bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Path planning with the derivative of heuristic angle based on the GBFS algorithm
Authors: Lim Daehee , Jo Jungwook
Published: August 2022

Robots used in extreme environments need a high reactivity on their scene. For fast response, they need the ability to find the optimal path in a short time. In order to achieve this goal, this study introduces WA*DH+, an improved version of WA*DH (weighted A* with the derivative of heuristic angle). In some path planning scenes, WA*DH cannot find suboptimal nodes with the small inflation factor called the critical value due to its filtering method. It is hard to develop a new filtering method, so this study inflated the suboptimality of the initial solution instead. Critical values vary in every path planning scene, so increasing the inflation factor for the initial solution will not be the solution to our problem. Thus, WA*DH + uses the GBFS algorithm with the infinitely bounded suboptimal solution for its initial solution. Simulation results demonstrate that WA*DH + can return a better solution faster than WA*DH by finding suboptimal nodes in the given environment.
Total laparoscopic versus laparoscopic-assisted transabdominal posterior mediastinal digestive tract reconstruction in the treatment of Siewert II adenocarcinoma of the esophagogastric junction: A retrospective study
Authors: Wang Liang , Chen Xiaoqian , Miao Wei , Ma Yubin , Ma Xinfu , Wang Chun , Cao Xiaobo , Xu Hongyin , Wei Jiajia , Yan Su
Published: August 2022

Background

The method of operation and the range of resection for Siewert II adenocarcinoma of the esophagogastric junction (AEG) remain controversial. This study aims to evaluate the safety, feasibility, and short-term postoperative effect of total laparoscopic versus laparoscopic-assisted transabdominal posterior mediastinal digestive tract reconstruction in the treatment of Siewert II AEG.

Methods

Total laparoscopic or laparoscopic-assisted gastrointestinal reconstruction through abdominal posterior mediastinum was performed in 108 patients with Siewert II AEG from October 2017 to February 2019. This study evaluated the loss of intraoperative blood, the number of lymph nodes, the marginal of the tumor, short-term postoperative complications (within 30 days), the rate of survival at follow-up, and the economic cost, feasibility, and effect of short-term postoperative recovery for patients who received these two operations.

Result

There were no significant differences in general data between the total laparoscopic group and the laparoscopic-assisted group (P > 0.05). However, the total laparoscopic group cost more time on the surgical procedure and digestive tract reconstruction, lost less intraoperative blood, and had more mediastinal lymph nodes compared with the laparoscopic-assisted group (P < 0.05). The total laparoscopic group was significantly better than the laparoscopic-assisted group compared with the short-term postoperative recovery indexes, such as the first exhaust time, the first defecation time, the first fluid time, the first semi-fluid diet time, the postoperative hospital stay, and other postoperative recovery indexes (P < 0.05). In addition, there were no significant differences in postoperative complications, postoperative pathological indexes, the recurrence rate, and mortality between the total laparoscopic group and laparoscopic-assisted group (P > 0.05).

Conclusions

The safety, feasibility, and short-term effect of total laparoscopic transabdominal posterior mediastinal digestive tract reconstruction in the treatment of Siewert II AEG were better than those for the laparoscopic-assisted group.
Effects of stereotactic aspiration on brainstem hemorrhage in a case series
Authors: Du Lei , Wang Ji-Wei , Li Cong-Hui , Gao Bu-Lang
Published: August 2022

Purpose

Brainstem hemorrhage is usually treated conservatively with medication and has high mortality and morbidity rates. Stereotactic aspiration can directly and microinvasively draw out the hemorrhage within a narrow space in the brainstem, thus promoting quick recovery and potentially saving the life of the patient. This study was conducted to investigate the effect of stereotactic aspiration on patients with brainstem hemorrhage in a case series.

Materials and methods

A total of 42 patients with brainstem hemorrhage were enrolled for stereotactic aspiration of the brain hemorrhage, and another 30 patients with brainstem hemorrhage were enrolled for conservative treatment. The clinical and imaging data were analyzed and compared.

Results

Stereotactic aspiration was successful in all patients (100%), with immediate elimination of hematoma in the brainstem. In five patients with the hemorrhage extending to the fourth ventricle (n = 1) and basal ganglia (n = 4), the hemorrhage was eliminated, resulting in good outcomes. However, four patients died of multiple organ failure after aspiration, resulting in a mortality rate of 9.5%. One week after surgery, the Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS) score ranged from 3 to 11 (mean 5.9 ± 2.3). At 1-month follow-up, 4 patients died, and 36 patients survived, with the GCS score ranging between 3 and 15 (mean 8.6 ± 2.1), which was significantly (P < 0.01) higher than that before surgery. The Modified Rankin Scale (mRS) score was 5 before treatment, 5 (4.4, 6) at 1 week after surgery, and 5 (4, 6) at 1 month. In the conservative group, 16 (53.3%) patients died during hospitalization. The GCS score was 0–6 (mean 2.3 ± 1.1), which was significantly (P < 0.05) worse than at admission or of that in the aspiration group at 1 month. The mRS score at 1 month was 6 (5, 6), which was significantly (P < 0.05) worse than that in the aspiration group.

Conclusion

Stereotactic aspiration for brainstem hemorrhage as an approach of microinvasiveness may be effective in evacuating brainstem hemorrhage and may promote quick recovery of the patient, resulting in better clinical outcomes.
Bioengineering, augmented reality, and robotic surgery in vascular surgery: A literature review
Authors: Condino Sara , Piazza Roberta , Carbone Marina , Bath Jonathan , Troisi Nicola , Ferrari Mauro , Berchiolli Raffaella
Published: August 2022

Biomedical engineering integrates a variety of applied sciences with life sciences to improve human health and reduce the invasiveness of surgical procedures. Technological advances, achieved through biomedical engineering, have contributed to significant improvements in the field of vascular and endovascular surgery. This paper aims to review the most cutting-edge technologies of the last decade involving the use of augmented reality devices and robotic systems in vascular surgery, highlighting benefits and limitations. Accordingly, two distinct literature surveys were conducted through the PubMed database: the first review provides a comprehensive assessment of augmented reality technologies, including the different techniques available for the visualization of virtual content (11 papers revised); the second review collects studies with bioengineering content that highlight the research trend in robotic vascular surgery, excluding works focused only on the clinical use of commercially available robotic systems (15 papers revised). Technological flow is constant and further advances in imaging techniques and hardware components will inevitably bring new tools for a clinical translation of innovative therapeutic strategies in vascular surgery.
A retrospective study of post-operative complications and cost analysis in robotic rectal resection versus laparoscopic rectal resection
Authors: Ali Muhammad , Zhu Xiaodong , Wang Yang , Ding Jianyue , Zhang Qi , Sun Qiannan , Baral Shantanu , Wang Daorong
Published: August 2022

Background

Robotic rectal cancer surgery has proven to be a viable alternative to laparoscopic surgery in treating rectal cancer. This study assessed the short-term operative measures of robotic versus laparoscopic surgery.

Material

Data was obtained retrospectively from July 2019 to November 2021. Patient demographics, pre-and post-operative features, initial bowel movement, length of hospital stay, and short-term postoperative outcomes such as harvested lymph node, sepsis, Clavien–Dindo Classification, and cost were evaluated.

Results

A total of 155 patients were treated for colorectal cancer, with 64 receiving robotic surgery and 91 receiving laparoscopic surgery. According to the Clavien–Dindo classification, there is a significant P < 0.05 between robotic and laparoscopic rectal surgery, with robotic having fewer patients in grade III-IV than laparoscopic. Despite this, laparoscopic surgery is associated with more sepsis patients (P < 0.05), and harvested lymph nodes are likewise associated with significant results.

Conclusion

With respect to post-operative complication and cost analysis, our finding imply that robotic rectal resection achieves better-quality short-term outcome but more costly than laparoscopic as well as Clavien–Dindo classification plays a crucial role in assessing postoperative rectal cancer complications and considerably impacts the quality of life.
Aquatic organisms modulate the bioreactivity of engineered nanoparticles: focus on biomolecular corona
Authors: Liu Wei , Worms Isabelle A. M. , Jakšić Željko , Slaveykova Vera I.
Published: August 2022

The increased use of nanoparticle (NP)-enabled materials in everyday-life products have raised concerns about their environmental implications and safety. This motivated the extensive research in nanoecotoxicology showing the possibility that NPs could cause harm to the aquatic organisms if present at high concentrations. By contrast, studies dealing with influence that organisms could exert on the fate and thus effects of NPs are still very rare. Drawing on the existing up-to-date knowledge we critically discuss the formation of biomolecular corona as one of the mechanisms by which organisms exerted control on the NPs fate in the aquatic and biotic environments. We focused the formation of corona by exogeneous and endogenous biomolecules and illustrated the discussion with the specific example of phytoplankton and aquatic invertebrate species. We highlighted the necessity to incorporate the concept of biomolecular corona within more general framework considering the feedback of aquatic organisms and the control they exert in shaping the fate and impact of NPs in the aquatic and biological environment. In our view such broader perspective will contribute to get novel insights into the drivers of environmental transformations of NPs and their mechanisms, which are important in environmental risk assessment.
Evaluation of Homogenization in Metroplex Operations Based on Multi-Dimensional Indicators
Authors: Guo Congcong , Cong Wei , Zhong Fengwei , Jiang Di , Su Jiaming , Wang Yanjun
Published: August 2022

The development of a Multiple Airport Region (MAR) could lead to fierce competition. To evaluate the level of homogenization between airports in a MAR, a homogenization evaluation method based on multi-dimensional indicators was developed. A multi-dimensional indicator system is proposed that takes into account infrastructure, integrated support, operational efficiency and airline networks. Then the Critic method and the Delphi method are used to assign hierarchical weights for each dimension of the indicators. The multi-layer homogenization matrix of the airport pairs within the MAR is derived. For airport pairs with high comprehensive homogenization, suggestions are provided according to analysis of the indicators. This study paper selected three typical MARs internationally to demonstrate the advantage of the proposed approach. The airport pairs with high a homogenous coefficient (greater than 0.5) were selected to analyze the reasons causing high homogeneity. Results show that the multi-dimensional indicators and hierarchical fusion captured the characteristics of the homogenization of MAR. Most airport pairs in New York MAR and in London MAR had strong differentiation of route network layout, airport pairs in Greater Bay MAR had ambiguous division of labor and low homogenization of route network, except CAN and SZX airports. Suggestions are discussed separately to mitigate the homogeneity of the airports in the MAS, thus, to improve the operation performance of the MARs.
From Ground to Grain: Tracing Phosphorus and Potassium in Flooded Rice Cultivar Grown on Histosols
Authors: Amgain Naba R. , Fan Yuchuan , VanWeelden Matthew T. , Rabbany Abul , Bhadha Jehangir H.
Published: August 2022

To trace the phosphorus (P) and potassium (K) content in flooded rice (Oryza sativa L), 14 rice cultivars commonly grown in the Southern United States were evaluated for their P and K concentration in tissue and grain. Field experiments were conducted at two locations in Everglades Agriculture Area (EAA), where flooded rice was cultivated on organic Histosols. Soil pH and Mehlich-3 phosphorus (M3P) were significantly different between locations. At Site I, soil pH, M3P, and Mehlich-3 potassium (M3K) varied in the range of 6.8–7.1, 21.4–36.4 mg kg−1, and 53.9–151.0 mg kg−1, respectively. At Site II, soil pH, M3P and M3K varied in the range of 6.9–7.3, 11.2–20.5 mg kg−1, and 64.8–104.1 mg kg−1, respectively. Stem potassium was the only measured parameter that was significantly different among rice cultivars at both sites. At Site I and Site II, stem K ranged from 14.2–26.6 mg kg−1 and 10.4–19.4 mg kg−1, respectively. No significant difference in yield among cultivars was observed at Site I, whereas Site II had a significant difference in yield among cultivars. At Site I and Site II, yields ranged from 3745–7587 kg ha−1 and 2627–6406 kg ha−1, respectively. None of the cultivars ranked consistently in the same top and bottom position for each measured parameter. Total phosphorus (TP) concentration was highest in grain, whereas total potassium (TK) concentration was highest in the stem. Results suggest incorporation of rice stem into the soil could potentially add fertilizer back to the soil which helps in fertility management.
Application of Mathematical Models and Thermodynamic Properties in the Drying of Jambu Leaves
Authors: Gomes Francileni Pompeu , Resende Osvaldo , Sousa Elisabete Piancó de , Célia Juliana Aparecida , de Oliveira Kênia Borges
Published: August 2022

Jambu is a vegetable originally from the northern region of Brazil, has bioactive properties, being little explored by other regions, due to its high peresivity. And one of the methods to increase the shelf life of plant products is the removal of water. The objective of this work was to evaluate the drying kinetics of jambu leaf mass. Two treatments were carried out: The mass of fresh jambu leaves and the mass of fresh jambu leaves with the addition of drying foam, both submitted in an oven with forced air circulation at temperatures (50, 60 and 70 °C and thickness of 1.0 cm). The proximate composition of the materials was performed before and after drying. Twelve mathematical models were tested on drying kinetics data and thermodynamic properties were calculated. The parameters of the proximate composition for the mass of leaves and foam after drying were: Moisture content of (2 to 7%), ash content of (13 to 17%), protein content of (22 to 30%), lipids of (0.6 to 4%) and total titratable acidity (0.20 to 0.28%) of tartaric acid. The models that best fit the experimental data to describe the drying kinetics of jambu masses were: Wang & Singh. The use of foam mat presented higher values of effective diffusion coefficient and activation energy and lower values of enthalpy and entropy, reducing the drying time.
Aerial Seeding Promotes the Restoration of Ecosystem Health in Mu Us Sandy Grasslands in China
Authors: Ma Yina , Wang Shixiong , Zhang Qing , Guo Kun , He Yuejun , Chen Danmei , Sui Mingzhen , Zhang Guangqi , Zang Lipeng , Liu Qingfu
Published: August 2022

Grassland ecosystem health is related to global ecological problems, and large areas of grassland are threatened by degradation. Various measures, such as aerial seeding, have been applied to restore degraded grassland ecosystems. However, the effects of these measures remain unclear. In this study, based on the CVOR (condition, vitality, organization, and resilience) model, the entropy method was used to calculate the ecosystem health of aerial seeding restoration sites in the Mu Us sandy grassland, China. Then, the relationship between CVOR value, various indices in the model, and restoration time was measured using correlation analysis. The results show that (1) the vitality criterion layer has the highest weight in the CVOR model; (2) the cautionary hierarchy is the most (40.0%), and the healthy hierarchy is the opposite (10.0%) among all the restoration sites; and (3) 30-year aerial seeding can promote ecosystem health in sandy grasslands. This study demonstrates that aerial seeding is an effective method for restoring degraded grassland ecosystems and can guide future restoration measures and policies for degraded ecosystems.
The Effects of Proline on the Yield and Essential Oil Content of Turnip-Rooted Parsley (Petroselinum crispum ssp. tuberosum)
Authors: Gruszecki Robert , Stawiarz Aneta , Walasek-Janusz Magdalena
Published: August 2022

Proline is an amino acid that increases plant tolerance to abiotic and biotic stresses, but the effects of its application can be influenced by many factors. The present study investigated the effects of time and the number of applications of this amino acid on the yield of root parsley in field conditions. The experimental material comprised of two parsley cultivars (Petroselinum crispum (Mill.) Nyman ex A.W. Hill), ‘Halblange’ and ‘Sonata’. The parsley plants were sprayed with proline (1000 mg L−1) at growth stages determined according to the BBCH scale: BBCH 15–16 (I: 5–6 leaf phase), BBCH 41 (II: roots start to widen, diameter > 0.5 cm), and BBCH scale 42–43 (III: roots are 20–30% of the typical diameter), including I + II, II + III, and I + II + III. The time and number of proline applications affected the weight of leaves and the total and marketable yield. The amino acid spraying increased the average number of plants during harvest in the ‘Halblange’ but decreased the number in the ‘Sonata’ in all applications. Using proline twice or three times reduced the total essential oil content and modified its composition. The most beneficial effect in terms of the composition was achieved by using proline twice at stages II + III, even in ‘Sonata’, where the values were lower in the other treatments than in the control. Spraying three times did not give better results in terms of the composition and content of the essential oil. However, the use of this amino acid did not affect the total and marketable yield of the roots or the leaf weight of the parsley compared to the control. Our study showed that the time of the proline application may be more important than the number of applications, and the results may be cultivar-dependent.
Improvement of Photosynthetic Pigment Characteristics, Mineral Content, and Antioxidant Activity of Lettuce (Lactuca sativa L.) by Arbuscular Mycorrhizal Fungus and Seaweed Extract Foliar Application
Authors: Asadi Mohammad , Rasouli Farzad , Amini Trifa , Hassanpouraghdam Mohammad Bagher , Souri Somaye , Skrovankova Sona , Mlcek Jiri , Ercisli Sezai
Published: August 2022

Beneficial plant–microbe interaction for enhancing crop yield and quality is a sustainable way to achieve eco-friendly, desirable agricultural productions. The main objective of this experiment was to evaluate the individual and combined effects of an arbuscular mycorrhizal fungus (AMF) strain (Funneliformis mosseae) and a seaweed extract (SWE) derived from Ascophyllum nodosum, on the growth and physiological responses of lettuce (Lactuca sativa L.). Lettuce plants were inoculated with commercial AMF inoculum (5 g kg−1 soil), and SWE foliar application was done at three levels (0.5, 1.5, and 3 g L−1). The findings revealed that AMF along with SWE generated the greatest impact. In fact, co-application of AMF inoculation and 3 g L−1 SWE considerably enhanced root colonization, chlorophyll a, chlorophyll b, total chlorophyll, carotenoids, and mineral content in the shoots and roots (N, P, K, Ca, Fe, Zn, and Mn content) of lettuce plants. This combination improved initial fluorescence (F0), photochemical efficiency of PSII (FV/Fm) and Y(NO) and total antioxidant activity (TAA), whereas the maximum fluorescence, (Fm) and Y(II), showed the highest increase in lettuce plants treated with AMF and 1.5 g L−1 SWE. Furthermore, AMF inoculation along with SWE, at concentrations 1.5 and 3 g L−1, considerably enhanced variable fluorescence (FV) and the activity of water decomposition in electron donor photosystem II (FV/F0). As a result of these findings, it can be stated that the co-application of AMF and SWE positively improves the growth and development of lettuce plants.
Characterization of a Soybean (Glycine max L. Merr.) Population for Germination and Seedling Root Traits under Water Stress
Authors: Kakati Jyoti Prasad , Fallen Benjamin , Bridges William , Narayanan Sruthi
Published: August 2022

Dry soil conditions at soybean planting results in poor stand establishment, which often necessitates replanting. We conducted a study to identify soybean genotypes that can maintain germination rates and possess better root morphology under water stress. We tested 41 Plant Introductions (PI) for germination and seedling root traits under controlled environmental conditions at five water potentials: 0.00, −0.27, −0.54, −0.82, and −1.09 MPa (no, low, mild, severe, and extreme water stress, respectively). The same genotypes were tested for emergence and seedling root traits under field conditions in South Carolina (2021 and 2022) and North Carolina (2022). Among the 41 genotypes evaluated, PI 398566 and PI 424605A maintained higher germination percentages (≥63%) under water stress. The same genotypes were ranked among the top 15 genotypes for root traits (total-root and fine-root (diameter between 0.25 and 0.50 mm) length, surface area, and/or volume) under water stress. Furthermore, they had relatively higher emergence percentages under field conditions (≥35% under dry soil conditions). The superior genotypes identified in this study (PI 398566 and PI 424605A) that had better germination and root morphology under water-stress and no-stress conditions and better emergence would be useful for developing varieties with drought tolerance during the emergence phase.
Extraction of Mountain Grasslands in Yunnan, China, from Sentinel-2 Data during the Optimal Phenological Period Using Feature Optimization
Authors: Cheng Xinmeng , Liu Wendou , Zhou Junhong , Wang Zizhi , Zhang Shuqiao , Liao Shengxi
Published: August 2022

The timely and accurate mapping of the spatial distribution of grasslands is crucial for maintaining grassland habitats and ensuring the sustainable utilization of resources. We used Google Earth Engine (GEE) and Sentinel-2 data for mountain grassland extraction in Yunnan, China. The differences in the normalized vegetation index in the time-series data of different ground objects were compared. February to March, during grassland senescence, was the optimum phenological stage for grassland extraction. The spectral, textural of Sentinel-2, and topographic features of the Shuttle Radar Topography Mission (SRTM) were used for the classification. The features were optimized using the recursive feature elimination (RFE) feature importance selection algorithm. The overall accuracy of the random forest (RF) classification algorithm was 91.2%, the producer’s accuracy of grassland was 96.7%, and the user’s accuracy of grassland was 89.4%, exceeding that of the cart classification (Cart), support vector machine (SVM), and minimum distance classification (MDC). The SWIR1 and elevation were the most important features. The results show that Yunnan has abundant grassland resources, accounting for 18.99% of the land area; most grasslands are located in the northwest at altitudes above 3200 m and in the Yuanjiang River regions. This study provides a new approach for feature optimization and grassland extraction in mountainous areas, as well as essential data for the further investigation, evaluation, protection, and utilization of grassland resources.
Essential Oil Diversity of Turnip-Rooted Parsley Cultivars
Authors: Gruszecki Robert , Walasek-Janusz Magdalena
Published: August 2022

The quality of turnip-rooted parsley (Petroselinum crispum var. tuberosum) as a seasoning ingredient depends on the content and composition of the essential oil. The content of essential oil is influenced by many factors, the main of which are genetic variations and environmental conditions. The presented work presents for the first time a comparison of such numerous cultivars of root parsley in terms of the essential oil content in both the roots and the leaves. The experiment compared the content and composition of the essential oils of fifteen parsley cultivars in two growing seasons. The essential oil was obtained by the hydrodistillation method, and the composition analysis was performed using the GC/MS technique. The essential oil content in parsley roots ranged from 0.013 to 0.045 mL 100 g−1 FW, while in leaves, it was within the range of 0.041–0.121 mL 100 g−1 FW. The leaf essential oil yield was also higher than the roots, proving that parsley leaves are a valuable spice and should not be treated as a waste product as before. It was observed in the research that the content of essential oils changed significantly due to the weather conditions in the analysed growing seasons; however, some cultivars, such as ‘Kinga’, ‘Eagle’, and ‘Berlińska PNE’, had a stable content of essential oils in the analysed period. The dominant component of the essential oils obtained from the roots of all cultivars was apiol. However, in the case of the essential oils obtained from the leaves, the main ingredients were myristicin, β-pinene, Z-falcarinol, and β-phellandrene, but their content was highly varied depending on the weather conditions in the analysed growing seasons.
Nitrogen Use Efficiency and Partitioning of Dairy Heifers Grazing Perennial Ryegrass (Lolium perenne L.) or Pasture Brome (Bromus valdivianus Phil.) Swards during Spring
Authors: Beltran Ignacio E. , Tellez Daniel , Cabanilla Jaime , Balocchi Oscar , Arias Rodrigo , Keim Juan Pablo
Published: August 2022

The aim of the study was to evaluate the effect of grazing Lolium perenne (Lp) and Bromus valdivianus (Bv) on the average daily weight gain (ADG) and nitrogen use efficiency (NUE) of Holstein Friesian heifers. Thirty heifers strip-grazed two pasture treatments (Lp and Bv) under a randomized complete block design (n = 3). Nutrient concentration and pasture intake were determined. Urine samples were taken, and the total volume of urine and microbial growth were estimated. Retained nitrogen (N), N intake, N excreted in feces and urine and the nitrogen use efficiency (NUE) were calculated. Lolium perenne showed greater WSC and ME but lower NDF than Bv, whereas crude and soluble protein were unaffected. There were no effects of species on ADG or feed conversion, and DMI was not affected by grass species, or the synthesis of microbial protein and purine derivatives. Ammonia in the rumen, urinary N and total N excreted were greater for heifers grazing Bv. In conclusion, the consumption of forage species did not alter the ADG or NUE of grazing heifers, but N partitioning was modified for heifers grazing Bv, due to the lower WSC/CP ratio compared with Lp.
Compete or Cooperate with ‘Dr. Google’? Small Animal Veterinarians’ Attitudes towards Clients’ Use of Internet Resources—A Comparative Study across Austria, Denmark and the UK
Authors: Springer Svenja , Grimm Herwig , Sandøe Peter , Lund Thomas Bøker , Kristensen Annemarie T. , Corr Sandra A.
Published: August 2022

Veterinary medicine is increasingly affected by animal owners having the opportunity to become better informed on pet health issues by using various internet resources. Using an online questionnaire including a section on clients’ use of internet resources to obtain medical information, this study aimed to investigate veterinarians’ estimates of the percentage of clients using internet resources, how often clients question veterinarians’ professional medical advice based on online information, and veterinarians’ attitudes towards clients’ use of internet resources, across Austrian, Danish, and UK veterinarians (n = 641). The results show that 48.8% of respondents estimated that 40–79% of their clients use internet resources to find medical information. Further, 70–80% of respondents stated that they are occasionally challenged by clients questioning their advice based on online information. Although veterinarians recognized the potential advantages related to clients’ use of internet resources, such as an increased acceptance of advanced diagnostics and treatments, they also highlighted clients’ increased expectations or false impressions of small animal practices as potentially negative aspects in this context. As internet use increases, it seems likely that these issues will become increasingly important in the future.
Sound Visualization Demonstrates Velopharyngeal Coupling and Complex Spectral Variability in Asian Elephants
Authors: Beeck Veronika C. , Heilmann Gunnar , Kerscher Michael , Stoeger Angela S.
Published: August 2022

Sound production mechanisms set the parameter space available for transmitting biologically relevant information in vocal signals. Low–frequency rumbles play a crucial role in coordinating social interactions in elephants’ complex fission–fusion societies. By emitting rumbles through either the oral or the three-times longer nasal vocal tract, African elephants alter their spectral shape significantly. In this study, we used an acoustic camera to visualize the sound emission of rumbles in Asian elephants, which have received far less research attention than African elephants. We recorded nine adult captive females and analyzed the spectral parameters of 203 calls, including vocal tract resonances (formants). We found that the majority of rumbles (64%) were nasally emitted, 21% orally, and 13% simultaneously through the mouth and trunk, demonstrating velopharyngeal coupling. Some of the rumbles were combined with orally emitted roars. The nasal rumbles concentrated most spectral energy in lower frequencies exhibiting two formants, whereas the oral and mixed rumbles contained higher formants, higher spectral energy concentrations and were louder. The roars were the loudest, highest and broadest in frequency. This study is the first to demonstrate velopharyngeal coupling in a non-human animal. Our findings provide a foundation for future research into the adaptive functions of the elephant acoustic variability for information coding, localizability or sound transmission, as well as vocal flexibility across species.
Genetics Reveal Long-Distance Virus Transmission Links in Pacific Salmon
Authors: Breyta Rachel B. , Batts William N. , Kurath Gael
Published: August 2022

In the coastal region of Washington State, a major pathogen emergence event occurred between 2007 and 2011 in which steelhead trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) experienced a high incidence of infection and disease outbreaks due to the rhabdovirus infectious hematopoietic necrosis virus (IHNV). Genetic typing showed that the introduced viruses were in the steelhead-specific MD subgroup of IHNV and indicated the most likely source was a virus from the nearby Columbia River Basin. In the current study, full-length viral glycoprotein (G) gene sequences were determined for 55 IHNV isolates from both coastal and Columbia fish populations to identify specific source populations and infer mechanisms of transmission to coastal steelhead. We identified three transmission links based on exact fullG genotype matches between Columbia and coastal fish. In all cases, the likely source population was infected juvenile fish, and sink populations were adult fish returning to coastal rivers to spawn. The time intervals between detection in source and sink populations varied from 6 months to nearly 4 years, suggesting different transmission pathways. Surprisingly, distances between source and sink populations varied between 140 and 1000 km. These results confirm repeated introductions of virus from Columbia River Basin fish as the cause of emergence of MD virus on the Washington coast from 2007 to 2011.
Management of Pediatric Urinary Tract Infections: A Delphi Study
Authors: Autore Giovanni , Bernardi Luca , La Scola Claudio , Ghidini Filippo , Marchetti Federico , Pasini Andrea , Pierantoni Luca , Castellini Claudia , Gatti Claudia , Malaventura Cristina , Pelusi Gabriella , Antodaro Francesco , Bergomi Andrea , Mazzini Franco , Parente Giovanni , Pillon Roberto , Cusenza Francesca , Biasucci Giacomo , De Fanti Alessandro , Iughetti Lorenzo , Perrone Serafina , Pession Andrea , Lima Mario , Esposito Susanna ,   The UTI-Ped-ER Study Group
Published: August 2022

Urinary tract infection (UTI) is one of the most common infectious diseases in the pediatric population and represents a major cause of antibiotic consumption and hospitalization in children. Considering the ongoing controversies on the management of pediatric UTI and the challenges due to increasing antimicrobial resistance, the aim of the present study was to evaluate the level of agreement on UTI management in pediatric age in Emilia-Romagna Region, Italy, and to assess on the basis of recent studies whether there is the need to change current recommendations used by primary care pediatricians, hospital pediatricians, and pediatric surgeons in everyday clinical practice to possibly improve outcomes. This consensus provides clear and shared indications on UTI management in pediatric age, based on the most updated literature. This work represents, in our opinion, the most complete and up-to-date collection of statements on procedures to follow for pediatric UTI, in order to guide physicians in the management of the patient, standardize approaches, and avoid abuse and misuse of antibiotics. Undoubtedly, more randomized and controlled trials are needed in the pediatric population to better define the best therapeutic management in cases with antimicrobial resistance and real usefulness of long-term antibiotic prophylaxis.
The Effect of Heavy Metals on Conjugation Efficiency of an F-Plasmid in Escherichia coli
Authors: Palm Martin , Fransson Alfred , Hultén Julia , Búcaro Stenman Karolina , Allouche Amina , Chiang Oscar E. , Constandse Mirthe L. , van Dijk Karlijn J. , Icli Suheda , Klimesova Bela , Korhonen Emma , Martínez-Crespo Gema , Meggers Dominik , Naydenova Margarita , Polychronopoulou Maria An. , Schuntermann Dominik B. , Unal Havva , Wasylkowska Agnieszka , Farewell Anne
Published: August 2022

Conjugation, the process by which conjugative plasmids are transferred between bacteria, is regarded as a major contributor to the spread of antibiotic resistance, in both environmental and clinical settings. Heavy metals are known to co-select for antibiotic resistance, but the impact of the presence of these metals on conjugation itself is not clear. Here, we systematically investigate the impact that five heavy metals (arsenic, cadmium, copper, manganese, and zinc) have on the transfer of an IncF conjugative plasmid in Escherichia coli. Our results show that two of the metals, cadmium and manganese, have no significant impact, while arsenic and zinc both reduce conjugation efficiency by approximately 2-fold. Copper showed the largest impact, with an almost 100-fold decrease in conjugation efficiency. This was not mediated by any change in transcription from the major Py promoter responsible for transcription of the conjugation machinery genes. Further, we show that in order to have this severe impact on the transfer of the plasmid, copper sulfate needs to be present during the mating process, and we suggest explanations for this.
Optimization of Extraction and HPLC–MS/MS Profiling of Phenolic Compounds from Red Grape Seed Extracts Using Conventional and Deep Eutectic Solvents
Authors: Dabetic Nevena , Todorovic Vanja , Malenovic Andjelija , Sobajic Sladjana , Markovic Bojan
Published: August 2022

Winemaking generates large quantities of grape waste consisting of seeds, skin and stalks. Given that grape seeds are a rich source of different bioactive compounds, the main goal of this research was to optimize grape seed phenol extraction using a Box–Behnken design. The following conditions were derived from the optimization process: sample:solvent ratio of 1:10 w/v, extraction time of 30 min and extraction temperature of 50 °C. In addition, a sustainable (green) approach for obtaining extracts was developed by comparing choline chloride:citric acid-ChCit (natural deep eutectic solvent (NADES)) and ethanol extraction methods with respect to phenol profiles and antioxidant activity. This study was conducted on seeds from eight different red grape varieties. Phenolic acids, flavan-3-ols and procyanidins were characterized using HPLC–MS/MS, and the concentration of procyanidin B1 was above 1 mg/g of dry weight in all analyzed samples. The contents of all phenol classes and antioxidant activities were found to not differ significantly between the solvents, but NADES was found to offer valuable advantages. Importantly, ChCit showed a strong affinity toward procyanidins and a strong correlation between antioxidant activity and quantified phenolic compounds.
Single Cell RNA-Sequence Analyses Reveal Uniquely Expressed Genes and Heterogeneous Immune Cell Involvement in the Rat Model of Intervertebral Disc Degeneration
Authors: Rohanifar Milad , Clayton Sade W. , Easson Garrett W.D. , Patil Deepanjali S. , Lee Frank , Jing Liufang , Barcellona Marcos N. , Speer Julie E. , Stivers Jordan J. , Tang Simon Y. , Setton Lori A.
Published: August 2022

Intervertebral disc (IVD) degeneration is characterized by a loss of cellularity, and changes in cell-mediated activity that drives anatomic changes to IVD structure. In this study, we used single-cell RNA-sequencing analysis of degenerating tissues of the rat IVD following lumbar disc puncture. Two control, uninjured IVDs (L2-3, L3-4) and two degenerated, injured IVDs (L4-5, L5-6) from each animal were examined either at the two- or eight-week post-operative time points. The cells from these IVDs were extracted and transcriptionally profiled at the single-cell resolution. Unsupervised cluster analysis revealed the presence of four known cell types in both non-degenerative and degenerated IVDs based on previously established gene markers: IVD cells, endothelial cells, myeloid cells, and lymphoid cells. As a majority of cells were associated with the IVD cell cluster, sub-clustering was used to further identify the cell populations of the nucleus pulposus, inner and outer annulus fibrosus. The most notable difference between control and degenerated IVDs was the increase of myeloid and lymphoid cells in degenerated samples at two- and eight-weeks post-surgery. Differential gene expression analysis revealed multiple distinct cell types from the myeloid and lymphoid lineages, most notably macrophages and B lymphocytes, and demonstrated a high degree of immune specificity during degeneration. In addition to the heterogenous infiltrating immune cell populations in the degenerating IVD, the increased number of cells in the AF sub-cluster expressing Ngf and Ngfr, encoding for p75NTR, suggest that NGF signaling may be one of the key mediators of the IVD crosstalk between immune and neuronal cell populations. These findings provide the basis for future work to understand the involvement of select subsets of non-resident cells in IVD degeneration.
Research on Side-Channel Analysis Based on Deep Learning with Different Sample Data
Authors: Chang Lipeng , Wei Yuechuan , He Shuiyu , Pan Xiaozhong
Published: August 2022

With the in-depth integration of deep learning and side-channel analysis (SCA) technology, the security threats faced by embedded devices based on the Internet of Things (IoT) have become increasingly prominent. By building a neural network model as a discriminator, the correlation between the side information leaked by the cryptographic device, the key of the cryptographic algorithm, and other sensitive data can be explored. Then, the security of cryptographic products can be evaluated and analyzed. For the AES-128 cryptographic algorithm, combined with the CW308T-STM32F3 demo board on the ChipWhisperer experimental platform, a Correlation Power Analysis (CPA) is performed using the four most common deep learning methods: the multilayer perceptron (MLP), the convolutional neural network (CNN), the recurrent neural network (RNN), and the long short-term memory network (LSTM) model. The performance of each model is analyzed in turn when the samples are small data sets, sufficient data sets, and data sets of different scales. Finally, each model is comprehensively evaluated by indicators such as classifier accuracy, network loss, training time, and rank of side-channel attacks. The experimental results show that the convolutional neural network CNN classifier has higher accuracy, lower loss, better robustness, stronger generalization ability, and shorter training time. The rank value is 2, that is, only two traces can recover the correct key byte information. The comprehensive performance effect is better.
Optimization of PV and Battery Energy Storage Size in Grid-Connected Microgrid
Authors: Garip Selahattin , Ozdemir Saban
Published: August 2022

This paper proposes a new method to determine the optimal size of a photovoltaic (PV) and battery energy storage system (BESS) in a grid-connected microgrid (MG). Energy cost minimization is selected as an objective function. Optimum BESS and PV size are determined via a novel energy management method and particle swarm optimization (PSO) algorithm to obtain minimum total cost. The MG was designed to use its own energy as much as possible, which is produced from renewable energy resources. Since it is a grid-connected system, it can demand energy from the grid within the determined limit with penalty. It differs from the studies in the literature in terms of optimizing both parameters such as PV and BESS size, being a grid-connected self-contained MG structure and controlling the grid energy by an energy management algorithm and optimizing the parameter via PSO with an energy management system (EMS). Results are compared for different PV and BESS. Moreover, effectiveness of the novel energy management method with PSO is compared with the genetic algorithm, which is the one of the well-known optimization algorithms. The results show that the proposed algorithm can achieve optimum PV and BESS size with minimum cost by using the new energy management method with the PSO algorithm.
Quality Evaluation of Wasteless Mining in Dongguashan Based on Intuitionistic Fuzzy Set and VIKOR
Authors: Yang Shan , Li Ke , Wu Shuliang , Xu Zitong , Liu Taoying
Published: August 2022

Wasteless mining has become the mainstream mode of China’s mining industry, which is an environmentally friendly and sustainable mining method. To effectively evaluate the construction of a green mine, the wasteless mining evaluation method was proposed, based on the intuitionistic fuzzy set theory and the Vise Kriterijumska Optimizacija I Kompromisno Resenje (VIKOR) decision-making method in this study. Firstly, the intuitionistic fuzzy sets for six indicators (such as waste rock utilization, tailing sand utilization and the current mining situation) of the Dongguashan Copper Mine were established, based on the intuitionistic fuzzy set theory and the national standard system. Secondly, referring to the green mine evaluation system, the index weights were calculated with the Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP) method. Finally, the above intuitionistic fuzzy set matrix was ranked by the VIKOR method. The calculation results show that the group utility value of this mine is 0.1943 ∈ (0,0.2), which is at level I; the individual regret value is 0.0916 ∈ (0.075,0.15), which is at level II; the compromise value is 0.2193 ∈ (0.2,0.4), which is at level II. Through comprehensive assessment, the final evaluation of the wasteless mining in the Dongguashan Copper Mine is Grade II. The Dongguashan Copper Mine is one of the first mining enterprises subject to the transformation into wasteless mining in China. The results of the final evaluation are consistent with the current status of wasteless mining in the Dongguashan Copper Mine.
A Terahertz Fast-Sweep Optoelectronic Frequency-Domain Spectrometer: Calibration, Performance Tests, and Comparison with TDS and FDS
Authors: Kutz Janis , Liebermeister Lars , Vieweg Nico , Wenzel Konstantin , Kohlhaas Robert , Naftaly Mira
Published: August 2022

We report calibration and performance tests of a terahertz fast-sweep optoelectronic frequency-domain spectrometer designed for industrial applications, aimed at quantifying its performance specifications and demonstrating its suitability for envisaged usage. The frequency scale is calibrated using atmospheric water vapour lines and a silicon wafer etalon; the amplitude linearity is verified using a set of silicon plates. Instrument performance is tested by measuring transmission properties of a variety of representative samples and comparing with a time-domain spectrometer and a frequency-domain spectrometer.
Broadband Dielectric Characterization of High-Permittivity Rogers Substrates via Terahertz Time-Domain Spectroscopy in Reflection Mode
Authors: Fuscaldo Walter , Maita Francesco , Maiolo Luca , Beccherelli Romeo , Zografopoulos Dimitrios C.
Published: August 2022

We report the dielectric characterization of three commercially available, high-permittivity Rogers laminates in the sub-terahertz range, by means of terahertz time-domain spectroscopy measurements in reflection mode. A transmission-line model is developed to obtain the reflectance spectra as a function of the frequency-dispersive complex relative permittivity of the substrates. The latter is fitted through optimization to a single Lorentzian term, which is shown to accurately reproduce the measured reflectance spectra. The substrates RO3010 and RT/duroid 6010.2LM exhibit significant frequency dispersion of both their relative permittivity and loss tangent. Conversely, the thermoset microwave laminate TMM10i is characterized by both a lower frequency dispersion and overall dielectric losses, thus making it a promising candidate for the design of low-profile and broadband components for novel terahertz applications. Owing to the simple Lorentzian dispersion model used for the description of the relative permittivity, the presented results can serve as a reference, and they can be directly introduced in design and optimization workflows for novel devices in emerging terahertz applications.