bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Starvation Protects Hepatocytes from Inflammatory Damage through Paradoxical mTORC1 Signaling
Authors: Hussain Iqra , Sureshkumar Harini K. , Bauer Michael , Rubio Ignacio
Published: June 2023

Background and aims: Sepsis-related liver failure is associated with a particularly unfavorable clinical outcome. Calorie restriction is a well-established factor that can increase tissue resilience, protect against liver failure and improve outcome in preclinical models of bacterial sepsis. However, the underlying molecular basis is difficult to investigate in animal studies and remains largely unknown. Methods: We have used an immortalized hepatocyte line as a model of the liver parenchyma to uncover the role of caloric restriction in the resilience of hepatocytes to inflammatory cell damage. In addition, we applied genetic and pharmacological approaches to investigate the contribution of the three major intracellular nutrient/energy sensor systems, AMPK, mTORC1 and mTORC2, in this context. Results: We demonstrate that starvation reliably protects hepatocytes from cellular damage caused by pro-inflammatory cytokines. While the major nutrient- and energy-related signaling pathways AMPK, mTORC2/Akt and mTORC1 responded to caloric restriction as expected, mTORC1 was paradoxically activated by inflammatory stress in starved, energy-deprived hepatocytes. Pharmacological inhibition of mTORC1 or genetic silencing of the mTORC1 scaffold Raptor, but not its mTORC2 counterpart Rictor, abrogated the protective effect of starvation and exacerbated inflammation-induced cell death. Remarkably, mTORC1 activation in starved hepatocytes was uncoupled from the regulation of autophagy, but crucial for sustained protein synthesis in starved resistant cells. Conclusions: AMPK engagement and paradoxical mTORC1 activation and signaling mediate protection against pro-inflammatory stress exerted by caloric restriction in hepatocytes.
Butyrate Protects Myenteric Neurons Loss in Mice Following Experimental Ulcerative Colitis
Authors: Caetano Marcos A. F. , Magalhães Henrique I. R. , Duarte Jheniffer R. L. , Conceição Laura B. , Castelucci Patricia
Published: June 2023

The enteric nervous system is affected by inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD). Gut microbiota ferments dietary fibers and produces short-chain fatty acids, such as Butyrate, which bind to G protein–coupled receptors, such as GPR41, and contribute to maintaining intestinal health. This work aimed to study the GPR41 in myenteric neurons and analyze the effect of Butyrate in mice submitted to experimental ulcerative colitis. The 2, 4, 6 trinitrobenzene sulfonic acid (TNBS) was injected intrarectally in C57BL/6 mice (Colitis). Sham group received ethanol (vehicle). One group was treated with 100 mg/kg of Sodium Butyrate (Butyrate), and the other groups received saline. Animals were euthanized 7 days after colitis induction. Analyzes demonstrated colocalization of GPR41 with neurons immunoreactive (-ir) to nNOS and ChAT-ir and absence of colocalization of the GPR41 with GFAP-ir glia. Quantitative results demonstrated losses of nNOS-ir, ChAT-ir, and GPR41-ir neurons in the Colitis group and Butyrate treatment attenuated neuronal loss. The number of GFAP-ir glia increased in the Colitis group, whereas Butyrate reduced the number of these cells. In addition, morphological alterations observed in the Colitis group were attenuated in the Butyrate group. The presence of GPR41 in myenteric neurons was identified, and the treatment with Butyrate attenuated the damage caused by experimental ulcerative colitis.
Genetic Predisposition to Primary Lactose Intolerance Does Not Influence Dairy Intake and Health-Related Quality of Life in Romanian Children: A Hospital-Based Cross-Sectional Study
Authors: Pienar Corina , Pop Liviu , Lăzărescu Marilena , Costăchescu Radmila , Mogoi Mirela , Mare Ruxandra , Șeclăman Edward
Published: June 2023

Background: Primary lactose intolerance (PLI) is characterized by the inability to digest lactose. Homozygotes for the lactase gene polymorphisms (CC or GG) are considered to be genetically predisposed to PLI. Still, symptoms may only be present later in life. The evidence supporting a link between PLI, dairy intake, and quality of life (QoL) is limited in children. Aim: This study investigates the link between LCT polymorphisms and suggestive symptoms and the influence of the genetic predisposition to PLI on dairy intake and QoL in Romanian children. Materials and methods: We recruited consecutive children evaluated in our ambulatory clinic. We asked all participants to complete a visual-analog symptoms scale, a dairy intake, and a QoL questionnaire. We used strip genotyping to identify genetic predisposition to PLI. Results: 51.7% of children had a CC genotype, and 34.5% also had a GG genotype. Most children reported no or mild symptoms. Dairy intake and QoL were similar across study groups. Conclusions: Our study shows that genetic predisposition does not necessarily assume the presence of specific symptoms. Genetic predisposition to PLI did not lead to dairy avoidance, nor did it negatively influence our children’s QoL.
Efficacy of Intensive Inpatient Therapy in Infants with Congenital Muscular Torticollis Involving the Entire Sternocleidomastoid Muscle
Authors: Kwon Dong Rak , Cho Sung Cheol
Published: June 2023

The efficacy and frequency of physiotherapy in the prognosis of congenital muscular torticollis (CMT) that involves the entire sternocleidomastoid (SCM) muscle continues to be unclear. This study investigated the therapeutic effect of intensive inpatient therapy given to infants with CMT that involves the whole SCM using clinical measurements and ultrasound (US). This study included 54 infants (27 boys and 27 girls; mean corrected age of 18.57 days) evaluated for CMT at our outpatient clinic from January 2014 to May 2021. The included patients were divided into three groups (groups 1, 2, and 3). Patients in group 1 underwent outpatient treatment 12 times. Patients in groups 2 and 3 underwent therapeutic exercise followed by US diathermy with microcurrent twice daily for 1 or 2 weeks, respectively. Passive range of motion of the cervical rotation (PCRROM) and SCM thickness were evaluated pre- and post-treatment. Among the three groups, the demographic data at baseline were not significantly different, SCM thickness and PCRROM were significantly decreased/increased at post-treatment compared to pre-treatment (p < 0.05), mean PCRROM change was significantly greater in group 3 (p < 0.05), and mean SCM thickness reduction between pre-treatment and 3 months post-treatment was significantly greater in groups 2 and 3 (p < 0.05). Therefore, intensive inpatient therapeutic exercise and US diathermy with microcurrent may enhance the prognosis of CMT involving the entire SCM muscle.
Preparation of N, Cl Co-Doped Lignin Carbon Quantum Dots and Detection of Microplastics in Water
Authors: Zhao Hao , Jiang Zishuai , Wang Chengyu , Li Yudong
Published: June 2023

The research on rapid and efficient detection of microplastics in water is still in its early stages. Fluorescence feature recognition represents an important and innovative approach to microplastic detection. While carbon quantum dots have been widely used in various environmental detection methods, their use for detecting microplastics in water environments has been rarely reported. In this study, N and Cl co-doped carbon quantum dots were synthesized via a hydrothermal method. The heteroatom doping process endowed them with blue luminescence properties, and their adsorption for microplastics was improved through the introduction of positive and negative charges and intermolecular forces. By utilizing a combined mechanism of fluorescence and Rayleigh scattering, the detection of polystyrene microplastics with three different particle sizes was achieved. In the detection process, it exhibits excellent light stability. Notably, the nano-polystyrene exhibited a good nonlinear relationship within the range of 0.01 g/L to 0.001 g/L, with R2 values of 0.923 and 0.980 and a detection limit of 0.4 mg/L. These findings provide a novel approach for the detection of nano microplastics.
Phylogeny and Taxonomy of the Genus Amphichorda (Bionectriaceae): An Update on Beauveria-like Strains and Description of a Novel Species from Marine Sediments
Authors: Guerra-Mateo Daniel , Gené Josepa , Baulin Vladimir , Cano-Lira José Francisco
Published: June 2023

The genus Amphichorda has been recently re-erected as an independent lineage from Beauveria, circumscribed within Cordycipitaceae. However, its phylogenetic relationships with other members of this family remain obscure. In our ongoing efforts to expand the knowledge on the diversity of culturable ascomycetes from the Mediterranean Sea, we isolated several specimens of Amphichorda. Preliminary sequence analyses revealed great phylogenetic distance with accepted Amphichorda species and a close relation to Onychophora coprophila. Onychophora is a monotypic genus of enteroblastic conidiogenous cells, presumably related to Acremonium (Bionectriaceae), while Amphichorda exhibits holoblastic conidiogenesis. Here, we examine representative strains of Amphichorda species to elucidate the taxonomy of the genus and the aforementioned fungi, combining morphological, ultrastructure and multi-locus phylogenetic analyses (ITS, LSU, tef1, BenA). The results revealed Amphichorda as a member of the Bionectriaceae, where its asexual morphs represent a transition between enteroblastic and holoblastic conidiogenesis for this group of fungi. We also describe and illustrate Amphichorda littoralis sp. nov. and propose Amphichorda coprophila comb. nov. In addition, we establish key phenotypic features to distinguish Amphichorda species and demonstrate the higher salt tolerance degree of A. littoralis, consistent with its marine origin. This work provides a comprehensive framework for future studies in the genus.
Development of a Modified Global Physical Activity Questionnaire and Its Construct Validity among Adults in Kerala, India
Authors: Sathish Thirunavukkarasu , Mathews Elezebeth
Published: June 2023

There is a need for a modified Global Physical Activity Questionnaire (GPAQ) to estimate physical activity levels more accurately in populations. We aimed to develop a modified GPAQ and examine its construct validity among adults in Kerala, India. We incorporated locality-specific, metabolic equivalent task (MET)-based activities into the original GPAQ and administered this modified GPAQ among randomly selected 451 individuals (age ≥ 20 years) residing in the Trivandrum district of Kerala. Construct validity of the modified GPAQ was assessed using generalized linear models by examining the association of total moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA) MET-minutes per week with clinical measures. The mean age of participants was 45.4 (SD: 14.1) years, and 52.6% were female. Increasing total MVPA MET-minutes per week was associated with decreasing weight (β = −0.011 kg, 95% CI: −0.020, −0.002), waist circumference (β = −0.013 cm, 95% CI: −0.023, −0.004), and systolic blood pressure (β = −0.009 mmHg, 95% CI: −0.015, −0.002), independent of age, sex, education, occupation, current smoking, current alcohol use, and fruit and vegetable intake. The validity coefficients and associations between total MVPA MET-minutes per week and theoretical constructs of physical activity agreed with those predicted, providing evidence of construct validity for the modified GPAQ.
Beyond Aortic Stenosis: Addressing the Challenges of Multivalvular Disease Assessment
Authors: Bombace Sara , Meucci Maria Chiara , Fortuni Federico , Ilardi Federica , Manzo Rachele , Canciello Grazia , Esposito Giovanni , Grayburn Paul A. , Losi Maria Angela , Sannino Anna
Published: June 2023

Aortic stenosis (AS) can often coexist with other valvular diseases or be combined with aortic regurgitation (AR), leading to unique pathophysiological conditions. The combination of affected valves can vary widely, resulting in a lack of standardized diagnostic or therapeutic approaches. Echocardiography is crucial in assessing patients with valvular heart disease (VHD), but careful consideration of the hemodynamic interactions between combined valvular defects is necessary. This is important as it may affect the reliability of commonly used echocardiographic parameters, making the diagnosis challenging. Therefore, a multimodality imaging approach, including computed tomography or cardiac magnetic resonance, is often not just beneficial but crucial. It represents the future of diagnostics in this intricate field due to its unprecedented capacity to quantify and comprehend valvular pathology. The absence of definitive data and guidelines for the therapeutic management of AS in the context of multiple valve lesions makes this condition particularly challenging. As a result, an individualized, case-by-case approach is necessary, guided primarily by the recommendations for the predominant valve lesion. This review aims to summarize the pathophysiology of AS in the context of multiple and mixed valve disease, with a focus on the hemodynamic implications, diagnostic challenges, and therapeutic options.
ResRandSVM: Hybrid Approach for Acute Lymphocytic Leukemia Classification in Blood Smear Images
Authors: Sulaiman Adel , Kaur Swapandeep , Gupta Sheifali , Alshahrani Hani , Reshan Mana Saleh Al , Alyami Sultan , Shaikh Asadullah
Published: June 2023

Acute Lymphocytic Leukemia is a type of cancer that occurs when abnormal white blood cells are produced in the bone marrow which do not function properly, crowding out healthy cells and weakening the immunity of the body and thus its ability to resist infections. It spreads quickly in children’s bodies, and if not treated promptly it may lead to death. The manual detection of this disease is a tedious and slow task. Machine learning and deep learning techniques are faster than manual detection and more accurate. In this paper, a deep feature selection-based approach ResRandSVM is proposed for the detection of Acute Lymphocytic Leukemia in blood smear images. The proposed approach uses seven deep-learning models: ResNet152, VGG16, DenseNet121, MobileNetV2, InceptionV3, EfficientNetB0 and ResNet50 for deep feature extraction from blood smear images. After that, three feature selection methods are used to extract valuable and important features: analysis of variance (ANOVA), principal component analysis (PCA), and Random Forest. Then the selected feature map is fed to four different classifiers, Adaboost, Support Vector Machine, Artificial Neural Network and Naïve Bayes models, to classify the images into leukemia and normal images. The model performs best with a combination of ResNet50 as a feature extractor, Random Forest as feature selection and Support Vector Machine as a classifier with an accuracy of 0.900, precision of 0.902, recall of 0.957 and F1-score of 0.929.
Failed Dental Implant: When Titanium Fractures
Authors: Tribst João Paulo Mendes , Werner Arie , Blom Erik J.
Published: June 2023

Despite the widespread use of titanium implants in orthopedic and dental surgeries, concerns have recently emerged regarding potential deformations and fractures after osseointegration. In a recent clinical case, a titanium implant fractured after successful osseointegration. This fracture occurred despite the absence of any significant trauma or excessive external force applied to the area. The fracture was attributed to a combination of factors, including abutment design flaws, material fatigue, and biomechanical stress imposed on the implant during functional loading. This raises concerns about the long-term durability and reliability of titanium implants, particularly in high-stress areas such as the posterior region or weight-bearing bones. An image was made with scanning electron microscopy showing the fracture region near the prosthetic platform and highlighting the knowledge that despite their ductility, titanium implants can fracture.
Cytological Features of a Metastatic Angiosarcoma in the Lymph Node Diagnosed via Liquid-Based Cytology
Authors: Jhuang Jie-Yang , Liu Chih-Yi , Tseng Min-Hui , Chuang Shih-Sung
Published: June 2023

Angiosarcoma is a soft tissue sarcoma of vascular origin, with more than half of the cases arising in the skin and affecting primarily the face and scalp of elderly males. Furthermore, cutaneous angiosarcoma exhibits a higher incidence of lymph node metastases than other types of sarcomas. Angiosarcomas are rarely aspirated and are occasionally encountered on cytological samples. It is a diagnostic challenge in evaluating fine needle aspiration (FNA) from a metastatic angiosarcoma without the knowledge of prior history. We present a case of scalp angiosarcoma with disease progression to erythroderma and cervical lymphadenopathy 20 months after. FNA of the cervical node revealed vasoformative features, including hemophagocytosis, formation of an intracytoplasmic lumen/vacuole, endothelial wrapping, and cell grasping. The diagnosis of nodal metastasis by angiosarcoma was confirmed with immunohistochemistry (IHC) using two vascular markers on cell block sections. Our case demonstrates the recognizable cytomorphologic clues for this rare metastatic malignancy.
Diagnosis of Chest Pneumonia with X-ray Images Based on Graph Reasoning
Authors: Wang Cheng , Xu Chang , Zhang Yulai , Lu Peng
Published: June 2023

Pneumonia is an acute respiratory infection that affects the lungs. It is the single largest infectious disease that kills children worldwide. According to a 2019 World Health Organization survey, pneumonia caused 740,180 deaths in children under 5 years of age, accounting for 14% of all deaths in children under 5 years of age but 22% of all deaths in children aged 1 to 5 years. This shows that early recognition of pneumonia in children is particularly important. In this study, we propose a pneumonia binary classification model for chest X-ray image recognition based on a deep learning approach. We extract features using a traditional convolutional network framework to obtain features containing rich semantic information. The adjacency matrix is also constructed to represent the degree of relevance of each region in the image. In the final part of the model, we use graph inference to complete the global modeling to help classify pneumonia disease. A total of 6189 children’s X-ray films containing 3319 normal cases and 2870 pneumonia cases were used in the experiment. In total, 20% was selected as the test data set, and 11 common models were compared using 4 evaluation metrics, of which the accuracy rate reached 89.1% and the F1-score reached 90%, achieving the optimum.
Quantitative Evaluation of COVID-19 Pneumonia CT Using AI Analysis—Feasibility and Differentiation from Other Common Pneumonia Forms
Authors: Ebong Una , Büttner Susanne Martina , Schmidt Stefan A. , Flack Franziska , Korf Patrick , Peters Lynn , Grüner Beate , Stenger Steffen , Stamminger Thomas , Kestler Hans , Beer Meinrad , Kloth Christopher
Published: June 2023

PURPOSE: To implement the technical feasibility of an AI-based software prototype optimized for the detection of COVID-19 pneumonia in CT datasets of the lung and the differentiation between other etiologies of pneumonia. METHODS: This single-center retrospective case–control-study consecutively yielded 144 patients (58 female, mean age 57.72 ± 18.25 y) with CT datasets of the lung. Subgroups including confirmed bacterial (n = 24, 16.6%), viral (n = 52, 36.1%), or fungal (n = 25, 16.6%) pneumonia and (n = 43, 30.7%) patients without detected pneumonia (comparison group) were evaluated using the AI-based Pneumonia Analysis prototype. Scoring (extent, etiology) was compared to reader assessment. RESULTS: The software achieved an optimal sensitivity of 80.8% with a specificity of 50% for the detection of COVID-19; however, the human radiologist achieved optimal sensitivity of 80.8% and a specificity of 97.2%. The mean postprocessing time was 7.61 ± 4.22 min. The use of a contrast agent did not influence the results of the software (p = 0.81). The mean evaluated COVID-19 probability is 0.80 ± 0.36 significantly higher in COVID-19 patients than in patients with fungal pneumonia (p < 0.05) and bacterial pneumonia (p < 0.001). The mean percentage of opacity (PO) and percentage of high opacity (PHO ≥ −200 HU) were significantly higher in COVID-19 patients than in healthy patients. However, the total mean HU in COVID-19 patients was −679.57 ± 112.72, which is significantly higher than in the healthy control group (p < 0.001). CONCLUSION: The detection and quantification of pneumonia beyond the primarily trained COVID-19 datasets is possible and shows comparable results for COVID-19 pneumonia to an experienced reader. The advantages are the fast, automated segmentation and quantification of the pneumonia foci.
Prenatal Detection of Rapid Progressive Changes in Massive Lymphangioma from Flank to the Lower Extremity
Authors: Pongsatha Saipin , Jatavan Phudit , Hantrakun Panisa , Tongsong Theera
Published: June 2023

Lymphangioma is a congenital anomaly in which abnormal lymphatic drainages localize to form a benign mass, but it has the tendency to grow in size and the potential to infiltrate surrounding structures, causing devastating effects and leading to severe morbidity. The most common site of lymphangioma is the neck region (cystic hygroma colli), whereas lymphangioma in the lower limbs is very rare, accounting for only 2% of cases. Accordingly, the prenatal diagnosis of lymphangioma of the lower limbs has been scarcely reported. This study describes two cases of lymphangioma of the lower limbs, focusing on unique sonographic features and the natural course of rapidly progressive changes, which is different from nuchal lymphangioma. Based on previous isolated case reports together with our two cases, lymphangioma of the lower limbs usually develops in the second trimester, tends to have rapidly progressive changes, and is unlikely to be associated with aneuploidy and structural anomalies. Diagnoses can be made by using sonographic findings pertaining to the subcutaneous complex and multi-septate anechoic cystic lesions in the lower limbs, the latter of which can infiltrate visceral structures. Prenatal detection can be helpful in laying the groundwork for providing counseling to the parents and the planning of management strategies, i.e., opting to terminate the pregnancy, revising delivery plans, and looking towards the postnatal management of the infant.
The Performance of Paralleling Technique and Bisecting Angle Technique for Taking Periapical Radiographs: A Systematic Review
Authors: Yen Matthew , Yeung Andy Wai Kan
Published: June 2023

Periapical radiography is a routine radiographic procedure performed by dentists on a daily basis. It can be taken with two techniques, the paralleling technique (P tech) and the bisecting angle technique (B tech). This systematic review aimed to identify the relevant literature, compare the use of P and B techs across various dental specialties, and determine the most appropriate technique to be used for different purposes in taking periapical radiographs. In January 2023, we searched PubMed, Web of Science, Scopus, and Google Scholar to identify the studies that compared the two radiographic techniques. The search string was: (paralleling AND (“bisecting angle” OR “bisected angle”)). Manual reference tracing was also performed to identify the studies potentially missed. After screening, 26 studies were included for the qualitative review. The 26 included studies were published between 1976 and 2021. Ten of the studies were about general dentistry (dental radiology in general applications), whereas another ten studies were related to endodontics, such as working length estimation. Most studies advocated the use of the P tech for general, endodontics, implantology, and other indications. B tech was advocated for patients with a low palatal height. More future studies are needed to evaluate their performance in different scenarios with standardized equipment and radiographic positioning.
Revisiting the Impact of Corporate Carbon Management Strategies on Corporate Financial Performance: A Systematic Literature Review
Authors: Sitompul Maruli , Suroso Arif Imam , Sumarwan Ujang , Zulbainarni Nimmi
Published: June 2023

The objective of this research is to examine the relationship between carbon management strategies in corporations and their impact on financial performance. We employ a systematic literature review to analyze 223 articles retrieved from reputable journals indexed in Scopus. A total of 22 empirical studies covering various industry sectors and countries were selected and included in our analysis. The result indicates that 59% of the articles demonstrate positive findings. Among these, 50% show a significant positive impact, while 9% exhibit mixed results with both positive and negative outcomes in the short and long-term perspectives. These findings suggest that adopting carbon management strategies predominantly has a positive influence on corporate financial performance. In this study, we also provide a summary of the dependent, independent, and control variables, as well as commonly used indicators in this research topic, to help guide future quantitative research. Lastly, we offer a summary of the motivations, drivers, and barriers that corporations experience when implementing carbon management strategies. These insights will be valuable for business managers and policymakers, aiding them in successfully embarking on the journey to achieve net-zero emissions.
Perception of Peruvian Students Studying in Biological Sciences about the Advantages of Virtual Classes during the COVID-19 Pandemic
Authors: Bazán-Ramírez Aldo , Capa-Luque Walter , Ango-Aguilar Homero , Anaya-González Roberta , Cárdenas-López Víctor
Published: June 2023

There is significant educational research interest regarding the assessment of the benefits of virtual education implemented during the COVID-19 pandemic for university programs that were essentially face-to-face. The objective of the study was to determine the effect of the management of online resources that the teacher had on the valuation of the advantages of online classes in biological sciences, mediated by the students’ perception of virtual practices as well as the accessibility and use of online resources. A total of 332 Peruvian students studying in biological sciences from a public university, enrolled in five undergraduate academic years, of which 184 were women and 148 were men, participated. A non-experimental predictive design of causal relationships was used with the methodology of structural equation modeling. According to the SEM model (CFI and TLI > 0.95, RMSEA and SRMR < 0.05), the valuation of the advantages of virtual classes during the pandemic was significantly predicted by the valuation of virtual practices (positively) as well as by the accessibility and management of online resources by students (negatively); likewise, the use and mastery of digital and online resources by teachers had an indirect effect on the valuation of virtual classes, but direct effects on virtual practices and accessibility to digital resources by students. Also, virtual practice was the most crucial variable in predicting the valuation of online classes (β = 0.48, p < 0.001). In conclusion, the student’s perception of the teachers’ handling of online resources during the COVID-19 pandemic was determinant as a favorable valuation of the advantages offered by online classes, a relationship that is mediated by virtual practices and accessibility to online resources.
Pedagogical Approaches of a Targeted Social and Emotional Skilling Program to Re-Engage Young Adolescents in Schooling
Authors: Main Katherine , Whatman Susan
Published: June 2023

This paper forms part of a larger study that examined the effectiveness of a targeted social and emotional program to re-engage early adolescents who were already showing signs of disengaging from schooling. Using qualitative methodology, data for this paper come from an in-depth interview with the teacher/facilitator of the program presented as six individual vignette case studies. Each vignette highlights the individual challenges and outcomes of a student who had completed the TLC program. These student cases represented the types of disengaging behaviours students who entered the program were displaying. Findings indicate this short-term targeted social and emotional program is highly successful in re-engaging these students with sustained benefits. The authors call for more awareness of and education for teachers to have the skills to embed targeted social skills when planning their curriculum. This is particularly salient during early adolescence when students begin to exhibit early signs of disengagement.
Three-Dimensional Point Cloud-Filtering Method Based on Image Segmentation and Absolute Phase Recovery
Authors: Zhang Jianmin , Long Jiale , Du Zihao , Ding Yi , Peng Yuyang , Xi Jiangtao
Published: June 2023

In three-dimensional (3D) shape measurement based on fringe projection, various factors can degrade the quality of the point cloud. Existing point cloud filtering methods involve analyzing the geometric relationship between 3D space and point cloud, which poses challenges such as complex calculation and low efficiency. To improve the accuracy and speed of point cloud filtering, this paper proposes a new point cloud filtering method based on image segmentation and the absolute phase for the 3D imaging obtained by fringe projection. Firstly, a two-dimensional (2D) point cloud mapping image is established based on the 3D point cloud obtained from fringe projection. Secondly, threshold segmentation and region growing methods are used to segment the 2D point cloud mapping image, followed by recording and removal of the segmented noise region. Using the relationship between the noise point cloud and the absolute phase noise point in fringe projection, a reference noise-free point is established, and the absolute phase line segment is restored to obtain the absolute phase of the noise-free point. Finally, a new 2D point cloud mapping image is reconstructed in 3D space to obtain a point cloud with noise removed. Experimental results show that the point cloud denoising accuracy calculated by this method can reach up to 99.974%, and the running time is 0.954 s. The proposed method can effectively remove point cloud noise and avoid complex calculations in 3D space. This method can not only remove the noise of the 3D point cloud but also can restore the partly removed noise point cloud into a noise-free 3D point cloud, which can improve the accuracy of the 3D point cloud.
An Ultrathin Low-Profile Tightly Coupled Dipole Array Fed by Compact Zigzagging Baluns
Authors: Wu Weiwei , Yan Yuchen , Wang Shaozhi , Ma Yuhong , Yuan Naichang
Published: June 2023

In this paper, we propose for the first time a novel feed approach to a tightly coupled dipole array (TCDA). Firstly, compact zigzagging microstrip feedlines are utilized as baluns to feed our array elements to obtain wideband impedance-matching characteristics. Secondly, this array is designed on ultrathin substrates aiming at obtaining ultra-tight coupling between the dipole arms of two neighboring elements. Some irreplaceable parasitic pads are developed and added to the radiating arms to improve both the impedance and radiation characteristics of the TCDA. With these technologies, a 12 × 12 TCDA prototype is designed, fabricated and measured for verification. The array achieves an impressive impedance bandwidth spanning of 4–18 GHz for S11<−10 dB. Its radiation patterns and realized gain are measured to verify its stable electromagnetic characteristics. Its realized gain is from 15 dB to 25 dB within the operating frequency band. Its efficiency is around 91%. Its measured results show good agreement with simulations.
Underwater Target Detection Algorithm Based on Feature Fusion Enhancement
Authors: Chen Liang , Yin Tao , Zhou Shaowu , Yi Guo , Fan Di , Zhao Jin
Published: June 2023

Underwater robots that use optical images for dynamic target detection often encounter image blurring, poor contrast, and indistinct target features. As a result, the underwater robots have poor detection performance with a high rate of missed detections. To overcome these issues, a feature-enhanced algorithm for underwater target detection has been proposed in this paper. Based on YOLOv7, a feature enhancement module utilizing a triple-attention mechanism is developed to improve the network’s feature extraction ability without increasing the computational or algorithmic parameter quantity. Moreover, comprehensively considering the impact of a redundant feature in the images on detection accuracy, the ASPPCSPC structure was built. A parallel spatial convolutional pooling structure based on the original feature pyramid fusion structure, SPPCSPC, is introduced. The GhostNet network was utilized to optimize its convolution module, which reduces the model’s parameter quantity and optimizes the feature map. Furthermore, a Cat-BiFPN structure was designed to address the problem of fine-grained information loss in YOLOv7 feature fusion by adopting a weighted nonlinear fusion strategy to enhance the algorithm’s adaptability. Using the UPRC offshore dataset for validation, the algorithm’s detection accuracy was increased by 2.9%, and the recall rate was improved by 2.3% compared to the original YOLOv7 algorithm. In addition, the model quantity is reduced by 11.2%, and the model size is compressed by 10.9%. The experimental results significantly establish the validity of the proposed algorithm.
Efficient Meta-Learning through Task-Specific Pseudo Labelling
Authors: Lee Sanghyuk , Lee Seunghyun , Song Byung Cheol
Published: June 2023

Meta-learning is attracting attention as a crucial tool for few-show learning tasks. Meta-learning involves the establishment and acquisition of “meta-knowledge”, enabling the ability to adapt to a novel field using only limited data. Transductive meta-learning has garnered increasing attention as a solution to the sample bias problem arising from meta-learning’s reliance on a limited support set for adaptation. This approach surpasses the traditional inductive learning perspective, aiming to address this issue effectively. Transductive meta-learning infers the class of each instance in time by considering the relation of instances in the test set. In order to enhance the effectiveness of transductive meta-learning, this paper introduces a novel technique called task-specific pseudo labelling. The main idea is to produce synthetic labels for unannotated query sets by propagating labels from annotated support sets. This approach allows the utilization of the supervised setting as is, while incorporating the unannotated query set into the adjustment procedure. Consequently, our approach enables handling a larger number of examples during adaptation compared to inductive approaches, leading to improved classification performance of the model. Notably, this approach represents the first instance of employing task adaptation within the context of pseudo labelling. Based on the experimental outcomes in the evaluation configurations of few-shot learning, specifically in the 5-way 1-shot setup, the proposed method demonstrates noteworthy enhancements over two existing meta-learning algorithms, with improvements of 6.75% and 5.03%, respectively. Consequently, the proposed method establishes a new state-of-the-art performance in the realm of transductive meta-learning.
The Role of Hypothalamic Neuropeptides in Regulation of Liver Functions in Health and Disease
Authors: Petrescu Anca D. , An Su Yeon , Venter Juliet , McMillin Matthew , DeMorrow Sharon
Published: June 2023

The communication between brain and peripheral tissues is mediated by neuropeptides that coordinate the functions of each organ with the activities of the entire body in specific environmental conditions. Hypothalamic neuropeptides act as neurotransmitters and hormones to regulate the physiology of food intake, digestion, and metabolism, having a direct or indirect impact on the liver. Investigations on liver pathologies found that dysfunctions of neuropeptides and their receptors are associated with liver disorders such as non-alcoholic fatty liver disease, steatohepatitis, cholestasis, cirrhosis, and liver cancer. In this article, we reviewed neuropeptides that regulate energy homeostasis and lipid and glucose metabolism in the liver and are associated with liver injuries. Firstly, peptides involved in regulatory processes in the brain and liver, such as neuropeptide Y, agouti-related protein, and the galanin family, are related to obesity and its comorbidities, including type 2 diabetes and metabolic syndrome, are presented. Secondly, a comprehensive review of neuropeptides such as secretin, vasoactive intestinal peptide, substance P, and somatostatin, which are involved in liver injuries unrelated to obesity; i.e., cholestasis-induced biliary hyperplasia, cirrhosis, hepatocellular carcinoma, and cholangiocarcinoma, is also presented. The cellular and molecular mechanisms underlining liver injuries related to the dysfunction of these neuropeptides and receptors are also described.
Moisture Content of Fresh Scots Pine Wood in Areas near Damage Caused by Harvester Head Feed Rollers
Authors: Tomczak Karol , Latterini Francesco , Smarul Natalia , Stanula Zygmunt , Jelonek Tomasz , Kuźmiński Robert , Łakomy Piotr , Tomczak Arkadiusz
Published: June 2023

By damaging bark, mechanized harvesting deprives wood of its natural mechanical barrier. This study concerns the effect of this damage on the changes in moisture content that occur near the damaged areas of Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris L.). This study was carried out using 45 randomly selected 11 m long logged pine stems. Additionally, the effect of bark thickness on the depth of damage was measured. To determine the influence of the location of the damage and bark thickness on the wood moisture near the damaged region, wood samples were collected from two sections. The first was located one meter above the log’s base, while the second was located one meter from the end of the log. Two increment cores were taken by a Pressler borer in each section: one from the damaged wood zone and the second from the undamaged wood zone. The average bark thickness one meter from the base of the log was 11.2 mm, which decreased to 1.8 mm in the samples taken one meter from the top of the log. The average depths of the damage caused by feed roller spikes in the two sections were 3.9 and 3.8 mm, respectively, indicating that there was no significant effect of bark thickness on the depth of the damage. The wood samples collected near the damaged wood zone (DW) had about 13 percent lower moisture content than those taken from the undamaged zone (UDW). This difference was statistically significant. We observed greater mean moisture content closer to the top of the log for both the samples taken near the damaged zone and the samples taken from the undamaged zone. One meter from the base of the log, the moisture content difference between the DW and UDW was 9.8 percentage points, which was statistically insignificant. By contrast, significantly lower moisture content (−16%) was observed in the DW one meter from the top of the log.
Study on the Ecology, Biology and Ethology of the Invasive Species Corythucha arcuata Say, 1832 (Heteroptera: Tingidae), a Danger to Quercus spp. in the Climatic Conditions of the City of Sibiu, Romania
Authors: Stancă-Moise Cristina , Moise George , Rotaru Mihaela , Vonica Ghizela , Sanislau Dorina
Published: June 2023

This scientific paper examines the impact of climate change on the spread and survival of the invasive species Corythucha arcuata Say, 1832 (oak lace bug, or OLB) in Romania. The OLB is native to the Eastern USA and Canada, and in its native habitat, it coexists with minimal impact to the preferred host plant species Quercus. However, in Europe, the OLB in high density causes early defoliation, slowing tree growth. As Quercus spp. is a keystone species, the impact of the OLB on European forests is significant. This paper aims to address several gaps in knowledge about the OLB by presenting findings from a study conducted by the Lucian Blaga University of Sibiu (ULBS) in Romania. The study identified the species’ chronology of spread, ecology, ethology and biology of the species, in addition to foliage classification to determine the extent of attack. The study found a direct link between the temperature and the speed of the generational lifecycle. The findings support the thesis that climate change is enabling the healthy, rapid density growth of OLB, which is a danger to the Quercus spp. Further research is needed in the area of the thermal tolerance of the OLB, and the research conducted by the ULBS represents the first documented research into the thermal constant of the insect. The paper concludes that further research must be in the direction to understand how and where these insects survive during winter to find future management measures and identify chemical or biological methods as solutions to eradicate and stop the expansion of the invasion of the OLB, and the potential consequences for the Quercus sp.
RNA Interference-Mediated Knockdown of Tryptophan 2,3-Dioxygenase and Kynurenine-3-Monooxygenase in Monochamus Alternatus: Implications for Insect Control
Authors: Zhang Minghui , Weng Xiaoqian , Li Qing , Sheng Liangjing , Guo Yajie , Xiong Liya , Zhang Feiping , Wu Songqing
Published: June 2023

Monochamus alternatus Hope (Coleoptera: Cerambycidae), an invasive beetle that has caused billions of dollars in economic losses, is a serious pest of Pinus massoniana in many Asian countries. Clarifying the eye pigment gene and its knockdown phenotype of M. alternatus can provide functional gene identification and a marker for screening of gene editing, as well as help develop new control ideas. In this study, we first screened the transcriptome and found one homologous gene of tryptophan 2,3-dioxygenase (TDO) and one of kynurenine-3-monooxygenase (KMO). By measuring the expression levels of TDO and KMO in different developmental periods, it was indicated that TDO and KMO were expressed in various stages of M. alternatus. The gene expression of MaKMO was higher than MaTDO, showing high expression after pupation and decreasing at the beginning of eclosion. MaTDO and MaKMO were knocked down using RNA interference technology in different periods of expression, and the temporal expression changes were obtained using RT-qPCR technology. The results showed that the expressions of MaTDO and MaKMO were significantly inhibited by the injection of dsRNA; the expressions of MaTDO at 48 h, 96 h and after pupation were 21.9%, 32.3% and 59.2%, respectively, meanwhile, those of KMO were 23.4%, 25.0% and 69.7%, respectively. There was a significant change in eye color, and the beetles were able to pupate normally without their activity being affected. Therefore, both MaTDO and MaKMO can be used as tag genes for M. alternatus. A dominant marker system based on eye color can be developed for the genetic manipulation and control of M. alternatus.
RSSI and Device Pose Fusion for Fingerprinting-Based Indoor Smartphone Localization Systems
Authors: Khan Imran Moez , Thompson Andrew , Al-Hourani Akram , Sithamparanathan Kandeepan , Rowe Wayne S. T.
Published: June 2023

Complementing RSSI measurements at anchors with onboard smartphone accelerometer measurements is a popular research direction to improve the accuracy of indoor localization systems. This can be performed at different levels; for example, many studies have used pedestrian dead reckoning (PDR) and a filtering method at the algorithm level for sensor fusion. In this study, a novel conceptual framework was developed and applied at the data level that first utilizes accelerometer measurements to classify the smartphone’s device pose and then combines this with RSSI measurements. The framework was explored using neural networks with room-scale experimental data obtained from a Bluetooth low-energy (BLE) setup. Consistent accuracy improvement was obtained for the output localization classes (zones), with an average overall accuracy improvement of 10.7 percentage points for the RSSI-and-device-pose framework over that of RSSI-only localization.
Cache-Enabled Adaptive Video Streaming: A QoE-Based Evaluation Study
Authors: Liotou Eirini , Xenakis Dionysis , Georgara Vasiliki , Kourouniotis Georgios , Merakos Lazaros
Published: June 2023

Dynamic Adaptive Streaming over HTTP (DASH) has prevailed as the dominant way of video transmission over the Internet. This technology is based on receiving small sequential video segments from a server. However, one challenge that has not been adequately examined is the obtainment of video segments in a way that serves both the needs of the network and the improvement in the Quality of Experience (QoE) of the users. One effective way to achieve this is to implement and study caching and DASH technologies together. This paper investigates this issue by simulating a network with multiple video servers and a video client. It then implements both the peer-to-many communications in the context of adaptive video streaming and the video server caching algorithm based on proposed criteria that improve the status of the network and/or the user. Specifically, we investigate the scenario of delivering DASH-based content with the help of an intermediate server, apart from a main server, to demonstrate possible caching benefits for different sizes of intermediate storage servers. Extensive experimentation using emulation reveals the interplay and delicate balance between caching and DASH, guiding such network design decisions. A general tendency found is that, as the available buffer size increases, the video playback quality increases to some extent. However, at the same time, this improvement is linked to the random cache selection algorithm.
In Case of Fire, Escape or Die: A Trait-Based Approach for Identifying Animal Species Threatened by Fire
Authors: Batista Eugênia K. L. , Figueira José E. C. , Solar Ricardo R. C. , de Azevedo Cristiano S. , Beirão Marina V. , Berlinck Christian N. , Brandão Reuber A. , de Castro Flávio S. , Costa Henrique C. , Costa Lílian M. , Feitosa Rodrigo M. , Freitas André V. L. , Freitas Guilherme H. S. , Galdino Conrado A. B. , Júnior José E. Santos , Leite Felipe S. , Lopes Leonardo , Ludwig Sandra , do Nascimento Maria C. , Negreiros Daniel , Oki Yumi , Paprocki Henrique , Perillo Lucas N. , Perini Fernando A. , Resende Fernando M. , Rosa Augusto H. B. , Salvador Luiz F. , Silva Larissa M. , Silveira Luis F. , DeSouza Og , Vieira Emerson M. , Fernandes Geraldo Wilson
Published: June 2023

Recent studies have argued that changes in fire regimes in the 21st century are posing a major threat to global biodiversity. In this scenario, incorporating species’ physiological, ecological, and evolutionary traits with their local fire exposure might facilitate accurate identification of species most at risk from fire. Here, we developed a framework for identifying the animal species most vulnerable to extinction from fire-induced stress in the Brazilian savanna. The proposed framework addresses vulnerability from two components: (1) exposure, which refers to the frequency, extent, and magnitude to which a system or species experiences fire, and (2) sensitivity, which reflects how much species are affected by fire. Sensitivity is based on biological, physiological, and behavioral traits that can influence animals’ mortality “during” and “after” fire. We generated a Fire Vulnerability Index (FVI) that can be used to group species into four categories, ranging from extremely vulnerable (highly sensible species in highly exposed areas), to least vulnerable (low-sensitivity species in less exposed areas). We highlight the urgent need to broaden fire vulnerability assessment methods and introduce a new approach considering biological traits that contribute significantly to a species’ sensitivity alongside regional/local fire exposure.