bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Quantitative Evaluation of Tactile Foraging Behavior in Pekin and Muscovy Ducks
Authors: West Aaron K. , Xu Emily M. , Nelson Mitchell D. , Hart Thomas R. , Stricker Emelia M. , Cones Alexandra G. , Martin Grace M. , Strickland Kourtney , Lambert Devin L. , Burman Lainey , Zhu Bailey H. , Schneider Eve R.
Published: June 2022

Ducks have developed a variety of foraging strategies that utilize touch sensitive bills to match their ecological niche within wetlands. These techniques include diving, sieving, dabbling, and grazing. Ducks exhibiting tactile specialization in foraging outperform visual and non-tactile foraging ducks in behavioral experiments and have a higher percentage of light-touch mechanoreceptor neurons expressing Piezo2 in the trigeminal ganglia. Belonging to two different tribes of Anseriformes, the well-studied tactile specialist Pekin (Tribe Anatini:Anas platyrhynchos domestica) and lesser studied Muscovy (Tribe Cairinini:Cairina moschata domestica) ducks were tested on a series of experiments to assess these birds’ functional tactile acuity. Both species of duck were able to separate out and consume edible items from increasing amounts of inedible plastiline clay distractors. They could also both be trained to associate a food reward with plastiline stimuli of differing size and shape using touch alone. However, only females of each species could learn to associate food reward with otherwise identical stimuli differing only in hardness. Pekin females performed significantly better than Muscovy females suggesting the anatomical specializations present in many Anatini may contribute to this type of tactile acuity. These findings have potential relevance in understanding the evolution of tactile ability and feeding ecology.
Effects of Ethanol Treatment on Storage Quality and Antioxidant System of Postharvest Papaya
Authors: Liu Zhichao , Jiang Fan , Mo Yiming , Liao Haida , Chen Ping , Zhang Hongna
Published: June 2022

Papaya is the fourth most favored tropical fruit in the global market; it has rich nutrition and can be used for medicine and food processing. However, it will soften and mature in a short time after harvest, resulting in a lot of economic losses. In this study, papaya fruits were soaked in 0, 12.5, 25, 50, and 100 ml/L ethanol solutions for 2 h and stored at 25°C for 14 days, by which we explored the effects of ethanol treatment in papaya after harvest. At an optimal concentration of ethanol treatment, color changing of the papaya fruits was delayed for 6 days, and decay incidence and average firmness of the fruits were shown as 20% and 27.7 N, respectively. Moreover, the effect of ethanol treatment on antioxidant systems in the papaya fruits was explored. It was observed that ethanol treatment contributed to diminish the development of malondialdehyde (MDA), ethylene, and superoxide anions. Furthermore, the activities of superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT), and ascorbate peroxidase (APX) were promoted than those of control group, while the activities of peroxidase (POD), phenylalanine ammonia-lyase (PAL), and polyphenol oxidase (PPO) were brought down. In addition, the principal component analysis (PCA) showed that PAL, ethylene, and superoxide anions were the main contributors for the maturity and senescence of postharvest papaya. In this experiment, ethanol treatment had the potential of delaying the ripening and maintaining the storage quality of papaya fruits.
Comparative Transcriptomic Analyses of Nitrate-Response in Rice Genotypes With Contrasting Nitrogen Use Efficiency Reveals Common and Genotype-Specific Processes, Molecular Targets and Nitrogen Use Efficiency-Candidates
Authors: Sharma Narendra , Kumari Supriya , Jaiswal Dinesh Kumar , Raghuram Nandula
Published: June 2022

The genetic basis for nitrogen (N)-response and N use efficiency (NUE) must be found in N-responsive gene expression or protein regulation. Our transcriptomic analysis of nitrate response in two contrasting rice genotypes of Oryza sativa ssp. Indica (Nidhi with low NUE and Panvel1 with high NUE) revealed the processes/functions underlying differential N-response/NUE. The microarray analysis of low nitrate response (1.5 mM) relative to normal nitrate control (15 mM) used potted 21-days old whole plants. It revealed 1,327 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) exclusive to Nidhi and 666 exclusive to Panvel1, apart from 70 common DEGs, of which 10 were either oppositely expressed or regulated to different extents. Gene ontology analyses revealed that photosynthetic processes were among the very few processes common to both the genotypes in low N response. Those unique to Nidhi include cell division, nitrogen utilization, cytoskeleton, etc. in low N-response, whereas those unique to Panvel1 include signal transduction, protein import into the nucleus, and mitochondria. This trend of a few common but mostly unique categories was also true for transporters, transcription factors, microRNAs, and post-translational modifications, indicating their differential involvement in Nidhi and Panvel1. Protein-protein interaction networks constructed using DEG-associated experimentally validated interactors revealed subnetworks involved in cytoskeleton organization, cell wall, etc. in Nidhi, whereas in Panvel1, it was chloroplast development. NUE genes were identified by selecting yield-related genes from N-responsive DEGs and their co-localization on NUE-QTLs revealed the differential distribution of NUE-genes between genotypes but on the same chromosomes 1 and 3. Such hotspots are important for NUE breeders.
Rhizospheric Bacillus-Facilitated Effects on the Growth and Competitive Ability of the Invasive Plant Ageratina adenophora
Authors: Du Ewei , Chen Yaping , Li Yahong , Sun Zhongxiang , Gui Furong
Published: June 2022

The rhizospheric microbial community affects the population establishment of invasive plants in introduced areas, among which Bacillus has numerous functions in promoting plant growth. This study isolated and enriched the Bacillus community in the rhizospheric soil of the invasive plant Ageratina adenophora and the native accompanying plant Rabdosia amethystoides. The effects of these rhizospheric Bacillus communities on the growth and competition of A. adenophora and R. amethystoides were evaluated in pot experiments. The results showed that the number and diversity of Bacillus in the rhizospheric soil of A. adenophora were higher than those of R. amethystoides (A. adenophora: 122 strains in soil, 16 Bacillus taxa; R. amethystoides: 88 strains in soil, 9 Bacillus taxa). After Bacillus inoculation of A. adenophora in a pot experiment, Bacillus idriensis, Bacillus toyonensis and Bacillus cereus were accumulated in the rhizospheric of A. adenophora, which significantly increased the nitrate nitrogen (NO3–-N) content in the soil and the total carbon and nitrogen concentrations in A. adenophora in the mixed treatment. The selective accumulation of Bacillus enhanced the competitive advantage of A. adenophora over the native accompanying plant; the corrected index of relative competition intensity of A. adenophora-inoculated Bacillus reached double that of the uninoculated treatment, and the growth of native plants was greatly suppressed under mixed planting. Our study confirmed that invasion of A. adenophora can lead to the accumulation of specific Bacillus taxa in the rhizospheric soil, which in turn can increase the competitive advantage of A. adenophora.
Low- and High-Temperature Phenotypic Diversity of Brassica carinata Genotypes for Early-Season Growth and Development
Authors: Persaud Leelawattie , Bheemanahalli Raju , Seepaul Ramdeo , Reddy K. Raja , Macoon Bisoondat
Published: June 2022

Temperature is a major abiotic stress factor limiting plant growth and development during the early developmental stage. Information on carinata (Brassica carinata A. Braun) traits response to low and high temperatures is necessary for breeding or selecting genotypes suited for specific ecoregions, which is limited. In the present study, 12 carinata genotypes were evaluated under low (17/09°C), optimum (22/14°C), and high (27/19°C) day/night temperatures at the early developmental stage. This study quantified temperature effects on several physiological and morphological characteristics of 12-advanced carinata lines. High-temperature plants decreased (15%) the accumulation of flavonoids and increased the nitrogen balance index by 25%. Low-temperature treatment significantly inhibited the aboveground (plant height, leaf area, number, and shoot weight) and root (length, surface area, and weight) traits. Across all genotypes, the shoot weight decreased by 55% and the root weight by 49% under low temperature. On the other hand, the maximum proportion of biomass was partitioned to roots under low temperature than at the high temperature. A poor relationship (r2 = 0.09) was found between low- and high-temperature indices, indicating differences in trait responses and tolerance mechanisms. AX17004 and AX17009 with higher root to shoot ratios might be suitable for late planting windows or regions with low-temperature spells. The two genotypes (AX17015 and AX17005) accumulated higher biomass under low- and high-temperature treatments can be used for planting in later summer or early winter. The identified low- and high-temperature stress-tolerant carinata genotypes could be a valuable resource for increasing stress tolerance during the early developmental stage.
Fungal Communities of the Pine Wilt Disease Complex: Studying the Interaction of Ophiostomatales With Bursaphelenchus xylophilus
Authors: Vicente Cláudia S. L. , Soares Miguel , Faria Jorge M. S. , Espada Margarida , Mota Manuel , Nóbrega Filomena , Ramos Ana P. , Inácio Maria L.
Published: June 2022

Considered one of the most devastating plant–parasitic nematodes worldwide,Bursaphelenchus xylophilus(commonly known as pinewood nematode, PWN) is the causal agent of the pine wilt disease in the Eurasian coniferous forests. This migratory parasitic nematode is carried by an insect vector (Monochamusspp.) into the host tree (Pinusspecies), where it can feed on parenchymal cells and reproduce massively, resulting in the tree wilting. In declining trees, PWN populations are strongly dependent on fungal communities colonizing the host (predominantly ophiostomatoid fungi known to cause sapwood blue-staining, the blue-stain fungi), which not only influence their development and life cycle but also the number of individuals carried by the insect vector into a new host. Our main aim is to understand if PWN-associated mycobiota plays a key role in the development of PWD, in interaction with the PWN and the insect vector, and to what extent it can be targeted to disrupt the disease cycle. For this purpose, we characterized the fungal communities ofPinus pinastertrees infected and non-infected with PWN in three collection sites in Continental Portugal with different PWD temporal incidences. Our results showed that non-infectedP. pinastermycoflora is more diverse (in terms of abundance and fungal richness) than PWN-infected pine trees in the most recent PWD foci, as opposed to the fungal communities of long-term PWD history sites. Then, due to their ecological importance for PWN survival, representatives of the main ophiostomatoid fungi isolated (Ophiostoma, Leptographium, andGraphilbum) were characterized for their adaptative response to temperature, competition in-between taxa, and as food source for PWN. Under the conditions studied,Leptographiumisolates showed promising results for PWN control. They could outcompete the other species, especiallyO. ips, and significantly reduce the development of PWN populations when compared toBotrytis cinerea(routinely used for PWN lab culturing), suggesting this to be a natural antagonist not only for the other blue-stain species but also for the PWN.
Functional Characterization of UDP-Glycosyltransferases Involved in Anti-viral Lignan Glycosides Biosynthesis in Isatis indigotica
Authors: Tan Yuping , Yang Jian , Jiang Yinyin , Wang Jian , Liu Yahui , Zhao Yujun , Jin Baolong , Wang Xing , Chen Tong , Kang Liping , Guo Juan , Cui Guanghong , Tang Jinfu , Huang Luqi
Published: June 2022

Isatis indigotica is a popular herbal medicine with its noticeable antiviral properties, which are primarily due to its lignan glycosides such as lariciresinol-4-O-β-D-glucoside and lariciresinol-4,4′-bis-O-β-D-glucosides (also called clemastanin B). UDP-glucose-dependent glycosyltransferases are the key enzymes involved in the biosynthesis of these antiviral metabolites. In this study, we systematically characterized the UGT72 family gene IiUGT1 and two UGT71B family genes, IiUGT4 and IiUGT71B5a, with similar enzymatic functions. Kinetic analysis showed that IiUGT4 was more efficient than IiUGT1 or IiUGT71B5a for the glycosylation of lariciresinol. Further knock-down and overexpression of these IiUGTs in I. indigotica’s hairy roots indicates that they play different roles in planta: IiUGT71B5a primarily participates in the biosynthesis of coniferin not pinoresinol diglucoside, and IiUGT1 primarily participates in the biosynthesis of pinoresinol diglucoside, while IiUGT4 is responsible for the glycosylation of lariciresinol and plays a dominant role in the biosynthesis of lariciresinol glycosides in I. indigotica. Analysis of the molecular docking and site-mutagenesis of IiUGT4 have found that key residues for its catalytic activity are H373, W376, E397, and that F151 could be associated with substrate preference. This study elucidates the biosynthetic route of anti-viral lignan glycosides in I. indigotica, and provides the foundation for the production of anti-viral lignan glycosides via synthetic biology under the heterologous model.
The Influence of Individual and Situational Factors on Teachers’ Justice Ratings of Classroom Interactions
Authors: Kobs Scarlett , Ehlert Antje , Lenkeit Jenny , Hartmann Anne , Spörer Nadine , Knigge Michel
Published: June 2022

Teachers, as role models, are crucial in promoting inclusion in society through their actions. Being perceived as fair by their students is linked to students’ feelings of belonging in school. In addition, their decisions of resource allocations also affect students’ academic success. Both aspects underpin the importance of teachers’ views on justice. This article aims to investigate what teachers consider to be just and how teacher characteristics and situational factors affect justice ratings of hypothetical student-teacher-interactions. In an experimental design, we randomly varied the description of the interacting student in text vignettes regarding his/her special educational need (SEN) (situational factor). We also collected data on teachers’ attitudes toward inclusion and experiences with persons with disabilities (individual factors). A sample of in-service teachers in Germany (N= 2,254) rated randomized versions of two text vignettes. To also consider the effect of professional status, a sample of pre-service teachers (N= 275) did the same. Linear mixed effect models point to a negative effect of the SEN on justice ratings, meaning situations in which the interacting student is described with a SEN were rated less just compared to the control condition. As the interacting student in the situations was treated worse than the rest, this was indicative for the application of the need principle. Teachers with more positive attitudes toward inclusion rated the vignettes as significantly less just. Professional status also had a negative effect on justice ratings, with in-service teachers rating the interactions significantly lower than the pre-service teachers. Our results suggest that the teachers applied the principle of need in their ratings. Implications for inclusive teaching practices and future research are discussed further.
Grounded Theory-Based User Needs Mining and Its Impact on APP Downloads: Exampled With WeChat APP
Authors: Chen Tinggui , Zhang Chu , Yang Jianjun , Cong Guodong
Published: June 2022

Software development is an iterative process from designing to implementation, and to testing, in which product development staff should be closely integrated with users. Satisfying user needs effectively is often the pain point for developers. In order to alleviate this, this paper manages to establish the quantitative connection between users' online reviews and APP (Application Program) downloads. By analyzing user online comments, companies can dig out user needs and preferences. This could benefit them by making accurate market positioning of their APP products, and therefore iteratively innovating products based on user needs, which hopefully will increase the volume of APP downloads. This paper regards WeChat APP during 47 updates periods as the research object. Based on Grounded Theory, user needs are extracted after data cleaning. Next, by using semantic analysis and word frequency analysis, we are able to obtain the implicit feedbacks such as emotion tendency, satisfaction and requirements lie under online reviews. Then, we construct a quantile regression model to study the impact of users' online reviews on downloads based on the influencing factors we extracted so as to provide a decision basis for enterprises to iteratively update their products. Results show that: (1) Generally speaking, needs of WeChat users mainly focus on performance, reliability, usability, functional deficiency, functional insufficiency, and system adaptability; (2) For those APP versions with relatively fewer downloads, user needs are mostly about functional deficiency, followed by functional insufficiency, performance, usability, and system adaptability. At this stage, it is found out that users' emotion tendency and user satisfaction significantly affect the volume of downloads; (3) When the volume of APP downloads is moderate, the user needs are functional deficiency, functional insufficiency, and system adaptability. While under this circumstances, users' star ratings have a significant impact on downloads; (4) In addition, when the volume of App downloads is high, user needs are performance, usability, and system adaptability. Our methods effectively extract users' requirements from online reviews and then successfully build up the quantitative connection between the implicit feedbacks from those requirements and APP downloads.
Neural Processing of Facial Attractiveness and Romantic Love: An Overview and Suggestions for Future Empirical Studies
Authors: Ueda Ryuhei
Published: June 2022

Romantic love is universally observed in human communities, and the manner in which a person chooses a long-term romantic partner has been a central question in studies on close relationships. Numerous empirical psychological studies have demonstrated that facial attractiveness greatly impacts initial romantic attraction. This close link was further investigated by neuroimaging studies showing that both viewing attractive faces and having romantic thoughts recruit the reward system. However, it remains unclear how our brains integrate perceived facial attractiveness into initial romantic attraction. In addition, it remains unclear how our brains shape a persistent attraction to a particular person through interactions; this persistent attraction is hypothesized to contribute to a long-term relationship. After reviewing related studies, I introduce methodologies that could help address these questions.
Extended High Frequency Hearing, but Not Tinnitus, Is Associated With Every-Day Cognitive Performance
Authors: Waechter Sebastian , Wilson Wayne J. , Magnusson Måns , Brännström K. Jonas
Published: June 2022

Research into the potential associations between tinnitus and cognition has investigated specific cognitive domains in laboratory settings despite adults with tinnitus reporting broad cognitive difficulties in every-day life. To address this limitation, the present study compared performance and perceived exertion on a visual office-like task in 38 adults with tinnitus (19 with normal hearing and 19 with hearing loss) and 38 adults without tinnitus (19 with normal hearing and 19 with hearing loss) matched for age, sex and educational background. All participants were also assessed for hearing, anxiety and depression, and participants with tinnitus were also assessed for tinnitus handicap. No associations were found between presence of tinnitus and cognitive performance (mean total rate correct score on the visual office-like task being 2.9 for the tinnitus group, 2.8 for the control group,p= 0.612) and perceived exertion (mean ratings of perceived exertion on the Borg CR10-scale being 5.8 for the tinnitus group, 6.5 for the control group,p= 0.063) on the visual office-like task when corrected for standard (0.125 to 8 kHz) and extended high frequency (10 to 16 kHz) hearing thresholds, anxiety, and depression. The correction for extended high frequency average (10, 12.5, 14, and 16 kHz) hearing threshold was significant for performance (p= 0.009) but not perceived exertion on the visual office-like task. Overall, the results showed extended high frequency hearing, but not tinnitus, was associated with every-day cognitive performance. This indicates clinical testing of hearing thresholds above 8 kHz could support clinicians’ identification and management of cognitive difficulties. One management method suggested by the current findings would include provision of auditory stimulation at frequencies exceeding the frequency response of many current hearing aids.
An German Short-Version of the “Sensory Perception Quotient” for Adults With Autism Spectrum Disorder
Authors: Klein Christoph , Miczuga Teresa , Kost Marie Sophie , Röring Hannah , Jarczok Tomasz A. , Bast Nico , Thiemann Ulf , Fleischhaker Christian , Tebartz Van Elst Ludger , Riedel Andreas , Biscaldi Monica
Published: June 2022

Sensory features in autism spectrum disorder (ASD) have received increasing interest in clinical work and research during the recent years. With the Sensory Perception Quotient (SPQ), Tavasolli and colleagues have produced a self-rating scale for adults with ASD that measures sensory hyper-sensitivity in different sensory modalities, without also tapping cognitive or motivational aspects that precede or follow autistic sensory experiences. Here, we present the results of a translation of the SPQ to German and its short version as well as their validation in samples of autistic or neuro-typical participants. We, furthermore, present the psychometric properties and validities of Tavasolli's original SPQ-short version as well as an alternative short version based on different psychometric item-selection criteria. We can show here that our alternative SPQ-short version, overlapping with the original short-version in 61% of its items, exhibits superior reliabilities, reasonable concurrent validities with other related measures. It, furthermore, exhibits excellent differentiation between autistic and non-autistic samples, underscoring its utility as a screening instrument in research and a clinical instrument to supplement the ASD diagnostic process.
Revisiting the Concept of Vigilance
Authors: Klösch Gerhard , Zeitlhofer Josef , Ipsiroglu Osman
Published: June 2022

Vigilance deficits can be observed after a period of prolonged, continuous wakefulness. In this context there has been extensive research targeting the impact of sleep deficits on different aspects of vigilance, but the underlying concept of vigilance was hardly ever addressed and discussed. One reason for this shortcoming is the unclear and ambiguous definition of the term vigilance, which is commonly used interchangeably with sustained attention and even wakefulness. This confusion is the result of a wide range of misleading definitions, starting in the 1940s, as psychologists redefined the concept of vigilance suggested by British Neurologist, Henry Head, in 1923. Nevertheless, the concept of vigilance is still useful and innovative, especially in treating sleep problems in children and young adults. This paper reviews the current usage of the term vigilance in sleep-wake-research and describes not only the benefits, but even more clearly, its limitations. By re-focusing on the definitions given by Henry Head, the concept of vigilance is an innovative way to gather new insights into the interplay between sleep– and daytime behaviors. In addition, future research on vigilance should consider three perspectives: 1st vigilance perceived as a process to allocate resources, 2nd vigilance associated with compensatory behaviors and 3rd the role of vigilance in human environmental interactions. This approach, understood as a conceptual framework, provides new perspectives by targeting sleep-wake behaviors as a ‘real life’ outcome measure, reflecting both physical and cognitive performance as well as sleep quality and quantity.
Moral Injury and Recovery in Uniformed Professionals: Lessons From Conversations Among International Students and Experts
Authors: Jin Jonathan , Weiman Kyle , Bremault-Phillips Suzette , Vermetten Eric
Published: June 2022

Introduction

In the course of service, military members, leaders, and uniformed professionals are at risk of exposure to potentially morally injurious events (PMIEs). Serious mental health consequences including Moral Injury (MI) and Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) can result. Guilt, shame, spiritual/existential conflict, and loss of trust are described as core symptoms of MI. These can overlap with anxiety, anger, re-experiencing, self-harm, and social problems commonly seen in PTSD. The experiences of General (retired) Romeo Dallaire and other international experts who have led in times of crisis can help us better understand MI and recovery.

Objectives

In honor of Dallaire, online opportunities were created for international students and leaders/experts to discuss topics of MI, stigma, and moral codes in times of adversity as well as the moral impact of war. We aimed to (1) better understand MI and moral dilemmas, and (2) identify key insights that could inform prevention of and recovery from MI.

Materials and Methods

Webinars and conversations of 75–90 min duration on MI and recovery were facilitated by Leiden University, the University of Alberta and the Dallaire Institute for Children, Peace and Security between General Dallaire, world experts, and graduate students. Sessions were recorded, transcribed and thematically analyzed with NVivo using standard qualitative methodology.

Results

Ninety four participants engaged in conversations. Student engagements were attended by participants [N = 51; female (29), male (22)] from the Netherlands and Canada. Conversations were held with international experts [N = 43; female (19) and male (24)] from North America, Europe, Australia and the global south. Themes included: (1) recognizing the impact of exposure to PMIEs, (2) reducing stigma around MI, and (3) embracing the spiritual depth of humanity.

Conclusion

Exposure to PMIEs can have devastating impacts on military members, leaders and other uniformed professionals. This may lead to development of MI and PTSD. Recognizing MI as honorable may reduce stigma and psychological harm, and facilitate help-seeking among uniformed personnel and other trauma-affected populations. Salient efforts to address MI must include use of accurate measurements of MI and integrated holistic therapeutic approaches, inclusive of spiritual and social components. Urgency remains regarding the prediction, identification and treatment of MI.
Addressing Exposome: An Innovative Approach to Environmental Determinants in Pediatric Respiratory Health
Authors: Ferrante Giuliana , Fasola Salvatore , Cilluffo Giovanna , Piacentini Giorgio , Viegi Giovanni , La Grutta Stefania
Published: June 2022

Developmental age is particularly vulnerable to impacts of environmental exposures. Until recent years, the field of environment and child health has predominantly relied on the study of single exposure–health effect relationships. The exposome is an emerging concept in epidemiology, encompassing the totality of the exposures experienced by an individual throughout life and their changes over time. This innovative approach provides a risk profile instead of individual predictors. Exposome research may contribute to better understand the complex relationships between environmental exposures and childhood respiratory health, in order to implement prevention strategies and mitigate adverse health outcomes across the life span. Indeed, an accurate assessment of the exposome needs several measurements as well as different technologies. High-throughput “omics” technologies may be promising tools to integrate a wide range of exposures. However, analyzing large and complex datasets requires the development of advanced statistical tools. This narrative review summarizes the current knowledge on exposome-based approaches in pediatric respiratory health. Further, it explores practical implementation, associated evidence gaps, research limitations and future research perspectives.
Implementation of Chemical Health, Safety, and Environmental Risk Assessment in Laboratories: A Case-Series Study
Authors: Fatemi Farin , Dehdashti Alireza , Jannati Mohammadreza
Published: June 2022

Introduction

Characterizing risks associated with laboratory activities in universities may improve health, safety, and environmental management and reduce work-related diseases and accidents. This study aimed to develop and implement a chemical risk assessment method to determine and prioritize more hazardous chemicals in the academic laboratories.

Methods

A case-series study was conducted at five academic laboratories and research facilities of an Iranian medical sciences university in 2021. A risk assessment was developed and implemented in three phases to identify, evaluate, and classify potential risks and hazards. The approach provided an innovative tool for evaluating and prioritizing risks in chemical laboratories. Hazards were classified on a five-level scale. The technique reviewed both quantitative and qualitative data and pieces of evidence using Laboratory Safety Guidance (OSHA), Occupational Hazard Datasheet (ILO), the standards of the American Conference of Governmental Industrial Hygienists (ACGIH), International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC), and National Fire Protection Agency (NFPA) codes.

Results

Overall, the frequency of risks rated from “moderate” to “very high” levels was determined for the health hazards (9.3%), environmental hazards (35.2%), and safety hazards (20.4%). Hydrochloric acid had a high consumption rate in laboratory operations and received the highest risk levels in terms of potential hazards to employees' health and the environment. Nitric acid, Sulfuric acid, Formaldehyde, and Sodium hydroxide were assessed as potential health hazards. Moreover, Ethanol and Sulfuric acid were recognized as safety hazards. We observed adequate security provisions and procedures in academic laboratory operations. However, the lack of awareness concerning health, safety, environmental chemical hazards, and inappropriate sewage disposal systems contributed to the increasing levels of laboratory risk.

Conclusions

Chemicals used in laboratory activities generate workplace and environmental hazards that must be assessed, managed, and risk mitigated. Developing a method of rating health, safety, and environmental risks related to laboratory chemicals may assist in defining and understanding potential hazards. Our assessment suggested the need for improving the risk perception of individuals involved in handling chemicals to prevent exposure from workplace duties and environmental pollution hazards.
How Are Patented AI, Software and Robot Technologies Related to Wage Changes in the United States?
Authors: Fossen Frank M. , Samaan Daniel , Sorgner Alina
Published: June 2022

We analyze the relationships of three different types of patented technologies, namely artificial intelligence, software and industrial robots, with individual-level wage changes in the United States from 2011 to 2021. The aim of the study is to investigate if the availability of AI technologies is associated with increases or decreases in individual workers' wages and how this association compares to previous innovations related to software and industrial robots. Our analysis is based on available indicators extracted from the text of patents to measure the exposure of occupations to these three types of technologies. We combine data on individual wages for the United States with the new technology measures and regress individual annual wage changes on these measures controlling for a variety of other factors. Our results indicate that innovations in software and industrial robots are associated with wage decreases, possibly indicating a large displacement effect of these technologies on human labor. On the contrary, for innovations in AI, we find wage increases, which may indicate that productivity effects and effects coming from the creation of new human tasks are larger than displacement effects of AI. AI exposure is associated with positive wage changes in services, whereas exposure to robots is associated with negative wage changes in manufacturing. The relationship of the AI exposure measure with wage increases has become stronger in 2016–2021 in comparison to the 5 years before.

JEL Classification: J24, J31, O33.
A Cross-Sectional, Population-Based, Seroepidemiological Study of Rift Valley Fever in Cameroonian Cattle Populations
Authors: Bronsvoort Barend Mark , Kelly Robert Francis , Freeman Emily , Callaby Rebecca , Bagninbom Jean Marc , Ndip Lucy , Handel Ian Graham , Tanya Vincent Ngwang , Morgan Kenton Lloyd , Ngwa Victor Ngu , Rossi Gianluigi , Nfon Charles K. , Mazeri Stella
Published: June 2022

Rift Valley fever (RVF) is an important emerging zoonoses causing abortion and neonatal deaths in livestock and hemorrhagic fever in humans. It is typically characterized by acute epidemics with abortion storms often preceding human disease and these events have been associated with the El Niño weather cycles. Outside of areas that experience epidemics, little is known about its epidemiology. Here, we present results from a serological study using biobank samples from a study of cattle conducted in 2013 at two sites in Cameroon. A total of 1,458 cattle from 100 herds were bled and sera screened using a commercially available RVF ELISA. The overall design-adjusted animal-level apparent seroprevalence of RVF exposure for the Northwest Region (NWR) of Cameroon was 6.5% (95% CI: 3.9–11.0) and for the Vina Division (VIN) of the Adamawa Region was 8.2% (95% CI: 6.2–11.0). The age-stratified serological results were also used to estimate the force of infection, and the age-independent estimates were 0.029 for the VIN and 0.024 for the NWR. The effective reproductive number was ~1.08. Increasing age and contact with wild antelope species were associated with an increased risk of seropositivity, while high altitudes and contact with buffalo were associated with a reduced risk of seropositivity. The serological patterns are more consistent with an endemical stability rather than the more typical epidemic patterns seen in East Africa. However, there is little surveillance in livestock for abortion storms or in humans with fevers in Cameroon, and it is, therefore, difficult to interpret these observations. There is an urgent need for an integrated One Health approach to understand the levels of human- and livestock-related clinical and asymptomatic disease and whether there is a need to implement interventions such as vaccination.
A Real-Time Apple Targets Detection Method for Picking Robot Based on ShufflenetV2-YOLOX
Authors: Ji Wei , Pan Yu , Xu Bo , Wang Juncheng
Published: June 2022

In order to enable the picking robot to detect and locate apples quickly and accurately in the orchard natural environment, we propose an apple object detection method based on Shufflenetv2-YOLOX. This method takes YOLOX-Tiny as the baseline and uses the lightweight network Shufflenetv2 added with the convolutional block attention module (CBAM) as the backbone. An adaptive spatial feature fusion (ASFF) module is added to the PANet network to improve the detection accuracy, and only two extraction layers are used to simplify the network structure. The average precision (AP), precision, recall, and F1 of the trained network under the verification set are 96.76%, 95.62%, 93.75%, and 0.95, respectively, and the detection speed reaches 65 frames per second (FPS). The test results show that the AP value of Shufflenetv2-YOLOX is increased by 6.24% compared with YOLOX-Tiny, and the detection speed is increased by 18%. At the same time, it has a better detection effect and speed than the advanced lightweight networks YOLOv5-s, Efficientdet-d0, YOLOv4-Tiny, and Mobilenet-YOLOv4-Lite. Meanwhile, the half-precision floating-point (FP16) accuracy model on the embedded device Jetson Nano with TensorRT acceleration can reach 26.3 FPS. This method can provide an effective solution for the vision system of the apple picking robot.
The Role of Innovation Capacities in the Relationship between Green Human Resource Management and Competitive Advantage in the Saudi Food Industry: Does Gender of Entrepreneurs Really Matter?
Authors: Gharbi Hassane , Sobaih Abu Elnasr E. , Aliane Nadir , Almubarak Ayth
Published: June 2022

Adopting environmentally friendly behavior has become more than a claim. Green human resource management seems to be the solution where innovation will be a strategic lever to lead the company, with green practices, to the possession of a decisive competitive advantage. The purpose of this research is to examine the mediating role of innovation capacities in the relationship between green human resource management and competitive advantage in the Saudi food industry. The research compares between males and females in this relationship. For this purpose, we have used a quantitative approach to conduct the research. Using a sample of 1114 female and male entrepreneurs, owner–managers of small and medium different food companies, operating in the Saudi territory, especially in the major cities, namely Riyadh, Medina, Makkah, Sharaqiyah, Tabuk, Al Qasim and Najran. We were able to make a gender comparison of the mediating role of innovation in the above relationship. The results of the structural equation modelling (SEM) via AMOS software version 23 showed a perfect mediation of the innovation capacities for female entrepreneurs, and partial mediation for male entrepreneurs in the relationship between green human resource management and competitive advantage. Following a focus group with ten female and male entrepreneurs, we were able to understand the reasons for the results we arrived at. The results of our research have numerous implications for both scholars and policymakers, especially in relation to the Saudi food industry.
GmDNAJC7 from Soybean Is Involved in Plant Tolerance to Alkaline-Salt, Salt, and Drought Stresses
Authors: Jin Ting , Shan Zhong , Zhou Shuang , Yang Qianqian , Gai Junyi , Li Yan
Published: June 2022

Soybean [Glycine max (L.) Merri.] is an important oilseed and food crop. In recent years, environmental degradation has accelerated soil alkalization, salinization, and water deficit, which have seriously threatened the soybean quality and yield. Chaperone DNAJ proteins play important roles in plant response to a number of abiotic and biotic stresses. Here, we investigated the function of a soybean DNAJ gene, GmDNAJC7, in plant tolerance to abiotic stresses. GmDNAJC7 gene expression was induced by alkaline-salt, salt, and drought treatments in soybean roots, suggesting its possible role in soybean response to these stresses. GmDNAJC7 overexpression improved the alkaline-salt tolerance of soybean composite plants, which showed a higher SPAD (Soil and Plant Analysis Development) value for chlorophyll content and leaf relative water content than the control plants after NaHCO3 treatment. Moreover, the GmDNAJC7 overexpressing Arabidopsis had a higher germination rate and average root length than the wild type and dnajc7 mutant, under NaHCO3, NaCl, and mannitol stresses, indicating that the ectopic expression of the GmDNAJC7 gene enhanced the alkaline-salt, salt, and drought tolerance in Arabidopsis. These findings suggest that GmDNAJC7 is involved in the alkaline-salt, salt, and drought tolerance in Arabidopsis and soybean. This study provides new insights into the role of DNAJ proteins in plant tolerance to abiotic stress.
Assessment of Land Consolidation Processes from an Environmental Approach: Considerations Related to the Type of Intervention and the Structure of Farms
Authors: Ramírez del Palacio Óscar , Hernández-Navarro Salvador , Sánchez-Sastre Luis Fernando , Fernández-Coppel Ignacio Alonso , Pando-Fernández Valentín
Published: June 2022

The process of Land Consolidation (LC) is deemed an important instrument of rural development in many countries, where it contributes to the economic development and viability of their rural areas. This paper aims to analyze three areas of Castilla y León in Northwestern Spain, all having similar agronomic features. The above areas have recently undergone LC processes. This research proves LC can contribute to reducing greenhouse gases (GHG) using the rationalization introduced in the layout of the agrarian exploitations. For this purpose, this paper analyzes the effects of LC actions on the size, shape, and level of scattering of the owners affected and compares the energy consumption in every journey from the exploitation to each plot, as well as the number of row-end turnings within the plots. GHG reductions present significant differences depending on the LC technique carried out, the size of the area consolidated, and the different degrees of intensification of agricultural exploitations. Through the three LC projects analyzed, a reduction in GHG emissions of 23.60% in SA1, 11.46% in SA2, and 9.85% in SA3 would have been obtained. In total, 1067.34 t CO2 of GHG emissions would have been mitigated. In the light of the results obtained, LC can be considered an efficient process in the strategy of GHG reduction, all in line with the current commitments derived from the Paris Agreement. It is also necessary to continue to research the structure and importance of the consumption of fossil fuels in farming and its possible link to emission reduction policies.
Effects of Microalgae Addition and Fish Feed Supplementation in the Integrated Rearing of Pacific White Shrimp and Nile Tilapia Using Biofloc Technology
Authors: Silva Vitor F. , Pereira Patriula K. M. , Martins Mateus A. , Lorenzo Marco A. d. , Cella Herculano , Lopes Rafael G. , Derner Roberto B. , Magallón-Servín Paola , Vieira Felipe d. N.
Published: June 2022

This study aims to evaluate a Pacific white shrimp and Nile tilapia integrated system using biofloc technology with or without the addition of the microalgae Scenedesmus obliquus and with or without fish feed supplementation in a two-factor 62-day experiment. The shrimp (2.16 ± 0.01 g) were reared under a density of 400 shrimp m−3 and the fish (1.53 ± 0.12 g) were reared under a density of 522 fish m−3. The microalgae was added to the culture water two times a week. Growth performance, sludge production, and water microbiology were evaluated. Fish feed and the microalgae addition improved fish final biomass in 58% and 14%, respectively (p < 0.05). Fish survival was significantly higher when microalgae was added (93.9 ± 1.8%) compared with the treatments without microalgae addition (86.2 ± 7.6%) (p < 0.05). The yield of the overall system was higher in the treatments with fish feed supplementation (4.2 ± 0.2 kg m−3) compared with no addition (3.9 ± 0.2 kg m−3) (p < 0.05). These results suggest that fish feed supplementation at the rate of 1% of the biomass and microalgae inoculation can improve fish growth performance and system yield, without affecting sludge production and water microbiology. This work is an expansion of a conference paper with the same title.
Fructooligosaccharide Supplementation Boosts Growth Performance, Antioxidant Status, and Cecal Microbiota Differently in Two Rabbit Breeds
Authors: Abd El-Aziz Ayman H. , Abo Ghanima Mahmoud M. , Alsanie Walaa F. , Gaber Ahmed , Alsenosy Abd El-Wahab , Easa Ahmed A. , Moawed Sherif A. , Raza Sayed Haidar Abbas , Elfadadny Ahmed , Yossef Hany Abo , Ghoneem Wafaa M. , Shukry Mustafa , Hendawy Amin Omar , Mahrose Khalid
Published: June 2022

The present study examined the effects of fructooligosaccharide (FOS) supplementation in drinking water on the growth performance, carcass characteristics, hematological and biochemical parameters, antioxidant status, and cecal microbiota of New Zealand White (NZW) and APRI rabbits. A total of 180 male NZW and APRI rabbits (aged five weeks; average live body weight 700 ± 39 g) were divided into six groups (30 rabbits/group; 5 replicates/group) in a two × three factorial arrangement. Rabbits of each breed were randomly assigned to one of three treatments of FOS (control; 0.00, FOS-0.5, and FOS-1.0). Results showed that rabbits’ final body weight, FBWG, and carcass traits were considerably enhanced compared to those in the control group. The interaction effect of the supplement with the rabbit breed increased the growth, carcass traits, and hematobiochemical and antioxidant parameters with increasing FOS levels. In the cecum of both rabbit breeds, the total bacterial count and Escherichiacoli population were considerably low, with a substantial increase in the number of Lactobacilli supplemented by FOS. In conclusion, FOS supplementation enhanced growth and carcass traits by improving the hematobiochemical parameters and antioxidant status and reducing cecal pathogenic bacteria in both breeds.
Correction: Felisberto et al. Ultrasound-Guided Saphenous Nerve Block in Rabbits (Oryctolagus cuniculus): A Cadaveric Study Comparing Two Injectate Volumes. Animals 2022, 12, 624
Authors: Felisberto Ricardo , Flaherty Derek , Tayari Hamaseh
Published: June 2022

The authors wish to make the following correction to this paper [...]
A GIS-Based Approach for Primary Substations Siting and Timing Based on Voronoi Diagram and Particle Swarm Optimization Method
Authors: Bosisio Alessandro , Berizzi Alberto , Merlo Marco , Morotti Andrea , Iannarelli Gaetano
Published: June 2022

The paper aims to provide primary substations’ optimal siting and timing to expand existing distribution networks. The proposed methodology relies on three main features: a geographic information system for capturing, elaborating, and displaying spatial input data; a particle swarm optimization algorithm to locate and timing the new primary substations; a Voronoi diagram-based approach to find the primary substation service areas and loading. The optimization criteria follow the approach of serving every customer from the nearest primary substation to ensure that the distribution delivery distance is as short as possible, reducing feeders’ cost, electric losses, and service interruption exposure. The algorithm also considers the primary substation transformers’ capacity limit. Thanks to Unareti, the distribution system operator of Milan and Brescia, the methodology was tested by carrying out several simulations, progressively increasing the number of new primary substations. The results obtained confirm the proposed approach’s effectiveness and show that the methodology is a valuable tool to guide Unareti, and distribution system operators in general, in expanding distribution networks to face the challenges of the energy transition.