bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Wolbachia Infection in Native Populations of the Invasive Tawny Crazy Ant Nylanderia fulva
Authors: Fernández María Belén , Bleidorn Christoph , Calcaterra Luis Alberto
Published: June 2022

Antagonistic interactions can affect population growth and dispersal of an invasive species. Wolbachia are intracellular endosymbiont bacteria that infect arthropod and nematode hosts and are able to manipulate reproduction, which in some cases leads to cocladogenesis. Moreover, the presence of the strictly maternally transferred Wolbachia in a population can indirectly induce selective sweeps on the hosts’ mitochondria. Ants have a Wolbachia infection rate of about 34%, which makes phylogenetic studies using mitochondrial markers vulnerable of being confounded by the effect of the endosymbiont. Nylanderia fulva is an invasive ant native to South America, considered a pest in the United States. Its distribution and biology are poorly known in its native range, and the taxonomic identity of this and its closely related species, Nylanderia pubens, has only recently been understood with the aid of molecular phylogenies. Aiming at estimating robust phylogenetic relationships of N. fulva in its native range, we investigated the presence and pattern of Wolbachia infection in populations of N. fulva from Argentina, part of its native range, to account for its possible effect on the host population structure. Using the ftsZ gene, 30 nests of N. fulva and four from sympatric Nylanderia species were screened for the presence of Wolbachia. We sequenced the MLST genes, the highly variable gene wsp, as well as glyQ, a novel target gene for which new primers were designed. Phylogeny of the ants was estimated using mtDNA (COI). We found supergroup A Wolbachia strains infecting 73% of N. fulva nests and two nests of Nylanderia sp. 1. Wolbachia phylogenetic tree inferred with MLST genes is partially congruent with the host phylogeny topology, with the exception of a lineage of strains shared by ants from different N. fulva clades. Furthermore, by comparing with Wolbachia sequences infecting other ants, we found that the strains infecting different N. fulva clades are not monophyletic. Our findings suggest there are three recent independent horizontally transmitted Wolbachia infections in N. fulva, and we found no evidence of influence of Wolbachia in the host mtDNA based phylogeny.
Content-Aware Segmentation of Objects Spanning a Large Size Range: Application to Plankton Images
Authors: Panaïotis Thelma , Caray–Counil Louis , Woodward Ben , Schmid Moritz S. , Daprano Dominic , Tsai Sheng Tse , Sullivan Christopher M. , Cowen Robert K. , Irisson Jean-Olivier
Published: June 2022

As the basis of oceanic food webs and a key component of the biological carbon pump, planktonic organisms play major roles in the oceans. Their study benefited from the development of in situ imaging instruments, which provide higher spatio-temporal resolution than previous tools. But these instruments collect huge quantities of images, the vast majority of which are of marine snow particles or imaging artifacts. Among them, the In Situ Ichthyoplankton Imaging System (ISIIS) samples the largest water volumes (> 100 L s-1) and thus produces particularly large datasets. To extract manageable amounts of ecological information from in situ images, we propose to focus on planktonic organisms early in the data processing pipeline: at the segmentation stage. We compared three segmentation methods, particularly for smaller targets, in which plankton represents less than 1% of the objects: (i) a traditional thresholding over the background, (ii) an object detector based on maximally stable extremal regions (MSER), and (iii) a content-aware object detector, based on a Convolutional Neural Network (CNN). These methods were assessed on a subset of ISIIS data collected in the Mediterranean Sea, from which a ground truth dataset of > 3,000 manually delineated organisms is extracted. The naive thresholding method captured 97.3% of those but produced ~340,000 segments, 99.1% of which were therefore not plankton (i.e. recall = 97.3%, precision = 0.9%). Combining thresholding with a CNN missed a few more planktonic organisms (recall = 91.8%) but the number of segments decreased 18-fold (precision increased to 16.3%). The MSER detector produced four times fewer segments than thresholding (precision = 3.5%), missed more organisms (recall = 85.4%), but was considerably faster. Because naive thresholding produces ~525,000 objects from 1 minute of ISIIS deployment, the more advanced segmentation methods significantly improve ISIIS data handling and ease the subsequent taxonomic classification of segmented objects. The cost in terms of recall is limited, particularly for the CNN object detector. These approaches are now standard in computer vision and could be applicable to other plankton imaging devices, the majority of which pose a data management problem.
Ornithine α-Ketoglutarate Alleviates Inflammation via Regulating Ileal Mucosa Microbiota and Metabolites in Enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli-Infected Pigs
Authors: Li Yuying , Bao Xuetai , Yang Fan , Tian Junquan , Su Wenxuan , Yin Jie , Yao Kang , Li Tiejun , Yin Yulong
Published: June 2022

Enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli (ETEC) is one of the main causes of diarrhea in weaned piglets, and ornithine α-ketoglutarate (OKG) as a food supplement has been shown to improve intestinal immune status in animals and humans. However, it remains unknown whether OKG alleviates inflammation through the regulation of gut microbiota and its metabolites on ETEC-infected piglets. This study was conducted to explore the impact of OKG on growth performance, immunity, and ileal mucosa microbiota and its metabolites in piglets infected with ETEC. On a total of 40 pigs, a 2 × 2 factor design was performed; the major factors were diet (basal diet or 1% OKG diet) and challenge (E. coli or LB Broth). The results showed that ETEC-infection inhibited growth performance, and OKG supplementation alleviated growth performance. Interestingly, ETEC-infection increased the serum TNF-α and IL-6, decreased the serum IL-10, downregulated the mRNA expression of IL-1β, IL-6, MyD88, and improved the mRNA expression of IL-8, IL-18, and TLR4. OKG inhibited serum IL-6, suppressed the phosphorylation of downstream signals of NF-κB/JNK in the ileum, and enhanced serum IL-10 and ileum SIgA in ETEC-challenged piglets. OKG supplementation enhanced the mRNA expression of IL-1β and IL-10 and reduced NF-κB and MyD88 in the ileum. Importantly, OKG reversed intestinal microbiota dysfunction, including the diversity of ileal microbiota, the relative abundances of Actinobacillus, Turicibacter, and [Acetivibrio]_ethanolgignens_group, which significantly affected arachidonic acid metabolism and primary bile acid biosynthesis. Collectively, our results suggest that OKG improves growth performance, regulates immunity, and ileal mucosa microbiota and its metabolites in ETEC-infected piglets.
Continuous Vaginal Bleeding Induced By EGFR-TKI in Premenopausal Female Patients With EGFR Mutant NSCLC
Authors: Yu Min , Li Xiaoyu , Wu Xueqian , Wang Weiya , Li Yanying , Zhang Yan , Zhang Shuang , Wang Yongsheng
Published: June 2022

EGFR-TKI is widely used for EGFR-mutant NSCLC patients. Bleeding is reported as a neglected adverse effect induced by EGFR-TKI. Female patients with lung adenocarcinoma have a high frequency of EGFR mutations. This study investigated the effect of EGFR-TKI on the menstrual cycle, especially on bleeding, in women of childbearing age. The underlying mechanism was further investigated in a patient with severe bleeding. We retrospectively investigated the effects on menstrual cycle in premenopausal female NSCLC patients who underwent EGFR-TKI treatment during 2013 to 2019. Menstrual changes including cycle disorders and prolonged bleeding were investigated via questionnaire survey. EGFR signaling, ER, PR and tissue factor expression were analyzed in endometrium tissue obtained from a 43-year-old patient who suffered from continuous vaginal bleeding during treatment with erlotinib and osimertinib. Among 42 premenopausal female patients taking EGFR tyrosine kinase inhibitor, 69.05% patients experienced abnormal menstruation. In women with abnormal menstruation, 41.37% had profuse menstruation and 20.69% had irregular menstruation. In most cases, the abnormal vaginal bleeding stopped when suspending EGFR-TKI. The EGFR-TKI induced abnormal vaginal bleeding might be associated with low progesterone level, decreased EGFR activation and tissue factor (TF) expression in endometrial tissues. EGFR-TKI unusually induce abnormal vaginal bleeding in premenopausal female NSCLC patients, which may be attributed to progesterone/EGFR/TF signaling. Megestrol acetate may be an available and effective drug for the uncommon adverse effect.
The Significant Role of Tumor Volume on the Surgical Approach Choice, Surgical Complexity, and Postoperative Complications in Renal Cell Carcinoma With Venous Tumor Thrombus From a Large Chinese Center Experience
Authors: Baheen Qais , Liu Zhuo , Hao Yichang , Sawh Rejean R. R. , Li Yuxuan , Zhao Xun , Hong Peng , Wu Zonglong , Ma Lulin
Published: June 2022

Objective

To explore the role of tumor volume (TV) on surgical approach choice, surgical complexity, and postoperative complications in patients with renal cell carcinoma (RCC) and inferior vena cava tumor thrombus.

Method

From January 2014 to January 2020, we retrospectively analyzed the clinical data of 132 patients who underwent radical nephrectomy with inferior vena cava thrombectomy (RN-IVCT). Primary renal tumor volume (PRTV), renal vein tumor thrombus volume (RVTTV), inferior vena cava tumor thrombus volume (IVCTTV), and total tumor thrombus volume (TTTV) were measured with the help of an internationally recognized 3D volume measurement software. The patients were divided into three groups according to the tumor volume within the inferior vena cava (IVC). Group 1 included 48 patients with IVCTTV between 0 and 15 cm3 (36.6%), group 2 included 38 patients with IVCTTV between 16 and 30 cm3 (28%), and group 3 included 46 patients with IVCTTV above 30 cm3 (35%). The three IVCTTV groups, as well as four different volume groups, were compared in terms of surgical approach choice, surgical complexity, and postoperative complications. One-way ANOVA and a non-parametric test were used to compare the clinicopathological characteristics and distribution differences between the three groups.

Result

This study found significant differences among the three groups in the proportion of open surgery (P < 0.001), operation time (P < 0.044), intraoperative bleeding (P < 0.001), and postoperative complications (P < 0.001). When the four different volumes were compared, we found that for higher volumes IVCTTV and TTTV, open surgery is used more often compared with laparoscopic surgery (P < 0.001). In addition, with the increase in renal vein tumor thrombus volume, inferior vena cava tumor thrombus volume, and total tumor thrombus volume, the operation time also increased. Finally, with the increase in tumor thrombus volume and total tumor thrombus volume, the amount of intraoperative bleeding increased.

Conclusion

With the increase in tumor volume, the proportion of open surgery and the incidence of postoperative complications increased. In addition, larger tumor volume prolongs operation time, increases intraoperative blood loss, and makes the surgery more complicated.
Long Noncoding RNA SNHG7 Is a Diagnostic and Prognostic Marker for Colon Adenocarcinoma
Authors: Jiang Chengwei , Qu Shanshan , Liu Tie , Hao Miao
Published: June 2022

Numerous studies have shown that long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) play a critical role in the malignant progression of cancer. However, the potential involvement of lncRNAs in colon adenocarcinoma (COAD) remains unexplored. In this study, the expression of lncRNA SNHG7 in colon cancer tissues and its correlation with clinical characteristics were analyzed based on data from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) database. SNHG7 was found to be highly expressed in 17 types of cancer, including COAD. Next, TCGA data were further investigated to identify differentially expressed genes, and Gene Ontology and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes analyses were performed. In addition, the relationship between SNHG7 expression and clinical features were analyzed. SNHG7 expression was found to be a potentially valuable indicator for COAD diagnosis and prognosis. Finally, gene set enrichment analysis showed that SNHG7 may affect lupus erythematosus and reactome cellular senescence, possibly influencing the prognosis of patients with COAD. Altogether, these results suggest that SNHG7 may be associated with the occurrence and development of COAD, having potential diagnostic and prognostic value.
Cariporide Attenuates Doxorubicin-Induced Cardiotoxicity in Rats by Inhibiting Oxidative Stress, Inflammation and Apoptosis Partly Through Regulation of Akt/GSK-3β and Sirt1 Signaling Pathway
Authors: Liao Wenli , Rao Zhiwei , Wu Lingling , Chen Yong , Li Cairong
Published: June 2022

Background: Doxorubicin (DOX) is a potent chemotherapeutic agent with limited usage due to its cumulative cardiotoxicity. The Na+/H+ exchanger isoform 1 (NHE1) is a known regulator of oxidative stress, inflammation, and apoptosis. The present study was designed to investigate the possible protective effect of cariporide (CAR), a selective inhibitor of NHE1, against DOX-induced cardiotoxicity in rats.

Methods: Male Sprague-Dawley rats were intraperitoneally injected with DOX to induce cardiac toxicity and CAR was given orally for treatment. The injured H9c2 cell model was established by incubation with DOX in vitro. Echocardiography, as well as morphological and ultra-structural examination were performed to evaluate cardiac function and histopathological changes. The biochemical parameters were determined according to the manufacturer’s guideline of kits. ROS were assessed by using an immunofluorescence assay. The serum levels and mRNA expressions of inflammatory cytokines were measured by using ELISA or qRT-PCR. Cardiac cell apoptosis and H9c2 cell viability were tested by TUNEL or MTT method respectively. The protein expressions of Cleaved-Caspase-3, Bcl-2, Bax, Akt, GSK-3β, and Sirt1 were detected by western blot.

Results: Treatment with CAR protected against DOX-induced body weight changes, impairment of heart function, leakage of cardiac enzymes, and heart histopathological damage. In addition, CAR significantly attenuated oxidative stress and inhibited the levels and mRNA expressions of inflammatory cytokines (TNF-α, IL-6, IL-18, and IL-1β), which were increased by DOX treatment. Moreover, CAR significantly suppressed myocardial apoptosis and Cleaved-Caspase-3 protein expression induced by DOX, which was in agreement with the increased Bcl-2/Bax ratio. Also, DOX suppressed phosphorylation of Akt and GSK-3β, which was significantly reversed by administration of CAR. Furthermore, CAR treatment prevented DOX-induced down-regulation of Sirt1 at the protein level in vitro and in vivo. Finally, Sirt1 inhibitor reversed the protective effects of CAR, as evidenced by reduced cell viability and Sirt1 protein expression in vitro.

Conclusion: Taken together, we provide evidence for the first time in the current study that CAR exerts potent protective effects against DOX-induced cardiotoxicity in rats. This cardio-protective effect is attributed to suppressing oxidative stress, inflammation, and apoptosis, at least in part, through regulation of Akt/GSK-3β and Sirt1 signaling pathway, which has not been reported to date.
Exploring Factors Influencing Students’ Entrepreneurial Intention in Vocational Colleges Based on Structural Equation Modeling: Evidence From China
Authors: Fu Xiaoqian , Yan Tianming , Tian Yumi , Niu Xinchen , Xu Xin , Wei Yao , Hu Qifan , Ouyang Zhongming , Wu Xueshi
Published: June 2022

With the proposal of “mass entrepreneurship, mass innovation” and other ideas, the demand for entrepreneurial talent in China is increasing, but the supply of entrepreneurial talent is far insufficient. Consistent with theory of social cognition and planned behavior, this study outlines a conceptual model including entrepreneurial intention (EI), emotional competency (EC), entrepreneurial self-efficacy (ESE), entrepreneurial attitude (EA), entrepreneurial education (EE), and subjective norms (SN). A structural equation model was applied through a questionnaire survey of 382 vocational college students in Jiangxi province to test the relationship between the constructs in the model. The results show that, firstly, EA, EE, ESE, and EC have positive effects on EI, while the positive effect of SN on EI is not supported. Secondly, a mediating role is played by ESE and EA in the association between EI and EE. Thirdly, ESE and EA play mediating roles in the relationship between EI and EC. Some implications of EI for schools and students were discussed.
A Neural Network and Optimization Based Lung Cancer Detection System in CT Images
Authors: Venkatesh Chapala , Ramana Kadiyala , Lakkisetty Siva Yamini , Band Shahab S. , Agarwal Shweta , Mosavi Amir
Published: June 2022

One of the most common causes of death from cancer for both women and men is lung cancer. Lung nodules are critical for the screening of cancer and early recognition permits treatment and enhances the rate of rehabilitation in patients. Although a lot of work is being done in this area, an increase in accuracy is still required to swell patient persistence rate. However, traditional systems do not segment cancer cells of different forms accurately and no system attained greater reliability. An effective screening procedure is proposed in this work to not only identify lung cancer lesions rapidly but to increase accuracy. In this procedure, Otsu thresholding segmentation is utilized to accomplish perfect isolation of the selected area, and the cuckoo search algorithm is utilized to define the best characteristics for partitioning cancer nodules. By using a local binary pattern, the relevant features of the lesion are retrieved. The CNN classifier is designed to spot whether a lung lesion is malicious or non-malicious based on the retrieved features. The proposed framework achieves an accuracy of 96.97% percent. The recommended study reveals that accuracy is improved, and the results are compiled using Particle swarm optimization and genetic algorithms.
Understanding the Inequality of Web Traffic and Engagement in Online Healthcare Communities
Authors: Hsu Yuan-Teng , Duan Ran , Chiu Ya-Ling , Wang Jying-Nan
Published: June 2022

The online healthcare community (OHC) is a kind of doctor-patient communication platform, in which doctors can share medical knowledge and provide various kinds of counsel for patients. However, if the OHC's web traffic is concentrated on a small number of doctors, or if only a few doctors are actively involved in the OHC's activities, this will not be conducive to the optimal development of the OHC. This study explores this issue of inequality and makes three main innovations. First, based on data on web traffic and engagement extracted from 139,037 doctors' web pages in one popular OHC, we point out how serious the inequality phenomenon is. Second, we confirm that the Matthew effect indeed exists in this context and leads to greater inequality. Third, we demonstrate that the inequality of psychological or material rewards causes the inequality of web traffic or engagement to become worse; hence, an appropriate reward mechanism should be designed to mitigate the Matthew effect rather than enhance it. Finally, we discuss the managerial implications of these results, as well as avenues for future studies.
Forecasting Stock Price Trends by Analyzing Economic Reports With Analyst Profiles
Authors: Suzuki Masahiro , Sakaji Hiroki , Izumi Kiyoshi , Ishikawa Yasushi
Published: June 2022

This article proposes a methodology to forecast the movements of analysts' estimated net income and stock prices using analyst profiles. Our methodology is based on applying natural language processing and neural networks in the context of analyst reports. First, we apply the proposed method to extract opinion sentences from the analyst report while classifying the remaining parts as non-opinion sentences. Then, we employ the proposed method to forecast the movements of analysts' estimated net income and stock price by inputting the opinion and non-opinion sentences into separate neural networks. In addition to analyst reports, we input analyst profiles to the networks. As analyst profiles, we used the name of an analyst, the securities company to which the analyst belongs, the sector which the analyst covers, and the analyst ranking. Consequently, we obtain an indication that the analyst profile effectively improves the model forecasts. However, classifying analyst reports into opinion and non-opinion sentences is insignificant for the forecasts.
Oral Health, Antimicrobials and Care for Patients With Chronic Oral Diseases – A Review of Knowledge and Treatment Strategies
Authors: Ide Mark , Karimova Malika , Setterfield Jane
Published: June 2022

Periodontal and chronic oral mucosal diseases are significant life impacting conditions which may co-exist and synergistically act to cause more severe and widespread oral pathology with enhanced challenges in effective management. Clinicians regularly observe these effects and struggle to effectively manage both problems in many patients. There is limited understanding of many basic and applied scientific elements underpinning potentially shared aetiopathological features and management. Recent developments in translational science provide an opportunity to greater improve knowledge and subsequently care for patients with these problems.
Case Report: Langerhans Cell Sarcoma With Intracranial and Extracranial Communication on the Left Frontal Bone
Authors: Xie Shan , Shao Zhilin , Shao Dongqi , Du Bang , Han Yi , Li Yu , Zhang Binbin , Zheng Xialin , Jiang Zhiquan
Published: June 2022

Background

Langerhans cell sarcoma (LCS) is an extremely rare type of malignant tumor that originates from Langerhans cells (LC). It is characterized by the malignant proliferation and dissemination of LC and is extremely invasive, with rapid progression and a poor prognosis. Treatment includes resection of lesions, radiotherapy, chemotherapy, immunotherapy, and transplantation of hematopoietic stem cells. However, a unified and optimized treatment plan is lacking, and individualized treatment is accepted.

Case presentation

We report an 18-year-old man with intracranial and extracranial communicative LCS that occurred in only the left forehead without metastasis to other regions. Clinical and hematological data were normal. We undertook complete resection of diseased tissue, which was pathologically examined. Staining (hematoxylin and eosin) showed positivity for cluster of differentiation (CD)1a (++), S-100 protein (++), P53 (++), CD68 (+), cyclin D1 (+), cyclin A (+), cyclin B1 (+), IGF2BP3 (+), and Ki-67 (45%–50%). Recurrence or metastasis were not observed after long-term follow-up.

Conclusion

LCS is a rare malignant tumor, and one that occurs with intracranial and extracranial communication is even rarer. Active adoption of an individualized treatment plan is crucial.
The SAFE Pilot Trial—SAlvage Focal Irreversible Electroporation—For Recurrent Localized Prostate Cancer: Rationale and Study Protocol
Authors: Marra Giancarlo , Shah Taimur T. , D’Agate Daniele , Marquis Alessandro , Calleris Giorgio , Lunelli Luca , Filippini Claudia , Oderda Marco , Gatti Marco , Valerio Massimo , Sanchez-Salas Rafael , Bossi Alberto , Gomez-Rivas Juan , Conte Francesca , Deandreis Desiree , Cussenot Olivier , Ricardi Umberto , Gontero Paolo
Published: June 2022

Introduction

Currently, the majority of prostate cancer (PCa) recurrences after non-surgical first-line treatment are managed with androgen-deprivation therapy (ADT). Salvage radical prostatectomy (sRP) is a curative alternative to ADT but yields significant morbidity. Preliminary evidence from focal salvage treatments shows similar oncological control but lower morbidity compared to sRP. Among available ablative focal energies, irreversible electroporation (IRE) is a treatment modality that proved promising, especially in treating apical lesions, where PCa most often recurs. Our aim is to test the safety of salvage IRE for recurrent PCa.

Methods

We performed a single-arm pilot feasibility study (IDEAL stage 2a): SAFE, SAlvage Focal irreversible Electroporation for recurrent localized PCa. Twenty patients with biopsy-proven PCa recurrence after primary non-surgical (radiation or ablation) treatment were included. All men will undergo mpMRI ± targeted biopsies, pre-operative PSMA-PET staging before inclusion and sIRE. Outcomes will be evaluated through internationally validated questionnaires and morbidity scales. All men will undergo a control biopsy at one year.

Results

Primary objectives were the evaluation of the safety of sIRE (and patients’ quality of life) after treatment. Secondary objectives were the evaluation of functional outcomes, namely, continence and erectile function changes and evaluation of short-term oncological efficacy.

Conclusions

SAFE is the second pilot study to evaluate sIRE and the first one performed according to the most recent diagnostic and staging imaging standards. sIRE may provide a curative option for recurrent PCa together with lower comorbidities compared to sRP.
Intestinal Anastomotic Healing: What do We Know About Processes Behind Anastomotic Complications
Authors: Rosendorf J. , Klicova M. , Herrmann I. , Anthis A. , Cervenkova L. , Palek R. , Treska V. , Liska V.
Published: June 2022

Colorectal surgery has developed rapidly in the recent decades. Nevertheless, colorectal anastomotic leakage continues to appear postoperatively in unpleasant rates and leads to life-threatening conditions. The development of valid complication-preventing methods is inefficient in many aspects as we are still lacking knowledge about the basics of the process of anastomotic wound healing in the gastrointestinal tract. Without the proper understanding of the crucial mechanisms, research for prevention of anastomotic leakage is predestined to be unsuccessful. This review article discusses known pathophysiological mechanisms together with the most lately found processes to be further studied. The aim of the article is to facilitate the orientation in the topic, support the better understanding of known mechanisms and suggest promising possibilities and directions for further research.
Self-Supervised Clustering for Leaf Disease Identification
Authors: Monowar Muhammad Mostafa , Hamid Md. Abdul , Kateb Faris A. , Ohi Abu Quwsar , Mridha M. F.
Published: June 2022

Plant diseases have been one of the most threatening scenarios to farmers. Although most plant diseases can be identified by observing leaves, it often requires human expertise. The recent improvements in computer vision have led to introduce disease classification systems through observing leaf images. Nevertheless, most disease classification systems are specific to diseases and plants, limiting method’s usability. The methods are also costly as they require vast labeled data, which can only be done by experts. This paper introduces a self-supervised leaf disease clustering system that can be used for classifying plant diseases. As self-supervision does not require labeled data, the proposed method can be inexpensive and can be implemented for most types of plants. The method implements a siamese deep convolutional neural network (DCNN) for generating clusterable embeddings from leaf images. The training strategy of the embedding network is conducted using AutoEmbedder approach with randomly augmented image pairs. The self-supervised embedding model training involves three different data pair linkage scenarios: can-link, cannot-link, and may-link pairs. The embeddings are further clustered using k-means algorithm in the final classification stage. The experiment is conducted to individually classify diseases of eight different fruit leaves. The results indicate that the proposed leaf disease identification method performs better than the existing self-supervised clustering systems. The paper indicates that end-to-end siamese networks can outperform well-designed sequentially trained self-supervised methods.
A Rice Security Risk Assessment Method Based on the Fusion of Multiple Machine Learning Models
Authors: Xu Jiping , Wang Ziyi , Zhang Xin , Yu Jiabin , Cui Xiaoyu , Zhou Yan , Zhao Zhiyao
Published: June 2022

With the accelerated digital transformation, food security data is exponentially growing, making it difficult to process and analyze data as the primary challenge for food security risk regulation. The promotion of “big data + food” safety supervision can effectively reduce supervision costs and improve the efficiency of risk detection and response. In order to improve the utilization of testing data and achieve rapid risk assessment, this paper proposes a rice security risk assessment method based on the fusion of multiple machine learning models, and conducts experimental validation based on rice hazard detection data from 31 provinces in China excluding Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan in 2018. The model comparison verifies that the risk assessment model shows better performance than other mainstream machine learning algorithms, and its evaluation accuracy is as high as 99.54%, which verifies that the model proposed in this paper is more stable and accurate, and can provide accurate and efficient decision-making basis for regulatory authorities.
Film Mulching with Low Phosphorus Application Improves Soil Organic Carbon and Its Decomposability in a Semiarid Agroecosystem
Authors: Gu Yan-Jie , Han Cheng-Long , Kong Meng , Siddique Kadambot H. M. , Li Feng-Min
Published: June 2022

Soil organic carbon (SOC) storage and decomposability are crucial for soil quality. Film mulching and phosphorus (P) application are important agricultural practices on the semiarid Loess Plateau. This study analyzed the combined effects of film mulching and P application on SOC, its fractions, and mineralization kinetics under alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.). The six-year field experiment incorporated randomized blocks of split-plot design with two mulching treatments (no film mulching with flat planting and film mulching with ridges and furrows) as main plots and four P levels (P0: 0 kg ha−1, P1: 9.73 kg ha−1, P2: 19.3 kg ha−1, P3: 28.9 kg ha−1) as subplots. Mulching increased SOC content, SOC fractions (light and heavy fraction organic C, microbial biomass C, and dissolved organic C), and mineralization. After six years, mulching increased SOC content by 2.18, 2.60, 2.37, and 0.17 g kg−1 at P0, P1, P2, and P3, relative to no mulching. With increasing P levels, SOC fractions and mineralization increased under no mulching but increased initially and then decreased under mulching. P1 with mulching displayed the highest SOC utilization efficiency and stability. Kinetic models divided SOC into an active and a slow SOC pool, with the latter showing the lowest decomposability and highest stability in P1 with mulching. Overall, film mulching with a low P level, especially 11.9 kg ha−1 P fertilizer, promoted SOC storage under alfalfa on the semiarid Loess Plateau due to the high SOC content with high C utilization efficiency and stability and low decomposability.
Functional Design of Pocket Fertigation under Specific Microclimate and Irrigation Rates: A Preliminary Study
Authors: Arif Chusnul , Wibisono Yusuf , Nugroho Bayu Dwi Apri , Saputra Septian Fauzi Dwi , Malik Abdul , Setiawan Budi Indra , Mizoguchi Masaru , Ardiansyah Ardiansyah
Published: June 2022

Irrigation and fertilization technologies need to be adapted to climate change and provided as effectively and efficiently as possible. The current study proposed pocket fertigation, an innovative new idea in providing irrigation water and fertilization by using a porous material in the form of a ring/disc inserted surrounding the plant’s roots as an irrigation emitter equipped with a “pocket”/bag for storing fertilizer. The objective was to evaluate the functional design of pocket fertigation in the specific micro-climate inside the screenhouse with a combination of emitter designs and irrigation rates. The technology was implemented on an experimental field at a lab-scale melon (Cucumis melo L.) cultivation from 23 August to 25 October 2021 in one planting season. The technology was tested at six treatments of a combination of three emitter designs and two irrigation rates. The emitter design consisted of an emitter with textile coating (PT), without coating (PW), and without emitter as a control (PC). Irrigation rates were supplied at one times the evaporation rate (E) and 1.2 times the evaporation rate (1.2E). The pocket fertigation was well implemented in a combination of emitter designs and irrigation rates (PT-E, PW-E, PT-1.2E, and PW-1.2E). The proposed technology increased the averages of fruit weight and water productivity by 6.20 and 7.88%, respectively, compared to the control (PC-E and PC-1.2E). Meanwhile, the optimum emitter design of pocket fertigation was without coating (PW). It increased by 13.36% of fruit weight and 14.71% of water productivity. Thus, pocket fertigation has good prospects in the future. For further planning, the proposed technology should be implemented at the field scale.
Effect of Heat Treatment on Nutritional and Chromatic Properties of Mung Bean (Vigna radiata L.)
Authors: Huang Ping-Hsiu , Cheng Yu-Tsung , Chan Yung-Jia , Lu Wen-Chien , Li Po-Hsien
Published: June 2022

Chlorophyll is the primary source of color in widespread green plants. It has been investigated in mung bean seed coats and cotyledons. This study aimed to examine chromatic changes in mung beans during heat processing. It observed pigment variation within the cotyledons and seed coats of mung beans. Following thermal treatment from 0 to 50 min, the color of mung bean products changed, primarily from a decrease in chlorophyll content in the seed coat (from 6.57 to 1.28 mg/100 g, with significant differences. p < 0.05), accompanied by the formation of tawny pheophytin. However, the b value of mung bean seed coat showed an increasing trend with significant differences (yellowness, 21.55 increasing to 34.85, p < 0.05). Interestingly, the total flavonoid content in the seed coat tended to increase with thermal time (2.93 to 18.74 µg/mg) with statistical differences (p < 0.05). The condensation reaction of flavonoids with other polyphenolic compounds formed dark-brown polymers, resulting in a significant decrease in brightness (L value) of the cooking solution with thermal processing time (p < 0.05). Thus, the chlorophyll extraction and purification of the mung bean seed coat confirmed the morphological change of chlorophyll combined with the Maillard reaction, resulting in the color change after thermal treatment. It showed that a significant reason for the discoloration of mung beans was pheophytin from chlorophyll in the processing process.
Impact of Azospirillum sp. B510 on the Rhizosphere Microbiome of Rice under Field Conditions
Authors: Yasuda Michiko , Dastogeer Khondoker M. G. , Sarkodee-Addo Elsie , Tokiwa Chihiro , Isawa Tsuyoshi , Shinozaki Satoshi , Okazaki Shin
Published: June 2022

There has been increasing attention toward the influence of biofertilizers on the composition of microbial communities associated with crop plants. We investigated the impact of Azospirillum sp. B510, a bacterial strain with nitrogen-fixing ability, on the structure of bacterial and fungal communities within rice plant rhizospheres by amplicon sequencing at two sampling stages (the vegetative and harvest stages of rice). Principal coordinate analysis (PCoA) demonstrated a significant community shift in the bacterial microbiome when the plants were inoculated with B510 at the vegetative stage, which was very similar to the effect of chemical N-fertilizer application. This result suggested that the inoculation with B510 strongly influenced nitrogen uptake by the host plants under low nitrogen conditions. Least discriminant analysis (LDA) showed that the B510 inoculation significantly increased the N2-fixing Clostridium, Aeromonas and Bacillus populations. In contrast, there was no apparent influence of B510 on the fungal community structure. The putative functional properties of bacteria were identified through PICRUSt2, and this hinted that amino acid, sugar and vitamin production might be related to B510 inoculation. Our results indicate that B510 inoculation influenced the bacterial community structure by recruiting other N2-fixing bacteria in the absence of nitrogen fertilizer.
Comparison of the Genetic Diversity of the Captive and Wild Populations of the Tsushima Leopard Cat Using a GRAS-Di Analysis
Authors: Ito Hideyuki , Nakajima Nobuyoshi , Onuma Manabu , Inoue-Murayama Miho
Published: June 2022

The Tsushima leopard cat (Prionailurus bengalensis euptilurus) (TLC) is a regional population of the Amur leopard cat (P. bengalensis euptilurus) that lives only on the Tsushima Island in Japan and is threatened with extinction. Because the TLC population is small, genetic management is important. In this study, we obtained the draft genome of the TLC and identified single-nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) markers using a genotyping by random amplicon sequencing-direct (GRAS-Di) analysis. We genotyped 31 captive individuals and 50 wild individuals, of which 48 were from a previous study. The identified SNPs were used to clarify the genetic diversity and genetic structure of the wild and captive populations of the TLC. The size of the genome was estimated to be about 2.42 Gb. The number of SNP markers developed was 139, and although PID and probability of exclusion obtained using these SNP markers were not as high as those reported in the studies of other wild species, these SNP markers could be used to identify individuals and parentage. Moreover, the genetic diversity indices of the captive population were similar to those of the wild population. These SNP markers will be useful for understanding the ecology of the TLC and planning conservation strategies.
Nutritional Value, Fermentation Characteristics and In Vitro Degradability of Whole Wheat Hay Harvested at Three Stages of Maturity
Authors: Lang Xiaochen , Yang Meng , Saleem Atef M. , Zhao Xiaojing , Xu Hua , Li Yan , Xu Ruiting , Cao Jiaqiu , Xu Congcong , Cui Yushan , Li Jia , Li Jiahui , Shen Yizhao , Li Yunqi , Li Jianguo , Gao Yanxia
Published: June 2022

The nutritional value of whole crop wheat hay (WCWH) harvested at different maturation stages are different, and its feeding effects on dairy cows have not been thoroughly evaluated. In this study, the in vitro digestibility of whole wheat (Nongda 22) hay harvested during the flowering, late milk and dough stages were evaluated using batch culture technique. The neutral detergent fiber (NDF) and acid detergent fiber (ADF) contents of whole wheat hay decreased by 35.5% and 40.4%, respectively, whereas the non-fibrous carbohydrates (NFC) content increased by 50.3% in WCWH harvested during the dough stage as compared to the flowering stage (p < 0.01). The pH of the fermentation liquid and acetate to propionate ratio was greatest in the wheat harvested during the flowering stage and lowest during the dough stage (p = 0.03), whereas the volatile fatty acid (VFA) concentration was greatest during the dough stage and lowest during the flowering stage (p < 0.01). The dry matter loss (DML) was 9.6% and 6.2% greater (p < 0.01) during the late milk stage than in the flowering or dough stages, and the NDF loss (NDFL; p = 0.01) and ADF loss (ADFL; p < 0.01) was greater in both the flowering and late milk stages. In conclusion, though the content of NDF was lower in the dough stage, and the starch to NFC ratio was greater, we determined that the optimal harvest stage should be the late milk stage due to the greater dry matter digestibility, the relatively greater NFC content and the shorter planting days.
Effect of Heat Stress on Egg Production, Steroid Hormone Synthesis, and Related Gene Expression in Chicken Preovulatory Follicular Granulosa Cells
Authors: Yan Leyan , Hu Mengdie , Gu Lihong , Lei Mingming , Chen Zhe , Zhu Huanxi , Chen Rong
Published: June 2022

This study was conducted to elucidate the molecular mechanisms underlying heat stress (HS)-induced abnormal egg-laying in laying hens. Hy-Line brown laying hens were exposed to HS at 32 °C or maintained at 22 °C (control) for 14 days. In addition, granulosa cells (GCs) from preovulatory follicles were subjected to normal (37 °C) or high (41 °C or 43 °C) temperatures in vitro. Proliferation, apoptosis, and steroidogenesis were investigated, and the expression of estrogen and progesterone synthesis-related genes was detected. The results confirmed that laying hens reared under HS had impaired laying performance. HS inhibited proliferation, increased apoptosis, and altered the GC ultrastructure. HS also elevated progesterone secretion by increasing the expression of steroidogenic acute regulatory protein (StAR), cytochrome P450 family 11 subfamily A member 1 (CYP11A1), and 3b-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase (3β-HSD). In addition, HS inhibited estrogen synthesis in GCs by decreasing the expression of the follicle-stimulating hormone receptor (FSHR) and cytochrome P450 family 19 subfamily A member 1 (CYP19A1). The upregulation of heat shock 70 kDa protein (HSP70) under HS was also observed. Collectively, laying hens exposed to high temperatures experienced damage to follicular GCs and steroidogenesis dysfunction, which reduced their laying performance. This study provides a molecular mechanism for the abnormal laying performance of hens subjected to HS.
Strategies to Screen Anti-AQP4 Antibodies from Yeast Surface Display Libraries
Authors: Huang Aric , Jin Wei , Fahad Ahmed S. , Mussman Brooklyn K. , Nicchia Grazia Paola , Madan Bharat , de Souza Matheus Oliveira , Griffin J. Daniel , Bennett Jeffrey L. , Frigeri Antonio , Berkland Cory J. , DeKosky Brandon J.
Published: June 2022

A rapid and effective method to identify disease-specific antibodies from clinical patients is important for understanding autoimmune diseases and for the development of effective disease therapies. In neuromyelitis optica (NMO), the identification of antibodies targeting the aquaporin-4 (AQP4) membrane protein traditionally involves the labor-intensive and time-consuming process of single B-cell sorting, followed by antibody cloning, expression, purification, and analysis for anti-AQP4 activity. To accelerate patient-specific antibody discovery, we compared two unique approaches for screening anti-AQP4 antibodies from yeast antibody surface display libraries. Our first approach, cell-based biopanning, has strong advantages for its cell-based display of native membrane-bound AQP4 antigens and is inexpensive and simple to perform. Our second approach, FACS screening using solubilized AQP4 antigens, permits real-time population analysis and precision sorting for specific antibody binding parameters. We found that both cell-based biopanning and FACS screening were effective for the enrichment of AQP4-binding clones. These screening techniques will enable library-scale functional interrogation of large natively paired antibody libraries for comprehensive analysis of anti-AQP4 antibodies in clinical samples and for robust therapeutic discovery campaigns.
Visceral Therapy and Physical Activity for Selected Dysfunctions, with Particular Emphasis on Locomotive Organ Pain in Pregnant Women—Importance of Reducing Oxidative Stress
Authors: Wójcik Małgorzata , Jarząbek-Bielecka Grażyna , Merks Piotr , Luwański Dawid , Plagens-Rotman Katarzyna , Pisarska-Krawczyk Magdalena , Mizgier Małgorzata , Kędzia Witold
Published: June 2022

Movement is a physiological phenomenon and a fundamental aspect of the living human body in a global context (e.g., musculoskeletal system function) and local one (e.g., visceral system function). The local activity of the body is expressed in the rhythm of pulsations, peristalsis and vibrations. Visceral therapy supports movement, articulation and tissue rhythm. The use of visceral treatment for pain is complementary and is relevant for pregnant women. Maintaining the mobility and motility of internal organs by means of visceral techniques can regulate anatomical relations and physiological processes within the urogenital diaphragm. The role of physical activity is also important. A scoping review was conducted to analyze the relevant literature on pain in pregnant women, the role of visceral therapy in pregnant women and oxidative stress. Eligible articles presented aspects of the occurrence of pain in locomotive organs in pregnant women, the use of visceral therapy in pain management, and the reduction of oxidative stress. The use of visceral therapy and physical activity in the treatment of pain is complementary and also important for pregnant women, and so may have an effect on reducing oxidative stress in pregnant women.
Design and Implementation of a Car’s Black Box System Using a Raspberry Pi and a 4G Module
Authors: Garcia-Barrientos Abel , Torres-Uresti David , Castillo-Soria Francisco R. , Pineda-Rico Ulises , Hoyo-Montaño Jose Antonio , Perez-Cortes Obed , Ordaz-Oliver Patricio
Published: June 2022

The design and implementation of a car’s black box system using a Raspberry Pi microcomputer and an Internet of things module is presented in this research. This system was built using a Raspberry Pi microcomputer and different sensors, including a GPS, camera module, audio module, alcohol sensor module, and signals from the electronic control unit. The data were stored in both a secure digital card and in the cloud using the Waveshare SIM7600G-H 4G module. The results show that this embedded system can acquire and process video, audio, GPS data, alcohol concentration, speed, temperature, etc. Finally, a graphics user interface was developed to process the stored files. This system is similar to a black box in airplanes, which records all flight information into the black box using a specific algorithm. This makes the recorded flight data accessible to authorities when needed.
Multivariate Time Series Deep Spatiotemporal Forecasting with Graph Neural Network
Authors: He Zichao , Zhao Chunna , Huang Yaqun
Published: June 2022

Multivariate time series forecasting has long been a subject of great concern. For example, there are many valuable applications in forecasting electricity consumption, solar power generation, traffic congestion, finance, and so on. Accurately forecasting periodic data such as electricity can greatly improve the reliability of forecasting tasks in engineering applications. Time series forecasting problems are often modeled using deep learning methods. However, the deep information of sequences and dependencies among multiple variables are not fully utilized in existing methods. Therefore, a multivariate time series deep spatiotemporal forecasting model with a graph neural network (MDST-GNN) is proposed to solve the existing shortcomings and improve the accuracy of periodic data prediction in this paper. This model integrates a graph neural network and deep spatiotemporal information. It comprises four modules: graph learning, temporal convolution, graph convolution, and down-sampling convolution. The graph learning module extracts dependencies between variables. The temporal convolution module abstracts the time information of each variable sequence. The graph convolution is used for the fusion of the graph structure and the information of the temporal convolution module. An attention mechanism is presented to filter information in the graph convolution module. The down-sampling convolution module extracts deep spatiotemporal information with different sparsities. To verify the effectiveness of the model, experiments are carried out on four datasets. Experimental results show that the proposed model outperforms the current state-of-the-art baseline methods. The effectiveness of the module for solving the problem of dependencies and deep information is verified by ablation experiments.