bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Repair of rotator cuff tears in patients aged 75 years and older: Does it make sense? A systematic review
Authors: Meng Chenyang , Jiang Boyong , Liu Ming , Kang Fujia , Kong Lingyue , Zhang Ting , Wang Caixia , Wang Jingjuan , Han Changxu , Ren Yizhong
Published: January 2023

Background

Rotator cuff injuries are common, and morbidity increases with age. The asymptomatic full-thickness tear rate is 40% in the over 75-year-old population.

Purpose

This study aimed to systematically review the literature on the outcomes of rotator cuff repair among >75 years old patients.

Study design

Systematic review.

Methods

A systematic review of the literature was performed following the PRISMA (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses) guidelines. A literature search was performed in the electronic databases of PubMed, Medline, Embase, and The Cochrane Library. Studies in English evaluating repair of full-thickness rotator cuff tears in patients aged >75 years were included.

Results

Six studies were reviewed, including 311 patients (313 shoulders) treated with arthroscopic and/or open rotator cuff repair. Sixty-one patients were lost to follow-up, leaving 252 shoulders with outcome data. Patients in this age group demonstrated a significant improvement in the clinical and functional scores after rotator cuff repair, with a high satisfaction rate. The mean American Shoulder and Elbow Surgeons scores improved from 43.8 (range, 42.0–45.5) preoperatively to 85.3 (range, 84.0 to 86.5) postoperatively, and the mean Constant scores improved from 45.4 (range, 34.7–55.5) to 78.6 (range, 67.0–91.6). Pain, evaluated in all studies by the visual analog scale for pain, showed a significant improvement at the last follow-up compared with the mean preoperative score. Furthermore, range of motion and return to daily activities and sports gained marked improvements.

Conclusion

Rotator cuff repair in patients aged >75 years could achieve high clinical success rates with good outcomes and pain relief. Although patients in this age group are at a high risk of retear, rotator cuff repair may offer a good option with significant functional and clinical improvement.
Public-private partnership to rapidly strengthen and scale COVID-19 response in Western Kenya
Authors: van Duijn Shannen , Barsosio Hellen C. , Omollo Mevis , Milimo Emmanuel , Akoth Isdorah , Aroka Robert , de Sanctis Teresa , K'Oloo Alloys , June Micah J. , Houben Nathalie , Wilming Charlotte , Otieno Kephas , Kariuki Simon , Onsongo Simon , Odhiambo Albert , Ganda Gregory , Rinke de Wit Tobias F.
Published: January 2023

Introduction

In Africa almost half of healthcare services are delivered through private sector providers. These are often underused in national public health responses. To support and accelerate the public sector's COVID-19 response, we facilitated recruitment of additional private sector capacity by initiating a public-private partnership (PPP) in Kisumu County, Kenya. In this manuscript we demonstrate this PPP's performance.

Methods

COVID-19 diagnostic testing formed the basis for a PPP between Kenyan Medical Research Institute (KEMRI), Department of Health Kisumu County, PharmAccess Foundation, and local faith-based and private healthcare facilities: COVID-Dx. First phase COVID-Dx was implemented from June 01, 2020, to March 31, 2021 in Kisumu County, Kenya. Trained laboratory technologists in participating healthcare facilities collected nasopharyngeal and oropharyngeal samples from patients meeting the Kenyan MoH COVID-19 case definition. Healthcare workers in participating facilities collected patient clinical data using a digitized MoH COVID-19 Case Identification Form. We shared aggregated results from these data via (semi-) live dashboards with all relevant stakeholders through their mobile phones and tablets. Statistical analyses were performed using Stata 16 to inform project processes.

Results

Nine private facilities participated in the project. A patient trajectory was developed from case identification to result reporting, all steps supported by a semi-real time digital dashboard. A total of 4,324 PCR tests for SARS-CoV-2 were added to the public response, identifying 425 positives, accounting for 16% of all COVID-19 tests performed in the County over the given time-period. Geo-mapped and time-tagged information on incident cases was depicted on Google maps through PowerBI-dashboards and fed back to policymakers for informed rapid decision making. Preferential COVID-19 testing was performed on health workers at risk, with 1,009 tests performed (up to 43% of all County health workforce).

Conclusion

We demonstrate feasibility of rapidly increasing the public health sector COVID-19 response through coordinated private sector efforts in an African setting. Our PPP intervention in Kisumu, Kenya was based on a joint testing strategy and demonstrated that semi-real time digitalization of patient trajectories can gain significant efficiencies, linking public and private healthcare efforts, increasing transparency, support better quality health services and informing policy makers to target interventions.
Escaping negative moods and concentration problems play bridge roles in the symptom network of problematic smartphone use and depression
Authors: Wei Xinyi , An Fei , Liu Chang , Li Kuiliang , Wu Lin , Ren Lei , Liu Xufeng
Published: January 2023

Background

Problematic smartphone use (PSU) has become an issue of great concern in the age of smartphones. PSU is associated with emotional problems, one of which is depression, as shown by empirical studies. However, previous studies have been limited in that they have focused solely on the total score for symptoms of PSU and depression while ignoring the symptomatic heterogeneity of these two concepts.

Method

This study filled this gap by exploring links between symptoms of PSU and depression among 1,849 university students (59.17% female participants, 17–23 years old). Network analysis was utilized to reveal symptom connections, central symptoms, and bridge symptoms between PSU and depression.

Results

(1) A total of 17 of 81 symptom connections (about 21%) between PSU and depression existed in the symptom network. For example, “self-control failure” for PSU was positively correlated with “concentration problems” for depression; (2) “recklessly continuing” for PSU and “fatigue” for depression were central symptoms within the PSU symptom network and depression symptom network, respectively; (3) “escaping negative moods” for PSU and “concentration problems” for depression were bridge symptoms. The former was maximumly connected with the depression symptoms and the latter was maximumly connected with the PSU symptoms; and (4) gender had very minimal influence on the network characteristics.

Conclusion

The results are in keeping with the central idea of the compensatory internet use theory that excessive smartphone use may be a coping strategy for depressed emotions derived from escaping motivation. Moreover, concentration problems may be a mediator explaining how negative emotions (e.g., depression) cause PSU, which is undefined in current internet use theories. Finally, symptom connections, central symptoms, and bridge symptoms could be potential targets for the prevention and intervention of PSU and depression in young adults.
Biotic sound SNR influence analysis on acoustic indices
Authors: Chen Lei , Xu Zhiyong , Zhao Zhao
Published: January 2023

In recent years, passive acoustic monitoring (PAM) has become increasingly popular. Many acoustic indices (AIs) have been proposed for rapid biodiversity assessment (RBA), however, most acoustic indices have been reported to be susceptible to abiotic sounds such as wind or rain noise when biotic sound is masked, which greatly limits the application of these acoustic indices. In this work, in order to take an insight into the influence mechanism of signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) on acoustic indices, four most commonly used acoustic indices, i.e., the bioacoustic index (BIO), the acoustic diversity index (ADI), the acoustic evenness index (AEI), and the acoustic complexity index (ACI), were investigated using controlled computational experiments with field recordings collected in a suburban park in Xuzhou, China, in which bird vocalizations were employed as typical biotic sounds. In the experiments, different signal-to-noise ratio conditions were obtained by varying biotic sound intensities while keeping the background noise fixed. Experimental results showed that three indices (acoustic diversity index, acoustic complexity index, and bioacoustic index) decreased while the trend of acoustic evenness index was in the opposite direction as signal-to-noise ratio declined, which was owing to several factors summarized as follows. Firstly, as for acoustic diversity index and acoustic evenness index, the peak value in the spectrogram will no longer correspond to the biotic sounds of interest when signal-to-noise ratio decreases to a certain extent, leading to erroneous results of the proportion of sound occurring in each frequency band. Secondly, in bioacoustic index calculation, the accumulation of the difference between the sound level within each frequency band and the minimum sound level will drop dramatically with reduced biotic sound intensities. Finally, the acoustic complexity index calculation result relies on the ratio between total differences among all adjacent frames and the total sum of all frames within each temporal step and frequency bin in the spectrogram. With signal-to-noise ratio decreasing, the biotic components contribution in both the total differences and the total sum presents a complex impact on the final acoustic complexity index value. This work is helpful to more comprehensively interpret the values of the above acoustic indices in a real-world environment and promote the applications of passive acoustic monitoring in rapid biodiversity assessment.
Bringing classes back into poverty discussions
Authors: Özgün Gizem , Dolcerocca Antoine
Published: January 2023

The 1980s saw a shift in the emphasis of discourse on poverty from production relations to consumption relations, with levels of consumption and purchasing power used to define poverty. Based on this concept, much of the research establishes absolute poverty lines or develops relative indicators to distinguish between “poor” and “non-poor.” This paper makes the case that such poverty measurement, while useful for assessing trends over the long term or taking into account relative dynamics, distorts our knowledge of poverty by hiding its root causes and results in overly optimistic interpretations. These discussions also decontextualize poverty from its political and economic context by uncritically accepting and promoting neoliberal regime. Moreover, the article questions the meaning of the “eradication of poverty” and suggests that the nominal rise in PPP income obscures historical capitalist accumulation processes (such as dispossession, proletarianization and depeasantization). As a result, the study suggests to recenter the analysis on the material causes of poverty, which are rooted in the functioning of the capitalist system, its antagonistic character, and the class-based contradictions of production itself.
Quantitative analysis of local microcirculation changes in early osteonecrosis of femoral head: DCE-MRI findings
Authors: Li Pinxue , Xie Congqin , Liu Yubo , Wen Zhentao , Nan Shaokui , Yu Fangyuan
Published: January 2023

Aim

This study aims to quantitatively analyze the changes in local microcirculation in early osteonecrosis of the femoral head (ONFH) by dynamic contrast-enhanced (DCE) MRI and to explore the pathophysiological mechanisms of early ONFH.

Patients and Methods

We selected 49 patients (98 hips) aged 21–59 years who were clinically diagnosed with early ONFH. A total of 77 femoral heads were diagnosed with different degrees of necrosis according to the Association Research Circulation Osseous (ARCO) staging system, and 21 femoral heads were judged to be completely healthy. All patients underwent DCE-MRI scanning. Pseudocolor images and time-signal intensity curves were generated by Tissue 4D processing software. The volume transfer constant (Ktrans), extracellular extravascular space, also known as vascular leakage (Ve), and transfer rate constant (Kep) of healthy and different areas of necrotic femoral heads were measured on perfusion parameter maps. The differences and characteristics of these parameters in healthy and different areas of necrotic femoral heads were analyzed.

Results

The signal accumulation in healthy femoral heads is lower than that of necrotic femoral heads in pseudocolor images. The time-signal intensity curve of healthy femoral heads is along the horizontal direction, while they all have upward trends for different areas of necrotic femoral heads. The mean value of Ktrans of healthy femoral heads was lower than the integration of necrotic, boundary, and other areas (F = 3.133, P = .036). The Kep value of healthy femoral heads was higher than the integration of lesion areas (F = 6.273, P = .001). The mean Ve value of healthy femoral heads was smaller than that of the lesion areas (F = 3.872, P = .016). The comparisons of parameters between different areas and comparisons among healthy areas and lesion areas showed different results.

Conclusion

ONFH is a complex ischemic lesion caused by changes in local microcirculation. It mainly manifests as increased permeability of the vascular wall, blood stasis in the posterior circulation, high intraosseous pressure in the femoral head, and decreased arterial blood flow. The application of DCE-MRI scanning to quantitatively analyze the visual manifestations of microcirculation after early ONFH is an ideal method to study the microcirculation changes of necrotic femoral heads.
Balloon kyphoplasty as palliative care for painful pathological spinal fracture followed by lung cancer metastasis: A cohort study
Authors: Zhang Jun-xin , Song Zhuo-run , Zou Jun , Ge Jun , Yang Hui-lin
Published: January 2023

Background

Pathological spine fractures caused by metastases of lung cancer have brought great suffering to patients. Percutaneous kyphoplasty (PKP) has been considered a preferred alternative for painful spinal metastases. The clinical efficacy and safety of PKP for metastatic spinal lesions are urgently to be evaluated.

Methods

A cohort study was conducted on 54 cases with pathologic spine fractures caused by metastasis of lung cancer. The correction of kyphosis was assessed by the Cobb angle. The life dependence and quality of the patients were evaluated by the Barthel Index of activities of daily living (ADL) and the quality-adjusted life year (QALY). Patients' survival was carefully recorded.

Results

PKP significantly corrected the kyphosis compared with conservative treatment. The ratio of moderate dependence after fracture was clearly increased by PKP. QALY indicated a better life quality brought by PKP. However, PKP could not improve the survival rate of patients.

Conclusion

PKP can be used as an effective palliative care treatment for patients with metastatic pathologic spinal fractures of lung cancer.
Gut fungal community composition analysis of myostatin mutant cattle prepared by CRISPR/Cas9
Authors: Gao Li , Wang Song , Yang Miaomiao , Wang Lili , Li Zhen , Yang Lei , Li Guangpeng , Wen Tong
Published: January 2023

Myostatin (MSTN) regulates muscle development and body metabolism through a variety of pathways and is a core target gene for gene editing in livestock. Gut fungi constitute a small part of the gut microbiome and are important to host health and metabolism. The influence of MSTN mutations on bovine gut fungi remains unknown. In this study, Internal Transcribed Spacer (ITS) high-throughput sequencing was conducted to explore the composition of gut fungi in the MSTN mutant (MT) and wild-type (WT) cattle, and 5,861 operational taxonomic units (OTUs) were detected and classified into 16 phyla and 802 genera. The results of the alpha diversity analysis indicated that no notable divergence was displayed between the WT and MT cattle; however, significant differences were noticed in the composition of fungal communities. Eight phyla and 18 genera were detected. According to the prediction of fungal function, saprotroph fungi were significantly more abundant in the MT group. The correlation analysis between gut fungal and bacterial communities revealed that MSTN mutations directly changed the gut fungal composition and, at the same time, influenced some fungi and bacteria by indirectly regulating the interaction between microorganisms, which affected the host metabolism further. This study analyzed the role of MSTN mutations in regulating the host metabolism of intestinal fungi and provided a theoretical basis for the relationship between MSTN and gut fungi.
Prevalence of bovine viral diarrhea virus in cattle between 2010 and 2021: A global systematic review and meta-analysis
Authors: Su Nuo , Wang Qi , Liu Hong-Ying , Li Lian-Min , Tian Tian , Yin Ji-Ying , Zheng Wei , Ma Qing-Xia , Wang Ting-Ting , Li Ting , Yang Tie-Lin , Li Jian-Ming , Diao Nai-Chao , Shi Kun , Du Rui
Published: January 2023

Background

Bovine viral diarrhea is one of the diseases that cause huge economic losses in animal husbandry. Many countries or regions have successively introduced eradication plans, but BVDV still has a high prevalence in the world. This meta-analysis aims to investigate the prevalence and risk factors of BVDV in the world in recent 10 years, and is expected to provide some reference and theoretical basis for BVDV control plans in different regions.

Method

Relevant articles published from 2010 to 2021 were mainly retrieved from NCBI, ScienceDirect, Chongqing VIP, Chinese web of knowledge (CNKI), web of science and Wanfang databases.

Results

128 data were used to analyze the prevalence of BVDV from 2010 to 2021. BVDV antigen prevalence rate is 15.74% (95% CI: 11.35–20.68), antibody prevalence rate is 42.77% (95% CI: 37.01–48.63). In the two databases of antigen and antibody, regions, sampling time, samples, detection methods, species, health status, age, sex, breeding mode, and seasonal subgroups were discussed and analyzed, respectively. In the antigen database, the prevalence of dairy cows in the breed subgroup, ELISA in the detection method subgroup, ear tissue in the sample subgroup, and extensive breeding in the breeding mode were the lowest, with significant differences. In the antibody database, the prevalence rate of dairy cows in the breed subgroup and intensive farming was the highest, with a significant difference. The subgroups in the remaining two databases were not significantly different.

Conclusion

This meta-analysis determined the prevalence of BVDV in global cattle herds from 2010 to 2021. The prevalence of BVDV varies from region to region, and the situation is still not optimistic. In daily feeding, we should pay attention to the rigorous and comprehensive management to minimize the spread of virus. The government should enforce BVDV prevention and control, implement control or eradication policies according to local conditions, and adjust the policies in time.
Regenerative medicine in lung diseases: A systematic review
Authors: Adamič Neža , Vengust Modest
Published: January 2023

Regenerative medicine has opened the door to the exploration of new therapeutic methods for the treatment of various diseases, especially those associated with local or general disregulation of the immune system. In pulmonary diseases, new therapeutic strategies have emerged that are aimed at restoring functional lung tissue rather than alleviating symptoms. These strategies focus on tissue regeneration using stem cells and/or their derivatives or replacement of dysfunctional tissue using biomedical engineering. Animal health can directly benefit from regenerative therapy strategies and also serve as a translational experimental model for human disease. Several clinical trials have been conducted to evaluate the effects of cellular treatment on inflammatory lung disease in animals. Data reported to date show several beneficial effects in ex vivo and in vivo models; however, our understanding of the mechanisms that regenerative therapies exert on diseased tissues remains incomplete.
Integrating Diverse Cover Crops for Fallow Replacement in a Subtropical Dryland: Implications on Subsequent Cash Crop Yield, Grain Quality, and Gross Margins
Authors: Garba Ismail Ibrahim , Williams Alwyn
Published: January 2023

Integrating cover cropping into crop–fallow rotation has been considered a key component of ecological intensification that could mitigate negative productivity and sustainability challenges associated with conventional fallow practices. However, the adoption of cover crops in water-limited environments has been limited by potential soil water and nitrogen (N) costs and resulting yield penalties. We examined the impacts of diverse cover crops on fallow soil water and mineral N dynamics and the legacy impacts on subsequent cash crop productivity and profitability. The cover crops used (forage oat—Avena sativa L. [grass], common vetch—Vicia sativa subsp. sativa L.)/fababean—Vicia faba L. [legume], forage rape—Brassica napus L. [brassica]) differed in functional traits related to growth, phenology, and soil water and N acquisition and use strategies. We found that grass-associated cover crops generally supported higher cash crop grain yield and profit than brassica- or legume-associated cover crops, mainly due to moderate biomass accumulation and water use and persistent groundcover. Cash crop grain yields increased by +19% and +23% following forage oat cover crop, with concomitant gains in gross margins of +96$ ha−1 and +318$ ha−1 for maize and winter wheat compared to conventional fallow. In contrast, maize grain yield following brassica-associated cover crops ranged from +8 to −21% and reduced gross margins by −229 to −686$ ha−1 relative to conventional fallow. Legume- and brassica-associated cover crops had the lowest mungbean and winter wheat grain yield and gross margins compared to conventional fallow and the added stubble. Cash crop yields were related to cover crop biomass production, biomass N accumulation, residue carbon to N ratio, and legacy impacts through effects on soil water availability at cash crop sowing. Given the additional grain yield and gross margin benefits following grass-associated cover crops, they may provide a potential alternative fallow soil water and N management option that could improve crop productivity and cropping system resilience in water-limited environments.
Diversity of the Biological and Proteinogenic Characteristics of Quinoa Genotypes as a Multi-Purpose Crop
Authors: Voronov Sergey , Pleskachiov Yurii , Shitikova Aleksandra , Zargar Meisam , Abdelkader Mostafa
Published: January 2023

Quinoa is a multi-purpose vegetable, grain, and forage crop, due in part to the high nutritional value of its aerial parts. This work evaluates quinoa genotype characteristics as a starting point for a better understanding of multi-purpose cultivation. Ten cultivars of quinoa were studied on soddy-podzolic soils: Brightest Brilliant, Red Faro, and Cherry Vanilla from the US (USA 1–3); Titicaca (KY1) from Denmark; Regalo (KY2), a cultivar selected by the Baer Seed Research Center for southern Chile; as well as Q1–Q5, UAE cultivars of various ecological and geographical origins. Quinoa plants were divided into three parts (lower, middle, and upper). The Q3 and Q4 cultivars produced the maximum fresh weight (38.7 g and 35.4 g, respectively) and dry matter (5.6 g and 5.3 g, respectively). The leaf mass and stems comprised 25% and 75% of the lower parts, versus 50–60% and 40–50% of the middle parts, respectively. Stems made up about 15% of the upper parts. The KY1 and Q5 cultivars produced the highest results (4.08 and 4.23 g, respectively). Protein concentrations of the quinoa grains were relatively high, with up to 14.0% grain protein in the USA2 cultivars. Leucine and isoleucine were the most abundant amino acids in quinoa grains, ranging from 6.7 to 9.2 g/100 g of protein. In contrast, methionine was the least abundant amino acid with less than 1.5 g/100 g of protein.
Research on the Slip Rate Control of a Power Shift Tractor Based on Wheel Speed and Tillage Depth Adjustment
Authors: Luo Changhai , Wen Changkai , Meng Zhijun , Liu Huaiyu , Li Guoqiang , Fu Weiqiang , Zhao Chunjiang
Published: January 2023

The existing control methods for the slip rate of the driving wheel of a test prototype have limitations that cause low-quality tillage and finishing operations. We propose a slip rate control method based on the dual factor adjustment of wheel speed and tillage depth, taking the power shift tractor New Holland T1404 as an example to verify the algorithm. This method employs the wheel speed control principle based on the power transmission ratio calculation, throttle adjustment, and wheel speed control methods, as well as the slip rate control method, with wheel speed–slip rate control as the main factor and tillage depth–slip rate control as the secondary factor. A tractor test prototype was built to validate the method. The wheel speed control method enabled the tractor to accurately control the wheel speed under three working conditions: no load on a cemented ground, no load in a field, and subsoiling operation. For the subsoiling operation, the slip rate control method gradually reduced the tractor wheel speed when the slip rate of the tractor’s drive wheel was too high until it met the requirements. When the wheel speed was adjusted to the lower limit, suspension control was performed to reduce the tillage depth and improve vehicle trafficability. In the 130 s validation test, it took 14.1 s for the tractor with the slip rate control function to have a wheel slip rate exceeding 20%, which was 25.4% lower than that of the tractor without this function. The proposed method controls the slip rate within the optimal range while ensuring maximum operation quality (tillage depth).
Manure Acidification and Air Cleaners for Ammonia Abatement: A Holistic Assessment of the Costs and Effects on Terrestrial, Freshwater and Marine Ecosystems
Authors: Geels Camilla , Gyldenkærne Steen , Nyord Tavs , Andersen Hans Estrup , Molina-Navarro Eugenio , Trolle Dennis , Thodsen Hans , Bak Jesper L. , Konrad Maria Theresia , Hasler Berit , Hansen Kaj M. , Christensen Jesper H. , Timmermann Karen
Published: January 2023

Manure acidification has been introduced as an abatement to reduce ammonia (NH3) emissions to improve air quality and protect terrestrial and aquatic environments from nitrogen deposition. A successful regulation of NH3 emissions using manure acidification might, however, result in increased nitrogen leaching from fertilized fields with adverse effects on freshwater and marine ecosystems, if the overall fertilizer application rate in the fields is not adjusted according to the increased fertilizer value of the manure. We apply a holistic model framework encapsulating all important environmental compartments to assess the ecological and economic consequences of a specific agricultural practice or a combination of these. The results show that manure acidification combined with air cleaners reduces NH3 emission and atmospheric nitrogen deposition with substantial positive effects on the terrestrial environment. Although manure acidification results in a slight increase in total nitrogen input into freshwater and marine ecosystems, the subsequent increase in chlorophyll a concentration and decrease in water transparency is insignificant. Hence, according to the model results, manure acidification will improve terrestrial nature quality, with no significant adverse effects on the aquatic environments.
Comparative Analysis of the Potential for Germ Cell (GC) Differentiation of Bovine Peripheral Blood Derived-Mesenchymal Stem Cells (PB-MSC) and Spermatogonial Stem Cells (SSC) in Co-Culture System with Sertoli Cells (SC)
Authors: Segunda Moisés N. , Díaz Carlos , Torres Cristian G. , Parraguez Víctor H. , De los Reyes Mónica , Peralta Oscar A.
Published: January 2023

Although spermatogonial stem cells (SSC) constitute primary candidates for in vitro germ cell (GC) derivation, they are scarce and difficult to maintain in an undifferentiated state. Alternatively, mesenchymal stem cells (MSC) are also candidates for GC derivation due to their simplicity for culture and multipotential for transdifferentiation. The aim of the present study was to compare the GC differentiation potentials of bull peripheral blood-derived MSC (PB-MSC) and SSC using an in vitro 3D co-culture system with Sertoli cells (SC). Samples of PB-MSC or SSC co-cultures with SC were collected on days 0, 7, 14 and 21 and analyzed for pluripotency, GC and mesenchymal marker expression. Co-culture of PB-MSC+SC resulted in down-regulation of NANOG and up-regulation of OCT4 at day 7. In comparison, co-culture of SSC+SC resulted in consistent expression of NANOG, OCT4 and SOX2 at day 14. During co-culture, SSC+SC increased the expression of DAZL, PIWIL2, FRAGILIS and STELLA and activated the expression of STRA8, whereas co-culture of PB-MSC+SC only increased the expression of DAZL and PIWIL2. Thus, co-culture of bull PB-MSC+SC and SSC+SC in 3D SACS results in differential expression of pluripotency and GC markers, where bull SSC display a more robust GC differentiation profile compared to PB-MSC.
Diet-Independent Positive Effects of a Multi-Species Probiotic on the Growth Performance and Resistance against Vibrio parahaemolyticus in White Leg Shrimp
Authors: Gruber Christina , Bui-Chau-Truc Dan , Kesselring Jutta C. , Nguyen Ngoc Diem , Standen Benedict , Wein Silvia
Published: January 2023

Probiotic feed additives can support the gut health of shrimp and thereby improve performance, production efficiency and disease resistance. Two experiments in white leg shrimp aimed to investigate the effects of a multi-species probiotic feed supplement (AquaStar®, 3 g/kg feed, Biomin GmbH, Getzersdorf, Austria) in feed formulations with different marine meal levels (32% and 15%) on growth performance and resistance against Vibrio parahaemolyticus. Juvenile shrimp were stocked in a recirculating aquaculture tank system at a density of 20 shrimp/46.8 L and were fed diets with and without the probiotic supplementation for 8 weeks. Afterwards, a bath immersion with V. parahaemolyticus was performed and mortality was observed over a period of 14 days. Independent of the diet formulation, probiotic supplementation significantly improved the survival rate of the shrimp and the specific growth rate while decreasing feed consumption and feed conversion ratio when compared to the control (p ≤ 0.042). After the Vibrio immersion challenge, mortality was significantly decreased by 13.33% with probiotic supplementation in the high marine meal diet experiment (p = 0.042) and numerically decreased by 11.67% in the low marine meal diet experiment (p = 0.133). Overall, the results suggest that the beneficial effects of the probiotic can occur independently of the diet formulation.
Macrolides at Clinically-Relevant Concentrations May Induce Biofilm Formation in Macrolide-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus
Authors: Amábile-Cuevas Carlos F.
Published: January 2023

Macrolides inhibit biofilm formation in several Gram-negative, intrinsically-resistant bacterial species. However, the effect of macrolides upon biofilm formation by susceptible Gram-positive bacteria has been much less explored as such concentrations also inhibit cell growth. To circumvent this problem, the effect of macrolides (erythromycin, clarithromycin and azithromycin) at 0.5–2 µg/mL, upon biofilm formation, was explored on macrolide-resistant Staphylococcus aureus isolates, using the crystal violet assay with 96-well plates. Early (4 h) biofilm formation by strains having constitutive target-modification resistance was consistently induced by all macrolides but not in azithromycin-treated cells in longer (8 and 12 h) incubation. In inducible-resistance isolates, early biofilm formation was enhanced by some macrolide treatments, compared to similar cell growth in the absence of antibiotics; but the typical decay of biofilms at longer incubation appeared prematurely in macrolide-treated cultures. Biofilm formation in an efflux-mediated resistant isolate was not affected by macrolides. These results indicate that macrolides induce the formation of biofilm by resistant S. aureus isolates, especially during the early stages. This suggests that the empirical use of macrolides against infections caused by resistant S. aureus strains could not only result in clinical failure but even in the enhancement of biofilms, making further treatment difficult.
Post-Distillation By-Products of Aromatic Plants from Lamiaceae Family as Rich Sources of Antioxidants and Enzyme Inhibitors
Authors: Luca Simon Vlad , Zengin Gokhan , Sinan Kouadio Ibrahime , Skalicka-Woźniak Krystyna , Trifan Adriana
Published: January 2023

There is currently no use for the vast quantities of post-distillation by-products, such as spent plant materials and residual waters, produced by the essential oil (EO) industry of aromatic herbs. In this study, the EOs of three Lamiaceae species (thyme, oregano, and basil) and their total, spent, and residual water extracts were phytochemically characterized and biologically assessed. The collected information was put through a series of analyses, including principal component analysis, heatmap analysis, and Pearson correlation analysis. Concerning the EOs, 58 volatile compounds were present in thyme (e.g., p-cymene, thymol), 44 compounds in oregano (e.g., thymol, carvacrol), and 67 compounds in basil (e.g., eucalyptol, linalool, estragole, (E)-methyl cinnamate). The LC-HRMS/MS analysis of the total, spent, and residual water extracts showed the presence of 31 compounds in thyme (e.g., quercetin-O-hexoside, pebrellin, eriodictyol), 31 compounds in oregano (e.g., rosmarinic acid, apigenin, kaempferol, salvianolic acids I, B, and E), and 25 compounds in basil (e.g., fertaric acid, cichoric acid, caftaric acid, salvianolic acid A). The EOs of the three Lamiaceae species showed the highest metal-reducing properties (up to 1792.32 mg TE/g in the CUPRAC assay), whereas the spent extracts of oregano and basil displayed very high radical-scavenging properties (up to 266.59 mg TE/g in DPPH assay). All extracts exhibited anti-acetylcholinesterase (up to 3.29 mg GALAE/g), anti-tyrosinase (up to 70.00 mg KAE/g), anti-amylase (up to 0.66 mmol ACAE/g), and anti-glucosidase (up to 1.22 mmol ACAE/g) effects. Thus, the present research demonstrated that both the raw extracts (EOs and total extracts) and the post-distillation by-products (spent material and residual water extracts) are rich in bioactive metabolites with antioxidant and enzyme inhibitory properties.
Recent Overview of Potent Antioxidant Activity of Coordination Compounds
Authors: El-Lateef Hany M. Abd , El‐Dabea Tarek , Khalaf Mai M. , Abu-Dief Ahmed M.
Published: January 2023

During recent decades, the complexation of organic ligands toward several metal ions of s-p and d-block has been applied as a plan to enhance its antioxidant performance. Due to their wide range of beneficial impacts, coordination compounds are widely used in industries, specifically in the medicinal and pharmaceutical fields. The activity is generally improved by chelation consequently knowing that the characteristics of both ligands and metals can lead to the development of greatly active compounds. Chelation compounds are a substitute for using the traditional synthetic antioxidants, because metal chelates present benefits, including a variety in geometry, oxidation states, and coordination number, that assist and favor the redox methods associated with antioxidant action. As well as understanding the best studied anti-oxidative assets of these compounds, coordination compounds are involved in the free radical scavenging process and protecting human organisms from the opposing effects of these radicals. The antioxidant ability can be assessed by various interrelated systems. The methodological modification offers the most knowledge on the antioxidant property of metal chelates. Colorimetric techniques are the most used, though electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) is an alternative for metallic compounds, since color does not affect the results. Information about systems, with their benefits, and restrictions, permits a dependable valuation of the antioxidant performance of coordination compounds, as well as assisting application in various states wherever antioxidant drugs are required, such as in food protection, appropriate good-packaged foods, dietary supplements, and others. Because of the new exhaustive analysis of organic ligands, it has become a separate field of research in chemistry. The present investigation will be respected for providing a foundation for the antioxidant properties of organic ligands, future tests on organic ligands, and building high-quality antioxidative compounds.
Screening and Characterization of Pediococcus acidilactici LC-9-1 toward Selection as a Potential Probiotic for Poultry with Antibacterial and Antioxidative Properties
Authors: Li Chong , Wang Shaolong , Chen Si , Wang Xiaoying , Deng Xuejuan , Liu Guohua , Chang Wenhuan , Beckers Yves , Cai Huiyi
Published: January 2023

Growing interest has been focused on lactic acid bacteria as alternatives to antimicrobial growth promoters, which are characterized by the production of various functional metabolites, such as antimicrobial and antioxidants compounds. The present study was undertaken to evaluate a potential probiotic from the antioxidant perspective. LC-9-1, screened from the intestines of healthy animals, was revealed to be Pediococcus acidilactici on the basis of its morphological, biochemical, and molecular characteristics. The strain has excellent properties, including acid-production efficiency, antibacterial performance and antioxidant activity. The safety of the strain was also evaluated. Furthermore, the experiments in broiler chickens suggested that dietary LC-9-1 supplementation improved the growth performance and decreased the abdominal fat, and enhanced the antioxidant capability and intestinal innate immunity of broilers. Analysis of intestinal microbiota showed that a higher community diversity (Shannon index) was achieved. In addition to the significantly increased relative abundances of Pediococcus spp., beneficial genera such as Rothia spp. and Ruminococcus spp. were abundant, while opportunistic pathogens such as Escherichia-Shigella spp. were significantly reduced in LC-9-1-supplemented broilers. Collectively, such in-depth characterization and the available data will guide future efforts to develop next-generation probiotics, and LC-9-1 could be considered a potential strain for further utilization in direct-fed microbial or starter culture for fermentation.
Motor Outcome Measures in Pediatric Patients with Congenital Muscular Dystrophies: A Scoping Review
Authors: Cavallina Ilaria , D’Alessandro Rossella , Brusa Chiara , Panero Elisa , Rolle Enrica , Rossi Francesca , Mongini Tiziana , Ricci Federica Silvia
Published: January 2023

Congenital muscular dystrophies (CMDs) are a heterogeneous group of genetic neuromuscular disorders. They usually occur at birth or in early childhood, with delayed acquisition of motor milestones, and diffuse muscle weakness. A dystrophic pattern is evident on the muscle biopsy. They are highly variable both in terms of severity and clinical evolution and in terms of pathogenetic biochemical mechanisms. The aim of this review is to collect and summarize the current knowledge of motor function in pediatric patients with congenital muscular dystrophies and the instruments used to assess it. This scoping review was conducted using the methodology of PRISMA (extension for Scoping Reviews, PRISMA-ScR). Two databases were queried from January 2002 to November 2022. Articles were identified based on title and abstract. Full-text papers published in peer-reviewed English-language journals were selected. It emerged that motor functional aspects are still underinvestigated in CMD patients, probably due to the rarity of these conditions and the phenotypic variability. The scales used to assess motor function are heterogeneous, as are the age groups considered. Finally, the predominant type of research design is cross-sectional; few studies analyze the progression of motor function over time. All these factors make it difficult to correlate the results of different publications and stress the need for more accurate and shared protocols for assessing motor function in these patients.
Analysis of Mechanical Excavation Characteristics by Pre-Cutting Machine Based on Linear Cutting Tests
Authors: Kim Han-eol , Ha Sang-gui , Rehman Hafeezur , Yoo Han-kyu
Published: January 2023

Mechanical methods of tunnel excavation are widely used because of their high excavation output, and the selection of appropriate technology depends on ground composition and project-related features. Compared with tunnel boring machines (TBMs) and roadheaders, mechanical pre-cutting machines are used in tunnel widening and have proven to be reliable in tunnel capacity expansion. Compared to other machines, the excavation characteristics of pre-cutting machines are not systematically analyzed because of their rare use. In this study, the excavation characteristics of a pre-cutting machine are analyzed in a laboratory based on linear cutting tests performed on four rock specimens with different uniaxial compressive strengths. During testing, changes in tool forces, cutting volume, and specific energy are determined while maintaining different penetration depths, spacings, and rock strengths. The variations in these variables are selected accordingly. The results showed high similarity with the case of TBMs and roadheaders. However, in the excavation by the pre-cutting machine, the ratios of the peak-to-mean cutting forces and cutting-to-normal forces reached a maximum value at a specific s/p (spacing and penetration ratio), which is related to the optimal cutting conditions. This study can provide useful information for the operation and design of pre-cutting machines.
Analytical Method for Assessing Stability of a Counterbalanced Forklift Truck Assembled with Interchangeable Equipment
Authors: Vita Leonardo , Gattamelata Davide
Published: January 2023

Counterbalanced forklift trucks (FLT) are frequently used in combination with interchangeable equipment in order to handle loads in different manners. The main risks which may arise after assembling interchangeable equipment to a FLT are related to the loss of stability of the assembly. Actually, the presence of interchangeable equipment and the associated payload may change in a significant way the overall centre of gravity with respect to the FLT in its basic configuration with forks. Therefore, the stability limits of the assembly, based on the same footprints on the ground of the FLT alone, are affected by the position of the overall centre of gravity. Thus, the presence of interchangeable equipment could reduce the functionality (e.g., lifting capability, lifting height, etc.) of the FLT in order to continue its stability during use. Often, interchangeable equipment is placed on the market by manufacturers other than the FLT manufacturer. In these cases, the correct and safe coupling of the interchangeable equipment with the FLT is the responsibility of the manufacturers of interchangeable equipment, including the stability risk assessment. Thus, the interchangeable equipment manufacturer should have access to the relevant information of the FLT concerning operative and structural features and its configuration as a procedure for assessing the correct and safe coupling. Otherwise, he should perform experimental stability tests for each model of FLT so that its interchangeable equipment can be fitted. Specific research activity is developed in order to define an analytical procedure to assess the stability of FLT when assembled with interchangeable equipment. Specific typologies of FLTs and interchangeable equipment have been selected in order to better characterise the case study. The analytical equations mimic the static stability tests. The results achieved have been compared to experimental data in order to optimise the procedure. The results attained by the application of the analytical procedure to all the combinations of main typologies of FLTs and the interchangeable equipment selected showed good agreement with experimental tests.
Skin Cancer Classification Framework Using Enhanced Super Resolution Generative Adversarial Network and Custom Convolutional Neural Network
Authors: Mukadam Sufiyan Bashir , Patil Hemprasad Yashwant
Published: January 2023

Melanin skin lesions are most commonly spotted as small patches on the skin. It is nothing but overgrowth caused by melanocyte cells. Skin melanoma is caused due to the abnormal surge of melanocytes. The number of patients suffering from skin cancer is observably rising globally. Timely and precise identification of skin cancer is crucial for lowering mortality rates. An expert dermatologist is required to handle the cases of skin cancer using dermoscopy images. Improper diagnosis can cause fatality to the patient if it is not detected accurately. Some of the classes come under the category of benign while the rest are malignant, causing severe issues if not diagnosed at an early stage. To overcome these issues, Computer-Aided Design (CAD) systems are proposed which help to reduce the burden on the dermatologist by giving them accurate and precise diagnosis of skin images. There are several deep learning techniques that are implemented for cancer classification. In this experimental study, we have implemented a custom Convolution Neural Network (CNN) on a Human-against-Machine (HAM10000) database which is publicly accessible through the Kaggle website. The designed CNN model classifies the seven different classes present in HAM10000 database. The proposed experimental model achieves an accuracy metric of 98.77%, 98.36%, and 98.89% for protocol-I, protocol-II, and protocol-III, respectively, for skin cancer classification. Results of our proposed models are also assimilated with several different models in the literature and were found to be superior than most of them. To enhance the performance metrics, the database is initially pre-processed using an Enhanced Super Resolution Generative Adversarial Network (ESRGAN) which gives a better image resolution for images of smaller size.
Dissipativity Analysis of Large-Scale Networked Systems
Authors: Sun Yuanfei , Wang Jirong , Liu Huabo
Published: January 2023

This paper investigates the dissipativity analysis of large-scale networked systems with linear time-invariant dynamics. The networked system is composed of a large number of subsystems whose connections are arbitrary, and each subsystem can have different dynamics. A sufficient and necessary condition for the strict dissipativity analysis of the networked system is derived, which takes advantage of the block-diagonal structure of the system parameter matrix and the sparseness characteristics of the subsystem interconnections. Then, a necessary condition and a sufficient condition that depend only on a single subsystem parameter are given separately. Numerical simulations illustrate that compared with the existing results, the conditions suggested in this paper have higher computational efficiency in the dissipative analysis of large-scale networked systems.