bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Fibroblast growth factor 1 ameliorates thin endometrium in rats through activation of the autophagic pathway
Authors: Zhu Jing , Li Zhenyao , Yin Fengli , Yu Xiaoting , Lu Yuanfan , Zhou Tong , Gong Fanghua , Xu Zhangye
Published: April 2023

Background: Thin endometrium is a reproductive disorder that affects embryo implantation. There are several therapies available for this disease, however they are not so effective. Fibroblast growth factor 1 (FGF1) is a member of fibroblast growth factor superfamily (FGFs), and it has been demonstrated that FGF1 expression was altered in samples collected from patients with thin endometrium. However, it is unclear if FGF1 could improve thin endometrium. The aim of this study was to investigate whether FGF1 have a therapeutic effect on thin endometrium.

Methods: A model of thin endometrium induced by ethanol was constructed to investigate the effect and mechanism of action of FGF1 in thin endometrium. In the characterization experiments, 6–8 weeks female rats (n = 40) were divided into four groups: i) Control group; ii) Sham group; iii) Injured group; (iv) FGF1 therapy group. Endometrial tissues would be removed after three sexuel cycles after molding. Morphology and histology of the endometrium were evaluated by visual and hematoxylin and eosin staining. Masson staining and expression of α-SMA in endometrium showed the degree of endometrial fibrosis. Western blotting (PCNA、vWF and Vim) and immunohistochemistry (CK19 and MUC-1) demonstrated the effect of FGF1 on cell proliferation and angiogenesis. Moreover, immunohistochemistry (ER and PR) was used to explore the function of endometrium. The remaining rats (n = 36) were divided into three groups: i) Injured group; ii) FGF1 therapy group; and iii) 3-methyladenine. Western blotting (p38、p-p38、PI3K 、SQSTM1/p62、beclin-1 and LC3) was used to explore the mechanisms of FGF1.

Results: In FGF1 therapy group, the morphology and histology of endometrium improved compared with the model group. Masson staining and the expression level of α-SMA showed that FGF1 could decrease the fibrotic area of endometrium. Besides, changes in ER and PR expression in the endometrium suggested that FGF1 could restore endometrium-related functions. Western blotting and immunohistochemistry revealed that PCNA, vWF, Vim, CK19 and MUC-1 were significantly increased after FGF1 treatment compared with the thin endometrium. In addition, Western blotting showed that p38, p-p38, PI3K, SQSTM1/p62, beclin-1 and LC3 levels were higher in FGF1 group than in the injured group.

Conclusion: FGF1 application cured the thin endometrium caused by ethanol through autophagy mechanism.
Concepts of vertex regularity in cubic fuzzy graph structures with an application
Authors: Li Li , Kosari Saeed , Sadati Seyed Hossein , Talebi Ali Asghar
Published: April 2023

The cubic fuzzy graph structure, as a combination of cubic fuzzy graphs and fuzzy graph structures, shows better capabilities in solving complex problems, especially in cases where there are multiple relationships. The quality and method of determining the degree of vertices in this type of fuzzy graphs simultaneously supports fuzzy membership and interval-valued fuzzy membership, in addition to the multiplicity of relations, motivated us to conduct a study on the regularity of cubic fuzzy graph structures. In this context, the concepts of vertex regularity and total vertex regularity have been informed and some of its properties have been studied. In this regard, a comparative study between vertex regular and total vertex regular cubic fuzzy graph structure has been carried out and the necessary and sufficient conditions have been provided. These degrees can be easily compared in the form of a cubic number expressed. It has been found that the condition of the membership function is effective in the quality of degree calculation. In the end, an application of the degree of vertices in the cubic fuzzy graph structure is presented.
Restricted nasal-only breathing during self-selected low intensity training does not affect training intensity distribution
Authors: Rappelt Ludwig , Held Steffen , Wiedenmann Tim , Deutsch Jan-Philip , Hochstrate Jonas , Wicker Pamela , Donath Lars
Published: April 2023

Introduction:Low-intensity endurance training is frequently performed at gradually higher training intensities than intended, resulting in a shift towards threshold training. By restricting oral breathing and only allowing for nasal breathing this shift might be reduced.

Methods:Nineteen physically healthy adults (3 females, age: 26.5 ± 5.1 years; height: 1.77 ± 0.08 m; body mass: 77.3 ± 11.4 kg; VO2peak: 53.4 ± 6.6 mL·kg−1 min−1) performed 60 min of self-selected, similar (144.7 ± 56.3 vs. 147.0 ± 54.2 W,p= 0.60) low-intensity cycling with breathing restriction (nasal-only breathing) and without restrictions (oro-nasal breathing). During these sessions heart rate, respiratory gas exchange data and power output data were recorded continuously.

Results:Total ventilation (p< 0.001, ηp2= 0.45), carbon dioxide release (p= 0.02, ηp2= 0.28), oxygen uptake (p= 0.03, ηp2= 0.23), and breathing frequency (p= 0.01, ηp2= 0.35) were lower during nasal-only breathing. Furthermore, lower capillary blood lactate concentrations were found towards the end of the training session during nasal-only breathing (time x condition-interaction effect:p= 0.02, ηp2= 0.17). Even though discomfort was rated marginally higher during nasal-only breathing (p= 0.03, ηp2= 0.24), ratings of perceived effort did not differ between the two conditions (p≥ 0.06, ηp2= 0.01). No significant “condition” differences were found for intensity distribution (time spent in training zone quantified by power output and heart rate) (p≥ 0.24, ηp2≤ 0.07).

Conclusion:Nasal-only breathing seems to be associated with possible physiological changes that may help to maintain physical health in endurance athletes during low intensity endurance training. However, it did not prevent participants from performing low-intensity training at higher intensities than intended. Longitudinal studies are warranted to evaluate longitudinal responses of changes in breathing patterns.
Leaf age and light stress affect the ability to diagnose P status in field grown potatoes
Authors: Tougaard Stine Le , Szameitat Augusta , Møs Pauline , Husted Søren
Published: April 2023

Phosphorus (P) deficiency is a global issue which can severely impact the yield of crops, including the P demanding and important food crop potato. Diagnosis of P status directly in the field can be used to adapt P fertilization strategies to the needs of the evolving crop during the growing season and is often estimated by analyzing P concentrations in leaf tissue. In this study, we investigate how diagnosis of P status in field grown potato plants is affected by leaf position and time of measurement in a randomized block experiment. The concentrations of many essential plant nutrients are highly dynamic, and large differences in nutrient concentrations were found in potato leaves depending on leaf age and time of sampling. During tuber initiation, P concentrations decreased in a steep gradient from the youngest leaves (0.8%) towards the oldest leaves (0.2%). The P concentrations in the youngest fully expanded leaf decreased by 25-33% within just 7 days, due to a high remobilization of P from source to sink tissue during crop development. 40 days later P concentrations in all leaves were near or below the established critical P concentration of 0.22%. The P concentration in leaf tissue thus depends on sampling time and leaf position on the plant, which in a practical setting might prevent a meaningful interpretation in terms of fertilizer recommendation. The chlorophyll a fluorescence parameter “P-predict”, derived from the fluorescence transients, is an alternative to the classical chemical analysis of nutrient concentrations in leaf tissue. P-predict values serve as a proxy for the bioavailable P pool in the leaf and can be measured directly in the field using handheld technology. However, in conditions of high solar irradiation, the P-predict values of the most light-exposed leaf positions, i.e. the younger leaves, were found to be severely impacted by photoinhibition, preventing accurate characterization of the P status in potatoes. Shading the plants can reverse or prevent photoinhibition and restore the diagnostic capabilities of the P-predict approach.
Synthesis of active cytokinins mediated by LONELY GUY is associated with cell production during early fruit growth in peach [Prunus persica (L.) Batsch]
Authors: Sutton Mary , Roussel Bayleigh , Chavez Dario J. , Malladi Anish
Published: April 2023

Early fruit growth in peach is characterized by cell production. Cytokinins have established roles in regulating cell division and may regulate cell production during early fruit growth. However, the role of active cytokinins and regulation of their metabolism are not well characterized in the peach fruit. In this study, fruit growth parameters, concentrations of active cytokinin bases and a cytokinin riboside, and expression of three key cytokinin metabolism-related gene families were determined during early fruit growth. Early fruit growth was associated with intensive cell production until around 40 days after full bloom. During the early stages of this period, trans-zeatin (tZ), isopentenyladenine (iP), dihydrozeatin (DHZ) and tZ-riboside (tZR), displayed higher abundance which declined rapidly by 3.5- to 16-fold during the later stages. Changes in concentration of active cytokinin bases were consistent with roles for them in regulating cell production. Expression analyses of members of cytokinin biosynthesis-related gene families, ISOPENTENYL TRANSFERASE (IPT) and LONELY GUY (LOG), further indicated that mechanisms of synthesis of cytokinin metabolites and their activation are functional within the fruit pericarp. Changes in expression of multiple members of the LOG family paralleled changes in active cytokinin concentrations. Specifically, transcript abundance of LOG3 and LOG8 were correlated with concentrations of tZ, and iP and DHZ, respectively, suggesting that the direct activation pathway is an important route for active cytokinin base synthesis during early fruit development. Transcript abundance of two CYTOKININ OXIDASE (CKX) genes, CKX1 and CKX2, was consistent with roles in cytokinin catabolism during later stages of early fruit growth. Together, these data support a role for active cytokinins synthesized in the fruit pericarp in regulating early fruit growth in peach.
Fine mapping and candidate gene analysis of gynoecy trait in chieh-qua (Benincasa hispida Cogn. var. chieh-qua How)
Authors: Wang Min , Yang Songguang , Liu Wei , Cao Zhenqiang , Chen Lin , Liu Wenrui , Xie Dasen , Yan Jinqiang , Jiang Biao , Peng Qingwu
Published: April 2023

Gynoecy demonstrates an earlier production of hybrids and a higher yield and improves the efficiency of hybrid seed production. Therefore, the utilization of gynoecy is beneficial for the genetic breeding of chieh-qua. However, little knowledge of gynoecious-related genes in chieh-qua has been reported until now. Here, we used an F2 population from the cross between the gynoecious line ‘A36’ and the monoecious line ‘SX’ for genetic mapping and revealed that chieh-qua gynoecy was regulated by a single recessive gene. We fine-mapped it into a 530-kb region flanked by the markers Indel-3 and KASP145 on Chr.8, which harbors eight candidate genes. One of the candidate genes, Bhi08G000345, encoding networked protein 4 (CqNET4), contained a non-synonymous SNP resulting in the amino acid substitution of isoleucine (ATA; I) to methionine (ATG; M). CqNET4 was prominently expressed in the female flower, and only three genes related to ethylene synthesis were significantly expressed between ‘A36’ and ‘SX.’ The results presented here provide support for the CqNET4 as the most likely candidate gene for chieh-qua gynoecy, which differed from the reported gynoecious genes.
Afraid but misinformed: Conspiracist beliefs cancel the positive influence of fear of COVID-19 on vaccination intentions - Findings from a Romanian sample
Authors: Holman Andrei C. , Popușoi Simona A.
Published: April 2023

Understanding the factors that make people more likely to refuse vaccination against COVID-19 is crucial in order to design public health messages efficient in increasing vaccination rates. As COVID-19 creates risks of seriously damaging health effects, fear of this disease is as a significant determinant of vaccination intentions, as indicated by past research. Nevertheless, this positive influence may be limited in people who do not consider vaccines as a solution to protect against COVID-19, especially those who hold conspiracist beliefs about the new coronavirus and, implicitly, about the newly developed vaccines. The present study examined in a cross-sectional design on a convenience sample (N = 564) the joint effect of fear of COVID-19 and conspiracist beliefs on vaccination intentions, advancing past research on their independent influences. Furthermore, we investigated and controlled the effects of perceived risk of catching COVID-19, trust in medical experts, attitude towards vaccination and socio-demographical characteristics (i.e., gender, age, and education), previously found to be associated to COVID-19 vaccination intentions. We also tested the effect of ambivalence towards vaccination, i.e., the degree to which people simultaneously hold positive and negative evaluations of this intervention, as the widespread misinformation on the new coronavirus and its vaccines may induce ambivalence on this latter issue in many people. The results showed that the positive effect of fear of COVID-19 on vaccination intentions emerged only in participants who tend not to endorse conspiracist ideas on the new coronavirus. Moreover, higher vaccine hesitancy was found in participants with higher ambivalence towards vaccination, in those who perceive the risk of being contaminated by the new coronavirus as low, and in those with more negative attitudes towards vaccines in general. Vaccine ambivalence also emerged as a mediator of the negative effects of conspiracist beliefs about COVID-19 on vaccination intentions. This pattern of findings suggests the public messages emphasizing the risks of COVID-19 should also combat misinformation in order to maximize vaccine uptake.
Conditions under which college students cease learning
Authors: Coldren Jeffrey
Published: April 2023

Introduction

Effective learning involves the acquisition of information toward a goal and cessation upon reaching that goal. Whereas the process of learning acquisition is well understood, comparatively little is known about how or when learning ceases under naturalistic, open-ended learning conditions in which the criterion for performance is not specified. Ideally, learning should cease once there is no progress toward the goal, although this has never been directly tested in human learners. The present set of experiments explored the conditions under which college students stopped attempting to learn a series of inductive perceptual discrimination problems.

Methods

Each problem varied by whether it was solvable and had a criterion for success. The first problem was solvable and involved a pre-determined criterion. The second problem was solvable, but with no criterion for ending the problem so that learners eventually achieved a highly accurate level of performance (overlearning). The third problem was unsolvable as the correct answer varied randomly across features. Measures included the number of trials attempted and the outcome of each problem.

Results and Discussion

Results revealed that college students rarely ceased learning in the overlearning or unsolvable problems even though there was no possibility for further progress. Learning cessation increased only by manipulating time demands for completion or reducing the opportunity for reinforcement. These results suggest that human learners show laudable, but inefficient and unproductive, attempts to master problems they should cease.
Reduced audiovisual temporal sensitivity in Chinese children with dyslexia
Authors: Wu Huiduo , Lu Haidan , Lin Qing , Zhang Yuhong , Liu Qiaoyun
Published: April 2023

Background

Temporal processing deficits regarding audiovisual cross-modal stimuli could affect children’s speed and accuracy of decoding.

Aim

To investigate the characteristics of audiovisual temporal sensitivity (ATS) in Chinese children, with and without developmental dyslexia and its impact on reading ability.

Methods

The audiovisual simultaneity judgment and temporal order judgment tasks were performed to investigate the ATS of 106 Chinese children (53 with dyslexia) aged 8 to 12 and 37 adults without a history of dyslexia. The predictive effect of children’s audiovisual time binding window on their reading ability and the effects of extra cognitive processing in the temporal order judgment task on participants’ ATS were also investigated.

Outcomes and results

With increasing inter-stimulus intervals, the percentage of synchronous responses in adults declined more rapidly than in children. Adults and typically developing children had significantly narrower time binding windows than children with dyslexia. The size of visual stimuli preceding auditory stimuli time binding window had a marginally significant predictive effect on children’s reading fluency. Compared with the simultaneity judgment task, the extra cognitive processing of the temporal order judgment task affected children’s ATS.

Conclusion and implications

The ATS of 8–12-year-old Chinese children is immature. Chinese children with dyslexia have lower ATS than their peers.
Boundary crossing: an experimental study of individual perceptions toward AIGC
Authors: Tao Wei , Gao Shuang , Yuan Yilang
Published: April 2023

Artificial Intelligence (AI) Generated Content has made great progress in many fields. Those AI art works gradually reshape contemporary understanding of creativity. The unique creative ability of human beings may also be challenged. This paper takes AIGC as the research object and carries out a grouping experiment based on 240 participants. We found that Anthropomorphism and Autonomy have no effect on the evaluation of AI paintings and AI “painter” identity, but in together their have a combined positive impact on both independent variables. The existence of moderating effect reveals the phenomenon of on-the-spot stimulation similar to the strong effect theory. Meanwhile, the evaluation of paintings positively affects the perception of AI “painter” identity. The subjectivity of AI comes from the double superposition of its external and inner characteristics, which may suggest AI with both human-like appearance and function can be regarded as a person with social role identity.
Preparatory living lab workshops under the IntelComp platform: An enabler of the solution for sustainability challenges of climate change in Greece
Authors: Papadaki Lydia , Stavridis Charalampos , Koundouri Phoebe , Grypari Ioanna , Kazbek Madina , Papageorgiou Haris , Theodossiou Nicolaos
Published: April 2023

The phenomena of climate change transcend all national and regional boundaries. To address this complex challenge, we must determine the areas of the country of interest, in this case, Greece, that have been most adversely affected by climate. Greece is surrounded by water, and a significant part of its GDP is derived from the marine and maritime industries, including tourism. Since the start of the IntelComp project, a Preparatory Living Lab (PLL) has been planned and delivered, feeding into the development of the IntelComp platform and the Living Lab on Climate Change Adaptation. The study's results lead to the conclusion that one of the most important challenges in tackling climate change is the decarbonisation challenge, specifically the shift to renewable energy sources and the investments that must be made. Several EU and national policy frameworks, including the European Green Deal, the Climate Law, the National Long-term Strategy for 2050 (on the Climate and Energy), highlight the decarbonisation as one of the major challenges in the climate change pledge. This will be the primary subject of the IntelComp climate change case study. PLLs also led to the identification of policy questions and useful data sources to aid the IntelComp project's launch. While previous research on co-production has primarily focused on involving citizens through public participation processes in order to gain their support, trust, and insights in structured decision-making processes, our approach opens a new channel for incorporating external knowledge into problem-solving processes. The IntelComp project will aid in policy development by providing pertinent tools co-developed with the final users that will provide insights and analysis in the field of STI (Science, Technology, Innovation) encompassing all of the Energy areas mentioned above.
A review on the application of computer vision and machine learning in the tea industry
Authors: Wang Huajia , Gu Jinan , Wang Mengni
Published: April 2023

Tea is rich in polyphenols, vitamins, and protein, which is good for health and tastes great. As a result, tea is very popular and has become the second most popular beverage in the world after water. For this reason, it is essential to improve the yield and quality of tea. In this paper, we review the application of computer vision and machine learning in the tea industry in the last decade, covering three crucial stages: cultivation, harvesting, and processing of tea. We found that many advanced artificial intelligence algorithms and sensor technologies have been used in tea, resulting in some vision-based tea harvesting equipment and disease detection methods. However, these applications focus on the identification of tea buds, the detection of several common diseases, and the classification of tea products. Clearly, the current applications have limitations and are insufficient for the intelligent and sustainable development of the tea field. The current fruitful developments in technologies related to UAVs, vision navigation, soft robotics, and sensors have the potential to provide new opportunities for vision-based tea harvesting machines, intelligent tea garden management, and multimodal-based tea processing monitoring. Therefore, research and development combining computer vision and machine learning is undoubtedly a future trend in the tea industry.
Multivisceral transplantation of pelvic organs in rats
Authors: Galvao Flavio Henrique Ferreira , Araki Jun , Fonseca Ana Bruna Salles , Cruz Ruy Jorge , Lanchotte Cinthia , Waisberg Daniel Reis , Chaib Eleazar , Nacif Lucas Souto , Traldi Maria Clara de Camargo , Mello Estrella Bianco de , Andraus Wellington , Carneiro-D'Albuquerque Luiz
Published: April 2023

Background

Multivisceral transplantation of pelvic organs would be a potential treatment for severe pelvic floor dysfunction with fecal and urinary incontinence, extensive perineal trauma, or congenital disorders. Here, we describe the microsurgical technique of multivisceral transplantation of pelvic organs, including the pelvic floor, in rats.

Donor operation

We performed a perineal (including the genitalia, anus, muscles, and ligaments) and abdominal incision. The dissection progressed near the pelvic ring, dividing ligaments, muscles, external iliac vessels, and pudendal nerves, allowing pelvic floor mobilization. The aorta and vena cava were isolated distally, preserving the internal iliac and gonadal vessels. The graft containing the skin, muscles, ligaments, bladder, ureter, rectum, anus and vagina, uterus and ovarian (female), or penile, testis and its ducts (male) was removed en bloc, flushed, and cold-stored.

Recipient operation

The infrarenal aorta and vena cava were isolated and donor/recipient aorta-aorta and cava-cava end-to-side microanastomoses were performed. After pelvic floor and viscera removal, we performed microanastomoses between the donor and the recipient ureter, and the rectum and pudenda nerves. The pelvic floor was repositioned in its original position (orthotopic model) or the abdominal wall (heterotopic model). We sacrificed the animals 2 h after surgery.

Results

We performed seven orthotopic and four heterotopic transplantations. One animal from the orthotopic model and one from the heterotopic model died because of technical failure. Six orthotopic and three heterotopic recipients survived up to 2 h after transplantation.

Conclusion

The microsurgical technique for pelvic floor transplantation in rats is feasible, achieving an early survival rate of 81.82%.
Factors associated with antimicrobial resistant enterococci in Canadian beef cattle: A scoping review
Authors: Strong Kayla M. , Marasco Kaitlin L. , Invik Jesse , Ganshorn Heather , Reid-Smith Richard J. , Waldner Cheryl L. , Otto Simon J. G. , Kastelic John P. , Checkley Sylvia L.
Published: April 2023

Introduction

Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is a global health concern, occurring when bacteria evolve to render antimicrobials no longer effective. Antimicrobials have important roles in beef production; however, the potential to introduce AMR to people through beef products is a concern. This scoping review identifies factors associated with changes in the prevalence of antimicrobial-resistant Enterococcus spp. applicable to the Canadian farm-to-fork beef continuum.

Methods

Five databases (MEDLINE, BIOSIS, Web of Science, Embase, and CAB Abstracts) were searched for articles published from January 1984 to March 2022, using a priori inclusion criteria. Peer-reviewed articles were included if they met all the following criteria: written in English, applicable to the Canadian beef production context, primary research, in vivo research, describing an intervention or exposure, and specific to Enterococcus spp.

Results

Out of 804 screened articles, 26 were selected for inclusion. The included articles discussed 37 factors potentially associated with AMR in enterococci, with multiple articles discussing at least two of the same factors. Factors discussed included antimicrobial administration (n = 16), raised without antimicrobials (n = 6), metal supplementation (n = 4), probiotics supplementation (n = 3), pen environment (n = 2), essential oil supplementation (n = 1), grass feeding (n = 1), therapeutic versus subtherapeutic antimicrobial use (n = 1), feeding wet distiller grains with solubles (n = 1), nutritional supplementation (n = 1) and processing plant type (n = 1). Results were included irrespective of their quality of evidence.

Discussion

Comparability issues arising throughout the review process were related to data aggregation, hierarchical structures, study design, and inconsistent data reporting. Findings from articles were often temporally specific in that resistance was associated with AMR outcomes at sampling times closer to exposure compared to studies that sampled at longer intervals after exposure. Resistance was often nuanced to unique gene and phenotypic resistance patterns that varied with species of enterococci. Intrinsic resistance and interpretation of minimum inhibitory concentration varied greatly among enterococcal species, highlighting the importance of caution when comparing articles and generalizing findings.

Systematic Review Registration

[http://hdl.handle.net/1880/113592]
Synchronization, Control and Data Assimilation of the Lorenz System
Authors: Bagnoli Franco , Baia Michele
Published: April 2023

We explore several aspects of replica synchronization with the goal of retrieving the values of parameters applied to the Lorenz system. The idea is to establish a computer replica (slave) of a natural system (master, simulated in this paper), and exploit the fact that the slave synchronizes with the master only if they evolve with the same parameters. As a byproduct, in the synchronized phase, the state variables of the slave and those of the master are the same, thus allowing us to perform measurements that would be impossible in the real system. We review some aspects of master–slave synchronization using a subset of variables with intermittent coupling. We show how synchronization can be achieved when some of the state variables are available for direct measurement using a simulated annealing approach, and also when they are accessible only through a scalar function, using a pruned-enriching ensemble approach, similar to genetic algorithms without cross-over. We also explore the case of exploiting the “gene exchange” option among members of the ensemble.
Pre-Protection and Mechanism of Crude Extracts from Dioscorea alata L. on H2O2-Induced IPEC-J2 Cells Oxidative Damage
Authors: Yun Yanhong , Shi Huiyu , Wang Yanyu , Yang Fengyuan , Zhang Yuanxin , Feng Haibo , Chen Junpu , Wang Xuemei
Published: April 2023

The purple tubers of Dioscorea alata L. have been found to contain a variety of bioactive chemical components, including anthocyanins, which make it significant to investigate the pre-protective effects of Dioscorea alata L. and its crude extracts on cells prior to oxidative stress. To establish a suitable oxidative damage model, an injured model of IPEC-J2 cells was created using H2O2 as the oxidant. Specifically, when the concentration of H2O2 was 120 μmol/L and the injured time was 8 h, the survival rate of cells decreased to approximately 70%, and the cells exhibited a noticeable oxidative stress reaction. Moreover, the crude extracts of Dioscorea alata L. demonstrated beneficial pre-protective effects on IPEC-J2 cells by increasing the total antioxidant capacity (T-AOC) and catalase (CAT) activities, augmenting the expression of total superoxide dismutase (T-SOD) and its genes, reducing the content of malondialdehyde (MDA) and the activity of glutathione peroxidase (GSH-PX) and its expression of genes, and promoting the expression of glucose transporter SGLT1 gene while reducing that of GULT2 gene, thereby facilitating the entry of anthocyanins into cells. In addition, the 50 μg/mL crude extracts effectively inhibited the phosphorylation of IκB and the p65 protein, thus reducing cellular oxidative stress. Given these findings, Dioscorea alata L. can be considered a natural antioxidant for practical breeding and production purposes, with an optimal concentration of crude extracts in this experiment being 50 μg/mL.
Characterization of the Germplasm Bank for the Spanish Autochthonous Bull Breed “Asturiana de la Montaña”
Authors: Tamargo Carolina , Salman Amer , Caamaño Jose Néstor , Martínez-Pastor Felipe , Fernández Ángel , Muiño Rodrigo , Carbajo María Teresa , Hidalgo Carlos Olegario
Published: April 2023

Semen cryobanks are critical for preserving autochthonous and rare breeds. Since sperm cryopreservation has been optimized for commercial breeds, non-commercial ones (often endangered) must be characterized to ensure the germplasm’s viability. This study reports an investigation of the “Asturiana de la Montaña” breed (AM), a valuable Spanish autochthonous cattle breed adapted to the mountainous Atlantic environment. The survey included cryopreserved semen doses from 40 bulls stored at the Principado de Asturias Germplasm Bank. Data were obtained from the routine fresh semen analysis, CASA (motility), and flow cytometry analyses of fresh and post-thawing semen, and the 56-day non-return-rate (NRR) in heifers and cows (all results as 1st and 3rd quartiles). Fresh samples (artificial vagina) were within the normal range for cattle (4–6 mL, 5–10 × 109/mL; mass motility 5). Post-thawing results showed motility below typical for commercial breeds (total motility 26–43%, progressive 14–28%), with higher values for viability (47–62%). Insemination results showed a good performance for this breed (NRR: 47–56%; higher for heifers). Sperm volume increased with age, with little or no effects on sperm quality. Few associations were found between post-thawing quality or freezability and NRR, LIN being the variable more strongly associated (positively). The AM semen bank shows a good prospect for preserving and disseminating the genetics of this breed. This survey indicates that dedicated research is needed to adapt freezing protocols to this breed, optimizing post-thawing results.
Social Box: A New Housing System Increases Social Interactions among Stallions
Authors: Zollinger Anja , Wyss Christa , Bardou Déborah , Bachmann Iris
Published: April 2023

In domestic conditions, adult stallions are mostly housed individually in internal stables to reduce the risk of injuries during social interactions. Social deprivation in horses results in physiological stress and behavioural problems. The aim of this study was to test the “social box” (SB), which allows closer physical contact between neighbouring horses. Eight pairs of stallions (n = 16) were filmed over a 24 h period in the SB and in their usual box stables, “conventional boxes” (CB), which strongly restrict tactile contact. The effect of housing in the SB on behaviour and the occurrence and characteristics of injuries was investigated. The total duration of active social interactions was significantly higher in the SB than in the CB (51.1 vs. 4.9 min, p < 0.0001). Positive interactions accounted for about 71% of the total duration of interactions in SB and CB stabling. The stallions interacted significantly more often in the SB than in the CB (113.5 vs. 23.8 social interaction sequences over 24 h, p < 0.0001). No grievous injuries were recorded. The social box appears to be a suitable solution to give adult stallions the possibility of having physical interactions. Therefore, it can be considered a substantial environmental enrichment for singly housed horses.
Colistin Resistance Genes in Broiler Chickens in Tunisia
Authors: Di Francesco Antonietta , Salvatore Daniela , Sakhria Sonia , Bertelloni Fabrizio , Catelli Elena , Ben Yahia Salma , Tlatli Aida
Published: April 2023

Colistin is a polymyxin antibiotic that has been used in veterinary medicine for decades, as a treatment for enterobacterial digestive infections as well as a prophylactic treatment and growth promoter in livestock animals, leading to the emergence and spread of colistin-resistant Gram-negative bacteria and to a great public health concern, considering that colistin is one of the last-resort antibiotics against multidrug-resistant deadly infections in clinical practice. Previous studies performed on livestock animals in Tunisia using culture-dependent methods highlighted the presence of colistin-resistant Gram-negative bacteria. In the present survey, DNA extracted from cloacal swabs from 195 broiler chickens from six farms in Tunisia was tested via molecular methods for the ten mobilized colistin resistance (mcr) genes known so far. Of the 195 animals tested, 81 (41.5%) were mcr-1 positive. All the farms tested were positive, with a prevalence ranging from 13% to 93%. These results confirm the spread of colistin resistance in livestock animals in Tunisia and suggest that the investigation of antibiotic resistance genes by culture-independent methods could be a useful means of conducting epidemiological studies on the spread of antimicrobial resistance.
Improving Air Pollution Modelling in Complex Terrain with a Coupled WRF–LOTOS–EUROS Approach: A Case Study in Aburrá Valley, Colombia
Authors: Hinestroza-Ramirez Jhon E. , Lopez-Restrepo Santiago , Yarce Botero Andrés , Segers Arjo , Rendon-Perez Angela M. , Isaza-Cadavid Santiago , Heemink Arnold , Quintero Olga Lucia
Published: April 2023

Chemical transport models (CTM) are crucial for simulating the distribution of air pollutants, such as particulate matter, and evaluating their impact on the environment and human health. However, these models rely heavily on accurate emission inventory and meteorological inputs, usually obtained from reanalyzed weather data, such as the European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts (ECMWF). These inputs do not accurately reflect the complex topography and micro-scale meteorology in tropical regions where air pollution can pose a severe public health threat. We propose coupling the LOTOS–EUROS CTM model and the weather research and forecasting (WRF) model to improve LOTOS–EUROS representation. Using WRF as a meteorological driver provides high-resolution inputs for accurate pollutant simulation. We compared LOTOS–EUROS results when WRF and ECMWF provided the meteorological inputs during low and high pollutant concentration periods. The findings indicate that the WRF–LOTOS–EUROS coupling offers a more precise representation of the meteorology and pollutant dispersion than the default input of ECMWF. The simulations also capture the spatio-temporal variability of pollutant concentration and emphasize the importance of accounting for micro-scale meteorology and topography in air pollution modelling.
Coupling Analysis of Tunnel Construction Safety Risks Based on N-K Model and SD Causality Diagram
Authors: Zhang Mengyao , Yu Deming , Wang Tianyu , Xu Can
Published: April 2023

Tunnel construction is characterized by its large scale, long periods and vulnerability to environmental impact, which pose great challenges to tunnel construction safety. In order to analyze the coupling mechanism of tunnel construction safety risks and assess these risks, we conducted a study on the coupling evaluation of these risks in order to improve tunnel construction safety risk management. By analyzing 150 accident cases related to tunnel construction safety, an N-K model (natural killing model) was constructed to quantify the risk level of each coupling form from four aspects—personnel risk factors, equipment risk factors, environmental risk factors and management risk factors—and the SD (system dynamics) causality diagram was used to construct risk element conduction paths and identify the key influencing factors of different coupling forms. The research results show that with the increase in risk coupling factors, the risk of tunnel construction safety accidents also increases; weak personnel safety awareness, aging and wear of equipment, poor operating environment and construction site management chaos are the key risk factors whose prevention needs to be focused on. The related research results can provide a new method for decision makers to assess tunnel construction safety risks and enrich the research on tunnel construction safety risk management.
Ursolic Acid Alleviates Cancer Cachexia and Prevents Muscle Wasting via Activating SIRT1
Authors: Tao Weili , Ouyang Ze , Liao Zhiqi , Li Lu , Zhang Yujie , Gao Jiali , Ma Li , Yu Shiying
Published: April 2023

Skeletal muscle wasting is the most remarkable phenotypic feature of cancer cachexia that increases the risk of morbidity and mortality. However, there are currently no effective drugs against cancer cachexia. Ursolic acid (UA) is a lipophilic pentacyclic triterpene that has been reported to alleviate muscle atrophy and reduce muscle decomposition in some disease models. This study aimed to explore the role and mechanisms of UA treatment in cancer cachexia. We found that UA attenuated Lewis lung carcinoma (LLC)-conditioned medium-induced C2C12 myotube atrophy and muscle wasting of LLC tumor-bearing mice. Moreover, UA dose-dependently activated SIRT1 and downregulated MuRF1 and Atrogin-1. Molecular docking results revealed a good binding effect on UA and SIRT1 protein. UA rescued vital features wasting without impacting tumor growth, suppressed the elevated spleen weight, and downregulated serum concentrations of inflammatory cytokines in vivo. The above phenomena can be attenuated by Ex-527, an inhibitor of SIRT1. Furthermore, UA remained protective against cancer cachexia in the advanced stage of tumor growth. The results revealed that UA exerts an anti-cachexia effect via activating SIRT1, thereby downregulating the phosphorylation levels of NF-κB and STAT3. UA might be a potential drug against cancer cachexia.
Modeling of Ionizing Radiation Effects for Negative Capacitance Field-Effect Transistors
Authors: Xiao Yongguang , Da Xianghua , Cao Haize , Xiong Ke , Li Gang , Tang Minghua
Published: April 2023

A theoretical model for simulating ionizing radiation effects on negative capacitance field-effect transistors (NCFETs) with a metal–ferroelectric–insulator–semiconductor (MFIS) structure was established. Based on the model, the effects of total ionizing dose (TID) and dose rate on the surface potential, ferroelectric capacitance, voltage amplification factor, and transfer characteristics of NCFETs were investigated. The simulation results demonstrated that, with the increase in total dose, the curves of surface potential versus gate voltage and driving current versus gate voltage shift left significantly, resulting in the point of voltage amplification shifting left. Meanwhile, with the increase in dose rate, the amplitude of both the surface potential and driving current decreases slightly. Meanwhile, the derived result indicated that relatively thin ferroelectric thickness can effectively reduce the effect of TID. It is expected that this model can be helpful for analyzing the radiation effects of NCFETs.
Black Noise from the Break: Ma and Pa’s Black Radical Lyricism
Authors: Reade Julia
Published: April 2023

Kendrick Lamar’s 2022 track “We Cry Together” is, if nothing else, a masterful piece of wordplay and rhythm. Lamar manages to create a lyrical conversation that sounds both dialectical and diametric. Both the song and album are a definitive break from his earlier tenor that struck a mass appeal. A private conversation between two people, “We Cry Together”, insofar as it captures the intimate interiority of a couple, is also a break within the album itself. Textual renderings of Black performances cut away in ways similar to Lamar’s song or the soloist in a jazz ensemble, their breaks signifying sound. Invoking as aural praxis the language of jazz musicology and Black lyrical theory of Fred Moten, this article closely reads chapter four in George Lamming’s In the Castle of My Skin as one such special representation of textual aurality. First, it identifies multiple manifestations of “the break” before probing the deeply conflicted concept of Black noise as the racialized, resistant, resilient, and resonant octave of radical Black performance. A lyrical improvisation of a Black noise defiant in its indeterminacy, Ma and Pa’s duet cuts away from Castle’s polyphonic ensemble, creating the break within a break, within a break. Lingering in the cut, listening as Fred Moten, Douglas Kearney, Ren Ellis Neyra, and Zadie Smith encourage, the article arrives at a euphonic reproduction as induction into a legacy of synesthetic, lyrical, radical Black noise.
Utilization of Genomic Tumor Profiling in Pediatric Liquid Tumors: A Clinical Series
Authors: Sharma Ishna , Son Min Ji , Motamedi Shoaleh , Hoeft Alice , Teller Christa , Hamby Tyler , Ray Anish
Published: April 2023

Hematologic tumors are mostly treated with chemotherapies that have poor toxicity profiles. While molecular tumor profiling can expand therapeutic options, our understanding of potential targetable drivers comes from studies of adult liquid tumors, which does not necessarily translate to efficacious treatment in pediatric liquid tumors. There is also no consensus on when profiling should be performed and its use in guiding therapies. We describe a single institution’s experience in integrating profiling for liquid tumors. Pediatric patients diagnosed with leukemia or lymphoma and who underwent tumor profiling were retrospectively reviewed. Ten (83.3%) patients had relapsed disease prior to tumor profiling. Eleven (91.7%) patients had targetable alterations identified on profiling, and three (25%) received targeted therapy based on these variants. Of the three patients that received targeted therapy, two (66.7%) were living, and one (33.3%) decreased. For a portion of our relapsing and/or treatment-refractory patients, genetic profiling was feasible and useful in tailoring therapy to obtain stable or remission states. Practitioners may hesitate to deviate from the ‘standard of therapy’, resulting in the underutilization of profiling results. Prospective studies should identify actionable genetic variants found more frequently in pediatric liquid tumors and explore the benefits of proactive tumor profiling prior to the first relapse.
The Clinical Application of Immunohistochemical Expression of Notch4 Protein in Patients with Colon Adenocarcinoma
Authors: Brzozowa-Zasada Marlena , Piecuch Adam , Michalski Marek , Matysiak Natalia , Kucharzewski Marek , Łos Marek J.
Published: April 2023

The Notch signalling pathway is one of the most conserved and well-characterised pathways involved in cell fate decisions and the development of many diseases, including cancer. Among them, it is worth noting the Notch4 receptor and its clinical application, which may have prognostic value in patients with colon adenocarcinoma. The study was performed on 129 colon adenocarcinomas. Immunohistochemical and fluorescence expression of Notch4 was performed using the Notch4 antibody. The associations between the IHC expression of Notch4 and clinical parameters were analysed using the Chi2 test or Chi2Yatesa test. The Kaplan–Meier analysis and the log-rank test were used to verify the relationship between the intensity of Notch4 expression and the 5-year survival rate of patients. Intracellular localisation of Notch4 was detected by the use of the immunogold labelling method and TEM. 101 (78.29%) samples had strong Notch4 protein expression, and 28 (21.71%) samples were characterised by low expression. The high expression of Notch4 was clearly correlated with the histological grade of the tumour (p < 0.001), PCNA immunohistochemical expression (p < 0.001), depth of invasion (p < 0.001) and angioinvasion (p < 0.001). We can conclude that high expression of Notch4 is correlated with poor prognosis of colon adenocarcinoma patients (log-rank, p < 0.001).