bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
A Survey of Computer Vision Technologies in Urban and Controlled-environment Agriculture
Authors: Luo Jiayun , Li Boyang , Leung Cyril
Published: October 2023

In the evolution of agriculture to its next stage, Agriculture 5.0, artificial intelligence will play a central role. Controlled-environment agriculture, or CEA, is a special form of urban and suburban agricultural practice that offers numerous economic, environmental, and social benefits, including shorter transportation routes to population centers, reduced environmental impact, and increased productivity. Due to its ability to control environmental factors, CEA couples well with computer vision (CV) in the adoption of real-time monitoring of the plant conditions and autonomous cultivation and harvesting. The objective of this article is to familiarize CV researchers with agricultural applications and agricultural practitioners with the solutions offered by CV. We identify five major CV applications in CEA, analyze their requirements and motivation, and survey the state-of-the-art as reflected in 68 technical papers using deep learning methods. In addition, we discuss five key subareas of computer vision and how they related to these CEA problems, as well as 14 vision-based CEA datasets. We hope the survey will help researchers quickly gain a bird’s-eye view of the striving research area and will spark inspiration for new research and development.
SetRank: A Setwise Bayesian Approach for Collaborative Ranking in Recommender System
Authors: Wang Chao , Zhu Hengshu , Zhu Chen , Qin Chuan , Chen Enhong , Xiong Hui
Published: October 2023

The recent development of recommender systems has a focus on collaborative ranking, which provides users with a sorted list rather than rating prediction. The sorted item lists can more directly reflect the preferences for users and usually perform better than rating prediction in practice. While considerable efforts have been made in this direction, the well-known pairwise and listwise approaches have still been limited by various challenges. Specifically, for the pairwise approaches, the assumption of independent pairwise preference is not always held in practice. Also, the listwise approaches cannot efficiently accommodate “ties” and unobserved data due to the precondition of the entire list permutation. To this end, in this article, we propose a novel setwise Bayesian approach for collaborative ranking, namely, SetRank, to inherently accommodate the characteristics of user feedback in recommender systems. SetRank aims to maximize the posterior probability of novel setwise preference structures and three implementations for SetRank are presented. We also theoretically prove that the bound of excess risk in SetRank can be proportional to

\(\sqrt {M/N}\)

, where
M
and
N
are the numbers of items and users, respectively. Finally, extensive experiments on four real-world datasets clearly validate the superiority of SetRank compared with various state-of-the-art baselines.
Statistical Models for the Dynamics of Heavy Particles in Turbulence
Authors: Bec J. , Gustavsson K. , Mehlig B.
Published: October 2023

When very small particles are suspended in a fluid in motion, they tend to follow the flow. How such tracer particles are mixed, transported, and dispersed by turbulent flow has been successfully described by statistical models. Heavy particles, with mass densities larger than that of the carrying fluid, can detach from the flow. This results in preferential sampling, small-scale fractal clustering, and large relative velocities. To describe these effects of particle inertia, one must consider both particle positions and velocities in phase space. In recent years, statistical phase-space models have significantly contributed to our understanding of inertial-particle dynamics in turbulence. These models help to identify the key mechanisms and nondimensional parameters governing the particle dynamics and have made qualitative and, in some cases, quantitative predictions. This article reviews statistical phase-space models for the dynamics of small, yet heavy, spherical particles in turbulence. We evaluate their effectiveness by comparing their predictions with results from numerical simulations and laboratory experiments, and we summarize their successes and failures.
Observation Frequency Analysis for Multiconstellation Radar Systems over the Mediterranean Sea
Authors: D’Errico Marco , Graziano Maria Daniela
Published: October 2023

Observation frequency is analyzed over four areas of the Mediterranean basis where poaching, illegal fishing, and illegal trafficking of goods and people are active. To this end, a geometrical observation and dynamical model is utilized which accounts for multiple satellites and multiple orbital planes and is applied to SIASGE and Sentinel-1 missions. Statistics show that a few hours are needed in the mean to reobserve the same area.
Saturation Height Modelling for Tight Sandstone Reservoirs with Gas Diffusion Dynamics Taken into Account
Authors: Lyu Zhou , Yang Zhilun , Hao Yuhong , Yang Shunzhi , Wang Liqiong , Chang Sen , Xue Xiaomin , Li Jing
Published: October 2023

Interpreting and predicting the saturation of tight sandstone gas reservoirs are the key task to improve the reservoir development. The role of gas diffusion dynamics is stronger than that of buoyancy during the gas accumulation of tight sandstone reservoirs. In this study, a saturation height model that takes gas diffusion dynamics into account is proposed, which can complement logging saturation interpretation and provide a better practice in saturation prediction. Taking the study of the Sulige tight sandstone gas reservoir in China as an example, the saturation height model compares the controlling factors and uncertainties affecting the saturation distribution, characterizes the complex gas-water distribution, and determines the lower gas charging limits. This study concludes that the configuration between gas diffusion dynamics and reservoir capillary pressure controls the distribution of saturation. The buoyancy effect only serves to improve the saturation at regional uplifts with good petrophysical properties. The different saturation characteristics in the central, western, and eastern parts of the Sulige gas field are precisely caused by the different configurations of source rock quality and reservoir quality. This study provides a key reference for static model and development deployment.
Novel Anthropometric Indices as Screening Tools for Obesity: A Study on Healthy Iranians
Authors: Alirezaei Toktam , Soori Hamid , Irilouzadian Rana , Najafimehr Hadis
Published: October 2023

Background and Aims. Upper body fat distribution is more related to cardiometabolic diseases than central obesity. Neck circumference (NC) and neck-to-height ratio (NHtR) are two indicators of upper body obesity that are affordable, easy to obtain, highly reproducible, and more practical in the crowded health centers than the classic anthropometric indices. Methods. 18–65-year-old individuals with no past medical history were included. After obtaining written informed consent, they were screened for hypertension, high blood glucose, and other abnormal laboratory results. Data were analyzed using SPSS and Mann–Whitney U test, Chi square test, Spearman’s correlation coefficient, and ROC curve. Results. In our 2,812 participants, NC had the lowest area under the curve (AUC) in both male and female obese and overweight subjects. NHtR and hip circumference (HC) had the highest AUC in men and women with obesity, respectively. The highest sensitivity for overweight men and women belonged to waist circumference (WC) and waist-to-height ratio (WHtR), respectively, and for both males and females with obesity, NHtR had the highest sensitivity. The cutoff point of NHtR had the same value for males and females. HC and NHtR had the highest positive likelihood ratio (PLR) for obesity in men. In addition, HC and WC had the highest PLR for obesity in women. Conclusion. In this study, we revealed that NC had the lowest and NHtR and HC had the highest predictive value for obesity. Furthermore, for both males and females with obesity, NHtR had the highest sensitivity. HC had the highest PLR for obesity in both genders. Our results warrant prospective studies to evaluate the role of NHtR and other novel anthropometric indices in the risk of cardiometabolic diseases.
Axial Ratio Improvement of Circularly Polarized Antenna Using Parasitic Elements for 5G Applications
Authors: Mohammadkhani Samira , Mallahzadeh Alireza
Published: October 2023

A circular polarization (CP) antenna that can switch between right-handed circular polarization (RHCP) and left-handed circular polarization (LHCP) modes has been designed and introduced for 5G applications in the 3.5 GHz frequency band in this work. The proposed antenna comprises a crossed dipole fed by a 90° hybrid coupler. The axial ratio (AR) enhancement of 190 MHz is achieved by vertically stacking a substrate with a distance of

λ
/
4

from the ground plane, including an annular ring-shaped parasitic element above a circular-shaped disc. Consequently, by creating surface current rotation on the parasitic elements, the CP performance of the antenna is improved. According to the experiments, a wide impedance bandwidth of 930 MHz (3.19-4.12 GHz) and an overlapped AR bandwidth of 23.5% for both modes are achieved. The overall size of the antenna is

100
×
92.5
×
24
 
m

m

3

, and the gain is stable across the operating frequency band with a peak value of 6.78 dBic.
Aerodynamic Interaction Characteristics Study of the Ducted Coaxial Propeller for a Novel eVTOL in Hovering
Authors: Wang Junjie , Zhang XinFeng , Lu Jiaxin
Published: October 2023

The ducted coaxial propeller (DCP) is highly advantageous in the design of eVTOL aircraft due to its safety, compactness, and low noise levels. To study the aerodynamic characteristics of DCP in hovering, a novel eVTOL was used, and a slip grid model was established to solve the three-dimensional unsteady N-S equation. The aerodynamic characteristics of DCP were compared to those of the free coaxial propeller (FCP) and ducted single propeller (DSP) to reveal the interaction mechanism of unsteady flow between the duct and propellers. The results indicate that the duct significantly mitigates the intensity of tip vortexes by changing the characteristics of propeller tip winding, which reduces the corresponding energy loss. Additionally, the static pressure loss is decreased by the reduced radical-induced velocity in the slipstream area. Finally, the induced power loss is reduced by the decreased axial-induced velocity and suppressed wake contraction, resulting in DCP having 39% higher aerodynamic efficiency than FCP and the duct accounting for 41.7% of the total lift. Although DCP generates 1.77 times more lift than DSP, its aerodynamic efficiency is only 91.08% of DSP.
Noninvasive Home Mechanical Ventilation for Stable Hypercapnic COPD: A Clinical Respiratory Review from Canadian Perspectives
Authors: Jen Rachel , Ellis Colin , Kaminska Marta , Road Jeremy , Ayas Najib
Published: October 2023

Acute short-term noninvasive ventilation (NIV) for hypercapnic respiratory failure in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) has well-established benefits; however, the role of long-term home NIV remains controversial. In the past decade, studies utilizing aggressive NIV settings to maximally reduce carbon dioxide levels (PaCO2) have resulted in several positive clinical trials and led to updated guidelines on home NIV for stable hypercapnic COPD patients. This clinical respiratory review discusses the high-intensity NIV approach, summarizes recent key trials and guidelines pertaining to home NIV in COPD, and considers key clinical questions for future research and application in the Canadian context. With recent evidence and Canadian Thoracic Society (CTS) guidelines supporting the use of NIV in carefully selected COPD patients with persistent daytime hypercapnia, we believe it is time to reconsider our approach.
Utility of the Angle between the Right Aortic Arch and First Branch for Detecting Double Aortic Arch via Fetal Echocardiography
Authors: Mori Masayoshi , Ishii Yoichiro , Takahashi Kunihiko , Hayashida Yuka , Fujisaki Takuya , Matsuo Kumiyo , Asada Dai , Aoki Hisaaki , Kayatani Futoshi
Published: October 2023

Introduction: The presence of a double aortic arch (DAA) is manifested by compressive symptoms, requiring surgery. DAA cases are classified as either complete or incomplete type. DAA and a right aortic arch with mirror image branching (mRAA) have a similar configuration to the first branch artery. The first branch of the mRAA is the left brachiocephalic artery, which appears to be the same as that of an incomplete DAA due to blood flow interruption. The present retrospective study aimed to evaluate the differences between DAA and mRAA by fetal echocardiography. Methods: This single retrospective cohort study included all patients diagnosed with complete DAA, incomplete DAA, or mRAA at our facility between 2010 and 2022. The patients were diagnosed with complete DAA, incomplete DAA, or mRAA after birth and remaining fetal echocardiograms. The patients were divided into the DAA (complete DAA: n = 4, incomplete DAA: n = 3) and mRAA (n = 4) groups. The following three outcomes were compared: (1) angle between the right aortic arch and first branch (RF angle), (2) ratio of height to width of the region bounded by the aortic arch, first branch of the aortic arch, and descending aorta, and (3) maximum tracheal diameter on a three-vessel trachea view. Results: The incomplete DAA cases were difficult to diagnose via fetal echocardiography. On fetal echocardiography, the RF angle was significantly steeper in the DAA group than in the mRAA group (median 57° [36°–69°] vs. 75° [62°–94°]; p < 0.05). The DAA and RAA groups showed no significant differences in the ratio of height to width of the region bounded by the aortic arch, first branch of the aortic arch, and descending aorta (median 0.57 [0.17–0.68] vs. 0.73 [0.56–1.0]) and maximum tracheal diameter (median 2.5 [1.4–3.3] vs. 3.2 [2.8–3.5] mm). The cut-off value for the presence of DAA was an RF angle <71°. Conclusion: The DAA group (complete and incomplete DAA) had a significantly steeper RF angle than the mRAA group. Therefore, RF angle measurement could improve the fetal diagnosis and postnatal prognosis of DAA.
Safety of Intravenous Cangrelor Versus Dual Oral Antiplatelet Loading Therapy in Endovascular Treatment of Tandem Lesions: An Observational Cohort Study
Authors: Rodriguez‐Calienes Aaron , Oliver Marion , Hassan Ameer E. , Vivanco‐Suarez Juan , Divani Afshin A. , Ribo Marc , Petersen Nils , Abraham Michael , Fifi Johanna , Guerrero Waldo R. , Malik Amer M. , Siegler James E. , Nguyen Thanh , Sheth Sunil , Yoo Albert , Linares Guillermo , Janjua Nazli , Quispe‐Orozco Darko , Galecio‐Castillo Milagros , Alhajala Hisham , Malaga Marco , Farooqui Mudassir , Jovin Tudor , Jumaa Mouhammad , Ortega‐Gutierrez Santiago
Published: October 2023

Background

Procedural intravenous cangrelor has been proposed as an effective platelet inhibition strategy for stenting in acute ischemic stroke. We aimed to compare the safety profile of low‐dose intravenous cangrelor versus dual oral antiplatelet therapy (DAPT) loading in patients with acute cervical tandem lesions.

Methods

We retrospectively identified cases from an international multicenter cohort who underwent intraprocedural administration of intravenous cangrelor (15 μg/kg followed by an infusion of 2 μg/kg per min) or DAPT loading during acute tandem lesions intervention. Safety outcomes included rates of symptomatic intracranial hemorrhage, parenchymal hematoma type 2, petechial hemorrhage, and in‐stent thrombosis. Inverse probability of treatment weighting matching was used to reduce confounding.

Results

From 691 patients, we included 195 patients, 30 of whom received intravenous cangrelor and 165 DAPT. The DAPT regimens were aspirin+clopidogrel (93.3%) or aspirin+ticagrelor (6.6%). After inverse probability of treatment weighting, the patients treated with cangrelor were not at greater odds of symptomatic intracranial hemorrhage (odds ratio [OR], 1.30 [95% CI, 0.09–17.3];
P
=0.837), symptomatic intracranial hemorrhage–parenchymal hematoma type 2 (OR, 0.54 [95% CI, 0.05–4.98];
P
=0.589), or petechial hemorrhage (OR, 1.11 [95% CI, 0.38–3.28];
P
=0.836). Similarly, the rate of in‐stent thrombosis was not significantly different between the 2 groups (1.8% versus 0%;
P
=0.911).

Conclusion

Cangrelor at the half dose of the myocardial infarction protocol showed a similar safety profile compared with the commonly used DAPT loading protocols in patients with acute tandem lesions. Further studies with larger samples are warranted to elucidate the safety of antiplatelet therapy in tandem lesions.
A new species of grass fern, Schizaea erecta (Schizaeaceae), from Dinagat Island, Mindanao, Philippines
Authors: AMOROSO VICTOR B. , ACOLA MESCEL S. , GUIANG MARIA MELANIE M. , ACMA FLORFE M. , FRITSCH PETER W. , CORITICO FULGENT P.
Published: October 2023

Schizaea erecta Amoroso & Coritico (Schizaeaceae) from Dinagat Island, Mindanao, Philippines, is here described. This species is distinguished from other species of Schizaea by its consistently erect sterile and fertile fronds, narrow laminae, opposite sorophore lobes, rhizomes covered with short appressed brown scales, and oblong sporangia with apical annulus and conspicuous long, white hairs. A taxonomic key to the species of Philippine Schizaeaceae is provided.
The taxonomy and nomenclature of Kalanchoe ×kewensis [K. bentii × K. glaucescens] (Crassulaceae subfam. Kalanchooideae), a nothospecies produced at the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, in the early 1900s
Authors: SMITH GIDEON F.
Published: October 2023

The taxonomy and nomenclature of Kalanchoe ×kewensis (Crassulaceae subfam. Kalanchooideae) [hybrid formula: K. bentii × K. glaucescens], an old but widely available hybrid artificially produced at the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, in the early 1900s, are discussed and clarified. The two independently validly published names K. ×kewensis Watson and K. ×kewensis N.E.Br. are neotypified and lectotypified, respectively, to make the latter an illegitimate homonym of the former. An amplified description is provided for the nothospecies, and it is illustrated.
Discovery of a new extinct spider wasp (Hymenoptera, Pompilidae) from Eocene Rovno amber
Authors: LOKTIONOV VALERY M. , LELEJ ARKADY S. , VASILENKO DMITRY V. , PERKOVSKY EVGENY E.
Published: October 2023

Paleogenia waichertae Loktionov, Lelej et Perkovsky, sp. nov. is a new species of extinct spider wasps. This new species is a second record of Pompilidae from Rovno amber, third yet known species of the extinct genus Paleogenia Waichert et Pitts, 2016 and 26th known extinct species of spider wasps. Sex of the holotype of the species Paleogenia indomini Colombo et Waichert, 2023 is clarified (male not female). A key to males of Paleogenia is provided.
First record of the genus Immanus Hulcr & Cognato (Coleoptera: Curculionidae: Scolytinae: Xyleborini) from China, with description of a new species
Authors: LIN WEI , LI YOU , MENG LING-ZENG
Published: October 2023

Immanus Hulcr & Cognato, 2013 is reported from China for the first time, with the description and illustration of a new species, Immanus songi sp. nov., based on an adult female collected with a flight intercept trap from Yunnan province, China. A key to all known species of Immanus is given.
Novel model predictive control-based motion cueing algorithm for compensating centrifugal acceleration in KUKA robocoaster-based driving simulators
Authors: Pham Duc-An , Pham Trung Nghia , Nguyen Duc-Toan
Published: October 2023

The washout motion cueing algorithm (MCA) is a critical element in driving simulators, designed to faithfully reproduce precise motion cues while minimizing false cues during simulation processes, particularly deceptive translational and rotational cues. To enhance motion sensation accuracy and optimize the use of available workspace, model predictive control (MPC) has been employed to develop innovative motion cueing algorithms. While most MCAs have been tailored for the Steward motion platform, there has been a recent adoption of the motion platform based on KUKA Robocoaster as an economical option for driving simulators. However, leveraging the full potential of the KUKA Robocoaster requires trajectory conversion of the motion base. Thus, this research proposes a novel MCA specifically designed for the KUKA Robocoaster-based motion platform, utilizing large planar circular motion to simulate lateral movement for drivers. Nonetheless, circular motion introduces disruptive centrifugal forces, which can be mitigated through proper pitch-tilted angles. The novel MPC generates simulated motion that accurately follows the lateral specific force target and effectively maintains the roll angular velocity below its threshold value. Additionally, it compensates for disturbing centrifugal acceleration by implementing pitch rotational motion, ensuring the pitch angular velocity remains below its threshold. Simulation tasks conducted on the motion platform, focusing solely on lateral acceleration, demonstrate the successful elimination of false motion cues in both the roll/sway and pitch/surge channels. The proposed innovative MPC solution offers an original approach to motion cueing algorithms in KUKA Robocoaster-based driving simulators. It enables the exploitation of the KUKA Robocoaster platform's capabilities while delivering accurate and immersive motion cues to drivers during simulation experiences.
Graph regularized non-negative matrix factorization with $$L_{2,1}$$ norm regularization terms for drug–target interactions prediction
Authors: Zhang Junjun , Xie Minzhu
Published: October 2023

Background

Identifying drug–target interactions (DTIs) plays a key role in drug development. Traditional wet experiments to identify DTIs are costly and time consuming. Effective computational methods to predict DTIs are useful to speed up the process of drug discovery. A variety of non-negativity matrix factorization based methods are proposed to predict DTIs, but most of them overlooked the sparsity of feature matrices and the convergence of adopted matrix factorization algorithms, therefore their performances can be further improved.

Results

In order to predict DTIs more accurately, we propose a novel method iPALM-DLMF. iPALM-DLMF models DTIs prediction as a problem of non-negative matrix factorization with graph dual regularization terms and $$L_{2,1}$$

L

2
,
1

norm regularization terms. The graph dual regularization terms are used to integrate the information from the drug similarity matrix and the target similarity matrix, and $$L_{2,1}$$

L

2
,
1

norm regularization terms are used to ensure the sparsity of the feature matrices obtained by non-negative matrix factorization. To solve the model, iPALM-DLMF adopts non-negative double singular value decomposition to initialize the nonnegative matrix factorization, and an inertial Proximal Alternating Linearized Minimization iterating process, which has been proved to converge to a KKT point, to obtain the final result of the matrix factorization. Extensive experimental results show that iPALM-DLMF has better performance than other state-of-the-art methods. In case studies, in 50 highest-scoring proteins targeted by the drug gabapentin predicted by iPALM-DLMF, 46 have been validated, and in 50 highest-scoring drugs targeting prostaglandin-endoperoxide synthase 2 predicted by iPALM-DLMF, 47 have been validated.
plotnineSeqSuite: a Python package for visualizing sequence data using ggplot2 style
Authors: Cao Tianze , Li Qian , Huang Yuexia , Li Anshui
Published: October 2023

Background

The visual sequence logo has been a hot area in the development of bioinformatics tools. ggseqlogo written in R language has been the most popular API since it was published. With the popularity of artificial intelligence and deep learning, Python is currently the most popular programming language. The programming language used by bioinformaticians began to shift to Python. Providing APIs in Python that are similar to those in R can reduce the learning cost of relearning a programming language. And compared to ggplot2 in R, drawing framework is not as easy to use in Python. The appearance of plotnine (ggplot2 in Python version) makes it possible to unify the programming methods of bioinformatics visualization tools between R and Python.

Results

Here, we introduce plotnineSeqSuite, a new plotnine-based Python package provides a ggseqlogo-like API for programmatic drawing of sequence logos, sequence alignment diagrams and sequence histograms. To be more precise, it supports custom letters, color themes, and fonts. Moreover, the class for drawing layers is based on object-oriented design so that users can easily encapsulate and extend it.

Conclusions

plotnineSeqSuite is the first ggplot2-style package to implement visualization of sequence -related graphs in Python. It enhances the uniformity of programmatic plotting between R and Python. Compared with tools appeared already, the categories supported by plotnineSeqSuite are much more complete. The source code of plotnineSeqSuite can be obtained on GitHub (https://github.com/caotianze/plotnineseqsuite) and PyPI (https://pypi.org/project/plotnineseqsuite), and the documentation homepage is freely available on GitHub at (https://caotianze.github.io/plotnineseqsuite/).
Angelica polysaccharides relieve blood glucose levels in diabetic KKAy mice possibly by modulating gut microbiota: an integrated gut microbiota and metabolism analysis
Authors: Tang Xiaolong , Yang Lixia , Miao Yandong , Ha Wuhua , Li Zheng , Mi Denghai
Published: October 2023

Background

Angelica polysaccharides (AP) have numerous benefits in relieving type 2 diabetes (T2D). However, the underlying mechanisms have yet to be fully understood. Recent many reports have suggested that altering gut microbiota can have adverse effects on the host metabolism and contribute to the development of T2D. Here, we successfully established the T2D model using the male KKAy mice with high-fat and high-sugar feed. Meanwhile, the male C57BL/6 mice were fed with a normal feed. T2D KKAy mice were fed either with or without AP supplementation. In each group, we measured the mice's fasting blood glucose, weight, and fasting serum insulin levels. We collected the cecum content of mice, the gut microbiota was analyzed by targeted full-length 16S rRNA metagenomic sequencing and metabolites were analyzed by untargeted-metabolomics.

Results

We found AP effectively alleviated glycemic disorders of T2D KKAy mice, with the changes in gut microbiota composition and function. Many bacteria species and metabolites were markedly changed in T2D KKAy mice and reversed by AP. Additionally, 16 altered metabolic pathways affected by AP were figured out by combining metagenomic pathway enrichment analysis and metabolic pathway enrichment analysis. The key metabolites in 16 metabolic pathways were significantly associated with the gut microbial alteration. Together, our findings showed that AP supplementation could attenuate the diabetic phenotype. Significant gut microbiota and gut metabolite changes were observed in the T2D KKAy mice and AP intervention.

Conclusions

Administration of AP has been shown to improve the composition of intestinal microbiota in T2D KKAy mice, thus providing further evidence for the potential therapeutic application of AP in the treatment of T2D.
Mechanisms of metabolic adaptation in the duckweed Lemna gibba: an integrated metabolic, transcriptomic and flux analysis
Authors: Shi Hai , Ernst Evan , Heinzel Nicolas , McCorkle Sean , Rolletschek Hardy , Borisjuk Ljudmilla , Ortleb Stefan , Martienssen Robert , Shanklin John , Schwender Jorg
Published: October 2023

Background

Duckweeds are small, rapidly growing aquatic flowering plants. Due to their ability for biomass production at high rates they represent promising candidates for biofuel feedstocks. Duckweeds are also excellent model organisms because they can be maintained in well-defined liquid media, usually reproduce asexually, and because genomic resources are becoming increasingly available. To demonstrate the utility of duckweed for integrated metabolic studies, we examined the metabolic adaptation of growing Lemna gibba cultures to different nutritional conditions.

Results

To establish a framework for quantitative metabolic research in duckweeds we derived a central carbon metabolism network model of Lemna gibba based on its draft genome. Lemna gibba fronds were grown with nitrate or glutamine as nitrogen source. The two conditions were compared by quantification of growth kinetics, metabolite levels, transcript abundance, as well as by 13C-metabolic flux analysis. While growing with glutamine, the fronds grew 1.4 times faster and accumulated more protein and less cell wall components compared to plants grown on nitrate. Characterization of photomixotrophic growth by 13C-metabolic flux analysis showed that, under both metabolic growth conditions, the Calvin-Benson-Bassham cycle and the oxidative pentose-phosphate pathway are highly active, creating a futile cycle with net ATP consumption. Depending on the nitrogen source, substantial reorganization of fluxes around the tricarboxylic acid cycle took place, leading to differential formation of the biosynthetic precursors of the Asp and Gln families of proteinogenic amino acids. Despite the substantial reorganization of fluxes around the tricarboxylic acid cycle, flux changes could largely not be associated with changes in transcripts.

Conclusions

Through integrated analysis of growth rate, biomass composition, metabolite levels, and metabolic flux, we show that Lemna gibba is an excellent system for quantitative metabolic studies in plants. Our study showed that Lemna gibba adjusts to different nitrogen sources by reorganizing central metabolism. The observed disconnect between gene expression regulation and metabolism underscores the importance of metabolic flux analysis as a tool in such studies.
Risk factors for the mortality of hepatitis B virus-associated acute-on-chronic liver failure: a systematic review and meta-analysis
Authors: Tu Hanyun , Liu Rong , Zhang Anni , Yang Sufei , Liu Chengjiang
Published: October 2023

Background

Hepatitis B virus-associated acute-on-chronic liver failure (HBV-ACLF) has been confirmed as a prevalent form of end-stage liver disease in people subjected to chronic HBV infection. However, there has been rare in-depth research on the risk factors for the mortality of HBV-ACLF. This study aimed at determining the risk factors for the mortality of HBV-ACLF.

Methods

The relevant research was selected from four electronic databases that have been published as of August 2023. The existing research was reviewed in accordance with the inclusion and exclusion criteria. The level of quality of previous research was evaluated using the Newcastle–Ottawa scale. Moreover, a pooled estimate of the odds ratios (ORs) with their associated 95% confidence intervals (CIs) was provided through a meta-analysis. The data were combined, and the risk variables that at least two studies had considered were analyzed. The publication bias was examined through Egger's test and Begg's test.

Results

Twenty two studies that conformed to the inclusion criteria were selected from 560 trials. Eight risk variables in terms of HBV-ACLF mortality were determined, which covered INR (OR = 1.923, 95% CI = 1.664–2.221, P < 0.001), Monocytes (OR = 1.201, 95% CI = 1.113–1.296, P < 0.001), Cirrhosis (OR = 1.432, 95% CI = 1.210–1.696, P < 0.001), HE (OR = 2.553, 95% CI = 1.968–3.312, P < 0.001), HE grade (OR = 2.059, 95% CI = 1.561–2.717, P < 0.001), SBP (OR = 1.383, 95% CI = 1.080–1.769, P = 0.010), Hyponatremia (OR = 1.941, 95% CI = 1.614–2.334, P < 0.001), as well as HRS (OR = 2.610, 95% CI = 1.669–4.080, P < 0.001).

Conclusion

The most significant risk factors for HBV-ACLF mortality comprise HRS, HE, and HE grade, followed by INR and hyponatremia. The Monocytes, cirrhosis, and SBP have been confirmed as the additional key risk factors for HBV-ACLF mortality.
Identification of the potential association between SARS-CoV-2 infection and acute kidney injury based on the shared gene signatures and regulatory network
Authors: Zhou Xue , Wang Ning , Liu Wenjing , Chen Ruixue , Yang Guoyue , Yu Hongzhi
Published: October 2023

Background

The severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection is identified as the cause of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. Acute kidney injury (AKI), one of serious complications of COVID-19 infection, is the leading contributor to renal failure, associating with high mortality of the patients. This study aimed to identify the shared gene signatures and construct the gene regulatory network between COVID-19 and AKI, contributing to exploring the potential pathogenesis.

Methods

Utilizing the machine learning approach, the candidate gene signatures were derived from the common differentially expressed genes (DEGs) obtained from COVID-19 and AKI. Subsequently, receiver operating characteristic (ROC), consensus clustering and functional enrichment analyses were performed. Finally, protein-protein interaction (PPI) network, transcription factor (TF)-gene interaction, gene-miRNA interaction, and TF-miRNA coregulatory network were systematically undertaken.

Results

We successfully identified the shared 6 candidate gene signatures (RRM2, EGF, TMEM252, RARRES1, COL6A3, CUBN) between COVID-19 and AKI. ROC analysis showed that the model constructed by 6 gene signatures had a high predictive efficacy in COVID-19 (AUC = 0.965) and AKI (AUC = 0.962) cohorts, which had the potential to be the shared diagnostic biomarkers for COVID-19 and AKI. Additionally, the comprehensive gene regulatory networks, including PPI, TF-gene interaction, gene-miRNA interaction, and TF-miRNA coregulatory networks were displayed utilizing NetworkAnalyst platform.

Conclusions

This study successfully identified the shared gene signatures and constructed the comprehensive gene regulatory network between COVID-19 and AKI, which contributed to predicting patients’ prognosis and providing new ideas for developing therapeutic targets for COVID-19 and AKI.
Using complaints from obstetric care for improving women’s birth experiences – a cross sectional study
Authors: Walløe Sisse , Bogh Søren Bie , Birkeland Søren Fryd , Pedersen Lone Kjeld , Lykkebo Annemette Wildfang , Andersen Lise Lotte Torvin , Frederiksen-Møller Britta , Morsø Lars
Published: October 2023

Introduction

Staff shortages and quality in obstetric care is a concern in most healthcare systems and a hot topic in the public debate that has centred on complaints about deficient care. However there has been a lack of empirical data to back the debate. The aim of this study was to analyse and describe complaints in obstetric care. Further, to compare the obstetric complaint pattern to complaints from women about other hospital services.

Materials and methods

We used the Healthcare Complaints Analysis Tool to code, analyse and extract contents of obstetric complaint cases in a region of Denmark between 2016 and 2021. We compared the obstetric complaint pattern to all other hospital complaint cases in the same period regarding female patients at a large University Hospital in a cross-sectional study.

Results

Complaints regarding obstetric care differed from women’s complaints regarding other healthcare services. Women from obstetric care raised more problems per complaint, and tended to complain more about relational issues indicated by odds for complaints about staff shortage four times higher in the obstetric care group. Women from obstetric care had a lower proportion of compensation claims.

Conclusion

Systematic complaint analysis acknowledged women’s experience in obstetric care and may point to areas that potentially need further attention. Complaints from obstetric care show that women experience deficiencies related to relational problems like recognition and individualized support compared to complaints from women receiving other hospital healthcare services.
Histone regulator KAT2A acts as a potential biomarker related to tumor microenvironment and prognosis of diffuse large B cell lymphoma
Authors: Yu Zhuoya , Ding Mengfei , Cai Yiqing , Lu Tiange , Chen Xiaomin , Zhou Xiangxiang , Wang Xin
Published: October 2023

Background

Recent studies have indicated that epigenetic alterations contribute significantly to lymphoma pathogenesis. A type of epigenetic regulation known as histone acetylation plays a crucial role in transcriptional regulation in eukaryotic cells. Specifically, a significant effect of histone acetylation modifications on the abnormal progression and microenvironment of diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) has been observed.

Methods

To provide insight into the significance of histone acetylation-related genes, we developed a HAscore model for analyzing histone acetylation patterns in DLBCL samples. Furthermore, KAT2A, a regulator of histone acetylation, was knocked down in DLBCL cell lines to investigate its role in proliferation, cell cycle, and apoptosis.

Results

The HAscore model has been demonstrated to provide insight into the significance of these patterns, showing that patients with a low HAscore have distinct tumor immune microenvironments and poorer prognoses. Besides, KAT2A was identified as a potential biomarker related to immune infiltration and malignant pathways in DLBCL.

Conclusion

According to these findings, it is evident that the histone acetylation pattern score model is helpful in describing the immune status of DLBCL and that KAT2A may be used as a biomarker for its treatment.
ARPC5 acts as a potential prognostic biomarker that is associated with cell proliferation, migration and immune infiltrate in gliomas
Authors: Ming Yue , Luo Chunyuan , Ji Beihong , Cheng Jian
Published: October 2023

Background

Gliomas are the most common malignant brain tumors, with powerful invasiveness and an undesirable prognosis. Actin related protein 2/3 complex subunit 5 (ARPC5) encodes a component of the Arp2/3 protein complex, which plays a significant role in regulating the actin cytoskeleton. However, the prognostic values and biological functions of ARPC5 in gliomas remain unclear.

Methods

Based on the TCGA, GEO, HPA, and UALCAN database, we determined the expression of ARPC5 in glioma. The results were verified by immunohistochemistry and Western blot analysis of glioma samples. Moreover, Kaplan-Meier curves, ROC curves, Cox regression analyses, and prognostic nomograms were used to observe the correlation between the ARPC5 expression and the prognosis of glioma patients. GO and KEGG enrichment analyses were conducted to identify immune-related pathways involved with the differential expression of ARPC5. Subsequently, the TCGA database was used to estimate the relationship between ARPC5 expression and immunity-related indexes, such as immune scores, infiltrating immune cells, and TMB. The TCIA database was used to assess the correlation between ARPC5 with immunotherapy. The association between ARPC5 and T cells marker CD3 was also evaluated through immunohistochemistry methods. The correlation between ARPC5 and T cell, as well as the prognosis of patients, was also evaluated using immunological methods. Moreover, the effect of ARPC5 on the biological characteristics of LN229 and U251 cells was determined by MTT, clone formation, and transwell migration assay.

Results

The high degree of ARPC5 was correlated with worse prognosis and unfavorable clinical characteristics of glioma patients. In the analysis of GO and KEGG, it is shown that ARPC5 was strongly correlated with multiple immune-related signaling pathways. The single-cell analysis revealed that ARPC5 expression was increased in astrocytes, monocytes and T cells. In addition, ARPC5 expression was strongly associated with immune scores, infiltrating immune cells, TMB, MSI, immune biomarkers, and immunotherapy. In experimental analysis, we found that ARPC5 was significantly overexpressed in gliomas and closely correlated with patient prognosis and CD3 expression. Functionally, the knockout of ARPC5 significantly reduced the proliferation and invasion of LN229 and U251 cells.

Conclusions

Our study revealed that the high expression level of ARPC5 may serve as a promising prognostic biomarker and be associated with tumor immunity in glioma.
Development and psychometric properties of Health-Promoting Lifestyle Scale in Colorectal Cancer Survivors (HPLS-CRCS): a mixed-method study
Authors: Ramezanzade Tabriz Elahe , Ramezani Monir , Heydari Abbas , Aledavood Seyed Amir , Jamali Jamshid
Published: October 2023

Background

Detecting a health-promoting lifestyle in colorectal cancer (CRC) survivors is of paramount importance to manage disease complications, prevent their recurrence, and enhance survival; however, no specialized tool has yet been provided to measure the lifestyle of these patients. Accordingly, this study aimed to develop and determine the psychometric properties of the Health-Promoting Lifestyle Scale in CRC Survivors (HPLS-CRCS).

Methods

This study was a mixed study with an exploratory sequential design in two phases. Concept analysis was performed in the first phase according to Schwartz-Barcott and Kim’s (2000) hybrid model to explain the concept, identify dimensions, and generate items. In the second phase, psychometrics including validity (face, content, and construct) and reliability (internal consistency and stability) were determined. Responsiveness, interpretability, ease of use, item weighting, and scale scoring were also determined.

Results

After explaining the concept, an initial scale encompassing 211 items was developed, content and item analyses were conducted, and the items decreased to 89 items after the face validity assessment. For construct validity, confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) was conducted with a sample size of 500 survivors, and convergent validity was performed for the Persian version of the Health-Promoting Lifestyle Profile II (HPLP-II). Accordingly, 80 items were classified into six factors: activity and rest, spiritual growth, health responsibility, nutrition, interpersonal relationships, and psychological management, with RMSEA = 0.055, χ2/df = 2.484, and χ2 = 6816.516. The reliability of the scale was confirmed, Cronbach’s alpha was between 0.865 and 0.928, and the intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC), the standard error of measurement (SEM), the minimal important change (MIC), and the smallest detectable change (SDC) were 0.896, 3.36, 13.86, and 19.87, respectively.

Conclusion

The HPLS-CRCS consists of 80 items in six dimensions and is a valid and reliable scale for evaluating the health-promoting lifestyle in CRC survivors. Using this scale to evaluate the healthy lifestyle in these survivors can lead healthcare providers to detect deficiencies and plan the lifestyle of CRC survivors during the post-treatment period.
Fear of COVID-19: the mediation role between the COVID-19 diagnosis and KAP in Spanish university students
Authors: Cancela Ana , González-Noriega Mar , Visiers Ana
Published: October 2023

Background

Although health public services recommend prevention strategies for COVID-19 some of these recommendations have not been taken seriously by young people. Understanding why some people comply with these recommendations and others do not seem to be crucial in helping public health services to predict behavior and compliance with rules, especially for young people. Previous studies suggest that knowledge, attitudes, and practices (KAP) are useful to assess compliance with the preventive measures and public health policies. Being afraid has also been found to correlate with more engagement with preventive measures. This study aims to assess the KAP and fear of COVID-19 of Spanish university students and to understand the relation between diagnosis, KAP and the level of fear.

Method

Participants of this cross-sectional study were 598 college students (69.4% women) from different Spanish Universities. Data were collected for a month using an online questionnaire through Sphinx iQ2.

Results

Levels of KAP among Spanish students were satisfactory and results suggest the presence of fear among them. More importantly, fear of COVID-19 mediated the impact of the diagnosis on the KAP.

Conclusions

Feeling fear seems to be the mechanism underlying the relationship between diagnosis and KAP. Diagnosis is associated with KAP when the diagnosis it is accompanied by measures of fear. KAP, diagnosis, or perceived fear of COVID must be taken together in consideration for health interventions and public health campaigns design.
Breast cancer awareness among Sudanese females in Omdurman city: 2021
Authors: Rafat Munir Lawis Munir , Sabir Mustafa
Published: October 2023

Background

Breast cancer is the most commonly diagnosed malignancy among women worldwide. In contrast to Europe, it presents generally very late in Africa. As with the rest of Africa, it is the most common primary malignancy of females in Sudan, and generally presents in stage III or IV disease. This study is intended to analyse the level of breast cancer awareness among women of Sudan.

Objective

To assess the level of awareness of breast cancer among Sudanese females, and their attitude towards breast changes. Also, to establish possible associations between several variables: (education level, age, contact with a breast cancer patient, residence) on awareness.

Methodology

A descriptive cross-sectional community-based study of 385 females in Omdurman city, selected by convenience sampling. An interview based Arabic version of Breast Cancer Awareness Measure (BCAM) was used. Data was coded and analysed using Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) v.20.

Results

A total of 385 females were included, of which 38.7% were 20–30 years, 47.8% were single, 53.8% had university education, 41% of them were currently unemployed, and 54.3% resided in Ummbadda’s locality. When asked about the signs and risk factors of breast cancer, 55.06% and 55.8% failed to name any. The cumulative percentage of correct answers of close-ended question about signs, risk factors and Federal Ministry of Health (FMoH) screening program were 42.8%, 30.7% and 44.7% in that order. Only 38.2% knew the right method BSE, 48.2% of them rarely practiced it. 38.2% noticed a change in the breast tissue but didn’t visit a doctor. The majority of them, though, said they would see a doctor if they noticed a change in the future.

Conclusion

There is a severe lack of awareness of breast cancer among females of the Sudanese society. Also, there was a clear ignorant attitude practiced by a significant proportion of the candidates.

Recommendations

Further research, to address the limitations of this study is to be done. FMoH has to improve its media massage and arrange targeted awareness campaigns.
Bricks and mortar of well-being: exploring the housing-health connection
Authors: Mehdipanah Roshanak , Weinstein Lara C.
Published: October 2023

Housing is a determinant of health. Increasing housing costs and worsening housing conditions have impacted populations worldwide. This Editorial aims to examine the dynamic connection between housing and health and the role of public health in addressing this relationship for a Collection launched at BMC Public Health on Housing as a determinant of health and well-being.