bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Development and validation of nomograms to predict the survival probability and occurrence of a second primary malignancy of male breast cancer patients: a population-based analysis
Authors: Huang Haowei , Li Zhuoran , Huang Zhisheng , Huang Lang , Liu Wei , Liu Guolong , Mo Yuzhen
Published: April 2023

Background

Male breast cancer (MBC) is rare, which has restricted prospective research among MBC patients. With effective treatments, the prognosis of MBC patients has improved and developing a second primary malignancy (SPM) has become a life-threatening event for MBC survivors. However, few studies have focused on the prognosis of MBC patients and looked into the SPM issue in MBC survivors.

Method

We reviewed MBC patients diagnosed between 1990 and 2016 from the latest Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) Plus database. Competing risk models and nomograms were conducted for predicting the risk of cancer-specific death and SPM occurrence. C-indexes, calibration curves, ROC curves, and decision curve analysis (DCA) curves were applied for validation.

Result

A total of 1,843 MBC patients with complete information were finally enrolled and 60 (3.26%) had developed an SPM. Prostate cancer (40%) was the most common SPM. The median OS of all the enrolled patients was 102.41 months, while the median latency from the initial MBC diagnosis to the subsequent diagnosis of SPM was 67.2 months. The patients who suffered from an SPM shared a longer OS than those patients with only one MBC (p = 0.027). The patients were randomly divided into the development cohort and the validation cohort (at a ratio of 7:3). The Fine and Gray competing risk model was used to identify the risk factors. Two nomograms were constructed and validated to predict the 5-year, 8-year, and 10-year survival probability of MBC patients, both of which had good performance in the C-index, ROC curves, calibration plots, and DCA curves, showing the ideal discrimination capability and predictive value clinically. Furthermore, we, for the first time, constructed a nomogram based on the competing risk model to predict the 5-year, 8-year, and 10-year probability of developing an SPM in MBC survivors, which also showed good discrimination, calibration, and clinical effectiveness.

Conclusion

We, for the first time, included treatment information and clinical parameters to construct a nomogram to predict not only the survival probability of MBC patients but also the probability of developing an SPM in MBC survivors, which were helpful in individual risk estimation, patient follow-up, and counseling in MBC patients.
Opinion article: Neurosurgical treatment for neuro-ophthalmologic conditions
Authors: Williams Zoe R. , Lee Andrew G. , Fraser Clare L. , Falardeau Julie , Subramanian Prem S. , Chen John J. , Al Othman Bayan , Dinkin Marc J. , Mollan Susan P. , Al-Zubidi Nagham , Vates Edward
Published: April 2023

A significant role of the neuro-ophthalmologist is to counsel patients on appropriate management and anticipated visual prognosis for conditions affecting the afferent and efferent visual systems, including those requiring neurosurgical treatment. However, the literature regarding anticipated neuro- ophthalmologic prognosis after neurosurgical intervention for cerebral aneurysms, sellar lesions, optic pathway tumors, and elevated intracranial pressure is limited with many key questions unanswered. For example, if a cerebral aneurysm is equally amenable to clipping or endovascular coiling, is there a preferred approach in terms of visual prognosis based on aneurysm location? Is dural venous sinus stenting (VSS) for idiopathic intracranial hypertension (IIH) superior, equivalent or inferior to shunting in terms of visual recovery and safety profile? Landmark studies on pituitary tumors using pre-operative optical coherence tomography (OCT) imaging of the optic nerve head to predict visual recovery after surgical decompression of the optic chiasm have changed neuro-ophthalmologic practice and enabled patients to be better informed regarding expected visual outcomes. 1,2 In order to optimize an interdisciplinary team approach to patient care, further studies of visual outcomes for neuro- ophthalmologic conditions requiring neurosurgical intervention are needed.
Clinical effect of rhubarb on the treatment of chronic renal failure: A meta-analysis
Authors: Huang Wei , Rao Yanling , Li Liang , Li Chengyin , An Yi
Published: April 2023

Objective: 1) To evaluate the effificacy of rhubarb in the treatment of chronic renal failure (CRF); 2) To explore the safety for rhubarb-based therapy on chronic renal failure.

Methods: The randomized and semi randomized controlled trials of Rhubarb in the treatment of chronic renal failure in medical electronic databases (up to September 2021) were searched, and meta-analysis was carried out by revman 5.3 software.

Results: A total of 2,786 patients were included in 34 literatures, including 1,474 cases in the treatment group and 1,312 cases in the control group. The results of meta-analysis showed that Serum creatinine (SCR) [MD = 123.57, 95% Cl (111.59, 131.96)], Blood urea nitrogen (BUN) [MD = −3.26, 95% Cl (−4.22,−2.31)], Creatinine clearance rate (CCR) [MD = 3.95, 95% Cl (−0.03, 7.93)], Hemoglobin (Hb) [MD = 7.70, 95% Cl (−0.18, 15.58)] and Uric acid (UA) [MD = −42.79, 95% CI (−66.29, −19.29)]. The total effective rate of improving symptoms and signs in chronic renal failure patients [Peto or = 4.14, 95% Cl (3.32, 5.16)].

Conclusion: This systematic review and meta-analysis demonstrated that rhubarb has a positive therapeutic effect, which may provide confifidence and some theoretical reference for clinical application to a certain extent. Compared with the control group, rhubarb alone or traditional Chinese medicine compound containing Rhubarb can significantly reduce Serum creatinine, Blood urea nitrogen and Uric acid, increase Creatinine clearance rate, and improve the total effective rate of symptoms and signs. However, there is no evidence that rhubarb is more effective than the control group in increasing hemoglobin. In addition, due to the low quality of research methodology in the included literature, it is necessary to further study high-quality literature to evaluate its efficacy and safety.

Systematic Review Registration:https://inplasy.com/inplasy-2021-10-0052/, identifier INPLASY2021100052.
Role of voltage-gated proton channel (Hv1) in cancer biology
Authors: Alvear-Arias Juan J. , Pena-Pichicoi Antonio , Carrillo Christian , Fernandez Miguel , Gonzalez Tania , Garate Jose A. , Gonzalez Carlos
Published: April 2023

The acid-base characteristics of tumor cells and the other elements that compose the tumor microenvironment have been topics of scientific interest in oncological research. There is much evidence confirming that pH conditions are maintained by changes in the patterns of expression of certain proton transporters. In the past decade, the voltage-gated proton channel (Hv1) has been added to this list and is increasingly being recognized as a target with onco-therapeutic potential. The Hv1 channel is key to proton extrusion for maintaining a balanced cytosolic pH. This protein-channel is expressed in a myriad of tissues and cell lineages whose functions vary from producing bioluminescence in dinoflagellates to alkalizing spermatozoa cytoplasm for reproduction, and regulating the respiratory burst for immune system response. It is no wonder that in acidic environments such as the tumor microenvironment, an exacerbated expression and function of this channel has been reported. Indeed, multiple studies have revealed a strong relationship between pH balance, cancer development, and the overexpression of the Hv1 channel, being proposed as a marker for malignancy in cancer. In this review, we present data that supports the idea that the Hv1 channel plays a significant role in cancer by maintaining pH conditions that favor the development of malignancy features in solid tumor models. With the antecedents presented in this bibliographic report, we want to strengthen the idea that the Hv1 proton channel is an excellent therapeutic strategy to counter the development of solid tumors.
Detection of limited-energy α particles using CR-39 in laser-induced p −11B reaction
Authors: Wang Putong , Deng Xiangai , Ma Zhiguo , Fu Changbo , Fan Lulin , Wang Qingsong , Xu Jiancai , Xu Tongjun , Ji Liangliang , Shen Baifei , Liu Yancheng , Cao Xiguang , Zhang Guoqiang , Ma Yugang
Published: April 2023

Due to the harsh radiation environment produced by strong laser plasma, most of the detectors based on semiconductors cannot perform well. So, it is important to develop new detecting techniques with higher detection thresholds and highly charged particle resolution for investigating nuclear fusion reactions in laser-plasma environments. The Columbia Resin No. 39 (CR-39) detector is mainly sensitive to ions and insensitive to the backgrounds, such as electrons and photons. The detector has been widely used to detect charged particles in laser-plasma environments. In this work, we used a potassium–ethanol–water (PEW) etching solution to reduce the proton sensitivity of CR-39, by raising the detection threshold for the research of laser-induced 11B(p, α)2α reaction. We calibrated the 3–5 MeV α particles in an etching condition of 60°C PEW-25 solution (17% KOH + 25%C2H5OH + 58%H2O) and compared them with the manufacturer’s recommended etching conditions of 6.25 N NaOH aqueous solution at 98°C in our laser-induced nuclear reaction experiment. The results indicate, with the PEW-25 solution, that CR-39 is more suitable to distinguish α tracks from the proton background in our experiment. We also present a method to estimate the minimum detection range of α energy on specific etching conditions in our experiment.
Realizing strong photon blockade at exceptional points in the weak coupling regime
Authors: Li Zigeng , Li Xiaomiao , Zhang Guofeng , Zhong Xiaolan
Published: April 2023

We theoretically prove that it is possible to realize strong photon blockade at n-order exceptional points (EPn) in a two-level quantum emitter (QE)–cavity quantum electrodynamics (QED) system even if the emitter–cavity coupling strength is weak. When the single-mode cavity is gain, we show that the ultrastrong single-photon blockade (1 PB) emerges at two-order exceptional points (EP2), avoiding the strong non-linearity of the system. In addition, we first give the pseudo-Hermitian condition for the non-Hermitian cavity QED system and find that the third-order exceptional points (EP3) can be predicted under certain constraints of the parameters. For this case, the pronounced 1 PB at EP3 will be triggered. Furthermore, we also consider the usual EP2-enhanced 1 PB existing in the system with or without the dipole–dipole interaction (DDI) under the pseudo-Hermitian condition. A striking feature is that the system without DDI can realize more obvious 1 PB at EP2 than the case of with DDI. What is important is that both EP2 and EP3 will appear in the weak coupling regime. Our proposal sheds new light on strong EP-engineered photon blockade in the weak coupling regime, providing a unique platform for making high-quality single-photon sources.
Facial attractiveness is only weakly linked to genome–wide heterozygosity
Authors: Fieder Martin , Huber Susanne
Published: April 2023

Introduction

It has been frequently suggested that overall genomic heterozygosity and, particularly, heterozygosity of loci on the so-called major histocompatibility complex (MHC), which is responsible for the recognition of foreign substances/ pathogens and the recognition of self and non-self, is associated with better health and better resistance to infections and parasites. It has further been speculated that such a potentially beneficial heterozygosity can be detected through body odor and facial attractiveness.

Methods

On the basis of genome wide SNP data (713,014 SNPs) of participants from the Wisconsin Longitudinal Study, we therefore investigated whether homozygosity either on the MHC (measured as inbreeding coefficient) or genome-wide (measured as runs of homozygosity and inbreeding coefficient) is associated with rated facial attractiveness.

Results

Although we found that the genome-wide average length of homozygous segments and the genome-wide inbreeding coefficient are significantly negatively associated with some measures of facial attractiveness, if corrected for multiple testing, any significant association was no longer formally significant after correction. In addition, the variance in facial attractiveness explained by the genome wide homozygosity is very low (<0.15%). We did not find any significant association between the inbreeding coefficient on the MHC and facial attractiveness.

Discussion

We only find a weak association of genome- wide heterozygosity and facial attractiveness.
Association between apathy in patients with maintenance dialysis and hospitalization or mortality: a prospective cohort study
Authors: Fang Yu , Chen Lei , Zhang Yueyue , Yuan Weijie , Han Bin
Published: April 2023

Background

Patients receiving maintenance dialysis experience increased rates of hospitalization and mortality. Apathy is associated with reduced quality of life and increased hospitalization, institutionalization, and death. Whether apathy contributes to poor outcomes in population undergoing maintenance dialysis remain unknown.

Methods

We conducted a prospective cohort study of maintenance dialysis population who were consecutively recruited at the Dialysis Center of Shanghai General Hospital between July 2017 and August 2018 and were followed up for 3 year. Apathy status was measured by the Apathy Evaluation Scale. The study outcomes were the occurrence of death and first hospitalization.

Results

A total of 647 participants included in this study, 274 (42.3%) had a current apathy and 373 (57.7%) were not. During the follow-up period, 394 (60.9%) were hospitalized, and 169 (26.1%) died. Kaplan–Meier analysis showed that the risks of hospitalization and mortality were significantly higher in individuals with apathy than in those without apathy (both p < 0.001). Apathy at baseline was associated with hospitalization and death both in univariate analysis and in all multivariable models (all p < 0.001).

Conclusion

Apathy was highly prevalent and independently correlated with an increased risk of poor outcomes in patients with maintenance dialysis.
Effect of low-intensity transcranial ultrasound stimulation on theta and gamma oscillations in the mouse hippocampal CA1
Authors: Li Zhen , Chen Rong , Liu Dachuan , Wang Xizhe , Yuan Wei
Published: April 2023

Previous studies have demonstrated that low-intensity transcranial ultrasound stimulation (TUS) can eliminate hippocampal neural activity. However, until now, it has remained unclear how ultrasound modulates theta and gamma oscillations in the hippocampus under different behavioral states. In this study, we used ultrasound to stimulate the CA1 in mice in anesthesia, awake and running states, and we simultaneously recorded the local field potential of the stimulation location. We analyzed the power spectrum, phase-amplitude coupling (PAC) of theta and gamma oscillations, and their relationship with ultrasound intensity. The results showed that (i) TUS significantly enhanced the absolute power of theta and gamma oscillations under anesthesia and in the awake state. (ii) The PAC strength between theta and gamma oscillations is significantly enhanced under the anesthesia and awake states but is weakened under the running state with TUS. (iii) Under anesthesia, the relative power of theta decreases and that of gamma increases as ultrasound intensity increases, and the result under the awake state is opposite that under the anesthesia state. (iv) The PAC index between theta and gamma increases as ultrasound intensity increases under the anesthesia and awake states. The above results demonstrate that TUS can modulate theta and gamma oscillations in the CA1 and that the modulation effect depends on behavioral states. Our study provides guidance for the application of ultrasound in modulating hippocampal function.
Barriers to opioid use disorder treatment: A comparison of self-reported information from social media with barriers found in literature
Authors: Bremer Whitney , Plaisance Karma , Walker Drew , Bonn Matthew , Love Jennifer S. , Perrone Jeanmarie , Sarker Abeed
Published: April 2023

Introduction

Medications such as buprenorphine and methadone are effective for treating opioid use disorder (OUD), but many patients face barriers related to treatment and access. We analyzed two sources of data—social media and published literature—to categorize and quantify such barriers.

Methods

In this mixed methods study, we analyzed social media (Reddit) posts from three OUD-related forums (subreddits): r/suboxone, r/Methadone, and r/naltrexone. We applied natural language processing to identify posts relevant to treatment barriers, categorized them into insurance- and non-insurance-related, and manually subcategorized them into fine-grained topics. For comparison, we used substance use-, OUD- and barrier-related keywords to identify relevant articles from PubMed published between 2006 and 2022. We searched publications for language expressing fear of barriers, and hesitation or disinterest in medication treatment because of barriers, paying particular attention to the affected population groups described.

Results

On social media, the top three insurance-related barriers included having no insurance (22.5%), insurance not covering OUD treatment (24.7%), and general difficulties of using insurance for OUD treatment (38.2%); while the top two non-insurance-related barriers included stigma (47.6%), and financial difficulties (26.2%). For published literature, stigma was the most prominently reported barrier, occurring in 78.9% of the publications reviewed, followed by financial and/or logistical issues to receiving medication treatment (73.7%), gender-specific barriers (36.8%), and fear (31.5%).

Conclusion

The stigma associated with OUD and/or seeking treatment and insurance/cost are the two most common types of barriers reported in the two sources combined. Harm reduction efforts addressing barriers to recovery may benefit from leveraging multiple data sources.
NGS implementation for monitoring SARS-CoV-2 variants in Chicagoland: An institutional perspective, successes and challenges
Authors: Tartanian Aileen C. , Mulroney Nicole , Poselenzny Kelly , Akroush Michael , Unger Trevor , Helseth Donald L. , Sabatini Linda M. , Bouma Michael , Larkin Paige M.K.
Published: April 2023

Identification of SARS-CoV-2 lineages has shown to provide invaluable information regarding treatment efficacy, viral transmissibility, disease severity, and immune evasion. These benefits provide institutions with an expectation of high informational upside with little insight in regards to practicality with implementation and execution of such high complexity testing in the midst of a pandemic. This article details our institution’s experience implementing and using Next Generation Sequencing (NGS) to monitor SARS-CoV-2 lineages in the northern Chicagoland area throughout the pandemic. To date, we have sequenced nearly 7,000 previously known SARS-CoV-2 positive samples from various patient populations (e.g., outpatient, inpatient, and outreach sites) to reduce bias in sampling. As a result, our hospital was guided while making crucial decisions about staffing, masking, and other infection control measures during the pandemic. While beneficial, establishing this NGS procedure was challenging, with countless considerations at every stage of assay development and validation. Reduced staffing prompted transition from a manual to automated high throughput workflow, requiring further validation, lab space, and instrumentation. Data management and IT security were additional considerations that delayed implementation and dictated our bioinformatic capabilities. Taken together, our experience highlights the obstacles and triumphs of SARS-CoV-2 sequencing.
Combination of everolimus and low-dose tacrolimus controls histological liver allograft injury as sufficiently as high-dose tacrolimus
Authors: Bosselmann Emily A. , Dranicki Fabian , Campos-Murguia Alejandro , Hartleben Björn , Wedemeyer Heiner , Jaeckel Elmar , Taubert Richard
Published: April 2023

Introduction

The combination of everolimus (EVR) and low-dose tacrolimus (lowTAC) prevents T cell-mediated rejection of liver grafts as sufficiently as high-dose tacrolimus (highTAC) and mycophenolate, but is associated with a preserved kidney function within the first years after orthotopic liver transplantation (OLT). However, none of the available studies assessed the histological pattern of graft injury or fibrosis in surveillance biopsies (svLbx).

Methods

All svLbx taken under at least one month of stable immunosuppression with either EVR (aim 3-8 ng/ml) combined with lowTAC (aim 3-5 ng/ml) or highTAC (aim 5-8 ng/ml) combined with mycophenolate (500-1500 mg/day) within the first three to four years after OLT at our center were included. Patients who were switched to EVR because of insufficient control of alloreactivity were excluded.

Results

Reasons for switches to EVR were mainly malignancies before or after OLT, or chronic kidney injury. We were able to include 20 svLbx with EVR/lowTAC and 49 with highTAC/mycophenolate. Both groups had similar liver enzymes and similar kidney function. The EVR/lowTAC group exhibited lower TAC trough levels at svLbx (4.4 vs. 6.6 ng/ml; p<.001) in comparison to highTAC/mycophenolate. Histological graft injury quantified by the rejection activity index and hepatitis activity index (Ishak), as well as fibrosis were not significantly different between the EVR/lowTAC and highTAC/mycophenolate groups. Likewise, subclinical TCMR, histological criteria justifying immunosuppression minimization, and steatosis had equal prevalence in both regimens. Immunosuppression was adjusted according to the svLbx findings. Immunosuppression regimens had similarly low rates of rejection after immunosuppression reduction, when relevant graft injury was absent in the biopsy.

Discussion

In conclusion, EVR/lowTAC seems to control alloreactivity and histological graft injury as sufficiently as highTAC/mycophenolate within the first 3-4 years after OLT.
Resection of cervical extra-intraspinal neuromas through the enlarged intervertebral foramen: Results in 34 case series patients
Authors: Chang Chuan , Che Xiao-Ming , Zhang Ming-Guang
Published: April 2023

Objective

The purpose of this study was to analyze the techniques used to resection cervical extra-intraspinal neuromas (also known as cervical dumbbell neuromas) through the enlarged intervertebral foramen.

Methods

A total of 34 consecutive patients (19 male, 15 female) with cervical dumbbell neuromas reviewed retrospectively between April 2008 and May 2020. Sixteen tumors were found in the intervertebral foramen of C1-C3, four in C3-C4, and 14 in C4-T1. The approach in all cases was to expose the tumors by intermuscular dissection and to remove them through the enlarged intervertebral foramen without excision of any bony structures. However, to expose tumors at different locations, the incisions shall be made accordingly. In this case series, the incisions were made along the posterior border of the sternocleidomastoid muscle for the C1-C3 tumors and along the anterior border of the muscle for the C3-C4 tumors. Transverse incisions were required for the C4-T1 tumors.

Results

Following the mentioned incising approach, all 34 tumors were completely exposed. 31 were completely removed in one stage, and 3 tumors underwent subtotal resection because of brachial plexus nerve adhesion. The vertebral artery and spinal cord were undamaged for all cases. The patients who had total tumor resection showed no sign of recurrence on enhanced magnetic resonance imaging during follow-ups. The status of patients who underwent subtotal resection was stable after radiation therapy. None of the patients developed spinal instability.

Conclusions

Cervical dumbbell neuromas can be exposed and removed through the enlarged intervertebral foramen without causing spinal instability or injury to the spinal cord or vertebral artery. This operative approach can retain the integrity of the structures of spine and should be considered the ideal approach for cervical dumbbell neuromas.
Nephrocalcinosis in farmed salmonids: diagnostic challenges associated with low performance and sporadic mortality
Authors: Minarova Hana , Palikova Miroslava , Kopp Radovan , Maly Ondrej , Mares Jan , Mikulikova Ivana , Papezikova Ivana , Piacek Vladimir , Pojezdal Lubomir , Pikula Jiri
Published: April 2023

Disease conditions that involve multiple predisposing or contributing factors, or manifest as low performance and/or low-level mortality, can pose a diagnostic challenge that requires an interdisciplinary approach. Reaching a diagnosis may also be limited by a lack of available clinical profile parameter reference ranges to discriminate healthy fish from those affected by specific disease conditions. Here, we describe our experience investigating poorly performing rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) in an intensive recirculation aquaculture, where reaching a final diagnosis of nephrocalcinosis was not as straightforward as one would wish. To list the issues making the diagnosis difficult, it was necessary to consider the creeping onset of the problem. Further diagnostic steps needed to ensure success included obtaining comparative data for fish blood profiles and water quality from both test and control aquacultural systems, excluding infections with salmonid pathogenic agents and evaluating necropsy findings. Major events in the pathophysiology of nephrocalcinosis could be reconstructed as follows: aquatic environment hyperoxia and hypercapnia → blood hypercapnia → blood acid-base perturbation (respiratory acidosis) → metabolic compensation (blood bicarbonate elevation and kidney phosphate excretion) → a rise in blood pH → calcium phosphate precipitation and deposition in tissues. This case highlights the need to consider the interplay between water quality and fish health when diagnosing fish diseases and reaching causal diagnoses.
Increased Tacrolimus Exposure in Kidney Transplant Recipients With COVID-19: Inflammation-Driven Downregulation of Metabolism as a Potential Mechanism
Authors: Klomp Sylvia D. , Meziyerh Soufian , Vissers Maurits F. J. M. , Moes Dirk J. A. R. , Arends Eline J. , Teng Y. K. Onno , Swen Jesse J. , de Vries Aiko P. J.
Published: April 2023

Kidney transplant recipients (KTRs) are at increased risk of severe COVID-19 disease compared to the general population. This is partly driven by their use of immunosuppressive therapy, which influences inflammatory responses and viral loads. Current guidelines suggest to withdraw mycophenolate while calcineurin inhibitors are often continued during a COVID-19 infection. However, clinical signs of calcineurin toxicity have been described in multiple COVID-19 positive KTRs. In this report we describe the course of tacrolimus exposure prior to, during, and post COVID-19 in observations from three clinical cases as well as four KTRs from a controlled trial population. We postulate inflammation driven downregulation of the CYP3A metabolism as a potential mechanism for higher tacrolimus exposure. To mitigate the risk of tacrolimus overexposure and toxicity therapeutic drug monitoring is recommended in KTRs with COVID-19 both in the in-, out-patient and home monitoring setting.
Diversity in Coffea arabica Cultivars in the Mountains of Gorongosa National Park, Mozambique, Regarding Bean and Leaf Nutrient Accumulation and Physical Fruit Traits
Authors: Alberto Niquisse J. , Ramalho José C. , Ribeiro-Barros Ana I. , Viana Alexandre P. , Krohling Cesar A. , Moiane Sional S. , Alberto Zito , Rodrigues Weverton P. , Partelli Fábio L.
Published: April 2023

Genetic characteristics and their interaction with environmental conditions, including nutritional management, determine coffee productivity and quality. The objective of this study was to evaluate fruit traits and nutrient accumulation in the fruit, husk, and bean, as well as in the leaves of different Coffea arabica cultivars cropped in the Gorongosa National Park, Mozambique. The experiment evaluated nine coffee cultivars in a randomized block design, with four replicates. Fruit and leaf samples were collected over two months (June and July 2021), in the fruit maturation phase, oven-dried and analyzed, namely, through a clustering unweighted pair group method with arithmetic mean (UPGMA). The characterization of ripe and dried coffee bean indicated differences in the performance of the cultivars. The accumulation of the macronutrients N, K, and Ca and micronutrients Fe, Mn, and B was highest in the bean, husk, fruit, and leaves of the evaluated cultivars. Nutrient concentrations and accumulation in the different evaluated organs have a direct influence on the nutritional crop management. This is crucial for a nutritional diagnosis that ensures high yields, but such mineral levels are also a result of the existing genetic diversity among cultivars, which must be taken into account for management and breeding purposes.
Control of Bacterial Canker in Stone Fruit Trees by Chemical and Biological Products
Authors: Broniarek-Niemiec Agata , Børve Jorunn , Puławska Joanna
Published: April 2023

Bacterial canker, caused by Pseudomonas syringae pv. syringae and pv. morsprunorum, is one of the most important diseases of stone fruit trees (Prunus spp.). The pathogen infects buds, flowers, fruitlets, leaves and shoots, from which the disease spreads to the branches, boughs and trunks, causing necrosis and cankers. The efficacy of different chemical and biological products for the control of bacterial canker on stone fruit trees was tested in 2018–2021. The experiments were conducted in sour cherry, plum and sweet cherry orchards in central Poland. Foliar application of the tested preparations was performed three times a season. The biological efficacy of the tested products in the control of bacterial canker was evaluated on sour cherry on the basis of infected leaves and fruits and on plum and sweet cherry on the basis of infected leaves. The highest efficacy was observed for products containing various forms of copper—copper oxide, copper oxychloride and copper hydroxide—as well as fertilizers with copper gluconate and the fungicide Luna Care 71.6 WG (fluopyram and fosetyl-Al). However, the biological preparations were significantly less effective. The conducted studies showed that preparations based on copper gluconate can be a valuable alternative to typical copper fungicides.
Current Optical Sensing Applications in Seeds Vigor Determination
Authors: Zhang Jian , Fang Weikai , Xu Chidong , Xiong Aisheng , Zhang Michael , Goebel Randy , Bo Guangyu
Published: April 2023

Advances in optical sensing technology have led to new approaches to monitoring and determining crop seed vigor. In order to improve crop performance to secure reliable yield and food supply, calibrating seed vigor, purity, germination rate, and clarity is very critical to the future of the agriculture/horticulture industry. Traditional methods of seed vigor determination are lengthy in process, labor intensive, and sometimes inaccurate, which can lead to false yield prediction and faulty decision-making. Optical sensing technology offers rapid, accurate, and non-destructive calibration methods to help the industry develop accurate decisions for seed usage and agronomic evaluation. In this review, we hope to provide a summary of current research in the optical sensing technology used in seed vigor assessments.
Part II—Aroma Profile of Twenty White Grapevine Varieties: A Chemotaxonomic Marker Approach
Authors: Díaz-Fernández Ángela , Díaz-Losada Emilia , Domínguez José Manuel , Cortés-Diéguez Sandra
Published: April 2023

The importance of white wines in the northwest of the Iberian Peninsula has led to study on the aromatic profiles of 20 white grapevine varieties along three consecutive vintages. Volatile compounds were evaluated through solid-phase microextraction and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry methodology (SPME-GC-MS). The main aims of this study were as follow: test if their aromatic profile could be used as a potential chemotaxonomic tool to differentiate among grapevine varieties, evaluate if there is any relationship among the aromatic characteristics and the genetic origin of the varieties studied and try to bring out aromatically interesting varieties that could trigger diversified wine production in the study area. Free and bound volatile profiles were tentatively identified in each variety, grouping all identified compounds into thirteen volatile families to allow for a better discussion of the results obtained. Significant differences were found for terpenes among varieties in the free fraction and for acids, aldehydes, terpenes and norisoprenoids in the glicosidically bound fraction. Good differentiation among varieties was achieved by free and glicosidically bound profiles in the principal component analysis (PCA), as well as some clustering of varieties belonging to the same genetic reconstructed populations (RPP). Varietal aromatic profiling could be expected to be a good chemotaxonomic tool.
CoQ10Phytosomes Improve Cellular Ubiquinone Uptake in Skeletal Muscle Cells: An Ex Vivo Study Using CoQ10-Enriched Low-Density Lipoproteins Obtained in a Randomized Crossover Study
Authors: Marcheggiani Fabio , Orlando Patrick , Silvestri Sonia , Cirilli Ilenia , Riva Antonella , Petrangolini Giovanna , Orsini Francesca , Tiano Luca
Published: April 2023

Coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10) bioavailability in vivo is limited due to its lipophilic nature. Moreover, a large body of evidence in the literature shows that muscle CoQ10 uptake is limited. In order to address cell specific differences in CoQ uptake, we compared cellular CoQ10 content in cultured human dermal fibroblasts and murine skeletal muscle cells that were incubated with lipoproteins from healthy volunteers and enriched with different formulations of CoQ10 following oral supplementation. Using a crossover design, eight volunteers were randomized to supplement 100 mg/daily CoQ10 for two weeks, delivered both in phytosome form (UBQ) as a lecithin formulation and in CoQ10 crystalline form. After supplementation, plasma was collected for CoQ10 determination. In the same samples, low density lipoproteins (LDL) were extracted and normalized for CoQ10 content, and 0.5 µg/mL in the medium were incubated with the two cell lines for 24 h. The results show that while both formulations were substantially equivalent in terms of plasma bioavailability in vivo, UBQ-enriched lipoproteins showed a higher bioavailability compared with crystalline CoQ10-enriched ones both in human dermal fibroblasts (+103%) and in murine skeletal myoblasts (+48%). Our data suggest that phytosome carriers might provide a specific advantage in delivering CoQ10 to skin and muscle tissues.
Antivirus Evasion Methods in Modern Operating Systems
Authors: Samociuk Dominik
Published: April 2023

In order to safeguard one’s privacy while accessing the internet, it is crucial to have an antivirus program installed on the device. Despite their usefulness in protecting against malware, these programs are not foolproof. Cybercriminals have access to numerous techniques and tools for circumventing antivirus software, which can greatly aid them in their illicit activities. The objective of this research was to examine the most prevalent methods and tools for bypassing antivirus software and to demonstrate how readily accessible and simple they are to use. The aim of this paper is to raise awareness among readers about the associated risks and to assist internet users in protecting themselves from potential threats. The findings of the research indicate that the efficacy of evasion tools is positively correlated with their age and popularity. Tests have shown that, with the latest updates, contemporary antivirus software is capable of resisting virtually all of the tested methods generated using default settings. However, the most significant aspect of this paper is the section presenting experiments with basic but powerful modifications to established evasion mechanisms, which have been found to deceive modern, up-to-date antivirus software.
AESOP: Adjustable Exhaustive Search for One-Pixel Attacks in Deep Neural Networks
Authors: Nam Wonhong , Kil Hyunyoung
Published: April 2023

Deep neural networks have achieved remarkable performance in various fields such as image recognition and natural language processing. However, recent research has revealed that even a small imperceptible perturbation can confound well-trained neural network models and yield incorrect answers. Such adversarial examples are regarded as a key hazard to the application of machine learning techniques to safety-critical systems, such as unmanned vehicle navigation and security systems. In this study, we propose an efficient technique for searching one-pixel attacks in deep neural networks, which are recently reported as an adversarial example. Using exhaustive search, our method can identify one-pixel attacks which existing methods cannot detect. Moreover, the method can adjust exhaustiveness to reduce the search space dramatically. However, it still identifies most attacks. We present our experiment using the MNIST data set to demonstrate that our adjustable search method efficiently identifies one-pixel attacks in well-trained deep neural networks, including convolutional layers.
In Vitro Analysis of Hemodynamics in the Ascending Thoracic Aorta: Sensitivity to the Experimental Setup
Authors: Mariotti Alessandro , Vignali Emanuele , Gasparotti Emanuele , Morello Mario , Singh Jaskaran , Salvetti Maria Vittoria , Celi Simona
Published: April 2023

We perform a stochastic sensitivity analysis of the experimental setup of a mock circulatory loop for in vitro hemodynamics analysis in the ascending thoracic aorta at a patient-specific level. The novelty of the work is that, for the first time, we provide a systematic sensitivity analysis of the effect of the inflow conditions, viz. the stroke volume, the cardiac cycle period, and the spatial distribution of the velocity in in-vitro experiments in a circulatory mock loop. We considered three different patient-specific geometries of the ascending thoracic aorta, viz. a healthy geometry, an aortic aneurysm, and a coarctation of the aorta. Three-dimensional-printed phantoms are inserted in a mock circulatory loop, and velocity and pressure measurements are carried out for the different setup conditions. The stochastic approach, performed using the generalized polynomial chaos, allows us to obtain continuous and accurate response surfaces in the parameter space, limiting the number of experiments. The main contributions of this work are that (i) the flow rate and pressure waveforms are mostly affected by the cardiac cycle period and the stroke volume, (ii) the impact of the spatial distribution of the inlet velocity profile is negligible, and (iii), from a practical viewpoint, this analysis confirms that in experiments it is also important to replicate the patient-specific inflow waveform, while the length of the pipe connecting the pump and the phantom of the aorta can be varied to comply with particular requirements as, for instance, those implied by the use of MRI in experiments.
Fine-Tuning of Pre-Trained Deep Face Sketch Models Using Smart Switching Slime Mold Algorithm
Authors: Alhashash Khaled Mohammad , Samma Hussein , Suandi Shahrel Azmin
Published: April 2023

There are many pre-trained deep learning-based face recognition models developed in the literature, such as FaceNet, ArcFace, VGG-Face, and DeepFace. However, performing transfer learning of these models for handling face sketch recognition is not applicable due to the challenge of limited sketch datasets (single sketch per subject). One promising solution to mitigate this issue is by using optimization algorithms, which will perform a fine-tuning and fitting of these models for the face sketch problem. Specifically, this research introduces an enhanced optimizer that will evolve these models by performing automatic weightage/fine-tuning of the generated feature vector guided by the recognition accuracy of the training data. The following are the key contributions to this work: (i) this paper introduces a novel Smart Switching Slime Mold Algorithm (S2SMA), which has been improved by embedding several search operations and control rules; (ii) the proposed S2SMA aims to fine-tune the pre-trained deep learning models in order to improve the accuracy of the face sketch recognition problem; and (iii) the proposed S2SMA makes simultaneous fine-tuning of multiple pre-trained deep learning models toward further improving the recognition accuracy of the face sketch problem. The performance of the S2SMA has been evaluated on two face sketch databases, which are XM2VTS and CUFSF, and on CEC’s 2010 large-scale benchmark. In addition, the outcomes were compared to several variations of the SMA and related optimization techniques. The numerical results demonstrated that the improved optimizer obtained a higher level of fitness value as well as better face sketch recognition accuracy. The statistical data demonstrate that S2SMA significantly outperforms other optimization techniques with a rapid convergence curve.
Diet Therapy of Obstructive Sleep Apnea Syndrome Treated with Positive Airway Pressure: A Systematic Review of Randomized Controlled Trials
Authors: Guzek Dominika , Głąbska Dominika
Published: April 2023

The positive airway pressure (PAP) is a gold standard in therapy for obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) patients, though weight loss is among the most effective supportive therapeutic methods. The aim of the study is to conduct a systematic review of randomized controlled trials (RCTs) of diet therapy interventions for OSA patients treated with PAP. The systematic review was conducted based on the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines and registered in the International Prospective Register of Systematic Reviews (PROSPERO) database (CRD42023398374). The 1436 records were screened and five records were included identified as RCTs available within PubMed and Web of Science databases until 1 February 2023. Two researchers independently conducted identification, screening, inclusion, and evaluation of RCTs, using the revised Cochrane risk-of-bias tool for randomized trials. The studies were conducted in groups with patients treated or intended to be treated with CPAP, while patients with moderate-to-severe or severe OSA were included. Within all included studies, an experimental diet was compared with a control group; however, various interventions were applied, including dietary intervention, which was compared with no intervention, and dietary and physical activity intervention, which was only compared with general advice. The applied intervention included various dietary approaches, such as various energy deficits or dietary health-promoting behaviors. The monitored variables included apnea–hypopnea index (AHI), sleep time, sleep efficiency, sleep latency, oxygen desaturation episodes, oxygen saturation, OSA type, Epworth Sleepiness Scale score, Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index, and quality of life. For the majority of studies, some concerns were defined for the risk of bias; however, for one study the risk was high. Three studies supported the positive influence of diet therapy, one study somewhat supported it and one study did not support it. It may be stated that for excessive body mass individuals, even if PAP is applied, the diet therapy should be included in order to reduce body mass, reduce the symptoms of OSA, and improve the quality of life. This therapeutic option should be applied, even if no effect on OSA is noted, as body mass reduction have multiple positive effects, which may also influence the quality of life.
A Pipeline for Story Visualization from Natural Language
Authors: Zakraoui Jezia , Saleh Moutaz , Al-Maadeed Somaya , Alja’am Jihad Mohamad
Published: April 2023

Generating automatic visualization from natural language texts is an important task for promoting language learning and literacy development for young children and language learners. However, translating a text into a coherent visualization matching its relevant keywords is a challenging problem. To tackle this issue, we proposed a robust story visualization pipeline ranging from NLP and relation extraction to image sequence generation and alignment. First, we applied a shallow semantic representation of the text where we extracted concepts including relevant characters, scene objects, and events in an appropriate format. We also distinguished between simple and complex actions. This distinction helped to realize an optimal visualization of the scene objects and their relationships according to the target audience. Second, we utilized an image generation framework along with different versions to support the visualization task efficiently. Third, we used CLIP similarity function as a semantic relevance metric to check local and global coherence to the whole story. Finally, we validated the scene sequence to compose a final visualization using the different versions for various target audiences. Our preliminary results showed considerable effectiveness in adopting such a pipeline for a coarse visualization task that can subsequently be enhanced.
GERP: A Personality-Based Emotional Response Generation Model
Authors: Zhou Ziyi , Shen Ying , Chen Xuri , Wang Dongqing
Published: April 2023

It is important for chatbots to emotionally communicate with users. However, most emotional response generation models generate responses simply based on a specified emotion, neglecting the impacts of speaker’s personality on emotional expression. In this work, we propose a novel model named GERP to generate emotional responses based on the pre-defined personality. GERP simulates the emotion conversion process of humans during the conversation to make the chatbot more anthropomorphic. GERP adopts the OCEAN model to precisely define the chatbot’s personality. It can generate the response containing the emotion predicted based on the personality. Specifically, to select the most-appropriate response, a proposed beam evaluator was integrated into GERP. A Chinese sentiment vocabulary and a Chinese emotional response dataset were constructed to facilitate the emotional response generation task. The effectiveness and superiority of the proposed model over five baseline models was verified by the experiments.
Simulating a Digital Factory and Improving Production Efficiency by Using Virtual Reality Technology
Authors: Hovanec Michal , Korba Peter , Vencel Martin , Al-Rabeei Samer
Published: April 2023

The main goal of every production is an optimally set and stable production process with the lowest possible costs. Such settings can only be achieved through many years of experience or very specific research, which focuses on several critical factors. An example of such factors can be the size and use of available space or the location of the production line and the logistical location of individual production sites, which is individual for each production process. Specific research can be carried out, for example, by means of the TX Plant simulation application, which was used in the present article for the production process of making fiber from pellets. The output of this research is the effective use of the so-called “Digital factory” to make the process in the already created conditions more efficient. This was achieved by the TX Plant simulation application, resulting in a reduced production time and increasing overall productivity. An intuitive interaction with factory equipment is possible with this approach, which allows users to immerse themselves in the virtual factory environment. As a result, a layout’s efficiency of surface use, flow of martial, and ergonomics can be assessed in real time. This paper aims to demonstrate how virtual reality (VR) can be used to simulate a digital factory to aid in decision making and enhance factory efficiency.