bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Re-using food resources from failed honey bee (Apis mellifera L.) colonies and their impact on colony queen rearing capacity
Authors: Tokach Rogan , Smart Autumn , Wu-Smart Judy 
Published: October 2023

AbstractFor over a decade, beekeepers have experienced high losses of honey bee (Apis mellifera L.) colonies due to a variety of stressors including pesticide exposure. Some of these chemical stressors may residually remain in the colony comb and food resources (pollen and nectar) of failed colonies and be later re-used by beekeepers when splitting and building back new colonies. The practice of re-using comb from previously perished colonies (termed “deadout”) is common in beekeeping practice, but its role in affecting colony health is not well understood. Here, we evaluate the impact of reused, pesticide-contaminated “deadout” combs on colony function during the process of replacing a queen bee. Queenless microcolonies were established to monitor queen rearing capacity in two treatment groups: (1) colonies given frames containing food resources from deadout colonies in control “clean” apiaries and, (2) colonies given frames containing “contaminated” resources from deadout colonies originating from apiaries experiencing chronic pesticide exposure from widespread systemic pesticide pollution (including neonicotinoid insecticides: clothianidin and thiamethoxam). Results indicate that colonies given pesticide-contaminated resources produced fewer queen cells per colony and had a lower proportion of colonies successfully raising a functional, diploid egg-laying queen. This research highlights the deleterious effects of re-using deadout combs from colonies previously lost due to pesticide contamination.
Sex-stratified patterns of emergency cardiovascular admissions prior and during the COVID-19 pandemic
Authors: Gajewski Piotr , Błaziak Mikołaj , Urban Szymon , Garus Mateusz , Braunschweig Frieder , Caldeira Daniel , Gawor Antoni , Greenwood John P. , Guzik Mateusz , Halfwerk Frank R. , Iwanek Gracjan , Jarocki Michał , Jura Maksym , Krzystek-Korpacka Małgorzata , Lewandowski Łukasz , Lund Lars H. , Matysiak Michał , Pinto Fausto , Sleziak Jakub , Wietrzyk Weronika , Sokolski Mateusz , Biegus Jan , Ponikowski Piotr , Zymliński Robert 
Published: October 2023

AbstractThe COVID-19 pandemic has had a significant impact on global public health, with long-term consequences that are still largely unknown. This study aimed to assess the data regarding acute cardiovascular hospital admissions in five European centers before and during the pandemic. A multicenter, multinational observational registry was created, comparing admissions to the emergency departments during a 3-months period in 2020 (during the pandemic) with the corresponding period in 2019 (pre-pandemic). Data on patient demographics, COVID-19 test results, primary diagnosis, comorbidities, heart failure profile, medication use, and laboratory results were collected. A total of 8778 patients were included in the analysis, with 4447 patients in 2019 and 4331 patients in 2020. The results showed significant differences in the distribution of cardiovascular diseases between the two years. The frequency of pulmonary embolism (PE) increased in 2020 compared to 2019, while acute heart failure (AHF) and other cardiovascular diseases decreased. The odds of PE incidence among hospitalized patients in 2020 were 1.316-fold greater than in 2019. The incidence of AHF was 50.83% less likely to be observed in 2020, and the odds for other cardiovascular diseases increased by 17.42% between the 2 years. Regarding acute coronary syndrome (ACS), the distribution of its types differed between 2019 and 2020, with an increase in the odds of ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) in 2020. Stratification based on sex revealed further insights. Among men, the incidence of AHF decreased in 2020, while other cardiovascular diseases increased. In women, only the incidence of STEMI showed a significant increase. When analyzing the influence of SARS-CoV-2 infection, COVID-positive patients had a higher incidence of PE compared to COVID-negative patients. COVID-positive patients with ACS also exhibited symptoms of heart failure more frequently than COVID-negative patients. These findings provide valuable information on the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on acute cardiovascular hospital admissions. The increased incidence of PE and changes in the distribution of other cardiovascular diseases highlight the importance of monitoring and managing cardiovascular health during and post pandemic period. The differences observed between sexes emphasize the need for further research to understand potential sex-specific effects of COVID-19 on cardiovascular outcomes.
Paludiculture can support biodiversity conservation in rewetted fen peatlands
Authors: Martens H. R. , Laage K. , Eickmanns M. , Drexler A. , Heinsohn V. , Wegner N. , Muster C. , Diekmann M. , Seeber E. , Kreyling J. , Michalik P. , Tanneberger F. 
Published: October 2023

AbstractPaludiculture, the productive use of wet or rewetted peatlands, offers an option for continued land use by farmers after rewetting formerly drained peatlands, while reducing the greenhouse gas emissions from peat soils. Biodiversity conservation may benefit, but research on how biodiversity responds to paludiculture is scarce. We conducted a multi-taxon study investigating vegetation, breeding bird and arthropod diversity at six rewetted fen sites dominated by Carex or Typha species. Sites were either unharvested, low- or high-intensity managed, and were located in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern in northeastern Germany. Biodiversity was estimated across the range of Hill numbers using the iNEXT package, and species were checked for Red List status. Here we show that paludiculture sites can provide biodiversity value even while not reflecting historic fen conditions; managed sites had high plant diversity, as well as Red Listed arthropods and breeding birds. Our study demonstrates that paludiculture has the potential to provide valuable habitat for species even while productive management of the land continues.
Prediction of stent under-expansion in calcified coronary arteries using machine learning on intravascular optical coherence tomography images
Authors: Gharaibeh Yazan , Lee Juhwan , Zimin Vladislav N. , Kolluru Chaitanya , Dallan Luis A. P. , Pereira Gabriel T. R. , Vergara-Martel Armando , Kim Justin N. , Hoori Ammar , Dong Pengfei , Gamage Peshala T. , Gu Linxia , Bezerra Hiram G. , Al-Kindi Sadeer , Wilson David L. 
Published: October 2023

AbstractIt can be difficult/impossible to fully expand a coronary artery stent in a heavily calcified coronary artery lesion. Under-expanded stents are linked to later complications. Here we used machine/deep learning to analyze calcifications in pre-stent intravascular optical coherence tomography (IVOCT) images and predicted the success of vessel expansion. Pre- and post-stent IVOCT image data were obtained from 110 coronary lesions. Lumen and calcifications in pre-stent images were segmented using deep learning, and lesion features were extracted. We analyzed stent expansion along the lesion, enabling frame, segmental, and whole-lesion analyses. We trained regression models to predict the post-stent lumen area and then computed the stent expansion index (SEI). Best performance (root-mean-square-error = 0.04 ± 0.02 mm2,r = 0.94 ± 0.04,p < 0.0001) was achieved when we used features from both lumen and calcification to train a Gaussian regression model for segmental analysis of 31 frames in length. Stents with minimum SEI > 80% were classified as “well-expanded;” others were “under-expanded.” Under-expansion classification results (e.g., AUC = 0.85 ± 0.02) were significantly improved over a previous, simple calculation, as well as other machine learning solutions. Promising results suggest that such methods can identify lesions at risk of under-expansion that would be candidates for intervention lesion preparation (e.g., atherectomy).
Attentive pairwise interaction network for AI-assisted clock drawing test assessment of early visuospatial deficits
Authors: Raksasat Raksit , Teerapittayanon Surat , Itthipuripat Sirawaj , Praditpornsilpa Kearkiat , Petchlorlian Aisawan , Chotibut Thiparat , Chunharas Chaipat , Chatnuntawech Itthi 
Published: October 2023

AbstractDementia is a debilitating neurological condition which impairs the cognitive function and the ability to take care of oneself. The Clock Drawing Test (CDT) is widely used to detect dementia, but differentiating normal from borderline cases requires years of clinical experience. Misclassifying mild abnormal as normal will delay the chance to investigate for potential reversible causes or slow down the progression. To help address this issue, we propose an automatic CDT scoring system that adopts Attentive Pairwise Interaction Network (API-Net), a fine-grained deep learning model that is designed to distinguish visually similar images. Inspired by how humans often learn to recognize different objects by looking at two images side-by-side, API-Net is optimized using image pairs in a contrastive manner, as opposed to standard supervised learning, which optimizes a model using individual images. In this study, we extend API-Net to infer Shulman CDT scores from a dataset of 3108 subjects. We compare the performance of API-Net to that of convolutional neural networks: VGG16, ResNet-152, and DenseNet-121. The best API-Net achieves an F1-score of 0.79, which is a 3% absolute improvement over ResNet-152’s F1-score of 0.76. The code for API-Net and the dataset used have been made available at https://github.com/cccnlab/CDT-API-Network.
Exploring COVID-19 conspiracy theories: education, religiosity, trust in scientists, and political orientation in 26 European countries
Authors: Jabkowski Piotr , Domaradzki Jan , Baranowski Mariusz 
Published: October 2023

AbstractThe COVID-19 virus disseminated globally at an accelerated pace, culminating in a worldwide pandemic; it engendered a proliferation of spurious information and a plethora of misinformation and conspiracy theories (CTs). While many factors contributing to the propensity for embracing conspiracy ideation have been delineated, the foremost determinant influencing individuals’ proclivity towards CT endorsement appears to be their level of educational attainment. This research aimed to assess the moderating effect of religiosity, trust in scientists, and political orientation on the impact of education level on people’s belief in COVID-19-related CTs in Europe by considering both individual-level and country-level contextual covariates of CT. We analysed data from the newest European Social Survey (ESS10) round conducted between September 2020 and September 2022 in 26 countries. We found religiosity weakens, and trust in scientists strengthens the effect of education, while the impact of political orientation is not straightforward. The result also demonstrates a significant negative correlation between the aggregate country-level data of the respondents supporting CTs and the level of vaccination and cumulative excess deaths in Europe. We concluded with a recommendation that planning effective public health strategies and campaigns are insufficient when based solely on people’s education, as individuals’ beliefs moderate the effect of education.
The use of d-dimer in the diagnosis and risk assessment of intracardiac thrombus among patients with dilated cardiomyopathy
Authors: Huang Yuan , Zhou Wang-Wei , Li Yu-Xin , Chen Xiao-Zhen , Gui Chun 
Published: October 2023

Abstractd-dimer is a biomarker of coagulation and fibrinolytic system activation in response to the body's hypercoagulable state. The study aims to investigate the usefulness of d-dimer in diagnosing and assessing the risk of intracardiac thrombus in patients with dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM). Consecutively enrolled in this study were patients with DCM who were admitted to our center for the first time. The diagnostic value was evaluated using the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve. Additionally, we used univariate and multivariate logistic regression to investigate the association between d-dimer and intracardiac thrombus. We also performed smooth curve fitting, threshold saturation effect analysis, and subgroup analysis. In total, 534 patients were enrolled in the study, and among them, 65 patients had intracardiac thrombus. Mural thrombus was the predominant type of thrombus, which was mainly located in the left ventricular apex. The optimal cut-off value of d-dimer for the diagnosis of intracardiac thrombus was 484 ng/mL, with a sensitivity and specificity of 0.769 and 0.646, respectively. In both unadjusted and adjusted logistic regression models, a positive association was found between d-dimer and intracardiac thrombus. Curve fitting and threshold effect analysis revealed two inflection points in the relationship between d-dimer and intracardiac thrombus (non-linear test: P = 0.032). When d-dimer was equal to 362 ng/mL, the odds ratio (OR) was 1, and the risk of thrombus gradually increased until it reached 4096 ng/mL, after which the trend no longer increased. Within this range, a twofold increase in d-dimer was associated with a 103.2% increased risk (OR = 2.032; 95% CI 1.293–3.193; P < 0.01). In the subgroup analysis, there was a significant interaction between d-dimer and BMI on intracardiac thrombus (P value for interaction was 0.013), and the risk was higher in patients with a BMI ≥ 25 kg/m2 (OR = 3.44; 95% CI 1.86–6.36; P < 0.01).
A battery-less implantable glucose sensor based on electrical impedance spectroscopy
Authors: Ollmar Stig , Fernandez Schrunder Alejandro , Birgersson Ulrik , Kristoffersson Tomas , Rusu Ana , Thorsson Elina , Hedenqvist Patricia , Manell Elin , Rydén Anneli , Jensen-Waern Marianne , Rodriguez Saul 
Published: October 2023

AbstractThe ability to perform accurate continuous glucose monitoring without blood sampling has revolutionised the management of diabetes. Newer methods that can allow measurements during longer periods are necessary to substantially improve patients’ quality of life. This paper presents an alternative method for glucose monitoring which is based on electrical impedance spectroscopy. A battery-less implantable bioimpedance spectroscope was designed, built, and used in an in vivo study on pigs. After a recovery period of 14 days post surgery, a total of 236 subcutaneous bioimpedance measurements obtained from intravenous glucose tolerance tests, with glucose concentration ranges between 77.4 and 523.8 mg/dL, were analyzed. The results show that glucose concentrations estimated by subcutaneous bioimpedance measurements correlate very well to the blood glucose reference values. The pigs were clinically healthy throughout the study, and the postmortem examinations revealed no signs of adverse effects related to the sensor. The implantation of the sensor requires minor surgery. The implant, being externally powered, could in principle last indefinitely. These encouraging results demonstrate the potential of the bioimpedance method to be used in future continuous glucose monitoring systems.
The consequences of tetraploidy on Caenorhabditis elegans physiology and sensitivity to chemotherapeutics
Authors: Misare Kelly R. , Ampolini Elizabeth A. , Gonzalez Hyland C. , Sullivan Kaitlan A. , Li Xin , Miller Camille , Sosseh Bintou , Dunne Jaclyn B. , Voelkel-Johnson Christina , Gordon Kacy L. , Hartman Jessica H. 
Published: October 2023

AbstractPolyploid cells contain more than two copies of each chromosome. Polyploidy has important roles in development, evolution, and tissue regeneration/repair, and can arise as a programmed polyploidization event or be triggered by stress. Cancer cells are often polyploid. C. elegans nematodes are typically diploid, but stressors such as heat shock and starvation can trigger the production of tetraploid offspring. In this study, we utilized a recently published protocol to generate stable tetraploid strains of C. elegans and compared their physiological traits and sensitivity to two DNA-damaging chemotherapeutic drugs, cisplatin and doxorubicin. As prior studies have shown, tetraploid worms are approximately 30% longer, shorter-lived, and have a smaller brood size than diploids. We investigated the reproductive defect further, determining that tetraploid worms have a shorter overall germline length, a higher rate of germ cell apoptosis, more aneuploidy in oocytes and offspring, and larger oocytes and embryos. We also found that tetraploid worms are modestly protected from growth delay from the chemotherapeutics but are similarly or more sensitive to reproductive toxicity. Transcriptomic analysis revealed differentially expressed pathways that may contribute to sensitivity to stress. This study reveals phenotypic consequences of whole-animal tetraploidy that make C. elegans an excellent model for ploidy differences.
Wicking assisted condenser platform with patterned wettability for space application
Authors: Thomas Tibin M. , Mahapatra Pallab Sinha 
Published: October 2023

AbstractVapor condensation is extensively used in applications that demand the exchange of a substantial amount of heat energy or the vapor-liquid phase conversion. In conventional condensers, the condensate removal from a subcooled surface is caused by gravity force. This restricts the use of such condensers in space applications or horizontal orientations. The current study demonstrates proof-of-concept of a novel plate-type condenser platform for passively removing condensate from a horizontally oriented surface to the surrounding wicking reservoir without gravity. The condensing surface is engineered with patterned wettabilities, which enables the continuous migration of condensate from the inner region of the condenser surface to the side edges via surface energy gradient. The surrounding wicking reservoir facilitates the continuous absorption of condensate from the side edges. The condensation dynamics on different substrates with patterned wettabilities are investigated, and their condensation heat transfer performance is compared. The continuous migration of condensate drops from a superhydrophobic to a superhydrophilic area can rejuvenate the nucleation sites in the superhydrophobic area, resulting in increased heat transport. The proposed condenser design with engineered wettability can be used for temperature and humidity management applications in space.
High performance platinum contacts on high-flux CdZnTe detectors
Authors: Bettelli Manuele , Zanettini Silvia , Abbene Leonardo , Casoli Francesca , Nasi Lucia , Trevisi Giovanna , Principato Fabio , Buttacavoli Antonino , Zappettini Andrea 
Published: October 2023

AbstractThe need for direct X-ray detection under high photon flux with moderate or high energies (30–100 keV range) has strongly increased with the rise of the 4th Generation Synchrotron Light Sources, characterised by extremely brilliant beamlines, and of other applications such as spectral computed tomography in medicine and non-destructive tests for industry. The novel Cadmium Zinc Telluride (CZT) developed by Redlen Technologies can be considered the reference material for high-flux applications (HF-CZT). The enhanced charge transport properties of the holes allow the mitigation of the effects of radiation induced polarization phenomena, typically observed in standard CZT materials (LF-CZT) under high photon flux. However, standard LF-CZT electrical contacts led to inacceptable high dark leakage currents on HF-CZT devices. In this work, a detailed study on the characteristics of new optimized sputtered platinum electrical contacts on HF-CZT detectors is reported. The results from electrical and spectroscopic investigations, showed the best performances on HF-CZT detectors with platinum anode, coupled with both platinum or gold cathode. The morphology, structure, and composition of Pt/CZT contact have been analysed by means of Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM) on microscopic lamellas obtained by Focused Ion Beam (FIB), highlighting the presence of CdTeO3 oxide at the metal semiconductor interface.
Morphological studies on the prehatching development of the glandular stomach of Japanese quails using light, electron, and fluorescent microscopy
Authors: Gaber Wafaa , Mostafa Heba , Abdel-Rahman Yousria A. , Abd El-Hafeez Hanan H. 
Published: October 2023

AbstractThe development of the glandular stomach was studied using light, electron, and fluorescent microscopy. The research used 130 Japanese quail eggs from the second to the seventeenth days of incubation.The proventriculus could be distinguished on the3rd day. Its wall consisted of four tunics: tunica mucosa, very thin tunica submucosa, tunica muscularis, and outermost tunica serosa. Mucosal folds appeared on the 8th day. The luminal epithelium was pseudostratified columnar in type and transformed into simple columnar by the 10th day. The mucosal papillae emerged on the 11th day, spiraled on the 15th day, and had a distinct whorled look by the 17th day. Two types of proventricular glands were recognized: compound tubuloalveolar and simple tubular glands. Both types were situated within the tunica mucosa. On the 4th day, the compound glands emerged as evaginations of the lining epithelium. It began to branch on the 8th day and became well established by the 11th day. The simple glands appeared on the 11th day as localized down-growths of the luminal epithelium forming solid cords. On the 15th day, many of them showed complete canalization. On the 8th day, the muscular coat was differentiated into the lamina muscularis mucosae and tunica muscularis.
Targeting cell-derived markers to improve the detection of invisible biological traces for the purpose of genetic-based criminal identification
Authors: Recipon Mathilde , Agniel Rémy , Leroy-Dudal Johanne , Fritz Thibaud , Carreiras Franck , Hermitte Francis , Hubac Sylvain , Gallet Olivier , Kellouche Sabrina 
Published: October 2023

AbstractAt a crime scene, investigators are faced with a multitude of traces. Among them, biological traces are of primary interest for the rapid genetic-based identification of individuals. “Touch DNA” consists of invisible biological traces left by the simple contact of a person’s skin with objects. To date, these traces remain undetectable with the current methods available in the field. This study proposes a proof-of-concept for the original detection of touch DNA by targeting cell-derived fragments in addition to DNA. More specifically, adhesive-structure proteins (laminin, keratin) as well as carbohydrate patterns (mannose, galactose) have been detected with keratinocyte cells derived from a skin and fingermark touch-DNA model over two months in outdoor conditions. Better still, this combinatory detection strategy is compatible with DNA profiling. This proof-of-concept work paves the way for the optimization of tools that can detect touch DNA, which remains a real challenge in helping investigators and the delivery of justice.