bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Comparison of the effect of temperature and water potential on the seed germination of five Pedicularis kansuensis populations from the Qinghai–Tibet plateau
Authors: Bao Gensheng , Zhang Peng , Wei XiaoXing , Zhang Yongchao , Liu Wenhui
Published: November 2022

Temperature and water potentials are considered the most critical environmental factors in seed germinability and subsequent seedling establishment. The thermal and water requirements for germination are species-specific and vary with the environment in which seeds mature from the maternal plants. Pedicularis kansuensis is a root hemiparasitic weed that grows extensively in the Qinghai–Tibet Plateau’s degraded grasslands and has seriously harmed the grasslands ecosystem and its utilization. Information about temperatures and water thresholds in P. kansuensis seed germination among different populations is useful to predicting and managing the weed’s distribution in degraded grasslands. The present study evaluated the effects of temperature and water potentials on P. kansuensis seed germination in cool and warm habitats, based on thermal time and hydrotime models. The results indicate that seeds from cool habitats have a higher base temperature than those from warm habitats, while there is no detectable difference in optimum and ceiling temperatures between habitats. Seed germination in response to water potential differed among the five studied populations. There was a negative correlation between the seed populations’ base water potential for 50% (Ψb(50)) germination and their hydrotime constant (θH). The thermal time and hydrotime models were good predictors of five populations’ germination time in response to temperature and water potentials. Consequently, future studies should consider the effects of maternal environmental conditions on seed germination when seeking effective strategies for controlling hemiparasitic weeds in alpine regions.
Polyphasic study of phytopathogenic bacterial strains associated with deep bark canker of walnut in Serbia revealed a new species, Brenneria izbisi sp. nov
Authors: Gašić Katarina , Zlatković Nevena , Kuzmanović Nemanja
Published: November 2022

Serious outbreaks of walnut deep bark canker were observed on young walnut trees (Juglans regia L.) in two localities in the northern part of Serbia during 2020. From the symptomatic walnut tissues, two types of bacterial colonies were isolated, predominantly, light cream, circular and smooth colonies, as well as small, yellowish, mucoid and convex ones. PCR analysis and phenotypic assays suggested that the former group belongs to Brenneria spp., while the latter isolates were identified as Xanthomonas arboricola pv. juglandis. Within the Brenneria group, two strains were identified as Brenneria nigrifluens, while other 15 strains did not belong to any Brenneria species described so far. Therefore, we selected four representative strains of the unknown Brenneria sp. and subjected them to polyphasic analysis. As expected, in a phylogenetic tree based on partial 16S rDNA sequences, four novel strains grouped with other Brenneria representatives, and showed close phylogenetic relationship to Brenneria salicis. Furthermore, multilocus sequence analysis (MLSA) based on the partial sequences of atpD, gyrB, infB and rpoB housekeeping genes and core-genome phylogeny indicated that the studied strains form a novel and a clearly separate Brenneria lineage. Overall genome relatedness indices showed that they represent a new Brenneria species. The new species can be differentiated from the other Brenneria spp. infecting walnut and closely related B. salicis strains based on phenotypic characteristics, as well. Moreover, the pathogenicity tests on two-year-old walnut plants proved the ability of strains to cause necrosis and longitudinal black lesions and cracks on the trunk and branches of walnut trees. Overall, polyphasic characterization showed that the studied strains isolated from walnut with symptoms of deep bark canker represent a novel species of the genus Brenneria for which the name Brenneria izbisi sp. nov. is proposed. The type strain of B. izbisi is KBI 423T (= CFBP 9035T = LMG 32479T). To facilitate rapid identification of newly described species, a conventional PCR protocol and primers targeting the putative gene hrpP, were developed. Further study should reveal the potential role of each pathogen isolated from symptomatic walnut in disease development as well as possible interaction between them.
A comparative study on photosynthetic characteristics and flavonoid metabolism between Camellia petelotii (Merr.) Sealy and Camellia impressinervis Chang &Liang
Authors: Huang Xin , Qin Bo , Qin Lei , Peng Zhihong , Xia Shitou , Su Yi , Sun Kaidao , Peng Keqin
Published: November 2022

Camellia petelotii (Merr.) Sealy and Camellia impressinervis Chang & Liang belong to the golden subgroup of Camellia (Theaceae). This subgroup contains the yellow-flowering species of the genus, which have high medicinal and ornamental value and a narrow geographical distribution. These species differ in their tolerance to high light intensity. This study aimed to explore the differences in their light-stress responses and light damage repair processes, and the effect of these networks on secondary metabolite synthesis. Two-year-old plants of both species grown at 300 µmol·m-2·s-1 photosynthetically active radiation (PAR) were shifted to 700 µmol·m-2·s-1 PAR for 5 days shifting back to 300 µmol·m-2·s-1 PAR for recovery for 5 days. Leaf samples were collected at the start of the experiment and 2 days after each shift. Data analysis included measuring photosynthetic indicators, differential transcriptome expression, and quantifying plant hormones, pigments, and flavonoids. Camellia impressinervis showed a weak ability to recover from photodamage that occurred at 700 µmol·m-2·s-1 compared with C. petelotii. Photodamage led to decreased photosynthesis, as shown by repressed transcript abundance for photosystem II genes psbA, B, C, O, and Q, photosystem I genes psaB, D, E, H, and N, electron transfer genes petE and F, and ATP synthesis genes ATPF1A and ATPF1B. High-light stress caused more severe damage to C. impressinervis, which showed a stronger response to reactive oxygen species than C. petelotii. In addition, high-light stress promoted the growth and development of high zeatin signalling and increased transcript abundance of adenylate dimethylallyl transferase (IPT) and histidine-containing phosphotransferase (AHP). The identification of transcriptional differences in the regulatory networks that respond to high-light stress and activate recovery of light damage in these two rare species adds to the resources available to conserve them and improve their value through molecular breeding.
How does bilingual experience influence novel word learning? Evidence from comparing L1-L3 and L2-L3 cognate status
Authors: Xue Heng , Deng Renhua , Chen Yanyan , Zheng Wenxin
Published: November 2022

Bilingual experience exerts a complex influence on novel word learning, including the direct effects of transferable prior knowledge and learning skill. However, the facilitation and interference mechanism of such influence has largely been tangled by the similarity of the previously learned word knowledge. The present study compared Chinese-English bilinguals’ paired-associate learning of nonwords in logographic and alphabetic writing systems. The logographic nonwords resemble the form and meaning of L1 Chinese words in varying degrees, being cognates, false cognates, or non-cognates of Chinese. The alphabetic nonwords resemble the form and meaning of L2 English words, being cognates, false cognates, or non-cognates of English. The learning sequence of logographic and alphabetic words was cross-balanced. The learning results were measured in production and recognition tasks. As for learning the logographic nonwords, both the recognition and production results showed that cognates were learned significantly faster than the non-cognates, and the false cognates were also learned significantly faster than the non-cognates. This suggests stronger facilitation rather than interference from L1 on novel word learning. As for learning the alphabetic nonwords, both the recognition and production results revealed that cognates were learned significantly faster than the non-cognates, but false cognates showed no advantage over the non-cognates. This indicates that interference from L2 is stronger than that from L1. Taken together, the results provide new evidence for the dissociable facilitation and interference effects of bilingual experience. These results carry potential educational implications in that learning novel words depends on substantial bilingual experience.
Enhancing motivation and psychological wellbeing in the workplace through conscious physical activity: Suggestions from a qualitative study examining workers' experience
Authors: Signorini Gabriele , Scurati Raffaele , D'Angelo Chiara , Rigon Marta , Invernizzi Pietro Luigi
Published: November 2022

Introduction

After COVID-19 restrictions, hybrid solutions were established that combined smart working and work in presence. Workplace conditions significantly impact employees' lives, particularly in terms of meeting their needs and promoting their wellbeing. Based on a socio-ecological and multilevel methodology, the UP150 concept (Proactive Office 150) represents a possible innovative solution to meet employees' needs and valorize flexible work. It encourages physical exercise and active breaks during the typical workday by using particular architectural modifications, a dedicated App, and physical activity professionals as wellness coaches. The present study is the last step of the preliminary actions planned to check the benefits of the UP150 concept and aims to explore the workers' perceptions after experiencing this project.

Methods

The qualitative analysis of a preliminary survey (concerning information about the company structure and workers' habits) performed before conducting a randomized controlled trial intervention study and the analysis of the semi-structured interviews after 8 weeks of a UP150 experience served as datasets for this study and have been examined and discussed.

Results

In the preliminary survey, the young (under 40) and generally active (57% of the workers) reported being motivated to exercise but inhibited by a lack of time and a heavy workload. After 8 weeks at a modified workplace designed in accordance with the motive behind the UP150, the workers displayed noticeable positive perceptions and appreciation.

Discussion

The qualitative analysis confirmed and supported the effectiveness of the UP150 concept that previous research had already found in quantitative parameters related to employees' motor efficiency, psychophysical status, and amount of physical activity. Participants reported beneficial perceived effects on their wellness and psychophysical status following a UP150 experience. Moreover, the concept improved social relationships and increased motivation. In conclusion, the UP150 concept efficiently fostered a positive perception of physical exercise and directed the employees toward the assumption of healthy behaviors fitting the physical literacy paradigm.
A study on the impact of official promotion short videos on tourists’ destination decision-making in the post-epidemic era
Authors: Jiang Jing , Hong Yuxin , Li Wenwen , Li Ding
Published: November 2022

The COVID-19 pandemic has had an enormous impact on traditional tourism. Influenced by the uncertainties of the current epidemic, to revive the development of tourism and local economics, local governments have used short video accounts to release tourist promotion short videos for publicizing and marketing. This study takes official promotion short videos as the research object, establishes a structural equation model based on the SOR theory, and explores the influencing factors of official short videos on tourists’ destination decisions through empirical analysis. It finds that the official promotion short videos can positively stimulate users’ perception and sentiments significantly due to the three unique features of authority, interactivity and interest, thus influencing tourists’ destination decision-making behavior. On this basis, this study proposes to improve the operation of an official short video from three aspects: enhancing the authority of official short video accounts, attaching importance to the interactive mechanism, and strengthening the creativity of short videos. It is hoped that the study may help enhance the influence of official promotion short videos and promote the high-quality development of local tourism.
Empathy and depression among a Chinese sample: The moderating role of rumination and attentional shift
Authors: Liu Qipeng , Zhao Xiaoyun , Liu Weidi , Liu Qianchen
Published: November 2022

Background

Although previous studies have explored the moderating role of emotional regulation strategies in the relationship between empathy and depression, no studies have studied the moderating role of attentional control in the relationship between empathy and depression. To address this research gap, the present study investigated the moderating roles of rumination and attentional control in the relationship between empathy and depression.

Methods

423 participants filled out questionnaires anonymously, including Interpersonal Reactivity Index, Attention Control Scale, Self-rating Depression Scale, and Rumination Response Scale. PROCESS macro for SPSS was used for moderating effect analysis.

Results

Rumination and attentional shift moderated the relationship between emotional empathy and depression. Specifically, the lower rumination or the higher attentional shift, the stronger the negative association between emotional empathy and depression. Attentional shift moderated the relationship between cognitive empathy and depression, and cognitive empathy was significantly associated with depression only among participants whose attentional shift is high.

Conclusion

The study showed that rumination and attentional shift play important roles in the relationship between empathy and depression. The findings implicated that the positive role of good emotional regulation strategies and executive function for individuals in the relationship between empathy and depression.
The role of aggression and maladjustment in the teacher-student relationship on burnout in secondary school teachers
Authors: Masluk Barbara , Gascón-Santos Santiago , Oliván-Blázquez Bárbara , Bartolomé-Moreno Cruz , Albesa Agustín , Alda Marta , Magallón-Botaya Rosa
Published: November 2022

Introduction

Multiple studies have examined the individual and socio-demographic variables that can contribute to the development of burnout in teachers. Although the evidence supports that this syndrome is generated through the interaction between the aspects of the organization and those of the person, little attention has been spent on the impact of the teacher-student relationship adjustment and, especially, on the role of violence exercised by students or their families toward secondary school teachers, who seem to be more vulnerable than teaching professionals in general.

Objective

To analyze the role of the possible mismatch in the student-teacher relationship, as well as, the physical and verbal violence toward teachers from pupils or their parents, on the professional wear of high school educators.

Materials and methods

A cross-sectional study was carried out on a teacher sample (n = 677) in Aragón, Spain, through a questionnaire with socio-demographic data; the “Maslach Burnout Inventory” (MBI), “Areas of Worklife Scale,” the “Fears and Rejection in Education Questionnaire” (FREQ), and a list of the possible aggressions received in the development of the teaching activity.

Results

While 3.8% of teachers have been a victim of physical attacks, 34.9% have suffered verbal abuse at least once. Although physical violence is extremely rare (and low intensity), verbal victimization or threats are associated with burnout in a highly significant manner, which confirms previous findings about school violence and burnout. Also, FEAR and REJECTION dimensions, defined as discomfort, tension, anxiety, and pressure caused by pupils, which contributed considerably on two dimensions of burnout (emotional exhaustion and cynicism). Different covariates such as maladjustment in the teacher-pupil relationship, violence experienced at work, and complaints received explain the 56.4% variance of exhaustion, 48.8% variance in cynicism, and 35.5% for efficacy.

Conclusion

Very different variables can contribute to the development of burnout syndrome, both personal, and organizational variables. Therefore, when designing prevention programs in each work environment, the possible areas of risk and the interactions between them must be considered.
A study on the relationship between compensation gap within the top management team and corporate performance: An empirical research based on the moderation effect of fairness preference
Authors: Wang Xi , Chen Xue , Zhou Haoqian , You Xiangbo
Published: November 2022

This study explores the relationship between the compensation gap within the top management team (TMT) and corporate performance. We focus on how the fairness preference of the TMT moderates this relationship. The existing researches on the relationship between the compensation gap within the TMT and corporate performance are inconclusive. The reason may be that the traditional tournament theory is based on the hypothesis of self-interest preference of homo economicus. In the research, the fairness preference theory is added to the traditional tournament model, and a more realistic tournament model considering fairness preference is constructed. Based on the analysis of the theoretical model and the empirical regression analysis of the panel data of 733 non-financial A-share listed companies in Shanghai and Shenzhen stock markets from 2014 to 2020, we draw the following main conclusions: (1) There is an inverted U-shaped relationship between the TMT compensation gap and the corporate performance. Within the optimal compensation gap, there is a significant positive correlation. The larger the compensation gap, the better the corporate performance will be. When the optimal compensation gap is exceeded, there is a significant negative correlation. The larger the compensation gap, the worse the corporate performance will be. (2) The fairness preference of the TMT will weaken the correlation between the TMT compensation gap and corporate performance. Within the optimal compensation gap, the fairness preference will weaken the positive relationship between them, and when it exceeds the optimal compensation gap, the fairness preference will also weaken the negative relationship between them.
Positive identity predicts psychological wellbeing in Chilean youth: A double-mediation model
Authors: Pérez-Díaz Pablo A. , Nuno-Vasquez Sergio , Perazzo Matheus França , Wiium Nora
Published: November 2022

Positive youth development (PYD) allows the youth to be comprehended from their potential, strengths and assets, in contrast to the traditional deficit view that focuses on their weaknesses. The PYD model promotes constructive behaviours in youth by highlighting the positive attributes usually found during the transition from childhood to adulthood to achieve healthy and optimal development in later life. Overall, PYD comprises five key competence (5C), the flourishing models and forty developmental assets. In the present study, a structural equation model is tested with the Chilean dataset of the PYD project on the premise that Positive Identity is the core internal developmental asset explaining Psychological wellbeing and that Confidence and Character are mediators of the relationship between Positive Identity and Psychological Wellbeing. The sample comprised 261 participants (nWomen = 189, nMen = 72), MeanAge = 22 years old, who were approached by an online survey uploaded to Qualtrics. The measures of the study included: The Developmental assets Scale, the Short-form of the Five Cs included in the PYD and the Mental Health Continuum Short-Form. The results indicated a good model fit (β = 1.74, Ztotal = 10.63, χ2 = 424.95, df = 277, χ2/df = 1.53, p < 0.001, Robust CFI = 0.945, Robust RMSEA = 0.049, 90% CI (0.040, 0.058), AIC = 17689.91, saBIC = 17719.08 and SRMR = 0.061), highlighting the relevance of studying Latin-American adolescents and young ‘s wellbeing in times of COVID-19, as the participants’ Positive Identity significantly predicted their Psychological Wellbeing, and simultaneously, this relationship was mediated by both their level of Confidence and Character.
Studying hemispheric lateralization of 4-month-old infants from different language groups through near-infrared spectroscopy-based connectivity
Authors: Gao Chenyang , Shu Leijin , Li Ting
Published: November 2022

Introduction

Early monolingual versus bilingual experience affects linguistic and cognitive processes during the first months of life, as well as functional activation patterns. The previous study explored the influence of a bilingual environment in the first months of life on resting-state functional connectivity and reported no significant difference between language groups.

Methods

To further explore the influence of a bilingual environment on brain development function, we used the resting-state functional near-infrared spectroscopy public dataset of the 4-month-old infant group in the sleep state (30 Spanish; 33 Basque; 36 bilingual). Wavelet Transform Coherence, graph theory, and Granger causality methods were performed on the functional connectivity of the frontal lobes.

Results

The results showed that functional connectivity strength was significantly higher in the left hemisphere than that in the right hemisphere in both monolingual and bilingual groups. The graph theoretic analysis showed that the characteristic path length was significantly higher in the left hemisphere than in the right hemisphere for the bilingual infant group. Contrary to the monolingual infant group, the left-to-right direction of information flow was found in the frontal regions of the bilingual infant group in the effective connectivity analysis.

Discussion

The results suggested that the left hemispheric lateralization of functional connectivity in frontal regions is more pronounced in the bilingual group compared to the monolingual group. Furthermore, effective connectivity analysis may be a useful method to investigate the resting-state brain networks of infants.
Human and animal botulism surveillance in France from 2008 to 2019
Authors: Le Bouquin Sophie , Lucas Camille , Souillard Rozenn , Le Maréchal Caroline , Petit Karine , Kooh Pauline , Jourdan-Da Silva Nathalie , Meurens François , Guillier Laurent , Mazuet Christelle
Published: November 2022

Botulism is a human and animal neurological disease caused by the action of bacterial neurotoxins (botulinum toxins) produced by bacteria from the genus Clostridium. This disease induces flaccid paralysis that can result in respiratory paralysis and heart failure. Due to its serious potential impact on public health, botulism is a closely monitored notifiable disease in France through a case-based passive surveillance system. In humans, this disease is rare, with an average of 10 outbreaks reported each year, mainly due to the consumption of contaminated foods. Type B and to a lesser extend type A are responsible for the majority of cases of foodborne botulism. Each year, an average of 30 outbreaks are recorded on poultry farms, about 20 cases in wild birds and about 10 outbreaks in cattle, involving a large number of animals. Mosaic forms C/D and D/C in birds and cattle, respectively, are the predominant types in animals in France. Types C and D have also been observed to a lesser extent in animals. With the exception of botulinum toxin E, which was exceptionally detected throughout the period in wild birds, the types of botulism found in animal outbreaks are different from those identified in human outbreaks over the last ten years in France and no human botulism outbreaks investigated have been linked to animal botulism. In line with the One Health concept, we present the first integrative approach to the routine surveillance of botulism in humans and animals in France.
Foodscapes, finance, and faith: Multi-sectoral stakeholder perspectives on the local population health and wellbeing in an urbanizing area in Kenya
Authors: Wadende Pamela , Francis Oliver , Musuva Rosemary , Mogo Ebele , Turner-Moss Eleanor , Were Vincent , Obonyo Charles , Foley Louise
Published: November 2022

Introduction

Rapid urbanization (growth of cities) can upset the local population's health and wellbeing by creating obesogenic environments which increase the burden of non-communicable diseases (NCDs). It is important to understand how stakeholders perceive the impact of urbanizing interventions (such as the construction of a new hypermarket) on the health and wellbeing of local populations. Because low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) lack the reliable infrastructure to mitigate the effects of obesogenic environments, so engaging stakeholders who influence dietary habits is one population-level strategy for reducing the burden of NCDs caused by newly built developments.

Methods

We conducted key informant interviews with 36 stakeholders (25 regulatory and 11 local community stakeholders) from Kisumu and Homa Bay Counties of Western Kenya in June 2019. We collected stakeholders' perspectives on the impacts of a new Mall and supermarket in Kisumu, and existing supermarkets in Homa Bay on the health and wellbeing of local populations.

Results

Through thematic discourse analysis, we noted that some stakeholders thought supermarkets enabled access to unhealthy food items despite these outlets being also reliable food sources for discerning shoppers. Others linked the changing physical environment to both an increase in pollution and different types of diseases. Stakeholders were unsure if the pricing and convenience of supermarkets would stop local populations from buying from their usual small-scale food vendors. The key finding of this study was that engaging relevant stakeholders as part of population health impact assessments of new developments in cities are important as it directs focus on health equity and prevention in instances of resource constraints. The findings highlight, also, that community members have a strong awareness of the potential for interventions that would improve the health and wellbeing of local populations.
Medical emergency calls and calls for central nervous system symptoms during the COVID-19 outbreak in Hangzhou, China
Authors: Fu Xinyan , Wang Chunyi , Wen Wen , Tang Jiake , Chen Chen , Cheng Yongran , Zhou Mengyun , Wu Qi , Zhang Xingwei , Feng Zhanhui , Wang Mingwei , Yu Ping
Published: November 2022

Background

Since January 2020, the continuous and severe COVID-19 epidemic has ravaged various countries around the world and affected their emergency medical systems (EMS). The total number of emergency calls and the number of emergency calls for central nervous system (CNS) symptoms during the 2020 COVID-19 outbreak in Hangzhou, China (January 20–March 20) were investigated, and it was investigated whether these numbers had decreased as compared with the corresponding period in 2019.

Methods

The number of daily emergency calls, ambulance dispatches, and rescues at the Hangzhou Emergency Center (HEC) was counted. The CNS symptoms considered in this study included those of cerebrovascular diseases, mental and behavioral disorders, and other neurological diseases.

Results

It was found that, during the 2020 study period, the number of emergency calls was 33,563, a decrease of 19.83% (95% CI: 14.02–25.41%) as compared to the 41,863 emergency calls in 2019 (P < 0.01). The number of ambulances dispatched was 10,510, a decrease of 25.55% (95 %CI: 18.52–35.11%) as compared to the 14,117 ambulances dispatched in 2019 (P < 0.01). The number of rescues was 7,638, a decrease of 19.67% (95% CI: 16.12–23.18%) as compared with the 9,499 rescues in 2019 (P < 0.01). It was also found that the number of emergency calls related to CNS symptoms, including symptoms of cerebrovascular diseases, mental and behavioral disorders, and other neurological diseases, was significantly reduced (P < 0.01).

Conclusion

The total number of medical emergency calls and the number of emergency calls for CNS symptoms occurring in a large city in China decreased significantly during the COVID-19 epidemic.
Design and implementation of a health messaging protocol employed for use within a COVID-19 health dissemination platform
Authors: Colombo Paulina M. , Freylersythe Sarah , Sprinkle Mary Margaret , Ernst Kacey C. , Yubeta Marcela , Barbati Juliana L. , Merchant Nirav , Iyengar Sriram , Crane Tracy E. , Oxnam Maliaca , Rains Stephen A.
Published: November 2022

Introduction

AZCOVIDTXT, a bilingual, two-way information sharing platform was created in April of 2020 in response to rising COVID-19 cases in Arizona. The aim of this paper is to delineate the protocol and processes used to develop and disseminate health messaging to serve as guidance for other groups, universities, or public health programs in the implementation or enhancement of health communication services.

Methods

Health messaging formats included website articles, published on the system's website (azcovidtxt.org), infographics posted on social media, and SMS. Social media and SMS infographics were intended to highlight and augment the topics covered in the weekly website articles, to create a seamless multimodal source of reliable COVID-19 information for AZCOVIDTXT enrollees and the broader public. All health messaging information, text message and social media content was planned and reviewed collaboratively by the AZCOVIDTXT team topic experts for accuracy, efficacy, and content consistency.

Results

As of July 2021, AZCOVIDTXT provided weekly COVID-19-related health communication to 3,747 participating households located across 225 Arizona zip codes. AZCOVIDTXT has developed and sent 446 unique, bilingual SMS for a total of 271,977 contact points. The team has produced and published 179 website articles, which averaged a combined 7,000-page views per month, and 173 social media posts were made available to 268 followers across three platforms.

Discussion

Several programmatic aspects were deemed essential to the success of AZCOVIDTXT. These included (1) addressing community specific needs, (2) creating timely and relevant content, (3) developing an adaptable system, and (4) prioritizing system automation where possible, (5) having an interdisciplinary team approach to identifying and crafting key messages.
Organizational readiness to implement a care model in primary care for frail older adults living at home in Sweden
Authors: Thomas Kristin , Dannapfel Petra
Published: November 2022

Background

The demographic change of an aging population constitutes a challenge for primary care organizations worldwide. The systematic implementation of preventative and proactive care models is needed to cope with increased care demands.

Objective

To investigate the organizational readiness in primary care to implement a new care model to prevent hospitalization among frail older adults.

Method

Individual qualitative interviews with health care staff investigated organizational readiness at seven primary care units in Sweden. A semi-structured interview guide was used during the interviews and included broad questions on individual and collective readiness to change. Directed content analysis and organizational readiness to change theory were used in data analysis.

Results

Positive beliefs among staff such as perceived benefits and compatibility with existing values contributed to a strong commitment to implement the new care model. However, perceptions such as unclear task demands, limited resources and concerns about new collaborative structures challenged implementation.

Conclusions

The findings emphasize implementation as an inter-organizational phenomenon, especially for holistic practices that span across multiple health care providers and disciplines. Furthermore, implementing care models in healthcare may require a change of culture as much as a change of practice.
The Sounds Around Us in Cities and Buildings
Authors: Aletta Francesco , Torresin Simone
Published: November 2022

Sound surrounds us every day, whether we are inside buildings or moving around our cities. But what is “sound” and what is “noise?” What effects can arise from exposure to one or the other? This article will introduce the complex and fascinating world of sound, highlighting the opportunities that acoustic scientists have to reduce noise pollution and to design cities and buildings that sound good to our ears, to improve people’s health and wellbeing.
Diversity of growth performance and rumen microbiota vary with feed types
Authors: Du Shuai , Bu Zhenkun , You Sihan , Bao Jian , Jia Yushan
Published: November 2022

Diet is a major factor in influencing the growth performance and the microbial community of lambs. This study aimed to investigate how diverse diets influence their growth performance and rumen microbiota. Ninety male lambs were randomly allocated into three groups in a completely randomized design with equal lambs: non-pelleted native grass hay (HA) as the control diet and pelleted native grass hay (GP) and pelleted native grass hay with concentrate (GPC) as experimental diets. The rumen fluid samples of the lambs in the HA, GP, and GPC groups were used to study rumen microbiota diversity through 16S rDNA high-throughput sequencing. In the present study, the final body weight, dry matter intake, and average daily gain differed significantly (p < 0.05) among the HA, GP, and GPC groups. Compared to the HA group, higher final body weight, dry matter intake, and average daily gain were found in the GP group. Similarly, better animal performance was observed in the GPC group than in the GP group. The principal coordinates analysis displayed that the composition of the rumen microbiota in the three groups was distinctly separated from each other. Bacteroidetes and Firmicutes were the dominant members of the community in the HA and GP groups, while Bacteroidetes, Firmicutes, and Proteobacteria became the predominant members in the GPC group. The comparison among these groups showed significant (p < 0.05) differences in Rikenellaceae_RC9_gut_group, Prevotella_1, Ruminococcaceae_NK4A214_group, and Succiniclasticum. These results suggest that the GP and GPC diets are more beneficial for growth performance than the HA diet and also indicate that the rumen microbiota varied in response to different feed types. In conclusion, these results could provide strategies to influence rumen microbiota for better growth and a healthier ecosystem on the Mongolian Plateau and lay the theoretical groundwork for feeding the pelleted native grass diet.
Reporting on 16 years of laboratory capacity building while exploring the future of WOAH's Laboratory Twinning Programme
Authors: Marrana Mariana , Appiah Emmanuel , Jeannin Morgan , Gilbert William , Nilsson Adriana , Hamilton Keith , Rushton Jonathan
Published: November 2022

Animal health laboratories are an increasingly important part of safeguarding animal and public health due to their role in surveillance and diagnostics of animal diseases, food safety, and in the development and production of medicinal products, vaccines, and diagnostic tools. Despite their importance, the global distribution of veterinary laboratory expertise is uneven, with greater concentration of reference laboratories in wealthier countries. To address this issue, the World Organization for Animal Health (WOAH, founded as OIE) created a Laboratory Twinning Programme in 2006. The paper will briefly review this Programme in the context of an increasingly populated global health security field, based on a literature review and on a combination of public and internal WOAH data and describe the implementation of the Programme in the past 16 years, noting the drivers for project implementation, its links with the global livestock biomass distribution and with the current distribution of veterinary laboratory expertise. There has been broad uptake and diversity in the focus of the twinning projects implemented in WOAH Member Countries. The Laboratory Twinning Programme would benefit from an evaluation that looks at its outcomes and quantifiable impact in beneficiary countries. A case is made for the development of a monitoring and evaluation system tailored to the Programme's specificities.
Reproductive Performance of Zi-Goose Promoted by Red Color Illumination
Authors: Li Manyu , Liang Chen , Zhao Xiuhua , Liu Guojun , Zhang Yuanliang , Yue Shan , Zhang Zhiqiang
Published: November 2022

The color of light affects the reproductive performance of poultry, but it is not clear what efficient illumination strategy could be adopted to improve the reproductive performance of Zi-goose. Red light can increase the average weekly egg production rate, egg production, and qualified production. It can increase the serum GnRH level and decrease the serum PRL, MT, and T4 levels. In our study, red light for 12 h increased the average weekly laying rate, average qualified egg production, and hatching rate of Zi-goose eggs, and increased the serum levels of FSH, LH, P4, E2, MT, T3, and T4. Blue light at 14 h improved the average weekly egg production rate, average egg production, and average qualified egg production, and reduce serum PRL and MT levels to ensure the improvement of reproductive performance of goose. A total of 705,714 overlapping group sequences, 471,145 transcript sequences, and 268,609 single gene sequences were obtained from 18 sequencing samples, with a total length of 323.04, 668.53, and 247.88 M, respectively. About 176,416 unigenes were annotated successfully in six databases, accounting for 65.68% of the total unigenes obtained. 2,106, 2,142, and 8,892 unigenes were identified in the hypothalamus, pituitary gland, and ovary of the birds respectively, with different expressions of light regulation. The hypothalamus, ovary, and pituitary were involved in 279, 327, and 275 KEGG (Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes) metabolic pathways in response to light, respectively. Through further significance analysis and differential discovery rate control, a total of five metabolic pathways were obtained which were closely related to the reproductive hormones of goose. Ten candidate genes related to the reproductive performance of goslings were selected according to the identification results of differentially expressed genes of goslings under red light and white light conditions and the genes involved in metabolic pathways significantly related to the reproductive hormones of goslings. The expression levels of GnRh-1 in the hypothalamus, GnRH-R, FSHβ and LHβ in the pituitary gland, and FSH-R and LH-R candidate genes in the ovary were higher under the 12 h red light treatment than white light. However, the expression levels of VIP, PRL, and PRL-R candidate genes in the hypothalamus, pituitary and ovary were lower under 12 h red light than under 12 h white light.
Water Saving Using Thermal Imagery-Based Thresholds for Timing Irrigation in Potatoes under Drip and Furrow Irrigation Systems
Authors: Rinza Javier , Ramírez David A. , Ninanya Johan , de Mendiburu Felipe , García Jerónimo , Quiroz Roberto
Published: November 2022

Under the current water crisis in agriculture, irrigation methods for saving and conserving water are necessary. However, these methods must guarantee an appropriate yield with a concomitant economic benefit and a reduced environmental impact. In this study, two irrigation thresholds for irrigation timing (IT) based on thermal imagery were analyzed with the UNICA potato variety in three trials under drip (DI) and furrow (FI) irrigation during 2017–2018 in Lima, Peru. The control (T1) remained at >70% of soil field capacity. For other treatments, thresholds were defined based on stomatal conductance at light saturation (T2: 0.15 and T3: 0.05 mol H2O m−2s−1) and crop water stress index (T2: 0.4 and T3: 0.6) based on canopy temperature. An integrated index (IIN) was established for the valuation of treatments using the criteria of high fresh tuber yield (FTY) and a low total amount of irrigated water, production cost (PC), and total C emissions (TE) and using criteria of a score. FI-T2 (0.69–0.72) and DI-T3 (0.19–0.29) showed the highest and lowest IIN value, respectively. FTY in T2 was not significantly reduced under FI, resulting in a lower PC regarding DI–T2 and emphasizing the usefulness of thermal imagery in determining watering schedules in potatoes under furrow irrigation systems.
A Grading Method of Ginseng (Panax ginseng C. A. Meyer) Appearance Quality Based on an Improved ResNet50 Model
Authors: Li Dongming , Piao Xinru , Lei Yu , Li Wei , Zhang Lijuan , Ma Li
Published: November 2022

In the academic world, ginseng (Panax ginseng C. A. Meyer) has received much attention as the most representative element of Chinese medicine. To address the lack of traditional algorithms in the identification of ginseng appearance quality and further improve the manual identification on ginseng, we propose a grading method of ginseng appearance quality based on deep learning, taking advantage of the benefits of deep learning in the image identification. Firstly, we substituted LeakyReLU for the conventional activation function ReLU to enhance the predictive power of the model. Secondly, we added an ECA module to the residual block, which allowed attention to be focused on the input object to capture more precise and detailed features. Thirdly, we used the focal loss function to solve the problem of an imbalanced dataset. Then, the self-constructed dataset was processed with data enhancement and divided into four different classes of ginseng. The dataset was trained on a model with transfer learning to finally obtain the best model applicable to the identification of ginseng appearance quality. The experiments showed that, compared with the classical convolutional neural network models VGG16, GoogLeNet, ResNet50 and Densenet121, the proposed model reported the best performance, its accuracy in the test set was as high as 97.39%, and the loss value was 0.035. This method can efficiently classify the appearance quality of ginseng, and has a significant value in the field of ginseng appearance quality identification.
Improving Simulations of Rice in Response to Temperature and CO2
Authors: Li Sanai , Fleisher David H. , Timlin Dennis , Barnaby Jinyoung , Sun Wenguang , Wang Zhuangji , Reddy V. R.
Published: November 2022

Crop models are frequently used to assess the impact of climate change responses. Evaluation of model performance against empirical data is crucial to establish confidence, particularly for rice (Oryza sativa L.), one of the world’s important cereal crops. Data from soil-plant-atmosphere-research (SPAR) chambers and field plots were used to assess three versions of the ORYZA model to a range of climate conditions. The three versions were: V1–the original, V2–V1 plus a revised heat stress component, and V3–V2 plus a coupled leaf-level gas exchange algorithm. Comparison against SPAR datasets, which covered a range of temperatures at two CO2 levels, indicated successive improvement in yield predictions with the model version. Root Mean Square Error (RMSE) decreased by 520 and 647 kg ha−1 for V2 and V3, respectively, and Wilmott’s index of agreement improved by 10 and 12% compared with V1 when averaged across 20 treatments and three cultivars. Similar improvements were observed from 17 field dataset simulations with two additional varieties. These results indicated the importance of improving heat sterility functions and carbon assimilation methodologies that incorporate direct responses to air temperature and CO2 concentration in rice models. Accounting for cultivar differences in thermal sensitivity is also an important consideration for climate assessments.
Adaptabilities of Water Production Function Models for Rice in Cold and Black Soil Region of China
Authors: Nie Tangzhe , Lu Dehao , Zhang Zhongxue , Yang Hua , Gong Zhenping , Chen Peng , Li Tiecheng , Lin Yanyu , Wang Mengxue , Du Chong , Dai Changlei , Weerasooriya Thusitha
Published: November 2022

Crop water production function models (WPFMs) are required methods to study the relationships between yield and water consumption under regulated deficit irrigation (RDI). In this study, a pot experiment was established to study the effect of water deficit during both individual growth stages and across two consecutive growth stages of rice on yield, water consumption, and water use efficiency (WUE) in 2017 and 2018. Light, medium, and severe water deficits were set as 80~90%, 70~80%, and 60~70% of saturated soil moisture content, respectively. The accuracies of five WPFMs were tested based on the experimental results. The results showed that yields and WUE of a light water deficit were higher than those of medium and severe water deficits at each growth stage. The yields and WUE of light drought stress treatments in the flowering and milky stages were higher than the saturated soil moisture control by 4~7.4% and 5.3~20.6%, respectively. Water consumption decreased with increasing water deficit across two consecutive growth stages. The Minhas model had the highest simulation accuracy of the five WPFMs, with relatively lower AE, RMSE, Cv, CRM, and higher R2, which were 0.0002, 0.0634, 6.9965, 0.0002, and 0.9951 in 2017 and 0.0110, 0.0760, 8.9882, 0.0131, and 0.9923 in 2018, respectively. The sensitivity indices for the Minhas model more accurately reflected the sensitivity of rice yield to water deficit at different growth stages in 2017 and 2018, compared with the Jensen model, Stewart model, Blank model, and Singh model. Rice yield was most sensitive to water deficit at the jointing and booting stage. The results indicate that the Minhas model is the most suitable WPFM for guiding rice irrigation practices in cold and black soil regions of China.