bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
A novel OSA-related model of intermittent hypoxia in endothelial cells under flow reveals pronounced inflammatory pathway activation
Authors: Müller Martin B. , Stihl Clemens , Schmid Annika , Hirschberger Simon , Mitsigiorgi Rea , Holzer Martin , Patscheider Martin , Weiss Bernhard G. , Reichel Christoph , Hübner Max , Uhl Bernd
Published: April 2023

Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is a common sleep-related breathing disorder characterized by recurrent episodes of upper airway obstruction and subsequent hypoxia. In patients with OSA, severity and number of these hypoxic events positively correlate with the extent of associated cardiovascular pathology. The molecular mechanisms underlying intermittent hypoxia (IH)-driven cardiovascular disease in OSA, however, remain poorly understood—partly due to the lack of adequate experimental models. Here, we present a novel experimental approach that utilizes primary human endothelial cells cultivated under shear stress. Oxygen partial pressure dynamics were adopted in our in vitro model according to the desaturation-reoxygenation patterns identified in polysomnographic data of severe OSA patients (n = 10, with 892 severe desaturations, SpO2<80%). Using western blot analysis, we detected a robust activation of the two major inflammatory pathways ERK and NF-κB in endothelial cells, whereas no HIF1α and HIF2α protein stabilization was observed. In line with these findings, mRNA and protein expression of the pro-inflammatory adhesion and signaling molecule ICAM-1 and the chemokine CCL2 were significantly increased. Hence, we established a novel in vitro model for deciphering OSA-elicited effects on the vascular endothelium. First data obtained in this model point to the endothelial activation of pro-inflammatory rather than hypoxia-associated pathways in OSA. Future studies in this model might contribute to the development of targeted strategies against OSA-induced, secondary cardiovascular disease.
A modified formula using energy system contributions to calculate pure maximal rate of lactate accumulation during a maximal sprint cycling test
Authors: Yang Woo-Hwi , Park So-Young , Kim Taenam , Jeon Hyung-Jin , Heine Oliver , Gehlert Sebastian
Published: April 2023

Purpose: This study aimed at comparing previous calculating formulas of maximal lactate accumulation rate (νLa.max) and a modified formula of pure νLa.max (PνLa.max) during a 15-s all-out sprint cycling test (ASCT) to analyze their relationships.

Methods: Thirty male national-level track cyclists participated in this study (n = 30) and performed a 15-s ASCT. The anaerobic power output (Wpeak and Wmean), oxygen uptake, and blood lactate concentrations (La−) were measured. These parameters were used for different calculations of νLa.max and three energy contributions (phosphagen, WPCr; glycolytic, WGly; and oxidative, WOxi). The PνLa.max calculation considered delta La−, time until Wpeak (tPCr−peak), and the time contributed by the oxidative system (tOxi). Other νLa.max levels without tOxi were calculated using decreasing time by 3.5% from Wpeak (tPCr −3.5%) and tPCr−peak.

Results: The absolute and relative WPCr were higher than WGly and WOxi (p < 0.0001, respectively), and the absolute and relative WGly were significantly higher than WOxi (p < 0.0001, respectively); νLa.max (tPCr −3.5%) was significantly higher than PνLa.max and νLa.max (tPCr−peak), while νLa.max (tPCr−peak) was lower than PνLa.max (p < 0.0001, respectively). PνLa.max and νLa.max (tPCr−peak) were highly correlated (r = 0.99; R2 = 0.98). This correlation was higher than the relationship between PνLa.max and νLa.max (tPCr −3.5%) (r = 0.87; R2 = 0.77). νLa.max (tPCr−peak), PνLa.max, and νLa.max (tPCr −3.5%) were found to correlate with absolute Wmean and WGly.

Conclusion: PνLa.max as a modified calculation of νLa.max provides more detailed insights into the inter-individual differences in energy and glycolytic metabolism than νLa.max (tPCr−peak) and νLa.max (tPCr −3.5%). Because WOxi and WPCr can differ remarkably between athletes, implementing their values in PνLa.max can establish more optimized individual profiling for elite track cyclists.
Physiological Aspects of Germination and Early Seedling Establishment of Pleurotus sajor-caju Glyceraldehyde-3-Phosphate Dehydrogenase Expressing Transgenic Rice in Saline Environment
Authors: Siddiqui Zamin Shaheed , Lee Gang-Seob , Cho Woosuk , Jeong Mi-Jeong , Park Soo-Chul , Kwon Taek-Ryoun , Zulfiqar Faisal , Umar Muhammad , Abideen Zainul , Uddin Zaheer , Ansari Hafiza Hamna , Wajid Danish , Cho Jung-Il
Published: April 2023

GPD encodes glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase enzyme involved in sugar mobilization, particularly glycolysis and gluconeogenesis. The objective of this study was to determine physiological aspects of germination and early seedling establishment of PsGPD (Pleurotus sajor-caju glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase) expressing transgenic rice (T5) against different salt concentrations. The T5 line that carried 2 copies of T-DNA and had the highest level of PsGPD expression was used in the investigation. Final germination percentage, amylase activity, reducing sugar accumulation, and chlorophyll biosynthesis were comparatively higher in PsGPD expressing transgenic rice against elevating saline conditions. A slow-paced conversion of porphyrin's precursors was seen through the matrix model and further elaborated by a graphical model. A sustained level of porphyrin was observed in PsGPD expressing transgenic rice. These data were concurrent with the relative gene expression and thermal imaging (thermography) of PsGPD expressing transgenic rice against salt stress. Morphological attributes also favored the salt tolerance exhibited by PsGPD-transformed rice.
Morally injurious events among aid workers: examining the indirect effect of negative cognitions and self-care in associations with mental health indicators
Authors: Dewar Michelle , Paradis Alison , Brillon Pascale
Published: April 2023

Introduction

Potentially morally injurious events (PMIE) are events that violate one’s deeply held moral values or beliefs, and that have the potential to create significant inner conflict and psychological distress. PMIE have been recognized as an important psychological risk factor in many high-risk occupational groups. However, no study to date has investigated how PMIE relate to the mental health of aid workers. Furthermore, little is known about the mechanisms by which PMIE might be associated with mental health indicators.

Methods

Participants were 243 aid workers (72% female; Mage = 39.31) who had completed at least one aid assignment (M = 8.17). They completed an online questionnaire about their PMIE, trauma history, and mental health. A structural equation model was constructed to examine the roles of negative cognitions and subsequent self-care behaviors in the relationship between PMIE and PTSD symptoms, depression symptoms, and posttraumatic growth, above and beyond the contribution of potentially traumatic events.

Results

Within the model, the indirect effect through negative cognitions fully accounted for the associations between PMIE and symptoms of PTSD and depression. For the association between PMIE and posttraumatic growth, two indirect effects emerged: the first through negative cognitions and subsequent self-care and, the second, through self-care alone.

Discussion

This study highlighted PMIE as a novel psychological risk factor for aid workers and pointed to two possible mechanisms by which these events may lead to PTSD, depression, and posttraumatic growth. This study adds to the current understanding of how high-risk occupational groups adapt psychologically to PMIE.
Ketamine as an alternative to ECT in catatonia in elderly women with bipolar disorder: A case report
Authors: Sarma Shanthi , Arunachalam Arulmathy , Kamara Memunatu , Branjerdporn Grace
Published: April 2023

The following paper described two cases of patients with catatonic depression in bipolar disorder (BD) referred to our electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) service. Both were deemed not medically fit for ECT, and were, instead, treated with intravenous (IV) ketamine. Both responded with a resolution of symptoms, returning to baseline level of functioning. During the COVID-19 pandemic, given the risks associated with providing ECT (an aerosol generating procedure) and, in the context of limited resources, ketamine therapy for catatonia is a potentially beneficial alternative or supportive treatment to ECT that merits additional research.
Evaluation of a virtual, simulated international public health peer-to-peer exchange learning experience
Authors: Ahmad Danish , McFarlane Rosemary A. , Smith Jennifer , Saxena Deepak , Somerset Shawn , Mavalankar Dileep
Published: April 2023

Introduction

Public Health’s (PH) global rise is accompanied by an increasing focus on training the new generation of PH graduates in interdisciplinary skills for multisectoral and cross-cultural engagement to develop an understanding of commonalities in health system issues and challenges in multi-cultural settings. Online teaching modalities provide an opportunity to enhance global health skill development through virtual engagement and peer exchange. However, current teaching pedagogy is limited in providing innovative modes of learning global health issues outside of traditional classroom settings with limited modalities of evidence-informed implementation models.

Methods

This study designed, implemented, and evaluated a novel global health online synchronous module as proof of concept that incorporated elements of virtual Practice-based learning (PBL) using a case study approach offered to currently enrolled public health students at the University of Canberra (UC) and a partnering public health university from India, the Indian Institute of Public Health Gandhinagar (IIPH-G). Using constructive learning theory and the Social Determinants of Health framework, four online sessions were designed and implemented in August–September 2022. Formal process and outcome evaluation using a quantitative adapted survey of the validated International Student Experience survey (IES) at session end and findings provided.

Results

Over 100 participating public health students from Australia and India provided narrative feedback and quantitative responses from the adapted IES instrument across four key dimensions, namely “motivation,” “personal development,” intellectual development, and “international perspectives” reporting an overall high mean impact of 4.29 (out of 5) across all four themes seen together. In essence, the sessions supported students to explore global health issues from a different cultural perspective while developing intercultural communication skills and enhancing their global exposure in real-time.

Discussions

This innovation, implemented as a proof of concept, provided evidence, and demonstrated the implementation feasibility of a flexible virtual integrated practice-based module that can supplement classroom teaching. It provides participating students with the opportunity to develop intercultural understanding and communication competence as well as support global mindedness by engaging with international peers around focused global health case studies.
Workplace health promotion to facilitate physical activity among office workers in Sweden
Authors: Halling Ullberg Oskar , Toivanen Susanna , Tillander Annika , Bälter Katarina
Published: April 2023

Office workers spend most of their working time being sedentary, contributing to a sedentary lifestyle that increases the risk of developing disease and disability. A gradual decline in cardiorespiratory fitness among adults, along with increased rate of non-communicable diseases across developed countries, makes the workplace an important opportunity for promoting healthy behaviors. This study aimed to investigate: how office companies in Sweden organize and provide workplace health promotion services related to physical activity; the companies' vision for providing workplace health promotion; and potential facilitators and barriers. Nine informants from eight companies participated in the study, and both qualitative and quantitative data were collected by semi-structured interviews. Informants were selected through purposive sampling in collaboration with eight companies in the office market, including companies that own and develop office buildings, shared workspaces, interior design, sustainable solutions, or consult on issues related to the office sector. The framework method was used to analyze the data in a flexible and systematic way. The results showed that workplace health promotion is implemented to maintain employee health, productivity, and employee branding. Also, a significant number of financial resources, organizational support and office space are devoted to workplace health promotion. Convenience and easy access to storage and fitness facilities are key facilitators. In conclusion, this study highlights the importance of employees' engagement in developing and improving workplace health promotion and addressing work-life balance constraints that hinder a healthy lifestyle. Removing barriers on an organizational level may improve the usage of workplace health promotion related to physical activity among office employees.
Measuring the effects of co-location on emotion perception in shared virtual environments: An ecological perspective
Authors: Bente Gary , Schmälzle Ralf , Jahn Nolan T. , Schaaf Andrea
Published: April 2023

Inferring emotions from others’ non-verbal behavior is a pervasive and fundamental task in social interactions. Typically, real-life encounters imply the co-location of interactants, i.e., their embodiment within a shared spatial-temporal continuum in which the trajectories of the interaction partner’s Expressive Body Movement (EBM) create mutual social affordances. Shared Virtual Environments (SVEs) and Virtual Characters (VCs) are increasingly used to study social perception, allowing to reconcile experimental stimulus control with ecological validity. However, it remains unclear whether display modalities that enable co-presence have an impact on observers responses to VCs’ expressive behaviors. Drawing upon ecological approaches to social perception, we reasoned that sharing the space with a VC should amplify affordances as compared to a screen display, and consequently alter observers’ perceptions of EBM in terms of judgment certainty, hit rates, perceived expressive qualities (arousal and valence), and resulting approach and avoidance tendencies. In a between-subject design, we compared the perception of 54 10-s animations of VCs performing three daily activities (painting, mopping, sanding) in three emotional states (angry, happy, sad)—either displayed in 3D as a co-located VC moving in shared space, or as a 2D replay on a screen that was also placed in the SVEs. Results confirm the effective experimental control of the variable of interest, showing that perceived co-presence was significantly affected by the display modality, while perceived realism and immersion showed no difference. Spatial presence and social presence showed marginal effects. Results suggest that the display modality had a minimal effect on emotion perception. A weak effect was found for the expression “happy,” for which unbiased hit rates were higher in the 3D condition. Importantly, low hit rates were observed for all three emotion categories. However, observers judgments significantly correlated for category assignment and across all rating dimensions, indicating universal decoding principles. While category assignment was erroneous, though, ratings of valence and arousal were consistent with expectations derived from emotion theory. The study demonstrates the value of animated VCs in emotion perception studies and raises new questions regarding the validity of category-based emotion recognition measures.
Cybercopters Swarm: Immersive analytics for alerts classification based on periodic data
Authors: Delcombel Nicolas , Duval Thierry , Pahl Marc-Oliver
Published: April 2023

This paper assesses the usefulness of an interactive and navigable 3D environment to help decision-making in cybersecurity. Malware programs frequently emit periodic signals in network logs; however, normal periodical network activities, such as software updates and data collection activities, mask them. Thus, if automatic systems use periodicity to successfully detect malware, they also detect ordinary activities as suspicious ones and raise false positives. Hence, there is a need to provide tools to sort the alerts raised by such software. Data visualizations can make it easier to categorize these alerts, as proven by previous research. However, traditional visualization tools can struggle to display a large amount of data that needs to be treated in cybersecurity in a clear way. In response, this paper explores the use of Immersive Analytics to interact with complex dataset representations and collect cues for alert classification. We created a prototype that uses a helical representation to underline periodicity in the distribution of one variable of a dataset. We tested this prototype in an alert triage scenario and compared it with a state-of-the-art 2D visualization with regard to the visualization efficiency, usability, workload, and flow induced.
Establishment of an optimized guinea pig model of cisplatin-induced ototoxicity
Authors: Ahmadi Navid , Saidov Nodir , Gausterer Julia Clara , Kramer Anne-Margarethe , Honeder Clemens , Arnoldner Christoph
Published: April 2023

Background

Cisplatin is among the most effective antineoplastic agents and has revolutionized the treatment of many cancer diseases. However, one of its serious side effects is a progressive and irreversible hearing loss, occurring in both adults and children. For the development of otoprotective therapies that prevent this side effect, cisplatin-induced hearing loss animal models are indispensable. Due to the high toxicity of cisplatin, the establishment of such animal models is a difficult and time-consuming task. Here we introduce the detailed protocol of a sophisticated guinea pig model with a sufficient and permanent hearing loss induced by cisplatin. This manuscript is intended to provide guidance in the development of future cisplatin guinea pig models which may reduce the mortality rate of the animals and help to gain more reproducible results.

Methods

Pigmented and unpigmented guineapigs were treated with an intravenous single application of 8 mg/kg cisplatin under general anesthesia. An extensive and long-term intensive care protocol consisting of scheduled application of fluids, antiemetics, analgesics, glucose and supportive feeding among others, was used to ensure wellbeing of the animals. Hearing tests were performed prior to and 5 days after cisplatin application. Animals were then euthanized.

Results

The ABR audiometry 5 days after cisplatin application revealed a hearing threshold ranging from 70 dB to 90 dB in the frequencies from 1 kHz to 32 kHz respectively.

All animals presented a good health condition despite the treatment with cisplatin.

Discussion

The introduced care protocol in this manuscript is intended to serve as a guidance for the establishment of a stable guinea pig model for short- and long-term investigation regarding the inner ear and its protection in the frame work of cisplatin-induced damage.
Effects of Five–Year Inorganic and Organic Fertilization on Soil Phosphorus Availability and Phosphorus Resupply for Plant P Uptake during Maize Growth
Authors: Zhang Jingjing , Wen Jiong , Zhang Tuo , Zhang Yang , Peng Zhi , Tang Chunchun , Wang Yanan , Su Shiming , Zhang Nan , Zeng Xibai
Published: April 2023

A better understanding of the P dynamic resupply roles of fertilization from soil solids to solution is urgently required to optimize sustainable P fertilizer management practices for efficient supply. A five–year fertilization experiment was used to investigate the effects on soil P fractions and availability, the kinetic P resupply based on a novel simulation technique (Diffusive gradients in thin films (DGT) and DGT–induced fluxes in sediments and soils (DIFS) ) and to identify dominant factors during the maize season under five treatments (no fertilizer (CK), chemical fertilizer (NPK), chemical fertilizer combined with bone meal fertilizer (NPKC), crop straw (NPKS) and bioorganic fertilizer (NPKM)). The results showed that the NPKC and NPKM treatments had higher enhancement effects on Olsen–P and organic P and inorganic Ca2–P, Ca8–P, Al–P and Fe–P at maize growth stages, and they buffered pH decrease to delay the substantial Fe–P and Al–P release until a late stage. Inorganic Ca2–P, Ca8–P, Al–P and Fe–P heavily effected the Olsen–P levels. The NPKS, NPKC and NPKM treatments yielded higher CDGT–P levels and a stronger resupply capacity, reflected by higher R and CE/Csoln and smaller Tc values. The simulation and path model results revealed that the maize plant P uptake was determined by soil P resupply and an inorganic P supply pool. They were positively dominated by soil organic matter (SOM). Our results suggested that organic fertilization, especially NPKC and NPKM treatments, provided greater enhancement effects on the P supply pool and P resupply for higher plant P uptake, identifying them as highly effective P management practices for developing sustainable agriculture.
Environmental Assessment of Soils and Crops Based on Heavy Metal Risk Analysis in Southeastern China
Authors: Mao Xinyu , Sun Jingjing , Shaghaleh Hiba , Jiang Xiaosan , Yu Huaizhi , Zhai Senmao , Hamoud Yousef Alhaj
Published: April 2023

Heavy metal pollution in soil–crop systems has attracted great attention globally, caused by rapid urbanization and intensive industrialization. The research aims to investigate the environmental quality of the agricultural production area in Taizhou City, a typical economic region that is along the Yangtze River in the Southeast of China. A total of 370 sampling sites were chosen, with 370 soil, rice (Oryza sativa L.) and wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) samples collected, respectively, for measuring and analyzing the status, spatial distribution and pollution level of different heavy metals. The mean values of soil Cr, Pb, Cd, As and Hg were 66.78, 32.88, 0.23, 8.16 and 0.16 mg/kg, which were lower than the risk control standard values (RCV). However, the mean values of Pb, Cd and Hg were 1.25-, 1.77- and 2-fold larger than their soil background values (SBV) due to the intensive anthropogenic activities. The average content of Cd in rice exceeded its food safety limiting values (FCV) by 0.05 mg/kg, and the average contents of Pb in rice and wheat both exceeded the relevant FSV by 0.42 and 0.186 mg/kg, respectively. In addition, the maximum As and Cr contents in rice and wheat could be 0.13, 0.46 mg/kg and 0.63, 3.5 mg/kg larger than the relative FCVs in certain areas. Most of the high-value areas of soil and crop heavy metals were mainly located in Xinghua City, Taixing City and Jiangyan District, which had a similar distribution pattern with local industries or anthropogenic activities. The heavy metal pollution in soils and crops was found to be inconsistent, as 8.94% of the arable land possessed lightly metal pollution, while 3.18% of the area of rice and 4.0% of the area of wheat suffered severe pollution, with excessive accumulation of Cr, Pb and Cd. Based on the heavy metal pollution assessment of soil–crop systems, approximately 83% of the study area possessed medium or higher environmental quality, which was preferable for agricultural production. Our results implied that the spatial distribution and pollution level of the heavy metals in soil–crop systems were significantly influenced by industrial activities, followed by agricultural sources, transportation emissions and so on. Therefore, continuous monitoring and source control of heavy metals, especially for Cr, Pb and Cd, should be conducted to ensure the regional environmental quality and food security.
Anaplasma Species in Ticks Infesting Mammals of Sardinia, Italy
Authors: Chisu Valentina , Dei Giudici Silvia , Foxi Cipriano , Chessa Giovanna , Peralta Francesca , Sini Valentina , Masala Giovanna
Published: April 2023

Ticks are hematophagous ectoparasites that are recognized for their ability to vector a wide variety of pathogens of viral, bacterial, protozoal, and helminthic nature to vertebrate hosts. Among the different diseases transmitted by ticks, also called “Tick-Borne Diseases” (TBD), many are zoonotic. Pathogens of the genus Anaplasma refer to obligate intracellular bacteria within the Rickettsiales order transmitted mainly through tick bites and considered as well-established threats to domestic animals, livestock, and humans, worldwide. In this retrospective study, 156 ticks collected from twenty goats, one marten, and one cattle from several Sardinian sites, were examined by molecular analyses to detect the presence of Anaplasma species. A total of 10 (10/156; 6.4%) ticks were shown to be Anaplasma-positive by PCR screening. After sequence analyses, A. phagocytophilum was detected in four Rhipicephalus sanguineus s.l. (3.3%) and four Rh. bursa (11%) ticks from goats, while one Rh. sanguineus s.l. (0.8%) and one Rh. bursa (2.8%) collected from the marten and cattle, respectively, exhibited 100% of identity with A. marginale strains. In this study, we provide the first description and molecular detection of A. marginale and A. phagocytophilum in ticks of the Rhiphicephalus genus in Sardinia. Considering the growing impact of tick-borne Anaplasma pathogens on human health, further studies are necessary to monitor the prevalence of these pathogens in Sardinia.
A Systematic Review on the Role of Wildlife as Carriers and Spreaders of Campylobacter spp.
Authors: Olvera-Ramírez Andrea Margarita , McEwan Neil Ross , Stanley Karen , Nava-Diaz Remedios , Aguilar-Tipacamú Gabriela
Published: April 2023

Campylobacter spp. are important zoonotic pathogens and can cause one of the main bacterial diarrheal diseases worldwide. Research in the context of infection arising from transmission from other humans and other vertebrates has been extensive. A large fraction of these investigations has focused on domestic animals; however, there are also a number of publications which either totally, or at least in part, consider the role of wild or feral animals as carriers or spreaders of Campylobacter spp. Here, we carry out a systematic review to explore the role played by wild vertebrates as sources of Campylobacter spp. with a compilation of prevalence data for more than 150 species including reptiles, mammals and birds. We found that numerous vertebrate species can act as carriers of Campylobacter species, but we also found that some host specificity may exist, reducing the risk of spread from wildlife to domestic animals or humans.
Evaluation of β-Lactamase Enzyme Activity in Outer Membrane Vesicles (OMVs) Isolated from Extended Spectrum β-Lactamase (ESBL) Salmonella Infantis Strains
Authors: Toppi Valeria , Scattini Gabriele , Musa Laura , Stefanetti Valentina , Pascucci Luisa , Chiaradia Elisabetta , Tognoloni Alessia , Giovagnoli Stefano , Franciosini Maria Pia , Branciari Raffaella , Proietti Patrizia Casagrande
Published: April 2023

Outer membrane vesicles (OMVs) are nanoparticles released by Gram-negative bacteria, which contain different cargo molecules and mediate several biological processes. Recent studies have shown that OMVs are involved in antibiotic-resistance (AR) mechanisms by including β-lactamase enzymes in their lumen. Since no studies have as yet been conducted on Salmonella enterica subs. enterica serovar Infantis’ OMVs, the aim of the work was to collect OMVs from five S. Infantis β-lactam resistant strains isolated from a broiler meat production chain and to investigate whether β-lactamase enzymes are included in OMVs during their biogenesis. OMVs were isolated by means of ultrafiltration and a Nitrocefin assay quantified the presence of β-lactamase enzymes in the OMVs. Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and dynamic light scattering (DLS) were used to identify the OMVs. The results showed that all strains release spherical OMVs, ranging from 60 to 230 nm. The Nitrocefin assay highlighted the presence of β-lactamase enzymes within the OMVs. This suggests that β-lactamase enzymes also get packaged into OMVs from bacterial periplasm during OMV biogenesis. An investigation into the possible role played by OMVs in AR mechanisms would open the door for an opportunity to develop new, therapeutic strategies.
Cefiderocol Efficacy in a Real-Life Setting: Single-Centre Retrospective Study
Authors: Palermo Gabriele , Medaglia Alice Annalisa , Pipitò Luca , Rubino Raffaella , Costantini Manuela , Accomando Salvatore , Giammanco Giovanni Maurizio , Cascio Antonio
Published: April 2023

The current carbapenem-resistant gram-negative bacteria (CR-GN) treatment guidelines lack strong evidence about cefiderocol (CFD) efficacy against CR-GN, especially CRAB. The study’s purpose is to evaluate the effectiveness of CFD in a real-life setting. We made a single-center retrospective study of 41 patients who received CFD in our hospital for several CR-GN infections. Bloodstream infections (BSI) affected 43.9% (18/41) of patients, while CRAB affected 75.6% (31/41) of isolated CR-GN patients. Thirty-days (30-D) all-causes mortality affected 36.6% (15/41) of patients, while end-of-treatment (EOT) clinical cure affected 56.1% (23/41). Finally, microbiological eradication at EOT affected 56.1% (23/41) of patients. Univariate and multivariate analysis showed that septic shock is an independent factor associated with mortality. Subgroup analyses showed no difference in CFD effectiveness between monotherapy and combination therapy.
Relevant Membrane Transport Proteins as Possible Gatekeepers for Effective Pharmacological Ascorbate Treatment in Cancer
Authors: Leischner Christian , Marongiu Luigi , Piotrowsky Alban , Niessner Heike , Venturelli Sascha , Burkard Markus , Renner Olga
Published: April 2023

Despite the increasing number of newly diagnosed malignancies worldwide, therapeutic options for some tumor diseases are unfortunately still limited. Interestingly, preclinical but also some clinical data suggest that the administration of pharmacological ascorbate seems to respond well, especially in some aggressively growing tumor entities. The membrane transport and channel proteins are highly relevant for the use of pharmacological ascorbate in cancer therapy and are involved in the transfer of active substances such as ascorbate, hydrogen peroxide, and iron that predominantly must enter malignant cells to induce antiproliferative effects and especially ferroptosis. In this review, the relevant conveying proteins from cellular surfaces are presented as an integral part of the efficacy of pharmacological ascorbate, considering the already known genetic and functional features in tumor tissues. Accordingly, candidates for diagnostic markers and therapeutic targets are mentioned.
MIU-Net: MIX-Attention and Inception U-Net for Histopathology Image Nuclei Segmentation
Authors: Li Jiangqi , Li Xiang
Published: April 2023

In the medical field, hematoxylin and eosin (H&E)-stained histopathology images of cell nuclei analysis represent an important measure for cancer diagnosis. The most valuable aspect of the nuclei analysis is the segmentation of the different nuclei morphologies of different organs and subsequent diagnosis of the type and severity of the disease based on pathology. In recent years, deep learning techniques have been widely used in digital histopathology analysis. Automated nuclear segmentation technology enables the rapid and efficient segmentation of tens of thousands of complex and variable nuclei in histopathology images. However, a challenging problem during nuclei segmentation is the blocking of cell nuclei, overlapping, and background complexity of the tissue fraction. To address this challenge, we present MIU-net, an efficient deep learning network structure for the nuclei segmentation of histopathology images. Our proposed structure includes two blocks with modified inception module and attention module. The advantage of the modified inception module is to balance the computation and network performance of the deeper layers of the network, combined with the convolutional layer using different sizes of kernels to learn effective features in a fast and efficient manner to complete kernel segmentation. The attention module allows us to extract small and fine irregular boundary features from the images, which can better segment cancer cells that appear disorganized and fragmented. We test our methodology on public kumar datasets and achieve the highest AUC score of 0.92. The experimental results show that the proposed method achieves better performance than other state-of-the-art methods.
High-Frequency Magnetic Field Energy Imaging of Magnetic Recording Head by Alternating Magnetic Force Microscopy (A-MFM) with Superparamagnetic Tip
Authors: Makarova Marina V. , Suzuki Kaichi , Kon Hirofumi , Dubey Paritosh , Sonobe Hiroshi , Matsumura Toru , Saito Hitoshi
Published: April 2023

Recent progress in the development of high-frequency (HF) magnetic materials and devices requires the HF imaging of magnetic field and magnetic field response with high spatial resolution. In this work, we proposed HF Alternating Magnetic Force Microscopy (A-MFM) with a superparamagnetic tip to image magnetic field energy near the sample surface. Magnetic field with a frequency from 100 kHz to 1 GHz was emanated by a writing head used for perpendicular magnetic recording. Applied HF magnetic field is amplitude modulated, and magnetic energy determines the frequency modulation of cantilever oscillation in the framework of A-MFM. The frequency modulated oscillation was caused by low frequency alternating magnetic force, which was generated by the interaction between the amplitude modulated AC magnetic field and superparamagnetic tip.
A General Method to Obtain the Frequency Response Function from the Disturbance Source to the Sensitive Payload
Authors: Hou Yihong , Wang Chunxue , Duan Peng , Yu Hang , Zhao Xiangyu , Chen Shanbo , Zhang Lei
Published: April 2023

Microvibrations are one of the main factors contributing to platform jitter and a decline in pointing stability and precision. Among various disturbance sources, reaction wheel assembly (RWA) is one of the most significant ones and has drawn the interest of numerous scholars. How to evaluate the influence of the disturbances of RWA on the pointing accuracy of a spacecraft is an arduous task because it involves multiple disciplines. The acquisition of the frequency response function (FRF) from the disturbance source to the sensitive payload is one of the most crucial stages in integrated modeling. Direct measurement of the FRF in the six directions is challenging because of the restricted room for RWA installation in a spacecraft, particularly in small satellites. In this paper, a general method based on the Hv algorithm to obtain the FRF is presented. This method only needs the RWA, itself, as an excitation source. Then, in order to acquire the FRF, we use an optical remote-sensing satellite as the research object. The peak positions of FRF obtained by different RWAs are basically the same, while the amplitudes are slightly different, indicating that this method is effective. This method takes into consideration the coupling between the RWA and the spacecraft, making it possible to multiply the RWA disturbance measured at a fixed interface with the FRF, to determine the image motion of the sensitive payload.
First Experience of an Undergraduate Dental Student with a Reciprocating System in Simulated Root Canals—A Pilot Study
Authors: Arede Ana Rita , Ferreira Inês , Braga Ana Cristina , Pina-Vaz Irene
Published: April 2023

Rotary instrumentation has been proposed in undergraduate teaching. The aim of this study was to evaluate student’s performance, through the obturation quality and treatment time, in a sequential range of L-simulated root canals. A senior undergraduate dental student sequentially prepared randomly numbered canals from 1 to 40, with the WaveOne Gold glider and primary file, according to the manufacturer instructions. A gutta-percha cone matched with the finishing instrument and epoxy resin-based sealer (AH Plus) was selected for the obturation. Three independent observers evaluated the obturation quality according to both density and length. Active, total instrumentation and obturation times were also measured. Statistical analysis was obtained by Mann–Whitney and Kruskal–Wallis tests with a significance level of p < 0.05. The quality of the obturation was independent of the number of prepared canals with adequate length and density in 87.5% of the prepared canals. Both active and total instrumentation, as well as obturation times, reduced significantly as the number of the prepared canals by the student increased (p ˂ 0.05). The use of WaveOne Gold instrumentation and matched cone obturation by an inexperienced operator provided an adequate obturation quality in most of the curved simulated canals. The working time was significantly reduced through a short learning curve.
Transverse Connectivity and Durability Evaluation of Hollow Slab Bridges Using Surface Damage and Neural Networks: Field Test Investigation
Authors: Jiang Chao , Xiong Wen , Wang Zichen , Cai Chunsheng , Yang Juan
Published: April 2023

Prefabricated concrete hollow slab bridges are widely used in short- and medium-span highway bridges in China due to the advantages of high production quality, installation convenience, and low construction cost. Field investigation shows that severe hinge joint damage occurred during the service life, and mechanical performance of the bridges also deteriorated with the weakened joints. It is important to accurately evaluate the performance of hollow slab bridges to ensure the safety of the highway system. In this paper, transverse connectivity and durability of the concrete hollow slab bridges are investigated in a field test using the surface damage and neural networks. Hollow slab bridges in the Wu-He highway system were taken as the background bridge. Surface damage was visually checked and statistically analyzed. Static load test was conducted to evaluate the transverse connectivity of the hinge joints based on the girder responses. The hollow slab bridges were then demolished, and a total of 75 concrete girder segments were cut off. Durability of the girders was evaluated based on the conditions of concrete and rebars, and the analytic hierarchy process along with the fuzzy comprehensive evaluation method was employed. Results showed that there were two main types of the defects in the hollow slab bridges, i.e., the transverse cracks on the bottom plates of the girders and the longitudinal cracks in the hinge joints. The distribution of the deflection of each girder was non-uniform due to the weakening of the transverse connectivity, and the girders in the background bridges were within the moderate deterioration condition after 25 years’ service life. An evaluation method of the hollow slab girders using the neural networks and surface damage was verified by the field test data. The maximum crack width at different locations of the bridges was used in the input layer of the neural network, and the hinge joint damage or the durability was considered as the output results. The prediction error of the method in the test set was within 15.0% for the hinge joint damage and within 40% for the durability result of the girder, indicating the feasibility of the evaluation method.
Complement-Class Harmonized Naïve Bayes Classifier
Authors: Alenazi Fahad S. , El Hindi Khalil , AsSadhan Basil
Published: April 2023

Naïve Bayes (NB) classification performance degrades if the conditional independence assumption is not satisfied or if the conditional probability estimate is not realistic due to the attributes of correlation and scarce data, respectively. Many works address these two problems, but few works tackle them simultaneously. Existing methods heuristically employ information theory or applied gradient optimization to enhance NB classification performance, however, to the best of our knowledge, the enhanced model generalization capability deteriorated especially on scant data. In this work, we propose a fine-grained boosting of the NB classifier to identify hidden and potential discriminative attribute values that lead the NB model to underfit or overfit on the training data and to enhance their predictive power. We employ the complement harmonic average of the conditional probability terms to measure their distribution divergence and impact on the classification performance for each attribute value. The proposed method is subtle yet significant enough in capturing the attribute values’ inter-correlation (between classes) and intra-correlation (within the class) and elegantly and effectively measuring their impact on the model’s performance. We compare our proposed complement-class harmonized Naïve Bayes classifier (CHNB) with the state-of-the-art Naive Bayes and imbalanced ensemble boosting methods on general and imbalanced machine-learning benchmark datasets, respectively. The empirical results demonstrate that CHNB significantly outperforms the compared methods.
A Novel Moving Object Detection Algorithm Based on Robust Image Feature Threshold Segmentation with Improved Optical Flow Estimation
Authors: Ding Jing , Zhang Zhen , Yu Xuexiang , Zhao Xingwang , Yan Zhigang
Published: April 2023

The detection of moving objects in images is a crucial research objective; however, several challenges, such as low accuracy, background fixing or moving, ‘ghost’ issues, and warping, exist in its execution. The majority of approaches operate with a fixed camera. This study proposes a robust feature threshold moving object identification and segmentation method with enhanced optical flow estimation to overcome these challenges. Unlike most optical flow Otsu segmentation for fixed cameras, a background feature threshold segmentation technique based on a combination of the Horn–Schunck (HS) and Lucas–Kanade (LK) optical flow methods is presented in this paper. This approach aims to obtain the segmentation of moving objects. First, the HS and LK optical flows with the image pyramid are integrated to establish the high-precision and anti-interference optical flow estimation equation. Next, the Delaunay triangulation is used to solve the motion occlusion problem. Finally, the proposed robust feature threshold segmentation method is applied to the optical flow field to attract the moving object, which is the. extracted from the Harris feature and the image background affine transformation model. The technique uses morphological image processing to create the final moving target foreground area. Experimental results verified that this method successfully detected and segmented objects with high accuracy when the camera was either fixed or moving.
A Method for Using GSM Technology and SCADA Systems to Monitor and Control Decommissioned and Partially Decommissioned Railway Stations
Authors: Popov Alexandru-Florian , Kristaly Dominic Mircea , Bratu Dragoș-Vasile , Zolya Maria-Alexandra , Moraru Sorin-Aurel
Published: April 2023

Railway systems are sometimes faced with the necessity of decommissioning railway stations due to issues in the electricity supply system, control system failures, or a decrease in train traffic. In order for fully or partially decommissioned stations to maintain functionality and turnout availability, the researchers propose the use of a computer system utilizing GSM technology. Using AES-encrypted SMS messages, GSM signaling can be applied to a wide range of electrical equipment at decommissioned stations, enabling monitoring and control of these installations remotely, as well as allowing for integration into an existing SCADA system. This study attempts to estimate the reduction in total delays and operating cost that would arise when implementing this control system in a low-resource setting. An impact and cost analysis was performed on a rail section with partially decommissioned stations (Brașov–Codlea, Romania), to ascertain whether this control method would result in significant delay and cost reductions. The analyzed data show that the proposed control system can significantly reduce delays and costs on railway lines with decommissioned stations, thus allowing for a more efficient use of resources. By leveraging technology to monitor and control electrical installations remotely, the need for physical presence at the decommissioned station is eliminated. Overall, the research described represents a significant step towards the more efficient and safe use of railway infrastructure, and could potentially lead to the reactivation of previously decommissioned stations, providing benefits for both passengers and freight transport operators.
Pavement Strategy Optimization of Cable-Stayed Bridges against the Negative Reaction Risks of Auxiliary Piers
Authors: Bai Yunteng , Wang Xiaoming , Wang Xudong , Wang Huan , Tchuente N. Frederic C. , Wu Wentao
Published: April 2023

Because the adjustment of the stay cable tension and girder counterweight is limited at the operation stage it is a difficult problem to control the negative reaction risk of the auxiliary pier (NRRAP) caused by multisource construction uncertainties and traffic growth. This paper proposes a pavement strategy optimization to control the NRRAP by adjusting the pavement thickness. The pavement strategy optimization is formulated as a reliability-constrained, multiobjective optimization problem, which is resolved by the nondominated sorting genetic algorithm (NSGA-II). A sensitivity analysis and a reliability analysis based on the generalized regression neural network (GRNN) surrogate model were performed to illustrate the significance of the uncertainty level in auxiliary pier negative reactions. The Pareto front examines the balance of construction cost, driving comfort and specified reliability threshold. The efficiency and accuracy of the proposed method are validated in a real cable-stayed bridge, and the results exhibit its advantages in controlling the NRRAP.
Application of an Electronic Nose as a New Technology for Rapid Detection of Adulteration in Honey
Authors: Gonçalves Wellington Belarmino , Teixeira Wanderson Sirley Reis , Cervantes Evelyn Perez , Mioni Mateus de Souza Ribeiro , Sampaio Aryele Nunes da Cruz Encide , Martins Otávio Augusto , Gruber Jonas , Pereira Juliano Gonçalves
Published: April 2023

This work demonstrates the application of an electronic nose (e-nose) for discrimination between authentic and adulterated honey. The developed e-nose is based on electrodes covered with ionogel (ionic liquid + gelatin + Fe3O4 nanoparticle) films. Authentic and adulterated honey samples were submitted to e-nose analysis, and the capacity of the sensors for discrimination between authentic and adulterated honey was evaluated using principal component analysis (PCA) based on average relative response data. From the PCA biplot, it was possible to note two well-defined clusters and no intersection was observed. To evaluate the relative response data as input for autonomous classification, different machine learning algorithms were evaluated, namely instance based (IBK), Kstar, Trees-J48 (J48), random forest (RF), multilayer perceptron (MLP), naive Bayes (NB), and sequential minimal optimization (SMO). Considering the average data, the highest accuracy was obtained for Kstar: 100% (k-fold = 3). Additionally, this algorithm was also compared regarding its sensitivity and specificity, both being 100% for both features. Thus, due to the rapidity, simplicity, and accuracy of the developed methodology, the technology based on e-noses has the potential to be applied to honey quality control.