bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Augmentation of accuracy with the use of different datasets in Artificial Intelligence based corneal ulcer detection
Authors: Daoud Abdullah Akram Raja , Gusseinova Maryamdostu , Celebi Ali Riza Cenk
Published: August 2022

Purpose
The present research was aimed to investigate the Neural Architecture Search (NASNet) based Vertex AI in the Google Cloud platform for detecting corneal ulcers.
Methods
In the first model, a total of 712 images of corneal ulcers were obtained from the Kaggle platform and grouped according to the category, type, and grade. After the augmentation of a new set of 352 healthy eye images from another Kaggle dataset, the latest model was tested using Vertex AI.
Results
The first model distinguished different categories of corneal ulcers with an accuracy rate of 76.3%, whereas the precision and recall were 80.5% and 57.1%, respectively. The latest model detected corneal ulcers with an accuracy of 98.2%, along with a precision and recall value of 95.1% for both.
Conclusion
The performance of Vertex AI can be altered with the use of additional datasets during training for differentiating corneal ulcers among normal eyes.
Physical as well as psychological distress and coping with situational dilemmas experienced by people infected with COVID-19: a mixed method study
Authors: Hengyotmark Arunee , Kusoom Wichitra
Published: August 2022

Background
The COVID-19 pandemic caused serious health problems that affected people physically, and psychologically around the globe. This study aimed to (1) understand physical distress (PhD), psychological distress (PsD), and coping experiences among people infected with COVID-19 (2) develop a grounded theory (3) examine PhD, PsD, and coping among people infected with COVID-19.
Methods
A sequential exploratory mixed methods strategy was employed. A qualitative procedure was based on a grounded theory, data collection included observation and in-depth interviews with 25 participants, aged 18 years and above. The quantitative one included 180 participants, from Bangkok Metropolitan, and Northeastern region of Thailand from February to May 2022. A snowball sampling technique was used. Quantitative instrument: was built based on grounded data from a qualitative approach. Physical, psychological distress, and coping were assessed. Content analysis was applied using the Strauss and Corbin method, and software ATLAS.ti. Descriptive statistic, Pearson’s correlation, and independent t-test were used.
Results
Six major themes included 10 sub-themes. The six major themes appeared (1) severity of COVID-19 symptoms (2) death anxiety (3) uncertainty (4) barrier to healthcare access (5) compliance, and self-regulation coping (6) post-COVID-19 effects. PhD, PsD, and coping were at a moderate level. All PhD, PsD, and coping were in positive relations. Comparison of PsD, and coping between the non-severe group and severe group was significantly different (p < 0.001, p < 0.05). Post COVID-19 effects were fatigue, dyspnea, high blood sugar level, impairment of lungs, liver, and kidney.
Conclusions
The findings of the study supported 6 major themes including 10 sub-themes. All PhD, PsD, and coping were in positive relations. The PsD, and coping of the severe group was higher than non-severe group. Suggestions, healthcare providers should be concerned with sufficient healthcare services, physical and psychological supports. The interventions are needed for their recovery from physical and psychological effects.
Interspecific competition between invasive Spodoptera frugiperda and indigenous Helicoverpa armigera in maize fields of China
Authors: Song Yifei , Li Hui , He Limei , Zhang Haowen , Yang Xianming , Wu Kongming
Published: August 2022

Background
Interspecific interactions (e.g., competition, mutualism) with native species are key determinants of the ability of invasive species to colonize new habitats. Since the fall armyworm (FAW), Spodoptera frugiperda, invaded China in December 2018, it has coexisted in maize fields with the native cotton bollworm (CBW), Helicoverpa armigera, but the dynamics and mechanisms of their competition are not well understood.
Results
We evaluated interspecific competition between FAW and CBW by analyzing their predation function response in the laboratory, survival rates when their larvae co-infested the same maize plant, and the population dynamics of both in the same maize field. In the predation tests, FAW and CBW larvae preyed on each other. The predation functional response of the sixth instar FAW or CBW larvae preying on 1st–3rd instar larvae were consistent with the Holling Ⅲ model. The theoretical maximum predation of 6th instar FAW larvae preying on 1st–3rd instar CBW larvae was 71.4, 32.3 and 30.3 individuals, respectively, while that of 6th instar CBW larvae on 1st–3rd instar FAW larvae was 38.5, 28.6 and 17.0 individuals, respectively. Field co-infestation trials showed that the older larvae had a higher survival rate when the two pests co-infested the same maize plants, but young larval survival was higher for FAW than CBW. In the maize field from 2019 to 2021, FAW populations were significantly higher than those of CBW.
Conclusions
Our results showed that S. frugiperda larvae had a predation advantage over H. armigera in the laboratory and field and might be an important reason for its dominance in Chinese maize fields, especially in southern parts.
Metabolic Syndrome and The Likelihood of Knee Pain and Functional Disability: Evidence from a Large Middle Eastern Population-Based Study
Authors: Ibrahim Talal , Ahmed Abdulaziz F , Nofal Mariam , Hegazy Abdelsalam , Ghomrawi Hassan M. K.
Published: August 2022

Objectives
Metabolic Syndrome (MetS) has been associated with knee osteoarthritis (KOA) in animal studies, but epidemiologic evidence of the association remains controversial. We investigated the association between MetS and knee pain and functional disability, the hallmarks of KOA, in a Middle Eastern population with high MetS rates.
Methods
Between 01/2016 and 03/2019, a population-based sample of adult individuals was recruited prospectively. Data collected included age, sex, blood pressure, body mass index (BMI), waist circumference (WC), and comprehensive metabolic panel blood tests. Knee symptoms were assessed using The Western Ontario and McMaster Arthritis index (WOMAC) The Adult Treatment Panel III criteria was applied to determine if participants had MetS. Multivariable regression was used to determine the association of MetS, and its components, with the WOMAC total and subscale scores.
Results
A total of 6,000 participants were enrolled, and 15.5% had MetS. Multivariate regression demonstrated that participants with MetS had significantly higher WOMAC total and subscale scores after adjusting for demographic variables; however, these associations were not significant after adjusting for BMI. Multivariate regression examining the association between MetS components and the WOMAC scores showed that increased WC and decreased high-density lipoprotein (HDL) were significantly associated with worse WOMAC total and subscale scores even after adjusting for BMI.
Conclusions
This study demonstrated that the proposed effect fo MetS on knee symptoms may be mainly mechanically induced by obesity. However, the association of lower HDL with worse knee scores may suggest a metabolic pathway as well.
Exploring healthcare providers perceptions of gamified self-regulated learning experiences on smartphone devices
Authors: Tuti Timothy , Muinga Naomi , Wanyama Conrad , English Mike , Nagraj Shobhana , Paton Chris , Winters Niall
Published: August 2022

There is an urgent need for more and better-trained health workers in Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). A lack of training opportunities significantly contributes to the poor quality of neonatal care outcomes in this region. Smartphone-based learning shows potential to address this training need. However, before widespread adoption can happen, it is important to obtain input from healthcare providers who will be future users of this technology. This study explored the perceptions of healthcare providers on how to enhance the design and implementation of more engaging learning experiences on smartphone-based gamified learning, which is a largely under-researched topic in low resource settings. It also explored how healthcare providers perceived such contextualised learning experiences could influence their self-regulatory learning(SRL) efforts as they embark on bridging their knowledge gaps. We used Nominal Group Technique and semi-structured interviews to explore how healthcare providers perceived their learning experiences using gamified smartphone-based learning with a particular focus on how the platform could support SRL. We found that the provision of highly contextual feedback that elaborates on the consequences of action, inaction or erroneous action optimises healthcare providers SRL experiences and improves both their engagement and effort regulation. For this to be effective at scale in SSA contexts, a theory of change that validates healthcare providers learning by building confidence in the knowledge gained and that transfers to a routine clinical setting would be necessary. We posit that the context-reflective, co-designed conceptual model emerging from this study could support uptake of smartphone-based self-regulated learning platforms and aid in making gains in patient outcomes in SSA.
Scene text detection using HRNet and spatial attention mechanism
Authors: Tang Qingsong , Jiang Zhangyan , Pan Bolin , Guo Jinting , Jiang Wuming
Published: August 2022

To better extract the features from text instances with various shapes, a scene text detector using High Resolution Net (HRNet) and spatial attention mechanism is proposed in this paper. Specifically, we use HRNetV2-W18 as the backbone network to extract the text feature in text instances with complex shapes. Considering that the scene text instance is usually small, to avoid too small feature size, we optimize HRNet through deformable convolution and Smooth Maximum Unit (SMU) activation function, so that the network can retain more detail information and location information of the text instance. In addition, a Text Region Attention Model (TRAM) is added after the backbone to make it pay more attention to the text location information and a loss function is added to TRAM, so that the network can learn the features better. The experimental results illustrate that the proposed method can compete with the state-of-the-art methods. Code is available at: https://github.com/zhangyan1005/HR-DBNet.
The clinical condition rather than cerebrospinal fluid parameters guides the optimal duration of antimicrobial therapy among neonates with bacterial meningitis: a single-center retrospective study
Authors: Hu Ya , Li Xingyuan , Wei Hong , Li Hongdong
Published: August 2022

Background
Neonatal bacterial meningitis is serious and accounts for high morbidity and mortality in developing countries, but the duration of antimicrobial treatment is not well established. We aimed to compare the clinical characteristics and outcomes of neonatal bacterial meningitis with normal cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) and abnormal CSF at discharge.
Methods
We enrolled neonates with bacterial meningitis who were admitted to the neonatology department of Children’s Hospital of Chongqing Medical University between August 1, 2019 and January 1, 2021. The children’s clinical data, laboratory data and outcomes were recorded and analyzed.
Results
Fifty-five neonates met the inclusion criteria in our study. Besides CSF protein levels, there was no significant difference in clinical symptoms, the blood parameters (white blood cell count, neutrophils, platelet, C-reaction protein, and procalcitonin), CSF WBC counts at admission and discharge period, the duration of antibiotics, and hospital stays between the two groups (P > 0.05). For the sequelae of bacterial meningitis, short-term and long-term complications also showed no statistically significant differences between the two groups.
Conclusions
The duration of antimicrobial therapy in neonatal bacterial meningitis depends on the clinical condition of the patient, rather than the CSF parameters. It may improve the reasonable utilization of the antibiotics in neonatal bacterial meningitis.
Microvascular alterations in the diagnosis of systemic sclerosis: a new approach
Authors: Liu Yi-Nuo , Xu Yu-Ling , Luo Wei , Kang Min , Ying Ping , Pan Yi-Cong , Liang Rong-Bin , Shu Hui-Ye , Zhang Li-Juan , Shao Yi
Published: August 2022

The study investigated the conjunctival and fundus retinal vascular density changes in individuals with systemic sclerosis (SSc) by optical coherence tomography angiography (OCTA) to clarify the relationship between these changes and clinical features of SSc. Twelve SSc patients and twelve healthy controls (HCs) participated (24 eyes each). OCTA photographs each eye's conjunctiva and macular retina. Images were segmented using annular partitioning, Early Treatment Diabetic Retinopathy Study partitioning (ETDRS), and hemispheric quadrants. Superficial and deep retina layers of fundus microvascular (MIR), macrovessel (MAR), total MIR (TMI), and temporal conjunctival vessel densities were assessed and compared across groups. OCTA results showed no significant difference in conjunctival blood vessel density between groups (P > 0.05). MIR and TMIR densities differed significantly (P < 0.05). Using a new segmentation method, we found that the SR, IL, S, L, C1 and C2 regions in both the superficial and deep layers, the R and C3 regions in the superficial layer, and the S, L and C4 regions in the deep layer of the retina were lower than that in the patient group (P < 0.05). Deep MAR and conjunctival vascular densities correlated positively (r = 0.5206; P < 0.05). OCTA results show lower microvascular density in active SSc patients' superficial and deep retinal layers. A potential indicator for the diagnosis of SSc may be the vascular density measurement obtained by OCTA.
Association of Metallothionein 2A rs10636 with low mean cor-puscular volume (MCV), low mean corpuscular haemoglobin (MCH) in healthy Taiwanese
Authors: Chen Rong-Fu , Chen Po-Ming , Pan Chau-Shiung , Huang Chieh-Cheng , Chiang En-Pei Isabel
Published: August 2022

Human metallothionein-2A (MT2A) protein participates in metal homeostasis, detoxification, oxidative stress reduction, and immune defense. It decreases heavy metal ions and reactive oxygen species (ROS) during injury of cells and tissues. The single nucleotide poly-morphisms at the MT2A gene have been associated in various human diseases including cancer.; The current study aimed to elucidate associations between MT2A genotypes with the clinical, biochemical, and molecular characteristics that potentially related to lowered MT2A ex-pression. One hundred and twenty-one healthy Taiwanese subjects were enrolled from Changhua Show-Chwan Memorial Hospital. Clinical, biochemical and molecular characteristics including the frequent minor allele SNPs, rs28366003 and rs10636, within the MT2A gene were determined.; The genotype distribution of MT2A rs10636 fits the Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium. The significant associations with gradually decline of mean corpuscular volume (MCV) and mean corpuscular hemoglobin (MCH) were identified with MT2A rs10636 using analysis of variance (ANOVA) with Tukey’s analysis as a post hoc test. We further validated the correlations between the expressions of genes in erythropoiesis, cholesterol synthesis, platelet synthesis, insulin with MT2A using the web-based Gene Expression Profiling Interactive Analysis (GEPIA) databases. The results revealed that hypoxia-inducible factor 1α (HIF-1α), erythropoietin (EPO), lipoprotein lipase (LPL), and lecithin-cholesterol acyltransferase (LCAT) mRNA ex-pression are significantly correlated with MT2A mRNA expression.; In conclusion, these results suggested that genetic variations of MT2A rs10636 might be an important risk factor for erythropoiesis in the Taiwanese general population.
Identification and prediction of Parkinson’s disease subtypes and progression using machine learning in two cohorts.
Authors: Faghri Faraz , Dadu Anant , Satone Vipul K , Kaur Rachneet , Hashemi Sayed , Leonard Hampton , Iwaki Hirotaka , Makarious Mary , Billingsley Kimberley , Bandres-Ciga Sara , Sargent Lana , Noyce Alastair , Daneshmand Ali , Blauwendraat Cornelis , Marek Ken , Scholz Sonja , Singleton Andrew , Nalls Mike , Campbell Roy
Published: August 2022

Background: The clinical manifestations of Parkinson’s disease (PD) are characterized by heterogeneity in age at onset, disease duration, rate of progression, and the constellation of motor versus non-motor features. There is an unmet need for the characterization of distinct disease subtypes as well as improved, individualized predictions of the disease course. The emergence of machine learning to detect hidden patterns in complex, multi-dimensional datasets provides unparalleled opportunities to address this critical need. Methods and Findings: We used unsupervised and supervised machine learning methods on comprehensive, longitudinal clinical data from the Parkinson’s Disease Progression Marker Initiative (PPMI) (n = 294 cases) to identify patient subtypes and to predict disease progression. The resulting models were validated in an independent, clinically well-characterized cohort from the Parkinson’s Disease Biomarker Program (PDBP) (n = 263 cases). Our analysis distinguished three distinct disease subtypes with highly predictable progression rates, corresponding to slow, moderate, and fast disease progression. We achieved highly accurate projections of disease progression five years after initial diagnosis with an average area under the curve (AUC) of 0.92 (95% CI: 0.95 ± 0.01 for the slower progressing group (PDvec1), 0.87 ± 0.03 for moderate progressors, and 0.95 ± 0.02 for the fast progressing group (PDvec3). We identified serum neurofilament light (Nfl) as a significant indicator of fast disease progression among other key biomarkers of interest. We replicated these findings in an independent validation cohort, released the analytical code, and developed models in an open science manner. ﻿Conclusions: Our data-driven study provides insights to deconstruct PD heterogeneity. This approach could have immediate implications for clinical trials by improving the detection of significant clinical outcomes that might have been masked by cohort heterogeneity. We anticipate that machine learning models will improve patient counseling, clinical trial design, allocation of healthcare resources, and ultimately individualized patient care.
Effect of nusinersen after three years of treatment in 61 young children with SMA type 1 or 2: a French real-life observational study
Authors: AUDIC frédérique , Dubois Sonia M , Durigneux Julien , Barnerias Christine , Isapof Arnaud , Nougues Marie-Christine , Davion Jean-Baptiste , Richelme Christian , Vuillerot Carole , Legoff Laure , Sabouraud Pascal , Cances Claude , Laugel Vincent , Ropars Juliette , Espil-Taris Caroline , Trommsdorff Valérie , Pervillé Anne , Banda Marta Gomez Garcia de la , Testard Hervé , Chouchane Mondher , Walther-Louvier Ulrike , Schweizer Cyril , Halbert Cécile , Badri Myriam , Pauly Vanessa , Quijano-Roy Susana , Chabrol Brigitte , Desguerre Isabelle
Published: August 2022

Background
Spinal muscular atrophy (SMA) is a rare genetic neuromuscular disorder due to an autosomal recessive mutation in the survival motor neuron 1 gene (SMN1) causing degeneration of the anterior horn cells of the spinal cord and resulting in muscle atrophy. The aim of this paper is to report a 36-month follow-up of children with SMA treated with nusinersen before the age of 3 years. Change in motor function, nutritional and ventilatory support and orthopedics outcomes were evaluated at baseline and 36 months after intrathecal nusinersen and correlated with SMA type and SMN2 copy number.
Results
We report 88% of the patients who have gained new motor skills during the 3-years period, reaching standing without help and walking with help for 12/37 and 10/37 patients harboring 3 SMN2 copies respectively. No patients with 2 copies SMN2 can stand alone or walk. Patients bearing 3 copies of SMN2 are also more likely to be preserved from respiratory, nutritional and orthopedic complications than patients with 2 SMN2 copies.
Conclusion
Eventhough SMA patients improve with nusinersen, a lower number of SMN2 gene copies remains a predictor a of poorer evolution under treatment.
Characterization of Metagenome Assembled Genomes from the International Space Station
Authors: Singh Nitin K. , Wood Jason M. , Patane Jose , Moura Livia Maria Silva , Lombardino Jonathan , Setubal João Carlos , Venkateswaran Kasthuri
Published: August 2022

Background
Several investigations on the microbial diversity and functional properties of the International Space Station (ISS) environment were carried out to understand the influence of spaceflight conditions on the microbial population. However, metagenome-assembled genomes (MAGs) of ISS samples are yet to be generated and subjected to various genomic analyses, including phylogenetic affiliation, predicted functional pathways, antimicrobial resistance, and virulence characteristics.
Results
In total, 46 MAGs were assembled from 21 ISS environmental metagenomes, in which metaSPAdes yielded 20 MAGs and metaWRAP generated 26 MAGs. Among 46 MAGs retrieved, 18 bacterial species were identified, including one novel genus/species combination (Kalamiella piersonii) and one novel bacterial species (Methylobacterium ajmalii). In addition, four bins exhibited fungal genomes; this is the first-time fungal genomes were assembled from ISS metagenomes. Variations in the antimicrobial resistant (AMR) and virulence genes of the selected 20 MAGs were characterized to predict the ecology and evolution of biosafety level (BSL) 2 microorganisms in space. Since microbial virulence increases in microgravity, AMR gene sequences of MAGs were compared with genomes of respective ISS isolates and corresponding type strains. Among these 20 MAGs characterized, AMR genes were more prevalent in the Enterobacter bugandensis MAG, which has been predominantly isolated from clinical samples. MAGs were further used to analyze if genes involved in AMR and biofilm formation of viable microbes in ISS have variation due to generational evolution in microgravity and radiation pressure.
Conclusions
Comparative analyses of MAGs and whole genome sequences of related ISS isolates and their type strains were characterized to understand the variation related to the microbial evolution under microgravity. The Pantoea/Kalamiella strains have the maximum single nucleotide polymorphisms found within the ISS strains examined. This may suggest that Pantoea/Kalamiella strains are much more subjective to microgravity changes. The reconstructed genomes will enable researchers to study the evolution of genomes under microgravity and low dose irradiation compared to the evolution of microbes here on Earth.
Unintentional injury deaths among children under five in Hunan Province, China, 2015-2020
Authors: Zhou Xu , Xie Zhiqun , He Jian , Lin Hong , Xiao Juan , Wang Hua , Fang Junqun
Published: August 2022

Objective
In China, unintentional injuries are one of the leading causes of preventable death among children under five. This study aimed to describe the epidemiological characteristics of unintentional injury death rates in children under five and to provide evidence for future preventive strategies.
Methods
We analyzed 2015–2020 data from the Under-Five Mortality Surveillance Network of Hunan Province to determine the unintentional injury death rate (the number of unintentional injury deaths per 1,000 live births, the unit is ‰) for children under five by year, residence address, sex, and age group. The compositions of unintentional injury types and epidemiological characteristics were calculated by proportion.
Results
From 2015–2020, the overall unintentional injury death rate was 1.770‰, increased by 11.54%, from 1.776‰ in 2015 to 1.981‰ in 2020, showing an upward trend (P = 0.01). Death rates were higher for children in rural than urban areas (1.883‰ vs. 1.575‰) and higher for males than females (2.055‰ vs. 1.449‰) (P < 0.05). The main fatal injury types for under-five children were unintentional drowning (39.05%), suffocation (30.32%), traffic injury (15.82%), fall (8.27%), and poisoning (2.06%). Among children aged 0–11 months, suffocation was the leading cause of unintentional injury death (82.91%), and among children aged 12–59 months, drowning was the leading cause of unintentional injury death (54.17%). Death rates of unintentional drowning, suffocation, and traffic injury were higher in rural than urban areas (P < 0.05). Death rates of unintentional drowning, suffocation, and fall were higher for males than females (P < 0.05). From 2015–2020, death rates of unintentional suffocation, fall, and poisoning showed increasing trends (P < 0.05). The maximum number of unintentional injury deaths was in February, the maximum number of unintentional drowning deaths was in July, and the maximum number of unintentional suffocation deaths was in January. Most unintentional traffic injury deaths occurred on the way to the hospital (41.58%) and in the hospital (34.08%). 49.79% of unintentional injury deaths occurred at home. 69.01% of children did not receive treatment after unintentional injury until they died, and 60.98% of unintentional injury deaths did not receive treatment because it was too late to get to the hospital.
Conclusion
In this study, the unintentional injury death rate among children under five showed an increasing trend, and we have described its epidemiological characteristics. We should focus on priority target groups and injury types to reduce the unintentional injury death rate. We suggest that preventing unintentional injuries should be priorities, and we should develop safe environments and improve residents' safety literacy and first-aid abilities.
Genetic diversity in early maturity Chinese and European elite soybeans: A comparative analysis
Authors: Yao Xindong , Xu Jiang-yuan , Liu Zhang-xiong , Pachner Martin , Molin Eva Maria , Rittler Leopold , Hahn Volker , Leiser Willmar , Gu Yong-zhe , Lu Yu-qing , Qiu Li-juan , Vollmann Johann
Published: August 2022

Soybean (Glycine max [L.] Merr.) is a legume crop important for global food security due to supplying high-quality vegetable protein and oil. China is the origin and rich center of soybean genetic diversity represented by numerous landraces and other genetic resources. During the 19th and 20th centuries, world-wide dissemination of plant introductions laid the foundation of modern soybean production. Due to selection for regional adaptation, present-day elite soybean cultivars do have a comparatively narrow genetic base. However, as genetic variation is the major component of future breeding progress, diversity of early maturity Chinese and European elite soybeans was comparatively analyzed using a high-throughput functional SNP array and an SSR marker set. Results revealed a clear differentiation between Chinese and European elite cultivars, and the level of genetic diversity was similar between the two populations. Both in Chinese and European cultivars, unique SSR alleles were found which indicates that selection for specific adaptation can preserve genetic variation. The European population was markedly structured by maturity groups which was less clear in the Chinese population. Structure analysis indicated that European cultivars are based on two major ancestral lines, whereas Chinese elite soybean cultivars trace back to more ancestral lines pointing to the rich natural soybean diversity of China. The results confirm that long-term selection under divergent environmental and agronomic conditions can produce specific diversity which could potentially be utilized for future enhancing both Chinese and European soybean breeding.
Prioritization of pig farm biosecurity for control of Salmonella and hepatitis E virus infections; results of a European Expert Opinion Elicitation
Authors: Galipó Erika , Zoche-Golob Veit , Sassu Elena Lucia , Prigge Christopher , Sjölund Marie , Tobias Tijs , Rzeżutka Artur , Smith Richard Piers , Burow Elke
Published: August 2022

Background: In the literature, there is absent or weak evidence on the effectiveness of biosecurity measures to the control ofSalmonellaspp. and hepatitis E virus (HEV) on pig farms. Therefore, the present study aimed to collect, weigh, and compare opinions from experts on the relevance of several biosecurity measures. An online questionnaire was submitted to selected experts, from multiple European countries, knowledgeable on either HEV orSalmonella, in either indoor or outdoor pig farming systems (settings). The experts ranked the relevance of eight biosecurity categories with regards to effectiveness in reducing the two pathogens separately, by assigning a score from a total of 80, and within each biosecurity category they scored the relevance of specific biosecurity measures (scale 1–5). Agreement among experts was analysed across pathogens and acrosssettings. Results: After filtering for completeness and expertise, 46 responses were analysed, with 52% of the experts identified as researchers/scientists, whereas the remaining 48% consisted of non-researchers, veterinary practitioners and advisors, governmental staff, and consultant/industrial experts. The experts self-declared their level of knowledge but neither Multidimensional Scaling nor k-means cluster analyses produced evidence of an association between expertise and the biosecurity answers, and so all experts’ responses were analysed together without weighting or adaptation. Overall, the top-ranked biosecurity categories werepig mixing;cleaning and disinfection;feed, water and bedding; andpurchase of pigs or semen, while the lowest ranked categories weretransport,equipment,animalsandhumans.Cleaning and disinfectionwas ranked highest for both pathogens in the indoor setting, whereaspig mixingwas highest for outdoorsettings. Several (94/222, 42.3%) measures across all foursettingswere considered highly relevant. Measures with high disagreement between the respondents were uncommon (21/222, 9.6%), but more frequent for HEV compared toSalmonella. Conclusions: The implementation of measures from multiple biosecurity categories was considered important to controlSalmonellaand HEV on farms, and pig mixing activities, as well as cleaning and disinfection practices, were perceived as consistently more important than others. Similarities and differences in the prioritised biosecurity measures were identified between indoor and outdoor systems and pathogens. The study identified the need for further research especially for control of HEV and for biosecurity in outdoor farming.
How frail is frail in oncology studies? A scoping review
Authors: Fletcher James A , Logan Benignus , Reid Natasha , Gordon Emily H , Ladwa Rahul , Hubbard Ruth E
Published: August 2022

Aims:The frailty index (FI) is one way in which frailty can be quantified. While it is measured as a continuous variable, various cut-off points have been used to categorise older adults as frail or non-frail, and these have largely been validated in the acute care or community settings for older adults without cancer. This study aimed to explore which FI categories have been applied to older adults with cancer and to determine why these categories were selected by study authors.Methods:This scoping review searched Medline, EMBASE, and Cochrane databases for studies which measured and categorised an FI in adults with cancer. Of the 1165 screened, 40 were eligible for inclusion. Data including oncological setting, FI categories, and the references or rationale for categorisation were extract and analysed.Results:The FI score used to categorise participants as frail ranged from 0.06 to 0.35, with 0.35 being the most frequently used, followed by 0.25 and 0.20. The rationale for FI categories was provided in most studies but was not always relevant. Three of the included studies using an FI > 0.35 to define frailty were frequently referenced as the rationale for subsequent studies, however the original rationale for this categorisation was unclear. Few studies sought to determine or validate optimum FI categorises in this population.Conclusion:There is significant variability in how studies have categorised the FI in older adults with cancer. An FI ≥ 0.35 to categorise frailty was used most frequently, however an FI in this range has often represented at least moderate to severe frailty in other studies. These findings contrast with a scoping review of highly cited studies categorising FI in older adults without cancer, where an FI ≥ 0.25 was most common. Maintaining the FI as a continuous variable is likely to be beneficial until further validation studies determine optimum FI categories in this population. Disparities in how the FI has been categorised, and indeed how older adults have been labelled as ‘frail’, limits our ability to synthesise results and to understand the impact of frailty in cancer care.
Supplemental Clostridium butyricumon modulates lipid metabolism of IUGR suckling piglets through reshaping the composition of gut microbiota and bile acid profile
Authors: Zhang Xin , Yun Yang , Lai Zheng , Ji Shuli , Yu Ge , Xie Zechen , Zhang Hao , Zhong Xiang , Wang Tian , Zhang Lili
Published: August 2022

Background
Intrauterine growth retardation (IUGR) can cause lipid disorders in infants and have long-term adverse effects on their growth and development. Clostridium butyricumon, emerging as a probiotic, has been reported to attenuate dysfunctions in lipid metabolism with effect. Therefore, the objective of this study was to investigate the effects of C. butyricum supplementation on hepatic lipid disorders in IUGR suckling piglets and to explore its underlying mechanism.
Methods
sixteen IUGR and eight normal birth weight (NBW) neonatal male piglets were divided into three groups. Besides drinking milk, these neonates were orally gavaged with 10 mL sterile saline (NBW-CON and IUGR-CON groups) or bacterial fluid containing 2 × 108 CFU/kg C. butyricum (IUGR-CB group) once in the morning for 3 to 24 d.
Results
Piglets with IUGR showed retarded growth performance, impaired hepatic morphology, disordered lipid metabolism, increased abundance of opportunistic pathogens and altered bile acid (BA) profile of ileum and liver. C. butyricum supplementation reshaped the gut microbiota of IUGR piglets and was characterized by a decreased abundance of opportunistic pathogens in the ileum. Among these opportunistic pathogens, Streptococcus and Enterococcus are also bile salt hydrolase (BSH)-producing microbes, and the decrease of them increased the content of conjugated BAs, which could be transported to liver and functioned as signaling molecules to activate liver X receptor α (LXRα) and farnesoid X receptor (FXR). Their activation effectively accelerated the synthesis and oxidation of fatty acids and down-regulated the total cholesterol level by decreasing the synthesis and promoting the efflux of cholesterol. As a result, the final body weight of the IUGR piglets and the morphological structure of their livers improved.
Conclusions
These results indicate that supplemental 2 × 108 CFU/kg C. butyricum could decrease the abundance of Streptococcus and Enterococcus, which were considered BSH-producing microbes. Their decrease altered the BA profile of the ileum and liver and, as a result, activated the expression of hepatic LXRα and FXR. The activation of these two signalling molecules could effectively normalize lipid metabolism and improve the growth performance of IUGR suckling piglets.
Peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-α activation by aspirin facilitates contextual fear extinction and modulates intrinsic excitability of dentate gyrus neurons
Authors: Zhang Di , Xiang Guo , Liu Xia , Wang Jiangong , Lu Shunshun , Yu Meng , Zhang Yuhan , Sun Bin , Huang Bin , Lu Xin-Yun , Li Xingang
Published: August 2022

Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is characterized by the incapability to extinguish learned fear. The persistent expression of fear and the impairment in fear extinction are often caused by the loss of contextual modulation of fear memories. The dentate gyrus (DG) of the hippocampus encodes contextual information associated with fear, and its activity is required for contextual fear acquisition and extinction. However, the molecular mechanisms underlying the DG-modulation on contextual fear are not well understood. Here we report that Peroxisome Proliferator-Activated Receptor-α (PPARα) in the DG is critical for maintaining the intrinsic excitability of DG granule neurons and is required for the extinction of contextual fear. Moreover, activation of PPARα by aspirin exerted a bi-phase modulation on DG granule neurons excitability and facilitated contextual fear extinction. Furthermore, using RNA-Seq transcriptome, we further identified Npsr1 as the downstream molecule mediating effects of PPARα on modulating DG function. Our findings revealed the direct evidence linking PPARα activation with DG neuronal excitability and contextual fear extinction and provide the biological basis of aspirin to assist extinction-based exposure therapies for PTSD.
Low field slice-selective ZTE imaging ofultra-short T2 tissues based on spin-locking
Authors: Morata Jose Borreguero , Conde Fernando Galve , Guisado Jose Miguel Algarín , Baviera Jose María Benlloch , Otamendi Joseba Alonso
Published: August 2022

Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) of hard biological tissues is very challenging due to small proton abundance and to ultra-short T2 decay times, especially at low magnetic fields where sample magnetization is weak. While several pulse sequences, such as Ultra-short Echo Time(UTE), Zero Echo Time (ZTE) and SWeep Imaging with Fourier Transformation (SWIFT), have been developed to cope with ultra-short lived MR signals, only the latter two hold promise of imaging tissues with sub-millisecond T2 times at low fields. All these sequences are intrinsically volumetric, thus 3D, because standard slice selection using a long soft radio-frequency pulse is incompatible with ultra-short lived signals. The exception is UTE, where double half pulses can perform slice selection,although at the cost of doubling the acquisition time. Here we demonstrate that spin-locking is a very versatile and robust method for slice selection for ultra-short lived signals, and present three ways of joining this pulse sequence to ZTE imaging of the selected slice. With these tools,we demonstrate slice-selected 2D ex vivo imaging of the hardest tissues in the body at low field (260mT) within clinically acceptable times.
Effects of Atropine and Tropicamide on Ocular Biological Parameters in Children: A Prospective Observational Study
Authors: Tao Yulin , Tan Jian , Huang Jing , Cheng Xiaokang , Xie Ping , Liu Xiansheng , Zhou Qiong , Ouyang Jun
Published: August 2022

Background
The effectiveness of cycloplegia in delaying the progression of myopia and its application in refractive examination in children have been extensively studied, but there are still few studies on the effects of atropine/tropicamide on ocular biological parameters. Therefore, the purpose of this study is to explore the effects of atropine/tropicamide on children's ocular biological parameters in different age groups, and the differences between them.
Methods
This was a prospective observational study in which all school children were examined for diopter and ocular biological parameters in the outpatient clinic, and 1% atropine and tropicamide were applied for the treatment. After examination, we enrolled the patients grouped by age (age from 2 to 12 years treated by atropine, 55 cases; age from 2 to 10 years treated by tropicamide, 70 cases; age from 14 to 17 years treated by tropicamide, 70 cases). The ocular biological parameters of each patient before and after cycloplegia were measured and the difference value and its absolute value were calculated for statistical analysis using independent-samples t-test.
Results
There was no significant difference in the difference value of ocular biological parameters and the absolute value of the difference in the same age groups before and after cycloplegia (P > 0.05). There were significant statistical differences in the corresponding values of AL, K1 and ACD among different age groups (P < 0.05). Before cycloplegia, there were significant differences in AL, K, K1, K2 and ACD in different age groups (P < 0.05). However, the differences in AL, K, K1, K2 and ACD among different age groups disappeared after cycloplegia (P > 0.05).
Conclusions
This study demonstrated that atropine/tropicamide have different effects on cycloplegia in children of different ages. The effects of atropine/tropicamide on ocular biological parameters should be fully taken into account when evaluating the refractive state before refractive surgery or calculating the degree of intraocular lens before cataract surgery.
Explicitly Modeling Relationships between Domain-Specific and Domain-Invariant Interests for Cross-Domain Recommendation
Authors: Zang Tianzi , Zhu Yanmin , Zhang Ruohan , Zhu Jing , Tang Feilong
Published: August 2022

This paper focuses on cross-domain recommendation (CDR) without auxiliary information. Existing works on CDR all ignore the bi-directional transformation relationships between users' domain-invariant interests and domain-specific interests. Moreover, they only rely on the sparse interactions as supervised signals for model training, which can not guarantee the generated representations are effective. In response to the limitation of these existing works, we propose a model named MRCDR which explicitly models relationships between domain-specific and domain-invariant interests for cross-domain recommendation. We project the domain-specific representations of users to a common space generating their domain-invariant representations. To remedy the problem of insufficient supervised signals, we propose two strategies that generate extra self-supervision signals to enhance model training. The aligned strategy tries to make the two domain-invariant representations an overlapped user to be consistent. The cycle strategy tries to make the reversely projected representation of the domain-invariant representation of a non-overlapped user to be consistent with its original domain-specific representation. We conduct extensive experiments on real-world datasets and the results show the effectiveness of our proposed model against the state-of-the-art methods.
Hihger Oder Extended Block Hybrid Second Derivatives Backward Differentiation Formula for Solving Dae of Index 1,2, and 3 R. A. Soneye, O. A. Akinfenwa, R. I. Abdulganiy and S. A. Okunuga
Authors: AKINFENWA OLUSEYE AREMU , OKUNUGA SOLOMON ADEBOLA , ABDULGANIY RIDWAN IYANDA
Published: August 2022

A new two-step Extended Second Derivative Hybrid Block Backward Differentiation Formula (ESDHBBDF) for the solution of Differential-algebraic Equations (DAEs) of index-1, 2, and 3 systems is presented. The derived methods which were coupled and implemented as a set of block formulae was implemented in a block by block fashion. Numerical results obtained when tested on some standard DAEs of index- 1, 2, and 3 with wider range revealed that the method was efficient and very accurate, and particularly suitable for DAEs.
Investigation of photocatalytic activity (under visible light) of ultrathin CZTS films produced in different thicknesses by PLD method
Authors: Dursun Sami , Sarıipek Fatma Bayram , Kılıç Sümeyye , Gezgin Serap Yiğit , Gündoğdu Yasemin , Kılıç Hamdi Şükür
Published: August 2022

Cu2ZnSnS4 material has been produced by Pulsed Laser Deposition (PLD) on Soda Lime Glass (SLG) substrates as a function of the number of laser pulses. As the deposition of ablated material has been augmented with increasing number of laser pulses, it has been observed that CZTS-ultrathin film’s thicknesses and particle sizes have been increased, their crystalline structures have been improved. Larger particles limit the transmission of light and cause thin films to absorb more photons. Therefore, band gaps of CZTS-ultrathin films have been reduced. CZTS (61 nm) ultrathin film with the thinnest one among the thin films produced in this work, which is Cu and S poor but Sn and Zn rich. By increasing the thickness of the film, it has been observed that the amount of Cu and S were increased, and the ratio of Sn and Zn were decreased. In addition, it has been systematically investigated that the photocatalytic activity of the ultra-thin CZTS films coated in different thicknesses by PLD method. Among all the photocatalysts, the CZTS (in 242 nm thickness) photocatalyst has exhibited the highest photocatalytic performance, managing to remove 96.1% of methylene blue (MB) in 240 min. Furthermore, the mechanism that performs photocatalysis has been investigated by scavenger experiments, and it was observed that radical ions have an important role in the reaction, while holes have little effect.
CCL4 participates in the reprogramming of glucose metabolism induced by ALV-J infection in chicken macrophages
Authors: Luo Huan , Wu Huixian , Zhu Shutong , Zhu Zhijian , Wang Chenjun , Huang Hongao , Chen Shihao , Cui Hengmi , Chai Wenxian , Hu Xuming
Published: August 2022

Interferons and chemokines-mediated immune responses are two general antiviral programs of the innate immune system in response to viral infections and have recently emerged as important players in systemic metabolism. In this study, we found that the chemokine CCL4 is negatively regulated by glucose metabolism and avian leukosis virus subgroup J (ALV-J) infection in chicken macrophages. This immune response is defined by low expression levels of CCL4 by high glucose treatment or ALV-J infection. Moreover, the ALV-J envelope protein is responsible for CCL4 inhibition. We further confirmed that CCL4 can inhibit glucose metabolism and ALV-J replication in chicken macrophages. The present study provides novel insights into the antiviral defence mechanism and metabolic regulation of the chemokine CCL4 in chicken macrophages.