bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Relationship between hepatitis C and kidney stone in US females: Results from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey in 2007–2018
Authors: Chen Yang , Shen Xudong , Liang Hu , Li Guoxiang , Han Kexing , Liang Chaozhao , Hao Zongyao
Published: August 2022

Background

The main objective of this study is to explore the effects of hepatitis C (HCV) on the prevalence rate of kidney stones in US women.

Method

Dates for HCV infection and kidney stones were collected from National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) database, a cross-sectional study. The analysis samples included adults aged ≥20 years and women from six consecutive cycles of the NHANES 2007–2018. The association between HCV infection and kidney stones was performed by using logistic regression models. Subgroup analyses were conducted to find sensitive crowds.

Results

A total of 13,262 participants were enrolled, including 201 infected with HCV. After adjustment for potential confounders, we revealed a positive relationship between HCV and kidney stones (OR = 1.70, 95%CI:1.13–2.56). The crowds' statistically significant difference was characterized by other races (OR = 8.17, 95%CI:1.62–41.22) and BMI within 25–29.9 kg/m2 (OR = 2.45, 95%CI:1.24–4.83).

Conclusions

HCV infection may affect the prevalence of urolithiasis in US women, even the causal relationship remains unclear, the relation deserves special attention. We considered such a study an ideal way to begin exploring the effects of HCV on kidney stones.
Otosclerosis under microCT: New insights into the disease and its anatomy
Authors: O'Toole Bom Braga Gabriela , Zboray Robert , Parrilli Annapaola , Bulatović Milica , Caversaccio Marco Domenico , Wagner Franca
Published: August 2022

Purpose

Otospongiotic plaques can be seen on conventional computed tomography (CT) as focal lesions around the cochlea. However, the resolution remains insufficient to enable evaluation of intracochlear damage. MicroCT technology provides resolution at the single micron level, offering an exceptional amplified view of the otosclerotic cochlea. In this study, a non-decalcified otosclerotic cochlea was analyzed and reconstructed in three dimensions for the first time, using microCT technology. The pre-clinical relevance of this study is the demonstration of extensive pro-inflammatory buildup inside the cochlea which cannot be seen with conventional cone-beam CT (CBCT) investigation.

Materials and Methods

A radiological and a three-dimensional (3D) anatomical study of an otosclerotic cochlea using microCT technology is presented here for the first time. 3D-segmentation of the human cochlea was performed, providing an unprecedented view of the diseased area without the need for decalcification, sectioning, or staining.

Results

Using microCT at single micron resolution and geometric reconstructions, it was possible to visualize the disease's effects. These included intensive tissue remodeling and highly vascularized areas with dilated capillaries around the spongiotic foci seen on the pericochlear bone. The cochlea's architecture as a morphological correlate of the otosclerosis was also seen. With a sagittal cut of the 3D mesh, it was possible to visualize intense ossification of the cochlear apex, as well as the internal auditory canal, the modiolus, the spiral ligament, and a large cochleolith over the osseous spiral lamina. In addition, the oval and round windows showed intense fibrotic tissue formation and spongiotic bone with increased vascularization. Given the recently described importance of the osseous spiral lamina in hearing mechanics and that, clinically, one of the signs of otosclerosis is the Carhart notch observed on the audiogram, a tonotopic map using the osseous spiral lamina as region of interest is presented. An additional quantitative study of the porosity and width of the osseous spiral lamina is reported.

Conclusion

In this study, structural anatomical alterations of the otosclerotic cochlea were visualized in 3D for the first time. MicroCT suggested that even though the disease may not appear to be advanced in standard clinical CT scans, intense tissue remodeling is already ongoing inside the cochlea. That knowledge will have a great impact on further treatment of patients presenting with sensorineural hearing loss.
Exploring environmental measures in disability: Using Google Earth and Street View to conduct remote assessments of access and participation in urban and rural communities
Authors: Seekins Tom , Traci Meg A. , Hicks Emily C.
Published: August 2022

The Americans with Disabilities Act has been in place since 1990. Yet, we still do not know the actual levels of accessibility in the nation, how access varies across communities or over time, or how it influences participation in community life. The present two studies explored the use of Google Earth (GE) and Google Street View (GSV) imagery as a database for examining the accessibility of rural and urban cities and towns in the United States. We developed procedures for selecting places in a community to observe multiple access features. Study 1 reports the findings from assessments of 25 communities across 17 states. We observed ≈50,000 m (31 miles) of pathways through the observed places. The Combined Access Score (CAS) averaged 65% across these communities. In Study 2, we evaluated 22 towns and cities in a large rural state. We observed ≈77,000 m (48 miles) of pathways through the Central Business Districts observed as core areas connecting people to community life. The CAS averaged 83.9% across these communities. We noted a Rural Access Penalty (RAP), such that rural areas tended to be less accessible, leading to less community participation. The method for using GSV to examine accessibility is discussed. This study demonstrates an inexpensive and reliable method for evaluating the accessibility of communities and participation in them. Future research should be conducted to gather a larger sample of communities in order to create a baseline from which to monitor changes in accessibility of infrastructure over time.
The clinical outcomes of surgical treatment for chronic ankle instability by anatomical reconstruction of the anterior talofibular ligament with autologous half-bundle peroneal longus tendon: A retrospective study
Authors: Luo Yeqiang , Lin Shanghui , Kong Lingchuang , Jin Yan , Wang Renkai , Zhang Ying , Li Baofeng , Chen Bei
Published: August 2022

The anterior talofibular ligament is the weakest and most vulnerable lateral ligament to be injured, and it can replace anatomical position through anatomical reconstruction. The purpose of this study is to evaluate clinical outcomes after an autologous half-bundle peroneus longus tendon anatomical reconstruction. We conducted a retrospective analysis by enrolling 34 patients [22 male and 12 female, median age 21 (range 19–26) years] with anterior talofibular ligament injury from January 2018 to March 2020. All patients underwent a ligament anatomical reconstruction operation with autologous half-bundle peroneus longus tendon and followed up with an average time of 16.21 ± 3.20 (range 12–24) months, with no loss of patients to follow-up during the study period. The American Orthopedic Foot, Ankle Society Score (AOFAS), Visual Analogue Score (VAS), and Anterior Tibiotalar Translation were used to assess the curative effect. All the indexes were compared between the preoperative and at the final follow-up to discover the related statistical differences. The AOFAS score improved significantly from an average preoperative score of 56.91 ± 3.79 to 94.12 ± 2.51 at the final followed-up (p < 0.001). Meanwhile, the pre-operation VAS pain score decreased from 5.94 ± 1.32 to 1.71 ± 0.87 (p < 0.001). Additionally, the Anterior tibiotalar translation decreased from 16.40 ± 1.85 to 5.20 ± 0.57 mm at the final followed-up (p < 0.001). The anterior drawer test was negative for all patients after the operation. Considering the outcomes, we concluded that anatomical reconstruction of the anterior talofibular ligament with autologous half-bundle peroneal longus tendon was a proper and safe procedure for chronic lateral ankle instability, and it had good clinical results and minimal complications.
Buffalo long non-coding RNA gene11007 promotes myoblasts proliferation
Authors: Zhang Ning , Xu Gaoxiao , Sun Ping , Wang Shuzhe , Zhu Yunchang , Duan Saixing , Jiang Mingsheng , Li Hui , Wei Xuefeng , Ma Yun
Published: August 2022

Buffalo meat is of good quality because it is lean and tender, and could bring significant cardiovascular benefits. The underlying difference in muscle development and meat quality is a complex and precisely orchestrated process which has been demonstrated to be regulated by long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs). However, the regulatory role of lncRNAs in the growth and development of buffalo skeletal muscle is still unclear. In this study, the Ribo-Zero RNA-Seq method was used to explore the lncRNA expression profiles of buffalo myoblasts during the proliferation and differentiation phases. A specific set of 9,978 lncRNAs was found. By comparing the expression profiles of lncRNAs, it was found that there were 1,576 differentially expressed lncRNAs (DELs) during buffalo myoblast differentiation. Twelve DELs were chosen and subsequently verified in eight different buffalo tissues during fetal and adult stages by using qPCR. Gene11007 was found to be one of the most down-regulated lncRNAs during buffalo myoblasts differentiation and it was subsequently characterized. EdU, CCK-8, qPCR and western blotting assays showed that gene11007 promoted the proliferation of buffalo myoblasts but it had no effect on cell differentiation. Our research may enrich the genome annotations of buffalo and provide a new molecular target for the in-depth understanding of the regulation of lncRNAs in skeletal muscle.
Development and evaluation of a survey instrument to assess veterinary medical record suitability for multi-center research studies
Authors: Praczko Dora , Tinkle Amanda K. , Arkenberg Crystal R. , McClelland Robyn L. , Creevy Kate E. , Tolbert M. Katherine , Barnett Brian G. , Chou Lucy , Evans Jeremy , McNulty Kellyn E. ,   Dog Aging Project Consortium, Levine Jonathan M.
Published: August 2022

Here we describe the development and evaluation of a survey instrument to assess the research suitability of veterinary electronic medical records (EMRs) through the conduct of two studies as part of the Dog Aging Project (DAP). In study 1, four reviewers used the instrument to score a total of 218 records in an overlapping matrix of pairs to assess inter-rater agreement with respect to appropriate format (qualification), identification match (verification), and record quality. Based upon the moderate inter-rater agreement with respect to verification and the relatively large number of records that were incorrectly rejected the instrument was modified and more specific instructions were provided. In study 2, a modified instrument was again completed by four reviewers to score 100 different EMRs. The survey scores were compared to a gold standard of board-certified specialist review to determine receiver operating curve statistics. The refined survey had substantial inter-rater agreement across most qualification and verification questions. The cut-off value identified had a sensitivity of 95 and 96% (by reviewer 1 and reviewer 2, respectively) and a specificity of 82% and 91% (by reviewer 1 and reviewer 2, respectively) to predict gold standard acceptance or rejection of the record. Using just qualification and verification questions within the instrument (as opposed to full scoring) minimally impacted sensitivity and specificity and resulted in substantial time savings in the review process.
Mobility and Policy Responses During the COVID-19 Pandemic in 2020
Authors: Cepaluni Gabriel , Dorsch Michael T. , Kovarek Daniel
Published: August 2022

Objective: This paper quantitatively explores determinants of governments’ non-pharmaceutical policy responses to the COVID-19 pandemic. Our focus is on the extent to which geographic mobility affected the stringency of governmental policy responses.

Methods: Using cross-country, daily frequency data on geographic mobility and COVID-19 policy stringency during 2020, we investigate some of the determinants of policy responses to COVID-19. In order to causally identify the effect of geographic mobility on policy stringency, we pursue an instrumental variable strategy that exploits climate data to identify arguably exogenous variation in geographic mobility.

Results: We find that societies that are more geographically mobile have governmental policy responses that are less stringent. Examining disaggregated mobility data, we show that the negative relation between geographic mobility and policy stringency is the stronger for commercially-oriented movements than for geographic movements that relate to civil society.

Conclusion: The results suggest that policy-makers are more willing to trade-off public health for economic concerns relative to other civil concerns.
Midterm Results of the Open and Minimally Invasive Transversus Abdominis Release Technique for the Treatment of Abdominal Wall Hernias in an Academic Center
Authors: Quezada Nicolás , Grimoldi Milenko , Jacubovsky Ioram , Besser Nicolás , Riveros Sergio , Achurra Pablo , Crovari Fernando
Published: August 2022

Introduction: Large hernia defects are a challenge for general and specialized hernia surgeons. The transversus abdominis release (TAR) technique has revolutionized the treatment of complex hernias since it allows the closure of large midline hernias, as well as hernias in different locations. This study aims to report the experience with the TAR technique and mid-term results in the first 101 patients.

Methods: Non-concurrent cohort review of our prospectively collected electronic database. All patients submitted to a TAR (open or minimally invasive eTEP-TAR) from 2017 to 2020 were included. Demographic data, comorbidities, hernia characteristics, preoperative optimization, intraoperative variables, and clinical outcomes were gathered. The main outcomes of this study are hernia recurrences and surgical morbidity.

Results: A total of 101 patients were identified. The median follow-up was 26 months. Mean age and body mass index was 63 years and 31.4 Kg/m2, respectively. Diabetes was present in 22% of patients and 43% had at least one previous hernia repair. Nineteen patients had significant loss of domain. Mean hernia size and area were 13 cm and 247 cm2, respectively. Ninety-six percent of cases were clean or clean-contaminated. The mean operative time was 164 min and all patients received a synthetic mesh. We diagnosed two hernia recurrences and the overall (medical and surgical) complication rate was 32%. The hernia-specific complication rate was 17%, with seven surgical site infections and seven surgical site occurrences requiring procedural interventions. Notably, weight loss was associated with a lower risk of SSOPI and reoperations.

Conclusion: We show an encouraging 2% of recurrences in the mid-term follow-up in the setting of clinically complex hernia repair. However, we observed a high frequency of overall and hernia-specific complications pointing to the complexity of the type of surgery itself and the patients we operated on.
Tumor-Derived Exosomal RNA From Fine-Needle Aspiration Supernatant as a Novel Liquid Biopsy for Molecular Diagnosis of Cancer
Authors: Li Guorong , Liu Dongdong , Flandrin Pascale , Zhang Yang , Lambert Claude , Mallouk Nora , Cottier Michèle
Published: August 2022

Background: We hypothesized that the fine needle aspiration (FNA) supernatant from tumor might contain tumor-derived exosomes. The objective of this pilot study was to test if tumor-derived exosomal RNA could be found in FNA supernatants for molecular diagnosis of cancer.

Methods: 10 FNA samples from pancreatic tumor were included. After the routine recuperation of cellular material by centrifugation, the cell-free Cytolyt liquid was collected instead of being discarded. 10 ml Cytolyt was used to isolate the exosomes. Transmission electronic microscopy (TEM) was used to examine the presence of exosomes. The exosomal marker CD63 was analyzed by flow cytometry. The exosomal RNA was extracted. RT-qPCR was performed to detect the GAPDH and the tumor marker of glypican 1 gene expression.

Results: TEM confirmed the presence of exosomes from FNA supernatants. Flow cytometry showed a strong positive expression of exosome marker CD63. The concentration of exosomal RNA ranged from 18.81 to 354.75 ng/μl with an average of 81.76 ng/μl. The average exosomal RNA quantity was 1390.01 ng (range from 319.77 to 6030.75 ng) with an average 260/280 ratio of 2.12. GAPDH was detectable in all samples. Exosomal glypican 1 was detected in all samples of pancreatic ductal adenorcarcinomas (3/3) and absent from benign cystic samples (3/3). Furthermore, exosomal glypican 1 was positive in one sample with a non-contributive cytology and in one sample in which no malignant cell was found.

Conclusion: This is the first report that the supernatants from FNA biopsy may contain tumor-derived exosomal RNA. These tumor-derived exosomes from FNA may provide a new liquid biopsy for the molecular diagnosis of cancer.
Follow-Up of Offspring Born to Parents With a Solid Organ Transplantation: A Systematic Review
Authors: Meinderts Jildau R. , Prins Jelmer R. , Berger Stefan P. , De Jong Margriet F. C.
Published: August 2022

Pregnancy after solid organ transplantation (SOT) has potential risks for the offspring. Most existing research focused on short-term pregnancy outcomes. The aim of this systematic review was to evaluate available data concerning longer term outcomes (>1 year) of these children. A systematic literature search, following PRISMA guidelines, of PubMed and Embase was performed from the earliest date of inception through to 6th April 2022. Publications on all types of (combined) SOT were eligible for inclusion. In total, 53 articles were included. The majority assessed offspring after kidney (78% of offspring) or liver transplantation (17% of offspring). 33 studies included offspring aged >4 years and five offspring aged >18 years. One study was included on fathers with SOT. The majority of the 1,664 included children after maternal SOT had normal intellectual, psychomotor, and behavioral development. Although prematurity and low birth weight were commonly present, regular growth after 1 year of age was described. No studies reported opportunistic or chronic infections or abnormal response to vaccinations. In general, pregnancy after SOT appears to have reassuring longer term outcomes for the offspring. However, existing information is predominantly limited to studies with young children. Longer prospective studies with follow-up into adulthood of these children are warranted.
A Real-Time Reentry Guidance Method for Hypersonic Vehicles Based on a Time2vec and Transformer Network
Authors: Song Jia , Tong Xindi , Xu Xiaowei , Zhao Kai
Published: August 2022

In this paper, a real-time reentry guidance law for hypersonic vehicles is presented to accomplish rapid, high-precision, robust, and reliable reentry flights by leveraging the Time to Vector (Time2vec) and transformer networks. First, referring to the traditional predictor–corrector algorithm and quasi-equilibrium glide condition (QEGC), the reentry guidance issue is described as a univariate root-finding problem based on bank angle. Second, considering that reentry guidance is a sequential decision-making process, and its data has inherent characteristics in time series, so the Time2vec and transformer networks are trained to obtain the mapping relation between the flight states and bank angles, and the inputs and outputs are specially designed to guarantee that the constraints can be well satisfied. Based on the Time2vec and transformer-based bank angle predictor, an efficient and precise reentry guidance approach is proposed to realize on-line trajectory planning. Simulations and analysis are carried out through comparison with the traditional predictor-corrector algorithm, and the results manifest that the developed Time2vec and transformer-based reentry guidance algorithm has remarkable improvements in accuracy and efficiency under initial state errors and aerodynamic parameter perturbations.
Effect and Mechanism of Roughness on the Performance of a Five-Stage Axial Flow Compressor
Authors: Chen Yan , Gao Chunxiang , Chu Wuli
Published: August 2022

In order to prolong the service life of multistage axial compressors, it is increasingly important to study the influence of blade surface roughness on the compressor performance. In this paper, a five-stage axial compressor of a real aero-engine was selected as the research object, and an equivalent gravel roughness model was used to model the roughness based on measured blade surface roughness data. Furthermore, the impact of blade surface roughness on the performance at design rotational speed was studied by full three-dimensional numerical simulation, and the mechanism of performance variation caused by the roughness was discussed combined with quantitative and flow field analyses. The results show that, when the blade surface roughness of all blades increases, the peak total efficiency decreases by approximately 0.4%, the blocking mass-flow decreases by approximately 0.3%, and the stable working range changes little. When the surface roughness of all rotor blades increases, the performance decline is close to that of all rotor and stator blades, and the variation in stator blade roughness has little effect on the compressor performance. Regarding the variation in roughness, the performance of the latter stage is more sensitive than that of the previous stage, and the decline in the performance of the fifth stage contributes the most to the total performance degradation of the compressor. Once the surface roughness of the fifth-stage rotor blade increases, the flow in the middle of the rotor blade deteriorates and the stage performance decreases obviously, which is the main reason for the decline in the overall performance.
Assessment of the Immune Response of Clinically Infected Calves to Cryptosporidium parvum Infection
Authors: El-Deeb Wael , Iacob Olimpia , Fayez Mahmoud , Elsohaby Ibrahim , Alhaider Abdulrahman , Mkrtchyan Hermine V. , Ibrahim Abdelazim , Alhumam Naser
Published: August 2022

Cryptosporidium parvum (C. parvum) infection is one of the main causes of diarrhea in calves. The current study assessed the role of blood biomarkers (acute-phase proteins (APPs), procalcitonin, neopterin, cytokines, and oxidative stress in the pathogenesis, diagnosis, and prognosis of calves naturally infected with C. parvum. Fifty-seven calves, aged from 10 to 45 days, were detected positive for C. parvum and were allotted into the diseased group; twenty healthy calves were selected as a control group. Serum amyloid A, haptoglobin, cytokines, neopterin, procalcitonin, and stress biomarkers were tested in the diseased and healthy groups. The serum levels of APPs, cytokines, neopterin, procalcitonin, and malondialdehyde increased, whereas antioxidant levels were significantly decreased in diseased calves compared to the healthy group. Moreover, all examined biomarkers were significantly altered towards normal values in infected calves following different treatment protocols. All biomarkers examined were highly effective in discriminating between C. parvum-infected calves and healthy individuals. Furthermore, the area under the curve (AUC) showed that all tested parameters had a higher degree of prognostic accuracy in predicting the treatment response of calves naturally infected with C. parvum. Our data suggest the usefulness of the examined biomarkers in the immune pathogenesis of the C. parvum infection in calves, contributing to diagnosis and treatment efficacy.
Lead-Resistant Morganella morganii Rhizobacteria Reduced Lead Toxicity in Arabidopsis thaliana by Improving Growth, Physiology, and Antioxidant Activities
Authors: Naqqash Tahir , Aziz Aeman , Babar Muhammad , Hussain Syed Bilal , Haider Ghulam , Shahid Muhammad , Qaisrani Muther Mansoor , Arshad Muhammad , Hanif Muhammad Kashif , Mancinelli Roberto , Radicetti Emanuele
Published: August 2022

Biological remediation serves as a powerful technique for addressing heavy metals toxicity in metals-contaminated soils. The present study aimed to evaluate the efficacy of lead (Pb)-resistant rhizobacterial strains on growth, photosynthetic traits, and antioxidant activities of the Arabidopsis plant under lead toxicity in pot conditions. Two pre-isolated and pre-characterized Pb-resistant Morganella morganii (ABT3) and Morganella morganii (ABT9) strains were used for inoculating Arabidopsis plants grown under varying Pb concentrations (1.5 mM and 2.5 mM) using PbNO3 as the lead source. The treatments were set up in a completely randomized design with four replications. Data on growth parameters, physiological characteristics, lipid peroxidation, and antioxidant activities were recorded at harvesting. It was observed that Pb contamination caused a significant reduction in Arabidopsis growth, chlorophyll content and quantum yield at both lead concentrations. The Pb concentration of 2.5 mM, showed a substantial decrease in all parameters, including shoot fresh weight (58.72%), shoot dry weight (59.31%), root fresh weight (67.31%), root dry weight (67.28%), chlorophyll content (48.69%), quantum yield (62.36%), catalase activity (65.30%), superoxide dismutase (60.88%), and peroxidase activity (60.54%) while increasing lipid peroxidation (113.8%). However, the inoculation with Pb-resistant M. morganii strains (ABT3 and ABT9) improved plant growth, photosynthesis and antioxidant activities, while reduced the malondialdehyde content of Arabidopsis compared to control plants without inoculation. The M. morganii strain ABT9 showed a maximum increase in the shoot fresh weight (67.18%), shoot dry weight (67.96%), root fresh weight (94.04%), root dry weight (93.92%), shoot length (148.88%), root length (123.33%), chlorophyll content (52.53%), quantum yield (58.57%), catalase activity (39.46%), superoxide dismutase (21.84%), and peroxidase activity (22.34%) while decreasing lipid peroxidation (35.28%). PCA analysis further showed that all nine treatments scattered differently across the PC1 and PC2, having 81.4% and 17.0% data variance, respectively, indicating the efficiency of Pb-resistant strains. The heatmap further validated that the introduction of Pb-resistant strains positively correlated with the growth parameters, quantum yield, chlorophyll content and antioxidant activities of Arabidopsis seedlings. Both Pb-resistant strains improved Arabidopsis plant growth and photosynthetic efficiency under lead stress conditions. Thus, both Morganella morganii ABT3 and Morganella morganii ABT9 strains can be considered as bio-fertilizer for reducing lead toxicity thereby improving plant growth and physiology in metal-contaminated agricultural soils.
Factors Influencing the Sustained Adoption of Innovative Techniques by Urban Farmers in Lubumbashi, Democratic Republic of Congo
Authors: Nsele Maurice Kesonga , Fyama Jules Nkulu Mwine , Maréchal Kevin , Dogot Thomas
Published: August 2022

A package of innovations was disseminated in urban agriculture and created real opportunities for employment, income, and the supply of vegetables of high nutritional quality. However, ten years later, farmers are working for a daily income of less than United State Dollars 1.25, and critical exceedances of heavy metal content standards in crops are recorded. Survey data collected from 202 farmers were used to identify, via the Logit model, the factors influencing the sustained adoption of the of two contrasting innovations of the package. The results of the exploratory survey of 537 farmers showed that 2.42% owned a motor pump, while the in-depth survey revealed that 25.2% of the 202 respondents were using motor pumps at the time of the survey. A total of 74.8% watered with buckets and watering cans. The high cost of the motor pump makes it inaccessible to farmers. Some tried to circumvent this constraint, which led to group purchases. Integrated soil fertility management was used by 58.4% of respondents. In total, 41.6% applied only chemical fertilizers. However, Integrated soil fertility management has been hampered by farmers’ difficulties in accessing organic matter. The results of the Logit model revealed that no socio-demographic factors were significant for sustained adoption of the motor pump. They were relevant, rather, for integrated soil fertility management, where a single factor (mutual aid) appeared to play a role, albeit a moderate one. Economic factors such as land tenure status and diversification of income sources were significant for a sustained adoption of the motor pump. In contrast, no economic factors were significant for a sustained adoption of the integrated soil fertility management. Institutional factors such as access to credit and membership in an association were significant for sustained adoption of the two of innovations studied. A series of avenues to follow to improve the productivity of farms is proposed. We suggest an in-depth study of the mutual aid practiced by 86.1% of the farmers. The results of this study can be taken into account in research and policy aimed at improving adoption of innovative techniques that are beneficial to farmers in developing countries.
The Impact of Chicken Manure Biochar on Antibiotic Resistance Genes in Chicken Manure Composting
Authors: Karamova Kamalya , Danilova Natalia , Selivanovskaya Svetlana , Galitskaya Polina
Published: August 2022

One way to increase yields in agriculture using organic alternative methods is the introduction of manure-based composts into the soil. However, the use of such composts carries a risk of soil contamination with antibiotic resistance genes (ARG) from the gut and manure of the livestock. The contamination of the composts with heavy metals or antibiotics can increase this risk, while the addition of porous materials, such as biochar, to the composts has the potential to decrease it. This study is devoted to revealing the fate of ARGs in bedding chicken manure composted with the addition of oxytetracycline (OTC), heavy metals, and chicken manure biochar. It was revealed that the additives did not affect the physicochemical parameters of the compost. The bacterial communities in different composting mixtures had similar structures and dynamics. It was revealed that the shifts of the bacterial compositions of the composting mixtures were mainly determined by the duration of the process. However, some minor differences in the OTU (operational taxonomic unit) levels were observed between the variants. The addition of biochar and metals led to 26.7% and 34.5% decreases, respectively, in the number of tet(A) gene copies, while the addition of oxytetracycline led to a 43.7% increase. The number of copies of the int1 gene increased by 45.9% after the addition of oxytetracycline. The correlation between the abundance levels of different bacterial OTU and ARG contents was estimated, and biochar’s impact on those OTUs was analyzed. It was assumed that some OTUs might be carriers of ARGs (such as Natronobacillus, Luteimonas, and Trichococcus), and their abundance in the presence of the biochar decreased due to competitive exclusion by noncarriers (such as Corynebacterium, Clostridia, and Halorhodospira). The use of biochar in composting can be considered a way to reduce the contamination of the final composts with ARGs.
Why “Say One Thing and Do Another” a Study on the Contradiction between Farmers’ Intention and Behavior of Garbage Classification
Authors: Zhou Shiyao , Qing Chen , Guo Shili , Deng Xin , Song Jiahao , Xu Dingde
Published: August 2022

How to protect the ecological environment is an important international issue for achieving the sustainable development goals. Using survey data of 2628 farmers in 52 administrative villages in 13 prefecture-level cities of the China Land Economic Survey in 2020, probit and multinomial logistic regression models were used to explore the influence of social capital on farmers’ willingness, behavior and the transformation between willingness and behavior. The results show that: (1) The consistency between farmers’ willingness and behavior is low; 90.25% of farmers had the willingness to separate waste, but only 48.49% of farmers had actually classified waste, and only 48.22% of farmers had transformed willingness into behavior. (2) Among the three dimensions of social capital, social network, social norm and social trust, all had positive and significant effects on farmers’ willingness and behavior to separate waste. (3) Social network and social norm had a positive and significant impact on the transformation of farmers’ willingness to separate waste into behavior, but social trust was not significant. The research results confirm that the contradiction between farmers’ intention and behavior of waste separation were generally inconsistent in rural areas. At the same time, the results showed that social capital can promote farmers’ willingness and behavior of waste separation and the transformation from a willingness to behavior, which can provide decision-making reference for how to improve farmers’ high willingness and behavior.
Crop Cultivation Underneath Agro-Photovoltaic Systems and Its Effects on Crop Growth, Yield, and Photosynthetic Efficiency
Authors: Lee Hyo Jin , Park Hyun Hwa , Kim Young Ok , Kuk Yong In
Published: August 2022

Agro-photovoltaics (APV) could be the optimal means of sustainable development in agricultural areas once a few challenges are overcome, perhaps the greatest of which is the constant shading from AVP structures. This study examined how the growth and yield of rice, potato, sesame, and soybean crops could be optimized when grown underneath different APV systems. The solar radiation, shading levels, and temperatures during crop cultivation were measured. In addition, the photosynthetic efficiency was measured at different growth stages. Adjacent to the APV systems were the control plots with full sun. In these studies with potato crops grown under APV systems, most growth and yield parameters were similar to those grown in the control plot except for the plant height. On the other hand, sesame crops grown underneath the APV systems had a lower stem length, effective branching number, 1000 seed weight, and a reduced yield of 19% compared to the crops from the control plot. In two distant locations (Paju and Youngkwang), soybean crops grown underneath APV systems at both sites showed increased ungrained ratios per pod and a reduced yield of 18–20% compared to the control plot. Finally, rice crops cultivated underneath the APV systems had a lower panicle number per hill, spikelet number per panicle, 1000 seed weight, and yield reduction of 13–30% compared to the control plot. Overall, crops grown underneath the APV systems had a greater plant height and stem length. Moreover, the solar radiation and PAR underneath the APV systems were also lower than in the control plots. The photosynthetic efficacy in rice plants grown underneath the APV systems was lower than in the control plots. The photosynthetic efficacy may help lower the crop yield when cultivation is underneath an APV system.
Development of Deep Learning Methodology for Maize Seed Variety Recognition Based on Improved Swin Transformer
Authors: Bi Chunguang , Hu Nan , Zou Yiqiang , Zhang Shuo , Xu Suzhen , Yu Helong
Published: August 2022

In order to solve the problems of high subjectivity, frequent error occurrence and easy damage of traditional corn seed identification methods, this paper combines deep learning with machine vision and the utilization of the basis of the Swin Transformer to improve maize seed recognition. The study was focused on feature attention and multi-scale feature fusion learning. Firstly, input the seed image into the network to obtain shallow features and deep features; secondly, a feature attention layer was introduced to give weights to different stages of features to strengthen and suppress; and finally, the shallow features and deep features were fused to construct multi-scale fusion features of corn seed images, and the seed images are divided into 19 varieties through a classifier. The experimental results showed that the average precision, recall and F1 values of the MFSwin Transformer model on the test set were 96.53%, 96.46%, and 96.47%, respectively, and the parameter memory is 12.83 M. Compared to other models, the MFSwin Transformer model achieved the highest classification accuracy results. Therefore, the neural network proposed in this paper can classify corn seeds accurately and efficiently, could meet the high-precision classification requirements of corn seed images, and provide a reference tool for seed identification.
Bilinear Attention Network for Image-Based Fine-Grained Recognition of Oil Tea (Camellia oleifera Abel.) Cultivars
Authors: Zhu Xueyan , Yu Yue , Zheng Yili , Su Shuchai , Chen Fengjun
Published: August 2022

Oil tea (Camellia oleifera Abel.) is a high-quality woody oil crop unique to China and has extremely high economic value and ecological benefits. One problem in oil tea production and research is the worldwide confusion regarding oil tea cultivar nomenclature. The purpose of this study was to automatic recognize some oil tea cultivars using bilinear attention network. For this purpose, we explored this possibility utilizing the bilinear attention network for five common China cultivars Ganshi 83-4, Changlin 53, Changlin 3, Ganshi 84-8, and Gan 447. We adopted the bilinear EfficientNet-B0 network and the convolutional block attention module (CBAM) to build BA-EfficientNet model being able to automatically and accurately recognize oil tea cultivars. In addition, the InceptionV3, VGG16, and ResNet50 algorithms were compared with the proposed BA-EfficientNet. The comparative test results show that BA-EfficientNet can accurately recognize oil tea cultivars in the test set, with overall accuracy and kappa coefficients reaching 91.59% and 0.89, respectively. Compared with algorithms such as InceptionV3, VGG16, and ResNet50, the BA-EfficientNet algorithm has obvious advantages in most evaluation indicators used in the experiment. In addition, the ablation experiments were designed to quantitatively evaluate the specific effects of bilinear networks and CBAM modules on oil tea cultivar recognition results. The results demonstrate that BA-EfficientNet is useful for solving the problem of recognizing oil tea cultivars under natural conditions. This paper attempts to explore new thinking for the application of deep learning methods in the field of oil tea cultivar recognition under natural conditions.
Identification and Validation of the Genomic Regions for Waterlogging Tolerance at Germination Stage in Wheat
Authors: Pang Yunlong , Wang Xiaoqian , Zhao Min , Lu Yue , Yan Qiang , Sun Shanyi , Wang Yueping , Liu Shubing
Published: August 2022

Waterlogging occurs when field soil is saturated with water induced by extensive rainfall or improper irrigation, which is a severe abiotic stress influencing wheat plant growth and yield production. At the germination stage, waterlogging usually induces rot of seeds and reduced germination rate and seedling survival. Development of tolerant wheat varieties is the most efficient approach to improve seed germination and mitigate the damages caused by waterlogging. In this study, we screened 432 wheat accessions at germination stage by waterlogging treatment, and identified 27 tolerant accessions with a germination rate of over 80% after treatment. To identify quantitative trait loci (QTL) for waterlogging tolerance, two segregation populations were developed by crossing waterlogging-tolerant cultivars Shannong 135 and Huaimai 18 with sensitive cultivars Siyang 936 and CD1840, respectively. Three QTL qWlg5A, qWlg7B and qWlg2D for waterlogging tolerance were detected on chromosomes 5A, 7B and 2D through bulked segregation analysis genotyped by wheat 55K SNP array. Two, one, and two kompetitive allele specific PCR (KASP) assays linked with qWlg5A, qWlg7B and qWlg2D were developed and validated in the two populations, respectively. The identified waterlogging tolerant germplasm lines, the QTL for waterlogging tolerance and the high-throughput KASP markers, were highly valuable in improving waterlogging tolerance in wheat-marker-assisted breeding.
Dynamic Profiles of Fermentation Quality and Microbial Community of Kudzu (Pueraria lobata) Ensiled with Sucrose
Authors: Hou Zhenping , Zheng Xia , Zhang Xuelei , Yan Li , Chen Qing , Wu Duanqin
Published: August 2022

The study aimed to investigate the effects of different levels of added sucrose on the fermentation quality and microbial community of kudzu (Pueraria lobata) silage. The three sucrose supplementation levels utilized were 0, 0.5, and 1.0%, and kudzu was silaged for 15, 30, and 60 days. Sucrose supplementation significantly decreased the pH levels, acid detergent fiber, ammonia nitrogen content, and relative abundance of Pantoea in the silages (p < 0.05). The addition of 1% sucrose to kudzu silage at 60 days had the lowest acid detergent fiber content, the highest crude protein, and the highest relative feed value. Additionally, the sucrose-supplemented silage had a lower pH than that of the control group at each time point. The dominant genera in all groups were Klebsiella, Enterobacteriaceae, Lactobacillus, and Weissella, and the relative abundance of Enterobacteriaceae was lower in the 1% sucrose-supplemented group than in the control group. These results showed that sucrose addition could improve the quality of kudzu silage and increase its beneficial microbial community.
Red Sea Bream Iridovirus (RSIV) Kinetics in Rock Bream (Oplegnathus fasciatus) at Various Fish-Rearing Seawater Temperatures
Authors: Kim Kyung-Ho , Choi Kwang-Min , Joo Min-Soo , Kang Gyoungsik , Woo Won-Sik , Sohn Min-Young , Son Ha-Jeong , Kwon Mun-Gyeong , Kim Jae-Ok , Kim Do-Hyung , Park Chan-Il
Published: August 2022

Red sea bream iridoviral disease (RSIVD) causes serious economic losses in the aquaculture industry. In this paper, we evaluated RSIV kinetics in rock bream under various rearing water temperatures and different RSIV inoculation concentrations. High viral copy numbers (approximately 103.7–106.7 RSIV genome copies/L/g) were observed during the period of active fish mortality after RSIV infection at all concentrations in the tanks (25 °C and 20 °C). In the group injected with 104 RSIV genome copies/fish, RSIV was not detected at 21–30 days post-infection (dpi) in the rearing seawater. In rock bream infected at 15 °C and subjected to increasing water temperature (1 °C/d until 25 °C) 3 days later, the virus replication rate and number of viral copies shed into the rearing seawater increased. With the decrease in temperature (1 °C/d) from 25 to 15 °C after the infection, the virus replicated rapidly and was released at high loads on the initial 3–5 dpi, whereas the number of viral copies in the fish and seawater decreased after 14 dpi. These results indicate that the number of viral copies shed into the rearing seawater varies depending on the RSIV infection level in rock bream.
Microplastics in Internal Tissues of Companion Animals from Urban Environments
Authors: Prata Joana C. , Silva Ana L. Patrício , da Costa João P. , Dias-Pereira Patrícia , Carvalho Alexandre , Fernandes António José Silva , da Costa Florinda Mendes , Duarte Armando C. , Rocha-Santos Teresa
Published: August 2022

Companion animals living in urban areas are exposed to environmental contaminants, which may include microplastics. A preliminary study was conducted by collecting postmortem samples from the internal tissue (lungs, ileum, liver, kidney, and blood clots) of 25 dogs (Canis familiaris) and 24 cats (Felis catus) living in an urban environment in Porto metropolitan area, Portugal. Suspected microplastics were found in 80 samples from 35 animals (18 cats and 17 dogs), often occurring in more than one tissue of the same animal (71.4%), primarily under small sizes (50.3% as 1–10 µm). Micro-Raman spectroscopy confirmed a fraction of particles as common polymer types (e.g., polyethylene terephthalate). However, the number of particles was very low. This study highlights the possibilities of the internalization and distribution of microplastics in the internal tissues of terrestrial vertebrates.
The Potential Role of m6A in the Regulation of TBI-Induced BGA Dysfunction
Authors: Huang Peizan , Liu Min , Zhang Jing , Zhong Xiang , Zhong Chunlong
Published: August 2022

The brain–gut axis (BGA) is an important bidirectional communication pathway for the development, progress and interaction of many diseases between the brain and gut, but the mechanisms remain unclear, especially the post-transcriptional regulation of BGA after traumatic brain injury (TBI). RNA methylation is one of the most important modifications in post-transcriptional regulation. N6-methyladenosine (m6A), as the most abundant post-transcriptional modification of mRNA in eukaryotes, has recently been identified and characterized in both the brain and gut. The purpose of this review is to describe the pathophysiological changes in BGA after TBI, and then investigate the post-transcriptional bidirectional regulation mechanisms of TBI-induced BGA dysfunction. Here, we mainly focus on the characteristics of m6A RNA methylation in the post-TBI BGA, highlight the possible regulatory mechanisms of m6A modification in TBI-induced BGA dysfunction, and finally discuss the outcome of considering m6A as a therapeutic target to improve the recovery of the brain and gut dysfunction caused by TBI.
Application of Efficient Channel Attention Residual Mechanism in Blast Furnace Tuyere Image Anomaly Detection
Authors: Wang Rihong , Li Ziyu , Yang Lingzhi , Li Yuming , Zhang Hao , Song Chuanwang , Jiang Mingjian , Ye Xiaoyun , Hu Keyong
Published: August 2022

In the steelmaking industry, the state of the blast furnace tuyere is an important basis for obtaining the internal information of the blast furnace. Traditional detections mainly rely on manual experience judgment, which is a time-consuming and tiring procedure for a human. In order to improve the efficiency of the detection, this paper is devoted to applying artificial intelligence methods to blast furnace anomaly detection. However, because of the low imaging degree of the abnormal state monitoring of the furnace mouth, the difference in the abnormal category is inconspicuous, and it is difficulty to extract the features with the existing intelligent models. To solve these problems, a novel and stable method is proposed in this paper to classify the image recognition of the abnormal state of the tuyere into one category; this is a new architecture that combines multiple technologies. For the fine-grained image classification task, an improved abnormal state recognition algorithm of the blast furnace tuyere based on the channel attention residual mechanism is proposed. In the model, the dataset is augmented by rotating it at random angles to balance the amount of data in each category; then, the residual module is used to integrate high- and low-order feature information and optimize the network; then, the multi-layer channel attention module is added based on the channel attention residual mechanism, and it obtains the optimal parameter combination of the model through k-fold cross-validation. Moreover, the number of channels was reduced by half after channel fusion, which could effectively reduce the model parameters and model complexity. It is shown in our experiments that the proposed method has an accuracy rate of 97.10% in identifying the abnormal state of the tuyere in our collection of blast furnace tuyere datasets. In order to test the performance of the proposed method, some existing models, such as SERNet, ResNeXt, and repVGG, are involved for comparison, and the proposed method has a better classification effect in comparison to them.