bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Utilization of psychotropic medicines in Romania during 1998–2018
Authors: Iaru Irina , Bucsa Camelia , Farcas Andreea , Pop Cristina , Cristina Anamaria , Armean Sebastian , Brumboiu Irina , Vostinaru Oliviu , Mogosan Cristina
Published: March 2023

Background: Mental disorders can have a significant impact on patients’ life, including economic, social and individual consequences, and psychotropic medication is essential to treat these conditions. Psychotropic drug utilization studies contribute to a clearer picture of the management of these conditions. Data published from Romania on this topic is limited. The present study aims to characterize the utilization patterns of anxiolytics, antidepressants (ADs), and antipsychotics (APs) in Romania during 1998–2018.

Methods: Drug utilization data were provided by Management Center for Documentation, Information and Marketing (CEGEDIM) Romania and quantitative data for each psychotropic medicine were converted to total defined daily doses (DDDs) and to DDD/1000inhabitants/day (DDD/TID). The total use of medicines in DDD/TID was computed in order to obtain the drug utilization 90% (DU90%) segment.

Results: An increasing trend in total utilization of psychotropic medicines in Romania started in 2004. Anxiolytics use was predominant until 2013 and the yearly anxiolytic use over the entire study period remained between 10 and 15 DDD/TID. Diazepam lost popularity over time in detriment of the utilization of other anxiolytic benzodiazepines, such as alprazolam and lorazepam. ADs utilization markedly increased during the study period (the average annual growth rate was 13.66% starting 1999). Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) became present on the 2008 DU90% and was the dominant class of ADs, with sertraline being the most prescribed, followed by escitalopram and paroxetine. APs utilization showed an increasing trend from 2003 until 2018. Atypical APs became present on the 2008 DU90%, while typical APs were no longer included in the 2018 DU90%. Among atypical APs, olanzapine was the main agent prescribed, and starting 2010 was followed by quetiapine and risperidone. The uptake of APs long-acting formulations became more evident during the last analyzed years (2015–2018).

Conclusion: We observed an increasing utilization of APs and a more prominent increase in ADs utilization in Romania during 1998–2018. The anxiolytic prescribing remained nearly stable during this time. Further research can bring more information on the various factors influencing psychotropic utilization in Romania.
EU and crisis management: Afghanistan and Ukraine on social media
Authors: Pérez-Curiel Concha , Garrote-Fuentes Álvaro , Rivas-de-Roca Rubén
Published: March 2023

The European Union (EU) is a very relevant actor in the political scene. The EU's external action is inspired by the principles of peace and rule of law. However, the EU is composed of different institutions and leaders, making it difficult to find a single voice. This promotes a feeling of remoteness that threatens the legitimacy of the EU political system. In recent years, the EU has faced many internal challenges, such as the refugee crisis and Brexit, but recent events in Afghanistan and Ukraine reveal the need to further our understanding of the role of the EU as an international actor. Bearing these trends in mind, this research aimed to explore the management of crisis communication by the EU leaders regarding the two most recent international events: Afghanistan in 2021 and Ukraine in 2022. Specifically, we analyze the profiles of Ursula von der Leyen (@vonderleyen), Josep Borrell (@JosepBorrellF), and Charles Michel (@eucopresident). Content analysis is manually performed on 479 tweets on military conflicts over a general sample of 661 messages. The strategies and specific topics are studied based on a pretest. In addition, we calculate the impact rate of the tweets. In this sense, the data were captured for a 2-month period (15 August to 15 September 2021 and 24 February to 24 March 2022). As a result, we show the predominance of messages on Ukraine together with a significantly different action of von der Leyen in terms of strategies and employment of the tools of Twitter. Her impact rate is also higher. This study contributes to current discussions on the mission of communication to foster trust, since the anti-publicity bias of the EU requires better levels of coherence to more effectively disseminate messages.
Treatment decision making in psychiatry: Formulating patients’ perspectives in outpatient psychiatric consultations
Authors: Yao Xueli , Zhang Xiaoning
Published: March 2023

Seeking and understanding patients’ values and preferences is one of the essential elements in shared decision making, which is associated with treatment adherence in psychiatry. However, negotiating treatment in psychiatric contexts can be challenging with patients whose ability to evaluate treatment recommendations rationally may be impaired. This article attempts to examine a conversational practice that psychiatrists use to deal with patients’ views and perspectives by formulating what the patients have said related to treatment. Taking the naturally occurring, face-to-face outpatient psychiatric consultations as the data, the present study uses conversation analysis (CA) as a method to demonstrate in a fine-grained detail what functions formulations of patients’ perspectives serve in psychiatric contexts. We found that by eliciting patients’ views and perspectives toward treatment, this type of formulation is not only used to achieve mutual understanding and establish the grounds for treatment decisions, but may also be used to challenge the legitimacy of patients’ position, steering treatment decision to the direction preferred by the psychiatrists. We argue that in the process of treatment decision making, psychiatrists do not simply impose their perspectives upon the patients, instead, they attempt to achieve consensus with patients by balancing their institutional authority and orientation to the patients’ perspectives. Data are in Chinese with English translation.
Effects of municipal smoke-free ordinances on secondhand smoke exposure in the Republic of Korea
Authors: Kim Siwoo , Lee Yuri , Han Changwoo , Kim Min Kyung , Kawachi Ichiro , Oh Juhwan
Published: March 2023

Objective

To reduce premature deaths due to secondhand smoke (SHS) exposure among non-smokers, the Republic of Korea (ROK) adopted changes to the National Health Promotion Act, which allowed local governments to enact municipal ordinances to strengthen their authority to designate smoke-free areas and levy penalty fines. In this study, we examined national trends in SHS exposure after the introduction of these municipal ordinances at the city level in 2010.

Methods

We used interrupted time series analysis to assess whether the trends of SHS exposure in the workplace and at home, and the primary cigarette smoking rate changed following the policy adjustment in the national legislation in ROK. Population-standardized data for selected variables were retrieved from a nationally representative survey dataset and used to study the policy action’s effectiveness.

Results

Following the change in the legislation, SHS exposure in the workplace reversed course from an increasing (18% per year) trend prior to the introduction of these smoke-free ordinances to a decreasing (−10% per year) trend after adoption and enforcement of these laws (β2 = 0.18, p-value = 0.07; β3 = −0.10, p-value = 0.02). SHS exposure at home (β2 = 0.10, p-value = 0.09; β3 = −0.03, p-value = 0.14) and the primary cigarette smoking rate (β2 = 0.03, p-value = 0.10; β3 = 0.008, p-value = 0.15) showed no significant changes in the sampled period. Although analyses stratified by sex showed that the allowance of municipal ordinances resulted in reduced SHS exposure in the workplace for both males and females, they did not affect the primary cigarette smoking rate as much, especially among females.

Conclusion

Strengthening the role of local governments by giving them the authority to enact and enforce penalties on SHS exposure violation helped ROK to reduce SHS exposure in the workplace. However, smoking behaviors and related activities seemed to shift to less restrictive areas such as on the streets and in apartment hallways, negating some of the effects due to these ordinances. Future studies should investigate how smoke-free policies beyond public places can further reduce the SHS exposure in ROK.
Social determinants of multimorbidity patterns: A systematic review
Authors: Álvarez-Gálvez Javier , Ortega-Martín Esther , Carretero-Bravo Jesús , Pérez-Muñoz Celia , Suárez-Lledó Víctor , Ramos-Fiol Begoña
Published: March 2023

Social determinants of multimorbidity are poorly understood in clinical practice. This review aims to characterize the different multimorbidity patterns described in the literature while identifying the social and behavioral determinants that may affect their emergence and subsequent evolution. We searched PubMed, Embase, Scopus, Web of Science, Ovid MEDLINE, CINAHL Complete, PsycINFO and Google Scholar. In total, 97 studies were chosen from the 48,044 identified. Cardiometabolic, musculoskeletal, mental, and respiratory patterns were the most prevalent. Cardiometabolic multimorbidity profiles were common among men with low socioeconomic status, while musculoskeletal, mental and complex patterns were found to be more prevalent among women. Alcohol consumption and smoking increased the risk of multimorbidity, especially in men. While the association of multimorbidity with lower socioeconomic status is evident, patterns of mild multimorbidity, mental and respiratory related to middle and high socioeconomic status are also observed. The findings of the present review point to the need for further studies addressing the impact of multimorbidity and its social determinants in population groups where this problem remains invisible (e.g., women, children, adolescents and young adults, ethnic groups, disabled population, older people living alone and/or with few social relations), as well as further work with more heterogeneous samples (i.e., not only focusing on older people) and using more robust methodologies for better classification and subsequent understanding of multimorbidity patterns. Besides, more studies focusing on the social determinants of multimorbidity and its inequalities are urgently needed in low- and middle-income countries, where this problem is currently understudied.
Secular trends in motor performance in Swiss children and adolescents from 1983 to 2018
Authors: Knaier Elisa , Chaouch Aziz , Caflisch Jon A. , Rousson Valentin , Wehrle Flavia M. , Kakebeeke Tanja H. , Jenni Oskar G.
Published: March 2023

Introduction

Environmental changes, including globalization, urbanization, social and cultural changes in society, and exposure to modern digital technology undoubtedly have an impact on children’s activity and lifestyle behavior. In fact, marked reductions in children’s physical activity levels have been reported over the years and sedentary behavior has increased around the world. The question arises whether these environmental changes had an impact on general motor performance in children and adolescents. The study aimed to investigate secular trends of motor performance in Swiss children and adolescents, aged between 7 and 18 years, over a period of 35 years from 1983 to 2018.

Methods

Longitudinal data on the five motor components of the Zurich Neuromotor Assessment (ZNA) – pure motor (PM), fine motor (FM), dynamic balance (DB), static balance (SB), and contralateral associated movements (CAM) – were pooled with cross-sectional data on PM and FM from eight ZNA studies between 1983 and 2018. Regression models were used to estimate the effect of the year of birth on motor performance and body mass index (BMI) measurements. Models were adjusted for age, sex, and socioeconomic status.

Results

The secular trend estimates in standard deviation scores (SDS) per 10 years were − 0.06 [−0.33; 0.22, 95% Confidence Interval] for PM, −0.11 [−0.41; 0.20] for FM, −0.38 [−0.66; −0.09] for DB (−0.42 when controlled for BMI), −0.21 [−0.47; 0.06] for SB, and − 0.01 [−0.32; 0.31] for CAM. The mean change in BMI data was positive with 0.30 SDS [0.07; 0.53] over 10 years.

Discussion

Despite substantial societal changes since the 1980s, motor performance has remained relatively stable across generations. No secular trend was found in FM, PM, SB, and CAM over a period of 35 years. A secular trend in DB was present independent of the secular trend in body mass index.
Is there a correlation between sensory impairments and social isolation in middle-aged and older Chinese population? Cross-sectional and longitudinal evidence from a nationally representative survey
Authors: Liu Ye , Sun Qinglei , Abuduxukuer KaiweiSa , Hou Yanan , Wei Jin , Liu Haiyun , Luo Jianfeng , Gao Guangfeng , Zhou Yifan
Published: March 2023

Purpose

The aim of this study is to investigate the cross-sectional and longitudinal associations between sensory impairments (SIs) including single vision impairment (SVI), single hearing impairment (SHI), and dual sensory impairments (DSI) with social isolation in the middle-aged and older Chinese population.

Methods

Data were obtained from the China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Survey (CHARLS). In total, 11,674 Chinese older adults aged over 45 were included at baseline 2011, and 6,859 participants who accomplished all four interviews from 2011 to 2018 were adapted for longitudinal analyses. Sensory status and social isolation measurements including social disconnectedness and self-perceived loneliness were collected. Assessment of social disconnectedness included the number of types of social activities in which they participated and the frequency of such participation. Loneliness referred to the subjective perception of loneliness. Other covariates included socio-demographic characteristics, medical conditions, and lifestyle-related factors. The impacts of baseline sensory status on social disconnectedness and loneliness were assessed using univariate and multivariate generalized linear models. A generalized linear model with generalized estimation equations (GEE) was used to assess the association between time-varying sensory statuses with social disconnectedness or loneliness over 8 years after being adjusted with multi-confounding factors.

Results

Participants with SIs had significantly higher levels of social disconnectedness and self-perceived loneliness, compared to those who were free of SI. All kinds of SIs were significantly associated with loneliness according to both cross-sectional and longitudinal data. The correlations between DSI and social disconnectedness or loneliness at baseline and over 8 years were also noticed. SHI was found to be significantly associated with both frequency and types of social activities according to cross-sectional data and with the frequency of social activity participation in longitudinal analysis. SVI was only associated with the types of social activities at baseline (all p-values < 0.05).

Conclusion

Sensory impairments, especially dual sensory impairments, have explicitly detrimental effects on social isolation among the older Chinese population. Over time, single hearing impairment specifically jeopardizes their frequency rather than types of social activities participation.
Exploiting hyperspectral and multispectral images in the detection of tree species: A review
Authors: Yel Sude Gul , Tunc Gormus Esra
Published: March 2023

Classification of tree species provides important data in forest monitoring, sustainable forest management and planning. The recent developments in Multi Spectral (MS) and Hyper Spectral (HS) Imaging sensors in remote sensing have made the detection of tree species easier and accurate. With this systematic review study, it is aimed to understand the contribution of using the Multi Spectral and Hyper Spectral Imaging data in the detection of tree species while highlighting recent advances in the field and emphasizing important directions together with new possibilities for future inquiries. In this review, researchers and decision makers will be informed in two different subjects: First one is about the processing steps of exploiting Multi Spectral and HS images and the second one is about determining the advantages of exploiting Multi Spectral and Hyper Spectral images in the application area of detecting tree species. In this way exploiting satellite data will be facilitated. This will also provide an economical gain for using commercial Multi Spectral and Hyper Spectral Imaging data. Moreover, it should be also kept in mind that, as the number of spectral tags that will be obtained from each tree type are different, both the processing method and the classification method will change accordingly. This review, studies were grouped according to the data exploited (only Hyper Spectral images, only Multi Spectral images and their combinations), type of tree monitored and the processing method used. Then, the contribution of the image data used in the study was evaluated according to the accuracy of classification, the suitable type of tree and the classification method.
Determinants of non-completion of sleep apnea testing during pregnancy
Authors: Antony Kathleen M. , Rice Alexandra Lauren , Bajaj Sakshi , Wiedmer Abigail M. , Jacobson Natalie , Nick Julia , Eichmann Allison , Stanic Aleksandar K. , Bazalakova Mihaela H.
Published: March 2023

Study objectives

Completion of testing during pregnancy for those who screen positive for obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is imperative for the diagnosis and treatment of OSA, as the latter may reduce the risk of developing hypertensive disorders of pregnancy. To identify potential barriers, we assessed predictors of non-completion of sleep apnea testing by people identified to be at high risk of OSA by screening during pregnancy. We hypothesized that non-completion of sleep apnea testing would be predicted by insurance status and obstetric factors, such as gestational age at time of testing.

Methods

We performed a retrospective analysis of the first 500 people in our sleep pregnancy database which includes both pregnant and preconception patients who screened positive for OSA; those screened preconception were excluded. Multivariable Poisson regression was used to determine which factors were independently associated with non-completion.

Results

Of 445 referred, 214 (48.1%) completed sleep apnea testing. Factors associated with non-completion of testing on univariate analysis included referral in the third trimester, higher parity, one or more living children, history of preterm birth, history of preeclampsia, type 2 diabetes mellitus, non-partnered status, race, and payor. Symptoms of loud snoring or witnessed apneas were associated with increased incidence of sleep apnea testing completion. Multivariable Poisson regression demonstrated that having public insurance predicted non-completion of sleep apnea testing during pregnancy.

Conclusion

In this small study, public insurance was an independent predictor of non-completion of sleep apnea testing during pregnancy. These findings aid efforts to improve patient completion of sleep apnea testing during pregnancy.
Exploring the role of virtual reality in military decision training
Authors: Harris D. J. , Arthur T. , Kearse J. , Olonilua M. , Hassan E. K. , De Burgh T. C. , Wilson M. R. , Vine S. J.
Published: March 2023

Introduction: Simulation methods, including physical synthetic environments, already play a substantial role in human skills training in many industries. One example is their application to developing situational awareness and judgemental skills in defence and security personnel. The rapid development of virtual reality technologies has provided a new opportunity for performing this type of training, but before VR can be adopted as part of mandatory training it should be subjected to rigorous tests of its suitability and effectiveness.

Methods: In this work, we adopted established methods for testing the fidelity and validity of simulated environments to compare three different methods of training use-of-force decision making. Thirty-nine dismounted close combat troops from the UK’s Royal Air Force completed shoot/don’t-shoot judgemental tasks in: i) live fire; ii) virtual reality; and iii) 2D video simulation conditions. A range of shooting accuracy and decision-making metrics were recorded from all three environments.

Results: The results showed that 2D video simulation posed little decision-making challenge during training. Decision-making performance across live fire and virtual reality simulations was comparable but the two may offer slightly different, and perhaps complementary, methods of training judgemental skills.

Discussion: Different types of simulation should, therefore, be selected carefully to address the exact training need.
Yield response of accessions of Bambara groundnut (Vigna subterranea (L) Verdc) inoculated with Bradyrhizobium japonicum strains
Authors: Bitire Tope Daniel , Abberton Michael , Oyatomi Olaniyi , Babalola Olubukola Oluranti
Published: March 2023

Field experiments were conducted in two different agroecological locations of Ibadan and Ikenne in Nigeria from August through December during the 2019 and 2020 cropping seasons. The studies were set up to reduce reliance on inorganic nitrogen fertilizer and to embrace the use of nitrogen-fixing bacteria to improve legume production to increase farmers' output and profitability. Ten accessions of the Bambara groundnut (BGN) were used in the trials. Seeds of each BGN accession were coated with each of the following Bradyrhizobium japonicum strains (B. japonicum): FA3, RACA6, USDA110, and IRJ2180A before planting. Furthermore, Nitrogen (N) fertilizer (20 kg/ha, urea) was applied to seedlings without inoculation, and uninoculated seedlings (without inoculation and without fertilization) served as control. The experiment was, therefore, a factorial arrangement (10 BGN accessions, 4 B. japonicum strains, N fertilizer application, and an uninoculated control). The yield and yield components of the inoculated BGN accessions were significantly enhanced at both agroecological locations and seasons. Among the B. japonicum strains used for inoculation, RACA6 strains significantly enhanced the yield and yield component of TVSu-1698 than other inoculated BGN accessions with a mean value of 6,234 ± 87 kg ha−1 recorded in both locations and seasons, compared to the result obtained in the combination of TVSu-1698 with N fertilizer with a mean value of 3,264 ± 943 kg ha−1. By using TVSu-1698 with RACA6 strain, farmers can get 85% more yield than on average with other genotypes/strains combination, while an average yield of 60% could be obtained by farmers using N fertilizer application.
Research trends and hotspots in climate adaptation of the agricultural system: A bibliometric analysis
Authors: Jiang Bing , Deng Xiaoshang , Chen Hongbo , Cui Lihang , Tang Wenjie
Published: March 2023

Agricultural system is highly dependent on the natural environment, thus even a slight climate change can have a significant impact on it. Climate change has already caused a series of problems for the agricultural system, which makes improving climate adaptation of the agricultural system extremely important. In order to clarify the current research status, cooperation network, research hotspots and trends in climate adaptation of the agricultural system, we adopt the bibliometric method via CiteSpace to analyze the data collected from the Web of Science (WoS) Core Collection. Through the analysis of a number of publications, we found that the current research in climate adaptation of the agricultural system has entered a rapid development stage. Moreover, the United State of America (USA) is the most impactful country with the most publications in this field. In terms of institutions, the University of Leeds contributes most to the research in climate adaptation of the agricultural system. And its faculty, A. J. Dougill, is the author who contribute most to this field. By cluster analysis and burst analysis, we confirmed conceptual studies, ecologically venerable areas, and climate adaptation strategies are the hotspot in climate adaptation of the agricultural system, while impact assessment, governance and decision-making, farming system, and climate information service are the research trend in this field. This review is expected to help researchers quickly grasp the research situation in climate adaptation of the agricultural system and provide a reference for future research in this field.
Optimal strategy for delirium detection in older patients admitted to intensive care unit after non-cardiac surgery
Authors: Wang Kun , Su Xian , Ma Jia-Hui , Wang Dong-Xin
Published: March 2023

Background

Delirium detection is challenging due to the fluctuating nature and frequent hypoactive presentation. This study aimed to determine an optimal strategy that detects delirium with higher sensitivity but lower effort in older patients admitted to the intensive care unit (ICU) after surgery.

Methods

This was a secondary analysis of the database from a randomized trial. Seven hundred older patients (aged ≥65 years) who were admitted to the ICU after elective noncardiac surgery were enrolled. Delirium was assessed with the Confusion Assessment Method for the ICU (CAM-ICU) twice daily during the first 7 days postoperatively. The sensitivity of different strategies in detecting delirium were analyzed and compared.

Results

Of all enrolled patients, 111 (15.9%; 95% CI: 13.3% to 18.8%) developed at least one episode of delirium during the first 7 postoperative days. Among patients who developed delirium, 60.4% (67/111) had their first delirium onset on postoperative day 1, 84.7% (94/111) by the end of day 2, 91.9% (102/111) by the end of day 3, and 99.1% (110/111) by the end of day 4. Compared with delirium assessment twice daily for 7 days, twice-daily measurements for 5 days detected 100% of delirium patients with 71% efforts; twice-daily measurements for 4 days detected 99% (95% CI: 94% to 100%) of delirium patients with 57% efforts; twice-daily assessment for 3 days detected 92% (95% CI: 85% to 96%) of delirium patients with only 43% efforts.

Conclusions

For older patients admitted to the ICU after elective noncardiac surgery, it is reasonable to detect delirium with the CAM-ICU twice daily for no more than 5 days, and if the personnel and funds are insufficient, 4 days could be sufficient.
Comparison of the respiratory bacterial microbiome in cats with feline asthma and chronic bronchitis
Authors: Werner Melanie , Weeger Jasmin , Hörner-Schmid Lina , Weber Karin , Palić Jelena , Shih Jonathan , Suchodolski Jan S. , Pilla Rachel , Schulz Bianka
Published: March 2023

Objectives

While feline chronic bronchitis (CB) is known as neutrophilic bronchial inflammation (NI), feline asthma (FA) is defined as an eosinophilic airway inflammation (EI). Feline chronic bronchial disease refers to both syndromes, with similar clinical presentations and applied treatment strategies. Recent studies described alterations of the microbiota composition in cats with FA, but little is known about the comparison of the lung microbiota between different types of feline bronchial disease. The study aimed to describe the bacterial microbiota of the lower respiratory tracts of cats with FA and CB and to identify potential differences.

Methods

Twenty-two client-owned cats with FA (n= 15) or CB (n= 7) confirmedviabronchoalveolar-lavage (BALF)-cytology were included. Next-generation sequencing analysis of 16S rRNA genes was performed on bacterial DNA derived from BALF samples. QIIME was used to compare microbial composition and diversity between groups.

Results

Evenness and alpha-diversity-indices did not significantly differ between cats with FA and CB (Shannonp= 0.084, Chao 1p= 0.698, observed ASVsp= 0.944). Based on a PERMANOVA analysis, no significant differences were observed in microbial composition between animals of both groups (Bray-Curtis metric,R-value 0.086,p= 0.785; unweighted UniFrac metric,R-value −0.089,p= 0.799; weighted Unifrac metric,R-value −0.072,p= 0.823). Regarding taxonomic composition, significant differences were detected forActinobacteriaon the phylum level (p= 0.026),Mycoplasmaspp. (p= 0.048), andAcinetobacteria(p= 0.049) on the genus level between cats with FA and CB, with generally strong interindividual differences seen. There was a significant difference in the duration of clinical signs before diagnosis in animals dominated byBacteriodetes(median 12 months, range 2–58 months) compared to animals dominated byProteobacteria(median 1 month, range 1 day to 18 months;p= 0.003).

Conclusions and relevance

Lung microbiota composition is very similar in cat populations with spontaneous FA and CB besides small differences in some bacterial groups. However, with disease progression, the lung microbiome of cats with both diseases appears to shift away from dominantlyProteobacteriato a pattern more dominated byBacteriodetes. A substantial proportion of cats tested positive forMycoplasmaspp.viasequencing, while none of them tested positive using classical PCR.
Systematic Review and Guidelines for Management of Scrotal Inguinal Hernias
Authors: Tran Hanh Minh , MacQueen Ian , Chen David , Simons Maarten
Published: March 2023

Introduction: Of the more than 20 million patients undergoing groin hernia repair annually worldwide, 6% are scrotal hernias in high resource countries rising to 67% in low resource countries which represents a heavy disease burden on relatively young men during their most productive period of life. There are many open questions concerning management of scrotal hernia. These guidelines aim to improve the care for scrotal hernia patients by reducing recurrence rates, chronic pain and infection.

Methods: After developing 19 key questions a systematic literature review was performed till 31 March 2021 for all relevant publications with search terms related to Scrotal Hernia. The articles were scored by all co-authors according to Oxford, SIGN and Grade methodologies. Statements and recommendations were formulated. Online Consensus meetings with 25 HerniaSurge members were organised with voting and grading Recommendations as “strong” (recommendations) or “weak” (suggestions) and by consensus, in some cases upgraded.

Results: Only 23 articles (two level 2 registry and 21 level 3–5) were selected. It is proposed to define scrotal hernia as an inguinal hernia which has descended into and causes any scrotal distortion. A new classification for scrotal hernias was proposed based on hernia size, SI for upper third thigh, SII for middle thigh and SIII for lower third thigh or below. Irreducibility is denoted with IR. Despite weak evidence antibiotic prophylaxis is recommended. Urinary catheterization is recommended (upgraded) in complex cases (S2-3) due to prolonged operative time. Scrotal hernia repairs have higher associated morbidity and mortality compared to non-complex groin hernia repairs irrespective of surgical experience. Open anterior (mesh) approach is commonest technique and suture techniques in low resource countries. For minimally invasive approaches, TAPP resulted in less conversion to open approach compared to TEP.

Conclusion: Although the evidence is scarce and often low quality scrotal hernia management guidelines aim to lead to better surgical outcomes irrespective of where patients live. This necessarily means a more tailored approach based on available resources and appropriate skills. The guidelines provide an impetus for future research where adoption of proposed classification will enable more meaningful comparison of different techniques for different hernia sizes.
Research on Dynamic Performance of Independent Metering Valves Controlling Concrete-Placing Booms Based on Fuzzy-LADRC Controller
Authors: Bao Huiming , He Dian , Zhang Bin , Zhong Qi , Hong Haocen , Yang Huayong
Published: March 2023

Motion control of truck-mounted concrete pump booms is an important part of concrete construction work. The quality of the boom movement will affect the efficiency and safety of construction operations. To make the boom move quickly and steadily, its hydraulic control system needs to be improved. In this article, we firstly combine independent metering control (IMC) and active disturbance rejection control (ADRC). The hydraulic system that controls the boom is meliorated by replacing the traditional proportional directional spool valve with four cartridge flow control valves to realize IMC. Meanwhile, a fuzzy linear ADRC algorithm is proposed for a new IMC hydraulic system where ADRC is linearized and combined with fuzzy logic to achieve better motion control performance of boom sections. According to the results of experiments conducted using all six boom sections, compared with the PID control algorithm, the fuzzy linear active disturbance rejection control (FLADRC) proposed in this article can improve the stability and rapidity of valves controlled by hydraulic cylinders by 10.0% to 66.7% in different working conditions.
Simultaneous Determination of Steroidal Alkaloids and Polyphenol Group from Eight Varieties of Siberian Solanum tuberosum L. through Tandem Mass Spectrometry
Authors: Razgonova Mayya , Kulikova Valentina , Khodaeva Vera , Bolotova Lyudmila , Baigarashev Timur , Plotnikova Nina , Zakharenko Alexander , Golokhvast Kirill
Published: March 2023

The purpose of this work was a comparative metabolomic study of extracts of from Siberian breeds of the Solanum tuberosum L.: Tuleevsky, Kuznechanka, Memory of Antoshkina, Tomichka, Hybrid 15/F-2-13, Hybrid 22103-10, Hybrid 17-5/6-11, and Sinilga from the collection of Siberian Federal Scientific Centre of Agrobiotechnology of the Russian Academy of Sciences. HPLC was used in combination with ion trap to identify target analytes in extracts of tuber part of a potato. The results showed the presence of 87 target analytes corresponding to S. tuberosum. In addition to the reported metabolites, a number of metabolites were newly annotated in S. tuberosum. There were essential amino acid L-Tryptophan, L-glutamate, L-lysine, Nordenine; flavones Ampelopsin; Chrysoeriol, Diosmetin, Diosmin, Myricetin; flavanones Naringenin and Eriodictyol-7-O-glucoside; dihydrochalcone Phlorizin; oligomeric proanthocyanidin (Epi)afzelechin-(epi)afzelechin; Shikimic acid; Hydroxyphenyllactic acid; Fraxidin; Myristoleic acid; flavan-3-ols Epicatechin, Gallocatechin, Gibberellic acid, etc.
Characterizing Agronomic and Shoot Morphological Diversity across 263 Wild Emmer Wheat Accessions
Authors: Rahman Shanjida , Islam Shahidul , Nevo Eviatar , Saieed Md Atik Us , Liu Qier , Varshney Rajeev Kumar , Ma Wujun
Published: March 2023

Wild emmer, the direct progenitor of modern durum and bread wheat, has mostly been studied for grain quality, biotic, and abiotic stress-related traits. Accordingly, it should also have a certain amount of diversity for morphological and agronomic traits. Despite having a high chance of huge diversity, it has not been deeply explored. In the current study, 263 wild emmer accessions collected from different regions of Israel, Turkey, Lebanon, and Syria were characterized for a total of 19 agronomic and shoot morphological traits. Three trials were carried out in Western Australia, which demonstrated a large variation in these traits. The average phenotypic diversity (H’) was 0.91 as quantified by Shannon’s diversity index. A high heritability was recorded for most of the traits, where biomass/plant and yield/plant were identified as the most potential traits. Correlation analysis revealed several significant associations between traits, including significant positive correlation between yield and tiller number, first leaf area, spike length, and biomass/plant. The principal component analysis (PCA) demonstrated that most of the traits contributed to the overall observed variability. The cluster analysis categorized 263 accessions into five clusters on average. On the other hand, accessions were categorized into eight populations based on the collection region and a comparative analysis demonstrated considerable variations between populations for plant height, spike length, and flag leaf area. Despite the low yield, several wild emmer accessions demonstrated superior performance compared to modern bread wheat cultivars, when selection was based on combining yield with multiple traits. These observations indicate that wild emmer contains a broad gene pool for several agronomic and shoot morphological traits, which can be utilized for bread and durum wheat improvement.
Assessment of Bioactive Profile of Sorghum Brans under the Effect of Growing Conditions and Nitrogen Fertilization
Authors: Nagy Róbert , Murányi Eszter , Bíróné Molnár Piroska , Szepesi Judit , Győri Zoltán , Veres Szilvia , Remenyik Judit , Sipos Péter
Published: March 2023

Sorghum bicolor (L.) Moench is an increasingly important crop grown in many countries as a food source due to its excellent nutritional value, drought and pest resistance, and gluten-free properties. In this study, the bioactive profiles and antioxidant potentials of brans of six sorghum varieties were evaluated using spectrophotometric methods. The effects of weather and environmental conditions and different nitrogen nutrition were also evaluated. The bran of red varieties contained a higher amount of polyphenols and tannins and exhibited higher antioxidant capacities than the bran of white varieties, with the exception of one red genotype. The highest total polyphenol contents were measured in samples from two red varieties (Zádor, Alföldi1) with 1084.52 ± 57.92 mg 100 g−1 GAE and 1802.51 ± 121.13 mg 100 g−1 GAE values, respectively, while condensed tannin content varied between 0.50 mg g−1 and 47.79 mg g−1 in sorghum brans. Red varieties showed higher antioxidant activities/capacities with 70–281 µmol TE g−1 and 71–145 µmol TE g−1 for DPPH and TEAC. Correlation analysis showed a strong interaction between DPPH, TEAC, and the amounts of polyphenols and tannins, but not with FRAP values. In conclusion, red-colored varieties are a good source of polyphenols, but seed color alone is not enough to determine the nutritional value of a genotype, and the environmental conditions greatly affect the bioactive profile of sorghum.
Effect of Fertigation on the Physicochemical Quality and Antioxidant System of ‘Fino’ Lemons during Postharvest Storage
Authors: Serna-Escolano Vicente , Dobón-Suárez Alicia , Giménez María J. , Zapata Pedro J. , Gutiérrez-Pozo María
Published: March 2023

Fertigation is a technique of injecting fertilizers along the irrigation lines, allowing a precise control of the moisture and the application. Nowadays, the main fertilizers used are nitrogen and potassium. Usually, an excess of fertigation is applied to achieve an early harvest of the lemon fruit. However, there is no literature available regarding the effects of excess fertigation on lemon fruit quality and antioxidant systems at harvest and during cold storage. Therefore, the present study aims to investigate these effects. This experiment was developed by comparing two plots: the first one with standard fertigation (SF) and the second one with intensive fertigation (IF). The yield per tree in the early harvest was higher in the IF than the SF plot; however, total yield was similar under both fertigation strategies. Lemons from the SF plot maintained higher total phenolic content and total antioxidant activity compared with lemons from the IF plot. In addition, firmness, total soluble solids and titratable acidity were also higher in SF lemons. Furthermore, weight loss, ethylene production, colour (parameter a*) and decay incidence were reduced in lemon fruits from the SF plot. Early lemons harvested from the standard fertigation plot showed high physicochemical quality and antioxidant properties, reducing lemon fruit decay during cold storage and providing high-quality fruits to consumers.
Phylogenetic Analyses and Transcriptional Survey Reveal the Characteristics, Evolution, and Expression Profile of NBS-Type Resistance Genes in Papaya
Authors: Jiang Qian , Wang Yu , Xiong Aisheng , Zhao Hui , Jia Ruizong , Li Mengyao , An Huaming , Ji Changmian , Guo Anping
Published: March 2023

Carica papaya maintains an abnormally small but complete NLR family while showing weak disease resistance. To better understand their origin, evolution, and biological function, we identified 59 NLR genes via a customized RGAugury and investigated their characteristics, evolutionary history, and expression profiles based on the improved papaya genome and large-scale RNA-seq data. The results indicated that duplication is a major evolutionary force driving the formation of the papaya NLR family. Synteny analyses of papaya and other angiosperms showed that both insertion and inheritance-derived NLRs are present in papaya. Transcriptome-based expression and network analyses revealed that NLRs are actively involved in biotic stress responses. For example, a papaya-specific inserted TNL was up-regulated strongly by the fungal infection. Both transcriptome and qRT-PCR analyses confirmed the expression divergence of an RNL and an RCNL, a pair of tandem duplication genes involved in different co-expression modules. Furthermore, we observed an inserted gene cluster composed of five duplicated CNLs, showing dosage effects and functional differentiation of disease-resistance genes during evolution. This research will enhance our knowledge of the special NLR family in papaya, which may serve as a model plant for disease-resistance genetic studies.
Herbicidal Activity of Smoke Water
Authors: Garrido Raphael Mota , Dayan Franck Emmanuel , Kolb Rosana Marta
Published: March 2023

Weeds cause more crop yield loss and increase farmers’ production costs more than any other agricultural pest worldwide. Natural extracts can be an important alternative to synthetic herbicides, or they can be one of the resources from which to discover new pesticide leads. The phytotoxic potential of smoke water was evaluated regarding germination and initial growth, prospecting for its possible herbicidal activity in weeds. Herbicidal activity was evaluated through germination, initial growth, and seedling vigor index bioassays in the laboratory and emergency with initial development bioassays in a greenhouse with smoke water solutions at 2.5, 5, 10 and 20% v/v. Experiments with two treatments were analyzed using T-tests for the parametric data and the Mann–Whitney test for the non-parametric data (p < 0.05). Experiments with three treatments or more were analyzed with a one-way ANOVA test followed by a Tukey test for the parametric data and a Kruskal–Wallis test followed by a Dunn test for the non-parametric data (p < 0.05). Linear regression was used to analyze data from the time–injury curve. The greatest effect on germination suppression (98%) was achieved when the Amaranthus viridis seeds were germinated in the laboratory with a 10% smoke water solution. Germination of Raphanus raphanistrum and Digitaria insularis was reduced by 93 and 75%, respectively, at this concentration. In greenhouse experiments, emergence of A. viridis was inhibited 81% by 20% smoke water. In laboratory initial growth experiments, 5% smoke water had the greatest inhibitory effect (94%) on A. viridis. R. raphanistrum initial growth reduction was 82%, Urochloa decumbens was 80%, D. insularis was 77% and Emilia fosbergii was 70% in the same conditions. In greenhouse development experiments, 70% of the A. viridis plants were killed by 5% smoke water treatment. These plants had 88% injury after treatment with 5% smoke water. Therefore, these findings suggest that smoke water solutions have potential as an herbicide, inhibiting the germination and initial growth of monocotyledonous and eudicotyledonous weeds. However, field tests are needed to confirm the potential of smoke water as an herbicide.
Evaluation of Hyperspectral Monitoring Model for Aboveground Dry Biomass of Winter Wheat by Using Multiple Factors
Authors: Yang Chenbo , Xu Jing , Feng Meichen , Bai Juan , Sun Hui , Song Lifang , Wang Chao , Yang Wude , Xiao Lujie , Zhang Meijun , Song Xiaoyan
Published: March 2023

The aboveground dry biomass (AGDB) of winter wheat can reflect the growth and development of winter wheat. The rapid monitoring of AGDB by using hyperspectral technology is of great significance for obtaining the growth and development status of winter wheat in real time and promoting yield increase. This study analyzed the changes of AGDB based on a winter wheat irrigation experiment. At the same time, the AGDB and canopy hyperspectral reflectance of winter wheat were obtained. The effect of spectral preprocessing algorithms such as reciprocal logarithm (Lg), multiple scattering correction (MSC), standardized normal variate (SNV), first derivative (FD), and second derivative (SD); sample division methods such as the concentration gradient method (CG), the Kennard–Stone method (KS), and the sample subset partition based on the joint X–Y distances method (SPXY); sample division ratios such as 1:1 (Ratio1), 3:2 (Ratio2), 2:1 (Ratio3), 5:2 (Ratio4), and 3:1 (Ratio5); dimension reduction algorithms such as uninformative variable elimination (UVE); and modeling algorithms such as partial least-squares regression (PLSR), stepwise multiple linear regression (SMLR), artificial neural network (ANN), and support vector machine (SVM) on the hyperspectral monitoring model of winter wheat AGDB was studied. The results showed that irrigation can improve the AGDB and canopy spectral reflectance of winter wheat. The spectral preprocessing algorithm can change the original spectral curve and improve the correlation between the original spectrum and the AGDB of winter wheat and screen out the bands of 1400 nm, 1479 nm, 1083 nm, 741 nm, 797 nm, and 486 nm, which have a high correlation with AGDB. The calibration sets and validation sets divided by different sample division methods and sample division ratios have different data-distribution characteristics. The UVE method can obviously eliminate some bands in the full-spectrum band. SVM is the best modeling algorithm. According to the universality of data, the better sample division method, sample division ratio, and modeling algorithm are SPXY, Ratio4, and SVM, respectively. Combined with the original spectrum and by using UVE to screen bands, a model with stable performance and high accuracy can be obtained. According to the particularity of data, the best model in this study is FD-CG-Ratio4-Full-SVM, for which the R2c, RMSEc, R2v, RMSEv, and RPD are 0.9487, 0.1663 kg·m−2, 0.7335, 0.3600 kg·m−2, and 1.9226, respectively, which can realize hyperspectral monitoring of winter wheat AGDB. This study can provide a reference for the rational irrigation of winter wheat in the field and provide a theoretical basis for monitoring the AGDB of winter wheat by using hyperspectral remote sensing technology.