bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
A systematic review and meta-analysis of interventions to decrease cyberbullying perpetration and victimization: An in-depth analysis within the Asia Pacific region
Authors: Kamaruddin Ida Khairina , Ma’rof Aini Marina , Mohd Nazan Ahmad Iqmer Nashriq , Ab Jalil Habibah
Published: January 2023

Background

Cyberbullying perpetration and victimization are prevalent issues in adolescent development and are a rising public health concern. Numerous interventions have been developed and implemented to decrease cyberbullying perpetration and victimization. Through an updated systematic review and meta-analysis, this study aimed to tackle a significant gap in the cyberbullying literature by addressing the need to empirically determine the effectiveness of programs with non-school-aged samples with a specific focus on studies conducted within the Asia-Pacific region.

Methods

A systematic literature review was conducted to identify intervention research to reduce cyberbullying perpetration and victimization published from January 1995 to February 2022. Ten electronic databases—Cambridge Journal Online, EBSCOHOST, ERIC, IEEE XPLORE, Oxford Journal Online, ProQuest Dissertations and Theses, PubMed (Medline), Science Direct, Scopus, Springerlink—and a subsequent manual search were conducted. Detailed information was extracted, including the summary data that could be used to estimate effect sizes. The studies’ methodological quality was assessed using the Effective Public Health Practice Project (EPHPP) quality assessment tool.

Findings

Eleven studies were included in the review of the 2,540 studies identified through databases, and 114 additional records were discovered through citation searching. Only four studies were included in the meta-analysis, exploring game-based, skill-building, school-based, and whole-school interventions. The first meta-analysis pooled estimates from these four studies that assessed cyberbullying perpetration frequency using continuous data post-intervention. These studies reported data from 3,273 participants (intervention n = 1,802 and control n = 1,471). A small but not statistically significant improvement favoring the intervention group from pre- to post-intervention was shown by the pooled effect size, −0.04 (95% CI [−0.10,0.03], Z = 1.11, P = 0.27). The second meta-analysis included two qualified studies investigating cyberbullying victimization frequency using continuous data at post-intervention among 2,954 participants (intervention n = 1,623 and control n = 1,331). A very small but non-significant effect favoring the intervention group was discovered.

Conclusion

This research primarily highlights that the endeavor for cyberbullying intervention is still developing in the Asia-Pacific region, currently involving a limited set of stakeholders, settings, and delivery modes. Overall, meta-analyses of cyberbullying interventions conducted in the Asia Pacific found no significant effects in reducing cyberbullying perpetration and victimization.
Case report: Clinical lycanthropy in Huntington's disease
Authors: Medford Nick , Sigala Natasha
Published: January 2023

We describe the case of a patient diagnosed with Huntington's disease (HD), who, following a two-year history of anxiety with obsessional preoccupations, developed psychosis with clinical lycanthropy: a prominent delusional idea that he was a werewolf. Although there was no benefit from various antidepressants and antipsychotics, there was remarkable improvement of his symptoms following prescription of Clozapine. His choreiform movement disorder also improved as his mental state settled. Although some reported cases of clinical lycanthropy are related to neurological conditions, this is the first case in a patient with HD. We also discuss the relevance of cultural and personal factors in the expression of a delusion that incorporates disgust, and the potential role of somatosensory aberrations and misidentification of self.
New trends in developmental coordination disorder: Multivariate, multidimensional and multimodal
Authors: Ke Li , Su Xueting , Yang Sijia , Du Zhihao , Huang Shunsen , Wang Yun
Published: January 2023

Developmental coordination disorder (DCD) is a motor development disorder that affects an individual’s growth and development, and may persist throughout life. It is not caused by intellectual or physical disability. Studies have suggested DCD often occurs in childhood, resulting in a series of abnormal manifestations that hinder children’s normal development; cohort studies suggest a higher incidence in boys than in girls. Early diagnosis and appropriate interventions can help relieve symptoms. Unfortunately, the relevant research still needs to be further developed. In this paper, we first start from the definition of DCD, systematically investigate the relevant research papers in the past decades and summarize the current research hotspots and research trends in this field. After summarizing, it is found that this research field has attracted more researchers to join, the number of papers published has increased year by year and has become a hot spot in multidisciplinary research, such as education, psychology, sports rehabilitation, neurobiology, and neuroimaging. The continuous development of the correlation between perinatal factors and DCD, various omics studies, and neuroimaging methods also brings new perspectives and working targets to DCD research. DCD-related research will continue to deepen along the research direction of multivariate, multidimensional, and multimodal.
Development and validation of questionnaire-based machine learning models for predicting all-cause mortality in a representative population of China
Authors: Li Ziyi , Yang Na , He Liyun , Wang Jialu , Ping Fan , Li Wei , Xu Lingling , Zhang Huabing , Li Yuxiu
Published: January 2023

Background

Considering that the previously developed mortality prediction models have limited applications to the Chinese population, a questionnaire-based prediction model is of great importance for its accuracy and convenience in clinical practice.

Methods

Two national cohort, namely, the China Health and Nutrition Survey (8,355 individual older than 18) and the China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study (12,711 individuals older than 45) were used for model development and validation. One hundred and fifty-nine variables were compiled to generate predictions. The Cox regression model and six machine learning (ML) models were used to predict all-cause mortality. Finally, a simple questionnaire-based ML prediction model was developed using the best algorithm and validated.

Results

In the internal validation set, all the ML models performed better than the traditional Cox model in predicting 6-year mortality and the random survival forest (RSF) model performed best. The questionnaire-based ML model, which only included 20 variables, achieved a C-index of 0.86 (95%CI: 0.80–0.92). On external validation, the simple questionnaire-based model achieved a C-index of 0.82 (95%CI: 0.77–0.87), 0.77 (95%CI: 0.75–0.79), and 0.79 (95%CI: 0.77–0.81), respectively, in predicting 2-, 9-, and 11-year mortality.

Conclusions

In this prospective population-based study, a model based on the RSF analysis performed best among all models. Furthermore, there was no significant difference between the prediction performance of the questionnaire-based ML model, which only included 20 variables, and that of the model with all variables (including laboratory variables). The simple questionnaire-based ML prediction model, which needs to be further explored, is of great importance for its accuracy and suitability to the Chinese general population.
Communicating risk during early phases of COVID-19: Comparing governing structures for emergency risk communication across four contexts
Authors: Geurts Brogan , Weishaar Heide , Mari Saez Almudena , Cristea Florin , Rocha Carlos , Aminu Kafayat , Tan Melisa Mei Jin , Salim Camara Bienvenu , Barry Lansana , Thea Paul , Boucsein Johannes , Bahr Thurid , Al-Awlaqi Sameh , Pozo-Martin Francisco , Boklage Evgeniya , Delamou Alexandre , Jegede Ayodele Samuel , Legido-Quigley Helena , El Bcheraoui Charbel
Published: January 2023

Background

Emergency risk communication (ERC) is key to achieving compliance with public health measures during pandemics. Yet, the factors that facilitated ERC during COVID-19 have not been analyzed. We compare ERC in the early stages of the pandemic across four socio-economic settings to identify how risk communication can be improved in public health emergencies (PHE).

Methods

To map and assess the content, process, actors, and context of ERC in Germany, Guinea, Nigeria, and Singapore, we performed a qualitative document review, and thematically analyzed semi-structured key informant interviews with 155 stakeholders involved in ERC at national and sub-national levels. We applied Walt and Gilson's health policy triangle as a framework to structure the results.

Results

We identified distinct ERC strategies in each of the four countries. Various actors, including governmental leads, experts, and organizations with close contact to the public, collaborated closely to implement ERC strategies. Early integration of ERC into preparedness and response plans, lessons from previous experiences, existing structures and networks, and clear leadership were identified as crucial for ensuring message clarity, consistency, relevance, and an efficient use of resources. Areas of improvement primarily included two-way communication, community engagement, and monitoring and evaluation. Countries with recurrent experiences of pandemics appeared to be more prepared and equipped to implement ERC strategies.

Conclusion

We found that considerable potential exists for countries to improve communication during public health emergencies, particularly in the areas of bilateral communication and community engagement as well as monitoring and evaluation. Building adaptive structures and maintaining long-term relationships with at-risk communities reportedly facilitated suitable communication. The findings suggest considerable potential and transferable learning opportunities exist between countries in the global north and countries in the global south with experience of managing outbreaks.
Home or hospital as the place of end-of-life care and death: A survey among Chinese residents of Macao
Authors: Tam Kuai In , Che Sok Leng , Zhu Mingxia , Leong Sok Man
Published: January 2023

Objectives

The study was the first to explore Chinese residents' preferred place of care at the end of life and preferred place of death in Macao.

Methods

A cross-sectional questionnaire survey was conducted online and face-to-face. The questionnaire was designed in Chinese, and both online and face-to-face surveys were conducted in Chinese. The study was conducted in Macao. Macao residents aged 18 years and older were recruited.

Results

A total of 737 responses were valid, 65% were female, aged between 19 and 101 years; 43.4% of respondents preferred to be cared for at home in the last 6 months; however, less than one-fifth preferred to die at home. One-third of respondents chose to die in the hospice, and over a quarter of them preferred to die in hospitals. Compared with people aged between 18 and 39 years, people aged between 40 and 64 years did not want to be cared for at home in the last 6 months, and they did not want to die at home either.

Conclusion

The results of the study suggested that there is a need for palliative home care in Macao, and the government should consider developing such a service and review current laws and regulations in supporting the service. Education is equally important for healthcare professionals, enabling them to support palliative care development in the community.
(St)aging in place: Information and communication technologies for a health-centered agile dwelling unit
Authors: Cevallos Nicole , Ramadhani Widya A. , Lindgren Julia , Bell Bradley , Martinez-Cosio Maria , Harvey Thomas E. , Nanda Upali , Mustata Wilson Gabriela
Published: January 2023

As the number of older adults is growing rapidly in the U.S., the need for personalized, innovative, and sustainable Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) solutions is critical to support individuals' social, emotional, and physical health. Such technology can significantly help older adults' ability to live independently in their homes despite the challenges the aging process may present, referred to as aging or staging in place. In this study, we explored ways to integrate ICTs into Agile Dwelling Units (AgDUs) through affordable, innovative, technology-enabled tools and practices that can be adapted to respond to individual's needs while supporting independent, secure, and engaged healthy living. The technology-enabled and human-centered AgDUs organically transform in response to users' needs. This approach offers a viable solution for older adults at different stages throughout their lifespan to transition into an intimate, technologically-enhanced living environment while allowing for (1) customization to user's needs; (2) cost optimization and maintenance; and (3) accessibility that minimizes gaps in compliance from a provider and user perspectives. Integrating ICTs in AgDUs to support health monitoring and management could reduce forthcoming pressure on the healthcare system and care providers to accommodate the needs of older adults. This approach is described through a collaborative multidisciplinary lens that highlights a partnership between academia, industry experts, and key stakeholders to advance healthy living and extend lifespan through design-build and technology integration. The main goal of this approach is to increase access to health services and optimize healthcare costs.
Social distancing cut down the prevalence of acute otitis media in children
Authors: Yu Huiqian , Gu Dantong , Yu Fangzhou , Li Qingzhong
Published: January 2023

Objectives

To evaluate the additional, unintended benefits of social distancing in cutting down the prevalence of acute otitis media (AOM) in children, especially during coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) periods.

Methods

The daily outpatient attendance of AOM for childhood (from 6 months to 12 years) was compared in the tertiary hospital in Shanghai during pre-COVID-19 and COVID-19 year.

Results

A total of 24,543 AOM cases were included from 2015 to 2020. When age was taken into account, children in kindergarten (aged 4–6) constitute 66.2% (16,236/24,543) of all case, followed by primary school students (6,441/24,543, 26.2%) and preschoolers <3 years old (1,866/24,543, 7.6%). There was an estimated 63.6% (54.32–70.36%) reduction in the daily outpatient attendance of AOM associated with the introduction of social distancing in 2020 (COVID-19 year). The epidemic trend of AOM in 2015–2019 was characterized by seasonal fluctuations, with highest incidence in December (18.8 ± 0.5%) and lower in February (4.5 ± 0.2%), June (3.7 ± 0.7%) and August (3.5 ± 0.5%). And distribution characteristics of different ages in COVID-19 period broadly in line with that in non-pandemic period.

Conclusion

Seasonal fluctuation in the prevalence of AOM was observed in pre-COVID-19 period (2015–2019), with a peak in winter and a nadir in summer. The >50% drop of outpatient attendance of AOM in 2020 (COVID-19 year) suggest that social distancing, mask effects and good hand hygiene can significantly reduce the incidence of AOM, which provides a preventive and therapeutic point of view for AOM.
Does environmental regulation improve residents' health? Evidence from China
Authors: Pei Yunhe , Chen Hailin , Liu Zhenhai , Hu Haozhi
Published: January 2023

Environmental pollution is an important factor that harms public health, and environmental regulation is the policy instrument to govern pollution, so what impact does environmental regulation have on the public health? What are the mechanisms? To answer these questions, this paper constructs ologit model and uses China General Social Survey data for empirical analysis. The study found first that environmental regulation has a significant effect on improving the health level of residents, and this effect has been increasing with the passage of time. Second, the impact of environmental regulation on residents' health is different among residents with different characteristics. Specifically, the positive impact of environmental regulation on residents' health is stronger among residents with at least a university degree, residents with urban-registered residences, and residents living in economically developed areas. Third, the mechanism analysis found that environmental regulation can improve residents' health by reducing pollutant emissions and improving environmental quality. Finally, by introducing a cost benefit model, it was found that environmental regulation has a significant effect on improving the welfare level of individual residents and society as a whole. Hence, Environmental regulation is an effective means to improve residents' health, but when implementing environmental regulation, we should also pay attention to its negative impact on residents' employment and income.
African American English intensifier dennamug: Using twitter to investigate syntactic change in low-frequency forms
Authors: Jones Taylor
Published: January 2023

There are some linguistic forms that may be known to both speakers and linguists, but that occur naturally with such low frequency that traditional sociolinguistic methods do not allow for study. This study investigates one such phenomenon: the grammatical reanalysis of an intensifier in some forms of African American English—from a full phrase[than a mother(fucker)]to lexical word (represented here asdennamug)—using data gathered from twitter. This paper investigates the relationship between apparent lexicalization and deletion of the comparative morpheme on the preceding adjective. While state-of-the-art traditional corpora contain so few tokens they can be counted on one hand, twitter yields almost 300,000 tokens over a 10 year sample period. This paper uses web scraping of Twitter to gather all plausible orthographic representations of the intensifier, and uses logistic regression to analyze the extent to which markers of lexicalization and reanalysis are associated with a corresponding shift from comparative to bare morphology on the adjective the intensifier modifies, finding that, indeed, degree of apparent lexicalization is strongly associated with bare morphology, suggesting ongoing lexicalization and subsequent reanalysis at the phrase level. This digital approach reveals ongoing grammatical change, with the new intensifier associated with bare, note comparative, adjectives, and that there is seemingly stable variation correlated with the degree to which the intensifier has lexicalized. Orthographic representations of African American English on social media are shown to be a locus of identity construction and grammatical change.
Application of the symbolic regression program AI-Feynman to psychology
Authors: Miyazaki Masato , Ishikawa Ken-Ichi , Nakashima Ken'ichiro , Shimizu Hiroshi , Takahashi Taiki , Takahashi Nobuyuki
Published: January 2023

The discovery of hidden laws in data is the core challenge in many fields, from the natural sciences to the social sciences. However, this task has historically relied on human intuition and experience in many areas, including psychology. Therefore, discovering laws using artificial intelligence (AI) has two significant advantages. First, it makes it possible to detect laws that humans cannot discover. Second, it will help construct more accurate theories. An AI called AI-Feynman was released in a very different field, and it performed impressively. Although AI-Feynman was initially designed to discover laws in physics, it can also work well in psychology. This research aims to examine whether AI-Feynman can be a new data analysis method for inter-temporal choice experiments by testing whether it can discover the hyperbolic discount model as a discount function. An inter-temporal choice experiment was conducted to accomplish these objectives, and the data were input into AI-Feynman. As a result, seven discount function candidates were proposed by AI-Feynman. One candidate was the hyperbolic discount model, which is currently considered the most accurate. The three functions of the root-mean-squared errors were superior to the hyperbolic discount model. Moreover, one of the three candidates was more “hyperbolic” than the standard hyperbolic discount function. These results indicate two things. One is that AI-Feynman can be a new data analysis method for inter-temporal choice experiments. The other is that AI-Feynman can discover discount functions that humans cannot find.
An enterprise structure approach improves index-based crop portfolio decision-making
Authors: Mzyece Agness , Amanor-Boadu Vincent , Ng'ombe John N.
Published: January 2023

Introduction

While crop diversification indices are relatively simple and useful for quantifying the extent of crop diversification, they may not account for the potential differences in the types of crops grown. This study shows the need to complement crop diversification indices with an enterprise structure approach to improve index-based crop portfolio decision making.

Methods

The study uses linear regression models and nationally representative farm survey data from 7,934 farmers in Zambia. The study compares the enterprise approach and the Simpson index of diversification which is commonly used in crop diversification studies.

Results and discussion

We find that complementing the enterprise structure approach with the Simpson index of diversification can increase profitability by as high as 77.89% for farmers. The cassava enterprise structure had the most returns for farmers. It had a gross margin of ZMW 3,887 per hectare and was trailed by the maize/groundnuts/cotton/rice enterprise structure with a gross margin of ZMW3,681 per hectare. These results suggest that the use of aggregation crop diversification indices, without an additional enterprise structure analysis, may obscure the necessary insights needed to practically help farmers.
Fast and optimal branch-and-bound planner for the grid-based coverage path planning problem based on an admissible heuristic function
Authors: Champagne Gareau Jaël , Beaudry Éric , Makarenkov Vladimir
Published: January 2023

This paper introduces an optimal algorithm for solving the discrete grid-based coverage path planning (CPP) problem. This problem consists in finding a path that covers a given region completely. First, we propose a CPP-solving baseline algorithm based on the iterative deepening depth-first search (ID-DFS) approach. Then, we introduce two branch-and-bound strategies (Loop detection and an Admissible heuristic function) to improve the results of our baseline algorithm. We evaluate the performance of our planner using six types of benchmark grids considered in this study: Coast-like, Random links, Random walk, Simple-shapes, Labyrinth and Wide-Labyrinth grids. We are first to consider these types of grids in the context of CPP. All of them find their practical applications in real-world CPP problems from a variety of fields. The obtained results suggest that the proposed branch-and-bound algorithm solves the problem optimally (i.e., the exact solution is found in each case) orders of magnitude faster than an exhaustive search CPP planner. To the best of our knowledge, no general CPP-solving exact algorithms, apart from an exhaustive search planner, have been proposed in the literature.
SSAVE: A tool for analysis and visualization of sleep periods using electroencephalography data
Authors: Talukder Amlan , Li Yuanyuan , Yeung Deryck , Umbach David M. , Fan Zheng , Li Leping
Published: January 2023

Human sleep architecture is structured with repeated episodes of rapid-eye-movement (REM) and non-rapid-eye-movement (NREM) sleep. An overnight sleep study facilitates identification of macro and micro changes in the pattern and duration of sleep stages associated with sleep disorders and other aspects of human mental and physical health. Overnight sleep studies record, in addition to electroencephalography (EEG) and other electro-physiological signals, a sequence of sleep-stage annotations. SSAVE, introduced here, is open-source software that takes sleep-stage annotations and EEG signals as input, identifies and characterizes periods of NREM and REM sleep, and produces a hypnogram and its time-matched EEG spectrogram. SSAVE fills an important gap for the rapidly growing field of sleep medicine by providing an easy-to-use tool for sleep-period identification and visualization. SSAVE can be used as a Python package, a desktop standalone tool or through a web portal. All versions of the SSAVE tool can be found on: https://manticore.niehs.nih.gov/ssave.
Mycotoxin communications: Managing messages for different audiences
Authors: Leslie John F. , Morris Jeffery B. , Gurung Jaya K. , Harvey Jagger J. W. , Ayalew Amare , Baker Robert , Zhang Guangtao
Published: January 2023

Mycotoxins, such as aflatoxins, fumonisins, trichothecenes, and zearalenone, are increasing in visibility as a public health threat through both acute and chronic exposure in food. USAID through its Feed the Future program has sponsored research in Nepal on mycotoxin contamination and the correlated high levels of stunting in children under age five. Communicating about mycotoxins is a complicated matter, as is communicating about any potentially serious economic or health threat that may be difficult to control. Two nominal group workshops in Nepal focused on identifying problems from multiple perspectives and developing potential communication strategies to mitigate the problem and potential concerns about it. Target audiences were identified along with their interests and effective channels to communicate with and within them. The first audience to work with is the government, as it must understand and value the problem and help generate confidence in potential regulatory and mitigation processes. Producers, educators and health professionals are the next audiences to address as they are the most closely involved with the problem. Consumer engagement is last, with a communication goal of sharing information to heighten awareness and minimize unwarranted public concern.
Semi-quantitative risk assessment of African swine fever virus introduction in pig farms
Authors: Scollo Annalisa , Valentini Francesco , Franceschini Giorgio , Rusinà Alessia , Calò Stefania , Cappa Veronica , Bellato Alessandro , Mannelli Alessandro , Alborali Giovanni Loris , Bellini Silvia
Published: January 2023

A semi-quantitative risk assessment was developed to classify pig farms in terms of the probability of introduction of African swine fever virus (ASFV). Following on-farm data collection via a specific checklist, we applied a modified failure mode and effect analysis (FMEA) to calculate the risk priority codes (RPC's), indicating increasing risk levels ranging from 1 to 5. The importance of biosecurity measures was attributed by experts. To consider geographic risk factors, we classified pig farms based on local density of farmed pigs, and on the estimated wild boar population density. The combination of RPC's with geographical risk factors resulted into a final ranking of pig farms in terms of the risk of ASFV introduction. Furthermore, the estimation of frequency and levels of non-compliance with biosecurity measures was used to identify weak points in risk prevention at farm level. The outcome of the risk assessment was affected by choices in assigning non-compliance scores and importance to specific components of biosecurity. The method was applied in 60 commercial farms in major pig production areas in Italy. Furthermore, we applied a reduced version of our checklist in 12 non-commercial/small commercial (≤20 pigs) farms in the northern Apennines. In commercial farms, highest RPC's were obtained for biosecurity measures associated with personnel practices and farm buildings/planimetry. Intervention should be addressed to training of personnel on biosecurity and ASF, to avoid contacts with other pig herds, and to improve practices in the entrance into the farm. Sharing trucks with other farms, and loading/unloading of pigs were other weak points. Fencing was classified as insufficient in 70% of the commercial farms. Among these farms, breeding units were characterised by the lowest risk of ASFV introduction (although differences among median ranks were not statistically significant: P-value = 0.07; Kruskal–Wallis test), and increasing herd size was not significantly correlated with a higher risk (Kendall's τ = −0.13; P-value = 0.14). Density of farmed pig was greatest in the main pig production area in northern Italy. Conversely, exposure to wild boars was greatest for non-commercial/small commercial farms on the Apennines, which were also characterised by non-compliance with critical biosecurity measures.
Moringa oleifera leaf ethanolic extract benefits cashmere goat semen quality via improving rumen microbiota and metabolome
Authors: Liang Jianyong , Wu Tiecheng , Wang Tao , Ma Yuejun , Li Yurong , Zhao Shengguo , Guo Yanli , Liu Bin
Published: January 2023

Background

Artificial insemination (AI) is an effective reproductive technique to improve the performance of cashmere goats and prevent the spread of diseases, and the quality of the semen determines the success of AI. The potential of Moringa oleifera leaf powder (MOLP) and Moringa oleifera leaf ethanolic extract (MOLE) to improve semen quality has been reported, but the underlying mechanisms remain unclear. For the purpose, 18 mature male cashmere goats were randomly assigned into three groups: the control (CON), MOLP, and MOLE groups. The CON group received distilled water orally; the MOLP group was orally treated with 200 mg/kg body weight (BW) MOLP; and the MOLE group was orally treated with 40 mg/kg BW MOLE.

Results

Results showed that MOLE contained long-chain fatty acids and flavonoids. Treatment with MOLP and MOLE increased the activities of the serum catalase, superoxide dismutase, and glutathione peroxidase (P < 0.05), enhanced the total antioxidant capacity (P < 0.05), and reduced the serum malondialdehyde level (P < 0.05). At the same time, MOLE increased the contents of serum gonadotropin releasing hormone and testosterone (P < 0.05). Moreover, MOLE significantly increased sperm concentration, motility, and viability (P < 0.05). Meanwhile, MOLE raised the Chao1 index (P < 0.05) and altered the composition of the rumen microbiota; it also raised the relative abundance of Treponema (P < 0.05) and Fibrobacter (P < 0.05) and reduced the relative abundance of Prevotella (P < 0.1). Correlation analysis revealed the genus Prevotella was significantly negatively correlated with sperm concentration, as well as sperm motility and viability. Furthermore, MOLE significantly increased the rumen levels of the steroid hormones testosterone and dehydroepiandrosterone (P < 0.05), as well as the polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) alpha-Linolenic acid, gamma-Linolenic acid, docosapentaenoic acid, and 9-S-Hydroperoxylinoleicacid (P < 0.05).

Conclusions

Oral MOLE supplementation can improve semen quality by increasing the antioxidant capacity and altering the rumen microbiota and metabolites of cashmere goats. Moreover, the MOLP supplementation could enhance the antioxidant capacity of cashmere goats.
Cancer apelin receptor suppresses vascular mimicry in malignant melanoma
Authors: Inukai Koichi , Kise Kazuyoshi , Hayashi Yumiko , Jia Weizhen , Muramatsu Fumitaka , Okamoto Naoki , Konishi Hirotaka , Akuta Keigo , Kidoya Hiroyasu , Takakura Nobuyuki
Published: January 2023

Several reports indicate that apelin is often over-expressed in tumors, and therefore it has been suggested that the apelin–apelin receptor (APJ) system may induce tumor progression. In contrast, our previous research revealed high expression of the apelin–APJ system in tumor blood vessels, suggesting its involvement in the regulation of tumor vessel formation and normalization, resulting in the suppression of tumor growth by promoting the infiltration of T cells. Thus, the effect of the apelin–APJ system on tumors remains controversial. In this report, to clarify the effect of apelin in tumor cells, we analyzed the function of APJ in tumor cells using APJ knock out (KO) mice. In APJ-KO mice, Apelin overexpression in B16/BL6 (B16) melanoma cells induced greater tumor growth than controls. In an APJ-KO melanoma inoculation model, although angiogenesis is suppressed compared to wild type, no difference is evident in tumor growth. We found that APJ deficiency promoted vascular mimicry in tumors. In vitro, cultured APJ-KO B16 cells demonstrated a spindle-like shape. This phenotypic change was thought to be induced by epithelial–mesenchymal transition (EMT) based on evidence that APJ-KO B16 cells show persistently high levels of the mesenchymal maker, Zeb1; however, we found that EMT did not correlate with the transforming growth factor-β/smad signaling pathway in our model. We propose that apelin-APJ system in cancer cells induces tumor growth but negatively regulates EMT and tumor malignancy.
Human Resources Information System (HRIS) to Enhance Civil Servants’ Innovation Outcomes: Compulsory or Complimentary?
Authors: Satispi Evi , Rajiani Ismi , Murod Mamun , Andriansyah Andriansyah
Published: January 2023

The Internet of things (IoT) has oriented organisations digitally in administrating human resources. In line with this trend, Indonesian public sectors are adopting Human Resources Information Systems (HRIS) to boost employee innovation outcomes. However, coercive pressure to implement HRIS has only resulted in fiascos for the technology, which cannot be fully considered to eliminate long, ineffective, and inefficient practices. This study examines the instrumental adoption factors to adopt HRIS in boosting employee innovation outcomes from technological, organisational, people, and social outlooks. The empirical data consisting of 500 valid datasets were obtained from public servants in Indonesia via web-based questionnaires. structural equation modelling (SEM), which was used to examine the relationship among constructs. Technology fit, organisational resources, knowledge, and social influences have positive impacts on technology adoption. However, when treated as a mediation, the negative path from HRIS to innovation outcomes implied that e-HRM reflected in HRIS implementation would not make employees innovative. The scrutinized under ability, motivation, and opportunity (AMO) framework and empirical insights clearly portray that Indonesian’s ability to fit into this framework is problematical, making technological innovation in the Indonesian public sector only complimentary, not compulsory. This study suggests that HRM reform in public organisations is a top priority if the country wishes to achieve world-class bureaucracy by 2025.
Ground-Based Experiment for Electric Propulsion Thruster Plume—Magnetic Field Interaction
Authors: Neumann Andreas , Mühlich Nina
Published: January 2023

Electric space propulsion is a technology which is employed on a continuously increasing number of spacecrafts. While the current focus of their application area is on telecommunication satellites and on space exploration missions, several new ideas are now discussed that go even further and apply the thruster plume particle flow for transferring momentum to targets such as space debris objects or even asteroids. In these potential scenarios, the thruster beam impacts on distant objects and subsequently generates changes in their flight path. One aspect which so far has not been systematically investigated is the interaction of the charged particles in the propulsion beam with magnetic fields which are present in space. This interaction may result in a deflection of the particle flow and consequently affect the aiming strategy. In the present article, basic considerations related to the interaction between electric propulsion thruster plumes and magnetic fields are presented. Experiments with respect to these questions were conducted in the high-vacuum plume test facility for electric thrusters (STG-ET) of the German Aerospace Center in Göttingen utilizing a gridded ion thruster, an RIT10/37, and a Helmholtz coil to generate magnetic fields of varying field strength. It was possible to detect a beam deflection on the RIT ion beam caused by a magnetic field with an Earth-like magnetic field strength.
Spherical Formation Tracking Control of Non-Holonomic UAVs with State Constraints and Time Delays
Authors: Ai Xiang , Zhang Ya , Chen Yang-Yang
Published: January 2023

This paper addresses a novel spherical formation tracking control problem of multiple UAVs with time-varying delays in the directed communication network, where the dynamics of each UAV is non-holonomic and in the presence of spatiotemporal flowfields. The state constraints (that is, position and velocity constraints) are derived from our previous differential geometry method and the F–S formulas. The state constraints and time delays in the directed communication network bring many difficulties to controller design. To this end, a virtual-structure-like design is given to achieve a formation with delayed information by using Lyapunov–Krasovskii functionals, and then proposing a barrier Lyapunov function for the satisfaction of state constraints to design a novel spherical formation tracking algorithm. The general assumption of the rate of change of time-varying delays, and a certain initial position and velocity adjustment range are given. Simulation results show the feasibility and effectiveness of the proposed algorithm.
Critical Factors Affecting Water and Nitrogen Losses from Sloping Farmland during the Snowmelt Process
Authors: Zhao Qiang , Zhang Jifeng , Wu Jingwei , Guo Chenyao , Li Chengeng , Liu Yawen , Zhang Rui , Zhao Hang
Published: January 2023

Water and nitrogen losses from farmland during the snowmelt process play a vital role in water and nitrogen management in cold regions. To explore the mechanisms and factors contributing to water and nitrogen loss from different sloping farmlands during the snowmelt period, field experiments were conducted under two slope treatments (8° and 15°), two soil water content (SWC) treatments, and two snow water equivalent (SWE) (5 mm and 10 mm) treatments in a seasonal freezing agricultural watershed of Northeast China. The results showed that during the snowmelt process, SWE was the most important factor affecting water and nitrogen production through the surface and total runoff of the sloping farmland, followed by the slope. The water and nitrogen yield in the high snow (HS) treatments ranged from 1.76 to 8.15 and 1.65 to 12.62 times higher than those in the low snow (LS) treatments. The generation of nitrogen was advanced compared with that of water induced by the preferential production of nitrogen. A higher slope promoted this preferential production function of nitrogen. Enhanced infiltration combined with the preferential yield of nitrogen resulted in a greatly decreased yield of water and nitrogen in the gentle slope and LS (GS_LS) treatments. These findings are valuable for accurately describing the water and nitrogen cycling in seasonally freezing sloping farmland.
Evaluation of the Effectiveness of Loose and Compressed Wood Chip Mulch in Field-Grown Blueberries—A Preliminary Study
Authors: Appiah Kwame Sarpong , Onwona-Agyeman Siaw , Omari Richard Ansong , Horiuchi Naomi , Sarkodee-Addo Elsie , Sabi Edward Benjamin , Fujii Yoshiharu
Published: January 2023

Blueberry production in the field faces several challenges, including competition from weeds and soil suitability. Different mulch types are widely used in blueberry cultivation to control weeds, conserve moisture, and mitigate soil erosion. However, the comparative effects of loose and compressed wood chips on fruit quality and weed control in blueberry production systems have not been studied. Many farmers use expensive imported peat moss as soil covers, while others apply organic mulches such as chips or chaff, which can be easily washed away by runoff. This study aimed to evaluate the effects of compressed mulching boards (MB) fabricated without the use of chemical adhesives using pressurized steam and compression technologies in blueberry cultivation. During the two growing seasons, the effectiveness of compressed MB on soil moisture retention, fruit quality, and weed biomass was compared to that of wood chip (WC) and control treatments in a blueberry field. Although a significant difference was observed in the fruit fresh weight, no significant differences were observed in the other fruit growth parameters for all the treatments. Generally, the compressed MB significantly improved soil moisture retention capacity compared to WC and control during the two-year study. The compressed MB showed effective weed suppression ability by significantly reducing the weed biomass at all sampling times.
Spectral Reflectance Indices’ Performance to Identify Seawater Salinity Tolerance in Bread Wheat Genotypes Using Genotype by Yield*Trait Biplot Approach
Authors: Elfanah Ahmed M. S. , Darwish Mohamed A. , Selim Adel I. , Shabana Mahmoud M. A. , Elmoselhy Omnya M. A. , Khedr Rania A. , Ali Abdelraouf M. , Abdelhamid Magdi T.
Published: January 2023

Salinity stress harms crop yield and productivity worldwide. This study aimed to identify genotypes with higher grain yield and/or salinity tolerance from forty bread wheat genotypes evaluated under seawater diluted at 4.0, 8.0, or 12.0 dS/m or control (0.4 dS/m) in the 2019/20 and 2020/21 seasons. Six elite genotypes, namely 6, 16, 31, 33, 34, and 36, were chosen and tested in a lysimeter under diluted seawater stress in 2020/21. The results showed significant differences (p ≤ 0.01) among the genotypes for the traits grain yield (GY), harvest index (HI), chlorophyll content index (CCI), chlorophyll fluorescence parameter Fv/Fm, and their interaction with salinity treatments. Additionally, significant differences (p ≤ 0.01) were detected among ten genotypes for all agronomic traits along with spectral reflectance indices (SRI), e.g., curvature index (CI), normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI), triangular vegetation index (TVI), modified chlorophyll absorption reflectance index (MCARI), and their interaction with salinity treatments. Genotype by traits (GT) and genotype by yield*trait (GYT) biplots are useful for genotypes screening and selection based on grain yield and other associated traits (agronomic, physiological traits, and spectral reflectance indices combinations) as well as genotypes by stress tolerance indices (GSTI). In conclusion, this study identified that genotypes 6, 16, 31, 33, 34, and 36 in the 2019/20 season and genotypes 2 and 1 performed better than Kharchia 65 and Sakha 8 in the 2020/21 season, which detected as superior genotypes and might be recommended for sowing and/or inclusion in the breeding program in salt-affected soils. It was possible to draw the conclusion that spectral reflectance indices were efficient at identifying genotypic variance.
Estimating the Reduction in Cover Crop Vitality Followed by Pelargonic Acid Application Using Drone Imagery
Authors: Ganji Eliyeh , Grenzdörffer Görres , Andert Sabine
Published: January 2023

Cultivation of cover crops is a valuable practice in sustainable agriculture. In cover crop management, the method of desiccation is an important consideration, and one widely used method for this is the application of glyphosate. With use of glyphosate likely to be banned soon in Europe, the purpose of this study was to evaluate the herbicidal effect of pelargonic acid (PA) as a bio-based substitute for glyphosate. This study presents the results of a two-year field experiment (2019 and 2021) conducted in northeast Germany. The experimental setup included an untreated control, three different dosages (16, 8, and 5 L/ha) of PA, and the active ingredients glyphosate and pyraflufen. A completely randomised block design was established. The effect of the herbicide treatments was assessed by a visual estimate of the percentage of crop vitality and a comparison assessment provided by an Ebee+ drone. Four vegetation indices (VIs) calculated from the drone images were used to verify the credibility of colour (RGB)-based and near-infrared (NIR)-based vegetation indices. The results of both types of assessment indicated that pelargonic acid was reasonably effective in controlling cover crops within a week of application. In both experimental years, the PA (16 L/ha) and PA_2T (double application of 8 L/ha) treatments demonstrated their highest herbicidal effect for up to seven days after application. PA (16 L/ha) vitality loss decreased over time, while PA_2T (double application of 8 L/ha) continued to exhibit an almost constant effect for longer due to the second application one week later. The PA dosage of 5 L/ha, pyraflufen, and a mixture of the two exhibited a smaller vitality loss than the other treatments. However, except for glyphosate, the herbicidal effect of all the other treatments decreased over time. At the end of the experiment, the glyphosate treatment (3 L/ha) demonstrated the lowest estimated vitality. The results of the drone assessments indicated that vegetation indices (VIs) can provide detailed information regarding crop vitality following herbicide application and that RGB-based indices, such as EXG, have the potential to be applied efficiently and cost-effectively utilising drone imagery. The results of this study demonstrate that pelargonic acid has considerable potential for use as an additional tool in integrated crop management.
Foliar Application of Ascorbic Acid and Tocopherol in Conferring Salt Tolerance in Rapeseed by Enhancing K+/Na+ Homeostasis, Osmoregulation, Antioxidant Defense, and Glyoxalase System
Authors: Hasanuzzaman Mirza , Raihan Md. Rakib Hossain , Alharby Hesham F. , Al-Zahrani Hassan S. , Alsamadany Hameed , Alghamdi Khalid M. , Ahmed Naznin , Nahar Kamrun
Published: January 2023

This study explored the role of exogenous α-Toc (0.5 mM) and Asc (1 mM) in alleviating the damaging effects of salt stress in rapeseed plants (Brassica campestris cv. BARI Sarisha-17). Exposure of 21-day-old plants to different levels of salt stress (75 mM and 150 mM NaCl) resulted in the higher accumulation of sodium ions (Na+), reduced potassium ion (K+) levels, lower K+/Na+ ratio, increased oxidative damage, chlorophyll (Chl) breakdown, and disrupted antioxidant and glyoxalase systems. Phenotype responses to salt stress included reductions in plant height, shoot fresh weight, dry weight, number of siliques plant−1, silique length, number of seeds silique−1, 1000-seed weight, and seed yield plant−1. Exogenous α-Toc and Asc applications enhanced the levels of endogenous ascorbate, glutathione (GSH), AsA/dehydroascorbate ratios, GSH/glutathione disulfide, ascorbate peroxidase, monodehydroascorbate reductase, glutathione reductase, glutathione peroxidase, and catalase activities in the salt-stressed plants. Exogenous α-Toc and Asc enhanced antioxidant defense system components and insured better oxidative stress tolerance, as indicated by reduced hydrogen peroxide generation, membrane lipid peroxidation, and electrolyte leakage. Exogenous α-Toc and Asc increased glyoxalase I and glyoxalase II activities in the salt-affected plants. Moreover, they regulated proline levels and increased the leaf relative water content, as well as the Chl level. Exogenous α-Toc and Asc also restored growth and improved yield attributes and seed yield per plants in the salt-affected rapeseed.