bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Codonopsis pilosula seedling drought- responsive key genes and pathways revealed by comparative transcriptome
Authors: Wang Hongyan , Chen Yuan , Liu Lanlan , Guo Fengxia , Liang Wei , Dong Linlin , Dong Pengbin , Cheng Jiali , Chen Yongzhong
Published: October 2024

Background

Codonopsis pilosula (Campanulaceae) is a traditional herbal plant that is widely used in China, and the drought stress during the seedling stage directly affects the quality, ultimately impacting its yield. However, the molecular mechanisms underlying the drought resistance of C. pilosula seedlings remain unclear.

Method

Herein, we conducted extensive comparative transcriptome and physiological studies on two distinct C. pilosula cultivar (G1 and W1) seedlings subjected to a 4-day drought treatment.

Results

Our findings revealed that cultivar G1 exhibited enhanced retention of proline and chlorophyll, alongside a marked elevation in peroxidase activity, coupled with diminished levels of malondialdehyde and reduced leaf relative electrolyte leakage compared with cultivar W1. This suggested that cultivar G1 had relatively higher protective enzyme activity and ROS quenching capacity. We discerned a total of 21,535 expressed genes and identified 4,192 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) by RNA sequencing (RNA-seq). Our analysis revealed that 1,764 DEGs unique to G1 underwent thorough annotation and functional categorization utilizing diverse databases. Under drought conditions, the DEGs in G1 were predominantly linked to starch and sucrose metabolic pathways, plant hormone signaling, and glutathione metabolism. Notably, the drought-responsive genes in G1 were heavily implicated in hormonal modulation, such as ABA receptor3-like gene (PYL9), regulation by transcription factors (KAN4, BHLH80, ERF1B), and orchestration of drought-responsive gene expression. These results suggest that cultivar G1 possesses stronger stress tolerance and can better adapt to drought growing conditions. The congruence between qRT-PCR validation and RNA-seq data for 15 DEGs further substantiated our findings.

Conclusion

Our research provides novel insights into the physiological adaptations of C. pilosula to arid conditions and lays the groundwork for the development of new, drought-tolerant C. pilosula cultivars.
Barrier-free tomato fruit selection and location based on optimized semantic segmentation and obstacle perception algorithm
Authors: Zhou Lingli , Hu Anqi , Cheng Yawen , Zhang Wenxiang , Zhang Bingyuan , Lu Xinyu , Wu Qian , Ren Ni
Published: October 2024

With the advancement of computer vision technology, vision-based target perception has emerged as a predominant approach for harvesting robots to identify and locate fruits. However, little attention has been paid to the fact that fruits may be obscured by stems or other objects. In order to improve the vision detection ability of fruit harvesting robot, a fruit target selection and location approach considering obstacle perception was proposed. To enrich the dataset for tomato harvesting, synthetic data were generated by rendering a 3D simulated model of the tomato greenhouse environment, and automatically producing corresponding pixel-level semantic segmentation labels. An attention-based spatial-relationship feature extraction module (SFM) with lower computational complexity was designed to enhance the ability of semantic segmentation network DeepLab v3+ in accurately segmenting linear-structured obstructions such as stems and wires. An adaptive K-means clustering method was developed to distinguish individual instances of fruits. Furthermore, a barrier-free fruit selection algorithm that integrates information of obstacles and fruit instances was proposed to identify the closest and largest non-occluded fruit as the optimal picking target. The improved semantic segmentation network exhibited enhanced performance, achieving an accuracy of 96.75%. Notably, the Intersection-over-Union (IoU) of wire and stem classes was improved by 5.0% and 2.3%, respectively. Our target selection method demonstrated accurate identification of obstacle types (96.15%) and effectively excluding fruits obstructed by strongly resistant objects (86.67%). Compared to the fruit detection method without visual obstacle avoidance (Yolo v5), our approach exhibited an 18.9% increase in selection precision and a 1.3% reduction in location error. The improved semantic segmentation algorithm significantly increased the segmentation accuracy of linear-structured obstacles, and the obstacle perception algorithm effectively avoided occluded fruits. The proposed method demonstrated an appreciable ability in precisely selecting and locating barrier-free fruits within non-structural environments, especially avoiding fruits obscured by stems or wires. This approach provides a more reliable and practical solution for fruit selection and localization for harvesting robots, while also being applicable to other fruits and vegetables such as sweet peppers and kiwis.
Effects of mindfulness intervention on competition state anxiety in sprinters—a randomized controlled trial
Authors: Yu Ming Ge , Dou Guang Bo , Gong Chen
Published: October 2024

Objectives

With the rapid growth of China’s sprint program’s international competitiveness, the psychological problems of sprinters have become a common concern in sports training theory and practice. Hence, the study examined the impact of a 7-week Mindfulness training program on competition state anxiety in Chinese sprinters.

Methods

Twenty-four sprinters (Mage = 22.46 ± 1.351) were selected in a 2 × 3 mixed design, with the group (mindfulness/control) as the between-subjects variable and test time (pre-test/mid-test/post-test) as the within-subjects variable. The dependent variables corresponded to the mindfulness score and competition state anxiety score. One 60-min session was conducted once a week for 7 weeks, and the control group did not undergo any psychological training. The mindfulness group received mindfulness training, and the control group received regular psychological guidance. The subjects filled in the Five Facet Mindfulness Questionnaire (FFMQ) and the Competition State Anxiety Scale at baseline, followed by additional assessments 3 weeks and 7 weeks later.

Results

(1) In terms of competition state anxiety, there were no significant differences in the pre-test between the mindfulness group and the control group. There were significant differences in sprinters’ competition state anxiety after mindfulness intervention in terms of time, group, and the interaction between time and groups (p = 0.03, 0.004, and 0.009). (2) In terms of the mindfulness level, the difference between the mindfulness group and the control group was not significant in the pre-test. The sprinters’ mindfulness level was significant in the interaction between groups and that between groups and time after mindfulness intervention (p = 0.027 and 0.028).

Conclusion

Mindfulness training alleviated sprinters’ competition anxiety by reducing sprinters’ somatic state anxiety (SSA) and cognitive state anxiety (CSA), as well as improving state self-efficacy. The results provide guidance and references for Chinese sprinters’ psychological problems.
Mendelian randomization analysis of causal and druggable circulating inflammatory proteins in schizophrenia
Authors: Cao Hongbao , Fu Li , Liu Dongming , Baranova Ancha , Zhang Fuquan
Published: October 2024

Background

Schizophrenia (SZ) is a severe mental disorder with complex origins. Observational studies suggested that inflammatory factors may play a role in the pathophysiology of SZ and we aim to investigate the potential genetic connection between them by examining the causal impact of circulating inflammatory proteins on SZ.

Methods

We utilized Mendelian randomization (MR) analysis to assess the causal relationship between circulating inflammatory proteins and SZ and the GWAS summary datasets were sourced from public databases. The SZ dataset comprised 74,776 cases and 101,023 controls, while the summary results for 91 plasma proteins in 14,824 participants were obtained through the Olink Target platform. Moreover, to identify and evaluate potential drug targets, we searched the Drug-Gene Interaction Database (DGIdb).

Results

The results of the MR study confirmed that nine inflammatory proteins had a causal effect on SZ. Among these proteins, IL1A (OR: 0.93), TNFB (OR: 0.94), TNFSF14 (OR: 0.96), and CD40 (OR: 0.95) exhibited protective effects against SZ. Conversely, CCL23 (OR: 1.04), CCL19 (OR: 1.04), 4EBP1 (OR: 1.06), TWEAK (OR: 1.08), and DNER (OR: 1.10) were associated with an increased risk of SZ. The MR-Egger and weighted median methods also supported the direction of these effects. According to the Gene-Drug analysis, LTA, IL1A, CD40, and 4EBP1 can serve as drug targets.

Conclusions

Our study established causal relationships between circulating inflammatory proteins and SZ. It may be beneficial to personalize the treatment of SZ by incorporating inflammation management into the treatment regimen.
How do policy measures affect the ability of poverty-stricken households to cope with external shocks? From the perspective of differences in the human capital endowment of households
Authors: Chang Xinyue , Zhang Qianqian , Li Tao
Published: October 2024

Human capital plays a vital role in poverty-stricken households' efforts to cope with external shocks. Improving the human capital of poverty-stricken households to help them address external shocks can enhance the sustainability of poverty-stricken household livelihoods and support poverty alleviation. In this study, households with dependent children and older members were selected from questionnaires covering 6,463 poverty-stricken households from 33 poverty alleviation districts and counties in Chongqing municipality, China. Multiple linear regression model and stepwise regression methods were then used to compare the effects of the number of household members supported and the number of those working on the increase in income among poverty-stricken and nonpoverty-stricken households. Finally, the correlations between policy measures, dependent household members and household labor were examined. The results show the following: (1) Policy measures can alleviate the negative impact of a household's dependent population on household income. (2) Poverty-stricken households' access to policy support is closely related to the characteristics of their human capital. The household's dependent members and laborers are effectively protected by safety net and cargo net policies. (3) Policy measures can mitigate the impact of COVID-19 on the income of nonagricultural laborers while increasing the income of agricultural laborers. The findings show that the ability of poverty-stricken households to overcome poverty and deal with external shocks can be increased by revitalizing rural industries, linking the development of rural industries with the income of poverty-stricken households, and rationally using rural labor resources.
Building bridges: how women’s relational empowerment is linked to well-being and community embeddedness
Authors: Aldabbas Hazem , Gernal Liza , Ahmed Ahmed Zain Elabdin , Elamin Abdallah M.
Published: October 2024

Both host nations and expatriates themselves are concerned with the integration of women expatriates into host countries’ societies. We developed a framework based on empowerment theory to illustrate how relational empowerment influences well-being and community embeddedness in a host country. By promoting relational empowerment, individuals enhance their well-being, making them more engaged and embedded within a community. This study collected data from 218 women expatriates living in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and utilized the Hayes PROCESS Macro to test four proposed hypotheses. Based on bootstrapping and regression results, we found that women’s relational empowerment is directly and indirectly linked to community embeddedness, with this indirect relationship influenced by factors such as women’s well-being. We discussed the implications of these findings for both theoretical advancement and the development of practical strategies, emphasizing on how relational empowerment can impact women’s well-being and lead to greater community embeddedness in the UAE and potentially elsewhere.
Digital solidarity and adaptation: applications developed for refugees in host countries
Authors: Özdemir Özlem , Görgün Melih , Sarıoğlu Elif Başak
Published: October 2024

The scale of international migration is growing day by day, and the issue of refugees constitutes a significant agenda item for all countries. In today's digital age, characterized by technological advancements, refugees are also benefiting from the advantages of technology. With various applications downloaded to their mobile phones, refugees can directly access all kinds of information about the countries they are heading to and even communicate with each other to share experiences. This study explores how mobile phone applications can be developed to serve the refugees in the familiarizing themselves with the receiving culture. In the study, a total of 10 applications prepared for refugees on Android and iOS platforms, selected by random sampling and purposeful sampling methods, were examined. These applications were analyzed using the qualitative content analysis method. As a result, when the applications developed in host countries were examined, it was observed that the most needed basic information for refugees, such as housing, education, finding a job, health, language, daily words, legal documents, rules, and fundamental rights, was provided. Additionally, in the 10 refugee applications examined, Global Positioning System (GPS) and Geographic Information System (GIS) were used as locative media for mapping locations. Location-based data and maps that show where refugees are located are extremely important for them. These maps are believed to help reduce stress, make them feel safe, and facilitate the adaptation process by showing refugees the nearest shelters, dining places, hospitals, transportation, and asylum locations.
Insights from older adults’ lived experience of physical activity and exercise during the COVID-19 lockdown in England
Authors: Szekeres Zsofia , Agustín-Sierra Noelia , Zaidell Lisa , Mileva Katya N. , De Oliveira Rita F.
Published: October 2024

Introduction

This study investigated older adults' emotional and social experiences of physical activity and exercise during the first Covid-19 lockdown in England.

Methods

Participants were 24 older adults (M = 74 years, SD = 5.0) either physically active or inactive before lockdown. Semi-structured interviews were conducted at the start of the pandemic in England, and when restrictions were lifted eight weeks later.

Results

Template analysis revealed three main themes: a Sense of Purpose for Being Physically Active, Routes for Engagement, and Inactive by Force? with different sub-themes for active and inactive participants. The lockdown restrictions emphasised the need to keep physically active in both active and inactive participants, but they perceived barriers differently. Both active and inactive participants found a renewed sense of purpose in walking outdoors for exercise when restrictions eased, enhancing their physical and mental well-being.

Discussion

To reduce barriers and emphasise that exercise is for all ages and all levels of mobility, multi-modal recommendations are presented for educating, promoting, supporting, and enabling older adults to engage in physical activity and exercise.
The effects of six sprint interval training sessions on muscle oxygenation and swimming performance in untrained swimmers
Authors: Dalamitros Athanasios A. , Tzivanis Dimitrios , Martín-Rodríguez Alexandra , Semaltianou Eleni , Mavridis Georgios , Manou Vasiliki
Published: October 2024

The current study examined the changes in muscle oxygenation values and swimming performance after six sessions of sprint interval training during a three-week period in untrained swimmers. Twelve swimmers of both genders (age: 23.5 ± 5.6yrs) executed the twice-weekly experimental training protocol (EXP, n = 12), consisting of a 4 × 50 m front-crawl swimming (repeated sprint training—RST) with maximal intensity, and 2 min of passive recovery in between, after a short in-water warm-up. The control group (CON, n = 9) performed a continuous swimming set (200 m) at 120 b pm−1, with the same weekly frequency. Performance times in two maximum swim trials (400 m: T400 and 50 m: T50), muscle oxygenation of the deltoid muscle (SmO2) immediately after T400 and T50, 1-min heart rate recovery (HRR1) after T400, T50, and swim strokes during both swim trials (S/T400, S/T50) were assessed. For the EXP group, T400 improved by 2.4 (p = 0.011). In contrast, T50 presented no significant improvement (1%, p > 0.05). SmO2 decreased at T400 (5.5%, p = 0.017) and increased at T50 (3.7%, p = 0.030). HRR1 improved after T400 (7.9%, p = 0.002), T50 (4.6%, p = 0.005) and RST (9.6%, p = 0.002). S/T400 and S/T50 remained relatively unchanged (p > 0.05). The CON group presented no significant changes in any of the variables examined. In conclusion, six sprint interval training sessions can improve aerobic capacity over a 3-week training period, as indicated by the enhanced T400 performance and the reduced HRR1 values, in previously trained swimmers. Finally, the sensitivity of the near-infrared spectroscopy method to detect short-term training-induced changes is highlighted.
Understanding the Risk Factors, Burden, and Interventions for Chronic Respiratory Diseases in Low- and Middle-Income Countries: A Scoping Review
Authors: Boutros Perla , Kassem Nour , Boudo Valentin , Sié Ali , Munga Stephen , Maggioni Martina A. , Golec Marcin , Simion Robin , Bärnighausen Till , Winkler Volker , Barteit Sandra
Published: October 2024

Objective

This scoping review aims to identify risk factors for COPD and asthma, examine the burden and intervention measures, and clarify the findings in the context of climate change, with a particular focus on LMICs.

Methods

Following the PRISMA-ScR guidelines, we conducted a scoping review using PubMed, Embase, and Scopus, focusing on studies published from 2011 to 2024.

Results

Our review included 52 studies that encompassed 244,004 participants. Predominantly conducted in SSA (n = 43, 83%) and Asia (n = 16, 31%), they address indoor and ambient air pollution, occupational hazards, and environmental conditions. Climate change exacerbates risks, varying regionally. SSA faces severe household and occupational exposures, while other LMICs deal with industrial and urban pollution. Stigma, social exclusion and economic burden underscore the necessity for intervention strategies (e.g., educational programs, pulmonary rehabilitation, low-emission cookstoves).

Conclusion

Our research shows a strong link between air pollution, occupational and environmental exposures, and the prevalence of COPD and asthma in LMICs. It suggests that targeted interventions are effective ways to mitigate these diseases and also highlights the significant impact of climate change on respiratory health.
Self-Owned or Outsourced? The Impact of Farm Machinery Adoption Decisions on Chinese Farm Households’ Operating Income
Authors: Hu Yuan , Zhou Ziyang , Zhou Li , Liu Caiming
Published: October 2024

Using farm machinery plays a significant role in easing the issue of slowing growth of operating income among farm households in China. Drawing data from CFPS2018, this study adopts a multinomial endogenous switching regression (MESR) to analyze the factors influencing farm households’ choices regarding self-owned farm machinery and outsourced machinery services, as well as their subsequent impact on operating income. The results of the study show that the characteristics of the head of household, family, village, and region have a significant impact on the farm households’ selection of whether to use self-owned machinery or outsourced services. Furthermore, the exclusive use of self-owned farm machinery and the combined use of both self-owned and outsourced machinery substantially enhance farm households’ operating income. An additional analysis indicates that these two types of machinery are complementary, and their combined use generates a superimposed effect that further boosts income. These findings suggest that the combined use of self-owned and outsourced machinery is optimal for farm households who wish to expand their operating income.
Are Governmental Policies an Effective Way to Reduce Agricultural Carbon Emissions? An Empirical Study of Shandong in Main Grain Producing Areas of China
Authors: Zhang Yuchen , Zhu Jianghong , Wang Ke , Zhang Jianjun
Published: October 2024

In the context of global and national carbon reduction targets, agricultural carbon emissions have become a critical focus. As global food demand increases, numerous agricultural policies have been implemented. Faced with limited policy resources, evaluating the impact of these policies on agricultural carbon emissions and production is essential. This study examined the relationship between food production and agricultural carbon emissions during the stage of agricultural development in Shandong Province, one of China’s major grain-producing regions, using the decoupling model. Additionally, the coupled coordination model was employed to assess the specific influence of agricultural policy clusters on this transformation. The results indicate that Shandong is transitioning from high-input, extensive farming to green, low-carbon, modern agriculture, with most cities shifting from strong negative decoupling to strong decoupling. Over time, the role of agricultural policies in driving this shift has grown more significant. Future policymaking should prioritize the overall quality of agricultural producers and maintain a continuous focus on sustainable, green development. Ensuring that policy directions align with evolving stages of agricultural development and adjusting them in real-time will be crucial.
Effect of Using Germinated and Fermented Lupin and Oats as a Dietary Protein Source on Laying Hen Performance and Egg Quality
Authors: Kponouglo Koffigan , Koné Gningnini Alain , Good Margaret , Grosset Noel , Gautier Michel , Kouba Maryline
Published: October 2024

Soybean meal is the dominant protein source for poultry nutrition. However, soybean is not widely grown in Europe, necessitating importation from other countries. To reduce dependency on imported soybean meal, an alternative feed material is needed. Fermentation and/or germination of grains are known to increase the value of the protein content of a diet. This study aimed to determine if they could substitute partly soybean meal in a diet. Germinated or fermented or germinated and fermented grains of lupin and oats were used in laying hen’s diet (a mix of 6.50% lupin and 3.50% oat grains). Oats were dehulled or not dehulled. The hens’ weight loss and the downgraded eggs rate were the lowest when using fermented grains. All trial diets reduced the egg cholesterol content. Dehulling had only a slight effect on performance. Diets containing germinated grains led to a decrease in laying performance and an increase in body weight loss. Diets containing fermented grains gave the best results in terms of quantity of amino acids, hen weight maintenance, laying performance, and egg quality. In conclusion, fermented lupin and oats can be used in laying hen diets to partly substitute sources of protein such as soya, but germinated grains cannot.
Comparison of the Competitiveness for Danish, Dutch, and German Piglet Producers under Consideration of Country-Specific Methods of Piglet Castration with Anesthesia
Authors: Verhaagh Mandes
Published: October 2024

Pig producers in Europe adopt different production methods for male pig fattening. More than half of the animals are surgically castrated. The different interpretations of animal welfare in different countries lead to market differentiation and economically different production conditions, which do not restrict trade, but economically lead to drastic competitive changes for local producers. While the Netherlands has already implemented surgical castration for the export market, using CO2 narcosis (NL), Denmark and Germany are each introducing their strategies with local anesthesia (DK) and isoflurane anesthesia (DE), respectively. Using typical pig farms from the agri benchmark Pig Network, the additional costs and economic impacts of animal welfare regulations are calculated. In Germany, isoflurane anesthesia increases costs by EUR 28.54 to EUR 49.86 per sow, or EUR 1.93 to EUR 3.81 per male piglet. This corresponds to a cost increase of around 5% per piglet. In Denmark, the costs of local anesthesia with procaine increase more moderately by EUR 3.55 to EUR 5.05 per sow, or around EUR 0.30 per male piglet. The cost increase here is less than 1% per piglet. The additional costs are leading to a loss of competitiveness for Denmark and Germany compared to the Netherlands. However, Germany is also losing profit significantly compared to Denmark. This study highlights that animal welfare regulations can negatively impact the competitiveness of the pig sector. It emphasizes the need for countries to implement such regulations carefully, ensuring that they do not lead to the loss of production or international competitiveness. A balanced approach that supports both animal welfare and economic sustainability is essential.
Evaluating the Performance of a Novel Digital Slippage System for Tractor Wheels Across Varied Tillage Methods and Soil Textures
Authors: Al-Shammary Ahmed Abed Gatea , Caballero-Calvo Andrés , Fernández-Gálvez Jesús
Published: October 2024

Accurate measurement of slip rate (SR) in agricultural tractors, particularly in Iraq, is essential for optimizing tractive efficiency, fuel economy, and field efficiency. Presently, tractors in Iraq lack sensors for SR detection, posing a challenge. This research addresses the issue by introducing a wireless technology, the novel digital slippage system (NDSS), designed to precisely measure the SR of rear wheels. The NDSS was tested across diverse field conditions, involving six soil textures and various kinds of agricultural tillage equipment (A-TE). Different tillage practices, including conservational tillage (CT) with a chisel plough, traditional tillage (TT) with a moldboard plough and disc plough, and minimum tillage (MT) using disc harrowing and spring tooth harrowing, were examined. Results from the NDSS were compared to traditional techniques, demonstrating the cost effectiveness and overall performance. Silty loam soil exhibited higher SR values, while the silty clay soil showed lower values. SR varied significantly across soil textures, with more cohesive soils leading to reduced SR percentages. Additionally, tillage methods had a marked influence on SR values. The use of CT resulted in higher SR values of 18.35% compared to TT and MT systems, which recorded lower SR values of 13.69% and 6.03%, respectively. SR measurements were also found to be affected by the draft force during the loading of A-TE, emphasizing the role of operational conditions in tractor performance, especially in challenging field environments. Comparison between NDSS and traditional techniques revealed that the NDSS offered high accuracy, flexibility, configurability, and consistent performance. The NDSS demonstrated superior precision, making it an effective tool for assessing SR in agricultural tractors.
Segmentation-Based Detection for Luffa Seedling Grading Using the Seg-FL Model
Authors: Jiang Sheng , Xie Fangnan , Ao Jiangbo , Wei Yechen , Lu Jingye , Lyu Shilei , Li Zhen
Published: October 2024

This study addresses the issue of inaccurate and error-prone grading judgments in luffa plug seedlings. A new Seg-FL seedling segmentation model is proposed as an extension of the YOLOv5s-Seg model. The small leaves of early-stage luffa seedlings are liable to be mistaken for impurities in the plug trays. To address this issue, cross-scale connections and weighted feature fusion are introduced in order to integrate feature information from different levels, thereby improving the recognition and segmentation accuracy of seedlings or details by refining the PANet structure. To address the ambiguity of seedling edge information during segmentation, an efficient channel attention module is incorporated to enhance the network’s focus on seedling edge information and suppress irrelevant features, thus sharpening the model’s focus on luffa seedlings. By optimizing the CIoU loss function, the calculation of overlapping areas, center point distances, and aspect ratios between predicted and ground truth boxes is preserved, thereby accelerating the convergence process and reducing the computational resource requirements on edge devices. The experimental results demonstrate that the proposed model attains a mean average precision of 97.03% on a self-compiled luffa plug seedling dataset, representing a 6.23 percentage point improvement over the original YOLOv5s-Seg. Furthermore, compared to the YOLACT++, FCN, and Mask R-CNN segmentation models, the improved model displays increases in mAP@0.5 of 12.93%, 13.73%, and 10.53%, respectively, and improvements in precision of 15.73%, 16.93%, and 13.33%, respectively. This research not only validates the viability of the enhanced model for luffa seedling grading but also provides tangible technical support for the automation of grading in agricultural production.
DCS-YOLOv5s: A Lightweight Algorithm for Multi-Target Recognition of Potato Seed Potatoes Based on YOLOv5s
Authors: Qiu Zhaomei , Wang Weili , Jin Xin , Wang Fei , He Zhitao , Ji Jiangtao , Jin Shanshan
Published: October 2024

The quality inspection of potato seed tubers is pivotal for their effective segregation and a critical step in the cultivation process of potatoes. Given the dearth of research on intelligent tuber-cutting machinery in China, particularly concerning the identification of bud eyes and defect detection, this study has developed a multi-target recognition approach for potato seed tubers utilizing deep learning techniques. By refining the YOLOv5s algorithm, a novel, lightweight model termed DCS-YOLOv5s has been introduced for the simultaneous identification of tuber buds and defects. This study initiates with data augmentation of the seed tuber images obtained via the image acquisition system, employing strategies such as translation, noise injection, luminance modulation, cropping, mirroring, and the Cutout technique to amplify the dataset and fortify the model’s resilience. Subsequently, the original YOLOv5s model undergoes a series of enhancements, including the substitution of the conventional convolutional modules in the backbone network with the depth-wise separable convolution DP_Conv module to curtail the model’s parameter count and computational load; the replacement of the original C3 module’s Bottleneck with the GhostBottleneck to render the model more compact; and the integration of the SimAM attention mechanism module to augment the model’s proficiency in capturing features of potato tuber buds and defects, culminating in the DCS-YOLOv5s lightweight model. The research findings indicate that the DCS-YOLOv5s model outperforms the YOLOv5s model in detection precision and velocity, exhibiting superior detection efficacy and model compactness. The model’s detection metrics, including Precision, Recall, and mean Average Precision at Intersection over Union thresholds of 0.5 (mAP1) and 0.75 (mAP2), have improved to 95.8%, 93.2%, 97.1%, and 66.2%, respectively, signifying increments of 4.2%, 5.7%, 5.4%, and 9.8%. The detection velocity has also been augmented by 12.07%, achieving a rate of 65 FPS. The DCS-YOLOv5s target detection model, by attaining model compactness, has substantially heightened the detection precision, presenting a beneficial reference for dynamic sample target detection in the context of potato-cutting machinery.
Saline Water Irrigation Changed the Stability of Soil Aggregates and Crop Yields in a Winter Wheat–Summer Maize Rotation System
Authors: Yuan Huimin , Zhang Anqi , Zhu Changkuan , Dang Hongkai , Zheng Chunlian , Zhang Junpeng , Cao Caiyun
Published: October 2024

Irrigation using saline water is extensively used in areas of agricultural production where freshwater is scarce. However, saline water irrigation adversely impacts soil’s physicochemical characteristics and crop productivity. In this study, we established irrigation water with five salinity levels (ECiw, 1.3, 3.4, 7.1, 10.6, 14.1 dS·m−1) to investigate how these salinity levels influenced grain yields as well as soil salinity, alkalinity, sodicity, and aggregate stability in the 0~20 cm soil layer of a wheat and maize rotation field (in 2022–2023). Tukey’s test, entropy-weighted TOPSIS, and the least squares method were used to analyze the significance analysis, comprehensively evaluate the soil aggregate stability and soil index comprehensive score (SICS), and achieve linear fitting, respectively. The results showed that when ECiw > 3.4 dS·m−1, there was a significant increase in the soil salinity, pH, and sodium adsorption ratio. When ECiw > 7.1 dS·m−1, a significant reduction in soil aggregate stability was observed. When ECiw ≤ 3.4 dS·m−1, there was no significant reduction in the grain yields of wheat and maize. Furthermore, the annual grain yields of wheat and maize decreased by 5% and 10%, respectively, resulting in a change in ECiw values from 2.98 to 4.24 dS·m−1, based on the linear regression analysis of SICS and ECiw, as well as the annual grain yields and SICS. Under uniform irrigation conditions, the soil salinity, alkalinity, and sodicity were lower, and soil aggregate indexes were more stable at the maturity stage of maize.
Impact of Education on Inappropriate Antibiotic Prescription for Respiratory Tract Infection Based on Physicians’ Justifications: A Web-Based Survey in Japan
Authors: Kudoh Ryohei , Komiya Kosaku , Kaku Norihito , Shindo Yuichiro , Hayashi Tatsuya , Kasahara Kei , Oishi Tomohiro , Ishiwada Naruhiko , Ito Makoto , Yotsuyanagi Hiroshi , Hasegawa Naoki , Tateda Kazuhiro , Hotomi Muneki , Yanagihara Katsunori
Published: October 2024

Background: Antibiotics are inappropriately prescribed for respiratory tract infections for various reasons. The differences of the effects of education based on these reasons has not been fully elucidated. This study assessed the impact of an educational film on antibiotic prescription patterns according to physicians’ prescribing justifications. Methods: This was a secondary analysis of a nationwide web-based survey involving 1100 physicians. The physicians were required to view a short educational film and determine the need for prescribing antibiotics in simulated scenarios of different acute respiratory tract infectious diseases. The associations between the reasons for antibiotic prescription to patients not requiring antibiotics before viewing the educational film and the positive effects of the intervention were analyzed. Results: The educational intervention positively affected prescribing trends among physicians who prescribed antibiotics for “fever” in mild acute rhinosinusitis (prescription rates from 100% to 25.9%), “pus in the laryngopharynx” in mild acute pharyngitis (prescription rates from 100% to 29.6%), and “purulent sputum” in acute bronchitis without chronic lung disease (prescription rates from 100% to 29.9%) before viewing the film. In contrast, no benefits were observed when the justification was “patient’s desire for antibiotics” in mild acute pharyngitis (prescription rates from 100% to 48.5%) and acute bronchitis without chronic lung disease (prescription rates from 100% to 44.0%) or “parents’ desire for antibiotics” in narrowly defined common cold in children (prescription rates from 100% to 45.7%). Conclusions: although educational interventions might reduce inappropriate antibiotic prescription by providing accurate knowledge about respiratory tract infections, they appear ineffective for physicians who prescribe antibiotics based on patients’ or parents’ desires for antibiotic treatment.
Impact of Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation (ECMO) on Serum Concentrations of Cefepime
Authors: Destache Christopher J. , Isern Raul , Kenny Dorothy , El-Herte Rima , Plambeck Robert , Palmer Catherine , Inouye Brent S. , Wong Maura , North E. Jeffrey , Sotelo Mariaelena Roman , Velagapudi Manasa
Published: October 2024

ECMO is becoming widely used as a life-saving measure for critically ill patients. However, there is limited data on pharmacokinetics and the dosing of beta-lactam antibiotics in ECMO. In this study, we evaluated the serum concentrations of cefepime in patients on ECMO to determine the impact of ECMO circuitry and to guide therapeutic dosing. Methods: Patients 19 years or older admitted to the ICU, treated with ECMO and beta-lactam antibiotics for presumed or documented infection, were enrolled. Three blood samples (peak, midpoint, trough) were obtained before ECMO (pre-ECMO) and during ECMO (intra-ECMO) at a steady state. Results: Eight patients met inclusion criteria; six received cefepime. All patients were male. Average ± SD age was 45.8 ± 14.7. Four patients received ECMO for severe SARS-CoV-2 infection, and one each for Pneumocystis pneumonia and influenza A infection. Mean ± SD APACHE II and SOFA scores prior to ECMO were 24.6 ± 7.1 and 11.0 ± 3.9, respectively. All but one of the patients received venovenous (VV) ECMO. Cefepime 1 g every 6 h intravenously over 2 min was administered to all patients before and during ECMO. Cefepime concentrations were fit to non-compartment analysis (NCA) and area under the serum concentration–time curve averaged ± SE 211.9 ± 29.6 pre-ECMO and 329.6 ± 32.3 mg*h/L intra-ECMO, p = 0.023. No patients displayed signs of cefepime neurotoxicity. Patients received ECMO for 43.1± 30 days. All patients expired. Cefepime dosed at 1 g every 6 h intravenously appears to achieve therapeutic levels for critically ill patients on ECMO.
Antioxidant: Antimycobacterial and Antibiofilm Activities of Acetone Extract and Subfraction Artemisia afra Jacq. ex Willd. Against Mycobacterium smegmatis
Authors: Matlala Mabasa Precious , Matotoka Mashilo Mash , Shekwa Wanda , Masoko Peter
Published: October 2024

Tuberculosis is a worldwide prevalent and recurring disease that contributes significantly to high mortality rates. This study aimed to investigate the antioxidant, anti-mycobacterial, and antibiofilm activities of Artemisia afra acetone crude extract. Methodology: The crude acetone extract was fractionated using column chromatography and characterized by liquid chromatography–mass spectroscopy (LC-MS). A 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) free radical scavenging assay was used to assess the antioxidant activity. The antimycobacterial activity against Mycobacterium smegmatis was screened using bioautography, broth microdilution, and growth curve assays. Molecular docking was used to predict the possible mechanisms of action of the LC-MS-identified ligands. Crystal violet was used to screen for anti-cell adherence and biofilm inhibition activities. Results: The crude extract scavenged 77% of the free radical at 16 μg/mL. The subfraction had a lower minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) (0.078 mg/mL) compared to the crude extract (0.313–0.833 mg/mL). The subfraction had a concentration-dependent inhibition effect (>50%) on mycobacterial cell adherence and early biofilms. However, the mature biofilms were resistant. Two propanoate compounds, [(2S)-3-[6-acetyl-4,6-dihydroxy-3-[(1R)-1-hydroxyethyl]tetrahydropyran-2-yl]-2-hydroxy-propyl] (2R)-2-amino-3-(1H-imidazol-5-yl)propanoate and 3-(6-aminopurin-9-yl)propyl 3-(2,4-dioxo-1,3-diazaspiro[4.5]decan-3-yl) propanoate, had binding energies of −5.4 kcal/mol and −6.3 kcal/mol, respectively, against the RNA polymerase binding protein. Conclusions: The results show that A. afra acetone crude extract has antioxidant and antimycobacterial activities that can be improved by fractionation.
Missed Opportunities for Early De-Escalation of Antipseudomonal Beta-Lactam Antimicrobial Therapy in Enterobacterales Bloodstream Infection
Authors: Reese Mollie , Bookstaver P. Brandon , Kohn Joseph , Troficanto Casey , Yongue Emily , Winders Hana R. , Al-Hasan Majdi N.
Published: October 2024

Background: Antipseudomonal β-lactams (APBL) are commonly used for empirical therapy of Gram-negative bloodstream infections (BSI). This retrospective cohort study examines risk factors for prolonged APBL use (≥48 h) in patients with Enterobacterales BSI and compares 28-day mortality between early de-escalation of APBL and prolonged APBL therapy. Methods: Adult patients admitted to two community hospitals in South Carolina with Enterobacterales BSI from January 2010 to June 2015 were included in this study. Data were extracted manually from medical records. Multivariate logistic regression and Cox proportional hazards analyses were used to examine predictors of prolonged APBL therapy and mortality, respectively. Results: Among 993 patients with Enterobacterales BSI, 491 (49%) underwent early de-escalation of APBL and 502 (51%) received prolonged APBL therapy. Cancer, immune compromised status, residence at a skilled nursing facility, a high Pitt bacteremia score, non-urinary source of infection, and BSI due to AmpC-producing Enterobacterales were independently associated with prolonged use of APBL. Antimicrobial stewardship interventions were inversely associated with prolonged APBL use. Early de-escalation of APBL was not associated with increased mortality. Conclusions: This study exemplifies the safety and effectiveness of early de-escalation of APBL in Enterobacterales BSI. Antimicrobial stewardship strategies should be implemented to encourage the practice of early de-escalation of antimicrobial therapy, including in high-risk populations.
Role of Paraoxonase 2 in Airway Epithelial Response to Oxidant Stress
Authors: McCravy Matthew S. , Yang Zhonghui , Cyphert-Daly Jaime , Healy Zachary R. , Vose Aaron V. , Kim Haein R. , Walker Julia K. L. , Tighe Robert M. , Gasier Heath G. , Ingram Jennifer L. , Que Loretta G.
Published: October 2024

Asthma is a widespread chronic lung disease characterized by airway inflammation and hyperresponsiveness. This airway inflammation is classified by either the presence (T2-high) or absence (T2-low) of high levels of eosinophils. Because most therapies for asthma target eosinophils and related pathways, treatment options for T2-low disease are limited. New pathophysiologic targets are needed. Oxidant stress is a common feature of T2-low disease. Airway epithelial expression of the antioxidant enzyme Paraoxonase 2 (PON2) is decreased in a well-recognized population of people with T2-low asthma and people with obesity and asthma. As a potential mechanism of increased oxidant stress, we measured the role of PON2 in lung oxidant responses using an environmentally relevant in vivo murine oxidant exposure (i.e., ozone) and in vitro studies with an immortalized human airway epithelial cell line BEAS-2B. Pon2-deficient (Pon2−/−) mice developed increased airway hyper-responsiveness compared to wild-type controls. Despite reduced alveolar macrophage influx, Pon2−/− mice exhibited increased nitrite production. In human airway epithelial cells incubated with hydrogen peroxide, PON2 knockdown (PON2KD) decreased mitochondrial function and inner mitochondrial membrane potential. These findings suggest that PON2 functions in defending against airway epithelial oxidant stress. Further studies are needed to elucidate the mechanisms linking PON2, oxidant stress, and asthma pathogenesis.
Exploration of New Drug Candidate Derived from Antioxidants of Korean Native Halophytes: Control of Acinetobacter baumannii with Antipathogenic Activity
Authors: Lee Jihee , Kim Ho Sung , Park Jeong Woo , Yun Bohyun , Bang Woo Young , Moon Ki Hwan , Seo Youngwan
Published: October 2024

The rise of antibiotic-resistant bacteria poses a significant challenge to the treatment of bacterial infections, necessitating the development of novel antibiotics or strategies to preserve the efficacy of existing ones. This study investigates the role of oxidative stress modulation in the pathogenicity of multidrug-resistant (MDR) bacterial strains, aiming to identify potential avenues for new drug design. Specifically, the anti-biofilm effects of crude extracts and fractions from seven halophyte species native to Jeju Island, South Korea, were evaluated against Acinetobacter baumannii ATCC 17978. Notably, the 85% aqueous methanol fraction of Peucedanum japonicum Thunb. (Pj) and the n-hexane fraction of Lysimachia mauritiana Lam. (Lm) demonstrated significant anti-biofilm activity. Further assessments revealed that these fractions also exhibited notable antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties, with the Pj fraction showing a lifespan extension effect in the Caenorhabditis elegans model. These findings suggest that Pj and Lm hold promise as potential candidates for the development of new therapeutic agents targeting MDR bacteria.
Senataxin Attenuates DNA Damage Response Activation and Suppresses Senescence
Authors: Li Mingyang , Shao Genbao
Published: October 2024

Oxidative stress, driven by reactive oxygen species (ROS) such as hydrogen peroxide (H2O2), induces DNA double-strand breaks (DSBs) that compromise genomic integrity. The DNA Damage Response (DDR), primarily mediated by ATM and ATR kinases, is crucial for recognizing and repairing DSBs. Senataxin (SETX), a DNA/RNA helicase, is critical in resolving R-loops, with mutations in SETX associated with neurodegenerative diseases. This study uncovers a novel function of senataxin in modulating DDR and its impact on cellular senescence. Senataxin is shown to be crucial not only for DSB repair but also for determining cell fate under oxidative stress. SETX knockout cells show impaired DSB repair and prolonged ATM/ATR signaling detected by Western blotting, leading to increased senescence, as indicated by elevated β-galactosidase activity following H2O2 exposure and I-PpoI-induced DSBs. Wild-type cells exhibit higher apoptosis levels compared to SETX knockout cells under H2O2 treatment, suggesting that senataxin promotes apoptosis over senescence in oxidative stress. This indicates that senataxin plays a protective role against the accumulation of senescent cells, potentially mitigating age-related cellular decline and neurodegenerative disease progression. These findings highlight senataxin as a critical mediator in DDR pathways and a potential therapeutic target for conditions where cellular senescence contributes to disease pathology.