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Non-Contact Monitoring of Plant Leaf Water Status Using Terahertz Waves
No full textThe water status of a plant plays a critical role in its growth and biomass accumulation. It is thus essential to accurately quantify the plant water content to improve the overall productivity. Conventional methods to assessing plant water status are either destructive, contacting, or only qualitative. In this work, we present a study to nondestructively quantify, in real-time, the water status of plant leaves in a non-contact manner using terahertz waves. The presented study correlates the leaf complex permittivity with both the relative water content and water potential in the nearly full range. Therefore, the leaf water status can be quantitatively determined based on the non-destructively extracted permittivity using terahertz waves. Furthermore, singlefrequency empirical models linking the imaginary part of the leaf complex permittivity to water status have been developed, enabling the use of high-power narrowband sources in field tests. The simplified measurement and accurate evaluation presented in this study facilitates the application of terahertz technology in supporting sustainable agriculture under climate change and drought.Xiaolong You, Vinay Pagay, Withawat Withayachumnanku
Adaptation and conservation of CL-10/11 in avian lungs: implications for their role in pulmonary innate immune protection
No full textThe common avian origin of many zoonotic infections and epidemics warrants investigation into the mechanism of respiratory surface protection in reservoir species such as birds. Our recent molecular investigations on the evolution and pulmonary expression of an ancient family of proteins, the C-type lectins, have revealed unique molecular adaptations in the surfactant proteins avian SP-A1 (aSP-A1), aSP-A2 and aSP-C coupled with the loss of surfactant protein-D (SP-D) in the avian lineage. As surfactant proteins are members of the collectin family, a subgroup of the C-type lectins, an in silico search for related non-surfactant collectin proteins (Collectin-10 (CL-10) and Collectin-11 (CL-11)) in the NCBI genome database was conducted to understand their evolution in the avian lineage. In addition, both CL-10 and CL-11 gene expression in the lungs and other organs of zebra finches and turkeys was confirmed by PCR. These PCR-confirmed zebra finch and turkey CL-10 and CL-11 sequences were compared with sequenced and in silico-predicted vertebrate homologues to develop a phylogenetic tree. Compared with avian surfactant proteins, CL-10 and CL-11 are highly conserved among vertebrates, suggesting a critical role in development and innate immune protection. The conservation of CL-11 EPN and collagen domain motifs may compensate to some extent for the loss of SP-D in the avian lineage. This article is part of the theme issue 'The biology of the avian respiratory system'
Understanding the limited uptake of reprocessed construction materials: a pro-environmental behaviour perspective
No full textReverse logistics (RL) aims to direct demolition waste (DW) away from landfills towards alternative uses by converting it into reprocessed construction materials (RCMs). However, recent studies indicate that the uptake of RCMs remains limited, adversely affecting the effectiveness of RL for DW. Therefore, developing markets for these materials is crucial. Consequently, this study aimed to identify factors limiting the uptake of RCMs so that effective strategies can be designed to address such limitations. The study adopted a qualitative survey approach, with interviews conducted with construction professionals involved in material selection. Findings regarding the limiting factors were analysed through the lens of the Attitude–Behaviour–Context (ABC) theory, which is rooted in the domain of pro-environmental behaviour. Consistent with the ABC theory, the findings revealed that a combination of personal and contextual factors limits the uptake of RCMs. Addressing these factors is essential for driving market uptake of RCMs and improving RL outcomes
Outcomes of Solid Organ Transplant Recipients with Advanced Cancers Receiving Immune Checkpoint Inhibitors: A Systematic Review and Individual Participant Data Meta-Analysis
No full textImportance Immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) have improved overall survival in patients with advanced-stage cancers. However, data on their efficacy and safety in solid organ transplant recipients (SOTRs) are limited. Objective To examine cancer-specific and patient survival among SOTRs with advanced-stage cancer receiving ICIs and identify factors associated with patient and graft outcomes. Data Sources Electronic databases and clinical registries, including MEDLINE, Embase, ClinicalTrials.gov, Australia New Zealand clinical trials registry, and the World Health Organization International Clinical Trials Registry Platform, were searched from inception to June 2024 without language restriction. Study Selection Case reports and series, observational studies, and clinical trials that described the treatment of advanced-stage cancers using ICIs in SOTRs were included. Data Extraction and Synthesis Individual participant data were extracted and synthesized using a single-stage random-effect model. Main Outcomes and Measures Time to cancer-related death was the primary outcome. The main secondary outcomes included time from ICI initiation to first rejection and cancer response according to Response Evaluation Criteria in Solid Tumors 1.1 criteria. Adjusted Cox proportional hazards regression models were conducted for time-to-event analyses. Results Of 140 studies, 128 studies involving 343 SOTRs treated with ICI were included. Most participants were male (76.9%), kidney transplant recipients (70.9%), with a median (IQR) age of 63 years (14-88 years), and treated with programmed cell death protein-1 inhibitors (72.9%). Within 3 years of ICI initiation, 52.8% (95% CI, 43.9%-61.6%) died of cancers. Acute rejection occurred in 36.2% (95% CI, 30.7%-41.7%) at 1 year, and 18.4% (95% CI, 13.7%-23.1%) experienced graft loss at 1 year. Objective response at 1 year was 31.6% (95% CI, 25.0%-37.7%), with a higher response observed in patients with cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma (cSCC) (61.0% [95% CI, 45.5%-76.4%]) than melanoma (48.5% [95% CI, 26.8%-70.3%]), and other solid organ cancers (26.9% [95% CI, 14.5%-39.3%]). Transplant recipients with melanoma (hazard ratio [HR], 2.29; 95% CI, 1.31-3.99) and solid organ cancers (HR, 2.84; 95% CI, 1.70-4.74) experienced higher rates of cancer-related deaths than those with cSCC. Recipients with melanoma have a higher risk of acute rejection (HR, 2.88; 95% CI, 1.69-4.90) than cSCC. Maintenance with steroids and mammalian target of rapamycin inhibitors (mTORIs) was associated with a lower risk of rejection compared with other immunosuppressive agents (HR, 0.30; 95% CI, 0.14-0.63). Conclusions and Relevance In this study, cancer outcomes in SOTRs receiving ICIs varied by cancer type, with a higher probability of achieving response among those with cSCC than other cancers. Concurrent use of mTORIs and steroids during ICI therapy may reduce the risk of acute allograft rejection.Nida Saleem, Jiayue Wang, Angela Rejuso, Armando Teixeira-Pinto, Jacqueline H. Stephens, Annabelle Wilson, Anh Kieu, Ryan P. Gately, Farzaneh Boroumand, Edmund Chung, Billie Bonevski, Matteo S. Carlino, Robert Carroll, Wai H. Lim, Jonathan C. Craig, Naoka Murakami, Germaine Won
Stochastic demethylation and redundant epigenetic suppressive mechanisms generate highly heterogeneous responses to pharmacological DNA methyltransferase inhibition
No full textBackgroundDespite promising preclinical studies, the application of DNA methyltransferase inhibitors in treating patients with solid cancers has thus far produced only modest outcomes. The presence of intratumoral heterogeneity in response to DNA methyltransferase inhibitors could significantly influence clinical efficacy, yet our understanding of the single-cell response to these drugs in solid tumors remains very limited.MethodsIn this study, we used cancer/testis antigen genes as a model for methylation-dependent gene expression to examine the activity of DNA methyltransferase inhibitors and their potential synergistic effect with histone deacetylase inhibitors at the single-cancer cell level. The analysis was performed on breast cancer patient-derived xenograft tumors and cell lines, employing a comprehensive set of techniques, including targeted single-cell mRNA sequencing. Mechanistic insights were further gained through DNA methylation profiling and chromatin structure analysis.ResultsWe show that breast cancer tumors and cell cultures exhibit a highly heterogenous response to DNA methyltransferase inhibitors, persisting even under high drug concentrations and efficient DNA methyltransferase depletion. The observed variability in response to DNA methyltransferase inhibitors was independent of cancer-associated aberrations and clonal genetic diversity. Instead, these variations were attributed to stochastic demethylation of regulatory CpG sites and the DNA methylation-independent suppressive function of histone deacetylases.ConclusionsOur findings point to intratumoral heterogeneity as a limiting factor in the use of DNA methyltransferase inhibitors as single agents in treatment of solid cancers and highlight histone deacetylase inhibitors as essential partners to DNA methyltransferase inhibitors in the clinic
Group vs Individual Therapy for Neurological Recovery: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis
No full textOBJECTIVE: To investigate evidence for group-based interventions compared with individual-based interventions for sensorimotor rehabilitation in adults with neurologic conditions. DATA SOURCES: Medline, Embase, Emcare, and PsychINFO were searched from inception to July 2024. STUDY SELECTION: Randomized controlled trials that compared group versus individual delivery of the same type of sensorimotor rehabilitation for adults with neurologic conditions were included. DATA EXTRACTION: Two reviewers independently screened, assessed methodological quality, and extracted data. Study characteristics, participant details, intervention/control characteristics, and clinical outcomes were extracted. DATA SYNTHESIS: Ten trials were included in the review. Participant groups included people with Parkinson disease (2 trials), multiple sclerosis (1 trial), and stroke (7 trials). Meta-analyses found significant effects in favor of group interventions for 6-minute walk test distance (mean difference, 36.18m; 95% CI, 14.58-57.77; P=.001), and gait speed (mean difference, 0.2m/s; 95% CI, 0.13-0.27; P<.0001). No difference was found for other clinical measures. CONCLUSIONS: Group-based rehabilitation appears to deliver improved ambulation speed and distance in people with neurologic conditions. Further research is required to understand whether group-based rehabilitation has additional benefits for motivation and social support. Delivery of rehabilitation in a group appears worthy of consideration in clinical settings
From Data to Design: Integrating Learning Analytics into Educational Design for Effective Decision-Making: From Data to Design
No full textLearning Analytics (LA) aims to provide university instructors with meaningful data and insights that can be used to improve courses. However, instructors are often met with challenges that arise when wanting to use LA to inform their educational design decisions. For instance, there may be a misalignment between instructors’ needs and the data and insights LA systems provide. Further research is required to understand instructors’ expectations of LA and how it can support the diversity of educational designs. This case study addresses this gap by investigating the role of LA in instructors’ educational decision-making processes. The study employs self-determination theory's constructs to examine instructors’ existing practices when using LA to support their decision-making.
The study reveals that LA enables instructors to make data-informed iterative educational design decisions, supporting their need for competence and relatedness. The emotional aspect of LA is an important consideration that can easily lead to demotivation and avoidance of LA. Support is needed to address instructors’ psychological needs so instructors can fully utilise LA to make effective educational design decisions. The findings inform a framework for considering how instructors’ data-informed educational decision-making can be understood. The implications of our findings and opportunities for the future are discussed
Shear performance of pretension bolted connections in steel-concrete-steel sandwich members
No full textThis study investigates the shear strength of pretension bolted steel-concrete-steel connections, which are critical components in many composite structure members such as powerline sandwich poles. Push-out tests were conducted to evaluate the shear strength, stiffness, failure modes, and relative slippage characteristics of the connections. The effects of pretension force, bolt diameter. compressive strength of concrete, yield strength of bolts, and dimensions of steel profiles on connection behavior were also investigated. A finite element model was developed and validated to predict the ultimate shear capacity, load-slip curves, and failure modes of the connections. Using the FEM, the role of the pretension forces in these connections was investigated. It was concluded that the inclusion of the pretension forces in the bolts can lead to the improvement of the capacity of the connection in case of the higher diameter bolt connections (M16 and M20), while increasing of the pretension force in the lower-diameter bolt connections (M12) degraded their capacity. Finally, the shear strength capacity of the studied bolted connections was compared to the available design code provisions. It was concluded that the Eurocode 4 can be adopted safely to design such connections with regard to both concrete failure, and bolt failure, and that the AISC equations can be used safely in the design of these connections except in the case of the higher-diameter bolts (M20)
Predicting the temporal distribution of origin-destination traffic demand using machine learning
No full textTemporal distribution of travel demand provides valuable insights into the planning and operation of transport systems. As a key input to dynamic traffic assignment (DTA) models, estimation of time-dependent origin-destination (TDOD) traffic demand matrices across the modelled network gained attention in the 1980s, with significant advancements in methods and techniques since then. However, the strong reliance on observed traffic counts has long been recognised as a limitation of these approaches. In the travel demand modelling (TDM) domain, the time-dependency of travel demand has been associated with travellers' characteristics, typically implemented through theory-based choice modelling (CM) methods informed by stated or revealed preference datasets. CM's reliance on preference datasets introduces its own limitations, e.g. the high cost of conducting reliable surveys, which constrain its broader applicability for predicting the temporal distribution of travel demand.
This paper demonstrates the successful application of machine learning to predict the temporal distribution of origin-destination (OD) traffic demand using TDM data, including sociodemographic and land use information of the origin and destination zones as well as OD level network statistics, e.g. travel time. By incorporating the TDM data and available count-based TDOD estimates, we construct a combined dataset, which is partitioned into training, validation and test sets to train and evaluate the machine learning models. Results show that the trained models accurately predict the temporal distribution of origin-destination traffic demand. Our approach effectively addresses the limitations associated with count-based estimation and theory-driven choice modelling approaches
Twenty-eight days later: emergency diagnoses associated with increased risk of readmission, a retrospective observational study of older adults
No full textAims: To describe diagnostic categories and comorbidities associated with increased risk of readmission within 28days amongolder adults.
Methods: Retrospective observational study of all hospital admissions following ED attendance by patients aged ≥60 years between July 2020 and June 2023. Index and subsequent 28-day readmission were identified using ED data and hospital discharge records. ED diagnosis, Australian Refined Diagnosis-Related Group (AR-DRG) discharge codes, and ICD-10-AM comorbidities were extracted. Multivariate logistic regression was used to estimate odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) for associations with 28-day readmission. The study and findings have been reported against the STROBE-RECORD guideline.
Results: Of the 28,730 initial patient visits, 7.9% re-presented within 28days. The most common ED diagnoses at initial and readmission were chest pain (5.4% vs. 4.6%), falls (5.2% vs. 4.1%), dyspnoea (3.5% vs. 3.1%), abdominal pain (3.1% vs. 3.3%)and cerebrovascular accident (1.7% vs. 1.7%). The most frequent AR-DRGs were respiratory infections/inflammations, kidney and urinary signs/symptoms, and other digestive system disorders. Key ICD-10-AM codes associated with a higher likelihood of readmission within 28days were obstructive/reflux uropathy (OR 2.66, 95% CI 1.78–3.96), urinary retention (OR 1.84, 95% CI1.38–2.46), chronic ischaemic heart disease (OR 1.57, 95% CI 1.10–2.25), delirium (OR 1.35, 95% CI 1.07–1.71) and disorders of fluid, electrolyte, and acid–base balance (OR 1.29, 95% CI 1.09–1.54).
Conclusion: Nearly 8% of older adults are readmitted within 28days. Our described approach offers a potential framework to identify at-risk groups and intervene to reduce avoidable representations and/or admissions.
Relevance to Clinical Practice: The results reported here create the opportunity for clinicians to identify areas for improvement in clinical practice, care coordination, and service delivery. Our approach and methodology can be replicated in other health services.
Patient or Public Contribution: No patient or public contribution