bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Seminoma and dysgerminoma: evidence for alignment of clinical trials and de-escalation of systemic chemotherapy
Authors: Wood Georgina E. , Bunting Christopher P. , Veli Mesel , Arora Rupali , Berney Daniel M. , Alifrangis Constantine , MacDonald Nicola D. , Miller Rowan E. , Shamash Jonathan , Stoneham Sara , Lockley Michelle
Published: October 2023

Malignant germ cell tumours are a group of rare cancers whose incidence peaks in late adolescence and early adulthood. Dysgerminomas of the ovary and seminomas of the testis are analogous diseases, but seminomas have a 10-fold higher incidence. The two tumours are morphologically identical and are only differentiated by surrounding organ-specific tissue or testicular germ cell neoplasia in situ. They share genetic features including KIT and RAS mutations, amplification of chromosome 12p, and expression of pluripotency markers (NANOG (Nanog homeobox), OCT3/4 (Octamer-binding transcription factor 3/4), and SAL4 (Spalt-like trascription factor 4)). Both histologies are exquisitely sensitive to platinum chemotherapy, and the combination of bleomycin, etoposide, and cisplatin (BEP) yields survival rates greater than 90%. However, BEP causes significant, lifelong toxicity (cardiovascular, renal, respiratory, and neurological) in these young patients with an expectation of cure. Here, we comprehensively review the biological features of dysgerminoma and seminoma to demonstrate that they are biologically analogous diseases. We present available clinical trial data supporting de-escalation of chemotherapy treatment. Finally, we propose that future trials should enrol men, women, and children to benefit all patients regardless of age or sex.
Emotional responses to favorite and relaxing music predict music-induced hypoalgesia
Authors: Valevicius Darius , Lépine Lopez Anaïs , Diushekeeva Ajar , Lee April Chaewon , Roy Mathieu
Published: October 2023

Introduction

The hypoalgesic effect of music has long been established. However, the characteristics of music which are important for reducing pain have not been well-studied. Some research has compared subject-selected preferred music to unfamiliar music selected by researchers, and has typically found a superior effect from preferred music. In this study, we sought to discover what aspects of listeners' relationship with their preferred music was important in producing a hypoalgesic effect.

Methods

We conducted a thermal pain and music listening experiment with 63 participants (14 male, 49 female, mean age = 21.3), in which music excerpts were paired with thermal stimulations. Pain ratings of intensity and unpleasantness, as well as emotional response variables, were rated on visual analog scales. We also conducted brief structured interviews about participants' favorite music, on which we conducted thematic content analysis. Themes and emotion variables were analyzed for their effects on pain ratings.

Results

We first replicated the finding that favorite music outperforms experimenter-selected relaxing music in reducing pain unpleasantness (MD = −7.25, p < 0.001) and that the difference in hypoalgesia was partially mediated by an increase in musical chills (ab = −2.83, p < 0.01). We then conducted a theme analysis on the interview transcripts and produced four themes relating to emotional experience: moving/bittersweet, calming/relaxing, happy/cheerful, and energizing/activating. We found suggestive evidence that moving/bittersweet favorite music reduces pain unpleasantness through increased music pleasantness (ab = −5.48, p < 0.001) and more musical chills (ab = −0.57, p = 0.004).

Discussion

We find that music pleasantness and musical chills are salient predictors of music-induced hypoalgesia, and that different categories of favorite music derived from qualitative analysis may engage these emotional pathways to different degrees.
Non-operative treatment strategy for appendiceal abscess in children under 3 years old: a retrospective observational study
Authors: Li Huan , Luo Jianfeng , Wang Haibin , Guo Qin , Huang Peng , Lei Haiyan , Li Wenhai , Yang Jun
Published: October 2023

Background

There are few studies on appendiceal abscess with appendicolith in children under 3 years old. This study aims to explore the success rate of non-surgical treatment of appendiceal abscess and assess the potential influence of an appendicolith on non-surgical treatment outcomes in children under 3 years old.

Methods

The clinical data of children under 3 years old who were diagnosed with appendiceal abscess at the Wuhan Children's Hospital, China, from February 2013 to May 2020 were collected. According to the findings of ultrasonography and CT imaging, they were divided into two groups, namely, the appendicolith group and the non-appendicolith group.

Results

A total of 94 children with appendiceal abscess were identified, meeting the specified study criteria, and categorized into two groups, namely, the appendicolith group (n = 51, 54.3%) and the non-appendicolith group (n = 43, 45.7%). Non-surgical treatment was unsuccessful in six out of the 94 children, yielding an overall success rate of 93.6% for non-surgical management of appendiceal abscess in children under 3 years old. The success rate for non-surgical treatment in the appendicolith subgroup was 90.2%, whereas that for the non-appendicolith subgroup was 97.7%. No statistically significant distinction was observed between the two groups (P = 0.292). Likewise, there were no significant differences in gender, age, duration of symptoms, fever, vomiting, diarrhea, rebound pain, white blood cell count, C-reactive protein level, and abscess cross-sectional area between the appendicolith group and the non-appendicolith group. However, there is a statistical difference in tenderness in the right lower abdomen.

Conclusion

Non-surgical treatment of appendiceal abscess has a high success rate and can be considered an effective treatment strategy. In pediatric patients under 3 years old without evidence of complete intestinal obstruction or diffuse peritonitis, non-surgical treatment may be considered for appendiceal abscess.
Investigation of anti-depression effects and potential mechanisms of the ethyl acetate extract of Cynomorium songaricum Rupr. through the integration of in vivo experiments, LC-MS/MS chemical analysis, and a systems biology approach
Authors: Zhang Xinyu , Li Lingling , Chen Jianxin , Hu Mengyuan , Zhang Yali , Zhang Xuya , Lu Yi
Published: October 2023

Background:Cynomorium songaricum Rupr. has long been used as an anti-inflammatory, antidepressant, and anti-aging agent in traditional Chinese medicine in Asia. Its ethyl acetate extract (ECS) has been identified as the main antioxidant component with neuroprotective and estrogen-like effects. However, the potential of ECS in treating depression has not been explored yet.

Methods: We identified the primary metabolites in ECS in this study using liquid chromatography-electrospray tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS). Network analysis was used to find the potential targets and pathways associated with the anti-neuroinflammatory depression action of the ECS. In addition, we established a corticosterone (CORT)-induced depression mouse model to assess ECS’s antidepressant effects by monitoring various behavioral changes (e.g., sucrose preference, forced swimming, tail suspension, and open field tests) and biochemical indices of the hippocampus, and validating the network analysis results. Significant pathways underwent verification through western blotting based on network analysis prediction.

Results: Our study demonstrates that ECS possesses significant antidepressant activity. The LC-MS/MS analysis of ECS identified 30 main metabolites, including phloridzin, phlorizin, ursolic acid, and naringenin, as well as other flavonoids, terpenoids, and phenolic acids. These metabolites were found to be associated with 64 candidate target proteins related to neuroinflammatory depression from the database, and ten hub proteins were identified through filtration: CXCL8, ICAM1, NOS2, SELP, TNF, IL6, APP, ACHE, MAOA and ADA. Functional enrichment analyses of the candidate targets revealed their primary roles in regulating cytokine production, inflammatory response, cytokine activity, and tumor necrosis factor receptor binding. In vivo, ECS improved hippocampal neuroinflammation in the mouse model. Specifically, ECS reduced the expression of inflammatory factors in the hippocampus, inhibited M1 microglial cell polarization, and alleviated depression through the regulation of the NF-κB-NLRP3 inflammation pathway.

Conclusion: Based on experimental and network analysis, this study revealed for the first time that ECS exerted antidepression effect via anti-neuroinflammation. Our research provides valuable information on the use of ECS as an alternative therapeutic approach for depression.
The mechanisms of action of mitochondrial targeting agents in cancer: inhibiting oxidative phosphorylation and inducing apoptosis
Authors: Yang Yi , An Yahui , Ren Mingli , Wang Haijiao , Bai Jing , Du Wenli , Kong Dezhi
Published: October 2023

The tumor microenvironment affects the structure and metabolic function of mitochondria in tumor cells. This process involves changes in metabolic activity, an increase in the amount of reactive oxygen species (ROS) in tumor cells compared to normal cells, the production of more intracellular free radicals, and the activation of oxidative pathways. From a practical perspective, it is advantageous to develop drugs that target mitochondria for the treatment of malignant tumors. Such drugs can enhance the selectivity of treatments for specific cell groups, minimize toxic effects on normal tissues, and improve combinational treatments. Mitochondrial targeting agents typically rely on small molecule medications (such as synthetic small molecules agents, active ingredients of plants, mitochondrial inhibitors or autophagy inhibitors, and others), modified mitochondrial delivery system agents (such as lipophilic cation modification or combining other molecules to form targeted mitochondrial agents), and a few mitochondrial complex inhibitors. This article will review these compounds in three main areas: oxidative phosphorylation (OXPHOS), changes in ROS levels, and endogenous oxidative and apoptotic processes.
Shared decision making and medication adherence in patients with COPD and/or asthma: the ANANAS study
Authors: Achterbosch Maria , Vart Priya , van Dijk Liset , van Boven Job F. M.
Published: October 2023

Background: Medication adherence to inhalation medication is suboptimal in patients with COPD and asthma. Shared decision making (SDM) is proposed as an intervention to improve medication adherence. Despite its wide promotion, evidence of SDM’s association with greater medication adherence is scarce. Also, it is unknown to what degree patients presently experience SDM and how it is associated with medication adherence.

Objective: To (i) assess the level of SDM and (ii) medication adherence, (iii) explore the relation between SDM and medication adherence and iv) investigate possible underlying mechanisms.

Methods: Cross-sectional observational study. A survey was distributed among Dutch patients with COPD and/or asthma using inhaled medication. Medication adherence was measured using the Test of Adherence to Inhalers (TAI-10), and SDM by the 9-item Shared Decision-Making questionnaire (SMD-Q-9). Feeling of competence, relatedness and feeling of autonomy from the Self-Determination Theory (SDT) were considered as possible mechanisms. The primary outcome was adherence.

Results: A total of 396 patients with complete information on relevant covariates were included. Mean SDM-Q-9 score was 26.7 (SD 12.1, range 0–45) and complete adherence was 41.2%. The odds ratio for the association of SDM with adherence was 1.01 (95% CI: 0.99, 1.02). This only changed minimally when adjusted for mediators (mediating effect <3%).

Conclusion: The patient experienced level of SDM in daily practice and medication adherence have room for improvement. No association between SDM and medication adherence was observed. Factors related to feeling of competence, relatedness and feeling of autonomy did not meaningfully explain this finding.
Dysregulated neuromodulation in the anterior cingulate cortex in chronic pain
Authors: Lançon Kevin , Séguéla Philippe
Published: October 2023

Chronic pain is a significant global socioeconomic burden with limited long-term treatment options. The intractable nature of chronic pain stems from two primary factors: the multifaceted nature of pain itself and an insufficient understanding of the diverse physiological mechanisms that underlie its initiation and maintenance, in both the peripheral and central nervous systems. The development of novel non-opioidergic analgesic approaches is contingent on our ability to normalize the dysregulated nociceptive pathways involved in pathological pain processing. The anterior cingulate cortex (ACC) stands out due to its involvement in top-down modulation of pain perception, its abnormal activity in chronic pain conditions, and its contribution to cognitive functions frequently impaired in chronic pain states. Here, we review the roles of the monoamines dopamine (DA), norepinephrine (NE), serotonin (5-HT), and other neuromodulators in controlling the activity of the ACC and how chronic pain alters their signaling in ACC circuits to promote pathological hyperexcitability. Additionally, we discuss the potential of targeting these monoaminergic pathways as a therapeutic strategy for treating the cognitive and affective symptoms associated with chronic pain.
The effect of relative humidity on the polarization Mueller matrix under the oil smoke environment
Authors: Shen Chengbiao , Zhang Su , Fu Qiang , Zhan Juntong , Duan Jin , Li Yingchao
Published: October 2023

For the variation of the polarized Mueller matrix of oil smoke particles under different relative humidity levels, the polarized single scattering characteristics of oil smoke particles are studied by using the Mie scattering theory, and the multiple scattering simulation is implemented with the Monte Carlo method. Variation in relative humidity is achieved by changing in mixing of the oil smoke and the water fog particles during the same dry particle filling time. Using the 36 sets of polarized Mueller matrices method, the Mueller matrix patterns of oil smoke were calculated for four conditions of 0%, 10%, 40%, and 95% relative humidity, respectively. We can verify the simulation’s correctness from the simulation and the experimental results. Specifically, as the relative humidity increases, the size of the Mueller matrix pattern increases, and the patterns of m22, m33, and m44 related to the depolarization characteristic change significantly. Furthermore, the scattering depolarization coefficients of the Mueller matrix polar decomposition increase with the increasing relative humidity, with the ability of depolarization being continuously enhanced. This method determines differences in relative humidity using intuitive measurements of stabilized scattering patterns, which can present a theoretical basis for the impact of environmental variation on polarization detection.
Attribution of dispersal limitation can better explain the assembly patterns of plant microbiota
Authors: Li Taiqiang , Gao Jiangyun
Published: October 2023

Disentangling community assembly processes is crucial for fully understanding the function of microbiota in agricultural ecosystems. However, numerous plant microbiome surveys have gradually revealed that stochastic processes dominate the assembly of the endophytic root microbiota in conflict with strong host filtering effects, which is an important issue. Resolving such conflicts or inconsistencies will not only help accurately predict the composition and structure of the root endophytic microbiota and its driving mechanisms, but also provide important guidance on the correlation between the relative importance of deterministic and stochastic processes in the assembly of the root endophytic microbiota, and crop productivity and nutritional quality. Here, we propose that the inappropriate division of dispersal limitation may be the main reason for such inconsistency, which can be resolved after the proportion of dispersal limitation is incorporated into the deterministic processes. The rationality of this adjustment under the framework of the formation of a holobiont between the microbiome and the plant host is herein explained, and a potential theoretical framework for dynamic assembly patterns of endophytic microbiota along the soil–plant continuum is proposed. Considering that the assembly of root endophytic microbiota is complicated, we suggest caution and level-by-level verification from deterministic processes to neutral components to stochastic processes when deciding on the attribution of dispersal limitation in the future to promote the expansion and application of microbiome engineering in sustainable agricultural development based on community assembly patterns.
An iterative noisy annotation correction model for robust plant disease detection
Authors: Dong Jiuqing , Fuentes Alvaro , Yoon Sook , Kim Hyongsuk , Park Dong Sun
Published: October 2023

Previous work on plant disease detection demonstrated that object detectors generally suffer from degraded training data, and annotations with noise may cause the training task to fail. Well-annotated datasets are therefore crucial to build a robust detector. However, a good label set generally requires much expert knowledge and meticulous work, which is expensive and time-consuming. This paper aims to learn robust feature representations with inaccurate bounding boxes, thereby reducing the model requirements for annotation quality. Specifically, we analyze the distribution of noisy annotations in the real world. A teacher-student learning paradigm is proposed to correct inaccurate bounding boxes. The teacher model is used to rectify the degraded bounding boxes, and the student model extracts more robust feature representations from the corrected bounding boxes. Furthermore, the method can be easily generalized to semi-supervised learning paradigms and auto-labeling techniques. Experimental results show that applying our method to the Faster-RCNN detector achieves a 26% performance improvement on the noisy dataset. Besides, our method achieves approximately 75% of the performance of a fully supervised object detector when 1% of the labels are available. Overall, this work provides a robust solution to real-world location noise. It alleviates the challenges posed by noisy data to precision agriculture, optimizes data labeling technology, and encourages practitioners to further investigate plant disease detection and intelligent agriculture at a lower cost. The code will be released at https://github.com/JiuqingDong/TS_OAMIL-for-Plant-disease-detection.
Genome-wide identification and in-silico expression analysis of carotenoid cleavage oxygenases gene family in Oryza sativa (rice) in response to abiotic stress
Authors: Haider Muhammad Zeshan , Sami Adnan , Shafiq Muhammad , Anwar Waheed , Ali Sajid , Ali Qurban , Muhammad Sher , Manzoor Irfan , Shahid Muhammad Adnan , Ali Daoud , Alarifi Saud
Published: October 2023

Rice constitutes a foundational cereal and plays a vital role in the culinary sector. However, the detriments of abiotic stress on rice quality and productivity are noteworthy. Carotenoid cleavage oxygenases (CCO) hold vital importance as they enable the particular breakdown of carotenoids and significantly contribute towards the growth and response to abiotic stress in rice. Due to the insufficient information regarding rice CCOs and their potential role in abiotic stress, their utilization in stress-resistant genetic breeding remains limited. The current research identified 16 CCO genes within the Oryza sativa japonica group. These OsCCO genes can be bifurcated into three categories based on their conserved sequences: NCEDs (9-Cis-epoxycarotenoid dioxygenases), CCDs (Carotenoid cleavage dioxygenases) and CCD-like (Carotenoid cleavage dioxygenases-like). Conserved motifs were found in the OsCCO gene sequence via MEME analysis and multiple sequence alignment. Stress-related cis-elements were detected in the promoter regions of OsCCOs genes, indicating their involvement in stress response. Additionally, the promoters of these genes had various components related to plant light, development, and hormone responsiveness, suggesting they may be responsive to plant hormones and involved in developmental processes. MicroRNAs play a pivotal role in the regulation of these 16 genes, underscoring their significance in rice gene regulation. Transcriptome data analysis suggests a tissue-specific expression pattern for rice CCOs. Only OsNCED6 and OsNCED10 significantly up-regulated during salt stress, as per RNA seq analyses. CCD7 and CCD8 levels were also higher in the CCD group during the inflorescence growth stage. This provides insight into the function of rice CCOs in abiotic stress response and identifies possible genes that could be beneficial for stress-resistant breeding.
COVID-19 pandemic-related weight gain in the pediatric population declined after restrictions ended, except among obese patients
Authors: Irschik Stefan , Brandt Jennifer B. , Eisenkölbl Johannes
Published: October 2023

Introduction

Childhood obesity has become an important topic, not only of increasing relevance during the COVID-19 pandemic but specifically enhanced by it. Restrictions implemented to mitigate further outbreaks led to major constraints on daily physical activity, leading to a severe increase in body weight among children. This study highlights changes in BMI and weight development in children during and (in particular) after the COVID-19 restrictions in Austria, focusing on various socioeconomic factors.

Methods

Weight development throughout the pandemic and socioeconomic factors were evaluated by anonymous cross-sectional surveys filled out by parents at a pediatric practice.

Results

This study included 388 children. The rate of obesity increased by 88.5%, from 6.4 to 12.1%, throughout the pandemic, reaching a maximum of 15.2% during the restrictions. Overall, age-adapted BMI z-scores increased significantly by 0.22 during the restrictions and remained increased by 0.19 compared to pre-pandemic levels. With the exception of obese children, all children in the study population experienced significant weight loss after the restrictions were lifted. Obese children continued to gain weight without any sign of the onset of normalization. Socioeconomic factors, such as participation in regular activity in the form of organized sport or the availability of an outdoor area, were associated with relevant differences before the pandemic but had no protective effect against intra-pandemic weight gain. A higher level of parental education was the only factor associated with less weight gain in children during the early phase of the pandemic.

Discussion

Austrian COVID-19 restrictions have had concerning effects on pediatric BMI, with very little effect of socioeconomic background. After restrictions were loosened, measurable weight loss occurred, but the significant increase in children's BMI percentiles persisted. No weight loss was observed among children who were obese prior to the pandemic. There is a need for broad projects tackling childhood obesity, as obese children are the most vulnerable group with the strongest and most severe long-term effects.
Beyond the “inimitable” Goffman: from “social theory” to social theorizing in a Goffmanesque manner
Authors: Inglis David , Thorpe Christopher
Published: October 2023

Erving Goffman's status as a great social scientist today seems relatively secure. Many commentators highlight his extraordinary capacities to pinpoint the fine-grained details of human behavior in the “interaction order”. But if Goffman's brilliance in this respect was deeply rooted in his various and interlocking personal, existential, social, and intellectual idiosyncrasies, and his intellectual practice is inimitable, the degree to which anyone else could, or should try to, imitate Goffman's intellectual practice today, remains an open question. This is especially so when we consider that such practice was grounded in notably wide reading across disciplines and in world literature, a highly developed analytical manner that was inseparable from a notable literary talent in composing published texts, and an open-mindedness about the gathering of data sources in ways that some today find methodologically much too promiscuous. The paper initially considers these issues: the multiple “Goffmans” that exegetes and commentators have identified; how such persons have claimed Goffman to be essentially of one or more theoretical persuasions; and how various social theorists have drawn upon Goffman's work. It then moves on to argue that a Goffmanesque kind of social theorizing, is not only possible (if difficult) today, but also vital too. Such theorizing insists on the ongoing role of literary-intellectual and metaphorical ways of thinking and writing, at a time when these are becoming apparently less crucial in studies of human interaction. No matter how technologically advanced such studies may become, they still require some of the intellectual and literary flair that Goffman brought to his scholarly doings. Goffmanesque theorizing can inform new insights into various domains, including the very nature of social change.
Reconceptualising knowledge in the athlete–coach learning system: a mixed-method case study of harnessing bi-directional self-organising tendencies with a national wheelchair rugby league team
Authors: Rothwell Martyn , Strafford Ben William , Cragg Scott , Ribeiro João , Davids Keith
Published: October 2023

Knowledge and knowledge transfer are often viewed in unitary and hierarchical terms, where a linear transaction exists between an individual possessing a body of knowledge and a person needing that knowledge. Although this traditional view of knowledge transfer is common within the sports domain, it is problematic because knowledge is treated as a self-contained entity. The overarching purpose of this study is to explore the ecological role of knowledge, underpinning performance preparation processes in an international coaching setting. Specifically, we investigated how bi-directional self-organising (coordination) tendencies (coach and athlete-led) can be exploited to facilitate the formation of attacking synergies within the team sport of wheelchair rugby league. A mixed-method case study approach was employed to collect data, involving semi-structured interviews, reflexive observations and field notes, and notational analysis. Results from the study described the transitional process of positioning an ecological view of knowledge transfer as a guiding principle to enhance athlete and practitioner collaboration. This reciprocal relationship provided documented opportunities to enhance on- and off-field team synergies. The pedagogical experiences we describe emerged throughout periods of uncertainty, requiring effortful interactions, forged on the continuous coupling of key agents (individuals), content, and context, enabling application, refinement, and opportunities for team synergies to evolve in performance preparation. Results suggested that the challenge of understanding and facilitating knowledge transfer could be embedded within the ecology of a complex adaptive system, sustained as a contextualised activity reciprocally constructed through on-going correspondence between athletes, scientists, practitioners, and the competitive performance context.
The relationship between physical activity and subjective well-being in Chinese university students: the mediating roles of perceived health, social support and self-esteem
Authors: Liao Tianzhi , Yin Yujia , Hu Xiaoyong , Tang Saizhao , Shim Yunsik
Published: October 2023

Purpose

The intent of this paper is to understand the effect of Physical Activity on university students' Subjective Well-being and to explore whether Perceived Health, Social Support, and Self-esteem play roles as mediating variables.

Methods

Self-reported data from 404 college students (147 males and 257 females) were analyzed using structural equation modeling (SEM). The relationships between the study variables were tested by mediation models and 5,000 bootstrap samples using AMOS version 24.

Results

(1) The six hypotheses were supported in the measurement model in the results (P < 0.05). Physical Activity was related to Social Support, Perceived Health, and to Self-esteem; Social Support, Perceived Health, and Self-esteem were all related to Subjective Well-being. However, the direct positive effect of Physical Activity gradually decreased in the order of Self-esteem, Social Support, and Perceived Health. The direct effect of Perceived Health, Social Support, and Self-esteem on Subjective Well-being also decreased sequentially. (2) In the Structural Equation Model (χ2 = 825.451, p < 0.001, df = 455, CMIN/df = 1.814, CFI = 0.942, RMSEA = 0.045), the three hypotheses of mediation were supported (P < 0.05), showing positive indirect effects between Physical Activity and Subjective Well-being. Of the three mediating effects, Social Support and Self-esteem were not different, and the mediating effect of Perceived Health showed the largest impact. This indicates that Social Support, Perceived Health, and Self-esteem mediate the effects of Physical Activity, and Subjective Well-being regulation has positive indirect effects.

Conclusion

This study demonstrates the importance of meeting the needs of Social Support, Perceived Health, and Self-esteem when designing interventions to promote college students' sports participation to enhance Subjective Well-being.
Development of a composite based on polylactic acid and lignocellulosic waste: new packaging for meat food storage
Authors: Muñoz-Pabon Karen Sofia , Castillo Héctor Samuel Villada , Concha José Luis Hoyos , Ayala Aponte Alfredo A. , Solanilla Duque José Fernando
Published: October 2023

Pursuing new packaging that contributes to the safety of meat products, that can also be from renewable sources and that has adequate mechanical properties is a challenge. Therefore, this study attempted to incorporate a layer of polylactic acid (PLA) containing nisin and oregano oil extract (OEO) into biocomposites of cassava bran (CB) and coffee husk (CH) to improve their mechanical properties and enhance their antimicrobial properties. A compression molding process is carried out, the operating conditions for the preparation of the biocomposite were pressure: 40 bar, temperature: 170°C, and time: 2.5 min. The composition of the biocomposite was 80, 18, and 2% of CB, CH, and glycerol respectively, with 30% moisture. The polylactic acid (PLA) layer was added by immersion and contained nisaplin and OEO. PLA layer was evaporated in forced convection oven. Once the active packaging was obtained, inhibition in vitro against Listeria monocytogenes was performed. The packing containing OEO and nisin that showed the highest inhibition on the pathogen was used for stability analysis in pork. In order to measure changes in pork meat quality, the biocomposite with and without coating and with commercial polystyrene packaging were compared. Raw meat muscle was kept at 4° C and was tested for color, pH, moisture, and texture profile analysis (TPA) for 0, 7, 14, and 21 days. The values of the flexural test of the biocomposite were: 11.08 MPa of maximum flexural strength (σF), 1.81% of maximum deformation (εF), and 842.22 MPa of elastic modulus (EM). According to the results of in vitro inhibition, the packaging can contribute to reduce the proliferation of gram-positive microorganisms, such as L. monocytogenes. During storage, the hardness and gumminess of the meat showed significant changes, mainly in the PLA-free biocomposite. Results on pork meat showed that packaging with antimicrobials and PLA can maintain color, texture, moisture, and pH similar to commercial packaging.
Beyond the gut: spectrum of magnetic surgery devices
Authors: Lee William G. , Evans Lauren L. , Harrison Michael R.
Published: October 2023

Since the 1970s, magnetic force has been used to augment modern surgical techniques with the aims of minimizing surgical trauma and optimizing minimally-invasive systems. The majority of current clinical applications for magnetic surgery are largely centered around gastrointestinal uses—such as gastrointestinal or bilioenteric anastomosis creation, stricturoplasty, sphincter augmentation, and the guidance of nasoenteric feeding tubes. However, as the field of magnetic surgery continues to advance, the development and clinical implementation of magnetic devices has expanded to treat a variety of non-gastrointestinal disorders including musculoskeletal (pectus excavatum, scoliosis), respiratory (obstructive sleep apnea), cardiovascular (coronary artery stenosis, end-stage renal disease), and genitourinary (stricture, nephrolithiasis) conditions. The purpose of this review is to discuss the current state of innovative magnetic surgical devices under clinical investigation or commercially available for the treatment of non-gastrointestinal disorders.
Attitudes and practices toward feral cats of male and female dog or cat owners and non-owners in Seoul, South Korea
Authors: Kim Sun-A. , Kenyon Claire J. , Cheong Sejin , Lee Jenna , Hart Lynette A.
Published: October 2023

The number of pet cats in South Korea has sharply increased since 2010. Problems have arisen with feral or stray cats, creating conflict among residents, to such an extent that the government provides some sites for people to offer feeding stations for the stray cats. This study investigated hypotheses on people’s attitudes toward feral cats in Seoul, South Korea: (i) dog and cat owners would show more positive attitudes than non-owners toward feral cats; (ii) females would have more positive attitudes toward feral cats than males; (iii) the number of Seoul-provided feeding stations by district would be correlated with people’s positive attitudes toward feral cats. Responses from 7,394 participants were used for the final analyses with 3,179 males, 3,607 females, and 599 others (includes “decline to state”). Cat owners reported more extremely positive attitudes toward feral cats than people who had no cats. Females more often had cats than males, and they were more extremely positive toward pet and feral cats than males, and strongly opposed to culling as a management strategy. The attitudes toward feral cats of people with only dogs were intermediate between people with cats and people without pets, more resembling those of people without pets. There was a correlation between the number of city-provided feeding stations and people’s attitudes toward feral cats, but only in the areas with at least 40 feeder stations; having many city-provided feeding stations was associated with very negative attitudes to feral cats. Whether the very large number of feeding stations were provided in the two neighborhoods due to a previously excessive number of feral cats in those neighborhoods, vs. those feeding stations attracting or provisioning an ever-growing number of feral cats, is unknown. These results show sharp differences in attitudes between cat owners and non-owners, and between males and females. Results resemble findings in other studies, perhaps with more extreme differences between sub-groups. The study revealed that attitudes toward pet and feral cats in Seoul were complex and varied with pet ownership, with sex, and with neighborhood context.
A comparison between neurological clinical signs, cerebrospinal fluid analysis, cross-sectional CNS imaging, and infectious disease testing in 168 dogs with infectious or immune-mediated meningoencephalomyelitis from Brazil
Authors: Bach Fernando Swiech , Cray Carolyn , Burgos Ana Paula , Junior José Ademar Villanova , Montiani-Ferreira Fabiano
Published: October 2023

This retrospective study evaluated canine patients with presumptively diagnosed meningoencephalomyelitis (ME) based on neurological clinical signs, cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) analysis, cross-sectional imaging, and infectious disease testing with a limited neurological-focused polymerase chain reaction (PCR) panel performed on blood and CSF. The first goal was to determine the proportion of dogs where the condition was caused by an infectious agent versus a probable immune-mediated etiology (i.e., meningoencephalomyelitis of unknown origin; MUO) in our geographic region. The secondary goals of this study were to examine and define associations between abnormal CSF test results and cross-sectional neuroimaging findings, in addition to defining the age and most common neurological clinical signs in each group of ME. A total of 168 dogs matched the inclusion criteria with magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) performed in 130 dogs and computed tomography (CT) performed in 38 dogs. Presumptive MUO was observed in 152/168 (90.5%) of dogs and infectious ME was identified in 16/168 (9.5%) of dogs (p < 0.0001). Canine distemper virus (CDV) was the most common cause of infectious ME in 10/16 dogs (62.5%). Of the total cases with a positive infectious disease result, 3/16 (18.7%) had normal CSF results and 13/16 (81.3%) had abnormal CSF results (p = 0.0078). MRI and CT abnormalities in the brain were detected in 74 and 39% of dogs with inflammatory CSF, respectively. MRI and CT abnormalities in the spinal cord were detected in 90 and 57% of dogs with inflammatory CSF results, respectively. Age was not significantly different between infectious ME and presumptive MUO groups (p = 0.15). Seizures were the most common clinical sign reported for both MUO (36.8% of cases) and infectious ME (31.2% of cases). In conclusion, presumptive MUO is significantly more common than infectious ME in this population of dogs. Furthermore, although normal CSF results were uncommon in dogs with infectious ME, this finding occurred in several patients (3/16), suggesting that infectious disease testing should be considered even in the face of normal CSF results. Finally, MRI was more sensitive than CT in the detection of abnormalities when dogs with ME had inflammatory CSF results but was not 100% sensitive, suggesting CSF analysis should be performed to rule out inflammation even when no abnormalities are detected on MRI or CT.
Mental Distress Among Norwegian Adults During the COVID-19 Pandemic: Predictors in Initial Response and Subsequent Trajectories
Authors: Lu Li , Hannigan Laurie J. , Brandlistuen Ragnhild E. , Nesvåg Ragnar , Trogstad Lill , Magnus Per , Unnarsdóttir Anna Bára , Valdimarsdóttir Unnur A. , Andreassen Ole A. , Ask Helga
Published: October 2023

Objectives: To identify factors associated with change in mental distress at the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, relative to pre-pandemic levels, and with changes during the following 1.5 years.

Methods: The prospective Norwegian Mother, Father and Child Cohort Study collected eight waves of data during the pandemic (March 2020–September 2021) in 105,972 adult participants used for this analyses. A piecewise latent growth model was fitted to identify initial level and longitudinal changes in mental distress.

Results: Mental distress peaked at the beginning of the pandemic. Factors associated with initial increases were: medical conditions, living alone, history of psychiatric disorders, lower education, female sex, younger age, and obesity. Being quarantined or infected with SARS-CoV-2 were associated with increasing distress while being vaccinated was associated with reduced mental distress.

Conclusion: Having a chronic disease and being quarantined or infected by the SARS-CoV-2 virus were associated with more mental distress during the pandemic. This knowledge is important for planning interventions to support individuals during future pandemics and other societal crises.
Research on a Variable-Stiffness Joint and Its Application in Actuators
Authors: Wang Qi , Lu Xiaolong , Jiang Peng , Guo Chang , Sun Yalin
Published: October 2023

Variable-stiffness actuators can flexibly adjust the overall or local stiffness of a structure, thus enabling reconstruction, adaptation, and locking capabilities that can meet a wide range of task requirements. However, the programmable design and manufacture of three-dimensional (3D) variable-stiffness actuators has become a challenge. In this paper, we present a method to develop the 3D structure of variable-stiffness actuators that combines variable-stiffness joints with 3D printing technology. The variable-stiffness joints were obtained by arranging steel needles wrapped with enameled copper wire inside the grooves of a polylactic acid (PLA) structure and bonding the three components with silicone glue. First, a variable-stiffness joint was used as a variable-stiffness node and subjected to 3D printing to realize multiple 3D variable-stiffness designs and manufacture a programmable structure. Then, using the repulsive force between paired magnets, we developed a driving actuator for the 3D variable-stiffness structure, enabling the expansion and deployment functions of the structure. In addition, an electromagnetically driven mechanical gripper was designed based on variable-stiffness joints to effectively decrease the driving energy in applications where objects are held for extended periods using variable-stiffness control. Our study provides practical solutions and guidance for the development of 3D variable-stiffness actuators, contributing to the achievement of more innovative and practical actuators.
Design and Flight Performance of a Bio-Inspired Hover-Capable Flapping-Wing Micro Air Vehicle with Tail Wing
Authors: Xiao Shengjie , Sun Yuhong , Ren Dapeng , Hu Kai , Deng Huichao , Wang Yun , Ding Xilun
Published: October 2023

A key challenge in flapping-wing micro air vehicle (FWMAV) design is to generate high aerodynamic force/torque for improving the vehicle’s maneuverability. This paper presents a bio-inspired hover-capable flapping-wing micro air vehicle, named RoboFly.S, using a cross-tail wing to adjust attitude. We propose a novel flapping mechanism composed of a two-stage linkage mechanism, which has a large flapping angle and high reliability. Combined with the experimentally optimized wings, this flapping mechanism can generate more than 34 g of lift with a total wingspan of 16.5 cm, which is obviously superior to other FWMAVs of the same size. Aerodynamic force/torque measurement systems are used to observe and measure the flapping wing and aerodynamic data of the vehicle. RoboFly.S realizes attitude control utilizing the deflection of the cross-tail wing. Through the design and experiments with tail wing parameters, it is proved that this control method can generate a pitch torque of 2.2 N·mm and a roll torque of 3.55 N·mm with no loss of lift. Flight tests show that the endurance of RoboFly.S can reach more than 2.5 min without interferences. Moreover, the vehicle can carry a load of 3.4 g for flight, which demonstrates its ability to carry sensors for carrying out tasks.
Evaluation and Screening of Wild Elymus sibiricus L. Germplasm Resources under Salt Stress
Authors: Chen Shuming , Feng Junjie , Xiong Yi , Xiong Yanli , Liu Yingjie , Zhao Junming , Dong Zhixiao , Ma Xiao , Yan Lijun
Published: October 2023

Soil salinization is a significant obstacle to improving natural grasslands, also affecting farmland productivity. The main distribution area of high salinity soils is primarily located in western China, with a significant presence in the Qinghai–Tibet Plateau (QTP). Siberian wildrye (Elymus sibiricus L.) has been widely used in ecological restoration and reseeding in the QTP, due to its strong salt and alkali resistance. To comprehensively evaluate its salt tolerance and to screen salt-tolerant and salt-sensitive germplasm resources, 50 wild E. sibiricus accessions were assessed through the measurement of several physiological parameters. These included the relative water content (RWC); relative electrical conductivity (REC); malondialdehyde content (MDA); proline content (Pro); and Na+/K+ ratio after 14 days of salt stress treatment (200 mmol L−1 NaCl). Through principal component analysis (PCA) based on both material sources and physiological indexing, it was found that the salt damage score (SDS) and RWC had a strong positive correlation (p < 0.05), in opposition to other indices. The positive indicators were REC, Pro, Na+/K+, and MDA, and the negative indicators were RWC and SDS. Ultimately, by combining the results of the conventional membership function analysis and the weighted membership function analysis based on major components, three salt-tolerant accessions—including XJ013-28, NM021-13 and XJ012-17—and four salt-sensitive accessions, including XZ008-20, QH013-8, XZ009-20, and QH005-35, were screened out. These results could be effectively used to assess the effects of salt stress on Siberian wildrye and its related species. This study provides a reference for the discovery and breeding of salt-tolerant cultivars among the Elymus species.
Effect of Environmental and Farm-Associated Factors on Live Performance Parameters of Broilers Raised under Commercial Tropical Conditions
Authors: Quintana-Ospina Gustavo A. , Alfaro-Wisaquillo Maria C. , Oviedo-Rondon Edgar O. , Ruiz-Ramirez Juan R. , Bernal-Arango Luis C. , Martinez-Bernal Gustavo D.
Published: October 2023

Although temperature, relative humidity, and farm-associated factors are known to affect broiler live performance, data about the impact of these variables under commercial operations are still scarce. This study aimed to evaluate the effect of temperature, relative humidity, a thermal humidity index, management, and farm-associated factors on BW, BW gain, feed conversion ratio (FCR), and mortality of broilers raised to 35 d under commercial tropical conditions. The data analyzed included performance records of Ross 308 AP broiler flocks placed between 2018 and 2020. Environmental monitoring information was obtained from electronic sensors that captured data hourly from 80 flocks in 29 farms. Farm-associated factors were gathered using a survey of 86 farms. Three data analyses were conducted in parallel. Correlation analyses, one-way ANOVA, and machine learning techniques were employed. Results indicated that BW and BW gain were reduced, and FCR worsened (p < 0.001) up to 21 d when chickens were mainly exposed to temperatures 2.5 °C lower than the recommended optimums for each age period. At the same time, mortality at 28 and 35 d increased. In conclusion, all farm-associated factors affected chicken live performance. Variable importance analysis indicated that performance results at 14 and 21 d were significant to predict BW at 35. At the same time, sex, distance between the hatchery and farm, and farm altitude accounted for the most significant contributions from the farm-associated factors.