bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Dietary intervention reprograms bone marrow cellular signaling in obese mice
Authors: Zheng Yuxuan , Yan Jiren , Zhang Xiaofu , Cui Hailong , Wei Zhenyuan , Li Xiaoying , Wang Qiuyu , Zhong Biao
Published: July 2023

Objectives

The current study aimed to investigate the pathogenesis of obesity-induced impaired bone mass accrual and the impact of dietary intervention on bone density in the mouse model of obesity.

Methods

Mice were fed with chow diet (CD) for 10 months, high-fat-diet (HFD) for 10 months, or HFD for 6 months then transferred to chow diet for 4 months (HFDt).

Results

Weight loss and decreased intrahepatic lipid accumulation were observed in mice following dietary intervention. Additionally, HFD feeding induced bone mass accrual, while diet intervention restrained trabecular bone density. These changes were further reflected by increased osteogenesis and decreased adipogenesis in HFDt mice compared to HFD mice. Furthermore, HFD feeding decreased the activity of the Wingless-related integration site (Wnt)-β-Catenin signaling pathway, while the Wnt signaling was augmented by diet intervention in the HFDt group.

Conclusions

Our findings suggest that a HFD inhibits bone formation and that dietary intervention reverses this inhibition. Furthermore, the dietary intervention was able to compensate for the suppressed increase in bone mass to a level comparable to that in the CD group. Our study suggests that targeting the Wnt signaling pathway may be a potential approach to treat obesity-induced impaired bone mass accrual.
Exercise for prevention of falls and fall-related injuries in neurodegenerative diseases and aging-related risk conditions: a meta-analysis
Authors: Feng Feifei , Xu Haocheng , Sun Yu , Zhang Xin , Li Nan , Sun Xun , Tian Xin , Zhao Renqing
Published: July 2023

Introduction

Neurodegenerative diseases often cause motor and cognitive deterioration that leads to postural instability and motor impairment, while aging-associated frailty frequently results in reduced muscle mass, balance, and mobility. These conditions increase the risk of falls and injuries in these populations. This study aimed to determine the effects of exercise on falls and consequent injuries among individuals with neurodegenerative diseases and frail aging people.

Methods

Electronic database searches were conducted in PubMed, Cochrane Library, SportDiscus, and Web of Science up to 1 January 2023. Randomized controlled trials that reported the effects of exercise on falls and fall-related injuries in neurodegenerative disease and frail aging people were eligible for inclusion. The intervention effects for falls, fractures, and injuries were evaluated by calculating the rate ratio (RaR) or risk ratio (RR) with 95% confidence interval (CI).

Results

Sixty-four studies with 13,241 participants met the inclusion criteria. Exercise is effective in reducing falls for frail aging people (RaR, 0.75; 95% CI, 0.68–0.82) and participants with ND (0.53, 0.43–0.65) [dementia (0.64, 0.51–0.82), Parkinson’s disease (0.49, 0.39–0.69), and stroke survivors (0.40, 0.27–0.57)]. Exercise also reduced fall-related injuries in ND patients (RR, 0.66; 95% CI, 0.48–0.90) and decreased fractures (0.63, 0.41–0.95) and fall-related injuries (0.89, 0.84–0.95) among frail aging people. For fall prevention, balance and combined exercise protocols are both effective, and either short-, moderate-, or long-term intervention duration is beneficial. More importantly, exercise only induced a very low injury rate per participant year (0.007%; 95% CI, 0–0.016) and show relatively good compliance with exercise (74.8; 95% CI, 69.7%–79.9%).

Discussion

Exercise is effective in reducing neurodegenerative disease- and aging-associated falls and consequent injuries, suggesting that exercise is an effective and feasible strategy for the prevention of falls.
The efficacy and safety in radioactive iodine refractory thyroid cancer patients treated with sorafenib
Authors: Ling Yuanna , Xiong Xiaoli , Luo Jiaxin , Zou Quanliang , Chen Pan , Pan Liqin , Long Man , Feng Huijuan , Ouyang Wei
Published: July 2023

Background

Sorafenib included in Chinese medical insurance is the earliest targeted drug for radioactive iodine refractory differentiated thyroid cancer (RR-DTC). This study is to further demonstrate the clinical efficacy and safety of sorafenib used in Zhujiang Hospital of Southern Medical University.

Methods

RR-DTC patients treated at our Department of Nuclear Medicine in Zhujiang Hospital of Southern Medical University (October 2017–May 2020) were retrospectively analyzed. Treatment effects, progression-free survival (PFS), and adverse effects (AEs) during medication were evaluated.

Results

Of the 31 patients included, 26 patients were evaluated for efficacy with a median follow-up time of 17.5 months (4.0–51.0 months). The disease control rate (DCR) was 57.7% (n = 15) and the objective response rate (ORR) was 26.9% (n = 7). Most patients with disease control had thyroglobulin decreases of more than 60% (p = 0.004), ORRs were favorable in patients with lung metastasis and lung-only metastasis (p = 0.010 and 0.001, respectively). The PFS of the 26 patients analyzed was 16.5 months (95%CI: 14.41 –23.90 months). In the subgroup analysis, female, patients with lung-only metastasis, hand-foot skin syndrome (HFS), and thyroglobulin response ≥ 60% observed longer PFS (p = 0.038, 0.045, 0.035, and 0.000, respectively), while patients with bone metastasis had lower PFS (p = 0.035). The most common toxicity profile was HFS (93.5%), followed by diarrhea (83.9%), alopecia (74.2%). All the side effects were mainly grade 1–2. Grade 3–4 adverse reactions were more common in diarrhea and HFS.

Conclusions

Sorafenib has promising efficacy in RR-DTC, especially in patients with lung metastasis and lung-only metastasis. The AEs of sorafenib were generally mild, and the main AE was HFS.
Improved prediction of drug-induced liver injury literature using natural language processing and machine learning methods
Authors: Oh Jung Hun , Tannenbaum Allen , Deasy Joseph O.
Published: July 2023

Drug-induced liver injury (DILI) is an adverse hepatic drug reaction that can potentially lead to life-threatening liver failure. Previously published work in the scientific literature on DILI has provided valuable insights for the understanding of hepatotoxicity as well as drug development. However, the manual search of scientific literature in PubMed is laborious and time-consuming. Natural language processing (NLP) techniques along with artificial intelligence/machine learning approaches may allow for automatic processing in identifying DILI-related literature, but useful methods are yet to be demonstrated. To address this issue, we have developed an integrated NLP/machine learning classification model to identify DILI-related literature using only paper titles and abstracts. For prediction modeling, we used 14,203 publications provided by the Critical Assessment of Massive Data Analysis (CAMDA) challenge, employing word vectorization techniques in NLP in conjunction with machine learning methods. Classification modeling was performed using 2/3 of the data for training and the remainder for test in internal validation. The best performance was achieved using a linear support vector machine (SVM) model on the combined vectors derived from term frequency-inverse document frequency (TF-IDF) and Word2Vec, resulting in an accuracy of 95.0% and an F1-score of 95.0%. The final SVM model constructed from all 14,203 publications was tested on independent datasets, resulting in accuracies of 92.5%, 96.3%, and 98.3%, and F1-scores of 93.5%, 86.1%, and 75.6% for three test sets (T1-T3). Furthermore, the SVM model was tested on four external validation sets (V1-V4), resulting in accuracies of 92.0%, 96.2%, 98.3%, and 93.1%, and F1-scores of 92.4%, 82.9%, 75.0%, and 93.3%.
Multivalent vaccines demonstrate immunogenicity and protect against Coxiella burnetii aerosol challenge
Authors: Jan Sharon , Fratzke Alycia P. , Felgner Jiin , Hernandez-Davies Jenny E. , Liang Li , Nakajima Rie , Jasinskas Algimantas , Supnet Medalyn , Jain Aarti , Felgner Philip L. , Davies D. Huw , Gregory Anthony E.
Published: July 2023

Vaccines are among the most cost-effective public health measures for controlling infectious diseases. Coxiella burnetii is the etiological agent of Q fever, a disease with a wide clinical spectrum that ranges from mild symptoms, such as fever and fatigue, to more severe disease, such as pneumonia and endocarditis. The formalin-inactivated whole-cell vaccine Q-VAX® contains hundreds of antigens and confers lifelong protection in humans, but prior sensitization from infection or vaccination can result in deleterious reactogenic responses to vaccination. Consequently, there is great interest in developing non-reactogenic alternatives based on adjuvanted recombinant proteins. In this study, we aimed to develop a multivalent vaccine that conferred protection with reduced reactogenicity. We hypothesized that a multivalent vaccine consisting of multiple antigens would be more immunogenic and protective than a monovalent vaccine owing to the large number of potential protective antigens in the C. burnetii proteome. To address this, we identified immunogenic T and B cell antigens, and selected proteins were purified to evaluate with a combination adjuvant (IVAX-1), with or without C. burnetii lipopolysaccharide (LPS) in immunogenicity studies in vivo in mice and in a Hartley guinea pig intratracheal aerosol challenge model using C. burnetii strain NMI RSA 493. The data showed that multivalent vaccines are more immunogenic than monovalent vaccines and more closely emulate the protection achieved by Q-VAX. Although six antigens were the most immunogenic, we also discovered that multiplexing beyond four antigens introduces detectable reactogenicity, indicating that there is an upper limit to the number of antigens that can be safely included in a multivalent Q-fever vaccine. C. burnetii LPS also demonstrates efficacy as a vaccine antigen in conferring protection in an otherwise monovalent vaccine formulation, suggesting that its addition in multivalent vaccines, as demonstrated by a quadrivalent formulation, would improve protective responses.
Effects of Shenling Baizhu powder on intestinal microflora metabolites and liver mitochondrial energy metabolism in nonalcoholic fatty liver mice
Authors: Yao Zheng , Guo Jia , Du Bing , Hong Li , Zhu Ying , Feng Xiaoyi , Hou Yuanlu , Shi Anhua
Published: July 2023

Background & purpose

Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is characterised by the excessive accumulation of triglycerides in the liver. Shenling Baizhu powder (SLBZP) is formulated from various natural medicinal plants that protect the liver and are used to treat intestinal diseases. SLBZP improves the symptoms of NAFLD. However, its mechanism of action remains unclear. Herein, we investigated the ameliorative effect of SLBZP on model mice with high-fat-diet (HFD)-induced NAFLD. Additionally, we evaluated the impact of SLBZP on the intestinal flora and its metabolites and mitochondrial energy metabolism in NAFLD.

Methods

We used HFD to establish a mouse model of NAFLD. Different drug interventions were administered. We measured serum biochemical indices. Liver sections were visualised with hematoxylin–eosin and oil red O staining. 16S rDNA amplicon sequencing technology was used to analyse the diversity and abundance of the intestinal flora. Short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs) in the intestinal contents were detected using GC-MS. Liver tissue was sampled to detect mitochondrial membrane functional indices. Western blotting was used to determine the levels of mitochondrial pathway-related proteins, namely, uncoupling protein 2 (UCP2), adenosine monophosphate-activated protein kinase (AMPK) and inhibitory factor 1 (IF1) of F1Fo ATP synthesis/hydrolase, in the liver.

Results

The spleen-invigorating classic recipe of SLBZP reduced liver lipid deposition in mice with HFD-induced NAFLD. Additionally, SCFAs produced by intestinal flora metabolism regulated the UCP2/AMPK/IF1 signalling pathway involved in liver mitochondrial energy metabolism to improve the liver mitochondrial membrane permeability, respiratory state and oxidative phosphorylation efficiency of mice with NAFLD. Finally, SLBZP increased the liver ATP level.

Conclusion

Our results suggest that the therapeutic effect of SLBZP on NAFLD is related to the regulation of hepatic mitochondrial energy metabolism by intestinal flora and its metabolites and is possibly associated with the UCP2/AMPK/IF1 signalling pathway.
Genomic surveillance of genes encoding the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein to monitor for emerging variants on Jeju Island, Republic of Korea
Authors: Ha Young-Ran , Kim Hyun-Jeong , Park Jae-Sung , Chung Yoon-Seok
Published: July 2023

Introduction

The severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) pandemic has been fueled by new variants emerging from circulating strains. Here, we report results from a genomic surveillance study of SARS-CoV-2 on Jeju Island, Republic of Korea, from February 2021 to September 2022.

Methods

A total of 3,585 SARS-CoV-2 positive samples were analyzed by Sanger sequencing of the gene encoding the spike protein before performing phylogenetic analyses.

Results

We found that the Alpha variant (B.1.1.7) was dominant in May 2021 before being replaced by the Delta variant (B.1.617.2) in July 2021, which was dominant until December 2021 before being replaced by the Omicron variant. Mutations in the spike protein, including N440K and G446S, have been proposed to contribute to immune evasion, accelerating the spread of Omicron variants.

Discussion

Our results from Juju Island, Republic of Korea, are consistent with and contribute to global surveillance efforts crucial for identifying new variants of concern of SARS-CoV-2 and for monitoring the transmission dynamics and characteristics of known strains.
BlaPSZ-1, a novel AmpC gene identified from a Pantoea isolate
Authors: Zhao Jingxuan , Zhang Yuan , Sha Yuning , Lin Naru , Zhang Guozhi , Lu Junwan , Zhu Tingting , Zhang Xueya , Li Qiaoling , Zhang Hailin , Lin Xi , Li Kewei , Bao Qiyu , Lin Li
Published: July 2023

Background

Pantoea species of the family Erwiniaceae are well-known plant pathogens and animal and human conditional pathogens. Due to the widespread and continuous use of antimicrobials, multidrug-resistant strains continue to emerge, making clinical treatment difficult; therefore, there is an increasing need to clarify the mechanisms of drug resistance.

Methods

A rabbit anal fecal sample was collected by a swab and the streak plate method was used to isolate single colonies. The standard agar dilution method was used to determine the minimum inhibitory concentrations (MICs) against antimicrobials. The complete genome sequence of the bacterium was obtained using Next-Generation Sequencing platforms. The potential resistance gene was annotated based on the Comprehensive Antibiotic Resistance Database (CARD) and verified by molecular cloning. The β-lactamase PSZ-1 was expressed via the pCold I expression vector and its enzyme kinetic parameters were analyzed. The genetic environment and evolutionary process of the novel resistance gene-related sequences were analyzed by bioinformatic methods.

Results

The isolate Pantoea endophytica X85 showed some degree of resistance to penicillins as well as cephalosporins. A novel AmpC resistance gene, designated blaPSZ-1 in this research, was identified to be encoded in the plasmid (pPEX85) of P. endophytica X85. BlaPSZ-1 showed resistance to penicillins and several first-, second-and third-generation cephalosporins as well as aztreonam, but it did not show resistance to the fourth-generation cephalosporins or carbapenems tested. Enzyme kinetic assays revealed that it could hydrolyze amoxicillin, penicillin G, cephalothin, and cefazolin, and its hydrolytic activity could be strongly inhibited by the inhibitor avibactam, which was generally consistent with antimicrobial susceptibility testing results. No hydrolytic activity was observed for third-generation cephalosporins or aztreonam.

Conclusion

In this study, a novel AmpC β-lactamase gene, designated blaPSZ-1, was characterized and it was encoded in the plasmid of the bacterium P. endophytica X85. It shows resistance to penicillins and several cephalosporins. The discovery of novel drug resistance mechanisms can help guide the scientific use of drugs in animal husbandry and clinical practice, effectively avoiding the abuse of antimicrobials and thus preventing the further development and spread of bacterial resistance.
TNF+ regulatory T cells regulate the stemness of gastric cancer cells through the IL13/STAT3 pathway
Authors: Zhao Rou , Cao Guanjie , Zhang Baogui , Wei Li , Zhang Xiaobei , Jin Meng , He Baoyu , Zhang Bin , He Zhun , Bie Qingli
Published: July 2023

Regulatory T cells (Tregs) are an important component of the tumor microenvironment; however, the interaction between Tregs and gastric cancer cells is not completely understood. Recent studies have shown that Tregs participate in cancer cell stemness maintenance. In this study, we performed single-cell RNA sequencing of gastric cancer and adjacent tissues and found that Tregs with high TNF expression were recruited to gastric cancer tissues and were significantly correlated with patient survival. TNF+ Tregs significantly contribute to tumor growth and progression. Our studies have further demonstrated that TNF+ Tregs promote the stemness of gastric cancer cells through the IL13/STAT3 pathway. Therefore, blocking the interaction between TNF+ Tregs and gastric cancer cells may be a new approach in the treatment of gastric cancer.
Role of cardiopulmonary interactions in development of ventilator-induced lung injury—Experimental evidence and clinical Implications
Authors: Shah Neel , Katira Bhushan H.
Published: July 2023

Ventilator-induced lung injury (VILI) impacts outcomes in ARDS and optimization of ventilatory strategies improves survival. Decades of research has identified various mechanisms of VILI, largely focusing on airspace forces of plateau pressure, tidal volume and driving pressure. Experimental evidence indicates the role of adverse cardiopulmonary interaction during mechanical ventilation, contributing to VILI genesis mostly by modulating pulmonary vascular dynamics. Under passive mechanical ventilation, high transpulmonary pressure increases afterload on right heart while high pleural pressure reduces the RV preload. Together, they can result in swings of pulmonary vascular flow and pressure. Altered vascular flow and pressure result in increased vascular shearing and wall tension, in turn causing direct microvascular injury accompanied with permeability to water, proteins and cells. Moreover, abrupt decreases in airway pressure, may result in sudden overperfusion of the lung and result in similar microvascular injury, especially when the endothelium is stretched or primed at high positive end-expiratory pressure. Microvascular injury is universal in VILI models and presumed in the diagnosis of ARDS; preventing such microvascular injury can reduce VILI and impact outcomes in ARDS. Consequently, developing cardiovascular targets to reduce macro and microvascular stressors in the pulmonary circulation can potentially reduce VILI. This paper reviews the role of cardiopulmonary interaction in VILI genesis.
Impact of xylan on field productivity and wood saccharification properties in aspen
Authors: Derba-Maceluch Marta , Sivan Pramod , Donev Evgeniy N. , Gandla Madhavi Latha , Yassin Zakiya , Vaasan Rakhesh , Heinonen Emilia , Andersson Sanna , Amini Fariba , Scheepers Gerhard , Johansson Ulf , Vilaplana Francisco J. , Albrectsen Benedicte R. , Hertzberg Magnus , Jönsson Leif J. , Mellerowicz Ewa J.
Published: July 2023

Xylan that comprises roughly 25% of hardwood biomass is undesirable in biorefinery applications involving saccharification and fermentation. Efforts to reduce xylan levels have therefore been made in many species, usually resulting in improved saccharification. However, such modified plants have not yet been tested under field conditions. Here we evaluate the field performance of transgenic hybrid aspen lines with reduced xylan levels and assess their usefulness as short-rotation feedstocks for biorefineries. Three types of transgenic lines were tested in four-year field tests with RNAi constructs targeting either Populus GT43 clades B and C (GT43BC) corresponding to Arabidopsis clades IRX9 and IRX14, respectively, involved in xylan backbone biosynthesis, GATL1.1 corresponding to AtGALT1 involved in xylan reducing end sequence biosynthesis, or ASPR1 encoding an atypical aspartate protease. Their productivity, wood quality traits, and saccharification efficiency were analyzed. The only lines differing significantly from the wild type with respect to growth and biotic stress resistance were the ASPR1 lines, whose stems were roughly 10% shorter and narrower and leaves showed increased arthropod damage. GT43BC lines exhibited no growth advantage in the field despite their superior growth in greenhouse experiments. Wood from the ASPR1 and GT43BC lines had slightly reduced density due to thinner cell walls and, in the case of ASPR1, larger cell diameters. The xylan was less extractable by alkali but more hydrolysable by acid, had increased glucuronosylation, and its content was reduced in all three types of transgenic lines. The hemicellulose size distribution in the GALT1.1 and ASPR1 lines was skewed towards higher molecular mass compared to the wild type. These results provide experimental evidence that GATL1.1 functions in xylan biosynthesis and suggest that ASPR1 may regulate this process. In saccharification without pretreatment, lines of all three constructs provided 8-11% higher average glucose yields than wild-type plants. In saccharification with acid pretreatment, the GT43BC construct provided a 10% yield increase on average. The best transgenic lines of each construct are thus predicted to modestly outperform the wild type in terms of glucose yields per hectare. The field evaluation of transgenic xylan-reduced aspen represents an important step towards more productive feedstocks for biorefineries.
A novel cellular factor of Nicotiana benthamiana susceptibility to tobamovirus infection
Authors: Ershova Natalia , Kamarova Kamila , Sheshukova Ekaterina , Antimonova Alexandra , Komarova Tatiana
Published: July 2023

Viral infection, which entails synthesis of viral proteins and active reproduction of the viral genome, effects significant changes in the functions of many intracellular systems in plants. Along with these processes, a virus has to suppress cellular defense to create favorable conditions for its successful systemic spread in a plant. The virus exploits various cellular factors of a permissive host modulating its metabolism as well as local and systemic transport of macromolecules and photoassimilates. The Nicotiana benthamiana stress-induced gene encoding Kunitz peptidase inhibitor-like protein (KPILP) has recently been shown to be involved in chloroplast retrograde signaling regulation and stimulation of intercellular transport of macromolecules. In this paper we demonstrate the key role of KPILP in the development of tobamovius infection. Systemic infection of N. benthamiana plants with tobacco mosaic virus (TMV) or the closely related crucifer-infecting tobamovirus (crTMV) induces a drastic increase in KPILP mRNA accumulation. KPILP knockdown significantly reduces the efficiency of TMV and crTMV intercellular transport and reproduction. Plants with KPILP silencing become partially resistant to tobamovirus infection. Therefore, KPILP could be regarded as a novel proviral factor in the development of TMV and crTMV infection in N. benthamiana plants.
Assessment of the Stabilization of Cu-, Pb-, and Zn-Contaminated Fine Soil Using Cockle Shells, Scallop Shells, and Starfish
Authors: Park Sang Hyeop , An Jinsung , Koutsospyros Agamemnon , Moon Deok Hyun
Published: July 2023

Soil washing is a well-established remediation technology for treating soil contaminated with heavy metals. It involves the separation of contaminants from the soil using acidic washing agents. Nevertheless, the application of washing agents at high concentrations may lead to soil acidification and the destruction of the clay structure. To avert this problem, recently, a soil washing variant has been presented, which solely employs high-pressure water without any chemical solvents. However, the fine soil generated from soil washing at a high-pressure contains high levels of heavy metals and requires proper treatment. This study examines the use and applicability of natural aquaculture materials as stabilizing agents for treating heavy metals (Cu, Pb, and Zn) in fine soil generated by high-pressure soil washing. Three aquaculture materials were assessed, namely, cockle shells (CKS), scallop shells (SLS), and Asterias amurensis starfish (ASF). Each material was processed to yield three types of stabilizing agents: natural type (-#10 mesh), natural type (-#20 mesh), and calcined(C) type (-#10 mesh). Each stabilizing agent was added to the contaminated soil at a ratio of 0 to 10 wt%, and then, mixed with an appropriate amount of water. After wet curing for 28 days, the stabilization efficiency of Cu, Pb, and Zn was evaluated using 0.1 N HCl solution. The elution of heavy metals showed a decreasing trend with higher dosages of stabilizing agents. The calcined type (-#10) showed the highest stabilization efficiency, followed by the natural type (-#20) and natural type (-#10). In addition, a comparison of the efficiency of the different stabilizing agents showed that calcined ASF (CASF) had the highest stabilization efficiency, followed by calcined SLS (CSLS), calcined CKS (CCKS), natural ASF (NASF), natural SLS (NSLS), and natural CKS. Finally, analysis of samples exhibiting the highest stabilization efficiency by scanning electron microscopy–energy dispersive X-ray spectrometry (SEM–EDX) confirmed that the pozzolanic reaction contributed to the stabilization treatment. The results of this study demonstrate that heavy metal-contaminated fine soil, generated by high-pressure washing, can be remediated by stabilizing Cu, Pb, and Zn using waste aquaculture materials (CKS, SLS, and ASF), which are often illegally dumped into the sea or landfills and cause environmental damage.
Agricultural Machinery Adequacy for Handling the Mombaça Grass Biomass in Agroforestry Systems
Authors: de Morais Gelton Fernando , Santos Jenyffer da Silva Gomes , Han Daniela , Ramos Filho Luiz Octávio , Xavier Marcelo Gomes Barroca , Schimidt Leonardo , de Souza Hugo Thiago , de Castro Fernanda Ticianelli , de Souza-Esquerdo Vanilde Ferreira , Albiero Daniel
Published: July 2023

The current scenario of Agroforestry Systems (AFS) worldwide lacks specific machinery, resulting in practically all operations being carried out manually. This leads to a significant physical effort for small-scale farmers and limits the implementation of AFS to small areas. The objective of the study was to evaluate the suitability of existing machines for performing agroforestry tasks. This research utilizes Descriptive Statistics and Exponentially Weighted Moving Average methods to evaluate the data and compare the treatments, where different machines are used to cut Mombaça grass (Megathyrsus maximus Jacq): (i) costal brushcutter (CBC); (ii) tractor-mounted rotary brushcutter (RBC); and (iii) mini grain reaper machine (GRM). The experiments were conducted in Jaguariúna, São Paulo, Brazil. GRM is recommended for achieving greater biomass production, reducing raking time, and minimizing operational costs. CBC is suitable for smaller areas due to its affordability and slow operation, which requires significant physical effort. RBC is recommended for reducing working time, physical effort, and personnel costs, making it suitable for larger-scale contexts.
Effects of Phosphate Fertilizer Application on the Growth and Yield of Tartary Buckwheat under Low-Nitrogen Condition
Authors: Zhou Qiuyue , Tang Jingang , Liu Changmin , Huang Kaifeng , Huang Xiaoyan
Published: July 2023

This study aimed to clarify the effect of phosphorus fertilizer on the senescence and yield of Tartary buckwheat under low-nitrogen treatment. A two-year field experiment to investigate the characteristics was conducted on Tartary buckwheat (Qianku 5) under four phosphorus fertilizer application rates, 0(CK), 40(LP), 80(MP), and 120 kg·ha−1 (HP), in the absence of nitrogen treatment. Compared with CK, MP treatment increased the plant height, node number of main stem, branch number of main stem, root-morphology items, root activity, enzyme activity related to root nitrogen metabolism, leaf chlorophyll content, and antioxidant enzyme activity by an average of 27.82%, 36.00%, 31.76%, 70.63%, 103.16%, 45.63%, 19.42%, and 45.48%, respectively. MP treatment significantly decreased the malondialdehyde content by 23.54% compared with that of CK. Among all treatments, the HP treatment had the highest content. The grain number per plant, grain weight per plant, and yield under MP treatment were 1.54, 1.65, and 1.53 times those of CK, respectively. In summary, the appropriate phosphate fertilizer treatment (80 kg·ha−1) can delay senescence, promote the growth, and increase the yield of Tartary buckwheat at low nitrogen levels. Such treatment is recommended for use in production to jointly achieve the high yield and high nitrogen conservation of Tartary buckwheat.
Formulation of Matrine Oil-Based Suspension Concentrate for Improving the Wetting of Droplets and Spraying Performance
Authors: Li Meng , Wang Zhen , Meng Huanwen , Dong Baozhu , Deng Xile , Zhou Hongyou
Published: July 2023

Matrine is an efficient, low-toxicity, and environmentally friendly botanical pesticide; however, it is mainly applied as a soluble concentrate (SL) with a limited utilization rate that is unsuitable for ultra-low-volume spraying and unmanned aerial vehicles. Therefore, a matrine formulation (such as an oil-based suspension concentrate, OD) is more effective. In this study, matrine ODs were prepared with three kinds of emulsifiers (VO/02N, VO/03, and VO/01). The storage stability, suspensibility, viscosity, surface tension, contact angle, droplet density, fraction of coverage, maximum retention, indoor control, effect of adhesion tension, and adhesion work of matrine ODs were studied. All three types of matrine ODs had favorable stability, and the wetting and spraying performance of the matrine ODs were more effective than those of the matrine SLs. Among the three types of matrine ODs, the viscosity, wettability, spray performance, and maximum retention of the suspension made with emulsifier VO/03 were superior to those of the other two emulsifiers, and they were more effective in controlling Spodoptera frugiperda. Increasing the solution concentration improved the spreading velocity of the droplets on the solid surface and the wettability. The matrine OD prepared from emulsifier VO/03 had the most effective wettability and spraying properties, and it can be used for ultra-low-volume spraying and aerial application. This study offers new insights into the efficient use of plant-based pesticides.
Establishment of Reference Intervals of Hematological Parameters and Evaluation of Sex and Age Effect in the Miranda Donkey
Authors: Silva Grasiene , Queiroga Felisbina , Ferreira Madalena , Andrade Daniela , Silvestre-Ferreira Ana C.
Published: July 2023

The Miranda donkey is an autochthonous Portuguese breed that is considered endangered. Several studies have been carried out on this breed, but to the authors’ best knowledge, no studies have been conducted on their clinical pathology. The aims of this study were to determine the hematological reference intervals (RIs) in healthy Miranda donkeys and to estimate the influence of age and sex. Blood samples from 75 clinically healthy animals were analyzed for 22 hematological parameters on the IDEXX ProCyte Dx, an automated hematology analyzer previously validated for the species. The RIs were estimated following the ASVCP guidelines with the Reference Value Advisor software. Regarding sex, no significant differences were found between groups. Regarding age, significant statistical differences (p < 0.05) were observed for red blood cells, red cell distribution width, white blood cells, lymphocytes, monocytes, platelets, plateletcrit (higher mean in young animals), mean corpuscular volume, mean corpuscular haemoglobin, neutrophils and eosinophils (higher mean in adults). The RIs described here can be used to evaluate and monitor the health status of animals and herds, as well as to guide diagnoses or select fit and healthy animals for reproduction, contributing to the preservation of the breed.
Root Dilaceration Using Deep Learning: A Diagnostic Approach
Authors: Çelik Berrin , Çelik Mahmut Emin
Published: July 2023

Understanding usual anatomical structures and unusual root formations is crucial for root canal treatment and surgical treatments. Root dilaceration is a tooth formation with sharp bends or curves, which causes dental treatments to fail, especially root canal treatments. The aim of the study was to apply recent deep learning models to develop an artificial intelligence-based computer-aided detection system for root dilaceration in panoramic radiographs. A total of 983 objects in 636 anonymized panoramic radiographs were initially labelled by an oral and maxillofacial radiologist and were then used to detect root dilacerations. A total of 19 state-of-the-art deep learning models with distinct backbones or feature extractors were used with the integration of alternative frameworks. Evaluation was carried out using Common Objects in Context (COCO) detection evaluation metrics, mean average precision (mAP), accuracy, precision, recall, F1 score and area under precision-recall curve (AUC). The duration of training was also noted for each model. Considering the detection performance of all models, mAP, accuracy, precision, recall, and F1 scores of up to 0.92, 0.72, 0.91, 0.87 and 0.83, respectively, were obtained. AUC were also analyzed to better understand where errors originated. It was seen that background confusion limited performance. The proposed system can facilitate root dilaceration assessment and alleviate the burden of clinicians, especially for endodontists and surgeons.
Machine Learning Classification–Regression Schemes for Desert Locust Presence Prediction in Western Africa
Authors: Cornejo-Bueno L. , Pérez-Aracil J. , Casanova-Mateo C. , Sanz-Justo J. , Salcedo-Sanz S.
Published: July 2023

For decades, humans have been confronted with numerous pest species, with the desert locust being one of the most damaging and having the greatest socio-economic impact. Trying to predict the occurrence of such pests is often complicated by the small number of records and observations in databases. This paper proposes a methodology based on a combination of classification and regression techniques to address not only the problem of locust sightings prediction, but also the number of locust individuals that may be expected. For this purpose, we apply different machine learning (ML) and related techniques, such as linear regression, Support Vector Machines, decision trees, random forests and neural networks. The considered ML algorithms are evaluated in three different scenarios in Western Africa, mainly Mauritania, and for the elaboration of the forecasting process, a number of meteorological variables obtained from the ERA5 reanalysis data are used as input variables for the classification–regression machines. The results obtained show good performance in terms of classification (appearance or not of desert locust), and acceptable regression results in terms of predicting the number of locusts, a harder problem due to the small number of samples available. We observed that the RF algorithm exhibited exceptional performance in the classification task (presence/absence) and achieved noteworthy results in regression (number of sightings), being the most effective machine learning algorithm among those used. It achieved classification results, in terms of F-score, around the value of 0.9 for the proposed Scenario 1.
A Brief Review of Machine Learning Algorithms in Forest Fires Science
Authors: Alkhatib Ramez , Sahwan Wahib , Alkhatieb Anas , Schütt Brigitta
Published: July 2023

Due to the harm forest fires cause to the environment and the economy as they occur more frequently around the world, early fire prediction and detection are necessary. To anticipate and discover forest fires, several technologies and techniques were put forth. To forecast the likelihood of forest fires and evaluate the risk of forest fire-induced damage, artificial intelligence techniques are a crucial enabling technology. In current times, there has been a lot of interest in machine learning techniques. The machine learning methods that are used to identify and forecast forest fires are reviewed in this article. Selecting the best forecasting model is a constant gamble because each ML algorithm has advantages and disadvantages. Our main goal is to discover the research gaps and recent studies that use machine learning techniques to study forest fires. By choosing the best ML techniques based on particular forest characteristics, the current research results boost prediction power.
Microwave Sensitivity Enhanced Asphalt Mastic with Magnetite Powder and Its Performance after Microwave Heating
Authors: Yu Weixiao , Zhang Letao , Miao Yinghao , Gong Zhenlong , Wang Sudi
Published: July 2023

Microwave heating technology is a promising method for asphalt pavement maintenance and de-icing; however, it requires the material to have a good microwave-absorbing ability and can also result in asphalt aging. It is therefore important to develop microwave-sensitive materials used for asphalt pavement maintenance and study the effects of microwave heating on asphalt aging. This study evaluates the electromagnetic characteristics of limestone powder and magnetite powder and explores the influence of microwave heating on the high-temperature rheological and fatigue properties of microwave sensitivity enhanced asphalt mastic with magnetite powder. A vector network analyzer was used to measure the electromagnetic characteristics of limestone powder and magnetite powder. The magnetite filler asphalt mastics were prepared and subjected to microwave heating for 1 h, 2 h, 3 h, and 4 h. Temperature sweep tests, frequency sweep tests, and linear amplitude sweep (LAS) tests were conducted for magnetite filler asphalt mastics before and after microwave heating. LAS experimental results were analyzed based on viscoelastic continuum damage (VECD) theory. The results show that magnetite powders have better electric field energy storage ability, higher dielectric loss and magnetic loss, and better microwave heating efficiency. The complex shear modulus (G*) and rutting factor (G* × (sin δ)−1) rapidly decrease with the increase in temperature, indicating that the mastics’ ability to resist deformation decreases sharply. The longer the microwave heating time for magnetite filler asphalt mastics, the faster the high-temperature rheological properties decreased as the temperature rose. The fatigue life of magnetite filler asphalt mastics significantly decreases with the increase in strain and microwave heating time. It is suggested to add anti-aging agents into asphalt materials to reduce the aging effect in the process of microwave heating. This study provides a reference for the application of microwave heating technology in asphalt pavement maintenance.
Stabilization Control for a Class of Fractional-Order HIV-1 Infection Model with Time Delays
Authors: Li Zitong , Zhang Zhe
Published: July 2023

In this study, we investigated a novel asymptotic stabilization control method for a fractional-order HIV-1 infection model. First, we constructed a mathematical model of the fractional-order HIV-1 infection using the state-space equations of Caputo fractional calculus. Subsequently, a new control strategy was designed for the fractional-order HIV-1 infection model, and the corresponding asymptotic stabilization criterion was proposed by combining a novel vector Lyapunov function with the M-matrix method. Additionally, we incorporated a time delay, which was generated by the interaction between different variables in the actual system, into the fractional-order HIV-1 infection model, forming a system with a time delay. Based on the vector Lyapunov function associated with the M-matrix measure and Razumikhin interpretation, a control strategy was developed for the fractional-order HIV-1 infection model with a time delay. Finally, we show the results of two numerical simulations of the fractional-order HIV-1 infection model, with and without time delay, to illustrate the accuracy, usefulness, and universality of the proposed measure in our paper.
Electrochemical Immunosensors Developed for Amyloid-Beta and Tau Proteins, Leading Biomarkers of Alzheimer’s Disease
Authors: Sharma Abhinav , Angnes Lúcio , Sattarahmady Naghmeh , Negahdary Masoud , Heli Hossein
Published: July 2023

Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is the most common neurological disease and a serious cause of dementia, which constitutes a threat to human health. The clinical evidence has found that extracellular amyloid-beta peptides (Aβ), phosphorylated tau (p-tau), and intracellular tau proteins, which are derived from the amyloid precursor protein (APP), are the leading biomarkers for accurate and early diagnosis of AD due to their central role in disease pathology, their correlation with disease progression, their diagnostic value, and their implications for therapeutic interventions. Their detection and monitoring contribute significantly to understanding AD and advancing clinical care. Available diagnostic techniques, including magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and positron emission tomography (PET), are mainly used to validate AD diagnosis. However, these methods are expensive, yield results that are difficult to interpret, and have common side effects such as headaches, nausea, and vomiting. Therefore, researchers have focused on developing cost-effective, portable, and point-of-care alternative diagnostic devices to detect specific biomarkers in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) and other biofluids. In this review, we summarized the recent progress in developing electrochemical immunosensors for detecting AD biomarkers (Aβ and p-tau protein) and their subtypes (AβO, Aβ(1-40), Aβ(1-42), t-tau, cleaved-tau (c-tau), p-tau181, p-tau231, p-tau381, and p-tau441). We also evaluated the key characteristics and electrochemical performance of developed immunosensing platforms, including signal interfaces, nanomaterials or other signal amplifiers, biofunctionalization methods, and even primary electrochemical sensing performances (i.e., sensitivity, linear detection range, the limit of detection (LOD), and clinical application).
Pd/C-Based Sensor for Gas Sensing in Transformer Oil
Authors: Lin Haidan , Guo Jiachang , Yang Daiyong , Li Shouxue , Liu Dan , Liu Changyan , Zhang Zilong , Wang Bolin , Zhang Haifeng
Published: July 2023

The detection of dissolved gas in transformer oil is of vital importance to diagnose the early fault and monitor the security and stability of power systems. In this work, distinct Pd/C, Pd/C-R and Pd/NC were synthesized and evaluated. XRD and XPS characterizations show that both Pd0 and PdII are presented over the surface of carbon host for Pd/C, while poor gas-sensitive properties were presented for Pd0 in H2-reduced Pd/C-R sample. High content of cationic PdII species are synthesized by nitrogen doping of the carbon surface for Pd/NC. The experimental results showed that the gas-sensitive performances of H2/CO/C2H2 gases is facilitated over the developed Pd/NC material. This study can provide reference for the rapid detection and fault diagnosis of faulty gases in transformers.
Iron(III) Sulfate-Mediated Synthesis of 2,5-Furandicarboxylic Acid Dimethyl Ester from Galactaric Acid
Authors: Trapasso Giacomo , Chícharo Beatriz , Gherardi Thomas , Redolfi-Bristol Davide , Aricò Fabio
Published: July 2023

2,5-furandicarboxylic acid (FDCA) is one of the most studied bio-based monomers, being considered the best substitute for fossil-derived terephthalic acid in plastic production. FDCA is employed in the preparation of polyethylene furanoate (PEF), demonstrating superior mechanical and thermal proprieties compared to the widely used polyethylene terephthalate (PET). Nevertheless, FDCA synthesis mostly relies on the oxidation of the bio-based platform chemical hydroxymethyl furfural (HMF), whose notoriously instable nature renders FDCA yield and industrial scale-up production complicated. On the contrary, FDCA esters are less studied, even though they have greater solubility in organic media, which would favor their isolation and potential application as monomers for PEF. On these premises, we report herein an alternative green synthetic approach to FDCA methyl ester (FDME) using galactaric acid as the substrate, dimethyl carbonate (DMC) as the green media, and Fe2(SO4)3 as the heterogeneous Lewis acid. Optimization of the reaction conditions allowed the selective production of FDME in a 70% isolated yield; product purification was achieved via flash column chromatography over silica. Furthermore, it was possible to employ up to 5.0 g of galactaric acid in a single reaction, leading to a good isolated yield of FDME.
Ribosomal Dysfunction Is a Common Pathomechanism in Different Forms of Trichothiodystrophy
Authors: Zhu Gaojie , Khalid Fatima , Zhang Danhui , Cao Zhouli , Maity Pallab , Kestler Hans A. , Orioli Donata , Scharffetter-Kochanek Karin , Iben Sebastian
Published: July 2023

Mutations in a broad variety of genes can provoke the severe childhood disorder trichothiodystrophy (TTD) that is classified as a DNA repair disease or a transcription syndrome of RNA polymerase II. In an attempt to identify the common underlying pathomechanism of TTD we performed a knockout/knockdown of the two unrelated TTD factors TTDN1 and RNF113A and investigated the consequences on ribosomal biogenesis and performance. Interestingly, interference with these TTD factors created a nearly uniform impact on RNA polymerase I transcription with downregulation of UBF, disturbed rRNA processing and reduction of the backbone of the small ribosomal subunit rRNA 18S. This was accompanied by a reduced quality of decoding in protein translation and the accumulation of misfolded and carbonylated proteins, indicating a loss of protein homeostasis (proteostasis). As the loss of proteostasis by the ribosome has been identified in the other forms of TTD, here we postulate that ribosomal dysfunction is a common underlying pathomechanism of TTD.
The Use of Boron Fibers and Particles for Creating Functionally Graded Material Based on Ti64 Using the Laser Additive Manufacturing Method
Authors: Golyshev Alexander , Malikov Alexander , Vitoshkin Igor
Published: July 2023

This work presents a study on the additive manufacturing of functionally graded metal-ceramic materials based on Ti64 with boron fibers and particles. For the first time, the phase composition of the obtained composite was investigated using synchrotron radiation. It was shown that during laser exposure and in situ synthesis, boron dissolves in the titanium matrix, forming secondary compounds such as TiB and TiB2. An increase in the microhardness of the formed material compared to the titanium alloy was established. High-speed impact tests on the Ti64-B samples were conducted using an electrodynamic mass accelerator. It was shown that the use of boron fibers in the metallic matrix reduces the depth of the crater created during impact testing by 40% compared to the Ti64 reinforcement-free coating.