bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Genetic identification of tissues and cell types underlying attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder
Authors: Wei Wen-Qiong , Sun Hong , Chen Ya-Juan , Liu Xiao-Wen , Zhou Rui , Li Yi , Liu Xin-Wen
Published: August 2022

Background

Genome-wide association studies (GWASs) have identified numerous genetic variants associated with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), which is considered highly genetically heritable. However, because most of the variants located in the non-coding region of the human genome, the onset of ADHD requires further exploration.

Methods

The risk genes involved in ADHD were identified by integrating GWAS summary data and expression quantitative trait locus (eQTL) data using summary-data-based Mendelian randomization (SMR) method. We then used a stratified linkage disequilibrium score regression (LDSR) method to estimate the contribution of ADHD-relevant tissues to its heritability to screen out disease-relevant tissues. To determine the ADHD-relevant cell types, we used an R package for expression-weighted cell type enrichment (EWCE) analysis.

Results

By integrating the brain eQTL data and ADHD GWAS data using SMR, we identified 247 genes associated with ADHD. The LDSR applied to specifically expressed genes results showed that the ADHD risk genes were mainly enriched in brain tissue, especially in the mesencephalon, visual cortex, and frontal lobe regions. Further cell-type-specific analysis suggested that ADHD risk genes were highly expressed in excitatory neurons.

Conclusion

The study showed that the etiology of ADHD is associated with excitatory neurons in the midbrain, visual cortex, and frontal lobe regions.
The effectiveness of COVID-19 vaccines in reducing the incidence, hospitalization, and mortality from COVID-19: A systematic review and meta-analysis
Authors: Rahmani Kazem , Shavaleh Rasoul , Forouhi Mahtab , Disfani Hamideh Feiz , Kamandi Mostafa , Oskooi Rozita Khatamian , Foogerdi Molood , Soltani Moslem , Rahchamani Maryam , Mohaddespour Mohammad , Dianatinasab Mostafa
Published: August 2022

Background

Vaccination, one of the most important and effective ways of preventing infectious diseases, has recently been used to control the COVID-19 pandemic. The present meta-analysis study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of COVID-19 vaccines in reducing the incidence, hospitalization, and mortality from COVID-19.

Methods

A systematic search was performed independently in Scopus, PubMed via Medline, ProQuest, and Google Scholar electronic databases as well as preprint servers using the keywords under study. We used random-effect models and the heterogeneity of the studies was assessed using I2 and χ2 statistics. In addition, the Pooled Vaccine Effectiveness (PVE) obtained from the studies was calculated by converting based on the type of outcome.

Results

A total of 54 studies were included in this meta-analysis. The PVE against SARS-COV 2 infection were 71% [odds ratio (OR) = 0.29, 95% confidence intervals (CI): 0.23–0.36] in the first dose and 87% (OR = 0.13, 95% CI: 0.08–0.21) in the second dose. The PVE for preventing hospitalization due to COVID-19 infection was 73% (OR = 0.27, 95% CI: 0.18–0.41) in the first dose and 89% (OR = 0.11, 95% CI: 0.07–0.17) in the second dose. With regard to the type of vaccine, mRNA-1273 and combined studies in the first dose and ChAdOx1 and mRNA-1273 in the second dose had the highest effectiveness in preventing infection. Regarding the COVID-19-related mortality, PVE was 68% (HR = 0.32, 95% CI: 0.23–0.45) in the first dose and 92% (HR = 0.08, 95% CI: 0.02–0.29) in the second dose.

Conclusion

The results of this meta-analysis indicated that vaccination against COVID-19 with BNT162b2 mRNA, mRNA-1273, and ChAdOx1, and also their combination, was associated with a favorable effectiveness against SARS-CoV2 incidence rate, hospitalization, and mortality rate in the first and second doses in different populations. We suggest that to prevent the severe form of the disease in the future, and, in particular, in the coming epidemic picks, vaccination could be the best strategy to prevent the severe form of the disease.

Systematic review registration

PROSPERO International Prospective Register of Systematic Reviews: http://www.crd.york.ac.uk/PROSPERO/, identifier [CRD42021289937].
Housing safety and health academic and public opinion mining from 1945 to 2021: PRISMA, cluster analysis, and natural language processing approaches
Authors: Li Na , Li Rita Yi Man , Yao Qi , Song Lingxi , Deeprasert Jirawan
Published: August 2022

Housing safety and health problems threaten owners' and occupiers' safety and health. Nevertheless, there is no systematic review on this topic to the best of our knowledge. This study compared the academic and public opinions on housing safety and health and reviewed 982 research articles and 3,173 author works on housing safety and health published in the Web of Science Core Collection. PRISMA was used to filter the data, and natural language processing (NLP) was used to analyze emotions of the abstracts. Only 16 housing safety and health articles existed worldwide before 1998 but increased afterward. U.S. scholars published most research articles (30.76%). All top 10 most productive countries were developed countries, except China, which ranked second (16.01%). Only 25.9% of institutions have inter-institutional cooperation, and collaborators from the same institution produce most work. This study found that most abstracts were positive (n = 521), but abstracts with negative emotions attracted more citations. Despite many industries moving toward AI, housing safety and health research are exceptions as per articles published and Tweets. On the other hand, this study reviewed 8,257 Tweets to compare the focus of the public to academia. There were substantially more housing/residential safety (n = 8198) Tweets than housing health Tweets (n = 59), which is the opposite of academic research. Most Tweets about housing/residential safety were from the United Kingdom or Canada, while housing health hazards were from India. The main concern about housing safety per Twitter includes finance, people, and threats to housing safety. By contrast, people mainly concerned about costs of housing health issues, COVID, and air quality. In addition, most housing safety Tweets were neutral but positive dominated residential safety and health Tweets.
An overview of public health education in South Asia: Challenges and opportunities
Authors: Anitha Chandanadur Thippaiah , Akter Konok , Mahadev Kalyankar
Published: August 2022

Over the past two decades, there has been an increased demand for Public Health Education (PHE) in South Asia. While this region has a large number of Public Health (PH) institutions, the quality of PHE has not been aligned with the core PH competencies. In this article, we present an overview of Master of Public Health (MPH) programs across South Asian countries. An extensive systematic search on various web search engines regarding PH course offerings was conducted, including specific institute and educational websites. By 2021, more than 180 institutions in South Asia provided an MPH degree. Most of these institutions/universities were found in India, Pakistan, and Bangladesh, and a few among these institutions were established as independent Schools of Public Health (SPH), separate from medical colleges, and had a multidisciplinary faculty. But, dedicated training facilities in the specialized field of public health were not found in most of these institutions. Generally, a well-defined MPH curriculum is not currently available except in India where the University Grants Commission (UGC) guideline for a model MPH curriculum has been proposed by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare. The entry criteria for an MPH degree in India is accepting students in multidisciplinary fields, while in other South Asian countries this is primarily restricted to medical/paramedical students with a basic understanding of preventive medicine. The aim of this review was to document the current and future PHE opportunities and challenges in South Asia.
How the alcohol industry fought against pregnancy warning labels in France. A press coverage analysis spanning 20 years
Authors: Millot Ana , Serra Martina , Gallopel-Morvan Karine
Published: August 2022

Background

Drinking alcohol while pregnant is dangerous for health. To inform on this issue, various countries have adopted pregnancy warning labels on alcoholic beverages, including France since 2007, where wine holds deep cultural consonance. The aim of this research was to analyze the arguments put forward by the alcohol industry (producers, distributors, wholesalers, allied industries, trade associations, social aspects and public relations organizations, councilors who publicly defend wine-sector interests) via the press in France: (1) in 2007 when pregnancy warnings were first implemented, and (2) in 2018 when larger pregnancy warnings to increase visibility were proposed but not adopted.

Methods

We used documentary method to analyze the arguments advanced by the alcohol industry in mainstream (national, regional and specialized) press in France from 2000 to 2020, using the Europresse documentary database. Quantitative analysis (number and trend curve of articles, mapping alcohol-industry actors who spoke in the press) and inductive thematic content analysis (analytical framework of the arguments identified) using NVivo software were carried out.

Results

We found a total of 559 relevant press articles in the database, of which 85 were included in the analysis. Peaks in number of publications were found to coincide with the warning label implementation and with the expansion-project schedule. A large majority of the arguments promoted by the alcohol industry contested the pregnancy warnings measure (very few were in favor). They argued that (1) pregnancy warnings were a questionable measure (e.g., ineffective, or the pictogram clearly links alcohol to mortality), (2) pregnancy warnings would have counterproductive effects (on women and the wider economy), (3) better alternatives exist (e.g., targeted prevention programs, prevention by health professionals). A large majority of the actors who spoke in the press came from the winegrowing sector.

Conclusion

This study fills a gap in the Anglosphere research on lobbying against alcohol warnings by analyzing lobbyists' arguments over a 20-year period covering both failed and successful industry lobbying. New findings have emerged that are likely related to the wine-oriented culture of France. In order to counter the alcohol lobbying practices we conclude with a number of public health recommendations.
Double jeopardy: How lower levels of support during COVID-19 exacerbated the relationship between loneliness and distress
Authors: Bentley Sarah V. , Young Tarli , Álvarez Belén , Jetten Jolanda , Haslam Catherine , Cruwys Tegan , Casara Bruno Gabriel Salvador , Crimston Charlie R. , Dare Michael , Ionescu Octavia , Krug Henning , Selvanathan Hema Preya , Tanjitpiyanond Porntida , Steffens Niklas K. , Wang Zhechen , Wibisono Susilo
Published: August 2022

While the relationship between loneliness and psychological distress is well documented, the mechanisms underlying this relationship are less clear. One factor known to be related to loneliness as well as psychological distress, is social support, with some studies suggesting that support–both received and provided–can serve as a mechanism to reduce the distress associated with loneliness. In this paper we examine the mediating role of both aspects of support in the relationship between loneliness and psychological distress in the COVID-19 context. We used a multi-country dataset collected at two timepoints during the pandemic; the first during the early stages (N= 6,842, 11 countries) and the second collected for a subset of countries (N= 1,299, 3 countries) 3 months later. Across all eleven countries, results revealed significant positive associations between loneliness and distress. Furthermore, using longitudinal data, we investigated the directionality of this relationship and found that increased loneliness over time was associated with increased psychological distress. The data also showed that both feeling unsupported and feeling unable to provide support to others mediated this relationship. These findings point to the need to facilitate people's ability to draw effective social support and help others–particularly at times when social connectedness is threatened–as a way of alleviating the psychological distress that commonly presents with loneliness.
The relationship between real-life social support and Internet addiction among the elderly in China
Authors: Jia Yu , Liu Tianyuan , Yang Yang
Published: August 2022

Internet addiction among the elderly is a novel issue in many countries. However, extant research about excessive use of the Internet is focusing on adolescents and younger adults. There are few studies to explore the topic of the elderly's Internet addiction. The purpose of this study is to investigate the relationship between real-life social support and Internet addiction among older adults during the COVID-19 pandemic. This article adopted a self-reported questionnaire via internet links to collect data. A total of 303 valid samples about Internet addiction for the elderly were obtained in China. The results suggested that real-life social support is significantly and negatively related to Internet addiction among the aged. Moreover, the findings revealed that real-life social support could mitigate Internet addiction by increasing the levels of hopefulness and decreasing the feeling of loneliness. We expect that this study can enrich the understanding of the problematic Internet usage within older populations. Finally, the contributions, practical significance, and limitations of this study were discussed.
Toward Civic Co-production: Using Worldbuilding to Go Beyond Participation in Urban Planning and Enact More Equitable Cities
Authors: Hoffman Johanna
Published: August 2022

Even as calls for more participatory urban planning have grown over the past half century, achieving meaningful and effective participation remains elusive. While disciplines beyond urban development are experimenting with narrative-driven engagement toolsets to cultivate greater degrees of public investment and collaborative capacity, less exploration on the power of such tools has been conducted in urban development circles. Toward the objective of reconciling the challenges of community engagement with the growing uncertainties and inequalities of contemporary cities, this paper explores the value of aiming beyond participatory planning toward co-production, and assesses the role of worldbuilding, a design approach with origins in fiction, in doing so. Specifically, the worldbuilding methods implemented in a project to envision dense urban environments in 2070 is positioned within growing calls for urban development to move toward co-production. The paper contributes to the wider discourse on tactics for collaboratively envisioning and enacting more equitable cities.
Fifty years of nightly global low-light imaging satellite observations
Authors: Elvidge Christopher D. , Baugh Kimberly , Ghosh Tilottama , Zhizhin Mikhail , Hsu Feng Chi , Sparks Tamara , Bazilian Morgan , Sutton Paul C. , Houngbedji Kenneth , Goldblatt Ran
Published: August 2022

The history of satellite remote sensing of nighttime lights traces it is roots back the U.S. Air Force Defense Meteorological Satellite Program (DMSP) which began flying polar orbiting satellites with cloud imaging sensors in the 1970’s. The meteorologists found that they could improve weather predictions with visible and thermal band imagery. The visible band channels on early DMSP satellites worked well in the daytime—but were unable to see clouds at nights. Visible band low light imaging was added in the mid-1970’s using photomultiplier tubes to amplify the signal, enabling the detection of moonlit clouds. In 1992, NOAA established a digital archive for DMSP data at the National Geophysical Data Center in Boulder, Colorado. The Earth Observation Group (EOG) was formed in 1994 and dedicated it is efforts to making global nighttime light data products for uses by the science and policy communities. Many of the shortcomings of DMSP data were addressed with the NASA/NOAA Visible Infrared Imaging Radiometer Suite (VIIRS) day/night band (DNB), which opened a new era in nighttime light studies. In total, EOG has produced 65 annual global nighttime light products and over 650 monthly products.
The cultural practice of decluttering as household work and its potentials for sustainable consumption
Authors: Muster Viola , Iran Samira , Münsch Marlene
Published: August 2022

Popular literature and guidebooks on minimalism and decluttering have brought the idea of “less is more” into the mainstream. Although decluttering constitutes a central household chore in consumer societies, it is rarely communicated as work within the current popular minimalism discourse, but rather as an expression of self-care. Whether and to what extent this “lifestyle minimalism” can contribute to sustainable consumption has – with a few exceptions – not yet been studied in detail. In this article, decluttering is first conceptualized in between housework and self-care. Based on this work, potentials and limits for the promotion of sustainable consumption are outlined. Finally, initial insights from an ongoing citizen science project on decluttering in Germany are presented. The qualitative results from two workshops and two reflection exercises show that the main motivation for participants is the dissatisfaction with their multitude of possessions and the desire for fewer material possessions in the future. The decision to declutter can be understood as a window of opportunity in which individuals are willing to reflect on and realign their possessions and desires for goods. Thus, we argue that decluttering can be a relevant starting point for changing consumption behavior toward (more) sustainable consumption. At the same time, it remains unclear whether and to what extent the participants' willingness to change regarding possessions and consumption actually leads to more sustainable consumption behavior after decluttering. It is even conceivable that the newly gained space will stimulate additional consumption. Decluttering would then rather function as a catalyst for further consumption (and would have no or rather a negative contribution to sustainability goals). Further research is needed to shed light on this.
Novel application of microdissection tungsten needle in total thyroidectomy with central neck dissection for papillary thyroid carcinoma
Authors: Zheng Weijie , Zhu Shan , Zhang Yimin , Wang Zhong , Liao Shichong , Sun Shengrong
Published: August 2022

Background

Energy-based devices (EBD) have been popularized in thyroidectomy worldwide. Microdissection tungsten needle (MDTN) is characterized by the ultra-sharp tip providing safe and meticulous dissection with effective hemostasis. However, little study has applied MDTN in thyroidectomy.

Methods

This retrospective study compared clinical data of the patients who underwent total thyroidectomy (TT) with central neck dissection (CND) using MDTN, harmonic scalpel (HS), and conventional electrocautery (CE). We assessed outcomes related to surgical efficacy and safety. The injury degree of tissue was assessed by biochemical indicators and early-stage inflammatory factors in the drainage fluid. Histological sections of the thyroid specimens were evaluated to compare levels of thermal damage by the three EBD.

Results

There was a significant decrease in the intraoperative blood loss, operation time and 24-hour drainage volume in the MDTN group compared to the CE group. The total drainage volume, duration of drainage, and average length of stay of the MDTN group were less compared to the CE group though they did not reach statistical significance. No disparity was observed between the MDTN group and HS group in these variables. Total costs were not significantly different among these groups. The incidence of recurrent laryngeal nerve (RLN) injury was the lowest using MDTN compared to the CE (P = 0.034) and HS (not significant). No statistical differences were observed among these groups regarding postoperative wound pain and infection, hypoparathyroidism, and postoperative hemorrhage. Analysis of biochemical indicators showed a lower level of hemoglobin in the MDTN and HS group than the CE group (P = 0.046 and 0.038, respectively) and less triglyceride in the HS group than the MDTN and CE group (P = 0.002 and 0.029, respectively) but no significant difference in cholesterol level in these groups. Early-stage inflammatory factors including TNF-α and IL-6 showed significantly higher concentration in the CE group than the MDTN and HS group. Histological sections of thyroid specimens revealed that MDTN caused the lowest degree of thermal damage followed by HS then CE.

Conclusion

MDTN exhibited comparable surgical efficacy and safety outcomes as HS in thyroidectomy. Therefore, MDTN is a safe and viable alternative for hemostasis in thyroidectomy.
Current intraoperative storage and handling practices of autologous bypass conduit: A survey of the royal australasian college of surgeons
Authors: Haymet AB , Pinto N , Peden S , Cohen T , Vallely MP , McGiffin D , Naidoo R , Jenkins J , Suen JY , Fraser JF
Published: August 2022

During bypass surgery for peripheral arterial occlusive disease and ischaemic heart disease, autologous graft conduit including great saphenous veins and radial arteries are frequently stored in solution. Endothelial damage adversely affects the performance and patency of autologous bypass grafts, and intraoperative graft storage solutions have been shown to influence this process. The distribution of storage solutions currently used amongst Cardiothoracic and Vascular Surgeons from Australia and New Zealand is not well defined in the literature. The aim of this study was to determine current practices regarding autologous graft storage and handling amongst this cohort of surgeons, and discuss their potential relevance in the context of early graft failure. From this survey, the most frequently used storage solutions were heparinized saline for great saphenous veins, and pH-buffered solutions for radial arteries. Duration of storage was 30–45 min for almost half of respondents, although responses to this question were limited. Further research is required to investigate whether ischaemic endothelial injury generates a prothrombotic state, whether different storage media can alter this state, and whether this is directly associated with clinical outcomes of interest such as early graft failure.
Parturition and postpartum dietary change altered ruminal pH and the predicted functions of rumen bacterial communities but did not alter the bacterial composition in Holstein cows
Authors: Kim Yo-Han , Kimura Atsushi , Sugino Toshihisa , Sato Shigeru
Published: August 2022

We investigated the temporal dynamics of ruminal pH and the composition and predicted functions of the rumen bacterial community in Holstein cows during the periparturient period. Eight multiparous Holstein cows (body weight; 707.4 ± 29.9 kg, parity; 3.6 ± 0.6) were used for continuous reticulo-ruminal pH measurement, among which five were also used for bacterial community analysis. Rumen fluid samples were collected at 3 weeks before and 2 and 6 weeks after parturition, and blood samples were collected 3 weeks before and 0, 2, 4, and 6 weeks after parturition. After the parturition, reduction in the 1-h mean reticulo-ruminal pH was associated with a significant (P< 0.05) increase in total volatile fatty acid concentration. However, with the exception of a significant change in an unclassified genus ofPrevotellaceae(P< 0.05), we detected no significant changes in the compositions of major bacterial phyla or genera or diversity indices during the periparturient period. On the basis of predicted functional analysis, we identified a total of 53 MetaCyc pathways (45 upregulated), 200 enzyme commissions (184 upregulated), and 714 Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes orthologs (667 upregulated) at 6 weeks postpartum that were significantly (P< 0.05) different to those at 3 weeks prepartum. Among the 14 MetaCyc pathways (P< 0.05) in which pyruvate is an end product, PWY-3661 [log2-fold change (FC) = 5.49, false discovery rate (FDR) correctedP< 0.001] was the most highly upregulated pyruvate-producing pathway. In addition, P381-PWY [adenosylcobalamin biosynthesis II (aerobic); FC = 5.48, FDR correctedP< 0.001] was the second most upregulated adenosylcobalamin (Vitamin B12)-producing pathway. In contrast, PWY-2221 (FC = −4.54, FDR correctedP= 0.003), predominantly found in pectinolytic bacteria, was the most downregulated pathway. Our findings indicate that changes in rumen bacterial community structure are not strictly associated with transitions in parturition or diet; however, we did observe changes in reticulo-ruminal pH and the metabolic adaptation of predicted functional pathways. Consequently, predictive analysis of postpartum functional pathways may enable us to gain insights into the underlying functional adaptations of bacterial communities in Holstein cows during the periparturient period.
Religious Conspiracy Theories About the COVID-19 Pandemic Are Associated With Negative Mental Health
Authors: Kosarkova Alice , Malinakova Klara , Novak Lukas , Van Dijk Jitse P. , Tavel Peter
Published: August 2022

Objectives:Together with the COVID-19 pandemic, conspiracy theories have begun to spread. Evidence is lacking for religious conspiracy theories (RCT) related to COVID-19 in a non-religious environment. This study aimed to assess links between religiosity and spirituality (R/S) and RCT about COVID-19, and to examine their associations with mental health.

Methods:A sample of Czech adults (n= 1,273, mean age = 47.5, SD = 16.4; 51.5% male) participated in the survey. We measured R/S, RCT, negative religious coping (NRC), feelings impairment and mental health symptoms.

Results:We found R/S were significantly associated with RCT with β 0.71 (95% confidence interval [CI] 0.59–0.82) for the strongest association. Moreover, RCT and NRC were strongly associated with paranoia, anxiety and depression. The most frequent association was found for NRC and paranoid ideation, with β of 0.35 (95% CI 0.26–0.44).

Conclusion:Our findings showed associations between religiosity/spirituality and beliefs in religious conspiracy theories about COVID-19. Moreover, these RCT and negative religious coping were linked to higher possibility of mental health problems. Understanding these associations may help prevent this negative impact and contribute to the effectiveness of psychotherapeutic help.
Can Intersectoral Interventions Reduce Substance Use in Adolescence? Evidence From a Multicentre Randomized Controlled Study
Authors: Valente de Almeida Sara , Correa Rafael , Gonçalves Judite
Published: August 2022

Objectives: We measure the impacts of an intersectoral intervention tackling adolescent substance use implemented between 2017 and 2019 in a tri-border region of Brazil, Paraguay, and Argentina.

Methods: The intervention involved 23 institutions from different sectors and 880 adolescents, equally split between randomly selected treatment and control classes across institutions. Treatment group students were involved in the co-development of activities to tackle substance use within their institutions. Both treatment and control group students benefited from the activities developed and implemented from the second year of the intervention. We use difference-in-differences models to measure the impacts of participation in the co-development of the activities on alcohol, tobacco, and cannabis consumption.

Results: Adolescents involved in the co-development of activities are 8 pp less likely to consume tobacco and cannabis, and 13 pp less likely to consume alcohol (p<0.01), compared to those who only participate in the activities. Among cannabis users, frequent consumption is also reduced by the intervention. Peer frequency of consumption is strongly associated with individual consumption.

Conclusion: Co-development of activities by the subjects themselves can be key to decreasing substance use in this very crucial stage of life, especially if the institutions and the implementers are familiar with the area and subjects of the intervention.
State and Order of Service Orientation Knowledge in Hospitality and Tourism Research: Systematic Literature Review
Authors: Ásgeirsson Magnús Haukur , Gudlaugsson Thorhallur , Jóhannesson Gunnar Thór
Published: August 2022

This article offers a systematic review of research trends and methodology, with a focus on the state and order of knowledge regarding service orientation in hospitality and tourism research. A search algorithm was created through Web of Science and Scopus using search words related to service orientation and criteria regarding hospitality and tourism, yielding 154 articles. Duplicates and articles that did not focus on hospitality and tourism or did not have service orientation as their focus were removed, leaving 50 articles that were reviewed thoroughly and are the bases of the results. The review’s main findings are that discussion of service orientation seems to be selective in categorizations and bound mostly to employee hospitableness, therefore leaving out organizational culture, strategy, and process. There is, however, evidence in recent literature that scholars are taking a more holistic view of the phenomena. Most articles contribute to knowledge-building through the third order of knowledge, leaving little room to define concepts or gather mutual understandings through empirical data. Based on our findings, we recommend conscious and continuous building of tools and methods that will contribute to a more in-depth and holistic understanding and measurement of service orientation in hospitality and tourism.
Prediction Model for Tea Polyphenol Content with Deep Features Extracted Using 1D and 2D Convolutional Neural Network
Authors: Luo Na , Li Yunlong , Yang Baohua , Liu Biyun , Dai Qianying
Published: August 2022

The content of tea polyphenols (TP) is one of the important indicators for judging the quality of tea. Accurate and non-destructive estimation technology for tea polyphenol content has attracted more and more attention, which has become a key technology for tea production, quality identification, grading and so on. Hyperspectral imaging technology is a fusion of spectral analysis and image processing technology, which has been proven to be an efficient technology for predicting tea polyphenol content. To make full use of spectral and spatial features, a prediction model of tea polyphenols based on spectral-spatial deep features extracted using convolutional neural network (CNN) was proposed, which not only broke the limitations of traditional shallow features, but also innovated the technical path of integrated deep learning in non-destructive detection for tea. Firstly, one-dimensional convolutional neural network (1D-CNN) and two-dimensional convolutional neural network (2D-CNN) models were constructed to extract the spectral deep features and spatial deep features of tea hyperspectral images, respectively. Secondly, spectral deep features, spatial deep features, and spectral-spatial deep features are used as input variables of machine learning models, including Partial Least Squares Regression (PLSR), Support Vector Regression (SVR) and Random Forest (RF). Finally, the training, testing and evaluation were realized using the self-built hyperspectral dataset of green tea from different grades and different manufacturers. The results showed that the model based on spectral-spatial deep features had the best prediction performance among the three machine learning models (R2 = 0.949, MAE = 0.533 for training sets, R2 = 0.938, MAE = 0.799 for test sets). Moreover, the visualization of estimation results of tea polyphenol content further demonstrated that the model proposed in this study had strong estimation ability. Therefore, the deep features extracted using CNN can provide new ideas for estimation of the main components of tea, which will provide technical support for the estimation tea quality estimation.
Proleptic and Sylleptic Shoot Formation Is Affected by Rootstock Genotype in Two-Year-Old Branches of Almond Trees
Authors: Montesinos Álvaro , Grimplet Jérôme , Rubio-Cabetas María José
Published: August 2022

The implementation of new planting systems in almond (Prunus amygdalus (L.) Batsch, syn P. dulcis (Mill.)) orchards for more sustainable practices has made tree architecture increasingly relevant as an important selection trait in plant breeding. Multiple features define the three-dimensional structure of the tree, with shoot production being the most important. Shoots can develop after a period of rest (proleptic shoots) or immediately (sylleptic shoots), at the same time as the extension of the parent shoot. Scion/rootstock interactions may change the proportion of proleptic and sylleptic shoots and thus alter tree architecture. To study this effect, we analyzed shoot formation on three almond scion cultivars grafted onto five interspecific hybrid rootstocks. The type of shoot (proleptic or sylleptic) and internode number per shoot were collected for two-year-old branches on three-year-old unpruned trees. We found that rootstock genotypes can alter the pattern of shoot production, especially the number of sylleptic shoots formed. More information on the molecular response is needed to comprehend the biological processes behind these differential phenotypes, which appear to be modulated by both apical dominance and apical control.
Pollen: A Potential Explant for Genetic Transformation in Wheat (Triticum aestivum L.)
Authors: Kanwal Mehwish , Gogoi Neelam , Jones Brian , Bariana Harbans , Bansal Urmil , Ahmad Nabil
Published: August 2022

The use of biotechnology for the genetic improvement of wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) has been hampered by its recalcitrance to standard transformation and regeneration protocols. Male gametes present a potentially useful option for introducing gene edits via clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats (CRISPR). However, the utility of male gametes for introducing genetic improvements would be dependent on the retention of viability after treatment to introduce the CRISPR components. We have studied wheat pollen morphology and its viability in a range of germination media to identify conditions that optimize the viability of in vitro hydrated pollen. The size, shape, and aperture from seven different wheat genotypes were compared using scanning electron microscope (SEM). The SEM results revealed that the pollen of all of the wheat genotypes examined in this study were monoporate; however, a significant variation in the size of the mature pollen grains was observed. The hydrated pollen of the wheat genotypes remained viable for up to five hours at 20 ± 2 °C. Of all of the germination media tested, the medium containing 5% sucrose, 10% PEG4000, 100 mg/L boric acid, 200 mg/L calcium nitrate, 100 mg/L potassium nitrate, and 100 mg/L magnesium sulphate at pH 6.5 achieved the highest percentage of pollen germination after 5 h of hydration. Impedance Flow Cytometry (IFC) provided similar results to the in vitro germination study. This work elucidates important factors that can form the basis for a pollen-based non-genetically modified system for gene editing in wheat.
Suitability Evaluation of Tea Cultivation Using Machine Learning Technique at Town and Village Scales
Authors: Xing Wenwen , Zhou Cheng , Li Junli , Wang Weiyin , He Jingchi , Tu Youjun , Cao Xiu , Zhang Yunhua
Published: August 2022

Suitability evaluation of tea cultivation is very important for improving the yield and quality of tea, which can avoid blind expansion and achieve sustainable development; however, to date, relevant research at town and village scales is lacking. This study selected Xinming Township in Huangshan City, Anhui Province, as the study area, which is the main production area of Taiping Houkui Tea—one of the ten most famous teas in China. We proposed a machine learning-based tea cultivation suitability evaluation model by comparing logistic regression (LR), extreme gradient boosting (XGBoost), adaptive boosting (AdaBoost), gradient boosting decision tree (GBDT), random forest (RF), Gaussian Naïve Bayes (GNB), and multilayer perceptron (MLP) to calculate the weight accuracy of the evaluation factors. We then selected 12 factors, including climate, soil, terrain, and ecological economy factors, using the RF with the highest accuracy to calculate the evaluation factor weights and obtained the suitability evaluation results. The results show that the highly suitable area, moderately suitable area, generally suitable area, and unsuitable area land categories for tea cultivation were 14.13%, 27.25%, 32.46%, and 26.16%, respectively. Combined with field research, the highly suitable areas were mainly distributed in northwest Xinming Town, which is in line with the distribution of tea cultivation at the Xinming township level. The results provide a scientific reference to support land allocation decisions for tea cultivation and sustainable green agricultural development at the town and village scales.
Application of Organic Acids and Essential Oils as Alternatives to Antibiotic Growth Promoters in Broiler Chickens
Authors: Choi Janghan , Singh Amit Kumar , Chen Xi , Lv Jirong , Kim Woo Kyun
Published: August 2022

This study was conducted to evaluate the effects of OAs and EOs on growth performance, serum biochemistry, antioxidant enzyme activities, intestinal morphology, and digestive enzyme activities to replace AGP in broilers. Six hundred one-day-old broilers were allotted to five treatments with six replicates: (1) negative control (NC; basal diet); (2) positive control (PC; NC + 50 mg/kg bacitracin methylene disalicylate); (3) organic acids (OA; NC + 2000 mg/kg OA); (4) essential oils (EO; NC + 300 mg/kg EO); and (5) OA + EO (NC + 2000 mg/kg OA + 300 mg/kg EO). In the starter phase, the PC, EO, and OA + EO groups had a significantly lower feed conversion ratio (FCR) compared to the NC group. While the final body weight (BW) of broilers fed OAs was similar compared to broilers fed PC (p > 0.1), the FCR of the OA group tended to be lower than the PC group on D 42 (p = 0.074). The OA group had the higher serum GLOB:ALB (albumin) and ileal villus height and crypt depth (VH:CD) ratios compared to the EO group. Thus, the supplementation of EOs and OAs could substitute AGP in the starter and finisher phase, respectively.
Effects of Chromium-L-Methionine in Combination with a Zinc Amino Acid Complex or Selenomethionine on Growth Performance, Intestinal Morphology, and Antioxidative Enzymes in Red Tilapia Oreochromis spp.
Authors: Limwachirakhom Rawiwan , Triwutanon Supawit , Chumkam Srinoy , Jintasataporn Orapint
Published: August 2022

To consider diet optimization for the growth and health of fish under intensive aquaculture systems, with a focus on the farming of Nile tilapia and red tilapia in Thailand, we conducted an experiment based on a completely randomized design (CRD), with three treatments and four replicates. Three diets, supplemented with different trace minerals, were applied to selected groups of fish: (a) a control diet, without organic trace minerals supplementation; (b) a T1 diet of chromium-L-methionine at 500 ppb, in combination with a zinc amino acid complex at 60 parts per million (ppm); and (c) a T2 diet of chromium-L-methionine at 500 ppb in combination with selenomethionine at 300 ppb. Red tilapia with an initial mean weight of 190 ± 12 g/fish were randomly distributed into cages of 2 × 2 × 2.5 m in a freshwater pond (12 cages in total), with 34 fish per cage and a density of 17 fish/m3. During the 8 week feeding trial, the fish were fed 3–4% of their body weight twice a day. The fish were weighed, then blood samples were collected to study their immune responses. The intestines were collected, measured, and analyzed at the end of the feeding trial. The results showed that the red tilapia that were fed with diets of chromium-L-methionine in combination with a zinc amino acid complex in the T1 treatment had significantly (p < 0.05) higher final weights, weight gains, average daily gains (ADGs), and better feed conversion ratios (FCRs), compared with fish that were fed with the control diet without organic trace minerals and with fish that were fed with the T2 diet (p < 0.05). The midgut and hindgut villus heights of the group fed with chromium-L-methionine in combination with a zinc amino acid complex in the T1 treatment were significantly higher than those of the other groups (p < 0.05). The levels of the antioxidative enzyme superoxide dismutase (SOD) and lysozyme activity were not significantly different from those of fish that were fed with the control diet (p > 0.05), whereas the glutathione level tended to increase (p < 0.1) in fish that were fed with chromium-L-methionine in combination with selenomethionine in the T2 treatment. Therefore, we concluded that chromium-L-methionine in combination with a zinc amino acid complex or selenomethionine clearly enhanced red tilapia’s growth performance and feed utilization through the promotion of antioxidative enzyme activity and immune response.
Underwater Noise Level Recordings from a Water Intake Pontoon and Possible Impacts on Yangtze Finless Porpoises in a Natural Reserve
Authors: Lu Wenfei , Tong Jianfeng , Zhang Xianfeng , Zhu Bin , Dong Weiwei
Published: August 2022

Underwater noise pollution caused by human activities may affect freshwater cetaceans to different degrees. To analyze the impacts of water intake pontoons on Yangtze finless porpoises (Neophocaena asiaeorientalis), this study collected underwater noise data from such a pontoon in a nature reserve, plotted the power spectral density of acoustic signals, and calculated the root mean square sound pressure levels and the magnitude of sound source levels. The 1/3-octave sound pressure level root mean square values at the transient holding pens were <18.0 kHz, 39.5−60.0 kHz, which were slightly higher than the Yangtze finless porpoise hearing threshold curve values and therefore could be perceived. However, the results indicated that the porpoises would not develop a temporary hearing threshold shift. Meanwhile, pontoon noise did not interfere with the porpoises’ high-frequency acoustic signal nor did it affect their echolocation; it significantly interfered with their low-frequency acoustic signal, however, and the mother–child communication of the finless porpoises was affected, but this effect was quickly compensated due to the limited space range of the holding pens. Through this study of Yangtze finless porpoises, this paper provides a reference for assessing whether human facilities have impacts on freshwater cetaceans.
Effect of Sperm Ratio and Temperature on Fertilization and Early Larval Development of the Surf Clam Mesodesma donacium (Bivalvia:Mesodesmatidae)
Authors: Vásquez-Calderón Piera , Abarca Alejandro , Durán L. René , Oliva Doris
Published: August 2022

The effect of sperm ratio on fertilization was evaluated in five sperm:oocytes treatments (10:1, 50:1, 100:1, 500:1 and 1000:1), the effect of temperature on embryonic and larval development in three temperature treatments (13 °C, 16 °C and 19 °C) was recorded and the duration of each stage, the growth rate and survival rate were registered. The oocytes were spherical (67.5 ± 4.2 μm) with a defined nucleus. Spermatozoa had a circular head (2 μm) and a fusiform flagellum (12 μm). The 500:1 sperm:oocytes treatment presented the lowest % of unfertilized oocytes, and lysis was observed in the 1000:1 treatment. An inverse relationship was observed between temperature and the duration of the stages of embryonic development. At 16 °C, veliger D larvae were observed at 41 h 45′ pf (88 ± 13.0 μm). Umbonate larvae were obtained at day 16 in the 13 °C culture and at day 10 in the 16 °C and 19 °C treatment (140 μm). On day 16 of culture, advanced umbonate larvae with a well-defined stomach (235 μm) were observed. The larval growth rate was higher in the 19 °C treatment (3.6 μm day−1) than the 13 °C and 16 °C treatment (2, 2.2 μm day−1). The mortality was higher in the 19 °C treatment (91%). These results are an initial contribution towards the culture of M. donacium as part of small-scale aquaculture in South America.
Green Synthesis of Silver Nanoparticles Using Pecan Nut (Carya illinoinensis) Shell Extracts and Evaluation of Their Antimicrobial Activity
Authors: Neira-Vielma Alberto Antonio , Meléndez-Ortiz Héctor Iván , García-López Josué Israel , Sanchez-Valdes Saúl , Cruz-Hernández Mario Alberto , Rodríguez-González Josefina Guadalupe , Ramírez-Barrón Sonia Noemí
Published: August 2022

Nowadays, the increase in bacteria resistant to multiple antibiotics has become a real threat to the human health, forcing researchers to develop new strategies. Silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) may be a viable solution to this problem. The green synthesis of AgNPs is considered a green, ecological and low-priced process that provides small and biocompatible nanostructures with antimicrobial activity with a potential application in medicine. In this work, pecan nut shell extracts were analyzed in order to determine their viability for the production of AgNPs. These NPs were synthesized using an extract rich in bioactive molecules, varying the reaction time and silver nitrate (AgNO3) concentration. AgNPs production was confirmed by FT-IR, UV-Vis and EDX spectroscopy, while their morphology and size were determined by transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and dynamic light scattering (DLS). The antibacterial activity of AgNPs was evaluated by the agar diffusion method against Salmonella typhi, Staphylococcus aureus and Proteus mirabilis. The results showed that it is possible to obtain nanoparticles from an extract rich in antioxidant molecules with a size between 39.9 and 98.3 nm with a semi-spherical morphology. In addition, it was shown that the reaction time and the concentration of the precursor influence the final nanoparticles size. Antimicrobial tests showed that there is greater antimicrobial inhibition against Gram-negative than Gram-positive microorganisms, obtaining inhibition zone from 0.67 to 5.67 mm.