bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Design and Analysis of a New Dual-Stator Hybrid Magnet Flux Modulation Machine
Authors: Meng Yao , Yang Xinyu , Wang Haitao , Bai Xingzhen
Published: January 2024

This paper proposes a new dual-stator hybrid-magnet flux modulation machine (DS-FMHMM) for direct-drive applications, which employs NdFeB magnet excitation and Ferrite magnet excitation on the rotor and outer stator sides, respectively. With this design, the proposed DS-FMHMM can not only fully use the bidirectional flux modulation effect, but also effectively alleviate the magnetic saturation issue. The machine configuration is described, together with the operating principle. Then, the design parameters of DS-FMHMM are globally optimized for obtaining high torque quality, and the influence of magnet dimensions on torque is analyzed. To evaluate the merits of the proposed DS-FMHMM, the electromagnetic performances of machines under different magnet excitation sources are analyzed, and a comprehensive electromagnetic performance comparison of DS-FMHMM and two existing dual-stator flux modulation machines (DSFMMs) is developed.
Identification of Donors for Fresh Seed Dormancy and Marker Validation in a Diverse Groundnut Mini-Core Collection
Authors: Bomireddy Deekshitha , Sharma Vinay , Senthil Ramachandran , Reddisekhar Mangala , Shah Priya , Singh Kuldeep , Reddy Devarapalli Mohan , Sudhakar Palagiri , Reddy Bommu Veera Bhaskara , Pandey Manish K.
Published: January 2024

Domestication and extensive selection in the development of modern, high-yielding commercial groundnut cultivars have resulted in the selection of an undesirable trait known as in situ germination, which is also referred to as the pre-harvest sprouting of seeds. This is particularly prevalent in regions where humid weather coincides with the harvest season. Delayed harvesting and pre-sprouting can cause production losses and increase the chances of aflatoxin contamination, thereby impeding the quality and kernel yield. Breeding early maturing groundnut cultivars with 2–3 weeks of fresh seed dormancy, particularly in Spanish-type cultivars, enhances the sustainability of agriculture. In this context, we conducted a comprehensive evaluation of a groundnut mini-core collection, a major resource for genetic diversity, for fresh seed dormancy using an in vitro germination assay for two seasons, viz., rainy 2022 and post-rainy 2022–2023 at ICRISAT (Hyderabad). To enhance the effectiveness and accuracy of traditional breeding methods via the use of markers for marker-assisted selection, we performed molecular screening of the mini-core accessions using two allele-specific markers. The GMFSD1 marker was successfully validated by effectively differentiating dormant and non-dormant genotypes. By employing phenotypic and marker data, we identified a set of accessions, viz., ICG 5827 (Virginia Runner), ICG 11457 (Virginia Runner), ICG 7000 (Virginia Bunch), and ICG 11322 (Virginia Bunch) of sub spp. hypogaea var. hypogaea and ICG 9809 (Spanish Bunch) of sub spp. fastigiata var. vulgaris that exhibited a fresh seed dormancy period ranging from 2 to 3 weeks. These identified accessions hold potential as donors in breeding programs that are designed to address the groundnut production needs in various cropping systems across different countries. The validated marker, particularly GMFSD1, demonstrated considerable potential for facilitating faster breeding of groundnut cultivars with the desired dormancy using marker-assisted selection. This research provides a foundation to expediting groundnut breeding programs and offers opportunities to mitigate pre-harvest sprouting, ultimately improving seed quality and productivity in groundnut-producing regions.
ZmHDT103 Negatively Regulates Drought Stress Tolerance in Maize Seedlings
Authors: Wang Xiaodong , Guo Yuhang , Wang Yiru , Peng Yunling , Zhang Hongwei , Zheng Jun
Published: January 2024

Drought stress presents a significant threat to the growth and development of maize. It is important to study the genes and mechanisms that contribute to drought tolerance. In this study, we identified ZmHDT103 (that encodes a histone deacetylase) by conducting a homologous sequence comparison and found that the expression of ZmHDT103 in maize seedlings is responsive to treatment with polyethylene glycol (PEG). We utilized CRISPR/Cas9 gene editing technology to generate three distinct knockout lines and obtained the ChinaMU mutant of the ZmHDT103 gene. Under drought conditions, the seedlings of ZmHDT103 mutants exhibited significantly lower water loss rate (WLR), relative electrolytic leakage (REL), hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) level, and malonaldehyde (MDA) level than those of their wild-type (WT) counterparts. Additionally, the seedlings of ZmHDT103 mutants exhibited significantly higher levels of abscisic acid (ABA), relative water content (RWC), peroxidase (POD), and proline (Pro) than those of the WT control. These findings indicate that ZmHDT103 acts as a negative regulator of drought tolerance in maize.
Determining Susceptibility and Potential Mediators of Resistance for the Novel Polymyxin Derivative, SPR206, in Acinetobacter baumannii
Authors: Abdul-Mutakabbir Jacinda C. , Opoku Nana Sakyi , Tan Karen K. , Jorth Peter , Nizet Victor , Fletcher Hansel M. , Kaye Keith S. , Rybak Michael J.
Published: January 2024

With the increase in carbapenem-resistant A. baumannii (CRAB) infections, there has been a resurgence in the use of polymyxins, specifically colistin (COL). Since the reintroduction of COL-based regimens in treating CRAB infections, several COL-resistant A. baumannii isolates have been identified, with the mechanism of resistance heavily linked with the loss of the lipopolysaccharide (LPS) layer of the bacterial outer membrane through mutations in lpxACD genes or the pmrCAB operon. SPR206, a novel polymyxin derivative, has exhibited robust activity against multidrug-resistant (MDR) A. baumannii. However, there is a dearth of knowledge regarding its efficacy in comparison with other A. baumannii-active therapeutics and whether traditional polymyxin (COL) mediators of A. baumannii resistance also translate to reduced SPR206 activity. Here, we conducted susceptibility testing using broth microdilution on 30 A. baumannii isolates (17 COL-resistant and 27 CRAB), selected 14 COL-resistant isolates for genomic sequencing analysis, and performed time-kill analyses on four COL-resistant isolates. In susceptibility testing, SPR206 demonstrated a lower range of minimum inhibitory concentrations (MICs) compared with COL, with a four-fold difference observed in MIC50 values. Mutations in lpxACD and/or pmrA and pmrB genes were detected in each of the 14 COL-resistant isolates; however, SPR206 maintained MICs ≤ 2 mg/L for 9/14 (64%) of the isolates. Finally, SPR206-based combination regimens exhibited increased synergistic and bactericidal activity compared with COL-based combination regimens irrespective of the multiple resistance genes detected. The results of this study highlight the potential utility of SPR206 in the treatment of COL-resistant A. baumannii infections.
Redox State Modulatory Activity and Cytotoxicity of Olea europaea L. (Oleaceae) Leaves Extract Enriched in Polyphenols Using Macroporous Resin
Authors: Luca Tonia , Malfa Giuseppe Antonio , Siracusa Laura , La Mantia Alfonsina , Bianchi Simone , Napoli Edoardo , Puleo Stefano , Sergi Angelo , Acquaviva Rosaria , Castorina Sergio
Published: January 2024

The food products derived from Olea europaea are a fundamental part of the Mediterranean diet, and their health-promoting effects are well known. In this study, we analyzed the phytochemical characteristics, the redox state modulatory activity, and the cytotoxic effect of an olive leaf aqueous extract enriched by macroporous resin on different tumor and normal cell lines (LNCaP, PC3, HFF-1). HPLC-DAD analysis, the Folin–Ciocalteu and aluminum chloride methods confirmed the qualitatively and quantitatively high content of phenolic compounds (130.02 ± 2.3 mg GAE/g extract), and a DPPH assay (IC50 = 100.00 ± 1.8 μg/mL), the related antioxidant activity. The biological investigation showed a significant cytotoxic effect, highlighted by an MTT test and the evident cellular morphological changes, on two prostate cancer cell lines. Remarkably, the extract was practically non-toxic on HFF-1 at the concentrations (100, 150, 300 µg/mL) and exposure times tested. Hence, the results are selective for tumor cells. The underlying cytotoxicity was associated with the decrease in ROS production (55% PC3, 42% LNCaP) and the increase in RSH levels (>50% PC3) and an LDH release assay (50% PC3, 40% LNCaP, established necrosis as the main cell death mechanism.
An Innovative Method of Leaching of Battery Masses Produced in the Processing of Li-Ion Battery Scrap
Authors: Leszczyńska-Sejda Katarzyna , Chmielarz Andrzej , Kopyto Dorota , Ochmański Michał , Benke Grzegorz , Palmowski Arkadiusz , Sobianowska-Turek Agnieszka , Łoś Przemysław , Fornalczyk Agnieszka , Zygmunt Michał , Goc Karolina
Published: January 2024

This paper presents comparative experimental results for the single-stage and two-stage counter-current acid leaching of battery masses, with the addition of a booster, from different types of LIB waste. Three different types of battery masses were used in this research: Material I, module car; Material II, tablets and laptops; and Material III, mobile phones. These materials were obtained during the mechanical processing of Li-ion battery waste, which were dried at a temperature in the range of 80–180 °C. Leaching studies of these materials were carried out using the single-stage acid leaching method with the addition of hydrogen peroxide, and the innovative two-stage counter-current acid leaching method, also with the addition of hydrogen peroxide. The single-stage leaching of the battery mass (regardless of the composition of the material) in a 15% or 20% sulfuric acid solution with the addition of 30% H2O2 aqueous solution, for 2 h, with a solid-to-liquid-phase ratio of 1:5 or 1:4 at a temperature of 60 °C ensures the leaching of cobalt, nickel, copper and lithium with efficiencies above 95%. On the other hand, the use of an innovative method of two-stage counter-current leaching of the battery mass ensures the leaching of cobalt, nickel, copper and lithium at a level significantly greater than 95%, while obtaining a concentration of cobalt in the leaching solution at a level of nearly 50 g/dm3. It also reduces the leaching time of a single stage to 1 h and, importantly, reduces the amount of waste solutions and the consumption of H2O2 and sulfuric acid. The developed method of the two-stage counter-current leaching of battery masses is therefore characterized by high efficiency and low environmental impact, thanks to which it can be used in commercial processes for the recycling of lithium-ion batteries.
Study of an Epidemiological Model for Plant Virus Diseases with Periodic Coefficients
Authors: Coronel Aníbal , Huancas Fernando , Berres Stefan
Published: January 2024

In the present article, we research the existence of the positive periodic solutions for a mathematical model that describes the propagation dynamics of a pathogen living within a vector population over a plant population. We propose a generalized compartment model of the susceptible–infected–susceptible (SIS) type. This model is derived primarily based on four assumptions: (i) the plant population is subdivided into healthy plants, which are susceptible to virus infection, and infected plants; (ii) the vector population is categorized into non-infectious and infectious vectors; (iii) the dynamics of pathogen propagation follow the standard susceptible–infected–susceptible pattern; and (iv) the rates of pathogen propagation are time-dependent functions. The main contribution of this paper is the introduction of a sufficient condition for the existence of positive periodic solutions in the model. The proof of our main results relies on a priori estimates of system solutions and the application of coincidence degree theory. Additionally, we present some numerical examples that demonstrate the periodic behavior of the system.
GNSS-Assisted Visual Dynamic Localization Method in Unknown Environments
Authors: Dai Jun , Zhang Chunfeng , Liu Songlin , Hao Xiangyang , Ren Zongbin , Lv Yunzhu
Published: January 2024

Autonomous navigation and localization are the foundations of unmanned intelligent systems, therefore, continuous, stable, and reliable position services in unknown environments are especially important for autonomous navigation and localization. Aiming at the problem where GNSS cannot continuously localize in complex environments due to weak signals, poor penetration ability, and susceptibility to interference and that visual navigation and localization are only relative, this paper proposes a GNSS-aided visual dynamic localization method that can provide global localization services in unknown environments. Taking the three frames of images and their corresponding GNSS coordinates as the constraint data, the GNSS coordinate system and world coordinate system transformation matrix are obtained through horn coordinate transformation, and the relative positions of the subsequent image sequences in the world coordinate system are obtained through epipolar geometry constraints, homography matrix transformations, and 2D–3D position and orientation solving, which ultimately yields the global position data of unmanned carriers in GNSS coordinate systems when GNSS is temporarily unavailable. Both the dataset validation and measured data validation showed that the GNSS initial-assisted positioning algorithm could be applied to situations where intermittent GNSS signals exist, and it can provide global positioning coordinates with high positioning accuracy in a short period of time; however, the algorithm would drift when used for a long period of time. We further compared the errors of the GNSS initial-assisted positioning and GNSS continuous-assisted positioning systems, and the results showed that the accuracy of the GNSS continuous-assisted positioning system was two to three times better than that of the GNSS initial-assisted positioning system, which proved that the GNSS continuous-assisted positioning algorithm could maintain positioning accuracy for a long time and it had good reliability and applicability in unknown environments.
Microalgae-Based Remediation of Real Textile Wastewater: Assessing Pollutant Removal and Biomass Valorisation
Authors: Martins Rúben A. , Salgado Eva M. , Gonçalves Ana L. , Esteves Ana F. , Pires José C. M.
Published: January 2024

The textile industry generates highly contaminated wastewater. It severely threatens local ecosystems without proper treatment, significantly diminishing biodiversity near the discharge point. With rapid growth rates, microalgae offer an effective solution to mitigate the environmental impact of textile wastewater, and the generated biomass can be valorised. This study sets out to achieve two primary objectives: (i) to assess the removal of pollutants by Chlorella vulgaris from two distinct real textile wastewaters (without dilution) and (ii) to evaluate microalgal biomass composition for further valorisation (in a circular economy approach). Microalgae grew successfully with growth rates ranging from 0.234 ± 0.005 to 0.290 ± 0.003 d−1 and average productivities ranging from 78 ± 3 to 112.39 ± 0.07 mgDW L−1 d−1. All cultures demonstrated a significant reduction in nutrient concentrations for values below the legal limits for discharge, except for COD in effluent 2. Furthermore, the pigment concentration in the culture increased during textile effluent treatment, presenting a distinct advantage over conventional ones due to the economic value of produced biomass and pigments. This study underscores the promise of microalgae in textile wastewater treatment and provides valuable insights into their role in addressing the environmental challenges the textile industry poses.
Iodine Promotes Glucose Uptake through Akt Phosphorylation and Glut-4 in Adipocytes, but Higher Doses Induce Cytotoxic Effects in Pancreatic Beta Cells
Authors: Arely Reséndiz-Jiménez , Cristian Arbez-Evangelista , Omar Arroyo-Xochihua , Antonio Palma-Jacinto José , Isela Santiago-Roque , Yeimy Mar De León-Ramírez , Xcaret Alexa Hernández-Domínguez , Omar Arroyo-Helguera
Published: January 2024

Background: Epidemiological clinical reports have shown an association between iodine excess with diabetes mellitus type 2 and higher blood glucose. However, the relationship between iodine, the pancreas, adipose tissue, and glucose transport is unclear. The goal of this study was to analyze the effect of iodine concentrations (in Lugol solution) on glucose transport, insulin secretion, and its cytotoxic effects in mature 3T3-L1 adipocytes and pancreatic beta-TC-6 cells. Methods: Fibroblast 3T3-L1, mature adipocytes, and pancreatic beta-TC-6 cells were treated with 1 to 1000 µM of Lugol (molecular iodine dissolved in potassium iodide) for 30 min to 24 h for an MTT proliferation assay. Then, glucose uptake was measured with the fluorescent analog 2-NBDG, insulin receptor, Akt protein, p-Akt (ser-473), PPAR-gamma, and Glut4 by immunoblot; furthermore, insulin, alpha-amylase, oxidative stress, and caspase-3 activation were measured by colorimetric methods and the expression of markers of the apoptotic pathway at the RNAm level by real-time PCR. Results: Low concentrations of Lugol significantly induce insulin secretion and glucose uptake in pancreatic beta-TC-6 cells, and in adipose cells, iodine-induced glucose uptake depends on the serine-473 phosphorylation of Akt (p-Akt) and Glut4. Higher doses of Lugol lead to cell growth inhibition, oxidative stress, and cellular apoptosis dependent on PPAR-gamma, Bax mRNA expression, and caspase-3 activation in pancreatic beta-TC-6 cells. Conclusions: Iodine could influence glucose metabolism in mature adipocytes and insulin secretion in pancreatic beta cells, but excessive levels may cause cytotoxic damage to pancreatic beta cells.
Leveraging Biomaterial Platforms to Study Aging-Related Neural and Muscular Degeneration
Authors: Hidalgo-Alvarez Veronica , Madl Christopher M.
Published: January 2024

Aging is a complex multifactorial process that results in tissue function impairment across the whole organism. One of the common consequences of this process is the loss of muscle mass and the associated decline in muscle function, known as sarcopenia. Aging also presents with an increased risk of developing other pathological conditions such as neurodegeneration. Muscular and neuronal degeneration cause mobility issues and cognitive impairment, hence having a major impact on the quality of life of the older population. The development of novel therapies that can ameliorate the effects of aging is currently hindered by our limited knowledge of the underlying mechanisms and the use of models that fail to recapitulate the structure and composition of the cell microenvironment. The emergence of bioengineering techniques based on the use of biomimetic materials and biofabrication methods has opened the possibility of generating 3D models of muscular and nervous tissues that better mimic the native extracellular matrix. These platforms are particularly advantageous for drug testing and mechanistic studies. In this review, we discuss the developments made in the creation of 3D models of aging-related neuronal and muscular degeneration and we provide a perspective on the future directions for the field.
IKZF1 Alterations and Therapeutic Targeting in B-Cell Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia
Authors: Paolino Jonathan , Tsai Harrison K. , Harris Marian H. , Pikman Yana
Published: January 2024

IKZF1 encodes the transcription factor IKAROS, a zinc finger DNA-binding protein with a key role in lymphoid lineage development. IKAROS plays a critical role in the development of lineage-restricted mature lymphocytes. Deletions within IKZF1 in B-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia (B-ALL) lead to a loss of normal IKAROS function, conferring leukemic stem cell properties, including self-renewal and subsequent uncontrolled growth. IKZF1 deletions are associated with treatment resistance and inferior outcomes. Early identification of IKZF1 deletions in B-ALL may inform the intensification of therapy and other potential treatment strategies to improve outcomes in this high-risk leukemia.
An Electrochemical Aptasensor for the Detection of Freshwater Cyanobacteria
Authors: Pham Mai-Lan , Maghsoomi Somayeh , Brandl Martin
Published: January 2024

Aphanizomenon is a genus of cyanobacteria that is filamentous and nitrogen-fixing and inhabits aquatic environments. This genus is known as one of the major producers of cyanotoxins that can affect water quality after the bloom period. In this study, an electrochemical aptasensor is demonstrated using a specific aptamer to detect Aphanizomenon sp. ULC602 for the rapid and sensitive detection of this bacterium. The principal operation of the generated aptasensor is based on the conformational change in the aptamer attached to the electrode surface in the presence of the target bacterium, resulting in a decrease in the current peak, which is measured by square-wave voltammetry (SWV). This aptasensor has a limit of detection (LOD) of OD750~0.3, with an extension to OD750~1.2 and a sensitivity of 456.8 μA·OD750−1·cm−2 without interference from other cyanobacteria. This is the first aptasensor studied that provides rapid detection to monitor the spread of this bacterium quickly in a targeted manner.
Comparison of Local Mean Age of Air between Displacement Ventilation System and Mixing Ventilation System in Office Heating Conditions during Winter
Authors: An Ik-Hyun , Park Su-Hoon , Lee Yong-Ho , Lee Chang-Hoon , Seo Sang-Bum , Cho Sang-Hyun , Lee Hyun-Woo , Yook Se-Jin
Published: January 2024

A novel displacement ventilation system (DVS) was designed using a four-way cassette fan coil unit (FCU) and air purifiers (APs) for supplying clean air. The proposed DVS in this study involved drawing indoor air through the FCU and diffusers installed in the ceiling, controlling air temperature using the FCU, and then discharging it back into the office through the APs placed on the floor. The comparative ventilation system considered was the typical mixing ventilation system (MVS) that intakes and exhausts indoor air using diffusers installed on the ceiling. The local mean age of air was used as an index to compare indoor air quality between DVS and MVS under winter heating conditions. It was found that the DVS was more effective in improving indoor air quality in winter than the MVS. Moreover, compared to the MVS, utilizing the DVS designed in this study resulted in the advantage of a much more uniform air temperature variation in the office space. Therefore, it is anticipated that modifying the structure of an indoor space with an FCU installed in the ceiling and APs on the floor to use the DVS designed in this study would greatly assist in enhancing indoor air quality.
Numerical Investigations for Rock-Breaking Process and Cutter Layout Optimization of a PDC Drill Bit with Dual-Cutter
Authors: Huang Jian , Li Junxiong , Xie Qiang , He Yuhang , Qian Liqin
Published: January 2024

PDC (polycrystalline diamond compact) drill bits are widely employed for rock-breaking in many industries like underground engineering and building constructions. The cutter layout would directly affect the overall performance of the drill bits. Field applications show that the staggered cutter layout strategy of dual-cutter can increase the drilling efficiency of the PDC bit. In order to explore the rock breaking mechanism of this type of drill bit, a numerical model of a dual-cutter and rock breaking with damage evolution based on a hybrid finite and cohesive element method (FCEM) has been established in this work. The model is verified through Brazilian disk tests. The rock breaking processes of this type of bit have been analyzed, including crack initiation, propagation, and the formation of rock debris. Moreover, the effects of horizontal and vertical offset of the back cutter on the MSE (mechanical special energy) have been investigated. Results demonstrate that the dual-cutter can prominently reduce the MSE compared to a single-cutter. The vertical offset of the back cutter has a minor effect on the MSE, while the horizontal offset is of great significance on the MSE. On this basis, the relationships between the MSE and both the vertical and horizontal offset coefficients have been built based on the response surface methodology (RSM). Finally, an optimized layout solution, with optimal vertical and horizontal offset coefficients of 0.641 and 0.497, is determined via the Gray Wolf algorithm.
The National Burden of Colorectal Cancer in the United States from 1990 to 2019
Authors: Alsakarneh Saqr , Jaber Fouad , Beran Azizullah , Aldiabat Mohammad , Abboud Yazan , Hassan Noor , Abdallah Mohamed , Abdelfattah Thaer , Numan Laith , Clarkston Wendell , Bilal Mohammad , Shaukat Aasma
Published: January 2024

CRC accounts for approximately a tenth of all cancer cases and deaths in the US. Due to large differences in demographics among the different states, we aim to determine trends in the CRC epidemiology and across different states, age groups, and genders. CRC rates, age-adjusted to the standard US population, were obtained from the GBD 2019 database. Time trends were estimated as annual percentage change (APC). A pairwise comparison was conducted between age- and gender-specific trends using the tests of parallelism and coincidence. Age-specific trends were also assessed in two age subgroups: younger adults aged 15–49 years and older adults aged 50–74 years. We also analyzed the prevalence, incidence, mortality, and DALYs in the US between 1990 and 2019. A total of 5.53 million patients were diagnosed with CRC in the US between 1990 and 2019. Overall, CRC incidence rates have significantly increased in younger adults (11.1 per 100,000 persons) and decreased in older adults (136.8 per 100,000 persons) (AAPC = 1.2 vs. −0.6; AAPC difference = 1.8, p < 0.001). Age-specific trends were neither identical (p < 0.001) nor parallel (p < 0.001), suggesting that CRC incidence rates are different and increasing at a greater rate in younger adults compared to older adults. However, for both men and women (49.4 and 35.2 per 100,000 persons), incidence rates have decreased over the past three decades at the same rate (AAPC = −0.5 vs. −0.5; AAPC difference = 0, p = 0.1). Geographically, the southern states had the highest mortality rates with Mississippi having the highest rate of 20.1 cases per 100,000 population in 2019. Massachusetts, New York, and the District of Colombia had the greatest decreases in mortality over the study period (−42.1%, −41.4%, and −40.9%). Decreased mortality was found in all states except Mississippi, where the mortality of CRC increased over the study period (+1.5%). This research provides crucial insights for policymakers to tailor resource allocation, emphasizing the dynamic nature of CRC burden across states and age groups, ultimately informing targeted strategies for prevention and intervention.
Plasma Membrane Blebbing Is Controlled by Subcellular Distribution of Vimentin Intermediate Filaments
Authors: Chikina Aleksandra S. , Zholudeva Anna O. , Lomakina Maria E. , Kireev Igor I. , Dayal Alexander A. , Minin Alexander A. , Maurin Mathieu , Svitkina Tatyana M. , Alexandrova Antonina Y.
Published: January 2024

The formation of specific cellular protrusions, plasma membrane blebs, underlies the amoeboid mode of cell motility, which is characteristic for free-living amoebae and leukocytes, and can also be adopted by stem and tumor cells to bypass unfavorable migration conditions and thus facilitate their long-distance migration. Not all cells are equally prone to bleb formation. We have previously shown that membrane blebbing can be experimentally induced in a subset of HT1080 fibrosarcoma cells, whereas other cells in the same culture under the same conditions retain non-blebbing mesenchymal morphology. Here we show that this heterogeneity is associated with the distribution of vimentin intermediate filaments (VIFs). Using different approaches to alter the VIF organization, we show that blebbing activity is biased toward cell edges lacking abundant VIFs, whereas the VIF-rich regions of the cell periphery exhibit low blebbing activity. This pattern is observed both in interphase fibroblasts, with and without experimentally induced blebbing, and during mitosis-associated blebbing. Moreover, the downregulation of vimentin expression or displacement of VIFs away from the cell periphery promotes blebbing even in cells resistant to bleb-inducing treatments. Thus, we reveal a new important function of VIFs in cell physiology that involves the regulation of non-apoptotic blebbing essential for amoeboid cell migration and mitosis.
LSTM Reconstruction of Turbulent Pressure Fluctuation Signals
Authors: Poulinakis Konstantinos , Drikakis Dimitris , Kokkinakis Ioannis W. , Spottswood S. Michael , Dbouk Talib
Published: January 2024

This paper concerns the application of a long short-term memory model (LSTM) for high-resolution reconstruction of turbulent pressure fluctuation signals from sparse (reduced) data. The model’s training was performed using data from high-resolution computational fluid dynamics (CFD) simulations of high-speed turbulent boundary layers over a flat panel. During the preprocessing stage, we employed cubic spline functions to increase the fidelity of the sparse signals and subsequently fed them to the LSTM model for a precise reconstruction. We evaluated our reconstruction method with the root mean squared error (RMSE) metric and via inspection of power spectrum plots. Our study reveals that the model achieved a precise high-resolution reconstruction of the training signal and could be transferred to new unseen signals of a similar nature with extremely high success. The numerical simulations show promising results for complex turbulent signals, which may be experimentally or computationally produced.
Diagnostic Accuracy of MRI in Detecting the Perineural Spread of Head and Neck Tumors: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis
Authors: Abdullaeva Umida , Pape Bernd , Hirvonen Jussi
Published: January 2024

The purpose of this study was to review the diagnostic accuracy of MRI in detecting perineural spreading (PNS) of head and neck tumors using histopathological or surgical evidence from the afflicted nerve as the reference standard. Previous studies in the English language published in the last 30 years were searched from PubMed and Embase databases. We included studies that used magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) (with and without contrast enhancement) to detect PNS, as well as the histological or surgical confirmation of PNS, and that reported the exact numbers of patients required for assessing diagnostic accuracy. The outcome measures were sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value (PPV), and negative predictive value (NPV). Heterogeneity was assessed with the Higgins inconsistency test (I2). P-values smaller than 0.05 were considered statistically significant. A total of 11 retrospective studies were found, reporting 319 nerve samples from 245 patients. Meta-analytic estimates and their 95% confidence intervals were as follows: sensitivity 0.85 (0.70–0.95), specificity 0.85 (0.80–0.89), PPV 0.86 (0.70–0.94), and NPV 0.85 (0.71–0.93). We found statistically significant heterogeneity for sensitivity (I2 = 72%, p = 0.003) and PPV (I2 = 70%, p = 0.038), but not for NPV (I2 = 65%, p = 0.119) or specificity (I2 = 12%, p = 0.842). The most frequent MRI features of PNS were nerve enlargement and enhancement. Squamous cell carcinoma and adenoid cystic carcinoma were the most common tumor types, and the facial and trigeminal nerves were the most commonly affected nerves in PNS. Only a few studies provided examples of false MRI diagnoses. MRI demonstrated high diagnostic accuracy in depicting PNS of cranial nerves, yet this statement was based on scarce and heterogeneous evidence.
Determining Pneumocystis jirovecii Colonisation from Infection Using PCR-Based Diagnostics in HIV-Negative Individuals
Authors: Watson Anna Louise , Woodford John , Britton Sumudu , Gupta Rita , Whiley David , McCarthy Kate
Published: January 2024

Background: Pneumocystis jirovecii pneumonia is increasingly diagnosed with highly sensitive PCR diagnostics in immunocompromised, HIV-negative individuals. We assessed the performance of our in-house quantitative PCR with the aim to optimise interpretation. Methods: Retrospective audit of all positive P. jirovecii qPCRs on induced sputum or BAL fluid at a single centre from 2012 to 2023. Medical and laboratory records were analysed and people with HIV were excluded. Cases were categorised as colonisation, high-probability PCP or uncertain PCP infection against a clinical gold standard incorporating clinico-radiological data. Quantitative PCR assay targeting the 5s gene was utilised throughout the time period. Results: Of the 82 positive qPCRs, 28 were categorised as high-probability PCP infection, 30 as uncertain PCP and 24 as colonisation. There was a significant difference in qPCR values stratified by clinical category but not respiratory sample type. Current assay performance with a cutoff of 2.5 × 105 copies/mL had a sensitivity of 50% (95% CI, 30.65–69.35%) and specificity of 83.33% (95% CI, 62.62–95.26%). Youden Index calculated at 6.5 × 104 copies/mL had a sensitivity of 75% (56.64–87.32%, 95% CI) and specificity of 66.67% (46.71–82.03%, 95% CI). High and low cutoffs were explored. Significant variables associated with infection were age > 70 years old, the presence of fever, hypoxia or ground glass changes. Conclusions: A single qPCR cutoff cannot reliably determine P. jirovecii infection from colonisation. Low and high cutoffs are useful, however, a large “possible infection” cohort will remain where interpretation of clinic-radiological factors remains essential. Standardisation of assays with prospective validation in specific immunocompromised groups will allow greater generalisability and allow large-scale prospective assay validation to be performed.
RETRACTED: Left Ventricular Non-Compaction in Children: Aetiology and Diagnostic Criteria
Authors: Monda Emanuele , De Michele Gianantonio , Diana Gaetano , Verrillo Federica , Rubino Marta , Cirillo Annapaola , Fusco Adelaide , Amodio Federica , Caiazza Martina , Dongiglio Francesca , Palmiero Giuseppe , Buono Pietro , Russo Maria , Limongelli Giuseppe
Published: January 2024

Left ventricular non-compaction (LVNC) is a heterogeneous myocardial disorder characterized by prominent trabeculae protruding into the left ventricular lumen and deep intertrabecular recesses. LVNC can manifest in isolation or alongside other heart muscle diseases. Its occurrence among children is rising due to advancements in imaging techniques. The origins of LVNC are diverse, involving both genetic and acquired forms. The clinical manifestation varies greatly, with some cases presenting no symptoms, while others typically manifesting with heart failure, systemic embolism, and arrhythmias. Diagnosis mainly relies on assessing heart structure using imaging tools like echocardiography and cardiac magnetic resonance. However, the absence of a universally agreed-upon standard and limitations in diagnostic criteria have led to ongoing debates in the scientific community regarding the most reliable methods. Further research is crucial to enhance the diagnosis of LVNC, particularly in early life stages.
Examining the Forearm Intersection through Palpation and Ultrasonography
Authors: Naredo Esperanza , Murillo-González Jorge , Mérida Velasco José , Olivas Vergara Otto , Kalish Robert , Gómez-Moreno Cristina , García-Carpintero Blas Eva , Fuensalida-Novo Gema , Canoso Juan
Published: January 2024

Background: Forearm intersection syndrome causes pain, swelling, and a rub at the dorsal distal forearm where the first extensor compartment muscles intersect with the second compartment tendons. Although primary care settings tend to treat mild cases, high-performance athletes may suffer from severe symptoms that require surgery. This proof-of-concept study aims to help detect the anatomical substrate of forearm intersection syndrome using palpation and ultrasonography when available. Methods: Five individuals were studied using independent palpation and ultrasonography to identify the first dorsal compartment muscles and the second dorsal compartment tendons. The distances between the dorsal (Lister’s) tubercle of the radius and the ulnar and radial edges of the first dorsal compartment muscles were measured to determine the location and extent of the muscle–tendon intersection. The palpatory and ultrasonographic measurements were compared using descriptive statistics and the paired t-test. Results: The mean distances from the dorsal tubercle of the radius to the ulnar and radial borders of the first dorsal compartment muscles were 4.0 cm (SE 0.42) and 7.7 cm (SE 0.56), respectively, based on palpation. By ultrasonography, the corresponding distances were 3.5 cm (SD 1.05, SE 0.47) and 7.0 cm (SD 1.41, SE 0.63). Both methods showed a similar overlap length. However, ultrasonography revealed a shorter distance between the dorsal tubercle of the radius and the ulnar border of the first compartment than palpation (p = 0.0249). Conclusions: Our findings indicate that a basic knowledge of anatomy should help health professionals diagnose forearm intersection syndrome through palpation and, if available, ultrasonography.
Improving Prenatal Diagnosis Precision for Congenital Clubfoot by Using Three-Dimensional Ultrasonography
Authors: Kim Yoo-min , Seong Ji Su , Kim Ji Hoi , Lee Na Mi , Choi In Ho , Jo Yejin , Nam Gina , Kim Gwang Jun
Published: January 2024

Prenatal diagnosis of clubfoot traditionally relied on two-dimensional ultrasonography. To enhance diagnosis and predict postnatal outcomes, we examined the parameters that differentiate pathological clubfoot using three-dimensional ultrasonography. In our retrospective study, we examined the findings of prenatal ultrasound and the postnatal outcomes of pregnancies with suspected congenital clubfoot between 2018 and 2021. Based on the three-dimensional perspective, we measured the angles of varus, equinus, calcaneopedal block, and forefoot adduction and compared the sonographic variables between the postnatal treated and non-treated groups. We evaluated 31 pregnancies (47 feet) with suspected clubfoot using three-dimensional ultrasonography. After delivery, a total of 37 feet (78.7%) underwent treatment involving serial casting only or additional Achilles tenotomy. The treated group showed significantly greater hindfoot varus deviation (60.5° vs. 46.6°, p = 0.026) and calcaneopedal block deviation (65.6° vs. 26.6°, p < 0.05) compared to the non-treated group. The calcaneopedal block had an area under the curve of 0.98 with a diagnostic threshold of 46.2 degrees (sensitivity of 97%, specificity of 90%, positive predictive value of 97%, and negative predictive value of 90%). During prenatal evaluation of clubfoot using three-dimensional ultrasonography, the calcaneopedal block deviation has the potential to predict postnatal treatment.
Temporal Trend of the SARS-CoV-2 Omicron Variant and RSV in the Nasal Cavity and Accuracy of the Newly Developed Antigen-Detecting Rapid Diagnostic Test
Authors: Tamura Daisuke , Morisawa Yuji , Mato Takashi , Nunomiya Shin , Yoshihiro Masaki , Maehara Yuta , Ito Shizuka , Ochiai Yasushi , Yamagishi Hirokazu , Tajima Toshihiro , Yamagata Takanori , Osaka Hitoshi
Published: January 2024

The aim of this work is to analyze the viral titers of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) and respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) at the anterior nasal site (ANS) and nasopharyngeal site (NS), evaluate their virological dynamics, and validate the usefulness of a newly developed two-antigen-detecting rapid antigen diagnostic test (Ag-RDT) that simultaneously detects SARS-CoV-2 and RSV using clinical specimens. This study included 195 asymptomatic to severely ill patients. Overall, 668 specimens were collected simultaneously from the ANS and NS. The cycle threshold (Ct) values calculated from real-time polymerase chain reaction were used to analyze temporal changes in viral load and evaluate the sensitivity and specificity of the Ag-RDT. The mean Ct values for SARS-CoV-2-positive, ANS, and NS specimens were 28.8, 28.9, and 28.7, respectively. The mean Ct values for RSV-positive, ANS, and NS specimens were 28.7, 28.8, and 28.6, respectively. SARS-CoV-2 and RSV showed the same trend in viral load, although the viral load of NS was higher than that of ANS. The sensitivity and specificity of the newly developed Ag-RDT were excellent in specimens collected up to 10 days after the onset of SARS-CoV-2 infection and up to 6 days after the onset of RSV infection.
Evaluation of STEAM Project-Based Learning (STEAM PBL) Instructional Designs from the STEM Practices Perspective
Authors: Pérez Torres Miquel , Couso Lagarón Digna , Marquez Bargalló Conxita
Published: January 2024

Currently, there is a wide diversity of project-based learning instructional designs presented as “STEAM projects”. However, it is essential to evaluate if all these STEAM projects align their learning objectives and activities with the intended STEAM competences. This paper aims to characterize the impact of the STEAM educational approach through the analysis of contemporary STEAM projects implemented in five Spanish secondary schools from a curricular perspective based on STEM practices. A dataset comprising 46 secondary school STEAM projects implemented in Spain was evaluated using STEM project-based learningrubric, considering 21 evaluation criteria. The findings reveal an imbalance in the sophistication of STEAM projects concerning Science and Technology disciplinary-linked criteria and meta-disciplinary-linked criteria within this framework. These results enable the mapping and highlighting of the fact that not all STEAM projects equally serve their intended educational purposes or integrate all their features with the same level of sophistication. Curriculum organizations from different secondary school levels are also pointing out notable differences regarding how they address STEM competence. Acknowledging these differences and challenges in further initiatives of STEAM PBL instructional designs could support their design. By identifying areas of improvement, educators can optimize the impact of these projects on fostering STEAM competences among students.
Assessment Automation of Complex Student Programming Assignments
Authors: Novak Matija , Kermek Dragutin
Published: January 2024

Grading student programming assignments is not an easy task. This task is even more challenging when talking about complex programming assignments at university graduate level. By complex assignments, we mean assignments where students have to program a complete application from scratch. For example, building a complete web application with a client and server side, whereby the application uses multiple threads that gather data from some external service (like the REST service, IoT sensors, etc.), processes these data and store them in some storage (e.g., a database), implements a custom protocol over a socket or something similar, implements their own REST/SOAP/GraphQL service, then sends or receives JMS/MQTT/WebSocket messages, etc. Such assignments give students an inside view of building real Internet applications. On the other hand, assignments like these take a long time to be tested and graded manually, e.g., up to 1 h per student. To speed up the assessment process, there are different automation possibilities that can check for the correctness of some application parts without endangering the grading quality. In this study, different possibilities of automation are described that have been improved over several years. This process takes advantage of unit testing, bash scripting, and other methods. The main goal of this study is to define an assessment process that can be used to grade complex programming assignments, with concrete examples of what and how to automate. This process involves assignment preparation for automation, plagiarism (i.e., better said similarity) detection, performing an automatic check of the correctness of each programming assignment, conducting an analysis of the obtained data, the awarding of points (grading) for each programming assignment, and other such activities. We also discuss what the downsides of automation are and why it is not possible to completely automate the grading process.
Adapting Pre-Trained Self-Supervised Learning Model for Speech Recognition with Light-Weight Adapters
Authors: Yue Xianghu , Gao Xiaoxue , Qian Xinyuan , Li Haizhou
Published: January 2024

Self-supervised learning (SSL) is an effective way of learning rich and transferable speech representations from unlabeled data to benefit downstream tasks. However, effectively incorporating a pre-trained SSL model into an automatic speech recognition (ASR) system remains challenging. In this paper, we propose a network architecture with light-weight adapters to adapt a pre-trained SSL model for an end-to-end (E2E) ASR. An adapter is introduced in each SSL network layer and trained on the downstream ASR task, while the parameters of the pre-trained SSL network layers remain unchanged. By carrying over all pre-trained parameters, we avoid the catastrophic forgetting problem. At the same time, we allow the network to quickly adapt to ASR task with light-weight adapters. The experiments using LibriSpeech and Wall Street Journal (WSJ) datasets show that (1) the proposed adapter-based fine-tuning consistently outperforms full-fledged training in low-resource scenarios, with up to 17.5%/12.2% relative word error rate (WER) reduction on the 10 min LibriSpeech split; (2) the adapter-based adaptation also shows competitive performance in high-resource scenarios, which further validates the effectiveness of the adapters.
Quaternion Chromaticity Contrast Preserving Decolorization Method Based on Adaptive Singular Value Weighting
Authors: Zhu Zhiliang , Gao Mengxi , Huang Xiaojun , Huang Xiaosheng , Zhao Yuxiao
Published: January 2024

Color image decolorization can not only simplify the complexity of image processing and analysis, improving computational efficiency, but also help to preserve the key information of the image, enhance visual effects, and meet various practical application requirements. However, with existing decolorization methods it is difficult to simultaneously maintain the local detail features and global smooth features of the image. To address this shortcoming, this paper utilizes singular value decomposition to obtain the hierarchical local features of the image and utilizes quaternion theory to overcome the limitation of existing color image processing methods that ignore the correlation between the three channels of the color image. Based on this, we propose a singular value adaptive weighted fusion quaternion chromaticity contrast preserving decolorization method. This method utilizes the low-rank matrix approximation principle to design a singular value adaptive weighted fusion strategy for the three channels of the color image and implements image decolorization based on singular value adaptive weighting. To address the deficiency of the decolorization result obtained in this step, which cannot maintain global smoothness characteristics well, a contrast preserving decolorization algorithm based on quaternion chromaticity distance is further proposed, and the global weighting strategy obtained by this algorithm is integrated into the image decolorization based on singular value adaptive weighting. The experimental results show that the decolorization method proposed in this paper achieves excellent results in both subjective visual perception and objective evaluation metrics.
Recent Advances in Intelligent Data Analysis and Its Applications
Authors: Zhang Chao , Li Wentao , Zhang Huiyan , Zhan Tao
Published: January 2024

In the current rapidly evolving technological landscape, marked by transformative advancements such as cloud computing, the Internet of Things (IoT), and industrial internet, the complexity of data analysis tasks is escalating across the socio-economic spectrum [...]