bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
An actinomycosis infection resembling peritoneal dissemination of rectal cancer: a case report
Authors: Fukunaga Yukiko , Maeda Hiromichi , Yamaguchi Sachi , Tsutsui Miho , Okamoto Ken , Tanaka Tomoki , Maeda Masahiro , Marui Akira , Namikawa Tsutomu , Kobayashi Michiya , Seo Satoru 
Published: September 2024

Abstract
Background
Actinomycosis is a suppurative and granulomatous inflammation commonly caused by Actinomyces israelii. Due to its rarity and the paucity of characteristic clinical features, diagnosis of intra-abdominal actinomycosis is challenging, especially when the patient has a treatment history of abdominal cancer.

Case presentation
The patient is a 72-year-old man who has a history of multiple abdominal surgeries for rectal cancer, including low anterior resection for primary rectal cancer, partial hepatic resection for metachronous liver metastasis, and Hartmann surgery for local recurrence. The patient has also undergone parastomal hernia repair using the Sugarbaker method. One year after hernia repair, computed tomography (CT) identified a mass lesion between the abdominal wall and the mesh, suggesting the possibility of peritoneal recurrence of rectal cancer. The accumulation of fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG) was evident via positron emission tomography-CT (PET-CT), while tumor marker levels were within the normal range. On laparotomy, the small intestine, abdominal wall, mesh, colon, and stoma were observed to be associated with the mass lesion, and en bloc resection was carried out. However, postoperative histopathological examination revealed an actinomyces infection without any cancerous cells.

Conclusions
This case highlights the challenges faced by surgeons regarding preoperative diagnosis of actinomycosis, especially when it occurs after the resection of abdominal cancer. Also, this case reminds us of the importance of a histopathological examination for abdominal masses or nodules before starting chemotherapy.
Mesenteric ischemia caused by chronic occlusion of multiple mesenteric arteries: a case report
Authors: Zhao Qin-Ming , Xu Zhong-You , Wang Hui 
Published: September 2024

Abstract
Purpose
Chronic mesenteric ischemia (CMI) is a rare disease that progresses with acute mesenteric ischemia, along with high mortality. How to choose the appropriate surgical method and the artery which should be opened first is the key to the treatment.

Case report
In this study, we successively used vascular bypass and endovascular therapy to treat a case of complex chronic mesenteric ischemia.

Conclusion
For mesenteric ischemic disease, the superior mesenteric artery (SMA) should be opened preferentially. Arterial bypass or interventional therapy can be used, or both can be combined, to finally achieve the purpose of treatment.
Metformin and intermittent fasting mitigate high fat-fructose diet-induced liver and skeletal muscle injury through upregulation of mitophagy genes in rats
Authors: Bastawy Nermeen , Soliman Ghada Farouk , Sadek Nermeen Bakr , Gharib Doaa Mostafa , Gouda Mai Abdelaziz , Rashed Laila Ahmed , Abdallah Hanan , Hisham Dina , Abdel-Maksoud Omnia Mohamed 
Published: September 2024

Abstract
Background
High fat-fructose diet is a proinflammatory diet that increases risk of hepatocytes and myocytes steatosis and fibrosis. Finding anti-inflammatory strategies to fight these harmful effects is paid attention to nowadays. This study compared the effects of two widely anti-inflammatory interventions—metformin and intermittent fasting on myocytes and hepatocyte injury induced by proinflammatory diet and tracking possible underlying mechanisms. In this work, rats fed high fat-fructose diet were subdivided into untreated group, treated by metformin, and/or intermittent fasting.

Results
Metformin (300 mg/kg/day) and intermittent fasting (3 days/week) specially their combination for 4 weeks showed significant improvement in insulin resistance, lipid profile, antioxidants (p < 0.05), as well as enhanced hepatocytes and myocytes repair and reduced collagen deposition through upregulation of mitophagy-related genes: PINK1, PARKIN, LAMP2, and PPAR-α (p < 0.05).

Conclusions
Intermittent fasting has beneficial metabolic and molecular therapeutic effects against proinflammatory diet-induced injury. Their results are like those of metformin sparing its adverse effects. Their combination showed additional effects against diet-induced myocytes and hepatocyte injury by upregulation of mitophagy-related genes without the need of increasing the dose of metformin.

Graphic abstract
Androgens Suppress Corticosteroid Binding Globulin in Male Mice, Affecting the Endocrine Stress Response
Authors: Sommers Vera , Gentenaar Max , David Karel , Narinx Nick , Dubois Vanessa , Kroon Jan , Claessens Frank , Meijer Onno C 
Published: September 2024

Abstract
Biological sex affects the activity of the hypothalamus-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis. However, how androgen deprivation affects this axis remains largely unknown. In this study, we investigated the effect of androgen status on different components of the HPA axis in male mice. Two weeks of androgen deprivation did not affect total plasma corticosterone levels but led to increased pituitary ACTH levels. Stress-induced total plasma corticosterone levels were increased, whereas the suppression of corticosterone after dexamethasone treatment under basal conditions was attenuated. Androgen-deprived mice displayed a 2-fold increase in plasma levels of corticosteroid binding globulin (CBG). A similar increase in CBG was observed in global androgen receptor knock-out animals, compared to wild-type littermates. Androgen deprivation was associated with a 6-fold increase in CBG mRNA in the liver and enhanced transcriptional activity at CBG regulatory regions, as evidenced by increased H3K27 acetylation. We propose that the induction of CBG as a consequence of androgen deprivation, together with the unaltered total corticosterone levels, results in lower free corticosterone levels in plasma. This is further supported by mRNA levels of androgen-independent GR target genes in the liver. The reduction in negative feedback on the HPA axis under basal condition would suffice to explain the enhanced stress reactivity after androgen deprivation. Overall, our data demonstrate that, in mice, tonic androgen receptor activation affects CBG levels in conjunction with effects on gene expression and HPA-axis reactivity.
Application and Safety of Externally Controlled Metronomic Drug Delivery to the Brain by an Implantable Smart Pump in a Sheep Model
Authors: Chen Thomas C. , Wu Winston H. , Chang Ki-Eun , Schönthal Axel H. , Gang Eli S. , Indravudh Vic , Lobl Thomas , Adell Frank , Shachar Yehoshua 
Published: September 2024

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES:
Intraventricular drug delivery enables the delivery of therapeutics to the central nervous system, while minimizing peripheral drug exposure and toxicity. However, currently used delivery devices cannot be controlled externally to adjust their output during delivery. Here, the authors investigated the performance of a conceptually novel device designed to metronomically deliver a drug to the cerebrospinal fluid in a manner that can be adjusted wirelessly from an external controller.

METHODS:
Six sheep were subcutaneously implanted in the shoulder region with a drug delivery pump and a catheter connecting to the brain ventricles. Three groups of 2 sheep received low, medium, and high dosages of metronomic methotrexate (MTX) over several weeks, while kept mobile outdoors in a pen. MTX dosages were adjusted from a wireless external controller, and intraventricular MTX concentrations were measured in regular intervals with an Ommaya reservoir.

RESULTS:
Over the course of this 12-week study, sheep showed no signs of toxicity. MTX measurements in the cerebrospinal fluid confirmed that the pump remained responsive to external control and able to deliver drug in an adjustable, metronomic fashion.

CONCLUSION:
This implantable pump system enables external control of drug output, so that the resulting intraventricular drug concentrations can continuously be maintained within the therapeutic range.
Spaces of Scientific Knowledge
Authors: Stehr Nico 
Published: September 2024

Perhaps the first and most pertinent observation that comes to mind when considering knowledge spaces is that scientific knowledge knows no boundaries. However, it would be naive to assume that knowledge flow freely and without cost within and across borders. Indeed, distance can be largerly irrelevant among influences on the cognitive outcomes of scientific collaboration. The nature of the social and cognitive ties between scientists has a greater influence.
A case of Raoultella ornithinolytica cholangitis in a liver transplant recipient
Authors: De Coster Daan A. , Carroll Melissa , Lavender James , Gibson Robert 
Published: September 2024

Background: We present the first documented case of Raoultella ornithinolytica bacteraemia in a patient with liver transplantation. R. ornithinolytica is a Gram-negative anaerobic bacterium found in aquatic environments in fish and birds, and is source of nosocomial infection causing pneumonia, enteritis, cholangitis or urinary infections, associated with surgical interventions in a hospital setting. Case description: A 44-year-old female presented with a 2-day history of fever, rigors, and headache. Her past medical history was significant for having received three orthotopic liver transplants due to Wilson’s disease over a 20-year period. Her physical examination was unremarkable besides stigmata of prior liver transplantation. Blood tests revealed mild elevations in liver function markers and raised inflammatory markers. R. ornithinolytica was eventually isolated from blood cultures. Subsequent magnetic resonance cholangiopancreatography (MRCP) demonstrated new left intrahepatic ductal dilation with heterogeneous peripheral enhancement. The proximal location of the cholangitis explained the lack of abdominal pain or tenderness. The patient was treated with appropriate antibiotic therapy and cultures were negative on day 2. The patient recovered without further intervention. Conclusion: Seldom encountered R. ornithinolytica is uncommonly pathogenic but should be considered in patients receiving immunosuppressants and those with complex surgical anatomy.
Field Study to Assess UASS Mosquito Adulticiding: Methods and Data
Authors: Bonds Jane A.S. , Thistle Harold W. , Fritz Brad , Jank Phillip C. , Martin Daniel E. , Reynolds William 
Published: September 2024

HighlightsMosquito adulticiding over operationally relevant areas is feasible using UASS.Wind speed plays an important role in the spray landing position, as expected based on previous studies using CASA.Results are based on both passive and active collectors, including flat cards, rotary impingers, and bottle brushes.Over 1900 total samples were collected in 8 trials, and elevated samplers allowed analysis of the descent of the droplet cloud.Abstract. A spatially extensive experiment was designed to evaluate the effectiveness of Uncrewed Aerial Spray Systems (UASS) in mosquito adulticiding. The practice of adulticiding uses very fine droplets (DV0.5 &lt;50µm). The objective is to fill a volume of air with fine droplets that a flying adult mosquito will encounter in flight. A field program was designed with samplers as far as 500 m downwind from the UASS flight line. A total of over 1900 samples were collected over the course of eight trials. Both passive and active collectors were deployed. Tests were conducted in the early morning and were generally successful in terms of meteorological conditions and data collection. Elevated samplers successfully tracked the descent of the spray cloud, and spray was collected from the most distant samplers. The known dependence of spray movement on wind speed that has been widely observed and codified into label language for Crewed Aerial Spray Aircraft (CASA) was observed. Very low wind speed conditions are problematic for adulticiding in general, and undesirable near-field deposition of adulticiding spray was observed in the data presented here under low wind speed conditions. It needs to be emphasized that much more data needs to be collected before statistically robust conclusions can be drawn. Generally, these data show that UASS can be used to disperse very fine spray droplets over areas representative of operational adulticiding. This paper presents and discusses spray movement and deposition, a second paper is in preparation comparing these data to existing models of spray dispersion and deposition from UASS spraying. A third paper examining mortality from UASS adulticiding has been published. Keywords: Adulticiding, Pesticide drift, UASS Spraying, UAV.
Automated Handling and Feeding Techniques for Skewering Operations
Authors: Jing Yi , Lyu Jiaqi , Liu Wenbo , Yao Tianqi , Cao Yupeng , Lu Yuzhen , Zhang Xin 
Published: September 2024

HighlightsAn automated system connects skewering operations for unattended kebab production.Separating and aligning meat cubes, vegetable slices, and shrimp (C-shape).Multi-machine mode for producing meat and vegetables, and shrimp and vegetable kebabs.Abstract. Barbecue kebab skewers typically consist of various meat choices, including chicken, lamb, pork, or seafood, and vegetables such as onion and pepper. Traditionally, manual kebab-making is a time-consuming and labor-intensive process, which is considered to be replaced by semi-auto and full-auto skewering machines. Currently, semi-auto skewering machines still require two main manual preparation processes: align the small meat and vegetable pieces into lines for skewering operations; superpose the large pieces of meat and vegetables, then do skewering and cutting operations. Fully automated skewering machines also have two different strategies. The first one is to use rotating scrappers and cups with a respective depth to ensure only one item can be loaded into each cup. All the cups are arranged into sequential cup rows and cup lines for skewering operations. However, the cups are frequently left empty because the rotating scrapper design often blocks any items falling into cups. Thus, some processing facilities still need extra labor to manually fill these empty cups. Another solution is the pick-and-place method by using robot arms and real-time image processing equipment, which cannot process irregular food pieces, such as shrimps (C-shape). In this paper, a novel fully automated handling and feeding system has been developed to prepare and connect the skewering operations to establish unattended kebab production lines. The performances of singulation, handling, and feeding operations have been investigated with different parameter settings and food items. Besides, the presented machine system is the first realization of unattended kebab production lines to process shrimps (C-shape), and the first design of using horizontal skewering operation to produce meat and vegetable kebabs (cube+ square piece) and shrimp and vegetable kebabs (C-shape+ square piece). This study will be beneficial for developing more effective next-generation skewering technologies and better value-added meat and seafood products. Keywords: Automated skewering, Computer vision, Food sorting automation, Kebab skewer, Robotic food preparation, Singulation.
Internal Foliar Air Velocity Characteristics for Soybeans Tested in a Wind Tunnel
Authors: Eswarachandra Nataraj , Womac Alvin Ray , Duncan Lori , Kochendorfer John 
Published: September 2024

HighlightsAir velocity characteristics within soybean rows were monitored to inquire about potential spray droplet movement inside dense foliage.Magnitude of air velocity at high and middle canopy heights decreased with decreasing row spacing and increasing plant canopy leaf area index.Potential for external light wind to penetrate dense soybean foliage and to transition to an internal wind velocity appeared limited due to blockage by the foliage.Abstract. The objective of this study was to characterize air velocities within a group of soybean plants under controlled conditions in a University of Tennessee biosystems engineering low-speed wind tunnel. The wind tunnel had 13 module sections that were each sized 1.22 m long, 2 m high, by 2 m wide, and was powered with a 93.25-kW motor and variable frequency drive at a mean air velocity of 1.4 m s-1. Extreme high air velocities were avoided to reduce the impact and added complexities of plant structural deflections. Wind tunnel tests were conducted with soybeans grown in pots placed in the wind tunnel with pot row spacings selected as 0.25, 0.38, and 0.51 m to vary the openness of the plant canopy. These row spacings represented narrow production practices that were perceived as difficult for spray droplets to penetrate. Soybeans were grown in pots outdoors to achieve plants that resembled the hardy structural characteristics of those in field production. Plants reached the R3 growth stage when the air velocity experiments started, and mean plant height and width were 0.51 and 0.46 m, respectively. Outdoor plant canopy leaf area index (LAI) measured at heights of 0.28 and 0.43 m for pot row spacings of 0.25, 0.38, and 0.51 m were 8.27, 6.66, and 5.59 m2 m-2 and 7.04, 6.49, and 5.01 m2 m-2, respectively. Thus, increased measurement height and increased row spacing reduced LAI values as expected. Soybean pots were placed in rows oriented along the length of the wind tunnel. Air velocity component values in the foliar canopy were the greatest for longitudinal components, followed by vertical and lateral components. A complex system of three-dimensional air velocities was observed along soybean rows of various row spacings. The soybean canopy was perceived as the root cause of wind velocity blockage resulting in mean longitudinal wind velocities ranging from -0.01 to 0.61 m s-1 depending on row spacing, location between- or in-row and measurement height. Using ambient wind to reliably and consistently aid spray penetration and droplet movement into soybeans grown under conditions with dense foliage appeared to further compound the issue of spray penetration. Keywords: Agricultural wind tunnel, Anemometer, Field crop foliage, Leaf area index, Plant canopy analyzer, Row spacing, Spray deposit, Wind resultants.
Quantum compressed sensing-based compound system for ranging/vibration measurement
Authors: Niu Hongqi , Yang Liu , Hu Jianyong , Yang Changgang , Feng Guosheng , Qiao Zhixing , Chen Ruiyun , Qin Chengbing , Zhang Guofeng , Xiao Liantuan , Jia Suotang 
Published: September 2024

Frequency-modulated continuous-wave (FMCW) lidar offers high precision and strong interference resistance, capable of synchronously measuring target motion speed and vibration information. However, extracting target information using single-photon signal levels poses a critical challenge in extreme conditions. In this study, we propose a single-photon level FMCW lidar scheme. Quantum compressed sensing (QCS) is employed to simultaneously extract target distance and vibration information. Experimental results demonstrate successful synchronous detection at a beat frequency of 27.304 kHz and a vibration frequency of 500 Hz within an integration time of 0.125 s at a photon counting rate of 9 kcps. This approach provides a new, to the best of our knowledge, solution for FMCW radar application in extreme environments or long-range scenarios.
Geometric correction of cone beam computed laminography based on projected address translation
Authors: He Pan , Lu Rongsheng , Mu Ziyang , Shen Siyuan , Chen Gengyang , Li Hao 
Published: September 2024

Precise alignment of the system scan geometry is crucial to the reconstruction quality of computed laminography (CL). Different from computed tomography (CT), a challenging task for CL image reconstruction is to deal with rotational axes that are no longer symmetrical. In this paper, we take advantage of the fact that the difference between the inverse of the projected transverse coordinates of two points rotated about the axis of rotation under the CL scan geometry sums to zero when the projection angle differs by 180 deg. Based on this fact, the projection data under the scanned geometry with errors are aligned to the theoretical projection geometry. To validate this calibration method, a numerical printed circuit board (PCB) phantom was simulated. The results demonstrate that this method is capable of achieving high accuracy compared to the previous methods. The experimental results on printed circuit boards (PCB) demonstrate that the method can effectively improve geometric alignment accuracy of CL and obtain high-resolution reconstructed images.
Prevalence of onchocerciasis and epilepsy in a Tanzanian region after a prolonged community-directed treatment with ivermectin
Authors: Mushi Vivian P. , Bhwana Dan , Massawe Isolide S. , Makunde Williams , Sebukoto Hillary , Ngasa Willison , Sengerema Joel , Mhina Athanas , Hayuma Paul M. , Kimambo Henrika , Kidima Winifrida , Matuja William , Sander Josemir W. , Cross Helen , Sen Arjune , Colebunders Robert , Newton Charles R. , Mmbando Bruno P. ,   EPInA Study Group
Published: September 2024

Introduction
Epidemiological evidence suggests that Onchocerca volvulus is associated with epilepsy, although the exact pathophysiological mechanism is unknown. Mahenge is an endemic focus of onchocerciasis, with the longest-running ivermectin treatment intervention in Tanzania. We assessed the prevalence of onchocerciasis and epilepsy after 25 years of control using ivermectin.

Methods
This was a population-based cross-sectional study in 34 villages in Mahenge in 2021. Community health workers conducted door-to-door household surveys to enumerate the population and screen for individuals suspected of epilepsy using a standardised questionnaire. Trained physicians confirmed epilepsy. Children aged 6–11 years were screened for onchocerciasis antibodies using the Ov16 rapid test. Villages were stratified into three altitude levels (low [<400], medium [400–950], and high [>950 meters above sea level]) as a proxy for rapids, which black flies favour for breeding sites. Incidence of epilepsy was estimated as a ratio of new cases in the year preceding the survey per 100,000 population.

Results
56,604 individuals (median age 20.2 years, 51.1% females) were surveyed. Onchocerciasis prevalence in children was 11.8% and was highest in villages at medium (21.7%) and lowest in low altitudes (3.2%), p<0.001. Self-reported use of ivermectin was 88.4%. Epilepsy prevalence was 21.1 (95%CI: 19.9–22.3) cases per 1000 persons and was highest in medium (29.5%) and lowest in the lowlands (12.7%). The odds ratio (OR) of having epilepsy was significantly higher in females (OR = 1.22, 95%CI: 1.08–1.38), middle altitudes (OR = 2.34 [95%CI: 2.04–2.68]), and in individuals positive for OV16 (OR = 1.98 [95%CI:1.57–2.50]). The incidence of epilepsy a year before the survey was 117 (95%CI: 99.7–160.4) cases per 100,000 person-years.

Conclusion
Despite ivermectin use for 25 years, the prevalence of onchocerciasis and epilepsy remains high. It is crucial to strengthen bi-annual ivermectin treatment and initiate interventions targeting vectors to control onchocerciasis and epilepsy in the area.