bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Shared Genetics and Causality Between Decaffeinated Coffee Consumption and Neuropsychiatric Diseases: A Large-Scale Genome-Wide Cross-Trait Analysis and Mendelian Randomization Analysis
Authors: Yin Bian , Wang Xinpei , Huang Tao , Jia Jinzhu
Published: July 2022

Coffee or caffeine consumption has been associated with neuropsychiatric disorders, implying a shared etiology. However, whether these associations reflect causality remains largely unknown. To understand the genetic structure of the association between decaffeinated coffee consumption (DCC) and neuropsychiatric traits, we examined the genetic correlation, causality, and shared genetic structure between DCC and neuropsychiatric traits using linkage disequilibrium score regression, bidirectional Mendelian randomization (MR), and genome-wide cross-trait meta-analysis in large GWAS Consortia for coffee consumption (N = 329,671) and 13 neuropsychiatric traits (sample size ranges from 36,052 to 500,199). We found strong positive genetic correlations between DCC and lifetime cannabis use (LCU; Rg = 0.48, P = 8.40 × 10−19), alcohol use disorder identification test (AUDIT) total score (AUDIT_T; Rg = 0.40, P = 4.63 × 10−13), AUDIT_C score (alcohol consumption component of the AUDIT; Rg = 0.40, P = 5.26 × 10−11), AUDIT_P score (dependence and hazardous-use component of the AUDIT; Rg = 0.28, P = 1.36 × 10−05), and strong negative genetic correlations between DCC and neuroticism (Rg = −0.15, P = 7.27 × 10−05), major depressed diseases (MDD; Rg = −0.15, P = 0.0010), and insomnia (Rg= −0.15, P = 0.0007). In the cross-trait meta-analysis, we identified 6, 5, 1, 1, 2, 31, and 27 shared loci between DCC and Insomnia, LCU, AUDIT_T, AUDIT_C, AUDIT_P, neuroticism, and MDD, respectively, which were mainly enriched in bone marrow, lymph node, cervix, uterine, lung, and thyroid gland tissues, T cell receptor signaling pathway, antigen receptor-mediated signaling pathway, and epigenetic pathways. A large of TWAS-significant associations were identified in tissues that are part of the nervous system, digestive system, and exo-/endocrine system. Our findings further indicated a causal influence of liability to DCC on LCU and low risk of MDD (odds ratio: 0.90, P = 9.06 × 10−5 and 1.27, P = 7.63 × 10−4 respectively). We also observed that AUDIT_T and AUDIT_C were causally related to DCC (odds ratio: 1.83 per 1-SD increase in AUDIT_T, P = 1.67 × 10−05, 1.80 per 1-SD increase in AUDIT_C, P = 5.09 × 10−04). Meanwhile, insomnia and MDD had a causal negative influence on DCC (OR: 0.91, 95% CI: 0.86–0.95, P = 1.51 × 10−04 for Insomnia; OR: 0.93, 95% CI: 0.89–0.99, P = 6.02 × 10−04 for MDD). These findings provided evidence for the shared genetic basis and causality between DCC and neuropsychiatric diseases, and advance our understanding of the shared genetic mechanisms underlying their associations, as well as assisting with making recommendations for clinical works or health education.
Impulsivity and Depressive Brooding in Internet Addiction: A Study With a Sample of Italian Adolescents During COVID-19 Lockdown
Authors: Diotaiuti Pierluigi , Girelli Laura , Mancone Stefania , Corrado Stefano , Valente Giuseppe , Cavicchiolo Elisa
Published: July 2022

This contribution presents a study conducted on a sample of Italian adolescents (n = 411) in the period of the first COVID-19 lockdown. The study investigated the role and predictive weight of the impulsivity and depressive brooding variables on Internet addiction, using a hierarchical regression analysis. The participants were administered the Uso-Abuso e Dipendenza da Internet [Internet Use-Abuse and Addiction] (UADI-2), the Barratt Impulsiveness Scale-11 (BIS-11), and the Ruminative Response Scale (RRS). In terms of percentage distribution, 28% of the participants were in the full dependency range, while 34.7% demonstrated Internet abuse behavior. The results highlighted not only the predictive value of impulsiveness (β = 0.323) and ruminative thinking (β = 0.258), but also the role of gender (β = −0.205) on Internet addiction. Thus, male participants showed higher levels of Internet addiction, with higher scores on impulsiveness and brooding way of thinking. The study shows that the issue in question is significantly present among adolescents; in addition, not only targeted awareness programmes but also psycho-educational and clinical interventions to promote greater emotional and cognitive control would be necessary as a preventive and mitigating measure. Psychological interventions can help increase self-awareness, develop emotional regulation and impulse control, and correct maladaptive cognitions which in adolescents are mostly driven by a ruminative cognitive style.
What Does It Take for Research to Be Rehabilitation Research?
Authors: Aadal Lena , Nielsen Tove Lise , Jensen Anders Bonde , Bjerrum Merete , Nielsen Claus Vinther , Angel Sanne
Published: July 2022

Six recommendations to facilitate rehabilitation research and supplement existing research practices were identified. Rehabilitation practice requires research addressing different long-term multi-faceted needs and perspectives of end users, including service users, professionals, politicians, and administrators. Research in rehabilitation should therefore integrate different research traditions and methods. Rehabilitation research with a broad focus is sparse, and most of the research takes its starting point in the biomedical research tradition. Through a nominal group process, we developed recommendations to emphasize important issues in rehabilitation research.
Mental Health Projects for University Students: A Systematic Review of the Scientific Literature Available in Portuguese, English, and Spanish
Authors: Suyo-Vega Josefina Amanda , Meneses-La-Riva Monica Elisa , Fernández-Bedoya Víctor Hugo , Polonia Ana da Costa , Miotto Angélica Inês , Alvarado-Suyo Sofía Almendra , Ocupa-Cabrera Hitler Giovanni , Alarcón-Martínez Maricela
Published: July 2022

The mental health of college students has been the source of research, projects, and public policies involving education, health, and psychology professionals. Having as its axis the study of mental health and the phenomenon of psychological illness, this systematic review aims to characterize mental health programs directed to college students, as well as the forms of interventions offered to reduce the incidence of psychological disorders. From the proposal, a survey was conducted in the databases Scopus, Lilacs, and the repository Alicia, in the period between 2010 and 2021, choosing the search phrase “Programas de saúde mental para universitários” in Portuguese, “Mental health projects for university students” in English, and “Proyectos en salud mental para estudiantes universitarios” in Spanish. The research areas spanned humanities and social sciences, with peer-reviewed and open access articles. The questions that instigated the study were as follows: What are the mental health problems affecting college students? What type of strategy has been adopted to map the demands of university students in relation to mental illness? How can the university space reorganize itself to work on interventional-preventive aspects, according to the studies? Initially, 740 203 articles were obtained, and after sifting through 13 productions, using the PRISMA systematization. Despite several research interrelating mental health and university space, most were dedicated to data collection, using questionnaires, inventories, and scales, standardized and non-standardized. Only three studies described intervention projects and programs to reduce the problems of psychological distress in college students. Unanimously, the investigations emphasize the need for monitoring the higher education population regarding mental health and, in parallel, the implementation of institutional public policies to meet the students' demands and reduce the rates of problems in the educational field.
Artificial Intelligence in Elite Sports—A Narrative Review of Success Stories and Challenges
Authors: Hammes Fabian , Hagg Alexander , Asteroth Alexander , Link Daniel
Published: July 2022

This paper explores the role of artificial intelligence (AI) in elite sports. We approach the topic from two perspectives. Firstly, we provide a literature based overview of AI success stories in areas other than sports. We identified multiple approaches in the area of Machine Perception, Machine Learning and Modeling, Planning and Optimization as well as Interaction and Intervention, holding a potential for improving training and competition. Secondly, we discover the present status of AI use in elite sports. Therefore, in addition to another literature review, we interviewed leading sports scientist, which are closely connected to the main national service institute for elite sports in their countries. The analysis of this literature review and the interviews show that the most activity is carried out in the methodical categories of signal and image processing. However, projects in the field of modeling & planning have become increasingly popular within the last years. Based on these two perspectives, we extract deficits, issues and opportunities and summarize them in six key challenges faced by the sports analytics community. These challenges include data collection, controllability of an AI by the practitioners and explainability of AI results.
Preliminary Analysis of Safety and Feasibility of a Single-Hole Laparoscopic Myomectomy via an Abdominal Scar Approach
Authors: Tang Huimin , Dong Zhiyong , Qin Zhenyue , Zhang Shoufeng , Wang Huihui , Wei Weiwei , Shi Ruxia , Chen Jiming , Xia Bairong
Published: July 2022

Purpose

This paper aims to explore the safety and feasibility of a single-hole laparoscopic myomectomy through an abdominal scar approach.

Method

The clinical data of seven patients who underwent the single-hole laparoscopic myomectomy via the abdominal scar approach from January to November 2021 in the Department of Gynecology, the Affiliated Changzhou No. 2 People's Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, were studied retrospectively. The duration of operation, the intraoperative blood loss, the decrease of postoperative hemoglobin, and the postoperative visual analogue score (0 points: no pain, 10 points: maximum pain) were recorded.

Results

All seven patients received the operation successfully, without changing to the conventional laparoscopic operation or open appendectomy. The average blood loss was 101.42 ± 7.89 ml, the average length of hospital stay was 5 ± 0.53 days, the average operation duration was 130 ± 26.86 min, and the 24-h pain score was 1.57 ± 0.53. The seven patients had no intraoperative or postoperative complications and no damage to the ureter or bladder. All patients could urinate spontaneously without urinary retention or urinary tract infection after catheter removal. No analgesic drugs were used after the operation.

Conclusion

The single-hole laparoscopic myomectomy via the abdominal scar approach is a more aesthetic and feasible option for eligible patients, but more cases and studies are needed for further confirmation.
CRISPR-Cas13a Based Visual Detection Assays for Feline Calicivirus Circulating in Southwest China
Authors: Huang Jian , Liu Yunjia , He Yuwei , Yang Xiaonong , Li Yan
Published: July 2022

Feline calicivirus (FCV) is a well-known causative pathogen for upper respiratory infection in cats. Its high genetic variability challenges existing molecular diagnostic methods in clinical settings. Thus, we developed two sensitive and visual assays for FCV nucleic acid detection based on RPA reaction and CRISPR-Cas13a trans-cleavage activity. Recombinant plasmid DNA, crRNAs, and RPA primers were designed and prepared, respectively, targeting to FCV ORF1 gene. Besides, purified LwCas13a protein was produced by E.coli prokaryotic expression system. To confirm the validity of FCV-Cas13a assays, seven reaction systems (RSs) with different components were tested, and visual readouts were displayed by lateral flow dipstick (FCV-Cas13a-LFD) and fluorescence detector (FCV-Cas13a-FLUOR), respectively. The established FCV-Cas13a assays were capable of detecting FCV nucleic acid in presetting RSs without cross-reaction with other feline-associated pathogens, and the detection limit was as low as 5.5 copies/μl for both visual methods. Moreover, the positive rate of 56 clinical specimens detected by FCV-Cas13a assays (67.9%, 38/56) was notably higher than that of RT-qPCR (44.6%, 25/56) (p < 0.001), including 13 presumptive positive specimens. Taken together, FCV-Cas13a assays provided reliable and visual diagnostic alternatives for FCV field detection.
Protective Efficacy of H9N2 Avian Influenza Vaccines Inactivated by Ionizing Radiation Methods Administered by the Parenteral or Mucosal Routes
Authors: Bortolami Alessio , Mazzetto Eva , Kangethe Richard Thiga , Wijewardana Viskam , Barbato Mario , Porfiri Luca , Maniero Silvia , Mazzacan Elisa , Budai Jane , Marciano Sabrina , Panzarin Valentina , Terregino Calogero , Bonfante Francesco , Cattoli Giovanni
Published: July 2022

H9N2 viruses have become, over the last 20 years, one of the most diffused poultry pathogens and have reached a level of endemicity in several countries. Attempts to control the spread and reduce the circulation of H9N2 have relied mainly on vaccination in endemic countries. However, the high level of adaptation to poultry, testified by low minimum infectious doses, replication to high titers, and high transmissibility, has severely hampered the results of vaccination campaigns. Commercially available vaccines have demonstrated high efficacy in protecting against clinical disease, but variable results have also been observed in reducing the level of replication and viral shedding in domestic poultry species. Antigenic drift and increased chances of zoonotic infections are the results of incomplete protection offered by the currently available vaccines, of which the vast majority are based on formalin-inactivated whole virus antigens. In our work, we evaluated experimental vaccines based on an H9N2 virus, inactivated by irradiation treatment, in reducing viral shedding upon different challenge doses and compared their efficacy with formalin-inactivated vaccines. Moreover, we evaluated mucosal delivery of inactivated antigens as an alternative route to subcutaneous and intramuscular vaccination. The results showed complete protection and prevention of replication in subcutaneously vaccinated Specific Pathogen Free White Leghorn chickens at low-to-intermediate challenge doses but a limited reduction of shedding at a high challenge dose. Mucosally vaccinated chickens showed a more variable response to experimental infection at all tested challenge doses and the main effect of vaccination attained the reduction of infected birds in the early phase of infection. Concerning mucosal vaccination, the irradiated vaccine was the only one affording complete protection from infection at the lowest challenge dose. Vaccine formulations based on H9N2 inactivated by irradiation demonstrated a potential for better performances than vaccines based on the formalin-inactivated antigen in terms of reduction of shedding and prevention of infection.
Pharmacodynamic Target Assessment and PK/PD Cutoff Determination for Gamithromycin Against Streptococcus suis in Piglets
Authors: Wang Rui-Ling , Liu Ping , Chen Xiao-Feng , Yao Xin , Liao Xiao-Ping , Liu Ya-Hong , Sun Jian , Zhou Yu-Feng
Published: July 2022

Gamithromycin is a long-acting azalide antibiotic that has been developed recently for the treatment of swine respiratory diseases. In this study, the pharmacokinetic/pharmacodynamic (PK/PD) targets, PK/PD cutoff, and optimum dosing regimen of gamithromycin were evaluated in piglets against Streptococcus suis in China, including a subset with capsular serotype 2. Short post-antibiotic effects (PAEs) (0.5–2.6 h) and PA-SMEs (2.4–7.7 h) were observed for gamithromycin against S. suis. The serum matrix dramatically facilitated the intracellular uptake of gamithromycin by S. suis strains, thus contributing to the potentiation effect of serum on their susceptibilities, with a Mueller-Hinton broth (MHB)/serum minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) ratio of 28.86 for S. suis. Dose-response relationship demonstrated the area under the concentration (AUC)/MIC ratio to be the predictive PK/PD index closely linked to activity (R2 > 0.93). For S. suis infections, the net stasis, 1–log10, and 2–log10 kill effects were achieved at serum AUC24h/MIC targets of 17.9, 49.1, and 166 h, respectively. At the current clinical dose of 6.0 mg/kg, gamithromycin PK/PD cutoff value was determined to be 8 mg/L. A PK/PD-based dose assessment demonstrated that the optimum dose regimen of gamithromycin to achieve effective treatments for the observed wild-type MIC distribution of S. suis in China with a probability of target attainment (PTA) ≥ 90% was 2.53 mg/kg in this study. These results will aid in the development of clinical dose-optimization studies and the establishment of clinical breakpoints for gamithromycin in the treatment of swine respiratory infections due to S. suis.
Importancia de la Despedida en el Proceso de Duelo
Authors: Magaña Loarte Marisa , Bermejo Higuera José Carlos , Rodil Valentín , Villacieros Marta
Published: July 2022

Objetivo: analizar la importancia de la percepción de despedida y/o de la despedida real en una muestra de dolientes, para la realización de un duelo saludable

Método: participaron 183 asistentes a las Jornadas de Duelo de un centro sociosanitario de la Comunidad de Madrid, todos con experiencia de duelo, media de 50 años (DT=16), 81% (149) mujeres. Se entregó un cuestionario incluyendo variables sociodemográficas, alrededor del duelo, circunstancias del fallecimiento, percepción de despedida y forma/s y desarrollo de la despedida. Se realizó una regresión lineal múltiple por pasos hacia atrás con el efecto de la despedida como variable dependiente.

Resultados: el modelo ajustado permitió una estimación correcta sobre el efecto de la despedida del 55% de los casos (R2 corregida=0.548), siendo la variable con más peso en el pronóstico la percepción de despedida (Beta=-0.403), seguida de la percepción de elaboración del duelo (Beta=0.327), el hecho de que haya habido una despedida explícita y el nivel de conciencia de fallecimiento por parte del fallecido (Beta=0.175).

Conclusiones: la percepción de realización de una despedida en cualquiera de sus formatos es una variable de gran peso para la adecuada realización del proceso de duelo. Aunque el efecto es más positivo en las despedidas explícitas, verbalizadas, previas al fallecimiento y por iniciativa del doliente, también las despedidas implícitas, no verbalizadas, por iniciativa del fallecido y/o póstumas tienen efecto en la evolución del proceso de duelo
Salud Espiritual, Clima Organizacional y Funcionamiento Familiar
Authors: Moroni Carlos Marcelo , Olmedo Espinosa Lucio Abdiel , Korniejczuk Víctor Andrés , Manzano González Moisés , Blanco Angulo Nadia Elizabeth , Morales Vázquez Elmi Yasmín
Published: July 2022

Los seres humanos pasan gran parte del día dentro del área laboral. Muchas de las cargas y preocupaciones que ahí surgen quedan en su mente incluso fuera del horario de trabajo. Estas cargas pueden afectar y poner en peligro la salud física, emocional y familiar de cada individuo. En este estudio participaron un total de 232 trabajadores en relación de dependencia de alguna organización en México. En el análisis de los resultados se encontró relación estadísticamente significativa entre la salud espiritual con la percepción del clima organizacional (ρ = .231, p < .001) y con el funcionamiento familiar (ρ = .447, p < .001). Estos resultados muestran que cuanto mayor sea la salud espiritual mejor será el clima organizacional y el funcionamiento familiar. Esto quiere decir que la conexión con un ser supremo, con el entorno y con uno mismo, a nivel espiritual, mejora la percepción que tiene el individuo de su entorno laboral y familiar.
Aerial Footage Analysis Using Computer Vision for Efficient Detection of Points of Interest Near Railway Tracks
Authors: Sharma Rohan , Patel Kishan , Shah Sanyami , Aibin Michal
Published: July 2022

Object detection is a fundamental part of computer vision, with a wide range of real-world applications. It involves the detection of various objects in digital images or video. In this paper, we propose a proof of concept usage of computer vision algorithms to improve the maintenance of railway tracks operated by Via Rail Canada. Via Rail operates about 500 trains running on 12,500 km of tracks. These tracks pass through long stretches of sparsely populated lands. Maintaining these tracks is challenging due to the sheer amount of resources required to identify the points of interest (POI), such as growing vegetation, missing or broken ties, and water pooling around the tracks. We aim to use the YOLO algorithm to identify these points of interest with the help of aerial footage. The solution shows promising results in detecting the POI based on unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) images. Overall, we achieved a precision of 74% across all POI and a mean average precision @ 0.5 (mAP @ 0.5) of 70.7%. The most successful detection was the one related to missing ties, vegetation, and water pooling, with an average accuracy of 85% across all three POI.
Effect of Maize (Zeal mays) and Soybean (Glycine max) Intercropping on Yield and Root Development in Xinjiang, China
Authors: Wei Wenwen , Liu Tingting , Shen Lei , Wang Xiuyuan , Zhang Shuai , Zhang Wei
Published: July 2022

Intercropping is a breakthrough in land-use optimization. This work aimed to study the effects of intercropping patterns on the growth, yield, root morphological characteristics, and interspecific competition of maize and soybean, as well as provide a reference for the development of intercropping patterns of maize and soybean in Northwest China. Three different cropping patterns were designed: monocropping maize, monocropping soybean, and maize-soybean intercropping. Agronomic traits, intercropping indicators such as land equivalent ratio (LER), aggressivity (A), competition ratio (CR), and actual yield loss (AYL), as well as root morphological characteristics were assessed. The results showed that, compared with monocropping, the intercropping maize plant height increased by 6.07–8.40%, and the intercropping soybean plant height increased by 35.27–38.94%; the root length density (RLD) of intercropping maize was higher than that of monocropping maize, the RLD of intercropping soybean was lower than that of monocropping soybean, in the 0–40 cm soil layer the intercropping increased maize RLD by 1.79–7.44% while the soybean RLD was reduced by 3.06–9.46%; the aggressivity of maize was greater than 0 and the competition ratio was greater than 1, which was the dominant species; the maize/soybean land equivalent ratio was 1.18–1.26, which improved the land utilization rate. Therefore, the effect of increasing yield can be achieved by changing the maize and soybean planting method, which is beneficial to the ecological strategy of sustainable development in the northwest region.
Hydraulic Trait Variation with Tree Height Affects Fruit Quality of Walnut Trees under Drought Stress
Authors: Chen Tuqiang , Xu Guiqing , Li Jinyao , Hu Haifang
Published: July 2022

Persian or common walnut (Juglans regia L.) is a fruit tree of significant agricultural importance and is considered highly drought-resistant. However, the effects of different irrigation treatments and tree height on the physiology, growth and fruit quality of the walnut tree remain largely elusive. In the presently study, we selected ‘Wen 185’, one of the main walnut cultivars, as the target plant species. We established three irrigation treatments (deficit (DI), conventional (CI) and excess irrigation (EI)) from April to September of 2020 and measured leaf hydraulic traits, photosynthetic characteristics, soluble sugar (SS) content, leaf area, branch growth, fruit morphology and the no and deflated kernel (NDK) rate of walnut trees in each treatment. Our results showed that: (1) midday leaf water potential (Ψmd) decreased significantly under the DI treatment and declined significantly with increasing tree height; upper canopy Ψmd in the DI group decreased by 18.40% compared to the lower canopy; (2) the light compensation point, light saturation point, maximum net photosynthetic rate, maximum photochemical efficiency and chlorophyll SPAD values of trees in the DI group decreased slightly but did not differ significantly from the CI and EI treatments; (3) reduced irrigation did not significantly affect the soluble sugar content of leaves (LSs) and fine roots (RSs), but the soluble sugar content of walnut kernels (FSs) was significantly higher in the DI treatment than under the CI and EI treatments and also increased with tree height; the average soluble sugar content across heights was 6.61% in the EI group, 7.19% in the CI group and 9.52% in the DI group; (4) branch terminal leaf area (LA) was significantly reduced at the end of new branches, and Huber values (HV) were significantly higher under the DI treatment; compared to the EI group, LA was reduced by 52.30% in the DI group and 32.50% in the CI group; HV increased by 79.00% in the DI group and 15.70% in the CI group; (5) reduced irrigation did not significantly affect fruit morphology but did increase the NDK rate of walnuts, which also increased with tree height; the average NDK rate across all heights was 4.63% in the EI group, 5.04% in the CI group, and 8.70% in the DI group; the NDK rate was 41.75% higher in the upper part of the canopy compared to the lower part in the DI group. Our results indicate that walnut trees suffer greater water stress in the upper canopy than in the middle and low parts of the canopy. By increasing HV, walnut trees maintained relatively stable photosynthetic capacity under drought. However, water deficit had a significant effect on NDK rates, particularly at greater tree heights.
Quantification Model of Residual Biomass in Citrus Uprooting
Authors: López-Cortés Isabel , Velázquez Martí Borja , Estornell Javier , Rodríguez John Eloy Franco , Martí-Gavilá Jesús , Hernández Domingo Salazar
Published: July 2022

In this paper, the aerial biomass of citrus plantations in Spain was evaluated using destructive methods. Before cutting down the trees, their geometric variables were measured: trunk diameter at 10 cm from the ground (Dt), trunk perimeter at 10 cm from the ground (Pm), mean crown diameter (Dc), canopy height (Hc), and maximum crown height (Hmax). After geometric characterization of the tree, it was felled. This was performed with a chainsaw about 10 cm above the ground. After cutting down, trees with and without leaves were weighed, and biomass variables such as moisture, calorific value, elemental composition, and proximate analysis were measured. The predictive models obtained showed an r2 of 0.78. According to our analysis, in plantations in Spain, where the average plantation pattern is 4 × 4 m, the amount of carbon stored in a plot is 15 t of C per hectare. If leaves and wood are counted, the energy density in citrus plots can be estimated at 900 MJ/tree. However, if only wood is included in the calculation, the accumulated energy per tree is 750.3 MJ/tree, which represents 5.6 × 105 MJ/ha.
Comparative Genomic Analysis Discloses Differential Distribution of Antibiotic Resistance Determinants between Worldwide Strains of the Emergent ST213 Genotype of Salmonella Typhimurium
Authors: Hernández-Díaz Elda Araceli , Vázquez-Garcidueñas Ma. Soledad , Negrete-Paz Andrea Monserrat , Vázquez-Marrufo Gerardo
Published: July 2022

Salmonella enterica constitutes a global public health concern as one of the main etiological agents of human gastroenteritis. The Typhimurium serotype is frequently isolated from human, animal, food, and environmental samples, with its sequence type 19 (ST19) being the most widely distributed around the world as well as the founder genotype. The replacement of the ST19 genotype with the ST213 genotype that has multiple antibiotic resistance (MAR) in human and food samples was first observed in Mexico. The number of available genomes of ST213 strains in public databases indicates its fast worldwide dispersion, but its public health relevance is unknown. A comparative genomic analysis conducted as part of this research identified the presence of 44 genes, 34 plasmids, and five point mutations associated with antibiotic resistance, distributed across 220 genomes of ST213 strains, indicating the MAR phenotype. In general, the grouping pattern in correspondence to the presence/absence of genes/plasmids that confer antibiotic resistance cluster the genomes according to the geographical origin where the strain was isolated. Genetic determinants of antibiotic resistance group the genomes of North America (Canada, Mexico, USA) strains, and suggest a dispersion route to reach the United Kingdom and, from there, the rest of Europe, then Asia and Oceania. The results obtained here highlight the worldwide public health relevance of the ST213 genotype, which contains a great diversity of genetic elements associated with MAR.
Synergistic Effect of Quercetin on Antibacterial Activity of Florfenicol Against Aeromonas hydrophila In Vitro and In Vivo
Authors: Zhao Xianliang , Cui Xiuying , Yang Yunpeng , Zhu Lei , Li Li , Kong Xianghui
Published: July 2022

The overuse or abuse of antimicrobial drugs in aquaculture, aggravates the generation of drug-resistant bacteria, which has caused potential risks to human health and the aquaculture industry. Flavonoid–antibiotic combinations have been shown to suppress the emergence of resistance in bacteria, and sometimes even reverse it. Here, the antibacterial activity of florfenicol in combination with quercetin, a potential drug to reverse multidrug resistance, was tested against Aeromonas hydrophila (A. hydrophila). Of eleven selected antimicrobial agents, quercetin and florfenicol showed the strongest bactericidal effect, and fractional inhibitory concentration (FIC) indices were 0.28, showing a highly synergistic effect. Then, the antibacterial activities of quercetin and florfenicol against A. hydrophila were further tested in vitro and in vivo. Bacterial viability of A. hydrophila decreased in a florfenicol dose-dependent manner, about 16.3–191.4-fold lower in the presence of 15 μg/mL quercetin and 0.156 to 1.25 μg/mL florfenicol than in the absence of quercetin, respectively. The cell killing was maximum at 45 μg/mL quercetin in the dose range tested plus 0.156 μg/mL florfenicol. The viability decreased over time during the combined treatment with quercetin and florfenicol by 60.5- and 115-fold in 0.156 μg/mL florfenicol and 0.625 μg/mL florfenicol, respectively. Additionally, the synergistic effect was confirmed by the bacterial growth curve. Furthermore, quercetin and florfenicol had an obvious synergistic activity in vivo, reducing the bacterial load in the liver, spleen and kidney tissues of Cyprinus carpio up to 610.6-fold compared with the florfenicol group, and improving the survival rate of infected fish from 10% in the control group to 90% in drug combinations group. These findings indicated that quercetin could potentiate the antibacterial activity of florfenicol against A. hydrophila infection and may reduce the use of antimicrobial drugs and improve the prevention and control capability of bacterial resistance.
A Scraper Conveyor Coal Flow Monitoring Method Based on Speckle Structured Light Data
Authors: Wang Yuan , Guo Wei , Zhao Shuanfeng , Xue Buqing , Xing Zhizhong
Published: July 2022

Aiming at the problem of serious shutdowns of conveyors caused by abnormal coal flow of scraper conveyors, a coal flow monitoring method based on speckle structured light is proposed. The point cloud data of the coal body on the scraper conveyor is collected through the speckle structured light acquisition system. Then, the proposed PDS-Algorithm (Planar Density Simplification Algorithm) is used to complete the simplification and differentiation of the collected point cloud data, which provides a basis for constructing geometric characteristics of coal flow lineament. This paper uses the processed point cloud data to calculate the volume of the coal mass and monitor the coal flow of the scraper conveyor. Finally, this method is used in the detection of abnormal coal flow of a coal mine scraper conveyor, and the results show that the proposed abnormal flow monitoring method can meet the accuracy and real-time requirements of coal mine abnormal alarms.
Association between IL-1A, IL-1B and IL-1RN Polymorphisms and Peri-Implantitis: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis
Authors: Cardoso José Maria , Duarte Sofia , Ribeiro Ana Clara , Mascarenhas Paulo , Noronha Susana , Alves Ricardo Castro
Published: July 2022

Recent studies report that individuals with polymorphisms in the genes that encode for interleukin (IL)-1α and IL-1β (IL-1A and IL1B, respectively) and for IL-1 receptor antagonist (IL-1RN) may be more susceptible in developing peri-implantitis. Therefore, the current systematic review evaluates what is reported about the role of genetics, more specifically of single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNP) on IL-1 and variable number of tandem repeats (VNTR) on IL-1RN, in the development of peri-implantitis. This systematic review was carried out by screening PubMed, B-on, Cochrane and Scopus databases, for articles English, Spanish, and Portuguese, with no limit regarding the publication year. Eight articles were selected for systematic review and four for meta-analytic syntheses. Our results show that although there is a lack of consensus in the literature, there seems to be an association between IL-1A, IL-1B, and IL-1RN polymorphisms with peri-implantitis. The results of the meta-analysis showed that patients who have the polymorphic allele at position +3954 of the IL-1B gene have on average almost twice the risk of developing peri-implantitis (odds ratio = 1.986, 95% confidence interval).
Simulation of Accelerated Subcritical Flow Profiles in an Open Channel with Emergent Rigid Vegetation
Authors: D’Ippolito Antonino , Calomino Francesco , Penna Nadia , Dey Subhasish , Gaudio Roberto
Published: July 2022

Even though both fluid mechanics and numerical studies have considerably progressed in the past decades, experimental knowledge remains an important tool for studying the resistance to flow in fluid media where a complex environment dominates the flow pattern. After a comprehensive review of the recent literature on the drag coefficient in open channels with emergent rigid vegetation, this paper presents the results related to 29 experimental accelerated subcritical flow profiles (i.e., M2 type) that were observed in flume experiments with emergent stems in a square arrangement at the University of Calabria (Italy). First of all, we used some of the literature formulas for the drag coefficient, concluding that they were unsatisfactory, probably because of their derivation for uniform or quasi-uniform flow conditions. Then, we tested a recently proposed approach, but when we plotted the drag coefficient versus the stem Reynolds number, the calculated drag coefficients showed an inconclusive behavior to interpret. Thus, we proposed a new approach that considers the calibration of the Manning coefficient for the simulation of the free surface profile, and then the evaluation of the drag coefficients based on the fundamental fluid mechanics equations. With the help of classical dimensional analysis, a regression equation was found to estimate the drag coefficients by means of non-dimensional parameters, which include vegetation density, stem Reynolds number and flow Reynolds number computed using the flow depth as characteristic length. This equation was used to simulate all the 26 observed profiles and, also, 4 experimental literature profiles, and the results were good. The regression equation could be used to estimate the drag coefficient for the M2 profiles in channels with squared stem arrangements, within the range of vegetation densities, flow Reynolds numbers and stem Reynolds numbers of the present study. However, in the case of the three profiles observed by the authors for staggered arrangement, the regression equation gives significantly underestimated flow depths.
Genetic Parameters for Selected Traits of Inbred Lines of Maize (Zea mays L.)
Authors: Cyplik Adrian , Sobiech Aleksandra , Tomkowiak Agnieszka , Bocianowski Jan
Published: July 2022

This paper presents an estimation of the parameters connected with the additive (a) effect, additive by additive (aa) epistatic effect, and additive by additive by additive (aaa) interaction gene effect for nine quantitative traits of maize (Zea mays L.) inbred lines. To our knowledge, this is the first report about aaa interaction of maize inbred lines. An analysis was performed on 252 lines derived from Plant Breeding Smolice Ltd. (Smolice, Poland)—Plant Breeding and Acclimatization Institute-National Research Institute Group (151 lines) and Małopolska Plant Breeding Ltd. (Kobierzyce, Poland) (101 lines). The total additive effects were significant for all studied cases. Two-way and three-way significant interactions were found in most analyzed cases with a considerable impact on phenotype. Omitting the inclusion of higher-order interactions effect in quantitative genetics may result in a substantial underestimation of additive QTL effects. Expanding models with that information may also be helpful in future homozygous line crossing projects.
Stand Structure Impacts on Forest Modelling
Authors: Gonçalves Ana Cristina
Published: July 2022

Modelling is essential in forest management as it enables the prediction of productions and yields, and to develop and test alternative models of silviculture. The allometry of trees depends on a set of factors, which include species, stand structure, density and site. Several mathematical methods and techniques can be used to model the individual tree allometry. The variability of tree allometry results in a wide range of functions to predict diameter at breast height, total height and volume. The first functions were developed for pure even-aged stands from crown closure up to the end of the production cycle. However, those models originated biased predictions when used in mixed, uneven-aged, young or older stands and in different sites. Additionally, some modelling methods attain better performances than others. This review highlights the importance of species, stand structure and modelling methods and techniques in the accuracy and precision of the predictions of diameter at breast height, total height and volume.
Automated Barometric Chamber for Entomology Experiments: Arthropods’ Behavior and Insect-Plant Interactions
Authors: Costa Camila M. , Camargo Antonio P. , da Silva Eric Alberto , Bento José Maurício S.
Published: July 2022

Insect behaviors, such as flying, oviposition, parasitism, mating/calling, response to semiochemicals, and others, might be influenced by barometric pressure fluctuations. Abiotic factors controlled in the laboratory facilitate the observation of particularities related to development, behavior, and/or habits of arthropods and plants and their interactions. This study aimed to design an automated barometric chamber for research on arthropod behaviors and insect–plant interactions in the laboratory. The barometric chamber is a transparent box equipped with a single-board computer. An air pump and two proportional solenoid valves were used as actuators to control the air flow, while barometric pressure, air humidity, and temperature sensors were used to monitor the conditions within the chamber. A graphical user interface to operate the barometric chamber was developed to run in a web browser. The barometric chamber was designed to allow the barometric pressure to be changed by up to 15 hPa with respect to the local barometric pressure. In addition, the control system makes it possible to set the rise/fall time (ramp) corresponding to the duration in which a change of pressure will be conditioned. Short- and long-term evaluations demonstrated that the control system can assure pressure stability of ±0.1 hPa with respect to the setpoint value. For demonstration purposes, two experiments were carried out to evaluate the influence of barometric pressure on the feeding activity of Euschistus heros and Diabrotica speciosa. For E. heros, the number of stylet sheath was significantly increased under high pressure conditions compared to the low pressure. However, for D. speciosa, there was no statistical difference in leaf consumption at the evaluated testing conditions.
Microstructure and Mechanical Properties of Manganese Bronze Submitted to Cold Work and Subsequent Heat Treatment
Authors: Lobo Flávia Gonçalves , Huang Han Pang , Santos Vinícius Torres dos , Silva Marcio Rodrigues da , Santos Givanildo Alves dos , Couto Antonio Augusto
Published: July 2022

The present study evaluated the influences of different temperatures during heat treatment on the microstructure and mechanical properties of the manganese bronze alloy. During heating, there was a decrease of stored energy in the form of crystal defects due to the mechanisms of rearrangement and the annihilation of dislocations, followed by nucleation and grain growth. Initially, the samples were drawn using 34% cold work. Then, the specimens were heat-treated for one hour with different temperatures ranging from 200 to 750 °C, increasing by 50 °C for each sample. The chemical composition characterization was determined by X-ray fluorescence spectrometry (XRF). The mechanical property characterization involved the Vickers hardness, tensile strength, yield strength, and elongation. For the microstructural analysis of the samples, optical microscopy and scanning electron microscopy were used. The results showed an increase of elongation and decrease of the Vickers hardness and tensile and yield strengths with the increasing annealing temperature. The Hollomon model was used to investigate the strain-hardening behavior in all specimens. The (n) strain-hardening coefficient and the (K) strength coefficient were calculated, and the correlation with the increase of temperature occurred with the increase of n and variation of K after the recrystallization temperature.
Retrospective Study of the Association between Peri-Implantitis and Keratinized Mucosa
Authors: Fons-Badal Carla , Labaig-Rueda Carlos , Agustín-Panadero Rubén , Solá-Ruiz Maria Fernanda , Roig-Vanaclocha Ana , Fernández-Estevan Lucía , Fons-Font Antonio
Published: July 2022

1. Background: Peri-implantitis affects a high percentage of patients treated with dental implants. Among the risk factors that can cause this pathology, limited evidence exists regarding the absence of keratinized mucosa. The main objective of this study was to compare the amount of keratinized mucosa around healthy implants versus implants in patients with peri-implantitis, in order to analyze its influence on esthetics and the development of this pathology, and to study the possible influence of keratinized mucosa on various clinical parameters. 2. Methods: A retrospective case-control study was carried out in which 203 implants were evaluated, 103 of which presented a healthy peri-implant state, versus 100 which had peri-implantitis. The following elements were recorded: keratinized mucosa, recession, plaque index, bleeding, suppuration, probing depth, and bone level. 3. Results: Keratinized mucosa was present in 51% of the peri-implantitis group versus 97.1% of the healthy implants. In implants without keratinized mucosa, both recession and plaque index, bleeding on probing (96.2%), suppuration (57.7%), mean probing depth and bone level were higher. Implants without keratinized mucosa presented worse esthetics. 4. Conclusions: Absence of Keratinized mucosa around dental implants seems to be associated with the appearance of peri-implantitis modifying certain clinical parameters: there is a greater probability of recession, bleeding, suppuration, deficient hygiene, greater probing depth and greater bone loss in implants without keratinized mucosa.
Unsupervised Domain Adaptive Person Re-Identification via Intermediate Domains
Authors: Xie Haonan , Luo Hao , Gu Jianyang , Jiang Wei
Published: July 2022

Recent years have witnessed outstanding success in supervised domain adaptive person re-identification (ReID). However, the model often suffers serious performance drops when transferring to another domain in real-world applications. To address the domain gap situations, many unsupervised domain adaptive (UDA) methods have been proposed to adapt the model trained on the source domain to a target domain. Such methods are typically based on clustering algorithms to generate pseudo labels. Noisy labels, which often exist due to the instability of clustering algorithms, will substantially affect the performance of UDA methods. In this study, we focused on intermediate domains that can be regarded as a bridge that connects source and target domains. We added a domainness factor in the loss function of SPGAN that can decide the style of the image generated by the GAN model. We obtained a series of intermediate domains by changing the value of the domainness factor. Pseudo labels are more reliable because intermediate domains are closer to the source domain compared with the target domain. We then fine-tuned the model pre-trained with source data on these intermediate domains. The fine-tuning process was conducted repeatedly because intermediate domains are composed of more than one dataset. Finally, the model fine-tuned on intermediate domains was adapted to the target domain. The model can easily adapt to changes in image style as we gradually transfer the model to the target domain along the bridge consisting of several intermediate domains. To the best of our knowledge, we are the first to apply intermediate domains to UDA problems. We evaluated our method on Market1501, DukeMTMC-reID and MSMT17 datasets. Experimental results proved that our method brings a significant improvement and achieves a state-of-the-art performance.
Atmospheric Conditions for Uplift and Dust Transport in the Latitudinal 10° North–20° North Band in Africa
Authors: Diop Abdoulaye Bouya , Wade Malick , Sy Abdoulaye , Mbodji Abdoul Karim , Farota Abdou Karim , Deme El hadji , Niang Babacar , Diop Bouya , Gaye Amadou Thierno , Diakhaby Aboubakary
Published: July 2022

Desert aerosols suspended in the atmosphere are a very marked fact in West Africa with estimates of 400 to 1000 million tons produced annually and concentrations exceeding 50 µg·m³ in Burkina. In Bamako, the daily dust concentration can go up to reach 504 µg/m³. The Sahara and the Sahel are recognized as the primary desert aerosol producing regions. Source areas continue to be discovered as the desert advances. Previous studies have mainly focused on the spatial and temporal variability of aerosols. The current question is: What makes an area a source of dust emission? Our study brings together all the climatic parameters of the 10–20 band, as well as the soil types and their characteristics; it reveals 4 soils characteristic of fine sandy semi-arid soils in Chad. The Ouadaï plateau in Chad was identified as a source area for dust emissions. We noted for JFM (January, February, March) that the strongest wind intensities were located mainly towards Chad for average rmaximum temperatures around 34.7 °C. The statistical study reveals a correlation of 66.8% between direct and indirect links between the climatic factors of the 10–20 band and the source area. The presence of vortexes throughout the year and a vertical wind profile that is among the strongest in the 10–20 band, this gradient is strongly localized in the grid “10° North, 20° North and 20° East, 30° East” next to the Kapka massif. The study shows that the AEJ (African Easterly Jet) profile, which is a strong wind, associated with the harmattan circulation, allows the transport of aerosols from Ouadaï to the West African coast. In Senegal, a significant deposition was observed.