bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The association between meeting physical activity guidelines and academic performance among junior high school adolescents in China-evidence from the China education tracking survey
Authors: Yang Jie , Wang Hai , Luo Lin
Published: February 2023

Purpose

To examine how well Chinese adolescents meet the physical exercise time and screen time recommendations in the Physical Activity Guidelines for Chinese Residents (2021), and the relationship between adolescents’ physical exercise time, screen time and their academic performance.

Method

Daily physical exercise time, screen time and academic performance were collected from Grade 8 adolescents (n = 9,449). Academic performance included standardized scores on Chinese, Math and English tests and responses to the School Life Experience Scale.

Results

Meeting the physical activity time and screen time in the Physical Activity Guidelines for Chinese Residents was associated with adolescents’ academic performance. Specifically, having at least 60 min of physical exercise per day was associated with adolescents’ school life experiences compared to adolescents who did not meet the physical exercise time and screen time in the Chinese Residents’ Physical Activity Guidelines. Less than 2  h of cumulative screen time per day was associated with adolescent mathematics test scores, English test scores and school life experiences. Meeting both physical exercise time and screen time to be recommended had more significant effects on adolescents’ mathematics, Chinese, English and school life experiences. Meeting both the physical exercise time and screen time recommendations in the Physical Activity Guidelines for Chinese Residents was more significantly associated with boys’ mathematics test scores, Chinese test scores and School life experience. Meeting both the physical exercise time and screen time requirements in the Physical Activity Guidelines for Chinese Residents had a more significant effect on School life experience for girls.

Conclusion

Physical exercise participation of at least 60 min per day and/or less than 2  h of cumulative screen time per day were both associated with adolescent academic performance. Stakeholders should actively promote adolescents to follow the Physical Activity Guidelines for Chinese Residents (2021).
Conviction in the absence of proof: Conspiracy mentality mediates religiosity’s relationship with support for COVID-19 conspiracy narratives
Authors: Grabow Hilmar , Rock Anne
Published: February 2023

The belief in conspiracy narratives and the concept of conspiracy mentality have gained increasing attention in psychological science over the last years. A cornerstone is the assumption of secretly acting groups pulling the strings in world affairs. Based on the reasoning that religiosity and conspiracy mentality share a common core – both can be understood as strong convictions without final proof or even in the face of contradictory evidence – we hypothesised that the support of COVID-19 conspiracy narratives would be related to religiosity as well as conspiracy mentality. Given that religious socialisation usually starts very early in life, we furthermore assumed that religiosity could be an antecedent of conspiracy mentality. Therefore, we tested a mediation model comprising religiosity (predictor), support of conspiracy narratives (criterion), and conspiracy mentality (mediator) among N = 616 participants of an online survey. Analyses revealed significant total and indirect effects, supporting our hypothesis.
Assessing thermal adaptation of a global sample of Aspergillus fumigatus: Implications for climate change effects
Authors: Korfanty Greg , Heifetz Erin , Xu Jianping
Published: February 2023

Aspergillus fumigatus is a common environmental mold and a major cause of opportunistic infections in humans. It's distributed among many ecological niches across the globe. A major virulence factor of A. fumigatus is its ability to grow at high temperature. However, at present, little is known about variations among strains in their growth at different temperatures and how their geographic origins may impact such variations. In this study, we analyzed 89 strains from 12 countries (Cameroon, Canada, China, Costa Rica, France, India, Iceland, Ireland, New Zealand, Peru, Saudi Arabia, and USA) representing diverse geographic locations and temperature environments. Each strain was grown at four temperatures and genotyped at nine microsatellite loci. Our analyses revealed a range of growth profiles, with significant variations among strains within individual geographic populations in their growths across the temperatures. No statistically significant association was observed between strain genotypes and their thermal growth profiles. Similarly geographic separation contributed little to differences in thermal adaptations among strains and populations. The combined analyses among genotypes and growth rates at different temperatures in the global sample suggest that most natural populations of A. fumigatus are capable of rapid adaptation to temperature changes. We discuss the implications of our results to the evolution and epidemiology of A. fumigatus under increasing climate change.
Manual development and efficacy of Mindful Living Group activities to promote trauma healing during the COVID-19 pandemic in China
Authors: Niu Ya-Nan , Long Di
Published: February 2023

Introduction

Disasters can be traumatic with a profound and lasting impact on individuals. During the COVID-19 pandemic, our team developed the Mindful Living Group (MLG) activities manual based on Eastern body-mind wisdom and Western trauma healing theory to provide psychological assistance for trauma healing.

Methods

In this study, we introduce a framework developed for the 10-session MLG activities manual, which consists of three core modules. Thirty-one participants living all over the country who had experienced traumatic stress resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic received the MLG intervention. This single-arm intervention study offered psychological assistance during the pandemic. The MLG intervention included 10 weekly 2-h sessions held online. Participants completed the initial interview, pre-test, post-test, and 1-month follow-up interviews. The effectiveness of the MLG activities manual was evaluated using psychological measures, including Self-Rating Depression Scale, Self-Rating Anxiety Scale, Mindful Attention Awareness Scale, Post-traumatic Growth Inventory, General Self-Efficacy Scale, and the Perceived Social Support Scale.

Results

Compared with the pretest level, the post-test levels of depression (F = 42.78, p < 0.001, η2 = 0.59) and anxiety (F = 23.40, p < 0.001, η2 = 0.44) were significantly lower; and mindfulness (F = 12.98, p =0.001, η2 =0.30), posttraumatic growth (F = 27.06, p < 0.001, η2 = 0.48), general self-efficacy (F = 13.20, p = 0.001, η2 = 0.31), and perceived social support (F = 16.27, p < 0.001, η2 = 0.35) were significantly higher (ANOVA). Further correlation analysis revealed a significant negative relationship of mindfulness with both depression (r = −0.43, p = 0.015) and anxiety (r = −0.35, p = 0.053), and significant positive relationships of mindfulness with posttraumatic growth (r = 0.40, p = 0.025), general self-efficacy (r = 0.52, p = 0.003), and perceived social support (r = 0.40, p = 0.024).

Discussion

These preliminary findings showed the effectiveness of MLG activities for trauma healing. The mechanisms underlying mindfulness promoting trauma healing are discussed based on both Eastern body-mind wisdom and Western theories of trauma healing.

Clinical trial registration

Identifier, ChiCTR2000034164.
Global prevalence of developmental disabilities in children and adolescents: A systematic umbrella review
Authors: Olusanya Bolajoko O. , Smythe Tracey , Ogbo Felix A. , Nair M. K. C. , Scher Mark , Davis Adrian C.
Published: February 2023

Aim

The provisions of the United Nation's Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) for disability-inclusive education have stimulated a growing interest in ascertaining the prevalence of children with developmental disabilities globally. We aimed to systematically summarize the prevalence estimates of developmental disabilities in children and adolescents reported in systematic reviews and meta-analyses.

Methods

For this umbrella review we searched PubMed, Scopus, Embase, PsycINFO, and Cochrane Library for systematic reviews published in English between September 2015 and August 2022. Two reviewers independently assessed study eligibility, extracted the data, and assessed risk of bias. We reported the proportion of the global prevalence estimates attributed to country income levels for specific developmental disabilities. Prevalence estimates for the selected disabilities were compared with those reported in the Global Burden of Disease (GBD) Study 2019.

Results

Based on our inclusion criteria, 10 systematic reviews reporting prevalence estimates for attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder, autism spectrum disorder, cerebral palsy, developmental intellectual disability, epilepsy, hearing loss, vision loss and developmental dyslexia were selected from 3,456 identified articles. Global prevalence estimates were derived from cohorts in high-income countries in all cases except epilepsy and were calculated from nine to 56 countries. Sensory impairments were the most prevalent disabilities (approximately 13%) and cerebral palsy was the least prevalent disability (approximately 0.2–0.3%) based on the eligible reviews. Pooled estimates for geographical regions were available for vision loss and developmental dyslexia. All studies had a moderate to high risk of bias. GBD prevalence estimates were lower for all disabilities except cerebral palsy and intellectual disability.

Conclusion

Available estimates from systematic reviews and meta-analyses do not provide representative evidence on the global and regional prevalence of developmental disabilities among children and adolescents due to limited geographical coverage and substantial heterogeneity in methodology across studies. Population-based data for all regions using other approaches such as reported in the GBD Study are warranted to inform global health policy and intervention.
Assigning F-words as ingredients of interventions for children with cerebral palsy functioning at GMFCS IV and V: A scoping review protocol
Authors: Longo E. , Monteiro R. , Hidalgo-Robles Á. , Paleg G. , Shrader C. , De Campos A. C.
Published: February 2023

Introduction

Children with Cerebral Palsy (CP) functioning at Gross Motor Function Classification System (GMFCS) levels IV and V require “on time” identification and intervention. Interventions offered continue to be a challenge, in high-, but even more so in middle-, and low-income countries.

Aim

To describe the methods developed to explore the ingredients of published studies on early interventions in young children with cerebral palsy (CP) at highest risk of being non-ambulant based on the “F-words for child development framework” and the design of a scoping review exploring these ingredients.

Method

An operational procedure was developed through expert panels to identify ingredients of published interventions and related F-words. After sufficient agreement among researchers was reached, a scoping review was designed. The review is registered in the Open Science Framework database. The “Population, Concept and Context” framework was used. Population: young children (0–5 years with CP and at highest risk for being non-ambulant (GMFCS levels IV or V); Concept: non-surgical and non-pharmacological early intervention services measuring outcomes from any ICF domain; Context: studies published from 2001 to 2021. After duplicated screening and selection, data will be extracted and quality will be assessed with the American Academy for Cerebral Palsy and Developmental Medicine (AACPDM) and Mixed Methods Appraisal (MMAT) tools.

Results

We present the protocol to identify the explicit (directly measured outcomes and respective ICF domains) and implicit (intervention features not explicitly intended or measured) ingredients.

Conclusion

Findings will support the implementation of the F-words in interventions for young children with non-ambulant CP.
Sources of air pollution-related health impacts and benefits of radially applied transportation policies in 14 US cities
Authors: Nawaz M. Omar , Henze Daven K. , Anenberg Susan C. , Ahn Doyeon Y. , Goldberg Daniel L. , Tessum Christopher W. , Chafe Zoe A.
Published: February 2023

As the world becomes increasingly urbanized, growing populations are exposed to poor ambient air quality and at risk of the associated health outcomes. Urban air quality is affected both by local sources of air pollution and sources outside city borders. Policy-makers who develop air quality policies need to know whether it is most effective to focus on local policies or to spend resources fostering larger regional air quality management cooperation. Identifying the fraction of air pollution exposure from emissions as a function of distance from the city is a critical element of air quality management design. We estimate the health burden associated with exposure to fine particulate matter (PM2.5), ozone (O3), and nitrogen dioxide (NO2) from county-level anthropogenic sources in and around 14 US cities; this analysis is a test-bed to conduct future global analyses. We use adjoint sensitivities calculated from the chemical transport model GEOS-Chem, high resolution satellite-derived surface concentrations of PM2.5 and NO2, and health impact assessment methods. For the 70.2 million people living in these cities, we estimate that 27,740 PM2.5- and O3-related premature deaths and 126,600 NO2-related new asthma cases were attributable to air pollution exposure in 2011. Development within the GEOS-Chem adjoint framework enables sectoral attribution and policy analysis in addition to the rote assessment of impact. We find that 70% of deaths and nearly 100% of these asthma cases were attributable to anthropogenic emissions. There is great variability in the sources of the anthropogenically-related health impacts; within-urban emissions make up 5% in Austin to 56% in Los Angeles and Phoenix (median: 31%) of urban premature deaths and 18% in Austin to 82% in Los Angeles (median: 59.5%) of new asthma cases, with the remaining portions attributable to emissions from outside the urban area. For each city, we estimate the air quality related health benefits associated with the adoption of a vehicle-miles-traveled fee in that city and in multiple spatial regions surrounding the city. The findings suggest that the proportion of urban air pollution that is regional is greater for premature deaths than new asthma cases and for the eastern US than the western US.
Tunning pectinase activity under the effects of electric fields in the enhanced clarification of wine must
Authors: Queirós Mariana , Pereira Guilherme , Leite Ana Catarina , Leal Rita , Rodrigues Rui , Teixeira José A. , Pereira Ricardo N.
Published: February 2023

Introduction

Pectinolytic enzymes are of great importance for the clarification process of “Vinho Verde” wine must, contributing to the reduction of haze development. During the last decade, a growing body of knowledge has been established about the effects of electric fields on the activation of important food enzymes. However, the influence of electrical parameters on catalytic activity is enzyme-dependent and should be evaluated on a case-by-case basis. This work describes, for the first time, the effects of electric fields and electrical frequency on the activity of pectinase (PEC) in the accelerated clarification of “Vinho Verde” must.

Method

Moderate electric fields (MEF) with intensities below 20 V/cm and at electrical frequencies ranging from 50 to 20 kHz were applied at temperatures between 15 and 35°C. Enzymatic activity was measured for 25 min, and the initial rate of reaction was determined by the coefficient of the linear plot of galacturonic acid (GAL) production as a function of time.

Results

The results show that electrical frequency can increase enzymatic activity depending on temperature conditions; at 20°C and with electrical frequencies of 2 and 20 kHz, enzymatic activity increased by up to 40 and 20%, respectively, when compared with the control sample (without the application of MEF). Temperature dependence was evaluated through the Arrhenius equation, showing that energy of activation (Ea) can be reduced from 9.2 to 6.6 kJ/mol at sub-optimal temperatures for PEC activity when MEF is applied.

Discussion

Electrical parameters, when combined with temperatures below 20°C, reduced pectin concentration in “Vinho Verde” wine must by up to 42% of its initial content. This emergent treatment can be integrated in relevant environmental conditions, presenting an opportunity to increase enzyme efficiency even in low-temperature conditions, which favors the winemaking process.
Sustainable aquatic food systems: Multisectoral analysis of determinants of child nutrition in coastal Kenya
Authors: Kamau-Mbuthia Elizabeth , Lesorogol Carolyn , Wamukota Andrew , Humphries Austin , Sarange Catherine , Mbeyu Ruth , Cheupe Chris , Cheupe Joaquim , Nunez-Garcia Andrea , Blackmore Ivy , Iannotti Lora
Published: February 2023

Marine foods produced by small-scale fishers can make vital contributions to sustainable, healthy food systems with multisectoral considerations of public health nutrition, gender equity, economics, and marine ecology. This pilot study aimed to map the multidimensional determinants of fish food security and young child nutrition in four coastal communities of Kenya with a view toward designing a large intervention trial. We compared anthropometric and dietary diversity indicators of children under 5 years in fishing vs. non-fishing households. Mixed methods included household surveys, 24-h recalls for dietary intake, and anthropometric measures of children. Child dietary diversity score (CDDS) and height-for-age Z (HAZ) were primary outcomes tested in ordinary least square regression modeling. Stunting was widely prevalent (20.2%), as were morbidities for acute diarrhea (29.0%) and fever (46.5%), with no statistically significant differences in fishing compared to non-fishing households. High proportions of children showed nutrient intake inadequacies for vitamins A, C, and E, iron and zinc; <50% met requirements for all nutrients except protein, which was derived primarily from plant-based foods. Regression modeling showed children living in fishing households were associated with lower CDDS. Maternal education, maternal body mass index (BMI), and household livelihood diversity were positively associated with both CDDS and HAZ, while child morbidities and north coast (of Mombasa) residence showed negative associations. Our findings highlight nutritional vulnerabilities within a coastal food system of Kenya and the need to involve multiple sectors—education, environment, health, finance, communications, and governance and policy—in deriving solutions.
A giant neobladder stone with insignificant symptoms: A case report and literature review
Authors: Gu Jun , He Zexi , Li Haihao , Liu Yijie , Wang Haifeng , Huang Yinglong , Ding Mingxia
Published: February 2023

Background

Giant neobladder lithiasis after orthotopic bladder replacement is an infrequent but important long-term complication, which should be diagnosed and treated early. If left untreated, it may eventually lead to irreversible acute kidney injury and seriously affect the quality of life of patients. Here, we present a rare case of a patient who presented with a massive neobladder stone after radical cystectomy done with orthotopic neobladder construction, followed by a challenging stone extraction process.

Case presentation

A 70-year-old female patient presented with a massive neobladder stone 14 years after radical cystectomy done with orthotopic neobladder construction. A computed tomography scan showed a large elliptic stone. The patient underwent suprapubic cystolithotomy surgery, which removed her giant-sized stone in the neobladder. The size of the bladder stone that was removed was 13 cm × 11.5 cm × 9 cm, with a total weight of 903 g. To date, the follow-up time of treatment is 4 months, and in our patient, no pain, urinary tract infections, or other abnormalities suggestive of fistula were found.

Conclusion

Imaging examination is useful for detecting neobladder lithiasis occurring after orthotopic neobladder construction. Our experience demonstrates that open cystolithotomy is an appropriate therapeutic method for treating the late-stage complication of a giant neobladder stone.
Twenty-eight day repeated exposure of human 3D bronchial epithelial model to heated tobacco aerosols indicates decreased toxicological responses compared to cigarette smoke
Authors: Chapman Fiona , Pour Sarah Jean , Wieczorek Roman , Trelles Sticken Edgar , Budde Jessica , Röwer Karin , Otte Sandra , Mason Elizabeth , Czekala Lukasz , Nahde Thomas , O’Connell Grant , Simms Liam , Stevenson Matthew
Published: February 2023

Tobacco harm reduction (THR) involves providing adult smokers with potentially reduced harm modes of nicotine delivery as alternatives to smoking combustible cigarettes. Heated tobacco products (HTPs) form a category with THR potential due to their ability to deliver nicotine and flavours through heating, not burning, tobacco. By eliminating burning, heated tobacco does not produce smoke but an aerosol which contains fewer and lower levels of harmful chemicals compared to cigarette smoke. In this study we assessed the in vitro toxicological profiles of two prototype HTPs’ aerosols compared to the 1R6F reference cigarette using the 3D human (bronchial) MucilAir™ model. To increase consumer relevance, whole aerosol/smoke exposures were delivered repeatedly across a 28 day period (16, 32, or 48 puffs per exposure). Cytotoxicity (LDH secretion), histology (Alcian Blue/H&E; Muc5AC; FoxJ1 staining), cilia active area and beat frequency and inflammatory marker (IL-6; IL-8; MMP-1; MMP-3; MMP-9; TNFα) levels were assessed. Diluted 1R6F smoke consistently induced greater and earlier effects compared to the prototype HTP aerosols across the endpoints, and in a puff dependent manner. Although some significant changes across the endpoints were induced by exposure to the HTPs, these were substantially less pronounced and less frequently observed, with apparent adaptive responses occurring over the experimental period. Furthermore, these differences between the two product categories were observed at a greater dilution (and generally lower nicotine delivery range) for 1R6F (1R6F smoke diluted 1/14, HTP aerosols diluted 1/2, with air). Overall, the findings demonstrate the THR potential of the prototype HTPs through demonstrated substantial reductions in toxicological outcomes in in vitro 3D human lung models.
Mobile Phone Use, Genetic Susceptibility and New-Onset Chronic Kidney Diseases
Authors: Zhang Yuanyuan , Zhang Yanjun , Ye Ziliang , Yang Sisi , Liu Mengyi , Wu Qimeng , Zhou Chun , He Panpan , Qin Xianhui
Published: February 2023

Objective: To examine the associations of mobile phone use and its use characteristics with new-onset CKD.

Methods: 408,743 participants without prior CKD in the UK Biobank were included. The primary outcome was new-onset CKD.

Results: During a median follow-up of 12.1 years, 10,797 (2.6%) participants occurred CKD. Compared with mobile phone non-users, a significantly higher risk of new-onset CKD was found in mobile phone users (HR = 1.07; 95% CI: 1.02–1.13). Moreover, among mobile phone users, compared with participants with weekly usage time of mobile phone making or receiving calls <30 min, a significantly higher risk of new-onset CKD was observed in those with usage time ≥30 min (HR = 1.12; 95% CI: 1.07–1.18). Moreover, participants with both high genetic risks of CKD and longer weekly usage time of mobile phones had the highest risk of CKD. Similar results were found using the propensity score matching methods. However, there were no significant associations of length of mobile phone use, and hands-free device/speakerphone use with new-onset CKD among mobile phone users.

Conclusion: Mobile phone use was significantly associated with a higher risk of new-onset CKD, especially in those with longer weekly usage time of mobile phones making or receiving calls. Our findings and the underlying mechanisms should be further investigated.
Paving the Way for Personalized Medicine in First Kidney Transplantation: Interest of a Creatininemia Latent Class Analysis in Early Post-transplantation
Authors: Ducousso Héloïse , Vallée Maxime , Kerforne Thomas , Castilla Ines , Duthe Fabien , Saulnier Pierre-Jean , Ragot Stéphanie , Thierry Antoine
Published: February 2023

Plasma creatinine is a marker of interest in renal transplantation but data on its kinetics in the first days following transplantation are scarce. The aim of this study was to identify clinically relevant subgroups of creatinine trajectories following renal transplantation and to test their association with graft outcome. Among 496 patients with a first kidney transplant included in the French ASTRE cohort at the Poitiers University hospital, 435 patients from donation after brain death were considered in a latent class modeling. Four distinct classes of creatinine trajectories were identified: “poor recovery” (6% of patients), “intermediate recovery” (47%), “good recovery” (10%) and “optimal recovery” (37%). Cold ischemia time was significantly lower in the “optimal recovery” class. Delayed graft function was more frequent and the number of hemodialysis sessions was higher in the “poor recovery” class. Incidence of graft loss was significantly lower in “optimal recovery” patients with an adjusted risk of graft loss 2.42 and 4.06 times higher in “intermediate recovery” and “poor recovery” patients, respectively. Our study highlights substantial heterogeneity in creatinine trajectories following renal transplantation that may help to identify patients who are more likely to experience a graft loss.
Needs Analysis of Aircraft Mechanics’ English Language Skills
Authors: Korba Peter , Sekelová Ingrid , Mikula Branko , Koščáková Martina
Published: February 2023

English is used in all parts of aviation, especially in aircraft maintenance, where all documentation and various manuals are written in this language. However, there are no formal requirements for aircraft mechanics to have a certain level of English. Nevertheless, aircraft mechanics must master their English language skills, since they are needed for managing their work tasks. This study deals with the issue of insufficiency of standardized English courses, and determines the English language needs of aircraft maintenance in the Slovak Republic, using a triangular approach. The gathered data from 80 respondents for this paper were subjected to descriptive and inferential statistics, which were calculated by the means of Jamovi statistical software. The results revealed that aircraft mechanics engage most often in communication situations that require their knowledge of the reading skill. The importance of all language skills (reading, writing, listening, speaking) is proven by the determination of the most-common communication activities of aircraft mechanics, which should be included in specialized English courses. The results of this study are useful in the creation of language courses which increase the level of English in aircraft maintenance, thus, increasing safety in aviation.
Predictive Model of a Mole-Type Burrowing Robot for Lunar Subsurface Exploration
Authors: Yuan Zihao , Mu Ruinan , Zhao Haifeng , Wang Ke
Published: February 2023

In this work, a dynamic model is proposed to simulate the drilling and steering process of an autonomous burrowing mole to access scientific samples from the deep subsurface of the Moon. The locomotive module is idealized as a rigid rod. The characteristic parameters are considered, including the length, cross-section diameter, and centroid of a cylindrical rod. Based on classical Lagrangian mechanics, a 3-DOF dynamic model for the locomotion of this autonomous device is developed. By introducing resistive force theory, the interaction scheme between the locomotive body and the lunar regolith is described. The effects of characteristic parameters on resistive forces and torques are studied and discussed. Proportional-derivative control strategies are introduced to calculate the tracking control forces following a planned trajectory. The simulation results show that this method provides a reliable manipulation of a mole-type robot to avoid obstacles during the tracking control process in layered sediments. Overall, the proposed reduced-order model is able to simulate the operating and controlling scenarios of an autonomous burrowing robot in lunar subsurface environments. This model provides intuitive inputs to plan the space missions of a drilling robot to extract subsurface samples on an extraterrestrial planet such as the Moon or Mars.
Matrilineal Composition of the Reconstructed Stock of the Szekler Horse Breed
Authors: Gáspárdy András , Wagenhoffer Zsombor , Fürlinger Dóra , Halmágyi Maja , Bodó Imre , Lancioni Hovirag , Maróti-Agóts Ákos
Published: February 2023

The Szekler horse was a small-sized mountain horse of the Carpathian Mountains whose official stud book ceased to exist after WWII. Despite that, individual horses preserving all the characteristics of the Szekler horse remained scattered in remote areas. This study aims to evaluate the mitochondrial D-loop sequence (608 bp) of the founder population (n = 59) in 2021 of a breed reconstruction project started in 2012. D-loop showed 68 polymorphic sites. The number of haplotypes was 34, with haplotype diversity (Hd) 0.966 and nucleotide diversity (π) 0.02232. The value of Fu’s Fs statistic (−6.566) was significant (p < 0.001), which rejects a stable population status. Thirteen haplogroups (HG) were found with a nearly equal number of representatives (HG(n)—A (5), D (1), E (2), G (4), I (4), J–K (1), M (4), N (2), O’P (4), and R (1)). In contrast, the Q, L, and B HGs occurred in more horses (15, 9, and 7, respectively). Based on a large number of polymorphic sites and haplotypes, the founder stock is considered diverse. Since the HG Q is characteristic of Asian horses, the examined stock haplotype distribution reflects the eastern origin of the Hungarian horses brought from the East in 896 AD. It is complemented by the gene pool of horses from Europe (e.g., L) and the Middle East (e.g., B).
Research on Fault Diagnosis of HMCVT Shift Hydraulic System Based on Optimized BPNN and CNN
Authors: Wang Jiabo , Lu Zhixiong , Wang Guangming , Hussain Ghulam , Zhao Shanhu , Zhang Haijun , Xiao Maohua
Published: February 2023

There are some problems in the shifting process of hydraulic CVT, such as irregularity, low stability and high failure rate. In this paper, the BP neural network and convolutional neural network are used for fault diagnosis of the HMCVT hydraulic system. Firstly, through experiments, 120 groups of pressure and flow data under normal and four typical fault modes were obtained and preprocessed; they were divided into 80 groups of training samples and 40 groups of test samples via random extraction, using the BP neural network model and convolutional neural network model for fault classification. The results show that compared with BP, PSO-BP and other models, the fault diagnosis rate of the BAS-BP neural network model can reach 92.5%, and the average diagnosis accuracy rate of the convolutional neural network can reach 97.5%, which can be effectively applied to the fault diagnosis of the HMCVT hydraulic system and provide some reference for the shifting reliability of hydraulic CVT.
Agricultural Strategies to Reduce Cadmium Accumulation in Crops for Food Safety
Authors: Mubeen Samavia , Ni Wenjuan , He Chuntao , Yang Zhongyi
Published: February 2023

Cadmium (Cd) contamination in edible agricultural products, especially in crops, has raised worldwide concerns regarding food safety consumption. This review summarizes the current knowledge of the applicable methods and perspectives for reducing Cd contamination of agricultural products. Agricultural approaches of soil amendments, irrigation management, microbial agent, and cropping patterns were systematically concluded to illustrate the developments and achievements in crop contamination management. The use of traditional soil amendments as well as novel nano-materials has contributed to producing safe crops in agricultural soil contaminated with Cd. This review provides an inspiring and promising tool for maintaining food safety by reducing Cd accumulation in edible agricultural products.
Crop Node Detection and Internode Length Estimation Using an Improved YOLOv5 Model
Authors: Hu Jinnan , Li Guo , Mo Haolan , Lv Yibo , Qian Tingting , Chen Ming , Lu Shenglian
Published: February 2023

The extraction and analysis of plant phenotypic characteristics are critical issues for many precision agriculture applications. An improved YOLOv5 model was proposed in this study for accurate node detection and internode length estimation of crops by using an end-to-end approach. In this improved YOLOv5, a feature extraction module was added in front of each detection head, and the bounding box loss function used in the original network of YOLOv5 was replaced by the SIoU bounding box loss function. The results of the experiments on three different crops (chili, eggplant, and tomato) showed that the improved YOLOv5 reached 90.5% AP (average precision) and the average detection time was 0.019 s per image. The average error of the internode length estimation was 41.3 pixels, and the relative error was 7.36%. Compared with the original YOLOv5, the improved YOLOv5 had an average error reduction of 5.84 pixels and a relative error reduction of 1.61%.
The Role of Antibiotic Prophylaxis in Anastomotic Leak Prevention during Elective Colorectal Surgery: Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials
Authors: Castagneto-Gissey Lidia , Russo Maria Francesca , Casella-Mariolo James , Serao Angelo , Marcellinaro Rosa , D’Andrea Vito , Carlini Massimo , Casella Giovanni
Published: February 2023

Introduction: Despite several perioperative care advancements and innovations in surgical procedures and technologies, the incidence rate of anastomotic leaks (ALs) after colorectal surgery has not substantially decreased. Gut microbiota can play a critical role in the healing process of anastomotic tissue and alterations in its composition may be largely to blame for anastomotic insufficiency. The use of specific antibiotics for preoperative large bowel decontamination could significantly influence the rate of ALs. The aim of this study was to systematically assess the various antibiotic prophylactic regimen strategies for primary prevention of ALs during colorectal surgery, in view of the available evidence. Methods: A systematic review of the literature was conducted, and randomized clinical trials (RCTs) analyzing prophylactic antibiotic bowel preparation in colorectal surgery were included. PubMed, Embase, the Web of Science Core Collection, and the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials were searched from inception through to 30 November 2022. The methodological quality of the included trials was evaluated. The primary outcome was AL rate; secondary outcomes were superficial/deep surgical site infections (SSIs). The PRISMA guidelines were used to carry out the present systematic review. Results: Thirteen RCTs published between 1977 and 2022, with a total of 4334 patients were included in the meta-analysis. Antibiotic prophylaxis was administered orally in 11/13 studies and intravenously in 2 studies. Patients randomly assigned to antibiotic prophylaxis, regardless of the regimen, had a reduced risk of ALs (p = 0.003) compared to mechanical bowel preparation (MBP) alone. The use of antibiotic prophylaxis was also more effective in significantly reducing SSIs (p < 0.001). Conclusions: The evidence points to an advantage of oral antibiotic prophylaxis in terms of AL rate, a significant contributor to perioperative morbidity, mortality, and rising healthcare expenditures. In light of such results, the use of antibiotic prophylaxis should be strongly encouraged prior to colorectal surgery.
Characterization and Classification of Spanish Honeydew and Blossom Honeys Based on Their Antioxidant Capacity
Authors: Fernández-Estellé Mónica , Hernández-González Víctor , Saurina Javier , Núñez Oscar , Sentellas Sonia
Published: February 2023

Honey is a very appreciated product for its nutritional characteristics and its benefits for human health, comprising antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, antifungal, and antibacterial activities. These attributes depend on the specific composition of each honey variety, with the botanical origin as one of the distinctive features. Indeed, honeydew and blossom honeys show different physicochemical properties, being the antioxidant capacity, mainly relying on the phenolic compound content, one of the most important. In this work, Folin–Ciocalteu (FC) index, total flavonoid content (TFC), and the antioxidant capacity based on the ferric reducing antioxidant power (FRAP) assay were determined for a total of 73 honeys (50 blossom honeys and 23 honeydew honeys). Mean content of oxidizable species (FC index) ranges from 0.17 to 0.7 mg eq. gallic acid g−1, with honeydew honeys being the ones with higher values. Regarding TFC, mean values above 1.5 mg eq. quercetin g−1 (method applied in the absence of NaNO2) were obtained for honeydew honeys and heather honey. Lower and not discriminatory values (below 0.3 mg eq. epicatechin g−1) were obtained in the presence of NaNO2. The maximum antioxidant capacity was observed for thyme honeys (2.2 mg eq. Trolox g−1) followed by honeydew and heather honeys. Individually, only the FC index was able to discriminate between honeydew and blossom honeys, while the other spectroscopic indexes tested allowed the differentiation of some honey types according to the botanical origin. Thus, a holistic treatment of the results was performed using partial least square discriminant analysis (PLS-DA) for classification purposes using FC, TFC, and FRAP results as data. Honeydew and blossom honey were satisfactorily discriminated (error 5%). In addition, blossom honeys can be perfectly classified according to their botanical origin based on two-class PLS-DA classification models.
The Effect of Different Storage Conditions on Phytochemical Composition, Shelf-Life, and Bioactive Compounds of Voghiera Garlic PDO
Authors: Tedeschi Paola , Brugnoli Federica , Merighi Stefania , Grassilli Silvia , Nigro Manuela , Catani Martina , Gessi Stefania , Bertagnolo Valeria , Travagli Alessia , Caboni Maria Fiorenza , Cavazzini Alberto
Published: February 2023

Voghiera garlic is an Italian white garlic variety which obtained in 2010 the Protected Designation of Origin. It is widely used for culinary purposes or as an ingredient for supplement production due to its phytochemical compositions. The storage conditions seem to be crucial to retain the high quality of garlic bulbs and their by-products, taking into account the high importance of organosulfur and phenolic compounds for the bioactive potency of garlic and its shelf-life. This study aims to examine the effect of storage on the phytochemical composition, biological effects, and shelf-life of Voghiera garlic PDO. In detail, we considered (i) −4 °C (industrial storage) for 3, 6, and 9 months; (ii) +4 °C for 3 months (home conservation), and (iii) −4 °C for 3 months, plus +4 °C for another 3 months. We focused our attention on the organosulfur compounds, total condensed tannins, flavonoids, phenolic compounds, and related antioxidant activity changes during the storage period. To evaluate the bioactive effects, the Voghiera garlic extracts at different storage conditions were administered to a breast cancer cell line, while antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activity was detected using macrophage RAW 264.7 cells. We observed a decrease in sulfur compounds after 6 months which correlated to a decrease in bioactive effects, while the number of antioxidant compounds was stable during the storage period, showing the good effect of refrigerated temperature in maintaining garlic bulb shelf-life.
Dietary Histamine Impairs the Digestive Physiology Function and Muscle Quality of Hybrid Grouper (Epinephelus fuscoguttatus♀ × Epinephelus lanceolatus♂)
Authors: Zhang Yumeng , Zhou Hang , Liu Yu , Zhu Lulu , Fan Jiongting , Huang Huajing , Jiang Wen , Deng Junming , Tan Beiping
Published: February 2023

An 8-week feeding experiment was conducted to investigate the effect of dietary histamine on growth performance, digestive physiology function and muscle quality in a hybrid grouper (Epinephelus fuscoguttatus♀ × Epinephelus lanceolatus♂). Seven isoproteic (50%) and isolipidic (11%) diets were prepared with various histamine inclusion levels of 0, 30, 60, 120, 240, 480 and 960 mg/kg in diets (actual contents were 72.33, 99.56, 138.60, 225.35, 404.12, 662.12 and 1245.38 mg/kg), respectively. Each diet was randomly assigned to triplicates of 30 juveniles (average body weight 14.78 g) per tank in a flow-through mariculture system. The increase in the dietary histamine level up to 1245.38 mg/kg made no significant difference on the growth rate and feed utilization of the grouper. However, the increased histamine content linearly decreased the activities of digestive enzymes, while no differences were observed in groups with low levels of histamine (≤404.12 mg/kg). Similarly, high levels of histamine (≥404.12 mg/kg) significantly damaged the gastric and intestinal mucosa, disrupted the intestinal tight junction structure, and raised the serum diamine oxidase activity and endotoxin level. Meanwhile, high doses of histamine (≥662.12 mg/kg) significantly reduced the activities of antioxidant enzymes, upregulated the relative expression of Kelch-like ECH-associated protein 1, and hardened and yellowed the dorsal muscle of grouper. These results showed that dietary histamine was detrimental to the digestive physiology function and muscle quality of the grouper, although it did compromise its growth performance.
Studies of Anomalous Phenomena in the Development of Electron-Nuclear Cascades in the EAS Cores Registered by a Modernized Complex Installation at Mountain Altitudes
Authors: Mukhamedshin Rauf , Sadykov Turlan , Serikkanov Abay , Argynova Alia , Iskakov Bakhtiar , Argynova Korlan , Mahmet Hanshain , Novolodskaya Olga , Idrissova Tunyk , Zhukov Valery , Piskal Vyacheslav , Sadykov Zhakypbek
Published: February 2023

Phenomena have been observed in mountain high-energy cosmic-ray experiments, namely, a delayed absorption of high-energy cascades initiated by cosmic-ray hadrons in a lead absorber at E0≳ 1014 eV (so-called long-flying component), a coplanarity of most energetic particles in the central region of γ-ray−hadron superfamilies, and the so-called Tien Shan effect in EAS cores at E0≳ 1016 eV s>5 TeV. These effects are not described by theoretical models. The coplanarity is explained by the process of coplanar generation of most energetic secondary particles in interactions of superhigh-energy hadrons with the nuclei of air atoms. The other two phenomena are possibly explained with a high cross section for fragmentation-region charmed-hadron generation. To investigate these phenomena, a cosmic-ray detector array, including a very thick ionization calorimeter, is being upgraded to study EAS cores.
MalwD&C: A Quick and Accurate Machine Learning-Based Approach for Malware Detection and Categorization
Authors: Buriro Attaullah , Buriro Abdul Baseer , Ahmad Tahir , Buriro Saifullah , Ullah Subhan
Published: February 2023

Malware, short for malicious software, is any software program designed to cause harm to a computer or computer network. Malware can take many forms, such as viruses, worms, Trojan horses, and ransomware. Because malware can cause significant damage to a computer or network, it is important to avoid its installation to prevent any potential harm. This paper proposes a machine learning-based malware detection method called MalwD&C to allow the secure installation of Programmable Executable (PE) files. The proposed method uses machine learning classifiers to analyze the PE files and classify them as benign or malware. The proposed MalwD&C scheme was evaluated on a publicly available dataset by applying several machine learning classifiers in two settings: two-class classification (malware detection) and multi-class classification (malware categorization). The results showed that the Random Forest (RF) classifier outperformed all other chosen classifiers, achieving as high as 99.56% and 97.69% accuracies in the two-class and multi-class settings, respectively. We believe that MalwD&C will be widely accepted in academia and industry due to its speed in decision making and higher accuracy.
A Proposal for a Processing Line for Cauliflower and Broccoli Floretting
Authors: Jadwisieńczak Krzysztof , Kaliniewicz Zdzisław , Konopka Stanisław , Choszcz Dariusz , Majkowska-Gadomska Joanna
Published: February 2023

The edible portions of cauliflowers and broccoli are immature flower heads composed of florets attached to the stalk. In most cases, larger florets are separated into smaller pieces during processing. Complex processing lines for cauliflower and broccoli floretting are available on the market, but they are very expensive and require a large working area. Therefore, the aim of this study was to present a proposal for a new floretting unit dedicated to this group of vegetables. The unit will be operated in small farms; it will help producers shorten processing times and sell their goods for higher prices. It was assumed that the unit will feature two main devices: a vegetable crusher and a calibrator. The crusher will remove the florets from the stalk and break larger florets into smaller pieces of appropriate size. Florets with a diameter of 2 to 6 cm will be separated by the calibrator. During the process, leaves, stalks, and very small florets will fall into separate containers, and these fractions will be further processed into food products. The entire process will be carried out directly on the farm, which can increase potential profits by around 25%. Due to a shorter processing time, the product is likely to be fresher and more appealing for consumers.
Obtaining Polysaccharide-Based Fabrics with Improved Moisture Sorption and Dye Adsorption Properties
Authors: Ivanovska Aleksandra , Milošević Marija , Lađarević Jelena , Pavun Leposava , Svirčev Zorica , Kostić Mirjana , Meriluoto Jussi
Published: February 2023

Raw jute fabric was treated with 0.5, 1.0, or 2.0% chitosan solution to improve its sorption properties (evaluated through the moisture sorption and adsorption of textile dye Reactive Orange 16 (RO 16)), which are essential for fabric utilization as geo-prebiotic polysaccharide support that should provide the necessary water for the growth of cyanobacterial communities in biocarpet engineering. Chitosan-treated fabrics possessed 39–78% higher moisture sorption values than the untreated ones. Concerning the dye adsorption, with the increase in its initial concentration, the adsorption potential of raw and fabrics treated with 0.5 or 1.0% chitosan solution was increased up to 1.9 times. The dye adsorption onto these fabrics was exothermic and enthalpy driven. By increasing the chitosan solution percentage up to 1.0%, fabric adsorption potential increased up to 2.2 times. An inverse relationship was observed in the case of the fabric treated with 2.0% chitosan solution, its adsorption potential decreased with increasing the initial dye concentration and temperature due to the different dominant binding interactions. Concerning the contact time, dye adsorption onto fabric treated with 1.0% chitosan solution was rapid in the first 2 h, while the equilibrium was attained after 4.5 h. The isotherm and kinetic data were represented by the Langmuir model and the pseudo-second-order kinetic model, respectively.