bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Mapping the scientific research on integrated care: a bibliometric and social network analysis
Authors: Guo Dandan , Zhou Chaofeng , Li Haomiao , Su Dai , Gong Guangwen , Chen Xinlin , Chen Xinlan , Chen Yingchun
Published: September 2023

Background

Integrated care (IC) is the cornerstone of the sustainable development of the medical and health system. A thorough examination of the existing scientific literature on IC is essential for assessing the present state of knowledge on this subject. This review seeks to offer an overview of evidence-based knowledge, pinpoint existing knowledge gaps related to IC, and identify areas requiring further research.

Methods

Data were retrieved from the Web of Science Core Collection, from 2010 to 2020. Bibliometrics and social network analysis were used to explore and map the knowledge structure, research hotspots, development status, academic groups and future development trends of IC.

Results

A total of 7,501 articles were obtained. The number of publications on IC was rising in general. Healthcare science services were the most common topics. The United States contributed the highest number of articles. The level of collaboration between countries and between authors was found to be relatively low. The keywords were stratified into four clusters: IC, depression, integrative medicine, and primary health care. In recent years, complementary medicine has become a hotspot and will continue to be a focus.

Conclusion

The study provides a comprehensive analysis of global research hotspots and trends in IC, and highlights the characteristics, challenges, and potential solutions of IC. To address resource fragmentation, collaboration difficulties, insufficient financial incentives, and poor information sharing, international collaboration needs to be strengthened to promote value co-creation and model innovation in IC. The contribution of this study lies in enhancing people’s understanding of the current state of IC research, guiding scholars to discover new research perspectives, and providing valuable references for researchers and policymakers in designing and implementing effective IC strategies.
Wisdom and wellbeing in polish older adults: the mediating role of forgiveness
Authors: Brudek Paweł , Steuden Stanisława , Kaleta Kinga
Published: September 2023

Objectives

Possible correlations between wisdom and wellbeing among older people have been extensively debated in psychology. At the same time, researchers emphasize that the effect of older adults' wisdom on their wellbeing depends on numerous mediators. A review of the literature suggests that forgiveness might be one such variable. Thus, this study aimed to investigate whether forgiveness mediated the relationship between wisdom and wellbeing in late adulthood.

Method

In total, 481 participants aged from 60 to 92 years (M = 68.84; SD = 6.31) were involved in the study. All older people participating in the study lived independently in their households. Four psychological instruments were used: (1) the Self-Assessed Wisdom Scale; (2) the Heartland Forgiveness Scale; (3) the Psychological Wellbeing Scale; and (4) the Satisfaction with Life Scale. Therefore, the measurement of the analyzed variables was self-reported.

Results

The results showed that forgiveness mediated the relationships between wisdom and wellbeing in the older population. The indirect effects demonstrated that forgiveness mediated the relationships between wisdom and wellbeing. Wisdom related to higher forgiveness (β = 0.21; p < 0.01), which, in turn, was related to a higher level of psychological (β = 0.48; p < 0.01) and subjective (β = 0.36; p < 0.01) wellbeing.

Conclusion

These findings suggest that forgiveness is an important element of wisdom and wellbeing. The greater the wisdom the participants showed, the stronger the tendency to forgive and the better wellbeing they reported.
The componential nature of arithmetical cognition: some important questions
Authors: Dowker Ann
Published: September 2023

Research on typically developing children and adults and people with developmental and acquired dyscalculia converges in indicating that arithmetical ability is not unitary but is made up of many different components. Categories of components include non-symbolic quantity representation and processing; symbolic quantity representation and processing; counting procedures and principles; arithmetic operations; arithmetical knowledge and understanding; multiple forms and applications of conceptual knowledge of arithmetic; and domain-general abilities such as attention, executive functions and working memory. There is much evidence that different components can and often do show considerable functional independence, not only in developmental and acquired dyscalculia, but in typically achieving children and adults. At the same time, it is possible to find complex interactions and bidirectional relationships between the different components, including between domain-specific and apparently domain-general abilities. There is a great deal that still needs to be discovered. In particular, we need to learn more about the origins in infancy of subitizing and approximate magnitude comparison, the extent to which these interact, the extent to which they may be further divisible, and the extent and ways in which they themselves may develop with age and the extent to which they may influence later-developing components. There also needs to be a lot more research on exactly how domain-general and domain-specific abilities contribute to mathematical development, and how they interact with one another.
Measuring personality functioning with the 12-item version of the OPD-Structure Questionnaire (OPD-SQS): reliability, factor structure, validity, and measurement invariance in the general population
Authors: Ehrenthal Johannes C. , Kruse Johannes , Schmalbach Bjarne , Dinger Ulrike , Werner Samuel , Schauenburg Henning , Brähler Elmar , Kampling Hanna
Published: September 2023

Background

The assessment of personality functioning is at the core of current dimensional models of personality disorders. A variety of measures from different clinical and research traditions aim to assess basic psychological capacities regarding the self and others. While some instruments have shown reliability and validity in clinical or other selected samples, much less is known about their performance in the general population.

Methods

In three samples representative of the German adult population with a total of 7,256 participants, levels of personality functioning were measured with the short 12-item version of the Operationalized Psychodynamic Diagnosis – Structure Questionnaire (OPD-SQS). We addressed questions of factor structure, reliability, validity, factorial invariance, and provide norm values.

Results

Confirmatory factor analysis indicated a satisfactory to good model fit. OPD-SQS models were mostly unaffected by variables such as gender, age, or measurement time. As expected, personality functioning was associated with general psychopathology as well as indices of occupational functioning.

Conclusion

The OPD-SQS is a viable measure to assess personality functioning in the general population.
The use of functional near-infrared spectroscopy in tracking neurodevelopmental trajectories in infants and children with or without developmental disorders: a systematic review
Authors: Su Wan-Chun , Colacot Rebekah , Ahmed Nora , Nguyen Thien , George Tony , Gandjbakhche Amir
Published: September 2023

Understanding the neurodevelopmental trajectories of infants and children is essential for the early identification of neurodevelopmental disorders, elucidating the neural mechanisms underlying the disorders, and predicting developmental outcomes. Functional Near-Infrared Spectroscopy (fNIRS) is an infant-friendly neuroimaging tool that enables the monitoring of cerebral hemodynamic responses from the neonatal period. Due to its advantages, fNIRS is a promising tool for studying neurodevelopmental trajectories. Although many researchers have used fNIRS to study neural development in infants/children and have reported important findings, there is a lack of synthesized evidence for using fNIRS to track neurodevelopmental trajectories in infants and children. The current systematic review summarized 84 original fNIRS studies and showed a general trend of age-related increase in network integration and segregation, interhemispheric connectivity, leftward asymmetry, and differences in phase oscillation during resting-state. Moreover, typically developing infants and children showed a developmental trend of more localized and differentiated activation when processing visual, auditory, and tactile information, suggesting more mature and specialized sensory networks. Later in life, children switched from recruiting bilateral auditory to a left-lateralized language circuit when processing social auditory and language information and showed increased prefrontal activation during executive functioning tasks. The developmental trajectories are different in children with developmental disorders, with infants at risk for autism spectrum disorder showing initial overconnectivity followed by underconnectivity during resting-state; and children with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorders showing lower prefrontal cortex activation during executive functioning tasks compared to their typically developing peers throughout childhood. The current systematic review supports the use of fNIRS in tracking the neurodevelopmental trajectories in children. More longitudinal studies are needed to validate the neurodevelopmental trajectories and explore the use of these neurobiomarkers for the early identification of developmental disorders and in tracking the effects of interventions.
Exploring factors influencing depression among Polish nurses during the COVID-19 pandemic
Authors: Rachubińska Kamila , Panczyk Mariusz , Sygut Marcin , Ustianowski Przemysław , Grochans Elżbieta , Cybulska Anna Maria
Published: September 2023

Objectives

The COVID-19 pandemic has been recognized as an international public health emergency. The aim of our study was to identify contributors to nurses’ depression.

Methods

This survey-based study was conducted in the Pomeranian Medical University Hospital no. 1 in Szczecin and involved 207 nurses. The following standardized research instruments were applied: the World Assumptions Scale, the Athens Insomnia Scale, the Impact of Event Scale - Revised, the Patient Health Questionnaire-9, the Generalized Anxiety Disorder, the Perceived Stress Scale, and a questionnaire of our own authorship.

Results

The study showed that 72.95% of the subjects experienced severe stress, and 40.58% suffered from insomnia. In addition, 65.7% of the respondents had anxiety symptoms of varying degrees of severity, and 62.8% had depressive symptoms of mild to severe severity. The mean score on the IES-R scale, reflecting a psychological impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, was 34.25. The COVID-19 pandemic affected the psychological health of medical staff, particularly through increased stress and anxiety symptoms. Anxiety levels and insomnia significantly affect the prevalence of depression among nurses.

Conclusion

The COVID-19 pandemic has been recognized as an international public health emergency. The COVID-19 pandemic affected the psychological health of medical staff, particularly through increased stress and anxiety symptoms. It is important to conduct further research after the COVID-19 pandemic has ended.
A model of temporal and spatial river network evolution with climatic inputs
Authors: Hunt Allen G. , Ghanbarian Behzad , Faybishenko Boris
Published: September 2023

Predicting the temporal and spatial evolution of the river network is part of the Earth's critical zone investigations, which has become an important endeavor. However, modeling integration of the river network and critical zone over millions of years is rare. We address the problem of how to predict integrated river length development as a function of time within a framework of addressing the critical zone depth as a function of time. In case of groundwater-river interaction, we find a non-linear spatio-temporal scaling relationship between time, t, and total river length L, given by t≈Lp with power p being near 1.2. The basis of our model is the presumption that groundwater flow paths are relevant to river integration. As river integration may proceed over disconnected basins with irregular relief, the relevant optimal subsurface flow paths are proposed to be defined within a 3D network, with optimal path exponent 1.43. Because the 2D model of the river length has already been shown to relate to a power of the Euclidean distance across a drainage basin with the predicted universal optimal path exponent from percolation theory, Dopt = 1.21, the optimal groundwater paths should relate to the surface river length with an exponent equaling the ratio 1.43/1.21 = 1.18. To define a predictive relationship for the river length, we need to use specific length and time scales. We assume that the fundamental specific length scale is a characteristic particle size (which is commonly used to define the pore scale flow network), and the fundamental time scale is the ratio of the particle size to the regional groundwater flow rate. In this paper, we consider cases of predicting spatio-temporal scaling of drainage organization in the southwestern USA–the Amargosa, Mojave, Gila (and its tributaries) and the Rio Grande, and Pecos Rivers. For the Mojave and Gila Rivers, theoretical results for time scales of river integration since ca. 10 Ma are quite predictive, though the predicted time scales exceed observation for the Rio Grande and Pecos.
Remarkable anecdotes illustrating the nature and effect of seizure-precipitating factors in Border Collies with idiopathic epilepsy
Authors: Mandigers Paul J. J. , Santifort Koen M.
Published: September 2023

Epilepsy is one of the most common chronic neurological syndromes in dogs and has serious implications for the quality of life of both the dogs and owners. Seizure-precipitating factors (SPFs) (also termed “triggers” or “provocative factors”) have been studied and reported in both humans and dogs with idiopathic epilepsy. In dogs stress, hormones, sleep deprivation, and the weather have been reported as SPFs. The Border Collie (BC) is a breed of dog that is predisposed to idiopathic epilepsy, and the outcome is often poor. BC is described as a very sensitive dog with a strong focus on their owners, and this may have an influence on their and their owners' stress level. In this article, we described six unrelated BCs with idiopathic epilepsy in which several remarkable SPFs were identified, and avoiding them improved the outcome of these dogs. The possible SPFs were different for each dog. The SPFs were, among others, the other dog in the family, the lack of intellectual challenge, the presence of an autistic child, a busy street, the relation with the owner, and throwing a ball at the beach. These cases illustrate that recognizing the SPF(s) and taking measures with regard to management can lead to a reduction in epileptic seizure frequency or even achieving seizure freedom.
Socioeconomic Differences in SARS-CoV-2 Infection and Vaccination in Germany: A Seroepidemiological Study After One Year of COVID-19 Vaccination Campaign
Authors: Bartig Susanne , Beese Florian , Wachtler Benjamin , Grabka Markus M. , Mercuri Elisabetta , Schmid Lorenz , Schmid-Küpke Nora Katharina , Schranz Madlen , Goßner Laura , Niehues Wenke , Zinn Sabine , Poethko-Müller Christina , Schaade Lars , Hövener Claudia , Gößwald Antje , Hoebel Jens
Published: September 2023

Objective:To evaluate the socioeconomic patterns of SARS-CoV-2 antigen contacts through infection, vaccination or both (“hybrid immunity”) after 1 year of vaccination campaign.

Methods:Data were derived from the German seroepidemiological Corona Monitoring Nationwide study (RKI-SOEP-2;n= 10,448; November 2021–February 2022). Combining serological and self-report data, we estimated adjusted prevalence ratios (PR) of SARS-CoV-2 infection, COVID-19 vaccination, basic immunization (at least two SARS-CoV-2 antigen contacts through vaccination and/or infection), and three antigen contacts by education and income.

Results:Low-education groups had 1.35-times (95% CI 1.01–1.82) the risk of SARS-CoV-2 infection compared to high-education groups. COVID-19 vaccination (at least one dose) and basic immunization decreased with lower education and income. Low-education and low-income groups were less likely to have had at least three antigen contacts (PR low vs. high education: 0.74, 95% CI 0.65–0.84; PR low vs. high income: 0.66, 95% CI 0.57–0.77).

Conclusion:The results suggest a lower level of protection against severe COVID-19 for individuals from low and medium socioeconomic groups. Pandemic response and vaccination campaigns should address the specific needs and barriers of these groups.
Placement of IoT Microservices in Fog Computing Systems: A Comparison of Heuristics
Authors: Canali Claudia , Gazzotti Caterina , Lancellotti Riccardo , Schena Felice
Published: September 2023

In the last few years, fog computing has been recognized as a promising approach to support modern IoT applications based on microservices. The main characteristic of this application involve the presence of geographically distributed sensors or mobile end users acting as sources of data. Relying on a cloud computing approach may not represent the most suitable solution in these scenario due to the non-negligible latency between data sources and distant cloud data centers, which may represent an issue in cases involving real-time and latency-sensitive IoT applications. Placing certain tasks, such as preprocessing or data aggregation, in a layer of fog nodes close to sensors or end users may help to decrease the response time of IoT applications as well as the traffic towards the cloud data centers. However, the fog scenario is characterized by a much more complex and heterogeneous infrastructure compared to a cloud data center, where the computing nodes and the inter-node connecting are more homogeneous. As a consequence, the the problem of efficiently placing microservices over distributed fog nodes requires novel and efficient solutions. In this paper, we address this issue by proposing and comparing different heuristics for placing the application microservices over the nodes of a fog infrastructure. We test the performance of the proposed heuristics and their ability to minimize application response times and satisfy the Service Level Agreement across a wide set of operating conditions in order to understand which approach is performs the best depending on the IoT application scenario.
A Novel Wrench–Current Decoupling Strategy to Extend the Use of Small Lookup Data for a Long-Range Maglev Planar Motor
Authors: Trakarnchaiyo Chanuphon , Khamesee Mir Behrad
Published: September 2023

The maglev planar motor is one of the most promising industrial applications. The planar motor can increase flexibility in modern manufacturing with the multidirectional motion of the mover. In levitation control, the decoupling matrix is used to decouple the strong cross-coupling effect. The Lorentz force-based wrench matrices can be precomputed and stored in the lookup table. However, the motion range is restricted by the data range. This paper presents a wrench–current decoupling strategy to extend the use of small lookup data for long-range planar motion. The horizontal data range is 40 mm by 40 mm, which is determined from the minimally repetitive area of the planar coil array. The quadrant symmetry transformation is used to estimate the data for other areas. The experiment results demonstrated the accomplishment of the developed technique for long-range motion with a maximum motion stroke of 380 mm. The disc-magnet movers can levitate with a large air gap of 30 mm and have a total roll and pitch rotation range of 20 degrees.
Linear Resonator Actuator-Constructed Wearable Haptic System with the Application of Converting Remote Grinding Force to Vibratory Sensation
Authors: Liu Shang-Hsien , Kao Yung-Chou , Feng Guo-Hua
Published: September 2023

This study developed a three-axis vibrational haptic wearable device (RCWS) utilizing Linear Resonant Actuators (LRAs) to simulate grinding vibrations. The implementation of RCWS is described in detail. By recording the normal force during manual grinding with a load cell and converting it into a series of PWM commands, the LRA on the RCWS was controlled in open-loop mode using these PWM commands. Three methods were tested for force-to-PWM conversion, two of which showed a linear correlation (>0.7) with raw data. In the correlation between PWM commands and generated acceleration, all three methods exhibited a high linearity of at least 0.85. This wearable RCWS offers a promising approach for users to experience the machining force from the versatile and critical remote machining process with a finger vibratory sensation.
Fostering Organizational Empowerment: Impact of an Intervention Program on Stress Management and Physical Activity Motivation among Teachers in Portugal and Brazil
Authors: Mariano Leandro , Simões Hélder , Brito-Costa Sonia , Amaral Ana Paula
Published: September 2023

Teaching is one of the hardest occupations according to the International Organization of Teachers (IOT), affecting teachers’ emotional and physical well-being and impacting their professional performance. Intervention programs addressing this issue usually result in a significant reduction in stress and an improvement in teachers’ entire quality of life. Physical activity has been recognized as a critical aspect of non-pharmaceutical stress-reduction measures, favorably improving mental health. This quasi-experimental study used pre- and post-intervention assessments to assess the impact of a physical exercise promotion program on stress levels and motivation for regular physical activity among teachers in the first six years of schooling in Portugal and Brazil. This study included 33 instructors from both countries’ educational institutions in an 8-week intervention that included 40 sessions of cardiorespiratory conditioning, muscle strengthening and stretching, relaxation, and meditation techniques. The Stress Perception Scale (EPS-10) and the Motivation Inventory for Regular Physical Activity Practice (IMPRAF-54) were used to assess participants. The findings show a strong link between years of teaching experience and stress levels. After the intervention, there were statistically significant changes in stress levels and motivation to engage in physical exercise. Specifically, 78.9% of teachers reported less stress, and the respondents felt more motivated to exercise for stress control (84.4%), for competitiveness (97%), and for aesthetic enhancement (57.6%). In summary, this study suggests that exercise is an excellent way to reduce stress and increase enthusiasm for physical activity, with Portuguese teachers outperforming their Brazilian counterparts.
An Empirical Investigation of the “Mezzogiorno Trap” in China’s Agricultural Economy: Insights from Data Envelopment Analysis (2015–2021)
Authors: Li Xiaotuan , Yang Panfei , Zou Yuntao
Published: September 2023

Reducing regional inequality is one of the seventeen Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) established by the United Nations. However, a persistent regional disparity known as the “Mezzogiorno Trap” presents a significant challenge. The underdeveloped regions that fall into the “Mezzogiorno Trap”, even though they can narrow the gap with other regions through substantial support, see the disparity widen again when the level of assistance starts to decline. This paper proposes a methodology for identifying the “Mezzogiorno Trap”. By employing this approach and combining panel data on Chinese agriculture from 2015 to 2021, it is discovered that despite the overall development of the Chinese agricultural economy during this period, the “Mezzogiorno Trap” still exists. The paper analyzes the reasons behind the “Mezzogiorno Trap” in the Chinese agricultural economy and presents constructive recommendations based on the research findings. The research process demonstrates that this methodology is better suited for studying regional disparities in specific economic sectors, and the obtained results are more stable and reliable.
Assessment and Application of EPIC in Simulating Upland Rice Productivity, Soil Water, and Nitrogen Dynamics under Different Nitrogen Applications and Planting Windows
Authors: Hussain Tajamul , Gollany Hero T. , Mulla David J. , Ben Zhao , Tahir Muhammad , Ata-Ul-Karim Syed Tahir , Liu Ke , Maqbool Saliha , Hussain Nurda , Duangpan Saowapa
Published: September 2023

A suitable nitrogen (N) application rate (NAR) and ideal planting period could improve upland rice productivity, enhance the soil water utilization, and reduce N losses. This study was conducted for the assessment and application of the EPIC model to simulate upland rice productivity, soil water, and N dynamics under different NARs and planting windows (PWs). The nitrogen treatments were 30 (N30), 60 (N60), and 90 (N90) kg N ha−1 with a control (no N applied −N0). Planting was performed as early (PW1), moderately delayed (PW2), and delayed (PW3) between September and December of each growing season. The NAR and PW impacted upland rice productivity and the EPIC model predicted grain yield, aboveground biomass, and harvest index for all NARs in all PWs with a normalized good–excellent root mean square error (RMSEn) of 7.4–9.4%, 9.9–12.2%, and 2.3–12.4% and d-index range of 0.90–0.98, 0.87–0.94, and 0.89–0.91 for the grain yield, aboveground biomass, and harvest index, respectively. For grain and total plant N uptake, RMSEn ranged fair to excellent with values ranging from 10.3 to 22.8% and from 6.9 to 28.1%, and a d-index of 0.87–0.97 and 0.73–0.99, respectively. Evapotranspiration was slightly underestimated for all NARs at all PWs in both seasons with excellent RMSEn ranging from 2.0 to 3.1% and a d-index ranging from 0.65 to 0.97. A comparison of N and water balance components indicated that PW was the major factor impacting N and water losses as compared to NAR. There was a good agreement between simulated and observed soil water contents, and the model was able to estimate fluctuations in soil water contents. An adjustment in the planting window would be necessary for improved upland rice productivity, enhanced N, and soil water utilization to reduce N and soil water losses. Our results indicated that a well-calibrated EPIC model has the potential to identify suitable N and seasonal planting management options.
Porous Minerals Improve Wheat Shoot Growth and Grain Yield through Affecting Soil Properties and Microbial Community in Coastal Saline Land
Authors: Ma Lan , Song Yanjing , Wang Jie , Shan Yan , Mao Tingting , Liang Xiaoyan , Zhang Haiyang , Fu Rao , Li Junlin , Nie Wenjing , Li Meng , Li Jiajia , Yi Kuihua , Wang Lu , Wang Xiangyu , Zhang Hongxia
Published: September 2023

Soil salinization has become a major environmental factor severely threatening global food security. The application of porous minerals could significantly ameliorate soil fertility and promote plant productivity under salt stress conditions. However, the effects of porous minerals on improving the salt resistance of grain crops in coastal saline soils is not fully studied. In this work, the shoot growth and grain yield of wheat plants grown in coastal saline fields, respectively amended with the four naturally available porous minerals, diatomite, montmorillonite, bentonite and zeolite, were assessed. The application of porous minerals, especially zeolite, significantly improved the biomass and grain yield of wheat plants under saline conditions, as demonstrated by the augmented plant fresh mass (14.8~61.2%) and increased seed size (3.8~58.8%) and number (1.4~57.5%). Soil property analyses exhibited that porous-mineral amendment decreased soil sodium content and sodium absorption ratio, and increased soil nutrients in both the rhizosphere and nonrhizosphere of wheat plants. Further quantitative-PCR and 16S high-throughput sequencing analysis revealed that porous-mineral application also remarkably increased the abundance of bacterial 16S rRNA (0.8~102.4%) and fungal 18S rRNA (89.2~209.6%), and altered the composition of the soil microbial community in the rhizosphere of wheat. Our findings suggest that zeolite could be used as an ideal salt soil amendment, and the changes in soil properties and microorganisms caused by the application of porous minerals like zeolite improved the salt resistance of wheat plants in coastal saline land, leading to increased shoot growth and seed production.
QTL Mapping for Seed Quality Traits under Multiple Environments in Soybean (Glycine max L.)
Authors: Liu Jiaqi , Jiang Aohua , Ma Ronghan , Gao Weiran , Tan Pingting , Li Xi , Du Chengzhang , Zhang Jijun , Zhang Xiaochun , Zhang Li , Fang Xiaomei , Yi Zelin , Zhang Jian
Published: September 2023

Soybeans are the main source of vegetable protein and edible oil for humans, with an average content of about 40% crude protein and 20% crude fat. Soybean quality traits are mostly quantitative traits controlled by multiple genes. The quantitative trait loci (QTL) for soybean quality traits and mining related candidate genes are of great significance for the molecular breeding of soybean quality traits and understanding the genetic mechanism of protein/fat metabolism. In this study, the F2 population was derived from the high-protein material Changjiang Chun 2 and Jiyu 166. On the basis of a genetic linkage map constructed in our previous study, the QTL of crude protein content, crude oil content and fatty acid fractions were detected using the multiple-QTL model (MQM) mapping method. The results show that a total of 92 QTL were obtained affecting quality traits under three environments, including 14 QTL of crude oil content, 9 QTL of crude protein content, and 20, 20, 11, 10 and 8 QTL for the content of palmitic, stearic, oleic, linoleic and linolenic acids, respectively. Sixteen QTL clusters were identified, among which Loci01.1, Loci06.1 and Loci11.1 were identified as stable QTL clusters with phenotypic contribution rates of 16.5%, 16.4% and 12.1%, respectively, and candidate genes were mined in their regions. A total of 32 candidate genes related to soybean quality were finally screened via GO enrichment and gene annotation. The present study lies the foundations for understanding the genetic mechanism and elite germplasm innovation of seed quality in soybean.
Effects of Typical Cropping Patterns of Paddy-Upland Multiple Cropping Rotation on Rice Yield and Greenhouse Gas Emissions
Authors: Tang Haiying , Huang Yao , Yuan Jiaxin , Hassan Muhammad Umair , Liu Ning , Yang Binjuan
Published: September 2023

In response to the limitations of traditional double rice cropping models, this study constructed five typical rice planting models in the middle reaches of the Yangtze River, namely “Chinese milk vetch-early rice-late rice (CK/CRR), Chinese milk vetch—early rice—sweet potato || late soybean (CRI), rapeseed—early rice—late rice (RRR), rapeseed—early rice—sweet potato || late soybean (RRI) and potato—early rice—late rice (PRR)” to study the annual emission characteristics of greenhouse gases under different planting models. The results showed the following: (1) From the perspective of total yield in two years, the CRI treatment reached its maximum, which was significantly higher than that of other treatments by 9.30~20.29% in 2019 (p < 0.05); in 2020, except for the treatment of RRI, it was significantly higher than other treatments by 20.46~30.23% (p < 0.05). (2) The cumulative emission of CH4 in the double rice treatment is generally higher than that in paddy-upland rotation treatment, while the cumulative emission of N2O in the paddy-upland rotation treatment is higher than that in the double rice treatment, but the total amount is much lower than the cumulative emission of CH4. Therefore, CH4 emissions from rice fields still occupy most of the GHGs. (3) The global warming potential (GWP) and greenhouse gas emission intensity (GHGI) of different planting patterns in rice fields in 2020 were higher than those in 2019, and the GWP and GHGI of double rice cropping treatment is higher than that of paddy-upland rotation treatments. During the two years, the GWP of CRR treatment reached its maximum and was significantly higher than that of other treatments by 48.28~448.90% and 34.43~278.33% (p < 0.05). The GHGI of CRR was significantly higher than that of CRI and RRI by 3.57~5.4 and 1.4~3.5 times (p < 0.05). Based on the comprehensive performance of greenhouse gas emissions over the two experimental years, RRI and CRI have shown good emission reduction effects, which can significantly reduce greenhouse gas emissions from paddy fields, are conducive to reducing global warming potential and greenhouse gas emission intensity and conform to the development trend of “carbon neutrality”. Therefore, considering high-yield, low-temperature chamber gas emissions, the Chinese milk vetch—early rice—sweet potato || late soybean model performs well and has the best comprehensive benefits. It is of great significance for optimizing the rice field planting mode in the middle reaches of the Yangtze River.
Investigating How Genetic Merit and Country of Origin Impact the Profitability of Grass-Based Sheep Production Systems
Authors: Fetherstone Nicola , McGovern Fiona M. , McHugh Noirin , Boland Tommy M. , Bohan Alan
Published: September 2023

The objective of this study was to simulate and assess the profitability of sheep production systems that varied in maternal genetic merit (high or low) and country of origin (New Zealand (NZ) or Ireland), using the Teagasc Lamb Production Model (TLPM). A production system study performed at Teagasc Athenry, Co. Galway, Ireland, from 2016 to 2019, inclusive, provided key animal performance input parameters, which were compared across three scenarios: high maternal genetic merit NZ (NZ), high maternal genetic merit Irish (High Irish) and low maternal genetic merit Irish (Low Irish). Prior to the beginning of the study ewes and rams were imported from New Zealand to Ireland in order to compare animals within the same management system. Ewes were selected based on the respective national maternal genetic indexes; i.e., either the New Zealand Maternal Worth (NZ group) or the €uro-star Replacement index (Irish groups). The TLPM was designed to simulate the impact of changes in physical and technical outputs (such as number of lambs, drafting rates and replacement rates) on a range of economic parameters including variable costs, fixed costs, gross margin and net profit. Results showed that total farm costs (variable and fixed) were similar across the three scenarios, driven by the similar number of ewes in each scenario. The number of lambs produced and the cost of production per lamb was 14.05 lambs per hectare for the NZ scenario at a cost of EUR 82.35 per lamb, 11.40 lambs per hectare for the High Irish scenario at a cost of EUR 101.42 per lamb and 11.00 lambs per hectare for the Low Irish scenario at a cost of EUR 105.72 per lamb. The net profit of the three scenarios was EUR 514, EUR 299, and EUR 258 per hectare, for the NZ, High Irish and Low Irish scenarios, respectively. Overall, the NZ scenario had a lower cost of production in comparison to either Irish group, while the High Irish scenario had a 14% greater net profit than the Low Irish scenario, equating to an additional EUR 41 per hectare net profit. Output from this simulation model reiterates the importance, for overall farm profitability, of maximising the number of lambs weaned per hectare, particularly through maximising income and diluting the total farm costs. To conclude, the use of high-maternal-genetic-merit animals, regardless of their country of origin impacts farm profitability.
Glucose Supplementation Improves Performance and Alters Glucose Transporters’ Expression in Pectoralis major of Heat-Stressed Chickens
Authors: Ariyo Oluwatomide Williams , Kwakye Josephine , Sovi Selorm , Aryal Bikash , Ghareeb Ahmed F. A. , Hartono Evan , Milfort Marie C. , Fuller Alberta L. , Rekaya Romdhane , Aggrey Samuel E.
Published: September 2023

Glucose level in birds’ tissue decreases due to heat stress (HS)-induced reduction in feed intake (FI); impairing metabolism and growth. The effect of glucose supplementation on the performance of broiler chickens was evaluated under thermoneutral (TN) and HS conditions. Glucose was supplemented at 0 and 6% under TN-(25 °C) and HS-(25 °C–35 °C–25 °C) conditions. The treatments were TN + 0%-glucose (TN0); TN + 6%-glucose (TN6), HS + 0%-glucose (HS0) and HS + 6%-glucose (HS6). There were 6 replicates (19 birds each)/treatment. Heat and glucose supplementation were applied from d28–35. At d35, Pectoralis (P.) major was sampled from one bird/replicate to determine glucose transporters’ mRNA expression. Heat application lowered (p < 0.05) FI, body weight gain, and increased feed and water conversion ratios. Glucose supplementation increased total energy intake by 4.9 and 3.2% in TN and HS groups, respectively but reduced FI under TN and HS conditions. The P. major- and drumstick-yield reduced (p < 0.05) in HS0 compared to TN0, TN6 and HS6. Under HS, glucose supplementation improved eviscerated carcass weight by 9% and P. major yield by 14%. Glucose supplementation increased SGLT1 expression with/without heat treatment while HS independently increased the expression of GLUT 1, 5 and 10. Glucose supplementation under HS could improve performance of broilers.
Anti-Staphylococcal Activity of Ligilactobacillus animalis SWLA-1 and Its Supernatant against Multidrug-Resistant Staphylococcus pseudintermedius in Novel Rat Model of Acute Osteomyelitis
Authors: Park Sung-Yong , Lee Hong-Jae , Kim Hyo-Sung , Kim Dong-Hwi , Lee Sang-Won , Yoon Hun-Young
Published: September 2023

Osteomyelitis caused by staphylococcal infection is a serious complication of orthopedic surgery. Staphylococcus pseudintermedius is the main causative agent of osteomyelitis in veterinary medicine. Methicillin-resistant S. pseudintermedius (MRSP) has been reported in companion animals, especially dogs. Multidrug-resistant S. pseudintermedius is an emerging pathogen and has acquired antibiotic resistance against various commercial antimicrobial agents. New antimicrobial compounds are urgently needed to address antibiotic resistance, and the development of novel agents has become an international research hotspot in recent decades. Antimicrobial compounds derived from probiotics, such as bacteriocins, are promising alternatives to classical antibiotics. In this study, the antibacterial activities of Ligilactobacillus animalis SWLA-1 and its concentrated cell-free supernatant (CCFS) were evaluated in vitro and in vivo. The CCFS of this bacterium showed no toxicity against osteoblast and myoblast cells in vitro, while significantly inhibiting the multidrug-resistant S. pseudintermedius KUVM1701GC strain in a newly established rat model. The CCFS significantly inhibited multidrug-resistant staphylococci both in vitro and in vivo. This suggests that CCFS derived from L. animalis SWLA-1 has potential as an alternative to classic antibiotics for staphylococcal infections in dogs.
Detection, Identification and Diagnostic Characterization of the Staphylococcal Small Colony-Variant (SCV) Phenotype
Authors: Becker Karsten
Published: September 2023

While modern molecular methods have decisively accelerated and improved microbiological diagnostics, phenotypic variants still pose a challenge for their detection, identification and characterization. This particularly applies if they are unstable and hard to detect, which is the case for the small-colony-variant (SCV) phenotype formed by staphylococci. On solid agar media, staphylococcal SCVs are characterized by tiny colonies with deviant colony morphology. Their reduced growth rate and fundamental metabolic changes are the result of their adaptation to an intracellular lifestyle, regularly leading to specific auxotrophies, such as for menadione, hemin or thymidine. These alterations make SCVs difficult to recognize and render physiological, biochemical and other growth-based methods such as antimicrobial susceptibility testing unreliable or unusable. Therefore, diagnostic procedures require prolonged incubation times and, if possible, confirmation by molecular methods. A special approach is needed for auxotrophy testing. However, standardized protocols for SCV diagnostics are missing. If available, SCVs and their putative parental isolates should be genotyped to determine clonality. Since their detection has significant implications for the treatment of the infection, which is usually chronic and relapsing, SCV findings should be specifically reported, commented on, and managed in close collaboration with the microbiological laboratory and the involved clinicians.
Reactive Sulfur Species in Biology and Medicine
Authors: Khodade Vinayak S. , Toscano John P.
Published: September 2023

Hydrogen sulfide (H2S) has emerged as a third small-molecule bioactive signaling agent, along with nitric oxide (NO) and carbon monoxide (CO) [...]
Oxidative Stress-Induced Neurodegeneration and Antioxidative Strategies: Current Stage and Future Perspectives
Authors: Buga Ana-Maria , Oancea Carmen-Nicoleta
Published: September 2023

Neurodegenerative diseases (NDs) are the leading cause of neurological disorders, constituting a public health problem with an exponentially growing incidence rate [...]
Andrographolide Induces ROS-Mediated Cytotoxicity, Lipid Peroxidation, and Compromised Cell Integrity in Saccharomyces cerevisiae
Authors: Phetruen Tanaporn , van Dam Bloem , Chanarat Sittinan
Published: September 2023

Andrographolide, a bioactive compound found in Andrographis paniculata, has gained significant attention for its potential therapeutic properties. Despite its promising benefits, the understanding of its side effects and underlying mechanisms remains limited. Here, we investigated the impact of andrographolide in Saccharomyces cerevisiae and observed that andrographolide induced cytotoxicity, particularly when oxidative phosphorylation was active. Furthermore, andrographolide affected various cellular processes, including vacuole fragmentation, endoplasmic reticulum stress, lipid droplet accumulation, reactive oxygen species levels, and compromised cell integrity. Moreover, we unexpectedly observed that andrographolide induced the precipitation of biomolecules secreted from yeast cells, adding an additional source of stress. Overall, this study provides insights into the cellular effects and potential mechanisms of andrographolide in yeast, shedding light on its side effects and underlying cytotoxicity pathways.
The Bactericidal Activity of a Novel Aneurinibacillus aneurinilyticus Isolate Effectively Controls Foodborne Pathogens Campylobacter jejuni and Listeria monocytogenes
Authors: Rubinelli Peter M. , Liyanage Rohana , Lay Jackson , Acuff Jennifer C.
Published: September 2023

Human zoonotic infection with Campylobacter is a major cause of gastroenteritis in the United States and worldwide. Listeria monocytogenes causes a potentially fatal infection in humans and is often attributed to contaminated food. Genetic typing has demonstrated that Campylobacter infection is often associated with the consumption of contaminated poultry products, with Campylobacter often colonizing the poultry gastrointestinal tract, while listeriosis is commonly associated with the consumption of contaminated ready-to-eat (RTE) foods. In this study, a strain of endospore-forming bacterium (strain NH) that is bactericidal towards the human food pathogens Campylobacter jejuni and Listeria monocytogenes was identified and characterized. Transwell experiments demonstrated that the bactericidal effect on both C. jejuni and L. monocytogenes is due to secretions from the spore former. These foodborne pathogens consistently exhibited 7 log reductions in growth when exposed to the NH cell-free culture filtrate. Sequencing of the 16s rRNA gene V4 variable region and analysis of the full-length 16s rRNA gene sequence from the WGS indicated that strain NH belongs to the species Aneurinibacillus aneurinilyticus. A microplate bioassay demonstrated that a bactericidal substance that is sensitive to protease could be collected from cell-free filtrates by salting out with ammonium sulfate. Gel filtration chromatography indicated a native molecular weight for the bactericidal protein of ca. 50 kDa, consistent with a class III bacteriocin. The active protein bound strongly to a cation-exchange resin and with an isoelectric point of ten, suggesting a positively charged protein. Both cation-exchange chromatography and isoelectric focusing indicated the enrichment of an 11 kDa protein on SDS-PAGE. This protein was identified through mass spectroscopy as the flgM protein, an anti-sigma factor. Analysis of whole genome sequencing (WGS) of the strain NH genome indicated the presence of a number of non-conservative amino acid substitutions in the flgM-gene-derived amino acid sequence of strain NH and A. aneurinilyticus compared to other members of the Aneurinibacillus genus. Further investigation is needed to determine whether these substitutions are correlated with the bactericidal activity. The identified strain may be useful as a feed additive for the pre-harvest control of Campylobacter jejuni in poultry.
A Decision-Fusion-Based Ensemble Approach for Malicious Websites Detection
Authors: Alanazi Abed , Gumaei Abdu
Published: September 2023

Malicious websites detection is one of the cyber-security tasks that protects sensitive information such as credit card details and login credentials from attackers. Machine learning (ML)-based methods have been commonly used in several applications of cyber-security research. Although there are some methods and approaches proposed in the state-of-the-art studies, the advancement of the most effective solution is still of research interest and needs to be improved. Recently, decision fusion methods play an important role in improving the accuracy of ML methods. They are broadly classified based on the type of fusion into a voting decision fusion technique and a divide and conquer decision fusion technique. In this paper, a decision fusion ensemble learning (DFEL) model is proposed based on voting technique for detecting malicious websites. It combines the predictions of three effective ensemble classifiers, namely, gradient boosting (GB) classifier, extreme gradient boosting (XGB) classifier, and random forest (RF) classifier. We use these classifiers because their advantages to perform well for class imbalanced and data with statistical noises such as in the case of malicious websites detection. A weighted majority-voting rule is utilized for generating the final decisions of used classifiers. The experimental results are conducted on a publicly available large dataset of malicious and benign websites. The comparative study exposed that the DFEL model achieves high accuracies, which are 97.25% on average of 10-fold cross-validation test and 98.50% on a holdout of 30% test set. This confirms the ability of proposed approach to improve the detection rate of malicious websites.