bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Determinants of intention with remote health management service among urban older adults: A Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology perspective
Authors: Li Wenjia , Gui Jingjing , Luo Xin , Yang Jidong , Zhang Ting , Tang Qinghe
Published: January 2023

Background

Although older adults health management systems have been shown to have a significant impact on health levels, there remains the problem of low use rate, frequency of use, and acceptance by the older adults. This study aims to explore the significant factors which serve as determinants of behavioral intention to use the technology, which in turn promotes actual use.

Methods

This study took a total of 402 urban older adults over 60 years to explore the impact of the use behavior toward remote health management (RHM) through an online questionnaire. Based on the Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology (UTAUT), the author adds four dimensions: perceived risk, perceived value, perceived interactivity and individual innovation, constructed an extended structural equation model of acceptance and use of technology, and analyzed the variable path relationship.

Results

In this study, the factor loading is between 0.61 and 0.98; the overall Cronbach's Alpha coefficients are >0.7; The composite reliability ranges from 0.59 to 0.91; the average variance extraction ranges from 0.51 to 0.85, which shows the good reliability, validity, and discriminant validity of the constructed model. The influencing factors of the behavioral intention of the older adults to accept the health management system are: effort expectation, social influences, perceived value, performance expectation, perceived interactivity and perceived risk. Effort expectation has a significant positive impact on performance expectation. Individual innovation positively impacts performance expectation and perceived interactivity. Perceived interactivity and behavioral intention have a significant positive effect on the use behavior of the older adults, while the facilitating conditions have little effect on the use behavior.

Conclusions

This paper constructs and verifies the extended model based on UTAUT, fully explores the potential factors affecting the use intention of the older adult users. According to the research findings, some suggestions are proposed from the aspects of effort expectation, performance expectation, perceived interaction and perceived value to improve the use intention and user experience of Internet-based health management services in older adults.
What do we know about alcohol internet interventions aimed at employees?—A scoping review
Authors: Sundström Christopher , Forsström David , Berman Anne H. , Khadjesari Zarnie , Sundqvist Kristina
Published: January 2023

Background

Internet interventions are a promising avenue for delivering alcohol prevention to employees. The objective of this scoping review was to map all research on alcohol internet interventions aimed at employees regardless of design, to gain an overview of current evidence and identify potential knowledge gaps.

Methods

We conducted a literature search in three data bases (PsycInfo, PubMed, and Web of Science). Eligibility criteria were that (1) the study targeted employees age ≥18 years; (2) the intervention was delivered predominantly online; (3) the study focused specifically or in part on alcohol use; and (4) the study was published in English in a peer-reviewed academic journal. Two reviewers independently screened, reviewed, and extracted data.

Results

Twenty studies were included, of which 10 were randomized controlled trials, five were secondary analyses, three were feasibility trials, one was a cohort study and one described the rationale and development of an intervention. No qualitative studies were found. Randomized trials tended to show effects when interventions were compared to waitlists but not when more intensive interventions were compared to less intensive ones. We identified two design-related aspects where studies differed; (1) whether all applicants were included regardless of alcohol use level and (2) whether the intervention was explicitly framed as alcohol-focused or not. Significant recruitment problems were noted in several studies.

Conclusions

Alcohol internet interventions hold promise in delivering alcohol prevention to employees, but heterogeneity in study design and difficulties in recruitment complicate interpretation of findings.

Systematic review registration

https://osf.io/25x7e/, Open Science Framework.
Effectiveness of Brainball program on physical fitness of primary school pupils in Vietnam. A longitudinal study
Authors: Pham Van Han , Rokita Andrzej , Cichy Ireneusz , Wawrzyniak Sara , Bronikowski Michał
Published: January 2023

Objective

The present study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of the Brainballs on the physical fitness of 2nd-grade students at a primary school in Vietnam during and eight months after the experiment.

Methods

The study included 55 pupils (23 boys and 32 girls) aged seven years. The study design was a pedagogical experiment with a parallel-group technique, including experimental and control groups. The examination was carried out in 2019/2020 in three terms pre- (September 2019), post- (January 2020), and follow-up (September 2020). Physical fitness was tested with the use of the International Physical Fitness Test. The Brainball program, conducted twice a week for 35 minutes, combined physical education (PE) with subject-related content, utilizing 100 balls with painted letters, numbers, and signs.

Results

Results show that the fitness level was not increased significantly after 20 weeks of the intervention program, neither in experimental nor control groups. However, it significantly improved eight months later at the follow-up examination. The analysis of covariance indicated that pupils from the experimental group improved significantly on most physical fitness as compared to the control group, specifically on the following tests: 50-meter running (p = 0.0044), toe touch (p = 0.0137), standing long jump (p = 0.0076), 4 × 10 m sprint (p = 0.0333), hand strength (p = 0.0233).

Conclusions

These results have shown long-term positive effects of the use of “Brainball” educational balls in physical education classes on the physical fitness development of students, especially in the qualities of speed, strength, and flexibility.
Voluntariness or legal obligation? An ethical analysis of two instruments for fairer global access to COVID-19 vaccines
Authors: Voit Katja , Timmermann Cristian , Orzechowski Marcin , Steger Florian
Published: January 2023

Introduction

There is currently no binding, internationally accepted and successful approach to ensure global equitable access to healthcare during a pandemic. The aim of this ethical analysis is to bring into the discussion a legally regulated vaccine allocation as a possible strategy for equitable global access to vaccines. We focus our analysis on COVAX (COVID-19 Vaccines Global Access) and an existing EU regulation that, after adjustment, could promote global vaccine allocation.

Methods

The main documents discussing the two strategies are examined with a qualitative content analysis. The ethical values reasonableness, openness and transparency, inclusiveness, responsiveness and accountability serve as categories for our ethical analysis.

Results

We observed that the decision-making processes in a legal solution to expand access to vaccines would be more transparent than in COVAX initiative, would be more inclusive, especially of nation states, and the values responsiveness and accountability could be easily incorporated in the development of a new regulation.

Discussion

A legal strategy that offers incentives to the pharmaceutical industry in return for global distribution of vaccines according to the Fair Priority Model is an innovative way to achieve global and equitable access to vaccines. However, in the long term, achieving the Sustainable Development Goals will require from all nations to work in solidarity to find durable solutions for global vaccine research and development. Interim solutions, such as our proposed legal strategy for equitable access to vaccines, and efforts to find long-term solutions must be advanced in parallel.
Automated detection of dolphin whistles with convolutional networks and transfer learning
Authors: Nur Korkmaz Burla , Diamant Roee , Danino Gil , Testolin Alberto
Published: January 2023

Effective conservation of maritime environments and wildlife management of endangered species require the implementation of efficient, accurate and scalable solutions for environmental monitoring. Ecoacoustics offers the advantages of non-invasive, long-duration sampling of environmental sounds and has the potential to become the reference tool for biodiversity surveying. However, the analysis and interpretation of acoustic data is a time-consuming process that often requires a great amount of human supervision. This issue might be tackled by exploiting modern techniques for automatic audio signal analysis, which have recently achieved impressive performance thanks to the advances in deep learning research. In this paper we show that convolutional neural networks can indeed significantly outperform traditional automatic methods in a challenging detection task: identification of dolphin whistles from underwater audio recordings. The proposed system can detect signals even in the presence of ambient noise, at the same time consistently reducing the likelihood of producing false positives and false negatives. Our results further support the adoption of artificial intelligence technology to improve the automatic monitoring of marine ecosystems.
Is one the loneliest number? Impact of tourists' ability to identify individual bears on conservation outcomes
Authors: Skibins Jeffrey C. , Richardson Leslie , Lewis Lynne , Fitz Mike
Published: January 2023

Introduction

A fundamental component of ecotourism is resource conservation. Oftentimes, that resource is wildlife. Within the wildlife-centric ecotourism experience, tourists' encounters are most often with individual animals, or a small subset of the population (i.e., not the species as a whole). However, most conservation efforts are focused at the species level. This article explores the relationship between tourists' ability to identify individual animals and conservation outcomes.

Methods

Data were obtained from 3,853 online surveys from viewers of the Katmai National Park and Preserve webcams (bearcams).

Results

The majority of respondents (70%) indicated they could identify individual bears. Respondents who could identify individual bears had significantly higher scores for conservation outcomes (i.e., awareness, behavioral intention, and emotional connection). Furthermore, identifying an individual bear as a favorite yielded significantly higher scores for emotional connectivity and support for conservation programs.

Discussion

Thus, the ability to identify individual animals, when viewing wildlife, can improve conservation outcomes. Practitioners could consider incorporating strategies to improve tourists' identification skills as a method to cultivating conservation outcomes.
Nocturia is associated with stiffer central artery and more likely development of major adverse cardiovascular events in men
Authors: Chan C. K. , Ng Chi Fai , Yuen Steffi K. K. , Lau B. S. Y. , Yee C. H. , Teoh J. Y. C. , Chiu P. K. F. , Kwok S. W.
Published: January 2023

Objectives

To study the association between nocturia and brachial-ankle pulse wave velocity (baPWV) [surrogate of central arterial stiffness (CAS)] in men and to explore this association on predicting major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE).

Methods

246 consecutive men (mean age:68.1 ± 8.4, range 36-88) newly referred to urology clinic for male-lower urinary tract symptoms(mLUTS)/nocturia were recruited. Their bilateral baPWV were measured by automatic pulse waveform analyzer. The associations between baseline characteristics, mLUTS/nocturia and baPWV(>1800cm/sec) [significant CAS] were analyzed by multivariate logistic regression. We followed the cohort for a median period of 27.5 months. Cox proportional hazard regression analysis and Kaplan-Meier method were used to study factors predicting MACE.

Results

The mean ( ± SE) baPWV of our cohort was 1820 ± 16cm/sec. For comparison, the reported value of the general population of similar age structure was~1650cm/sec. IPSS (total) was not associated with baPWV, whereas IPSS-Question.7(nocturia) was significantly increased with baPWV in men<70yo [nocturia=1.6 ± 1.14, 2.1 ± 1.08, 2.67 ± 1.33) for baPWV(cm/sec) <1400, 1400-1800, >1800 respectively] (P-trend=0.002). Age≥70yo (OR:2.70, 95%CI:1.52-4.76), diabetes mellitus (OR:2.26, 95%CI:1.06-4.83), hypertension (OR:1.95, 95%CI:1.10-3.45) and nocturia≥3x/night (OR:1.75, 95%CI:1.02-3.12) independently determined baPWV>1800cm/sec. The cumulative incidence rate of MACE was 46.8/1000 man-years(95%CI:30.96-68.16/1000). The addition of nocturia≥3x/night and baPWV>1800 cm/sec to the basic model improved the prediction of the development of MACE (difference in -2 log likelihood value: 11.219, p<0.001). Past history of ischemic heart (HR:5.67, 95%CI:2.02-15.88), nocturia≥3x/night (HR:2.87, 95%CI: 0.94-8.76) and baPWV>1800cm/sec (HR:5.16, 95%CI:1.79-14.90) independently predicted MACE in men.

Conclusion

Men attending the urology clinic for male-LUTS/nocturia had higher baPWV. This association was more pronounced in men<70yo. Men presented with both nocturia≥3x/night and baPWV>1800cm/sec showed significant predilection for developing MACE.
Flood frequency and flood intensity changes in the post embankment period in the Kosi sub-basin India: Impact of location, caste, and class on the flood vulnerability of the marginal communities
Authors: Sahani Ranjeet Kumar , Badiger Shrinivas , Samrat Abhishek , Krishnan Siddhartha
Published: January 2023

The overall precipitation in the state of Bihar, India is showing a decreasing trend both annually and seasonally, and yet extreme flood events are on the rise. The Kosi river embankments built to safeguard communities against flood risk are a product of socio-political and historical events in the past, but have resulted in differential impacts on those living inside and outside these embankments. The geomorphology of the river Kosi also makes it highly susceptible to recurring floods because it forms one of the largest inland deltas in North Bihar. Flood protection structures such as embankments exacerbate the magnitude of floods by jacketing the heavy sediment load and thus raising the riverbeds and exacerbating the intensity and duration of floods. Our paper employs an interdisciplinary approach to analysing both the biophysical and socio-institutional causalities of increasing flood events. From the quantitative analysis of rainfall data, we find that the daily, as well as monthly rainfall alone are not responsible for extreme flood events. The extreme rainfall events in the summer monsoon also do not increase the odds of flooding. Therefore, we conclude that precipitation alone is not the main factor affecting community's vulnerabilities but, a combination of socio-institutional factors including spatial location with respect to the embankment, class and caste of these communities. Our statistical analysis correlating daily and monthly gridded rainfall to the occurrences of flooding at the district level suggest that there are fewer flood events in the presence of the embankments across all years. However, primary data from household interviews and field observations confirm that the frequency and intensity of floods have increased in the post-embankment period. We found that the breaching of the river embankments is one of the major factors responsible for floods outside of the embankments. Kosi's marginalized communities perceive that they have become more vulnerable to flood risk in the post-embankment period with a declining standard of living in the Kosi villages caused by lack of proper roads, economic opportunities, educational institutions, public utilities and healthcare facilities, especially in areas with embankments.
Achieving the nutrient reduction objective of the Farm to Fork Strategy. An assessment of CAP subsidies for precision fertilization and sustainable agricultural practices in Germany
Authors: Heyl Katharine , Ekardt Felix , Roos Paula , Garske Beatrice
Published: January 2023

The Farm to Fork Strategy of the EU aims at sustainable food systems. One objective of the Strategy is to reduce nutrient losses by at least 50% resulting in at least 20% less fertilizer use by 2030. To this end, Member States are expected to extend digital precision fertilization and sustainable agricultural practices through the Common Agricultural Policy. In this context, this article applies a qualitative governance analysis which aims to assess the extent to which the measures proposed by the Farm to Fork Strategy, i.e., digital precision fertilization and sustainable agricultural practices, contribute to the nutrient objective of the Farm to Fork Strategy. The article analyses how these measures are implemented through the Common Agricultural Policy in Germany and Saxony. Results show that the nutrient objective of the Farm to Fork Strategy itself offers shortcomings. Germany offers some, yet overall limited, support for sustainable agricultural practices and digital precision fertilization. Hence, the Common Agricultural Policy will to a limited extend only contribute to the objective of the Strategy. The results furthermore highlight some general shortcomings of digitalization as sustainability strategy in the agricultural sector including typical governance issues (rebound and enforcement problems), and point to the advantages of quantity-based policy instruments.
Periodic discharges in veterinary electroencephalography—A visual review
Authors: Knipe Marguerite F. , Bush William W. , Thomas Kristen E. , Williams D. Colette
Published: January 2023

First described in human EEG over 60 years ago, there are very few examples of periodic discharges in the veterinary literature. They are associated with a wide variety of etiologies, both intracranial and systemic, making interpretation challenging. Whether these patterns are indicative of ictal, interictal, or postictal activity is a matter of debate and may vary depending on the clinical features in an individual patient. Periodic discharges have a repeated waveform occurring at nearly regular intervals, with varying morphology of individual discharges from simple sharp waves or slow waves to more complex events. Amplitudes, frequencies, and morphologies of the discharges can fluctuate, occasionally evolving, or resolving over time. This study presents a visual review of several veterinary cases with periodic discharges on EEG similar to those described in human EEG, and discusses the current known pathophysiology of these discharges.
Diversity of the fecal microbiota in Chinese ponies
Authors: Lv Shipeng , Zhang Yanli , Zhang Zhengkai , Meng Sihan , Pu Yabin , Liu Xuexue , Liu Lingling , Ma Yuehui , Liu Wujun , Jiang Lin
Published: January 2023

Introduction

The gut microbiomes of equine are plentiful and intricate, which plays an important part in the growth. However, there is a relative lack of information on the microbial diversity in the pony's gut.

Methods

In this article, 118 fecal samples from DeBa pony, NiQi pony and GuZh horse were studied by 16S rRNA amplicon sequencing.

Results

Diversity analysis was used to determine the difference of gut microbiota composition among different breeds. Alpha diversity analysis showed that the gut microbiota of NiQi ponies were abundant and various. Beta diversity analysis showed that the microorganisms constitution of DeBa ponies was more similar to that of NiQi ponies. LDA Effect Size (LEfSe) analysis result that the microorganism biomarkers for NiQi pony at the genus level were Phascolarctobacterium, Paludibacter, and Fibrobacter; the bacterial biomarker for DeBa pony was Streptococcus and Prevotella; and the bacterial biomarkers for GuZh horses was Treponema, Treponema Mogibacterium, Adlercreutzia, and Blautia. The correlation analysis between genera with >1% abundance and horse height found that Streptococcus (P < 0.01), Treponema (P < 0.01), Coprococcus (P < 0.01), Prevotella (P < 0.01), Phascolarctobacterium (P < 0.01), and Mogibacterium (P < 0.01) were significantly associated with horses' height. The functional prediction results indicated that DeBa pony have a microbiota functional more similar to NiQi pony.

Discussion

For the first time, our results announce the species composition and structure of the gut microbiota in Chinese ponies. At the same time, our results can provide theoretical reference for further understanding the healthy breeding, feeding management and disease prevention of horses.
A comparative study of eight serological methods shows that spike protein-based ELISAs are the most accurate tests for serodiagnosing SARS-CoV-2 infections in cats and dogs
Authors: Diezma-Díaz Carlos , Álvarez-García Gema , Regidor-Cerrillo Javier , Miró Guadalupe , Villanueva-Saz Sergio , Dolores Pérez María , Verde María Teresa , Galán-Malo Patricia , Brun Alejandro , Moreno Sandra , Checa Rocío , Montoya Ana , Van Voorhis Wesley C. , Ortega-Mora Luis Miguel
Published: January 2023

Introduction

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is an infectious zoonotic disease caused by SARS-CoV-2. Monitoring the infection in pets is recommended for human disease surveillance, prevention, and control since the virus can spread from people to animals during close contact. Several diagnostic tests have been adapted from humans to animals, but limited data on the validation process are available.

Methods

Herein, the first comparative study of six “in house” and two commercial serological tests developed to monitor SARS-CoV-2 infection in pets was performed with a well-coded panel of sera (61 cat sera and 74 dog sera) with a conservative criterion (viral seroneutralisation and/or RT–qPCR results) as a reference. Four “in house” tests based on either the RBD fragment of the spike protein (RBD-S) or the N-terminal fragment of the nucleoprotein (N) were developed for the first time. The analytical specificity (ASp) of those tests that showed the best diagnostic performance was assessed. The validation included the analysis of a panel of sera obtained pre-pandemic from cats and dogs infected with other coronaviruses to determine the analytical Sp (17 cat sera and 41 dog sera).

Results and discussion

ELISAS based on the S protein are recommended in serosurveillance studies for cats (RBD-S SALUVET ELISA, ELISA COVID UNIZAR and INgezim® COVID 19 S VET) and dogs (INgezim® COVID 19 S VET and RBD-S SALUVET ELISA). These tests showed higher diagnostic sensitivity (Se) and DSp in cats (>90%) than in dogs. When sera obtained prior to the pandemic and from animals infected with other coronaviruses were analyzed by RBD-S and N SALUVET ELISAs and INgezim® COVID 19 S VET, a few cross reactors or no cross reactions were detected when dog and cat sera were analyzed by tests based on the S protein, respectively. In contrast, the number of cross reactions increased when the test was based on the N protein. Thus, the use of tests based on the N protein was discarded for serodiagnosis purposes. The results obtained revealed the most accurate serological tests for each species. Further studies should attempt to improve the diagnostic performance of serological tests developed for dogs.
Impact Force Analysis in Inertia-Type Piezoelectric Motors
Authors: Koc Burhanettin , Delibas Bülent
Published: January 2023

In an inertia-type motor, a piezoelectric multilayer actuator is espoused to a transient vibration velocity as high as 1.0 m/s during slip time. This vibration velocity makes the inertia-type motors dynamic but not quasi-static. We propose a kinetic model to describe the condition under which slippage can occur between a slider and a stator. The transient current absorbed by the multilayer actuators in a stator during slip time defines the slippage behavior of the slider. A new thickness-mode force factor expression (A33), which is a relation between the transient current and the transient vibration velocity, is described in electrical domain. Impact force acting on a friction coupler produced by the actuators in the stator is proportional to the rate of change in the transient current during the sliding time. Additionally, we present the structure and characteristics of a two-phase inertia-drive-type piezoelectric motor, on which the proposed model was evaluated. Driving the multilayer actuators with truncated and mirrored sawtooth signals enhances the system dynamics. As one actuator expands and the other shrinks, their respective hysteretic nonlinearities are canceled. The motor operating frequency can be as great as 30 kHz and typically load characteristics are unloaded velocity greater than 16.0 mm/s and generated force higher than 3.0 N.
Precision Livestock Farming Applications (PLF) for Grazing Animals
Authors: Tzanidakis Christos , Tzamaloukas Ouranios , Simitzis Panagiotis , Panagakis Panagiotis
Published: January 2023

Over the past four decades the dietary needs of the global population have been elevated, with increased consumption of animal products predominately due to the advancing economies of South America and Asia. As a result, livestock production systems have expanded in size, with considerable changes to the animals’ management. As grazing animals are commonly grown in herds, economic and labour constraints limit the ability of the producer to individually assess every animal. Precision Livestock Farming refers to the real-time continuous monitoring and control systems using sensors and computer algorithms for early problem detection, while simultaneously increasing producer awareness concerning individual animal needs. These technologies include automatic weighing systems, Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) sensors for individual animal detection and behaviour monitoring, body temperature monitoring, geographic information systems (GIS) for pasture evaluation and optimization, unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) for herd management, and virtual fencing for herd and grazing management. Although some commercial products are available, mainly for cattle, the adoption of these systems is limited due to economic and cultural constraints and poor technological infrastructure. This review presents and discusses PLF applications and systems for grazing animals and proposes future research and strategies to improve PLF adoption and utilization in today’s extensive livestock systems.
Determination of Performance of No-Till Seeder and Stubble Cutting Prototype
Authors: Bilgili Mehmet Emin , Vurarak Yasemin , Aybek Ali
Published: January 2023

One of the most common problems in maize production is the management of plant residues. Small agricultural enterprises, which cannot allocate capital for acquiring stalk cutting machines for their operation, face many technical problems in preparing the sowing bed for the products that will be planted after maize. Stalks of maize that cannot be shredded adequately and on time cause machinery to clog, prevent the preparation of a proper sowing bed, increase fuel consumption and increase costs. The aim of this study is to compare the no-till sowing machine prototype and stalk cutting machine prototype with the classical stalk cutter in terms of some management values. The prototype stubble cutting machine used in the study was manufactured with a cylindrical structure and equipped with 24 cutting blades 1 cm thick and 8 cm wide. İn addition, the prototype stubble cutting machine used in the study was manufactured with a cylindrical structure and equipped with 24 cutting blades 1 cm thick and 8 cm wide. İn addition, the no-till seeder prototype was manufactured as a bucket-type seed hopper equipped with granular fertilizer capable of sowing four rows. It was concluded that the stubble cutting machine prototypes resulted in less fuel consumption with lower penetration resistance when compared with the classical stalk shredder.
Multi-Index Grading Method for Pear Appearance Quality Based on Machine Vision
Authors: Yang Zeqing , Li Zhimeng , Hu Ning , Zhang Mingxuan , Zhang Wenbo , Gao Lingxiao , Ding Xiangyan , Qi Zhengpan , Duan Shuyong
Published: January 2023

The appearance quality of fruits affects consumers’ judgment of their value, and grading the quality of fruits is an effective means to improve their added value. The purpose of this study is to transform the grading of pear appearance quality into the classification of the categories under several quality indexes based on industry standards and design effective distinguishing features for training the classifier. The grading of pear appearance quality is transformed into the classification of pear shapes, surface colors and defects. The symmetry feature and quasi-rectangle feature were designed and the back propagation (BP) neural network was trained to distinguish standard shape, apical shape and eccentric shape. The mean and variance features of R and G channels were used to train support vector machine (SVM) to distinguish standard color and deviant color. The surface defect area was used to participate in pear appearance quality classification and the gray level co-occurrence matrix (GLCM) features of defect area were extracted to train BP neural network to distinguish four common defect categories: tabbed defects, bruised defects, abraded defects and rusty defects. The accuracy rates of the above three classifiers reached 83.3%, 91.0% and 76.6% respectively, and the accuracy rate of pear appearance quality grading based on grading rules was 80.5%. In addition, the hardware system prototype for experimental purpose was designed, which have certain reference significance for the further construction of the pear appearance quality grading pipeline.
Monitoring of Wheat Fusarium Head Blight on Spectral and Textural Analysis of UAV Multispectral Imagery
Authors: Gao Chunfeng , Ji Xingjie , He Qiang , Gong Zheng , Sun Heguang , Wen Tiantian , Guo Wei
Published: January 2023

Crop disease identification and monitoring is an important research topic in smart agriculture. In particular, it is a prerequisite for disease detection and the mapping of infected areas. Wheat fusarium head blight (FHB) is a serious threat to the quality and yield of wheat, so the rapid monitoring of wheat FHB is important. This study proposed a method based on unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) low-altitude remote sensing and multispectral imaging technology combined with spectral and textural analysis to monitor FHB. First, the multispectral imagery of the wheat population was collected by UAV. Second, 10 vegetation indices (VIs)were extracted from multispectral imagery. In addition, three types of textural indices (TIs), including the normalized difference texture index (NDTI), difference texture index (DTI), and ratio texture index (RTI) were extracted for subsequent analysis and modeling. Finally, VIs, TIs, and VIs and TIs integrated as the input features, combined with k-nearest neighbor (KNN), the particle swarm optimization support vector machine (PSO-SVM), and XGBoost were used to construct wheat FHB monitoring models. The results showed that the XGBoost algorithm with the fusion of VIs and TIs as the input features has the highest performance with the accuracy and F1 score of the test set being 93.63% and 92.93%, respectively. This study provides a new approach and technology for the rapid and nondestructive monitoring of wheat FHB.
Effect of Fungicide Protection of Sugar Beet Leaves (Beta vulgaris L.): Results of Many Years Experiments
Authors: Jaskulska Iwona , Jaskulski Dariusz , Kamieniarz Jarosław , Radziemska Maja , Brtnický Martin , Różniak Emilian
Published: January 2023

The rosette is the above-ground morphological part of sugar beet in the first year of its ontogenesis. The size and health of the leaves determine photosynthesis and the production of sugars and their redistribution throughout the plant and thus the yields and quality of individual organs. One means of protecting leaves is to apply fungicides. Their efficacy and effects of use depend on, among other things, the active ingredient and number of sprayings, as well as environmental conditions. The aim of the 11-year study was to evaluate the effect that the foliar application of fungicides in sugar beet cultivation had on leaf infestation and damage, the Leaf Area Index (LAI), leaf yield, and a plant foliage index (FI) expressed as the ratio of leaf mass to root mass. In field experiments, six treatments were compared: a control without fungicides; three sprayings with triazoles, benzimidazoles, and strobilurins as the active ingredients; and a single application of tebuconazole, epoxiconazole, strobilurin, and an epoxiconazole + thiophanate-methyl mixture. The efficacy and effects of the fungicide protection depended on its method of application and environmental conditions. Applying fungicides weakened the positive correlation of sugar beet leaf infestation and leaf damage to the sum of precipitation relative to the unprotected plants. In ten of the eleven years of the study, fungicide protection significantly increased leaf yields of plants and decreased their FI. In only three years did three sprayings increase leaf yield more than single sprayings, and, in six years, at least one of the active ingredients or the epoxiconazole + thiophanate-methyl mixture was as effective as triple sprayings. It is therefore warranted to permanently monitor the condition of plants and to select the fungicide application method depending on conditions.
Assessment of Alfalfa Populations for Forage Productivity and Seed Yield Potential under a Multi-Year Field Trial
Authors: Tucak Marijana , Horvat Daniela , Čupić Tihomir , Krizmanić Goran , Ravlić Marija
Published: January 2023

Alfalfa is the most important forage legume in the production of voluminous fodder. Although not primarily produced for its seeds, the seed yield is still important for the recognition and commercial viability of the cultivars on the market. Creating a cultivar of superior yield and forage quality with satisfactory seed production is one of the biggest challenges for alfalfa breeders and seed producers. The objective of this study was to determine forage and seed yields of 19 newly developed alfalfa experimental populations (ABP 1–19) of the Agricultural Institute Osijek during a long-term research period (2014–2018) in different climatic conditions. Significant differences were found between ABPs and years for forage and seed yields. Three-year (2014–2016) average green mass yield ranged from 68.41 t ha–1 (ABP 6) to 78.05 t ha–1 (ABP 19) and dry matter yield from 13.73 t ha–1 (ABP 6) to 15.30 t ha–1 (ABP 18). The average two-year (2017–2018) seed yield varied from 150.78 kg ha−1 (ABP 9) to 335.35 kg ha−1 (ABP 7). Annual forage yield significantly increased from the year of establishment to the second and third growing seasons of alfalfa. The highest average annual yield of green mass (90.24 t ha−1) was achieved in 2015, dry matter yield (17.62 t ha−1) in 2016 and the seed yield (394.17 kg ha−1) in 2017. During the researched period there was a considerable decreasing trend in forage yield from the first to the last cut, except in the year of the alfalfa establishment. Several alfalfa populations (ABP 19, 8, 14) superior in all analyzed traits were identified, and they represent top performing materials with the potential for developing and releasing cultivars in the near future. Populations with high yields of green mass and dry matter (ABP 12, 18, 1) and seed yield (ABP 7, 4) were also detected and represent valuable genetic material to improve our alfalfa breeding program.
Black Sea Turtle (Chelonia mydas agassizii) Life History in the Sanctuary of Colola Beach, Michoacan, Mexico
Authors: Cutzi Bedolla-Ochoa , Miguel Angel Reyes-López , Hervey Rodríguez-González , Carlos Delgado-Trejo
Published: January 2023

Sea turtles present strategies that have allowed them to survive and reproduce. They spend most of their lives in the sea, except when they emerge as hatchlings from the nest and when the adult females return to nest. Those moments of their life cycle are vital for their reproductive success, conservation, and knowledge of their biology. This study reports the life history traits exhibited by female black sea turtles from Colola Beach, Mexico using morphometric and reproductive data obtained during 15 sampling seasons (1985–2000, n = 1500). The results indicate that nesting females have a mean body size of 85.7 cm and reach sexual maturity at 24 years old at a minimum size of 68 cm. Females deposit a mean of 69.3 eggs per clutch, and the mean fecundity was 196.4 eggs per female per season. The remigration intervals of 3 and 5 years were the most frequent registered. The life history traits found in the black sea turtle population present the lowest values reported with respect to studies conducted in the Atlantic and Indo-Pacific green turtle populations, which supports the hypothesis that this population is recovering, since morphometric and reproductive data represent young nesting turtles.
Sutureless Technique for Surgical Castration in Adult Boars: A Feasibility Study
Authors: Romeo Stella Maria Teresa , Morrone Sarah , Akl Toufic , Scanu Antonio , Columbano Nicolò
Published: January 2023

The heterogeneity of Italian manufacturing processes results in the production of a large variety of pork products. In Sardinia, boars are raised and butchered to produce charcuterie. These animals are castrated before slaughter as androstenone would otherwise taint the meat, rendering it unfit for human consumption. However, to date, the literature concerning surgical orchiectomy in adult boars is limited. The goal of this study is to assess whether a sutureless swine orchiectomy procedure is feasible. Additionally, this study aims to determine the appropriate traction force needed to tie knots in the deferens duct of pigs of different weights and ages. Two groups were created: the first (n = 91) underwent orchiectomy by suture ligation; the second (n = 20) was castrated using the sutureless technique. Deferens ducts of animals in the first group (n = 182) were collected following castration, and their tensile strength was measured. Pearson’s linear correlation was used to determine the relationship between the maximum traction force and weight and age groups. A correlation of 0.99 and 0.96 was shown between traction force and age and traction force and weight, respectively. In accordance with these results, sutureless castration was performed on 20 animals, calibrating the pulling force needed according to the age and weight of the boars. No complications were observed during the feasibility study, thus validating sutureless orchiectomy in adult boars.
Rapidly Progressive Pauci-Immune Glomerulonephritis with Aberrant Fibrinoid Necrosis Associated with Atezolizumab, an Immune Check Point Inhibitor: A Case Report and Review of Literature
Authors: Nikolopoulos Petros , Liapis George , Giannakopoulos Panagiotis , Kotsantis Ioannis , Drouzas Konstantinos , Lionaki Sophia
Published: January 2023

Stimulation of the antitumor activity of the immune system using immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) has proven efficacy in the treatment of multiple types of cancer, inducing the speedily expanding approval of therapeutic indications for ICIs. The literature regarding the immune-related toxicities and nephrotoxicity of ICIs is limited. Herein, we present a patient with lung cancer treated with atezolizumab, an IgG1 monoclonal antibody aimed at the programmed death ligand 1 (PD-L1), who presented with vasculitic skin rash and rapidly deteriorating renal function, new onset of significant glomerular hematuria and proteinuria. The renal biopsy revealed acute necrotizing pauci-immune vasculitis, with fibrinoid necrosis. The patient received a course of high-dose glucocorticoids with recovery of renal function and skin lesions. Further immunosuppressive therapy was withheld, due to active malignancy in the lung, while oncology consultation recommended the continuation of treatment with atezolizumab, as the patient had shown substantial response.
Synthesis, Characterization, and Evaluation of Antimicrobial Efficacy of Reduced Graphene–ZnO–Copper Nanocomplex
Authors: Ahmad Varish , Ansari Mohammad Omaish
Published: January 2023

The prevalence of antibiotic-resistant diseases drives a constant hunt for new substitutes. Metal-containing inorganic nanoparticles have broad-spectrum antimicrobial potential to kill Gram-negative and Gram-positive bacteria. In this investigation, reduced graphene oxide-coated zinc oxide–copper (rGO@ZnO–Cu) nanocomposite was prepared by anchoring Cu over ZnO nanorods followed by coating with graphene oxide (GO) and subsequent reduction of GO to rGO. The synthesized nanocomposite was characterized by scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy, elemental analysis, and elemental mapping. Morphologically, ZnO–Cu showed big, irregular rods, rectangular and spherical-shaped ZnO, and anchored clusters of aggregated Cu particles. The Cu aggregates are spread uniformly throughout the network. Most of the ZnO particles were partially covered with Cu aggregates, while some of the ZnO was fully covered with Cu. In the case of rGO@ZnO–Cu, a few layered rGO sheets were observed on the surface as well as deeply embedded inside the network of ZnO–Cu. The rGO@ZnO–Cu complex exhibited antimicrobial activity against Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria; however, it was more effective on Staphylococcus aureus than Escherichia coli. Thus, rGO@ZnO–Cu nanocomposites could be an effective alternative against Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacterial pathogens.
The Key Roles of ROS and RNS as a Signaling Molecule in Plant–Microbe Interactions
Authors: Khan Murtaza , Ali Sajid , Al Azzawi Tiba Nazar Ibrahim , Saqib Saddam , Ullah Fazal , Ayaz Asma , Zaman Wajid
Published: January 2023

Reactive oxygen species (ROS) and reactive nitrogen species (RNS) play a pivotal role in the dynamic cell signaling systems in plants, even under biotic and abiotic stress conditions. Over the past two decades, various studies have endorsed the notion that these molecules can act as intracellular and intercellular signaling molecules at a very low concentration to control plant growth and development, symbiotic association, and defense mechanisms in response to biotic and abiotic stress conditions. However, the upsurge of ROS and RNS under stressful conditions can lead to cell damage, retarded growth, and delayed development of plants. As signaling molecules, ROS and RNS have gained great attention from plant scientists and have been studied under different developmental stages of plants. However, the role of RNS and RNS signaling in plant–microbe interactions is still unknown. Different organelles of plant cells contain the enzymes necessary for the formation of ROS and RNS as well as their scavengers, and the spatial and temporal positions of these enzymes determine the signaling pathways. In the present review, we aimed to report the production of ROS and RNS, their role as signaling molecules during plant–microbe interactions, and the antioxidant system as a balancing system in the synthesis and elimination of these species.
Differential Activities of Antioxidant Enzymes, Superoxide Dismutase, Peroxidase, and Catalase vis-à-vis Phosphine Resistance in Field Populations of Lesser Grain Borer (Rhyzopertha dominica) from India
Authors: Ranjith Hagalavadi Vijaykumar , Sagar Doddachowdappa , Kalia Vinay Kumari , Dahuja Anil , Subramanian Sabtharishi
Published: January 2023

Susceptibility to phosphine was compared in 15 populations of lesser grain borer (Rhyzopertha dominica) collected from grain storage godowns across India. A high level of resistance to phosphine was noticed in R. dominica collected from northern India compared to those collected from northeastern regions of India. The median lethal concentration values varied from 0.024 mg/L to 1.991 mg/L, with 1.63 to 82.96-fold resistance compared to laboratory susceptible checks. Antioxidant enzymes have been reported to negate the reactive oxygen species generated upon encountering the fumigant phosphine. Distinct differences in the activity of antioxidant enzymes were noticed in the field populations exposed to phosphine. Peroxidase activity varied between 1.28 and 336.8 nmol H2O2 reduced/min/mg protein. The superoxide dismutase inhibition rate was between 81.29 and 99.66%, and catalase activity varied between 6.28 and 320.13 nmol H2O2 reduced/min/mg protein. The findings of our investigation show that the activities of peroxidase and superoxide dismutase are positively linked (p < 0.01) with an increase in resistance ratios, whereas catalase was found to have a negative association with resistance to phosphine. The reported results elucidate the differential activities of principal antioxidant enzymes in scavenging the oxyradicals (O2•−, H2O2,•OH) associated with tolerance to phosphine in R. dominica.
A Comparison between Two Statistical Methods for Gear Tooth Root Bending Strength Estimation Starting from Pulsator Data
Authors: Bonaiti Luca , Geitner Michael , Tobie Thomas , Gorla Carlo , Stahl Karsten
Published: January 2023

Due to their cost-effectiveness, pulsator tests are widely adopted as a testing methodology for the investigation of the effects of material and heat and surface treatment on the gear strength with respect to tooth root fatigue fracture. However, since no meshing contact is present in pulsator tests, there are differences between the test case and the real-world application scenario where gears are rotating under load. Those differences are related to both statistical and fatigue phenomena. Over the years, several methodologies have been developed in order to handle this problem. This article summarizes them and proposes a first comparison. However, no complete comparison between the different estimation methodologies has been conducted so far. This article aims to partially cover this gap, first by presenting and comparing the methodologies proposed in the literature and then via a deeper comparison between two different elaboration methodologies. Those two methodologies, which have been developed by examined to the same test rig configuration, are also discussed in detail. The comparison is performed based on an actual database composed of 1643 data points from case-hardened gears, divided into 76 experimental campaigns. Good agreement between the estimated gear strengths was found. The database is also adopted in order to make further considerations about one methodology, providing additional validation and defining the specimen numerosity required.
Outcome Prediction for Patients with Bipolar Disorder Using Prodromal and Onset Data
Authors: Shao Yijun , Cheng Yan , Gottipati Srikanth , Zeng-Treitler Qing
Published: January 2023

Background: Predicting the outcomes of serious mental illnesses including bipolar disorder (BD) is clinically beneficial, yet difficult. Objectives: This study aimed to predict hospitalization and mortality for patients with incident BD using a deep neural network approach. Methods: We randomly sampled 20,000 US Veterans with BD. Data on patients’ prior hospitalizations, diagnoses, procedures, medications, note types, vital signs, lab results, and BD symptoms that occurred within 1 year before and at the onset of the incident BD were extracted as features. We then created novel temporal images of patient clinical features both during the prodromal period and at the time of the disease onset. Using each temporal image as a feature, we trained and tested deep neural network learning models to predict the 1-year combined outcome of hospitalization and mortality. Results: The models achieved accuracies of 0.766–0.949 and AUCs of 0.745–0.806 for the combined outcomes. The AUC for predicting mortality was 0.814, while its highest and lowest values for predicting different types of hospitalization were 90.4% and 70.1%, suggesting that some outcomes were more difficult to predict than others. Conclusion: Deep learning using temporal graphics of clinical history is a new and promising analytical approach for mental health outcome prediction.