bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Plantar pressure is changed to increase post-impact ball speed during longline forehand and backhand groundstroke in elite female tennis players
Authors: Lambrich Johanna , Muehlbauer Thomas
Published: May 2023

Introduction

Achieving high ball speed during the execution of groundstrokes represents a performance-relevant factor in tennis. However, it is unclear how plantar pressure data undergo change during the execution of groundstrokes by tennis players to achieve high postimpact ball speed. Thus, the objective of the present study is to determine how tennis players change the plantar pressure in each foot when they execute longline forehand and backhand groundstrokes in order to increase postimpact ball speed.

Methods

Seventeen healthy nationally ranked female tennis players (mean age: 21.7 ± 7.7 years) participated in this study. The players performed longline forehand and backhand groundstrokes (topspin) at four postimpact ball speed levels, i.e., at 80 km/h, 90 km/h, 100 km/h, and vmax. Plantar pressure was measured in each foot [i.e., dominant (equals the stroke arm) and non-dominant] using flexible instrumented insoles.

Results

Irrespective of the stroke technique, the repeated measures ANOVA procedure showed significant ball speed × foot dominance interactions. For the forehand stroke, post hoc analyses revealed significantly increased (dominant foot) and decreased (non-dominant foot) pressure values when the postimpact ball speed increased from 100 km/h to vmax. For the backhand stroke, the post hoc analyses yielded significantly decreased (dominant and non-dominant foot) plantar pressure values when the postimpact ball speed increased from 100 km/h to vmax. There were no further significant differences between the other ball speed levels.

Discussion

The significantly varying plantar pressure changes depending on the stroke technique and foot dominance to increase postimpact ball speed suggest that specific physical exercises related to the foot (dominant vs. non-dominant foot) and groundstroke (forehand vs. backhand) seem to be necessary for plantar pressure optimization.
Status of rice-fish farming and rice field fisheries in Northern Laos
Authors: Li Youdan , Phonexay Mali , Zhang Zili , Li Chenhong , Li Jiayao , Zhang Wenbo
Published: May 2023

Introduction

Rice-fish farming can play an important role in increasing food production in less developed countries. The Lao People’s Democratic Republic (Laos) is one of the least developed countries in the world, and rice is the most important crop in Laos.

Methods

The present study conducted field surveys in 2022 in order to get a better understanding of the status of rice-fish production systems in mountainous areas in Northern Laos. Rice-fish farming was defined as one form of aquaculture in the present study, characterized by seed stocking and feed input. Rice field fisheries is mainly the harvesting of wild fish with no seed and feed input.

Results

We found that rice-fish production systems, including both integrated rice-fish farming and rice field fisheries, are still in resources poor status with low input levels of fertilizer and chemicals. Rice-fish farms generally have higher intensification levels in rice farming than that rice field fisheries farms. Rice-fish farms generate significantly more value output of rice than that rice field fisheries farms. Overall, rice-fish farms use land and labor more efficiently and generate higher land and labor productivity measured in value output than rice field fisheries farms.

Discussion

We suggest that more rice field fisheries farms can be intensified with extra seed and feed input to move to rice-fish farming to produce more aquatic products and more value output with the same rice field areas in Northern Laos.
Oral administration of Pinus koraiensis cone essential oil reduces rumen methane emission by altering the rumen microbial composition and functions in Korean native goat (Capra hircus coreanae)
Authors: Choi Youyoung , Lee Shin Ja , Kim Hyun Sang , Eom Jun Sik , Jo Seong Uk , Guan Le Luo , Seo Jakyeom , Park Tansol , Lee Yookyung , Lee Sang Suk , Lee Sung Sill
Published: May 2023

This study aimed to investigate Pinus koraiensis cone essential oil (PEO) as a methane (CH4) inhibitor and determine its impact on the taxonomic and functional characteristics of the rumen microbiota in goats. A total of 10 growing Korean native goats (Capra hircus coreanae, 29.9 ± 1.58 kg, male) were assigned to different dietary treatments: control (CON; basal diet without additive) and PEO (basal diet +1 g/d of PEO) by a 2 × 2 crossover design. Methane measurements were conducted every 4 consecutive days for 17–20 days using a laser CH4 detector. Samples of rumen fluid and feces were collected during each experimental period to evaluate the biological effects and dry matter (DM) digestibility after PEO oral administration. The rumen microbiota was analyzed via 16S rRNA gene amplicon sequencing. The PEO oral administration resulted in reduced CH4 emission (eructation CH4/body weight0.75, p = 0.079) without affecting DM intake; however, it lowered the total volatile fatty acids (p = 0.041), molar proportion of propionate (p = 0.075), and ammonia nitrogen (p = 0.087) in the rumen. Blood metabolites (i.e., albumin, alanine transaminase/serum glutamic pyruvate transaminase, creatinine, and triglyceride) were significantly affected (p < 0.05) by PEO oral administration. The absolute fungal abundance (p = 0.009) was reduced by PEO oral administration, whereas ciliate protozoa, total bacteria, and methanogen abundance were not affected. The composition of rumen prokaryotic microbiota was altered by PEO oral administration with lower evenness (p = 0.054) observed for the PEO group than the CON group. Moreover, PICRUSt2 analysis revealed that the metabolic pathways of prokaryotic bacteria, such as pyruvate metabolism, were enriched in the PEO group. We also identified the Rikenellaceae RC9 gut group as the taxa potentially contributing to the enriched KEGG modules for histidine biosynthesis and pyruvate oxidation in the rumen of the PEO group using the FishTaco analysis. The entire co-occurrence networks showed that more nodes and edges were detected in the PEO group. Overall, these findings provide an understanding of how PEO oral administration affects CH4 emission and rumen prokaryotic microbiota composition and function. This study may help develop potential manipulation strategies to find new essential oils to mitigate enteric CH4 emissions from ruminants.
Surveillance for feline herpesvirus type 1 mutation and development of resistance in cats treated with antiviral medications
Authors: Lewin Andrew C. , Ineck Nikole E. , Mironovich Melanie A. , Marino Morgan E. , Liu Chin-Chi , Emelogu Ugochi , Mills Erinn P. , Camacho-Luna Pilar , Carter Renee T.
Published: May 2023

Feline herpesvirus type 1 (FHV-1) commonly causes ocular surface disease in cats and is treated with antiviral medications targeting viral DNA polymerase (UL30/42). Herein, we describe a method to assess the FHV-1 genome for mutation development and to assess the functional impact of mutations, if present. Fourteen shelter-housed domestic cats with FHV-1 ocular surface disease were assigned to one of four treatment groups: placebo (n = 3), cidofovir 0.5% ophthalmic solution (n = 3), famciclovir oral solution (n = 5), or ganciclovir 0.15% ophthalmic solution (n = 3). Swabs were collected before (day 1) and after (day 8) 1 week of twice-daily treatments to isolate viable FHV-1. Viral DNA was extracted for sequencing using Illumina MiSeq with subsequent genomic variant detection between paired day 1 and day 8 isolates. Plaque reduction assay was performed on paired isolates demonstrating non-synonymous variants. A total of 171 synonymous and 3 non-synonymous variants were identified in day 8 isolates. No variants were detected in viral UL23, UL30, or UL42 genes. Variant totals were not statistically different in animals receiving antiviral or placebo (p = 0.4997). A day 8 isolate from each antiviral treatment group contained a single non-synonymous variant in ICP4 (transcriptional regulator). These 3 isolates demonstrated no evidence of functional antiviral resistance when IC50 was assessed. Most (10/14 pairs) day 1 and 8 viral isolate pairs from the same host animal were near-identical. While functional variants were not detected in this small sample, these techniques can be replicated to assess FHV-1 isolates suspected of having developed resistance to antiviral medications.
Using Deep-Learned Vector Representations for Page Stream Segmentation by Agglomerative Clustering
Authors: Busch Lukas , van Heusden Ruben , Marx Maarten
Published: May 2023

Page stream segmentation (PSS) is the task of retrieving the boundaries that separate source documents given a consecutive stream of documents (for example, sequentially scanned PDF files). The task has recently gained more interest as a result of the digitization efforts of various companies and organizations, as they move towards having all their documents available online for improved searchability and accessibility for users. The current state-of-the-art approach is neural start of document page classification on representations of the text and/or images of pages using models such as Visual Geometry Group-16 (VGG-16) and BERT to classify individual pages. We view the task of PSS as a clustering task instead, hypothesizing that pages from one document are similar to each other and different to pages in other documents, something that is difficult to incorporate in the current approaches. We compare the segmentation performance of an agglomerative clustering method with a binary classification model based on images on a new publicly available dataset and experiment with using either pretrained or finetuned image vectors as inputs to the model. To adapt the clustering method to PSS, we propose the switch method to alleviate the effects of pages of the same class having a high similarity, and report an improvement in the scores using this method. Unfortunately, neither clustering with pretrained embeddings nor clustering with finetuned embeddings outperformed start of document page classification for PSS. However, clustering with either pretrained or finetuned representations is substantially more effective than the baseline, with finetuned embeddings outperforming pretrained embeddings. Finally, having the number of documents K as part of the input, in our use case a realistic assumption, has a surprisingly significant positive effect. In contrast to earlier papers, we evaluate PSS with the overlap weighted partial match F1 score, developed as a Panoptic Quality in the computer vision domain, a metric that is particularly well-suited to PSS as it can be used to measure document segmentation.
Research on Magnetic Characteristics and Fuzzy PID Control of Electromagnetic Suspension
Authors: Wei Wei , Yu Songjian , Li Baozuo
Published: May 2023

This paper proposes an electromagnetic suspension with an electromagnetic actuator, which can improve the riding comfort and stability of the vehicle without changing the safety of traditional MacPherson suspension. First, the electromagnetic suspension structure is introduced, and the principle of the proposed actuator is described in detail. Second, a magnetic flux density model of a single PM ring (permanent magnetic ring) and a magnet assembly are built, and a theoretical analysis of the magnetic flux density is carried out for comparison. Then, the magnetic flux distribution of the magnetic field is simulated and analyzed using the finite element method (FEM), and is compared with theoretical and other experimental data. Finally, a vehicle dynamics model with 7 DOF is built, and vehicle simulations based on the fuzzy PID algorithm are carried out on a C-grade road surface and a deceleration strip. The theoretical results and simulation analyses of the FEM indicate that compared with the MacPherson suspension, the root mean square values of the acceleration of centroid acceleration for the electromagnetic suspension are increased by 59.08% and 33.34%, respectively, on a C-grade road surface and a deceleration strip, and other physical quantities have also been improved. The structure and characteristics of the proposed electromagnetic suspension that improve the riding comfort of the suspension and enhance the stability of the MacPherson suspension are feasible.
Analysis of the Antagonistic Arrangement of Pneumatic Muscles Inspired by a Biological Model of the Human Arm
Authors: Tuleja Peter , Jánoš Rudolf , Semjon Ján , Sukop Marek , Marcinko Peter
Published: May 2023

Technical solutions based on biological models are the subject of research by a wide range of experts and mainly concern their mechanical use. When designing a suitable actuator, they use the physical methods of biological representatives, of which a large group consists of actuators generally referred to as artificial muscles, while another group uses compressed air as an energy carrier. In order to perform the measurements described in this article, a test mechanism based on the opposing arrangement of a pair of pneumatic muscles was constructed. Measurements on the test mechanism were made at set constant pressures in the range of 0.4 MPa to 0.6 MPa, while at each pressure, measurements were made for the counterload range from 0 N to 107.87 N. The measured values were recorded using a microcontroller and subsequently processed into graphic outputs. As part of the measurements, a comparative measurement of the same opposite arrangement of a pair of linear double-acting pneumatic actuators with a single-sided piston rod was also performed. The experiment and measurements were carried out in order to determine the suitability of using pneumatic artificial muscles in the selected arrangement for the implementation of a mechanism imitating the human arm. The target parameters of the experiment were the reaction speed of the course of force when filling the muscle under load and the reaction of the mechanism to a change in the set pressure in the pneumatic system. The summary of the comparison of the measured results is the content of the discussion in this article.
Distributed Cooperative Cruise Control for High-Speed Trains with Energy-Saving Optimization
Authors: Zhou Feng , Tao Kewu , Chen Bin , Li Shuo , Zhu Zhengfa , Yang Yingze
Published: May 2023

With the aim of improving the energy utilization during the cooperative operation of multiple trains, this paper proposes an optimal distributed cooperative cruise control strategy to ensure safe and efficient tracking. A performance index function with distributed characteristics is constructed by considering the state errors among trains and energy consumption. An LQR-based optimal design technique is applied to cooperative cruise control to optimize the cooperative control gain to find the optimal solution. Additionally, the scalar coupling gains are introduced to decouple the design of the optimal cooperative control gain from the communication topology of trains. Thus, the proposed strategy is robust for arbitrary directed communication topologies and can eventually be used to achieve the distributed tracking optimization of multiple trains. The asymptotic stability of the system is proved strictly by exploiting the Hurwitz and Lyapunov stability theorem. A numerical simulation example is given to verify the feasibility and effectiveness of the proposed strategy.
Actuation Behavior of Hydraulically Amplified Self-Healing Electrostatic (HASEL) Actuator via Dimensional Analysis
Authors: Washington Alexandrea , Su Ji , Kim Kwang J.
Published: May 2023

Electroactive polymer (EAP) actuators are an example of a novel soft material device that can be used for several applications including artificial muscles and lenses. The field of EAPs can be broken down into a few fields; however, the field that will be discussed in this study is that of Soft Electrohydraulic (SEH or EH) actuators. The device that will specifically be studied is the Hydraulically Amplified Self-Healing Electrostatic (HASEL) actuator. The design of the HASEL actuator is simple. There are two compliant films that house a dielectric liquid, and with the application of a voltage potential, there is an output displacement and force. However, the actuation mechanism is more complex, thus there is a need to understand theoretically and experimentally how the actuator works. This study analytically describes the electrode closure and the experimental testing of the actuators. Then, dimensional analysis techniques are used to determine what factors are contributing to the function of the actuator. For this study, eight dimensionless Π groups were found based on the derived analytical equation. These Π groups were determined based on the input voltage, density, viscosity, and elastic modulus of the materials; these were chosen because of their major contribution to the experimental data. The Π groups that are of particular importance are related to the characteristic length, which is directly related to the displacement of the fluid, the fluid velocity, the fluid pressure, and the dielectric constant. From this study, relationships between the output force, the electrostatic contributions, and other parameters were determined. All in all, this type of analysis can provide guidance on the development of high-performance HASEL actuators.
Comparative Cost Functions Analysis in the Construction of a Reference Angular Motion Implemented by Magnetorquers
Authors: Okhitina Anna , Tkachev Stepan , Roldugin Dmitry
Published: May 2023

This paper considers a construction procedure of a satellite reference angular motion in the vicinity of an unstable gravitational equilibrium position. The satellite is stabilized on the reference trajectory by the magnetic coils. The problem is solved in several stages. An optimization problem to be solved by the particle swarm optimization method is formulated at each stage. Cost functions are based on the linearized model analysis. The main stage is the construction of a special reference motion, which provides the minimum control torque projection on the geomagnetic induction vector. Optimal geomagnetic field dipole approximation for a given time interval is considered to reduce tracking errors. The paper compares combinations of different cost functions in terms of the terminal attitude accuracy in the presence of perturbations.
Nonintrusive Aerodynamic Shape Optimisation with a POD-DEIM Based Trust Region Method
Authors: Marques Simão , Kob Lucas , Robinson Trevor T. , Yao Weigang
Published: May 2023

This work presents a strategy to build reduced-order models suitable for aerodynamic shape optimisation, resulting in a multifidelity optimisation framework. A reduced-order model (ROM) based on a discrete empirical interpolation (DEIM) method is employed in lieu of computational fluid dynamics (CFD) solvers for fast, nonlinear, aerodynamic modelling. The DEIM builds a set of interpolation points that allows it to reconstruct the flow fields from sets of basis obtained by proper orthogonal decomposition of a matrix of snapshots. The aerodynamic reduced-order model is completed by introducing a nonlinear mapping function between surface deformation and the DEIM interpolation points. The optimisation problem is managed by a trust region algorithm linking the multiple-fidelity solvers, with each subproblem solved using a gradient-based algorithm. The design space is initially restricted; as the optimisation trajectory evolves, new samples enrich the ROM. The proposed methodology is evaluated using a series of transonic viscous test cases based on wing configurations. Results show that for cases with a moderate number of design variables, the approach proposed is competitive with state-of-the-art gradient-based methods; in addition, the use of trust region methodology mitigates the likelihood of the optimiser converging to, shallower, local minima.
Full State Constrained Flight Tracking Control for Helicopter Systems with Disturbances
Authors: Li Yankai , Huang Yulong , Liu Han , Li Dongping
Published: May 2023

In this paper, a full state-constrained anti-disturbance dynamic surface control method is proposed for six-degree-of-freedom unmanned helicopter systems under full state constraints and disturbances. Firstly, due to the underactuated characteristics of six-degree-of-freedom unmanned helicopter systems, an input–output feedback linearization method is used to transform the complex nonlinear systems into facilitated-control nonlinear ones. Based on the transformed systems, the nonlinear disturbance-observer-based control, backstepping control and Barrier Lyapunov function methods are used to construct the flight controller via uniting the state constraint control and dynamic surface control technologies. Then, Lyapunov stability theory is adopted for analysing the closed-loop tracking error systems, which confirms that the tracking errors are bounded under the proposed flight control scheme. Finally, a simulation in the MATLAB/Simulink environment verifies that the unmanned helicopter system can constrain all states under the action of the designed controller, with good dynamic performance.
An Explainable Artificial Intelligence Approach for Remaining Useful Life Prediction
Authors: Youness Genane , Aalah Adam
Published: May 2023

Prognosis and health management depend on sufficient prior knowledge of the degradation process of critical components to predict the remaining useful life. This task is composed of two phases: learning and prediction. The first phase uses the available information to learn the system’s behavior. The second phase predicts future behavior based on the available information of the system and estimates its remaining lifetime. Deep learning approaches achieve good prognostic performance but usually suffer from a high computational load and a lack of interpretability. Complex feature extraction models do not solve this problem, as they lose information in the learning phase and thus have a poor prognosis for the remaining lifetime. A new prepossessing approach is used with feature clustering to address this issue. It allows for restructuring the data into homogeneous groups strongly related to each other using a simple architecture of the LSTM model. It is advantageous in terms of learning time and the possibility of using limited computational capabilities. Then, we focus on the interpretability of deep learning prognosis using Explainable AI to achieve interpretable RUL prediction. The proposed approach offers model improvement and enhanced interpretability, enabling a better understanding of feature contributions. Experimental results on the available NASA C-MAPSS dataset show the performance of the proposed model compared to other common methods.
Time-Inclined Method for High-Fidelity Rotor/Stator Simulations
Authors: Montiel Miguel , Corral Roque
Published: May 2023

The application of the time-inclined method in a fourth-order unstructured flux-reconstruction code for turbomachinery is demonstrated. Inviscid and viscous unsteady results due to the interaction of an incoming gust of total pressure with a linear cascade of flat plates and a linear cascade of T106A low-pressure turbine airfoils are reported. The agreement between the time-inclined method and the equivalent full-annulus multipassage solution is very high for both cases. Viscous solutions at Reynolds numbers of 104 and 105 were conducted. A high degree of matching was obtained between the time-inclined and the whole annulus approaches. The limitations of the method are explored and discussed. While the evolution of the unsteady boundary layers created by the interaction with the incoming wakes was very well captured, the mixing associated with the trailing edge vortex shedding was less accurate. The critical parameter controlling the method’s accuracy is the local Strouhal number. It was demonstrated that the benefit of retaining the exact blade count in the simulations overcomes the slight differences in the mixing due to the limitation of the time-inclined method to model viscous effects accurately in all situations.
A Geometrical, Reachable Set Approach for Constrained Pursuit–Evasion Games with Multiple Pursuers and Evaders
Authors: Jansson Olli , Harris Matthew W.
Published: May 2023

This paper presents a solution strategy for deterministic time-optimal pursuit–evasion games with linear state constraints, convex control constraints, and linear dynamics that is consistent with linearized relative orbital motion models such as the Clohessy–Wiltshire equations and relative orbital elements. The strategy first generates polytopic inner approximations of the players’ reachable sets by solving a sequence of convex programs. A bisection method then computes the optimal termination time, which is the least time at which a set containment condition is satisfied. The pursuit–evasion games considered are games with (1) a single pursuer and single evader, (2) multiple pursuers and a single evader, and (3) a single pursuer and multiple evaders. Compared to variational methods, this reachable set strategy leads to a tractable formulation even when there are state and control constraints. The efficacy of the strategy is demonstrated in three numerical simulations for a constellation of satellites in close proximity in low earth orbit.
Rotating Machinery State Recognition Based on Mel-Spectrum and Transfer Learning
Authors: Li Fan , Lu Zixiao , Tang Junyue , Zhang Weiwei , Tian Yahui , Cui Zhongyu , Jiang Fei , Li Honglang , Jiang Shengyuan
Published: May 2023

During drilling into the soil, the rotating mechanical structure will be affected by soil particles and external disturbances, affecting the health of the rotating mechanical structure. Therefore, real-time monitoring of the operational status of rotating mechanical structures is of great significance. This paper proposes a working state recognition method based on Mel-spectrum and transfer learning, which uses the mechanical vibration signal’s time domain and frequency domain information to identify the mechanical structure’s working state. Firstly, we cut the signal at window length, and then the Mel-spectrum of the truncated signal is obtained through the Fourier transform and Mel-scale filter bank. Finally, we adopted the method of transfer learning. The pre-trained model VGG16 is adjusted to extract and classify the features of the Mel-spectrum. Experimental results show that the framework maintains an accuracy of more than 90% for vibration signals under minor window conditions, which verifies the real-time reliability of the method.
Dynamic Cutting Performance Test and Parameter Optimization of Longicorn Bionic Blade for Industrial Hemp Harvester
Authors: Tian Kunpeng , Zhang Bin , Shen Cheng , Liu Haolu , Huang Jicheng , Ji Aimin
Published: May 2023

In response to the unclear issue of whether the dynamic cutting performance and structural parameters of an industrial hemp blade, which was developed earlier based on the bionic prototype of the batocera horsfieldi, can be optimized in actual working conditions, this paper analyzes the effective clamping conditions of a reciprocating double-acting cutting blade for stalks and the cutting motion. To investigate the effect of different structural and motion parameters, as well as their interactions, of the bionic blade on cutting energy consumption, bionic blades with different combinations of tooth pitch and tooth angle were designed. A Box–Behnken response surface method with three factors and three levels was used to design an experimental scheme. Utilizing rigid-flexible coupling numerical simulation technology, numerical simulation experiments were conducted to investigate the cutting performance of industrial hemp stalks using the blade. A regression model for cutting energy consumption was established, and variance analysis indicated that tooth angle, speed ratio, and the interaction between tooth angle and speed ratio had an extremely significant effect on the regression model. The primary and secondary orders of factors affecting cutting energy consumption were determined to be: speed ratio > tooth angle > tooth pitch. Through optimization, the optimal parameter combination was found to be a blade tooth pitch of 6.61 mm, a tooth angle of 30°, and a speed ratio of 1.62. Under these conditions, the cutting energy consumption was 3947.99 mJ. The optimized parameters were verified through numerical simulation cutting experiments, and the results showed that the error compared with the optimization results was only 8.16%. This indicates that the optimization results have high credibility and further verifies the reliability of the model. This study can provide a reference for the development of cutting devices for industrial hemp harvesters and the selection of motion parameters.
Hard Seed Characteristics and Seed Vigor of Ormosia hosiei
Authors: Dai Li , Chen Yanwei , Wei Xiaoli
Published: May 2023

The Ormosia hosiei is a secondary protected wild plant in China, and its seed has a hardness rate of 86%. To explore the characteristics of the hard seed and the difference in seed vigor between hard seeds and the non-hard seeds of O. hosiei, the water absorption characteristics, germination characteristics, seed coat structure, seed coat permeability, enzyme activity, and main biochemical substances of the O. hosiei seeds were determined. The results showed that the hard and dense seed coat is the main obstacle to absorbing water of O. hosiei seeds; the main reason is that the seed coat is composed of cuticle, palisade cells, and thick-walled cells with impermeability. Hot water treatment can soften the seed coat and remove wax and grease from the seed coat, and concentrated sulfuric acid treatment can corrode the local seed coat and break the barrier of cuticle and palisade tissue. The effectiveness of concentrated sulfuric acid to break the dormancy of O. hosiei hard seeds is better than that of hot water treatment, but the damage to the seed coat is larger and irreversible. The germination, germination index, root activity, TTCH content, and SOD activity of the hard seeds were higher than those of the non-hard seeds, but the SSC, conductivity value, and MDA content were lower than those of the non-hard seeds.
Antioxidant Potential and Phenolic Acid Profiles in Triticale Grain under Integrated and Conventional Cropping Systems
Authors: Jańczak-Pieniążek Marta , Horvat Daniela , Viljevac Vuletić Marija , Kovačević Babić Marija , Buczek Jan , Szpunar-Krok Ewa
Published: May 2023

Cereals are a valuable source of biologically active compounds. Phenolic compounds, of which the phenolic acids (PA) found in cereal grains constitute a significant proportion, are characterized by health-promoting properties largely due to their antioxidant capacity. PA, located mainly in the outer parts of the grain, play an important role in preventing environmental stresses. Triticale is a cereal species of increasing economic value, and also value for human consumption. The aim of this study was to demonstrate the effect of conventional (CONV) and integrated (INTEG) cropping systems on antioxidant activity and content of selected PA in triticale cultivars (Meloman, Panteon, Belcanto) grain. The experiment was conducted in seasons from 2019/2020 to 2021/2022. Among the PA tested, ferulic acid (FER) had the highest contribution to total PA content (TPAs), with 519, 99, and 1115 μg g−1 in whole grain, flour, and bran, respectively. The unfavorable hydrothermal conditions occurring in the seasons (rainfall deficit) increased TPA, mainly in whole grain. Grain cv. Meloman had the highest PA content in whole grain, flour, and bran and cv. Belcanto had the lowest, with differences of 22.7, 18.2, and 15.7% respectively. Cultivation of triticale under the CONV vs. INTEG cropping system resulted in reduced amounts of TPAs in flour and bran and PA: p-hydroxybenzoic acid (p-HB) in flour, syringic acid (SYR) in whole grain and bran, and ferulic acid (FER) and sinapic acid (SIN) in bran. The CONV cropping system also caused a decrease in antioxidant activity (AOA) in flour and bran. In most of the cases analyzed, the highest antioxidant activity and content of PA were found in bran, and the lowest were found in flour. The high presence of PA in triticale grain indicates that this cereal, especially when grown under the INTEG cropping system, can be destined for consumption and provide a source of valuable antioxidants for various food and nutraceutical purposes.
Excessive Nitrate Limits the Sustainability of Deep Compost Mulch in Organic Market Gardening
Authors: Ruch Benjamin , Hefner Margita , Sradnick André
Published: May 2023

Market gardening is a widespread practice of bio-intensive vegetable production characterized by direct marketing, small-scale farming structures, high crop densities, and innovative cultivation approaches. Currently, deep compost mulch (DCM) is a popular trend among related growing techniques. The combination of no-till and a permanent mulch of compost aims to improve soil fertility, regulate soil temperature, retain soil moisture, and control weeds. To address the problem of perennial weeds in organic no-till, deep mulch layers of typically 150 mm are used. The amount of compost required and the associated N inputs are immense and carry the risk of environmentally harmful N surpluses that can be lost through nitrate leaching or denitrification. The aim of this study is to evaluate the use of compost as mulch and to investigate N dynamics under DCM. For this purpose, a literature review was conducted, and soil inorganic nitrogen (Nmin-N) was measured under on-farm conditions up to a soil depth of 900 mm in a market garden with DCM in Germany for one year. Furthermore, based on the collected data, the different N pathways were calculated using the N-Expert and NDICEA models and simulated for two additional scenarios. Results from field measurements showed a strongly increased N-surplus not taken up by the crops and a shift of Nmin-N to deeper soil layers for municipal organic waste compost (MW), with an average accumulation of 466 kg Nmin-N ha−1 at 600–900 mm depth. N inputs from DCM can be significantly reduced by the use of green waste compost (GW) with low bulk density or wood waste compost (WW) with an additional high C/N ratio.
Increasing Legume Input through Interseeding Cover Crops: Soil and Crop Response as Affected by Tillage System
Authors: Centurión Nelly , Mariscal-Sancho Ignacio , Navas Mariela , Gabriel José Luis , Ulcuango Kelly , Ibáñez Miguel Ángel , Moliner Ana , Hontoria Chiquinquirá
Published: May 2023

Legumes provide important benefits in rotations. Interseeding cover crops (CCs) allows an additional legume CC in case of a short window after the main crop. However, legume input level and management could modify the expected benefits. In a Mediterranean irrigated agroecosystem, we evaluated the responses of topsoil (0–10 cm) and early maize development to increasing legume CC input in a biannual maize–wheat rotation under traditional tillage (TT; CC incorporated) and minimum tillage (MT; CC rolled-crimped). In the third year, at two early maize stages, we tested three legume input levels: (i) R0, non-CC; (ii) R1, barley–vetch CC; (iii) R2, vetch interseeded into maize in addition to the CC mixture. Overall, MT enhanced soil properties, but frequently conditioned to legume input level. The tillage system affected R1 the most, with MTR1 showing the better overall soil response while TTR0 showed the poorest. MTR2 was the best combination for early maize development, but not for soil health. Moreover, a better overall soil health did not lead to a better early maize performance in the short term. In this alkaline soil, CC favored early maize growth, whereas mycorrhization, enhanced under TT, favored crop nutrition. Increased legume input under MT should be monitored to avoid negative effects in soil in the mid–long term.
Struvite as a Sustainable Fertilizer in Mediterranean Soils
Authors: Pérez-Piqueres Ana , Ribó Marta , Rodríguez-Carretero Isabel , Quiñones Ana , Canet Rodolfo
Published: May 2023

Recycled sources of phosphorus (P) and nitrogen (N), such as struvite extracted from wastewater, have the potential to substitute conventional manufactured fertilizers and mitigate environmental problems such as water eutrophication or the depletion of non-renewable resources. This study aimed to evaluate the potential of struvite as a nitrogenous and phosphate fertilizer in the Spanish Mediterranean region. Two experiments were carried out using struvite recovered from sewage sludge and different representative soils from the area. Since knowing the rates at which their nutrients are released is key for efficient use, experiment I determined the struvite N-releasing rate for 16 weeks. Experiment II studied the effect of different struvite doses (50, 100, 200 kg P2O5 ha−1) on crop growth compared to superphosphate + ammonium nitrate. The results indicated N-releasing rates that fall in line with a slow-release fertilizer. More than 20% of applied struvite-N was unavailable for plants or in the longer term, which suggests struvite fractionation as the most efficient application method. Struvite showed similar fertilization capacity, which was even better at some points, than conventional mineral fertilization, plus adequate plant growth and good nutrient concentration at the 50 kg P2O5 ha−1 dose. Based on this study, struvite can be considered an interesting and effective option for sustainable fertilization in the Mediterranean region.
Optimizing Biochar Particle Size for Plant Growth and Mitigation of Soil Salinization
Authors: Tang Esther , Liao Wenxi , Thomas Sean C.
Published: May 2023

Pyrolyzed waste biomass, or biochar, has been suggested as a means to increase plant growth and mitigate soil salinization, which is a widespread agricultural issue and can reach extreme levels in urban soils impacted by de-icing salts. Soil mixing is enhanced by reduced biochar particle size; however, biochar properties vary with particle size, and recent studies have suggested that plant growth responses may be maximized at intermediate particle sizes. We examined the responses of two plant species (cowpea (Vigna unguiculata) and velvetleaf (Abutilon theophrasti)) to biochar amendments that spanned a wide range of particle sizes obtained by sieving, with and without de-icing salt additions. The smallest size fractions of biochar reduced plant growth relative to unamended controls. Plant biomass production was generally maximized at intermediate biochar particle size treatments, with particle sizes of 0.5–2.0 mm showing the best response. Mitigation of salt effects was also improved at intermediate biochar particle sizes in this particle size range. Our results emphasize the importance of optimizing biochar particle size to best enhance plant responses to biochar, with particular reference to saline soils.
Research on Path Tracking for an Orchard Mowing Robot Based on Cascaded Model Predictive Control and Anti-Slip Drive Control
Authors: Li Jun , Wang Sifan , Zhang Wenyu , Li Haomin , Zeng Ye , Wang Tao , Fei Ke , Qiu Xinrui , Jiang Runpeng , Mai Chaodong , Cao Yachao
Published: May 2023

In complex orchard environments, orchard mowing robots are prone to longitudinal slippage because of the characteristics of tires and the adhesion conditions of the road surface, which makes it difficult for the robots to maintain high-precision path tracking and autonomous navigation positioning. This not only affects the accuracy of path tracking but also leads to unstable motion for the mowing robots. To solve the above problems, we take an orchard mowing robot as the control object and establish a cascaded path-tracking controller and an adaptive time domain model based on a kinematics model. By designing a linear error model, an objective function, and constraint conditions for the mowing robot, the optimal linear velocity and angular velocity of the mower are obtained and converted into the speed of the driving wheel. Then, an anti-slip driving controller is designed based on fuzzy control of the slip rate. The slip-rate-based fuzzy controller is constructed according to the real-time speed of the mower and the reference speed of the driving wheel solved by the model predictive controller, and anti-slip driving control is implemented through a combination of a PID controller and a tire dynamics model. To verify the effectiveness of the proposed method, simulation and field experiments are conducted. The experimental results show that the slip rate of the driving wheel of the mower remains within the target slip rate range in the orchard working environment, avoiding excessive driving wheel sliding. Furthermore, the average lateral error of the path-tracking controller is controlled within 0.05 m, and the average value of the longitudinal error is kept within 0.04 m, which satisfies the control accuracy requirements of lawn mower operations. The proposed method provides a reference optimization scheme for improving the path-tracking and motion stability of a mowing robot.
Effect of Neurosteroids on Basal and Stress-Induced Oxytocin Secretion in Luteal-Phase and Pregnant Sheep
Authors: Młotkowska Patrycja , Marciniak Elżbieta , Misztal Anna , Misztal Tomasz
Published: May 2023

Oxytocin (OT) is a neuropeptide synthesized in the hypothalamic nuclei that modulates both behavioral and reproductive functions, associated with the increased neurosteroid synthesis in the brain. Therefore, the present study tested the hypothesis that manipulation of central neurosteroid levels could affect oxytocin synthesis and release in non-pregnant and pregnant sheep under both basal and stressful conditions. In Experiment 1, luteal-phase sheep were subjected to a series of intracerebroventricular (icv.) infusions of allopregnanolone (AL, 4 × 15 μg/60 μL/30 min) for 3 days. In Experiment 2, pregnant animals (4th month) received a series of infusions of the neurosteroid synthesis blocker, finasteride (4 × 25 μg/60 μL/30 min), conducted for 3 days. In non-pregnant sheep AL alone was shown to differentially modulate OT synthesis in basal conditions, and strongly inhibit OT response to stress (p < 0.001). In contrast, in pregnant animals, basal and stress-induced OT secretion was significantly (p < 0.001) increased during finasteride infusion compared to controls. In conclusion, we showed that neurosteroids were involved in the control of OT secretion in sheep, particularly under stress and pregnancy conditions and are part of an adaptive mechanism which is responsible for protecting and maintaining pregnancy in harmful situations.
Integrated Metabolomic and Transcriptomic Analysis Reveals Potential Gut-Liver Crosstalks in the Lipogenesis of Chicken
Authors: Chen Can , Chen Weilin , Ding Hao , Zhang Genxi , Xie Kaizhou , Zhang Tao
Published: May 2023

Growing evidence has shown the involvement of the gut–liver axis in lipogenesis and fat deposition. However, how the gut crosstalk with the liver and the potential role of gut–liver crosstalk in the lipogenesis of chicken remains largely unknown. In this study, to identify gut–liver crosstalks involved in regulating the lipogenesis of chicken, we first established an HFD-induced obese chicken model. Using this model, we detected the changes in the metabolic profiles of the cecum and liver in response to the HFD-induced excessive lipogenesis using ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography–tandem mass spectrometry (UHPLC-MS/MS) analysis. The changes in the gene expression profiles of the liver were examined by RNA sequencing. The potential gut–liver crosstalks were identified by the correlation analysis of key metabolites and genes. The results showed that a total of 113 and 73 differentially abundant metabolites (DAMs) between NFD and HFD groups were identified in the chicken cecum and liver, respectively. Eleven DAMs overlayed between the two comparisons, in which ten DAMs showed consistent abundance trends in the cecum and liver after HFD feeding, suggesting their potential as signaling molecules between the gut and liver. RNA sequencing identified 271 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) in the liver of chickens fed with NFD vs. HFD. Thirty-five DEGs were involved in the lipid metabolic process, which might be candidate genes regulating the lipogenesis of chicken. Correlation analysis indicated that 5-hydroxyisourate, alpha-linolenic acid, bovinic acid, linoleic acid, and trans-2-octenoic acid might be transported from gut to liver, and thereby up-regulate the expression of ACSS2, PCSK9, and CYP2C18 and down-regulate one or more genes of CDS1, ST8SIA6, LOC415787, MOGAT1, PLIN1, LOC423719, and EDN2 in the liver to enhance the lipogenesis of chicken. Moreover, taurocholic acid might be transported from the gut to the liver and contribute to HFD-induced lipogenesis by regulating the expression of ACACA, FASN, AACS, and LPL in the liver. Our findings contribute to a better understanding of gut–liver crosstalks and their potential roles in regulating chicken lipogenesis.
A Fine-Grained Image Classification Approach for Dog Feces Using MC-SCMNet under Complex Backgrounds
Authors: Liang Jinyu , Cai Weiwei , Xu Zhuonong , Zhou Guoxiong , Li Johnny , Xiang Zuofu
Published: May 2023

In a natural environment, factors such as weathering and sun exposure will degrade the characteristics of dog feces; disturbances such as decaying wood and dirt are likely to make false detections; the recognition distinctions between different kinds of feces are slight. To address these issues, this paper proposes a fine-grained image classification approach for dog feces using MC-SCMNet under complex backgrounds. First, a multi-scale attention down-sampling module (MADM) is proposed. It carefully retrieves tiny feces feature information. Second, a coordinate location attention mechanism (CLAM) is proposed. It inhibits the entry of disturbance information into the network’s feature layer. Then, an SCM-Block containing MADM and CLAM is proposed. We utilized the block to construct a new backbone network to increase the efficiency of fecal feature fusion in dogs. Throughout the network, we decrease the number of parameters using depthwise separable convolution (DSC). In conclusion, MC-SCMNet outperforms all other models in terms of accuracy. On our self-built DFML dataset, it achieves an average identification accuracy of 88.27% and an F1 value of 88.91%. The results of the experiments demonstrate that it is more appropriate for dog fecal identification and maintains stable results even in complex backgrounds, which may be applied to dog gastrointestinal health checks.
An Isolated and Deeply Divergent Hynobius Species from Fujian, China
Authors: Wang Zhenqi , Othman Siti N. , Qiu Zhixin , Lu Yiqiu , Prasad Vishal Kumar , Dong Yuran , Lu Chang-Hu , Borzée Amaël
Published: May 2023

It is important to describe lineages before they go extinct, as we can only protect what we know. This is especially important in the case of microendemic species likely to be relict populations, such as Hynobius salamanders in southern China. Here, we unexpectedly sampled Hynobius individuals in Fujian province, China, and then worked on determining their taxonomic status. We describe Hynobius bambusicolus sp. nov. based on molecular and morphological data. The lineage is deeply divergent and clusters with the other southern Chinese Hynobius species based on the concatenated mtDNA gene fragments (>1500 bp), being the sister group to H. amjiensis based on the COI gene fragment, despite their geographic distance. In terms of morphology, the species can be identified through discrete characters enabling identification in the field by eye, an unusual convenience in Hynobius species. In addition, we noted some interesting life history traits in the species, such as vocalization and cannibalism. The species is likely to be incredibly rare, over a massively restricted distribution, fitting the definition of Critically Endangered following several lines of criteria and categories of the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species.