bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Well-Being at Home During Forced Quarantine Amid the COVID-19 Pandemic
Authors: Krajewska-Kułak Elzbieta , Kułak-Bejda Agnieszka , Kułak Wojciech , Bejda Grzegorz , Łukaszuk Cecylia , Waszkiewicz Napoleon , Cybulski Mateusz , Guzowski Andrzej , Fiłon Joanna , Aniśko Paulina , Popławska Magda
Published: March 2022

Introduction

People recently or currently in forced quarantine or isolation at home have shown high levels of depression and symptoms of generalized anxiety.

Aim of the Study

To assess the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on certain aspects of people's day-to-day functioning.

Materials and Methods

The study involved using an online diagnostic survey including a proprietary questionnaire, the DASS 21, and the Liebowitz Social Anxiety Scale.

Results

Information about the pandemic in Poland and around the world was systematically obtained by 48.8 and 27.4% of respondents, respectively (N = 1,312). Whereas, 75.6% of respondents declared having knowledge about the number of infected people in Poland, only 28.7% declared having such knowledge about infections worldwide. Most often, respondents had obtained information online (65.9%). According to 45.7% of respondents, infection with COVID-19 is a major threat, and not enough has been done to reduce its spread in Poland (66.7%) or worldwide (56.1%). Respondents considered social distancing (68.3%), quarantining people arriving from abroad (63.4%), and wearing protective masks and/or gloves (60.4%) to be the most effective actions for combatting the pandemic. Most often, in compulsory quarantines, respondents surfed the Internet (48.8%) and experienced a lack of energy or fatigue (40.2%) and anxiety (54.9%). The severity of anxiety (mean = 4.6 points), stress (7.5 points), and depression (7.3 points) were within normal ranges, and the respondents could generally be included in the group showing mildly severe social phobia (57.9 points).

Conclusions

Most respondents considered infection with COVID-19 to be a major threat and feared another quarantine. During quarantine, respondents most often experienced fatigue, a lack of energy, nervousness, anxiety, anger, and sadness. Despite demonstrating anxiety, stress, and depression with severity in the normal range, respondents showed no statistically significant correlation between severity and age, gender, place of residence, or level of education. Although they also showed mildly severe social phobia, only gender, not age, place of residence, or level of education, showed a statistically significant correlation with its severity.
Contribution of CACNA1H Variants in Autism Spectrum Disorder Susceptibility
Authors: Viggiano Marta , D'Andrea Tiziano , Cameli Cinzia , Posar Annio , Visconti Paola , Scaduto Maria Cristina , Colucci Roberta , Rochat Magali J. , Ceroni Fabiola , Milazzo Giorgio , Fucile Sergio , Maestrini Elena , Bacchelli Elena
Published: March 2022

Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is a highly heterogeneous neuropsychiatric disorder with a strong genetic component. The genetic architecture is complex, consisting of a combination of common low-risk and more penetrant rare variants. Voltage-gated calcium channels (VGCCs or Cav) genes have been implicated as high-confidence susceptibility genes for ASD, in accordance with the relevant role of calcium signaling in neuronal function. In order to further investigate the involvement of VGCCs rare variants in ASD susceptibility, we performed whole genome sequencing analysis in a cohort of 105 families, composed of 124 ASD individuals, 210 parents and 58 unaffected siblings. We identified 53 rare inherited damaging variants in Cav genes, including genes coding for the principal subunit and genes coding for the auxiliary subunits, in 40 ASD families. Interestingly, biallelic rare damaging missense variants were detected in the CACNA1H gene, coding for the T-type Cav3.2 channel, in ASD probands from two different families. Thus, to clarify the role of these CACNA1H variants on calcium channel activity we performed electrophysiological analysis using whole-cell patch clamp technology. Three out of four tested variants were shown to mildly affect Cav3.2 channel current density and activation properties, possibly leading to a dysregulation of intracellular Ca2+ ions homeostasis, thus altering calcium-dependent neuronal processes and contributing to ASD etiology in these families. Our results provide further support for the role of CACNA1H in neurodevelopmental disorders and suggest that rare CACNA1H variants may be involved in ASD development, providing a high-risk genetic background.
Association Between Antidepressant Efficacy and Interactions of Three Core Depression-Related Brain Networks in Major Depressive Disorder
Authors: Wang Qiang , Tian Shui , Zhao Peng , Cao Qiuyun , Lu Qing , Yao Zhijian
Published: March 2022

Background

The central executive network (CEN), salience network (SN), and default mode network (DMN) are the three most studied depression-related brain networks. Many studies have shown that they are related to depression symptoms and treatment effects. However, few studies have related these three networks and their activity frequency bands to depressive symptoms and treatment efficacy.

Methods

Sixty-six medication-free patients with major depressive disorder (MDD) were enrolled. Magnetoencephalography (MEG) was administered at baseline to calculate imaging indicators such as the power and functional connectivity (FC) of each brain network. The Hamilton Rating Score for Depression (HRSD-17) was assessed at baseline and weekly for 4 weeks. Pearson correlation and receiver operating characteristic curves (ROC) analyses were used to explore the relationship between brain imaging indicators and antidepressant efficacy.

Results

The difference between therapeutically effective and ineffective groups was mainly manifested in the beta power of the SN. The FC of beta waves between the three networks was related to antidepressant efficacy, with ROC analysis results of AUC = 0.794,P= 0.004, sensitivity = 76.7%, and specificity = 81.8%.

Limitations

The sample size was small and a healthy control group was not available.

Conclusions

The interaction between the three networks is related to antidepressant efficacy and the relief of depressive symptoms.
In-patient Expenditure Between 2012 and 2020 Concerning Patients With Liver Cirrhosis in Chongqing: A Hospital-Based Multicenter Retrospective Study
Authors: Tan Juntao , Tang Xuewen , He Yuxin , Xu Xiaomei , Qiu Daoping , Chen Jianfei , Zhang Qinghua , Zhang Lingqin
Published: March 2022

Background

Liver cirrhosis is a major global health and economic challenge, placing a heavy economic burden on patients, families, and society. This study aimed to investigate medical expenditure trends in patients with liver cirrhosis and assess the drivers for such medical expenditure among patients with liver cirrhosis.

Methods

Medical expenditure data concerning patients with liver cirrhosis was collected in six tertiary hospitals in Chongqing, China, from 2012 to 2020. Trends in medical expenses over time and trends according to subgroups were described, and medical expenditure compositions were analyzed. A multiple linear regression model was constructed to evaluate the factors influencing medical expenditure. All expenditure data were reported in Chinese Yuan (CNY), based on the 2020 value, and adjusted using the year-specific health care consumer price index for Chongqing.

Results

Medical expenditure for 7,095 patients was assessed. The average medical expenditure per patient was 16,177 CNY. An upward trend in medical expenditure was observed in almost all patient subgroups. Drug expenses were the largest contributor to medical expenditure in 2020. A multiple linear regression model showed that insurance type, sex, age at diagnosis, marital status, length of stay, smoking status, drinking status, number of complications, autoimmune liver disease, and the age-adjusted Charlson comorbidity index score were significantly related to medical expenditure.

Conclusion

Conservative estimates suggest that the medical expenditure of patients with liver cirrhosis increased significantly from 2012 to 2020. Therefore, it is necessary to formulate targeted measures to reduce the personal burden on patients with liver cirrhosis.
Cost-Effectiveness of Population Screening Programs for Cardiovascular Diseases and Diabetes in Low- and Middle-Income Countries: A Systematic Review
Authors: Sharma Manushi , John Renu , Afrin Sadia , Zhang Xinyi , Wang Tengyi , Tian Maoyi , Sahu Kirti Sundar , Mash Robert , Praveen Devarsetty , Saif-Ur-Rahman K. M.
Published: March 2022

Almost all low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) have instated a program to control and manage non-communicable diseases (NCDs). Population screening is an integral component of this strategy and requires a substantial chunk of investment. Therefore, testing the screening program for economic along with clinical effectiveness is essential. There is significant proof of the benefits of incorporating economic evidence in health decision-making globally, although evidence from LMICs in NCD prevention is scanty. This systematic review aims to consolidate and synthesize economic evidence of screening programs for cardiovascular diseases (CVD) and diabetes from LMICs. The study protocol is registered on PROSPERO (CRD42021275806). The review includes articles from English and Chinese languages. An initial search retrieved a total of 2,644 potentially relevant publications. Finally, 15 articles (13 English and 2 Chinese reports) were included and scrutinized in detail. We found 6 economic evaluations of interventions targeting cardiovascular diseases, 5 evaluations of diabetes interventions, and 4 were combined interventions, i.e., screening of diabetes and cardiovascular diseases. The study showcases numerous innovative screening programs that have been piloted, such as using mobile technology for screening, integrating non-communicable disease screening with existing communicable disease screening programs, and using community health workers for screening. Our review reveals that context is of utmost importance while considering any intervention, i.e., depending on the available resources, cost-effectiveness may vary—screening programs can be made universal or targeted just for the high-risk population.
Eustress in Space: Opportunities for Plant Stressors Beyond the Earth Ecosystem
Authors: Hessel Volker , Liang Shu , Tran Nam Nghiep , Escribà-Gelonch Marc , Zeckovic Olivia , Knowling Matthew , Rebrov Evgeny , This Herve , Westra Seth , Fisk Ian , Gilliham Matthew , Burgess Alexandra
Published: March 2022

Human space exploration cannot occur without reliable provision of nutritious and palatable food to sustain physical and mental well-being. This ultimately will depend upon efficient production of food in space, with on-site manufacturing on space stations or the future human colonies on celestial bodies. Extraterrestrial environments are by their nature foreign, and exposure to various kinds of plant stressors likely cannot be avoided. But this also offers opportunities to rethink food production as a whole. We are used to the boundaries of the Earth ecosystem such as its standard temperature range, oxygen and carbon dioxide concentrations, plus diel cycles of light, and we are unfamiliar with liberating ourselves from those boundaries. However, space research, performed both in true outer space and with mimicked space conditions on Earth, can help explore plant growth from its ‘first principles’. In this sense, this perspective paper aims to highlight fundamental opportunities for plant growth in space, with a new perspective on the subject. Conditions in space are evidently demanding for plant growth, and this produces “stress”. Yet, this stress can be seen as positive or negative. With the positive view, we discuss whether plant production systems could proactively leverage stresses instead of always combatting against them. With an engineering view, we focus, in particular, on the opportunities associated with radiation exposure (visible light, UV, gamma, cosmic). Rather than adapting Earth conditions into space, we advocate on rethinking the whole issue; we propose there are opportunities to exploit space conditions, commonly seen as threats, to benefit space farming.
Velopharyngeal Inadequacy-Related Quality of Life Assessment: The Instrument Development and Application Review
Authors: Chen Nan , Shi Bing , Huang Hanyao
Published: March 2022

Objective

For the patient-reported outcome (PRO) measures related to patients with velopharyngeal inadequacy (VPI), different quality of life (QOL) instruments have been developed. The present systematic review was designated to identify current VPI-related QOL instrument development, validation, and applicability.

Methods

Pubmed, Cochrane, Embase, Web of Science, and EBSCO databases were searched in January 2022. “Velopharyngeal” or “palatopharyngeal” and “quality of life” or “life quality” were searched in title, abstract, and keywords. This study followed Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Review and Meta-analysis (PRISMA) guidelines. Two investigators independently reviewed abstracts and full texts of the identified literature. An established checklist was used to evaluate the measurement properties of each identified instrument.

Results

A total of 375 articles and 13 instruments were identified, which can be divided into nine types of families according to their development procedures. Developmental and measurement characteristics, evidence of conceptual model, content validity, reliability, construct validity, scoring, interpretation, respondent burden, and presentation for all instruments were shown.

Conclusion

The patient's self-report assessment and parent-proxy assessment are both valuable. The conclusion that any QOL instrument is absolutely the best for patients with velopharyngeal inadequacy could not be drawn. Understanding the development and characteristics of different QOL instruments, including their reliability, validity, aim, target, language, and resource, should be important before application in clinic or research.
Impact of Preoperative Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus on the Outcomes of Gastric Cancer Patients Following Gastrectomy: A Propensity Score Matching Analysis
Authors: Cheng Yu-Xi , Tao Wei , Kang Bing , Liu Xiao-Yu , Yuan Chao , Zhang Bin , Peng Dong
Published: March 2022

Purpose

The current study aims to explore the outcomes of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) on gastric cancer patients following gastrectomy through propensity score matching (PSM) analysis.

Methods

A retrospective study of gastric cancer patients following gastrectomy was conducted in a single clinical center from January 2014 to December 2019. The short-term outcomes, overall survival (OS) and disease-free survival (DFS) were analyzed between T2DM group and Non-T2DM group.

Results

A total of 703 patients were enrolled in this study. After 1:1 PSM, 84 patients in T2DM group and 84 patients in Non-T2DM were matched for final analysis. No significant difference was found in terms of operation time, intra-operative blood loss, retrieved lymph nodes, postoperative stay, blood transfusion and complications between T2DM group and Non-T2DM group (p > 0.05). The Kaplan-Meier curve implied that T2DM had no impact on OS or DFS. Cox regression was conducted to identify predictive factors for prognosis. Body mass index (BMI) (p = 0.039 < 0.05, HR = 0.725, 95% CI = 0.534–0.983), pre-operative lymphocyte (p = 0.017 < 0.05, HR = 0.678, 95% CI = 0.493–0.932), pathological tumor node metastasis (pTNM) stage (p = 0.000 < 0.05, HR = 2.619, 95% CI = 2.048–3.349) and complications (p = 0.006 < 0.05, HR = 1.528, 95% CI = 1.132–2.061) were predictive factors for OS, and BMI (p = 0.013 < 0.05, HR = 0.524, 95% CI = 0.315–0.872), pTNM stage (p = 0.000 < 0.05, HR = 2.619, 95% CI = 2.048–3.349) and complications (p = 0.008 < 0.05, HR = 1.892, 95% CI = 1.179–3.036) were independent predictive factors for DFS.

Conclusion

T2DM did not have an impact on gastric cancer patients following gastrectomy in terms of short-term outcomes and prognosis.
High Occurrence Among Calves and Close Phylogenetic Relationships With Human Viruses Warrants Close Surveillance of Rotaviruses in Kuwaiti Dairy Farms
Authors: Alotaibi Mohammad A. , Al-Amad S. , Chenari Bouket Ali , Al-Aqeel H. , Haider E. , Hijji A. Bin , Belbahri Lassaad , Alenezi Faizah N.
Published: March 2022

Rotavirus, one of the main pathogens causing morbidity and mortality in neonatal dairy calves worldwide, is responsible for 30–44% of cattle deaths. It is considered to be the most common etiologic agent of diarrhea in neonatal dairy calves and children, the dominant type being group A. Two hundred seventy animals from 27 farms from 2 regions of Kuwait were tested for the presence of Rotavirus serogroup A (RVA) using latex agglutination test (LAT) and reverse transcription–polymerase chain (RT-PCR) testing. RVA non-structural proteins NSP1-2, NSP4-5 and capsid protein genes VP1-7 were characterized by next generation sequencing. LAT was positive in 15.56% of the animals, and RT-PCR in 28.89%. Using RT-PCR as a reference method, LAT was 100% specific but only 83.33% sensitive. ANOVA analysis showed correlation only with the location of the farms but no significant correlation with the age and sex of the animals. Although there was a tendency of clustering of RVA positive animals, it did not reach statistical significance (p = 0.035 for LAT). The phylogenetic analysis showed that Kuwaiti isolates of group A rotavirus clustered with human rotaviruses. Taken together, it seems that rotavirus was present in most of the dairy farms in Kuwait. The high occurrence of the virus in calves in Kuwaiti dairy farms and the close phylogenetic affinity with human isolates warrants urgent action to minimize and control its spread between calves in farms.
Runs of Homozygosity Uncover Potential Functional-Altering Mutation Associated With Body Weight and Length in Two Duroc Pig Lines
Authors: Wang Xiaopeng , Li Guixin , Ruan Donglin , Zhuang Zhanwei , Ding Rongrong , Quan Jianping , Wang Shiyuan , Jiang Yongchuang , Huang Jinyan , Gu Ting , Hong Linjun , Zheng Enqin , Li Zicong , Cai Gengyuan , Wu Zhenfang , Yang Jie
Published: March 2022

Runs of homozygosity (ROH) are widely used to investigate genetic diversity, demographic history, and positive selection signatures of livestock. Commercial breeds provide excellent materials to reveal the landscape of ROH shaped during the intense selection process. Here, we used the GeneSeek Porcine 50K single-nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) Chip data of 3,770 American Duroc (AD) and 2,096 Canadian Duroc (CD) pigs to analyze the genome-wide ROH. First, we showed that AD had a moderate genetic differentiation with CD pigs, and AD had more abundant genetic diversity and significantly lower level of inbreeding than CD pigs. In addition, sows had larger levels of homozygosity than boars in AD pigs. These differences may be caused by differences in the selective intensity. Next, ROH hotspots revealed that many candidate genes are putatively under selection for growth, sperm, and muscle development in two lines. Population-specific ROHs inferred that AD pigs may have a special selection for female reproduction, while CD pigs may have a special selection for immunity. Moreover, in the overlapping ROH hotspots of two Duroc populations, we observed a missense mutation (rs81216249) located in the growth and fat deposition-related supergene (ARSB-DMGDH-BHMT) region. The derived allele of this variant originated from European pigs and was nearly fixed in Duroc pigs. Further selective sweep and association analyses indicated that this supergene was subjected to strong selection and probably contributed to the improvement of body weight and length in Duroc pigs. These findings will enhance our understanding of ROH patterns in different Duroc lines and provide promising trait-related genes and a functional-altering marker that can be used for genetic improvement of pigs.
Rethinking the Animal Shelter's Role in Free-Roaming Cat Management
Authors: Hurley Kate F. , Levy Julie K.
Published: March 2022

Substantial societal investment is made in the management of free-roaming cats by various methods, with goals of such programs commonly including wildlife conservation, public health protection, nuisance abatement, and/or promotion of cat health and welfare. While there has been a degree of controversy over some of the tactics employed, there is widespread agreement that any method must be scientifically based and sufficiently focused, intensive and sustained in order to succeed. The vast majority of free-roaming cat management in communities takes place through local animal shelters. Throughout the 20th century and into the 21st, this consisted primarily of ad hoc admission of cats captured by members of the public, with euthanasia being the most common outcome. In North America alone, hundreds of millions of cats have been impounded and euthanized and billions of dollars invested in such programs. Given the reliance on this model to achieve important societal goals, it is surprising that there has been an almost complete lack of published research evaluating its success. Wildlife conservation and public health protection will be better served when debate about the merits and pitfalls of methods such as Trap-Neuter-Return is grounded in the context of realistically achievable alternatives. Where no perfect answer exists, an understanding of the potential strengths and shortcomings of each available strategy will support the greatest possible mitigation of harm—the best, if still imperfect, solution. Animal shelter function will also benefit by discontinuing investment in methods that are ineffective as well as potentially ethically problematic. This will allow the redirection of resources to more promising strategies for management of cats as well as investment in other important animal shelter functions. To this end, this article reviews evidence regarding the potential effectiveness of the three possible shelter-based strategies for free-roaming cat management: the traditional approach of ad hoc removal by admission to the shelter; admission to the shelter followed by sterilization and return to the location found; and leaving cats in place with or without referral to mitigation strategies or services provided by other agencies.
A Contrastive Learning Method for the Visual Representation of 3D Point Clouds
Authors: Zhu Feng , Zhao Jieyu , Cai Zhengyi
Published: March 2022

At present, the unsupervised visual representation learning of the point cloud model is mainly based on generative methods, but the generative methods pay too much attention to the details of each point, thus ignoring the learning of semantic information. Therefore, this paper proposes a discriminative method for the contrastive learning of three-dimensional point cloud visual representations, which can effectively learn the visual representation of point cloud models. The self-attention point cloud capsule network is designed as the backbone network, which can effectively extract the features of point cloud data. By compressing the digital capsule layer, the class dependence of features is eliminated, and the generalization ability of the model and the ability of feature queues to store features are improved. Aiming at the equivariance of the capsule network, the Jaccard loss function is constructed, which is conducive to the network distinguishing the characteristics of positive and negative samples, thereby improving the performance of the contrastive learning. The model is pre-trained on the ShapeNetCore data set, and the pre-trained model is used for classification and segmentation tasks. The classification accuracy on the ModelNet40 data set is 0.1% higher than that of the best unsupervised method, PointCapsNet, and when only 10% of the label data is used, the classification accuracy exceeds 80%. The mIoU of part segmentation on the ShapeNet data set is 1.2% higher than the best comparison method, MulUnsupervised. The experimental results of classification and segmentation show that the proposed method has good performance in accuracy. The alignment and uniformity of features are better than the generative method of PointCapsNet, which proves that this method can learn the visual representation of the three-dimensional point cloud model more effectively.
An Integrated Methodology Model for Smart Mobility System Applied to Sustainable Tourism
Authors: Amendola Carlo , La Bella Simone , Joime Gian Piero , Mascioli Fabio Massimo Frattale , Vito Pietro
Published: March 2022

This work aims to analyze the impact of technological eco-innovation on the modernization and development of a local area. The role of eco-innovation would be to stimulate an innovative environment and spur a development of the territory and economic districts, and the diffusion of said particularities among wider geographic contexts, hence allowing a globalization model more observant of local specificities, and thus an open system able to develop economic and cultural exchange respecting local particularities. In recent years, smart city has asserted itself as a general model for the city of tomorrow, and sustainability has become a focal point in urban development policies. In this paper, we investigate how an integrated and intermodal methodology for the development of smart mobility systems—the European project “Life for Silver Coast”—is impacting the modernization and development of an Italian coastal area in Tuscany. The main focus of our paper is to understand how an integrated mobility network allows a transition toward a sustainable form of social relationship and a new economic pattern and could represent the starting point for a spatial, relational and institutional reorganization process that would lead to a change in the production and management dynamics of the local ecosystem concerning cultural, social and economic issues.
A Comprehensive Survey on Climate Optimal Aircraft Trajectory Planning
Authors: Simorgh Abolfazl , Soler Manuel , González-Arribas Daniel , Matthes Sigrun , Grewe Volker , Dietmüller Simone , Baumann Sabine , Yamashita Hiroshi , Yin Feijia , Castino Federica , Linke Florian , Lührs Benjamin , Meuser Maximilian Mendiguchia
Published: March 2022

The strong growth rate of the aviation industry in recent years has created significant challenges in terms of environmental impact. Air traffic contributes to climate change through the emission of carbon dioxide (CO2) and other non-CO2 effects, and the associated climate impact is expected to soar further. The mitigation of CO2 contributions to the net climate impact can be achieved using novel propulsion, jet fuels, and continuous improvements of aircraft efficiency, whose solutions lack in immediacy. On the other hand, the climate impact associated with non-CO2 emissions, being responsible for two-thirds of aviation radiative forcing, varies highly with geographic location, altitude, and time of the emission. Consequently, these effects can be reduced by planning proper climate-aware trajectories. To investigate these possibilities, this paper presents a survey on operational strategies proposed in the literature to mitigate aviation’s climate impact. These approaches are classified based on their methodology, climate metrics, reliability, and applicability. Drawing upon this analysis, future lines of research on this topic are delineated.
Application of Probabilistic Set-Based Design Exploration on the Energy Management of a Hybrid-Electric Aircraft
Authors: Spinelli Andrea , Enalou Hossein Balaghi , Zaghari Bahareh , Kipouros Timoleon , Laskaridis Panagiotis
Published: March 2022

The energy management strategy of a hybrid-electric aircraft is coupled with the design of the propulsion system itself. A new design space exploration methodology based on Set-Based Design is introduced to analyse the effects of different strategies on the fuel consumption, NOx and take-off mass. Probabilities are used to evaluate and discard areas of the design space not capable of satisfying the constraints and requirements, saving computational time corresponding to an average of 75%. The study is carried on a 50-seater regional turboprop with a parallel hybrid-electric architecture. The strategies are modelled as piecewise linear functions of the degree of hybridisation and are applied to different mission phases to explore how the strategy complexity and the number of hybridised segments can influence the behaviour of the system. The results indicate that the complexity of the parametrisation does not affect the trade-off between fuel consumption and NOx emissions. On the contrary, a significant trade-off is identified on which phases are hybridised. That is, the least fuel consumption is obtained only by hybridising the longest mission phase, while less NOx emissions are generated if more phases are hybridised. Finally, the maximum take-off mass was investigated as a parameter, and the impact to the trade-off between the objectives was analysed. Three energy management strategies were suggested from these findings, which achieved a reduction to the fuel consumption of up to 10% and a reduction to NOx emissions of up to 15%.
Adaptive Initial Sizing Method and Safety Assessment for Hybrid-Electric Regional Aircraft
Authors: Moebs Nicolas , Eisenhut Dominik , Windels Evert , van der Pols Jenny , Strohmayer Andreas
Published: March 2022

In the wake of many climate-friendly initiatives, the aviation sector must become more sustainable. A potential path for regional airliners could be the installation of hybrid-electric powertrains. In this work, a conceptual study design of various powertrain architectures is conducted. This helps the designer to quickly generate approximate numbers on the basic characteristics of new aircraft configurations. These results can be used to advance subsystems modeling or improve the starting values in the following preliminary aircraft design. After the selection of representative architectures, reasonable technological assumptions were gathered, ranging between a conservative and an optimistic scenario. This was done for powertrain components, various energy storage concepts and structural and aerodynamic changes. The initial sizing method was developed by building two interconnected sizing iteration loops. In addition, a safety assessment was integrated due to the many unconventional components in the powertrain’s setup. The results show that the fuel consumption of a conventional aircraft is not undercut with a hybrid-electric powertrain aircraft based on conservative technological assumptions. In the optimistic scenario, however, selected powertrain architectures show a significant drop in fuel consumption when compared to the conventional one. Furthermore, the use of synergistic effects and systematic powertrain optimizations can decrease the fuel consumption even further. In conclusion, it was shown that this initial sizing method can calculate entire hybrid-electric aircraft designs on a conceptual level. The results can quickly present trends that are reasonable and helpful. In addition, the safety assessment first gives evidence about which levels of safety have to be considered for the different components in the development of hybrid-electric powertrains.
Oil Media on Paper: Investigating the Effect of Linseed Oils on Pure Cellulosic Paper Supports. A Research Matter of Damage Assessment
Authors: Banou Penelope , Choulis Konstantinos , Karabotsos Thanasis , Tsimogiannis Dimitris , Tsakanika Lamprini-Areti , Tzia Constantina , Alexopoulou Athena
Published: March 2022

Oil media on paper, such as oil paintings, sketches, prints, and books, occasionally present problems associated with the effect of oil medium on the paper support, raising a composite matter of condition assessment as it depends on several factors. The present work examines the effect of linseed oil on paper and, in particular, the changes caused by three types of linseed oil on the optical, morphological, mechanical, and chemical properties of pure cellulosic paper, employing mock-ups submitted to artificial ageing in controlled conditions of relative humidity and temperature in airtight vessels. The study involved colorimetry, opacity, tensile strength, pH measurements, SEM, FTIR, and VOC analysis with GC-MS. Processing of the results has so far indicated that thermal-humid ageing caused the gradual darkening of the oil-impregnated mock-ups, as well as alterations in opacity, intense fall of pH values, and severe reductions in tensile strength, while linseed oil processing during manufacture has a significant impact. FTIR spectra have indicated that chemical changes upon ageing are in accordance with those of optical and mechanical changes, while VOC emissions are mostly associated with the drying and degradation of the different types of linseed oil.
Calving Ease Risk Factors and Subsequent Survival, Fertility and Milk Production in Italian Holstein Cows
Authors: Probo Monica , Guadagnini Marcello , Sala Giulia , Amodeo Paola , Bolli Agostino
Published: March 2022

The objectives of this study were to investigate the main risk factors associated with calving ease (CE) in Italian Holstein cow herds, and to estimate the association between CE and subsequent survival, fertility and milk production. Data obtained from Holstein cows in 40 Italian herds were retrospectively investigated. Calvings were surveilled and classified into two categories of CE, unassisted calving or assisted calving, based on the need for intervention. The following factors were analyzed as possible risk factor affecting CE: herd, number of calvings/herd/year, age at first calving (AFC), cow parity, gestation length, twinning, calf sex, previous calving-to-conception interval, previous milk yield, dry period and close-up length, and season of calving. The association between CE and culling risk within the first 30 days-in-milk (DIM), cumulative 60-d milk yield and predicted 305-d milk yield, and pregnancy risk within 150 DIM were also investigated. Of the 47,672 calvings, 37,892 (79.5%) were unassisted, while 9780 (20.5%) required some type of assistance. Among the risk factors, only the AFC was not correlated with CE, while for all the other risk factors an association with CE was detected. Assisted calvings were associated with an increased culling risk at 30 DIM, decreased 60-d milk yield, decreased 305-d milk yield and reduced pregnancy risk at 150 DIM. In conclusion, dairy herd management should aim at correcting/reducing the risk factors in order to limit the incidence of assisted calving, and possibly improve the quality of calving assistance; controlling CE within the herd is crucial to reducing culling risk, and achieving higher lactation and reproductive performance.
The Adrenal Cortisol Response to Increasing Ambient Temperature in Polar Bears (Ursus maritimus)
Authors: Leishman Emily M. , Franke Maria , Marvin Jill , McCart Dylan , Bradford Carol , Gyimesi Zoltan S. , Nichols Anne , Lessard Marie-Pierre , Page David , Breiter C-Jae , Graham Laura H.
Published: March 2022

Our objective was to identify the upper ambient temperature threshold that triggers an increase in cortisol in response to increased thermoregulatory demands in polar bears. The results reported here include endocrine data collected over two years from 25 polar bears housed in 11 accredited zoological institutions across North America. The effects of ambient temperature, sex, age group (juvenile, adult, elderly), breeding season and humidity on fecal cortisol metabolite (FCM) concentrations (N = 8439 samples) were evaluated using linear mixed models. Ambient temperatures were placed into five different categories: <5 °C, 6–10 °C, 11–15 °C, 16–20 °C, and >20 °C. Ambient temperature and humidity had a significant (p < 0.05) effect on FCM concentrations with significant (p < 0.05) interactions of sex, age and breeding season. Once biotic factors were accounted for, there was a significant (p < 0.05) increase in FCM concentrations associated with ambient temperatures above 20 °C in adult polar bears. The implications of these findings for the management of both zoo and wild polar bears are discussed.
Correction: De Francesco et al. In Vitro Characterization of Canine Microfragmented Adipose Tissue Non-Enzymatically Extracted from the Thigh and Lumbar Regions. Animals 2021, 11, 3231
Authors: De Francesco Francesco , Riccio Valentina , Biswas Reetuparna , Busato Alice , Di Bella Caterina , Serri Evelina , Sbarbati Andrea , Zavan Barbara , Riccio Michele , Palumbo Piccionello Angela
Published: March 2022

Reetuparna Biswas was not included as an author in the original publication [...]
The Effect of Hard Pecking Enrichment during Rear on Feather Cover, Feather Pecking Behaviour and Beak Length in Beak-Trimmed and Intact-Beak Laying Hen Pullets
Authors: Baker Paula Elizabeth , Nicol Christine Janet , Weeks Claire Alexandra
Published: March 2022

Injurious pecking, commonly controlled by beak trimming (BT), is a widespread issue in laying hens associated with thwarted foraging. This controlled study compared the effect in intact and beak-trimmed pullets of providing pecking pans to eight treatment flocks from six weeks of age. Flocks (mean size 6843) comprised eight British Blacktail, six Lohmann Brown and two Bovans Brown. All young birds (6–7 weeks) pecked more frequently at the pecking pans (mean 40.4) than older pullets (mean 26.0, 23.3 pecks/bird/min at 10–11 weeks and 14–15 weeks, respectively) (p < 0.005). There was no effect on feather pecking or plumage cover. Mean side-beak length and mean top-beak lengths were shorter in treatment flocks at 6–7 weeks and 10–11 weeks (p < 0.001). Intact-beak treatment flocks had shorter mean side-beak length at 10–11 weeks (p < 0.001) and at 14–15 weeks (p < 0.05) and mean top-beak length at 6–7 weeks (p < 0.05) and at 10–11 weeks (p < 0.05). BT treatment flocks had shorter side-beak and top-beak lengths at 6–7 weeks and at 10–11 weeks (p < 0.001). Beak lengths showed linear growth, with individual bird variation indicating a potential for genetic selection. The study demonstrated that abrasive material can reduce beak length in pullets.
Assessment of the Vaccination Program against Cystic Echinococcosis in Sheep in the Pehuenche Community of Central Chile
Authors: Gädicke Paula , Heath David , Medina-Brunet Angela , Siva-de la Fuente María Carolina , Espinoza-Rojas Hellen , Villaguala-Pacheco Carmen , Rubilar Makarena , Cerda Carolina , Quezada Manuel , Rojas Daniela , Henríquez AnaLía , Loyola Marco , Landaeta-Aqueveque Carlos
Published: March 2022

Echinococcosis is a neglected zoonosis that uses dogs and sheep as its main hosts in Chile. The Eg95 vaccine against sheep infection has been included in some control programs. Here, we assess the efficacy of the vaccination program in the hyperendemic Alto Biobío commune after 3 years of execution. Fisher’s test and generalized linear models were used in the assessment. The program tried to offer a first dose at 2 months of age, a booster 1 month later, and yearly vaccination. Given logistic difficulties, important delays in vaccination occurred, and most animals did not receive the first booster. Dog deworming was not included in the program. Likely due to the aforementioned factors, the overall frequency of infection was not lower, but the proportion of large (>5 mm) cysts and fertile cysts was smaller after the program. The frequency of infection and/or the number of cysts were lower when the age at first dose was younger and the first booster was administered 1 month after the first dose. The results suggest that vaccination affects both cyst development after the larvae reach the target organs, as well as the development of the protoscolex once the cysts start developing.
Integrated Taxonomy Revealed Genetic Differences in Morphologically Similar and Non-Sympatric Scoliodon macrorhynchos and S. laticaudus
Authors: Lim Kean Chong , White William T. , Then Amy Y. H. , Naylor Gavin J. P. , Arunrugstichai Sirachai , Loh Kar-Hoe
Published: March 2022

Previous examination of the mitochondrial NADH2 gene and morphological characteristics led to the resurrection of Scoliodon macrorhynchos as a second valid species in the genus, in addition to S. laticaudus. This study applied an integrated taxonomic approach to revisit the classification of the genus Scoliodon based on new materials from the Malaysian Peninsula, Malaysian Borneo and Eastern Bay of Bengal. Mitochondrial DNA data suggested the possibility of three species of Scoliodon in the Indo-West Pacific, while the nuclear DNA data showed partially concordant results with a monophyletic clade of S. macrorhynchos and paraphyletic clades of S. laticaudus and S. cf. laticaudus from the Malacca Strait. Morphological, meristic and dental characteristics overlapped between the three putative species. Collective molecular and morphological evidence suggested that the differences that exist among the non-sympatric species of Scoliodon are consistent with isolation by distance, and Scoliodon macrorhynchos remains as a valid species, while S. cf. laticaudus is assigned as S. laticaudus. The Malacca Strait acts as a spatial delineator in separating the Pacific S. macrorhynchos (including South China Sea) from the Northern Indian Ocean S. laticaudus. Future taxonomic work should focus on clarifying the taxonomic status of Scoliodon from the Indonesian waters.
Ethanol Positively Modulates Photosynthetic Traits, Antioxidant Defense and Osmoprotectant Levels to Enhance Drought Acclimatization in Soybean
Authors: Rahman Md. Mezanur , Mostofa Mohammad Golam , Das Ashim Kumar , Anik Touhidur Rahman , Keya Sanjida Sultana , Ahsan S. M. , Khan Md. Arifur Rahman , Ahmed Minhaz , Rahman Md. Abiar , Hossain Md. Motaher , Tran Lam-Son Phan
Published: March 2022

Drought is a major environmental threat to agricultural productivity and food security across the world. Therefore, addressing the detrimental effects of drought on vital crops like soybean has a significant impact on sustainable food production. Priming plants with organic compounds is now being considered as a promising technique for alleviating the negative effects of drought on plants. In the current study, we evaluated the protective functions of ethanol in enhancing soybean drought tolerance by examining the phenotype, growth attributes, and several physiological and biochemical mechanisms. Our results showed that foliar application of ethanol (20 mM) to drought-stressed soybean plants increased biomass, leaf area per trifoliate, gas exchange features, water-use-efficiency, photosynthetic pigment contents, and leaf relative water content, all of which contributed to the improved growth performance of soybean under drought circumstances. Drought stress, on the other hand, caused significant accumulation of reactive oxygen species (ROS), such as superoxide and hydrogen peroxide, and malondialdehyde, as well as an increase of electrolyte leakage in the leaves, underpinning the evidence of oxidative stress and membrane damage in soybean plants. By comparison, exogenous ethanol reduced the ROS-induced oxidative burden by boosting the activities of antioxidant enzymes, including peroxidase, catalase, glutathione S-transferase, and ascorbate peroxidase, and the content of total flavonoids in soybean leaves exposed to drought stress. Additionally, ethanol supplementation increased the contents of total soluble sugars and free amino acids in the leaves of drought-exposed plants, implying that ethanol likely employed these compounds for osmotic adjustment in soybean under water-shortage conditions. Together, our findings shed light on the ethanol-mediated protective mechanisms by which soybean plants coordinated different morphophysiological and biochemical responses in order to increase their drought tolerance.
Incorporation of Dietary Methyl Sulfonyl Methane into the Egg Albumens of Laying Hens
Authors: Kim Yoo-Bhin , Lee Sang-Hyeok , Kim Da-Hye , Lee Hyun-Gwan , Jeon Yong-Sung , Lee Sung-Dae , Lee Kyung-Woo
Published: March 2022

This study evaluated the effects of graded levels of dietary methyl sulfonyl methane (MSM) on the laying performance, egg quality, antioxidant capacity, and the incorporation of MSM into the egg albumen of laying hens. A total of 240 73-week-old laying hens (Lohmann Brown Lite) were randomly allotted to 1 of 5 dietary treatments, with 8 replicates of 6 birds per replicate. The experimental diets were formulated by mixing corn and soybean meal-based diets with MSM to reach 0.0, 1.0, 2.0, 3.0, and 4.0 g per kg of diet, and were fed to the birds for 12 weeks. Increasing dietary MSM led to a significant quadratic effect on the feed intake and feed conversion ratio at 4 weeks (p < 0.05). However, none of the egg qualities and egg components were altered by dietary MSM. The deposition of MSM in egg albumens increased in a linear manner (p < 0.05) in response to the increasing dietary MSM levels. The concentration of malondialdehyde in the egg yolk decreased at 12 weeks (linear and quadratic effect; p < 0.05), as the dietary MSM levels increased. Increasing dietary MSM affected the indicators of antioxidant/oxidative stress in the serum samples, such as superoxide dismutase at 12 weeks (linear and quadratic effect; p < 0.05), total antioxidant capacity at 8 and 12 weeks (linear effect; p < 0.05), and malondialdehyde at 8 weeks (linear effect; p < 0.05). Taken together, our study shows that dietary MSM has potential to be used as an antioxidant feed additive for laying hens, and can be used to produce functional eggs with health benefits for humans.
Haloperoxidase-Catalyzed Luminol Luminescence
Authors: Allen Robert C.
Published: March 2022

Common peroxidase action and haloperoxidase action are quantifiable as light emission from dioxygenation of luminol (5-amino-2,3-dihydrophthalazine-1,4-dione). The velocity of enzyme action is dependent on the concentration of reactants. Thus, the reaction order of each participant reactant in luminol luminescence was determined. Horseradish peroxidase (HRP)-catalyzed luminol luminescence is first order for hydrogen peroxide (H2O2), but myeloperoxidase (MPO) and eosinophil peroxidase (EPO) are second order for H2O2. For MPO, reaction is first order for chloride (Cl−) or bromide (Br−). For EPO, reaction is first order for Br−. HRP action has no halide requirement. For MPO and EPO, reaction is first order for luminol, but for HRP, reaction is greater than first order for luminol. Haloperoxidase-catalyzed luminol luminescence requires acidity, but HRP action requires alkalinity. Unlike the radical mechanism of common peroxidase, haloperoxidases (XPO) catalyze non-radical oxidation of halide to hypohalite. That reaction is second order for H2O2 is consistent with the non-enzymatic reaction of hypohalite with a second H2O2 to produce singlet molecular oxygen (1O2*) for luminol dioxygenation. Alternatively, luminol dehydrogenation by hypohalite followed by reaction with H2O2 yields dioxygenation consistent with the same reaction order. Haloperoxidase action, Cl−, and Br− are specifically quantifiable as luminol luminescence in an acidic milieu.
Acoustic Emission Based Fault Detection of Substation Power Transformer
Authors: Ma Xin , Luo Yu , Shi Jian , Xiong Hailiang
Published: March 2022

Fault detection of Substation Power Transformer by Non-contact measurement is important for the safety of machines, instruments, and human beings. To make non-contact measurement as convenient as possible, it is desirable that efficient algorithms based on AE (acoustic emission) discrimination are developed. This paper presents a system for quick and effective fault detection of substation power transformer, based on AE signals collected by non-contact single microphones. In the experiment, collected data were preprocessed in multiple ways and three machine learning algorithms were designed based on classifiers (Convolutional Neural Network (CNN), support vector machine (SVM), and k-nearest neighbors (KNN) algorithm) trained and tested by a tenfold cross-validation technique. After comparison among the designed classifiers, the results show the two-dimensional principal component analysis (2DPCA) preprocess combined with SVM achieved the best comprehensive effectiveness.