Browse Articles

Active surveillance for Theileria orientalis and the invasive Asian longhorned tick (Haemaphysalis longicornis) in three Missouri beef herds

Theileria orientalis is a protozoan hemoparasite of cattle vectored by the rapidly emerging invasive Asian longhorned tick (Haemaphysalis longicornis). Theileria-associated bovine anemia (TABA) is easily mistaken for bovine anaplasmosis, which can lead to delayed diagnosis in areas where bovine anaplasmosis is endemic and TABA is newly emerging. Our objective was to surveil for infestation of cattle by H. longicornis and infection with T. orientalis on three Missouri cow-calf operations in counties where H. longicornis is known to be established. A total of 147 apparently healthy adult cows from 3 herds were inspected for ticks. Whole blood was collected for T. orientalis and Anaplasma marginale quantitative PCR and was also used for immediate preparation of blood smears and measurement of packed cell volumes. A total of 527 ticks were collected from the cows and taxonomically identified to the species level. Eighteen H. longicornis, including 9 adult females and 9 nymphs, were collected from 16 cows (Farm A, 2 cows; Farm B, 4 cows; Farm C, 10 cows). Intraerythrocytic T. orientalis organisms were presumptively identified on blood smears from 10 cows. Quantitative PCR screening of blood samples with primers designed to amplify all T. orientalis genotypes detected 11 positive samples (Farm A, 7 cows; Farm B, 3 cows; Farm C, 1 cow). Positive samples were re-tested with probes specific for the Ikeda, Chitose, and Buffeli genotypes, which detected the Chitose genotype in 10 samples and the Ikeda genotype in 1 sample. Detection of T. orientalis with concurrent infestation of cows by H. longicornis within these 3 herds, along with collection of H. longicornis from vegetation on the premises, supports local tick-borne transmission of this emerging pathogen.

Association of the digital clock drawing test with amyloid and tau PET biomarkers in low age risk adults

AI-based detection and classification of anomalous aortic origin of coronary arteries using coronary CT angiography images

Abstract Anomalous aortic origin of the coronary artery (AAOCA) is a rare cardiac condition that can lead to ischemia or sudden cardiac death, yet it is often overlooked or falsely classified in routine coronary CT angiography (CCTA). Here, we developed, validated, externally tested, and clinically evaluated a fully automated artificial intelligence (AI)-based tool for detecting and classifying AAOCA in 3D-CCTA images. The discriminatory performance of the different models achieved an AUC ≥ 0.99, with sensitivity and specificity ranging 0.95-0.99 across all internal and external testing datasets. Here, we present an AI-based model that enables fully automated and accurate detection and classification of AAOCA, with the potential for seamless integration into clinical workflows. The tool can deliver real-time alerts for potentially high-risk AAOCA anatomies, while also enabling the analysis of large 3D-CCTA cohorts. This will support a deeper understanding of the risks associated with this rare condition and contribute to improving its future management.

Correction: A novel SfaNI-like restriction-modification system in Caldicellulosiruptor extents the genetic engineering toolbox for this genus

Impacts of land use and water level fluctuation on soil aggregates and nitrogen and carbon in newly formed reservoir buffer strips

Th1 polarization in Bordetella pertussis vaccine responses is maintained through a positive feedback loop

Analyzing anomalous events in passageways with high-frequency ship signals

Passageways are critical gateways in maritime trade, providing efficient routes for global commerce. This means that disruptions such as natural disasters or human error at these crucial points can significantly impact numerous economies across various facets of trade. Thus, real-time monitoring of such events and their impact on different vessel types is crucial for developing timely mitigation strategies, policies, and penalties. This paper proposes a novel framework for analyzing anomalous events in passageways using Automated Information System (AIS). This framework enables monitoring of affected vessels and quantifies the impact in terms of the number of vessels, dwell and idle times, and the emergence of new routes. To demonstrate its potential, we applied the proposed framework to the Suez Canal blockage in March 2021. Results revealed distinct phases during the event, with each phase impacting average dwell times. Additionally, the analysis identified the emergence of passageway event-driven routes utilized by vessels to bypass the blockage. These findings highlight the ability of the proposed framework to capture previously obscured information compared to existing indicators and port analysis methods. To further demonstrate its generalizability, the methodology was also applied to two other passageways: the Bosporus Strait, following the policy implemented in February 2022 due to the Russian invasion of Ukraine, and the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, following the disruption caused by the Houthi attacks beginning in the last quarter of 2023.

Feasibility of de-escalating axillary surgery in patients with clinical N2–3, pathological N0 breast cancer after neoadjuvant chemotherapy

Endosomal chloride/proton exchangers need inhibitory TMEM9 β-subunits for regulation and prevention of disease-causing overactivity

Abstract The function of endosomes critically depends on their ion homeostasis. A crucial role of luminal Cl−, in addition to that of H+, is increasingly recognized. Both ions are transported by five distinct endolysosomal CLC chloride/proton exchangers. Dysfunction of each of these transporters entails severe disease. Here we identified TMEM9 and TMEM9B as obligatory β-subunits for endosomal ClC-3, ClC-4, and ClC-5. Mice lacking both β-subunits displayed severely reduced levels of all three CLCs and died embryonically or shortly after birth. TMEM9 proteins regulate trafficking of their partners. Surprisingly, they also strongly inhibit CLC ion transport. Tonic inhibition enables the regulation of CLCs and prevents toxic Cl− accumulation and swelling of endosomes. Inhibition requires a carboxy-terminal TMEM9 domain that interacts with CLCs at multiple sites. Disease-causing CLCN mutations that weaken inhibition by TMEM9 proteins cause a pathogenic gain of ion transport. Our work reveals the need to suppress, in a regulated manner, endolysosomal chloride/proton exchange. Several aspects of endosomal ion transport must be revised.

Economic freedom index effects on inbound tourism in European countries: A spatial analysis

Despite the significance of economic freedom in tourism dynamics, especially from a spatial standpoint, its nuanced influence remains unexplored mainly in current research. To fill this gap, our study introduces a novel spatial panel data analysis to investigate how various components of the economic freedom index affect tourist arrivals in 41 European countries from 2005 to 2018. By employing this innovative approach, we uncover the complex interdependencies between economic freedom and tourism and highlight the significance of regional economic characteristics on the tourism sector’s health. Our findings reveal that a one percent increase in GDP per capita of neighboring nations corresponds to a 0.4 percent increase in tourist arrivals to the home country. In comparison, a similar rise in neighboring countries’ prices leads to a 0.4 percent decrease in inbound tourists. Most economic freedom variables, including the Business Freedom Index, Investment Freedom Index, Labor Freedom Index, Trade Freedom Index, and Government Integrity Index, demonstrate statistically significant positive effects. However, a one percent increase in the Monetary Freedom Index of neighboring countries results in a 0.747 percent reduction in homebound tourists. Notably, enhancements in the country’s and neighboring countries’ Investment Freedom Index and Government Integrity Index contribute to increased arrivals. This research contributes to the broader understanding of economic policies’ impact on tourism, offering valuable insights for policymakers aiming to leverage economic freedom for tourism development. The application of a spatial panel data approach marks a significant methodological advancement in tourism studies, opening new avenues for analyzing economic influences on tourism at a regional level.

Research on 3D LiDAR outdoor SLAM algorithm based on LiDAR/IMU tight coupling

Severe inflammation and lineage skewing are associated with poor engraftment of engineered hematopoietic stem cells in patients with sickle cell disease

Abstract In sickle cell disease (SCD), the β6Glu→Val substitution in the β-globin leads to red blood cell sickling. The transplantation of autologous, genetically modified hematopoietic stem and progenitor cells (HSPCs) is a promising treatment option for patients with SCD. We completed a Phase I/II open-label clinical trial (NCT03964792) for patients with SCD using a lentiviral vector (DREPAGLOBE) expressing a potent anti-sickling β-globin. The primary endpoint was to evaluate the short-term safety and secondary endpoints included the efficacy and the long-term safety. We report on the results after 18 to 36 months of follow-up. No drug-related adverse events or signs of clonal hematopoiesis were observed. Despite similar vector copy numbers in the drug product, gene-marking in peripheral blood mononuclear cells and correction of the clinical phenotype varied from one patient to another. Single-cell transcriptome analyses show that in the patients with poor engraftment, the most immature HSCs display an exacerbated inflammatory signature (via IL-1 or TNF-α and interferon signaling pathways). This signature is accompanied by a lineage bias in the HSCs. Our clinical data indicates that the DREPAGLOBE-based gene therapy (GT) is safe. However, its efficacy is variable and probably depends on the number of infused HSCs and intrinsic, engraftment-impairing inflammatory alterations in HSCs. Trial: NCT03964792

Associations between objective and self-perceived physical activity and participation in everyday activities in mild stroke survivors

Background and purpose Stroke survivors present limited levels of physical activity (PA) and participation in everyday activities although the specific interaction between PA and participation in these individuals is still uncertain. This study aimed to analyse the relationship between PA and participation in everyday activities among Spanish mild stroke survivors. Methods A total of 130 mild stroke survivors (61.3 ± 12.4 years, 35% female) with preserved walking ability and without cognitive and communication impairments participated in this cross-sectional study involving several rehabilitation centres from Spain. Self-reported levels of PA were reported by the International Physical Activity Questionnaire - short form (IPAQ-SF). Objective PA measures were monitored with the wristband Fitbit Inspire 2, recording the average steps/day and kilocalories/day. Participation and activity satisfaction levels were measured with the Satisfaction with Daily Occupations-Occupational Balance (SDO-OB) and participation retention through Activity Card Sort (ACS). Results ACS total score showed a weak correlation with self-reported PA (rho = 0.324) and moderate correlations with kilocalories/day and average steps/day (rho ≥ 0.581), while stronger correlations were found for the ACS subdomain of instrumental activities (rho ≥ 0.640) compared to the subdomains of leisure activities and social participation (rho ≤ 0.454). SDO-OB participation showed moderate correlations with kilocalories/day, and average steps/day (rho ≥ 0.647), and a weak correlation with self-reported PA (rho = 0.303). Weaker correlations were found for SDO-OB satisfaction with objective PA measures (rho = 0.407) and self-reported PA (rho = 0.254). Relationships between variables were explored by calculating Spearman correlation coefficients. Discussion and conclusions The objective and self-reported measures of PA in mild stroke survivors have a bilateral relationship with their current participation levels and the retained instrumental activities of daily living. However, the weaker correlations with leisure and social participation may suggest that promoting PA alone without integrating it into daily activities relevant to the stroke survivor may be insufficient to achieve comprehensive goals during rehabilitation programs.

Exploring the beneficial effect of gut microbiota metabolites on diabetic nephropathy via network pharmacology study

Exercise-induced anti-obesity effects in male mice generated by a FOXO1-KLF10 reinforcing loop promoting adipose lipolysis

A lightweight trichosanthes kirilowii maxim detection algorithm in complex mountain environments based on improved YOLOv7-tiny

Detecting Trichosanthes Kirilowii Maxim (Cucurbitaceae) in complex mountain environments is critical for developing automated harvesting systems. However, the environmental characteristics of brightness variation, inter-plant occlusion, and motion-induced blurring during harvesting operations, detection algorithms face excessive parameters and high computational intensity. Accordingly, this study proposes a lightweight T.Kirilowii detection algorithm for complex mountainous environments based on YOLOv7-tiny, named KPD-YOLOv7-GD. Firstly, improve the multi-scale feature layer and reduce the complexity of the model. Secondly, a lightweight convolutional module is introduced to replace the standard convolutions in the Efficient Long-range Aggregation Network (ELAN-A) module, and the channel pruning techniques are applied to further decrease the model’s complexity. Finally, the experiment significantly enhanced the efficiency of feature extraction and the detection accuracy of the model algorithm through the integration of the Dynamic Head (DyHead) module, the Content-Aware Re-Assembly of Features (CARAFE) module, and the incorporation of knowledge distillation techniques. The experimental results showed that the mean average precision of the improved network KPD-YOLOv7-GD reached 93.2%. Benchmarked against mainstream single-stage algorithms (YOLOv3-tiny, YOLOv5s, YOLOv6s, YOLOv7-tiny, and YOLOv8), KPD-YOLOv7-GD demonstrated mean average precision improvements of 4.8%, 0.6%, 3.0%, 0.6%, and 0.2% with corresponding model compression rates of 81.6%, 68.8%, 88.9%, 63.4%, and 27.4%, respectively. Compared with similar studies, KPD-YOLOv7-GD exhibits lower complexity and higher recognition speed accuracy, making it more suitable for resource-constrained T.kirilowii harvesting robots.

Improving the punching capacity of footings using geocell, geogrid and granular soil replacement

Abstract Punching failure in footings occurs in thin pads that is subjected to heavy concentrated loads, such as concrete pads below racks’ supports in heavy storage facilities. Since the punching capacity depends on the stress distribution beneath the footing, it could be enhanced by improving the soil stiffness beneath the footing. This research examines the effects of geocell layers, geogrid layers, and base soil stiffness on the punching capacity of isolated footings. Seven identical footings were subjected to experimental testing until failure, with continuous monitoring of load, settlement, strain in rebars, and contact pressure. The control footing was rested on pure sand; two footings were rested on one and two geogrid layers, two footings were rested on one and two geocell layers and the last two footings were rested on pure crouched stone and mixture of sand and crushed stone. The results indicated that all footings exhibited pure punching failure. In addition, enhancing the base granular soil stiffness through geocell confinement, geogrid reinforcement, or replacement with stiffer soil concentrated contact stress under the load, thereby increasing punching capacity, reducing settlement and increasing the subgrade reaction at the center while decreasing it at the mid-edge and corners. The efficiency of geocell and geogrid layers depends on their proximity to the footing; the closest geocell layer was most efficient, while the closest geogrid layer was least efficient. Implementing geocell layers, geogrid layers, and soil replacement improved punching capacity by 20%, 11%, and 17%; subgrade reaction values at the center by 90%, 65%, and 200%; and reduced settlement at the center by 70%, 75%, and 45%, respectively.

Perfect anomalous refraction metasurfaces empowered half-space optical beam scanning

Awaiting discovery: How biases in faunistic surveys hinder conservation in mountain protected areas—A case study from Romania’s oldest national park

It is virtually impossible to compile a complete list of species and map their distributions in any protected area; nevertheless, a near complete inventory is vital for an adequate management plan. We use Retezat National Park (Romania) as a case study to assess the bias in faunistic inventories over the past 70 years. Retezat National Park is one of the most studied in Eastern Europe since it shelters some of the last patches of virgin old-growth forest in Europe. We reviewed the scientific literature published since the early 1900s dealing with faunistic surveys and retrieved the occurrence records available on GBIF for the study area. We identified a total of 4374 animal species belonging to 2113 genera, 494 families, 99 orders, 23 classes, and nine phyla. The number of publications started to accumulate after 1979, when the park became a Biosphere Reserve, reached a peak in the early 2000 and severely decreased during the last decade, highlighting a decline in the researchers’ interest in faunistic surveys and, possibly, a delay between data collection and their publication. GBIF-mediated data made a small contribution, most records (60%) being collected in 2019. The bias analyses included only the distribution records available in the scientific literature, since they were already validated through peer-review. The number of publications and background of experts involved influenced the taxonomic coverage and inventory completeness. We found a strong spatial bias in terms of inventory coverage, with diversity hotspots located near roads and research facilities. Our study provides a roadmap for cost-effective future faunistic studies by prioritizing conservation efforts towards the most understudied areas and taxa within the park.

Impact of mixed-height vegetation patches on energy loss in open-channel flow

Abstract This study investigates the influence of riparian vegetation on energy losses in open-channel flow, focusing on channels partially covered by mixed-height vegetation patches, a common feature in natural rivers and canals. While previous research has primarily focused on flow resistance in fully vegetated channels, there has been limited attention to channels with unevenly distributed vegetation patches. To address this gap, we developed an innovative experimental approach to evaluate energy loss in channels with mixed-height vegetation patches under different submergence conditions. The experimental setup involved a channel partially covered with vegetation of varying heights, mimicking the natural, uneven distribution of vegetation patches. The results provided key insights into flow velocity distribution and turbulence intensity under these conditions. Furthermore, we introduced a standardized conceptualization method for the submergence ratio, specifically the concept of effective height ( $${h}_{e}$$ ), to standardize the calculation methods for submerged and emergent vegetation.Using this parameter, we derived a theoretical formula for calculating energy loss caused by vegetation patches, which closely matched the experimental data. This method offers a reliable framework for calculating hydraulic resistance in channels with uneven vegetation distribution.