bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Augmented Reality in Neurosurgery, State of Art and Future Projections. A Systematic Review
Authors: Cannizzaro Delia , Zaed Ismail , Safa Adrian , Jelmoni Alice J. M. , Composto Antonio , Bisoglio Andrea , Schmeizer Kyra , Becker Ana C. , Pizzi Andrea , Cardia Andrea , Servadei Franco
Published: March 2022

Background

The use of augmented reality (AR) is growing in medical education, in particular, in radiology and surgery. AR has the potential to become a strategic component of neurosurgical training courses. In fact, over the years, there has been a progressive increase in the application of AR in the various fields of neurosurgery. In this study, the authors aim to define the diffusion of these augmented reality systems in recent years. This study describes future trends in augmented reality for neurosurgeons.

Methods

A systematic review of the literature was conducted to identify research published from December 1st, 2011 to November 30th, 2021. Electronic databases (PubMed, PubMed Central, and Scopus) were screened. The methodological quality of studies and extracted data were assessed for “augmented reality” and “neurosurgery”. The data analysis focused on the geographical distribution, temporal evolution, and topic of augmented reality in neurosurgery.

Results

A total of 198 studies have been included. The number of augmented reality applications in the neurosurgical field has increased during the last 10 years. The main topics on which it is mostly applied are spine surgery, neuronavigation, and education. The geographical distribution shows extensive use of augmented reality in the USA, Germany, China, and Canada. North America is the continent that uses augmented reality the most in the training and education of medical students, residents, and surgeons, besides giving the greatest research contribution in spine surgery, brain oncology, and surgical planning. AR is also extensively used in Asia for intraoperative navigation. Nevertheless, augmented reality is still far from reaching Africa and other countries with limited facilities, as no publications could be retrieved from our search.

Conclusions

The use of AR is significantly increased in the last 10 years. Nowadays it is mainly used in spine surgery and for neurosurgical education, especially in North America, Europe and China. A continuous growth, also in other aspects of the specialty, is expected in the next future.
The Effect of Two Acute Bouts of Exercise on Oxidative Stress, Hematological, and Biochemical Parameters, and Rectal Temperature in Trained Canicross Dogs
Authors: Erjavec Vladimira , Vovk Tomaž , Nemec Svete Alenka
Published: March 2022

Canicross is a sport discipline that connects human and canine athletes in running. Changes in physiological, hematological, and biochemical parameters, and exercise-induced oxidative stress have not been thoroughly characterized in canicross dogs. The aim of our study was the assessment of the health status of trained canicross dogs that were subjected to two acute bouts of exercise with their owners during the training season. Health status was assessed by measuring the rectal temperature, hematological and biochemical parameters, as well as blood oxidative stress parameters (plasma malondialdehyde, lipid peroxidation marker; whole blood glutathione peroxidase and erythrocyte superoxide dismutase1, antioxidant enzymes) before and during a two-day canicross training session and after a 24-h rest period. Seven trained canicross dogs (three females/four males) aged 12–120 months were included in the study. Blood samples were collected before and immediately after the first acute bout of exercise (day 1), after the second acute bout of exercise (day 2), and after 24 h of rest (day 3). Rectal temperature was measured at the same time as blood sample collection. The majority of hematological and biochemical parameters remained within reference ranges at all sampling times. Rectal temperature was significantly higher after training on days 1 and 2 compared to resting temperature on day 3. Hematological parameters did not change significantly; however, there were significant differences in urea, creatinine, creatine kinase, and triglycerides between specific sampling times. Despite significant changes, these biochemical parameters remained within reference ranges. Significant changes in biochemical parameters seem to reflect the dogs' physiological response to each acute bout of exercise, considering all biochemical parameters and rectal temperature returned to pre-exercise values after a 24-h rest period (day 3). No significant differences in oxidative stress parameters were found between any sampling times. Relatively high erythrocyte superoxide dismutase1 activity at all sampling times may indicate that the canicross dogs are adapted to training by an increased expression of antioxidant enzymes. Based on our results, we can conclude that the trained canicross dogs included in our study were healthy, in good physical condition, and fit for the two acute bouts of field exercise.
ZIKV Teratogenesis: Clinical Findings in Humans, Mechanisms and Experimental Models
Authors: Russo Fabiele B. , Toledo Carmen M. , Tocantins Fernando R. , Souza Giovanna V. , Beltrão-Braga Patricia C. B.
Published: March 2022

Zika virus (ZIKV) is an arthropod-borne virus (arbovirus) from the Flaviviridae family, first isolated from the Rhesus monkey in 1947 in Uganda. ZIKV is transmitted by mosquito bites, but vertical and sexual transmissions have also been reported. ZIKV infection during pregnancy causes malformation in the developing fetus, especially central nervous system (CNS) damages, with a noticed microcephaly, making ZIKV be recognized as a teratogenic agent and the responsible for congenital Zika syndrome (CZS). However, it is still a short time since CZS was first reported. Consequently, ZIKV pathogenesis is not entirely elucidated, especially considering that affected children are still under neurodevelopment. Here, we will explore the current knowledge about ZIKV teratogenesis focusing on neurological clinical findings in humans, mechanisms, and experimental models used to understand ZIKV pathophysiology.
HIV Co-infection Augments EBV-Induced Tumorigenesis in vivo
Authors: Whitehurst Christopher B. , Rizk Monica , Teklezghi Adonay , Spagnuolo Rae Ann , Pagano Joseph S. , Wahl Angela
Published: March 2022

In most individuals, EBV maintains a life-long asymptomatic latent infection. However, EBV can induce the formation of B cell lymphomas in immune suppressed individuals including people living with HIV (PLWH). Most individuals who acquire HIV are already infected with EBV as EBV infection is primarily acquired during childhood and adolescence. Although antiretroviral therapy (ART) has substantially reduced the incidence of AIDS-associated malignancies, EBV positive PLWH are at an increased risk of developing lymphomas compared to the general population. The direct effect of HIV co-infection on EBV replication and EBV-induced tumorigenesis has not been experimentally examined. Using a humanized mouse model of EBV infection, we demonstrate that HIV co-infection enhances systemic EBV replication and immune activation. Importantly, EBV-induced tumorigenesis was augmented in EBV/HIV co-infected mice. Collectively, these results demonstrate a direct effect of HIV co-infection on EBV pathogenesis and disease progression and will facilitate future studies to address why the incidence of certain types of EBV-associated malignancies are stable or increasing in ART treated PLWH.
Genome-Wide Association Study Uncovers Loci and Candidate Genes Underlying Phytosterol Variation in Sesame (Sesamum indicum L.)
Authors: Wang Zhijian , Zhou Qi , Dossou Senouwa Segla Koffi , Zhou Rong , Zhao Yingzhong , Zhou Wangyi , Zhang Yanxin , Li Donghua , You Jun , Wang Linhai
Published: March 2022

Sesame is one of the most important oilseed crops grown worldwide. It provides diverse nutraceuticals—including lignans, unsaturated fatty acids (UFA), phytosterols, etc.—to humans. Among sesame’s nutraceuticals, phytosterols have received less attention from sesame breeders, although their biological and pharmacological functions have been recorded. Therefore, in the present study, we evaluated the variation of phytosterol contents in 402 sesame accessions grown in two environments and revealed their associated loci and candidate genes. Gas chromatography (GC) analysis unveiled that sesame mainly contains four phytosterols: campesterol, stigmasterol, β-sitosterol, and Δ5-avenasterol. β-sitosterol (1.6–4.656 mg/g) was the major phytosterol, followed by campesterol (0–2.847 mg/g), stigmasterol (0.356–1.826 mg/g), and Δ5-avenasterol (0–1.307 mg/g). The total phytosterol content varied from 2.694 to 8.388 mg/g. Genome-wide association study identified 33 significant associated single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) loci for the four traits, of which Ch6-39270 and Ch11-142842 were environmentally stable and simultaneously linked with campesterol and stigmasterol content variation. Candidate genes screening indicated that SINPZ1100015 encoding a NAC domain-containing protein 43 is likely the major candidate effect gene of phytosterol variation in sesame. The results of this study extend knowledge of phytosterol variation in sesame and provide important resources for markers-assisted breeding of high-phytosterol content varieties.
QTL Mapping of Somatic Regeneration-Related Traits in Maize
Authors: Dai Liqiang , Zhang Yan , Han Siping , Hao Dongyun
Published: March 2022

The somatic regeneration of maize depends on its genotypes, so improving its variety with modern biotechnology is severely restricted. Locating the quantitative trait loci (QTLs) associated with somatic regeneration is important for breeding elite inbred lines that undergo genetic transformations. Here, by crossing the high-regeneration inbred line H99 and non-regeneration inbred line Fr993, an F2 population and its F2:3 and F2:4 population families were constructed. Immature embryos from the family populations were subjected to tissue culture in two independent seasons to determine their embryogenic callus induction rates (EIRs), green callus rates (GCRs) and plantlet regeneration rates (PRRs). Genetic linkage maps were constructed for the F2 population to locate somatic regeneration QTLs. The results showed that variation in the EIR, GCR and PRR ranged from 0.00–99.33%, and their broad-sense heritabilities were 0.50, 0.52 and 0.53, respectively. The total genetic distance of the linkage maps constructed by the GenoBaits 10 K chip was 2319.50 cM, and twelve QTLs were associated with somatic regeneration traits, accounting for 3.90–14.06% of the phenotypic variation. Expression analysis revealed six candidate genes screened from the QTLs with distinct responses to induction culture in the parental lines, suggesting that they may impact commitment to somatic cell fate. These results provide a basis for the molecular breeding of maize varieties with high-frequency somatic regeneration.
Abundance, Harmfulness, and Control of Pea Leaf Weevil in Broad Beans (Vicia faba Linn.)
Authors: Almogdad Mohammad , Semaškienė Roma
Published: March 2022

A field experiment was carried out on broad beans (Vicia faba L.) to investigate the abundance of the pea leaf weevil (Sitona lineatus L.), as influenced by the timing of pest control, using insecticides. The study was conducted in broad bean var. ‘Vertigo’, during the period 2019–2020. The study included six spray regimes, as well as an untreated control. Yellow water traps were used to monitor the occurrence of the pea leaf weevil from the start of germination until harvest. Pea leaf weevil abundance was observed over the growing season. The adult density showed two peaks at two plant phenology stages, at flowering and before harvest (BBCH 89). The amount of damaged root nodules by this pest ranged from 41 to 59%. Data from two years of study suggest that S. lineatus infestation does not result in a seed yield reduction. Spray regimes did not impact larval density. Applying foliar insecticides at the local threshold can be recommended as an effective method to protect broad beans from feeding by pea leaf weevils.
Key Structure Design and Experiment of Air-Suction Vegetable Seed-Metering Device
Authors: Xu Jian , Hou Junwei , Wu Weibin , Han Chongyang , Wang Xiaoming , Tang Ting , Sun Shunli
Published: March 2022

The air-suction precision seed-metering device is prone to the instability of the seed adsorption state, which arises from blockage of the suction hole and leads to uneven seeding. This paper analyzed and determined key structural parameters of the seed-metering plate, then established an adsorption mechanics model of the seed during the migration process and designed the key structure of the air-suction seed-metering device with the aim of improving the uniformity of high-speed direct seeding of vegetables. Furthermore, we used the DEM-CFD coupling method to analyze the influence of the law of seeds on the change of the flow field with different hole types. Results showed that the turbulent kinetic energy (202.65 m2∙s−2) and the coupling force to the seeds (0.029 N) of the B-type hole are the largest, which is the best fluid domain structure for the suction hole of the seed-metering plate. Moreover, we used Adams to analyze the meshing process between the knock-out wheel and the seed-metering plate, affirming the rationality of the knock-out wheel design. Finally, in order to improve the working efficiency of the seed-metering device, we performed one-factor and response surface experiments of seeding performance using the air-suction seed-metering device designed with the optimized structure as the experimental object. Analysis of the influence of weights across each factor on the experimental performance evaluation indicators revealed an optimal combination of seeding performance parameters in the air-suction seed-metering device, namely a seed-throwing angle of 13°, a working speed of 14.5 km/h, and negative pressure of 3.1 kPa. Results from verification experiments revealed the corresponding experimental indicators, namely qualified, multiple, and missing indexes of 95.9, 1.2%, and 2.9%, respectively.
Biocontrol of Macrophomina phaseolina Using Bacillus amyloliquefaciens Strains in Cowpea (Vigna unguiculata L.)
Authors: Rangel-Montoya Edelweiss Airam , Delgado-Ramírez Carmen Sanjuana , Sepulveda Edgardo , Hernández-Martínez Rufina
Published: March 2022

The fungus Macrophomina phaseolina is the causal agent of charcoal rot in many crops, such as strawberries and beans. Symptoms include stem and root rot and chlorotic foliage. This disease’s management is complicated because the pathogen forms resistant microsclerotia. This work aimed to obtain bacterial isolates for the biocontrol of M. phaseolina in arid regions. Two strains that grew well under low pH and high salinity, named BsA3MX and BsC11MX, were isolated and identified as B. amyloliquefaciens, based on their morphology and analysis of the 16S ribosomal RNA. Both strains inhibited M. phaseolina up to 66.8% in vitro through the combined action of volatile and diffusible compounds. Furthermore, they produce siderophores and indole-3-acetic acid (IAA), have ACC-deaminase activity, solubilize phosphate and zinc, and decrease microsclerotia germination. Moreover, in greenhouse assays using cowpea plants (Vigna unguiculata L.), strain BsA3MX reduced lesions caused by M. phaseolina and induced a significant increase in foliage and root biomass. Overall, these results suggest B. amyloliquefaciens BsA3MX and BsC11MX can be used as biological control agents against M. phaseolina in arid zones.
Effect of Fungicides on Bayberry Decline Disease by Modulating Rhizosphere Soil Properties, Microflora, and Metabolites
Authors: Ren Haiying , Wang Hongyan , Wang Qi , Qi Xingjiang , Zhang Shuwen , Yu Zheping , Ijaz Munazza , Zhang Muchen , Ahmed Temoor , El-Sharnouby Mohamed , Hassan Mohamed M. , Wang Zhenshuo , Li Bin
Published: March 2022

Decline disease causes serious damage to bayberry, but the reasons behind this disease are not completely understood, although fungal pathogenicity factors have been proposed. Our past studies have identified that the adversity of this disease is linked to the application of soil fungicide. The objective of this study is to explore the mechanism and alleviation effect of the use of the fungicide prochloraz in this disease by investigating the plant and soil parameters. The results of the current study reveal that the application of prochloraz could improve the tree vigor and fruit quality of decline-diseased bayberry. The beneficial effect of prochloraz on plant growth and fruit quality may be associated with its influence on the rhizosphere soil properties and soil microbiota. Indeed, the application of prochloraz was shown to significantly affect the relative abundance and diversity of the rhizosphere soil microbiota, with it having a greater effect on bacteria than on fungi. Furthermore, the community composition of rhizosphere soil bacteria and fungi at the genus level was found to be significantly affected by the pH, available phosphorus, alkali-hydrolyzable nitrogen, and exchangeable magnesium, which exhibited a greater effect on bacteria than on fungi. In addition, prochloraz significantly affected the metabolic pathways of pyrimidine, galactose, butanoate, arginine, and proline and changed the contents of 58 metabolites, with an 18.59–149.48% increase seen in 51 metabolites and a 31.52–95.21% reduction seen in 7 metabolites. Interestingly, these metabolites were found to be significantly correlated with the rhizosphere soil microbiota at the levels of phylum, order, and genus. Overall, the results of this study provide an alternative choice for protecting bayberry from the damage caused by decline disease.
A Sampling Strategy to Develop a Primary Core Collection of Miscanthus spp. in China Based on Phenotypic Traits
Authors: Liu Shuling , Zheng Cheng , Xiang Wei , Yi Zili , Xiao Liang
Published: March 2022

Core collections can act as a genetic germplasm resource for biologists and breeders. Thirty-seven phenotypic traits from 471 Miscanthus accessions in China were used to design 203 sampling schemes to screen the genetic variations in different sampling strategies. The sampling was analyzed using the unweighted pair group method with arithmetic mean (UPGMA) and the Euclidean distance (Euclid). Several parameters including the variance of phenotypic value (VPV), Shannon–Weaver diversity index (H), coefficient of variation (CV), variance of phenotypic frequency (VPF), ratio of phenotype retained (RPR), the mean difference percentage (MD%) and the variance difference percentage of traits (VD%), the range coincidence rate (CR%) and the variable rate of quantitative traits (VR%) were used to evaluate the level of representation of the primary core collections developed by the different sampling schemes. Based on the optimal sampling strategies of prior selecting accessions, a primary core collection was constructed that maintained > 99.5% of the VPV and a CR% of 100%. This study indicates that the optimal sampling scheme consisted of prior and deviation sampling methods (PD) combined with a logarithmic proportional sampling strategy (LG) of 37.4% of the actual sampling ratio. Sampling before clustering can improve several parameters including the H, CV, RPR, VPF, and CR%. Sampling strategies including the genetic diversity index (G), logarithmic proportional (LG) and the square root proportional strategy (SG) can improve the H, whilst the constant strategy (C) can improve the RPR and VPF when the sampling scale was >30%. Furthermore, the proportional strategy (P) can improve the VPV.
Forecasting Alternaria Leaf Spot in Apple with Spatial-Temporal Meteorological and Mobile Internet-Based Disease Survey Data
Authors: Huang Yujuan , Zhang Jingcheng , Zhang Jingwen , Yuan Lin , Zhou Xianfeng , Xu Xingang , Yang Guijun
Published: March 2022

Early warning of plant diseases and pests is critical to ensuring food safety and production for economic crops. Data sources such as the occurrence, frequency, and infection locations are crucial in forecasting plant diseases and pests. However, at present, acquiring such data relies on fixed-point observations or field experiments run by agricultural institutions. Thus, insufficient data and low rates of regional representative are among the major problems affecting the performance of forecasting models. In recent years, the development of mobile internet technology and conveniently accessible multi-source agricultural information bring new ideas to plant diseases’ and pests’ forecasting. This study proposed a forecasting model of Alternaria Leaf Spot (ALS) disease in apple that is based on mobile internet disease survey data and high resolution spatial-temporal meteorological data. Firstly, a mobile internet-based questionnaire was designed to collect disease survey data efficiently. A specific data clean procedure was proposed to mitigate the noise in the data. Next, a sensitivity analysis was performed on the temperature and humidity data, to identify disease-sensitive meteorological factors as model inputs. Finally, the disease forecasting model of the apple ALS was established using four machine learning algorithms: Logistic regression(LR); Fisher linear discriminant analysis(FLDA); Support vector machine(SVM); and K-Nearest Neighbors (KNN). The KNN algorithm is recommended in this study, which produced an overall accuracy of 88%, and Kappa of 0.53. This paper shows that through mobile internet disease survey and a proper data clean approach, it is possible to collect necessary data for disease forecasting in a short time. With the aid of high resolution spatial-temporal meteorological data and machine learning approaches, it is able to achieve disease forecast at a regional scale, which will facilitate efficient disease prevention practices.
Agronomic Performances of Fragrant Rice Cultivars under Different Vermicompost Rates
Authors: Ruan Shaoyi , Wu Feida , Zhang Yingying , Luo Haowen , He Longxin , Lai Rifang , Tang Xiangru
Published: March 2022

Vermicompost is an organic fertilizer with high microbiological activity. However, the application of vermicompost in fragrant rice production and the effects of vermicompost rates on fragrant rice performances have not been reported. The present study conducted a field experiment with two cropping lugs to investigate the agronomic performances of fragrant rice cultivars under different vermicompost rates. Five vermicompost rates, i.e., 2.250 (Ver1), 3.000 (Ver2), 3.750 (Ver3), 4.8750 (Ver4), and 6.000 (Ver5) t ha−1, were adopted and a treatment without any fertilizer applied was taken as control (CK). The results showed that the application of vermicompost significantly increased the grain yield of fragrant rice, while the highest or equally highest yield was recorded in the Ver2 treatment. Similar trends were observed in dry matter weight at 80 and 100 days after transplanting. However, the vermicompost didn’t have remarkable effects on chlorophyll content and grain 2-acetyl-1-pyrroline (the key component of fragrant rice aroma) content. The effects of different vermicompost rates on grain quality characters were unstable and irregular across the cropping lugs, although Ver1 and Ver2 treatment exhibited relatively good grain quality with lower amylose content and higher protein content. In the present study, the recommended amount of vermicompost was 3.0 t ha−1 in fragrant rice production.
Detection of Adulterations in Fruit Juices Using Machine Learning Methods over FT-IR Spectroscopic Data
Authors: Calle José Luis P. , Ferreiro-González Marta , Ruiz-Rodríguez Ana , Fernández Daniel , Palma Miguel
Published: March 2022

Fruit juices are one of the most adulterated beverages, usually because of the addition of water, sugars, or less expensive fruit juices. This study presents a method based on Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), in combination with machine learning methods, for the correct identification and quantification of adulterants in juices. Thus, three types of 100% squeezed juices (pineapple, orange, and apple) were evaluated and adulterated with grape juice at different percentages (5%, 10%, 15%, 20%, 30%, 40%, and 50%). The results of the exploratory data analysis revealed a clear clustering trend of the samples according to the type of juice analyzed. The supervised learning analysis, based on the development of models for the detection of adulteration, obtained significant results for all tested methods (i.e., support-vector machines or SVM), random forest or RF, and linear discriminant analysis or LDA) with an accuracy above 97% on the test set. Regarding quantification, the best results are obtained with the support vector regression and with partial least square regression showing an R2 greater than 0.99 and a root mean square error (RMSE) less than 1.4 for the test set.
Consumers’ Visual Attention and Choice of ‘Sustainable Irrigation’-Labeled Wine: Logo vs. Text
Authors: Fernández-Serrano Paula , Tarancón Paula , Bonet Luis , Besada Cristina
Published: March 2022

Growing consumer awareness about the environmental impact of their food purchase decisions means having to create labels that better communicate sustainability aspects. The aim of this study is to explore consumers’ responses to “sustainable irrigation” (SI)-labeled wine. To this end, the effect of two label factors, SI claims (no SI info, logo, and text), and their position (front- vs. back-labels) on consumer choice, reasons for choice, perceived sustainability, and willingness-to-pay is determined. Moreover, we determine, for the first time, for SI claims, the relationship between consumer choice and paid attention. Our results reveal that almost 90% of the 408 consumers participating in this study show an interest in the SI-labeled wines. The main reason for choosing the SI-labeled wines rather than the control (no SI info-label) was the following: ‘I think it’s more environmentally friendly’, with an increase of two points on a nine-point sustainability perception scale. Consumers prefer the logo-label to the text-label, mainly because they find it more attractive, and a close relationship between paid attention and product choice probability is determined. The vast majority of consumers are willing to pay an extra cost of 15% or more for SI-labeled wine vs. the control. These results have relevant implications for the industry because they show that the SI logo is a useful way to draw consumers’ attention to the sustainability of irrigation practices and positively affect their choice. Our findings indicate that this way of differentiating the product in the market can contribute to compensating the economic cost of implanting SI practices.
Response of Leaf Senescence, Photosynthetic Characteristics, and Yield of Summer Maize to Controlled-Release Urea-Based Application Depth
Authors: Guo Xu , Li Guanghao , Ding Xiangpeng , Zhang Jiwang , Ren Baizhao , Liu Peng , Zhang Shigang , Zhao Bin
Published: March 2022

To explore the response of summer maize leaf senescence, photosynthetic characteristics, and yield to the depth of one-time base application of controlled-release urea, which provides a theoretical basis for the light and simplified production of summer maize. Seven treatments were set up with Zhengdan 958 as the material under field conditions, including no nitrogen fertilizer (CK), surface spreading (DP0), furrow application depth of 5 cm (DP5), 10 cm (DP10), 15 cm (DP15), 20 cm (DP20), 25 cm (DP25). The results showed that under the same nitrogen application rate, there are significant differences in the effects of summer maize leaf senescence and photosynthetic characteristics with the increase of fertilization depth, and DP10 and DP15 have the best effects. The LAI of DP10 and DP15 increased by 5.1% and 5.5% compared to DP0 at tasseling stage, and chlorophyll content increased by 6.8% and 7.3% in 10 days after tasseling. Compared with DP0, superoxide dismutase (SOD) increased by 13.1% and 10.5%, the content of soluble protein increased significantly, while the content of malondialdehyde (MDA) decreased by 9.8% and 10.8%, respectively. In addition, Pn and Gs of the ear-leaf significantly increased by 13.9%, 16.5%, and 26.1% and 31.9% at tasseling stage, respectively, over DP0, while Ci decreased by 22.3% and 26.4%, respectively; meanwhile, the photochemical quenching (qP) and quantum yield (ΦPSII) of the reaction center of photosystem II (PSII) of the ear-leaf were significantly improved, the non-photochemical quenching (NPQ) was significantly reduced. The yield of DP10 and DP15 heightened significantly; two-year average value increased by 5.7% and 6.0% compared with DP0; the kernels per spike and 1000-kernels weight increased by 4.8%, 5.2%, and 4.1%, 5.2%, respectively. Comprehensive analysis of LAI, chlorophyll content, various protective enzyme activities and MDA, soluble protein content showed that 10–15 cm is the appropriate fertilization depth when the nitrogen application rate of controlled-release urea is 225 kg N per hectare. In consequence, optimizing fertilization depth of controlled-release urea as a simplified fertilization mode could improve the nitrogen utilization efficiency and obtain higher yield in summer maize, which provides technical support for large-scale application of controlled-release urea.
Intermittent Deep Tillage on Improving Soil Physical Properties and Crop Performance in an Intensive Cropping System
Authors: Li Lu , Guan Jiexi , Chen Suying , Zhang Xiying
Published: March 2022

Soil management practices are important parts of sustainable agriculture. Improving tillage practice is important for alleviating soil degradation and promoting sustainable grain production. A four year field experiment was conducted to examine the effects of deep tillage (DT), incorporated into the minimum tillage (MT), on soil physical properties and crop performance. The field experiments included continuous rotary tillage (RT), continuous DT, and intermittent DT every three years, every two years, and every other year, into RT. The results showed that the introduction of DT into continuous RT reduced the soil bulk density of the 20–30 cm soil layer by 5.6% and reduced nutrient stratification rates by 20–30%, which favored more uniformly distributed soil nutrients in the top soil layer. The root growth for treatments with DT in the deep soil layers (1–1.5 m) was significantly improved, which resulted in a higher soil water depletion. Under deficit irrigation scheduling, the improved root growth and soil water uptake in the deep soil layer improved crop growth and grain production. Overall, a 10.5% increase in yield and 18.3% increase in water productivity were observed when intermittent DT was introduced during the four years. The effects of DT could be maintained for two continuous years. Therefore, it was suggested that after two or three years of RT, DT should be applied to improve soil physical properties and ensure high grain production.
Evaluating Alternatives to Locomotion Scoring for Detecting Lameness in Pasture-Based Dairy Cattle in New Zealand: In-Parlour Scoring
Authors: Werema Chacha W. , Yang Dan A. , Laven Linda J. , Mueller Kristina R. , Laven Richard A.
Published: March 2022

Earlier detection followed by efficient treatment can reduce the impact of lameness. Currently, locomotion scoring (LS) is the most widely used method of early detection but has significant limitations in pasture-based cattle and is not commonly used routinely in New Zealand. Scoring in the milking parlour may be more achievable, so this study compared an in-parlour scoring (IPS) technique with LS in pasture-based dairy cows. For nine months on two dairy farms, whole herd LS (4-point 0–3 scale) was followed 24 h later by IPS, with cows being milked. Observed for shifting weight, abnormal weight distribution, swollen heel or hock joint, and overgrown hoof. Every third cow was scored. Sensitivity and specificity of individual IPS indicators and one or more, two or more or three positive indicators for detecting cows with locomotion scores ≥ 2 were calculated. Using a threshold of two or more positive indicators were optimal (sensitivity > 92% and specificity > 98%). Utilising the IPS indicators, a decision tree machine learning procedure classified cows with locomotion score class ≥2 with a true positive rate of 75% and a false positive rate of 0.2%. IPS has the potential to be an alternative to LS on pasture-based dairy farms.
Mitochondrial DNA Variation Contributes to the Aptitude for Dressage and Show Jumping Ability in the Holstein Horse Breed
Authors: Engel Laura , Becker Doreen , Nissen Thomas , Russ Ingolf , Thaller Georg , Krattenmacher Nina
Published: March 2022

Maternal lineages are considered an important factor in breeding. Mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) is maternally inherited and plays an important role in energy metabolism. It has already been associated with energy consumption and performances, e.g., stamina in humans and racehorses. For now, corresponding studies are lacking for sport performance of warmblood breeds. MtDNA sequences were available for 271 Holstein mares from 75 maternal lineages. As all mares within a lineage showed identical haplotypes regarding the non-synonymous variants, we expanded our data set by also including non-sequenced mares and assigning them to the lineage-specific haplotype. This sample consisting of 6334 to 16,447 mares was used to perform mitochondrial association analyses using breeding values (EBVs) estimated on behalf of the Fédération Équestre Nationale (FN) and on behalf of the Holstein Breeding Association (HOL). The association analyses revealed 20 mitochondrial SNPs (mtSNPs) significantly associated with FN-EBVs and partly overlapping 20 mtSNPs associated with HOL-EBVs. The results indicated that mtDNA contributes to performance differences between maternal lineages. Certain mitochondrial haplogroups were associated with special talents for dressage or show jumping. The findings encourage to set up innovative genetic evaluation models that also consider information on maternal lineages.
Cross-Sectional Questionnaire of Donkey Owners and Farriers Regarding Farriery Practices in the Faisalabad Region of Pakistan
Authors: Khan Raja Zabeeh Ullah , Rosanowski Sarah Margaret , Saleem Waqar , Parkes Rebecca Sarah Victoria
Published: March 2022

Quality farriery is essential to ensure donkey welfare, and many intervention programs in low-middle income countries (LMICs) train farriers, and educate owners, regarding the farriery needs of donkeys. It is essential for interventional programs to understand the perspectives of all stakeholders in donkey-owning communities. A cross-sectional questionnaire study was conducted in the Faisalabad region of Pakistan. Ten farriers and 55 donkey owners participated in the study. Farriers reported receiving no formal training for farriery, insufficient wages (PKR 65 or USD 0.36 per hoof) and the requirement to use traditional tools. Farriers reported an average shoeing time of 5 min per hoof and shoeing between three and 30 donkeys a day. Donkeys were mostly shod while they were harnessed to a cart. Six donkey-owning farriers reported shoeing their donkeys every 20 to 25 days. Owners reported varying shoeing intervals of 20 days to 90 days. Shoeing interval was also affected by seasonal and weather changes. Owners considered their relationship with farriers as the most important factor in choosing a farrier rather than cost. A majority (87%) of the owners reported lameness in their donkeys. The study provides important insights into the many challenges and opportunities in developing quality donkey farriery in the region.
Detection of Toxocara cati Larvae in a Common Buzzard (Buteo buteo) and in a Red Kite (Milvus milvus) in Basilicata Region, Italy
Authors: Toce Mariateresa , Romano Antonella Cristina , Pietragalla Ileana , Marucci Gianluca , Palazzo Lucia
Published: March 2022

Toxocara cati is a common parasite of wild and domestic felines, and presents a cosmopolitan distribution. Adult parasites localize in the gut of the definitive host giving rise to the infection, which usually runs asymptomatic. These worms produce eggs that are excreted with feces into the environment, where they become a source of infection for paratenic hosts, such as mammals, birds, and invertebrates. In this brief communication, we report the detection of T. cati larvae in a common buzzard (Buteo buteo) and a red kite (Milvus milvus), in the Basilicata Region of Italy. This result may be important to define new pathways of spread and survival of T. cati in the wild.
The Protective Effect of Anethole against Renal Ischemia/Reperfusion: The Role of the TLR2,4/MYD88/NFκB Pathway
Authors: Mohamed Maged Elsayed , Kandeel Mahmoud , Abd El-Lateef Hany M. , El-Beltagi Hossam S. , Younis Nancy S.
Published: March 2022

Background: Anethole is the principle essential oil component of anise and fennel. Renal ischemia/reperfusion (RIR) is one of the utmost imperative reasons for acute kidney injury and often associated with high mortality rate. The aim of this study is to investigate the protective effect of anethole on RIR status, exploring the involved mechanisms. Methods: RIR was accomplished by bilateral renal pedicle clamping for 45 min, after which the clamps were removed to achieve the reperfusion phase. Rats were randomized into five groups; Sham, Sham + anethole, RIR, and finally RIR + anethole (125 mg/kg or 250 mg/kg) groups. Animals were given anethole (in specified groups in doses) for 14 days before RIR. Results: RIR-experienced animals developed renal injury evidenced by diminished renal function and histopathological alteration. RIR induced severe oxidative, inflammatory, and apoptotic status within renal tissue. Pre-RIR management with anethole enhanced renal morphology and improved renal function. Anethole amplified GSH content and SOD, CAT, and GPx activities and lowered MDA. Anethole reduced gene and protein expression levels of HMGB1, TLR2, TLR4, MYD88, and NFκB. Anethole distinctly dropped TNF-α, IFN-γ, and MCP-1 levels, increased IL-10, and diminished caspase 3 and 9, reflecting its anti-inflammatory and anti-apoptotic actions. Conclusion: Anethole displayed anti-inflammatory, anti-oxidant, and anti-apoptotic actions against RIR-induced injury. Anethole exhibited renal protective actions, which could be through inhibiting the HMGB1/TLR2, 4/MYD88/NFκB pathway. These results could suggest anethole as a protective agent against RIR.
Selection and Validation of Reliable Reference Genes for qRT-PCR Normalization of Bursaphelenchus xylophilus from Different Temperature Conditions and Developmental Stages
Authors: Wu Yajing , Zhou Jiao , Liu Yaning , Gu Yutong , Zhang Hongxia , Ahmad Faheem , Wang Guochang , Ren Lili
Published: March 2022

Quantitative reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) is a powerful technique for studying gene expression. The key to quantitative accuracy depends on the stability of the reference genes used for data normalization under different experimental conditions. Pine wood nematode (PWN, Bursaphelenchus xylophilus) is the causal agent of the devastating pine wilt disease (PWD). Extensive and prompt research is needed to understand the molecular mechanism of PWD, but identification of the reference PWN genes for standardized qRT-PCR has not been reported yet. We have analyzed eight candidate reference genes of PWN across different temperature conditions and developmental stages. Delta Ct method, GeNorm, NormFinder, BestKeeper, and RefFinder algorithms were used to evaluate the stability of expression of these genes. Finally, we use heat shock protein 90 (HSP90) in different temperatures and arginine kinase gene (AK) in different developmental stages to confirm the stability of these genes. UBCE and EF1γ were most stable across different temperature treatments, whereas EF1γ and Actin were most stable across different developmental stages. In general, these results indicate that EF1γ is the most stable gene for qRT-PCR under different conditions. The systematic analysis of qRT-PCR reference gene selection will be helpful for future functional analysis and exploration of B. xylophilus genetic resources.
Facile Synthesis of NiCo2S4/rGO Composites in a Micro-Impinging Stream Reactor for Energy Storage
Authors: Zhang Jiawei , Chen Xiguan , Liu Chunyu , Wen Lixiong
Published: March 2022

Using a process-enhanced micro-impinging stream reactor (MISR) and a co-precipitation route, NiCo2S4 and NiCo2S4/rGO electrode materials were successfully prepared, respectively. Owing to its excellent micromixing performance, the MISR-prepared NiCo2S4/rGO composites had a smaller size and less agglomeration than the same composites prepared in a traditional stirred reactor (STR). The specific capacity of the MISR-prepared composites was as high as 198.0 mAh g−1 under the current density of 1 A g−1. The cycling stability of the composites also improved significantly after being modified with reduced graphene oxide (rGO), and they displayed a fine cycling stability, which maintained a retention rate of 83.6% after 1000 cycles of charging and discharging.
Simultaneously Wavelength- and Temperature-Insensitive Mid-Infrared Optical Parametric Amplification with LiGaS2 Crystal
Authors: Hu Zhixuan , Ma Jingui
Published: March 2022

Ultrafast mid-infrared (mid-IR) lasers with a high pulse repetition rate are in great demand in various fields, including attosecond science and strong-field physics. Due to the lack of suitable mid-IR laser gain medium, optical parametric amplifiers (OPAs) are used to generate an ultrafast mid-IR laser. However, the efficiency of OPA is sensitive to phase mismatches induced by wavelength and temperature deviations from the preset points, which thus limits the pulse duration and the average power of the mid-IR laser. Here, we exploited a noncollinear phase-matching configuration to achieve simultaneously wavelength- and temperature-insensitive mid-IR OPA with a LiGaS2 crystal. The noncollinearity can cancel the first-order dependence of phase matching on both wavelength and temperature. Benefitting from the thermal property of the LiGaS2 crystal, some collinear phase-matching solutions derived from the first-order and even third-order wavelength insensitivity have comparatively large temperature bandwidths and can be regarded as approximate solutions with simultaneous wavelength and temperature insensitivity. These simultaneously wavelength- and temperature-insensitive phase-matching designs are verified through numerical simulations in order to generate few-cycle, high-power mid-IR pulses.
Numerical Assessment and Repair Method of Runway Pavement Damage Due to CBU Penetration and Blast Loading
Authors: Han Jaeduk , Kim Sungil , Hwang Injae
Published: March 2022

This paper addresses the protection capability of a runway pavement by executing a field blast test on an airfield pavement subjected to blast loading from a CBU (cluster bomb unit), and by confirming the numerical simulation of warhead penetration and the form of damage. The CBU’s blast loading applies the BAP 100 of an air-to-ground munition in a similar scale. Penetration depth is calculated by a formula which incorporates the terminal speed of a free-falling cluster munition dispersed 20 km above the ground. According to the result of the calculation, the penetration depth by a cluster munition is 33 cm from the surface of the pavement. The field blast test was conducted based on this result. Furthermore, LS-DYNA software simulation was used to assess the condition of damage, determined by the depth of penetration and explosive pressure from a free-falling CBU landing on the airfield pavement from 20 km above the ground. The condition was ultimately used to verify the result of field testing and to confirm the scale of damage repair. The depth of explosion was 78 cm, from the surface to the crushed stone and sand layer below the pavement, and the diameter was 30 cm. The size of the crushed concrete that needed to be removed was an average diameter of 156 cm. The simulation result confirms that the diameter and depth of the crater are 67.6 cm and 67 cm, respectively, when the CBU is detonated under the same depth as the field testing, and the height of upheaval is 12 cm. The most appropriate method for repair, after a series of reviews, is to cut and remove a concrete slab 1.8 m × 1.8 m and cast the crushed stone layer disrupted from the explosion, followed by repairing the removed damaged concrete slab sections using rapid hardening concrete.
Survey of BERT-Base Models for Scientific Text Classification: COVID-19 Case Study
Authors: Khadhraoui Mayara , Bellaaj Hatem , Ammar Mehdi Ben , Hamam Habib , Jmaiel Mohamed
Published: March 2022

On 30 January 2020, the World Health Organization announced a new coronavirus, which later turned out to be very dangerous. Since that date, COVID-19 has spread to become a pandemic that has now affected practically all regions in the world. Since then, many researchers in medicine have contributed to fighting COVID-19. In this context and given the great growth of scientific publications related to this global pandemic, manual text and data retrieval has become a challenging task. To remedy this challenge, we are proposing CovBERT, a pre-trained language model based on the BERT model to automate the literature review process. CovBERT relies on prior training on a large corpus of scientific publications in the biomedical domain and related to COVID-19 to increase its performance on the literature review task. We evaluate CovBERT on the classification of short text based on our scientific dataset of biomedical articles on COVID-19 entitled COV-Dat-20. We demonstrate statistically significant improvements by using BERT.
Diagnosis of Intracranial Tumors via the Selective CNN Data Modeling Technique
Authors: Singh Vinayak , Gourisaria Mahendra Kumar , GM Harshvardhan , Rautaray Siddharth Swarup , Pandey Manjusha , Sahni Manoj , Leon-Castro Ernesto , Espinoza-Audelo Luis F.
Published: March 2022

A brain tumor occurs in humans when a normal cell turns into an aberrant cell inside the brain. Primarily, there are two types of brain tumors in Homo sapiens: benign tumors and malignant tumors. In brain tumor diagnosis, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) plays a vital role that requires high precision and accuracy for diagnosis, otherwise, a minor error can result in severe consequences. In this study, we implemented various configured convolutional neural network (CNN) paradigms on brain tumor MRI scans that depict whether a person is a brain tumor patient or not. This paper emphasizes objective function values (OFV) achieved by various CNN paradigms with the least validation cross-entropy loss (LVCEL), maximum validation accuracy (MVA), and training time (TT) in seconds, which can be used as a feasible tool for clinicians and the medical community to recognize tumor patients precisely. Experimentation and evaluation were based on a total of 2189 brain MRI scans, and the best architecture shows the highest accuracy of 0.8275, maximum objective function value of 1.84, and an area under the ROC (AUC-ROC) curve of 0.737 to accurately recognize and classify whether or not a person has a brain tumor.