bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Akar Mimosa Pudica L yang Diozonasi Terhadap Penyembuhan Luka Ulkus Diabetikum
Authors: Ermawati Eli , Sari Anita Aprilia Yunita , Anggraini Musdhalifah Hesti , Pringgani Vida Dwi , Kusumaningrum Niken Safitri Dyah
Published: August 2021

Diabetes mellitus adalahpenyakit tidak menular  termasuk salah satu penyebab kejadian mortalitas di dunia, termasuk di Indonesia. Prevalensi diabetes di Indonesia berdasarkan data semakin meningkat dalam setiap tahunnya. Salah satu komplikasi  yang paling mengancam adalah ulkus diabetikum. Selama beberapa dekade terakhir, perkembangan teknologi plasma medis menggunakan ozon sebagai agen yang membantu penyembuhan luka. Aplikasi dan riset Mimosa pudica L.sebagai wound healing. Tujuan dari review narrative ini untuk mengetahui potensi ekstrak Mimosa pudica L dengan ozonasi sebagai terapi topikal untuk meningkat penyembuhan ulkus diabetikum. Pencarian literatur menggunakan database Science direct, PubMed, Ebsco, Scopus dan ProQuest dengan kriteria inklusi yang ditentukan. Hasil dari studi literatur bahwa kandungan senyawa kimia pada ekstrak akar Mimosa pudica L. telah terbukti memiliki aktivitas penyembuhan luka dan aktivitas antidiabetik. Pemanfaatan ozonasi sebagai agen antibakteri dengan menggunakan alat degenerator ozon untuk mengubah gas ozon menjadi cair ke dalam suatu ekstrak menggunakan parameter tertentu dapat mendukung wound healing. Sehingga perpaduan ekstrak akar Mimosa pudica L. dengan proses ozonasi memiliki potensi untuk dikembangkan dalam menunjang penyembuhan ulkus diabetikum  agar lebih efektif dan efisien.
Pengaruh Terapi Musik Flute Terhadap Penurunan Gula Darah Pada Pasien Diabetes Melitus Tipe II
Authors: Suryati Ida , Primal Def , Sulni Rahayu Putri
Published: August 2021

Diabetes mellitus tipe II adalah kondisi hiperglikemia puasa yang terjadi meskipun insulin endogen tersedia. Adanya peningkatan kejadian angka dari tahun ke tahun sehingga membutuhkan intervensi untuk menurunkan kadar glukosa darah. Minimnya pengetahuan perawat puskesmas tentang cara lain dalam menurunkan gula darah seperti melakukan terapi musik Flute yang memberikan efek relaksasi pada penderita diabetes melitus sehingga dapat menghambat produksi hormon kortisol dan menurunkan kadar gula darah.. Adapun tujuan penelitian ini untuk menganalisis pengaruh terapi musik Flute terhadap penurunan gula darah pada pasien diabetes mellitus Tipe II dengan metode penelitian quasy eksperimental design, dengan pendekatan one group pretest-posttest design dengan sampel sebanyak 24 orang dengan teknik purposive sampling, data diolah menggunakan uji-t berpasangan. Adanya penurunan rata- rata kadar gula darah sebelum dibandingkan dengan sesudah dilakukan terapi musik flute.  Hasil penelitian menunjukkan ada pengaruh terapi musik suling terhadap penurunan gula darah dengan selisih rata-rata sebelum dan sesudah dilakukan adalah 51,25 dengan p-value 0,000 (<0,05). Sehingga dapat disimpulkan bahwa ada pengaruh terapi musik flute terhadap penurunan gula darah pada pasien diabetes mellitus tipe II.
Keberhasilan Ibu Penyintas Covid dalam Kegiatan Menyusui
Authors: Meilinda Vittria
Published: August 2021

Di saat pandemic Covid-19 yang sedang terjadi di Indonesia, menyusui menjadi perlindungan yang sangat baik untuk bayi. Keberhasilan menyusui sangat penting didapatkan bagi seorang ibu untuk kesehatan dan kelangsungan hidup bayi dimana efek perlindungan ASI sangat kuat dalam melawan infeksi penyakit melalui peningkatan daya tahan tubuh bayi. Hingga saat ini dalam berbagai penelitian bahwa virus ini belum pernah ditemukan di dalam ASI sehingga ini menjadi jalan untuk ibu terus melanjutkan pemberian ASI kepada bayi.  Tujuan penelitian ini untuk mengetahui secara mendalam keberhasilan ibu penyitas covid dalam menyusui bayinya. Metode penelitian kualitatif langsung kepada 30 informan, dengan pendekatan studi fenomenologi. Pengumpulan data dilakukan melalui observasi dan in-depth interview. Data dianalisis dengan menggunakan Interpretative Phenomenological disesuaikan dengan ukuran Pelaksanaan Praktek Menyusui di masa Pandemi Covid-19 Kementerian Kesehatan. Hasil penelitian yang dilakukan selama masa pandemi di tahun 2020 menggambarkan hasil yang sangat signifikan dari upaya laktasi pada ibu dalam segi pengalaman menyusui dan masalah laktasi yang dihadapi saat pandemi dimana ibu sangat membutuhkan dukungan pada ibu menyusui . Disimpulkan bahwa upaya dalam keberhasilan ibu menyusui khusus pada masa pandemi terletak dari pengalaman menyusui serta dukungan yang baik untuk ibu terus memberikan ASI.
Hubungan Infeksi Soil Transmitted Helmith dengan Kadar Kolesterol Darah Pada Anak dan Dewasa di Daerah Endemik Kecacingan Sumatera Barat
Authors: Nurhayati Nurhayati , Hasmiwati Hasmiwati , Novita Eka
Published: August 2021

Soil transmitted Helminth (STH) merupakan penyebab tersering dari infeksi kronis pada usus manusia.  Kemampuan cacing memodulasi respon imun host melalui Th2 yang memicu sitokin anti inflamatori diduga mempengaruhi kadar kolesterol darah pada individu yang terinfeksi STH, yang akan memiliki efek protektif terhadap penyakit metabolik. Oleh karena itu penelitian ini bertujuan melihat hubungan infeksi STH  dengan kadar kolesterol darah, sebagai dasar helminthic therapy dan evaluasi terhadap program pengobatan massal. Infeksi STH diperiksa dengan pemeriksaan tinja metode langsung dengan iodine, sedangkan untuk mengukur jumlah telur per gram tinja dilakukan dengan  metode Kato Katz. Kadar kolesterol total darah diperiksa dengan metode enzimatik CHOD-PAP. Semua subjek penelitian yang terinfeksi  STH pada penelitian ini tergolong  infeksi ringan. Kadar kolesterol individu yang terinfeksi STH didapatkan lebih rendah dibandingkan kadar kolesterol individu yang tidak terinfeksi STH, baik pada anak ataupun dewasa  (p<0,05), sehingga dapat disimpulkan bahwa terdapat hubungan yang bermakna antara infeksi STH dengan kadar kolesterol darah, sekalipun pada infeksi ringan.
Cutting, Reading, Re-Membering:Parade's End's Elliptical History …
Authors: Dutton James
Published: August 2021

This essay reads Ford Madox Ford's Parade's End materially, to claim that Ford's radically ‘modernist’ style worked to refigure history on the basis of the literary mark. Ford's innovative use of the material elements of writing allows his readers to approach history as materialistic historio graphy – a key idea for Paul de Man – that reads writing as marks and traces independent of fluctuating ideological abstractions. In Parade's End, Ford's narration avoids extra-textual context-building, instead sticking as tightly (and often bewilderingly) as possible to the interiority of a character's consciousness. Notably, this technique interacts with the material world in a similar way to de Man's approach to reading. This allows Ford to stage the ‘writing’ of history, where trace-chains are constantly refigured as material inscriptions, taken up and made sense of anew. The essay first interprets Ford's attitude to history as a creative act, ironised by his protagonist Tietjens’ belief in the certainty and self-evidence of unified historicism. It then describes the ‘elliptical’ structure of one of the novels’ key scenes, where Tietjens is forced to learn the unfinishable nature of history–especially via written forms (like the ellipsis itself) that do not speak. Finally, it directs its attention to the tetralogy's conclusion, ‘voiced’ by a mute narrator, that inscribes the potential for meaning to always remain in an unpredictable future. This ‘theotropic’ force cuts through Ford's novels, and in doing so gestures to the ellipsis from which all reading has, always-already, been re-membered.
Strategy Under Uncertainty: International Conflict and Variation in Information
Authors: Dekker Mark , Walentek Dawid , Haslbeck Jonas , Broere Joris
Published: August 2021

When do states stand firm, back down, concede or settle with the status quo? The crisis bargaining literature offers a rich assessment of the dynamics of international conflict, accounting for variation in the cost of conflict and the domestic audience cost. Yet, the literature does not consider the role of variation in information available to states engaged in a conflict — limiting our ability to theorise about states’ strategy under different levels of uncertainty. In this article, we extend the existing game theory models of crisis bargaining, to allow for variation in information, and show that uncertainty and costs are separate mechanisms in respect to states behaviour. Moreover, we generate a set of propositions in respect to threats effectiveness and prospects of conflict onset for different values of uncertainty.
Understanding the Variable Dispositions to ‘Friendly Violence’ during Interethnic Conflict: Evidence from Nigeria
Authors: Eke Surulola
Published: August 2021

The variable conflict behaviours of everyday people living in proximity, without formal militia affiliations, have been under-researched. Yet, qualitative inferences on the individual-level dynamics accounting for the variable dispositions among neighbours are significant as they broaden our understanding of when friends may or may not attack their outgroup neighbours during interethnic strife. Therefore, this paper examines this issue drawing on extensive qualitative data on everyday people’s conflict-time experiences of intergroup relations in Nigeria’s ethnic conflict hotbed, Jos. The analysis indicates that not only did past friendships motivate information sharing between ingroup and outgroup members who sought to protect their friends, it also facilitated the conflict as other ingroup members exploited past friendships to advance their killing objectives or to furnish their ethnic armies with intel on their outgroup friends. It concludes that the central mechanism explaining cooperative or aggressive dispositions is the degree of threat perception among everyday people.
Genetic and phenotypic characteristics of 60 Russian families with Lynch syndrome
Authors: Shelygin Yu. A. , Achkasov S. I. , Semenov D. A. , Sushkov O. I. , Shakhmatov D. G. , Romanova E. M. , Shubin V. P. , Tsukanov A. S.
Published: August 2021

AIM: to evaluate the genetic and clinical characteristics of Russian patients with Lynch syndrome.PATIENTS AND METHODS: in the period from 2012 to 2019, patients with suspected Lynch syndrome were studied, according to the selection recommendations (Amsterdam II and original criteria). All patients underwent a microsatellite instability test in the tumor, and if it was detected, for germline mutations in the genes of MMR system. All patients underwent standard clinical procedures (colonoscopy, gastroscopy, CT, MRI, etc.).RESULTS: Lynch syndrome was genetically confirmed in 60 unrelated patients (included 30 women and 30 men, ranging in age from 24 to 68 years). Germline mutations were found in the following genes: MLH1 — 30, MSH2 — 26, MSH6 — 2, PMS1 — 1, PMS2 — 1. For the first time in the world, 12 novel mutations have been described. Clinical features of Russian patients with Lynch syndrome include: the early average age of development of the first cancer — 39.0 years; frequent 45% localization in the left colon; high (55%) incidence of poorly differentiated adenocarcinomas. A total of 234 tumors were diagnosed in Russian patients with Lynch syndrome and their relatives. It is also important to note that the stomach cancer is the third most common cancer after colon cancer.CONCLUSION: Russian patients with Lynch syndrome showed clinical and genetic and features, that distinguish them from European and North American population and should be taken into account when treating.
Efficacy of tofacitinib as a «rescue therapy» in patients with severe ulcerative colitis
Authors: Podolskaya D. V. , Shapina M. V. , Baranova T. A. , Tishaeva I. A. , Alexandrov T. L. , Knyazev O. V. , Nanaeva B. A.
Published: August 2021

AIM: to evaluate the effectiveness of tofacitinib as a second line treatment.PATIENTS AND METHODS: the study included 12 patients, 4 (33.34%) males and 8 (66.66%) females. The median age was 41 ± 5 years. All patients admitted to the hospital with a severe flare-up of ulcerative colitis, which was the inclusion criterion in this study. Clinical manifestations, laboratory parameters, and colonoscopy were done at the time of administration of tofacitinib, on days 3 and 7, and after 12 weeks.RESULTS: a fast clinical response on 3 day of treatment, reduction in stool frequency, decrease blood in stool was noted in 10 (83.3%) patients. After 7 days from the start of TFCS therapy, all patients showed a decrease from severe activity to mild activity, as well as a decrease in inflammatory blood markers and hemoglobin levels. During the follow-up for 12 weeks, 100% of patients showed positive clinical and laboratory changes. In 10 (83.4%) patients, remission or maintenance of negligible minimal activity was noted.CONCLUSION: the results obtained show that the use of TFTB in hormone-resistant patients can be effective as a second line of “rescue therapy”.
Squamous cell metaplasia of the rectum associated with a longstanding ulcerative colitis (clinical cases report)
Authors: Arkhipova O. V. , Vasilyevykh T. A. , Veselov V. V. , Mainovskaya O. A.
Published: August 2021

INTRODUCTION: squamous cell metaplasia in the rectum is found in patients with longstanding inflammation or infectious lesions [1]. Colonoscopy plays a major role in the diagnostic of squamous cell metaplasia, especially with the use of Narrow Band Imaging (NBI) or Blue Light Imagining (BLI), which allows for targeted visualization of intraepithelial capillary loopspeculiar for the squamous epithelium [1,2]. The final conclusion cannot be reached without morphological diagnostics. We would like to show on two clinical cases of patients with a longstanding ulcerative colitis the occurrence of squamous cell metaplasia in the rectum. These areas of metaplasia may be the source of squamous cell cancer.CLINICAL CASES: a clinical cases of squamous cell metaplasia in the rectum in two patients with a longstanding ulcerative colitis (9 and 14 years) are presented. The total ulcerative colitis was verified in both patients by colonoscopy. Against the background of endoscopic remission, flat whitish areas of irregular shape, up to 3 cm in size, in the form of “tongues” of metaplastic epithelium with clear boundaries were found in the low rectum. When examined in a Narrow Band Imaging (NBI) and Blue Light Imagining (BLI), the microvascular pattern in the detected areas was identical in structure to the microvascular pattern of the squamous epithelium. The biopsies confirmed the presence of squamous cell epithelium.CONCLUSION: patients with a longstanding ulcerative colitis may have squamous cell metaplasia of the rectal mucosa, which can be detected by colonoscopy in white light. Using a Narrow Band Imaging (NBI) followed by a targeted biopsy allows the most accurate diagnosis to be established. Patients of this group require repeated colonoscopies using the above methods, since areas of metaplasia can be a source of squamous cell cancer of the rectum.
Definitions of Severity in Treatment Seeking Studies of Febrile Illness in Children in Low and Middle Income Countries: A Scoping Review
Authors: Brunner Nina C. , Awor Phyllis , Hetzel Manuel W.
Published: August 2021

Objectives: Understanding treatment seeking for severe febrile illness (SFI) is methodologically challenging. In this scoping review, we investigate definitions of severe febrile illness in treatment seeking studies on children under 5 years of age in low and middle income countries. We analyze the association of SFI definitions with different concepts of treatment seeking and identify related research gaps.

Methods: We searched Pubmed, Scopus and WHOLIS, and screened references of included publications for eligibility.

Results: Definitions of SFI had either a biomedical perspective (predominantly in quantitative studies) or a caregiver perspective (predominantly in qualitative studies). In quantitative analyses of treatment seeking, severity was more often conceptualized as a determinant rather than an outcome of a treatment seeking process. The majority of quantitative analyses only included surviving children or did not explicitly mention dead children.

Conclusion: Different research questions lead to diverse definitions and concepts of severity and treatment seeking outcomes, which limits the comparability of the available evidence. Systematic exclusion of dead children is likely to bias inferences on the association of treatment seeking and health outcomes of children with SFI in low and middle income countries.
Metal Surface Defect Detection Using Modified YOLO
Authors: Xu Yiming , Zhang Kai , Wang Li
Published: August 2021

Aiming at the problems of inefficient detection caused by traditional manual inspection and unclear features in metal surface defect detection, an improved metal surface defect detection technology based on the You Only Look Once (YOLO) model is presented. The shallow features of the 11th layer in the Darknet-53 are combined with the deep features of the neural network to generate a new scale feature layer using the basis of the network structure of YOLOv3. Its goal is to extract more features of small defects. Furthermore, then, K-Means++ is used to reduce the sensitivity to the initial cluster center when analyzing the size information of the anchor box. The optimal anchor box is selected to make the positioning more accurate. The performance of the modified metal surface defect detection technology is compared with other detection methods on the Tianchi dataset. The results show that the average detection accuracy of the modified YOLO model is 75.1%, which ia higher than that of YOLOv3. Furthermore, it also has a great detection speed advantage, compared with faster region-based convolutional neural network (Faster R-CNN) and other detection algorithms. The improved YOLO model can make the highly accurate location information of the small defect target and has strong real-time performance.
A Novel Semi-Supervised Fuzzy C-Means Clustering Algorithm Using Multiple Fuzzification Coefficients
Authors: Khang Tran Dinh , Tran Manh-Kien , Fowler Michael
Published: August 2021

Clustering is an unsupervised machine learning method with many practical applications that has gathered extensive research interest. It is a technique of dividing data elements into clusters such that elements in the same cluster are similar. Clustering belongs to the group of unsupervised machine learning techniques, meaning that there is no information about the labels of the elements. However, when knowledge of data points is known in advance, it will be beneficial to use a semi-supervised algorithm. Within many clustering techniques available, fuzzy C-means clustering (FCM) is a common one. To make the FCM algorithm a semi-supervised method, it was proposed in the literature to use an auxiliary matrix to adjust the membership grade of the elements to force them into certain clusters during the computation. In this study, instead of using the auxiliary matrix, we proposed to use multiple fuzzification coefficients to implement the semi-supervision component. After deriving the proposed semi-supervised fuzzy C-means clustering algorithm with multiple fuzzification coefficients (sSMC-FCM), we demonstrated the convergence of the algorithm and validated the efficiency of the method through a numerical example.
Solving the Two Echelon Vehicle Routing Problem Using Simulated Annealing Algorithm Considering Drop Box Facilities and Emission Cost: A Case Study of Reverse Logistics Application in Indonesia
Authors: Reinaldi Marco , Redi Anak Agung Ngurah Perwira , Prakoso Dio Fawwaz , Widodo Arrie Wicaksono , Wibisono Mochammad Rizal , Supranartha Agus , Liperda Rahmad Inca , Nadlifatin Reny , Prasetyo Yogi Tri , Sakti Sekar
Published: August 2021

A two echelon distribution system is often used to solve logistics problems. This study considers a two-echelon distribution system in reverse logistics context with the use of drop box facility as an intermediary facility. An optimization model of integer linear programming is proposed, representing a two-echelon vehicle routing problem with a drop box facility (2EVRP-DF). The aim is to find the minimum total costs consisting of vehicle transportation costs and the costs to compensate customers who have to travel to access these intermediary facilities. The results are then compared to those of common practice in reverse logistics. In common practice, customers are assumed to go directly to the depot to drop their goods. In addition, this study analyzes the environmental impact by adding a component of carbon emissions emitted by the vehicles. A set of comprehensive computational experiments is conducted. The results indicate that the 2EVRP-DF model can provide optimal costs and lower carbon emissions than the common practice.
PFSegIris: Precise and Fast Segmentation Algorithm for Multi-Source Heterogeneous Iris
Authors: Dong Lin , Liu Yuanning , Zhu Xiaodong
Published: August 2021

Current segmentation methods have limitations for multi-source heterogeneous iris segmentation since differences of acquisition devices and acquisition environment conditions lead to images of greatly varying quality from different iris datasets. Thus, different segmentation algorithms are generally applied to distinct datasets. Meanwhile, deep-learning-based iris segmentation models occupy more space and take a long time. Therefore, a lightweight, precise, and fast segmentation network model, PFSegIris, aimed at the multi-source heterogeneous iris is proposed by us. First, the iris feature extraction modules designed were used to fully extract heterogeneous iris feature information, reducing the number of parameters, computation, and the loss of information. Then, an efficient parallel attention mechanism was introduced only once between the encoder and the decoder to capture semantic information, suppress noise interference, and enhance the discriminability of iris region pixels. Finally, we added a skip connection from low-level features to catch more detailed information. Experiments on four near-infrared datasets and three visible datasets show that the segmentation precision is better than that of existing algorithms, and the number of parameters and storage space are only 1.86 M and 0.007 GB, respectively. The average prediction time is less than 0.10 s. The proposed algorithm can segment multi-source heterogeneous iris images more precisely and quicker than other algorithms.
Computational Intelligence-Based Prognosis for Hybrid Mechatronic System Using Improved Wiener Process
Authors: Yu Ming , Lu Haotian , Wang Hai , Xiao Chenyu , Lan Dun , Chen Junjie
Published: August 2021

In this article, a fast krill herd algorithm is developed for prognosis of hybrid mechatronic system using the improved Wiener degradation process. First, the diagnostic hybrid bond graph is used to model the hybrid mechatronic system and derive global analytical redundancy relations. Based on the global analytical redundancy relations, the fault signature matrix and mode change signature matrix for fault and mode change isolation can be obtained. Second, in order to determine the true faults from the suspected fault candidates after fault isolation, a fault estimation method based on adaptive square root cubature Kalman filter is proposed when the noise distributions are unknown. Then, the improved Wiener process incorporating nonlinear term is developed to build the degradation model of incipient fault based on the fault estimation results. For prognosis, the fast krill herd algorithm is proposed to estimate unknown degradation model coefficients. After that, the probability density function of remaining useful life is derived using the identified degradation model. Finally, the proposed methods are validated by simulations.
Leaf Vein-Inspired Bionic Design Method for Heat Exchanger Infilled with Graded Lattice Structure
Authors: Deng Haoyu , Zhao Junpeng , Wang Chunjie
Published: August 2021

Due to its excellent performance and high design freedom, the lattice structure has shown excellent capabilities and considerable potential in aerospace and other fields. This paper proposes a method to map the biometric model to the lattice structure. Taking leaf veins as bionic objects, they are used to generate a bionic design with a gradient lattice structure to improve the performance of a heat exchanger. In order to achieve the above goals, this article also proposes a leaf vein model and a mapping method that combine the leaf vein model with the lattice structure. A series of transient thermal finite element simulations was conducted to evaluate and compare the heat dissipation performance of different designs. The analysis results show that the combination of the bionic design and the lattice structure effectively improves the heat dissipation performance of the lattice structure heat exchanger. The results indicate that the application of bionic design in lattice structure design has feasibility and predictable potential.
Experimental Study of the Aerodynamic Interaction between Side-by-Side Propellers in eVTOL Airplane Mode through Stereoscopic Particle Image Velocimetry
Authors: Zanotti Alex
Published: August 2021

Side-by-side propellers characterise the architecture of most new electric aircraft (eVTOLs) designed in recent years for urban air mobility. The aerodynamic interaction between side-by-side propellers represents one of the key phenomena that characterise the flow field and performance of these novel aircraft configurations. The present article describes the main results of a wind tunnel campaign that aimed to investigate the flow features that characterise this aerodynamic interaction, with a particular application to cruise flight conditions in eVTOLs. With this aim, stereo particle image velocimetry (PIV) measurements were performed in the wake of two co-rotating propeller models in a side-by-side configuration. The three-dimensional flow surveys provided detailed insights into the flow physics of the interacting propellers, with a particular focus on the interactional effects on the trajectory of the tip vortices and the wake topology provided at two different advance ratios by reproducing a moderate and a fast cruise speed of eVTOLs in urban areas.
Breeding Capsicum chinense Lines with High Levels of Capsaicinoids and Capsinoids in the Fruit
Authors: Jang Siyoung , Park Minjeong , Lee Do-Gyeong , Lim Jung-Hyun , Jung Ji-Won , Kang Byoung-Cheorl
Published: August 2021

Capsaicinoids, which cause a hot sensation when eaten, are uniquely present in pepper (Capsicum sp.) and are biosynthesized by combining vanillyl amine with branched fatty acids. A mutation in the gene encoding putative aminotransferase (pAMT)—the enzyme that normally biosynthesizes the capsaicinoid precursor vanillyl amine—leads instead to the biosynthesis of vanillyl alcohol, which combines with branched fatty acids to form capsinoids. Here, we report a method for increasing the capsaicinoid and capsinoid contents using quantitative trait locus (QTL) alleles involved in capsaicinoid biosynthesis in the pericarps of extremely spicy peppers. QTLs for capsinoid contents were detected on chromosome 6 and 10 using an F2 population from ‘SNU11–001’ and ‘Bhut Jolokia (BJ)’ (‘SJ’). ‘SNU11–001’ contains high capsinoid contents and ‘BJ’ contains high capsaicinoid contents in both the placenta and pericarp. These QTLs overlapped QTL regions associated with pungency in the pericarp. ‘BJ’ was crossed also with ‘Habanero’ (‘HB’), which contains capsaicinoids mainly in the placenta, and the resulting (‘HJ’) F2 and F3 offspring with ‘BJ’ genotypes were selected based on QTL markers and the pericarp pungency phenotype. Similarly, F2 and F3 offspring with high capsinoid contents in the pericarp were selected in ‘SJ’ with reference to ‘BJ’ genotypes at the QTLs. Through continuous self-pollination, ‘SJ’ and ‘BJ’ lines with high capsinoid and capsaicinoid contents, respectively, in both the placenta and pericarp were developed. This study is the first to show that lines containing high levels of capsinoids and capsaicinoids can be bred using pericarp capsaicinoid biosynthesis genes.
Salt-Tolerance in Castor Bean (Ricinus communis L.) Is Associated with Thicker Roots and Better Tissue K+/Na+ Distribution
Authors: Zheng Junlin , Suhono Gilang B. F. , Li Yinghao , Jiang Maggie Ying , Chen Yinglong , Siddique Kadambot H. M.
Published: August 2021

Soil salinity is a serious threat to agriculture worldwide. Castor bean (Ricinus communis L.) is an in-demand oilseed crop containing 40–60% highly valued oil in its seeds. It is moderately sensitive to salinity. Two glasshouse experiments were conducted to assess plant growth and ion tissue distribution in different castor bean genotypes under various salt stress conditions to explore their potential for cultivation on saline land. Experiment 1 evaluated the response of five castor bean genotypes to four salt treatments (0, 50, 100, or 150 mM NaCl) up to 91 days after sowing (DAS). Experiment 2 further evaluated two genotypes selected from Experiment 1 in 1 m deep PVC tubes exposed to 0, 100, or 200 mM NaCl treatment for 112 DAS (Experiment 2). Experiment 1 showed that salt addition (particularly 150 mM NaCl) reduced plant height, stem diameter, shoot and root dry weights, photosynthetic traits, and leaf K+/Na+ ratio while increasing the leaf Na+ concentration of castor bean plants. Two genotypes, Zibo (Chinese variety) and Freo (Australian wild type), were more salt-tolerant than the other tested genotypes. In Experiment 2, salt-stressed Zibo flowered earlier than the control, while flowering time of Freo was not influenced by salt stress. The 200 mM NaCl treatment reduced the total root length and increased the average root diameter of both Zibo and Freo compared to the control. In addition, the 200 mM NaCl treatment significantly decreased total leaf area, chlorophyll content, and shoot and root dry weight of both castor bean genotypes by 50%, 10.6%, 53.1%, and 59.4%, respectively, relative to the control. In contrast, the 100 mM NaCl treatment did not significantly affect these traits, indicating that both genotypes tolerated salt stress up to 100 mM NaCl. In general, Freo had greater salt tolerance than Zibo, due to its higher average root diameter, lower Na+ concentration, and higher K+/Na+ ratio in young leaves under salt conditions. In conclusion, genotype Freo is recommended for cultivation in saline soils and could be used to breed high-yielding and salt-tolerant castor bean genotypes.
Ammonia Volatilization from Fertilizer Urea—A New Challenge for Agriculture and Industry in View of Growing Global Demand for Food and Energy Crops
Authors: Skorupka Maria , Nosalewicz Artur
Published: August 2021

The growing world population and the necessity to meet its nutritional needs despite the limited area of agricultural land pose a serious challenge for agriculture. Agriculture is responsible for 80–95% of total ammonia emissions to the atmosphere, but at the same time it has great potential to reduce them. Fertilisation with mineral nitrogen (in particular urea) is responsible for 19.0–20.3% of total ammonia emissions emitted from agriculture. Ammonia emissions have a negative impact on the environment and human health, therefore it is important to minimize the volatilization of ammonia and increase fertiliser efficiency. This is important due to the need to mitigate the negative impact of anthropopressure on the environment in terms of air pollution, negative effect on soils and waters. The application of urease inhibitors during fertilisation with nitrogen fertilisers is one method to reduce ammonia emissions from plant production. Another option to achieve this goal is to reverse the global trend toward maximizing the production of energy crops (intensive fertilisation inevitably increasing ammonia emissions to the environment) for the production of biofuels, which is growing rapidly, taking up arable land that could be used for food production. The aim of the review is to identify the impact of recently introduced technologies for reducing ammonia emissions from urea on agricultural productivity, environment, and crops. It is of importance to reconsider optimization of crop production in arable land, possible owing to the progress in the production, modification, and application of mineral fertilisers and changes in crop structure. A broad debate is necessary with policymakers and stakeholders to define new targets allowing introduction of technologies for conversion of energy crops into energy with a minimal impact on food production and environmental issue.
The Yield, Fruit Quality and Some of Nutraceutical Characteristics of Saskatoon Berries (Amelanchier alnifolia Nutt.) in the Conditions of Eastern Poland
Authors: Szpadzik Ewa , Krupa Tomasz
Published: August 2021

The Saskatoon berry (Amelanchier alnifolia Nutt.) is a prospective and increasingly popular species in Poland. Its main attributes are extremely valuable fruits, rich in anthocyanins with high antioxidant activity, which are very valuable in processing. Studies aimed at comparing the suitability for cultivation under the climatic and soil conditions of east Poland of the three Canadian cultivars of Saskatoon berry (‘Honeywood’, ‘Martin’ and ‘Pembina’), were conducted at the Warsaw University of Life Sciences in 2017–2018. The study evaluated parameters such as yield and fruit quality, as well as the health-promoting value of the fruit. These studies revealed significant differences between the studied cultivars, both in yield and in fruit physicochemical properties, i.e., fruit mass and diameter, firmness, and soluble solids content, as well as in terms of the content of anthocyanins, flavonoids, and polyphenols. These differences were also found between years, which may indicate that the content of the abovementioned compounds is also influenced by annual climatic conditions.
N-Carbamylglutamate Promotes Follicular Development by Modulating Cholesterol Metabolism in Yak Ovaries
Authors: Zhou Jia , Du Jingjing , Yue Shuangming , Xue Benchu , Wang Lizhi , Peng Quanhui , Xue Bai
Published: August 2021

This study aimed to investigate the effects of N-carbamylglutamate (NCG) supplementation on the follicular development of yaks to identify potential mechanisms essential for fertility in yaks. Twelve multiparous anoestrous female yaks were randomly assigned to two groups—Control (fed with a basal diet, n = 6) and NCG (basal diet supplemented with 6.0 g day−1 NCG, n = 6). Yaks in the NCG group had higher numbers of large follicles (>5 mm in diameter) than those in the Control group. An RNA-sequencing analysis of yak ovaries revealed a total of 765 genes were differentially expressed between experimental groups, of which 181 genes were upregulated and 584 genes were downregulated following NCG supplementation. The results of a transcriptome functional analysis, qRT-PCR validation, and immunohistochemistry revealed that NCG supplementation increased angiogenesis and de novo synthesis of cholesterol in yak ovaries. NCG was also found to upregulate the gene expression of steroidogenic enzymes. Based on this, it was concluded that NCG supplementation promotes the follicular development of yaks mainly by affecting cholesterol metabolism to initiate steroidogenesis in ovaries. The results provide evidence for understanding the mechanisms responsible for NCG promoting follicular development of female yaks, which may contribute to the development and application of NCG in animal reproduction.
Analysis of the Variability of Floral and Pollen Traits in Apple Cultivars—Selecting Suitable Pollen Donors for Cider Apple Orchards
Authors: Delgado Alvaro , Quinet Muriel , Dapena Enrique
Published: August 2021

Most apple trees (Malus domestica Borkh.) are self-incompatible and fruit yield depends on cross-pollination between genetically compatible cultivars with synchronous flowering. Flowering intensity can vary strongly among years due to the biennial bearing habit of the cultivars. The knowledge of the phenological stages and floral and pollen characteristics is essential to select suitable pollen donors. We evaluated the phenotypic variability of flowering-related traits (i.e., flowering phenology, flowering intensity, pollen production and pollen quality) in 45 apple cultivars over two successive flowering seasons. Large phenotypic variability was found among the studied cultivars indicating that the local germplasm collection provides a good source of genetic and phenotypic diversity. However, low correlations were observed between floral biology traits and, consequently, the improvement in one trait seems not to affect other traits. Some of the cultivars such as ‘Perurico’ and ‘Raxila Dulce’ regularly produced copious amounts of high-quality pollen which can improve the pollen load dispersion leading to a most effective pollination process. We did not identify statistically significant correlations between pollen attributes and the biennial bearing phenomenon. The large variation in bloom dates from year-to-year observed under a typical Oceanic climate makes it advisable to combine cultivars in new plantings.
Biofortification of Common Wheat Grains with Combined Ca, Mg, and K through Foliar Fertilisation
Authors: Cobalchin Francesca , Volpato Mirko , Modena Alberto , Finotti Luisa , Manni Francesco , Panozzo Anna , Vamerali Teofilo
Published: August 2021

Common wheat grains are characterised by low concentrations of Ca, K, and Mg, which can be partially removed with the bran during milling processes. This preliminary study investigated the effects of foliar fertilisation at the earing stage with nitrates of Ca, Mg, and K contemporarily, together with a small amount of urea and protein hydrolysate as potential carriers, in two contrasting common wheat varieties, i.e., Solehio (medium proteins content) and Vivendo (high proteins content). Based on the preliminary grain-to-straw concentration ratio of these minerals, two biofortification targets were applied in order to increase their grain contents by +20% and +40%, in comparison with untreated controls. Here, we demonstrate that the highest fertilisation dose was effective in increasing grain K by 13% and Mg by 16% in Vivendo, and Ca by 7% in Solehio, with no boosting effects of the co-formulants urea and protein hydrolysate. In addition to some qualitative benefits due to nitrates supply, negligible phytotoxicity symptoms were observed, as revealed by the NDVI vegetational index dynamics. Although the biofortification target was not fully achieved, this study firstly reports the possibility to increase at the same time Mg and K, and to a lower extent Ca in wheat grains. It is concluded that efficient multiple biofortification should consider a variety-depend response, while further studies are necessary to investigate the effects of different fertilisation timings and doses for improving the poor mineral translocation to the grains.
Heavy Metal Pollution and Its Effects on Agriculture
Authors: Vácha Radim
Published: August 2021

The contamination of agricultural soils by heavy metals is one of the most important methods of soil degradation (EU Soil Thematic Strategy) [...]
First Report of Amaranthus palmeri S. Wats. in Cotton, Maize and Sorghum in Greece and Problems with Its Management
Authors: Kanatas Panagiotis , Tataridas Alexandros , Dellaportas Vyronas , Travlos Ilias
Published: August 2021

Amaranthus palmeri S. Wats., or commonly Palmer amaranth, is an invasive plant species that has invaded many countries worldwide and causes significant yield losses to annual spring crops. Palmer amaranth biotypes were detected in maize and sorghum fields in Western Greece and cotton fields in Central Greece in 2020. The infestations were recorded both inside the crops and in the margins of the fields, indicating that Palmer amaranth could be characterized as an invasive weed for these regions and, thus, must be urgently managed. Four biotypes were screened for resistance to 2,4-D and nicosulfuron by using NDVI, canopy cover, photochemical efficiency, plant height and fresh weight values. All biotypes showed resistance to nicosulfuron. Resistance cases to important herbicides (i.e., ALS and synthetic auxins) in spring crops, such as maize and cotton, indicate that management could become even more challenging if farmers do not adopt integrated strategies and tools to manage this weed. The eradication of Palmer amaranth plants is imperative, since it has yet to be dispersed in several agricultural areas of Greece. Palmer amaranth is recommended to be enlisted as quarantine pest for regulation in Greece.
Structure of Anther Epidermis and Endothecium, Production of Pollen, and Content of Selected Nutrients in Pollen Grains from Six Rubus idaeus L. Cultivars
Authors: Kostryco Mikołaj , Chwil Mirosława
Published: August 2021

Poland is the largest European Union producer of Rubus idaeus. This species provides insects with nectar and pollen from June to September. The rationale behind the present research is the increasing commercial production and the use of food attractants for pollinators increasing fruit yields. The intensive search for phytochemicals applicable in industry and phytotherapy together with the unavailability of data on anther epidermis and endothecium structure justify undertaking these investigations. The pollen mass, the content of elements, protein, and fat, as well as the composition of amino acids and fatty acids in the pollen of six R. idaeus cultivars were compared. In terms of pollen production, the cultivars ranked as follows: ‘Pokusa’ < ‘Polana’ < ‘Glen Ample’ < ‘Polka’ < ‘Radziejowa’ < ‘Laszka’. The protein content (26–31%) in the pollen indicates its good quality and high attractiveness. Exogenous amino acids, including those with dietary importance, constituted a substantial proportion (33–39%). The content of MUFAs and PUFAs was 32–47% and 3.7–9.1%, respectively. The presence of elements that determine the nutritional value and proper development of pollen was detected in the mineral composition of the exine. The data on the epidermis and endothecium structure provide new information about the micromorphology, anatomy, ultrastructure of and generative organs and auxiliary criteria in the taxonomy of related species.
Influence of Green Light Added with Red and Blue LEDs on the Growth, Leaf Microstructure and Quality of Spinach (Spinacia oleracea L.)
Authors: Nguyen Thi-Phuong-Dung , Jang Dong-Cheol , Tran Thi-Thanh-Huyen , Nguyen Quang-Thach , Kim Il-Seop , Hoang Thi-Lan-Huong , Vu Ngoc-Thang
Published: August 2021

The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of green light, added with red and blue LEDs, on the growth, leaf microstructure and quality of spinach plants. Plants were transplanted and grown hydroponically for 30 days under different combinations of red:blue with a 4:1 ratio (R4B1), red:blue:green with a 5:2:3 ratio (R5B2G3) and red:blue:green with a 1:1:1 ratio (R1B1G1), at a 190 µmoL m−2·s−1 photosynthetic photon flux density (PPFD). The results showed that green light, added to red and blue LEDs at a reasonable ratio, could reduce the growth, leaf microstructure and quality of spinach plants, but not the organic acid content. The highest values for the growth parameters, photosynthetic pigments, leaf structure characteristics and quality of the spinach plant were observed for the R4B1 treatment, but not for the organic acid content. Therefore, our results suggest that green light added to red and blue LEDs at a reasonable ratio is not suitable for the growth of spinach.
The Cumulative Effect of Various Tillage Systems and Stubble Management on the Biological and Chemical Properties of Soil in Winter Wheat Monoculture
Authors: Kotwica Karol , Breza-Boruta Barbara , Bauza-Kaszewska Justyna , Kanarek Piotr , Jaskulska Iwona , Jaskulski Dariusz
Published: August 2021

Agricultural practices, including tillage systems and postharvest residue management, strongly affect a wide range of soil properties. Depending on the degree of soil inversion, both negative and beneficial changes of its structure, chemical composition, and biological activity may occur as a result of these treatments. The three-year experiment was carried out on the soil under winter wheat (cv. Arktis) monoculture. The effect of various tillage systems and stubble management on the soil environment’s biological and chemical features was investigated. The total number of microorganisms (TNM); bacteria (B); actinobacteria(A); fungi (F); soil respiratory activity (SR); pH in 1 M KCl (pH); organic carbon content (OC); content of available phosphorus (Pa); potassium (Ka); magnesium (Mg); and content of total nitrogen (TN) and mineral nitrogen forms were determined in soil samples. It was shown that manure application was the factor with the greatest influence on soil properties. The manure fertilization resulted in a higher number of microorganisms in arable soil. Conventional tillage procedures combined with manure application increased the amounts of available forms of phosphorus, potassium, magnesium, and mineral nitrogen. Introduction of the chopped straw in the field enhanced the beneficial effect of manure on soil properties.
Diaphragm-Type Pneumatic-Driven Soft Grippers for Precision Harvesting
Authors: Navas Eduardo , Fernández Roemi , Armada Manuel , Gonzalez-de-Santos Pablo
Published: August 2021

Soft actuator technology and its role in robotic manipulation have been rapidly gaining ground. However, less attention has been given to the potential advantages of its application to the agricultural sector, where soft robotics may be a game changer due to its greater adaptability, lower cost and simplicity of manufacture. This article presents a new design approach for soft grippers based on modules that incorporate the concept of bellows and combine it with the versatility and replicability of a 3D printed structure. In this way, the modules can be freely configured to obtain grippers adaptable to crops of different diameters. Furthermore, the definition of a method to determine the soft grippers features is also presented, with the aim of serving as the basis for a future benchmarking study on soft actuators. The experimental tests carried out demonstrated the feasibility and capability of the end-effectors to manipulate various fruits, ensuring a sufficient contact area for the safe handling of the targets and avoiding damaging the products.
Hyperaccumulators for Potentially Toxic Elements: A Scientometric Analysis
Authors: Zhang Dongming , Dyck Miles , Filipović Lana , Filipović Vilim , Lv Jialong , He Hailong
Published: August 2021

Phytoremediation is an effective and low-cost method for the remediation of soil contaminated by potentially toxic elements (metals and metalloids) with hyperaccumulating plants. This study analyzed hyperaccumulator publications using data from the Web of Science Core Collection (WoSCC) (1992–2020). We explored the research status on this topic by creating a series of scientific maps using VOSviewer, HistCite Pro, and CiteSpace. The results showed that the total number of publications in this field shows an upward trend. Dr. Xiaoe Yang is the most productive researcher on hyperaccumulators and has the broadest international collaboration network. The Chinese Academy of Sciences (China), Zhejiang University (China), and the University of Florida (USA) are the top three most productive institutions in the field. China, the USA, and India are the top three most productive countries. The most widely used journals were the International Journal of Phytoremediation, Environmental Science and Pollution Research, and Chemosphere. Co-occurrence and citation analysis were used to identify the most influential publications in this field. In addition, possible knowledge gaps and perspectives for future studies are also presented.