dermatological conditions. Adverse events due to PUVA phototherapy are seen in a sizable number of patients and can result in therapy cessation. This review will focus on PUVA pricks, an adverse event first reported by Tegner in 1979.

Methods

Articles were retrieved from PubMed starting from January 1979 until February 2021 yielding 1228 unique articles. Articles were included when they described individual patient characteristics, and patients were treated with PUVA therapy.

Results

After screening, 33 patients were extracted from 9 articles, published between 1979 and 2005.

Conclusion

PUVA pricks are paroxysmal episodes of burning or prickling pain, akin to peripheral neuropathy of the unmyelinated C‐fibers. Increased excitability of TRPV1 and TRPA1 channels while under PUVA therapy might be a contributing factor. Effective topical treatment options for PUVA pricks are capsaicin 8% cream, urea 4%, or petrolatum emollients. Antiepileptics such as phenytoin, clonazepam, and gabapentin are acceptable oral treatment options. A possible role of N‐acetylcysteine in the prevention of PUVA pricks is discussed, though further research is required.
Principles of Proportionate Punishment: Comments on John Deigh, From Psychology to Morality: Essays in Ethical Naturalism
Authors: Berman Mitchell N.
Published: July 2022

John Deigh's new volume of previously published essays covers expansive ground—from moral psychology to the history of ethics, from James, Nietzsche and Freud to Hume, Sidgwick, and Strawson. Fully one quarter of the book, however, explores the philosophy of punishment. Deigh's dominant concern in this portion of the book is to develop and defend a novel principle of proportionality in punishment, one which provides that the severity of just punishment is a function of the damage the offense threatens or inflicts on the civil order. That is a welcome project, for philosophers of punishment widely agree that proportionality remains an elusive concept. Yet whether Deigh has solved the puzzle is uncertain. This essay raises doubts and sketches an alternative solution.
Three novel alleles, HLA‐A*03:446, HLA‐C*02:213, and HLA‐C*02:214, identified by next‐generation sequencing
Authors: Loginova Maria , Smirnova Daria , Paramonov Igor
Published: July 2022

Three novel alleles were identified during routine next‐generation sequencing.
Training residents in minimally invasive surgery; confirming competence or hoping for the best?
Authors: Fransson Boel A.
Published: July 2022

Background

Veterinary minimally invasive surgery (MIS) is rapidly developing, and most surgeons are performing MIS in their clinical practice. The technical skills of presented surgical techniques are increasingly complex. Required training of American College of Veterinary Surgeons (ACVS) surgical residents in soft tissue MIS (laparoscopy/thoracoscopy) are limited to traditional apprentice training. Unfortunately, such training has been found insufficient to create competent MIS surgeons.

Aim of the review

This review discusses development of MIS training for Doctor of Medicine (M.D.) residents in context of veterinary applicability and investigates comparative evidence for how to best train veterinary residents in soft tissue MIS.

Conclusions

A structured curriculum, with validated tasks and clear training goals have been found imperative for training success. Such a curriculum includes both didactic sessions and manual skills training, with video tutorials and reading material to inform and motivate the residents.

Implications of key findings

ACVS residents and diplomates may benefit if a MIS curriculum was developed and made available to all training programs.
SUMO Modification of Histone Demethylase KDM4A in Kaposi’s Sarcoma-Associated Herpesvirus-Induced Primary Effusion Lymphoma
Authors: Yeh Wayne W. , Chen Yin-Quan , Yang Wan-Shan , Hong Yung-Chih , Kao Sen , Liu Tze-Tze , Chen Ting-Wen , Chang Lung , Chang Pei-Ching
Published: August 2022

PEL is an aggressive and untreatable B-cell lymphoma caused by KSHV infection. Therefore, new therapeutic approaches for PEL need to be investigated.
Diluted Fecal Community Transplant Restores Clostridioides difficile Colonization Resistance to Antibiotic-Perturbed Murine Communities
Authors: Lesniak Nicholas A. , Tomkovich Sarah , Henry Andrew , Taylor Ana , Colovas Joanna , Bishop Lucas , McBride Kathryn , Schloss Patrick D.
Published: August 2022

Antibiotic use, ubiquitous with the health care environment, is a major risk factor for
Clostridioides difficile
infection (CDI), the most common nosocomial infection. When
C. difficile
becomes resistant to antibiotics, a fecal microbiota transplant from a healthy individual can effectively restore the gut bacterial community and eliminate the infection.
Efficacy of biological therapies and small molecules in induction and maintenance of remission in luminal Crohn’s disease: systematic review and network meta-analysis
Authors: Barberio Brigida , Gracie David J , Black Christopher J , Ford Alexander C
Published: July 2022

Objective

There are numerous biological therapies and small molecules licensed for luminal Crohn’s disease (CD), but these are often studied in placebo-controlled trials, meaning relative efficacy is uncertain. We examined this in a network meta-analysis.

Design

We searched the literature to 1 July 2022, judging efficacy according to induction of clinical remission, clinical response and maintenance of clinical remission, and according to previous exposure or non-exposure to biologics. We used a random effects model and reported data as pooled relative risks (RRs) with 95% CIs, ranking drugs according to p-score.

Results

We identified 25 induction of remission trials (8720 patients). Based on failure to achieve clinical remission, infliximab 5 mg/kg ranked first versus placebo (RR=0.67, 95% CI 0.56 to 0.79, p-score 0.95), with risankizumab 600 mg second and upadacitinib 45 mg once daily third. However, risankizumab 600 mg ranked first for clinical remission in biologic-naïve (RR=0.66, 95% CI 0.52 to 0.85, p-score 0.78) and in biologic-exposed patients (RR=0.74, 95% CI 0.67 to 0.82, p-score 0.92). In 15 maintenance of remission trials (4016 patients), based on relapse of disease activity, upadacitinib 30 mg once daily ranked first (RR=0.61, 95% CI 0.52 to 0.72, p-score 0.93) with adalimumab 40 mg weekly second, and infliximab 10 mg/kg 8-weekly third. Adalimumab 40 mg weekly ranked first in biologic-naïve patients (RR=0.59, 95% CI 0.48 to 0.73, p-score 0.86), and vedolizumab 108 mg 2-weekly first in biologic-exposed (RR=0.70, 95% CI 0.57 to 0.86, p-score 0.82).

Conclusion

In a network meta-analysis, infliximab 5 mg/kg ranked first for induction of clinical remission in all patients with luminal CD, but risankizumab 600 mg was first in biologic-naïve and biologic-exposed patients. Upadacitinib 30 mg once daily ranked first for maintenance of remission.
Diabetes mellitus: what the neurologists need to know
Authors: Stephens Jeffrey Wayne , Williams David M , Chudleigh Richard
Published: July 2022

Diabetes mellitus is a common condition associated with numerous complications and comorbidities. The diabetes spectrum includes type 1, type 2 and other forms of diabetes, which may be associated with medical therapies and genetic factors. Type 2 diabetes is managed with lifestyle, oral therapies, non-insulin-based injectables and subsequently insulin. Type 1 diabetes requires insulin from the time of diagnosis. In recent years, there have been considerable developments in the therapies available to treat type 2 diabetes and some of these also afford cardiorenal protection. This review summarises the nature, complications and therapeutic advances in the field of diabetes and provides a concise review for neurologists. Managing diabetes optimally prevents complications and all medical specialties need a basic understanding of the principles involved in diabetes care.
Nasopharyngeal lipidomic endotypes of infants with bronchiolitis and risk of childhood asthma: a multicentre prospective study
Authors: Fujiogi Michimasa , Zhu Zhaozhong , Raita Yoshihiko , Ooka Tadao , Celedon Juan C , Freishtat Robert , Camargo Carlos A , Hasegawa Kohei
Published: July 2022

Background

Bronchiolitis is the leading cause of hospitalisation of US infants and an important risk factor for childhood asthma. Recent evidence suggests that bronchiolitis is clinically heterogeneous. We sought to derive bronchiolitis endotypes by integrating clinical, virus and lipidomics data and to examine their relationship with subsequent asthma risk.

Methods

This is a multicentre prospective cohort study of infants (age <12 months) hospitalised for bronchiolitis. We identified endotypes by applying clustering approaches to clinical, virus and nasopharyngeal airway lipidomic data measured at hospitalisation. We then determined their longitudinal association with the risk for developing asthma by age 6 years by fitting a mixed-effects logistic regression model. To account for multiple comparisons of the lipidomics data, we computed the false discovery rate (FDR). To understand the underlying biological mechanism of the endotypes, we also applied pathway analyses to the lipidomics data.

Results

Of 917 infants with bronchiolitis (median age, 3 months), we identified clinically and biologically meaningful lipidomic endotypes: (A) cinicalclassiclipidmixed(n=263), (B) clinicalseverelipidsphingolipids-high(n=281), (C) clinicalmoderatelipidphospholipids-high(n=212) and (D) clinicalatopiclipidsphingolipids-low(n=161). Endotype A infants were characterised by ‘classic’ clinical presentation of bronchiolitis. Profile D infants were characterised by a higher proportion of parental asthma, IgE sensitisation and rhinovirus infection and low sphingolipids (eg, sphingomyelins, ceramides). Compared with endotype A, profile D infants had a significantly higher risk of asthma (22% vs 50%; unadjusted OR, 3.60; 95% CI 2.31 to 5.62; p<0.001). Additionally, endotype D had a significantly lower abundance of polyunsaturated fatty acids (eg, docosahexaenoic acid; FDR=0.01). The pathway analysis revealed that sphingolipid metabolism pathway was differentially expressed in endotype D (FDR=0.048).

Conclusions

In this multicentre prospective cohort study of infants with bronchiolitis, integrated clustering of clinical, virus and lipidomic data identified clinically and biologically distinct endotypes that have a significantly differential risk for developing asthma.Delete
Review of the British Thoracic Society Winter Meeting 2021, 24–26 November 2021
Authors: Jha Akhilesh , Ward Tom , Walker Steven , Goodwin Amanda T , Chalmers James D
Published: July 2022

The Winter Meeting of the British Thoracic Society (BTS) is a platform for the latest clinical and scientific research in respiratory medicine. This review summarises the key symposia and presentations from the BTS Winter Meeting 2021 held online due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Pharmacophore-Based Virtual Screening Toward the Discovery of Novel GLUT1 Inhibitors
Authors: Tian Ya , Li Yujie , Zheng Xiaojun , Peng Qing , Shen Shuo
Published: August 2022

Glucose transporter 1 (GLUT1) plays an important role in the transport of glucose into cells. Studies found that GLUT1 is highly expressed in a variety of tumor cells, and it’s the rate-limiting transporter for tumor cells to uptake glucose, meaning that GLUT1 is a potential target for tumor treatment. Thus, the inhibition of GLUT1 by novel small compounds to lower glucose levels for cancer cells has become an emerging strategy. In this study, potential GLUT1 inhibitors were discovered by pharmacophore-based high-throughput virtual screening. First, 96 GLUT1 inhibitors were used to establish common pharmacophore hypotheses. The best pharmacophore model ADHRRR_1 was used to screen the ZINC database. Then, ADMET was launched to predict the pharmacokinetics of hit compounds from virtual screening. After that, the standard docking and precise docking were employed to dock these compounds with 4PYP protein; five molecules were selected as candidates of GLUT1 inhibitors for further analysis. Molecular Dynamic (MD) simulations and Molecular Mechanics/Poisson Boltzmann Surface Area (MM/PBSA) method were applied to evaluate the binding stability and affinity of the five protein–ligand composites. Finally, Zinc000068152777 and Zinc000141918576 with lower docking scores and binding free energy emerged as the potential GLUT1 inhibitors. Taken together, these results in our study may provide valuable information for cancer therapeutics by disturbing the energy metabolism of tumors.
QASMBench: A Low-Level Quantum Benchmark Suite for NISQ Evaluation and Simulation
Authors: Li Ang , Stein Samuel , Krishnamoorthy Sriram , Ang James
Published: July 2022

The rapid development of
quantum computing (QC)
in the NISQ era urgently demands a low-level benchmark suite and insightful evaluation metrics for characterizing the properties of prototype NISQ devices, the efficiency of QC programming compilers, schedulers and assemblers, and the capability of quantum system simulators in a classical computer. In this work, we fill this gap by proposing a low-level, easy-to-use benchmark suite called QASMBench based on the OpenQASM assembly representation. It consolidates commonly used quantum routines and kernels from a variety of domains including chemistry, simulation, linear algebra, searching, optimization, arithmetic, machine learning, fault tolerance, cryptography, and so on, trading-off between generality and usability. To analyze these kernels in terms of NISQ device execution, in addition to circuit width and depth, we propose four circuit metrics including gate density, retention lifespan, measurement density, and entanglement variance, to extract more insights about the execution efficiency, the susceptibility to NISQ error, and the potential gain from machine-specific optimizations. Applications in QASMBench can be launched and verified on several NISQ platforms, including IBM-Q, Rigetti, IonQ and Quantinuum. For evaluation, we measure the execution fidelity of a subset of QASMBench applications on 12 IBM-Q machines through density matrix state tomography, comprising 25K circuit evaluations. We also compare the fidelity of executions among the IBM-Q machines, the IonQ QPU and the Rigetti Aspen M-1 system. QASMBench is released at:
http://github.com/pnnl/QASMBench
.
A Comprehensive Survey on Poisoning Attacks and Countermeasures in Machine Learning
Authors: Tian Zhiyi , Cui Lei , Liang Jie , Yu Shui
Published: July 2022

The prosperity of machine learning has been accompanied by increasing attacks on the training process. Among them, poisoning attacks have become an emerging threat during model training. Poisoning attacks have profound impacts on the target models, e.g., making them unable to converge or manipulating their prediction results. Moreover, the rapid development of recent distributed learning frameworks, especially federated learning, has further stimulated the development of poisoning attacks. Defending against poisoning attacks is challenging and urgent. However, the systematic review from a unified perspective remains blank. This survey provides an in-depth and up-to-date overview of poisoning attacks and corresponding countermeasures in both centralized and federated learning. We firstly categorize attack methods based on their goals. Secondly, we offer detailed analysis of the differences and connections among the attack techniques. Furthermore, we present countermeasures in different learning framework and highlight their advantages and disadvantages. Finally, we discuss the reasons for the feasibility of poisoning attacks and address the potential research directions from attacks and defenses perspectives, separately.
Deep Learning Embedded into Smart Traps for Fruit Insect Pests Detection
Authors: Freitas Lucas , Martins Valter , de Aguiar Marilton , de Brisolara Lisane , Ferreira Paulo
Published: July 2022

This article presents a novel approach to identify two species of fruit insect pests as part of a network of intelligent traps designed to monitor the population of these insects in a plantation. The proposed approach uses a simple Digital Image Processing technique to detect regions in the image that are likely the monitored pests and an Artificial Neural Network to classify the regions into the right class given their characteristics. This identification is done essentially by a Convolutional Neural Network (CNN), which learns the characteristics of the insects based on their images made from the adhesive floor inside a trap. We have trained several CNN architectures, with different configurations, through a data set of images collected in the field. We aimed to find the model with the highest precision and the lowest time needed for the classification. The best performance in classification was achieved by ResNet18, with a precision of 93.55% and 91.28% for the classification of the pests focused on this study, named
Ceratitis capitata
and
Grapholita molesta
, respectively, and a 90.72%overall accuracy. Yet, the classification must be embedded on a resource-constrained system inside the trap, then we exploited SqueezeNet, MobileNet, and MNASNet architectures to achieve a model with lesser inference time and small losses in accuracy when compared to the models we assessed. We also attempted to quantize our highest precision model to reduce even more inference time in embedded systems, which achieved a precision of 88.76% and 89.73% for
C. capitata
and
G. molesta
, respectively; notwithstanding, a decrease of roughly 2% on the overall accuracy was endured. According to the expertise of our partner company, our results are worthwhile for a real-world application, since general human laborers have a precision of about 85%.
Hierarchical Multi-agent Model for Reinforced Medical Resource Allocation with Imperfect Information
Authors: Hao Qianyue , Xu Fengli , Chen Lin , Hui Pan , Li Yong
Published: July 2022

With the advent of the COVID-19 pandemic, the shortage in medical resources became increasingly more evident. Therefore, efficient strategies for medical resource allocation are urgently needed. However, conventional rule-based methods employed by public health experts have limited capability in dealing with the complex and dynamic pandemic-spreading situation. In addition, model-based optimization methods such as dynamic programming (DP) fail to work since we cannot obtain a precise model in real-world situations most of the time. Model-free reinforcement learning (RL) is a powerful tool for decision-making; however, three key challenges exist in solving this problem via RL: (1) complex situations and countless choices for decision-making in the real world; (2) imperfect information due to the latency of pandemic spreading; and (3) limitations on conducting experiments in the real world since we cannot set up pandemic outbreaks arbitrarily. In this article, we propose a hierarchical RL framework with several specially designed components. We design a decomposed action space with a corresponding training algorithm to deal with the countless choices, ensuring efficient and real-time strategies. We design a recurrent neural network–based framework to utilize the imperfect information obtained from the environment. We also design a multi-agent voting method, which modifies the decision-making process considering the randomness during model training and, thus, improves the performance. We build a pandemic-spreading simulator based on real-world data, serving as the experimental platform. We then conduct extensive experiments. The results show that our method outperforms all baselines, which reduces infections and deaths by 14.25% on average without the multi-agent voting method and up to 15.44% with it.
Effects of App Icon Border Form and Interface Background Color Saturation on User Visual Experience and Search Performance
Authors: Deng Li , Zhang Zhirui , Zhou Fangyuan , Liu Ruiying
Published: July 2022

The purpose of this study was to investigate the icon border form and interface background color saturation’s individual and connected impacts on interface interaction. They were two important factors affecting user visual experience and search performance, but previously they have been studied individually. An experiment using eye-tracking, behavior measurement, and subjective evaluation was carried out to determine the influence of app icon border form and interface background color saturation on user visual experience and search performance. The statistical results showed that during the human-computer interaction process, compared with the circle and rounded square border forms, the square icons had the longest search completion time and first fixation time and the lowest subjective evaluation score. In addition, rounded square icons had the best user visual experience. Compared with high-saturation background color, less time was required to complete search tasks in the low-saturation background color condition. Higher perceptual usability and aesthetic scores were also obtained under this condition compared to the high-saturation background color condition. Hence, this study confirmed that the two factors of icon border form and interface background color saturation had the basic properties of the interaction effect. The combination of rounded square icons and low-saturation background color can be beneficial to improve user search performance and visual experience. The findings can help in the design of human-computer interaction interfaces.
Luteolin-Rich Extract of Thespesia garckeana F. Hoffm. (Snot Apple) Contains Potential Drug-Like Candidates and Modulates Glycemic and Oxidoinflammatory Aberrations in Experimental Animals
Authors: Alozieuwa Uchenna Blessing , Lawal Bashir , Sani Saidu , Onikanni Amos Sunday , Osuji Obinna , Ibrahim Yunusa Olatunji , Babalola Shukurat Bisola , Mostafa-Hedeab Gomaa , Alsayegh Abdulrahman A. , Albogami Sarah , Batiha Gaber El-Saber , Wu Alexander T. H. , Huang Hsu-Shan , Conte-Junior Carlos Adam
Published: July 2022

The present study evaluated the polyphenolic contents and hypoglycemic, antioxidant, and anti-inflammatory effects of the diethyl ether fraction of Thespesia garckeana using various in vitro and in vivo models. Total phenol and flavonoid contents of the extract were

613.65
±
2.38

and

152.83
±
1.56

 mg/100 g dry weight, respectively. The extract exhibited in vitro antioxidant activities against DPPH, FRAP, LPO, and ABTS with respective half-maximal inhibitory concentration (IC50) values of

30.91
±
0.23

,

16.81
±
0.51

,

41.29
±
1.82

, and

42.39
±
2.24

 μg/mL. In vitro anti-inflammatory studies using membrane stabilization, protein denaturation, and proteinase activities revealed the effectiveness of the extract with respective IC50 values of

54.45
±
2.89

,

93.62
±
3.04

, and

56.60
±
2.34

 μg/mL, while in vitro hypoglycemic analysis of the extract revealed inhibition of α-amylase (IC50

64.59
±
3.29

 μg/mL) and enhancement of glucose uptake by yeast cells. Interestingly, the extract demonstrated in vivo hypoglycemic and anti-inflammatory effects in streptozotocin- (STZ-) induced diabetic and xylene-induced ear swelling models, respectively. In addition, the extract improved insulin secretion, attenuated pancreatic tissue distortion and oxidative stress, and increased the activities of superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase, and reduced glutathione (GSH), while reducing the concentration of LPO in the diabetic rats. A high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) analysis identified the presence of catechin (

6.81
e
−
1

 ppm), rutin (

8.46
 
e
−
1

 ppm), myricetin, apigenin (

4.019
 
e
−
1

 ppm), and luteolin (15.09 ppm) with respective retention times (RTs) of 13.64, 24.269, 27.781, 29.58, and 32.23 min, and these were subjected to a pharmacoinformatics analysis, which revealed their drug-likeness and good pharmacokinetic properties. A docking analysis hinted at the potential of luteolin, the most abundant compound in the extract, for targeting glucose-metabolizing enzymes. Thus, the present study provides preclinical insights into the bioactive constituents of T. garckeana, its antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects, and its potential for the treatment of diabetes.
Research on Taekwondo Teaching Reform in Colleges and Universities Based on Nonlinear Data Prediction Analysis
Authors: Chin Seung-Tae , Su Meng , Hong Chao , Yu Jialin , Ye Qing , Rahman Mamnoon , Aziz Haider , Li Keqing , Liew Kwen
Published: July 2022

With the all-round development of quality education in China, the development of new courses has been continuously added. The problems of Taekwondo education in colleges and universities in China have gradually emerged, which has hindered the development of Taekwondo. Taekwondo is a very important part of physical education in colleges and universities. It plays an important role in the teaching reform in colleges and universities. The fact of Taekwondo Teaching can meet the demands of students’ diversified sports. However, at present, there are some problems in the course of Taekwondo in colleges and universities, such as insufficient attention, lack of professional teachers, lack of professional venues, one-sided teaching ideas, unreasonable evaluation system, and so on. It is necessary to further implement the concept of education, optimize the teaching environment, strengthen the construction of teachers, innovate teaching methods, improve the evaluation mechanism, and give better play to the educational function of Taekwondo. The traditional view of physical education teaching is centered on teaching, which leads to students only understanding skills and tactics, and cannot meet the needs of modern society and schools in many aspects and levels. In order to study the teaching reform of higher education, based on the prediction and analysis of nonlinear data, this paper compares the specificity, sensitivity, early warning, and overall effect of teaching reform. It can be seen that the comprehensive effect of Taekwondo Teaching reform is better under the prediction and analysis of nonlinear data, and puts forward corresponding improvement countermeasures, in order to provide some help for the improvement of Taekwondo Teaching levels in colleges and universities, and promote the all-round development of college students.
Attack and Protection Technology of Intelligent Terminals for New Energy Internet Transmission, Transformation, and Distribution
Authors: Wang Shengda , Zhao Mingming , Liu Danni , Su Weijia , Zhang Song
Published: July 2022

In order to improve the ability of the new energy Internet to defend against external attacks, the author proposes a dual Markov chain-based FDIA detection method suitable for the new energy Internet. Taking into account the FDIA principles and characteristics of the new energy Internet, and the fact that the new energy Internet contains a large amount of measurement data and changing operating states, the data to be detected is mapped to two different state spaces, and two different Markovs are generated. The detector of FDIA is generated according to the accuracy of energy Internet operation state estimated by the model. The correctness and effectiveness of the proposed detection method are verified by experimental cases. Experimental results show: The proposed FDIA detection method has excellent detection probability and less detection calculation, the detection probability can reach 98.60%, and the false alarm probability is only 1.35%, compared with the support vector machine method, the calculation amount is reduced by an order of magnitude. It is proven that the method can meet the application requirements of the new energy Internet.
Evaluation Model of College Students’ Mental Health Quality Based on Computational Intelligence
Authors: Liang Feng , Li Panpan , Peng Hujun
Published: July 2022

In order to realize the reliability evaluation of college students’ mental health quality, a model of college students’ mental health quality evaluation based on computational intelligence is proposed. The mutual information quantity is used as the benchmark parameter to measure the interaction between the two variables of college students’ mental health quality. The greedy algorithm to find the best feature subset for college students’ mental health quality assessment is designed. The feature sequence sampling and the reassembly model of college students’ mental health quality is constructed. The reliability assessment and nonparametric quantitative feature estimation are carried out, so as to complete the quantitative analysis and assessment of college students’ mental health quality. The test results show that this method has a high confidence level and good reliability. The evaluation results can accurately reflect the depression, stress, anxiety, and other emotions related to college students’ mental health, and have a good effect.
Lignans from Mosla scabra Ameliorated Influenza A Virus-Induced Pneumonia via Inhibiting Macrophage Activation
Authors: Cai Wei , Wu Li-Ren , Zhang Shui-Li
Published: July 2022

The lower respiratory tract infection, induced by influenza virus, coronaviruses, and respiratory syncytial virus, remains a serious threat to human health that can cause a global pandemic. Thus, finding effective chemicals and therapeutic measures to advance the functional restoration of the respiratory tract after infection has been the emphasis of the studies on the subjects. Mosla scabra is a natural medicinal plant used for treating various lung and gastrointestinal diseases, including viral infection, cough, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, acute gastroenteritis, and diarrhoea. In this study, the antiviral and anti-inflammatory effects of total lignans (MSTL) extracted from the plant were investigated in influenza A virus (IAV)-infected mice and RAW 264.7 macrophages. MSTL could not only protect the macrophages against IAV-induced pyroptosis but also could lighten the lung inflammation induced by IAV in vivo and in vitro. The network pharmacology analysis revealed that differentially expressed genes, mainly involving in EGFR tyrosine kinase inhibitor resistance, endocrine resistance, HIF-1 signaling pathway, C-type lectin receptor signaling pathway, and FOXO signaling pathway, contributed to the IAV-induced alveolar macrophage dysfunction. It indicated that MSTL enhanced the function of alveolar macrophages and improved IAV-induced lung injury in mice.
A New Method for the Calibration of Site‐Related Response Spectra
Authors: Han Xin , Yang Shun , Bo Jingshan , Chang Chaoyu , Guo Mei , Cai Yimeng
Published: July 2022

The calibration of response spectra is an important issue that needs further research in engineering earthquake resistance. This paper proposes an improved calibration method for site‐related response spectra. The seismic acceleration response spectra are statistically analyzed in the random period bands in the form of regression analysis, and the fitting indices in each frequency band under 11 different functions are given. Accordingly, the best fitting function for each period band is determined. Combined with a genetic algorithm, the control parameters of the seismic acceleration response spectrum are calibrated according to the determined new design spectral shape. After comparing the calibration results with the proposed piecewise results, a new calibration model of the three‐section curve expression is proposed by improving the piecewise standard until the calibration results are identical to the proposed period point. The accuracy of the proposed calibration method is validated against the other four available methods using Qian’a earthquake records and actual engineering examples. The research results show that the site‐related response spectrum calibration method given in this paper objectively reflects the spectrum characteristics of the site‐related response spectrum. The proposed method may have a certain reference value for the calibration of the site‐related response spectrum.
The Effect of Adding Job’s Tears to Yogurt on Plasma Glycated Albumin, Weight, and Lipid Profile in Patients with Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus: A Randomized Controlled Trial
Authors: Djaja Nanny
Published: July 2022

Background. A potential effect of Job’s tears on metabolic diseases has been recognized. However, studies on the effect of Job’s tears on lipid profile and glycated albumin (GA) are still rare. This study aimed to examine the influence of Job’s tears in conjunction with probiotics on the lipid profile and GA concentration of patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus. Methods. This double-blind 12-week study involved 60 patients with type 2 diabetes assigned randomly into two groups. The first group consumed yogurt alone (containing Lactobacillus acidophilus La5 and Bifidobacterium Bb12), while the second had yogurt with Job’s tears once daily (200 ml each). Lipids and GA concentrations were measured using an enzymatic colorimetric assay. Paired and unpaired Students t-test, Wilcoxon signed-rank, and Mann–Whitney test were applied. Statistical significance was set at

p
<
0.05

. Results. The characteristics of the groups were comparable except for baseline plasma GA (

p
=
0.012

). Subjects who used Metformin were distributed equally between the groups (

p
=
0.118

). Caloric intake between the groups also did not differ (

p
=
0.856

). There was also no change in weight, BMI, or plasma GA. Yogurt and the mixture of Job’s tears and yogurt reduced cholesterol and LDL and increased HDL (all

p
<
0.05

) within the groups. However, HDL levels in patients who had Job’s tears were significantly elevated than yogurt alone (0.9 vs. 25 mg/dL,

p
=
0.029

). Conclusion. The combination of Job’s tears and yogurt improved HDL more than yogurt alone.
Correlation Analysis of miR-1246 Expression in Saliva of Patients with Chronic Periodontitis and Periodontal Indexes, Inflammatory Cytokines, and Protease Molecules
Authors: Wu Shuainan , Li Zhaobao , Wang Jianqi , Liu Lu , Pang Ying
Published: July 2022

Objective. The study aimed to investigate the correlation of miR-1246 in saliva with periodontal indicators, inflammatory cytokines, and protease molecules in patients with chronic periodontitis. Methods. Thirty-five patients with chronic periodontitis were included as the chronic periodontitis group, and 35 healthy individuals were selected as the healthy control group during the same period. The miR-1246 levels, inflammatory cytokine interleukin (IL)-1β, IL-6, IL-17, tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), matrix metalloproteinase (MMP-1), MMP-8, and MMP tissue inhibitor (TIMP-1) in saliva were determined, and periodontal indexes, including the plaque index (PLI), bleeding index (BI), periodontal probing depth (PD), and attachment loss (AL) were examined. Results. The salivary levels of miR-1246, IL-1β, IL-6, IL-17, TNF-α, MMP-1, MMP-8, and TIMP-1 and the periodontal indexes PLI, GI, PD, and AL in the chronic periodontitis group were significantly higher than those in the healthy control (

P
<
0.05

). Salivary levels of miR-1246 in patients with chronic periodontitis were positively correlated with the levels of IL-1β, IL-6, IL-17, TNF-α, MMP-1, MMP-8, TIMP-1, PLI, GI, PD, and AL (

P
<
0.05

). Conclusion. Abnormally elevated levels of miR-1246 in saliva of patients with chronic periodontitis correlate with levels of periodontal indices, inflammatory cytokines, and protease molecules.
Relationship between Traditional Chinese Medicine Syndrome Elements and Prognosis of Patients with IgA Nephropathy
Authors: Ke Jianghua , Duan Shuwei , Liu Linchang , Yin Zhiwei , Li Shuang , Ke Yujing , Yao Jin , Zheng Ying , Zhang Weiguang , Qu Yilun , Li Ping , Dong Zheyi , Chen Xiangmei
Published: July 2022

Objective. It is not clear which Traditional Chinese Medicine- (TCM-) related elements affect primary IgA nephropathy (IgAN) progression. Here, we explored the risk factors, based on TCM syndrome elements, related to the prognosis of primary IgAN patients. Methods. We analyzed patients with newly diagnosed, biopsy-proven IgAN at a single institution from December 2013 to September 2021. Basic clinical and pathological characteristics were assessed at the time of renal biopsy. The study endpoint was end-stage renal disease (ESRD: eGFR <15 ml/min per 1.73 m2, dialysis, or kidney transplantation) and/or eGFR decreased by >30% from baseline. Kaplan‒Meier survival analysis was used to explore the role of TCM syndrome elements in IgAN progression. Multivariate Cox regression analysis with adjustment for traditional risk factors was performed to explore TCM syndrome elements that may influence patient prognosis. The factors correlated with TCM syndrome elements in IgAN patients were further evaluated by logistic regression analysis. Results. During a median follow-up of 22.0 months, 53 (12.5%) of the 423 included IgAN patients reached the study endpoint. The main IgAN disease location elements were the kidney, liver, and spleen. The main IgAN disease nature elements were Yin-deficiency and Qi-deficiency, dampness, Yang-deficiency, phlegm, and Blood-deficiency. Kaplan‒Meier analysis identified three disease locations (liver, spleen, and kidney) and four disease natures (Qi-deficiency, Yang-deficiency, phlegm, and dampness) as elements associated with poor renal survival in IgAN patients. In multivariate Cox regression analysis, baseline Yang-deficiency was an independent risk predictor of poor prognosis in primary IgAN patients (hazard ratio 2.338; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.208–4.525;

P
=
0.012

) after adjustment for traditional risk factors. Furthermore, logistic regression analysis identified being female (odds ratio [OR] 2.518; 95% CI: 1.538–4.122;

P
<
0.001

), older age (OR 1.043; 95% CI: 1.022–1.065;

P
<
0.001

), low hemoglobin levels (OR 0.984; 95% CI: 0.971–0.996;

P
=
0.013

), and cellular/fibrocellular crescents (OR 1.706; 95% CI: 1.068–2.728;

P
=
0.026

) as factors affecting Yang-deficiency in IgAN patients. Conclusions. Yang-deficiency independently predicts the risk of poor prognosis in primary IgAN patients. Being female, older age, low hemoglobin levels, and cellular/fibrocellular crescents were independently associated with Yang-deficiency in IgAN patients.
[Retracted] Study on the Cytotoxic Microstructure of Titanium Dioxide Nanoparticles by X‐Ray Phase‐Contrast CT Imaging
Authors: Fei Jingtong , Nie Shanshan , Zhang Bo , Teng Xinli , Chen Ying , Qu Yikun , Cheng Zhuoxin , Guo Linqi
Published: July 2022

To address the problem of microstructural analysis of titania nanoparticles with high cytotoxicity, the authors propose X‐ray phase‐comparative CT imaging studies. In this method, the HE‐stained section samples were compared with the X‐ray phase‐contrast CT imaging microscopic images, and 3D texture analysis was used to observe the changes in the preparation of hepatocyte microstructures in the two groups. The results show that X‐ray phase‐contrast CT imaging microscopic images and their larger image size are closely related to HE staining images, and X‐ray phase‐contrast CT microscopic images can observe important data of hepatocytes from multiple angles. The ship skeleton extraction method based on the endpoint limit also has advantages over traditional algorithms in extraction accuracy and can provide more 3D feature files, confirming the growth and transformation of normal hepatocytes into hepatocyte cytotoxic microstructures. The distribution effect of using the ensemble process is better than the simple 2D feature set and 3D feature set, and the overall accuracy is improved; the result distribution of the tree determination and random forest methods is also better than that of the support vector machine method. The experimental results show that the X‐ray phase‐contrast CT images can highlight the 2D and 3D imaging features of the hepatotoxic microstructure of TiO2 nanoparticles and provide data for quantitative analysis.