bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The AIMS approach: regulating receptivity in patient-provider vaccine conversations
Authors: Parrish-Sprowl John , Thomson Angus , Johnson Rodger D. , Parrish-Sprowl Susan
Published: June 2023

The World Health Organization named vaccine hesitancy a leading global health threat of modern time. Addressing this public health issue requires a multi-front strategy, one such strategic effort is training health care professionals to respond to reluctant patients/caregivers or those who refuse vaccines. AIMS (Announce, Inquire, Mirror, and Secure) is designed to help HCPs engaged in more productive conversations with patients/caregivers to secure trust, a key behavior leading to higher vaccination rates.
Metabolic risk factors attributed burden in Iran at national and subnational levels, 1990 to 2019
Authors: Moradi Soroush , Parsaei Amirhossein , Saeedi Moghaddam Sahar , Aryannejad Armin , Azadnajafabad Sina , Rezaei Negar , Mashinchi Baharnaz , Esfahani Zahra , Shobeiri Parnian , Rezaei Nazila ,   GBD 2019 Iran MRF Collaborators, Naghavi Mohsen , Larijani Bagher , Farzadfar Farshad
Published: June 2023

Introduction

Metabolic risk factors (MRFs) predispose populations to a variety of chronic diseases with a huge burden globally. With the increasing burden of these risk factors in Iran, in this study, we aimed to report the estimated burden attributed to MRFs at national and subnational scales in Iran, from 1990 to 2019.

Methods

Based on the comparative risk assessment method of the Global Burden of Disease (GBD) Study 2019, data of deaths and disability-adjusted life years (DALYs) attributable to four top MRFs in Iran including high systolic blood pressure (SBP), high fasting plasma glucose (FPG), high body mass index (BMI), and high low-density lipoprotein (LDL) for the 1990–2019 period, were extracted. The socio-demographic index (SDI) was used to report the data based on the corresponding socio-economic stratifications. The results were reported in national and subnational 31 provinces of Iran to discover disparities regarding the attributable burden to MRFs. Furthermore, we reported the causes of diseases to which the attributable burden to MRFs was related.

Results

Overall, the age-standardized high LDL, high SBP, high BMI, and high FPG-attributed death rate changed by −45.1, −35.6, +2.8, and +19.9% from 1990 to 2019, respectively. High SBP was the leading risk factor regarding attributed age-standardized death rates reaching 157.8 (95% uncertainty interval: 135.3–179.1) and DALY rates reaching 2973.4 (2652.2–3280.2) per 100,000 person-years, in 2019. All rates increased with aging, and men had higher rates except for the +70 years age group. At the subnational level, provinces in the middle SDI quintile had the highest death and DALY rates regarding all four MRFs. Total deaths, DALYs, YLLs and YLDs number by the causes of diseases linked to MRFs increased over the study period. Cardiovascular diseases, diabetes mellitus, and kidney diseases were the main causes of burden of disease attributable to MRFs.

Conclusion

Herein, we found divergent patterns regarding the burden of MRFs as well as disparities in different regions, sex, and age groups for each risk factor and related causes. This could provide policymakers with a clearer vision toward more appropriate decision-making and resource allocation to prevent the burden of MRFs in Iran.
Childhood abuse and association with adult depressive symptoms among people with cardiovascular disease
Authors: Yin Ruoyun , Yang Yuan , Tang Lei , Chang Yujiao , Zhang Fan
Published: June 2023

Background

To study the association between the total/different types of childhood abuse and adult depressive symptoms in people with cardiovascular disease (CVD).

Methods

The subjects were people with CVD who continuously participated in the China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study (CHARLS) life history survey and the 2018 wave of the CHARLS national baseline Survey. Multi-level logistic regression models were used to analyze the relationship between emotional neglect, physical neglect, physical abuse and adult depressive symptoms.

Results

A total of 4,823 respondents were included in this study. The incidence of childhood abuse (existed emotional neglect, physical neglect or physical abuse) was 43.58% among people over 45 years old with CVD, which was higher than that of the general population (36.62%, p < 0.05). Adjusted model showed that overall childhood abuse was associated with adult depressive symptoms (OR = 1.230, 95%CI:1.094–1.383). Among different types of childhood abuse, only physical abuse was associated with depressive symptoms in adulthood (OR = 1.345, 95%CI:1.184–1.528).

Conclusion

Compared with that of the general population, the incidence of childhood abuse in CVD population is higher. Physical abuse in childhood increased the risk of depressive symptoms in adulthood. It suggested that the occurrence of depressive symptoms was the result of related factors in the whole life course. In order to prevent the depressive symptoms, childhood abuse also needs to be considered. It is very important to identify and prevent the continuation of childhood abuse in time.
Feeling with a robot—the role of anthropomorphism by design and the tendency to anthropomorphize in human-robot interaction
Authors: Schömbs Sarah , Klein Jacobe , Roesler Eileen
Published: June 2023

The implementation of anthropomorphic features in regard to appearance and framing is widely supposed to increase empathy towards robots. However, recent research used mainly tasks that are rather atypical for daily human-robot interactions like sacrificing or destroying robots. The scope of the current study was to investigate the influence of anthropomorphism by design on empathy and empathic behavior in a more realistic, collaborative scenario. In this online experiment, participants collaborated either with an anthropomorphic or a technical looking robot and received either an anthropomorphic or a technical description of the respective robot. After the task completion, we investigated situational empathy by displaying a choice-scenario in which participants needed to decide whether they wanted to act empathically towards the robot (sign a petition or a guestbook for the robot) or non empathically (leave the experiment). Subsequently, the perception of and empathy towards the robot was assessed. The results revealed no significant influence of anthropomorphism on empathy and participants’ empathic behavior. However, an exploratory follow-up analysis indicates that the individual tendency to anthropomorphize might be crucial for empathy. This result strongly supports the importance to consider individual difference in human-robot interaction. Based on the exploratory analysis, we propose six items to be further investigated as empathy questionnaire in HRI.
A case-control study of tackle based head impact event (HIE) risk factors from the first three seasons of the National Rugby League Women's competition
Authors: McLeod Shreya , Tucker Ross , Edwards Suzi , Jones Ben , Page Georgia , Spiegelhalter Mily , West Stephen W. , Iverson Grant L. , Gardner Andrew J.
Published: June 2023

Objective

The tackle is the most injurious event in rugby league and carries the greatest risk of concussion. This study aims to replicate previous research conducted in professional men's rugby league by examining the association between selected tackle characteristics and head impact events (HIEs) in women's professional rugby league.

Methods

We reviewed and coded 83 tackles resulting in an HIE and every tackle (6,318 tackles) that did not result in an HIE for three seasons (2018–2020) of the National Rugby League Women's (NRLW) competition. Tackle height, body position of the tackler and ball carrier, as well as the location of head contact with the other player's body were evaluated. Propensity of each situation that caused an HIE was calculated as HIEs per 1,000 tackles.

Results

The propensity for tacklers to sustain an HIE was 6.60 per 1,000 tackles (95% CI: 4.87–8.92), similar to that of the ball carrier (6.13 per 1,000 tackles, 95% CI: 4.48–8.38). The greatest risk of an HIE to either the tackler or ball carrier occurred when head proximity was above the sternum (21.66 per 1,000 tackles, 95% CI: 16.55–28.35). HIEs were most common following impacts between two heads (287.23 HIEs per 1,000 tackles, 95% CI: 196.98–418.84). The lowest propensity for both tackler (2.65 per 1,000 tackles, 95% CI: 0.85–8.20) and ball carrier HIEs (1.77 per 1,000 tackles, 95% CI: 0.44–7.06) occurred when the head was in proximity to the opponent's shoulder and arm. No body position (upright, bent or unbalanced/off feet) was associated with an increased propensity of HIE to either tackler or ball carrier.

Conclusions

In the NRLW competition, tacklers and ball carriers have a similar risk of sustaining an HIE during a tackle, differing from men's NRL players, where tacklers have a higher risk of HIEs. Further studies involving larger samples need to validate these findings. However, our results indicate that injury prevention initiatives in women's rugby league should focus on how the ball carrier engages in contact during the tackle as well as how the tackler executes the tackle.
Comparative study of pancreatic vessels and mesopancreas of rhesus monkeys and humans
Authors: Ye Fan , Xiong Hang , Su Hongyu , Huang Ziheng , Luo Wenxin , Yuan Dongmei , Yi Tao , Zhou Hongying
Published: June 2023

Introduction

With the introduction of the concept of mesopancreas defining the perineural structures that includes neurovascular bundle and lymph nodes extending from the posterior surface of the pancreatic head to behind the mesenteric vessels,Total Mesopancreas Excision (TMpE) based on this theory has facilitated the development of pancreatic cancer surgery in clinical practice in recent years. However, the existence of so called mesopancreas in the human body is still in debate and the comparative study of mesopancreas of rhesus monkey and human have not been well investigated.

Purpose

The aim of our study is to compare the pancreatic vessels and fascia of human and rhesus monkeys in anatomical and embryological perspectives and to support the utilization of rhesus monkey as animal model.

Methods

In this study, 20 rhesus monkey cadavers were dissected and their mesopancreas location, relationships and arterial distribution were analyzed. We compared the location and developmental patterns of mesopancreas in macaques and humans.

Results

The results showed that the distribution of pancreatic arteries in rhesus monkeys was the same as that in humans, which is consistent with phylogenetic similarities. However, the morphological features of the mesopancreas and greater omentum is anatomically different from that of humans, including (1) the greater omentum is not connected to the transverse colon in monkeys. (2) The presence of the dorsal mesopancreas of the rhesus monkey suggests that it be an intraperitoneal organ. Comparative anatomical studies of mesopancreas and arteries in macaques and humans showed characteristic patterns of mesopancreas and similarities in pancreatic artery development in nonhuman primates, consistent with phylogenetic differentiation.
Past, present, and future options for right ventricular outflow tract reconstruction
Authors: Carrel Thierry
Published: June 2023

The pulmonary valve is the most frequently replaced cardiac valve in congenital heart diseases. Whether the valve alone or part of the right ventricular outflow tract have to be repaired or replaced depends on the specific pathological anatomy of the malformation. Once the decision to replace the pulmonary valve has been made, two options are available: the isolated transcatheter pulmonary valve replacement and the surgical implantation of a prosthetic valve either isolated or in combination with a procedure on the right ventricular outflow tract. In this paper, we will focus on the different past and present surgical options and present a new concept called “endogenous tissue restoration,” a promising alternative to the hitherto existing implants. From a general point of view, neither the transcatheter nor the surgical valvular implants are magic bullets in the arsenal for the management of valvular diseases. Smaller valves have to be frequently replaced because of outgrowth of the patients, larger tissue valves may present late structural valve deterioration, while xenograft and homograft conduits may calcify and therefore become narrowed within unpredictable incidence and interval following implantation. Based on long-term research efforts combining the knowledge of supramolecular chemistry, electrospinning, and regenerative medicine, endogenous tissue restoration has emerged most recently as a promising option to create long-term functioning implants. This technology is appealing because following resorption of the polymer scaffold and timely replacement through autologous tissue, no foreign material remain at all in the cardiovascular system. Proof-of-concept studies as well as small first-in-man series have been completed and have demonstrated favorable anatomic and hemodynamic results, comparable to currently available implants in the short term. Based on the initial experience, important modifications to improve the pulmonary valve function have been initiated.
Currents Analysis of a Brushless Motor with Inverter Faults—Part II: Diagnostic Method for Open-Circuit Fault Isolation
Authors: Morel Cristina , Gueux Baptiste Le , Rivero Sébastien , Chahba Saad
Published: June 2023

In this paper, a brushless motor with a three-phase inverter is investigated under healthy and multiple open-circuit faults. The occurrence of faults in an inverter will lead to atypical characteristics in the current measurements. This is why many usual entropies and multiscale entropies have been proposed to evaluate the complexity of the output currents by quantifying such dynamic changes. Among this multitude of entropies, only some are able to differentiate between healthy and faulty open-circuit conditions. In addition, another selection is made between these entropies in order to improve diagnostic speed. After the fault detection based on the mean values, the open-circuit faults are localized based on the fault diagnostic method. The simulation results ensure the ability of these entropies to detect and locate open-circuit faults. Moreover, they are able to achieve fault diagnostics for a single switch, double switches, three switches, and even four switches. The diagnostic time to detect and to isolate faults is between 10.85 ms and 13.67 ms. Then, in order to prove the ability of the fault diagnostic method, a load variation is performed under the rated speed conditions of the brushless motor. The validity of the method is analyzed under different speed values for a constant torque. Finally, the fault diagnostic method is independent from power levels.
Entrepreneurial Competence Development Program: Implementing Efficiency through Knowledge Sharing
Authors: Smirnov Sergei , Dmitrichenkova Svetlana , Dolzhich Elena , Murzagalina Gulnaz
Published: June 2023

The goal of this study was to investigate the impact of introducing methods used in other countries on student success. The results suggested that the introduction of specific practices to improve entrepreneurial competence would be more effective forgoing such special training methods. This was validated by the results of a test survey conducted by an expert panel. According to the panel, the quality of knowledge among students in the groups in which new methods were introduced was as follows: 7.5 points on average out of 10 for the first group; 7.9 points on average out of 10 for the second group; 7.8 points on average out of 10 for the third group; and 6.4 points on average out of 10 for the fourth group. These data suggest that new practices improve students’ knowledge and skills. The students themselves also assessed the improvement in their quality of knowledge. More specifically, the students in the second group gave a very high average score of 4.4 out of a possible 5 for the effectiveness of the European methods. The same parameter was rated 3.4 out of 5 points by the fourth group.
Design of Machine Learning Solutions to Post-Harvest Classification of Vegetal Species
Authors: Diop Papa Moussa , Oshiro Naoki , Nakamura Morikazu , Takamoto Jin , Nakamura Yuji
Published: June 2023

This paper presents a machine learning approach to automatically classifying post-harvest vegetal species. Color images of vegetal species were applied to convolutional neural networks (CNNs) and support vector machine (SVM) classifiers. We focused on okra as the target vegetal species and classified it into two quality types. However, our approach could also be applied to other species. The machine learning solution consists of several components, and each design process and its combinations are essential for classification quality. Therefore, we carefully investigated their effects on classification accuracy. Through our experimental evaluation, we confirmed the following: (1) in color space selection, HLG (hue, lightness, and green) and HSL (hue, saturation, and lightness) are essential for vegetal species; (2) suitable preprocessing techniques are required owing to the complexity of the data and noise load; and (3) the diversity extension of learning image data by mixing different datasets obtained under different conditions is quite effective in reducing the overfitting possibility. The results of this study will assist AI practitioners in the design and development of post-harvest classifications based on machine learning.
Estimating Relative Chlorophyll Content in Rice Leaves Using Unmanned Aerial Vehicle Multi-Spectral Images and Spectral–Textural Analysis
Authors: Wang Yuwei , Tan Suiyan , Jia Xingna , Qi Long , Liu Saisai , Lu Henghui , Wang Chengen , Liu Weiwen , Zhao Xu , He Longxin , Chen Jiongtao , Yang Chuanyi , Wang Xicheng , Chen Jiaying , Qin Yijuan , Yu Jie , Ma Xu
Published: June 2023

Leaf chlorophyll content is crucial for monitoring plant growth and photosynthetic capacity. The Soil and Plant Analysis Development (SPAD) values are widely utilized as a relative chlorophyll content index in ecological agricultural surveys and vegetation remote sensing applications. Multi-spectral cameras are a cost-effective alternative to hyperspectral cameras for agricultural monitoring. However, the limited spectral bands of multi-spectral cameras restrict the number of vegetation indices (VIs) that can be synthesized, necessitating the exploration of other options for SPAD estimation. This study evaluated the impact of using texture indices (TIs) and VIs, alone or in combination, for estimating rice SPAD values during different growth stages. A multi-spectral camera was attached to an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) to collect remote sensing images of the rice canopy, with manual SPAD measurements taken immediately after each flight. Random forest (RF) was employed as the regression method, and evaluation metrics included coefficient of determination (R2) and root mean squared error (RMSE). The study found that textural information extracted from multi-spectral images could effectively assess the SPAD values of rice. Constructing TIs by combining two textural feature values (TFVs) further improved the correlation of textural information with SPAD. Utilizing both VIs and TIs demonstrated superior performance throughout all growth stages. The model works well in estimating the rice SPAD in an independent experiment in 2022, proving that the model has good generalization ability. The results suggest that incorporating both spectral and textural data can enhance the precision of rice SPAD estimation throughout all growth stages, compared to using spectral data alone. These findings are of significant importance in the fields of precision agriculture and environmental protection.
Reproduction of Sheep through Nuclear Transfer of Somatic Cells: A Bibliometric Approach
Authors: Vazquez-Avendaño José Roberto , Cortez-Romero César , Bravo-Vinaja Ángel , Ambríz-García Demetrio Alonso , Trejo-Córdova Alfredo , Navarro-Maldonado María del Carmen
Published: June 2023

Somatic cell nuclear transfer (SCNT) is a reproductive biotechnology with great potential in the reproduction of different species of zootechnical interest, including sheep. This study aimed to carry out a bibliometric analysis of scientific papers published on the application of SCNT in sheep reproduction during the period 1997–2023. The search involved the Science Citation Index Expanded and Social Sciences Citation Index databases of the main collection of the Web of Sciences with different descriptors. A total of 124 scientific papers were analyzed for different bibliometric indicators using the VOSviewer software. Since 2001, the number of SCNT-related papers that have been published concerning sheep reproduction has increased and it has fluctuated in ensuing years. The main authors, research groups, institutions, countries, papers, and journals with the highest number of papers related to the application of SCNT in sheep reproduction were identified, as well as the topics that address the research papers according to the terms: somatic cell, embryo, oocyte, gene expression, SCNT, and sheep.
Comment on Cook, B.; Mulgan, N. Targeted Mop up and Robust Response Tools Can Achieve and Maintain Possum Freedom on the Mainland. Animals 2022, 12, 921
Authors: Barron Mandy , Anderson Dean P. , Norbury Grant , Warburton Bruce
Published: June 2023

The recent paper published by Cook and Mulgan [...]
Managing Reproduction in Hyperprolific Sow Herds
Authors: Bortolozzo Fernando Pandolfo , Zanin Gabriela Piovesan , Ulguim Rafael da Rosa , Mellagi Ana Paula Gonçalves
Published: June 2023

The rearing of large litters from hyperprolific sows is a characteristic of modern genotypes. However, these sows have body and reproductive characteristics that differentiate them from the genotypes of the past decades, making it necessary to adopt different management strategies. This review describes the main care and challenges associated with the hyperprolificity of sows during the period in which replacement gilts are selected, along with gestation, parturition, lactation, and the weaning-estrus interval. It describes the challenges that these sows’ piglets will face during the lactation period and includes some strategies adopted to develop these surplus piglets. In addition, it identifies areas where more research is needed to understand the reproductive management of modern genotypes.
Black Grouse Hissing Calls Show Geographic Variability across the Distribution Area
Authors: Hambálková Lucie , Policht Richard , Cukor Jan , Hart Vlastimil , Ševčík Richard
Published: June 2023

The black grouse is a species whose population development requires constant monitoring due to a rapidly declining trend, especially in Central Europe. Variability in the voices of geographically separated populations can aid in counting within individual populations. This has been investigated with the black grouse. However, the variability of the acoustic behavior of black grouse between populations was investigated for the first time. In total, 82 male black grouse were recorded during the lekking season in four countries: the Czech Republic, Scotland, Finland, and Russia. We analyzed recordings of hissing calls, i.e., the non-vocal signal. DFA analysis correctly classified almost 70% of the recordings. The results indicate a certain degree of difference between the grouse populations from the four countries examined. The mean frequency of hissing calls for populations was 1410.71 ± 170.25 Hz, 1473.89 ± 167.59 Hz, 1544.38 ± 167.60 Hz, and 1826.34 ± 319.23 Hz in the Czech Republic, Finland, Russia, and Scotland, respectively. Populations from Scotland and Russia have greater intra-variability compared to grouse from the Czech Republic and Finland, indicating that population density is not the principal factor in the geographical variability of black grouse hissing calls. Range-level differences enhance knowledge and facilitate the assessment of species evolution.
Cattle Make the Difference: Variations and Developments of Animal Husbandry in the Central European La Tène Culture
Authors: Saliari Konstantina , Trebsche Peter
Published: June 2023

The first part of our research focuses on the analysis of animal remains (>6000 identified specimens, NISP) from the Middle La Tène central settlement Haselbach in Lower Austria, one of the largest investigated archaeozoological assemblages of present-day Austria. Based on the age and sex profiles, the faunal assemblage from Haselbach shows characteristics of urbanization and centralization and bears striking similarities to the archaeozoological material of the central settlement of Roseldorf (Lower Austria), some 35 km northwest of Haselbach. The second part of our research discusses the historical and regional context of the archaeozoological results from Haselbach and compares them with other sites, based on a detailed review of published archaeozoological data from the La Tène period (c. 450 BC to the end of the first century BC). In total, 55 faunal assemblages from 46 sites in nine countries in Central Europe, representing different types of sites (lowland settlements, hilltop settlements, central settlements, oppida, assemblages of ritual activity, and mining sites) were examined. The synthesis of the archaeozoological data exhibits different husbandry strategies and suggests major changes, especially during the Middle La Tène period indicating agricultural intensification. The differences in the biological profiles of the major domesticated species are of crucial importance to better understand aspects of socio-economic organization; especially in the case of cattle, age and sex profiles are used to distinguish different patterns of cattle husbandry. Finally, morphometric and recent genetic analyses on cattle bones and teeth from La Tène sites in Central Europe provide new insights into the complex socio-economic behavior as well as long-distance networks, involving animal supply and mobility in an exciting period of change involving centralization and increasing influence from the South during the pre-Roman late Iron Age.
The First Serological Detection and Risk Factors Analysis of Akabane Virus in Egyptian Cattle
Authors: Metwally Samy , Bkear Nabil , Samir Marwa , Hamada Rania , Elshafey Besheer , Batiha Gaber , Almanaa Taghreed N. , Sobhy Kamel , Badr Yassien
Published: June 2023

Akabane virus (AKAV) is an insect-borne virus belonging to the genus Orthobunyavirus of the family Peribunyaviridae. It is the etiologic agent of Akabane disease (AD), which emerged in Asia, Australia, and the Middle East causing severe economic losses among domestic and wild animals. AKAV has not received enough attention in Egypt, and its evidence among Egyptian animals has never been reported. Therefore, this study used ELISA assay to investigate the seroprevalence of AKAV among Egyptian dairy and beef cattle in eight localities of Beheira province, north Egypt. Out of 368 investigated plasma samples, the overall AKAV seroprevalence was 54.3% (95% CI: 50.8–61.4). AKAV antibodies were detected in all examined cattle farms (7/7) and the majority of abattoirs (8/9). Age, sex, breed, and location of the tested cattle were analyzed as risk factors for AKAV infection. A higher significant increase in seropositivity was obtained in cattle who were aged >5 years (p < 0.0001; OR = 9.4), females (p < 0.0001, OR = 8.3), or Holstein breed (p < 0.0001, OR = 22.6) than in younger ages, males, and Mixed and Colombian zebu breeds, respectively. Moreover, a significant variation in AKAV seroprevalence between the tested locations was noticed. Ultimately, a multivariable analysis concluded that age (p = 0.002, OR = 3.32, 95% CI = 1.57–7.04) and breed (p = 0.03, OR = 1.69, 95% CI = 1.05–2.72) were significant risks for AKAV infection. In conclusion, this study is the first to detect AKAV infection in Egyptian animals.
The Science and Social Validity of Companion Animal Welfare: Functionally Defined Parameters in a Multidisciplinary Field
Authors: Novack Lauren I. , Schnell-Peskin Lauren , Feuerbacher Erica , Fernandez Eduardo J.
Published: June 2023

Social validity refers to the social significance and acceptability of intervention goals, procedures, and outcomes. Animal practitioners, who are often guided by the principles of ABA, lack the benefit of verbal participants (at least with respect to target animals) with which to assess a client’s needs and preferences. The study of a learner’s welfare is useful for determining areas where intervention is needed or how the learner feels about an intervention that is underway. Three tenets of animal welfare measurement include physiological function, naturalistic behavior, and affect, where affect refers to private events, including emotions, which are a function of the same variables and contingencies responsible for controlling public behavior. The development of new technologies allows us to look “under the skin” and account for subjective experiences that can now be observed objectively. We introduce the reader to tools available from the animal welfare sciences for the objective measurement of social validity from the learner’s perspective.
Evaluation of Surgical Aid of Methylene Blue in Addition to Intraoperative Gamma Probe for Sentinel Lymph Node Extirpation in 116 Canine Mast Cell Tumors (2017–2022)
Authors: Gariboldi Elisa Maria , Ubiali Alessandra , Chiti Lavinia Elena , Ferrari Roberta , De Zani Donatella , Zani Davide Danilo , Grieco Valeria , Giudice Chiara , Recordati Camilla , Stefanello Damiano , Auletta Luigi
Published: June 2023

Methylene Blue (MB) is combined with radiopharmaceutical for intraoperative sentinel lymph node (SLN) mapping, but its role during SLN extirpation has not been investigated yet in veterinary medicine. The aim of this study was to assess whether MB increased surgical detection of SLN beyond the use of intraoperative gamma-probe (IGP) alone in clinically node-negative dogs with mast cell tumors (MCTs) following the detection of sentinel lymphocentrums (SLCs) via preoperative planar lymphoscintigraphy. Dogs enrolled underwent MCT excision and SLC exploration guided by both MB and IGP. Data recorded for each SLN were staining (blue/non-blue), radioactivity (hot/non-hot), and histopathological status (HN0-1 vs. HN2-3). A total of 103 dogs bearing 80 cutaneous, 35 subcutaneous, and 1 mucocutaneous MCTs were included; 140 SLCs were explored, for a total of 196 SLNs removed. Associating MB with IGP raised the SLNs detection rate from 90% to 95%. A total of 44% of SLNs were metastatic: 86% were blue/hot, 7% were only blue, 5% were only hot, and 2% were non-blue/non-hot. All HN3 SLNs were hot. Combining MB with IGP can increase the rate of SLN detection in dogs with MCTs; nonetheless, all lymph nodes identified during dissection should be removed, as they might be unstained but metastatic.
Influence of Media Composition on the Level of Bovine Satellite Cell Proliferation
Authors: Zygmunt Karolina , Otwinowska-Mindur Agnieszka , Piórkowska Katarzyna , Witarski Wojciech
Published: June 2023

It is predicted that already in 2040, 35% of requirements for meat will be provided by in vitro production. Recreating the course of myogenesis in vitro, and thus resembling a structure of muscle tissue, is the basis for research focusing on obtaining cultured meat and requires providing relevant factors supporting the proliferation of satellite cells—being precursors of skeletal muscles. The present work aimed to develop the composition of the medium that would most effectively stimulate the proliferation of bovine satellite cells (BSCs). The modeling and optimization methods included the measurements of the synergistic, co-stimulatory effect of three medium components: the amount of glucose, the type of serum (bovine or horse), and the amount of mitogenic factor—bFGF. Additionally, the qPCR analyses determined the expression of genes involved in myogenesis, such as Pax7 and Myogenic Regulatory Factors, depending on the level of the tested factor. The results showed significant positive effects of serum type (bovine serum) and mitogenic factor (addition of 10 ng/mL bFGF) on the proliferation rate. In turn, qPCR analysis displayed no significant differences in the relative expression level of Pax7 genes and MRF factors for both factors. However, a statistically higher Pax7 and Myf5 gene expression level was revealed when a low glucose medium was used (p < 0.05). In conclusion, the components of the medium, such as bovine serum and the addition of a mitogenic factor at the level of 10 ng/mL, ensure a higher proliferation rate of BSCs and lower glucose content ensured the expression of crucial genes in the self-renewal of the satellite cell population.
An Investigation on the Effects of Partial Replacement of Rapeseed Cake in Ayrshire Dairy Heifers’ Diets with By-Product Source of Animal Protein on Body Weight Dynamics, Nutrient Balancing, and Blood Biochemical Markers
Authors: Buryakov Nikolai P. , Aleshin Dmitrii E. , Buryakova Maria A. , Zaikina Anastasiya S. , Medvedev Ivan K. , Zemyachkovskaya Darya A. , Laptev Georgy Y. , Ilina Larisa A. , El Sheikh Ahmed I. , Fathala Mohamed M. , Sahwan Ferial M.
Published: June 2023

Recently, the secondary use of by-products of the processing industry resulting from the production of poultry meat, which can be included in animal diets, has become a popular topic in the feed industry. For studying the effects of partial replacement of rapeseed cake (RC) with the by-product source of animal protein concentrate Agro-Matic (PCAM) on growth dynamics, nutrient absorption and nitrogen balance, as well as blood biochemical parameters during the growing period, a total of 48 Russian Ayrshire dairy heifers were selected for this experiment and they were divided into three experimental groups (16 in each group, including the control group). The heifers of the control group were fed the basal diet which contained rapeseed cake (30%), while the second (RC + PCAM) and third groups (PCAM + RC) were fed the basal diet after replacing a part of the rapeseed cake with 2.25% and 4.5% of protein concentrate Agro-Matic respectively. The results showed that the weight of heifers treated with PCAM at 3 months of age exceeded the control by 2.3 kg (p > 0.05) in group 2 by 4.4 kg (p < 0.05). Similar results were obtained at the age of 6 months of raising. Feeding 4.50% protein concentrate Agro-Matic has a positive effect on the digestibility of nutrients; in particular, there was a significant increase in the digestibility of crude protein in the PCAM + RC group (77.23 vs. 73.42%) compared with the control group. Moreover, a similar trend was found in the digestibility of nitrogen in the diet. At the age of 3 months, heifers showed a significant decrease in the concentration of ketone bodies in the second group (1.82 vs. 2.20 mmol/L) relative to the control group. Urea was significantly lower in the RC + PCAM group (5.05 vs. 6.62 mmol/L) relative to the PCAM + RC group, while acid capacity (alkaline reserve) was higher by 2.41% (p < 0.05) relative to the control. In the 10th month of age, a positive effect on the blood of heifers was observed, as in the second and the third experimental groups, β-globulin and phosphorus increased (p < 0.05), while in the second group aspartate aminotransferase decreased (p < 0.05). Consequently, replacing the rapeseed cake with the protein concentrate Agro-Matic revealed an improvement in the dynamics of growth, nutrient digestibility and nitrogen balance, and it has an effect on improving some biochemical parameters of the blood.
Genomic Characterization of Canis Familiaris Papillomavirus Type 25, a Novel Papillomavirus Associated with a Viral Plaque from the Pinna of a Dog
Authors: Munday John S. , Gedye Kristene , Knox Matthew A. , Robinson Lynne , Lin Xiaoxiao
Published: June 2023

A 14-year-old West Highland White terrier dog developed multiple raised plaques that were confined to the concave surface of the right pinna. Histology allowed a diagnosis of viral plaque, although the lesions contained some unusual microscopic features. A papillomaviral (PV) DNA sequence was amplified from the plaque using consensus PCR primers. The amplified sequence was used as a template to design ‘outward facing’ PCR primers, which allowed amplification of the complete PV DNA sequence. The sequence was 7778 bp and was predicted to code for five early genes and two late genes. The ORF L1 showed the highest (83.9%) similarity to CPV15, and phylogenetic analysis revealed the novel PV clustered with the species 3 ChiPVs. The novel PV was designated as canine papillomavirus (CPV) type 25. As CPV25 was not previously detected in a canine viral plaque, this PV type may be a rare cause of skin disease in dogs. However, as plaques that remain confined to the pinna were not previously reported in dogs, it is possible that CPV25 could be more common in plaques from this area of skin. The findings from this case expand the number of PV types that cause disease in dogs. Evidence from this case suggests that, compared to the other canine ChiPV types, infection by CPV25 results in viral plaques in atypical locations with unusual histological features.
Comparison of Different Antibiotic Regimes for Preventive Tooth Extractions in Patients with Antiresorptive Intake—A Retrospective Cohort Study
Authors: Ristow Oliver , Rückschloß Thomas , Schnug Gregor , Moratin Julius , Bleymehl Moritz , Zittel Sven , Pilz Maximilian , Sekundo Caroline , Mertens Christian , Engel Michael , Hoffmann Jürgen , Smielowski Maximilian
Published: June 2023

In the present study, the impacts on success rates between three different antibiotic regimes in patients receiving preventive tooth extraction during/after antiresorptive treatment were compared. For the retrospective analysis, we enrolled patients who had undergone tooth extraction from 2009 to 2019 according to the specified preventive conditions under antiresorptive therapy. Three antibiotic regimens were distinguished: (Group 1) intravenous for 7 days, (Group 2) oral for 14 days, and (Group 3) oral for 7 days of application. The primary endpoint was the occurrence of medication-related osteonecrosis of the jaw at 12 weeks after surgery. A total of 760 patients and 1143 extraction regions were evaluated (Group 1 n = 719; Group 2 n = 126; Group 3 n = 298). The primary endpoint showed no significant difference in the development of medication-related osteonecrosis of the jaw between the groups studied (Group 1 n = 50/669 (7%); Group 2 n = 9/117 (7%); Group 3 n = 17/281 (6%); p = 0.746). Overall, the success rate was 93% after intervention when preventive measures were followed. With the same success rate, a reduced, oral administration of antibiotics seems to be sufficient regarding the possible spectrum of side effects, the development of resistance and the health economic point of view.
Insights into the Lysine Acetylome of the Haloarchaeon Haloferax volcanii during Oxidative Stress by Quantitative SILAC-Based Proteomics
Authors: Couto-Rodríguez Ricardo L. , Koh Jin , Chen Sixue , Maupin-Furlow Julie A.
Published: June 2023

Oxidative stress adaptation strategies are important to cell function and are linked to cardiac, neurodegenerative disease, and cancer. Representatives of the Archaea domain are used as model organisms based on their extreme tolerance to oxidants and close evolutionary relationship with eukaryotes. A study of the halophilic archaeon Haloferax volcanii reveals lysine acetylation to be associated with oxidative stress responses. The strong oxidant hypochlorite: (i) stimulates an increase in lysine acetyltransferase HvPat2 to HvPat1 abundance ratios and (ii) selects for lysine deacetylase sir2 mutants. Here we report the dynamic occupancy of the lysine acetylome of glycerol-grown H. volcanii as it shifts in profile in response to hypochlorite. These findings are revealed by the: (1) quantitative multiplex proteomics of the SILAC-compatible parent and Δsir2 mutant strains and (2) label-free proteomics of H26 ‘wild type’ cells. The results show that lysine acetylation is associated with key biological processes including DNA topology, central metabolism, cobalamin biosynthesis, and translation. Lysine acetylation targets are found conserved across species. Moreover, lysine residues modified by acetylation and ubiquitin-like sampylation are identified suggesting post-translational modification (PTM) crosstalk. Overall, the results of this study expand the current knowledge of lysine acetylation in Archaea, with the long-term goal to provide a balanced evolutionary perspective of PTM systems in living organisms.
Instance Segmentation and Number Counting of Grape Berry Images Based on Deep Learning
Authors: Chen Yanmin , Li Xiu , Jia Mei , Li Jiuliang , Hu Tianyang , Luo Jun
Published: June 2023

In order to achieve accurate segmentation of each grape image per berry, we construct a dataset composed of red globe grape samples and use a two-stage “localization–segmentation” framework-based mask region convolutional neural network (Mask R-CNN) and one-stage “pixel classification without localization” framework-based You Only Look At CoefficienTs (YOLACT) and segmenting objects by locations (SOLO) models in the grape segmentation experiments. The optimal performance of the model Mask R-CNN was applied for further study. To address the problem of overlapping and occlusion causing inaccurate fruit detection in this model, the postprocessing algorithm of the Mask R-CNN model was improved by using the linear weighting method, and the experimental results were significantly improved. The model average precision (AP)0.50, AP0.75, the mean average precision (mAP), and the mean intersection of union (mIoU) improved by 1.98%, 2.72%, 4.30%, and 3.55%, respectively. The correlation coefficient was improved from 93.59% to 96.13% by using the improved Mask R-CNN to count the number of red globe grape berries, which also further illustrates that the fruit detection problem was well solved. Using the generalized method on untrained images of different grape varieties in different scenes also achieved good segmentation results. In this study, we provide a method for segmenting and counting grape berries that is useful for automating the grape industry.
Improving Reliability for Detecting Anomalies in the MQTT Network by Applying Correlation Analysis for Feature Selection Using Machine Learning Techniques
Authors: Imran  , Zuhairi Megat Farez Azril , Ali Syed Mubashir , Shahid Zeeshan , Alam Muhammad Mansoor , Su’ud Mazliham Mohd
Published: June 2023

Anomaly detection (AD) has captured a significant amount of focus from the research field in recent years, with the rise of the Internet of Things (IoT) application. Anomalies, often known as outliers, are defined as the discovery of anomalous occurrences or observations that differ considerably from the mainstream of the data. The IoT which is described as a network of Internet-based digital sensors that continuously generate massive volumes of data and use to communicate with one another theMessage Queuing Telemetry Transport (MQTT) protocol. Brute-force, Denial-of-Service (DoS), Malformed, Flood, and Slowite attacks are the most common in theMQTT network. One of the significant factors in IoT AD is the time consumed to predict an attack and take preemptive measures. For instance, if an attack is detected late, the loss of attack is irreversible. This paper investigates the time to detect an attack using machine learning approaches and proposes a novel approach that applies correlation analysis to reduce the training and testing time of these algorithms. The new approach has been evaluated on Random Forest, Decision Tree, Naïve Bayes, Multi-Layer Perceptron, Artificial Neural Network, Logistic Regression, and Gradient Boost. The findings indicate that the correlation analysis is significantly beneficial in the process of feature engineering, primarily to determine the most relevant features in the MQTT dataset. This is, to the best of our knowledge, the first study on MQTTset that reduces the prediction time for DoS 0.92 (95% CI −0.378, 2.22) reduced to 0.77 (95% CI −0.414, 1.97) and for Malformed 2.92 (95% CI −2.6, 8.44) reduced to 0.49 (95% CI −0.273, 1.25).
Experimental Study of the Thermal and Wear Characteristics of a Foil Bearing Lubricated with a Low-Boiling Liquid
Authors: Moczulak Bartosz , Żywica Grzegorz , Miąskowski Wojciech , Kiński Wojciech , Bagiński Paweł
Published: June 2023

Developing high-speed rotating machines, such as microturbines, requires new solutions for bearing systems. Foil bearings are one of the fastest-growing high-speed bearing technologies. This article presents the results of experimental studies on foil bearings conducted on a test rig reflecting the operating conditions of the target machine. The tested bearings were therefore placed in a chamber filled with a low-boiling medium used as a working fluid in vapour microturbines. The experiments were carried out for several test cycles following a repeatable procedure. To carry out the tests under specific environmental conditions, a measurement cycle according to the developed test procedure and a temperature stabilization system for long-term measurements were proposed. The research involved determining the thermal characteristics of four foil bearing variants and assessing the impact of operating conditions on their wear. Additional research has shown that the operating characteristics are highly dependent not only on the materials and geometry of the bearing but also on the surface roughness of the mating parts. This study is part of ongoing work to select appropriate designs and material packages for foil bearings operating under conditions involving lubricating film formation and heat dissipation.
Indoor WiFi-Beacon Dataset Construction Using Autonomous Low-Cost Robot for 3D Location Estimation
Authors: Abu Kharmeh Suleiman , Natsheh Emad , Sulaiman Batoul , Abuabiah Mohammad , Tarapiah Saed
Published: June 2023

Datasets used for artificial-neural-network and machine-learning applications play a vital role in the research and application of such techniques in solving real-life problems. The construction and availability of large datasets to be used in the off-line phase of ANN training is usually a crucial and time-consuming step towards system construction. In this work, a framework for autonomous construction of a diverse, extensive, and open dataset* with built-in redundancy is demonstrated. As part of the framework, a low-cost robot using off-the-shelf components is built that constructs the dataset autonomously. The robot includes a controller network with multiple WiFi-transceiver nodes for collecting received-signal-strength indicators (RSSIs) at various elevation points throughout the building. All nodes are configured with direct internet access to streamline the data collection towards an online database that is constructed as part of this framework. Preliminary validation and analysis of the dataset are discussed, and an exploration of the application domain of the dataset is carried out. Moreover, this paper investigates the effect of the height of the hand-held mobile WiFi antenna attached to the robot on the received power strength of the WiFi signal.