bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Measuring Carbon Emissions from Green and Low-Carbon Full-Life-Cycle Feeding in Large-Scale Pig Production Systems: A Case Study from Shaanxi Province, China
Authors: Zhang Qingsong , Liao Haoling , Yang Honghong , Liu Mengmeng , Jia Suobin , Li Hua
Published: December 2023

In the pursuit of establishing a more environmentally sustainable and low-carbon hog farming system, the accurate quantification of emissions of greenhouse gas emanating from these systems, especially within the context of China, becomes imperative. Here, drawing insights from a life cycle approach, exhaustive field surveys, and context-specific analyses, we establish an emission measurement index system tailored to hog farming enterprises in China’s Shaanxi Province. Using this methodology, we probed the emission profiles and characteristics of three emblematic hog farming enterprises in the region. Our key findings are as follows: (1) The carbon dioxide emissions per kilogram of pork, factoring in feed cultivation, processing, and transportation, for Pucheng Xinliu Science and Technology, Baoji Zhengneng Farming, and Baoji Zhenghui Farming were quantified as 0.80298 kg, 1.52438 kg, and 0.81366 kg, respectively. (2) Presently, the methane emission coefficient due to enteric fermentation in large-scale hog farms in Shaanxi surpasses the default value set by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC). There appears to be a consistent underestimation of enteric methane emissions from live pigs in the province, as gauged against the IPCC metrics. Notably, the emission factor for fattening pigs averaged 2.61823 kgCH4/head/year, while that for breeding pigs stood at 2.96752 kgCH4/head/year. (3) When examining methane and nitrous oxide outputs from manure across various production stages, we observed that emissions from lactating pigs significantly outweigh those from other stages. Interestingly, nitrous oxide emissions from breeding pigs during fattening, finishing, and gestation remained nearly the same, regardless of the manure treatment method. (4) Under the management protocols followed by Pucheng and Baoji, the total carbon emissions from an individual fattening pig amounted to 328.5283 kg and 539.2060 kg, respectively, whereas for breeding pigs, these values were 539.2060 kg and 551.6733 kg, respectively. Further calculations showed that the average carbon footprint CF of large-scale pig farms in China was 3.6281 kgCO2/kg pork. In conclusion, optimizing feed cultivation and transportation logistics, promoting integrated breeding and rearing practices, refining feed formulation, and advancing manure management practices can collaboratively attenuate greenhouse gas emissions. Such synergistic approaches hold promise for steering the hog industry towards a greener, low-carbon, and sustainable trajectory.
Collaboration among Governments, Pesticide Operators, and Farmers in Regulating Pesticide Operations for Agricultural Product Safety
Authors: Gong Jing , Du Hongyan , Sun Yong
Published: December 2023

The regulation of pesticide operations still faces numerous challenges and issues. Conflicts of interest and power struggles among the government, pesticide operators, and farmers are crucial factors that impact the effectiveness of regulation. To enhance efficiency and ensure the quality and safety of agricultural products through stakeholder cooperation, this paper presents a dynamic evolution model based on the theory of evolutionary games. The model incorporates the government, pesticide operators, and farmers and evaluates the stability and effectiveness of the stakeholder cooperation mechanism under different circumstances. The research findings indicate the following: The relationships between the government, pesticide-operating enterprises, and farmers are characterized by intricate dynamics of cooperation and competition, coordination and contradiction, reciprocity, and mutual detriment. The stability and effectiveness of the stakeholder cooperation mechanism vary depending on different parameters. Several factors influence the stability of the stakeholder cooperation mechanism, with regulatory supervision from the government, stringent penalties for non-compliant pesticide operations, and strong incentives for farmers’ oversight being the most significant. The stakeholder cooperation mechanism can establish an evolutionary stabilization strategy when these factors reach a certain threshold. This study contributes to understanding the operational mechanisms of stakeholder cooperation in pesticide operation regulation and offers decision support and policy recommendations to relevant stakeholders for advancing the sustainable development and optimization of pesticide operation regulation.
Dynamic Behavior Forecast of an Experimental Indirect Solar Dryer Using an Artificial Neural Network
Authors: Tlatelpa Becerro Angel , Rico Martínez Ramiro , López-Vidaña Erick César , Montiel Palacios Esteban , Torres Segundo César , Gadea Pacheco José Luis
Published: December 2023

This research presents the prediction of temperatures in the chamber of a solar dryer using artificial neural networks (ANN). The dryer is a forced-flow type and indirect. Climatic conditions, temperatures, airflow, and geometric parameters were considered to build the ANN model. The model was a feed-forward network trained using a backpropagation algorithm and Levenberg–Marquardt optimization. The configuration of the optimal neural network to carry out the verification and validation processes was nine neurons in the input layer, one in the output layer, and two hidden layers of thirteen and twelve neurons each (9-13-12-1). The percentage error of the predictive model was below 1%. The predictive model has been successfully tested, achieving a predictor with good capabilities. This consistency is reflected in the relative error between the predicted and experimental temperatures. The error is below 0.25% for the model’s verification and validation. Moreover, this model could be the basis for developing a powerful real-time operation optimization tool and the optimal design for indirect solar dryers to reduce cost and time in food-drying processes.
Nitrogen Foliage Application at Anthesis Improves Grain Yield and Quality of Wheat in a Genotype-Dependent Manner
Authors: Gu Xiaoyan , Yang Xiaofeng , Jiang Ling , Huang Shan , Zhou Hong , Zhu Jianyu , Chen Yuanwei , Li Yuze , Liu Yang
Published: December 2023

Crop quality tends to decrease with an increasing grain yield. Nitrogen is an important nutrient and moderate nitrogen foliage application (NFA) can significantly improve the wheat yield and quality. The objective of this study was to investigate the effect of NFA on the grain yield and quality of wheat and its genotype-dependent variation. Eighteen wheat cultivars were used, and two NFA levels (N1 and N2; 10.70 and 21.40 kg N ha−1 two day−1, respectively) were applied. Significant genotypic differences in the yield and quality were observed among the 18 varieties, and their responses to NFA differed. For nine varieties in the experiment, N1 increased the grain yield, but N2 did not. In contrast, high concentrations of NFA had no effect on the grain yield in the other nine varieties. The protein content and composition and trace element (Fe, Zn, etc.) are all nutrient elements that notably affect the wheat grain quality and yield. NFA significantly increased the grain prolamin and glutelin concentrations in the grains, thereby increasing the total protein concentration. The prolamin, glutelin, and total protein concentrations in the grains of the lower-protein cultivars were more sensitive to NFA than those of the higher-protein cultivars. In addition, NFA significantly decreased the amylose concentration in the grains. By affecting the prolamin, glutelin, and amylose concentrations in the grains, NFA significantly increased the development and stability times of the corresponding wheat flour dough, thereby improving the dough quality. Moreover, NFA reduced the molar ratio of phytic acid to Fe and Zn, increasing the bioavailability of trace elements. The judicious application of nitrogen fertilizer resulted in the synergistic improvement in the yield and quality.
Evaluating Effects of Nitrogen and Phosphorus Discharges under Different Reduction Scenarios: A Case of Chaohu Lake Basin, China
Authors: Chen Xi , Chen Sidi , Wang Yanhua , Jiang Ling , Huang Xiaoli , Shahtahmassebi AmirReza , Dai Zishuai , Cai Zucong
Published: December 2023

Determining the amount of nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) discharged into lakes and assessing the effectiveness of reduction measures in a basin that involve the interaction of multiple factors are still daunting challenges. In this study, the random forest (RF) model was employed to simulate the impact of controlling measures on the amount of N and P discharged in 2025 under seven specific reduction scenarios. Discharged N and P decreased in the basin by 23.38% and 31.69% from 2011 to 2020, respectively. The N and P nutrient discharge intensities were significantly higher in the western part of the basin (13.31 kg·ha−1·a−1 and 1.34 kg·ha−1·a−1) than those in the eastern region (10.24 kg·ha−1·a−1 and 0.74 kg·ha−1·a−1). Fertilizer runoff (N: 34.72%, 5934.49 t; P: 13.60%, 199.76 t), domestic sewage (N: 29.14%, 4009.27 t; P: 34.84%, 496.59 t), and livestock farming (N: 15.11%, 2657.50 t; P: 40.05%, 616.05 t) were the key sources of N and P. The RF model shows that (R2 > 0.994, p < 0.01) the multi-factor reduction effect is the best, and under this discharge reduction effect, the amount of N and P discharged in 2025 are expected to decrease by 13.79% and 19.42%, respectively, compared with those in 2020. In addition, different key sources in sub-basins might lead to regional differences in the discharge reduction effects of various measures. Ultimately, we recommend that the synergistic treatment of point and non-point sources, using treatments with multiple measures, should be implemented in different regions to reduce the amount of N and P discharged in the Chaohu Lake Basin.
Optimizing Nitrogen Management for Summer Maize in the Yellow River Basin a Water Heat Carbon and N Simulator Model Approach with Entropy-Weighted Technique for Order Preference by Similarity to Ideal Solution Analysis
Authors: Wang Shunsheng , Liu Yulong , Liu Tengfei , Wang Diru , Zhou Wang , Luo Minpeng , Li Yuan , Yang Mingwei , Liang Shuaitao , Zhao Yifei
Published: December 2023

Summer maize constitutes a major food crop in the Yellow River Basin. Optimizing nitrogen (N) application management for this crop not only elevates its yield but also reduces N leaching, thereby ensuring food security and lessening agricultural surface pollution. Utilizing two years of summer maize field experiments, the soil water heat carbon and N simulator (WHCNS) was calibrated and validated against empirical measurements. Subsequent analyses employed the calibrated WHCNS to analyze 56 different N management scenarios. These scenarios varied in terms of N application levels, basal N to topdress application ratios, and chase ratios. The entropy-weighted TOPSIS method was utilized for the optimization, considering agronomic, environmental, and economic aspects. The model’s calibration accuracy was validated by root mean square errors, relative root mean square errors, and mean errors for soil volumetric water content and soil nitrate N content. The calibration results demonstrated that the new model was capable of simulating the soil hydraulic characteristics, N cycling, and the growth and development of summer maize during the reproductive phase in the Yellow River Basin. Scenario analyses revealed that increasing the N application initially elevated, then stabilized, summer maize yields, whereas the N agronomic efficiency first increased and then decreased. Moreover, reducing the basal N to topdress application ratios and increasing the chase ratios during the tasseling and flowering stages could minimize the nitrate N leaching and optimize both the yield and N fertilizer agronomic utilization. Specifically, the optimal N management for the current year involved applying 170 kg·ha−1 of N with a basal N to the topdress N application ratio of 1:5 and a chase ratio of 1:1 during the tasseling and flowering stages. This study lays the foundation for developing N fertilizer management strategies for summer maize cultivation in the Yellow River Basin. Furthermore, the methodology established here can be adapted for optimizing the management of diverse crops in different geographical regions.
CO2 Emissions from Soils under Different Tillage Practices and Weather Conditions
Authors: Mühlbachová Gabriela , Růžek Pavel , Kusá Helena , Vavera Radek
Published: December 2023

CO2 emissions are one of the greenhouse gases that significantly contribute to climate change. The use of reduced soil tillage practices could contribute to the mitigation of CO2 emissions from soils under ongoing climate change conditions. The use of reduced and no-tillage practices in the summer period, the most critical period for CO2 and for water loss from soils, would contribute to the mitigation of CO2 emissions that is required by the European Union. The aim of this research was to contribute to the specification of CO2 emission factors, following different soil tillage practices in the summer period under variations in weather. Gentler tillage practices were defined in terms of reducing CO2 emissions from the soil. This research was carried out as a long-term field experiment. The effects of soil tillage practices on CO2 emissions were studied over a six-year period as a long-term field experiment and concerned the use of different soil tillage practices for over 20 years (established in 1995), with these including conventional tillage (CT; plowing to 20–22 cm), reduced tillage (RT; chiseling to 10 cm), and no-tillage (NT; without tillage). The crop rotation was winter wheat–winter oilseed rape–winter wheat–pea. CO2 emissions were measured at least 7–10 times during the summer–autumn period in the years 2017–2022 after agrotechnical operations following the winter wheat harvest. Soil moisture was determined in all the treatments. Weather conditions were measured by means of the meteorological station of the Crop Research Institute. The CO2 emissions were the highest in the summer period under CT in comparison with RT and NT. Reduced tillage and no-tillage practices, with mulch on the surface of the soil, decreased CO2 emissions by a 6-year average of 45% and 51%, respectively. The mean CO2 emissions were 6.1, 3.1, and 2.9 μmol CO2 m−2 s−1 for CT, RT, and NT. The highest CO2 emissions and the largest differences among different tillage practices were measured in 2019, with high temperatures and repeated rainfall. CO2 emissions under CT reached 22 μmol CO2 m−2 s−1, which was 7.5 and 5.8 times higher than under RT and NT, respectively. Current weather conditions, mainly temperature and precipitation, played an important role in CO2 emissions. The hot and dry weather in 2018 decreased overall CO2 emissions, with CO2 emissions, even under conventional tillage, reaching only 2.5 μmol CO2 m−2 s−1 on average. As a result of climate change, the temperatures also gradually increased in the later stages of the year, with more summer days being expected during autumn and higher CO2 emissions from soils being expected as a result.
Remote Monitoring of Canine Patients Treated for Pruritus during the COVID-19 Pandemic in Florida Using a 3-D Accelerometer
Authors: Canfield Michael , Lavan Robert P. , Canfield Timberly , Springer Tonya , Armstrong Rob , Gingold Gal , Thomas Jennifer , Sampeck Bridgette
Published: December 2023

The medical management of chronic canine pruritic dermatologic conditions is challenging and often frustrating. This is a report that shows one way of aiding the management of pruritic dogs using a remote monitoring device. It is often difficult for veterinarians to get dog owners to return to the clinic once a dog is treated. It is possible that a 3-D accelerometer device could provide information to the clinic staff on the success or failure of a pruritus treatment plan while the dog was cared for at home. Eighty-seven dogs and their owners came to a Florida dermatology specialty clinic or its general practice hospital to be evaluated and treated for pruritus. An ANIMO® 3-D accelerometer was placed on the collar of dogs diagnosed and treated for pruritus. Dogs that completed this study were monitored for 120 days (4 months). The ANIMO smart phone application monitored a dog’s daily scratching, shaking, sleeping, activity, and resting and summarized this information in a daily report visible on the pet owner’s smart phone. An additional variable (grooming minutes per day) could be seen by the study team that was not yet available in the app. The use of a 3-D accelerometer enabled veterinarians to continuously monitor dogs at home when they were being treated for itching. Clinic staff kept in touch with the owners by phone and could change therapy or bring the dog back for a recheck if problems were seen. Daily reports were combined into line charts that showed plots of scratching, shaking, grooming, and sleeping over four months. Veterinarians were able to remotely monitor dogs that had been treated for pruritus for up to four months through use of a collar-borne monitoring device. Dog owners and clinic staff used the daily summaries accessible through a smart phone application. Dogs seemed to tolerate the device well because of its small size, light weight, long battery life, and unobtrusive nature.
Assessing the Seasonal and Spatial Dynamics of Zooplankton through DNA Metabarcoding in a Temperate Estuary
Authors: Moutinho Jorge , Carreira-Flores Diego , Gomes Pedro T. , Costa Filipe O. , Duarte Sofia
Published: December 2023

Zooplankton are key components of estuarine trophic networks. However, routine monitoring is hindered by the difficulty of morphology-based identification. DNA-based methods allow us to circumvent some of these hurdles, providing precise species identifications regardless of the taxonomic expertise of the investigator or the developmental stage of the specimens. However, the process is dependent on the completeness of the reference libraries. In this study, we sought to evaluate the potential of DNA metabarcoding to assess the seasonal (summer, autumn, and early spring) and spatial dynamics of zooplankton (four locations spanning ca. 6 km) in the Lima estuary (NW Portugal). Two genetic markers were used: the cytochrome c oxidase subunit I and the V4 hypervariable region of the ribosomal 18S rRNA genes. Overall, 327 species were recovered, and both markers displayed minute overlap (7% were detected with both markers). Species richness, composition, and taxonomic distinctness were majorly influenced by the season, with a declining tendency from summer (highest number of exclusive species, n = 74) to spring. Second to season, the taxa composition was influenced by spatial variation where the most downstream site displayed the highest number of exclusive species, n = 53. A total of 16 non-indigenous species were detected using metabarcoding, but only one (Austrominus modestus) has been documented out in the estuary. In conclusion, both the seasonal and spatial gradients influenced the recovered richness, composition, and taxonomic distinctness, confirming the great aptitude of DNA metabarcoding for providing higher density monitoring and shedding new light on the composition and dynamics of complex zooplankton communities.
Impact of Season on Intestinal Bacterial Communities and Pathogenic Diversity in Two Captive Duck Species
Authors: Sakda Patthanan , Xiang Xingjia , Song Zhongqiao , Wu Yuannuo , Zhou Lizhi
Published: December 2023

Vertebrates and their gut bacteria interact in complex and mutually beneficial ways. The intestinal microbial composition is influenced by several external influences. In addition to food, the abiotic elements of the environment, such as temperature, humidity, and seasonal fluctuation are also important determinants. Fecal samples were collected from two captive duck species, Baikal teal (Sibirionetta formosa) and common teal (Anas crecca) across four seasons (summer, autumn, winter, and spring). These ducks were consistently fed the same diet throughout the entire experiment. High throughput sequencing (Illumina Mi-seq) was employed to analyze the V4–V5 region of the 16sRNA gene. The dominant phyla in all seasons were Proteobacteria and Firmicutes. Interestingly, the alpha diversity was higher in winter for both species. The NMDS, PCoA, and ANOSIM analysis showed the distinct clustering of bacterial composition between different seasons, while no significant differences were discovered between duck species within the same season. In addition, LefSe analysis demonstrated specific biomarkers in different seasons, with the highest number revealed in winter. The co-occurrence network analysis also showed that during winter, the network illustrated a more intricate structure with the greatest number of nodes and edges. However, this study identified ten potentially pathogenic bacterial species, which showed significantly enhanced diversity and abundance throughout the summer. Overall, our results revealed that season mainly regulated the intestinal bacterial community composition and pathogenic bacteria of captive ducks under the instant diet. This study provides an important new understanding of the seasonal variations in captive wild ducks’ intestinal bacterial community structure. The information available here may be essential data for preventing and controlling infections caused by pathogenic bacteria in captive waterbirds.
The Effects of Fresh Hemp Leaf Supplementation (Cannabis sativa) on the Physiological and Carcass Characteristics and Meat Quality in Transported Goats
Authors: Khamhan Supawut , Tathong Tanom , Phoemchalard Chirasak
Published: December 2023

Transportation stress adversely affects animal health, productivity, and meat quality. Bioactive plant compounds may alleviate transit stress in livestock. This study evaluated the effects of fresh hemp leaf supplementation on blood metabolites, performance, carcass traits, and meat quality in transported goats. Twenty male goats (15 ± 2.76 kgBW) were investigated, some were given a hemp supplement (n = 10) and the remaining goats were used as a control group (n = 10). The hemp group received 10 g/30 kg body weight of fresh leaves prior to transportation. Blood samples were analyzed before and after the 200 km journey. The goats were slaughtered after transit and the quality of the meat examined. In the controlled group, transportation increased neutrophils and electrolytes, but decreased lymphocytes and hemoglobin. In contrast in the hemp-supplemented group, the hemp maintained this animal blood parameters. Body weight and carcass yield, however, did not differ between the two groups. Hemp reduced meat redness at 1 h postmortem but had minimal effects on its pH, color, water holding capacity, tenderness, and texture after 24 h. However, hemp supplementation did alter the odor profiles between the two groups detected by electronic nose sensors. In conclusion, fresh hemp leaf supplementation maintained blood metabolites and had minor advantageous effects on meat quality in response to transportation stress in goats. Further investigation using hemp supplements shows potential to alleviate transit stress, although higher doses may be required in order to further enhance its benefits.
Exencephaly–Anencephaly Sequence Associated with Maxillary Brachygnathia, Spinal Defects, and Palatoschisis in a Male Domestic Cat
Authors: Marc Simona , Savici Jelena , Sicoe Bogdan , Boldura Oana Maria , Paul Cristina , Otavă Gabriel
Published: December 2023

Anencephaly, a severe neural tube defect characterized by the absence of major parts of the brain and skull, is a rare congenital disorder that has been observed in various species, including cats. Considering the uncommon appearance of anencephaly, this paper aims to present anencephaly in a stillborn male kitten from an accidental inbreeding using various paraclinical methods. Histological examination of tissue samples from the cranial region, where parts of the skull were absent, revealed the presence of atypical nerve tissue with neurons and glial cells organized in clusters, surrounded by an extracellular matrix and with an abundance of blood vessels, which are large, dilated, and filled with blood, not characteristic of nerve tissue structure. In CT scans, the caudal part of the frontal bone, the fronto-temporal limits, and the parietal bone were observed to be missing. CT also revealed that the dorsal tubercle of the atlas, the dorsal neural arch, and the spinal process of the C2–C7 bones were missing. In conclusion, the kitten was affected by multiple congenital malformations, a combination of exencephaly–anencephaly, maxillary brachygnathism, closed cranial spina bifida at the level of cervical vertebrae, kyphoscoliosis, palatoschisis, and partial intestinal atresia. The importance of employing imaging techniques cannot be overstated when it comes to the accurate diagnosis of neural tube defects.
Total Selenium Level and Its Distribution between Organs in Beef Cattle in Different Selenium Status
Authors: Juszczak-Czasnojć Marta , Tomza-Marciniak Agnieszka , Pilarczyk Bogumiła , Gączarzewicz Dariusz
Published: December 2023

The aim of this study was to determine the Se concentration in the main tissues of beef cattle and to evaluate the differences in tissue distribution between animals with different selenium status. Selenium concentration was determined in the serum, longissimus dorsi muscle, semitendinosus muscle, kidney, heart, liver, spleen and lungs of cows, heifers and beef bulls, using spectrofluorimetric method. Despite receiving supplementation, 55.6% animals demonstrated an optimal Se level, while 44.4% were deficient. The mean serum Se concentration was significantly higher (p < 0.05) in animals with a normal Se status than in Se-deficient animals. Differences in Se tissue distribution were observed between Se-deficient animals and those with normal Se status. The organs most susceptible to Se deficiency are the semitendinosus muscle, lungs, heart and liver. In both normal and Se-deficient animals, significantly higher Se concentrations were observed in the kidney than other organs (p < 0.05), and the lowest in the muscles. As Se deficiencies can be found among supplemented animals, the level of Se should be monitored in beef cattle in order to detect possible Se deficiencies, which may have negative health effects for animals and reduce the value of animal products as a source of Se in the human diet.
Effects of Dietary Protein Levels on Growth, Digestive Enzyme Activity, Antioxidant Capacity, and Gene Expression Related to Muscle Growth and Protein Synthesis of Juvenile Greasyback Shrimp (Metapenaeus ensis)
Authors: Xiao Fei , Wang Jiawei , Liu Huaming , Zhuang Minjia , Wen Xiaobo , Zhao Huihong , Wu Kun
Published: December 2023

An 8-week feeding trial was conducted to assess the effects on growth, antioxidant capacity, digestive enzyme activity, and gene expression related to muscle growth and protein synthesis of juvenile greasyback shrimp (Metapenaeus ensis) using five experimental diets containing 29.37%, 34.30%, 39.11%, 44.05%, and 49.32% of protein. The results demonstrated that juvenile greasyback shrimp consuming 39.11%, 44.05%, and 49.32% dietary protein had a significantly higher final body weight (FBW), weight gain (WG), feed conversion ratio (FCR), and specific growth rate (SGR) than other groups (p < 0.05). The protein efficiency ratio (PER) showed a significantly quadratic pattern with increasing dietary protein levels (p < 0.05). The highest trypsin and pepsin activities were observed in the group with a protein level of 44.05% (p < 0.05). Relatively higher superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity was found in groups with protein levels of 39.11% (p < 0.05). Alkaline phosphatase (AKP) and catalase (CAT) activity showed a significantly linear increasing pattern with increasing protein intake up to 44.05%, and then decreased gradually (p < 0.05). Compared to the dietary 29.37% protein level, the expression levels of myogenic regulatory factors (mef2α, mlc, and myf5) and mTOR pathway (mtor, s6k, akt, and pi3k)-related genes were significantly up-regulated in muscle with 39.11%, 44.05%, and 49.32% dietary protein levels (p < 0.05). The AAR pathway (gcn2, eif2α, and atf4)-related gene expression levels were significantly lower in muscles with 39.11%, 44.05%, and 49.32% protein levels than in other groups (p < 0.05). Based on the broken-line regression analysis of SGR, the estimated appropriate dietary protein requirement for juvenile greasyback shrimp is 38.59%.
Resveratrol Improves the Frozen-Thawed Ram Sperm Quality
Authors: Zhu Zhendong , Zhao Haolong , Cui Haixiang , Adetunji Adedeji O. , Min Lingjiang
Published: December 2023

Cryopreservation generates a substantial quantity of ROS in semen, leading to a decline in sperm quality and fertilization capacity. The objective of this study was to investigate the effects of resveratrol and its optimal concentration on ram sperm quality after cryopreservation. Ram semen was diluted with a freezing medium containing different concentrations of resveratrol (0, 25, 50, 75, and 100 μM). After thawing, various sperm parameters such as total motility, progressive motility, acrosome integrity, plasma membrane integrity, mitochondrial membrane potential, glutathione (GSH) content, glutathione synthase (GPx) activity, superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity, catalase (CAT) activity, lipid peroxidation (LPO) content, malondialdehyde (MDA) content, ROS level, SIRT1 level, DNA oxidative damage, and AMPK phosphorylation level were assessed. In addition, post-thaw sperm apoptosis was evaluated. Comparatively, the addition of resveratrol up to 75 μM significantly improved the sperm motility and sperm parameters of cryopreserved ram sperm. Specifically, 50 μM resveratrol demonstrated a notable enhancement in acrosome and plasma membrane integrity, antioxidant capacity, mitochondrial membrane potential, adenosine triphosphate (ATP) content, SIRT1 level, and AMPK phosphorylation levels compared to the control group (p < 0.05). It also significantly (p < 0.05) reduced the oxidative damage to sperm DNA. However, detrimental effects of resveratrol were observed at a concentration of 100 μM resveratrol. In conclusion, the addition of 50 μM resveratrol to the cryopreservation solution is optimal for enhancing the quality of cryopreserved ram sperm.
Novel Antibacterial Agents SAAP-148 and Halicin Combat Gram-Negative Bacteria Colonizing Catheters
Authors: Bouhrour Nesrine , van der Reijden Tanny J. K. , Voet Michella M. , Schonkeren-Ravensbergen Bep , Cordfunke Robert A. , Drijfhout Jan Wouter , Bendali Farida , Nibbering Peter H.
Published: December 2023

The antibiotic management of catheter-related infections (CRIs) often fails owing to the emergence of antimicrobial-resistant strains and/or biofilm/persister apparitions. Thus, we investigated the efficacy of two novel antimicrobial agents, i.e., the synthetic peptide SAAP-148 and the novel antibiotic halicin, against Gram-negative bacteria (GNB) colonizing catheters. The antibacterial, anti-biofilm, and anti-persister activities of both agents were evaluated against Acinetobacter baumannii, Escherichia coli, and Klebsiella pneumoniae strains. The enrolled strains were isolated from catheters and selected based on their resistance to at least three antibiotic classes and biofilm formation potential. Furthermore, the hemolysis and endotoxin neutralization abilities of these agents were explored. The bactericidal activity of both agents was reduced in urine and plasma as compared to buffered saline. In a dose-dependent manner, SAAP-148 and halicin reduced bacterial counts in 24 h preformed biofilms on silicone elastomer discs and eliminated persisters originating from antibiotic-exposed mature 7-day biofilms, with halicin being less effective than SAAP-148. Importantly, SAAP-148 and halicin acted synergistically on E. coli and K. pneumoniae biofilms but not on A. baumannii biofilms. The peptide, but not halicin, decreased the production of IL-12p40 upon exposure to UV-killed bacteria. This preliminary study showed that SAAP-148 and halicin alone/in combination are promising candidates to fight GNB colonizing catheters.
Virulence Factors and Pathogenicity Mechanisms of Acinetobacter baumannii in Respiratory Infectious Diseases
Authors: Yao Yake , Chen Qi , Zhou Hua
Published: December 2023

Acinetobacter baumannii (A. baumannii) has become a notorious pathogen causing nosocomial and community-acquired infections, especially ventilator-associated pneumonia. This opportunistic pathogen is found to possess powerful genomic plasticity and numerous virulence factors that facilitate its success in the infectious process. Although the interactions between A. baumannii and the pulmonary epitheliums have been extensively studied, a complete and specific description of its overall pathogenic process is lacking. In this review, we summarize the current knowledge of the antibiotic resistance and virulence factors of A. baumannii, specifically focusing on the pathogenic mechanisms of this detrimental pathogen in respiratory infectious diseases. An expansion of the knowledge regarding A. baumannii pathogenesis will contribute to the development of effective therapies based on immunopathology or intracellular signaling pathways to eliminate this harmful pathogen during infections.
Bacterial Pathogenesis and Antimicrobial Strategy
Authors: Vázquez-Ucha Juan C. , Martínez-Guitián Marta
Published: December 2023

Antimicrobial resistance and multidrug resistance are major global health concerns [...]
Optimizing Anesthetic Practices for Mud Crab: A Comparative Study of Clove Oil, MS-222, Ethanol, and Magnesium Chloride
Authors: Zhu Lulu , Qi Shanshan , Shi Ce , Chen Shujian , Ye Yangfang , Wang Chunlin , Mu Changkao , Li Ronghua , Wu Qingyang , Wang Xiaopeng , Zhou Yueyue
Published: December 2023

Anesthesia serves as an effective method to mitigate the stress response in aquatic animals during aquaculture and product transportation. In this study, we assessed the anesthetic efficacy of clove oil, tricaine methane-sulfonate (MS-222), ethanol, and magnesium chloride by anesthesia duration, recovery time, 24-hour survival rate, and the behavior of mud crabs (Scylla paramamosain). Additionally, the optimal anesthetic concentration for varying body weights of mud crabs was also investigated. The results revealed that clove oil emerged as the optimal anesthetic for mud crabs, with a 24-hour survival rate surpassing those observed in MS-222 and magnesium chloride treatments. Ethanol caused amputation and hyperactivity in mud crabs. Regression analyses between the optimal anesthetic concentration of clove oil and the weight categories of 0.03–27.50 g and 27.50–399.73 g for mud crabs yielded the following equations: y = 0.0036 x3 − 0.1629 x2 + 1.7314 x + 4.085 (R2 = 0.7115) and y = 0.0437 x + 2.9461 (R2 = 0.9549). Clove oil exhibited no significant impact on serum cortisol, glucose, lactate content, aspartate aminotransferase (AST), alanine aminotransferase (ALT) activities, or superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT), glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px), and malondialdehyde (MDA) levels in mud crabs across different treatment groups. Anesthesia induced by clove oil in mud crabs resulted in an increase in inhibitory neurotransmitters such as glycine. However, the recovery from anesthesia was associated with elevated levels of the excitatory neurotransmitters L-aspartic acid and glutamate. In conclusion, clove oil proves to be a safe and optimal anesthetic agent for mud crabs, exerting no physiological stress on the species.
Infrared Thermal Imaging Analysis in Screening for Toddler’s Fracture: A Proof-of-Concept Study
Authors: Saatchi Reza , Ramlakhan Shammi
Published: December 2023

This study explored and developed high-resolution infrared thermal (HRIT) imaging for screening toddler’s fractures. A toddler’s fracture is a common tibial fracture in children younger than six years old. The study included 39 participants admitted to an emergency department with a suspected toddler’s fracture. X-ray confirmed eight participants with a toddler’s fracture (20.5%). Infrared images of participants were recorded on their index visit, focusing on region-of-interests on the injured and the contralateral (uninjured) legs. The uninjured leg acted as a thermal reference. Six statistical measures obtained from the images were analyzed. These were maximum, mean, standard deviation, median, interquartile range, and skewness. The Shapiro–Wilk test indicated that the measures were from a normal distribution. A two-sample t-test indicated that the majority of the six measures had significantly different means (p < 0.05) when comparing the participants with and without a fracture. Similarly, the first principal component (PC1), obtained through principal component analysis of the six measures, was significantly different (p < 0.05) comparing participants with and without a fracture. Visualization of the statistical measures and their PC1 demonstrated distinct clustering. This study demonstrated that HRIT imaging is valuable for screening for toddler’s fractures, but a larger follow-on study will be required to confirm the findings.
3D Convolutional Neural Network with Dimension Reduction and Metric Learning for Crop Yield Prediction Based on Remote Sensing Data
Authors: Wang Ning , Ma Zhong , Huo Pengcheng , Liu Xi , He Zhao , Lu Kedi
Published: December 2023

Crop yield prediction is essential for tasks like determining the optimal profile of crops to be planted, allocating government resources, effectively planning and preparing for aid distribution, making decisions about imports, and so on. Crop yield prediction using remote sensing data during the growing season is helpful to farm planning and management, which has received increasing attention. Information mining from multichannel geo-spatiotemporal data brings many benefits to crop yield prediction. However, most of the existing methods have not fully utilized the dimension reduction technology and the spatiotemporal feature of the data. In this paper, a new approach is proposed to predict the yield from multispatial images by using the dimension reduction method and a 3D convolutional neural network. In addition, regions with similar crop yields should have similar features learned by the network. Thus, metric learning and multitask learning are used to learn more discriminative features. We evaluated the proposed method on county-level soybean yield prediction in the United States, and the experimental results show the effectiveness of the proposed method. The proposed method provides new ideas for crop yield estimation and effectively improves the accuracy of crop yield estimation.
Emerging Data-Driven Calibration Research on an Improved Link Performance Function in an Urban Area
Authors: Chen Ming , Huang Kai , Wang Jian , Liu Wenzhi , Shi Yuanyuan
Published: December 2023

The reliability of urban transportation systems is crucial for ensuring smooth traffic flow and minimizing disruptions caused by external factors. This study focuses on improving the stability and efficiency of transportation systems through the calibration of a refined link performance function while building upon the U.S. Bureau of Public Roads (BPR) model. To achieve this, we propose three customized algorithms—Newton’s method, Bayesian optimization, and the differential evolutionary algorithm—to calibrate the key parameters. Additionally, we conducted a sensitivity analysis to assess the influences of the model parameters on link performance. Numerical experiments conducted in Yuyao City demonstrate the applicability and efficacy of the proposed model and solution algorithms. Our results reveal that the Newton approach is notably more efficient than the Bayesian optimization algorithm and the differential evolutionary algorithm.
Design Procedure for Motion Profiles with Sinusoidal Jerk for Vibration Reduction
Authors: Fang Yi , Zhu Guo-Niu , Zhao Yudi , Gu Chaochen
Published: December 2023

High-speed motions performed by industrial machines can induce severe vibrations that degrade the positioning accuracy and efficiency. To address this issue, this paper proposes a novel motion profile design method utilizing a sinusoidal jerk model to generate fast and smooth motions with low vibrations. The expressions for the acceleration, velocity, and displacement were obtained through successive integrations of the continuous jerk profile. A minimum-time solution with actuator limits was formulated based on an analysis of the critical constraint conditions. Differing from previous studies, the current study introduces an analytical optimization procedure for the profile parameters to minimize both the motion duration and excitation frequency contents corresponding to the system pole. By examining the correlation between the input motion profiles and system responses, the conditions for vibration elimination were identified, highlighting the significance of specific time intervals in controlling the vibration amplitude. Numerical and experimental studies were conducted to validate the effectiveness of the proposed method. The comparative results illustrate that this method outperforms existing baseline techniques in terms of smoothness and vibration attenuation. The residual-vibration level and settling time are significantly reduced with the optimized sinusoidal jerk profile, even in the presence of modeling errors, contributing to higher productivity.
Design of an Immersive Virtual Reality Framework to Enhance the Sense of Agency Using Affective Computing Technologies
Authors: Ortiz Amalia , Elizondo Sonia
Published: December 2023

Virtual Reality is expanding its use to several fields of application, including health and education. The continuous growth of this technology comes with new challenges related to the ways in which users feel inside these virtual environments. There are various guidelines on ways to enhance users’ virtual experience in terms of immersion or presence. Nonetheless, there is no extensive research on enhancing the sense of agency (SoA), a phenomenon which refers to the self-awareness of initiating, executing, and controlling one’s actions in the world. After reviewing the state of the art of technologies developed in the field of Affective Computing (AC), we propose a framework for designing immersive virtual environments (IVE) to enhance the users’ SoA. The framework defines the flow of interaction between users and the virtual world, as well as the AC technologies required for each interactive component to recognise, interpret and respond coherently within the IVE in order to enhance the SoA.
Impact of Secure Container Runtimes on File I/O Performance in Edge Computing
Authors: Lee Kyungwoon , Kim Jeongsu , Kwon Ik-Hyeon , Park Hyunchan , Hong Cheol-Ho
Published: December 2023

Containers enable high performance and easy deployment due to their lightweight architecture, thus facilitating resource utilization in edge computing nodes. Secure container runtimes have attracted significant attention because of the necessity for overcoming the security vulnerabilities of containers. As the runtimes adopt an additional layer such as virtual machines and user-space kernels to enforce isolation, the container performance can be degraded. Even though previous studies presented experimental results on performance evaluations of secure container runtimes, they lack a detailed analysis of the root causes that affect the performance of the runtimes. This paper explores the architecture of three secure container runtimes in detail: Kata containers, gVisor, and Firecracker. We focus on file I/O, which is one of the key aspects of container performance. In addition, we present the results of the user- and kernel-level profiling and reveal the major factors that impact the file I/O performance of the runtimes. As a result, we observe three key findings: (1) Firecracker shows the highest file I/O performance as it allows for utilizing the page cache inside VMs, and (2) Kata containers offer the lowest file I/O performance by consuming the largest amount of CPU resources. Also, we observe that gVisor scales well as the block size increases because the file I/O requests are mainly handled by the host OS similar to native applications.
Structural, Conformational and Spectroscopic Investigations of a Biologically Active Compound: L-Dopa
Authors: Yadav Rohit Kumar , Yadav Ram Anjore , Kostova Irena
Published: December 2023

Structural, conformational and spectroscopic investigations of the L-dopa molecule were made at the b3lyp/6-311++g** level using the Gaussian 09 software. IR, Raman and UV-vis spectra were measured and analyzed in light of the computed spectral quantities. Total energy vs. dihedral angle scans yielded 108 pairs of stable conformers of L-dopa. All the conformers had energies above 500 K relative to the lowest-energy conformer C-I. The observed spectra could be explained in terms of the computed spectra of the lowest-energy dimer of the C-I monomer. MEP and HOMO-LUMO analysis were carried out, and barrier heights and bioactivity scores were determined. The positive bioactive scores represent its higher medicinal and pharmaceutical applications. The present investigation suggests that the molecule has three active sites with moderate bioactivity.
Inversion of Surrounding Red-Bed Soft Rock Mechanical Parameters Based on the PSO-XGBoost Algorithm for Tunnelling Operation
Authors: Wu Yizhe , Wang Huanling , Guo Xinyan
Published: December 2023

In constructing hydraulic tunnels, construction disturbances and complex geological conditions can induce variations in the surrounding rock parameters. To navigate the complex non-linear interplay between rock material parameters and tunnel displacement during construction, this study proposes a hybrid learning model. It employs particle swarm optimization (PSO) to refine the hyperparameters of the eXtreme Gradient Boosting (XGBoost) technique. Sensitivity analysis and inversion of rock parameters is performed by using orthogonal design and the Sobol method to analyze the sensitivity of environmental and rock material factors. The findings indicate that the tunnel depth, elastic modulus, and Poisson ratio are particularly sensitive parameters. Mechanical parameters of the rock mass, identified through sensitivity analysis, are the focal point of this research and are integrated into a three-dimensional computational model. The resulting tunnel displacement calculations serve as datasets for the inversion of the actual engineering project’s surrounding rock mechanical parameters. These inverted parameters were fed into the FLAC3D software (version 7.0), yielding results that align closely with field measurements, which affirms the PSO-XGBoost model’s validity and precision. The insights garnered from this research offer a substantial reference for determining rock mass parameters in tunnel engineering amidst complex conditions.