bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Perfil epidemiológico de pacientes com complicações respiratórias não traumáticas na unidade de urgência e emergência em um Hospital Universitário do Paraná e correlação da atuação fisioterapêutica
Authors: Almeida Caio Fernandes de , Genske Juliana Hering , Bavaresco Alana Caroline , Branco Carla Lautenschleger
Published: June 2022

Os distúrbios do aparelho respiratório acometem todas as faixas etárias, podendo gerar severidade, morbidade e mortalidade. O serviço de urgência e emergência é a porta de entrada do paciente no hospital, com funcionalidade durante 24 horas por dia, oferecendo abordagem multiprofissional e especializada para os pacientes que podem evoluir rapidamente para o risco de vida e complicações graves. O fisioterapeuta exerce um papel fundamental, intervindo diretamente nas disfunções cardiorrespiratórias, considerando que as alterações pulmonares são uns dos principais motivos de internações hospitalares. O objetivo do presente estudo foi realizar um levantamento de dados de pacientes admitidos na sala de emergência do Hospital Universitário do Oeste do Paraná (HUOP) com sinais, sintomas e diagnóstico de enfermidades associadas ao aparelho respiratório e a respectiva atuação fisioterapêutica. Foram analisados 1020 prontuários de pacientes na unidade de emergência no ano de 2020, onde 89 pacientes se enquadraram nos critérios de inclusão. Houve uma maior predominância no sexo feminino (n=47, 52.8%). A principal causa de internação foi a insuficiência respiratória aguda (n=36, 40.4%). A sepse pulmonar foi a patologia com maior tempo de permanência em sala de emergência (5 dias). A abordagem fisioterapêutica foi realizada na grande maioria dos casos 76 (85.3%), onde 48(63%) pacientes foram abordados com condutas de fisioterapia respiratória, fisioterapia motora e aspiração de vias aéreas. Conclui-se que pacientes com complicações respiratórias como insuficiência respiratória aguda e sepse possuem uma alta taxa de mortalidade e a fisioterapia é importante no processo de reabilitação e manejo ventilatório desses pacientes.
Avaliação preliminar da relação entre pressão arterial e pressão intracraniana em pacientes de diferentes estágios da doença renal crônica
Authors: Balzer Edimara Rafaelli , Koch Mariana Schechtel , Drewnowski Bianca , Santos Fábio André dos , Baroni Gilberto , Schuinski Adriana Fatima Menegat , Vellosa José Carlos Rebuglio
Published: June 2022

Objetivo: Verificar se há perturbação da autorregulação da complacência intracraniana em pacientes com doença renal crônica (DRC), quando estes apresentam alteração de pressão arterial (PA). Metodologia: Foram realizadas monitorizações da pressão intracraniana (PIC) em pacientes renais crônicos por meio de um sensor não invasivo, desenvolvido pela empresa Brain4care®.  Os dados dos pacientes monitorizados foram analisados estatisticamente e testou-se a correlação entre os parâmetros de PIC com pressão arterial (PA) e batimentos por minuto (BPM), correlação entre a filtração glomerular com PA e BPM, e comparação entre os grupos DRC em relação à PA, BPM e PIC. Resultados: Não se observou diferença entre os estágios da DRC, e não houve correlação entre a PIC (razão P2/P1 e TTP) e a PA. Entretanto, houve forte correlação entre as pressões sistólica (PAS) e diastólica (PAD) e os parâmetros da PIC. Conclusão: Como houve forte correlação entre as pressões sistólica e diastólica e os parâmetros da PIC, há indício de prejuízo na complacência intracraniana destes pacientes, evidenciando que o portador da DRC tem sua homeostasia prejudicada quando em presença HAS.
Avaliação da iluminância na tela do monitor presente na sala de hemodinâmica
Authors: Paula Perseu Lúcio Alexander Helene de , Prazeres Carlos Leandro Silva dos , Campos Laélia , Ferreira Cássio Costa
Published: June 2022

Objetivo: Avaliar, usando um fotômetro, a influência da luminância proveniente da iluminância ambiental refletida na tela do monitor na visualização de estruturas de baixo contraste durante procedimentos hemodinâmicos. Método: Para simular uma situação de baixo contraste, algumas placas de PMMA foram criteriosamente arranjadas e expostas à radiação, tanto no modo normal quanto no modo de baixa dose de fluoroscopia, disponíveis no aparelho. Um fotômetro foi usado para medir a luminância na tela do monitor e as medidas foram realizadas para 12 distintos cenários de iluminação da sala de hemodinâmica. Resultados: Foi possível observar a partir das medidas de luminância realizadas em cada cenário, que o posicionamento das luminárias pode influenciar na visualização de estruturas de baixo contraste na tela do monitor, e que o fato das luminárias estarem acesas ou parcialmente apagadas na sala de hemodinâmica, pode constituir um importante fator para assegurar o conforto visual do médico responsável pelo procedimento.
Avaliação e classificação do risco de quedas em puérperas pós-cesárea
Authors: Costa Antonia Gabriela Torres , Boeckmann Lara Mabelle Milfont , Firmino Vitor Hugo Nascimento , Lopes Patrícia Archanjo , Magalhães Adriana Simão , Rodrigues Maria Cristina Soares , Mazoni Simone Roque , Melo Manuela Costa , Azevedo Filho Francino Machado de , Morais Rita de Cássia Melão de
Published: June 2022

Objetivo: avaliar e classificar o risco de quedas em puérperas pós-cesárea. Métodos: estudo transversal descritivo, conduzido em um hospital público do Distrito Federal, Brasil de outubro a dezembro de 2017 envolvendo 222 puérperas. Resultados: as puérperas tinham em média 29 anos (±6,1); 64,9% (n=144) tinham ensino médio completo; 42,7% (n=95) eram do lar, 80% (n=177) possuía idade gestacional entre 37 e 41 semanas. 42,3% (n=94) tinha baixo risco para quedas e em 57,6% (n=128) verificaram-se risco médio e alto de quedas para maioria dos casos, sendo as primeiras 30 horas pós-cesárea o período com maior risco. A aplicação da Escala Morse para avaliação do risco de quedas demonstrou maiores proporções entre risco médio e alto de quedas. Conclusão: verificou-se a importância em avaliar rotineiramente o risco de quedas na população estudada a fim de instituir medidas que minimizem a ocorrência desse evento. Recomenda-se estender esses achados a outros serviços no Brasil e no mundo a fim de prevenir quedas e promover a segurança na assistência obstétrica de puérperas pós-cesárea, sobretudo ao realizarem a primeira deambulação.
Affinity estimation models of proteins for intelligent drug design based on pseudoconvolutions and nonlinear regressors
Authors: Campos Laila Barros , Ferreira Janderson Romário Borges da Cruz , Santos Wellington Pinheiro dos
Published: June 2022

Purpose: The emergence of new viruses and, consequently, new diseases make the rapid and precise design of new drugs increasingly necessary. With the availability of large databases of proteins and affinity measures, it is possible to build scoring functions for predicting molecular affinity. These functions are fundamental to intelligent drug design. Objective: In this work, we propose a scoring function to predict affinity between two proteins. The method is based on extracting features by transfer learning on sequences represented on pseudo-convolutions. Method: The pseudo-convolutions organize the sequences into base neighborhood distributions. Each distribution is then represented by an image. Two proteins are then transformed into two images that are concatenated together, forming the third image. Through deep transfer learning, this resulting image is then represented by a vector of attributes, which have dimensionality reduced by Random Forest. Finally, the vector of attributes reduced is applied to a regression learning machine that returns the degree of affinity of the two proteins. Results: We used the Affinity Benchmark Version 2 database. 145 complexes were used for model training and 35 for testing. The results showed a performance equal to or better than the state-of-the-art methods of evaluating protein affinity, considering the correlation coefficients of Pearson, Spearman and Kendall. The best results were 0.66, 0.70, and 0.52. Conclusion: The proposed method can characterize protein sequences so that the binding affinity between two proteins can be estimated without simulating the three-dimensional structure of the complex.
Saúde mental e pandemia: associação entre estresse, trabalho e Covid-19 em profissionais médicos
Authors: Silva Cleyton Cézar Souto , Santos Gracielle Malheiro dos , Pereira Vagna Cristina Leite da Silva , Dantas Daniele Vieira , Barbosa Maria Helena Pires Araújo , Freire Renata Pascoal , Silva José Adailton da
Published: June 2022

Objetivo: identificar a associação entre estresse, aspectos relacionados à pandemia de Covid-19 e características ocupacionais em médicos pós-graduandos em Saúde da Família. Método: estudo quantitativo, descritivo e exploratório como uma amostra não-probabilística de 395 médicos pós-graduandos em Saúde da Família atuantes no Programa Mais Médicos, realizado entre setembro e novembro de 2020. Na análise comparou-se dados sociodemográficos, laborais e de estresse através do teste qui-quadrado, ODDS RATION e regressão logística múltipla. Resultados: evidenciou-se que as mulheres médicas com 3 anos de atuação e que não consideravam as medidas de biossegurança como suficientes para evitar o contágio pela Covid-19 possuíam maior chance de estresse, bem como aquele profissional que obteve aumento da demanda de trabalho, consumiu maiores doses de álcool e/ou psicotrópicos e obteve alteração no seu peso corporal. Conclusão: observou-se a influência do contexto pandêmico no desenvolvimento do estresse dos médicos associado as mudanças de caráter organizacional dos serviços de saúde.
Percepción de los profesores y alumnos luego de un programa de pausas activas al inicio de la jornada de clases: Un estudio piloto en Chile
Authors: Faúndez-Casanova César , Herrera Peña Leonardo , Durán Casanova Michael , Cáceres Padilla Jaime , Mondaca Urrutia Jessica , Contreras-Mellado Víctor
Published: June 2022

Objetivo: Determinar la percepción de los profesores y alumnos, luego de un programa de pausas activas al inicio de la clase.  Metodología: Se efectuó un estudio experimental longitudinal. La muestra seleccionada fue de tipo no-probabilística por conveniencia. Se trabajó con 56 alumnos de ambos sexos (34 varones y 22 mujeres), de un establecimiento educacional municipal de la ciudad de Talca, con edades de entre 9 y 10 años.  Resultados: luego de haber llevado a cabo el proyecto investigativo se aprecia una inclinación hacia los porcentajes favorables de acuerdo (22,6%) y muy de acuerdo (51,9%). El instrumento mostró una buena capacidad de confiabilidad (alpha de Cronbach 0,858).  Conclusión: El cuestionario utilizado para medir la percepción de los profesores y alumnos luego del programa de pausas activas fue valido y confiable, además se ha determinado que hubo mucho apoyo y aporte por parte de los participantes transmitiendo satisfacción con respecto al programa de pausas activas. En cuanto a la percepción de los profesores se encontró una amplia aprobación al programa producto de los beneficios que ellos percibieron en sus alumnos, tanto de concentración como mejora en su rendimiento académico.
A importância do diagnóstico laboratorial na identificação da febre chikungunya associada com doenças reumatológicas
Authors: Silva Ana Vitoria Bezerra , Freitas Moises Thiago de Souza
Published: June 2022

A febre chikungunya é uma doença viral ocasionada pelo vírus CHIK, essa patologia propaga-se por intermédio de do vetor pertencente ao gênero Aedes spp. Esse vírus pertence ao grupo das arboviroses, comumente encontradas em lugares de climas tropicais, foi isolado na Tanzânia no ano de 1952. Contudo apresenta sintomas semelhantes a outros arbovírus ocasionando confusão dificultando sua identificação, os sintomas observados com frequência em paciente com essa viremia são cefaleia, artralgia, mialgia, tenossinovite, em alguns casos evolui para forma crônica da doença provocando danos persistentes nas articulações. O objetivo desse trabalho foi compreender o funcionamento do diagnóstico laboratorial da febre chikungunya associados a danos reumatológicos. Este estudo trata-se de uma revisão de literatura desenvolvida utilizando pesquisas publicadas em bases de dados diversos, na SciELO e no MEDLINE, utilizando os descritores chikungunya, CHIK, arbovírus, diagnóstico laboratorial, febre chikungunya. Neste estudo pudemos mostrar a importância do diagnóstico laboratorial na identificação da chikungunya e sua associação com as doenças reumatológicas. Por fim, concluímos que o diagnostico laboratorial contribui na identificação da doença de forma precoce e eficaz e proporciona no tratamento eficiente, e por meio deste auxilia na conscientização da população das precauções a serem tomadas para evitar a infecção.
Architecture as a social symbol, Unity of identity, integration and international openness : Comparison of the Sydney Opera House, the Riga National Library and the Elbe Philharmonic Hall
Authors: Sakib S M Nazmuz
Published: June 2022

Architecture is not only a discipline that is related to the field of construction but it contains all of the cultural, traditional, social and historical values of a civilization. Sydney Opera house was built to provide the best platform to the different and renowned architectures, artists and performers of the world. Philharmonic Hall has become one of the world`s ten best concert halls. This is the best place for playing jazz music and world music or even pop music. Riga National Library is spreading the traditional and cultural heritage free of cost to nurture education research and reading skills among the masses. Conservation of such buildings is very much important to save our heritage otherwise we will lose our identity.
Penerapan Teknologi Remote Laboratory Dalam Memperkuat Sosialisasi Promosi Di Program Studi Biologi Universitas Terbuka
Authors: Handayani Sri Kurniati , Winarni Inggit , Diki Diki , Dwisatyadini Mutimanda
Published: June 2022

Saat ini jumlah mahasiswa Program Studi Biologi Universitas Terbuka (UT) masih perlu ditingkatkan. Mengingat jumlah mahasiswa yang masih kurang, perlu diadakan penelitian mengenai model promosi, khususnya dengan memanfaatkan potensi UT di bidang teknologi pendidikan jarak jauh antara penerapan remote laboratory. Penelitian ini bertujuan untuk mengetahui sejauh mana mahasiswa Biologi memperoleh sosialisasi dan promosi tentang Program Studi Biologi selama ini selanjutnya perancang model sosialisasi dan promosi yang berbasis remote laboratory untuk Program Studi biologi. Metode penelitian yang digunakan berupa pengembangan kuesioner, pengembangan model dan pembuatan media, pedoman wawancara mengenai jenis media dan materi sosprom, pengambilan data dengan wawancara dan diskusi kelompok, serta uji coba media dan remote laboratory. Dari hasil penelitian diperoleh bahwa sebagian besar mahasiswa biologi UT mendapatkan informasi untuk masuk ke Program Studi ini melalui temannya. Setelah mendapat informasi dari teman, barulah mereka mencari informasi yang lebih lengkap mengenai UT. Sebagian besar mereka mendapatkan informasi tersebut dari internet. Selanjutnya telah disusun program sosialisasi dan promosi yang meliputi berbagai kegiatan dan berbagai media. Kegiatan yang dilakukan seperti kunjungan ke SMA atau ke instansi yang memiliki pegawai yang berpotensi kuliah di Program Studi biologi UT yang akan dilengkapi kegiatan praktikum singkat menggunakan perangkat remote lab. Penggunaan mikroskop berkoneksi internet merupakan kegiatan yang menarik bagi mahasiswa. Mahasiswa merasa terbantu untuk memahami materi yang dijelaskan dengan mikroskop tersebut. Kegiatan tersebut dapat membantu meningkatkan daya tarik Program Studi Biologi UT di kalangan siswa SMA dan pegawai yang ingin melanjutkan kuliah
Kesiapan Guru dalam Pembelajaran Jarak Jauh Di Era New Normal
Authors: Saumantri Theguh
Published: June 2022

Fenomena pandemi covid-19 telah mengubah kebiasaan umum manusia dalam segala aspek, termasuk dalam mekanisme proses pembelajaran yang dilaksanakan oleh guru. Menghadapi situasi new normal dalam jangka waktu yang belum pasti bukan hal yang mudah untuk dijalani oleh seorang guru. Tujuan studi ini adalah untuk menganalisis kesiapan dan kompetensi yang perlu dimiliki guru untuk mendukung berjalannya pembelajaran yang efektif dan bermutu pada era new normal di massa pandemi Covid-19. Metode yang digunakan adalah studi kepustakaan dengan menganalisis penelitian-penelitian terdahulu yang telah dilakukan. Temuan dari studi ini menunjukkan bahwa guru harus mempunyai kesiapan dalam melakukan metode Pembelajaran Jarak Jauh (PJJ) di era new normal. Guru dituntut untuk mengubah metode pembelajaran menjadi lebih fleksibel dalam mengembangkan berbagai metode pembelajaran yang tetap akan berujung pada pencapaian standar kompetensi yang ada di kurikulum sekolah. Kesiapan guru dalam melaksanakan metode PJJ dapat menjadi kunci keberhasilan dalam mencapai tujuan proses belajar di masa pandemi covid-19.
Numerical Analysis of the Main Wave Propagation Characteristics in a Steel-CFRP Laminate Including Model Order Reduction
Authors: Mikhaylenko Andrey , Rauter Natalie , Bellam Muralidhar Nanda Kishore , Barth Tilmann , Lorenz Dirk A. , Lammering Rolf
Published: June 2022

Guided ultrasonic waves are suitable for use in the context of structural health monitoring of thin-walled, plate-like structures. Hence, observing the wave propagation in the plates can provide an indication of whether damage has occurred in the structure. In this work, the wave propagation in fiber metal laminate consisting of thin steel foils and layers of carbon fiber-reinforced polymer is studied, focusing on the main propagation characteristics like dispersion diagrams and displacement fields. For this purpose, the dispersion diagrams derived from the analytical framework and numerical simulations are first determined and compared to each other. Next, the displacement fields are computed using the global matrix method for two excitation frequencies. The results derived from the analytical framework is used to validate the numerically determined displacement fields based on a 2D and a 3D modeling approach. For both investigations the results of the analytical treatment and the numerical simulation show good agreement. Furthermore, the displacement field reveals the typical and well-known characteristics of the propagation of guided waves in thin-walled structures. Since the use of full 3D models involves a very high computational cost, this work also successfully investigates the possibility for model order reduction to decrease the computational time and costs of the simulation without the loss of accuracy.
Numerical Simulation of Sintering of DLP Printed Alumina Ceramics
Authors: De Lisi Michele , Kovacev Nikolina , Attia Usama M. , Essa Khamis
Published: June 2022

Digital Light Processing (DLP) technology exhibits the capability of producing components with complex structures for a variety of technical applications. Postprocessing of additively printed ceramic components has been shown to be an important step in determining the final product resolution and mechanical qualities, particularly with regard to distortions and resultant density. The goal of this research is to study the sintering process parameters to create a nearly fully dense, defect-free, ceramic component. A high-solid-loading alumina slurry with suitable rheological and photopolymerisable characteristics for DLP was created. TGA/DSC analysis was used to estimate thermal debinding parameters. The sintering process of the debound parts was studied by employing a numerical model based on thermo-viscoelasticity theory to describe the sintering process. The validated Finite Element Modelling (FEM) code was capable of predicting shrinkage and relative density changes during the sintering cycle, as well as providing meaningful information on the final shape. Archimedes’ principle and scanning electron microscope (SEM) were used to characterise the sintered parts and validate the numerical model. Samples with high relative density (>98.5%) were produced and numerical data showed close matches for predicted shrinkages and relative densities, with less than 2% mismatch between experimental results and simulations. The current model may allow to effectively predict the properties of alumina ceramics produced via DLP and tailor them for specific applications.
Numerical Investigation of the Aerofoil Aerodynamics with Surface Heating for Anti-Icing
Authors: Li Bowen , Sun Qiangqiang , Xiao Dandan , Zhang Wenqiang
Published: June 2022

The aerodynamics of an aerofoil with surface heating was numerically studied with the objective to build an effective anti-icing strategy and balance the aerodynamics performance and energy consumption. NACA0012, RAE2822 and ONERA M6 aerofoils were adopted as the test cases and the simulations were performed in the subsonic flight condition of commercial passenger aircraft. In the first session, the numerical scheme was firstly validated with the experimental data. A parametric study with different heating temperatures and heating areas was carried out. The lift and drag coefficients both drop with surface heating, especially at a larger angle of attack. It was found that the separation point on the upper surface of the aerofoil is sensitive to heating. Higher heating temperature or larger heating area pushes the shock wave and hence flow separation point moving towards the leading edge, which reduces the low-pressure region of the upper surface and decreases the lift. In the second session, the conclusions obtained are applied to inform the design of the heating scheme for NACA0012. Further guidelines for different flight conditions were proposed to shed light on the optimisation of the heating strategy.
Induction Mechanism of Auditory-Assisted Vision for Target Search Localization in Mixed Reality (MR) Environments
Authors: Wang Wei , Xu Ning , Dang Sina , Hong Xuefeng , Qu Jue
Published: June 2022

In MR (mixed reality) environments, visual searches are often used for search and localization missions. There are some problems with search and localization technologies, such as a limited field of view and information overload. They are unable to satisfy the need for the rapid and precise location of specific flying objects in a group of air and space targets under modern air and space situational requirements. They lead to inefficient interactions throughout the mission process. A human being’s decision and judgment will be affected by inefficient interactions. Based on this problem, we carried out a multimodal optimization study on the use of an auditory-assisted visual search for localization in an MR environment. In the spatial–spherical coordinate system, the target flight object position is uniquely determined by the height h, distance r, and azimuth θ. Therefore, there is an urgent need to study the cross-modal connections between the auditory elements and these three coordinates based on a visual search. In this paper, an experiment was designed to study the correlation between auditory intuitive perception and vision and the cognitive induction mechanism. The experiment included the three cross-modal mappings of pitch–height, volume–distance, and vocal tract alternation–spatial direction. The research conclusions are as follows: (1) Visual cognition is induced by high, medium, and low pitches to be biased towards the high, medium, and low spatial regions of the visual space. (2) Visual cognition is induced by loud, medium, and low volumes to be biased towards the near, middle, and far spatial regions of the visual space. (3) Based on the HRTF application, the vocal track alternation scheme is expected to significantly improve the efficiency of visual interactions. Visual cognition is induced by left short sounds, right short sounds, left short and long sounds, and right short and long sounds to be biased towards the left, right, left-rear, and right-rear directions of visual space. (4) The cognitive load of search and localization technologies is significantly reduced by incorporating auditory factors. In addition, the efficiency and effect of the accurate search and positioning of space-flying objects have been greatly improved. The above findings can be applied to the research on various types of target search and localization technologies in an MR environment and can provide a theoretical basis for the subsequent study of spatial information perception and cognitive induction mechanisms in an MR environment with visual–auditory coupling.
Experimental Study on Direct Harvesting of Corn Kernels
Authors: Yang Liquan , Lü Qingqing , Zhang Hongmei
Published: June 2022

The mechanical harvesting of corn has always been a problem for the development of the corn industry. In the present investigation, a tangential flow–transverse axial flow threshing test system was designed based on the 4YL-4/5 harvester. The structure design was modular, and the threshing drum and other key parts could be changed, or the technical parameters could be adjusted according to the needs. Thus, the system becomes suitable to carry out the threshing test of various grains. In this paper, two kinds of systems, a cylindrical plate-tooth mixed row threshing drum and a full cylindrical threshing drum, were designed. Using the same materials and technical conditions, a comparative experiment of the corn grain harvest was carried out to explore the mechanical–technical conditions and methods to reduce the grain breakage rate of corn’s direct harvest.The results showed that the threshing ability and adaptability of the cylinder with a plate-tooth mixed arrangement structure were higher than those of the full cylinder arrangement structure. It was also found that for a higher moisture content (above 28%) of the maize ear, the grain breakage rate met the national standard. On the other hand, the cylinder with a plate-tooth threshing drum can support a wider range of moisture contents and drum peripheral velocities than the full cylinder threshing drum. Within the range of all tested moisture contents and drum peripheral velocities, the minimum grain breakage rate of the full cylinder tooth drum was 3.7%, and the minimum grain breakage rate of the cylinder with the plate-tooth threshing drum was 1.5%, which means a reduction of 59.5% of the breakage rate was achieved.
Use of SSR Markers for the Exploration of Genetic Diversity and DNA Finger-Printing in Early-Maturing Upland Cotton (Gossypium hirsutum L.) for Future Breeding Program
Authors: Kuang Zhengcheng , Xiao Caisheng , Ilyas Muhammad Kashif , Ibrar Danish , Khan Shahbaz , Guo Lishuang , Wang Wei , Wang Baohua , Huang Hui , Li Yujun , Li Yuqiang , Zheng Juyun , Saleem Salman , Tahir Ayesha , Ghafoor Abdul , Chen Haodong
Published: June 2022

DNA fingerprinting and genetic diversity analysis of 79 early-maturing upland cotton (Gossypium hirsutum L.) cultivars were performed using Simple Sequence Repeat (SSR) molecular markers. Out of 126 pairs of SSR primers, we selected 71 pairs that gave good polymorphisms and clear bands, had good stability, and showed even distribution on the cotton chromosomes, and 142 polymorphic genotypes were amplified. The average number of alleles amplified with the SSR primers was 2.01. The polymorphism information content (PIC) of the markers ranged from 0.1841 to 0.9043, with an average of 0.6494. The results of fingerprint analysis showed that nine varieties had characteristic bands, and at least six primer pairs could be used to completely distinguish all 79 cotton accessions. Using NTSYS-pc 2.11 cluster analysis, the genetic similarity coefficients between the cotton genotypes ranged from 0.3310 to 0.8705, with an average of 0.5861. All cotton accessions were grouped into five categories at a similarity coefficient of 0.57, which was consistent with the pedigree sources. At the same time, the average genetic similarity coefficients of early-maturing upland cotton varieties in China showed a low-high-low pattern of variation over time, revealing the development history of early-maturing upland cotton varieties from the 1980s to the present. This also indirectly reflects that in recent years, China’s cotton breeders have focused on innovation and have continuously broadened the genetic resources for early-maturing upland cotton.
Soil Chemical Properties and Trace Elements after Wildfire in Mediterranean Croatia: Effect of Severity, Vegetation Type and Time-Since-Fire
Authors: Hrelja Iva , Šestak Ivana , Delač Domina , Pereira Paulo , Bogunović Igor
Published: June 2022

Natural landscapes in the Mediterranean ecosystem have experienced extensive changes over the last two centuries due to wildfire activity. Resulting interactions between climatic warming, vegetation species, soil natural, and meteorological condition before and after a wildfire create substantial abrupt landscape alterations. This study investigates the evolution (2 days, 3, 6, 9, and 12 months after a fire) of topsoil (0–5 cm) chemical properties in burned Cambisols (Zadar County, Croatia) with respect to different wildfire severities (HS—high severity, MS—medium severity, C—unburned) and vegetation species (Quercus pubescens Willd. and Juniperus communis L.). Soil pH, electrical conductivity (EC), calcium carbonates (CaCO3), total organic carbon (TOC), total nitrogen (TN), total sulphur (TS), copper (Cu) and zinc (Zn) were significantly higher in HS than in MS and C. Total soil potassium (TK), Fe and Ni were significantly higher in C than in HS. The increase of TOC and TN was more pronounced in Quercus p. than Juniperus c., especially in the first three months. Soil pH, EC, CaCO3, TOC, TN, and TS were most affected by wildfire severity. The distinction between C, MS and HS categories was less visible 9 and 12 months post-fire, indicating the start of the recovery of the soil system. Post-fire management and temporal recovery of the soil system should consider the obvious difference in soil disturbance under HS and MS between vegetation species.
DNA Methylation and RNA-Sequencing Analysis to Identify Genes Related to Spontaneous Leaf Spots in a Wheat Variety ‘Zhongkenuomai No.1’
Authors: Xu Zhibin , Wang Fang , Fan Xiaoli , Feng Bo , Zhou Qiang , Yang Qichang , Wang Tao
Published: June 2022

Greenish leaf variation has been reported widely as a trait of great interest in wheat for improving photosynthesis. Zhongkenuomai No.1 (ZKNM1), a mutant with recoverable leaf spots, was regarded as a suitable material for studying chlorophyll synthesis-related mechanisms. In this study, transcriptome and DNA methylation analyses were conducted in ZKNM1 leaves to determine the transcriptional regulatory mechanism of leaf spot development. Ultimately, 890 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were discovered, with chlorophyll biosynthesis pathway genes downregulated and chlorophyll degradation pathway genes upregulated, possibly acting as a double block to chlorophyll accumulation. Among them, HEMA1s (Glutamyl-tRNA reductase family proteins) and PORAs (protochlorophyllide oxidoreductase A) were the most important controlled genes. Furthermore, a genome-wide methylation analysis indicates that a hypermethylated region is present 1690 bp upstream of the transcriptional start sites in spot tissues (SPs), and 131 DNA methylation-mediated DEGs were identified, one of which encoded a putative resistance gene (TraesCS1A02G009500) and was a hub gene in interaction network modules. In the sample groups with leaf spots (SPs), this gene may be involved in the photosynthetic processes. The findings indicated that dynamic variations in DNA methylation play key roles in gene regulation to govern leaf spot development.
Soil-Mulching Influence on Spearmint Oil Yield, Ecophysiological Activities and Essential-Oil Content in Rainfed Environment of Southern Italy
Authors: Delfine Sebastiano , Velikova Violeta B. , Mastrodonato Franco
Published: June 2022

The application of soil mulching is widely used to improve crop productivity within semiarid regions of Mediterranean environments. A field study was conducted during two consecutive cycles of spearmint (Mentha spicata L.) within the rainfed region of Southern Italy to evaluate the effects of straw mulch cultivation practices on crop yields and ecophysiological activities. Four treatments were evaluated: (1) rainfed with straw mulch (RM), (2) rainfed without straw mulch (R), (3) well-watered control plants (W) and (4) well-watered with straw mulch (WM). The rainfed mulch treatment (RM) significantly improved oil yields and ecophysiological activity of the spearmint in comparison with rainfed (R). The rainfed mulch treatment (RM) showed lower inhibition of photosynthesis and smaller diffusive limitations than control treatment, while in rainfed plants (R) photosynthetic activity and diffusive limitations strongly decreased at the end of crop cycle. The average essential-oil content was significantly lower under the W, WM and RM treatments, in comparison to the R treatment, during the full-bloom stages (40 DAT). Instead, at the end of crop cycle, the mulching practice (RM and WM) insignificantly changed the essential-oil content compared with non-mulched well-watered treatment (W), while in rainfed plants (R) the essential-oil content strongly decreased. In addition, rainfed conditions affected the percentage of the three major monoterpenes and decreased the formation of carvone from limonene. Therefore, the current study concluded that straw mulch is an effective management practice to improve growing conditions by decreasing groundwater consumption and to increase oil yields in spearmint within this Mediterranean rainfed region.
The Evaluation of the Effects of Zn, and Amino Acid-Containing Foliar Fertilizers on the Physiological and Biochemical Responses of a Hungarian Fodder Corn Hybrid
Authors: Tóth Brigitta , Moloi Makoena Joyce , Mousavi Seyed Mohammad Nasir , Illés Árpád , Bojtor Csaba , Szőke Lóránt , Nagy János
Published: June 2022

The benefit of applying foliar fertilizers is that crops can uptake them faster than soil fertilizers. The aim of this study was to test and valuate the effects of one zinc (Zn) and two amino acids-containing (AS) foliar fertilizers on a fodder corn hybrid’s physiological and biochemical processes. The experiment was conducted in field conditions. The following parameters of a fodder maize hybrid were measured one, two, three, four, five, and six weeks after the treatments (WAT): physiological (relative chlorophyll content and the effectiveness of PSII); biochemical (activities of superoxide dismutase (SOD); ascorbate peroxidase (APX) and guaiacol peroxidase (POD); the concentration of malondialdehyde (MDA); and proline. The yield increased by 10%, 6%, and 10% at Zn, Zn+AS1, and Zn+AS2 treatments. The yield parameters, such as grain/cob and ear weight, were also significantly higher under the applied three treatments relative to the control. The relative chlorophyll content was significantly higher one, two, and four weeks after Zn-treatment, and some changes were also observed when Zn and amino acid-containing fertilizer were applied in combination. The latter sampling did not show any notable changes. In addition, the activity of SOD increased when Zn-containing fertilizer was applied, although the effect of AS-containing fertilizer did not show. There was a correlation between the SOD activity and some of the yield parameters. The increasing SOD activity indicated a higher yield (t/ha) and a higher cob weight.
Comparative Analysis of Plant Growth-Promoting Rhizobacteria (PGPR) and Chemical Fertilizers on Quantitative and Qualitative Characteristics of Rainfed Wheat
Authors: Sedri Mohammad Hossein , Niedbała Gniewko , Roohi Ebrahim , Niazian Mohsen , Szulc Piotr , Rahmani Hadi Asadi , Feiziasl Vali
Published: June 2022

The indiscriminate use of hazardous chemical fertilizers can be reduced by applying eco-friendly smart farming technologies, such as biofertilizers. The effects of five different types of plant growth-promoting rhizobacteria (PGPR), including Fla-wheat (F), Barvar-2 (B), Nitroxin (N1), Nitrokara (N2), and SWRI, and their integration with chemical fertilizers (50% and/or 100% need-based N, P, and Zn) on the quantitative and qualitative traits of a rainfed wheat cultivar were investigated. Field experiments, in the form of randomized complete block design (RCBD) with four replications, were conducted at the Qamloo Dryland Agricultural Research Station in Kurdistan Province, Iran, in three cropping seasons (2016–2017, 2017–2018, and 2018–2019). All the investigated characteristics of rainfed wheat were significantly affected by the integrated application of PGPR chemical fertilizers. The grain yield of treated plants with F, B, N1, and N2 PGPR plus 50% of need-based chemical fertilizers was increased by 28%, 28%, 37%, and 33%, respectively, compared with the noninoculated control. Compared with the noninoculated control, the grain protein content was increased by 0.54%, 0.88%, and 0.34% through the integrated application of F, N1, and N2 PGPR plus 50% of need-based chemical fertilizers, respectively. A combination of Nitroxin PGPR and 100% of need-based chemical fertilizers was the best treatment to increase the grain yield (56%) and grain protein content (1%) of the Azar-2 rainfed wheat cultivar. The results of this 3-year field study showed that the integrated nutrient management of PGPR-need-based N, P, and Zn chemical fertilizers can be considered a crop management tactic to increase the yield and quality of rainfed wheat and reduce chemical fertilization and subsequent environmental pollution and could be useful in terms of sustainable rainfed crop production.
Humic Acids Incorporated into Urea at Different Proportions Increased Winter Wheat Yield and Optimized Fertilizer-Nitrogen Fate
Authors: Gao Shengchao , Zhang Shuiqin , Yuan Liang , Li Yanting , Wen Yanchen , Xu Jiukai , Hu Shuwen , Zhao Bingqiang
Published: June 2022

Humic acids (HAs) incorporated into urea fertilizers are highly effective at increasing yield and decreasing fertilizer-derived nitrogen (N) loss from soil, but reports of the optimal proportion in fertilizers remain widely inconsistent. In this study, we examined the effects of urea enhanced with 0.2–5.0% HAs (UHAs) on the yield, biomass production, N uptake, and N residue in fluvo-aquic soil in winter wheat cultivated over two growing seasons from 2018 to 2020 in the North China Plain. UHAs application significantly enhanced wheat grain yield, aboveground dry biomass, total and fertilizer-derived N uptake by wheat, and residue in soil, while reducing the loss of fertilizer-derived N. Additionally, UHAs treatments increased fertilizer-N residues in soil, especially in the top 30 cm soil layer, which increased with the proportion of added HAs. These positive effects were attributed to a higher spike number under UHAs treatments compared to conventional urea. Clustering analysis of the different treatments showed that 0.2% HAs were more similar to conventional urea, while 0.5% had similar effects to HAs at higher proportions. UHAs application significantly enhanced wheat grain yield, mainly via increasing spike number, and optimized the fertilizer-N fate. Among UHAs treatments, 0.5% HAs showed the highest increase in economic benefit.
Control of Grapevine Downy Mildew by an Italian Copper Chabasite-Rich Zeolitite
Authors: Calzarano Francesco , Seghetti Leonardo , Pagnani Giancarlo , Metruccio Elisa Giorgia , Di Marco Stefano
Published: June 2022

The progressive reduction in the quantities of copper regulated by the European Union is focusing the research on new formulations with a reduced copper content but equally effective. In this regard, the activity of an Italian copper chabasite-rich zeolitite, which proved to be effective against grapevine grey mold and sour rot, was assessed against downy mildew. A two-year study was carried out in the Abruzzo region, Italy, in a cv. Montepulciano vineyard. The applications of the copper zeolitite showed the same good results obtained by a standard integrated/conventional strategy based on contact and systemic fungicides. At harvest, in both trial years, the plants with infected bunches in the untreated control ranged from 86.25% to 100%, compared to 15–30% of the treated plants. Furthermore, infected bunches and berries of the untreated control vines were 70–100% while treated ones never exceeded 2.32%. Furthermore, an increase in the polyphenol content and color intensity in wines made from vines treated with copper zeolitite was confirmed and appeared to be particularly evident in hot and dry seasons. The activity of copper zeolitite towards downy mildew, the potential use against grey mold and sour rot and the protection of grapes from high temperatures indicate that this product is a promising tool for a viticulture environmentally friendly control strategy.
Tissue Distribution of the Piscine Novirhabdovirus Genotype IVb in Muskellunge (Esox masquinongy)
Authors: Kim Robert K. , Fitzgerald Scott D. , Kiupel Matti , Faisal Mohamed
Published: June 2022

A novel sublineage of the piscine novirhabdovirus (synonym: viral hemorrhagic septicemia virus), genotype IVb, emerged in the Laurentian Great Lakes, causing serious losses in resident fish species as early as 2003. Experimentally infected juvenile muskellunge (Esox masquinongy) were challenged with VHSV-IVb at high (1 × 105 PFU mL−1), medium (4 × 103 PFU mL−1), and low (100 PFU mL−1) doses. Samples from spleen, kidneys, heart, liver, gills, pectoral fin, large intestine, and skin/muscle were collected simultaneously from four fish at each predetermined time point and processed for VHSV-IVb reisolaton on Epitheliosum papulosum cyprini cell lines and quantification by plaque assay. The earliest reisolation of VHSV-IVb occurred in one fish from pectoral fin samples at 24 h post-infection. By 6 days post-infection (dpi), all tissue types were positive for VHSV-IVb. Statistical analysis suggested that virus levels were highest in liver, heart, and skin/muscle samples. In contrast, the kidneys and spleen exhibited reduced probability of virus recovery. Virus distribution was further confirmed by an in situ hybridization assay using a VHSV-IVb specific riboprobe. Heart muscle fibers, hepatocytes, endothelia, smooth muscle cells, and fibroblast-like cells of the pectoral fin demonstrated riboprobe labeling, thus highlighting the broad cellular tropism of VHSV-IVb. Histopathologic lesions were observed in areas where the virus was visualized.
A Scenario Analysis for Implementing Immunocastration as a Single Solution for Piglet Castration
Authors: Lin-Schilstra Li , Ingenbleek Paul T. M.
Published: June 2022

Painful castration of male piglets to avoid boar taint can potentially be replaced by three more ethical alternatives: entire male production in combination with a detection method, immunocastration (an active vaccination against the gonadotrophin-releasing factor, GnRF), and castration with pain relief (anesthesia and/or analgesia). With the aim of abandoning piglet castration and facilitating internal trade, the European Union (EU) was initially in favor of a single alternative. Immunocastration was proposed as a potential solution, but it has not yet been sufficiently assessed regarding its market potential. To address this point, this paper uses scenario analysis to examine whether and under what conditions immunocastration could be the general solution sought by the EU. The study constructs two extreme scenarios: one in which all uncertain elements negatively influence the growth of immunocastration; another in which all uncertain elements have positive influences. These scenarios provide insights into the variance in possible futures for the implementation of immunocastration. The results show that it is unlikely that immunocastration will become a single solution for all producers in the EU, because it is not the optimal solution for all types of EU pork production systems (i.e., cost-efficiency oriented, quality oriented, animal-friendly oriented, import dependent). Rather than debating and looking for evidence about which single method is the best for the entire EU, EU authorities are advised to allow the co-existence of all alternatives and to develop protocols for applying them in the pork industry.
The Digestive System of the Arctocephalus australis in Comparison to the Dog as a Land-Carnivore Model
Authors: Martín-Orti Rosario , Tostado-Marcos Carlos , Loureiro Juan-Pablo , Molpeceres-Diego Ignacio , Tendillo-Domínguez Enrique , Santos-Álvarez Inmaculada , Pérez-Lloret Pilar , González-Soriano Juncal
Published: June 2022

Marine mammals play a critical ecological role as both predator and prey. They are divided into three groups that share similar adaptations to their aquatic life, but that have very different origins and life patterns: sirenians, pinnipeds, cetaceans. The species object of our interest is the South American fur seal or Arctocephalus australis, a carnivore classified within the group of pinnipeds. The objective of the present study was to evaluate whether the anatomical characteristics of the Arctocephalus australis’ digestive system are similar to that of other land-carnivores or if, on the contrary, this species shows anatomical adaptations related to their life in the ocean. The study was carried out on 11 cadavers of the species Arctocephalus australis, made up of two adults and nine juveniles, by means of the anatomical dissection of their entire isolated digestive system. We demonstrate that, with several exceptions, the anatomical characteristics of the digestive system of the Arctocephalus australis are similar to those in other carnivores. Therefore, our data constitute an important contribution for clinical diagnostic and conservation purposes, for both veterinarians and biologists.
Assessment of Nasal Structure Using CT Imaging of Brachycephalic Dog Breeds
Authors: Oshita Ryo , Katayose Sakie , Kanai Eiichi , Takagi Satoshi
Published: June 2022

The response to treatment of brachycephalic airway syndrome (BAS) varies among brachycephalic dog breeds. We hypothesized that variations in nasal structure are one of the factors responsible for this difference. To confirm this variation, we measured the ratio of the airway cross-sectional area to the total nasal cavity area (AA/NC) in three brachycephalic dog breeds. Head CT images of French bulldogs, shih tzus, and pugs were retrospectively collected. Four specific transverse planes were used to calculate AA/NC ratios. Fifty brachycephalic dogs were included in the study: French bulldogs (n = 20), shih tzus (n = 20), and pugs (n = 10). The AA/NC ratio of Shih Tzus was larger in the rostral nasal cavity and smaller toward the caudal area, whereas the other two breeds showed an inverse tendency. The results obtained from the current research indicate that the AA/NC ratio can be used to evaluate the structure of the nasal cavity. Moreover, analyzing the point with the smallest AA/NC ratio can be useful in quantifying nasal airway obstruction and the severity of BAS. These results will be useful in understanding the complexity of BAS pathophysiology and in the implementation of treatment.
A Universal LC-MS/MS Method for Simultaneous Detection of Antibiotic Residues in Animal and Environmental Samples
Authors: Chan Chak-Lun , Wai Hogan Kok-Fung , Wu Peng , Lai Siu-Wai , Chan Olivia Sinn-Kay , Tun Hein M.
Published: June 2022

Detecting and monitoring the usage of antibiotics is a critical aspect of efforts to combat antimicrobial resistance. Antibiotic residue testing with existing LC-MS/MS methods is limited in detection range. Current methods also lack the capacity to detect multiple antibiotic residues in different samples simultaneously. In this study, we demonstrate a methodology that permits simultaneous extraction and detection of antibiotic residues in animal and environmental samples. A total of 30 different antibiotics from 13 classes could be qualitatively detected with our methodology. Further study to reduce analytes’ matrix effect would allow for quantification of antibiotic residues.