bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Associations of clinicopathological factors with local treatment and survival outcome in elderly patients with ductal carcinoma in situ
Authors: Zhang Xu , Zeng Yufei , Wang Zheng , Chen Xiaosong , Shen Kunwei
Published: May 2023

Background

Local treatment for ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS) remains controversial for elderly patients. This study aims to evaluate the association of local treatment, clinicopathological factors, and survival in elderly DCIS patients.

Methods

Patients ≥ 60 years diagnosed with DCIS from January 2009 to December 2018 were retrospectively included. Local treatment including breast surgery, axillary lymph node (ALN) surgery, and radiotherapy were analyzed among subgroups (age of 60–69, 70–79, and ≥ 80 years), and their associations with clinicopathological features and prognostic outcome were further evaluated.

Results

A total of 331 patients were included. Eventually 86 patients received breast conserving surgery (BCS) and 245 patients received mastectomy. ALN surgery was omitted in 62 patients. Age and tumor size were independent factors that influenced the breast and ALN surgery (P < 0.05). Compared with patients aging 60–69, patients ≥ 80 years were more likely to receive BCS (OR 4.28, 95% CI 1.33–13.78, P = 0.015) and be exempt from ALN surgery (OR 0.19, 95% CI 0.05–0.69, P = 0.011). Patients with tumor >1.5 cm were significantly less likely to receive BCS (OR 0.45, 95%CI 0.25–0.83, P = 0.011) and more likely to receive ALN surgery (OR 4.41, 95%CI 1.96–10.48, P = 0.001) compared to patients with tumor ≤ 1.5 cm. Postoperative radiotherapy was performed in 48.8% patients who received BCS. Age was the only factor that associated with the radiotherapy decision after BCS in elderly DCIS patients (P = 0.025). No significant recurrence-free survival difference was observed among patients receiving different local treatments.

Conclusions

Age was related to the choice of local treatment in elderly DCIS patients, but different treatment patterns didn't impact disease outcome.
Comparison of muscle metabolomics between two Chinese horse breeds
Authors: Meng Sihan , Zhang Yanli , Lv Shipeng , Zhang Zhengkai , Liu Xuexue , Jiang Lin
Published: May 2023

With their enormous muscle mass and athletic ability, horses are well-positioned as model organisms for understanding muscle metabolism. There are two different types of horse breeds—Guanzhong (GZ) horses, an athletic breed with a larger body height (~148.7 cm), and the Ningqiang pony (NQ) horses, a lower height breed generally used for ornamental purposes—both inhabited in the same region of China with obvious differences in muscle content. The main objective of this study was to evaluate the breed-specific mechanisms controlling muscle metabolism. In this study, we observed muscle glycogen, enzyme activities, and LC–MS/MS untargeted metabolomics in the gluteus medius muscle of six, each of GZ and NQ horses, to explore differentiated metabolites that are related to the development of two muscles. As expected, the glycogen content, citrate synthase, and hexokinase activity of muscle were significantly higher in GZ horses. To alleviate the false positive rate, we used both MS1 and MS2 ions for metabolite classification and differential analysis. As a result, a total of 51,535 MS1 and 541 MS2 metabolites were identified, and these metabolites can separate these two groups from each other. Notably, 40% of these metabolites were clustered into lipids and lipid-like molecules. Furthermore, 13 significant metabolites were differentially detected between GZ and NQ horses (fold change [FC] value ≥ 2, variable important in projection value ≥1, and Q value ≤ 0.05). They are primarily clustered into glutathione metabolism (GSH, p = 0.01), taurine, and hypotaurine metabolism (p < 0.05) pathways. Seven of the 13 metabolites were also found in thoroughbred racing horses, suggesting that metabolites related to antioxidants, amino acids, and lipids played a key role in the development of skeleton muscle in horses. Those metabolites related to muscle development shed a light on racing horses' routine maintenance and improvement of athletic performance.
“Sniffing” out SARS-CoV-2 in Arizona working dogs: an exploratory serosurvey
Authors: Hecht Gavriella , Sarbo Nathan , Svoboda Wayne , Mead Heather L. , Ruberto Irene , Altin John A. , Engelthaler David M. , Venkat Heather , Yaglom Hayley D.
Published: May 2023

Susceptibility to and infection with SARS-CoV-2 in companion animals has been well-documented throughout the COVID-19 pandemic. Surveillance for the virus in dogs has largely been focused on household pets; however, other canine populations may also be impacted. We partnered with a local veterinary hospital with a high working dog patient volume to conduct viral and neutralizing antibody testing in working dogs and identify potential risk factors in the dog’s work and home environments. Surveillance of SARS-CoV-2 in law enforcement and security working dogs in Arizona found 24.81% (32/129) of dogs to be seropositive. Thirteen dogs presenting with clinical signs or with reported exposure to COVID-19 in the 30 days prior to sample collection were also tested by PCR; all samples were negative. 90.7% (n = 117) of dogs were reported to be asymptomatic or have no change in performance at the time of sampling. Two dogs (1.6%) had suspected anosmia as reported by their handlers; one of which was seropositive. Known exposure to the dog’s COVID-19 positive handler or household member was identified as a significant risk factor. Demographics factors including sex, altered status, and type of work were not associated with canine seropositivity. Further work is warranted to understand the impact of SARS-CoV-2 and other infectious diseases in working dogs.
The pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics of esomeprazole in sheep after intravenous dosing
Authors: Smith Joe S. , Gebert Jessica , Bennett Kailee , Ebner Lisa Sams , Flynn Ryan , Mulon Pierre-Yves , Harvill Lainey , Escher Olivia Grace , Kreuder Amanda Jo , Bergman Joan , Cox Sherry
Published: May 2023

Abomasal (gastric) ulceration is a morbidity in sheep, and currently, there is a paucity of pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic data for gastroprotectant drugs reported for this species. The proton pump inhibitor esomeprazole has been used in small animal and human patients for gastroprotection via increasing the gastric pH. The objective of this study was to report the pharmacokinetic parameters and pharmacodynamic effect of esomeprazole in sheep after single intravenous dosing. Four healthy adult Southdown cross ewes had blood collected over a 24  h time period after single intravenous dosing of esomeprazole at 1.0  mg/kg. Abomasal fluid was sampled over 24  h before and after esomeprazole administration. Plasma samples were analyzed for concentrations of esomeprazole and the esomeprazole metabolite, esomeprazole sulfone by high performance liquid chromatography. Pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic data were evaluated with specialized software. Esomeprazole was rapidly eliminated after IV administration. Elimination half-life, area under the curve, initial concentration (C0), and clearance were 0.2  h, 1,197  h*ng/mL, 4,321  ng/mL, and 0.83  mL/h/kg, respectively. For the sulfone metabolite elimination half-life, area under the curve and maximum concentration were 0.16  h, 22.5  h*ng/mL, and 65.0  ng/mL, respectively. Abomasal pH was significantly elevated from 1 to 6  h after administration and remained above 4.0 for at least 8 h after administration. No adverse effects were noted in these sheep. Esomeprazole was rapidly eliminated in sheep, similar to goats. Abomasal pH was increased, but future studies will be necessary to develop a clinical management approach to the use of esomeprazole in sheep.
Pathogenicity and molecular characteristics of fowl adenovirus serotype 4 with moderate virulence in Guangxi Province, China
Authors: Wei You , Xie Zhixun , Fan Qing , Xie Zhiqin , Deng Xianwen , Luo Sisi , Li Xiaofeng , Zhang Yanfang , Zeng Tingting , Huang Jiaoling , Ruan Zhihua , Wang Sheng
Published: May 2023

The GX2020-019 strain of fowl adenovirus serotype 4 (FAdV-4) was isolated from the liver of chickens with hydropericardium hepatitis syndrome in Guangxi Province, China, and was purified by plaque assay three times. Pathogenicity studies showed that GX2020-019 can cause typical FAdV-4 pathology, such as hydropericardium syndrome and liver yellowing and swelling. Four-week-old specific pathogen-free (SPF) chickens inoculated with the virus at doses of 103 median tissue culture infectious dose (TCID50), 104 TCID50, 105 TCID50, 106 TCID50, and 107 TCID50 had mortality rates of 0, 20, 60, 100, and 100%, respectively, which were lower than those of chickens inoculated with other highly pathogenic Chinese isolates, indicating that GX2020-019 is a moderately virulent strain. Persistent shedding occurred through the oral and cloacal routes for up to 35 days postinfection. The viral infection caused severe pathological damage to the liver, kidney, lung, bursa of Fabricius, thymus, and spleen. The damage to the liver and immune organs could not be fully restored 21 days after infection, which continued to affect the immune function of chickens. Whole genome analysis indicated that the strain belonged to the FAdV-C group, serotype 4, and had 99.7–100% homology with recent FAdV-4 strains isolated from China. However, the amino acid sequences encoded by ORF30 and ORF49 are identical to the sequences found in nonpathogenic strains, and none of the 32 amino acid mutation sites that appeared in other Chinese isolates were found. Our research expands understanding of the pathogenicity of FAdV-4 and provides a reference for further studies.
Living Donor Kidney Transplant in Recipients With Glomerulonephritis: Donor Recipient Biologic Relationship and Allograft Outcomes
Authors: El-Rifai Rasha , Bregman Adam , Klomjit Nattawat , Spong Richard , Jackson Scott , Nachman Patrick H. , Riad Samy
Published: May 2023

Using the Scientific Registry of Transplant Recipients, we examined the association between donor-recipient biologic relationship and long-term recipient and allograft survival among glomerulonephritis (GN) patients. Four GN types were studied: membranous nephropathy, IgA, lupus-associated nephritis, and focal segmental glomerulosclerosis (FSGS). We identified all adult primary living-donor recipients between 2000 and 2018 (n = 19,668): related (n = 10,437); unrelated (n = 9,231). Kaplan-Meier curves were generated for the recipient, death-censored graft survival and death with functioning graft through ten years post-transplant. Multivariable Cox proportional hazard models were used to examine the association between the donor-recipient relationship and outcomes of interest. There was an increased risk for acute rejection by 12 months post-transplant among the unrelated compared to the related group in IgA (10.1% vs. 6.5%, p<0.001), FSGS (12.1% vs. 10%, p-0.016), and lupus nephritis (11.8% vs. 9.2%; p-0.049). The biological donor-recipient relationship was not associated with a worse recipient or graft survival or death with functioning graft in the multivariable models. These findings are consistent with the known benefits of living-related-donor kidney transplants and counter the reports of the potential adverse impact of the donor-recipient biologic relationship on allograft outcomes.
An Improved Heteroscedastic Modeling Method for Chest X-ray Image Classification with Noisy Labels
Authors: Guan Qingji , Chen Qinrun , Huang Yaping
Published: May 2023

Chest X-ray image classification suffers from the high inter-similarity in appearance that is vulnerable to noisy labels. The data-dependent and heteroscedastic characteristic label noise make chest X-ray image classification more challenging. To address this problem, in this paper, we first revisit the heteroscedastic modeling (HM) for image classification with noise labels. Rather than modeling all images in one fell swoop as in HM, we instead propose a novel framework that considers the noisy and clean samples separately for chest X-ray image classification. The proposed framework consists of a Gaussian Mixture Model-based noise detector and a Heteroscedastic Modeling-based noise-aware classification network, named GMM-HM. The noise detector is constructed to judge whether one sample is clean or noisy. The noise-aware classification network models the noisy and clean samples with heteroscedastic and homoscedastic hypotheses, respectively. Through building the correlations between the corrupted noisy samples, the GMM-HM is much more robust than HM, which uses only the homoscedastic hypothesis. Compared with HM, we show consistent improvements on the ChestX-ray2017 dataset with different levels of symmetric and asymmetric noise. Furthermore, we also conduct experiments on a real asymmetric noisy dataset, ChestX-ray14. The experimental results on ChestX-ray14 show the superiority of the proposed method.
An Experimental Study of How Missing Employee Empathy in Failed Service Interactions Affects Empathetic Customers’ EWoM-Giving Behaviour
Authors: Abend Neele Inken , De-Juan-Vigaray María D. , Nuszbaum Mandy
Published: May 2023

Empathy as an influencing factor of consumer behaviour has mostly been analysed from an empathetic employee’s perspective. Empirical investigations into customer empathy in the context of failed service interactions are still scarce. This study investigates customer–employee reciprocity related to a failed service interaction and its meaning as a predictor of electronic-worth-of-mouth (eWoM)-giving behaviour. The eWoM phenomenon in the context of online purchases is well researched, but the (a) impact of failed service interactions and (b) empathetic customer service agents still needs to be explored. For this purpose, two situational experiments of customer–employee interactions (n = 260) were conducted. Both situations depict disgruntled customers who are looking for help and call the customer support centre after an online purchase. They experience negative customer–employee interaction. The experiments test (a) the impact of employee and customer empathy on eWoM-giving behaviour after failed service interactions and (b) the mediating role of negative emotions. The results show that in service situations, negative emotions fully mediate the relationship between customer empathy and eWoM-behaviour. In addition, empathetic customers seem to be more sensitive to a poorly empathetic employee in comparison to non-empathetic customers. The research enriches the service understanding of empathy in eWoM research and provides practical implications for the management of complaint handling, such as how to consider customer empathy as a complainer’s characteristic to improve the customer service experience, effectiveness, and efficiency.
CEO Greed, Corporate Governance, and CSR Performance: Asian Evidence
Authors: Rehman Saif Ur , Hamdan Yacoub Haider
Published: May 2023

In this study, we examined the association between CEO greed and corporate social responsibility (CSR) performance with a particular emphasis on the curtailing role of corporate governance. We found that CEO greed has a negative effect on CSR, since an uncontrolled pursuit of personal gain typically reveals myopic behavior and the foregoing of investment in CSR by a greedy CEO. Additionally, we found that CEO compensation in the form of large bonuses, support, and restricted stocks options weakened the link between CEO greed and CSR. Concerning the power dynamics amongst CEOs (CEO duality and tenure), we found that CEO duality moderates the negative relation between CEO greed and CSR. We also explored the curtailing role of corporate governance (proxies represented by board gender diversity and board independence) in the association between CEO greed and CSR. Our findings show that gender diversity curtails the negative effect of CEO greed on CSR once it reaches critical mass on the corporate board. Gender critical mass also curtails the negative impact of CEO greed on CSR, even if the CEO exercises duality. Our findings have empirical and practical implications. This study contributes to the existing literature by exploring the relationship between CEO greed and CSR in Asia, a region not renowned for CSR performance. This study also provides evidence for the curtailing role of compensation and governance factors in the negative relationship between CEO greed and CSR.
Automatic Flight Callsign Identification on a Controller Working Position: Real-Time Simulation and Analysis of Operational Recordings
Authors: García Raquel , Albarrán Juan , Fabio Adrián , Celorrio Fernando , Pinto de Oliveira Carlos , Bárcena Cristina
Published: May 2023

In the air traffic management (ATM) environment, air traffic controllers (ATCos) and flight crews, (FCs) communicate via voice to exchange different types of data such as commands, readbacks (confirmation of reception of the command) and information related to the air traffic environment. Speech recognition can be used in these voice exchanges to support ATCos in their work; each time a flight identification or callsign is mentioned by the controller or the pilot, the flight is recognised through automatic speech recognition (ASR) and the callsign is highlighted on the ATCo screen to increase their situational awareness and safety. This paper presents the work that is being performed within SESAR2020-founded solution PJ.10-W2-96 ASR in callsign recognition via voice by Enaire, Indra, and Crida using ASR models developed jointly by EML Speech Technology GmbH (EML) and Crida. The paper describes the ATCo speech environment and presents the main requirements impacting the design, the implementation performed, and the outcomes obtained using real operation communications and real-time simulations. The findings indicate a way forward incorporating partial recognition of callsigns and enriching the phonetization of company names to improve the recognition rates, currently set at 84–87% for controllers and 49–67% for flight crew.
Data Mining and Machine Learning Algorithms for Optimizing Maize Yield Forecasting in Central Europe
Authors: Harsányi Endre , Bashir Bashar , Arshad Sana , Ocwa Akasairi , Vad Attila , Alsalman Abdullah , Bácskai István , Rátonyi Tamás , Hijazi Omar , Széles Adrienn , Mohammed Safwan
Published: May 2023

Artificial intelligence, specifically machine learning (ML), serves as a valuable tool for decision support in crop management under ongoing climate change. However, ML implementation to predict maize yield is still limited in Central Europe, especially in Hungary. In this context, we assessed the performance of four ML algorithms (Bagging (BG), Decision Table (DT), Random Forest (RF) and Artificial Neural Network-Multi Layer Perceptron (ANN-MLP)) in predicting maize yield based on four different input scenarios. The collected data included both agricultural data (production (PROD) (ton) and maize cropped area (AREA) (ha)) and climate data (annual mean temperature °C (Tmean), precipitation (PRCP) (mm), rainy days (RD), frosty days (FD) and hot days (HD)). This research adopted four scenarios, as follows: SC1: AREA+ PROD+ Tmean+ PRCP+ RD+ FD+ HD; SC2: AREA+ PROD; SC3: Tmean+ PRCP+ RD+ FD+ HD; and SC4: AREA+ PROD+ Tmean+ PRCP. In the training stage, ANN-MLP-SC1 and ANN-MLP-SC4 outperformed other ML algorithms; the correlation coefficient (r) was 0.99 for both, while the root mean squared errors (RMSEs) were 107.9 (ANN-MLP-SC1) and 110.7 (ANN-MLP-SC4). In the testing phase, the ANN-MLP-SC4 had the highest r value (0.96), followed by ANN-MLP-SC1 (0.94) and RF-SC2 (0.94). The 10-fold cross validation also revealed that the ANN-MLP-SC4 and ANN-MLP-SC1 have the highest performance. We further evaluated the performance of the ANN-MLP-SC4 in predicting maize yield on a regional scale (Budapest). The ANN-MLP-SC4 succeeded in reaching a high-performance standard (r = 0.98, relative absolute error = 21.87%, root relative squared error = 20.4399% and RMSE = 423.23). This research promotes the use of ANN as an efficient tool for predicting maize yield, which could be highly beneficial for planners and decision makers in developing sustainable plans for crop management.
Effects of Different Types of Soil Management on Organic Carbon and Nitrogen Contents and the Stability Index of a Durum Wheat–Faba Bean Rotation under a Mediterranean Climate
Authors: Tedone Luigi , Verdini Leonardo , De Mastro Giuseppe
Published: May 2023

Soil quality, nitrogen, and organic matter content are increasingly being researched due to their impact on the environment. We assessed the effects of different soil management practices on the distribution and accumulation of soil organic carbon (SOC) in a durum wheat–faba bean rotation system cultivated in a Mediterranean-type area of Southern Italy, over six years. The effects of three levels of soil disturbance—conventional tillage (CT), minimum tillage (RT), and no tillage—(NT) on the SOC and nitrogen (N) content at soil depths of 0–15, 15–30, 30–60, and 60–90 cm were compared in a long-term experiment starting in the 2009–2010 growing season. The three soil management systems showed significant differences (p < 0.05) in the surface layer (0–15 cm depth) in SOC content and total nitrogen, with the largest accumulation occurring in the conservation system (NT). In the deep layers (30–60 and 60–90 cm), however, no significant differences were found between the three tillage systems. The ascending order of the tendency to accumulate SOC and N in the soil in the 0–15 cm layer was NT > CT > RT. In addition, the C/N ratio showed a more equilibrated rate in the NT system. The conservation tillage (NT) gave the best results in terms of the physical characteristics of the soil, showing a higher stability index compared to CT and RT. Conservation tillage is therefore recommended for wheat cultivation in the dry areas of Southern Italy, due to its benefits in terms of both crop yield improvements and environmental protection.
Directions from Nature: How to Halt the Tomato Brown Rugose Fruit Virus
Authors: van Damme Mireille , Zois Romanos , Verbeek Martin , Bai Yuling , Wolters Anne-Marie A.
Published: May 2023

Tomato brown rugose fruit virus (ToBRFV) is a recently emerged serious viral threat to tomato production. The virus is named after its symptoms consisting of characteristic brown wrinkled (rugose) patches on the fruits of infected tomato plants. ToBRFV is a member of the genus Tobamovirus and a very stable mechanically transmitted virus. So far, most tomato cultivars are susceptible, enabling a swift spread of ToBRFV. In this review, we present strategies to halt devastating disease outbreaks of ToBRFV based on the collective research data of various tobamovirus–plant interactions. Viruses, like ToBRFV, are biotrophic pathogens with small genomes. Hence viral proliferation depends on various host factors, also termed susceptibility (S) genes. However, S genes often have an intrinsic function for the host plant. Thus, mutations in S genes may lead to pleiotropic phenotypes. Therefore, identifying mutant variants of S genes with no pleiotropic effects is essential for exploring impaired S genes in breeding tomatoes resistant to ToBRFV.
Voriconazole Admixed with PMMA—Impact on Mechanical Properties and Efficacy
Authors: Krampitz Barbara , Steiner Julia , Trampuz Andrej , Kühn Klaus-Dieter
Published: May 2023

Background: There are currently no recommendations to direct the optimal diagnosis and treatment of fungal osteoarticular infections, including prosthetic joint infections and osteomyelitis. Active agents (fluconazole; amphotericin B) are regularly applied per os or intravenously. Other drugs such as voriconazole are used less frequently, especially locally. Voriconazole is less toxic and has promising results. Local antifungal medication during primary surgical treatment has been investigated by implanting an impregnated PMMA cement spacer using intra-articular powder or by daily intra-articular lavage. The admixed dosages are rarely based on characteristic values and microbiological and mechanical data. The purpose of this in vitro study is to investigate the mechanical stability and efficacy of antifungal-admixed PMMA with admixed voriconazole at low and high concentrations. Methods: Mechanical properties (ISO 5833 and DIN 53435) as well as efficacy with inhibition zone tests with two Candida spp. were investigated. We tested three separate cement bodies at each measuring time (n = 3) Results: Mixing high dosages of voriconazole causes white specks on inhomogeneous cement surfaces. ISO compression, ISO bending, and DIN impact were significantly reduced, and ISO bending modulus increased. There was a high efficacy against C. albicans with low and high voriconazole concentrations. Against C. glabrata, a high concentration of voriconazole was significantly more efficient than a dose at a low concentration. Conclusions: Mixing voriconazole powder with PMMA (Polymethylmethacrylate) powder homogeneously is not easy because of the high amount of dry voriconazole in the powder formulation. Adding voriconazole (a powder for infusion solutions) has a high impact on its mechanical properties. Efficacy is already good at low concentrations.
Screening of Antibiotic and Virulence Genes from Whole Genome Sequenced Cronobacter sakazakii Isolated from Food and Milk-Producing Environments
Authors: Holý Ondrej , Parra-Flores Julio , Bzdil Jaroslav , Cabal-Rosel Adriana , Daza-Prieto Beatriz , Cruz-Córdova Ariadnna , Xicohtencatl-Cortes Juan , Rodríguez-Martínez Ricardo , Acuña Sergio , Forsythe Stephen , Ruppitsch Werner
Published: May 2023

The objective of this study was to use whole-genome sequencing (WGS) to screen for genes encoding for antibiotic resistance, fitness and virulence in Cronobacter sakazakii strains that had been isolated from food and powdered-milk-producing environments. Virulence (VGs) and antibiotic-resistance genes (ARGs) were detected with the Comprehensive Antibiotic Resistance Database (CARD) platform, ResFinder and PlasmidFinder tools. Susceptibility testing was performed using disk diffusion. Fifteen presumptive strains of Cronobacter spp. were identified by MALDI-TOF MS and ribosomal-MLST. Nine C. sakazakii strains were found in the meningitic pathovar ST4: two were ST83 and one was ST1. The C. sakazakii ST4 strains were further distinguished using core genome MLST based on 3678 loci. Almost all (93%) strains were resistant to cephalotin and 33% were resistant to ampicillin. In addition, 20 ARGs, mainly involved in regulatory and efflux antibiotics, were detected. Ninety-nine VGs were detected that encoded for OmpA, siderophores and genes involved in metabolism and stress. The IncFIB (pCTU3) plasmid was detected, and the prevalent mobile genetic elements (MGEs) were ISEsa1, ISEc52 and ISEhe3. The C. sakazakii isolates analyzed in this study harbored ARGs and VGs, which could have contributed to their persistence in powdered-milk-producing environments, and increase the risk of infection in susceptible population groups.
Mycobacterium tuberculosis Adaptation in Response to Isoniazid Treatment in a Multi-Stress System That Mimics the Host Environment
Authors: Yimcharoen Manita , Saikaew Sukanya , Wattananandkul Usanee , Phunpae Ponrut , Intorasoot Sorasak , Tayapiwatana Chatchai , Butr-Indr Bordin
Published: May 2023

Isoniazid (INH) is an antibiotic that is widely used to treat tuberculosis (TB). Adaptation to environmental stress is a survival strategy for Mycobacterium tuberculosis and is associated with antibiotic resistance development. Here, mycobacterial adaptation following INH treatment was studied using a multi-stress system (MS), which mimics host-derived stress. Mtb H37Rv (drug-susceptible), mono-isoniazid resistant (INH-R), mono-rifampicin resistant (RIF-R), and multidrug-resistant (MDR) strains were cultivated in the MS with or without INH. The expression of stress-response genes (hspX, tgs1, icl1, and sigE) and lipoarabinomannan (LAM)-related genes (pimB, mptA, mptC, dprE1, dprE2, and embC), which play important roles in the host–pathogen interaction, were measured using real-time PCR. The different adaptations of the drug-resistant (DR) and drug-susceptible (DS) strains were presented in this work. icl1 and dprE1 were up-regulated in the DR strains in the MS, implying their roles as markers of virulence and potential drug targets. In the presence of INH, hspX, tgs1, and sigE were up-regulated in the INH-R and RIF-R strains, while icl1 and LAM-related genes were up-regulated in the H37Rv strain. This study demonstrates the complexity of mycobacterial adaptation through stress response regulation and LAM expression in response to INH under the MS, which could potentially be applied for TB treatment and monitoring in the future.
Compounds That Have an Anti-Biofilm Effect against Common Bacteria at Very Low Concentrations and Their Antibiotic Combination Effect
Authors: Hwang Hyeon-Ji , Li Dan-dan , Lee Jieun , Kang Min Kyung , Moon Hyung Ryong , Lee Joon-Hee
Published: May 2023

Two synthetic compounds, MHY1383, azo-resveratrol and MHY1387, 5-[4-hydroxy-3,5-methoxybenzy]-2-thioxodihydropyrimidine-4,6[1H,5H]-dione have been reported to have an anti-biofilm effect on Pseudomonas aeruginosa at very low concentrations (1–10 pM). Here, we investigated the anti-biofilm effects of these compounds in various bacteria. We found that MHY1383 significantly inhibited Escherichia coli, Bacillus subtilis, and Staphylococcus aureus biofilm formation at 1 pM, 1 nM, and 10 nM, respectively. MHY1387 also inhibited the biofilm formation of E. coli, B. subtilis, and S. aureus at 1 pM, 10 nM, and 100 pM, respectively. Both MHY1383 and MHY1387 showed medium-dependent anti-biofilm effects on Salmonella enterica at high concentrations (10 μM). We also tested the susceptibility to antibiotics by measuring the minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) in various bacteria. When P. aeruginosa, E. coli, B. subtilis, S. enterica, and S. aureus were treated with MHY1383 or MHY1387 in combination with four different antibiotics, the MICs of carbenicillin against B. subtilis and S. aureus were lowered more than two-fold by the combination with MHY1387. However, in all other combinations, the MIC changed within two-fold. The results of this study suggest that MHY1383 and MHY1387 are effective anti-biofilm agents and can be used at very low concentrations against biofilms formed by various types of bacteria. We also suggest that even if a substance that inhibits biofilm is used together with antibiotics, it does not necessarily have the effect of lowering the MIC of the antibiotics.
Co-Harboring of Beta-Lactamases and mcr-1 Genes in Escherichia coli and Klebsiella pneumoniae from Healthy Carriers and Backyard Animals in Rural Communities in Ecuador
Authors: Bastidas-Caldes Carlos , Cisneros-Vásquez Emily , Zambrano Antonella , Mosquera-Maza Andrea , Calero-Cáceres William , Rey Joaquín , Yamamoto Yoshimasa , Yamamoto Mayumi , Calvopiña Manuel , de Waard Jacobus H.
Published: May 2023

Few studies have addressed drug resistance of Enterobacterales in rural communities in developing countries. This study aimed to determine the coexistence of extended-spectrum β-lactamase (ESBL) and carbapenemase genes in Escherichia coli and Klebsiella pneumoniae strains carrying the mcr-1 gene in rural communities in Ecuador from healthy humans and their backyard animals. Sixty-two strains, thirty E. coli and thirty-two K. pneumoniae strains carrying the mcr-1 gene were selected from a previous study. PCR were performed for the presence of ESBLs and carbapenemase genes. The strains were further characterized, and the genetic relationship was studied with multi-locus sequencing typing (MLST) of seven housekeeping genes. Fifty-nine of the sixty-two mcr-1 isolates (95%) harbored at least on β-lactam resistance gene. The most prevalent ESBL genes were the blaTEM genes (present in in 80% of the E. coli strains) and the blaSHV gene (present in 84% of the K. pneumoniae strains). MSLT analysis revealed 28 different sequence types (ST); 15 for E. coli and 12 for K. pneumoniae, with most ST never described in humans and animals. The coexistence of mcr-1 and β-lactams resistant genes in E. coli and K. pneumoniae strains is alarming and threatens the efficacy of last-resort antibiotics. Our findings highlight backyard animals as a reservoir of mcr-1/β-lactams resistant genes.
Strigolactone Alleviates the Adverse Effects of Salt Stress on Seed Germination in Cucumber by Enhancing Antioxidant Capacity
Authors: Li Changxia , Lu Xuefang , Liu Yunzhi , Xu Junrong , Yu Wenjin
Published: May 2023

Strigolactones (SLs), as a new phytohormone, regulate various physiological and biochemical processes, and a number of stress responses, in plants. In this study, cucumber ‘Xinchun NO. 4’ is used to study the roles of SLs in seed germination under salt stress. The results show that the seed germination significantly decreases with the increase in the NaCl concentrations (0, 1, 10, 50, and 100 mM), and 50 mM NaCl as a moderate stress is used for further analysis. The different concentrations of SLs synthetic analogs GR24 (1, 5, 10, and 20 μM) significantly promote cucumber seed germination under NaCl stress, with a maximal biological response at 10 μM. An inhibitor of strigolactone (SL) synthesis TIS108 suppresses the positive roles of GR24 in cucumber seed germination under salt stress, suggesting that SL can alleviate the inhibition of seed germination caused by salt stress. To explore the regulatory mechanism of SL-alleviated salt stress, some contents, activities, and genes related to the antioxidant system are measured. The malondialdehyde (MDA), H2O2, O2−, and proline contents are increased, and the levels of ascorbic acid (AsA) and glutathione (GSH) are decreased under salt stress conditions, while GR24 treatment reduces MDA, H2O2, O2−, and proline contents, and increases AsA and GSH contents during seed germination under salt stress. Meanwhile, GR24 treatment enhances the decrease in the activities of antioxidant enzymes caused by salt stress [superoxide dismutase (SOD), peroxidase (POD), catalase (CAT) and ascorbate peroxidase (APX)], following which antioxidant-related genes SOD, POD, CAT, APX, and GRX2 are up-regulated by GR24 under salt stress. However, TIS108 reversed the positive effects of GR24 on cucumber seed germination under salt stress. Together, the results of this study revealed that GR24 regulates the expression levels of genes related to antioxidants and, therefore, regulates enzymatic activity and non-enzymatic substances and enhances antioxidant capacity, alleviating salt toxicity during seed germination in cucumber.
Advanced Delivery System of Polyphenols for Effective Cancer Prevention and Therapy
Authors: Kim Koung Hee , Ki Mi-Ran , Min Ki Ha , Pack Seung Pil
Published: May 2023

Polyphenols from plants such as fruits and vegetables are phytochemicals with physiological and pharmacological activity as potential drugs to modulate oxidative stress and inflammation associated with cardiovascular disease, chronic disease, and cancer. However, due to the limited water solubility and bioavailability of many natural compounds, their pharmacological applications have been limited. Researchers have made progress in the development of nano- and micro-carriers that can address these issues and facilitate effective drug delivery. The currently developed drug delivery systems maximize the fundamental effects in various aspects such as absorption rate, stability, cellular absorption, and bioactivity of polyphenols. This review focuses on the antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects of polyphenols enhanced by the introduction of drug delivery systems, and ultimately discusses the inhibition of cancer cell proliferation, growth, and angiogenesis.
Aerobic Physical Training Attenuates Oxidative Stress in the Spinal Cord of Adult Rats Induced by Binge-like Ethanol Intake
Authors: Rodrigues Amanda do Nascimento , da Silva Diane Cleydes Baia , Baia-da-Silva Daiane Claydes , Mendes Paulo Fernando Santos , Ferreira Maria Karolina Martins , Rocha Gabriel Sousa , Freire Marco Aurelio M. , Fernandes Luanna Melo Pereira , Maia Cristiane do Socorro Ferraz , Gomes-Leal Walace , Lima Rafael Rodrigues
Published: May 2023

Binge drinking is the most frequent consumption pattern among young adults and remarkably changes the central nervous system; thus, research on strategies to protect it is relevant. This study aimed to investigate the detrimental effects of binge-like EtOH intake on the spinal cord of male rats and the potential neuroprotective effects provided by moderate-intensity aerobic physical training. Male Wistar rats were distributed into the ‘control group’, ‘training group’, ‘EtOH group’, and ‘training + EtOH’. The physical training protocol consisted of daily 30-min exercise on a treadmill for 5 consecutive days followed by 2 days off during 4 weeks. After the fifth day of each week, distilled water (‘control group’ and ‘training group’) or 3 g/kg of EtOH diluted at 20% w/v (‘EtOH group’ and ‘training + EtOH group’) was administered for 3 consecutive days through intragastric gavage to simulate compulsive consumption. Spinal cord samples were collected for oxidative biochemistry and morphometric analyses. The binge-like EtOH intake induced oxidative and tissue damage by decreasing reduced glutathione (GSH) levels, increasing lipid peroxidation (LPO), and reducing motor neurons (MN) density in the cervical segment. Even under EtOH exposure, physical training maintained GSH levels, reduced LPO, and prevented MN reduction at the cervical segment. Physical training is a non-pharmacological strategy to neuroprotect the spinal cord against oxidative damage induced by binge-like EtOH intake.
The Effect of Device-Controlled Breathing on the Pulse Arrival Time and the Heart Rate Asymmetry Parameters in Healthy Volunteers
Authors: Ajtay Bella Eszter , Béres Szabolcs , Hejjel László
Published: May 2023

Background: The development of wearables has facilitated the monitoring of biomedical parameters in everyday life. One of the most common sensors of these gadgets is the photoplethysmograph (PPG); hence, the proper processing and interpretation of the PPG signal are essential. Besides pulse rate detection, these devices—together with an ECG—compute the pulse arrival time (PAT), from which the actual beat-to-beat blood pressure can be estimated. The heart rate shows asymmetrical accelerations and decelerations, quantified by the parameters of heart rate asymmetry (HRA). In the present study, we investigated the influences of different breathing-patterns on the PATs and HRA parameters. Methods: The authors evaluated 5 min simultaneous respiratory-, ECG- and PPG-signal recordings of 35 healthy, young volunteers specifically expressing the following breathing patterns: metronome-controlled inspiration, and both inspiration and expiration controlled at 1:1 and 1:2 ratios, respectively. The records were analyzed by HRVScan_Merge v3.2 software. The PAT values were calculated at eight different reference points. The HRA parameters and the PAT values at different breathing patterns were compared using the Friedman test and post hoc Wilcoxon paired-sample test. Results: Porta- and Guzik-indices significantly increased at 1:1 breathing compared to 1:2 and single-paced breathing. PATs increased significantly in dual-paced series compared to single-paced series at each reference point. Conclusion: Based on our results, the increased PATs at dual-paced versus single-paced breathing may indicate the involvement of cognitive functions. The symmetrical respiration ratio increases the heart rate symmetry; however, this effect is not detectable in the periphery through the PATs.
Design of an Intelligent Vehicle Behavior Decision Algorithm Based on DGAIL
Authors: Jiang Junfeng , Rui Yikang , Ran Bin , Luo Peng
Published: May 2023

With the development of AI, the intelligence level of vehicles is increasing. Structured roads, as common and important traffic scenes, are the most typical application scenarios for realizing autonomous driving. The driving behavior decision-making of intelligent vehicles has always been a controversial and difficult research topic. Currently, the mainstream decision-making methods, which are mainly based on rules, lack adaptability and generalization to the environment. Aimed at the particularity of intelligent vehicle behavior decisions and the complexity of the environment, this thesis proposes an intelligent vehicle driving behavior decision method based on DQN generative adversarial imitation learning (DGAIL) in the structured road traffic environment, in which the DQN algorithm is utilized as a GAIL generator. The results show that the DGAIL method can preserve the design of the reward value function, ensure the effectiveness of training, and achieve safe and efficient driving on structured roads. The experimental results show that, compared with A3C, DQN and GAIL, the model based on DGAIL spends less average training time to achieve a 95% success rate in the straight road scene and merging road scene, respectively. Apparently, this algorithm can effectively accelerate the selection of actions, reduce the randomness of actions during the exploration, and improve the effect of the decision-making model.
Semantic-Aligned Cross-Modal Visual Grounding Network with Transformers
Authors: Zhang Qianjun , Yuan Jin
Published: May 2023

Multi-modal deep learning methods have achieved great improvements in visual grounding; their objective is to localize text-specified objects in images. Most of the existing methods can localize and classify objects with significant appearance differences but suffer from the misclassification problem for extremely similar objects, due to inadequate exploration of multi-modal features. To address this problem, we propose a novel semantic-aligned cross-modal visual grounding network with transformers (SAC-VGNet). SAC-VGNet integrates visual and textual features with semantic alignment to highlight important feature cues for capturing tiny differences between similar objects. Technically, SAC-VGNet incorporates a multi-modal fusion module to effectively fuse visual and textual descriptions. It also introduces contrastive learning to align linguistic and visual features on the text-to-pixel level, enabling the capture of subtle differences between objects. The overall architecture is end-to-end without the need for extra parameter settings. To evaluate our approach, we manually annotate text descriptions for images in two fine-grained visual grounding datasets. The experimental results demonstrate that SAC-VGNet significantly improves performance in fine-grained visual grounding.
Evaluation of Unsupervised Anomaly Detection Techniques in Labelling Epileptic Seizures on Human EEG
Authors: Karpov Oleg E. , Khoymov Matvey S. , Maksimenko Vladimir A. , Grubov Vadim V. , Utyashev Nikita , Andrikov Denis A. , Kurkin Semen A. , Hramov Alexander E.
Published: May 2023

Automated labelling of epileptic seizures on electroencephalograms is an essential interdisciplinary task of diagnostics. Traditional machine learning approaches operate in a supervised fashion requiring complex pre-processing procedures that are usually labour intensive and time-consuming. The biggest issue with the analysis of electroencephalograms is the artefacts caused by head movements, eye blinks, and other non-physiological reasons. Similarly to epileptic seizures, artefacts produce rare high-amplitude spikes on electroencephalograms, complicating their separability. We suggest that artefacts and seizures are rare events; therefore, separating them from the rest data seriously reduces information for further processing. Based on the occasional nature of these events and their distinctive pattern, we propose using anomaly detection algorithms for their detection. These algorithms are unsupervised and require minimal pre-processing. In this work, we test the possibility of an anomaly (or outlier) detection algorithm to detect seizures. We compared the state-of-the-art outlier detection algorithms and showed how their performance varied depending on input data. Our results evidence that outlier detection methods can detect all seizures reaching 100% recall, while their precision barely exceeds 30%. However, the small number of seizures means that the algorithm outputs a set of few events that could be quickly classified by an expert. Thus, we believe that outlier detection algorithms could be used for the rapid analysis of electroencephalograms to save the time and effort of experts.
Globally Guided Confidence Enhancement Network for Image-Text Matching
Authors: Dai Xin , Tuerhong Gulanbaier , Wushouer Mairidan
Published: May 2023

Image-text matching is a crucial aspect of multi-modal intelligence. The main challenge in this area is accurately measuring the relevance between the image and text, using evidence obtained through matching. Previous studies either concentrated on obtaining a well-represented global feature to measure similarity directly or on investigating complex matching patterns at a local level before aggregating them, with little attention paid to combining them. We propose a Globally Guided Confidence Enhancement Network that combines both approaches by obtaining a good global representation to guide fine-grained local interactions. In this process, content that better matches the text from a global perspective is enhanced and represented with confidence scores. Extensive experiments demonstrate that the approach we have employed achieves superior performance on Flickr30K and MSCOCO datasets.
Analysis of the Delamination Process with Nitric Acid in Multilayer Composite Food Packaging
Authors: Šleiniūtė Agnė , Denafas Gintaras , Mumladze Tamari
Published: May 2023

Multilayer packaging, commonly referred to as composite materials, is widely utilized in food storage, distribution, and consumption. The employment of plastic packaging, which consists of multiple layers of polymers, ink, paper, and metal, has elicited concerns regarding its detrimental impact on the environment. This article presents an in-depth study of the delamination process of multilayer plastic waste (MLPW) recycling, which is deemed as an effective solution for MLPW recycling. This study aimed to examine the effects of temperature, concentration, width, and ultrasound on the separation of layers in multilayer packaging. The results demonstrated that ultrasound is the most influential factor with nitric acid concentration ranking as the second most significant factor. The findings also disclosed considerable disparities among the time frames, and the impacts of various factors, such as temperature and concentration, lay the groundwork for further investigation into this process. The study underscores the importance of temperature and nitric acid concentration, which can inform the design of future experiments and the development of more efficient methods for layer separation.