bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Growth mindset and school burnout symptoms in young adolescents: the role of vagal activity as potential mediator
Authors: Nieuwenhuis Smiddy , van der Mee Denise J. , Janssen Tieme W. P. , Verstraete Leonie L. L. , Meeter Martijn , van Atteveldt Nienke M.
Published: July 2023

Experiencing school burnout symptoms can have negative consequences for learning. A growth mindset, the belief that human qualities such as intelligence are malleable, has previously been correlated with fewer school burnout symptoms in late adolescents. This might be because adolescents with a stronger growth mindset show more adaptive self-regulation strategies and thereby increasing resilience against academic setbacks. Here we confirmed in a sample of 426 Dutch young adolescents (11–14 years old; 48% female) that this relationship between growth mindset and school burnout symptoms holds after controlling for other potential predictors of school burnout symptoms such as academic achievement, school track, gender, and socio-economic status. Our second aim was to increase our understanding of the mechanism underlying the relation between mindset and school burnout, by measuring physiological resilience (vagal activity, a measure of parasympathetic activity, also known as heart rate variability or HRV) in a subsample (n = 50). We did not find any relation between vagal activity and growth mindset or school burnout symptoms, nor could we establish a mediating effect of vagal activity in their relation. In conclusion, we found evidence for a potential protective effect of a growth mindset on school burnout symptoms in young adolescents, but not for physiological resilience (vagal activity) as an underlying mechanism. The protective effect of growth mindset as confirmed in our younger sample can be leveraged in interventions to prevent increasing school burnout symptoms.
The effects of online game addiction on reduced academic achievement motivation among Chinese college students: the mediating role of learning engagement
Authors: Sun Rui-Qi , Sun Guo-Fang , Ye Jian-Hong
Published: July 2023

Introduction

The present study aimed to examine the effects of online game addiction on reduced academic achievement motivation, and the mediating role of learning engagement among Chinese college students to investigate the relationships between the three variables.

Methods

The study used convenience sampling to recruit Chinese university students to participate voluntarily. A total of 443 valid questionnaires were collected through the Questionnaire Star application. The average age of the participants was 18.77 years old, with 157 males and 286 females. Statistical analysis was conducted using SPSS and AMOS.

Results

(1) Chinese college students’ online game addiction negatively affected their behavioral, emotional, and cognitive engagement (the three dimensions of learning engagement); (2) behavioral, emotional, and cognitive engagement negatively affected their reduced academic achievement motivation; (3) learning engagement mediated the relationship between online game addiction and reduced academic achievement motivation.
The impact of vulnerability and exposure to pervasive interprofessional incivility among medical staff on wellbeing
Authors: Pavithra Antoinette , Mannion Russell , Li Ling , Westbrook Johanna
Published: July 2023

Introduction

Traditional methods for modelling human interactions within organisational contexts are often hindered by the complexity inherent within these systems. Building on new approaches to information modelling in the social sciences and drawing on the work of scholars in transdisciplinary fields, we proposed that a reliable model of human interaction as well as its emergent properties can be demonstrated using theories related to emergent information.

Methods

We demonstrated these dynamics through a test case related to data from a prevalence survey of incivility among medical staff. For each survey respondent we defined their vulnerability profile based upon a combination of their biographical characteristics, such as age, gender, and length of employment within a hospital and the hospital type (private or public). We modelled the interactions between the composite vulnerability profile of staff against their reports of their exposure to incivility and the consequent negative impact on their wellbeing.

Results

We found that vulnerability profile appeared to be proportionally related to the extent to which they were exposed to rudeness in the workplace and to a negative impact on subjective wellbeing.

Discussion

This model can potentially be used to tailor resources to improve the wellbeing of hospital medical staff at increased risk of facing incivility, bullying and harassment at their workplaces.
Factors affecting self-esteem and disease acceptance in patients from infertile couples
Authors: Nagórska Małgorzata , Zych Barbara , Obrzut Bogdan , Darmochwał-Kolarz Dorota
Published: July 2023

Introduction

Infertility has been diagnosed in millions of people around the world and is described as a complex medical, mental, and social problem that affects many aspects of life. The aim of the study was to extract the determining factors and the level of self-esteem and the degree of acceptance of the disease in infertile patients and to find differences between women and men in this aspect.

Methods

A total 456 patients (235 women and 221 men) from infertile couples participated in a cross-sectional study. To collect data a Personal Information Form (PIF), Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale (SES), and Acceptance of Illness Scale (AIS) were used.

Results

The overall self-esteem score for the whole sample was 30.50 (15 ± 30) points and for acceptance of the disease 32.4 (8 ± 40) points. In the study group, men obtained a slightly higher level of self-esteem than women (31.00 vs. 30.04 points). Additionally, men had a higher level of acceptance of the disease (33.12 vs. 31.80) than women. Socio-demographic factors such as age and level of education had impact on scores SES and AIS. Clinical factors did not determine the results of SES and AIS, both in the overall sample and in the female and male groups.

Conclusion

Self-esteem in patients from infertile couples increases with age and level of education. There are also significant differences between women and men, i.e., positive correlations between the level of education and self-esteem in men and the degree of acceptance of the disease in women.
Development of a prototype for high-frequency mental health surveillance in Germany: data infrastructure and statistical methods
Authors: Junker Stephan , Damerow Stefan , Walther Lena , Mauz Elvira
Published: July 2023

In the course of the COVID-19 pandemic and the implementation of associated non-pharmaceutical containment measures, the need for continuous monitoring of the mental health of populations became apparent. When the pandemic hit Germany, a nationwide Mental Health Surveillance (MHS) was in conceptual development at Germany’s governmental public health institute, the Robert Koch Institute. To meet the need for high-frequency reporting on population mental health we developed a prototype that provides monthly estimates of several mental health indicators with smoothing splines. We used data from the telephone surveys German Health Update (GEDA) and COVID-19 vaccination rate monitoring in Germany (COVIMO). This paper provides a description of the highly automated data pipeline that produces time series data for graphical representations, including details on data collection, data preparation, calculation of estimates, and output creation. Furthermore, statistical methods used in the weighting algorithm, model estimations for moving three-month predictions as well as smoothing techniques are described and discussed. Generalized additive modelling with smoothing splines best meets the desired criteria with regard to identifying general time trends. We show that the prototype is suitable for a population-based high-frequency mental health surveillance that is fast, flexible, and able to identify variation in the data over time. The automated and standardized data pipeline can also easily be applied to other health topics or other surveys and survey types. It is highly suitable as a data processing tool for the efficient continuous health surveillance required in fast-moving times of crisis such as the Covid-19 pandemic.
Factors that influence food choices in secondary school canteens: a qualitative study of pupil and staff perspectives
Authors: Devine Lauren D. , Gallagher Alison M. , Briggs Stephen , Hill Alyson J.
Published: July 2023

Background

Adolescence is recognised as a period of nutritional vulnerability, with evidence indicating that United Kingdom adolescents have suboptimal dietary intakes with many failing to meet dietary recommendations. Additionally, adolescence is a time of transition when they become more independent in their dietary choices and begin to develop their own sense of autonomy and are less reliant on their parent’s guidance, which is reported to lead to less favourable dietary behaviours. Reducing the prevalence of poor dietary intakes and the associated negative health consequences among this population is a public health priority and schools represent an important setting to promote positive dietary behaviours. The aim of this school-based study was to explore the factors and barriers which influence food choices within the school canteen and to identify feasible strategies to promote positive dietary behaviours within this setting.

Methods

Thirteen focus groups with 86 pupils in Year 8 (n = 37; aged 11–12 years) and Year 9 (n = 49; aged 12–13 years) in six secondary schools across Northern Ireland, United Kingdom were conducted. Additionally, one-to-one virtual interviews were conducted with 29 school staff [principals/vice-principals (n = 4); teachers (n = 17); and caterers (n = 7)] across 17 secondary schools and an Education Authority (EA) senior staff member (n = 1). Focus groups and interviews were audio-recorded, transcribed, and analysed following an inductive thematic approach.

Results

Using the ecological framework, multiple factors were identified which influenced pupils’ selection of food in the school canteen at the individual (e.g., time/convenience), social (e.g., peer influence), physical (e.g., food/beverage placement), and macro environment (e.g., food provision) level. Suggestions for improvement of food choices were also identified at each ecological level: individual (e.g., rewards), social (e.g., pupil-led initiatives), physical (e.g., labelling), and macro environment (e.g., whole-school approaches).

Conclusion

Low-cost and non-labour intensive practical strategies could be employed, including menu and labelling strategies, placement of foods, reviewing pricing policies and whole-school initiatives in developing future dietary interventions to positively enhance adolescents’ food choices in secondary schools.
The cervical transcriptome changes during the menstrual cycle but does not predict the window of implantation
Authors: Pathare Amruta D. S. , Saare Merli , Meltsov Alvin , Lawarde Ankita , Modhukur Vijayachitra , Kalinina Aive , Sekavin Aire , Kukushkina Viktorija , Karro Helle , Salumets Andres , Peters Maire
Published: July 2023

Introduction

The expression of genes in female reproductive organs is influenced by the cyclic changes in hormone levels during the menstrual cycle. While the molecular changes in the endometrium that facilitate embryo implantation have been extensively studied, there is limited knowledge about the impact of the menstrual cycle on cervical cells. Cervical cells can be easily and routinely collected using a cytobrush during gynecological examination, offering a standardized approach for diagnostic testing. In this study we investigated how the transcriptome of cervical cells changes during the menstrual cycle and assessed the utility of these cells to determine endometrial receptivity.

Methods

Endocervical cells were collected with cytobrushes from 16 healthy women at different menstrual cycle phases in natural cycles and from four women undergoing hormonal replacement cycles. RNA sequencing was applied to gain insight into the transcriptome of cervical cells.

Results

Transcriptome analysis identified four differentially expressed genes (DEGs) between early- and mid-secretory samples, suggesting that the transcriptome of cervical cells does not change significantly during the opening of the implantation window. The most differences appeared during the transition to the late secretory phase (2136 DEGs) before the onset of menstruation. Cervical cells collected during hormonal replacement cycles showed 1899 DEGs enriched in immune system processes.

Conclusions

The results of our study suggested that cervical cells undergo moderate transcriptomic changes throughout the menstrual cycle; however, these changes do not reflect the gene expression pattern of endometrial tissue and offer little or no potential for endometrial receptivity diagnostics.
Linking forest management to surrounding lands: a citizen-based approach towards the regional understanding of land-use transitions
Authors: Yang Di , Fu Chiung-Shiuan , Herrero Hannah Victoria , Southworth Jane , Binford Michael
Published: July 2023

The Southeastern United States has high landscape heterogeneity, with heavily managed forestlands, developed agriculture, and multiple metropolitan areas. The spatial pattern of land use is dynamic. Expansion of urban areas convert forested and agricultural land, scrub forests are converted to citrus groves, and some croplands transition to pine plantations. Previous studies have recognized that forest management is the predominant factor in structural and functional changes forests, but little is known about how forest management practices interact with surrounding land uses at the regional scale. The first step in studying the spatial relationships of forest management with surrounding landscapes is to be able to map management practices and describe their proximity to various land uses. There are two major difficulties in generating land use and land management maps at the regional scale by any method: the necessity of large training data sets and expensive computation. The combination of crowdsourced, citizen-science mapping and cloud-based computing may help overcome those difficulties. In this study, OpenStreetMap is incorporated into mapping land use and shows great potential for justifying and monitoring land use at a regional scale. Google Earth Engine enables large-scale spatial analysis and imagery processing by providing a variety of Earth observation datasets and computational resources. By incorporating the OpenStreetMap dataset into Earth observation images to map forest land management practices and determine the distribution of other nearby land uses, we develop a robust regional land-use mapping approach and describe the patterns of how different land uses may affect forest management and vice versa. We find that cropland is more likely to be near ecological forest management patches; few close spatial relationships exist between land uses and preservation forest management, which fulfills the preservation management strategy of sustaining the forests, and production forests have the strongest spatial relationships with croplands. This approach leads to increased understanding of land-use patterns and management practices at local to regional scales.
Puzzling Pentagons—How Many Ways Can We Cover a Flat Surface?
Authors: Mann Casey , McLoud-Mann Jennifer
Published: July 2023

Convex polygons, shapes bounded by straight lines in which all of the corners point outward, are the simplest of shapes, but despite their simplicity, there are many unsolved problems concerning polygons. Some polygons have the nice property that they fit together espcially well, so that you can use lots of copies of them to cover a large surface to form what is called a tiling. For some polygons, such as triangles, it is easy to see how to form tilings. For others, such as seven-sided convex polygons, it is impossible to form a tiling. This article discusses the history of a long-standing open question in geometry: which convex pentagons give rise to tilings of the plane? The authors also discuss their contribution to the solution of this problem, which involved developing a computerized algorithm to help them search for a new kind of convex pentagon that can form tilings, and the basic idea of this algorithm is discussed.
Recalibration of benchmarks is necessary: even the most basic meal was not affordable for Malawi’s poor between 2017 and 2021
Authors: Bwanaisa Mercy , Hendriks Sheryl L.
Published: July 2023

Dietary quality has significant implications for health, nutrition and life quality. Yet, most people in developing countries, such as Malawi, consume inadequate diets due to the high cost of healthy and nutritious food. The international community has called for a radical transformation of food systems to ensure access to healthier food options at affordable prices. While the costs and affordability of healthy and nutritious diets have recently been established, little attention has been paid to the economic accessibility of basic nourishment. The most available price data (2017 to 2021) from the National Statistics Office of Malawi (NSO) were used to calculate the cost of the World Food Program’s “basic plate.” Food items were substituted to determine if local substitutes could improve the nutritional value of the plate. The plate cost was compared to the international poverty line and average food expenditure in Malawi. Slight variations in the purchase parity cost and affordability of basic meals were found between 2017 and 2021. However, the basic meal and alternative plates were not affordable to those living at or below the international poverty line over this period. A revision of the poverty line is necessary to ensure that basic nutritional needs can be met. Both revisions of the poverty line and cash-based food assistance should consider that meals using animal-sourced proteins were more expensive than plant-based protein sources, but animal-sourced proteins provide more nutrition than plant-based protein meals.
Mapping the effect of antimicrobial resistance in poultry production in Senegal: an integrated system dynamics and network analysis approach
Authors: Aboah Joshua , Ngom Babacar , Emes Eves , Fall Awa Gueye , Seydi Moutar , Faye Ardiouma , Dione Michel
Published: July 2023

The impact of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) extends beyond the farm-level to other stakeholders warranting the need for a collaborative approach to combat AMR while optimising production objectives and safeguarding human health. This study maps out the effect of AMR originating from poultry production in Senegal and highlights the entry points for interventions from stakeholders’ perspectives. A causal loop diagram (CLD) was developed following a group model building procedure with 20 stakeholders and integrated with network analysis by translating the CLD into an unweighted directed network. Results indicate that with an eigenvector centrality of 1, 0.85, and 0.74, the production cost, on-farm profit, and on-farm productivity, respectively are the most ranked influential variables driving the complexity of AMR in the poultry production system. Two reinforcing feedback loops highlight the dual benefits of improving on-farm productivity and increasing on-farm profit. However, one balancing feedback loop that revolves around the causal link between producers’ investment in qualified human resource personnel to ensure good farm management practices underline the financial implication of producers’ investment decisions. The findings provide precursory groundings for the development of a quantitative SD model, the formulation of intervention scenarios and ex-ante impact assessment of the cost-effectiveness of the interventions.
A Largely Unsupervised Domain-Independent Qualitative Data Extraction Approach for Empirical Agent-Based Model Development
Authors: Paudel Rajiv , Ligmann-Zielinska Arika
Published: July 2023

Agent-based model (ABM) development needs information on system components and interactions. Qualitative narratives contain contextually rich system information beneficial for ABM conceptualization. Traditional qualitative data extraction is manual, complex, and time- and resource-consuming. Moreover, manual data extraction is often biased and may produce questionable and unreliable models. A possible alternative is to employ automated approaches borrowed from Artificial Intelligence. This study presents a largely unsupervised qualitative data extraction framework for ABM development. Using semantic and syntactic Natural Language Processing tools, our methodology extracts information on system agents, their attributes, and actions and interactions. In addition to expediting information extraction for ABM, the largely unsupervised approach also minimizes biases arising from modelers’ preconceptions about target systems. We also introduce automatic and manual noise-reduction stages to make the framework usable on large semi-structured datasets. We demonstrate the approach by developing a conceptual ABM of household food security in rural Mali. The data for the model contain a large set of semi-structured qualitative field interviews. The data extraction is swift, predominantly automatic, and devoid of human manipulation. We contextualize the model manually using the extracted information. We also put the conceptual model to stakeholder evaluation for added credibility and validity.
Exploratory Acoustic Investigation of Customizable 3D-Printed Hybrid Acoustic Materials (HAMs) through Interlaboratory Impedance Tube Measurements
Authors: Tsiokou Vaia , Shtrepi Louena , Badino Elena , Astolfi Arianna , Karatza Anna
Published: July 2023

Acoustic materials are widely used for improving interior acoustics based on their sound absorptive or sound diffusive properties. However, common acoustic materials only offer limited options for customizable geometrical features, performance, and aesthetics. This paper focuses on the sound absorption performance of highly customizable 3D-printed Hybrid Acoustic Materials (HAMs) by means of parametric stepped thickness, which is used for sound absorption and diffusion. HAMs were parametrically designed and produced using computational design, 3D-printing technology, and feedstock material with adjustable porosity, allowing for the advanced control of acoustic performance through geometry-related sound absorbing/diffusing strategies. The proposed design methodology paves the way to a customizable large-scale cumulative acoustic performance by varying the parametric stepped thickness. The present study explores the challenges posed by the testing of the sound absorption performance of HAMs in an impedance tube. The representativeness of the test samples (i.e., cylindrical sections) with respect to the original (i.e., rectangular) panel samples is contextually limited by the respective impedance tube’s geometrical features (i.e., cylindrical cross-section) and dimensional requirements (i.e., diameter size). To this aim, an interlaboratory comparison was carried out by testing the normal incidence sound absorption of ten samples in two independent laboratories with two different impedance tubes. The results obtained demonstrate a good level of agreement, with HAMs performing better at lower frequencies than expected and behaving like Helmholtz absorbers, as well as demonstrating a frequency shift pattern related to superficial geometric features.
Adaptive Convex Optimization Guidance for Lunar Landing
Authors: Mu Rongjun , Deng Yanpeng , Wu Peng
Published: July 2023

In this paper, a novel guidance algorithm based on adaptive convex optimization is proposed to ensure robustness in the uncertainty of a lunar lander’s parameters and satisfy the constraints of terminal position, velocity, attitude, and thrust. To address the problem of parameter uncertainty in the landing process, the parameter-adaptive method is used to achieve online real-time optimal estimations of specific impulse and mass by the optimal observer, and the estimated parameters are used to realize optimal trajectory programming. To overcome the difficulty in constraining the attitude and the thrust level at the final stage in the convex optimization process, a rapid adjustment phase is added to meet the final attitude and thrust constraints; the target-adaptive method is used to adjust the target adaptively at the same time. Therefore, the position and velocity deviations caused by the rapid adjustment phase can be eliminated by the target offset. Finally, the results of numerical experiments demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed algorithm.
Evaluation of Greek Tobacco Varieties (Nicotiana tabacum L.) Grown in Different Regions οf Greece
Authors: Tsaliki Eleni , Moysiadis Theodoros , Toumpas Evripidis , Kalivas Apostolos , Panoras Ioannis , Grigoriadis Ioannis
Published: July 2023

Tobacco (Nicotiana tabacum L.) is an important industrial crop grown in more than one hundred countries worldwide, with high adaptability on a great variety of soils, and under quite diverse climatic conditions. Information regarding the chemical composition of tobacco leaves is important for the tobacco industry because it generally may exhibit important differences among different locations. In this study, five oriental and six flue and air-cured type tobacco varieties were cultivated in five areas of Greece for three cultivation periods, in order to evaluate the effect of these three factors (variety, area, and period), on the yield as well as nicotine content, and sugar and nitrate content of the produced leaves. For the oriental type varieties, the results showed that the area exhibited significant interaction with both variety and the cultivation year, related to the yield. Concerning the nicotine content, no significant differences were observed regarding the areas of experimentation; however, it significantly varied within the varieties. In particular, the nicotine content of Katerini 53 exhibited a significant difference compared to Xanthi 2A, which had the highest content of all tested varieties. Sugar content was affected significantly by all the factors considered, with the area of Xanthi exhibiting lower values compared to all other varieties. Regarding the flue and air-cured varieties, the only interaction that was found to be statistically significant, when the yield was assessed, was between the cultivation year and the area. It was found that there was a significant interaction between cultivation year and area for the nicotine content as well. Furthermore, cultivation year and variety significantly affected the sugar content. The varieties Burley 21E and NC7LC gave the lowest sugars. In general, it was observed that in the case of the oriental type varieties, the variety adaptation in specific regions resulted in higher yields, with the paradigmatic example of the variety Katerini 53 in the Katerini area, and Xanthi 81 in the Xanthi area. On the other hand, in the case of the flue and air-cured varieties, Karditsa was the area that exhibited the lowest yield of all tested varieties.
Evaluation of Bacillus subtilis Czk1 Metabolites by LC–MS/MS and Their Antifungal Potential against Pyrrhoderma noxium Causing Brow Rot Disease
Authors: Liang Yanqiong , Wu Weihuai , Li Rui , Lu Ying , Wang Guihua , Tan Shibei , Chen Helong , Xi Jingen , Huang Xing , He Chunping , Yi Kexian
Published: July 2023

Brown rot disease caused by Pyrrhoderma noxium is a widespread disease that severely affects the roots of rubber trees (Hevea brasiliensis Muell. Arg.). The economic losses, along with environmental and health problems arising from the use of disease control chemicals, have raised the interest of scholars to explore the use of biological control agents for the effective control of fungal pathogen P. noxium. Here, the inhibition effect of the culture filtrate of B. subtilis Czk1 on P. noxium was demonstrated. The findings indicate that the antifungal activity of this strain is mediated wholly or partly by compounds produced in the culture filtrate. The combined use of liquid chromatography–tandem mass spectrometry and antifungal activity assays rapidly identified compounds produced by B. subtilis Czk1. Metabolic profiles were assessed and used to identify major metabolites based on the scores of variable importance in the projection and the plot scores of principal component analysis. A total of 296 differential metabolites were screened, including 208 in positive ion mode and 88 in negative ion mode. Two key metabolites, diacetyl and trans-2-octenoic acid, were screened from 29 metabolites by antifungal activity assays. The median effective concentration (EC50) of trans-2-octenoic acid and diacetyl were 0.9075 mg/mL and 4.8213 mg/mL, respectively. The antifungal metabolites can disrupt the internal structure of the pathogenic fungal mycelium, thereby impeding its growth. This study is expected to contribute to the existing knowledge of Czk1-produced metabolites and their future antifungal applications. This study is also expected to provide a new biopreservative perspective on unexplored antifungal metabolites produced by Czk1 as a biocontrol agent.
Market Structure Analysis Using Changes in the Number of Farms and Farm Income: In the Case of Korea
Authors: Choi Won Sil , Lee Sang Hyeon
Published: July 2023

This study proposes a method to analyze market structures using changes in the number of farms and amount of farm incomes, taking Korea as a case study. We discern the market structures in agriculture by scrutinizing the impact of variations in agricultural added-value and production costs on the count of farms and farm-type specific agricultural incomes using the method. We also explore the significant influence of policy changes on agricultural market structures. As a result, in response to the increase in agricultural value-added, most types of farm households are in a short-term equilibrium state with both the number of farm households and amount of agricultural incomes increasing. In response to the increase in agricultural management costs, results of the distribution of farm households and agricultural incomes depend on farm types.
Assessing Fungal Plant Pathogen Presence in Irrigation Water from the Rio Grande River in South Texas, USA
Authors: Calderon Miriam , Yang Chuanyu , Ancona Veronica
Published: July 2023

Irrigation is important in many crop production systems. However, irrigation water can be a carrier of plant pathogens that can enter the system and spread to fields, resulting in crop damage and yield losses. The Lower Rio Grande Valley of South Texas is an important area for agricultural production which depends on the Rio Grande River as a source of water for irrigation. Thus, the presence of plant pathogens in the Rio Grande River could have important implications for crop productivity in the region. Cultured-based methods and molecular identification methods are used for monitoring plant pathogens in irrigation water. However, these methods are labor-intensive and just detect targeted pathogens. To overcome these limitations, in this study, the ITS2 amplicon metagenomic method was applied for evaluating the fungal diversity, composition, and presence of fungal plant pathogens in irrigation water from the Rio Grande River as it leaves the water reservoir (WR) and it arrives at an irrigation valve at a farm (FA). Results from the Shannon (WR = 4.6 ± 0.043, FA = 3.63 ± 0.13) and Simpson indices (WR = 4.6 ± 0.043, FA = 3.63 ± 0.13) showed that there are significant differences in the fungal diversity and community structure between the two locations and the PCA analysis showed a clear differentiation between both fungal communities. Several OTUs identified in both locations included potential plant pathogens from diverse genera including Cladosporium, Exserohilum, and Nigrospora, while others such as Colletotrichum and Plectosphaerella were found only in one of the two locations assessed. This work indicates that microbes, including plant pathogens, may enter or exit throughout the irrigation-water distribution system, thereby modifying the microbial community composition along the way. Understanding the dynamics of plant pathogen movement in irrigation water systems can help growers identify risk factors to develop measures to mitigate those risks. This study also shows the usefulness of the metagenomic approach for detecting and monitoring plant pathogen in irrigation water.
Studies on Morphophysiological and Biochemical Parameters for Sucking Pest Tolerance in Organic Cotton
Authors: Aherkar Shradha S. , Deshmukh Surendra B. , Konde Nitin. M. , Paslawar Aadinath N. , Joshi Tanay , Messmer Monika M. , Riar Amritbir
Published: July 2023

The demand for organic cotton is primarily driven by manufacturers and brands with a corporate focus on environmental and social responsibility. These entities strive to be responsible stewards by seeking organic cotton, which not only offers environmental benefits but also provides softer, more durable, and longer-lasting clothing. Unlike conventional cotton, organic cotton is processed without the use of harsh chemicals, making it more comfortable for individuals with sensitive skin. A study was conducted at the Center of Organic Agriculture Research and Training Center, Department of Agronomy, Dr. PDKV, Akola, Maharashtra, India to evaluate 22 cotton genotypes, including control samples, using a randomized block design with three replications during the kharif (June–October) season in the years 2019–2020 and 2020–2021, under complete organic conditions. During the initial year of the study (2019–2020), visual observations were made to assess the incidence of sucking pests on the cotton genotypes’ leaves, including the top, middle, and bottom portions. The observations indicated promising results, leading to a more detailed study in the subsequent year (2020–2021). This extended study identified several tolerant genotypes to sucking pests, such as AV-G11, PA-255, GA-8004, AV-C14, and AV-G13 from the arboreum species, as well as AKH-09-5, a hirsutum cultivar. Among the recorded data, it was found that the lowest mean aphid population occurred at 90 days after sowing (DAS), with only 1.53 aphids per leaf. Similarly, the lowest mean populations of Cicadellidae, thrips, and whitefly were recorded at 0.75, 0.97, and 0.63 per leaf, respectively, all at 30 DAS. Microscopic analysis of trichome density and gossypol glands revealed a negative and significant correlation with Aphis gossypi (aphids), Cicadellidae sp. (Cicadellidae), and Thrips tabaci (thrips). However, a positive and significant correlation was found with Bemesia tabaci (whitefly). Furthermore, the estimation of total soluble sugar using the Anthrone method, total nitrogen, and crude protein showed positive and significant correlations with aphids, Cicadellidae, and thrips, but negative, significant correlations with whitefly. The findings indicate that higher trichome density provides greater resistance to sucking pest infestation. It was concluded that G. arboreum genotypes exhibit greater tolerance to sucking pests compared to G. hirsutum varieties. This implies that G. arboreum varieties may require less intensive pest management, aligning with organic farming principles. The discovery of these genotypes opens up possibilities for utilizing them as sustainable and pest-resistant options in cotton cultivation, promoting environmentally friendly and organic farming practices in cotton fiber production.
Return on Equity in Dairy Farms from Selected EU Countries: Assessment Based on the DuPont Model in Years 2004–2020
Authors: Parzonko Andrzej , Parzonko Anna Justyna , Bórawski Piotr , Wicki Ludwik
Published: July 2023

The European Union dairy sector plays a significant role in supplying dairy products to consumers all over the world. The aim of this study was to examine changes in the return on equity as one of the main financial indicators determining the economic viability of EU dairy farms in the years 2004–2020. The analysis based on the DuPont model was used to determine the main drivers of return on equity in dairy farms from the five studied EU countries. The research results show that (1) the lowest return on equity in the years 2004–2020 was calculated for average farms from the Netherlands, and the reason for this phenomenon was the use of significant assets in the production, mainly resources that are very expensive in the Netherlands—land and human labor; (2) the highest return on equity was characteristic of dairy farms from France, and the factor strongly determining the favorable value of this ratio was the high degree of financing assets with low-interest loans and credits; (3) despite the lowest production potential and small scale of milk production, average Polish farms in the years 2004–2020 were characterized by a relatively high return on equity, which ranged from 4.97% to 14.9%.
Lightweight Isotropic Convolutional Neural Network for Plant Disease Identification
Authors: Feng Wenfeng , Song Qiushuang , Sun Guoying , Zhang Xin
Published: July 2023

In today’s world, agricultural products are becoming increasingly scarce globally due to a variety of factors, and the early and accurate automatic identification of plant diseases can help ensure the stability and sustainability of agricultural production, improve the quality and safety of agricultural products, and help promote agricultural modernization and sustainable development. For this purpose, a lightweight deep isotropic convolutional neural network model, FoldNet, is designed for plant disease identification in this study. The model improves the architecture of residual neural networks by first folding the chain of the same blocks and then connecting these blocks with jump connections of different distances. Such a design allows the neural network to explore a larger receptive domain, enhancing its multiscale representation capability, increasing the direct propagation of information throughout the network, and improving the performance of the neural network. The FoldNet model achieved a recognition accuracy of 99.84% on the laboratory dataset PlantVillage using only 685k parameters and a recognition accuracy of 90.49% on the realistic scene dataset FGVC8 using only 516k parameters, which is competitive with other state-of-the-art models. In addition, as far as we know, our model is the first model that has fewer than 1M parameters while achieving state-of-the-art accuracy in plant disease identification. This proposal facilitates precision agriculture applications on mobile, low-end terminals.
Straw Returning Measures Enhance Soil Moisture and Nutrients and Promote Cotton Growth
Authors: Tang Min , Liu Rui , Luo Zhenhai , Zhang Chao , Kong Jiying , Feng Shaoyuan
Published: July 2023

In order to investigate the comprehensive effects of straw returning on soil physical and chemical properties, as well as cotton growth in Jiangsu, China, and to determine suitable high-yield and efficient straw returning measures, this study implemented three different straw returning methods: straw mulching (SM), straw incorporation (SI), and straw biochar (BC), with no straw returning served as a control (CT). The study aimed to assess the impact of these straw-returning measures on soil nutrients, soil moisture content, soil water storage, and deficit status, as well as primary indicators of cotton growth. The findings revealed that the total available nutrient storage under SM, SI, and BC showed an increase of 11.93%, 11.15%, and 32.39%, respectively, compared to CT. Among these methods, BC demonstrated a significant enhancement in soil organic carbon content, available phosphorus, and available potassium. Furthermore, SM exhibited a considerable increase in soil moisture content across all layers (0–40 cm), resulting in an average water storage increase of 7.42 mm compared to CT. Consequently, this effectively reduced the soil water deficit during the cotton development period. Moreover, the height of cotton plants was increased by SM, SI, and BC, with SM promoting the greatest growth rate of up to 66.87%. SM resulted in an 11.17 cm increase in cotton plant height compared to CT. Additionally, SM contributed to higher chlorophyll content in leaves at the end of the growth period. Overall, the indicators suggest that straw mulching is particularly effective in enhancing soil moisture and nutrient distribution, especially during dry years, and has a positive impact on promoting cotton development. Based on the results, straw mulching emerges as a recommended straw-returning measure for improving soil quality and maximizing cotton production in the study area.
Impact of the Farming System and Amino-Acid Biostimulants on the Content of Carotenoids, Fatty Acids, and Polyphenols in Alternative and Common Barley Genotypes
Authors: Nowak Rafał , Szczepanek Małgorzata , Błaszczyk Karolina , Kobus-Cisowska Joanna , Przybylska-Balcerek Anna , Stuper-Szablewska Kinga , Pobereżny Jarosław , Hassanpouraghdam Mohammad Bagher , Rasouli Farzad
Published: July 2023

Barley (Hordeum vulgare) grain stands out among other cereals due to its high nutritional value. It results mainly from the high content of fiber and antioxidants, such as phenolic compounds. Barley grains can also be an important source of unsaturated fatty acids and carotenoids that are beneficial to health. This study assessed the effect of the foliar application of an amino-acid biostimulant on the content of phenolic compounds, carotenoids, and the composition of fatty acids in the grain of alternative, black-grain barley genotypes, and the commonly used ‘Soldo’ cultivar, grown in conventional and organic farming systems. The dark-pigmented grains contained significantly more phenolic acids and flavonoids than the yellow seed of the traditional cultivar and were characterized by a significantly higher proportion of unsaturated fatty acids. The application of the biostimulant significantly increased the concentration of phenolic compounds in grains, especially of alternative genotypes.
Deficit Irrigation with Ascophyllum nodosum Extract Application as a Strategy to Increase Tomato Yield and Quality
Authors: Villa e Vila Vinícius , Marques Patricia Angélica Alves , Rezende Roberto , Wenneck Gustavo Soares , Terassi Daniele de Souza , Andrean André Felipe Barion Alves , Nocchi Raiana Crepaldi de Faria , Matumoto-Pintro Paula Toshimi
Published: July 2023

Deficit irrigation is applied to several agricultural crops as a water-saving irrigation strategy. The tomato plant is sensitive to water stress; however, integration with biostimulant applications, based on seaweed extracts, could be a strategy for plants adapting to this abiotic condition. The objective of this study was to evaluate agronomic and quality aspects of tomato cultivated under deficit irrigation combined with Ascophyllum nodosum extract (ANE) application. The experiment was conducted using a completely randomized design with two water replacement levels, 70 and 100% of crop evapotranspiration (ETc), and five doses of ANE (0, 0.1, 0.2, 0.3 and 0.4%) applied via soil drench. The interaction between ANE and ETc was significant (p < 0.05) in terms of plant growth, physiological parameters, fruit yield, yield components and fruit quality. Results indicated that when the tomato plant is under deficit irrigation, a higher ANE dose is required to achieve better development when compared to the 100% ETc condition, where the dose is lower. Under deficit irrigation, the largest fruit yield was obtained with 0.3 and 0.4% ANE, and with 100% ETc, the largest fruit yield was obtained with 0.2% ANE. ANE applications were also effective in increasing plant height, stem diameter, plant biomass, leaf area, chlorophyll and relative water content. In addition, tomato quality was also favored under deficit irrigation and seaweed extract application. We conclude that ANE applications attenuate water deficit effects in tomato plants and provide a strategy to ameliorate tomato yield, tomato quality and water use in agriculture.
Impact of Soil-Applied Humic Ameliorative Amendment on the Ligno-Cellulose Quality and Calorific Value of Switchgrass Panicum virgatum L.
Authors: Tóth Štefan , Šoltysová Božena , Dupľák Štefan , Porvaz Pavol
Published: July 2023

The main objective of the paper was to determine the ligno-cellulose quality and calorific value of switchgrass Panicum virgatum L. The impact of nutrition treatments (pre-sowing soil humic amendment HA and/or NPK, with annual dose of N on both the treatments, and untreated control UC) and years were evaluated as main effects within a pilot experiment with seven cultivars tested during 2018–2022. Two data sets of acid detergent fiber (ADF), acid detergent lignin (ADL), crude cellulose (CE), hemicellulose (HEM), neutral detergent fiber (NDF), and high heating value (HHV) were evaluated, the primary one in terms of quality content and the secondary one in terms of quality yield. The average ADF content of the switchgrass was 43.94% (range 30.15–50.91), while the average contents of ADL, CE, HEM, NDF, and HHV were 9.21% (6.02–12.41), 34.73% (17.98–40.08), 30.49% (21.34–38.41), 74.43% (59.20–81.15%), and 17.206 kJ g−1 (16.579–17.799), respectively. An adequate value of ADF yield was 4.17 Mg ha−1 (0.01–29.31), while for ADL, CE, HEM, NDF and HHV this was 0.79 Mg ha−1 (0.00–5.39), 3.37 Mg ha−1 (0.01–23.92), 2.79 Mg ha−1 (0.01–17.66), 6.96 Mg ha−1 (0.01–46.93), and 1.466 hGJ ha−1 (0.003–10.603), respectively. In terms of the both quality sets the cultivar was confirmed to be the most important factor followed by the year, with nutrition having the least impact. This impact order of the main effects was valid for each of the parameters. Moreover, in terms of quality yield the formation of homogeneity groups corresponded with dry matter yield and therefore with the order of cultivars (EG 1101 ˃ BO Master ˃ EG 1102 ˃ Kanlow ˃ Alamo ˃ Carthage ˃ NJ Ecotype), the years (2021 ˃ 2020 ˃ 2022 ˃ 2019 ˃ 2018), and the treatments (HA ˃ NPK ˃ UC).
Susceptibility of Selected Crops to Simulated Imazethapyr Carryover: A Morpho-Anatomical Analysis
Authors: Jovanović-Radovanov Katarina , Rančić Dragana
Published: July 2023

A bioassay study was conducted to determine the differences in the susceptibility of selected crops to simulated imazethapyr residues based on morphological and anatomical parameters. Sugar beet, white mustard, and rapeseed oil were found to be the most sensitive based on ED50 values for the root length and the root fresh weight. Corn and sunflower were less sensitive, and wheat was the least sensitive. The measured anatomical parameters confirmed the different sensitivities of the tested plants, as evidenced by a shortening of the meristem and elongation zones, a reduction in the distance between the root tip and the absorption zone, and the distance between the root tip and the point where the primordium of the lateral root appears. An imazethapyr residue level equivalent to ED20 (for root length) did not cause serious morphological changes in the less sensitive plants, nor did it cause significant changes in the length of the root cap, the beginning of the root absorption zone (root hair region), the beginning of lateral root formation (i.e., the permanent region), and the number of root primordia per root length. Therefore, ED20 could be proposed as an acceptable residue level (ARL) or herbicide residue level at which these plants can be safely sown.