bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Extended metric validation of a semi-physical Space Weather Modeling Framework conductance model on field-aligned current estimations
Authors: Hathaway Erika Y. , Mukhopadhyay Agnit , Liemohn Michael W. , Keebler Timothy , Anderson Brian J. , Vines Sarah K. , Barnes Robin J.
Published: August 2024

In this study, a detailed metric survey on the “Galaxy 15” (April 2010) space weather event is conducted to validate MAGNetosphere–Ionosphere–Thermosphere (MAGNIT), a semi-physical auroral ionospheric conductance model characterizing four precipitation sources, against AMPERE measurements via field-aligned current (FAC) characteristics. As part of this study, the comparative performance of three ionosphere electrodynamic specifications involving auroral conductance models, MAGNIT, Ridley Legacy Model (RLM) (empirical), and Conductance Model for Extreme Events (CMEE) (empirical), within the Space Weather Modeling Framework (SWMF), is demonstrated. Overall, MAGNIT exhibits marginally improved predictions; root mean square error values in upward and downward FACs of MAGNIT predictions compared to AMPERE data are smaller than those of CMEE and Ridley Ionosphere Model (RIM) by ∼12.7% and ∼6.24% before the storm, ∼4.52% and ∼2.13% better during the main phase, ∼1.98% and ∼1.27% worse during the second minimum, and better by ∼1.84% and ∼1.49% by the beginning of the recovery, respectively. In all three model configurations, the dusk and night magnetic local time (MLT) sectors over-predict throughout the storm, while the day and dawn MLT sectors under-predict in response to interplanetary magnetic field (IMF) conditions. In addition to accuracy and bias, similar results and conclusions are drawn from additional metrics, including in the categories of correlation, precision, extremes, and skill, and recommendations are made for the best-performing model configuration in each metric category. Visual data–model comparisons conducted by studying the FAC location and latitude/MLT spread throughout various phases of the storm suggest that the spatial extent of the FACs is captured relatively well in the night-side auroral oval, unlike in the day-side oval. The spread in latitude of the FACs matches that in the previous literature on other model performances. This information on auroral precipitation sources and their weight on FACs, along with metrics from model–data comparisons, can be used to modify MAGNIT settings to optimize SWMF model performance.
Large anterior congenital urethral diverticulum in an infant: a case report
Authors: Hassan Mohammed A. , Bapir Rawa , Aghaways Ismaeil , Hama Nali H. , Raheem Mohammed Fahad , Sabr Wirya N. , Mohammed Bilal A. , Kareem Honar Othman , Mustafa Ayman M. , Kakamad Fahmi H.
Published: August 2024

Introduction

A Urethral diverticulum can be defined as sac-like dilation lined with epithelial tissue, which may be congenital or acquired. It usually develops in the penoscrotal angle region but can also be observed in the penile urethra. It usually occurs in female teenagers. This report aims to discuss a male infant with a large urethral diverticulum.

Case presentation

A 5-month-old male presented to the urological department at Sulaimani Teaching Hospital with a penile swelling that had been noticeable since birth. Clinical examination revealed a ventral cystic penile shaft swelling, which would fill with fluid during urination. A urethrocystoscopy was performed and showed a wide cystic ventral diverticulum. Diverticulectomy was performed as a surgical approach to remove the diverticulum.

Discussion

Congenital anterior urethral diverticulum is an uncommon condition that typically begins in early life. It can manifest with various symptoms, like recurrent infections of the urinary tract, painful urination, and post-void urine dribbling. Diagnosis involves imaging, with urethrocystoscopy, to rule out other potential diagnoses. Different surgical techniques exist that show promising results in preventing recurrence. The current case involved diverticulectomy and multi-layered wound closure with a dartos flap.

Conclusion

Large anterior diverticulum in early infancy is rare but possible; operation is the preferred intervention method.
Thermo-Mechanical Jitter in Slender Space Structures: A Simplified Modeling Approach
Authors: Parisse Maurizio , Angeletti Federica
Published: August 2024

Thermally induced vibrations usually affect spacecraft equipped with light and slender appendages such as booms, antennas or solar panels. This phenomenon occurs when a thermal shock, resulting from the sudden cooling and warming phases at the entrance and exit from eclipses, triggers mechanical vibrations. The study proposed hereafter concerns the modeling and prediction of jitter of thermal origin in a long and thin plate with a sun-pointing attitude in geostationary orbit. The system’s temperature and dynamics are described by a set of equations expressing the two-way coupling between the thermal bending moment and the shape of the panel. The structure is discretized and reduced to a one-degree-of-freedom simplified model able to identify a mechanism of thermal pumping that could lead to instability. Finally, the results of the analysis are compared with those obtained with a more accurate FEM modelization.
Comparative Analyses of Green Plantlet Regeneration in Barley (Hordeum vulgare L.) Anther Culture
Authors: Lantos Csaba , Markó Ferenc , Mihály Róbert , Pauk János
Published: August 2024

The efficient doubled haploid (DH) plant production methods play a key role in accelerating the breeding of new varieties and hybrids in cultivated plants. Consequently, DH plant production methods are continuously improving for barley (Hordeum vulgare L.) breeding and research programs. Two plant regeneration (FHGR and K4NB) and three rooting media (MSr, N6I and ½N6I + Ca) were compared with four F1 barley cross-combinations to clarify the effect of medium on the regeneration of green and albino plantlets and acclimatization. The plant regeneration efficiency was higher using K4NB medium (74.53 green plantlets/100 anthers and 30.85 albino/100 anthers) compared to FHGR (55.77 green plantlets/100anthers and 21.32 albino/100 anthers). The percentage of acclimatization was highest when the K4NB regeneration medium was combined with the MSr rooting medium. Altogether, 61.83% of the anther culture-derived plantlets of 8 cross-combinations acclimatized to the greenhouse conditions, and 1403 acclimatized plantlets were produced from the F1 cross-combinations. Haploid (22.52%), diploid (69.37%) and tetraploid (8.11%) plantlets were identified among the 111 tested green plantlets by flow cytometric analyses. The tetraploid lines can be explored to offer new scopes for future barley research and breeding directions. Nearly one thousand DH plants have been integrated into our barley breeding program.
Internet-Based Information Acquisition, Technical Knowledge and Farmers’ Pesticide Use: Evidence from Rice Production in China
Authors: Li Shanshan , Sun Shengyang , Zhang Chao
Published: August 2024

The overuse of pesticides has led to serious ecological and environmental degradation, largely due to the lack of effectiveness of agricultural-extension services. In recent years, an increasing number of farmers have tended to acquire technical information from the Internet. In this context, the present study analyzes the impact of Internet-based information acquisition on pesticide use and the mediating role of farmers’ technical knowledge. For this purpose, the treatment-effects model and survey data covering 1113 rice farmers in Guizhou, Hubei, Jiangsu, and Zhejiang provinces in China were utilized. The results indicate that Internet-based information acquisition could significantly reduce the intensity of pesticide use by 2.036 kg/ha, accounting for the self-selection issue. Further analysis illustrates that farmers’ technical knowledge plays a significant mediating role in the negative impact of Internet-based information acquisition on pesticide-use intensity. In addition, the impacts of Internet-based information acquisition on pesticide-use intensity are heterogeneous across different education levels or rice-sown areas. Thus, the present study suggests that efforts should be made to accelerate the construction of rural information infrastructure networks to broaden smallholder farmers’ access to technical information from the Internet platforms, promote “Internet plus” agricultural-extension services, and improve farmers’ skills in using the Internet.
Research on a Trellis Grape Stem Recognition Method Based on YOLOv8n-GP
Authors: Jiang Tong , Li Yane , Feng Hailin , Wu Jian , Sun Weihai , Ruan Yaoping
Published: August 2024

Grapes are an important cash crop that contributes to the rapid development of the agricultural economy. The harvesting of ripe fruits is one of the crucial steps in the grape production process. However, at present, the picking methods are mainly manual, resulting in wasted time and high costs. Therefore, it is particularly important to implement intelligent grape picking, in which the accurate detection of grape stems is a key step to achieve intelligent harvesting. In this study, a trellis grape stem detection model, YOLOv8n-GP, was proposed by combining the SENetV2 attention module and CARAFE upsampling operator with YOLOv8n-pose. Specifically, this study first embedded the SENetV2 attention module at the bottom of the backbone network to enhance the model’s ability to extract key feature information. Then, we utilized the CARAFE upsampling operator to replace the upsampling modules in the neck network, expanding the sensory field of the model without increasing its parameters. Finally, to validate the detection performance of YOLOv8n-GP, we examined the effectiveness of the various keypoint detection models constructed with YOLOv8n-pose, YOLOv5-pose, YOLOv7-pose, and YOLOv7-Tiny-pose. Experimental results show that the precision, recall, mAP, and mAP-kp of YOLOv8n-GP reached 91.6%, 91.3%, 97.1%, and 95.4%, which improved by 3.7%, 3.6%, 4.6%, and 4.0%, respectively, compared to YOLOv8n-pose. Furthermore, YOLOv8n-GP exhibits superior detection performance compared with the other keypoint detection models in terms of each evaluation indicator. The experimental results demonstrate that YOLOv8n-GP can detect trellis grape stems efficiently and accurately, providing technical support for advancing intelligent grape harvesting.
Parametric Analysis and Numerical Optimization of Root-Cutting Shovel of Cotton Stalk Harvester Using Discrete Element Method
Authors: Liu Hua , Cao Silin , Han Dalong , He Lei , Li Yuanze , Cai Jialin , Meng Hewei , Wang Shilong
Published: August 2024

Aiming at solving the problems of the high cost of manual pulling, the low reliability of existing pulling devices, and the high breaking rates and high leakage rates in the process of cotton stalk reuse after removal from the field in the Xinjiang cotton area, a soil-loosening and root-cutting cotton stalk pulling and gathering machine was researched and designed; a root-cutting force model was established; the key parameters of the V-shaped root-cutting knife were calculated and optimized; and the ranges of the slide cutting angle, the cutting-edge angle, and the soil entry angle were determined. A shoveling process simulation of the V-shaped root-cutting knife and the root–soil complex was constructed, and the working mechanism of the V-shaped root-cutting knife was clarified. In order to verify the reliability and operation performance of the V-shaped root-cutting knife, the slide cutting angle, the cutting-edge angle, and the soil entry angle were used as the test factors, and a response surface test with three factors and three levels was carried out with the root-breaking force and the mean value of the cutting resistance as the test indices. The test results were analyzed by variance analysis, and the significant factors influencing the root-breaking force in descending order were the slide cutting angle, cutting-edge angle, and soil entry angle. The degrees of influence on the mean value of the cutting resistance were ordered as follows: slide cutting angle, soil entry angle, and cutting-edge angle. In order to make the V-shaped root-cutting knife achieve the optimal working state, the parameters of the test indices were optimized, and the optimal design parameters of the V-shaped root-cutting knife were set as follows: the slide cutting angle was 48.3°, the cutting-edge angle was 43.4°, and the soil entry angle was 26.2°. The field uprooting test showed that the average pass rate of root breakage was 94.8% and the average pull-out rate of cotton stalks was 93.2%. This study provides theoretical guidance for the development of a root-breaking mechanism for cotton straw harvesters.
Marigold (Tagetes erecta) MADS-Box Genes: A Systematic Analysis and Their Implications for Floral Organ Development
Authors: Liu Cuicui , Wang Feifan , Li Runhui , Zhu Yu , Zhang Chunling , He Yanhong
Published: August 2024

Marigold (Tagetes erecta) has a capitulum with two floret types: sterile ray florets and fertile disc florets. This distinction makes marigold a valuable model for studying floral organ development in Asteraceae, where MADS-box transcription factors play crucial roles. Here, 65 MADS-box genes were identified in the marigold genome, distributed across all 12 chromosomes. These genes were classified into type I (13 genes) and type II (52 genes) according to phylogenetic relationships. The gene structure of type I was simpler than that of type II, with fewer conserved motifs. Type I was further divided into three subclasses, Mα (8 genes), Mβ (2 genes), and Mγ (3 genes), while type II was divided into two groups: MIKCC (50 genes) and MIKC* (2 genes), with MIKCC comprising 13 subfamilies. Many type II MADS-box genes had evolutionarily conserved functions in marigold. Expression analysis of type II genes across different organs revealed organ-specific patterns, identifying 34 genes related to flower organ development. Given the distinct characteristics of the two floret types, four genes were specifically expressed only in the petals of one floret type, while twenty genes were expressed in the stamens of disc florets. These genes might have been related to the formation of different floret types. Our research provided a comprehensive and systematic analysis of the marigold MADS-box genes and laid the foundation for further studies on the roles of MADS-box genes in floral organ development in Asteraceae.
Subsoiling Operations Concurrent to the Distribution of Acidity Amendments in the Soil Profile: The Response from Soybeans
Authors: Smaniotto Alex Oliveira , Castoldi Gustavo , Laurindo Adryel Kayro Oliveira Adorno , Silva Thiago Lopes , Tempesta Izamara Fonseca , Paim Tiago do Prado , Costa Claudio Hideo Martins da , Cruz Simério Carlos Silva
Published: August 2024

In the Brazilian Cerrado region, the soils have significant agricultural potential; however, they are naturally acidic soils due to the constitution of the source material and the high weathering process. Liming has been the main tool for correcting acidity and supplying Ca2+ and Mg2+ to the soil; however, the effect of the corrector is limited to the soil surface. Consequently, the benefits of liming are restricted to the surface layer of the soil and do not solve the subsurface acidity problems. The objective of this work was to evaluate the effect of the subsoiling operation together with the application of a soil acidity corrector on the nutrition and productivity of soybean crops. The experiment was carried out in the experimental area of the Federal University of Jataí in the state of Goias, Brazil. The experimental design was a randomized block design, consisting of six treatments and four replications. The experiment was implemented in 2018, and it utilized the following treatments: T1: control (without subsoiling and liming); T2: the application of superficial limestone, without incorporation at a dose of 1 Mg ha−1; T3: limestone applied through gravity up to 60 centimeters (cm) deep using a subsoiler, with a spacing between the rods of 0.37 meters (m), at a dose of 2.82 Mg ha−1; T4: limestone applied with the same implement used in T3, at the same dose, but with a spacing between the rods of 0.75 m; T5: subsoiling, without the use of liming; and T6: subsoiling and, subsequently, liming on the surface at a dosage of 1 Mg ha−1. The superficial application of the oxide increases the mineral nutrition of plants, the production components, and the productivity of soybeans. There is no agronomic feasibility for using the subsoiler to incorporate limestone.
Morphological Traits and Biomass Allocation of Leymus secalinus along Habitat Gradient in a Floodplain Wetland of the Heihe River, China
Authors: Wen Jun , Li Qun , Zhao Chengzhang , Kang Manping
Published: August 2024

Plant organ biomass allocation and morphological characteristics are important functional traits. The responses of plant root, stem, and leaf traits to heterogeneous habitats in floodplain wetlands are highly important for understanding the ecological adaptation strategies of riparian plants. However, the patterns of these responses remain unclear. In a floodplain wetland in the middle reaches of the Heihe River, we studied the responses of the root, stem, and leaf morphological traits and biomass allocation of Leymus secalinus to varying habitat conditions. We measured these traits in three sample plots, delineated based on distance from the riverbank: plot I (near the riparian zone, 50–150 m from the riverbank), plot II (middle riparian zone, 200–300 m from the riverbank), and plot III (far riparian zone, 350–450 m from the riverbank). The results showed that in plot I, L. secalinus tended to have slender roots and stems and small leaves, with a biomass allocation strategy that maximized the root–shoot ratio (RSR). In plot II, L. secalinus had thick stems and moderate leaf and root patterns, and the RSR values were between those of plot I and plot III. In plot III, L. secalinus had thin and short stems and large leaves; furthermore, among the root morphological structures, plot III had the shortest Rhizome length (RL) and longest Rhizome diameter (RD), and the RSR was the lowest. Moreover, there was a significant correlation between organ biomass and leaf thickness, stem length, RD, and RL in the three habitats (p < 0.05). By balancing the biomass allocation among organs, wetland plants in floodplains balance changes in root, stem, and leaf morphological characteristics to improve their environmental adaptation.
A Method for Extracting Fine-Grained Knowledge of the Wheat Production Chain
Authors: Lu Jing , Yang Wanxia , He Liang , Feng Quan , Zhang Tingwei , Yang Seng
Published: August 2024

The knowledge within wheat production chain data has multiple levels and complex semantic relationships, making it difficult to extract knowledge from them. Therefore, this paper proposes a fine-grained knowledge extraction method for the wheat production chain based on ontology. For the first time, the conceptual layers of ploughing, planting, managing, and harvesting were defined around the main agricultural activities of the wheat production chain. Based on this, the entities, relationships, and attributes in the conceptual layers were defined at a fine-grained level, and a spatial–temporal association pattern layer with four conceptual layers, twenty-eight entities, and forty-two relationships was constructed. Then, based on the characteristics of the self-constructed dataset, the Word2vec-BiLSTM-CRF model was designed for extracting the knowledge within it, i.e., the entity–relationship–attribute model and the Word2vec-BiLSTM-CRF model in this paper were compared with the four SOTA models. The results show that the accuracy and F1 value improved by 8.44% and 8.89%, respectively, compared with the BiLSTM-CRF model. Furthermore, the entities of the pest and disease dataset were divided into two different granularities for the comparison experiment; the results show that for entities with “disease names” and “pest names”, the recognition accuracy at the fine-grained level is improved by 32.71% and 31.58%, respectively, compared to the coarse-grained level, and the recognition performance of various fine-grained entities has been improved.
Optimizing NPK Fertilization for Enhanced Performance of Chinese Wheat Hybrids under Agro-Climatic Condition of Peshawar Valley
Authors: Ullah Basit , Lou Hongyao , Arif Muhammad , Zhang Shengquan , Khan Hamid Ali , Sadozai Khuram Nawaz , Khan Maaz , Anjum Muhammad Mehran
Published: August 2024

The goal of this study is to identify the optimum NPK fertilization to maximize yield and productivity under local environmental constraints. To address this concern, a field experiment was conducted at Agronomy Research Farm, The University of Agriculture, Peshawar, during the rabi seasons of 2019–2020 and 2020–2021 in a randomized complete block design (RCBD) with three replications. Treatments consisted of five Chinese wheat hybrids (18A-1, JM-1215, JM-1683, JM-1216, H-1) and one Australian hybrid (WS-1) with two local checks (Wadan-17 and Pirsabak-15) and two NPK levels, i.e., basal dose (120-90-60 NPK kg ha−1) and 25% higher than basal dose (150-112-75 NPK kg ha−1). The results of the two years’ experimentation exhibited that wheat hybrid WS-1 produced higher tillers (444 and 423 m−2), leaf area (32.7 and 30.7 cm2), leaf area index (5.0 and 5.4), plant height (105.3 and 103.1 cm), spike length (21.9 and 21.5 cm), spikes (329 and 322 m−2), grains spike−1 (59 and 58), thousand grain weight (62.2 and 62.2 g) and biological yield (9769 and 9906 kg ha−1) as compared to local check varieties. Wheat hybrids WS-1, JM-1683, H-1 and 18A1 produced 31%, 27%, 26% and 26% higher grain yield than local check Pirsabak-15, respectively, while a higher harvest index (61 and 59%) was noted for JM-1683 in both years. Application of NPK at the rate of 150-112-75 kg ha−1 increased emergence (87 m−2), tillers (421 and 407 m−2), leaf area (23 and 20.5 cm2), leaf area index (3.3), plant height (98.2 and 96.9 cm), spike length (15.9 and 16.3 cm), spikes (317 and 314 m−2), grains spike−1 (43), thousand grain weight (56.5 and 56.3 g), biological yield (9057 and 9163 kg ha−1) and grain yield (3702 and 3778 kg ha−1) compared to the lower level of NPK (120-90-60 kg ha−1). It is concluded that Chinese wheat hybrid JM-1683 and Australian hybrid WS-1 responded better to the higher level of NPK (150-112-75 kg ha−1) in terms of grain yield and its components and are therefore recommended for the agro-climatic condition of the Peshawar valley.
Design and Testing of a 2-DOF Adaptive Profiling Header for Forage Harvesters
Authors: Luo Yangfan , Liao Zhihui , Shi Shenye , Dai Jiuxiang , Yuan Kai , Zhao Jingxing , Li Yuanhong , Zhao Zuoxi
Published: August 2024

The existing forage harvester header cannot automatically adjust the height and inclination during operation, resulting in uneven stubble height of forage, which, in turn, affects the efficiency of harvesting and the quality of forage regeneration. To address this issue, this study conducted the design and experimentation of a 2-degrees-of-freedom (DOF) profiling header. Firstly, this study designed an adaptive profiling header with 2-DOF adjustment, which was realized by the height adjustment mechanism and the tilt angle adjustment mechanism. The relationship model between the profiling device and the attitude of the header was established so that the header can acquire ground undulation in real time through the angle sensor of the profiling device. In order to verify the rationality of the header design, a co-simulation model of ADAMS and MATLAB/Simulink was built, and the header attitude control system was designed based on the fuzzy PID algorithm. The co-simulation results show that the header height (H) is always kept around 150 mm during the forwarding process of the harvester, with a maximum error of 5.8 mm, and the average relative error (REH) and root mean square error (RMSEH) were 1.4% and 2.6 mm, respectively, and the maximum error of the tilt angle (γ) of the header is 0.53° and the RMSEγ is 0.22°, which indicates that the header profiling mechanism can accurately reflect the undulation of the terrain and the header attitude control system has good robustness. Finally, the test platform was built and tested in a grassland. The test results show that the average height of the header is 149.8 mm, the maximum error is 7.5 mm, and the REH and RMSEH are 3.4% and 5.3 mm, respectively. The average error of the header inclination is 0.34°, and the maximum error is 0.57°. The test results indicate that the header can realize the adaptive adjustment of height and inclination, and the control system has high precision, stability and reliability, meeting the demand of automatic regulation of header attitude of a forage harvester.
Feeding a Saccharomyces cerevisiae Fermentation Product to Mares in Late Gestation Alters the Biological Activity of Colostrum
Authors: Terpeluk Eva Ronja , Schäfer Jana , Finkler-Schade Christa , Rauch Elke , Rohn Karl , Schuberth Hans-Joachim
Published: August 2024

The quality of equine colostrum is typically defined by refractometry or the concentration of maternal antibodies. However, the activity of other equine colostral bioactive molecules has not yet been investigated. This study analyzed whether the administration of a Saccharomyces cerevisiae fermentation product (SCFP) influences the biological activity of mare colostrum and whether the biological activity of colostrum has a lasting immunomodulating effect for foals. A total of fourteen pregnant mares received 20 g/day of a SCFP for a period of twelve weeks prior to the calculated date of birth (SCFP-group). Twelve pregnant mares without supplementation served as controls (CON). Colostral Brix values were determined within three hours after parturition. The concentration of IgG in blood sera and colostrum samples was determined with an ELISA. The biological activity was determined in a cell growth assay with a porcine epithelial cell line (IPEC-J2). Mares (at three weeks before the calculated date of birth) and foals (at the age of 5–8 months) received a parenteral active vaccination against influenza and tetanus. The administration of SCFP did not alter the mare’s serum and colostrum IgG concentrations and did not exert a significant influence on the mares’ early response to the vaccination. Growth and diarrhea episodes were comparable between foals of supplemented mares (SCFP) and foals of mares without supplementation (CON). Colostrum samples from SCFP-supplemented mares exhibited heightened biological activity. While SFCP and CON foals did not differ in their early response to vaccination, the vaccination-induced alterations in circulating neutrophilic granulocyte numbers were significantly correlated with the biological colostrum activity. These findings suggest that the supplementation of mares in late gestation with SCFP can enhance the biological activity of colostrum, which subsequently influences the innate immune responses of their offspring in later life.
The Distribution, Diversity, and Control of Dirofilariosis in Brazil: A Comprehensive Review
Authors: Chocobar Marianna Laura Elis , Schmidt Elizabeth Moreira dos Santos , Weir William , Panarese Rossella
Published: August 2024

Brazil’s extensive coastline, tropical and subtropical climate, and well-preserved environment represent a conducive setting for dirofilariosis, a zoonotic mosquito-borne disease. Although this condition has long been recognised in the country, it has been relatively under-studied, and it is currently considered to be an emerging disease. Diagnosis, treatment, and control remain challenging due to the extensive gaps in knowledge. In order to help address this issue, this review aims to (i) summarise the available literature on the distribution of Dirofilaria spp. in Brazilian dogs over the last decade, (ii) review case reports of dirofilariosis in cats, wild animals, and humans over the last twenty years, and (iii) highlight the benefits of taking a One Health approach to managing this disease. While there have been several prevalence studies in dogs, disease distribution is poorly characterised in cats, and little is known about the occurrence of the parasite in wildlife. Human cases are sporadically reported, and no large-scale studies have been undertaken to date. Evidence indicates that Dirofilaria immitis is the main species circulating in Brazil, although Dirofilaria repens has also been detected. Molecular studies have also suggested the circulation of a highly virulent form of D. immitis, which may be genetically distinct from those of the Old World. A programme of epidemiological, ecological, genomic, and pathogenicity-based studies is required to quantify the impact of dirofilariosis in Brazil on both veterinary and public health and to inform others on its control.
Stallion Sperm Freezing with Different Extenders: Role of Antioxidant Activity and Nitric Oxide Production
Authors: Boni Raffaele , Ruggiero Raffaella , Di Palma Tommaso , Ferrara Maria Antonietta , Preziosi Graziano , Cecchini Gualandi Stefano
Published: August 2024

Sensitivity to freezing remains a critical issue in stallion semen cryopreservation procedures. To explore this topic in-depth, semen was collected from ten stallions, diluted with three different extenders, transported to the laboratory, and then centrifuged and frozen with four different extenders. We conducted analyses of sperm kinetics, mitochondrial membrane potential (MMP), and hydrogen peroxide content both before and after freezing. Additionally, we assessed antioxidant activity using the ABTS and FRAP methods and measured nitric oxide stable metabolites (NOx) in the blank extenders, seminal plasma, and extenders conditioned by spermatozoa before and after freezing. We found significant variability in the antioxidant activity and NOx content of the blank extenders and the seminal plasma. In the seminal plasma, ABTS-based antioxidant activity and NOx values were correlated with some sperm kinematic parameters and MMP in refrigerated semen, while no correlation was observed in frozen sperm parameters. Sperm function varied significantly between stallions but not between extenders, either before or after freezing. However, significant differences in antioxidant activities and NOx values were found among extenders conditioned following freezing. These results provide new insights into the factors contributing to the variability in individual stallions’ tolerance to sperm freezing.
Effects of Intermittent and Chronic Hypoxia on Fish Size and Nutrient Metabolism in Tiger Puffer (Takifugu rubripes)
Authors: Ma Qiang , Zhang Renxiao , Wei Yuliang , Liang Mengqing , Xu Houguo
Published: August 2024

Intermittent and chronic hypoxia are common stresses to marine fish, but the different responses of fish to intermittent and chronic hypoxia have not been well-known. In this study, tiger puffers were farmed in normoxia conditions (NO, 6.5 ± 0.5 mg/L), intermittent hypoxia (IH, 6.5 ± 0.5 mg/L in the day and 3.5 ± 0.5 mg/L in the night), or choric hypoxia (CH, 3.5 ± 0.5 mg/L) conditions for 4 weeks, after which the growth, nutrient metabolism and three hifα isoforms expression were measured. Both intermittent and chronic hypoxia decreased the fish growth and visceral weight but increased the feed conversion ratio and blood hemoglobin content. Chronic hypoxia but not intermittent hypoxia promoted protein synthesis and whole-fish protein content by activating mtor gene expression and promoted the glycolysis pathway by activating gene expression of hif1α and hif2α. Intermittent hypoxia but not chronic hypoxia decreased the hepatic lipid synthesis by inhibiting fasn and srebf1 gene expression. Meanwhile, intermittent hypoxia reduced the monounsaturated fatty acid content but increased the n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids percentage. The results of this study clarified the adaptive mechanism of tiger puffer to intermittent and chronic hypoxia, which provides important information about mechanisms of hypoxia adaption in fish.
The Influence of High-Concentrate Diet Supplemented with Tannin on Growth Performance, Rumen Fermentation, and Antioxidant Ability of Fattening Lambs
Authors: Lin Lu , Lu Yuezhang , Wang Weiqian , Luo Wenjun , Li Tao , Cao Guang , Du Chunmei , Wei Chen , Yin Fuquan , Gan Shangquan , Ma Jian
Published: August 2024

This experiment aimed to study the effects of tannin supplementation on growth performance, rumen fermentation characteristics, apparent digestibility and serum biochemistry, and antioxidant and immune indexes in fattening lambs. A total of 36 male Hu sheep lambs (body weight = 15.83 ± 0.48 kg and days of age = 55 ± 2 d) were fed a high-concentrate diet and randomly divided into one of three groups of 12 animals each: control with no tannin (CON) and tannin treatments (TA1, 3 g/d per lamb; TA2, 6 g/d per lamb). The feeding experiment lasted for 60 d. The results showed that the average daily gain and ruminal propionate content of lambs in the TA1 group were higher (p < 0.05) than those in the CON group. Lambs fed tannin had significantly increased (p < 0.05) microbial protein and decreased (p < 0.05) ammonia nitrogen concentrations in the rumen. In addition, the crude protein and neutral detergent fiber digestibility of the TA2 group were significantly decreased (p < 0.05) as compared with the TA1 and CON groups, respectively. The serum concentrations of triglyceride, immunoglobulin A, and catalase and the total antioxidant capacity were higher (p < 0.05) in the TA1 group that those in the CON group, whereas an opposite trend of urea nitrogen, interleukin-1β, and malondialdehyde was found between the two groups. Also, tannin supplementation increased (p < 0.05) Lactobacillus and decreased (p < 0.05) Salmonella counts in the feces of lambs. Taken together, tannin supplementation can improve the growth performance, immunity, and antioxidant ability of fattening lambs fed a high-concentrate diet.
Genome-Wide Association Study of Conformation Traits in Brazilian Holstein Cattle
Authors: Silva Emanueli F. P. , Gaia Rita C. , Mulim Henrique A. , Pinto Luís Fernando Batista , Iung Laiza H. S. , Brito Luiz F. , Pedrosa Victor B.
Published: August 2024

The linear conformation of animals exerts an influence on health, reproduction, production, and welfare, in addition to longevity, which directly affects the profitability of milk-producing farms. The objectives of this study were (1) to perform genome-wide association studies (GWASs) of conformation traits, namely the Rump, Feet and Legs, Mammary System, Dairy Strength, and Final Classification traits, and (2) to identify genes and related pathways involved in physiological processes associated with conformation traits in Brazilian Holstein cattle. Phenotypic and genotypic data from 2339 Holstein animals distributed across the states of Rio Grande do Sul, Paraná, São Paulo, and Minas Gerais were used. The genotypic data were obtained with a 100 K SNP marker panel. The single-step genome-wide association study (ssGWAS) method was employed in the analyses. Genes close to a significant SNP were identified in an interval of 100 kb up- and downstream using the Ensembl database available in the BioMart tool. The DAVID database was used to identify the main metabolic pathways and the STRING program was employed to create the gene regulatory network. In total, 36 significant SNPs were found on 15 chromosomes; 27 of these SNPs were linked to genes that may influence the traits studied. Fourteen genes most closely related to the studied traits were identified, as well as four genes that showed interactions in important metabolic pathways such as myogenesis, adipogenesis, and angiogenesis. Among the total genes, four were associated with myogenesis (TMOD2, TMOD3, CCND2, and CTBP2), three with angiogenesis (FGF23, FGF1, and SCG3), and four with adipogenesis and body size and development (C5H12orf4, CCND2, EMILIN1, and FGF6). These results contribute to a better understanding of the biological mechanisms underlying phenotypic variability in conformation traits in Brazilian Holstein cattle.
Challenges in the Application of African Swine Fever Vaccines in Asia
Authors: Auer Agathe , Cattoli Giovanni , Padungtod Pawin , Lamien Charles E. , Oh Yooni , Jayme Sarah , Rozstalnyy Andriy
Published: August 2024

This paper explores the significance of quality vaccines in managing ASF in Asia, where it poses a substantial threat to the pork industry. It emphasizes the risks associated with substandard vaccines, including the emergence of new virus strains that complicate disease control. Highlighting recent advancements in vaccine deployment in Vietnam, the paper calls for rigorous testing and regulations to guarantee vaccine effectiveness and safety. The authors advocate for the implementation of vaccines with the inclusion of differentiating infected from vaccinated animals (DIVA), which enhances disease management strategies in both endemic and non-endemic regions. The conclusion underscores the necessity of stringent standards in vaccine development and strict adherence to regulatory guidelines to ensure successful ASF management and maintain public trust in the vaccines.
Predicting the Impact of Climate Change on the Selection of Reintroduction Sites for the South China Tiger (Panthera tigris amoyensis) in China
Authors: Luo Yueqing , Xu Jin , Zhang Xinyi , Hou Yulin
Published: August 2024

The South China tiger (Panthera tigris amoyensis) is a tiger subspecies unique to China and one of the top ten endangered species in the world. It used to play an important role in the overall function of the ecosystem. This study rationally screened out key prey species of the South China tiger—the Chinese serow, Chinese goral, tufted deer, water deer, Chinese muntjac, red muntjac, sambar deer, and wild boar. Candidate sites for the rewilding and reintroduction of the South China tiger were derived by exploring changes in suitable habitats for the prey using the MaxEnt model. The results show that: (1) by 2070, except for the high-suitability areas of water deer and Chinese muntjac, the areas of suitable habitats for the other six prey species would all have decreased significantly; (2) the location of the high-suitability area of the South China tiger obtained by superimposing the suitable areas of the eight prey species would be almost stable in 2050 and 2070, but the habitat index of some high- and medium-suitability areas would decrease and turn into low-suitability areas; (3) the core candidate sites were 83,415 km2 in total, of which 25,630 km2 overlapped with existing protected areas, accounting for 30.7% of the core candidate sites, and the remaining 69.3% of the core candidate sites were mostly distributed around the protected areas; (4) the maximum core candidate site area was projected to be 10,000 km2 by 2070, which could support a small population of 23 male tigers and 66 female tigers to survive and reproduce in the wild. This study revealed the core candidate sites for the rewilding of South China tigers and estimated the number of tigers that could be reintroduced to these areas, providing a preliminary research basis for promoting the rewilding of South China tigers in China.
Crested Porcupine Optimizer-Optimized CNN-BiLSTM-Attention Model for Predicting Main Girder Temperature in Bridges
Authors: Gao Yan , Wang Jianxun , Yu Wenhao , Yi Lu , Guo Fengqi
Published: August 2024

Stage-built long-span bridges deform with temperature, affecting alignment to design needs. In this paper, a model for predicting temperature time series is proposed, which can predict temperatures in engineering practice and utilize the predicted results to adjust the elevation of stage construction. The model employs convolutional neural networks (CNNs) for initial feature extraction, followed by bidirectional long short-term memory (BiLSTM) layers to capture temporal dependencies. An attention mechanism is applied to the LSTM output, enhancing the model’s ability to focus on the most relevant parts of the sequence. The Crested Porcupine Optimizer (CPO) is used to fine-tune parameters like the number of LSTM units, dropout rate, and learning rate. The experiments on the measured temperature data of an under-construction cable-stayed bridge are conducted to validate our model. The results indicate that our model outperforms the other five models in comparison, with all the R2 values exceeding 0.97. The average of the mean absolute error (MAE) on the 30 measure points is 0.19095, and the average of the root mean square error (RMSE) is 0.28283. Furthermore, the model’s low sensitivity to data makes it adaptable and effective for predicting temperatures and adjusting the elevation in large-span bridge construction.
AODs-CLYOLO: An Object Detection Method Integrating Fog Removal and Detection in Haze Environments
Authors: Liang Xinyu , Liang Zhengyou , Li Linke , Chen Jiahong
Published: August 2024

Foggy and hazy weather conditions can significantly reduce the clarity of images captured by cameras, making it difficult for object detection algorithms to accurately recognize targets. This degradation can cause failures in autonomous or assisted driving systems, posing severe safety threats to both drivers and passengers. To address the issue of decreased detection accuracy in foggy weather, we propose an object detection algorithm specifically designed for such environments, named AODs-CLYOLO. To effectively handle images affected by fog, we introduce an image dehazing model, AODs, which is more suitable for detection tasks. This model incorporates a Channel–Pixel (CP) attention mechanism and a new Contrastive Regularization (CR), enhancing the dehazing effect while preserving the integrity of image information. For the detection network component, we propose a learnable Cross-Stage Partial Connection Module (CSPCM++), which is used before the detection head. Alongside this, we integrate the LSKNet selective attention mechanism to improve the extraction of effective features from large objects. Additionally, we apply the FocalGIoU loss function to enhance the model’s performance in scenarios characterized by sample imbalance or a high proportion of difficult samples. Experimental results demonstrate that the AODs-CLYOLO detection algorithm achieves up to a 10.1% improvement in the mAP (0.5:0.95) metric compared to the baseline model YOLOv5s.
Temporary Road Marking Paint for Vehicle Perception Tests
Authors: Katzorke Nils , Langwaldt Lisa-Marie , Schunggart Lara
Published: August 2024

In order to test camera- and LiDAR-based perception of road markings for automated driving, vehicle developers have started to utilize concepts for the agile alteration of road marking patterns on proving grounds. Road marking materials commonly used within this concept are different types of tape that can easily be applied and removed on asphalt and concrete. Due to the elasticity of tape, it cannot be used efficiently for small radii, symbols, lettering, and specific corner shapes (e.g., for parking slots). These road marking patterns are common in urban environments. With the growing capability of automated driving systems and more applications for urban environments, edgy road marking shapes gain importance for proving ground testing. This study examines the use of water-soluble road marking paint specifically designed for the use case of temporary applications on proving grounds for camera- and LiDAR-based perception testing. We found that white, water-soluble paint with 1.5% binder content and 2.25% coalescing agent content can provide realistic road markings for vehicle testing purposes. However, solubility affects the paint’s vulnerability to fading during rain. Hence, renewal activities over the course of longer test drives might be necessary. The paint could be removed using water pressure without significant residue or damaging of the asphalt.
Soldering Defect Segmentation Method for PCB on Improved UNet
Authors: Li Zhongke , Liu Xiaofang
Published: August 2024

Despite being indispensable devices in the electronic manufacturing industry, printed circuit boards (PCBs) may develop various soldering defects in the production process, which seriously affect the product’s quality. Due to the substantial background interference in the soldering defect image and the small and irregular shapes of the defects, the accurate segmentation of soldering defects is a challenging task. To address this issue, a method to improve the encoder–decoder network structure of UNet is proposed for PCB soldering defect segmentation. To enhance the feature extraction capabilities of the encoder and focus more on deeper features, VGG16 is employed as the network encoder. Moreover, a hybrid attention module called the DHAM, which combines channel attention and dynamic spatial attention, is proposed to reduce the background interference in images and direct the model’s focus more toward defect areas. Additionally, based on GSConv, the RGSM is introduced and applied in the decoder to enhance the model’s feature fusion capabilities and improve the segmentation accuracy. The experiments demonstrate that the proposed method can effectively improve the segmentation accuracy for PCB soldering defects, achieving an mIoU of 81.74% and mPA of 87.33%, while maintaining a relatively low number of model parameters at only 22.13 M and achieving an FPS of 30.16, thus meeting the real-time detection speed requirements.
A New Porosity Evaluation Method Based on a Statistical Methodology for Granular Material: A Case Study in Construction Sand
Authors: Wang Binghui , Xin Shuanglong , Jin Dandan , Zhang Lei , Wu Jianjun , Guo Huiyi
Published: August 2024

Sand porosity is an important compactness parameter that influences the mechanical properties of sand. In order to evaluate the temporal variation in sand porosity, a new method of sand porosity evaluation based on the statistics of target sand particles (which refers to particles within a specific particle size range) is presented. The relationship between sand porosity and the number of target sand particles at the soil surface considering observation depth is derived theoretically, and it is concluded that there is an inverse relationship between the two. Digital image processing and the k-means clustering method were used to distinguish particles in digital images where particles may mask each other, and a criterion for determining the number of particles was proposed, that is, the criterion of min(Dao). The execution process was implemented by self-written codes using Python (2021.3). An experiment on a simple case of Go pieces and sand samples of different porosities was conducted. The results show that the sum of the squared error (SSE) in the k-means method can converge with a small number of iterations. Furthermore, there is a minimum value between the parameter Dao and the set value of a single-particle pixel, and the pixel corresponding to this value is a reasonable value of a single-particle pixel, that is, the min(Dao) criterion is proposed. The k-means method combined with the min(Dao) criterion can analyze the number of particles in different particle size ranges with occlusion between particles. The test results of sand samples with different densities show that the method is reasonable.