bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Melatonin improves cognitive dysfunction and decreases gliosis in the streptozotocin-induced rat model of sporadic Alzheimer’s disease
Authors: Gáll Zsolt , Boros Bernadett , Kelemen Krisztina , Urkon Melinda , Zolcseak István , Márton Kincső , Kolcsar Melinda
Published: July 2024

Introduction

Alzheimer’s disease (AD) and other forms of dementia have a devastating effect on the community and healthcare system, as neurodegenerative diseases are causing disability and dependency in older population. Pharmacological treatment options are limited to symptomatic alleviation of cholinergic deficit and accelerated clearance of β-amyloid aggregates, but accessible disease-modifying interventions are needed especially in the early phase of AD. Melatonin was previously demonstrated to improve cognitive function in clinical setting and experimental studies also.

Methods

In this study, the influence of melatonin supplementation was studied on behavioral parameters and morphological aspects of the hippocampus and amygdala of rats. Streptozotocin (STZ) was injected intracerebroventricularly to induce AD-like symptoms in male adult Wistar rats (n = 18) which were compared to age-matched, sham-operated animals (n = 16). Melatonin was administered once daily in a dose of 20 mg/kg body weight by oral route. Behavioral analysis included open-field, novel object recognition, and radial-arm maze tests. TNF-α and MMP-9 levels were determined from blood samples to assess the anti-inflammatory and neuroprotective effects of melatonin. Immunohistological staining of brain sections was performed using anti-NeuN, anti-IBA-1, and anti-GFAP primary antibodies to evaluate the cellular reorganization of hippocampus.

Results and Discussion

The results show that after 40 days of treatment, melatonin improved the cognitive performance of STZ-induced rats and reduced the activation of microglia in both CA1 and CA3 regions of the hippocampus. STZ-injected animals had higher levels of GFAP-labeled astrocytes in the CA1 region, but melatonin treatment reduced this to that of the control group. In conclusion, melatonin may be a potential therapeutic option for treating AD-like cognitive decline and neuroinflammation.
Beneficial effects of a cognitive-behavioral occupational stress management group training: the mediating role of changing cognitions
Authors: Wirtz Petra H. , Auer Alisa , Semmer Norbert K. , Ehlert Ulrike , Nussbeck Fridtjof W.
Published: July 2024

Introduction

While the effectiveness of cognitive-behavioral stress management trainings (SMTs) is well-documented, the underlying mechanisms, especially in an occupational context, are not fully understood. We tested whether SMT-induced improvements in stress management skills, particularly in the mastery of changing cognitions, may explain beneficial SMT effects.

Methods

Our non-randomized controlled trial comprised 108 employees of a German health insurance company, with 65 of them participating in a cognitive-behavioral SMT and 43 participating in an alternative control training (AT). As outcome variables, we repeatedly assessed stress-related (functional stress management skills, relaxation, stress reactivity, exhaustion), work-related (job dissatisfaction), and specific-context-related (social support, trait anger) measures at baseline, 2 weeks, and 3 months after the trainings. Functional stress management skills and, in particular, a subscale assessing perceived mastery of changing cognitions (“cognitive-strategies-and-problem-solving”) were tested as mediators of change.

Results

Repeated measures (M)AN(C)OVAs and complementary multigroup latent difference models confirmed improvements in all outcomes in the SMT-group compared to the AT-group (p's ≤ 0.015). Multivariate mediation path analyses revealed that, regarding mechanisms of change, the subscale cognitive-strategies-and-problem-solving was identified as the most important mediator for all outcomes (95% CIs for expected increases in SMT- vs. AT-group = [lower limits (LLs) ≥ 0.004]; 95% CIs for expected decreases in the SMT- vs. AT-group = [upper limits(ULs) ≤ −0.078]) except for job dissatisfaction.

Discussion

Our findings confirm that employees can effectively learn to master stress reduction techniques and consequently lower the resulting burden. Moreover, beneficial SMT effects seem to result from improvements in functional stress management skills, particularly in the ability to change cognitions. This points to the importance of training cognitive techniques.
Racial and ethnic differences in comorbid psychosis: a population-based study
Authors: Sankoh Mariam , Clifford James , Peterson Roseann E. , Prom-Wormley Elizabeth
Published: July 2024

Introduction

Differences in the prevalence of psychiatric conditions such as psychosis as well as patterns of comorbidity for psychosis have been reported between racial and ethnic groups. It is unclear whether those differences are consistent for comorbid psychosis

Methods

Self-reported diagnostic data from American adults ages 18–99 participating in the Collaborative Psychiatric Epidemiology Surveys (CPES) (N ~ 11,844) were used to test the association between four racial and ethnic group categories (White, Asian, Hispanic, Black) and comorbid psychosis. Comorbid psychosis was measured as a 4-level categorical variable (No mental illness nor psychosis, Mental Illness, Psychosis only, comorbid psychosis (i.e., Psychosis + Mental Illness). Chi-square tests were used to determine significant differences in the prevalence of comorbid psychosis by race and ethnicity. A multinomial logistic regression was used to test the association between racial and ethnic classifications and comorbid psychosis after adjusting for common demographic characteristics (i.e., education, sex, income, and age).

Results

Relative to White participants, Hispanic and Asian participants were less likely to be affected with comorbid psychosis. (Adjusted Odds Ratio, AORAsian = 0.32, CI = 0.22 – 0.47, p <0.0001, AORHispanic = 0.66, CI = 0.48 – 0.92, p = 0.012). Relative to White participants there was not significant association for comorbid psychosis in Black participants (AORBlack = 0.91, CI = 0.70 – 1.20, p = 0.52) In contrast Hispanic and Black participants were more likely to report psychosis alone (AORHispanic = 1.94, CI = 1.27–2.98, p = 0.002, AORBlack = 1.86, 1.24–2.82, p = 0.003) compared to White participants.

Conclusion

There were different patterns of associations by race and ethnicity for psychosis and comorbid psychosis. The lower prevalence of comorbid psychosis in non-White groups may be due to underdiagnosis or underreporting of other mental disorders.
Associations between PM2.5, ambient heat exposure and congenital hydronephrosis in southeastern China
Authors: Huang ZhiMeng , Zhong XiaoHong , Shen Tong , Gu SongLei , Chen MengNan , Xu WenLi , Chen RuiQi , Wu JinZhun , Yang XiaoQing
Published: July 2024

Objectives

This research aims to analyze how exposure to fine particulate matter (PM2.5) and ambient heat during pregnancy increases the risk of congenital hydronephrosis (CH) in newborns.

Methods

A case–control study was conducted to investigate the relationship between exposure to PM2.5 and ambient heat during pregnancy and the occurrence of CH in newborns. The study, which was conducted from 2015 to 2020, included 409 infants with CH as the case group and 409 infants without any abnormalities as the control group. Using spatial remote sensing technology, the exposure of each pregnant mother to PM2.5 concentration was meticulously mapped. Additionally, data on the ambient temperature of exposure for each participant were also collected. A logistics regression model was used to calculate the influence of exposure to PM2.5 and ambient heat on the occurrence of CH. Stratified analysis and interaction analysis were used to study the interaction between ambient heat exposure and PM2.5 on the occurrence of CH.

Results

At the 6th week of gestation, exposure to PM2.5 may increase the risk of CH. For every 10 μg/m3 increase in PM2.5 exposure, the risk of CH increased by 2% (95%CI = 0.98, 1.05) at a p-value of >0.05, indicating that there was no significant relationship between the results. Exposure to intense heat at 6th and 7th weeks of gestation increased the risk of CH. Specifically, for every 1°C increase in heat exposure, the risk of CH in offspring increased by 21% (95%CI = 1.04, 1.41) during the 6th week and 13% during the 7th week (95%CI = 1.02, 1.24). At 5th and 6th weeks of gestation, the relative excess risk due to interaction (RERI) was greater than 0 at the 50th percentile (22.58°C), 75th percentile (27.25°C), and 90th percentile (29.13°C) of daily maximum temperature (Tmax) distribution, indicating that the risk of CH was higher when exposed to both ambient heat and PM2.5 at the same time compared to exposure to a single risk factor.

Conclusion

Exposure to higher levels of PM2.5 and ambient heat during pregnancy increases the risk of CH in infants. There was a positive interaction between exposure to intense heat and high concentration of PM2.5 on the occurrence of CH.
Traffic-related air pollution and APOE4 can synergistically affect hippocampal volume in older women: new findings from UK Biobank
Authors: Popov Vladimir A. , Ukraintseva Svetlana V. , Duan Hongzhe , Yashin Anatoliy I. , Arbeev Konstantin G.
Published: July 2024

A growing research body supports the connection between neurodegenerative disorders, including Alzheimer's disease (AD), and traffic-related air pollution (TRAP). However, the underlying mechanisms are not well understood. A deeper investigation of TRAP effects on hippocampal volume (HV), a major biomarker of neurodegeneration, may help clarify these mechanisms. Here, we explored TRAP associations with the HV in older participants of the UK Biobank (UKB), taking into account the presence of APOE e4 allele (APOE4), the strongest genetic risk factor for AD. Exposure to TRAP was approximated by the distance of the participant's main residence to the nearest major road (DNMR). The left/right HV was measured by magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in cubic millimeters (mm3). Analysis of variance (ANOVA), Welch test, and regression were used to examine statistical significance. We found significant interactions between DNMR and APOE4 that influenced HV. Specifically, DNMR <50m (equivalent of a chronically high exposure to TRAP), and carrying APOE4 were synergistically associated with a significant (P = 0.01) reduction in the right HV by about 2.5% in women aged 60–75 years (results for men didn't reach a statistical significance). Results of our study suggest that TRAP and APOE4 jointly promote neurodegeneration in women. Living farther from major roads may help reduce the risks of neurodegenerative disorders, including AD, in female APOE4 carriers.
How Do Simple Games Help us to Understand Decision-Making?
Authors: Dyson Benjamin James , Zhang Yajing , Na Eunchan
Published: July 2024

We have to make lots of decisions every day, and sometimes we only have a short time or very little energy to put into making certain decisions. What determines whether we make good or bad decisions? Researchers have found there are different types of decision-makers, and they differ in how satisfied they are with their decisions. In our lab, we use simple games such as Rock, Paper, Scissors to study how good and bad decisions are made. We have found that people tend to make worse decisions after a negative outcome, such as losing the previous game. We have also found that people tend to spend less time thinking about their next decision after losing. Based on these results, we suggest taking your time when making a decision after a negative outcome in order to prevent making a hasty decision.
Knowledge graph for integration and quality traceability of agricultural product information
Authors: Jing Rongzhi , Li Ping
Published: July 2024

The quality traceability of agricultural products is an important and challenging is issue due to it involves multiple activities carried out by farmers and other stakeholders who must manage multiple heterogeneous data sources collected and generated through a variety of applications, services and devices. An agricultural product information integration and quality traceability model is proposed based on knowledge graph (KG). Through modeling, extraction, fusion, storage, calculation, reasoning and application of knowledge of agricultural products, KG is constructed to integrate the knowledge of agricultural production and monitoring process. In KG, nodes represent agricultural products and their foods, and their related specific things or their property values, lines connect to the agricultural products, food, and their properties, forming network, each node and the relationship has uniqueness, the KG of agricultural products and food is stored in the Neo4j database in graph structure, which is clear and easy to reuse. The 100 batches of carrot pesticide residue test results show that the proposed method is feasible for quality traceability of agricultural products. It provides a technical approach for the quality and safety management of agricultural products “from field to Table”.
Identifying risk and prognostic factors for synchronous liver metastasis in small bowel adenocarcinoma: a predictive analysis using the SEER database
Authors: Xu Duogang , He Yulei , Liao Changkang , Tan Jing
Published: July 2024

Background

Small bowel adenocarcinoma (SBA) is a rare gastrointestinal malignancy with an increasing incidence and a high propensity for liver metastasis (LM). This study aimed to investigate the risk factors for synchronous LM and prognostic factors in patients with LM.

Methods

Utilizing the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) database, this study analyzed data from 2,064 patients diagnosed with SBA between 2010 and 2020. Logistic regression was used to determine risk factors for synchronous LM. A nomogram was developed to predict the risk of LM in SBA patients, and its predictive performance was assessed through receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves and calibration curves. Kaplan-Meier and Cox regression analyses were conducted to evaluate survival outcomes for SBA patients with LM.

Results

Synchronous LM was present in 13.4% of SBA patients (n = 276). Six independent predictive factors for LM were identified, including tumor location, T stage, N stage, surgical intervention, retrieval of regional lymph nodes (RORLN), and chemotherapy. The nomogram demonstrated good discriminative ability, with an area under the curve (AUC) of 83.8%. Patients with LM had significantly lower survival rates than those without LM (P < 0.001). Survival analysis revealed that advanced age, tumor location in the duodenum, surgery, RORLN and chemotherapy were associated with cancer-specific survival (CSS) in patients with LM originating from SBA.

Conclusions

This study highlights the significant impact of LM on the survival of SBA patients and identifies key risk factors for its occurrence. The developed nomogram aids in targeted screening and personalized treatment planning.
A coaching approach to strengthen farm management teams to reduce antimicrobial use in Dutch high usage pig farms: a 2 year intervention study
Authors: Prinsen Heleen , Deng Huifang , Heederik Dick , Wagenaar Jaap A. , Speksnijder David C. , Dohmen Wietske
Published: July 2024

The use of antimicrobials in the pig sector in the Netherlands has been reduced by more than 70% over the last decade. However, there is still a considerable number of pig farms that have not been able to lower their antimicrobial usage (AMU) to a sufficiently low level, comparable to the majority of the other pig farms. Therefore, an intervention study was initiated to lower on-farm antimicrobial use in which 45 pig farms with high AMU were recruited. These farms were coached over a period of 2 years whereby different management interventions were introduced. During the 2-year study period a significant reduction of 13 and 17% in total AMU was seen in weaned piglets and fattening pigs respectively. The introduction of coaching as well as multiple management interventions were (univariably) associated with the decrease in AMU. After mutual adjustment of coaching and individual interventions, the association between coaching and AMU became substantially weaker, indicating that coaching and interventions were interrelated and specific interventions explained the reduction in AMU. In conclusion, a coaching effect was observed in this study, with an effect on AMU through specific interventions. More insights are needed regarding the role and effects of coaching on the influence on the management team comprising the farmer, veterinarian and (feed) advisor, and interventions implemented.
Exploring Associations Between Device-Based Occupational Sedentary Behavior and Need for Recovery in White Collar Workers: A Compositional Data-Analysis
Authors: Smit Denise J. M. , Burgers Laura J. G. C. , van Oostrom Sandra H. , Vähä-Ypyä Henri , Husu Pauliina , Verswijveren Simone J. J. M. , Proper Karin I.
Published: July 2024

Objectives

White collar workers spend an increasing amount of time in occupational sedentary behavior (OSB) and are thereby at risk for adverse health outcomes. Nevertheless, the association between OSB and the need for recovery (NFR), an important indicator of wellbeing, is unknown and therefore examined.

Methods

Baseline data from a cluster randomized controlled trial was used. A subgroup of 89 white collar workers wore a triaxial accelerometer for 7 days. NFR was measured using the Questionnaire on the Experience and Evaluation of Work. Compositional data analysis was applied to determine the composition of different OSB bouts (short, medium and long) and occupational physical activity (OPA) (light, moderate and vigorous and standing). Linear regression analyses were performed to explore the associations between occupational compositions and NFR.

Results

Relatively more time spent in long OSB bouts was associated with a lower NFR (β: −11.30, 95% CI: −20.2 to −2.4). Short and medium OSB bouts and OPA were not associated with NFR.

Conclusion

Associations between OSB bouts, OPA and NFR hinted at contrasting trends, suggesting the need to consider different bout lengths of OSB in future studies.
Hieronim Durski (ojciec szkolnictwa polskiego w Brazylii) i jego Elementarz dla Polskich Szkół w Brazylii w języku polskim i portugalskim
Authors: Stąpor Izabela
Published: July 2024

The available literature lacks detailed and reliable account of the origins of teaching Polish and publishing Polish schoolbooks in Brazil. Hieronim Durski’s book Elementarz... is the first and only bilingual (Polish and Portuguese) textbook written specifically for Brazilian schools. It is an extraordinary work, since it documents a language that no longer exists and attests to archaic forms both in Polish and Portuguese. The analysis of vocabulary from the textbook reveals that as early as towards the end of the 19th century many words of Portuguese origin have penetrated the Polish language in Brazil. Other interferences (semantic or syntactic) have also occurred. The study employs a contrastive method, i.e., establishing a set of contrastive features for the two bases (Polish along with it variants and the Brazilian Portuguese variant).
A Piecewise Particle Swarm Optimisation Modelling Method for Pneumatic Artificial Muscle Actuators
Authors: Brown Dexter Felix , Xie Sheng Quan
Published: July 2024

Pneumatic artificial muscles (PAMs) possess compliant properties desirable for certain applications such as prosthetics and robotic structures. However, this compliance along with their inherent nonlinear dynamics make them difficult to accurately model and as such accurately control under certain control architectures. Common approaches to this problem include measuring the actuator’s physical properties and approximating a model based on these parameters or using deep learning methods to train a model with the actuator’s behaviours. This paper introduces an optimisation-based modelling approach based on a particle swarm optimisation (PSO) algorithm using a mass–spring–damper approximation for the PAM, as well as a piecewise modelling method that accounts for nonlinear dynamics. The use of optimisation to estimate model parameters removes the need to measure physical properties, and the three-element approximation allows for fast model generation with low computational complexity and training data requirements. Through multiple tests comparing model behaviour with real PAM motion, the accuracy of these models is confirmed to be promising for future work. Dynamic nonlinearities are properly accounted for using the piecewise modelling method, including both hysteresis and disproportionate input/output relationship across the stroke length of the actuator. Compared with other PAM modelling techniques, this method has improved generation time, lower computational load requirements, and complexity and can be applied to actuators for which the phenomenological mass–spring–damper model is a good approximation.
Gen Z Employee Adaptive Performance: The Role of Inclusive Leadership and Workplace Happiness
Authors: Katsaros Kleanthis K.
Published: July 2024

By drawing on the social exchange theory, this paper suggests a mediation model to examine the role of workplace happiness (i.e., work engagement, job satisfaction, and affective organizational commitment) in the relationship between inclusive leadership and Gen Z employee adaptive performance. Data were collected from 305 Gen Z employees in the Greek telecommunications industry and their supervisors in three sequential phases. The research findings suggest that workplace happiness partially mediates the relationship between inclusive leadership and Gen Z employee adaptive performance. The results indicate that should leaders and managers manage to positively influence Gen Z employees’ work engagement and job satisfaction by employing inclusive strategies and procedures, they will increase their adaptive performance during change. Relevant suggestions are made.
Wind Tunnel Experiment and Numerical Simulation of Secondary Flow Systems on a Supersonic Wing
Authors: Zhang Sheng , Lin Zheng , Gao Zeming , Miao Shuai , Li Jun , Zeng Lifang , Pan Dingyi
Published: July 2024

Aircraft secondary flow systems are small-flow circulation devices that are used for thermal and cold management, flow control, and energy generation on aircraft. The aerodynamic characteristics of main-flow-based inlets have been widely studied, but the secondary-flow-based small inlets, jets, and blowing and suction devices have seldom been studied. Two types of secondary flow systems embedded in a supersonic aircraft wing, a ram-air intake and a submerged intake, are researched here. Firstly, wind tunnel tests under subsonic, transonic, and supersonic conditions are carried out to test the total pressure recovery and total pressure distortion. Secondly, numerical simulations are used to analyze the flow characteristics in the secondary flow systems. The numerical results are validated with experimental data. The calculating errors of the total pressure recovery on the ram-air and submerged secondary flow systems are 8% and 10%, respectively. The simulation results demonstrate that the total pressure distortion tends to grow while the total pressure recovery drops with the increasing Mach number. As the Mach number increases from 0.4 to 2, the total pressure recovery of the ram-air secondary flow system decreases by 68% and 71% for the submerged system. Moreover, the total pressure distortion of the ram-air and submerged secondary flow systems is increased by 19.7 times and 8.3 times, respectively. Thirdly, a detailed flow mechanism is studied based on the simulation method. It is found that the flow separation at the front part of the tube is induced by adverse pressure gradients, which primarily determine the total pressure recovery at the outlet. The three-dimensional vortex in the tube is mainly caused by the change in cross-sectional shape, which influences the total pressure distortion.
Experimental Parameter Identification and an Evaluation of the Impact of Tire Models on the Dynamics of Fixed-Wing Unmanned Aerial Vehicles
Authors: Eguchi Hikaru , Nakata Daisuke
Published: July 2024

Because fixed-wing unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) require high-speed taxiing for takeoff and landing, the aircraft’s stability during taxiing is critical. However, despite research on the taxiing stability of fixed-wing UAVs conducted in taxiing motion simulations employing various tire models, the applicability of the models to fixed-wing UAV taxiing simulations remains unclear, as does the rationale behind the parameter settings in the models. Therefore, in our study, we measured the forces acting on the tires of a fixed-wing UAV under various conditions, including tire loads of 1.6–3.6 kg and tire slip angles of 0–40 deg. Based on the results, we modified conventional tire models and assessed their applicability in taxiing simulations. Among our findings, the parameter values of the models significantly differed from those used in crewed aircraft taxiing simulations, and the presence or absence of load parameters in the lateral force tire models significantly affected the dynamics. Furthermore, the aerodynamics acting on the aircraft enhanced the straight-line stability during taxiing, resulting in reduced forces on the tires.
YOLOv8-RCAA: A Lightweight and High-Performance Network for Tea Leaf Disease Detection
Authors: Wang Jingyu , Li Miaomiao , Han Chen , Guo Xindong
Published: July 2024

Deploying deep convolutional neural networks on agricultural devices with limited resources is challenging due to their large number of parameters. Existing lightweight networks can alleviate this problem but suffer from low performance. To this end, we propose a novel lightweight network named YOLOv8-RCAA (YOLOv8-RepVGG-CBAM-Anchorfree-ATSS), aiming to locate and detect tea leaf diseases with high accuracy and performance. Specifically, we employ RepVGG to replace CSPDarkNet63 to enhance feature extraction capability and inference efficiency. Then, we introduce CBAM attention to FPN and PAN in the neck layer to enhance the model perception of channel and spatial features. Additionally, an anchor-based detection head is replaced by an anchor-free head to further accelerate inference. Finally, we adopt the ATSS algorithm to adapt the allocating strategy of positive and negative samples during training to further enhance performance. Extensive experiments show that our model achieves precision, recall, F1 score, and mAP of 98.23%, 85.34%, 91.33%, and 98.14%, outperforming the traditional models by 4.22~6.61%, 2.89~4.65%, 3.48~5.52%, and 4.64~8.04%, respectively. Moreover, this model has a near-real-time inference speed, which provides technical support for deploying on agriculture devices. This study can reduce labor costs associated with the detection and prevention of tea leaf diseases. Additionally, it is expected to promote the integration of rapid disease detection into agricultural machinery in the future, thereby advancing the implementation of AI in agriculture.
Solid and Liquid Fraction of Digestate as an Alternative Mineral Nitrogen Source: Two-Year Field Research in Croatia
Authors: Šatvar Vrbančić Mihaela , Petek Marko , Lazarević Boris , Jukić Željko , Meers Erik , Čoga Lepomir
Published: July 2024

This research aimed to assess the effect of applying digestate fractions and conventional mineral nitrogen (N) fertilizers on plant and soil properties, as well as potential nitrate leaching, in acidic soil over two consecutive years (2018 and 2019). The digestate fractions were obtained after the anaerobic co-digestion of maize silage and liquid cattle manure (LCM). Seven different treatments were applied to the maize crop in four replicates: unfertilized control (C), mineral fertilizer (MF), LCM, solid fraction of digestate (SFD), liquid fraction of digestate (LFD) and a mixture of SFD and LFD with MF (50% of total N from digestate fractions + 50% of total N from MF). The highest maize yields were achieved on average in 2018. Statistically, the highest dry grain yield was observed in the MF treatment (12.1 t ha−1) and in the mixtures of MF+SFD (11.0 t ha−1) and MF+LFD (11.8 t ha−1), while the lowest yield was achieved in both years in the C treatment (7.9 t ha−1). The N fertilizer replacement value was statistically highest on average in the MF treatment (100%) and in the mixtures of MF+LFD (80.5%) for both years. The experiment results could inform legal guidelines and standardize digestate application on agricultural land in Croatia and the European Union (EU).
Prediction of Feed Quantity for Wheat Combine Harvester Based on Improved YOLOv5s and Weight of Single Wheat Plant without Stubble
Authors: Zhang Qian , Chen Qingshan , Xu Wenjie , Xu Lizhang , Lu En
Published: July 2024

In complex field environments, wheat grows densely with overlapping organs and different plant weights. It is difficult to accurately predict feed quantity for wheat combine harvester using the existing YOLOv5s and uniform weight of a single wheat plant in a whole field. This paper proposes a feed quantity prediction method based on the improved YOLOv5s and weight of a single wheat plant without stubble. The improved YOLOv5s optimizes Backbone with compact bases to enhance wheat spike detection and reduce computational redundancy. The Neck incorporates a hierarchical residual module to enhance YOLOv5s’ representation of multi-scale features. The Head enhances the detection accuracy of small, dense wheat spikes in a large field of view. In addition, the height of a single wheat plant without stubble is estimated by the depth distribution of the wheat spike region and stubble height. The relationship model between the height and weight of a single wheat plant without stubble is fitted by experiments. Then, feed quantity can be predicted using the weight of a single wheat plant without stubble estimated by the relationship model and the number of wheat plants detected by the improved YOLOv5s. The proposed method was verified through experiments with the 4LZ-6A combine harvester. Compared with the existing YOLOv5s, YOLOv7, SSD, Faster R-CNN, and other enhancements in this paper, the mAP50 of wheat spikes detection by the improved YOLOv5s increased by over 6.8%. It achieved an average relative error of 4.19% with a prediction time of 1.34 s. The proposed method can accurately and rapidly predict feed quantity for wheat combine harvesters and further realize closed-loop control of intelligent harvesting operations.
Optimizing Crop Spatial Structure to Improve Water Use Efficiency and Ecological Sustainability in Inland River Basin
Authors: Wu Zihan , Zhang Sunxun , Shan Baoying , Zhang Fan , Chen Xi
Published: July 2024

Inland arid basins face the challenge of ecological deterioration due to insufficient water availability. The irrigation water consumption depletes the water flowing into the downstream tailrace ecological wetland, leading to increasing ecological deterioration. It is urgent to optimize the management of irrigation water resources in the middle reaches and improve the ecological sustainability of the lower reaches. To ensure sustainable development, improving water use efficiency and preserving the health of basin ecosystems should be simultaneously considered in the agricultural water management of these regions. Therefore, a 0–1 integer multi-objective programming approach was proposed to optimize midstream crop planting. This method has advantages in (1) effectively balancing ecological sustainability, agricultural production, and water-saving goals; (2) linking irrigation district management with grid geographic information to develop land use strategies; and (3) obtaining optimal solutions for multi-objective synergies. The proposed approach is applied to a typical inland river basin in China, the Heihe River Basin in Gansu Province. Results indicate that the optimization schemes can increase agricultural benefits, crop suitability, water use efficiency, and ecological quality by 12.37%, 6.82%, 13.00%, and 8.04% (compared to 2022), respectively, while irrigation water can be saved about 7.53%. The optimization results and proposed approach can help decision-makers manage water resources in the Heihe River Basin and similar regions.
Unveiling Nitrogen Fertilizer in Medicinal Plant Cultivation
Authors: Hao Dacheng , Luan Yuanyuan , Wang Yaoxuan , Xiao Peigen
Published: July 2024

Nitrogen fertilizer is the most frequently used fertilizer in the cultivation of medicinal plants, and has a significant contribution to their yields and quality. Yet, there is biased and excessive N application in medicinal crops. This study aims to quantitatively analyze the recommended N application concentrations for diverse medicinal species and disentangle the intricate relationships between soil fertility, N application rate (NAR), and the quality/yield of medicinal crops. We first characterized 179 medicinal species and 7 classes of phytometabolites therein, including terpenoids, flavonoids, phenylpropanoids, phenolics, alkaloids, etc., reported during the past three decades from the phylogenetic and spatial perspectives. The relationships between soil fertility, NAR, and medicinal crops were then subjected to statistical analyses. The pharmaco-phylogenetic and geographic distributions of NAR suggest that the impact of ecological/environmental factors on the N demand of medicinal plants was much greater than that of genetic endowments. We found that different medicinal species were distinct in N demand, which is related to soil fertility levels in different production areas. The NAR reported by China, 215.6 ± 18.6 kg/ha, was higher than that of other countries (152.2 ± 20.3 kg/ha; p = 0.023). Moderate N application generally increases the yield and phytometabolite content of medicinal crops, but excessive N application has the opposite effect. It is necessary to plan N concentration and formula fertilization on a case-by-case basis and with reference to empirical research. Our results provide baseline information and references for the rational application of N fertilizer in the precision agriculture of medicinal crops.
Sustainable Production of Forage Sorghum for Grain and Silage Production with Moisture-Retaining Polymers That Mitigate Water Stress
Authors: Ferreira Daniele de Jesus , Costa Neta Clotilde de Morais , Zanine Anderson de Moura , Santos Francisco Naysson de Sousa , Pereira Danillo Marte , Campos Fleming Sena , Parente Henrique Nunes , Parente Michelle de Oliveira Maia , Rodrigues Rosane Claudia , Santos Edson Mauro , de Sousa Francisca Cláudia da Silva , Alves Guilherme Ribeiro
Published: July 2024

The objective was to evaluate the agronomic and production characteristics and the quality of forage sorghum for silage production, using a moisture-retaining polymer (MRP) in the soil during the agricultural off-season. To assess the agronomic characteristics of the forage sorghum, four treatments were used, represented by the MRP hydration intervals (Control, 0, 5, and 10 days) and four replications. The qualitative characteristics of the silage were evaluated in a 4 × 2 factorial scheme, and the same MRP hydration intervals were used for the agronomic assessment, with and without the concentrate mixture at the time of ensiling, both in a randomized block design. There were differences (p < 0.05) for all morphological variables, agronomic variables, and weight constituents of forage sorghum. There was an interaction effect (p < 0.05) between the MRP hydration intervals and the concentrate mixture at the time of ensiling for gas losses, silage dry matter recovery, and ether extract. There was an effect (p < 0.05) due to the addition of the concentrate mixture at the time of ensiling for in vitro dry matter digestibility and total digestible nutrients. When using MRP at planting and the concentrate mixture at the time of forage sorghum ensiling, a hydration interval of every 5 days is recommended.
Response of the Edamame Germplasm to Early-Season Diseases in the United States
Authors: Li Xiaoying , Zaia Rafael , Liu Kathryn , Xu Xueming , Silva Marcos Da , Rojas Alejandro , Welbaum Gregory E. , Zhang Bo , Rideout Steven
Published: July 2024

Edamame (Glycine max (L.) Merr.) is a specialty soybean newly grown in the United States that has become the second most widely consumed soy food (25,000–30,000 tons annually). Poor crop establishment caused by soilborne diseases is a major problem limiting edamame production in the U.S. This study investigated 24 edamame cultivars/lines to determine their response to three soilborne pathogens causing seed rot and seedling damping off, including Rhizoctonia solani, Sclerotium rolfsii, Pythium irregulare, and Xanthomonas campestris pv. glycines, a seedborne pathogen that caused severe outbreaks of bacterial leaf pustules in mid-Atlantic regions in 2021. The hypothesis was that resistant variations existed among the genotypes, which could be used for production and future breeding efforts. The results reveal that all genotypes were affected, but partially resistant varieties could be clearly recognized by a significantly lower disease index (p < 0.05), and no genotype was resistant to all four diseases. Newly developed breeding lines showed overall higher disease resistance than commercial cultivars, particularly to R. solani and P. irregulare. This study found genetic variability in edamame, which can be helpful in breeding for resistance or tolerance to early-season diseases. The result will promote domestic edamame production and further strengthen and diversify agricultural economies in the U.S.
Diversity of Common Bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) and Runner Bean (Phaseolus coccineus L.) Landraces in Rural Communities in the Andes Highlands of Cotacachi—Ecuador
Authors: Romero-Astudillo María José , Tapia César , Giménez de Azcárate Joaquín , Montalvo Diego
Published: July 2024

Phaseolus species are cultivated worldwide as a primary food source for human consumption. Common bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) and runner bean (Phaseolus coccineus L.) landraces are often cultivated together. The purpose was to document the traditional knowledge held by farmers regarding bean landraces, to describe the diversity through seed morphological descriptors (five quantitative and five qualitative traits), to understand the geographic distribution using Moran’s I statistic, and to analyze the diversity through the Shannon–Wiener Diversity–Equity (H′) index and the Shannon J’ homogeneity index at the community level to better understand the richness of this geographic area. A total of 361 common and runner bean accessions were collected in 10 Andean rural communities of Cotacachi, North Ecuador. We identified 47 landraces, predominantly kept by indigenous female farmers, with limited access to formal education, highlighting the role of this disadvantaged population in agrobiodiversity conservation. The cluster analysis revealed three groups (cophenetic correlation coefficient = 0.6). In the principal component (PC) analysis, 94% of the variation was explained by PC1 and PC2. A positive spatial autocorrelation (Moran’s I: 0.24; z-score: 2.20; p-value: 0.03) was identified, confirming a spatial structure. The Morochos community showed the highest diversity (H′ = 1.55). The information of the diversity and distribution of common and runner bean variability provided in this study is a contribution to further research focused on conservation.
Research on Weed Reverse Detection Methods Based on Improved You Only Look Once (YOLO) v8: Preliminary Results
Authors: Liu Hui , Hou Yushuo , Zhang Jicheng , Zheng Ping , Hou Shouyin
Published: July 2024

The rapid and accurate detection of weeds is the prerequisite and foundation for precision weeding, automation, and intelligent field operations. Due to the wide variety of weeds in the field and their significant morphological differences, most existing detection methods can only recognize major crops and weeds, with a pressing need to enhance accuracy. This study introduces a novel weed detection approach that integrates the GFPN (Green Feature Pyramid Network), Slide Loss, and multi-SEAM (Spatial and Enhancement Attention Modules) to enhance accuracy and improve efficiency. This approach recognizes crop seedlings utilizing an improved YOLO v8 algorithm, followed by the reverse detection of weeds through graphics processing technology. The experimental results demonstrated that the improved YOLO v8 model achieved remarkable performance, with an accuracy of 92.9%, a recall rate of 87.0%, and an F1 score of 90%. The detection speed was approximately 22.47 ms per image. And when shooting from a height ranging from 80 cm to 100 cm in the field test, the crop detection effect was the best. This reverse weed detection method addresses the challenges posed by weed diversity and complexities in image recognition modeling, thereby contributing to the enhancement of automated and intelligent weeding efficiency and quality. It also provides valuable technical support for precision weeding in farmland operations.
Rabies in the Endemic Region of Algeria: Knowledge, Attitude and Practice (KAP) Survey among University Students
Authors: Lounis Mohamed , Zarif Mousab , Zeroug Zoubida , Brahimi Salma Soulaf Ferial , Meddour Zineb
Published: July 2024

(1) Background: Rabies is a neglected zoonosis considered to be one of the most significant health threats in the world, responsible of thousands of deaths globally. Algeria is one of the main countries of concern, with more than 15 deaths and more than 100,000 bites by rabid-suspected animals being reported annually. This study was conducted to evaluate the level of knowledge, attitudes and practice (KAP) toward this disease among university students in the endemic region of Algeria. (2) Methods: a cross-sectional online survey was conducted between June 2023 and March 2024 using a self administered questionnaire. (3) Results: a total of 409 students completed the questionnaire. Overall, 91.2% of them were singles, 70.7% were females, and two-thirds (66%) were between their twenties and thirties in regard to age. The majority were studying for Bachelor’s degrees, and the most represented fields of study were Humanities (31.5%) and Natural and Life Sciences (29.1%).The findings revealed a moderate level of knowledge (63% of correct responses), a positive attitude, and appropriate practices. However, the surveyed students have certain gaps in their information regarding disease transmission, its risk factors, and its clinical signs. In addition, some of them have also shown some negative attitudes, including approving of the systematic killing of a dog who bites someone regardless of its vaccine status (59.2%), and inappropriate practices, especially in regard to unawareness of the importance of early washing of bite wounds, which was reported among 64.5% of the surveyed students. The study also revealed the association of health sciences education with knowledge (AOR: 2.723, CI 95%: 1.317–5.634), attitude (AOR: 2.306, CI 95%: 1.113–4.779) and practice (AOR: 3.560, CI 95%: 1.632–7.769), and the effect of the high level of knowledge on the attitude of surveyed students (AOR: 1.607, CI 95%: 1.052–2.456). (4) Conclusion: These results provide the first report regarding rabies KAP among Algerian university students. Based on these results, the health deciders could adopt their preventive strategy by raising awareness of the less-informed categories, which would consequently affect their behaviors regarding this fatal disease.
Effect of Density and Lineage on Dorsal Surface Temperature, Performance, and Carcass Condemnation of Broiler Grillers
Authors: Marins Iara Cristina , Giacomelli Bruno , Correia Bruna , Olsson Débora Cristina , Moreira Fabiana , de Oliveira Júnior Juahil Martins , Bianchi Ivan , Schwegler Elizabeth , Tanure Candice Bergmann , Quirino Monike , Paim Tiago do Prado , Fonseca Natalia Nogueira , Santos Betina Raquel Cunha dos , Peripolli Vanessa
Published: July 2024

The aims of this study were (i) to evaluate the effect of density, lineage, age, and time of day on dorsal surface temperature and (ii) to evaluate the effect of density and lineage on performance and carcass condemnations in broiler grillers. The evaluations were carried out in barns with the Dark House system, with two densities, 17 and 19 chickens/m2 and two lineages, Cobb and Ross. The dorsal surface temperature of the chickens was measured by infrared thermography at 7, 14, 21, 23, 25 and 27 days of age, four times a day. The average daily weight gain, feed conversion, mortality, partial carcass condemnations, as well as those due to arthritis and dermatosis were also evaluated. The highest dorsal surface temperatures were observed in Cobbs housed at a density of 17 chickens/m2, and in Ross housed at a density of 19 chickens/m2. Cobbs housed at a 17 chickens/m2 density showed the lowest feed conversion compared to Ross at the same density. Ross showed higher dorsal surface temperatures when compared to Cobbs at 14, 21, and 27 days. Cobbs showed higher percentages of partial carcass condemnation and arthritis compared to Ross. The higher density of broiler grillers in the Dark House system does not influence the dorsal surface temperature, performance, dermatosis, arthritis, and partial carcass condemnations.
Effects of Incubation Light on Behaviour, Growth Performance, Blood Parameters, and Digestive Enzymes in Post-Hatch Layer Chicks
Authors: Yin Peng , Wei Siqi , Tong Qin , Li Baoming , Zheng Weichao , Xue Xiaoliu , Shi Chenxin
Published: July 2024

Manipulation of light during incubation may have an effect on post-hatch chicks through the role of prenatal stage. The effects of providing different wavelengths of light (white, blue, and green lights, dark as control) during incubation on the growth performance, organ development, immune response, stress related hormones, digestive enzymes and behaviour of post-hatch chicks were investigated for 1–42 days. A total of 60 chicks per light treatment in three batches were used in this study. The results showed that the percentage of chicks accessing to feed and water resources appeared not to be affected by incubation light. Chicks hatched under white light were found to have a growth advantage (p < 0.05). The weight of organs (except thymus), IgA, IgY, IgM and heterophil to lymphocyte (H/L) ratio for post-hatch chicks were not affected by incubation light (p > 0.05). Thymus weight was reduced in chicks incubated under blue light compared to dark incubation (p < 0.05). The jejunum amylase and ileum lipase activities were significantly affected by the light treatments (p < 0.01). All light incubation chicks had stable plasma corticosterone levels and may have better ability to cope with environmental changes. Hence, white light photoperiod incubation may have potential to improve post-hatch chicks’ growth performance and environmental adaptability.