bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Metabolic Profiling of Resistant and Susceptible Tobaccos Response Incited by Ralstonia pseudosolanacearum Causing Bacterial Wilt
Authors: Yang Liang , Wei Zhouling , Valls Marc , Ding Wei
Published: January 2022

The causal agent of bacterial wilt, Ralstonia pseudosolanacearum, can cause significant economic losses during tobacco production. Metabolic analyses are a useful tool for the comprehensive identification of plant defense response metabolites. In this study, a gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) approach was used to identify metabolites differences in tobacco xylem sap in response to R. pseudosolanacearum CQPS-1 in two tobacco cultivars: Yunyan87 (susceptible to R. pseudosolanacearum) and K326 (quantitatively resistant). Metabolite profiling 7 days post inoculation with R. pseudosolanacearum identified 88 known compounds, 42 of them enriched and 6 depleted in the susceptible cultivar Yunyan87, while almost no changes occurred in quantitatively resistant cultivar K326. Putrescine was the most enriched compound (12-fold) in infected susceptible tobacco xylem, followed by methyl-alpha-d-glucopyranoside (9-fold) and arabinitol (6-fold). Other sugars, amino acids, and organic acids were also enriched upon infection. Collectively, these metabolites can promote R. pseudosolanacearum growth, as shown by the increased growth of bacterial cultures supplemented with xylem sap from infected tobacco plants. Comparison with previous metabolic data showed that beta-alanine, phenylalanine, and leucine were enriched during bacterial wilt in both tobacco and tomato xylem.
A Meta-Analysis on Degraded Alpine Grassland Mediated by Climate Factors: Enlightenment for Ecological Restoration
Authors: Yu Jiale , Wan Lingfan , Liu Guohua , Ma Keming , Cheng Hao , Shen Yu , Liu Yuqing , Su Xukun
Published: January 2022

Alpine grassland is the main ecosystem on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau (QTP). Degradation and restoration of alpine grassland are related to ecosystem function and production, livelihood, and wellbeing of local people. Although a large number of studies research degraded alpine grassland, there are debates about degradation patterns of alpine grassland in different areas and widely applicable ecological restoration schemes due to the huge area of the QTP. In this study, we used the meta-analysis method to synthesize 80 individual published studies which were conducted to examine aboveground and underground characteristics in non-degradation (ND), light degradation (LD), moderate degradation (MD), heavy degradation (HD), and extreme degradation (ED) of alpine grassland on the QTP. Results showed that aboveground biomass (AGB), belowground biomass (BGB), Shannon-Wiener index (H′), soil moisture (SM), soil organic carbon (SOC), soil total nitrogen (TN), and available nitrogen (AN) gradually decreased along the degradation gradient, whereas soil bulk density (BD) and soil pH gradually increased. In spite of a tendency to soil desertification, losses of other soil nutrients and reduction of enzymes, there was no linear relationship between the variations with degradation gradient. Moreover, the decreasing extent of TN was smaller in areas with higher precipitation and temperature, and the decreasing extent of AGB, SOC, and TN was larger in areas with a higher extent of corresponding variables in the stage of ND during alpine grassland degradation. These findings suggest that in areas with higher precipitation and temperature, reseeding and sward cleavage can be used for restoration on degraded alpine grassland. Fencing and fertilization can be used for alpine grassland restoration in areas with lower precipitation and temperature. Microbial enzymes should not be used to restore degraded alpine grassland on a large scale on the QTP without detailed investigation and analysis. Future studies should pay more attention to the effects of climate factors on degradation processes and specific ecological restoration strategies in different regions of the QTP.
The Role of Satisfaction With Job and Cognitive Trauma Processing in the Occurrence of Secondary Traumatic Stress Symptoms in Medical Providers Working With Trauma Victims
Authors: Gurowiec Piotr Jerzy , Ogińska-Bulik Nina , Michalska Paulina , Kȩdra Edyta , Skarbalienė Aelita
Published: January 2022

Introduction: As an occupational group, medical providers working with victims of trauma are prone to negative consequences of their work, particularly secondary traumatic stress (STS) symptoms. Various factors affect susceptibility to STS, including work-related and organizational determinants, as well as individual differences. The aim of the study was to establish the mediating role of cognitive trauma processing in the relationship between job satisfaction and STS symptoms among medical providers.

Procedure and Participants: Results were obtained from 419 healthcare providers working with victims of trauma (218 nurses and 201 paramedics). Three questionnaires, namely the Secondary Traumatic Stress Inventory, Work Satisfaction Scale, and Cognitive Trauma Processing Scale, were used in the study, as well as a survey developed for this research. Correlational and mediation analyses were applied to assess relations between variables.

Results: The results showed significant links between STS symptoms and both job satisfaction and cognitive processing of trauma. Three cognitive coping strategies play the intermediary role in the relationship between job satisfaction and symptoms of secondary traumatic stress. However, this role varies depending on preferred strategies.

Conclusion: Nurses and paramedics are significantly exposed to the occurrence of STS. Thus, it is important to engage health care providers in activities aimed at preventing and reducing symptoms of STS.
Psychodynamic Therapist’s Subjective Experiences With Remote Psychotherapy During the COVID-19-Pandemic—A Qualitative Study With Therapists Practicing Guided Affective Imagery, Hypnosis and Autogenous Relaxation
Authors: Jesser Andrea , Muckenhuber Johanna , Lunglmayr Bernd
Published: January 2022

The COVID-19-pandemic brought massive changes in the provision of psychotherapy. To contain the pandemic, many therapists switched from face-to-face sessions in personal contact to remote settings. This study focused on psychodynamic therapists practicing Guided Affective Imagery, Hypnosis and Autogenous Relaxation and their subjective experiences with psychotherapy via telephone and videoconferencing during the first COVID-19 related lockdown period in March 2020 in Austria. An online survey completed by 161 therapists produced both quantitative and qualitative data with the latter being subject to a qualitative content analysis. Our research suggests that telephone and videoconferencing are considered valuable treatment formats to deliver psychodynamic psychotherapy. However, therapists’ experiences with remote psychotherapy are multifaceted and ambiguous. In particular, the findings raise questions concerning the maintenance of the therapeutic alliance, the development of the analytic process, the sensitivity to unconscious communication, and the indication for certain types of patients that still need further investigation. Our research indicates that the long-standing reticence toward remote treatments offers among psychodynamic therapists is becoming more differentiated and partially dissolves as therapists gain experiences in their use. Attitudes are becoming more open. At the same time, the way is being prepared to take a closer look at the specific processes and dynamics of remote psychotherapy and to examine them critically in future studies.
Spanish L2 Chinese Learners’ Awareness of Morpho-Syntactic Structures in the Reading Comprehension of Splittable Compounds
Authors: Lu Ziming , Dai Ying , Wu Yicheng
Published: January 2022

Reading comprehension is never considered a simple task in linguists’ views as it requires a full set of linguistic knowledge, such as word decoding, understanding syntactic and morphological structures, and deriving proper meanings from these structures in a given context. Bearing the simple view of reading, the primary goal of this study is to explore whether the split presentation of Chinese splittable compounds influences the recognition of the compounds in second language (L2) Chinese reading comprehension, and how the reading skills, i.e., word decoding and linguistic comprehension, cooperate to complete this reading comprehension task. Splittable compounds (SCs) in Chinese are typically verbs composed of two constituents with limited separability. The separable property of SCs and their vague morpho-syntactic status are supposed to cause difficulties for L2 Chinese learners in recognizing the compounds. Especially for those whose native language manifests lexical integrity, the split presentation of the compounds may invite the L2 Chinese readers to process them with a mechanism different from that for their non-split forms. To the best of our knowledge, the efforts on investigating this issue are insufficient. In this study, 27 Spanish speaking L2 Chinese learners were invited to complete tasks including reading and interpreting 6 selected SCs in the split and non-split forms, rating their familiarities with each SC and reporting the syntactic category of the SCs based on their existing linguistic knowledge. The results, showed that the split presentation of SCs did cause challenges for L2 Chinese learners in recognizing the compounds in the reading process, regardless of their Chinese proficiencies. The L2 Chinese participants performed significantly worse in recognizing split SCs in salient Verb-Object structures than recognizing those in unsalient Verb-Object structures. These findings underscore the importance of linguistic comprehension in L2 Chinese in-text word reading comprehension and suggest words as the basic processing units.
The Global Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Individuals' and Couples' Sexuality
Authors: Eleuteri Stefano , Alessi Federica , Petruccelli Filippo , Saladino Valeria
Published: January 2022

The COVID-19 pandemic and its related restrictions significantly impacted individuals' health, wellbeing, and security. Isolation, limitation of movement, social distancing, and forced cohabiting have had a strong influence on all areas of people's lives as well as on their sexuality. Investigating how the COVID-19 outbreak and its consequences impacted people's sexuality was the primary aim of this review. Particularly, we focused on: (1) the variables associated with the improvement or the deterioration of individuals' and couples' lives during the pandemic; (2) the use of sex as a coping strategy; (3) the impact of COVID-19 outbreak on LGBT people. Results have shown that the worsening of sexual life seems to be related to couples' conflict, emotions and psychological difficulties, being female, being single or away from the partner, being a health care worker, and having children. Moreover, a detrimental effect on sexuality was associated with stress, forced cohabitation, routine, anxiety and worry about the job and the pandemic, feeling partner distance, being unhappy with their partner, and lack of privacy. On the other hand, improvements in sexuality were associated with living happily with a partner, being happy and satisfied with a partner, feeling less stressed and more bored, having more free time, having fewer recreation opportunities, and having minor workload. During the pandemic, there was an increase in using sex toys, pornography consumption, masturbating, and trying sexual experimentations. Among LGBT people, an increase was found in the number of casual sexual partners potentially due to the perceived lower likelihood of transmission through sex. Moreover, the increase in sexual activity may have represented a coping strategy to quarantine-related distress.
On the Effect of Employer Offered Leave of Work on Participation in Continuing Vocational Education and Training – Investigating the Intention-Behavior Relation
Authors: Rüter Fabian
Published: January 2022

The availability of time is a deciding factor for participation of adults in continuing vocational education and training (CVET). In view of the importance of time for participation, the present study investigates the impact of employer offered leave of work on employees’ participation behavior in CVET. Leave of work provides a specific timeframe for CVET by enabling the use of working time as learning time. The rationale of the intention-behavior relation as theorized by the theory of planned behavior provides the theoretical framework for the study. The theory allows the integration of individual and contextual factors (e.g., the work environment) in explaining individual behavior and the underpinning decision-making process. The theory conceptualizes time as an element of behavioral control that is required to act on an intention. Behavioral control is theorized to moderate the intention-behavior relation. Two modes of behavioral control are distinguished. We use employer offered leave of work as a proxy for actual behavioral control and the degree of perceived behavioral control regarding the availability of temporal resources to participate in CVET to investigate the theorized moderating role of behavior control on the intention-behavior relation. To test the hypotheses, two waves of panel data from the German National Educational Panel Study (NEPS) are used. Aiming at causal inferences, hybrid logit models are employed. We find that a participation intention is a significant predictor of CVET participation. However, the results provide no evidence regarding the theorized moderating role of actual behavioral control in terms of an employer offered leave of work on the intention-behavior relation. Furthermore, the results provide evidence that the degree of perceived behavioral control regarding the availability of temporal resources to participate in CVET does neither moderate the intention-behavior relation nor is a proxy for actual behavioral control. Finally, we discuss possible future developments of the theory of planned behavior by integrating action-theoretical assumptions from the value-expectancy theory.
Let's End HepC: Modelling Public Health Epidemiological Policies Applied to Hepatitis C in Spain
Authors: Lopes Henrique , Baptista-Leite Ricardo , Franco Diogo , Serra Miguel A. , Escudero Amparo , Martín-Moreno José M.
Published: January 2022

Background: The WHO has defined international targets toward the elimination of hepatitis C by 2030. Most countries cannot be on track to achieve this goal unless many challenges are surpassed. The Let's End HepC (LEHC) tool aims to contribute to the control of hepatitis C. The innovation of this tool combines the modelling of public health policies (PHP) focused on hepatitis C with epidemiological modelling of the disease, obtaining a unique result that allows to forecast the impact of policy outcomes. The model was applied to several countries, including Spain.

Methods: To address the stated objective, we applied the “Adaptive Conjoint Analysis” for PHP decision-making and Markov Chains in the LEHC modelling tool. The tool also aims to be used as an element of health literacy for patient advocacy through gamification mechanisms and country comparability. The LEHC project has been conducted in several countries, including Spain. The population segments comprised in the project are: People Who Inject Drugs (PWID), prisoners, blood products, remnant population.

Results: A total of 24 PHP related to hepatitis C were included in the LEHC project. It was identified that Spain had fully implemented 14 of those policies to control hepatitis C. According to LEHC's model forecast, the WHO's Hepatitis C elimination goal on reducing the number of patients living with Hepatitis C to 10% can be achieved in Spain by 2026 if current policies are maintained. The model estimates that the total population in Spain, by 2026, is expected to comprise 26,367 individuals living with hepatitis C. Moreover, if the 24 PHP considered for this study are fully implemented in Spain, the elimination goal may be achieved in 2024, with 29,615 individuals living with hepatitis C by that year.

Conclusion: The findings corroborate the view that Spain has set great efforts in directing PHP toward Hepatitis C Virus (HCV) elimination by 2030. However, there is still room for improvement, namely in further implementing 10 of the 24 PHP considered for the LEHC project. By maintaining the 14 PHP in force, the LEHC model estimates the HCV elimination in the country by 2026, and by 2024 if further measures are employed to control the disease.
Effects of Educational Attainment and Housing Condition on Self-Rated Health in Old Age: Heterogeneity and Tendency in China
Authors: Yao Yuan , Zhang Shun , Li Aihong
Published: January 2022

In China, the health of the elderly has long been discussed, but few have investigated the diversity of the aging pattern in later life of this population. Although a large body of literature has approved the positive association between socioeconomic status (SES) and health, it still remains controversial regarding whether the association becomes convergent or divergent in old ages. Using data from China's 2010 and 2015 Inter-census Survey (1‰ sample), this paper explored the role of two key SES indicators, educational attainment and housing condition in modifying the self-rated health of Chinese elders aged 60 and above. We observed the diversified patterns of how educational attainment and housing condition have made an impact on the health of these elders in their old age and the temporal changes of the two SES indicators. We found higher educational attainment and better housing condition can lead to higher self-rated health. This positive significance however diminished with age over time, as we observed from 2010 to 2015, indicating the convergent effects of SES on health in old age. We also found that although educational attainment and housing condition were both positively correlated with health, their effects were differentiated. The influence of educational attainment on health waxed, whereas on housing conditions waned over time. These findings suggested the heterogeneity of health and SES effects among Chinese elders.
Determinants of COVID-19 Vaccine Acceptance and Hesitancy: A Health Care Student-Based Online Survey in Northwest China
Authors: Zhang Juxia , Dean Judith , Yin Yuhuan , Wang Dongping , Sun Yanqing , Zhao Zhenhua , Wang Jiancheng
Published: January 2022

Background: With the spread of COVID-19 around the world, herd immunity through vaccination became a key measure to control the pandemic, but high uptake of vaccine is not guaranteed. Moreover, the actual acceptance of COVID-19 vaccination and associated factors remain uncertain among health care students in Northwest China.

Methods: A cross-sectional survey of a sample of 631 health care students was performed using a questionnaire developed through Wen Juan Xing survey platform to collect information regarding their attitudes, beliefs, and acceptance of COVID-19 vaccination. Binary logistic regression analyses were performed to identify the association between vaccination willingness and demographics, attitudes, and beliefs to determine the factors that actually effect acceptance and hesitancy of COVID-19 vaccine among health care students.

Results: Overall, 491 (77.81%) students actually received the COVID-19 vaccine, and of the 140 unvaccinated, 69 were hesitant and 71 rejected. Binary logistic regression analysis showed that the actually vaccinated individuals were those who mostly believed in the effectiveness of the COVID-19 vaccine (OR = 2.94, 95%CI: 1.37, 6.29), those who mostly felt it is their responsibility to receive the vaccine to protect others from infection (OR = 2.75, 95%CI: 1.45, 5.23), with less previous experience about other vaccines (OR = 1.70, 95%CI: 1.06, 2.72), students who mostly thought COVID-19 to be very severe (OR = 1.77, 95%CI: 1.07, 2.93), and students who mostly thought the COVID-19 vaccine was one of the best protection measures (OR = 1.68, 95%CI: 1.03, 2.76). Concerns about side effects of vaccines (OR = 0.30, 95%CI: 0.18, 0.51) and the use of personal protective behavior as an alternative to the COVID-19 vaccination (OR = 0.16, 95%CI: 0.06, 0.39) hindered the vaccine acceptance.

Conclusions: Our study showed higher COVID-19 vaccine acceptance among healthcare students. However, the individuals with vaccine hesitancy and rejection were still worrying. Vaccine safety and effectiveness issues continue to be a major factor affecting students' acceptance. To expand vaccine coverage in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, appropriate vaccination strategies and immunization programs are essential, especially for those with negative attitudes and beliefs.
Analytical Performance of Quantitative DiaSorin Liaison SARS-COV-2 Antigen Test for the Asymptomatic Population
Authors: Fernández-Rivas Gema , Barallat Jaume , Gonzalez Victoria , Martinez Silvia , Bordoy Antoni E. , Jimenez Laura , Casañ Cristina , Blanco Ignacio
Published: January 2022

Background: Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) antigen (Ag) tests have been widely employed to identify patients for a rapid diagnosis and pandemic control. Rapid lateral-flow techniques are currently the most used, but automated technologies have emerged as another viable alternative to molecular methods. We aimed to evaluate the analytical performance of the DiaSorin Liaison SARS-CoV-2 Ag test in asymptomatic population and close contacts, for its use as a tool in pandemic control efforts.

Material and Methods: A retrospective study was conducted. A total of 861 samples were included, 291 (34%) were positive for SARS-CoV-2 with cycle threshold (Ct) <40, and 570 (66%) were negative.

Results: A strong correlation was observed between reverse transcriptase-PCR (RT-PCR) Ct and Ag 50% Tissue Culture Infectious Dose per milliliter (TCID50/ml; r = 0.6486; p < 0.0001) and all RT-PCR negative samples tested negative for the 200 TCID50/ml SARS-Cov-2 Ag cutoff, i.e., a specificity of 100% was reached (95% CI: 99.4–100.0%). Samples with <25 Ct and/or >106 extrapolated copies/ml were reached a sensitivity of 100% (95% IC 97.0–100.0%). For intermediate viral loads (>105 extrapolated copies/ml or <30 Ct), the sensitivity value still exceeded 80%. As with other Ag methods, samples between 30 and 40 Ct could not be detected with a reliable sensitivity.

Conclusions: The LIAISON® SARS-CoV-2 Ag assay displays an acceptable sensitivity and a very high specificity that is useful for detecting the presence of SARS-CoV-2 in nasal swabs (NPS) of asymptomatic population or to regular monitoring of risk groups in controlled settings. Additionally, the flexibility in processing different samples and in the sampling preparation process makes this test an option for its use in high throughput laboratories. Automated tests may facilitate result reporting and yield consistent data, while avoiding some of the pitfalls of rapid lateral-flow techniques, such as observer variability.
The Effect of Pore-Scale Two-Phase Flow on Mineral Reaction Rates
Authors: Li Pei , Deng Hang , Molins Sergi
Published: January 2022

In various natural and engineered systems, mineral–fluid interactions take place in the presence of multiple fluid phases. While there is evidence that the interplay between multiphase flow processes and reactions controls the evolution of these systems, investigation of the dynamics that shape this interplay at the pore scale has received little attention. Specifically, continuum scale models rarely consider the effect of multiphase flow parameters on mineral reaction rates or apply simple corrections as a function of the reactive surface area or saturation of the aqueous phase, without developing a mechanistic understanding of the pore-scale dynamics. In this study, we developed a framework that couples the two-phase flow simulator of OpenFOAM (open field operation and manipulation) with the geochemical reaction capability of CrunchTope to examine pore-scale dynamics of two phase flow and their impacts on mineral reaction rates. For our investigations, flat 2D channels and single sine wave channels were used to represent smooth and rough geometries. Calcite dissolution in these channels was quantified with single phase flow and two phase flow at a range of velocities. We observed that the bulk calcite dissolution rates were not only affected by the loss of reactive surface area as it becomes occupied by the non-reactive non-aqueous phase, but also largely influenced by the changes in local velocity profiles, e.g., recirculation zones, due to the presence of the non-aqueous phase. The extent of the changes in reaction rates in the two-phase systems compared to the corresponding single phase system is dependent on the flow rate (i.e., capillary number) and channel geometry, and follows a non-monotonic relationship with respect to aqueous saturation. The pore-scale simulation results highlight the importance of interfacial dynamics in controlling mineral reactions and can be used to better constrain reaction rate descriptions in multiphase continuum scale models. These results also emphasize the need for experimental studies that underpin the development of mechanistic models for multiphase flow in reactive systems.
Food Security and Climate Change: Differences in Impacts and Adaptation Strategies for Rural Communities in the Global South and North
Authors: Raj Subhashni , Roodbar Sam , Brinkley Catherine , Wolfe David Walter
Published: January 2022

This research highlights the mismatch between food security and climate adaptation literature and practice in the Global North and South by focusing on nested case studies in rural India and the United States during the COVID-19 pandemic. The United States is one of the wealthiest countries in the world, but also has one of the largest wealth gaps. Comparatively, India has one of the largest populations of food insecure people. To demonstrate how adaptive food security approaches to climate change will differ, we first review the unique climate, agricultural, demographic, and socio-economic features; and then compare challenges and solutions to food security posed by the COVID-19 pandemic. While both countries rely on rural, low-income farmworkers to produce food, the COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted how agricultural and food security policies differ in their influence on both food insecurity and global hunger alike. Emphasis on agricultural production in developing regions where a majority of individuals living in rural areas are smallholder subsistence farmers will benefit the majority of the population in terms of both poverty alleviation and food production. In the Global North, an emphasis on food access and availability is necessary because rural food insecure populations are often disconnected from food production.
Effects of Non-intubated Video-Assisted Thoracic Surgery on Patients With Pulmonary Dysfunction
Authors: Deng Shiyu , Cen Yanyi , Jiang Long , Lan Lan
Published: January 2022

Background: Non-intubated video-assisted thoracic surgery (NIVATS) can be safely performed in lung volume reduction surgery for patients with severe pulmonary dysfunction. However, there is still no cohort observation on the effects of NIVATS on patients with pulmonary dysfunction undergoing different types of thoracic procedures. This retrospective study aimed to observe the effects of NIVATS for this kind of patients.

Methods: Three hundred and twenty-eight patients with moderate to severe obstructive pulmonary dysfunction, who underwent video-assisted thoracic surgery (VATS), were retrospectively collected from June 1st, 2017 to September 30th, 2019. Patients in NIVATS were case-matched with those in intubated video-assisted thoracic surgery (IVATS) by a propensity score-matched analysis. The primary outcome was the comparison of perioperative values, the secondary outcome was the risk factors for postoperative clinical complications (PCP) which were identified by binary logistic regression analysis.

Results: After being matched, there were no differences in demographics and preoperative values of pulmonary function between NIVATS and IVATS groups. The duration of surgery and anesthesia had no difference (P = 0.091 and P = 0.467). As for the postoperative recovery, except for the mean intensive care unit (ICU) stay was longer in the IVATS group than in the NIVATS group (P = 0.015), the chest tube removal time and the postoperative hospital stay had no difference (P = 0.394 and P = 0.453), and the incidence of PCP also had no difference (P = 0.121). The binary logistic regression analysis revealed that the history of pulmonary disease, anesthesia method, and surgical location were risk factors of PCP.

Conclusion: For patients with pulmonary dysfunction when undergoing different types of thoracic procedures, the NIVATS can be performed as effectively and safely as the IVATS, and can reduce the ICU stay.
The Prevalence of Integument Injuries and Associated Risk Factors Among Canadian Turkeys
Authors: Leishman Emily M. , van Staaveren Nienke , Osborne Vern R. , Wood Benjamin J. , Baes Christine F. , Harlander-Matauschek Alexandra
Published: January 2022

Injurious pecking can cause a wide range of damage and is an important welfare and economic issue in turkey production. Aggressive pecking typically targets the head/neck (HN) area, and feather pecking typically targets the back/tail (BT) area; injuries in these separate areas could be used as a proxy for the level of aggressive and feather pecking in a flock. The objective of this study was to identify risk factors for integument injuries in Canadian turkey flocks. A survey containing a questionnaire about housing and management practices and a scoring guide was distributed to 500 turkey farmers across Canada. The farmer scored pecking injuries in two different body areas (HN and BT) on a 0–2 scale on a subset of birds within each flock. Multivariable logistic regression modeling was used to identify factors associated with the presence of HN and BT injuries. The prevalence of birds with integument injuries ranged widely between the flock subsets (HN = 0–40%, BT = 0–97%), however the mean prevalence was low (HN = 6%, BT = 10%). The presence of injuries for logistic regression was defined as flocks with an injury prevalence greater than the median level of injury prevalence in the dataset (3.3% HN and 6.6% BT). The final logistic regression model for HN injuries contained five variables: flock sex, flock age, number of daily inspections, number of different people during inspections, and picking up birds during inspections (N = 62, pR2= 0.23, α = 0.05). The final logistic regression model for BT injuries contained six variables: flock sex, flock age, litter depth, litter condition, inspection duration, and use of hospital pens for sick/injured birds (N = 59, pR2= 0.29, α = 0.05). Flock age, and to a lesser extent, sex was associated with both types of injuries. From a management perspective, aggressive pecking injuries appear to be influenced by variables related to human interaction, namely during inspections. On the other hand, the presence of feather pecking injuries, was associated with litter condition and other management factors like separating sick birds. Future research on injurious pecking in turkeys should focus on these aspects of housing and management to better describe the relationship between the identified variables and the prevalence and severity of these conditions.
The Case for Animal Privacy in the Design of Technologically Supported Environments
Authors: Paci Patrizia , Mancini Clara , Nuseibeh Bashar
Published: January 2022

Privacy is an essential consideration when designing interactive systems for humans. However, at a time when interactive technologies are increasingly targeted at non-human animals and deployed within multispecies contexts, the question arises as to whether we should extend privacy considerations to other animals. To address this question, we revisited early scholarly work on privacy, which examines privacy dynamics in non-human animals (henceforth “animals”). Then, we analysed animal behaviour literature describing privacy-related behaviours in different species. We found that animals use a variety of separation and information management mechanisms, whose function is to secure their own and their assets' safety, as well as negotiate social interactions. In light of our findings, we question tacit assumptions and ordinary practises that involve human technology and that affect animal privacy. Finally, we draw implications for the design of interactive systems informed by animals' privacy requirements and, more broadly, for the development of privacy-aware multispecies interaction design.
Effects of Antimicrobial Peptide Microcin C7 on Growth Performance, Immune and Intestinal Barrier Functions, and Cecal Microbiota of Broilers
Authors: Dai Ziqi , Shang Lijun , Wang Fengming , Zeng Xiangfang , Yu Haitao , Liu Lu , Zhou Jianchuan , Qiao Shiyan
Published: January 2022

Microcin C7 is an antimicrobial peptide produced by Escherichia coli, composed of a heptapeptide with a modified adenosine monophosphate. This study was performed to evaluate the effects of Microcin C7 as a potential substrate to traditional antibiotics on growth performance, immune functions, intestinal barrier, and cecal microbiota of broilers. In the current study, 300 healthy Arbor Acres broiler chicks were randomly assigned to one of five treatments including a corn–soybean basal diet and basal diet supplemented with antibiotic or 2, 4, and 6 mg/kg Microcin C7. Results showed that Microcin C7 significantly decreased the F/G ratio of broilers; significantly increased the levels of serum cytokine IL-10, immunoglobulins IgG and IgM, and ileal sIgA secretion; significantly decreased the level of serum cytokine TNF-α. Microcin C7 significantly increased villus height and V/C ratio and significantly decreased crypt depth in small intestine of broilers. Microcin C7 significantly increased gene expression of tight junction protein Occludin and ZO-1 and significantly decreased gene expression of pro-inflammatory and chemokine TNF-α, IL-8, IFN-γ, Toll-like receptors TLR2 and TLR4, and downstream molecular MyD88 in the jejunum of broilers. Microcin C7 significantly increased the number of Lactobacillus and decreased the number of total bacteria and Escherichia coli in the cecum of broilers. Microcin C7 also significantly increased short-chain fatty acid (SCFA) and lactic acid levels in the ileum and cecum of broilers. In conclusion, diet supplemented with Microcin C7 significantly improved growth performance, strengthened immune functions, enhanced intestinal barrier, and regulated cecal microbiota of broilers. Therefore, the antimicrobial peptide Microcin C7 may have the potential to be an ideal alternative to antibiotic.
MINC-NRL: An Information-Based Approach for Community Detection
Authors: Chen Yinan , Wang Chuanpeng , Li Dong
Published: January 2022

Complex networks usually consist of dense-connected cliques, which are defined as communities. A community structure is a reflection of the local characteristics existing in the network topology, this makes community detection become an important research field to reveal the internal structural characteristics of networks. In this article, an information-based community detection approach MINC-NRL is proposed, which can be applied to both overlapping and non-overlapping community detection. MINC-NRL introduces network representation learning (NRL) to represent the target network as vectors, then generates a community evolution process based on these vectors to reduce the search space, and finally, finds the best community partition in this process using mutual information between network and communities (MINC). Experiments on real-world and synthetic data sets verifies the effectiveness of the approach in community detection, both on non-overlapping and overlapping tasks.
Feminization of Agriculture: Do Female Farmers Have Higher Expectations for the Value of Their Farmland?—Empirical Evidence from China
Authors: Yan Zhongcheng , Wei Feng , Deng Xin , Li Chuan , He Qiang , Qi Yanbin
Published: January 2022

An individual’s expectations for the value of farmland are a manifestation of his or her awareness of farmland rights and interests. Differences between male and female farmers in their use of farmland, employment, education, and rights protection may ultimately lead to differences in the evaluation of land value between the two groups. Clarifying such gender differences in the valuation of farmland and the reasons for them is of great significance for the formulation of policies and scientific research in areas such as the protection of rural women’s rights, nonagricultural employment, and land transfer. In the context of the global “feminization of agriculture”, we start with individuals’ psychological expectations for the value of farmland. We use data on farmland from the 2015 China Household Finance Survey (CHFS) and estimate an OLS regression model. The moderating effects model identifies the impact of gender differences on such expectations and the underlying mechanism. We find that (1) rural female farmers’ psychological expectations for the value of farmland are much lower than those of males due to their disadvantages in receiving information through policy publicization and their greater willingness to transfer into nonagricultural employment, and (2), according to the heterogeneity analysis, better educated female farmers and those living in areas with greater economic and social development expect farmland to be more valuable. These conclusions show that female farmers are currently less aware of their economic rights in rural China than male farmers, and that education, policy propaganda, and economic and social underdevelopment hinder their awareness of women’s rights. We propose policy suggestions to ensure women’s educational rights, promote the adjustment of the industrial structure and of policy propaganda, and balance regional economic and social development.
Effects of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Sustainable Food Systems: Lessons Learned for Public Policies? The Case of Poland
Authors: Dudek Michał , Śpiewak Ruta
Published: January 2022

COVID-19 has affected the functioning of food systems all over the world. This paper seeks to identify and analyse the economic, legal and institutional, as well as social effects of the pandemic’s outbreak on food systems, and the implications for the EU Farm to Fork Strategy whose main purpose is to put food systems on a sustainable path. Qualitative economic and social impact analysis was used to identify the above types of effect on the food system on a macroscale, using Poland as an example. Information was sourced from existing data and qualitative studies. Studies show that the consequences of the pandemic for individual elements of the food system in Poland in 2020 were related to numerous disruptions in functioning, leading to uncertainty, financial losses, and interrupted transactions. The crisis under analysis also revealed modifications in these actors’ behaviours in food markets, noticeable in changes in consumption patterns and in the ways demand for food was met. Nevertheless, an analysis of the gathered information and data testifies to the food system’s relative resistance to the effects of the pandemic, and also to the adaptive skills of the system’s entities, especially food producers and consumers. The paper’s discussion contains recommendations for public policies shaping the food system, pointing to actions that might reduce the negative effects of other potential exogenic crises in the future and aid the implementation of the Farm to Fork Strategy’s principles.
Prospects of the Application of Garlic Extracts and Selenium and Silicon Compounds for Plant Protection against Herbivorous Pests: A Review
Authors: Golubkina Nadezhda , Zayachkovsky Vladimir , Sheshnitsan Sergei , Skrypnik Liubov , Antoshkina Marina , Smirnova Anna , Fedotov Mikhail , Caruso Gianluca
Published: January 2022

Protection of plants against herbivorous pests is an important aspect that guarantees agricultural efficiency, i.e., food provision to populations. Environmental, water and foodstuff pollution by toxic pesticides, along with climate changes, highlight the necessity to achieve intensive development of ecologically safe methods of herbivory control. This review discusses modern methods of plant protection against insect pests: the biofortification of plants with selenium, treatment of plants with bulk and nano-silicon, and utilization of garlic extracts. The peculiarities of such methods of defense are described in relation to growth stimulation as well as increasing the yield and nutritional value of products. Direct defense methods, i.e., mechanical, hormonal, through secondary metabolites and/or mineral element accumulation, and indirect defense via predator attraction are discussed. Examples of herbivorous pest control during plant growth and grain/seed storage are emphasized. A comparison of sodium selenate, silicon containing fertilizer (Siliplant) and garlic extract efficiency is analyzed on Raphanus sativus var. lobo infested with the cruciferous gall midge Contarinia nasturtii, indicating the quick annihilation of pests as a result of the foliar application of garlic extract or silicon-containing fertilizer, Siliplant.
Experimental Study on the Mechanical Properties of Friction, Collision and Compression of Tiger Nut Tubers
Authors: Zhang Shengwei , Fu Jun , Zhang Ruiyu , Zhang Yan , Yuan Hongfang
Published: January 2022

The mechanical properties of agricultural materials can provide the basis for the design and optimisation of agricultural machinery. There are currently very few studies on the mechanical properties of tiger nut tubers, which is not conducive to the design and development of machinery for their harvesting and processing. To obtain the mechanical parameters of tiger nut tubers, this study investigated the effects of variety (Zhong Yousha 1 and Zhong Yousha 2), moisture content (8%, 16%, 24%, 32% and 40%), contact material (steel, aluminium, plexiglass and polyurethane), release height (170 mm, 220 mm, 270 mm and 320 mm), loading speed (5 mm/min, 10 mm/min, 15 mm/min and 20 mm/min), compression direction (vertical and horizontal) on the friction, collision and compression mechanical properties of the tubers. The results were as follows: Both moisture content and contact material had a significant effect (p < 0.01) on the sliding friction coefficient (0.405–0.652) of the tubers; both variety and moisture content had a significant effect (p < 0.01) on the angle of repose (27.96–36.09°); contact material, moisture content, release height and variety all had a significant effect (p < 0.01) on the collision recovery coefficient (0.376–0.672) of tubers; variety, loading speed, moisture content and compression direction all had significant effects (p < 0.01) on the damage force (87.54–214.48 N), deformation (1.25–6.12 mm) and damage energy (82.38–351.08 mJ) of the tubers; only moisture content and compression direction had significant effects (p < 0.01) on the apparent elastic modulus (12.17–120.88 MPa) of the tubers. The results of this study can provide a reference for the design and optimisation of machinery for the harvesting and processing of tiger nut tubers.
Survival of Salmonella Typhimurium, Listeria monocytogenes, and ESBL Carrying Escherichia coli in Stored Anaerobic Biogas Digestates in Relation to Different Biogas Input Materials and Storage Temperatures
Authors: Schilling Thorben , Hoelzle Katharina , Philipp Werner , Hoelzle Ludwig E.
Published: January 2022

Anaerobic digestates derived from agricultural mesophilic biogas plants are mainly used as organic fertilizers. However, animal derived pathogens could persist in the anaerobic digestates (ADs) posing an epidemiological risk. The present study investigated whether storage of ADs could reduce Salmonella Typhimurium, Listeria monocytogenes, and ESBL carrying Escherichia coli and whether reduction rates are dependent on temperature and substrate. Quantified bacterial suspensions were used to inoculate ADs derived from five biogas plants using different input materials to investigate the substrate dependence of the pathogen reduction. ADs were stored over six months with four different temperature profiles each representing six consecutive months, and, thus, the four seasons. Pathogen reduction during storage was shown to be strongly dependent on the temperature but also on the type of AD. This influence was higher at low temperatures. At higher temperatures (spring and summer profiles), a 5-log reduction was achieved after twelve weeks for S. Typhimurium, after twenty weeks for E. coli (ESBL) and after twenty-four weeks for L. monocytogenes in all ADs, respectively. In contrast at lower temperatures (autumn and winter profiles), a 5-log reduction was reached after twenty-four weeks for S. Typhimurium and not reached for ESBL-E. coli and L. monocytogenes. In conclusion, storing the ADs after the biogas process improves the hygienic quality and reduce the risk of introducing pathogens to the environment, but each case should be evaluated individually considering the composition of the ADs and the storage temperatures.
Comparative Water Environment Simulation Study of Two Typical Models with BMPs in a Karst Basin
Authors: Zhang Jing , Zhang Peiqi , Song Yongyu
Published: January 2022

Carbonate rocks are widely distributed in southwest China, forming a unique karst landscape. The Lijiang River Basin provides a typical example of an area with concentrated karst. Research on the laws of hydrology and water quality migration in the Lijiang River Basin is important for the management of the water resources of Guilin City and similar areas. In this study, we combined three meteorological data with the soil and water assessment tool (SWAT) model and the hydrological simulation program-Fortran (HSPF) model to simulate the hydrological and water quality processes in the Lijiang River Basin separately. We chose the Nash–Sutcliffe efficiency (NSE) coefficient, coefficient of determination (R2), root mean square error-observations standard deviation ratio (RSR), and mean absolute error (MAE) as the metrics used to evaluate the models. The results, combined with the time-series process lines, indicated that the SWAT model provides a more accurate performance than the HSPF model in streamflow, ammonia nitrogen (NH3-N), and dissolved oxygen (DO) simulations. In addition, we divided the karst and non-karst areas, and we analyzed the differences between them in water balance, sediment transport, and pollution load. We further identified the key source areas of pollution load in the Lijiang River Basin, evaluated the pollution reduction effect of best management practices (BMPs) on surface source pollution, and proposed some pollution control countermeasures. Each scenario, especially returning farmland to forest and creating vegetation buffer zones, reduces the NH3-N and DO pollution load.