bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Is the Association Between Early Childhood Screen Media Use and Effortful Control Bidirectional? A Prospective Study During the COVID-19 Pandemic
Authors: Fitzpatrick Caroline , Harvey Elizabeth , Cristini Emma , Laurent Angélique , Lemelin Jean-Pascal , Garon-Carrier Gabrielle
Published: June 2022

Individual differences in effortful control, a component of temperament, reflecting the ability to use attention and other cognitive processes to self-regulate emotion and behavior, contribute to child academic adjustment, social competence, and wellbeing. Research has linked excessive screen time in early childhood to reduced self-regulation ability. Furthermore, research suggests that parents are more likely to use screens with children who have more challenging temperaments, such as low levels of effortful control. Since screen time by children between the ages of 0 and 18 has increased during the COVID-19 pandemic, it remains timely to investigate the developmental pattern of association between child screen media use and effortful control. We hypothesize that higher levels of screen media intake at age 3.5 will be associated with lower effortful control at age 4.5 and that lower effortful control at 3.5 will contribute to more screen media intake at age 4.5. This study draws on participants followed longitudinally over the span of 2-years for an investigation of Canadian preschoolers’ screen media use during the pandemic (N= 316, Wave 1). A follow-up with this sample was completed in 2021 (N= 265, Wave 2). Analyses using a cross-lagged panel model revealed stability in child screen time and effortful control between the ages of 3.5 and 4.5. Child screen time at age 3.5 significantly contributed to decreased effortful control scores at the age of 4.5, whereas effortful control at age 3.5 did not contribute to screen time at age 4.5. Our results partially confirmed our hypothesis and indicated that higher levels of screen time intake were detrimental to the development of effortful control. These results suggest that screen media use, an exceedingly frequent activity, may play an enduring role in development by shaping young children’s temperaments.
Altered Microstate Dynamics and Spatial Complexity in Late-Life Schizophrenia
Authors: Lin Gaohong , Wu Zhangying , Chen Ben , Zhang Min , Wang Qiang , Liu Meiling , Zhang Si , Yang Mingfeng , Ning Yuping , Zhong Xiaomei
Published: June 2022

Background

Resting-state EEG microstate and omega complexity analyses have been widely used to explore deviant brain function in various neuropsychiatric disorders. This study aimed to investigate the features of microstate dynamics and spatial complexity in patients with late-life schizophrenia (LLS).

Method

Microstate and omega complexity analyses were performed on resting-state EEG data from 39 in patients with LLS and compared with 40 elderly normal controls (NCs).

Result

The duration of microstate classes A and D were significantly higher in patients with LLS compared with NCs. The occurrence of microstate classes A, B, and C was significantly lower in patients with LLS compared with NCs. LLS patients have a lower time coverage of microstate class A and a higher time coverage of class D than NCs. Transition probabilities from microstate class A to B and from class A to C were significantly lower in patients with LLS compared with NCs. Transition probabilities between microstate class B and D were significantly higher in patients with LLS compared with NCs. Global omega complexity and anterior omega complexity were significantly higher in patients with LLS compared with NCs.

Conclusion

This study revealed an altered pattern of microstate dynamics and omega complexity in patients with LLS. This may reflect the disturbed neural basis underlying LLS and enhance the understanding of the pathophysiology of LLS.
Understanding the Diversity of Pharmacotherapeutic Management of ADHD With Co-occurring Autism: An Australian Cross-Sectional Survey
Authors: Mellahn Olivia J. , Knott Rachael , Tiego Jeggan , Kallady Kathryn , Williams Katrina , Bellgrove Mark A. , Johnson Beth P.
Published: June 2022

Objectives

Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) frequently co-occurs with other neurodevelopmental diagnoses, such as autism spectrum disorder (autism), which can make clinical decision making around symptom management challenging for clinicians. There is a paucity of research examining pharmacotherapeutic management of children who have ADHD with co-occurring diagnoses. We aimed to report on the co-occurring diagnoses and symptom profile of children, and report on medication use, stratified by ADHD, autism and ADHD + autism diagnoses.

Methods and Materials

Caregivers of 505 children (2–18 years) with ADHD (n = 239), autism (n = 117), and co-occurring ADHD + autism (n = 149) completed a questionnaire on current medication use and clinical rating scales about their child's symptoms, as part of a broader project investigating diagnosis and management of symptoms in children with ADHD or autism.

Results

The parents of the ADHD group reported a higher proportion of their children had learning disorders (17.15%) and speech and language disorders (4.60%) compared to the parents of the autism and ADHD + autism groups. Parents of the ADHD + autism group reported higher proportions of intellectual disability (5.37%), oppositional defiant disorder (20.13%), anxiety (38.93%), depression (6.71%) and genetic conditions (3.36%) in their children, in comparison to the parents of the ADHD and autism groups. Children with ADHD were reported to be taking a higher proportion of psychotropic medication (90%), followed by ADHD + autism (86%) and autism (39%). The parents of children with ADHD + autism reported a higher proportion of non-stimulant ADHD medication (25.5%), antipsychotic (18.79%), antidepressant (22.15%) and melatonin (31.54%) use by their children, compared to the parents of the ADHD and autism groups.

Conclusions

A similar proportion of children with ADHD + autism and ADHD were reported to be taking medication. However, the types of medication taken were different, as expected with reported co-occurring diagnoses. The complexity of symptoms and diagnoses in ADHD + autism warrants targeted research to optimize management and therapeutic outcomes.
A Latent Profile Analysis of Psychotic Experiences, Non-psychotic Symptoms, Suicidal Ideation and Underlying Mechanisms in a Sample of Adolescents From the General Population
Authors: Langer Álvaro I. , Wardenaar Klaas , Wigman Johanna T. W. , Ulloa José Luis , Núñez Daniel
Published: June 2022

Psychotic experiences (PEs) are prevalent in the general population, particularly in adolescents. PEs are associated with various negative outcomes such as psychotic, depressive, anxiety and post-traumatic stress disorders and suicidal behavior. Recent studies in the general population have suggested that what makes PEs relevant is not so much the experiences per se, but their association with non-psychotic comorbidity and other transdiagnostic domains. Thus, there is a need for a better understanding of how PEs exist in a larger psychopathological context in adolescents. In the present study we aimed to explore this, using latent profile analysis (LPA) to identify different patterns in which PEs, psychiatric symptoms and psychological processes co-occur. LPA was conducted using data from an adolescent general population subsample (n = 335) with PEs. We conducted LPA, using measures of PEs, psychiatric symptoms and behaviors (depression, anxiety post-traumatic stress disorder and suicidal behavior) and cognitive and affective processes of entrapment/defeat and emotional regulation as manifest variables. We found that the best fit was obtained with a four-class solution that distinguished primarily between different levels of overall severity: “low symptomatology” (19.1%), “mild-moderate symptomatology” (39.4%), “moderate symptomatology” (33.7%); “high symptomatology” (7.8%). Levels of depression, post-traumatic stress symptoms and defeat/entrapment were most differentiated between classes. The high symptomatology group showed the highest scores in all psychiatric symptoms suicidal ideation, and emotional/cognitive domains, except in cognitive reappraisal. This group also showed the highest usage of emotional suppression. Our results suggest that the assessment of mental health risk in adolescents should be aware that PEs exist in a broad context of other domains of psychopathology and transdiagnostic cognitive and affective processes.
Associations of Boiled Water and Lifespan Water Sources With Mortality: A Cohort Study of 33,467 Older Adults
Authors: Liu Xun , Pei Zheng , Zhang Zifan , Zhang Yan , Chen Yongjie
Published: June 2022

Background:

There were few studies to report whether drinking water sources and habits affected health outcomes. Therefore, this study aimed to examine how boiled water and lifespan water sources affected the risks of cardiovascular disease (CVD) and all-cause mortality in the elderly.

Methods

This study was a 20-year cohort study. All participants aged ≥60 years were eligible. Exposures of interest included lifespan drinking water sources and habits, which were collected using a validated questionnaire. Drinking water sources included wells, surface water, spring, and tap water in childhood, around the age of 60 years, and at present. Drinking habits included boiled and un-boiled water. The main end events included CVD and all-cause mortality.

Results

There were 33,467 participants in this study. Compared to tap water, drinking well and surface water around the age of 60 years were associated with a higher risk of all-cause mortality (HR: 1.092, 95% CI: 1.051–1.134, P < 0.001; and HR: 1.136, 95% CI: 1.081–1.194, P < 0.001, respectively). However, only drinking spring around aged 60 years and drinking well at present were associated with a lower CVD mortality (HR: 0.651, 95% CI: 0.452–0.939, P = 0.022; and HR: 0.757, 95% CI: 0.665–0.863, P < 0.001, respectively). Boiled water was not associated with mortality.

Conclusions

Drinking water from well and surface water around the age of 60 years were associated with increased all-cause mortality. Drinking water from spring around the age of 60 years and well at present was associated with a decreased CVD mortality. However, boiled water was not associated with mortality.
Privacy-Preserved Federated Learning for 3D Tooth Segmentation in Intra-Oral Mesh Scans
Authors: Liu Songshang , Yang Howard H. , Tao Yiqi , Feng Yang , Hao Jin , Liu Zuozhu
Published: June 2022

Semantic segmentation over three-dimensional (3D) intra-oral mesh scans (IOS) is an essential step in modern digital dentistry. Many existing methods usually rely on a limited number of labeled samples as annotating IOS scans is time consuming, while a large-scale dataset of IOS is not yet publicly available due to privacy and regulatory concerns. Moreover, the local data heterogeneity would cause serious performance degradation if we follow the conventional learning paradigms to train local models in individual institutions. In this study, we propose the FedTSeg framework, a federated 3D tooth segmentation framework with a deep graph convolutional neural network, to resolve the 3D tooth segmentation task while alleviating data privacy issues. Moreover, we adopt a general privacy-preserving mechanism with homomorphic encryption to prevent information leakage during parameter exchange between the central server and local clients. Extensive experiments demonstrate that both the local and global models trained with the FedTSeg framework can significantly outperform models trained with the conventional paradigm in terms of the mean intersection over union, dice coefficient, and accuracy metrics. The FedTSeg framework can achieve better performance under imbalanced data distributions with different numbers of clients, and its overall performance is on par with the central model trained with the full dataset aggregated from all distributed clients. The data privacy during parameter exchange of FedTSeg is further enhanced with a homomorphic encryption process. Our work presents the first attempts of federated learning for 3D tooth segmentation, demonstrating its strong potential in challenging federated 3D medical image analysis in multi-centric settings.
Economic Analysis of Low Volume Interventions Using Real-World Data: Costs of HIV Self-Testing Distribution and HIV Testing Services in West Africa From the ATLAS Project
Authors: Traore Métogara Mohamed , Badiane Kéba , Vautier Anthony , Simo Fotso Arlette , Kanku Kabemba Odé , Rouveau Nicolas , Maheu-Giroux Mathieu , Boily Marie-Claude , Larmarange Joseph , Terris-Prestholt Fern , d'Elbée Marc
Published: June 2022

Achieving the first 95 of the UNAIDS targets requires the implementation of innovative approaches to knowing one's HIV status. Among these innovations is the provision of HIV self-testing (HIVST) kits in west Africa by the international partner organization Solthis (IPO). In order to provide guidance for the optimal use of financial resources, this study aims to estimate the program and site level costs of dispensing HIVST as well as HIV testing services (HTS)-excluding HIVST-in health facilities in Côte d'Ivoire, Mali and Senegal as part of the ATLAS project. We estimated from the provider's perspective, HIVST and HTS incremental costs using top-down and bottom-up costing approaches and conducted a time and motion study. We identified costs at the program level for HIVST (including IPO central costs) and at the site level for HIVST and HTS. The economic costs of distributing HIVST kits were assessed in 37 health facilities between July 2019 and March 2021 (21 months). Sensitivity analyses were also performed on unit costs to examine the robustness of our estimates related to key assumptions. In total, 16,001 HIVST kits were dispensed for 32,194 HTS sessions carried out. Program level HIVST average costs ranged $12–286, whereas site level costs ranged $4–26 across distribution channels and countries. Site level HTS costs ranged $7–8 per testing session, and ranged $72–705 per HIV diagnosis. Across countries and channels, HIVST costs were driven by personnel (27–68%) and HIVST kits (32–73%) costs. The drivers of HTS costs were personnel costs ranging between 65 and 71% of total costs across distribution channels and countries, followed by supplies costs between 21 and 30%. While program level HIVST average costs were high, site level HIVST average costs remained comparable to HTS costs in all countries. Health facility-based distribution channels operating at low volume exhibit high proportion of central costs which should be considered carefully for financial planning when run alongside high volumes mobile outreach distribution channels. HIVST can diversify the HIV testing offer at health facilities, thus improving access to screening for target populations not reached by HTS services.
On the Modeling and Verification of Collective and Cooperative Systems
Authors: Aldini Alessandro
Published: June 2022

The formal description and verification of networks of cooperative and interacting agents is made difficult by the interplay of several different behavioral patterns, models of communication, scalability issues. In this paper, we will explore the functionalities and the expressiveness of a general-purpose process algebraic framework for the specification and model checking based analysis of collective and cooperative systems. The proposed syntactic and semantic schemes are general enough to be adapted with small modifications to heterogeneous application domains, like, e.g., crowdsourcing systems, trustworthy networks, and distributed ledger technologies.
Comparison of the Anti-bacterial Efficacy of Saussurea costus and Melaleuca alternifolia Against Porphyromonas gingivalis, Streptococcus mutans, and Enterococcus faecalis: An in-vitro Study
Authors: BinShabaib Munerah S. , ALHarthi Shatha S. , Helaby Bashayer S. , AlHefdhi Manar H. , Mohammed Afrah E. , Aabed Kawther
Published: June 2022

The aim was to compare the in-vitro antibacterial effectiveness of two herbal extracts (a) Saussurea-costus (S. costus) and (b) Melaleuca-alternifolia (M. alternifolia) against Porphyromonas gingivalis (P. gingivalis), Streptococcus mutans (S. mutans) and Enterococcus faecalis (E. faecalis). Aqueous extracts from M. alternifolia were prepared by adding 2 grams of S. costus and M. alternifolia, respectively to 100 ml distilled water. Bacterial strains of P. gingivalis, E. faecalis and S. mutans were treated into 3 groups. In groups 1 and 2, bacterial strains were treated with aqueous extracts of S. costus and M. alternifolia, respectively. In the control-group, bacterial strains were exposed to distilled water. Antibacterial activity of the samples and nanoparticles was determined. The minimum-inhibitory-concentration (MIC) values were determined using the microdilution method. P < 0.01 was considered statistically significant. The MIC for all bacterial strains treated with S. costus was significantly higher than that of M. alternifolia (P < 0.001). There was no significant difference in MIC for strains of P. gingivalis, E. faecalis and S. mutans treated with S. costus. For bacterial strains treated with M. alternifolia, the MIC was significantly higher for P. gingivalis compared with E. faecalis and S. mutans strains (P < 0.01). There was no difference in MIC for E. faecalis and S. mutans strains treated with M. alternifolia. The in-vitro antibacterial efficacy of M. alternifolia is higher than S. costus against P. gingivalis, E. faecalis and S. mutans.
Vitamin D in Lupus Patients of Childbearing Age: Are We Doing Enough?
Authors: Statache Gianina , Brown Sadaf
Published: June 2022

Systemic lupus erythematosus patients have long been observed to suffer from vitamin D deficiency. This can be related to either environmental factors, medication, or other comorbidities like renal disease. Moreover, lupus patients have reported conception issues including ovarian failure or recurrent miscarriages. There are vast data regarding vitamin D's ability to support the development of a healthy pregnancy and prevent complications, such as pre-eclampsia and gestational diabetes, likely through its ability to regulate both innate and adaptive immune systems. Although there is an agreement in the medical world that pregnant lupus patients should be screened and receive vitamin D supplements, there are no official guidelines on screening and often the recommended doses are suboptimal. Further research is needed to look at the potential of vitamin supplementation in pregnant lupus patients.
Parent-Reported Experience With Pediatric Urology Telemedicine Visits During the COVID-19 Pandemic
Authors: Ogundipe Eniola A. , Caldwell Brian , Leavitt Colton , Monnet Karol , Hedlind Mikala , Anderson Alisa , Colby John , Sevick Carter J. , Vemulakonda Vijaya M.
Published: June 2022

Introduction

Telemedicine has had a slow integration into surgical subspecialties like urology. Little data exists on its effect on urologic patient-provider rapport nor long term clinical outcomes. The purpose of this study was to assess the feasibility and parent-reported experience with telemedicine visits in a tertiary pediatric urology practice during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Methods

Parents/guardians of pediatric urology patients who were seen via telemedicine between March 12th - October 30th, 2020, at Children’s Hospital Colorado main campus or a satellite campus were contacted within 1 week of their child’s visit and invited to take a telephone survey. A total of 4 yes/no questions and an open-ended question was asked to explore domains of the drawbacks and benefits to telemedicine. Categorical responses and associations between parent demographics and telehealth satisfaction were analyzed with descriptive statistics. Open-ended questions were analyzed using a team-based content analysis approach.

Results

Response rate was 76.7% (376/490). Median patient age was 4 years. 60.9% (229/376) patients were male, and 39.1% (147/376) patients female. 96.5% of parents felt that all their questions were answered by the end of their appointment. 97.8% of parents felt comfortable using telemedicine for future appointments. Patient sex, age, provider type, insurance type, clinic site, distance from clinic site, and visit diagnosis had no significant impact on survey response. Based on open-ended responses, five general themes emerged: issues with accessing technology, time saving logistics, challenging clinical interactions, a positive overall experience, and parents having about a 50/50 split in preference for telemedicine or in person visits. Multiple parents expressed discomfort with a genital exam via telemedicine.

Conclusions

Overall, parents found telemedicine to be an acceptable alternative to in-person visits and demonstrated a willingness to continue to use it in the future. Patient diagnosis and insurance type had no effect on parent response. Parents noted that pediatric urology offers unique challenges due to its personal and sensitive treatment, including the need to evaluate the genitalia. As the role of telemedicine continues to expand, consideration of these challenges is needed to ensure that pediatric urology patients and their parents are comfortable with this approach.
Impact of Holding a Badminton Racket on Spatio-Temporal and Kinetic Parameters During Manual Wheelchair Propulsion
Authors: Alberca Ilona , Chénier Félix , Astier Marjolaine , Combet Marion , Bakatchina Sadate , Brassart Florian , Vallier Jean-Marc , Pradon Didier , Watier Bruno , Faupin Arnaud
Published: June 2022

Introduction

Para badminton entered the Paralympic world for the first time with the 2021 Paralympic Games in Tokyo. The particularity of this sport lies in the handling of the wheelchair and the racket simultaneously. To the best of our knowledge, and considering the youthfulness of this sport, it appears that no study has looked at the impact of the badminton racket on the kinetic and spatiotemporal parameters. Therefore, the aim of our study was to investigate the impact of the badminton racket on the amplitude of kinetic and spatiotemporal parameters of wheelchair propulsion, considered as propulsion effectiveness and risk of injury criteria. We hypothesized that holding a badminton racket while propelling the wheelchair modifies the kinetics and temporal parameters of the athlete's propulsion due to the difficulty to hold the handrim, therefore decreasing propulsion effectiveness and increasing risk of injury.

Materials and Methods

For six 90-min sessions, 16 able-bodied individuals were introduced to badminton. No injuries hindered their propulsion. They had to propel with and without a racket held on the dominant side along a 20 m straight line at a constant velocity of 5 km/h. They all used the same sports wheelchair equipped with two instrumented wheels (SmartWheel).

Results

Participants increased their maximal total force and force rate of rise but decreased their fraction of effective force with their dominant hand compared to the non-dominant hand when using a racket. In addition, they decreased their fraction of effective force, push time, cycle time, and push angle, and increased their maximal propulsive moment, maximal total force, and force rate of rise when comparing the same dominant hand with and without the racket.

Discussion

Using a badminton racket modifies the athlete's force application in a way that is generally related to lower propulsion effectiveness and a higher risk for injury. Indeed, it seems that propulsion with a racket prevents from correctly grabbing the handrim.
Foliar Silicon Spray to Strawberry Plants During Summer Cutting Propagation Enhances Resistance of Transplants to High Temperature Stresses
Authors: Xiao Jie , Li Yali , Jeong Byoung Ryong
Published: June 2022

Silicon (Si) has been reported to benefit plant growth and stress resistance. This work aimed to find out an optimal method of Si application to enhance the resistance of strawberry (Fragaria × ananassa Duch.) transplants to high temperatures, commonly experienced in the summer when strawberries are propagated for greenhouse production in Korea. Plants of strawberry “Sulhyang”, “Maehyang”, and “Kuemsil” were subjected to one of five treatments before the cutting propagation: no treatment (control), substrate dressing of a water-soluble silicate fertilizer, substrate drench of 75 mg·L−1 Si (from potassium silicate) to the mother plants, or foliar spray of 75 mg·L−1 Si to either the mother plants or daughter plants. Half of the daughter plants in each Si treatment received continued application of Si through either substrate dressing of a water-soluble silicate fertilizer, substrate drench, or foliar spray after the cutting propagation. A high temperature (43°C) resistance test was conducted in plant growth chambers for 7 days with a 16-h photoperiod with a light intensity of 300 mmol·m−2·s−1 PPFD. During the high temperature test, the rate of decline in the photosynthesis was lower in plants treated with Si than in the control. After the high temperature test, it was observed that Si application significantly increased the shoot fresh weight of transplants. Moreover, the contents of sugars, proteins, and enzymatic (CAT, SOD, POD, and APX) and non-enzymatic (anthocyanin and proline) antioxidants were higher in plants treated with Si throughout the entire propagation period, compared to the control and plants only treated with Si before or after the cutting propagation. Overall, the Si application improved the growth of the transplants regardless of the application method used. Moreover, spraying the daughter plants with Si, and continually spraying the transplants were found to be the best and is recommended to increase the resistance of strawberries to high temperatures during propagation.
Comparative Study of the Sedative and Anti-nociceptive Effects of Sacrococcygeal Epidural Administration of Romifidine, Lidocaine, and Romifidine/Lidocaine in the Dromedary Camel
Authors: Marzok Mohamed , Almubarak Adel I. , Abdel-Raheem Sherief M. , El-khodery Sabry , Shawaf Turke , Kandeel Mahmoud
Published: June 2022

In a randomized prospective study, comparative sedative and anti-nociceptive effects of epidural administration of romifidine (RO), lidocaine (LD), and a combination of romifidine-lidocaine (ROLD) in camel were evaluated. Eighteen healthy adult dromedary camels were assigned randomly to three treatment groups (n= 6), each receiving 50 μg/kg of RO, 0.30 mg/kg of LD, or a combination of both RO and LD. All treatments were expanded in 0.9% sterile normal saline solution to a final dose volume of 20 ml and administered directly into the sacrococcygeal space. After epidural injection of each treatment, the onset time, duration, anatomical extension of anti-nociception, and sedation were documented. Anti-nociception was tested at different areas using a pinprick test and artery forceps pinching at the perineum and inguinal area. RO and ROLD treatments resulted in mild to severe sedation and complete bilateral analgesia with loss of sensation in the tail, perineum, scrotum in males, vulva in females, the caudal aspect skin of the upper hind limb, and inguinal region (udder in females and the prepuce in males). The anatomic extent of anti-nociception reached the chest cranially and the footpad distally. Camels who received LD showed the shortest duration (P< 0.001) to the onset of perineal anti-nociception (3.67 ± 0.33 min) followed by those who received RO LD (4.00 ± 0.37 min) and RO (6.67 ± 0.33 min), respectively. RO and ROLD resulted in significantly (P< 0.001) longer periods of analgesia (158.33 ± 4.01 min and 165 ± 3.87 min, respectively) than LD (75.83 ± 3.27). An epidural RO and ROLD would appear to produce a very effective and acceptable anti-nociceptive effect in the perineal and inguinal regions of camels.
Subclinical Ketosis in Dairy Herds: Impact of Early Diagnosis and Treatment
Authors: Cascone Giuseppe , Licitra Francesca , Stamilla Alessandro , Amore Simona , Dipasquale Mario , Salonia Rosario , Antoci Francesco , Zecconi Alfonso
Published: June 2022

Clinical and subclinical ketosis (SCK) in dairy cows occurs during the lactation period frequently in many herds, causing a reduction in milk yield and alterations in milk quality with significant economic losses for farmers. SCK is defined as a preclinical stage of ketosis characterized by an elevated ketone body level without clinical signs. Often many cows develop an elevated ketone body level during the first weeks of lactation even though it never goes up to a critical point causing clinical signs. This study aimed to evaluate the prevalence of SCK in Sicily and assess the effect of a treatment with propylene glycol (PG) to control the SCK, thus, reducing the negative effect on milk quality yield. This cross-sectional study was carried out on 22 farms located south-east of Sicily and 1,588 cows in lactation. A total of 3,989 individual milk samples were collected from calving to 80 subsequently days to check the β-hydroxybutyrate (BHB) values in order to establish the SCK status by the Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy. Moreover, the contents of fat, protein, lactose, casein, urea, somatic cell count and acetone were evaluated to identify a correlation between SCK and milk quality. A total of 1,100 cows showed BHB values higher than 0.10 mmol/L. These cows were considered SCK positive, were separated from the rest of the herd, and treated with PG (400 g/head per day), all SCK cows were treated with PG and cows without SCK were not treated. The results showed a prevalence of 41.5% of SCK-positive cows during the first 9 days of lactation. The comparison among the cure rate of treated cows shows that the treatment was most effective in the first 7 days of lactation (76.5% of treated cows) than in the following days. PG positively influenced the milk quality parameters, except for the fat proportion. Moreover, the animals treated with PG showed also an increase in milk yield, supporting the economical sustainability of treatment.
A Comparative Study of Mini-FLOTAC With Traditional Coprological Techniques in the Analysis of Cetacean Fecal Samples
Authors: Marcer Federica , Cassini Rudi , Parisotto Nancy , Tessarin Cinzia , Marchiori Erica
Published: June 2022

Free-ranging cetaceans are considered sentinels for the marine ecosystem's health. New and non-invasive methods have been set up for the collection of fecal samples from free-ranging big whales at sea, permitting to gain an excellent epidemiological picture of parasitic infections in wild populations. To select the best protocol to be used for copromicroscopic examination in cetaceans stool samples, we evaluated the sensitivity of two commonly used techniques, i.e., a sedimentation-floatation method and the Mini-FLOTAC through validation by helminth isolation from the digestive tract. For this aim, gastrointestinal content and fecal samples were collected during necropsy from 44 cetaceans, including bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus), striped dolphins (Stenella coeruleoalba), sperm whales (Physeter macrocephalus), Risso's dolphins (Grampus griseus), Cuvier's beaked whales (Ziphius cavirostris), pilot whale (Globicephala melas), and fin whales (Balaenoptera physalus). Helminths were recovered through washing and filtering of the gastrointestinal contents and morphologically identified. Copromicroscopic examinations were performed on formalin-preserved fecal samples, using a sodium nitrate, sodium thiosulphate, and sucrose solution (s.g. = 1.450) for both methods. Helminths belonging to 9 taxa (i.e., the trematodes Synthesium tursionis, Synthesium delamurei, Campula palliata, Braunina cordiformis, Pholeter gastrophilus, the nematode Anisakis sp., cestodes of the family Tetrabothriidae and the acanthocephalan Bolbosoma sp.) were isolated. Eggs referable to the same taxa, with the exception of cestodes, were found in copromicroscopic analyses. Sensitivity of the Mini-FLOTAC method appeared higher or equal for all taxa, proving superior to the sedimentation-flotation method for the detection of all except Anisakis sp. The concordance of the two tests indeed revealed a moderate to perfect agreement (kappa values 0.42–1). Not excluding the limitations inherent to the techniques themselves, explanations for false-negative results at copromicroscopy could be linked to parasite-related factors, including prepatent infections, low parasitic burdens, or intermittent egg shedding. Notwithstanding these limitations, this study evidenced that the Mini-FLOTAC protocol approximates more accurately the composition of the gastrointestinal helminthic community of cetaceans from copromicroscopic examination, providing at the same time a quantitative estimation.
Outcome and Prognostic Factors in Cats Undergoing Resection of Intestinal Adenocarcinomas: 58 Cases (2008–2020)
Authors: Czajkowski Peter S. , Parry Nicola M. , Wood Carrie A. , Casale Sue A. , Phipps Whitney E. , Mahoney Jennifer A. , Spector Daniel I. , Price Lori Lyn , Berg John
Published: June 2022

The purpose of this multi-institutional retrospective study was to expand the available data pertaining to pre-operative clinical findings, progression-free and overall survival times, and potential prognostic factors for cats undergoing surgery for intestinal adenocarcinomas. Fifty-eight cats treated over a 12-year period were included in the study. Progression-free and overall survival times were estimated using Kaplan-Meier analyses. Potential prognostic variables were evaluated for associations with progression-free and overall survival using univariate Cox proportional hazards regression analyses. Prior to surgery, the intestinal mass was identified using ultrasonography in 89% of cats in which it was applied; however, imaging findings suggestive of intrathoracic metastases were observed in only 9% of cats. Among 22 cats undergoing ultrasound-guided fine needle aspiration cytology, the results agreed with the results of histopathology in only 10 cats. Discordant results were most commonly related to the presence of marked inflammation in cytology samples, which may have obscured the presence of neoplastic cells. Diffuse intestinal small cell lymphoma was identified as a comorbidity in 5 cats. Resection of the tumor with the objective of obtaining wide surgical margins was performed in each cat. On histopathology, 20 tumors were classified as mucinous adenocarcinoma and 28 were adenocarcinoma not otherwise specified. Intestinal transection site margins were complete in 94% of cats; however, complete mural margins were present in only 15% of cats. Local lymph node metastases were identified in 52% of cats and carcinomatosis was diagnosed in 81% of cats. Disease progression was documented in 32 of the 58 cats (55%). Of these 32 cats, 14 (43%) had local recurrence of the primary intestinal tumor. Median progression-free survival was 203 days (95% CI 130–299 days), and median overall survival time was 284 days (95% CI 200–363 days). Mitotic count was inversely associated with progression-free survival (HR 1.04; 95% CI 1.01–1.07,P= 0.005); however, none of the remaining potential prognostic factors, including administration of adjuvant chemotherapy, were significantly associated with progression-free or overall survival. Feline intestinal adenocarcinoma remains an aggressive and highly fatal disease. Large, randomized controlled clinical trials will be needed to improve the survival prospects for affected cats.
Effects of Sodium Benzoate Application, Silage Relocation, and Storage Time on the Preservation Quality of Sugarcane Silage
Authors: Souza Melany S. , de Queiroz Amanda C. M. , Bernardes Thiago F. , Faturi Cristian , Domingues Felipe N. , Rodrigues João P. P. , da Silva Thiago C. , do Rêgo Aníbal C.
Published: June 2022

The present study explored the effects of sodium benzoate (SB), relocation, and storage time on the quality of sugarcane silage. The experiments followed a completely randomized design with a 2 × 4 × 2 factorial arrangement and four replicates. The treatments were as follows: (i) with (SB+) or without (SB−) SB (2 g∙kg−1 on a fresh matter basis); (ii) with (R) or without (R0) relocation for 12, 48, and 72 h (R12, R48, and R72, respectively); and (iii) storage for 10 or 60 days after relocation. SB− silage showed a lower (p < 0.05) dry matter loss (DML = 155 g·kg−1) without relocation (R0). SB+ silage showed the highest (p < 0.05) DML (257 g·kg−1) with R72. SB use reduced (p < 0.05) the yeast count in silage that was stored for 10 days (SB+: 4.63 CFU·g−1; SB−: 5.58 CFU·g−1). The yeast count was higher (p < 0.05) in silage that was stored for 10 days after relocation, regardless of the relocation time. SB use increased the aerobic stability of silage after 10 days of storage. Thus, SB application is effective for the inhibition of yeast in relocated sugarcane silage. We recommend the use of SB when silage is relocated for 12 h and stored for 60 days after relocation.
Multifilm Mass Transfer and Time Constants for Mass Transfer in Food Digestion: Application to Gut-on-Chip Models
Authors: Langrish Timothy A. G.
Published: June 2022

This review highlights the involvement of mass transfer in animal food-digestion processes. There may be several mass-transfer steps during the dissolution of food components, starting from the food itself, moving into the digestive juices, then moving through the walls of the gastrointestinal tract. These steps create a sequence of film resistances to mass transfer, where one film resistance often limits the overall mass-transfer process. Mass-transfer rates, mass-transfer coefficients, and the time scales and time constants for different parts of the food-digestion process are all interlinked, and the connections have been explained. In some parts of the food-digestion process, the time constants for the mass-transfer process are similar to the residence times for food digestion, emphasising the importance of mass transfer in these parts of food digestion, such as the duodenum. The mass-transfer and transport behaviour for in vivo human digestive systems and in vitro guts-on-a-chip may be very similar, suggesting that cells on the intestine walls, whether in vitro (guts-on-a-chip) or in vivo, may see similar transport behaviour for both nutrients towards the cells, and waste products away from them.
Transition of Chronic Pediatric Nephrological Patients to Adult Care Excluding Patients on Renal Replacement Therapy with Literature Review
Authors: Močnik Mirjam , Golob Jančič Sonja , Marčun Varda Nataša
Published: June 2022

(1) Background: The transition of children with chronic kidney disease to adult care has become a well-handled issue. However, other patients with normal or mildly decreased renal function also requiring further management and transition are neglected. (2) Methods: A questionnaire was sent to patients with kidney pathology, aged 17 years and older.(3) Results: The patients were mostly high-school (55%) or college students (39%), living with their parents (94%). One third did not know how their disease affected their choice of profession and reproductive health. Furthermore, 46% of the respondents did not know who would continue with their care, and 44% still had a primary pediatrician. (4) Conclusions: A review of the literature on the topic was performed and summarized here. Regular education is the key for successful transfer, not only in chronic kidney and transplant patients, but also in others in whom a decline in renal function can be expected in the future.
Integration of Morphometrics and Machine Learning Enables Accurate Distinction between Wild and Farmed Common Carp
Authors: Jafari Omid , Ebrahimi Mansour , Hedayati Seyed Ali-Akbar , Zeinalabedini Mehrshad , Poorbagher Hadi , Nasrolahpourmoghadam Maryam , Fernandes Jorge M. O.
Published: June 2022

Morphology and feature selection are key approaches to address several issues in fisheries science and stock management, such as the hypothesis of admixture of Caspian common carp (Cyprinus carpio) and farmed carp stocks in Iran. The present study was performed to investigate the population classification of common carp in the southern Caspian basin using data mining algorithms to find the most important characteristic(s) differing between Iranian and farmed common carp. A total of 74 individuals were collected from three locations within the southern Caspian basin and from one farm between November 2015 and April 2016. A dataset of 26 traditional morphometric (TMM) attributes and a dataset of 14 geometric landmark points were constructed and then subjected to various machine learning methods. In general, the machine learning methods had a higher prediction rate with TMM datasets. The highest decision tree accuracy of 77% was obtained by rule and decision tree parallel algorithms, and “head height on eye area” was selected as the best marker to distinguish between wild and farmed common carp. Various machine learning algorithms were evaluated, and we found that the linear discriminant was the best method, with 81.1% accuracy. The results obtained from this novel approach indicate that Darwin’s domestication syndrome is observed in common carp. Moreover, they pave the way for automated detection of farmed fish, which will be most beneficial to detect escapees and improve restocking programs.
Fatigue Factor Assessment and Life Prediction of Concrete Based on Bayesian Regularized BP Neural Network
Authors: Chen Huating , Sun Zhenyu , Zhong Zefeng , Huang Yan
Published: June 2022

Concrete tensile properties usually govern the fatigue cracking of structural components such as bridge decks under repetitive loading. A fatigue life reliability analysis of commonly used ordinary cement concrete is desirable. As fatigue is affected by many interlinked factors whose effect is nonlinear, a unanimous consensus on the quantitative measurement of these factors has not yet been achieved. Benefiting from its unique self-learning ability and strong generalization capability, the Bayesian regularized backpropagation neural network (BR-BPNN) was proposed to predict concrete behavior in tensile fatigue. A total of 432 effective data points were collected from the literature, and an optimal model was determined with various combinations of network parameters. The average relative impact value (ARIV) was constructed to evaluate the correlation between fatigue life and its influencing parameters (maximum stress level Smax, stress ratio R, static strength f, failure probability P). ARIV results were compared with other factor assessment methods (weight equation and multiple linear regression analyses). Using BR-BPNN, S-N curves were obtained for the combinations of R = 0.1, 0.2, 0.5; f = 5, 6, 7 MPa; P = 5%, 50%, 95%. The tensile fatigue results under different testing conditions were finally compared for compatibility. It was concluded that Smax had the most significant negative effect on fatigue life; and the degree of influence of R, P, and f, which positively correlated with fatigue life, decreased successively. ARIV was confirmed as a feasible way to analyze the importance of parameters and could be recommended for future applications. It was found that the predicted logarithmic fatigue life agreed well with the test results and conventional data fitting curves, indicating the reliability of the BR-BPNN model in predicting concrete tensile fatigue behavior. These probabilistic fatigue curves could provide insights into fatigue test program design and fatigue evaluation. Since the overall correlation coefficient between the prediction and experimental results reached 0.99, the experimental results of plain concrete under flexural tension, axial tension, and splitting tension could be combined in future analyses. Besides utilizing the valuable fatigue test data available in the literature, this work provided evidence of the successful application of BR-BPNN on concrete fatigue prediction. Although a more accurate and comprehensive method was derived in the current study, caution should still be exercised when utilizing this method.
Approximate Methods for Solving Problems of Mathematical Physics on Neural Hopfield Networks
Authors: Boykov Ilya , Roudnev Vladimir , Boykova Alla
Published: June 2022

A Hopfield neural network is described by a system of nonlinear ordinary differential equations. We develop a broad range of numerical schemes that are applicable for a wide range of computational problems. We review here our study on an approximate solution of the Fredholm integral equation, and linear and nonlinear singular and hypersingular integral equations, using a continuous method for solving operator equations. This method assumes that the original system is associated with a Cauchy problem for systems of ordinary differential equations on Hopfield neural networks. We present sufficient conditions for the Hopfield networks’ stability defined via coefficients of systems of differential equations.
Future Perspectives in the Diagnosis and Treatment of Sepsis and Septic Shock
Authors: Karampela Irene , Fragkou Paraskevi C.
Published: June 2022

Sepsis, defined as life-threatening organ dysfunction caused by a dysregulated host response to infection, represents the primary cause of death due to infection [...]
Influence of Maternal Diet and Intergenerational Change in Diet Type on Ovarian and Adipose Tissue Morphology in Female Rat Offspring
Authors: Čekić Nenad , Grgić Anđela , Kokot Antonio , Mujkić Robert , Šnajder Mujkić Darija , Bijelić Nikola , Sablić Marko
Published: June 2022

Background and Objectives: A high-fat diet causes inflammation in the organism and many metabolic disorders. Adipose tissue secretes adipokines that affect the function of many organs. The health status of the mother before and during pregnancy affects the health of the offspring. The aim of this study was to determine how the type of maternal diet and the change in the type of diet in the offspring affects the histological characteristics of the ovaries and subcutaneous and perigonadal adipose tissue in female rat offspring. Materials and Methods: Ten female rats were divided into two groups. One group was fed standard laboratory chow, and the other was fed a high-fat diet and mated with a male of the same breed. The offspring of both groups of dams were divided into four subgroups with different feeding protocols. At 22 weeks of age, the offspring were sacrificed. Ovaries and subcutaneous and perigonadal adipose tissue were isolated. In the ovaries, the presence of cystic formations was investigated. Histomorphometric analysis was performed in two types of adipose tissue. Results: The weight of the ovaries of the offspring of mothers fed a high-fat diet was significantly higher than that of the offspring of mothers fed standard laboratory diets. Cystic formations were found in the ovaries of the offspring of mothers fed a high-fat diet. In subcutaneous adipose tissue, the percentage of small-sized adipocytes was significantly higher in the offspring of mothers fed standard laboratory diets. There were no significant differences in adipocyte surface area and adipocyte number between groups. Conclusion: Maternal diet influences the morphology of the ovaries and adipose tissue of the offspring.