bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Dynamics of Fatty Acids in Pikeperch (Sander lucioperca) Larvae and Juveniles during Early Rearing and Weaning in a Commercial RAS—Implications for Dietary Refinement
Authors: Bischoff Adrian A. , Kubitz Melanie , Ballesteros-Redondo Laura , Stüeken Marcus , Rapp Tobias , Fink Patrick , Hagen Wilhelm , Palm Harry Wilhelm
Published: August 2023

The aquaculture production of pikeperch has reached commercial scale in a number of European countries, but the high mortality of early life cycle stages and minor understanding of nutritional requirements are still major bottlenecks. To investigate the fate of fatty acids during early development, weaning and rearing, pikeperch larvae and juveniles from a commercial recirculating aquaculture system (RAS) were sampled over 2 months for morphometric data, as well as fatty acid composition, with a total of 6 sampling days, with four to five replicates per sampling day and between 1 and 25 pikeperch larvae per individual sample, depending on larval biomass. The biomass of sampled pikeperch larvae varied from 0.1 to 420 mg (dry mass DM), depending on the age of the larvae, and the initial length of the pikeperch larvae was about 4.5 mm. Our data confirm that, accompanied by an exponential increase in dry mass, total fatty acids (TFAs) in larval tissues increased with the beginning of exogenous feed uptake and were depleted between days 13 and 25 post hatch, most likely associated with the weaning and metamorphosis of the larvae. We conclude that all fatty acid classes may serve as metabolic fuel during metamorphosis, but the ultimate fatty acid composition is strongly impacted by the available feed. The chosen diet probably caused a lack of alpha-linolenic (18:3n-3; ALA) and docosahexaenoic acid (22:6n-3; DHA) during larval development and a shortage of vaccenic (18:1n-7), alpha-linolenic (18:3n-3; ALA) and arachidonic acid (20:4n-6; ARA) in juvenile pikeperch. This led to low DHA/EPA ratios 13 days post hatch, a high EPA/ARA ratio at days 41 and 56 post hatch and a fluctuating ratio of alpha-linolenic acid to linoleic acid (18:2n-6; LA). A temporary lack of essential fatty acids can cause dysfunctions and eventually mortalities in pikeperch larvae and juveniles. Despite high larval growth rates, the biochemical composition of the first fed Artemia and microdiets was most likely not sufficient and in need of improvement. We suggest that deficiencies must be compensated, e.g., through the substitution of the offered Artemia with more suitable live feed organisms, such as freshwater rotifers, and the enrichment of current microdiets in order to prevent high mortalities during pikeperch rearing and weaning.
The Effect of Vice–Virtue Bundles on Consumers’ Purchase Intentions for Vice Packaged Foods: Evidence from Randomized Experiments
Authors: Yu Yating , Sun Zhaoyang , Feng Chao , Xiao Xiang , Hou Yubo
Published: August 2023

Packaged foods have significantly expanded their market presence, with the utilization of vice–virtue bundles gaining momentum, particularly in the realm of vice-packaged foods. Consequently, understanding how consumers respond to vice-packaged food with vice–virtue bundles (i.e., vice-packaged food combined with virtue ingredients) becomes crucial. This research investigates this issue through four experiments employing a one-way between-subjects design, incorporating distinct stimuli and measures, and involving samples from diverse sources. In Experiment 1 (n = 172), Experiment 2 (n = 169), and the follow-up experiment (n = 153), variance analysis, chi-square test, and mediating analysis demonstrate that consumers are more inclined to purchase vice-packaged food with vice–virtue bundles owing to the perception of it being healthier than vice packaged food with vice–virtue bundles. Furthermore, Experiment 3 (n = 249) employs moderated mediation analysis, uncovering that both the heightened purchase intention for vice-packaged food with vice–virtue bundles and the mediating effect of perceived healthiness are attenuated among consumers with prevention (vs. promotion) focus. Beyond contributing to theories on packaged food consumption, vice–virtue bundles, and regulatory focus theory, these findings hold practical implications for packaged food marketing, promoting rational food choices, and enhancing healthier diets.
Discussing the Sexual Health Impacts of Electronic Cigarette Use with Youth: A Proposed Framework to Support Urologists
Authors: Bandara Nilanga Aki , Lalkiya Dhruv , Alhamam Abdullah , Afshar Kourosh
Published: August 2023

The sexual health of young people during the youth age period is of utmost importance, as it sets the stage for sexual well-being over the life course. In addition to the existing challenges that youth face concerning their sexual health, electronic cigarettes may also negatively impact their sexual well-being. Specifically, through issues such as stuttering priapism, reduced sperm quality and quantity, and erectile dysfunction. Electronic cigarette use among youth is prevalent. Therefore, given the negative sexual health impacts associated with electronic cigarette use, coupled with the prevalent use of electronic cigarettes, it is necessary for youth to receive adequate support and guidance, so they understand the potential impacts that electronic cigarette use can have on their sexual well-being. Urologists are uniquely situated to play an important role in supporting the sexual health of youth, given their medical and surgical knowledge, however, it appears that they do not receive adequate training to carry out discussions about sexual health with youth. This paper aims to support urologists to have discussions with youth patients on the impact that electronic cigarettes have on their sexual health through a proposed four-step framework. This four-step framework involves: (i) establishing the relationship, (ii) assessing current electronic cigarette use, (iii) sharing research examining the impact of electronic cigarettes on sexual health, and (iv) discussing strategies to prevent/reduce or stop electronic cigarette use. It is necessary to acknowledge that this framework is only a small component of efforts to educate youth on the impacts that electronic cigarettes have on their sexual health. Moving forward, implementation and evaluation of this framework is needed.
Nonribosomal Peptide Synthetases in Animals
Authors: Suring Wouter , Hoogduin Dylan , Le Ngoc Giang , Brouwer Abraham , van Straalen Nico M. , Roelofs Dick
Published: August 2023

Nonribosomal peptide synthetases (NRPSs) are a class of cytosolic enzymes that synthesize a range of bio-active secondary metabolites including antibiotics and siderophores. They are widespread among both prokaryotes and eukaryotes but are considered rare among animals. Recently, several novel NRPS genes have been described in nematodes, schistosomes, and arthropods, which led us to investigate how prevalent NRPS genes are in the animal kingdom. We screened 1059 sequenced animal genomes and showed that NRPSs were present in 7 out of the 19 phyla analyzed. A phylogenetic analysis showed that the identified NRPSs form clades distinct from other adenylate-forming enzymes that contain similar domains such as fatty acid synthases. NRPSs show a remarkably scattered distribution over the animal kingdom. They are especially abundant in rotifers and nematodes. In rotifers, we found a large variety of domain architectures and predicted substrates. In the nematode Plectus sambesii, we identified the beta-lactam biosynthesis genes L-δ-(α-aminoadipoyl)-L-cysteinyl-D-valine synthetase, isopenicillin N synthase, and deacetoxycephalosporin C synthase that catalyze the formation of beta-lactam antibiotics in fungi and bacteria. These genes are also present in several species of Collembola, but not in other hexapods analyzed so far. In conclusion, our survey showed that NRPS genes are more abundant and widespread in animals than previously known.
An Automated Prognostic Model for Pancreatic Ductal Adenocarcinoma
Authors: Vezakis Ioannis , Vezakis Antonios , Gourtsoyianni Sofia , Koutoulidis Vassilis , Polydorou Andreas A. , Matsopoulos George K. , Koutsouris Dimitrios D.
Published: August 2023

Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) constitutes a leading cause of cancer-related mortality despite advances in detection and treatment methods. While computed tomography (CT) serves as the current gold standard for initial evaluation of PDAC, its prognostic value remains limited, as it relies on diagnostic stage parameters encompassing tumor size, lymph node involvement, and metastasis. Radiomics have recently shown promise in predicting postoperative survival of PDAC patients; however, they rely on manual pancreas and tumor delineation by clinicians. In this study, we collected a dataset of pre-operative CT scans from a cohort of 40 PDAC patients to evaluate a fully automated pipeline for survival prediction. Employing nnU-Net trained on an external dataset, we generated automated pancreas and tumor segmentations. Subsequently, we extracted 854 radiomic features from each segmentation, which we narrowed down to 29 via feature selection. We then combined these features with the Tumor, Node, Metastasis (TNM) system staging parameters, as well as the patient’s age. We trained a random survival forest model to perform an overall survival prediction over time, as well as a random forest classifier for the binary classification of two-year survival, using repeated cross-validation for evaluation. Our results exhibited promise, with a mean C-index of 0.731 for survival modeling and a mean accuracy of 0.76 in two-year survival prediction, providing evidence of the feasibility and potential efficacy of a fully automated pipeline for PDAC prognostication. By eliminating the labor-intensive manual segmentation process, our streamlined pipeline demonstrates an efficient and accurate prognostication process, laying the foundation for future research endeavors.
A Homozygous MAN2B1 Missense Mutation in a Doberman Pinscher Dog with Neurodegeneration, Cytoplasmic Vacuoles, Autofluorescent Storage Granules, and an α-Mannosidase Deficiency
Authors: Bullock Garrett , Johnson Gary S. , Pattridge Savannah G. , Mhlanga-Mutangadura Tendai , Guo Juyuan , Cook James , Campbell Rebecca S. , Vite Charles H. , Katz Martin L.
Published: August 2023

A 7-month-old Doberman Pinscher dog presented with progressive neurological signs and brain atrophy suggestive of a hereditary neurodegenerative disorder. The dog was euthanized due to the progression of disease signs. Microscopic examination of tissues collected at the time of euthanasia revealed massive accumulations of vacuolar inclusions in cells throughout the central nervous system, suggestive of a lysosomal storage disorder. A whole genome sequence generated with DNA from the affected dog contained a likely causal, homozygous missense variant in MAN2B1 that predicted an Asp104Gly amino acid substitution that was unique among whole genome sequences from over 4000 dogs. A lack of detectable α-mannosidase enzyme activity confirmed a diagnosis of a-mannosidosis. In addition to the vacuolar inclusions characteristic of α-mannosidosis, the dog exhibited accumulations of autofluorescent intracellular inclusions in some of the same tissues. The autofluorescence was similar to that which occurs in a group of lysosomal storage disorders called neuronal ceroid lipofuscinoses (NCLs). As in many of the NCLs, some of the storage bodies immunostained strongly for mitochondrial ATP synthase subunit c protein. This protein is not a substrate for α-mannosidase, so its accumulation and the development of storage body autofluorescence were likely due to a generalized impairment of lysosomal function secondary to the accumulation of α-mannosidase substrates. Thus, it appears that storage body autofluorescence and subunit c accumulation are not unique to the NCLs. Consistent with generalized lysosomal impairment, the affected dog exhibited accumulations of intracellular inclusions with varied and complex ultrastructural features characteristic of autophagolysosomes. Impaired autophagic flux may be a general feature of this class of disorders that contributes to disease pathology and could be a target for therapeutic intervention. In addition to storage body accumulation, glial activation indicative of neuroinflammation was observed in the brain and spinal cord of the proband.
The Use of Alternative Rooms in Forensic and Regular Psychiatric Units: A Scoping Review
Authors: Hudon Alexandre , Rosca Maria Alexandra , La Charité-Harbec Olivier , Allard Jeanne-Marie , Borduas Pagé Stéphanie
Published: August 2023

(1) Background: Emotional regulation, distress and relational conflicts often occur during hospitalization and rehabilitation on psychiatric units, especially in patients suffering from severe and persistent mental disorders. While widely used in children and geriatric patients, little literature exists on the use and outcomes of alternative rooms in the context of forensic and regular psychiatric units for adult patients. Considering the scarcity of the literature on alternative use, this study is motivated by the following research question: what are the main uses and outcomes of alternative rooms in the context of forensic and regular psychiatric units? The main objective of this study is to conduct a scoping review of the use and outcomes of alternative rooms for the context of psychiatric inpatients. (2) Methods: A systematic search was performed in the electronic databases of MedLine, Web of Science, PsycNet (PsycINFO) and Google Scholar from their inception dates until 2022. (3) Results: A total of nine studies were analyzed. Sensory, multisensory rooms, Snoezelen, and comfort rooms are the types of alternative rooms discussed in these studies. Distress and anxiety reduction, increase in self-esteem, impact on seclusion rates, patient–staff communication and alliances, heart and respiration rate reduction, and improvement of alexithymia were identified among the main uses and outcomes of these rooms. (4) Conclusions: The scarcity of literature available to draw information from for this review and possible impact on improving patient outcomes and quality of treatment in psychiatric units opens the door to future studies to better understand the efficacy of such rooms. Research into the ideal implementation tactics of such rooms, long-term outcomes, and the influence on diverse patient demographics could be areas of improvement in the use of alternative rooms.
The Role of the Nurse in the Care and Management of Patients with Rheumatic Diseases Arising from the Current EULAR Recommendations: A Literature Review
Authors: Bednarek Anna , Klepacz Robert , Bodys-Cupak Iwona Elżbieta
Published: August 2023

In some countries, restructuring of the healthcare system has contributed to the introduction of a new domain in professional nursing—the Advanced Practice Nurse (APN). In order to provide the highest quality of care to patients, nurses working at the advanced level are expected to develop knowledge and to initiate services and practices carried out in collaboration with other professionals. In 2018, the European League Against Rheumatism (EULAR) updated its recommendations for the role of the nurse in the management and care of patients with rheumatic conditions. The objective of the study was a presentation of the scope of medical services provided by nurses for patients with rheumatic diseases based on current EULAR recommendations. A review of the literature on the participation of nurses, as members of a multidisciplinary team, in the education, management, psychosocial support, and promotion of self-care in patients with rheumatic diseases was presented. The expert group formulated three overarching principles and eight recommendations. The literature review and expert recommendations indicated that nurses’ tasks in relation to patients with rheumatic diseases should include an initial assessment of health needs, routine follow-up care, and counseling for patients on self-care and lifestyle changes. In the EULAR recommendations, nursing care is also defined as a practice model in which nurses, in collaboration with physicians, provide support, education, and disease monitoring to patients with rheumatic conditions. The requirement for extended nursing education at the advanced practice level, aimed at acquiring diagnostic, therapeutic, caring, and educational knowledge and skills was highlighted, particularly with regard to the EULAR recommendations.
The Influence of Perceived Security in Childhood on Adult Self-Concept: The Mediating Role of Resilience and Self-Esteem
Authors: Martín Quintana Juan Carlos , Alemán Ramos Pedro Francisco , Morales Almeida Paula
Published: August 2023

Secure attachment, developed through consistent relationships with attachment figures in childhood, is a crucial factor in fostering healthy interpersonal relationships and a positive self-perception. Part of the positive parenting approach and the theory of affect is taken as a basis to assess how perceived security, as an indicator of secure attachment, predicts adult self-concept through the mediating effects of resilience and positive self-esteem. A quantitative, cross-sectional, and nonprobabilistic study was conducted with 383 participants. We unveiled significant positive associations between perceived security, self-concept, resilience, and positive self-esteem. Path analysis demonstrated that resilience and positive self-esteem sequentially mediate the relationship between perceived security during childhood and adult self-concept. Findings suggest that the ability to cope with adversity and personal acceptance underlie the impact of perceived security on self-concept. It is recommended to promote family intervention programs framed within positive parenting that focus on fostering secure attachment given its influence on adult life. It is also deemed essential to incorporate the promotion of resilience and self-esteem into programs aimed at youths, and adult role models can enhance their self-perception and resilience in the face of potential effects stemming from insecure parenting practices.
Improvement of Predictive Scores in Burn Medicine through Different Machine Learning Approaches
Authors: Schmidt Sonja Verena , Drysch Marius , Reinkemeier Felix , Wagner Johannes Maximilian , Sogorski Alexander , Macedo Santos Elisabete , Zahn Peter , Lehnhardt Marcus , Behr Björn , Registry German Burn , Puscz Flemming , Wallner Christoph
Published: August 2023

The mortality of severely burned patients can be predicted by multiple scores which have been created over the last decades. As the treatment of burn injuries and intensive care management have improved immensely over the last years, former prediction scores seem to be losing accuracy in predicting survival. Therefore, various modifications of existing scores have been established and innovative scores have been introduced. In this study, we used data from the German Burn Registry and analyzed them regarding patient mortality using different methods of machine learning. We used Classification and Regression Trees (CARTs), random forests, XGBoost, and logistic regression regarding predictive features for patient mortality. Analyzing the data of 1401 patients via machine learning, the factors of full-thickness burns, patient’s age, and total burned surface area could be identified as the most important features regarding the prediction of patient mortality following burn trauma. Although the different methods identified similar aspects, application of machine learning shows that more data are necessary for a valid analysis. In the future, the usage of machine learning can contribute to the development of an innovative and precise predictive score in burn medicine and even to further interpretations of relevant data regarding different forms of outcome from the German Burn registry.
Healthcare Professionals’ Attitudes towards and Knowledge and Understanding of Paediatric Palliative Medicine (PPM) and Its Meaning within the Paediatric Intensive Care Unit (PICU): A Summative Content Analysis in a Tertiary Children’s Hospital in Scotland—“An In Vitro Study”
Authors: Ray Satyajit , McLorie Emma Victoria , Downie Jonathan
Published: August 2023

Background: Paediatric palliative medicine (PPM) is a holistic approach to care for children and their families. Services are growing and developing worldwide but significant disparity in service provision remains. The Paediatric Supportive and Palliative Care Team (PSPCT) at the Royal Hospital for Children in Glasgow was established in 2019, but there is still no clear integrated role within the paediatric intensive care unit (PICU) at present. Through analysing the attitudes, meaning, knowledge and understanding of PPM in the PICU environment, we hoped to explore the experiences of those providing paediatric palliative care and to identify any barriers to or facilitators of integrated working to gain a better understanding of providing this care. Methods: This qualitative study used a survey composed of five open-ended and five closed questions. Sixteen out of a possible thirty-two responses (50%) were accrued from PICU healthcare professionals, including consultants (n = 19), advanced nurse practitioners (n = 4) and band-seven nurses (n = 9). The data were comprehensively studied and analysed by two coders using summative content analysis with assistance from data management software. Codes were further developed to form categories and subcategories. Results: Two categories were found: (1) the role of palliative care and (2) experiences of providing palliative care. A total of five subcategories were found, demonstrating that the PSPCT can enhance care in PICU through collaborative working. Barriers identified included staffing, funding and stigma around palliative care. Conclusions: This study shows that PICU professionals have a good understanding of the concepts of PPM and view it as an essential part of PICU work. Barriers related to resources and misperceptions of palliative care can be overcome through improved education, funding and staff retention, but this would require buy-in from policymakers. The perspective from our relatively small team increases generalizability to growing teams across the country.
Effectiveness of Osteopathic Manipulative Treatment in Adults with Irritable Bowel Syndrome: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis
Authors: Buffone Francesca , Tarantino Andrea Gianmaria , Belloni Federico , Spadafora Andrea , Bolzoni Giorgio , Bruini Irene , Bergna Andrea , Vismara Luca
Published: August 2023

The aim of this systematic review and meta-analysis was to evaluate the effectiveness of the osteopathic manipulative treatment (OMT) in adults with irritable bowel syndrome (IBS). A literature resview was carried out on the following databases: PubMed, Embase, Cochrane, Cinahl, Scopus, PEDro and ClinicalTrials.gov. 350 articles were recovered. Eligibility criteria were evaluated by two independent reviewers, including randomized controlled trials (RCTs), quasi-RCTs, or ongoing RCTs with OMT compared to any kind of control in patients diagnosed with IBS. Six studies (five RCTs and one ongoing RCT) were considered eligible. Four RCTs were classified as some concerns and one as high risk of bias. In the meta-analysis, OMT compared to sham/no intervention showed statistically significant results for abdominal pain (effect size ES = −1.14 [−1.66, −0.62]; p < 0.0001) and constipation (ES = −0.66 [−1.12, −0.20]; p = 0.005). Instead, OMT was not superior to the control for the IBS symptoms measured with the IBS Severity Score and the Likert scale (ES = −0.34 [−0.83, 0.16]; p = 0.19), and diarrhea (ES = −1.20 [−2.84, 0.43]; p = 0.15). The quality of evidence was “low” for IBS symptoms in general for abdominal pain and constipation, while it was judged as “very low” for diarrhea. OMT turns out to be safe in the treatment of IBS without major adverse effects. OMT may be effective in IBS patients, however the results must be interpreted carefully due to the low methodological quality of the studies.
Pharmacists’ Perceptions of Physician–Pharmacist Collaboration—A 2022 Cross-Sectional Survey in Poland
Authors: Wrześniewska-Wal Iwona , Pinkas Jarosław , Ostrowski Janusz , Jankowski Mateusz
Published: August 2023

Patient-centered care requires close collaboration among multiple healthcare professionals, including physician–pharmacist collaboration (especially as a part of pharmaceutical care). This study aimed to assess pharmacists’ perceptions of physician–pharmacist collaboration as well as to identify factors associated with the willingness to provide pharmaceutical care services in Poland. This questionnaire-based survey was carried out in 2022 among community pharmacists from one of the largest franchise chain pharmacy networks in Poland. Completed questionnaires were received from 635 community pharmacists (response rate of 47.9%). Almost all the pharmacists agreed with the statement that there is a need for physician–pharmacist collaboration (98.2%), and 94.8% declared that pharmacists can help physicians in patient care and pharmacotherapy. Most pharmacists (80%) believed that physicians were not aware of the competencies of pharmacists resulting from Polish law. Patient education (89.9%), detection of polypharmacy (88%), and detection of interactions between drugs and dietary supplements (85.7%) were the most common tasks in the field of pharmaceutical care that can be provided by a pharmacist. Females were more likely (p < 0.05) to declare the need for physician–pharmacist collaboration. Age and location of the pharmacy were the most important factors (p < 0.05) associated with pharmacists’ attitudes toward physician–pharmacist collaboration.
Genome-Wide Identification of Fatty Acyl-CoA Reductase (FAR) Genes in Dendrobium catenatum and Their Response to Drought Stress
Authors: Ren Yutong , Wang Peng , Zhang Tingting , Liu Wen , Wang Yujuan , Dai Jun , Zhou Yang
Published: August 2023

Dendrobium catenatum is a high-value medicinal plant that is predominantly found in high mountain areas, thriving amidst cliffs and rock crevices. However, its wild resources face constant threats from adverse environmental conditions, especially drought stress. Fatty acyl-CoA reductase (FAR) is crucial in plant drought resistance, but there is a lack of research on FAR genes in D. catenatum. In this study, the FAR family genes were identified from the D. catenatum genome. Their genomic characteristics were investigated using bioinformatics techniques, and their expression patterns in different tissues and under 20% PEG8000 conditions mimicking drought stress were analyzed using quantitative real-time RT-PCR (RT-qPCR). Seven DcFAR genes were identified from the D. catenatum genome. The encoded amino acids range between 377 and 587 aa, with molecular weights between 43.41 and 66.15 kD and isoelectric points between 5.55 and 9.02. Based on the phylogenetic relationships, the FAR family genes were categorized into three subgroups, each with similar conserved sequences and gene structures. The cis-acting elements of the promoter regions were assessed, and the results reveal that the DcFAR upstream promoter region contains multiple stress-related elements, suggesting its potential involvement in abiotic stress responses. The RT-qPCR results show distinct expression patterns of DcFAR genes in various plant tissues. It was observed that the expression of most DcFAR genes was upregulated under drought stress. Among them, the expression levels of DcFAR2, DcFAR3, DcFAR5, and DcFAR7 genes under drought stress were 544-, 193-, 183-, and 214-fold higher compared to the control, respectively. These results indicate that DcFAR2/3/5/7 might play significant roles in D. catenatum drought tolerance. This research offers insight into the function of DcFAR genes and provides theoretical support for breeding drought-resistant D. catenatum varieties.
Aortic Valve Dysfunction and Aortopathy Based on the Presence of Raphe in Patients with Bicuspid Aortic Valve Disease
Authors: Zhang Yu , Choi Bo Hwa , Chee Hyun Keun , Kim Jun Seok , Ko Sung Min
Published: August 2023

(1) Background: To identify the association between the presence or absence of a raphe and aortic valve dysfunction, as well as the presence of aortopathy in patients with a bicuspid aortic valve (BAV); (2) Methods: This retrospective study enrolled 312 participants (mean (SD) age, 52.7 (14.3) years; 227 men (72.8%)) with BAV. The BAVs were divided into those with the presence (raphe+) or absence (raphe−) of a raphe. Valvular function was classified as normal, aortic regurgitation (AR), or aortic stenosis (AS) using TTE. The pattern of BAV aortopathy was determined by the presence of dilatation at the sinus of Valsalva and the middle ascending aorta using CCT; (3) Results: BAVs with raphe+ had a higher prevalence of AR (148 (79.5%) vs. 48 (37.8%), p < 0.001), but a lower prevalence of AS (90 (48.6%) vs. 99 (78.0%), p < 0.001) compared with those with raphe−. The types of BAV aortopathy were significantly different (p = 0.021) according to those with BAV–raphe+ and BAV–raphe−; (4) Conclusions: The presence of a raphe was significantly associated with a higher prevalence of AR, but a lower prevalence of AS and combined dilatation of the aortic root and middle ascending aorta. The presence of a raphe was an independent determinant of AR.
Intelligent Performance Evaluation in Rowing Sport Using a Graph-Matching Network
Authors: Chen Chien-Chang , Lin Cheng-Shian , Chen Yen-Ting , Chen Wen-Her , Chen Chien-Hua , Chen I-Cheng
Published: August 2023

Rowing competitions require consistent rowing strokes among crew members to achieve optimal performance. However, existing motion analysis techniques often rely on wearable sensors, leading to challenges in sporter inconvenience. The aim of our work is to use a graph-matching network to analyze the similarity in rowers’ rowing posture and further pair rowers to improve the performance of their rowing team. This study proposed a novel video-based performance analysis system to analyze paired rowers using a graph-matching network. The proposed system first detected human joint points, as acquired from the OpenPose system, and then the graph embedding model and graph-matching network model were applied to analyze similarities in rowing postures between paired rowers. When analyzing the postures of the paired rowers, the proposed system detected the same starting point of their rowing postures to achieve more accurate pairing results. Finally, variations in the similarities were displayed using the proposed time-period similarity processing. The experimental results show that the proposed time-period similarity processing of the 2D graph-embedding model (GEM) had the best pairing results.
Tailoring the Fatigue Detail Category Class: A Deterministic Implementation of a Probabilistic-Based Approach to Consequence- and Uncertainty-Informed Fatigue Life Prediction of Ships
Authors: Deul Marije L. , van Battum Coen H. H. , Hoogeland Martijn
Published: August 2023

The fatigue life of ship structures is typically based on deterministic methods in which underlying uncertainties are only implicitly taken into account and not explicitly reflected. Guidance for a probabilistic assessment is provided in class documents, but the methodology is too time consuming to apply in design practice. This paper proposes a novel approach based on DNV-CG-0129 to incorporate uncertainties and consequences explicitly. Using a probabilistic model, tailored deterministic FAT classes are derived to be applied in design practice. A tailored FAT class should be selected based on an acceptable probability of failure related to the severity of the consequences of a failure for the ship. Results show that tailored FAT classes are strongly dependent on the uncertainties provided as input when using the calculation method of DNV-CG-0129. This emphasizes the need for careful consideration and specification of the uncertainties. Furthermore, application of the First Order Reliability Method for a sensitivity study shows that the global model uncertainty is governing over other uncertainties considered in DNV-CG-0129. The proposed approach enables a low-effort and transparent probabilistic-based method, leading to optimized and improved designs due to reduction of overdimensioning in non-critical areas.
Unveiling Fungal Community Structure along Different Levels of Anthropic Disturbance in a South American Subtropical Lagoon
Authors: Pagani Danielle Machado , Ventura Stefânia P. R. , Vu Duong , Mendes-Pereira Thairine , Ribeiro Tomé Luiz Marcelo , Carvalho Daniel Santana de , Costa-Rezende Diogo Henrique , Kato Rodrigo Bentes , García Glen Jasper Yupanqui , Geml József , Robert Vincent , They Ng Haig , Brenig Bertram , Azevedo Vasco , Scroferneker Maria Lúcia , Valente Patricia , Góes-Neto Aristóteles
Published: August 2023

Studies of fungal communities through amplicon metagenomics in aquatic environments, particularly in freshwater ecosystems, are still relatively recent. Unfortunately, many of these water bodies are facing growing threats from human expansion, such as effluent discharge from various human activities. As a result, these effluents have the potential to significantly alter the characteristics of water bodies and, subsequently, impact the diversity of their resident microorganisms. In this context, our objective was to investigate whether the fungal community structure varies according to the presence of different anthropic disturbances. We expect (i) the diversity of fungi will be greater and (ii) more specific unique operational taxonomic units (OTUs) related to each ecotonal system will be found compared to other sites of a lagoon. The study was conducted in the Tramandaí Lagoon (subtropical southern Brazil) at four distinct sampling points (estuary, middle of the lagoon, crop field area, and near a residential area where the Tramandaí River flows into the lagoon). As expected, the estuary and residential zones, which are ecotones, exhibited greater fungal diversity and more specific OTUs compared to the middle of the lagoon and crop field area. Moreover, a substantial proportion of fungal taxa could not be identified at the genus level, with many only classified at the phylum level, indicating potential new lineages. These findings underscore our limited understanding of the subtropical freshwater mycobiota.
Estimating the Climate Niche of Sclerotinia sclerotiorum Using Maximum Entropy Modeling
Authors: Cohen Susan D.
Published: August 2023

Sclerotinia sclerotiorum, a fungal pathogen, causes world-wide crop losses and additional disease management strategies are needed. Modeling the climate niche of this fungus may offer a tool for the selection of biological control organisms and cultural methods of control. Maxent, a modeling technique, was used to characterize the climate niche for the fungus. The technique requires disease occurrence data, bioclimatic data layers, and geospatial analysis. A cross-correlation was performed with ArcGIS 10.8.1, to reduce nineteen bioclimatic variables (WorldClim) to nine variables. The model results were evaluated by AUC (area under the curve). A final model was created with the random seed procedure of Maxent and gave an average AUC of 0.935 with an AUC difference of −0.008. The most critical variables included annual precipitation (importance: 14.1%) with a range of 450 mm to 2500 mm and the mean temperature of the coldest quarter (importance: 55.6%) with a range of −16 °C to 24 °C, which contributed the most to the final model. A habitat suitability map was generated in ArcGIS 10.8.1 from the final Maxent model. The final model was validated by comparing results with another occurrence dataset. A Z-Score statistical test confirmed no significant differences between the two datasets for all suitability areas.
Selection of Salinity-Adapted Endorhizal Fungal Consortia from Two Inoculum Sources and Six Halophyte Plants
Authors: Barajas González Jesús Adrián Barajas , Carrillo-González Rogelio , González-Chávez Ma. del Carmen Angeles , Chimal Sánchez Eduardo , Tapia Maruri Daniel
Published: August 2023

Soil salinity is a limiting factor in crop productivity. Inoculating crops with microorganisms adapted to salt stress is an alternative to increasing plant salinity tolerance. Few studies have simultaneously propagated arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) and dark septate fungi (DSF) using different sources of native inoculum from halophyte plants and evaluated their effectiveness. In alfalfa plants as trap culture, this study assessed the infectivity of 38 microbial consortia native from rhizosphere soil (19) or roots (19) from six halophyte plants, as well as their effectiveness in mitigating salinity stress. Inoculation with soil resulted in 26–56% colonization by AMF and 12–32% by DSF. Root inoculation produced 10–56% and 8–24% colonization by AMF and DSF, respectively. There was no difference in the number of spores of AMF produced with both inoculum types. The effective consortia were selected based on low Na but high P and K shoot concentrations that are variable and are relevant for plant nutrition and salt stress mitigation. This microbial consortia selection may be a novel and applicable model, which would allow the production of native microbial inoculants adapted to salinity to diminish the harmful effects of salinity stress in glycophyte plants in the context of sustainable agriculture.
Compensatory Base Changes in ITS2 Secondary Structure Alignment, Modelling, and Molecular Phylogeny: An Integrated Approach to Improve Species Delimitation in Tulasnella (Basidiomycota)
Authors: Jiménez-Gaona Yuliana , Vivanco-Galván Oscar , Cruz Darío , Armijos-Carrión Angelo , Suárez Juan Pablo
Published: August 2023

Background: The delimitation of species of Tulasnella has been extensively studied, mainly at the morphological (sexual and asexual states) and molecular levels—showing ambiguity between them. An integrative species concept that includes characteristics such as molecular, ecology, morphology, and other information is crucial for species delimitation in complex groups such as Tulasnella. Objectives: The aim of this study is to test evolutionary relationships using a combination of alignment-based and alignment-free distance matrices as an alternative molecular tool to traditional methods, and to consider the secondary structures and CBCs from ITS2 (internal transcribed spacer) sequences for species delimitation in Tulasnella. Methodology: Three phylogenetic approaches were plotted: (i) alignment-based, (ii) alignment-free, and (iii) a combination of both distance matrices using the DISTATIS and pvclust libraries from an R package. Finally, the secondary structure consensus was modeled by Mfold, and a CBC analysis was obtained to complement the species delimitation using 4Sale. Results and Conclusions: The phylogenetic tree results showed delimited monophyletic clades in Tulasnella spp., where all 142 Tulasnella sequences were divided into two main clades A and B and assigned to seven species (T. asymmetrica, T. andina, T. eichleriana ECU6, T. eichleriana ECU4 T. pinicola, T. violea), supported by bootstrap values from 72% to 100%. From the 2D secondary structure alignment, three types of consensus models with helices and loops were obtained. Thus, T. albida belongs to type I; T. eichleriana, T. tomaculum, and T. violea belong to type II; and T. asymmetrica, T. andina, T. pinicola, and T. spp. (GER) belong to type III; each type contains four to six domains, with nine CBCs among these that corroborate different species.
A Cautionary Note on the Use of Accounting Semi-Identity-Based Models
Authors: Sánchez-Vidal Francisco Javier
Published: August 2023

This study employs a Monte Carlo simulation to see whether accounting identity problems are present in the Fazzari, Hubbard, and Petersen model (1988). The Monte Carlo simulation generates 50,000 random cash flows, Tobin’s Q, and error term variables, which shape an investment variable that is dependent on them. Cash flows and investments are linked by a partial accounting identity, also known as an accounting semi-identity (ASI). An accounting identity is, for example, an equality between the left and right sides of a balance sheet. An ASI is not a complete one since one or more components of the accounting identity are missing. The estimated coefficients of an ASI do not represent reality, according to the OLS estimations. The regression tells us less about causality the closer the data are to the accounting identity. This is the first time that the biases of OLS estimations in an ASI-based model have been demonstrated.
Impact of Liquidity on the Efficiency of Banks in India Using Panel Data Analysis
Authors: Sidhu Anureet Virk , Abraham Rebecca , Bhimavarapu Venkata Mrudula , Kanoujiya Jagjeevan , Rastogi Shailesh
Published: August 2023

The current study investigates the impact of the liquidity coverage ratio (LCR) on the efficiency of Indian banks for the period 2010 to 2019. The study examines the effect of internal bank elements like ownership structure, transparency and disclosure, and technological advancement on the relationship between the LCR and efficiency. Bank efficiency proxied as technical efficiency is evaluated by applying the data envelope analysis approach. Applying the panel data regression technique, the authors discover that the LCR has a positive impact on the technical efficiency at a constant return to scale of banks. The relationship between the LCR and the technical efficiency at a variable return to scale is non-linear. Initially, as liquidity increases, the efficiency of banks improves, after reaching its optimum level, efficiency starts to decline. Furthermore, liquidity tends to improve efficiency of banks with higher promoter stakes, whereas opposing results are evidenced for institutional investors and technological advancement.
A Variable Neighborhood Search Method with a Tabu List and Local Search for Optimizing Routing in Trucks in Maritime Ports
Authors: Matijević Luka , Đurasević Marko , Jakobović Domagoj
Published: August 2023

Logistics problems represent an important class of real-world problems where even small improvements in solution quality can lead to significant decreases in operational costs. However, these problems are usually NP-hard; thus, they are mostly solved using metaheuristic methods. To improve their performance, there is substantial research on crafting new and refined metaheuristics to derive superior solutions. This paper considers a truck routing problem within a naval port, where the objective is to minimize the total distance traveled by all the vehicles to distribute a given set of containers. Due to the large volume of goods that are being transferred through ports, it is imperative to improve the operation times at such ports to improve the throughput. To achieve this goal, a novel variable neighborhood search method that integrates a tabu list, an iterative local search procedure, and parallelization of neighborhood generation is proposed and evaluated. The experimental results demonstrate that the proposed method achieves similar results to the state of the art, but in a smaller amount of time.
Correction: Pavlačková, M.; Taddei, V. Mild Solutions of Second-Order Semilinear Impulsive Differential Inclusions in Banach Spaces. Mathematics 2022, 10, 672
Authors: Pavlačková Martina , Taddei Valentina
Published: August 2023

The authors would like to correct parts of Step (b) and Step (d) in Theorem 1 in [...]
Global Properties of HIV-1 Dynamics Models with CTL Immune Impairment and Latent Cell-to-Cell Spread
Authors: AlShamrani Noura H. , Halawani Reham H. , Shammakh Wafa , Elaiw Ahmed M.
Published: August 2023

This paper presents and analyzes two mathematical models for the human immunodeficiency virus type-1 (HIV-1) infection with Cytotoxic T Lymphocyte cell (CTL) immune impairment. These models describe the interactions between healthy CD4+T cells, latently and actively infected cells, HIV-1 particles, and CTLs. The healthy CD4+T cells might be infected when they make contact with: (i) HIV-1 particles due to virus-to-cell (VTC) contact; (ii) latently infected cells due to latent cell-to-cell (CTC) contact; and (iii) actively infected cells due to active CTC contact. Distributed time delays are considered in the second model. We show the nonnegativity and boundedness of the solutions of the systems. Further, we derive basic reproduction numbers ℜ0 and ℜ˜0, that determine the existence and stability of equilibria of our proposed systems. We establish the global asymptotic stability of all equilibria by using the Lyapunov method together with LaSalle’s invariance principle. We confirm the theoretical results by numerical simulations. The effect of immune impairment, time delay and CTC transmission on the HIV-1 dynamics are discussed. It is found that weak immunity contributes significantly to the development of the disease. Further, we have established that the presence of time delay can significantly decrease the basic reproduction number and then suppress the HIV-1 replication. On the other hand, the presence of latent CTC spread increases the basic reproduction number and then enhances the viral progression. Thus, neglecting the latent CTC spread in the HIV-1 infection model will lead to an underestimation of the basic reproduction number. Consequently, the designed drug therapies will not be accurate or sufficient to eradicate the viruses from the body. These findings may help to improve the understanding of the dynamics of HIV-1 within a host.
Knowledge Graph Construction Based on a Joint Model for Equipment Maintenance
Authors: Lou Ping , Yu Dan , Jiang Xuemei , Hu Jiwei , Zeng Yuhang , Fan Chuannian
Published: August 2023

Under the background of intelligent manufacturing, industrial systems are developing in a more complex and intelligent direction. Equipment maintenance management is facing significant challenges in terms of maintenance workload, system reliability and stability requirements and the overall skill requirements of maintenance personnel. Equipment maintenance management is also developing in the direction of intellectualization. It is important to have a method to construct a domain knowledge graph and to organize and utilize it. As is well known, traditional equipment maintenance is mainly dependent on technicians, and they are required to be very familiar with the maintenance manuals. But it is very difficult to manage and exploit a large quantity of knowledge for technicians in a short time. Hence a method to construct a knowledge graph (KG) for equipment maintenance is proposed to extract knowledge from manuals, and an effective maintenance scheme is obtained with this knowledge graph. Firstly, a joint model based on an enhanced BERT-Bi-LSTM-CRF is put forward to extract knowledge automatically, and a Cosine and Inverse Document Frequency (IDF) based on semantic similarity a presented to eliminate redundancy in the process of the knowledge fusion. Finally, a Decision Support System (DSS) for equipment maintenance is developed and implemented, in which knowledge can be extracted automatically and provide an equipment maintenance scheme according to the requirements. The experimental results show that the joint model used in this paper performs well on Chinese text related to equipment maintenance, with an F1 score of 0.847. The quality of the knowledge graph constructed after eliminating redundancy is also significantly improved.
The Existence of Entropy Solutions for a Class of Parabolic Equations
Authors: Chen Zengfei , Shen Bingliang
Published: August 2023

The existence and uniqueness of entropy solutions for a class of parabolic equations involving a p(x)-Laplace operator are investigated. We first prove existence of the global weak solution for the p(x)-Laplacian equations with regular initial data via the difference and variation methods as well as the standard domain expansion technique. Then, by constructing and solving a related approximation problem, the entropy solution for the p(x)-Laplacian equations with irregular initial data in whole space is also obtained.