bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
National Planetary Health learning objectives for Germany: A steppingstone for medical education to promote transformative change
Authors: Wabnitz Katharina , Schwienhorst-Stich Eva-Maria , Asbeck Franziska , Fellmann Cara Sophie , Gepp Sophie , Leberl Jana , Mezger Nikolaus Christian Simon , Eichinger Michael
Published: February 2023

Physicians play an important role in adapting to and mitigating the adverse health effects of the unfolding climate and ecological crises. To fully harness this potential, future physicians need to acquire knowledge, values, skills, and leadership attributes to care for patients presenting with environmental change-related conditions and to initiate and propel transformative change in healthcare and other sectors of society including, but not limited to, the decarbonization of healthcare systems, the transition to renewable energies and the transformation of transport and food systems. Despite the potential of Planetary Health Education (PHE) to support medical students in becoming agents of change, best-practice examples of mainstreaming PHE in medical curricula remain scarce both in Germany and internationally. The process of revising and updating the Medical Licensing Regulations and the National Competency-based Catalog of Learning Objectives for Medical Education in Germany provided a window of opportunity to address this implementation challenge. In this article, we describe the development and content of national Planetary Health learning objectives for Germany. We anticipate that the learning objectives will stimulate the development and implementation of innovative Planetary Health teaching, learning and exam formats in medical schools and inform similar initiatives in other health professions. The availability of Planetary Health learning objectives in other countries will provide opportunities for cross-country and interdisciplinary exchange of experiences and validation of content, thus supporting the consolidation of Planetary Health learning objectives and the improvement of PHE for all health professionals globally.
Assessing knowledge, attitudes, and practices toward sexually transmitted infections among Baghdad undergraduate students for research-guided sexual health education
Authors: Al-Gburi Ghaith , Al-Shakarchi Ali , Al-Dabagh Jaafar D. , Lami Faris
Published: February 2023

Background

Sexually transmitted infections are common and tend to cause a lot of public misconceptions. This study was conducted to identify knowledge gaps and negative attitudes toward sexually transmitted infections and infected individuals among undergraduate students and give recommendations accordingly for the development of more objective research-guided health campaigns and school sex education programs.

Method

A cross-sectional study was conducted between May 17, 2022 and June 2, 2022 using a self-administrated questionnaire containing 84 items related to sexually transmitted infections distributed online to Baghdad-based university students.

Result

The sample consisted of 823 respondents; 332 men and 491 women. Overall knowledge was moderate to high, with 628 individuals (76.3%) answering more than half the questions correctly. There was no difference according to gender or previous sexual experience, but knowledge increased by an average of 2.73 points (p < 0.001) when a participant knew a previously infected individual. Less than half identified systemic symptoms of STIs, and their knowledge of other HIV items was also poor. Most respondents (85.5%) agreed to the need for sex education during middle or high school and cited traditional barriers as the most critical barrier (64.8%); in comparison, those who did not agree on its need cited the sensitivity of the subject (40.3%) or religious barriers (20.2%) as more important.

Conclusion

Specific knowledge gaps exist for HIV and non-HIV sexually transmitted infections; these should be addressed during sex education, focusing on specific high-risk groups. Negative attitudes and stigmatizing behavior should be addressed as well by increasing focused STI knowledge.
Contextual and environmental factors that influence health: A within-subjects field experiment protocol
Authors: Li Dongying , Lee Chanam , Park Amaryllis H. , Lee Hanwool , Ding Yizhen
Published: February 2023

Background

Despite the growing research on environment-physical activity (PA) relationships, field experimental studies are limited. Such studies offer opportunities to focus on real-world environmental exposure and related PA and health outcomes, allowing researchers to better isolate the causal effect of exposures/interventions. Focusing on the street/pedestrian environment as a routine setting for people's daily activities, this research aims to develop and test a field experiment protocol that integrates instantaneous assessments of the environment, PA, and health outcomes. The protocol involves the use of state-of-the-art environmental monitoring and biosensing techniques and focuses on physically active road users (pedestrians and bicyclists) who are more directly exposed to their surrounding environment than others such as drivers.

Methods/Design

An interdisciplinary research team first identified the target measurement domains for the health outcomes (e.g., stress, thermal comfort, PA) and the street-level environmental exposures (e.g., land use, greenery, infrastructure conditions, air quality, weather) guided by the previous literature which was primarily observational. Portable or wearable measurement instruments (e.g., GPS, accelerometer, biosensor, mini camera, smartphone app, weather station, air quality sensor) were identified, pilot tested, and selected for the identified measures. We ensured that these measures are readily linkable using the time stamp and include eye-level exposures as they impact the users' experiences more directly yet missing in most prior studies relying on secondary, aerial-level measures. A 50-min experimental route was then determined to include typical everyday environments in park and mixed-use settings and to engage participants in three common modes of transportation (walking, bicycling, and driving). Finally, a detailed staff protocol was developed, pilot-tested, and used in a 36-participant within-subject field experiment in College Station, TX. The experiment was successfully executed, showing its potential to support future field experiments that can provide more accurate real-time, real-environment, and multi-dimensional information.

Discussion

Our study demonstrates the feasibility of capturing the multifold health benefits/harms related to walking and bicycling in varying urban environments by combining field experiments with environmental, behavioral, and physiological sensing. Our study protocol and reflections can be helpful for a broad spectrum of research addressing the complex and multi-level pathways between the environment, behavior, and health outcomes.
The predictive role of parental attitudes toward COVID-19 vaccines and child vulnerability: A multi-country study on the relationship between parental vaccine hesitancy and financial well-being
Authors: Sharif Nia Hamid , Allen Kelly-Ann , Arslan Gökmen , Kaur Harpaljit , She Long , Khoshnavay Fomani Fatemeh , Gorgulu Ozkan , Sivarajan Froelicher Erika
Published: February 2023

Background and purpose

Recent new mutations and increases in transmission of COVID-19 among adolescents and children highlight the importance of identifying which factors influence parental decisions regarding vaccinating their children. The current study aims to explore whether child vulnerability and parents' attitudes toward vaccines mediate the association between perceived financial well-being and vaccine hesitancy among parents.

Method

A predictive, cross-sectional, multi-country online questionnaire was administered with a convenience sample of 6,073 parents (Australia, 2,734; Iran, 2,447; China, 523; Turkey, 369). Participants completed the Parent Attitude About Child Vaccines (PACV), the Child Vulnerability Scale (CVS), a Financial Well-being (FWB) measure, and Parental Vaccine Hesitancy (PVH) questionnaire.

Results

The current study revealed that perceived financial well-being had significant and negative associations with parents' attitudes toward COVID-19 vaccines and child vulnerability among the Australian sample. Contrary to the Australian findings, results from Chinese participants indicated that financial well-being had significant and positive predictive effects on parent attitudes toward vaccines, child vulnerability, and parental vaccine hesitancy. The results of the Iranian sample revealed that parents' attitudes toward vaccines and child vulnerability significantly and negatively predicted parental vaccine hesitancy.

Conclusion

The current study revealed that a parents' perceived financial well-being had a significant and negative relationship with parental attitudes about vaccines and child vulnerability; however, it did not significantly predict parental vaccine hesitancy among Turkish parents as it did for parents in Australia, Iran, and China. Findings of the study have policy implications for how certain countries may tailor their vaccine-related health messages to parents with low financial wellbeing and parents with vulnerable children.
Spatial distribution and trends of anemia among pregnant women in Ethiopia: EDHS 2005–2016
Authors: Ayele Molla Abate , Fenta Haile Mekonnen , Zike Dereje Tesfaye , Tesfaw Lijalem Melie
Published: February 2023

Background

Anemia is a public health problem affecting both developed and developing nations worldwide with a significant consequence on health and economic growth. The problem is more severe in pregnant women. Hence, the main purpose of this study was to determine the factors of anemia levels among pregnant women in zones in Ethiopia.

Methods

We utilized data from 2005, 2011, and 2016 Ethiopian demographic and health survey (EDHSs), a population-based cross-sectional study. The study includes 8,421 pregnant women. An ordinal logistic regression model with spatial analysis was used to explore factors of anemia levels among pregnant women.

Result

About 224 (2.7%), 1,442 (17.2%), and 1,327 (15.8%) pregnant women were mild, moderate, and severely anemic, respectively. The spatial autocorrelation of anemia among the administrative zones of Ethiopia for the three consecutive was not significant. The middle wealth index of 15.9% (OR = 0.841, CI: 0.72–0.983) and richest wealth index of 51% (OR = 0.49, CI: 0.409–0.586) were less likely anemic compared to the poorest wealth index, age group of mother 30–39 was 42.9% (OR = 0.571, CI: 0.359–0.908) times less likely to be moderate and above anemic compared to <20 years, several household members 4–6 were 51% (OR = 1.51, CI: 1.175–1.94 more likely moderate and above anemic compared to 1–3.

Conclusion

Over one-third of the pregnant women (34.5%) were anemic in Ethiopia. Wealth index, age group, religion, region, number of household members, source of drinking water, and EDHS were significant factors in anemia levels. The prevalence of anemia among pregnant women varied among Ethiopian administrative zones. North West Tigray, Waghimra, Oromia special woreda, West shewa, and East shewa were a high prevalence of anemia.
Low depression literacy exacerbates the development and progression of depressive mood in Chinese adult social media users during COVID-19: A 3-month observational online questionnaire-based study with multiple cross-sectional analyses
Authors: Shan Dan , Li Shaoyang , Xu Ruichen , Huang Jingtao , Wang Yi , Zheng Yuandian , Huang Shanshan , Song Yuming , Han Junchu , Suto Sayaka , Dai Zhihao
Published: February 2023

Background

The main purpose of this study was to explore the relationship between depression literacy (D-Lit) and the development and progression of depressive mood.

Methods

This longitudinal study with multiple cross-sectional analyses used data from a nationwide online questionnaire administered via the Wen Juan Xing survey platform. Eligible participants were 18 years or older and had subjectively experienced mild depressive moods at the time of their initial enrollment in the study. The follow-up time was 3 months. Spearman's rank correlation test was used to analyze the predictive role of D-Lit on the later development of depressive mood.

Results

We included 488 individuals with mild depressive moods. No statistically significant correlation between D-Lit and Zung Self-rating Depression Scale (SDS) at baseline was observed (adjusted rho = 0.001, p = 0.974). However, after 1 month (adjusted rho = −0.449, p < 0.001) and after 3 months (adjusted rho = −0.759, p < 0.001), D-Lit was significantly and negatively correlated with SDS.

Limitations

The targeted subjects were limited to the Chinese adult social media users; meanwhile, China's current management policies for COVID-19 differ from most of the other countries, limiting the generalizability of this study.

Conclusion

Despite the limitations, our study provided novel evidence supporting that low depression literacy may be associated with exacerbated development and progression of depressive mood, which, if not appropriately and promptly controlled, may ultimately lead to depression. In the future, we encourage further research to explore the practical and efficient ways to enhance public depression literacy.
Paid caregivers' experiences of falls prevention and care in China's senior care facilities: A phenomenological study
Authors: Luo Yuan , Ran Haiye , Deng Yuqian , Li Huan , Zhang Mengxi , Zhao Liping
Published: February 2023

Background

In China, as population aging accelerates, senior care facilities have gradually become a mainstream option. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), the annual rate of falls has increased from 30 to 50% in senior care facilities. A study found that older adults who live in senior care facilities are three times more likely to fall than those who live in the community. The quality of care is highly related to the occurrence of falls. Therefore, exploring paid caregivers' experiences is very important to prevent falls in senior care facilities.

Objective

The aim of this study was to explore paid caregivers' experiences of fall prevention and care in China's senior care facilities. Furthermore, we discussed the situation and provided suggestions.

Design

This is a phenomenological study using face-to-face, in-depth, semi-structured interviews.

Setting

The study was conducted at four senior care facilities in Changsha, Hunan, China.

Participants

Fourteen paid caregivers in four senior care facilities, including nursing assistants and senior nurses, participated in this study.

Methods

A purposive sample method was used to select 14 nursing assistants and senior nurses from four different senior care facilities in Changsha from March to April 2022. Every participant individually completed a face-to-face, in-depth, semi-structured interview. Based on the phenomenological research methodology, the thematic analysis method and the Colaizzi analysis method were used for data analysis and theme extraction.

Results

Based on interview data, a total of seven themes were distilled: (1) paid caregivers' professional requirements; (2) paid caregivers' attitude toward falls; (3) paid caregivers' fall training and education; (4) paid caregivers' knowledge about falls; (5) paid caregivers' fall risk assessment; (6) paid caregivers' fall prevention; and (7) paid caregivers' fall treatment.

Conclusion

In China's senior care facilities, paid caregivers to need to be responsible and pay appropriate attention to older adults. First, senior nurses and nursing assistants need to enhance communication and cooperation. Second, they must learn about deficiencies in fall risk assessment and try their best to improve their capability. Third, they must adopt appropriate education methods to improve fall prevention capability. Finally, the protection of privacy should be taken seriously.
Arsenic in drinking water, hair, and prevalence of arsenicosis in Perak, Malaysia
Authors: Ramly Nurfatehar , Ahmad Mahir Husna Maizura , Wan Azmi Wan Nurul Farah , Hashim Zailina , Hashim Jamal Hisham , Shaharudin Rafiza
Published: February 2023

Arsenic is a carcinogen element that occurs naturally in our environment. Humans can be exposed to arsenic through ingestion, inhalation, and dermal absorption. However, the most significant exposure pathway is via oral ingestion. Therefore, a comparative cross-sectional study was conducted to determine the local arsenic concentration in drinking water and hair. Then, the prevalence of arsenicosis was evaluated to assess the presence of the disease in the community. The study was conducted in two villages, namely Village AG and Village P, in Perak, Malaysia. Socio-demographic data, water consumption patterns, medical history, and signs and symptoms of arsenic poisoning were obtained using questionnaires. In addition, physical examinations by medical doctors were performed to confirm the signs reported by the respondents. A total of 395 drinking water samples and 639 hair samples were collected from both villages. The samples were analyzed using Inductively Coupled Plasma-Mass Spectrometry (ICP-MS) to determine arsenic concentration. The results showed that 41% of water samples from Village AG contained arsenic concentrations of more than 0.01 mg/L. In contrast, none of the water samples from Village P exceeded this level. Whilst, for hair samples, 85 (13.5%) of total respondents had arsenic levels above 1 μg/g. A total of 18 respondents in Village AG had at least one sign of arsenicosis and hair arsenic levels of more than 1 μg/g. Factors significantly associated with increased arsenic levels in hair were female, increasing age, living in Village AG and smoking. The prevalence of arsenicosis in the exposed village indicates chronic arsenic exposure, and immediate mitigation action needs to be taken to ensure the wellbeing of the residents in the exposed village.
Review: Groundwater research in the Ethiopian Rift Valley Lakes region
Authors: Hulluka Taye Alemayehu , Balcha Sisay Kebede , Yohannes Biniyam , Bantider Amare , Negatu Adey
Published: February 2023

Despite its proximity to many research institutions in the country and prevailing environmental and water security challenges, water resources research in the Central Rift Valley of Ethiopia has few decades of history. Research undertaken so far, mainly focus on the lakes' environment and anthropogenic activities in their proximities. Worsening deterioration of the water resources and environmental conditions; and the need to address overlooked but determinant natural and anthropogenic processes spurred a critical review of what has been done so far. This work provides an overview of the history of water research in the central rift valley and tries to reveal research gaps related to surface water-groundwater interaction, water quality, and changing trends in the hydro ecosystem and possible causes. Apart from this, articles dealing with the geological and structural setup of the central rift valley were systematically reviewed to show their control over the hydrologic system. The review work has revealed that although the current state of the central rift valley is a product of anthropogenic and geogenic processes; which are happening within the sub-basin and its adjacent basins that need to be addressed at a higher thematic, spatial, and temporal scopes, there is gap in reviewed research, to address the issue at this level. The forefront environmental challenges and the need for quick fixes, lack of data, and funding are found to be some of the reasons to limit the scope of research activities, mainly to shallow groundwater zones and surface hydrological processes around the lakes. This approach has hindered seeing the bigger picture and resulted in ineffective environmental and natural resources restoration measures and policy decisions.
Retroperitoneal laparoscopic radical nephrectomy (RLRN) is associated with poor integrity of Gerota's fascia and perirenal fat: A prospective comparative study
Authors: Liu Junyao , Zheng Duo , Qi Peng , Zheng Xu , Zhang Bin , He Yang , Wang Hongbo , Yue Zhongjin , Wang Zhiping , Shang Panfeng
Published: February 2023

Purpose

To figure out the difference of integrity of Gerota's fascia and perirenal fat between Retroperitoneal Laparoscopic Radical Nephrectomy (RLRN) and Transperitoneal Laparoscopic Radical Nephrectomy (TLRN).

Methods

This is a prospective comparative study of patients with Renal Cell Carcinoma (RCC) from a designated tertiary center in Lanzhou, China. We have developed and propose a scoring tool to quantify the integrity of nephrectomy specimens from both approaches. The integrity score is based on 6 common conditions of nephrectomy specimens. Specimens are scored on a 1 to 6-point scale according to the integrity of Gerota's fascia and perirenal fat. We applied the integrity score to 142 consecutive patients. Integrity scores were compared between RLRN and TLRN groups. Factors associated with low integrity score were assessed by logistic regression.

Results

Among 142 patients, 79 (55.6%) patients and 63 (44.4%) patients, respectively, underwent RLRN and TLRN. There was a significant difference in the distribution of integrity score between the two groups (P < 0.001). RLRN (odds ratio 10.65, 95%CI 4.29–26.45, P < 0.001), tumor size (odds ratio 1.22, 95%CI 1.04–1.42, P = 0.015) and Body Mass Index (BMI) (odds ratio 0.83, 95%CI 0.72–0.96, P = 0.010) were significantly associated with low integrity score. The logistic regression equation showed good power to predict low integrity score.

Conclusion

RLRN has poor integrity of Gerota's fascia and the perirenal fat. The integrity score can be used to evaluate the extent of resection and specimen completeness in LRN. Postoperative evaluation of the integrity score is of great value for urologists to evaluate the risk of tumor residue.
Genomic insight into Campylobacter jejuni isolated from commercial turkey flocks in Germany using whole-genome sequencing analysis
Authors: El-Adawy Hosny , Hotzel Helmut , García-Soto Silvia , Tomaso Herbert , Hafez Hafez M. , Schwarz Stefan , Neubauer Heinrich , Linde Jörg
Published: February 2023

Campylobacter (C.) jejuni is a zoonotic bacterium of public health significance. The present investigation was designed to assess the epidemiology and genetic heterogeneity of C. jejuni recovered from commercial turkey farms in Germany using whole-genome sequencing. The Illumina MiSeq® technology was used to sequence 66 C. jejuni isolates obtained between 2010 and 2011 from commercial meat turkey flocks located in ten German federal states. Phenotypic antimicrobial resistance was determined. Phylogeny, resistome, plasmidome and virulome profiles were analyzed using whole-genome sequencing data. Genetic resistance markers were identified with bioinformatics tools (AMRFinder, ResFinder, NCBI and ABRicate) and compared with the phenotypic antimicrobial resistance. The isolates were assigned to 28 different sequence types and 11 clonal complexes. The average pairwise single nucleotide-polymorphisms distance of 14,585 SNPs (range: 0–26,540 SNPs) revealed a high genetic distinction between the isolates. Thirteen virulence-associated genes were identified in C. jejuni isolates. Most of the isolates harbored the genes flaA (83.3%) and flaB (78.8%). The wlaN gene associated with the Guillain–Barré syndrome was detected in nine (13.6%) isolates. The genes for resistance to ampicillin (blaOXA), tetracycline [tet(O)], neomycin [aph(3')-IIIa], streptomycin (aadE) and streptothricin (sat4) were detected in isolated C. jejuni using WGS. A gene cluster comprising the genes sat4, aph(3′)-IIIa and aadE was present in six isolates. The single point mutation T86I in the housekeeping gene gyrA conferring resistance to quinolones was retrieved in 93.6% of phenotypically fluoroquinolone-resistant isolates. Five phenotypically erythromycin-susceptible isolates carried the mutation A103V in the gene for the ribosomal protein L22 inferring macrolide resistance. An assortment of 13 β-lactam resistance genes (blaOXA variants) was detected in 58 C. jejuni isolates. Out of 66 sequenced isolates, 28 (42.4%) carried plasmid-borne contigs. Six isolates harbored a pTet-like plasmid-borne contig which carries the tet(O) gene. This study emphasized the potential of whole-genome sequencing to ameliorate the routine surveillance of C. jejuni. Whole-genome sequencing can predict antimicrobial resistance with a high degree of accuracy. However, resistance gene databases need curation and updates to revoke inaccuracy when using WGS-based analysis pipelines for AMR detection.
Glutathione and selenium nanoparticles have a synergistic protective effect during cryopreservation of bull semen
Authors: Li Shubin , Ren Jingyu , Zhang Wenqi , Wang Biao , Ma Yuzhen , Su Liya , Dai Yanfeng , Liu Gang
Published: February 2023

Introduction

In the present study, the synergistic protective effect of co-supplementation of glutathione (GSH) with selenium nanoparticles (SeNPs) on the cryopreservation efficiency of bull semen was analyzed.

Methods

After collection, the ejaculates of Holstein bulls were subsequently diluted with a Tris extender buffer supplemented with different concentrations of SeNPs (0, 1, 2, and 4 μg/ml), followed by semen equilibration at 4°C and assessment of sperm viability and motility. Subsequently, the ejaculates of Holstein bulls were pooled, split into four equal groups, and diluted with a Tris extender buffer supplemented with basic extender (negative control group, NC group), 2 μg/ml SeNPs (SeNPs group), 4 mM GSH (GSH group), and 4 mM GSH plus 2 μg/ml SeNPs (GSH + SeNPs group). After cryopreservation, motility, viability, mitochondrial activity, plasma membrane integrity, acrosome integrity, concentration of malondialdehyde (MDA), superoxide dismutase (SOD), and catalase (CAT), and ability of frozen-thawed sperm cells to support in vitro embryonic development were evaluated.

Results and discussion

No side effect of SeNPs concentrations applied in the current study on the motility and viability of equilibrated bull spermatozoa was found. Meanwhile, supplementation of SeNPs significantly promoted the motility and viability of equilibrated bull spermatozoa. Furthermore, the co-supplementation of GSH with SeNPs effectively protected bull spermatozoa from cryoinjury as expressed by promoting semen motility, viability, mitochondrial activity, plasma membrane integrity, and acrosome integrity. Finally, the enhanced antioxidant capacity and embryonic development potential in the frozen-thawed bull spermatozoa cryopreserved by co-supplementation of GSH with SeNPs further confirmed the synergistic protective effect of co-supplementation of GSH with SeNPs on the cryopreservation of bull semen.
Effects of dietary Chinese yam polysaccharide copper complex on growth performance, immunity, and antioxidant capacity of broilers
Authors: Zhang Jinzhou , Jin Yan , Cao Mengmeng , Deng Jiahua , Chang Yadi , Shi Mingyan , Miao Zhiguo
Published: February 2023

Chinese yam polysaccharide (CYP) has received attention in recent years owing to its positive nutritional and medicinal characteristics. Copper is an essential trace metal in animals, which plays an important role in iron absorption and hemoglobin synthesis. However, no published study has evaluated Chinese yam polysaccharide copper complex (CYP-Cu) as a dietary additive in broilers. This study was conducted to investigate the effects of dietary CYP-Cu on growth performance, immunity, and oxidative resistance in broilers. A total of 360 1-day-old 817 broiler chickens were randomly divided into 4 groups, with 3 replicates of 30 birds each and were fed a basal diet with the addition of 0 (control group), 0.02, 0.10, and 0.50 g/kg CYP-Cu. The feeding trial lasted 48 days. On day 28 and day 48, 6 broilers in each group were slaughtered, respectively. Then the parameters of growth and carcass, serum biochemistry, immunity, and antioxidation, and the expression level of hepatic antioxidative genes were investigated. The results showed that compared with the control group, the supplementation of dietary CYP-Cu could improve the indexes of the growth, carcass, serum biochemistry, immunity and oxidation resistance in broilers, such as average daily gain (ADG), the slaughter percentage (SP), semi-evisceration weight percentage (SEWP), eviscerated carcass weight percentage (EWP), breast muscle percentage (BMP), leg muscle percentage (LMP), serum albumin (ALB), high density lipoprotein (HDL), insulin-like growth factor I (IGF-I), triiodothyronine (T3), thyroxine (T4), growth hormone (GH), insulin (INS), immunoglobulin M (IgM), immunoglobulin G (IgG), immunoglobulin A (IgA), interleukin 2 (IL-2), interleukin 4 (IL-4), interleukin 6 (IL-6), complement 3 (C3), complement 4 (C4), total superoxide dismutase (T-SOD), total antioxidative capacity (T-AOC), glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px), and glutathione s-transferase (GSH-ST); these parameters in the 0.10 g/kg CYP-Cu treated group were significantly increased (P < 0.05) in the total trial period, with the exceptions that feed conversion ratio (FCR) and serum low density lipoprotein (LDL), malondialdehyde (MDA) were decreased in the total trial period. In addition, the antioxidative gene mRNA expression of Nuclear factor E2-related factor 2 (Nrf2), Superoxide dismutase 1 (SOD1), Superoxide dismutase 2 (SOD2), and Catalase (CAT) were upregulated in the liver (P < 0.05). These results indicated that the supplementation of dietary CYP-Cu improved the growth, immunity, and oxidation resistance of broilers, and the addition of 0.10 g/kg CYP-Cu in broiler diets is recommended, which suggests that CYP-Cu may be a promising green feed additive in the poultry industry.
Comparison of the gut microbiome and resistome in captive African and Asian elephants on the same diet
Authors: Feng Xin , Hua Rong , Zhang Wanying , Liu Yuhang , Luo Caiyu , Li Tonghao , Chen Xiaolin , Zhu Hui , Wang Youcong , Lu Yan
Published: February 2023

Elephants are endangered species and threatened with extinction. They are monogastric herbivorous, hindgut fermenters and their digestive strategy requires them to consume large amounts of low quality forage. The gut microbiome is important to their metabolism, immune regulation, and ecological adaptation. Our study investigated the structure and function of the gut microbiota as well as the antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) in captive African and Asian elephants on the same diet. Results showed that captive African and Asian elephants had distinct gut bacterial composition. MetaStats analysis showed that the relative abundance of Spirochaetes (FDR = 0.00) and Verrucomicrobia (FDR = 0.01) at the phylum level as well as Spirochaetaceae (FDR = 0.01) and Akkermansiaceae (FDR = 0.02) at the family level varied between captive African and Asian elephants. Among the top ten functional subcategories at level 2 (57 seed pathway) of Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) database, the relative gene abundance of cellular community-prokaryotes, membrane transport, and carbohydrate metabolism in African elephants were significantly lower than those in Asian elephants (0.98 vs. 1.03%, FDR = 0.04; 1.25 vs. 1.43%, FDR = 0.03; 3.39 vs. 3.63%; FDR = 0.02). Among the top ten functional subcategories at level 2 (CAZy family) of CAZy database, MetaStats analysis showed that African elephants had higher relative gene abundance of Glycoside Hydrolases family 28 (GH 28) compared to Asian elephants (0.10 vs. 0.08%, FDR = 0.03). Regarding the antibiotic resistance genes carried by gut microbes, MetaStats analysis showed that African elephants had significantly higher relative abundance of vanO (FDR = 0.00), tetQ (FDR = 0.04), and efrA (FDR = 0.04) than Asian elephants encoding resistance for glycopeptide, tetracycline, and macrolide/rifamycin/fluoroquinolone antibiotic, respectively. In conclusion, captive African and Asian elephants on the same diet have distinct gut microbial communities. Our findings established the ground work for future research on improving gut health of captive elephants.
EEG Data Augmentation for Emotion Recognition with a Task-Driven GAN
Authors: Liu Qing , Hao Jianjun , Guo Yijun
Published: February 2023

The high cost of acquiring training data in the field of emotion recognition based on electroencephalogram (EEG) is a problem, making it difficult to establish a high-precision model from EEG signals for emotion recognition tasks. Given the outstanding performance of generative adversarial networks (GANs) in data augmentation in recent years, this paper proposes a task-driven method based on CWGAN to generate high-quality artificial data. The generated data are represented as multi-channel EEG data differential entropy feature maps, and a task network (emotion classifier) is introduced to guide the generator during the adversarial training. The evaluation results show that the proposed method can generate artificial data with clearer classifications and distributions that are more similar to the real data, resulting in obvious improvements in EEG-based emotion recognition tasks.
Rapid Prototyping of H∞ Algorithm for Real-Time Displacement Volume Control of Axial Piston Pumps
Authors: Mitov Alexander , Slavov Tsonyo , Kralev Jordan
Published: February 2023

A system for the rapid prototyping of real-time control algorithms for open-circuit variable displacement axial-piston pumps is presented. In order to establish real-time control, and communication and synchronization with the programmable logic controller of an axial piston pump, the custom CAN communication protocol is developed. This protocol is realized as a Simulink® S-function, which is a part of main Simulink® model. This model works in real-time and allows for the implementation of rapid prototyping of various control strategies including advanced algorithms such as H∞ control. The aim of the algorithm is to achieve control system performance in the presence of various load disturbances with an admissible control signal rate and amplitude. In contrast to conventional systems, the developed solution suggests using an embedded approach for the prototyping of various algorithms. The obtained results show the advantages of the designed H∞ controller that ensure the robustness of a closed-loop system in the presence of significant load disturbances. These type of systems with displacement volume regulation are important for industrial hydraulic drive systems with relatively high power.
Interpretation for Variational Autoencoder Used to Generate Financial Synthetic Tabular Data
Authors: Wu Jinhong , Plataniotis Konstantinos , Liu Lucy , Amjadian Ehsan , Lawryshyn Yuri
Published: February 2023

Synthetic data, artificially generated by computer programs, has become more widely used in the financial domain to mitigate privacy concerns. Variational Autoencoder (VAE) is one of the most popular deep-learning models for generating synthetic data. However, VAE is often considered a “black box” due to its opaqueness. Although some studies have been conducted to provide explanatory insights into VAE, research focusing on explaining how the input data could influence VAE to create synthetic data, especially for tabular data, is still lacking. However, in the financial industry, most data are stored in a tabular format. This paper proposes a sensitivity-based method to assess the impact of inputted tabular data on how VAE synthesizes data. This sensitivity-based method can provide both global and local interpretations efficiently and intuitively. To test this method, a simulated dataset and three Kaggle banking tabular datasets were employed. The results confirmed the applicability of this proposed method.
Integral Backstepping Control Algorithm for a Quadrotor Positioning Flight Task: A Design Issue Discussion
Authors: Li Yang-Rui , Chen Chih-Chia , Peng Chao-Chung
Published: February 2023

For quadrotor control applications, it is necessary to rely on attitude angle changes to indirectly achieve the position trajectory tracking purpose. Several existing literature studies omit the non-negligible attitude transients in the position controller design for this kind of cascade system. The result leads to the position tracking performance not being as good as expected. In fact, the transient behavior of the attitude tracking response cannot be ignored. Therefore, the closed-loop stability of the attitude loop as well as the position tracking should be considered simultaneously. In this study, the flight controller design of the position and attitude control loops is presented based on an integral backstepping control algorithm. This control algorithm relies on the derivatives of the associated virtual control laws for implementation. Examining existing literature, the derivatives of the virtual control law are realized approximated by numerical differentiations. Nevertheless, in practical scenarios, the numerical differentiations will cause the chattering phenomenon of control signals in the presence of unavoidable measurement noise. The noise-induced control signals may further cause damage to the actuators or even diverge the system response. To address this issue, the analytic form for the derivative of the virtual control law is derived. The time derivative virtual control law is analyzed and split into the disturbance-independent compensable and disturbance-dependent non-compensable terms. By utilizing the compensable term, the control chattering due to the differentiation of the noise can be avoided significantly. The simulation results reveal that the proposed control algorithm has a better position tracking performance than the traditional dual-loop control scheme. Meanwhile, a relatively smooth control signal can be obtained for a realistic control algorithm realization. Simulations are provided to illustrate the position tracking issue of a quadrotor and to demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed compromised control scheme.
RETRACTED: Lv et al. A Closed-Loop Control Mathematical Model for Photovoltaic-Electrostatic Hybrid Actuator with a Slant Lower Electrode Based on PLZT Ceramic. Actuators 2021, 10, 285
Authors: Lv Zhen , Uzair Muhammad , Wang Xinjie , Liu Yafeng
Published: February 2023

The journal retracts the article, A Closed-Loop Control Mathematical Model for Photovoltaic-Electrostatic Hybrid Actuator with a Slant Lower Electrode Based on PLZT Ceramic [...]
Establishing Critical Leaf Nutrient Concentrations and Identification of Yield Limiting Nutrients for Precise Nutrient Prescriptions of Oil Palm (Elaeis guineensis Jacq) Plantations
Authors: Kamireddy Manorama , Behera Sanjib K. , Kancherla Suresh
Published: February 2023

African oil palm (Elaeis guineensis Jacq.) is a bulk feeder of nutrients. In this study, we aimed at devising strategies for efficient nutrient management in the oil palm plantations of the Krishna River basin located in Andhra Pradesh, India by assessing soil fertility status, establishing optimal leaf nutrient concentrations and identifying yield restrictive nutrients. In total, 67 oil palm plantations were surveyed from this area in 2020, soil samples were collected and analysed for different soil properties, including pH, EC, SOC, available P, K, S, exchangeable Ca and Mg, and hot water-soluble boron (HWB) in surface (from 0–20 cm depth), subsurface (from 20–40 cm depth) and deep (from 40–60 cm depth) soil layers. As per DRIS (Diagnosis and Recommendation Integrated System) indices estimated in this study, the order of requirement of nutrients is Nitrogen (N) > B > K > P > Mg for this area. Optimum leaf nutrient concentrations ranged between 2.07–4.29%, 0.13–0.27%, 0.52–0.94%, 0.44–0.76% and 44.97–102.70 mg/kg for N, P, K, Mg and B, respectively. In surveyed plantations, about 15, 6, 16, 9 and 12 percent of leaf samples had less than optimum concentration of N, P, K, Mg and B respectively. Nitrogen and Boron are the major yield limiting factors in this region. Leaf nutrient concentrations need to be maintained at the optimum ranges as estimated above for higher productivity in the Krishna basin area.
‘Growing’ Insecurity in Agricultural Food Chains: An Editorial Commentary
Authors: Caraher Martin , Santini Cristina , Cavicchi Alessio
Published: February 2023

This Special Edition of Agriculture on The Role of Agriculture in Addressing Food Security, Ecological Sustainability and Quality of Food has seven articles ranging from technological solutions, the importance of quality standards as a means to addressing global trade and farm incomes, through to those with a focus on sustainable development partnerships, and at the micro level, the importance of self-help through home gardening in Vietnam [...]
Application of Cytokinin under Modified Atmosphere (MA) Delays Yellowing and Prolongs the Vase Life of Davallia solida (G. Forst.) Sw. Leaves
Authors: Ngamkham Pattaraporn , Srilaong Varit , Wongs-Aree Chalermchai , Buanong Mantana
Published: February 2023

Cut leaves of Davallia solida are widely used in bouquet greenery. However, the leaves wilt and yellow after seven days. Postharvest applications of exogenous cytokinins (CKs), a plant growth regulator (PGR), preventing senescence in many green leafy plants, were studied by pulsing cut D. solida leaves with 6-benzylamiopurine (BA) at a concentration of 100 ppm, or thidiazuron (TDZ) at a concentration of 10 μM for 24 h, compared with distilled water as a control, and then placing the ferns in a controlled room (21 + 2 °C, 70–80% relative humidity (RH), under cool-white fluorescent lights for 12 h/d). Pulsing with BA and TDZ delayed leaf yellowing while preserving chlorophyll (Chl) content. This was due to reduced Chl-degrading enzyme activities on day 8 of the vase life of the leaves, resulting in longer display life of 11.1 and 11.5 days, respectively. TDZ delayed Chl breakdown on day 8 of the vase life of leaves more than was the case for BA. Subsequently, leaves were pulsed in 10 μM TDZ, or distilled water for 24 h, and then 10 leaves from each treatment were packaged in a 25 × 30 cm, 25-μm thickness BOPP bag. All the packages were stored at 10 °C in 10 h/d light for one, two and three weeks, then unpacked and placed in distilled water. Pulsing with TDZ before one-week storage delayed leaf yellowing, maintained Chl content and extended their vase life to 9.6 days compared with one-, two-, and three-week control leaves, which had a vase life of 6.2, 5.8, and 3.6 days, respectively. After one week, the relative fresh weight of the leaves and water uptake did not alter between the control and TDZ groups. The activities of Chl degradation enzymes in the leaves of D. solida pulsed with TDZ prior to storage were significantly suppressed, related to higher Chl content and a lower percentage of leaf yellowing than the control, resulting in a longer vase life of 9.0 days, while the control lasted 7.0 days. A 10 µM TDZ pulsing treatment significantly prevented the yellowing of D. solida fronds during the vase period or storage period, and one-week storage under MA with light conditions is recommended for retaining postharvest quality after storage.
Rice Responses to Water Limiting Conditions: Improving Stress Management by Exploiting Genetics and Physiological Processes
Authors: Zampieri Elisa , Pesenti Michele , Nocito Fabio Francesco , Sacchi Gian Attilio , Valè Giampiero
Published: February 2023

Water-limiting conditions can severely affect rice yield. Therefore, increasing plant tolerance to water stress is a priority for many rice breeding programs. However, improving rice tolerance to this abiotic stress comes with several complications related to the seeding practices, the adopted water management system and the growth stage where water stress occurs. For this reason, it is challenging to outline single ideotypes showing traits suitable for overcoming drought at different times during the life cycle of rice in diverse cropping ecosystems. The current knowledge of genomics and biochemicals can contribute to drawing rice ideotypes flexible towards diverse water availability conditions. Traits identified in accessions of the wild ancestor of cultivated rice, as well as other wild rice species, in Oryza glaberrima and weedy rice were demonstrated to confer enhanced tolerance to water stress, while screenings of cultivated rice germplasms identified several genes/loci improving water stress resistance. New frontiers are represented by the dissection of the epigenetic control of stress tolerance and the implementation of the contribution of favorable microbiota. Innovative breeding technologies, whose feasibility is related to advancements in genomic analyses, are contributing to enhancing the knowledge-based development of water stress-tolerant rice varieties.
Effects of Superphosphate as an Additive on Nutrient Characteristics and NH3, CO2, CH4, and N2O Emissions during Pig Manure Composting
Authors: Pan Yajie , Chang Huiqing , Song Panpan
Published: February 2023

Nutrient conservation and greenhouse gas emission control during composting have attracted much attention. This study investigated the effects of different amounts of superphosphate (SSP) on greenhouse gas emissions and the dynamic changes in nutrients during pig manure composting. Six treatments were used: pig manure + straw (S1), pig manure + straw + 3% SSP (S2), pig manure + straw + 6% SSP (S3), pig manure (M1), pig manure + 3% SSP (M2), and pig manure + 6% SSP (M3). The results showed that the addition of SSP had no negative effect on organic matter composting, and all treatments met the requirement of being harmless. The contents of TN, TP, and TK increased during the composting process, but the content of organic matter decreased gradually. At the end of composting, the total nutrient content of the pig manure + straw + 6% SSP treatment was the highest (6.39%), while that of the pig manure treatment was the lowest (4.47%). The NH3 emission reductions with additions of 3% and 6% SSP were 37.13~56.80% and 45.63~77.04%, respectively, compared with the pig manure treatment. The treatment addition of 6% SSP reduced CO2 emissions by 10.3~20.1% compared with the pig manure treatment. The pig manure + 6% SSP treatment resulted in the lowest cumulative emission of N2O, which was 79.75% lower than that of the pig manure treatment. For the cumulative emission of CH4, the treatment of pig manure + 6% SSP was at least 23.14 mg·kg−1 and had the lowest global warming potential. In conclusion, adding 6% SSP to pig manure compost effectively reduces NH3 and CO2 emissions and improves compost quality.
The Two Chemotaxis Gene Clusters of Ensifer alkalisoli YIC4027T, a Symbiont of Sesbania cannabina, Play Different Roles in Chemotaxis and Competitive Nodulation
Authors: Guo Tingting , Zhou Yanan , Xie Zhihong , Meng Fankai
Published: February 2023

Ensifer alkalisoli YIC4027T is a dominant rhizobium that has been isolated from the root nodules of Sesbania cannabina. Motility and chemotaxis are critical to maintaining competitiveness in establishing the symbiotic relationship. E. alkalisoli carries two gene clusters, che1 and che2, containing chemotaxis-related gene homologues. To determine the respective role of each gene cluster, we constructed mutants and compared them with the wild type in a free-living state and in symbiosis with the host plant. A swimming analysis revealed that the che1 cluster was the major pathway controlling the chemotaxis and swimming bias, while the che2 cluster had a minor role in these behaviors. However, the Δche2 mutant was impaired in exopolysaccharide (EPS) production. During symbiosis, the Δche1 mutant was more severely impaired in its competitive root colonization and nodulation ability than the Δche2 mutant. Taken together, our data strongly suggested that both of the che clusters contribute to the competitive symbiotic association, the che1-like homologue being the main regulator of the chemotactic response and the che2 cluster regulating EPS production. These data illustrated a novel strategy of motile rhizobia bacteria to utilize the two pathways containing the homologous genes to enhance the efficiency of nodule formation by regulating distinct motility parameters or other cellular functions.