bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Lithium promotes long-term neurological recovery after spinal cord injury in mice by enhancing neuronal survival, gray and white matter remodeling, and long-distance axonal regeneration
Authors: Balçıkanlı Zeynep , Culha Irem , Dilsiz Pelin , Aydin Mehmet Serif , Ates Nilay , Beker Mustafa Caglar , Baltaci Saltuk Bugra , Koc Halil I. , Yigitbasi Ahmet , Gündogar Mustafa , Doeppner Thorsten R. , Hermann Dirk M. , Kilic Ertugrul
Published: November 2022

Spinal cord injury (SCI) induces neurological deficits associated with long-term functional impairments. Since the current treatments remain ineffective, novel therapeutic options are needed. Besides its effect on bipolar mood disorder, lithium was reported to have neuroprotective activity in different neurodegenerative conditions, including SCI. In SCI, the effects of lithium on long-term neurological recovery and neuroplasticity have not been assessed. We herein investigated the effects of intraperitoneally administered lithium chloride (LiCl) on motor coordination recovery, electromyography (EMG) responses, histopathological injury and remodeling, and axonal plasticity in mice exposed to spinal cord transection. At a dose of 0.2, but not 2.0 mmol/kg, LiCl enhanced motor coordination and locomotor activity starting at 28 days post-injury (dpi), as assessed by a set of behavioral tests. Following electrical stimulation proximal to the hemitransection, LiCl at 0.2 mmol/kg decreased the latency and increased the amplitude of EMG responses in the denervated hindlimb at 56 dpi. Functional recovery was associated with reduced gray and white matter atrophy rostral and caudal to the hemitransection, increased neuronal survival and reduced astrogliosis in the dorsal and ventral horns caudal to the hemitransection, and increased regeneration of long-distance axons proximal and distal to the lesion site in mice receiving 0.2 mmol/kg, but not 2 mmol/kg LiCl, as assessed by histochemical and immunohistochemical studies combined with anterograde tract tracing. Our results indicate that LiCl induces long-term neurological recovery and neuroplasticity following SCI.
Neurovascular responses to neuronal activity during sensory development
Authors: Konecny Lukas , Quadir Rafid , Ninan Abel , Rodríguez-Contreras Adrián
Published: November 2022

Understanding the development of intercellular communication in sensory regions is relevant to elucidate mechanisms of physiological and pathological responses to oxygen shortage in the newborn brain. Decades of studies in laboratory rodents show that neuronal activity impacts sensory maturation during two periods of postnatal development distinguished by the maturation of accessory structures at the sensory periphery. During the first of these developmental periods, angiogenesis is modulated by neuronal activity, and physiological levels of neuronal activity cause local tissue hypoxic events. This correlation suggests that neuronal activity is upstream of the production of angiogenic factors, a process that is mediated by intermittent hypoxia caused by neuronal oxygen consumption. In this perspective article we address three theoretical implications based on this hypothesis: first, that spontaneous activity of sensory neurons has properties that favor the generation of intermittent tissue hypoxia in neonate rodents; second, that intermittent hypoxia promotes the expression of hypoxia inducible transcription factors (HIFs) in sensory neurons and astrocytes; and third, that activity-dependent production of angiogenic factors is involved in pathological oxygen contexts.
Worldwide productivity and research trends of publications concerning stent application in acutely ruptured intracranial aneurysms: A bibliometric study
Authors: Chen Rundong , Wei Yanpeng , Zhang Guanghao , Zhang Renkun , Zhang Xiaoxi , Dai Dongwei , Li Qiang , Zhao Rui , Xu Yi , Huang Qinghai , Yang Pengfei , Zuo Qiao , Liu Jianmin
Published: November 2022

Background

Stenting is a common clinical practice to treat acutely ruptured intracranial aneurysm (RIA). Although multiple studies have demonstrated its long-term safety and effectiveness, there is currently a lack of bibliometric analysis on stent application in acutely RIA. This study sought to summarize the current status of research in this field and lay a foundation for further study.

Materials and methods

Related publications were searched in the Web of Science Core Collection (WoSCC) database. Data analysis and visualization were performed by R and CiteSpace software.

Results

A total of 275 publications published in English from 1997 to 2022 were included in this study. The growth of publications slowed down. The reference co-citation network identified 13 clusters with a significant network (Q = 0.7692) and convincing clustering (S = 0.9082). The research focus was acutely RIA and the application of stents during interventional procedures. The main trends of research were: (1) development of materials, and (2) safety of stent application in acutely RIA. The United States contributed the most articles, and Jianmin Liu was the most prolific author. Mayo Clinic was the leading institution in this field. Most articles were published in Interventional Neuroradiology.

Conclusions

This study analyzed the research trends, hotspots and frontiers of stent application in acutely RIA. It is our hope that the results obtained could provide useful information to researchers to get a clearer picture about their future research directions in this field.
Shared decision-making in patients with multiple sclerosis
Authors: Ubbink Dirk T. , Damman Olga C. , de Jong Brigit A.
Published: November 2022

Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a chronic and progressive neurological disorder impacting physical, cognitive, and psychosocial health. The disease course, severity, and presence of symptoms differ within and between persons over time and are unpredictable. Given the preference-sensitive nature of many key decisions to be made, and the increasing numbers of disease-modifying therapies, shared decision-making (SDM) with patients seems to be key in offering optimum care and outcomes for people suffering from MS. In this paper, we describe our perspective on how to achieve SDM in patients with MS, following key SDM-elements from established SDM-frameworks. As for deliberation in the clinical encounter, SDM communication training of professionals and feedback on their current performance are key aspects, as well as encouraging patients to participate. Concerning information for patients, it is important to provide balanced, evidence-based information about the benefits and the harms of different treatment options, including the option of surveillance only. At the same time, attention is needed for the optimal dosage of that information, given the symptoms of cognitive dysfunction and fatigue among MS-patients, and the uncertainties they have to cope with. Finally, for broader communication, a system is required that assures patient preferences are actually implemented by multidisciplinary MS-teams. As SDM is also being implemented in many countries within the context of value-based health care, we consider the systematic use of outcome information, such as patient-reported outcome measures (PROMs) and Patient Decision Aids, as an opportunity to achieve SDM.
The influence of face mask on social spaces depends on the behavioral immune system
Authors: Geers Laurie , Coello Yann
Published: November 2022

Interacting with objects and people requires specifying localized spaces where these interactions can take place. Previous studies suggest that the space for interacting with objects (i.e., the peripersonal space) contributes to defining the space for interacting with people (i.e., personal and interpersonal spaces). Furthermore, situational factors, such as wearing a face mask, have been shown to influence social spaces, but how they influence the relation between action and social spaces and are modulated by individual factors is still not well understood. In this context, the present study investigated the relationship between action peripersonal and social personal and interpersonal spaces in participants approached by male and female virtual characters wearing or not wearing a face mask. We also measured individual factors related to the behavioral immune system, namely willingness to take risks, perceived infectability and germ aversion. The results showed that compared to peripersonal space, personal space was smaller and interpersonal space was larger, but the three spaces were positively correlated. All spaces were altered by gender, being shorter when participants faced female characters. Personal and interpersonal spaces were reduced with virtual characters wearing a face mask, especially in participants highly aversive to risks and germs. Altogether, these findings suggest that the regulation of the social spaces depends on the representation of action peripersonal space, but with an extra margin that is modulated by situational and personal factors in relation to the behavioral immune system.
Separation and purification of antioxidant peptides from purple speckled kidney bean by macroporous adsorption resin and analysis of amino acid composition
Authors: Li Dan , Xu Xin-yu , Yang Yang , Wu Na , Ma Zhan-qian , Zuo Feng , Zhang Na
Published: November 2022

The protein hydrolysate of purple speckled kidney bean (PSKB) was used as the raw material in this study, and the antioxidant peptide of the PSKB protein hydrolysate was purified using macroporous resin. The XAD-7HP macroporous resin was selected as the best purification material, and the static adsorption-desorption of the purified PSKB antioxidant peptide was optimized. The optimum static adsorption and desorption conditions were as follows: the adsorption capacity reached 11.93 ± 0.11 mg/ml at pH 7 for 24 h, and the desorption capacity was 5.24 ± 0.04 mg/ml with 60% ethanol for 30 min. Under this condition, the amount of antioxidant peptide obtained by adsorption-desorption was the highest. The optimum process conditions were as follows: the appropriate flow rate was 1 ml/min, and the optimal injection volume was 40 ml. The adsorption amount at this time can reach 12.19 ± 0.15 mg/ml. The components with an elution time of 10–30 min were separated using the reversed-phase high-performance liquid chromatography (RP-HPLC) technique to obtain three main components, namely, RP1, RP2, and RP3. The DPPH free radical scavenging ability reached 56.26 ± 0.56, 66.42 ± 0.56, and 78.57 ± 0.56%, respectively, which were 36.65, 46.34 ± 0.56, and 54.39 ± 0.56% higher than those before purification. The amino acid sequences of the three components were identified as Phe-Leu-Val-Asp-Arg-Ile, Phe-Leu-Val-Ala-Pro-Asp-Asp, and Lys-Asp-Arg-Val-Ile-Ser-Glu-Leu.
The prognostic value and immunological role of angiogenesis-related patterns in colon adenocarcinoma
Authors: Sun Weijie , Xu Ying , Zhao Baolong , Zhao Min , Chen Jiaying , Chu Yimin , Peng Haixia
Published: November 2022

Colon adenocarcinoma (COAD) is a malignant tumor with a high mortality rate. Angiogenesis plays a key role in the development and progression of cancer. However, in COAD, studies between angiogenesis and prognosis, immune cell infiltration, and personalized treatment guidance are currently lacking. In the present study, we comprehensively assessed 35 angiogenesis-related genes (ARG) and identified key ARGs affecting OS in COAD patients. The ARG Prognostic Index (ARGPI) was constructed based on a univariate Cox regression model and its prognostic value was evaluated in TCGA-COAD, GSE39582, GSE161158 and TRSJTUSM Cohort. We constructed ARGPI as an independent risk factor for OS in COAD patients and combined with clinical parameters to further construct an ARGPI-based nomogram, which showed a strong ability to predict overall survival in COAD patients. High ARGPI is associated with cancer-related and immune-related biological processes and signaling pathways; high TP53 mutation rate; high infiltration of MSC, pericytes, and stromal cells; and more CMS4 subtype. And low ARGPI benefited more from immune checkpoint inhibitor treatment. In addition, we also predicted the sensitivity of different ARGPI groups to common chemotherapeutic and targeted agents. In conclusion, this study constructed an ARGPI based on ARG, which robustly predicted the OS of COAD patients and provided a possible personalized treatment regime for COAD patients.
Wedge resection plus adequate lymph nodes resection is comparable to lobectomy for small-sized non-small cell lung cancer
Authors: Ding Hongdou , Song Nan , Zhang Peng , Jiang Gening , Wang Haifeng
Published: November 2022

Objectives

The study investigated whether wedge resection plus adequate lymph nodes resection conferred comparable survival to lobectomy for node-negative non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) ≤2 cm.

Methods

The Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results database was used to identify patients diagnosed with node-negative NSCLC ≤2 cm and underwent wedge resection or lobectomy (2004-2015). Patients were stratified by the procedure (wedge resection, lobectomy) and the size of NSCLC (≤1 cm, 1-2 cm). We assessed survival between patients undergoing wedge resection and lobectomy. The optimal number of lymph nodes resected which made those two procedures comparable was explored by using Kaplan-Meier analysis and Cox regression analysis. Propensity score matching was performed to minimize the effect of confounding factors.

Results

7893 patients with lobectomy and 2536 patients with wedge resection were identified. Wedge resection was associated with worse survival either in the ≤1 cm or 1-2 cm NSCLC before and after matching. For lesions 1-2 cm and receiving lobectomy, more lymph nodes resected conferred statistically significant increase on survival and six nodes were optimal. For lesions ≤1 cm and receiving lobectomy, lymph nodes resection had no impact on survival. Wedge resection and lobectomy were comparable when one or more nodes for lesions ≤1 cm and six or more nodes for lesions 1-2 cm were resected.

Conclusions

Wedge resection was inferior to lobectomy for NSCLC ≤1 cm and 1-2 cm. Wedge resection plus adequate lymph nodes resection was comparable to lobectomy.
The lysosome as a novel therapeutic target of EGFR-mediated tumor inflammation
Authors: Sung Woo Jung , Kim Dohyang , Zhu Anlin , Cho Namki , Yoo Hee Min , Noh Ji Heon , Kim Kyoung Mi , Lee Hyun-Su , Hong Jaewoo
Published: November 2022

EGFR-mediated tumors have been targeted to overcome several different malignant cancers. EGFR overexpression and mutations are directly related to the malignancy, which makes the therapy more complicated. One reason for the malignancy is the induction of AP1 followed by inflammationviaIL-6 secretion. Current therapeutic strategies to overcome EGFR-mediated tumors are tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs), anti-EGFR monoclonal antibodies, and the combination of these two agents with classic chemotherapy or immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs). Although the strategies are straightforward and have shown promising efficacy in several studies, there are still hurdles to overcoming the adverse effects and limited efficacy. This study reviews the current therapeutic strategies to target EGFR family members, how they work, and their effects and limitations. We also suggest developing novel strategies to target EGFR-mediated tumors in a novel approach. A lysosome is the main custodial staff to discard unwanted amounts of EGFR and other receptor tyrosine kinase molecules. Targeting this organelle may be a new approach to overcoming EGFR-mediated cancers.
Design of an ellipsoidal mirror assisted oblique plane microscopy
Authors: Liu Yuzhe , Chen Qiushu , Fei Yiyan , Mi Lan , Ma Jiong
Published: November 2022

Using one objective for excitation and detection simultaneously, oblique plane microscopy (OPM) provides a mounting-friendly approach for optical sectioning. Unfortunately, the original OPM has three major defects: the mechanical constraints when placing the objectives, the phase loss and the resulting anisotropy of the point spread function (PSF). In order to alleviate the above defects, an ellipsoidal mirror assisted oblique plane microscopy (EM-OPM) was proposed. By inserting an ellipsoidal mirror into the optical path to help collect the light beam, the problem of placing the objectives was solved. The numerical calculation results showed that EM-OPM can obtain higher relative light intensity and larger effective area of exit pupil than OPM when the tilt angle of the light sheet becomes larger. The imaging simulation results showed that EM-OPM effectively solves the problem of resolution reduction in the Y direction of OPM. In addition, optimization of the higher-order terms of the ellipsoidal mirror further improved the imaging ability of EM-OPM in large field of view (FOV).
vital_sqi: A Python package for physiological signal quality control
Authors: Le Van-Khoa D. , Ho Hai Bich , Karolcik Stefan , Hernandez Bernard , Greeff Heloise , Nguyen Van Hao , Phan Nguyen Quoc Khanh , Le Thanh Phuong , Thwaites Louise , Georgiou Pantelis , Clifton David ,   the Vietnam ICU Translational Applications Laboratory (VITAL) Investigators
Published: November 2022

Electrocardiogram (ECG) and photoplethysmogram (PPG) are commonly used to determine the vital signs of heart rate, respiratory rate, and oxygen saturation in patient monitoring. In addition to simple observation of those summarized indexes, waveform signals can be analyzed to provide deeper insights into disease pathophysiology and support clinical decisions. Such data, generated from continuous patient monitoring from both conventional bedside and low-cost wearable monitors, are increasingly accessible. However, the recorded waveforms suffer from considerable noise and artifacts and, hence, are not necessarily used prior to certain quality control (QC) measures, especially by those with limited programming experience. Various signal quality indices (SQIs) have been proposed to indicate signal quality. To facilitate and harmonize a wider usage of SQIs in practice, we present a Python package, named vital_sqi, which provides a unified interface to the state-of-the-art SQIs for ECG and PPG signals. The vital_sqi package provides with seven different peak detectors and access to more than 70 SQIs by using different settings. The vital_sqi package is designed with pipelines and graphical user interfaces to enable users of various programming fluency to use the package. Multiple SQI extraction pipelines can take the PPG and ECG waveforms and generate a bespoke SQI table. As these SQI scores represent the signal features, they can be input in any quality classifier. The package provides functions to build simple rule-based decision systems for signal segment quality classification using user-defined SQI thresholds. An experiment with a carefully annotated PPG dataset suggests thresholds for relevant PPG SQIs.
Symptomatic or asymptomatic SAR-CoV-2 positive divers should be medically evaluated before returning to scuba diving
Authors: Morin Jean , Vallée Nicolas , Dufresne Pierre-Louis , Rives Sarah , Lehot Henri , Daubresse Lucille , Roffi Romain , Druelle Arnaud , Cungi Pierre-Julien , Blatteau Jean-Eric
Published: November 2022

Introduction: In order to allow the resumption of diving activities after a COVID-19 infection, French military divers are required to undergo a medical fitness to dive (FTD) assessment. We present here the results of this medical evaluation performed 1 month after the infection.

Methods: We retrospectively analyzed between April 2020 and February 2021 200 records of divers suspected of COVID-19 contamination. Data collected included physical examination, ECG, blood biochemistry, chest CT scan and spirometry.

Results: 145 PCR-positive subjects were included, representing 8.5% of the total population of French military divers. Two divers were hospitalized, one for pericarditis and the other for non-hypoxemic pneumonia. For the other 143 divers, physical examination, electrocardiogram and blood biology showed no abnormalities. However 5 divers (3.4%) had persistent subjective symptoms including fatigability, exertional dyspnea, dysesthesias and anosmia. 41 subjects (29%) had significant decreases in forced expiratory flows at 25–75% and 50% on spirometry (n = 20) or bilateral ground-glass opacities on chest CT scan (n = 24). Only 3 subjects were affected on both spirometry and chest CT. 45% of these abnormalities were found in subjects who were initially asymptomatic or had non-respiratory symptoms. In case of abnormalities, normalization was obtained within 3 months. The median time to return to diving was 45 days (IQR 30, 64).

Conclusion: Our study confirms the need for standardized follow-up in all divers after COVID-19 infection and for maintaining a rest period before resuming diving activities.
Non-psychotropic phytocannabinoid interactions with voltage-gated sodium channels: An update on cannabidiol and cannabigerol
Authors: Ghovanloo Mohammad-Reza , Dib-Hajj Sulayman D. , Goodchild Samuel J. , Ruben Peter C. , Waxman Stephen G.
Published: November 2022

Phytocannabinoids, found in the plant, Cannabis sativa, are an important class of natural compounds with physiological effects. These compounds can be generally divided into two classes: psychoactive and non-psychoactive. Those which do not impart psychoactivity are assumed to predominantly function via endocannabinoid receptor (CB) -independent pathways and molecular targets, including other receptors and ion channels. Among these targets, the voltage-gated sodium (Nav) channels are particularly interesting due to their well-established role in electrical signalling in the nervous system. The interactions between the main non-psychoactive phytocannabinoid, cannabidiol (CBD), and Nav channels were studied in detail. In addition to CBD, cannabigerol (CBG), is another non-psychoactive molecule implicated as a potential therapeutic for several conditions, including pain via interactions with Nav channels. In this mini review, we provide an update on the interactions of Nav channels with CBD and CBG.
Diabetes outcomes in heart failure patients with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy
Authors: Mekhaimar Menatalla , Al Mohannadi Moza , Dargham Soha , Al Suwaidi Jassim , Jneid Hani , Abi Khalil Charbel
Published: November 2022

Aims: We aimed to assess diabetes outcomes in heart failure (HF) patients with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM).

Methods: The National Inpatient Sample database was analyzed to identify records from 2005 to 2015 of patients hospitalized for HF with concomitant HCM. We examined the prevalence of diabetes in those patients, assessed the temporal trend of in-hospital mortality, ventricular fibrillation, atrial fibrillation, and cardiogenic shock and compared diabetes patients to their non-diabetes counterparts.

Results: Among patients with HF, 0.26% had HCM, of whom 29.3% had diabetes. Diabetes prevalence increased from 24.8% in 2005 to 32.7% in 2015. The mean age of patients with diabetes decreased from 71 ± 13 to 67.6 ± 14.2 (p < 0.01), but the prevalence of cardiovascular risk factors significantly increased. In-hospital mortality decreased from 4.3% to 3.2% between 2005 and 2015. Interestingly, cardiogenic shock, VF, and AF followed an upward trend. Age (OR = 1.04 [1.03–1.05]), female gender (OR = 1.50 [0.72–0.88]), and cardiovascular risk factors were associated with a higher in-hospital mortality risk in diabetes. Compared to non-diabetes patients, the ones with diabetes were younger and had more comorbidities. Unexpectedly, the adjusted risks of in-hospital mortality (aOR = 0.88 [0.76–0.91]), ventricular fibrillation (aOR = 0.79 [0.71–0.88]) and atrial fibrillation (aOR 0.80 [0.76–0.85]) were lower in patients with diabetes, but not cardiogenic shock (aOR 1.01 [0.80–1.27]). However, the length of stay was higher in patients with diabetes, and so were the total charges per stay.

Conclusion: In total, we observed a temporal increase in diabetes prevalence among patients with HF and HCM. However, diabetes was paradoxically associated with lower in-hospital mortality and arrhythmias.
Predicting spatial variability of species diversity with the minimum data set of soil properties in an arid desert riparian forest
Authors: Li Xiaotong , Chen Yudong , Lv Guanghui , Wang Jinlong , Jiang Lamei , Wang Hengfang , Yang Xiaodong
Published: November 2022

Species diversity has spatial heterogeneity in ecological systems. Although a large number of studies have demonstrated the influence of soil properties on species diversity, most of them have not considered their spatial variabilities. To remedy the knowledge gap, a 1 ha (100 m × 100 m) plots of arid desert riparian forest was set up in the Ebinur Wetland Nature Reserve (ELWNR) in the NW China. Then, the minimum data set of soil properties (soil MDS) was established using the Principal Component Analysis (PCA) and the Norm Value Determination to represent the total soil property data set (soil TDS). The Geo-statistics and two models (i.e., Random Forest/RF and Multiple Linear Regression/MLR) were used to measure the spatial variability of species diversity, and predict its spatial distribution by the soil MDS, respectively. The results showed that the soil MDS was composed of soil salt content (SSC), soil total phosphorus (STP), soil available phosphorus (SAP), soil organic carbon (SOC) and soil nitrate nitrogen (SNN); which represented the soil TDS perfectly (R2 =0.62). Three species diversity indices (i.e., Shannon–Wiener, Simpson and Pielou indices) had a high spatial dependence (C0/(C0+C)< 25%; 0.72 m ≤ range≤ 0.77 m). Ordinary kriging distribution maps showed that the spatial distribution pattern of species diversity predicted by RF model was closer to its actual distribution compared with MLR model. RF model results suggested that the soil MDS had significant effect on spatial distribution of Shannon–Wiener, Simpson and Pielou indices (Varex= 56%, 49% and 36%, respectively). Among all constituents, SSC had the largest contribution on the spatial variability of species diversity (nearly 10%), while STP had least effect (< 5.3%). We concluded that the soil MDS affected spatial variability of species diversity in arid desert riparian forests. Using RF model can predict spatial variability of species diversity through soil properties. Our work provided a new case and insight for studying the spatial relationship between soil properties and plant species diversity.
EBE-YOLOv4: A lightweight detecting model for pine cones in forest
Authors: Zhang Zebing , Jiang Dapeng , Yu Huiling , Zhang Yizhuo
Published: November 2022

Pine cones are important forest products, and the picking process is complex. Aiming at the multi-objective and dispersed characteristics of pine cones in the forest, a machine vision detection model (EBE-YOLOV4) is designed to solve the problems of many parameters and poor computing ability of the general YOLOv4, so as to realize rapid and accurate recognition of pine cones in the forest. Taking YOLOv4 as the basic framework, this method can realize a lightweight and accurate recognition model for pine cones in forest through optimized design of the backbone and the neck networks. EfficientNet-b0 (E) is chosen as the backbone network for feature extraction to reduce parameters and improve the running speed of the model. Channel transformation BiFPN structure (B), which improves the detection rate and ensures the detection accuracy of the model, is introduced to the neck network for feature fusion. The neck network also adds a lightweight channel attention ECA-Net (E) to solve the problem of accuracy decline caused by lightweight improvement. Meanwhile, the H-Swish activation function is used to optimize the model performance to further improve the model accuracy at a small computational cost. 768 images of pine cones in forest were used as experimental data, and 1536 images were obtained after data expansion, which were divided into training set and test set at the ratio of 8:2. The CPU used in the experiment was Inter Core i9-10885@2.40Ghz, and the GPU was NVIDIA Quadro RTX 5000. The performance of YOLOv4 lightweight design was observed based on the indicators of precision (P), recall (R) and detection frames per second (FPS). The results showed that the measurement accuracy (P) of the EBE-YOLOv4 was 96.25%, the recall rate (F) was 82.72% and the detection speed (FPS) was 64.09F/S. Compared with the original YOLOv4, the precision of detection had no significant change, but the speed increased by 70%, which demonstrated the effectiveness of YOLOv4 lightweight design.
Responses of carbon dynamics to grazing exclusion in natural alpine grassland ecosystems on the QingZang Plateau
Authors: Liu Tianyuan , Sun Jian , Chen Youchao , Zhou Tiancai , Shang Hua , Wang Yingxin , Wu Junxi , Mi Qi , Zhang Jintao , He Wen , Sun Le
Published: November 2022

In the context of “Carbon Emissions Peak” and “Carbon Neutrality”, grazing exclusion (GE) has been applied widely to rehabilitate degraded grasslands and increase carbon sequestration. However, on the QingZang Plateau (QZP), the impacts of GE on the carbon dynamics of alpine grasslands are poorly understood, particularly at a regional scale. To fill this knowledge gap, we evaluated the responses of carbon sequestration to GE in different alpine grasslands across QZP by using meta-analysis. The effects of GE on ecosystem carbon fractions were dependent on GE duration, grassland types and climate factors. Specifically, our results indicated that GE had more obviously positive effects on carbon stock across the alpine meadow than the alpine steppe. However, when considering different GE duration, the longer duration of GE was more effective for increasing ecosystem carbon sequestration (R2 = 0.52, P<0.0001) in the alpine steppe. Our results further demonstrated that annual mean precipitation (AMP) and temperature (AMT) began to dominate ecosystem carbon sequestration after three years of GE duration across the alpine meadow; and AMP was an important climate factor limiting ecosystem carbon sequestration (R2 = 0.34, P<0.01) in the alpine steppe. In terms of plant carbon fraction, GE generated continuous positive effect (P<0.05) on aboveground biomass with the increased GE duration in the alpine meadow, while this positive effect disappeared after the 8th year of GE duration. And no positive effects were found on belowground biomass in the 11th year in alpine steppe. For soil organic carbon (SOC), there existed periodic fluctuations (increased and then decreased) on SOC in response to GE. For microbial biomass carbon, there were no obvious trends in response to GE duration. In general, we highlighted that the responses of different carbon fractions (plant-soil-microbe) to GE were non-uniform at spatial and temporal scales, thereby we should adopt different carbon management practices for sustainable development of different grasslands.
The effect of quality of service experience on consumers' loyalty to music streaming services: Time pressure as a moderator
Authors: Zhang Yizhou , Zhang Mengze
Published: November 2022

This study investigates how the quality of service experience (QSE) impacts users' satisfaction and loyalty to music streaming services. To this end, the sense of insufficient time to do things, a moderated mediation model, is adopted to examine the mediating role of satisfaction and the moderating role of time pressure from working. By using structural equation modeling, the results reveal that QSE is positively related to users' satisfaction and loyalty to music streaming services. The results also show that the QSE positively influences users' loyalty through satisfaction. Furthermore, time pressure, acting as a moderator, positively affects the relationship between QSE and satisfaction and the relationship between satisfaction and loyalty.
Artificial-intelligence robot umpires in sailing race
Authors: Wu Chien-Hung
Published: November 2022

Today, many maritime nations have been promoting boat sports proactively, including sailing races. As sailing races are large-scale regattas that require massive workforces to monitor the game fairly; however, with limited match budgets and labors, Internet of Things (IoT) technology supports monitoring games has become a trend. This article proposes a robot umpire system in sailing races based on Artificial Intelligence (AI) techniques, using drones and AIoT technology to monitor sailing matches. When a large number of sailboats are in a match, and each sail along different routes, drones can monitor the entire game simultaneously. The features of this proposed approach are (1) The system recognizes images by Faster R-CNN, judging whether a sailboat uses a motor to accelerate; (2) The system detects conditions by edge computing; when cheating behaviors happen, it can notify the event holder immediately; (3) Advanced drone route plans can avoid collision incidents; (4) Improve the system recognition by federated learning. This study has implemented an experiment with real drones and installed IoT equipment on the drones for taking videos and recognizing. The experimental result has shown that the proposed approach is feasible and benefits the match's fairness. Additionally, umpires can review the violation details from the videos taken by the drones, supporting evidence for judging.
The effects of art design courses in higher vocational colleges based on C-STEAM
Authors: Qian Chen , Ye Jian-Hong , Lee Yi-Sang
Published: November 2022

C-STEAM education is aimed at preserving local culture, while also improving students’ interests and skills in science, technology, engineering, art, and mathematics-related fields. Other goals are to cultivate students to solve complex and practical problems through interdisciplinary thinking or integrate learning subjects with local senses in the context. In the present curriculum implemented in China, STEAM education mainly focuses on K-12 education and kindergarten education, and it is not widely implemented in colleges and universities, and most of the existing courses are carried out in general technical courses such as robotics and 3D printing, and less in design courses, since the concept of STEAM education has just begun to be advocated recently. Nevertheless, STEAM courses are still limited to special educational systems and disciplines, even though these courses have been vigorously promoted in China. Thus, this study designed an innovative higher vocational college curriculum based on the interdisciplinary principle of C-STEAM, using art design as a meta-theme framework and integrating Chinese local culture. A single-subject quasi-experimental design method was used. A total of 45 students majoring in art design in a higher vocational college were invited to participate in this study. The teaching experiment lasted for 9 weeks. Through teachers’ teaching and, demonstration and students’ independent learning of C-STEAM knowledge in the field of art and design, the concept of C-STEAM was introduced to the creation of packaging design. At the same time, a model composed of six hypotheses was constructed, using the creative self-efficacy scale, learning engagement scale, and creative performance assessment as measurement methods, to discuss students’ participation in the art and design courses of higher vocational colleges based on the concept of C-STEAM integration of creative self-efficacy, learning engagement, and creative performance over time. The results showed that students with higher creative self-efficacy had higher learning engagement (cognitive, affective, and behavioral), and students with higher learning engagement performed better in terms of creative performance. The results of this study can help researchers and educators to focus on C-STEAM courses and provide suggestions for the cultivation of art and design professionals in higher vocational colleges.
Per1 gene polymorphisms influence the relationship between brain white matter microstructure and depression risk
Authors: Zhao Rui , Sun Jin-Bo , Deng Hui , Cheng Chen , Li Xue , Wang Fu-Min , He Zhao-Yang , Chang Meng-Ying , Lu Li-Ming , Tang Chun-Zhi , Xu Neng-Gui , Yang Xue-Juan , Qin Wei
Published: November 2022

Background

Circadian rhythm was involved in the pathogenesis of depression. The detection of circadian genes and white matter (WM) integrity achieved increasing focus for early prediction and diagnosis of major depressive disorder (MDD). This study aimed to explore the effects of PER1 gene polymorphisms (rs7221412), one of the key circadian genes, on the association between depressive level and WM microstructural integrity.

Materials and methods

Diffusion tensor imaging scanning and depression assessment (Beck Depression Inventory, BDI) were performed in 77 healthy college students. Participants also underwent PER1 polymorphism detection and were divided into the AG group and AA group. The effects of PER1 genotypes on the association between the WM characteristics and BDI were analyzed using tract-based spatial statistics method.

Results

Compared with homozygous form of PER1 gene (AA), more individuals with risk allele G of PER1 gene (AG) were in depression state with BDI cutoff of 14 (χ2 = 7.37, uncorrected p = 0.007). At the level of brain imaging, the WM integrity in corpus callosum, internal capsule, corona radiata and fornix was poorer in AG group compared with AA group. Furthermore, significant interaction effects of genotype × BDI on WM characteristics were observed in several emotion-related WM tracts. To be specific, the significant relationships between BDI and WM characteristics in corpus callosum, internal capsule, corona radiata, fornix, external capsule and sagittal stratum were only found in AG group, but not in AA group.

Conclusion

Our findings suggested that the PER1 genotypes and emotion-related WM microstructure may provide more effective measures of depression risk at an early phase.
Depression and anxiety among people with hypertension on follow-up in Eastern Ethiopia: A multi-center cross-sectional study
Authors: Abdisa Lemesa , Letta Shiferaw , Nigussie Kabtamu
Published: November 2022

Background

People with hypertension have a high risk of developing mental disorders, such as depression and/or anxiety. However, there is a paucity of data regarding comorbid depression and anxiety symptoms among people with hypertension in study settings.

Objective

The study determined the prevalence and associated factors of depression, and anxiety symptoms among people with hypertension on follow-up at public hospitals, in Eastern Ethiopia.

Materials and methods

A cross-sectional study was carried out among 471 people with hypertension who were randomly chosen from four public hospitals in Harar town and the Dire Dawa Administration. The data were collected by interviewer-administered structured questionnaires. A validated nine-item Patient Health Questionnaire and Generalized Anxiety Disorder scales were used to assess depression and anxiety symptoms, respectively. A logistic regression model was used to identify the association among depression, anxiety, and their predictors. An adjusted odds ratio and a 95% confidence interval were used to report the association. The statistical significance was set at a p-value of < 0.05.

Results

Depression and anxiety symptoms were present in 27.2 and 32.7% of people with hypertension, respectively. Being women (AOR = 1.74, 1.09–2.78), having no formal education (AOR = 2.19, 1.19–4.81), presence of other medical illnesses (AOR = 2.23, 1.39–3.56), having a family history of depression (AOR = 2.01, 1.25–3.19), and poor social support (AOR = 2.80, 1.60–5.22) were statistically associated with depressive symptoms, whereas being women (AOR = 1.54, 1.01–2.35), widowed and divorced (AOR = 2.22, 1.41–3.52), presence of other medical illnesses (AOR = 1.64, 1.06–2.53), and poor social support (AOR = 3.54, 2.09–6.01) were statistically associated with anxiety symptoms.

Conclusion

More than a quarter of people with hypertension reported symptoms of depression and anxiety. Findings demonstrated that being a woman, having an additional medical illness and having poor social support were statistically associated with depressive and anxiety symptoms. Regular screening, early detection, and offering the proper intervention should be on top priorities for healthcare professionals.
Current medical education improves OSA-related knowledge but not confidence in residents: An underappreciated public health risk
Authors: Su Linfan , Chen Ruxuan , Luo Jinmei , Xiao Yi
Published: November 2022

Background

Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is the most common sleep-related breathing disorder and induces a growing health care burden. However, a large proportion of patients with OSA do not receive appropriate treatment and are underdiagnosed or misdiagnosed in primary care. A contributing factor to the phenomenon is the lack of education, which reflects the current inadequacies in medical education. Therefore, assessing the level of knowledge and attitudes toward OSA and associated factors among resident physicians is highly warranted.

Methods

A validated questionnaire, the OSA Knowledge and Attitudes (OSAKA) questionnaire was distributed to residents who had already completed undergraduate education and were attending an internal medicine residency training program. The questionnaire consists of 2 parts: including an assessment of (1) OSA-related knowledge involving epidemiology, pathophysiology, clinical manifestations, diagnosis, and treatment; (2) the importance of OSA and confidence in diagnosing and treating OSA patients. Other information including demographics, training experience, and questions exploring the future form of the sleep breathing disorder course was collected together.

Results

Of the 160 residents who participated in the survey, 153 (95.6%) completed the survey and the mean total knowledge score was 12.6/18 (70% correct). Although all respondents believed that OSA was an important clinical disorder, only a minority of the residents felt confident in identifying patients at risk for OSA (38%), managing OSA patients (27.5%), or continuous positive airway pressure therapy (CPAP) (26.2%). We found that OSA training experience significantly increased knowledge scores (p = 0.002) but not confidence scores (p = 0.248). As for the specific form of medical education, “Small classes during residency training” was the most popular form of sleep-breathing disorder educational training in the future of the resident training program.

Conclusion

Despite adequate knowledge of OSA, there was still a generalized lack of confidence in the management of OSA patients among residents. Current medical education can not build enough confidence for physicians, which may in turn affect patients' trust and reduce long-term compliance. Untreated OSA places a significant health threat and economic burden on not only the patients but also their families and society, causing an underappreciated public health risk. In the future, merely increasing OSA courses is not sufficient, a more specific focus on the course format and training effect is required.
Exploring the effects and mechanisms of organophosphorus pesticide exposure and hearing loss
Authors: Zou Mingshan , Huang Mao , Zhang Jianyun , Chen Rong
Published: November 2022

Many environmental factors, such as noise, chemicals, and heavy metals, are mostly produced by human activities and easily induce acquired hearing loss. Organophosphorus pesticides (OPs) constitute a large variety of chemicals and have high usage with potentiate damage to human health. Moreover, their metabolites also show a serious potential contamination of soil, water, and air, leading to a serious impact on people's health. Hearing loss affects 430 million people (5.5% of the global population), bringing a heavy burden to individual patients and their families and society. However, the potential risk of hearing damage by OPs has not been taken seriously. In this study, we summarized the effects of OPs on hearing loss from epidemiological population studies and animal experiments. Furthermore, the possible mechanisms of OP-induced hearing loss are elucidated from oxidative stress, DNA damage, and inflammatory response. Overall, this review provides an overview of OP exposure alone or with noise that leads to hearing loss in human and experimental animals.
Approaching person-centered clinical practice: A cluster analysis of older inpatients utilizing the measurements of intrinsic capacity
Authors: Wu Wenbin , Sun Liang , Li Hong , Zhang Jie , Shen Ji , Li Jing , Zhou Qi
Published: November 2022

Background

Maintaining the intrinsic capacity (IC) of older inpatients is a novel view in providing person-centered treatments in clinical practice. Uncertainty remains regarding the primary nature of IC among older hospitalized patients.

Objectives

We aimed to understand the status of IC among older inpatients by a cluster analysis based on IC measurements.

Methods

This is a cross-sectional study conducted in the geriatric department of Beijing Hospital in China. Older inpatients who were older than 60 years and who underwent comprehensive geriatric assessments were included. The inpatients were classified into subgroups based on 13 measurements of IC according to unsupervised methods (K-means cluster analysis and t-SNE). Subgroup differences were investigated for domains of IC, age, sex, frailty, activities of daily living, and falls.

Results

A total of 909 inpatients with a mean age of 76.6 years were included. Almost 98% of the inpatients showed IC impairment. Locomotion impairment was the most prevalent problem (91.1%), followed by sensory impairment (61.4%), psychological impairment (57.3%), cognition decline (30.7%), and vitality problem (29.2%). A total of five clusters were obtained by classification: Cluster 1 (56.6% of the participants) showed high IC with fair impairment of locomotion and vision; clusters 2 and 3 (37.8 % of the participants) had additional impairment of sleep in the psychological domain; clusters 4 and 5 (5.6% of the participants) represented a severe loss of all the IC domains; and clusters 1–5 showed a gradual decline in the IC score and were significantly associated with increased age, frailty, decreased activities of daily living, and falls. Significant correlations among the domains were observed; the locomotion domain showed the strongest links to the others in network analysis.

Conclusions

Great declines in IC and disparities between IC domains were found in older inpatients. IC-based primary assessment and classification enabled us to identify the variation of functional abilities among the older inpatients, which is pivotal for designing integrated treatment or care models in clinical practice.