bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Effect of commercial bile acid and bovine bile extract supplementation on the growth performance, carcass traits, nutrient digestibility, serum lipid profile, meat quality, and economic aspect in broilers fed a high-oil diet
Authors:   Graduate School, Faculty of Animal Science, Universitas Gadjah Mada, Yogyakarta 55281, Indonesia, Hasibuan Noor Rizky Irmasari ,   Department of Animal Production, Faculty of Animal Science, Universitas Gadjah Mada, Yogyakarta 55281, Indonesia., Mauludin Amir Machmud ,   Graduate School, Faculty of Animal Science, Universitas Gadjah Mada, Yogyakarta 55281, Indonesia,   Department of Animal Production, Faculty of Animal Science, Universitas Gadjah Mada, Yogyakarta 55281, Indonesia., Hanif Muhammad Fathin ,   Graduate School, Faculty of Animal Science, Universitas Gadjah Mada, Yogyakarta 55281, Indonesia,   Department of Animal Nutrition and Feed Science, Faculty of Animal Science, Universitas Gadjah Mada, Yogyakarta 55281, Indonesia, Ariyadi Bambang ,   Department of Animal Production, Faculty of Animal Science, Universitas Gadjah Mada, Yogyakarta 55281, Indonesia, Agus Ali ,   Department of Animal Nutrition and Feed Science, Faculty of Animal Science, Universitas Gadjah Mada, Yogyakarta 55281, Indonesia
Published: November 2024

This experiment was conducted to evaluate the effects of commercial bile acid (CBA) and bovine bile extract (BBE) in high-oil broiler feed on the growth performance, carcass traits, nutrient digestibility, serum lipid profile, meat quality, and income over feed and chick cost (IOFCC) of broilers. A total of 240 one-day-old Cobb broilers were divided into eight treatments with six replicates of five birds each. This experiment used eight diets: a basal diet with 3% crude palm oil (CPO), a high-oil diet with 8% CPO, and three variations of the high-oil diet supplemented with different levels of CBA and BBE (200, 400, and 600 mg/kg). Dietary supplementation with 600 mg/kg BBE increased growth performance on day 32 (P < 0.05). No significant differences in carcass percentage was found between treatments. However, birds fed the high-oil diet (8% CPO) had a higher percentage of abdominal and gizzard fat than those fed other diets (P < 0.05). Dietary supplementation with CBA and BBE increased fat digestibility. Supplementation with 600 mg/kg BBE positively affected meat quality by increasing crude protein and decreasing ether extract content (P < 0.05). These results suggest that BBE supplementation could be improved performance, carcass traits, fat digestibility, meat quality, and IOFCC of broiler chickens.
Influence of Electroporation Timing on CRISPR/Cas-Mediated Multiple Gene Editing in Buffalo Embryos
Authors:   Department of Biotechnology, Bangladesh Agricultural University, Mymensingh 2202, Bangladesh, Sardar Dipankar , Hossain Md. Taslim ,   Department of Animal Nutrition, Faculty of Veterinary, Animal and Biomedical Sciences, Khulna Agricultural University, Khulna 9100, Bangladesh, Baidya Rudranil ,   Department of Animal Breeding and Genetics, Bangladesh Agricultural University, Mymensingh 2202, Bangladesh, Habib Adnan ,   Animal Health Research Division, Bangladesh Livestock Research Institute, Dhaka 1341, Bangladesh
Published: November 2024

Gene editing in large animals like buffalo is challenged by mosaicism, where cells contain both wild-type and mutant alleles, complicating the creation of genetically modified F0 animals in a single step. Traditionally, electroporation is performed on zygotes post in vitro fertilization (IVF), but mature oocytes’ higher permeability suggests earlier intervention might reduce mosaicism and enhance editing efficiency. We hypothesized that the timing of electroporation before in vitro fertilization (IVF) can increase the rates of biallelic mutation for multiple gene knockout as the permeability of mature oocytes is greater than that of zygotes. Hence, we determined whether the timing of electroporation during in vitro maturation (IVM) culture enhances triple gene editing in the resulting blastocysts. Three gRNAs targeting KDR, GDF9, and POU5F1 were simultaneously introduced into the oocytes that had been incubated for 44, 46, and 48 h from the start of the IVM culture. Electroporation with three gRNAs at 44 h and 46 h during IVM culture decreased the blastocyst formation rates and did not improve the mutation rates and target number of biallelic mutations in the resulting blastocysts. The blastocyst formation rate, mutation rates, and target numbers in the resulting blastocysts from oocytes treated by electroporation at 48 h of IVM culture were similar to those of control zygotes electroporated at 12 h after the initiation of IVF. In conclusion, multiple gene editing efficiency in the resulting blastocysts was comparable between oocytes electroporated before and after fertilization, indicating that oocytes with completed maturation time may allow better functioning of materials accepting gene editing application.
Experimental Salmonella Gallinarum infection in point of lay pullets: Correlation of hematology and oxidative stress with egg production
Authors:   Department of Veterinary Pathology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Nigeria, Nsukka 410002, Enugu, Nigeria, Okafor Simeon Chibuko , Ihedioha John Ikechukwu ,   Department of Veterinary Pathology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Nigeria, Nsukka 410002, Enugu, Nigeria, Ezema Wilfred Sunday ,   Department of Veterinary Pathology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Nigeria, Nsukka 410002, Enugu, Nigeria
Published: November 2024

Salmonella Gallinarum is a bacterial pathogen linked with drop in egg production in poultry. In this study, hematological and oxidative stress (OS) parameters were evaluated and correlated with egg production in point of lay (POL) pullets infected with S. Gallinarum. Fifty 18-week-old POL pullets were randomly assigned to two groups of 25 POL pullets per group. The infected POL pullets were orally inoculated with S. Gallinarum (109S. Gallinarum colony forming units/mL), while the uninfected pullets were the controls. Hematological and OS parameters were determined using standard methods. There were significant (P < 0.05) loss of body weight and drop in egg production in the infected POL pullets when compared to the controls. Acute hemolytic anemia of the macrocytic hypochromic type was observed. The total white blood cell (TWBC), absolute heterophil, lymphocyte, eosinophil and monocyte counts, mean serum malondialdehyde (MDA) level, glutathione peroxidase (GPx), superoxide dismutase (SOD) and catalase (CAT) activities were significantly (P < 0.05) higher in the infected POL pullets when compared to the controls. There was a strong association between heterophilia and drop in egg production. An association was also established between significantly elevated GPx, SOD and CAT, which have antioxidant properties, and clinical outcome, including subsequent weight gain and rise in egg production, suggesting that antioxidants may be useful in the treatment of fowl typhoid. It was concluded that S. Gallinarum infection of POL pullets caused significant hematological changes, induced OS, and stimulated the body’s antioxidant defense mechanism to elaborate GPx, SOD and CAT.
Tongluo Jiedu as an adjuvant therapy for oral cancer
Authors: Lomelí Martínez Sarah Monserrat , Martínez Nieto Melissa , Mercado González Ana Esther
Published: November 2024

Oral cancer is one of the malignant neoplasms that present major global health challenge. It is the sixth most prevalent type of cancer in the world, with a high incidence and mortality rate. This letter is a review of the study by Yin et al which was published in the World Journal of Clinical Cases (2024). The study evaluated the effect of Tongluo Jiedu as an adjuvant treatment for oral cancer. Over the years, there has been a continuous search for effective and less invasive treatments for oral cancer. This article emphasizes and discusses various therapeutic options currently available, and it highlights that early intervention and multidisciplinary management are crucial for improving outcomes. Traditional Chinese Medicine, particularly Tongluo Jiedu, presents potential complementary approach to conventional oral cancer therapies. Future research on Tongluo Jiedu should be focused on validation of its efficacy and safety through large, well-designed clinical trials, as well as better understanding of the molecular mechanisms involved, and optimization of therapeutic combinations. Additionally, continuous education of health professionals is key to the effective and safe integration of this traditional medicine into clinical practice. Continuous research is essential for optimization of therapeutic strategies and for addressing the challenges presented by this neoplasm.
Surrealist Ideas in Brazilian Modernist Manifestos
Authors: Brune Krista
Published: November 2024

Abstract: André Breton did not author the only celebrated avant-garde manifesto of 1924. Across the Atlantic in Brazil, Oswald de Andrade published the “Manifesto of Pau-Brasil Poetry.” A closer look at the French surrealist and the Brazilian modernist manifestos published in 1924 reveals common influences and shared preoccupations that betray the anxieties of the era, despite the two writers not being in direct contact. This article contextualizes the development and publication of Oswald de Andrade’s 1924 manifesto before analyzing the similarities of allusions, concepts, and themes that appeared in the Brazilian text and Breton’s first surrealist manifesto. After comparing these two 1924 manifestos, I turn my attention to references to Surrealism in the 1928 “Manifesto Antropófago” (“Cannibalist Manifesto”) to assess how Oswald dialogued with Breton’s ideas in his articulation of a Brazilian avant-garde that anticipated the decolonial and anti-colonial politics of surrealist movements in the mid-twentieth century. My comparative analysis underscores how Surrealism and antropofagia both embraced a liberatory ethos to address concerns of their historical and intellectual moment in ways that subverted established political and aesthetic orders.
Re-Echoing Hylas: Dracontius’ Myth and the Classical Tradition
Authors: Papaioannou Sophia
Published: November 2024

Abstract: Hylas, the protagonist in a para-narrative of the Argonautic journey, is a hero who embodies a transformed epic heroism and a new poetic aesthetics in the Hellenistic era and who was a subject of particular fascination in the Latin literary tradition. Dracontius, at the end of the classical era, revisits the Hylas myth as he consciously engages with the poetics of change and narrative fluidity. Hylas, le protagoniste d’un récit parallèle au voyage des Argonautes, est un héros qui incarne un héroïsme épique transformé et une esthétique poétique nouvelle à la période hellénistique ; il faisait également l’objet d’une fascination toute particulière de la part de la tradition littéraire latine. À la fin de la période classique, Dracontius revisite le mythe d’Hylas en y alliant poétique du changement et fluidité de la narration.
Too Much . . . Too Little . . . Just Right: Adjustments of Dionysus’ Heroism in Nonnus’ Dionysiaca
Authors: Miguélez-Cavero Laura
Published: November 2024

Abstract: A heroic outlook is a necessity for the laudandi of late antique panegyrics and poems. Authors like Nonnus evoke the Homeric heroes and construct new heroic identities adapted to their own times. Nonnus’ Dionysiaca pays attention to the importance of intelligence and shedding of blood for the heroic masculinity of Dionysus. Il est indispensable pour les laudandi des panégyriques et des poèmes de l’Antiquité tardive d’apparaître comme des héros. Des auteurs tels que Nonnos évoquent les héros homériques et construisent de nouvelles identités héroïques adaptées à leur temps. Les Dionysiaques de Nonnos accordent beaucoup d’importance à l’intelligence et au sang versé dans leur construction de la masculinit é héroïque de Dionysos.
Frequency-doubling optoelectronic oscillator with fundamental frequency signal cancellation
Authors: Xu Enming , Shi Zhenyang , Shan Qian , Liu Jiaao , Zhang Zuxing
Published: November 2024

A frequency-doubling optoelectronic oscillator (OEO) with fundamental frequency signal cancellation based on a dual-polarization Mach–Zehnder modulator (DPol-MZM) is proposed and experimentally demonstrated. In the proposed structure, two different modulation modes can be utilized to realize the frequency-doubling OEO. One is the carrier-suppressed double-sideband (CS-DSB) modulation, and the other is double-sideband (DSB) modulation. In both cases, one path is used to achieve the fundamental frequency oscillation in the OEO loop through the utilization of an equivalent or conventional DSB modulation, and the other path is employed to realize the frequency-doubled signal. In the realization of the frequency-doubled signal, the fundamental frequency signal can be cancelled by introducing an additional pure optical carrier with proper power and its polarization direction opposite to that of the modulated optical signal. A high sideband suppression ratio of the frequency-doubled signal up to 40 dB is achieved.
Fluorescence-signal imaging polarimetry for characterization of Mexican honeys
Authors: López-Téllez Juan Manuel , Frausto-Reyes Claudio , Ortiz-Morales M. , De La Torre-I. Manuel H. , Valenzuela-Gonzalez Ricardo , Casillas Rafael
Published: November 2024

A methodology that combines fluorescence spectroscopy, image polarimetry, and an analytical technique for processing experimental data to characterize and classify Mexican monofloral and multifloral honey is presented. Honey samples were excited with a 397 nm laser beam to produce a fluorescence signal, polarization images were acquired using a polarized CMOS sensor to perform polarimetric measurements, and a spectrometer was employed for measuring the produced fluorescence spectra. Image-based measurements are more appropriate for studying crystalized honey samples than point-signal measurements. Honey fluorescence produces partially polarized light when excited with linearly polarized light. According to our results, the degree of linear polarization is related to the botanical origin of the honey samples and their crystallization state. Three different classification methods are presented, and the results indicate a good agreement among them.
Demonstration of a three-node wavelength division multiplexed hybrid quantum-classical network through multicore fiber
Authors: Dugre Joshua , Fritsch Samuel , Mohan R. Krishna
Published: November 2024

This paper presents the practical development of a hybrid quantum-classical network through multiple links of four- and seven-core industrial jacketed multicore fiber. The network utilizes dense wavelength division multiplexing to propagate the C-band quantum and classical information in the same core, making full use of the unidirectional nature of quantum key distribution. Total network transmission of 1.16 Tbps is achieved with a total network secret key rate of approximately 7.4 kbps through a combination of 1 and 2 km links of multicore fiber. The deployment configurations presented are independent of the classical modulation format, and the maximal transmission rate for an operational hybrid network is found to be dependent only on classical optical power occupying the quantum channel wavelength. A model was developed to estimate the impact classical optical channels will have on coexisting quantum channels, which may allow engineers to quickly validate hybrid network designs.
Laser-written scalable sapphire integrated photonics platform
Authors: Wang Mohan , Salter Patrick S. , Payne Frank P. , Liu Tongyu , Booth Martin J. , Fells Julian A. J.
Published: November 2024

In this paper, we demonstrate the integration of photonic devices on sapphire substrates using multi-layer depressed cladding waveguides at both 780 nm and 1550 nm. The devices are up to 10 cm long and written at depths down to 800 µm. The propagation losses for single-mode guiding are ∼ 0.6 dB/cm at 780 nm and ∼ 0.7 dB/cm at 1550 nm. A number of structures have been fabricated with simultaneous single-mode and polarization independent operation: evanescently coupled waveguide arrays, Y-branch splitters, Mach-Zehnder interferometers, and a 2 × 2 directional-coupler. All the devices were fabricated using adaptive optics-assisted femtosecond laser direct writing with a customized laser writing algorithm. This work enables the integration of single-mode sapphire photonics devices in a scalable manner, enabling many applications in communications, imaging, computing, and sensing.
Ultra-broadband room-temperature Fourier transform spectrometer with watt-level power consumption
Authors: Mnich Jakub , Kunsch Johannes , Budden Matthias , Gebert Thomas , Schossig Marco , Sotor Jarosław , Sterczewski Łukasz A.
Published: November 2024

Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) has matured into a versatile technique with relevance for environmental monitoring, pharmaceutical research, and food safety applications. However, compared to other spectroscopic methods, it experiences slower progress in terms of power optimization, miniaturization, and adoption by industry. To overcome this limitation, we developed an ultra-broadband room-temperature FTIR instrument relying on commercially available components that offers a spectral coverage from 1.6 µm to 31 µm (9.7–190 THz) without changing optics at a single-watt-level of electrical power consumption. To demonstrate the capabilities of the instrument, we measured atmospheric species in multiple spectral regions with better than 1.5 cm-1 resolution.
High resolution imaging spectrometry using dispersion shearing interferometer with Amici prisms
Authors: Huang Huitong , Li Liansheng , Yang Yu , Xing Xiaoqun , Meng Xin , Xu Yixuan , Liu Yixuan , Wu Wenxuan , Zhu Haibo , Zong Yi , Li Jianxin
Published: November 2024

A high-resolution imaging spectrometry system is presented to enhance spectral shear control in traditional interferometric spectrometers. The scheme integrates Amici prisms into a Sagnac interferometer to achieve mixed spectral splitting. Combining lateral and dispersion shear effects controls the optical path difference for different wavelengths, enabling high-resolution spectral information with fewer sampling points. The study analyzes the physical model, conducts theoretical research, and optimizes the optical characteristics of the system. Essential components are manufactured and assembled, and an experimental setup is constructed, yielding high-resolution spectral data cubes, verifying the effectiveness of the system in spectral acquisition.
High-efficiency thin-film lithium niobate apodized grating coupler utilizing negative diffraction angle
Authors: Liao Rujun , Wang Xiaofeng , Xue Cuiwei , Quan Xueling , Xu Liping , Fu Liucheng , Liu Min , Qu Minni , Shen Yunliang , Wu Liying , Cheng Xiulan
Published: November 2024

Lithium niobate on insulators (LNOI), which is an integrated optoelectronic material platform with essential prospects, has an excellent electro-optical coefficient and a low loss window covering from visible to mid-infrared. However, both the lower refractive index of lithium niobate (LN) and the immaturity of processing techniques cause difficulties in achieving high coupling efficiency in grating couplers. Therefore, an apodized LNOI grating coupler utilizing a negative diffraction angle is proposed. The simulated and experimental coupling efficiencies are -2.1 dB and -2.8 dB at 1550 nm wavelength, respectively, which is the highest efficiency reported for LNOI grating couplers that do not incorporate additional materials or complex fabrication processes. The grating coupler also has high process and test tolerances, making it possible to realize it on different process platforms.
Exciton-polaron thermal radiation in two-dimensional semiconductors
Authors: Konabe Satoru
Published: November 2024

In doped semiconductors such as monolayer transition-metal dichalcogenides (TMDs), the optical properties are predominantly determined by exciton polarons, which are coherent superpositions of excitons and electron–hole excitation pairs in the Fermi sea. Here, we theoretically study the effect of exciton polarons on thermal radiation in doped two-dimensional semiconductors. By deriving an emissivity formula in terms of the dielectric function and the thickness of two-dimensional semiconductors, we show that the emissivity spectrum exhibits a narrow peak at the energy of an exciton polaron. In addition, we find that carrier doping results in an asymmetric emissivity spectrum and a redshift of the peak position, whereas increasing temperature reduces the emissivity peak height. The theoretical framework developed in this study provides a solid foundation for understanding exciton-polaron thermal radiation and opens what we believe to be new possibilities for energy harvesting technologies.
Spectral tailoring of silicon grating-assisted contra-directional couplers
Authors: Cheng Rui , Zheng Yanfeng , Feng Jiawang , Wang Linghua
Published: November 2024

Grating-assisted, contra-directional couplers (GA-CDCs), owing to their four-port operations, can offer several important advantages over traditional, single waveguide-based Bragg gratings. However, how to flexibly design the spectral responses of GA-CDCs has been much less studied. We report the spectral tailoring methodology of GA-CDCs to achieve arbitrary, physically realizable, complex spectral responses. Silicon GA-CDCs with various customized responses are demonstrated using the methodology, including sidelobe-suppressed filters, single- and multi-channel flattop filters, sawtooth- and triangle-shaped filters, and three-channel photonic Hilbert transformers.
Hyperspectral imaging of acoustically trapped plastics
Authors: Bakhshi Hadi , Mohsenvand Kooshan , Darudi Ahmad , Moradi Ali-Reza
Published: November 2024

Hyperspectral (HS) imaging bridges conventional imaging into spectroscopy and generates a spatial map of spectral variations. On the one hand, in HS imaging, the effect of the background on the final spectra has to be removed or managed. On the other hand, there are important classes of materials that need to be immobilized for investigation. In this Letter, we introduce acoustic trapping (AT) for contactless, nondestructive, and easy-to-implement immobilization of particles of up to several mm sizes, subjected to HS imaging experiments. We apply and validate the combined HS-AT apparatus for the identification of plastics, which these days have caused a multifaceted environmental pollution threat. We show that fluorescent HS imaging provides distinguishable fluorescent spectral signatures for an array of different acoustically trapped plastics. Moreover, the HS-AT enables tomographic spatio-spectral information of multi-component plastic samples by means of their acoustically controlled rotation. The integrated HS-AT has the potential to serve as a benchtop identification device.
Differential absorption laser spectroscopy at 8  kHz using precompensated current modulation
Authors: Ashik A. S. , Rodrigo Peter John , Larsen Henning E. , Pedersen Christian
Published: November 2024

We present a differential laser absorption spectroscopy (DLAS) system operating at 1550 nm for rapid and sensitive gas concentration measurements. A dual-wavelength toggling mechanism is presented, which significantly reduces data processing, hence supporting a high update rate and data robustness against fast-changing environmental conditions. We showcase the ability to toggle between two wavelengths separated by 90 pm in 14 μs and with minimal chirp (∼1  pm), facilitating sensitive DLAS measurements at 8 kHz update rate. This performance is achieved by driving a 1550 nm diode laser with a modified square-wave current pulse, overcoming the thermal time constant limited wavelength-modulation response of the diode laser. A sensitive feedback mechanism ensures excellent long-term wavelength stability better than 1.4 pm peak-to-peak at 8 kHz toggling over 20 h. As a performance test, we measured the volumetric ratio (VMR) of hydrogen cyanide (HCN) gas in a fiber-coupled gas cell with less than 0.2% peak-to-peak variation over 20 h at 40 Hz. A best sensitivity in VMR of 8×10−6 was achieved at 25 ms integration time. The simplicity and high update rate of our system make it well-suited for gas monitoring in dynamic atmospheric and industrial environments. Further, it offers potential utility in applications requiring precise wavelength control, such as injection seeding of pulsed lasers. A simple analytical model is derived, which, in detail, supports the experimental results, hence offering a tool for future design optimization.
Chip-scale integrated optical gyroscope based on a multi-mode co-detection technique
Authors: Liu Shuang , Hu Junyi , Li Binjie , Xue Boyi , Wan Wenjie , Ma Huilian , He Zuyuan
Published: November 2024

Gyroscopes are crucial components of inertial navigation systems, with ongoing development emphasizing miniaturization and enhanced accuracy. The recent advances in chip-scale optical gyroscopes utilizing integrated optics have attracted considerable attention, demonstrating significant advantages in achieving tactical-grade accuracy. In this paper, a new, to our knowledge, integrated optical gyroscope scheme based on the multi-mode co-detection technology is proposed, which takes the high-Q microcavity as its core sensitive element and uses the multi-mode characteristics of the microcavity to achieve the measurement of rotational angular velocity. This detection scheme breaks the tradition of optical gyroscopes based on a single mode within the sensitive ring to detect the angular rotation rate, which not only greatly simplifies the optical and electrical system of the optical gyroscope, but also has a higher detection accuracy. The gyroscope based on this detection scheme has successfully detected the Earth’s rotation on a 9.2 mm diameter microcavity with a bias instability as low as 1 deg/h, which is the best performance among the chip-scale integrated optical gyroscopes known to us. Moreover, its high dynamic range and highly simplified and reciprocal system architecture greatly enhance the feasibility of practical applications. It is anticipated that these developments will have a profound impact on the field of inertial navigation.
Dopamine neurons that inform Drosophila olfactory memory have distinct, acute functions driving attraction and aversion
Authors: Mohammad Farhan , Mai Yishan , Ho Joses , Zhang Xianyuan , Ott Stanislav , Stewart James Charles , Claridge-Chang Adam
Published: November 2024

The brain must guide immediate responses to beneficial and harmful stimuli while simultaneously writing memories for future reference. While both immediate actions and reinforcement learning are instructed by dopamine, how dopaminergic systems maintain coherence between these 2 reward functions is unknown. Through optogenetic activation experiments, we showed that the dopamine neurons that inform olfactory memory in Drosophila have a distinct, parallel function driving attraction and aversion (valence). Sensory neurons required for olfactory memory were dispensable to dopaminergic valence. A broadly projecting set of dopaminergic cells had valence that was dependent on dopamine, glutamate, and octopamine. Similarly, a more restricted dopaminergic cluster with attractive valence was reliant on dopamine and glutamate; flies avoided opto-inhibition of this narrow subset, indicating the role of this cluster in controlling ongoing behavior. Dopamine valence was distinct from output-neuron opto-valence in locomotor pattern, strength, and polarity. Overall, our data suggest that dopamine’s acute effect on valence provides a mechanism by which a dopaminergic system can coherently write memories to influence future responses while guiding immediate attraction and aversion.
Human perception of self-motion and orientation during galvanic vestibular stimulation and physical motion
Authors: Allred Aaron R. , Austin Caroline R. , Klausing Lanna , Boggess Nicholas , Clark Torin K.
Published: November 2024

Galvanic vestibular stimulation (GVS) is an emergent tool for stimulating the vestibular system, offering the potential to manipulate or enhance processes relying on vestibular-mediated central pathways. However, the extent of GVS’s influence on the perception of self-orientation pathways is not understood, particularly in the presence of physical motions. Here, we quantify roll tilt perception impacted by GVS during passive whole-body roll tilts in humans (N = 11). We find that GVS systematically amplifies and attenuates perceptions of roll tilt during physical tilt, dependent on the GVS waveform. Subsequently, we develop a novel computational model that predicts 6DoF self-motion and self-orientation perceptions for any GVS waveform and motion by modeling the vestibular afferent neuron dynamics modulated by GVS in conjunction with an observer central processing model. This effort provides a means to systematically alter spatial orientation perceptions using GVS during concurrent physical motion, and we find that irregular afferent dynamics alone best describe resultant perceptions.
MFPSP: Identification of fungal species-specific phosphorylation site using offspring competition-based genetic algorithm
Authors: Wang Chao , Zou Quan
Published: November 2024

Protein phosphorylation is essential in various signal transduction and cellular processes. To date, most tools are designed for model organisms, but only a handful of methods are suitable for predicting task in fungal species, and their performance still leaves much to be desired. In this study, a novel tool called MFPSP is developed for phosphorylation site prediction in multi-fungal species. The amino acids sequence features were derived from physicochemical and distributed information, and an offspring competition-based genetic algorithm was applied for choosing the most effective feature subset. The comparison results shown that MFPSP achieves a more advanced and balanced performance to several state-of-the-art available toolkits. Feature contribution and interaction exploration indicating the proposed model is efficient in uncovering concealed patterns within sequence. We anticipate MFPSP to serve as a valuable bioinformatics tool and benefiting practical experiments by pre-screening potential phosphorylation sites and enhancing our functional understanding of phosphorylation modifications in fungi. The source code and datasets are accessible at https://github.com/AI4HKB/MFPSP/.
Knowledge, perception, and attitude toward premarital screening among university students in Kurdistan region–Iraq
Authors: Mahmood Kochr A. , Sadraldeen Govand S. , Othman Samir M. , Shabila Nazar P. , Saleh Abubakir M. , Ismail Kameran H.
Published: November 2024

Premarital screening programs are essential for identifying and providing counseling to couples at risk of transmitting genetic diseases or sexually transmitted infections. Despite their importance, university students’ awareness and knowledge of premarital screening programs remain inadequate. This study aimed to evaluate the knowledge, perceptions, and attitudes of university students in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq regarding premarital screening programs. A cross-sectional survey involving 960 students was conducted from December 2023 to February 2024. The survey assessed participants’ demographics, knowledge, perception, and attitudes toward PMSP using a structured questionnaire. Findings revealed that a significant portion of participants (39.4%) had poor knowledge of premarital screening programs, 35.9% had fair knowledge, and only 24.7% had good knowledge. Despite limited knowledge, there was strong support for premarital screening programs, with 83.1% agreeing on its importance and 78.8% recognizing the need for premarital awareness. Most participants (65.8%) believed premarital screening programs could reduce genetic diseases, and 65.6% thought it could lower sexually transmitted diseases’ prevalence. Cultural acceptance of marrying relatives was notable, with 59.7% disagreeing with the preference for not marrying relatives. Married participants showed significantly higher knowledge and attitude scores compared to single participants. Gender differences were observed, with males having higher knowledge scores. There were no significant differences in perception and attitude scores based on gender or residential area. The study underscores the need for enhanced educational campaigns to improve premarital screening programs awareness and positively influence attitudes, especially targeting cultural aspects like accepting relative marriages. Comprehensive education and fostering positive attitudes toward premarital screening programs are vital for their broader acceptance and implementation.
TPAAS: Trustworthy privacy-preserving anonymous authentication scheme for online trading environment
Authors: Rajasekaran Arun Sekar , Maria Azees , Lloret Jaime , Dannana Suresh
Published: November 2024

In recent years with the improvement of information communication technology (ICT) and wireless communication, Online Trading Environment (OTE) has become a popular E-commerce platform to connect sellers and buyers in an efficient way. As, OTE’s are increasing in a wider range, the authentication and verification of entities in OTE network becomes a challenging task. Although, some authentication schemes exist in OTE’s, they have flaws such as account creation delays, authentication delays, communication cost and user privacy. In this work, a trustworthy and secure anonymous authentication scheme is proposed to prevent malicious users to enter into the OTE network. In addition, our proposed scheme provides conditional privacy to users until they maintain a genuine relationship with other entities without compromising. If any dispute occurs, then the system will revoke the access of that particular entity. Moreover, the security and performance analysis in this work concludes that our scheme ensures a secure interface to provide sustainable trading experience to users by taking less computation cost and communication delay when compared to other existing authentication schemes.
Development of methodology to support molecular endotype discovery from synovial fluid of individuals with knee osteoarthritis: The STEpUP OA consortium
Authors: Deng Yun , Perry Thomas A. , Hulley Philippa , Maciewicz Rose A. , Mitchelmore Joanna , Perry Darryl , Larsson Staffan , Brachat Sophie , Struglics André , Appleton C. Thomas , Kluzek Stefan , Arden Nigel K. , Felson David , Marsden Brian , Tom Brian D. M. , Bondi Laura , Kapoor Mohit , Batchelor Vicky , Mackay-Alderson Jennifer , Kumar Vinod , Lohmander L. Stefan , Welting Tim J. , Walsh David A. , Valdes Ana M. ,   the STEpUP OA Consortium, Vincent Tonia L. , Watt Fiona E. , Jostins-Dean Luke
Published: November 2024

Objectives

To develop a protocol for largescale analysis of synovial fluid proteins, for the identification of biological networks associated with subtypes of osteoarthritis.

Methods

Synovial Fluid To detect molecular Endotypes by Unbiased Proteomics in Osteoarthritis (STEpUP OA) is an international consortium utilising clinical data (capturing pain, radiographic severity and demographic features) and knee synovial fluid from 17 participating cohorts. 1746 samples from 1650 individuals comprising OA, joint injury, healthy and inflammatory arthritis controls, divided into discovery (n = 1045) and replication (n = 701) datasets, were analysed by SomaScan Discovery Plex V4.1 (>7000 SOMAmers/proteins). An optimised approach to standardisation was developed. Technical confounders and batch-effects were identified and adjusted for. Poorly performing SOMAmers and samples were excluded. Variance in the data was determined by principal component (PC) analysis.

Results

A synovial fluid standardised protocol was optimised that had good reliability (<20% co-efficient of variation for >80% of SOMAmers in pooled samples) and overall good correlation with immunoassay. 1720 samples and >6290 SOMAmers met inclusion criteria. 48% of data variance (PC1) was strongly correlated with individual SOMAmer signal intensities, particularly with low abundance proteins (median correlation coefficient 0.70), and was enriched for nuclear and non-secreted proteins. We concluded that this component was predominantly intracellular proteins, and could be adjusted for using an ‘intracellular protein score’ (IPS). PC2 (7% variance) was attributable to processing batch and was batch-corrected by ComBat. Lesser effects were attributed to other technical confounders. Data visualisation revealed clustering of injury and OA cases in overlapping but distinguishable areas of high-dimensional proteomic space.

Conclusions

We have developed a robust method for analysing synovial fluid protein, creating a molecular and clinical dataset of unprecedented scale to explore potential patient subtypes and the molecular pathogenesis of OA. Such methodology underpins the development of new approaches to tackle this disease which remains a huge societal challenge.
Phenotype selection due to mutational robustness
Authors: Kikuchi Macoto
Published: November 2024

The mutation-selection mechanism of Darwinian evolution gives rise not only to adaptation to environmental conditions but also to the enhancement of robustness against mutations. When two or more phenotypes have the same fitness value, the robustness distribution for different phenotypes can vary. Thus, we expect that some phenotypes are favored in evolution and that some are hardly selected because of a selection bias for mutational robustness. In this study, we investigated this selection bias for phenotypes in a model of gene regulatory networks (GRNs) using numerical simulations. The model had one input gene accepting a signal from the outside and one output gene producing a target protein, and the fitness was high if the output for the full signal was much higher than that for no signal. The model exhibited three types of responses to changes in the input signal: monostable, toggle switch, and one-way switch. We regarded these three response types as three distinguishable phenotypes. We constructed a randomly generated set of GRNs using the multicanonical Monte Carlo method originally developed in statistical physics and compared it to the outcomes of evolutionary simulations. One-way switches were strongly suppressed during evolution because of their lack of mutational robustness. By examining one-way switch GRNs in detail, we found that mutationally robust GRNs obtained by evolutionary simulations and non-robust GRNs obtained by McMC have different network structures. While robust GRNs have a common core motif, non-robust GRNs lack this motif. The bistability of non-robust GRNs is considered to be realized cooperatively by many genes, and these cooperative genotypes have been suppressed by evolution.
Inactivation of bacteria using synergistic hydrogen peroxide with split-dose nanosecond pulsed electric field exposures
Authors: Rosenzweig Zachary , Garcia Jerrick , Thompson Gary L. , Perez Lark J.
Published: November 2024

The use of pulsed electric fields (PEF) as a nonthermal technology for the decontamination of foods is of growing interest. This study aimed to enhance the inactivation of Escherichia coli, Listeria innocua, and Salmonella enterica in Gomori buffer using a combination of nsPEF and hydrogen peroxide (H2O2). Three sub-MIC concentrations (0.1, 0.3, and 0.5%) of H2O2 and various contact times ranging from 5–45 min were tested. PEF exposures as both single (1000 pulse) and split-dose (500+500 pulse) trains were delivered via square-wave, monopolar, 600 ns pulses at 21 kV/cm and 10 Hz. We demonstrate that >5 log CFU/mL reduction can be attained from combination PEF/H2O2 treatments with a 15 min contact time for E. coli (0.1%) and a 30 min contact time for L. innocua and S. enterica (0.5%), despite ineffective results from either individual treatment alone. A 5 log reduction in microbial population is generally the lowest acceptable level in consideration of food safety and represents inactivation of 99.999% of bacteria. Split-dose PEF exposures enhance lethality for several tested conditions, indicating greater susceptibility to PEF after oxidative damage has occurred.
Test-retest reliability of behavioral and computational measures of advice taking under volatility
Authors: Karvelis Povilas , Hauke Daniel J. , Wobmann Michelle , Andreou Christina , Mackintosh Amatya , de Bock Renate , Borgwardt Stefan , Diaconescu Andreea O.
Published: November 2024

The development of computational models for studying mental disorders is on the rise. However, their psychometric properties remain understudied, posing a risk of undermining their use in empirical research and clinical translation. Here we investigated test-retest reliability (with a 2-week interval) of a computational assay probing advice-taking under volatility with a Hierarchical Gaussian Filter (HGF) model. In a sample of 39 healthy participants, we found the computational measures to have largely poor reliability (intra-class correlation coefficient or ICC < 0.5), on par with the behavioral measures of task performance. Further analysis revealed that reliability was substantially impacted by intrinsic measurement noise (indicated by parameter recovery analysis) and to a smaller extent by practice effects. However, a large portion of within-subject variance remained unexplained and may be attributable to state-like fluctuations. Despite the poor test-retest reliability, we found the assay to have face validity at the group level. Overall, our work highlights that the different sources of variance affecting test-retest reliability need to be studied in greater detail. A better understanding of these sources would facilitate the design of more psychometrically sound assays, which would improve the quality of future research and increase the probability of clinical translation.
Association between serum Klotho and the prevalence of osteoarthritis: A cross-sectional study from NHANES 2007–2016
Authors: Qiu Yue , Yin Huangyi , Meng Jinzhi , Cai Yang , Huang Junpu , Zheng Xifan , Yao Jun , Li Jia
Published: November 2024

Background

Osteoarthritis (OA) is a degenerative joint disease prevalent in the elderly. Currently, the relationship between the senescence inhibitor Klotho and OA remains unclear. This study investigated the relationship between serum soluble Klotho (S-Klotho) and OA.

Methods

This cross-sectional study was based on the 2007–2016 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES). Three multifactorial logistic regression models were constructed to assess the association between serum Klotho and OA. Restricted cubic spline (RCS) curves were further used to assess whether there was a nonlinear relationship between serum Klotho and OA. Finally, stratified analyses and interaction tests were used to evaluate the association’s stability. To further investigate the relationship between serum Klotho and OA, we recruited 107 patients for analysis at the First Affiliated Hospital of Guangxi Medical University.

Results

The final 8,918 participants included in this study comprised 50.55% females and 49.45% males, with 18.10% of participants suffering from OA and a mean S-Klotho level of 846.41 (5.61) pg/ml. All three logistic regression models observed a negative association between continuous S-Klotho and OA risk. When S-Klotho was categorized into tertiles, the fully adjusted model showed that participants in the third tertile had a 17% lower risk of OA than those in the first tertile (OR = 0.83, 95% CI: 0.70, 0.99, P = 0.035). The RCS curves showed a linear negative association between S-Klotho and the incidence of OA (P for overall = 0.025; P for non-linearity = 0.667). Further subgroup analyses and interaction tests suggested that the negative association between S-Klotho and OA remained stable in different conditions. Research conducted in China has shown that the negative correlation between serum Klotho levels and the prevalence of OA remains evident among Chinese individuals (OR: 0.77, 95% CI: 0.66, 0.90, P<0.001).

Conclusion

Our study suggests that elevated levels of the senescence inhibitor S-Klotho may be a potential protective factor for OA, which may provide new insights into the diagnosis and treatment of OA.
Joint optimization of overbooking and seat allocation for high-speed railways considering stochastic demand
Authors: Xu Jing , Deng Lianbo , Hu Xinlei , Liu Jiayi , Tan Weidong
Published: November 2024

To mitigate empty seat loss caused by random passenger no-show behavior, this study extends seat allocation to joint optimization of overbooking and seat allocation for high-speed railways (HSR). Assuming that stochastic passenger demand follows a specific distribution and considering various constraints, including train capacity, demand, and denied boarding rate constraints, a nonlinear stochastic programming model for joint optimization of overbooking and seat allocation for HSR is constructed with the aim of maximizing railway expected revenue. To solve this optimization model, a multi-level optimization algorithm is designed. Based on the sampling averaging approximation method, demand scenarios and passenger no-show scenarios are generated and the optimization problem is decomposed, including the joint optimization of overbooking and seat allocation under a single demand scenario, and the ticket adjustment under other demand scenarios. For the former, it is further divided into two sub-problems according to the stochastic nature of passenger no-show behavior, which is optimized iteratively. Finally, the effectiveness of the proposed model and algorithm is evaluated through numerical studies. The results demonstrate that the proposed joint optimization method effectively addresses the randomness of passenger demand and no-show behavior, thereby improving HSR expected revenue and making up for the empty seat loss resulting from passenger no-show behavior.
Panning for gold: Comparative analysis of cross-platform approaches for automated detection of political content in textual data
Authors: Makhortykh Mykola , de León Ernesto , Urman Aleksandra , Gil-Lopez Teresa , Christner Clara , Sydorova Maryna , Adam Silke , Maier Michaela
Published: November 2024

To understand and measure political information consumption in the high-choice media environment, we need new methods to trace individual interactions with online content and novel techniques to analyse and detect politics-related information. In this paper, we report the results of a comparative analysis of the performance of automated content analysis techniques for detecting political content in the German language across different platforms. Using three validation datasets, we compare the performance of three groups of detection techniques relying on dictionaries, classic supervised machine learning, and deep learning. We also examine the impact of different modes of data preprocessing on the low-cost implementations of these techniques using a large set (n = 66) of models. Our results show the limited impact of preprocessing on model performance, with the best results for less noisy data being achieved by deep learning- and classic machine learning-based models, in contrast to the more robust performance of dictionary-based models on noisy data.