bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Screening and analysis of differentially expressed circRNAs and miRNAs in chronic diabetic extremity wounds
Authors: Li Xiaoliang , Lv Dan , Xie Jiangfan , Ye Xiangyang , Xia Chengde , Liu Dewu
Published: November 2022

Increasing studies have shown that circular RNAs (circRNAs) and microRNAs (miRNAs) are related to the development of endocrine and metabolic diseases. However, there are few reports on the expression of circRNAs and miRNAs and their related co-expression and the expression of competitive endogenous RNA (ceRNA) in diabetic chronic refractory wounds. In this study, we compared the differential expression of circRNAs and miRNAs in diabetes chronic refractory wounds and normal skin tissues by high-throughput gene sequencing, and screened the differentially expressed circRNAs and miRNAs. Five abnormally expressed circRNAs and seven abnormally expressed miRNAs were detected by reverse transcription quantitative polymerase chain reaction PCR (RT-qPCR)to verify the results of RNA sequencing. We applied gene ontology (GO) to enrich and analyze dysregulated genes and elucidated their main functions via the Kyoto encyclopedia of genes and genomes analysis (KEGG). We constructed coding noncoding gene co-expression networks and ceRNA networks based on significantly abnormally expressed genes. According to the results of coding noncoding gene co-expression network analysis, hsa_circRNA_104175, hsa_circRNA_ 001588, hsa_circRNA_104330, hsa_circRNA_ 100141, hsa_circRNA_103107, and hsa_ circRNA_102044 may be involved in the regulation of the chronic intractable wound healing process in diabetes mellitus. This is particularly true in the regulation of vascular smooth muscle contraction-related pathways and the actin cytoskeleton, which affect the healing of chronic intractable wounds in diabetes. MiR-223-5p, miR-514a-3p, miR-205-5p, and miR-203-3p, which each have a targeting relationship with the above circRNAs, regulate the metabolism of nitrogen compounds in wound tissue by regulating NOD-like receptor signaling pathways, signaling pathways regulating the pluripotency of stem cells, microRNAs in cancer, and ECM-receptor interaction. This study showed circRNAs, miRNAs, and their network are associated with the development of chronic intractable wounds in diabetes, and our research identified the goals for new molecular biomarkers and gene therapy.
Prevalence of Campylobacter hepaticus specific antibodies among commercial free-range layers in Australia
Authors: Muralidharan Chithralekha , Huang Jiongrui , Anwar Arif , Scott Peter C. , Moore Robert J. , Van Thi Thu Hao
Published: November 2022

Spotty liver disease (SLD) caused by Campylobacter hepaticus affects the health and productivity of layer hens and is a disease of concern in poultry. In this study, blood and cloacal swab samples were collected from 709 birds across 11 free-range layer farms from different regions of Australia. The prevalence of C. hepaticus specific antibodies and DNA was assessed using a C. hepaticus specific ELISA and PCR and its correlation with mortalities and changes in egg production was analyzed to better understand the seroprevalence of C. hepaticus in Australian free-range layer farms. C. hepaticus specific antibodies were detected from birds in four of the five farms that had no history of SLD with seroprevalence as high as 41% in one of the farms. Seroprevalence of anti-C. hepaticus antibodies among flocks that had an active or previous SLD outbreak varied between 2 and 64%. C. hepaticus DNA was detected from birds in three farms with no known SLD history and five farms with confirmed SLD outbreaks. A good correlation was observed between the ELISA and PCR results with a Pearson correlation coefficient value of 0.85 (p-value = 0.001). No correlation was observed between the flock size or flock age and ELISA or PCR outcomes, and no significant difference between the seroprevalence of anti-C. hepaticus antibodies among flocks with or without a known history of SLD was established (p = 0.143). This study demonstrates the usefulness of C. hepaticus specific ELISA and PCR in identifying the occurrence of mild or sub-clinical SLD and provides a broader and more complete understanding of SLD epidemiology that will inform future research aimed at the development of methods to control SLD, such as appropriate biosecurity measures, vaccines, and feed additives.
Transitioning from crates to free farrowing: A roadmap to navigate key decisions
Authors: Baxter Emma M. , Moustsen Vivi A. , Goumon Sébastien , Illmann Gudrun , Edwards Sandra A.
Published: November 2022

There are animal welfare concerns about the continued use of permanent crating systems for farrowing and lactating sows, which is the most prevalent maternity system in global pig production. Greater societal attention in recent years has culminated in changes (or proposed changes) to regulations as well as market-driven initiatives to move away from crated systems. Transitioning from farrowing crates to systems that allow the sow greater freedom of movement and behavioral expression requires a number of key decisions, with various trade-offs apparent when trying to balance the needs of different stakeholders. This review discusses these decisions based on common questions asked by farmers, policy makers and other stakeholders when deciding on a new system to build/approve. Based on the latest scientific evidence and practical insight, decisions such as: whether to retrofit an existing barn or build a new one, what spatial dimensions are necessary per sow place, whether to adopt free farrowing or temporary crating, how to provide substrate/enrichment and be hygienic and environmentally friendly, and how to optimize the human inputs and transition between systems are considered. The aim of this paper is to provide a roadmap for those interested in uptake of higher welfare systems and practices, as well as to highlight areas requiring further optimization and research.
Profiling African Health Journals: A Bibliometric Study
Authors: Ogunfolaji Oloruntoba , Tangmi Adrien , Dada Olaoluwa Ezekiel , Sebopelo Lorraine Arabang , Sichimba Dawin , Djoutsop Olga M. , Ghaith Hazem S. , Cheserem Jebet Beverly , Negida Ahmed , Abu-Bonsrah Nancy , Kanmounye Ulrick Sidney , Esene Ignatius
Published: November 2022

Objectives: This study aimed to map out African health journals using publicly-available information on major databases.

Methods: The authors searched the African Journals Online Library (AJOL) and Scientific Journal Rankings (SJR) databases from their inception in 1998 and 1996 respectively to 17 October 2020, and identified African health journals. The authors extracted data on journal scope, PubMed indexation, open-access status, publishing fees, Journal Publishing Practices and Standards rating and bibliometrics. The data were compared with health journals from other regions using the Chi-square test and odds ratio.

Results: AJOL had 173 health journals registered on its database. One hundred (57.8%) journals were actively publishing. Fifty-seven (32.9%) had a 1-star Journal Publishing Practices and Standards rating and 4 (2.3%) had 2-star ratings. 112 (64.7%) had no star rating. The journal scope spanned all aspects of health. Few health journals were PubMed (n = 20) or SJR (n = 22) indexed. On average, African journals had lower total publications (median [IQR]: 52.0 [29.0–74.8] vs. 140.0 [75.8–272.5]), total references (55.0 [19.5–74.8] vs. 160.0 [42.0–519.8]), and H-index (12.2 [5.0–14.0] vs. 39.1 [10.0–53.0]) (P=0.01) compared to other regions.

Conclusion: African health journals face unique challenges that require targeted interventions.
Public Perceptions and Information Needs of VCA Transplantation and Donation: A Mixed Methods Study
Authors: Ferzola Alexander , Uriarte Jefferson , Sung Hannah C. , Anderson Naomi , Sidoti Carolyn , Van Pilsum Rasmussen Sarah E. , Downey Max , Vanterpool Karen B. , Langlee Whitney , Klitenic Samantha , Young Lisa , Cooney Carisa M. , Johnson Ieesha , Coleman Allison , Shores Jaimie T. , Segev Dorry L. , Brandacher Gerald , Gordon Elisa J. , Levan Macey L.
Published: November 2022

Vascularized Composite Allotransplantation (VCA) involves transplantation of multiple tissues from a donor to a recipient (e.g., skin, muscle, bone). Little is known about the US public’s perceptions of and attitudes toward VCA organ donation. This multi-site, cross-sectional, mixed methods study involved focus groups and surveys to assess members of the general public’s attitudes about VCA, and willingness and barriers to donate VCA organs. Qualitative data were analyzed by thematic analysis; quantitative data were analyzed by descriptive statistics. In focus groups (n = 6, 42 participants), most participants were female (57%) and Black (62%) with mean age of 42.6 years. Three main themes emerged: 1) awareness and perceptions of VCA, 2) purpose of VCA donation, 3) and barriers to VCA donation. Participants had heard little about VCA and sought information about VCA donation. Participants perceived VCA as challenging their concepts of “normality” and voiced concerns that VCA would create “Frankenstein[s].” Barriers to VCA donation included disruptions to end-of-life arrangements and information gaps regarding the donation process. Participants reported moderate to high willingness to donate their hands (69%) and face (50%) Public education efforts should address the specific needs and concerns of the public to facilitate VCA donation and family authorization.
Special Issue “Selected Algorithmic Papers From CSR 2020”
Authors: Fernau Henning
Published: November 2022

The 15th International Computer Science Symposium in Russia (CSR 2020) was organized by the Ural Federal University located in Ekaterinburg, Russian Federation [...]
Design and Implementation of an Asynchronous Finite State Controller for Wheeled Mobile Robots
Authors: Bozzi Alessandro , Graffione Simone , Sacile Roberto , Zero Enrico
Published: November 2022

Wheeled mobile robots (WMRs) can navigate in uncontrolled environments with the assistance of electronic or physical devices. Several works have been conducted on the control and management of the path-tracking of a vehicle in different road scenarios. This paper aims to create an asynchronous finite state control law for a WMR. The control law is based on a proportional–integral–derivative controller, and the performance of the proposed model is evaluated in virtual and real environments in two different scenarios. In the first one, the WMR must perform a zig-zag maneuver between obstacles, while the second one involves a double left lane change. In the proposed scenarios, the WMR drives along a path until an obstacle is detected at less than 50 cm, causing the WMR to check whether the first lane is free to go and move on. These scenarios and the related required engineering approaches seem particularly suitable for system engineering in a student’s laboratory for the design and implementation of automated guidance system modeling.
Pandemic Imposed Remote Work Arrangements and Resultant Work-Life Integration, Future of Work and Role of Leaders—A Qualitative Study of Indian Millennial Workers
Authors: Sengupta Debashish , Al-Khalifa Dwa
Published: November 2022

The unprecedented nature and scale of the COVID-19 pandemic resulted in mass lockdowns around the world, and millions of people were forced to work remotely for months, confined in their homes. Our study was aimed at understanding how pandemic-imposed remote work arrangements affected millennial workers in India. With signs of the pandemic slowing down, but with the likelihood of organizations retaining some of these work arrangements, the paper also explores how these are likely to affect the future of work, and the role that organizations and leaders have in managing the workforce in the ‘new normal’. The study follows an interpretivist paradigm and qualitative research approach using the narrative method as a key research strategy. The data was collected using in-depth interviews from Indian millennial respondents employed in both private and government sectors. The findings show a kind of work-life integration for the workers as a result of the pandemic-imposed remote work arrangements. This integration has been caused by four different types of issues that have also emerged as four major themes which have resulted in a further 10 sub-themes. The four major themes identified in this research are Managerial Issues, Work Issues, Logistical Issues, and Psychological Issues.
Effects of Body-Mounted Inertial Measurement Unit (IMU) Backpacks on Space Use and Behaviors of Laying Hens in a Perchery System
Authors: Nie Luwei , Hu Qian , Tong Qin , Liang Chao , Li Baoming , Han Mingxia , You Yuling , Yue Xingyan , Yang Xiao , Wang Chaoyuan
Published: November 2022

Body-mounted sensors have significantly enhanced our understanding of individual animals through location tracking, behavior monitoring, and activity determination. However, attaching sensors may alter the behavior of the tested animals, which would, potentially, invalidate the collected data. The objective of this study was to evaluate the effects of wearable backpacks on space use (feeder, nest box, and perch) and behaviors (aggressive, comfort, and locomotion behaviors) of laying hens in a perchery system. Nineteen laying hens were reared for 21 days, and each was fitted with a lightweight inertial measurement unit (IMU) backpack on day 0. Instantaneous scan samples were adopted to record the number of laying hens, using each space at a 5-min interval over the 16 h lights-on period at −6 d to −1 d, 1 d to 4 d, and 10 d to 15 d. Six hens were randomly selected for observation of behaviors during six 20-min periods at −5 d to −3 d, and 13 d to 15 d. Feeder use reduced at 1 d to 4 d, 11 d, and 13 d to 15 d, and nest box use reduced at 1 d, 3 d, and 10 d to 12 d, while it increased on 15 d. Hens perched more often at 1 d to 4 d and 10 d to 14 d. Space use was affected by wearing a backpack in the first few days after installation. As hens gradually accustomed to the devices, the effects on feeder, nest box, and perch use disappeared at 10 d, 13 d and 15 d, respectively. The diurnal pattern of hens using the nest box largely returned to the state before being backpacked, and there were slight recoveries in the use of feeder and perch use during the 15-day trial period. There was no observed difference in the amount of pecking, preening bouts, aerial ascent/descent, or the time spent on preening and walking at −5 d to −3 d and 13 d to 15 d. No differences were found in body weight and plumage condition score between 0 d and 16 d. The results demonstrated that the IMU backpack only had marginal and non-lasting effects on space use and behaviors of laying hens, and it seems suitable for further behavioral research after short-term acclimation. However, when the diurnal pattern serves as the variable of interest, researchers need to re-evaluate the effect of the device on birds, rather than implying there is no effect.
Better Performance of the Modified CERES-Wheat Model in Simulating Evapotranspiration and Wheat Growth under Water Stress Conditions
Authors: Wei Yingnan , Ru Han , Leng Xiaolan , He Zhijian , Ayantobo Olusola O. , Javed Tehseen , Yao Ning
Published: November 2022

Crop models are important for understanding and regulating agroecosystems. Although the CERES-Wheat model is an important tool for winter wheat research, it has some limitations under water stress conditions. To narrow the gap, this study aimed to improve the performance of the CERES-Wheat model under water stress in arid and semi-arid regions based on the winter wheat experimental data from 2012 to 2014. The Priestley–Taylor (PT) and FAO56 Penman–Monteith (PM) equations were used to calculate the reference crop evapotranspiration and further modified the crop coefficient of the CERES wheat model to improve the simulation accuracy of crop yield and evapotranspiration under water stress conditions. The results showed that: water stress before jointing seriously affected the accuracy of the CERES-Wheat model in simulating biomass and grain yield, so it was necessary to improve the original model. In the original and improved models, the accuracy of the PM equation was lower than that of PT. In addition, the simulation accuracy of the improved model was higher than that of the original model (the average RMAE and RRMSE are less than 30%). In general, among the four scenarios, the PT equation for calculating crop reference evapotranspiration and crop coefficient had the best performance. Water stress occurred at the heading and grain filling stages, and the simulated biomass was in good agreement with the observed results, which better simulated the soil water content under water stress at the later growth stages. Therefore, the change in water stress response function had positive effects on winter wheat growth under simulated water stress conditions. This study provided a reference for applying the CERES-Wheat model in arid and semi-arid areas.
Analysis and Design of Operating Parameters of Floor-Standing Jujube Pickup Device Based on Discrete Element Method
Authors: Zhou Lun , Li Jingbin , Ding Longpeng , Ding Huizhe , Liang Junpeng
Published: November 2022

In view of the problem whereby the floor-standing jujube pickup device designed by the research group has a large resistance when the comb teeth (CT) enter the soil, the strip brush can easily bend, and the operation effect is poor. In this paper, the structural parameters of the CT and bar brush in the mechanical floor date-picking device are determined by theoretical analysis. EDEM software was used to establish the discrete element simulation model of the floor-standing jujube soil–jujube pickup device. According to the simulation results, it is determined that the angle of the CT entering the soil (ACT) can change freely within 30–33° and meet the operation requirements. Through the single-factor test on the pickup rate of jujube and the soil hilling quantity, it is determined that the value range of the CT working speed (CWS) is 0.2–0.4 m/s, and the value range of the CT entering the soil (DCS) is 5–45 mm. Simulation and field verification tests were carried out on the determined operation parameter range. It was found that when the CWS was 0.2 m/s and the DCS was 5 mm, the pickup rates in the simulation test and the field verification test were 84.17% and 91.23%, respectively, and the relative error was the largest but not more than 8%. The result shows that the operation parameters and range determined by the discrete element method were reliable. This study is expected to provide the working parameter basis for the subsequent design of a floor-standing jujube pickup device.
Deep Learning Ensemble-Based Automated and High-Performing Recognition of Coffee Leaf Disease
Authors: Novtahaning Damar , Shah Hasnain Ali , Kang Jae-Mo
Published: November 2022

Coffee is the world’s most traded tropical crop, accounting for most export profits, and is a significant source of income for the countries in which it is produced. To meet the needs of the coffee market worldwide, farmers need to increase and monitor coffee production and quality. Coffee leaf disease is a significant factor that decreases coffee quality and production. In this research study, we aim to accurately classify and detect the diseases in four major types of coffee leaf disease (phoma, miner, rust, and Cercospora) in images using deep learning (DL)-based architectures, which are the most powerful artificial intelligence (AI) techniques. Specifically, we present an ensemble approach for DL models using our proposed layer. In our proposed approach, we employ transfer learning and numerous pre-trained CNN networks to extract deep characteristics from images of the coffee plant leaf. Several DL architectures then accumulate the extracted deep features. The best three models that perform well in classification are chosen and concatenated to build an ensemble architecture that is then given into classifiers to determine the outcome. Additionally, a data pre-processing and augmentation method is applied to enhance the quality and increase the data sample’s quantity to improve the training of the proposed method. According to the evaluation in this study, among all DL models, the proposed ensemble architecture outperformed other state-of-the-art neural networks by achieving 97.31% validation. An ablation study is also conducted to perform a comparative analysis of DL models in different scenarios.
Effects of Different Carbon Types on the Growth and Chromium Accumulation of Peach Trees under Chromium Stress
Authors: Gao Huaifeng , Yang Xiaoqing , Wang Nana , Sun Maoxiang , Xiao Yuansong , Peng Futian
Published: November 2022

Heavy metal pollution in agricultural soil is a serious problem, which threatens the environment and human safety. In this study, the effects of biochar (BC), activated carbon (AC), and nanocarbon (NC) on the growth of peach trees under chromium (Cr) stress were investigated through pot experiments. The experimental results showed that under Cr stress, BC, AC, and NC could increase the soil nutrient content and enhance the soil enzyme activity. Moreover, all carbon forms promoted the conversion of Cr speciation; decreased the content of exchangeable (EXE), carbonate-bound (CARB), and iron–manganese-oxide-bound (FeMnO) Cr in the soil; increased the organic-bound (Org) and precipitated (Pre) Cr content; and reduced Cr availability. After BC, AC, and NC treatment, the content of Org-Cr in the soil increased by 86.05%, 72.97%, and 65.02%; the content of EXE-Cr decreased by 75.30%, 75.33%, and 73.10% compared with the control under severe Cr treatment, respectively. Moreover, the accumulation of Cr in plants decreased by 29.70%, 22.07%, and 20.52%, respectively. At the same time, these three carbons reduced the accumulation of Cr in various parts of the peach tree, alleviated the oxidative damage caused by Cr stress, effectively protected the photosystem of the leaves, improved the photosynthetic capacity, and promoted the growth of the peach tree. Compared with the control, the dry matter accumulation increased by 20.81%, 9.54%, and 6.95% with BC, AC, and NC treatment under severe Cr treatment. Therefore, BC, AC, and NC can all effectively alleviate soil Cr toxicity, and BC has the best effect, which can be popularized in production.
Determination of Critical Phosphorus Dilution Curve Based on Capsule Dry Matter for Flax in Northwest China
Authors: Xie Yaping , Li Yang , Wang Limin , Nizamani Mir Muhammad , Lv Zhongcheng , Dang Zhao , Li Wenjuan , Qi Yanni , Zhao Wei , Zhang Jianping , Cui Zhengjun , Wang Xingrong , Zhang Yanjun , Wu Gang
Published: November 2022

One of the cores of flax (Linum usitatissimum L.) production is to precisely measure the requirement of phosphorus (P) fertilization for optimizing seed yield, grower profits, P-use efficiency, and reducing environmental risk. Therefore, critical P concentration (Pc) was proposed as a suitable analytical tool to assess the flax P nutrition status. Four field experiments, with five P applications (0, 40, 80, 120, 160 kg P2O5 ha−1) and four cultivars (Longyaza 1, Longya 14, Lunxuan 2, and Dingya 22) were conducted from the 2017 to 2019 seasons. The capsule Pc dilution curve based on capsule dry matter (CDM) was described by Pc = 2.84 × CDM−0.22 (R2 = 0.87, p < 0.01), CDM ranging from 0.60 to 4.17 t ha−1. The P nutrition index (PNI) exhibited a significant positive relationship with P application rate. In addition, the relative seed yield was closely related to PNI. Those results validate that the capsule Pc dilution curve can be an alternative and more rapid tool to diagnose flax P status to support P fertilization precise decisions during the reproductive growth of flax in northwest China.
Optimal Nutrient Solution and Dose for the Yield of Nuclear Seed Potatoes under Aeroponics
Authors: Silva Filho Jaime B. , Fontes Paulo Cezar Rezende , Ferreira Jorge F. S. , Cecon Paulo R. , Crutchfield Elizabeth
Published: November 2022

The aeroponic production of certified seed potatoes is a booming alternative for arid and semi-arid areas where fresh water is scarce and soil-borne diseases and nematodes preclude field production. Although widely used in aeroponics, nutrient-solution salinity effects have not been evaluated in potatoes. This study aimed to (1) establish the best of two nutrient solutions (Otazú vs. modified Furlani) at 20, 50, 100, and 150% of the crop-recommended dose for seed-potato production, (2) evaluate growth indexes to diagnose plant-N status, and (3) establish a prognosis for the yield of nuclear seed potatoes under aeroponics. At 21 days after transplanting, there was a significant correlation between the nitrate-N petiole-sap test and some of the parameters measured. The 4th leaf indexes correlated with yield parameters indicating that they can be used to prognosticate the final minituber yield. The best parameters to diagnose the N status in potato plants were: 4th leaf area, length, and dry weight (Otazú’s), SPAD, and 4th leaf area (modified Furlani’s). Although both nutrient solutions had similar nitrogen concentrations, Otazú’s nutrient solution at 100% of the recommended nitrogen dose had lower salinity than the modified Furlani’s solution and was the best to produce nuclear seed potatoes.
Hydrogen-Rich Water Pretreatment Alleviates the Phytotoxicity of Bispyribac-Sodium to Rice by Increasing the Activity of Antioxidant Enzymes and Enhancing Herbicide Degradation
Authors: Gu Tao , Wang Yaxiong , Cao Jingjing , Zhang Zichang , Li Gui , Shen Wenbiao , Lou Yuanlai , Wang Hongchun
Published: November 2022

Bispyribac-sodium (BS) is an herbicide often used to control weeds in rice fields. Hydrogen-rich water (HRW) has recently been recommended for alleviating adverse effects, but whether and how HRW alleviates the injury to rice from exposure to BS is still largely unknown. In this study, a greenhouse hydroponic experiment showed that BS alone could substantially inhibit the plant height and fresh weight of both indica and japonica rice seedlings. For indica rice, its pretreatment with HRW at 75% saturation could markedly alleviate the impact on its size but not so with either 50% or 100% HRW. For japonica rice, all the concentrations of HRW used in this study (50%, 75%, and 100% HRW) were capable of reversing the plant size reductions. Further results revealed that the HRW supplement could increase the activity of antioxidative enzymes, including that of catalase (CAT), superoxide dismutase (SOD), and peroxidase (POD), which assist in the effective removal of ROS (reactive oxygen species). Subsequent results demonstrated a weaker inhibition of the acetolactate synthase (ALS) enzyme within five days by BS in rice seedlings pretreated with HRW than those receiving the BS treatment alone, and that the HRW pretreatment can hasten the rate at which BS is degraded in rice. Taken together, these findings strongly suggest that pretreatment with HRW may offer a promising and effective strategy to improve the ability of rice to tolerate BS.
Current Advances in the Action Mechanisms of Safeners
Authors: Deng Xile
Published: November 2022

Herbicide safeners are a series of agrochemicals that can selectively protect crop plants from herbicide injury without affecting herbicidal efficacy. Understanding mechanisms by which safeners act is significant for discovery of novel types. Safeners primarily alleviate herbicide phytotoxicity to crop plants via several actions: (i) enhancing metabolism of herbicides in crops; (ii) affecting absorption and transportation of herbicides in crops; (iii) competitively binding to herbicide target sites; and (iv) affecting activity of target enzymes. This review describes recent advances in the action mechanisms of safeners, analyzes existing problems, anticipates the future direction of studies of modes of action of safeners, and prospects potential strategies to design safeners related to their reported mechanisms. The aim of this paper is to provide insight into mechanisms of safeners and give tips for development of new safeners.
Key Technology Progress of Plant-Protection UAVs Applied to Mountain Orchards: A Review
Authors: Yu Shaomeng , Zhu Jianxi , Zhou Juan , Cheng Jianqiao , Bian Xiaodong , Shen Jiansheng , Wang Pengfei
Published: November 2022

With precision agriculture developing rapidly worldwide, water-saving, energy-saving, environment-friendly, and efficient agricultural production activities are effective ways to address human needs for agricultural products under the conditions of intensifying climate change, limited available arable land resources, and rapid population growth. Ground-based plant-protection machinery applied to large fields has difficulty solving the pest and disease prevention needs of mountain orchards since they feature undulating topography changes and low standardization of orchards. Unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) have broad development prospects in pest control in mountain orchards because of their advantages of not being restricted by terrain, strong maneuverability, and hover ability. This paper reviews the recent development of plant-protection UAVs from three perspectives, i.e., positioning and navigation technology, flight attitude control technology, and route planning in mountain orchards. We highlight that the future research should focus on following technology development, including (1) positioning navigation technology with high positioning accuracy and strong anti-interference capability, (2) intelligent control technology with high dynamic stability and better calculation accuracy, and (3) the optimization of the route-planning algorithm covering multiple constraints and the cluster cooperative operation scheme of plant-protection UAVs applicable to mountain orchards. These reviewed results could provide a reference for the future development of plant-protection UAVs, which will become the focus of future research.
Soil Seed Banks of Continental Grasslands with Different Water Regimes—A Comparative Study from the Aspect of Recovery Potential
Authors: Schellenberger Judit , Csontos Péter , Csorba Ádám , Lengyel Attila , Málnási Csizmadia Gábor , Szirmai Orsolya , Penksza Károly , Czóbel Szilárd
Published: November 2022

Due to the threats posed by climate change and landscape alteration, there is an increasing need to better understand using seed banks of continental grasslands as a possible aid to conservation and restoration. Here, the soil seed bank of a wet grassland type, an ecotone and a semi-dry grassland type, all formed along a slope in NE Hungary, were compared from the aspect of recovery potential. For this, a vegetation survey and a seedling emergence examination were performed. The seed banks of the three grassland types differed significantly in terms of density. It was significantly higher in both the wet and the ecotone grassland types than in the semi-dry one. The seed banks of the three grassland types proved to be very similar in terms of diversity. The floristic similarity between the vegetation and the seed banks was much higher in both the wet and the ecotone grassland types than in the semi-dry one. Most of the abundant species of the vegetation had transient seed banks, but more of the characteristic species of the wet and the ecotone grassland types maintained dense and/or persistent seed banks than those of the semi-dry one. In the case of degradation, a complete recovery is not ensured by the seed bank of either studied grassland type; however, compared to that of the semi-dry grassland, the wet grassland’s seed bank better supports an increase in diversity within a limited period. In the case of restoration, within five years after destruction, it could be more rewarding to deal with wet grassland types prior to dry ones.
In Vitro Evaluation of the Development of Fusarium in Vanilla Accessions
Authors: Mosquera-Espinosa Ana T. , Bonilla-Monar Andrea , Flanagan Nicola S. , Rivas Álvaro , Sánchez Francisco , Chavarriaga Paul , Bedoya Alejandra , Riascos-Ortiz Donald
Published: November 2022

Vanilla is an economically important crop for low-lying humid tropical regions. World demand for natural vanilla is increasing, but cultivated plants face serious phytosanitary problems. The disease known as Fusarium wilt is mainly related to the fungus Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. vanillae, and for its management, the pathogen–host relationship must be understood. Four in vitro multiplied vanilla accessions were evaluated: two Vanilla planifolia from Colombia and Mexico, one from V. odorata, and one (1) F1 hybrid (V. rivasii × V. trigonocarpa). In addition, three isolates of Fusarium from different symptomatic plants present in small-scale agroforestry systems: (1Fov) F. oxysporum f. sp. vanillae from leaf, (2Fov) F. oxysporum f. sp. vanillae from root and (3Fs) F. solani also from root. Plants with two months of growth were inoculated in vitro by immersion of roots, and the development of Fusarium wilt was recorded for 15 days, using a severity scale to describe symptoms and to calculate the area under the disease progress curve (AUDPC). No statistical differences were found when analyzing the interaction between Fusarium isolates and vanilla accessions. However, when independently analyzing the design factor Fusarium isolates, there were significant differences; the 1Fov isolate of F. oxysporum f. sp. vanillae induced the highest symptoms as well as death in some plants of all accessions, while F. solani was considered a secondary pathogen. There were no statistical differences for the vanilla accessions factor, but the values of AUDPC and symptoms observed suggest a slight resistance in all the accessions. Therefore, it is suggested to explore the vanilla gene pool to generate multiplication material with resistance genes and to contribute with genetic improvement to successfully integrate the management of Fusarium wilt in commercial systems.
Development and Evaluation of a Watermelon-Harvesting Robot Prototype: Vision System and End-Effector
Authors: Rong Jiacheng , Fu Jun , Zhang Zhiqin , Yin Jinliang , Tan Yuzhi , Yuan Ting , Wang Pengbo
Published: November 2022

Over the past decade, there have been increasing attempts to integrate robotic harvesting technology into agricultural scenarios to reduce growing labour costs and increase crop yields. In this paper, we demonstrate a prototype harvesting robot for picking watermelons in greenhouses. For robotic harvesting, we design a dedicated end-effector for grasping fruits and shearing pedicels, which mainly consists of a flexible gripper and a cutting device. The improved YOLOv5s–CBAM is employed to locate the watermelon fruits with 89.8% accuracy on the test dataset, while the K-means method is used to further refine the segmentation of the watermelon point cloud in the region of interest. Then, the ellipsoid is fitted with the segmented fruit point cloud to obtain the lowest point of the ellipsoid as the grasping point. A series of tests conducted in a laboratory simulation scenario proved that the overall harvesting success rate was 93.3% with a positioning error of 8.7 mm when the watermelon was unobstructed. The overall harvesting success rate was 85.0% with a positioning error of 14.6 mm when the watermelon was partially obscured by leaves.
Orderly Mechanical Seedling-Throwing: An Efficient and High Yielding Establishment Method for Rice Production
Authors: Wang Weiqin , Xiang Li , Zheng Huabin , Tang Qiyuan
Published: November 2022

Developing an efficient and high-yielding mechanical rice establishment system is one of the most important approaches for intensive and large-scale rice production. Recently, an orderly mechanical rice seedling throwing system (OMST) was successfully developed; however, the performance of this system is unknown. In the present study, a two-year field experiment was carried out in a split-plot design with three establishment methods arranged in the main plots, and two elite rice cultivars arranged in the sub-plots. The grain yield and growth-related traits were then determined. The results showed that the grain yield of OMST was significantly higher than manual seedling throwing, and was equivalent to that of manual transplanting, which was mainly due to the variances in panicle number and total spikelet number. Further analysis suggested that the orderly mechanical seedling throwing takes advantage of higher biomass accumulation after heading, increased leaf area index and decreased leaf senescence rate against manual seedling throwing, and more tillers and biomass accumulation at vegetative growth stage as compared to manual transplanting. The present study showed that the OMST is an efficient and high-yielding rice establishment method that may be a promising option to replace traditional manual seedling throwing in rice production.
CLAVATA3/EMBRYO SURROUNDING REGION Genes Involved in Symbiotic Nodulation in Pisum sativum
Authors: Lebedeva Maria A. , Sadikova Darina S. , Dobychkina Daria A. , Zhukov Vladimir A. , Lutova Lyudmila A.
Published: November 2022

CLE (CLAVATA3/Embryo Surrounding Region) peptides regulate different aspects of plant development. In legumes, CLE peptides are known as key components of autoregulation of nodulation (AON), which systemically controls the number of nitrogen-fixing nodules formed on the root upon symbiotic interaction with soil bacteria rhizobia. CLE peptides are produced in the root in response to rhizobia inoculation and are transported via xylem to the shoot, where they are recognized by a specific receptor. As a result, a subsequent nodule development is suppressed by a negative feedback mechanism. In addition, nitrate-induced CLE genes have been identified in model legumes, which mediate nitrate-dependent inhibition of nodulation. However, little is known about the functions of nodulation-related CLE peptides, which have not been studied in Pisum sativum. Here, we studied four homologues of CLE genes in Pisum sativum, which are closely related to nodulation-suppressing CLEs from other legumes. The expression levels of these genes were increased in developing nodules. Among them, PsCLE13, PsCLE12, and the PsNIC-like genes were upregulated in response to nitrate treatment. Moreover, we found that overexpression of the PsCLE13 and PsCLE12 genes resulted in the decreased nodule number on transgenic roots. The expression levels of pea homologues of the TOO MUCH LOVE (TML) genes were upregulated in PsCLE13- and PsCLE12-overexpressing roots in comparison with the control (GUS-overexpressing) roots, suggesting that inhibitory effect of PsCLE13 and PsCLE12 is mediated through the induction of the PsTML genes.
Water Buffalo Responsiveness during Milking: Implications for Production Outputs, Reproduction Fitness, and Animal Welfare
Authors: Mincu Madalina , Gavojdian Dinu , Nicolae Ioana , Olteanu Alexandru Corneliu , Bota Adrian , Vlagioiu Constantin
Published: November 2022

The overall objective of this study was to evaluate the effects that milking temperament (MT) of water buffaloes has on milking traits, welfare indicators, and reproductive outputs. The study was performed on 60 multiparous buffalo cows (6.7 ± 0.6 lactations) at the beginning of their lactation (100 days in milk, DIM). Each buffalo cow was scored by two independent observers using a temperament scoring system (1: extremely calm, 2: calm, 3: alert, 4: reactive, and 5: aggressive), and then grouped as ‘calm’ (scores 1, 2, and 3; n = 42) or ‘nervous’ (scores 4 and 5; n = 18). Additionally, the milk yield at 100 DIM (MY), milking speed (MS), calving interval (CI), age at first calving (AFC), body condition score (BCS), animal-based welfare parameters, and infrared thermography data (IRT) were evaluated. The MT significantly influenced the MY (p = 0.0082), with calmer cows outperforming their nervous counterparts. The MS was significantly influenced by the MT (p = 0.0015), with calmer animals having a higher milk ejection rate. The MT of the cows had no influence on the CI, AFC, or BCS. The evidence from this study suggests that the responsiveness of buffalo cows during milking affects their milk yield and milking speed, with no associations being found for reproduction efficiency indicators or animal-based welfare indicators.
An Efficient Time-Domain End-to-End Single-Channel Bird Sound Separation Network
Authors: Zhang Chengyun , Chen Yonghuan , Hao Zezhou , Gao Xinghui
Published: November 2022

Bird sounds have obvious characteristics per species, and they are an important way for birds to communicate and transmit information. However, the recorded bird sounds in the field are usually mixed, which making it challenging to identify different bird species and to perform associated tasks. In this study, based on the supervised learning framework, we propose a bird sound separation network, a dual-path tiny transformer network, to directly perform end-to-end mixed species bird sound separation in the time-domain. This separation network is mainly composed of the dual-path network and the simplified transformer structure, which greatly reduces the computational resources required of the network. Experimental results show that our proposed separation network has good separation performance (SI-SNRi reaches 19.3 dB and SDRi reaches 20.1 dB), but compared with DPRNN and DPTNet, its parameters and floating point operations are greatly reduced, which means a higher separation efficiency and faster separation speed. The good separation performance and high separation efficiency indicate that our proposed separation network is valuable for distinguishing individual birds and studying the interaction between individual birds, as well as for realizing the automatic identification of bird species on a variety of mobile devices or edge computing devices.
Effects of Using Processed Amaranth Grain with and without Enzyme on Performance, Egg Quality, Antioxidant Status and Lipid Profile of Blood and Yolk Cholesterol in Laying Hens
Authors: Hosseintabar-Ghasemabad Babak , Janmohammadi Hossein , Hosseinkhani Ali , Amirdahri Saeid , Baghban-Kanani Payam , Gorlov Ivan Fedorovich , Slozhenkina Marina Ivanovna , Mosolov Alexander Anatolyevich , Ramirez Lourdes Suarez , Seidavi Alireza
Published: November 2022

The objective of this study was to investigate the effects of feeding Amaranthus hybridus chlorostachys grain (AG) with (+E) and without enzyme (−E) on performance, egg quality, antioxidant status and lipid profile of blood serum and yolk cholesterol in laying hens. A total of 960 white leghorn (Hy-line W-36) commercial layers (56 weeks) were divided into 10 groups with 8 replicates per group (12 birds per replicate, including 3 adjacent cages with 4 birds each). A completely randomized design was implemented with a 5 × 2 factorial arrangement of treatments consisting of five levels of AG (0, 100, 200, 300 and 400 g/kg) and two levels of multienzyme complex addition (0 −E and 0.25 +E g/kg) fed to the hens for 12 weeks (2 wk. adaptation + 10 wk. main experiment). Feed intake (FI) and percentage of hen day production (HDP) were not affected by main effect of the AG level, but egg mass (EM) and egg weight (EW) were decreased (p < 0.01), and the feed conversion ratio (FCR) was impaired (p < 0.01). EM, EW and FCR were improved by enzyme addition (p < 0.01). EM, EW and FCR were affected (p < 0.01) by the interaction of AG and enzyme addition. The highest value of EM and the lowest value of FCR were observed in hens on the diet containing 200 g/kg AG with enzyme addition. Egg yolk cholesterol content was reduced (p < 0.05) by up to 10% with increasing levels AG in experimental diets. The egg quality traits, including Haugh units of protein quality, strength and shell thickness, were not affected by the main effects or interaction of AG and enzyme consumption. Amaranth feeding led to a decrease (p < 0.05) in triglyceride (TG) and low-density lipoprotein (LDL) while also promoting increases (p < 0.05) in the high-density lipoprotein (HDL) and total antioxidant capacity (TAC) of the blood. A comparison of the effects of contrasts showed that functional parameters (except FI), yolk cholesterol, antioxidant parameters (except MDA) and blood lipid profile had differed significantly (p < 0.05) between the hens fed amaranth versus those not fed amaranth. These findings indicate that feeding a diet containing up to 200 g/kg of AG with enzyme addition can improve EW, EM and FCR. Feeding laying hens diets containing AG also positively influenced blood traits and antioxidant status in laying hens while reducing egg yolk cholesterol content.
Systematic Review of Complementary and Alternative Veterinary Medicine in Sport and Companion Animals: Extracorporeal Shockwave Therapy
Authors: Boström Anna , Bergh Anna , Hyytiäinen Heli , Asplund Kjell
Published: November 2022

Background: Extracorporeal shockwave therapy (ECSWT) is increasingly used to treat different types of musculoskeletal conditions in sport and companion animals. To explore the scientific basis for the treatment, we conducted a systematic review of the literature on ECSWT used in horses, dogs, and cats. Methods: Relevant articles published in 1980–2020 were identified from three major databases. Each article was assessed for risk of bias. Results: The review identified 27 relevant articles on the effects of ECSWT in horses, nine in dogs, but none in cats. Typically, ECSWT involved one to three treatment sessions at 1- to 3-week intervals. We identified studies on bone mass and bone healing, wound healing, navicular disease, ligament injury, desmitis, sesamoiditis, tendon injury, osteoarthritis, and short-term analgesic effects. Common to all indications was that the scientific evidence was very limited. For each separate indication, there were relatively few studies, many of which had methodological flaws. Where favorable results were reported, they were usually not replicated in independent studies. A few encouraging results were found. Conclusions: In sport and companion animals, the scientific evidence for clinical effects of ECSWT in horses, dogs, and cats is limited. For some applications, notably short-term pain relief, ligament ailments, and osteoarthritis, the results seem promising and warrant further exploration in high-quality studies.
Impact of Different Diagnostic Procedures on Diagnosis, Therapy, and Outcome in Horses with Headshaking: Recommendations for Fast-Track Advanced Diagnostic and Therapeutic Protocols
Authors: Kloock Tanja , Hellige Maren , Kloock Anke , Feige Karsten , Niebuhr Tobias
Published: November 2022

Most horses affected by headshaking (HS) are diagnosed with idiopathic trigeminal-mediated headshaking (i-TMHS) when no underlying disease is found. Diagnosis is made by the exclusion of differentials considering history, clinical signs, and diagnostic investigations. Therefore, in horses presented with headshaking, many diagnostic procedures and therapies are conducted. Retrospectively, the digital patient records of 240 horses with HS were analysed regarding the impact of diagnostic procedures on diagnosis, therapy, and outcome. Horses were extensively examined using a standardised protocol including clinical (ophthalmologic, orthopaedic, neurologic, dental) examination, blood analysis, and imaging techniques (endoscopy, radiographs, computed tomography (CT), and magnetic resonance imaging). Many findings were revealed but were of clinical relevance in only 6% of the horses. These horses were, therefore, diagnosed with secondary headshaking (s-HS). In addition, all of these horses demonstrated a positive outcome. The CT of the head revealed 9/10 of the clinically relevant findings. Other diagnostic procedures had no major additional impact. Conclusively, the diagnostic investigation of horses with HS should aim at differentiating i-TMHS from s-HS. The clinical relevance of findings should be verified through diagnostic anaesthesia or targeted therapy depending on risks, invasiveness, and expected benefits. To reduce the multitude of examinations, diagnostic investigations should focus on the CT of the head in those horses with suspicion of i-TMHS based on typical history, clinical signs, and physical examination.