bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Efficacy of psychomotor therapy for children and adolescents with anxiety disorders—a systematic literature review
Authors: Vriend Evelien , Moeijes Janet , Scheffers Mia
Published: January 2024

Specific Phobia (SP), Generalized Anxiety Disorders (GAD), and Social Anxiety Disorder (SAD) are the most prevalent anxiety disorders in children and adolescents. Although anxiety has a major influence on the body, evidence-based treatments mainly focus on cognitive and behavioral aspects of anxiety. Body- and movement-oriented interventions, such as psychomotor therapy (PMT), address the physical aspects. Bodily experience and interoceptive awareness are used to change behavior, cognition, and emotions. This review aimed to provide an overview of the efficacy of PMT for children and adolescents aged 0–18 years with SP, GAD, or SAD.

Method

Data were collected in PsycINFO, Medline, Embase, ERIC, and Web of Science, from January 2020 until April 2022. Two independent researchers (EV and JM) selected the articles and performed a critical appraisal.

Results

From 1,438 articles found, only one article met the inclusion criteria.

Conclusion

No consensus-based statement about the efficacy of PMT in children and adolescents with SP, GAD, or SAD can be made due to the gap in the literature. Future research is needed to evaluate the efficacy. The first step may be to design treatment protocols. Subsequently, these protocols may be evaluated concerning efficacy.
Canadian dentists’ awareness and views on early childhood caries and its prevention and management
Authors: Levesque Joshua , Ghotra Suhird , Mittermuller Betty-Anne , DeMaré Daniella , Lee Victor H. K. , Cruz de Jesus Vivianne , Olatosi Olubukola O. , Alai-Towfigh Hamideh , Schroth Robert J.
Published: January 2024

Introduction

The Canadian Dental Association (CDA) recommends children visit a dentist within 6 months of the eruption of their first tooth or by 12 months of age. The aim of this study was to investigate Canadian dentists’ awareness and views on early childhood caries (ECC) and its prevention and management.

Methods

This study analyzed a subset of questions relating to dentists’ knowledge of ECC and prevention strategies, from a national survey of general and pediatric dentists, commissioned by the CDA in 2013. Analyses included descriptive, bivariate, and multivariate analyses. A p-value of ≤0.05 was considered significant.

Results

Three thousand two hundred thirty-two out of 14,747 dentists responded (response rate of 21.9%), with 95.1% having heard of ECC. Overall, 60.9% of respondents reported that they were comfortable providing treatment to children with ECC. Significant differences were found between the number of years in practice and whether dentists were or were not comfortable providing prevention (19.5 ± 12.6 years vs. 25.4 ± 12.1 years; p < 0.001) or treatment for patients with ECC (19.1 ± 12.7 years vs. 22.5 ± 12.3 years; p < 0.001). Pediatric dentists (OR = 6.92; 95% CI: 2.57, 18.61), female dentists (OR = 1.13; 95% CI: 1.03, 1.24), dentists practicing in smaller urban areas (OR = 1.17; 95% CI: 1.07, 1.28), and dentists who were aware of the CDA's position on ECC (OR = 1.26; 95% CI: 1.13, 1.41) were more likely to be comfortable providing treatment for children with ECC.

Conclusions

While the majority of Canadian dentists have sufficient knowledge of ECC, not all are comfortable providing oral health care services to children at a young age. It is encouraging however, that most dentists are wanting additional oral health resources designed for education on ECC prevention for parents of young children.
Model and remote-sensing-guided experimental design and hypothesis generation for monitoring snow-soil–plant interactions
Authors: Wainwright Haruko M. , Dafflon Baptiste , Siirila-Woodburn Erica R. , Falco Nicola , Wu Yuxin , Breckheimer Ian , Carroll Rosemary W. H.
Published: January 2024

In this study, we develop a machine-learning (ML)-enabled strategy for selecting hillslope-scale ecohydrological monitoring sites within snow-dominated mountainous watersheds, with a particular focus on snow-soil–plant interactions. Data layers rely on spatial data layers from both remote sensing and hydrological model simulations. Specifically, a Landsat-based foresummer drought sensitivity index is used to define the dependency of the annual peak plant productivity on the Palmer drought severity index in the early growing season. Hydrological simulations provide the spatiotemporal dynamics of near-surface soil moisture and snow depth. In this framework, a regression analysis identifies the key hydrological variables relevant to the spatial heterogeneity of drought sensitivity. We then apply unsupervised clustering to these key variables, using the Gaussian mixture model, to group hillslopes into several zones that have divergent relationships regarding soil moisture, snow dynamics, and drought sensitivity. Using the datasets collected in the East River Watershed (Crested Butte, Colorado, United States), results show that drought sensitivity is significantly correlated with model-derived soil moisture and snow-free timing over space and time. The relationship is, however, non-linear, such that the correlation decreases above a threshold elevation and in a heavy snow year due to large snowpacks, lateral flow, and soil storage limitations. Clustering is then able to define the zones that have high or low sensitivity to drought, as well as the mid-elevation regions where sensitivity is associated with the topographic aspect and net potential radiation. In addition, the algorithm identifies the most representative hillslopes with road/trail access within each zone for installing monitoring sites. Our method also aims to significantly increase the use of ML and model-simulation results to guide critical zone and watershed monitoring activities.
Forecasting solar flares with a transformer network
Authors: Pelkum Donahue Keahi , Inceoglu Fadil
Published: January 2024

Space weather phenomena, including solar flares and coronal mass ejections, have significant influence on Earth. These events can cause satellite orbital decay due to heat-induced atmospheric expansion, disruption of GPS navigation and telecommunications systems, damage to satellites, and widespread power blackouts. The potential of flares and associated events to damage technology and disrupt human activities motivates prediction development. We use Transformer networks to predict whether an active region (AR) will release a flare of a specific class within the next 24 h. Two cases are considered: ≥C-class and ≥M-class. For each prediction case, separate models are developed. We train the Transformer to use time-series data to classify 24- or 48-h sequences of data. The sequences consist of 18 physical parameters that characterize an AR from the Space-weather HMI Active Region Patches data product. Flare event information is obtained from the Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellite flare catalog. Our model outperforms a prior study that similarly used only 24 h of data for the ≥C-class case and performs slightly worse for the ≥M-class case. When compared to studies that used a larger time window or additional data such as flare history, results are comparable. Using less data is conducive to platforms with limited storage, on which we plan to eventually deploy this algorithm.
Agricultural literacy in artificial insemination and agribusiness management for social innovation in rural populations affected by armed conflict in Colombia
Authors: Lenis Yasser Y. , Montgomery Amy Jo , Carrillo-González Diego F. , González-Palacio Enoc Valentín , Barrios Dursun , Elmetwally Mohammed A.
Published: January 2024

The achievement of education in rural populations was one of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), outlined by the United Nations. During the last World Summit on Sustainable Development (WSSD), it was concluded that the majority of the world’s poor, illiterate and undernourished population lives in rural areas; therefore, access to education is considered one of the greatest challenges for governments in countries with developing economies. The purpose of this study was to determine how a theoretical-practical training program in rural management and leadership (D-ML), artificial insemination (D-AI), and bovine genetic improvement (D-GI) affected the perception and level of knowledge in a rural population affected by Colombia’s armed conflict. Phase 1 included the theoretical and practical training of undergraduate animal sciences students in three dimensions (D-ML, D-AI, D-GI). After training, students were evaluated according to their level of theoretical-practical knowledge and their behavioral performance. There were 13 students selected to be a part of what we went on to call “the group of student leaders.” Phase 2 included the socioeconomic characterization and training of rural residents by the group of student leaders and field experts in the same three dimensions (D-ML, D-AI, D-GI). We evaluated the perception and level of knowledge before and after training in 63 rural residents using an evaluative instrument. The perception of knowledge in rural residents was low for general knowledge (GTD) (2.48 ± 0.76, p < 0.05), D-ML (2.89 ± 1.18, p < 0.05) and D-AI/D-GI (2.17 ± 0.83, p < 0.05), in accordance with the 5-point Likert-type ordinal scale. When level of knowledge was measured before the theorical-practical training, the level of GTD was 45.9%, however, after the training it increased to 77.6% (p < 0.01), while the level of knowledge for D-AI increased from 38.5% pre-training to 80.6% (p <0.05) post-training, and level of knowledge for D-GI pre-training was 50.8% and increased to 73.0% (p < 0.01) post-training. Finally, the level of knowledge for D-ML increased (p < 0.01) from 54.8% pre-training to 75% post-training. Altogether, rural extension programs contribute to closing knowledge gaps in relation to the use of reproductive biotechnologies and bovine management in rural areas affected by armed conflict.
Online monitoring system of material moisture content based on the Kalman filter fusion algorithm in air-impingement dryer
Authors: Yang Taoqing , Zheng Xia , Xiao Hongwei , Shan Chunhui , Zhang Jikai
Published: January 2024

A Kalman filter fusion algorithm was proposed, and an online monitoring system was developed for real-time monitoring of the moisture content of materials in an air-impingement dryer. The Kalman filter algorithm was used to estimate the optimal state of the original detection values of the weighting sensor and air velocity sensor. A backpropagation (BP) neural network fusion model was established, where the weight detection value, elastic substrate temperature, air velocity, and impingement distance were considered inputs and the real weight of the material was the output. The optimal topology of the BP neural network was selected, and the initial weights and thresholds of the BP neural network were optimized using a genetic algorithm. The coefficient of determination (R2) and root mean square error (RMSE) of the optimized BP neural network fusion model were 0.9995 and 4.9, respectively. The Kalman filter fusion algorithm, which can realize online monitoring of moisture content, was established using the Kalman filter algorithm and fusion model. Moreover, an online monitoring system for material moisture content was developed, validation experiments were carried out, and the R2 and RMSE of the nine sets of validation experiments were 0.9963 and 0.78, respectively. The monitoring system satisfied the requirements of material moisture content detection accuracy in the drying process. The developed monitoring system is greatly important for improving the automation level of the drying equipment for fruits and vegetables. The proposed Kalman filter fusion algorithm also provides a reference for other multifactor fusion detection.
Laparoscopic partial pancreatectomy through an advanced lateral approach as treatment for insulinoma in dogs: a case series
Authors: Keulen Justin N. P. , van Nimwegen Sebastiaan A.
Published: January 2024

A minimally invasive partial pancreatectomy was performed through a novel laparoscopic lateral flank approach in sternal-oblique recumbency in four clinical cases presented with an insulinoma. All four cases were female castrated dogs of older age (range 7–9 years) and different breeds (Wire haired dachshund, German shepherd, Jack Russel terrier, and Boxer), and all presented with episodic weakness, tremors, and/or seizures. The diagnosis was based on plasma glucose level below reference range with concomitant increased or normal insulin level. A laparoscopic approach was considered based on triple-phase contrast-enhanced computed tomography findings of the abdomen, revealing a pancreatic mass situated in the right pancreatic limb or left pancreatic limb without suspicion of metastasis. Laparoscopic procedures were performed without any major complications, and peri-operative glycemia increased to (supra-)normal levels in all cases. Histopathologic reports qualified the masses as neuroendocrine carcinomas, and in conjunction with the clinical picture, this neoplasia was further defined as insulinoma. Post-operative care in an intensive care unit was of short duration, and all animals were discharged being clinically normal and normoglycemic in between 1.5 and 2.5-day post-surgery. At short-term follow-up, no dogs showed clinical abnormalities, all recovered well from the surgical procedure, and blood glucose levels remained in the normal range. During long-term follow-up, 2 cases remained clinically normal at the time of writing, 564 and 1,211 days after surgery, 1 dog had recurrence of hypoglycemic episodes after 246 days and was euthanized after 673 days of surgery due to progressing disease, and 1 dog was euthanized after 1,028 days of surgery due to reasons unrelated to the insulinoma. Survival times ranged from 599 to 1,232 days after diagnosis. Considering the highly metastatic nature and difficulty of full laparoscopic staging of insulinoma patients, thorough pre-operative disease staging is warranted when considering a laparoscopic approach. This case series shows the feasibility of a novel laparoscopic flank approach for right and left partial pancreatectomy in dogs. Furthermore, proper case selection resulted in favorable outcome in these insulinoma patients.
Where did my dog go? A pilot study exploring the movement ecology of farm dogs
Authors: Chopra Kareemah , Enticott Gareth , Codling Edward A.
Published: January 2024

Movement ecology is important for advancing our comprehension of animal behavior, but its application is yet to be applied to farm dogs. This pilot study uses combined GPS and accelerometer technology to explore the spatial patterns and activity levels of free roaming farm dogs, Canis familiaris (n = 3). Space-use distributions and range sizes were determined to compare locations visited across days and between individuals, as well as in relation to specific areas of interest. Individual activity levels were analyzed and compared within and between dogs. Space-use patterns and range sizes showed variation among the dogs, although substantial similarity in overall spatial distributions were observed between each pair. Among the dogs, the extent of spatial distribution overlap between days varied, with some individuals exhibiting more overlap than others. The dogs allocated different amounts of their time close to landscape features, and to slow-, medium-, and fast movements. This study demonstrates the potential of using automated tracking technology to monitor space-use and interactions between dogs, livestock, and wildlife. By understanding and managing the free ranging behavior of their farm dogs, farmers could potentially take steps to improve the health and wellbeing of both their dogs and their livestock, limiting disease spread, and reducing the possibility of related economic losses.
Drug prescription pattern in exotic pet and wildlife animal practice: a retrospective study in a Spanish veterinary teaching hospital from 2018 to 2022
Authors: Romero Beatriz , Susperregui Julen , Sahagún Ana M. , Fernández Nélida , López Cristina , de la Puente Raúl , Altónaga José R. , Díez Raquel
Published: January 2024

Exotic companion animals have had an important role in our society since ancient times. Preserving animal health is necessary to do a responsible use of veterinary medicines. This study aimed to describe the prescription patterns of drugs in exotic pets and wildlife animals attending the Veterinary Teaching Hospital of the University of León (HVULE). A retrospective study was carried out between 2018 and 2022. Birds were the largest group of exotic animals attending the HVULE. Visits were related to emergency reasons and for musculoskeletal disorders. One-third of the animals were eventually euthanised. Regarding pharmacological treatments, the most frequently active ingredients used were pentobarbital, isoflurane, meloxicam, and within antibiotics, marbofloxacin (category B in the classification of European Medicines Agency).
Filarial nematodes in domestic dogs and mosquitoes (Diptera: Culicidae) from semi-rural areas in Central Chile
Authors: Cancino-Faure Beatriz , González Christian R. , Piñeiro González Alejandro , Pinochet Soledad , Bustos Sofía , Morchón Rodrigo , Piñeiro Cazaux Alejandro , Quezada Aguilar Ivonne , Salas Espinoza Merayot , Acevedo Salgado Rodrigo , Barra Díaz Carmen , Segovia Christian , Lozada-Yavina Rafael , Álvarez Rojas Cristian A.
Published: January 2024

Climate change, competent vectors, and reservoir animals are the main factors for developing vector-borne zoonotic diseases. These diseases encompass a significant and widespread category of pathogens (e.g., viruses, bacteria, protozoa, and helminths) transmitted by blood-feeding arthropods, including ticks, fleas, lice, triatomines, mosquitoes, sandflies, and blackflies. In Chile, several studies have explored the role of dogs as reservoirs of vector-borne pathogens; however, there is a lack of research investigating the presence of pathogens in arthropods. Specifically, within the order Diptera, limited knowledge exists regarding their roles as carriers of pathogens. This study aimed to examine the presence of zoonotic filarial nematodes in mosquitoes and dogs within a previously unstudied semi-rural area of Central Chile. Two hundred samples of dog blood and seven hundred and twenty-four mosquitoes were collected during 2021–2022 and studied for filarial nematodes by PCR. The prevalence of microfilaremic dogs detected by Knott’s test was 7.5%, with Acanthocheilonema reconditum being the only species identified. Aedes (Ochlerotatus) albifasciatus was the most abundant mosquito species collected, and 15 out of 65 pools were positive for filarial nematodes. Among these pools, 13 tested positive for Acanthocheilonema reconditum, and two tested positive for Setaria equina through PCR. Additionally, five Culex pipiens specimens were positive for Acanthocheilonema reconditum. Despite the absence of zoonotic filarial species, these findings underscore the significance of monitoring pathogens in mosquitoes and animal hosts and continued research into the dynamics of vector-borne diseases, particularly in unexplored regions.
Analysis of the antioxidant activity of toons sinensis extract and their biological effects on broilers
Authors: Zhao Xiangmin , Du Baolong , Wan Minyan , Li Jinlu , Qin Shizhen , Nian Fang , Tang Defu
Published: January 2024

Plant extracts are rich in a variety of nutrients and contain a large number of bioactive compounds, and compared with traditional feed additives, they have advantages such as wide sources, natural safety and rich nutrition. This study employed in vitro antioxidant and animal experiments to comprehensively evaluate the use of Toona sinensis extract (TSE) in broiler production. 508 1-day-old Cobb 500 broilers were randomly assigned to the 7 experimental groups with 6 replications and 12 birds/replicate. Two groups received Vitamin C (VC) 300 g/t and Vitamin E 500 g/t, and five dose groups of TSE received 0, 300, 600, 900, and 1,200 g/t of TSE in their feed. The study spanned 42 days, with a starter phase (1–21 days) and a finisher phase (22–42 days). The results showed that compared to ascorbic acid, TSE had the scavenging ability of 2,2-Diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl and hydroxyl radical, with IC50 values of 0.6658 mg/mL and 33.1298 mg/mL, respectively. Compared to TSE 0 group, broilers fed with 1,200 g/t TSE showed significant weight gain during the starter phase and increased the feed-to-weight gain ratio during both the starter and finisher phases. Additionally, broilers receiving 1,200 g/t TSE had enhanced dry matter and organic matter utilization. Concerning meat quality, broilers in the 1,200 g/t TSE group demonstrated increased cooked meat yield, and pH value, as well as higher antioxidant capacity (T-AOC), dismutase (SOD), and glutathione peroxidase (GSH-PX) in serum. In addition, there was no significant difference in ileal microflora due to TSE supplementation. In summary, this study confirms the positive impact of a dietary inclusion of 1,200 g/t TSE on broiler growth, meat quality, and serum antioxidants.
Mastitis impact on high-yielding dairy farm’s reproduction and net present value
Authors: Borş Alina , Borş Silviu-Ionuț , Floriștean Viorel-Cezar
Published: January 2024

Poor udder health can have a negative impact on milk production and reproductive performance, which reduces the net present value (NPV) of dairy farms. The aim of this study is therefore to investigate the relationship between clinical mastitis and NPV and the financial impact of impaired reproductive function. For this purpose, 473 dairy cows were included in our study, 146 cows with clinical mastitis (CM group) and 327 clinically healthy cows (CH group) from a high-yielding dairy farm in Romania, milking approximately 780 dairy cows with an average milk production of 46 kg milk/day. We found that, in contrast to CH cows, CM cows had a significantly lower conception rate at first service (58.2% vs. 41.7%, p < 0.05), third service (45.3% vs. 30.2%, p < 0.05), and total services (49.2% vs. 36.4%, p < 0.05). However, this positive effect was not observed for the average days open, which were significantly lower in CM cows than in CH cows (112 ± 4.3 days vs. 142 ± 3.1 days, p < 0.05). The fact that the non-pregnant CH cows had higher somatic cell counts (>400,000 SCC/mL) in their milk around artificial insemination (AI) and 1 month earlier than the pregnant cows (<250,000 SCC/ml) supports the idea that poor uterine health affects the reproductive activity of high-yielding cows. However, by using the UW-DairyRepro$ decision support tool, we found that despite the impairment of reproductive function in dairy cows, the largest negative impacts on NPV are still the cost of milk loss (US$14,439.4/farm/year) and treatment costs (US$4,380/farm/year). We considered the costs associated with poor reproductive function in the CM group (US$3,577/farm/year) as an additional cost of mastitis. Finally, it appears that the impact of mastitis on reproduction is associated with a lower chance of conception than it is with a daily risk of services.
Trends in the enterovirus surveillance in Oslo, Norway before and during the COVID-19 pandemic
Authors: Dudman Susanne , Klundby Ingvild , Øverbø Joakim , Numanovic Sanela , Nilsen Mariann , Lind Andreas , Holberg-Petersen Mona , Landaas Elisabeth Toverud
Published: January 2024

Background

Enteroviruses have the potential to cause both high morbidity and mortality especially in children. High season in Norway is between August and November, but this seasonality was interrupted by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Methods

In this study, we describe the enterovirus surveillance in Norway before and during the COVID-19 pandemic including the years from the start of 2016 until the end of 2022. Screening of enterovirus was performed by both laboratory developed methods and FilmArray® ME Panel. Relevant samples were typed, mostly by VP1 sequencing.

Results

Seventy-four percent of all cases occurred in infants under five years of age. A significant reduction in positive cases was observed during the peak years of the COVID-19 pandemic compared to the years before. Pre-pandemic, a wide range of types from all four enterovirus species were detected. During the years with COVID-19 infection control measures, significantly fewer enterovirus types were found along with a substantial reduction in the detection rate.

Conclusion

Enterovirus surveillance discovered a large amount of different types mainly affecting infants. The positivity rate was markedly reduced during the pandemic in 2020-2022 and fewer types occurred.
Early Identification of Corn and Soybean Using Crop Growth Curve Matching Method
Authors: Chen Ruiqing , Sun Liang , Chen Zhongxin , Wuyun Deji , Sun Zheng
Published: January 2024

The prompt and precise identification of corn and soybeans are essential for making informed decisions in agricultural production and ensuring food security. Nonetheless, conventional crop identification practices often occur after the completion of crop growth, lacking the timeliness required for effective agricultural management. To achieve in-season crop identification, a case study focused on corn and soybeans in the U.S. Corn Belt was conducted using a crop growth curve matching methodology. Initially, six vegetation indices datasets were derived from the publicly available HLS product, and then these datasets were integrated with known crop-type maps to extract the growth curves for both crops. Furthermore, crop-type information was acquired by assessing the similarity between time-series data and the respective growth curves. A total of 18 scenarios with varying input image numbers were arranged at approximately 10-day intervals to perform identical similarity recognition. The objective was to identify the scene that achieves an 80% recognition accuracy earliest, thereby establishing the optimal time for early crop identification. The results indicated the following: (1) The six vegetation index datasets demonstrate varying capabilities in identifying corn and soybean. Among those, the EVI index and two red-edge indices exhibit the best performance, all surpassing 90% accuracy when the entire time-series data are used as input. (2) EVI, NDPI, and REVI2 indices can achieve early identification, with an accuracy exceeding 80% around July 20, more than two months prior to the end of the crops’ growth periods. (3) Utilizing the same limited sample size, the early crop identification method based on crop growth curve matching outperforms the method based on random forest by approximately 20 days. These findings highlight the considerable potential and value of the crop growth curve matching method for early identification of corn and soybeans, especially when working with limited samples.
Remodeling of Hepatic Glucose Metabolism in Response to Early Weaning in Piglets
Authors: Yu Chengbing , Wang Di , Shen Cheng , Luo Zhen , Zhang Hongcai , Zhang Jing , Xu Weina , Xu Jianxiong
Published: January 2024

This study aimed to investigate the dynamic changes in hepatic glucose metabolism in response to early weaning. A total of 60 piglets were randomly selected and weaned at 21 days old. Six piglets were slaughtered on the weaning day (d0) and at 1 (d1), 4 (d4), 7 (d7), and 14 (d14) days postweaning. The results illustrated that body weight significantly increased from d4 to d14 (p < 0.001). Serum glucose fell sharply after weaning and then remained at a low level from d1 to d14 (p < 0.001). Serum insulin decreased from d4 (p < 0.001), which caused hepatic glycogen to be broken down (p = 0.007). The glucose-6-phosphatase activity increased from d0 to d4 and then decreased from d4 to d14 (p = 0.039). The pyruvate carboxylase activity presented a significant sustained increase from d0 to d14 (p < 0.001). The succinate (p = 0.006) and oxaloacetate (p = 0.003) content on d4 was lower than that on d0. The succinate dehydrogenase activity (p = 0.008) and ATP (p = 0.016) production decreased significantly on d4 compared to that on d0. Taken together, these findings reveal the dynamic changes of metabolites and enzymes related to hepatic glycometabolism and the TCA (tricarboxylic acid) cycle in piglets after weaning. Our findings enrich weaning stress theory and might provide a reference for dietary intervention.
Characterization of Lophiotoma leucotropis Mitochondrial Genome of Family Turridae and Phylogenetic Considerations within the Neogastropoda
Authors: Jiang Xinqin , Miao Jing , Li Jiji , Ye Yingying
Published: January 2024

Neogastropoda is a group of marine organisms with an extremely wide distribution that is rich in species and economic and ornamental values, the classification of species in this order has been ongoing for a long time, but there is still a great controversy about whether this order is monophyletic. In this study, we obtained the complete mitogenome of Lophiotoma leucotropis by next-generation sequencing and analyzed the basic structural features of the genome, and we found that the number of genes was consistent with that of most of the Neogastropoda snails, containing 37 genes, including 13 protein-coding genes (PCGs), 2 rRNAs, and 22 tRNAs. Analyzing base content, amino acid content, codon usage preference, and tRNA structure, the mitogenomes of eight species of Turridae were selected for analysis of selection pressures, and it was found that the evolution of species in this family was affected by purifying selection. In addition, by analyzing the rearrangement characteristics, it was found that the sequence of L. leucotropis was consistent with the Conoidea consensus order, and four of the eight species involved in the analysis showed rearrangements. Finally, we constructed a phylogenetic tree by combining PCGs of 60 species within Caenogastropoda and found Neogastropoda to be a monophyletic group, validating the results of morphological classification. The results will provide more references for the classification and species evolution of Neogastropoda, as well as phylogenetic analysis.
High Prevalence of Multidrug-Resistant Bacteria in the Trachea of Intensive Care Units Admitted Patients: Evidence from a Bangladeshi Hospital
Authors: Haque Sabrina , Ahmed Akash , Islam Nazrul , Haque Fahim Kabir Monjurul
Published: January 2024

Recent research has shown that antibiotic-resistant microorganisms are becoming more prevalent in intensive care units (ICUs) at an exponential rate. Patients in the ICU can get infected by pathogens due to invasive operation procedures and critical health conditions. This study primarily emphasized tracheal samples from ICU patients due to their reliance on ventilators, increasing their susceptibility to Ventilator-Associated Pneumonia (VAP). Moreover, the rise of multidrug-resistant (MDR) pathogens makes treatment strategies more challenging for these patients. In this study, we tested 200 tracheal specimens to determine the prevalence of microorganisms and analyzed the antibiotic susceptibility of these isolates against regular antibiotics, including 4th generation drugs. Among the 273 isolates, 81% were gram-negative bacteria, 10% were gram-positive bacteria, and 9% were fungi. The most prevalent gram-negative bacteria were Acinetobacter spp. (34%), Klebsiella spp. (22%), Pseudomonas spp. (14%), and Escherichia coli (9.2%). The most prevalent gram-positive bacteria were Staphylococcus aureus (5.9%), and the fungi were Candida spp. (7.3%). Among the most prevalent bacteria, except Staphylococcus aureus isolates, around 90% were resistant to multiple drugs, whereas 60% of Acinetobacter spp. and Pseudomonas spp. were extensively drug resistant. Sensitivity analysis against the gram-negative and gram-positive drug panel using a one-way ANOVA test followed by Tukey’s post hoc test showed that in the in vitro assay, colistin was the most effective antibiotic against all gram-negative bacteria. In contrast, linezolid, vancomycin, and fusidic acid were most effective against all gram-positive bacteria. Regular monitoring of nosocomial infections and safe management of highly resistant bacteria can help prevent future pandemics.
Amphiregulin Exerts Proangiogenic Effects in Developing Murine Lungs
Authors: Thapa Shyam , Shankar Nithyapriya , Shrestha Amrit Kumar , Civunigunta Monish , Gaikwad Amos S. , Shivanna Binoy
Published: January 2024

Interrupted lung angiogenesis is a hallmark of bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD); however, druggable targets that can rescue this phenotype remain elusive. Thus, our investigation focused on amphiregulin (Areg), a growth factor that mediates cellular proliferation, differentiation, migration, survival, and repair. While Areg promotes lung branching morphogenesis, its effect on endothelial cell (EC) homeostasis in developing lungs is understudied. Therefore, we hypothesized that Areg promotes the proangiogenic ability of the ECs in developing murine lungs exposed to hyperoxia. Lung tissues were harvested from neonatal mice exposed to normoxia or hyperoxia to determine Areg expression. Next, we performed genetic loss-of-function and pharmacological gain-of-function studies in normoxia- and hyperoxia-exposed fetal murine lung ECs. Hyperoxia increased Areg mRNA levels and Areg+ cells in whole lungs. While Areg expression was increased in lung ECs exposed to hyperoxia, the expression of its signaling receptor, epidermal growth factor receptor, was decreased, indicating that hyperoxia reduces Areg signaling in lung ECs. Areg deficiency potentiated hyperoxia-mediated anti-angiogenic effects. In contrast, Areg treatment increased extracellular signal-regulated kinase activation and exerted proangiogenic effects. In conclusion, Areg promotes EC tubule formation in developing murine lungs exposed to hyperoxia.
ADP-Ribosylation Factor-Interacting Protein 2 Acts as a Novel Regulator of Mitophagy and Autophagy in Podocytes in Diabetic Nephropathy
Authors: Guo Haihua , Rogg Manuel , Keller Julia , Scherzinger Ann-Kathrin , Jäckel Julia , Meyer Charlotte , Sammarco Alena , Helmstädter Martin , Gorka Oliver , Groß Olaf , Schell Christoph , Bechtel-Walz Wibke
Published: January 2024

(1) Background: Differentiated podocytes are particularly vulnerable to oxidative stress and cellular waste products. The disease-related loss of postmitotic podocytes is a direct indicator of renal disease progression and aging. Podocytes use highly specific regulated networks of autophagy and endocytosis that counteract the increasing number of damaged protein aggregates and help maintain cellular homeostasis. Here, we demonstrate that ARFIP2 is a regulator of autophagy and mitophagy in podocytes both in vitro and in vivo. (2) Methods: In a recent molecular regulatory network analysis of mouse glomeruli, we identified ADP-ribosylation factor-interacting protein 2 (Arfip2), a cytoskeletal regulator and cofactor of ATG9-mediated autophagosome formation, to be differentially expressed with age. We generated an Arfip2-deficient immortalized podocyte cell line using the CRISPR/Cas technique to investigate the significance of Arfip2 for renal homeostasis in vitro. For the in vivo analyses of Arfip2 deficiency, we used a mouse model of Streptozotozin-induced type I diabetes and investigated physiological data and (patho)histological (ultra)structural modifications. (3) Results: ARFIP2 deficiency in immortalized human podocytes impedes autophagy. Beyond this, ARFIP2 deficiency in human podocytes interferes with ATG9A trafficking and the PINK1-Parkin pathway, leading to the compromised fission of mitochondria and short-term increase in mitochondrial respiration and induction of mitophagy. In diabetic mice, Arfip2 deficiency deteriorates autophagy and leads to foot process effacement, histopathological changes, and early albuminuria. (4) Conclusions: In summary, we show that ARFIP2 is a novel regulator of autophagy and mitochondrial homeostasis in podocytes by facilitating ATG9A trafficking during PINK1/Parkin-regulated mitophagy.
Action Detection for Wildlife Monitoring with Camera Traps Based on Segmentation with Filtering of Tracklets (SWIFT) and Mask-Guided Action Recognition (MAROON)
Authors: Schindler Frank , Steinhage Volker , van Beeck Calkoen Suzanne T. S. , Heurich Marco
Published: January 2024

Behavioral analysis of animals in the wild plays an important role for ecological research and conservation and has been mostly performed by researchers. We introduce an action detection approach that automates this process by detecting animals and performing action recognition on the detected animals in camera trap videos. Our action detection approach is based on SWIFT (segmentation with filtering of tracklets), which we have already shown to successfully detect and track animals in wildlife videos, and MAROON (mask-guided action recognition), an action recognition network that we are introducing here. The basic ideas of MAROON are the exploitation of the instance masks detected by SWIFT and a triple-stream network. The instance masks enable more accurate action recognition, especially if multiple animals appear in a video at the same time. The triple-stream approach extracts features for the motion and appearance of the animal. We evaluate the quality of our action recognition on two self-generated datasets, from an animal enclosure and from the wild. These datasets contain videos of red deer, fallow deer and roe deer, recorded both during the day and night. MAROON improves the action recognition accuracy compared to other state-of-the-art approaches by an average of 10 percentage points on all analyzed datasets and achieves an accuracy of 69.16% on the Rolandseck Daylight dataset, in which 11 different action classes occur. Our action detection system makes it possible todrasticallyreduce the manual work of ecologists and at the same time gain new insights through standardized results.
CasOmniMVS: Cascade Omnidirectional Depth Estimation with Dynamic Spherical Sweeping
Authors: Wang Pinzhi , Li Ming , Cao Jinghao , Du Sidan , Li Yang
Published: January 2024

Estimating 360∘ depth from multiple cameras has been a challenging problem. However, existing methods often adopt a fixed-step spherical sweeping approach with densely sampled spheres and use numerous 3D convolutions in networks, which limits the speed of algorithms in practice. Additionally, obtaining high-precision depth maps of real scenes poses a challenge for the existing algorithms. In this paper, we design a cascade architecture using a dynamic spherical sweeping method that progressively refines the depth estimation from coarse to fine over multiple stages. The proposed method adaptively adjusts sweeping intervals and ranges based on the predicted depth and the uncertainty from the previous stage, resulting in a more efficient cost aggregation performance. The experimental results demonstrated that our method achieved state-of-the-art accuracy with reduced GPU memory usage and time consumption compared to the other methods. Furthermore, we illustrate that our method achieved satisfactory performance on real-world data, despite being trained on synthetic data, indicating its generalization potential and practical applicability.
Enhancing the Photocatalytic Activity and Luminescent Properties of Rare-Earth-Doped CeO2 Nanoparticles
Authors: Toloman Dana , Popa Adriana , Sonher Ramona Bianca , Bortnic Rares , Marinca Traian Florin , Perhaita Ioana , Filip Miuța , Mesaros Amalia
Published: January 2024

Our study is focused on the structural and morphological characteristics, optical behaviour and photocatalytic properties of undoped and 5 at% Eu3+-, Gd3+- and Y3+-doped CeO2 nanoparticles prepared by a green hybrid sol-gel combustion method. Several techniques such as X-ray diffraction powder (XRD), Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM), UV-Vis spectroscopy, Photoluminescence spectroscopy (PL) and Electron Paramagnetic Resonance (EPR) have been used to investigate the obtained samples. Moreover, the correlation between the characteristics and properties has been studied. The nanoparticles observed by TEM exhibit a pseudo-spherical shape, except for Y3+-doped CeO2, which presents an acicular shape. The average size of undoped and rare-earth-doped CeO2 nanoparticles is below 10 nm, in good agreement with the calculations performed based on XRD analyses. From UV-Vis analyses it has been deduced that with doping the band gap energy decreases, which shows that additional levels are introduced by doping into the CeO2 band gap. The EPR spectra evidence similar behaviour for all doped samples. The photocatalytic activity was evaluated by the degradation of rhodamine B (RhB) under UV light irradiation. The photodegradation mechanism has been studied in depth based on the formation of electron-hole pairs, and to evidence the reactive oxygen species, ESR coupled with spin-trapping experiments was performed. In the case of Y-doped CeO2 nanoparticles, the generation of both •OOH and •O2− radicals involved in RhB photodegradation was highlighted.
Red-Emitting Cr3+ on α-Al2O3:Cr Spheres Obtained in Seconds Using Laser Processing
Authors: Rodrigues Joana , Carvalho Alexandre Faia , Zanoni Julia , Fernandes António J. S. , Costa Florinda M. , Monteiro Teresa
Published: January 2024

Cr-doped Al2O3 spheres with strong red emission were produced using a simple laser processing approach with a 50 W continuous CO2 laser. Structural characterization revealed that the produced spheres were monophasic, comprising the α-Al2O3 phase. Photoluminescence (PL) studies indicated that the observed red emission originates from multiple Cr3+ optical centers being dominated by the 2E → 4A2 transition (R-lines), with a further contribution from the parity and spin forbidden 2T1 → 4A2 transition (R′-lines). The identification of additional radiative recombination from chromium ion pairs (N-lines) evidences that the produced samples are heavily doped. As such, energy transfer processes between the different chromium optical centers are seen to take place, as suggested by the lifetime decay analysis. PL excitation revealed that the room temperature luminescence is preferentially populated via the spin-allowed 4A2 → 4T2,4T1 transitions and by the parity and spin-forbidden 4A2 → 2T2 (B-lines), 2T1 (R′-lines), 2E (R-lines). Such results demonstrate that the present synthesis method is able to deliver high-optical-quality Al2O3:Cr crystals in a fast and simple way, with potential interest for optical, sensing, or lasing applications.
Comparative Study of the Expansive Behaviour of Different Internal Bleaching Agents
Authors: Pallarés-Serrano Alba , Pallarés-Serrano Sandra , Pallarés-Serrano Antonio , Martinez-Martinez Guillermo , Pallarés-Sabater Antonio
Published: January 2024

Internal bleaching is a conservative treatment applied to a darkened endodontically treated tooth to restore its original colour, either as a single treatment or as a treatment prior to a subsequent prosthetic phase. The aim of this study was to objectively measure and compare using an experimental model the expansive capacity of four bleaching groups: carbamide peroxide 37% (CP 37%), hydrogen peroxide 30% (HP 30%), HP 30% mixed with sodium perborate (SP) and SP mixed with distilled water. A total of 150 lower incisors (n = 30 in each group) were prepared for the Walking Bleach technique and a glass tube with oil was introduced into the coronal access cavity to measure the expansive capacity through oil displacement, due to the reaction that occurs when bleaching agents interact with dental tissues. The results after 10 days were analysed with the Games–Howell post hoc test to compare the samples. Significant higher expansion was observed with HP 30% (p < 0.05) and lower expansion with SP (p < 0.05) compared to the other groups. No significant differences were observed between CP 37% (p > 0.05) and HP 30% + SP (p > 0.05). This provides significant and observable information on the behaviour of each bleaching group and its evolution after 10 days.
An OTA Upgrade Differential Compression Algorithm Based on Suffix Array Induced Sorting and BsDiff Methods
Authors: Zhang Xinrong , Wang Ying , Su Yanzhao , Zuo Hengfeng , Huang Jin , Kong Linghe
Published: January 2024

As the scale and complexity of software for industrial equipment increases, the risk of defects being introduced into the software also increases. Over-the-air (OTA) technology eliminates software defects by regularly updating and maintaining the software equipment. However, downloading an upgraded file is time-consuming. The differential compression algorithm can rapidly complete OTA software upgrades. To solve the low-efficiency problem of suffix array sorting in the BsDiff algorithm, a fusion algorithm based on the suffix array induced sorting and BsDiff methods was proposed to reduce the time consumption in the OTA upgrade process. The execution of the difference algorithm in the cloud was simulated using bench experiments. Subsequently, the function and performance of the proposed algorithm were experimentally evaluated. The results showed that the optimized algorithm could save more than 35% of the time compared to the original algorithm, which improved the OTA upgrade efficiency to a certain extent.
Research on Acoustic Emission Characteristics and Crack Evolution during Rock Failure under Tensile and Tensile- and Compressive-Shear Stress States
Authors: Xu Yifan , Hu Jie , He Peng , Wang Gang , Pan Haolan
Published: January 2024

Tensile, compressive-shear, and tensile-shear failure are three typical failure modes of rock- and lining-support structural materials in underground engineering. Comparative studies of the acoustic emission (AE) evolution characteristics of specimens of the same shape and size under different stress states are of great significance in determining universal disaster warning guidelines. Based on a self-developed multi-functional test system, direct tensile, compressive-shear, and tensile-shear tests were conducted on intact and jointed rock-like specimens, comparing AE amplitude and peak frequency parameters under different failure modes from the perspectives of crack scale and crack type evolution. All failure tests were monitored with microcrack propagation at an early stage until ultimate rupture occurred at the peak-load moment. As a result, the “quiet-period” could only be observed from the compressive-shear test. The AE signals distributed in three bands can be used as an indicator of failure identifications. Tensile and shear cracks can be identified by strong and weak amplitudes of low- and high-frequency signals. These results enhance the knowledge of the failure modes of rock mechanics for more applications in monitoring disasters in rock engineering.
Improvement of SAMI2 with Comprehensive Photochemistry at Mid-Latitudes and a Preliminary Comparison with Ionosonde Data
Authors: Hu Yanli , Xu Tong , Sun Shuji , Zhu Mengyan , Deng Zhongxin , Xu Zhengwen
Published: January 2024

Photochemistry can significantly affect the ionospheric status. Adopting a comprehensive photochemical scheme with 60 reactions, primarily based on the recent systematic study of ion chemistry by Richards in 2011, we revised the open-source SAMI2 (Sami2 is another model of the ionosphere) model to SAMI2−ph. The scheme includes both ground state and metastable/vibrational excited compositions (e.g., N(2D), N2(ν), and O2(ν)) and associated reactions, which can remarkably affect the ionospheric electron density. The model accuracy is tested using the most widely used ionospheric data foF2 derived from mid-latitude ionosonde stations. The correlation coefficients are larger for SAMI2−ph than for SAMI2. In addition, the linear slope k is significantly closer to 1 than the default run for the NmF2 comparisons. The smaller RMSE and b indicate that the modified model provides a reasonably good match with the ionosonde NmF2 measurements. The above results demonstrate that the model with the chosen photochemical scheme performs better than the original SAMI2 at mid-latitude.