bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Green effects of research and development on industrial waste reduction during the production phase: Evidence from China and policy implications
Authors: Tang Erzi
Published: October 2022

Maintaining public health requires a clean environment; however, some industrial wastes can damage the water, atmosphere, and living environment seriously. To promote green development, policy makers in China have developed and implemented strict environmental regulations to limit the pollutant emissions and improve the environmental quality. Industrial producers implement research and development (R&D) activities to gain more profits in competitive markets. A comprehensive understanding of the green effects of R&D on different industrial wastes could provide important policy recommendations, especially regarding the coordination of innovative and green developments. In this study, the author empirically analyzed the influence of R&D input, including the intramural expenditure on R&D and full-time equivalent of R&D personnel, on industrial wastes, including the discharge of chemical oxygen demand (COD) and ammonia nitrogen, emission of sulfur dioxide, nitrogen oxides, and particulate matter, and generation of common industrial solid and hazardous wastes, based on the data from Chinese industrial sectors for 2016–2020. The main findings of empirical analyses were robust and indicated that R&D activities significantly reduced the emissions of all three industrial waste gases and decreased the discharge of COD; however, in the case of China, the partial effects on the discharge of ammonia nitrogen and the industrial solid wastes were not statistically significant. The green effects of R&D on different industrial wastes may vary and generally depend on environmental regulations, with various limitations. The most viable policy recommendations indicate that by expanding and initiating the green effect of R&D on different industrial wastes, innovative and green developments are more likely to be achieved in a coordinated manner. Additionally, this can also support special R&D activities, with the added benefit of actively developing cleaner technology to treat pollutant emissions. Development, while maintaining a clean environment to ensure public health, could be more sustainable if innovative activities reduce the production of industrial wastes. This study analyzes the green effects of R&D on industrial waste and can serve as a viable framework for future studies on sustainable development.
Role of household waste, governance quality, and greener energy for public health: Evidence from developed economies
Authors: Wei Jiping , Xu Lihua , Zhou Jing
Published: October 2022

In the current times, the global economies and international organizations declared that pollution is one of the prominent causes of declined human health. Still, most literature is biased toward economic sustainability and ignores such vital issues. The current study tends to identify the factors affecting public health in the Group of Seven economies except for Italy (G6). Specifically, this study aims to investigate the influence of household waste (HHW), bureaucratic quality (BQ), democratic accountability (DA), urbanization growth (URP), GDP per capita, and renewable energy use (EPR) on public health, throughout 1996-2020. This study uses advanced panel data approaches and finds the heterogeneity of slope coefficients, the dependence of cross-sections, and the persistence of cointegration between the variables. The asymmetric distribution of data leads to employing the novel method of moment quantile regression. The estimated results reveal that URP, GDPPC, and EPR significantly increase domestic general government health expenditures, improving public health. However, HHW and BQ adversely affect public health by reducing health expenditures. The robustness of the results is tested via utilizing the panel quantile regression. Based on the empirical findings, this study suggests policies regarding the improvement in public health expenditure, R&D investment, spending in renewable energy sector, and strengthening of the institutional quality.
Prevalence of glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase deficiency (G6PDd) and clinical implication for safe use of primaquine in malaria-endemic areas of Hainan Province, China
Authors: Zeng Wen , Liu Ning , Li Yuchun , Gao Ai , Yuan Mengyi , Ma Rui , Jiang Na , Sun Dingwei , Wang Guangze , Feng Xinyu
Published: October 2022

Primaquine, the only licensed antimalarial drug for eradication of Plasmodium vivax and Plasmodium ovale malaria, may cause acute hemolytic anemia in individuals with glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase deficiency (G6PDd) during treatment. The different prevalence and distribution patterns of G6PDd in Hainan, the ancient malaria-endemic area, are unclear. This study included 5,622 suspected malaria patients between 2009 and 2011 in 11 counties of Hainan. Glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase deficiency prevalence was determined using the fluorescent spot test (FST) and malaria patients was confirmed by a positive light microscopy. The G6PDd prevalence for different ethnic groups, genders, and counties were calculated and compared using χ2-test. Spatial cluster and Spearman rank correlation of G6PDd prevalence and malaria incidence were analyzed. The overall G6PDd prevalence of study population was 7.45%. The G6PDd prevalence of males, Li ethnic minority, and malaria patients was significantly higher than that of females, Han ethnic majority, and non-malarial patients (p < 0.01), respectively. The spatial cluster of G6PDd and malaria located in south-western and central-southern Hainan, respectively, with no significant correlation. The study provides essential information on G6PDd prevalence in ancient malaria-endemic areas of Hainan Province. We also highlight the need for a better understanding of the mechanisms underlying the relationship between G6PDd prevalence and malaria incidence. These findings provide a reference for the safety of the primaquine-based intervention, even after malaria elimination.
Vigorous physical activity and self-rated health during adolescence: A cross-sectional survey
Authors: Wang Yongkang , She Weizhong , Chi Guijun , Wang Junsheng
Published: October 2022

Background

Despite the positive relationship between self-rated health and general physical activity, very little research has touched upon the relationship between self-rated health and vigorous physical activity. Such research will help to promote self-rated health among adolescents by addressing the close relationship between self-rated health and the components of physical activity.

Purpose

In this study, the relationship between self-rated health and vigorous physical activity among Chinese adolescents were analyzed.

Methods

The current study was based on a collaborative survey conducted by the WHO in several nations, and the data generated by Health Behavior in School-aged Children every 4 years on health behavior were adopted. The school class was taken as a basic unit for sampling. Cluster sampling was performed systematically, and the possibility was proportional to the population. The sampling was conducted to collect typical cases. The class teachers were informed of the sampling activities, and they were to collect data on the students by distributing the questionnaires.

Results

The research included 116,828 respondents from 36 countries. Among them, 51.82% were girls and 48.18% were boys. A total of 98.54% of the respondents considered their health status as fair or above when completing the questionnaire, while 1.46% believed that their health status was poor. Moreover, more than 86% of the respondents participated in vigorous exercise more than weekly, and better self-health ratings were found among respondents who exercised more than weekly (once a week: OR = 1.95, CI: 1.86–2.04; two or three times a week: OR = 1.69, CIL: 1.63–1.76; four or six times a week: OR = 1.30, CI: 1.25–1.35). Certain respondents reported better results for self-rated health (4–6 h every week: OR = 1.36, CI: 1.30–1.43; 2 or 3 h every week: OR = 1.48, CI: 1.42–1.55; 1 h every week: OR = 1.64, CI: 1.57–1.72).

Conclusion

In this study, empirical evidence is provided for the relationship between self-rated health and vigorous physical activity among adolescents. From the results, it can be observed that there is a positive relationship between self-rated health and vigorous physical activity among adolescents.
Relationship between health spending, life expectancy and renewable energy in China: A new evidence from the VECM approach
Authors: Liu Hui , Zhong Kaiyang
Published: October 2022

There has been a growing trend in health spending and renewable energy consumption in China over the past few decades, which has positive implications for health outcomes, such as life expectancy. Therefore, the main objective of this study is to empirically analyze the impact of health expenditures and renewable energy on life expectancy in China. We used the time series data from 2000Q1 to 2020Q4 and applied the VECM approach for the data analysis. The results of this study suggest a long run association between health spending, life expectancy and renewable energy. The increase in health spending improves life expectancy, while renewable energy consumption also positively affects life expectancy in China. Therefore, the government should allocate sufficient funding to the health sector in order to attain higher life expectancy in the country. In addition, the government should also provide incentives for the consumption and production of renewable energy, which could help to achieve the sustainable development goal and life expectancy.
Environmental exposure to organophosphate esters and suspected non-alcoholic fatty liver disease among US adults: A mixture analysis
Authors: Chai Haisheng , Hu Weiye , Dai Yaoyao , Zhu Xiaohan , Qian Ping'an , Zhu Junfeng
Published: October 2022

Objectives

Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is the most common chronic liver disease worldwide. We evaluated NAFLD using the US FLI to determine whether there is an association between urinary organophosphorus (OPE) levels and the “prevalence” of NAFLD in US individuals.

Methods

The current study included 1,102 people aged 20 years and older with information from the 2011–2014 U.S. National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey. NAFLD was assessed using the U.S. FLI. Individual OPE metabolites and OPE combinations were linked to NAFLD using logistic regression and weighted quantile sum (WQS) regression. All analyzes were carried out separately on males and females. The possible impacts of age, serum total testosterone (TT), and menopausal state, as well as the importance of the interaction term with exposure, were investigated using stratified analysis.

Results

Bis (2-chloroethyl) phosphate and bis (1,3-dichloro-2-propyl) phosphate were associated with NAFLD in all males after adjusting for covariates (P < 0.05). A combination of OPEs (OPE index) was positively linked with NAFLD in the WQS analysis of all males (odds ratio for OPE index: 1.52; 95% CI: 1.06, 2.19). Stratified analyzes for males revealed that considerable connections were largely confined to individuals over 60 years old or with low total testosterone. In women, the connection was limited and inconsistent, except for the OPE index, which was positively linked with NAFLD in post-menopausal women.

Conclusions

In this study, environmental exposure to OPE was linked to an elevated risk of NAFLD in males, particularly those over 60 years old or with low TT levels. Aside from the continuous positive connection of a combination of OPEs with NAFLD risk in post-menopausal women, these correlations were weaker in women. However, these findings should be taken with caution and verified in future investigations by collecting numerous urine samples in advance to strengthen OPE exposure estimates.
Hypolipidemic and hypoglycemic nature of lactobacillus strains in fermented vegetable and dairy products
Authors: Ghatani Kriti , Thapa Subarna , Chakraborty Priya
Published: October 2022

Fermented foods are functional foods with better nutritional and technological characteristics that prove numerous health benefits to the host as they harbor diverse group of microorganisms in them. There has been increased consumption of fermented vegetables, cereal based foods, dairy products, meat and fish products and rice based foods and beverages throughout the globe. Diseases like obesity, cardiovascular diseases and diabetes are the chief metabolic disorders that have become a leading concern of public health in the world. According to the World Health Organization statistics, approximately 422 million people, around the globe, suffer from diabetes, and about 2.6 million deaths, worldwide, have been caused due to raised cholesterol levels in humans. Although there is no doubt that low-fat and low-carbohydrate diets are an effective means of lowering blood cholesterol and managing blood sugar levels under experimental conditions, however, they appear to be less effective, owing to poor compliance, which can be linked to the diets’ low palatability and acceptability by consumers. Therefore, there is a need for novel strategies to mitigate the effects of raised blood glucose and blood cholesterol levels, also keeping in mind the consumer acceptability. Probiotic lactic acid bacterial supplements have gathered much attention in the prevention of diet induced metabolic diseases. Lactobacillus is the largest genus falling under the group of Lactic acid bacteria which includes approximately 300 species of bacteria and innumerable strains. Further, they have a long history of use in food fermentation and has also procured the “generally recognized as safe” status. This genus is accredited as probiotics due to their countless health-promoting effects on the host. They have been suggested to facilitate positive contribution to the nutritional, physiological, microbiological and immunological effect on the host. This paper focuses on the in vitro and in vivo studies of Lactobacillus probiotics reported from fermented vegetable and milk products in the treatment of obesity, diabetes and cardiovascular diseases.
Choices of immediate open access and the relationship to journal ranking and publish-and-read deals
Authors: Wenaas Lars
Published: October 2022

The role of academic journals is significant in the reward system of science, which makes their rank important for the researcher's choice in deciding where to submit. The study asks how choices of immediate gold and hybrid open access are related to journal ranking and how the uptake of immediate open access is affected by transformative publish-and-read deals, pushed by recent science policy. Data consists of 186,621 articles published with a Norwegian affiliation in the period 2013–2021, all of which were published in journals ranked in a National specific ranking, on one of two levels according to their importance, prestige, and perceived quality within a discipline. The results are that researchers chose to have their articles published as hybrid two times as often in journals on the most prestigious level compared with journals on the normal level. The opposite effect was found with gold open access where publishing on the normal level was chosen three times more than on the high level. This can be explained by the absence of highly ranked gold open access journals in many disciplines. With the introduction of publish-and-read deals, hybrid open access has boosted and become a popular choice enabling the researcher to publish open access in legacy journals. The results confirm the position of journals in the reward system of science and should inform policymakers about the effects of transformative arrangements and their costs against the overall level of open access.
Assessing the water security effectiveness of integrated river basin management: Comparative case study analysis for lesson-drawing
Authors: Ak Muhammed Yasir , Benson David
Published: October 2022

Climate change, population growth, over-abstraction and industrial pollution are impacting the security of water resources globally, raising policy relevant questions over the optimality of institutional arrangements for their management. This paper seeks to add to this debate by assessing the effectiveness of integrated river basin management for achieving water security, in two case studies: the Konya Closed Basin in Turkey, and the Kern County Subbasin in California. A modified Institutional Analysis and Development (IAD) framework is employed to compare biophysical, community and governance factors in these cases to show how they influence water security, measured through a dedicated set of indicators. Results show that differentials in water security outcomes between the cases is, in part, related to how organizational rules compel actor participation in planning processes and the degree of coherence between multi-level institutions, particularly inter-agency collaboration. On this basis, the paper then engages with the public policy theory literature on lesson-drawing to assess the potential for policy learning for these specific contexts and other countries. The significance of the study therefore relates to its holistic integration of governance analysis, comparative case design and lesson-drawing for informing future river basin institutional design in achieving effective water security.
Application of POET model to investigate agricultural water conflict in Iran
Authors: Bijani Masoud , Hayati Dariush , Fallah Haghighi Negin , Valizadeh Naser
Published: October 2022

Water conflicts might be a serious threat for the life quality of stakeholders and also an obstacle on the way of human and environmental development. Obviously, the environment could be affected by such conflicts. The purpose of this study was to investigate the agricultural water conflicts through a human ecological perspective using POET model and SWOT analysis. A descriptive mixed method including two surveys and semi-structured interviews was fulfilled as a research method. The study was conducted in Doroodzan dam irrigation network in Fars Province, Iran. The statistical population of this study included two groups of farmers and regional water experts; besides, the research tools included two questionnaires and semi-structured interviews. SWOT findings revealed that the best strategies reducing and controlling agricultural water conflict, and also maintaining and enhancing the environmental sustainability, are adaptation of participatory water management approaches, formation and strengthening of water user associations, and conformity of irrigation technologies with farmers' circumstances.
Using structural equation modeling to examine the influence of family planning social norms on modern contraceptive use in Nigeria
Authors: Mandal Mahua , Calhoun Lisa M. , McGuire Courtney , Speizer Ilene S.
Published: October 2022

Despite high knowledge of family planning (FP) among Nigerian women, use of modern contraceptives remains low. While FP investments in Nigeria have been ongoing for decades, relatively little emphasis on contextual and structural factors may have contributed to low demand for and use of contraception. From 2009 to 2014, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation (BMGF) supported the Nigerian Urban Reproductive Health Initiative (NURHI) with the aim of increasing voluntary use of contraceptives among women ages 15–49 years in six Nigerian cities. A subsequent phase of NURHI was implemented in three states for the next 3 to 5 years. Using cross-sectional survey data from three cities (two exposed to NURHI, one not exposed), this study examines whether social norms around FP were related to women's use of modern contraception, and whether the relationship differed by varying levels of exposure to the program (i.e., by city). We identified three distinct FP social norms through factor analysis: norms around delaying first pregnancy; spacing or limiting pregnancies; and using contraception when the husband disagrees. Using structural equation modeling, we found that FP social norms are related to use of modern contraceptive methods, and the relationship varies by city and norm type. The observed differences suggest that this relationship depends on numerous factors at the individual, interpersonal and societal level, and this may include malleable factors influenced by the NURHI program.
Development of a proof-of-concept spectropolarimeter in the framework of the GSST mission: Characterization and performance analysis of a sCMOS image sensor
Authors: Rodrigues Barbosa Adriany , Carlesso Franciele , Vieira Luis Eduardo Antunes
Published: October 2022

Camera characterization is critical for solar observation instruments such as spectropolarimeters. This paper presents the characterization of the proof-of-concept spectropolarimeter sCMOS image sensor. The report is divided into two parts. The first is to analyze the behavior of each pixel due to changes in the camera’s operation mode. Analyze the camera’s sensor cooling, shutter, and corrections and filters. The second part is the characterization of the camera, analyzing linearity, gain, and polarization effects. For this first phase of the project, the commercial sCMOS image sensor successfully acquired images of the Stokes parameters in an agile manner. However, a new camera with less non-linearity will be necessary for the project’s next phase.
The urge for just transition: Evidence from understanding of wood fuel producers' livelihoods and vulnerability in the drylands of Ethiopia
Authors: Girma Gonche , Shimeles Abebaw , Abate Tensaye , Seyoum Gezahegn , Alemu Mitiku
Published: October 2022

Wood fuel is not only the main source of energy for both rural and urban households but also a vital means of livelihood diversification for rural households to improve livelihood capital in developing countries like Ethiopia. However, the status of wood fuel producers' livelihood capital and their vulnerability is poorly understood in the drylands of Ethiopia. The main purpose of the research is to characterize the livelihoods of firewood and charcoal producers as well as identify sources of livelihoods' vulnerability in the dryland areas of the country. These urge to transit for sustainable energy use. The study used survey data collected from 857 sampled wood fuel producer households and Focus Group Discussions. The data were analyzed descriptively using livelihood measurement indicators and livelihood vulnerability indexes (exposure, sensitivity, and adaptive capacity indicators) in the context of farming, agro-pastoralist, and pastoralist communities. Results indicated that generally financial, human, and social capital of wood fuel producers were low whereas natural and physical capital were better. Results also indicated engagement in the production of wood fuel strengthened the producers' livelihood capital and delivered other benefits such as opportunities for livelihood diversification as well as reducing vulnerability and improved livelihoods. The pastoral and agro-pastoral communities' livelihood capital sources were more vulnerable than farming communities. The study has also identified that wood fuel production was one of the major coping strategies employed by the sampled households to mitigate the effects of different shocks. Finally, the study results implied that wood fuel production is the highest priority area of intervention to improve the livelihoods of communities in the dry lands. It is also worthwhile to establish sustainable approaches for wood fuel production keeping the dry land forest and environment safe. This calls policy for a just transition toward an equitable wood fuel production system with the potential to deliver sustainable energy and rural development through the incorporation of wood fuel importance to rural livelihoods.
Specific steps in the operation determine resident speed: Experience with a live tissue simulation model of laparoscopic nephrectomy
Authors: Eber Jackson , Peterson Andrew C.
Published: October 2022

Introduction

It is increasingly important to identify and eliminate inefficiencies in resident education. We hypothesize that slower performance of specific operative steps in laparoscopic nephrectomy accounts for much of the slower operative speed observed in junior residents vs. their senior colleagues. Therefore, we sought to evaluate the by-step time-differential between experienced senior residents and their junior colleagues in a live-tissue simulation.

Materials and methods

Residents participated in our swine model surgical simulation of laparoscopic radical and partial nephrectomy (LRNx and LPNx). PGY5 and 6 residents were considered senior; junior residents were PGY3 and 4. We defined discrete surgical steps. Residents' post-graduate training levels were tracked and time-to-completion of each operative step was recorded.

Results

Seven live-tissue simulations sessions took place, with 12 residents conducting 22 operations (12 LRNx, 10 LPNx). On average, each resident operated in 2 simulation sessions (range 1–4). The average time required by senior residents for LPNx was 152 min; junior residents required 173 min (p = 0.35). When considering the operative steps, juniors required nearly twice as much time to achieve hilar control (42 min vs. 23 min, p = 0.03). Significant differences in performance time were not seen in the other steps.

Discussion

The performance differential between senior and junior residents conducting nephrectomies was most evident during hilar dissection. Our study suggests that specific efforts should be focused on teaching junior residents the skills required for this step early in their training.
Blood concentrations of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances are associated with autoimmune-like effects in American alligators from Wilmington, North Carolina
Authors: Guillette T. C. , Jackson Thomas W. , Guillette Matthew , McCord James , Belcher Scott M.
Published: October 2022

Surface and groundwater of the Cape Fear River basin in central and coastal North Carolina is contaminated with high levels of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS). Elevated levels of PFAS have also been found in blood of fish and wildlife from the Cape Fear River, and in the blood of human populations reliant on contaminated well or surface water from the Cape Fear River basin as a source of drinking water. While the public and environmental health impacts of long-term PFAS exposures are poorly understood, elevated blood concentrations of some PFAS are linked with immunotoxicity and increased incidence of some chronic autoimmune diseases in human populations. The goal of this One Environmental Health study was to evaluate PFAS exposure and biomarkers related to immune health in populations of American alligators (Alligator mississippiensis), a protected and predictive sentinel species of adverse effects caused by persistent toxic pollutants. We found that serum PFAS concentrations in alligator populations from the Cape Fear River were increased compared to a reference population of alligators from the adjoining Lumber River basin. The elevated serum PFAS concentrations in the Cape Fear River alligators were associated with increased innate immune activities, and autoimmune-like phenotypes in this population. In addition to evidence of significantly higher double stranded-DNA binding autoantibodies in adult Cape Fear River alligators, our qRT-PCR analysis found remarkably high induction of Interferon-α signature genes implicated in the pathology of human autoimmune disease. We interpret the association of increased PFAS exposure with disrupted immune functions to suggest that PFAS broadly alters immune activities resulting in autoimmune-like pathology in American alligators. This work substantiates and extends evidence from experimental models and human epidemiology studies showing that some PFAS are immune toxicants.
Establishing an experimental model for canine atopic dermatitis through epicutaneous application of Dermatophagoides farinae
Authors: Kim Sang-Won , Kim Jung-Hyun
Published: October 2022

There is no established protocol for the development of an experimental canine atopic dermatitis model in laboratory beagles. This study aimed to establish an experimental model that mimics spontaneous canine atopic dermatitis (CAD) clinically, immunologically, and microbiologically, by repeated epicutaneous applications of mite antigens and to describe the entire process including sensitization and provocation in detail for reproducibility. Six intact male laboratory beagle dogs aged 14 months were included in this study. During the sensitization and provocation phase, the house dust mite (HDM) paste consisted of Dermatophagoides farinae (Der f ) and mineral oil, which was applied focally to the 10 × 10 cm area of the right groin as evenly as possible. Further, 120 mg of Der f was applied to each dog twice a week for 12 weeks during the sensitization phase and 25 mg and 120 mg was applied to each dog for the first 2 weeks and subsequent 2 weeks, respectively, during the provocation phase. Thereafter, the applied area was covered with a dressing. Skin lesions including erythema, hyperpigmentation, excoriation, and lichenification were induced and exacerbated gradually through the experimental time course in all six dogs. The canine atopic dermatitis extent and severity index (CADESI) score and transepidermal water loss (TEWL) significantly increased after sensitization and provocation. IL-13 and IL-31 levels increased significantly after provocation as a result of the activation of the T helper-2 (Th2) response. On the contrary, the IL-10 levels decreased significantly after sensitization, which suggested a suppression of Tregs activity. After the completion of provocation, skin microbiome analysis showed that Firmicutes was the most abundant phylum, which indicated bacterial dysbiosis. This study demonstrated that epicutaneous application of HDM in beagle dogs resulted in the elevation of serum HDM-specific IgE levels and clinical atopic scores, a high TEWL, and microbiome dysbiosis resembling spontaneous CAD. These results suggest that this tailored protocol of epicutaneous exposure to Der f may provide support for the development of the experimental CAD model in laboratory beagles.
Incidence of Gastrointestinal Bleeding After Transesophageal Echocardiography Use in Orthotopic Liver Transplantation
Authors: Chotalia Minesh , Topiwala Upasana , Iqbal Asim , Parekh Dhruv , Isaac John L. , Perera M. Thamara P. R. , Arshad Mohammed A.
Published: October 2022

The risk of upper gastrointestinal bleeding (UGIB) after transesophageal echocardiography (TEE) in patients with high grade esophageal varices (EV) that are undergoing Orthotopic Liver transplantation (OLT) is poorly understood. This was a retrospective single-centre cohort study in all patients that underwent OLT at Queen Elizabeth Hospital Birmingham between September 2016 and September 2018. The primary outcome was to determine the incidence of UGIB in patients that have undergone OLT with EV that received TEE. 401 patients were included in the study, of which 320 (80%) received TEE. The incidence of post-operative UGIB in patients that received TEE was 1.6% (5/320) in the entire cohort: 2.7% (4/149) in patients with no evidence of EV and 0.6% (1/171) in patients with EV. UGIB occurred in 1 patient with grade 2 EV and did not occur in patients with grade 1 or 3 EV. The incidence of UGIB in patients that received TEE was not statistically different to patients that did not: 1.6% (5/320) vs. 3.7% (3/81) p = 0.218. In conclusion, in patients that underwent OLT, intra-operative TEE use was associated with low rates of UGIB, even in cohorts with high grade EV. This suggests that TEE is a relatively safe method of haemodynamic monitoring in patients undergoing OLT.
Flight/Propulsion Integrated Control of Over-Under TBCC Engine Based on GA-LQR Method
Authors: Yu Huafeng , Guo Yingqing , Yan Xinghui , Wang Jiamei
Published: October 2022

Turbine-based combined cycle (TBCC) engines are one of the ideal powers for reusable air-breathing supersonic aircraft, but the flight/propulsion integrated control and mode transition restricts its use. This paper takes the Mach 4 over-under TBCC engine as the research object. The inlet is established by the quasi-one-dimensional calculation theory, which can reflect the shock wave position. An iterative method is proposed, which points out that the flow rate in the mode transition depends on the flow capacity. By connecting the input and output that affect each other, the simulation of the coupling characteristics of the aircraft and engine are realized. A GA-LQR-based controller design method is proposed and verified through the aircraft’s climb and mode transition conditions. The simulation shows that the integrated control system can ensure the stability of the aircraft and the safe operation of the engine in the above two situations. During the mode transition process, the aircraft altitude and Mach number fluctuate less than 1%, and the normal shock wave of inlet is in a safe position.
Eco-Friendly Biocontrol Strategies of Alternaria Phytopathogen Fungus: A Focus on Gene-Editing Techniques
Authors: Carrascal-Hernández Domingo Cesar , Flórez-López Edwin , Peralta-Ruiz Yeimmy , Chaves-López Clemencia , Grande-Tovar Carlos David
Published: October 2022

Agricultural food production is greatly affected by postharvest diseases worldwide, such as the diseases caused by Alternaria species, which are very common in several crops. The management of fungal infections around the world largely relies on fungicides. In this context, the control of diseases such as early blight caused by Alternaria solani in potatoes and Alternaria linariae in tomatoes has mainly consisted of the application of fungicides, with negative impacts on the environment and human health. Recently, the application of ‘omics’ and gene editing through the CRISPR/Cas9 system and RNAi technologies demonstrated their effectiveness as emerging greener alternatives for controlling phytopathogenic fungi. Additionally, coatings based on essential oils and microbial antagonists suggest alternative strategies for controlling phytopathogenic fungi that are respectful of the environment. This review presents an exhaustive literature review focused on using greener alternatives to the traditional management of postharvest diseases associated with Alternaria species, such as inhibiting pathogenicity from their phytopathogenic genes using gene editing based on CRISPR/Cas9 and RNAi technologies. The review also presents coatings based on essential oils and microbial antagonists as greener strategies for Alternaria control. Biological processes of maximum efficiency can replace chemical methods for controlling phytopathogenic fungi, preserving healthy conditions in agricultural lands and ecosystems. This is possible with the rise of ‘omic’ technologies, the CRISPR/Cas9 tool, and RNAi technology. Greener control methods of Alternaria fungi can increase agricultural production, improving the economy and global health.
Scenarios for Sustainable Farming Systems for Macadamia Nuts and Mangos Using a Systems Dynamics Lens in the Vhembe District, Limpopo South Africa
Authors: Materechera Fenji , Scholes Mary
Published: October 2022

Agriculture is arguably one of the most important economic sectors for South Africa’s development as it is directly linked to food security. Farming systems in South Africa have been characterized by a duality where large-scale commercial farmers and small-scale farmers co-exist. The conventional approach to understanding agricultural production in the country has always viewed the two farming systems as mutually exclusive. The study argues that there are various points of interaction between the two kinds of farmers and by using a systems dynamics approach to evaluate the two farming systems this can be applied to agricultural decision making. Data were used to identify and characterise small- and large-scale farming systems of two tree crops (mangos—Mangifera indica L. and macadamia nuts—Macadamia integrifolia M&B.) in the Vhembe district of Limpopo South Africa. The interactions between the two different farmers are illustrated using Causal Loop Diagrams (CLDs) of the two farming systems under similar commodities. Results, presented as four conceptual scenarios, show that there are multiple points of interaction, such as the interdependence of farmers of macadamia nuts to meet export demands. Policy recommendations to strengthen collaboration between small-scale mango farmers and implement irrigation expansion for farmers who depend on rain-fed farming are discussed and present opportunities for the co-functioning of the two farming systems.
Temporal and Spatial Differentiation and Driving Factors of China’s Agricultural Eco-Efficiency Considering Agricultural Carbon Sinks
Authors: Li Shilin , Zhu Zhiyuan , Dai Zhenzhong , Duan Jiajia , Wang Danmeng , Feng Yongzhong
Published: October 2022

Climate change, greenhouse gas emissions, and food security have put forward higher requirements for sustainable agricultural development. Agricultural ecological efficiency (AEE) is an important indicator to evaluate the sustainable development of agriculture. Low carbon agriculture promotes sustainable agricultural development. Agricultural carbon sinks are an important output of agricultural production, but they have not been fully reflected in the current research on agricultural ecological efficiency. In this study, agricultural carbon sinks are considered as one of the expected outputs of AEE. The data envelopment method was used to measure the AEE of 31 provincial-level administrative regions in China from 2000 to 2019, and the AEE of China was compared with and without carbon sinks. The Gaussian kernel function was used to estimate the time evolution of regional differences in AEE. A geodetector model was used to detect the drivers of spatial differentiation of AEE in China. The results showed that considering agricultural carbon sinks as one of the expected measurement outputs brings the estimated AEE closer to reality. From 2000 to 2019, China’s AEE showed an upward trend, and the efficiency value increased from 0.48 to 0.95, an increase of 97.92%. The spatial distribution pattern of AEE in China was Northeast > West > Central > East, with obvious differences among provinces. The industrialization level, urban–rural gap, agricultural economic level, agricultural disaster rate, and urbanization level were the leading driving forces for the spatial differentiation of AEE in China. The research will help to reveal the dynamic characteristics, spatial differentiation characteristics, and driving factors of China’s agricultural ecological efficiency, and provide a scientific reference for the realization of sustainable agricultural development and high-quality development.
Classification of Fine-Grained Crop Disease by Dilated Convolution and Improved Channel Attention Module
Authors: Zhang Xiang , Gao Huiyi , Wan Li
Published: October 2022

Crop disease seriously affects food security and causes huge economic losses. In recent years, the technology of computer vision based on convolutional neural networks (CNNs) has been widely used to classify crop disease. However, the classification of fine-grained crop disease is still a challenging task due to the difficult identification of representative disease characteristics. We consider that the key to fine-grained crop disease identification lies in expanding the effective receptive field of the network and filtering key features. In this paper, a novel module (DC-DPCA) for fine-grained crop disease classification was proposed. DC-DPCA consists of two main components: (1) dilated convolution block, and (2) dual-pooling channel attention module. Specifically, the dilated convolution block is designed to expand the effective receptive field of the network, allowing the network to acquire information from a larger range of images, and to provide effective information input to the dual-pooling channel attention module. The dual-pooling channel attention module can filter out discriminative features more effectively by combining two pooling operations and constructing correlations between global and local information. The experimental results show that compared with the original networks (85.38%, 83.22%, 83.85%, 84.60%), ResNet50, VGG16, MobileNetV2, and InceptionV3 embedded with the DC-DPCA module obtained higher accuracy (87.14%, 86.26%, 86.24%, and 86.77%). We also provide three visualization methods to fully validate the rationality and effectiveness of the proposed method in this paper. These findings are crucial by effectively improving classification ability of fine-grained crop disease by CNNs. Moreover, the DC-DPCA module can be easily embedded into a variety of network structures with minimal time cost and memory cost, which contributes to the realization of smart agriculture.
Smart Operation of Climatic Systems in a Greenhouse
Authors: González-Vidal Aurora , Mendoza-Bernal José , Ramallo Alfonso P. , Zamora Miguel Ángel , Martínez Vicente , Skarmeta Antonio F.
Published: October 2022

The purpose of our work is to leverage the use of artificial intelligence for the emergence of smart greenhouses. Greenhouse agriculture is a sustainable solution for food crises and therefore data-based decision-support mechanisms are needed to optimally use them. Our study anticipates how the combination of climatic systems will affect the temperature and humidity of the greenhouse. More specifically, our methodology anticipates if a set-point will be reached in a given time by a combination of climatic systems and estimates the humidity at that time. We performed exhaustive data analytics processing that includes the interpolation of missing values and data augmentation, and tested several classification and regression algorithms. Our method can predict with a 90% accuracy if, under current conditions, a combination of climatic systems will reach a fixed temperature set-point, and it is also able to estimate the humidity with a 2.83% CVRMSE. We integrated our methodology on a three-layer holistic IoT platform that is able to collect, fuse and analyze real data in a seamless way.
Evaluating the Performance of Flexible, Semi-Transparent Large-Area Organic Photovoltaic Arrays Deployed on a Greenhouse
Authors: Waller Rebekah , Kacira Murat , Magadley Esther , Teitel Meir , Yehia Ibrahim
Published: October 2022

Agricultural greenhouses have been identified as a niche application for organic photovoltaic (OPV) integration, leveraging key performance characteristics of OPV technology, including semi-transparency, light weight, and mechanical flexibility. For optimal electrical design and performance assessment of greenhouse-integrated OPV systems, knowledge of the solar irradiance incident on OPV module surfaces is essential. Many greenhouse designs feature roof curvature. For flexible OPV modules deployed on curved greenhouse roofs, this results in a non-homogenous distribution of solar radiation across the module surfaces, which affects electrical output. Conventional modeling methods for estimating solar irradiance on a PV surface assume planarity, and therefore they are insufficient to evaluate OPV (and other flexible PV) installations on curved greenhouse structures. In this study, practical methods to estimate incident solar irradiance on curved surfaces were developed and then applied in an outdoor performance evaluation of large-area, roll-to-roll printed OPV arrays (3.4 m2 active area) installed on a gothic-arch greenhouse roof in Tucson, Arizona between October–February. The outdoor performance of six OPV arrays was assessed using the curved-surface modeling tools primarily considering the effect of irradiance on electrical behavior. The OPV arrays had an overall power conversion efficiency (PCE) of 1.82%, with lower PCE in the afternoon periods compared to morning and midday periods. The OPV arrays experienced an average 32.6% loss in normalized PCE over the course of the measurement period. Based on these results, we conclude that the higher performing OPV devices that are more robust in outdoor conditions coupled with accurate performance monitoring strategies are needed to prove the case for agrivoltaic OPV greenhouses.
DNA Methylation Inhibitor 5-Azacytidine Promotes Leaf Senescence in Pak Choi (Brassica rapa subsp. chinensis) by Regulating Senescence-Related Genes
Authors: Li Yuntong , Zhu Junzhen , Xu Xiaoyang , Li Pengxia , Liu Xuesong
Published: October 2022

Leaf senescence is strictly regulated by multiple internal factors and external environmental signals, with the epigenetic modification being an important element among them. However, the epigenetic mechanism of leaf senescence is largely unknown in horticultural crops, especially the leaf vegetable pak choi, which easily senesces, and becomes yellow post-harvest. In this study, we found that the expression of DNA methyltransferases (BcMET1, BcSUVH4, BcDRM2, BcRDR2, and BcCMT3) of pak choi decreased during storage. The preliminary results showed that its senescence process was accompanied by DNA methylation changes. Moreover, treatment with 500 μM 5-Azacytidine (5-Aza) (DNA methylation inhibitor) can promote the senescence of pak choi leaves by (1) increasing the degradation of chlorophyll (Chl) and its derivatives, (2) increasing the activities of Mg-dechelatase (MDCase), pheophytinase (PPH) and pheophorbide a oxygenase (PAO), and (3) inducing the expression of senescence-related genes (BcSAG12, BcNYC1, BcSGR1, BcSGR2, BcPPH1, BcPPH2, BcPAO, and BcRCCR), thereby accelerating the senescence of the pak choi leaves. Further studies showed that DNA demethylation occurred in the promoter regions of BcSGR2 and BcSAG12 during storage, with the bisulfite sequencing detection showing that their degrees of methylation decreased. Therefore, our findings help us understand how epigenetic modifications affect the storage tolerance of leafy vegetables, which is highly significant for cultivating anti-senescent vegetable varieties.
Effects of Hydraulic Retention Time of Aquaculture Effluent on Nutrient Film Technique Lettuce Productivity
Authors: Wallace-Springer Nathan , Wells Daniel E. , Pickens Jeremy M. , Ayipio Emmanuel , Kemble Joseph
Published: October 2022

Nutrient film technique (NFT) is a popular, ergonomic, hydroponic system, but is not often used in commercial aquaponic systems due to lower efficiency in overall nutrient removal. Experiments were conducted to assess if NFT lettuce production could be improved by exchanging aquaculture effluent more frequently, and if so, determine the optimal water exchange rate. The AE was taken from a biofloc-based nile tiapia production system. Treatments consisted of increasing hydraulic retention time (HRT (d)) viz: four-, eight-, twelve-, or sixteen-day water exchanges arranged in a randomized complete block design with five blocks. In one trial (trial 1) where iron (Fe) was not supplemented, there was one replication. There were three replications for the second trial with iron supplementation. The analysis of lettuce plant size index and chlorophyll index (SPAD units) in trial 1 was statistically different among the HRTs beginning 14 days after planting, exhibiting negative linear trends with increasing HRT. However, most foliar micronutrients were borderline sufficient, and all treatments showed foliar Fe deficiency. After iron supplementation (trial 2), lettuce plant chlorophyll and size index exhibited quadratic trends with increasing HRT on 14 and 21 DAP, respectively. In trial 2, plant fresh mass decreased linearly from 162.1 g/head to 147.1 g/head, with increasing HRT. Furthermore, iron supplementation eliminated Fe deficiencies in the plants albeit only up to 14 DAP. Our findings suggest that shorter hydraulic retention times provide a solution to using the NFT system in aquaponics especially with iron supplementation.